News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-10-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser 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. MINNEAPOLIS The Transportation Security Administration has stepped up staffing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to help cut wait times for security screening. But there's another source of congestion for air travelers in Minnesota: The airport is serving ever bigger crowds. Strong 4 percent annual traffic growth last year continued in January. Given the jump and the projected passenger traffic in coming months, officials think the airport is on track to break its all-time passenger record, set more than a decade ago. Metropolitan Airports Commission officials say the numbers are rising faster than expected. The all-time record for passengers at MSP coming, going and laying over was set in 2005 at 37.6 million. The Great Recession drove those figures down nearly 14 percent to 32.3 million in 2009. Passenger counts have been creeping back up since then but took a big step forward last year. While airline travel is highly susceptible to the vagaries of the overall economy, a repeat of last's year's rapid growth could bring 38 million passengers to MSP for the first time ever. Forecasts indicate that's within the realm of possibility. ADVERTISEMENT The number of destinations out of the airport is expanding as well. Among the new routes, Delta has added non-stop service to Rome. "This is turning out to be our greatest quarter, at least that I could find researching back in the data, where we've introduced new routes," said Brian Peters, the airport's air services development manager. "It's about 15-16 depending on how you count it. But it's turning out to be a remarkable quarter and it'll be interesting to see if that can be matched." Added traffic at the airport can be a mixed bag. MAC chair Dan Boivin noted that while the increase may signal a pickup in business and the economy, it may also mean more noise over nearby neighborhoods and create demand for more spending on facilities, including parking. The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has deployed additional units of the police force to Agatu community in Benue State where hundreds of people were killed recently by suspected Fulani herdsmen. A statement from the Public Relations Officer of the Force Head Quarters in Abuja, Olabisi Kolawole, said Mr. Arase assured of the governments readiness to apprehend the culprits involved in the attack. The statement said Mr. Arase visited the area and immediately deployed two additional units of mobile Police Force, while vehicles were also sent to aid operations in the area. Mr. Arase described the killing of two police officers who were on official assignment in the area as brutal, and warned that any person found to be involved in the killing would be made to face the law. He said the Force was collaborating with relevant parties to prevent the spread of the crisis and said such killings would not be allowed to repeat in Agatu or elsewhere. Mr. Arase commiserated with families of the deceased as well as the entire Agatu community. He asked for support from members of the community to unmask the perpetrators and sponsors of the crime. In a similar vein, the Federal Government has convened a town hall meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja on Thursday, March 24, where members of Agatu and Fulani communities will dialogue to resolve the crisis. At least 16 female residents of Adamawa State were abducted Wednesday by suspected Boko Haram militants, the police and local officials said. Police said a team of officers had been deployed to the area to search for the abducted persons. Those abducted include 14 women and two girls. They were seized in Sabongari Madagali, in Madagali Local Government of the state, a federal lawmaker representing the area said. Local sources said some of the women were taken from a nearby bush where they went in search of firewood. Others were seized from a nearby river while fishing. A source said two women managed to escape the abductors by pretending to have drowned. The two women who are in real state of trauma told us that the suspected Boko Haram insurgents had a field day carting away the women when their escorts ran away for their dear lives, the source said. He said two vigilante operatives who escorted the women to the bush fled on sighting the heavily armed men, who arrived good numbers. They left the women to their own devices as the gunmen were left unchallenged leading to the abduction of the said women, the source said. Confirming the incident, the member representing Michika/ Madagali Federal constituency, Adamu Kamale, said, I just received the shocking news to the effect that about 16 women have been abducted by Boko Haram. We have been witnessing pockets of attacks contrary to the belief that security has been fully restored in the area. As a member of NASS( National Assembly), I have been calling for the deployment of security personnel but to no avail as the government seems to have relegated our concerns to the background. The Police Public Relations Officer of Adamawa, Othman Abubakar, said on learning about the development, the command deployed officers to the affected area. He said police were working round the clock to track down the abducted women and girls. President Muhammad Buhari on Thursday responded to growing criticisms of his administrations performance, saying his government still has years to go. Addressing leaders of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja, the president acknowledged his government was facing increasing attacks 10 months after taking office. I know you are being harassed since the election that they havent seen anything on the ground, the president said at the APCs National Executive Committee meeting. Well, if you have any explanation that could be accepted, (it) is that you have three more years to go. Mr. Buhari spoke about his governments efforts to strengthen the economy, fight insecurity and improve the electoral system. He also defended his frequent trips abroad. For globetrotting, sometimes, you need to present your case on personal basis to your economic colleagues and neighbors. Nothing is better than personal touch and I believe that we are learning a lot and eventually, the nation will realize so. The president concluded by again, urging party members to accept criticisms in their strides. I dont envy you on the harassment you are going through from your constituencies. Take it with a lot of determination and we will be all right, God willing, he said. Read his full text: Transcript of President Muhammadu Buharis remarks at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, March 24, 2016. PROTOCOLS We are members of the legacy party, plus APGA and DPP. We realized since 2005 that to remove the PDP from power, we must sink our differences, come together and form a party. God willing, that eventually happened and that is why we are where we are today, coming together inspite of our differences, both personal and ideological. We must not forget that. Having identified that as members of the legacy party, we again identified three fundamental things facing us. First, security, second, economy and unemployment and thirdly, corruption. We campaigned throughout the country on these three fundamental issues and nobody successfully challenged us and these issues remained relevant. On security, we have made progress. It was a very courageous decision that the party took and executed by the Executive by removing most of the military hierarchy and appointing those to take over from them, acquiring some new hard and soft ware and raising the morale of the military to go secure the rest of the country which was then 14 out of 774 local government. I have said it often that as far as I know and the service Chiefs who are on ground, they are not holding any local government. But they still have some capability especially on soft targets by using technology. For Niger Delta, the militants are sending some conflicting messages. Some have said they are ready to drop their arms and join the rest of the nation to build it. But part of them are still sabotaging installations which is making investments in that lucrative area of Nigeria difficult because nobody will submit his riches to financial institutions, get money only to suffer huge loss. So, the environment for investment is being sabotaged by our own selves, Nigerians. We are doing our best with the military by trying to persuade them to join the rest of the country because in unity lies our strength. Of course the leadership of INEC has been changed, but I appeal to the leadership of the military, security agents and INEC that what I want Nigerians to remember me for, even if I have to leave the Presidency tomorrow is that I respect them. I want all Nigerians to believe and hold their PVC as personal entitlement as Nigerians and use it the way the like, and vote for whoever they like at which ever election. If they voluntarily sold it, it is part of their right and so, let them sell it and remain at home and not participate in any election. But let the law enforcement agencies give them the confidence that nobody will come out who has money to hire thugs, give them drugs and stop them from exercising their fundamental right. I am afraid I did not succeed in the election in Kogi, Bayelsa, Rivers. I think that more Nigerians are killed or killed themselves in Rivers than in any particular state. At this stage of our political development, to remain brutal is shameful and as a government, I promise we will do something by the next general election. On the economy, the fall of oil prices after Nigeria has made itself a mono economy is a disaster. I wonder why people could not believe that in Nigeria, about 27 out of 36 states have difficulty in paying basic salaries of their workers. If from 1999 to at least 2003, oil is above 100 dollars per barrel and an export of about 2 million barrel per day, how come Nigeria failed to make some arrangement to cushion the effect of a probably volatile oil market? Again, it shows failure of the last administration. But we are now to pick the pieces as an APC government and so, there is no need complaining, but let us concentrate and see how much we can do with whatever remains of the economy. We realized that agriculture and solid minerals are two areas that can quickly come to help us to recover economically, at least in terms of employment and feeding ourselves and more importantly, saving the hard currency to make sure that what is left our industries remain open, employing Nigerians and producing goods and services which is very important. The policy we are trying to implement is TSA. When we insist that we have to know what comes in and what goes out for us to make a comprehensive amendment to the economy. If you go and see the Central Bank Governor, he will tell you that in the TSA, we have more than N3 trillion. Where would this money have been if TSA was not in vogue? I was made to understand that vouchers would have quickly been raised towards the end of the financial year and checks made. Whether they are going into projects or private pockets, nobody can prove it to you. But that money is there, it is identified, if it is quantified and when the budget comes back eventually, the Ministry of finance will see how to allocate it to the rest of the country. We have tried to make sure that NNPC is reorganized, so that we know how much of our crude is taken, how much it is sold and to which account the money is going. But I tell you that up to the time we came, if anybody told you that he knows how much of crude exchanges hands either on the high sea or reaching their destination and the accounts the money goes into, that person is not telling you the truth. We are getting the cooperation of countries that has received this crude. But we have to be sure of the facts in our hands before we start prosecution so that Nigerians will believe what we have been telling them. Again, I have to repeat myself here for you to appreciate what I am going through because you are closer to the people than myself. I was telling a British team that came to supervise the training team they sent, that when I was in uniform, you took the perceived corrupt ones and put them in safe custody and quietly told them they were guilty until they can prove themselves innocent. But now under multi-party democratic system, I see some of them ride Rolls Royce, some of them have built estates here, but they are innocent until we can prove them guilty. This situation is true and you dont need to stress your imagination to find out. If you can find out, you discover that a level eight officer has five houses, while you, as a Permanent Secretary or Commissioner is still living in a rented house. We have to get credible evidence to carry out successful prosecution and get judgement from the Judiciary. But effort is being made to give a list of recoveries in whatever currencies so far so that Nigerians will know that it is not all about long stories. For the party, I will like you to continue to make sacrifice. I know you are being harassed since the election that they havent seen anything on the ground. Well, if you have any explanation that could be accepted, is that you have three more years to go. When we came in after 16 years of PDP, each government had 42 ministries. We reduced them to 24, removed 21 Permanent Secretaries. We sat down and reflected seriously. We were all in the process of taking over at a time of national budget. So, imagine the volume of work and with what happened in the National Assembly, the padding, it would appear that below the Permanent Secretaries, there are still a lot of bureaucracies that are still with them. So, you have to appreciate the position we are in. Having cut 42 to 24, correspondingly, the parastatals will be cut down to some size and realigned and the boards reconstituted. We gave a blanket order which we had to rescind when we said all boards are suspended or dissolved. We had to go back and lick our vomit in terms of university boards because we found out that according to their laws, they cannot choose Vice Chancellors unless the Boards seat down, interview prospective candidates who wants to be VCs. So, there is nothing wrong in saying sorry and going back on your decision. So, we said sorry and allow all the universities to continue with their boards. But for the rest, eventually, we will make it. So, please, try to bear with us as we reflect on where we found ourselves. For globetrotting, sometimes, you need to present your case on personal basis to your economic colleagues and neighbors. Nothing is better than personal touch and I believe that we are learning a lot and eventually, the nation will realize so, I dont envy you on the harassment you are going through from your constituencies. Take it with a lot of determination and we will be all right, God willing. A University of Lagos first class graduate who scored the maximum 5.0 CGPA, Ayo Dada, was on Wednesday honoured by the House of Representatives. The honour bestowed on Mr. Dada followed a motion by the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila. I believe as leaders and as a country its time we start celebrating our successes particularly in a period of great national despondency that has enveloped us for years now. As a House I believe we should recognize, celebrate and commend Mr. Ayodele so as to encourage him and give hope and inspiration to many others. To this end, I wish for you to join me as we suspend the House rules to invite Mr Ayodele Dada to the floor of the House on Tuesday 22nd March to honour the young man and his remarkable achievement. His story is compelling and inspirational to the youth and he represents and mirrors the hope of our tomorrow, Mr. Gbajabiamila said urging the House. Following the adoption of the motion, the lawmakers took turns to eulogise the honouree who was invited to stand before the lawmakers. Mr. Dada was given a standing ovation by the lawmakers. Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES after his appearance at the chamber of the House, he said I was just standing there (House), feeling it was a dream and wishing it didnt end. Given my humble background, I never envisioned receiving a standing ovation from people I watched on TV. I am completely appreciative. He expressed special gratitude to Mr. Gbajabimiala. Mr. Dada said he had no girlfriend throughout his four years as an undergraduate; though, he said he had just female friends. There were ladies who tried things with me, but I always have my focus, he said. Schooling was not very rosy for Mr. Dada, who studied psychology, and said he was responsible for all his expenses in school. There were times I would be hungry, even hungry for a whole day, he said. But he later stabilized and income started flowing in through private tutoring. On a good day, I could make N5,000 a day through private tutoring. Asked if he had been receiving job offers, I have got a number of offers; they are coming but I need to take time to decide in line with what I wish for myself. He disclosed that the management of University of Lagos had offered him lecturing job as a graduate assistant in the Department of Psychology. Yes, I am considering because I actually love a career in the academia. But as I said I am taking time to decide, he said. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested Dada Olatunji, a former Assistant Comptroller General of Nigeria Fire Service, for alleged employment scam. This is contained in a statement issued by Head of Media and Publicity of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, in Abuja on Thursday. The statement said Mr. Olatunjis arrest followed a petition by two applicants Robert Mathew and Theresa Abah. They alleged that one Christopher Adaje, of the Nyanya office of the service, informed them in Dec. 2014 that they were recruiting and promised to facilitate their employment. He said he would do this before April 2015 if they could part with N350,000 each. Matthew and Abah who were desperate to get employment but could not afford the said sum, resorted to soliciting for help from their friends and relations. Eventually, Matthew was able to source his from a friend while Abah took a loan of N225, 000 from her friend. They raised N575, 000 and paid it into an account number supplied by Adaje in one of the old generation banks, the statement said. It added that Mr. Adaje could not deliver on his promise months later, a situation that prompted the applicants to visit his office where they discovered it was a fraud. The statement added that on arrest, Mr. Adaje confessed that he was fronting for Mr. Olatunji whom he claimed the money was given to. The statement said the suspects would be charged to court soon. (NAN) The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has returned to the Code of Conduct Tribunal where he is standing trial for alleged false declaration of assets. Mr. Saraki arrived the CCT at 9:53am, Thursday, amidst cheers from his colleague senators who had arrived earlier. Mr. Sarakis trial began in September 2015 on a 13-count charge brought by the Code of Conduct Bureau. At the last sitting on March 18, Mr. Sarakis lawyer, Kanu Agabi, asked the court to strike out the case, saying the charge was invalid. Mr. Agabi said the CCB failed to, as required by law, invite Mr. Saraki to explain discrepancies in his asset form before bringing charges against him. Mr. Agabi cited a previous judgement of the CCT in the case against former Lagos Governor Ahmed Tinubu in which the tribunal dismissed the charge for similar procedural flaw. Mr. Saraki had been denied fair hearing by not being allowed to provide explanations first, Mr. Agabi, a former Federal Attorney General, said. At Thursdays hearing, Mr. Agabi again announced that Mr. Saraki was represented by 80 lawyers. More details coming. The two chambers of Nigerias National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, on Wednesday passed the 2016 budget after the adoption of the conference report of their respective appropriations committees. The National Assembly approved N6.06 trillion, a reduction on the 6.08 trillion proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari. But the committees on appropriations of the Senate and the House chaired by Danjuma Goje and Abdulmumin Jibrin, delivered damning remarks on the harmonized budget report presented to their separate chambers. In the adopted report, the National Assembly observed the late presentation of the budget, saying it was seen to be fraught with some inconsistencies from the MDAs; given subsequent reference by them to different versions of the budget. This is strange and goes against proper budgetary procedures and processes; with attendant implications, the report said. The report further noted that the available revenue for appropriation was grossly inadequate to meet the huge demand of MDAs to prosecute needed programmes for national development across all spheres in the economy. The 2106 Bill (budget) seeks to stimulate the economy but the recurrent expenditure as compared to the capital component to the capital component at a ratio of 30:70 is very high. This takes away the infrastructure-stimulus funding that the country so desperately needs for development. Most disturbing was the observation raised in the report that in the course of the year, Nigeria may run into a financial hitch and may find it difficult to pay public workers. The 2016 Appropriations Bill contained a number of omissions particularly in the area of personnel cost. Though the Appropriations Committee has filled some of the gaps, there are many outstanding cases which could raise serious concern in the course of the year. On this, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, urged the Senators to ensure the outstanding gaps were filled to avoid a crisis with personnel cost. But Mr. Goje said, the budget is already full of controversies and we dont want to add more controversies. So, we leave it like that. Mr. Goje however said the report made room for adjustment and contingency in the event of a financial hitch. The Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio mocked the Buharis All Progressives Congress Government, saying the budget should be passed as it is but noted this is change in the wrong direction. He said with the budget, the 2016 fiscal year was not part of the expected change. However, Mr. Akpabio urged support for Mr. Buhari in the interest of national development. In its recommendations, the National Assembly said subsequent budgets should be submitted in strict compliance with the provision of the Fiscal Responsibility Act to enable the National Assembly conduct proper engagement and to conclude the budgetary processes in good time. It also asked that the Budget Office and the MDAs to have proper engagement on budget contents to have avoid what appears to be disconnect between them. It also recommended downward review of the recurrent expenditure relative to the capital expenditure. From 2017 fiscal year, Government should endeavor to shore up capital expenditure to shore up capital expenditure. The report explained reason for reduction in the amount originally proposed by Mr. Buhari. In view of the revenue and general economic challenges confronting the nation, the committee has, in a landmark decision not witnessed since the advent of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, reduced the size of the aggregate expenditure and consequently reduced the total recurrent, deficit and borrowing plan. Highlight of the budget Aggregate expenditure N6,060,677,358,227 Statutory transfers N351,370,000,000 Debt service N1,475,320,000,000 Recurrent expenditure N2,646,389,236,196 Capital expenditure N1,587,598,122,031 Fiscal deficit N2,204,936,925,711.16 Deficit/GDP 2.14 per cent The parameters proposed by Mr. Buhari were retained. Oil price benchmark and crude oil production were left at US38 per barrel and 2.2000mbpd respectively. Similarly, the exchange was left at N197/USD1. According to the report, the assumptions were adopted in line with recommendations of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP. Following the passage of the budget by the National Assembly, the budget now awaits Mr. Buharis assent to become an Act and be operational. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, urged his colleagues to ensure thorough oversight on the MDAs in the implementation of the budget. Meanwhile, one of the members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Abdulfatai Buhari, did not sign the report on the budget. He could not be reached to find out reason for withholding his signature. Massive queues have resurfaced at filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, after few days of relief. The queues increased a day after the Nigerian government said it had no means of ending the scarcity, and that the crisis may last another two months. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported on Thursday that most filling stations in Abuja had queues which stretched over two kilometres. Some petrol stations along Kubwa Expressway which had long queues of vehicles were AA Rano, NNPC Mega Station, MRS, Bulsalewa, Conoil and Mobil. Other fuel stations in the Central Area with long queues were Mobil, Conoil, NNPC outlets, Forte Oil, Total, among others. A motorist, Emeka Ifedikachi, expressed regret over the non-availability of petrol, saying it was unfortunate that government had yet to fix the problem of the supply of petroleum products. I read in the papers that the problem will not end till May, which means all the things they have been saying to us were not true. I have to queue to fill up my tank because from tomorrow, I have many activities to mark the Easter holidays. It is obvious that many people will sleep and celebrate their Easter queuing to buy fuel, he said. Another customer at the NNPC mega station, Yusuf Ahmed, told NAN that he had been on the queue for over an hour. I have been on queue since the last one hour but the good thing is that they are selling; I hope that I will buy soon. I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to bring change to this sector, we are suffering, he said. Also, Margaret John, a Business woman expressed disappointment with governments announcement that the problem would linger till May. So, we now have to create time for buying fuel in our cars, I have to close my shop every time I come to buy fuel and it is money that I am losing, she said The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had assured Nigerians that it was doing everything possible to end the fuel queues in parts of the country. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said that the corporation had activated all structures to help stabilise the situation in the weeks ahead. Mr. Kachikwu said the crisis may last till May. He apologised to Nigerians for the recent hardship in assessing petroleum products and assured of normalisation of the fuel supply and distribution in the weeks ahead. (NAN) Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has approved a five percent pay rise for health workers. The governor said the wage increment is for all health workers including laboratory technicians, nurses and midwives. The state government had earlier in the month also raised doctors pay by the same level after extensive negotiations It announced the new increase while receiving members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), who visited him at Government House, Benin City, on the governments invitation. The state governments pay rise came even as many states in the country are presently struggling to pay wages, with many owing workers salary arrears for up to five months. I asked you to come over because I know that two years ago, we had a wage review based on certain criteria which you preferred to call 90% but for me, that was what we were willing to pay and were able to pay at that time, Mr. Oshiomhole said. And I did say that when situation improves, we would look at it and make some further upward adjustment. However, I do recognize that for us to maintain our integrity in the eyes of our workers, when promises have been made in good faith, as much as possible, we should try to keep those promises. It is no secret that Nigerias economy is in crisis. We are burdened not only by low price of crude oil; we are also saddened by massive looting and diversion from public treasury at the federation level. So, I want you to accept this as a mark of my own commitment in ensuring that even at this time in our national crisis, that the workers are recognized as a critical agent in the process of governance and our sheer commitment to take Edo State to the highest level, Mr. Oshiomhole said. In his response, the chairman of JOHESU, Osaretin Agbonlahor described the pay rise as a motivating factor and thanked Governor Oshiomhole for the gesture. Meanwhile, Governor Oshiomhole has warned that the low power supply by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to Edo State poses a threat to the security of lives and properties in the state. Speaking during a meeting he held with the management of BEDC at the Government House, Governor Oshiomhole said, There are a couple of concerns. Sometimes, we have seen some protests, some violent reactions and obstructions and stories about properties being stolen and vandalized; and every day, I am confronted with protests by various communities who are in the dark: either their transformer is not working or it has broken down. There are bills people are paying even without light; or they are being over-billed based on estimates as they have no meters. Even the House of Assembly has just spoken to me that they need to spend some money to set up a sub-station that will give more regular power supply. Right now, they are getting less than 4 hours a day in their residential area. That is an arm of government. They have made a request for a substantial investment for us to provide part of the cost in a distribution chain, and when we provide that and they have access to power, how do we get our refund? Recently, the Commissioner of Police wrote to me that the Police Headquarters is in the dark, and that is a serious issue because in the Police Headquarters, we have cells where there are inmates. And of course, you have offices. Police is 24 hour operation. Now out of desperation, I have to buy, using tax payers money to provide a transformer to the Police Headquarters. I mentioned this because we used Edo peoples money to buy transformer, and you told me now that they have power. Now, what happens when you generate bills? he asked rhetorically. Responding, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer BEDC, Funke Osibodu, explained how the company shares electricity for consumers amidst difficult generation. A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has explained why his colleagues should not identify themselves with either the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, or his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in the face-off rocking the APC in the state. The two political allies have been at loggerheads recently, leading to the intervention of the seven governors of the North West geo-political zone. But it appears despite the peace accord, the two political leaders are yet to settle their differences. Mr. Jibrin, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, expressed sadness over the crisis, saying taking sides in the matter would only help escalate the crisis. In an open letter to both Governor Ganduje and Kwankwaso, the lawmaker said, Whoever takes sides to stoke the embers of enmity in order to raze down your decades-old bond in less than a year, is neither a friend, nor supporter but political panhandler who benefits from the crumbs of the crisis. You will recall that I have been at the centre of mediation, making diplomatic shuttle in your residences, reaching out to two of you in private in order to find a lasting solution to the crisis. I have been unwavering and steadfast since the formative stage of the misunderstanding, through the period of cold war and now full-blown political crisis. I have tarried this long to write to you in order to ease the legislative burden of budget passage shouldered on the committee I chair in the House of Representatives. You will bear me witness that I have done a lot, despite this tasking engagement, toward solving the crisis amicably. I cannot be running with the hare and hunting with hounds. I believe the greatest service and show of unalloyed loyalty one should offer you, is to seek ways of brokering the feud in order to avoid muddling the image you built over the years in public by zealot supporters, he said. Mr. Jibrin said notable Nigerians, including the president, governors, lawmakers and traditional rulers should intervene for an amicable resolution of the crisis. Having analysed the crisis, made a political SWOT analysis of the situation, it is obvious that none of you stands to benefit from this row. The party will suffer. Both of you will be distracted. The masses will bear the brunt. And our political opponents we defeated in the past will avail themselves of our differences to advance their political cause. The lizard finds a space to penetrate through the wall when it finds a crack. It is evident that the crisis has gone out of hand as supporters of the either camp have owned up and taken over the crisis, and in the process diminishing your capacity to decide on reconciliatory moves. As a solution to the crisis, I suggest that at some points of the reconciliation, your key allies and supporters be involved because of the role they play in starting, fanning and spreading the political inferno. My dear leaders, upon all the political mentoring and the good political values you inculcate in us, what legacy are you now bequeathing to us, your political sons? It certainly shouldnt be a legacy of division, nor a broken political home, he said in the letter. The Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has said that food security and self-sufficiency requires immediate attention at policy and strategic levels to sustain the country. Mr. Ambode spoke in Lagos Wednesday at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Lagos and Kebbi states to establish a commodity value chain that will boost food processing, production, and distribution. Lagos state is the largest consumer of food commodities in Nigeria by virtue of our state population, said Mr. Ambode. We have the market, with the required purchasing power also. Lagos state has an estimated consumption of over 798,000 metric tonnes of milled rice per year which is equivalent to 15.96 million of 50kg bags, with a value of N135 billion per annum. Mr. Ambode said the state is currently consuming 6,000 herds of cattle daily which may increase to 8,000 in the next five years. Mr. Ambode said the partnership between the two states would bring an end to the importation of rice into the country. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that two states are collaborating to develop their agricultural potentials, he said. We have the economic prowess to produce rice locally. The reality is for all of us to embrace the consumption of local foodstuff and commodities. The partnership is aimed at bringing about national food sufficiency and food security, as well as create employment for both states and the country. Lagos state is one of the largest producers of poultry and thus has a large demand for maize for livestock feed production, Mr. Ambode said. The state also houses most of the industrial users of wheat and sorghum; mostly flour mills, bakeries, breweries, and food manufacturers. Kebbi state, on the other hand, is blessed with a vast arable land characterised by very large flood plains, lowland swamps and gentle slopes. In the 2014/2015 wet season, over 600,000 hectares of land was deployed for rice cultivation in the three senatorial areas of the state. The joint venture between both states will be implemented using a Spcial Purpose Vehicle known an LASKEB Agricultural Production and Marketing Company (LAPMCO), according to Mr. Ambode, who added that focus would be on rice, wheat, groundnut, onions, maize, sorghum, and beef. The people of Kebbi are traditionally rice farmers with average land holding of about 10 hectares. Presently, Kebbi has over 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy in store produced from the last two planting seasons, said Mr. Ambode. With these considerations mind, Lagos state and Kebbi state have decided to collaborate and exploit our areas of comparative advantage to create value for both states. This alliance will ensure food security, job creation, increase in farmers income and the overall improvement in the living conditions of the residents of both states through wealth creation and poverty reduction. Mr. Ambode further said that the special purpose vehicle would allow the entrance of private sector investors and other states in expanding the rice mill at Ikorodu, Imota, and other locations. We have already designated the 100 hectare land at Imota as the Agric Park in the state. Other locations in and outside the state will be vigorously activated to fulfil our mission in record time. Atiku Bagudu, the Kebbi state governor, said the partnership was in line with President Muhammadu Buharis vision to restructure Nigeria away from over-reliance on oil. What we are doing is that we are pioneering a collaboration that will bring other states on board later and we believe that our potentials is enormous and we must have pacesetters to start that process of joint collaboration for our collective good, said Mr. Bagudu. A pregnant woman, Kafayat Somoye, and her five-year-old daughter, were on Thursday killed when a ramshackle building at Onifufu/Aderupaba compound in Oke-Ijeun area of Abeokuta, caved in on them. A witness said the mother was taking her child, Ganiyat, and her brother, Ganiyu, to school, when a cracked wall of the building located near their home suddenly collapsed and fell on the duo. The wall of the over 70-year-old building killed the two before any help could reach them, witnesses said. Neighbours said the mother was a petty trader, while the child attended Methodist Primary School, Ago-Oko, Abeokuta. Police arrived the scene at about 9am and removed the bodies to the hospital, as sympathizers who gathered, wept. The essence of our European culture comes from classical music and works of European composers, Polish President Andrzej Duda said during a meeting with members of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw on Tuesday. The president admitted that having received reports about the deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels it came to his mind that he should cancel the meeting but he immediately decided not to. May be of interest to you "Acts of terrorism call for common reaction" "We must all stand together in defence of our European values, in defence of our cultural foundations, we cannot allow ourselves to be overcome by brutal violence," the Polish president said. NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, in Poland to give three concerts in Wroclaw, Warsaw and Katowice, has been invited to this country to take part in the 20th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival by the Ludwig van Beethoven Association. "Your artistic work represents what is so extremely important and fundamental for Europe and our community," the Polish president stressed. Addressing the meeting, German Ambassador to Poland Rolf Nikel said that it was planned to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Polish-German treaty and be a sign of friendship and partnership between the two countries. "But the tragic events in Brussels gave our meeting a completely different character," the ambassador said and added that today's attacks "were an attack against all of us, against Europe, our civilisation, and the values we represent". The German ambassador underlined that Germans and Poles stood arm in arm expressing solidarity with the victims of the attacks, their families and all the people hurt in the explosions. (PAP) At the moment there are no signals of a terror threat in Poland, President Andrzej Duda said after a meeting with heads of special services in Warsaw on Tuesday. Three Poles were wounded in the Tuesday explosions in Brussels. President Duda met with Minister Coordinator of Poland's special services Mariusz Kaminski and the heads of the Internal Security Agency, the Intelligence Agency and the Government Security Centre (RCB). Present was also Head of the National Security Bureau (BBN) Pawel Soloch. "(...) At the moment there are no signals of any terror threat in Poland. And according to the gentlemen (the heads of special services - PAP) I met with and their information, which is based on reports from various sources, including foreign ones, there is no need to raise the terror alert to a higher level in Poland," President Duda told reporters after the meeting. The president said that the two Poles wounded at the Zaventem airport were customs officers on a business trip. The Foreign Ministry reported later that three Poles had been wounded in Brussels. They have been hospitalised.(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. The BDA market is increasingly focusing on privacy. The breakneck pace of change with regard to privacy regulations, and a lack of historical perspective among many when it comes to current notions of privacy, cries out for focused analysis on the state of the market with regard to privacy, and what organizations should do about it. That is the intent of this report. The report's main conclusions and key takeaways are as follows: 1. The most important factor impacting the state of the BDA market today is privacy. The industry has seen amazing technological advances that enable organizations to collect, process, manage, and act on data, including in real time; and organizations are beginning to reap the benefits through operational improvements, revenue generation, and customer retention. However, if an organization runs afoul of privacy regulations, or, if in the absence of clear governing regulations, its use of data is judged negatively in the court of public opinion, this can threaten the organization's very existence. 2. Consumers want privacy-and data-driven convenience. One thing that makes privacy so difficult to grapple with is that, while consumers (and regulators, and consumer action groups) are quite rightly concerned with protecting personal privacy, consumers are also sending mixed signals. In some instances, they actually expect companies to make more and better use of their personal data than is currently occurring, in order to provide better shopping experiences and convenience, and to improve the quality of their lives. 3. Governments have long been ineffective in enforcing privacy-but in recent years have come roaring back. Over the past three decades most governments have passed privacy laws, and most have had little effect on privacy. Industry groups in some of the most high-touch sectors have adopted their own codes of conduct, but consumers still feel their privacy is under attack-and it is, particularly from Google, Facebook, and some of the other wildly successful Web-data-driven companies. So, over the past two years, governments, and their newly-christened data protection agencies, have gone on the offensive, and are starting to have an impact on these Web giants. 4. The report maps out a blueprint for governments, enterprises, and consumers. The report asserts that resolving the issue of privacy will take integrated efforts by government, industry, and consumers, and will include both human factors and technology. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. Privacy Has Evolved from the Town Square to the World Stage 4. The State of Privacy: Government Action 5. The Privacy Paradox: the World is Hooked on Data 6. The State Of Privacy: Industry Self-Regulation 7. The New Normal: Data-Driven Global Economic Disruption 8. Government Takes another Crack (with Renewed Vigor) at Privacy 9. What Governments and Enterprises-and Consumers-Must Do About Privacy 10. The Last Word Companies Mentioned - Google - Facebook For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/bb2j74/bda_state_of_the Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets Extends Condolences to Victims NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Shared Values issued the following statement from Fethullah Gulen on the Brussels terrorist attacks. I strongly condemn the brutal terrorist attacks at the Brussels International Airport and Metro station on March 22 that resulted in the deaths of more than 30 people and the injuries of hundreds. Regardless of the perpetrators and their stated purposes, every terrorist attack is a murder and an attack on the sanctity of life itself, and deserves condemnation in the strongest terms. Neither a religion nor any human being with a conscience can condone such cruelty. Those who carry out such attacks and who support the perpetrators are oblivious to the ethos of the religion that they proclaim, and inflict the biggest damage to the religion's reputation in the world. Those who consciously perpetrate such acts have lost touch with their very humanity, and do not represent any religious identity. In addition to the intelligence and security measures taken to prevent individual terrorist attacks, there is a pressing need for cooperation between states and civil society groups to eliminate swamp-like environments and conditions that facilitate recruitment by terrorist groups. I am confident that leaders in countries with strong democratic and legal foundations, like Belgium, will act with prudence to develop lasting solutions that incorporate their Muslim citizens and avoid feeding into the hateful rhetoric of terrorist groups. These heinous terrorist attacks have been inflicted not only on the Belgian people but also on the solidarity of humanity and universal human values. I send my deepest condolences to the relatives and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and the people of Belgium. I pray for the fast recovery of the wounded. On this occasion I also send my condolences and prayers to the citizens of all countries, including my home land of Turkey, who lost their loved ones in recent terrorist attacks. I pray to God, the Most Graceful, the Compassionate, to save humanity from the scourge of terrorism and spread an atmosphere around the world where people empathically embrace each other. About Fethullah Gulen Fethullah Gulen is an Islamic scholar, preacher and social advocate, whose decadeslong commitment to interfaith tolerance and altruism has inspired millions in Turkey and around the world. Gulen is the honorary chairman of the Intercultural Dialogue Platform, Brussels, Belgium; Foundation of Journalists and Writers, Istanbul, Turkey; and Rumi Forum, Washington DC. About Alliance for Shared Values Alliance for Shared Values is a non-profit that serves as a voice for dialogue organizations affiliated with Hizmet in the U.S. (also known as Gulen movement). The Alliance serves as a central source of information on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet. For more information, please visit www.afsv.org. Contact: Safiye Embel Tel: +1.212.682.4278 or sembel@afsv.org Related Links http://www.afsv.org SOURCE Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) WASHINGTON, March 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Governance Committee for the Arctic Economic Council (AEC) is pleased to announce it has approved the Arctic Economic Council's foundational documents for ratification at its annual meeting in Troms, Norway in April. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150910/265586LOGO These documents include its rules of procedure, strategic plan, membership dues, as well as membership terms and conditions. This milestone was reached through participation and/or input from the following countries and organizations: Finland Russia Canada Iceland Denmark United States Norway Inuit Circumpolar Council Gwichi'in Council International Aleut International Association Tara Sweeney, AEC Chair commented, "I am proud to stand with the members of the Governance Committee to present the recommended documents at the annual meeting. Our recommendations demonstrate a strong commitment to responsible economic growth in the Arctic. The Governance Committee members showed diverse and impressive expertise in reaching agreement on this important foundational step." AEC Vice-Chair from Finland, Tero Vauraste, remarked, "This landmark accomplishment was only possible through remarkable pan-Arctic collaboration, and through cooperation we have strengthened the AEC." "This inaugural meeting has set a high standard for doing business in the Arctic. We have a pathway to a corporate governance structure that will establish the AEC as an effective partner for, and facilitator of, business development in the Arctic," said Evgeny Ambrosov, AEC Vice-Chair from Russia. ABOUT THE AEC The AEC is a business forum established to facilitate Arctic business-to-business activities, promote responsible economic development and provide a circumpolar business perspective to the work of the Arctic Council. The inaugural meeting was held in September 2014 in Iqaluit, Nunavut Canada. It has a 42-member board from eight Arctic states and six permanent participant organizations. Finland will assume the chairmanship from the U.S. in 2017. For more information, visit www.arcticeconomiccouncil.com. CONTACT: ANU FREDRIKSON Director, AEC Secretariat anu@arcticeconomiccouncil.com Related Links http://arcticeconomiccouncil.com SOURCE Arctic Economic Council The market is growing in accordance with the growth trends of the converting and packaging industries. Factors such as increasing demand from fresh food and beverage packaging industry, demand for pharmaceutical supplies, consumer durables, and logistics application, increasing consumer awareness, and growth of the e-commerce industry have propelled the growth of the global laminated labels market. With the increasing demand for convenience and quality food products, people are opting for packaged food products, where the product information and other details such as nutritional information and manufactured & expiry dates are printed. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into food & beverage, consumer durables, home & personal care, pharmaceuticals, retail labels, and others. Increasing disposable incomes of people in developing countries and changing preferences of manufacturers for cost-efficient and effective labeling are some of the factors that are driving the laminated labels market. Certain factors such as printing on the package and the increasing cost of raw materials hinder the growth of this industry. On the basis of key regions, the market for laminated labels is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The Asia-Pacific region held the largest share among all the regions in 2014. This is mainly due to emerging economies in China and India, coupled with growing applications of laminated labels in the food & beverage and consumer durables industry. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 6 Industry Trends 7 Laminated Labels Market, By Composition 8 Laminated Labels Market, By Printing Ink 9 Laminated Labels Market, By Printing Technology 10 Laminated Labels Market, By Form 11 Laminated Labels Market, By Application 12 Laminated Labels Market, By Region 13 Competitive Landscape 14 Company Profiles Companies Mentioned: 3M Company Avery Dennison Corporation Bemis Company, Inc. CCL Industries Inc. Constantia Flexibles Group GmbH Coveris Holdings S.A. Flexcon Company, Inc. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company & Sons Company Stickythings Limited Torraspapel Adestor For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/df4gs6/laminated_labels Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR), Lupus Foundation of America and Lupus Research Institute (LRI) join together for the fourth year to provide established researchers an opportunity to advance important scientific discoveries in lupus research. The $200,000 Lupus Insight Prize recognizes a major, novel insight and/or discovery with the promise of changing thinking about lupus as well as a high likelihood of generating further advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Affecting an estimated 1.5 million Americans, lupus is an unpredictable, devastating chronic autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system turns on itself to attack healthy organs and tissue. Nominations are due by April 22, 2016 at 5 p.m. ET. The 2016 Prize will be awarded by the three organizations at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) annual meeting in Boston this June. "The Lupus Insight Prize was designed to recognize a significant scientific discovery or achievement in an area with potential relevance to lupus and to support extension of that research, with the goal of achieving important advances in our understanding, and ultimately treatment, of patients with lupus," noted Mary K. Crow, M.D., Chair, ALR Scientific Advisory Board, Physician-in-Chief and Chair, Department of Medicine, The Hospital for Special Surgery. "The prize is also meant to shine a light on lupus and lupus research - to raise the visibility of this important disease. The awarding of the prize at a special session at the annual FOCIS meeting has become a highlight of the meeting and provides a forum for discussion of research advances." "Lupus is a complex disease that is hard to understand and a challenge to treat," explains Gary S. Gilkeson, M.D., Chair, Lupus Foundation of America Medical-Scientific Advisory Council and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, Medical University of South Carolina. "Ongoing research is critical to advancing our understanding of lupus and finding new ways to treat the disease. We are proud to collaborate to bring opportunities to lupus research at a time when funding is scarce." As a past Lupus Insight Prize recipient Mark Shlomchik, MD, PhD, LRI Scientific Advisory Board Member and Professor and Chair, Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh commented, "This prize, in addition to recognizing my past contributions to lupus-related research, allowed me to get into completely new areas of lupus pathogenesis research. These are studies that I could never have started without the Lupus Insight Prize as they were too exploratory and 'risky' to be funded by traditional means." The 2016 Lupus Insight Prize recipient will be awarded $200,000 to support research dedicated to furthering understanding of the genetic, environmental, molecular, immunologic or cellular aspects of lupus or its treatment. Nominations are open to investigators of any age or rank affiliated with an academic, biomedical, research or government institution in the United States. Nominations will not be accepted for investigators working in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, nominees may not already possess a grant award to pursue the aims described in the Research Narrative. Co-investigators or teams of investigators are not eligible for the Lupus Insight Prize. Lupus Insight Prize nominations will be reviewed by members of the independent Selection Committee, which is comprised of leading lupus scientific leaders from across the country and representatives of the three funding lupus organizations. The Selection Committee will review nominations and award the Prize based on several criteria, including academic achievements, creativity, insight, and potential for future advances that will improve the lives of people with lupus. Full instructions on how to submit a nomination for the Lupus Insight Prize and the complete guidelines are available at LupusInsightPrize.org. The full application must be submitted no later than April 22, 2016 at 5 p.m. ET. The Prize recipient will be announced and honored publicly at a ceremony in June during the FOCIS 2016 Annual Meeting in Boston, MA. At the ceremony, the award recipient will share details about his or her lupus research and future plans. Details about the ceremony and reception honoring the Prize recipient will be posted to LupusInsightPrize.org in the coming months. About Lupus Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and tissue damage to any organ system in the body. The health effects of lupus include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, organ failure and possible death. An estimated 1.5 million Americans and at least five million people worldwide have a form of lupus. About the Funding Organizations For more information about the Alliance for Lupus Research, visit lupusresearch.org. For more information about the Lupus Foundation of America, visit lupus.org. For more information about the Lupus Research Institute, visit lupusresearchinstitute.org. SOURCE Lupus Research Institute Related Links http://lupusresearchinstitute.org WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As federal regulators report a surge in tax-related fraud schemes, the AARP Fraud Watch Network has launched a campaign to help protect consumers from the "IRS imposter scam." Criminals impersonating agents of the Internal Revenue Service represent an escalating threat to taxpayers, according to the IRS. These con artists telephone people and tell them that they are in serious trouble for non-payment of back taxes. AARP Fraud Watch: Prevent IRS Scams The targets are aggressively threatened with police arrest, court action, confiscation of property, or even deportation unless they make immediate payment usually via credit card, debit card or wire transfer. The Treasury Department reports that since late 2013, more than 5,500 victims have lost approximately $29 million in this scam. In response, the AARP Fraud Watch Network is conducting an educational campaign, with digital advertising featuring a new tip sheet and online video. "Our goal is to warn consumers and empower them with the knowledge they need to keep their family members from falling victim to the IRS imposters," said Nancy LeaMond, Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer, AARP. "Once they recognize certain red flags, they will be confident in resisting the aggressive bullying and scare tactics used by the scammers." The Fraud Watch Network campaign is advising consumers that legitimate IRS representatives do not: Call you to demand immediate payment. Call you about taxes owed without first having contacted you by mail . Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; or ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying. For more information about the IRS scam and other tax-related frauds, visit www.aarp.org/FraudWatchNetwork. Consumers who think that they are being targeted by a scammer may call the FWN helpline at 877-908-3360 and speak with a trained counselor. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Espanol, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347802 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160219/335173LOGO SOURCE AARP Related Links http://www.aarp.org HIROSHIMA, Japan, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mazda MX-5 (known as Mazda Roadster in Japan) has won the 2016 World Car Design of the Year award. It is the first time a Japanese model has won the award. The MX-5 being named 2016 World Car Design of the Year represents the first time a Japanese model has won the award. World Car Design of the Year was established by World Car Awards in 2006 to recognize excellence and innovation in car design. This year's winner was chosen by a panel of design experts and 73 automotive journalists from 23 different countries. The MX-5 was announced victorious over other finalists Jaguar XE and Mazda CX-3 at the New York International Auto Show on March 24. In addition, the MX-5 was the finalist for the title of World Car of the Year 2016 and competed for the honor against the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. "What a wonderful honor, to have the Mazda MX-5 named World Car Design of the Year," said Masahiro Moro, President and CEO, Mazda North American Operations, and Managing Executive Officer, Mazda Motor Corporation. "As our iconic MX-5 roadster approaches one-million units of production, this award is proof that it is as young, vibrant, fun and relevant as ever. Our design team has pushed the boundaries of what people thought possible with our KODOSoul of Motion language. While I accept this award on behalf of the company, I do so representing every Mazda employee, retail partner and customer around the world who has ever felt the joy of driving a pure roadster. We say 'Driving Matters' in our advertising,* and we prove it in our cars." Ikuo Maeda, Mazda's Executive Officer and General Manager of the Design Division, said, "I'm very proud to accept this award, proof that our designs can connect with people all around the world. Our new-generation lineup has been designed under the KODO design theme which aims to bring cars to life, and we've continually refined the beauty of its forms. Mazda is a proud Japanese brand and we are determined to continue enhancing our designs moving forward." The fourth-generation MX-5 is the sixth model in Mazda's new-generation lineup of vehicles featuring the full range of SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and KODOSoul of Motion design. Launched globally in 2015, the model has found favor with customers thanks to its vastly reduced curb weight, human-centered design and "Jinba-ittai" fun-to-drive feel. The new MX-5 has won over 30 awards so far, including 2015-2016 Car of the Year Japan and 2016 UK Car of the Year. The retractable hardtop version of the model, Mazda MX-5 RF, made its world premiere at this year's New York International Auto Show. Mazda will continue making cars that are fun to drive, aiming to become a "one-and-only" brand customers will choose again and again. * The "Driving Matters" slogan is used in North America only. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347717 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131205/MM28870LOGO SOURCE Mazda Motor Corporation WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) today announced the appointment of Amy Finan as its next chief executive officer, following a global search by its Board of Trustees. Finan, currently the senior vice president responsible for business development with the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the world's largest membership organization representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and state biotechnology centers, will assume her new role with Sabin on April 18, 2016. "Amy is an exceptional leader who blends decades of experience in life sciences with the business acumen, advocacy skills, and effective business development and relationship-building abilities required to lead this dynamic and multidimensional non-profit organization," said Dr. Axel Hoos, chair of the Board of Trustees at Sabin. "Sabin is at the forefront of many of the world's most pressing health issues and Amy's record of growth, innovation and partnership development will help to propel the organization into new, exciting territory." During her 11-year tenure with BIO, Finan played a critical role in expanding the organization's membership and revenue base and implementing forward-leaning approaches to fundraising, branding, marketing and programming. In 2011 and simultaneous with her BIO responsibilities, she also served as president of the s Biotechnology Institute, an organization founded by BIO in 1998 to promote life science education. Prior to BIO, Finan led corporate communications and investor relations for the former clinical-stage biotechnology company EntreMed Inc., and directed regional government relations for the National Association of Biomedical Research. "I am honored to join Sabin at such a pivotal moment in the organization's history," said Finan. "Sabin's proven capabilities in advocacy, communications and early stage vaccine research and development are strongly suited to today's dynamic global health landscape. With an array of health challenges facing the world's most vulnerable communities, we have an imperative to act and I look forward to working with the talented team at Sabin, as well as our global network of partners, to champion proven policy and technical solutions." Finan succeeds Ambassador Michael W. Marine, who will retire on April 15, 2016. Under Ambassador Marine's leadership for six years, Sabin expanded its advocacy programs for vaccine-preventable diseases and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), grew its vaccine development program through a partnership with Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, and launched END7, the world's largest grassroots advocacy campaign supporting NTD control and elimination programs. About the Sabin Vaccine Institute The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of scientists, researchers and advocates dedicated to reducing needless human suffering from vaccine-preventable and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Since its founding in 1993 in honor of Dr. Albert B. Sabin, the developer of the oral polio vaccine, Sabin has been at the forefront of global efforts to eliminate, prevent and cure infectious and neglected tropical diseases. Sabin develops new vaccines, advocates for increased use of existing vaccines and promotes expanded access to affordable medical treatments in collaboration with governments, academic institutions, companies, scientists, medical professionals and other non-profit organizations. For more information please visit www.sabin.org. SOURCE Sabin Vaccine Institute Related Links http://www.sabin.org/ NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The MAZDA MX-5 was declared the 2016 World Car Design of the Year at a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation, and Autoneum. Mazda Motor Corporation is no stranger to the World Car Awards program now in its 12th year. The Mazda2/Mazda Demio was the 2008 World Car of the Year. While the Mazda3 (2014), Mazda6 (2013) and Mazda2/Mazda Demio (2008) have all earned "Top Three in the World" status in the World Car Design of the Year category as voted by our 70 plus international automotive journalists that made up the jury in those years. "What a wonderful honor, to have the Mazda MX-5 named World Car Design of the Year," said Masahiro Moro, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations, and Managing Executive Officer, Mazda Motor Corporation. "As our iconic MX-5 roadster approaches one-million units of production, this award is proof that it is as young, vibrant, fun and relevant as ever. Our design team has pushed the boundaries of what people thought possible with our KODO Soul of Motion language. While I accept this award on behalf of the company, I do so representing every Mazda employee, retail partner and customer around the world who has ever felt the joy of driving a pure roadster. We say 'Driving Matters' in our advertising, and we prove it in our cars." The World Car Design of the Year category, and the corresponding award, are meant to highlight new vehicles with innovation and style that push established boundaries. Candidates for the design award may be on the overall World Car of the Year list OR may be included as a stand-alone entry provided the vehicle is available in quantities of at least 10 in one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2015 and ending May 31, 2016. Candidates may be pre-production or all-new production. A design panel consisting of six highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors. The design experts were: Masatsugu Arimoto (Japan Freelance design journalist) Anne Asensio (Vice-President, Design - Dassault Systemes) Gernot Bracht (Germany Pforzheim Design School) Patrick le Quement (Designer and President of the Strategy Committee, Sustainable Design School) Sam Livingstone (U.K. - Car Design Research and Royal College of Art) Tom Matano (USA - School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco) The experts commented that, "The new MX5 design is exciting, distinct and fresh. It's a design that wholly fits with being the unique small sports-car this Mazda is. It captures the spirit of the first generation MX5 design but introduces a very leading twenty-teens aesthetic whilst remarkably also connecting visually to its sibling designs. An exceptional design in all ways." Mazda opted for modern, progressive direction to redefine the 4th generation MX-5. It visually communicates agility, light weight and maintained the MX-5 heritage. It still looks MX-5 100 meters away, only this one instantly recognizable as 4th generation at that distance." The 73 World Car Awards jurors then voted on the expert's recommendations in February and their ballots were tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG. A short-list of three finalists was then announced earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor Show earlier this month: the Jaguar XE, the Mazda CX-3 and the Mazda MX-5. Previous winners of the World Car Design of the Year award were the Citroen C4 Cactus (2015), the BMW i3 (2014), the Jaguar F-Type(2013), the Range Rover Evoque (2012), the Aston Martin Rapide (2011), the Chevrolet Camaro (2010), the Fiat 500 (2009), the Audi R8 (2008), the Audi TT (2007) and the Citroen C4 (2006). The Road to World Car began in Frankfurt on September 15, was followed by a four and a half day stop in Los Angeles for test-drives of the North American, Japanese and Swedish contenders in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in five categories at the New York International Auto Show. 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the third consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach. The Global Trends Report, co-presented by Prime Research and Autoneum, was presented just before the winners' press conference. Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, ""The findings of the Global Trends Report show clearly that sound inside the driver cabin has major influence on the overall evaluation of a car. Since decades, we from Autoneum are experts in the field of noise reduction for vehicles. Our lightweight and multifunctional products support the car manufacturers to reduce emission, noise and heat and thereby lead to an enhanced driving comfort for the end-customer. The global need for our products confirms us in further focusing on driving innovation in acoustic and thermal management solutions." The World Car Awards media breakfast and winners' press conference at the New York International Auto Show is presented by Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company. This is the 8th year Bridgestone has sponsored World Car of the Year. "The future of the auto industry will be built on innovation, performance and sustainability from automakers and also their suppliers," said Mike Martini, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "Bridgestone invests heavily in research and product development to ensure that we continue to deliver world-class products in collaboration and partnership with automakers around the world." As the global nature of the industry continues to strengthen, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, World Car is proud to be a part of this amazing journey along with the New York International Auto Show, Prime Research, Bridgestone, Autoneum, KPMG and Newspress. For additional information either visit our web site (www.wcoty.com) or please contact Beth Rhind, Executive Manager, E: [email protected] About World Car Awards The World Car Awards (WCA) are more than just an awards program. The WCA's judging panel is made up of 73 prominent automotive journalists from around the world that form a global community of experts. The jurors ensure the integrity and credibility of the awards but also serve as an important resource for the industry with a focus on excellence and innovation on a global scale. About Autoneum Autoneum, with its headquarters in Winterthur, Switzerland, is the globally leading producer of vehicle acoustics and thermal management systems. The company develops and manufactures components, modules and complete systems for interior and engine bay as well as heatshields and underbody shields. Customers include leading automobile producers in the key markets of Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Autoneum is represented at around 50 locations in over 20 countries and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, of whom about 5% are in Switzerland. The company is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol AUTN). About the New York International Auto Show Owned and operated by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the New York Auto Show is an awesome combination of new ideas, technological innovation, exceptional concept cars and nearly 1,000 of the latest new cars and trucks. Over one million visitors are expected to visit the show this year to see what is truly possible from the automotive industry. Important 2016 Auto Show Dates Automotive Forum: March 22 Press Preview, March 23 & March 24 (credentials required) Public Sneak Preview, Friday, March 25 Public Show Dates, Friday, March 25 Sunday, April 3 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS WITH THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW THE ROAD TO WORLD CAR: BEGAN IN FRANKFURT SEPT. 15, 2015. ENDS IN NEW YORK MARCH 24, 2016. FOLLOW OUR 70+ INTERNATIONAL JURORS : wcoty.com #wcoty2016 SOURCE New York International Auto Show NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --The TOYOTA MIRAI was declared the 2016 World Green Car at a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation, and Autoneum. Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is no stranger to the World Car Awards program now in its 12th year. The Toyota Prius (2010) has previously earned "Top Three in the World" status for both the World Green Car and the overall World Car of the Year categories as voted by our 70 plus international automotive journalists that make up the jury. In addition, the Toyota GT86 was a "Top Three in the World" finalist for World Car of the Year in 2013; the Toyota iQ in 2009 for the same category; and the Toyota Harrier Hybrid in 2006 for World Green Car. "Just as Prius changed the world nearly 20 years ago, the hydrogen-powered Mirai is ready to make history," said Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division. "With a range of over 300 miles per tank, a refueling time of under five minutes, and emissions that consist only of water vapor, Mirai is leading the world forward toward a more sustainable future." The TOYOTA MIRAI was chosen from an initial entry list of eight new vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of three finalists that included the winner as well as the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius Hybrid. To be eligible for the 2016 World Green Car award, a vehicle had to be all-new, or substantially revised, in production and introduced for sale or lease to the public in quantities of at least 10 in at least one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2015 and ending May 31, 2016. Tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration. Vehicles in all award categories are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 73 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work. Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world-wide. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates the jurors' ballots. Previous World Green Car winners were BMW consecutive wins: BMWi8 (2015) and the BMW i3 (2014), then the Tesla Model S (2013), the Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (2012), the Chevrolet Volt (2011), the Volkswagen BlueMotion (2010), the Honda FCX Clarity (2009), the BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics (2008), the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec (2007) and the Honda Civic Hybrid (2006). The Road to World Car began in Frankfurt on September 15, was followed by a four and a half day stop in Los Angeles for test-drives of the North American, Japanese and Swedish contenders in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in five categories at the New York International Auto Show. 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the third consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach. The Global Trends Report, co-presented by Prime Research and Autoneum, was presented just before the winners' press conference. Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, "The findings of the Global Trends Report show clearly that sound inside the driver cabin has major influence on the overall evaluation of a car. Since decades, we from Autoneum are experts in the field of noise reduction for vehicles. Our lightweight and multifunctional products support the car manufacturers to reduce emission, noise and heat and thereby lead to an enhanced driving comfort for the end-customer. The global need for our products confirms us in further focusing on driving innovation in acoustic and thermal management solutions." The World Car Awards media breakfast and winners' press conference at the New York International Auto Show is presented by Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company. This is the 8th year Bridgestone has sponsored World Car of the Year. "The future of the auto industry will be built on innovation, performance and sustainability from automakers and also their suppliers," said Mike Martini, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "Bridgestone invests heavily in research and product development to ensure that we continue to deliver world-class products in collaboration and partnership with automakers around the world." As the global nature of the industry continues to strengthen, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, World Car is proud to be a part of this amazing journey along with the New York International Auto Show, Prime Research, Bridgestone, Autoneum, KPMG and Newspress. For additional information either visit our web site (www.wcoty.com) or please contact Beth Rhind, Executive Manager, E: [email protected] About World Car Awards The World Car Awards (WCA) are more than just an awards program. The WCA's judging panel is made up of 73 prominent automotive journalists from around the world that form a global community of experts. The jurors ensure the integrity and credibility of the awards but also serve as an important resource for the industry with a focus on excellence and innovation on a global scale. About Autoneum Autoneum, with its headquarters in Winterthur, Switzerland, is the globally leading producer of vehicle acoustics and thermal management systems. The company develops and manufactures components, modules and complete systems for interior and engine bay as well as heatshields and underbody shields. Customers include leading automobile producers in the key markets of Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Autoneum is represented at around 50 locations in over 20 countries and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, of whom about 5% are in Switzerland. The company is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol AUTN). About the New York International Auto Show Owned and operated by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the New York Auto Show is an awesome combination of new ideas, technological innovation, exceptional concept cars and nearly 1,000 of the latest new cars and trucks. Over one million visitors are expected to visit the show this year to see what is truly possible from the automotive industry. Important 2016 Auto Show Dates Automotive Forum: March 22 Press Preview, March 23 & March 24 (credentials required) Public Sneak Preview, Friday, March 25 Public Show Dates, Friday, March 25 Sunday, April 3 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS WITH THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW THE ROAD TO WORLD CAR: BEGAN IN FRANKFURT SEPT. 15, 2015. ENDS IN NEW YORK MARCH 24, 2016. FOLLOW OUR 70+ INTERNATIONAL JURORS : wcoty.com #wcoty2016 SOURCE New York International Auto Show CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Prior to today's San Francisco status conference in front of US District Judge Charles Breyer, where VW has been directed to provide an update on the 'fix' for all of its customers who unknowingly bought VW's 'dirty vehicles', Bob Hilliard, who represents over 9 thousand owners demands VW buy back his clients' vehicles or face thousands of lawsuits. Hilliard states, "All of my clients are fed up with VW. This level of deceit and betrayal makes this car company a pariah to American customers who hope never to have a VW vehicle darken their garage again." "There will be no 'fix' that will be acceptable. For my clients, this is a total betrayal of trust resulting in a permanent stigma to all things Volkswagen. VW intentionally lied, took my clients' money and then covered up its own criminal conduct. Unfortunately, a story as old as time with greedy car companies." "VW owes each owner 3 times the full purchase price plus additional amounts to make their customers whole and allow them to forever put VW in their rear view mirror." Hilliard has begun to file lawsuits against VW on behalf of customers cheated by the German company. "Under almost all States' consumer protection statutes, VW will ultimately be ordered by a jury to pay each customer full damages as a result of this criminal and knowing conduct, which includes 3 times the full purchase price, plus all costs." "Should VW, as a company, even be able to survive this embarrassing and shameful betrayal, it will do so only after it pays tens of billions of dollars in damages." "The longer VW drags its feet and refuses to step up and to do what it must, the more likely it is that bankruptcy is its only viable option." ABOUT HMG http://www.hmglawfirm.com/ Hilliard Munoz Gonzales LLP (HMG) specializes in mass torts, personal injury, product liability, commercial and business litigation, and wrongful death. Hilliard Munoz Gonzales LLP has been successfully representing clients in the United States and Mexico since 1986. Bob Hilliard obtained the Largest Verdict in the country in 2012 and the #1 verdict in Texas in 2013. HMG is actively seeking to represent other victims of VW's 'dirty vehicles'. SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW WITH BOB HILLIARD Contact Lauren Gomez at 361-960-3146 SOURCE Hilliard Munoz Gonzales LLP Related Links http://www.hmglawfirm.com "Capitol Hyundai is excited to be added as a qualified dealer for Hyundai's zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell hydrogen electric vehicle," said Mr. Shaun Del Grande, Owner, Capitol Hyundai/Del Grande Dealer Group. "Our location in the Bay Area region is Hyundai's first in Northern California, making it more convenient for local residents to conveniently acquire their new Tucson Fuel Cell CUV, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions where they work and live." "Hyundai is proud to add Capitol Hyundai to its growing collection of approved zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell dealers," said Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "Capitol Hyundai adds a convenient location in the San Francisco Bay Area to better serve our newest fuel cell customers in Northern California." Capitol Hyundai joins existing Hyundai Fuel Cell dealers Keyes Hyundai, Tustin Hyundai, Win Hyundai in Carson and Hardin Hyundai in Anaheim, for a total of five qualified fuel cell dealers in both Southern and Northern California. To become a qualified Hyundai Fuel Cell dealer, approved dealers must fulfill significant additional hydrogen fuel cell requirements in both customer service and technical services. TUCSON FUEL CELL ADVANTAGES The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell CUV has a number of advantages over some other alternative fuels. The energy-rich hydrogen fuel provides an estimated driving range of 265 miles between fill-ups, similar to many gasoline vehicles. Further, both fuel cell driving range and vehicle performance are minimally affected by either extreme hot or cold ambient temperatures, giving owners an extra measure of peace of mind as they go about their day. Even more important for consumers transitioning from gasoline vehicles, the Tucson Fuel Cell can be refilled with hydrogen in about the same time as a typical gasoline vehicle of the same size. Finally, fuel cell vehicles, due to their compact, relatively lightweight fuel cell stack design, are completely production scalable from very small to very large vehicles, such as urban-focused mini-compact cars all the way to full-size buses and trucks. HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. Hyundai Blue Link Connected Care provides owners of Hyundai models equipped with the Blue Link telematics system with proactive safety and car care services complimentary for one year with enrollment. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and in-vehicle service scheduling. For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com Please visit our media website at www.hyundainews.com and our blog at www.hyundailikesunday.com Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347839 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131002/LA90771LOGO-b SOURCE Hyundai Motor America Related Links http://www.hyundainews.com CULVER CITY, Calif., March 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Century Housing was named for the second consecutive year among the Top 25 Affordable Housing Lenders in Affordable Housing Finance (AHF) Magazine's 2015 list. In 2015, Century supported the development of affordable housing with a total of $196.4 million in financing throughout the State of California. Century is one of only two Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) named on the list. "As a CDFI, we provide financial access to some of the most underserved communities in the State of California. To be nationally ranked with the country's largest financial institutions is an extraordinary acknowledgment of the work of our dedicated team to create and preserve critically needed affordable housing in California," said Ronald Griffith, President & CEO of Century Housing". Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Century has provided more than $1 Billion in financing for over 25,000 new affordable homes and apartments. To better serve its clients, Century recently opened its first Northern California office. About Century Housing Century is a leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), delivering innovative financial products quickly and reliably to support the development of critical housing projects throughout California. Our lending activity, combined with expert service and support for our developer clients, has resulted in the development and preservation of over 25,000 of affordable homes and apartments in underserved communities throughout the state. - http://www.centuryhousing.org/about/ Click here to find the Top 25 Top Affordable Housing Lenders 2016 article http://www.housingfinance.com/finance/ahf-announces-top-25-affordable-housing-lenders_o SOURCE Century Housing Related Links http://www.centuryhousing.org MCLEAN, Va., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Colleague (www.globalcolleague.com), a leading US legal-services provider, has announced that Christoph Roggenkamp joined the company as Director of E-discovery. Mr. Roggenkamp, based in Boston, MA, brings over fifteen years of legal and e-discovery experience assisting companies large and small address their e-discovery needs. Mr. Roggenkamp began his career as a global-finance attorney with the international law firm Coudert Brothers. Upon joining the investment bank Bear Stearns, he identified the need for an in-house e-discovery department, and built this group from the ground up. After struggling with cumbersome and inefficient e-discovery workflows in the mid-2000s, Mr. Roggenkamp led the effort to procure and bring in-house a market-leading e-discovery review tool and design the processes that put Bear Stearns at the vanguard of corporate e-discovery. Following the acquisition of Bear Stearns by J.P. Morgan Chase, Mr. Roggenkamp led the transition of the Bear Stearns e-discovery team, and its tools and workflows, to its new home at J.P. Morgan Chase. Mr. Roggenkamp then brought his legal and technical experience to Clearwell Systems and Symantec Corporation, leading sales efforts in New England. At ZyLAB North America, LLC, Mr. Roggenkamp headed the company's rapidly-growing professional-services team, overseeing installations of the ZyLAB e-discovery platform, and related training and services, across North America. "We are thrilled to have Christoph join our rapidly-expanding team," said Paul Easton, Managing Director of Global Colleague. "He brings a depth of experience in designing industry-leading processes and building world-class teams that will help our client's achieve success in their ediscovery and information-governance projects and initiatives." About Global Colleague Global Colleague (www.globalcolleague.com) is a leader in delivering practical solutions for the information-governance challenges facing top law firms and Fortune companies. Global Colleague provides consulting and managed services for internal investigations, cyber security, legal hold, data retention, and e-discovery. Global Colleague combines highly-qualified professionals around the globe with advanced technologies, best practices, and proven processes that deliver results. SOURCE Global Colleague Related Links http://www.globalcolleague.com ATLANTA, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Service Department within a dealership becoming one of the most digitally advanced areas in automotive retailing, Cox Automotive and Xtime today announced it will fuse its Dealertrack Service Pro fixed operations product with its Xtime customer engagement and retention solution to create a single solution that benefits dealers and car owners alike. The integration is designed to help dealers better capitalize on customer loyalty and operational efficiency opportunities for their parts and service departments by delivering a more comprehensive service experience platform. At the National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA 2016) Convention & Exposition this month, Xtime will demonstrate how this latest integration will create a service experience for vehicle owners that drives engagement and loyalty, optimizes departmental workflows, improves communications between advisors, technicians, parts employees and customers, and creates valuable long-term customer relationships. "Fixed operations is a dependable and growing source of revenue for our dealer clients, and the ownership lifecycle and experience is closely connected to it," said Keith Jezek, president, Software, Cox Automotive. "It makes perfect sense to merge the technologies that drive them to provide an efficient, engaging and effective system for both the vehicle owner and dealership." According to an Xtime commissioned research study, 83 percent of dealers state that their systems do not provide a superior ownership experience. The integration of Xtime and Service Pro facilitates an intuitive relationship between service touch points with owners, service department operations, and the owner experience. The result is enhanced owner loyalty and maximized potential of dealerships' parts and service departments. For demonstrations of the integrated solutions at NADA 2016, please visit our online demo booking schedule or visit us at Booth #1311C. About Xtime Xtime, a Cox Automotive brand, delivers retention solutions for the automotive retail industry. Xtime, headquartered in Silicon Valley, is the exclusive or preferred provider for 24 major global automotive manufacturers in the United States, Canada and Australia, as well as leading dealership groups and services 7,000 dealerships. For more information, visit Xtime.com. About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, vAuto, Xtime and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150915/266643LOGO SOURCE Cox Automotive Related Links http://www.coxautoinc.com REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gumstix, Inc., the leader in design-to-order embedded systems, today announced a partnership with Critical Link, LLC to provide support for Critical Link MitySOM-335x COMs in Geppetto Design-to-Order (D2O) platform created by Gumstix engineers. Using Geppetto D2O, customers can rapidly design and manufacture small form-factor boards custom tailored for industrial applications that require the versatility of the MitySOM-335x powered by the Texas Instruments Sitara AM335x family of processors. Critical Link specializes in building both affordable and powerful system-on-modules (SOMs), also known as COMs, for scientific and industrial applications. With the inclusion of the Geppetto D2O MitySOM-335x Connector and Gumstix MitySOM-335x development board into the Geppetto D2O platform, Critical Link customers now have two paths to create custom expansion boards to actualize the audio, visual, networking and robotic potential of the MitySOM-335x. "In today's world, the ability to get to market faster than the competition can make or break the success of a product," says Tom Catalino, Vice President of Sales and founding Partner at Critical Link. "Our SOMs have been helping customers accelerate their time to market while cutting development costs for over a decade, and now the Gumstix partnership puts Geppetto D2O, a simple and powerful online design tool, in the hands of our customers, further maximizing their potential for success." Using Geppetto D2O within their browser, customers can clone and drop the Gumstix MitySOM-335x dev board into the Geppetto D2O workspace to jumpstart their design or custom build an expansion board for the MitySOM-335x from scratch utilizing the simple drag and drop interface. The Gumstix MitySOM-335x expansion board is especially suited for video and audio applications incorporating an audio codec for left and right speakers, an HDMI port for audio and visual displays and SPI, UART, I2C and 20-pin Male headers. "Critical Link customers can now evaluate development boards from Gumstix that are also available for rapid customization in Geppetto," says Gordon Kruberg, Gumstix CEO. "Geppetto provides them a path to manufacturing the embedded product in one online order, deliverable in three weeks." Once customers are satisfied with their expansion board designs in Geppetto D2O, engineers at Gumstix will test and validate the board design, manufacture and ship the production ready board 15 days from order; reducing both the production and development time for the customer. All Gumstix products and quantity discounts are available at www.gumstix.com About Gumstix, Inc. As a global leader in design-to-order hardware and manufacturing solutions, Gumstix gives its customers the power to solve their electronic design challenges with Geppetto D2O -- the online design-to-order system-- and a broad portfolio of small computers and embedded boards. In addition to engineers and industrial designers, Gumstix helps students, educators, and makers unlock their creative ideas to bring them to market. Since pioneering the concept of an extremely small computer-on-module (COM) with a full implementation of Linux in 2003, the company has grown to support over 20,000 diverse customers. Our systems have launched some of the world's coolest products - from phones to drones - on commercial, university, and hobbyist workbenches in over 45 countries. For more information, visit www.gumstix.com About Critical Link Syracuse, N.Y.-based Critical Link (www.criticallink.com) is an embedded systems engineering firm, offering a broad range of highly customizable, small form factor system-on-modules (SOMs) for highly integrated, embedded systems for industrial, medical, scientific, and defense applications. Critical Link's end-to-end product engineering offerings include design, development, and production services. Critical Link is a Platinum Member of the Texas Instruments Design Network and is ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001 Registered by SRI Quality System Registrar. About the Texas Instruments Design Network Gumstix, Inc. and Critical Link are members of the TI Design Network, a premier group of independent, well-established companies that offer products and system-level design and manufacturing services complementing TI's semiconductors to a worldwide customer base to accelerate product innovation and time-to-market. Network members provide product design, hardware and software system integration, turnkey product design, RF and processor system modules, reference platforms, software development, proof-of-concept design, feasibility studies, research, certification compliance, prototyping, manufacturing, and product life cycle management. For more information about the TI Design Network, please visit http://www.ti.com/designnetwork. SOURCE Gumstix, Inc. Related Links http://www.gumstix.com PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) today announced that data from three new subgroup analyses from the phase 3 ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 study, and one new subgroup analysis from the phase 3 Hokusai-VTE study, will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session, April 2-4, 2016, in Chicago, Illinois. Results will provide new insights into the safety and efficacy profile of once-daily edoxaban compared to warfarin in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and venous thromboembolism (VTE). The subgroup analysis data on edoxaban (known by the brand name SAVAYSA in the US and as LIXIANA outside the US) will be presented. The complete list of presentations is included below: Presentation Title Presenter Session Details Oral Session Outcomes in 2,824 Patients With Valvular Heart Disease Treated With Edoxaban or Warfarin in the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 Trial (ACC Session #915-06) Giulia Renda, MD, PhD, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy Monday, April 4, 8:308:42 AM CDT Location: S405 Poster Presentations Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism in Pulmonary Embolism Patients With Right Ventricular Dysfunction in the Hokusai-VTE Study (ACC Abstract #1186-305/305) Marjolein P.A. Brekelmans, MD, Department of Vascular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands Sunday, April 3 9:4510:30 AM CDT Location: South Hall A1 Sudden Cardiac Death in 21,105 Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Insights From the ENGAGE AF- TIMI 48 Trial (ACC Abstract #1188-338/338) Alon Eisen, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Sunday, April 3 9:4510:30 AM CDT Location: South Hall A1 Moderated Poster Presentation Edoxaban Versus Warfarin in 841 Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Peripheral Arterial Disease: Insights From the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 Trial (ACC Session #1289M-03) Jonathan Cunningham, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Monday, April 4 12:4512:55 PM CDT Location: South Hall A1 About the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 Study The ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 global phase 3 study investigated once-daily edoxaban in comparison to warfarin in 21,105 patients with NVAF. This represented the largest and longest trial with a novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) performed to date, with a median follow-up of 2.8 years. Edoxaban demonstrated non-inferiority for stroke or systemic embolism (SE) in comparison to warfarin. Edoxaban was also found to be superior for the principal safety endpoint of major bleeding in comparison to warfarin.1 About the Hokusai-VTE Study The Hokusai-VTE global phase 3 study was the largest single comparative trial of a NOAC in patients with VTE, which evaluated once-daily edoxaban versus warfarin in 8,292 patients with either acute symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) or both. The Hokusai-VTE study was designed to reflect clinical practice using a flexible treatment duration of 3-12 months in a broad spectrum of VTE patients, including initial use of parenteral anticoagulant (heparin) for at least five days, the proven global standard of care. Edoxaban demonstrated non-inferiority to warfarin for the primary efficacy endpoint of recurrence of symptomatic VTE, and was found to be superior in the primary safety endpoint of clinically relevant bleeding compared to warfarin.2 About AF AF is a condition where the heart beats irregularly and rapidly. When this happens, blood can pool and thicken in the chambers of the heart causing an increased risk of blood clots. These blood clots can break off and travel through the blood stream to the brain (or sometimes to another part of the body), where they have the potential to cause a stroke.3 AF is the most common type of heart rhythm disorder, and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality.4 AF affects approximately 6.1 million people in the U.S.5 Compared to those without AF, people with the arrhythmia have a 3-5 times higher risk of stroke.6 One in five of all strokes are as a result of AF.7 About VTE VTE is an umbrella term for two conditions, DVT and PE. DVT is a disease caused by a blood clot found in deep veins, usually within the lower leg, thigh or pelvis, although they can occur in other parts of the body as well.8 PE occurs when part of a clot detaches and lodges in the pulmonary arteries, causing a potentially fatal condition.9 VTE is a major cause of morbidity and mortality.10 In the U.S., it is estimated that more than 950,000 VTE events and approximately 300,000 VTE related deaths occur each year.11,12 There is a high rate of recurrence after a first VTE event, which is reduced with anticoagulant treatment. Without anticoagulant treatment, approximately half of patients who experience an initial VTE event have recurrent VTE within three months.13 About SAVAYSA (edoxaban) Edoxaban, also known as SAVAYSA in the U.S., is an oral, once-daily anticoagulant that specifically inhibits factor Xa, which is an important factor in the coagulation system that leads to blood clotting. The global edoxaban clinical trial program included two phase 3 clinical studies, Hokusai-VTE and ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48, with nearly 30,000 patients combined. The results from these trials formed the basis of the regulatory filing in the U.S. for SAVAYSA for the reduction in risk of stroke and systemic embolism (SE) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), as well as for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) following 5-10 days of initial therapy with a parenteral anticoagulant. According to the U.S. label, SAVAYSA should not be used in NVAF patients with creatinine clearance (CrCL) levels greater than 95 mL/min because in that population there is an increased risk of ischemic stroke compared to warfarin. Indication SAVAYSA (edoxaban) is a prescription medicine used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people who have atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem. Based on how well the kidneys work, SAVAYSA may not be a treatment option. Health Care Professionals should check kidney function before starting treatment. SAVAYSA is used to treat blood clots in the veins of the legs (deep vein thrombosis) or lungs (pulmonary embolism), after treatment with an injectable blood thinner medicine for 5 to 10 days. Important Safety Information What is the most important information to know about SAVAYSA? For people who take SAVAYSA for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heartbeat): People with atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk of forming a blood clot in the heart, which can travel to the brain, causing a stroke, or to other parts of the body. SAVAYSA lowers the chance of having a stroke by helping to prevent clots from forming. Health Care Professionals should check kidney function before prescribing SAVAYSA. People whose kidneys work really well should not receive SAVAYSA because it may not work as well as other medications to prevent stroke. Patients should not stop taking SAVAYSA without first talking to their doctor who prescribed it. Stopping SAVAYSA increases the patient's risk of having a stroke. SAVAYSA can cause bleeding which can be serious, and sometimes lead to death. This is because SAVAYSA is a blood thinner medicine that reduces blood clotting. While taking SAVAYSA, the patient may bruise more easily and bleeding may take longer to stop. Patients should call their doctor or get medical help right away if they experience bleeding that is severe (for example, coughing up or vomiting blood) or bleeding that cannot be controlled. Patients may have a higher risk of bleeding if they take SAVAYSA and take other medicines that increase their risk of bleeding, including: aspirin, longterm use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and blood thinners (warfarin, heparin, or other medicines to prevent or treat blood clots). Patients should tell their doctor if they take any of these medicines. Patients should ask their doctor or pharmacist if they are not sure if their medicine is one listed above. SAVAYSA is not for people with mechanical heart valves or people who have moderateto severe narrowing (stenosis) of their mitral valve. Spinal or epidural blood clots (hematoma). People who take a blood thinner medicine (anticoagulant) like SAVAYSA, and have medicine injected into their spinal and epidural area, or have a spinal puncture have a risk of forming a blood clot that can cause longterm or permanent loss of the ability to move (paralysis). The risk of developing a spinal or epidural blood clot is higher if: a thin tube called an epidural catheter is placed in the patient's back to give him/her certain medicine, the patient takes NSAIDs or a medicine to prevent blood from clotting, the patient has a history of difficult or repeated epidural or spinal punctures, and the patient has a history of problems with his/her spine or has had surgery on his/her spine. If a patient takes SAVAYSA and receives spinal anesthesia or has a spinal puncture, the patient's doctor should watch closely for symptoms of spinal or epidural blood clots. Patients should tell their doctor right away if they have back pain, tingling, numbness (especially in the legs and feet), muscle weakness, loss of control of the bowels or bladder (incontinence). Who should not take SAVAYSA? Patients should not take SAVAYSA if they currently have certain types of abnormal bleeding. What should patients tell their doctor before taking SAVAYSA? Before taking SAVAYSA, patients should tell their doctor if they: have liver or kidney problems, have ever had bleeding problems, have a mechanical heart valve, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SAVAYSA will harm an unborn baby. Patients should tell their doctor right away if they become pregnant during treatment with SAVAYSA. It is not known if SAVAYSA passes into breast milk. Patients should decide with their doctor if they will take SAVAYSA or breastfeed. Patients should not do both. Patients should tell all of their doctors and dentists that they are taking SAVAYSA. The health care providers should talk to the doctor who prescribed SAVAYSA before the patient has any surgery, medical or dental procedure. Patients should tell their doctor about all the medicines they take, including prescription and overthecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some other medicines may affect the way SAVAYSA works. Certain medicines may increase the risk of bleeding or stroke when taken with SAVAYSA. How should the patient take SAVAYSA? Patients should take SAVAYSA exactly as prescribed. The doctor will decide how long the patient should take SAVAYSA. The patient should not change their dose or stop taking SAVAYSA unless their doctor tells them to. Patients can take SAVAYSA with or without food. If a dose of SAVAYSA is missed, the patient should take it as soon as he/she remembers that day and not take more than one dose at the same time. The next dose should be taken at the usual time the next day. Patients should not run out of SAVAYSA and should refill their prescriptions before running out. If too much SAVAYSA is taken, the patient should go to the nearest hospital emergency room or call his/her doctor right away. Patients should call their doctor right away if they fall or injure themselves, especially if they hit their heads. The doctor may need to check them. What are the possible side effects of SAVAYSA? Common side effects in people who take SAVAYSA include bleeding and low red blood cell count (anemia). Patients should talk to their doctor if they have any side effect that bothers them or that does not go away. Patients should call their doctor for medical advice about side effects. Side effects may be reported to FDA at 1800FDA1088. Please see the full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNINGS and Medication Guide at savaysa.com. Edoxaban is currently marketed in South Korea, the Netherlands, Ireland, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, the US and Japan, and was approved in Taiwan. In other countries, regulatory review is ongoing. About Daiichi Sankyo Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical products to address diversified, unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets. With over 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 17,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation and a robust pipeline of promising new medicines to help people. In addition to its strong portfolio of medicines for hypertension, dyslipidemia, bacterial infections, and thrombotic disorders, the Group's research and development is focused on bringing forth novel therapies in cardiovascular-metabolic diseases, pain management, and oncology, including biologics. For more information, please visit: www.daiichisankyo.com. Contact Kimberly Wix Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. Senior Director, Public Affairs +1 973 944 2338 Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and information about future developments in the sector, and the legal and business conditions of DAIICHI SANKYO Co., Ltd. Such forward-looking statements are uncertain and are subject at all times to the risks of change, particularly to the usual risks faced by a global pharmaceutical company, including the impact of the prices for products and raw materials, medication safety, changes in exchange rates, government regulations, employee relations, taxes, political instability and terrorism as well as the results of independent demands and governmental inquiries that affect the affairs of the company. All forward-looking statements contained in this release hold true as of the date of publication. They do not represent any guarantee of future performance. Actual events and developments could differ materially from the forward-looking statements that are explicitly expressed or implied in these statements. DAIICHI SANKYO Co., Ltd. assume no responsibility for the updating of such forward-looking statements about future developments of the sector, legal and business conditions and the company. References Giugliano R, et al. Edoxaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2013;369(22):2093-2104. Buller H, et al. Edoxaban versus warfarin for the treatment of symptomatic venous thromboembolism. N Engl J Med. 2013;369(15):1406-1415. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute What is Atrial Fibrillation. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/af/af_diagnosis.html. [Last accessed: March 2016 ]. Iqbal MB, et al. Recent developments in atrial fibrillation. BMJ. 2005;330(7485):23843. Go AS, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics--2013 update: A report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2013;127:6-245. Ball J, et al. Atrial fibrillation: Profile and burden of an evolving epidemic in the 21st century. Int J Card. 2013;167:1807-1824. Camm A, et al. Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation: the Task Force for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Eur Heart J . 2010;31(19):23692429. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) / Pulmonary Embolism (PE) Blood Clot Forming in a Vein. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/facts.html. [Last accessed: March 2016 ]. Van Beek E, et al. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. New York : John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print. Cohen A, et al. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Europe . Thromb Haemost. 2007;98(4):756-764. Deitelzweig S, Lin J, Johnson BH, Schulman KL. Prevalence of venous thromboembolism in the USA : now and future. Thromb Haemost 2009;7 (Suppl. 2):207-8 (abstract OC-WE-018). Heit JA, Cohen AT, Anderson FAJ, on behalf of the VTE Impact Assessment Group. Estimated annual number of incident and recurrent, non-fatal and fatal venous thromboembolism (VTE) events in the US. ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts. 106:910. 2005. Kearon C. Natural history of venous thromboembolism. Circulation. 2003;107(23 suppl 1):I-22-30. SOURCE Daiichi Sankyo Related Links http://www.daiichisankyo.com NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Insurance announces the launch of the Center for Mass Affluent Research and Education (CMARE) which will include a program in connection with the Aresty Institute of Executive Education of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. CMARE is a center designed to provide valuable insight to independent agency owners to enhance their business development skills. Specifically, it includes a customized Wharton two-day pilot program that will help participants increase their awareness of consumers' core motivations and develop the ability to influence the buying decisions of the mass affluent client. "Mass affluent consumers represent an incredibly large market opportunity for independent insurance agencies and other financial services providers, yet it has largely gone unrecognized," said Dan Maloney, Encompass vice president of Sales & Marketing. "CMARE was developed to help Encompass independent agency owners better serve this consumer demographic." "The center's work is extremely important to the future of Encompass and our work with Encompass appointed independent agencies," said Mark Green, Encompass president. "Translating our insights regarding mass affluent consumers into actionable ideas for professional services providers will only add to our already strong differentiation in the personal insurance marketplace." Bill Bishop, owner of Associated Insurance in Columbus, Ohio, was one of the first agents to sign up for the program. "At our agency we are always looking for ways to improve our professionalism and become a better advisor to our clients. For Encompass Insurance to provide access to such an outstanding institution like the Wharton School is extremely valuable to us and shows what a wonderful, supportive carrier they are for their agencies." Hannah Copeland, Encompass Education manager says, "We are extremely excited to unveil CMARE's first program; Mass Affluent: Changing the Conversation. This seven-month program will be delivered to a cohort of producers. Demand for this program has proven to be very high and we're now in the process of reviewing nominations." For more information on Encompass Insurance and the Center for Mass Affluent Research and Education, please contact Dan Maloney at [email protected]. About Encompass More than 2,400 independent agencies sell Encompass's signature package policy and other personal insurance products to consumers with broad protection needs. Part of the Allstate group of companies, Encompass is one of the only national insurers distributing through independent agents to exclusively provide personal insurance protection. More information can be found at www.encompassinsurance.com. About the Wharton School Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. With a broad global community and one of the most published business school faculties, Wharton creates economic and social value around the world. The School has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and a powerful alumni network of 94,000 graduates. The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In the 20 years since Allstate became a fully independent public company, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners have donated more than $405 million to support local communities. SOURCE Encompass Insurance Related Links http://www.encompassinsurance.com ARLINGTON, Va., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Endgame, Inc., a leading provider of cybersecurity software solutions to help enterprises hunt, contain, and evict the most sophisticated adversaries, announced today that CEO Nate Fick will keynote the 2016 Infiltrate Conference in Miami Beach, Florida on April 7, 2016. Infiltrate is a deep technical conference that focuses entirely on offense-based cybersecurity issues, including computer and network exploitation, vulnerability discovery, and rootkit and trojan covert protocols. "Nate's time in the Marines and at the forefront of cyber defense is unique in the industry, and we're excited to have his talk as the keynote of our conference," said Dave Aitel, CEO of Immunity Inc. and founder of Infiltrate. The keynote will focus on lessons from military combat that are applicable to the digital domain. As a unit commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nate Fick was forced to adapt quickly to the challenges of contemporary warfare from the paradoxes of counterinsurgency, to the hard-power realities of escalation dominance and deterrence, to the ethics of just war and the ongoing competition for talent. Today, computer security is at a similar inflection point an industry in which billions of dollars were spent last year, yet 90% of large enterprises are breached, with adversary dwell times averaging 200+ days. Nate's speech will highlight how lessons from the battlefield can empower the security industry to take an offense-based approach to navigating the current threatscape. Endgame's offense-based approach to automate the hunt for adversaries derives from its heritage running the largest cyber operations in the world with the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Its research has revealed a distinct gap in organizations' abilities to proactively hunt for cyber threats and risks. The traditional security stack, such as antivirus, network IDSes, and firewalls, are no longer sufficient to catch today's advanced threats leaving enterprises vulnerable to breaches that bypass perimeter defenses. For more information on Endgame's hunting solution, download our latest point of view here. About Endgame Endgame automates the hunt for the most sophisticated adversaries in enterprise networks. Endgame's technology and techniques are proven to detect and respond rapidly to cyber threats in the most extreme environments - from defending US national security interests to protecting the world's critical infrastructure. The Endgame Cyber Operations Platform, developed for elite US DOD cyber protection teams, enables enterprises to automate the entire hunt mission, detecting and blocking adversaries at every phase of the cyber kill chain. Endgame's world-class R&D team extends our advantage with novel stealth technologies, vulnerability and threat analysis, and unique detection and prevention technology. At Endgame, we help our customers move from being the hunted to being the hunter. Endgame was founded in 2008 and has offices in Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, San Antonio, TX and Melbourne, FL. For more information, visit www.endgame.com and follow us on Twitter @EndgameInc. Media Contact: Margot Koehler [email protected] 781.424.8943 SOURCE Endgame, Inc. Related Links https://www.endgame.com CLEVELAND, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ViewRay, Inc. (OTCQB: VRAY) announced today that the VU University Medical Center (VUmc) in Amsterdam has installed a MRIdian system, the world's first and only clinical MRI-guided radiation therapy system, marking the first MRIdian installation in Europe. Patient treatments at VUmc will commence this Spring. "MRI guidance is the next big step in radiotherapy and will, for the first time, enable us to adapt the daily treatment plan and see the tumor and surrounding tissues in real time," said Ben J. Slotman, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chairman of Radiation Oncology at VUmc. MRIdian integrates MRI technology, radiation delivery and proprietary software to locate, target and track the position and shape of tumors while radiation is delivered. MRIdian is the only clinically-available system in the world that can provide continuous soft-tissue imaging during radiation treatment. This means that, for the first time, doctors are able to see the tumor they are treating continuously, enabling personalized and adaptive radiation therapy. VUmc intends to use the machine for patients with tumors in the abdomen and chest such as bladder cancer, prostate cancer, renal cancer, pancreatic cancer, rectal cancer, lung cancer and liver metastases. An area of particular interest to the VUmc team is MRI-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), which is the treatment of cancer using higher doses of radiation in a shorter course of therapy than traditional radiation therapy. Earlier this year the radiotherapy department of the VUmc organized an international symposium on SBRT where more than 240 participants from 26 different countries gathered to listen to leading experts sharing their experience. A part of the day was dedicated to stereotactic radiotherapy using MRI-guidance, which the center has termed "SMART" for stereotactic MRI-guided and adaptive radiotherapy. "Our team has now installed MRIdian systems in each of our major markets North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe and we congratulate VUmc on their leadership in being the first in Europe," said Chris A. Raanes, president and CEO of ViewRay Incorporated. "The radiotherapy department of VUmc is known worldwide for its expertise in high-precision radiotherapy and for being at the forefront of new developments in cancer treatment." About ViewRay ViewRay, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio, is a medical device company that develops advanced radiation therapy technology for the treatment of cancer. The MRIdian system provides continuous soft-tissue imaging during treatment, using MRI-guided radiation therapy, so that clinicians are able to see where the actual radiation dose is being delivered and adapt to changes in the patient's anatomy. ViewRay and MRIdian are registered trademarks of ViewRay, Inc. Forward Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, references to the benefits of MRI guidance and the types of cancers to be treated on the MRIdian at VUmc. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the ability to raise the additional funding needed to continue to pursue ViewRay's business and product development plans, the inherent uncertainties associated with developing new products or technologies, the ability to commercialize the MRIdian linac technology, competition in the industry in which ViewRay operates and overall market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and ViewRay assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factor disclosure set forth in the reports and other documents ViewRay files with the SEC available at www.sec.gov. SOURCE ViewRay, Inc. Related Links http://www.viewray.com WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA), calls on American Airlines CEO Doug Parker to provide American Eagle flight attendants with the same wage increase as mainline flight attendants. While Doug Parker announced profit sharing for all AAG employees, the Flight Attendants serving the same passengers for American Eagle are paid significantly less. "We believe it's time for you to recognize in the same way the workers who serve American's passengers through the American Eagle brand," AFA Presidents Robert Barrow (Envoy), Lisa Heinselman (PSA), and Anita Jwanouskos (Piedmont) said in a letter. "We encourage a bold move to act differently from the rest of the industry and provide equal pay for equal work." The three airlines that make up the American Eagle brandEnvoy, Piedmont and PSAare wholly owned subsidiaries of the American Airlines Group (AAG). AAG is making record setting profits, but yet refuses to honor their frontline employees' contributions to the success of American Eagle Brand. The Association of Flight Attendants is the world's largest Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for 70 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110302/DC58223LOGO SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) Related Links http://www.afacwa.org/ SAN RAMON, Calif., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GreyHeller, a global leader in mobile and security technology and a Gold level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced that University of Waterloo is in production with GreyHeller's PeopleMobile user experience platform. PeopleMobile, which has achieved Oracle Validated Integration, powers mobile access to Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solutions application from any smartphone or tablet. A primary project goal was to increase the usability of Quest on mobile devices while also presenting a branded user interface (UI) aligned with Waterloo's Student Portal and digital standards. With Quest Mobile students can: view grades, class schedules, and appointments, add, drop, and swap classes, search for classes, view and update personal information, upload citizenship documentation, view program and advisor information, register for a GO pass view financial aid award summary and anticipated aid detail view application status, offer conditions, education profile, and test scores upload documents (transcripts, resumes, portfolios, etc.) accept/decline offers apply for an entrance bursary (undergrad) view official offers (grad) "University of Waterloo's Quest Mobile is a perfect example of how institutions can successfully address students' demand for Oracle's PeopleSoft access on their mobile devices," said Hendrix Bodden, GreyHeller Co-Founder. Student testers support the success of the project: "Very simple, easy. Any student should be able to use it with ease." "Great! Much better than fighting with the desktop version of Quest on my phone." "A+ formatting." GreyHeller and the University of Waterloo began working together on this application in March, 2014. University of Waterloo's Quest Mobile project PowerPoint deck is available by request from [email protected]. About GreyHeller GreyHeller provides Mobile and Security software solutions for Oracle's PeopleSoft customers, including 5 of the top 50 global companies and 6 of the top universities. PeopleMobile mobilizes and transforms every PeopleSoft page across every PeopleSoft system Campus Solutions, HCM, FSCM, CRM, ELM, Interaction Hub. ERP Firewall protects PeopleSoft sensitive data from malicious and inadvertent breach with powerful Data Masking, Two-Factor Authentication, Location-Based Security, Delegate and VIP Access Control, Logging and Analysis. About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle's products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partners. About Oracle Validated Integration Oracle Validated Integration, available through the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), gives customers confidence that the integration of complementary partner software products with Oracle Applications and specific Oracle Fusion Middleware solutions have been validated, and the products work together as designed. This can help customers reduce risk, improve system implementation cycles, and provide for smoother upgrades and simpler maintenance. Oracle Validated Integration applies a rigorous technical process to review partner integrations. Partners who have successfully completed the program are authorized to use the "Oracle Validated Integration" logo. For more information, please visit Oracle.com at http://www.oracle.com/us/partnerships/solutions/index.html. Trademarks Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160126/325915LOGO SOURCE GreyHeller Related Links http://www.greyheller.com NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hyundai Hope On Wheels (HHOW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids fight cancer, announced four $1 million grants to Children's Oncology Group (COG) institutions: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and the University of Florida. Through the Hyundai Quantum Grant, each institution will receive $250,000 per year over the course of four years to fund their research on pediatric cancers with the lowest survival rates. Although 80 percent of cancers are being cured today, it still remains the leading cause of death by disease in children (source). Through the Hyundai Quantum Grant, HHOW is committed to providing resources to leading institutions' groundbreaking research in the fight against pediatric cancer. The winning proposals will help advance new immunotherapies and therapeutic strategies for the most high-risk childhood cancers, including Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Medulloblastoma tumors. The Hyundai Quantum Grant Winners include: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia ( Philadelphia, PA ) Richard Aplenc , MD, PhD, MSCE ( ) , MD, PhD, MSCE Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ( Boston, MA ) Loren D. Walensky , MD, PhD ) , MD, PhD Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ( Seattle, WA ) Soheil Meshinchi , MD, PhD and Marie Bleakley , MD, PhD ) , MD, PhD and , MD, PhD University of Florida ( Gainesville, FL ) Duane A. Mitchell , MD, PhD The winners will be recognized alongside 12-year-old cancer survivors at the annual Hyundai Hope On Wheels ceremony on March 24th in New York City. The ceremony takes place on the sidelines of the New York International Auto Show and will be co-hosted by Aubrey Peeples, film and TV actress known for her roles in Nashville and Jem and the Holograms. Hyundai Motor America President and CEO, Dave Zuchowski, will lead the annual launch activities in New York City. This year marks the organization's 18 years of commitment to the cause and a total of $115 million donated in its pledge to end childhood cancer. This year alone, the organization will award $13 million in new pediatric cancer research grants "The Hyundai Quantum is a terrific grant. Outside the NIH, this is one of the largest grants available to pediatric cancer researchers. This is a significant amount of money and it will provide researchers the time and funding they need to drive real advances in the field. We applaud Hyundai for its leadership," said Dr. Crystal Mackall, former head of the NCI pediatric cancer division and current associate director of the Stanford Cancer Institute and HHOW committee reviewer. "We are honored and eager to announce this year's winners for the Hyundai Quantum Grant, an award we believe echoes and further builds upon Hyundai Hope On Wheels' commitment in the fight against pediatric cancer," said Dave Zuchowski, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "On behalf of Hyundai and our dealers across the country, we are proud to support this cause. No child should ever have to hear the words 'You have cancer,' and we will continue to support the efforts fighting for that day to come." For more information, please visit www.HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org. Support our Thunderclap http://thndr.me/ie4ecy. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter, by visiting facebook.com/HyundaiHopeOnWheels or twitter.com/HopeOnWheels. HYUNDAI HOPE ON WHEELS Hyundai Hope On Wheels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Launched in 1998, Hyundai Hope On Wheels provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing life-saving research and innovative treatments for the disease. Primary funding for Hyundai Hope On Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 800 U.S. dealers. At the end of its 16th year, Hyundai Hope On Wheels will have awarded more than $86 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure. HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide. Please visit our media website at www.hyundainews.com and our blog at www.hyundailikesunday.com Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook Contact: Zafar Brooks Hyundai Motor America Cell: (714) 334-1766 [email protected] Felicity Tan APCO Worldwide Cell: (646) 824-5158 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160323/347570LOGO SOURCE Hyundai Hope On Wheels (HHOW) Related Links http://www.HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation, the National Park Service, and the United States Mint announced today that limited edition coins honoring the National Park Service Centennial are now available for purchase online at catalog.usmint.gov/coins/commemoratives and today only at National Mall and Memorial Parks near the Lincoln Memorial. The coins will be available at participating park locations across the National Park System later this year and have the potential to raise millions of dollars in support for America's national parks. "These coins - mementos today and heirlooms tomorrow - celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service," said National Park Service Deputy Director Peggy O'Dell. "Their purchase will help support vital park programs and contribute to the centennial legacy." The commemorative coins honor the National Park Service's first century of service protecting, preserving, and sharing some of our nation's greatest natural, historical, and cultural resources. In addition to being a unique centennial collectible, all coin surcharges are authorized to be paid to the National Park Foundation to support projects that help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the National Park Service and promote public enjoyment and appreciation of these resources. National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth added, "The coin program is yet another example of a successful public-private partnership that has the ability to make long-lasting and meaningful impacts across our park community as we continue our efforts to protect America's treasured places, connect people from all backgrounds to them, and inspire the next generation of park stewards." The coins can be purchased from the United States Mint at the following introductory prices until 3 p.m. ET on April 25, 2016. Regular prices will be in effect after 3 p.m. on April 25, 2016. All prices include a surcharge associated with the sale of each coin, which is authorized to be paid to the National Park Foundation GOLD: $395.45 for uncirculated version; $400.45 for proof version (the price for gold coins is subject to change due to variability of pricing on the precious metal markets) for proof version (the price for gold coins is subject to change due to variability of pricing on the precious metal markets) SILVER: $44.95 for uncirculated version; $45.95 for proof version for uncirculated version; for proof version CLAD: $20.95 for uncirculated version; $21.95 for proof version for uncirculated version; for proof version There will also be a limited amount of coin sets which include all three coins. No more than 15,000 three-coin sets will be produced. There is a household order limit of two units with this set. The gold coin obverse (heads side) features naturalist, writer, and conservationist John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt with Yosemite National Park's Half Dome in the background. Inscriptions are "LIBERTY," "2016," and "IN GOD WE TRUST." United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart designed and sculpted the obverse. The gold coin reverse (tails side) features the National Park Service logo, with the inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," and "$5." Everhart also designed and sculpted the reverse. The silver coin obverse features Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful geyser and a bison, with the inscriptions "LIBERTY," "NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CENTENNIAL," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "1916," and "2016." United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna designed and sculpted the obverse. The silver coin reverse depicts a Latina Folklorico dancer and the National Park Service logo, representing the multi-faceted cultural experience found in America's national parks. Inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," "$1," "HERITAGE," "CULTURE," and "PRIDE." The reverse was designed by Artistic Infusion Program artist Chris Costello and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz. The clad half dollar obverse features a hiker discovering the majesty of the wilderness and a small child discovering a frog hiding in ferns, celebrating the diversity and breadth of the National Park Service. Inscriptions are "LIBERTY," "2016," "IN GOD WE TRUST," "1916," and "NATIONAL PARK SERVICE." The reverse was designed by Artistic Infusion Program artist Barbara Fox and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso. The clad half dollar reverse features the National Park Service logo, with the inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," "HALF DOLLAR," "STEWARDSHIP," and "RECREATION." The reverse was designed by Artistic Infusion Program artist Thomas Hipschen and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Charles L. Vickers. The coins are great examples of the countless ways there are to #FindYourPark. Launched in March 2015, Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque is a public awareness and education movement to inspire people from all backgrounds to connect with, celebrate, and support America's national parks and community-based programs. Celebrating the National Park Service Centennial and setting the stage for the Service's next 100 years, #FindYourPark invites people to discover and share their own unique connections to our nation's natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. For high-res coin images, please visit: http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/?action=photo#NPSCentennial ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 410 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov. ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks, a $350 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org. National Park Service Elizabeth Stern, 202-219-8933, [email protected] National Park Foundation Alanna Sobel, 202-796-2538, [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140324/DC89075LOGO SOURCE National Park Foundation Related Links http://www.nationalparks.org The new production contract allowed Lockheed Martin to design and implement a new, modern production line. As a part of the modernization effort, the team developed more than 80 new tools to optimize production flow and build on the line's more than 30 year on-time delivery record. The modernization became necessary after Lockheed Martin won a contract to reestablish deck and hatch production at its Middle River site after more than 20 years. "We are proud to continue manufacturing the MK 41 VLS in Baltimore County and bringing this critical capability to the fleets of the U.S. Navy and its allies," said Stephanie C. Hill, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Ship & Aviation Systems business. "In partnership with the U.S. Navy, we have been delivering, modernizing and supporting the MK 41 VLS system for more than 30 years. We, along with our suppliers in Maryland and all over the nation, look forward to continuing to serve our customer with this critical national defense capability." The MK 41 VLS is the international launcher of choice for surface ships, providing unparalleled flexibility. It is the only launching system capable launching anti-air, anti-submarine, surface-to-surface and strike missiles and can receive orders from multiple weapon control systems to handle every warfighting mission. The MK 41 VLS fires a wide range of missiles, primarily off of U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers. Since the first launcher rolled off of the Lockheed Martin production line in 1984, the systems have been combat proven with more than 3,850 successful firings worldwide and a more than 99 percent success rate. MK41 VLS has been integrated and in service with the U.S. and 12 allied navies on nearly 200 ships representing 20 ship classes. On Dec. 12, 2014, Lockheed Martin was competitively awarded a $235.3M firm-fixed-price contract for MK 41 VLS electronic and mechanical modules and related equipment. Under this contract which extends through 2022, Lockheed Martin will produce the launch control units, various electrical boxes and the mechanical structure, and perform final assembly and test. The company is also under contract to conduct repairs, distribute, store and manage spare parts for the MK 41 system for the U.S. Navy. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/vls About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that with the addition of Sikorsky employs approximately 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347962 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141118/159313LOGO SOURCE Lockheed Martin Related Links http://www.lockheedmartin.com NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and the Parkinson's Action Network (PAN) announced today that PAN will cease to operate as an independent organization, with PAN integrating into the Foundation so that the two organizations can operate as one to advance public policy priorities and better treatments for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD). The move leverages MJFF and PAN's respective expertise in drug development and public policy in support of the 1 million Americans, and 5 million worldwide, living with Parkinson's the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. "The landscape of Parkinson's therapeutic development has evolved significantly since The Michael J. Fox Foundation was launched in 2000, as have key policy decisions related to health care delivery and reimbursement. The policy and advocacy priorities of people living with Parkinson's have necessarily shifted alongside," said MJFF CEO Todd Sherer, PhD. "Working as a single entity, MJFF and PAN will bring the passion and commitment of our joint community to bear on articulating and advancing key public policy priorities affecting millions of PD patients and families." A "Continued and Deepened Engagement of the Nationwide Parkinson's Community" This week, following approval by the Boards of both organizations, PAN filed for dissolution with the California Attorney General, with approval expected within eight weeks. In the coming months, PAN will transition its activities to MJFF as part of the Foundation's new public policy department, which will operate primarily out of Washington, DC. Ted Thompson, who served as president and CEO of PAN from 2014 to 2016, joins MJFF as senior vice president of public policy. Historically, PAN has served as the unified voice of the Parkinson's community on public policy and advocacy issues. A new Unified Parkinson's Advocacy Council comprises representatives from state, regional and national PD organizations to gather field-wide input on priorities and policy matters. PAN's grassroots leaders program, which has been essential to strengthening local support for policies that benefit patients, will transition to MJFF. A Public Policy Council will provide expert guidance on policy strategies. "As two patient-founded organizations, PAN and MJFF share a deep respect for keeping patients at the center of our priorities and programs," said Thompson. "We are enthusiastic about the prospects for a continued and deepened engagement of the nationwide Parkinson's community as we plot a new path forward for Parkinson's public policy." Advances in Drug Development Call for Integrated Public Policy Strategy Today, more PD drug candidates are reaching late-stage clinical testing and entering complex regulatory and reimbursement approval processes. For some untreated symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as cognitive decline, regulatory pathways may not yet exist. MJFF is a key player in the direction and design of many drug trials, and expanding its resources for public policy programming will allow the Foundation to play a more holistic role in partnering with drug developers who until now have navigated such processes and conversations on their own. "More potential treatments in clinical testing calls for an integrated strategy to help regulators optimally support complex therapeutic development programs, and to ensure sufficient access to new therapies as they come to market," said MJFF CEO Sherer. Dialogue with Grassroots Community Will Direct Next Steps This spring, The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Parkinson's Action Network launched a dialogue with patients and close supporters of both organizations with the goal of ensuring that programmatic activity reflects the top public policy concerns of the community. The conversations began with a webinar and a panel discussion at the annual PAN Forum moderated by journalist Mort Kondracke, a founding member of the boards of both MJFF and PAN. Additional feedback was captured through a survey. The conversation will continue throughout the transition process, with community members invited to share thoughts on policy priorities through the Foundation's closely monitored social media channels including Facebook (facebook.com/michaeljfoxfoundation) and Twitter (@MichaelJFoxOrg). "This unification clearly builds on the strengths of both organizations," said Kondracke, who joined the Parkinson's advocacy community when his wife, Milly Kondracke, was diagnosed with and ultimately succumbed to Parkinson's disease an experience recounted by Kondracke in his memoir Saving Milly. "PAN's public policy experience will enhance MJFF's work to find new treatments and a cure, and the MJFF community will amplify PAN's message of advocacy and engagement." Public Policy Goals Extend Beyond Drug Development With age the greatest risk factor for Parkinson's, the number of people with the disease is expected to double by 2030. As drug development programs march toward a therapy that can slow or stop progression and better treat symptoms, there is a need for infrastructure and access to support services. PAN has advocated for legislation such as the Advancing Research for Neurological Disease Act of 2015, which aims to collect data on Parkinson's incidence and prevalence to examine disease distribution and plan for health care services. The organization also lobbies, for example, for repealing Medicare Therapy Caps that limit the physical, occupational and speech language therapy an individual can receive. MJFF will continue to evaluate and prioritize programs such as these that lay the groundwork for better quality of life for people living with Parkinson's disease. "It's not just new drugs that are important," said Israel Robledo, PAN Texas state director, a member of the PAN Board of Directors and an MJFF clinical research participation ambassador. "It's anything that improves a patient's quality of life: therapy services, telemedicine, or improved disability policies and veterans benefits. Our grassroots leaders have experience advocating for all of these issues, and we look forward to working with MJFF on these matters." Learn more about MJFF's public policy work and read a white paper summarizing community priorities for Parkinson's public policy at www.michaeljfox.org/policy. About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $600 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us on the Web , Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation Related Links http://www.michaeljfox.org "The two new vehicles debuted today in New York will help continue Mitsubishi's sales momentum and will be instrumental in achieving our sales goals for the year," said Don Swearingen, executive vice president, MMNA. "Outlander PHEV offers the best of both worlds providing true SUV capabilities along with electric driving efficiency without the worry of range anxiety. Mirage G4 joins the popular Mirage hatchback to form a formidable one-two punch in the subcompact segment." Featuring a highly efficient 2.0-liter gasoline engine and two high-performance electric motors that drive Mitsubishi's superior Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a very capable PHEV with go anywhere capability. The Outlander PHEV will arrive at Mitsubishi Motors showrooms in fall 2016. The Outlander PHEV is highlighted by a full-time, twin-electric motor-powered all-wheel control system that provides quick and optimized torque distribution between the front and rear wheels. Mounted separately at the front and rear axles the electric motors deliver precise, responsive 4WD performance with the S-AWC system ensuring excellent driving stability and intuitive, linear handling. The S-AWC system found on the Outlander PHEV is a specialized application of Lancer Evolution-derived Super All-Wheel Control honed on the world rally circuit. A sibling to the well-established and popular Mirage hatchback, the all-new Mirage G4 brings to consumers a fresh dose of clean style, environmental consciousness, agility, connectivity, affordability, roominess, and value. The Mirage G4 will be at the top of its class in combined fuel efficiency and C02 emissions. Inside, the Mirage G4's long wheelbase provides for a spacious interior cabin and a cavernous trunk. Adding an element of surprise and delight to the subcompact segment, the Mirage G4 will come equipped with available smartphone integrations, features typically reserved for higher priced vehicles. Support for Apple CarPlay, the smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in the car, lets drivers make calls, get directions optimized for traffic conditions, listen to music, and access messages. Android Auto extends the Android platform into the car in a way that's purpose-built for driving. For more information on the all-new Outlander PHEV and Mirage G4 please visit media.mitsubishicars.com and be sure to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube. About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all research and development, marketing and sales for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States. MMNA sells sedans and crossovers/SUVs through a network of approximately 360 dealers. MMNA is leading the way in the development of highly efficient, affordably-priced new gasoline-powered automobiles while using its industry-leading knowledge in battery electric vehicles to develop future EV and PHEV models. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347735 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141111/158048LOGO SOURCE Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. Related Links http://www.mitsubishicars.com "This report confirms the enormous success in achieving air quality benefits by introducing new clean diesel technologies across the spectrum of older on-road vehicles and heavy-duty equipment," said Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum . "While new diesel technology and fuels have achieved near zero emission levels, DERA is the leading program that upgrades or replaces older diesel engines with newer technology to reduce emissions. "Thanks to the bipartisan work in both the House and Senate, DERA has proven to be a highly effective program that has reduced emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 335,000 tons. This is nearly equivalent to removing the emissions from every residential furnace and boiler in the U.S. for an entire year." Report Highlights How DERA Benefits Communities in All 50 States According to the report, funding provided by DERA between 2008 and 2013: Retrofitted or replaced 73,000 vehicles and equipment Reduced particulate matter emissions by 14,700 tons Saved 450 million gallons of fuel and Generated almost $13 billion in environmental benefits. "These benefits are tangible and show that DERA is benefiting communities in all 50 states with improved air quality," Schaeffer said. "State and local clean air regulators have relied on DERA funding as a key tool to help move communities toward compliance as new and more stringent clean air requirements for Ozone and PM are set to take effect." Coalition of Environmental, Health & Industry Groups Support DERA Since its creation in 2005, DERA has been supported by a bipartisan coalition of several hundred environmental and public health organizations, industry representatives, and state and local government associations including the American Lung Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Union of Concerned Scientists and National School Transportation Association. These groups continue to work together in educating Congress about these benefits and the importance of continued funding for the program. DERA Clean Air Projects Results in 13-1 Benefit-to-Cost Ratio DERA provides $1 in federal assistance to attract $3 in non-federal matching funds to generate, on average, $13 in environmental and health benefits by helping the owners of older diesel vehicles and equipment retrofit, repower or replace with clean diesel technologies. "The federal share of the DERA funding represents a small share of the total cost of each project to encourage owners to retrofit or replace with new clean technologies," Schaeffer said. School Bus Grants Highlight DERA Benefits "Nowhere is the effectiveness of DERA more pronounced than the school bus rebate program," said Schaeffer. "Interested school bus operators are provided just enough incentive funding to scrap and replace older buses as opposed to selling that older bus on the secondary market. "This new report also highlights the changes to the application process that has substantially reduced administrative costs for EPA and applicants. It's no surprise that the DERA program receives high marks from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle." Need for Continuation of DERA Remains Strong Despite this success, the need for DERA's incentive funding still exists. According to the report, 10.3 million older diesel engines are still in use across the country and over one million of these engines will remain in use by 2030. "In addition, DERA funding is extremely competitive," Schaeffer said. "The grant program has perpetually been oversubscribed with applications exceeding available funding by a 35-to-1 ratio." Connect with DTF For the latest insights and information from the leaders in clean diesel technology, join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @DieselTechForum, or YouTube @DieselTechForum and connect with us on LinkedIn. ABOUT THE DIESEL TECHNOLOGY FORUM The Diesel Technology Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and technology. Forum members are leaders in clean diesel technology and represent the three key elements of the modern clean-diesel system: advanced engines, vehicles and equipment, cleaner diesel fuel and emissions-control systems. For more information visit www.dieselforum.org. Available Topic Expert: For information on the listed expert, click appropriate link. Allen Schaeffer ProfNet - https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=111282 Contact: Steve Hansen [email protected] 301-668-7230 (o) 202-355-3664 (c) (View this press release online here .) Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160323/347781-INFO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120201/MM46474LOGO SOURCE Diesel Technology Forum Related Links http://www.dieselforum.org LA JOLLA, Calif., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some people infected with HIV naturally produce antibodies that effectively neutralize many strains of the rapidly mutating virus, and scientists are working to develop a vaccine capable of inducing such "broadly neutralizing" antibodies that can prevent HIV infection. An emerging vaccine strategy involves immunizing people with a series of different engineered HIV proteins as immunogens to teach the immune system to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. This strategy depends on the ability of the first immunogen to bind and activate special cells, known as broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells, which have the potential to develop into broadly neutralizing antibody-producing B cells. A research team has now found that the right precursor ("germline") cells for one kind of HIV broadly neutralizing antibody are present in most people, and has described the design of an HIV vaccine germline-targeting immunogen capable of binding those B cells. The findings by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology were published in Science on 25 March. "We found that almost everybody has these broadly neutralizing antibody precursors, and that a precisely engineered protein can bind to these cells that have potential to develop into HIV broadly neutralizing antibody-producing cells, even in the presence of competition from other immune cells," said the study's lead author, William Schief, TSRI Professor and Director, Vaccine Design of the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center at TSRI, in whose lab the engineered HIV vaccine protein was developed. The body's immune system contains a large pool of different precursor B cells so it can respond to a wide variety of pathogens. But that also means that precursor B cells able to recognize a specific feature on a virus surface are exceedingly rare within the total pool of B cells. "The challenge for vaccine developers is to determine if an immunogen can present a particular viral surface in a way that distinct B cells can be activated, proliferate and be useful," said study co-author Shane Crotty, professor at the La Jolla Institute. "Using a new technique, we were able to show well in advance of clinical trials that most humans actually have the right B cells that will bind to this vaccine candidate. It is remarkable that protein design can be so specific as to 'find' one in a million cells, demonstrating the feasibility of this new vaccine strategy." The work offers encouraging insights for a planned Phase 1 clinical trial to test a nanoparticle version of the engineered HIV vaccine protein, the "eOD-GT8 60mer." "The goal of the clinical study will be to test safety and the ability of this engineered protein to elicit the desired immune response in humans that would look like the start of broadly neutralizing antibody development," Schief said. "Data from this new study was also important for designing the clinical trial, including the size and the methods of analysis." In June, scientists from TSRI, IAVI and The Rockefeller University reported that the eOD-GT8 60mer produced antibody responses in mice that showed some of the traits necessary to recognize and inhibit HIV. If the eOD-GT8 60mer performs similarly in humans, additional boost immunogens are thought to be needed to ultimately induce broadly neutralizing antibodies that can block HIV. The new work also provides a method for researchers to assess whether other new vaccine proteins can bind their intended precursor B cells. This method is a valuable tool in the design of more targeted and effective vaccines against AIDS, providing the ability to vet germline-targeting immunogens before testing them in large, time-consuming and costly clinical trials. Looking at blood donated by healthy volunteers, the scientists found B cells that were capable of creating "VRC01-class" antibodies that recognized a critical surface patch, or epitope, of HIV. VRC01-class broadly neutralizing antibodies are a group of antibodies isolated from different individuals that appear to have developed in a very similar way, and it has been hypothesized that the starting VRC01-class B cells were very similar in the different people. The eOD-GT8 60mer is designed to engage these precursor B cells to initiate HIV broadly neutralizing antibody development. Other contributors to the paper, "HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells revealed by germline-targeting immunogen," included Joseph Jardine, Daniel Kulp, Colin Havenar-Daughton, Anita Sarkar, Bryan Briney, Devin Sok, Fabian Sesterhenn, June Ereno-Orbea, Oleksandr Kalyuzhniy, Isaiah Deresa, Xiaozhen Hu, Skye Spencer, Meaghan Jones, Erik Georgeson, Jumiko Adachi, Michael Kubitz, Allan decamp, Jean-Philippe Julien, Ian Wilson and Dennis Burton. This work was supported by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Consortium and Center; the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard; the Bayer Science and Education Foundation; the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation; Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (P01 AI094419, Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery (CHAVI-ID) 1UM1AI100663, P01 AI82362 and R01 AI084817.) About The Scripps Research Institute The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs about 2,700 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientistsincluding two Nobel laureateswork toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. For more information, see www.scripps.edu. About IAVI The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world. Founded in 1996, IAVI works with partners in 25 countries to research, design and develop AIDS vaccine candidates. The organization also conducts policy analysis and serves as an advocate for the AIDS vaccine field. It supports a comprehensive approach to addressing HIV and AIDS that balances the expansion and strengthening of existing HIV prevention and treatment programs with targeted investments in the design and development of new tools to prevent HIV. IAVI is dedicated to ensuring that a future AIDS vaccine will be available and accessible to all who need it. IAVI's work is made possible by generous support from many donors including: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark; Irish Aid; the Ministry of Finance of Japan in partnership with The World Bank; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD); the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The full list of IAVI donors is available at www.iavi.org. About La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology is dedicated to understanding the intricacies and power of the immune system so that we may apply that knowledge to promote human health and prevent a wide range of diseases. Since its founding in 1988 as an independent, nonprofit research organization, the Institute has made numerous advances leading towards its goal: life without disease. Media Contacts For TSRI: Mika Ono, +1-858-784-2052, [email protected] For IAVI: Barbara Rosen, +1-212-847-1056, [email protected] For the La Jolla Institute: Gina Kirchweger, +1-858-357-7481, [email protected] SOURCE International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Related Links http://www.iavi.org On June 4, 2016, Steven will be participating in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk . Participants from across the country will come to New York City to walk more than 16 miles from sunset until sunrise to raise money and awareness for suicide prevention. This year marks the fourth time Steven will walk in an Overnight, and his second event in New York. "The first time I did the Overnight I was really looking for something to help with healing. I wanted to find other people I could relate to. I found that in this event, which is why I have been back year after year," said Steven D'Arbenzio. For Steven, fundraising has helped him focus on something more than his emotional healing. Money raised from the event will support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which funds research, creates educational programs, advocates for public policy, and offers much-needed support for those affected by suicide. Steven's story is just one of the thousands that make up the Overnight. Daryl Fitzgibbons, a teacher from Meriden, Connecticut, lost her son Tommy, an avid snowboarder and skier, to suicide in 1998. "Immediately after losing Tommy, I went to support groups but stopped going when I felt like I didn't have enough energy for even attending the support groups," said Daryl Fitzgibbons. "Then in 2005, I participated in an AFSP walk in West Hartford, and I immediately sensed that I found a way to help other people, which helped me too." While many people have been touched by suicide, which is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, many are hesitant to talk about it. For survivors of suicide loss like Steven and Daryl, the Overnight Walks are a way to feel supported by a community of people who have gone through a similar experience. For those with a connection to the cause, the Overnight Walks provide a sense of camaraderie and a welcoming environment. Each walker raises a minimum of $1000 to participate in the Overnight Walks. Since its inception in 2002, nearly 30,000 people have participated in an Overnight Walk, 5,000 people have volunteered, and over $35 million has been raised to support the cause. This year's New York Overnight Walk will begin at The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Midtown Manhattan, and go throughout the City. There is also an Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk planned for San Francisco on May 21-22, 2016. Registration for both walk events is still open to the public. To register for The Overnight, please visit theovernight.org. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347744 SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links http://www.afsp.org PITTSBURGH, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Simio today announced it is part of the largest-ever U.S. delegation to Hannover Messe, the world's foremost trade fair for industrial technology, taking place April 25-29, in Hannover, Germany. For the first time in the Fair's history, the United States will be the Partner Country, a status that provides the more than 390 businesses and organizations in the U.S. delegation an unprecedented opportunity to be prominently featured throughout the event. President Obama will also participate in this year's event, themed "Integrated Industry-Discover Solutions." Simio LLC will exhibit in the Digital Factory, Hall 6 Booth K01-5, at the show. "The U.S. business community and the Department of Commerce have a clear message for the world: the United States is open for business. We will demonstrate and deliver on that message at the 2016 Hannover Messe," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. "We are proud to have some of America's most innovative and forward-thinking companies joining the U.S. delegation at this year's fair." Simio LLC created an unique and patented simulation and scheduling software solution. With simulation, it is the only software that is fully object oriented with process and objects being defined graphically with no programming. Unlike other scheduling software, Simio allows you to introduce risk into your production schedule with its patented Risk Based Planning and Scheduling. "We are excited to be a part of the first-ever USA Partner Country presence at Hannover Messe and look forward to making the most of this opportunity," said Eric Howard, Vice President of Marketing. "Simio is a global company and I know this will increase our international exposure." Hannover Messe typically hosts more than 200,000 attendees from more than 70 countries, including global investors, buyers, distributors, resellers and government officials. About Simio LLC Simio LLC is a privately held company that is dedicated to delivering leading edge solutions for the design, emulation, and scheduling of complex systems. Simio LLC was founded in 2005 by a highly experienced team. Founder and CEO of Simio LLC, C. Dennis Pegden, Ph.D., has over three decades experience in simulation and scheduling and has been widely recognized as an industry leader. He led in the development of SLAM (marketed by Pritsker and Associates) and then founded Systems Modeling Corporation. Dennis led the creation of the market-leading simulation products SIMAN and Arena, as well as, the finite capacity scheduling product Tempo. Now Simio is a market leading, 4th generation simulation product with patents for flexible object design and scheduling risk analysis. Simio object design eliminates text based coding for building models and planners can predict the risk in their detailed production schedules. Simio's unified model works for both facility design and managing daily operations. To learn more, visit simio.com or contact [email protected] This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347919LOGO SOURCE Simio LLC Related Links http://simio.com SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Quri, the market leader in In-Store Merchandising Intelligence, today released data and insights for the Easter power period, highlighting merchandising performance in the beer, wine, and spirits categories. The data released aggregates performance across 3 categories, 13 manufacturers, and 23 brands including Coors Light, Miller Lite, Beringer, Barefoot Cellars, Absolut Vodka, Smirnoff, and more from among a sample of the thousands of stores measured routinely by Quri across all major retailers in the US market. "Adult beverage brands now have data and software available to help them better merchandise their products within the complex Prohibition era three-tier distribution system," comments Justin Behar, CEO of Quri. "A great example surfaced from this data, showcasing the opportunity to increase on-shelf availability during key power periods. Take beer for example, we know most of the brands covered have full national distribution, yet were out-of-stock, on average, 25% of the time as we transitioned from St. Patrick's Day into the Easter power period. This is a huge opportunity that Quri helps diagnose in near real-time for all brands and categories." Quri's Easter merchandising data highlights the overall display presence, display type, and on-shelf availability of 23 alcohol brands across 1,000 stores in the grocery, mass merch, and specialty beverage channels for the Easter power period. The brands and categories tracked included Beer (Bud Light, Coors Light, Corona, Guinness, Miller Lite, Stella Artois), Wine (Barefoot Cellars, Beringer, Chateau St. Jean, Clos Du Bois, Kenwood Vineyards, Korbel, Robert Mondavi, Smoking Loon), and Spirits (Absolut Vodka, Bacardi, Jack Daniel's, Jim Beam, New Amsterdam Gin, Skinnygirl, SKYY Vodka, Smirnoff, Wild Turkey). Highlights on the results as observed, through midnight EDT on Tuesday, March 22nd, from each category include: Display Presence: Beer (47%), Spirits (20%), Wine (15%) Given Easter is a meal focused holiday, wine brands have an opportunity to leverage this power period more aggressively to drive incremental sales, especially given the dominance of beer during the Super Bowl, March Madness, and St. Patty's Day promotional periods just prior to Easter. In particular, Walmart is a great example with only a 6% display presence for the wine category. Display Type: Most common were Beer Pallets (52%), Spirit Floor Stands (36%), Wine Endcaps (36%) Beer brands focused on simple pallets mainly in Walmart, while Kroger promoted one of the largest wine brands in the country using endcaps. While simple executions like pallets drive better coverage, more creative and disruptive displays such as endcaps and floor stands are proven to drive greater sales lift than pallets according to Quri Academy data. Clearly, wine and spirit brands are taking advantage of this insight in their promotions. On-Shelf Availability: Beer (75%), Spirits (63%), Wine (49%) The study reveals a frequent issue with on-shelf availability during power periods, especially for products coupled with a secondary display. While regionalization is likely part of the availability equation for wine and spirits, the beer brands studied are widely known to have full national distribution. Quri data, delivered continuously, can help brands stay on shelves during key power periods - a huge sales opportunity for brands across all categories. Quri will further discuss the category level merchandising results for the Easter power period during a special 30-minute webinar on Thursday, March 24th at 2:00 p.m. EDT / 11:00 a.m. PDT. The webinar will offer insights on how to improve merchandising execution for the next seasonal power period. You can register for the webinar at bit.ly/Quri-Easter. Additionally, any of the 23 brands covered in the release are invited to review data for their brand privately through Quri's software platform by contacting us at [email protected]. About Quri Quri is the market leader in In-Store Merchandising Intelligence Technology, transforming retail execution by providing real-time, store-level visibility into the performance of products and promotions in 150,000 retail locations across 6,000 cities. Procter & Gamble, Heineken, Unilever, Kraft-Heinz, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, Tyson and 100 other global companies rely on Quri to help optimize the $4 trillion dollars spent annually on retail go-to-market and merchandising. Quri is powered by an innovative combination of big data analytics fed through mobile technology used by an on-demand retail workforce. For more information, visit http://quri.com. Media Contact: North 6th Agency, Inc. (For Quri) 212-334-9753, [email protected] SOURCE Quri Related Links http://quri.com CANTON, Mass., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commonwealth's top law enforcement officer and lawyer will speak with registered nurses on Thursday as they gather for the 14th Annual Labor Leader Summit, hosted by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. What: 14th Annual MNA Labor Leader Summit When: Thursday, March 24 Attorney General Maura Healey to speak at 11 a.m. AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre to speak at 9 a.m. Where: Doubletree Hotel, 11 Beaver Street, Milford, MA Attorney General Maura Healey will address a group of nurse leaders from around the state as they discuss topics such as the 2014 Massachusetts Intensive Care Unit Safe Patient Limits law, the state's ban on mandatory overtime for nurses and the illegal closure of essential health care services. "We are pleased to welcome Maura Healey as a guest speaker at our annual summit," MNA President Donna Kelly-Williams said. "Since her successful 2014 campaign, Healey has been 'The People's Lawyer,' fighting for justice and equal rights for all citizens values that nurses champion every day. Nurses look forward to asking Healey about a number of topics important to their profession, including the ICU law in place now to protect the state's most vulnerable patients." ICU Law The ICU Safe Patient Limits Law was signed by then-Gov. Deval Patrick on June 30, 2014. It was enacted by the legislature at the urging of registered nurses to ensure patients in Massachusetts hospital ICUs receive one-on-one care from their RN, while allowing a nurse to take a second patient if and when it is deemed safe to do so by the nurse. Nurses continue to advocate for the pending Patient Safety Act, which will require safe patient limits in all hospital units. Decades of research shows these kinds of limits improve patient outcomes. Following Health Policy Commission regulations, nurses and hospitals are currently developing acuity tools to assist nurses in determining when ICU patients are stable enough to allow a two-patient assignment. Depending on the type of hospital and its ICU, the deadlines to complete acuity tools are March 31, 2016 and Jan. 31, 2017. Though the tools are not finalized, the ICU law has been in effect since Sept. 28, 2014, as reinforced in written correspondence to hospitals by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in October 2014. Nurses are concerned because many hospitals in the state are wantonly violating the law, oftentimes assigning nurses up to three patients, placing those patients at risk for serious harm. Mandatory OT Mandatory overtime is also an important topic for RNs in Massachusetts. A law banning the dangerous practice of forcing nurses to take overtime hours went into effect on Nov. 5, 2012. Despite this law, which has few and only extraordinary exceptions, hospitals regularly compel nurses to work beyond their scheduled shifts, using generic excuses that are often simply copied and pasted into DPH reporting forms. Essential Services In the wake of the recent illegal and premature closings of North Adams Region Hospital and Quincy Medical Center, along with the loss of other essential services throughout the state, nurses are advocating for a bill (S. 1149) that will give the public more input into closings, extend the required notification period, direct the attorney general to seek injunctions and penalize hospitals that close essential services. Healey has been a strong proponent of increased protection for communities and patients surrounding health care closures. Speaking last summer about NARH, Healey told WAMC Northeast Public Radio that the state needs the right tools to deal with closures: "To make sure that patients are protected, to make sure that the employees are protected, that the community is protected and that there is as much as notice and an opportunity to take needed steps as there should be," she said. A report issued by Healey's office in December 2015 on Steward Health Care also took a strong stance on premature closings. "Steward failed to abide by the commitment it had made to maintain an acute care hospital in Quincy," the report said. Steward closed all but a satellite emergency department at Quincy Medical Center in December 2014 despite a deal Steward made when it bought the hospital out of bankruptcy in 2011 to keep the hospital open until at least 2017. Labor Leader Summit The Annual Labor Leader Summit provides valuable education about union activity and advocacy for nurses and other health care professionals who represent the MNA's 23,000 members at health care facilities throughout Massachusetts. These professionals, who take leadership roles at their facilities, will participate in panels about contract bargaining and labor history, and will hear updates from various MNA membership units. This year's summit also features a keynote address by Tefere Gebre, who was the first immigrant elected to national AFL-CIO office. Born in Gondar, Ethiopia, Gebre was a political refugee who emigrated to the United States as a teenager. Since starting his first union job as a night shift loader at UPS while in college, Gebre has devoted his entire life to the values of hard work and a voice at the workplace, according to his AFL-CIO biography. He served in various labor leadership roles at all levels in California prior to his election in 2013 as AFL-CIO executive vice president. Healey was elected Attorney General in November 2014 and was sworn in on Jan. 21, 2015. For seven years prior to her election, Maura helped lead the Attorney General's Office, ultimately overseeing more than half of the office's 500 employees. She began as Chief of the Civil Rights Division and went on to direct two of the office's most prominent divisions: the Public Protection & Advocacy Bureau and the Business & Labor Bureau. MassNurses.org Facebook.com/MassNurses Twitter.com/MassNurses Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest professional health care organization and the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. The MNA is a founding member of National Nurses United, the largest national nurses' union in the United States with more than 170,000 members from coast to coast. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060525/NETH016LOGO SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United Related Links http://www.massnurses.org PEACHTREE CITY, Ga., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Rinnai, the number-one selling brand of tankless water heaters in the United States and Canada, has made the list of "Top Products of 2015," according to Plumbing & Mechanical magazine. Rinnai's Ultra Series RUR condensing tankless line was selected based on the product's high number of views on the publication's website. The list has been featured in the March issue of Plumbing & Mechanical. "Being recognized by Plumbing & Mechanical and its readers is a significant acknowledgment of Rinnai's commitment to innovation and to providing the industry with the latest technologies in water heating," said Susan Mittelbrun, Vice President of Marketing at Rinnai America Corporation. "It's especially rewarding to know that readers are positively responding to the benefits of our Ultra Series RUR models." The RUR98i and RUR98e models feature recirculation, with or without a dedicated recirculation line, provided by thermal bypass technology that includes an integrated pump, internal bypass line and thermal bypass valve, which means less wait time for hot water. The Ultra Series also features Rinnai's highest hot water capacity per BTU, providing the ability to support multiple, simultaneous hot water demands and more venting solutions on the same unit. With more than 49,000 monthly subscribers, Plumbing & Mechanical provides readers with leading content in trends and practices in the plumbing, piping, hydronic and radiant heating and water treatment industries. About Rinnai Rinnai America Corporation, a subsidiary of Rinnai Corporation in Nagoya, Japan, was established in 1974 and is headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia. Rinnai Corporation manufactures gas appliances including tankless water heaters, a wide range of kitchen appliances and heating and air conditioning units. As the technology leader in its industry, Rinnai is the largest gas appliance manufacturer in Japan and is the No. 1 selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in the United States and Canada. Annual corporate revenues, including those of its subsidiaries, are in excess of $2.8 billion. With a global perspective to create 21st century products for the home and business, Rinnai Corporation commits itself to safety and the pursuit of comfortable lifestyles. For more information about Rinnai's entire product line, visit rinnai.us. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150106/167315LOGO SOURCE Rinnai Related Links http://www.rinnai.us SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Registered nurses from every UC Medical Center in California will converge today at the UC Regents meeting in San Francisco to speak out against UC President Napolitano's proposed 2016 pension plan. "The proposal put forth by President Napolitano seriously undermines the UC Pension plan, one of the primary tools to recruit and retain excellent nursing staff in the UC Medical system," said Maureen Dugan, an RN at UCSF and member of the California Nurses Association board. "We are urging the UC Regents to protect the high standards of patient care in the UC system by rejecting this wrong-headed plan." What: Press Conference - Registered nurses demand UC Regents reject Napolitano's proposed pension plan. When: Thursday, March 24th 8:00 a.m. prior to UC Regents meeting Where: UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center, 1675 Owens St. San Francisco Napolitano's plan is to be voted on just weeks after the release of a new report, "Missing the Mark: How Hedge Fund Investments at the University of California shortchange students, staff and California taxpayers." The report shows UC squandered $1 billion in fees since 2003 to hedge fund managers for investments that, despite their price tag, failed to outperform the general stock market. According to the report, UC paid hedge fund managers a dollar in fees for every two dollars generated in net returns. UC could have saved $950 million in fees, and generated $800 million in superior returns had it not invested in hedge funds. Despite a pledge in 2014 to withdraw from all hedge funds UC continues to hold hedge fund investments. "For over a decade the Regents have been irresponsibly diverting UC resources to Wall Street hedge fund managers, while at the same time cutting services to our patients and raising tuition three-fold," said Fong Chuu, RN, UCLA Medical Center and CNA board member. "We're saying to the Regents, enough is enough! It is time to support our University of California, not have it be a tool for Wall Street." Napolitano's proposal includes a two-tier benefit scheme that for the first time would provide better benefits for UC faculty compared to the rest of UC staff, including nurses, clinical researchers, custodians and clerical workers. This type of scheme was expressly opposed by members of a task force (comprised also of faculty) convened by Napolitano to recommend changes to UC's pension plan. Napolitano's pension proposal is designed to incentivize staff to take a 401(k)-style plan, and as a result, would undermine the current benefit plan by reducing contributions to it. The 401(K)-style plans are also less likely to provide secure retirement benefits, critics say. In addition to the California Nurses Association, Lt. Governor and UC Regent Gavin Newsom, California State Labor Federation and the Academic Senate have voiced opposition to the proposal. SOURCE California Nurses Association/National Nurses United WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA Television will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft, Progress 63P, to resupply the International Space Station. Launch of the spacecraft carrying three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the Expedition 47 crew is scheduled for 12:23 p.m. EDT (10:23 p.m. Baikonur time) on Thursday, March 31, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA TV coverage will begin at noon. Progress 63P is scheduled to dock to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module at 2 p.m. on April 2. NASA TV coverage of rendezvous and docking will begin at 1:15 p.m. This will be the second of three cargo ships that will arrive at the station in as many weeks, flanked by Orbital ATK's Cygnus craft and SpaceX's Dragon vehicle. The two-day rendezvous for the Progress is deliberately planned to enable Russian flight controllers to test new software and communications equipment for the new vehicle configuration that will be standard for future Progress and piloted Soyuz spacecraft. The ISS Progress 61 cargo vehicle, currently docked at the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module, will depart the station on Wednesday, March 30. Its undocking will not be broadcast on NASA TV. Loaded with trash, the older Progress will be used for engineering tests before it is deorbited on Friday, April 8 to burn up over the Pacific Ocean. The new Progress will spend more than six months at the station before departing in mid-October for its deorbit into the Earth's atmosphere. The NASA Television schedule is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For more information on the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov This year, most of the Scotland Week festivities occur in New York City and include the 13 th Annual Scotland Run on April 2 and 18 th Annual Tartan Day Parade on April 9. The Scotland Selfie campaign allows people around North America to join in the festivities and show their Scottish pride. Jamie Hepburn, the Scottish Government's Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said, "The Scotland Run in Central Park has welcomed over 100,000 runners over the years, often wearing Scottish dress or with painted faces to celebrate their Scottish heritage. This year we're asking people to upload their 'Scottish selfie,' giving Scots and Scots at heart across North America the opportunity to celebrate Tartan Day and join in the fun." "Scotland is famed for its wild, open spaces and ancient architecture we hope to welcome some of New York's running community to our shores to take part in some of the runs we offer, where we have something to suit all abilities. A selection of the runs Scotland offers can be found at www.scotland.org/run. One thing's for certain, they would be guaranteed a very warm welcome." Those wishing to submit a photo can upload it to http://www.scotland.org/whats-on/scotland-week/scotweekselfie or share it on Twitter and Instagram via @AboutScotland using the #Scotweek tag, starting today, Monday, March 21 through Sunday, April 3, 2016. The photos will then be assembled to create the world's largest online Saltire and displayed on Scotland Government's social sites on National Tartan Day. Designated a national holiday in 1998 by the U.S. Senate, National Tartan Day is a celebration of all things Scottish and the contributions of millions of Scottish Americans. About Scotland Week - #ScotWeek: Every year in the USA and Canada , thousands of people come together to celebrate Scotland Week, the annual celebration of all things Scottish and , thousands of people come together to celebrate Scotland Week, the annual celebration of all things Scottish Scotland Week 2016 runs from Saturday, April 2 Saturday, April 9 th and includes Tartan Day on April 6 and includes Tartan Day on Scotland Week 2016 comprises business, cultural, tourism and media engagements for Sottish Government Ministers, business leaders, and key industry stakeholders Scotland Week celebrates the best of Scottish culture. This year's highlight events are: Scotland Week Run On April 2 nd , nearly 10,000 runners will participate in the 13 th annual 10k run through Central Park, along with hundreds of youth runners ages 7-17, who will partake in a 1.7 mile run; 18 th Annual Tartan Day Parade Grand Marshal Sam Heughan , of Outlander fame, will lead Scots and honorary Scots in a colorful procession on the Avenue of the Americas on Saturday, April 9 . Full details about Scotland Week can be found at www.scotland.org/scotlandweek. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347787 SOURCE Scottish Government Related Links http://www.scotland.org "We learned a lot from the pilot year of the project that can help change the way we view the assessment of student learning in higher education," said Julie Carnahan, Vice President at SHEEO. "We continue to grow this work by adding new states and institutions, but we're also excited to share some of our takeaways with the greater education community through this webinar series." During today's webinar, Carnahan and Terrel Rhodes, Vice President at AAC&U and Executive Director of VALUE, will present, "Assessment for Improvement: the Multi-State Collaborative to Advance Learning Outcomes Assessment/VALUE Initiative." The webinar will provide an inside look into the background, process, resources, and initial findings including assessment scores and results from the pilot year of the MSC. As the two primary project leaders, Carnahan and Rhodes will also discuss reflections and implications for the next phase of this growing initiative. Over the next three months, the webinar series will cover additional topics important to state educational officers, institutional leaders, assessment professionals, faculty, and policy makers. Topics will include: faculty engagement; identifying assignments and collecting student artifacts; and the analysis and use of assessment data for accreditation and to inform changes to improve student learning. "At AAC&U we are thrilled by the success we saw during the pilot year, demonstrating that this process for direct assessment of learning outcomes with the VALUE rubrics can be taken to scale," commented Rhodes. "Perhaps more importantly, we have been impressed by the stories from the practitioners on the participating campuses and the insights and lessons they are applying at their own institutions. We see these webinars as a great vehicle for spreading these practices locally, within states and nationwide whether an institution is participating in the MSC or not." Registration for today's webinar is available on Taskstream's website: https://www1.taskstream.com/event/assessment-for-improvement-mscwebinar1/. The next webinar in the series, "Engaging Faculty in Meaningful Assessment: Leveraging the MSC/VALUE Initiative to Make Local Strides" is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5 at 2:00pm EDT and will feature speakers from three institutions. About AAC&U AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,300 member institutionsincluding accredited public and private colleges, community colleges, research universities, and comprehensive universities of every type and size. For more information about AAC&U, visit www.aacu.org. About SHEEO The State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) is the national association of state higher education leaders who serve statewide coordinating and governing boards or other state-level higher education agencies. Founded in 1954, SHEEO seeks to advance public policy and educational practices to achieve widespread access and successful participation in higher education at state and national levels. For more information about SHEEO, visit www.sheeo.org. About Taskstream: Taskstream partners with institutions of higher education to improve student learning and institutional quality with proven, reliable, and user-friendly assessment management and e-portfolio solutions and supporting services. Since 2014, Taskstream has been the technical partner on the Multi-State Collaborative to Advance Learning Outcomes Assessment with AAC&U and SHEEO. Aqua by Taskstream, the technology trusted by the MSC, is also available for institutional use. For more information, visit www.taskstream.com. Contact: Terrel Rhodes Vice President for Quality Curriculum and Assessment and Executive Director of VALUE AAC&U [email protected] 202.387.3760 Julie Carnahan Vice President SHEEO [email protected] 303.541.1635 Courtney Peagler Vice President Taskstream [email protected] 212.868.2700 Infographic - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160323/347632-INFO SOURCE Taskstream Related Links http://www.taskstream.com PLEASANTON, Calif., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- 6Connex, Inc., the leader in virtual events and environments, is pleased to be the platform of choice for SocialFlow's ROAR2016 on-demand. The first annual SocialFlow User Conference, ROAR2016 took place at the New World Stages in New York City on February 24th and focused on the changing face of social media and the new role and power of media companies and publishers. With 20 speakers and presenters over 13 sessions, the conference received rave reviews from the 200+ attendees. SocialFlow executives were joined on stage by clients such as Allrecipes, BBC, Conde Nast, Mashable, New York Media and Time Inc. "We wanted to share all the great presentations with a broader audience, while also allowing conference attendees to re-live the best moments," said David Simon, SocialFlow CMO. "The 6Connex virtual theater allowed us to host long form video alongside other complementary content." "An on-demand virtual user conference is a great option for companies who want to reach an audience that can't attend the in-person event," said Mike Nelson, CEO of 6Connex. "We've made it easy and cost-effective to take all the amazing content that reached 100s in person, to reach 1000s online." SocialFlow ROAR2016 on-demand is open to anyone and includes event videos and relevant resources. Visit https://socialflow.6connex.com/event/ROAR2016/login About 6Connex, Inc. 6Connex powers virtual events and environments for career fairs, employee onboarding, user conferences, corporate universities and other applications. The 100-percent SaaS virtual destination platform is backed by a team of passionate virtual event experts, dedicated to both market innovation and customer success. More than 100 organizations rely on 6Connex, including Intuit, Economist, Danaher, Perkin Elmer, Ericsson, StubHub, CDC, Childhelp, and the University of Alberta. 6Connex is based in Pleasanton, CA, with offices in London and Shanghai. For more information, visit www.6connex.com. About SocialFlow: SocialFlow is the premier social marketing platform, enabling the world's most powerful publishers and brands to drive superior results with their earned, owned and paid media strategies. Through predictive data analytics, the company's SaaS suite accurately determines which social media content will perform best, amplifies its distribution, and increases its audience engagement. Founded in 2009, New York-based SocialFlow holds the highest certifications for both organic and paid social media management with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+. Content is published in 56 languages. The firm works with numerous well-respected publishers such as Time Inc., Conde Nast, The New York Times and The BBC, as well as top brands including Microsoft, Stuart Weitzman and Birchbox. SocialFlow Powers The Conversations That Matter. To learn more about SocialFlow, please visit us at http://www.socialflow.com. CONTACT: Lisa Farrell, Email: [email protected], Phone: 800-395-4702 Ext. 707 SOURCE 6Connex, Inc. Related Links http://www.6connex.com DALLAS, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Southwestern Health Resources, an integrated health care network formed by Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern Medical Center, has appointed four senior executives to oversee joint clinical operations, a joint physician network, and a new population health services company that will respond to the challenges of the dynamic health care environment in North Texas. The clinically integrated network was created last October to broaden and simplify North Texans' access to leading medical care by blending the strengths of two of the state's largest health care providers. The resulting Southwestern Health Resources aims to better serve patients by offering the complete continuum of care, from the most basic to the most complex. Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern and Barclay Berdan, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of Texas Health, are serving as Co-Chairs of Southwestern Health Resource's Board of Directors. The Southwestern Health Resources executives will maintain their current responsibilities with UT Southwestern and Texas Health, respectively, while taking on new leadership responsibilities including quality initiatives and physician engagement through the joint operating company and physician network. The population health services company will work to identify future health trends along with the resources and strategies to address them effectively and efficiently. The new leadership team includes: John Warner, M.D., CEO of University Hospitals for UT Southwestern, has been named Senior Executive Officer of the joint operating company that oversees the network's three primary Dallas hospitals: William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Zale Lipshy University Hospital, and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. Dan Varga, M.D., Chief Clinical Officer and Executive Vice President of Texas Health Resources, has been named the Senior Executive Officer of Southwestern Health's physician network. Mack Mitchell, M.D., Associate Vice President for Population Health at UT Southwestern, will serve as the Chief Medical Officer of the physician network, working alongside Dr. Varga. Bruce Meyer, M.D., M.B.A., Executive Vice President for Health System Affairs for UT Southwestern, has been named the Senior Executive Officer of Southwestern Health's Population Health Services Company, which will provide clinical and quality data, as well as the administrative and analytic services necessary to support the clinically integrated physician network and hospital network in providing cost-effective, high-quality outcomes for patients and their families. "Higher value and easier access to all levels of care, including emerging therapies using the latest scientific discoveries, are what patients and their families expect of us and what we expect of ourselves. These talented leaders will help us achieve our goal to offer coordinated, world-class care as we respond to changing market demands," said Mr. Berdan of Texas Health. Dr. Podolsky of UT Southwestern agreed. "These four physicians bring dynamic leadership to address the needs of patients and support the efforts of physicians and other caregivers throughout the network. Drs. Warner, Meyer, Varga, and Mitchell also possess the essential expertise to effectively manage large hospitals, physician groups, and clinical programs needed to successfully achieve the clinical, research, and educational as well as financial goals of this collaboration," said Dr. Podolsky, who holds the Philip O'Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science. Southwestern Health features 27 hospitals and 300 clinics throughout North Texas, as well as an expansive network of over 2,000 physicians, including UT Southwestern and Texas Health employed, university-affiliated, and independent physicians from both organizations. Physicians in the network can offer the full range of expertise in primary care and specialty care across a 16-county area with more than 6 million residents. "The integrated network will benefit consumers and caregivers, without changing the relationship patients have with their physicians," Mr. Berdan said. "What will change is that patients are going to experience better coordinated care and more access to specialty services and clinical trials." Patients benefit from access to the larger network of physicians and caregivers in a coordinated and consistent environment that ensures patient health and trust are always the central goal, Mr. Berdan said. Patients, physicians, employers, and insurers will benefit from the network's improved efficiencies and quality initiatives, and the resulting improved outcomes and reduced redundancies, Dr. Podolsky said. "The network will foster expanded collaboration between physicians and care teams across the entire region, bolstered by the critical infrastructure needed to share best practices and leading-edge innovation," he said. Formation of the network will not alter UT Southwestern's or Texas Health's existing relationships, specifically, Texas Health's relationship with the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, and UT Southwestern's relationships with Parkland Memorial Hospital, Children's Medical Center Dallas, and Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center. UT Southwestern also remains committed to its affiliations with independent physicians, including those in the UT Southwestern Clinically Affiliated Physicians (UTSCAP) program. "The network will enable our two organizations to thrive in the changing landscape of health care delivery, to adapt more readily, and to respond appropriately to our patients' needs and expectations," Dr. Podolsky said. About Southwestern Health Resources Southwestern Health Resources and its affiliated entities formed an integrated health network in December 2015 that blends the strengths of Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern to better serve North Texas residents, from preventive care to the most advanced interventions. The network comprises 27 hospitals, 300 clinics, and over 2,000 physicians, spanning a 16-county service area with more than 6 million residents. The joint effort establishes a first-class organization with the scale and scope to provide leading-edge technology, research, and education, ensuring broader access to exceptional, quality care. SOURCE Southwestern Health Resources BOSTON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Supreme Court Press, a legal printer specializing in Supreme Court filings, has named Mark Sheriff et al./Eric Jones et al. v. Pamela Gillie et al., Supreme Court Docket Nos. 15-338 and 15-620, to be its Petition of the Month(TM). The Eric Jones petition was filed by attorney Boyd Gentry of the Law Office of Boyd W. Gentry of Beavercreek, Ohio, and along with the Mark Sheriff petition, which was granted certiorari, is scheduled for oral argument before the Supreme Court on March 28, 2016. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347813LOGO According to the petition, "For many years, the Ohio Attorneys General ("OAG") required Eric Jones to use the letterhead of the OAG Office when writing to debtors. His letters expressly identified him as outside counsel for OAG, since he was appointed to the office of special counsel. Ohio statutory law permits this use of the OAG's letterhead. So, when Eric Jones wrote to the plaintiff in this case, he used the letterhead of the OAG and signed the letter as "outside counsel." According to Mr. Gentry in the award winning petition, "You can imagine attorney Jones's surprise when he saw that he was being sued by a debtor solely for complying with the Mandate of the OAG." The Plaintiff argued that the use of the OAG's letterhead gives a debtor the impression that the state was after them and would treat such debts with priority over private debts. However, argues the petition, special counsel appointed by the OAG are state "officers" and should not be treated as private debt collectors. Moreover, the letters are not misleading "because attorney Jones was telling the truth: he was special counsel appointed by the OAG, and he was authorized, and indeed required, to use the letterhead." The petition details the legal framework for the lower courts split decision. The Sixth Circuit placed itself in the shoes of the hypothetical "least sophisticated consumer" and found, 2-1, that the use of the OAG's letterhead could mislead a consumer into believing that the Attorney General's Office was pursuing the debt. The "least sophisticated consumer" standard is not part of the FDCPA, but was created by the courts as a test to analyze whether a communication regulated by the FDCPA is deceptive or misleading. The Sixth Circuit latched onto the fact that attorney Jones was not an employee of the OAG: he is an independent contractor. If he had been paid as a W-2 employee, the Sixth Circuit would have affirmed (and the case likely never filed). Because of his status as an independent contractor, the Sixth Circuit opined that a jury should decide if the use of the OAG's letterhead violated the FDCPA. The Supreme Court Press also congratulates Mr. Gentry on having his case argued at the Supreme Court. Mr. Gentry stated, "I'm pumped. It is my first successful petition for certiorari. I've argued before the Supreme Court of Ohio twice, but this is the next level." Mr. Gentry worked closely with the Supreme Court Press editor in the preparation of the petition, and offered this assessment, the "Supreme Court Press delivers on every promise. Quick turnarounds, competitive pricing, and most of all, quality. The editorial process was top-notch! The comments helped us refine our main talking points in both the petition for cert and the merit brief. Having an outside editor from Supreme Court Press made our arguments more effective for judges who don't deal with the FDCPA often." To read more about the interview with Boyd Gentry, follow this link: http://www.supremecourtpress.com/Petition-of-the-Month/MarkSheriff-Petition-Mar-2016.html About the Supreme Court Press: The Supreme Court Press is a Supreme Court legal printer and a Supreme Court filing service. The Supreme Court Press files petitions for writ of certiorari in compliance with the Rules of the Supreme Court. But that is only the tip of the iceberg of the value that we add - our expert team has the editorial talent and Supreme Court brief experience to provide meaningful, game changing suggestions to your document. We will work hand in hand with you to exquisitely prepare, edit, print, and file your documents, taking the worry out of the process for you, and improving your odds of getting in. Call us at 888-958-5705 or email us at [email protected] to discuss your filing needs. About the Petition of the Month(TM) : The Supreme Court Press' Petition of the Month(TM) program recognizes applicants to the Supreme Court with well-written petitions for writ of certiorari that address important questions of law. We look for cases that meet the criteria of Rule 10 of the United States Supreme Court important issues where the underlying decision is in conflict with the Supreme Court, another Court of Appeals, or the United States Constitution. If you have a pending petition that you believe is worthy of Petition of the Month(TM) advice, you can email us at [email protected] Disclaimers: The Supreme Court Press does not provide legal advice. The Supreme Court Press does not endorse either party in this matter and expresses no legal opinion on any case selected as Petition of the Month(TM) This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Supreme Court Press Related Links http://www.supremecourtpress.com SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Community activists and workers held protests outside two Chipotle restaurants today to inform customers about food safety problems and other violations at Taylor Farms in Tracy, Calif., which supplies tomatoes to Chipotle franchises in the region. As the fast-casual Mexican food chain has been roiled by numerous food poisoning outbreaks, protesters held signs and passed out leaflets telling customers in Sacramento and Manteca, Calif. that Chipotle's food safety problems run deep in its supply chain. "We are here to support the workers at Taylor Farms," said Amy Glass, a community supporter who spoke at the protest in Manteca. "We have a message for Chipotle and that is if it's really serious about cleaning up its image, it needs to take a hard look at where it gets its tomatoes." Taylor Farms, the salad processing giant that supplies Chipotle and other food retailers nationwide, has recalled more than 150,000 food items in the last few months and has also been cited for more than 40 health and safety violations at its facilities in Tracy. A recent outbreak of E.coli was linked to celery processed at Taylor Farms in Tracy, infecting 19 people in seven states. Food safety advocates were joined by Taylor Farms workers in spirited actions at both locations during the lunch hour rush. Some wore tomato costumes and held signs asking customers "Are you eating dirty tomatoes?" The workers who process Chipotle tomatoes say they have observed mold and bird feces near production lines. They also report that a Chipotle-required food safety test for salmonella is sometimes skipped under management time constraints. "Workers see issues with food safety all the time for example rotten or moldy products but when we raise concerns we are told to go back to work," said one Taylor Farms worker at today's protest who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation by the company. Workers and community supporters say there is a lack of adequate training at Taylor Farms in Tracy, which has resulted in at least four chemical spills in recent months and hundreds of worker injuries over the years. A recent chemical spill of chlorine dioxide led to 20 workers including two pregnant women being hospitalized. At today's protests, food safety advocates said it is not a coincidence that Taylor Farms has had so many problems with food safety while dangerous working conditions plague its operations. Taylor Farms is also being prosecuted by Region 32 of the National Labor Relations Board with 58 labor law violations. Protesters told customers at Chipotle that these labor abuses contradict the food chain's "Food with Integrity" program, which includes a commitment to sourcing from businesses that respect workers. Other workers have also complained about sexual harassment and discrimination at the plant that is often ignored by management. "When you don't respect the rights of your workers who are the front line of food safety, it isn't surprising that the safety of your products are also undermined," said Ashley Alvarado, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 601 in Stockton, Calif., which has been supporting Taylor Farms workers in their effort to organize and improve working conditions. Taylor Farms is facing labor violations charges due to retaliation, threats and other abuses against workers attempting to organize. "We are here with the workers and others to expose what is going on at Taylor Farms and to show Chipotle that its customers want it to do something about the problems at Taylor Farms," Alvarado added. Taylor Farms is the world's largest salad processor supplying major companies including McDonald's, Chipotle, Starbucks, Walmart, Costco, Safeway and Albertson's, among others. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Galen Munroe (202) 624-6911 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Related Links http://www.teamster.org CLEVELAND, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyle Peters, an Industry Analyst with The Freedonia Group, will be the moderator for the 11:45 12:45, Wednesday, April 27, 2016: Track 1 Ceramic & Glass Application session at the Ceramics Expo in Cleveland, Ohio. His accompanying presentation, along with those of Josh Pelletier of Kerneos and Khushwant Saini of Vesuvius will address new generation refractories. To learn more, visit the Conference @ Ceramics Expo website: http://www.ceramicsexpousa.com/ According to Mr. Peters, "Refractory materials are materials that can withstand very high temperature and yet still retain their structural properties. Because of this quality refractories are used in almost anything: from the transportation industry to the building industry, from consumer goods to the steel industry. However, according to Freedonia's recently published research report, there is a shift taking place in the refractories market towards the non-metallic minerals industry segment and high cost refractories. This session will provide an overview of the refractories market and representatives from different sections of the refractories supply chain will discuss where the opportunities for the (advanced ceramic) refractory can be identified." For more information regarding the Refractories study that will be referenced in the session please visit: http://www.freedoniagroup.com/DocumentDetails.aspx?ReferrerId=RF-PRNEWS&StudyID=3295 About The Freedonia Group The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com, is a leading international industrial market research company that publishes more than 400 research studies annually and offers custom research solutions. Since 1985, we have provided research to customers ranging in size from global conglomerates to one-person consulting firms. More than 90% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 use Freedonia Group research to help with their strategic planning. Reports can be purchased at www.freedoniagroup.com and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com. Follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/freedonia-group/ Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FreedoniaGroup Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/freedoniagroup Press Contact: Corinne Gangloff +1 440.684.9600 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160216/333635LOGO SOURCE The Freedonia Group Related Links http://www.freedoniagroup.com ARMONK, N.Y. and NOTTINGHAM, England, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM's (NYSE: IBM) World Community Grid and scientists at the University of Nottingham are launching a study to address tuberculosis, one of the world's most deadly diseases. It is expected that hundreds of thousands of volunteers will donate vast computing resources to aid this effort facilitated by IBM. Launched today, the new "Help Stop TB" project on IBM World Community Grid will model aspects of the behavior of tuberculosis bacteria to better understand its potential vulnerabilities that new medicines may one day exploit. Volunteers will make the processing power on their devices available, when otherwise not being used, to perform the millions of calculations necessary for these simulations. Crowdsourcing a virtual supercomputer in this manner to study the disease will provide results significantly faster and achieve greater results than relying on conventional computational resources typically available to researchers. Tuberculosis (TB) has plagued humans for thousands of years. Approximately one third of the globe's human population harbors TB today and 1.5 million people died from it in 2014, prompting the World Health Organization to rank TB alongside HIV as the world's deadliest infectious disease. Dr. Anna Croft, lead researcher of the Help Stop TB project and Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham in the UK, says that "TB is one of the world deadliest infectious diseases, along with HIV, and one third of the world's population harbors the TB bacterium. My team will use World Community Grid to help science better understand the TB bacterium, so we can develop more effective treatments, and eventually eradicate this threat to human health." Although several drugs and a partially effective vaccine have been developed to help combat TB, the TB bacterium can evolve to resist available medicine, particularly when patients interrupt or discontinue treatment, which often occurs when they do not have consistent access to medications and medical care. Nearly half of European cases are now resistant to at least one drug, and 4% of all cases worldwide are resistant to treatment regimens that combine drugs. HIV patients with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to TB. Tuberculosis can be a slow killer, often dormant for long periods of time before exploiting poor nutrition, old age or a weakened immune system to become active. It is most often spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, laughs or even talks. Symptoms can start with cough, weight loss, and fever, developing into breathing difficulties and violent coughs that bring up blood. Initially residing in the lungs, it can spread to, and cripple, other organs. The tuberculosis bacterium has a coating which shields it from many drugs and the patient's immune system. Among the fats, sugars and proteins in this coat are fatty molecules called mycolic acids. The Help Stop TB project will use the computing power donated by World Community Grid members to simulate the behavior and chemical properties of mycolic acids to better understand how they protect the TB bacteria. Scientists hope to use the results to eventually develop better treatments for this deadly disease, particularly those that evade TB cell wall defenses. World Community Grid was created in 2004 by IBM as part of its citizenship program focused on innovation. Hosted on IBM's SoftLayer cloud technology, World Community Grid facilitates massive amounts of completely free computing power for scientists by harnessing the surplus cycle time of volunteers' computers and Android devices from all over the globe. The combined power available on World Community Grid has created one of the most powerful and fastest virtual supercomputers on the planet. "Thanks to World Community Grid's massive computational power, we can study many different mycolic acid structures instead of just a few," says Dr. Croft. "This type of analysis at this scale would otherwise be impossible." More than three million computers and mobile devices used by nearly three quarters of one million people globally and 470 institutions from 80 countries have contributed virtual supercomputing power that have fueled more than two-dozens vitally important projects on World Community Grid over the last 11 years. Since the program's inception, World Community Grid has enabled important scientific advances in areas such as cancer research, AIDS treatments, genetic mapping, solar energy and ecosystem preservation. Many of these efforts might not have even been attempted without the free supercomputing power provided by IBM's World Community Grid. World Community Grid is enabled by Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC), an open source platform developed at the University of California, Berkeley and with support from the National Science Foundation. Volunteers can help stop TB by joining World Community Grid. IBM also invites researchers to submit research project proposals to receive this free resource, and encourages members of the public to donate their unused computing power to these efforts at worldcommunitygrid.org. For more information about IBM's philanthropic efforts, please visit www.citizenIBM.com or follow @CitizenIBM on Twitter. And for up to the minute media alerts about University of Nottingham, follow @UoNPressOffice on Twitter. The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is 'the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a "distinct" approach to internationalization, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.' (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of 'Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers' at the Times Higher Education Awards 2015. It is ranked in the world's top 75 by the QS World University Rankings 2015/16, and 8th in the UK by research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world's greenest campus for three years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities. Contact(s) information: Ari Fishkind IBM Media Relations +1 (914) 499-6420 [email protected] Emma Lowry Media Relations Manager Faculty of Engineering The University of Nottingham +44 (0)115 8467156 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO SOURCE IBM OCHO RIOS, Jamaica, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Jamaica Inn, a timeless and iconic boutique hotel on Jamaica's north coast, is proud to announce exciting property updates. This year, the Inn is introducing renovations on a luxurious villa, a new sauna for the recently renovated Ocean Spa and a lineup of on-property events throughout the year. Unveiling of Cottage 6 Renovations Following a recent renovation, Cottage 6 has introduced its recent upgrade for the ultimate retreat for privacy and luxury. The two-bedroom cottage is perched on a bluff with stunning ocean views and decorated in Jamaica Inn's signature comfortable style. The cottage consisting of two bedrooms and two bathrooms features an open concept living room decorated in bold colors to complement the blue Caribbean Sea. The perfect hideaway continues outdoors with an infinity edge plunge pool, a modern outdoor bathtub with rain shower and private steps down to the beach for easy access to the water. New Sauna at Ocean Spa The recently added sauna at the award winning Ocean Spa was designed to treat guests to a rejuvenating experience in a forest-like atmosphere. The unique jungle "treatment" in one of the outdoor tree-houses includes a detoxifying sauna session and a cooling outdoor shower before rehydrating with lemongrass juice. Known to aid in strengthening the immune system and kick start weight loss, the treatment also improves circulation and relaxes muscles for the perfect start to a vacation. Teddy's Beach Bar Dedication Jamaica Inn staple, Teddy Tucker has been part of the hotel's family for 57 years was recently celebrated by the owners, guests and management for his lifetime of commitment and service by naming the beach bar after him. At the grand ceremony, the longtime bartender was welcomed by a past Prime Minister and the community marching band as a plaque was presented to Teddy by owner Peter Morrow. The popular beachfront bar is for perfect sipping a signature "Teddy's Planter's Punch" while watching the sunset each evening. Return of the Third Annual "Inner Peace in Paradise" Yoga Retreat The wildly successful Jamaica Inn Yoga Retreat returns for the third consecutive year this fall, following an overwhelmingly positive response from attending yogis. The retreat, open to all experience levels, is the perfect escape for travelers that want to take a break and enjoy a little "Inner Peace." Amidst the serene backdrop of the pristine Caribbean waters, Jamaica Inn provides the perfect escape for a holistic and renewing experience. Spring Fling Savings Package The Inn is encouraging travelers to shake up schedules and book an escape to Jamaica with 17% Spring Savings off daily rates. With no minimum stay required, travelers can quickly recharge over a long weekend or enjoy deep relaxation on an extended stay if the package is booked before April 15, 2016. For more information or to book, please visit www.jamaicainn.com. SOURCE Jamaica Inn Related Links http://jamaicainn.com LOS ANGELES, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent letter received by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World from a Colorado school resource officer illustrates why Scientologists are passionate about supporting the Foundation and volunteer their time getting the Truth About Drugs materials into the hands of parents, teachers, mentors, police and kids. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160324/347708 "I have been teaching drug and alcohol educationfor seven years," the letter begins. "I have identified firsthand many emerging drug-use trends in our students, generally beginning at about age 14." The permissive attitude toward marijuana in his state has caused considerable damage, from his perspective. "Marijuana is the drug causing the most harm to our youth," he says. "I have seen many children become addicted to marijuana very rapidly." He has found chronic truancy to be a fact of life that goes hand-in-hand with marijuana dependence, ultimately resulting in kids dropping out before they complete high school. But entirely new class of drugs is taking its toll on youth and the Colorado school resource officer is using the Drug-Free World materials to counter this trend with the young people he deals with. "Drug-Free World has recently updated their pamphlets to include Synthetic Drugs," he says, "a topic which I am an expert in. But many law enforcement officers and educators have never even heard of many of these drugs. Sadly, I was educated about many of them by high school students who had either used them or knew others who did." The school resource officer describes the Truth About Drugs videos as "riveting." "Drug-Free World is an incredible resource for law enforcement and educators alike," says the officer. "They are very committed to fighting the war on drugs from the perspective of promoting healthy communities free from addiction, crime, and violence. I am very grateful for their support and strongly endorse their organization." 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. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE The Church of Scientology International (CSI) Anandpur Sahib (Punjab), March 23 : Thousands of devotees converged on this Sikh holy town on Wednesday to take part in the Hola Mohalla festival of Sikhs. It was a virtual sea of humanity of men, women and children near the main shrine, Takht Keshgarh Sahib, which holds significance in Sikhism. The three-day Hola Mohalla celebrations coincide with the Hindu festival of Holi. All roads to the holy town, which is home to the second most important Sikh shrine after the 'Harmandar Sahib' (popularly known as the Golden Temple) in Amritsar, had heavy vehicle movement with people coming in hordes on buses, trucks, tractor-trolleys and other vehicles. Anandpur Sahib is located about 85 km from Chandigarh. It was at this shrine that the 10th Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh had in 1699 baptized five men and founded the Khalsa Panth, which is the modern-day Sikh religion. The Hola Mohalla celebrations made its beginning around 1701 as Guru Gobind Singh wanted his troops to have mock battles to keep them battle-ready. "Hundreds of Nihang Sikhs assemble in this religious town for the Hola Mohalla celebrations and show their prowess through the Gatka martial art," Avtar Singh, a local resident, told IANS. Leading political parties like the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, opposition Congress and new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organised their respective political conferences on the occasion. Lucknow, March 24 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan has been given a service extension of three months, an official said on Thursday. Ranjan, a 1978 batch IAS officer is considered close to the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his extension was recommended to the central government for consent. A high-level committee approved the extension on Wednesday and the information was conveyed to the state government. Ranjan is the first chief secretary in the present dispensation to get an extension. He was due to retire on March 31. Mumbai, March 24 : Beleaguered business tycoon Vijay Mallya has decided to step down as the chairman of pharma major Sanofi India, nearly 33 years after he assumed the post, the company said in a statement here. Mallya conveyed his decision not to seek re-election as a director at the company's ensuing Annual General Meeting, said the Sanofi statement issued late Wednesday. Mallya had first joined in December 1973 as director of Sanofi India Ltd (SIL), then known as Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd. He functioned as the board chairman since December 1983. "I have been privileged to preside over the board of this company, which started as Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and to have participated in its phenomenal growth and prosperity over such an extraordinarily long period of time," Mallya said in a farewell statement. "It was gratifying that the company continued serving needy patients in India with world-class medication while ensuring consistent returns to all stakeholders." Mallya, who is believed to be hiding in the United Kingdom, is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case. The former liquor baron -- known as 'king of good times' -- has denied that he was "absconding", saying as an "international businessman" he is currently abroad on a business trip and was expected to return by March-end. SIL Managing Director Shailesh Ayyangar said under Mallya's leadership, in the past 10 years, the company's sales grew from Rs.800 crore to Rs.2,000 crore, share price shot up from Rs.1,655 to Rs.4,358, market cap has almost tripled and the employee strength more than doubled from 1,500 to 3,700. The SIL announced plans to induct Aditya Narayan and Usha Thorat as two new independent directors for five years from April 30, 2016. Subject to fulfilling all requirements, Aditya Narayan, 64, is slated to succeed Mallya as SIL Chairman. SIL is listed on both BSE and NSE. Its parent Sanofi has 60.4 percent equity stake in SIL whose portfolio includes pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare products. In pharma, SIL has a strong presence in diabetes, being the only company with a balanced oral and insulin portfolio. Srinagar, March 24 : All eyes are on Thursday's crucial Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislature party meet that will be held over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. Top PDP sources told IANS that the meeting will start at 4 p.m. at the Fairview residence of paryt chief Mehbooba Mufti. "Mehbooba will apprise the legislators of her party about the developments including her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week," a PDP source said. "The party will deliberate on its future course of action with regard to government formation in the state." The PDP legislature party had authorised Mehbooba to take a call on the government formation in the state, but the party had not nominated her as the leader in the state legislature, a constitutional requirement before she can stake claim to power in the state. Sources in the party said during its course of deliberation on Thursday, the PDP legislature party is likely to elect Mehooba as its leader. This dispels media speculations that she had decided to allow some other confidante to be nominated as the legislature party leader so that she could continue as the party president and also as the member of the Lok Sabha. Party insiders say it is highly unlikely that Mehbooba would stand down from her claim to chief ministership and allow somebody else to don the mantle because that could create infighting in the party. "She is the undisputed leader of the party. Nobody else is. It has to be her," said a senior PDP leader and former minister here. Mehbooba represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. If she gets elected as the leader of the state legislature party, the way would be paved for her to become the first woman chief minister of India's only Muslim majority state. In that case, she will have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. Chandigarh, March 24 : Youngsters on two-wheelers, cars and even tractors were seen enjoying the festive spirit of Holi across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Thursday. Thousands of people gathered at Sikh holy town of Anandpur Sahib, 85 km from here, for the final day of the 'Hola Mohalla' festival. Nihang sect members turned out in their traditional attire with some of them wearing huge and heavy cloth turbans with a lot of accessories. The 'Mohalla' procession, which is the most important part of the Hola Mohalla celebrations, was also held. Traditional weapons and the 'gatka' martial art display were the highlights of the occasion. Holi celebrations took place in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and other places also. In Haryana, people offered prayers and later played with colours at various places. At some places in the state, especially in rural areas, women could be seen playing the 'lathmaar' Holi with sticks and wet ropes in which they hit men with them. Reports of Holi celebrations came from Bhiwani, Rohtak, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Hisar and other places. In Chandigarh, hundreds of youth were seen roaming around on two-wheelers, cars and other modes of transport to celebrate Holi. Tight security arrangements were in place across Chandigarh with nearly 1,000 police personnel on duty. The city's 'Geri Route' in Sector 8, 9, 10 and 11, the Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden and other places saw rush of people to mark the festival of colours. Washington, March 24 : New NASA-funded research provides evidence that the spin axis of Earth's moon shifted by about five degrees roughly three billion years ago. The evidence of this motion is recorded in the distribution of ancient lunar ice, evidence of delivery of water to the early solar system. "The same face of the moon has not always pointed towards Earth," said Matthew Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona. "As the axis moved, so did the face of the 'man in the moon'. He sort of turned his nose up at the Earth," Siegler noted in a paper appeared in the journal Nature. Water ice can exist on Earth's moon in areas of permanent shadow. If ice on the moon is exposed to direct sunlight it evaporates into space. The team show evidence that a shift of the lunar spin axis billions of years ago enabled sunlight to creep into areas that were once shadowed and likely previously contained ice. The researchers found that the ice that survived this shift effectively "paints" a path along which the axis moved. They matched the path with models predicting where the ice could remain stable and inferred the moon's axis had moved by approximately five degrees. This is the first physical evidence that the moon underwent such a dramatic change in orientation and implies that much of the polar ice on the moon is billions of years old. "The new findings are a compelling view of the moon's dynamic past," added Yvonne Pendleton, director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) in California. "It is wonderful to see the results of several missions pointing to these insights," he said. These findings may open the door to further discoveries on the interior evolution of the moon, as well as the origin of water on the moon and early Earth. New Delhi, March 24 : Some call it the fourth industrial revolution or "industry 4.0"; for others, the time when machines can "talk" at "smart" factories and "connected" homes to make your life better is here. But for India, Internet of Things (IoT) can bring a real revolution: empowering millions in rural areas and connecting "humans" to the mainstream. A well-connected nation is the first step towards a well-served nation and, hence, connecting rural India to the IoT will provide the much-needed bridge between urban and rural India. "It is a surefire way of channelling the benefits of a digital economy to the largest part of the country. IoT will enable delivery of education, health, governance and financial services to otherwise underserved areas," Oracle India managing director Shailender Kumar stressed. For example, most patients in rural areas do not have access to specialists. Thus, several large hospitals in the metros are beginning to offer remote consulting services in rural villages using media-rich network capabilities. "The doctors can see and interact with patients in remote telemedicine centres, with the case history and medical data automatically transmitted to the doctor for analysis. Similarly, the IoT technology can be leveraged to offer high-quality remote education in high schools across the country," Shailendra Kumar told IANS. The IoT connectivity also offers a host of development opportunities to untapped areas, including manufacturing and e-commerce to market local and traditional products. "A host of 'localisation' technologies can help different regions to communicate; so language is not a barrier. Relevant information and updates can be provided in local languages and scripts," the Oracle executive added. According to K.S. Viswanathan, vice president (industrial initiative) at apex IT body Nasscom (National Association of Software and Services Companies), as IoT emerges as the next big thing to become a $300 billion global industry by 2020, India is all set to capture at least 20 percent market share in the next five years. "The IoT is dramatically alerting manufacturing, energy, transportation, medical and other industrial sectors worldwide," said Viswanathan while launching the "Nasscom IoT Centre of Excellence" in Coimbatore last week. Andhra Pradesh has taken a lead when it comes to leveraging the IoT potential in the country. The state government has approved the first-of-its-kind IoT policy with an aim to turn the state into an IoT hub by 2020 and tap 10 percent market share in the country. "We will develop state-of-the-art IoT infrastructure that matches global standards to grab an Indian market share of $1.5 billion by 2020," said state IT minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy as the Centre is currently drafting an ambitious policy to create an Indian IoT industry worth $15 billion by 2020. On the global consumer front, Gartner has forecast that 6.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2016 - up 30 percent from 2015 - and will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. As you traverse through these mind-boggling IoT numbers, where does India stand? "We see that India will have a significant growth in IoT connections in the next four-five years," said Mats Lundquist, chief executive officer at Telenor Connexion, Sweden-based leading enabler of connected business solutions. Industry numbers indicate that manufacturing will be one of the main IoT drivers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) market and will be the biggest sector in IoT spending. According to a report from global market research firm Frost & Sullivan, manufacturing contributed 30 percent of the IoT spending in 2014 and it is expected to rise up to 32 percent of total spending in the APAC region by 2020 which equates nearly $79 billion. "Being an emerging market, India has a big potential owing to several initiatives like "Digital India" and "Smart Cities". The next big market (for connected devices) in the world is south Asia and India holds a good position," Apalak Ghosh, principal consultant at market research and consulting firm CyberMedia Research (CMR), told IANS. "Eventually, south Asia will contribute to about 30-40 percent of the total connected things," Ghosh added. So where will the real revenue come from - the consumer or the enterprise sector? "The Digital India initiative has created a strategic roadmap to build and strengthen domain competency and place India on the global IoT map. We believe that the enterprise sector will bolster IoT revenues," elaborated Deep Agarwal, regional sales director (India) of US-based Zebra Technologies that builds tracking technology and solutions. "To begin with, the revenue will first come from the enterprise sector. As the technology booms, the revenue will start coming from the consumer sector," Ghosh added. Since IoT is a concept of devices talking to one another, there is a lot of data transfer happening which is vulnerable to cyber threats as well. "The cloud can work as a catalyst to make IoT work and for that, there has to be a right kind of framework that can assist it. The GRC (governance, risk management and compliance) guidelines can play an important part to make IoT work in a proper manner," Ghosh said. India is currently a small IoT market but with great potential. "We will definitely see a great development in the country on the IoT front in the coming years," Lundquist pointed out. For Oracle's Shailendra Kumar, rural India is set to transform itself by taking the technology leap and adopting real-life solutions like IoT. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) Beijing, March 24 : Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next week, a senior official said on Thursday. "It will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. It will be of great significance in advancing the bilateral relationship in a sustained and stable way," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said at a briefing on Xi's upcoming overseas trip, Xinhua news agency reported. Li said Xi will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Invited by Obama, Xi will attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington from March 31 to April 1. Prior to that, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28-30 at the invitation of President Milos Zeman. Jammu, March 24 : Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav, who is also its Jammu and Kashmir affairs in charge, will hold talks with party legislators here on Friday over possible government formation with the PDP in the state. BJP sources said that union Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh will also attend the meeting that will come a day after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti's similar talks with her party legislators. The sources said that Jitendra Singh and Madhav, BJP's national general secretary, will arrive here on Friday. After the talks with lawmakers, state BJP president Sat Pal Sharma is scheduled to meet Governor N.N. Vohra. "The BJP high command has deputed Jitendra Singh and Ram Madhav to meet the BJP legislators and senior leaders to discuss government formation in the state after Mehbooba expressed satisfaction on her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a senior BJP leader said. "The political situation in the state would be discussed at the meeting," the leader said. Governor Vohra has called the PDP president and the BJP president for separate meetings with him here on Friday to discuss government formation in the state, Raj Bhawan sources said. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since January 8, a day after Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away in a Delhi hospital. Vohra has been running the state administration with the help of advisors for the last over two months. Bengaluru, March 24 : Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza thinks it will be difficult for them to retain confidence in their next match after the heart-stopping last-ball defeat against India in the World Twenty20 here. Mortaza and his men restricted India to a 146/7 before Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim brought the equation down to 2 off 3 balls in final over at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday night. Mushfiqur hit back-to-back boundaries in Hardik Pandya's final over and the duo looked set to seal a famous victory but threw their wickets away. "It is very difficult losing a match like this and to take something back from here to another match. But being a professional player, you have to take it," Mortaza was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com. The captain, however, believes the match could have gone either way. "I don't know how to describe it... if it is luck or what. Easily the match could have gone our way... I think, there is also some element of luck." After Mushfiqur walked back playing a rash shot, Mahmudullah blew it by holing out in the deep off a Pandya full toss as Bangladesh lost three wickets in the last three balls and crashed out of the tournament. "A full toss could have been sent out of the park. But we couldn't do it. It could also be looked at the other way. The players could have taken the single and reduced it to 'two balls, one run'. That would have been much easier." Bangladesh will take on table toppers New Zealand in their last Group 2 match on Saturday at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. Kathmandu, March 24 : A decade after the end of civil war in Nepal in which about 13,000 people were killed, Nepal's transitional justice bodies are all set to register complaints of the war-crime victims from April 17. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) will spend two and three months, respectively, starting from April 17, in registering the complaints. The victims or their families would be able to file their complaints at the Local Peace Committees (LPC). After helping to bring the decade long conflict to an end, Nepal Maoists laid down their arms in 2006 while agreeing on join the peace process. About 14 months ago, the Nepal government had formed two transitional justice bodies that were to inquire into the war-era crimes and human rights violations and to ascertain the status of disappeared people. The bodies were also to recommend legal action against those accused of committing the atrocities. It took over a year for the government to endorse the process of seeking complaints from the victims and probing them. Over 9,000 cases of human rights abuses have been documented by UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. TRC Chairman Surya Kiran Gurung told reporters that there will be an oversight mechanism for monitoring the process of lodging of complaints throughout the country to ensure that every family of victims could file their complaints. The oversight body will have those representing the voice of the victims and the human rights activists. After completing the process of collecting complaints, both bodies will prepare a list and probe into them gradually. The TRC will seek to find the truth of various cases of human rights abuses, try to bring about reconciliation among the families of victims and tortures during the war era, and recommend amnesty. There is no official data of the number of people killed or missing furing the civil war. Data compiled by various human rights organisations said that an estimated 16,000 deaths, 1,400 disappearances, 20,000 cases of torture and an unknown number of rapes took place during the Maoist insurgency between 1996 and 2006. Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had started the armed rebellion against the State in 1996 to end the feudal system in the country and to install a communist regime. New Delhi, March 24 : Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha, who sparked rumours that she may be in talks for a project with Dharma Productions when she was photographed outside the banner's office, has quipped that she was there only for a "coffee with Karan". Asked about her visit to the filmmaker and "Koffee With Karan" host's office, Sonakshi quipped: "That means I went for 'Koffee with Karan'." On the work front, Sonakshi is currently prepping up for her two actioners - "Akira" and "Force 2". "Akira" will be the "Dabangg" star's second film with A.R. Murugadoss after "Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty". She will be seen performing martial arts in the film, which also features her father and actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha. "Force 2", on the other hand, stars actors John Abraham and Tahir Raj Bhasin, and is directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Sydney, March 24 : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would be speaking on 'Reimaging the Indian Economy' at the Sydney campus of the internationally-ranked S P Jain School of Global Management during his official visit to Australia starting March 29. John Lodewijks, economics professor at the School, said that India was the "bright economic star" in an otherwise gloomy global economic environment and that the series of initiatives and programmes announced by the Indian government, ranging from Make in India to Digital India to Smart Cities and Skilling India, had the potential of positively impacting the developmental challenges India faces and in opening up opportunities for foreign investment. School president Nitish Jain said that the minister's visit would enable him to see the world-class facilities of the School and its unique pedagogy, which lie at the heart of its USP. "For a school that started in 2004 with a campus in Dubai and now present in Singapore, Sydney and Mumbai, it is an achievement to be ranked alongside the best in the world," he said. "Minister Jaitley's visit to Australia would be a significant milestone in bilateral relations and it was an honour for the Sydney campus to be the venue for the first speaking engagement of the minister during his forthcoming visit,' he added. Welcoming the opportunity to host the Indian minister, Dr Susan Loomes, head of the Sydney campus, said the students and faculty were hugely excited to welcome him. Lucknow, March 24 : Nine persons were killed on Thursday in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh when their vehicle collided head-on with a truck, police said. The vehicle was packed with as many as 22 people, who were heading home after playing Holi, when it collided with the truck, a police officer said. A dozen people were injured in the accident and admitted to a nearby hospital, he said. The condition of four of the injured is said to be critical. The accident took place near Peer Bibyaani in Sikandarabad area. The deceased have been identified as Vipin, Naresh, Manju, Yogendra, Babloo, Mangeram, Sunny, Kashish and Meenu. Distict officials said adequate compensation, as per rules, will be given to the families of those killed in the accident. Kolkata, March 24 : Upping the ante against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Narada News sting operation, the CPI-M on Thursday alleged an understanding between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress to hush up the matter. Addressing media persons here, Communist Party of India-Marxist Lok Sabha member Mohammad Salim asked why wasn't the Narendra Modi government at the Centre or the Mamata Banerjee government in the state probing the matter when a host of parliamentarians, state ministers and leaders have been caught on tape accepting bribe. "The chief minister claims the videos to be fake, but nothing has been done to check if they really are fake. It's the responsibility of both the central and the state government to send the tapes for forensic tests. "Why isn't the BJP acting in this matter? They are indulging in theatrics but doing nothing. In parliament, we all saw how (finance minister) Arun Jaitley kept mum when the matter was raised. During campaigning, they (BJP) will clamour a lot but when it comes to acting, they do nothing," said Salim. Referring to the multi-crore-rupee Saradha scam, in which several Trinamool leaders were arrested and interrogated, Salim said: "The CBI's progress in the scam has been thwarted in pursuance of the Modi government's bid to get the Trinamool by its side and the Trinamool's bid to save its skin and not repay the money looted in the scam. "The same thing is being enacted now," he said. While both Banerjee and the Trinamool have been claiming the tapes to be "fake" and "doctored", Salim wondered if the Trinamool was opposing the probe to save its skin. "The chief minister has expressed her anguish over the tapes, and not those who have been caught taking money. This shows that for the CM, stealing, robbing, extortion is pardonable so long as her men don't get caught. "Instead of ascertaining the authenticity of the tapes, she is accusing the man behind the sting. She and her party are opposing any kind of probe. It is evident she wants to cover it up and would persecute whoever wants to bring out the truth," he added. Narada News, a portal, on March 14 published a video in which several Trinamool leaders were purportedly shown accepting bundles of cash in return for favours to a fictitious company and one of them asking for the cash to be deposited in his office. It subsequently uploaded two more videos in which two prominent party leaders were caught on tape -- one of them accepting money, the other seeking a "benami" stake in a project. Brussels, March 24 : Salah Abdeslam, the surviving suspect of the Paris terror attacks, has asked "to be transferred to France quickly", his lawyer said on Thursday. Initially opposing to be sent home, Abdeslam wanted to return to France "to explain himself", news channel BFMTV quoted his lawyer Sven Mary as saying. "Salah Abdeslam has asked me to inform you that he wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible. He wants to explain himself and this is a good thing," the lawyer said, according to Xinhua. Belgian public broadcaster RTBF reported that a Brussels court must decide on Thursday whether to extend the detention period for Abdeslam and several other suspects arrested in connection with the Paris attacks. Abdeslam, who was arrested in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, will not appear at the court hearing, RTBF added. The 26-year-old Frenchman, raised in Belgium, was accused of "participation in terrorist murder" that left 130 victims dead in the French capital on November 13 last year. According to a Paris prosecutor, he had planned to blow himself up in Paris, but changed his mind. Chennai, March 24 : Expressing concern over the functioning of public sector banks and appointments to top posts in such banks, union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the government was making efforts to streamline the system. In a statement issued here on Thursday, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) general secretary C.H. Venkatachalam said Jaitley expressed his concerns when a union delegation met him in New Delhi on Wednesday. Jaitley also spoke about the need to consolidate banks to protect the weak government banks, said Venkatachalam. According to an AIBEA statement, the union members drew Jaitley's attention to the problems faced by the employees in associate banks of State Bank of India (SBI). "We also conveyed our views about the need to delink associate banks from the SBI," the AIBEA leader said. The five associate banks are State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Travancore and State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur. The AIBEA submitted a memorandum to Jaitley on the issue. On the issue of privatisation of IDBI Bank, the delegation told Jaitley that the main reason for the bank's problems was its huge bad loans. The union urged Jaitley for a thorough probe in the matter and fixing of accountability. Thiruvananthapuram, March 24 : In a departure from an age-old custom and putting into practice a papal decree, bishops at the Holy Thursday service in two Latin diocese churches in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, for the first time washed the feet of women as part of a ritual earlier performed only on males. Christians on Thursday commemorated Holy Thursday -- that recalls Jesus washing the feet of his 12 apostles before having the Last Supper. The change in the 'feet washing' ritual on 'Maundy Thursday' is in line with a decree issued in January by Pope Francis, saying the rite should no longer be limited to men and boys, but also include women and young girls. "The decision to extend the ritual to women and girls was taken after the church discussed it at various levels," a spokesperson of Latin Church's diocese told IANS. Archbishop M. Soosaipakiam washed the feet of six women, including two physically challenged women, and six men on Thursday evening at the St. Joseph's cathedral in the state capital, the spokesperson said. The Latin Church is in communion with the Roman Catholic Church headed by the Bishop of Rome, more popularly known as Pope. Along with the Syro Malabar Church and the Syro Malankara Catholic Church, it accounts for Kerala's Catholics who make up about half of the 61.41 lakh Christians in the state. Washing of the feet is the most important ritual on Maundy Thursday. The change, Pope Francis had said, was "an attempt to improve the method of implementation, to express the full meaning of the gesture performed by Jesus at the Last Supper". While the Latin Church diocese here decided to make the change, other dioceses have decided to take it up next year. The Syro Malabar Church also decided to look into the matter next year. Leading the service in Kochi, Mar George Cardinal Alencherry, the head of the Syro Malabar Church, however, washed the feet of 12 men only. "Today (Thursday) this did not happen in our churches," Paul Thelekkat, a senior priest of the Syro Malabar Church, told IANS. The Syro Malankara Catholic Church also decided to keep the change in ritual in abeyance, pending discussions at all levels. Before becoming Pope, Francis, as a bishop, used to wash the feet of not only women but also non-Christians in the rituals in his home country Argentina, Thelekkat said. "Now the Pope has made a change in the ritual. But as far as oriental Catholics (Syro Malabar Church and the Syro Malankara Catholic Church) are concerned, ritual changes are made not by the Pope, but by the synod of bishops of the particular church. I hope these two churches will look into it," said Thelekkat. 'Synod' refers to the governing body of a particular church. Non-Catholic churches in Kerala continue to hold the ritual, limited to only men and boys. Brussels, March 24 : The mayor of one of 19 municipalities that make up Brussels has said that to enhance security, people need more resources and it was indispensable to have a better cooperation at the EU level with a true and effective database to exchange information. "Even if Belgium and in particular Brussels at this moment are more under the general attention because of terrorism, I think that unfortunately we are with different degrees all in the same situation," Marc-Jean Ghyssels, mayor of Forest municipality, told Xinhua. In Forest, fingerprints belonging to the November 2015 Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam were found earlier in March in a police raid. "We need to work together and not in a divided way," said Ghyssels. Ghyssels said the police district agent plays an important role because they know the field, they are in contact with the population and they know some secrets or can discover something unusual about a potential danger and communicate it to the judiciary police or the intelligence services. "The problem is that sometimes because of issues of human relations or career, the different services are maybe in competition, this can provoke a drift in the investigation and we should avoid that," he said. Ghyssels noted that people have to face problems on the basis of prevention projects with actions on the social, employment and housing aspects. There are young people not particularly disadvantaged who are bored with life and are searching for an adrenaline fix, he said. "About the future... my feeling is shared by a lot of experts on terrorism at a federal level and among the other mayors, that we are always under threat, there are what we could call 'sleeping' terrorists cells that could always rapidly act," he said. "We solved a little part of the problem and unfortunately other countries like France, Spain or Italy are not completely protected," the official added. Explosions at Brussels' Zaventem airport and at the Maelbeek metro station on Tuesday killed at least 31 people and injured about 300 others. New Delhi, March 24 : Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday celebrated Holi with party leaders and workers at the party headquarters here. "The Holi celebrations were on since Wednesday afternoon at the party office. Soniaji meets party leaders and workers on every Holi at her residence and celebrates the festival with them. But this time, she along with Rahulji visited the party headquarters," Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told IANS. He, however, said he and other Congress leaders who look after party affairs in Haryana did not observe Holi as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives during the recent Jat reservation stir. Former Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, party spokespersons Randeep Surjewala, Sandeep Dikshit and Meem Afzal were among those present at Holi celebrations at party headquarters. Bhopal, March 24 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Anthony J.C. De Sa on Thursday presided over a meeting to review the arrangements for President Pranab Mukherjee's two-day visit here in April. The president is slated to inaugurate the 'Retreat of the Supreme Court Judges' function at the National Judicial Academy here on April 16, official sources said. The president will arrive in Bhopal on April 15 evening and is scheduled to return to Delhi on April 16 afternoon. Senior civil, police and defence officers as well as representatives of the academy were present at the meeting. Brussels, March 24 : Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens presented their resignations, but their offers were declined by Prime Minister Charles Michel, media reports said on Thursday. Jambon and Geens reportedly offered to resign amid mounting concern that Belgium failed to act on warnings about Ibrahim el-Bakraoui before he blew himself up at the Brussels airport, according to The Guardian. Their offers were declined by Michel, Jan Jambon told Le Soir. Xinhua said the decision of the ministers followed the revelation of a file about Brussels airport bomber el-Bakraoui. He was convicted in Belgium and released on parole that he did not respect. El-Bakraoui was then arrested in Turkey on the Syrian border in 2015. With his extradition having not been sought by Belgium, El Bakraoui was deported to the Netherlands in the summer of 2015. Two suspects of the attacks remain at large and the country remains on alert. The Hague, March 24 : Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was on Thursday convicted and sentenced to 40 years imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. According to Xinhua, the former president of the Republika Srpska was acquitted of the first count of genocide in several Bosnian municipalities, which was not a surprise, because in the ICTY no suspect has been convicted for this charge. "There was not sufficient evidence for genocide without reasonable doubt in the municipalities," the judge said. Karadzic was found guilty for the genocide in Srebrenica. "He was receiving information through various channels and was the sole person who could have prevented the Bosnian men from being killed," the judge said. Karadzic was found guilty of five counts of crimes against humanity (persecutions, extermination, murder, deportation, inhumane acts) and four counts of violations of the laws or customs of war (murder, terror, unlawful attacks on civilians, taking of hostages). "Good afternoon," the 70-year-old Karadzic, dressed in a dark blue suit with a light blue striped tie, said after entering the courtroom in The Hague. Listening to the words of presiding judge O-Gon Kwon, who took almost two hours to read out his judgment, Karadzic sometimes raised his eyebrows, gave a look of disbelief or shook his head. The former supreme commander of the Bosnian Serb armed forces and president of the Republika Srpska was held responsible for the deaths of thousands, including the lost lives during the Siege of Sarajevo between April 1992 and November 1995 and the massacre in Srebrenica in July 1995, in which over 7,000 Muslim men were reportedly killed by Bosnian Serb forces. Brussels, March 24 : Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens on Thursday presented their resignations, but their offers were declined by Prime Minister Charles Michel. Jambon and Geens reportedly offered to resign amid mounting concern that Belgium failed to act on warnings about Ibrahim El Bakraoui before he blew himself up at the Brussels airport, according to The Guardian. Xinhua said the decision of the ministers followed the revelation of a file about Brussels airport bomber El Bakraoui. He was convicted in Belgium and released on parole that he did not respect. El Bakraoui was then arrested in Turkey on the Syrian border in 2015. With his extradition having not been sought by Belgium, El Bakraoui was deported to the Netherlands in the summer of 2015. Jambon explained his decision on Thursday to Belgian newspaper Le Soir. "I have submitted my resignation. Mr. Geens has done the same. They were rejected. We continue. There were two kinds of error. At the justice ministry and at the Turkish liaison office, which involves the interior and justice ministries. But for now, we continue our work," Jambon was quoted as saying. A ministerial committee met on Thursday afternoon to look at the case of El Bakraoui, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey had warned Belgium about El Bakraoui's dangerous nature and suspected jihadist tendencies when he was expelled from Turkey in 2015, bound for the Netherlands. According to reports, Erdogan has said that Belgium and the Netherlands did not take the threat seriously. The La Libre Belgique newspaper said El Bakraoui was known to Belgian judicial authorities and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2010 on charges of robbery and firing at police. He was later released on bail against the advice of the prison service. Michel said on Thursday: "The government will work with the parliament to ensure total transparency." The Belgian Terrorism Committee will meet on Friday, followed by a joint committee with the internal affairs, justice and interior ministers to discuss the case. An investigatory committee is scheduled to be set up following that meeting. Brussels, March 24 : Justice and security ministers of the European Union (EU) held an extraordinary meeting here on Thursday in the wake of Tuesday's deadly attacks, seeking to enhance anti-terrorism cooperation. "The meeting is intended to show solidarity with Belgium, discuss the actual state of play in the fight against terrorism and pursue swift completion and implementation of legislation," Xinhua quoted the Council of the EU as saying in a statement. The ministers will not take new decisions but will publish a declaration, including calls for quick activation of the air passenger name record, a measure which would require more systematic collection, use and retention of data on international airline passengers, according to the Brussels-based media EUobserver. They will also renew calls for more intelligence sharing and use of EU databases like the Schengen information system or Europol's database. The special meeting came two days after a series of explosions at the airport and a metro station in Brussels killed at least 31 people. Bengaluru, March 24 : The Karnataka High Court on Thursday adjourned the final hearing to April 11 on winding up petitions against United Breweries Holdings Ltd. (UBHL) of liquor baron Vijya Mallya for defaulting on loans to its defunct Kingfisher Airlines. "Justice Arvind Kumar adjourned the case to April 11, as arguments on both sides could not be completed for want of time," a counsel, who appeared for the creditors, told reporters. Creditors like French bank BNP Paribas and State Bank of India, lessors such as Rolls Royce and International Aero Engines and state-run oil marketing firm HPCL had jointly filed petitions in the high court in November 2013 after the cash-strapped airline and its holding firm UBHL failed to repay dues worth Rs.600 crore. When the Paribas counsel appealed to the judge for giving priority to its petition as it was the first aggrieved party to approach the court in November 2012 for relief, Justice Arvind Kumar said justice would be done to all the petitioners as they were same in the eyes of law. As the group's flagship company, the Mallya-controlled UBHL has equity stakes in United Breweries Ltd (UBL), the country's largest beer producer, and United Spirits Ltd., the country's largest liquor maker, now controlled by the British Diageo plc. Though Mallya lost control over United Spirits Ltd., he still has controlling state (52.34 percent) in the holding firm, which was funding the grounded airline. According to the Paribas counsel, the holding company borrowed $26.63 million from the French bank to purchase three aircraft for its airline but failed to repay the principal amount as well as interest on it. "We have petitioned the court to order winding up the holding company as it failed to honour corporate guarantees it gave on behalf of the airline," the bank counsel said. UBHL's employees, however, opposed winding it up as it would render them jobless and affect the group's other companies, including the profit-making UB Ltd. A consortium of 17 state-run and private banks, led by the SBI, on March 8 moved the Supreme Court after it failed to get relief from the Karnataka High Court and the debt recovery tribunal against defaulter Mallya and his airline, which owns a whopping Rs.9,000-crore debt, including compound interest. The apex court on March 9 served notice to Mallya and posted the case for hearing to March 30, although he left the country on March 2 and is learnt to be staying in London. Ramallah, March 25 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated on Thursday the Palestinian approval to Jordan's arrangements to install cameras at al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Following a meeting with President Abbas, Jordanian Foreign Minister Naser Judeh stressed Jordan's commitment to the protection of the holy Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem and Amman's steady position to preserve the historic status-quo, under which Jordan is responsible for Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem since 1967. He said the installation of the cameras is a Jordanian initiative aimed at "exposing all trespasses or assaults to the holy sites." The cameras will be installed on walls around the vicinity and not inside buildings, he added. Jordan said two days ago that 55 security cameras will be installed at al-Aqsa mosque compound in coming days. Judeh said his country believes that the two-state solution is the only solution to guarantee an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, being the core issue to the region. The spark of the ongoing wave of violence that broke out between Palestinians and Israel was ignited after intense clashes at al-Aqsa mosque compound between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces. The Jordanian initiative to install security cameras at the holy Islamic site was endorsed by the US Secretary of State John Kerry on October 24, 2015. Kerry announced reaching an understanding with Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians to keep the status quo of al-Aqsa mosque compound, under which Jordan will install cameras and Jews will refrain from praying at the compound. Israel said it agreed. Since last October, clashes between Palestinians and Israelis have killed 204 Palestinians and at least 34 Israelis, according the Palestinian health ministry and Israeli sources. Moscow, March 25 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed hope that the visit of US State Secretary John Kerry will help narrow gaps in Moscow and Washington's positions on Syria and Ukraine crises. The cessation of hostilities and other positive outcomes on Syria issue became possible largely owing to the position of US leadership, in particular that of US President Barack Obama, Putin noted in his opening remarks at the meeting with Kerry. "...We have managed to find some common ground and, leaning on this, move forward to address both bilateral and international issues," Putin stressed, Xinhua reported. Kerry expressed the hope that the talks could allow the two countries to find a way to "rebuild and strengthen the relationship between the US and Russia by proving that we can solve serious problems together." Kerry hailed the current truce between Syrian government and the opposition forces, which became reality thanks to US-Russia cooperation in both military and political ways. He also said Russia's withdrawing of the main part of its military forces deployed in Syria, which started on March 15, was "a very critical decision". "We obviously also have some ideas about how we can together, most effectively, make progress even deeper and then begin the very serious work regarding political transition process of Syria, " Kerry said. The top US diplomat added that issues on Ukraine crisis would also be discussed to push forward the peaceful settlement process. The meeting between Putin and Kerry, with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, is still ongoing. A press conference given by Lavrov and Kerry is expected late Thursday night after the discussions with Putin. Kerry's visit to Moscow is the first time this year and the third in 12 months, while his talks with Lavrov on Thursday morning lasted nearly four hours and mainly focused on issues related to Syrian and Ukrainian crises. Geneva, March 25 : The latest round of Syrian peace talks here wrapped up on Thursday with a paper of 12 points of commonalities being delivered to both sides for further consideration by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. "During the course of talks, the special envoy noted that certain commonalities existed between the two sides in relation to their respective visions of what a future of Syrian state might look like. He instructed his staff to try to capture points of convergence in order to help him structure the next round of talks which shall also focus on political transition," the Syrian opposition delegation said in a statement, Xinhua reported. According to the paper of commonalities, named "Essential Principles of Political Solution in Syria," both participants in the talks told the special envoy that the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, the ISSG statements and the Geneva Communique in its entirety are the basis for a political transition process and beyond that will end the crisis in Syria. Both sides also reiterated that a political settlement is the only way to peace, and the above mentioned 12 "essential principles" are the foundation for a future Syrian state that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people. Residential property in Miami, one of the most popular locations with overseas buyers in the United States is seeing prices continue to rise, the latest index figures show. The median sales price for single family existing homes rose 10.3% year on year in February to $270,221 while that for condominiums increased 9.5% to $206,950, according to the data from the Miami Association of Realtors. However, median prices are still significantly below their peak in 2007 and currently remain around 2004 levels despite some sectors seeing strong growth. For example the condo market has recorded prices rises in 56 of the last 57 months. Miami real estate remains a bargain especially compared to other world class cities, and domestic and international consumers proved that in February as total dollar sales volume in single family homes increased 7% compared to the previous year, said Mark Sadek, chairman of the associations board. Sales, which posted a record year in 2013 and near record years in 2014 and 2015, fell by 5.8% year on year but total sales for February remain in line with Miami historical averages. A breakdown of the figures shows that single family home sales fell by just 0.3% in February while condo sales fell by 10.4%. The index report suggests that this is due to a strong new home construction market. Single family home sales spiked 18.5% year on year in February in the $200,000 to $600,000 sector which represented about 59.6% of all total single family home sales in February 2016. Existing condos priced at $150,000 to $300,000 range experienced an 8.6% jump in February sales, representing about 38% of all total condo home sales in February 2016. The median number of days between the listing and contract dates for Miami single family home sales decreased 6% year on year to 63 days. The median number of days between the listing date and closing date for single-family properties decreased 0.8% to 120 days. For condos, the median time to contract decreased 12% year on year to 72 days. The median number of days between the listing date and closing date decreased 2.4% to 122 days. Miami real estate is selling close to listing price. The median percent of original list price received for single family homes was 95.2% in February 2016, an increase of 0.4%. The median of original list price received for existing condominiums was 93.8%, a 0.2% increase. Only 23.4% of all closed residential sales in Miami were distressed last month, including REO (bank-owned properties) and short sales, compared to 35% in February 2015. Short sales and REOs accounted for 5.7% and 17.8% respectively, of total Miami sales in February. Short sale transactions dropped 25.6% year on year while REOs fell 39.9%. Cash sales in Miami are still twice the national average and due to the high number of overseas buyers. Cash transactions comprised 52.4% of February total sales compared to 58.7% last year. Inventory of single family homes increased 4.7% in February while condominium inventory increased 16.3% and the data also shows that there is a 5.7 month supply of Miami single family homes, an increase of 3.6% from February 2015 and continues to be a sellers market. There is a 10.6 month supply of condominium inventory, a year on year increase of 20.5% and continues to be a buyers market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers offers between six and nine months supply of inventory. New listings of Miami single family homes increased 24.7% from 1,635 in February of last year to 2,039 last month. New listings of condominiums increased 13.4% to 2,826 last month, compared to 2,491 during the same time period in 2015. Sharon Curley, Director, Reconciliation and & Return Authorization It allows us to provide a greater level of transparency and clarity with regard to the credit recovery and reconciliation process Past News Releases RSS Pharmaceutical Returns Provider,... Pharmaceutical Returns Service... Pharmaceutical Returns Provider,... Guaranteed Returns, Founder of the Pharmaceutical Reverse Distribution Industry, is proud to announce the availability of a new, comprehensive Credit Status Report. This report provides a clear and easy to understand view of credit recovery data and gives the customer all the information necessary to easily reconcile their return credits. This report demonstrates Guaranteed Returns' commitment to a transparent partnership with its pharmacy customers; the company wants to be the most transparent reverse distributor in the industry. One quick glance at the Credit Status Report immediately provides the customer: Total Estimated Value of Returnable Products Actual Credits Issued by Manufacturers All Service Fees and adjustments All Net Payments This new Credit Status Report has been developed specifically to improve the customer experience by providing their most wanted information in a convenient and user friendly single report. It allows us to provide a greater level of transparency and clarity with regard to the credit recovery and reconciliation process that has been missing from the reverse distribution industry, says Sharon Curley, director of credit reconciliation and return authorization for Guaranteed Returns. Access your personalized Credit Status Report on the GR-XtraNet Customer Portal. If you need access to the Customer Portal, please click on the Customer Login button on the Home Page of the GRx website and click on the blue button that says "Sign-Up Here to access the Customer Portal". About Guaranteed Returns Guaranteed Returns provides pharmaceutical return services to independent retail, chain store, hospital, government, LTC, Mail-Order and clinic pharmacies. Mail-in and On-site service options are available. GRx local on-site service representatives are highly valued for their professionalism, trustworthiness and for going above and beyond. Please feel free to contact the GRx Customer Service department with any questions you may have. They can be reached at 1.800.473.2138 or at custmrsvc(at)guaranteedreturns.com. Port of Kalama enhances marina trails and landscape Kalama project will enhance pathways, landscaping and beautify the Ports riverfront marina parkway. The Port of Kalama board of commissioners has awarded the Marine Drive Trail Improvement Project to P. R. Worth, Inc., a Kelso-based civil site work development contractor serving the Pacific Northwest with excavation, site work, underground utilities and development expertise. The $1,062,815.91 contract will enhance pathways, landscaping and beautify the Ports riverfront marina parkway. The project is expected to run from the week of March 14 through mid-summer. P. R. Worth utilizes best practices and equipment to ensure their projects are environmentally sound. We are very conscientious that this project is adjacent to the Columbia River and Port marina area so as a proactive measure we are using 100% water soluble biodegradable hydraulic fluid in our equipment completely carbon and oil free to fully protect the environment and waterways, says Preston Worth, president, P. R. Worth, Inc. Worth adds that in an effort to reduce any carbon footprint associated with the project he commits to buying all products within 100 miles of the Port of Kalama. All subcontractors on the project have been hired locally as well. The marina boardwalk and the pathways to the south of the Port administration building into the park will be open to visitors during construction. Some pathways will be obstructed at the north end of Marine Drive while landscaping and improvements take place though detours will be well-marked. Visitors will still have access to Marine and Rasmussen parks and parking facilities. During construction, drivers will be advised of temporary routes and parking via signage on the premises. The contract also has provisions that allow construction to be suspended during the peak spring fishing season when the boat launch and parking are heavily used. Cowlitz County awarded the Port of Kalama a $30,000 grant for the Port of Kalama Trail Improvement Project. The grant enables the Port to improve pedestrian and vehicle separation along West Marine Drive. The improvements are part of the Ports mission to enhance recreational opportunities and are expected to be completed by mid-summer. The pathways have become a very popular recreational destination for pedestrians and bicyclists, while the marina is a busy hub for boating and fishing. These improvements will further enhance the safety for all who use the Ports recreation facilities, says Mark Wilson, executive director, Port of Kalama. We thank Cowlitz County for their contribution to the project. About Port of Kalama Where rail and water meet The Port of Kalama is located in Southwest Washington on the Columbia River and immediately off of Interstate Highway 5. The port exists to induce capital investment in an environmentally responsible manner to create jobs and to enhance public recreational opportunities. Port of Kalama's industrial area includes five miles of riverfront property adjacent to the 43' federally-maintained deep draft navigation channel of the Columbia River. The Port is served by the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads. There are over 30 businesses located at the Port of Kalama, employing over 850 people. Port of Kalama offers all the superior facilities businesses need to thrive, and an unsurpassed quality of life. The port offers shovel ready sites, a new Industrial Park, state of the art Marine Terminals and transportation accessibility to rail and highway all just a 30 minute drive to the Portland International Airport. Port of Kalama also offers high-bandwidth communications, with dual access fiber-optic service to Seattle and Portland. Properties currently available at the port for businesses wishing to expand and thrive: Visit http://portofkalama.com/available-properties/. Contact: Liz Newman, marketing manager, Port of Kalama, 360-673-2379 or Claudia Johnson, public relations, 503-799-2220. Tecplot, Inc. today announced that it will co-host with Pointwise, Inc. and Stanford University a webinar entitled, The Stanford Solar Car Project's Race for Aerodynamic Efficiency, on April 5 at 10:00am CDT. Pre-registration is required to attend this free-of-charge webinar. Those wishing to attend can register at http://www.pointwise.com/webinar. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge Chasing the sun 3000km across the Australian Outback is a challenge. And doing it in a solar powered vehicle is an even bigger challenge. But every two years teams from around the world converge on Darwin, Australia, to make the journey to Adelaide in the solar powered cars they have engineered specifically for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. The Stanford Solar Car Project, a student-run organization, has been designing and building solar cars since 1989 and arrives in Darwin every two years with a stunning new vehicle. The latest vehicle in their lineup, Arctan, took sixth place out of 29 teams in the 2015 competition, covering the 3000km in just over 41 hours. With the aerodynamics of the vehicle playing a critical role in its performance, the Stanford Solar Car Project team developed a repeatable simulation driven design framework consisting of Pointwise for rapid hybrid grid generation, Stanfords open-source CFD code (SU2) to run the CFD simulations, and Tecplot 360 EX to post-process and interpret the results. Attendees of this webinar will learn about the framework that enabled the Stanford team to analyze over 40 design iterations in detail and make informed engineering decisions, which improved the aerodynamic efficiency of the final design, ultimately culminating in Arctan. Specific topics covered in the webinar include: Stanford Solar Car Project history and the engineering challenges faced when designing Arctan. Generation of repeatable, high quality, hybrid viscous meshes using T-Rex with Pointwise. The setup of SU2 for solving the incompressible RANS equations and computing surface sensitivities for design. How to extract solution information from SU2 output using Tecplot 360 EX. About Pointwise, Inc. Pointwise is solving the top problem facing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) today - reliably generating high-fidelity meshes. The company's Pointwise software generates structured, unstructured and hybrid meshes; interfaces with CFD solvers, such as ANSYS FLUENT, STAR-CCM+, ANSYS CFX, OpenFOAM, and SU2 as well as many neutral formats, such as CGNS; runs on Windows (Intel and AMD), Linux (Intel and AMD), and Mac, and has a scripting language, Glyph, that can automate CFD meshing. Large manufacturing firms and research organizations worldwide rely on Pointwise as their complete CFD preprocessing solution. For more information, visit http://www.pointwise.com. About Tecplot, Inc. Founded in 1981 by former Boeing engineers Don Roberts and Mike Peery, who today serve as CEO and chairman of the board, respectively, Tecplot is the leading developer of CFD visualization and analysis software for engineers and scientists. Tecplots products allow customers using desktop computers and laptops to quickly analyze and understand information hidden in complex data, and communicate their results to others via brilliant images and compelling animations. The privately held companys products are used by more than 47,000 technical professionals around the world. Tecplot has been awarded numerous Small Business Innovation Research contracts from DOD, NASA, DARPA, and the National Science Foundation. In 2012, the company was named a Red Herring Top 100 Americas Award winner. Since its founding more than 30 years ago, Tecplot has consistently delivered category-leading innovation to the engineering and scientific communities. Examples of this never-ending innovation include Tecplot 360 EX for lightning-fast analysis of massive CFD simulation data, Tecplot RS for oil & gas reservoir simulation, Tecplot Chorus for analyzing multiple simulations of design-space exploration data, and Tecplot Focus for automating routine data analysis and plotting tasks. For more information, visit http://www.tecplot.com. I am, of course, grateful for the tremendous financial success of our campaign. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the campaign also become a source of greater unity for our presbyterate and our diocese. The Diocese of Madison recently completed its first capital campaign in 50 years, raising over $43 million on a $30 million goal and receiving the Total Diocesan Campaign Effort Award at the International Catholic Stewardship Council Annual Conference in November 2015. CCS is proud to have served as fundraising counsel for this historic effort, Priests for Our Future: The Church is Alive, an unprecedented campaign for both the Diocese and the Catholic Church. The efforts single case to finance seminarian education received the full support of priests and families throughout the Diocese, with 100% of each parish share up to goal going toward the fund. Parishes that collected funds over goal received a generous rebate to address their own local needs. I am, of course, grateful for the tremendous financial success of our campaign, said Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Diocese of Madison. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the campaign also become a source of greater unity for our presbyterate and our diocese. That was an unexpected and very welcome outcome and CCS played an important role in that, too. Between 2004 and 2014, seminarians joining the Diocese increased nearly six fold, from 6 to 33. The Diocese recently ordained the largest class of seminarians in the past 40 years. The new fund will produce enough interest income to cover the Dioceses annual costs to run its vocations program for many years. The campaigns leading advocates, Bishop Morlino and Msgr. Bartylla, helped make this transformational effort a success, said Peter Hoskow, Principal and Managing Director, CCS. Throughout the campaign planning and management stages, it has been CCSs privilege to get to know each pastor and volunteer and to help their respective parishes achieve the best possible outcome. CCSs mission is to help non-profits elevate theirs by providing fundraising counsel, development services, and strategic consulting. Each year, CCS provides tailored support to about 400 not-for-profit organizations across North America, Europe and around the world. Please visit http://www.ccsfundraising.com for more information. DeWitt & Dunn's THE ETERNAL NOW Art Installation DeWitt & Dunn commissioned THE ETERNAL NOW to help its clients visualize their retirement timeline in a beautiful and compelling way. DeWitt & Dunn, a Dallas/Fort Worth-based financial services company, will be hosting an open house Thursday, March 31st from 4:30pm to 7:30pm to celebrate the unveiling of a commissioned art piece. Created by local artist Albert Scherbarth, THE ETERNAL NOW is a wall-mounted sculpture about the comparative nature of time. THE ETERNAL NOWs forest theme is comprised of 20-plus individual plated metal trees on which dangle tokens personalized by DeWitt & Dunns clientele. From the first retirement account you open to drawing your first retirement check, there are many decisions and factors that will impact your financial future, said Cathy DeWitt Dunn, president of DeWitt & Dunn and host of the syndicated radio show, Safe Money Talk Radio. But through it all runs one central theme: how long you have to plan. Unfortunately, conceptualizing what time you have to work with can prove difficult, said DeWitt Dunn. We commissioned THE ETERNAL NOW to help our clients visualize their retirement timeline in a beautiful and compelling way. Using a metal press, three color-anodized tokens are personalized per client: one to be hung at their present age, the second placed at the age they wish to retire, and the thirda black discplaced at the age the individual hopes to live to. The age timeline runs vertically, from younger near the floor to older near the ceiling. The arrangement of tokens graphically illustrates the time one has to plan, financially, for retirement. It also allows individuals to compare their estimated timelines with others. Over time, the forest accumulates a "cloud" of tokens and becomes the sculptureever-evolving and growing. The open-house client event will take place Thursday, March 31st from 4:30pm to 7:30pm at the offices of DeWitt & Dunn located at 15455 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 240 in Addison, Texas. Wine and light hors doeuvres will be served. For more information, please call 972-473-4700. About the Artist Albert Scherbarth has lived and worked in the Dallas area for over thirty years, drawing, painting, and sculpturing using steel, wood, concrete, metal, glass and other combinations. Mr. Scherbarth holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Kansas City Art Institute and Master of Fine Art from the University of Dallas. About DeWitt & Dunn, LLC DeWitt & Dunn, LLC is proud to be on the forefront of innovative financial solutions for the individual investor. The company specializes in helping individuals and families strengthen their retirement outlook with lifetime income solutions not available from traditional brokerage houses. DeWitt & Dunn has helped thousands of people start their personal journeys towards a stronger retirement with strategies designed to protect principal, generate retirement income that can't be outlived, and eliminate market loss. Additional information on DeWitt & Dunn and Annuity Watch USA may be found by visiting http://www.annuitywatchusa.com Mediware Information Systems, Inc., the leader in integrated health and human services management, announced a new agreement with the State of Delaware. Delawares Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) has selected Mediwares Harmony software to manage its aging and adult services and to establish an Adult Disabilities Resource Center (ADRC) to meet the statewide No-Wrong Door (NWD) initiative. In all, Mediware will implement six statewide cloud-based solutions: SAMS Case Management will replace multiple databases with a statewide consumer database and will use Mobile Assessments to improve field productivity by streamlining data collection and entry. State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) will automate CMS reporting and facilitate personal counseling to Medicare beneficiaries who must annually select a state health insurance plan. Web Resource Center will support Delawares No Wrong Door initiative, empowering consumers through online self-assessments to determine eligibility and available benefits while the Information and Referral module will enable consumers and caregivers across the state to identify and contact state authorized providers. Harmonys Advanced Reporting will provide the visibility to the data required to analyze the overall impact of programs administered by the DSAAPD DSAAPD sought a partner with a full array of solutions specific to its needs to replace multiple third party systems, said Todd Bransford, general manager of Mediware Human and Social Services. We demonstrated that the Mediware suite of products can automate, integrate and implement Delawares No Wrong Door (NWD) initiative, as we have done in more than 20 other states. Our software will help the DSAAPD provide relief to Delawareans struggling to find the right services and will also arm the DSAAPD with the tools to measure program performance and reduce waste. About Mediware Information Systems Since 1980, Mediware has provided software solutions to healthcare providers and has since expanded to serve many state and federal agencies. Mediwares solutions are perfect for high-growth, complex patient care environments that remain underserved by existing vendors. The company employs more than 500 subject matter experts who deeply understand business and care processes in highly specialized acute, non-acute and community-based care settings and have years of experience integrating systems. Mediwares portfolio of solutions currently includes human and social services, behavioral health, blood solutions, cellular therapy, home care, medication management, rehabilitation, and respiratory therapy. For more information about Mediware products and services, visit http://www.mediware.com. Join Art Force Academy! Art Force is excited to share our decades of combined experience in artwork services with the world. Art Force Academy will provide new inroads for people hoping to join our growing industry. Corporate Art Force LLC (dba Art Force) just launched Art Force Academy, a new online learning community that offers resource libraries, webinars, white papers, lectures and much more for continuing education in the commercial artwork services industry. Open enrollment for Art Force Academy begins now and the program will go live Monday April 18, 2016. Art Force Academy offers three distinct programs: An Art Enthusiasts Program, an Art Consultant Certification Program, and an Artist Entrepreneur Program. The Art Enthusiast Program is and always will be free. People who enroll as an Art Enthusiast will receive weekly updates from Art Force Academy in the form of webinars, newsletter updates, white papers, interviews and other learning resources. Art Force Academy is backed and powered by its parent company, Art Force. Based in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, Art Force is the premier provider of artwork services. Of the three tracks for participation at Art Force Academy, the Art Consultant Certification Program is the most involved, providing art consultant candidates with a pathway to art consultant certification. Beyond earning certification, program participants will also benefit from turnkey startup, a library of CRM contacts and project opportunities, utilization of Art Forces state of the art production facility, access to the vast SmartArtProgram.com artwork database, marketing materials and promotional capabilities, and project and client service tools that make entering the industry easier than ever upon completion of the program. As part of its inaugural year, Art Force Academy is accepting up to 200 enrollees in the Art Consultant Certification Program, tuition free. The program is designed to fit any schedule, and can be completed at any pace. With 11 courses and 47 modules, at a high level the Art Consultant Certification Program covers the nine disciplines of art consulting (three modules), art consulting basics (five modules), the art consulting process (eight modules), consultative selling skills (five modules), project and asset management (five modules), marketing (five modules), business planning (four modules), time management (three modules), the SmartArt program (three modules), client accounting (three modules) and production (three modules). Minimum requirements for enrollment in the Art Consultant Certification Program include a bachelors degree (BA or BS) and completion of a brief proficiency exam prior to enrollment. The exam will determine if enrollees have the traits necessary to succeed in this competitive industry. Visit the site to review the Art Consultant Career Guide and the Art Consultant Certification Program Syllabus. The Artist Entrepreneur Program aligns artists with learning resources for business planning and running an art business. If artists want to get their artwork seen, this is a great first step for peeling back the layers of the business-side of the art world. This program is three short courses for a total of 12 modules covering business planning (four modules), running an art business (four modules), and working with an art consultant (four modules). There are no minimum requirements for enrollment in the Artist Entrepreneur Program other than one is an established or burgeoning artist. While Art Force Academy cannot guarantee an artists work will sell or be included in our artwork database for placement in world class facilities, Art Force will work with artists of every skill level to try to help each artist reach their fullest potential. At Art Force Academy, the power of art and collaboration are real. Throughout the first year of Art Force Academy, participants will get the opportunity to provide feedback, add to the curriculum, and help to improve existing resources to refine Art Force Academy for future years. For a better sense of the spirit of Art Force Academy, see the Art Force Academy Board page and Zak Heimerls TEDxUW Milwaukee talk on the Case for Collaboration. Art Force looks forward to growing its community and hopes this will be the first step in a long and fruitful career for its members. About Art Force Academy Formed in 2016, Art Force Academy is a program created by Corporate Art Force LLC (dba Art Force). The mission of Art Force Academy is to provide a dynamic and flexible learning environment and professional community for art consultants, artist entrepreneurs, and art enthusiasts. Backed by its parent company Art Force, Art Force Academy offers participants access to trade knowledge, marketing and production resources. For more information, visit ArtForce.Academy. About Art Force Formed in 2009, Art Force is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Finance and Development, Inc. (OTC Markets: GFDV). Located in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Minnesota Arts District, the mission of Art Force is to be the Premier Provider of Artwork Services. Leveraging decades of combined expertise, Art Force's team of art consultants, advisers and production professionals provide artwork solutions for organizations big and small, helping organizations achieve their objectives through artwork and visual solutions. Art Force helps organizations unlock their full potential through visual storytelling, and utilizing the healing, motivational and aesthetic power of artwork. Since its formation, Art Force has delivered more than 30,000 pieces of artwork to more than 150 clients in 42 states and Canada. For more information, visit ArtForce.org. For any questions regarding information in this press release, please contact Art Force. The foregoing material may contain forward-looking statements. Art Force cautions that such statements may be subject to uncertainties and that actual results could differ materially from the fore-going statements. Readers accordingly should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which do not reflect anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances occurring after the date of these forward-looking statements. More information regarding General Finance and Development including financial statements and reports is available at the companys website genfd.com and otcmarkets.com. Deploy Apps In Days Instead of Months, Without Code "Every business can benefit from the productivity gains that using mobile apps can provide, regardless of size" - Norman Newton, CEO Knomatic, a leader in mobile solutions and services for the enterprise, today announced a self-service model aimed at users seeking increased productivity through mobilization of analog processes and forms. The self-service model provides access to the Knomatic Technology Platform through the Knomatic website. Today we announce access to the Knomatic Technology Platform through our website thus providing easy access and use of the Platform by users regardless of whether small or medium size or within a large enterprise, says Norman Newton, Chief Executive Officer. Essentially, a client can build their own operational apps through our Studio and have the same access to the best-of-breed mobile technology that large companies have, said Blake Ratliff Vice President of Business Development. Knomatic Version 4.0 offers an easy solution for businesses that want to modernize with mobilization without the need for expensive mobile developers or long development cycles. To maintain company branding, businesses can personalize app design features. To simplify reporting and form submissions, businesses can pick and choose what information needs to be displayed on mobile forms. To increase safety and employee preparedness, businesses can require mobile acknowledgement of location checklists. For regular Knomatic news, follow the company on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/knomatic) and Twitter (@knomatic). To sign up for Knomatic Self-Service now, visit https://www.knomatic.com/self-service-sign-up/. I felt that this was a problem that cried out for a computerized solution A doctor needs vital medical data from a patient who barely speaks his language. A frantic hunt takes place looking for a staff member who can translate, or perhaps the assistance of a grandchild is enlisted. Sometimes a translator service is used over the phone. Its a drama that plays out again and again in clinics, emergency rooms and pre-op areas around the world. LanguageMed.com now offers a free, web-based service to help solve this problem. I felt that this was a problem that cried out for a computerized solution remarked Brian Stanton M.D., the Anesthesiologist who first conceived the tool. Available round the clock, LanguageMed.com runs on any web browser, (laptops, tablets, even phones) to obtain detailed medical data from patients in their own language, and then summarizes the pertinent positives in the staff's language. Tanya Sokolsky, System Architect and Chief Developer for LanguageMed.com points out that the system is useful for patient's who speak the staff's language as well! It helps ensure that all the important questions are asked and saves time for staff. A computer questionnaire offers numerous advantages over a paper questionnaire. 1. Translation Choose the staff's language and the patient's language. Any two languages can be paired eg French physician with Korean patient (or vice versa). Current languages include Arabic, Chinese, English, Filipino, French, German, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. 2. Summary Medical staff get an immediate report of the pertinent positives in their native language, as well as some useful calculations (BMI, PONV risk, Cardiac risk, OSA risk). 3. No blank or skipped questions. 4. Questions can branch a positive answer leads to more detailed questions on that subject. Questions are filtered based on gender, age etc. 5. Accessibility Font size is adjustable for patient's with poor vision. Medical staffs are pressed to save time and money these days. LanguageMed.com is available 24/7, as close as a nearby laptop or tablet. Although not a replacement for translators, the system can get most of the standard questions out of the way so more efficient use can be made of the translator's time. Administrative personnel will want to know that LanguageMed.com is HIPAA compliant, using encryption for all communication with the server, and never requests any patient identifying information. The system is designed with 6Sigma principles in mind, helping to improve quality and efficiency. Reports can simply be read right from the laptop or tablet or printed out on a nearby printer. Administrator's who want to see if their staff are utilizing LanguageMed.com can easily track staff usage and statistics. LanguageMed.com hopes its product will improve safety, compliance with governmental regulation and help improve the perception of facilities in their community. Developed by Britan Inc., LanguageMed.com is being offered as a free online service. The system currently offers questionnaires designed for the pre-op environment, the general medical clinic scenario, MRI suite, and the new Preoperative Score to Predict Postoperative Mortality (POSPOM). New questionnaires are in active development as well as translations in additional languages (a Dental/Orthodontic questionnaire is coming soon). Facilities may also elect to use LanguageMed.com on a subscription basis which eliminates advertisements and allows them to use their own branding. Champions School of Real Estate presents Barbara Corcoran to the DFW and Houston regions for a keynote delivery May 2016 "Bringing Barbara Corcoran to share her personal and professional journey from Rags to Riches, will educate, inspire and resonate with our Dallas and Houston real estate communities." - Kimberly Dydalewicz, president of Champions School of Real Estate Barbara Corcoran, real estate broker, star of the ABC hit investor show Shark Tank, syndicated columnist and author, will be the featured speaker at the Champions School of Real Estate Keynote 2016 events in Dallas at the Plano Centre on May 10 and Houston at the Westin Galleria on May 11. Over 1,200 attendees are expected at each of the Champions School of Real Estate Keynote 2016 events for a gathering that will bring together one of the largest audiences of influential real estate professionals in the Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas. Corcoran's address, "Rags to Riches," will discuss how she turned a $1,000 loan into a thriving $6 billion dollar business empire. The keynote will be followed by an in-depth Q&A with Champions School of Real Estate's founder and CEO, Rita Santamaria. "We are thrilled to present Barbara Corcoran as our featured speaker for this years keynote event," said Kimberly Dydalewicz, president of Champions School of Real Estate. "As part of our commitment to providing the real estate community with educational opportunities of the highest caliber, we know that bringing Barbara Corcoran to share her personal and professional journey from Rags to Riches, will resonate with, educate and inspire our Dallas and Houston real estate communities." The Champions School of Real Estate Keynote 2016 Dallas presenting sponsors are real estate brokerage JP & Associates and earnest money delivery mobile app ZOCCAM. In Houston, the Champions School of Real Estate Keynote 2016 presenting sponsors are home warranty provider Allied Home Warranty and real estate brokerage The Loken Group. The events are also generously underwritten by several organizations. In Dallas, the event is sponsored by Service 1st Mortgage The Davidson Team, Freedom Mortgage, QuikShow, Atmos Energy, KW Fort Worth, Fathom Realty and Movement Mortgage. In Houston, the event is sponsored by The Sam Team RE/MAX Top Realty, Cherry Creek Mortgage Company, Simien Properties, Princeton Classic Homes/Legend Homes, PHH Mortgage, RICH Club, White Glove Realty and Trustmark National Bank. Tickets are available at a rate of $65 per person or $480 for a group of 8. To register or learn more about Champions School of Real Estates Keynote 2016 visit http://www.ChampionsSchool.com/Keynote, follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ChampionsSchool or like our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ChampionsSchool. To apply for a media credential, please contact Karla Larraga by email at Karla(at)ChampionsSchool(dot)com or by phone at 972-867-4100. Crow Logo Just about everyone loves their shotguns. And their wide selection of rifles is a great add to our offerings. Crow Shooting Supply is proud to announce it has added the full line of Mossberg firearms to its ever-growing selection of wholesale firearms. Spanning shotguns, rifles and one pistol model, Mossbergs lineup adds more than 360 new models to Crows selection. Included are nine models of the Maverick brand shotgun: the 88 pump in both 12 and 20 gauge, the Hunter Field over/under in 12 gauge, and the HS-12 Thunder Ranch over/under set up specifically as a defensive shotgun. Mossberg is one of the grand old names in American firearms, said Crow founder Steve Crow. Just about everyone loves their shotguns. And their wide selection of rifles is a great add to our offerings. New Mossberg shotguns include the 930 and 935 Magnum Pro-Series Waterfowl autoloading shotguns. Available in the Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Blades camo pattern, these shotguns are designed and built to withstand the wet, sometimes harsh conditions associated with waterfowl hunting. Mossbergs rifles are available in both centerfire and rimfire cartridges, in bolt action, lever action and autoloading styles. The Mossberg Patriot bolt action is available with walnut, laminate or synthetic stocks in popular calibers. Some models come with a Vortex Crossfire II 3-9x40 scope already mounted. The rimfire Mossberg International 715T has ergonomics and controls similar to an AR-15, and is available either with iron sights or a 30mm red dot optic installed. Mossbergs handgun is the 715P, the pistol-version of the 715T, also available with either iron sights or a red dot optic. The full line of Mossberg firearms can be seen http://www.crowshootingsupply.com. For more information, or to partner with Crow Shooting Supply, call 800-264-2493. About O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. Founded in 1919, O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. is the oldest family-owned firearms manufacturer in America, and is the largest pump-action shotgun manufacturer in the world. Leading the way with over 100 design and utility patents to its credit, and standing as the first ISO 9001 Certified long-gun manufacturer, Mossberg is considered to be one of the most innovative firearms manufacturers in U.S. History. For more information on commercial, special purpose, law enforcement and military shotguns, rifles and accessories, please visit their website at http://www.mossberg.com. About Crow Shooting Supply Crow Shooting Supply is a family-owned national wholesale distributor of firearms, ammunition reloading components and shooting accessories. Proudly serving retail gun shops, major sporting goods stores, gun clubs, shooting ranges and government agencies for 30 years, Crow is a full-line supplier of more than 120 of the worlds premier shooting industry manufacturers. For more information, or to inquire about partnering with Crow Shooting Supply, call 800-264-2493 or visit http://www.crowshootingsupply.com. Cindy Kanuch of Colorado is one of two innovative educators being honored with Learning Ally's Excellence in Teaching Award, honoring best practices in teaching students with print disabilities. Always refuse to let people label you, because it destroys the greatness that lives inside each of us. Learning Ally, a national nonprofit serving individuals across the U.S. with visual, physical and learning disabilities, will honor six remarkable students and two outstanding teachers on April 9th at its 56th annual National Achievement Awards celebration in Denver. Three high achievers are blind or visually impaired and three have learning disabilities like dyslexia. All are being recognized for scholastic excellence, exemplary leadership and service to others; and they have thrived in education with the help of accessible educational content and assistive technology that Learning Ally provides. The following winners will receive cash awards and travel with their families to Denver, where they will participate in various activities during the Learning Allys Student Success and Achievement (LASSA) celebration, and the National Achievement Award s Gala at The Four Seasons Hotel. Emily Daly is profoundly dyslexic and dysgraphic, and was told in childhood that she would never learn to read, much less go to college. Despite those ominous predictions, shes now thriving as a freshman at Notre Dame University. You must always refuse to let people label you, Emily affirms, because it destroys the greatness that lives inside each of us. Skye Malik calls herself a proud dyslexic with reading fluency in the fourth percentile. As a freshman at SUNY Cortland, she is pursuing early childhood education and aspires to become a special education teacher. Skye is also the creator of The Paco Project, a fundraising initiative named after her grandfather, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 80. She exceeded her goal of raising $25,000 to provide Learning Ally services to students in New York City. Auburn Stephensons diagnosis of having orthographic dyslexia didnt come until she was 17. Before that, she says she was left in the dark when it came to reading. Now as freshman at Boston College, Auburn aims to major in biochemistry, pursue a Doctorate and eventually work in a biochemical laboratory. Embarrassed by my self-perceived stupidity, I was hesitant to raise my hand and wanted to disappear whenever called upon in class, she remembers. Now I know there are multiple ways to understand and learn new concepts. Wesley Brooks is visually impaired with limited peripheral vision and also has mild cerebral palsy. Despite the challenges of two handicaps, he graduated from Monmouth University and has been an active leader in a long list of school and community based initiatives. Wes is keenly interested in advocacy for people with disabilities, and aims to become a high school English teacher. Ashley Cwikla is legally blind and works as an Adaptive Technology Coordinator at Harvard University. Focusing on how disability impacts college graduate rates and developing a universal design model for accessibility, she is pursuing her Doctorate in Education Leadership in Student Personnel Services at the University of the Cumberlands where she holds honors distinction with a high grade point average. I dont perceive my blindness as a hindrance in any capacity, she says emphatically. Aleisa Myles has been visually impaired with Lebers Congenital Amaurosis since birth. As she nears completion of her Doctorate at Widener Universitys Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, she is dedicated to studying and writing about the perspective of children and young people, and has been providing therapy for disadvantaged populations in her pre-doctoral internship. My limitations have taught me to be persistent and flexible, she says. I experience a sense of awe and deep gratitude for the role that Learning Ally has played in my life, my studies, and my ability to serve others. Learning Ally also launched its first-ever national awards honoring outstanding teachers. The new Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes educators on the leading edge of best practices in the classroom for students with print and reading-based disabilities. This years awards will presented to: Erika Fedo, a third and fourth grade teacher at Village Elementary School in Montgomery Township, New Jersey. Having a lifelong hearing impairment and being 90 percent deaf hasnt deterred Erika from making huge strides with a large caseload of students with dyslexia. Her mastery of assistive technology has aided her launch of a remarkable book club in which young students who had previously struggled to read now flock to school an hour early to enthusiastically discuss their favorite books to the delight of their parents and other teachers. Cindy Kanuch, a learning/reading specialist who plays a highly influential role with students and teachers at Calhan School in Calhan, Colorado. While embracing a model of neurodiversity and celebrating the strengths of students with dyslexia and learning differences, she immersed herself in Orton-Gillingham methods of reading instruction and continually drives professional development and best practices among her fellow teachers. Thanks in large part to Cindys influence, the Calhan School progressed from being on a turn-around program to top level recognition by the Colorado Department of Education. About the National Achievement Awards (NAA) Each year, Learning Ally honors three students in each of two categories of its National Achievement Awards. Blind or visually impaired college seniors and grad students are presented with the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA). High school seniors with learning disabilities such as dyslexia are honored with the privately endowed Marion Huber Learning Through Listening (LTL) Awards. Hundreds of students apply for these prestigious awards each year and are evaluated by committees of Learning Ally volunteers, board members, parents, educators, donors and staff. Each award winner has a long list of honors and accomplishments, and has graduated with a GPA above 3.0, with most near the 4.0 mark. The top three winners in each category are honored with a trip to Denver, Colorado with their families, and a cash award to support their education. Learn more about Learning Ally's NAA events and winners at https://naa.learningally.org/. About Learning Ally: Founded in 1948, Learning Ally supports K-12, college and graduate students, veterans and lifelong learners all of whom read and learn differently due to dyslexia, blindness or visual impairment, and other disabilities. The organization hosts live and virtual events for families and teachers; provides instructive webinars led by experts as well as peer-to-peer sessions led by students; personal consultations for parents; and professional development workshops for educators. Learning Allys collection of 82,000 human-narrated audio textbooks and literature titles can be downloaded by students using their smartphones and tablets, and is the largest of its kind in the world. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Learning Ally is partially funded by grants from state and local education programs, and the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations. For more information, visit http://LearningAlly.org . With their wealth of experience and industry relationships, both Matt and Philip offer a great deal of value to our team in Dallas, adds Tom Ciardello, Senior EVP at Worldwide Facilities. Philip Collins is joining Worldwide Facilities as Senior Vice President, Financial Services in the Dallas office. With more than a decade of experience placing risk for healthcare, private companies, nonprofits, and financial institutions, he is a licensed D&O and Privacy CE instructor and served as a key member of Chubb and ACE Producer Advisor Councils. Prior to joining Worldwide, Philip spent 11 years at Crump (now CRC). Matt Sheehan will also be joining the team as Senior Vice President, Financial Services in the Dallas office. He is a seasoned senior professional liability broker with over 14 years of underwriting and brokerage experience. His specialized expertise includes Professional, Executive, Healthcare, Media, and Cyber / Privacy Liability exposures. Matt spent 11 years at Crump (now CRC) prior to joining Worldwide Facilities. Im excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a catalyst in the growth of a flat, entrepreneurial organization that is aligned with the goals of our retail partners, says Sheehan. With their wealth of experience and industry relationships, both Matt and Philip offer a great deal of value to our team in Dallas, adds Tom Ciardello, Senior EVP at Worldwide Facilities. Were thrilled to be able to bring their expertise to our retail partners to ensure they get the best experience possible. Contact: Philip Collins, Senior Vice President- Cell: (615) 430-6918, pcollins(at)wwfi(dot)com Contact: Matthew Sheehan, CIC, CPCU, RPLU, MLIS, Senior Vice President- Cell: (214) 789-4371, msheehan(at)wwfi(dot)com About Worldwide Facilities, LLC Worldwide Facilities is a national wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent that has been in business since 1970. Our seasoned brokers and underwriters are industry leaders in providing expertise in a wide range of specialty lines, and offer extensive contacts with carriers domestically and overseas. March 24, 2016. Gadberry Group today announced the release of Magnify v4.1 to the Canadian market, as well as a broader feature set for all markets. This release provides new product editions that provide more customization and configuration options that make location analysis even easier. Magnify is a cloud-based location intelligence product designed to quickly create accurate and precise location analyses, study target areas, and provide detailed demographic and Google maps reports. Existing Canada Magnify customers will need to upgrade to a new edition to receive the new capabilities and features. Demos are available now. Magnify v4.1 offers Canadian users an advanced multi-function batch workflow interface designed to automate and streamline location analysis processes like batch geocoding, multiple study area analysis and batch reporting. These batch processing enhancements allow for increased productivity when users need to analyze and identify locations, customers and markets that have the greatest potential. Magnify v4.1 delivers new features to users in both the United States and Canada. The Geography Joiner is a custom boundary creation tool that allows Magnify users to select, from the map, multiple boundaries within a standard geography and join them to create a single custom study area. Enhanced Map Visualization is an automatic reordering of layers that overlay street and label layers above filled study areas, or thematic shapes. Filled layers will appear beneath any non-filled layers such as streets, roads, highways and geographical boundaries. "With Magnify, I can process several things at once. I started a 15,000 point site file while geocoding a large customer file and had no slow down. I also really enjoy that you can leave the program and get notified when your process is complete. The ability to easily geocode and batch process multiple sites at once is an incredible time saver. - Lenne Prussiano, President, Tenneco Gadberry is constantly evaluating customer requests and is committed to offering our customers a comprehensive set of features that help them achieve their location intelligence analysis easily and economically. Janey Pettit, Director of Product Management Magnify is expected to release additional features and editions that focus on Enterprise Asset Visualization and Economic Developers by the end of 2016. ABOUT GADBERRY GROUP Gadberry Group combines 20+ years of geographic information intelligence expertise with the most current and precise data available to put their software to use at some of the worlds largest companies. Along with Magnify, Gadberrys MicroBuild data products are built using multiple sources of consumer data at the name and address level. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Gadberry has industry-recognized expertise for combining sophisticated data development, software development and professional services to help clients solve business problems related to site and store selection, marketing campaigns based on specific geographic and demographic targets and geographic-based analytics. MicroBuild is protected under U.S. Patents No. 8,341,010 and 8,428,999. CONTACT For more information on Magnify, to schedule a demo, or to upgrade your edition, please contact Gadberry at 501.907.7100 or visit http://www.magnifymaps.com. ArrMaz, a chemical manufacturer based in Mulberry, Florida, announced today it has named Dunn&Co. its new agency of record. The decision follows an agency review that began in late 2015 and included a number of agencies throughout the state of Florida. Dunn&Co. will refine the ArrMaz visual identity to be demonstrated through a variety of strategic marketing initiatives. ArrMaz is one of the worlds leading providers of process chemicals and functional additives for the fertilizer, industrial minerals and asphalt industries. Dunn&Co., a full-service advertising agency and production company based in Tampa, Florida, will update the ArrMaz brand image and assist with upcoming marketing plans. All communications will be designed to highlight ArrMaz as a solutions-first company offering personal, customized service. Dunn&Co.s global marketing experience, combined with their can-do attitude and obvious creative talent helped it stand above the rest, said Chris Day, ArrMaz VP of Marketing. Well rely on their talented team to help us develop a compelling way to communicate the value of ArrMazs solutions and build continued equity to maintain our position as the market leader. ArrMaz is passionate about offering its clients customized solutions that will help them succeed. It is dedicated to advancing the science behind its products and services, and delivering only the highest level of performance to the customer. ArrMaz has an obvious passion for innovation, quality and customer service, said Troy Dunn, president of Dunn&Co. Our goal will be to craft a brand personality for them that will be both interesting and compelling, reinforcing ArrMaz as much more than a chemical company, but as a trusted partner who can solve complex business problems. About ArrMaz ArrMaz is a global leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the mining, fertilizer, phosphate and asphalt industries worldwide. Since 1967, ArrMaz has manufactured chemical process aids and additives formulated to optimize process performance and product quality. With headquarters in Mulberry, Florida and multiple locations across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, ArrMaz serves customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information about our company and products, visit us online at http://www.arrmaz.com. About Dunn&Co. Dunn&Co. (http://www.dunn-co.com) is a full-service advertising and marketing communications firm housed in a century-old former cigar factory near Tampas historic Ybor City. Dunn&Co. provides award-winning creative solutions for clients worldwide, including GE Healthcare, The Tampa Bay Lightning, Tijuana Flats, Giant/Stop&Shop grocers, Baxter Healthcare, Monin, Civco, Sabal Trust, St. Petersburg Distillery, Majestic apparel, Hexa watches, Sempermed USA, ArrMaz, ATG and The United Way. Dunn&Co. also provides pro-bono services to the ALS Association Florida Chapter to help fight Lou Gehrigs disease. The Batshaw Centres Foundation, which provides direct support to clients of Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, today announced that it will hold the Defi Canape, a fundraising event, at Le Salon 1861 (550 Richmond) on Wednesday, April 6, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. The concept is simply delicious. Well-known local chefs from Bishop & Bagg, Lavanderia, Loic, Nora Gray, Tavern on the Square and Tuck Shop will prepare signature canapes. Then, guests will vote on their favourite and a winning canape will be crowned. CHOMs Terry DiMonte will serve as Master of Ceremonies. While the competition is friendly, the chefs and their teams are taking it very seriously! We expect to be treated to some exceptionally delicious canapes. We are very pleased to be holding this exciting event in such a beautiful setting, says Karma Hallward, President, the Batshaw Centres Foundation. All proceeds generated at our event go towards funding important programs that directly benefit Batshaw Centres clients. On behalf of the Foundation, I would like to thank Jarislowsky Fraser our Event Sponsor, all additional sponsors, the participating restauranteurs, Terry DiMonte, attendees and supporters. Tickets are available for $125 each, until April 5th ($150 at the door) and $80 each for guests under 35 years of age ($100 at the door). A partial tax receipt will be issued. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.batshawfoundation.ca or call (514) 989-1885 x 1164. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/batshaw2016/. About Batshaw Youth and Family Centres (CIUSSS ODIM) Batshaw Youth and Family Centres provide services to children, youth and families who have experienced situations of abuse, neglect, serious behaviour problems or delinquency. Most children are helped in their own home. Others are entrusted to extended family, placed in foster families or in residential care. Some are adopted. Batshaw Centres serve the English-speaking and Jewish communities of Montreal. Residential care is available to English speaking youth from other regions of Quebec. About the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation The Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation is a non-profit organization comprised of concerned volunteers. The Foundations mission is to help break the cycle of neglect, abuse, and failure experienced by many children aged 0-18 years and their families. The Foundation supports the clients of the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, living on the island of Montreal, when public funds are not available. Through different annual fundraising initiatives, the Foundation raises an average of $250,000 per year to fund programs of assistance offered to youth living with their own families, in foster care, in residential placement and transitioning to independent living. The Foundations programs are designed to create an environment for youth to feel empowered and help pave the way for a brighter future. For more information, please visit http://www.batshawfoundation.ca. Margaret Garcias new book, Tell Me Another War Story - The Life of Evans Garcia: Courageous Soldier, American Hero, My Dad, ($16.99, paperback, 9781498465731; $8.99, e-book, 9781498465748) was written to share a war heros legacy, through a daughters experience. Readers will be captivated by the life and legacy of Evans Garcia, born in Dona Ana, New Mexico, who fought with the New Mexico National Guards 200th Coast Artillery (AA) in the Philippines during WWII. The book demonstrates how a man with a rural upbringing developed solid character and kept his faith to survive the horrors of war against the Japanese and the brutality of prisoner of war status during three-and-a-half years of captivity. According to the author, the story of Bataan and the men who were the first to fire on the enemy in WWII has not been told as it needs to be, and the atrocities of the Bataan Death March and the POWs in the Philippines and Japan are forgotten in history books. This significant part of WWII deserves to be given its proper place in history. Author, Margaret Garcia, listened to and wrote down her fathers war stories for years. Initially, she did not realize the importance of them, but at one point, was inspired to pull her notes together and write his story. Dads mantra to me was, Do everything you can so they dont forget Bataan, states the author. That was one of my goals in writing this book, and it took me on an unexpected and unforgettable journey that has made my life richer. Margaret lives in Albuquerque with her cat, Tyson. Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Retailers may order Tell Me Another War Story - The Life of Evans Garcia: Courageous Soldier, American Hero, My Dad through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. The book is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Media Contact: Margaret Garcia Email: Margaretgarcia(at)earthlink.net Website: http://www.tellmeanotherwarstory.com Tom Truitt, President and CEO of MidAtlantic Farm Credit We are honored to receive this resolution and look forward to continuing to support our local agriculture communities and the future generations. Farm Credit was recognized by the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis on National Ag Day, March 15, for providing financial support to rural communities throughout the state of Maryland. Farm Credit is celebrating their centennial this year, marking a century of helping rural America by providing access to the credit necessary to ensure producers succeed. Chairman of the Rural Caucus, Delegate Wendell Beitzel (Allegany and Garrett), and Senator George Edwards (Western Maryland) were sponsors of the resolution, which highlighted the vital role Farm Credit plays in Marylands rural communities and youth agriculture programs, and their commitment to serving agricultural producers across the state. Both of our sponsors, along with the entire Rural Caucus, provide tremendous support for Farm Credit and Maryland's agricultural community, says Kurt Fuchs, government affairs officer for MidAtlantic Farm Credit. Their confidence in the Farm Credit system helps to ensure we will be able to continue to be a source of reliable, consistent credit to farmers and rural communities throughout Maryland for years to come. Together, Colonial Farm Credit, Farm Credit of the Virginias, and MidAtlantic Farm Credit serve the entire state of Maryland. Accepting the resolutions on behalf of all three institutions was F.J. Grady, branch manager of Farm Credit of the Virginias, and Paul Baumgardner, director of MidAtlantic Farm Credit. Farm Credit wouldnt have made it to this huge milestone without the support we receive from our legislators, says Tom Truitt, CEO of MidAtlantic Farm Credit. We are honored to receive this resolution and look forward to continuing to support our local agriculture communities and the future generations. For more information about Farm Credits centennial celebration, please visit mafc.com/fc100.php. About MidAtlantic Farm Credit MidAtlantic Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative owned by its memberborrowers. It provides farm loans for land, equipment, livestock and production; crop insurance; and rural home mortgages. The co-op has over 10,600 members and over $2.4 billion in loans outstanding. MidAtlantic has branches serving Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. It is part of the national Farm Credit System, a network of financial cooperatives established in 1916 to provide a dependable source of credit to farmers and rural America. Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is proud to announce that it has partnered with United Networks of America (UNA), one of the largest providers of value-added managed care products and services in the country. UNA Rx Card, the nations largest prescription assistance card provider, has committed a minimum of $1 million to fund program growth and development to help the charity's 170 member hospitals across North America to provide critical treatments, services and charitable care for sick and injured kids. "We are pleased to partner with United Networks of America to provide much-needed support to our children's hospitals," said John Lauck, president and CEO of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. "They, too, understand the complexities of the health care system and want to make that system easier for families in need." We share the vision of Children's Miracle Network and their hospitals, said Ryan Jumonville, chairman of United Networks of America. We also believe that together we can save kids lives. About Childrens Miracle Networks Hospitals Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. Since 1983, Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity's Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit's mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children's hospitals need community support, and learn about your member hospital, at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals. About United Networks of America United Networks of America is one of the largest providers of value added managed care products and services in the United States. UNA has more than 240,000 participating Providers serving more than 120.1 million members across the country. To learn more about United Networks of America, please visit http://www.unitednetworksofamerica.com, or http://www.unarxcard.com for more on the national prescription assistance program. Media Contacts Dana White, V.P. Media/Public Relations dwhite@unitednetworksofamerica.com 800.726.4232 Sally Gilotti, Sr. Director, External Communications sgilotti@cmnhospitals.org 801.214.6617 Coppe Laboratories, a specialized medical diagnostics company, has announced the availability of testing for a tick-associated virus, the Powassan Virus (POWV). Transmitted by the tick known to carry Lyme disease bacteria, the POWV is a member of the family of viruses that include such familiar names as Zika, West Nile, and Yellow Fever. Coppe Laboratories is the first commercial laboratory to provide POWV testing, which will include both a direct and indirect test. Symptoms associated with POWV are similar to those of Lyme disease, but may be more severe. Fever, headache, nausea, vomiting muscle weakness, and stiff neck are common. In serious cases, POWV causes fatigue, confusion, memory loss, and encephalitis. Although the typical bullseye rash associated with Lyme disease is not a sign of Powassan infection, an individual affected with Lyme disease bacteria may also be infected with POWV, since ticks often carry more than one pathogen. A study by Coppe Laboratories in 2015 demonstrated that POWV was detected on average in 3-8% of black-legged ticks across Wisconsin. Eight percent of the ticks tested harbored more than one pathogen and Borrelia was positive in all co-infections. In the hyperendemic area of northwestern Wisconsin, 52% of the ticks studied carried Borrelia and POWV was detected in 11%. The CDC has noted that POWV risk is present in the same areas where Lyme disease is prevalent. Some patients with ongoing symptoms of Lyme disease who have not responded to the usual antibiotics may be infected with other pathogens, like Powassan virus, said Dr. Konstance Knox, CEO of Coppe Laboratories, who noted that Powassan virus may be underreported because of the lack of commercial testing. Our goal with Coppe Laboratories new testing for Powassan virus is two-fold: To help physicians provide better diagnoses and information to patients and to gain a more realistic understanding of the true incidence of Powassan virus in our population. About Coppe Laboratories http://www.coppelabs.com Coppe Laboratories, headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, is a specialized, Clinical Laboratory Improvements Act (CLIA) certified diagnostic laboratory that provides a spectrum of laboratory tests with an emphasis on the role of infections in acute and chronic diseases. They are committed to eliminating barriers experienced by physician and patients in the diagnosis of disease through scientific research and innovative diagnostic assays. Providing physicians and their patients with accurate, high quality, and clinically relevant results in a timely fashion is their goal. Coppe Laboratories is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coppe Healthcare Solutions, which uses scientific expertise to transform novel procedures routinely used in research into validated diagnostic tests for acute and chronic illnesses. Robert Horvath has joined ACRE as Senior Vice President, announced Craig Stewart and William Anderson, Principals for ACRE Investment Real Estate Services. At ACRE, Horvath will focus on the procurement and disposition of Multi-Family Investment properties located primarily in the San Diego market. Rob has twenty years of experience in real estate brokerage and has sold over $450 million in investment real estate, totaling more than 60 properties and over 4,500 apartment units. Prior to joining the Solana Beach office of ACRE Investment Real Estate Services, Horvath was with Investment Property Group as a Senior Vice President in their Multi-Family division. Prior to Investment Property Group, Rob was with Sperry Van Ness as a Managing Director and Senior Investment Broker. Prior to Sperry Van Ness, Rob was a top national producer for Marcus and Millichap in Newport Beach, and was also the Owner and President of Pacific Rim Investment Properties, an apartment brokerage company located in Irvine, CA. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rob has lived in Del Mar since 1990. He has a vacation home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he is also licensed as a Real Estate Broker. About ACRE Investment Real Estate Services ACRE Investment Real Estate Services is one of the top commercial real estate brokerage companies in Southern California. With three offices in Southern California, ACRE provides clients with a boutique, personalized, client-friendly firm, specializing in multi-family acquisitions and dispositions. With a combined 100+ years of experience in apartment brokerage, asset management, and financing totaling in excess of $1.7 billion dollars, ACRE is exceptionally qualified to keep clients up-to-date with important market information, to help clients seek out investment opportunities or repositioning strategies, assist clients with their acquisition and/or disposition of their asset(s), provide asset management services, or complete a 1031 exchange. ACRE has been rewarded by CoStar with the prestigious Power Broker Award, and by The San Diego Business Journal as Deal Maker of the Year. For further information please contact: Craig Stewart Principal 760-230-2014 cstewart(at)acrecommercial.com UniVoIP Since our involvement in the telethon event with the Red Cross, UniVoIP has been committed to helping nonprofit organizations in the with its VoIP Phone Donation program in view of reducting overall operating costs." UniVoIP, in partnership with Florida Association of Nonprofits, headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, FL is proud to announce today at NTENs Nonprofit Technology Conference (16NTC) that it has formed a strategic alliance to provide a new benefit for Florida Nonprofits seeking to upgrade and modernize their communication systems. With their subscription to UniVoIPs Cloud-based Phone Solution, Florida Nonprofits receive complimentary VoIP phones, which include a robust feature set, 24/7 U.S. based customer service, monthly financial savings and a fully scalable communication solution from a leader in nonprofit technology. This partnership will enable UniVoIP to scale its donation of advanced VoIP phones for Nonprofits and allow Florida Association of Nonprofits members to adopt a more secure, effective and reliable VoIP phone solution to support their outreach, fundraising efforts and overall communication programs. Effective today, Florida Association of Nonprofits members can experience financial savings through overall reduction of overhead expenses and increase efficiency with a lean budget and with limited resources. UniVoIPs NJPA certification allows nonprofits to bypass the traditionally long and expensive RFP bidding process with multiple vendors. This certification ensures that nonprofits migrate to cloud communications faster and in a highly affordable capacity. Upon qualification, Florida Nonprofits will gain the opportunity to leverage UniVoIPs Phone Donation Program, as well as, the cloud-based solutions strategic integration with Skype for Business and Microsoft Office 365 applications. UniVoIPs advanced enterprise voice capabilities seamlessly integrate into the Microsoft environment. Without the need for third-party voice components, gateways or Microsoft software change, organizations can now enjoy full-featured voice communications from an industry leader while leveraging customer investment with Microsoft Office 365. Since our involvement in the telethon event with the Red Cross, UniVoIP has been committed to helping nonprofit organizations in the United States with our VoIP Phone Donation program. It is our mission to tailor our robust feature-set and cloud-based applications to exceed the expectations of our nonprofit customers while partnering with them in their mission to create the greatest impact for their cause." said Chris Vuillaume, VP from UniVoIP. About UniVoIP Since 2005, UniVoIP has been a pioneering leader in Cloud Communications and VoIP technology for nonprofit organizations. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, UniVoIP has helped thousands of clients nationwide to upgrade their communications infrastructure and transform the way nonprofits connect with the world. While leveraging the most innovative and greenest technology in the industry, nonprofits and for-profits are able to become more flexible, mobile and efficient in todays ever-evolving work environment. The feature-rich cloud-based solution offers full functionality, unified messaging, conferencing solutions, receptionist consoles, contact center solutions and more while providing 24/7 U.S. based customer support. With one provider to service all telecommunications needs at one low monthly rate, UniVoIPs highly attractive solution continues to service organizations of all sizes. For more information, visit http://www.UniVoIP.org About Florida Association of Nonprofits Florida Nonprofits is a statewide center and professional network of 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Florida. A nonprofit leader founded it in 1989 to enhance the well being of all people in the communities by building the capacity of the nonprofit sector. In addition, they continuously assists 52,000 nonprofits to reach their mission by strengthening their leadership, management, financial, and public policy capacity. Contact Information Chris Vuillaume UniVoIP http://univoip.com/ 310.747.3263 Celine Akrey UniVoIP http://univoip.com/ 310.956.3583 In a time when noise seems impossible to silence and complete privacy is a rare treasure to come by, Mo Ventus and off-the-grid living brings an unparalleled opportunity to the industry. After substantial media attention, Mo Ventus begins its international debut, introducing an unmatched real estate experience to the world. Designed by rising architect Todd Fix [a recent addition to NADAAA Inc., the top U.S. architectural design firm 3 years running (source AIA)], the concept of this one-of-a-kind structure is that it has the ability to be built and sustained completely off the grid - or give power back to the grid - giving new meaning to the idea of a lavish escape. In a time when noise seems impossible to silence and complete privacy is a rare treasure to come by, Mo Ventus and off-the-grid living brings an unparalleled opportunity to the industry. Functioning as a zero-net-site-energy home, which changes with the weather and operates via wind and solar power, Mo Ventus creates the opportunity to reside in even the most remote locations. The epitome of high-end privacy, the structure uniquely allows for a deep emersion into nature and a true connectedness to its environment. With 180-degree views, transparent floors and ceilings, and a studio separated by an open-air cantilever bridge, Mo Ventus establishes a quintessential and inspirational home-office atmosphere. Mo Ventus has become a portfolio of three separate residential designs naturally consisting of one or two of the key components: Motus, the shape-shifting, real-time articulating movement of the structure; and Ventus the wind powered futuristic tower elevating into a truly surreal experience with the surrounding world. Ryan Ole Hass, of the elite global real estate brand Engel & Volkers, has partnered with Fix to coordinate the efforts behind selecting a principle, acquisition of the development site and project management. With news of the project spreading across the globe, Ole Hass is off to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Dubai for a series of meetings with top-tier investors, influencers, developers, and high-wealth individuals to discuss Mo Ventus details. At home in the United States, Mo Ventus is already on its way to becoming a star because of it's unique and sustainable qualities the team was recently approached by a major movie studio to feature Mo Ventus in a motion picture with a sustainability in architecture message. Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Volkers has become one of the worlds leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property, yachts and private aviation. Engel & Volkers currently operates a global network of over 7,000 real estate advisors in more than 700 brokerages spanning 37 countries across five continents, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services. It established its North America corporate headquarters in 2007 and opened its first brokerage in the same year. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Volkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and tools; multiple platforms for mobile, social and web; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Engel & Volkers is an active supporter of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. # # # For more information please contact: Sheela Shouhed Director of Communications Sheela.Shouhed(at)evusa(dot)com Engel & Volkers, a European-based premium real estate brand, today announced that Jim Polep has joined its Engel & Volkers Aspen shop as a real estate advisor. Polep joined Engel & Volkers after spending 20 years in the Aspen Valley running his home furnishings and interior design business called Montecito, which later evolved into Montecito Loft & Home. Since closing his business, Polep started his real estate career in Aspen in 2014 and has since become licensed in California as well. Jims talents and strengths lie in his extraordinary ability to communicate and negotiate. His familiarity with the local real estate, coupled with his experience in building several homes of his own, makes him uniquely qualified to help sellers and buyers achieve their goals. Jim has proven to be one of Aspens most knowledgeable agents, and his dedication to serving the specialized residential property needs of the Valley will further strengthen our Engel & Volkers team, said Erik Berg, owner of Engel & Volkers Aspen. The invitation to join Engel & Volkers in the heart of Aspen Colorado, was extremely exciting to me, particularly with the understanding of the global reach and state of the art marketing platforms which this company possesses, said Polep. About Engel & Volkers Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Volkers has become one of the worlds leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property, yachts and private aviation. Engel & Volkers currently operates a global network of over 7,000 real estate advisors in more than 700 brokerages spanning 37 countries across five continents, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services. It established its North America corporate headquarters in 2007 and opened its first brokerage in the same year. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Volkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and tools; multiple platforms for mobile, social and web; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Engel & Volkers is an active supporter of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. An Online Resource For Health And Eye Care I created this website to encourage a more informed visit to the eye doctor. I also want to be a resource within my profession and other health professions as well. Dr. Maria Pribis is set to launch OcularPrime.com, an informative eye care resource that educates about new vision technologies, treatments, nutrition, and product reviews. My goal is to provide practical information to protect our eyes in every way possible, Pribis said. I created this website to encourage a more informed visit to the eye doctor. I also want to be a resource within my profession and other health professions as well. The launch of her new website comes on the heels of healthcare reform, which has led to what Pribis describes as less time for patient education. She plans to use OcularPrime.com to make up for shorter visits to the exam room and to empower her followers to participate in their own personal health journey. Pribis has seen thousands of interesting cases in her young career and she strongly believes in her ability to connect with people of all ages. In 2015, she received the Young Optometrist of the Year Award for the state of Connecticut, which was given out by the Connecticut Association of Optometrists. In private practice since 2010, Pribis now has over five years of experience as a board certified optometrist. She also teaches board review courses to students and continuing education courses to practicing doctors through KMK Educational Services. Furthermore, she provides mentorship to students as a board member of SUNY College of Optometrys career development committee. Before starting her career, she was a member of the Dance Team during her college years at the University of Pittsburgh. I truly believe Im a doctor thats easy to talk to and communicate with, Pribis said. I simply want my website to be an extension of my personality. For more information about Dr. Maria Pribis, visit http://www.ocularprime.com. The Adizes Institute, a consulting organization working worldwide with clients that range from the Global 100 to middle market companies, start-ups, and governments, announced that Dr. Ichak Adizes, Founder and President, has released his new book Mastering Change Introduction to Organizational Therapy (Adizes Institute Publications; December 2015; $19.95 Paperback; also available as an eBook). The book is a revised and updated edition of his business classic, Mastering Change The Power of Mutual Trust and Respect, first released in 1991. Over forty-plus years, Dr. Adizes has developed a theory about how to lead change that has helped hundreds of companies of all sizes around the world. Since the release of the first edition, he has lectured to more than 100,000 executives, and much of what he has learned during this time has been incorporated into this new release. In addition, Universities have started teaching Adizes, and a companion manual for instructors has been developed. The philosophy Dr. Adizes shares in this book applies not only to businesses, but to how a country needs to be led, and to family and personal life. He provides a Universal Applied Theory on how to lead change for exceptional results without destructive conflict. According to Karim Massimov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan: The new edition of the famous publication Mastering Change Introduction to Organizational Therapy by Dr. Adizes provides precious practical recommendations for management improvement. The book gives answers on how to deliver sustainable results in exceptional situations. The print version of Mastering Change Introduction to Organizational Therapy can be purchased by visiting http://www.adizes.com/store, and the eBook is available on Amazon. About Dr. Ichak Adizes Ichak Adizes received a Ph.D. from Columbia University, was a tenured faculty member at UCLA and visiting professor at Stanford Business School, and is a recipient of eighteen honorary doctorates from universities in eight countries. He is the author of twenty books in twenty six languages and has appeared before well over 100,000 executives in fifty countries. He was named one of the Top Thirty Thought Leaders of America by Leadership Excellence Journal. He currently heads the Adizes Institute, a worldwide consulting company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Contact Information: Adizes Institute publishing(at)adizes(dot)com 805.565.2901 Innoport by Intellicomm is a prime example of how cloud communications deeply rooted in business automation and increased security can lead to cheaper, faster and better business results that can be deployed by small to mid-sized companies at the same level as that by a large corporation. With additional cities in Japan coming online, Intellicomm is pleased to announce this milestone in bringing its expertise in cloud communications to a growing geographic footprint. Innoport phone number availability in Japan includes the following cities - Chiba, Kawaguchi, Kawasaki, Kobe, Kokubunji, Nagoya, Narita, Osaka, Saitama, Tokyo and Yokohama. While businesses generally think of increasing communications with its customers, partners and vendors by increasing various modes of customer interactions, often overlooked is the benefit of automation in communications. Automating cloud communications with a vast geographic network has helped Intellicomms customers connect multiple geographically dispersed locations with ease. As Japan is one of the largest economies of the world, additional telephone number availability there allows Innoport customers to increase the potential market size of their products and services. Intellicomm is relentless in its pursuit of helping and enabling its customers with its years of expertise in communications technology and increased geographic coverage of Innoport services reaching as far as Japan demonstrates such a commitment, said Harprit Singh, President and CEO of Intellicomm. Innoport services are used in various industries, including but not limited to, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, financial services, education, real estate, travel and hospitality. Whether its enabling voice and fax message delivery directly to an enterprise system, find me follow me call routing to various destinations worldwide, virtual auto attendant with extensions, physician dictations via phone, secure and encrypted fax communications for healthcare, or a backup telecom service for disaster recovery, customers of Innoport services are uniquely positioned to take advantage of its growing network footprint. For additional information including pricing and plans, please visit http://www.innoport.com. About Intellicomm Intellicomm Inc. is a leading provider of cloud communications services, delivering enterprise class services to businesses of all sizes and empowering them with an unprecedented level of information access and management. Through its flagship service, Innoport, Intellicomm automates an individual or company's flow of communication. As an affordable, hosted communications system, Innoport can help businesses achieve virtual office and communications capabilities that present nearly unlimited scalability for growth, enhance employee mobility and increase business process automation. For more information, please visit http://www.innoport.com, http://www.innoportexpress.com or http://www.intellicomm.com. Innoport is a registered service mark of Intellicomm Inc. Copyright 2016 Intellicomm Inc. All rights reserved. ### Through the offer, we invite local contractors to try our service free for 60 days. Our platform will save them time and enhance the efficiency of finding clients and growing businesses. Kunstrux, the Washington and Oregon targeted construction project pairing startup, has released a special offer for new members who sign up for the premium professional account. By using the promo code SKILLED, new users will receive a 60 day complimentary premium membership with all the features and benefits included. Kunstrux is a newly founded web-based portal providing an easy-to-use platform to help connect construction professionals with property owners who have immediate needs on home improvement or remodeling projects. To encourage more local contractors to learn about the service and experience Kunstruxs self-developed Builder Score rating system, the company is providing a 60-day no-cost trial to their premium professional account. Contractors who are interested in learning the new way to drive local customers can have a no-risk chance to try the system. Experience is worth a thousand words. Says Rick Methvin, the Founder of Kunstrux and a previous construction businesses owner, Ive seen many contractors struggling on managing bids and increasing leads. Our platform will save them time and enhance the efficiency of finding clients and growing businesses. Through the offer, we invite local contractors to try our service for 60 days. There is no risk involved and if Kunstrux does not help contractors gain new clients and grow their business, members have the option to switch to a lower membership at the end of the trial period. Kunstrux encourages contractors in the Pacific Northwest area, including the Seattle and Portland areas, to experience the system without cost with the coupon code SKILLED. Members can upgrade and downgrade the membership at any time. To learn the full features of Kunstruxs services, please visit the professional member page at http://kunstrux.com/how-it-works/pro/ For registration, please sign up here directly: http://kunstrux.com/join-pro/ About Kunstrux Kunstrux is a web-based portal that provides services of matching qualified contractors with residential and commercial construction projects. Its like-no-other credit scoring system provides a neutral assessment to contractor's capability, which allows contractors to promote business easily as well as help property owners find dependable professionals. To learn more about Kunstrux, visit the website at kunstrux.com. SAE Fellowship status is the highest grade of membership bestowed by SAE International. 18 engineers and scientists from industry and academia now have the prestigious SAE International status of SAE Fellow. The group will be honored at the Fellows Reception and Dinner during the SAE 2016 World Congress on Monday, April 11 in Detroit. SAE Fellowship status is the highest grade of membership bestowed by SAE International. It recognizes outstanding engineering and scientific accomplishments by an individual that have resulted in meaningful advances in automotive, aerospace and commercial-vehicle technology. The program, established in 1975, recognizes an average of 20 worldwide recipients for this honor each year. The 2015 recipients, listed in alphabetical order, include: Dr. Tat Leung CHAN, P.E.(WI), Associate Professor and Program Leader, Automotive Engineering Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Richard S. Davis, GM Technical Fellow, SI Combustion and Airflow, General Motors Dr. Anindya Deb, Professor, Indian Institute of Science Dr. Johney B. Green, Jr., Director, Energy and Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory David A. Lamb, Senior Technical Expert for Modeling and Simulation, U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) Christine Lambert, Technical Leader, Ford Motor Co. Thomas G. Leone, Technical Expert, Powertrain Evaluation and Analysis, Ford Motor Company Dr. Z. Gerald Liu, Executive Scientist / Director, Cummins Inc. Federico Millo, Associate Professor, Politecnico Di Torino Dr. Mark P B Musculus, Principal Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories Hideyuki Ogawa, Professor, Hokkaido University Gregory E. Saunders, Director, Defense Standardization Program Office, United States Department of Defense Ahmed A. Shabana, Richard and Loan Hill Professor of Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago Dr. Arun S. Solomon, Technical Fellow, General Motors Company Dr. Leonid Tartakovsky, Director, Internal Combustion Engines Laboratory, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Junmin Wang, Associate Professor, Director of Vehicle Systems and Control Laboratory, Ohio State University Tom Watson, Vice President and Technical Fellow Powertrain and Vehicle Systems and Robust Engineering, Johnson Controls Inc. Ming Zheng, Professor, Professional Engineer of Ontario, University of Windsor The SAE 2016 World Congress will be held April 12-14 at Cobo Center in Detroit. Executive Leadership is provided by Toyota; Tier One Strategic Partner for the event is AISIN. SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession. By uniting over 128,000 engineers and technical experts, we drive knowledge and expertise across a broad spectrum of industries. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion and the Collegiate Design Series. Carnegie Council's Asia Dialogues Program The ethical issues we will investigate include gender in Japan, religion in Indonesia, and climate change in the Philippines. Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. Carnegie Council's Asia Dialogues Program and its project "Building Pacific Communities" aims to advance ethical inquiry within Asia and the United States. The goal is to foster moral leadership, mutual learning, and lasting relationships across the Pacific. Based on the methods pioneered in the Council's Global Ethical Dialogues, the Pacific Communities Project examines local manifestations of global issues by engaging with community representatives at the front lines of social change. According to Devin Stewart, senior fellow and project leader, the Asia Dialogues Program will explore social change and norms in East Asia. "The ethical issues we will investigate include gender in Japan, religion in Indonesia, and climate change in the Philippines," says Stewart. "The program also will leverage the network of scholars we have cultivated around the world, our New York City-based young professionals program, and the method of moral inquiry we have developed with Harvard scholar Michael Ignatieff over the years through our Global Ethical Dialogues project, which took us to more than 25 cities on five continents. Thanks to the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation and others, we will write, publish, and conduct interview podcasts to shed new light on the local contestations of these global issues." The Henry Luce Foundation was established in 1936 by the late Henry R. Luce, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc., to honor his parents, who were missionary educators in China. The Foundation seeks to bring important ideas to the center of American life, strengthen international understanding, and foster innovation and leadership in academic, policy, religious, and art communities. For more information, go to http://www.hluce.org/. Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914 and based in New York City, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an educational, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that produces lectures, publications, and multimedia materials on the ethical challenges of living in a globalized world. For more information, go to http://www.carnegiecouncil.org. SPAR 3D Expo & Conference, the premier global event for 3D technologies, has announced that Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley will deliver a keynote presentation titled, Lessons Learned through Reality Modeling for the Popes Visit to Philadelphia. He will discuss how state of the art context capture was used in planning Pope Franciss visit to the United States last year. Greg Bentley will show how the latest advances in software for reality capture through digital photography was a game changer for the Popes visit, and how it points the way to future advances in reality modeling, continuous surveying and the visual operations of infrastructure assets. This incredible undertaking is a prime example of how 3D technologies are being utilized in unique ways to solve complex challenges, explained Lisa Murray, Director of SPAR 3D Expo & Conference. Greg Bentleys presentation will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 10:00AM at SPAR 3D Expo & Conference. SPAR 3D is held at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center in The Woodlands, TX. For more information or to register, visit http://www.spar3d.com/event. Qualified media receive free registration. About SPAR 3D Expo & Conference SPAR 3D Expo & Conference, produced by Diversified Communications, is a technology-neutral exhibition and conference on 3D technologies for surveyors, engineers, facilities managers, asset owners and other stakeholders. Conference programming covers end-to-end 3D from data capture to deliverables including considerations for information dissemination across the organization. SPAR 3D content will examine how 3D technologies are applied in a range of applications including engineering, construction, operations & facility management, infrastructure, manufacturing and security. SPAR 3D Expo & Conference will be held April 11-14, 2016 at The Woodlands, TX. http://www.spar3d.com/event Tom Bloomfield We must commit ourselves, as farmers, families and friends to protecting our ecosystem to honor all the generations of people that have come before us and to respect those that will come after. Capital Oyster and Fishers Island Oyster farmers reflect on the lessons learned from generations of experience about sustainable growth practices and giving back to their waters while they join a community of people participating in the Billion Oyster Project - an organization that truly understands the power of change. When the first box of Capital Oyster samples arrived at JFK, it had one mission: to find a home, in a blizzard. Within 24 hours Capitals snuck in silence into a cold fridge, and one by one stepped up onto a Michelin Starred white plate and patiently sat there hoping someone would notice. Tom Bloomfield, a fifth-generation oyster farmer, spends his days and nights in the quiet peace of the Pacific Northwest, perfecting this delicate animal. Grown in pesticide and chemical free water, Capital oysters are raised using the tide tumbled suspension method. This method works by elevating the oyster bags beautifully off the ground so they are not in contact and do not disturb the muddy bottom, gently tumbling each one with the natural tide in the Southern Puget Sound--which is just 9 miles north of Washingtons state Capital, Olympia. Olympias earliest settlers survived because of shellfish. There is a universal truth that if we commit ourselves to integrity, quality and creativity, our work will have a profound impact on others lives. Oysters bring people together, which is why its important we commit ourselves to sustainable seafood. Many oyster farmers follow this methodology. In 1987, Sarah and Steve Malinowski, of Fishers Island Oyster Farm, harvested their first batch of oysters grown in pearl nets. By 1988, they ventured off into New York City and began paring with celebrity chefs like Jean-Georges and Charlie Palmer who were at the beginning of their now highly successful careers. They were one of the first oyster companies from the east coast to focus on sustainable growth practices and arrived in a market--then dominated by the Blue Point name--as an alternative option. Now their aim is to cultivate and bring to market sustainable shellfish and at the same time help nurture the ecosystems promoting Farm without Harm. Twenty-nine years later, Capital Oyster arrived to the New York market with a similar vision and the nations best west coast oyster. While the marker of approval may have been suspicious of the American name at first, Capital Oyster has continued to earn respect day by day in the culinary community. Capital customers in New York City, like Joseph Marazzo, are visionaries, able to recognize what people will love quickly. Joseph opened his first Virgola in New Yorks Greenwich Village. It is a sexy Italian wine bar that serves his unique Prosecco, a selection of east and west coast oysters as well as a variety of specialty Italian small plates. Hes expanded to a gorgeous East Village location and will be opening two more locations in Florida and Oklahoma soon. His incredible growth is a testimony to what true quality and creativity means to people. Virgola, Lobster Place, and Grand Central Oyster Bar--all locations where you can find Capital Oysters--donate their shells to the Billion Oyster Project (BOP) an organization led by Peter Malinowski. BOP aims to restore one billion live oysters to New York Harbor by 2035 while engaging thousands of school children through restoration based STEM education programs. Join us on May 19th, 2016 as Capital Oyster and many other oyster farmers, community members, chefs and restaurants support and celebrate BOP and oyster restoration. To learn more about how you can participate in BOP restoration and educational programs please visit http://www.billionoysterproject.org/ It goes without saying that the oyster community has grown tremendously. We have all reached the point where delicious oysters are readily available at an eclectic variety of restaurants and raw bars. Tom Bloomfields commitment to oysters has resulted in him perfecting the Capital, an American named premium. It symbolizes the true beauty of what we can accomplish in the US if we pool the resources of every person who has made it their lifes work to teach sustainability. Next time you sit down to eat an oyster, remember that the delicate shell in your hand is a labor of love and embodies a lifetime of stories-just like the ones you share while eating them. We must commit ourselves, as farmers, families and friends to protecting our ecosystem to honor all the generations of people that have come before us and to respect those that will come after. Celebrating Phillys proud, culinary heritage, Tony Lukes will celebrate National Cheesesteak Day on March 24 by giving away free Junior Cheesesteaks to the first 100 children who visit participating Tony Lukes locations. Tony Lukes will also randomly give away five free Tony Lukes hoodies or t-shirts to five lucky customers who RSVP to the event on Facebook and share the post on their profile. Participating Tony Lukes locations can be found in Warminster, Mayfair, Laurel Lanes, Deptford Mall and King of Prussia Mall. More information is available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TonyLukesUSA. Tony Luke Jr. is a restaurateur, actor, musician, and entertainer. Gourmet Magazine has twice hailed Luke and his restaurants for quality and innovation. Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, Dinner: Impossible, Man v. Food, and Food Wars have featured Luke and his restaurants on various episodes. Identity Automation, a leading provider of Identity and Access Management software, announced today that Troy Moreland, CTO of Identity Automation, will be speaking about alternative approaches to one size fits all authentication at the CoSN Annual Conference on Tuesday, April 5, in Washington D.C. The companys security experts will also be available to meet with school IT staff and administrators at Identity Automations booth (#45). A one size fits all approach to authentication that doesnt account for individual risk factors has proven ineffective for managing student, teacher, parent, and faculty access to the digital learning environment. This limited approach negatively impacts usability, security, efficiency, and compliance. More sophisticated and user-focused authentication methods, that better strike a balance between usability and security, are now readily available and no longer cost-prohibitive. By using multi-factor, adaptive, and age-appropriate authentication methods, school administrators and IT staff can customize user access while adding an additional layer of security. What: Troy Moreland will discuss the pitfalls and risks of using a one size fits all strategy, as well as the benefits of using multi-factor, age appropriate, and adaptive authentication to efficiently and securely streamline identity management. He will also explain how to jump-start implementation of a user-centric authentication strategy today. Who: Identity Automations Troy Moreland is a world-class expert technologist in the field of identity and access management. He has more than 20 years of relevant experience, including leading efforts to select, design, and deploy one of the first commercially successful identity management implementations in the United States. When: Tuesday, April 5, 2016 from 11:15 - 11:45 am Where: Washington Hilton Hotel, Holmead West Conference Room How: Register here to attend the conference and join Morelands presentation: http://cosnconference.org/attend/registration/ About Identity Automation Identity Automation is a leading provider of Identity and Access Management software. We help enterprise, education, and government customers streamline security, limiting risk from data and network breaches, improving organizational agility, and reducing IT costs. Our flagship product, RapidIdentity actively manages user access to on-premises and cloud-based systems, and puts control of crucial security-management and governance tools in the hands of those who can use it best employees and managers. Intuitive, lightning-fast, rapid to deploy, and easy to use, RapidIdentity is the right choice for organizations looking to streamline security in a dangerous world. Visit http://www.identityautomation.com for more information. Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show is Fun for Entire Family The best reasons to attend the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show is the opportunity to shop from hundreds of regional marine retailers who offer boat show pricing, expertise, and boat show specials. For one weekend in April, the Chesapeake Bay's thriving marine industry will relocate to City Dock. From sailboats to sails, from St. Michael's to Main Street, the region's favorite maritime retailers and service providers exhibit at the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show, April 22-24, 2016. Recently named one of the most beautiful towns in America by Conde Nast, Annapolis has long been known as the sailing capital of the world, and is home to a thriving marine industry. "There are many excellent reasons to attend April's sailboat show," said Paul Jacobs, president and general manager of the Annapolis Boat Shows. "It is a perfect destination if you are thinking of getting into sailing or if you are getting ready to purchase a boat. However, the best reasons to attend the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show is the opportunity to shop from hundreds of local marine retailers who offer boat show pricing, expertise, and boat show specials," Jacobs added. "It's all about getting out on the water in the springtime." More than 100 sailboats will be on display in the water and on land, new and brokerage, including catamarans, monohulls, family cruisers, day sailors, and blue water sailboats. Because most sailboats are available for immediate sale, families can realize their dream of spending the summer on a new boat. The sailboat show will have the latest in navigational equipment, high-tech electronics, inflatables, boating accessories, clothing, gear, and related services such as boating clubs, charter companies, insurance firms, and lending institutions. For those wanting to experience the joy of sailing the First Sail Workshop is taught by expert instructors and is designed for the beginning sailor. The Sunset Cruise Package, Saturday April 23rd, is an all-inclusive special day at the sailboat show. Participants will be wined and dined, enjoy dancing to a live band on the Catherine Marie during a three-hour sunset cruise. The VIP Package also includes on-site parking, admission to the show, a private buffet luncheon at the Federal House, and a canvas swag bag filled with goodies. When it's time to take a break from boat shopping and new this year in Susan Campbell Park, patrons can relax and listen to continuous live music, win valuable prizes, enjoy water views, and try free regional food and drink tastings. On April 23rd, regional high school sailing teams competing for a traveling cup will race in the 2nd Annual Annapolis Junior Keelboat Regatta. Award ceremony immediately following race Cruisers University, April 21 - 24, 2016, offers dozens of courses taught by expert instructors on cruising and boat preparedness for sail and power cruisers. There is no better opportunity to learn all you will need to know before heading out on your adventure. Set in the charming historic seaport of Annapolis, the 2016 show has something for everyone including valuable door prizes donated by sponsors and exhibitors. "This isn't just any boat show. There are sailboat tours, sailing lessons, sunset cruises, historic tours, Naval Academy tours, Maryland crab cakes, blue crabs, raw bars, craft beers, painkillers, and breathtaking views," said Jacobs. Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show City Dock, Annapolis, Maryland Friday, April 22, 2016 10:00am - 6:00pm Saturday, April 23, 2016 10:00am - 6:00pm Sunday, April 24, 2016 10:00am - 5:00pm Adult - One Day $12 Adult - Two Day Combo $19 Children: 12 & under FREE About the Annapolis Boat Shows: A premier event management company that produces four grand in-water boat shows. Each year 130,000 loyal attendees from around the world travel to the Chesapeake Bay to experience these nautical extravaganzas. According to a 2014 economic impact study, the Annapolis Boat Shows injects more than $112 million into the Annapolis area economy each year. 2016 Annapolis Boat Shows Bay Bridge Boat Show April 15-17, 2016 Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show April 22-24, 2016 United States Sailboat Show October 6-10, 2016 United States Powerboat Show October 13-16, 2016 Cruisers University April 21-24, 2016 & October 10-13, 2016 # Zebrajobs.com today announces it is launching the first ever Virtual Job Fair in Kenya, going live on May 27, 2016. The interactive digital job fair aims to support the recruitment needs of businesses, multinational companies, government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya by reducing the limitations of traditional recruitment methods and making the process more streamlined and dynamic through the effective use of modern technology. The Kenyan Virtual Job Fair (KVJF) will draw jobseekers and potential employees from around the world through the power of the Internet to come together in Kenya for unique career opportunities with both public and private sector employers. The Kenyan Virtual Job Fair will open on MAY 27, 2016 and will remain on demand for 30 consecutive days thereafter. With its global reach and endless opportunities, it will provide corporations and organizations with tremendous advantages over traditional recruitment methods. Some of the benefits of the KVJF include: Enhancing marketplace visibility to many highly qualified professionals searching for opportunities in Kenya. Maximizing the global reach of the Internet to eliminate the constraints of physical boundaries while searching for suitable candidates to fill job vacancies. Being able to collect a large number of quality CVs/resumes, instantly screen and identify suitable candidates, and conduct live face-to face online chats to build a resource of qualified candidates for current and future recruitment needs. Reducing conventional marketing expenses by eliminating travel costs, constraints associated with logistics and time, and reducing the cost of advertising and promotional materials while maximizing the return from your participation. Gaining all the benefits of a physical job fair without any of the inconveniences or draw-backs. "Our vision behind the launch of the first-ever Virtual Job Fair in Kenya is focused on meeting multiple goals," explained Yusuf Reja, Chief Executive Officer of Zebrajobs.com. "We are committed to creating a climate for employers that encourages Kenyas organizations to recruit the best personnel available from within Kenya and the Diaspora. Critical to this effort is having a large pool of talent from which employers can source and hire staff. We also see the Kenyan Virtual Job Fair as a great opportunity to increase job availability, reduce unemployment and reverse the emigration of skilled professionals by reaching out to Kenyans in the Diaspora and encouraging them to return to their homeland by providing them with meaningful, accessible and potentially lucrative job opportunities." Job-seekers worldwide; from experienced professionals to recent graduates, will have full access to a wide range of employment opportunities and vacancies in Kenya. The online job fair will enable prospective employees to search active job listings online, submit CVs/resumes, attend networking events, obtain career advisory services and participate in interviews, all at no cost to themselves and from the comfort of their own home or office. All they require is access to PC, laptop, iPad or mobile phone with Internet capabilities. The Kenyan Virtual Job Fair will be powered by state-of the-art technology. It is an online job portal which will enable companies to post positions and provide information to candidates about their company through easy-to-build virtual exhibition booths, while receiving resumes and interacting with interested candidates. About Zebrajobs.com Zebrajobs.com is an online platform for skilled professionals from multiple disciplines to register, create, and post personal profiles and resumes. Sign up to receive e-mail alerts on African employment opportunities. SOURCE Zebrajobs.com Greg Schreiber, Senior VP of Sales, Boon Edam The company has expanded its management structure and hired additional sales staff to accommodate record sales of its entrance solutions in the Americas. Past News Releases RSS Boon Edam Inc., a global leader in security entrances and architectural revolving doors, today announced that the company has expanded its management structure and hired additional sales staff to accommodate record sales of its entrance solutions in the Americas. Several new regional territories have been created throughout North America and Latin America to support a growing customer base and the Enterprise Accounts sales team has been expanded across North America to focus on the companys national and global corporate customers. Organizational and Management Updates Greg Schreiber, with Boon Edam 15 years, and previously Vice President of Sales, is now Senior Vice President of Sales. He will direct two National Sales Managers, Glen Tracy and JC Powell (promoted from Business Development Manager in the Southwest Region) and Mark Perkins, Vice President of Enterprise Security Accounts. Sam Nussman was recently promoted to Technical Services Manager, enabling the previous technical services manager, Brad Whaley, to now work alongside Kurt Measom in a new role as Enterprise Accounts Technology Specialist. Enterprise Accounts Expansion Enterprise Accounts was an initiative started in 2013 and is being expanded further to include six staff dedicated to establishing new national and international enterprise accounts, while working in cooperation with regional Business Development Managers (BDM) to ensure that Enterprise customers receive superior service at all levels. The newest members are: Brandon Roe, with 16 years combined experience in the construction and security industries, is now a BDM for Enterprise accounts focused on architectural revolving doors for large retailers, hospitality and property management companies. Brandon previously worked in the security industry selling video, access and intrusion with Honeywell Security, Panasonic and most recently with InVue Security Products selling merchandise protection and loss prevention technology. Brandon works from Raleigh, NC. Peter Prior, currently BDM for Enterprise Accounts in the Western Region, brings many years of sales and security industry experience to Boon Edam, including working for Samsung, Honeywell Video Systems, and most recently as Director of Sales with Tyco. Petes real passion is being in front of customers and developing new business. Pete works out of the Sacramento, California area. Sara Sullivan, previously from Inside Sales, now supports the Enterprise Sales Team as Program Manager conducting research and maintaining relationships with Fortune 1000 customers. Thomas Gilbert now specializes as an Inside Sales Representative for Enterprise Accounts, managing the quality of submittals, production and shipment of customer orders. Regional Business Development Expansion Linda Considine, formerly of Kratos, Touchcom (G4S) and Siemens, has been hired as Business Development Manager for Wisconsin and Illinois. Linda has many years experience promoting security hardware and software solutions and is based near Chicago, in Naperville, IL. Latin American Expansion Claudio Rubio Marmori was hired as a BDM for the Mexico-South region, working from his home office in Mexico City. Claudio has spent more than 15 years in the security industry, specializing in the design and sales of security systems, including access control, intrusion, fire detection and CCTV. Claudio not only brings industry experience to Boon Edam, but degrees in Electromechanical Engineering, Project Management and Strategic Sales. Ernesto Ortega, an electrical engineer, has joined Boon Edam in a special, combined role as Field Service & Installation Technician and Sales Representative. Ernestos career path includes experience with companies like Honeywell Building Solutions (Venezuela) and Technology, Access and Security (Panama). He has accreditations from Microsoft, Tyco, Honeywell, University of Texas and Six Sigma Institute, among others. Ernesto is based in Panama City, Panama. Eduardo Guzman, a mechanical engineer, was hired as a Field Service and Installation Technician to service Boon Edam installations in Mexico. During his 15 years of experience, Eduardo has gained expertise in access control, CCTV, fire detection, special systems, home automation and building automation. His specialty is access control integration with Boon Edam products. Eduardo resides in Mexico City. Jeannette Sweatt, the BDM for Central and South America, has recently relocated from North Carolina to Santiago, Chile, creating a new level of expertise and proximity in South America for gaining and fostering new relationships with distributors and customers. For Further Information, Please Contact: Tracie Thomas Marketing Manager T 910 814 8239 E tracie(dot)thomas(at)boonedam(dot)com For Media Queries, Please Contact: Bruce Doneff Public Relations T 843 476 3022 E doneff(at)verizon(dot)net About Royal Boon Edam With work environments becoming increasingly global and dynamic, the entry has become the center of activity in and around many buildings. As the importance of the entry as a mobility hotspot increases, the demands we put on managing the passage of people through them grow. Royal Boon Edam is a global market leader in entry solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with 140 years of experience in engineering quality, we have gained extensive expertise in managing the movement of people through office buildings, airports, healthcare facilities, hotels and many other types of buildings. We are focused on providing an optimal experience for our clients and their clients. By working together with you, our client, we help determine the exact requirements for the mobility hotspot in and around your building and develop a solution that is customized for you in three key areas: sustainability, security and service. You can find more news about Boon Edam on http://www.boonedam.us/newsroom. Cynthia A. Kitner, Jefferson Security Bank President & CEO Cindy has been a visionary throughout her career at Jefferson Security Bank. Jefferson Security Banks Board of Directors has appointed Cynthia A. Kitner as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Jefferson Security Bank (JSB), effective March 16, 2016. K. Stephen Morris served as the President and CEO of JSB and as a member of the Banks Board of Directors since 2003. Mr. Morris will officially retire on April 20, 2016 and will serve as the Chief Strategy Officer until such time. Kitner, a certified public accountant with more than 18 years of banking experience in both public and private sector accounting, said she is ready for the next step in her banking career. I am honored to serve as Jefferson Security Banks next President and CEO, she said. I look forward to continuing to serve our diverse local communities in my new position. Kitner joined the Bank in 2005 and has served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since March 2007. Prior to that time, she served as the Senior Vice President and CFO. As CFO, she has worked to ensure proper financial accounting and reporting of the Banks operating results. She also has been directly responsible for the oversight and management of the finance, risk management and compliance departments. Kitner also holds the positions of Risk Management Officer, Compliance Officer, Customer Information Security Program Coordinator, Community Reinvestment Act Officer and Corporate Secretary. In her more than 10 years with JSB, Kitner has provided mentoring and leadership for several departments, including human resources, information technology and loan review, while assisting Morris with pivotal projects. Kitners ability to provide support and make critical decisions during the development and implementation of new bank policies, procedures, strategies and objectives has made her a valuable asset to the Bank, according to James Davis, Chair of JSBs Board of Directors. Cindy has been a visionary throughout her career at Jefferson Security Bank, Davis said. We are confident that she is the right person to fuel the Banks momentum. Visit http://www.JSB.bank to learn more about JSB. About Jefferson Security Bank Jefferson Security Bank is an independent community bank evolving with the needs of the customers and the communities it serves. Serving individuals, businesses and community organizations, Jefferson Security Bank strives to support entrepreneurial efforts within its target markets. Delivering long-term value to its shareholders is at the core of the organizations culture. Jefferson Security Bank is a West Virginia state-chartered bank that was formed and opened for business on May 19, 1869, making it the oldest bank in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Originally chartered as Jefferson Savings Bank, it changed its name to Jefferson Security Bank in 1909. The bank provides general banking services within its primary market area of Jefferson and Berkeley counties in West Virginia and Washington County, Maryland, and in its secondary market of Frederick County, Virginia. Visit http://www.JSB.bank for more information. ### Media Contact: Sandy Sponaugle sandy(at)platinumpr(dot)com 304-876-8321 (office) 304-702-0350 (cell) Draw Why Life is Good Art Contest Positive lifestyle brand Life is Good announced today the launch of its first t-shirt art contest for kids, encouraging them to focus on the good and spread the power of optimism. Every time kids draw and share why life is good theyll help make life better for kids in need. The world today can be an intense, complex and challenging place but as humans we have a choice to focus on whats right in our lives rather than whats wrong, said John Jacobs Chief Creative Optimist & Life is Good co-founder. The amazing thing about young kids is this comes naturally to them. Our goal with this contest is to celebrate and inspire that raw sense of optimism, to remind people of the simple things that make life good, while also raising money to help kids overcome poverty, violence and illness. Beloved for over 20 years for its fun, positive message apparel, Life is Good is dedicated to inspiring people to choose optimism to positively impact their life and the lives of others. Now through April 29th, 2016, kids from the ages of 3 through 12 are encouraged to hand draw what makes life good for them, then have their parent (or legal guardian) scan or snap a photo, share on Instagram using #LifeisGoodbecause or submit through http://www.lifeisgood.com/artcontest. For every entry received, Life is Good will donate $1 to help kids in need. Three grand prize winners will have their drawing featured on Life is Good t-shirts (with net profits donated to support kids in need) and be awarded a $2,000 scholarship as part of the prize package. All original art submitted will be reviewed by the official Life is Good team, including Bert Jacobs (Chief Executive Optimist & Life is Good co-founder) and John Jacobs (Chief Creative Optimist & Life is Good co-founder). Entrants art will be shared in an ever-growing gallery of inspiration at http://www.lifeisgood.com/artcontest. The campaign comes on the heels of the release of Life is Goods new 2016 Kids Collection. Featuring 24 unique styles in sizes ranging from toddler to Kids XL, the line includes original art and messages of empowerment and positivity to help build confidence in kids and spread optimism to all. The tees are made with 100% USA grown cotton, are garment washed for softness and feature double needle stitching. For more contest details and information visit: http://www.lifeisgood.com/artcontest. ABOUT THE LIFE IS GOOD COMPANY The Life is Good Company is a $100 million lifestyle brand dedicated to spreading the power of optimism. The company donates 10 percent of its net profits to help kids in need. To date, the company has donated over $11 million, principally through Life is Good products, events and community fundraising efforts. Life is Good is a registered trademark of The Life is Good Company. Please visit LifeisGood.com for more details and follow Life is Good on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ABOUT LIFE IS GOOD KIDS FOUNDATION The Life is Good Kids Foundation is an accredited 501(c)(3) that partners with organizations serving the most vulnerable children to improve the quality of their care. The Foundation's Playmaker program connects with schools, hospitals, camps, and a variety of social service agencies to give childcare professionals the resources they need to make a positive, life-changing impact at a pivotal time in a child's development. For more information please visit LifeisGood.com. 'Food is the one sector where the interdependence of purpose and profit is immediately obvious -- the natural systems that provide our food are already being impacted,' said Derek Denckla, Executive Director of F+E. Food + Enterprise Summit (F+E), Slow Money NYCs annual B2B event, returns to Brooklyn for its fifth year on April 8th and 9th, convening investors and entrepreneurs at this one-stop shop to learn everything they need to know about how to do business together with greater success in todays rapidly evolving food system. Investment interest has flooded toward food and beverage companies in the US -- with venture capital alone exploding from approximately $65 mm in 2009 to $542.4 mm in 2015. Globally, AgTech also had a record breaking year in 2015, with $4.6 bb invested, almost doubling 2014 activity of $2.36 bb. Food + Enterprise Program provides a highly interactive format and timely content, enabling entrepreneurs and investors to learn side-by-side about the sectors unique risks and anticipated longer-term shifts and ultimately forging connections around a business approach that seeks financial ROI to thrive in the long term while creating a fair and sustainable local food system. Food is the one sector where the interdependence of purpose and profit is immediately obvious the natural systems that provide our food are already being impacted, said Derek Denckla, Executive Director of F+E. The most promising new companies are responding to this impending shift in resource availability but ultimately, the long-term success of all food businesses relies on a more sustainable food system. F+Es unique format caters to both investors and entrepreneurs -- while also having relevance for all food system stakeholders. In 2015, 17% of attendees were investors and 45% were entrepreneurs, the balance being other professionals within the food system including farmers, government, distributors, students, and consultants for every aspect of business. "Food + Enterprise Summit provides investors, like me, with a forum to connect with food entrepreneurs where we learn together on equal footing," stated Investor Brian Kaminer of Foodshed Investors NY. The structure of the Summit promotes real understanding and lasting relationships between investors and entrepreneurs which translate into investments Ive made." Entrepreneur Nancy Kalish of Pure Genius Provisions told us, I learned more on that day -- and during the rest of the weekend -- than I could have learned in months on my own. The Summit provides investors and entrepreneurs access to a full range of potential funding options, what F+E organizers refer to as The Capital Stack, useful to businesses as they progress through different stages of growth and development. Many entrepreneurs encounter The Capital Stack for the first time at F+E, exploring the range of funding options available -- in addition to angel and venture funding -- prompting the realization that their company could be more successful by accessing different types of capital from diverse sources. This years Summit theme, Finding Food Value: Balancing Purpose And Profit, will help attendees discover connections between their food choices, business decisions, and investment philosophy. Theme-associated sessions will engage attendees to learn about potential surprises that can hamper growth or even cause a food business to fail, identify new food business innovations that are likely to stick, and realize the value of building their businesses with regional stakeholders. Over the past five years, F+E has served as a meeting place of the regions robust sustainable food startup community featuring some who are now the most successful companies to come out of the ecosystem including Blue Marble Ice Cream, Brooklyn Grange, Fleishers Pasture-Raised Meats, and many others. While F+E presents the staple, Pitchfest, that gives stage time to entrepreneurs to make their case to investors, the Meet + Eat Marketplace allows entrepreneurs the additional opportunity of bringing their product to life beyond a pitch deck for the same prospective funders. Speaker highlights for 2016 include: Carolyn Steel, author of the award winning book Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives and her associated TED Talk; Joanne Wilson AKA Gotham Gal, a prominent NYC-based angel investor in start-up food companies and restaurants; and Majora Carter, whose latest initiatives include Startup Box and a new South Bronx cafe with Birch Coffee. Food + Enterprise takes place When: Friday, April 8 - Saturday, April 9 Where: Pfizer Building, 630 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206, a new hub for food innovation Tickets: Tickets are on sale for $300 for the two-day event. Sliding scale scholarships are available by application for Farmers and Government via connect(at)foodandenterprise(dot)com. Workshare applications are available for startup professionals and students on the website. The event has an expected attendance of up to 500 participants. http://foodandenterprise.com/tickets About Food + Enterprise Food + Enterprise was founded in 2011 by Slow Money NYC to support its mission To catalyze the flow of capital to our local food system by developing a network of entrepreneurs, farmers and investors guided by new impact investment principles connected to place, rooted in relationships and respecting human dignity and environmental limits. Slow Money NYC is part of a national Slow Money movement promoting a new way to invest through diverse gatherings, 24 local networks and 13 investment clubs, which are responsible for moving over $45 million in capital into 450 small food enterprises around the United States. Over 31,000 people have signed the Slow Money Principles. About Our Supporters Food + Enterprise draws a diverse group of partners that support the event -- from financial institutions to government to non-profit organizations to food companies. Here is a list of all the generous supporters as of the date of this release (ordered by their respective levels of support (highest to lowest)): BackOffice Associates Logo Through Cindys leadership, the marketing team has optimized overall customer engagement with programs that meet their specific needswhether showcasing our support of the full data journey or particular vertical market expertise - CSO Rex Ahlstrom BackOffice Associates, a worldwide leader of information governance and data modernization solutions, today announced that Global Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales Operations Cindy Zhou has been named as a finalist for Marketing Executive of the Year in the prestigious 2016 Marketo Revvie Awards. I am honored and humbled to be named a finalist for the Marketo Revvie award. This acknowledgement is a reflection of the collective work of the entire BackOffice global marketing team, said Zhou. Marketing today is about customer engagement. I feel very fortunate to call many of the worlds most admired brands our customers and am passionate about helping them achieve their business goals through best practice data management. Joining BackOffice Associates in September of 2013, Zhou has completely transformed the overall marketing organization for the company. Her strategies have enabled the marketing team to increase customer engagement by offering more personalized relevant information to potential customers, thereby turning the marketing department into a proven revenue center. Zhou collaborated with the sales organization to quadruple the companys global pipeline and dramatically increase customer engagement with Marketo Real-time Personalization and measurable program ROI with Revenue Cycle Models. Zhou was promoted to senior vice president November 2014 to lead global sales operations in addition to marketing and has overseen the tight partnership of sales and marketing to achieve shared revenue objectives. Through Cindys leadership, the marketing team has optimized overall prospect and customer engagement with programs that meet their specific needswhether showcasing our support of the full data journey or particular vertical market expertise, said Rex Ahlstrom, chief strategy officer, BackOffice Associates. As a result, BackOffice offers the most relevant resources to the companies we serve ultimately helping them make the best decisions for leveraging their valuable enterprise data. The Marketo Revvie Awards celebrate those who have significantly impacted company revenue and built engaging, long-lasting relationships with customers by leveraging Marketo marketing automation software. Revvie Award Winners will be announced at Marketos The Marketing Nation Summit held in Las Vegas, May 9-12, 2016. Visit https://events.marketo.com/summit/2016/awards/ for more information. About BackOffice Associates BackOffice Associates is a worldwide leader in information governance and data modernization solutions, focusing on helping customers manage one of their most critical assets data. Our range of award-winning products, built on a revolutionary platform, address the needs of business users seeking to unlock the value of their data assets. Our products and services enable organizations to accelerate growth, gain actionable visibility and reduce risks. Founded in 1996, we have an unparalleled record of success in the most complex data environments across a variety of industries. Customers include many Fortune 1000 companies including Eli Lilly, Kraft and Graybar. BackOffice Associates is a global corporation headquartered in Massachusetts with additional offices in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Dubai, India, Singapore, Switzerland and the U.K. To learn more, please visit http://www.boaweb.com. # # # Lung Institute employees at the Fight for Air Climb in Tampa on March 16. In the past I volunteered at this event, so it started out as helping others but eventually turned into helping myself. The Lung Institute hosted a Kick Butts Day event and participated in the Fight for Air Climb last week, both events raising awareness about lung health in the Tampa Bay area. The Lung Institute specializes in stem cell therapy for people with lung diseases and is dedicated to helping improve patients quality of life. By joining forces with non-profit organizations, the Lung Institute strives to help the community breathe more easily by providing funding and educational tools about lung health to the general public. This March marks the fourth consecutive year that the Lung Institute has participated in the American Lung Associations Fight for Air Climb and the second year of hosting a Kick Butts Day event, a national event created by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The Fight for Air Climb is a national event in major cities throughout the country where participants raise a minimum of $100 and climb the stairs of a tall building to not only understand what it feels like to have a lung disease, but also raise donations to help those who have been diagnosed with a lung disease. This years Fight for Air Climb is very special year for the Lung Institute, because a Lung Institute patient, Tammi, was able to participate in the Fight for Air Climb in Cleveland. I was on the twenty-second floor and said to my sister, I dont think I can do it, Tammi said. She asked, Why, is your breathing bad? And I said, No, I think its my legs! Tammi had been diagnosed with walking pneumonia and was only off of antibiotics for two days when she did the climb. My goal was to do 10 flights, and I did 42, which was the whole thing. As soon as I reached the top, everyone was standing there, and I just thought, Oh my god, I did it! It was the coolest thing ever. In the past I volunteered at this event, so it started out as helping others but eventually turned into helping myself, she said. In Tampa, the event was held on March 19 at the Bank of America building, where 10 Lung Institute employees climbed 42 stories, or 914 steps, to the top. The Lung Institute made the top 10 list for most donations raised in the Tampa Fight for Air Climb. To me, the Fight For Air Climb represents time, stated Content Strategist David Ebner, who participated in the climb for the second year in a row. Although the climb itself only takes a small portion of time, all of the preparation allowed me to reflect on the time Id like to have back with my dad, who died of cancer and COPD. I also think about the time that I never had with him because he was taken from me so early in my life. I think about the time that my participation in this event might give back to some other child whose parent has a lung disease. On the flip side, Kick Butts Day is a national event with the goal of reaching Americas youth before they start smoking. To me Kick Butts Day is about involvement and community, said Robert Cole, testimonial coordinator. Most everyone knows that smoking is harmful to your health, but when an event like Kick Butts Day happens, it makes everyone realize how much smoking can affect others. It means a lot to me because if we change just one persons life for the better, its all worth it. The Kick Butts Day event took place in Lykes Gaslight Square Park on March 16, where the Lung Institute partnered with Tobacco Free Florida and the local Area Health Education Center (AHEC) to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking. The event included a game where participants kicked oversized stuffed cigarette butts into a trash can, solidifying the messaging of the event with an activity that engaged local community members. Both events represent the prevalence of lung disease in the United States, with COPD alone affecting about 24 million people. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and events like Kick Butts Day and the Fight for Air Climb are helping to combat that statistic. Through participation in these events and the use of stem cell therapy for lung disease, the Lung Institute strives to reduce the number of people diagnosed with lung diseases and, for those who have already been diagnosed, help improve their quality of life. About the Lung Institute The Lung Institute is a leading medical provider of regenerative cellular therapy for lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease in the United States. To date the organization has treated over 2,000 patients, 82 percent of which report an improved quality of life. Founded in 2013 in Tampa, Fla., the Lung Institute currently has clinics in Nashville, Tenn., Scottsdale, Ariz., and Pittsburgh, Pa., and Dallas, Texas opening on Monday, March 28. For more information, please visit http://www.lunginstitute.com or call (800) 382-8095. # # # It is widely known in the industry that SelectAccount is creating some of the most versatile and creative consumer-directed health care solutions in the marketplace today, and I look forward to joining a team with so much forward thinking momentum. SelectAccount, a leading provider of medical spending accounts including HSA, FSA, HRA, and VEBA, is proud to announce that Wendy Ashford will take on the newly created role of Vice President of Business Development for the West Region. In support of SelectAccounts strategic sales growth initiatives, three new Regional Vice President roles have been created, whose focus is on regional business development and sales leadership initiatives. These new positions will continue to build our brand recognition and deliver increased value to SelectAccounts distribution partners and customers. Wendy will oversee the Western Regions team of national sales executives as they work together to provide Carrier, TPA, and Consultant & Agency support with a shared specialization in assisting public sector groups. Wendy brings with her expertise and leadership in consumer-driven health care that spans the past decade, specializing in year-round communication campaigns that continually establish long-term, solid and successful health care programs, said David Cantu, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Public Relations of SelectAccount. We at SelectAccount look forward to the valuable addition of Wendys diverse skill set to our growth strategy. Since the inception of the HSA, Wendy has worked closely with large-group employers to increase year-over-year adoption of HSAs. A licensed and certified CDHC speaker, Wendy regularly provides continuing education workshops throughout California, Washington, and Oregon. I consider it a privilege to educate on the advantages of an HSA, said Wendy Ashford when asked about her new role. It is widely known in the industry that SelectAccount is creating some of the most versatile and creative consumer-directed health care solutions in the marketplace today, and I look forward to joining a team with so much forward thinking momentum. About SelectAccount SelectAccount has been driving innovation in medical spending administration for over 25 years. By offering a full suite of tax-advantaged solutions HSA, HRA, FSA, VEBA, transportation and dependent care accounts as well as WalletDoc consumer tools, SelectAccount is positioned to meet clients changing needs as they plan for upcoming health care expenditures. SelectAccount is one of the leading medical spending administrators in the country, serving over 450,000 account holders and managing approximately $800 million dollars in consumer medical account savings assets. SelectAccount is integrated with numerous partner data exchange connections, serving over 8,500 employers with account holders in all 50 states. MII Life, Inc., d.b.a. SelectAccount has been approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a non-bank HSA Trustee. SelectAccount is headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota with locations in Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Fresno, CA and New York, NY. Visit http://www.SelectAccount.com to learn more. The best marketing content strikes an emotional chord and evokes a visceral response. Adding Facebook Reactions tracking to our platform will help brands better understand their audiences and adjust their strategy accordingly. Unmetric, the only social media intelligence platform focused on brands, today announced it added Facebook Reactions tracking to the Facebook Insights feature of its Analyze product. Analyze for social media analysts is one of three core products Unmetric offers alongside Discover for brand content creators and Track for marketers. Facebook recently added Reactions to its platform and has now rolled it out globally. Reactions allow users to express emotions on posts beyond the original Like. Reactions include buttons for Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry - capturing a range of core emotions. For brands, Facebook Reactions are significant as they create a new line of sight into consumer sentiment and provide a more detailed view of how fans feel about any specific piece of content. Within Unmetrics Analyze product, social media analysts can connect their brand page to the Facebook Insights feature. Unmetrics Facebook Insights brings all page metrics into one place and makes it easy for a brand to see whats working or not working on its page, understand the people who like their page and engage with their posts, and ultimately make informed decisions about how to engage with their audience. In addition to the existing Facebook Insights metrics including likes, reach, impressions, engagement and visits for a brands own page and posts, Unmetric will now enable brands that have Facebook Insights integrated to track all of the Facebook Reactions their own posts receive. When you think about the best marketing, whether for TV, print or online, its always content that strikes an emotional chord and evokes a visceral response from the audience, said Lux Narayan, CEO of Unmetric. With social media, brands have always had a leg up in understanding how audiences were reacting to their content in real time. Adding Facebook Reactions tracking to our platform will enable brands to further parse consumer engagement and adjust their content and larger marketing strategy accordingly. Analyze and Facebook Insights are available for enterprise brands and agencies using the Unmetric platform. For further details, or to learn more about Unmetric and request a free demo, visit https://unmetric.com/analyze/. About Unmetric Unmetric, the only social media intelligence platform focused on brands, helps digital marketers, social media analysts, and content creators harness social signals to track and analyze competitive content and campaigns, and to create better content and campaigns of their own. Unmetric is trusted by hundreds of global brands and digital agencies for real-time insights from the owned channels of over 40,000 brands across more than 30 sectors on all the major social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Linkedin, and Instagram. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in New York City with offices in Chennai, India and the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.unmetric.com. It is an honor to be included with the esteemed speakers from around the world participating in the KACST Information Technology conference on cybersecurity BlackRidge Technologys Founder and Chief Technical Officer, John Hayes, has been invited as a special guest speaker at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) 3rd International Conference on International Technology: Cybersecurity from March 29th to 30th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. "It is an honor to be included with the esteemed speakers from around the world participating in the KACST Information Technology conference on cybersecurity, said John Hayes, founder and CTO of BlackRidge Technology. I am looking forward to sharing our expertise in applying identity as a new security control to block network scanning and provide authenticated access to protected resources. Having over 25 years of experience in developing security, networking, storage, HPC and computer systems technologies, Mr. Hayes will be discussing Identity Networking and why identity should be applied to networks to meet todays cyber security challenges. Additionally, he will give insight as to how BlackRidge Identity Networking as a new security element can positively impact other aspects of cyber security technologies, including analytics. The conference features eleven global speakers who will cover topics such as the future of cyber security, the science of cyber security, the use and importance of true random number generators and new threat models for cryptography. Local staff and students from higher education institutions are encouraged to attend the conference as well as international professionals, experts and researchers of information technology. For more information about the conference, visit events.kacst.edu.sa/en/TIT16/Pages/home.aspx. For more information about BlackRidge Technology, visit blackridge.us. Gautam Gowrisankaran, Cornerstone Research Cornerstone Research, a leading provider of economic and financial consulting and expert testimony, announced today that Professor Gautaum Gowrisankaran has affiliated with the firm. He is the Arizona Public Service Professor of Economics at the University of Arizona. Gautam is a leading authority on healthcare economics and mergers and acquisitions, said Cornerstone Research President and CEO Michael E. Burton. His knowledge as a researcher and experience as an expert witness are key assets for our clients. Professor Gowrisankaran has analyzed the competitive effects of mergers as an expert witness and/or consultant in healthcare, transportation, high-technology products, energy markets, payment services and consumer durable goods. He has testified in competition matters before the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. district courts, state courts and internationally. He conducts research in industrial organization and competition. The markets he has analyzed include hospitals, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and health insurance. Professor Gowrisankaran serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals, including the American Economic Review and the RAND Journal of Economics. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. About Cornerstone Research Cornerstone Research provides economic and financial consulting and expert testimony in all phases of complex litigation and regulatory proceedings. The firm works with an extensive network of prominent faculty and industry practitioners to identify the best-qualified expert for each assignment. Cornerstone Research has earned a reputation for consistent high quality and effectiveness by delivering rigorous, state-of-the-art analysis for over 25 years. The firm has 600 staff and offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Menlo Park, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. Please visit Cornerstone Researchs website for more information about the firms capabilities in economic and financial consulting and expert testimony. Twitter: @Cornerstone_Res Brookhaven Retreat LLC will bring awareness to clients and staff members about National Endometriosis Awareness Month by providing information about the disease and the importance of regular gynecological exams. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrial stroma and glands, which should only be located inside the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body. An estimated 176 million women all over the world, regardless of their ethnic and social background have endometriosis, though many remain undiagnosed and untreated. The most common symptom is pelvic pain, which often correlates to the menstrual cycle, can be debilitating. However, there may be pain that does not correlate, which makes the disease unpredictable. About 10 percent of all women are affected from the onset of menstruation all the way to menopause. It is estimated that 30-40% of women with endometriosis may experience infertility. Scar tissue and adhesions can develop and distort a womans internal anatomy. Although it is uncommon, in advanced stages, internal organs may fuse together, causing a condition known as a frozen pelvis. No one is too young to have the disease, even adolescents, although many go undiagnosed for years. Most recently the Global Study of Womens Health, conducted in 10 countries, showed that two thirds of women sought help for their symptoms before the age of 30, many begin experiencing symptoms from their first period. Women must learn early on that extreme menstrual pain is abnormal and can indicate a serious problem, says Brookhaven Retreats founder, Jacqueline Dawes. Going to the gynecologist with some regularity is very important for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. We teach our clients how to take care of themselves and how crucial it is to make self-care part of their daily awareness so diseases like endometriosis dont go untreated and cause even more serious medical issues in the future. About Brookhaven Retreat Brookhaven Retreat is a women's treatment center nestled on a naturally beautiful 48-acre site secluded in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. It has helped hundreds of women across the United States overcome depression, trauma, anxiety, substance use and a range of other behavioral health challenges. Brookhavens Founder, Jacqueline Dawes, has predicated its gender-specific treatment on healing emotional breakage for women. In this way, she has established a sanctuary and a place where women can feel safe, secure and cared for by a staff of highly trained professionals. Brooklyn is a place with trendy restaurants and yet high costs for a linen service. Stamford Uniform and Linen, a top-rated linen service operating in New York City including Brooklyn at http://www.stamfordlinen.com/Brooklyn-NY/, is proud to announce an important blog post about its commitment to being the best linen service in Brooklyn even though, technically, the company is not located in that New York City borough. The reality is that Stamford Uniform and Linen can match or beat the prices of the big national chains, and through its expanding plant in Stamford, Connecticut, have both the capacity and cost-structure to service the booming Brooklyn, NY, restaurant industry. Brooklyn is a place with trendy clubs, bars and restaurants yet the cost structure is very high, explained Paul McDonald, CEO of Stamford Uniform and Linen. Our unique business model combines relatively inexpensive laundry service capabilities in Stamford, with service into and out of Brooklyn via our efficient truck network. In this way, Brooklyn businesses get an amazing quality of service yet a cost structure that matches or is lower than the big-box competition. In addition, because we are a small business, we really care in ways that no impersonal national chain of linen service can match. Our blog post explains this philosophy in detail. To read Stamford Uniform and Linen's blog post on being the best linen service in Brooklyn, NY, visit http://www.stamfordlinen.com/?p=595. Interested Brooklyn restaurants can not only read the post but also reach out to Stamford Uniform and Linen for a competitive contract analysis. That no cost service can be eye-opening for a restaurant owner as Paul McDonald will go line-by-line through an existing contract and explain cost savings as well as possible improvements in quality and service. Restaurant Owners View Uniform Linen Service as a Fashion Statement in Brooklyn, NY The blog post is meant to help small business owners think through their linen service needs, and highlight the ways in which Stamford Uniform and Linen is meant to be a better service provider. For example, it points out that Stamford Uniform and Linen is not one of the so-called "big two" providers. These large, impersonal national chains are heavily criticized by small businesses for their lack of quality, customer service. This is not surprising given their humongous size. Because Stamford Uniform and Linen is a smaller provider, it really cares about helping small businesses in the borough of Brooklyn, New York. Second, Stamford Linen offers a no-cost quote and comparison service, so there is no risk to a Brooklyn business to compare or contrast the service it may be getting from these larger national chains with the service it could get by partnering with a smaller, local New York area business. The commitment to being the best is not a commitments to being the biggest, in sum. About Stamford Uniform and Linen Stamford Uniform and Linen is a top-rated commercial delivery service. Stamford Uniform and Linen offers pickup and delivery service for the greater New York City area. Locations available include Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. As opposed to a traditional uniform supply company, the company rents uniforms or linens making it easier than ever for small businesses. Stamford Uniform is available to businesses looking for restaurant uniforms for chefs, cooking staff, wait staff and bartenders. Restaurant table linens and hotel linens are also available. To contact the best uniform and linen supply service, go to the website. CATMEDIA's founder and CEO, Catherine Downey This recognition emphasizes how CATMEDIAs core values drive business innovation," Downey said. Today, CATMEDIAs founder and CEO, Catherine Downey, was named the 2016 Georgia Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA. Downey will be heading to D.C. to be formally recognized and potentially named the National Small Business Person of the Year. This recognition emphasizes how CATMEDIAs core values drive business innovation and we look forward to providing creative solutions to clients in communications strategy, media production, and training, Downey said. CATMEDIA was founded in Atlanta in 1997 as a one-person operation and has since grown to 33 employees generating $17 million in revenue. As a true innovator, Downey is named on several patent-pending training and communications technologies. Under her leadership, CATMEDIA was named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in America in 2014 & 2015. Her commitment to excellent customer service is supported by a client list that includes some of the biggest names in federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Downey, a lifelong learner, was honored by the SBAs Georgia District as the 2014 Class Valedictorian in the Emerging Leaders Program and successfully graduated from the Tuck Executive Program under a full Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Dorothy B. Brothers scholarship, while serving on the state level advisory board for Georgias Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Downey is an active business member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, WBENC, US Womens Chamber of Commerce, Greater Womens Business Council, and Vistage International. Each year, the SBA selects the Small Business Person of the Year from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The award recognizes small business owners and entrepreneurs for their success and achievements in business. The Small Business Person of the Year Award is a part of National Small Business Week, May 2-6, 2016, which highlights the outstanding efforts of small business owners. ABOUT CATMEDIA: CATMEDIA is an award-winning Inc. 500 company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1997, the company specializes in advertising, creative services, media production, program management, training, and human resource management. As a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), CATMEDIA provides world-class customer service and innovative solutions to government and commercial clients. Current CATMEDIA clients include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Stay Connected with CATMEDIA: For more information, please visit CATMEDIA.com Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter XXX Deep Blue Gear CEO David Morgan finalizing business in his natural habitat. Deep Blue Gear has provided superior quality snorkeling equipment to the Caribbean for the past 15 years. March 23, 2016 commemorates the 15th anniversary for Deep Blue Gears (DBG) first invoice. For 15 years, this company has grown into a prestigious distributor of diving and snorkeling gear. However, DBGs owner, David Morgan, has been working far longer than 15 years to become a reliable and professional business owner. The journey began when Morgan moved to the Caribbean in 1978. While there, he started working for a company that sold and delivered diving equipment via private aircraft, and he flew a small plane all over the Caribbean delivering orders to various businesses. In 1979, he got his basic open water diving certificate, and shortly after, received his advanced open water diving certificate from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). Over the years, many colleagues and customers suggested that Morgan start his own business, and after enough gentle nudges, he took their advice. Morgan developed a sales representative organization, which began representing diving equipment companies for the Caribbean territory. Between the years 1983-1999, Morgan represented the best diving equipment distributors including Cressi Sub, Dacor, Henderson, O'Neill, Sherwood Scuba, Trident Diving Equipment, Underwater Kinetics, and US Divers. As the business grew, his team received several outstanding performance awards for their sales accomplishments. In 1999, Morgan gained a talented business partner in Tom Sutton, a fellow sales representative for diving equipment located in the Bahamas. As the business continued to grow, Sutton and Morgan listened to the dive shops, resort owners, charter boat businesses and snorkel tour operators in the Caribbean who were asking for comfortable, durable, and functional products for their customers to use while on vacation. A market for bullet-proof reuse snorkeling equipment was identified, because, at that time, no diving gear distributor offered products that fit those criteria. Morgan and Sutton saw an opportunity and seized it. The result was a unique design concept for rental snorkeling equipmentthe first of its kind in the industry. On March 23rd of 2001, the dream had become reality with DBGs first official order. Morgan and Sutton applied their 35 years of combined experience in the recreational diving industry and came up with a durable, functional line of rental products, which were soon praised as the snorkeling equipment of choice in the Caribbean. Now, DBG boasts a current and long time customer list including Sandals Resorts, Sea World/Discovery Cove, Typhoon Lagoon (Walt Disney World Resort), Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Princess Cruise Lines. Deep Blue Gears path to success has been paved with David Morgan and Tom Suttons passion for diving and their drive to constantly improve and grow. In 15 years, Deep Blue Gears humble beginnings in a basement has moved to a 10,000 square foot warehouse in Bloomington, Indiana, from two people to 10, from conceptual ideas to a reality. There is no question that David Morgan is passionate about his work and he excels in making others passionate, as well. Deep Blue Gear has many more achievements to come, so join in and see what the commotion is all about! Deep Blue Gear web: http://www.deepbluegear.com @deepbluegear Deep Blue Gear is the wholesale division of Big Time Trading, LLC eXplorance and the University of Toronto introduce evalUT, a new course evaluation framework to improve learning experience. evalUT has been very helpful in our efforts to improve our approach to incorporating student feedback into the professional development of SFU instructors. The framework has the flexibility needed to encourage engagement at all levels in the organization. eXplorance, the leading provider of Learning Experience Management (LEM) solutions, announced today that it will be making evalUT commercially available to the global higher education community. evalUT is the course evaluation framework developed by the University of Toronto. The University of Toronto, consistently ranked among the top 25 universities in the world, is an internationally recognized research-intensive university committed to teaching excellence. Over the years, the Universitys Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation has focused on improving the quality assurance process for course evaluations and the overall student learning experience through data-driven research. It is critical to ensure that the process of collecting feedback is in line with the institutions educational goals so that decisions are made according to what is truly important, says Professor Susan McCahan, Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education, University of Toronto. In order to make constructive decisions, educational institutions cannot simply rely on a bank of reliable and valid standardized questions, Professor McCahan elaborates. evalUT includes not only a set of validated items, but rather an iterative process, leading to sustainable change. In its cascaded form, the course evaluation framework takes into consideration the teaching and learning priorities across divisions and departments, in order to recognize particular learning contexts which are relevant to stakeholders. As such, evalUT focuses on continuous, evidence-based improvement, stemming from in depth conversations and practices. The evalUT process constantly goes back to stakeholders for feedback and integrates new ideas and emerging priorities. In addition, since evalUT offers a cascaded framework, it prevents a common pitfall in the implementation of course evaluations, where the process is either too centralized at the institutional level or too decentralized at the instructor level. Other institutions are already benefitting from the framework. evalUT has been very helpful in our efforts to improve our approach to incorporating student feedback into the professional development of SFU instructors. The framework has the flexibility needed to encourage engagement at all levels in the organization, says Dr. Jon Driver, Vice President, Academic and Provost, Simon Fraser University. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with our colleagues at the University of Toronto in this important area, Dr. Driver adds. eXplorance will be responsible for raising awareness regarding the evalUT framework and for supporting a system that collects high quality learning experience data, enabling higher education institutions to make informed decisions. Naturally, the University of Toronto will continue to collaborate with the entire evalUT community and to enhance the framework for the benefit of all. To find out more about a framework for course evaluations that helps your institution continuously improve decision-making through feedback-based learning experience data, visit http://www.explorance.com/evalut. About the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation, University of Toronto The Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI) is a hub for teaching and learning at the University of Toronto. CTSI offers supports for members of the University community on an individual, divisional and institutional level. As well, CTSI staff are actively engaged with a broad array of external professional organizations, networks and committees in support of teaching and learning in higher education. Visit the CTSI page to learn more about CTSI expertise and how it supports instructors and staff with teaching and learning related issues. 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. International Risk Assessment Company Risk is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor in an international business setting. IMG GlobalSecur, a leading international security consulting firm, is proud to announce an upgrade to its informational page on its services as a international risk assessment company at http://www.theimg.com/security-services/risk-assessment-consulting.php. With recent events as disparate as those in Belgium due to terrorism and Brazil due to the Zika virus, the company is seeing more and more confusion as to what, precisely, constitutes risk in terms of international business exposure. "Risk is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor in an international business setting," explained Chris Hagon, CEO of IMG GlobalSecur. "By upgrading the information explained on our information page on risk assessment consulting companies, we hope to help begin a conversation with companies that have overseas operations. The informational page is, of course, a beginning and not a final statement on what constitutes business risk domestically and/or overseas." To view the upgraded informational page on business risk assessment consulting, visit http://www.theimg.com/security-services/risk-assessment-consulting.php. To dive more deeply into the information online, please click on the 'Learn more' button. Alternatively, for a risk assessment an individual can now click on the easy-to-use green button and thereby reach out for a consultation. More on Risk Assessment Consulting Services As a top security consulting company, IMG provides a wide-range of risk assessment services. The newly upgraded page, for example, explains three key elements: first, to provide an accurate picture of the current state of security at the facility or target; second, to identify areas where more security is needed including training and awareness; and third, to collect the information necessary to justify requests for improvements in security. Because IMG operates as a top risk assessment company, it has a unique perspective; however, interested parties are urged to reach out to the firm as every situation is unique and requires a unique risk asssessment. About the Incident Management Group (IMG) Incident Management Group is a leading international security consulting firm. Corporate or business organizations concerned about their need for robust travel security solutions can reach out to the IMG Group for assistance. The companys experts provide services such as executive, employee, VIP, and expatriate travel security, workplace safety, duty of care management, risk and threat assessments, workplace violence prevention, crisis management planning, and more. Web. http://www.theimg.com Tel. (877) 887-9914 Attorney Nathan Prince, after breaking off from a major Tallahassee law firm, recently started his own firm, the Law Office of Nathan Prince. I formed my own firm, after being named a partner at the largest criminal defense firm in Tallahassee, to be able to provide more personal attention to my clients throughout the process of defending their cases, said Prince, as I was previously delegating a lot of the tasks and communication relative to the preparation of the defense. Now that hes on his own, Prince has the ability to also be more selective about the cases he takes on because the overhead is far lower. Additionally, having a smaller caseload means being able to thoroughly dedicate himself to individual client needs. Prior to private practice and being the lead trial attorney at his former law firm, Prince served at the state attorneys office as a senior state prosecutor in the major crimes division. During his tenure, Prince took on many complicated and serious cases, including charges for murder, kidnapping, narcotics trafficking and armed robbery. One of the factors that most heavily contributed to my ability to open my own firm was the success Ive had with a lot of high-profile cases over the past several years, said Prince. Due to the recognition I received from these cases, I was able to start my own firm with a sufficiently broad client base. Prince adds that his goals for the new firm, which also has a new website (http://www.nateprincelaw.com), are centered on client satisfaction and case results, and a desire to be the most accessible attorney in northwest Florida. I want to ensure I continue delivering the highest-quality legal representation possible, resulting in numerous not guilty verdicts, said Prince. About Nathan Prince, Law Office of Nathan Prince Nathan Prince has successfully handled thousands of trial and appellate cases. He is licensed to practice in all Florida State Courts and in Northern District of Florida Federal Court. The Law Office of Nathan Prince focuses on criminal defense and personal injury. For more information, please call (850) 601-5690. The law office is located at 215 Delta Court, Suite 6, Tallahassee, FL 32303. 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. Warriors Heart Co-Founder and Former Special Forces Tom Spooner Warriors Heart Co-Founder and Former Special Forces Operator, Tom Spooner, knows first-hand the pain of war, and is proud to be part of the solution. Warriors Heart announces a new Operation Warriors Heart Foundation has been set up to supplement healing costs for their Warriors Only (veterans, military, police officers and first responders) private addiction treatment programs for those that dont have private funding or if insurance does not cover their costs. While insurance will cover the Warriors Heart program costs in many cases, this foundation will ensure more protectors can heal with dignity and respect. Currently the Veterans Administration (VA) only covers a small portion of private treatment and this care is primarily done in psychiatric hospitals. In comparison, Warriors Heart treats the whole body, including chemical dependencies, PTSD and other mild co-occurring disorders. Warriors Heart Co-Founder and Former Special Forces Operator, Tom Spooner (who served for 20 years, including in Iraq and Afghanistan) knows first-hand the pain of war. Tom is also a founder for Mission 22 that raises awareness of the unacceptable veteran suicide rate of 22 veterans per day in the US and Warriors Heart is the solution-side to Mission 22 for chemical dependency. Operation Warriors Heart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide the men and women who protect us with a unique peer-to-peer healing program for Warriors Only just outside San Antonio, Texas. No warrior, whether military, law enforcement, fire fighter, or first responder should ever have to walk through the struggles of addiction and mental health alone. Chris DeMeo, LE (Ret) and Warriors Heart Admissions Advocate shared the profound impact of being part of this team, To wake up everyday with a sense of self-being has completely changed my life. Operation Warriors Heart Foundations mission includes: 1. Subsidize the cost of healing programs for the 13.3 million veterans suffering from addiction and PTSD so they can heal with dignity and respect. 2. Assist in reducing the 22 veteran suicides per day in the US and the 1 law enforcement officer suicide per day with a War Against Suicide by providing chemical dependency and mental health solutions. 3. Provide warriors with new tools to be stronger when they go home to build solid relationships and contribute to their communities. 4. Give warriors the option of taking a Service Dog home with them as an extra battle buddy. 5. Provide educational and community events. Anyone can support Operations Warriors Heart Foundation and get involved in these ways: 1. Make a tax-deductible donation to Operation Warriors Heart Foundation with a one-time or recurring donation. 2. Purchase Warriors Heart products (hats, jackets, t-shirts) in their online store https://warriors-heart.myshopify.com/ 3. Contact Warriors Heart to suggest/provide another way to support their mission. 4. Join the National Awareness Campaign, Mission 22, to unite against veteran suicide. Tom Spooner believes the VA is overwhelmed with the backlog of 15 years of war, and is proud to be part of the Warriors Heart team. According to The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 25 percent of military personnel returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety or chemical dependency. Over half of these service men and women had more than one mental health or substance use disorder, and the rate of PTSD among these veterans was 3.5 percent higher than the civilian population. Many have voiced a desire to assist veterans, and Operations Warriors Heart Foundation is a great way to support our Warriors by assisting them with financial support. So much goes into training our Warriors for battle, and theres not enough resources to assist them after. Media Contact Liz Kelly, Goody PR, 310-987-7207 About Operation Warriors Heart Foundation Operation Warriors Heart Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide insurance supplements for Warriors seeking healing for chemical dependency and PTSD at Warriors Heart unique peer-to-peer program for Warriors Only (veterans, military, police officers and first responders) just outside San Antonio, Texas. http://www.operationwarriorsheart.org/ About the Warriors Heart: Warriors Heart provides a peer-to peer based solution to help the over 13.3 million American Military, Veterans, Law Enforcement and First Responders faced with the self-medicating struggles of alcohol addiction, prescription and drug addiction, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and mild TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) in a private, 40-bed facility. Along with a 28-day peer-to-peer residential treatment program, Warriors Heart will give Warriors the option of Day Treatment, Outpatient, and Sober Living (60 Day Minimum). With decades of experience in addiction healing, military service and law enforcement, the 3 Warriors Heart Founders are dedicated to serving warriors. Successful Private Treatment Facility Providers, Josh and Lisa Lannon and former Special Forces Tom Spooner (Former Special Forces and Mission 22 Co-Founder) are leading the team on this special mission of warriors healing warriors. Warriors Heart has also partnered with Mission 22. Warriors Heart Founders work has been featured in Forbes, KENS5 CBS News San Antonio, FOX 10 News Phoenix and Addiction Pro magazine. There is a 24-hour Warriors Heart hotline open now being answer by warriors, and the center will open by the end of March 2016 just outside San Antonio, Texas. http://warriorsheart.com Anyone can call Warriors Heart Hotline 24x7 to get help or to assist a loved one: 844-448-2567 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. Are we really ready for the full liberalization? What needs to be done first? AUTHOR: Atanas Georgiev When the European Union pressed forward the liberalization of electricity and gas markets, the main purpose of this process was to put competition at work and get its benefits: lower prices for energy consumers, more sources and suppliers with better services, and greater security of supply. The three legislative liberalization packages increased the level of liberalization gradually, starting from 1996, then in 2003, and the latest one in 2009. This is fully in line with EUs vision of common markets for electricity and gas. Are we going forward in Bulgaria? The Bulgarian electricity market, despite some efforts in the last 10 years, is still quite far from the EU liberalization practices. According to the quarterly reports of the European Commission, Bulgarias estimated household retail electricity prices are 3.3 times smaller than the prices in the most expensive market Denmark. In the same time, the Bulgarian industry is still paying more than companies in other EU countries, putting pressure on local competitiveness. The government in Bulgaria has been announcing in the last year its plans for further liberalization of the market by providing access for households and SMEs to alternative suppliers. Despite this, there are still no amended approved rules for switching of supplier by the national regulatory authority which to relieve the existing procedures. The standardized load profiles (SLPs) proposed by each DSO are still not unified for the territory of Bulgaria, but even if they become a fact soon, there are more important prerequisites for a real market opening without causing greater regulatory misbalances. On top there is no official instruction or rules for application of the SLPs. One more interesting question is what will happen if the approved SLPs are not precise enough and who would be charged to pay the differences the consumer, the trader, or the grid companies. Wholesale competition needs improvement In order to make liberalization work, there has to be a restructuring of the wholesale market. Even when more and more consumers are given the right to choose their alternative supplier (all large business customers have done so and every day smaller and smaller companies join them), we still have a highly regulated supply side of the market. The public supplier NEK still has to buy energy by quotas, defined by the energy regulatory body from the NPP Kozloduy, from TPP Maritsa East-2, and from other conventional sources. In addition, NEK is not only the clearing house, but also the main purchaser of subsidized electricity from the PPAs with TPP AES Galabovo and TPP ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3, from renewables, and from cogeneration. The regulated prices decision of the EWRC from last summer left NEK with the obligation to buy 1.4 times more energy through regulated quotas and prices than it was actually forecasted to sell to the end suppliers. If more consumers go to the liberalized market (and if there is no change in NEKs obligations), this ratio will grow. In order to make the market work, there has to be a certain untying of electricity and subsidies to separate the clearing house function from the single buyer function and thus to create more liquidity on the supply side. Even the newly operational Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange could not improve the situation without such legislative and regulatory measures. They could be implemented through certain contracts for difference, feed-in premiums, or other models. A new Oxford University Press book from 2016 actually gives a very good perspective on EU countries and many ideas Capacity Mechanisms in the EU Energy Market by Leigh Hancher et al. A market without cross-subsidies The Bulgarian market and its consumers have developed a list of addictions during the process of gradual liberalization and unbundling in the period after 1999. The first one is the most dangerous subsidizing household consumers through higher prices for business consumers. It is based on constant fine-tuning of regulated expenses and prices, increasing in complexity as more and more components of the energy bill are defined in a separate way. The result of this addiction is the escape of all business consumers from the regulated segment of the market. The side effect is new misbalances at the end suppliers accounts, as their low regulated prices for household consumers have been constantly supported by higher prices for business customers. It is still unclear who would pay these differences once that these cross-subsidies are not possible anymore. These uncertainties are also transferred from the regulated segment to the liberalized one. One of the latest examples is the sudden increase of obligations of society fee last summer. There was at least one sure loser from this unexpected change the first household consumer, who managed to switch to an alternative supplier from August 1 after a contract, signed a month before the change took place. The second addiction is to subsidize national prices through exports. It was (and still partially is) possible in an uncoupled regional electricity market where wholesale prices at neighboring markets have been historically higher. However, with the Energy Union (and one of its main purposes implementing the Third Package), as well as with the diminishing wholesale prices in the region, and the DG Competitions push for stopping such practices, this option is now also gone. We saw Bulgarian exports dropping to historical lows in the beginning of 2016 as a result of this. Before any further liberalization is possible, cross-subsidies have to be fully removed. As announced in December 2015, the Ministry of Energy will work on defining the group of vulnerable clients and propose new measures for their support. This time not through lower prices, but through larger social payments, directed to the ones that need them and not to everyone else. The Big Data challenge Most of the stakeholders in the electricity market are quite obsessed with the mentioned above challenges, but do not consider enough the technical aspects. The SLPs are just the tip of the iceberg. New market relations will require new data exchange arrangements. There has to be a secure and constant data flow between incumbent suppliers, alternative suppliers, distribution system operators, and the transmission system operator. Experiences from other EU countries show, that this step is on the top of the liberalization to-do list. If the process of switching for households and/or SMEs starts before the data exchange is well set up, this may lead to errors in change of supplier process, surcharges for households and/or SMEs, and/or great losses for traders (higher deviation costs, higher excise duty, higher amounts for obligation to society duty). Some of the issues to be solved include the metering periods, aggregation of data, the balancing market relations, and the ratio of staying/going customers at the end suppliers accounts. Meanwhile, we see that no one can stop customers from looking for better prices. When there is not enough competition, when there are cross-subsidies, and bad pricing at the regulated segment, switches may become dangerous for the system as a whole. In the same time, we already witness some strange business practices occurring i.e. letterbox companies acting as brokers collecting personal data of consumers. SMEs and households have to be very prudent and aware of these practices, especially when they sign contracts with alternative suppliers. So, are we really ready for the full liberalization of the market for the households and/or SMEs? As the Spanish-speaking population of the United States grows and the attendant need for Spanish language books increases, it is timely to look at the diversity of Spanish-speaking publishing, especially the work of small presses. Through these publishers, U.S. readers can experience the experimental, intriguing, playful new voices and artistic styles coming out of Latin America and Spain. Here, two librarians share compelling work from Hispanic independent presses, literacy organizations, and governmental programs. Argentina Iamique has done wonders with designing engaging nonfiction. From books about climate change and household chemistry, to the painful history surrounding Argentinas Dirty War (19741983) and the activism of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo in helping to find missing children in Abuelas con Identidad (2012), their titles are inquiry-based and their series arise from the authentic questions of children and contain both photography and illustration. Comunicarte has developed a catalog of some of the greats of Argentinian childrens literature like Maria Teresa Andruetto, Isol, Perla Suez, and poet Jorge Lujan, and have spearheaded the non-profit organization Centro de Difusion e Investigacion de la Literatura Infantil y Juvenil, with the mission of encouraging the development of quality childrens literature as a vehicle to promote literacy and create readers. Pequeno Editor was the winner of the 2015 Bologna Book Fair Prize for the Best Childrens Publisher in Central and South America. Cocorococo (2014), from their series Panzadas de Letras, is a cumulative song-story about farm animals. Given the companys strong editorial eye, it comes as no surprise that some of their illustrators, such as Gusti, have become international figures. Colombia Tragaluz editores, which translates literally as swallowing light and is the Spanish word for clerestory has an exquisite sense of bookmaking. Johnny y el Mar, an illustrated middle grade chapter books that brings the tradition of magical realism to childrens literature, was honored with a White Ravens recognition for excellence in international youth literature in 2014. El Rey Naranjo combines an underappreciated tradition in poetry and visual art to produce graphic novels like the wildly successful Gabo (2014), about the childhood of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Two of its latest graphic novels include La Mano de Dios (2015) about Maradona and his legacy in Naples as a saint, and Tanta Sangre Vista (2015) about the little-known Thousand Days War that constitutes the historical background to Garcia Marquezs One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) and No One Writes to the Colonel (1961). Chile Amanuta combines formats and genres to offer a diverse publishing output organized in 13 heterogeneous collections where readers can find books from nonfiction comics to folktales from Chilean indigenous communities. In 2012, as part of its illustrated poetry collection, Amanuta published for the first time as standalone books four adapted classic fairy tales in verse by Nobel winner Chilean author Gabriela Mistral, illustrated by four artists: Paloma Valdivia, Carles Ballesteros, Carmen Cardemil, and Bernardita Ojeda. Guatemala In a country where the level of illiteracy has decreased from 40% (1994) to 15% (2014), the work of Amanuense goes beyond just publishing: it sponsors its own children and young adult literature award and creates guides aligning their books to Guatemalan national curriculum standards. They have recently expanded their catalog to nonfiction books. One of them, Punto y Reimos (2014), showcases the originality and playfulness that this publisher seeks to achieve. Written by a Venezuelan and illustrated by a Spaniard, the simple, short poems introduce punctuation symbols to children. Mexico Ideazapato is a new small press founded by award-winning writer Jose Manuel Mateo whose mission is unique. The focus is on oral literature and the repurposing of popular and marginal tales of the 16th20th century. One of the lists first books was El Viaje del Cordero, la Cabra, y el Perro (2015), a Rwandan oral pourquoi tale of a sheep, a goat, and a dog. They all want to vacation, but each has a different way of paying the bus fare (or not) as they get off, and those behaviors become the thats why they either chase, wait for, or run from the bus! Readers will recall the editor, Jose Manuel Mateo, as the author of Migrar (Kalandraka/Faktoria de Libros, 2011). El Naranjo has a strong collection of middle grade and young adult fiction, including award-winning writer Maria Garcia Esperons Copo de Algodon (2010), which is set in the Fifth Sun of the Aztec calendar and recounts through the eyes of a girl the death of Moctezuma and the cosmic formation of modern Mexico. Their other titles include writers from across Latin America. El Naranjo is one of the most established small Mexican publishers, and maintains an online reading club. Tecolote is another well-established small press from Mexico, founded in 1993, which has covered important ground in childrens publishing by offering inexpensive and beautifully illustrated histories of the nation. They have wide range of picture books, and also publish collaborative projects funded in part by Mexicos National Council for Culture and Arts, including the new title Luis Barragan: Arquitecto de la Luz y el Silencio (2015), a photographic picture book about the work of Mexicos premier modern architect. Spain Since 2004, Thules main focus is to create picture books and illustrated books that are visually intriguing and stimulating. A good introduction to this publisher is Por que nos preguntamos cosas (2013), a title built around poetic answers to child-like questions written by Victoria Perez Escriva, illustrated by Javier Zabala. The collection Isla Flotante enriches the slowly growing Spanish market of comics for children. Trampantojo is a collection that showcases well-known Spanish and international picture book creators. Interestingly, some of the award-winning creators who are included (Nesquens, Gustavo Roldan orAND? Riki Blanco) are also frequent names on A Buen Pasos lists, a small publisher guided by a curiosity to experiment and discover the possibilities of the picture book format. Imaginative national programs help many of these presses foster reading that materialize the link between creating readers and sustaining a diverse publishing market. Exemplary programs by Fundalectura in Colombia include the campaign Paraderos Paralibros Paraparques. The company has created 51 free libraries in parks, maintained by Colombias national parks department. In Uruguay, authors donated stories to the program Cuenta conmigo which organized 5,000 volunteers to read aloud to children and older adults, focusing on the deep connections forged by reading together. Uruguay Smaller countries like Uruguay have also created relevant and unique titles. Mas Pimienta! publishes titles like Regreso a Casa (2013), which addresses domestic violence and the ensuing confusion of emotions told from the point of view of a child. Partnering with these government and NGOs, the foundational work of larger publishing houses such as Ekare, Kalandraka, Castillo, and Fondo de Cultura Economica have all contributed to the rich publishing terrain in Latin America. All of the presses mentioned have been recognized for outstanding books in childrens publishing by the following institutions: White Ravens (Germany), Libro Kirico (Spain), Premio Fundacion Cuatro Gatos (USA), Fundalectura (Colombia), Bologna Childrens Book Fair, Los Mejores del Banco del Libro (Venezuela), and the national IBBY sections such as the Argentinian ALIJA. Viva libros en Espanol! Sara Lissa Paulson received her teaching certificate in Spanish bilingual education at San Francisco State University and has been a NYC public school librarian since 1998. She is currently librarian at City-As-School and adjunct professor at Queens College. Dr. Lucia Cedeira Serantes works as an assistant professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens College. Her research interests are teens, reading, and public libraries, with an emphasis on reading practices related to comics. One of Ian Sodawasser's favorite things is acting in musicals, and he's having a blast as a lead in "My Favorite Year." It's Quad City Music Guild's spring show, opening Thursday. "Nothing thrills me more than performing in front of a live audience," Mr. Sodawasser, a 23-year-old Davenport Central alum, said this week. "I love the rehearsal process, getting to know people. But something definitely changes when you bring in an audience." "I feel like this character is the most like myself I've ever played," he said of Benjy in "Favorite Year," based on the hit 1982 Peter OToole film. "This character is all about watching movies when he was little, and that's exactly what I did." It's 1954, and Benjy Stone, writers assistant on TVs "King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade," is assigned the task of baby-sitting veteran Hollywood swashbuckler Alan Swann (at Guild played by theater veteran Tom Naab). The reckless Swann is in town doing a live guest appearance on the show, and his antics and alcoholism nearly get Benjy fired, according to a show synopsis. But when Benjys given an unexpected glimpse into Swanns broken heart, he begins to discover a thing or two about life and love, the summary says. In the movie, Benjy was played by Mark Linn-Baker. After hearing the original cast CD for the first time, "It was really the music that just grabbed me," Music Guild director John Weigandt said. "It takes place in 1954, but the music is infused with modern touches. There's a lot of underscoring. ...There's a lot of seamless transitions between dialogue and music." He really liked the film's Benjy, "who was just the right combination of exasperation and desperation." "We've got our swashbuckling -- as many as four swordsmen on stage at one time," Mr. Weigandt said of a show highlight. Of his leading man, he noted, "Tom is wonderful." In the story, Swann battles alcoholism, but he's a redeemable and likable character, the director said. "My Favorite Year" features a score by the Tony-winning team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (who also wrote "Ragtime" and "Seussical"). The musical about TV's golden age (which premiered in December 1992) ran on Broadway just 36 performances, and was revised to include two new songs, incorporated into a 2007 production in Chicago. It "creates a memory of an earlier time in New York, and it's populated with characters you care about: comedy writers, show girls, Jewish mothers, prize fighters, nightclubbers, second bananas, love interests and a gallant young man who learns a lesson in life from his gallant, older idol," according to Lincoln Center Theater, which staged its premiere. "What we loved about this show was that it reminded us of all the wonderful musicals we saw as a kid growing up in New York," says lct.org/shows/my-favorites. "It has a funny, smart book by Joseph Dougherty and a fresh melodic score by the talented team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty." Mr. Weigandt, who directs a cast of 22, also did the set design, which was "a lot more work, but a lot less compromise" to realizing his vision, he said. Mr. Weigandt (who partners with his wife, Jaci, as assistant director) also directed Mr. Naab in 2013's "Christmas Survival Guide" at the Prospect Park stage, and directed 2012's "The Christmas Express" at Playcrafters. "This is the biggest production we've done," he said, referring to himself and Jaci. "Right before we started, I said, 'As of this moment, the show is perfect,' " Mr. Weigandt told the cast, noting his dream vision only in his head. "It's a lot of fun to see it all materialize, see how much of it turned out the way you imagined it. And there's always some surprises actors have for you." In the street scenes, for example, they're not just generic background. He asked the actors to create characters and actions for themselves. Mr. Sodawasser starred in last summer's wild "Young Frankenstein" at Guild, and reveled in a crazy, villainous character in the spring 2015 production of "Urinetown." He called the Mel Brooks Frankenstein musical (also based on a famous film) "a dream show," in which Mr. Naab played his grandfather. Mr. Sodawasser has acted for years, starting in Davenport Junior Theatre, through middle school, Davenport Central, and was a musical theater major at a small Missouri school, Culver-Stockton College, where he did five shows a year. One of his favorite roles was John Wilkes Booth in the musical "Assassins." After college, he acted at the professional Red Barn Summer Theatre in Indiana, including a Lewis Black play that Mark Linn-Baker premiered in 2012. Mr. Sodawasser also has been in two "Christmas Carol" productions from District Theatre. In the new show, Jess Fah plays Belle May Steinberg Carroca, Benjy's loud Jewish mother, though she's just 10 years older than Mr. Sodawasser. Her Guild credits include "Frankenstein," "Oklahoma," and "A Wonderful Life." Mr. Naab was her theater director at West High School. "It's such a fun group of folks -- we have people that it's their first show, and people that have been here longer than I've been alive," Ms. Fah said of Guild. "It's a really great mixture. We're having a lot of fun." "It's so much fun to watch people have their first show," she added. "There's something about Music Guild, it's so fun being out here." "Music Guild is great. It's a family organization -- they treat you like family," Mr. Naab said. His long list of credits includes Captain Hook in "Peter Pan" and "Something's Afoot" at Music Guild. A Davenport man has pleaded guilty to providing a stolen gun used in the slaying of Brandon M. Smith. At a hearing Tuesday in Scott County District Court, Dantawn Lavon Cole, 24, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, as a lesser alternative to a first-degree murder charge. He also pleaded guilty to going armed with intent. He is to be sentenced July 21. Both Class D felonies are punishable by up to five years in prison. Charges stem from the shooting death of 29-year-old Smith on Sept. 24. Prosecutors say Mr. Cole and an associate -- Quantrell L. McDaniel, 18 -- exchanged words with the victim after seeing him at the EZ Mart in the 2900 block of Brady Street. Following the exchange, Mr. Cole retrieved a stolen .22 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun from a home in the 2800 block of North Brady Street and gave it to Mr. McDaniel, who used the gun to shoot and kill Mr. Smith near East Garfield and Dubuque streets, charges say. Mr. Smith died from a gunshot wound to the chest. Mr. McDaniel is scheduled to go to trial June 6 in Scott County District Court on charges of first-degree murder and going armed with intent. He has pleaded not guilty to both counts. Per his plea agreement, Mr. Cole agreed to testify truthfully at future hearings in Mr. McDaniel's case. A third man -- Marcello Cordell Miller Jr., 26 -- is under federal indictment for a charge accusing him of possessing the stolen gun as a felon. Records allege, after the shooting, Mr. McDaniel and Mr. Cole went to the home of Mr. Miller's fiancee and that Mr. McDaniel later admitted he hid the handgun in the attic of the home. The gun was recovered from its hiding place by police. Mr. Miller's case is set to go to trial May 2 in the Davenport division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Alderman Lynne Johnson appeared Monday in DuPage County Court and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of burglary. She was arrested Jan. 31 at the store around the corner from her home after an employee saw her hiding $55.21 worth of merchandise in her purse. She was accused of stealing from the same store in August 2013, and she pleaded guilty and received supervision. The (Aurora) Beacon-News reports Johnson pleaded guilty to two other retail theft charges. One in 2003 in Bolingbrook and one in 2010 in Willowbrook. Johnson will no longer be eligible to serve as alderman if she is found guilty of a felony. She has continued to serve since the arrest. U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., returned from a trip to Cuba brimming with optimism about the potential for increased trade between Illinois and the communist island. Part of President Barack Obama's historic three-day trip to the island, the lawmakers spoke to reporters Wednesday about their experience. President Obama has called for the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba to be lifted, although ending the policy will require congressional approval. Sen. Durbin said President Obama's decision to seek closer ties with Cuba was "long overdue" and would end 50 years of foreign policy that hasn't worked. "It means we are finally seeing an end to the Cold War," Sen. Durbin said. Cuba could be a market for U.S. corn, rice, soybeans and meat, Sen. Durbin said, and the island could benefit from the fact that producers there use fewer chemicals to grow organic produce that could be sold in the U.S. Rep. Bustos said the U.S. -- and states such as Illinois in particular -- have a "huge opportunity" to sell agricultural products now being held back by the embargo. Other nations, she said, are stepping in to take up market share the U.S. should be competing for. "After having consumed some of the food down there, I can tell you that they could stand to serve some good pork and bacon like we do in Illinois," Rep. Bustos said. Rep. Bustos said that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, is hoping to send five U.S. Department of Agriculture employees to Cuba to research the market there. Sen. Durbin said opposition from a small group of Congressional members from both parties who "want to cling to some old policy for personal reasons" are hampering efforts to lift the Cuba embargo. But he said he was hopeful a straight vote on lifting the embargo, if held, would pass both the House and Senate. The Cuban people gave the visiting group from the U.S. "the warmest reception you could have wished for," Sen. Durbin added. EAST MOLINE -- Hope Creek Care Center's new board of directors has been "suspended" by Rock Island County State's Attorney John McGehee. Mr. McGehee sent a cease and desist letter Tuesday to board of directors chairman Jesse Hullon. Mr. Hullon said the letter, which has not been made public, "shut down" the board. According to Mr. Hullon, the reason given by the state's attorney for his decision was that the board was operating under bylaws not approved by county board chairman Ken "Moose" Maranda. The board of directors has been operating under those bylaws, which outline the board's responsibilities, since last August. Mr. McGehee could not be reached for comment Wednesday to explain his decision to send the letter to Mr. Hullon. At Tuesday's county board meeting, Kim Callaway-Thompson, D-Rock Island, said the board of directors may not have been following the Illinois Open Meetings Act and had overstepped its boundaries, without providing details of what that meant. Ms. Callaway-Thompson chairs the county board committee that used to provide oversight at Hope Creek until the new board of directors was formed. Mr. Hullon said there may have been incidents when the Open Meetings Act was not followed, but that was due to inexperience rather than any malicious intent. He's seeking clarification from Mr. McGehee on why the board has been suspended. There are indications from all sides of the dispute that there's more to the decision to shut down the board of directors than has so far been publicly disclosed. Ms. Callaway-Thompson has petitioned for a special meeting of the county board to discuss the matter. A date for the meeting has yet to be set, and it's likely that some or all of the meeting will be held behind closed doors. "All board members have not yet been apprised of all the details so, at the advice of counsel, what I shared last night is the gist of it for now," Ms. Callaway-Thompson said, after she was asked to clarify her comments at Tuesday's county board meeting. Rod Simmer, R-Rock Island, is one of two county board members who sit on Hope Creek's board of directors. He would not go into details about the conflict between the board of directors and county officials, in particular Ms. Callaway-Thompson. "Everybody's looking for power," he said. "We have some personality issues." The county board voted last year to bring in a private company to run the county-owned nursing home and to create the new board of directors to provide oversight. The private management company is called Health Dimensions Group, of Minneapolis, and it has been running Hope Creek since last August. The company could earn up to $480,000 annually from the management contract and received a $20,000 startup fee. HDG also is eligible to receive various incentives based on revenue to the nursing home and other benchmarks of up to $250,000 per year. According to Mr. Ross the "specific matrix" to trigger those incentives has yet to be negotiated by the board of directors, more than seven months since HDG started working at Hope Creek. Mr. Hullon said negotiations on the incentives are now on hold, given that the board of directors has been suspended. Hope Creek had about $1 million operating deficit for the most recent fiscal year, but that was a significant improvement on the $2 million deficit recorded in 2014. Mr. Simmer suggested HDG, which was brought in to improve finances, was not yet producing the desired results. "HDG is not performing very well," he said. County board member Ron Oelke, R-Andalusia, said the conflict over the board of directors had left governance of the nursing home in disarray. "Nobody knows who's doing what, and it's a mess," he said. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Sparked by backlash to Charlotte's ordinance allowing transgender people to use restrooms aligned with their gender identity, the North Carolina legislature reined in local governments with a broad bill that prevents cities and counties from passing their own anti-discrimination rules. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed the legislation Wednesday night, dealing a blow to the LGBT movement after success with protection in cities across the country. The Republican-controlled General Assembly took action Wednesday to invalidate Charlotte's ordinance after city leaders last month approved the broad anti-discrimination measure. Critics focused on language in the ordinance involving transgender people and restrooms. McCrory, who was the mayor of Charlotte for 14 years and had criticized the local measure, signed the legislation that he said was "passed by a bipartisan majority to stop this breach of basic privacy and etiquette." Although 12 House Democrats joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill in the afternoon, later all Senate Democrats in attendance walked off their chamber floor during the debate in protest. Remaining Senate Republicans gave the legislation unanimous approval. "We choose not to participate in this farce," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue of Raleigh said after he left the chamber. Senate leader Phil Berger of Eden said the Democrats' decision to leave was a "serious breach of their obligation to the citizens that voted to elect them." Republicans and their allies have said intervening is necessary to protect the safety of women and children from "radical" action by Charlotte. There have been arguments that any man perhaps a sex offender could enter a woman's restroom or locker room simply by calling himself transgender. "It's common sense biological men should not me be in women's showers, locker rooms and bathrooms," said GOP Rep. Dean Arp of Monroe before the chamber voted 82-26 for the legislation after nearly three hours of debate. Gay rights leaders and transgender people said the legislation demonizes the community and espouses bogus claims about increasing the risk of sexual assaults. They say the law will deny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people essential protections needed to ensure they can get a hotel room, hail a taxi or dine at a restaurant without fear. "McCrory's reckless decision to sign this appalling legislation into law is a direct attack on the rights, well-being and dignity of hundreds of thousands of LGBT North Carolinians and visitors to the state," Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement. Civil liberties groups pledged to push for repeal and were weighing legal options. A Thursday evening rally was planned. GOP leaders scheduled the one-day session at the cost of $42,000 because Charlotte's ordinance was set to take effect April 1. Otherwise, the legislature wouldn't have returned until late April. Current Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who pressed to get the anti-discrimination ordinance approved, said she was appalled by the legislature's actions. "The General Assembly is on the wrong side of progress. It is on the wrong side of history," Roberts said in a statement. But McCrory said in a release "the basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings" was violated by "government overreach and intrusion" by Roberts and the city council. The law bars local governments statewide from prohibiting discrimination in public places based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A new statewide nondiscrimination law included doesn't contain those specific protections. It directs all public schools, government agencies and public college campuses to require bathrooms or locker rooms be designated for use only by people based on their biological sex. They can offer single-occupancy facilities. Transgender people who have transitioned to the opposite sex wouldn't be affected if they get their birth certificate changed. Democrats said the measure makes North Carolina less inclusive and interferes with local governments. They say the state could also risk billions in federal education dollars with the school policy. Ordinance supporters and opponents spoke to legislators in House and Senate committees. They included Skye Thompson, 15, of Greenville, who was born female but now identifies as male. He told senators they were putting him in danger by requiring use of a women's restroom. "I've dealt with bullying my whole life and now I worry that my own state lawmakers are bullying me as well. I feel bullied by you guys," Thompson said. Donna Eaton of Cary said everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect but is worried that without Wednesday's legislation "it's going to open the door for people with malicious intent who would masquerade as transgenders to come in and actually take advantage and have access to our kids." Legislation requiring transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding with their birth gender have failed recently. South Dakota's legislature failed to override Gov. Dennis Daugaard's veto and a similar bill in Tennessee bill died Tuesday. The new law also would also make clear local governments can't require area businesses to pay workers above the current minimum wage, with some exceptions. McCrory said that although items beyond the bathroom-related provisions in the legislation should have waited until later this spring for debate, he signed it anyway because it doesn't change existing rights under state or federal law. WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) While Ted Cruz decried "gutter politics" against him, former Republican presidential contenders gave him a boost Wednesday, casting the Texas senator as the party's last best chance to stop Donald Trump. The long and bitter 2016 campaign shifted to a new Midwestern battleground. Ahead of Wisconsin's April 5 primary, Gov. Scott Walker, who dropped out of the race last fall, declared that only Cruz can catch Trump as time runs short in the primary season. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush gave Cruz his endorsement a step perhaps designed to hurt Trump more than help the unpopular Texas senator. "For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena," said Bush, who was knocked out of the 2016 contest last month. "To win, Republicans need to make this election about proposing solutions to the many challenges we face, and I believe that we should vote for Ted as he will do just that." Indeed, as Democrat Hillary Clinton addressed rising national security concerns, the Republican contest was hit again by personal insults this time involving the candidates' families. Cruz slammed Trump during an appearance in the front-runner's hometown for making a vague threat on Twitter the night before to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife. "Gutter politics," Cruz said. Trump's warning that he would disclose something about Heidi Cruz came in response to an ad by an outside political group that featured a provocative photo of Trump's wife, Melania, when she was a model and before they were married. Trump misidentified the Cruz campaign as the source of the ad. Heidi Cruz addressed the situation directly during an appearance outside Milwaukee. "The things that Donald Trump says are not based in reality," she said. The Republican infighting came the day after Cruz scored a win in Utah and Trump claimed Arizona. Despite modest signs of strength, the first-term Texas senator needs a near miracle to catch the billionaire businessman. Cruz said during a forum that he waited until January to begin criticizing Trump because he didn't want to become "roadkill" like other candidates who had challenged the front-runner. The day-after delegate math laid bare the challenge: Cruz needs to win 83 percent of the remaining delegates to overtake the front-runner. And further complicating Cruz's path, Ohio Gov. John Kasich vowed to stay in the race at least until the next primary. "There is zero chance that we would drop out before Wisconsin. And there'd be no reason for us to," Kasich told reporters as he campaigned in the state, acknowledging his only hope to secure the nomination lies at a contested convention this summer in Cleveland. Kasich did not earn a single delegate in Tuesday's contests, but suggested he would do "fine" in Wisconsin's upcoming primary and would excel in late-April elections across the East. A frustrated Cruz charged Kasich with playing "spoiler" by taking votes that could have gone to him. And in an interview, Cruz suggested that the Ohio governor's political future could benefit from a speedy exit: "I think he'd be a tremendous addition to an administration," Cruz said on CNN's "New Day." Things were decidedly less contentious on the Democratic side. Clinton won in Arizona on Tuesday, maintaining a lopsided advantage over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race despite his wins in Utah and Idaho on the same night. The former secretary of state is now almost three-quarters of the way to the Democratic nomination. As the world grapples with a new wave of overseas violence, Clinton engaged Trump on national security with a California speech painting him as a misfit as potential commander in chief and laying out what she'd do to keep America safe in perilous times. "Slogans aren't a strategy. Loose cannons tend to misfire. What America needs is strong, smart, steady leadership," she said. Trump's win in Arizona gave him a little less than half the Republican delegates allocated so far. He needs to win 54 percent of those remaining to claim his party's nomination before the July convention. Candidates signaled they would spend a lot of time in Wisconsin over the next 12 days. "It's pivotal for all three candidates," said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, the former state chairman of the Wisconsin GOP. The state's voters, he said, "are going to find themselves at the center of the political universe." Walker, whose run for president ended in September after a 90-day campaign, has yet to endorse anyone in the race. But he made his analysis clear. "Senator Cruz is the only one who's got a chance, other than Donald Trump, to win the nomination. My friend Governor Kasich cannot," Walker said in an interview with WTMJ-AM broadcast on Wednesday. Cruz also won the first-ever presidential endorsement of the political arm of the conservative Club for Growth, a group that engaged the billionaire in a war of words earlier in the year. "Their records make clear that Ted Cruz is a consistent conservative who will fight to shrink the federal footprint, while Donald Trump would seek to remake government in his desired image," said Club President David McIntosh. Press release submitted by RK PR Solutions Public Educators Make a State Budget Push For Local Students Area Superintendents Urge Lawmakers, Governor to Pass Adequate Schools Budget ATKINSON The time is now for legislators and the governor to come together and approve a budget for the next budget year, school officials in northwestern Illinois urged on Thursday. Local school superintendents conducted a news conference at the Regional Office of Education in Atkinson to outline the impact on local districts if a Fiscal Year 2017 education budget is not in place prior to the start of the 2016-2017 school year. The superintendents used the news conference to outline for media, legislators and the communities they serve what is at stake if the ongoing state budget stalemate holds up a K-12 state education budget for the new budget year that starts July 1. Their points included: Despite overwhelming public support for education as a top priority and language in the Illinois Constitution giving the state the primary responsibility to fund education, the current system for funding public system is widely decried as both unfair and inadequate. State leaders approved a K-12 budget last summer despite the budget impasse, but discussions out of Springfield have suggested the education budget could be held up until there is school funding reform. Waiting until the scheduled May 31 end of the spring legislative session to approve a state budget puts schools in a very difficult spot of having to make financial decisions months before they know what state resources they will have for the following fall. Schools in Stark and Henry counties have small cash reserves of only a handful of months on hand to deal with any state education funding shortfall. Without state funding, schools here and elsewhere will close their doors. The local educators said they need to raise these important policy questions in hopes of pushing legislators and the governor for a new education budget before any crisis can develop. Our school leadership here and around the state are grappling with so many difficult issues from a possible state budget impasse: how quickly local reserves would be exhausted, how programs could be prioritized, when schools might close, said Angie Zarvell, Regional Superintendent of Schools for Regional Office of Education No. 28. Our hope is by publicly discussing our concerns, we will build the awareness needed for our elected leaders in Springfield to work together on a new budget and provide the certainty schools need to focus on providing the best education possible for our children. With only a few months of reserves on hand, any delay in state and federal funding from Springfield creates nearly impossible conditions to keep our doors open for an entire school year, said Geneseo Superintendent Scott Kuffel. We call on our legislators and the governor to pass an education budget as soon as possible. By taking this action quickly, they will have shown a commitment to doing the right thing for our children. The extremist group has been losing ground in Syria and Iraq for months under a stepped-up campaign of U.S.-led and Russian airstrikes, as well as ground assaults by multiple forces in each country. The retaking of Palmyra a UNESCO world heritage site whose fall to the militants last May sent shock waves through archaeological circles and beyond would be a significant victory for the Syrian government. But the operation to unseat the group in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, is likely to take much longer and be far more difficult. The advance on Palmyra came after government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, managed to capture several hills and high ground around the town this week. On Thursday, Syrian state TV broadcast footage of its reporter, embedded with the Syrian military, speaking live from the entrance of Palmyra and saying that as of midday, the fighting was concentrated near the famed archaeological site on the southwestern edge of the town. Cracks of gunfire and explosions echoed as the reporter spoke. The fall of Palmyra to IS militants last year had raised concerns worldwide, and the destruction the extremists subsequently embarked upon sparked alarm and made international headlines. It was also a big blow to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose forces pulled out with apparently little resistance. By nightfall, intense fighting was still taking place on the outskirts. Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, denied that Syrian troops had entered the town, and said the video seen on Syrian state TV was taken about three miles (five kilometers) from Palmyra. Earlier in the day, Gov. Talal Barazi told The Associated Press from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army was clearing roads leading into the town of mines and explosives. "We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra," Barazi said, adding that "the army is advancing in a precise and organized way to protect what is possible of monuments and archaeological sites." The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops and Shiite militiamen helping them on the ground were facing tough resistance from IS extremists as they try to penetrate the town's limits. The Observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said IS lost more than 200 militants since the government campaign to retake Palmyra began 17 days ago. It did not have figures for government losses. The IS group instructed residents to leave the town Wednesday, according to a Palmyra native who asked not to be named. The town was mostly empty Thursday, save for IS fighters who were reported to be mining homes ahead of the advancing army. Many of those who left sought refuge in IS-controlled cities in the country's north and east, including Deir el-Zour, which is also being contested between the extremist group and government forces, according to opposition media activists. Affectionately known as the "bride of the desert," Palmyra had attracted tens of thousands of tourists to Syria every year. But IS militants destroyed many of the town's Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and also killed dozens of captive Syrian soldiers and dissidents in public slayings at the town's grand Roman theater and other ruins. Besides blowing up priceless archaeological treasures, IS demolished the town's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents had been imprisoned and tortured over the years. The advance on Palmyra comes against the backdrop of Syrian peace talks underway in Geneva between representative of the Damascus government and the Western-backed opposition. The talks, which have been boosted by a Russia-U.S.-brokered cease-fire that has mostly held since late February, were to adjourn on Thursday without having achieved any apparent breakthroughs. Meanwhile, in Iraq, government forces pushed Islamic State fighters out of several villages outside the town of Makhmour, southeast of the IS-held city of Mosul a move that Iraqi and coalition officials cast as the start of an operation to retake the strategic city. Yet it also follows the death of a U.S. Marine stationed at a small U.S outpost close to Makhmour military base. U.S.-led coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters he believed the Islamic State group was specifically targeting the U.S. outpost and that IS attacks on the base had increased in recent weeks as Iraqi troops built up there and a larger number of U.S. and coalition forces moved in. Regarding plans for a Mosul offensive, Warren said in a telephone interview that an Iraqi military buildup was still underway in the area. "We announced several months ago that we had begun shaping operations for the eventual liberation of Mosul," Warren said. Thursday's "smaller ground operation conducted by the Iraqis is part of those shaping operations." At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter gave no indication that the Iraqis were ready for a full-scale counteroffensive. He said Iraq had "begun the shaping and isolation phase of the operation to collapse ISIL's control over Mosul." Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of Makhmour early Thursday and hoisted the Iraqi flag there, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool. While the territorial gain does little for an eventual assault on Mosul, which U.S. and Iraqi officials recently said would take many months, it could push the front line between Iraqi and IS forces away from the Makhmour base. The small U.S. artillery outpost near Makhmour has expanded the number and combat exposure of American troops in the country as Iraqi security forces prepare for a counteroffensive to retake Mosul, which fell to IS during the militants' June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq and neighboring Syria. The historic visit of a sitting U.S. president to Havana -- which should have come a half-century sooner -- will almost surely hasten the day when Cubans are free from the Castro government's suffocating repression. President Obama's whirlwind trip is the culmination of his common-sense revamping of U.S. policy toward Cuba. One outdated, counterproductive relic of the Cold War remains -- the economic embargo forbidding most business ties with the island nation -- and the Republican-controlled Congress won't even consider repealing it. But Obama, using his executive powers, has been able to re-establish full diplomatic relations, practically eliminate travel restrictions and substantially weaken the embargo's grip. All of which is long overdue. The United States first began to squeeze the Castro government, with the hope of forcing regime change, in 1960. It should be a rule of thumb that if a policy is an utter failure for more than 50 years, it's time to try something else. I say this as someone with no illusions about President Raul Castro, the spectral but still-powerful Fidel Castro or the authoritarian system they created and wish to perpetuate. Hours before Obama's arrival Sunday, police and security agents roughly arrested and hauled away members of the Ladies in White dissident group as they conducted their weekly protest march; this time, U.S. network news crews happened to be on hand to witness the ritualized crackdown. I wrote a book about Cuba, and each time I went to the island for research I gained more respect and admiration for the Cuban people -- and more contempt for the regime that so cynically and capriciously smothers their dreams. Those 10 trips convinced me, however, that the U.S. policy of prohibiting economic and social contact between Americans and Cubans was, to the Castro brothers, the gift that kept on giving. I saw how the "menace" of an aggressive, threatening neighbor to the north was used as a justification for repression. "We'd love to have freedom of the press, freedom of association and freedom of assembly," the government would say, "but how can we leave our beloved nation so open, and so vulnerable, when the greatest superpower on earth is trying to destroy our heroic revolution?" Most of the Cubans I met were not fooled by such doublespeak. But they did have a nationalistic love for their country, and their nation was, indeed, under economic siege. There are those who argue that Obama could have won more concessions from the Castro regime in exchange for improved relations. But this view ignores the fact that our posture of unmitigated hostility toward Cuba did more harm to U.S. interests than good. Relaxing travel restrictions for U.S. citizens can only help flood the island with American ideas and values. Permitting such an influx could be the biggest risk the Castro brothers have taken since they led a ragtag band of guerrillas into the Sierra Maestra Mountains to make a revolution. Why would they now take this gamble? Because they have no choice. The Castro regime survived the collapse of the Soviet Union -- and the end of huge annual subsidies from the Eastern Bloc -- but the Cuban economy sank into depression. Copious quantities of Venezuelan oil, provided by strongman Hugo Chavez (who was Fidel Castro's protege), provided a respite. But now Chavez is gone, Venezuela is an economic ruin and Cuba has no choice but to monetize the resource it has in greatest abundance, human capital. From the Castros' point of view, better relations with the United States must now seem unavoidable. It is possible that Raul Castro, who has promised to resign in 2018, will seek to move the country toward the Chinese model: a free-market economic system overseen by an authoritarian one-party government. Would this fully satisfy those who want to see a free Cuba? No. Would it be a tremendous improvement over the poverty and oppression Cubans suffer today? Absolutely. Fidel Castro will be 90 in August; Raul is just five years younger. At some point in the not too distant future, we will see whether Castroism can survive without a living Castro. Anyone who wants U.S. policymakers to have influence when that question arises should applaud Obama's initiatives. And speaking of applause, did you see the rapturous welcome the president and his family received in Havana? Cubans seem to have a much more clear-eyed -- and hopeful -- view than Obama's shortsighted critics. Chris Coleman will be joining Talking Canberra 2CC as the new host of its drive program, Canberra Live. Chris joins 2CC after 15 years with ABC Local radio in Wagga Wagga where he presented the breakfast show, mornings and was also the regional manager for the Riverina. Chris also worked in commercial stations in Orange, Muswellbrook and Wagga Wagga. A bonus for Capital Radio, Chris was born and raised in Canberra and has maintained close links with the capital throughout his radio career. 2CC General Manager, Michael Jones, says that Chris Coleman will bring to 2CC a strong journalistic approach to the program. Chris is someone who not only has the experience and knowledge to deliver a highly informative radio program, he also has the personality and life experience that our listeners will be able to relate to. Chris Coleman starts March 29 replaces Marcus Paul who resigned from the station yesterday. Atresmedia's Antena 3 Internacional is to be scheduled onto Bell's Fibe TV IPTV platform in Canada, expanding the channel's presence across the Americas. With this launch, Atresmedia's oldest international network will be available in every Latin American country but Brazil.The Spanish media group has just inked a distribution agreement with Bell, which has over 900,000 subscribers to Fibe TV across Ontario and Quebec.Through the move, Atresmedia continues to expand its reach, being available to over 32 million households through its three international signals Antena 3 Internacional, Atreseries and Hola! TV.Antena 3 Internacional was the first international feed of the media group, and is very similar to the Spanish free-to-air (FTA) channel, Antena 3. Atreseries was first launched in 2014 across Latin America, and has now been imported to Spain , where it has been on-air since December 2015. Hola! TV is a celebrity and lifestyle network which broadcasts exclusively across the Americas.The three networks are distributed by some of the region's largest operators, like DirecTV or Movistar in Latin America and have local agreements with other platforms including Liberty and Cable Onda. ThinkAnalytics has announced that it signed 12 new customers in 2015 and is now used by over 70 video service providers in more than 40 countries around the world. Over the last year, ThinkAnalytics has added support for ten new languages and now supports 32 languages, including Hindi and Mandarin.Its footprint expansion at Liberty Global was a key part of the growth, but ThinkAnalytics also signed Astro Malaysia, US provider CenturyLink and PCCW in Hong Kong in 2015. The company also won contracts with a number of high profile operators in North America and Europe, Asia and Latin America . ThinkAnalytics now serves 170 million people.Demonstrating the scale of its business expansion, ThinkAnalytics recorded year-on-year revenue growth of 25% for the year ending 31 December, while profits were up by 50% over the same period.With our regional offices around the world we now have global reach, said Peter Docherty, founder and CTO at ThinkAnalytics . This, combined with the capability of deploying the solution in a matter of weeks either on-premise or as a cloud-based service, is resulting in an increased demand for our technology. We have a very positive outlook for 2016 with contracts wins and customer deployments continuing at an increasing pace. MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) Deputy Minister of Culture Grigory Pirumov on Thursday was officially charged with embezzlement of about 50 million rubles ($739,200) from the state budget, his lawyer Fyodor Kupriyanov told RAPSI. Pirumov could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Deputy Minister of Culture Grigoriy Pirumov was detained alongside other high-ranking officials, including Boris Mazo, the head of the Ministry Department of property management and investment policies, on suspicion of corruption and embezzling state funds. Oleg Ivanov, the head of a state unitary enterprise for restoration works supervised by the Ministry, Dmitry Sergeyev, the head of BaltStroy, and Nikita Kolesnikov, the head of Savva Corporate Group, were detained as well. Although as yet the Federal Security Service (FSB) incriminates the suspects the embezzlement of about 50 million rubles, much greater funds may be at stake, according to Kommersant newspaper. The investigation has presumably started basing on a report by the Auditing Chamber on restoration of the Izborsk Fortress in the Pskov region presented yet in 2013; however, it may also involve such cultural heritage sites as the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, as well as works carried out at the Ivanovsky Convent in Moscow, and a theater in Pskov. When the first Russian pilots returned to Voronezh air base as part of the recently announced military drawdown from Syria, they were greeted with a hero's welcome. Russian women in folk costumes offered loaves of bread with salt. Robed Orthodox priests gave the pilots icons to kiss. Crowds carrying balloons, flowers and Russian flags hoisted the pilots onto their shoulders and tossed them into the air. It was a picture of patriotism, broadcast live across the nation. But that picture has changed throughout the years. The sentiment the Kremlin used to shape its interventions in Syria and Ukraine evolved from a kind of nationalism that was often used in the early years of President Vladimir Putin's government. Rabid and inspired, it was based mostly on civic patriotism and duty. Today's nationalism, on the other hand, taps into the deeper identity of the Russian people - their sense of moral virtue, their survival instinct and their belief in Russia as a global power. In Good Times ... Nationalism has rallied in tandem with popular support for Putin and his administration. At the beginning of 2016, Putin's approval rating was 81 percent, just shy of the all-time high of 86 percent. Social sentiment in support of the country is also at 82 percent. This comes as Russia remains mired in its second recession in seven years, it is under continuing sanctions by many global powers, and it has failed to prevent former ally Ukraine from shifting toward the West. Early in his presidency, Putin laid a foundation of national support for himself and his government. He was seen as the savior of Russia, stabilizing the country after the chaos that followed the Soviet Union's collapse. He promised a future of stability and wealth, along with a return to global power. In return, the Russian people offered loyalty and a willingness to disregard the administration's heavy hand. As the Russian state consolidated most major aspects of the economy - including energy firms, media outlets and the telecommunications industry - the Kremlin vilified the oligarchs who had previously run these industries. The state promoted the idea that it was taking over businesses to make Russia strong again, while the oligarchs were only in it for personal gain. In security matters, Putin blamed the failure of the First Chechen War on his predecessor, and Moscow clamped down on Chechnya, launching a second war. Today Chechnya is fairly stable, and terrorism in Russia is at its lowest level in decades. Moreover, the Chechen leadership is fervently loyal to Moscow, something unimaginable a decade ago. Over the past 10 years, the Kremlin harnessed religion as an important tool to foster nationalism. Russian Orthodox affiliation under Putin has skyrocketed: At the start of the 1990s, less than a third of Russians considered themselves Russian Orthodox, as opposed to roughly 72 percent today. The Orthodox revival gave Russians an identity after the years of uncertainty that followed the fall of the Soviet Union. The Kremlin has used this to its advantage, so effectively portraying support for Putin's government as a religious duty that the church is now seen as part of the state apparatus. Realizing that people born after the fall of the Soviet Union were growing up, the Kremlin started pro-government youth organizations in 2005 to instill a sense of nationalism in the new generation. These groups appealed mainly to lower-class ethnic Russians, giving them a sense of community and structure. The most notable group, Nashi ("Ours"), was created by current presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, who also helped design the plan for a stable Chechnya. At its height, Nashi alone boasted some 150,000 members. These strategies all hinged on the principles that the state was only as strong as its people's support and that, therefore, support for the state was a civic duty. And Putin's system used them to such success in part because Russia benefited from years of economic plenty at a time when a global challenger - the United States - was distracted with two wars. But nationalism can grow stale, particularly in the face of challenges. ... And in Bad Things began to change in 2008, when Russia was hit hard by the global financial crisis. Going into the crisis, Putin's popularity was high, bolstered as it was by Russia's success in the war in Georgia. But as the government struggled to keep the country financially stable, the Russian people began to feel as though Putin was not holding up his end of the bargain. His support dropped accordingly. Bethenny Frankel will get to end her spousal support payments to Jason Hoppy following an appeals court ruling on Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT New York appellate court judges ruled the 45-year-old "The Real Housewives of New York City" star is no longer obligated to pay her estranged husband the $11,852 she shelled out per month in temporary alimony. "We find that the broad and expansive language used by the parties in their [prenuptial] agreement forecloses the husband from seeking any kind of spousal support, including temporary support," the court documents read, according to E! News. The court also ruled a trust agreement granting Hoppy joint ownership of the pair's Tribeca condo invalid. Hoppy claims to have made "certain payments" toward the apartment, which Frankel bought, and will continue to pursue ownership of the home. "We believe that the evidence ... will clearly demonstrate that Bethenny, who is the sole purchaser, is also the sole owner," Frankel's attorney, Allan Mayefsky, told People. "We are also pleased the court invalidated the award of interim spousal support." "My client is extremely happy that the appeals court rejected his wife's position that she automatically owns the marital apartment just because she paid for it," Hoppy's lawyer, Bernard Clair, told E!. "He is looking forward to the appeal's court directive that a hearing must occur." Frankel filed for divorce in 2013 after less than three years of marriage. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! The reality star, who will return on the eighth season of "The Real Housewives of New York City" when it premieres April 6, shares 5-year-old daughter Bryn with her estranged husband. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 03/23/2016 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. Kendall Jenner takes center stage in a new, special edition of "Vogue" magazine. ADVERTISEMENT The magazine dedicated an entire 52-page issue to the 20-year-old model and "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star featuring new photos of Jenner and insight into her modeling career. Famed fashion photographer Mario Testino shot the cover and spread, which includes looks from Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen. The special edition will be delivered to subscribers in New York and Los Angeles, along with the April issue. "Y'all I could cry! My very own Vogue magazine. The whole thing. Just me. What!! So honored to be the special edition issue @voguemagazine thank you!" Jenner announced on Instagram. "Kenny!!!! Soooo proud of you!!!! #stunning #beautifulinsideandout #proudmama #vogue," mom Kris Jenner wrote on her own account. Jenner is known for her work with Chanel and Balmain, and has also walked for Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Dior. She and several other young models, including Gigi Hadid, are as popular on social media as they are on the runways. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! "I'm aware of the incredible opportunity I've been given," she told the magazine. "I mean, I've dreamed of being a part of this my whole life.Ten years from now, I can only hope to have harnessed all of this experience and opportunity into something impactful and meaningful." The 20-year-old, who has 68 million followers on social media, recently told British Vogue it's important for her to stay "grounded" despite her success. Some people are put off from buying a home because they have little or no money to cover the usual 20 percent down payment requirement. But can you buy a home with no down payment required? The answer is yes. Recent reports even say there are now more loans available for homebuyers looking to acquire a house with little money. The Detroit News listed three available options of home loans with no down payment. According to the report, qualified veterans can avail of a zero-down payment home loan from Veteran Affairs. The VA guarantees the loan which the private lenders originate and the borrower only pays a funding fee between 2.15 to 3.3 percent that can be deducted from the loan amount. There is no mortgage insurance, however. Another zero-down payment loan is from Navy Federal Credit Union. The loan is available to qualified members looking into purchasing a prime home. Navy Federal offers 100 percent financing to members of the military, some civilian employees of the military and U.S. Department of Defense, and their family members. The borrower also pays a funding fee of 1.75 percent. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also offers a zero-down home loan via its Rural Development mortgage guarantee program. The USDA's program is intended primarily for first-time homebuyers, with some exceptions, and looks into the geographical limits and household income. Similar to VA's loan, there is no mortgage insurance and the borrower pays a guarantee fee of 2 percent upon approval which can be rolled out into the loan amount and an annual guarantee fee of 5 percent of the loan balance. Clare Drage and The Motley Fool also listed some helpful tips on how you can still buy a home even if you have little or no money to put up a down payment. Student loan has often stood in the way of most millennials' dream of owning a home. However, a local bank recently offered a new program, which offers a fixed 1 percent APR in student loan refinancing to attract first-time home buyers into finally making their dream a reality. Most people, especially millennials, are having a hard time buying their own home because they are still paying for their student loans. Aside from the debt affecting their credit ratings, having to pay for a student loan also gets in the way of millennials saving for the down payment on their dream home. However, the Gate City Bank in North Dakota realized this major obstacle and developed a program to help millennials achieve their dreams of owning a house, Realtor.com reported. The program is called, "BetterLife Student Loan Program," which offers a fixed 1 percent APR for student loan refinancing as long as the buyer will finance their home through the bank. The program allows borrowers with two- or four-year degrees to refinance up to $50,000 of their student loan as long as they have made 12 consecutive on-time payments. The program's rate is considerably lower than other student loans, which often go higher than 5 percent. The publication noted that those who are not living in North Dakota can still improve their chances of buying a house while paying for their student loan by working on their credit scores. Realty Today also reported on some tips to pay off your student loan in less than two years. One of the things you need to do is to find ways to earn and save more money. If you can squeeze in some more time for tutoring or babysitting, then that would help add up to your payments for the student loan. It may also help to create a plan so that you know when you are getting sidetracked and ways in which you can get yourself back on track. Sexual battery reported to university police University police received a notification from the University Health Center on Friday, Feb. 26 about a sexual battery that occurred at an off-campus location some time between Feb. 16 and Feb. 26. The annual Bulldawg Brawl has been a popular boxing and charity event in Athens for the last five years, but for the sixth annual Brawl for a Cause, the game has changed. Instead of just UGA students fighting UGA students, University of Florida students will be bussed in from Jacksonville this year to go head-to-head with UGA students for their respective charities. R-S photo by David Benda Burrito Bandito hopes to open its new Redding location this summer. SHARE By David Benda of the Redding Record Searchlight Co-founder Paul LaBarbera marvels at the growth of his Mexican restaurant. When LaBarbera and his wife, Sheryl, opened Burrito Bandito on Airport Road in Redding in November 2002, Paul said they were just trying to make a living. They had been in the restaurant business for a dozen years when they decided to branch out on their own. Now Burrito Bandito is getting ready to open its third location in Redding in the old Taco Barn in the Cobblestone Shopping Center on Hartnell Avenue. The restaurant also has locations in Anderson, Red Bluff and Chico. Combined the five locations employ about 100. "This whole thing has been beyond imagination," Paul LaBarbera said Wednesday. "It has just blown up and we have been in disbelief this whole time." LaBarbera said he hopes to open the new location by the summer "but that's just a guess; too many variables." And big changes are coming to the old Taco Barn building, including a complete gutting of the inside. There is a drive-through window, but LaBarbera said they will not use it. "We debated pretty hard but we make enough mistakes," he said with a chuckle. "Truth is we can be just as quick, if not quicker, as the drive through. You just have to walk in." The Hartnell location means Burrito Bandito will cover Redding, LaBarbera said, complementing his Airport Road restaurant to the east and Holiday Foods shopping center restaurant on Placer Street to the west. "We are within a 5-mile radius of everyone," LaBarbera said. Plans for the new location come as Burrito Bandito recently moved to a larger space in the Holiday Foods center on Placer. The restaurant opened in the former Blockbuster Video location on the southeast side of the center. "We spent quite a bit of money but we wanted a little more enjoyable dining experience for our customers," LaBarbera said, adding the new spot is about twice the size. Meanwhile, the Cobblestone Shopping Center has especially struggled since Raley's closed there nearly two years ago. That left a huge void in a strip mall already dealing with large vacancies. Walt Robbins, who operates the Little Caesars franchise in Cobblestone, said he welcomes the addition of Burrito Bandito. "I think it's great for them and we will be glad to have them there," Robbins said. "They will take a little bit away from our lunch crowd, but I'm not going to worry about it. I wish them nothing but luck." But Robbins doesn't think Burrito Bandito will have a huge impact on the shopping center. There are still too many empty spaces to be filled. Last summer, In-Shape Health Clubs was ready to open a location in the former Raley's building. But the deal fell apart. "It's still pretty deserted," Robbins said of the center. LaBarbera likes the Cobblestone location because of the commerce that surrounds it, including the Cobblestone Business Park to the south. He also would like to see Dignity Health build its wellness campus behind the former Raley's store. "That is going to be a boost to us," he said. "If that doesn't follow through, I would be disappointed, not only for my sake but the whole city's sake." Cook Zeke Wilson, left, and server Vanessa Rodriguez on deck at Airpark Cafe SHARE Cranberry walnut chicken salad The Benton Melt sandwich Cheesecake By Marc Beauchamp It seems the energetic new owners of Benton Air Center in west Redding want their business to be synonymous with flying, food and family fun. Based on two visits to Benton Airpark last week Id say Jim and Janet Ostrich are well on their way. The couple moved to Redding in December from San Diego to take over the concession at the city-owned airport. Jim, a pilot and lifelong vintage plane buff, worked at Qualcomm; Janet's a registered nurse (she now works three days a week at Vibra Hospital on Eureka Way). The Airpark Cafe, long a favorite of mine, reopened Jan. 2. I joined a friend for brunch on the sunny deck last Tuesday, following a week of rainy weather. Isnt this delightful? he asked. One of the few places in Redding where you can sit outside to eat. Nice view, a breeze, agreed Ed McCarthy, a project manager at CH2M Hill. My friend gave his veggie omelet a thumbs up everything in that is fresh. I took the suggestion of our delightful server, Vanessa Rodriguez, and ordered the popular cranberry walnut chicken salad and the Benton Melt sandwich. She also brought us a sample of the tasty soup of the day. Cook Zeke Wilson did a fine job. There was no room left for dessert cheesecake or homemade cookies. My friend said hes been to the Airpark four times since the new owners took over. Rodriguez said other regulars include pilots with planes at the airport, parishioners at the Catholic church across the street, workers at nearby office buildings and folks using Dog Park at the corner of Placer Street. To raise the community profile of Benton Airpark Jim and Janet Ostrich have an ambitious schedule of events. Last Friday I joined a friend at the inaugural Wings, Wheels & Tri-Tip. Admission was free. The event, to be held monthly, featured classic cars, plane rides, vintage aircraft and a $12 dinner in the hangar. Janet Ostrich said theyd only expected maybe 40 or 50 people. Many more showed up. On Saturday night there was dinner and a movie (The Great Waldo Pepper) in the hangar. Its scheduled to be a weekly event. (Note: To park at Benton Airpark use the lot just to the south and walk through the security gate.) The idea is we want to be a family place, Airpark Cafe server Rodriguez told me. A big thank you to Jim and Janet Ostrich. Good luck! Airpark Cafe Address: 2600 Gold Street, Redding Phone: 241-4204 Hours: Daily 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Social media: Facebook Owners: Jim and Janet Ostrich Established: January 2016 (new owners) Sample menu items: Eggs benedict Florentine $8.50 Veggie omelet $8.25 Breakfast burrito $8.25 Benton burger $8.25 Benton melt $8.25 Cranberry walnut chicken salad $7.99 This image released by Keith Sherman & Associates shows Michael Cumpsty, left, and Michael Crane during a performance of the play, "The Body of an American." (James Leynse/Keith Sherman & Associates via AP) SHARE By KATHY WILLENS, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is Dan O'Brien's play about a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo worth? Plenty it turns out. The picture is Paul Watson's 1993 photograph of an angry mob dragging the nearly naked, bullet-ridden body of American serviceman Staff Sgt. William David Cleveland through the streets of Mogadishu after Somali militiamen shot down his Black Hawk helicopter. O'Brien's off-Broadway play, "The Body of an American" now playing at the Cherry Lane Theatre, focuses on Watson, his revelation that the picture has "haunted" him ever since and the relationship the playwright forged with Watson. Watson's photograph was the turning point in President Bill Clinton's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Somalia and it was often used as an example of why the United States should steer clear of military interventions. It also took a devastating emotional toll on Watson. At the moment he was about to snap the shutter, Watson swears he heard Cleveland, though clearly dead, say, "If you do this, I will own you forever." Watson, who spent the bulk of his 35 year-career covering foreign wars for the Toronto Star and the Los Angeles Times, fears the photograph gave nascent militant leaders like Ayman Al-Zawahiri reason to celebrate a propaganda victory against the world's greatest military power, a fact not lost on Osama bin Laden. The play's 90-minute, rapid-fire dialogue details the playwright and the journalist's burgeoning friendship, initially via email and ultimately in a face-to-face meeting in an Arctic Circle hotel. Actors Michael Crane, as playwright O'Brien, and Michael Cumpsty as journalist Watson, portray the pair and associated characters with great humanity and humor in spite of the seriousness of their deeper connection. Watson admits he hasn't seen the play and doesn't intend to because of the trauma it caused. "It's a dark place," he said. "Once you get close to that door, and it starts to reopen, you tend to back off." But speaking fondly of his friend, Watson said: "Dan found a way to speak to people's hearts." O'Brien, a playwright, poet, librettist and a 2015-2016 Guggenheim Fellow in Drama and Performance Art, said he became intrigued by the idea of writing it while listening to a 2007 NPR interview with Watson. "My idea was: Could that photograph and that event have an influence on recent history? I was interested in the idea that the photo had a huge impact on government and foreign policy." O'Brien has won multiple awards for "The Body of an American," including the Horton Foote prize for Outstanding New American Play, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, and the PEN Center US Award for Drama. He said he identifies with Watson, whose guilt continues. "It's interesting for me, and all of us, because the trauma is so extreme," said O'Brien. "Paul doesn't know why there is a voice connected to that picture and no others since then." ___ Online: http://primarystages.org/shows/current-season/the-body-of-an-american ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: The writer is a staff photographer for The Associated Press who spent six weeks in Somalia during the summer of 1993, alongside Paul Watson. Just weeks after she left, four journalists, including her replacement, were killed by a mob of angry Somalis while they tried to photograph a helicopter assault. SHARE By JONATHAN MATTISE, Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Some West Virginia lawmakers and Capitol staffers had a very bad weekend after drinking raw milk to celebrate a law loosening restrictions on the product. Now state health officials are investigating whether the milk was to blame for their fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and weighing allegations the raw-milk party broke the law. So far, state and county health officials say they haven't received medical reports of illnesses related to the dangerous bacteria that can live in raw milk, which include Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli. The lawmaker involved, Del. Scott Cadle, who also stayed home sick on Monday, blames his and other illnesses on an unrelated stomach virus circulating the Capitol. "Everybody up there is getting it," said Cadle, a Mason County Republican. "It's a stomach virus. It didn't have nothing to do with that milk." Some lawmakers were already sick before Thursday and did not drink the milk, including House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, House spokesman Jared Hunt noted. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill last Thursday that will let people share milk-producing animals and drink raw milk if people sign a document acknowledging the health risks, and if the animals have passed health tests within the previous year. The law, which takes effect in late May, maintains selling and distribution bans. Selling or even offering raw milk is illegal and still will be, subject to fines of $50 to $500, unless the new requirements are met. Tomblin, a Democrat, vetoed a similar bill last year, saying raw milk contains bacteria particularly dangerous for children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems. Asked Wednesday why he changed his mind this time, the governor said "I think the one this year gave a little bit more oversight to our state Department of Health and Human Resources." "I still have concerns," Tomblin added. "When you listen to the health experts, there are people who do become ill sometimes because of tainted raw milk that has not been pasteurized. I would just caution anybody that you should know the source of your milk, that it's safe and clean before you drink it." Cadle said he brought in raw milk last week to share with friends after the governor signed the bill into law. He wouldn't say where he got it. "I might have been breaking the law," Cadle told the Charleston Gazette-Mail. "Hell, I don't know. I gave it away." State health officials got involved after someone filed a complaint Tuesday alleging that the distribution of raw milk in the halls of the Capitol violated the law, and could have been to blame for illnesses over the weekend. Officials don't release the names of people who file complaints. It's not clear how many people got sick, or whether any of them were tested by doctors, who are required by law to report confirmed cases to the state health department. State Health Officer Dr. Rahul Gupta said his department investigates about 200 possible outbreaks of all kinds of illnesses every year, so this one isn't unusual, nor is it confirmed. "It's important to note that a lot of the information out there is alleged," Gupta said. "It's important to conduct an investigation to figure out exactly the facts." SHARE This Monday, March 7, 2016 photo shows attorney Zoe Salzman, left, and plaintiff Natalie Brasington, who have brought a class action lawsuit to end New York sales tax on feminine hygiene products, in New York. The lawsuit filed on Thursday, March 3, 2016 argues that it is unconstitutional for the state to levy sales tax on tampons and sanitary napkins while offering medical product exemptions to many other items used by both genders, like lip balm, foot powder and dandruff shampoo. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) By COLLEEN LONG and JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) Margo Seibert and Natalie Brasington don't think women should have to pay a "period tax," and like a growing number of other women, they are publicly questioning whether being female in the U.S. carries unfair costs. The pair are among five New York City women who filed a lawsuit last week arguing that it was unconstitutional for the state to levy sales tax on tampons and sanitary napkins while offering medical product exemptions to many other items used by both genders, like lip balm, foot powder and dandruff shampoo. The case, they say, is about more than the few cents in tax levied on each pack. Sick of the social taboo, and frustrated by a lack of access for some to a staple, these women and others are talking very publicly about menstruation and gaining political traction that would have been impossible a generation ago. A national push to abolish sales tax on tampons is gathering steam, led by social media campaigns like #periodswithoutshame. At least seven states are now considering legislation. Illinois lawmakers were holding a hearing on the latest proposal Wednesday. Connecticut legislators discussed the issue Monday. Cosmopolitan magazine launched an online petition, and even President Barack Obama has questioned why the items are taxed. "I tend to talk about my period quite a bit, to anyone who will listen," said Seibert, a 31-year-old actress and founder of an online campaign that promotes a "shame-free" period. Brasington, a 31-year-old photographer, said the tax affects women disproportionately and is a genuine burden for poorer women. "Being a woman is so expensive," she said. Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, a vice president at the NYU School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice, said she began writing articles and op-eds on "menstrual equity" when she discovered food pantries were desperate for sanitary napkins and tampons because poor women can't afford them. The tax campaign reflects a broader debate over "gender pricing," or charging women and men different rates for similar products and services, from haircuts to razors to T-shirts. New York City's consumer protection agency studied the cost of 800 common household items last year and found that products marketed to women cost, on average, 7 percent more than similar products for men. "Women's outcry over this issue isn't just about the tax on tampons. It's a reflection of the routine unfairness that seeps into our everyday lives," said Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women in New York. "At the end of the day, the tampon tax movement is one small way to challenge the broader sexism that still persists. Because that's the real taboo here." While women's advocates have long lamented that many women's products cost more, their providers say there can be legitimate reasons a more decorative product or more complicated haircut, for instance. And some have noted that women sometimes pay less: for life and auto insurance, for example. Nationwide, 40 states tax feminine hygiene products, deeming them non-necessities or even "luxury items," while making exceptions for products as similar as adult incontinence pads. Currently, five U.S. states exempt tampons and other feminine hygiene products from their sales tax, which varies around the country from about 2.9 percent to as high as 7.5 percent. Another five states have no sales tax. New York taxes tampons and sanitary napkins as tools "to control a normal bodily function and to maintain personal cleanliness." The 4 percent state sales tax on the products costs New York women millions of dollars a year; estimates range from about $7 million to twice that, a minute fraction of the state's $142 billion budget. Advocates say the cost, however small it may seem, is burdensome for poor women, who also can't purchase the products with food stamps. "Having one's period is not a luxury," state Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Democrat who has proposed abolishing the tax. "Because of our biology, we bear this extra cost, and the state should not compound it." The state Department of Taxation and Finance declined to comment, citing the lawsuit. Two major manufacturers of feminine hygiene products, P&G, the maker of the Tampax brand, and Edgewell Personal Care Co., the maker of the Playtex brand, didn't respond to inquiries this week about the tax issue. Zoe Salzman, the attorney on the New York case, said they'd push to get a judge to rule the tax unlawful. "If men had to use these products every month, they would already be tax-exempt," she said. Meanwhile, the legislative proposal has yet to get a hearing, though supporters are hopeful about its prospects, especially since Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently said the tax should be abolished. That wasn't the sense in Utah, where a legislative committee last month nixed a proposal to tax-exempt the items. While some members of the all-male committee supported the idea, others questioned where the state would draw the line on what to tax in the future. The Los Angeles Times, in an editorial last week, expressed similar concerns in opposing a tax exemption that California lawmakers are considering. Overseas, Canada removed taxes on the items last year, and British leaders, who have set the tax at the lowest possible level, have considered doing away with it altogether. Goldfinch SHARE House finch By Damon Arthur of the Redding Record Searchlight Since the news came out in February that pine siskins were dying from a disease associated with bird feeders and bird baths, Carol Boggs had changed the way she was feeding birds in her yard. Boggs, who lives in Redding, began casting bird food on the ground in her backyard. She also took down her bird feeders, except for a sock-type feeder that lets birds pull seeds from a cloth food holder. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife had urged those with bird feeders and bird baths to take them down to prevent the spread of salmonellosis, which has been killing pine siskins. Krysta Rogers, a senior environmental scientist with the department, said last week that concerns about bird feeders has not passed. Her department is still receiving reports of pine siskins dying from the disease. The state has also been receiving reports of goldfinches and house finches contracting mycoplasmosis, Rogers said. She said since mid-February the state had received 13 reports of finches in Sacramento and El Dorado counties contracting the disease. Since reports of infected deaths are often spotty, the actual rate of disease is likely higher, she said. And because goldfinches and house finches are common throughout the state, the disease may be spreading to finches in other areas, including the North State, Rogers said. The spread of mycoplasmosis is also another reason not to feed wild birds at all, she said. "There's a long list of reasons why it's better not to feed birds," she said. Feeding birds from feeders causes birds to congregate, making it easier for them to spread diseases. "It's kind of like when you go on an airplane, and a week later you have a cold," Rogers said. Casting bird food on the ground for birds to eat can create another set of problems, she said. The birds can defecate on the food, helping to further spread diseases when other birds eat the seeds. The food can also attract other animals, such as rodents, raccoons and skunks, which neighbors might not appreciate having around, she said. Boggs said she was unaware of the possible dangers from bird feeding, so she planned to take down her remaining feeder and quit casting bird food. "I don't want to be a party to making the birds sick," Boggs said. But Dan Greany, education director for the Wintu Audubon Society in Redding, said feeding birds can be done safely by regularly cleaning bird feeders. Regularly sanitizing bird feeders could help reduce the spread of diseases, he said. "I think a good compromise is if you are going to have the feeders out, then sanitize them," Greany said. Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight file photo Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti speaks during a quarterly town hall meeting held at the Redding Civic Auditorium. Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti's quarterly town hall meetings resume this month. Paoletti holds a town hall next Thursday to present the 2015 crime statistics, provide updates about his department and take the public's questions. The meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m. at Sequoia Middle School's McLaughlin Auditorium, 1805 Sequoia St. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The chief is encouraging residents and business and community leaders to attend. McLaughlin Auditorium has been the communty's gathering grounds to talk public safety and quality of life issues. The site hosted a July 2014 town hall meeting with Paoletti that drew an overflow crowd. Many were turned away at the door. The venue was filled nearly to capacity when Leon Evans, a nationally recognized mental health expert from San Antonio, spoke last September about how he established the Restoration Center and how that can happen in Redding. In February, Lloyd Pendleton, a nationally known housing expert who led the reduction of the chronically homeless population in Utah, packed the auditorium. RABA wants to tear down the former Bell Rooms Transient and former Bings Automotive buildings to make way for a parking garage. SHARE The Shasta Historical Society is rallying to save the former Bell Rooms Transient building from demolition, shown in this archived photo. The Shasta Historical Society is rallying to save the former Bell Rooms Transient building from demolition. The Shasta Historical Society is rallying to save the former Bell Rooms Transient building from demolition. The Shasta Historical Society is rallying to save the former Bell Rooms Transient building from demolition. By Jenny Espino of the Redding Record Searchlight A plan to tear down another old building in downtown Redding this one tied to its notorious red-light district has touched off a battle with local preservationists. At the center of debate is the two-story brick building across from the former police station on Shasta Street at California Street. Built in 1908, the boarded-up, square building provided low-income rental units until six years ago. But its asset is rooted to its colorful history as the Bell Room Transient building whose business thrived as thousands of construction workers arrived to build Shasta Dam. The Redding Area Bus Authority in 2012 bought the parcel on which the apartment building and Bing's Automotive building sit to expand parking. But its demolition plans were halted in October when the Shasta Historical Society got wind and demanded an evaluation. "One of the big things about Redding's history is the transportation," said Christine Stokes, historical society executive director. "People got off the railroad right there, and then if they were coming for a job, that was kind of the epicenter of where you would stay. "We have some evidence that this was used for the red-light district. But it was also just a boarding house. It was a whole different way of life when you have this itinerant population who is following jobs. This one right here is one of the last and it has the right architecture of what a boarding house looked like in Redding. The Bell Rooms was the main feature of a one-hour presentation the historical society presented last Saturday to a packed house at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall in the Market Street Promenade. Redding's red-light district, east of the railroad tracks, was bound by Market, California and Shasta streets and Eureka Way, then known as North Street, according to research by Michael Kuker, a local historian who volunteers at the historical society. A historical evaluation commissioned by RABA considered the material gathered by Kuker. It concluded the Bell Rooms is neither eligible for the National Register of Historic Places nor the California Register of Historical Resources. The report, prepared by Trudy Vaughan of Coyote & Fox Enterprises of Redding, recognizes the building's age, the retention of several original construction features and its association with the histories of tenderloin districts, women and prostitution from the early 1900s to 1940s. And yet, it finds that is not enough to be listed, noting the building does not have distinctive characteristics or high artistic values. Because Vaughan is not an architectural historian, RABA is in the process of hiring an outside firm to give the agency a second opinion, said Chuck Aukland, Redding's assistant public works director. "We want it to be 100 percent accurate and doesn't open us to questioning," he said. Aukland said RABA's history with the site dates to 1996 when it bought a portion of the block. That block is part of the authority's long-range transit plans and has been identified as a prime location in the downtown transportation plan for a multi-story parking garage. Those plans could be years away, however. More immediately, the buildings would be leveled to create a park-and-ride lot that more than doubles parking, from 62 spaces to about 150. Aukland was emphatic, though, that RABA's main interest is control of any future transient-oriented development long term on the property. He talked about mixed-use developments that have affordable housing and retail, parking facilities and additional bus bays. All told, RABA has tied up about $1.1 million, including state transit grant monies, in the acquisition of property, environmental work and demolition of the buildings. Bell Rooms was quickly built after a devastating fire burned 35 buildings, large warehouse stocks and manufacturing equipment along California Street and railroad tracks between Tehama and Division streets. The cinder-block on the building's eastern side is believed to have been added between the 1950s and mid-1970s. City directories and phone books show the business operated from about 1937 to at least 1953. It was one of several brothels, a business that flourished during the construction of Shasta Dam. The research cited an interview with Del Hiebert, a member of the Shasta Lake Heritage & Historical Society who in 1947 was a delivery boy for Shasta Drug Store. "The girls would call in their orders for lipstick, perfume, and magazines; and he also delivered Solution of Merthiolate in 'thick, brown bottles' which was the primary item used by the ladies for cleansing," the report said, noting that he made the deliveries from a patio on the south side. "He said the girls tipped very well, and he was told to save his tips and come back when he was older." The report notes little has changed about the building, except it no longer has a peaked roof or either of the two porches. A tour of the building last October by Vaughan and members of the Shasta Historical Society found the apartments, which were renovated in the 1980s, remained in good condition. Some of the walls probably have original woodwork, and in the living room, ceiling panels have fallen, exposing the original wood ceiling. "We would like to see (RABA) doing a lease-back agreement or something where a nonprofit that does not have a home" can move in, Stokes said. Read a historical evaluation prepared for the former Bell Rooms Transient building here. HOPE Van visit coordinator Jeff Cole, from right, and lead visit coordinator Christopher Farley check in patients Wednesday in downtown Redding. SHARE By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight Shasta Community Health Center received $406,250 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand services for addiction treatment by adding substance abuse counselors in its health center. "We're very pleased to receive these dollars. It was a competition," said Dean Germano, chief executive officer of Shasta Community Health Center. Shasta Community is one of the 36 health centers to be awarded grants in California. As part of a $94 million federal plan to fight the growing opioid addiction across the nation, money from the Affordable Care Act is divided among 271 health centers in 45 states, according to the state Health and Human Services Department. The grant, which runs for 15 months, will allow Shasta Community to add more substance abuse counselors to work on the front lines with primary care physicians, help screen patients for mental health issues, drug and alcohol addiction, and then connect them to the right resources within the county. "It's the best time to connect the provider with the person," said Harold Carlson, chief planning and development officer at Shasta Community. Carlson said that the growing addiction issue in Shasta County has become more visible within the past few years, and by having patients come in for a medical visit, a counselor will help do an initial assessment to determine what addiction is at play and make a referral to a social worker. Further assessment is done by a physician, physician's assistant or nurse practitioner, before referrals are made for rehabilitation. The counselor will also follow up with clients for group therapy. The grant will also allocate funds to increase activity with the HOPE van. The HOPE van is a mobile clinic operated by Shasta Community Health Center that travels to various parts of Redding to provide healthcare services to the homeless population. More than 290 homeless people per month visit the HOPE van seeking medical and dental care. In addition, the HOPE van sometimes distributes food, toiletries, backpacks, sleeping bags and hygiene products. "That's one of our areas of contact with individuals who have this problem," Carlson said about opioid addiction. The goal is to channel homeless people into a healthcare facility so that they have a more regular source of care. And for some people who may find buildings threatening, the HOPE van is the primary way they get access to healthcare, Carlson said. Germano said he knows it's going to be a difficult road to reduce addiction. Medication assisted therapy can take longer than a year, there is always a chance for relapse, and the success rate for recovery is not high, he said. "Sometimes people have to fail several times before they succeed," Germano said. Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Eloise Burgess, 2 , from left, Remington Williams, 3, Shawn Steyskal, 3, and Mason Williams, 1, check out their their baskets Wednesday during the YMCA's annual Egg Extravaganza n Redding. SHARE Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Parents watch as their children collect eggs Wednesday during the YMCA's annual Egg Extravaganza in Redding. Children hunted down plastic eggs filled with treats on Wednesday at the YMCA at its annual Egg Extravaganza. It's one of many hunts coming this week as part of Easter celebrations. Here's a list of others coming up. Shingletown Easter Egg Hunt: 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Black Butte Elementary School, 7752 Ponderosa Way, Shingletown. Features children's photos with Mrs. Easter Bunny, Easter baskets for sale and the egg hunt. Hosted by the Shingletown Community Center. Admission is free. Call 474-3334. Mount Shasta Elks Lodge Egg Hunt: 10 a.m. Saturday at Mount Shasta City Park in Mount Shasta. Egg hunt is for children ages 10 and younger. Admission is free. Call 926-2138. Grace Fellowship Easter Egg Hunt: 10 a.m. Saturday at Grace Fellowship Foursquare Church, 3658 Rhonda Road, Cottonwood. Egg hunt is for children ages 12 and younger. Bring your own basket. Also includes craft booths and games. Admission is free. Call 347-4850. City of Anderson Easter Fun Day and Egg Hunt: 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Volonte Park, 2500 Emily Drive, Anderson. Egg hunt for children ages 12 and younger. Admission is free. Call 378-6656. Anderson Lions Club Egg Hunt: 9 a.m. Sunday at the Moose Grove at Anderson River Park, 2800 Rupert Road in Anderson. Egg hunt for children ages 9 and younger. Admission is free. Call 365-6875. Shasta Lake Lions Club Community Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast: 9 a.m. Sunday at Claire Engle Park, 1525 Median Ave., Shasta Lake. Free egg hunt is for children ages 1 to 12. Pancake breakfast follows at the Lions Club Hall, 4121 Shasta Dam Blvd., Shasta Lake and is free but donations accepted. Call 275-8007 and 275-5530. Lawncrest Chapel's Second Annual Easter Egg Hunt: 1 p.m. Sunday at Lawncrest Chapel, 1522 East Cypress Ave., Redding. Also includes photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny. Open to ages 12 and younger. Admission is free. Weaverville Lions Easter Egg Hunt: 2 p.m. Sunday at Lowden Park in Weaverville. Egg hunt is for children ages 10 and younger. Bring your own basket. Admission is free. Call 623-6600. Janoi Burgess studies in his room at his home near Miami on March 7, 2016. (Liam Crotty/Kaiser Health News/TNS) SHARE By Erin N. Marcus, Kaiser Health News When Janoi Burgess was a child, he thought doctor appointments were fun. I used to love it because they had a section where you could play games, said Burgess, who was born with sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disorder. They were really nice and friendly. But when he turned 21, the South Florida resident could no longer go to his pediatric specialist. Instead, he bounced around to various adult primary care doctors, none of whom seemed well-versed in the details of his condition. When he had a painful sickle cell crisis two years later, his only choice was to go to a hospital emergency department, where, he says, he waited three hours for pain medication. They triage you based on severity, and pain is not something that they consider as severe as other conditions, he recently recalled. One doctor even said, Your labs are OK so youre not in pain. It was crazy and insulting at the same time. Burgess experience is not unusual among many adults with sickle cell anemia, which affects up to 100,000 people in the United States, most of them African-Americans. For many years, most people with sickle cell died in childhood or adolescence, and the condition remained in the province of pediatrics. During the past two decades, advances in routine care have allowed many people to live into middle age and beyond. Some people with sickle cell disease are actually living to be elderly, and the majority of patients are adults, said Dr. Wally Smith of Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. We dont have a health care system ready for that. Early adulthood, a time when patients make a switch from pediatric to adult care, can be perilous for these patients. A 2010 study of 940 Dallas people with sickle cell born after 1982 reported that the period immediately after they aged out of pediatric care was the riskiest for death. Other research found that Wisconsin Medicaid patients with sickle cell were especially likely to rely on emergency departments for care during this transitional time period. One explanation for the increased deaths could be that early adulthood is a time when the repeated stresses of sickle cell catch up with the body. But social and health system factors also play an important role. Compared with other genetic diseases, a disproportionate number of patients with sickle cell rely on Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income people, but finding specialists who accept Medicaids lower reimbursements can be difficult. There also is an inadequate number of physicians with expertise in the condition. Few adult hematologists blood disease specialists focus on sickle cell, which is less lucrative than conditions such as leukemia. The number of hematologists available to provide that care is far too small to address the need, said Dr. Michael DeBaun, director of the Vanderbilt-Meharry-Matthew Walker Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease in Nashville, Tenn. In addition, sickle cell day hospitals dedicated infusion centers where patients can get intravenous treatment for acute pain episodes have been shown to reduce hospitalizations and reduce the length of crises. Yet fewer than a dozen such centers exist nationally, according to medical experts who have studied them or set up such facilities. Pain is a hallmark of sickle cell disease, which is caused by abnormal hemoglobin, the protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to the bodys tissues. Under certain conditions, these affected red blood cells lose their characteristic disk shape and morph into rigid crescents, clogging up small blood vessels and disrupting the flow of blood. Nearly a third of adults with sickle cell disease experience pain, often moderately or severely intense, almost every day, and opiates are an important part of managing the condition. Often, physicians and nurses are skeptical of adult sickle cell patients motives in asking for pain medication, even though narcotic addiction is no more common in people with sickle cell disease than in the general population. There is no disease bigger than sickle cell in terms of bias and disrespect, said Dr. Mary Catherine Beach, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins. Many clinicians dislike taking care of people with sickle cell disease because of issues around pain management. When you add in race, its a perfect storm. Silent strokes, which do not cause any obvious sign of injury, also complicate the transition to adult care for some patients. They occur in more than 1 in 5 people with sickle cell by the late teen years. These strokes can lead to problems with understanding and decision-making, preventing effective navigation of a confusing adult health system. In pediatrics, if you miss your appointment, a nurse will call, or someone might even go to your house, said Dr. Charles Quinn, a pediatric hematologist at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. In adult medicine, if you miss your appointment, youre on your own. Its an entirely different system of health care delivery that happens abruptly. One strategy to improve care is for children with sickle cell to see a family medicine or a med-peds physician, who can provide care for them from birth through their adult years. Family medicine specialists complete a three-year residency after medical school that includes rotations in obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, geriatrics, psychiatry and medicine and pediatrics. Med-peds physicians complete both a pediatrics residency and an internal medicine residency, and most take separate exams to become board-certified in both fields. But there is a shortage of primary care physicians generally, and fewer than 400 doctors graduate from med-peds residencies every year, according to Dr. Niraj Sharma, who directs the Harvard Brigham and Womens/Childrens Hospital Boston Med-Peds Residency. Instead, he said, all pediatricians should start to discuss the transition, including educating their patients with chronic conditions about their illness, at age 12. One obstacle to smooth transfers has traditionally been physician reimbursement, said Dr. Patience White, co-director of GotTransition.org, a federally funded center that aims to improve the transition process. Her group has been working with medical professional societies to propose a new billing code that would allow internists to be paid for the work of communicating with pediatricians and reviewing extensive medical records as patients transition. Another barrier for adults has been primary care providers lack of familiarity with routine management of the condition. In addition to their discomfort prescribing narcotics, nonspecialists often arent comfortable administering hydroxyurea, a medication that has been shown to reduce painful crises and save lives in patients with sickle cell. A team of experts at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, led by Dr. Rosalyn Stewart and Dr. John J. Strouse, seeks to deal with such problems by helping doctors improve their knowledge of sickle cell through a weekly video conference program. On another front, Coretta Jenerette, an associate professor of nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, works with patients to help them explain their symptoms so that medical professionals can better understand what they need. When you come to adult care, theres an expectation that youre able to give your history and the reason you are seeking care yourself. Burgess, now 28, finally found an adult specialist who stabilized his sickle cell, enabling him to complete a college nursing degree. There are a few nurses who made an impact on my life, and Id like to add to that, he said. I have a need to help, and I feel like I can do it. (Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The reporting of this article was supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation.) 2016 Kaiser Health News Visit Kaiser Health News at www.khn.org Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. SHARE By Sarah D. Wire, Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California knew what would happen as hundreds of thousands of children fled to the United States on their own over the last few years. Because being present in the U.S. illegally is a civil offense, there is no right to an attorney during immigration or asylum proceedings. That means many children stand alone before an immigration judge when they ask to stay in this country. Lofgren said its a problem she has fought for years. In the 1970s, she practiced immigration law and taught at the Santa Clara University School of Law. She knew that many who came fleeing violence would be sent back home because they lacked legal representation and had no one to advocate for them. Now the San Jose Democrat and 54 of her House colleagues have put forth a bill to argue that, at a minimum, children and people with certain disabilities should have government-appointed attorneys to help them navigate the asylum process. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where Lofgren is the highest-ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. Youve got a 10-year-old who speaks Spanish, and theyre in a courtroom facing a trained prosecutor making the asylum case. Its not going to work, Lofgren said in an interview in her Capitol Hill office. The consequences of being unable to make your case are severe. Since October 2013, more than 132,000 Central American children and teens without legal status have been caught near the U.S.-Mexico border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It isnt yet clear whether that trend will continue this year, or if federal deportation efforts have caused it to slow. A child who goes before an immigration judge without an attorney has a 1 in 10 chance of being allowed to stay, while about half of children with an attorney get U.S. protection, according to a study by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. About half of unaccompanied children get an attorney, the analysis shows. Although being in the country illegally is a civil offense, being caught crossing the border can lead to federal criminal charges. Opponents of the bill argue that American taxpayers shouldnt pay for an attorney to represent a person who came to the country illegally. Jon Feere, legal policy analyst for the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, wrote in a March 15 blog post on the centers website that if immigration groups want an attorney for people in the U.S. illegally, being in the country without legal status should be made a criminal offense, not a civil one. It can be a difficult situation for children, no doubt, and its unfortunate that the parents have put them in that situation. And its unfortunate that the Obama administration has encouraged people to risk their lives crossing the border, but that is precisely what Deferred Action has done, Feere said. Theres already a way to make sure all illegal aliens receive an attorney during their immigration proceedings: criminalize immigration law. Lofgren said concerns about cost shouldnt trump due process. She argued that providing access to attorneys could help avoid delays and streamline the process, which would save money. Several nonprofit groups provide free legal representation to migrant children, as does a Justice Department program, though many still end up in court without an advocate. Many immigration judges delay and postpone hearings as they look for an attorney to represent children seeking asylum, Lofgren said. Not having a lawyer gums up the works, she said. That costs money and time. You translate those delays and the cost with those delays over 50,000 cases, its a lot of money. When a child is detained, Department of Homeland Security asylum officers perform an initial screening to determine whether the child may have a valid claim for asylum and should go before an immigration judge. These kids, most of them, over 90 percent, were found to have valid claims by the trained asylum officer. But of course if they werent represented, they were unable to actually articulate that when it came to court, Lofgren said. Whether the government must provide attorneys for children and people with special needs is a question pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The American Civil Liberties Union and immigrant rights groups want to require the government to provide appointed counsel for every child who cannot afford a lawyer in immigration court proceedings. The Justice Department is contesting the lawsuit. In a recently unsealed deposition, Judge Jack Weil, an assistant chief immigration judge for the Justice Department, made the case that migrant children as young as 3 are capable of representing themselves in deportation hearings. Weils job includes coordinating training for other immigration judges and court staff. Ive taught immigration law literally to 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of patience, Weil said. They get it. Its not the most efficient, but it can be done. Lofgren said the statement was absurd. If you are a mother, its hard to say how its fair that a small child should be left on their own in an important proceeding, she said. Theres no other area of the law where that happens. A group of immigration lawyers made the same point recently in a video in which they asked children questions that they would hear in court. Lofgren understands her bill may not move far. Im aware that the Republican leadership may not move the bill, but I do think its important to raise the issue legislatively, she said. The two other former immigration lawyers in the House, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, have not signed onto the bill. The Senates lone former immigration lawyer, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill led by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. The United States should give immigrant children a fair day in court, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., said in a statement when the bill was introduced. We have a moral obligation to ensure these children and other vulnerable populations seeking our nations protection receive due process, and are not merely deported back to the dangers and the terrors they risked so much to escape, she said. Lofgren says she sees her own kids, now grown, in the faces of children who came to the U.S. alone. When they were 5 they could not have gone into court, faced off with a trained prosecutor and made a coherent case for asylum in a language they didnt speak, she said. 2016 Tribune Co. Visit Tribune Co. at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. SHARE Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels raise two key questions: Were they related to Salah Abdeslam's arrest last week and, if so, how? It seems unlikely that the attacks were revenge for the capture of Abdeslam, the top suspect in last year's Paris attacks, because not only was he a relative nonentity in Islamic State circles but also a symbolic liability to the brand: Here is a man who reportedly walked away from a martyrdom operation, leaving his colleagues to do all the dirty work, so to speak. In other words, he isn't someone whom any other militant is likely to have sacrificed himself for. In fact, it is probable that, after Abdeslam's arrest, he would have been regarded as a threat to the wider network of terrorists in Belgium. The nature and scope of his relationship with this network are unclear, but without it or the wider criminal milieu in which it is intricately embedded, Abdeslam wouldn't have been able to evade capture for so long. When he was captured, police found stockpiles of weapons at the flat where he was hiding. Speaking of the arrest, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said that Abdeslam "was ready to restart something in Brussels because we have found a lot of weapons, heavy weapons, in the first investigations and we have found a new network around him in Brussels." "For the moment," he said, "we have found more than 30 people involved in the terrorist attacks in Paris, but we are sure there are others." According to Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization in London, the Brussels attack "suggests the existence of a broad terrorist network already primed and ready to attack, long before police caught up with Abdeslam." This seems plausible. But it's also plausible that its "mobilization" Tuesday was directly related to Abdeslam's arrest. In fact, it may well have been the impetus for it, pushing the network to expedite its plans in order to pre-empt any heat from investigators, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, with whom Abdeslam has apparently been cooperating. Abdeslam's network may have decided it had a choice: Either attack at a time of its own choosing, or wait for a climactic showdown with the security forces, where the costs to civilian life would be limited. The network's leaders seemingly chose the first option, perhaps reasoning that it would generate greater publicity, and greater torment and pain. On the evening of Abdeslam capture, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel announced, "Tonight, we are celebrating a victory." Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon echoed this. "I think it's a big blow, because (Abdeslam) is one of the most wanted foreign fighters in Europe," he told CNN. Belgian security chief Jaak Raes was similarly sanguine, telling VTM News on the same day that it was "of the utmost importance that Abdeslam was captured alive, because we can now try to reconstruct the entire scenario (and) learn lessons from the information that is gleaned." Siobhan O'Grady, in a Foreign Policy article titled "Capture of a Paris Ringleader Could Lead to Intelligence Bonanza," paraphrased Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer and director of special projects at a security-intelligence firm in New York: "The priority in the immediate aftermath of (Abdeslam's) arrest will be finding out what the Islamic State has planned next." Skinner also told her that the "downside to Abdeslam's dramatic capture is that other members of the militant's cell would have immediately heard about it and will now 'try to scatter or shut down.'" No one yet knows exactly who perpetrated the attacks, how they did it, or why. But it is possible that rather than scattering or shutting down the cell with which Abdeslam was associated, his capture accelerated the violent denouement the cell had long been planning. It is a common argument on the left that killing terrorists is counterproductive, serving to further radicalize the communities in whose name they proclaim to act. But it now seems that capturing terrorists may also have dark, unintended consequences, dangerously raising the stakes for those in the wider terrorist network and for their potential victims. Simon Cottee is a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Kent in Britain and the author of "The Apostates: When Muslims Leave Islam." He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times. SHARE As odd as this may sound, federal investigators will do Apple and its customers a huge favor if they find a way to hack into a dead terrorist's iPhone without the company's help. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym had tentatively ordered Apple to help the FBI unlock the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook before he and his wife shot 14 people to death in San Bernardino. The Justice Department had been scheduled to grill Apple's top cryptographer Tuesday as part of the company's challenge to Pym's order. But at the last minute, the feds revealed that a third party had come forward with a possible way to circumvent Apple's security. Pym responded by calling off the hearing and suspending her order. If the FBI's new method proves successful, it would avert the possibility of Pym setting a dangerous precedent: that companies can be ordered to create new products to serve the government's needs at the expense of their customers' privacy, safety and security. The FBI had sought, and Pym had initially granted, an order that would have required Apple to rewrite its operating system to remove features that made its devices harder to crack. Such orders would make sense if the only concern were the secrets bad people might be hiding on their devices. But the more pervasive threat is the one posed by cybercriminals and their incessant efforts to penetrate anything connected to the Internet. The best defense is to make devices ever more secure, as Apple and others have been trying to do. No type of security is perfect, however, and the effort to stop hackers is an endless game of cat-and-mouse. Rather than using the courts to force the likes of Apple to weaken the safeguards on their devices creating vulnerabilities that law enforcement agencies around the country would seek to use on seized phones, tablets and laptops, raising the likelihood that they'd fall into hackers' hands the feds need to gather evidence in ways that don't create broad new threats to data security. That includes working with third parties to find existing weaknesses, as the FBI is doing now. Hackers are searching for weaknesses too, which is why Apple has upgraded its security software several times since releasing the version used on Farook's iPhone. Those upgrades will inevitably frustrate investigators eager to look into a suspect's phone for keys to past and future crimes or terrorist attacks. But that's an argument for federal investigators to become highly skilled at the cat-and-mouse game, rather than demanding that tech companies make it easier for them to win. Los Angeles Times SHARE Two years ago, a joint study by Northwestern and Princeton universities concluded America's current form of government is no longer a democracy but an oligarchy a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes. "The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence," the study found. It seems the hope of President Abraham Lincoln's words at Gettysburg has lasted only a century and a half "Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth." The United States is no longer a democracy. The United States is an oligarchy. "For the love of money is the root of all evil," says a seer. All the current presidential candidates, with the exception of Bernie Sanders, are beholden to super PACs and massive amounts of money. It's impossible to even be a candidate for president or Congress today without the ability to raise many millions of dollars. Charles and David Koch are estimated to be contributing $900 million to influence public policy this election season. Hillary Clinton raised more than $44 million in 2015 alone and 98 percent of that came from donors giving $100,000 or more. In 2016, George Soros alone has donated $8 million to Clinton's campaign. She has accepted $15 million from Wall Street bankers. Donald Trump is an oligarch from the other end. He claims to have a net worth of $9 billion. He wishes to become an oligarchy of one the most dangerous kind. Benito Mussolini became an oligarchy of one and said, "fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power." Americans are playing with gasoline and matches handing their votes to Trump. Italy paid with the destruction of its once-proud country. But Mussolini, through the media machine, first wooed them by promising to make the trains run on time. Evil has a deep root. Sanders is the only candidate fighting to break up our oligarchy and restore democracy to America's citizens. And California very well may decide whether the United States will return to the path of a democratic society or give acquiescence in our journey to oligarchy the super rich and mega corporations dictating all major public policy. The oligarchs are our versions of the nobles and aristocrats, and that's precisely what the Revolutionary War was about. There are so many foundational reasons to support the ideas and ideals of Sanders. Leading the battle to restore America to a democracy is the bedrock. No other candidate is fighting or even concerned, it seems to change from oligarchy. If America should be anything, it should be democracy. "The need for real campaign finance reform is not a progressive issue. It is not a conservative issue. It is an American issue. It is an issue that should concern all Americans, regardless of their political point of view, who wish to preserve the essence of the longest standing democracy in the world, a government that represents all of the people and not a handful of powerful and wealthy special interests." To walk a mile, you must take a first step. Max Walter lives in Redding. A pop-up restaurant inside Eataly, late-night ramen at Trinity Bar and more things to do in Chicago this weekend, March 25-27. EAT Purim Fest Old Crow Smokehouse 149 W. Kinzie St. 773-348-8899 Celebrate the Jewish holiday a little late at the 10th annual bash, which includes sushi, sake, hamantaschen, an art installation, prizes for the best costume and performances by Cheshire Reval, Seth Nayes and others. 9 p.m. Saturday. $22-$35. Tickets: club1948.org Ristorante Toscano Eataly 43 E. Ohio St. 312-521-8700 The pop-up restaurant, which closes this weekend, highlights Tuscan food and wine with dishes including pear and pecorino-stuffed pasta and pork and ricotta-stuffed cabbage (both $14). 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday. Advertisement Late Night Ramen Trinity Bar 2721 N. Halsted St. 773-697-3032 Chefs Thomas Rice and Kurt Guzowski of the recently shuttered Tete Charcuterie serve pot roast ramen made with smoked beef broth, roasted spring vegetables, housemade noodles and soft-cooked egg. 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets go on sale at 10 p.m. $15. DRINK Kick the Keg The Harding Tavern 2732 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-697-9340 Order a Stone Brewing beer including Enjoy by 4.20.16 ($8), Delicious IPA ($5) and Pataskala red IPA ($6) and you'll get a souvenir glass. The person who empties the keg of 4.20.16 receives a free beer. 7-10 p.m. Saturday. No cover. DO Spin Chicago Propaganda Spin Chicago 344 N. State St. 773-635-9999 DJ Dan and Will Galvan play British pop and rock music at the weekly dance party. Kelly Cardenas Salon offers complimentary makeovers. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday. No cover. Advertisement Laugh Near Minimalist Furniture Leo Burnett Building 35 W. Wacker Dr. 630-390-5496 Standup comedian B. Cole headlines the monthly BYOB comedy variety show, which also features performances from local standup, sketch and improv acts. 7 p.m. Friday; doors open at 6 p.m. $8-$10. Tickets: eventbrite.com Ralphie May & Friends Copernicus Center 5216 W. Lawrence Ave. 773-777-8898 The standup comedian with four Comedy Central specials performs along with Chicago comics Pat Tomasulo and Gwen La Roka to benefit Chicago Fire Department families. 7 p.m. Friday; doors open at 6 p.m. $30-$65. Tickets: ignitethespirit.org Website Launch Party (Free!) Anastasia Boutique 1001 N. Damen Ave. 586-610-4096 The Ukrainian Village womenswear shop celebrates with a raffle, drinks and an acoustic set from Celine Neon. 6-10 p.m. Saturday. Free. RSVP: anastasiachatzkapr@gmail.com HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAY Trophy Room (170 W. Ontario St. 312-600-6920) offers $3 select beers and house wines, $4 Svedka and $5 appetizers from 4-6 p.m. Friday. Want to learn how to brew beer or make an excellent cocktail? Click here for classes in Chicago. 'India's counter-terrorism network needs to keep potential jihadists under a scanner all the time,' says Rajeev Sharma. IMAGE: The scene at Brussels airport after the explosion. Photograph: Pavel Ohal The Brussels terror attacks have several messages for the world and India. Whatever happened in Brussels is nothing new for Indians as India has been living through this terrible experience for well over three decades. Yet, there is a blunt message for New Delhi. It is this: The formidable terror outfit Islamic State or Daesh can strike at will, wherever and whenever, if only it is allowed to flourish and have a network of first sympathisers and then a terror module, or multiple terror modules. This happened in Brussels because of its suburb Molenbeek which for long has been a beehive of jihadist activities. Molenbeek has been a soft underbelly of the Belgian counter-terrorism apparatus and been touted as 'Belgistan' with Belgian security agencies doing little even after it came to light that many perpetrators behind last November's Paris terror attacks hailed from this area. India's counter-terrorism network needs to keep potential jihadists under a scanner all the time. This is an arduous task, given the vast tracts of Indian territory being potential hubs of terrorists of the jihadist hue. The Indian intelligence establishment is well aware of potential jihadist trouble spots across the country, and it goes to its credit that while Daesh has been bombing targets in the Western world with impunity, India has so far remained unscathed. There is no room for complacency for the Indian security establishment, however. The ongoing battle of jihadist forces against the West brings to the fore the irony of the West's convoluted logic of 'good terrorists' and 'bad terrorists.' Obviously, Daesh cadres are 'bad terrorists' for the West. By the same logic, these terrorists should not be 'bad' for India as the Indian hinterland has not been targeted by them as of now. But this logic is laughable. The Brussels terror attacks ring out several warnings for the developed world. First and foremost, these attacks and the Paris attacks convey that Europe has become a prime target for jihadist forces. It is veritably a war of civilisations and the likes of Donald Trump stoke this fire on a daily basis. Second, it has exploded the myth of the West turning the tables on Daesh. Three days before the Brussels attacks, the Belgian authorities captured Salah Abdesalam -- who was involved in the Paris attacks -- an event described as having broken Daesh's back. The Brussels attacks demonstrated that the jihadists' network in the heart of Western Europe is intact and thriving. The Paris and Brussels attacks highlighted the jihadists' ability to launch dramatic attacks with mass casualties. Ironically, the Western intelligence community was agog with reports that the masterminds behind the Paris attacks were hiding in Belgium and planning more acts of terror. Despite that, they failed to prevent the Brussels attacks. The fact that two public locations in the heart of Brussels were targeted close on the heels of Abdeslam's capture reveals that the jihadists are not only deeply entrenched, but also way ahead of the security agencies in this deadly cat-and-mouse game. The Americans need to be worried about this. Though the United States has successfully prevented high profile terror attacks on the American mainland since 9/11, there is no room for complacency. The jihadist elements wreaking mayhem in Europe and in Turkey, a NATO ally, may knock on American doors as well. This is the most galling message to the West from the Brussels attacks. The time has come for the West to re-assess its 'good terrorists versus bad terrorists' theory. Terrorists are terrorists and they know no boundaries. The question from the Indian perspective is whether the West will wake up to the reality of hardcore terrorism without going into the semantics of terrorists being good or bad! Rajeev Sharma is an independent journalist and strategic analyst who tweets @Kishkindha The non-teaching staff of Hyderabad Central University, who had gone on a strike protesting vandalisation of VC's lodge on March 22 allegedly by a group of students, resumed their duties on Thursday as the situation on the campus remained peaceful. Members of HCU Non-Teaching Staff Union had boycotted duties from Tuesday afternoon protesting ransacking of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile's official residence (VC's lodge) and after being assaulted allegedly by the group of students opposing Podile resuming his duty. As part of the strike, cooks had shut down 'Students' Mess', expressing support to the vice chancellor after which students had set up an open kitchen on Wednesday. "Messes, which had been shut down due to the strike by non-teaching staff opened on Thursday...they (non-teaching staff) have resumed their duties from Thursday in the larger interest of the university," HCU Registrar M Sudhakar told PTI. Meanwhile, twenty-five students and two faculty members of HCU, who were arrested on Wednesday in connection with incidents of vandalism at VC's lodge and stone pelting on police personnel, were sent to judicial remand last night and are lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison. "The situation on the campus is peaceful," Gachibowli police inspector J Ramesh said. Mother of deceased Dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula, Radhika, who had staged a sit-in protest along with scores of HCU students in front of the university on Wednesday night after being denied entry, withdrew her protest at around 11.15 pm, HCU Chief Security Officer T V Rao said. Radhika and the protesting students, who demanded Podile's immediate removal from the post and the release of students and faculty members arrested in connection with vandalism of the VC's lodge and stone-pelting on police, also made a vain bid to "barge" inside the campus but were stopped at the entrance itself, Rao said. "She wanted to hold a dharna inside the campus, but we prevented her from doing so. She along with around 200 students attempted to go inside the campus, but we stopped them and they finally withdrew their protest at around 11.15 pm," the security official said. IMAGE: Security personnel check the identity of Students at Hyderabad Central University in Hyderabad. Photograph: PTI Mumbai terror attack operative David Coleman Headley, who had been vehemently denying that he had not been paid by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, finally made a sensational revelation before a court on Thursday that the ISI had massively funded his entire operation. Speaking to the media after Headley's cross-examination, Special Prosecutor in the case Ujjwal Nikam said that the Pakistani-American terrorist had made four major revelations in Thursday session. "He said that the Pakistan ISI had given him huge finances for completion of the 26/11 operation. Secondly, he said that the Lashkar-e-eTayiba attempted to kill Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray and one person was apprehended by the police but he escaped. Of course Headley made it clear that he had no firsthand knowledge about this information but that he heard it from the LeT people. Thirdly, he said that following the growing international pressure on the LeT following the 26/11 attack, they made a soft stand in the Denmark attack," Nikam said. Asserting that key 26/11 plotter Abu Jundal's lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan has been repeatedly putting pressure on Headley in the cross examination with regard to the involvement of his wife Shazia, Nikam added that he had once again flatly refused to answer anything saying it was privileged conversation between husband and wife. "Headley further disclosed, that in one mail from Shazia, she had described the corpses as well as the injured in the terror attack as cartoon. These are the sensitive revelations he made today. The defence's attempt was to book Shazia for criminal conspiracy and that she had the knowledge about the terror attack," he said. In other revelations, Headley disclosed via video link from a US prison that he was planning another attack on India after 26/11 on the instructions of Al-Qaeda and not the LeT. However, he asserted that he did not condone what was done by Ajmal Kasab, the lone LeT gunman who was caught alive and executed later. "I visited India in March 2009 and went to NationalDefenceCollege and other places to select the target. This tour was funded by Ilyas Kashmiri and expenditure of this tour was around 1 Lac (Pakistani rupees) and was paid in cash by Ilyas Kashmiri," Headley said. On Wednesday, in his cross examination, Headley accepted that he had funded Rs. 80 lakh to the LeT, adding that he did not know the purpose of the money. " Headley, the approver in 26/11 case, has been cross-examined today by the Attorney of Abu Jundal's lawyer. He has admitted three important facts. Firstly, he admitted that he has donated 80 lakhs Pakistani rupees to the LeT. However, he claimed that he was not knowing exactly as to where that money was used and for what purpose," Nikam told the media. Thursday was the second day of Headley's cross examination and it will resume on Friday. Meanwhile, reacting to Headley's revelation, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that he feels proud that Bal Thakeray was on the hit list of LeT. "A killer was hired by the LeT to kill Shiv Sena chief but the mission failed. In this case, the Mumbai Police also arrested a suspect but he ran away from police custody. I would like to ask that why the police hid this fact. Who was that person who ran away from the prison and how did he escape? What was the conspiracy behind this? The Mumbai Police and the then government have to answer these questions. The then police commissioner should be questioned," Raut told ANI. "It is no surprise for us as Bal Sahib has always been a true nationalist and has always been against the notorious activities carried out by Pakistan and terrorists. We feel proud that Bal Sahib was on the hit list of LeT," he added. Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley on Thursday told a court here that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was "arrested" but he managed to give the police a slip. The 55-year-old, who has turned approver in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, stated this during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the United States. Headley also told the court that he had visited the Sena Bhavan twice. He, however, did not specify the year for the same. "We (LeT) wanted to target the chief of the Shiv Sena...His name was Bal Thackeray. LeT wanted to kill him wherever a chance arose. I knew that Bal Thackeray was the head of Shiv Sena. I have no first hand knowledge but I think an attempt was made by LeT to kill Bal Thackeray," he said. "I don't know how this attempt was made. I think the person (who was sent to kill Thackeray) was arrested but he managed to escape from police custody. I don't have first hand knowledge about this though," he said. Headley, convicted in the US for his role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks, also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. When asked by Khan as to how much money he had spent on his visit and reconnaissance in India prior to 26/11 attacks, Headley said, "I am not sure... Many lakhs were spent by me not as high as Rs 30-40 lakhs but much much less. It is correct that ISI spent this money but it is not correct that I demanded the money from them." Headley said that after the 26/11 attacks, when he had come to India again (in March 2009) at the behest of Al Qaeda to carry out further attacks, its leader Illiyas Kashmiri gave him about Pakistani rupees one lakh. He claimed while LeT came under the scanner of international community after the November 26, 2008 attacks, it was not correct to say that LeT became "soft" towards India. "I think they (LeT) became soft about Denmark (Mickie mouse project) but not India. After the Denmark issue (LeT backing out from attacking Denmark) I went to Al-Qaeda, as LeT had become soft," Headley told the court. Headley told the court that while he had not personally met any of the 10 attackers in the 26/11 case but he had seen the photo of one of the attackers on internet and identified him as Ajmal Kasab 'Rehmatullah Aliah'. When asked by Khan as to why did he put the words 'Rehmatullah Aliah' after Kasab's name, Headley replied, "When a person is dead he should be prayed for whether he is good or bad. One should pray for the person...to be forgiven. I don't know if Kasab was good or bad as I didn't know him." When prodded by Khan if what Kasab had done (by participating in 26/11 attacks) was good or bad and if the act of 26/11 was good deed or a bad deed, Headley said, "Of ourse the act of murder is not going to be a good act. Any kind of murder of innocent person is a bad act." Khan then asked him if he was 'happy and satisfied' with the damages in the 26/11, to which Headley said "this is an argumentative question. Khush the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, khush nahi the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, (I was happy is also a wrong answer and I was not happy is too a wrong answer). What can I say?" Headley also told the court that in the 26/11 case (in which he has been awarded a 35 years sentence by the US court), supervised release is also part of his sentence. "As per the US law, I have to compulsorily undergo 85 per cent of my sentence and I don't know if my sentence can be terminated before completion of 85 per cent sentence." He also told the court that within half an hour of his arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation he had started cooperating with them and gave them all information. Headley also said that he was also interrogated by a team of NIA officials from India and he had cooperated with them too. "It is not correct that the National Investigation Agency questioned me about my wife Shazia's involvement in 26/11. I did not give any information about Shazia as she had no role..she was not part of the conspiracy," he told the court. Headley also got into a verbal spat with Khan when the lawyer persistently questioned him about Shazia, his former wife Faiza and their knowledge of the 26/11 terror attack. "The communication between me and my wife Shazia and Faiza are privileged and private and it is none of Mr Wahab's interest," Headley told the court. The LeT operative however clarified that Shazia was not working for the terror outfit but said that he (Headley) does not know if her father was working for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. At one point of time, an irked Headley even asked Khan if he would say where his father works. This happened after Khan had put forth barrage of questions to Headley like if Shazia had hatred towards India, if she objected to his association with LeT, if she encouraged or appreciated him for his links with LeT, if she had objected to his visit to India in 2009 and if he had revealed to Shazia about all information about 26/11 attack. On Faiza, Headley clarified that even she was not aware of the 26/11 plan and hence had not objected to him video graphing Taj hotel when they had visited India together prior to the attacks. Headley also said that Faiza had approached LeT founder Hafiz Saeed requesting him to ask him (Headley) to take her back as he had divorced her. Khan also asked Headley in Hindi, "Did Faiza approach LeT operatives to make you stay away from terrorist activity as she wanted to 'save her suhaag' (husband) ". To this Headley said "Suhag bachana yeh sab dialogue hai koi Hindi film ka ... unko pata hi nahin mein kya kar raha hoon toh sawal hi nahin aata ki muje in sab se bahar nikalna (Saving suhag is a dialogue from Hindi films.. she (Faiza) did not know what I am doing so there is no question of her asking Hafiz about dissuading me from the terror activities)." When Khan asked Headley if his shops in Dubai are being looked after by LeT, the latter said 'its only in your fantasies.' On one occasion, when Khan asked if Headley was satisfied with the 26/11 attacks, he berated the lawyer and said, "fizool ki bate kar rahe ho aap..jo marzi hai aap bolte jara he hai...bewakoofoon se sawal kar rahe hai (you are speaking unnecessarily. you are uttering whatever you want and asking foolish questions )". Khan then said that as a lawyer he was just doing his job, to which Headley said "Lag nahin raha hai..chalo theek hai (does not seem so.. but its ok if you say so)". The Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday declared the party president Mehbooba Mufti as the chief ministerial candidate setting in motion the process of formation of a new government in Jammu and Kashmir. The legislature party of the PDP which met in Srinagar on Thursday afternoon unanimously chose Mehbooba Mufti as the chief ministerial candidate as also its leader. The Jammu and Kashmir governor, N.N.Vohra has invited the leaders of the PDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party for separate meetings with him in winter capital Jammu on Friday. While addressing the members of the legislature party, Mehbooba thanked them for reposing their trust in her and supporting her during the past three months following the demise of her father and former chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mehbooba would be the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir which has been under governors rule since January 8 following the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. While the PDP has been demanding CBMs before the formation of a government in the state, the BJP demand has been that Mehbooba should first get herself elected as leader of the legislature party. The PDP president has had parleys with the BJP leadership at various levels in New Delhi including the party president Amit Shah. The parleys culminated in her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mehbooba had termed the meeting as very positive. Mehbooba, a member of Parliament from the Anantnag constituency has been in politics since 1996 when she fought and won the Bejibehara assembly seat on a Congress ticket and has been instrumental in the creation and growth of the PDP. While her late father was the patron of the party, Mehbooba became its president and has played a major role in making the PDP a political force to be reckoned with in Jammu and Kashmir. She has been working tirelessly at the grass root level strengthening the partys base among the masses in the state. The late Mufti wanted to hand over the reins of power to her in November last year. However, Mehbooba showed reluctance in stepping into her fathers shoes. IMAGE: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti at the meet in Srinagar. Photograph: Umar Ganie Jawaharlal Nehru University president Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday vowed that he would keep up his fight against casteism, and economic inequalities but ruled out him campaigning in the coming assembly polls. Kumar, who was denied entry into the HyderabadCentralUniversity on Wednesday when he came to express solidarity with the students fighting on the Rohith Vemula issue, had to face unpleasant moments on Thursday when a man threw a shoe at him in a seminar on "Constitutional rights". A man sitting in the audience threw a shoe at Kumar but it missed the target and fell just ahead of the stage. The seminar was organised at Sundrayya Vignana Kendram at Baghlingampally in Hyderabad, a building run by Left parties. The police took away the man even as commotion prevailed in there for sometime. The meeting continued after the incident. The HCU, which witnessed violence after Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile took charge two days ago, remained peaceful on Thursday. The HCU non-teaching staff, who had gone on a strike protesting vandalisation of the VC's lodge on March 22 allegedly by a group of students, resumed their duties on Thursday. Members of HCU Non-Teaching Staff Union had boycotted duties from Tuesday afternoon in protest against ransacking of Appa Rao's official residence (VC's lodge) allegedly by the group of students who were opposing the VC resuming his duty. Kumar, who resumed his speech after the shoe-throwing incident, alleged that democracy is under attack in the country. "Today, whoever it is, be it Marxists, Ambedkarites, Socialists, Lohiaites or Centrists, today all types of people are under attack. Because, democracy is coming under attack today," he said. Stressing that he criticised Narendra Modi only because he is the prime minister, Kanhaiya recited a poem which talks about BJP's promises, including bringing back black money, controlling price rise and providing employment. Alleging that he was highlighted to divert attention from the Rohith Vemula issue, Kanhaiya expressed support to the demand for bringing in a 'Rohith Act' to end discrimination in universities. Claiming that 'nationalism' was brought as the development promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party could not materialise, Kanhaiya said nationalism is not about one language, one religion, one caste or one gender. "India is the nation of nations and we should respect all kinds of nationalities in the context of Indian nationalism, precisely where we should stand in the support of nationalism, not in the support of casteist, Brahminical Hindu nationalism. This is our position," he said. Speaking about the saffronisation allegations, he said, "You cannot hegemonise 'Bharat Mata'". Kanhaiya, who is on a two-day visit to the city and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, told reporters earlier that universities are under attack under the National Democratic Alliance government. "Are we doing politics or is the government is doing politics? The government has a pre-planned script to destroy autonomy of universities... The precise work of universities, intellectuals is to promote critical thinking," he said. The struggle in JNU is an extension of the campaign in HCU for justice to Vemula. There is a similarity between HCU and JNU in the context of alleged attack on students' activism and autonomy of universities, he said. Whether it was coincidence or conspiracy that Appa Rao assumed charge ahead of his visit, he claimed. Maintaining that students were instigated into violence regarding the attack on VC's office in HCU, Kanhaiya said he condemned violence in any form. The truth would come out in the incident, he added Citing examples of FTII, AligarhUniversity, HCU and JNU, he claimed the campuses are becoming war zones because some students' groups are working for government. Replying to a query, he said his organisation has nothing to do with the anti-national slogans raised in JNU in February. "There is a difference between sedition and (being) anti-national", he added. He also said he would not campaign in the elections coming up in different states. United States: Whether immigration judges issue written reasons for decisions made in asylum claims; if this is the case, requirements and procedures for the claimant to request the written reasons, including if the claimant is outside the country Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 21 July 2014 Citation / Document Symbol USA104912.E Related Document(s) Etats-Unis : information indiquant si les juges de l'immigration rendent par ecrit les motifs de leur decision relativement aux demandes d'asile; le cas echeant, information sur les exigences et la marche a suivre pour le demandeur d'asile souhaitant obtenir les motifs ecrits, y compris lorsque le demandeur d'asile est a l'exterieur du pays Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, United States: Whether immigration judges issue written reasons for decisions made in asylum claims; if this is the case, requirements and procedures for the claimant to request the written reasons, including if the claimant is outside the country, 21 July 2014, USA104912.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f397654.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Use of Written and Oral Decisions by Immigration Judges The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the branch of the Department of Justice responsible for the nationwide administration of the Immigration Courts, issued the Immigration Court Practice Manual, which "describes procedures, requirements, and recommendations for practice before the Immigration Courts" (US 10 June 2013, Sec. 1.1). According to the Manual, immigration judges can render decisions either orally at the hearing or in writing on a later date (ibid., Sec. 1.5(g) and 4.16(g)). Similarly, the US federal regulation on immigration, Title 8 - Aliens and Nationality, states that a "decision of the Immigration Judge may be rendered orally or in writing" (US 2010, Sec. 1003.37). Several sources corroborate that US immigration judges issue written decisions in some asylum cases and give oral decisions in others (Freedom House Detroit 14 July 2014; American Gateways 15 July 2014; AILA 16 July 2014). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a senior counsel for the Refugee Protection Program of Human Rights First (HRF), a New York-based human rights NGO that offers a pro-bono legal program to assist asylum seekers (HRF n.d.), explained: U.S. immigration judges issue a written document describing the decision made in all asylum cases, but they do not typically issue the reasons for that decision in writing. In most asylum cases, immigration judges issue oral decisions. In many cases they rule from the bench at the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing; sometimes they will reserve decision and reconvene the parties at a later date in order to issue an oral decision. ... Where the judge issues an oral decision, a written order is given to the parties, but that form (typically a two-page document) simply summarizes the outcome-whether the respondent was ordered removed, granted voluntary departure, etc., and, with respect to any applications for relief from removal (including asylum), whether these were granted, denied, or withdrawn, and whether either side reserved the right to appeal. (HRF 15 July 2014) Sources corroborate that, for oral decisions, claimants are given an order showing if their claim was granted or denied, but it does not specify the reasons for the decision (Freedom House Detroit 14 July 2014; American Gateways 15 July 2014; AILA 16 July 2014). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a general counsel for American Gateways, an Austin-based NGO that provides immigration legal services to asylum seekers (American Gateways n.d.), said that the document is a one-page order and that it is a form, often with standard wording (ibid. 15 July 2014). The Senior Counsel for HRF said that immigration judges may also choose to issue written decisions, meaning "written analysis of the facts and the law and of the reasons for the outcome in the case," but that this happens in a "minority of cases" (HRF 15 July 2014). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the chair of the Asylum and Refugee Committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) also said that most decisions are rendered orally (AILA 16 July 2014). She explained that immigration judges will usually issue written decisions in cases in which the judge "needs to complete additional factual or legal research prior to issuing a decision or if there are particularly difficult issues involved in the case and the judge needs more time to consider them" (ibid.). In these cases, she noted, the claimant receives both the written decision and the written order by mail (ibid.). According to Title 8 - Aliens and Nationality, if the decision is in writing, it is served on the parties by first class mail (US 2010, Sec. 1003-37). Sources indicate that US immigration hearings are recorded electronically, including oral decisions (US 10 June 2013, Sec. 4.10(a).; HRF 15 July 2014; AILA 16 July 2014). Sources indicate that if the decision of the immigration judge is appealed, the hearing is transcribed and the transcript is sent to the parties (US 10 June 2013, Sec. 4.10(b); Freedom House Detroit 14 July 2014; American Gateways 15 July 2014). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a Senior Attorney with Freedom House Detroit, an NGO that provides comprehensive services to asylum seekers, including legal assistance (Freedom House Detroit n.d.), said that it takes approximately three to four months for claimants who appeal to receive the transcript of the immigration court proceedings (Freedom House Detroit 14 July 2014). She said that in her experience, this procedure is "automatic" and claimants making an appeal do not experience difficulties receiving the transcript (ibid.). Sources indicate that in asylum cases in which the decision is not appealed, the oral decision is not transcribed (HRF 15 July 2014; American Gateways 15 July 2014; AILA 16 July 2014). The Immigration Court Practice Manual states the following regarding documents that are kept on file by the EOIR in cases before the Immigration Courts: The official file containing the documents relating to an alien's case is the Record of Proceedings, which is created by the Immigration Court. The contents of the Record of Proceedings vary from case to case. However, at the conclusion of Immigration Court proceedings, the Record of Proceedings generally contains the Notice to Appear (Form I-862), hearing notice(s), the attorney's Notice of Appearance (Form EOIR-28), Alien's Change of Address Form(s) (Form EOIR-33/IC), application(s) for relief, exhibits, motion(s), hearing tapes (if any), and all written orders and decisions of the Immigration Judge. (US 10 June 2013, Sec. 4.10(c)) 2. Procedures for Requesting Asylum Records from the Immigration Court The Immigration Court Practice Manual states that "[a]s a general rule, parties may only obtain a copy of the record of proceedings by filing a FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] request" (US 10 June 2013, Sec. 12.2(a)(i)(B)). The Senior Counsel for HRF and the General Counsel for American Gateways corroborate that claimants can request copies of their records by making a FOIA request to the Department of Justice (HRF 15 July 2014; American Gateways 15 July 2014). According to the Chair of the Asylum and Refugee Committee for the AILA, the procedure is to file the request with the EOIR section of the Department of Justice (AILA 16 July 2014). The Immigration Court Practice Manual indicates that the EOIR does not have an official form for FOIA requests and that requests must be made in writing (US 10 June 2013, Sec. 12.2(b)(i)). The request should contain the full name and alien registration number of the person and "should thoroughly describe the records sought and include as much identifying information as possible regarding names, dates, subject matter, and location of proceedings" (ibid., Sec.12.2(b)(ii)). Two sources indicate that there are no time limits for making a request for documents (HRF 15 July 2014; AILA 16 July 2014). The website of the Department of Justice provides the following contact information for the FOIA branch of the Executive Office for Immigration Review: US Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review Office of General Counsel--FOIA Service Center FOIA/Privacy Act Requests 5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1903 Falls Church, Virginia 20530 703-605-1297 (US Oct. 2013) The Chair of the Asylum and Refugee Committee for the AILA said that an applicant can seek the recordings of the immigration court proceedings through a FOIA request and may receive an audio CD of the proceedings in response (AILA 16 July 2014). The General Counsel for American Gateways said that her NGO has been able to receive CDs of the hearing through FOIA requests (American Gateways 15 July 2014). Sources indicate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) keeps files on non-citizens in the US known as "A-files," which contain further information on asylum claimants (American Gateways 15 July 2014; HRF 15 July 2014), including documents related to asylum claims that are decided "affirmatively" [1] by the DHS's US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (HRF 15 July 2014). For information about FOIA requests for USCIS documents see Response to Information Request USA103925. 2.1 Fees According to the Immigration Court Practice Manual, there is no fee for filing a FOIA request, but fees may be charged to locate, review and copy files (US 10 June 2013, Sec.12.2(b)(iii)). This information is corroborated by the website of FOIA, which, in addition, explains that there is "usually no charge for the first two hours of search time or for the first 100 pages of duplication" (US Feb. 2011). The FOIA website also notes that if processing a request is expected to exceed US $25, the requester is notified in writing of the estimate and offered a chance to limit the request (ibid.). According to the FOIA website, in order to protect privacy, if a person is requesting his or her own records, he or she is required to provide certification of their identity (US Feb. 2011). The person is required to provide either a notarized statement or a statement signed under the penalty of perjury confirming his or her identity (ibid.). The American Gateways General Counsel also noted that the person is required to provide a certification of identity to swear that he or she is who they claim to be (15 July 2014). 2.2 Processing Time The Immigration Court Practice Manual states that FOIA processing times vary depending on the request and the location of the records (US 10 June 2013, 152). While the standard time limit set by FOIA is approximately one month [20 business days], the FOIA website concedes that the time it takes to process the request varies depending on the complexity of the request and the pending backlog at the agency, and that some requests exceed the FOIA one-month time limit (US Dec. 2010). According to the FOIA website, the Department of Justice's EOIR processed 25,190 "basic" FOIA requests in 2013 (US 4 July 2014). Of these, 20,286 (80 percent) were processed within the 20 day limit, 3,280 (13 percent) were processed in 21-40 days, while the remainder took longer (ibid.). 2.3 Requesting Documents from Abroad The General Counsel for American Gateways did not think there would be any issues with making a FOIA request from outside the US, noting that the requirement to provide a certification of identity can be done from anywhere (American Gateways 15 July 2014). The Senior Counsel for HRF said that it is possible to make a FOIA request where the applicant is outside the United States, but clarified that she has no experience in cases where both the asylum applicant and lawyer are outside the US (HRF 15 July 2014). Further information about procedures for obtaining written decisions from US immigration courts from abroad could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2.4 Materials Exempted from Release According to the Immigration Court Practice Manual, "[c]ertain information in agency records, such as classified material and information that would cause a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, is exempted from release under FOIA" (US 10 June 2013, Sec. 12.2(d)(i)). In such cases, the same source explains, the sensitive information is redacted (ibid.). The Chair of the Asylum and Refugee Committee for the AILA said that information which is commonly withheld includes information deemed classified to "protect national security or law enforcement priorities," such as whether the asylum seeker has provided "'material support'" to "'terrorist organizations'," which are "extremely broad concepts under the current legal interpretation" (AILA 16 July 2014). For further information about exemptions to FOIA see Response to Information Request USA103925. 2.5 Challenges Obtaining Documents Through FOIA Requests The Senior Counsel for HRF said that in her capacity working as an attorney in the US she has experienced occasional challenges obtaining documents through FOIA requests, including: Having the results get lost in the mail Receiving incomplete files or missing documents Having documents withheld under exceptions to FOIA without justification (HRF 15 July 2014) Information about challenges for applicants outside the US to receive documents could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note: [1] The US asylum system has two different streams overseen by two different government agencies. The chair of the Asylum and Refugee Committee for the AILA explained that there is "both an affirmative process (individuals seeking asylum affirmatively by filing applications with the Department of Homeland Security's US Citizenship and Immigration Services) and a defensive process (individuals seeking asylum in defense of their removal from the US while in removal proceedings before the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review" (AILA 16 July 2014). References American Gateways. 15 July 2014. Telephone interview with a general counsel. _____. N.d. "About American Gateways." [Accessed 16 July 2014] American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). 16 July 2014. Correspondence from the Chair of the Asylum and Refugee Committee. Freedom House Detroit. 14 July 2014. Telephone interview with a senior attorney. _____. N.d. "Services." [Accesed 14 July 2014] Human Rights First (HRF). 15 July 2014. Correspondence from a senior counsel. _____. N.d. "Asylum." [Accessed 16 July 2014] United States (US). 4 July 2014. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). "Processing Time for Simple FOIA Requests.Department of Justice in 2013: EOIR" [Accessed 4 July 2014] _____. October 2013. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). "Freedom of Information Act." [Acccessed 4 July 2014] _____. 10 June 2013. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Immigration Court Practice Manual. [Accessed 4 July 2014] _____. February 2011. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). "Frequently Asked Questions" [Accessed 15 July 2014] _____. December 2010. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). "How to Make a FOIA Request." [Accessed 4 July 2014] _____. 2010. "Title 8 - Aliens and Nationality." Code of Federal Regulations. [Accessed 21 July 2014] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives of the following organizations were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center; Northwest Immigrant Rights Project; US - Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review. Internet sites, including: American Immigration Council; Americans for Immigration Justice; Factiva; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center; Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Thailand: Residence status available to a foreigner whose spouse is a citizen, including rights and obligations; requirements and procedures for residence status to become permanent (2011-2013) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 19 March 2014 Citation / Document Symbol THA104826.E Related Document(s) Thailande : information sur le statut de residence que peut obtenir un etranger dont l'epoux est un citoyen du pays, y compris les droits et les obligations s'y rattachant; les exigences et la marche a suivre pour que le statut de resident devienne permanent (2011-2013) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Thailand: Residence status available to a foreigner whose spouse is a citizen, including rights and obligations; requirements and procedures for residence status to become permanent (2011-2013), 19 March 2014, THA104826.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f398354.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Requirements for a Foreigner to Stay in Thailand with His Thai Wife The website of the Immigration Division 1 (which serves Bangkok) of the Immigration Bureau of Thailand says that an "alien" who wishes to stay in Thailand with his Thai wife must obtain a non-immigrant visa and meet these other requirements: Hav[e] any proof of relationship; Marriage Certificate, Birth certificate of their children (if any) etc. Hav[e] evidences of nationality of his Thai wife; Thai ID card, her household registration Book. Hav[e] relationship with Thai wife de jure and de facto; Family picture, map of the applicant's residence in Thailand. Hav[e] evidences of definite financial status of foreign husband by showing average income not less than 40,000 Baht [TBH, about C$1,380 (XE 18 Mar. 2014a)] per month or having money in the Thai Bank account of not less than 400,000 Baht [about C$13,800 (XE 18 Mar. 2014b)] which must be held consecutively not shorter than two months. Documents supporting financial status of foreign husband as mentioned above are as follows: For foreign husband working in Thailand Work Permit. Letter from his employer verif[ying] employment and salary in details (monthly salary must not be less than 40,000 Baht). Evidence of payment of annual income tax with receipt (Por Ngor Dor 1 of latest three months and Por Ngor Dor 91 of the previous year) OR 5.2 In case of having money in the bank account (Fix/Saving Deposit) of any bank in Thailand The updated bank passbook on the date of application submission showing his account of not less than 400,000 Baht which has been deposited and consecutively held of such amount for 2 months Letter from the bank certified that account. OR 5.3 In case of foreign husband having any other income (not working in Thailand) such as pension, social welfare etc. Letter from the applicant's Embassy consulate in Bangkok verified his monthly pension or other income not less than 40,000 Baht per month. An affidavit confirming the alien's status with a Thai national. (Thailand n.d.b) The website of the Royal Thai Embassy in Australia lists requirements for a "Non-immigrant Visa O," which the website indicates is only for persons with a Thai husband, wife, or child (ibid. n.d.c). The documents required for a non-immigrant visa O are the following: Visa application form completely filled out. Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months. One recent photograph full-faced (passport-sized photograph or 2 1/2 inches). A photocopy of your valid spouse Thai I.D card / passport. A photocopy of your spouse Thai house registration. A photocopy of a marriage certificate. A formal letter from your spouse identifying who he or she is and the relationship to you. A photocopy of a birth certificate of your child (if using your children as a sponsor for the visa). (ibid.) The embassy website states the fee for a non-immigrant visa, authorizing entry for up to 90 days, to be 90 Australian dollars (AUD) [C$91.60 (XE 19 Mar. 2014a)] for a single-entry visa, or 225 AUD for a multiple-entry visa [about C$230 (XE 19 Mar. 2014b)] (Thailand n.d.d). 2. Requirements for a Foreigner to Stay in Thailand with Her Thai Husband The website of Immigration Division 1 indicates that a foreign woman who wishes to stay in Thailand with her Thai husband also must obtain a non-immigrant visa, and must fulfil the following requirements and submit the following documents: Hav[e] relationship with her Thai husband de jure and de facto. Marriage Certificate, and Kor lor 2 or Family Status Registration, Birth Certificate of their-child/children (if any) ID card of Thai husband and his household registration Book. Family picture of applicant with her Thai husband and child/children. Map of the applicant residence in Thailand. (ibid. n.d.b) The website further indicates that a foreigner having a "non-immigrant visa" may apply for an extension of temporary stay at the nearest provincial immigration office (ibid.). Foreigners residing in Bangkok must contact Immigration Division 1 located in Bangkok (ibid.). The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand provides general information on Thailand's visas (ibid. 21 Jan. 2013). A copy of that information is attached to this Response. 3. Permanent Residence 3.1 General Requirements The website of the Royal Thai Embassy in Australia states that [t]he opening date for applications in each year varies, depending on an announcement by the Minister of Interior. Once the announcement has been issued, applications may be submitted up to and including the last working day of the year. ... An application should contain a detailed explanation of the true and exact reasons of why the applicant is requesting a residence permit. This is for the applicant's own benefit; as such information will assist the relevant officials to make a more rapid decision. In addition, a number of documents need to be included with each application, in accordance with the category under which the application is submitted: Business or employment purposes; Investment purposes; Experts or academics; To support a family (wife and children) who are Thai citizens; As a dependent of a husband or father who is a Thai citizen; Accompanying a husband, father or son/daughter who already has a residence permit; Retirement. (Thailand n.d.a) The website of the Government Public Relations Department of Thailand states the following: The Ministry of Interior announces its annual quota for issuing permits per nationality (stating how many applications will be accepted per nationality) in the Government Gazette each year. The applicant may thereafter submit his application until the last working day of that year together with all required supporting documents. The applicant will also be required to be interviewed by an immigration officer. Note that this interview includes an oral Thai proficiency test. (ibid. 2 Oct. 2009) According to the website of the Royal Thai Embassy in Australia, [o]nce the opening date for applications has been announced, applications can be submitted, together with the necessary documents, at Section 1, Sub-Division 1, Immigration Division 1, Immigration Bureau (Room 301), Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn road, Sathorn District, Bangkok, or at the Immigration Office for the region [emphasis in original] of Thailand in which the applicant is residing. ... The applicant must apply in person as the Immigration Bureau will require a set of fingerprints for the purpose of checking for criminal record. (ibid. n.d.a) The requirements enumerated on the website of the Government Public Relations Department of Thailand specify that, before applying for a permanent residence permit, a "foreigner must have held a non-immigrant visa and have resided in Thailand for at least three consecutive years on the same non-immigrant visa at the time of application" (ibid. 2 Oct. 2009). The website of the Royal Thai Embassy in Australia similarly states that "[a] foreign national qualifies to apply for a residence permit if he or she has been permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a total of at least 3 years up until the date of application" (ibid. n.d.a). The processing time for a permanent residence application is between six months and a year (ibid. 2 Oct. 2009). 3.2 Spousal Applications According to the website of the Government Public Relations Department of Thailand, a foreigner married to a Thai citizen may apply for a permanent residence permit in Thailand under the "Humanity Category" (ibid.). A foreigner applying for a residence permit to support a family (wife and children) who are Thai citizens must submit the following documents: Application form (TM. 9). Personal information sheet. Health certificate from a hospital (issued within the previous 3 months). Certification that the applicant has no criminal record in his or her overseas domicile. This must be certified officially, e.g., by the applicant's embassy in Bangkok. Official marriage and birth certificates (in the case of accompanying family members who are also applying). Copy of identity card and house registration of wife and/or children. Letter certifying place of employment. Copy of work permit. Copy of annual personal income tax forms with receipts for the previous 3 years. Copy of each month's personal income tax forms (por ngor dor 1) with receipts from January of year of application until the month before applying (only for applicant earning a salary). Company registration certificate or juristic person certificate. Copy of Value Added Tax (VAT) registration of the company. List of company shareholders (only for applicant, who is a shareholder). Company balance sheet and income tax with receipt (por ngor dor 50) for the previous 1 year (with the exception of a state agency or state enterprise). Map of residence and place of work. Copy of passport (must show a total of 3 years' travelling history to Thailand). (ibid. n.d.a) A foreigner applying for a residence permit as a dependent of a husband or father who is a Thai citizen must submit the following documents: Application form (TM. 9) Personal information sheet. Health certificate from a hospital (issued within the previous 3 months). Certification that the applicant has no criminal record in his or her overseas domicile. This must be certified officially, e.g., by the applicant's embassy in Bangkok. Official marriage and birth certificates (see certification requirement in No. 4 Above). Copy of identity card and house registration of husband and/or father (in cases where the husband or father has become a naturalized Thai citizen, a copy of the naturalization certificate must also be provided). Work and income certificates of husband and/or father. Map of residence and place of work. Copy of passport (must show a total of 3 years' travelling history to Thailand). (ibid.) The website of the Immigration Bureau lists additional documents required when applying for a residence permit by a foreigner whose spouse is a Thai citizen (ibid. Dec. 2009). A copy of that information is attached to this Response. The application processing fee for the spouse (or child of less than 20 years of age) of a Thai citizen or permanent resident is 95,700 THB [C$3,290 (XE 14 Mar. 2014] (Thailand 2 Oct. 2009). Further and corroborating information on the residence status available to a foreigner whose spouse is a citizen of Thailand, including rights and obligations, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Thailand. 21 January 2013. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. "Thailand's Visa Information: General Information." [Accessed 14 Mar. 2014] _____. December 2009. Immigration Bureau. "Documents Required when Applying for a Residence Permit (December 2009) in the Category of Supporting Thai Citizen or Being Supported by Thai Citizen (Husband-wife, Father-mother, or Children who is Under 20 Years of Age and Single." [Accessed 13 Mar. 2014] _____. 2 October 2009. Government Public Relations Department. "The Procedure to Obtain a Permanent Residence Permit in Thailand." < [Accessed 10 Mar. 2014] _____. N.d.a. Royal Thai Embassy in Australia. "To Acquire a Thai Nationality." [Accessed 11 Mar. 2014] _____. N.d.b. Immigration Bureau, Immigration Division 1. "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)." [Accessed 7 Mar. 2014] _____. N.d.c. "Non-immigrant Visa O." [Accessed 19 Mar. 2014) _____. N.d.d. "Visa Fee." [Accessed 19 Mar. 2014) XE. 19 March 2014a. "Currency Converter Widget." < [Accessed 19 Mar. 2014] _____. 19 March 2014b. "Currency Converter Widget." < [Accessed 19 Mar. 2014] _____.18 Mar. 2014a. "Currency Converter Widget." < [Accessed 18 Mar. 2014] _____. 18 Mar. 2014b. "Currency Converter Widget." < [Accessed 18 Mar. 2014] _____. 14 March 2014. "Currency Converter Widget." < [Accessed 14 Mar. 2014] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following organizations were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: lawyers in Thailand; Thailand - Royal Thai Consulate General in Toronto, Royal Thai Embassy in Ottawa, and Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC. Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ecoi.net; The Economist; Factiva; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; Pattaya Today; Reporters without Borders; Thailand - Royal Thai Consulate General in Toronto, Royal Thai Embassy in Ottawa, Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC, Secretariat of the Cabinet; Thailaws.com; Thaivisa.com; United Nations - Refworld, UN Development Program; Unites States - Bureau of Consular Affairs of Department of State, Embassy of the United States in Bangkok. Attachments 1. Thailand. 21 January 2013. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. "Thailand's Visa Information: General Information." [Accessed 14 Mar. 2014] 2. Thailand. December 2009. Immigration Bureau. "Documents Required when Applying for a Residence Permit (December 2009) in the Category of Supporting Thai Citizen or Being Supported by Thai Citizen (Husband-wife, Father-mother, or Children who is Under 20 Years of Age and Single." [Accessed 13 Mar. 2014] Somalia: The Biyomal [Biimaal, Biyomaal, Biymaal, Biyamal] clan, including work, history, religious affiliation, location within the country, particularly Nus Dunya; the Rahanweyn [Rahanwen] clan, including location in the country; treatment of the Biyomal clan by the Rahanwen clan (2013- September 2015) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 2 October 2015 Citation / Document Symbol SOM105305.E Related Document(s) Somalie : information sur le clan des Biyomal [Biimaal, Biyomaal, Biymaal, Biyamal], y compris sur leur travail, leur histoire, leur appartenance religieuse et leur emplacement dans le pays, surtout a Nus Dunya; information sur le clan des Rahanwen [Rahanweyn], y compris leur emplacement dans le pays; le traitement que reserve le clan des Rahanwen au clan des Biyomal (2013-septembre 2015) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: The Biyomal [Biimaal, Biyomaal, Biymaal, Biyamal] clan, including work, history, religious affiliation, location within the country, particularly Nus Dunya; the Rahanweyn [Rahanwen] clan, including location in the country; treatment of the Biyomal clan by the Rahanwen clan (2013- September 2015), 2 October 2015, SOM105305.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f399224.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Overview of Biyomal Clan Sources indicate that in Somalia, there are four majority "noble clans": the Darood [Darod], Hawiye, Dir, and Isaaq [Isaq] (EASO Aug. 2014, 43-44; Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 11). According to sources, the Biyomal are a subclan of the Dir clan (ibid., 18; UN n.d.). A 2009 report published jointly by the Austrian Red Cross and the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD) states that the "'noble clans'" are nomadic-pastoralist and speak Af-Maxaa-tiri (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 11). According to the same source, the majority of the nomadic-pastoral clans are "united by a common, mythological perception of direct lineal descent from the forefather Samaal [Samale] and the household of the Prophet Mohammed" (ibid.). Similarly, Forced Migration Online, a collection of resources "concerning the situation of forced migrants worldwide," coordinated by the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) at the University of Oxford (RSC n.d.), states that the four noble clan families belong to the lineage line of the Samale (RSC July 2003). According to sources, the Biyomal are located in the Lower Shabelle Region of Somalia (Norway 18 Oct. 2013, 8; UN n.d.; Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 18) as well as in the Middle and Lower Juba areas (ibid.). Landinfo, Norway's Country of Origin Information Centre, cites research conducted by Ioan Lewis, a former anthropology professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) who focused his research on Somali culture (LSE n.d.), as stating that the city of Marka is the "traditional home territory of the Dir clan Biimaal" (Norway 18 Oct. 2013, 8). The same source states that "[i]n the coastal area, including the port towns of Marka and Barawe, trade and fishing are the most common livelihoods" (ibid., 9). Landinfo also notes that the Lower Shabelle is "one of the most fertile areas in Somalia" and that food production is "the predominant means of making a living" in the region (ibid.). The Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD report that in some areas, clans such as the Biyomal "live in pockets of groups and thus can be referred to as 'minorities' on the local level with some justification, but not on the global Somali level due to the fact that they belong to a strong clan-family" (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 14). According to the same source, in general, the same clans can leave the area where they constitute a "minority" and receive protection where their clan is a majority (even though the notion of being "dominant" nowhere means full control, as there are always several clans, and "minorities" present in South Central Somalia). However, this often means that these groups are obliged to leave their local areas where they probably have been living for generations. (ibid.) Information on the presence of the Biyomal Clan in Nus Dunya could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2. Overview of Rahanwen Clan According to sources, the Rahanweyn [also known as the Digil-Mirifle (EASO Aug. 2014, 44; Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD Dec. 2009, 11)] are a "minority" clan in Somalia (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 7; RSC July 2003). However, an article by Catherine Besteman, a professor of anthropology at Colby College in Maine, US (Colby College n.d.), published by the World Peace Foundation, an academic research institution affiliated with Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (World Peace Foundation n.d.), indicates that "[f]ew scholars include the Rahanweyn clan among minorities since the creation of [a Rahanweyn] armed militia in 1996 and the 2000 power-sharing formula where Rahanweyn were counted as equal to the other 3 Somali clans" (Besteman 31 Oct. 2013). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to an article published in the African Languages and Culture journal by Bernhard Helander, a former lecturer in cultural anthropology at Uppsala University, Sweden, whose research focused on Somali culture and society (Somalia Watch 3 Jan. 2001), the Rahanweyn Clan is composed of approximately 30 sub-clans of varying sizes, which share a sense of unity based on "their common forms of attachment to land, their combined reliance on agriculture and animal husbandry, the pride they have in their dialect, and to some extent, their shared forms of Islamic worship" (Helander 1996, 197). The Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD similarly state that the Rahanweyn are a "mainly sedentary agro-pastoralist people" (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 11). According to sources, the Rahanweyn speak a language distinct from the majority Somali clans (RSC July 2003; Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 11), known as Af Maay-tiri (ibid.). According to Helander, Rahanweyn clans contain "a high degree of adopted members" of other clans within their populations; some sub-clans of the Rahanweyn clan reportedly have a membership comprised of more "adopted members" than "original members" (Helander 1996, 197). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Sources state that Rahanweyn clans reside in the Bay and Bakool [Bakol] regions (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 13; UN n.d.) of the Lower Shabelle, as well as Gedo (ibid.). The Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD report that "since 1999, the Rahanweyn clans have increasingly gained control of their 'own' regions of Bay and Bakool in the inter-riverine area between the Juba and Shabelle rivers in Southern Somalia" (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 13). 3. Treatment of the Biyomal Clan 3.1 Treatment by the Rahanweyn Clan Information on the relationship between the Biyomal and Rahanweyn clans was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to a report published by OODA Loop, a provider of "actionable intelligence, analysis, and insight on global security" (n.d.), the Biyomal and Digil-Mirifle both occupy the Lower Shabelle State of South-West 6 (OODA Loop 23 Mar. 2014). The same source states that "[t]he South-West 6 Digil-Mirifle leaders gained support from the Dir clan, especially the Biyomaal Elders in the Marka District of Lower Shabelle" and also that [t]he Biyomaal Dir are in an awkward position, they have to support the South-West 6 to ensure their territories are under the Digil-Mirifle dominanted Administration, as opposed to supporting the South-West 3, which would leave them to be part of the Hawiye dominated Shabelle State. (ibid.) In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an Associate Professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, whose research focuses on Somali culture and society, also stated that "[m]any Rahanweyn groups in Lower Shabelle share the mistrust of the Biyomal toward the Hawiya-dominated FG [Federal Government] of Somalia and for that reason, have themselves sometimes embraced al-Shabaab as a counterweight to the government" (Associate Professor 2 Oct. 2015). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3.2 Treatment by Other Clans According to sources, the Biyomal has engaged in conflict with the Hawiye clan (Associate Professor 2 Oct. 2015; UN 13 Oct. 2014, para. 17; Norway 18 Oct. 2013, 11). The Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD indicate that the Biyomal have faced "suppress[ion]" by the Hawiye and the Ogaden/Darood clans and have engaged in armed conflict with the Hawiye in the Lower Shabelle and Middle and Lower Juba areas (Austrian Red Cross and ACCORD 15 Dec. 2009, 18). IRIN similarly states that the Biyomal and Habargidir [Haber Gedir] clan (a sub-clan of the Hawiye Clan) have fought over territories in the Lower Shabelle region on numerous occasions, "and while the Somali government has been able to mediate between the groups, a lasting ceasefire has never been achieved" (UN 11 June 2014). According to the Associate Professor, "most of the reported violence against, and oppression of, the Biyomal in recent years has been attributed to Habr Gidr forces (primarily Ayr sub clan) who seek to assert their supremacy over the district and port of Marka" (Associate Professor 2 Oct. 2015). A report published in October 2014 by the UN Security Council's Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea cites interviews with internally displaced persons in the Lower Shabelle revealing that between November 2013 and August 2014, the "killing of civilians, burning of homes and farms, rape of women, and population displacement, primarily concentrated around Janale, Marka and K50" occurred as a consequence of clan violence between the Biyomal and Habargidir (UN 13 Oct. 2014, para. 44). The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 also quotes the United Nations as stating that in the Lower Shabelle region, "conflict between Biimaal and Habar Gedir militias resulted in reports of abductions and killings every week in June and July" (US June 2015, 12). Sources indicate the following instances of violence between the Biyomal and Habargidir clans: According to the BBC, in December 2013, at least 20 people were killed and "scores sustained various injuries" following three days of fighting between the Biyomal and Habargidir clans over control of territory in the Lower Shabelle region (BBC 16 Dec. 2013). The Monitoring Group reports that in December 2013, "serious clashes" between the Biyomal and Habargidir clans occurred and "revenge killings occurred in several locations, leading to civilians driven from their homes, rape and other human rights violations" (UN 13 Oct. 2014, para. 32). The Monitoring Group further indicates that on 7 May 2014, Habargidir and Biyomal militias clashed at K50 and Ceel-Wareegow (ibid., para. 37). The same source states that on 9 May 2014, "the Haber Gedir launched an attack against Biimaal militias at the outskirts of Marka" (ibid.). IRIN reports that in June 2014, armed clashes took place between the Biyomal and Habargidir clans who were "competing for control" over Somalia's southern Lower Shabelle region (UN 11 June 2014). According to the same source, during this outbreak of violence, 30 were killed and over 250 were forced to take refuge at the bases of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (ibid.). The UN Security Council reports that on 9 June 2014, "a group of Haber Gedir clan militias wearing SNA [Somali National Army] uniforms reportedly entered Marka and forced the local Biimaal administration to flee" (UN 13 Oct. 2014, para. 39). The same source states that the Biyomal "suffered 35-40 civilian casualties, including women and children, and private homes and property were looted" (ibid., para. 40). This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Associate Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania. 2 October 2015. Correspondence with the Research Directorate. Austrian Red Cross and the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD). 15 December 2009. Clans in Somalia: Report on a Lecture by Joakim Gundel, COI Workshop Vienna, 15 May 2009 (Revised Edition). Edited by Daisuke Yoshimura. [Accessed 21 Sept. 2015] Besteman, Catherine. 31 October 2013. "Conflicting Over Resources and the Victimization of the Minorities in the South of Somalia." World Peace Foundation. [Accessed 21 Sept. 2015] British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 16 December 2013. "Clan Leaders Accuse Government of 'Fuelling' Clan Fighting in Southern Somalia." (Factiva). Colby College. N.d. "Catherine L. Besteman." [Accessed 1 Oct. 2015] European Asylum Support Office (EASO). August 2014. EASO Country of Origin Information Report: South and Central Somalia Country Overview. [Accessed 1 Oct. 2015] Helander, Bernhard. 1996. "Rahanweyn Sociability: A Model for Other Somalis?" African Languages and Cultures, No. 3. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). N.d. Anthropology Department. "News Archive 2010-2014." [Accessed 1 Oct. 2015] Norway. 18 October 2013. Landinfo: Country of Origin Information Centre. Somalia: Lower Shabelle. [Accessed 30 Sept. 2015] OODA Loop. 23 March 2014. Security and Political Awareness Report. [Accessed 30 Sept. 2015] _____. N.d. "About." [Accessed 30 Sept. 2015] Refugee Studies Centre (RSC). July 2003. David Griffiths. Somalia. Forced Migration Online. [Accessed 21 Sept. 2015] _____. N.d. "Forced Migration Online." [Accessed 1 Oct. 2015] Somalia Watch. 3 January 2001. "Dr. Bernhard Helander Has Left Us (Died)." [Accessed 21 Sept. 2015] United Nations (UN). 13 October 2014. Security Council. Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2111 (2013): Somalia.. [Accessed 5 Oct. 2015] _____. 11 June 2014. Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). "Clans Clash in Somalia's Lower Shabelle." [Accessed 22 Sept. 2015] _____. N.d. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "Genealogical Table of Somali Clans." [Accessed 21 Sept. 2015] United States (US). 25 June 2015. Department of State. "Somalia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014. [Accessed 18 Sept. 2015] World Peace Foundation. N.d. "About." [Accessed 29 Sept. 2015] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Minority Rights Group International; Professor of anthropology at Colby College; Professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania; Professor of history at Wellesely College; Professor of international environment and development studies at Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Internet sites, including: African Union; Afrol News; Agence France Presse; Al Jazeera; AllAfrica.com; Amnesty International; BBC; Brookings Institution; CNN; Deutsche Welle; ecoi.net; Factiva; Fragile States.org; The Globe and Mail; Governance and Social Development Resource Center; Hiiraan Online; Human Rights Watch; Joshua Project; Minority Rights Group International; The New York Times; Radio Daslan; Reuters; UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia; United Nations - UNHCR, OCHA, Refworld; The Washington Post; Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; World Policy Blog. Somalia: Documents that show evidence that a person was employed by, or had a contract with the government (2010-2015) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 15 June 2015 Citation / Document Symbol SOM105220.E Related Document(s) Somalie : information sur les documents qui prouvent qu'une personne a travaille pour le gouvernement ou qu'elle a signe un contrat avec le gouvernement (2010-2015) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Documents that show evidence that a person was employed by, or had a contract with the government (2010-2015), 15 June 2015, SOM105220.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f39a074.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa Information on the types of documents that show that a person was employed by, or had a contract with the government of Somalia was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 1. Contracts and Pay Records for Government Employees and Contractors In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Senior Civil Affairs Officer with the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) who has worked on civil affairs issues with the Somali government for more than three years, indicated that "[t]o be employed by the government, one has to apply and on acceptance, [employees] are given an appointment letter, which indicates the grade, salary, and department where the person is to work" (AMISOM 12 June 2015). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a senior lecturer in development studies at SOAS, University of London, whose research specializes in the conflict in the Horn of Africa, provided information from a Mogadishu-based government contact employed since 2013 regarding employee and contractor documentation in Somalia (12 June 2015). According to the Senior Lecturer's information, "when a Somali citizen is employed by the government, there are no formal contracts signed between the employer and the employee, however there is an employment registration made with the Civil Service Commission" (11 June 2015). The Senior Lecturer also indicated that lower level contractors may or may not have ID cards [see section below], but "their names should be verified with the Civil Service Commission as the method of payment requires that their name be registered in order to get compensation for their work" (Senior Lecturer 12 June 2015). In terms of how staff are paid, the same source explained that [o]n a practical level, payments were up to recently paid at ministerial level (finance departments) to all of the staff and such payments can only go to staff who are registered with the Civil Service Commission. As of late, payment of salaries are made at the central bank to government staff and again, the lists they are going by are the ones provided by the ministries and confirmed by the civil service commission. (ibid.) The same source indicated that there are "no [pay] slips per se provided to the staff" (ibid. 11 June 2015). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2. Identity Cards Sources report that government employees require identity cards, which are issued by the particular institution or department where the staff member works (AMISOM 12 June 2015; Senior Lecturer 11 June 2015). The AMISOM Senior Civil Affairs Officer indicated that ID cards are also issued to contractors providing services to the government and are required by staff "because one cannot move easily in government facilities without being asked questions. The insecurity in Mogadishu encourages thorough scrutiny of persons at all times and, therefore, having an ID is an important requirement" (12 June 2015). The Senior Lecturer indicated that "the issuing of ID cards is something that started a few years ago and may not be available to people who have worked for previous administrations (those that came before 2012)" or, to state level employees (Senior Lecturer 11 June 2015). Furthermore, the same source indicated In terms of the ID cards issued to lower level staff, this may not be consistent across the government and many of them may find themselves without any ID cards. (ibid. 12 June 2015) Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). 12 June 2015. Correspondence from a Senior Civil Affairs Officer to the Research Directorate. Senior Lecturer, SOAS, University of London. 12 June 2015. Correspondence with the Research Directorate. _____. 11 June 2015. Correspondence with the Research Directorate. Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: The following were unable to provide information for this Response: the former head of the Heritage Institute in Mogadishu; Somali Congress of Trade Unions; a former staff member of the Somalia Special Envoy to the United States; UN - UN Development Program (UNDP) Hargeisa. Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Center for Research and Dialogue Somalia; Civil Service Institute (Somaliland); Finnish Somalia Network; Heritage Institute in Mogadishu; Mogadishu Law Office; Somalia - Central Bank of Somalia, Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Office of the Auditor General of Somalia, Office of the Somalia Special Envoy to the United States of America, Permanent Mission of the Somali Republic to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva; Somali Conflict Early Warning Early Response Unit; UN - International Labour Organisation Country Office for Somalia and Ethiopia, three offices of the UNDP in Somalia and a UNDP civil service specialist; World Bank Group. Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; AllAfrica; Amnesty International; ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; Hiiraan; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; International Organisation for Migration; IRIN; Keesing Reference Systems; Norway - Landinfo; Public Administration International; Somalia - Central Bank of Somalia, Radio Muqdisho, Somaligov.net; Somali Congress of Trade Unions; UN - International Labour Organization, Refworld, UNDP; World Bank Group. Nepal: Instances of kidnapping and extortion by Maoist groups and affiliated student groups, including targeting of the Nepal Congress (NC) party and pro-monarchists; instances of land capture by Maoist groups; availability and effectiveness of state protection to victims (January 2015-November 2015) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 26 November 2015 Citation / Document Symbol NPL105360.E Related Document(s) Nepal : information sur les cas d'enlevements et d'extorsion par des groupes maoistes et des groupes etudiants affilies, y compris si les membres du parti du Congres nepalais (Nepal Congress - NC) et les monarchistes sont pris pour cible; les cas de saisie de terres par des groupes maoistes; la disponibilite et l'efficacite de la protection offerte par l'Etat aux victimes (janvier 2015-novembre 2015) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nepal: Instances of kidnapping and extortion by Maoist groups and affiliated student groups, including targeting of the Nepal Congress (NC) party and pro-monarchists; instances of land capture by Maoist groups; availability and effectiveness of state protection to victims (January 2015-November 2015), 26 November 2015, NPL105360.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f39ab14.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Overview of Maoist Groups According to the Political Handbook of the World 2015, government parties in Nepal include the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist, CPN-UML); these parties secured the first and second largest share of elected seats in the November 2013 election, and formed an alliance in January 2014 (PHW 2015, 1034). According to the same source, other political parties include Maoist parties such as the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), the Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist-Leninist (CPN-ML), and the Communist Party of Nepal-United (CPN-United) (ibid., 1034, 1036). Sources report that a faction of Maoists led by Mohan Baidya [Vaidya] split from the UCPN-M in 2012 (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2014, 8; PHW 2015, 1033) to create the Maoist NCP-M [also referred to as the Baidya CPN-M] (ibid.). PHW 2015 describes Baidya as a "communist hard-liner" leading a "dissenting faction of the ruling Maoist party" (ibid., 1038). The same source identifies Nekram Bikram Chandra as the Secretary of this faction (ibid.). According to the Himalayan Times newspaper, a faction of the CPN-M led by Netra Bikram Chand [known as the Biplav or Biplab faction of the CPN-M, or the CPN-Biplav or Chand faction] was created in late 2014 when it split from Mohan Baidya's faction of the CPN-M (The Himalayan Times 23 Dec. 2014). INSEConline.org, a human rights news portal in Nepal run by the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), a "leading human rights organization" in Nepal (n.d.) describes the Chand-led group as a Maoist "splinter" group (INSEConline.org 17 Mar. 2015). 2. Kidnapping and Extortion In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a researcher at the University of York, who has been working on issues linked to the Maoist conflict in Nepal for over a decade, stated that "[Maoist] violence targeting individuals or members of other political parties dramatically decreased with the end of the conflict in 2006" [1] (Researcher 11 Nov. 2015). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a visiting scholar at the University of Wyoming who is also the Nepal representative for the Asia Foundation [2], stated that instances of kidnapping and extortion by Maoist groups "are increasingly rare occurrences from a political party perspective" and are "not common any longer" (Visiting Scholar 17 Nov. 2015). Similarly, in correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Nepal-based representative of Creative International Forum (CIF), an organization that protects human rights and promotes peace and social justice in Nepal through capacity building and research (Insight on Conflict July 2015), stated that since the peace agreement was signed [in 2006 (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2014, 3)] between the government and the Maoists, "such instances have gradually come down" (CIF 13 Nov. 2015). The same source indicated that "organized human rights violations/abuses are not taking place in Nepal due to the Maoist party," although there may be involvement in some criminal activities by "former, frustrated combatants in certain parts of Nepal" (CIF 13 Nov. 2015). Similarly, the researcher stated that "[t]here are a number of Maoist factions who have rejected accommodation with the elected government and continue political activity beyond the mainstream Maoist party," elements of which may be involved in extortion (Researcher 11 Nov. 2015). 2.1 Extortion The researcher explained that [t]he issue of extortion is a complicated one since networks of patronage and links to criminal networks have always supported Nepali politics. However, to point at the Maoists as guilty of such practices is to miss the point that payments to politicians in Nepal of all parties, either for delivery of corrupt services or as protection against the regulatory or law enforcement role of the state, is relatively routine. (Researcher 11 Nov. 2015) According to Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index (BTI) [3] report for Nepal, "Nepal's political culture requires political parties to continuously dispense patronage to members and supporters, both in terms of material resources and administrative favours" (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2014, 11). Sources report that the Maoist faction led by Netra Bikram Chand has been involved in extortion (Saferworld 18 Nov. 2015; Visiting scholar 17 Nov. 2015). According to the visiting scholar, a "militant" Maoist faction led by Netra Bikram Chand has "always engaged in this sort of crime [kidnapping and extortion], but they are a very small group" (ibid.). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Kathmandu-based representative of Saferworld, an "independent international organization working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives" in approximately 20 countries around the world (Saferworld n.d.), stated that since the earthquake in April 2015, "there have been instances of extortion by a separatist group of the former UCPN(M) who are CPN-M (Baidya faction) and the Netra Bikram Chand (Biplav) faction" (Saferworld 18 Nov. 2015). The same source added that the instances of extortion by the Baidya faction and Biplav faction have been occurring mainly outside of Kathmandu, and "particularly in the Mid-West and Far-West region," with a few cases in the Western region (ibid.). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a project coordinator at NepalMonitor.org, a "system designed to alert local organizations to human rights and security incidents happening in their area" (NepalMonitor.org n.d.), stated that "coercive demands for donation" are underreported and that "often victims do not seek help from the police" (NepalMonitor.org 15 Nov. 2015). Similarly, the Saferworld representative stated that "quite a lot" of cases of extortion are not reported to the police due to "fear of violent backlash from the CPN-Maoists group (Baidya and Biplav faction)" (Saferworld 18 Nov. 2015). 2.2 Targets The visiting scholar stated that, to his knowledge, targets for extortion are those with money, and targets are not identified as NC or monarchist (17 Nov. 2015). According to the Saferworld representative, Biplav and Baidya factions have "mainly target[ed] the business community and some NGOs, mainly outside of Kathmandu in the Terai area and in some districts in the Western region of Nepal" for extortion (Saferworld 18 Nov. 2015). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Nepal researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), an independent Hong Kong-based NGO "which seeks to promote greater awareness and realization of human rights in the Asian region" (AHRC n.d.), stated that "[t]here is a trend of collecting donations by different political parties including the Maoists and its allies. But they collect it largely from the business tycoons," who often give donations "voluntarily," in exchange for political benefits (AHRC 17 Nov. 2015). 2.3 Reported Instances of Kidnapping and Extortion in 2015 Information on instances of kidnapping by Maoist groups or their student affiliate groups could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Sources report that in December 2014, the Netra Bikram Chand faction of the CPN-M launched a nationwide campaign to collect funds across the country in order to finance party activities (Himalayan Times 23 Dec. 2014; The Kathmandu Post 23 Dec. 2014). The Kathmandu Post reports that the party had "formed a 'special squad to collect donations'" (ibid.). Sources report that party cadres were instructed to collect funds from business people (The Himalayan Times 23 Dec 2014; The Kathmandu Post 23 Dec. 2014), and to focus on "private industry, foreign employment recruiting agencies, educational consultancies, schools, and hospitals in the capital," as well we as state-owned institutions (ibid.). The Himalayan Times reports that a senior party leader stated that the party was not forcing donations or coercing donors but rather "appeal[ing] for voluntary contributions" (The Himalayan Times 23 Dec. 2014). Sources report that party cadres have visited businesspeople in person, sent text messages, letters, and made phone calls for donations (ibid.; The Kathmandu Post 23 Dec. 2014), which the Kathmandu Post described as "threatening" in nature (ibid.). The Kathmandu Post also reports that the amounts asked for donation ranged from 5,000 to 2 million Nepalese Rupees (NPR) [about C$62 to C$25,000] (ibid.). Sources report on the following instances of extortion by Maoists in 2015: In January 2015, a funding drive was launched in Kavre, where village administrators were reportedly "warned" by the party that they "'would have to meet them in person'" if they did not donate to the Bikram Chand CPN-M (The Himalayan Times 1 Jan. 2015). Local traders also complained of being approached by the Bikram Chand CPN-M for donations (ibid.). In February 2015, two people were arrested from Koteshwor for allegedly extorting a man for 2 million NPR [about C$25,000] (The Himalayan Times 6 Feb. 2015; The Kathmandu Post 8 Feb. 2015); the arrestees were reportedly CPN-M members (ibid.). The police reportedly recovered letters signed by the Netra Bikram Chand (The Himalayan Times 6 Feb. 2015; The Kathmandu Post 8 Feb. 2015), as well as a two page document listing the "family history of 35 people" and a "'donation' amount" (ibid.) In March 2015, sources report that Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN-M cadres approached teachers at a school in the Roshi area of Kavre district and asked for 500 Rupee [about C$6] donations to the party (INSEConline.org 17 Mar. 2015; The Himalayan Times 14 Mar. 2015). The teachers and the head teachers received letters asking for payment (ibid.; INSEConline.org 17 Mar. 2015), and in some places teachers "scuffle[d]" with the CPN-M Biplav Maoists over the imposition of the levy (ibid.). In July 2015, the Biplav CPN-M launched a donation drive in Khotang district, sending letters to two dozen offices, including district offices for education and health (INSEConline.org 5 July 2015). In August, they launched another campaign in Khotang, demanding donations from government, non-governmental offices, industries, factories, and entrepreneurs (INSEConline.org 27 Aug. 2015; The Himalayan Times 25 Aug. 2015). The Himalayan Times reports that the group has been "demanding donations" to "institutionalize the gains of the Maoist insurgency" (ibid.) In October 2015, a student leader, who is the coordinator of the "sister wing" of the Biplav CPN-M, was arrested on charges of extortion from a trader in Udaypur (The Himalayan Times 8 Oct. 2015) In November 2015, police arrested a man on charges of extorting business people and industrialists, having called dozens of people and demanded money while impersonating the secretary of the CPN-M (The Himalayan Times 16 Nov. 2015) Further information on actions by state authorities in these cases could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3. Reported Instances of Land Capture in 2015 Sources report on the following instances of land capture: In March 2015, the Biplav CPN-M faction declared that it captured a piece of land owned by a civilian in Junger (INSEConline.org 31 Mar. 2015) In April 2015, the Biplav CPN-M captured lands belonging to a civilian in Banganga municipality claiming that they captured it because it belongs to farmers, that grain produced there was being taken to India, and that the owners had dual citizenship (ibid. 19 Apr. 2015). Also in April, the same faction captured "300 Ropanis (15 hectare[s])" of civilian land in Sindhupalchowk, claiming that they were "recapturing" lands formerly belonging to the party (NepalMonitor.org 19 Apr. 2015). In April 2015, the group captured "1,500 ropanis of land" belonging to several companies in Nayagaun Deuper, which they stated was to stop "'encroachment'" on state property (INSEConline.org 20 Apr. 2015) In April 2015, Biplav CPN-M cadres captured land belonging to a sugar mill in Suda (NepalMonitor.org 20 Apr. 2015) Biplav CPN-M "captured a house and lands belonging to the leaders of the UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML respectively" in April 2015, reportedly because it had been meant to be used for a health centre (ibid. 21 Apr. 2015). The same group also captured lands in April 2015 belonging to the Chairman of the Prabhu Bank, who they claimed misused his power to acquire the land (ibid. 23 Apr. 2015) In November 2015, Chand-led Biplav CPN-M cadres seized land owned by a local person in Pyuthan Municipality charging that it was related to a land dispute (The Himalayan Times 21 Nov. 2015) Further information on actions by state authorities in these cases could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 4. State Protection The visiting scholar stated that, with regards to providing state protection for victims of extortion, "the Nepali state has been largely incapable and increasingly so in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Threats by Maoists are just one of several types of threats, and as such do not pose significant law and order problems as they did in the past [prior to 2006]" (17 Nov. 2015). The researcher said that "the forces of the state remain present everywhere" and "are likely to be able to address such incidents, given the absence of formal political support [that] such [Maoist] factions have" (11 Nov. 2015). However, the Saferworld representative stated that political interference in criminal investigations is "rampant" and has a "negative impact on the quality and effectiveness of security providers, mainly the police" (Saferworld 18 Nov. 2015). The AHRC researcher stated that the police are "not independent" and "lack investigation mechanisms however if the case is high profile, the police [will come under] political pressure to make arrests" (AHRC 17 Nov. 2015). He further explained that the police make arrests often, but that cases go on for "years and years without justice being served" (ibid.). Further information on state protection in cases of kidnapping and extortion by Maoist groups could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Notes [1] According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), "[b]etween 1996 and 2006, an internal conflict between the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN(Maiost)) left at least 13,000 people dead and 1,300 missing" (UN n.d.). The same source reports that the government of Nepal and the CPN (Maoist) signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord on 21 November 2006 (ibid.). [2] The Asia Foundation is a San Francisco-based non-profit international development organization seeking to improve governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, the environment, and regional cooperation in Asia (The Asia Foundation n.d.). [3] The Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index (BTI) "assesses transformation towards democracy and a market economy, as well as the quality of political management in 129 countries (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2014, 1). Bertelsmann Stiftung is a "private operating foundation" that promotes research in areas such as religion, public health, international cultural exchange, democracy, government and civic engagement (Bertelsmann Stiftung n.d.). References The Asia Foundation. N.d. "About the Asia Foundation." [Accessed 26 Nov. 2015] Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). 17 November 2015. Correspondence from a researcher at the Nepal Desk to the Research Directorate. _____. "About Us." [Accessed 26 Nov. 2015] Bertelsmann Stiftung. 2014. BTI 2014: Nepal Country Report. [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. N.d. "The Beliefs Behind Our Work." [Accessed 26 Nov. 2015] Creative International Forum (CIF). 13 November 2015. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate. The Himalayan Times. 21 November 2015. Devendra Barma. "Chand-led Maoist Seizes Land in Pyuthan." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 16 November 2015. "Extortionist Arrested." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 8 October 2015. "Student Leader Held." (Factiva) _____. 25 August 2015. "Chand-led Maoists Unleash Donation Drive in Khotang." (Factiva) _____. 14 March 2015. "Chand-led CPN-M on Donation Drive in Kavre." (Factiva) _____. 6 February 2015. "Extortionists Held." (Factiva) _____. 1 January 2015. "New Maoist Party into Extorting Money." (Factiva) _____. 23 December 2014. "Chand's Maoist Party Begins Donation Drive." (Factiva) INSEConline.org (Informal Sector Service Centre). 27 August 2015. DM Chamling Rai. "Biplav Maoists Intensifies Donation Drive." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 5 July 2015. "Donation Drive by CPN-M (Biplav)." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 20 April 2015. "Biplov-led CPN-M's Land Capture Spree Continues." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 19 April 2015. "CPN-M Captures Civilian's Land." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 31 March 2015. "Chand Maoist Captures Civilian's Land." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 17 March 2015. Bhojraj Timalsina. "Chand-led Maoists Intensify Donation Drive." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 26 Nov. 2015] Insight on Conflict. July 2015. "Creative International Forum (CIF)." [Accessed 25 Nov. 2015] The Kathmandu Post. 8 February 2015. "CPN Maoist Cadres Held on Extortion Charge." (Factiva) _____. 23 December 2014. "Chand in Donation Drive." (Factiva) NepalMonitor.org. 15 November 2015. Correspondence from a Project Coordinator to the Research Directorate. _____. 23 April 2015. "Republica: Chand-led CPN (M) Captures Prabhu Bank Chair's Land." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 21 April 2015. "News: Chand-led Maoist Captures Properties of UML, UPCN(M) Leaders." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 20 April 2015. "eKantipur: Chand Led Maoist Captures Land." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. 19 April 2015. "Sit-Rep: Chand-led CPN Maoist Captures Land in Sindhupalchowk." [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] _____. N.d. "About NepalMonitor.org." [Accessed 25 Nov. 2015] Political Handbook of the World 2015 (PHW). 2015. "Nepal." Edited by Tom Lansford. Washington, DC: CQ Press. [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015] Researcher, University of York. 11 November 2015. Correspondence with the Research Directorate. Saferworld. 18 November 2015. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate. _____. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 25 Nov. 2015] United Nations (UN). N.d. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). "The Nepal Conflict Report." [Accessed 26 Nov. 2015] Visiting Scholar, University of Wyoming. 17 November 2015. Correspondence with the Research Directorate. Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Advocacy Forum; Alliance for Peace Nepal; Canada - Consulate in Kathmandu; INSEC; International Center for Transitional Justice (Nepal Office); International Commission of Jurists (Nepal Office); National Democratic Institute; Nepal - National Human Rights Commission, Nepal Police; Post-doctoral researcher, University of Oxford; Professor of sociology, Universite de Quebec a Montreal; Researcher, The Danish Institute Against Torture; United Nations - Resident Coordinator Office in Nepal. Internet sites, including: Advocacy Forum; Amnesty International; BBC; The Carter Center; ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; Nepal - National Human Rights Commission, Nepal Police; Nepal News; Small Arms Survey; South Asia Terrorism Portal; United Nations - Refworld, Reliefweb; United States - Department of State. Sri Lanka: Statements by village headmen confirming that a person lives in a certain area; whether these are used as official documents; appearance and contents of these documents (2014-February 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 2 March 2016 Citation / Document Symbol LKA105435.E Related Document(s) Sri Lanka : information sur les declarations de chefs de village confirmant qu'une personne vit dans une region donnee; information indiquant si ces declarations font office de documents officiels; information sur l'apparence et le contenu de ces documents (2014-fevrier 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Statements by village headmen confirming that a person lives in a certain area; whether these are used as official documents; appearance and contents of these documents (2014-February 2016), 2 March 2016, LKA105435.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f39bce4.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Village Headmen [Grama Niladhari] Sources state that the "Village Headman" is called a Grama Niladhari [Grama Niladari] (Sri Lanka 16 Aug. 2010; OECD 2009, 1; ODI and The Foundation 2014, 4). Sources describe Grama Niladhari Divisions as falling under the Divisional Secretariats (ibid.; Tissera and Fernando 2014, 235; Sri Lanka n.d.a). According to the webpage of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Public Administration and Management, there are 14,022 Grama Niladhari Divisions under 331 Divisional Secretary's Divisions throughout the country (ibid.). According to sources, issuing a "resident certificate" is one of the duties of a Grama Niladhari (ibid. n.d.b; The Sunday Times 11 Oct. 2015; Canada 18 Feb. 2016). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the Immigration Section of the High Commission of Canada to Sri Lanka in Colombo stated that these letters are "required by the Sri Lankan authorities when a person needs to provide foundational evidence of their residential address" (ibid.). For further information on certificates of residence provided by Grama Niladharis, see Response to Information Request LKA105207. 2. Document Appearance and Content Information on the appearance of a residence certificate produced by a Grama Niladhari was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to the "Services Offered" section of the website of the Medirigiriya Divisional Secretariat, an individual seeking a "residency certificate" must meet with the Grama Niladhari of their Grama Niladhari Division, who will then issue a "certified copy of a regular format or handwritten/typed letter," which the applicant must then send to the Divisional Secretariat for counter signing (Sri Lanka 21 Nov. 2010). According to the Canadian official, the letters are "not reliable or verifiable; they have no security features, standard format or registry of issuance," nor are copies kept by the Grama offices (Canada 18 Feb. 2016). According to the same source, the documents are "generally in the form of letters written by the Grama Niladhari or letters written by the subject and endorsed with a rubber stamp by the Grama Niladhari" (ibid.). The letters are typically "used as evidence that a person resides in a particular location, and usually mention the length of time the person has resided there" (ibid.). This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Canada. 18 February 2016. High Commission of Canada to Sri Lanka. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). [2009]. OECD/Korea Policy Center. "Administrative Simplification." [Accessed 29 Jan. 2016] Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Asia Foundation (The Foundation). December 2014. Victoria Chambers, Lisa Denney and Kanniya Pieris. Community Policing Through Bicycle Patrolling in Sri Lanka: An Incipient Post-Conflict Strategy. [Accessed 29 Jan. 2016] Sri Lanka. 21 November 2010. Medirigiriya Divisional Secretariat. "Issuing of Certificates." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2016] _____. 16 August 2010. Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C. "Registration of Marriages." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2016] _____. N.d.a. Ministry of Public Administration and Management. "Grama Niladhari Administration Division." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2016] _____. N.d.b. Agalawatta Divisional Secretariat. "Citizen Charter of Grama Niladhari." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2016] The Sunday Times. 11 October 2015. Aanya Wipulasena. "Grama Niladhari Service Crying for Upgrade." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2016] Tissera, P.M.N.P and L.S. Fernando. 2014. "Impact of Job Dissatisfaction on Performance of the Grama Niladhari Officers in Kalutara Divisional Secretariat in Sri Lanka." Proceedings of International Conference on Business Management. Vol. 11. [Accessed 29 Jan. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Law & Society Trust; Sri Lanka - Grama Niladhari Administration Division, High Commission in Ottawa. Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ecoi.net; Factiva; Human Rights Watch; Keesing's Document Checker; Sri Lanka - Government Information Centre; United Nations - Refworld; United States - Department of State. Sri Lanka: Birth certificates, including issuance procedures and appearance; the language(s) that appear on the certificates; circumstances under which a Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp would appear on the certificate Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 2 March 2016 Citation / Document Symbol LKA105434.E Related Document(s) Sri Lanka : information sur les certificats de naissance, y compris la procedure de delivrance et leur apparence; les langues dans lesquelles les certificats sont etablis; les circonstances dans lesquelles un timbre du ministere des Affaires etrangeres figure sur le certificat Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Birth certificates, including issuance procedures and appearance; the language(s) that appear on the certificates; circumstances under which a Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp would appear on the certificate, 2 March 2016, LKA105434.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f39d584.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Birth Certificates 1.1 Birth Registration Information to be included in a 2013 report on birth registration, provided to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Justice, states that it is the responsibility of "every Registrar" to register all births and deaths that occur in their Division (Sri Lanka 20 Nov. 2013, 2). According to the same source, each of the nine provinces of the country is a "separate administrative zone," each with an Assistant Registrar General (ibid., 9). The Registrar General is responsible for the "administration, general control and supervision" of birth, death and marriage registrations that occur in Sri Lanka (ibid.). Administrative districts have a "Government Agent/District Secretary" appointed as an Additional Registrar General, and Divisional Secretaries are appointed as the "District Registrar of their administrative divisions" (ibid.). The Divisional Secretary's Divisions are further divided into "small units, which are called birth and death registration divisions" and a Registrar of birth, death and marriages is appointed to register these events (ibid.). According to the same report, the Sri Lankan Births and Deaths Registration Act provides the following: Section 15 Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of section 20, the father or mother of every child born alive, and in case the parents of the child are unable to provide the information relating to the birth hereinafter specified by reason of their death, illness, absence or other inability recognized by the Registrar General, the occupier of the house or building in which the child was born, each person present at the birth and the person having charge of the child shall, within 42 days of the date of birth, give information of such of the particulars relating to the birth required under this Act to be registered as the informant possesses, to the appropriate Registrar and shall, if called upon by the Registrar, sign the register of births in the appropriate place in the presence of the Registrar. Where a birth occurs on an estate, the person or persons required to give information have to give such information to the Superintendent of Estate within seven days of the birth instead of to the Registrar. (Sri Lanka 20 Nov. 2013, 2) According to information provided on the website for the Sri Lankan Registrar General's Department, a birth can be registered by submitting an application form in addition to the hospital birth record, the marriage certificate of the parents if applicable, and the birth certificates of the parents to the "relevant registrar of the division where the birth occurred" (ibid. n.d.c). If it has been longer than three months since the birth, the application should be submitted to the "divisional secretariat of the relevant division" (ibid.). 1.2 Issuance Procedures According to the instructions provided on the "Citizen's Registrations" section of the government of Sri Lanka's Government Information Center website, in order to obtain a "Certified Copy of the Certificate of Birth," the applicant must submit an application form, which is available from any Divisional Secretariat, to the Divisional Secretariat in the area where the birth occurred (Sri Lanka n.d.a). If the date of registration or the registration number of the entry is given, the fee is Rs 100 [0.96CAD] (ibid.). If the information is not provided, and "a search of registers" does not exceed two years, the fee is Rs 200 (ibid.). If the birth has been registered, the applicant will be issued a birth certificate; if the birth is not registered, "a letter to the effect will be sen[t]" (ibid.). A copy of the birth certificate application form is attached to this Response (Attachment 1). 2. Appearance and Languages Schedule A of the Birth and Dead Registration Act indicate the fields included in the Birth Registration Entry (Sri Lanka 1954). A copy is attached to this Response (Attachment 2). The Sri Lankan birth certificate application states that the certificate "will be issued in the language it has been registered" and a separate application must be submitted if a translation is desired (ibid. n.d.b). According to the website of the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Southern India, a birth can be registered in Sinhala, Tamil, or English (ibid. n.d.d). 2.1 Appearance of a Stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information on the appearance of a stamp or seal from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a birth certificate could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Sri Lanka. 20 November 2013. OHCHR Report on Birth Registration: Information Received from the Government of Sri Lanka Ministry of Justice. [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016] _____. N.d.a. Government Information Center. "Obtain a Certified Copy of the Certificate of Birth." [Accessed 29 Jan. 2016] _____. N.d.b. Government Information Center. "Application for Birth Certificate and/or Search of Registers." [Accessed 29 Jan. 2016] _____. N.d.c. Registrar General's Department. "Registration of Birth." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2016] _____. N.d.d. Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Southern India. "Birth Registration." [Accessed 2 Feb. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Sri Lanka- High Commission in Ottawa. Internet sites, including: ecoi.net; Factiva; Sri Lanka - Department of Immigration and Emigration Sri Lankan Identity Overseas, High Commission in Ottawa; United Nations - Refworld, World Health Organisation; United States - Department of State. Attachments 1. Sri Lanka. N.d. Government Information Center. "Application for Birth Certificate and/or Search of Registers." [Accessed 29 Jan. 2016] 2. Sri Lanka.1954. "Schedule A of the Birth and Dead Registration Act." [Accessed 1 Feb. 2016] Burundi: Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord [de paix] d'Arusha, including date of creation, purpose, leaders, structure and treatment of its members by authorities Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 16 October 2015 Citation / Document Symbol BDI105331.E Related Document(s) Burundi : information sur le Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord [de paix] d'Arusha, y compris sur sa date de sa creation, sa raison d'etre, ses dirigeants, sa structure et le traitement reserve a ses membres par les autorites Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi: Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord [de paix] d'Arusha, including date of creation, purpose, leaders, structure and treatment of its members by authorities, 16 October 2015, BDI105331.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3a36d4.html [accessed 23 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. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa Information on the Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord d'Arusha was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Information on the date of creation and structure of the movement could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 1. Purpose and Activities According to Jeune Afrique, the Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord de paix d'Arusha is composed of female journalists, poets, and lawyers (Jeune Afrique 1 June 2015). In April 2015, a campaign in which this movement participated was launched in Burundi to protest against the third term of Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza (ibid.). The presidential election was held in July 2015 and Nkurunziza won his third term (BBC 30 July 2015; Freedom House 17 Aug. 2015). Jeune Afrique quotes a member of the organization as stating the movement's core objectives as the following: [translation] "'the withdrawal of the candidacy of President Nkurunziza, the reopening of private media, and compensation for all destruction they suffered'" (Jeune Afrique 1 June 2015). Jeune Afrique reports that the organization's activities include protesting the presidency alongside men and providing logistical support to the larger anti-Nkurunziza movement, ranging from bringing food to protestors to providing medical care to those injured by police (ibid.). The article also notes that the Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord de paix d'Arusha initiated [translation] "the main women's marches" on 10 and 13 May 2015 in Bujumbura, next to the Independence Square, in which "more than 200 people" protested (ibid.). Radio France internationale (RFI) reports that on 10 May 2015, approximately 200 women [translation] "managed to protest in downtown Bujumbura" against Nkurunziza's third term, "an achievement that men had not successfully accomplished in the previous two weeks" because they had been stopped by police with tear gas and live ammunition (RFI 11 May 2015). A police officer interviewed by RFI during the 10 May 2015 protest said that if the demonstrators had been men, the police would have intervened (ibid.). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Burundi human rights defender affiliated with the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP), an Uganda-based NGO that "seeks to strengthen the work of human rights defenders" in eastern Africa by enhancing collaboration and knowledge sharing among them (n.d.), stated that while she had never heard of the Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord d'Arusha, women "from various social groups and organizations" were involved in the demonstrations against Nkurunziza's third term in Bujumbura (EHAHRDP 15 Oct. 2015). According to Reuters, around 300 civil society groups supported the anti-government demonstrations (Reuters 15 May 2015). 2. Leaders Without providing further details, Jeune Afrique states that Pamela Karekaze, who established Meetwe, the first Burundian cultural centre, in June 2014, and Natacha Songore, an independent journalist and documentary film producer, are founding members of the Mouvement des femmes et filles du Burundi pour le respect de la Constitution et de l'accord de paix d'Arusha (Jeune Afrique 1 June 2015). Reporting in June 2015, the same source states that Karekaze received [translation] "numerous threats through social media" against herself and her daughter by Nkurunziza's supporters and consequently fled the country (ibid.). According to Jeune Afrique, Karekaze stands accused of orchestrating a failed coup against President Nkurunziza (ibid.). The same source adds that Songore went into hiding after being told that her photo, as well as those of other women, had been collected by intelligence services and the police (ibid.). 3. Treatment by Burundian State Authorities The June 2015 Jeune Afrique article indicates that a member of the movement was [translation] "forced to flee Burundi" (ibid.). The same source quotes another member as stating that while she has not received any threats personally, she is aware of the existence of a list of individuals whom the state wishes to imprison or kill for participating in protest movements (ibid.). Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on 12 May 2015 that more than 50,000 Burundians had fled the country "since the unrest began" (AFP 12 May 2015). The source added that more than 20 people had been killed in the previous two weeks during demonstrations against the President's third term (ibid.). Sources report that civil society activists are subject to harassment by state authorities (AI 25 Feb. 2015; Human Rights Watch 29 Jan. 2015). Freedom House similarly states that "members of human rights groups that criticize the government are often subject to intimidation, threats, arrest, or surveillance" (Freedom House 28 Jan. 2015). A January 2015 report published by EHAHRDP indicates that the relationship between civil society and the Burundian state "dramatically deteriorated" over the course of 2014 and that human rights defenders are routinely summoned by judicial authorities, facing "baseless accusations of terrorism, defamation, or of threatening the interior security of the state" (EHAHRDP Jan. 2015, 12, 29). This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Agence France-Presse (AFP). 12 May 2015. "Burundi Protests Rage as Regional Leaders Prepare to Meet." [Accessed 14 Oct. 2015] Amnesty International (AI). 25 February 2015. "Burundi." Amnesty International Report 2014/15: The State of the World's Human Rights. [Accessed 9 Oct. 2015] British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 30 July 2015. "Burundi Profile - Timeline." [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015] East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP). 15 October 2015. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate. _____. January 2015. 2015: Burundi at a Turning Point: Human Rights Defenders Working in the Context of Elections. [Accessed 6 Oct. 2015] _____. N.d. "About EHAHRDP." [Accessed 14 Oct. 2015] Freedom House. 17 August 2015. "Burundi: Political Assassinations Continue." [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015] _____. 28 January 2015. "Burundi." Freedom in the World 2015. [Accessed 9 Oct. 2015] Human Rights Watch. 29 January 2015. "Burundi." World Report 2015: Events of 2014. [Accessed 9 Oct. 2015] Jeune Afrique. 1 June 2015. Wendy Bashi. "Burundi : ces femmes au coeur de la contestation anti-Nkurunziza." [Accessed 9 Oct. 2015] Radio France internationale (RFI). "Burundi : manifestation de femmes dans le centre-ville de Bujumbura." [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015] Reuters. 15 May 2015. Edmund Blair. "Burundi Civil Society Group Calls for Protests to Continue." [Accessed 15 Oct. 2015] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Assistant Professor of government at Colby College; Assistant Professor of political science at Mary Baldwin College; Association pour la protection des droits humains et des personnes detenues; Canada - Embassy to Kenya; International Crisis Group; International Foundation for Electoral Systems - Africa Division; International Human Rights Law Group - Burundi; Ligue burundaise des droits de l'homme Iteka; Ligue des droits de la personne dans la region des Grands Lacs; National Democratic Institute - Burundi; PhD Candidate at the McGill-Universite de Montreal Centre for International Peace and Security Studies; Search for Common Ground Burundi; Senior Lecturer of politics and international studies at the University of Cambridge. Internet sites, including: Al Jazeera; AllAfrica.com; Brookings Institution; Canada - Embassy to Kenya; Deutsche Welle; ecoi.net; Factiva; The Globe and Mail; The Guardian; International Crisis Group; National Democratic Institute; The New York Times; Reuters; Search for Common Ground Burundi; United Nations - Refworld; United States - Department of State, Embassy to Burundi; United States Institute of Peace; Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. For displaced Syrian hairdresser, a chance to start over Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 23 March 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), For displaced Syrian hairdresser, a chance to start over, 23 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3a9d04.html [accessed 23 October 2022] "I thought this would be the end for me and my family. The half-room we were offered at the shelter felt like a small grave." With these few words, Palestinian-Syrian hairdresser Momena describes the moment that she, her husband and their three young children touched rock bottom on arriving at a collective shelter in Damascus after they lost everything in the war. Displaced five times in five years, the family from rural Damascus had spent all their life savings and found themselves penniless and without a home. But determined not to give in to despair, Momena reached out for help. A friend of hers had mentioned a programme offered by the Al Nada Association, a Damascus-based nonprofit that partners with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to provide startup grants of up to $1,500 for small businesses. "At a time when no one would help us even by lifting a finger, I found someone ready to give me such a generous grant and helped me start my own business," Momena said. "I couldn't believe it at first, I couldn't believe it even after I started!" After setting out her business plan with association staff, the seed money they provided allowed her to set up a small salon in Damascus. She now has a barber's chair, a counter to set out her rollers and hair products, and there is even a television for her clients to watch. After working for several months, Momena is back on her feet. Financially independent with the income from her small business, she has rented an apartment for her family outside the collective shelter where they lived for more than two years, and which felt to her like a grave. "Finding out that there are people out there who are willing to help is what truly gave me the will power to go on," she says. "Now I am optimistic for a better future for my children." More than 6.6 million people have been displaced within Syria since fighting erupted in March 2011. Many like Momena and her family face extreme economic hardship. But with a fragile truce in place, and backing to start over, there is also some hope. UNHCR's Small Business Grants programme gave a second chance to 290 displaced people within Syria last year, enabling them to open business ranging from hairdressing salons like Momena's to grocery stores and vehicle repair workshops. This year, as Syria marks five years of bitter conflict with a pause in the fighting, UNHCR aims to expand its reach by more than a third to benefit 400 people. "The start-up small business grant programme plays an irreplaceable role in boosting the self-reliance of those who lost everything they had," said Marie Therese Chakbazof, Associate Community Service Officer at UNHCR Syria, noting that nearly three million Syrians have lost their jobs during the crisis. "It also aims to improve their standard of living by developing their skills and enhance their income generating capacities," she added. The grant, and the positive changes it has brought about, is also welcomed by Momena's husband, Abu Mohiyideen. "We stayed for two and a half years at the shelter, but for me it felt like 30 years. My family was going through hardship while there was nothing that I could do," said Abu Mohiyideen, who is sick and unable to work. "I'm very grateful for what we have now." Malaysia: Stop execution of prisoner due to be hanged on Friday Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 23 March 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Malaysia: Stop execution of prisoner due to be hanged on Friday, 23 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3aa2e4.html [accessed 23 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 Malaysian government must halt the execution of a 34-year-old man due to be hanged this Friday for murder, said Amnesty International. Gunasegar Pitchaymuthu's mother was today advised by officials at Taiping Prison, northern Malaysia, to visit her son for the "last time" and make arrangements for his funeral. Gunasegar Pitchaymuthu was convicted of murder, an offence which attracts the mandatory death penalty in Malaysia. "Executing Gunasegar Pitchaymuthu would be a regressive step for human rights in Malaysia," said Josef Benedict, Amnesty International's Deputy Campaign Director for South-East Asia and the Pacific. "The mandatory death penalty is a clear breach of human rights regardless of the crime committed. The authorities must step in to prevent this brutal act taking place before it is too late, and instead commute Gunasegar's death sentence." Amnesty International has consistently criticized Malaysia's practice of "secretive" executions. Information on scheduled hangings is not made public before, or even after, they are carried out - contrary to international standards on the use of the death penalty. Instead, Gunasegar Pitchaymuthu's mother Nagarani Sandasamy today received a letter from Taiping Prison officials informing her that he will be executed "soon" and advising her to visit him tomorrow morning. The family was also advised to discuss arrangements to claim the prisoner's body for his funeral. Nagarani Sandasamy last visited her son a week ago, when neither were aware that the 34-year-old was scheduled to be hanged just a week later. Gunasegar Pitchaymuthu was sentenced to death for the fatal stabbing of a man in Sungai Petani, Kedah state, on 16 April 2005. "As discussions on abolishing the mandatory death penalty in Malaysia continue, the Malaysian government must immediately put in place a moratorium on all executions as a first step towards full abolition of the death penalty," said Josef Benedict. Background No information is made publicly available on individual death penalty cases in Malaysia, while families are often informed at the last minute that their loved ones will be executed. Senior government officials recently said Malaysia was considering abolishing the mandatory death penalty, which is currently the punishment for crimes including murder and drug-related offences. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime, the guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The death penalty violates the right to life and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. International law and standards prohibit the mandatory imposition of the death penalty as constituting arbitrary deprivation of life, as it denies judges the possibility of taking into account the defendant's personal circumstances or the circumstances of the particular offence. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Myanmar: Political imprisonment in numbers Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 24 March 2016 Related Document(s) New Expression Meets Old Repression: Ending the Cycle of Political Arrests and Imprisonment in Myanmar Cite as Amnesty International, Myanmar: Political imprisonment in numbers, 24 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3ab404.html [accessed 23 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. Today, Amnesty International released the report New expression meets old repression. Here is a look at some of the key numbers behind the growing crackdown on freedom of expression in Myanmar. Intensification of political detention and imprisonment Since 2011, more than 1,100 political prisoners have been released in Myanmar through 20 separate presidential amnesties or pardons. However, in the past two years since 2014 - the authorities have intensified their crackdown on basic freedoms and dissent. Amnesty International is aware of at least 90 prisoners of conscience currently behind bars. Several hundred more human rights defenders and peaceful activists are on trial. The prisoners of conscience include at least: We believe the actual numbers to be much higher. Resurgence of lengthy detention and imprisonment Myanmar authorities often charge activists with multiple "offences" or under laws that prevent them from getting bailed out - to keep them off the streets for longer. Another tactic is to try activists for the same "offences" in several different townships, which then increases their sentences exponentially. 6: The number of townships in which activist Naw Ohn Hla has been charged in for staging the same protest march meaning she could be sentenced six separate times for the same activity. The number of townships in which activist Naw Ohn Hla has been charged in for staging the same protest march meaning she could be sentenced six separate times for the same activity. 70: The number of individuals currently in prison charged or sentenced under non-bailable offenses, which means they could or have been left in pre-trial detention for months or even years. The number of individuals currently in prison charged or sentenced under non-bailable offenses, which means they could or have been left in pre-trial detention for months or even years. 13 years and 10 months is the time political activist Htin Kyaw has been sentenced to spend in prison. The "crime" that led to this outrageously long sentence? Distributing leaflets criticizing the government and a series of peaceful protests. Weakening organisations and movements and maintaining a climate of fear The authorities are using politically motivated charges to weaken or shut down entire opposition movements by targeting leaders or by "collectively punishing" a group of individuals. At least 56 students or their supporters are currently detained in different prisons for participating in or supporting student-led protests against a new education law. or their supporters are currently detained in different prisons for participating in or supporting student-led protests against a new education law. 17 is the number of media workers from the Daily Eleven charged with contempt of court for one article published about the trial of their colleagues. Political trials are often lengthy. Apart from the loss of freedom, such delays also often have a devastating effect on the daily lives of the families of those imprisoned. 19 is the number of months that lawyer Zaw Win has been on trial and in detention. He was arrested in August 2014 after he staged a peaceful solo protest against biased judges and calling for better administration of justice. The authorities use the threat of arrest as a way to create and maintain a climate of fear among human rights defenders and activists. Tactics include charging activists months, or even years, after a protest took place. Six years after Naw Ohn Hla organized a prayer ceremony calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other prisoners of conscience in 2007, she has now been sentenced to six months imprisonment with disturbing a religious ceremony. Ending the cycle of political imprisonment 10 repressive laws and provisions were commonly used to imprison prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in the last two years. As long as these laws remain on the books, political arrest and imprisonment will continue. In Myanmar's new Parliament there are more than 122 former political prisoners. This is a unique opportunity to review these laws. 0 is the number of meetings the reconstituted Prisoners of Conscience Affairs Committee had in 2015 a body that could offer a ray of hope for those behind bars, but in effect has achieved little. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Iran: Detainees Denied Fair Legal Representation Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 24 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Iran: Detainees Denied Fair Legal Representation, 24 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3ac624.html [accessed 23 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. Iran should remove restrictions on access to lawyers for people charged with national security crimes, Human Rights Watch said today. Nine months after Iran's new criminal procedure expanded detainees' access to a lawyer during the investigative phase, authorities are denying people charged with national security and political crimes access to an independent legal defense. These defendants should be able to choose their own lawyers. Human Rights Watch interviewed lawyers, political prisoners, family members, and sources familiar with cases of detainees facing national security and political charges. Human Rights Watch documented several instances over the past year in which the detainees were denied access to lawyers during investigations or were forced to change their legal advocate under pressure by judiciary officials. "While Iran claims the new criminal code has improved defendants' rights, these efforts are meaningless if parliamentary amendments completely undermine the spirit of fair judicial proceedings," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director. "The incoming parliament should ensure that the criminal procedure law is actually a step forward rather than two steps back for the rights of its own citizens." Iran's new criminal procedure law was approved in 2014, and entered into force in June 2015. It stipulated that detainees could choose a lawyer while under investigation, with the exception of those accused of national security crimes, for whom such access could be delayed for up to a week. Article 190 of the 2014 code stated that, "denial of the accused of access to legal defense would nullify the information obtained during the investigation." However, three days before the law went into effect, parliament passed new amendments that further restricted the rights of people charged with national security crimes. The amended article 48 now requires people accused of certain offenses to select their counsel from a pool of lawyers approved by the head of the judiciary. These offenses include national or international security crimes, political and media crimes, and charges that incur capital punishment, life imprisonment, or retributive punishment (Qisas). The new amendments also backtracked from the 2014 code's provision that information obtained in the absence of a lawyer would be inadmissible, imposing only disciplinary measures instead. The judiciary has yet to provide the list of pre-approved lawyers mandated by the new law, but even in the absence of a list, officials are using this provision to arbitrarily reject lawyers appointed by detainees or their families. Iran has consistently failed to prevent torture in detention and to investigate allegations of such abuse. Revolutionary courts use confessions obtained under torture as evidence in court. As a result, the right to access a lawyer from the time of an arrest is an important safeguard against abuses in detention. On July 6, the Iranian bar association published an open letter to President Hassan Rouhani opposing the 48 amendments and asking him to take necessary measures to reform the law. Several lawyers who spoke to Human Rights Watch, some of whom asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, expressed frustration about the last-minute amendments. They noted that in numerous cases involving national security charges, the prosecutor's office did not allow them to represent their own clients during the investigation. They also said that though they had filed several requests with the prosecutor's office, officials had refused to allow them to visit their clients in detention or to have access to their case files, citing the lack of an approved list as justification. Salah Fallah, a lawyer who represents Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen arrested by intelligence officials on September 18, 2015, said that Branch 1 of the prosecutor's office in Evin Prison has not allowed him to visit his client. "I filed the paperwork two months ago and have not heard back from them," he said. "All I want is to visit my client according to the law." Sources close to Zakka's family told Human Rights Watch that he is detained in Ward 2-A of Evin Prison under the supervision of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and that the exact charges that he faces remain unclear to his family. Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatayi, who represents several journalists, activists, and others facing national security charges, said that since the new criminal procedure went into effect, he has not had access to his clients' case files during the investigations. He said he specifically requested access to the files of the journalists Davoud Asadi, Ehsan Mazandarani, and Issa Saharkhiz, and of the Iranian-American citizens Siamak and Bagher Namazi, all of whom are detained in Evin Prison. Iranian authorities arrested the three journalists and several others on November 1, 2015. Tabatabayi said that Saharkhiz and Mazandarani have been formally charged with "acting against national security" and "propaganda against the state." On October 15, Iranian authorities arrested Siamak Namazi, the head of strategic planning at Dubai-based Crescent Petroleum, who was visiting his family in Tehran. The charges against him are unclear. Authorities arrested his father, Bagher Namazi, a former UNICEF representative in several countries, on February 22, 2016. Human Rights Watch has also learned that authorities at Branch 2 of the prosecutor's office denied the lawyer for Esmail Abdi, the secretary general of the Teachers' Association, visits to his client and access to his case during the investigation. On February 22, Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Abdi, who has been detained since June 27, 2015, to six years in prison on charges of "propaganda against the state" and "assembly and collusion against national security," partly for a teachers' demonstration in front of the Parliament on May 15. Citing the new amendments, at least one revolutionary court judge has arbitrarily refused, during trial, to accept lawyers for a person facing national security charges. Several political prisoners said that Judge Abolghasem Salavati, from Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, had refused to accept their lawyers at trial, or otherwise coerced them into appointing a new one without any clear legal basis. Arash Sadeghi, a former student activist who was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges including "assembly and collusion to disrupt national security" and "propaganda against the state," told Human Rights Watch that his family had appointed Peyman Hajmahmoud Attar as his lawyer when Sadeghi was detained in Evin Prison, but that the authorities at Branch 2 of the prosecutor's office had refused to accept Attar, questioning the authenticity of his paperwork and threatening to file charges against him for forging documents. Sadeghi said that his family then chose Amir Raeesian, who tried to access Sadeghi's case file several times but was rejected. "After I was released from prison on bail, I went to the court myself and asked Judge Salavati at Branch 15 to allow my lawyer to read my case file before the trial," he said. "He told me that, according to the new criminal procedure, I can either have a public defender approved by the court, or I have to defend against the charges myself." He said that Judge Salavati also refused to accept a lawyer for Sadeghi's wife, Golrokh Iraee. On August 31, 2014, Sadeghi learned that the Revolutionary Court had sentenced his wife to six years in prison on charges of "insulting sacred beliefs" and "propaganda against the state." Iranian authorities arrested the couple for their peaceful activities and transferred them to Evin Prison on September 6, 2014. They were released on bail on September 27, 2014, and March 14, 2015, respectively, pending appeal. International law guarantees anyone accused of a crime access to a lawyer at all stages of criminal proceedings, including during the investigation, the pretrial proceedings, and during the trial itself. Under article 1 of the United Nations' basic principles of the role of a lawyer, "All persons are entitled to call upon the assistance of a lawyer of their choice to protect and establish their rights and to defend them in all stages of criminal proceedings." Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Iran, says everyone charged with a criminal offense has the right to defend themselves through legal assistance of their own choosing, as well as to have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of their defense and to communicate with counsel of their own choosing. "Defendants having access to the lawyer of their choice is a crucial safeguard for guaranteeing a fair trial in Iran," Whitson said. "Iran should immediately address this problematic provision in the law and take effective action against abuses committed in its judicial system." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Bahrain: Unfair Charges, Unfair Trial Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 23 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Bahrain: Unfair Charges, Unfair Trial, 23 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3acc84.html [accessed 23 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. "Zainab al-Khawaja's imprisonment will rightly bring shame on Bahrain and they should find no tacit support for their actions from their allies," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director. "Danish and European Union authorities should be making unequivocal calls for her immediate release, as should Washington." Al-Khawaja, who is also a Danish citizen, is being held in Isa Town women's prison. Her 16-month-old child, Abdulhadi, is with her there. Al-Khawaja faces sentences totalling two years and four months, for insulting the king or public employees. The four charges, resulting from tearing up pictures of the king or criticizing the police, clearly violate her right to free expression, Human Rights Watch said. The trial documents of the fifth case, which Human Rights Watch reviewed, show that the presiding judge who convicted al-Khawaja of being "present in a restricted area" and "insulting police officers" refused to allow her defense lawyers to present potentially exculpatory evidence, in the form of a video recording of the incident. On February 2, a court of appeal upheld the sentence. The sentence resulted from her attempt in August 2014 to visit her father, the prominent rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is serving a life sentence for a demonstrably unfair conviction for "terrorism." He was at that time on a liquids-only hunger strike, which he said in a statement to his family was "in protest against the continuation of arbitrary arrest and detention" in Bahrain. Her lawyers submitted a video of the incident during her trial and contended that al-Khawaja was outside the visitors' section of the rehabilitation department in Jau Prison, an area that is open to the public, not in a restricted area, as the charges alleged. The court refused to accept the video as evidence, saying it was "taken without prior judicial permission." Article 135 of the Bahrain penal code provides for a jail sentence of up to one year for anyone who "enters" any "premises or place or factory where work is undertaken in the interest of defending country and where admission of the public is not permitted." A Bahraini lawyer whom Human Rights Watch consulted about the incident said al-Khawaja's conviction on the basis of article 135 for such an act was neither understandable nor predictable, which would indicate that it was arbitrary. As long as you are wearing this uniform, you are representing the government that has been oppressing us; has oppressed us from birth until we die. So don't come and talk to me now. You tortured my father, you tortured my uncle, you tortured my husband, you tortured my sister's husband, you didn't leave anyone behind. On December 3, 2015, a court of appeal upheld two sentences of two months each for "destroying public property" relating to the other charges. Al-Khawaja had ripped up pictures of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on May 4 and May 6, 2012, while she was in Interior Ministry detention for charges relating to illegal gathering and the alleged assault of a police officer. At the same court session in December 2015, the court sentenced her to a year in prison for "humiliating and insulting a public employee" when she criticized police officers who, she said, were mistreating a detainee when she was in detention in 2012. The additional one-year charge stems from another incident in which she tore up photos of the king during a court hearing on October 14, 2014. That resulted in a three-year sentence for "insulting the king," which the court of appeal reduced to one year on October 21, 2015. In April 2014, King Hamad ratified Law 1/2014 which amends article 214 of the penal code to provide for a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine of up to 10,000 Bahraini Dinars (US$26,500) for offending the king, Bahrain's flag, or the national emblem. Zainab al-Khawaja's sister, Maryam, told Human Rights Watch that since October 2014, her sister has refused to attend trial sessions and has asked her lawyer not to represent her in court because she does not believe that the courts in Bahrain conform with international fair trial standards. Human Rights Watch has documented numerous instances of unfair trials in Bahrain and has described Bahrain's courts as playing "a key role in maintaining the country's highly repressive political order." On March 14, 2016, a United States State Department spokesperson called on the Bahraini authorities to, "follow due process in all cases and to abide by its commitment to transparent judicial proceedings," despite the fact that al-Khawaja had already been convicted of all the offenses for which she has now been imprisoned. On March 16, a State Department spokesperson repeated the call for "due process." On March 15, a spokesperson for the Danish government said they were "concerned" by al-Khawaja's arrest and called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained in Bahrain, including her father Abdulhadi. Zainab and Abdulhadi al-Khawaja are Danish citizens, which should make their unjust imprisonment of particular concern to Denmark and other EU governments, Human Rights Watch said. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, which reviews compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has concluded, in relation to article 19 of the covenant, on freedom of expression that: The mere fact that forms of expression are considered to be insulting to a public figure is not sufficient to justify the imposition of penalties, albeit public figures may also benefit from the provisions of the Covenant. Moreover, all public figures, including those exercising the highest political authority such as heads of state and government, are legitimately subject to criticism and political opposition. The refusal of the court to consider potentially exculpatory evidence violates the right to fair trial, guaranteed under article 14 of the covenant, which Bahrain has ratified. "The US has claimed this is an issue of due process, but instead it is about unfair convictions that mean that three generations of the al-Khawaja family are now in jail in Bahrain," Stork said. "And if the EU can't even stand up for EU citizens imprisoned for their peaceful dissent and rights work, then what does that say about its much vaunted human rights commitments?" Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Egypt: Rights Defenders at Risk of Prosecution Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 23 March 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Egypt: Rights Defenders at Risk of Prosecution, 23 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3aefb4.html [accessed 23 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. In recent weeks, the Egyptian authorities have summoned human rights workers for questioning, banned them from travel and attempted to freeze their personal funds and family assets, steps that indicate a five-year-old investigation into the funding and registration of independent human rights groups could soon result in criminal charges, 14 international organizations said today. The authorities should halt their persecution of these groups and drop the investigation, which could threaten human rights defenders with up to 25 years in prison, the organizations said. "Egypt's civil society is being treated like an enemy of the state, rather than a partner for reform and progress," said Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme. The investigation into the funding of local and foreign groups began in July 2011, five months after the toppling of former president Hosni Mubarak, and has already led to convictions and the closure of the Egypt offices of five international nongovernmental organizations. It is currently being conducted by a panel of three judges chosen by the Cairo Court of Appeals at the request of the Justice Ministry. Under Egyptian law, prosecutors could charge leading human rights defenders for working without official registration or accepting foreign funding without government authorization. An amendment to the penal code passed in September 2014 by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi provides for a sentence of up to life imprisonment (which equates to 25 years in prison in Egypt) for the latter charge. "The Egyptian authorities have moved beyond scaremongering and are now rapidly taking concrete steps to shut down the last critical voices in the country's human rights community," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director. The crackdown on Egypt's human rights defenders has gathered pace in recent months. On March 22, 2016, Mozn Hassan, executive director of Nazra for Feminist Studies, was summoned for questioning as a defendant in the foreign funding case. She is due to appear before the investigating judges on March 29, 2016. On March 19, a Cairo criminal court heard a request from the investigating judges to freeze the assets of Hossam Bahgat, a journalist and founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights who currently writes for the Egyptian news website Mada Masr, and Gamal Eid, a lawyer and the director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. The judges' request also extended to the assets of Eid's wife and 11-year-old daughter. The court postponed the hearing to March 24, and on March 21, the investigating judges also imposed a gag order preventing local media from reporting on the case. A Cairo criminal court had already issued an order in February, at the investigating judges' request, to bar Bahgat and Eid from travelling outside Egypt. Courts, prosecutors and security agencies have barred at least 10 human rights activists from travel in recent weeks, including Mohamed Lotfy, director of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, and four employees of the Egyptian Democratic Academy. Between March 13 and 15, three employees of Nazra for Feminist Studies, two employees of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, and one employee of the United Group, a law firm that has published reports on torture, were asked to appear before the investigating judges for questioning. The summoned employees included finance officers from each group. Previously, on March 3, an investigating judge had interrogated the director of the United Group, the lawyer Negad al-Borei, on the allegation of establishing an unlicensed entity and "pressuring" the president to issue an anti-torture law. In February, following an investigation, government tax authorities demanded that some of the independent groups under investigation pay several million Egyptian pounds in back taxes. On February 17, Health Ministry officials also issued an order to close the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture, Egypt's leading center for such treatment, on the basis that it was performing unlicensed work. The Center has been licensed as a medical clinic since 1993 and has provided hundreds of torture victims with vital services, including counselling and legal assistance. The first phase of the investigation into independent groups' funding-known as case 173 of 2011-concluded in June 2013 when a Cairo criminal court sentenced 43 foreign and Egyptian employees of five international organizations to between one and five years in prison, on charges of operating unlawfully in the country and receiving foreign funding without permission. All of the sentences were either suspended or issued in absentia, but the decision forced the closure in Egypt of the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, Freedom House, the International Center for Journalists and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Following the conclusion of the first investigation into international groups, the authorities turned their attention to local organizations. The three investigating judges resumed their work in 2014, when the Social Solidarity Ministry gave local groups an ultimatum to register under an onerous associations law dating to Hosni Mubarak's presidency. The law empowers the government to shut down any group virtually at will, freeze its assets, confiscate its property and reject nominees to its governing board. Many of the targeted groups are licensed in some fashion, including as non-profit groups, law firms or medical clinics. Still, some have relocated their staff outside Egypt or curtailed their operations rather than register under the Mubarak-era law. But even registered groups have not escaped investigation: The Egyptian Democratic Academy had successfully registered in January 2015, and Nazra for Feminist Studies has been registered since 2007. Both the National Security branch of the Interior Ministry and the General Intelligence Service, Egypt's external spy agency, have been gathering information on local groups' activities for some time. Their findings were contained in a September 2011 fact-finding report, parts of which were leaked to the media, that named 37 groups under investigation, including all of those affected by the recent summonses and travel bans. The Egyptian authorities should withdraw the order to close the Nadeem Center and lift all travel bans and asset freezes against human rights workers, whose activities are protected by Egypt's constitution and international law, the organizations said. The authorities should also lift the gag order, which prohibits media outlets from publishing anything on the case other than statements issued by the presiding judges until the investigations are complete. This violates the right to freedom of expression, enshrined in Egypt's constitution and international law. Egypt should abide by its March 2015 pledge at the conclusion of its Universal Periodic Review before the United Nations Human Rights Council to "respect the free exercise of the associations defending human rights." This should include allowing groups to register under a new associations law that parliament should draft following consultation with independent groups, and which should abide by article 75 of the constitution, which protects groups from interference by the government. The law should comply with international standards on freedom of association. The Human Rights Council and its member states should condemn the current crackdown and demand concrete measures to improve respect for fundamental human rights. "Instead of shutting down the last vestiges of civil society, Egypt should welcome scrutiny of its human rights record and take on board the constructive criticisms of local NGOs. The authorities should engage in an open and genuine dialogue with its rights movement," said Michel Tubiana, President of EuroMed Rights. The organizations expressing concern are: Amnesty International Article 19 Association for Women's Rights in Development CIVICUS Committee to Protect Journalists Euromed Rights Frontline Defenders Human Rights Watch IFEX International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders International Service for Human Rights Project on Middle East Democracy World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch It's not just in Greece that refugees are stranded Publisher IRIN Author Kristy Siegfried Publication Date 23 March 2016 Cite as IRIN, It's not just in Greece that refugees are stranded, 23 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3b1cc4.html [accessed 23 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. Indonesia used a regional meeting on migration in Bali on Wednesday to pressure Australia to take in more of the refugees who have become stranded in the Southeast Asian nation as a result of Canberra's controversial policy of turning back asylum seeker boats. Indonesia had long been a transit country for thousands of asylum seekers trying to reach Australian shores. But Australia launched Operation Sovereign Borders in September 2013, policing its waters and turning back boats with such efficiency that it has all but blocked off the route. Several hundred new asylum seekers, however, are still arriving in Indonesia every month. An ever-increasing number are now spending years in limbo in a country that neither recognises them as refugees nor offers any possibility of local integration. Resettlement to a third country is the only option for most of the nearly 14,000 asylum seekers and refugees now stranded in Indonesia (up from 10,000 two years ago). Australia used to be the country that accepted the majority of refugees in Indonesia for resettlement, but now it only takes those who registered there before July 2014. Other countries with resettlement programmes, many of them preoccupied with the refugee exodus from Syria, have done little to help. With no right to work and little support available from the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, many new arrivals simply hand themselves over to the Indonesian authorities knowing that at least they'll be fed and sheltered while they're detained. But Indonesia's 13 detention facilities are now bursting at the seams. According to the Global Detention Project, 2,806 asylum seekers are currently in immigration detention, many of them unaccompanied minors living in conditions that are often overcrowded and that Human Rights Watch has described as "appalling". Ahead of Wednesday's meeting to discuss progress on the Bali Process - a forum for tackling irregular migration in the Asia-Pacific region - Indonesia appealed to Australia to change its policy. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop responded that all 45 countries signed up to the Bali Process needed to do more, not just Australia. "We have taken about 2,000 people from Indonesia over the last few years who have been deemed to be refugees," she told a journalist. "Australia is already playing a significant role and we urge other countries to do similarly." Antje Missbach, a researcher based at Monash University in Melbourne who recently published a book about the asylum seekers stuck in limbo in Indonesia, said that upcoming elections in Australia meant it was unlikely the government would reverse its hardline policy of deterring asylum seekers anytime soon. Indonesia's own government also shows little sign of changing its policy of not recognising or integrating refugees. "They have their own internally displaced people, high unemployment and many people living below the poverty line - that has always been their stance. But I think if there was political will [to change policy], they surely could," Missbach told IRIN. While the previous Indonesian administration indicated that it was prepared to sign up to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the current government, which took power in 2014, has made no similar commitment. "For the time being, they could try to do more to accommodate asylum seekers," Missbach said. "For years they have been working on a presidential decree that would provide a domestic framework but it's very unlikely they'll be given the right to work or study." Even humane Sweden is getting tough on refugees Publisher IRIN Author Tom Rollins Publication Date 22 March 2016 Cite as IRIN, Even humane Sweden is getting tough on refugees, 22 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56f3b2554.html [accessed 23 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. Back in November, it was like the end of innocence. Deputy Prime Minister Asa Romson famously broke down in tears as Sweden, the European country that has accepted the most asylum seekers per capita in recent years, announced it was ending its open-door policy. After being overwhelmed by the daily arrival of up to 10,000 asylum seekers, this was the first indication that the political sands had shifted. Shortly afterwards, temporary border checks were introduced on the resund Bridge, linking Copenhagen and Sweden's third city, Malmo. The border controls extended into Denmark and the police later significantly reinforced border guard deployments in the south of the country. The measures have significantly dented the number of new arrivals but the government is still preparing to pass a series of major amendments to Sweden's Aliens Act that will reduce prospective asylum seekers' access to full refugee status, permanent residency and family reunification. While all these measures are being called 'temporary', they are Europe's new normal and Sweden's reputation as one of the few welcoming nations to refugees has taken a hit. "Sweden has a history of accepting refugees that goes back a long time, and I think this is something a lot of Swedes, on both the left and right, are very proud of," said Martin Holmquist, foreign editor at the Fria Tidning newspaper. "The decision in November was pivotal in shifting the momentum from the left to the right wing." The biggest sign yet that Sweden is in the midst of a sea change on refugee policy came in January when Home Affairs Minister Anders Ygeman declared that the government would deport between 60,000 and 80,000 rejected asylum seekers from last year's unprecedented influx. His figures based on Sweden's 55 percent approval rate for asylum decisions made in 2015 fail to take into account the Swedish Migration Agency's huge backlog of applications. The cost and difficulty of tracking down and deporting tens of thousands of people also make it a wholly unrealistic proposition. Jenni Stavare, an asylum lawyer with Fridh Advokatbyra and member of the board of the Swedish Network of Refugee Support Groups (FARR), explains that statements like those made by Ygeman are more about "setting a tone for politics" than about real goals. "It definitely has a lot to do with the political climate," Stavare argued. "We haven't been that country that has been at the forefront of keeping people out, or deporting people by force that has not been our history but we're slowly creeping towards that place." Fears of a crackdown Refugee rights groups fear that more deportations will mean more people being detained in the lead-up to their forced removal. Sweden has been regarded as more progressive and sparing in its use of immigration detention than many of its EU neighbours, but the numbers of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants being detained has risen in recent years. More than 3,500 people were detained last year in Sweden's five specialised immigration detention facilities, compared to 1,742 in 2009. Local and international organisations, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, have expressed concerns about at least two detainee deaths. In March 2015, an Iraqi man died while being moved from a detention facility to Stockholm's Arlanda Airport. A terminally ill Syrian woman also died in detention last year while awaiting a transfer to Bulgaria under the Dublin Regulation, which stipulates that asylum applications must be processed in the first country where they were registered. The government has not made public any plans to expand on the 255 nationwide detention spaces currently available, but home affairs spokesman Victor Harju told IRIN: "It is part of [our] planning ahead to increase capacity." Michael Flynn, executive director of the Geneva-based Global Detention Project, said there was "no way to avoid" higher detention rates if the government was serious about removing large numbers of people. "How many detention spaces does it take to deport 80,000 people in a year?" he asked. A new blueprint for returns? Further indications of a changing approach come in two new documents released by the Migration Agency outlining plans to reform how asylum applications are processed and how to handle those rejected. The first, seen by IRIN, discusses shortening asylum processing times by identifying earlier on "manifestly unfounded" claims that are unlikely to be successful, before fast-tracking them. "This will make the asylum process more efficient but it will take some time for the effects to be seen," the agency noted in a February press release. A second report deals with how the Migration Agency, the police, the prisons and the parole service hope to increase returns this year. One of the key aims of the plan is to "experiment" with interventions that would create "reduced incentives to remain, or greater incentives to leave the country, after an expulsion decision." Police officials have warned about a "substantial increase" in failed asylum seekers who "disappear" after receiving expulsion orders. "The government has decided that those who get their applications turned down will not be able to get the daily allowance given to asylum seekers, nor be able to stay on in homes provided by the authorities," said Harju, adding that companies offering work to rejected asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in the so-called 'black' economy would also be targeted. A bill that would reduce rejected asylum seekers' access to social services, including government-assigned housing and allowances, is expected to reach parliament "very soon," another home affairs ministry spokesman, Rasmus Lenefors, told IRIN. If passed the new measures will make life much harder for people like Liridona, an Albanian asylum seeker who asked for her real name to be withheld. Earlier this year, Liridona and her family came to Sweden after their father, a police officer, became embroiled in a dispute with a local gang. She says they received death threats down the phone and threats of sexual violence in the streets. After applying for asylum in February, they were interviewed, processed and rejected within the space of just three weeks. "One interview today, one tomorrow and one after that, and after a few days you get a decision? How is that possible?" Liridona asked. "The people working in migration here don't understand that people from [the Balkans] have real concerns and that their lives could be in danger." While the family appeal the decision, their asylum seeker allowance has been cut, but they are still allowed to live in government accommodation. However, under the new proposals, if the appeal is rejected, they will have to move out. Whatever happens, Liridona is emphatic that she will not return to Albania. "I don't want to do anything illegal you have nothing when you are in a country illegally," she said. "But I am not thinking about going back to Albania for one second." Hendrick Medical Center announced Wednesday that it plans a joint venture with Abilene and Brownwood physicians to build an outpatient surgery center in Brownwood. The Hendrick Surgery Center will be at 2401 Crockett Drive, and offer same-day surgery for specialties including otolaryngology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, podiatry, urology, gynecology, ophthalmology, pain management and plastic surgery. 'Hendrick Medical Center is excited about this new partnership that will enhance patient access to health care,' Tim Lancaster, president and CEO of Hendrick Medical Center, said in a news release. 'The facility will bring specialists to the area, as well as allow Brownwood physicians to continue taking care of their patients locally.' Outpatient surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers, provide a low-cost alternative to hospital-based, low risk outpatient procedures. 'I'm honored to partner with both my surgeon colleagues from Abilene and Brownwood to bring this surgery center to Brownwood,' said James Fowler, otolaryngologist at Central Texas ENT Associates in Brownwood. 'I believe we will bring superlative care to the Brownwood community and surrounding areas, offering a quality alternative for patients' outpatient surgical needs.' The 13,400 square-foot facility will include three operating rooms and 13 pre-op/recovery rooms. Construction is scheduled to begin in June, and be completed next spring. By his own admission, Samuel Garcia is seldom at a loss for words, but he was almost speechless Wednesday afternoon after being honored by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce after its annual Business Expo. Garcia's Samuel Garcia State Farm Insurance was named the 2016 Small Business of the Year after the end of the public portion of Business Expo at the Abilene Civic Center. Garcia said he found it difficult to speak after the surprise award. 'It doesn't happen often,' he said. 'I didn't know what to do.' United Supermarkets received the Corporate Star Award, given to a local business or organization that goes 'above and beyond' in serving the community. Garcia moved to Abilene in 2000 from Marlin when a State Farm agency opened up. 'It was a good move,' he said. 'I was bilingual and there wasn't a very big Hispanic population in Marlin.' Garcia quickly became involved in the community, serving on various boards, including a term on the board of trustees of the Abilene Independent School District. He is chairman of the Hispanic Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce and vice chairman of Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas. He's also on the boards of Family & Consumer Sciences/Better Living for Texans Task Force and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He is a founding member of the Abilene Hispanic Leadership Council. In 2013, Garcia was named the Minority Small Business Champion of the Year by the Small Business Administration. He was not able to accept that award in person because his wife, Norma, suffered a broken arm just before the ceremony. On Wednesday, his wife played a major role in not letting Garcia slip out of the ceremony before the award was announced. 'Oh, I knew about it,' said Norma Garcia about the surprise presentation. Samuel Garcia, on the other hand, was about ready to leave when it became apparent to him that his help wasn't needed at the ceremony. But his wife said, ''No, let's stay,'' Samuel Garcia noted. He said what is most humbling about the award is the list of previous recipients. 'They're some great companies,' he said. 'I've never put myself in the same category they're in. That's the honor. There's a ton of them I would have chosen before me.' Tim Farrar, store director for the United Supermarkets on Judge Ely, said his company receiving the Corporate Star Award was a tribute to the United employees who donate time to various organizations around the city. 'It means a lot,' Farrar said. 'It's all about all the team members who go above and beyond.' He noted that the award comes as Lubbock-based United Supermarkets is celebrating its 100th anniversary. 'It's a special and unique time to accept this award,' Farrar said. 'This is what the company is about.' The Abilene Business Council of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Wednesday evening honored Samuel Garcia's State Farm Insurance agency as Small Business of the Year. The council also announced its Corporate Star award winner for 2016 as United Supermarkets. The announcements were made during Business After Hours at the close of the chamber's annual Business Expo at the Abilene Civic Center. The Small Business of the Year award recognizes a business with long-term success that has contributed to the community's quality of life and exemplifies Abilene's strong work ethic and ability to overcome business challenges. The business must be locally owned and operated, must be a chamber member in good standing for at least two years and the business must be in operation for a minimum of three years. Garcia established his State Farm Insurance agency in 1996. His staff provides auto, home and property, life and health insurance, banking products, annuities and mutual funds. The business has grown and continues to grow due to Garcia's commitment to personalized service including making sure his clients have his personal cell number, according to a news release from the chamber. "We are proud to be honoring Sammy and his staff with this award," said Doug Peters, chamber president and CEO. "They are a true example of the entrepreneurial spirit and excellence in customer service that make our community great." Garcia serves as the chairman of the Hispanic Business Council, the vice chairman of Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas board, is a board member for the Family & Consumer Sciences/Better Living for Texans Task Force, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and a member of the chamber's Youth Leader Day Committee. United Supermarkets is a Texas-based grocery chain with stores in 36 communities in West Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth and New Mexico. "We are proud to be honoring United Supermarkets with this award," Peters said. "They are a community champion providing leadership across many different organizations and causes in Abilene." The Corporate Star Award was created in 2007 and recognizes a local business/organization that goes above and beyond for the Abilene community. Jason Adams was wrestling Wednesday at Business Expo. He wrestled while placing the posts for the awning covering his Vagabond Wood-Fired Pizza setup at the south entrance to the Abilene Civic Center. While building his tasty pies, he wrestled with lightweight ingredients such as basil to keep them from blowing away. And, whoops, wasn't that a customer's ticket that just blew off? That would be, uh, a to-go order. Although most taking part in the annual event stayed inside, Adams, his wife, Jessica, and chef Rob Allen fought the good fight outside, where consistent southerly winds of 20 mph and sometimes stronger buffeted the downtown area. The expo's theme this year was "Business Mania 2016," a concept someone had fun rasslin' with. At the center of the main exhibit hall was a ring, and some of the more than 200 exhibitors were dressed in masks and capes but thankfully not the tight short shorts worn back in the day. At last report, tempers were cool and no one was seen slammin' a folding chair over a competitor's head. At the HealthSouth booth was Donna J. Slatton, daughter of the late wrestler Don Slatton, aka The Lawman. Among memorabilia on display were a ring bell, his gun and holster The Lawman was way ahead on open carry and a photo of her, all curly blond hair and cute, being held by Andre the Giant. Adams soon won't have to deal with wind or whatever being outdoors brings. In a 3,500-square-foot space at 1056 N. Second St., the Adamses are preparing to open a restaurant. It's something he has wanted to do since he was a teenager making food service deliveries. A successful restaurant creates energy, he said, and working in that environment appeals to him. But you have to work your way to most goals, and Adams has trekked slowly but surely toward making Vagabond a business that can support his family. On Tuesday, wallboard was being installed at the restaurant and he had a private gig. On Wednesday, he was at the Civic Center an hour ahead of the event's start time to set up his serving area and, most importantly, to fire up the oven. It needs to be 850 degrees, allowing him to make pizzas in 90 seconds to two minutes. He was making pizzas to sell and also providing meatball and sausage subs ("heroes" he was calling 'em to fit the wrestling theme) for the vendors. Once his authentic Texas mesquite starts burning, he moves it to the side so he can place his pies inside the 5,000-pound mobile oven. The heat rises to the top of the oven, raising the temperature to 1,000 degrees. The stones below heat to more than 550 degrees. The effect is all-around baking with a woodsy flavor. The mesquite ain't there just to be Texas-y. The Texas Forest Service says it generates big-time BTUs. He can bake five pizzas at once. The 6,000-pound oven in the restaurant will bake nine at a time. About 3 years ago, he got in early on the food truck craze, though we didn't know it would be a craze back then. Besides, he didn't have a truck but a trailer customized to haul his wood-burning stove that looks quite like an American Indian kiva. Why mess with a good idea? Adams' story in many ways was perfect for a pro-business event. Allen, for example, is a 2014 graduate of TSTC's culinary school. Adams and Allen work with students there, and the restaurant is a work-in-progress example of how to set up a business, he said. Adams, 32, has a degree in ag business leadership from Texas A&M, where he also learned his culinary skills. There, he met Abilene girl Jessica and a job opportunity for her brought them here. He said he is aware of the cultural change downtown and wants to be "the next cog in the wheel." There are more and more reasons to come to this city's center during the day, the evening and weekends. "I love it here. We're going to be here awhile," he said. He started his mobile pizza business to build clientele. He has that two people arriving early Wednesday said they'd be back for his Margherita pizza. That's tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella. Adams paused. Cheese and crust and sauce are what make the pizza, he said. "You need to have those three," he said. There have been some misses among his hits. For example, a pizza he called Chef's Favorite Canadian bacon and cider-braised onion didn't sell. He changed the name to Momma's Favorite and it did. "No one argues with momma," he said, setting out supplies and working on a cigarette whose smoke was lost amid that coming from the oven. Growing up, Saturday was pizza day at his house supreme for dad and bacon/onion for everyone else. Adams said he plans to keep the yesteryear atmosphere of his restaurant space as intact as possible. The wood floor in the kitchen had to come up (health regulations), but instead of tossing it all in the dumpster, he used pieces for his sign and will use more for the counters. He will offer 15 pizzas, 10 appetizers, up to six salads and four or five desserts. Pappy Slokum beer, a local product, will be on tap or you can order a glass of one of 80 to 90 wines he'll offer. Jason and Jessica were married at a California winery. "We love wine," he said. Undoubtedly. Vagabond will employ 20 to 30 people. Job creation in Abilene always is good. "A lot of young professionals are coming to this town from bigger cities," he said. "This place, being located where it is, should have a lot of stuff." And now, for the big question: Has it been hard to work with the city on starting a business? For the most part, Adams said, no. "Starting a new business is hard," he said. He has learned to ask questions and has found that the city staff gives him good answers. But then, his operation was shut down for no more than 30 minutes Wednesday when the director of the local heath department "didn't like our setup," he said. So, tablecloths were found and stapled to enclose the preparation area. Another good reason to move inside, Adams joked. Vagabond will open this spring, which gives this Adams family project until June 20 to get everything right. Adams credits the success of food trucks here to a nationwide trend that has allowed people to discover their inner chefs and Abilene's open-mindedness to something new both to do and eat. "Abilene's palate is improving," he said. Yes, our stomachs are ready to rumble. I admit yesterday's column on the congressmen representing Abilene ran a little long. OK, about twice as long as usual. But don't blame me for being thorough it covered more than 130 years. Anyway, I didn't get to include some tidbits I found about the city's representatives in D.C. So here goes: Samuel Lanham of Weatherford was elected in 1882 as the first representative from District 11, a huge district made up of 98 West Texas and Panhandle counties. He represented Abilene and other fledgling towns until 1893, according to the Handbook of Texas Online. In 1902, he was elected to the first of two, two-year terms as governor. He was the last Confederate veteran to be governor. (Impress your friends with that tidbit sometime.) Jeremiah Cockrell of Jones County was the first representative from District 13, which included Abilene. He served from 1893 to 1897, after which he resumed farming and ranching in Jones County. He is buried in the Masonic section of the Abilene Municipal Cemetery. Thomas L. Blanton of Albany was the first representative from District 17, which included Abilene. He served from 1917 to 1929 and from 1930 to 1937. According to the Handbook of Texas in 1928 he introduced a bill to stop immigration for seven years, to require all aliens to register and to deport those who did not become citizens. The website didn't say if the bill passed. The Handbook said in Congress ,Blanton had a near-perfect attendance record and offered more objections to appropriations than any other member. Clyde Garrett of Eastland served from 1937 to 1941. He was born in a log cabin near Gorman and went to Hankins Normal College in the Eastland County community. He died in 1959, two days after his 74th birthday and a week after organizing a Lyndon Johnson for President Club in Eastland. Sam Russell of Stephenville served from 1941 to 1947. During World War II, he pushed to lengthen the civilian workweek in the U.S. from 40 to 48 hours because servicemen worked more than 40 hours. According to old newspaper clippings, he also objected to the army buying 750,000 pair of dice as a morale boosting measure, saying President Roosevelt was not safeguarding the morals of men in uniform. Sorry, looks like the column has run long again. I must get the writing equivalent of being long-winded when writing about politicians. "What is Truth?" not only was the title of the sermon for Wednesday's Holy Week Luncheon Series but also a tough question to come to grips with. In today's culture, all kinds of voices are shouting claims to truth, said Phil Christopher, pastor of First Baptist Church and Wednesday's speaker. People claim to want the truth, but do they? "As much as we hunger after truth," Christopher said, "do we really want to know the truth"? Wednesday's luncheon was the third in the annual series, which runs through Friday. Each day, the pastor of one of the five participating churches speaks at another's church. Lunch is served at 11:30 and the program begins about noon. The luncheons are open to the public. On Thursday, Don Wilson, pastor of First Christian Church, will speak on "Courageous Thomas" at First Central Presbyterian Church, 400 Orange St. Wednesday's luncheon was held at St. Paul United Methodist Church with Felicia Hopkins, senior pastor, serving as host. Christopher's talk was based on the gospel of John Chapter 18, verses 33-40, where Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect or governor of Judea, is tasked with judging Jesus. In an exchange of words, Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king. Jesus answers that he is, but not a king of this world. He tells Pilate that he came to bear witness to the truth. Pilate then asks Jesus, "What is truth?" Jesus doesn't answer, but leaves Pilate to ponder the question. "Pilate is left to squirm in silence," Christopher said. He isn't left to figure out the answer for himself, Christopher noted, but to listen. The same opportunity exists for everyone to listen for the truth. "When we finally hear it," Christopher said, "it can set us free." If people listen for the voice of Jesus, he said, they might also start listening to each other and respecting each other, rather than shouting claims to truth. The Easter story proves that the truth that Jesus spoke cannot be killed, Christopher said. As Jesus walked out of the tomb where he was laid after he was crucified, he was met with silence. "And yet," Christopher said, "God was about to have the last word of truth." In the exchange with Pilate, Jesus says that everyone who is of the truth hears his voice. Christ reigns today, Christopher said, and nothing will ever overcome his truth. "Let's start listening," he said. HOLY WEEK LUNCHEON SERIES When: Thursday, lunch 11:30 a.m.; program begins at noon Location: First Central Presbyterian Church, 400 Orange St. Speaker: Don Wilson, minister, First Christian Church Sermon: Courageous Thomas Cost: Program is free; Lunch, $7 or bring your own Details: Childcare provided by each host church Rolando Santa Maria, 69, was in the Brown County Jail on a sexual assault charge in connection with a 2015 incident, Early Police Chief David Mercer said in a media release Thursday. Maria is accused of the sexual assault of a 38-year-old woman who was receiving a massage at his massage business in the 400 block of Early Boulevard in Brownwood on Jan. 21, 2015, Mercer said. The woman allegedly told Maria the massage was over, got dressed and left. She reportedly said Maria only responded with 'I am Sorry' in Spanish. A detective reportedly contacted Maria, requesting he speak to Early Police Department about the incident but he never showed up. Detectives then contacted Maria's attorney who reportedly said he had no contact with Maria and did not know his location. A Brown County grand jury indicted Maria and the Del Rio Police Department arrested him Sunday. He was then transferred to Brown County Jail, where his bond is $20,000. Texas DPS fires first officer over Uvalde shooting response Sgt. Juan Maldonado becomes first member of the state police agency to lose his job in the fallout over the hesitant response to the May attack. In a pinch, Ted Cruz's behavior in Washington could probably be used as a list of 'don'ts' for the back of the famous book 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' Among his fellow senators, his lack of friends, brought about by his self-promotion and strident disregard for legislative colleagues, is as well known as his leading a government shutdown. One senator who had dropped his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, joked about killing Cruz. 'If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate and the trial was in the Senate,' Graham said, 'nobody would convict you.' In the same speech at the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner Feb. 26, 'I was asked the hardest question in my political life: Do you agree with Donald Trump that Ted Cruz is the biggest liar in politics?' Graham said. 'Too close to call.' Or, to journalists Feb. 4: 'If you're a Republican and your choice is Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in a general election,' Graham said, 'it's the difference between being poisoned or shot you're still dead.' Or, back on Dec. 2, before Graham dropped his presidential bid: 'I think (Ted Cruz) is an opportunist, he's a libertarian when it is hot.' After all that negative commentary about Cruz, how can Graham justify not only supporting him, but actually holding a fundraiser for him? Graham said although he prefers Ohio Gov. John Kasich as 'the most viable general election candidate,' he thinks Cruz has a better chance to survive the primary process. 'When I joked about killing my distinguished colleague,' Graham explained, 'that didn't mean I was opposed to him becoming president.' Only Trump, Cruz The chairman of Cruz's campaign in Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as a delegate to the Republican nominating convention, contends the only 'legitimate' candidates are Trump and Cruz. 'If neither reaches 1,237 delegates before the Convention, I will work to rally support for Ted Cruz's nomination and fight any effort to disrupt the process by injecting an illegitimate candidate into the mix,' Patrick said in a statement. 'I will draw a line in the sand on this issue and stand up for ... people ... disgusted with those Washington elites who anoint themselves the power brokers on all things in our country,' Patrick declared. Delegates are sworn to vote for particular candidates on the first ballot. If no one gets the 1,237 votes needed, delegates can vote for whomever they want. Kasich and Choice Some more moderate Republicans prefer Kasich to Trump or Cruz. But on a woman's right to choose, Texan Cecile Richards says Kasich is no better. Richards, national head of Planned Parenthood, was asked by Tina Brown at a Women in the World Forum in Los Angeles in February about a Kasich presidency. 'It would be a complete and utter disaster,' said Richards, oldest daughter of Texas' last Democratic governor, the late Ann Richards. 'I think it's really important because Governor Kasich has sort of come off as a moderate and I guess only by comparison to Ted Cruz and Donald Trump but it is really important to know, in Ohio more than half the providers of safe and legal abortion have had to shut down,' she said. 'He's signed 17 separate bills to restrict reproductive access in the state. It's really rivaling Texas as the worst place for women to get access to health care,' Richards said. She said the problems that have plagued Texas including the closing of clinics, and a reduction in health care services for both men and women could happen in the rest of the country if an anti-choicer wins in November. Richards said the election stakes are high. 'I think that when folks vote this November, literally Roe v. Wade is on the ballot,' she said. 'The impact the next president will have in appointing justices, and what their attitudes are towards women, is going to be critical and determinative and not just for a couple of years but for a long, long time.' Email Dave McNeely at davemcneely111@gmail.com. Today in history: On March 24, 1765, a plan to define locations and conditions in which British soldiers are to find quarters in the colonies passes Parliament. The Quartering Act of 1765 requires those living in the colonies to house soldiers in barracks. If there is no building large enough, soldiers must stay at inn, livery stables, ale houses and where wine is sold. And uninhabited houses, barns and other buildings also should be used, if necessary. Those in New York said they preferred to be asked, not told. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... Nine days after he went missing, presumed detained, the family of Chinese journalist Jia Jia has had no word of him, while several of his colleagues at a news website that published an open letter calling for President Xi Jinping's resignation are also now incommunicado. Jia, 41, failed to turn up to give a scheduled talk at Hong Kong's City University on Mar. 17. Now, the editor-in-chief of the Watching News website, Ouyang Hongliang, is also incommunicado after the site's editors said the March 4 open letter was posted as the result of a cyberattack, sources told RFA. Ouyang, Huang Zhijie, and technical employees of Watching News have been called in for questioning by police, an associate surnamed Huang said. A second source surnamed Chen confirmed Huang's account, saying that the letter's publication is being treated as a "political incident" by the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. "This affair has gone to an extremely high level [inside the party]," Chen said. "Things are appalling here in China, and we can't do anything to help because the people are being held, and we have to respect the wishes of the relatives." "I don't think the family are very keen on speaking out about this." Repeated calls to Ouyang's wife went unanswered in recent days, while employees who answered the phone at Watching News declined to give out information about Huang Zhijie's relatives. Meanwhile, Jia's lawyer Chen Jiangang said his family had heard nothing from police or officials about his whereabouts, nor the reason for his "disappearance." "The police told us that [Jia] was taken away by the police, but nobody from the police department will give us a response, and nobody will tell us where he is being held, or on what charges," Chen Jiangang said. "We are up against a brick wall here." Law 'no help here' He agreed that Jia's detention is highly political. "It is a Chinese characteristic that some cases have nothing to do with the law," Chen Jiangang said. "That's why the law is no help here." "Our profession has become useless. Our only weapon is the law, and when that doesn't work, all that is left is violence." An officer who answered the phone at the Beijing municipal police department said all cases were different, however. "We don't know all of the details of all cases here, and I am just the officer on duty," he said. "I am not familiar with the case you are talking about, so I can't give you a detailed response." Before his detention, Jia had reportedly told friends that he believed the police were looking for him in relation to the open letter. Jia also said that the police had gone to the homes of several of his relatives, asking them about his level of involvement with the letter, The open letter, signed by "loyal party members," accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of abandoning a decades-long consensus of collective leadership at the highest level, and concentrating power in his own hands. Sources told RFA that Jia was called in for questioning after the letter appeared on Watching News, but numerous reports have questioned whether he had a hand in writing it. Strife inside the party Hebei-based veteran journalist Zhu Xinxin said the case is clearly a highly political incident. "Of course this sort of thing is a political incident, to use official language," Zhu said. "It involves Xi Jinping, our highest-ranking leader." He said the letter is an rare glimpse into internal dissent to Xi's leadership within party ranks. "It shows us that there is a huge amount of dissatisfaction with him behind the scenes," Zhu said. "And I'd say it's not just a handful; it's a significant proportion of people, and an attitude which is shared by people at the highest level." Zhu said China's leadership is terrified that the general public will learn of internal strife in party ranks. "They are also afraid that any hint of a split in their ranks will encourage the general public to step up protest and opposition to the government," he said. "That's why they are taking this matter so seriously, so as to avoid everything becoming public knowledge." Jia wouldn't be the first in the media and publishing industry to run afoul of China's president. Last November, political cartoonist Jiang Yefei was repatriated from Thailand after he drew cartoons ridiculing Xi. Hong Kong bookseller and Swedish national Gui Minhai was detained in Thailand and brought back to make a "confession" on state television after he planned a book that claimed to reveal details of Xi's early love life. Four of his colleagues are currently "helping police with an investigation" after disappearing from Hong Kong in opaque circumstances. Reported by Lam Lok-tung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Yang Fan for the Mandarin Service. This undated file photo shows exhaust gas rising from the Xing'an copper-zinc smelter in Inner Mongolia. Chinese authorities in the northern region of Inner Mongolia have detained at least five ethnic Mongolian herders for "instigating illegal gatherings, protests and demonstrations via the Internet" since March 21, local residents and a U.S.-based rights group said. Herders Burdee and Achilalt from Left Uzumchin Banner, a subdivision of Shilingol League in the west of the region, were taken away by police after they discussed recent protests and detentions of herders in Right Uzumchin Banner over mining activity on traditional grazing lands. Herder Engkhbat from Right Uzumchin Banner was detained at the same time. All three were placed under a 10-day administrative detention on Thursday for "instigating illegal gatherings via the Internet" after discussing the protests on the smartphone messaging app WeChat, the New York-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights and Information Center (SMHRIC) said in a statement on its website. According to ethnic Mongolian scholar Huubis, five herders have been detained in recent days for showing online support for the Right Uzumchin Banner herders. "After the [Uzumchin] herders were detained, there was a lot of discussion going back and forth about this on WeChat, about the issue of mining operations taking over grazing land and pollution," Huubis told RFA. "The [recent detainees] were detained for having a discussion about this, all of them on incitement charges, he said. "So far, five people have been detained that I know of. Meanwhile, herder and rights campaigner Odongerel was detained in Bayannur League's Urad Middle Banner, local residents said. Detention witnessed A resident of Urad Middle Banner said she had witnessed Odongerel's detention by local police. "They detained one of our number here in Urad Middle Banner, this morning," said the woman who discussed the incident on condition of anonymity. "I don't know what she wrote on WeChat. Her name is Odongerel." "They detained her alone today at about 9:10 a.m. for talking about the protests in [Right] Uzumchin Banner, for showing support for the herders' petition there," she said. "That's the reason she was detained." She added: "It's more than 1,000 kilometers from here to Shilingol League [the location of Uzumchin], but we are in touch with them via WeChat." Meanwhile, authorities in Shuluun-huh Banner arrested a herder surnamed Su on suspicion of "inciting and plotted illegal gatherings, protests and demonstrations via WeChat groups he is subscribed to," SMHRIC quoted the local police department as saying. Su is also being held under a 15-day administrative detention order. Attempts to contact the authorities were unsuccessful. Environmental damage Herders in the Right Uzumchin Banner have waged a petitioning and protest campaign against environmental pollution and the takeover of their traditional grazing lands in recent months. Herders in Bayanhuaa township's Sain-Undur district staged a blockade to call for an immediate halt to production in the industrial zone. SMHRIC said local water, soil and air is now heavily polluted with untreated toxic mining waste dumped on traditional grazing lands. At least six herders were detained last week for blocking the entrance to the Bayanhuaa No.1 Coal Field, the No.2 Coal Crushing Station and a logistics center belonging to a copper-zinc mine for more than two days, "causing a substantial loss to the corporations concerned," SMHRIC quoted a police statement as saying. Local officials promised to order a halt in production at the plants, but herders told RFA earlier this week that the shuttered plants had started up again in the middle of the night after the blockade ended. Video footage obtained by RFA from local residents showed red mining trucks plying back and forth along a bank of loose earth, hot water running in channels through rural areas, and a drill truck pumping out waste water into a pool on the ground. Further footage showed huge masses of heaped earth being moved around by mechanical excavators as herds of sheep grazed on grasslands near an apparently diminished river. Still photos showed clouds of grey-brown smoke issuing from the foot of a huge mound of earth. Huubis told RFA that the authorities fear a repeat of a 2011 incident in which Bayanhuaa herder Murgen was run over by a worker driving a coal truck while protesting the destruction of grazing lands by a mining company. The incident sparked weeks of protests across the region by herders and students. Authorities' fear "The authorities are afraid that these protests will spread and spark a protest movement like there was five years ago," Huubis said. "That's why they are keeping discussion under tight control." A police statement warned local residents that they must use the Internet "in a responsible way," SMHRIC said. "Acts of disturbing public order, obstructing social management, sabotaging public interest and violating the laws must be strictly investigated and harshly punished by the police authorities," the police statement said. There are signs that the unrest may continue, however. Odongerel's mother Deemjidmaa said she would refuse to cooperate with the authorities over her daughter's detention, and that resistance in the region would continue, SMHRIC said. "The more the coward police arrest us, the more we feel our strength," another herder named Oyuumchimeg said in a WeChat group monitored by SMHRIC. "Go ahead and arrest tens of us and hundreds of us. As long as we are not executed immediately, we will continue to fight for justice to the death." Intimidation attempts Ethnic Mongolian rights activist Xinna said the latest detentions are an attempt to terrorize herding communities. "They are clearly going after people posting things online, in an attempt to terrorize them," Xinna told RFA. "But it's self-defeating. I told the herders that Clause 35 of the constitution guarantees their right to freedom of expression." "Even Beijing is threatened by pollution, and it goes against their anti-pollution drive to pollute the environment in Inner Mongolia," she said. Police from Bayanhuaa township in Inner Mongolia's Right Uzumchin Banner (a county-level administrative district) detained Ganbaatar, Otgonbaatar, Munkhbaatar, Erdenbaatar, Tuvshin and Amarmend on Saturday. While Erdenbaatar has since been released, the remaining five detained herders are being held under a 10-day administrative sentence for "disrupting public order," local police officers told their families. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Lam Lok-tung for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. Myanmar's president-elect Htin Kyaw (L) sends off Aung San Suu Kyi (R), chairwoman of the National League for Democracy, from the parliament building in Naypyidaw, March 15, 2016. Myanmars parliament unanimously approved on Thursday president-elect Htin Kyaws list of nominees for members of his cabinet, including Aung San Suu Kyi who could run four ministries, ensuring that her voice will dominate the countrys major policy decisions. The list includes the names of 18 peoplea mix of career bureaucrats, lawmakers and military officerswho would take office in 21 leadership positions when the National League for Democracy (NLD) party formally takes power on April 1. The NLD, however, has not made it clear which post will go to which designated minister. NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi, who is prohibited from becoming president by a constitutional clause barring anyone with foreign relatives from assuming the nations top office, has been put forward to lead the foreign affairs, education, electric power and energy, and Presidents Office ministries, according to local media reports. The NLD has not confirmed the reports. I am announcing now the appointment of these nominees as Union ministers because there are no motions to reject them, said Mahn Win Khaing Than, speaker of the upper house. He also announced a list of nominees for the Constitutional Tribunal, a nine-member panel of legal experts who serve five-year terms. The list will be approved on March 28 as long as no rejections are submitted, he said. Kyaw Win, an NLD lawmaker who is an adviser to the partys economics committee, was approved for a ministry even after news broke on Wednesday that he holds a doctorate degree from a fake online university created by a Pakistani group that was exposed as a fraud in 2015. He has been earmarked for the highly important finance and planning ministry, according to local media. However, Nyo Nyo Thin, a former member of parliament, pointed out that lawmakers must submit their biographies with accurate and true facts or be subject to punishment under the law. It is very important with regard to the appointment of a finance minister because this is very important for the country, he said. We want a finance minister who is honest and reliable. [Lawmakers] should reconsider whether the candidates are suitable for these posts even though they may have made honest mistakes in their bios. Zaw That Htwe, a former political prisoner, editor and journalist, said the appointment of ministers with questionable backgrounds could hurt the NLDs credibility. Although the nominees as union ministers are approved, the NLD would have difficulties gaining the peoples trust because of questions surrounding the ministers honesty and attitudes, he said. If they did something wrong, the media and people would attack them based on this, so it could also harm the NLD governments dignity. Changes in store Some of the ministerial nominees have plans for major changes in store to move the country towards further development and democracy after more than five decades of military rule. Win Myat Aye, an upper house lawmaker who would likely take over as mister of social welfare, relief and resettlement, said: We must be free of corruption and operate with great capability. Journalist Pe Myint, who has been nominated to lead the information ministry, told RFA that the NLD-led government will reform the media by changing the content of government-run newspapers and radio stations. As we [journalists] are the ones who want media freedom very much and who have been working for media freedom, our attitude has not changed, he said. I will work so that journalists do not get arrested and that the ones already in jail on charges can be released. His words came on the same day that rights group Amnesty International issued a report calling on the new government to immediately release all political detainees when it takes office on April 1, a reminder of the pressure the NLD government is under to make speedy progress with democratic change. The report, based on interviews with journalists, lawyers, rights activists, prisoners of conscience, students and labor organizers, documents how authorities in Myanmar have conducted a widespread crackdown on their opponents to silence dissent in the past two years. This could be the start of a new dawn for human rights in Myanmar, but the task facing Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy is huge they have to ensure that their actions are not controlled by the repressive laws they will inherit, said Champa Patel, Amnesty Internationals South East Asia director, in a news release. Despite their landslide election win, Myanmars flawed constitution will also ensure that the military still wields considerable power, she said referring to the NLDs sweeping victory in general elections last November. Regional ministries The NLD, which reduced the overall number of national ministries to 21 from 36 to rein in the countrys bloated bureaucracy, also is considering minimizing the size of regional governments, said party spokesman Zaw Myint Maung. We believe that we can reduce the number of regional ministers if the [reduced number of] Union ministers can work effectively, he told RFA. Its certain that we will have fewer ministers now that we have fewer ministries than we did before. In a related development, Aung San Suu Kyi met with 22 lawmakers from the Arakan National Party (ANP) on Thursday in the capital Naypyidaw to confirm that the new chief minister in western Myanmars Rakhine state will be an NLD member, said Win Htein, a member of the NLDs Central Executive Committee. President-elect Htin Kyaw, who has the authority to nominate chief ministers and their cabinet members, has put forward Nyi Pu, an NLD lawmaker who represents Rakhines Gwa township, as the states chief minister. We said that Nyi Pu of the NLD will become the chief minister of Rakhine State in accordance with the constitution, Win Htein told RFA. We also clearly told them that there will be not only NLD members, but also people from the ANP and other academics in the Rakhine state government. Members of the ANP, the states strongest local ethnic political party, and their supporters have demanded for months that they be allowed to choose their chief minister from within their own political ranks. The ANP, which represents the interests of the predominantly Buddhist, ethnic Rakhine majority living in the state and in the Yangon region, threatened in January to oppose the NLD if it did not get its way. About 500 people marched though the state capital Sittwe on Wednesday, calling for the right to select their chief minister. Aung San Suu Kyi agreed that three ANP leaders should hold meetings next week with three NLD representatives to discuss the formation of Rakhines government, said ANP lawmaker Khin Saw Wai. We will have a result that people want, he said. Aung San Suu Kyi and the Rakhine leaders with whom she met also agreed on how they will work together to foster development in the impoverished state and resolve its religious, social and business challenges, Win Htein said. Reported by Win Naung Toe, Win Ko Ko Latt, Tin Aung Khine, Thinn Thiri, Set Paing Toe and Wai Mar Tun. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Tibetan residents of western Chinese provinces are being blocked from travel to Tibets regional capital Lhasa for the duration of March, a month of politically sensitive anniversaries, Tibetan sources say. Restrictions include bans on travel both by rail and by air, a Tibetan living in Australia told RFAs Tibetan Service, citing contacts in the region. China is profiling Tibetans and denying them rail tickets from Xining and Lanzhou, RFAs source named Shelge said, referring to the capitals of Qinghai and Gansu provinces respectively. Besides, no plane tickets are being sold to Tibetans traveling from Sichuans capital Chengdu to Lhasa until the end of April, Shelge said. Tibetans hoping recently to travel by train from Lanzhou to Lhasa had been blocked by authorities, Shelge said. They were asked by ticket officials to show their IDs, and after being identified as Tibetans they were told that no tickets would be sold to them. Tickets were freely sold to members of other ethnic nationality groups, though, Shelge said. Sonam, a Tibetan now living in Switzerland, told RFA that Tibetans in Qinghai wishing to travel by rail to Lhasa had been told to wait for a week to purchase tickets to go by rail. But then they were told that no tickets would be sold to Tibetans for the rest of the month, Sonam said, citing local sources. They all had to go back to their hometowns, Sonam said. Sensitive anniversaries China now regularly blocks travel to Lhasa by Tibetans living in western Chinese provinces each March, a month of politically sensitive anniversaries. On March 10, 1959, Tibetans in Lhasa rose up in protest of Beijings tightening political and military control of the formerly self-governing Tibetan region, sparking a rebellion in which thousands were killed. And in March 2008, a riot in Lhasa followed the suppression by Chinese police of four days of peaceful Tibetan protests and led to the destruction of Han Chinese shops in the city and deadly attacks on Han Chinese residents. The riot then sparked a wave of mostly peaceful protests against Chinese rule that spread across Tibet and into Tibetan-populated regions of western Chinese provinces. Hundreds of Tibetans were detained, beaten, or shot as Chinese security forces quelled the protests, sources said in earlier reports. Reported by Sonam Wangdue for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney. Gulja is the capital of Ili prefecture in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. More than 40 Uyghurs were detained last week because they failed to show up for a prominent Communist Party members funeral in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region, RFAs Uyghur Service has learned. Included among the 41 people detained by authorities are local religious leaders from Oymanbaytoqay village of Ghulja (In Chinese, Yining) County including the Imam Enver Hesen and the Muezzin Ekber Nesirdin, local residents told RFA. While local law-enforcement officials acknowledged they detained the Uyghurs, they said it was because they are religious extremists. Tursun Bilal, a police officer of Araosteng Township who oversees Oymanbaytoqay village, told RFA that failure to show up at the funeral for a teacher a Chinese Communisst Party member surnamed Harun is a sure sign the 41 men are radicals. A 'clear sign' They refused to attend the funeral ceremony of Mr. Harun despite being called and invited several times by Mr. Haruns family, Tursun Bilal told RFA. That fact, obviously indicates their anger toward Mr. Harun and a lack of loyalty to the government. More importantly, it is a clear sign of religious extremism. Harun, 70, who died in the first week of February, was a retired teacher from Oymanbaytoqay Primary School, but he was known for his loyalty to the government and membership in the Chinese Communist Party. Abdushukur Abdurazaq, Chief of Police Station of Araosteng Township, said the group was transferred to the countys state security department. He told RFA the investigation is still continuing, and cited Enver Hesens education and background as reasons for suspicion. Enver Hesen was born and went to school in Kashgar (Kashi), the westernmost city in China that lies near the border with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The government appointed him as Imam as our old Imam passed away, but we have closely watched his life because of his educational background, Abdushukur Abdurazaq said. Local support Locals defended the men, saying they didnt have anything against the late Harun. I know that the Imam Enver Hesen didnt say anything bad about Mr. Harun, said Oymanbaytoqay Village Chief Niyaz Emet. He just simply went about his business as he was invited to the funeral, but the absence of the other people, who are usually socially active members of our village community, was seen as result of Enver Hesens provocation. Memet Eli, a veterinary surgeon in Araosteng Township, told RFA the men werent known to be radical. I know the 41 men as normal Muslim people, he said. They just practiced their religious beliefs by praying five times a day, but I have not seen and dont believe they showed signs of extremism. Memet Eli said Enver Hesen called him several times about his sick cow. He did the treatment of his cow by fully following my diagnosis, he explained. I know that someone who is influenced by extremism is not calling a doctor about their cow. Village Chief Niyaz Emet said he doubts there's a link between the light turnout at the funeral and extremism. I dont believe that there is link between participation at Mr. Haruns funeral ceremony and the advocacy of Imam Enver Hesen to the community," he said. "That was regular course for the relationship between the party members of Chinese Communist Party and our community." Reported and translated by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. At least one person has died after a demonstration between supporters of two rival former warlords turned violent in northern Afghanistan. At least four people were also wounded in the March 24 violence in Maimana, the capital of Faryab Province. The clashes involved thousands of supporters of ethnic Uzbek Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum and Balkh Province Governor Atta Mohammad Noor, a Tajik. The violence broke out during a demonstration by Dostum's supporters after billboards featuring the vice president were defaced or ripped down altogether in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif on March 19. Local officials say security forces had to intervene to stop the violence. Based on reporting by dpa and Pajhwok KYIV -- Ukrainian officials said vile Russian missile strikes on civilian energy sites have caused power outages nationwide, leaving more than a million households without electricity, while Russian authorities ordered residents to leave Kherson "immediately" ahead of an expected effort by Kyivs forces to retake the crucial southern city. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram on October 22 that Russia carried out a "massive attack" on Ukraine overnight and that "the aggressor continues to terrorize our country." "At night, the enemy launched a massive attack: 36 rockets, most of which were shot down...These are vile strikes on critical objects. Typical tactics of terrorists," he wrote. "The world can and must stop this terror." Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Zelenskiys office, said Ukrainian air defense forces had shot down 18 of the missiles. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a number of missiles had been shot down on the approach to the capital. "Several rockets flying toward Kyiv were shot down in the region by air defense forces. Thanks to our defenders!" Klitschko said. There was no immediate word on deaths related to the missile attacks, but officials said several people had been injured. It was not possible to verify the reports on either side. In the face of continued Russian strikes, Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba again urged Ukraine's Western allies to speed up the delivery of modern air defense systems. "We intercepted some, others hit the targets. Air defense saves lives. In [Western] capitals, there should not be a single minute of delay in the decision regarding air defense systems for Ukraine," Kuleba said. Local officials said power stations were hit in the regions of Odesa, Kirovohrad, and Lutsk, while other regions reported problems with electricity. "Another rocket attack from terrorists who are fighting against civilian infrastructure and people," the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on the Telegram app. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told a government meeting that from October 10 to October 20, Russian strikes damaged more than 400 facilities in 16 regions of Ukraine, including dozens of energy facilities. "The Russian Army has identified our energy sector as one of the key targets for its attacks," Shmyhal said on October 21. "Russian propagandists and officials speak openly about the purpose of all these attacks: Ukraine, according to them, should be left without water, without light, without heat," he said. Meanwhile, Russian-appointed authorities in the occupied and illegally seized southern Kherson region on October 22 ordered the estimated 60,000 residents of the region's eponymous main city to leave "immediately" in the face of Kyiv's advancing counteroffensive. "Due to the tense situation on the front, the increased danger of mass shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must immediately leave the city and cross to the left bank of the Dnieper River," the region's Russia-backed authorities said on social media. Russina-installed officials are moving people out of the strategic city in what they are calling an evacuation but which Ukrainian officials label as deportations. The order came in spite of a claim by Russia's Defense Ministry on October 22 that its forces had prevented an attempt by Ukraine to break through its line of control in Kherson. "All attacks were repulsed, the enemy was pushed back to their initial positions," the Defense Ministry said, adding that Ukraine's offensive was launched toward the settlements of Piatykhatky, Suhanove, Sablukivka and Bezvodne, on the west side of the Dnieper River. The ministry's statement said Russian forces had also repelled attacks in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. Kherson city, which had a prewar population of 280,000, is one of the first urban areas occupied by Russia at the start of the invasion. Zelenskiys office said 88 settlements in the southern Kherson region and 551 settlements in the northeastern Kharkiv region have been de-occupied, while the Ukrainian forces' counteroffensive in the Kherson region moves ahead. Ukraine is trying to drive Russian forces in Kherson back east across the Dnieper. Russian soldiers on the western bank, where the city of Kherson is located, are reportedly close to being cut off from supply lines and reinforcements. Natalya Humenyuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraines southern operational command, said the Ukrainian military struck the Antonivskiy Bridge over the Dnieper in the city of Kherson during an overnight curfew Russia-installed officials put in place to avoid civilian casualties. We do not attack civilians and settlements," Humenyuk told Ukrainian television. Ukrainian strikes made the Antonivskiy Bridge inoperable, prompting Russian authorities to set up ferry crossings and pontoon bridges to relocate civilians and transport supplies. Russia has sent in thousands of recently mobilized troops to reinforce the defense of Kherson, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said on October 21. Zelenskiy again on October 21 urged the West to warn Russia not to blow up a dam at the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River as this could flood settlements toward Kherson. Zelenskiy said Russian forces had planted explosives inside the dam, which holds back an enormous reservoir, and were planning to blow it up. "Now everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack. Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster," he said in his nightly address. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and the BBC A UN tribunal has sentenced former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to 40 years in prison after convicting him of genocide and other crimes committed during Bosnia's 1992-95 civil war. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague ruled March 24 that Karadzic is guilty of genocide over the deaths of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon said that Karadzic ordered the takeover of Srebrenica before the massacre and intended to eliminate the Bosnian Muslim males of the town. As supreme commander of the Bosnian Serb Republic, Karadzic controlled the forces that committed the Srebrenica massacre after Bosnian Serbs seized the UN-declared safe haven from peacekeepers. The war crimes tribunal also ruled that Karadzic is guilty of crimes against humanity -- including murder, extermination, and forcible transfer -- for a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of towns and villages claimed by Bosnian Serb forces. But the court stopped short of convicting him of genocide for his role in that campaign. The judge also ruled that Karadzic is criminally responsible for murder, attacking civilians, and terror for overseeing the 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo. Kwon said Karadzic used a campaign of sniping and shelling targeting the city's civilians as a way of furthering his political goals. Reacting to the verdict, many people in Sarajevo voiced disappointment that Karadzic did not receive a life sentence, RFE/RL's Balkan Service reported. WATCH: 'There Is No Justice' -- Survivors Of Bosnian War React Angrily To Karadzic Verdict Several other Bosnian Serbs involved in the war have been sentenced to life in prison by the ICTY for their roles in the Srebrenica massacre and other crimes. In total, Karadzic was found guilty of 10 out of 11 charges. His legal adviser said Karadzic was "disappointed and astonished" at the verdict and plans to appeal. "He feels that he was convicted on inference instead of evidence and will appeal the judgment," Peter Robinson told journalists outside the tribunal. Appeals could take several years. In the Serbian capital of Belgrade, several thousand Serbian ultranationalists protested the outcome, saying Karadzic was convicted only because he was a Serb. Nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj, who himself is awaiting a war crimes verdict next week, said Karadzic "was convicted innocent, without guilt." Throughout his 497-day trial, Karadzic, who is 70 and in good health, insisted he is innocent. The former wartime Bosnian Serb leader was arrested near Belgrade in 2008 after 11 years on the run. Dozens of relatives of Srebrenica victims traveled to The Hague for the trial's final day. Munira Subasic, whose son was among the victims, said ahead of the verdict that "it is very important to show new generations, especially those in Serbia who have been poisoned with hatred already, what really happened in Bosnia." Karadzic is the highest-ranking person to face a reckoning before the tribunal over the war two decades ago in which 100,000 people were killed as rival armies carved up Bosnia along ethnic lines that largely survive today. The only more senior official to face justice before the ICTY was the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody a decade ago before a verdict was reached. Ratko Mladic, the general who commanded Bosnian Serb forces, is the last suspect to be detained over the Srebrenica massacre and is in a UN prison cell awaiting judgment. Karadzic, a former psychiatrist and a self-styled poet, rose to power on a Serb nationalist platform during the breakup of Yugoslavia and played a seminal role in instigating the Bosnian civil war. Journalists who followed his early career say he used the skills he acquired as a professional psychiatrist to help convince Bosnian Serbs that they should break with the newly declared state of Bosnia and unify with Serbia instead. "It shouldn't be forgotten that Karadzic was a psychiatrist and one of his specialties was social psychology," recalled RFE/RL Balkan Service journalist Gordana Knezevic, who at the time was an editor of the Sarajevo daily newspaper Oslobodjenje. "It was always clear to me that he was using some of his knowledge about the behavior of social groups and how to appeal to them." SPECIAL REPORT: The Faces Of Srebrenica She said his message of nationalism won him support partly because it broke so uncompromisingly with the former Yugoslav state policy of cooperation between ethnic groups. "He came at [an opportune] moment, at the time when nationalism was high, and spoke in clear, simple, nationalistic messages, saying things that were forbidden," Knezevic said. "In the former Yugoslavia, you could say anything but you could not say bad things about other national groups -- and all of a sudden there was somebody who was not politically correct and so everybody would listen to him." Elected head of the self-declared Bosnian Serb Republic in 1992, Karadzic engaged in a campaign of territorial expansion that was marked by brutal treatment of Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat civilian populations, including mass killings, rapes, and forced expulsions. The Srebrenica massacre and other horrors committed during the war helped turned world opinion against the Bosnian Serbs, leading to NATO air strikes that brought the conflict to an end. Karadzic denied during his trial that there was systematic ethnic cleansing of the territory under his control during the war. He also blamed Bosnian Muslims for much of the violence against civilians that marked the war on all sides. He told the court in October that "I know of no one in the Serb leadership who wanted to harm Muslims or Croats." Ahead of the verdict on March 24, Serbia's prime minister said Belgrade will stand by the Serb part of Bosnia no matter the fate of its wartime leader Karadzic. Aleksandar Vucic said "Serbia has an obligation to take care of its people outside the Serbian borders." With reporting by RFE/RL Balkan Service correspondent Nedim Dervisbegovic in Sarajevo, Reuters, AP, and AFP The Daily Vertical is a video primer for Russia-watchers that appears Monday through Friday. Viewers can suggest topics via Twitter @PowerVertical or on the Power Vertical Facebook page. A transcript of today's Daily Vertical can be found here. The Iraqi military says a major operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) militants "has begun." Army spokesman Brigadier General Yahia Rasul said on March 24 that the operation code-named Al-Fatah (Conquest) had started at dawn. Rasul said Iraqi forces had retaken several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmur, east of Iraq's second-largest city. He also said the U.S.-led international coalition against the IS group was providing air support. Mosul, located 360 kilometers northwest of Baghdad, fell to IS fighters in June 2014. In December 2015, Iraq retook the western city of Ramadi, marking the first major setback for the IS group in months. Based on reporting by AP and dpa BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has said he will cancel a planned visited to Uzbekistan this summer unless a standoff over a disputed segment of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border is resolved. Atambaev told journalists on March 24 that Kyrgyzstan would never launch a war, but was ready to respond to any kind of "aggression." He was scheduled to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent on June 23-24. The SCO comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Atambaev told journalists in Bishkek that Kyrgyzstan would never launch a war, but was ready to respond to any kind of "aggression." On March 18, Uzbek authorities deployed dozens of troops, two armored personnel vehicles, and two military trucks near the border in Kyrgyzstan's southwestern Ala-Buka district. Kyrgyz authorities responded by sending troops and military equipment to the area. Both sides withdrew some troops and equipment on March 21, but the situation remains tense. BISHKEK -- Two Kyrgyz opposition leaders have been detained as part of an investigation into an alleged plan to overthrow the government. The chief editor of the Bishkek-based Respublika newspaper, Zamira Sydykova, told RFE/RL that the detentions took place on March 24. She said several men who introduced themselves as officers of Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security (UKMK) took away the leader of the Egemen (Sovereign) Kyrgyzstan party, Bektur Asanov, and the leader of the Chyndyk (Truth) party, Kubanychbek Kadyrov, from her office. A UKMK spokesman later said two individuals, identified as B.A. and K.K., had been brought to investigators regarding a probe launched into two audio recordings that circulated on the Internet this week. The audio recordings apparently featured the voices of Asanov, Kadyrov, and other opposition politicians discussing ways to seize power in Kyrgyzstan. Pakistani lawmakers have unanimously passed a resolution condemning the March 22 bomb attacks in Brussels that left at least 31 people dead and 300 others wounded. The resolution, passed on March 24 by the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament, calls on the international community to stand united against the terrorism threat. The lawmakers also observed a minute of silence in support of the Belgian people and in memory of the victims. Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria described the Brussels attacks claimed by the Islamic State group as an inhuman and coward act. "We sympathize with the bereaved families, pray for the speedy recovery of those injured, and express solidarity with the people and government of Belgium," Zakaria added. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says his talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the Syria and Ukraine crises have been "productive." "Spoke at length today with FM Lavrov about #Syria and #Ukraine," Kerry said on Twitter on March 24. "Productive dialogue with important partner." Kerry earlier said a "fragile" cessation of hostilities in Syria had "produced some progress," adding that he wanted to see a further reduction as well as greater flows of humanitarian aid. Lavrov said he intended to discuss "how the international community can assist in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis." Kerry will also meet with President Vladimir Putin. During the talks, the secretary of state is expected to gauge whether the Russian leadership is ready to discuss ways to ease Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power. On Ukraine, he is expected to call on Moscow to do more to press Russian-backed separatists in the country's east to comply with a cease-fire. Meanwhile, Kerry wished Lavrov a happy birthday, and jokingly called on him to respect his elders. As the pair sat down in Moscow, Kerry said he hoped Lavrovs 66th birthday earlier this week "will bring you extra wisdom, in our conversation." "Thank you, John, the Russian top diplomat responded to the 72-year-old secretary of state. But if wisdom is measured by the number of birthdays, I can't catch up with you." To which Kerry retorted, "As long as you respect your elders." "Absolutely," Lavrov said. Lavrov was born on March 21, 1950, and Kerry on December 11, 1943. Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, AFP, and Interfax A Russian court has sentenced a doctor to nine years and two months in prison for fatally beating a patient. In its March 24 ruling, the court in the southwestern city of Belgorod said Ilya Zelendinov was also banned from practicing for three years after his release from jail. According to investigators, Zelendinov punched a 55-year-old patient in the head after a nurse complained that the patient had kicked her. "Having an advanced medical education and experience working as a doctor, Zelendinov surely knew about the potential consequences of a punch to the head," the Investigative Committee said in a statement at the time. Zelendinov pleaded guilty and offered apologies to the victim's relatives. Based on reporting by Rapsinews and Interfax IN THE NEWS Moscow's big week of diplomacy continues today with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prior to a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Europe to stop playing "geopolitical games" and unite with Moscow against terrorism. Russia has detained a Turkish ship suspected of crashing into the construction site of the Kerch Strait bridge, linking annexed Crimea to Russia. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed the case of Nadia Savchenko in a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Poroshenko is scheduled to visit the United States next week. The Russian military has confirmed that special forces took part in the military campaign in Syria. "I will not hide from you that units of our special operations forces are also active on Syrian territory. They carry out additional reconnaissance of facilities for strikes of Russian aviation, are involved in guiding aircraft to targets in remote areas, and tackle other special tasks," General Aleksandr Dvornikov, commander of Russian forces in Syria, told the official government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta. A team investigating the downing of Flight MH17 is in Malaysia to find ways, in the wake of Russia's veto of a UN Security Council resolution, to set up an international tribunal to punish those responsible. Swimming's world body, FINA, says it will investigate fresh allegations of doping by Russian athletes. And there is some blowback against bombastic Russian lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky's televised comments following this week's attacks in Brussels. Zhirinovsky said: "now there will be attacks across Europe -- and this benefits us. Let them die and die." An editorial in Gazeta.ru takes Vladimir Zhirinovsky to task for his comments. And liberal St. Petersburg legislator Boris Vishnevsky has called on prosecutors to investigate whether Zhirinovsky's comments constitute support for terrorism. And Putin has apparently made a remarkable admission. The Kremlin leader told prosecutors yesterday that 60 percent of the crimes committed in Russia involved the state violating the rights of citizens. WHAT I'M READING How Strong Is Russia, Really? For anybody who thinks Moscow is running circles around the West, veteran Kremlin-watcher Ariel Cohen has a well-argued piece on the Atlantic Council's website arguing that Russia is much weaker than it looks. Indigenous Foreign Agents "Foreign Agent" is apparently a very flexible term. Fred Weir has a story in The Christian Science Monitor about how an indigenous group in Russia's Far East got tagged with the label by Russian authorities. Still More On Russia's Game In Syria In an essay in Newsweek, Maxim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow at the Kennan Institute and editor at large of the Russian daily Vedomosti, looks at why Putin pulled out of Syria when he did. And in The National Interest, Ilan Berman opines on why Russia is claiming victory. Estonians For Savchenko The Estonian parliament this week became the first national legislature to adopt a resolution in support of Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko. In a piece on the Up North website, Estonian lawmaker Eerik-Niiles Kross convincingly deconstructs the Russian case against her. History and Independence In Ukraine Pulitzer Prize winning author Anne Applebaum has a thought-provoking essay in The New York Review of Books that looks at Ukraine's struggle for independence and how it is bound up in struggles over language and historical narratives. Probing The Litvinenko Case In his essay, "A Murder In Mayfair" in the London Review of Books, Peter Pomerantsev dives into Luke Harding's book on the assassination of Aleksandr Litvinenko, "A Very Expensive Poison." The Politics Of Passports Russia is pursuing the same passportization policies in the Donbas that is used in Moldova's separatist Transdniester region and in Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia territories. Agnia Grigas, author of Beyond Crimea: The New Russian Empire and The Politics of Energy and Memory between the Baltic States and Russia, looks at how in a piece for The Atlantic Council. On The Dark Side And finally, a look at why Putin is so fond of late-night meetings. NOTE: The Morning Vertical -- and all Power Vertical products -- will take a brief break for the Easter holidays. This means that we will not appear on Friday March 25 and Monday March 28. The regular Power Vertical schedule will resume on Tuesday March 29. Have a nice holiday weekend everybody! Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Hroysman says he is ready to become prime minister if asked. Ukraines ruling coalition has collapsed over efforts to stamp out corruption, but Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk refuses to step down after he survived a no-confidence vote last month, triggered by the party of President Petro Poroshenko. On March 23, Poroshenko urged parliament to approve a new cabinet next week to end the political crisis. Hroysman told reporters on March 24 that he would adhere to reform promises made to the International Monetary Fund and the European Union if appointed prime minister by lawmakers. Ukraine's U.S.-born Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko said on March 22 that she was ready to serve as prime minister as well, but under strict conditions. Analysts say Hroysman would likely gather enough support for his bid in parliament, unlike Jaresko. Western donors, including the EU and the United States, have urged Kyiv's leaders to remain unified to pass reforms needed to secure a further $1.7 billion in aid from the International Monetary Fund. Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax The United States has formally charged Iranian hackers with carrying out a coordinated campaign of cyberattacks from 2011 to 2013 on dozens of U.S. banks and a New York dam. The U.S. Justice Department on March 24 unsealed an indictment against seven Iranians believed to have been working on behalf of the Iranian government and described as "experienced computer hackers." At least 46 major financial institutions and financial sector companies were affected by the hacking campaign, according to the indictment. At a news conference, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the seven Iranians indicted inflicted tens of millions of dollars in damages. The alleged attack against the dam by Iranians could have imposed a clear and present danger to Americans, she said. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters A top U.S. State Department official has warned businesses and banks that they must be cautious not to violate sanctions that the United States continues to impose on Iran. "Americans cannot engage in commercial activities with Iran. American companies aren't buying Iranian oil and haven't been for a couple of decades. That part hasn't changed," said Chris Backemeyer, a coordinator for U.S. sanctions policy who helped draft the landmark nuclear deal that lifted many Iran sanctions, as he visited Dubai in March 23. He said U.S.-based companies with overseas subsidiaries potentially could do deals in Iran, however, so long as the transactions move through foreign banks. But banks everywhere must be especially careful not to violate the restrictions still imposed by the United States, he said. "What banks need to be careful about now is...not doing business with sanctioned parties in Iran, and there are some that are still sanctioned for terrorism," he said. "They also need to be careful not to route things through the United States because...it's still prohibited." Based on reporting by AP and AFP Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. 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. The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports that Virginia plans to give $6.8 million to human-resources firm ADP to entice the company to bring at least 1,800 jobs to downtown Norfolk. The paper points out that when you add the $5 million Norfolk is pitching in and another $13.5 million for parking discounts the total incentive package exceeds $25 million. This might be a swell deal if the money materialized out of thin air. It doesnt. Before Norfolk and the state can put the money into the economy through ADP, they first have to take the money out of the economy or at least the non-parking part of it. You could argue that some of the parking subsidy comes out of the economy as well, since taxpayers paid for the city-owned parking decks and now will recoup less from them than they otherwise would have. Of course, the payments to ADP will be concentrated while the cost to the taxpayers will be diffused. But thats precisely the problem: Because the cost to the economy is invisible, the politicians who agree to the deal can take credit for the benefits while avoiding blame for the harm. But although the harm might be invisible to the naked eye, it is very real. When you add up all the federal, state, and local subsidies to corporations, the tab per American family exceeds $2,400 per year, according to Cato Institute adjunct scholar Scott Lincicome. By way of comparison, the typical family spends about $6,500 a year on food. Norfolk, of course, is hardly alone. Richmond has been shelling out money to the Washington Redskins and Stone Brewery. Gov. Terry McAuliffe has been spending economic-incentive funds as though they had a looming expiration date. Congress continues to support indefensible programs like farm subsidies and the Export-Import bank. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search A 20-year-old woman from the Roanoke Valley on Wednesday entered an Alford plea to being an accessory after the fact in the murder of her boyfriends parents in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Chelsi Griffin of Roanoke County and Alexander Gray Turner, 23, of Conway, South Carolina, each were charged in March 2015 with two counts of murder in the death of Turners parents, Carrie Daley Turner, 52, and Steven Gray Turner, 61, of Durham, North Carolina, but an indictment on the murder charge was not sent to the grand jury for Griffin. The charge of accessory after the fact to murder carries a sentence of up to 15 years, according to Senior Assistant Solicitor Lauree Richardson, who prosecuted the case. An Alford plea means the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges a jury would likely convict based on the evidence in the case against them. There was no doubt that she was involved in the concealing of the bodies and the events that took place afterward, Richardson said. Griffin, who was a student at Coastal Carolina University and had attended Hidden Valley High School in Roanoke County, was given an active sentence Wednesday by Circuit Court Judge Larry Hyman under the Youthful Offender Act to not exceed five years and to pay court costs. Under the Youthful Offender Act she may be able to have the conviction expunged from her record after five years. She will likely serve around 18 months before being released on probation for the remainder of her sentence, but Richardson said she couldnt say for sure how much time Griffin would serve because that will be left up to the facility. Do I think she should have gotten more time, or do I think she deserved more time? Absolutely, Richardson said. But Im biased, and thats what his [the judge] job is. He is unbiased, and I trust that he did the right thing in the case. Griffins attorney Kirk Truslow said he was very pleased with the outcome of the case for her, and that the murder charges against her were dropped. She is a wonderful person who has a great future. After work on the case, it was determined that she has absolutely nothing to do with the two tragic deaths in his [Turners] case, Truslow said. Richardson said no recommendation was made by prosecutors to the judge regarding Griffins sentence. Turner pleaded guilty to two counts of murder Oct. 12, 2015, and received a sentence of 47 years for killing his parents at the Landmark Resort in Myrtle Beach on March 6, 2015. Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said the Turners died from gunshot wounds. Earl G. Singleton Sr., 94, of Dublin, Va., passed away Tuesday March 22, 2016.He was born in Washington County, Va., July 11, 1921, to the late Lundy and Annie Singleton. He is preceded in death by his son, Mike Singleton.He is survived by his loving wife of 72 years, Evangeline; his sons, Earl Jr., Don and his wife, Kay, and Ray; four grandchildren; eight grandchildren; three sisters; and many nieces and nephews.Earl spent his life in ministry of loving and serving his Lord Jesus Christ. He was a United States Army veteran serving in World War II.The family would like to thank all of the caretakers and staff of the Salem VA Medical Center and Intrepid Hospice.The family will recieve friends from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Friday March 25, 2016, at DeVilbiss Funeral Home in Radford with funeral services to follow directly after with Elders Don Singleton and Norvel Mann officiating. Interment will follow at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin, Va.It is suggested those desiring make memorial contributions to Intrepid Hospice, 520 West Main Street, Radford, VA 24141; or the charity of your choice. DeVilbiss Funeral Home in Radford, Va., is in charge of arrangements. The story of how Roanoke won Deschutes Brewery continues: Roanoke was not the only place that Deschutes was looking at, of course. In all, company officials visited 50 locations including Asheville, North Carolina, the city that had beaten out Roanoke for Sierra Nevada. And New Belgium. And the city that was considered in the beer press to be the presumed front-runner. Why? Because it was Asheville. Duh. Roanoke wasnt going to let this one slip away easily, though. We were on a mission, says Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership economic development agency. Almost as soon as Deschutes officials were back in Bend from their initial site visits in November 2014, they had two visitors from Roanoke: Ann Blair Miller, the partnerships director of project management, and Pete Eshelman, the director of outdoor branding. Just to talk. This is a lot about building relationships, Doughty says. So they went and built relationships. They also continued the courtship. In February 2015, the partnership contracted with Roanokes Six-Eleven Bicycle Company to make a bicycle labelled Deschutes which it then used in a video created for the company to emphasize the valleys outdoor life. In April 2015, state and partnership officials met with Deschutes again at a craft beer convention in Oregon. And in May 2015, the city sent one of its economic development officials Brandon Turner on a secret mission to Deschutes headquarters in Bend, Oregon. Travelling incognito, he took the public tour of the brewery, and tried to learn as much about the town as he could learn in two days to try to better understand the culture that Deschutes was trying to replicate. The cloak-and-dagger was important because Deschutes executives were coming back to Roanoke for a second visit on May 28-31. The city lucked out with the timing. That was the weekend the famous 611 steam engine was chugging back into town and thousands upon thousands were turning out to see it. If someone wanted to show off Roanoke culture, they couldnt have picked a better weekend. There was serious business to be done that weekend, too. Local officials took Deschutes executives out to the proposed 49-acre site. Parks and rec workers had marked off the rough outline of a building using lime, just like a football field. A scissors lift was on hand so executives could get a sense of what the view would look like from a second floor. There were ATVs so people could ride over the site. Then came the piece de la resistance: For now, the Tinker Creek Greenway ends in Fallon Park, but the city has long had an extension on the books. The city promised that if Deschutes came, it would guarantee the greenway would be extended to the brewery site. Eshelman blazed a hiking trail down to Tinker Creek so Deschutes officials could walk down to the creek and saw where their employees could get on the greenway, a sure attention-grabber for a company that values the outdoors. That was a busy weekend for the half dozen or so Deschutes officials. They scattered to explore the region cycle-cross racing in Fallon Park, mountain-biking at Carvins Cove, skeet-shooting in Franklin County, checking out Black Dog Salvage. A month later, June 30 to July 1, a new Deschutes delegation arrived. This was the community engagement team and culture club rank-and-file employees charged with plotting the companys community affairs program and protecting its internal culture. They fanned out to look at neighborhoods and play some pinball at the Pinball Museum at Center in the Square then went back to Bend to report to fellow workers on what they found. There was never a company-wide vote on which location to choose but there was lots of debate. Very open debate. Employees who didnt travel east to check out sites were tasked with doing online research. One of the things they were very keen to know: What music acts were coming to Elmwood Park. In September 2015, Gov. Terry McAuliffe set off on a West Coast trip to visit prospects in Silicon Valley and Southern California. His first stop: Bend. By now, governors in other states had gotten involved in courting Deschutes, but McAuliffe was the only one to visit the company headquarters. Sales is about being in front of the prospect at the right time, says Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones. By months end, Deschutes officials were back in Roanoke yet again, meeting with other companies to see what they said about the valleys workforce: Novazymes, Coca-Cola, Ardagh Packaging, Wholesome Harvest, Integrity Windows. Then something unexpected happened: Deschutes interest in Roanoke became public, let slip by a city that had just been eliminated. Then something even more unexpected happened: A Roanoke County court clerk named Michael Galliher, on his own initiative, started the #Deschutes2Rke social media campaign. At first, local officials were . . . uneasy. This is all supposed to be hush-hush. Next thing you know, though, Gallihers Facebook page had nearly 6,000 likes; ordinary people were posting testimonials about Roanoke and the Deschutes officials were not just impressed, they were touched. Suddenly, Asheville news sites were complaining that their city suffered from brewery fatigue and wasnt able to compete with Roanokes enthusiasm. On the afternoon of November 5, the site consultants called partnership officials: Deschutes had picked Roanoke pending due diligence and agreement on terms. The partnership staff went to Jack Browns for a round of beer to celebrate. Working out those details, though, took both weeks and months. On December 16, Deschutes officials were back in Richmond. The governor insisted a keg of Deschutes be on hand; a state Agriculture Department staffer frantically tracked one down in Sterling and hurried it to Richmond. Another staffer learned that the Deschutes executives were fans of the Grateful Dead; state Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore supplied a box set of Dead concerts and took special pride that it might be the first time the bands music had rocked the governors mansion. That night, while the song Franklins Tower played, company president Michael LaLonde shook the governors hand and told him Deschutes was coming. AN ex-soldier marching to London carrying a crucifix says his epic walk will be Gods word in action. Wayne Hayhurst (49 is walking 170 miles with the pine cross, which is 13ft long and weighs around 100kg. He is tackling the almighty task to raise cash for Christian Aid, Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice and the PDSA. Having set off last Tuesday arch 15, he plans to reach Hyde Parks Preachers Corner by tomorrow, Good Friday. Wayne, of Bank View in Whiston, said: God has told me to do this walk. I am an ex-soldier and I have a strong faith in the Lord. Im not trying to make a name for myself this is about my faith. Im confident that the Lord will get me to the end. He added: Everyone seems to think I will put a wheel on the cross, but I wont be doing that. Christ didnt have a wheel on his cross. Wayne previously served with the Royal Corps of Transport. He is a parishioner at Whiston Parish Church St Mary Magdalene last year he carried an oak cross from there to Rotherham town centre. Being ex-army, I know something about marching and carrying weight, he said, but this will be one step harder. Im hoping to raise more money than last year. Ive been to Bluebell Wood and nothing prepares you for what you see there. I hope people will give what they can to help those children. Wayne is being accompanied on the journey by Pip, his Jack Russell terrier. The Kimberley Process (KP) said the Central African Republic (CAR) government and the countrys largest diamond miner, Sodiam, will abide by what the diamond watchdog members agreed on in Angola last July. A UAE newspaper had earlier this month claimed that the KP chair Bin Sulayem had managed to break the deadlock in the quest to restart rough diamond exports from CAR. Rapaport reports that the 2015 agreement noted that CAR could resume rough exports when it implements a programme that, among other things, compelled it to ensure traceability of diamonds from certain areas defined as compliant zones. A spokesperson for the KP chairperson, Evgeny Garanin, was quoted as saying that CARs minister of mines Joseph Agbo met with Viken Arslanian, an executive of Sodiam, and agreed to follow a framework set out by KP. The outcome was that both groups would abide by what was agreed in Luanda in July 2015 and to request the KP Monitoring Group provide a timetable for the resumption of diamond exports, said Garanin. The KP chairpersons spokesperson said that the monitoring group would review the agreement and consider further action. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished ALROSA increased revenue from diamond sales to $ 776 million, up 25%, in January and February 24 march 2016 News (PRIME) - ALROSA sold $ 776 million worth of rough in January and February, which is 25% higher than in the same period of 2015 ($ 620 million), according to the companys presentation prepared for the Investor Day in London. In 2015, ALROSA's diamond sales decreased by 30% - to $ 3.437 billion, while its diamond sales in terms of volume amounted to 30 million carats. Preliminary sales results for the two months reflected a return to favorable market conditions, the company stated in its materials. Speaking at the event, Andrey Zharkov, President of ALROSA said that the company expected its first-quarter sales and revenue would exceed those attained in the first quarter last year, as well as forecasts. It also follows from the presentation that ALROSA planned its capex at RUB 38.9 billion in 2016 and at RUB 32 billion in 2017. The companys actual capex in the past year reached RUB 34.2 billion (down 5%). ALROSA is Russia's largest diamond producer operating in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and in the Arkhangelsk Region. The company is developing 11 kimberlite pipes and 16 alluvial deposits. ALROSA Group produced 38.3 million carats of rough diamonds in 2015. The miners target for 2016 is set at 34-39 million carats. Falling commodity prices put pressure on Canadian stocks on Wednesday, sparking the second consecutive day of modest losses. Selling began at the outset of trading and continued steadily into the mid-morning. After holding steady during the middle of the day, the market saw another dip in the final couple hours of trading. The S&P/TSX Composite Index finished just off its low of the day, down 114.01 points, or 0.8 percent, to end at 13,379.48. A decline in crude prices provided the focus for much of the trading session. crude oil for May delivery tumbled $1.66 to $39.79 a barrel. The slide came amid the release of data showing an increase in crude inventories. Gold prices were also lower on the session. Gold for April delivery tumbled $24.60 to $1,224 an ounce. Strength in the U.S. dollar contributed to the decline in gold. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis General Steel Holdings (GSI) announced Friday morning that it has agreed to sell 100% of the equity interest in Maoming Hengda Steel Co. Ltd. to Tianwu Tongyong International Trade Co. Ltd, for approximately $51 million. General Steel Holdings has gapped open sharply higher Friday morning and is now up 0.95 at $2.27 on above average volume. The stock has jumped to a 2 1/2 month high. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News 50% of Indian mobile users wish to upgrade to new device in 5G era About 50 per cent of smartphone users in India plan to buy a new device within the first year as 5G ... I give my consent to Sakshi Post to be in touch with me via email for the purpose of event marketing and corporate communications. Privacy Policy Smoky Hill Hollow adds scary thrills to annual haunted house The Saline County Rural Fire District 3-Hedville is planning for a few nights of frights in their annual Smoky Hill Hollow Haunted House this year. An initiative, Returnees against Violence launched on Monday by members of the Samoa Returnees Charitable Trust is the first phase of an overall plan. According to Trust Director, Magele Vernon Mackenzie, their invitation to their stakeholders and community networks evoked a healthy exchange of ideas so as to further develop the counselling component of their services. I feel to meet our objectives we need to incorporate the families and support systems in the villages. Hence, we are on track to make this a reality through a milestone joint venture for the Trust, said Magele. We have aligned our programme with the Samoa Victim Support Group (S.V.S.G) Mens Advocacy who facilitated the workshop with an emphasis on a spiritual and cultural approach. Magele said that the recent fighting amongst the students (at risk youth) is the tip of the iceberg and is indicative of the wider issues of violence in our country. As you know the precursors to this recent initiative was our Act Right Do Right intervention campaign at the schools as well as our Reality Check Programme that is on-going through our partnership with the Ministry of Police, Samoa Corrections and Community Probation & Parole under the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration. Robert Louis Stevenson Secondary (R.L.S.S) yesterday held an Easter programme to acknowledge all that Jesus Christ has done for the world. Easter is a time to celebrate the amazing love of Jesus Christ when he died and rose again to save the world. And R.L.S.S spared no expense with making this years Easter holiday one to remember. Students from all the year levels performed dances, songs, testimonies and skits with a clear cut message Jesus died for you and I. Emotions were high as the crowd cheered on some performances, laughed at others, and a few performances left some silently reflecting on all the goodness Jesus has done in their lives. Principal, Masa Faasau, says the school has only been doing Easter programmes for the past three years now. This is the 3rd year that weve been having this and the idea came from the student council: Mr. Taefu, prefects and all the class captains, she said. Weve never really done anything here at the school for Easter before the idea came up 3 years ago and Im proud that we are now celebrating this special time the right way. According to Ms. Faasau, the Easter programme has really developed over time and it is a good way to distract the students from all the negativity going around these days. It only started with just a few items from the students but now it has developed into something big and great something great for the school, for the teachers, and for the students, she said. This is also a good way to take the childrens minds off all the violence thats been happening between schools and putting the focus on Jesus. The school does not limit itself in terms of religion but this does not stop them from celebrating Easter together. Were not a Christian school and were not into discrimination against religions because everyone has their own beliefs but everyone participated anyway, Ms. Faasau said. Having programmes like this has really proven to add stability in the lives of these students. The kids for Christ Club in the school also took this opportunity to present Namulauulu Tautala Mauala (Secretary General for Red Cross Samoa) with donations from the students which consisted of care packages and $2,350. The donations will go to helping out victims of Cyclone Winston in Fiji. Prisoner Lauititi Tualima has been smacked with a further five years sentence by the Supreme Court for stealing close to $50,000 from a local supermarket. Justice Lesatele Rapi Vaai delivered the sentence for another charge of burglary and two counts of intentional damage to which he pleaded guilty. According to the police summary of facts, the accused Tualima was a prisoner at Olomanu when he escaped. On the night of 24 August 2015 around 10pm, he broke into Farmer Joes Supermarket at Vaitele where he attempted to break into the ATM machine thats there. Failing that, he turned to where the supermarkets cash was kept and stole $41,439.40 cash and cheques totalling $8,438.12. The total amount of money he stole was $49,877.52. Tualima, 23, is from the villages of Satapuala and Luatuanuu. Given an opportunity to address the Court, he apologised and asked for leniency. But Justice Lesatele was not convinced at all. He described him as a professional criminal who has obviously decided to make Tafaigata his home for life. Justice Lesatele said the defendant has had already many years in prison and as a result of this offending, more years will be added. Like most people yesterday, I was deeply touched by Manamea Apelu-Schwalgers story about her battle with advanced breast cancer. If anything, her fighting spirit and determination to do what she can to promote healthy living among her people is what stands out for me. You see, amidst her struggles and the unimaginable pain she must be going through, Mana exhibits courage and faith in her God. They are traits to be admired and emulated. Weve always known that cancer is a big problem. But in Samoas case, its a lot more serious. According to information revealed during the National Commemoration of Cancer Day on these shores, cancer is the number one killer in Samoa. Thats pretty scary when we stop and think about it. We say this because when we look at our health priorities, cancer is rarely mentioned. The focus is always on non-communicable diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and others, which is not wrong by the way. But perhaps with the knowledge we have now about cancer, we should be paying a lot more attention. The fact is, all of us are affected by it one way or another. There is not a single person in this country who is not connected or a relative of someone who has passed on or struggling with cancer. In the words of many people who have suffered from it, cancer does not discriminate. And a classic example is Manamea. A beautiful and intelligent Samoan tamaitai who displays poise, dignity and class above all, who wouldve thought? Alas, she is not immune. No one is. Thirteen months ago, I came to the National Hospital after self examination on my left breast where I discovered a lump, she recalled. Unfortunately for me, after my surgery the lump was found to be malignant and so my journey started as a cancer patient. Just to illustrate the seriousness of cancer in Samoa, according to Manamea, at Acute Seven that day, of six patients, three suffered from cancer. Through the Samoa Medical Scheme, Manamea was able to travel to New Zealand to undergo surgery and six months of chemotherapy. It was a trip that brought relief if only temporary. I came home elated. I thought I had beaten cancer, she said. In November, I underwent my third surgery because the lump had come back and cancer has come back aggressively. Today, Manamea is a woman on a mission. Cancer does not discriminate, she said. But dont cry for me. I dont want your pity, I dont want your sorrow, I want your strength. Come closer to me, said the minister this morning, I want your love, because if I can, we can. Her ultimate goal is for Samoans to live healthier lifestyles. I beg of you make healthier choices for yourself and for your children, she said. Choose healthier living. Cancer has no cure but it can be made to go into remission As for now, Manamea knows every day is a gift. As such she is living life to the fullest with a very supportive husband, Alan, and her family. My last reflection is, God has a master plan for us all and Im going to be brave for whatever second, minute, day, year that He gives me, she said. I will live and breathe and hope that my story, my strength will challenge the next person to look at healthier living and choices. Well Manamea, your story has certainly challenged this column. And we are sure everyone who has read it would feel the same. Let me tell you something though, Manamea is not the only one. There are many Samoans living with similar stories to tell. They are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and some of them are children. If they dont inspire us, I dont what will. You see, life is tough. You and I know that. And we often complain about this and that even some very insignificant things. But someone else will always have it tougher. If you thought your lot couldnt get any worse, you dont want to know what the next person is going through. Theirs is worse. And the cycle goes on. Which is why it pays to be nice to every one even strangers - because you simply dont know what they are going through. That smile you give the next person might be the best thing that has happened to them in a long time. Today is a gift and tomorrow is the unknown. In this life, weve got choose our priorities right and sweat on the things that matter. Not every battle is for me and you. Unless your last name is God, weve got to leave some battles for other people to fight. The point is that weve got to prioritise what matters. Earlier this week, thanks to Fauono Sina Mualia for constantly sharing the Word for Today, I will end this piece by sharing this with you. Titled Dad, Show Your Children You Love Them, it spoke volumes to me. I hope it does the same to you as you take time out to reenergise this weekend. Here it is: Canoeing specialist Bill Havens was almost guaranteed to win a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. But a few months before the games he learned that his wife would likely give birth to their first child while he was away. She told him that she could make it on her own, but this was a milestone Bill didnt want to miss. So he surprised everyone and stayed home. He greeted his infant son, Frank, into the world on 1 August 1924. Though he always wondered what might have been, he said he never regretted his decision. He poured his life into that little lad, and shared with him a love for the rapids. Twenty-four years passed, and the Olympic Games were held in Finland. This time his son Frank was chosen to compete in the canoeing event. The day after the competition, Bill received a telegram from Frank that read: Dear Dad, thanks for waiting around for me to be born. Im coming home with the gold medal that you should have won. It was signed Your loving son, Frank. Bill Havens wanted his family to know they always came first, no matter what. And that made him a hero to a little boy named Frank. Bill understood that medals tarnish, records are broken, and achievements are soon forgotten. These things dont satisfy. What does? The love you have for your children, and the love they have for you. Jesus pointed out that even when a child is wayward, a parents love can restore them. Are you neglecting your family today? If so, take action immediately! Make the most of that gift called today. And do enjoy some quality time with the people that matter the most, God bless! 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News Santa Paulas Mayor made the formal announcement that he has entered the race for Supervisor at a press conference last week where Martin Hernandez told a crowd of supporters he has what it takes to get the job done. And that includes making sure the interests of the Santa Clara River Valley communities of Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru are also met in the large 3rd District that includes Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Lockwood Valley and portions of Oxnard and Naval Base Ventura County. Hernandez, a Ventura County native, is chief of staff for 3rd District Supervisor Kathy Long, who is retiring. Pamela Fuller of Santa Paula was on hand with a Martin for Supervisor sign, noting her support stems from her personal admiration of the candidates integrityI know he has experience and relationships already formed, throughout the county. And, she added, We need a Supervisor who will represent the interests of Santa Paula Richard Rudman agreed noting, Im out here supporting the home team, among a crowd that also included various county officials as well as Supervisor John Zaragoza who has endorsed Hernandez. Martin, Zaragoza told the crowd will hit the ground running... Laura Hernandez, the retired assistant director of Ventura County Emergency Services, introduced notables in the crowd including Port Hueneme Councilman Jim Hensley and Fillmore Councilman Manuel Minjares. Hernandez said she worked closely with the candidate and not only shares his commitments but also admires his proven record of service Santa Paula Councilman John Procter said he admires My brother from another mother, who has demonstrated sensitivity and spirituality through various positions in public service. Martin has a sense of fairness and treats a farmworker the way he treats a congressman, with the same dignity and integrity Speaking as a private citizen Santa Paula Police Chief Steve McLean said Hernandez possesses experience in leadership but remains a humble man. By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News Consul Berenice Diaz Ceballos updated the City Council on the operations, services and outreach efforts of the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard at the March 7 meeting. Ceballos said she was honored to appear and describe the services provided by the consulate to the Tri-Counties. The Consul since 2013, Ceballos said, It is important to know that Mexico has the largest number of consulates in the United States, including 10 in California. The role of the consulate is to Protect and defend the dignity and rights and interests of Mexicans living abroad. As everybody knows normally when people talk about the consulate they think about passports, but Ceballos said it is much more. The consulate offers a civil registry, can perform marriages and issue birth certificates for dual citizenship. It has a public notary and can issue powers of attorney, wills and can help those with business or individual issues in Mexico. American citizens do not require a visa if they stay less than 180 days in Mexico. No Visa is required, she added, for American citizens who stay less than 180 days. The consulate provides health services and promotes exercise and proper nutrition, has resources for insurance programs and holds literacy classes reading and writing at various locations. Consulate representatives keep tabs on those Mexican citizens that are incarcerated, helps families find a missing members, gives free textbooks to students and helps with funeral arrangements including the transfer of lost loved ones to Mexico for burial. The consulate also offers mobile services to areas 70 miles or more from the Oxnard office; such monthly weekend visits draw up to 350 people each day who need services or advice from the consulate. The consulate uses media widely to spread awareness of its mission and programs and the consulate is heavily involved in community affairs including social clubs and cultural events. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- MarketResearchReports.biz announces the addition of a new research report, titled "China Defense Industry Report: 2016 Edition." This 64-page research publication offers readers a comprehensive evaluation of the defense industry in China, in addition to an extensive assessment of the various segments such as the nuclear industry, the shipbuilding sector, and the aviation industry. Market dynamics such as the key developments and trends and the major hurdles have been analyzed in absolute detail. The armed forces in the People's Republic of China the Chinese People's Liberation Army functions under the Central Military Commission, which is responsible for leading the country's armed forces and for providing unified commands. The Central Military Commission also determines the strategies to be adopted by the forces and the basic operational structure of the military. Under the General Staff Headquarters, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has seven military regions. In December 2015, the Army revamped the structure of its department and added a new service branch the PLA Strategic Support Force. View Press Release Report at : http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressrelease/1096 The defense industry in China has been benefiting what analysts and experts call the most lucrative and productive years in the history of the country. The defense sector in China is propelled by the pent-up domestic demand, the increase in state funding, and the access to and the development of much-needed technological know-how pertaining to aircraft, equipment, missiles, shipbuilding, and others. The major factors that are projected to boost China's defense industry include the reduction in import reliance, the surge in military expenditure, the rise in exports, and rapid economic growth. Some of the significant developments in this sector are the changes in pricing models, the rise in asset injections, the growing modernization of the People's Liberation Army, and the surge in management incentives as part of China's state-owned enterprises reforms. 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The military expenditures of China, the US, and Russia have been compared to give readers a clear understanding of China's military spending by allocation and its military equipment trade by country and category. About MarketResearchReports.biz MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries. Contact us: Mr. Nachiket State Tower 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948 Website: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ E : sales@marketresearchreports.biz Biddeford, ME -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- A small criminal defense firm based in Biddeford, Maine recently announced that their Founding Partner, Attorney William Bly, received a remarkable 10.0 Avvo rating for his outstanding performances when representing clients. The Law Office of William T. Bly specializes in representing clients accused of committing criminal acts as well as personal injury victims. According to Avvo's website, the leading online attorney rating program in the nation, the unbiased attorney ratings that are available on their website are based on a variety of factors. The company calculates each attorney's ratings using a comprehensive mathematical model based on information available through the public domain such as the attorney's current state bar associations, websites, regulatory agencies, and court records as well as peer endorsements. Attorney ratings are based on a 1.0 to 10.0 rating scale, with 1.0 as the lowest rating possible. This system is designed to help individuals when choosing an attorney to represent their case. Furthermore, while client ratings and feedback do not factor into the attorney's Avvo rating, the website does offer this service to individuals to further help others. About Attorney William Bly Attorney William Bly has maintained a superb Avvo rating for several years. Specializing in the areas of criminal defense and DUI law, his firm also handles cases involving personal injury. Attorney Bly has received numerous awards throughout his career including the New England Super Lawyers Rising Star Award. 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Bly 50 Adams Street, Biddeford, Maine 04005 207-571-8146 wtb@williamblylaw.com http://www.williamblylaw.com Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- Description GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research: "Critical Care Therapeutics in Major Developed Markets to 2020 - New and Late-Stage Four-Factor PCCs and Recombinant Products to Drive Market", which provides in-depth analysis of the critical care market in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and Canada. The report provides an estimation of market size for 2013, along with market forecasts to 2020. It covers critical care indications that are being treated using the five major plasma-derived products of albumin, anti-thrombin concentrates, factor XIII concentrates, fibrinogen concentrates, and prothrombin complex concentrates. The total value of the critical care market in the major developed markets was estimated at $1.8 billion in 2013 and is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.7% to $2.5 billion in 2019. This growth is attributed to the recent approval of new factor concentrates in the US that are expected to witness increasing uptake in the forecast period. Factor concentrates are increasingly preferred due to their lower infection risks over older alternatives such as FFP and cryoprecipitate in critical care settings. The US accounts for the largest share (41%) of the global critical care market and is expected to post high growth at a CAGR of 7.5% until 2020. KCentra, the first four-factor PCC in the US, and Tretten, the first recombinant FXIII concentrate, were approved in 2013 and are expected to witness good uptake in the forecast period. Two additional factor concentrates approved in the US in 2009 RiaStap (human fibrinogen concentrate) and ATryn (recombinant AT concentrate) are also expected to increase their uptake, which will contribute to market growth. With no new significant launches in the forecast period, the European market is estimated to witness much slower growth, with the UK at a CAGR of 3.0%, France at 2.5%, Germany and Spain both at 2.3%, and Italy at 2.0% View Full Report at: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/211679 Scope The report analyzes treatment usage patterns, market characterization, pipeline analysis and key licensing and co-development deals in critical care in the eight major developed markets of the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and Canada. 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MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries. Contact Mr. Nachiket 90 Sate Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-621-2074 Website: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Indianapolis, IN -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- Sarah Fronczak of Bastian Solutions' Application Engineer, recommended a handful of low cost and high reward ergonomic solutions for manufacturers. Fronczak highlighted the benefits of investing in ergonomics, including reducing ergonomic risk factors, preventing expensive musculoskeletal injuries and workers' compensation claims. Fronczak also noted that a job that allows for good posture, less exertion, fewer motions and better heights and reaches, is safer and more efficient. Frustrated and fatigued workers do not do their best work, but this can be avoided by make their job process more comfortable and less taxing. Ergonomics improves employee engagement because employees who do not experience pain and discomfort during the work day are happier and more engaged, leading to reduced turnover and absenteeism. A company's commitment to safety and health is apparent to employees, so investing in ergonomic products shows the value of employees. To read more, go to: http://ow.ly/YSnFC Bastian Solutions will be exhibiting at the 2016 MODEX show April 4-7, 2016 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Bastian Solutions will be located at booth #3779. About Bastian Solutions Bastian Solutions (http://ow.ly/LaOTe), a global material handling systems integrator and expert in e-commerce fulfillment automation is an innovator in the fields of material handling automation, goods-to-person systems, wearable AR technology, supply chain software, and robotics. Bastian Solutions recently announced the acquisition of Forte Engineering. The merge creates a turnkey software suite for beverage distributors and strengthens the companies' overall product offerings and customer support. Bastian Solutions is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, with an additional 16 domestic offices and 7 international offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, and Qatar. Uniquely positioned, Bastian Solutions offers customers complete and innovative turnkey material handling systems, from design and simulation, all the way through installation and operations. Modern Materials Handling named Bastian Solutions 2015 Top 20 Systems Suppliers Worldwide. Bastian Solutions provides integrated material handling systems reducing the total cost of order fulfillment and delivery cycle times for its customers; tremendous productivity gains and a quick return on investment are ensured. Automating supply chain logistics with harmony between material flow, information flow, and operational processes, yields a unique and important competitive advantage. Follow Bastian Solutions on Twitter @BastianSolution. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- Future Market Insights (FMI) announced the release of a latest report titled, "POU Water Purifiers Market: MENA Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020". FMI estimates that the Point of Use (POU) water purifier market in Middle East and North Africa is expected to reach US$ 471 Mn at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2014 to 2020. Residential water purification system includes point of use water purifiers (POU), point of entry (POE) water purifiers, portable water purifiers. Moreover, the demand for POU water purifiers is high among consumers in MENA region as compared to POE and portable water purifiers. In the POU water purifiers market, products with high purification capabilities such as combination of reverse osmosis (RO) and Ultraviolet (UV) technologies are more preferred. It has also been observed that a majority of the demand is coming from urban centres in GCC when compared to the entire MENA region. Market Segments The POU water purifiers market is segmented on the basis of technology which includes RO, UV and media-based. RO technology based water purifiers segment is estimated to account for slightly over 40% of the total POU water purifiers market in MENA region in 2014. Media-based water purification, which is a conventional water purification technology has also witnessed technological advancements, and is estimated to display a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period, in terms of volume. The third technology, UV based water purifiers, is estimated to exhibit a sluggish growth rate during the forecast period due to its limitation in removing only organic contaminants from water. Additionally, UV-based water purifiers are also priced higher in comparison to media-based water purifiers and hence the product preference for UV based water purifiers is comparatively low. Request Free Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ma-30 Region-wise, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Algeria are the promising markets for POU water purifiers. In addition, a cumulative scenario has been highlighted for rest of MENA (includes smaller countries like Kuwait, Jordan etc.). Among the aforementioned regions, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is estimated to be the prominent market for POU water purifiers, followed by Turkey, due to its growing population and rapid urbanization, and increasing awareness for safe drinking water forecast period. In addition, penetration of bottled water is a challenge for the POU water purifiers market in Anatolia. As a result, Anatolia is estimated to demonstrate a sluggish growth rate in the near future. Furthermore, POU water purifiers market in UAE is anticipated to reach 149.2 thousand units by 2020, exhibiting a CAGR of 10% between 2014 and 2020. Drivers and Restraints Deteriorating water quality, rising cost of bottled water, increasing population coupled with increasing per capita income are some of the prominent factors which will catalyse the point of use water purifiers in the region. Though the MENA market is attractive in terms of absolute dollar opportunity, low awareness about safe drinking water and product unavailability are major challenges for the MENA POU water purifier market. Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-ma-30 Competitive Landscape Key players operating in the MENA water purifier market are LG, Eureka Forbes, Strauss Water, Panasonic, WaterLife and Coolplex. The report sheds light on their key growth strategies and recent developments. In addition, the report also discusses the value chain followed by multinational companies in MENA for POU water purifiers. Richmond, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- Award-winning criminal defense attorney Standish Alexander, located in Richmond, Virginia, recently announced that he has received an outstanding 10.0 Avvo rating. This rating is the highest attainable through the exclusive legal rating website; less than one percent of attorneys achieve this rating within their practice area. According to Avvo, the leading online review site exclusively for lawyers and law firms, ratings are determined on a ten-point scale, calculated using a mathematical model. The ratings are based on several key areas regarding the attorneys, most of which is readily available in the public domain. Data used in determining an attorney's rating include information collected from state bar associations, attorney websites, regulatory agencies, court records, as well as peer reviews. While clients may also rate and provide feedback on an attorney's Avvo profile, the system does not take these ratings into consideration. Attorney Standish Alexander's law firm, Alexander Law Office, P.C. is rated as one of the most experienced, aggressive, and competent criminal defense firms in the Richmond area. The highly skilled team of attorneys at the firm are dedicated to helping the accused seek justice and clear their name to fulfill a better, happier life. The firm primarily focuses on cases involving criminal activity such as DUI, DWI, assault, drug charges, juvenile offenses, and speeding tickets, however, they are also experienced in handling several personal injury cases throughout southern and central Virginia. About Standish Alexander For over 20 years, Attorney Standish Alexander has represented clients accused of criminal acts and wrongfully injured victims throughout the Richmond area. He has earned the reputation of being an experienced, aggressive, efficient, and affordable defense attorney among his peers, colleagues, and clients. "My goal is simply to be cost effective while achieving the best possible case results for my clients," said Attorney Alexander. Since earning his law degree from the TC Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in 1993 and opening his legal practice, his firm has received numerous awards, accreditations, and association memberships including the 2015 Best Attorneys of America Award by Rue Ratings' and an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau. Additionally, the firm has been recognized by the National Advocacy for DUI Defense, LLC (NAFDD) for three consecutive years as one of the top 100 DUI attorneys in the state of Virginia. Attorney Alexander's firm, conveniently located in the center of Richmond, Virginia, offers a free, confidential case evaluation by phone or email, and welcomes new clients to contact the firm to discuss their case. For more information about Alexander Law Office, P.C. or to schedule a free case evaluation, please visit http://www.standishalexanderlaw.com or call 804-355-0016. Media Contact Standish Alexander Alexander Law Office, P.C. 2222 Monument Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23220 804-355-0016 standisha@earthlink.net http://www.standishalexanderlaw.com Brooklyn, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- A recent market research report has been recently added to the research report repository of QYResearchReports. The report deals with the historical data about the United States cocoa and chocolate market and analyzes the present state of the market based on the market's vital elements. The research study also forecasts the future state of the market on the basis of the projections studied by analyzing the huge amount of data gathered through primary and secondary research methods. The study also provides insightful inputs from industry experts and offers a clear picture of the cocoa and chocolate industry in the U.S. The research report is titled "United States Cocoa & Chocolate Industry 2016 Market Research Report." It studies the overall industry across the U.S. and provides details including actual production, production capacity, cost structure, price structure, and revenue of the cocoa and chocolate industry across the U.S. and the major vendors in the industry. In the industry overview section, the research report talks about the specifications of the cocoa and chocolate industry in the U.S., along with the classification and applications of it in various sectors. To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @ http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=559848&type=E Chocolate is a sweet food preparation that is made using Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seeds. These seeds are first roasted, then grounded, and are mostly flavored with vanilla. The sweet taste of the final product is appreciated by all age groups, owing to which the cocoa and chocolate market has gained traction and is one of the most promising markets across the globe. Chocolates are generally available in three types, namely white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. The U.S. cocoa and chocolate market is estimated to witness rapid growth owing to the rising demand for chocolate across the region. The adoption of cocoa seeds and chocolates in various food products and preparations is further expected to fuel the growth of the industry in the forecast period. Moreover, several manufacturers are taking efforts to introduce new products in the market so as to attract consumers and boost sales figures. The research report has further provided market shares and estimates of each segment of the industry to determine the growth trajectory of the U.S. cocoa and chocolate industry in the coming years. Browse Complete Report with Table of Content @ http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/united-states-cocoa-and-chocolate-industry-2016-market-research-report.htm The research report further analyzes the regulatory scenario, along with the competitive landscape of the U.S. cocoa and chocolate industry. The analysis provides detailed profiles of the major businesses operating in the U.S. cocoa and chocolate industry, focusing on the company overview, product portfolio, business policies, SWOT analysis, financial overview, and recent developments. Some of the major players mentioned in the research study are Barry Callebaut, Olam International Limited, Puratos Group, Cargill, Cemoi, Blommer Chocolate, Nestle, Meiji Holdings, Cocoa Processing Company, ADM, and Mars. The U.S. industry is dominated by the major companies; nevertheless, the entry of local players is encouraging stiff competition in the industry. Related Reports: - North America Cocoa Industry 2015 - United States Chocolate Industry 2016 - China Chocolate Industry 2016 - India Chocolate Market 2016 London, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- Usgreencardoffice.com which is one of the most trusted and efficient agency has been known to do more than help people with application for citizenship in the United States. The professionals at the US green card office have simplified the immigration and green card application process. The site has also been offering complete information for the process of green card application through DV lottery. Officially known as the diversity lottery program, it is also known as the DV lottery or green card lottery program. The information provided at the site also added that this program allows 50,000 applicants to receive green cards as part of this random lottery process. Green cards are issued every year to people all across the world as part of this random lottery process. The site also added that this lottery draw happen via random computer generated lottery draw. It has been designed to offer an opportunity for immigrants from all around the world to immigrate to the United States. The citizenship and green card application process is quite complex and the majority of the people are not able to get it without correctly without help. However, the immigration and green card application process can be simplified with the professional help from Usgreencardoffice.com. According to the information provided at Usgreencardoffice.com, their team of experts offer the much needed help for filling the application for. There are many kinds of documents in the application process where people will require assistance. The site also added that there are many people who are not familiar with the English language that makes the process of getting into the United States all the more complicated. However, with the assistance of reliable immigration agency, one can be ensured of getting the paperwork completed correctly and quickly hence making the process of application smooth and enable in achieving their American dream. For more details go to http://www.usgreencardoffice.com/ About Usgreencardoffice Usgreencardoffice.com is one of the top agencies in the United States that offers experts assistance to people to make the green card application process smooth and easy. Contact Media: Usgreencardoffice London, UK admin@usgreencardoffice.com Sarasota, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/24/2016 -- Orthopedic surgeon and founder of Bennett Orthopedics and Sportsmedicine (http://www.bennettorthosportsmed.com) William F. Bennett, MD, recently started a sister company in Sonora, Mexico called Ziptek Sa De Cv, equivalent to an American LLC. Bennett, who has been practicing orthopedic medicine for 20 years, started the medical device company Ziptek, LLC of Sarasota (http://www.ziptekglobal.com) in 2012, and now has seven patents expanded globally. He has partnered with some of the best biomedical engineers and mechanical engineers from Mexico's top-notch Monterrey Tech to provide support to Ziptek manufacturing locations based in Naples, Florida and Lake Zurich, Illinois, with assembly and packaging in Charlotte, Illinois. Bennett's Mexican partner, biomedical engineer Ramses Galaz, PhD, is a professor in this system and teaches in multiple locations throughout Mexico, including Monterrey, Hermosillo and Mexico City. Dr. Galaz is the first to design, develop and manufacture a Mexican/Latin American originated cardiac stent. Others in Bennett's Ziptek group include Andrea Siller, engineer and founder of Bioana Sa De CV, a Mexico-based FDA consulting business. Siller recently presented a speech to the president of Mexico at a national entrepreneur conference in Mexico City. Bennett registered his company Ziptek Mexico in 2015, and with the help of his top notch associates won a six figure grant from the federally-based Conacyt foundation, which provides grants designed to help Mexico work globally in a synergistic fashion with companies from other countries. Bennett notes that this is a foundational event, as the grant ratios are the reverse of what he has explored in the US. Whereas a US-based program would often match 20 to 30 percent of what the company might invest or capitalize, in Mexico they are funding about 80 percent. He sees this as a strong move to expand Mexico's economy and potentially relocate some American and even European and Chinese-based manufacturing to Mexico. Central and South America are likely to be impacted by Mexico-based manufacturing as well. While his main manufacturing and assembly is based in the US, Bennett notes that certain areas of process could be conducted outside of the US for more efficient prices. For instance, he pays one US company's employee $80/hr for simple assembly, a price that can be significantly altered in his strategic Mexico company. About Ziptek Mexico Ziptek Mexico has also applied for a similar grant with the United Kingdom, and plans to continue its efforts in Israel and parts of the Middle East. Media Contact Henry Raines 941-953-5509 Email:bennettorthopedics2@verizon.net Url: http://www.bennettorthosportsmed.com/ Url: http://www.ziptekglobal.com/ Fieldwork at the Pliocene site of Kantis, Kenya, has yielded fossilized teeth and forearm bone attributable to Australopithecus afarensis, a hominid species that lived from 3.85 to 2.95 million years ago. The new fossils from an adult male and two infant Australopithecus afarensis suggest that this hominid species lived far eastward beyond the Great Rift Valley and much farther than previously thought. The fossils all date to between 3.5 and 3.3 million years ago, according to a team of scientists led by Dr. Emma Mbua of Mount Kenya University and Dr. Masato Nakatsukasa of Kyoto University. Australopithecus afarensis was previously known from northern Ethiopia to northern Tanzania, the researchers said. The presence of A. afarensis in the Turkana basin of Kenya is contested. The Kantis hominin specimens are the first clear evidence of this species in Kenya. In addition, Kantis is unique in Kenya in its location on the eastern shoulder of the Gregory Rift Valley, hence expanding the A. afarensis range east of the Rift Valley. According to the team, the Kantis region was humid, but had a plain-like environment with fewer trees compared to other sites in the Great Rift Valley where Australopithecus afarensis fossils had previously appeared. The hominid must have discovered suitable habitats in the Kenyan highlands, Dr. Nakatsukasa said. It seems that A. afarensis was good at adapting to varying environments. The teams survey also turned up masses of mammal fossils, including a few that probably belong to new species of bovids or baboons. The Kantis fossils were described in the Journal of Human Evolution. _____ Emma Mbua et al. 2016. Kantis: A new Australopithecus site on the shoulders of the Rift Valley near Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 94, pp. 28-44; doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.006 Earths moon wandered off its original axis about 3 billion years ago, a new study led by Southern Methodist University planetary researcher Matt Siegler reports. Dr. Siegler and his colleagues from the United States and Japan discovered antipodal water deposits on the Moon that may indicate its poles have shifted over time. An antipodal water distribution pattern means that water deposits at the north and south lunar poles point in opposite directions. This is unexpected, since if the water is recent it should be distributed approximately uniformly around the poles. This led us to postulate that the off-axis and antipodal nature of the water deposits might hint at an ancient pole, said co-author Dr. Richard Miller from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. If the water distribution is indicative of ancient lunar poles called paleo-poles it suggests the Moon tipped over, or re-oriented, sometime in the past. That would mean that billions of years ago the Moon was oriented differently, with a different set of poles, and then tipped over to its current orientation. The Moon likely relocated its axis starting about 3 billion years ago or more, slowly moving over the course of a billion years, etching a path in its ice, Dr. Siegler said. Over time, the axis shifted 125 miles (200 km), or 6 degrees. The scientists made the discovery while examining data from NASAs Lunar Prospector and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter missions known to indicate lunar polar hydrogen. This was such a surprising discovery, Dr. Siegler said. We tend to think that objects in the sky have always been the way we view them, but in this case the face that is so familiar to us the Man on the Moon changed. Billions of years ago, heating within the Moons interior caused the face we see to shift upward as the pole physically changed positions. It would be as if Earths axis relocated from Antarctica to Australia. As the pole moved, the Man on the Moon turned his nose up at the Earth. The teams discovery, published this week in the journal Nature, opens the door to further discoveries around an even deeper question the mystery of why there is water on the Moon and on Earth. Scientific theory surrounding the formation of the Solar System postulates water could not have formed much closer to the Sun than Jupiter, Dr. Siegel said. We dont know where the Earths water came from. It appears to have come from the outer Solar System well after the Earth and Moon formed. Ice on other bodies, like the Moon or Mercury, might give us a clue to its origin. The fact lunar ice correlates so well with true polar wander implies that it predates this motion, making the ice very ancient. The ice may be a time capsule from the same source that supplied the original water to Earth. This is a record we dont have on Earth. Our planet has reworked itself so many times, theres nothing that old left here. Ancient ice from the Moon could provide answers to this deep mystery. _____ M.A. Siegler et al. 2016. Lunar true polar wander inferred from polar hydrogen. Nature 531, 480-484; doi: 10.1038/nature17166 [MANILA] The amount of water that will be released from a Chinese dam until 10 April could be too low to help alleviate drought-stricken South-East Asia. China wants to make sure that its presence in the lower Mekong basin is acknowledged formally. By Diana Suhardiman, International Water Management Institute The Chinese government has not clarified the exact amount of water to be released from the Jinghong dam, located in the southwestern province of Yunnan, so the extent to which the water releases might impact the aquatic ecosystems of the Mekong River Basin is uncertain, Ian Baird, an associate geography professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States, tells SciDev.Net on occasion of World Water Day on 22 March. Moreover, the sporadic huge releases of water might prove to be damaging to aquatic life and farms. What is needed are flows that mimic natural water levels, not sporadic water releases from dams. This has been a problem with other dams in the past such as the Yali Falls dam in Vietnam, says Baird, who co-authored a 2002 study on the impact of that dam on villagers in northeast Cambodia and has extensive experience in the impact of water releases from dams in South-East Asia. The study, which was partially funded by the international charity Oxfam, found that large surges of water over short periods that contain very little sediment in it caused a lot of erosion downstream and amounted to almost US$2 million in loses in one remote province alone (Ratanakiri Province), mainly in lost boats, fishing gear and lost animals. In the past, China has been reprimanded for hoarding water in large dam reservoirs, which has resulted in low water levels in downstream communities during the dry season. Diana Suhardiman, a Laos-based social scientist at the International Water Management Institute, tells SciDev.Net that Chinas actions must be considered within the context of its One Belt, One Road initiative. The move partly aims to force for cooperation and investment in infrastructure in the lower Mekong region. In 2014, China proposed the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, a sub-region partnership with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. China wants to make sure that its presence in the lower Mekong basin is acknowledged formally not just in terms of investment, but also politically, Suhardiman says. This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets South-East Asia & Pacific desk. In its six week forecast the association remained grounded, pointing to overcapacity as the factor preventing rates from flying high in the face of a world output hike from 3.2% in 2012 to 3.5% this year. Even though 2013 is set to begin a downward trend in new tonnage and demolition is expected to stay strong at 3.6% of the total fleet, the escalating deliveries of the past four years have left a largely saturated market. Deliveries in January 2013 were at a seven month high of 8.1m dwt, in line with predictions of a front loaded year. Strong Chinese iron ore imports at the end of 2012 rallied full year figures to a 744m ton total, according to Chinese customs data, and Bimco expects a continuing preference for seaborne imports from Brazil and Western Australia to the middle kingdom, sating the hungry oversupplied capsize fleet with modest earnings. For the coal carriers the new Chinese five year energy plan is will have an uncertain impact, the plan caps coal equivalents at four billion tonnes, but this could see increased demand for imported coal as the higher quality imports give power plants greater energy output per tonne. The six week forecast is: capesize time charter average rates at $4,500-8,500 per day, panamax at $3,500-8,500 per day interval, supramax at $6,000-9,500 per day interval and handysize rates at the $5,000-8,000 per day. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. The announcement was made on Wednesday morning during the inauguration ceremony of the Canals state-of-the-art scale model manoeuvring training facility that will provide additional hands-on experience to pilots and tugboat captains to operate in the third set of locks. The ACP Administrator Jorge Quijano made the official notification accompanied by the President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, along with the Panama Canal board of directors Chairman and Minister of Canal Affairs, Roberto Roy, and the members of the ACP board of directors. The expansion programme is currently 97% complete. Final testing will be conducting in the following weeks. The new Panama Canal locks will allow containerships as large as 13,000 teu to 14,000 teu to use the waterway for the first time. Testing of all systems on the expanded Panama Canal project has been launched, the projects contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) consortium said earlier this month. The testing stage will see gates, valves, electrical and mechanical and hydraulic control systems thoroughly checked over a period of two months before moving to navigation tests. Over two thousand tests are to be conducted to check the inter-operability between operating systems on both sides of the Canal. Some 2,500 km of cables [three times and a half the length of the Panama country] electrical, fiber optic and signals- have to be connected. All important cables are connected between buildings and control towers and are already all in place, GUPC President Giuseppe Quarta told Seatrade Maritime News. We are in a phase where everybody is engaged in completion. There is still little to be done. In April the ACP will call a tender to broker the chartering of a vessel- either a LNG, a container or a tanker- that will make the navigation tests in the Atlantic Agua Clara new locks with two transits-round trip- per day in May and in June in the Pacific Cocoli locks, ACP Administrator Jorge Quijano told Seatrade Maritime News. There will be one single transit of a neo-panamax on the day of the inauguration June 26 and commercial operations will begin in full gear the following Monday June 27. The first transit [on June 26] will be raffled off to the top customers of the Canal, probably end of April but no later than May. The winner - as it is just the distinction of being the first neo-panamax vessel to transit the new locks - will still have to pay according to the new toll. Early in 2015, the ACP proposed a new tolls structure. The approval from the Panama Canals board of directors followed more than a year of consultations with industry representatives, an open call for comments, and a public hearing to solicit feedback on the proposed changes. The restructured tolls, which will feature a customer loyalty programme for the container segment, will go into effect at the opening of the expanded Canal. In FY2015, the highest amount of tonnage transitsed the Canal in its 101-year history. Some 340.8m Panama Canal tonnes (PC/UMS) of cargo moved through the waterway, representing a 4.3% year-on-year increase from 2014 and setting a cargo tonnage record. New York-listed Scorpio Tankers reached an agreement with an unaffiliated third party to buy four MR tankers currently under construction at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard of South Korea for approximately $36.5m each or $146m in total. The newbuildings are slated to be delivered between June to September this year. The transaction will be completed by way of novation of the existing shipbuilding agreements and remains subject to final documentation, Scorpio Tankers said. The company has also exercised options with the Korean shipyard for two handymax ice-class 1A vessels worth around $31.5m each or $63m in total. The deal comes with fixed price options for additional vessels. The ice-class vessels will be delivered to the owner in the third quarter of 2014. Scorpio Tankers now has a total of 39 newbuilding product tanker agreements, which include 23 MRs, eight LR2, and eight handymax ice-class 1A vessels, at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, SPP Shipbuilding, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, and Daewoo Shipping and Marine Engineering (DSME). Meanwhile, Scorpio Tankers updated its time charter-in agreements for three vessels. A 2003-built, 37,000 dwt handymax product tanker, due for delivery in mid-May, will require a rate of $12,600 a day over 24 months. The company also fixed a 2006-built, 106,000 dwt LR2 product tanker for 24 months at $15,400 a day, and a 2009-built, 115,000 dwt LR2 product tanker for 12 months at $16,250 a day. Delivery of the tankers are expected near the end of July and the end of the second quarter, respectively. The clubs risk management executive Colin Gillespie cited existing standardised contracts for armed security, with specific reference to Bimcos Guardcon, which has been drafted specifically in response to the piracy situation in the Indian Ocean, and the circumstances found in west Africa are quite different. Private armed guards cannot legally operate inside territorial waters in many of West Africas coastal states. Local laws require that armed guards should be from the local security forces. This introduces potential safety, security and political issues with the use of such guards, particularly if a vessel needs to operate in the territorial waters of more than one coastal state in the region. Further to this, cases have been noted of local agencies recruiting off-duty guards at lower cost. Operators should therefore seek to ensure that the agency they use is employing local security forces that are on duty, and as such are an informed and legitimate part of local intelligence and military networks, said Gillespie. All shipowners should seek expert legal and technical advice before entering into a contract to engage armed guards to protect their vessels in West Africa. Scrutiny of pirate activity on the West African coast has intensified after a number of cases of ships being hijacked off Nigeria and Liberia notably, tanker Gascogne, which is now free having been attacked on Monday, causing the injury of two crew. Jaya, a Singapore-based OSV builder and operator, has expressed concerns over the hike in prices of Chinese-built OSVs and the gradual improvements in designs and quality of the specialised ships. Chinese shipyards today are a threat. They are catching up fast and the price difference has also reduced sharply, Sheshashayee told delegates at the Sea Asia 2013 Offshore Marine Forum, part of the Offshore Marine Day. He explained that the newbuilding price differential between Chinese yards and European yards has fallen by 50 - 60% in today's market compared to 2010. Sheshashayee took the opportunity to reiterate Jaya's partnership with technology innovator IHC Merwede on designing a series of platform supply vessels (PSVs) built with European quality at Asian prices. Part of the reason that the price differential has narrowed can be attributed to the rising labour cost in China, which has been displaying economic growth of 7-8% annually for the past few years. In Shanghai, for example, labour cost has risen 11% in 2012, doubling from the previous year, according to Geir Sviggum, managing partner at Wikborg Rein. Good Chinese yards are not cheap, unless you are talking about those greenfield yards, Sheshashayee pointed out. Greenfield yards, typically privately-owned, are considered those that have yet to deliver a single vessel. We have to deal with this challenge from Chinese yards by moving up the value chain to areas where the Chinese have yet to catch up this is the only option to deal with Chinese threat, he said. Chinese shipbuilders generally have an edge over building low-end, small anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels and PSVs, while they have to compete to build medium-sized OSVs. But in the high-end, large OSV segment, their quality has yet reach international standards, according to Christian Bartz-Johannessen, managing director, RS Platou (Asia). Industry observers have generally pointed to a five-year period for Chinese OSV builders to narrow their quality gap with the European counterparts. The lack of skilled engineers and the tendency for Chinese yards to delay the delivery of the vessels are also areas of concern for their prospective clients. "I found Hong Kong shippers and carriers alike to be well informed about the challenge of VGM and Solas," she told Seatrade Maritime News, relating how her experiences with customers in the city have differed from clients in other shipping centres. "The level of information varies across the world and especially across Asia and it's delightful to see a very pragmatic and logical approach in the Hong Kong shipping community," she added. Explaining, Kuznetsova said people here understand that there are still some grey areas in implementation issues but rather than focusing on these, they are concentrating more on the fact that they need to start getting prepared. "In my mind that's a much more logical approach because the sooner we get to the stage that we accept the fact that preparedness is important, the more time the companies have for testing systems, changing processes and educating their staff," she said. "I was delighted to spend more time discussing better testing on the software than whether I think Solas will be delayed," Kuznetsova concluded, adding that much progress has already been made on INTTRAs eVGM Initiative and the development of an eVGM compliance software solution for carriers and shippers. The days of rapid demand growth in the industry are gone while high energy costs are here to stay, speakers such as Maersk Line Asia-Pacific chief executive Thomas Riber Knudsen, Pacific International Lines (PIL) managing director SS Teo, APL president Kenneth Glenn and Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL) ceo Andy Tung, said. This has had effects on the services being provided as lines look much more carefully now at costs now before introducing new services as well as continue the trend of slow steaming. The cumulative result of this has been to dampen the effects of excess tonnage supply. In terms of exciting new markets, several regions stood out. PIL's Teo singled out Africa as one but warned that it needs a "strong stomach" to go in as conditions are very dynamic and situations can be very volatile. APL's Glenn saw Latin America as a promising market that will stand to gain from the recent near sourcing trend in the Americas in particular as North American manufacturers move more of their production there. He also pointed to the Middle East as a market that has continued to "exhibit very strong growth", although the cascading of bigger vessels from other trades has created an excess supply situation there. Maersk Line is anticipating rising volumes in Busan on the back of increasing trade from the region into North Europe and Russia. The service will improve transit times on the westbound rotation by four to five days. The first vessel Ebba Maersk will call at Busan on 29 April. The service is a unique product in the market with a direct call between both Busan, Kwangyang and Gdansk, opening the Eastern gateway with faster transit times and high reliability, Maersk Line said in a statement. It added that the new 18,000 teu Triple-E containerships will soon be phased in on the AE10 service. Busan port moved around 17m teu of throughput in 2012, an increase from 16.2m teu in 2011. Transhipment cargoes, the driver behind the port's rising throughput, rose 10.5% year-on-year to 8.13m teu last year. Plans include the upgrades of container wharf facilities comprising Wharf 8, 9 and 10 and the purchasing of new container handling equipment so that it can handle bigger ships as well as expand its volume capacity. Further development includes the upgrading of Southpoint, the oldest section of the port to handle break bulk, liquid and dry bulk cargo. The move follows $164m development of a new 350mtr container berth called Wharf 8A, bringing the container quayline at the port to a total of 3.4km. "Wharf 8A, which will be operational in August this year, will inject an additional container handling capacity of 600,000teu to the current 5m teu," said ceo Abi Sofian Abdul Hamid in an interview with the Malaysia Sun. Board approval for the redevelopment funding is still under discussion. The news follows Northport's acquisition of 13 Electric Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes - the first in Malaysia - greatly improving its container handling speed, to 58 seconds standard cycle time, as well as fuel consumption. The E-RTG energy consumption cost is only 35% of a Diesel-powered RTG. By adopting this new technology, we are expected to reduce the fuel cost significantly," said Hamid. The Philippines faces the first of two crucial EMSA audits this week on its implementation and issuance of STCW certification, with a second audit in October this year. A failure by the Philippines to comply with the findings of EMSA audits in 2006 and 2010 led to a threat to ban Filipino seafarers from working on European Union-flagged vessels. An issue central to failing the EMSA audit was the lack of a central body controlling the certification of seafarers and the monitoring of the quality of training the Philippines 94 maritime schools and academies. With measures that have been taken to centralise authority under Marina following Executive Order 75 by the Philippines President Benigno Aquino III last year, Marinas officer-in-charge, Conti, appeared hopeful the Philippines would make it through the first audit which takes place from 16 19 April. We are ready for this audit, he told Seatrade Global on the sidelines of the TSM Group annual conference in Manila on Monday. We have been able to get the support of everyone in the industry and other agencies. He added that experts from the IMO and Europe who helped the Philippines in the process said if all the new measures had been implemented before 2010 they would have passed the EMSA audit that year. We have the power under Executive Order 75 to look into all the processes of the agencies and ensure they comply, he told the conference. As it stand now five different regulatory and certification bodies now come under the purview of Marina for seafarer certification. However, moves to bring all the power under Marina have so far achieved mixed results and for example legislation is still required for Marina to be able to issue certificates currently issued by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC). With the help of international assistance the Philippines authorities have trained 34 inspectors to monitor the countrys maritime schools and academies. Previously the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) outsourced the inspection process to the private sector resulting in conflicts of interest as often the people hired to do the monitoring were related to the maritime schools themselves. Failure to meet the demands of the EMSA audit would have major repercussions for both the Philippines crewing industry and the global shipping industry. It is very important that the Philippines gets STCW compliance under control, said Carsten Brix Ostenfeldt, ceo of Thome Shipmanagement. Conti noted that should the country fail the EMSA audit it could result in the loss of employment opportunities for 80,000 seafarers, who remit some $1.2bn in wages back the Philippines annually. Addressing over 400 top maritime industry executives from across Asia and beyond at the official opening of Sea Asia 2013 DPM Tharman outlined a number of initiatives to cement Singapores position as an International Maritime Centre. While the industry globally faces great challenges, the Singapore government takes the long-term view and we remain committed to developing the maritime sector, he said. Highlighted by DPM Tharman as perhaps the most important strategy of three measures announced was enhancing manpower development and the skills and quality of the workforce. From August this year the Singapore Management University (SMU) will launch a new Maritime Economics concentration under its School of Economics. Economics and Finance undergraduates can pursue a structured curriculum comprising maritime-related modules, internships, overseas study missions and talks by industry experts. Upon graduation, these students will be well-placed to take shore-based positions in the industry, said DPM Tharman. The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will also be setting up a Global Internship Award offering a fully sponsored maritime-focused internship with local and overseas attachments. The MPA plans to set aside $S2m for 100 interns over the next five years. Turning to maritime R&D programmes, DPM Tharman announced an extension by the MPA of its S$100m Maritime Innovation and Technology (Mint) Fund. To continue to develop Singapores maritime R&D capabilities, the MPA has extended the fund for another five years with a top-up of S$50m. To date the 10-year old programme has committed S$93m to some 13 R&D programmes including ballast water treatment systems and automated guided vehicles for ports. Looking to the area of productivity DPM Tharman said: Productivity improvements are indeed critical not only for Singapores maritime sector but also across the global maritime industry, given the universal challenges of cost pressures and shortage of skilled manpower. From the beginning of June, the MPA will introduce a S$25m Productivity Programme under the Maritime Cluster Fund offering co-funding support for productivity initiatives by maritime companies. The harbour craft sector was highlighted as key segment that could benefit from the programme. In the coming months, MPA will work with industry players to review the sectors market structure, which is currently highly fragmented, and identify opportunities for productivity improvement, he said. The Singapore-headquartered group has built up a substantial presence in the Philippines capital Manila, which houses its regional headquarters employing over 300 people in its offices under the TSM Group, while the manager also has 8,000 Filipino seafarers on its books. Thome continues to expand in Manila with the Philippines supplying the lions share of the ship mamagers seafarers worldwide. Saturday saw it break ground on a new office building in the capitals business district of Makati neighbouring its three existing office buildings. Thome is also moving into ship management in the Philippines. We see demand ship management locally [in the Philippines] and we are incorporating a company for full ship management, said Claes Eek Thorstensen, group president and chief commercial officer. Ian Garcia, ceo of TSM Group, acknowledged the biggest hurdles remained recruitment. He said finding new talent was a major challenge but one they had been able to overcome due to their good name in the Philippines maritime industry. It comes at a time of continued global expansion for Thome as seeks to be close to its clients and sources of manpower. Carsten Brix Ostenfeldt said they had expanded with a joint venture in India, and were opening up in Copenhagen as the company had a lot of Danish principals. It is also opening up in Myanmar with a long-term view to the Southeast Asian nation as a crew supply source. The company also has a presence in Indonesia, Thailand and Croatia. Thome Group itself is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Speaking at the shipping finance session of the Sea Asia 2013 conference, and comparing the current downturn with the previous major downturn in the dry bulk market, he pointed out that while the growth of new tonnage in the earlier period was almost flat, it was growing at 9% per year in the most recent period from 2010 - 2012. Further, with total orderbook growth at 6.2% previously and 38.1% in the current period, and the annual change in asset values for five-year-old second hand vessels increasing by 30% and decreasing by 20% respectively, the story gets even worse. Relating this to the ship finance market, Hashim said in this situation, the banks are heavily exposed now and adding to the discussion, Vroon Group managing director Coco Vroon said the problem with banks is that they refuse to accept losses and "take their medicine". Instead they are using methods such as warehousing and other means to deal with problem shipping loans. This leads to the oversupply and low rates prevalent in the market now with bad companies being kept afloat, which unnecessarily depresses the market, he said. Vroon called for them to stop supporting weak companies and for a rationalisation among the shipping banks, with fewer but better banks in the market. In defence of the bankers, BNP Paribas Asia head of shipping and offshore finance Arnold Wu said banks are naturally averse to foreclosures on ships because they are much harder to do. Unlike in the housing market, foreclosing on a ship is "a painful and difficult exercise", he said. In addition, the ship finance restructuring in Asia will be different from what is seen in Europe. Apart from the presence of more semi-state owned companies in this region, the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s made Asian owners much more cautious and they have been surviving the current market downturn relatively well. "There is a strong local element to it, with strong support for local industry," Wu said. The theme of local support was reinforced by Export-Import Bank of China deputy general manager, transport finance depart Chen Bin, who said in the current difficult times, the bank aims to help as many Chinese shipyards as possible. Chen added however that the focus would be on eco and high tech -design ships especially in the LNG sector as well as in the offshore market. Sohmen-Pao noted that there were around 450 VLCCs in the market in 2005, rising to around 610 at the beginning of 2013. Another 82 (VLCCs) are expected this year and next, he told delegates at the Sea Asia 2013 conference held in Singapore. Demand for very large oil tankers has grounded to a halt. But the significant rise in VLCC fleet has to be seen in the context of demand, he said. Asia is expected to account for approximately 63% of the world's energy consumption, lending support to tanker demand in the region. The downside to demand is the softening US crude import market, according to Sohmen-Pao. US consumption has reduced significantly over the last five years as the nation is aiming for energy self sufficiency by 2035, he noted. The VLCC market has lost the tonne-mile advantage made by voyages to the US from the Middle East almost twice the distance made from Middle East to Europe, he highlighted. The sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone has also dashed hopes of any possible strong consumption from the region to help absorb any excess tanker tonnage. Sohmen-Pao told Seatrade Global that BW Group is not looking to aggressively expand its fleet during the present oversupply market, but he does not rule out taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. BW Group has not ordered any new ships, except for LNG carriers, over the past six years. Within the oil tanker segments including VLCCs, aframaxes, suezmaxes and product tankers, VLCC owners are getting hit the hardest as operating expenses are slicing away the remaining thin profits. For instance, daily losses for VLCCs on the Middle East to Asia voyage widened to $3,534 from $2,931, according to the Baltic Exchange. The Singapore-listed arm of Indian shipowner Mercator said it expected to report a net loss when it announces its nine-month financial results on 15 February. The company blamed the expected loss on the sale of the 1993-built VLCC Prem Putli, which it converted to a very large ore carrier in 2009. The vessel was sold for $44.4m translating to a loss of $23.04m based on book value. Mercator Lines also blamed compensation and provisions relating to negotiations and settlement agreements with the owners of long term chartered in vessels and lower revenue due to adverse market conditions. Armada Offshore is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysias Bumi Armada Bhd, an international offshore oilfield service provider and the countrys largest owner and operator of offshore support vessels. The vessels will be built by a subsidiary of Nam Cheong Limited, Malaysias largest offshore support vessel builder, at subcontracted yard Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Ltd in China. The Wartsila contract with the Chinese yard was signed last month. The comprehensive solution contract comprises the basic customised design, the main power generation system, the propulsion system, the Wartsila Low Lost Concept (LLC) electrical system and the automation system. The order follows the successful execution of a similar MPSV order in 2011 for Bumi Armada featuring a Wartsila ship design and fully integrated Wartsila machinery, electrics and automation. The WSD 1000 design is tailored to meet the specific requirements and operational modes demanded in complex offshore applications. Originally designed to cater to North Sea operating conditions, it has been adapted to the Asian trade for the Bumi Armada project. Ngoh Ay Hwa, sales manager, Wartsila Ship Design Singapore Pte Ltd, said, The original Vik-Sandvik design was meant for the North Sea while Nam Cheong caters to Asia. Thus, there was close cooperation between Wartsilas Singapore and Norway offices to adapt the design. Leong Seng Keat, executive director of Nam Cheong, told Seatrade Global: We wanted to Asianise the design to make it more suitable for Asia Pacific. Through consultation with our customer Bumi Armada, which has extensive experience in the Asian trade, we decided on the Wartsila 1000. The entire process has been lengthy but we are glad with the results, so the time spent has not been wasted. The price of key grade 380 cst bunker fuel will average $690 per metric tonne in 2013, 2.7% higher than last year's $672 per metric tonne, McQuilling said in a report. Bunker prices will keep climbing to $760 per metric tonne by 2017. Bunker prices will rise slowly over the next three years, McQuilling said, due largely to reduced exports from Iran and Russian squeezing supply. Simultaneously, more refineries are investing in cokers that convert leftover residual fuel into lighter products such as naphtha or heating oil to boost yields. The global merchant fleet uses more than 370m metric tonnes of bunker each year, according to Freight Investor Services. Merger talks between the two companies were suspended last month after the parties failed to agree on management and ownership terms for the merged entity. A merger of the lines would enable the city of Hamburg to reduce its large stake in Hapag-Lloyd while positioning the new company as the fourth largest container line in the world. Efficiencies of scale would better place the new 250 ship German line to endure the current slump in the container market and compete with giants Maersk Line, MSC and CMA CGM. "We will do everything to accomplish this merger in the foreseeable future," Hamburg's economy minister Frank Horch told Reuters on Monday. Horch said the city was keen to act as a moderator to ensure an agreement acceptable to both sides was reached, although he admitted this would not be easy. There is a long history of difficult negotiations surrounding the German lines. "But I believe that if we are determined to convince and are coordinated, then we have a good chance," Horch said. "Norway supports technological solutions to meet the new requirements for the maritime industry in the Baltic Sea," he said. "One of the most promising alternatives is the use of LNG as fuel for ships. The "LNG in Baltic Sea Ports" program, coordinated by Gdansk-based Baltic Ports Organisation, aims to establish LNG bunkering stations at Aarhus, Copenhagen-Malmo, Helsingborg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn and Turku ports. The project answers EU-adopted IMO regulations limiting maritime sulphur emissions in November of last year, due to come into force in 2015. The Baltic Sea has hitherto been ridden with NOx and phosphorous emissions from ships, which has caused slews of environmental damage. According to activists, algae blooms are responsible for a 25,000sq mile dead zone which cannot sustain marine life due to a lack of oxygen. "The distances in the Baltic Sea are ideal for short sea shipping. Therefore, we believe that the Baltic Sea has the potential to become a pilot area for the use of LNG in Europe." The Russian giant's crude oil transportation segment, accounting for over a third of all its time charter equivalent earnings, saw profits drop 8.1% to $359m in 2012. The company's product transportation division also also saw a fall in earnings to $246.3m, a 2.2% drop on 2012. Gas transportation saw a slight revenue decrease of 1.3% in 2012 to $86.1m, but with significant expansion on the horizon owing to deals secured during the year. In March 2012 the company signed a ten year time charter contract with Sibur for two LPG carriers, export deliveries under the deal are due to start in 2013. Long term time charters were also signed with Shell for two new 170,200 cu m ice class LNG carriers, ordered at STX Offshore & Shipbuilding in Korea. The first ship is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2014 with the second following in early 2015. SCF offshore development services bucked the trend with a 5.5% increase in charter revenues to $190.9m, a figure set to rise as SCF continues its strategic focus on offshore service development. Elsa and Sally lounging at the Catfe Who's that kitty in the window Iovan and Pinkus, who has a disorder that affects his motor skills At Ferndales Catfe Lounge , owner Deanne Iovan has a kind word and a gentle pet for every cat she meets -- even the ill-tempered, mangy ones.The Catfe, which opened in November last year, is a volunteer-driven lounge where patrons can hang with cats in a cozy setting for a small donation. Any income helps subsidize the work of the Ferndale Cat Shelter , where Iovan serves as executive director.As the shelter does not have a permanent space, but instead operates through a network of foster homes, the Catfe greatly increases the number of cats it can accept. Since opening, the Catfe has helped facilitate 40 cat adoptions. These cats were homeless, abandoned, or whose owner could no longer care for them.While Iovan is proud of that number, there's always more. The demand never ends, she says. We are constantly bombarded with requests from someone who rescued a cat, or someone is moving, or somebody died. There's several every day.Iovan tries to help everyone who reaches out, but capacity is limited so she selects cases where the likelihood is greatest for a cat to successfully re-home. But Iovan loves all cats, and doesn't turn away typically less-desirable cats, be they moody or older. That's why the Catfe welcomes a wide assortment of cat personalities.The community response to the Catfe was immediate. The day it opened, there was a line out the door. New people come every weekend, some from as far away as Grand Rapids, Ohio, and Canada. There are also regulars -- cat-lovers that come for their fix. On any given day you might see a hipster couple hoping to add a cat to their one-dog home, a young mom and toddler who visit weekly to play with the cats, and a curious passerby who simply wants to see whats up.Most cat cafes in the United States are for-profit operations that partner with a rescue. Ferndales Catfe Lounge, the only cat cafe in the state of Michigan, is a nonprofit with all proceeds, either from donations or membership dues, benefiting cats.Along with bridging needy cats to welcoming homesteads, the Catfe has also become a community hub. A Girl Scout troop made and donated cat toys. The Catfe recently partnered with Gilda's Club to facilitate a therapy program (many consider cat interaction therapeutic). Among the other offerings are Kitty Cat Yoga, Purrlates: Pilates with Cats, and Paws and Tiny Tails preschool story time (in collaboration with the Ferndale Area District Library). The space can also been rented for childrens birthday parties.We connect the activity to homeless cats in the community, says Iovan. It brings awareness to cat homelessness.Money, steady volunteers, and the blending of cat personalities in one space are some of the demands of running the Catfe Lounge and Ferndale Cat Shelter.But the biggest challenge," says Iovan, "is finding a place for every cat that needs a home." Tapestry takes a hard left turn, away from fair maidens, unicorns and scenes of highborn medieval life and toward grittier yet girlier contemporary scenes in the hands of Brooklyn artist Erin M. Riley. She scours social media for images of drug paraphernalia, sext-ready smartphones and other loaded objects for the tapestries she weaves. Menstruation, masturbation, dating or sexting these are things Ive always done but were always kind of ashamed of, she says from New York City, where she pours 40 to 1,000 hours into the textiles she weaves. As I grow older, Im just trying to represent my real life and how dating is nowadays, and the things that women use and look at every day but kind of keep hidden. Work from both Riley, 30, and the Sonoma County-raised artist Lucien Shapiro, 36, is showcased in a two-person exhibit, Anew, at Hashimoto Contemporary. Shapiro works through themes of obsessive behavior, ritual and even personal healing in the lavishly embellished masks, vessels and weapons he creates out of thousands of found bottle caps, punker studs and shards of broken safety glass he calls street diamonds. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil is the overarching concept. African and folk art seem to be touchstones, but Shapiro, who earned his bachelor of fine arts at the San Francisco Academy of Art, sees them as worldly objects. It was never my intention to pull from another culture, he explains. Its all very personal and actually goes back to growing up off the grid a little bit, part time in a cabin or a yurt and other times in the suburbs. It has to do with cities and the suburbs, and it also has the feel of nature. In conjunction with Anew, Shapiro is traveling to about 20 cities around the country, screening the Analect Rituals film he created with photographer Shaun Roberts. Shapiro also plans to conduct his Light Collector ritual, where audience members are asked to write down their great fears. Shapiro will ceremonially burn those fears when he returns to the Bay Area. Im just trying to heal some stuff thats been going on in my life and to deal with some of my fears, says Shapiro in a recent phone interview while driving through Utah. The performance connects his art to his band, Papervehicle. Its having a powerful response more than I expected. Im not claiming to heal anyone or take their fears away, Im just offering people another way to deal with something in their life. Riley, for one, appreciated Shapiros sense of direction when the two first started talking about the exhibit, ritualistic behavior and the power that objects, like those oh-so-fetishized phones, can hold. I think phones nowadays are like our own little private diaries, she says. Theres so much shaming and judgment when it comes to women and young girls especially. If someone gets caught sending nude photos, theyre in the wrong, but everybody does it too. I want to open the dialogue. Kimberly Chun is an East Bay freelance writer. PEORIA, Ariz. With Sam Fuld opening the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, Mark Canha found himself in center field Wednesday night. For Canhas first career appearance at the position, the conditions werent exactly ideal: The lights at Peoria Stadium arent the best, and the wind was blowing hard and swirling. In the first inning, though, with a man at third and two outs, he raced into the gap in left for a drive by Steve Clevenger. The wind was really howling out there and it kept carrying, but he ran it down, got a really good jump on it, starter Jesse Hahn said. Him playing center is not normal, but he looked good out there. The As had discussed getting Canha time in center field going all the way back to Khris Davis acquisition before the start of spring training. Canha started working out there several days ago. Canha usually plays first base or left field, but, as manager Bob Melvin pointed out, he also was in right on three occasions and even played third once last year as a rookie. Hes a sneaky good runner, stole some bases for us last year, does a nice job wherever we put him, Melvin said. Hes open to anything; he just wants to be in the lineup. Fuld, who has a moderate shoulder sprain, received a cortisone shot and a platelet-rich-plasma injection in Los Angeles on Tuesday and told Melvin that he already is feeling better. He is still expected to be out of action a minimum of three weeks because he must strengthen the shoulder to ensure its completely stable after a subluxation. Fuld has returned home to Florida for the birth of his fourth child, who is expected any day. Pitchers get in work: Sean Doolittle, who had missed a few days with mild triceps tightness, pitched an inning in a minor-league game and gave up a hit and a run, according to Melvin. Doolittle also worked on throwing his changeup and slider. He felt great and in those type of games, thats all youre looking for, Melvin said. John Axford and Ryan Madson also pitched an inning each in the minors and each gave up a run. Neither has been scored upon in Cactus League play. Sonny Gray will start a minor-league game at Fitch Park on Thursday, with Josh Phegley catching; the As also had Gray, their Opening Night starter, work in a minor-league game at the same point last spring, and theyd also prefer to keep him away from AL West foe Texas. Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser As 13, Mariners 12 Notable: Jesse Hahn had a poor night, pitching 12/3 innings and allowing eight hits, two walks and seven runs, all earned, plus an error on a pickoff attempt. All of the Mariners runs off him came with two outs. ... Chris Coghlan made his first start of the spring at third base and had three hits, including a two-run triple. ... Jake Smolinski hit a three-run homer and drew a bases-loaded walk. ... Eric Surkamp, who is expected to be in Triple-A Nashvilles rotation, gave up a grand slam to Luis Sardinas in the fifth. Quotable: Were just going to take the positives out of it. I was throwing strikes. Whatever I wanted to do with my fastball, I was doing it. I just got hit. I just got beat out there. Just one of those bad outings. Jesse Hahn Thursdays game: Rangers vs. As at Mesa, 7:05 p.m., Radio: 95.7 FM Susan Slusser Coke said Thursday that it spent more on health research and partnerships than it previously disclosed. The company first disclosed its spending on health efforts after coming under fire for funding the Global Energy Balance Network, which said its mission was to fight obesity. That group later disbanded. In an effort to be more transparent and mend relations with critics, Coca-Cola Co. said it would disclose all its spending in the U.S. on scientific research and health partnerships and regularly update the information on its website. In its initial disclosure in September, the company said it spent $118.6 million on the efforts between 2010 and 2015. That included payments to health and fitness experts who mentioned its drinks in blog posts or columns. On Thursday, Coke said a more thorough internal investigation found the figure was $132.8 million for the same time period. The Atlanta company said it also removed inaccurate listings from its website disclosing the partnerships. The spending includes funding of programs for a wide variety of groups, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the National Park Foundation, a health fair for the National Organization for Mexican American Rights, the American Council for Fitness and the American Diabetes Association. The $1 million Coca-Cola gave to the University of Colorado for the establishment of Global Energy Balance Network has since been returned. The university announced that it was returning the money after releasing emails between Coke and one of its professors, who headed the group, to the Associated Press as part of a public records request. The emails showed that Coke helped shape the group, and suggested articles and videos for its website. After excerpts of the emails were published, the group said it was disbanding. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Virgin America Inc., the Burlingame airline backed by British billionaire Richard Branson, is contacting potential buyers about a sale of part or all of the company, people with knowledge of the matter said. The carrier, which flies to destinations throughout the U.S. and Mexico, is working with a financial adviser after receiving takeover interest, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. No decision has been made, and Virgin America may choose not to pursue a sale, they said. The former director of financial services for the Association of Bay Area Governments has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for embezzling nearly $3.9 million in bond funds that were intended for developments in San Francisco and Contra Costa County. Clarke Howatt, 56, pleaded guilty in December to a felony charge of wire fraud. During that hearing, his lawyers told U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer that Howatt had already repaid ABAG nearly $3.5 million of the money he had stolen, liquidating all his assets and getting $1.5 million in aid from his parents. Howatts lawyers said the agency was not seeking further restitution. A San Francisco police officer was criminally charged Wednesday for alleged records violations that emerged while he was being investigated for rape. Officer Jason Lai was charged with two misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of criminal history information and four misdemeanor counts of misuse of confidential Department of Motor Vehicles information, police said. He was booked into County Jail after a months-long investigation that began after a woman accused him of raping her in August. The woman said Lai raped her twice after a night of heavy drinking at her Sunset District home, according to an affidavit for a search warrant. Lai, an officer at Taraval Station, frequented her workplace while on patrol and had asked her to dinner. According to police, internal affairs investigators could not find sufficient evidence to support the rape charge, but discovered evidence of the records violations during the investigation. Lai was released on $18,000 bail. He could not be reached for comment. Investigators are still looking into whether a former San Francisco police lieutenant lied and delayed the sexual assault investigation, police said. Curtis Liu had contacted Lai after the woman sought medical treatment a few days after the alleged assault and named him as a suspect, according to court documents. Liu said he had called Lai as a joke because he thought the name was a coincidence, but according to investigators, he then went on to lie to his superior officers about contacting him and led them to believe he had made the proper notifications to start an investigation. The lies and breach in protocol, according to the affidavit, not only delayed the investigation by a day but could have assisted (the officer) in destroying and disposing of crucial evidence in this investigation. An attorney for Liu did not immediately return calls for comment. Police said he no longer works for the department. Lai was placed on unpaid leave during the investigation, and remains on unpaid leave after his arrest. He is scheduled to return to court in May. Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Tuition appears headed up again in the Connecticut State College and University system. Along with it, students can expect larger class sizes and fewer services. Mark Ojakian, president of the Connecticut State College and University system, announced the proposed tuition increases for the 2016-17 academic year on Wednesday during the middle of spring break. Ojakian will recommend a 5 percent increase for the regional universities, including Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. More Information Tuition increases Current Tuition Increase New Tuition Universities $9,609 5.0% or $480 $10,089 Community Colleges $4,032 3.5% or $141 $4,173 Charter Oak State College $8,666 4.0% or $347 $9,013 See More Collapse The increase will send annual tuition for full-time, in-state undergraduates to $10,089 a year. At the states dozen community colleges, tuition would go up 3.5 percent to $4,173 under Ojakians plan, which will be considered by the Board of Regents when it meets Tuesday. This would mark the second year in a row for that level of increase. In a letter to students issued at noon Wednesday, Ojakian laid out several reasons for the proposed increase, largely blaming the states deficit. This next fiscal year the state of Connecticut, one of our largest funding sources is experiencing an enormous budget deficit of almost $1 billion dollars, he said. Our system is expected to be hit with a cut of at least $26 million. Even with the tuition increase, Ojakian said it will not close the deficit. That, he said, would take an increase of more than 7 percent at the universities and 11 percent at the community colleges. To cover the balance, Ojakian is recommending raises not be implemented and a hiring freeze remain in effect. A staff analysis of the proposed hike, prepared by the Board of Regents system office, recognizes the increase as unwelcome but calls it the minimum needed to defray some of the fiscal hurdles expected in the upcoming year. Reduced student services and larger class sizes are predicted, according to the analysis. I am fully aware that this is not the news you wanted to receive, Ojakian said in his email to students. Still, he called the proposed increase fair given our current environment. At Western Connecticut State Universitys Midtown campus, students said while presidential candidates are talking about loan forgiveness and making college affordable, local politicians are doing the opposite. It is definitely something I worry about its hard not to, said Ian Boisvert, 20, of New Milford, who will begin his fourth year in the fall, when tuition would top $10,000. You watch the numbers pile up and you get the emails saying how much your payment will be when you get out every month, but you stick it in the back of your mind because we are here to work on school work, said Boisvert, an American studies major with a minor in professional writing. To think about the numbers is a little overwhelming, so it wears on me a little bit. Jessie Plouffe, 18, a psychology major with a minor in conflict resolution who commutes from Newtown, said she was just as concerned about tuition increases as fellow students, even though she is on scholarship. I have to stay in school and get my masters degree because I want to be a therapist someday, she said. I have a scholarship which is a fixed amount of money, so I dont know if it is going to cover this tuition increase. Maribel La Luz, director of communication for the system, said spring break had zero bearing on the timing of the announcement. The universities and colleges need to send out their enrollment packages for next semester, La Luz said. In fact, we are somewhat behind because we're waiting to get as much information about the current budget as possible. The increase is less than the one proposed for University of Connecticut students. In December, the UConn Board of Trustees set in motion a four-year tuition hike plan, including a 6.7 percent increase in the fall of 2016 for full-time undergraduates. A number of students and parents left comments decrying the proposed increase on the Facebook site for Southern Connecticut State University. Seriously, I wouldn't have as big of a problem with this if they were actually proposing positive changes throughout the campus, wrote Garrett Jacobowitz, a Southern student. Another poster said $480 may not seem like a lot, but to a student trying to commute and keep student loans to a minimum, it is a lot. The state Board of Regents meeting next week is slated for 10 a.m. at Manchester Community College. lclambeck@ctpost.com; @lclambeck Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images for M.A.C. The son of billionaire Peter Brant and supermodel Stephanie Seymour was arrested Wednesday in a disturbance at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Daily News reported. Peter Brant Jr., 22, got belligerent when JetBlue staff prevented him from boarding an afternoon flight to West Palm Beach, Fla., because he was severely intoxicated, Port Authority spokesman Joseph Pentangelo told the Daily News. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate He's down. The bearded, ranting man who scaled a tree downtown and forced streets to close on Tuesday and Wednesday, came down after more than 24 hours in the upper branches of the 80-foot sequoia just outside Macy's. Crowds of people on the sidewalks around the area cheered as he touched the ground, with some yelling "Man in tree!" in unison. He hit the ground just before noon, but sat and ate a pear at the base of the tree before allowing police and fire officials to load him onto a gurney. He was then driven away in an ambulance. Police said the man, 28, will not face criminal charges but that authorities are seeing whether he needs medical help. Police said initially that he was thought to be having a mental health crisis. The man had one prior contact with Seattle police, Detective Patrick Michaud said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Michaud declined to give the man's name and couldn't confirm if any family had been contacted. More than 40 spectators had crowded the sidewalk along Fourth Avenue on Wednesday morning, watching to see if the man in the tree would do anything. At one point, some men who said they knew him and skateboard with him started yelling back and forth with the man, whom they called Cody, though that name was not confirmed. One spectator was worried the man would fall. "The way he's sitting, that branch is going to break and he's going to be kissing pavement," said Andre Rosemond, who was waiting to go home. "It's really a no-win situation." One man on the street said three kids scared the man and chased him up the tree, though police did not confirm that scenario. "He's frightened to death right now, that's why he's up there," said Tony Stromdahl. Stromdahl said he had seen the man from the tree around downtown and he was quiet and peaceful. The man in the tree talked for a time to a police officer who was in an upper floor window of Macy's. This weird, only-in-Seattle story began 11:21 a.m. Tuesday when firefighters went to a rope-rescue call to Fourth Avenue and Stewart Street. That's where the man was found near the canopy of the next to Macy's, typically decorated in Christmas lights during the holiday season. Tuesday night he outlasted a Seattle Fire Department ladder crew that had to be swapped out for a shift change. He had appeared to be coming down at around 9 p.m. but scampered back up, breaking branches in the process, according to The Associated Press. Shortly before 10 p.m., yet another ladder change was reported by a KOMO-TV cameraman and the man hunkered down in the tree as temperatures dipped into the 40s. Overnight, the man in the tree bared his behind. Someone flew a drone by him. Seattle's self-proclaimed superhero Phoenix Jones stopped by. And, KIRO/7 reports, a woman promised to make out with him if he came down. That almost did the trick. Seattle Police Department negotiators responded to the scene Tuesday midday and scaled a fire department ladder in an effort to coax the man out of the tree. The man allegedly refused to talk to police, threw an apple at medics and progressed to stripping branches and cones from the tree to use as missiles. A section of the trunk near the canopy was seen as bare because of the damage. Police said the man claimed he was armed with a knife. He was also captured on video lighting a cigarette. At various times, he climbed down several feet before returning to his perch near the canopy to sit and pull at branches. No information was available on why the man climbed the tree, but police reported he appeared to be suffering a mental health crisis. Michaud said police couldn't put a net or other way to catch the man under the tree because they worried about agitating him further. Michaud also said police had no plans to scale the tree in any event. The incident inspired a parody Twitter account impersonating the man, as well as an account for the firefighter photographed on the ladder trying to talk to the man, the fire ladder and the tree itself. There are no laws against climbing trees in Seattle, though some of the man's actions could have amounted to civil or criminal violations. Police are not charging the man at this time. The historic tree -- reportedly replanted at its current site in 1972 from Aurora Avenue -- started declining in health about 10 years ago. In 2010, the SDOT urban forestry unit took on a "soil renovation" operation and other rehabilitation measures to keep the tree alive. This is a breaking news story. We will update this post as we learn more. Eye in the Sky: A chilling Helen Mirren, and Alan Rickman, superb in his final screen performance, are military officers intent on using missiles to wipe out a terrorist nest in this smart, evenhanded and multifaceted thriller that examines the moral dilemmas presented by drone warfare. Rated R. 102 minutes. Mick LaSalle 10 Cloverfield Lane: A horror story about a troubled man (John Goodman) who holds a young woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) captive in a bunker. Its an irresistible thriller, directed with confidence and flair by Dan Trachtenberg. Produced by J.J. Abrams. Rated PG-13. 103 minutes. Mick LaSalle Knight of Cups: For those willing to get on director Terrence Malicks wavelength, this is an ecstatic use of cinema the story of a screenwriter (Christian Bale) in Hollywood as told through dream images and voice-over, with only fragments of scenes. Its less a story than an invitation to see the beauty in all things, but if you go in expecting anything remotely conventional, you will either be confused or annoyed. Rated R. 118 minutes. Mick LaSalle A law barring unauthorized immigrants from challenging their deportation if they are habitual drunkards is unconstitutional because alcoholism is an illness, not a moral defect that would automatically disqualify them, a divided federal appeals court ruled Thursday. Like any other medical condition, alcoholism is undeserving of punishment, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in a 2-1 ruling. We are well past the point where it is rational to link a persons medical disability with his moral character. The law, more than a century old, allows only migrants with good moral character to challenge their deportation on the grounds that it would cause severe hardship to family members who were U.S. citizens or legal residents. The law defines good moral character to exclude those who have been convicted of certain serious crimes, have lied to gain a benefit in immigration proceedings, or are habitual drunkards. That definition was challenged by Salomon Ledezma-Cosino, who entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 1997 and now is a construction worker in the San Diego area who has eight children, five of them U.S. citizens. Now in his mid-60s, he was held for deportation in 2008 and sought to stay in the U.S. on the grounds that his removal would cause hardship to his family. But immigration judges said he lacked good moral character because of a 10-year history of alcohol abuse, which has resulted in hepatitis, cirrhosis and at least one drunken-driving conviction. Ledezma remains in the country while appealing his case. In defending the deportation order, Justice Department lawyers argued that alcoholism, unlike other mental conditions, is at least partly voluntary and that alcoholics are more likely than others to commit violent crimes. But even if those contentions were accurate, the appeals court said, they would not show that alcoholics are immoral. The governments argument would apply equally to a disproportionate number of todays veterans, who are driven to alcohol by trauma from their military service, Judge Stephen Reinhardt said in the majority opinion. In dissent, Judge Richard Clifton said there is an element of free will in drinking, since some alcoholics are able to quit. Regardless of their character, he said, Congress had rational grounds to single out drunkards because of the harm they might do to others and the costs of their continued presence. Ledezmas lawyer, Nora Milner, said the ruling has far-reaching implications, if it survives further appeals by the government. She said people defined as habitual drunkards are ineligible to become naturalized U.S. citizens and to receive some types of public benefits. The central question, Milner said, is, Are we going to punish individuals for conditions or for actions? 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 WASHINGTON As lingering El Nino rains swell the states rivers, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein joined California House Republicans on Thursday to demand that President Obama order more water to be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farms in the San Joaquin Valley. Feinstein and the Republicans sent separate, similar letters to Obama timed to apply maximum political pressure on his administration. They arrived just a few hours before the federal Bureau of Reclamation was set to reduce pumping to help preserve whats left of the delta smelt, a minnow once numbering in the millions that at last count was down to 10 fish. The demands also came just two days after the White House convened a highly touted water summit that sought to steer water policy away from further straining overdrafted Western rivers. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Feinstein and the Republicans argued that massive volumes of water are flowing out to sea from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and should be captured. Californias senior senator has a long history of siding with farmers in the states water wars, frequently angering Bay Area Democrats. Her letter to Obama on Thursday was part of her effort to find ways to send more water to farmers starved for deliveries during the drought. McNerney critical Rep. Jerry McNerney, a Stockton Democrat who represents the delta, said Feinstein and the Republicans, and the San Joaquin Valley farmers with whom they are allied, are unnecessarily taking advantage of the optics of the El Nino rainfall. In fact, McNerney said, the farmers are going to get the water because its being stored to ship to them later, or its already been diverted. He said the lawmakers are proposing to weaken the Endangered Species Act. For their part, Republicans, led by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, demanded Thursday that the president order agencies to increase pumping now over and above the maximum allowed under the Endangered Species Act. We more urgently need specific leadership from the chief executive, McCarthy said, at the same time acknowledging the long-term goals discussed at the White House water summit. Feinstein has been careful to maintain that moving more water to farmers would not violate the Endangered Species Act. She has called for better fish monitoring to allow higher pumping when fish are not near the pumps. El Nino has highlighted a fundamental problem with our water system: a dogmatic adherence to a rigid set of operating criteria that continues to handcuff our ability to rebuild our reserves, Feinstein said in her letter to Obama. She called for maximum pumping of the delta, adding that pumping decisions should be based on better science. But Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said some of the improved fish monitoring Feinstein has called for is in place, and is dictating that pumping should be reduced. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is using the real-time monitoring protocols that everyone has been asking for, Huffman said. The answer to managing drought for some folks is to let any inconvenient fish species go extinct and claim that water for themselves. The argument boils down to how fast the estuarys rivers should flow not out to sea, but backward through the force of the pumps drawing the water out of the delta to the state and federal water projects. Fish biologist Jon Rosenfield at the Bay Institute, an environmental group, said the argument by Feinstein and the GOP lawmakers flies in the face of science. Dividing water On the San Joaquin, he said, 86 percent of the water is already being stored or diverted, leaving 14 percent for fish. Including the Sacramento River, two-thirds of all the water flowing through the delta is already being stored or diverted, he said. That water is mainly going to fill severely depleted upstream reservoirs, where it is being stored for later delivery to the farms and cities of the south. Feinstein and the GOP lawmakers said pumping should exceed the negative 5,000 cubic feet per second maximum backward flow of the San Joaquin River tributaries, a limit set by federal wildlife agencies to protect the smelt. Feinstein acknowledged the limit but said agencies have the discretion to exercise at least some flexibility to pump above that level. David Murillo, director of the Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, told environmental groups in an email Tuesday that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service called for much lower backward flows, no more than negative 2,500 cubic feet per second. Wildlife officials, he said, told the bureau that the larval and juvenile smelt that have been found are highly vulnerable when the rivers run backward. Agency models showed that even negative 1,250 cubic feet per second would do significant harm to the fish and violate the biological opinions that enforce the Endangered Species Act. Nonetheless, Murillo said the bureau decided for now to reduce pumping only to 3,500 cubic feet per second. Making case for fish Rosenfield accused the bureau of playing fast and loose with the wildlife agencys recommendations as it is, and said the lawmakers demands would make things worse. With legal limits already pushed to get more water to southern farms and cities during the drought, the delta smelt, its cousin the longfin smelt, chinook salmon and several other fish are on the brink of extinction, he said. The El Nino rains could save them, but the latest January and February surveys showed the lowest number ever recorded. Its as close to extinction as you can get, Rosenfield said. They are as far gone as they can be without actually being gone. Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Convicted pedophile Jared Fogle is slapping together sandwiches in his new post in the cafeteria at Federal Correctional Institution Englewood, TMZ reports. This seems like the perfect post for the former Subway pitchman (though we have a feeling he's not making foot-long Spicy Italians). 1 Migrants crisis: The U.N. refugee agency pulled out staff Tuesday from facilities on Lesbos and other Greek islands being used to detain refugees and migrants as an international deal with Turkey came under further strain. Greece began arresting everyone arriving in boats from Turkey after the agreement went into effect Sunday. They are being held at European Union-supervised registration centers known as hotspots in what the Greek government calls compulsory supervision. Under the deal, detained migrants and refugees will be sent back to Turkey, which in return will receive additional EU financial aid and join an EU resettlement program for Syrians and others fleeing war. The UNHCR is concerned that the EU-Turkey deal is being implemented before the required safeguards are in place in Greece, agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in Geneva. About 2,000 people have been detained since Sunday. 2 U.N. closes office: The United Nations said Tuesday that it has closed a military liaison office in the disputed Western Sahara after Morocco gave the U.N. observers there 72 hours to leave to protest remarks by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It follows Moroccos expulsion of 84 international civilian staff members with the U.N. peacekeeping mission to protest the U.N. chiefs use of the word occupation in describing the status of the vast mineral-rich territory during his first visit earlier this month to refugee camps in Algeria for the Sahrawis, as the regions native inhabitants are known. Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, in 1975 and fought a local independence movement called the Polisario Front until the U.N.-brokered a cease-fire in 1991. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the Dakhla liaison office was closed Monday and the three military observers stationed there were relocated to the U.N. site in Awsard. Courtesy of the Texas Office of the Attorney General This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A United Airlines pilot has been arrested and accused of running a string of brothels in apartment complexes and office buildings throughout Houston. Bruce Wayne Wallis, 51, was charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution and engaging in criminal activity in what officials said included about a half-dozen brothels in Galleria-area apartments and northwest Houston office buildings with six to 10 women. Assistant Harris County District Attorney Lester Blizzard said the criminal operation was "massive." "It's the largest operation that I've ever worked on," he said. "(District Attorney) Devon Anderson's office takes these types of complex organized criminal activity cases seriously." Court records show that investigators believe the women advertised online and paid Wallis $400 a week to ply their trade. He's also accused of recruiting five women at time and having sex with them before putting them to work as prostitutes. Several of the women appeared to be Russian. Officials with United confirmed that Wallis was an employee and said he had been taken off of flying duties. Also charged is an alleged top lieutenant to Wallis. Tracie Tanner, 37, of Rosenberg, is facing charges of aggravated promotion of prostitution. Eighteen other women were also charged with prostitution after the eight-month investigation. Wallis is also accused of using Eastex Aero, his flight school and charter service in Porter, north of Houston, as a front to make sure the women who worked for him had a "legitimate" employment records and financial statements, according to court records. If convicted, Wallis faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Tanner faces up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutor Blizzard said 26 search warrants were served this week in a flurry of activity culminating Wednesday with Wallis's arrest. No clients were arrested, he said. Blizzard credited investigators with the Texas Department Public Safety and the human trafficking division of the Houston Police Department for cracking the case. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Antonio firefighters responded to four separate house fires Thursday morning throughout the city. San Antonio Fire Department spokeswoman Deborah Foster said some of the fires are still burning and could potentially cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. The first blaze erupted at a home in the 3200 block of Oneida Drive around 3:30 a.m. Foster said a lightning strike to the attic of the home sparked the fire, which spread into the garage and caused about $60,000 in damage. A family of four inside the home managed to get out safely, but their dog died from smoke inhalation. Another fire broke out about three hours later in the 4oo block of Dawnview Lane. Firefighters arrived at the home shortly after 6:15 a.m. and got the fire under control relatively quickly. Foster said an electrical short in a dryer caused the blaze. SAFD crews are still battling another in the 400 block of Eleanor Ave. just north of downtown. The fire began around 6:45 a.m. at a duplex adjacent to Fort Sam Houston. Aaron Rosillo said he was inside the duplex, along with his wife, son, daughter and a friend when the fire began. "Something caught fire in the back and we just got out," he said. "We heard a bunch of pops." Rosillo said no one in his family was injured in the blaze, but he had not been able to find a puppy, which was later found dead, according to SAFD Battalion Chief Connie Hall. Another family occupying the other side of the duplex also escaped without any serious injuries. Hall said the fire caused about $85,000 in damage, and firefighters will remain at the property for several hours. Hall said the duplex is sagging and could collapse, so crews cannot enter the house and battle the blaze from the inside. Hall said investigators believe the fire may have been electrical in nature, but arson crews have been called to investigate further. SAFD crews are also battling a fire on the South Side near the 4500 block of Wrangler View. That fire began shortly after the blaze on Eleanor Avenue was reported. Foster said the home was already completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, and that the roof had collapsed. Additional details on that fire were not immediately available. Foster said only one of the fires was attributed to weather conditions overnight. Still, the number of fires was out of the ordinary. This was atypical for us, she said. It was a busy morning. mdwilson@express-news.net Twitter: @MDWilsonSA As every pornographer knows, one of the most reliable ways to excite interest in a creative work is to ban it. Cuba has long been such a titillating no-go zone to American travelers. For Americans, the Caribbean island nation has been off-limits since the Kennedy presidency. Going to Cuba has thus amounted to making a statement, either of cool defiance or serious purpose, because only certain types of visitors could obtain a license from the U.S. government to go (technically, the license is to spend U.S. currency there). Even better, going to Cuba has been risque without being all that risky. Street crime is virtually nonexistent, and your biggest danger was from the guy at Jose Marti Airport who might stamp your U.S. passport right off the flight from Cancun and leave you vulnerable to a hefty fine for trading with the enemy when you got back home. President Obamas trip to Havana this week marks the end for this status-conferring ritual, and winsome party story, available to white-collar subversives who relish the forbidden fruit. After all, whats trailblazing and salacious about following in the footsteps of a trade delegation that included members of Congress, as well as CEOs from companies like Marriott looking to make deals? This is where I get to boast that I went to Cuba last summer as part of the last wave of American travelers to jump over the knee-high barriers to see the island before it gets re-colonized by U.S. corporate interests. But heres a confession you wont hear from everyone who peeked into the locked box: What I saw there was deeply sad. If Cuba occupied a special place in the imagination of the American thrill-seeker, it is a place that deserves to die. The jet that took me there from Miami was operated by a charter company but painted with the livery of American Airlines. The notes I traded my dollars for were Cuban convertible pesos the CUCs or kooks used by foreigners and the rich a luxury currency pegged to the U.S. dollar. Communist iconography was limited to statues and a few obligatory billboards complaining about the blockade. Nobody I met under the age of 60 expressed any zeal, let alone fondness, for the ongoing revolution. A curious fact about Cuba: The literacy rate is among the highest in the world, at 99.7 percent. But there is almost nothing around to read, not even approved dogma. Bookstores are rare. The only newspaper, Granma, is distinguished by its thinness and its utter lack of anything interesting to say. Virtually nobody sits on park benches reading. There is barely any Internet. The working fleet of Harry Truman-era Detroit cars remains on display, and the food is just as scarce and crappy as the guidebooks warn, but even more prevalent is the double-mindedness required of any individual to get along in a repressive society. We live a lie here, one woman told me in a city on the southern coast. Nobody believes in the rhetoric. But we have to go along with it. The most common complaint (quietly) expressed throughout Cuba is the lack of any reward whatsoever for imagination or hard work. The names of Raul or Fidel Castro are rarely spoken aloud a common gesture when referring to the government is to stroke an unseen beard. Cuba exists in this state of functioning ruin because of the selfishness of its leadership, the autism of its official politics and the complicity of short-sighted U.S. diplomacy. If youre a tourist, the place is a grotesque amusement park, with the theme of a totalitarian state. Memories of a blockaded Cuba will linger before they fade entirely. While the crowds of ordinary American visitors should be aware they are treading in a special place in its twilight days, their journey should also come with a mindfulness of just how contorted and artificial the mid-20th century Cuban distinctiveness was and what a high price in human potential was paid for it. Tom Zoellner is an associate professor of English at Chapman University. He wrote this for Zocalo Public Square. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to a small room some 135 attendees, not counting journalists at Stanford University Wednesday about the need for the United States nimble and far-reaching response to the Islamic State, an adversary that is constantly adapting and operating across multiple theaters. Candidate Clinton was nimble and far-reaching herself as what a campaign spokesman billed as a pure policy speech set her up to enter the general election with an aura of authority. Her speech comes after GOP front-runner Donald Trump told CNN on Monday that Europe should put up more money to fund NATO, while the United States should pony up less. Tuesday, the Islamic State unleashed two terrorist attacks in Brussels, one just blocks from NATO headquarters. Trump responded by saying that as president he would reinstate waterboarding and more. His opponent Sen. Ted Cruz responded with a call for local authorities to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods. And Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders said ... something no one remembers and his opponent Clinton found no reason to refute. I found myself in unfamiliar territory agreeing with the likely Democratic nominee, not top Republicans. Another terrorist attack has devastated an ally. The Islamic State wants to bring its deadly pursuits to the United States. America needs to work with our NATO allies, and with moderate Muslim nations, to put an end to the madness. NATO, Clinton asserted in her address, is one of the best investments America has ever made. She added, Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket, would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike. Putin already hopes to divide Europe. If Mr. Trump gets his way, itll be like Christmas in the Kremlin. Clinton did not address waterboarding, but she did assert that torture is on her list of things that dont work when fighting terrorism. Clinton also took aim at Cruz: So when Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly Muslim neighborhoods, its wrong, its counterproductive, its dangerous. Commissioner Bill Bratton of the New York Police Department was even more blunt Tuesday night. He said Cruz doesnt know what the hell hes talking about. Before the speech, student Yvonne Lee said she would vote for Clinton. After the address, she said that it confirmed her belief that Clinton has the right bearing for a president. Freshmen David S. Lim and Ben Gardner-Gill held fast to their decision to vote for Sanders in Californias primary, but Clinton in the general election. I dont think Clinton was a particularly successful secretary of state. Her prescriptions didnt seem particularly insightful or likely to beat radical Islam. But at least they wont leave this country isolated in a war against fanaticism. The Republican candidates seem to think all they need is to talk tough and hitch up their belts. They have no sense of strategy. They dont understand that there is no glory in being the last man standing at the end of a barroom brawl. Especially if the barroom is all blown up. Debra J. Saunders is a San Francisco columnist. Email: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DebraJSaunders For the opening day of salmon season, every fisherman turns into something of a gambler. With a little know-how and a lot of guesswork, you place your bet. The money for this years opener, April 2, is landing on Monterey. Amid projections for about half the salmon in the ocean compared with last year, plus recent sea conditions that have replicated one of Admiral Byrds expedition, bookings are up in Monterey, down at ports that sail out of the Golden Gate. Were sold out for opening day, with a little room on Sunday the third, said Keith Stenler at Chris Fishing Trips out of Monterey. For that Sunday, theres limited room and the boats are filling up quickly. Although more than a week off, many are already planning to focus at Mulligan Hill, 4 miles out of Moss Landing, off the southern edge of the Submarine Canyon, and at the ledge just offshore of Fort Ord. In some years, a spot called Three Trees, located north of Santa Cruz roughly offshore from Wilder Ranch State Park can be good in early April. This years reality? Salmon season is like a spin of the roulette wheel. At ports that fish out of the Golden Gate, many boats still have plenty of space for opening weekend, according to salmon skippers. People are waiting to see what happens, not only with the fish, but with the weather, said Roger Thomas, president of the Golden Gate Fishermans Association. State and federal scientists have projected that 299,600 adult salmon from the Sacramento River system will be available as adults this year for anglers from Monterey Bay to Fort Bragg. In comparison, last year, what turned out to be a fair season, there were 652,000 salmon in the forecast. This years adult salmon are the product of returns, the 3-year-olds, from the spawn and hatch of juveniles from 2013. According to state and federal biologists, only about 5 percent of the juvenile salmon born wild or from the federal hatchery in Northern California were able to elude water projects and survive poor water quality in some areas and make it to the ocean. In 2014 and 2015, with similar conditions, the salmon were trucked around the same problems and released into the San Francisco Bay system. Higher survival rates of juveniles mean better seasons in 2017 and 2018, Thomas said. Only a comparative few were transported in 2013, which was more of an experiment than anything. Commercial fishing, which traditionally starts May 1, will face cutbacks. The forecasts are lower than in recent years and suggest that California fisheries may see salmon seasons in 2016 that have reduced opportunities over last year, said Brett Kormos of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, in a news release provided after a recent meeting of salmon experts. The final seasons for sport anglers and commercial trollers for the coming year will be decided by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council at its annual meeting, April 8-14. For April 2, the bulls-eye is at Monterey Bay. Whale-watching trips have documented improved feed conditions, according to Chris Arcoleo, with sardines and krill drawing in the years first arrivals of humpback whales. There also have been lots of dolphins, Stenler said. The betting mans logic is that if bait means whales and dolphins, it also means salmon. The humpbacks showed up last week, and they eat almost two tons per day, said Giancarlo Thomae, a marine biologist out of Moss Landing. Theyre devouring small anchovies. If I was fishing, I would troll deep. Thats where the salmon would be right now. Thomas agreed with that. Monterey often does great in the early season, he said. They historically have great fishing in April, May and June. Sea conditions also favor boats in Monterey. When the wind blows 20 knots offshore, its usually about 10 knots, or half, inshore. From Moss Landing, its a short trip, 2 to 4 miles, to where you can start fishing at Mulligan Hill or the edge of the Submarine Canyon. With a big swell, it can be hazardous, even dangerous, to try to make the run in a small boat out the narrow opening at the harbor jetty at Moss Landing. A big swell offshore equals breaking surf at the jaws of the harbor. The latest long-range forecasts indicate improving sea conditions for the Golden Gate and California coast, likely in time for the opener. Short-range, on the other hand, is a different story. For the next two days, winds are forecast at 15 to 25 knots, pushing an 11-foot swell from the coast out 10 miles. Warm sea temperatures, the residual of a waning El Nino, are still a concern. At the San Francisco Weather Buoy, located 18 miles offshore, sea temperatures were 57 degrees this week, still above average, which is usually 52 to 54 degrees, and often 50 to 52 in April. What we need is a big gale northwester to turn that ocean over, Thomas said. Wed like to see it for three, four or five days, get the upwelling thats necessary for everything, the marine food chain, the krill, thats super important for production of fish. Were all praying for those northwesters this weekend. Tom Stienstra covers the outdoors for The San Francisco Chronicle. E-mail: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com If you want to go Salmon opener: The salmon season opens April 2 for the Golden Gate Fleet at Bay Area ports, plus out of Bodega Bay, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Moss Landing and Monterey. Limits: 2-fish limit, 24-inch minimum size. Sea conditions: Pillar Point Harbor, (650) 726-6070, extension 2. Tackle: His Tackle Box, (650) 588-1200, South San Francisco, www.HisTackleBoxShop.com; Gus Discount Fishing Tackle, San Francisco, (415) 752-6197, www.GusDiscountTackle.com. Boats/selected harbors San Francisco: Wacky Jacky Sportfishing, (415) 586-9800, www.WackyJackySportfishing.com Emeryville: Emeryville Sportfishing Center, (510) 654-6040, www.EmeryvillesSportfishing.com Berkelely: Berkeley Charter Boats, (510) 849-3333, www.berkeleycharterboats.com Sausalito: Salty Lady, (415) 674-3474, www.SaltyLady.com San Rafael: Executive Fishing Charters, San Rafael, (415) 460-9773, www.executivefishingcharters.com Half Moon Bay: Queen of Hearts, (510) 581-2628, www.fishingboat.com Bodega Bay: Bodega Bay Sportfishing, (707) 875-3344, www.BodegaBaySportfishing.com. Cost: Most party boats will charge roughly $110 per person, plus $5 for sinker release, $7 per weight. Rod rentals available (usually $10). State fishing license, $47.01, required for those 16 or older; 1-day license $15.12; www.wildlife.ca.gov. Trout plants Alameda County: 500 pounds of trout last week at Don Castro in the Hayward hills; 1,000 pounds this week at Del Valle south of Livermore; 500 last week and 500 next week at Lake Chabot near Castro Valley; 750 last week and 750 next week at Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton; 750 last week and 750 this week at Quarry Lakes in Fremont; 500 pounds this week at Lake Temescal in the Oakland hills. Selected lake levels: Chabot (87 percent full). Contra Costa County: 1,250 pounds of trout next week at Contra Loma near Antioch; 750 by DFW last week at Lafayette Lake; 1,000 pounds last week at Los Vaqueros north of Livermore; 900 pounds last week at San Pablo Res. near El Sobrante. Selected lake levels: Lafayette (89 percent full), San Pablo (78 percent full), Los Vaqueros (50 percent at new dam, projected to rise in April with California Aqueduct water). Marin: 750 pounds last week at Bon Tempe near Fairfax. Lake levels: Lagunitas, Bon Tempe, Alpine, Kent, Phoenix, Soulajule, Nicasio and Stafford all 100-plus percent full; many are over the brink and spilling. Santa Clara County: 500 pounds last week at Cunningham Lake in San Jose. Selected lake levels: Uvas (102 percent), Stevens Creek (100), Coyote (90), Anderson (57). No plants scheduled: At lakes in San Mateo, San Francisco, Solano, Sonoma or Santa Cruz counties. Trout plant information: East Bay Regional Park District, Rocky Mountain Recreation Company, California Parks Company, California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GOP outsider Donald Trump holds a double-digit lead in Californias June 7 presidential primary, backed by an angry Republican electorate looking for dramatic changes in the way the state and the country are run, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. The fact that California Republicans have a lower approval rating for (the GOP-led) Congress (11 percent) than they do for President Obama (20 percent) says a lot about how dissatisfied Republicans are with the status quo, said Mark Baldassare, the institutes president and the polls director. Theyre looking for candidates to help them express that dissatisfaction. The poll of likely California voters, taken days before Florida Sen. Marco Rubio dropped out of the race, puts Trump on top with 38 percent, followed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 19 percent and Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich tied at 12 percent. When the numbers were recalculated to eliminate Rubio and add his supporters second choices, Trump kept the lead at 38 percent, but Cruz rose to 27 percent, and Kasich edged up to 14 percent. While Trump led across all age, education, gender and income groups, a fifth of those surveyed either backed none of the named candidates or were undecided. Only 46 percent of Republicans said they were satisfied with their choice of candidates. Dems like their choice Its a different story on the Democratic side, with nearly two-thirds of the voters pleased to choose between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the presidential primary. Clinton, the national front-runner, holds a 48 to 41 percent lead over the more progressive Sanders, who is pulling in 63 percent of voters under the age of 45. But in California, as elsewhere in the country, Clinton has a big lead among Latinos, women and moderate voters. Sanders support is from men, white voters and those who describe themselves as very liberal. The race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer looks very likely to be a Democrats-only affair. State Attorney General Kamala Harris leads the poll at 26 percent, followed by U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, at 17 percent, in an election where the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election in the fall. Republicans Tom Del Beccaro, at 9 percent, and Duf Sundheim, at 6 percent, are well behind, with more than half the GOP voters either undecided or supporting someone else. The poll was taken before Republican Ron Unz entered the race last week. Its the despair and anger of Republicans that stands out in the poll, Baldassare said. Party contrast In the Senate race, for example, only 31 percent of Republicans say they are happy with their choices. While 65 percent of California Democrats say the state is heading in the right direction, only 24 percent of Republicans agree. Ten percent of Republicans are convinced the country is headed in the right direction, compared with 57 percent of Democrats. And 60 percent see bad economic times ahead, while only 36 percent of Democrats (and 42 percent of all California adults) feel the same way. Whats striking is the negativity and feeling of disconnect, Baldassare said. This is the sort of unhappiness seen during a deep recession, but those days havent ended for Republicans. Part of that GOP unhappiness might be traced to the partys lack of political clout in California and the way its concerns and priorities get steamrolled by the Democrats who hold the reins of state government. Worlds apart While 78 percent of Republicans want a smaller government providing fewer services, 70 percent of Democrats and 44 percent of independents back a bigger government with more services. Although two-thirds of Republicans believe government regulation of business does more harm than good, that doesnt outweigh the 71 percent of Democrats who believe regulation is necessary. Republicans and Democrats are worlds apart in California, Baldassare said. One area where Californians do agree is on the importance of higher education. The 80 percent calling state colleges and universities very important to the states future outdistanced the number that felt that way about road and highway maintenance (62 percent), construction of delta water transport tunnels (54 percent) and high-speed rail (34 percent). Yet even in agreement there was a partisan divide. While 89 percent of Democrats said state colleges and universities were very important to Californias quality of life and economic vitality over the next 20 years, only 67 percent of Republicans agreed. The poll was based on a telephone survey of 1,710 California adults, including 1,385 registered voters and 1,039 likely voters, taken March 6-15. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points for the entire survey, 3.9 percentage points for registered voters and 4.4 percentage points for likely voters. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Florida woman and her husband were facing felony charges stemming from an alleged burrito attack. Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies said 51-year-old Suzanne Hurlvert bashed her 66-year-old husband Carl Owen Smith in the back of the head with a half-eaten Burrito Supreme to underscore her disapproval of his drinking, according to KXAN. While delicious, the folded tortilla filled with seasoned beef, refried beans, red sauce, lettuce, real cheddar cheese, diced onions, tomatoes and reduced fat sour cream does not make an effective bludgeon. Smith apparently was not injured or stunned by the attack, just angry. Police said he responded by stabbing Hurlvert in the hand with the fork he was using to eat a Taco Bell pizza. The fork was still sticking out of her hand when deputies arrived at their Crestview home Tuesday. Officers saw pieces of the other "weapon" the burrito scattered about the room. Smith, however, had already left. Deputies found him at a local bar. When they showed him a picture of his wife's impaled hand, he reportedly laughed and admitted the pair has had violent disputes in the past. Police said the fork was so deeply embedded in Hurlvert's hand that doctors were needed to remove it. Both husband and wife were arrested on felony assault charges. See the above slideshow for other "food used as weapon" attacks. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRUSSELS Belgiums prime minister refused to accept the resignations of his justice and interior ministers Thursday despite increasing evidence of intelligence and law enforcement failures to prevent this weeks attacks by Islamic militants. With at least one attacker at large and an unknown number of accomplices, police detained six people in raids around the Belgian capital Thursday night. In a Paris suburb, a man suspected of plotting an imminent attack was also detained Thursday, but the interior minister reported no apparent link with the Brussels airport and subway bombings or the Nov. 13 attacks on Paris. Authorities lowered Belgiums terror-threat level by one notch, although they said the situation remained grave and another attack is likely and possible. Belgium had been on its highest alert ever since Tuesdays bombings in the Brussels airport and subway that killed 31 people and wounded 270. We dont have to be proud about what happened, Justice Minister Koen Geens said of the governments failures to halt the attacks. We perhaps did things we should not have done, at the same time. Less than a mile from the bombed subway station, European justice and home ministers held an emergency meeting where they condemned the terrorist acts as an attack on our open, democratic society. They also urged the European Parliament to adopt an agreement allowing authorities to exchange airport passenger data. A manhunt continued for one of the Brussels airport attackers who was recorded on a surveillance video and had fled the scene. Belgian prosecutors said the raids Thursday night targeted central Brussels, Jette and the Schaerbeek neighborhood, where police earlier had found a huge stash of explosives and bomb-making material in an apartment used by the Brussels attackers. Prosecutors declined to comment on reports from Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and Frances Le Monde and BFM television that a fifth attacker may also be at large: a man seen on surveillance cameras in the Brussels metro carrying a large bag alongside one of the suicide bombers. It is not clear whether that man was killed in the attack or is a fugitive. Authorities drew a line between the Brussels bombings and the Nov. 13 attacks that left 130 dead in Paris. Both appeared to have been carried out by the same Belgium-based Islamic State cell. Prosecutors have said at least four people were involved in the Brussels bloodshed, including brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, identified as suicide bombers. Officials identified another suicide bomber as Najim Laachraoui, a suspected bombmaker for the Paris attacks. LE VERNET, France In a solemn day of remembrance, grieving families gathered in a French Alpine village to pay homage to loved ones a year after the co-pilot of a Germanwings plane flew the passenger jet into a mountainside, killing all 150 people aboard. Hundreds of people attended Thursdays commemoration that began with a private ceremony and a minute of silence. Families had the option to visit the crash site on the mountain overlooking Le Vernet. A wreath-laying was the only public moment as families of victims mostly German and Spanish marked the grim day. The Airbus A320 was en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 27, locked the pilot out of the cockpit and thrust the aircraft into an accelerated dive. Frances accident investigating body, the BEA, said in a report released this month that the remains of Lubitz, who had a long history of psychological problems, bore traces of antidepressants and a sleeping medication. It happened on our mountains, and we have victims families visiting us every week, families who come and pay tribute, said Le Vernet Mayor Francois Balique. Villagers in Le Vernet and nearby Prads-Haute-Bleone have taken on the role of second family for many of the grieving. Today, this bond is still alive, this friendship between the families and ourselves, we want to make it last, its very important for us. The role we set for ourselves is to accompany the families each time they come here, and comfort them as they mourn, said Prads-Haute-Bleone Mayor Bernard Bartolini. A first responder to the disaster, Sebastien Beaud of the High Mountain Gendarmerie Unit, said in an interview on the eve of the commemoration that it quickly became clear that finding survivors was an impossible task. Theres smoke, flames, debris everywhere ... human remains, he said, recalling walking down the mountainside. Some families preferred to stay away from organized memorials. Juergen Fischenich, who lost his 33-year-old son, Sven, in the crash, said family and friends would mourn privately. Some families of British and German victims plan to take legal action against the Arizona flight school, where Lufthansa trains commercial pilots, alleging Lubitz should have been prevented from qualifying, the Britain-based Irwin Mitchell law firm said this week. The Bureau of Land Management is considering deferring oil and gas leases on three parcels of land and mineral rights on 2,122 acres of Navajo allotment land at the gateway to Chaco Canyon, but a miscommunication in that message led to environmental groups heralding a discussion as a decision. If the agency does follow through on the delay, it will be the third time it has deferred these leases, which previously were pulled from sales because the area's resource management plan is being revised and in acknowledgment of the need to address conflicts with Navajo allotment lands. Environmental groups say discussions of this latest deferral, which were mistakenly construed as a decision on that course of action, likely springs from similar roots. "It's the same fundamental issue, which is that the BLM has committed to performing the resource management plan amendment, because it recognizes that there are potential impacts to the landscape and to the local communities that they haven't considered at the landscape level," says Kyle Tisdel, attorney and climate and energy program director for the Western Environmental Law Center. "Our thinking on these parcels is the exact same with the drilling permit approvals. You should go through and complete that process before committing additional lands to oil and gas leasing, and before you're approving additional drilling to an area." When The Durango Herald called the BLM to confirm the delay, spokeswoman Donna Hummel told the reporter, "We have not yet made a decision. ... I'm not sure where that came from." Hummel has not responded to a similar inquiry from SFR. She told The Herald the agency can take until May 5 to made a decision on whether to postpone these leases, scheduled for an October sale. The BLM's existing resource management plan fails to account for the scale of development new technology, including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, allows for in the area. The agency's own documents describing the need to amend their resource management plan, the governing document for what, when and how much can be leased for oil and gas development, concede that in 2003, the Mancos Oil Shale formation, found near Counselor, Lybrook and Cuba, was considered marginally profitable and unlikely to see much interest from oil and gas companies. But new technology reversed that situation, and what was previously a sleepy little play has seen increasing interest. The Western Environmental Law Center, Dine Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment and San Juan Citizens Alliance are suing to stop issuing permits for hydraulic fracturing on those lands until that new plan is completed. Tisdel recently argued their case for an injunction against development in that area while the plan is being revised in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado and called this latest deferral the "only legally defensible decision" in a press release announcing the decision. When these leases were deferred before, in 2014, the BLM cited the need to finish that resource management plan revision as the reason. "The highest concentration of oil and gas wells is the northern portion of the basin; they're conventional wells, and they've been drilling for gas for a long time. What we're talking about is an entirely different category of wells that are included here," Tisdel told SFR before his March 8 court date. "It's a new technology, drilling a new formation in an entirely new area, so the agency has not ever considered what the development of all of these wells means to the landscape and to the people that live here." The Western Environmental Law Center, Dine Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment and San Juan Citizens Alliance contend that the BLM should suspend fracking on all public lands in northwestern New Mexico until the agency has built safeguards in for the area's cultural heritage and environment. The Navajo community has borne the brunt of development in that area, raising concerns over the effect of heavy truck traffic on the dirt roads in their communities, ongoing flaring activity that can burn so brightly it illuminates the mesas at night, leaking methane that contributes to global warming and raises questions about air quality, and the industry's water consumption in an already arid landscape. "Fracking is an insult to Navajos in Greater Chaco, because it not only compromises the cultural landscape, the land and air quality, but it also threatens our water resources. Water is a scarce resource for many Navajos across the reservation; many people do not have access to safe and clean drinking water," Carol Davis of Dine Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment said in a press release. "Many Navajos, like myself, pay approximately $33.75 for 900 gallons of potable water for home use on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, the oil and gas companies misuse millions of gallons of our precious Navajo water in the fracking processa process that results in the majority of fracking fluid waste being permanently contaminated." Work on the resource management plan amendment is underway, but the latest date Tisdel says he's heard for completion is late 2018. "But that date keeps getting pushed back by BLM, so it's a little bit of a fool's errand to try to predict when these documents are going to come out," he says. "But it's not imminent by any stretch." Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported the decision as being made, per the announcement from the environmental groups involved. Santa Fe Reporter As the weather warms, the Zika virus is expected to make its way north from South America and is expected to hit the southern tip of New Mexico and perhaps even appear in Albuquerque as summer brings on more mosquitoes. An analysis by mosquito and disease experts at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado found favorable conditions for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which has been spreading the virus, as far north as New York City. Based on travel patterns, the research team estimated that southern Texas and southern Florida may be hardest hit. "While there is much we still don't know about the dynamics of Zika virus transmission, understanding where the Aedes aegypti mosquito can survive in the U.S. and how its abundance fluctuates seasonally may help guide mosquito control efforts and public health preparedness," NCAR scientist Andrew Monaghan, lead author of the study, said in a press release. Even if the disease does reach the US, the prevalence of air-conditioned and sealed homes means it's unlikely to spread as rampantly as has been seen in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 20 countries now face pandemics of the disease, which originated in Uganda and moved to Brazil just last year. The researchers say long-range forecasts suggest this summer has a 40 to 45 percent chance of being warmer than average, which could increase suitable conditions for A. aegypti throughout the South and East. Although the hottest areas of Texas, Arizona and California could see temperatures high enough, they're less hospitable to the insect. Researchers used computer models for 50 cities in or near the known range for the A. aegypti to assess for conditions needed for the species to breedthe general demands of a mosquito being warm, relatively stable temperatures and water-filled containers for their eggs to hatch. A. aegypti has been found in southern New Mexico, but the potential abundance of the species is relatively low in Albuquerque. An Aedes aegypti mosquito (NIH) Throughout the spring, the press release continued, the presence of those conditions in the Southeast and Arizona will increase, and by June, nearly all of the 50 cities studied have the potential for at least low-to-moderate abundance, and conditions could remain suitable until as late as November. Even in northern cities where the A. aegypti is not yet found, the species could survive if introduced through human activity or travel, or if a related species that's more cold-tolerant begins carrying the virus. Monaghan is out of the country but responded by email to an inquiry about Santa Fe's place in this spectrum: "The risk for local Zika virus transmission in Santa Fe is low because Aedes aegypti is unlikely to be found there. The climate, overall, is a bit too cool, particularly the winters (which makes it difficult for the mosquitoes to overwinter). CDC recently revised their guidance on areas of Zika risk to note that 'mosquitoes linked to Zika virus are not likely in areas above 6,500 feet (2,000 meters),' which would exclude Santa Fe." Researchers also looked at how travel and socio-economic conditions may affect the spread of Zika, noting that summertime peak air travel coincides with peak mosquito season, but border states see more travelers moving between Mexico and the US, and they do so mostly by land (though Zika hasn't been widely reported in northern Mexico). Where the question of poverty comes into play is that these border areas tend to have a high percentage of households living below the poverty line and that people living in non-air-conditioned houses or with torn or missing screens are more likely to be bitten by mosquitoesthough A. aegypti tend to thrive more in urban than rural areas. The places that house the greatest overlay of travelers from countries with a CDC-issued travel advisory on Zika and a potential abundance of A. aegypti in July are Miami and Orlando, but New York, Atlanta and Houston also rate. A 46-year-old Bernalillo man who had traveled to Central America was reported as the first confirmed case of Zika virus in New Mexico, according to an announcement that came out late last week. "We have anticipated that travel-related cases would be identified in New Mexico," Department of Health Deputy Secretary Lynn Gallagher said via press release. "We have been working closely with CDC to prepare for Zika cases in New Mexico." The Zika virus causes few symptoms in infected adults but has been linked to microcephaly and other poor birth outcomes when contracted by pregnant women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend against pregnant women and women who may become pregnant traveling to areas known to be affected. The virus is mainly spread by mosquitoes but can also be transmitting by semen, prompting recommendations that men who have traveled to areas where the virus is active either abstain from sex or use a condom. The CDC recommends taking basic precautionswearing long sleeves and pants, using EPA-registered insect repellents, use permethrin insecticide to treat clothing and gear (including boots and tents) and staying in screened-in or air-conditioned roomsto avoid mosquito bites while traveling in areas where Zika has been found. Santa Fe Reporter Home Prices Jump Housing costs are back on the rise around the state. In February, . The average median price for a New Mexico home also jumped 3 percent in February. But it looks like the population has , and . Fewer DWI Deaths Gov. Susana Martinez said Wednesday that deaths caused last year in New Mexico by drunken drivers were at , reigniting a debate over whether the state is on the right track in making roadways safer, reports Steve Terrell. Solar Panel Economics Associated Press reporter takes a look at the economics of those state solar panel tax credits, which are set to expire this summer. Guards Not Charged KOB reports the guards who were driving the transport van when two prisoners escaped have not been charged, but Ballot Battles Deborah Baker reports that the secretary of states office has put Republican Jeremy Tremko of Moriarty , but freshman state Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, is still challenging Tremkos qualifying petition signatures in court. While big legislative races will determine who controls the House and Senate, theres also quite this year. Open Government Setback Andrew Oxford reports that a former Lincoln County sheriff and a few of his deputies for denying her access to records regarding Billy the Kids death. College Savings and Debt With higher education costs rising, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan has introduced . This morning, US Sen. Tom Udall, D-NM, plans to discuss college affordability with students at a roundtable in Santa Fe High School's library. Meanwhile, Attorney General Hector Balderas is calling for Bathroom Challenge The pastor of Legacy Church in Albuquerque doesnt like the idea of APS building , and now hes taking the school district on. Refuge Funded The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, south of Albuquerque, will receive $1 million in additional annual funding to in conservation and outdoor recreation. Prescribed Burn Planned Staci Matlock reports that if the weather cooperates today, are planning a prescribed burn on about 223 acres in the lower Santa Fe Municipal Watershed south of Nichols Reservoir, so dont freak if you see smoke. Governor Books a Hotel in NYC Gov. Martinez has booked another hotel room, this time in New York City. Shes with all three Republican candidates for president. After Marco Rubio suspended his campaign, Martinez has been on the sidelines and hasnt publicly endorsed any of the remaining candidates. Stolen UFO Replica Found in Pieces Parts of that missing UFO replica that were in Roswell have been found all cracked up in a ditch. This is not the first time an alien display has been stolen. Back in 2004, Fred the alien mannequin was abducted from right in front of the alien encounter store. Two men were seen rolling Fred and his wheelchair into their truck and speeding away. Santa Fe Reporter New Zealand's two-year military deployment to Iraq to train security forces fighting Islamic State is likely to come in below budget because living costs at Camp Taji are tracking at about half the estimated amount. More than 100 New Zealand troops, including trainers and those providing security for the trainers, have been deployed to Camp Taji, near the capital city of Baghdad as part of the Building Partner Capacity training mission with Australia. A review of the first nine months of the mission has concluded it is performing well and achieving the objectives signed off by the Cabinet in February 2015, according to papers released by Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee. The Cabinet had approved spending of $65 million for the deployment but the actual cost is expected to be about $57million, or $8 million under budget. The cabinet paper says the savings were mainly due to cheaper-than-expected service costs for the troops at the base of about US$160 person per day, compared with an original estimate of US$300. Services are those provided by local contractors to house NZDF personnel at Camp Taji and include things such as electricity, food, accommodation, and facilities, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said. Parts of the cabinet paper were redacted including a section that refers to ongoing challenges with the mission and details of New Zealand troops engaged in activities outside of Camp Taji. A section of the "extremely challenging" political and security environment in Iraq was also blacked out. The paper recommends the cabinet note the mission is performing well and will continue with its full mandate through until May 2017. Also to be noted is that the operational threat to Defence Force personnel remains high and that despite some battlefield losses, Isis and its affiliate groups "remain a real and significant threat to international peace and security including to New Zealand and New Zealand interests." The paper also notes the Brownlee has received a letter from USA Secretary of Defense Ash Carter requesting that New Zealand expand its role in the coalition battle against the militants. (BusinessDesk) 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. 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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 Opioid Scourge What Should We All Be Doing About It? REGIONAL When someone is addicted to opiates or opioids they nearly always find themselves in a very difficult set of circumstances. And this is never truer than when they decide for one reason or another to get off drugs, clean up, and seek recovery. After a recent meeting of the State Senate's Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, senator Jim Seward remarked, "Once someone makes that decision to go clean, the treatment options locally are scarce. That was a common theme that I heard over and over again and we need to address that." So what are the options for treatment? And what steps can society take to improve things? When someone finally decides they've had enough, that they're tired of having their life dominated by the single driving urge to find and use more heroin or prescription opioids, and also tired of falling into opiate "sickness" because they can't find those drugs, what do they do? For many who lack health insurance and a primary care doctor, or just don't know where else to turn, local hospitals' emergency rooms are the first option. Unfortunately, such places are not equipped for detox, and in the past did not even necessarily know where to direct an addict seeking rehabilitation. Today, that is no longer the case. Emergency room staff know to direct such persons to the Richard C. Ward Addiction Treatment Center in Middletown, one of twelve such centers in the state. But as Ellenville Police Chief Phil Mattracion will tell you, addicts rarely volunteer themselves this way. More often they will turn to treatment when they've been saved from death with Narcan, or arrested for possession of heroin or opioids. The police will send addicts to any of the local rehabilitation centers and, Mattracion adds, "I've never had one of them turn someone down because they don't have insurance." Prompt action is essential, because addicts have a tendency to change their minds at any moment; the key is to get them to detox and on into rehab as quickly as possible, before they can relapse. If there are obstacles in the way of getting treatment, of even getting an evaluation so that treatment may be obtained, then many addicts will fall at the first jump. It used to be that our systems were not well adjusted to the issues of heroin and opioid addiction. Decades ago there was a simple, punitive approach. Addicts were left to go "cold turkey" in police cells and they rarely made it through recovery. Insurance barely covered this difficult area. Things are changing, though more change is still necessary. In the past, treatment would be limited to outpatient visits to a treatment facility. Research, however, has indicated that this is ineffective. Relapse rates of 90 percent are mentioned. Should the person be lucky enough to find affordable treatment in a facility and are admitted for detox, then comes the question of how long they can obtain inpatient services. Once detox was limited to two or three days, a period that experts will tell you is absurdly short but now insurers in New York are approving longer inpatient stays, with one to two weeks becoming standard. Although experts and those who have beat addiction say even that amount of time is still inadequate. New York State passed Timothy's Law in 2006 that mandated that insurance companies treat mental health equally with physical health. Now, insurance companies must offer detox and rehabilitation services including treatment and sixty outpatient visits afterwards. There are also mandated therapeutic outpatient services for family members, because coping with an addicted family member can be very stressful and treating family members can be very important for the recovering addict's health, too. In Michigan, under the urging of the well known Dr. Corey Waller, the state has become the first to generate comprehensive guidelines for the treatment of people addicted to opioids and opiates, drawing on research into the effectiveness of twelve step programs, medication and behavioral therapy, usually in combination for the best chances for recovery. Their effort is the first to provide really detailed guidelines. "Never before have we had guidelines that defined mild, moderate and severe levels of addiction and then applied medication and behavioral therapy that research has shown to be most effective for that level of addiction," said Lisa Miller of Michigan's opioid treatment authority, adding that one of the primary goals of the guidelines is to provide consistent treatment across the state. Here in New York we have a ways to go to get a similar comprehensive approach. However, in our region there are efforts being made to move forward with new approaches. In Orange County, Commissioner of Mental Health and Social Services Darcie Miller is heading up an Opiates Task Force and they have come to some startling conclusions. "One person in ten has some substance abuse disorder. It is a medical condition and needs to be treated as such," Miller noted. "We see families impacted at every level of society. We see poverty stricken families and we see affluent families all grappling with these same issues. When we started in 2012 we were looking at the pills, but when the government acted to shut down the supply of Oxycodone it quickly increased the heroin problem. Overdose deaths began going up; we started at 51, went up to 55, then 77 in 2014. We changed the name of the task force right then." Orange County began implementing intervention techniques like the use of Narcan, a direct opiate antagonist, which can save people from dying from overdoses. "We saw deaths fall back to 67 in 2015," said Miller. "I like to believe that our targeted efforts helped to reduce that number." Narcan is one side of things there; another is the use of Vivitrol, another opiate antagonist that is given as a once a month injection and blocks the opioid cell receptors, blocking opiates' effect. However, to receive it a person must remain in treatment. Miller is pleased with the effect of increasing distribution of Narcan and Narcan training, as well as the use of Vivitrol to help addicts move from detox to recovery. "We don't have a database yet, but because of the way data is collected it's very difficult to distinguish what may be happening," she said. "Data is what drives the treatment. We want to be sure that we have the right data." She noted how when Corey Waller was keynote speaker at last October's Orange County Cares healthcare forum, he was careful to stress that if you don't provide treatment to addicts, they have a mere 8 percent chance of recovery. If you provide comprehensive treatment services, you can lift that recovery success rate to 75 percent. Several pieces of state legislation are also being pursued this session that will help improve the treatment options for recovering addicts. One requires insurance companies to provide at least ninety days of rehabilitation services upon a doctor's prescription; another seeks continuing medical education for doctors, nurses and pharmacists that requires three hours of training on prevention, treatment and mitigation of opiate and psychotropic drug addiction. Step by step, our medical systems, underpinned by insurance, are adjusting to cope with the sudden increase in addiction to opiates. Now comes an accompanying need for a shift in social attitudes. "This is a mental illness and it's one shared by a large segment of society," Darcie Miller said. "Treatment is the only answer to addiction." BENGALURU: The South Korean consumer-electronics giant, Samsung, in an effort to restore its market value is planning to introduce a range of exclusive online products, reports TOI. These products are expected to have a faceoff with the Xiaomi, Motorola, Micromax and Vu, who have already bagged success with their online models in the Indian market. Presently, Samsung is anticipated to come up with designing and manufacturing of consumer electronics like TVs, and mobile phones for online sales. Along with this, launch of Samsung owned sales channel might be on the cards; people acquainted with the matter revealed. Meanwhile, Samsung India is also anticipated to hire an online category head who will report to Asim Warsi, VP, IT, marketing and mobile, Samsung India. "Despite online sales being a small part of its overall business here, the company has understood its potential," said a senior Samsung India executive. "People who come online to shop for phones are mainly millennia's, who have specific requirements and buy phones that are affordably priced. Phone makers will have to address those needs to be successful." he added. Samsung has aggressive plans to make the most of the growing online market in India. As per reports, out of the 100 Mn smartphones sold last year, 30 percent were purchased online. Currently, the online sales of the mobile phones account for 11 percent of the total e-commerce sales. "While modern retail has decent penetration in other parts of the world, in India, mobile phone makers faced a unique situation with smaller towns and cities not having enough retail points. E-commerce provided them instant distribution reach," said Tony Navin, senior VP, partnerships and strategic initiatives at online marketplace, Snapdeal. "Phone makers who only sell online, could save money on distribution, marketing and brick-and-mortar retail costs and pass the savings on to consumers." said Amit Boni, GM of Motorola India, referring to the online strategy behind their success. Companies like Xiaomi, OnePlus One and Meizu have also witnessed a substantial increase in the online demand in short span of time. Read More: Apple's iPhone SE to Hit Indian Stores On April 8 Xiaomi Confirms Plans to Launch Retail Stores in India WASHINGTON: The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) led a mission on exploring avenues for joint collaboration and investment in clean technology across three Indian cities -- New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. The trade body comprised of 350 top-tier U.S. and Indian companies advancing U.S.-India commercial ties led talks to grow bilateral cooperation in innovation, protecting the environment and meeting the country's ambitious clean energy targets. The delegation included USIBC members working in the US-India energy corridor, presenting a board range of opportunity in the renewable energy space such as GE, AES, 8minutenergy, First Solar, Applied Materials, CH2M among others, it said Tuesday. The Indian government has augmented its solar target fivefold to 100 GW and wind target to 60 GW by 2022, representing a $125 billion investment opportunity, USIBC noted. The objective of the meetings was to create sustained engagement on national and state-level policies and regulatory frameworks, such as the National Solar Mission and state solar policies, and thereby, ensure a level playing field for all participants, it said. There has been considerable progress in transmission, but the problem of congestion remains, both at the interstate and intra-state levels, USIBC said. Through its meetings with senior Government of India officials, the delegation explored avenues for joint collaboration and technical exchanges in areas such as energy storage and transmission infrastructure, wind and solar power generation, energy efficiency technology and services. It also articulated how investors can work in stride with both state and central governments to meet the country's ambitious clean energy targets of installing 175 GW by 2022. "The strong focus on renewable energy will help increasing access to energy for all Indian citizens as part of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's ambitious reform agenda," USIBC president Mukesh Aghi said. "There is also an urgent need for long-term financial solutions in the clean energy economy. American enterprise is eager to help in all ways possible," he said. The delegation engaged with senior Government of India leaders to develop an action plan for a regulatory and infrastructure environment that will further foster innovation, attract investment, create jobs and fulfil initiatives such as Make in India, Innovate in India," Aghi said. The delegation met among others officials in key central ministries and Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers Anandiben Patel and N. Chandrababu Naidu. Read Also: Top 7 Early-Stage Angels for Startups Sachin Tendulkar Picks up Stake in Indian based IoT Company Smartron NEW DELHI: The last phone call of Infosys employee from Bengaluru, who has gone missing in Brussels since Tuesdays deadly terror strike, has been tracked to a metro rail in the Belgian capital, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said. The Indian Embassy in Brussels is making efforts to locate Raghavendran Ganesh since the terror attacks on the Brussels Airport and the metro which left 31 dead and 300 injured. Raghavendran Ganesh We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail, Ms. Swaraj tweeted on Thursday. Two Jet Airways crew members Nidhi Chaphekar and Amit Motwanai who were injured in the explosions at the airport are recovering well. Both Nidhi and Amit are from Mumbai. I have just spoken to Manjeev Puri, our Ambassador in Brussels. He has informed me that Nidhi and Amit are recovering well, Ms. Swaraj said. The Brussels Airport serves as the European hub for the Mumbai-based Jet Airlines international operations, which is now being relocated to Dutch capital Amsterdam from coming Sunday. Read Also: PM Compares Ambedkar With Martin Luther King Pollution Alert: Avoid These Cities to Live In WASHINGTON: Criticising the Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for their anti-Muslim rhetoric, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has said demonising Muslims could alienate partners and undermine moderates needed to fight against ISIS. "We need every American community invested in this fight, not fearful and sitting on the sidelines. So when Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly- Muslim neighbourhoods, it's wrong, it's counter-productive, it's dangerous," Clinton said in remarks at the prestigious Stanford University. "As a spokesman for the New York Police Department pointed out last night, that kind of blanket bigotry would treat the city's nearly 1,000 Muslim police officers as threats," Clinton said. "It's hard to imagine a more incendiary, foolish statement," the former Secretary of State quoted the spokesman as saying. The 68-year-old Democratic party front-runner asserted that demonising Muslims also alienates partners and undermines moderates needed around the world in the fight against ISIS. Noting that there has been a lot of talk from both Republicans and Democrats about the importance of building coalitions with Muslim nations, Clinton said, "Having actually done this, I can tell you, insulting allies and partners is not a good way to start." "Another thing we know that does not work, based on lots of empirical evidence, is torture. Many intelligence, military and law enforcement experts have attested to this fact. It also puts our own troops and increasingly our own civilians at greater risk," she argued. In her major policy speech on ISIS, Clinton criticised Trump's recent remarks to review US policy on NATO. "Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket, would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike. Putin already hopes to divide Europe. If Mr Trump gets his way, it'll be like Christmas in the Kremlin. It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous," she said. Clinton said in the struggle against ISIS, allies are needed as much as ever. "We need them to be strong and engaged, for they are increasingly on the frontlines. London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, Istanbul -- they've all been hit by terrorism," she said. "So it's essential that the U.S. has strong partners who can work with it to disrupt plots and dismantle networks in their own countries before they lead to attacks in the United States," she added. "America needs European intelligence services working hand-in-hand with our own, including where they may have better reach and expertise like in North Africa. We need European banks to stop terrorist financing. We need European planes flying missions over Iraq and Syria, and European special forces helping train and equip local anti-ISIS forces on the ground," she said. "There's been a lot of talk from both Republicans and Democrats about the importance of building coalitions with Muslim nations. Having actually done this, I can tell you, insulting allies and partners is not a good way to start," she added. Clinton also slammed Trump's view on torture in which he has supported water boarding. "I'm proud to have been a part of the administration that banned torture after too many years in which we had lost our way. And if I'm President, the United States will not condone or practice torture anywhere in the world. Even when we're up against opponents who don't respect human life or human rights, torture is not the right choice," Clinton said. "No other country can rally allies and partners to defeat ISIS and win the generational struggle against radical jihadist terrorism. Only the United States can mobilise common action on a global scale in defense of our people and our values," said the former top American diplomat. Read Also: Obama Slams Cruz For Muslim Hoods' Surveillance Call Bill Introduced In U.S. Congress To Help India Join APEC Source: PTI WASHINGTON: Republican and Democratic presidential front runners, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, cruised to big victories in the crucial Arizona primary even as they faced challenges from rivals in other nominating contests. With his easy victory in Arizona's winner-take-all primary, Trump added another 58 delegates to his tally of 681 delegates, while closest rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz with 425 delegates hoped to slow Trump's momentum with a victory Tuesday in the Utah caucuses. A strong victory in Utah caucuses with more than 50 percent support would give Cruz all the state's 40 delegates and help him narrow the gap with Trump a little in the race for 1,237 delegates needed to win the Republican nomination. Cruz is backed in Utah with its sizable Mormon population by the 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who backed Ohio Governor John Kasich in last week's Ohio primary. Romney said he would vote for Cruz in Utah as part of an effort to deny Trump the nomination. "The only path that remains to nominate a Republican rather than Mr. Trump is to have an open convention," he wrote in a posting on Facebook. "At this stage, the only way we can reach an open convention is for Senator Cruz to be successful in as many of the remaining nominating elections as possible." Kasich, who entered the day with 143 delegates handily won his home state last week despite a strong push by Trump. But that is Kasich's one and only victory and he seemed unlikely to add to his win total on Tuesday. Heading into the polls in the shadow of a series of explosions in Brussels, killing at least 30 people, Trump reiterated his proposal for an open-ended ban on Muslims entering the US and for using extralegal means to fight terrorists. Trump called for torturing Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in November's terrorist attack on Paris who was captured last week in Belgium. "You know, he may be talking, but he'll talk a lot faster with torture," he told CNN. Cruz responded to the attack with his own provocative proposal, calling for law enforcement authorities "to patrol and secure Muslim neighbourhoods before they become radicalised." But Kasich was more restrained. "We are not at war with Islam; we're at war with radical Islam," he said. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, Clinton beat rival Bernie Sanders in the Arizona primary to take at least one of three Democratic presidential contests Tuesday in Western states. Arizona was the biggest prize of the night, with 75 of the state's 85 delegates at stake based on the results of Tuesday's primary. Utah and Idaho also held caucuses Tuesday where a combined 56 delegates were on the line. Speaking in San Diego after Clinton's projected win in Arizona, Sanders cited "record-breaking turnouts" in states that held contests Tuesday and said his campaign appealed to voters because "we are telling the truth." "We cannot go forward as a nation unless we are prepared to confront the real issues facing our country," Read also: Development of Zika Virus Vaccine Underway in India: WHO In 90 Seconds, these Ladies Got the Investments of their Lives Source: IANS WASHINGTON: Indian-American groups have condemned the terrorist attack in Brussels claimed by the ISIS that killed around 35 people and injured over 200 others. The Association of Indian Muslims of America in a statement expressed its outrage and shock at the terrorist attack carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) on civilians at the airport and a metro station in Brussels. Kaleem Kawaja, executive director of the association, appealed to governments in western countries to enforce stringent security measures in public places to flush out suspected terrorists. He also appealed to authorities at all the mosques, Islamic centres and organisations in these countries to report and inform the local police about any suspicious and radicalised individuals within their Muslim communities and groups. Sending its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, American Sikh Council said such heinous acts must be condemned in the strictest manner. "We pray for a speedy and full recovery of the injured. Our prayers are with all the victims, their families, and local community. May Almighty God lighten your burden, and grace you with hope and healing under these very difficult circumstances. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of profound tragedy and grief," it said. Read Also: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Win Arizona Primaries Trump Rules Out Troops To Fight Is, Wants Nato Scaled Down Source: PTI WASHINGTON: Criticising Ted Cruz for his call for surveillance of Muslim neighbourhoods, U.S. President Barack Obama has said it would not help defeat ISIS and reminded the Republican presidential hopeful that his father had to leave Cuba for America as a result of similar policies. "As far as the notion of having surveillance of neighbourhoods where Muslims are present, I just left a country (Cuba) that engages in that kind of neighbourhood surveillance which, by the way, the father of Senator Cruz escaped for America, the Land of the Free," Obama told reporters yesterday in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires where he is on a visit. He was responding to a question on Cruz's statements in which the Texas Senator called for increased surveillance of Muslim neighbourhoods. "The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It is contrary to who we are and it is not going to help us defeat ISIL (also known as ISIS or Islamic State)," Obama said. Obama said one of the great strengths of the U.S. and part of the reason why there has not been more attacks in the country is that America has an extraordinarily successful, patriotic, integrated Muslim-American community. "They do not feel ghettoised, isolated. Their children are our children's friends, going to the same schools. They are our colleagues in our workplaces. They are our men and women in uniform fighting for our freedom. "So any approach that would single them out or target them for discrimination is not only wrong and un-American, but it also would be counterproductive, because it would reduce the strength, the antibodies that we have to resist terrorism," he said. Obama said that he is determined to defeat the ISIS. "I have got a lot of things on my plate but my top priority is to defeat ISIL and to eliminate the scourge of this barbaric terrorism that has been taking place around the world. We see high-profile attacks in Europe, but they are also killing Muslims throughout the Middle East, people who are innocent, people who are guilty only of worshipping Islam in a different way than this organisation. "They are poisoning the minds of young people everywhere. Not just in Europe but in the U.S. and undoubtedly in Argentina, people are looking on these websites," Obama said. "There is no more important item on my agenda than going after them and defeating them. The issue is how do we do it in an intelligent way. And our approach has been continuously to adjust to see what works and what does not. "What has been working is the airstrikes that we are taking on their leadership, on their infrastructure, on their financial systems. What has been working is special operators partnering with Iraqi security forces and going after leadership networks and couriers, and disrupting the connection between their bases in Raqqa and their bases in Mosul," the US President added. Read Also: Bill Introduced In U.S. Congress To Help India Join APEC Trump Brands Clinton Incompetent Over 'Christmas For Kremlin' Jab Source: PTI WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clintonsuggested a Donald Trump presidency would be 'Christmas for the Kremlin' only to have her billionaire rival hit back branding her incompetent. "If Mr. Trump gets his way, it'll be like Christmas in Kremlin," she said in an address Wednesday at Stanford University, California targeting Trump for his recent comments that the US should limit its involvement with NATO. Warning such a move would only be a boon for Russian President Vladimir Putin, "who already hopes to divide Europe," Clinton said, "It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous. "When it comes to the struggle against ISIS, we need our allies as much as ever. We need them to be strong and engaged for they are increasingly on the front lines," she said describing NATO as "one of the best investments America has ever made." In her speech on terrorism in the wake of the attacks in Brussels, the former secretary of state also attacked Trump's closest rival Ted Cruz, who on Tuesday called for patrolling Muslim neighbourhoods in the US as a way of combating ISIS. "When Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods, it's wrong, it's counterproductive, it's dangerous," Clinton said. "One thing we know that does not work is offensive inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims," she added. "These Americans are a crucial line of defense against terrorism." Clinton also blasted the Republican candidates for condoning torture as a means of fighting terrorists. Donald Trump was quick to respond to Clinton's attacks. "Just watched Hillary deliver a prepackage speech on terror. She's been in office fighting terror for 20 years -- and look where we are!" he tweeted. Donald Trump also branded Clinton as incompetent questioning his rival's capability to be commander-in-chief. "I think people will see I'm much more competent than she is," Trump told Bloomberg Politics' "With all due respect, I think I'm much smarter than she is. I think I'm much more competent than she is." Trump's used the same phrase during an appearance on Fox News' Tuesday. "Incompetent Hillary doesn't know what she's talking about," he said. "She doesn't have a clue. She's made such bad decisions." Trump later took to twitter to re-up his new phrase. "Incompetent Hillary, despite the horrible attack in Brussels today, wants borders to be weak and open-and let the Muslims flow in," he tweeted. "No way!" Read Also: Indian-Americans Condemn Terrorist Attacks In Brussels Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Win Arizona Primaries Source: IANS STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Garry Shandling, the acclaimed standup comic-turned-actor-writer who racked up 18 Emmy Award nominations -- and one win -- has died at a Los Angeles hospital, TMZ reported Thursday. A cause of death was not immediately released. The Chicago native was raised in Tucson, Ariz., where he graduated with a marketing degree from the University of Arizona. Early Hollywood writing gigs included the '70s sitcoms "Sanford and Son" and "Welcome Back, Kotter." After working the standup circuit, the endearingly whiney-voiced comic guest-hosted on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," and was among those under consideration to replace the late-night icon. Never a leading man, he was nonetheless a critical darling: Showtime's "It's Garry Shandling's Show" (1986-90), followed by "The Larry Sanders Show" (1992-98) on HBO. The comedy, set in the office of a fictional late-night talk show, earned Shandling more 18 Emmy nominations. He finally took home the trophy for the series finale. Variety reports that NBC offered him $5 million to take over "Late Night" when David Letterman moved to CBS in 1993, but he declined. He was also offered "The Late Late Show" but declined to do the "Larry Sanders Show." Still, he was a host with the mostest, helming both the Grammys and Emmy Awards telecasts multiple times. Shandling also made regular appearances (sometimes just his signature voice) on the silver screen, including "Iron Man 2," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Dr. Dolittle," "Zoolander" and "Over the Hedge." STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When Frank Inzerillo was commissioned to make the sign for Blue, the Mediterranean-centered restaurant that opened where R.H. Tugs had been, he contacted Frank Torrone and Sons to take down the former restaurant's sign and install the new one. "They have the equipment and know-how for that kind of job," said Inzerillo. Plus the West Brighton company had built and installed the original sign. R.H. Tugs closed in 2012 after some 25 years of serving serving tavern fare of burgers, pasta and Cajun inspired dishes and serving as a pleasant gathering place on the waterfront. "It was just a part of Staten Island for the longest time, located along the Kill van Kull where all the tug boats could see it," said Inzerillo who lives nearby in Livingston. He didn't want to see the Tugs neon sign get trashed, and he thought the American Sign Museum might be interested in having it. Blue's owner Julian Gaxholli was "cool with it," so he contacted the folks at the Cincinnati museum for preserving signs, and they were interested. Posted by American Sign Museum on Saturday, March 12, 2016 "The sign is very simple. That is the beauty of it, and it is an icon of Staten Island life," said Inzerillo whose business Rooster Graffixx specializes in customs signs, boat lettering and pinstriping. The museum contacted Torrone's and asked him to save it for them which they agreed to do. The next step took a little longer. Moving what Inzerillo estimates is an 8 by 5 foot sign needed some heavy duty equipment. As the American Sign Museum relates on its Facebook page, Mike Bradley of Radocy Inc., crane manufacturers in Perrysburg, OH, had volunteered to deliver signs to the museum if they had one coming from far away, and it was on a delivery route for one of their customers. Bradley picked up the sign when he was delivering a crane to Staten Island and was only able to drop it off at the museum this week. "It will be restored by Neon Works of Cincinnati," said Kevin Wallace, guests service manager at the museum. The American Sign Museum exhibits not only signs but the equipment utilized in their design and manufacture. It has a nostalgic appeal, says Wallace, for people to see something like the Howard Johnson Times Square sign. For graphic artists, the fonts and typeface are fascinating, and for history buffs, it is a "lens" to view changing times, he says. By MIRA WASSEF, RYAN LAVIS and EDDIE D'ANNA STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. a A domestic violence incident in Port Richmond Thursday afternoon sparked a massive response by the NYPD and FDNY, with a fire and at least one stabbing being reported. While details remain unclear at this time, a man sought in connection with a domestic violence incident barricaded himself inside an apartment on Nicholas Ave near Innis Street at around 2:25 p.m., according to an NYPD spokesman. While the man has been taken into custody, the spokesman said, he was not able to provide details on the domestic incident or condition of the victims at this time. A fire was also reported in connection with the incident and the FDNY hit the scene. An FDNY spokesman reported one person was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton with stab wounds. No life-threatening injuries are being reported in connection with the incident at this time. The incident is located around the block from Port Richmond High School. This is a breaking news story and additional details will be posted as they become available. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police seek a woman for questioning in connection with a stolen vehicle taken from the Best Buy shopping center in New Springville earlier this month. On March 3, a 70-year-old woman parked her gray 2005 Infinity G sedan in the shopping center on Richmond Avenue at 5:30 p.m., and when she came back the vehicle was gone, according to a written statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner for Public Information. An unidentified female exited a black four-door sedan at the location, and that car and the victim's vehicle subsequently exited the parking lot simultaneously, police said. The victim, an NYPD spokeswoman said, left the doors unlocked and the keys in the car. The NYPD released photos of the unidentified woman wanted for questioning, which were taken from a surveillance video from a store in the shopping center, the NYPD spokeswoman said. Earlier this month, the NYPD posted on Twitter that 15 of the 22 automobiles reported stolen in the 120th and 121st Precincts had the keys inside. As of March 13, there have been 60 stolen cars reported on Staten Island, according to NYPD compstat data. There were only 38 reported car thefts at the same time last year. Anyone with information in regard to the New Springville theft is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips at Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. citywide ferry service.jpg Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, at right with Mayor Bill de Blasio, will meet with Borough President James Oddo and ferry operators about the possibility of bringing a fast ferry to the South Shore. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office) CITY HALL -- The city has signaled new interest in bringing fast ferry service to the South Shore. Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen will meet with a handful of ferry operators and Borough President James Oddo at City Hall next week to discuss the possibility of adding a new stop on Staten Island. The April 1 meeting was set up this week after Borough Hall's friendly relationship with Mayor Bill de Blasio started to fracture this year. Oddo has recently criticized the administration for the death of the Kroc Center project and failing to help fund a costly makeover of the fields at the Berry Houses in Dongan Hills. The borough president also hit the city for supporting a $2.5 billion streetcar connecting Brooklyn and Queens -- while ignoring several transportation projects on Staten Island like the South Shore fast ferry. "I have been exploring all options to bring fast ferry service to the South Shore for quite some time," Oddo said in a statement. Two ferry operators said they were invited to the meeting this week. The city wouldn't say which operators will be there. Durst Organization spokesman Jordan Barowitz confirmed New York Water Taxi was invited to the meeting this week and will be attending. The operator provided temporary ferry service from Great Kills to Manhattan after Hurricane Sandy. Though de Blasio increased off-peak Staten Island Ferry service, his administration has proposed virtually no new mass transit options for the borough. Staten Island commutes are among the longest in the country and South Shore residents have some of the worst. De Blasio's new ferry system won't include Staten Island anytime soon, though the docks for routes to other boroughs are being built in Mariners Harbor now. Service to Stapleton is only part of a proposed phase of the system that hasn't been funded or scheduled yet. Though de Blasio has repeatedly defended that location, the neighborhood is already well-serviced by the Staten Island Railway and the free ferry going from St. George to lower Manhattan. Oddo has been pushing for a South Shore ferry for two years. The borough president met with Hornblower to discuss the possibility of ferry service connecting New Jersey and Staten Island last month. Borough Hall also worked with New York Waterway to run trial routes from alternative locations on the North and South Shores. Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposed fast ferry system for New York City. Last April, New York Waterway ran a boat from Prince's Bay that took 47 minutes to reach lower Manhattan and 57 minutes to reach Midtown. A boat running from Port Richmond took 24 minutes to reach lower Manhattan and 34 minutes to reach Midtown. While the de Blasio administration never particularly warmed to a South Shore fast ferry, Glenn promised Oddo last month that the city would at the very least host a meeting with operators to discuss the idea. The city's Economic Development Corporation will also attend. "I look forward to talking with the ferry operators about the plight of too many Staten Islanders, and determining whether there is a path forward to finally bring fast ferry service to Staten Island commuters who desperately need it," Oddo said. Whether a potential fast ferry to the South Shore would include any financial support from the city is unclear. City Hall has said in the past that adding a route to de Blasio's so-called "five borough" system would need to have significant ridership potential and be competitive with other forms of transportation. South Shore residents are unlikely to support increased development even if it's coupled with a fast ferry. Hornblower was recently picked to operate the new citywide service, which will cost the same as the subway to ride. The city subsidy for the system is expected to be $6.60 per rider. The Staten Island Ferry is free and costs the city about $5.87 per rider. BX116_7111_9.JPG NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton lashed out at GOP Presidential contender Ted Cruz, saying the Texas governor "doesn't know what the hell he's talking about" as Cruz continued his criticism of New York over surveillance of Muslims neighborhoods. (Associated Press) Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), shakes hands with supporters at a campaign fundraiser Wednesday. (Associated Press) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The war of words between GOP Presidential candidate Ted Cruz and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton over Muslim surveillance and security escalated into a second day, with President Obama getting into the fray. Cruz, in Manhattan for a campaign fundraiser Wednesday, took aim at Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio, citing the funerals of slain Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in January, when city cops turned their back on the mayor. "When the heroes of NYPD stood up and turned their backs on Mayor de Blasio, they spoke not just for the men and women of New York, but for Americans all across this nation," Cruz charged. "President Obama and Hillary Clinton and sadly, Mayor de Blasio, the elected Democrats, are so bounded up by political correctness, they refuse to utter the words radical Islamic terrorism and they refuse to be serious in defeating it," Cruz said. On Tuesday, hours after the terrorist attack on Brussels, Cruz called for stepping up surveillance of Mulsim neighborhoods, blasting de Blasio and Bratton. "New York City, under Mayor Bloomberg, had a program that focused on, worked proactively with Muslim communities to stop radicalization to prevent attacks from radical Islamic terrorism before they occur," Cruz said. "Now what happened? Mayor de Blasio came in and decided political correctness mattered more than keeping people safe. He disbanded the program." A frustrated Bratton lashed back at the Texas governor Wednesday. "I've got better things to do than think about Mr. Cruz," Bratton said. "He doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. . . ."While he's running around here, he probably has some Muslim officers guarding him," the NYPD commissioner said. Bratton, speaking in an interview Wednesday morning on the John Gambling show on AM 970 The Answer, said almost 1,000 officers on the NYPD are Muslim, including many who work on counter-terrorism assignments, and many are veterans who fought overseas. "I don't recall seeing Mr. Cruz in uniform at any time fighting for his country," the commissioner said. "He does a lot of talking but I don't recall seeing him fighting." Meanwhile, President Obama weighed in on the issue, saying stepping up surveillance of the Muslim community would bring the country "down a slippery slope." "The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It's contrary to who we are, and it's not going to help us defeat ISIS," said Obama. Screen Shot 2016-03-29 at 3.35.27 PM.png In 2014, ATV riders damaged sand dunes at Crescent Beach in Great Kills. (Staten Island Advance/Timothy Harrison) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 23-year-old ATV rider was arrested for endangering pedestrians and motorists by driving recklessly in several recent incidents on the North Shore, including one where he rode on the sidewalk, police allege. Travis Wright, of Hudson Street in Stapleton, was involved in at least one episode where pedestrians had to move out of the way as he careened down a sidewalk, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. The suspect also didn't respect the pedestrian right-of-way, ran through a red light and didn't use his directional signals in various incidents that all occurred in broad daylight near busy intersections, according to violations and charges levied by police. A spokeswoman for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said that Wright was arrested for the following three separate ATV incidents: March 9 at 4 p.m. at Brighton Avenue and Jersey Street in New Brighton; March 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Richmond Terrace and Bement Avenue in West Brighton; March 17 at 1:27 p.m. at Victory Boulevard and St. Marks Place in Tompkinsville. After he was taken into custody on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in the 120 Precinct, police charged Wright with three counts of felony reckless endangerment in the first degree and multiple violations, according to the police spokeswoman. Wright's criminal history includes prior arrests on charges of reckless endangerment, sale of a controlled substance, grand larceny and theft of service, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. The arrest and a picture of the ATV was posted on the 120 Precinct Twitter feed. At the 120 Precinct Community Council meeting on Wednesday, residents complained about dirt bike riders on major roadways including Bay Street. Police said they arrested some culprits on Castleton Avenue. 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 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 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! ANZ Bank has warned that its bad debt costs for this half will be at least $100 million more than it expected last month, due to a lift in soured loans in the resources sector. The bank on Thursday said its total charge for bad and doubtful debts for the first half would be "at least" $100 million more than the $800 million figure it had flagged in mid February. The cause for the downgrade was "a small number of Australian and multi-national resources related exposures", it said. It is understood this includes loans to troubled steelmaker Arrium, and United States coal miner Peabody Energy, which last week said it may be forced to file for bankruptcy. ANZ shares had dropped 5 per cent to $24.11 by mid morning. While the predator-proof fence at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary has proved expert at keeping the foxes out, it's had less success keeping the quolls in. Up to seven eastern quolls have escaped after they scaled the electric fence of their new home in Canberra's north, leaving conservationists scrambling to apprehend the tiny escapees. An eastern quoll put on a show for the cameras when it was released at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary by Meegan Fitzharris. Credit:Melissa Adams Fourteen of the spotted creatures were released - wearing radio collars - at Mulligans Flat at the beginning of March but four have since fallen victim to foxes. The rest have been brought back into the sanctuary. It is one way to get noticed fronting up to a Sydney courthouse dressed in military uniforms saying you've brought a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin. So on Thursday four members of Sydney's Cossack community, dressed in military garb went to Burwood Local Court to confront a man accused of destroying 50 Orthodox Christian graves at Sydney's Rookwood cemetery. It was a move, the Russian nationalists said, to show their community is strong and they won't tolerate such cowardly acts. "We want to make our presence here clear, our community doesn't tolerate this," one of the men, dressed in green fatigues with Russian military patches. "We want people to understand that the Russian community is a strong community and we won't have our heads in the sand." Brussels: Police have a fresh lead in their investigation of the Brussels terrorist attacks: a computer belonging to one of the suicide bombers, containing a despairing message described as a "will". In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Belgium federal prosecutor Frederic van Leeuw gave new details on the bombings, which occurred on Tuesday morning, and the hunt for the conspirators responsible. He also updated the casualty count: 34 people have now been confirmed killed and 270 people were injured in the attacks at Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station - but he warned those figures "could continue to rise". Online lenders using algorithms to assess consumer creditworthiness are in the spotlight following action by the corporate watchdog against payday lender Nimble. Nimble has been forced to refund $1.6 million to more than 7000 customers after it was found to engage in irresponsible lending. Companies like Nimble can no longer target ads through Google. The corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, said it was continuing its surveillance of the payday industry "as well as other credit licensees and their representatives". This included any companies providing consumer or business loans, as well as interest-only home loans using online processing. Workers at Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia will spend Easter weekend evaluating the damage caused by a geotechnical incident at the copper, gold and silver mine. The wall slip occurred in the open pit section of Oyu Tolgoi, which is in a remote section of the south Gobi desert. The Oyu Tolgoi mine, where damage from a wall slip in the open pit is being evaluated. Credit:Philip Wen Rio Tinto's exposure to the mine comes through its 51 per cent stake in Toronto-listed miner Turquoise Hill Resources, which owns 66 per cent of Oyu Tolgoi. Turquoise Hill has not announced the incident to the market, and there have been varying views about the severity of the wall slip. That just isn't happening. Though I still use Luxe frequently, it now often feels like just another luxury for people who have more money than time. Uber was originally positioned as an alternative to upscale limousine services. Credit:Jerome Favre So do a lot of other apps offering services across a number of industries. They are super convenient, but the convenience comes at a premium, which seems here to stay. Some of these services could make for fine businesses, but it is hard to call them groundbreaking. After all, paying extra for convenience isn't really innovative. It is pretty much how the world has always worked. Before we get to why many on-demand apps have struggled to achieve mass-market prices, it is important to remember why anyone ever thought they could: Because Uber did it. The ride-hailing company that is valued by investors at more than $US60 billion began as a luxury service. The magic of Uber was that it used its growth to keep cutting its prices and expand its service. Uber shifted from a convenient alternative to luxury cars to an alternative to taxis to, now, a credible alternative to owning a car. Around the world, Uber has taken on the heavily regulated taxi industry, sparking protests from cab drivers worldwide. Credit:Christophe Ena Investors saw Uber's success as a template for Ubers for everything. "The industry went through a period where we said, let's look at any big service industry, stick 'on-demand' on it, and we've got an Uber," said Hunter Walk, a venture capitalist at the firm Homebrew, which has invested in at least one on-demand company, the shipping service Shyp. But Uber's success was in many ways unique. For one thing, it was attacking a vulnerable market. In many cities, the taxi business was a customer-unfriendly protectionist racket that artificially inflated prices and cared little about customer service. The opportunity for Uber to become a regular part of people's lives was huge. People take cars every day, so hook them once and you have repeat customers. Finally, cars are the second-most-expensive things people buy, and the most frequent thing we do with them is park. That monumental inefficiency left Uber ample room to extract a profit even after undercutting what we now pay for cars. The Taxi industry's rival to Uber is its own app iHail. Credit:iHail Here is what we are witnessing: the end of the on-demand dream. But how many other markets are there like that? Not many. Some services were used frequently by consumers, but weren't that valuable. This things related to food, for instance, offered low margins. Other businesses funded in low-frequency and low-value areas "were a trap," Walk said. Distorted businesses Another problem was that funding distorted on-demand businesses. So many startups raised so much cash in 2014 and 2015 that they were freed from the pressure of having to make money on each of their orders. Now that investor appetite for on-demand companies has cooled, companies have been forced to return sanity to their business, sometimes by raising prices. Look at grocery shopping. Last year the American grocery-delivery startup Instacart lowered prices because it thought it could extract extra revenue from supermarket chains, which were attracted to the new business Instacart was bringing in. That has panned out only partway. A representative told me Instacart's revenue grew by a factor of six since the start of 2015, and it has been able to use data science to find efficiencies in its operations. But the revenue from supermarket chains wasn't enough to offset costs, so in December, Instacart raised delivery charges to $US6 from $US4 for most orders. It has also reduced pay for some of its workers. The changes are in line with a drive toward profit. The company said it had stemmed losses in its biggest cities, and aimed to become "gross-margin positive" - that is, to stop losing money on each order - across its operations by year's end. Or consider delivery services. Postmates, one of the most established on-demand delivery startups, began as a premium service that charged extraordinary fees - 50 per cent isn't unusual - for the convenience of getting just about anything delivered anywhere. That premium has kept the company's unit-economics in the black. Postmates does not lose money on the bulk of its orders. But high prices left the company vulnerable to lower-priced competitors, including the relatively newer entrant DoorDash, which has received piles of funding from Silicon Valley venture firms (the company announced a $US127 million funding round on Tuesday after struggling to raise some of the cash). Last year, Postmates began offering a cheaper service in which restaurants kick back some of the delivery fee in return for the promise of more orders; that price is $US3 or $US4 for a food order, not including a tip. But so far, that service represents 30 per cent of the company's orders. DoorDash, which charges $US5 or $US6 an order, has a similar business model which charges restaurants a commission for each order. Is a fee of $US3 to $US6 for deliveries of groceries or food a mass-market price? For many people, the savings in time is worth the price. But the median American wage is around $US20 an hour, so a fee of even a few dollars is a costly premium. Instacart, Postmates and DoorDash say they see opportunities for lowering prices as they grow. They are hoping for efficiency gains that come with volume, like bundling two or three orders in each delivery. Not only was Sylvia Anderson the co-creator with her husband of the TV puppet series Thunderbirds, she was the sensuous voice of Lady Penelope, the aristocrat turned secret agent. Anderson remarked years later: "A lot of men have told me that Lady Penelope was their first crush. I can't understand that." Anderson, who has died aged 88, met husband Gerry Anderson in the 1950s through their work with Polytechnic Films, a small production company based in Buckinghamshire. At the time, Sylvia Thamm was employed as a secretary and Gerry was already married with two daughters. In 1956 Anderson broke away to found AP Films, taking Sylvia with him. They married in 1960 and Sylvia's role broadened to put her on an equal footing with her husband. Gerry Anderson had never intended to work with puppets. It took a visit from Roberta Leigh, a wealthy children's author and animator, to persuade the couple that a marionette show might be commercially viable. "Because we were desperate, we agreed to do it," Sylvia Anderson recalled. The result was Torchy the Battery Boy (1960), a faintly sinister creation with a fixed stare and an X-ray lamp mounted in his forehead. For their subsequent projects involving puppetry, Gerry developed a technique that he dubbed Supermarionation. Using thin wires in the puppets' heads, the lip and eye movements could be electronically synched to correspond with pre-recorded dialogue. While Gerry Anderson honed the technology, Sylvia focused on plot and character development. On the back of their early success with half-hour shows such as Stingray (1964), she persuaded the television impresario Lew Grade to grant them an hour-long broadcast slot. The result was Thunderbirds, which followed the life-saving exploits of the Tracy family a father and his five sons from their futuristic island base in the Pacific. Assisting them was Brains, a bespectacled genius with a stammer, and Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, the Tracys' eyes and ears in London. It was the latter character that truly fired the imaginations of the public and the press with her immaculate fashion sense and Sylvia Anderson's equally immaculate vowels. As an airport worker I have a vested interest in airport security. The calls to increase security protocols at Australian airports, up to those of some overseas ports, where only passengers and workers are permitted to enter the terminal building are all very well, but fail to consider the consequences. Trains and planes were the targets in Brussels. Harden the airports and then the railway stations and then the buses and then the streets and then ... Where does it end? There has to be a better way. We might start by finding out why so many seemingly disaffected youth turn to a distorted version of their religion to find a place in the world and do something about that. Bob Stewart Red Hill (Qld) Following the Brussels outrages, we continue to read about the failings of Belgian security, social issues, the need for political solutions, and the plight of refugees. However, if, as your editorial states, " The vast majority of [Muslims] reject and plead for help in fighting the scourge" (SMH, 24 March), why is this not reported? Where is the condemnation from Muslim leaders? Instead of pleading for help, why does the Muslim world not do something practical about this "scourge"? Surely they have some ownership over this, or is this just the West's problem? Unfortunately, contrary to the sentiments in your editorial, the apparent silence from the Muslim world in response to the Belgian atrocities, and their apparent inertia in acting over continued attacks, might be construed by some as tacit complicity. Greg Partington Quakers Hill The bombings in Belgium were horrendous atrocities, planned and committed by a tiny percentage of evil people using their religion as a smokescreen. Donald Trump's suggestions to bring back "water boarding" and close the United States borders to all Muslims, plays perfectly into the hands of these fanatics. A demagogue like Trump, playing to his xenophobic and under-educated following in the US, is just the man these evil people need to create a scenario in which we would fanaticise more of the Muslim community and sow the seeds for the fanatic's dream of a "Holy War" of monstrous proportions. We must not allow these atrocities to provide any further excuse for extreme views on either side. The problems have been created by greed, distrust and militarism; they cannot be solved by more of the same. Bruce Ingrey Elizabeth Bay I never thought I'd see the day that Malcolm Turnbull played the terrorist card even more boldly than Abbott or Howard. He has proved that underneath all his sophisticated smooth talk, resides a man terrified of his downward spiral in the polls. It is not his job to fill us all full of fear for the world, and paranoia regarding the radicals that infiltrate our boarders parading as refugees. Are we soon to see another three-word slogan, Turnbull style, both hard and soft, tough but sympathetic? It is his job to try to help the world reconcile with it's displaced and alienated peoples, and not to conquer through division, however tested and tried this strategy may be in gaining power. Though I am a hardcore Labor voter, I had still hoped and expected he would show better leadership than this. What a let down he is proving to be. How much he is proving that he is in the right party after all. James Manche Dulwich Hill Lean on NSW Liberals to lift the secrecy over donors Legal or illegal, donations (and bribes) should always be regarded with suspicion.("Liberals 'hid' illegal donors", March 24.) ClubsNSW signed a non-legally binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NSW Liberals on October 10, 2010, prior to the 2011 elections. The Libs received a modest donation from ClubsNSW. The MOU led to major delays in healthy smoke-free reforms. Smoking is still allowed outdoors in drinking areas and in "unenclosed" VIP poker machine rooms in pubs and clubs all over the state. Workers and patrons continue to suck in the toxins in tobacco smoke. The truly galling matter is that, in 2011, the Libs won in a landslide they didn't need the money! Margaret Hogge North Curl Curl The electoral authority is to be congratulated. Politicians are elected by the people for the people, or are they? With so much controversy in NSW council amalgamations, property development, CSG, mining, alcohol laws to name but a few, it is imperative the Liberals come clean; who were the donors whose identities were conveniently disguised in the funding "forum" vehicles? Danielle Ecuyer Bondi Junction Now that the state electoral commission has ruled the NSW Liberal Party concealed illegal funding before the 2011 election, what is Mike Baird going to do about it? If he continues to do nothing why doesn't Malcolm Turnbull act on the matter? Why are the names of these donors so sacrosanct ? Peter Skrzynecki Eastwood Governance ignored in Baird council plans On council amalgamations, Premier Mike Baird states: "It's quite simple really. You have two-thirds of councils with expenditure greater than revenue and that means rates are going up unreasonably high on an annual basis." ('I'm determined to stay as long as I possibly can", March 24) Sorry, Mr Baird, but it's not quite that simple. You say that if there are fewer councils, there is "more capacity for additional services, more infrastructure and downward pressure on rates for the long term". But not one word about improved governance? Until developers and their mates such as real estate agents and lawyers are banned from holding office and internal audit function is made mandatory councils will continue to be dysfunctional with mere lip service being paid to governance. Anne Wagstaff Oatley I could not believe when reading Sean Nicholls' report that Mike Baird lists as some of his achievements, the rebuilding of the Convention Centre and the building of the WestConnex Motorway what a waste of OUR funds when these funds could have been used to bring forward the building of the proposed light rail projects and a rail connection to Badgerys Creek Airport and the Northern Beaches. I also wonder when will Parliament House, the Mitchell Library, Sydney Hospital and the Hyde Park Barracks be sold to the developers just think of what they could do with that site. Hugh Darling Castle Hill Mike Baird states that with fewer councils "you've got more capacity for additional services" and hence lower rates. Sounds terrific. So why doesn't he release the KPMG modelling he commissioned to support his claim? Richard Watson Pyrmont Do lockout laws mean this Easter there will be no one up the cross? Peter Fyfe Eskineville Lust is a deadly sin By focusing on the seven deadly sins and human-induced climate change ("Forgive us Earth, for we have sinned", March 24), Elizabeth Farrelly's chocolate-coated view of God papers over Jesus' scandalous crucifixion. God's wrath is justly on all but his anger management is centred on the cross. That's why it is a good Friday. Easter Sunday is the first glimpse of renewal, including a new earth and new heavens. The most deadly sin is being too earthly minded for any heavenly good. Hendry Wan Alexandria Elizabeth Farrelly was back at her brilliant best. The concept of climate change as an outcome of the seven deadly sins is wonderful indeed. I'd put more emphasis on lust, though, because of its relationship with expanding "the population burden". If we did not have more than 80 million people added to "our lovely planet" each year, we might have some chance of dealing with climate change. Jenny Goldie Michelago Sprung by Elizabeth Farrelly. According to the Magnum ice-cream sin-o-meter, I must plead guilty, primarily, to Sloth (caramel), closely followed by Envy (pistachio). However, Pride takes the cake as the biggest sin. And Farrelly opines rightly that the church's sin is pride. Easter Sunday looms and we feel the scent of humility and second chances. Pam Connor Mollymook Beach Turn down the volume With the prospect of a 10-week federal election campaign looming, I would like to take this brief opportunity to offer my most sincere and heartfelt gratitude to whomever it was decided to include a "mute" button on the remote control. Thank you. Ross SharpToowong. (Qld) Sympathy for MPs The horror! I just read the shocking news ("MPs may have to fork out for campaign costs", March 24) The early election call has "some MPs ... worried they will have to dip into their own pockets to cover the costs of reaching the voters in a campaign that could stretch from May until early July". My heart (and wallet) bleed for them. Please fix this. Brett Jack Bonnyrigg Heights Vexing HECS debts Darryl Jordan (Letters, March 24) seems concerned that the government does not collect HECS debts from deceased students. However, when a company dies (or goes into liquidation) all debts are nullified and creditors get next to nothing. And the company will often just start up again. Much more generous situation than that given to the deceased student. Geoff Wannan Dawes Point Drop Australia Day I propose that we move Australia Day to the first Monday in November. We could all enjoy a long weekend followed by a bonus half-day off Tuesday while we all watch the Melbourne Cup and get on the drink. Couldn't get much more Australian than that. Matt Petersen Randwick Beppi Polese is not the only culinary legend lost to us recently ("Beppi's gift made Sydney a greater place", Letters, March 24). Cyril Vincenc of the eponymous delicatessen in the Haymarket served his loyal customers from 1956 until September, 2015, when illness forced him to close. He died in December. For all those years, Cyril and his lovely wife, Milla, provided Central and Eastern European delicacies such as herrings, Kassler, Kulich, piroshki, Stollen, assorted sausage and cheeses and the list goes on. This was a landmark after the then ubiquitous "ham and beef" shop and he was very persuasive in getting customers to try something new as well as their tried and true favourites. We will not see his like again. Marina Garlick Balmain Share house evolution Back in the day, a share house was a rundown terrace in Paddington with a kitchen full of cockroaches. ("Over 40 and still living in a share house", March 24) Now it's a luxury apartment in Erskineville with pool and gym. How times change. John Christie Oatley It's hard to believe Cleese's Fawlty logic A quick quiz. Who said this? "I had absolutely no idea ... I think people will find that very hard to believe, but if people don't tell you, how do you know?" Cardinal George Pell, or John Cleese? Come on, John, how could you not know? It was everywhere.(Don't mention the Fawlty Towers 'spin-off' war", March 24). Peter Fleming Ryde Box on without Abbott Jack-in-a-box indeed (Letters, March 24). In the past six months, Tony Abbott has sought refuge in London (twice), Japan and the USA to affirm his relevance. Given the paucity of his presence in his electorate of Warringah, surely those voters will deprive him of a "box" into which "Jack" can retreat. Maureen Moss Beecroft Tony Abbott in training for High Commissioner in London? I thought that Tony Abbott had shown during his tenure as PM and subsequently that he is untrainable. Bob Liddelow Avalon Tony Abbott frequently flying to London has a slightly worrying aspect about it to me. I just can't imagine being seated next to him for nearly a day being anything else but challenging. In the swirl of emotions that follow an attack of this nature, perhaps the hardest to channel is patience. We rush to try and make sense of another senseless act of Islamic State-inspired violence. Why did terrorists attack Brussels and why now? And of course, how can we prevent similar attacks re-occurring in future? To fully answer these questions, we first need to wait for investigators to identify who carried out the attacks, how, and most importantly, to disrupt any remaining cell members, including the third airport ''attacker''. If the four-month manhunt that resulted in Salah Abdeslam's recent capture is an indicator, we may be waiting for some time. Illustration John Spooner Many have questioned whether the timing of the attack was prompted or accelerated by Abdeslam's arrest. But, regardless of when the attack took place, what is most concerning is the capability that a multi-stage assault on high-profile infrastructure demonstrates. And the corresponding failure of the Belgian authorities to identify and disrupt the attack network. The inverse relationship between the size of Belgium's extremist problem and Belgium's limited intelligence resources is well-documented. Since the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Belgium has scrambled to boost these resources. Budgets have been increased and staff recruited, while the intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been granted additional powers. Yet despite these changes, Tuesday's attacks were not greeted with surprise, but by an overwhelming sense of inevitability. What does a 13 year old say to a crowd of tipsy adults? "I was so fumbling around in the dark! I talked about school, my parents, very pretentious, self-indulgent stuff I wish I could erase from my memory. I went through puberty on stage, you know. When I started I had long hair, acne and braces. I think in a way, if you say all the negative things about yourself that somebody could say, you're kind of taking the power back." For "a gangly, androgynous teenager" her own description the club environment was more supportive than high school. "And I think that being young, the novelty got me a lot of gigs." Martin is 28 but, with her wide-eyed, well-scrubbed face her obsessional face-washing is one of the more shadowy patches in a sunny set she describes as a love letter to her parents she could pass for 10 years younger. It was her British father who introduced her to the comedy he loved, ranging from The Goons to Monty Python to French and Saunders; as an early and committed fan, she was performing in Toronto's comedy clubs herself when she was only 13. People have a certain image of Canadians, says Mae Martin. After six years as a stand-up comedian in Britain, where any night of the week you can draw an audience ready to get tanked and join in with some creative heckling, she thinks the stereotype is true. "We're pretty polite and quiet." That's her, isn't it? She laughs, politely and quietly. "I am more reserved than I was as a child and a teenager. I was much more extroverted before I found the outlet for it." A few years later, she found herself with a different sort of branding. The first review written of her work was headlined "Gay Mae". "I hadn't mentioned my love life at all, so it came as a shock. But I was like, 'Great, OK'. I think I was really excited to have an identity to wrap myself in; it felt cool. But as I got older, I realised it was maybe rather a narrow label that bulldozed over the nuances of something as complex as sexuality." She has gone out with men as well as women; when she referred to a boyfriend at a Gay Pride gig, she was booed. "I thought, 'This is a bit of a mess.' I don't want to shy away from being identified that way, but I would much rather it was something I did myself." As always, blame the parents. Wendy and James Martin explained sex to her when she was five, as she relate on stage. They told her that one day she would meet a man or a woman all possibilities were always on offer whose hugging would make her feel so good that it would culminate in an cascade of rainbows. "Imagine my disappointment!" she says sardonically. She thinks they were more liberal than she is. "Their progressiveness made it a real shock when I entered the real world and found not everybody was like that." "Everybody" could be said to include the Edinburgh newspaper that refused to review her show because it was "too niche". "I thought that was crazy. I can't think of a broader topic than human sexuality it's not a gay thing. My main concern is being funny and most of the stuff I talk about is childhood and adolescence and growing up, which are pretty universal themes." She loves other people's sketch comedy, she says; there are observational comics she name-checks. For herself, however, she can't imagine moving out of the confessional. "I guess with comedy, the funniest things and the only things I really have a right to opine about are things from my direct experience. And so far there's no line I'd draw. I think the weirder and more specific the stuff you come out with, the more people say 'oh yeah, me too!'" At the same time, humour can change people's minds in ways they didn't expect. "Something about a joke can click something in your head. I guess any art form does that, but there's something about laughing that has a warmth, it's less aggressive. People feel less like they're being backed up into a corner." Especially when it's by a polite, quiet Canadian. Hollywood producer Mark Johnson, who won an Oscar for Rain Man and two Emmys for Breaking Bad, was shooting a Katie Holmes horror movie in Melbourne when he saw a passing ad for Tim Winton's novel Breath. Seven years on, the filmmaker whose impressive credits also include Good Morning Vietnam, The Notebook, The Chronicles of Narnia movies and Better Call Saul, is about to produce a film version of the widely admired novel with Simon Baker as director. Tim Winton ... writer of Breath. Credit:Louise Kennerley The Mentalist star will also play a reclusive surfer who, with his mysterious wife, forms an unlikely bond with two teenage boys in the 1970s. A BBC reporter was forced to stop a live broadcast from inside the Houses of Parliament in London as protests against disability cuts took place behind him The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith was mid-report on Wednesday when a parliamentary official came into frame and told him to stop. She made a cutting action to film crew members. PO: "You're going to have to stop, you can't film with this going on in the background." NS: "We're not allowed to film this?" The great achievement of The King's Speech (Seven, 8.30pm) is simply that it has made a sympathetic hero out of a king. Kings are, as a rule, not sympathetic; unless it's a king in a fantasy realm, denied his birthright by an unambiguously evil megalomaniac or fighting altruistically for the good of his people in a way that only fictional kings ever have. However, when we move into the real world, the concept of hereditary monarchy is laid bare, with all its rather repellent accoutrements, and it's obvious that if you're making a movie about a real king, far better he be a baddie than a goodie. The King's Speech does have a villainous king, in the form of Guy Pearce's weak-willed and hedonistic Edward VIII. Another telling could easily paint Eddie as a hopeless romantic, following the dictates of his heart rather than the archaic restrictions of the straitjacketed society he was born into. However, here we see Edward's abdication to marry Wallis Simpsons as the act of a feckless playboy pursuing pleasure ahead of duty. And The King's Speech is all about duty: King George VI, thrown reluctantly into the top job by his brother's impetuosity, is determined to do his duty, to serve Britain in spite of his dislike for the position and the speech impediment that makes him unsuitable for the post. Colin Firth in The King's Speech. As the new king, Colin Firth is a picture of repressed Englishness, tortured by his stammer and his ingrained sense of inadequacy, literally unable to express himself, yet resolved that having been given this responsibility, he will not shirk it. And there is the film's genius: to make relatable that which is utterly un-relatable. None of us can identify with the problem of being a king with a stutter who has to deliver a radio address to raise national morale in the face of the threat from the Nazis. But to be someone who has never felt good enough, who has always been terrified of letting the people they love down? To be someone fighting like hell to overcome your own frailties, in order to prove that you can truly be of use to the world? We can relate to that. And so the tale of a king, trying to cure a stammer, becomes a tale of anyone battling against the world's trials to do that noblest and most underrated thing: one's duty. Just 3 per cent of voters think a company tax cut should be the government's top economic priority, according to a devastating poll that will put further pressure on the Coalition's pre-budget planning. Treasurer Scott Morrison has indicated company tax cuts are on the agenda for the May 3 budget - rather than income tax relief - arguing the best way to drive economic growth was by reducing the tax paid by employers. But the public is far less keen on that prospect, much preferring budget repair, education spending or personal income tax cuts to take top billing on the government's economic agenda. People living in disadvantaged or remote areas are more likely to rely on medication to treat their mental health problems because they have less access to psychiatric or psychological treatment than people in cities, experts say. The Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday released a study, which used 2011 census data to analyse trends in people who received government-subsidised mental health treatments through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Medicare Benefits Schedule that year. Psychiatrists and psychologists in major cities tend towards counselling mental health patients but remote areas see much more reliance on medication. Credit:Natalie Pfeiffer The study found that people who lived in remote areas were more likely to use only medications like anti-depressants to treat mental health problems, compared with people who lived in major cities, who tended towards mental health services such as psychiatrists or clinical psychologists. About 67 per cent of people living in remote or very remote areas used medications only, compared to 49 per cent of people in major cities, the study said. Meanwhile, about 30 per cent of people in major cities used mental health services only, compared with about 19 per cent of people in remote areas. London: Tony Abbott has touted a meeting with the British Minister David Cameron on social media during his trip to the United Kingdom, the latest meeting with a world leader publicised by Mr Abbott since being ousted as prime minister. News Corp's Daily Telegraph, a media outlet favoured by the former Australian leader during his short time in the top job, published an exclusive story about their meeting late on Thursday evening, accompanied by what looked to be an amateur photograph of Mr Abbott and Mr Cameron which News Corp captioned as "supplied". Tony Abbott meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron. Credit:Tony Abbott Twitter A short time later, the same image was uploaded onto Mr Abbott's official Twitter and Facebook accounts, with a caption stating it had been "good to catch up". It was an escalation of the dispute, following the damning finding by the NSW Electoral Commission against the NSW party at a time when Senator Sinodinos was its finance director. As Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull came under pressure to stand down his cabinet secretary, Senator Sinodinos said his lawyers had demanded it "immediately retract all references to me in the publication". Under pressure cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos has publicly lashed out at the NSW Electoral Commission over a political donations scandal, branding as "flawed" its report into the illegal funnelling of donations to the state Liberal Party. Interviewed on ABC TV on Thursday night, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the donations should be disclosed. Cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos is under pressure over the NSW Liberal party's political donations scandal. Credit:Andrew Meares "Election donations, political donations, whether they are made to a state division of the Liberal Party or the Federal division, should all be disclosed in accordance with law. All of those donations should be disclosed. This is related to a State election in 2011 and I note that Mike Baird has said precisely the same thing, that all of those donations should be disclosed. I have no doubt that they will be. "The fact is the party must comply with the law. If the law has not been complied with they should fess up, set all the facts out on the table and let the cards fall where they may." The scandal pitted Premier Mike Baird against his own party office on Thursday, after he called on it to "cop it on the chin" and accede to the commission's demand for it to disclose who donated $693,000 via the controversial Free Enterprise Foundation before the 2011 state election. A barrage of legal challenges and daily tongue-lashings from shock jocks are par for the course for the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which is at the centre of a raging debate about the exercise of its powers. But the bombshell announcement by the NSW Electoral Commission that it is withholding $4.4 million in funding from the NSW Liberal Party for "concealing" the identity of some donors to its 2011 election campaign highlights the important work the ICAC has done in exposing political donations irregularities which strike at the heart of our democracy. Senator Arthur Sinodinos was honorary treasurer of the NSW Liberals when the unlawful donations were made. Credit:Andrew Meares The ICAC's Operation Spicer examined allegations the NSW Liberals used a Canberra-based entity called the Free Enterprise Foundation to "wash" donations from property developers that were banned across the state from January 1, 2010. The money was channelled back to state campaign coffers. A Qantas pilot is feared dead after the light plane he was flying off the Byron Bay coast this week crashed into the ocean at nearly 200km/h, say air traffic controllers who monitored the plane's final movements. Paul Whyte, a first officer with Qantas, had rented the Cessna 172 aircraft from the Northern Rivers Aero Club in Lismore on Monday afternoon and was flying solo over the ocean when the plane disappeared off the radar about 11 kilometres north-east of Byron Bay. Police immediately launched a search for the single-engine aircraft but could find no trace of the wreckage or Mr Whyte, from Lennox Head. A Sydney bank worker has been charged with fraud after allegedly stealing nearly half a million dollars from customers' accounts, police say. The 34-year-old man was arrested at North Sydney Police Station on Wednesday and charged with three counts of fraud. He works for Bank of Sydney, previously called Beirut Hellenic Bank, and he is not believed to be an executive-level worker, Fairfax Media understands. Detectives received a tip-off from a bank last week about 70 suspect transactions allegedly carried out by one of its staff members. Officers from the State Crime Command's Corporate Corruption Team launched an investigation into the man's activities, and allegedly uncovered 80 transactions totalling $492,000 that were paid into two separate accounts. A Sydney schoolgirl accused of sending $5000 to the Islamic State battlefront has cried in the dock after being refused bail. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons because she is a minor, was arrested in Guildford Park on Tuesday morning after allegedly taking a yellow envelope filled with cash from her friend Milad Atai, 20. The pair were charged with financing a terrorism group, an offence that carries a maximum 25-year prison sentence. It could be too late to reverse the effects of coral bleaching in large swathes of the Great Barrier Reef caused by man-made climate change, a leading academic fears. Professor Justin Marshall, from The University of Queensland's CoralWatch team, has just spent 10 days at the Lizard Island Research Station, north of Cairns, gathering data and images of coral bleaching in the northern part of the reef. A UQ researcher says damage to coral has reached down to new depths. Credit:XL Catlin Seaview Survey Prof Marshall said almost all of the coral in a 500km stretch of the reef was bleached and about half of that coral was dead because of the bleaching. He said sometimes coral could recover from bleaching, where it becomes white after losing the symbiotic algae that brings it nutrients, but when there was large-scale coral death like in this situation, it was far less likely. On Thursday, Coroner White said Ms Lovell's death could have been prevented and that various acts and omissions by Ms Demanuele had "caused, or substantially contributed to" her death. Caroline Lovell's mother, Jade Markiewicz, speaks outside the Coroners Court on Thursday. Credit:Penny Stphens While Ms Demanuele should have been more rigorous in her assessment of Ms Lovell's birthing history before agreeing to care for her during a home birth in the first place, Coroner White said she then failed to actively monitor Ms Lovell's vital signs after she had given birth to her daughter. Coroner White said he accepted medical evidence that Ms Lovell had, in effect, "bled out" in a birthing pool where she remained for an hour in a dark room after delivering her baby. Unregistered midwife Gaye Demanuele. During this time, he said Ms Demanuele did not examine Ms Lovell, monitor her blood loss effectively, or check her blood pressure. When Ms Lovell tried to get out of the pool, she fell unconscious. She suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to the Austin hospital but died about 12 hours later. Coroner White said Ms Lovell had a history of complications following her first birth and had had several other gynaecological treatments that should have been red flags to Ms Demanuele when considering whether Ms Lovell should have a home birth. He said Ms Demanuele could have insisted on getting Ms Lovell's medical records from Geelong Hospital where she had previously given birth, but instead she chose to rely on Ms Lovell's recollections alone. After Ms Lovell gave birth at home in 2012, Coroner White said the baby had blood on her head - a sign that Ms Lovell may be bleeding. Despite this, Ms Demanuele allowed Ms Lovell to remain in the pool for an hour unchecked. Her baby was with her most of the time so they could bond. Had Ms Demanuele turned on the lights, Coroner White said she may have noticed the pool had turned a reddish brown due to her blood loss. The blood loss was likely caused by injuries to her vaginal wall, perineum, and probably her uterus. When Ms Lovell tried to get out of the pool, she fainted. After regaining consciousness, Ms Lovell said she feared she was dying and asked for an ambulance to be called. Ms Demanuele did not call an ambulance. Later, Ms Lovell collapsed again. Ms Demanuele started CPR and an ambulance was called. However, by the time paramedics arrived, she was in cardiac arrest. Ms Lovell was taken to the Austin Hospital, but she suffered serious brain damage and died. Coroner White said Ms Demanuele had attributed Ms Lovell's breathlessness, agitation and fear to anxiety "in a setting in which Gaye steadfastly maintained her commitment to home birth, without outside intervention". "In other words, I find that these acts and omissions were undertaken without objective judgement, and with little regard for the norms and protocols adhered to by her peers," he said. Coroner White said while Ms Lovell was being treated at the Austin, Ms Demanuele returned to her Watsonia home and removed the pool and its contents, "despite what I am satisfied was her comprehension of the potential relevance of this evidence to questions likely to be later asked of her". Ms Demanuele was accompanied by a less experienced midwife Melody Bourne, but Coroner White said Ms Demanuele was controlling Ms Lovell's care. He said Ms Demanuele had: failed to conduct a proper risk analysis before deciding to approve a home birth for Ms Lovell failed to consult Ms Lovell's GP throughout her antenatal care failed to provide a safe environment for her to give birth, which made it difficult to observe the complications unfolding failed to call for an ambulance when Ms Lovell needed one; and failed to provide paramedics and Austin hospital staff with adequate information. Having heard that Ms Demanuele had been involved in other questionable care, including oversight over a home birth where the baby was stillborn, Coroner White said the regulatory system may have also failed Ms Lovell. He recommended the department of health and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency review the case and develop a specific regulatory framework for private midwives who do home births. He said the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia should also be doing more to monitor the competency of home birth midwives. Coroner White also called for a public campaign to educate women and their partners about the safety of home birth. He said women should have choice over where and how they give birth, as long as they are properly educated about the risks. Outside court, Ms Lovell's friend Rita Linnestad and her mother, Jade Markiewicz, said Ms Lovell was a wonderful person who they missed terribly. Ms Markiewicz said Ms Demanuele was a danger to women and that her only child should not have died. "Caroline was a beautiful person and loving mother who thought that she was in safe hands giving birth at home. She never thought that when she begged to be taken to hospital that her cry for help would be rejected," she said. Ms Markiewicz's lawyer Michael Magazanik said she was now planning to sue over her daughter's death and that the role of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency was open to question. "We are aware of another home birth in mid 2011 when a woman begged Ms Demanuele to call an ambulance. Demanuele refused. The baby died," he said. Loading "Five months later Demanuele attended Caroline's birth and again refused to call an ambulance when her patient begged for one. This raises questions about the regulator's management of the registration of midwives and its failure to act after the first incident." Google Maps screenshot with Uber app link at bottom of directions SUPPLIED by Marc Moncrief for THE AGE NEWS 24th March 2016 The advertisement appears at the bottom of the displayed route as a separate menu item titled "also consider". Ride-sharing service Uber, which has been heavily supported by Google, is advertised in the Google maps app when searching for public transport routes around Melbourne. It's controversial, unregulated and illegal, and it's being advertised openly through a product launched with great fanfare this week by the Victorian Government. It displays the distance of the trip, the approximate time a trip would take and the time it will take a driver to arrive. Clicking the display will take a user directly to the Uber app, if it is installed on their device. The public transport functionality was launched just this week at an event attended by Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan and representatives of Google. Victorian Taxi Association chief executive David Samuel said the advertising was inappropriate, and the association would be writing to the minister's office to complain. "Until the law changes, we expect the law to be enforced," Mr Samuel said. "I would not jump to the conclusion that the minister is aware that that functionality exists. We would intend to to talk to her office and tell her that we don't think it's appropriate." A dodgy Perth tradesman who stole money from customers, including an elderly disabled woman, and installed an air conditioner fitted with used parts up to 12 years old has been ordered to pay $35,000 in victim repayments, fines and court costs. Christopher Brocklebank was found guilty in his absence in the Perth Magistrate's Court on March 16 after being prosecuted by Consumer Protection in relation to five breaches of consumer law. The Clarkson man had been on Consumer Protection's radar since January 2011. Credit:Eddie Jim The Clarkson man had been on Consumer Protection's radar since January 2011 with numerous complaints lodged against him and his businesses Perth Evaporative Air & Gas Services and Elements, Hearth, Wind and Fire since that time. Four of Mr Brocklebank's recently prosecuted breaches related to taking deposits from customers and then failing to return to install or repair air conditioning units. A man who held his father hostage and sparked a four-hour siege and lockdown of Perth's popular Kings Park almost four years ago has been handed a jail term but will remain in a psychiatric facility. In July 2012, David Charles Batty taped the hands and ankles of his then 79-year-old father and drove to Perth's biggest park, which was populated with families during the school holidays. Batty, 54, then made calls to the media, saying there was a man with a gas cylinder and a lighter. Believing the car was going to blow up, Batty's father managed to flee towards bystanders. Batty was then locked in a siege with police for four-and-a-half hours until he started to drive away and police rammed his car into a garden bed. Officers also fired non-lethal beanbag rounds. Appearing in the WA District Court on Friday via video link from the Frankland Centre, Batty was jailed for one year, but will serve the time at the psychiatric facility where he remains an involuntary patient. He previously pleaded guilty in March 2014 to aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and wilfully possessing an explosive substance, but absconded from authorities two months later before he could be sentenced. He was arrested about 15 months later after another siege incident and is currently facing charges in the WA Supreme Court. Chief Judge Kevin Sleight said Batty had a 20-year history of a chronic psychiatric disorder. He described Batty's behaviour at the time as bizarre and noted he believed his father was plotting against him. Judge Sleight said Batty was still in control of his actions but his mental illness had impaired his judgment. Batty will have to serve half the term before he can be considered for release, but Judge Sleight said Batty would likely remain at the facility as an involuntary patient. AAP Jerusalem: Syrian regime forces appear on the verge of recapturing the ancient city of Palmyra from the so-called Islamic State after a long offensive that only added to the destruction in the 4000-year-old city. Supported by heavy Russian airstrikes and Hizbollah fighters, troops loyal to Bashar al-Assad pushed back jihadist forces and closed in on the outskirts of the desert city on Wednesday night, local time. Syrian troops said they were "within hours" of capturing the entire city. Smoke from the detonation of the 2000-year-old temple of Baalshamin in Syria's ancient caravan city of Palmyra, seen in this undated photo which was posted last year on a social media site used by Islamic State militants. Palmyra fell to IS in May 2015 and the world watched in horror as the jihadists executed civilians and began destroying some of the World Heritage site's most important ruins. Belgian police made six arrests in Brussels on Thursday, including three people near the Brussels Palace of Justice. They conducted raids across the Belgian capital, searching houses in suburbs including Zaventem, near the airport, and Schaarbeek. Ibrahim el-Bakraoui is pictured in a July 2015 image taken by Turkish police. Credit:AP Police found a large stash of explosives and other bomb-making material earlier this week in an apartment in Schaarbeek believed to have been used by the Brussels suicide bombers. Schaarbeek residents described hearing detonations during the police raids. It was unclear whether they were explosions or controlled detonations. An armed soldier patrols near the EU Commission headquarters after this week's terrorist attacks. Credit:Getty Belgium reduced its terror threat level on Thursday, as police came under growing criticism for apparent missed opportunities to catch the suicide bombers before they took action. US government sources said that Khalid el-Bakraoui and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui were both on US government counter-terrorism watch lists before the March 18 arrest of Salah Abdeslam, a French national whom prosecutors say had a key role in the November 13 Paris attacks. Ibrahim el-Bakraoui before attacks at Belgium's Zaventem Airport and Khalid el-Bakraoui (below). Credit:AP Belgian prosecutors have identified Ibrahim el-Bakraoui as one of two suicide bombers who attacked Brussels' Zaventem Airport, while they say Khalid el-Bakraoui was the man who carried out a suicide bombing at Brussels' Maalbeek Metro station, near European Union headquarters. Police are still hunting two men in connection with the Brussels bombings. One, a man in light jacket and black hat, was seen in CCTV footage alongside the elder El Bakraoui, pushing a bomb that failed to explode with the others. Another was seen in metro CCTV carrying a large bag and talking to the younger El Bakroui, Khalid, before he detonated the device. At least one known suspect in the Paris terrorist cell is still on the run: Muhammad Abrini, seen in a car with Abdeslam on the road to Paris before the attacks in November. And a pot-bellied jihadist nicknamed "Papa Noel" (Father Christmas) has emerged as the inspiration behind the Brussels and Paris terror attacks. Khalid Zerkani, 42, who prosecutors dubbed "Belgium's biggest ever jihadist recruiter", had links with Najim Laachraoui, whose DNA betrayed him as the second suicide bomber in the Brussels airport attack, photographed pushing a trolley wearing one black glove shortly before the blasts. Police suspect Laachraoui was the bombmaker in both Brussels and Paris. Authorities say Laachraoui travelled to Syria in 2013 to train and recruit other foreign fighters before slipping back into Europe last northern autumn. Moroccan-born Zerkani is also credited with recruiting two of the Paris killers Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected mastermind, who was killed in a shootout in Saint Denis, outside Paris, shortly afterwards, and Chakib Akrouh, one of the restaurant terrace attackers. Abaaoud's passport was reportedly found in one of his caches. Belgian authorities arrested Zerkani, who investigators said was obsessively secretive, spoke in code and never sent texts, in February 2014 and charged him with leading a terrorist operation. During his trial last July for recruiting dozens of jihadists, the court heard that Zerkani earned his "Papa Noel" sobriquet due to his habit of doling out cash and presents to the wayward youths he recruited as thieves and prospective fighters. He would send them out to target train stations and tourists, stealing luggage. The profits, officials say, went towards the costs of sending recruits from Europe to Syria and Iraq. Brussels: Europe's security ministers are to hold an emergency meeting on new measures to combat terrorism, after it emerged the Islamic State's top bombmaker in Europe may have walked into a major airport. The second suicide bomber at Brussels airport has been identified from DNA as Najim Laachraoui, believed to be the bombmaker for November's Paris terror attacks, according to multiple reports in Belgian and international media though at the time of writing it had not been officially confirmed. Laachraoui's name, identity and DNA fingerprint were known to police, who had been chasing him on charges of recruiting for IS. He had been the focus of an intensive manhunt since the Paris attacks, where his DNA was found on recovered suicide belts. Backed by air power from a US-led coalition and by Kurdish Peshmerga forces, Iraqi troops advanced westwards, recapturing several villages from the Islamist militants, according to multiple military sources. The assault was launched from the Makhmour area, to which thousands of Iraqi troops have deployed in recent weeks, setting up base alongside Kurdish and US forces around 60 kilometres south of Mosul. Baghdad: Iraq's armed forces started an offensive against Islamic State on Thursday in what the military described as the first stage of an operation aimed at liberating the city of Mosul. "The first phase of the Fatah [Conquest] Operation has been launched at dawn to liberate Nineveh, raising the Iraqi flag in several villages," said a military statement cited by state TV. Iraqi officials say they will retake Mosul this year but, in private, many question whether the army, which partially collapsed when Islamic State overran a third of the country in June 2014, will be ready in time. The city, home to 2 million people before being taken over by the ultra-hardline jihadist group, is by far the largest centre it controls in either Iraq or Syria, and is still heavily populated, complicating efforts to retake it. The military statement urged civilians to stay away from buildings used by the insurgents, warning that they would be targeted in days to come. "Iraqi security forces in Makhmour ... are beginning to expand the forward line of troops," said Colonel Steve Warren, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the US-led coalition. Pregnant Australian sentenced to 10 months' jail in Singapore Bangkok: An eight-weeks pregnant Australian woman sentenced to jail in Singapore for publishing seditious articles says she doesn't regret setting up her website The Real Singapore that attracted 134 million page views in nine months. "Regret would be the wrong word", 23-year-old Ai Takagi told Fairfax Media shortly before she was sentenced to 10 months jail, the stiffest ever sentence imposed in the city-state. "If I could have, I would have liked to have a bit more editing of content to avoid risks", she said. "It would have probably made everything easier but in terms of setting up a website where people can air their grievances, I don't think there is anything wrong with that still." Houston: The Rockefeller Family Fund has said that it will divest from fossil fuels as quickly as possible and "eliminate holdings" of Exxon Mobil Corp, saying the oil company associated with the family fortune has misled the public about climate change risks. Though only a sliver of the endowment's modest $US130 million ($171 million) in assets is invested in fossil fuels, the move is notable because a century ago John D. Rockefeller snr made a fortune running Standard Oil, a precursor to Exxon Mobil. The charity said it would also divest from coal and Canadian oil sands. Flames shoot from a tower at Exxon Mobil Corp's Torrance Refinery in California earlier this month. Credit:Bloomberg Given the threat posed to the survival of human and natural ecosystems, "there is no sane rationale for companies to continue to explore for new sources of hydrocarbons", the Rockefeller Family Fund said. In a letter posted on its website, the fund said Exxon's conduct on climate issues appears to be "morally reprehensible". PHILIPSBURG:--- Last Wednesday, October 19, the community police officers had a meeting with the administrators of the various elementary schools in preparation for the start of the Cop's and Kids program. The Cops & Kids program will be reintroduced in the elementary schools for the school year 2022/2023, under the leadership of the Community Officers in an ongoing effort to bridge the gap between police (KPSM) and students. Having a police presence in the school as part of the school community indirectly influences unwanted behavior and open... Read more... Impressive performance of Curacao at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Medellin Willemstad - Curacao achieved a great milestone last week in Medellin, Colombia, where the Curacao delegation took part at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC). Elgenia Pieternella, leader of the delegation, skillfully managed to negotiate and convert Curacao into the headquarters of the Caribbean Business Angel Network. The new network will be managed for GBAN and EBAN in Curacao. GBAN is the acronym for Global Business Angel Network and EBAN stands for European Business Angel Network. A Business Angel Network is comprised of investors who are willing to act as 'Business Angels' and in doing so invest their own funds in start-ups. Especially companies that have difficulty obtaining financial support from mainstream financial institutions are granted the opportunity to grow, because of the confidence their "angel" has showed in them. With the signing of this agreement between EBAN and the Curacao representation, for the first time starting March 16th, 2016, Curacao has established an Angel Business Network in the Caribbean. This agreement comprises all 33 islands in the Caribbean region. Consequently, Curacao has become the latest leader of large areas that already constitute the headquarters of these organizations. EBAN has headquarters in areas such as America, the Middle East and Europe. Soon the Caribbean Business Angel Network will provide more information pertaining to the content of the agreement and the way in which the private sector, the public sector, but most importantly local businesses and entrepreneurs can benefit from the role Curacao has taken on. It will also determine how the rest of the Caribbean will be guided based on the Curacao leadership. The delegation of Curacao was led by Miss Elgenia Pieternella, a professional in the field of entrepreneurial development. Elgenia is well-known as the founder and president of Fundashon Negoshi Pikina. The organization has been the engine behind the Global Entrepreneurship Week efforts in the Dutch Caribbean. The delegation that participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Congress consisted of 6 professionals. This year the congress of the Global Entrepreneurship Network was held on March 14th thru 17th. Moreover, the importance of this conference can be derived from those who support it and have had their name associated to it. The US government, through President Barack Obama, along with the Kauffman Foundation are a few of the main sponsors of this global initiative which promotes entrepreneurship and business support. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that Curacao was recognized as one of the countries that organized the Global Entrepreneurship Week for the first time in 2015, showing a determination to invest in more local entrepreneurship. Member countries A total of 162 member countries of the Global Entrepreneurship Week participated at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Medellin, where they showcased their accomplishments of the previous year. These 162 countries represent all regions and continents of the world. In addition to distant countries like Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, Kosovo, The Netherlands, Ireland and Germany, there are other nations situated nearer such as Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Panama, Mexico, Jamaica and Venezuela. Curacao and Bonaire also participated with one delegation. Curacao stood out again after it was nominated as one of the new countries that have undertaken interesting and innovative activities in 2015. On the third day Curacao again excelled, as the representative of the Kauffman Foundation and co-founder of among others companies such as Booking.com launched a contest in a congress hall filled with more than 2,000 participants. Elgenia Pieternella from Curacao won the prize: two round trip tickets to one of the destinations of the "Viva Colombia" airline. The Colombian press picked up on this news. (CNN)ISIS claimed to strike yet again on European soil Tuesday, saying its "fighters" launched attacks on the airport and a subway station in Belgium's capital that killed at least 30 people and wounded about 230 more. The atmosphere in Belgium has been tense for months, with the authorities warning of possible threats and pursuing terrorists. Tuesday's attacks followed on the heels of last week's capture of Europe's most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam, in a bloody raid in Brussels. "We were fearing terrorist attacks," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters Tuesday. "And that has now happened." A Belgian government representative told CNN that 20 people died at the Maelbeek metro station and 130 were wounded, plus 10 more were killed and 100 wounded at Brussels' international airport. The "working assumption" is that the attackers came from the network behind November's massacres in Paris, which left 130 dead, Belgian security sources said, while cautioning it is very early in the latest investigation. After Tuesday's attacks, Belgian state broadcaster RTBF reported that Belgian authorities carried out midday raids in a search for people linked to the attacks. Several witnesses told CNN they'd seen police special forces combing through the northeast Brussels neighborhood of Schaerbeek, cordoning off a train station there. Brussels attacks: Live updates Police say they are looking for this man in connection with the Brussels attack. Police say they are looking for this man in connection with the Brussels attack. Investigators found a nail bomb, chemical products and an ISIS flag during a house search in the neighborhood, Belgium's federal prosecutor said in a statement. Belgian police released a notice that includes a photograph of a suspect "wanted (for) terrorism" and asks the public, "Who recognizes this man?" Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said the man is one of three shown in surveillance images pushing airport luggage carts alongside each other. Two of them "probably carried out suicide attacks," he said, while the third -- the one in light clothing, glasses and a hat -- "is actively being searched for." As it has for other terrorist attacks in Europe, Asia and Africa, ISIS embraced all the assailants. Its claim noted that Belgium is "participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State." Belgian warplanes flew 796 sorties and launched 163 airstrikes over Iraq from September 2014 to July 2015, according to the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, and were set to resume these operations this summer. Johan Verbeke, Belgium's U.S. ambassador, insisted Tuesday that his country will remain an active participant in the coalition, saying, "There is no way that intimidation will be rewarded." But just as Belgium plans to continue its anti-ISIS operations, the extremist group may not be done attacking that country and others. One Twitter post widely circulated by prominent ISIS backers featured the words, "What will be coming is worse." A senior U.S. official thinks it's no coincidence that ISIS would want to strike in Brussels, home to the headquarters of NATO and the European Union. "They are trying to make an international statement," the official said. "They aren't stupid." 'It was a matter of time' Belgium is no stranger to terror. A U.S. counterterrorism official said, "The Belgians have been sitting on a ticking time bomb," given all those who have gone from the small European nation to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS, then possibly come back home. Still, these facts don't take away the shock and horror of those who lived through Tuesday's carnage. "You cannot believe it; you cannot believe it," said Jef Versele, who was in the airport's departure hall when bombs exploded there. "It was so insane. Not in my backyard." One of the two airport explosions happened outside security checkpoints for ticketed passengers and near the airline check-in counters, an airline official briefed on the situation said. The subway station blast happened in the Brussels district of Maelbeek, near the European Quarter, where European Union institutions are based. Richard Medic, who arrived at the metro station shortly after that explosion, wasn't surprised by the carnage after all that Europe has gone through recently, including November's massacre in Paris that ISIS claimed responsibility for. "I think, after the Paris attacks, we were assuming something like this would happen," the Brussels resident told CNN. "And it was a matter of time." Yet Versele, the airport witness, said he thinks Belgians should not hole themselves up. Instead, he said, they should continue to live their lives and travel "to prove that we're not afraid of those who have done (the attacks)." CNN News Source PHILIPSBURG:---- The Central Committee will meet on March 24th. The Minister of Ministry Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure will be present for the sitting of the House. The Central Committee meeting is set for Thursday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg. The agenda point is the draft National Ordinance related to changes to the National Ordinance Spatial Planning. Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Department, on Monday March 21st 2016, started with general controls on different locations on the island and controls will continue. The main focus for these controls is to give tickets to those the drivers, who had ample opportunity to have the vehicle road tax paid, but until now have not done so. Approximately 4000 license plates had until Monday March 21st not been paid for and picked up. Over 60 fines were given and over 40 cars were towed thus far. Many drivers were given fines for not having the license plate attached or screwed to the front and rear vehicle. Many of the license plates were simply placed on the dashboard of the vehicle which is also a violation of the Traffic Ordinance. The police have also noticed that many car rentals rented out their vehicles to persons visiting the island without having the 2015 license plate replaced by the one of 2016. When these vehicles are stopped it causes the visitors some inconvenience and temporary delays. The car rental companies on the Dutch side of the island are the ones responsible for making sure, that the old license plates on their vehicles are replaced by new ones. The police are sending a stern massage to all car rental companies, that they should make sure that all of their vehicles registered on the Dutch side carry a 2016 license plate. The search for the escape prisoner Kathron CUCHI Fortune is also ongoing as part of the controls. Police are busy handing out the WANTED flyers of this fugitive which is offering a reward of Nafls. 5000, - for information which leads to his capture. This WANTED flyer can also be seen on most electronic build boards situated at different locations on the island. The Justice Department continues to seek assistance from anyone in the community on either side of the island who have information concerning the where about of this fugitive to call the authorities immediately. Another suspect arrested. A second suspect with carrying the initials A.D.H. (17)and involved in the investigation concerning the school brawl in Reward and Sint Peters area, during which several students were stabbed, was arrested on Monday March 21st. This suspect also filed criminal charges and was held for questioning. The first suspect that was arrested was released by the Judge of Instruction. More arrests in this case are not to be excluded as the investigation continues. Great Bay:--- The Sint Maarten Christian Party is inviting the general public to the presentation of its draft Manifesto on Tuesday, April 5th 2016 at 7:30 pm at the Belair Center in Cay Hill. This presentation will give insight to the problems and issues that the Sint Maarten Christian Party will be addressing once in government. We also would like to hear your concerns for our country and your suggestions as to how to deal with them. This presentation promises to be a very informative session yet one where the audience will be given ample opportunity to have their say. Party Leader, Wycliffe Smith said that it is the first time in Sint Maarten that a political party's manifesto is being discussed with the general public prior to its official release. He said that this is in keeping with the party's guiding principles of transparency, openness and participation by the people. The party is of the opinion that the people of Sint Maarten should be heard when plans are being made for their future and the destiny of the country. The motto of the SMCP is "Serving You for a Change". Hearing your views and listening to your suggestions is our way of serving you and reaching out to you for your input in helping to change government and our society for the better, the party leader said. Those who would like more information about the St. Maarten Christian Party can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Mr. Benjamin Bell (Secretary) at 522-5803. Udo Aaron position in Limbo. PHILIPSBURG:--- A major shake-up is expected to take place in the Ministry of Justice as early as next week. SMN News have been reliably informed that former head of Central Government information service Stanley Kwidama will be appointed Chef of the Cabinet of the Ministry of Justice In 2018 Kwidama was appointed temporarily at the disposal of the Antillean Prime Minister as quarter master to assist St. Maarten in receiving the Justice entity prior to St. Maarten achieving its country status. While Irene Simmons will be appointed Human Resources manager and Ruben Thompson will be appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice. SMN News learnt that the persons that are appointed will most likely take up their positions as early as next week. The only person that remains in limbo at the moment even though he as a Ministerial decree as Acting Secretary General is former Commissioner of Police Richard Panneflec who have been inactive for over two years now. Panneflec was appointed acting secretary general by former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan but months after he became inactive when former Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson was in office. SMN News learnt that while Panneflec reports to work every day at the Ministry of Justice he is actually not given any work or appointed to any specific position. SMN News further learnt that the current acting secretary general and director of immigrations Udo Aaron might be removed from his positions since he has no respect for the current Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo. PHILIPSBURG:--- Deputy Prime Minister Richard Gibson Sr. extended words of condolences to the government and people of Beligum on behalf of the government and people of St. Maarten. The deputy Prime Minister described the act of terrorism as horrific killing and maiming innocent men, women and children while they are going about their daily business is a despicable act Gibson said that he extends prayers to the government and people of Beligum but at the same time they must display fortitude and keep hope in order for them to overcome the incident that took place on Tuesday. Minister Gibson said the Prime Minister of The Netherlands Mark Ruitte has called on all the countries within the Kingdom to fly their flags at half mask as they show solidarity with the government and people of Belgium. GREAT BAY(DCOMM)L--- Minister Hon. Ingrid Arrindell of the Ministry Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT), who was unable to attend Seatrade Cruise Global in Florida, last week due to the 2016 Budget discussions, was represented by her Chef de Cabinet Alex Dijkhoffz. Dijkhoffz was part of the Port St. Maarten delegation that traveled to represent the destination at the leading annual global business-to-business event for the cruise industry, which brings together buyers and suppliers for a four-day conference and three-day exhibition. Minister Arrindell was very pleased to hear about the successes booked by Port St. Maarten under the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer Mark Mingo and his team at the cruise conference, such as becoming the homeport for Seabourn Cruises in December and for the Pullmantur Group, also for the start of the 2016-2017 cruise season. Seabourn Cruises is a luxury cruise line that caters to high-end cruise passengers. The cruise line pioneered small-ship, ultra-luxury cruising, and continues to represent the pinnacle of that unique style of travel. Its fleet of intimate, all-suite ships, carrying between 450 and 600 guests each, sail to the worlds most desirable destinations at their peak seasons. The Pullmantur Group will start homeporting in the latter part of 2016, and develop this business into a year-round service. This group focuses on cruise customers from Latin America and Europe. The vessels used carry approximately 1800 cruise passengers and 450-crew which would translate into approximately 25,000 additional visitors to the destination. The clientele from Seabourn Cruises are high-end tourists. Many of them usually arrive at the homeport destination in a private jet. This will mean more business activity for our airport. Prior to boarding the cruise ship, homeport tourists stay in a hotel two days prior to their cruise and two days after they return. This would translate into additional economic activity for various businesses. The Pullmantur Group is another significant boost for the destination as it will add additional tourists and business for the tourism and hospitality sector. It also serves part of the diversification of visitors to our island with respect to Latin American and European visitors. This will translate into a significant impact on our economy with spinoffs for transportation services, vessel provisioning from our food and beverage wholesalers; fueling services; hotels and villa rentals; as well as air transportation to the destination, Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Ingrid Arrindell said on Wednesday after being briefed by her Chef de Cabinet about the success of the trip to Seatrade Cruise Global conference that concluded last week. The conference drew more than 11,000 registered attendees, over 800 exhibiting companies from 93 countries and more than 300 international journalists to the Fort Lauderdale Broward Country Convention Center. POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten officials attended a number of sessions last week Wednesday and Thursday at Seatrade Cruise Global in Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center in Florida. The overall outcome from attending the cruise conference and meeting with several cruise executives, several cruise lines have indicated about homeporting in St. Maarten. This will be very beneficial for the economy. Firstly, the cruise lines cater to high-end tourists and based on statistics, between 20 and 30 per cent also take a pre and post vacation in relation to the cruise. The interest shown is based on Port St. Maartens past homeporting experience with a couple cruise lines; the service provided; and the destinations connectivity to North and Latin America as well as Europe. Some investments will have to be made in a homeporting cruise terminal in order to further enhance the visitor experience and to retain this type of business for the long-term. Cruise lines also showed interests in remaining in port much longer. Port St. Maarten has had several vessels remaining in port during the evening hours and observed many cruise passengers visiting local restaurants and further enjoying the nightlife ambiance that the destination has to offer visitors. Safety was also discussed, and Port St. Maarten Management, would like to thank the Police and other emergency agencies for their hard work during the late night visits. Port St. Maarten was used as a model by various speakers during workshops and presentations as being a model cruise port of call based on its approach to challenges and developments in order to meet the demands of an ever changing cruise industry. There were also discussions with respect to the construction of new cruise vessels and what it will mean for the Caribbean in terms of itinerary planning. On Wednesday last week, the information provided to cruise industry stakeholders dealt with trends and developments in a number of areas. The State of the Industry: Caribbean and Cuba, was of interests to Port St. Maarten representatives. This session dealt with how new destinations are reshaping itineraries and impacting demand. The challenges and opportunities for Cuba and the implications of its opening for the region as a whole were discussed. There were also state of the industry discussions with respect to Asia/Australasia, Europe and the Americas. Fuel for Thought: The Viability of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), revealed how the cruise industry appears to be moving toward LNG, and the challenges of the industry were brought into perspective. It provided the attendees an insight on how the industry and their shore-based partners can prepare for this emerging fuel type. The other two topics covered were 2016 Regulations: What You Need to Know; and Generation Z: The Next Big Disruptor. Generation Z will have wide ranging implications to the cruise industry, from new builds, to cruise shopping, to onboard and shore side experiences. This session explored how to connect with them and how they are about to turn todays market on its head. Last week Thursday, the session focused on, Where To Why? Factors Influencing Deployment and Itinerary Strategies. This session looked at emerging trends, themes and innovations in deployment and itinerary strategies. The final session on Thursday was entitled, Trends and Challenges in Marketing, Sales and Distribution. With so many lines switching creative/media/digital agencies, the panel compared and contrasted some of the new branding/advertising campaigns and trends in media allocation. Seatrade Cruise Global is the leading annual global business-to-business event for the cruise industry that brings together buyers and suppliers for a four-day conference and three-day exhibition. The conference draws more than 11,000 registered attendees, over 800 exhibiting companies from 93 countries and more than 300 international journalists. Experts, leaders and thought-makers of the cruise industry from the worlds largest cruise companies is the highlight of the conference. PHILIPSBURG:---- The ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor (Ministry VSA) is currently looking for ways to improve labor compliance. In respect to this, Minister of VSA, Emil Lee, along with members of his cabinet, made a visit to the prosecutors office on Friday, March 18th, 2016. According to Minister Lee, Compliance with the law should be realistic, practical and the path of least resistance. The ministry is planning a campaign to increase labor law compliance. In preparation for this campaign to increase compliance, a number of activities are being looked into, including procedures related to issuing an official report or process-verbaal (PV). A proces-verbaal is an official report compiled in the case of a criminal offence, as stipulated by the law and is necessary for prosecution and possible court proceedings. During the meeting at the prosecutors office, the cabinet was given a better understanding of the process involved for enforcing consequences on businesses that do not comply with the legislation. A proces-verbaal (PV), is a very serious tool that leads to stern disciplinary action. Once the PV is submitted to the prosecutors office, the criminal process cannot be halted. Additionally, the process is complicated, time consuming, and procedurally demanding, and should be used as a last resort. According to the Inspector General, Dr. Earl Best, only a handful of PVs were issued by the Labor Inspectorate in 2015, however, several warnings and stop orders for illegally employed workers were given. The Inspectorate in consultation with the prosecutors office has held training sessions in the past for various inspectors as it pertains to P.V. writing. The prosecutors office continues to pledge their support with an agreement to provide the Inspectorate with assistance in order to continually enhance PV writing. As the Ministry increases compliance activities, businesses are hereby advised to comply with the legislation. During the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, Minister Lee said that It is commonly agreed upon by many, that there is a large amount of people working on the island, without an employment permit. This is a situation that has evolved over time, however, there are just too many consequences for the economy of the country to permit this to continue. Governments loss in tax revenues is substantial and employment opportunities for citizens are reduced. The Minister stressed that the Ministry will take a balanced, measured and fair approach towards compliance. In the meantime, as the Ministry increases compliance measures, they will look for possibilities to streamline the permit process, in combination with controls and measured disciplinary actions. Another topic of discussion was governments aim of having the draft law on Administrative fines, which is going through the legislative process, finalized. This will add yet another tool to the Inspectorates existing tool chest. This would give the ministry the possibility to levy fines, without going through the prosecutors office, as a means of improving compliance. This is a legislative process, and will take some time to finalize informed Minister Lee. In the interim, the Ministry of VSA is working on a structural cooperation agreement with SZV. We are examining the possibility that, instead of having 2 labor inspectors going out to a particular entity, we can have one labor inspector, and also one inspector from SZV to go out together. This way, they are complimentary, and would be able to share resources to a certain degree. The minister further said that Because they have complimentary authorities, and responsibilities, this is a good way to implement intermediary disciplinary actions. Minister Lee also gave an example, where he informed, that recently, the labor Inspectorate inspected a business that is operational. This business has no business license, is not registered with Labor Affairs, nor with SZV and has 15 employees, of which 11 are not in the possession of an employment permit. The Ministry is taking this issue very seriously, and recommends employers and employees, to get educated on their rights and obligations. Minister Lee also stressed that It is important that everyone has health insurance! Im in the process of working with a private insurance company to see if they can offer an attractive package for independent workers (vendors, bus drivers, taxi drivers, etc), while we are in the process of working on ways to reform our healthcare system, and in general, our health insurance policies. When an emergency happens, and someone needs to be evacuated for medical emergencies, even if they are undocumented or uninsured, Government has the responsibility to take care of the people that are here. Therefore, the Minister made it clear that going forward, whenever there is a medical evacuation for an un-insured person, it should trigger a reaction/investigation from Government and inspectors of SZV, who will then investigate the circumstances to see why the person was not properly insured. If we find out that the person was working in a business that should have provided him/her with health insurance and did not, then the Ministry will hold that business financially liable for the medical costs incurred to the country. My recommendation to the businesses is to make sure that you have health insurance in place for your employees the Minister said. Also, he made it clear that if a business is having structural issues on the path of becoming compliant, then they should contact the Ministry. We will not intervene in specific cases, but welcome constructive recommendations on how to adjust policies, in order to improve overall compliance the Minister said. PHILIPSBURG:--- The suspect B.A.R. had to appear in court today accused of placing two false bomb threats at the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) on November 22nd 2015. The threats were placed through telephone calls at approximately 12:30 and 16:00 hours to the security department of PJIA and 911. All operations and traffic at and around the airport had to be shut down between 12:30 and 18:00 hours. Emergency services were put on high alert in case the threat was serious. It was the fifth and sixth bomb threat placed at PJIA last year. Placing false bomb threats is according to the Prosecutor's Office a serious and punishable offense. It enhances the feeling of insecurity within the community in a time where the general public has already been on high alert concerning (terrorist) attacks. St. Maarten is a small (and thus vulnerable) society that heavily relies on the income of tourism (via PJIA). B.A.R. told the authorities that he had lend his phone to another person. However police investigation determined that this was highly improbable. Considering all the above and the fact that B.A.R. was convicted in the past already for placing a false bomb threat, the Prosecutor's Office asked for the suspects to be sentenced to a 18 months' imprisonment and a fine of US$ 10.000. Third parties such as the police, the fire department and organizers of a party that had to take place in the vicinity of the airport, also submitted a claim to receive compensation for damages suffered. The Prosecutor's Office fully supported this claim. The judge will give it's verdict in the bomb threat case in the next three weeks. TIBCO Spotfire Achieves Certified Integration With SAP HANA PALO ALTO, CA (Marketwired) 03/24/16 today announced that 7.5 has achieved SAP-certified integration with the platform. Certified integration is a requirement for production use, enabling customers to expand access to the latest self-service features in Spotfire, including improved data visualizations, inline data preparation, scale-out architectures, and enhanced user collaboration. The SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC) has certified that Spotfire successfully integrates with SAP HANA using standard integration technologies, thereby enabling Spotfire to interoperate with SAP HANA for native support of in-database and in-memory analytics. We are delighted to announce that Spotfire has achieved certified integration with SAP HANA. The ability for Spotfire to interoperate with SAP HANA is highly beneficial to our customers, as they can trust the solution in production environments knowing that SAP and TIBCO both support the integration, said Thomas Blomberg, senior product manager, TIBCO. In designing the integration, we focused on enabling business users to repurpose the business logic already defined within SAP HANA, enabling broader use of Spotfire by more data professionals. TIBCO is a participant in the program as an SAP partner. Through the program, partners work closely with SAP to develop and certify the technical integration of their solutions with SAP software. Integrated partner applications extend, complement and add value to SAP solutions, thereby helping mutual customers more successfully meet business needs and drive strong results. With new self-service features and streamlined data discovery capabilities, the newest edition of Spotfire is designed for enhanced data exploration. Recent updates to the solution include graphical data preparation, contextual collaboration, expanded connectivity, and a re-designed server to streamline administrative tasks while adding scale-out capabilities. The latest release of TIBCO Spotfire is available now. To learn more, visit Hear how analytics is part of the digital business transformation conversation by attending TIBCO NOW in May in Las Vegas; register for this years conference by visiting For additional information about TIBCO, please visit . TIBCO Software empowers executives, developers, and business users with Fast Data solutions that make the right data available in real time for faster answers, better decisions, and smarter action. Over the past 15 years, thousands of businesses across the globe have relied on TIBCO technology to integrate their applications and ecosystems, analyze their data, and create real-time solutions. Learn how TIBCO turns data big or small into differentiation at . TIBCO, the TIBCO logo, and Spotfire are trademarks or registered trademarks of TIBCO Software Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. SAP, SAP HANA, PartnerEdge and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned for identification. Lindsey Ashjian TIBCO Software Inc. (650) 846-8862 Alignable Appoints CMO to Scale Brand & User Base BOSTON, MA (Marketwired) 03/24/16 , the social network for local businesses, today announces the appointment of Dan Slagen as chief marketing officer (CMO). A seasoned marketer, Slagen will dedicate his energy to unleashing Alignables brand and user generated content from hundreds of thousands of small business owners to the benefit of millions. Launched in 2012, Alignables platform joins local businesses together to connect and collaborate with each other, engage in discussions with trusted peers and find new customers via networking, referrals and word-of-mouth marketing. To date, Alignable has connected local businesses in more than 8,000 communities across North America and is growing rapidly with engaged businesses focused on growing their networks. With the goal to support even more businesses, Slagen will work to raise awareness of Alignables unique resources, data and for the local business community. Local businesses have tremendous marketing and networking opportunities with fellow businesses all around them that often go unrealized, says Alignable CEO Eric Groves. Alignable connects those businesses, and were excited to have Dan on board to help further scale our vision and growth to date. Prior to Alignable, Slagen served in growth marketing roles at HubSpot, Wayfair, Crayon and Nanigans, and throughout his career, he has forged strategic marketing partnerships with companies including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. He currently advises for multiple startups and has been featured in the New York Times, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes for his marketing expertise. Coming from a small town himself where local businesses are the crux of the community Slagen has personal aspirations for the growth of Alignable. Local businesses represent a substantial percentage of global GDP, yet theyre faced with countless operational disadvantages compared to larger brands, he says. Alignable is shifting the power back to local business owners by joining them together and forming empowered communities at scale. is the free social network for local business owners. Using Alignables platform, business owners connect with others nearby, within their industries, and across North America based on their interests. More than 8,000 communities across North America are using Alignable to build business networks to grow their businesses and succeed. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Alignable is a privately held company with the backing of prominent investors in small business, networking and data, including Mayfield, Saturn Partners, NextView Ventures, Boston Seed, CrunchFund, Kensington and Lead Edge Capital. Celina Poonamallee Email: Critical Control Announces 2015 Year End Financial Results CALGARY, ALBERTA (Marketwired) 03/24/16 Critical Control Energy Services Corp. (TSX: CCZ) today reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2015. Despite gale force industry headwinds, we delivered on our key strategic objectives of organic growth in our Software segment and the expansion of our geographic footprint in the US, said Alykhan Mamdani, President and CEO of Critical Control. The measures we have already taken in 2015 and early 2016 to integrate the acquisition which formed the basis of our geographic expansion, our corporate restructuring and the integration of our software delivery capability between Canada and the US will serve to improve margins, reduce general and administrative expenses and contribute improved profitability in the second half of 2016. Revenue Gross margin Earnings and net earnings Outlook and Guidance In light of the rapid decline in the price of oil since late 2014 and the resulting reduced oil and gas exploration in 2015, Critical Control has modified its short-term strategy with a view to reduce risk, increase focus and position the Corporation to capitalize on the eventual rebound in oil prices. While management is confident of an eventual rebound in investment in oil and gas, the timing of the rebound remains uncertain. Management expects capital expenditures by oil and gas companies in 2016 to be very low. The Corporations focus will be to increase penetration of its core software solutions (ProChart, NetFlow, and ProTrend) into the Canadian and US markets, and the continued penetration of its emerging ProMonitor modules in Canada. During 2016, the Corporation will continue the business process reengineering commenced in 2015 to integrate its US and Canadian business and fully integrate the operations acquired with the Measurement Services Acquisition to better optimize its operations to improve margins in its Services business and reduce overall general and administrative expenses to improve profitability. During 2015, the Corporation divested its non-energy business and expanded geographically in the United States through an acquisition of assets that required operational optimization. The divestiture required a reorganization of the Corporation and the acquisition required both integration and reengineering in order to sustain profitable growth. The reorganization, integration, and reengineering, to integrate US and Canadian operations impacted profitability in terms of gross margin, general and administrative expenses, and one-time restructuring charges. Given the changes executed by management in 2015 and early 2016, management believes the Corporation will return to profitability in the second half of 2016 under a structure capable of sustainable growth and profitability. This expectation is based on the current state of the industry and the continued success the Corporation has had in maintaining and growing its revenue base. Commodity prices are unpredictable and a material change will affect managements expectations for profitability. Forward Looking Statements Management has made representations with respect to improved profitability in the second half of 2016 due to the measures taken by the Corporation to improve margins and reduce general and administrative expenses. This is a forward looking statement based on measures taken by management and certain measures expected to be implemented in the first half of 2016. The expectation of management is based upon the Corporations revenue which may be materially affected by prevailing industry conditions and is outside the control of management. Additionally, measures which are planned and not implemented are subject to change based on prevailing conditions and risks not yet identified. Accordingly, the outcome of 2016 could differ materially from managements representations. About Critical Control Critical Control provides solutions for the collection, control and analysis of measurement and operational data related to oil and gas wells across North America. We provide services to capture the data, cloud based software to visualize and manage it and the business intelligence to make quicker and more informed operational decisions. Contacts: Critical Control Energy Services Corp. Alykhan Mamdani President & CEO (403) 705-7500 More Than 60 Percent of U.S. Small Business Respondents Are Discouraged or Disgusted With Government Leaders, Finds New Sage Survey ATLANTA, GA (Marketwired) 03/24/16 , the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll and payment systems, today announced findings of the . The survey of nearly 400 small and medium businesses (SMBs) reveals strong dissatisfaction with government leaders, with 63 percent of respondents saying they are discouraged and 61 percent saying they are disgusted with what is happening in Washington, D.C. U.S. #smallbiz respondents are discouraged with Washington, finds #Sage2016ElectionSurvey : #election2016 Respondents political affiliations ran the gamut, with 36 percent identifying as Republicans, 14 percent as Democrats and 20 percent as Independents. Fifteen percent did not identify with any party, and no other affiliations (Tea Party, Socialist, Libertarian) totaled more than 6 percent. More than 95 percent of employers are small businesses with fewer than 50 workers, and . As a small and medium business champion, we wanted to take the pulse of U.S. small businesses especially during this major election year to better understand the issues they want addressed by Washington, said Connie Certusi, executive vice president and managing director, Sage U.S. Small businesses deserve a bigger voice, so Sage wants to make sure their opinions are heard. And this survey makes clear that small business owners, regardless of political affiliation, are dissatisfied with government leadership. Conducted in January 2016, the Sage 2016 U.S. Election Survey exposes a significant disconnect between where SMBs perceive government leaders spend their time and the priorities and policy initiatives on which SMBs want government leaders to focus. A majority of respondents feel the federal government focuses on the wrong special interest groups (SIGs), pursues the wrong missions and implements the wrong policies. Business issues dominate respondents answers about the most important issues facing America, with excessive regulation (14 percent), taxes (13 percent) and the economy (12 percent) as the top concerns. When it comes to policy making, respondents want government to address tax reform, the deficit and social security. At the bottom of their priority list is global warming, income inequality and raising the minimum wage. Instead, respondents see government leaders working on gun control, global warming and raising the minimum wage. They see one of their top priorities fixing social security at the bottom of Washingtons list. Respondents were asked to rank SIGs in order of importance to them. Next, they were asked which SIGs they perceive the government thinks are most and least important. This is where the first signs of a significant disconnect appeared. Their most important SIGs are small business, the military and the middle class. They selected unions, the wealthy and government employees as the least important special interest groups. Respondents feel government considers these SIGs most important: big business, minorities and government employees. They believe government leaders consider these SIGs least important: religious groups, the middle class and small businesses. So, two of the SIGs most important to respondents small business and the middle class are viewed as being least important to government. Sage 2016 U.S. Election Survey respondents want Washington to focus on the economy, energy and healthcare. They want government to pay less attention to the environment, labor and crime. When asked what they perceive the current governments priorities to be, they see one area of agreement: healthcare. Respondents also say politicians are ignoring their top priority the economy and spending too much time on things they feel are not urgent, like environment and labor issues. For the Sage 2016 U.S. Election Survey, Sage commissioned Qualtrics, a leading research firm, to survey 383 Sage customers in mid- to late January 2016. All respondents were with small companies, with 82 percent employing 20 or fewer people. Fifty-five percent of respondents are male and 45 percent are female. Most (64 percent) have at least a four-year college degree. Report: Sage 2016 U.S. Election Survey report: Infographic: Small business weighs-in on US election 2016: Learn more on Learn more about Connect with Sage on Follow Sage News in the Follow Sage on Like Sage on Follow Sage on (@SageNAmerica) Follow Sage on Follow Sage on Sage is the market leader for integrated accounting, payroll, and payment systems, supporting the ambition of the worlds entrepreneurs. 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Cynthia Sutton Sage T: 571-213-0401 Active Monitors Monitors / Monitoring By Bob Thomas Les Paul was truly one of the pioneers of recording technology. Do Gibsons first ever monitors live up to his illustrious name? I sometimes wonder what kind of future Orville Gibson restaurant worker and spare-time inventive luthier envisioned for himself in 1898, as he held his newly granted US patent for the design of the F and A model mandolins that are made to this day by the company that still bears his name. I doubt he foresaw selling his patent and the rights to his name to the fledgling Gibson Mandolin Guitar Manufacturing Company in 1902. His death in 1918 at the age of 62 meant that he never saw Ted McHughs invention of the adjustable truss rod and the height-adjustable floating bridge in 1921; nor Lloyd Loars 1922 L5 archtop guitar; the ES-150 hollow-body electric guitar in 1936; the SJ-200 jumbo acoustic in 1938; the J-45 (the first guitars with cutaways) in 1939; or the sale of Gibson to Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) in 1944. Id like to think that Orville would have welcomed the launch in 1952 of Gibsons first solid-body electric guitar a P90-equipped, single-cutaway model with a carved, gold-coloured top that carried the name of Gibsons second-ever endorsee, the jazz guitarist, inventor and all-round legend that was Les Paul. In addition to being a highly talented musician, Les Paul was one of the pioneers in the application of technology to the audio recording process. From his earliest efforts in the 1930s with serial overdub recordings on acetate discs, through pioneering sound-on-sound techniques on magnetic tape (most notably on his 1951 recording, with Mary Ford, of How High The Moon), the luxury of Ampexs 1955 Sel-Sync eight-track and beyond, Les Paul combined stunning musicianship with a technological curiosity and inventiveness that seemed to know no bounds. Gibson, on the other hand, were headed for harder times. In 1969, four years after shipping for the first and apparently only time in its history an annual total of 100,000 US-built guitars, Gibson and parent company CMI were bought by an Ecuadorean company and placed under the Norlin banner. By 1984, Gibsons headquarters had moved from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Nashville, Tennessee, and Norlin were failing fast. In 1986 the current owners, Henry Juszkiewicz and Dave Berryman, stepped in to rebuild Gibsons fortunes. Nowadays, Gibson are but one of over 100 well-known musical instrument, pro-audio and consumer electronics brands that operate under the umbrella of Gibson Brands, as that agglomerate moves on its journey to become the largest music and sound technology company in the world. One small part of that journey is the new active Gibson Les Paul 6 monitor, developed with input from that well-known loudspeaker manufacturer (and Gibson Brands subsidiary) KRK. The moment you strip away the shipping outers and first set your eyes on the gold-coloured, Gibson logoed cardboard boxes within, you realise that someone in the marketing department has been at work. Open the golden box and youll find a black plush-lined bag containing the monitor as well as a gold-coloured quick-start guide and a more prosaic brown box containing an IEC mains lead. Removing the black bag with due reverence reveals a not insubstantial black enclosure bearing a cream-bound flame maple front baffle that has been carved into contours reminiscent of a Gibson Les Paul guitar, and finished in a glossy, slightly lurid nitrocellulose cherry sunburst. Tobacco sunburst and cherry finishes are available as options. The one-inch diamond-like, carbon-coated, titanium tweeter (I quote the specifications verbatim) crosses over at 2.7kHz and is recessed inside a circular cream plastic waveguide. Sitting across the aperture is a chromed plastic bar that could have come from a 1950s Cadillac, the central boss of which is presumably acting as part of the waveguide. The six-inch carbon-fibre woofer carries the familiar Les Paul signature logo and sits, in a short chrome-lined tunnel behind a metal mesh screen, at a depth that suggests that this driver is positioned behind the flame maple front baffle. The LP6s bass reflex ports exit through a mirror image pair of cream-bound, curved cats eye ports in the bottom corners of the front baffle, and an illuminated Gibson logo sits centrally between them. At the rear, youll find the LP6s volume control and its rotary, six-position switched shelving treble and bass trims. Inputs are courtesy of an RCA phono and a balanced XLR/TRS combi connector. Theres also an auto-standby defeat switch, the mains input and on/off switch, a small hologram of an elderly, waving Les Paul, and a black sticker that not only carries the speakers serial number, but also proclaims it to be a 2015 Limited Edition. Thankfully, the LP6 monitors are simple to set up since the multi-language golden quick-start guide is big on diagrams but surprisingly short on information. It is also the first reference monitor guide (that Im aware of) to contain a speaker placement graphic featuring a couple canoodling in front of a television set. Aside from the diagrams, the manual says nothing about the monitors, other than stating that they have been crafted and designed with passion to the smallest detail following Les Pauls dedication to excellence, innovation and a superior audio listening experience. Having given up on the guides weird marketing speak (and the spurious claim therein that Les Paul held the patent for the eight-track tape recorder), I went in search of hard information on the Gibson Brands web site and came across one of the most uninformative presentations of technical specification that I have ever encountered. Frequency response is quoted as 37Hz to 47kHz (at an extremely generous 10dB); maximum SPL from a pair of LP6 is 117dB with the units limiters engaged (though there are no measurement conditions stated); amplifier power (Hi and Lo amplifiers combined) is 247 Watts (RMS or peak isnt revealed); amplifier distortion of less than 0.2 percent THD+N between 20Hz and 20kHz (at -3dB Max Power whatever that is); signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 92dB (again no measurement information); and, finally, I discovered that the treble and bass shelving trim is at 1, 2 and 4 dB although the corner frequencies are not disclosed. Set flat, that which Gibson Brands describe as the LP6s exceptional mid-range definition, and superb transient response came across to me as a somewhat forward presentation that left the lower mid-range of acoustic instruments and voices sounding thin and cold. Higher frequencies felt similarly accented and, combined with the character of the mid-range, resulted in the bass feeling somewhat lighter than Id expected. Switching over to bass-heavy tracks proved that the LP6 could reproduce bass frequencies, so it was time to tame the overall response with the EQ trims. To my ears, +2dB of bass boost and -2dB of treble cut brought the LP6 into a better overall balance and resulted in a more credible performance that, whilst not completely neutral, would certainly be usable in tracking and mixing. The upper mid-range and treble sat back more whilst maintaining their high level of detail, the lower mid-range came forward, and the bass gained more body and weight. The bass response was well articulated, but its lack of extension was noticeable and a subwoofer would be essential when working with the LP6 on tracks with significant bass content. The stereo image was solid, allowing the instruments and voices to be placed and located accurately within it. Since the manuals graphics pointed to an anticipated usage in a domestic situation, I replaced my active hi-fi speakers with the LP6s and found that they seemed very much at home in that role. Sitting on low stands and EQd for that acoustic environment, the LP6s performed well with DAB, CD and vinyl sources and also managed to achieve aesthetic approval from the entity in my house whose word is law on such matters. I must admit that I found the Gibson Les Paul 6 monitors to be more than a little confusing. Gibson Brands have, under their umbrella, companies and brands with decades of pro-audio experience, any of which, at the very least, should have been able to write a quick-start guide and a set of specifications to pro-audio standards. Gibson Brands also seem to me to have missed the fact that, these days, the performance levels of small studio monitors have risen as prices have headed downwards. In particular, onboard DSP and digital amplification have so affected the performance/price ratio that certain of the major monitor manufacturers may be in danger of cannibalising the sales of some of their own higher-priced products with their new, lower-priced models. As a reference monitor the LP6 will, I fear, struggle against other studio monitors with similar pricing, and will also have real trouble with those at more aggressive price points. However, looking at the golden boxes and the black velvet bags that they arrived in, maybe Ive entirely misunderstood the LP6. Perhaps what weve actually got here is a lifestyle loudspeaker targeted at a specific guitar-owning customer demographic in which case I think that it has fulfilled its brief. As I said, Im confused by the Les Paul 6 Reference Monitor. Youll have to take a listen and decide for yourself. Alternatives As a reference monitor, the Les Paul 6 faces severe direct competition not only from the likes of Adam, Dynaudio, Eve, Focal, Genelec and Neumann, but also from lower-priced monitors from these, and other, specialist monitor loudspeaker manufacturers. Pros Attractive appearance. Would work well in a hi-fi or home recording environment. Cons Voiced towards a forward mid-range and treble presentation. Lack of detailed technical information. Expensive. Summary The Les Paul 6 is a loudspeaker with an attractive appearance and an overall performance and presentation that may well make it more suited to use in home recording and hi-fi applications, rather than in the recording studio. YC / DX / CS / CP Mini Keyboards Keyboards Synthesizers By Paul Nagle Yamahas Reface range recreates four of their classic instruments in miniature form. Marking the last of the Japanese giants willing to plunder their vault of past glories, Yamahas Reface range hits the ground running with a quartet of models. Each has a re-imagined interface and all are streamlined, focused and ready to play wherever you happen to be, thanks to built-in speakers, battery power and mini keyboards. Identified by just two letters, they represent a broad spread of tried and trusted Yamaha gear. The DX brings FM into the 21st century, while the CS is a modelling synth aiming to deliver the flavour of much-loved analogue. When it comes to the CP model, it isnt just Yamahas history thats been re-imagined but that of several other electric piano makers too. The same philosophy extends to the YC organ: only one of its inspirations comes from Yamahas own stable. It results in a rounded and comprehensive collection with perhaps the only omission being some kind of SK string machine. The toughest challenge, with four keyboards laid out to choose from, may be which of their charms to sample first. Before kicking off, we might as well deal with the contentious issue of those 37-note mini keyboards. Yamaha describe them as HQ (High Quality) with a comparable action and velocity-responsiveness to their flagship Motif XF. While I dont doubt the truth of this, its also true that they are quite divisively small. The keyboard is actually bit shorter than that of, for example, the Korg Microsampler. Its springy too, an action that suits some models better than others. As far as conventional keyboard technique goes, Id rate myself closer to Klaus Schulze than Rick Wakeman, but even I struggled to cope with the reduced scale. After an hour or so of hand-ache and bum notes, I connected the keyboard of my Roland V-Synth, later progressing to a Yamaha KX8 when the time came to give the CP model a good pounding. Even to an inveterate noodler, the difference in playability was astounding. Im sure many of you will adapt perfectly well to the mini keys but, equally, there must be those like myself who would have been much happier with no keyboard at all, saving in both size and cost. The models differ in colour and available controls, but otherwise have a great deal in common. Without exception theyre of superior quality, yet they measure just 530 x 175 x 60 mm and weigh a fraction under 2kg (without batteries). You can fit six AA types, which arent supplied, or take power from the 12V adapter that is. If you choose batteries, Yamaha quote a maximum of five hours of portable play time. Output is from a pair of full-sized quarter-inch jacks and, surprisingly, making a connection doesnt automatically disable the onboard 3cm speakers (and 2x2W amp). However, these can be silenced by either plugging in headphones or powering up while holding down a particular key. Theres a stereo mini-jack input on hand too; it mixes in another audio source with the post-effects Reface output. Each model is additionally blessed with an input for either a sustain pedal or foot controller (for volume), as is most applicable. The pitch-bender fitted to the two synth models has a sprung action somewhat similar to that of the Yamaha CS30 (ie. one of the nicer pitch-benders around). A function common to all is the octave slider, providing two octaves of transposition in either direction for the mini keyboard and having no purpose at all when youre playing via MIDI. Joining the ranks of Arturia, Korg and Faderfox (to name but three), MIDI connectivity is relegated to a propriety adapter, in this case a dual affair providing In and Out (but no Thru). Its a weird six-pin connector somewhat reminiscent of an old serial PC interface a whiff of the past thats not especially welcome. Theres also a USB port and this, too, can serve as a MIDI connection between Reface and computer. Yamaha have made a USB driver available on their web site, but I found this unnecessary and used the class-compliant system driver instead. Some MIDI incongruities were encountered later, but before getting diverted, lets pick a keyboard to audition. Being irredeemably shallow, I opted to start with the prettiest, which in my opinion is the red YC model. Yamaha have always given great organ and within seconds I was left in no doubt theyd done it again. The controls feel fabulous, from the colourful rocker switches to the chunky sliding drawbars. With no preset memories, its a case of WYSIWYG so Wave is the most important control initially. Via this five-way switch you pick the organ model to be used, although both the panel and manual are somewhat cagey about the relics concerned. However, its a fairly easy mystery to solve and the list translates as follows: H: 1960s American tonewheel organ (Hammond). V: 1960s British transistor organ (Vox). F: 1960s Italian transistor organ (Farfisa). A: 1970s Japanese transistor organ (Ace Tone, a predecessor of Roland). Y: Yamaha YC45D. Each of these is tonally quite distinct and I was keen to dust off my own Yamaha SK20 (Organ/Strings/Polysynth) for comparison. Surprisingly, its organ closely resembled the pure tones of the Hammond, rather than the square-waveish Yamaha. Given that the Farfisa and Ace Tone are both sawtooth-based, it amounts to an impressively rich and varied set of starting points. Nine drawbars are available, ranging from 16 to 1. As youd expect, pulling the sliders towards you raises the level of each harmonic, shaping and mixing very naturally, given the space they occupy. The green vibrato rocker selects either vibrato or chorus, with the subtle distinction that chorus is slightly faster. Percussion is available from another rocker switch, so mixing it in subtly to taste isnt possible. However, youre given two pitch choices (A & B) and can freely vary the percussion decay time using the Length slider. Other than having a unique tonal base, each organ handles in the same way, with the exception that, when Hammond is chosen, percussion disables the 1 slider. The Hammonds percussion also operates in single trigger mode, so playing legato doesnt retrigger the attack. Two yellow sliders provide effects in the form of kick-ass crunchy distortion and a reverb thats warm and very appropriate. Although the distortion is less universally wonderful, a touch of it works wonders, especially on the Farfisa and Vox. No organ would be complete without a rotary speaker effect, which is here controlled by a small lever (or the modulation wheel via MIDI). The speed can be flipped from fast to slow, with realistic transitions built in and even a stopped mode, where the movement is temporarily paused. Personally Id have liked the ability to fine-tune the Leslie speeds and depth but as rotating speaker effects go, this one is highly credible. Since the YC has an impressive 128 notes of polyphony, you can play with all of your extremities without ever exhausting the available notes. The manual kindly provides a few examples of old-style sounds, in case youre at a loss how to conjure a typical psychedelic rock or reggae organ, but its hard to go far wrong. If you have even a passing acquaintance with drawbars, the YC handles like a dream and is a solid, well-thought-out instrument that can cover a wide range of organ tones across the ages. Tearing myself reluctantly away from organising, I turned to the other end of the beauty scale. The aubergine-coloured DX has an authentic air of inscrutability compared to the rest. Its the only one to have a display and patch memories evidence that Yamaha havent yet found a way to make FM fast enough or accessible enough to manage without. The DX offers just eight notes of polyphony and an architecture built on four operators and 12 algorithms: Yamahas term for the configurations of modulators and carriers. It is ably supported by a pair of effects processors, so although it cant offer the sonic complexity of an original (six-op) DX7, for example, it doesnt seem limited as you flick through the factory patches. Amongst the innovations are multi-touch sliders capable of adjusting four parameters at once. Im not convinced these are better than physical sliders would have been, but Yamaha provide instructions on the various techniques for getting the best from them: ie. flicking, tapping and tapping then holding. To take one example, flicking is described as sudden quick movements along a slider the flick speed is proportional to the value incremented. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it, but I guess it would be too big a break with tradition if FM was rendered totally obvious from the word go. Helpfully, the data entry sliders always map to four values shown on-screen. The display is a clear dark blue with white text and graphics where necessary (for operator levels, envelopes and so on). The buttons have a positive click action and a green backlight a far cry from those DX7 membrane switches. Hit one of the four FM buttons and you gain instant access to the frequency, feedback and level of each operator, plus the algorithm. For deeper editing, pressing Edit transforms the eight patch selection buttons into menu access points. Subsequent presses of these navigate through the pages and theres a simple blob-based graphic to remind you where you are within the FM world, fortunately never deeper than four pages. The editing should be sufficient to satisfy most programming needs and is even suitable for tweaking on the fly, not something that is usually the case with FM. You can dig into the keyboard scaling, velocity response and multi-stage amplitude envelopes for each operator, plus the pitch envelope and the single LFO that governs pitch and level. Its interesting that, in this implementation of FM, you can set individual feedback amounts for each operator. This has the effect of gradually transforming the base sine waveforms into either sawtooth or square. Using different waveforms for FM yielded some of the most harsh sounds (or rich, depending on your programming chops) from classics such as the TX81Z, so its good to see some provision for it here. Yamaha might have considered going even further by adding LFO or envelope control of the feedback level, but perhaps held off for simplicitys sake. If you wish, you can stack and detune the operators like conventional synth waveforms, having first picked an appropriate algorithm. However, what you cant do is import patches created on Yamahas older generation of four-op FM synths. Of the patches provided, youll find FM favourites such as brass, electric pianos and bells along with an echoing acoustic guitar, basses youll never lose in a mix, bright leads, snarky leads, weird digital gunk and even several convincingly dreamy pads. In other words, the kind of sounds that made FM a breath of fresh air when it appeared in the 1980s, aided and abetted by more contemporary efforts. While FM sounds considerably less revolutionary today, theres still scope to explore. I wish Yamaha had been able to stretch the polyphony to 16 notes though; eight was often insufficient to do justice to the pads and electric pianos. Its even sadder that there are only 32 patch memories. As soon as you start to scratch the programming itch, those 32 slots start to look inadequate. I searched for a means of dumping and restoring patches but with no luck, until I downloaded the (free) Capture app for iOS. The DX model features a simple looper capable of recording 2000 notes or around 10 minutes at 120bpm. Theres an optional guide tone, which instead of a conventional metronome click, is a note plucked from the current sound (inevitably in the wrong key, I found). Strangely, only notes are captured, not MIDI controllers, which rules out performances that include the modulation wheel or, more importantly (if hammering on some of those DX Rhodes patches), the sustain pedal. You can, though, introduce these manually during playback later. The looper is volatile, its contents lost on power-down, but in its favour it automatically syncs to incoming MIDI clock. Finally, the effect processors both have a selection of distortion, touch-wah, chorus, flanger, phaser, delay or reverb. Every effect has two significant parameters to tweak, all of which contributes useful sweetening, thickening or dirtying qualities without drowning you in complexity. Unsurprisingly, FM takes up the most pages in a manual common to all. Still in synthesizer mood, I fired up the white CS model next. Its the one I was most curious about since, in my youth, the CS range of synths were amongst the first I could afford (I still have a CS30, which is silky, sweet and fabulous). Here the controls are neat and plentiful, a row of smooth, well-balanced sliders ideal for speedy programming a concept heavily associated with the polyphonic CS models. Actually, the closest Yamaha parallel could be the enduringly cute CS01, although sonically the CS is no more based on any of these than on the underrated AN1x. In theory, the CSs eight notes of polyphony and effect processor should make it way more versatile than its diminutive form suggests. The oscillator section consists of just three sliders: Type, Texture and Mod, with a different-coloured LED to remind you which type is active. For each of the five choices, the other sliders shift functionality as appropriate. The bottom-most choice is Multi-Saw, with the Texture slider adding a beefy sub-oscillator and Mod introducing further sawtooth waves. Imagine the euphoric tones of Rolands JP8000 Supersaw and youre in the ballpark. Next is pulse wave, the sliders varying the pulse width and contributing a second oscillator, at various pitch intervals. You shouldnt expect to simulate the frankly magical PWM of a CS01, but its a worthwhile source of square-wave fun all the same. Next up the ladder is a steppy and slightly pale implementation of oscillator sync. Perhaps I shouldnt criticise its spiky tones too much; after all, sync wasnt a highlight of previous CS synths either. Ring modulation and FM are the last two oscillator types, with ring modulation the most striking. Youre given independent pitch control over two input oscillators and, as with the legendary CS synths, its your route to mad, metallic, bellish wails. Id have loved control via a CS80-style ribbon and was slightly disappointed that the oscillator pitches were stepped, not continuously variable. In contrast, FM, with its audio-level oscillator modulation, is rather too lo-fi and digital to ever set the pulse racing, but its worth having for those moments of dissonant weirdness. When Mod is cranked to the max, you gain a glitchy noise generator. The 18dB low-pass filter has a ballsy resonance that will drown out any original CS, but if youre careful not to overdo it, its a pretty fat and serviceable filter, lacking only in keyboard tracking to tick all the boxes. A slider balances the effect of the envelope generator between the filter and amplifier, although its behaviour takes a little getting used to. As far as I can tell, moving the slider towards its maximum lowers the filters cutoff frequency, presumably so the envelope will have an effect even when the filter is wide open. Either way, youre given a variety of handy envelope effects from the minimum of controls, which was surely the idea. With the EG slider fully down (ie. set to AEG, the amplifier), the envelope starts authentically from its existing level, unlike Yamahas older modelled analogue, the AN1x. When in mono mode, the envelope is single-triggered with low-note priority. Its also blessed with a very long maximum release time: well over 40 seconds. Moving on to the LFO, it operates over a wide range and can modulate the pitch, filter cutoff, amplitude or the oscillators Mod value. Youre only given one modulation destination but, given the LFOs top speed hits audio frequencies, its enough to lift the CS into strangely warped territories. The adjacent portamento slider is a dual-function control that cleverly incorporates a mono/poly selector. Portamento is only available in monophonic mode and (unlike the DX model) theres no legato setting: once on it stays on no matter how you phrase notes. Fortunately, despite the fact that the slider is notched, you can find more subtle settings in between the notches. There isnt a modulation wheel, but when playing from an external keyboard, the mod wheel is mapped to LFO depth. One slight oddity you should be aware of concerns pitch-bend: while the built-in pitch-benders action is smooth, the equivalent action from an external source is far from it. A looper is present here too, and its very similar to that of the DX, just without the benefit of a screen. The main limitation is that this looper must always start with a note and recording is ended by the rather awkward movement of the slider from record to play position at the correct time. To round off, theres a single effect choice of either distortion, chorus/flanger, phaser or delay. This is a bit of an anti-climax compared to the rest of the range and, annoyingly, even when the effect depth is at zero, switching to effects causes a brief silence. If you tweak the delays speed, spacey, analogue-style pitch sweeps abound; the delay will also automatically sync to incoming MIDI clock. The CS can sound impressive in many analogue roles and delivers a pretty solid bass end from its sawtooth and sub-oscillator combination. At times it did feel slightly underpowered this wasnt helped by occasional odd harmonics and aliasing. Some of the controls also exhibited noticeably non-analogue characteristics, notably there were nasty glitches upon swapping oscillator types. Last of all, I fired up the CP model. Much of its panel is occupied by what turned out to be the best effects selection of all. There are six piano types to choose from and Yamaha are just as cautious about naming their origins as when organ donating. You wont be surprised to hear that the CP selection is based on Yamahas Electric Grand and you can probably guess the rest too: Rd1 and Rd2, Wr, Clv and Toy. The second Rhodes is the later, brighter model, while the Wurlitzers contrastingly hollow tones are faithfully represented. Its tough to pick a favourite amongst the various electric pianos and the CP80; all are as instantly playable and responsive as youd hope. This is the second Reface to offer 128 notes of polyphony and it helps enormously. Once I rigged up my Yamaha KX8 as master keyboard and dug in, I could easily believe these were the real deal. The only difficulty was stopping. I was less bowled over by the toy piano and clavinet. The former is quite bell-like in its lower regions, becoming a sharp plink at the top end. Its music box novelty isnt completely without value, but I cant help feeling that the presence of a regular acoustic piano in its place would have been a thousand times more welcome Yamaha have a good track record building them, after all! As for the clavinet, Ive never yearned for one even less the funky variety but if you add drive, short delay and chorus you slip straight into guitar territory. Whether this is desirable depends on your approach to keyboard guitaring generally but it surely cant be a more heinous sin than funky clav! Mod wheel from a MIDI controller adds vibrato. The effects are a real bonus here. Arranged in series, all can be active at once and their transformational potential is huge. Firstly, theres drive with its piano-specific tonality, to which you add tremolo or wah, chorus or phaser, followed by analogue-style or digital delay, finally bathing the whole lot in reverb. The chorus is lovely, the phaser almost as good and the tremolo shifts to a swimmy stereo whenever the Rd and CP types are selected. The digital delay at its maximum depth repeats for an eternity, while the analogue delay becomes duller with progressive repeats. The shortest delay times are very short and impressively boingy. Its quite an armoury to have within reach and the only minor criticism I have is a physical one: the switches were a bit flimsy and one needed an occasional wiggle to wake it up. In a sense, the whole Reface range defies expectations of size, scope and form. Each exudes quality and theres not a duff-sounding or ill-conceived member amongst them. For me, the CP is the surprise gem four great pianos and hands-on effects that work effectively throughout. Had there been an acoustic piano too, Id have no choice but to declare perfection. The YC model is also pretty hot: its a practically endless source of classic organs and both tonally and operationally its my favourite of all. I was not as blown away by either of the synths though. The DX does whats expected of four-op FM and in an easy-to-program format. However, it could have been taken even further had the re-imagining included just a few physical controls. And while dual effects processors are very welcome, the DX felt lacking in polyphony and more importantly in the number of available patch memories. The CSs virtual analogue engine is so accessible that it needs no patch memories and its far more capable than its slimmed-down feature set suggests. But its single effect feels limited and it never quite grabs you like a CS synth should. Still, its fast, fun and Yamahas most portable CS since the CS01 (though it doesnt have guitar-strap pegs). There isnt much new to say about the inclusion of mini keyboards. If you relish the freedoms of battery power and portability, then the reduced footprint could be desirable, but Id argue that playing the CP model, in particular, without external help is a challenge too far for most of us. Had the Refaces been presented as neat, slightly cheaper modules, one or maybe two of them would have certainly been on my shopping list. As they are, the best way for many of us to fully exploit these little beauties is via external control, so I hope Yamaha will reconsider the MIDI implementation and extend it to include all channels. After all, the Refaces are based on old ideas and are full of old sounds from old records. It hardly seems fair to deny old players and their old keyboard techniques a piece of the action too. Alternatives CS: Rolands System 1 is a little more expensive but features an expanded feature set and expansion via the Plug-Out system, but only four notes of polyphony. Other mini-key synths such as Novations MiniNova or Korgs MicroKorg are also worth a look. DX: a second-hand TX81Z or DX100 could be the nearest competition. CP: PCM modules that include selections of pianos could offer the biggest threat, but theres also Rolands JDXi which might be an alternative to both the CS and CP models. YC: an organ module such as the Ferrofish B4000+, with its more conventional drawbars, is the closest competition. Though comparable in price, it concentrates on Hammond tones as opposed to the much wider range of the YC. MIDI Once upon a time all you needed to connect two MIDI instruments was a MIDI cable. Now theres an increasing chance youll need a bespoke adapter at either end and might have to search eBay for a MIDI thru box if youre a mad boffin who connects several instruments to a master keyboard. The craziness reaches new levels when youre faced with a range of keyboards that are set, by default, to receive on all channels. When you realise and send an omni off command (CC124) from your sequencer, the chances are youre still not home and dry, because all but one of the Refaces is doggedly locked to channel 1 and cant be changed. If this kind of practice continues, the MIDI dark ages will soon be upon us! Thanks to its display and function button, the DX can be given a unique receive channel. Similarly, tasks such as disabling the speaker and enabling controller transmission can be performed without a power-on key combination. However, even the DX shares the predilection for peculiar defaults. For example, it automatically powers down after 30 minutes even when on mains and its controls neither send nor receive MIDI CCs. Youll probably want to alter many of these defaults: the reception of MIDI controllers is of particular value to the DX, which becomes a more direct, tweakable and friendly beast when a control surface is allocated to its many parameters. Similarly, with controllers enabled, the CS models tweaks can be recorded into your DAW to capture an entire performance. Soundmondo I mentioned earlier that the only way to dump the patches of the DX model is via Yamahas free app, Capture. There doesnt appear to be any means of sending patches to a regular SysEx librarian program either. Instead, Yamahas Reface web page refers to Soundmondo an online browser-based tool for sharing patches for the whole range. I had hoped to try this out but, at the time of writing, it is yet to appear. Pros Classy-sounding compact keyboards with fun and simplicity as the main drivers. Battery power, internal speakers. YC: five varied organs, intuitive control, spot-on effects. CP: includes four great electric pianos and a superb effects implementation. CS: fast and easy to use, some great sounds an ideal beginners synth. DX: a shiny reboot of four-op FM backed up by useful effects. Cons Custom MIDI adapters and primitive MIDI spec. Mini keys wont suit everyone. YC: none. CP: the effect switches are a bit flimsy. CS: brief silence when you switch effects, a few odd noises and glitches. DX: only 32 onboard patches, lack of physical controls. Summary The Reface range is sure to divide opinion but its well focused, well made and sounds great. If you can adapt to the mini keys, each model offers a distinct and portable source of high-quality music-making. This one got lopsided in a hurry, and that was just what Notre Dame needed Marquette springs upset, Slinger survives in football playoffs The nine Milwaukee-area top-seeded football teams all won Friday night. The results across Level 1 set up some interesting games for the week ahead. 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 Occator Crater with Ceres' Bright Spots NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PSI NASA's Dawn spacecraft recently saw the mysterious bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres in the highest resolution photos yet. See changes in Ceres' bright spots in this gallery of new images. HERE: Occator Crater on Ceres, which stretches 57 miles (92 kilometers) across and delving 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep, is home to the mysterious brightest area on dwarf planet Ceres. Image released March 22, 2016. Read the full story of Ceres' changing spots. Enhanced Color Global Map of Ceres NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA The surface of Ceres appears in this global map made with enhanced color, including infrared wavelengths outside human visual range. Image released March 22, 2016. Read the full story of Ceres' changing spots. Ceres' Haulani Crater NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/ASI/INAF NASA's Dawn spacecraft used its visible and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIR) observed Ceres' Haulani Crater (21 miles, 34 kilometers wide). Read the full story of Ceres' changing spots. Ceres Neutron Counts NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/ASI/INAF A portion of the northern hemisphere of dwarf planet Ceres appears in this map, which includes neutron counting data acquired by the gamma ray and neutron detector (GRaND) instrument aboard NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Blue indicates lowest neutron count, and, at the other end of the scale, red indicates the highest neutron count. Read the full story of Ceres' changing spots. Colorized Map of Ceres (Mercator Projection) NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA Researchers used a clear-filter mosaic to make this colorized global map of Ceres. The map had color added using spectral data from other observations of Ceres (calculated using a color transformation program). The green and yellow areas at high latitudes show where Dawn's color imaging coverage remains incomplete. Read the full story of Ceres' changing spots. Center of Occator Crater in Enhanced Color NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PSI/LPI The bright spots in Occator Crater on dwarf planet Ceres appear here with enhanced color, in a view from NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Read the full story of Ceres' changing spots. Ceres LAMO Coverage Map NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PSI This still from an animated video shows Dawn mission's imaging coverage of dwarf planet Ceres during its low-altitude mapping orbit, 240 miles (385 kilometers) above the surface. Read the full story of Ceres' changing spots. Ceres Occator Crater Bright Spot NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA A close-up view of a strange bright spot in Occator crater on the dwarf planet Ceres, as seen by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Observations of from ground-based telescopes suggest the spots undergo daily changes. False-Color View of Occator Crater NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA False-color view of Occator Crater showing differences in surface composition. Red corresponds to a wavelength range around 0.97 micrometers (near infrared), green to a wavelength range around 0.75 micrometers (red, visible light) and blue to a wavelength range around 0.44 micrometers (blue, visible light). These images were captured by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from a distance of 2,750 miles (4,450 kilometers) Ceres' Occator Crater Haze NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA When sunlight reaches Ceres' Occator Crater, a kind of haze of dust and evaporating water forms there. This haze can only be discovered by looking at it laterally, as has been done here. Ceres Illustration - Dawn Data An artist's illustration of Ceres based on mapping and observations from NASA's Dawn spacecraft currently orbiting the dwarf planet in the Asteroid Belt. Occator Crater, stretching 57 miles (92 kilometers) across and delving 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep, is home to the mysterious brightest area on dwarf planet Ceres. Image released March 22, 2016. THE WOODLANDS, Texas Ceres is coming into focus, but many mysteries about the dwarf planet remain. Newly released images captured by NASA's Dawn spacecraft reveal a close-up look at Ceres' odd bright spots and giant mountain, and hint at the existence of ice sheets at the dwarf planet's poles. "Clearly, we have a lot of work to do to put together a self-consistent story [about Ceres]," Dawn's deputy principal investigator Carol Raymond, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said here at a press conference yesterday (March 22). [See More Pictures of Ceres' Weird, Changing Spots] Still, Raymond said it's fairly clear that "Ceres is a former ocean world where the ocean froze." Dawn has been orbiting Ceres the largest object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter since March 2015. But the probe only recently moved to its closest, final science orbit, which lies at an altitude of 240 miles (385 kilometers) above Ceres' surface. The surface of Ceres appears in this global map made with enhanced color, including infrared wavelengths outside human visual range. Image released March 22, 2016. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA) Bright spots and a unique mountain As Dawn closed in on Ceres last year, the spacecraft snapped tantalizing images of bright spots on the dwarf planet's surface. Dawn eventually resolved a single bright blob inside the 57-mile-wide (92 km) Occator Crater into multiple spots. According to Dawn co-investigator Ralf Jaumann, a planetary scientist at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Berlin, as the spacecraft drew closer to the dwarf planet, "we had no geologic evidence" about what the bright spots could be. Dawn eyed the bright spots, and the rest of Ceres' surface, from a series of three successively closer-in orbits over much of last year. Then, in October, the probe began to spiral in toward its fourth and closest orbit around the 590-mile-wide (950 km) dwarf planet, finally reaching the mission's destination in mid-December. The sharp views from just 240 miles (385 km) overhead are shedding new light on the bright spots, he said. "Now that the resolution is 30 meters [100 feet] [per pixel], we can really see geological features," Jaumann said. A portion of the northern hemisphere of dwarf planet Ceres appears in this map, which includes neutron counting data acquired by the gamma ray and neutron detector (GRaND) instrument aboard NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Blue indicates lowest neutron count, and, at the other end of the scale, red indicates the highest neutron count. Image released March 22, 2016. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/ASI/INAF) The center of Occator Crater, where the most famous and dramatic of the bright spots reside, contains a dome rising from its heart. Jaumann expressed confidence that Dawn data from the close-in orbit will help scientists understand more about the spots and Ceres in general. A full understanding may take some time, however. Raymond said it can be difficult to predict where Dawn will pass over the surface, making it a challenge to understand some features. [Bright Spots on Ceres Change Every Day (Video)] "We still haven't built up the data sets that we would like in Occator," she said. One of the biggest issues that Dawn is revealing involves an age paradox. One explanation for the bright spots is that they were uncovered when a large object crashed into Ceres. As heat from the impact penetrated the surface, salts and volatile elements such as water would have been heated and mixed. As the liquid material evaporated, it could have left salts behind to twinkle at the surface. But Occator is about 80 million years old, and bright material should not have lasted nearly that long on the surface, researchers said. "It's hard to keep things bright on a planetary surface over time," Raymond said. Another puzzling feature on Ceres is the towering mountain known as Ahuna Mons. The new Dawn images reveal that the top of the 3-mile-high (5 km) mountain is made up of material similar to the surface around it, while the sides are composed of completely different material altogether. Jaumann said this suggests Ahuna Mons has pushed its way up from the subsurface. "Something [has come] up from the subsurface and pushed the older surface up," he explained. Material welling up through a small crack in the ground could have formed the mountain through volcanic processes, Jaumann said. Alternatively, if the material beneath the ground is less dense than the surface, that material could rise to the top, pushing up a mountain. While both processes have been observed in magma and lava regions in the solar system, neither has been observed in icy environments. "It really makes the mountain a little bit unique in the solar system," Jaumann said. Researchers used a clear-filter mosaic to make this colorized global map of Ceres. The map had color added using spectral data from other observations of Ceres (calculated using a color transformation program). The green and yellow areas at high latitudes show where Dawn's color imaging coverage remains incomplete. Image released March 22, 2016. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA) Ice sheets and odd craters In December, Dawn's Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) instrument began observations. As fast-moving cosmic rays interact with planetary surfaces, they excite particles and reveal insights about the elements just beneath the ground. GRaND will reveal information about a wealth of these elements, but the first results are focused on hydrogen due to its relation to water-ice. These GRaND results reveal that Ceres' hydrogen is preferentially concentrated at the poles, allowing scientists to test the long-standing hypothesis that ice sheets lie below the surface farther from the equator. Dawn's visible and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIR) has also been hard at work. By examining how the surface reflects sunlight at various wavelengths, VIR helps to identify minerals across the dwarf planet. One puzzling region surrounds Haulani Crater. According to VIR instrument lead scientist Maria Cristina de Sanctis, of the National Institute of Astrophysics in Rome, Haulani stands out as an anomaly because the material scooped out by the impact is different from the stuff at the center of the crater. VIR is helping to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the crash site. "Thanks to new data we will be acquiring soon in lower orbits, I think we [will be able to] disclose a little more about its orbit," de Sanctis said. The $466 million Dawn mission launched in September 2007. Dawn made history in March 2015 when it arrived at Ceres after a 14-month visit to the protoplanet Vesta (the second-largest denizen in the asteroid belt), becoming the first satellite to orbit two solar system objects beyond the Earth-moon system. Dawn also became the first mission to visit a dwarf planet, arriving only a few months before NASA's New Horizons mission flew by Pluto. The bright spots in Occator Crater on dwarf planet Ceres appear here with enhanced color, in a view from NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Image released March 22, 2016. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PSI/LPI) Dawn is now showing some signs of wear and tear. Before it left Vesta, the probe had lost two of its four reaction wheels, which help to point the spacecraft precisely. That hasn't kept Dawn down, however, nor should it in the future. The team can still complete its primary mission if it loses all four wheels, by using just the probe's thrusters to maintain orientation, Raymond said. "If the wheels continue to operate, it allows us to have more lifetime," she said. There is sufficient fuel on board that, without the wheels, the spacecraft could last until the beginning of August. With them, Dawn could last another year. "What we are certain [of] is that we can finish our primary mission," Raymond said. Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd or Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookor Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Paul Sutter is an astrophysicist at The Ohio State University and the chief scientist at COSI Science Center. Sutter is also host of the podcasts Ask a Spaceman and RealSpace, and the YouTube series Space In Your Face. Sutter contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. To paraphrase Galileo, "The book of nature is written in mathematical characters." The language that physicists and astronomers use to describe the natural world around us and the vast cosmos above us is just that mathematics. It's through theoretical equations, data analysis number-crunching, and hardcore computer simulations that scientists pry open nature's secrets from her jealous hands. [Images: The World's Most Beautiful Equations] Mathematics is a fantastic tool, revealing more about the universe than we could've ever dreamt when the first scientists started applying rigorous methods to their natural philosophy. But that blessing is also a curse. Mathematics, the language that proves so adept at describing nature, is not the easiest language to translate into, say, plain English. That difficulty the same difficulty in translating from any language into another is at the root of much of the distrust some people have of astronomers and scientific findings. It's nothing new, unfortunately just ask Galileo how much trouble he had. Do you speak science? Scientists have an undeserved reputation for being poor communicators, but this couldn't be further from the truth. A healthy fraction of a scientist's day is filled with communication: coordinating work with colleagues and students, writing papers and grant proposals, preparing and giving talks at conferences and workshops, and teaching. How else is a scientist supposed to convince their fellows that they've hit upon the Next Great Idea if those results aren't communicated clearly? [Scientists Should Learn to Talk to Kids] Scientists are some of the strongest and most eloquent communicators you'll ever meet when they're speaking their "native" language of mathematics and jargon. Jargon words are just shorthand expressions for complex topics, and any profession, from physicists to bakers, use it. It's just that bakers aren't usually called upon to report their findings to the public. And many scientists are up to the challenge of translating their findings into non-jargon English, but there's a problem: there's no good reason for them to do it. The priorities for a scientist in our current academic system are, in order: 1) get grants, 2) write papers, and 3) anything else. That "anything else" includes teaching, serving on committees, refereeing papers, and in the tiny fraction of time leftover engage with the broader community. Oh, and maybe spend some time with their families. If you've ever wondered why most scientists don't go to the trouble of communicating their work with the public, there's your reason: there's no incentive for them to do it. There aren't any rewards, and there certainly isn't any money. When a scientist does engage with the public, say, by giving a public lecture or visiting a classroom, by and large they are doing it in their spare-spare-spare time, and doing it because they enjoy it. So we (and "we" here means both scientists and the public) have a problem: the knowledge that scientists gain about the natural world stays relatively locked up within the scientific community, the scientists have no incentive to share it more broadly, and the public grows ever more distrustful of scientists. That reduces science funding opportunities, which means researchers have to work even harder to get grants, which means they have even less time for outreach . We need to break this cycle. Society needs to be scientifically literate to function, and scientists need public support to continue being scientists. This is where storytelling comes in. Stories are powerful. They resonate with us on a human level in a way that bare numbers can't. And there are many creative ways to tell stories. Usually scientists are nervous to tell stories based on science they are, after all, trained to be as precise and exacting as possible. Fortunately, there are many talented people around the world who are experts at telling stories artists. Such as dancers. Yes, dance. People moving their bodies to music. Dance is a natural "language" for interpreting and representing physical concepts: the way a dancer thinks about the world, in terms of transfers of momentum and flows of energy, isn't much different from a physicist. Endeavors like the popular "Dance Your Ph.D." program or a project I'm involved with, "Song of the Stars," take advantage of that natural connection. A collage of images from "Song of the Stars." (Image credit: Leonardo Carrizo, leonardocarrizo.com) Science as art and movement In "Song of the Stars," the dances reflect themes from astrophysical phenomena. We've all been wowed by Hubble images, but it's something completely different to be immersed in the formation of the first stars or to witness a companion being pulled into a black hole, as only dance can express. To have astronomy brought down to Earth and be brought to life. To explore and share astrophysical phenomena in new and creative ways. To interpret the motions of gas and the play of complex forces using only the movement of the human body. To be told a story in a way that emotionally connects with us. And there are so many wonderful stories to tell about the universe, stories revealed by the scientific process but not usually exposed to the public in a way that they can appreciate and enjoy. [Do Science and Art Share a Source? - Cafe Panel Chat ] "Song of the Stars" is a blending of astronomy and dance to tell the life stories of the stars above. From the first revolution of light more than 13 billion years ago in a dark universe, to a galactic collision that sparks a new generation, to the loss of a companion into a black hole, to a spectacular supernova that sends one last message across the universe. Dance pieces depicting these scenarios are interwoven with narration that conveys the science and gives the audience enough information to fully appreciate the creative work of the artists. I'm continually fascinated by the ever-unfolding mysteries that the universe presents to us, and I want to share those mysteries with anyone I can. This is why I started working with Seven Dance Company to create "Song of the Stars." By sharing what I know with dancers and choreographers, we're working together to translate mathematics and jargon into new languages and use those new languages to tell stories that connect with us in different, emotional ways. This process sacrifices technical details, which is fine. I'm trying to communicate intuition, not information. If an audience wants reams of complex text and mathematics, they're already well-served. If you're a topical expert researcher, business leader, author or innovator and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here (Image credit: SPACE.com) Speaking from a common voice Most people may not realize the beauty and drama that plays out in the heavens above, because it's never been shared with them in a way that makes them care. Many people are immediately "turned off" by science or space concepts. But maybe dance can reach them. Maybe other artistic expressions can communicate to them. Maybe if science is shared with them in a way that they can appreciate and enjoy, we can break the cycle of distrust. Maybe if science knowledge is presented in new ways away from meaningless soundbites or contextless data points audiences can gain an understanding of, and an appreciation for, what scientists do. And maybe those audiences can gain an appetite for more. We're all curious; it is part of what makes us human. If that curiosity can be awakened or reawakened maybe the next time scientists beg the public for money they won't be immediately dismissed. Maybe the next time a research group publishes a new result, it's met with joy and fascination from all corners of society. Maybe a kid who never realized he or she could be a scientist pushes toward a new career. The point of combining science with the arts isn't to necessarily dictate what the artist creates, but rather to explore a shared experience and find the common ground between the disciplines. The point is to inspire artists and to bring science to new audiences who wouldn't normally be interested in the topics. To reveal and revel in what science truly is: an expression of our shared human curiosity, expressed in the language of mathematics, but translated to make it enjoyable by everyone. "Song of the Stars" is supported by a Kickstarter campaign. Learn more by listening to the episode "What's the point in talking about science?" on the Ask A Spaceman podcast, available on iTunes (opens in new tab) and on the Web at http://www.askaspaceman.com. Ask your own question on Twitter using #AskASpaceman or by following Paul @PaulMattSutter and facebook.com/PaulMattSutter. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Space.com. A high-resolution simulation of the movement of plasma in the sun reveals how a large-scale, coherent magnetic field can still exist despite small-scale chaos. A new study, and some gorgeous simulations, may have revealed how order arises from disorder in the turbulent, chaotic body of the sun. In the sun, change is the norm. The body of the sun is a swirling cauldron of fluid, constantly in motion. Every 11 years, the suns magnetic poles migrate across the star's surface, and switch positions. During the peak of this switch, astronomers notice a significant uptick in explosions on the sun's surface that are more energetic than hundreds of hydrogen bombs. One solar mystery that has baffled scientists is how the sun produces a large-scale, coherent magnetic field when there seems to be nothing but chaos at smaller scales. In other words, how is it that small-scale disorder leads to large-scale order? A new series of high-resolution simulations may have cracked the case. [High Resolution Simulations of the Sun Solve Solar Mystery: Video] The orange and magenta swirls seen in the top frame of the image above show the motion of plasma in the sun. Plasma is a superheated gas in which the electrons orbiting the nucleus aren't entirely bound to their orbits. Freeing up these charged particles makes the whole mix electrically conductive. These new simulations were created by a team of researchers led by Hideyuki Hotta, an assistant professor in solar physics at Chiba University in Japan. The movement of charged plasma can lead to changes in the sun's magnetic field on a small scale, as is apparent in the top pane of the image above. Watch the video at the top of this article to see how quickly the plasma changes over a period of weeks. The bottom pane (in black and white) maps the sun's magnetic field. The similarity of these two highly chaotic, rapidly changing patterns makes it clear that these two things are tied to each other. So if the magnetic field on the surface of the sun is so disordered, how is it that Earth's nearest star still has a large-scale, unified magnetic field? A high-resolution simulation of the movement of plasma in the sun (top) compared to a simulation of the star's magnetic field (bottom) reveals a close relationship. (Image credit: Hideyuki Hotta, Chiba University) New findings Previously, calculations suggested that if the sun's material had a viscosity below a certain threshold, there would be no way for a large-scale, coherent magnetic field too form, Hotta told Space.com in an email. A low viscosity means the material flows more freely, and faster; a low viscosity in the sun's plasma would essentially create too much chaos at the small scale. But observations of the sun showed that the viscosity is in fact well below that threshold, Hotta said. So how does the large-scale magnetic field arise? The new computer models have allowed Hotta and his colleagues to essentially rebuild the sun in a computer, and see the activity of the magnetic field in high resolution, at both large and small scales. By doing so, they can watch how the small-scale conditions give rise to the large-scale conditions. By performing these simulations in lower resolution, the researchers demonstrated how the large-scale magnetic field essentially disappears from the model. It's only with sufficient detail that they can watch the order arise from disorder. The group has concluded that strong, small-scale magnetic fields do the job that a lower viscosity might have done. These fields essentially "suppress the chaos," Hotta wrote, and allow the large-scale magnetic field to form. The sun's 11-year cycle of magnetic field reversal is of great interest to solar scientists (the Earth's magnetic field poles also migrate, switching positions about every 200,000 to 300,000 years). But it is also important for everyone living on Earth. The solar explosions that increase at the peak of the solar cycle can fling showers of powerful particles toward Earth, potentially causing damage to satellites or even power grids. Better understanding the cause of these cycles could help humanity prepare for these solar onslaughts. News reporting is and remains at the core of DER SPIEGEL's mission. Finding the news and then placing it in the larger context is the primary duty of any newsmagazine. Increasingly, reporting on stories goes beyond national borders, which is why investigative reporting of the quality sought by SPIEGEL often involves international networks in which journalists from several countries exchange reporting and information. In the same way that SPIEGEL has the best access to secret or classified information in Germany, other media organizations have similar sourcing in their own countries. By combining this joint reporting power, you can uncover unreported news stories, get better access to documents and information and also provide the real background and context behind stories. A new Criminal Minds team is in town! Back in April of last year, Criminal Minds fans were introduced to a backdoor pilot of the hit CBS show Criminal Minds titled Beyond Border. The concept was that an elite team of FBI agents, dubbed International Response Team (IRT), would solve cases involving Americans while on vacation on international soil. It was a hit because, soon after, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders was launched. A newteam is in town! Back in April of last year,fans were introduced to a backdoor pilot of the hit CBS showtitled Beyond Border. The concept was that an elite team of FBI agents, dubbed International Response Team (IRT), would solve cases involving Americans while on vacation on international soil. It was a hit because, soon after,was launched. You would think volunteering in a foreign country would be fun. For two volunteers (Sarah Harris and Laura Johnson), never in their wildest dreams did they think they would be kidnapped. The IRT has one of the most technologically advanced jets. Equipped with a hangar for cars and an office with monitors and computers, Im seriously having a hard time not being jealous. The BAU team doesnt even have a hangar for cars! Its totally #JetGoals. Due to the upcoming typhoon, the International Response Team had to race against the clock to find the two missing teens. The team invites Supervisory Special Agent Clara Seger to assist. It could just be me, but I'm definitely seeing some chemistry between Seger and Garrett. Seger and Garrett decipher that Jeff Little may have singled out the two volunteers. Segers impressive language skills help break many barriers. Shes able to get valuable information from the farmer that Laura and Sarah worked with, telling Garret that Jeff spent more time with Laura than Sarah. All suspicion is pointed toward Jeff being the UnSub. However, that idea is soon shot down when his body is found. Thai culture prevented the authorities from properly co-operating with medical examiner Dr. Mae Jarvis. Under the dire circumstances, Mae sneaks into the room where Jeffs body was being held and was able to find a branding on Jeffs neck. The team are able to decipher that their UnSub was hunting the two girls like prey. With the typhoon becoming more turbulent and Laura injured, the hunt was on. Under the calming words from Seger, the IRT are able to save the two young women. Its a good ending toward a situation that could have ended terribly. However, it would seem like the relationship between Seger and Garrett is deeper than what it seems. I know its just the first episode but theres definitely a backstory to these two characters, and Im really looking forward to the show delving deeper into that. Criminal Minds fans will recall a spin-off series called Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour. However, the show was cancelled after a 13-episode run due to Beyond Borders chapter. The new instalment in the Criminal Minds franchise is different and very unique, which sets it apart from most criminal procedural shows. Five years ago,fans will recall a spin-off series called. However, the show was cancelled after a 13-episode run due to low ratings . However, I see great potential in thischapter. The new instalment in thefranchise is different and very unique, which sets it apart from most criminal procedural shows. Dont get me wrong, I have been (and still am currently) a long-time fan of the mothership show. But, I think I may have found my new favourite show. I dare say that its one of the most unique and intriguing shows Ive seen this year. Beyond Borders has a great new concept. Im absolutely loving the chemistry between the whole team (like, its #SquadGoals). It is also awesome seeing Gary Sinise on my TV again. I was a huge fan of CSI:NY and watched it religiously every week back when it was still on the air. I am super excited to see what directions Beyond Borders will take and the destinations that theyll visit. The uber-talented cast is just a plus, really. Criminal Thoughts: -Did Jack ever end up getting that coffee with Rossi? -Will Mae ever get to drive that motorcycle? What was your reaction to this episode? Did you enjoy it? Whom is the mystery man that Garret and Seger were talking about? A former partner/friend/brother? Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders airs every Wednesday on CBS at 10pm E.T. Thanks to Amber for the heads up. Hmm Once a double agent always a double agent? Former 24 traitor Sarah Clarke is joining NCIS in the potentially series-regular role of FBI Special Agent Tess Monroe, TVLine has learned.As TVLine first teased back in January, Tess is a quick-witted, tough and shrewd agent who recently transferred to D.C. from New York City. A multiple divorcee whos as sexy as she is strong, Tess has no kids so she views her fellow agents as family. Beneath a no-nonsense shell, Tess has a big heart. She believes in honor and justice and doing whats right. And shell fight to protect those values, and her team, with fierce determination and a tinge of sarcasm along the way.Clarke, who also played a federal agent on Covert Affairs, will guest-star in this seasons final two episodes and has an option to return as a full-fledged regular in Season 14.We feel so fortunate to have Sarah Clarke joining us to play Tess, said NCIS EP/Showrunner Gary Glasberg in a statement. Ive been a fan of hers going back to 24 and, more recently, Bosch. Shes a gifted actress, a total pro, and we cant wait to introduce her to our NCIS family and have some fun. RELATIONSHIPS ARE TESTED Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) is hiding a big secret from Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin), which begins to affect their friendship. Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) and Greg (Santino Fontana) switch roles when Josh makes a discovery that angers him, while Greg is happier than he has been in a long time. Pete Gardner and Vella Lovell also star. Joanna Kerns directed the episode written by Jack Dolgen (#117). Original airdate 4/11/2016.THE BACHELOR & THE BACHELORETTE Jane (Gina Rodriguez) has a specific idea of how she wants to celebrate her bachelorette party, but when Xo (Andrea Navedo) and Lina (guest star Diane Guerrero) get involved, nothing goes as planned. Michael wants to enjoy a night out with his friends, but things get awkward when his future father-in-law, Rogelio (Jaime Camil), tries to plan the perfect bachelor party. Rafael (Justin Baldoni) is still trying to figure out what his half-brother Derek (guest star Mat Vairo) motives are and what he knows about their mother. Meanwhile, Petra (Yael Grobglas) gets a surprise of a lifetime. Ivonne Coll also stars. Matthew Diamond directed the episode written by Carolina Rivera (#217). Original airdate 4/11/2016.KEN MARINO (VERONICA MARS) GUEST STARS Liv (Rose McIver) and Ravi (Rahul Kohli) are in need of help and find an unlikely ally in Blaine (David Anders). Detective Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin) and Dale Bozzio (guest star Jessica Harmon) pursue a new lead on an old case. Meanwhile, when Major (Robert Buckley) finds himself in a world of trouble, sleazebag Brant Stone (guest star Ken Marino) comes to his rescue. Vaughns (guest star Steven Weber) evil side reaches a whole new level of mean. John Kretchmer directed the episode written by John Enbom (#218). Original airdate 4/12/2016.ROB THOMAS (MATCHBOX 20) GUEST STARS Working together on a mission, Liv (Rose McIver), Detective Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin) and Major (Robert Buckley) crash Vaughns (guest star Steven Weber) Super Max Rager party, where Rob Thomas (as himself) performs a song from his solo career. Meanwhile, Blaine (David Anders) reaches out to Peyton (guest star Aly Michalka) for help, which does not sit well with Ravi (Rahul Kohli). Michael Fields directed the episode written by Bob Dearden (#219). Original airdate 4/12/2016.ARROWCode of Silence (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, LV) (HDTV)SECRETS AND LIES Oliver (Stephen Amell) and team uncover HIVEs plan to take out Team Arrow once and for all. With HIVEs next attack imminent, Lance (Paul Blackthorne) wonders if Donna (guest star Charlotte Ross) is safer without him in her life. Meanwhile, with the wedding fast approaching, Oliver begins to feel guilty that he hasnt told Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) about his son. James Bamford directed the episode written by Wendy Mericle & Oscar Balderrama (#414). Original airdate 2/17/2016.SUPERNATURALThe Vessel (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, LV) (HDTV)LUCIFER (AS CASTIEL) SENDS DEAN BACK IN TIME Hoping to find a weapon powerful enough to defeat Amara (guest star Emily Swallow), Dean (Jensen Ackles) convinces Castiel, (Misha Collins) who is still Lucifer, to send him back in time to the last reported sighting of the Hand of God. Lucifer sees the potential in getting his hands on this weapon so goes along as Castiel and sends Dean to 1944 to the fated submarine mission that sunk the Hand of God. Meanwhile, continuing his charade with Sam (Jared Padalecki) while they wait for Deans return, Lucifer plans his next move. John Badham directed the episode written by Robert Berens (#1114). Original airdate 2/17/2016.DC COMICS JONAH HEX MEETS THE TEAM When the team needs a place to hide out, Rip (Arthur Darvill) sets a course for the Old West. Upon arrival, they start a fight with a gang of outlaws, putting the small town in jeopardy. Luckily, an old friend of Rips, Jonah Hex (guest star Johnathon Schaech), steps in to save them. Thor Freudenthal directed the episode with story by Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim and teleplay by Marc Guggenheim (#111). Original airdate 4/13/2016.Program information TBATHE RACE TO SAVE STEFAN Determined to capture an escaped vampire named Ambrose, who may be the key to getting Stefan (Paul Wesley) back safely, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) heads to Memphis with Alaric (Matt Davis) in tow. However, reluctant to step back into his former vampire hunting ways, Alaric makes his unwillingness to participate clear, while revealing the truth about the past three Damon-less years of his life. Meanwhile, in the psych ward, Bonnie (Kat Graham) meets a young woman named Virginia (guest star Aisha Duran), who provides her with some valuable information about why The Armory may be after her. Finally, Enzo (Michael Malarkey) takes matters into his own hands when he learns some devastating news from Rayna (guest star Leslie-Anne Huff). Rashaad Ernesto Green directed the episode with teleplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine and story by Penny Cox (#718). Original airdate 4/15/2016.ITS JAZZ FEST IN NEW ORLEANS As the city celebrates its annual Jazz Fest, an unlikely team of Mikaelson foes joins forces to take Klaus (Joseph Morgan) hostage. Leading the charge to get their brother back, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Freya (Riley Voelkel) face off against a powerful force like none theyve ever seen before, while Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) and Cami (Leah Pipes) set their own risky plan in motion to rescue Klaus. Meanwhile, when Kols (guest star Nathaniel Buzolic) erratic behavior worsens, Davina (Danielle Campbell) has no choice but to turn to Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) and Vincent (Yusuf Gatewood) for help. Jesse Warn directed the episode written by Kyle Arrington & Michelle Paradise (#318). Original airdate 4/15/2016. I will never forget that momentous night of Saturday, April 25, 1959. It was my senior year at Harvard College and more than 10,000 students gathered at the Dillon Fieldhouse to welcome an intriguing visitor, Fidel Castro. Back then everyone was full of enthusiasm and high hopes for Cuba. Several weeks ago I decided to visit Cuba and see for myself what had happened in the last 57 tumultuous years of complex U.S.-Cuba relations. I was curious to see what I would encounter, although I knew that the Cuban people had really struggled for more than half a century under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I was stunned by what I saw as I walked around Havana. What was once a magnificent city now looks like a war zone with everything falling down and thousands of crumbling buildings. The average Cuban earns 250 to 300 Cuban pesos, or $10 to $12 a month. They do receive rations from the government, but once their monthly rations run out, usually after two weeks, they must buy almost everything food, toiletries and clothes on their limited monthly salary that we would spend on two lattes at Starbucks. I wont labor the point, but things are really difficult for almost all Cubans and virtually everyone you speak with describes how challenging things are economically. Nevertheless, despite the crumbling buildings and widespread poverty, what I discovered was graciousness, friendliness, openness, and a desire to further connect with Americans and America. I also encountered a realistic attitude both about what had and, certainly, what had not been accomplished during the Castro years. They know their suffering is real, and are not in denial about how very difficult the conditions are. However, I met no one who was feeling sorry for themselves. I experienced no cynicism, bitterness, anger, resentment or jealousy, and despite very challenging circumstances the people expressed hope and optimism concerning the future and a genuine pride in their country. Again and again I was struck by the resilience and resourcefulness of the Cuban people. In a nutshell, although economic depression was omnipresent, the people we met were positive, passionate and purposeful. This led me, as a psychiatrist, to consider the difference between economic depression and clinical depression. Let me briefly review the hallmarks of clinical depression. People who are depressed are dysphoric sad, blue and down in the dumps. They are anhedonic; they lack interest or pleasure in almost all activities. In addition, they lack energy and are tired most of the time. Furthermore, people who are clinically depressed experience persistent feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and guilt. These are precisely the symptoms I witness regularly as a practicing psychiatrist. I am not saying that the people in Cuba are not depressed. My observations as a tourist are hardly based on extensive observation or scientific research. But these observations were the repeated experience of everyone on our trip and dozens of others I have spoken to who have visited Cuba recently. I am sure there are depressed people in Cuba. I would probably be depressed as a physician living in Cuba earning $60 month, driving a taxicab at night, and turning my home into a restaurant so that I could feed wealthy tourists to supplement my meager income. That is not the point. I mused about what it was that enabled the Cuban people we met to remain hopeful, motivated, and to find the energy to invent and reinvent themselves in art, music, dance and medicine. We met numerous artists, musicians, and dancers of extraordinary talent and commitment. I had the honor of meeting physicians who perform remarkable operations of great technical sophistication with limited resources and equipment. The people we met were focused, gracious, warm, fully present, talented, flexible, imaginative, creative, hardworking, energetic, self-respecting, and optimistic. So what is my take-home message to my friends and neighbors in Fairfield and Westchester counties? Dont let depression economic or clinical steal your identity and self-respect. Visit Cuba! Have your own person-to-person encounter and I suspect that, like me, you will marvel at the human spirit which is alive and well Cuba. It is literally, as well as figuratively, rising from the ashes of crumbling buildings and a hugely struggling economy and is evident in the vitality, humor, warmth, intelligence and spirit of virtually everyone you will meet. See for yourself. Dr. John S. Tamerin lives and practices psychiatry in Greenwich. He is a clinical associate professor of Psychiatry at the Cornell/ Weill School of Medicine. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD One year after being accused of beating his mother into a coma she never woke up from, a city man has been declared competent to stand trial for murder. After twice being declared last year incompetent to stand trial, a mental evaluation this month of Timothy Anderson, 43, determined he is now capable of uderstanding the charges against him and able to assist in his own defense the legal conditions a defendant must meet before they can be tried for a criminal offense. Andersons public defender said his client has made progress, but requested another mental health evaluation to determine what Andersons state of mind was when police said he attacked his 76-year-old mother, Maryann Anderson, in the Sleepy Hollow Lane home they shared together. Howard Ehring said he initially spoke to Dr. Justin Schechter, of Stamford, whose expertise in these types of cases is relied upon by state prosecutors as well as defense attorneys. Ehring said he was hopeful to get the state to budget money for his clients mental health evaluation to determine if Anderson was in his right mind that day. My belief is, at the time of the incident and back into his late teen years, he suffered from an illness resulting in mental disease or defect, Ehring said. And we are trying to find out to what extent that effected his behavior on the date of the incident. If that was the case, Ehring said Anderson should be found not guilty by reason of insanity to the charge of murder. As a result, Anderson could be ordered by a Stamford judge to serve up to 60 years at a maximum security insane asylum, such as Whiting Forensic Unit at Connecticut Valley Hospital. According to an arrest affidavit, Andersons probation officer discovered last March he was not seeking mental health treatment. About four days before the March 23 attack, one of Andersons brothers called the probation officer saying he was off his rocker. The brother found Andersons medication in the garbage and found him in the yard hitting himself in the head and talking to himself, according to the affidavit. On the day of the attack, Anderson promised his probation officer to get back into treatment and even saw a nurse practitioner who recommended he enter an intensive outpatient program. But later that afternoon, while concerned about his strange behavior, Andersons brother and mother confronted him about throwing away his medication. He flew into a rage, beating his mother in the face and thumping his brother in the back before running off into Sleepy Hollow Park, the affidavit said. Police quickly found him when he reached the other side of the park. Police say the beating caused bleeding on the brain. A portion of Maryann Andersons skull was removed to relieve the pressure and she slipped into a coma. She died three days later after family members took her off life support. Her death was one of three homicides in Stamford last year. jnickerson@scni.com; Already reeling from a mountain of financial woe, Chicago just got hit againtwice. New Census estimates show that the regions population is actually shrinking, and yet another pension reform deal has been overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court. Chicagolands population growth has been slow in recent years, but according to the Census, the Chicago metro area actually lost 6,300 people in 2015. The loss was driven by domestic outmigrationmore people leaving than coming inthat exceeded both international immigration into the area and natural increase (births minus deaths). Its one of the worst performances of any major urban region in the nation. Even struggling Detroit gained a tiny amount of population last year. The losses in Chicagoland, which geographically includes part of Northwest Indiana and Southeast Wisconsin, mirror statewide losses reported earlier this year. Estimates for the city of Chicago proper wont be released until May. The Illinois Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a law pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to increase city workers retirement contributions and lower the cost-of-living increases that retired workers get. The ruling provides part of an explanation for why people are fleeing Chicago and Illinois. Apart from a booming high-end sector concentrated in the Chicago Loop and select suburban locales, Illinois is much like the other Rust Belt statesthey arent performing well demographically either, so its no surprise that Illinois is struggling. But Illinois and Chicago bear a bigger burden than their neighbors in the form of a long history of poor governance and mismanaged finances. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court has made fixing the pension problemone of the affected funds will run out of money within ten to 15 yearsnearly impossible without dramatically higher taxes. A city worker who shows up for just one day of work is entitled permanently to receive the benefits of the current regime, including future compounded increases. Emanuel could have more forcefully addressed Chicagos financial woes at the beginning of his first term. He decided instead to engage in years of negotiations with the citys unions to reach a deal that everyone could live with. Its hard to fault him for that, considering that he actually did reach agreements with 28 of 31 affected unions to raise both worker contributions and new city taxes. What he didnt know at the time was that the Illinois Supremes would prove so hostile to reform. As we have explained, under the clause, a public employees membership in a pension system is an enforceable contractual relationship, and the employee has a constitutionally protected right to the benefits of that contractual relationship, the justices wrote. Those constitutional protections attach at the time an individual begins employment and becomes a member of the public pension system. So long as reformers are constitutionally prevented from curtailing union power in Illinois and Chicago, the pension crisis will continue to worsen. And, so long as it does, the financial environment in Chicagoland will deteriorate and people will keep leaving. Because the current Illinois constitution acts as a one-way ratchet on retirement benefits, its hard to see a way out of this catastrophic situation. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images STAMFORD A former Norwalk probation officer has pleaded guilty to bribe taking instead of risking a longer jail sentence if his case went to trial. Alphah East, 38, of Hamden, accepted the plea offer Tuesday the first day of jury selection and faces up to two years in prison. Easts attorney, Dan Ford, declined to comment on the case. Assistant States Attorney Kevin Shay suggested East may have been swayed to accept the deal to avoid the possibility of facing a much longer sentence if he lost at trial. A public employee convicted of bribe receiving faces up to 10 years in jail. We feel that things for Mr. East are going in an appropriate direction, Shay said. We were ready to go to trail and had a couple of jurors and he decided to plead guilty. When East returns to court, Judge Richard Comerford will sentence him to five years in jail, with at least three years suspended followed by three years of probation. Ford will have a chance argue for a lesser sentence. If East, who has been living quietly since 2010 with no offenses on his criminal record, violates his probation by getting arrested after his release from jail, he could be made to serve all or part of his suspended sentence. Easts arrest and plea agreement marked his precipitous. East was a promising Judicial Branch employee working through rapid promotions and making about $70,000 per year before his arrest. East was arrested in early 2010 after the Westport father of one of his clients told his attorney, Mickey Sherman, that he was worried he was being shaken down for money. Sherman called the most powerful prosecutor in Connecticut, Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane, to register a complaint. Soon after that call, a sting was set up at the Westport Avenue Starbucks in Norwalk where East met with Joe Laurita, a clothing apparel magnate and father to the woman on probation being supervised by East. During the meeting, which was witnessed by investigators with the state Division of Criminal Justice, East told Laurita he could terminate his daughters three-year probation sentence for $5,000. But by the time of the Norwalk meeting in January 2010, Laurita, who is now CEO of the Jimmy Buffetts signature clothing brand, Margaritaville Apparel Group, had made seven loans to East totaling $13,000, according to an arrest affidavit. East was stopped in the coffee shops parking lot and found in possession of a $5,000 check signed by Laurita. East told investigators he owed $50,000 in credit card bills and became addicted to OxyContin, after the medication was prescribed for a back problem and a deteriorating bone in his foot. East said he was spending $200 a day for painkillers, according to the arrest affidavit. jnickerson@scni.com; HAMDEN Thomas Cortellesis eyes light up when he talks about rocket fuel. The self-described space nerd who attends Beacon School in Stamford, Cortellesi wants to find a greener, cheaper and non-toxic way to blast things into space. The science behind his project combined with the high school juniors clear enthusiasm attracted the attention of representatives of the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford as they combed through the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair on Thursday. He wasnt rehearsed and there is a genuine spark, said Scott Tracy, a member of the association. Besides another ribbon to post on his project board, Cortellesi also gets a small cash prize, a magazine subscription and an invitation to the associations annual meeting. We all look forward to seeing and hearing from young people who are smart, Tracy added. To read more, subscribe below. Racist City Employees Are on Notice, and 9 Other Greater Cincinnati News Stories You May Have Missed This Week Catch up on local government, politics, sports, celeb sightings and Halloween fun. T he head of one of our big financial institutions said last week that the most important thing in his world was that the geeks had discovered business. His intriguing thesis was that even in technology, people only invent what they think is important to them at the time. Thus they initially needed to find out things so they invented the search engine hence Google; next they wanted a partner so they invented social media hence Facebook; third, they wanted to gossip and talk to each other so they invented Twitter. Having got the basic needs out of the way, they now want to make money. Hence the focus on business. The merit of the observation lies not in whether it is strictly true but rather in the way it alerts us to the coming storm of innovation. The sheer amount of mental and physical energy that is currently devoted to developing applications and using them to create new and transform old businesses is unlike anything we have ever seen before. The economist Doug McWilliams charted this phenomenon last year in a book that I described here at the time as one of the most important to be published on the British economy in decades. Today sees the publication of the paperback version, with its key figures and impacts brought up to date. In the original version of The Flat White Economy*, McWilliams was writing about the digitally driven explosion of activity heavily concentrated around Old Street. That single London postcode of EC1V had in the two years since the Olympics seen the creation of 32,000 businesses and had created more jobs than the financial sector had lost. It was the fastest rate of business creation ever seen in a single postcode area. Since then, the growth has continued and the technology footprint has spread. Shoreditch and its surroundings have got too expensive so South London is the new East London, with a particularly strong cluster in Croydon. Other locations are benefiting too, most notably Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh, Brighton and the West Midlands. In measuring the economic impact of all this, McWilliams not only looks at the value added by the tech sector in isolation but also includes activities where the business model is based on the application of technology, although they are not tech businesses. Opinion pollsters are one example and we also lead the world in online retailing, advertising and media, plus of course the application of technology to finance. This generates some seriously impressive numbers. McWilliams calculates that the sector now accounts for 8.7% of GDP, making it the UKs second-largest business sector. Two years ago, it was in fifth place although already bigger than the car industry and North Sea oil; today it has overtaken finance, the retail sector and wholesale. Only construction outranks it. Whether all this activity is captured in official statistics is a moot point, and arguably there is up to 5% of GDP currently unaccounted for partly because it is difficult for statisticians to keep track of the activities of small firms but also because of quirks in definitions which mean, for example, that money spent on software is treated as an expense rather than as investment. But invisible or not, properly recorded or not, it is what is driving Londons expansion. McWilliams believes that about 40% of the UKs growth in GDP was attributable to this activity in the three years to 2015. It grew 8% last year alone and this gives him the confidence to reaffirm his prediction that by 2025 so in less than 10 years it will drive a third of the British economy. Since another third of the economy is taken up by the state sector, this implies that well over half the private sector the market-driven side of the economy where value is added rather than simply transferred will depend in some way on the digital economy. It would be nice to think that this had been planned or was the result of enlightened Government action but the reality is simply that London has had a massive stroke of luck. The crisis in the eurozone prompted many of the brightest and best-educated young people to come to London to work. They are almost all naturally computer-gifted but the real key is their diversity because out of that comes creativity. Different cultures look at things in different ways, varying backgrounds bring a range of perspectives. This coming together is not something you can create artificially; it is an accident of history. But it is because of this accident and the efforts of the people involved that London is growing at 4% a year, twice the rate of the rest of the country and much of the world. *The Flat White Economy by Douglas McWilliams, published by Duckworth, 9.99 paperback O ne of the UKs biggest energy suppliers has warned that a vote to leave the EU would increase the risk in its business, although it has stopped short of advocating either an in or out vote. SSE, the Perth based gas and electricity supplier, said that being in the EU has been beneficial to British householders and has allowed them to receive secure, affordable and low-carbon energy. The company says that regardless of whether the UK stays in or leaves, energy is a shared competence and that collaboration with other European countries is important for UK customers. SSEs entry into the debate comes as Amber Rudd, Energy Secretary, claims that household bills could rise if Britain leaves the EU. She argues that the UK faces an electric shock outside the EU that could increase energy costs by 500 million a year, by the 2020s. Rudd argues that the more the UK relies on gas imports, the greater is its need to stay in the EU, so that it does not become to vulnerable from gas exporting countries like Russia. Rudds argument is based on research commissioned by the National Grid which suggests that, although uncertain, the impact of leaving the EU on the UK's energy capability is "very likely to be negative. I t will probably not come as much consolation to motorists moving at glacier speed through central London but worsening traffic congestion in the capital is partly for a good reason because London is growing. As TfL says, congestion is a result of a booming population and rising construction activity. Some construction is because of the Mayors new cycle highways but there are, as we report today, at least 10 major projects under way which aggravate delays. Of course the disruption caused by the cycle highway network will not last for ever but meanwhile it is taking a toll on traffic speeds. Boris Johnson is right to say, as he did yesterday, that the situation is intolerable. Doing nothing, he warns his successor, whoever that is, would mean that congestion gets worse than it is now. Just how bad that is is apparent from the figures. Traffic speeds in London are worse than before the introduction of the congestion charge. Across London speeds have fallen to 16.5 miles an hour and 7.4 miles an hour in the centre. Londoners are often able to outstrip traffic on the Strand by walking. In his last weeks as Mayor, Mr Johnson is in a position to say what the remedy is: an increase in the congestion charge or the introduction of smart charging, which would mean charging motorists for driving at peak times in the most congested areas. Of the two options, the smart charge is the way to go; the congestion charge is a clunking instrument and the area it covers does not include some of the most congested roads. In these circumstances, it is dispiriting that neither of the two big mayoral candidates, Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan, is willing to confront the problem. Both, in fact, focus on the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, a nice idea but one that raises real problems about what to do with traffic displaced as a result. Both understandably refuse to entertain an increase in the congestion charge but are equally reluctant to be drawn on the smart charge. Of course London needs to grow and to build but that means making hard choices about curbing the congestion that results from it. Bad day for Tube strike Todays strike by Piccadilly line drivers could hardly be more inconvenient. Quite aside from those who use the Tube for their daily commute, many Londoners will have had plans to get away, via Heathrow, for an Easter break. Anyone travelling to the airport on the Underground will have been forced to rearrange their journey: either taking an expensive taxi ride or airport car-parking, or using Heathrow Express from Paddington, which will inevitably be overcrowded as a result. The strike today, which is set to be followed by two further walkouts in April, is the consequence of a breakdown in relations between drivers and management. Union chiefs say their members have serious concerns over the Piccadilly lines ageing rolling stock and safety issues but this is no way to resolve those concerns. As ever it is ordinary Londoners working or going on holiday who suffer most. This strike, at this time, is intolerable. And the prospect of two more lengthy stoppages next month is really too much to bear: this irresponsible action must be stopped. Happy Easter The Easter season happily coincides with spring, and the Christian story of death and resurrection is matched by signs of fresh life all around us. Its a lovely festival. Many Londoners will be leaving for the holiday but those who stay can enjoy the many pleasures of a tranquil city coming into bloom. We wish our readers a happy Easter. Review at a glance A rtists today are grappling with the fragmented identity of an internet- and technology-mediated culture, and how we measure it up with the physical world we inhabit. Many of the 17 artists in this show use screens and sculpture, image and object in equal measure, and the picture that emerges is fractured an unsettled, unsettling balance between the virtual and the physical. Thai artist Korakrit Arunanondchais video installation links footage of a performance artwork which bizarrely appeared on Thailands Got Talent with an epic search for the river serpent god, Naga, and scenes featuring Arunanondchai himself, occasionally with a cluster of denim-clad youths. A drone rears up: I am a machine boosting energy into the universe, says a French narrator. All around are similarly involved, ambiguous works: Ed Fornieless Facebook sitcom Dorm Daze satirises but celebrates the confessional, performative nature of social media, while Neil Beloufas installation features people talking about utopias that turn out to be fictional; the film is shown in a sculptural apparatus which shatters, mirrors and distorts the images. Much in the exhibition leaves you bewildered and saturated; even if its uneven, its evocative of our age. Until July 17 (020 7428 9840, zabludowiczcollection.com) Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout L ondoners are being asked to help fund a multi-million-pound restoration of the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. The hall, part of Greenwichs Unesco World Heritage Site, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor and opened in 1694. It was decorated by Sir James Thornhill be-tween 1708 and 1727 and has been de-scribed as Britains Sistine Chapel. The Heritage Lottery Fund has provided 3 million and there have been gifts from private donors including The Sackler Trust. However, the work needed on almost 40,000 square feet of paintings will cost about 8 million in total and the public are being encouraged to help by sponsoring a square foot. The conservation work will be open to the public, with a temporary lift installed to enable access to scaffolding for tours. There are also plans for a new gallery and cafe. Conservation director William Palin said the hall is one of Britains greatest architectural and artistic treasures. Work is set to begin in September and finish in early 2019. For more information visit ornc.org Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout D oes Alice Lowe think there is a common thread through her work? She lets out a peal of laughter: What, murder?! Its a fair enough suggestion given that the actress and writers most well-known role to date was as murderous caravanner Tina in 2012s Sightseers, and she is now telling me that her directorial debut will be about a pregnant woman on a killing spree. Id have to say I dont really like killing people because Im not a psychopath. Ill just state that for the record: I am not a psychopath, honestly. But I think I am a bit twisted and I think of it as just a good punchline someone dying. I like to explore the dark side of things through fiction rather than in reality. Thats why I like horror. I think its a really safe way of exorcising the darkness thats in society. Sightseers, co-written by Lowe and Steve Oram, was a critical hit and won the Evening Standard British Film Award for Comedy in 2013. It was shot by Ben Wheatley, who has just directed the JG Ballard adaptation High Rise with Tom Hiddleston. Fast and loose: Tom Cullen and Alice Lowe in Black Mountain Poets, which was shot over just five days and almost entirely improvised When I point out that its a glossy progression from shooting Lowe visiting the Keswick Pencil Museum in a cagoule, she starts laughing. I know, its a real step down for him. I feel really sorry for him that he has to work with real munters like Sienna Miller now and he must think of my face, all red and blotchy like corned beef on the top of a mountain, and he must be going ahh, cant believe Ive got to look at Sienna Miller when actually Id rather be looking at Alices whipped face like a bit of old meat. Lowe, 38, is back in a cagoule for her latest film, Black Mountain Poets, in which she stars alongside her long-time friend Dolly Wells, playing con artist sisters who find themselves impersonating revered beat poets at a poetry retreat in rural Wales. The film was made and shot over just five days and is almost entirely improvised. I am not a psychopath. But I think I am a bit twisted and I think of someone dying as just a good punchline Lowe says: What I think, and what theyve realised in America, is that when you take a script and improvise around it with really funny people, its only going to get funnier. You can still film the script. Thats fine, do that as a safety net, but then embroider it a little bit. For the actors themselves, there is no safety net and Lowe found herself, in one scene which has more emotional depth than you might expect, performing a dramatic reading of a Tesco receipt. Was that just one she happened to have in her pocket? It wasnt mine because I wouldnt drink Dr Pepper thats quite weird but it was literally a case of asking around for who had one. The director Jamie Adams gave his actors a loose outline of the story and started filming, sometimes throwing in unexpected elements. The first time the sisters meet fellow poet Richard on screen (Tom Cullen of dishy Downton Abbey fame) is actually the first time Lowe and Wells ever met him. And hes really good-looking, obviously, and very charismatic, so I was genuinely a bit like oh my God, hi, hi there and blushing and stuff. For a certain group of people who were at university about a decade ago, Alice Lowe will always be a bouffant-haired, emotionally unstable lady doctor with psychic powers. Id like to do something with really rubbish superheroes but as a group: a British version of Marvel She played Dr Liz Asher in Garth Marenghis Darkplace, the much-loved 2004 show-within-a-show parody series which spoofed horror and sci-fi programmes of the Eighties. Broadcast late night on Channel 4 and lasting just six episodes, it was prime fodder for fans of cult comedy, as is much of Lowes work to date: her filmography includes roles in Black Books, The Mighty Boosh, Star Stories, Horrible Histories and This is Jinsy. Her directorial debut, due later this year, sounds like it will fit snugly into her twisted niche. Called Prevenge, and telling the story of the aforementioned pregnant killing spree, it is Lowes response to a lack of narratives about female existential crises. I think pregnancy has often been shown on screen from the male perspective, rather than being inside of it. There are horror aspects to Prevenge but its more the existential crisis that you feel by being pregnant and how strange that is. This woman is sort of being taken over by the baby in a sense. Its going against any of those societal and film cliches that as soon as you get pregnant you suddenly become this sweet, saccharine, perfect, earth-mother person. The film was written in a week, and filmed when Lowe was seven and a half months pregnant last year, during a mammoth period of work where she barely paused to take breath because she was terrified about money. Now she is doing the hard bit working through editing and post-production at home in Camberwell with her boyfriend and three-month-old daughter. Talking about her increased productivity levels youre more efficient. You havent got loads of hours to faff around on Facebook or whatever. Youre basically like Ive got an hour, Ive written a novel she begins to moot the idea of a pregnant superhero. Id like to do something with really rubbish superheroes but as a group: a British version of Marvel. Ive already got my cast in mind... Id have to cast myself as some sort of old bag, thats the problem. Im too old to be Scarlett Johansson now. What about Menopauso? She just turns bright red and explodes. And gets really cross and gets night sweats and everyone drowns. Yeh, I think that could be it. Thats it, Ive written it. For a self-proclaimed lover of weirdness, Menopauso doesnt seem like much of a stretch and although Lowe says that at some point she will hopefully make something where people arent getting killed off I cant help but hope the opposite when she muses on her favourite potential method of murder: Maybe folding someone into a million pieces. If you could fold someone like origami into tiny bits, that would be amazing. Black Mountain Poets is in cinemas from April 1 Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout T ell someone youre going to Amsterdam and theres a 99 per cent chance theyll crack a joke about weed. Ignore them theres so much more to the Dutch capital than stoners and stag dos. While away the daylight hours wandering the cobbled streets, dipping into galleries and sweet boutiques, dodging cyclists and admiring the prettiness of it all canals, streetside cafes and 17th-century townhouses, all in a gorgeous palette of cream, charcoal and slate then head to Amsterdam East for an ever-growing number of quirky bars and restaurants. The flight from London is just 45 minutes, so you can hop over on a Friday evening and be back at your desk on Monday, refreshed and revitalised. Arthouse classics The wait is over and the Rijksmuseums ten-year-long renovation has been unveiled. Visit to see Rembrandts and Van Goghs alongside cutting-edge contemporary work. Something else? Hit Foam for brilliantly curated photography look out for the Helmut Newton retrospective this summer. Keizersgracht 609 (foam.org) Market place Theres no better way to spend a sunny Saturday than browsing the stalls at the Noordermarkt Farmers Market, a short walk from the city centre, where you can sample local cheeses and pastries. Look out for Yvon Vissers stall; the local designers porcelain work makes for a stylish souvenir. Open 9am to 3pm. Where to shop Nowhere does concept stores better than Amsterdam. At Hutspot, youll find cult fashion labels in the basement, a barbers on the ground floor and a cafe upstairs, where MacBook-wielding creatives linger for hours over flat whites. Van Woustraat 4 (hutspotamsterdam.com) Hutspot Tucking in Loved by the citys beautiful young things, salad bar SLA (left) has five branches across the city, which make for great people-watching. Customise your salad with everything from smoked mackerel to falafel. (ilovesla.com) SLA Wilde Zwijnen in Amsterdam East is famous for its local, seasonal food. Now its opened Eetbar, a hip small-plates spot next door. Remember to order the apple pudding cake, a Dutch speciality. (wildezwijnen.com) Where to stay The Dutch outpost of Londons The Hoxton offers a fast track to feeling like a local thanks to its location in chic, central Jordaan and its lively bar. Head up to your room and youll find an oasis of calm. The 1960s-style furnishings, excellent magazine selection and free granola are a bonus. Rooms from 70 (thehoxton.com/holland/amsterdam) The Hoxton How to get there Easyjet flies from London Luton, Stansted and Gatwick to Amsterdam Schipol. Fares from 18 (easyjet.com). A self-taught distiller in Cornwall has won the award for the Word's Best Gin. Tarquin's Cornish Navy Seadog Gin, by the Southwestern Distillery, beat 267 other international entries at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017 to claim the title. Owned and founded by Tarquin Leadbetter, it's a modern, contemporary tipple with all the traditional flavour of a London dry gin. He does this by going back to basics and using traditional techniques and equipment to produce batches of hand-corked dry gin and pastis in small runs of just 300 bottles a time. Doing something on my own was always my ambition, he says of quitting his graduate desk job in the City and moving back to the West Country to create his own artisan spirit, I have a bit of a background in food and drink. I did a Cordon Bleu cooking course in my gap year and Id planned to set up a restaurant. The restaurant never happened, but a period of experimenting with gin recipes on a tiny cooker at home that produces a few shot glasses of spirit at a time proved fruitful. The 28-year-old from Devon, found a niche in an offbeat recipe that combines traditional gin ingredients like angelica and orris root with quirky flavours like citrus fruits and cinnamon. The process of creating the gin, says Tarquin, took around six months of trial and error a startling attention to detail that still translates to the product today, three years on from its inception. The brand now counts some of the UKs finest independent spirit shops including The Whisky Exchange - as its stockists, as well as several specialist gin bars like The London Gin Club. But despite the hype, the small operation which is the combined effort of five people including Tarquins sister Athene refuses to compromise on its production methods: it still grow its own Devon violets for the gin, forages for gorse flowers on the blustery nearby clifftops of Cornwall for its Cornish Pastis and fires its copper pot using a flame. Best London gin - in pictures 1 /10 Best London gin - in pictures Noel Tock/www.noaeltock.com East London Liquor Company London Dry Gin Established in 2013 in an old glue factory (hence the reason for the upside down horse on their label), the ELLCs gins are distilled and bottled in house at Bow Wharf, overlooked by their resident cocktail bar. Only 100% British wheat spirit is used for this small batch Gin, which is infused with a bright selection of botanicals, including fresh lemon and grapefruit peels, cubeb berries, cardamom, coriander, angelica root and Macedonian juniper berries. Sipsmith London Dry Gin Now based in Chiswick, after upping-sticks from a garage in Shepherds bush, Sipsmiths finely crafted tipple is bold, complex and aromatic. Each bottle is handmade in small batches within the drinks specialists traditional copper still distillery in London using ten carefully selected botanicals sourced from around the globe. Jensens Bermondsey Gin jensen-s-small-batch-bermondsey-gin-70cl_temp_1.jpg When Christian Jensen first tasted the vintage gins from London's lost distilleries, he began a mission to creating a finely balanced gin that honoured these forgotten recipes. Distilled in Bermondsey, the result is an old-style flavour boasting a luscious texture with an aromatic bite. Sacred Gin Sacreds craft distillery sits at the top of Highgate Hill in leafy North London. Each of its twelve organically sourced botanicals - including fresh cut citrus, juniper, cardamom, nutmeg and a type of frankincense called Boswellia sacra - are macerated with English grain spirit and then distilled separately in glassware under vacuum. This process gives the gin distinctively lush, fresh punch. Fords London Dry Gin At 90 proof, Ford's Gin, which is distilled at Thames Distillers, holds a lot of flavour. Theres notes of juniper and coriander on the nose and a light sweetness on the tip of the tongue, developing into botanical florals and notes of orris and angelica roots. Gilpins Gin Portobello Road No.171 Gin Created about west London pub, the Portobello Star (and now made at the Thames Distillery), Portobello Road features botanical ingredients sourced from as far as Italy, Spain, Africa and America. Bottled at 42%, this spirit has enough alcoholic strength to carry and sustain the flavours of the nine botanicals used in its creation juniper berries, lemon peel, bitter orange peel, coriander seeds, orris root, angelica root, cassia bark, liquorice and nutmeg. The distillery, which is based near beautiful Padstow (Tarquin assures me that he can see the sea from his window), also fills, corks, seals and labels each bottle by hand on-site. I always wanted to use a wax dip, says Tarquin of the quirky seal method that features on each bottle they sell, Its a design feature but it also serves a purpose. It highlights the point that we bottle everything here by hand. So does he think that craft gin has the same potential to go viral as craft beer? Theres definitely an explosion of gin distilleries at the moment. When I started about three years ago it wasnt particularly common, and even mentioning it to my friends - the idea of moving to Cornwall making booze sounded a bit wacky. But now? Lots of people are doing it." Follow us on Twitter: @eslifeandstyle W hen the world woke up to news of the bomb blasts in Brussels on Tuesday, people turned to a simple image to express solidarity with Belgium and sadness at the 31 people killed and 271 injured. One of the first reactions was a mass tweeting of pictures from Tintin, the story of the intrepid Belgian boy reporter and his sidekick, Snowy the dog. A picture of the cartoon character reading a newspaper reporting explosions in Brussels has been shared more than a thousand times, along with one of his ally Captain Haddock saying: Miserable blundering barbecued blister! Dont touch my country, while the official Tintin Twitter account shared a line drawing of Tintin and Snowy with tears running down their faces, and the message Belgium is weeping for its children ... Two Explosions Reported At Brussels Airport ...! My Home ... Graphic designer Sylvain GrandMaison, 41, drew his own interpretation of Tintin as a silhouette with a yellow tear and his distinctive quiff sticking up. It has been retweeted nearly 500 times. He says: Its hard to put things into words and an image brings an emotion words cant convey. I didnt want to write anything on Facebook. This is an image to express emotions. GrandMaison, who lives in Quebec but has friends in Belgium, was on the school run when he heard about the attacks and says his first thought was of Tintin, he is a big icon from my childhood. Tintin was created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi under the pen name Herge, and Snowy, whose French name is Milou, was named after Remis childhood sweetheart. In referencing him now, people are tapping into a tradition of using images to process challenging circumstances. Many artists tweeted their own Tintin-inspired tributes in the wake of the atrocities (Image: Instagram/@mynameisgerm @dailymaverick) / @mynameisgerm @dailymaverick Anita OBrien, director and curator of the Cartoon Museum, says: A drawing can distil a situation and feelings into something succinct. A picture of Tintin has it all in one image. It is not attacking anybody, its just expressing that horror people are feeling, in a similar way that cartoonists represented 7/7 or when an actor speaks on behalf of a group. Often the family of Herge are strict about copyright but I cant image that in this situation. A picture of the cartoon character reading a newspaper reporting explosions in Brussels has been shared more than a thousand times (Image: Instagram/@vladdo) OBrien adds that certain characters have strong associations with certain countries, and Tintin is universally known around the world as a Belgian. Theres also a history of people using a character from a tradition to express a particular event. People associate Tintin with their childhood, and innocent pleasures, which means he lends himself to strengthening a common memory and a unity. The reference is so common and easily understood that people are able to know what it is saying. Je Suis Bruxelles is also trending on Twitter, with people coming together over a shared figure. Daniel Duquenal tweeted a line-drawing of Tintin, saying: This, my childhood best friend, made me teary. Others found more defiant images, such as Tintin speeding off on a motorbike to catch his enemies with the caption: Hold on, Brussels. Landmarks light up in honour of Brussels victims 1 /8 Landmarks light up in honour of Brussels victims The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with the Belgium national colours AP Photo/Thibault Camus Two Belgian flags are projected on to Rome's Campidoglio Capitol Hill EPA The black, yellow, and red colors of the Belgian flag are projected on the courthouse in Lyon REUTERS/Robert Pratta The Belgian flag is projected on the Trevi Fountain in Rome AP Photo/Andrew Medichini The Brandenburg gate lit up in the Belgian colours REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch The Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam, is seen with the black, yellow and red colours of the Belgian flag in tribute to the victims of the Brussels terror attacks EPA/EVERT ELZINGA Vivian Vandeninden, who works with the Tintin Museum near Brussels, says: Tintin is a symbol of Belgium. People need symbols at the moment. He is also a symbol of tolerance to others. Cartoons are an important part of Belgian culture. Theres a big comic museum in Brussels and in the First World War Belgium was represented as a small child, bullied by Germany. OBrien says: During the First World War people communicated through cartoons. Punch magazine gave the Queen of Belgium a cartoon with the country, saying it would not surrender thats how they spoke. Cartoons can often break down complicated situations, like Maus, the comic book about the Holocaust, and the Barefoot Gen manga series exploring Hiroshima. Graphic designer Sylvain GrandMaison, 41, drew his own interpretation of Tintin as a silhouette with a yellow tear and his distinctive quiff sticking up (Image: Sylvain GrandMaison) / Sylvain GrandMaison Other pictures that have been shared in response to the attacks include a hand made out of chips, with the middle finger up, and the statue of a urinating boy in Brussels, with either a gun or the face of terrorists photoshopped in to be the target of his stream. Asterix came out of retirement and appeared in the colours of the Belgian flag, while in France the cartoonist Plantu drew a picture for the newspaper Le Monde, showing solidarity through a person wearing a French flag comforting a Belgian with the date of the attack on Paris underneath. Benoit Mouchard, who wrote a biography of Herge and has curated exhibitions on Tintin, says: This was a spontaneous, natural reaction to something which is so difficult to understand. Tintin is a part of childhood for a lot of people. He is not only a character but a symbol. Jacques Brel is also a symbol of Belgium but perhaps Tintin is more universal. Debris at Brussels airport following two explosions Graphic designer Jean Jullien, whose Peace for Paris image of the Eiffel Tower as a CND sign went viral after Novembers terrorist attacks in France, has said: When you are in a state of shock, you try to find simple things to say. My picture clearly says peace and I think that was the most universal, wanted reaction in light of the violence. Twitter and Instagram mean people can share their response and promote a sense of fellow feeling. The uncomplicated nature of the pictures make them appealing. GrandMaison says: Herges style is called Clean Line, its about being clear. I drew him as a black shadow with just the tear in colour because I wanted it to be restrained. We recognise the character and understand it in its simplest form. GrandMaison has received a lot of attention for the image. People told me they were brought to tears. Usually when you receive messages on Twitter about work you are happy but this has had no impact on me. I was just moved by the events. Follow Susannah on Twitter: @susannahbutter M asturbating men. Hands up skirts and on breasts. Erections rubbed against womens legs. These are some of the stories youll hear if you ask women about their experiences of sexual offences on public transport. A friend of mine once stepped off a Tube train to discover that the man who had rutted against her in a packed carriage had ejaculated on her tights. Flashers, gropers, masturbators and ejaculators a small group of men who are usually serial offenders seem to use the transport network as a scouting ground for victims. These are usually stealth crimes, committed in crowds by criminals who dont know their victims. An estimated 15 per cent of Londoners have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport, yet around 90 per cent of those affected do not report the crime to the police. So when Project Guardian was launched three years ago, womens groups cheered. It was a collaborative effort between the British Transport Police (BTP), City of London police, the Met and Transport for London to encourage women to report sexual offences on public transport in the capital. The police had been advised by three feminist organisations: the End Violence Against Women coalition, the Everyday Sexism Project and Hollaback London, which campaigns to stop harassment in public places. The BTP also has a dedicated, specialist squad to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network. There are two arms to their work: carrying out investigations into sexual offences that have been reported and proactively patrolling the transport network to catch perpetrators. But now, that 23-officer unit is set to be disbanded. The team that tackles sexual crimes is part of the BTPs B division, which focuses on the capital. According to a BTP document leaked to the Evening Standard: The majority of the B Division specialist crime teams (eg sexual offences, workplace violence, etc) will be disbanded. This is part of a wider structural shift in the BTP, set out in this employee consultation document. Report it to Stop it - British Transport Police campaign Only two specialist crime teams in B division will remain: the team covering theft of passengers property and the unit handling bike theft. However, none of this has been publicly announced, and there is still a section on the BTP website setting out what the sexual offences unit does. Mark Newton, the assistant chief constable whose portfolio includes B division and crime, takes issue when I use the word disbanded about the unit, even though it is the term used in the BTPs own document. BTP management are, Newton says, constantly reviewing our capabilities across whole areas. [Sexual offences] arent going down the league table... We have to change our investigative approach. However, he admits some of his staff are not very keen on this shift, something he attributes to peoples natural resistance to change. BTP is disbanding its dedicated, specialist squad to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network / Getty A spokesperson for the BTP explained that under the new system, sexual offences will be investigated by any of the 269 officers dedicated to crime nationally, enhancing our ability to investigate sexual offences. Tackling all forms of unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport is a priority for British Transport Police. However, campaigners argue that dedicated officers help ensure sexual offences are kept at the forefront and dont slip down the priority list. There are also worries that the mainstreaming of sexual offences investigations means that the specialist skills base will be diluted or lost. Investigating sexual harassment and assault needs expertise, says Sarah Green, the director of Evaw. While every frontline officer should have some knowledge and understanding of these, any good police force needs properly, highly trained specialists who are champions for the prioritising of this issue within the force to help ensure justice can be done in these cases. TfLs internal risk assessment states that sexual offences are likely to rise when the Night Tube is finally introduced / Getty Green believes that attitudes across all parts of the police have dramatically improved. However, she says that sometimes victims still feel encouraged to drop their cases, having been told they wont get a prosecution. The police should do the investigative job to the best of their ability and ensure victims have the right information to make their decision, she says. This is why independent advice for women is important. This is certainly my experience after I was groped on the bus in 2014. The police officers took my report very seriously initially and the man had broken his curfew so was returned to prison anyway, but I was told the CCTV footage was unclear, so did I just want to drop the case? "What is strange about axing the sexual offences unit is that it has been viewed as a success" What may seem strange about the axing of the sexual offences unit is that Project Guardian has widely been viewed as a success. Newton himself says the police have improved in its handling of sexual offences. And in a London Assembly report published this month on crime on public transport, the chair of the crime committee, Labours Joanne McCartney, says: The progress that has been made in increasing the confidence of victims of sexual offences to come forward and report is commended. There are lessons here that could be applied to other crimes across the network. Whats odd here is that McCartney keeps mentioning Project Guardian here, yet the BTP says Project Guardian has now morphed into a new campaign, Report It To Stop It. Some believe the sexual offence unit is almost a victim of its own (and Project Guardians) success. According to a source close to the unit, the team had a huge caseload as a result of the coverage and was swamped with work. More victims have certainly come forward. Between April and December 2015, the number of sex offences reported on the Tube and trains in London jumped by 43.5 per cent on the previous year, from 1,117 to 1,603. As McCartney notes in the LA report: Efforts to tackle under-reporting of sexual offences appear to be working. Project Guardian has had a big impact on improving reports and more victims are now more willing to report their experience; the issue isnt getting bigger, it is now better reported. But the problem is predicted to get worse. TfLs internal risk assessment states that sexual offences are likely to rise when the Night Tube is finally introduced. London underground landmarks in Tube seat fabric 1 /12 London underground landmarks in Tube seat fabric Spot any landmarks here? Wallace Sewell How about St.Paul's? It sits just below the red circles within the pattern Wallace Sewell Here's how the landmarks silhouette has been incorporated into the fabric Wallace Sewell The London Eye is probably easiest to spot Wallace Sewell It's circular structure is highlighted in red Wallace Sewell Can you guess this one? Wallace Sewell It's Tower Bridge, of course Wallace Sewell And finally, there's this famous London landmark Wallace Sewell ...which is obviously Big Ben. Marks out of 4? Wallace Sewell Much of the power to tackle such crimes falls under the Mayors remit, which is why it is one of the issues womens organisations are raising as the battle for City Hall heats up. Today, Evaw launched a manifesto alongside the black feminist organisation Imkaan, calling on the mayoral candidates to pledge to tackle violence against women and girls in London. It includes a call for the new Mayor to ensure that British Transport Police and TFLs work tackling sexual harassment and assaults on the transport network continues. Green is positive about Boris Johnsons record on violence against women generally, but is keen for his work to be continued. As Mayor, Boris implemented a pioneering approach to dealing with violence against women and girls across the city. He has really scrutinised and changed part of the way the police works, and he has focused on Female Genital Mutilation and forced marriage and put London ahead of other world cities. Evaw and Imkaan have also launched a Mayorwatch website (vawgmayorwatch/tumblr.com) to track candidates pledges to end violence against women, and are holding a hustings on April 12, where Yvette Cooper MP and deputy mayor for policing and crime Stephen Greenhalgh will speak on behalf of Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith respectively. Khan last month called on the BTP to make tackling sexual offences on public transport a priority. What remains to be seen, then, is whether the mayoral candidates will question why the BTP is disbanding its specialist sexual offences unit. Follow Rosamund Urwin on Twitter: @RosamundUrwin J ust in time for a fantastic Easter weekend of friends, family and food, Jose Pizarro is bringing out his new cookbook, Basque (Hardie Grant, 25). Inspired by the gastronomic hub San Sebastian a hot travel tip for 2016 and beyond, the London-based chef takes you on an intimate and colourfully photographed journey through Northern Spain, sharing riffs on traditional recipes from bite-size morsels known as pinxtos to hearty sharing feasts and moreish puddings. A standout recipe and favourite of Pizarros to try is the squid meatballs with saffron and almond sauce (read the full recipe here), which is inspired by traditional albondigas found in tapas bars in the region. And his recipe for spinach and goats cheese croquetas will sate anyone with a greed for these nuggets of creamy goodness. Foodies can also book themselves onto a very stylish cooking course at the new Bourne & Hollingsworth Kitchen (bourneandhollingsworth.com) in Clerkenwell. Designed by British Standard in the brands winning combination of crisp whites and grass greens, informal classes are taught under the watchful eye of Michelin-starred chef Adam Grey and, of course, B&Hs signature draping foliage. It covers all bases from knife skills to bread-making and how to cook the perfect steak. Stylish: Bourne & Hollingsworth Kitchen Tel Aviv is another destination to add to your 2016 bucket list with a slew of design-led hotels, a red hot food scene and Mediterranean beaches. Sure to please juniper-loving Londoners, the slick Norman hotel (thenorman.com) has recently opened the citys first gin bar. The boutique hotel, which opened last December, will be boosting its 1920s vibe with the addition of classics such as Tom Collins and Negronis. Or sip on its own concoction, The Crazy Earle (right): a heady mix of Bombay Sapphire, St Germain elderflower liqueur and lime stirred with homemade Earl Grey syrup, chilli and spices served straight up. Crazy Earl is served at The Norman's new gin bar New Yorks Soho district is getting an injection of style with the opening of 11 Howard (designhotels.com) in April. The 221-room property has been designed in collaboration with Danish firm Space Copenhagen, which was responsible for the aesthetic behind Michelin-starred restaurant Noma. It will be big on technology think self check-in and smart room service and also feature a co-working area as well as hanging space for contemporary artists. 11 Howard is the latest addition to the Design Hotels portfolio, which also launches its new book on April 1. Conscious hospitality: 11 Howard hotel in New York Its not just Scandinavian design ideals that were following. Fitness is taking a decidedly Nordic turn this spring. The Viking Method (the vikingmethod.com) where shouting is encouraged by Icelandic founder Svava Sigbertsdottir already has a cult following, but its Toughest (toughest.se/en) that is set to make its mark next. Think Tough Mudder but more stylish, its an 8km obstacle course coming to London next month that will require you to engage a Scandi mentality to get through it. Founder of ADAY: Meg He and Nina Faulhaber You can continue the stylish theme by investing in a few pieces of slick active wear by new brand ADAY (thisisaday.com) so stylish you can also wear it to the office. Think jumpsuits, high-waisted leggings and tailored tees in a satisfyingly muted palette of white, black and grey. Skagerak at the Do South Shop Its a good time to visit Crystal Palace its Do South Shop (dosouthshop.com) has had a Scandi makeover and is now stocking hard-to-find Danish design house Skagerak. Pick up some beautifully crafted wooden furniture and accessories alongside its existing treasure trove of designer and vintage finds Wellness in a box by Aevi Its also time to give your mental wellbeing a boost with Aevis spring box (120, aevibox.com) its Scandi founders handpick the loveliest products and neatly parcel them up for you. The latest box includes organic face oils made in a sunny Californian kitchen, a toning mist inspired by Moroccan beauty rituals and virtue cards from the School of Life to spark some highly pleasing seasonal positivity. Follow Kate on Twitter @kate_lough and Instagram @kateloughtravel A second bomber behind the Brussels terror attacks may be on the loose, it was feared today. Investigators hunting terrorists who left 31 dead and more than 300 injured are studying images of an unidentified man who appeared to be accompanying the metro station bomber while carrying a large bag. One suspected killer dubbed the man in white is already believed to have slipped away from the carnage at Zaventem Airport moments before two explosions tore through the building. Authorities are searching for this man dubbed 'the man in white' His brother Ibrahim El Bakraoui, blew himself up at the airport at 8am local time, along with Najim Laachraoui, 24, who yesterday was revealed to be the suspected bomb maker in November's Paris terror attacks. RTBF reported: "According to our sources, there was a second man in the suicide attack in the metro. But the second suspect, who is so far unaccounted for, was picked out from footage at the Maalbeek metro station, according to reports. Images appeared to show him at the scene with bomber Khalid El-Bakraoui, 27. A source close to the Belgian inquiry said: Video surveillance clearly shows a second suspect with El-Bakraoui. He may have died in the attack on Maalbeek station but there is a possibility he too is on the loose. As the manhunt for the pair was stepped up: Salah Abdeslam, 26, the Islamic State terror suspect accused of taking part in multiple attacks on Paris in November, appeared in court in Belgium. He faces extradition to France to stand trial for his part in the gun and bomb attacks on the French capital in which 130 were murdered. Brussels terror attacks 1 /21 Brussels terror attacks Brussels attacks Belgian media said this picture shows the mangled train damaged by the large bomb Brussels attacks A CCTV image released by Belgian police of three suspected bombers at Brussels airport Brussels attacks Tiles fell from the ceiling near check-in desks after two explosions rocked Brussels airport PA Wire Brussels attacks Smoke is seen rising from terminal buildings Brussels attacks An injured woman sits on a chair at Brussels airport in the aftermath of a suicide attack Brussels attacks Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters / Francois Lenoir Brussels attacks Passengers flee after an explosion on the Brussels Metro Brussels attacks Passengers are evacuated from a train in a tunnel near Maelbeek metro station in Brussels Twitter / @evanlamos Brussels attacks Armed police near Brussels Airport Anthony Barrett/PA Wire Brussels attacks Damage inside Brussels Airport Fethi Guloglu/PA Wire Brussels attacks Airport staff in the aftermath of the bombings Brussels attacks Airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building EPA Brussels attacks Shocked passngers and crew leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport Reuters/Francois Lenoir Brussels attacks The security perimeter near Maalbeek metro station following the deadly blast Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images Brussels attacks Scenes of carnage: Blown out windows at Brussels Airport following the explosions Jef Versele/PA Brussels attacks Passengers and airport staff stand outside the airport terminal building after it is evacuated EPA/LAURENT DUBRULE Officials are deeply concerned for the safety of British father David Dixon, 50, who has not been heard from since Tuesdays attacks when he is feared to have boarded the doomed metro train just before the bomb exploded. Six Britons are now known to have been injured in the blasts. Two remain in serious condition in hospital. Staff shortages mean that increased border checks following the attacks will probably last no more than two weeks, a union leader claimed. Lucy Moretons warning came after images emerged of 26 stowaways being dis- covered in a lorry which was stop- ped by Kent Police after it had crossed the Channel. Home Secretary Theresa May joined counterparts from other nations around the European Union for an emergency security summit in Brussels to show solidarity with Belgium and strengthen co-operation. Loading.... Belgiums health minister Maggie de Block said scores of people remain in intensive care following the suicide attacks. Out of some 300 wounded, 61 were in a critical condition and the death toll is feared to rise. Islamic State has said it was behind the attacks. The family of Mr Dixon has described its frantic search for him. Minutes before the explosion ripped through the Maalbeek underground station, the father sent his family a message telling them he was OK. But he has not been in contact since. His aunt Ann Dixon said: As soon as I heard on the news about the explosion at the airport I thought of David and I texted him to ask whether he was all right. "It was a relief when he texted back soon afterwards and said he was safe and fine. No one has heard anything from him since and of course we are desperately worried. The Foreign Office said it was concerned adding: Our embassy is supporting the family and we are in close contact with the Belgian authorities. We are aware of six Britons who were injured in the attacks. Two remain in hospital. Our staff will continue working to assist any further British nationals who require our help. The father of Briton Mark Beamish, 35, from Birmingham, who was hurt in the metro blast, described how his son had suffered burns and dizziness. Mr Beamish, who works at the European Parliament, is in hospital. Veronique Gigot, a friend of student Leopold Hecht, 20, who died in the metro blast, said: I keep in my heart the memory of a beautiful young man. Oliver Delespesse, who worked for the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels, was also killed in the train attack. This mornings court hearing involving Abdeslam was not open the public and was guarded by police commandoes and soldiers. He is viewed as a prize intelligence asset who could provide masses of information about how his organisation operates in Europe. He began speaking to police last Saturday, the day after being arrested in Brussels after four months on the run. But his lawyer Sven Mary today said his client had no plans to say anything at the closed sitting of the Brussels Council Chamber held under conditions of utmost security. Mr Mary said he had received death threats and admitted he would never have taken the case on if he had known that Abdeslams alleged accomplices would strike again on Tuesday. He expected Abdeslam to be remanded in custody at a high-security prison in Bruges for a further five days, as the French authorities attempt to extradite him to Paris for trial. The Belgian authorities have been accused of making a series of mistakes that cost opportunities to stop the terrorists behind Tuesdays attacks. Airport bomber Ibrahim El-Bakraoui, 30, was previously detained in Turkey whose government warned he posed a threat. With him was Najim Laachraoui, 24, who was a bomb-maker for both the Brussels attack, and the one in Paris. The unidentified man at the airport, who is believed to have left the scene, was pictured in a white coat, hat and glasses wheeling a trolley containing a bag full of explosives through a packed departure lounge. El-Bakraouis brother, Khalid El-Bakraoui, 27, was responsible for the Metro attack. He was on a wanted list for renting a flat under a false name for Abdeslam. A murder investigation is underway and a man has been arrested after a woman was found stabbed to death in south London. Police were called by paramedics at 8.55pm last night to a property in Meadvale Road in Croydon where they found a woman with a number of stab wounds. The woman, believed to be her 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Later, at 10.34pm, police found a man, thought to be in his 30s, in nearby Gorden Crescent who had been stabbed in the shoulder. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in a stable condition in hospital, police say. Anyone with information should call police on 020 8721 4805 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. B ritains most senior police officer has reportedly said banks should refuse to refund victims of online fraud because it rewards them for being lax with internet security. Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe was quoted as saying the current system was not incentivising you to protect yourself. He said customers were effectively being rewarded for bad behaviour while discussing how banks could make people more security-conscious, the Times reported. If you are continually rewarded for bad behaviour you will probably continue to do it but if the obverse is true you might consider changing behaviour, he said. "The system is not incentivising you to protect yourself. If someone said to you, 'If you've not updated your software I will give you half back', you would do it." His comments come as police prepare to include cybercrime estimates in official crime statistics for the first time in July. Sir Bernard said that the figures are set to double with the change. Two in five (44%) UK consumers have been subject to cybercrime in their lifetime, according to a survey released last year. But nearly half of them do not take the time to change their account passwords after a security compromise or break, the Norton Cybersecurity Insights Report found. Home Secretary Theresa May warned the International Crime and Policing Conference on Wednesday that faceless crime was being conducted over the internet on an "industrial scale". But according to The Times, police follow up fewer than one in 100 frauds and there were fewer than 9,000 convictions out of more than three million frauds in 12 months. GCHQ estimates that 80% of cybercrime, which is thought to cost 1 billion a year, could be prevented by tougher-to-crack passwords and regularly updated security software. Additional reporting by PA A n investigation has been launched into claims that a school which does not allow students to learn English is still operating illegally despite being ordered to close. Talmud Torah Tashbar, an ultra-orthodox Jewish school in Stamford Hill, has been operating unregistered for 40 years and was ordered to close by February 12. However, neighbours said theres been no difference and an investigation by the Evening Standard revealed that children with rucksacks continued to be dropped off and collected and a minibus had been seen outside. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: If Talmud Torah Tashbar is still found to be operating as a school, we will not hesitate to take action. We are investigating. Ofsted inspectors who visited the school said the curriculum, which is taught entirely in Hebrew, encouraged cultural and ethnic insularity because it is so narrow and almost exclusively rooted in the study of the Torah. They found the school was not teaching English as a matter of school ethos and was not providing any secular education as a matter of religious principle. Its documents state Tashbar had been running illegally since 1976 and inspectors found the school had a highly unpleasant pervading smell, broken windows, torn carpets, large holes in walls, no policies on health and safety and a blank admissions register. It is a criminal offence to operate an unregistered school, with a maximum sentence of almost a years imprisonment, although no one has ever been prosecuted for the crime. Despite the school being ordered to close, a 40-year-old woman who lives nearby told the Standard: I didnt know it had been told to close, kids are still going in and out at all times, theres been no difference. A male neighbour said: Last I heard it was a Jewish school and a community centre. Theres just as many boys round here as before, so I doubt its closed. A former pupil, who entered adulthood not speaking English, told the Standard: Whats funny is, when I grew up, I didnt have any other conception of education. I thought that childhood is meant to be a bitter, sad, torturous period in your life. Jay Harman, of the British Humanist Association, which has been campaigning on the issue, said: The Government should ensure that any schools which are found to provide a woefully inadequate and insular education are closed and remain closed. Every year that these schools remain open, thousands of children continue to be subjected to indoctrination, and the denial of even the most basic learning beyond the study of scripture. The Department for Education spokeswoman added: It is illegal to operate an unregistered school and we are being proactive in taking unprecedented and direct action against them across the board to protect children. We have announced an escalation of Ofsted investigations into unregistered schools, with additional inspectors dedicated to rooting them out, a new tougher approach to prosecuting them and a call to local authorities to help identify any settings of concern. Anyone who has evidence that an illegal school is operating should provide it to us or Ofsted immediately. An Ofsted spokesman said: While we cannot comment on individual schools, we do act on the intelligence we receive. Hackney council said it understood the children were being home-schooled and had been told the building was to be used as a community centre and called the Toireh Centre. However, it admitted it had not been able to track children at the school despite requesting their names and contact details. Earlier this month, an advertisement under a headline bearing the schools name in a local Hebrew-language newspaper congratulated the headmaster on the marriage of his daughter. Apparently published on behalf of the parents committee, teachers, management and students, it referred to forces trying to silence the head, who puts in a lot of effort for the school. The company set up to handle the schools funds, Talmud Torah Tashbar Ltd, was dissolved on January 26. A new body, Tashbar Toireh Centre, was registered at Companies House on February 18 as a charity set up for broadcasting Jewish messages of an evangelical and teaching nature. A man who answered the phone at Tashbar said: There is no one here with time to speak to a journalist. A survey on the Notting Hill Carnival shows nearly a quarter of residents dislike it, with complaints about people urinating in the street and the event being like a riot. Kensington and Chelsea council started a consultation in December after last years event came in for stinging criticism at a public meeting, with some people suggesting it should be moved to Hyde Park instead. Last years event saw 407 arrests, the highest number in a decade, 11 stabbings and more than 40 blades seized. And survey results published this week showed nearly a quarter of residents who responded, 23 per cent, ticked a box saying they do not enjoy the carnival. Almost half the respondents said they were concerned about a lack of toilets at the event, with 43 per cent complaining about people urinating in the street. One said: Every single year I have people urinating, defecating and vomiting next to my house, behaving disgracefully in other ways, and being extremely aggressive if they're challenged. Notting Hill angry residents Another respondent also complained about aggression at the street party. They wrote: In any other context, where shops have to board up and tenant management organisations and housing trusts have to protect their properties, this event would be considered a riot. Around one third of people were annoyed by the noise levels from booming sound systems and road closures during the bank holiday weekend. And 35 per cent of residents did not attend last years carnival, with many citing safety concerns and leaving the area completely to avoid feeling trapped in their homes. Despite some of the negativity, 61 per cent of residents who did attend said the event was great fun, with the number soaring for people outside the area. Of those residents who attended, 82 per cent gave it a positive rating overall. One person described it as a blessing, a celebration and a wonderful, wonderful event. The results were discussed by a committee at the town hall this week, with members agreeing to work with the London Notting Hill Carnival Enterprises Trust (LNHCET) to address peoples worries, particularly the lack of toilets. A spokesman for the council said: We are pleased to see the local support residents have for the Notting Hill Carnival. It is one of the biggest events of the year in Britain and has been a part of local life for 50 years. There are always challenges with any event of such a size, particularly in the crowded streets of London, so it is gratifying that so many residents say that they enjoy it. Notting Hill Carnival in numbers "We are also pleased to see that nearly three quarters of residents are happy with the clean-up operation. Every year we work closely with the organisers LNHCET, the police, London Ambulance, Westminster Council and others to facilitate Carnival, and continue to review what we all do to address residents concerns. Our aim is always to help ensure carnival is enjoyable and safe for visitors and residents and that the streets are clean and the area returns to normal as soon as possible afterwards. H undreds of people gathered in Trafalgar Square on Thursday night to honour those killed and wounded in the Brussels terror attacks. Mourners sheltered from the rain beneath umbrellas as flowers and tributes were laid at the foot of a giant 25-metre silk Belgian flag rolled out on the central steps in the square. London was paying tribute to the victims as Home Secretary Theresa May attended an emergency meeting with her counterparts from the European Union to discuss ways to fight terrorism. Arriving at the meeting in Brussels, Mrs May described the killings as "cold-blooded and sickening attacks". Candles laid at a vigil for the victims of the Brussels attacks in Trafalgar Square (EPA/Will Oliver) / EPA/WILL OLIVER She said: "Obviously investigations are still ongoing, but we know that those responsible - Daesh - seek to divide us and harm our way of life and the UK stands ready to support Belgium in any way it can to unite, to defeat these terrorists. "We will give Belgium the support it needs but our message is clear: The terrorists will not win." Tonights vigil, held between 6pm and 10pm, was organised by the Belgian Embassy and City Hall. Thirty-two candles were lit to honour those killed in the bomb attacks at the Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek metro station in the capital city on Tuesday. Trafalgar Square memorial for Brussels attacks Belgian ambassador to the UK, Guy Trouveroy, said he had mixed emotions at the vigil, because despite the tragic events people had come together. He said: "On the one hand we are sad, we hurt. This is a terrible tragedy that happened to us but at the same time we have a feeling of conference. "We have some time to think about those who passed away, which is why we brought 32 candles representing the 32 people who have so far lost their lives." London Mayor, Boris Johnson, said: The scenes in Belgium were truly appalling and it is important we pay tribute to the victims, as well as show our solidarity with the people of Brussels. They have the sympathy of every Londoner and our thoughts will be with them as they do their best to recover from this despicable atrocity. Landmarks light up in honour of Brussels victims 1 /8 Landmarks light up in honour of Brussels victims The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with the Belgium national colours AP Photo/Thibault Camus Two Belgian flags are projected on to Rome's Campidoglio Capitol Hill EPA The black, yellow, and red colors of the Belgian flag are projected on the courthouse in Lyon REUTERS/Robert Pratta The Belgian flag is projected on the Trevi Fountain in Rome AP Photo/Andrew Medichini The Brandenburg gate lit up in the Belgian colours REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch The Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam, is seen with the black, yellow and red colours of the Belgian flag in tribute to the victims of the Brussels terror attacks EPA/EVERT ELZINGA On Wednesday night, the colours of the Belgian flag black, yellow and red - were beamed on to Tower Bridge and other landmarks including the London Eye, National Gallery and Wembley Stadium as a sign of respect. A leading Chinatown restaurateur is fighting a draconian ban from his own premises handed down after he was accused of assaulting a council inspector. Desmond Sai Loi Tang, 55, is not allowed to visit or manage his restaurant Tao Tao Ju and diner Super Star Chinese, both in Lisle Street. He was given the ban in September last year following a fracas with Westminster council inspector Francis Keegan at a party in an upstairs room of Super Star. Mr Keegan said in a witness statement that he felt he was in danger of being thrown downstairs. He went into the restaurant at 2.20am on Thursday July 2 with his colleague Siva Kumar after seeing a group of women leaving the venue, which is only licensed until 1am during the week. The inspectors were let inside the locked restaurant and went to an upstairs room where they found a party of about 30 people. Mr Keegan claimed that Mr Tang approached him, poked him in the ribs, pushed him and grabbed his arm while trying to throw him out of the venue before his wife Lai Mei Tang intervened. In his witness statement Mr Keegan said: Before I had a chance to formally introduce my colleague and I, the man started shouting at me, and poking me in the ribs and pushing me. I protested, asking him not to touch me, saying clearly that I was on official business and that he should not touch me. He said a woman screamed and a group then tried to get between Mr Tang and Mr Keegan. He added: I was quite shaken by the incident and on reflection I had cause to think that my personal safety had been put at risk. I believe he would have thrown me down the stairs if he had been able/allowed to do so. Mr Tang, of Hendon, was interviewed by police under caution during which he denied assault and poking Mr Keegan in the ribs, stating he was at a staff party. Police took no further action due to insufficient evidence. Pc Toby Janes in his report said: He had been drinking and when he saw the two males enter he did not know who they were as they were not in uniform and were not displaying any ID. There are no known independent witnesses. No visible injuries. But despite this Mr Tang is still banned from his restaurant and his wife has applied for the condition to be lifted. Mrs Tangs application states the unreasonable condition was in breach of his human rights to earn a living. Westminsters licensing sub-committee will consider the application at a meeting tonight. A new play inspired by the tragic story of a pioneering scientist is being staged only yards from where he took his own life in despair after his groundbreaking discovery. George Price taught himself evolutionary genetics and dedicated his life to studying altruism. He came to the conclusion that people only did good to others in an attempt to help themselves and their own family. His theory the Price Equation impressed the scientific establishment so much that he was given a position at University College London shortly after he walked in off the street to talk to staff about it. However, its implications haunted him. He gradually gave away all his possessions and worked with alcoholics and the homeless before killing himself in 1975, aged 52, in a squat in Tolmers Square just behind Camden Peoples Theatre where the show, Calculating Kindness, will be performed. Its director Laura Farnworth said she became hooked by his story after reading a review of a biography of Price: I spent the next few years trying to find out who this guy was whod made some quite contradictory choices in his life. He had gone from being a militant atheist, and looking into questions of how we behave to each other, and ended up as a fundamentalist Christian. For dramatic purposes it felt like a story that wanted to be told. Farnworth spoke to Prices two daughters who live in the US and are coming to London to see the drama and teamed up with playwright Lydia Adetunji to tell the story. Adam Burton plays the scientist. The choice of venue was no accident and Laura said Camden Peoples Theatre was a fitting place to tell the story. She said: We are close to the Wellcome Trust, which has supported the play, and UCL so it just felt very much of that territory he really has walked these streets. The story itself is sad, on one level it is bleak. He had booked himself in to see a psychiatrist five days after he ended up committing suicide, so there is that tragic timing. Equally, there are really probing questions this man was asking about who we are. He never stopped and he went to such extraordinary lengths to push those questions so there is some hope I guess. Calculating Kindness is at Camden Peoples Theatre from March 29 to April 16. M illions of Londoners breathed air contaminated with record-breaking levels of a harmful pollutant for which there is no known safe exposure this month, the Standard has learned. Every air quality monitoring site in the capital hit high or very high during the smog episode from Thursday March 10 to Sunday March 13. The minute particles, known as PM2.5, are particularly dangerous because they can penetrate deep into lung tissue and are too small to be filtered out by the bodys normal defences. The spike in smog was caused by dirty air from industrial areas of Germany, Holland and Poland as well as from fertilisers being sprayed on farmland drifting towards south-east England on an easterly air flow. Once it reached London it was trapped by still anti-cyclonic conditions, and made even filthier by the usual daily emissions from Londons vehicles, particularly from diesel engines. The peak day was the Saturday when 11 out of the 18 measuring sites in London hit very high with the rest on high. These were the worst readings since PM2.5 started to be measured in 2012 because of growing concern about its impact on health. The move followed a report from the Governments Air Quality Expert Group that found spikes in PM2.5 levels were linked to increases in hospital admissions and premature death of the old and sick due to diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Longer-term exposure is associated with lung cancer, and the report concluded no wholly safe level has been identified. Professor Sir Malcolm Green, founder of the British Lung Foundation, has described breathing in high levels of PM2.5 as like inhaling little particles of tar. They go right down into the lungs and can pass through the membrane into the bloodstream." Simon Birkett, founder of the Clean Air in London campaign, said: Its a national disgrace that its taken an investigation by the Evening Standard to unearth the worst air pollution episode in recent years. Worse, Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith both refused to share our tweeted smog warnings at the time. Their Green rival mayoral candidate Sian Berry and Lib-Dem Caroline Pidgeon have both committed to introducing smog warnings for London if they are elected in May. C ounter-terror officers are set to get an extra 11.2 million worth of guns and equipment to better protect Londoners in the event of Brussels-style attacks. In documents seen by the Standard, Scotland Yard seeks authorisation to spend the money as soon as possible to increase current capability in order to deal with threats effectively. The force will use a Single Tender Action process, used to speed up purchases, in the face of heightened threat levels. The investment will increase the capability of current armed response teams as well as the 600 extra firearms officers announced by Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe in January. London's deputy mayor for policing Stephen Greenhalgh said: Ive watched the police train and these days officers have to actually move forward towards the gunfire, because youre talking about people who are willing to die for what they believe, so they need to have the right equipment. "Budgets shouldnt be a barrier to ensuring we keep our capital safe. We know that incidents these days dont just happen in ones and twos, they happen five, six, seven and eights, and having enough armed response vehicles is critical for dealing with the kind of marauding attacks were talking about. London MP for Enfield Southgate, David Burrowes, who also sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the new equipment is vital due to a clear and present threat to launch attacks on the streets of London. The order for new weaponry is being rushed through under special rules / Jeremy Selwyn He said: The attacks in Paris and Brussels could happen on the streets of London and we need to make sure that our police officers on the frontline have all the necessary support and equipment they need to tackle this threat. The threat is clear and present and the fundamental duty of Government is to protect its citizens. A list of the equipment, to be given to specialist counter-terror officers and armed response vehicle units as armed officers rise from 2,200 to 2,800, is not revealed for security reasons. But Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: Theres large amounts of weapons required, theres a lot of tactical equipment needed based on that as well. Not only hand weapons are needed, but obviously automatic deployment. Its paramount that we get the equipment. How the Met's armed police are kitted out We are at a heightened state, we are ready and capable as we speak, but theres other equipment available that has been recognised as being needed and well hopefully get that as soon a possible. Sir Bernard announced London would get an extra 600 armed officers in January at a cost of 25 million after Home Secretary Theresa May made an extra 34 million available to police forces to increase firearms capabilities. The request to spend 11.2 million on extra firearms and equipment is contained in documents submitted to the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime, which has to sign off purchases of a large value. It was not made in direct response to the Brussels attack, but was signed off last week in light of recent global events and especially those in Paris and other major European cities. A Met spokesman said: This Single Tender Action is part of plans to deliver this increase [in armed officers]. "The Commissioner has previously committed to increasing the number of firearms officers and this provides the necessary equipment. We are in continuing discussions re additional counter-terrorism funding and our planning assumption is that the additional kit will be funded from the additional counter-terrorism money announced in the budget. Should this not be the case we will manage the expenditure from within our existing budget. C hildren were sexually abused on an industrial scale at council-run care homes in south London, an inquiry has heard. Vulnerable youngsters were the victims of institutionalised evil over a period of decades at homes run by Lambeth council, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was told. The claims were made by a representative of alleged abuse victims from the Lambeth-run Shirley Oaks home in Croydon. Raymond Stevenson, from the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association, told the inquiry: What took place at Shirley Oaks and other children's homes in Lambeth was physical and sexual abuse on an industrial scale which remained unchecked for decades. The damage done was irreversible. He added: Lambeth council itself has had many inquiries in the past. For whatever reason, including council cover-ups and institutional cover-ups ... we now see they were whitewashes. Allegations of abuse handed out to vulnerable youngsters while in the care of authorities in Lambeth will form part of the wide-ranging inquiry led by Dame Lowell Goddard, which will also investigate the Anglican and Catholic churches and children's homes run by Rochdale Council. Justice Lowell Goddard is chairing the inquiry PA / This is an undated handout file photo issued by Britain's Home Office via PA of Justice Lowell Goddard. Goddard said Britain has been stunned by revelations about child sexual abuse, and the true scale of the crime may be worse than official estimates Mr Stevenson was speaking at a preliminary hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, which focused on allegations about a string of homes run by Lambeth council. Claims that the former Labour minister Lord Paul Boaten visited a children's home run by Michael John Carroll and went on a caravan trip organised by a youth group were made on the BBC's Newsnight programme at the start of March, the counsel to the inquiry Ben Emmerson QC said. Carroll, who ran the Angell Road home in Lambeth, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1999 for a string of child abuse charges. Thursday's session also heard that Lambeth council knew in 1986 that Carroll had a conviction for indecently assaulting a child but did not stop him continuing to work with children. Mr Emmerson told the hearing that Newsnight had claimed that Detective Inspector Clive Driscoll, who investigated Carroll, "wanted to speak to Lord Boateng ... but was removed from the investigation and subjected to disciplinary action". He told the inquiry that the peer was alleged by the programme to have signed the visitors' book at Angell Road and gone on a caravan trip organised by the Association of Combined Youth Clubs (ACYC). Mr Emmerson added: "The inquiry has so far seen nothing to corroborate any allegations of impropriety by Lord Boateng." He added that the peer denied "any knowledge of Carroll or any involvement with him" or of going on a caravan trip with the ACYC. Lord Boateng was the Labour MP for Brent from 1987 to 2005. He was a Home Office minister between 1998 and 2001 and went on to be chief secretary to the Treasury between 2002 and 2005. He was made a peer in 2010. A spokesman for Lambeth council said: "Lambeth council welcomed the decision to hold a national inquiry and has been fully cooperating with it. Documents and information held by Lambeth council that may help investigate historical child abuse in Lambeth have already been gathered. We first approached officials from the inquiry in March last year offering to share this material, and are honouring that pledge." Additional reporting by the Press Association. L abour was hit by a race row today as an activist in the Momentum group, which backs Jeremy Corbyn, was accused of branding party MP Chuka Umunna as not politically black. The highly charged words came in a speech by academic Marlene Ellis, a member of Mr Umunnas local party. They were taken by some as a direct assault on the leading moderate MP, who was listed as hostile to his partys leader Mr Corbyn in a leaked loyalty list. In a rapid backlash, Mr Umunnas supporters accused Momentum of poisonous, divisive behaviour. Labours mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan was also quick to condemn the offensive remarks as Tory opponents highlighted how Momentum is campaigning for him this week. In a recording passed to the Standard, Ms Ellis is heard claiming that her local Labour Party branch in Lambeth where Mr Umunna is MP for Streatham and she is a key figure is very, very Right-wing. Row: Marlene Ellis She takes credit for working in the area to set up Momentum Black ConneXions, a splinter group aiming for more black power, adding that the X is in memory of the late African-American leader Malcolm X. Provoking laughter, she adds: Frankly, therell be some black MPs that dont align themselves with being politically black. She goes on to add that she is tired of black MPs and that she wanted policy from a black perspective. One Labour MP said: You dont need a degree in race politics to work out shes talking of the MP in her local party. The audience clearly got the joke. Mr Umunna declined to comment today but Ebenezer Taiye-Akinsanmi, a party member of 30 years who has worked with him, said the impression created by the speech misrepresented Mr Umunna and other ethnic minority colleagues. Chuka Umunna storms out of Sky News interview He added: Chuka is a good representative. He does not just represent black and ethnic minority people, he represents everybody. A senior Labour source said the remarks in the speech were disgraceful and highly offensive, adding: Poisonous, divisive behaviour like this has no place in Jeremys so-called kinder, gentler politics but typifies what Momentum has become. Tory MP and London Assembly member James Cleverly called on Mr Khan to denounce the comments and break links with his mayoral campaign backers Momentum. A spokesman for Mr Khan said: Sadiq condemns these offensive comments. There should be no place in the Labour Party for this nonsense. Ms Ellis told the Standard her speech was in no way an attack on Chuka. She added: Our argument is that questions of race and racism should be foregrounded in politics and policy. Thats what political blackness is. We dont think that politicians, black and white, have enough of a politically black perspective and would like to see more MPs, black and white, putting anti-racism and black liberation more at the heart of their politics. A Momentum spokesman said Ms Ellis was arguing only that non-white perspectives are often excluded from politics. He added: Lets not get sucked into factional interpretations. Marlene wasnt attacking anyone. A list sorting Labour MPs by loyalty to their leader, said to have been drawn up by a senior aide to Mr Corbyn, was leaked yesterday showing Mr Umunna and four other London MPs as hostile. L abour's business czar has said he backs a minimum wage of about 35,000 a year. Tech-entrepreneur Anthony Watson, soon to chair the first meeting of Labours business advisory board, said it would make workers happier, more productive. He also called on other business leaders to speak out against George Osbornes Budget, which he claims gives money to the well-off by taking it from the vulnerable. Mr Watson said he was close to finalising the Labour boards members, which will include heavyweight business figures from both China and the US. The 39-year-old CEO of online financial company Uphold said: In Switzerland they have talked about a huge increase in the minimum wage, to around 50,000 francs. Thats about 35,000. When people are paid more they are happier, more productive, they want to work, and work hard and they love the company they work for. A 35,000-a-year living wage would be more than double the one due to come in next month, which for someone working 40 hours a week equates to about 15,000 a year. It is also higher than the 27,000 average income. L abour star Stella Creasy today accused people in the Corbyn-backing Momentum group of trying to control the levers of power to deselect her partys MPs. In a stinging attack the London MP - herself dogged by rumours that left-wingers are trying to deselect her - was to say Momentum is draining the energy from the Labour movement. The Walthamstow MP chose the LSE to take aim at the activist group, arguing that it had done a lot of moralising but achieved little. Ms Creasy was listed as hostile to Jeremy Corbyn in a leaked loyalty list, and her supporters have clashed with left-wingers in her local party. In her speech she was to claim some in Momentum placed too much emphasis on controlling the levers of power to select or deselect MPs and party officials arguing that it is short-sighted. She was to say: Not only is it divisive, it reinforces the idea only a small group of people can actually make a difference and relegates the power of the rest of us just to picking them. It doesnt challenge elitism, it strengthens it. The Standard first reported last year how activists connected to Momentum had met in Ms Creasys constituency and discussed deselection. Since then left-wingers took key positions in her local party and she faced a major protest after voting in favour of air-strikes in Syria. She was to say in her speech: Groups like Momentum now appear to be draining the very energy from our political process they claimed to be promoting, by encouraging the myth righteous bystanding is activism. In the last six months Ive seen little evidence of campaigning for something. I have seen a lot of meetings and moralising and a lot of people standing for positions to be able to divert people into more meetings and moralising to complete the cycle. She then was to say that the activists are taking to the extreme, the Oscar Wilde argument that the problem with socialism is it takes too many evenings. A list sorting Labour MPs by loyalty to their leader, said to be drawn up by a senior aide to Mr Corbyn, was leaked yesterday showing Ms Creasy and four other London MPs as hostile. It comes as a race row also broke out in Labour after a Momentum activist in the seat of fellow MP Chuka Umunna was accused of suggesting he is not politically black. P rince Harry has spoken about the difficulty of living up to the expectations of people around the world when he follows in the footsteps of his well-travelled grandmother. The prince, 31, told a TV documentary to mark the Queens 90th birthday next month that he could think of nowhere on Earth she has not visited. He says on ITVs Our Queen At Ninety: People have always said, Do you feel as if youre following in her footsteps? Well thats exactly what we are doing. There is nowhere on this planet I can think of that she hasnt been in the last 90 years. She has been everywhere. Sometimes its quite hard because you go to a place where she hasnt visited for maybe 20, maybe 15 years and you think, How could I ever fulfil this huge expectation that comes with her and being a member of her family? In new footage released from the programme, which will be broadcast on Easter Sunday at 8pm, the Queen is seen inspecting Buckingham Palaces ballroom ahead of a state banquet. The monarch tells an aide how microphones for speeches now discreetly hidden in floral displays used to be placed in a very different way. Gesturing with her hand, she recalls: In the old days, you see, they used to march them up the middle and plonk them down in front. She is also shown preparing to tackle state papers at her desk in the palace. She places her handbag on her chair, puts on her glasses and stands as she uses a key to open her red box containing the official documents. The Countess of Wessex, one of many royals interviewed for the programme, talks about the need for the Queens outfits to catch peoples attention. Sophie says: Dont forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep and somebody wants to be able to say that they saw a bit of the Queens hat as she went past. She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, I saw the Queen. Our Queen At Ninety, Easter Sunday, 8pm, ITV. S uspected Paris bomb-maker Najim Laachraoui blew himself up at Brussels airport and was not the infamous "man in white", DNA tests have confirmed. The identity of the so-called man in white seen in airport CCTV footage remains a mystery, after Belgian officials confirmed Laachraoui was one of two suicide bombers at Zaventem airport. Laachraoui who was suspected of manufacturing suicide belts for the Paris attacks in November was previously thought to be the man wearing a white coat and black hat, who is still being hunted by police. But Belgian authorities say DNA tests have now confirmed Laachraoui was one of the suicide bombers who killed 14 people in two devastating blasts at the airport, along with Ibrahim El Bakraoui. Najim Laachraoui, left, was previously thought to be the mystery 'man in white' Laachraoui is now believed to be the man on the left of the photo, walking alongside Ibrahim El Bakraoui in the middle. Both men wear a single black glove to conceal their bomb triggers. The news comes after Turkish officials claimed they had warned the Belgian authorities that El Bakraoui was a terrorist - but he was allowed to walk free after being arrested in June last year. The latest revelations add weight to the theory that the attacks in Brussels and Paris, which killed more than 150 people between them and injured hundreds more, are linked to the same Islamic State cell. Laachraoui is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, which had his DNA all over them. Special Forces Raid Brussels Apartment After Terror Attacks He was being hunted by the Belgian authorities, who suspected him of being an accomplice of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested on Friday. Belgium's threat alert remains at its highest level and several suspects believed to be linked to the attacks are still on the loose, according to Paul Van Tigchelt, head of Belgium's terrorism threat body. Prosecutors said at least 31 people were killed and 270 injured in the three suicide bomb attacks at an airport and metro station in Brussels on Tuesday morning, and the death toll could rise. Brussels terror attacks 1 /21 Brussels terror attacks Brussels attacks Belgian media said this picture shows the mangled train damaged by the large bomb Brussels attacks A CCTV image released by Belgian police of three suspected bombers at Brussels airport Brussels attacks Tiles fell from the ceiling near check-in desks after two explosions rocked Brussels airport PA Wire Brussels attacks Smoke is seen rising from terminal buildings Brussels attacks An injured woman sits on a chair at Brussels airport in the aftermath of a suicide attack Brussels attacks Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters / Francois Lenoir Brussels attacks Passengers flee after an explosion on the Brussels Metro Brussels attacks Passengers are evacuated from a train in a tunnel near Maelbeek metro station in Brussels Twitter / @evanlamos Brussels attacks Armed police near Brussels Airport Anthony Barrett/PA Wire Brussels attacks Damage inside Brussels Airport Fethi Guloglu/PA Wire Brussels attacks Airport staff in the aftermath of the bombings Brussels attacks Airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building EPA Brussels attacks Shocked passngers and crew leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport Reuters/Francois Lenoir Brussels attacks The security perimeter near Maalbeek metro station following the deadly blast Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images Brussels attacks Scenes of carnage: Blown out windows at Brussels Airport following the explosions Jef Versele/PA Brussels attacks Passengers and airport staff stand outside the airport terminal building after it is evacuated EPA/LAURENT DUBRULE Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who is also known as Brahim, and Laachraoui blew themselves up at Zaventem Airport at 8am local time. Just over an hour later more commuters were killed when El Bakraoui's brother Khalid detonated a suicide bomb in the carriage of a train at the Maalbeek Station. Turkish officials said they warned Belgium last summer that El Bakraoui was a terrorist. He was caught in June at the Turkish-Syrian border and deported to the Netherlands. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, Belgium could not establish any links with terrorism". As a result, the Dutch let him go, it is claimed. C hina is clamping down on giving places like Thames Town in Shanghai bizarre Westernised names. The vast country has scores of towns, bridges and landmarks named after Western places, including Eton Town in Shuzhou, Beijing Yosemite and Chateau Edinburgh. But following a two-year geographical survey cabinet guidelines released this week aim to halt the chaotic propogation of grandiose West-worshipping and weird architecture. The first places that could have their names changed to something more Chinese include those guilty of exaggeration, such as Venice Water Town in Hangzhou, which has just a tiny pond. Civil Affairs Minister Li Liguo said changes would be made to those that cause damage to sovereignty or national dignity, those that are at odds with socialist core values, those deemed immoral, as well as those that have attracted the most public complaints. Thames Town in Shanghai includes cobbled streets, Victorian-style terraces, red phone boxes and even a statue of Winston Churchill. It is thought the money spent on the town, which was only completed 10 years ago, may save its name. N ew Zealanders have voted to keep their current flag with the Union Jack in the corner. Provisional results this morning saw 56.6 per cent of 2.1m votes back retaining the flag that has been the country's official emblem since 1902. It had been up against a design that dropped the Union Jack and replaced it with black corner in the top left and a silver fern through the middle. The 'blue and black' option won 43.2 per cent of the vote in the largest turn-out for a referendum in New Zealand's history. The result is provisional - with some late votes still to be counted - but experts doubt there will be a sufficient turnaround for when the final verdict is announced next Wednesday. Change: The alternative flag in the referendum / Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Changing the flag has been hugely controversial, particularly the NZ$26m (12.35m) cost of the referendum. Those backing the change - including Prime Minister John Key - argued the country needed a new flag to reflect it 'maturing' into a nation away from its British origins. However others said the cost was too high, a new flag was not needed and criticised changing the flag as a legacy project by Mr Key. Crucially armed forces veterans in the Returned and Services Association - the equivalent of the Royal British Legion - were against change. The defeated Prime Minister appealed for the country to get behind the current flag. He tweeted immediately after the resuklt: "New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag. I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it." Loading.... But at a press conference later Mr Key added: "[I'm] naturally a little bit disappointed, but I always thought it was going to be a tough thing to get more than 50 per cent of people to vote for change." More than 10,000 alternative designs were submitted by the public and the shortlist was dominated by silver ferns and Maori koru. An initial referendum of a shortlist of five saw Kyle Lockwoods design chosen. It was flown at 250 sites across the country in the hope it would help voters make a decision. Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei described the result as a major failure for Mr Key, who she accused of politicising the process. She told the New Zealand Herald: John Keys overt campaigning for his favourite flag tainted the referendum from the outset and cost all New Zealanders the opportunity to get a new flag. Lots of New Zealanders support a change of flag but voted for the current one because the prime ministers interference ensured they werent given a proper choice. John Key alienated people by politicising the process and attacking those who didnt like his choice of flag. New Zealanders living overseas, including in the UK, were able to vote in the referendum. F ormer Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been found guilty of genocide during the Bosnian War. Karadzic was sentenced to 40 years in prison by a UN court for orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout the conflict from 1992 to 1995. He was found guilty of genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered in Europe's worst mass murder since the Holocaust. Radovan Karadzic listens to the verdict at The Hague / AP The carefully planned operation saw Serb forces transport Muslim men to sites around the Srebrenica enclave, in eastern Bosnia, before gunning them down and dumping their bodies into mass graves. Karadzic was also convicted of nine other charges including murder and the hostage-taking of UN peacekeepers. However, the court acquitted Karadzic in a second genocide charge, for a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces. Upon hearing the sentence, the 70-year-old slumped slightly in his chair, but otherwise showed little emotion. Peter Robinson, part of Karadzic's legal team, said he would appeal. B eckoned out onto the floor by a lithe lady in a shimmering gold dress, Barack Obama dances the tango during a visit to Argentina. The unexpected moment came at the end of a candlelit state dinner hosted by Argentinian President Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires last night, after the Obamas had watched a tango display in front of their table. Mr Obama, 54, initially declined the professional dancers outstretched hand, but relented and joined her on the floor, dancing for about a minute to the passionate music. It concluded with the President spinning his partner around and the woman drawing her leg high up against his thigh. Dancer Mora Godoy told newspaper La Nacion: He was telling me he didnt know how to dance. I told him, Just follow me. Presidential display He said OK and he started to then I started following his lead because he is a very good dancer. First Lady Michelle Obama, 52, took to the floor as well, twisting back and forth with a black-clad man. Elegant, slow-moving and sensuous, the tango has its roots in Argentinas capital, which hosts annual festivals. It has been nearly 20 years since a US president has made a state visit to the South American country. J ames Norton brings a moment from history to life as he performs a speech from Richard II on the same spot where the real king was forced to abandon his crown. The War And Peace star read from the Shakespeare play in Westminster Hall for a short film commissioned by the Globe theatre to mark the 400th anniversary of the playwrights death. His speech came from the deposition scene, in which the king recounts how he was forced to give up his throne by Henry Bolingbrokes rebels. Westminster Hall was built in 1097 by the son of William the Conqueror and extensively restored by Richard II. He was deposed there on September 30, 1399. The Globes artistic director Dominic Dromgoole described Norton, 30, as one of the most exciting young actors of his generation. He said: His interpretation of Richard II is precise, delicate and humane, and to watch him perform that deposition speech in the cavernous Westminster Hall, the exact place where the real King Richard was forced to give up his crown over six hundred years ago, is hugely moving and evocative. The resulting film is part of a series called The Complete Walk, which captures scenes from every one of Shakespeares plays and also stars Gemma Arterton and Peter Capaldi. It will be shown for free on 37 screens along the south bank on April 23 and 24. W hen Alex Haridi started writing the Nordic thriller Blue Eyes back in 2010, he conjured a nightmare vision in which a Swedish far-Right party gained the support of 12 per cent of the electorate. Everyone thought what we were doing was science fiction, Haridi says. They were like,You have to change this figure. In Sweden, its never going to happen. Ultimately, the fiction was overtaken by reality. Today, the Sweden Democrats are polling at around 20 per cent, and Sweden has found itself in the middle of the national identity crisis which is being mirrored across Europe, as the politics of austerity and migration impose their own logic. When the show was broadcast in Sweden, some critics suggested that Haridi had merely dramatised the newspapers but that wasnt the aim. Initially, Blue Eyes was sold by Christian Wikander, the head of drama at Swedish broadcaster SVT, as House of Cards, although more violent. To British audiences, its understated intrigue and political bite will mark it as a prime example of Scandi-noir, following such compelling dramas as The Killing and The Bridge. Im just lucky that this interest in Scandinavian fiction does exist, says 36-year-old Haridi. Im not of the same generation as Hans Rosenfeldt, who wrote The Bridge, or Sren Sveistrup who did The Killing. The generation Im from, were trying to push the envelope of what Scandi-noir can be. Its not the traditional story of one tired alcoholic cop and a psychotic killer. We dont necessarily come at crime fiction from the point of view of the mechanics of recording it. Were more interested in society and the underbelly. In Sweden, Blue Eyes quickly became the most complained about programme in the history of public service broadcasting. The complaints came from both Left and Right. We got criticism from the far Left that we were portraying the Right-wing fringe people too sympathetically, says Haridi. The Right-wing side are more organised when it comes to social media. A lot of them were verbatim complaints, so you realise somebodys campaigning. Mainly the complaint was that the fictional Right-wing party we portrayed were too similar to the Sweden Democrats. Trailer Blue Eyes film on Channel 4 The story certainly has a sharp political dimension. It follows the career of a young woman who returns to work at the Ministry of Justice during an election campaign and finds her predecessor has gone missing. Meanwhile, a far-Right politician is murdered, and her two children react to the death very differently. The politicians daughter Sofia, a tough single mother played by Karin Franz Korlof, finds herself being courted by the party for political ends but is more attracted to the vigilante justice which is being administered by an extremist group, Veritas. As a female actor, these type of characters are very rare, says Korlof, the opportunity to play a female whos not a victim. Shes not a classic female character. We see her with her son but she chooses to fight for something else instead of her family. She makes extreme choices. Karin Franz Korlof as Sofia Nilsson in Blue Eyes Haridi adds: We started writing this in 2010, because in that year we had an election and for the first time we had an extreme Right-wing party in the parliament. At the time the trauma among the Swedish population that this could happen was just huge. What we wanted to do was look at racism and the emergence of Right-wing politics in Europe from a different perspective. When we started writing we looked at other European countries. Countries that had the same sort of development but had gone further: France with the Front National, or Denmark with the Danish Peoples Party. So [we asked] if the development we had was the same, where would we be? So even though it is set in Sweden, it is a European movement this political wave that is going on. Best TV dramas 2016 1 /38 Best TV dramas 2016 The Missing The addictive and twisty second series of the BBC's crime anthology series BBC/New Pictures/Robert Viglasky Dark Angel Joanne Froggatt stared as Victorian mass murderer Mary Ann Cotton in this ITV drama ITV Close to the Enemy Stephen Poliakoff's post-war drama thriller BBC/Little Island Pictures Ordinary Lies The BBC anthology drama returns with more twisted tales BBC/Red Productions/Adrian Rogers The Night Of Riz Ahmed stars in HBO's critically acclaimed crime mini-series HBO Cold Feet The classic ITV comedy-drama returns - and it's just as good as it ever was ITV Victoria ITV have given Poldark some stiff competition with this period drama about a young Queen Victoria ITV Poldark The BBC's hit drama returns with more brooding, and less naked scything BBC/Robert Viglasky One of Us The BBC kept everyone guessing with this claustrophobic four-part whodunit Ripper Street The fan-favourite Victorian police drama returned for Series 4 BBC/Tiger Aspect 2016/Bernard Walsh The Secret Agent Toby Jones led the cast in the BBC's Joseph Conrad adaptation BBC/World Productions/Mark Mainz/Matt Burlem The Living and the Dead The BBC's gothic romance debuted in full on iPlayer BBC Preacher AMC's adaptation of Garth Ennis' cult comic book is available week-by-week on Amazon Prime Amazon / AMC Versailles A raunchy royal romp around the court of King Louis XIV, spicing up Wednesdays on BBC Two Canal +/ BBC Locked Up The Spanish prison drama came to the UK thanks to Channel 4's Walter Presents series Channel 4 / Global Series Peaky Blinders The Birmingham-set gangster thriller was more popular than ever in its third series BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd/Tiger Aspect/Robert Viglasky The A Word The BBC gave us a nuanced and emotional take on autism BBC/Fifty Fathoms Marcella Anna Friel stars in ITV's British take on the Scandi-noir thriller ITV Grantchester James Norton is back as the crime-solving vicar ITV / Lovely Day Stag The comedy-thriller from the team behind The Wrong Mans is both hilarious and chilling BBC/Des Willie/Hal Shinnie/Matt Burlem Vinyl Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger present a glossy drama about the Seventies music industry HBO American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson Cuba Gooding Jr leads an all-star cast in a dramatic re-telling of the 'trial of century' BBC/Fox Happy Valley Sarah Lancashire returned as Sgt Catherine Cawood for a second series of the gritty crime thriller BBC/Red Productions/Ben Blackall The X Files Mulder and Scully return for a brand new set of mysteries War and Peace The BBC's epic adaptation of the Russian literary classic BBC/Mitch Jenkins Call the Midwife The BBC period drama moved into the Sixties for Series 5 BBC/Neal Street Productions/Sophie Mutevelian Dickensian Charles Dickens' most famous characters collide in this historical soap BBC Jericho ITV's British western set in the wilds of Yorkshire Silent Witness The hugely popular detective drama returns for a 19th series Certainly Sweden hasnt had to seek far for its troubles. Like Germany, the countrys initial response to the migrant crisis was to welcome refugees. But the swelling number of migrants prompted a rethink and an abandonment of the Schengen open borders agreement. ID checks were even reinstated on the resund bridge, which joins Malmo and Copenhagen (an open border which was famously exploited in The Bridge). We have this view of ourselves, that we are the conscience of the world, says Haridi, but we really are no better than anybody else. Its really traumatic because we have to review our own image of our country. In many ways we are a very racist country. Korlof adds: Its crazy that theyve closed the borders. I think its insane. We should all be ashamed of that. People are escaping to save their lives, to save their children, and we are so egocentric, focusing on our own lives, not wanting beggars on the streets. More4 I think thats why people are scared of having immigrants on the streets, because they feel their everyday life is being affected. But the people who are most scared of migrants are the wealthiest people, who dont get affected at all. Thats the thing, says Haridi. Sometimes we have to be the best. And if we cant be the best of the good guys, were gonna be the best of the worst. Now weve flipped 180 degrees. Im ashamed of whats happening in Sweden now. We talk a lot about multiculturalism but its like were paying lip service to it. As Swedes, we want to have the aura of embracing multiculturalism but we dont because its always on our terms. Korlof says: When you say Sweden is the best country to live in, it really depends on who you are asking. We tend to exclude people when we say Swedes. Its us but its not those people. Its very vague. So many of my friends, if you ask them whether Sweden is a racist country they will say yes, because they are being exposed to racism every week, every day even. But if you ask someone with blond hair and blue eyes, youre gonna have a different answer. More4 As part of his research, Haridi met Right-wing extremists. He recalls one particularly chilling encounter. On the question of assimilation, my father is from Egypt, so Im half non-European. I remember one time I sat down to speak to an active neo-Nazi. I was a bit scared. First, scared of him, and then I became scared of myself. As I was sitting there I realised that I was inadvertently starting to suck up to him, like I wanted to go to him, But Im OK, I can stay. It was this weird, egotistical reaction and I was ashamed of myself. Afterwards, I felt that I shouldnt be doing that but I just wanted him to like me. Its so weird to see that side of yourself but I think we all want to fit in. "I think theres a general feeling that [the EU] would be worse without Britain, so dont leave us behind" Reality at the moment is really scary. I dont think we have to fictionalise it very much to make it really frightening. I wanted to show the characters the way they were, not put on a lens of this is an evil person. I dont think thats necessary, and I also think its scarier that a person who has these horrible neo-Nazi opinions could be the person sitting next to you on the bus. That is scarier than somebody whos walking around with a shaved head doing the Sieg Heil sign. On the question of Brexit, Haridi says most Swedes would have no particularly clear opinions, partly because of their own reservations about the direction of travel in the EU, first over Greece and then with the migrant crisis. European co-operation has been rocky for a long time, so I dont think anyones a big Euro enthusiast. At the same time I think theres a general feeling that it would be worse without Britain, so dont leave us behind. And Scandinavian noir does it actually exist? Well, says Haridi with a smile, there is a coherent lack of joy a darkness. Blue Eyes starts tomorrow at 9pm on More4, with catch-up available on All4.com/WalterPresents Follow Alastair McKay on Twitter: @AHMcKay LINCOLN TierOne Banks former chief executive, Gilbert Lundstrom, on Wednesday was sentenced to 11 years of prison, in what probably is the only successful federal prosecution of a U.S. bank leader tied to the financial crisis. Lundstrom, 74, also was ordered to pay a $1.2 million fine. Last year a jury found him guilty on 12 of 13 counts related to the fraud that sank Lincolns TierOne Bank, then the second-largest financial institution in the state with about $3 billion in assets and 800 employees. Lundstrom, who had been free on bail, was immediately taken into custody by federal marshals Wednesday. He handed over possessions, including his tie and belt, to his lawyers and family in the courtroom, hugged his wife, and was handcuffed and escorted away. TierOne was not a mom-and-pop organization you could operate at your whim, said U.S. District Judge John Gerrard, just before sentencing the Nebraska native who rose from a job as the banks outside lawyer to become CEO. TierOne had a responsibility to report accurate profit and revenue figures. While big by Nebraska standards, TierOne was small by national ones: By comparison, the biggest U.S. bank during TierOnes heyday in the mid-2000s was North Carolina-based Bank of America, with $2.3 trillion of assets. Big financial institutions of that period that saw mortgage borrowers start to default en masse included Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch. They and others were found to have engaged in behavior eerily similar to TierOnes: They were in far worse financial condition than originally reported to regulators and investors. In all, 465 U.S. banks failed from 2008 to 2012 the worst period for such insolvencies since the Great Depression. But only TierOne attracted U.S. Justice Department prosecutors, who secured indictments and a guilty verdict. Neither prosecutors nor lawyers for Lundstrom had any comment on the verdict Wednesday. The banks failure is the largest in Nebraska history and probably the largest white-collar crime in state history if more than just investor losses are considered. More than a half-billion dollars of stock market value was lost since TierOnes peak in 2006, when shares traded for $35 each. In the end, 70 branches and remaining assets were absorbed by Great Western Bank after TierOne went insolvent in 2010. At Lundstroms three-week trial, which concluded in November, former subordinates testified that he faked accounts to hide uncollectible loans, made at the end of the housing boom to real-estate developers who themselves were broke. With no money coming in to pay off the loans, the banks capital deteriorated, regulators closed in and investors fled from the collapsing shares. Lundstrom was sentenced in the same courtroom where he once practiced law, having been TierOnes outside lawyer before joining the company. Dressed in a dark business suit, he looked the judge directly in the eye as the sentence was read. Earlier, he had a chance to make a case for leniency in a short presentation to the judge. My career and reputation built over 50 years is destroyed, he said, speaking in a calm, authoritative voice. He said the thinks about the wiped-out shareholders and employees who lost their jobs almost every day. Some of them were present. About two dozen former TierOne employees attended the hearing. One said she wanted to see Lundstrom in cuffs. Another wore a royal blue First Federal Lincoln T-shirt a memory of the small local savings and loan association that preceded TierOne. Connie Benson of Chapman, Nebraska, said she had worked in the Grand Island and St. Paul offices of TierOne. She worked for the bank for 15 years, she said the best job shed ever had. Sitting through the daylong proceedings brought up a lot of old feelings, she said mixed feelings. There are no winners, Benson said, echoing the judges comments. Scheduled to be sentenced Thursday are the banks former president and its chief credit officer. Both testified against Lundstrom during his trial, after having pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in exchange for a chance of more lenient sentences. World-Herald staff writer Brad Davis contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 402-444-3197, russell.hubbard@owh.com Read more SCHUYLER There was a lot of slicing and dicing taking place in the kitchen. As usual, the food service staff at Schuyler Middle School was busy preparing lunch for a few hundred students and staff who would be arriving in the cafeteria in a few hours. What wasnt typical was the menu being made and the presence of chef Sharon Schaefer. The Omaha chef brought her culinary skills to the school Wednesday for a pop-up restaurant, a popular concept in larger cities across the country where a visiting chef sets up a restaurant for a day or short period of time for a unique dining experience. Schaefer, who is the school nutrition chef for Hiland Dairy Foods, put a different spin on the restaurant idea by having it at a school. Ive been in the culinary industry for almost 20 years, and when I heard of the pop-up restaurants I thought, 'Why not bring that to school lunch? Why not have a chef just show up for lunch one day and make something the kids havent had before?'" she said. It was a new idea, so she got in touch with Jeff Andel, head of food service for Schuyler Community Schools. The two have known each other for a couple of years. Andel jumped at the opportunity to offer a new experience for the students. Its something thats not ever really been done before. I thought Id love to give it a try, Andel said. In her position at Hiland Dairy, Schaefer works with 65 school districts and leads programs about nutrition that can fit in a schools curriculum. She also offers support and training to school nutrition professionals. She said she wanted to work for the company to do programs like the pop-up restaurant. Once Schuyler was on board, Schaefer whipped up a menu based on the kitchen and equipment at SMS. She wanted to create food that would be different for students while still appealing to children. She came up with chicken burritos and cilantro lime rice bowls. Everything that we are doing is something I have done in a restaurant or in a catering business as some point in my career. So we are bringing restaurant-quality food to the kids. You also need to make sure it is kid-friendly because our customers today are middle school students. They eat a bit differently than my New York City adults that I was feeding 15 years ago, said Schaefer, who attended the Culinary Institute of America in the Big Apple. Some of the food was modified to fit the taste buds of a younger crowd, like the banana pudding dessert. The pudding was topped with vanilla wafer cookies instead of the traditional sponge cake put in the middle to soak up moisture. Its just to kind of trying to play around with restaurant-quality food so kids will want to take it and be excited to eat it, she said. While the food was being prepared, a number of visitors stopped by the kitchen to check out what was cooking. Even a few students took a moment to peak in. Some commented on the delicious smell that was making them hungry. The meal was created to meet nutritional standards required by schools. Some if it was made from scratch, including the chili spice mix on the fresh chicken and a black bean, corn and red pepper salsa. All of the dairy products used were donated by Hiland Dairy. Otherwise, the food was part of the schools normal lunch budget. Making more from scratch is one takeaway Andel said he got from the experience. What we thought would take a long time isnt taking as long as we thought," he said. "This is really an experience. We are always worried about time constraints, and I think that is with every kitchen. Seeing that we can do this shows that we can incorporate more food from scratch and raw." Millard school board member Paul Meyer issued an apology Wednesday for controversial comments he made at a meeting two days earlier. In a letter to district staff, he wrote that after reflection he realized his comments have been hurtful to many people. This is not what I intended, and I am sorry, he wrote. Meyer made the remarks in question during a board discussion of the 2017-18 school calendar. He moved that the board rename its winter vacation Christmas break. Then he added that atheists who disagreed with the idea could crawl back into their hellhole. Meyer said he was getting a little bit tired of a minute minority in this country that keeps pushing Christmas out, keeps pushing God out, keeps pushing Christ out, when the majority is still a Judeo-Christian country. None of the board members present Mike Kennedy, Mike Pate and Pat Ricketts seconded the motion. It failed for lack of a second. Then the board adopted the calendar, voting 3-1, without specifying a name for the break. Meyer voted no. Tuesday, Meyer told The World-Herald that he stood by his comments, which provoked a passionate response from both critics and supporters. Then Wednesday, Meyer said in a phone interview that he decided to apologize after reflecting on the situation. I dont want to bring a bad light on the district, he said. In his letter of apology, Meyer, a Lutheran, wrote that his comments at the meeting stemmed from his strong religious faith. He described them as mine alone and not that of the board or district. And no, I do not hate anyone. Officials with two Nebraska atheist groups had criticized his meeting comments, one describing them as hate speech. Kennedy, the board president, said he spoke with Meyer on Wednesday. Meyer, he said, was very contrite and wanted to make it right. Paul actually offered the apology, he said. Kennedy said that over the past 48 hours hed answered tons of emails sent to the district. People had a right to be angry and a right to complain, he said. Kennedy also said the main issue facing the Millard district is not what to call winter break but rather budget concerns. Social issues like this one, he said, can distract. Kennedy sent a letter to Millard staff Wednesday, noting that no board member had supported Meyers motion. Speaking as the president of the board of education, we want every student to feel safe and loved in our schools and get a quality education, he wrote. I want that. Our teachers want that. Our administrators want that. No single public comment is going to change the hearts and the goals of our staff. Millard has nearly 23,000 students, making it Nebraskas third-largest district. Meyer was elected in 2012 to a four-year term. He is not running for re-election. LINCOLN Nebraska lawmakers passed an $8.7 billion budget package Friday that includes money for new prison space and levee improvements near Offutt Air Force Base. The three-bill package now heads to Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has until the end of the day Wednesday to decide whether to sign the bills or return them with line-item vetoes. A spokesman for the governor said he plans to take the full five working days to make decisions about the bills. The package updates the state budget passed last year. It covers the two-year period ending June 30, 2017. Ricketts already has endorsed key portions of the budget package, including plans to take $27 million from the states cash reserve fund to expand community corrections beds and provide recruitment and retention bonuses for corrections workers. The budget package also would direct a one-time $13.7 million state appropriation from the cash reserve to a levee project that supporters say is needed to help secure federal funding for Offutts crumbling runway. Lawmakers will vote later in the session on a separate bill that would take another $50 million from the cash reserve to jump-start major road-building projects. Along with funds raised by a gas tax increase passed last year, the money would be used to complete the states four-lane expressway system, provide matching grants for counties to repair deficient bridges and target transportation enhancements for economic development. With the budget package, state spending would grow an average of 3.6 percent annually for the two-year budget period. The package leaves nearly $10 million of state tax revenue for other potential spending measures this year. Contact the writer: 402-473-9583, martha.stoddard@owh.com * * * Additional information on the Legislature This page may have been moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable. To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe Detention Center The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Wednesday was 70, with 39 from Platte County and 31 from out of county. Police March 17 5:35 p.m. At the intersection of 26th Avenue and 18th Street, Wyatt Ellis, 27, 1421 Third St., was cited for leaving the scene of an accident. March 18 1:09 a.m. Burglary at 2422 19th St., under investigation. 8:15 a.m. - Burglary at Precision Unibody & Sales, 852 33rd Ave., under investigation. 7:19 p.m. At the intersection of 23rd Street and 33rd Avenue, Bradley Jareske, 41, 5062 Cherokee Ave., was cited for a traffic signal violation. March 19 11:49 p.m. In the 3000 block of 23rd Street, Angel Villalobos, 22, 1460 29th Ave., was cited for speeding, 55 mph in a 35 mph zone, and no seat belt. March 20 6:40 a.m. In the 1200 block of 14th Street, a vehicle driven by Jordon Cordero, 19, 1814 11th St., No. 2, struck a parked vehicle owned by Ana Morales, 1216 14th St. 12:15 p.m. At the intersection of East 23rd Street and East Third Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Robert Keck, 68, Newport, and Christian Schade, 20, 2321 Ninth St. 12:32 p.m. At the intersection of 17th Street and 27th Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Yasmany, 24, 972 30th Ave., No. 6, and Paul Chavez, 27, Genoa. March 21 March 21 5:20 p.m. At the intersection of 23rd Street and 24th Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Ryan Asay, 21, 916 Third St., and Zachery Sasse, 24, 871 13th Ave. 6:05 p.m. At the intersection of 23rd Street and 26th Avenue, Diane Klein, 51, David City, was cited for a traffic signal violation. 6:17 p.m. At the intersection of 33rd Avenue and 21st Street, Brayan Izaguirre, 23, 1156 45th Ave., was cited for no valid registration. 6:22 p.m. In the 3300 block of 51st Avenue, a vehicle driven by Stacie Rickert44, 3463 53rd Ave., No. 3, struck a parked vehicle owned by Nicholas and Elaine Groene, 3452 51st Ave. Sheriff March 10 7:45 a.m. At the intersection of 23rd Street and 16th Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Urbano Perez-Montero, 46, Wapato, Washington, and Willard Walton, 76, Norfolk. March 18 2:20 a.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 81 and 310th Street, Jonathan Hoadley of Columbus jailed for second-offense driving under the influence. 6:35 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 91 and 415th Avenue, Decker Beller of Lindsay cited for speeding. 7:24 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 81 and 385th Street, Thien Pham of Lincoln cited for speeding. March 19 11:14 a.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of 28th Avenue and 14th Street, Heriberto Validivia-Olivares of Schuyler cited for no operators licesnse. 5:24 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and East 32nd Avenue, Abdifatah Abdi of Schuyler cited for a learners permit violation. 6:28 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Monastery Road and 385th Street, Arnoldo Palacios Ruiz of Columbus cited for speeding. March 20 4:11 p.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of Monastery Road and 400th Street, Juan Becerril Vega jailed for no operators license and speeding. March 21 8:31 p.m. - Traffic violation at the intersection of Highway 30 and Main Avenue in Duncan, Jonathan Blaser of Columbus cited for no valid registration. March 22 6:49 p.m. At the Platte County Detention Facility, 1115 E. 17th St., Penny Hall of Columbus turned self in on a Platte County warrant. Fire March 18 8:22 a.m. In the 1800 block of West Camino Real, medical. 12:53 p.m. In the 3300 block of 28th Street, medical. 3:54 p.m. In the 1500 block of 24th Avenue, medical. 9:25 p.m. In the 3700 block of Linden Drive, medical. March 19 2:31 a.m. In the 600 block of East 23rd Street, medical. 7:45 a.m. In the 3000 block of 39th Avenue, medical. 9:17 a.m. In the 1800 block of El Camino Real, medical. 8:49 p.m. In the 1000 block of 21st Avenue, medical. March 21 10:28 p.m. In the 700 block of 30th Avenue, medical. March 22 12:50 a.m. Accident in the 1800 block of 32nd Avenue. 7:37 a.m. In the 800 block of South Seventh Avenue, medical. 5:08 p.m. - In the 200 block of Southeast 59th Avenue, medical. 10:06 p.m. - In the 1200 block of 27th Avenue, medical. March 23 6:49 a.m. - In the 4400 block of Sunrise Place, medical. LINCOLN Nebraska lawmakers again rejected a proposal to ban job discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers but a Lincoln senator pledged to continue fighting. This conversation will not go away," Sen. Adam Morfeld said as debate on his measure wound to a close. "In fact, its just begun." The Legislature voted 26-18 Wednesday to kill Morfeld's bill, which would have prohibited employers from refusing job applicants or taking action against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Supporters called the issue one of fairness and said the bill was needed to help attract and retain talented young workers. Opponents argued the protections are unnecessary, and cited concerns the measure would infringe on religious liberty or overburden small employers. It was the fourth time in as many years that state lawmakers have considered the subject. Omaha put a similar ban in place four years ago, and a Lincoln measure was put on hold after a successful petition drive required it to either be repealed or placed on the ballot for voters to decide. Lincoln City Councilman Carl Eskridge said the city's path forward remains unclear. Wednesday's debate at the Capitol began with calls for cordiality from senators on both sides, but quickly ignited with fiery comments. "It's very easy for those who want to discriminate, demean and degrade other people to say, 'Let's discuss this in a very civilized manner. Don't anybody get upset,'" Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers said at one point. "This is the most disgusting discussion I have heard. The most insulting, degrading, demeaning one I've heard." Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, whose son is gay, alluded to LGBT staffers working in the Legislature for senators who opposed the bill. Expecting supporters to not take the issue personally is "condescending," she said. Opponents suggested Morfeld's bill might cause more problems than it solves. "Theres certainly not a place for discrimination of any type in our state," said Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, who owns a garage door installation service. But small businesses without human resources departments might have a more difficult time protecting themselves against lawsuits than would the larger companies that supported Morfeld's bill, Smith said. Omaha Sen. Beau McCoy, a former home improvement contractor and business owner, said he didn't see a need for the bill. "We always looked for the best people to fill the positions on our team," he said. "We didnt look at anything other than that. Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus didn't vote on the proposal Wednesday, but recalled Franciscan nuns in the 1950s teaching him to check the whites of a person's eyes to see if they'd been baptized Catholic. "Sometimes you wonder, do we need to just grow up? he asked. "All that mix of human skill and ability is in the soup which is humanity. ... To discriminate is just as dumb as looking into somebody's eyes to see if they are Lutheran or Catholic." Morfeld said he will consider introducing a more sweeping bill next legislative session that also includes protections for LGBT people in housing and other areas. Meanwhile the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is pursuing lawsuits against employers, arguing the Civil Rights Act's ban on sex discrimination also covers sexual orientation. Eskridge, the Lincoln councilman, said he and other supporters of LGBT workplace protections are watching those cases as local officials decide how to proceed. Lincoln technically could still put its measure on the November ballot, but the language must first be approved by a majority of the city council, Eskridge said. He called a public vote a "suspect method" for determining the rights of a minority. "There are just a lot of factors to figure out." In February this year, China s export volumes of steel bars, angles/channels, wire rods and steel plates amounted to 3.07 million mt, 360,000 mt, 130,000 mt, and 3.73 million mt, up 10.83 percent, down 12.20 percent, declining by 27.78 percent and increasing by 13.03 percent, respectively, year on year, as announced by the Chinese customs authorities. In the January-February period of the current year, China s export volumes of steel bars, angles/channels, wire rods and steel plates totaled 7.23 million mt, 800,000 mt, 330,000 mt, and 7.67 million mt, increasing by 10.8 percent, declining by 10.1 percent, down 28.9 percent and rising by 13.1 percent, respectively, year on year. Thursday, 24 March 2016 21:39:56 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Brazil exported 10,300 mt of Galvalume in February, 24 percent more than in January, according to the local ministry of development, industry and foreign trade, MDIC. The average FOB export price fetched $772/mt, price deals probably closed in December 2015, a 19 percent increase from January. In January and February, all such exports were from the Galvasud plant of CSN, in the southern state of Parana, and destined to the US. A source from an exporter told SteelOrbis that his last deals for the export of Galvalume to the US were closed at $730/mt, FOB conditions, comparable with $690/mt FOB for deals closed one month ago. During 2015, Brazil exported 83,800 mt of Galvalume, of which 50,000 mt destined to the US.A source from an exporter told SteelOrbis that his last deals for the export of Galvalume to the US were closed at $730/mt, FOB conditions, comparable with $690/mt FOB for deals closed one month ago. He added that the increased price reflects also the reduced offer of Galvalume for export, as ArcelorMittal, the other producer licensed by BIEC to produce Galvalume in Brazil , is currently focused on the domestic market. The source said that after such $40/mt increase, prices should be stable, at least over the next weeks, but the volumes exported to the US are set for further increase as a result of marketing efforts next to US clients. Chamber of Deputies Speaker Valeriu Zgonea signed on Thursday the condolence book opened with the Belgian Embassy in Bucharest, expressing solidarity with the Belgian people in the aftermath of Tuesday's attacks in Brussels. "It is a difficult moment for the democratic world, for all our fundamental values, for everything we believe in and what we have built in recent years, for our spirit and the freedoms that we have been passing down along so many generations to the entire world. We have been attacked - if you want - at the core of our democracy and our European values. We must be united at the level of presidents of state, heads of governments, Parliament speakers, and show the whole world that this space of security and prosperity will remain a place where everyone can find a chance for the future," said Zgonea. He added that Europe has always been a space of tolerance and freedom, and must be preserved as such. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies conveyed his entire compassion to the injured and the families of those killed in the Brussels attacks. Senator Gabriela Firea and Cuba's Ambassador in Bucharest also signed the book of condolence. Agerpres Romania's President Klaus Iohannis met Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Speaker of Turkey's Grand National Assembly Ismail Kahraman on Thursday in Ankara. The Presidential Administration reports in a press statement that among the topics of the meeting with PM Davutoglu was the importance of bilateral cooperation under the strategic partnership between Romania and Turkey as well as of cooperation in the Black Sea zone and inside NATO.Also discussed were political dialogue and the contribution of Romania's Turkish community and Turkey's Romanian community to strengthening ties between the two nations."Both officials underscored the importance of economic cooperation being intensified and the existing potential being capitalised on," the statement says.European, regional and world affairs also featured on the meeting's agenda.In their conversation, Speaker Kahraman and President Iohannis pointed out that Romania and Turkey are key partners in terms of politics, economics and strategy, while consolidating parliamentary relations will contribute to deepening their bilateral cooperation. AGERPRES Updated at 10:59 a.m. DENVER A University of Colorado professor who came under fire for heading an obesity-fighting group funded by Coca-Cola is stepping down from his executive director position at the university's wellness center. James Hill announced his resignation from the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center Friday. He said in a statement he intends to continue his own research in obesity and weight management. A representative for the University of Colorado said Thursday Hill remains a professor at the school. Hill initially faced criticism last year after The New York Times reported that Coca-Cola Co. helped fund the Global Energy Balance Network he headed. The newspaper reported over the summer that the group emphasized physical activity over calorie reduction for losing weight. The Global Energy Balance Network said on its website that Atlanta-based Coke had no input into its activities, but emails subsequently obtained by The Associated Press showed the world's largest beverage company helped pick the group's leaders, edited its mission statement and suggested articles and videos for its website. After the contents of the emails were published, the group announced it was disbanding. Since 2010, Coke has said it gave $550,000 to Hill that was unrelated to the Global Energy Balance Network. A large part of that was for research, but the figure also covered travel expenses and fees for speaking engagements around the world. It did not include money from Coke's overseas divisions, or industry groups that the company funds, such as the American Beverage Association. Hill's resignation was first reported by The Denver Post. WASHINGTON The Obama administration on Thursday announced the indictment of seven Iranian hackers for a coordinated campaign of cyber attacks on dozens of U.S. banks and a New York dam from 2011 to 2013, signaling an effort by officials to more publicly confront cyber crime waged on behalf of foreign nations. The indictment, filed in a federal court in New York City, described the suspects, who live in Iran, as "experienced computer hackers" believed to have been working on behalf of the Iranian government. The move marks the first time the U.S. government has charged individuals tied to a nation-state with attempting to disrupt critical infrastructure, a vulnerability that security researchers have grown increasingly concerned about in recent months. Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted two Iranian companies on Thursday for supporting Iran's ballistic missile program and also sanctioned two British businessmen it said were helping an airline used by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The charged hackers were identified as Ahmad Fathi, Hamid Firoozi, Amin Shokohi, Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, Omid Ghaffarinia, Sina Keissar and Nader Seidi, all citizens and residents of Iran. They are accused of conspiracy to commit computer hacking while employed by two Iran-based computer companies, ITSecTeam and Mersad Company. Firoozi is additionally charged with obtaining and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer. At a news conference announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the accused hackers caused tens of millions of dollars in damages in their assault on U.S banks. At least 46 major financial institutions and financial sector companies were targeted, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and American Express, according to the indictment. AT&T was also targeted. The hackers are accused of hitting the banks with distributed denial of service attacks on a near-weekly basis, a relatively unsophisticated tactic that can bring computer networks offline by flooding servers with spammed traffic. "These attacks were relentless, they were systematic, and they were widespread," Lynch said. But the attack on Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York, was especially alarming to investigators, Lynch said, because the intrusion could have posed a serious threat to the security of Americans. A stroke of good fortune prevented the hackers from obtaining operational control of the flood gates because the dam had been manually disconnected for routine maintenance, she said. The indictment represents the Obama administration's latest attempt to more publicly confront cyber attacks carried out by other countries against the United States. "An important part of our cybersecurity practice is to identify the actors and to attribute them publicly when we can," Lynch said. "We do this so that they know they cannot hide." Though the indictment comes at a time of reduced tensions between the United States and Iran after a landmark 2015 nuclear deal, it is not expected that Iran will allow their extradition to the United States to face charges. FBI Director James Comey vowed to pursue justice, stating at the conference, "the world is small, and our memory is long." 'The Catch,' 9 p.m. Thursdays on ABC One and a half stars (out of four) This hasn't been a good week for new network drama series. You might expect as much, in March, and in fact "Heartbeat" (reviewed here) is probably at this point just a throwaway for NBC. But "The Catch," arriving Thursday night on ABC, bears the stamp of Shonda Rhimes, who rules Thursdays on the network from "Grey's Anatomy" through "Scandal" through "How To Get Away With Murder." "Murder," already renewed for fall, ended its season last week, and its replacement is "The Catch," an ill-fated caper drama from Rhimes' Shondaland, but not Rhimes herself. That shows, even though Rhimes stepped in to help when the first pilot of "The Catch," adapted by Jennifer Schuur from a novel by Kate Atkinson, turned out to be an embarrassing bore. The rehabbed "Catch" is still embarrassing, wasting star Mireille Enos ("The Killing") and newly installed Peter Krause ("Parenthood"). Viewers meet Enos' Alice Vaughn, a private detective, at the top of her game, tricking an art thief without wrinkling her glamorous evening gown. (This Enos will be a bit of a shock for "Killing" fans. She even smiles.) Alice is happily engaged to Christopher (Krause), who proposed on an Alp and is about to whisk her away to marital bliss. There's even a wedding cake tasting in the office adorable. Meanwhile, though, Alice needs to nab one "Mr. X," a mysterious crook with a capital "C." If you don't know where this is going, you aren't trying, and you certainly haven't seen the trailers. Everything about "The Catch" is annoying, from the basic premise to the impossible twists to especially (somehow, especially) the insistent soundtrack that is supposed to whip us into a froth of excitement. I could keep explaining how "The Catch" moves along, as Alice tracks Christopher, whose real name is Ben, and his accomplice-lover, Margot (Sonya Walger). And how Ben might have had actual feelings for Alice after all. And how she still has to try to catch him, only to miss by a hair. And how Ben fleeces people too dumb to live in the actual world. Somehow, viewers are expect to buy into all this, even though a shred of logic means the show would be over before it starts. Worst of all, possibly, although it's hard to sort out a worst here, is that "The Catch" is a dead fish. Spare yourself; throw it back. 23 May 2022 - Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors. ST. LOUIS That smoke you've been smelling Thursday has apparently blown in from the west. Meteorologists say high winds, aided by a cold front moving across Missouri, have blown smoke here from giant wildfires continuing to burn in Kansas and Oklahoma. High winds have helped spread the wildfires that have burned more than 620 square miles, and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback declared a disaster emergency as fires threatened homes there. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service say high winds are responsible for carrying smoke hundreds of miles across the Midwest. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph have been measured in western parts of Missouri, with gusts of up to 45 mph. Winds of at least 30 mph were reported Thursday morning at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. "It's all about the winds," said Linda Gilbert, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Mo., south of Kansas City. "The smoke was able to get carried off by the winds into the low pressure system." A smoke smell was also reported across St. Louis earlier this week; several people used social media to report the odor across the area. That was also blamed on fires elsewhere. The weather service is calling for a 40 percent chance of rain Thursday with temperatures dropping into the 30s by evening. High winds are expected, too, with gusts up to 32 mph. Sun 'obliterated' by smoke On Thursday hundreds of firefighters were battling a large wildfire that spread into Kansas from Oklahoma. Two people had been treated for smoke inhalation. About two-thirds of the burned land was in Kansas, according to preliminary estimates by the Oklahoma Forestry Services. Strong winds were thwarting efforts to contain the fire. The blaze went around the Barber County, Kan., town of Medicine Lodge, where authorities say up to 1,000 structures were threatened and a voluntary evacuation order was issued, said Ben Bauman, director of public affairs for the Kansas Department of the Adjutant General. One home and outbuilding were destroyed on the outskirts of town. Voluntary evacuations also were ordered Wednesday in the small towns of Sun City and Lake City, which have a combined population of around 140. Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital was evacuated, sending 12 patients to a nursing home and two others to a nearby hospital. Authorities were making plans to return the patients Thursday. Hospital CEO Kevin White said the smoke was so thick that it "completely obliterated the sun" at 5 p.m. Wednesday, an hour before the patients left. The hospital kept its emergency room open and treated one firefighter and one member of the public for smoke inhalation. In neighboring Comanche County, another fire that was briefly brought under control late Wednesday reignited Thursday morning. The Associated Press contributed information to this report. The population of the 15-county St. Louis region edged up by 0.2 percent last year an increase of about 5,400 people according to U.S. Census estimates released Thursday. Among the nations 25 largest metropolitan areas, that was the third-slowest rate of growth, ahead of Detroit and Chicago, which was the only large metro area that lost people. St. Louis, which held steady at about 2.81 million people, is now the 20th-largest region in the U.S., having been leapfrogged by the surging Denver metro area, which gained an estimated 58,000 residents just last year. The St. Louis region has added an estimated 24,000 people since 2010. Among the 25 largest metro areas, only Detroit has added fewer people. More people have left the region than moved in during the past five years, but the population was pushed upward because of births. Across the U.S., growth was disproportionately concentrated in the south and west. The sprawling metropolises of Dallas and Houston continued to boom, with Houston alone adding 159,000 people. Factor in the San Antonio and Austin metro areas, and four Texas regions gained more than 412,000 people last year more than any entire state. With some exceptions, many portions of the Midwest and Rust Belt continued to see slow or stagnant growth, and some midsize metro areas, such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland, lost people. Locally, the pattern of exurban growth continued, with St. Charles County adding 5,600 people between 2014 and 2015, more than any other Missouri county. The county now has an estimated 385,590 residents, up more than 25,000 since 2010, a rise of about 7 percent, and up nearly 100,000 people since the turn of the century. St. Louis Countys population grew by an estimated 1,200 people last year, to a little more than 1 million. Residents continued to trickle out of the city of St. Louis, though if recent estimates hold true until the next decennial Census, the citys decline will have slowed to its lowest rate in the more than 60 years since population peaked in 1950. The city now has about 315,700 residents, according to Census figures. A bright spot for both the city and the county was the number of immigrants moving in, though the overall migration flow for both was still negative. While the citys decline has historically been the focus when population figures are released, the Metro East has suffered the most in recent years when it comes to population loss. Since 2010, the Illinois side of the St. Louis metro region has lost an estimated 11,500 people, while the Missouri side gained more than 35,000 residents. Illinois as a whole lost 22,000 people more than any other state in the country. Both Madison and St. Clair counties saw gains between 2000 and 2010, but that growth has stopped, according to Census figures, which indicate the counties together have lost more than 9,000 residents since then. Since 2010, St. Clair County had the largest population decline in the region, at about 6,000 people, a 2.2 percent drop. In percentage terms, Bond County declined the most since 2010, falling 4.6 percent to 16,950. We have an aging population, said Matt Brandmeyer, Madison Countys planning and development administrator. The number of births in the county hasnt been enough to offset the number of people who have moved away. The numbers started dropping in 2008, he said, and after the recession, millennials have been slower to buy homes and start families. But the declines have been slowing, he said, making him optimistic the trend will soon reverse. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Forty-two vacant lots in St. Louis will become tree farms, urban agriculture and green infrastructure projects through a partnership between the city and Chicago-based development firm Fresh Coast Capital. Mayor Francis Slay hailed the news on Thursday, saying in a statement that such projects will turn empty lots from a liability that costs the city thousands of dollars a year to maintain into an asset. The 42 lots make up about 3 acres of land, and all are in the citys 22nd Ward in north St. Louis, around the area of Clara and St. Edward avenues. About 1,500 hybrid poplars will be planted. The citys Land Reutilization Authority made the 42 parcels available for $1 to Fresh Coast Capital, which describes itself as an investment and real estate development firm with an environmental and social mission. It redevelops large tracts of vacant, blighted and contaminated land in the Midwest and Rust Belt into working landscapes, according to Slays office. The LRA is charged with maintaining such vacant land in St. Louis. The agency was established in 1971 to take over properties that landowners no longer wanted or had abandoned, according to the city. When a property owner does not pay taxes for five years, the citys collector of revenue may sue and foreclose. There are at least five public tax foreclosure sales per year. Any properties not sold at the foreclosure sale are transferred into the LRA inventory to be maintained, marketed and sold, the city said. Fresh Coast Capital plans to use $1 million to fund pilot projects on 60 acres across several cities, including St. Louis and the Indiana cities of Elkhart and Gary; the Michigan cities of Battle Creek and Flint; Youngstown, Ohio; and Kansas City. The project is expected to result in the planting of an estimated 27,000 trees resulting in the sequestering of 28 million pounds of carbon dioxide over 15 years. If the execution is carried out, it too will leave a grieving family, in addition to having lost a little boy who might have survived if he could have gotten to the hospital in time. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A new brain study might help explain why a high level of stress is linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Increased activity in the amygdala -- the fear center of the brain -- appears to create an immune system reaction that increases inflammation in the arteries, researchers plan to report at the upcoming American College of Cardiology meeting in Chicago. Such arterial inflammation is a precursor to heart disease, heart attack and stroke, said senior researcher Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Tawakol and his colleagues followed nearly 300 people and found their amygdala activity -- as seen on brain scans -- indicated whether they would suffer a major cardiac event in the near future. "By the end of the study, roughly 5 percent with low activity had events, compared to roughly 40 percent of the individuals with high amygdala activity," Tawakol said. Doctors need to be aware of the heart-health consequences of current events such as the Syrian crisis and this week's terror attacks in Brussels, said Dr. Richard Becker, director of cardiovascular health and disease at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He is also director of the university's Heart, Lung & Vascular Institute. "After there's an earthquake or a tsunami, the incidence of heart attacks over the next six to eight weeks increases substantially," said Becker, an American Heart Association spokesman, citing prior research. "The same thing happens with human disasters, with terrorism, particularly if it's on a large scale." Evidence of the strong link between stress and heart disease has been mounting. The heart-health risk posed by stress is now believed to be on par with factors like smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, Tawakol said. But little is known about how stress from anger, hostility, hopelessness or uncertainty might directly affect the heart, Tawakol said. Animal studies have suggested that stress can cause bone marrow to release inflammatory cells, which then increase inflammation in the arteries, he said. To see whether that happens in humans, researchers examined PET/CT scans for 293 patients, average age 55, who originally received the test between 2005 and 2008 for cancer screening but were found to be cancer-free. The scans allowed researchers to measure activity in regions of the brain, the bone marrow and arteries. Patients were excluded if they had evidence of cancer, established heart disease or were younger than 30 years old. During the five-year study, 22 patients experienced a heart attack or stroke. Researchers found that increased amygdala activity meant greater activity in the bone marrow and increased inflammation in arteries. Further, amygdala activity was linked to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Patients experienced a 14-fold greater risk of heart attack or stroke for every unit increase in measured brain stress activity, researchers said. The amygdala also affected the timing of a heart attack or stroke. "Individuals with an event within a year after imaging had the highest amygdala activity values," Tawakol said. People with the lowest amygdala activity went the longest before suffering a heart attack or stroke, the study found. Becker praised the study. "They [the study authors] were able to connect the dots from the brain to inflammation in the blood vessels to cardiovascular events," Becker said. "This is a very important contribution to helping us understand what stressors really mean to human health." These findings show the importance of stress relief in a person's life, be it through meditation, exercise, friendships or humor, Becker and Tawakol said. "For primary care physicians and cardiologists, we need to be more cognizant of how to gauge a patient's stress," Becker said. "We're very good at picking up when blood pressure is high and whether someone has diabetes, but we need increasing rigor in detecting a person's stress." But the study also hints at new strategies to head off stress-related heart attacks, the researchers said. For example, animal studies have shown that some beta blockers can reduce the amount of inflammatory cells produced by the bone marrow in response to stress, Tawakol said. However, knowing whether those results would be replicated in humans is a long way off. Data and conclusions presented at meetings are usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. More information For more on stress management, visit the American Heart Association. LONDON MARKET CLOSE: FTSE 100 ends higher; Mordaunt makes UK PM tilt Friday, October 21, 2022 - 17:22 The pound regained some poise on Friday afternoon but remained in precarious territory, after falling below the $1.11 mark in afternoon trade. The pound was quoted at $1.1203 at the close on Friday, down versus $1.1294 at the London equities close on Thursday. It hit an intraday low of $1.1063 not long after midday. Sterling was hurt by continued political uncertainty. Speculation about who will join Penny Mordaunt in throwing their hats in the ring in the race for Number 10 continues. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, one-time neighbours at Number 10 and 11 Downing Street - but now bitter rivals - have pockets of support from Tory MPs. Adding to the pressure on sterling, disappointing UK retail sales data showed a bigger-than-expected decline in September, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Retail sales fell 6.9% annually in September, with the decline accelerating from a 5.6% fall in August. It also was worse than FXStreet-cited market consensus, which had expected a fall of just 5%. The pound had initially found some support on Thursday after Liz Truss called an end to her disastrous tenure as prime minister - poking above $1.13 - but has since been dragged lower. The FTSE 100 index closed up 25.82 points, or 0.4%, at 6,969.73 - closing out the week up 1.6%. The FTSE 250 lost 182.38 points, or 1.1%, at 17,206.55, but still managed to gain 1.0% this week, and the AIM All-Share ended down 1.04 points, or 0.1% at 785.40 - but advanced 0.8% over the past five days. The Cboe UK 100 closed up 0.4% at 696.31, the Cboe UK 250 ended down 1.0% at 14,694.15, and the Cboe Small Companies lost 0.3% at 12,240.46. In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.9%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt gave back 0.3%. The Tories have begun to declare their allegiances in the party's second leadership contest of the year as speculation mounts over who will seek to replace Truss at the helm of the party. Supporters of Johnson are backing the former prime minister to make an extraordinary political comeback, while ex-chancellor Sunak and Commons Leader Mordaunt also have the public support of several MPs. Mordaunt become the first to declare her candidacy, with a pledge to re-unite the bitterly divided party. The leader of the House who finished third in the last leadership election said she had been encouraged by the support she had received from fellow Conservative MPs. There has also been no declaration yet from Sunak, who did not answer questions from reporters as he left his home on Friday morning. Whoever does win will face an immediate test, choosing whether to go ahead with the planned Halloween statement setting out how the government intends to get the public finances back on track, Downing Street has said. Work is continuing in Whitehall, led by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, in preparation for the medium-term fiscal plan to be announced on October 31 along with an updated set of economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility. However, a Number 10 spokeswoman said it would be up to Liz Truss's successor to decide whether to proceed with that approach and with the same timetable. In London, blue chip miners helped push FTSE 100 higher. Glencore gained 3.6%, Anglo American 3.1%, Antofagasta 2.7%, and Rio Tinto added 1.6%. Retailers, however, were showing weakness after the disappointing UK retail sales data. A profit warning from Adidas did nothing to help the mood either. JD Sports closed down 6.1%, Frasers 4.0%, Burberry 2.2%, and Next shed 2.9%. On Thursday, Adidas lowered annual guidance as it struggles with "deteriorating traffic" in China and high inventory levels. The sports apparel maker said it has needed to turn to "higher clearance activity" to try and shift stock. It lost 9.0% in Frankfurt. Deliveroo gained 3.6%. The London-based online food delivery service said gross transaction values rose 8.3% annually in the third quarter to 1.70 billion from 1.57 billion, though orders fell by 1.1% to 72.8 million from 73.6 million. Deliveroo said the decline in orders was due to a difficult consumer environment. With economic data on Friday showing that UK consumer confidence remains near record lows, this seems unlikely to change anytime soon. InterContinental Hotels gave back 2.2% but reported strong revenue growth in the third quarter to September 30, saying that high global employment levels are boosting occupancy levels. Revenue per available room, or RevPAR, rose 28% year-on-year and now exceeds its pre-pandemic level, being up 2.7% on the third quarter of 2019. In the third quarter of 2022, the average daily rate increased by 13% compared to a year ago and was up 11% on 2019. Chief Financial Officer & Head of Strategy Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson will leave the company in six months time to become CFO of Flutter Entertainment in the first half of 2023. IHG has started the process of finding a new CFO. The euro stood at $0.9802 Friday evening, down against $0.9822 at the close on Thursday. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP148.03, compared to JP149.77 late Thursday. The yen was staging a fightback after the open on Wall Street, after nearly hitting JP152 during the Asia session. Stocks in New York opened higher on Friday, with the DJIA up 1.1%, the S&P 500 index up 0.9%, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.6% higher. Brent oil was quoted at $92.84 a barrel late Friday, down from $93.29 late Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1,643.70 an ounce Friday, up against $1,641.90 from Thursday. In the international economics events calendar next week, Monday will be dominated by a slew of composite PMIs, with Japan overnight followed by Germany, eurozone and the UK in the morning then the US in the afternoon. A quiet Tuesday will be headlined by a US house price index. On Wednesday, there is Chinese GDP, retail sales and industrial production overnight, then on Thursday attention will be on the European Central Bank interest rate decision at 1315 BST. Friday will be headlined by a Bank of Japan rate decision. In the local corporate calendar on Monday, there are half-year results from Dr Martens, while education publishing firm Pearson will issue a third quarter update. Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. The 450,000 personnel in the Egyptian military are having morale problems because of the growing popularity of conservative Islam. Since 2013 that has led to growing violence by Islamic conservative troops against less religious Moslems and especially against non-Moslems. This had led to beatings, brawls and at least six cases where non-Moslem troops died in what was reported as suicides but many believed it was murder. Egypt's considerable Coptic Christian minority has long been grossly underrepresented, and often mistreated, within the Egyptian Army. Copts are often singled out for discrimination by the police and public in civilian life, but beatings, ill-treatment, and sometimes outright torture are becoming increasingly common against army conscripts by Islamic conservative troops. Sometimes these beatings are motivated by a desire to force Copt recruits to convert to Islam, sometimes they occur just out of discriminatory attitudes. Copts are about ten percent of the population and have maintained their Christianity for nearly 2,000 years. The recent increase in violence dates back to the 2011 revolution. While not responsible for that revolution the Moslem Brotherhood took advantage of it and managed to get a likeminded politician elected to run the country. That did not last long and the Islamic president was ousted in 2013. One of the reasons for this popular opposition to Islamic conservatism was growing violence by members of the Moslem Brotherhood. This group openly demands that the Copts should get out of Egypt or convert to Islam. Since 2013 over a hundred churches have been attacked by Brotherhood supporters and thousands of Christians injured. The Moslem Brotherhood members responsible for this consider themselves Islamic moderates and condemn Islamic terrorism. They dont consider violence against Copts or other non-Moslems as a crime, but a religious obligation. The Islamic terrorist groups in the region are not making a comeback but they are trying hard to stay visible. Unlike other parts of the world, the various Islamic terror factions are not fighting each other in Mali but they are competing for headlines and attention (which equals new recruits and cash). In Mali and neighboring states most of the Islamic terrorists belong to AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb). This includes local affiliates like Ansar Dine and several new (and quite small) Islamic terror groups in central and southern Mali. AQIM operates throughout North Africa (which Arab speakers call the Maghreb) but is currently suffering losses as personnel defect to ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), especially in Libya. This sort of thing is happening all over the Islamic world as the more fanatic Islamic terrorists seek to identify with what appears to be the most successful Islamic terrorist group at the moment. Given the many setbacks ISIL has suffered in the last year AQIM is holding its own in Africa but the two groups are trying to outdo each other in gaining media attention. This is done by launching attacks on Westerners, especially hotels where foreign journalists live. That guarantees massive headlines and lots of young Moslem men, especially in the West, encouraged to become active supporters. In Mali this means raising cash and seeking recruits to organize and carry out attacks in the more populous, and more hostile to Islamic terrorism, south. In the north the French led counter-terrorism operation has created a very hostile atmosphere for the remaining Islamic terrorists. AQIM was disappointed with how little media attention they got from targeting non-Moslems in Mali. Three percent of Malians are Christian. In general Islamic terrorists will seek out and threaten or attack Christians wherever they can find them. Islamic terrorists believe Islamic scripture compels them to convert, kill or expel all non-Moslems they can reach. This has led to most Christians in north have already been driven from their homes. Extending this form of terror to the south is more difficult because the Christians down there have more powerful allies in the form of family or tribesmen who are Moslem, tolerant and loyal. That, plus the disinterest of Western media about this sort of thing has made the Islamic terrorists concentrate on what the mass media does find interesting. In central Mali the government has managed to convince many (200 or more) of the radicalized Fulani men to abandon Islamic terrorism and accept an amnesty. This was done with the help of local religious and tribal leaders who largely agree that AQIM in particular and Islamic terrorism in general will do nothing to help the Fulani tribes that dominate the area. The Islamic terrorist violence here is centered on the town of Mopti which is 450 kilometers northeast of the capital and has been the scene of growing Islamic terrorist violence since 2012. Thats when Islamic radicalism from the north began showing up in central Mali. This got started as several pro-Islamic terrorism Islamic clerics began preaching support for Islamic terrorism. After the Islamic terrorists lost control of the north in 2013 the government sought to shut down any other pro-Islamic terror activity in the south. That included the drug smuggling and other criminal activity the Islamic terror groups use to sustain themselves. These problems are particularly acute among the Fulani people in central Mali. This is largely the Mopti region and that includes the market town of Mopti at the junction of the Niger and Bani rivers. Over 90 percent of Malians live south of Mopti. There are some twenty million Fulani living in the Sahel (the semi-desert area between the Sahara and the jungle) and some of those in northern Nigeria have become involved in Islamic terrorism via the local Islamic terror group Boko Haram. There are over two million Fulani in Mali and the name of a new Islamic terror group in the south (FLM for Macina Liberation Front) openly identifies with the Fulani (Macina are the local branch of the Fulani). This group became active in early 2015 and claimed responsibility for several attacks since. It started out with calls for Fulani people to live according to strict Islamic rules. That in turn led to violence against tribal and village leaders who opposed this. That escalated to attacks on businesses and government facilities. FLM is composed mostly of young Fulani men and is associated with Ansar Dine (which is largely Tuareg and funded by smuggling profits). Although most Malians are Moslem, few want anything to do with Islamic terrorism and Boko Haram is seen as a major mistake and not welcome at all in Mali. But the Fulani have always seen themselves as a people apart, an attitude common with the nomadic peoples of the Sahel. The Fulani believe they originally migrated from North Africa and the Middle East. Fulai have lighter skin, thinner lips and straighter hair than other black Africans in sub-Saharan Africa and are also Moslem. Most sub-Saharan Africans are Christian or follow ancient local religions but in Mali nearly everyone is Moslem. Fulani have also been involved with smuggling for a long time, in large part because many are still nomadic and the Fulani dont really believe in borders. Despite these differences the Mali government took advantage of the fact that the Fulani have lived at peace in Mali for a long time and in nearby Nigeria Boko Haram has brought nothing but death, destruction and misery. The radical Fulani clerics were shut down and there was not enough popular support to replace them. The government hopes to get all the radicalized Fulani to abandon Islamic terrorism but it is expected some will refuse and if that number is small enough it will remain a police problem not a threat. March 21, 2016: In the capital (Bamako) four AQIM gunmen attacked a hotel compound used by EU (European Union) military trainers. The Czech troops on guard quickly stopped the attack by killing one of the attackers and causing the others (possibly including one suicide bomber) to flee. Within 48 hours police had arrested 19 suspects, including two believed to have participated. March 13, 2016: In the south, across the border in Ivory Coast AQIM attacked a beach resort and left 18 dead. AQIM affiliate Ansar Dine took credit and has long been active in Ivory Coast and maintained camps near the Mali border that were locally recruited Islamic terrorists who often attempted raids into Mali. These have largely failed but these bases were also used to plan terror attacks in both countries. AQIM attacks where it finds the best opportunities. March 10, 2016: In the north (around Gao) two rival Tuareg clans (the Imghads and Daoussak) have finally agreed to a peace deal. These two groups have been fighting for a long time and in the past year there have been over a hundred casualties. At the moment getting the Tuareg to settle their internal disputes and disagreements with the central government are seen as the best way to bring peace to the north. The Tuareg are the majority up there and most of them are hostile to Islamic terrorism as well as what they perceive as government mistreatment. The peace making strategy in the north has been working but it is slow going. March 1, 2016: France confirmed that French special operations troops in northern Mali had recently killed a wanted Spanish Moslem (Abu al Nur al Andalusi) who had become a prominent AQIM leader (mainly by appearing on the Internet to call on other European Moslems to join him). The French commandos in northern Mali (and the surrounding region) concentrate on Islamic terrorist leaders and have had a lot of success in finding and killing (or occasionally capturing) them. When killed or captured an AQIM finds that Internet fame can backfire as potential followers note the short careers of these fabricated heroes. The government believes it has driven ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) out of all the villages it controlled in the east, near the Pakistan border. ISIL was attracting many of the most fanatic Islamic terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan and at its peak in 2015 was believed to have as many as 3,000 members, most of them in Afghanistan. These men are attracted to the ISIL view of the world. For example ISIL insists that the Pakistani military controls the Afghan Taliban as well as Islamic terrorist groups based in Pakistan that mainly operate inside India. These accusations are nothing new but they are the reason ISIL considers Pakistan un-Islamic and worthy of some lethal retribution delivered by ISIL. To underscore that ISIL has been carrying out suicide bomber attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So far there have been few such attacks because ISIL is under attack by Afghan and Pakistani security forces as well as rival Islamic terrorist groups. For most of 2015 ISIL has been trying to establish a base area in eastern Afghanistan (mainly Nangarhar Province) but that has led to constant skirmishing with Pakistani Taliban hiding out there. The local tribes are also largely hostile to ISIL and all this has provided better intel for the security forces on what ISIL is up to and exactly where they are. Some of the tribes used their own militias to fight ISIL but more often just helped villages set up defenses to keep ISIL out. This cooperation (and information) led to more effective and frequent American air strikes and raids by Afghan troops and American commandos and hundreds of ISIL men have been killed and many more wounded. Many of the wounded desert and there are fewer new volunteers. ISIL is hanging on but is now out of all the 22 villages it occupied at the start of the year. ISIL is not dead in Afghanistan but it isnt growing much either. There may still be a thousand or more living rough up in the hills and they can survive there until the cold weather returns. These remaining ISIL get little sympathy from the locals, many of whom have bitter stories to tell of harsh ISIL rule that included beheadings of most who resisted and imposition of strict lifestyle rules. This included closing all secular schools as well as religious schools and mosques that did not enthusiastically support ISIL. These lurid (and often true) stories are circulating throughout eastern Afghanistan making the region a no-go zone for ISIL. The fighting in Nangarhar will continue this year, mainly in an effort to keep ISIL out of any towns or villages. There are some ISIL members operating in Pakistan, which is an even more hostile environment for them because of the same hostility towards ISIL tactics and behavior in general. Since ISIL considers all other Islamic terror groups enemies it is finding enemies everywhere. The Afghan government reported that in the last year security forces had killed nearly 2,000 terrorists and criminals in Nangarhar province alone and arrested nearly a thousand. About a third of those arrested were drug smugglers or dealers. Those in the drug business are less likely to fight to the death, as ISIL men are prone to do. Senior American commanders in Afghanistan and back in the United States agree with their Afghan counterparts that a sharp increase (by 15,000 or more troops) in American combat forces could be essential if brought into Afghanistan this year. While the Taliban is pushing the army out of parts of Helmand province the Islamic terrorists are on the defensive most everywhere else. Part of this is because of a civil war within the Taliban and the continued threat from ISIL. In particular the Afghans want more American combat aircraft and helicopters along with more intelligence, electronic surveillance and special operations troops. In short the Afghans want a lot of the specialized support that the Afghan army misses the most since American combat troops left in 2014. The current American government has opposed sending a lot of combat forces back to Afghanistan and the current plan is to cut the current force of 9,800 (mostly trainers and advisors) to 5,500 by the end of the year. In Helmand the drug gangs are not only paying the Taliban to fight harder but also helping with specialists and supplies of weapons, ammo and equipment. As a result five of fourteen districts are now under Taliban/drug gang control. These districts are the ones in the north that have long contained many key drug production facilities. The government still controls some towns and roads but the Taliban have the access and territory they and the drug gangs want. In the rest of the country there are 22 other districts where the Taliban, drug gangs or other outlaw groups control most of the district. Thus some six percent of the 407 districts are not controlled by the government. The long-sought peace talks with the Taliban seem to be dead although the government is still talking with some non-Taliban terrorist leaders. Some Taliban factions are still negotiating but not the Taliban as a whole. For one thing the Taliban are even more divided than ever and some factions are fighting each other. Then there is the issue of Pakistani domination which Pakistan (very much in favor of a negotiated peace) denies even though Pakistan created the Taliban and now admits that it has provided a sanctuary across the border from Helmand since 2002. The current Taliban civil war has led several prominent Taliban to talk openly about continued Pakistani influence over and support of the organization. The main Taliban dissident faction denied that their leader, Mullah Rasool, had been arrested in Pakistan. The Afghan security forces are taking heavy losses but are holding up so far. American aid covers pay and other necessities but too many years of heavy fighting is more than most men can stand. The majority of Afghans oppose the drug gangs and the Taliban but also want peace after nearly four decades of war. March 22, 2016: In the east (Nangarhar Province) two American UAVs missile attacks in the last two days left at least ten ISIL men dead. March 14, 2016: In the east (Nangarhar province) twelve ISIL men died and 21 were wounded when one of their bombs went off prematurely. This is a sign that the U.S. tactic of finding and going after leaders and technical specialists of terror groups. The success of this reveals itself in things like badly made bombs and poorly organized operations in general. March 12, 2016: In the west (Herat) troops have killed over 40 Taliban in the last few days. The army was taking advantage of the fighting between rival Taliban factions that has been going on here since December. This has left hundreds of Taliban dead and even as this infighting continues the army is moving to oust Taliban from areas the Islamic terrorists long controlled directly or indirectly. This fighting has also spread to neighboring Badghis amd Farah provinces. The Taliban civil war is the result of disagreement over who should take over as Taliban leader after founder Mullah Omar was revealed in 2015 to have died in 2013 (in a Pakistani hospital). The information was kept to a few key Omar associates who are now accused of doing this as part of a plot to install an Omar successor who was second-rate. The civil war began in late November 2015 when Mullah Mansour, leader of the OT (Original Taliban) ordered attacks against the forces of rival Taliban leader Mullah Rasool. This marks a major defeat for the Taliban as they have now lost a major asset; unity. Similar fighting has also occurred in Zabul and Farah and provinces. March 8, 2016: Afghanistan accused Pakistan of allowing their armed helicopters to cross into Afghan territory (Kunar province) to continue attacking Islamic terrorists. Pakistan insists its helicopters remained in Pakistani air space. This might be complicated by the fact that there is no agreement on exactly where the border is in northwest Pakistan. March 5, 2016: In the north (Kunduz Province) Tajikistan reported that one of its border guards was killed during a clash with armed Afghan men illegally crossing the border. One of the Afghans was also killed and the rest retreated back into Afghanistan. Tajikistan is part of one of the major smuggling routes for Afghan heroin. March 2, 2016: In the east (Nangarhar province) Islamic terrorists tried to attack the Indian consulate but failed. Four of the attackers died and eight people in the vicinity were wounded. ISIL was believed responsible, as they were for a January Indian consulate attack. Erica Utsi conducting GPR survey of William Shakespeares grave, which is the smaller square stone to the right of the yellow tape measure lying on the floor. Photo: Channel 4/Secret History: Shakespeares Tomb. AN unprecedented investigation of Shakespeares grave filmed for TV has convinced a professional archaeologist that the Bards skull is no longer in his burial place at Holy Trinity Church. This gives weight to a story published in 1879 that the playwrights skull was stolen from his tomb by trophy hunters in 1794. But the finding from a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scan was immediately dismissed by the Reverend Patrick Taylor, the Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, who says there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the skull had been removed. The facial reconstruction of the skull at St Leonards in Beoley that some previously believed to be that of William Shakespeare is in fact that of an unknown woman who died in her 70s, according to the research team. Photos: Channel 4/Secret History: Shakespeares Tomb. Meanwhile, a suggestion that Shakespeares skull had been discovered at St Leonards Church in the Worcestershire village of Beoley, 15 miles away, has been found to be false. The results revealed that this skull belonged to an unknown woman who was in her 70s when she died. The results of the first-ever archaeological search of the Bards grave will be broadcast by Channel 4 on Saturday at 8pm in a documentary called Secret History: Shakespeares Tomb. It will be presented by Cambridge historian Dr Helen Castor. The investigation of the grave was led by Kevin Colls, archaeological project manager at Staffordshire University, and leading geophysicist Erica Utsi. Channel 4 issued a statement yesterday (Wednesday) declaring that they made a number of important discoveries which, together with Mr Colls wider investigations, have led him to conclude: We have Shakespeares burial with an odd disturbance at the head end and we have a story that suggests that at some point in history someones come in and taken the skull of Shakespeare. Its very, very convincing to me that his skull isnt at Holy Trinity at all. The main findings are: There is evidence of a mysterious and significant repair to the head end of William Shakespeares grave, leading to Kevin Colls theory that this localised repair was needed to correct a sinking of the floor, possibly caused by a previous disturbance to the grave. - Mr Colls believes these findings give new credence to a story published in The Argosy magazine in 1879, hitherto dismissed as fiction, which claimed that Shakespeares skull was stolen from his shallow grave by trophy hunters in 1794. The GPR survey found that William Shakespeare, his wife Anne Hathaway and other members of the family, whose ledger (grave) stones lie beside his, were not buried in a large family vault deep underground, as has long been thought, but in shallow graves beneath the church floor. William Shakespeares and Anne Hathaways graves are less than a metre deep. William Shakespeares grave was found to be significantly longer than his short stone, extending west towards the head end, making it the same size as, and in line with, the other family graves. (Annes grave is also longer than her stone suggests.) The GPR also found no evidence of metal in the area of the grave, such as coffin nails. This suggests Shakespeare and his family were not buried in coffins but simply wrapped in winding sheets, or shrouds, and buried in soil. Mr Colls said: With projects such as this, you never really know what you might find, and of course there are so many contradictory myths and legends about the tomb of the Bard. The amazing project team, using state-of-the-art equipment, has produced astonishing results which are much better than I dared hoped for, and these results will undoubtedly spark discussion, scholarly debate and controversial theories for years to come. Even now, thinking of the findings sends shivers down my spine. The Rev Taylor told the Herald: Holy Trinity Church were pleased to be able to cooperate with this non-intrusive research into Shakespeares grave. We now know much more about how Shakespeare was buried and the structure that lies underneath his ledger stone. We are not convinced, however, that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that his skull has been taken. We intend to continue to respect the sanctity of his grave, in accordance with Shakespeares wishes, and not allow it to be disturbed. We shall have to live with the mystery of not knowing fully what lies beneath the stone. Secret History: Shakespeares Tomb has been made for Channel 4 by Arrow Media. Bill Ackman's Pershing Square updated investors on Valeant Pharma (NYSE: VRX) in its annual report to holders. The fund said while confidence can vaporize quickly, it also can be restored rapidly when appropriate governance, oversight, and management issues are addressed properly. Tjheu believe that when the 10-K is filed, new leadership is identified, and the market understands that Valeant has adopted a new approach to communicating with the public, investor confidence will be restored and the stock should trade at a price which better reflects its business fundamentals. Business is fundamentally about trust and confidence. Without trust and confidence, business value can vaporize quickly. Valeant Pharmaceuticals is a case in point. Since its high in August 2015, Valeants stock price has declined 87%. During the week of March 14, 2016, the stock declined 58% as shareholders dumped Valeant stock regardless of fundamental value for fear the company would lose access to capital. The loss of confidence was caused by a combination of questions raised about Valeants accounting, drug pricing, government investigations, reduced earnings guidance for 2016, and a near total information vacuum compounded by continued attacks from critics, the media, and short sellers. Without access to adequate information from the company, shareholders had no choice but to assume the worst. Owning Valeant was perceived to be a career-ending decision going into the weekend for most investment managers. In order to protect our investment and help stabilize the company, we implemented a straightforward plan. First, we put ourselves in a position of influence and gained access to inside information. Steve Fraidin, our Vice Chairman, was invited to join the board on March 9th along with two other new directors: Dr. Fred Eshelman, a pharmaceutical industry entrepreneur, and Thomas W. Ross, former president of UNC and a former Superior Court judge. Since Tuesday of last week, beginning a few hours after Valeants earnings call, two members of PSCMs investment team have been spending time at Valeant so that we can have a better understanding of the companys operating performance, verify managements revenue, earnings and cash flow guidance for 2016 and build our own financial model for the company. Bill Ackman attended board meetings as an observer beginning on Thursday and through the weekend, and officially joined the board on Monday morning. We have been given access to information and to management necessary for us to conduct due diligence and assist the company. The new board worked collaboratively over the weekend to understand the conclusions to date of the Ad Hoc Committees investigation of Valeants accounting and to discuss CEO Mike Pearsons continued candidacy as CEO. On Monday morning, the company filed a press release and 8-K that announced: 1) CEO Mike Pearson will be stepping down as CEO once a new CEO is identified; 2) Bill Ackman joined the board; 3) The Ad Hoc Committee's investigation of accounting issues is nearing completion, and does not anticipate additional issues that have financial statement implications; 4) Valeant will restate certain past period results for $58 million of revenue booked in Q4 2014 when it should have been recognized in Q1 2015; 5) The company is expected to file its 10-K no later than April 29, 2016, which is within the cure period for the companys outstanding bank debt and bond obligations; 6) The company will seek an extension from its banks to file in the event there are further delays; and 7) The company explained the reasons for its delayed 10-K filing. Steve Fraidin, along with the audit committee, management and the companys advisors, has worked to assist the company in completing its 10-K filing by April 29th, within the cure period for both the companys bank facilities (without regard to any extension created by the bank waiver process) and outstanding bond indebtedness. This is a work in process, but the company is committed to meeting its goal. One of the greatest threats to the companys performance is the morale issues created by a collapsing stock price, constant attacks in the media, and the inherent uncertainty of the events of the last few months. Senior management has done a good job retaining talent and it is imperative that the company continues to do so. On Monday afternoon, Valeants Chairman Bob Ingram, CEO Mike Pearson, and Bill Ackman spoke with Valeant employees at its Bridgewater, N.J., United States headquarters and explained how appreciative the board and shareholders are of their willingness to work hard and stay focused under difficult conditions, and to answer any questions that they may have. We believe that Mondays announcements will begin to calm the 22,000 people who work for Valeant as the inherent uncertainty of the situation has diminished significantly and the stock price has begun to rise. While trust and confidence can vaporize quickly, it also can be restored rapidly when appropriate governance, oversight, and management issues are addressed properly. We believe that when the 10-K is filed, new leadership is identified, and the market understands that Valeant has adopted a new approach to communicating with the public, investor confidence will be restored and the stock should trade at a price which better reflects its business fundamentals. By Abhirup Roy (Reuters) - Accenture Plc raised its full-year net revenue forecast well above analysts' expectations and reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, led by strong growth in its consulting business, especially in North America. Shares of the company, whose competitors include IBM Corp and India's Infosys Ltd and Tata Consultancy Services, rose as much as 5.1 percent to a record high of $113.18 in early trading on Thursday. Accenture has been investing heavily to boost its digital business, which offers analytics, content management, social media and cloud services to businesses. "The company is very well positioned for newer, more discretionary projects, particularly around digital initiatives, where it's certainly taking share," Atlantic Equities analyst Christopher Hickey said. Accenture is also less exposed to the healthcare and banking industries than some of its competitors, Hickey told Reuters. The company, which is incorporated in Ireland, said it now expected full-year net revenue to increase by 8-10 percent in local currency terms, up from its previous estimate of 6-9 percent. That implies revenue of $33.53 billion-$34.15 billion, well above the average analyst estimate of $32.20 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue in the company's consulting division rose to $4.29 billion in the second quarter ended Feb. 29, an increase of 12 percent in dollar terms and 18 percent in local currency. The business accounted for a little more than half of Accenture's revenue, with the rest coming from its outsourcing business. Outsourcing revenue was $3.65 billion, flat in dollar terms but up 6 percent in local currency. Accenture's shares were up 3.3 percent at $111.29 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Up to Wednesday's close, Accenture's stock had risen nearly 18 percent in the past 12 months compared with a 0.5 percent increase in the S&P 500 IT Services index. Net revenue, or revenue before reimbursements, rose 6 percent in dollar terms and 12 percent in local currency terms, to $7.95 billion in the latest quarter. Net income attributable to Accenture rose to $1.33 billion, or $2.08 per share, from $690.7 million, or $1.08 per share in the year-earlier period. Excluding items, the company earned $1.34 per share. Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.18 per share and revenue of $7.72 billion. (Reporting by Abhirup Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Ted Kerr) Winnebago Industries (NYSE: WGO) reported Q2 EPS of $0.53, $0.20 better than the analyst estimate of $0.33. Revenue for the quarter came in at $225.7 million versus the consensus estimate of $233.34 million. President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Happe commented, Since arriving in mid-January, I have enjoyed the privilege of actively engaging with many of Winnebago's employees, dealers, and our Board of Directors. All are extremely committed to building a stronger future for this iconic brand, leveraging an already impressive legacy. While we are pleased with the improved profitability delivered this quarter and the strong continued momentum of our Towables business, we are mindful of lower motorized revenues against the industry's strong fundamentals. Our motorized team will continue to focus on delivering the industry's highest level of product quality while working to create sustainable, increased levels of manufacturing output. With the success of recent new products, a current robust backlog, and ongoing investments in new systems and facilities, we believe we have a strong foundation to continue to build future value for our dealers, customers, and shareholders. For earnings history and earnings-related data on Winnebago Industries (WGO) click here. Bill Ackman's Pershing Square updated investors on Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) in its annual report to holders. In it, Ackman said while analysts and some media reports argue the recent 10-K FTC disclosure means Herbalife is on the brink of a favourable settlement with regulators, which caused the companys stock price to rise, they believe the facts will prove otherwise. They do not believe the FTC will deliver a "slap on the wrist". He said if the FTC were to let Herbalife off the hook, which they view as unlikely, then all pyramid schemes will be allowed to flourish nationwide and globally. From the report: Recent developments continue to confirm that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme. Recently, an internal HLF video of CEO Michael Johnson surfaced in which he admits to the critical importance of recruiting to the business model. We believe that the video provides useful additional evidence to regulators of the recruiting-driven nature of HLFs business model. Despite a recent press report to the contrary, regulatory investigations are continuing, as evidenced by HLFs consistent disclosure about a Department of Justice investigation and requests for certain information addressed to HLFs distributors, management, and others. Over the last three years, HLF has spent ~$109 million defending itself and responding to government inquiries, yet it still refuses to collect retail sales data which, if they existed, could help the companys defense. In its 10K, filed February 25th 2016, Herbalife added a new disclosure about the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The Company is currently in discussions with the FTC regarding a potential resolution of these matters. The possible range of outcomes include the filing by the FTC of a contested civil complaint, further discussions leading to a settlement which could include a monetary payment and other relief or the closure of these matters without action. The Company is cooperating with the investigation and at this time it is difficult to predict the timing, and the likely outcome, of these matters. Moreover, no assurances can be given that the outcome of these matters will not have a material adverse impact on the Companys business operations, its financial condition or its results of operations. At the present time, the Company is unable to estimate a range of potential loss, if any, relating to these matters. (Source: Form 10-K, pg. 100) While analysts and some media reports argue the above disclosure means Herbalife is on the brink of a favourable settlement with regulators, which caused the companys stock price to rise, we believe the facts will prove otherwise. Herbalife has settled with regulators and litigants many times in its history. Despite these regulatory actions and settlements, HLFs business model has only gotten more aggressive in incentivizing its distributors to recruit at the expense of retail sales, and its distributor failure rate remains constant. We do not believe the FTC will deliver a slap on the wrist in light of the enormous harm Herbalife inflicts on its victims, which will continue if it is not forced to stop its pyramidal practices. HLFs high profile over the last three years will subject the FTCs resolution of the Herbalife investigation to a high degree of public scrutiny. If the FTC were to let Herbalife off the hook an unlikely event in our view then all pyramid schemes will be allowed to flourish nationwide and globally. Without the inventory loading that is inspired by the incentives of Herbalifes marketing plan and the deception used to induce unwitting novice entrepreneurs to pursue the so-called business opportunity, we believe the companys business fundamentals will collapse. In 2015, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission began proceedings against another multi-level marketer (MLM) called Vemma. The complaint and preliminary injunction against Vemma provide a potential roadmap for FTC action against Herbalife. We believe that Herbalife would not survive if a court applied the same restrictions on HLF which were imposed upon Vemma. Pershing Square has published a detailed side-by-side comparison on our website www.FactsAboutHerbalife.com showing that Vemma and Herbalife share strikingly similar business policies and practices. On another front, New York Senator Jeff Klein, in conjunction with Public Advocate Letitia James and a non-profit organization called Make The Road New York, released a highly critical report on Herbalife, concluding that its distributors are running an illegal pyramid scheme. Senator Klein has proposed New York State legislation that would amend the New York State General Business Law to protect consumers from the abusive practices of Herbalife and similar MLMs. From a financial perspective, HLFs operating results in 2015 deteriorated. Reported revenue declined 9.9% in 2015 as low-single-digit organic growth met with substantial FX headwinds. China was and continues to be the bright spot in Herbalifes financial performance, growing 29.8% organically in 2015. Excluding China, local currency net sales declined 1.3% in 2015. Herbalife reported somewhat improved performance in Q4 (posting positive ~6% currency-adjusted revenue growth ex-China) as the business appeared to have stabilized in certain markets. Management has guided to mid-single-digit 2016 constant currency revenue growth and currency neutral EPS growth of -3% to +6%. HLFs 2016 EPS guidance of $4.05 - $4.50 implies realized EPS growth of -19% to -10%. HLF continues to point to changes to the business model as the reason for a temporary reset, but we note that member trends continue to be negative. Slowing growth in new Sales Leaders continues to weigh on Herbalifes ability to recruit new members, and constant churn has caused the total member base to flat-line. The pyramid is no longer growing. Recently, HLF was forced to restate downward a business metric that it calls Active New Members, which it claims shows engagement by distributors. The company introduced this metric on its Q2 2015 earnings call in conjunction with deterioration in overall recruitment but has never defined what the term Active New Members means or how it is calculated, nor how or when members become inactive. HLF explained the recent restatement by saying that Active New Members is a non-GAAP measure that does not appear in its financial statements. While the company is now making light of the importance of this measure, it previously has trumpeted the increases in this metric as an indication of future growth potential. Irrespective of the revised Active New Member disclosure, the number of total new members recruited each quarter has been on a downtrend, declining ~20% from 599,012 in Q1 2014 to 485,142 in Q4 2015. Pyramid schemes, like Ponzi schemes, require new recruits to replace exiting victims. For the first time in many years, Herbalife is having trouble replacing failed distributors with new recruits. The treadmill now appears to be moving faster than the runner. Despite weak operating performance, robust multiple expansion yielded a total return of 42% for HLF shares in 2015 after a 52% decline in 2014. At its current stock price (in the low-$60s) HLF stock trades at 15 times 2016 earnings guidance. We believe that this price assigns little to no downside for an adverse regulatory outcome, nor is it justified by a business of HLFs poor quality. As a result, we believe that HLF currently represents an extremely attractive risk-reward for short sellers. Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier The board earmarked $1.54 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the dredge, designed to keep channels open and supply sand to nourish eroding beaches up and down the York County coast and beyond. William Ackman, founder and CEO of hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management, speaks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York in this May 4, 2015, file photo. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Files BOSTON (Reuters) - Billionaire investor William Ackman, whose hedge fund is one of the biggest investors in drug company Valeant, has been asked to supply information to U.S. legislators probing price hikes in the pharmaceutical industry. Ackman told investors in his Pershing Square Capital Management on Thursday that the firm received a request on Friday from the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging as part of an investigation into pricing of off-patent drugs. "As you would expect, we will fully cooperate with the committee's requests," Ackman wrote in the letter seen by Reuters. The letter did not say the request is directly related to Valeant, but the Canadian company has sparked outrage among U.S. lawmakers and the public in the last months for having pushed through dramatic price hikes on older drugs. Valeant did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. In February, Valeant's interim chief executive officer testified before Congress, acknowledging that the company's decision to raise the price for two heart medications, Isuprel and Nitropress, was too aggressive. Ackman formally joined Valeant's board on Monday and appeared to be taking full control of overhauling the company by promising to file a delayed annual report by the end of next month and finding a new chief executive. Ackman's Pershing Square owns a 9 percent stake in Valeant and has lost billions, on paper, as the company's stock price tumbled some 85 percent in the last year amid questions about its pricing strategy plus its business and accounting practices. This week Valeant said Michael Pearson, its long-time chief executive officer and the architect of the firm's aggressive mergers and acquisitions strategy, will be leaving the firm as soon as the board finds a replacement. Ackman told investors that he dispatched two of his staffers to Valeant's Bridgewater, New Jersey headquarters immediately after a disastrous earnings call on March 15 where the company cut its forecasts and said it could be close to default. The letter was attached to the firm's annual report which said there are no plans to abandon the firm's strategy of making concentrated bets on a small number of companies even after last year's poor performance. So far this year, Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings fund has lost 25 percent, largely because of the drop in Valeant which is down nearly 70 percent this year. (This version of the story has been refiled to remove an extra word in the first paragraph.) (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Meredith Mazzilli) A young woman walks towards a stage to be photographed while applying for a job as a Playboy bunny during a casting in Monterrey August 7, 2013. PREUTERS/Daniel Becerril By Mike Stone (Reuters) - Playboy Enterprises [ICONAP.UL], the owner of Playboy magazine, is exploring a sale, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, in a move that comes after the storied magazine stopped publishing nude photos of women and put up the iconic Playboy Mansion up for sale. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, said the company could be valued at more than $500 million. (http://on.wsj.com/1LKhZ8R) Hugh Hefner, who founded Playboy in 1953, took the company private in 2011, along with private equity firm Rizvi Traverse Management, in a deal that valued the company at $207 million. In February, the company stopped publishing nude photos, saying they had become outdated due to the plethora of free pornography on the Internet. Circulation of Playboy, also known for its bunny ears, has dropped from about 5.6 million in 1975 to around 800,000 in recent years. Investment bank Moelis & Co (NYSE: MC) is advising Playboy on the sale, the source told Reuters. The company in January put up the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles for sale for $200 million, making it one of the highest asking prices for a private residence in the United States. Playboy Enterprises was not immediately available for comment, while and Moelis & Co declined to comment. (Reporting by Mike Stone in New York; Additional reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) VANCOUVER, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Canfor Pulp Products Inc. (TSX: CFX) will hold its Annual General Meeting at 11:00 AM PDT Wednesday, April 27, 2016 in Prince George, BC at the Prince George Playhouse, 2833 Recreation Place. Canfor Pulp Products Inc. will hold a joint conference call with Canfor Corporation (TSX: CFP) on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 8:00 AM PDT to discuss their respective first quarter 2016 financial and operating results. To participate in the call, please dial one of the following numbers: Toll-Free Access: 888-390-0546Access: 416-764-8688 Let the operator know you wish to participate in the Canfor conference call. Following management's discussion of the quarterly results, the analyst and investment community will be invited to ask questions. For Instant Replay Access please dial one of the following numbers and enterToll-Free Access: 888-390-0541Participant Pass Code: 507712#Recording available until: May 12, 2016 The conference call will be available live at www.canfor.com. Canfor Pulp Products Inc. is a leading global supplier of pulp and paper products with operations in the central interior of British Columbia employing approximately 1,300 people throughout the organization. Canfor Pulp owns and operates three mills in Prince George, BC with a total capacity of 1.1 million tonnes of Premium Reinforcing Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp and 140,000 tonnes of kraft paper, as well as one mill in Taylor, BC with an annual production capacity of 220,000 tonnes of Bleached Chemi-Thermo Mechanical Pulp ("BCTMP"). Canfor Pulp is the largest North American and one of the largest global producers of market NBSK Pulp. CPPI shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CFX. SOURCE Canfor Pulp Products Inc. VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Dassault Systemes (Paris: DSY) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) announces that the Board of Directors held on March 17, 2016 decided to propose to the next General Meeting of Shareholders of May 26, 2016 the approval of a dividend of forty-seven cents of euros (0.47) per share for the year 2015. As in 2015, it will also be proposed that each shareholder be granted the option to choose to receive payment of the dividends in the form of shares. Shares will be traded ex-dividend as of June 2, 2016 and dividends made payable as from June 24, 2016. About Dassault Systemes Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, provides business and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported. Dassault Systemes collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world. The group brings value to over 210,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com. 3DEXPERIENCE, the Compass logo and the 3DS logo, CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, ENOVIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA, GEOVIA, EXALEAD, 3D VIA, 3DSWYM, BIOVIA, NETVIBES and 3DEXCITE are registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005196/en/ Dassault Systemes: Francois-Jose Bordonado/Beatrix Martinez +33 1 6162 6924 Source: Dassault Systemes Actor and comedian Bill Cosby departs a hearing on sexual assault charges at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania February 3, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Makela/Files By Scott Malone WORCESTER, Mass. (Reuters) - Lawyers representing Bill Cosby and seven women who have accused the comedian of sexual assault are open to settling a defamation lawsuit, they told a federal judge in Massachusetts on Wednesday. Cosby, 78, had previously rejected an offer to settle the lawsuit. First filed by Tamara Green in 2014 and since joined by six other women, the complaint says the once-beloved entertainer defamed them by saying that they lied when they accused him of sexually assaulting them. "Mediation might be appropriate here ... we're open to it on our side," one of Cosby's attorneys, Marshall Searcy, said during a hearing at U.S. District Court in Worcester, Massachusetts. However, he cautioned that he could not commit to mediation without checking with his client, who has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Cosby, who built a long career on family-friendly comedy, has been accused by more than 50 women of sexual assault, often after allegedly plying them with drugs or alcohol in a series of incidents dating back decades. Most of the alleged assault cases are too old to be cause for criminal prosecution. But Pennsylvania prosecutors late last year filed charges against Cosby related to an alleged 2004 sex assault, just days before the statute of limitations was about to expire. He is currently out on bail awaiting trial. "I need to consult with my client," Searcy said. "I don't want to talk out of school about that." Joseph Cammarata, an attorney for the women, said he would be open to settlement talks. "Let's give it a shot," Cammarata told U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy. "It sounds like there may be some response that has a dollar (amount) attached to it and then we can start the process." Hennessy urged both sides to consider that a considerable amount of money had been spent by Cosby's insurers in his defense. "I would ask you at least to explore it; $2 million is a lot to defend a case, no matter whose money it is," Hennessy said. Hennessy also rejected a request by Cosby's attorneys that he sit in on scheduled April depositions of the entertainer and his wife and business manager, Camille Cosby. "I don't sit in on depositions," Hennessy said. "Mr. Cosby is like everyone else who comes through the doors of this courthouse. Rich or poor, known or unknown, you get the same treatment." (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Dan Grebler and Tom Brown) Student leader Joshua Wong (C) and other members of student group Scholarism protest over the disappearance of booksellers outside the British consulate in Hong Kong, China January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip By Clare Baldwin HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong residents and journalists believe the state of press freedom deteriorated in the city for a second straight year in 2015, a survey by a media group showed, apparently a reflection of general unease in the city about mainland Chinese control. While there were no major attacks on the media last year, the case of five city booksellers who published gossipy books about Chinese leaders, and who went missing only to reappear in mainland Chinese custody, contributed to an undermining of faith in free speech, said an official of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, which conducted the survey. "The squeeze in the newsroom is now so telling in newspapers and TV programs that members of the public can sense it," association vice chairwoman Shirley Yam, told Reuters. Fifty-four percent of the public and 85 percent of journalists believed press freedom deteriorated in Hong Kong last year, as measured by a press freedom index, according to the survey released on Tuesday. The survey of more than 1,000 residents and hundreds of journalists found that self-censorship was more common, with the greatest concern being over criticizing China's Communist Party-run government. Former British colony Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula meant to preserve its freedoms. Mainland China has rejected calls for full democracy in a 2017 city election compounding concern about what many residents see as growing mainland restrictions. The mainland government and Hong Kong's pro-Beijing city government have dismissed such concerns. The Hong Kong government said on Wednesday it was firmly committed to safeguarding press freedom. "Every endeavor should be made for journalists to report news professionally and accurately under the principle of editorial autonomy," a government spokesman said. In response to the case of the booksellers, China has said its law enforcement officials would never do anything illegal, especially overseas. (Reporting by Clare Baldwin; Additional reporting by Kalum Chen; Editing by Robert Birsel) Dariga Nazarbayeva, Kazakhstan's deputy prime minister and daughter of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, visits a polling station during a snap parliamentary election in Astana, Kazakhstan, March 20, 2016. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov ALMATY (Reuters) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's daughter Dariga will not become a member of parliament despite running on the list of his Nur Otan party, a document showed on Thursday, throwing open the question of succession in Central Asia's biggest economy. Some observers had expected Dariga Nazarbayeva, currently deputy prime minister, to join the lower house after a parliamentary election on Sunday and become its speaker, making her a potential successor to the 75-year-old president. But despite Nur Otan winning 82 percent support in the vote, which Western observers say fell short of democratic standards, Nazarbayeva was not among the nominated MPs on Nur Otan's list of deputies published by Nazarbayev's office. "As the election campaign was already unfolding, (Nazarbayev) changed his goals with regards to a potential reshuffle," said Moscow-based political analyst Arkady Dubnov. "Serious fighting between different groups continues," he added, while Nazarbayev "will not give up his powers for as long as he lives". The question of who will take over from Nazarbayev has for years puzzled foreign investors with billions of dollars in exposure to the oil-rich nation. The former steel worker has run the nation of 18 million people since 1989, first as Communist party boss and then as elected president with sweeping powers. He secured another five-year term in an election last April but has not announced any clear succession plans. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov and Mariya Gordeyeva; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Alhassane Ould Mohamed is pictured in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters January 25, 2016. REUTERS/U.S. Attorney's Office/Handout via Reuters By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Malian national with ties to militant groups pleaded guilty on Thursday to a U.S. charge that he conspired to kill an American diplomat during a 2000 car jacking in Niger.Alhassane Ould Mohamed, 46, admitted in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, to participating in a conspiracy to murder William Bultemeier, a defense attache system operations coordinator working at Niger's U.S. Embassy. Through an interpreter, Mohamed said "it was not my intent to kill somebody" and had no specific target when he shot his rifle during the car jacking. But he said he knew someone could get shot and saw "someone on the ground" afterward. "I'm sorry I did that, and I did that," he said in court. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to at his sentencing on April 26 to seek a prison term of 25 years for Mohamed, who was otherwise eligible for a sentence of up to life. At a hearing last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Zainab Ahmad said some reasons that prosecutors agreed to the deal were confidential and involved "ongoing government investigatory efforts." The plea followed Mohamed's indictment in 2013 for murdering Bultemeier and trying to kill Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Christopher McNeely after the two left a restaurant in Niamey, Niger, on Dec. 23, 2000. Prosecutors said Mohamed, also known as Cheibani, and another assailant, armed with a pistol and AK-47 assault rifle, demanded Bultemeier hand over the keys to his sport utility vehicle, which bore U.S. diplomatic plates. Mohamed then shot Bultemeier, prosecutors said. McNeely tried to help Bultemeier when Mohamed's accomplice shot both men, prosecutors said. McNeely survived the attack. Malian police arrested Mohamed, but he escaped from custody in May 2002, according to prosecutors. He was arrested in Mali in 2010 in connection with an attack on a convoy of Saudi Arabian officials in Niger that left four dead. Sentenced in Niger to 20 years in prison, Mohamed escaped again in June 2013 with other inmates who launched an assault coordinated by Boko Haram, prosecutors said. Mohamed also had connections to militant groups, including the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, prosecutors said. He remained at large until French forces in Northern Mali apprehended him in November 2013. He was extradited to the United States in March 2014. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Dan Grebler) By Jake Spring BEIJING (Reuters) - Cadillac, a favorite among America's older 'supper club set', is revving up sales to younger luxury buyers in China through smoother designs and localized production to keep prices accessible. The General Motors (NYSE: GM) brand is softening some hard edges on its angular cars to appeal to Chinese buyers used to the smoother lines of luxury cars made by BMW , Audi and Mercedes-Benz that dominate high-end sales in the world's biggest car market. After a slow start in China, Cadillac is poised to overtake Japan's Lexus <7203.T> among the leading second-tier luxury brands, according to consultancy LMC Automotive. The opening in January of its first dedicated factory in China should also help Cadillac make its cars more accessible to younger luxury buyers by avoiding a 25 percent import tax. Cadillac says the average age of a buyer of its cars in China is 34, little more than half the average age in the U.S. "In China, young buyers already dominate the luxury market. Since Cadillac is a relative newcomer ... it was far easier to begin to cultivate the desired positioning for the brand from the get-go," Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen told Reuters. Cadillac's China sales rose 17 percent last year to nearly 80,000 cars, or a 4.1 percent share of the luxury market, on the back of its ATS-L compact sedan and XTS large sedan. This year, de Nysschen has set a 25 percent growth target, to above 100,000 Cadillacs in China. The former BMW and Infiniti executive predicts China could overtake the United States as Cadillac's biggest market in 5-10 years. Cadillac sold around 175,000 cars in the U.S. last year. While shopping for a car in Beijing, 26-year-old entrepreneur Ge Di said he preferred Cadillac over the more established German luxury brands. "Mercedes, BMW, even Audi, skew more towards businessmen. The comfort level is a bit higher, but as a young person I care more about performance and design," he said. SECOND CHANCE China's luxury car market - seen rising 15 percent this year even as slower economic growth saps overall demand - is breathing new life into brands seen as ageing or unfashionable in the United States. Ford (NYSE: F), for example, considered closing down its Lincoln brand, which with Cadillac dominated U.S. luxury sales until the 1990s, but China has revived its fortunes. Buick, which GM had thought about discontinuing, saw record China sales last month. Among the relative newcomers to China's premium market, Cadillac is vying with Lincoln, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan Motor's <7201.T> Infiniti and Honda Motor's <7267.T> Acura to unsettle the dominant German brands. De Nysschen - whose efforts to revitalize Cadillac include moving its headquarters from Detroit to New York's SoHo - says the brand will produce a single model design for its cars rather than making different versions for the Chinese and U.S. markets. China will play a larger role in driving the future direction of its global image. For example, Cadillac will stop designing separate long wheel-base cars for China, a mainstay of German luxury brands to appeal to chauffeur-driven Chinese businessmen. Instead, it will have one global "right size" design, de Nysschen said, somewhere between the previously stretched Chinese version and the shorter U.S. version. The shift is partly driven by younger Chinese who want to drive themselves, he added. "You will see a softening of some of the hard edges, and more three-dimension styling on the side of the car," de Nysschen said, but cars will still be "instantly recognizable as Cadillac." Cadillac's next China-produced car, the XT5 crossover SUV, will be aimed at a segment of the market that has defied the overall slowdown, with sales up 50 percent last year. "We see (Cadillac) growing significantly faster than the luxury market overall, and we see a lot of growth opportunity in the SUV area," GM President Dan Ammann told reporters in Beijing on Monday. (Reporting by Jake Spring, with additional reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) BEIJING (Reuters) - Six Chinese nationals were wounded in a bus shooting in northern Laos on Wednesday, the official Xinhua news agency said, the latest flare-up of violence affecting Chinese in the country as Beijing extends its economic influence in Southeast Asia. The victims included passengers and drivers of the bus, which was traveling from Kunming, the capital of China's southwestern Yunnan province, to Vientiane, the Laotian capital, Xinhua quoted Chinese embassy officials as saying. The bus was shot at by unidentified gunmen on a road in Kasi, Vientiane province, Xinhua said. A total of 25 passengers and three drivers were on the bus, and the six injured Chinese men were sent to hospital. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had been in contact with Laos. "The Chinese side has launched representations to the Laos side, requesting it to pay close attention and investigate clearly the relevant incident and also take measures to severely punish the assailants and protect the safety of Chinese citizens," Hua said. On March 1, a Chinese national was killed and three wounded in an attack by unidentified militants on a Chinese-backed company in Laos's northern Luang Prabang province, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In January, two Chinese were killed and one wounded in a bomb attack on a bus in remote Xaysomboun province in Laos. Relations between China and Laos have focused mainly on trade and aid, particularly in infrastructure development. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday said China would offer $11.5 billion in loans and credit to five Southeast Asian countries including Laos for infrastructure and other projects. (Reporting by Jessica Macy Yu; Editing by Nick Macfie) Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou answers a question during a news conference after his trip to the disputed Itu Aba or Taiping island in the South China Sea, in Taipei, Taiwan, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Wednesday invited Philippine government representatives and members of an international arbitration tribunal to a disputed South China Sea island for a visit. "I, as Republic of China president, formally invites the Philippines government to send a representative or lawyer to visit Taiping Island," Ma said, referring to Taiwan by its official name and to the island that Taiwan controls by its Taiwanese name. The Philippines has challenged the legality of claims by China, that mirror those of Taiwan, to most of the South China Sea, presenting its case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in November. Ma was speaking at a press briefing after international journalists were allowed to visit the island, also known as Itu Aba, for the first time on Wednesday. (Reporting by J.R. Wu; Editing by Robert Birsel) SANTIAGO (Reuters) - The U.N. said on Tuesday that it was worried about the impact of recent events in Brazil on the country's ability to continue fighting poverty and its democratic stability, as it forecast that poverty likely rose in Latin America in 2015. Brazil has been hit by the worst recession in decades and the administration of President Dilma Rousseff is facing the threat of impeachment and a corruption probe, hampering its ability to enact policies to turn the economy around. The U.N. was deeply concerned about the recent political turmoil, said Alicia Barcena, head of the Santiago-based Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations' regional arm. "We are alarmed to see the democratic stability of the country threatened," she said. It was also concerned that progress Brazil has made in tackling poverty could reverse, said Barcena. "We are worried. Brazil has been one of the most successful countries on this issue (of tackling poverty), and it carries on being very efficient," she said. ECLAC director Lais Abramo said government-led programs had been crucial in this, and that it was "very important" to keep them going to prevent a backslide. "We don't have data for 2015, but we know there is an important economic crisis, with a recession and unemployment rise, and it is very likely that will negatively impact on poverty numbers," she said at a press conference following the publishing of a report on poverty in the region. The total number of people living in poverty in Latin America is predicted to have increased to 175 million, or to 29.2 percent of the region's total population, from 28.2 percent in 2014, ECLAC said in the report. However, there has been significant variation within the region. Between 2013 and 2014 there was an increase in the number of poor people in Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela, but a decrease in Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, it said. Across Latin America poverty fell significantly in the first decade of this century, from over 40 percent, as Chinese growth helped propel a commodities boom. But since 2012 progress has largely ground to a halt as the commodities boom has ended. (Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Phil Berlowitz) By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) - The United States is not standing in the way of foreign banks doing business with Iran, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, but his comments appeared unlikely to satisfy frustrated businessmen and Iranian officials. Most international sanctions against Iran's economy were lifted in January after Tehran implemented a deal with world powers to curb its nuclear program. But Washington kept some sanctions that were originally imposed over missile proliferation and alleged support of terrorism. The fear of being caught up in those remaining sanctions has deterred most foreign banks from restoring links with Iran, angering the Iranian government, which complains it is not getting economic benefits it was promised in the nuclear deal. Chris Backemeyer, Principal Deputy Coordinator for Sanctions Policy at the U.S. Department of State, said U.S. officials were meeting business leaders around the world to assure them that Washington was complying with the nuclear agreement. "We've tried to make it 100 percent clear," Backemeyer told reporters in Dubai, where he was meeting local and international companies to explain what the U.S. saw as legitimate business with Iran and what it viewed as illegitimate. He said that while U.S. banks were still banned from dealing with Iran as part of a trade embargo that remains in place - effectively blocking U.S. dollar transactions, since they would ultimately be cleared in the United States - Washington would not penalize foreign banks for doing business in other currencies. However, Backemeyer also said foreign banks would need to demonstrate they had performed due diligence to ensure they were not doing business with sanctioned entities in Iran, such as companies linked to the Revolutionary Guards. That appeared unlikely to reassure bankers from Europe, the Middle East and other countries, who say the remaining sanctions are so complex, and the risks of errors in due diligence so high, that they still don't dare to engage with Iran. "It's all very well for the U.S. government to say this, but the reality is that it's still dangerous ground to do business with Iran as an international bank," said a foreign banker in Dubai when asked about Backemeyer's comments. "The large international banks have a low risk appetite because of the legacy of fines and deferred prosecution arrangements against them, and it would take a lot for them to change their position." The banker was referring to billions of dollars of fines paid by international banks to U.S. authorities in the past several years to settle charges that they failed to prevent money laundering, tax evasion and other abuses. "GOOD FAITH PARTNER" Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday accused the United States of undermining the nuclear agreement by deliberately sowing uncertainty among foreign banks. This was making it hard for Iran to obtain billions of dollars of its funds that were frozen by the sanctions, he charged. "In Western countries and places which are under U.S. influence, our banking transactions and the repatriation of our funds from their banks face problems ... because (banks) fear the Americans," he said. Backemeyer denied that. "We are a good faith partner," he said. "It is not in our interest just to sanction for no reason, so we're not going to be in a position where we're looking to trick someone, that's never been our objective." Nonetheless, he said Washington could not tell individual companies how much due diligence they should do to insulate themselves from remaining U.S. sanctions, because that would depend on the nature of their business. "Banks, because they have to be used for any sort of financial transaction, by definition have the potential to get exposed to all sorts of risks," he said. Asked about companies' concern that the nuclear sanctions could "snap back", Backemeyer said the United States would not reimpose them as long as Iran continued to adhere to its commitments. "Snap-back is a mechanism that we negotiated in order to deter Iranian non-compliance, not one to give us some secret way of re-imposing sanctions on Iran because we felt like it." (Additional reporting by Tom Arnold; Editing by Andrew Torchia and Giles Elgood) SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13D Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. 6) Communications Systems, Inc. (Name of Issuer) Common Stock (Title of Class of Securities) ________ 203900105 _________ (CUSIP Number) David Goldman GAMCO Investors, Inc. One Corporate Center Rye, New York 10580-1435 (914) 921-5000 (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications) ______________________ March 23, 2016 ________________________ (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement) If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box . 1 CUSIP No. 203900105 1 Names of reporting persons I.R.S. identification nos. of above persons (entities only) Gabelli Funds, LLC I.D. No. 13-4044523 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a group (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 Sec use only 4 Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 00-Funds of investment advisory clients 5 Check box if disclosure of legal proceedings is required pursuant to items 2 (d) or 2 (e) 6 Citizenship or place of organization New York Number Of Shares Beneficially Owned By Each Reporting Person With : 7 : : : Sole voting power 240,000 (Item 5) : 8 : : : Shared voting power None : 9 : : : Sole dispositive power 240,000 (Item 5) :10 : : : Shared dispositive power None 11 Aggregate amount beneficially owned by each reporting person 240,000 (Item 5) 12 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (11) excludes certain shares (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 13 Percent of class represented by amount in row (11) 2.74% 14 Type of reporting person (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) IA 2 CUSIP No. 203900105 1 Names of reporting persons I.R.S. identification nos. of above persons (entities only) GAMCO Asset Management Inc. I.D. No. 13-4044521 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a group (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 Sec use only 4 Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 00-Funds of investment advisory clients 5 Check box if disclosure of legal proceedings is required pursuant to items 2 (d) or 2 (e) 6 Citizenship or place of organization New York Number Of Shares Beneficially Owned By Each Reporting Person With : 7 : : : Sole voting power 447,875 (Item 5) : 8 : : : Shared voting power None : 9 : : : Sole dispositive power 447,875 (Item 5) :10 : : : Shared dispositive power None 11 Aggregate amount beneficially owned by each reporting person 447,875 (Item 5) 12 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (11) excludes certain shares (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 13 Percent of class represented by amount in row (11) 5.11% 14 Type of reporting person (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) IA, CO 3 CUSIP No. 203900105 1 Names of reporting persons I.R.S. identification nos. of above persons (entities only) Teton Advisors, Inc. I.D. No. 13-4008049 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a group (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 Sec use only 4 Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 00 Funds of investment advisory clients 5 Check box if disclosure of legal proceedings is required pursuant to items 2 (d) or 2 (e) 6 Citizenship or place of organization Delaware Number Of Shares Beneficially Owned By Each Reporting Person With : 7 : : : Sole voting power 299,998 (Item 5) : 8 : : : Shared voting power None : 9 : : : Sole dispositive power 299,998 (Item 5) :10 : : : Shared dispositive power None 11 Aggregate amount beneficially owned by each reporting person 299,998 (Item 5) 12 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (11) excludes certain shares (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 13 Percent of class represented by amount in row (11) 3.42% 14 Type of reporting person (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) IA, CO 4 CUSIP No. 203900105 1 Names of reporting persons I.R.S. identification nos. of above persons (entities only) GGCP, Inc. I.D. No. 13-3056041 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a group (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 Sec use only 4 Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) None 5 Check box if disclosure of legal proceedings is required pursuant to items 2 (d) or 2 (e) 6 Citizenship or place of organization Wyoming Number Of Shares Beneficially Owned By Each Reporting Person With : 7 : : : Sole voting power None (Item 5) : 8 : : : Shared voting power None : 9 : : : Sole dispositive power None (Item 5) :10 : : : Shared dispositive power None 11 Aggregate amount beneficially owned by each reporting person None (Item 5) 12 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (11) excludes certain shares (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) X 13 Percent of class represented by amount in row (11) 0.00% 14 Type of reporting person (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) HC, CO 5 CUSIP No. 203900105 1 Names of reporting persons I.R.S. identification nos. of above persons (entities only) GAMCO Investors, Inc. I.D. No. 13-4007862 Check the appropriate box if a member of a group (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 Sec use only 4 Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) None 5 Check box if disclosure of legal proceedings is required pursuant to items 2 (d) or 2 (e) 6 Citizenship or place of organization Delaware Number Of Shares Beneficially Owned By Each Reporting Person With : 7 : : : Sole voting power None (Item 5) : 8 : : : Shared voting power None : 9 : : : Sole dispositive power None (Item 5) :10 : : : Shared dispositive power None 11 Aggregate amount beneficially owned by each reporting person None (Item 5) 12 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (11) excludes certain shares (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) X 13 Percent of class represented by amount in row (11) 0.00% 14 Type of reporting person (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) HC, CO 6 CUSIP No. 203900105 1 Names of reporting persons I.R.S. identification nos. of above persons (entities only) Associated Capital Group, Inc. I.D. No. 47-3965991 Check the appropriate box if a member of a group (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 Sec use only 4 Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) None 5 Check box if disclosure of legal proceedings is required pursuant to items 2 (d) or 2 (e) 6 Citizenship or place of organization Delaware Number Of Shares Beneficially Owned By Each Reporting Person With : 7 : : : Sole voting power None (Item 5) : 8 : : : Shared voting power None : 9 : : : Sole dispositive power None (Item 5) :10 : : : Shared dispositive power None 11 Aggregate amount beneficially owned by each reporting person None (Item 5) 12 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (11) excludes certain shares (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) X 13 Percent of class represented by amount in row (11) 0.00% 14 Type of reporting person (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) HC, CO 7 CUSIP No. 203900105 1 Names of reporting persons I.R.S. identification nos. of above persons (entities only) Mario J. Gabelli 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a group (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 Sec use only 4 Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 00 private funds 5 Check box if disclosure of legal proceedings is required pursuant to items 2 (d) or 2 (e) 6 Citizenship or place of organization USA Number Of Shares Beneficially Owned By Each Reporting Person With : 7 : : : Sole voting power 9,000 (Item 5) : 8 : : : Shared voting power None : 9 : : : Sole dispositive power 9,000 (Item 5) :10 : : : Shared dispositive power None 11 Aggregate amount beneficially owned by each reporting person 9,000 (Item 5) 12 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (11) excludes certain shares (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) X 13 Percent of class represented by amount in row (11) 0.10% 14 Type of reporting person (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) IN 8 Item 1. Security and Issuer This Amendment No. 6 to Schedule 13D on the Common Stock of Communications Systems, Inc. (the "Issuer") is being filed on behalf of the undersigned to amend the Schedule 13D, as amended ( the "Schedule 13D" ), which was originally filed on May 13, 2013. Unless otherwise indicated, all capitalized terms used herein but not defined herein shall have the same meanings as set forth in the Schedule 13D. Item 2. Identity and Background Item 2 to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as follows: This statement is being filed by Mario J. Gabelli ("Mario Gabelli") and various entities which he directly or indirectly controls or for which he acts as chief investment officer. These entities, except for LICT Corporation ("LICT), CIBL, Inc. ("CIBL") and ICTC Group, Inc. ("ICTC"), engage in various aspects of the securities business, primarily as investment adviser to various institutional and individual clients, including registered investment companies and pension plans, and as general partner or the equivalent of various private investment partnerships or private funds. Certain of these entities may also make investments for their own accounts. The foregoing persons in the aggregate often own beneficially more than 5% of a class of equity securities of a particular issuer. Although several of the foregoing persons are treated as institutional investors for purposes of reporting their beneficial ownership on the short-form Schedule 13G, the holdings of those who do not qualify as institutional investors may exceed the 1% threshold presented for filing on Schedule 13G or implementation of their investment philosophy may from time to time require action which could be viewed as not completely passive. In order to avoid any question as to whether their beneficial ownership is being reported on the proper form and in order to provide greater investment flexibility and administrative uniformity, these persons have decided to file their beneficial ownership reports on the more detailed Schedule 13D form rather than on the short-form Schedule 13G and thereby to provide more expansive disclosure than may be necessary. (a), (b) and (c) - This statement is being filed by one or more of the following persons: GGCP, Inc. ("GGCP"), GGCP Holdings LLC ("GGCP Holdings"), GAMCO Investors, Inc. ("GBL"), Associated Capital Group, Inc. ("AC"), Gabelli Funds, LLC ("Gabelli Funds"), GAMCO Asset Management Inc. ("GAMCO"), Teton Advisors, Inc. ("Teton Advisors"), Gabelli Securities, Inc. ("GSI"), G.research, LLC ("G.research"), MJG Associates, Inc. ("MJG Associates"), Gabelli Foundation, Inc. ("Foundation"), MJG-IV Limited Partnership ("MJG-IV"), Mario Gabelli, LICT, CIBL and ICTC. Those of the foregoing persons signing this Schedule 13D are hereinafter referred to as the "Reporting Persons". GGCP makes investments for its own account and is the manager and a member of GGCP Holdings which is the controlling shareholder of GBL and AC. GBL, a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is the parent company for a variety of companies engaged in the securities business, including certain of those named below. AC, a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is the parent company for a variety of companies engaged in the securities business, including certain of those listed below. GAMCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GBL, is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ("Advisers Act"). GAMCO is an investment manager providing discretionary managed account services for employee benefit plans, private investors, endowments, foundations and others. GSI, a majority-owned subsidiary of AC, is an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act and serves as a general partner or investment manager to limited partnerships and offshore investment companies and other accounts. As a part of its business, GSI may purchase or sell securities for its own account. GSI is a general partner or investment manager of a number of funds or partnerships, including Gabelli Associates Fund, L.P., Gabelli Associates Fund II, L.P., Gabelli Associates Limited, Gabelli Associates Limited II E, ALCE Partners, L.P., Gabelli Capital Structure Arbitrage Fund LP, Gabelli Capital Structure Arbitrage Fund Limited, Gabelli Intermediate Credit Fund L.P., Gabelli Japanese Value Partners L.P., GAMA Select Energy + L.P., GAMCO Medical Opportunities L.P., GAMCO Long/Short Equity Fund, L.P., Gabelli Multimedia Partners, L.P, Gabelli International Gold Fund Limited and Gabelli Green Long/Short Fund, L.P. G.research, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSI, is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("1934 Act"), which as a part of its business regularly purchases and sells securities for its own account. Gabelli Funds, a wholly owned subsidiary of GBL, is a limited liability company. Gabelli Funds is an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act which provides advisory services for The Gabelli Equity Trust Inc., The Gabelli Asset Fund, The GAMCO Growth Fund, The Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Inc., The Gabelli Value 25 Fund Inc., The Gabelli Small Cap Growth Fund, The Gabelli Equity Income Fund, The Gabelli ABC Fund, The GAMCO Global Telecommunications Fund, The Gabelli Gold Fund, Inc., The Gabelli Multimedia Trust Inc., The Gabelli Global Rising Income & Dividend Fund, The Gabelli Capital Asset Fund, The GAMCO International Growth Fund, Inc., The GAMCO Global Growth Fund, The Gabelli Utility Trust, The GAMCO Global Opportunity Fund, The Gabelli Utilities Fund, The Gabelli Dividend Growth Fund, The GAMCO Mathers Fund, The Gabelli Focus Five Fund, The Comstock Capital Value Fund, The Gabelli Dividend and Income Trust, The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust, The GAMCO Global Gold, Natural Resources, & Income Trust, The GAMCO Natural Resources Gold & Income Trust, The GDL Fund, Gabelli Enterprise Mergers & Acquisitions Fund, The Gabelli SRI Fund, Inc., The Gabelli Healthcare & Wellness Rx Trust, The Gabelli Global Small and Mid Cap Value Trust, Gabelli Value Plus+ Trust, Bancroft Fund Ltd. and Ellsworth Growth & Income Fund Ltd. (collectively, the "Funds"), which are registered investment companies. Gabelli Funds is also the investment adviser to The GAMCO International SICAV (sub-funds GAMCO Merger Arbitrage and GAMCO All Cap Value), a UCITS III vehicle. Teton Advisors, an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, provides discretionary advisory services to The TETON Westwood Mighty Mitessm Fund, The TETON Westwood Income Fund, The TETON Westwood SmallCap Equity Fund, and The TETON Westwood Mid-Cap Equity Fund. MJG Associates provides advisory services to private investment partnerships and offshore funds. Mario Gabelli is the sole shareholder, director and employee of MJG Associates. MJG Associates is the Investment Manager of Gabelli International Limited and Gabelli Fund, LDC. Mario J. Gabelli is the general partner of Gabelli Performance Partnership, LP. The Foundation is a private foundation. Mario Gabelli is the Chairman, a Trustee and the Investment Manager of the Foundation. Elisa M. Wilson is the President of the Foundation. LICT is a holding company with operating subsidiaries engaged primarily in the rural telephone industry. LICT actively pursues new business ventures and acquisitions. LICT makes investments in marketable securities to preserve capital and maintain liquidity for financing their business activities and acquisitions and are not engaged in the business of investing, or trading in securities. Mario J. Gabelli is a director, and substantial shareholder of LICT. ICTC is a holding company with subsidiaries in voice, broadband and other telecommunications services, primarily in the rural telephone industry. ICTC makes investments in marketable securities to preserve capital and maintain liquidity for financing their business activities and acquisitions and are not engaged in the business of investing, or trading in securities. Mario J. Gabelli is a director, and substantial shareholder of ICTC. CIBL is a holding company with interests in telecommunications operations, primarily in the rural telephone industry. CIBL actively pursues new business ventures and acquisitions. CIBL makes investments in marketable securities to preserve capital and maintain liquidity for financing their business activities and acquisitions and are not engaged in the business of investing, or trading in securities. Mario J. Gabelli is a director, and substantial shareholder of CIBL. Mario Gabelli is the controlling stockholder, Chief Executive Officer and a director of GGCP and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GBL. He is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AC. Mario Gabelli is also a member of GGCP Holdings. Mario Gabelli is the controlling shareholder of Teton. MJG-IV is a family partnership in which Mario Gabelli is the general partner. Mario Gabelli has less than a 100% interest in MJG-IV. MJG-IV makes investments for its own account. Mario Gabelli disclaims ownership of the securities held by MJG-IV beyond his pecuniary interest. The Reporting Persons do not admit that they constitute a group. GAMCO and G.research are New York corporations and GBL, AC, GSI, and Teton Advisors are Delaware corporations, each having its principal business office at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580. GGCP is a Wyoming corporation having its principal business office at 140 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. GGCP Holdings is a Delaware limited liability corporation having its principal business office at 140 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Gabelli Funds is a New York limited liability company having its principal business office at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580. MJG Associates is a Connecticut corporation having its principal business office at 140 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. The Foundation is a Nevada corporation having its principal offices at 165 West Liberty Street, Reno, Nevada 89501. LICT is a Delaware corporation having its principal place of business as 401 Theodore Fremd Avenue, Rye, New York 10580. CIBL, Inc. is a Delaware corporation having its principal place of business as 165 West Liberty Street, Suite 220, Reno, NV 89501. ICTC Group Inc. is a Delaware corporation having its principal place of business as 556 Main Street, Nome, North Dakota 58062. For information required by instruction C to Schedule 13D with respect to the executive officers and directors of the foregoing entities and other related persons (collectively, "Covered Persons"), reference is made to Schedule I annexed hereto and incorporated herein by reference. (d) Not applicable. (e) Not applicable. (f) Reference is made to Schedule I hereto. Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration Item 3 to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as follows: The Reporting Persons used an aggregate of approximately $738,502 to purchase the Securities reported as beneficially owned in Item 5 since the most recent filing on Schedule 13D. GAMCO used approximately $265,750 of funds that were provided through the accounts of certain of their investment advisory clients (and, in the case of some of such accounts at GAMCO, may be through borrowings from client margin accounts) in order to purchase the additional Securities for such clients. Teton Advisors used approximately $472,752 of client funds to purchase the additional Securities reported by it. Item 5. Interest In Securities Of The Issuer Item 5 to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as follows: (a) The aggregate number of Securities to which this Schedule 13D relates is 996,873 shares, representing 11.38% of the 8,761,000 shares outstanding as reported in the Issuer's most recent Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. The Reporting Persons beneficially own those Securities as follows: Name Shares of Common Stock % of Class of Common GAMCO 447,875 5.11% Gabelli Funds 240,000 2.74% Teton Advisors 299,998 3.42% Mario Gabelli 9,000 0.10% Mario Gabelli is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the Securities owned beneficially by each of the foregoing persons. GSI is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the Securities owned beneficially by G.research. AC, GBL and GGCP are deemed to have beneficial ownership of the Securities owned beneficially by each of the foregoing persons other than Mario Gabelli and the Foundation. (b) Each of the Reporting Persons and Covered Persons has the sole power to vote or direct the vote and sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of the Securities reported for it, either for its own benefit or for the benefit of its investment clients or its partners, as the case may be, except that (i) Gabelli Funds has sole dispositive and voting power with respect to the shares of the Issuer held by the Funds so long as the aggregate voting interest of all joint filers does not exceed 25% of their total voting interest in the Issuer and, in that event, the Proxy Voting Committee of each Fund shall respectively vote that Fund's shares, (ii) at any time, the Proxy Voting Committee of each such Fund may take and exercise in its sole discretion the entire voting power with respect to the shares held by such fund under special circumstances such as regulatory considerations, and (iii) the power of Mario Gabelli, AC, GBL, and GGCP is indirect with respect to Securities beneficially owned directly by other Reporting Persons. (c) Information with respect to all transactions in the Securities which were effected during the past sixty days or since the most recent filing on Schedule 13D, whichever is less, by each of the Reporting Persons and Covered Persons is set forth on Schedule II annexed hereto and incorporated herein by reference. (e) Not applicable. 9 Signature After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Dated: March 24, 2016 GGCP, INC. MARIO J. GABELLI By: /s/ Douglas R. Jamieson Douglas R. Jamieson Attorney-in-Fact TETON ADVISORS, INC. By: /s/ David Goldman David Goldman General Counsel Teton Advisors, Inc . ASSOCIATED CAPITAL GROUP, INC. By: /s/ Kevin Handwerker Kevin Handwerker General Counsel & Secretary Associated Capital Group, Inc. GAMCO ASSET MANAGEMENT INC. GAMCO INVESTORS, INC. GABELLI FUNDS, LLC By: /s/ Douglas R. Jamieson Douglas R. Jamieson President & Chief Operating Officer GAMCO Investors, Inc. President GAMCO Asset Management Inc. President & Chief Operating Officer of the sole member of Gabelli Funds, LLC 10 Schedule I Information with Respect to Executive Officers and Directors of the Undersigned Schedule I to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as follows: The following sets forth as to each of the executive officers and directors of the undersigned: his name; his business address; his present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal business and address of any corporation or other organization in which such employment is conducted. Unless otherwise specified, the principal employer of each such individual is GAMCO Asset Management Inc., Gabelli Funds, LLC, Gabelli Securities, Inc., G.research, LLC, Teton Advisors, Inc., Associated Capital Group, Inc. or GAMCO Investors, Inc., the business address of each of which is One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580, and each such individual identified below is a citizen of the United States. To the knowledge of the undersigned, during the last five years, no such person has been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors), and no such person was a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction as a result of which he was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities law or finding any violation with respect to such laws except as reported in Item 2(d) and (e) of this Schedule 13D. 11 GAMCO Investors, Inc. Directors: Edwin L. Artzt Raymond C. Avansino Marc Gabelli Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Procter & Gamble Company 900 Adams Crossing Cincinnati, OH 45202 Chairman & Chief Executive Officer E.L. Wiegand Foundation 165 West Liberty Street Reno, NV 89501 President of Associated Capital Group, Inc. President and Managing Director of Gabelli Securities, Inc. Mario J. Gabelli Elisa M. Wilson Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GGCP, Inc. Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of GAMCO Investors, Inc. Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Associated Capital Group, Inc. Director/Trustee of all registered investment companies advised by Gabelli Funds, LLC. Director c/o GAMCO Investors, Inc. One Corporate Center Rye, NY 10580 Eugene R. McGrath Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Consolidated Edison, Inc. 4 Irving Place New York, NY 10003 Robert S. Prather President & Chief Executive Officer Heartland Media, LLC 1843 West Wesley Road Atlanta, GA 30327 Officers: Mario J. Gabelli Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Douglas R. Jamieson Henry G. Van der Eb Bruce N. Alpert Agnes Mullady Kevin Handwerker President and Chief Operating Officer Senior Vice President Senior Vice President Senior Vice President Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary GAMCO Asset Management Inc. Directors: Douglas R. Jamieson Regina M. Pitaro William S. Selby Officers: Mario J. Gabelli Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer Value Portfolios Douglas R. Jamieson David Goldman President, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director General Counsel, Secretary & Chief Compliance Officer Gabelli Funds, LLC Officers: Mario J. Gabelli Chief Investment Officer Value Portfolios Bruce N. Alpert Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Agnes Mullady President and Chief Operating Officer Open End Fund Division David Goldman General Counsel Gabelli Securities, Inc. Directors: Robert W. Blake President of W. R. Blake & Sons, Inc. 196-20 Northern Boulevard Flushing, NY 11358 Douglas G. DeVivo Co-Chairman of the Board Alce Partners, L.P. 40 Laburnum Road Atherton, CA 94027 Marc J. Gabelli Co-Chairman of the Board See above Douglas R. Jamieson President William C. Mattison, Jr. Former Vice Chairman Gerard, Klauer Mattison & Co., Inc. Salvatore F. Sodano Vice Chairman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Worldwide Capital Advisory Partners, LLC 520 White Plains Road, Suite 500 Tarrytown, NY 10591 Officers: Douglas R. Jamieson Diane M. LaPointe Kevin Handwerker David M. Goldman David Fitzgerald See above Controller Secretary General Counsel & Assistant Secretary Chief Compliance Officer G.research, LLC Directors: Daniel M. Miller Chairman Cornelius V. McGinity President Officers: Daniel M. Miller See above Cornelius V. McGinity See above Bruce N. Alpert Diane M. LaPointe Douglas R. Jamieson David M. Goldman Josephine D. LaFauci Vice President Controller and Financial & Operations Principal Secretary Assistant Secretary Chief Compliance Officer Gabelli Foundation, Inc. Officers: Mario J. Gabelli Chairman, Trustee & Chief Investment Officer Elisa M. Wilson Marc J. Gabelli Matthew R. Gabelli Michael Gabelli President Trustee Trustee Trustee MJG-IV Limited Partnership Officers: Mario J. Gabelli General Partner 12 GGCP, Inc. Directors: Mario J. Gabelli Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GGCP, Inc. Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of GAMCO Investors, Inc. Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Associated Capital Group, Inc. Director/Trustee of all registered investment companies advised by Gabelli Funds, LLC. Marc J. Gabelli President of Associated Capital Group, Inc. President and Managing Director of Gabelli Securities, Inc. Matthew R. Gabelli Vice President Trading G.research, Inc. One Corporate Center Rye, NY 10580 Michael Gabelli President & COO Gabelli & Partners, LLC One Corporate Center Rye, NY 10580 Frederic V. Salerno Chairman Former Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Verizon Communications Vincent S. Tese Executive Chairman FCB Financial Corp Officers: Mario J. Gabelli Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer Marc J. Gabelli President Silvio A. Berni Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Controller GGCP Holdings LLC Members: GGCP, Inc. Mario J. Gabelli Manager and Member Member 13 Teton Advisors, Inc. Directors: Howard F. Ward Nicholas F. Galluccio Vincent J. Amabile John Tesoro Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer and President Officers: Howard F. Ward Nicholas F. Galluccio Michael J. Mancuso David Goldman Tiffany Hayden See above See above Chief Financial Officer General Counsel Secretary 14 Associated Capital Group, Inc. Directors: Mario J. Gabelli Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GGCP, Inc. Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of GAMCO Investors, Inc. Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Associated Capital Group, Inc. Director/Trustee of all registered investment companies advised by Gabelli Funds, LLC. Marc J. Gabelli Chairman of The LGL Group, Inc. 2525 Shader Road Orlando, FL 32804 Richard L. Bready Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Nortek, Inc. 50 Kennedy Plaza Providence, RI 02903 Bruce Lisman Former Chairman - JP Morgan global equity division Daniel R. Lee Chief Executive Officer Full House Resorts, Inc. 4670 South Ford Apache Road, Suite 190 Las Vegas, NV 89147 Salvatore F. Sodano Vice Chairman of the Board (see above) Officers: Mario J. Gabelli Marc Gabelli Patrick Dennis Kevin Handwerker Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer President Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary 15 SCHEDULE II INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO TRANSACTIONS EFFECTED DURING THE PAST SIXTY DAYS OR SINCE THE MOST RECENT FILING ON SCHEDULE 13D (1) SHARES PURCHASED AVERAGE DATE SOLD(-) PRICE(2) COMMON STOCK-COMM UNICATIONS SYSTEMS , INC. GAMCO ASSET MANAGEMENT INC. 3/23/16 7,600 6.9475 3/22/16 1,542 6.9200 3/21/16 629 6.9200 3/17/16 132 6.8506 3/16/16 697 6.7900 3/11/16 1,500 7.0653 3/10/16 175 6.7900 3/09/16 3,046 7.0005 3/09/16 2,289 7.0000 3/08/16 704 7.0100 3/07/16 150 7.0100 3/04/16 177 7.0000 3/03/16 1,800- 7.0233 3/01/16 10,322- 7.0126 3/01/16 2,734 7.0000 2/29/16 3,279- 7.0101 2/26/16 9,500 6.9998 2/26/16 2,100- 7.0100 2/25/16 2,299- 7.0262 2/24/16 200 7.0000 2/23/16 800 7.0000 2/22/16 300 7.0500 2/18/16 1,000 7.0000 2/17/16 500- 6.9160 2/12/16 400 6.7700 2/05/16 463 7.2500 2/04/16 537 7.2500 1/29/16 800 7.3200 1/27/16 200 7.4091 TETON ADVISORS , INC. 3/23/16 1,400 6.9200 3/16/16 537 6.8200 3/15/16 1,263 6.8452 3/11/16 200 6.9200 3/10/16 2,000 7.0800 2/02/16 2,739 7.2200 2/01/16 248 7.2200 1/29/16 813 7.2200 (1) UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, ALL TRANSACTIONS WERE EFFECTED ON THE NASDAQ GLOBAL SECURITIES MARKET . (2) PRICE EXCLUDES COMMISSION. A Christchurch school raised concerns about Robert Burrett's conduct two years before he was charged with sexually abusing a dozen girls. The revelations have led to calls for an independent investigation into the case over perceived failures by the Ministry of Education. The school, which cannot be named, reported to the Ministry of Education in May 2013 that Burrett had allegedly behaved inappropriately and made comments of a sexual nature towards a student. He was working as a taxi-bus driver at the time, driving disabled children to and from the school. A teacher reported that the girl had complained about Burrett making "inappropriate comments to her", a police statement obtained by Stuff says. The acting principal contacted the girl's mother who said she felt "uneasy" about Burrett's interaction with her daughter, the statement says. READ MORE: * The 13 schools where child rapist Robert Burrett taught * 'Bad Breath' Burrett * Disabled girl blew the whistle He was shifted to a different route so that he did not continue to drive the student. No further action was taken. It's unclear whether police were alerted at the time, but the acting principal made a statement to a detective in June last year, two months after Burrett's arrest. Labour's health spokesman Chris Hipkins is calling for a ministerial enquiry into the case. "Given the details that continue to emerge around these massive systemic failures it would be appropriate to do that, as well as figuring out what went wrong." Hipkins said he was "not interested in a witch hunt", but said it appeared the Ministry of Education had failed in a number of areas. "It would appear that the Ministry knew or should have known quite a lot, and either didn't act on it or somewhere along the way the ball got dropped and that's not good enough." Green Party education spokeswoman Catherine Delahunty agreed an independent inquiry was necessary, whether it was parliamentary, the Ombudsman or through the audit office. "It seems like some light needs to be shone on this particular case. If there was an unsatisfactory response from a Government department that's not good enough, and we need to know how many children have been abused who could have been saved." Delahunty also said she was uninterested "in a witch hunt" of the Ministry of Education, but asked if their systems in place were "sufficient". Burrett's employer, who was contracted to the ministry not the school, launched an investigation, but the girl's parents asked that it be cancelled because they "accepted Burrett's account". Lawyer Grant Cameron, who is acting for the school, said the ministry should have investigated the allegations more thoroughly. "If it had ... it's quite likely some of the later offending would have been prevented." Burrett, 64, last month admitted 21 charges, including the rape, sodomy, forced oral sex and indecent assault of a dozen girls, aged five to 12. He is scheduled for sentencing on April 12. The offending happened from 2013 to 2015 while Burrett worked as a caretaker for a Christchurch school and drove a taxi-bus that took disable children to and from at least two others. Prior to that he had taught at 13 schools across New Zealand over more than four decades. Concerns were raised about him at several of those schools, but he was able to continue teaching. Ministry of Education head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey confirmed a school had raised concerns about allegations of inappropriate behaviour and comments by Burrett towards a student in 2013. The transport operator interviewed Burrett and provided notes of the investigation to the parents. "The parents accepted Burrett's account and asked that the investigation be cancelled," Casey said. The school advised the transport operator, which cannot be named for legal reasons, the ministry transport service agent and parents that they were pleased with the process followed and that the matter had been resolved, she said. The transport operator moved Burrett to a different route so that he did not continue to drive the student. "If at any stage the parents or the school had been unhappy with the investigation or its outcome, we would have become involved," Casey said. Cameron said the ministry's handling of the concerns was "entirely inappropriate". "Why the hell has the ministry sat back and let the contractor ... investigate the employee? "I think the ministry has an obligation to investigate any time there have been allegations of sexual impropriety [regardless] of whether or not there has been or will be a prosecution. That's because they have a duty of care to ensure student safety." The school, which is unsure whether any of its students were abused by Burrett, is scheduled to meet with the ministry next week. It wants to explore measures to prevent similar incidents. Makara Model School principal Gail Dewar, right, still allows students such as Alex Pattison, left, and May Grafton to climb trees, but that might change, she said. Children at a Wairarapa primary school will no longer be able to climb trees on school property because of fears the school could be fined if there was an injury. The new Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA), a response to the Pike River mine tragedy, comes into effect next week. It will clarify the legal liability of schools and especially the principal who could be fined up to $600,000 if someone is hurt. Schools need to identify the risks on their property and make sure they have practices in place to manage them. Are we raising cotton wool kids? Share your stories, photos and videos. Contribute Has your school changed anything because of the new laws? Contact newstips@stuff.co.nz Greytown School teaches kids about climbing trees, including the size of branches they can stand on, what trees they can climb, and how high they should climb. But on Wednesday, the board of trustees wrote to parents and said a lack of clarity about whether this was enough risk mitigation under the new act had resulted in them deciding to temporarily ban pupils from climbing trees. FAIRFAX NZ Kids are to be kept out of trees at Greytown School in the Wairarapa because of fears over the impact of new health and safety laws. Board chairman Alistair Plimmer said they didn't want to leave principal Kevin Mackay open to liability if a child fell out of a tree. READ MORE: * Editorial: We mustn't be constrained by fear * Scared school principals hide homes in trust to escape tough work safety regime * Worry over Health and Safety Bill 'threat' to school playgrounds unfounded - Minister * Marlborough principals prepare for new Health and Safety at Work Act "We don't want to do this. Greytown School is a country school and country kids want to climb trees. We believe in kids being kids and not wrapping them in bubble wrap," he said. NANCY EL-GAMEL/ FAIRFAX NZ Principals are worried about the impact the new act could have on their personal liability, as well as their schools'. Mackay said that, over several years, six children had fallen out of the trees and broken bones. "I'm a bit old school in that I believe risk is part of learning ... the important distinction to make is that they haven't fallen out again," he said. If the school got more clarity about the law, the ban would be lifted. It still allows bullrush and tackle rugby under the supervision of teachers. Students at Makara Model School in Wellington were still able to climb trees for now, but the board and staff were nervous about the changes, principal Gail Dewar said. "There's so much pressure on principals and it does make you very stressed and very worried that your whole life could be left in tatters," she said. "We feel like we're being punished for something we didn't do." But WorkSafe said banning children from climbing trees was unnecessary, and advice to the contrary was incorrect. "The good news is kids can continue to climb trees, and experience the usual playground rough and tumble," communications general manager John Tulloch said. "Talk of banning kids climbing trees, going on camps or making farm visits is a massive over-reaction. If a claim about the impact of the new law sounds far-fetched, then it almost certainly is." WorkSafe had a question and answer section on its website to which schools could refer, giving more information on who was liable and for what. "Making sure kids don't cop a paper cut or take a tumble playing lunchtime footy definitely aren't a focus [of the act]." However, Greytown School's ban is likely to remain in place, at least for now. In reply to WorkSafe's advice, Plimmer replied: "If WorkSafe are so certain school principals will not be charged, then they should make schools exempt." Ministry of Education head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said staff had been working with schools for 18 months on how the new act would affect them. "Schools which take all reasonable steps and have clear health and safety policies and practices in place will be meeting their statutory ... obligations," she said. "However, we know some other schools may need to do more work and require some additional support." Principals, teachers and other school staff had been liable for prosecution under the current Health and Safety legislation since 1992, but none had been prosecuted, she said. *comments are closed Land bankers in the Queenstown Lakes region may face rates rise of up to 154 per cent in a bid to increase residential development. A Queenstown Lakes District Council working party discussed the rating of undeveloped land as part of a funding and rates review. A report, presented at a council meeting in Wanaka on Thursday by council chief financial officer Stewart Burns, recommended a change in policy for the application rates on land zoned for development but used as primary industry. "The simplest way of introducing this proposed change is to amend the current rating category known as Vacant Sections." READ MORE * Queenstown accommodation crisis may force business owner out of town * Slum-like conditions, anxiety, emerging in Queenstown amid housing crisis * Queenstown transient workers need help with accommodation: housing trust * Salvation Army officers Shaun and Karen Baker leave Queenstown for Cambridge * Queenstown landlord inherited 'basket case' rental with 20 tenants It was proposed the land would be rated according to the underlying zoning rather then the current use, such as farming. The impact on properties currently rated as primary industry would see a rates increase of 43 per cent to 154 per cent, depending on location and connection of services. The average increase on 11 properties that were modelled was 86 per cent, or $132,000. Changing the rating system would encourage the release of zoned land, promoting affordability, recover "holding costs" incurred by council in relation to infrastructure planning and provision and deter "land banking". It would also avoid expensive plan changes to enable development elsewhere. If the proposal were to be introduced, the definition of primary industry would need to be amended to exclude land with zoning for development. Other proposed changes in the review included increased fees for animal control, staff charge out rates for resource consents, pool use charges and rating of residential flats. The proposals will go out for public consultation as part of the 2016-17 annual plan. A South Taranaki farmer has been fined $20,000 for providing false information related to the export of cattle to China. On Thursday, Jeremy Craig Moore appeared in the New Plymouth District Court for sentencing on a charge of breaching the Animal Products Act. He pleaded guilty to the offending in January. In September 2014, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) established Moore had provided the wrong information about cattle he sold for export, saying that the animals had been on his property for the required timeframe of six months, when this was not the case. In July 2014, Moore bought 130 cows from a Wairarapa farm. The cows were offered at a discounted price as they had previously been ruled out for export and the owner had sold the farm and needed to get rid of stock. READ MORE: * Taranaki farmer's false claims put cattle export to China at risk * 58 sick export cows killed on way to China A week after the cattle arrived at Moore's Hawera farm, he made contact with a livestock export business agent who came to inspect the stock. As a result, 81 cattle were tagged for export and after payment, Moore netted a profit of $64,255. After the cows left for China on September 17, 2014, MPI were advised of the sale and following an investigation, discovered the animals had not meet the criteria for export. Any cattle exported from New Zealand to China had to be born and reared in the country and have lived on the farm of origin for six months. MPI must also confirm the farm was free of bovine viral diarrhoea or BVD for 12 months. Once it was established the cows were not eligible for export, 58 of them were quarantined and euthanised at sea before being thrown overboard. However, at no point were the animals Moore sold for export infected with BVD. In her written submissions, Susan Hughes QC said Moore was not informed at the time of sale the cattle he purchased came from a herd where one cow had previously tested positive with the virus. She said the cattle were also tested by MPI prior to being exported to China and returned a negative result. "Mr Moore's failure was to break the six month on farm rule, not to seek to export non-compliant animals." Judge Chris Sygrove agreed. "I have no hesitation in saying that there is no way you are connected with exporting any animals which had the BVD infection." Sygrove said once it was established false information had been provided by Moore about the origins of the cattle, MPI officials had a "huge amount ot work" to do to reassure the Chinese government the export protocols in place were robust. But, Sygrove also acknowledged the heavy financial penalty Moore had already shouldered as a result of the offending. The 43-year-old paid $225,818 as part of a settlement with Landmark, the company which shipped the cows to China. MPI's lawyer Grant Fletcher said if the cows were found to have had BVD then the fine sought would have been much higher. In Moore's case a fine of $40,000 was appropriate to reflect the premeditation involved and the loss and damage caused by the offending, he said. MPI also sought $5,000 in court costs. Hughes did not accept the offending was premeditated and said it arose out of her client's lack of attention to paperwork rather than any intention to deceive. She said Moore was entitled to a full discount of 25 per cent for his guilty plea and asked Sygrove to impose a fine of $10,000. She said her client was extremely remorseful for what had happened and at the time of the offending he was working 12 hours a day, seven days a week and managing three farms. Sygrove fined Moore $20,000 and ordered him to pay court costs of $5,000. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Harold Wolf Sanders, age 94 of Mechanicsburg, passed away on Friday, March 18, 2016. He was born in New Oxford, PA on Wednesday, March 1, 1922. He started his musical career as a young boy playing the clarinet in the school band. After high school, he went on to study music at Temple University in Philadelphia. Upon his graduation in 1943, he enlisted in the US Army and married his wife, Anne. Within a year, he was on his way to Europe to serve as an armored infantry officer with Pattons army. During the war, Harold fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was a part of the Army of occupation. After the war, Harold returned to Pennsylvania and started teaching band in East Berlin. Two years later, he and Anne moved to Biglerville where he built an incredible band program. His students went on to a wide variety of careers, many as professional musicians but far more in every line of work imaginable. His many students fondly remember their time in Mr. Sanders Biglerville bands not only for the gift of music she shared with them but also for the guidance and love he showed them. After Biglerville, Harold went into school administration and retired from the Mechanicsburg Area School District in 1979. During most of this time, he also served in the Army National Guard and U.S. Army reserves and retired as a Colonelthe other Colonel Sanders. Retirement was not a time for Harold to rest. He became active with the Harrisburg Musicians Union serving as the local president and playing clarinet in the band for around 20 years. He also taught clarinet and sax lessons to many area students. He was a gifted teacher who knew how to get the best out of his students. Harold was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Anne Watkins Sanders and a son, Charles Harold who died at birth. He is survived by his daughter Beth who continues his musical legacy in Stockton, CA. Professional services are entrusted to Dugan Funeral Home, 111 S. Main Street, Bendersville, PA 17306. A private graveside service was held at Biglerville Cemetery. A Celebration of Harold Sanders Life will be held Tuesday, June 7 with time and location to be determined. Friends may express online condolences at DuganFH.com Instead of being loaded at the Port of Tauranga, many containers will be delivered to packhouses to be filled with trays of export kiwifruit this season, a practice which could be a biosecurity risk for the industry. However, from what Ive seen of the cleaning and inspection process for these containers, I believe we can be reasonably confident they do not present a risk, says Kiwifruit Vine Health CEO Barry ONeil. Yes, we need to keep it under control No, we need to learn to live with it Establishing the difference between what drives business growth and what is a waste of money has just become easier for the Eastern Bay of Plenty Chamber Commerce. The Chamber has recently engaged Marketview a well-respected New Zealand business intelligence firm to provide comprehensive quarterly data and analysis of retail spending, as an evidence base to inform better business decisions for the Chamber and its members. Social media contacts are changing the way many Mount Maunganui and Tauranga small businesses use the Easter trading customer spike. Before the internet Easter was the last opportunity to get good turnover before winter, but now holiday breaks like Easter provide an opportunity for businesses to make a connection with their customers - which doesnt have to end when they leave town. Our Divisions Copyright 2022-23 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Though things carry on much as normal from an internal point of view, many international investors may start to regard Spains three month-long (and counting) stint without a government as a sign of worrying instability. Sectors of the Spanish economy that benefit most from foreign investment are therefore at risk if the deadlock isnt resolved by a new election - which is looking the most likely outcome of the current political freeze. It is the Spanish real estate and construction industries that have most to lose if foreign money is directed to other countries perceived as more stable than Spain. Between them, these two sectors accounted for a third of foreign investment in Spain in 2015, bringing in a joint total of 7.7 billion. This figures wider context is a property market in Spain thats returning to rude health following the recession: international investors are attracted by cheap prices and an economy that has been growing quarter-on-quarter for the last couple of years. If asked, Spaniards are likely to be disparaging and gloomy about the current state of their country, perhaps citing corrupt politicians, mass unemployment and divisive identity politics as factors holding back progress. But despite all its recent upheavals, Spain is becoming more and more popular to the rest of the world, and nowhere is this more obvious than among international investors putting money in Spanish property. According to recent figures released by CBRE - an international real estate advice and research company - Spain is now the sixth most attractive destination in the world for real estate investors, up from 11th place in 2014. Will international property investors start to think twice about Spain if its political freeze continues indefinitely? At the moment they have little reason for increased aversion: estate agents and experts report that Spains property market has been largely unaffected by the three-month political stalemate, and the countrys economy is still stable. But foreign investors need developments to invest in, and the care-taking Spanish government cannot authorise any costly long-term construction projects until the present deadlock is broken. At least in this respect, the international property investors community will be hoping that, in Spain, things return to normal as quickly as possible. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our free email newsletter for daily roundups of the biggest headlines as well as all the latest breaking news A private audience with Winston Churchill is an experience few people can boast they have enjoyed. Fewer still can tell tales of days spent sat with the iconic Prime Minister in his inner sanctum as he planned the British effort during the Second World War. But one Reigate resident was there through Churchill's darkest and finest hours unfortunately, though, she will no longer tell the tales. Charlie, a blue-and-gold macaw, was Churchill's pet during his time in power, but despite her former owner's penchant for inspiring rhetoric, she now limits her conversation to "hello", "goodbye" and "how are you?". While she used to say more, it is unlikely Charlie could do justice to all she has seen at 114 years old she is also one of the oldest birds in the country. Now enjoying her retirement at Heathfield Nurseries, off Reigate's Flanchford Road, Charlie is something of a celebrity in the area. Nursery manager Sylvia Martin told the Mirror: "People do come down here especially to see her. "Once we had some people that flew in from Canada and their first stop was to come straight here from the airport to see Charlie." Following Churchill's death, Charlie was apparently given to Heathfield Nurseries' owner Peter Oram. Mr Oram's father-in-law is said to have originally acquired Charlie in the 1930s, before selling her to Churchill shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Charlie was then reportedly given back to Mr Oram following Churchill's death in 1965. She lived for a while in a pet shop in Croydon run by Mr Oram before moving out to Reigate for some peace and quiet in the late 1990s. Now Charlie, who was reportedly taught swear words by Churchill during her time with him, lives in an aviary with a small flock of rescue birds and her best friend a five-year-old grey parrot named Rosie. Sylvia added: "Originally Charlie was on her own here, but now she has got Rosie who she adores. They are great chums. "Charlie doesn't talk as much as she did. She has become a bit aggressive and grumpy in her old age. "But when they hear the car door they all shout 'goodbye'." Because there are no official certificates for Charlie, Sylvia admits she does lose track of how old the aviary's senior stateswoman is. "I used to say she was 108 not that long ago," she said. "Then I realised time had flown by." Charlie once made national news for her foul mouth and anti-Nazi tirades and though some people have got in a flap debating the veracity of the bird's time with Churchill, Sylvia does not doubt it. "I have to admit there is some argument about it, but I believe it," she said. "I was amazed when I was told." For the first time in state history, the Missouri House has successfully moved to override budget withholdings made by the governor. Voters approved Amendment 10 to the state constitution in 2014, which gives the legislature the authority to ensure programs receive funds that were appropriated by the General Assembly but then restricted by the governor. The legislatures authority works in a similar fashion to its ability to override a gubernatorial veto and requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. The House received bipartisan support with more than 120 votes for each of the motions approved this week. The governor, who has the authority to restrict spending if revenues are insufficient to fund the budget, continues to withhold more than $46 million in funds from the state operating budget for the current fiscal year. However, House leaders claim the states revenue situation is healthy and that the governor has no reason to withhold funds to balance the budget. The vice chair of the House Budget Committee told his colleagues on the House floor that, due to a reduction in the supplemental budget of more than a million dollars, the funds are available to pay for the appropriation withhold overrides. As a result, the House exercised its constitutional authority to force the governor to release $575,000 in withheld funds for the Missouri Scholars Academy and the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. The Missouri Scholars Academy is an academic program for Missouris most gifted high school students, and the Missouri Fine Arts Academy is a program for highly motivated student artists in visual arts, theatre, dance, creative writing, and music. The state has traditionally provided funding for the academies, but the governor has both vetoed and withheld funds from the programs in recent years. The funds the House voted to release would allow students to attend the programs without having to pay an additional charge. The House also voted to release $350,000 to the Brain Injury Waiver Fund that is used to help provide care to Missourians with brain injuries, who are currently on a waiting list. The waiver model includes early intervention and treatment options to provide critical services while reducing long-term costs. The program is meant to provide access to rehabilitation that allows people to successfully regain daily life skills and vocational potential. Both motions now move to the Senate for consideration. If they receive two-thirds votes there, the governor will then be forced to release the funds. The members of the Missouri House approved legislation to provide approximately $489 million in supplemental funds for the $26 billion Fiscal Year 2016 state operating budget. Before the bill came to the floor, members of the Budget Committee had shaved off more than $7 million in spending from the governors original $496.5 million request during the committee process. The final version of the bill includes more than $267 million in additional spending for the states Medicaid program. Some House members have pointed to the additional dollars as another example of the out-of-control growth of the program. Even before the supplemental spending, the Medicaid program takes up approximately 36 percent of the entire state operating budget. Some lawmakers have said that Medicaid growth is jeopardizing spending priorities in other areas of the state budget. Other major items in the supplemental budget include an additional $19.5 million for Early Childhood Special Education, $5.26 million for Prop. C sales tax distribution to school districts, and $5.5 million for a drug assistance program. The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration. The members of the Missouri House sent legislation to the Senate this week that would create stricter requirements for a minor to obtain an abortion in Missouri. Under current law, a minor must obtain the written consent of a parent or guardian in order to have an abortion. The legislation approved by the House would add the requirement that the consenting parent or guardian first notify in writing any other custodial parent or guardian. The sponsor of the bill said his intent is to encourage families to have discussions before an abortion. As he told his colleagues on the House floor, his goal with the bill is not to stop anything, but instead to start a conversation among family members. The legislation approved by the House does waive the consent requirement in an emergency situation. The bill also clarifies that a parent or guardian is not required to receive notice if he or she has been found guilty of certain offenses, is listed on the state's Child Abuse or Neglect Central Registry, Sexual Offender Registry, has an order of protection against him or her, had their rights terminated, cannot be located, or is incapacitated. As the House headed into its annual Spring Break, members also took time to approve legislation that would require high school students to obtain lifesaving first aid training. Under the bill, students would not be able to graduate until they receive 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction and training in the proper performance of the Heimlich maneuver or other first aid for choking. If signed into law, the requirement would begin for health and physical education classes in the 2017-2018 school year. Supporters of the bill said CPR practice will help to save lives and also said parents will have greater peace of mind knowing their childs peers are trained to deal with an emergency situation. They also pointed out that the American Heart Association is available and waiting to provide funding and training kits to schools. Please contact me at: 201 West Capitol Avenue, Room 411-2, Jefferson City, MO 65101; by phone at 573-751-2317 or 1-866-631-8781; by email at linda.black@house.mo.gov. ABINGDON, Va. A number of community businesses and volunteers were honored March 17 for their contribution to the 2015 campaign during the United Way of Southwest Virginias 2016 Impact Awards presentation at Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. United Way is proud to have honored companies and individuals from across Southwest Virginia for their dedication and support that helped make 2015 so successful, said Leah Farmer, marketing and communications manager. We are looking forward to the great things that have already begun and will take place in 2016. The most notable award of the night, the Women of Distinction Award, was given to Tammy Baumgardner of Food City. The Women of Distinction Award is for women who have empowered others to give of themselves through their leadership in the community, serving as role models for other successful women, said United Way CEO Travis Staton. Tammy Baumgardner is the epitome of a leader and role model in Southwest Virginia and we are so proud to recognize her for her accomplishments. The Spirit of the Community award was given to UPS Richlands, which provided more than 500 volunteer hours and $25,000 to feed 242 children through Backpacks Unite. Mohawk Industries and the Crutchfield Corporation both received Growth & Innovation Awards. Donating more than $196,000 to the campaign, Utility Trailer received the Top Giver Award. Other awards included: Community Partner Award, Smyth County school system; Volunteer of the Year Awards, Catherine Brillhart, Alan Jones, and Marcus Adkins; Media Partner of the Year Awards were given to the Bristol Herald Courier, Holston Valley Broadcasting WMEV/FM94, and News 5 WCYB; the Next Generation Award, Northstar Baptist Youth Group. Companies that received special acknowledgement included the 2015 Corporate Partners, Food City, Universal Fiber Systems and Utility Trailer. The United Way also recognized the 2015 Campaign Cabinets as well as the Board of Directors. If you've heard of Steve Shehadi, you probably know he's the carpet guy as in Shehadi Inc., oriental and machine made carpets, in Syracuse, a business that's been in the family for 116 years. It's a safe bet you don't know the other side of Shehadi, the guy who owns and operates his own museum in Skaneateles. This isn't just any museum with artwork or sculpture, and it's not a museum that's open to the public. Admission is by invitation only, but it's a museum nonetheless, a truly unique museum with an unbelievable collection of outboard and inboard boat motors, the most esoteric electric motors one might imagine and other odds-and-ends, many of which defy imagination. In a way it's Steampunk without the fantasy. And whether or not you like this kind of stuff to see it is to stand back and wonder how many people in the world could have done this? There are a few, Shehadi said, including himself and his daughter, Gabrielle, who move with ease through their spacious building pointing to this and that, giving brief explanations of how things work and offering history lessons on almost everything. There are hundreds of displays in the building and Gabrielle knows what she's talking about just as her dad does. She's a 2016 graduate of Bucknell University, with a degree in engineering. Her sister, Madison, lives and works in New York City. To put Shehadi in the context of his museum/workshop, he's an affable guy who likes to do his thing often in solitaire, but literally just feet from the brilliance of Skaneateles Lake. "Even in the summer when people are on the lake having fun I'd just as soon be in here working on a project," he said. Projects galore, not just restoring antique engines with parts that sometimes have to come from who-knows-where, but he does woodworking projects and even stained glass work. So you'd think how does this guy have time to do all of this when he has a store to run? Shehadi isn't sure he knows how he does it, but he offers a pretty good clue: "When you're working on projects that you have a passion for it's enjoyment and not work." Shehadi contacted me recently to ask if I'd be interested in seeing his 1931 Ford Model A pickup truck. He had a hook, his wife, Lucia Eckles, took her driver's test on the car years ago when the Ford belonged to her father. Now it belongs to Lucia and Steve and it's been restored and turned into a resto-rod with a 350 cubic inch Chevy small block V-8 and modern running gear. Finished in candy green and black it's definitely a head turner. He sent me a picture and invited me to see it in person. At that point Shehadi mentioned he had some other stuff like outboard motors that I might find interesting but he would have to explain it all. Explain he did. He talked about treasured equipment he owns some of which is so rare that most people, including me, have never heard of, like his "hit and miss" engines. These are large engines he's restored that run without a spark plug, carburetor or water pump. "They were used in places out-of-the-way," he said, "such as farms or logging operations where power and water weren't available." Shehadi has 12 of them. The engines were used to power pumps, saws, generators, and farm equipment. Shehadi and his daughter started one and once you hear it run you would never confuse it with anything else. It has a pop, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, pop, sound. The pops are similar to any other internal combustion engine's backfire. But that's just the beginning. The essence of the museum and perhaps what fascinates Shehadi the most are antique outboard and inboard boat motors. Or is it the hunt for the motors? Shehadi has maybe 300 antique, pre-World War II motors, all restored to polished perfection, all in tip-top running order, many of them very rare, and get this almost every one is part of a series. As an example, if Shehadi got his hands on a 1926 Elgin, let's say, he wouldn't rest until he had one of every 1926 outboard Elgin made that year. Or how about this: Indian, the manufacturer of motorcycles, made outboard motors for one year in 1930. There were two models and in recent years 225 motors were known to exist, Shehadi said. He has five of the 225, more than anyone in the world owns. But how would he know if he had every model from a manufacturer for any given year? Because he does research, and more research. "There are a few people like me around the world and we're in touch with each other for the purposes of buying and selling and getting parts," he said. "If I need something there are people I can call, or I know how to get a part made." Shehadi has even gone to the extreme of finding manufacturer's brochures that listed every model, as a way of knowing he has every model motor made for a certain year. Getting them is one thing, but getting them to meet his standards is another. Every motor is rebuilt and refinished. Often parts can't be found so Shehadi will make them in his shop or go to one of his many contacts to buy a part or have one made. How a motor works is fascinating stuff as he can point out with not one cut-away version of a motor, but maybe 25 cutaway examples. "I think that's a safe number. I've got cut-away everything from a car motor to outboards. I've got cutaway turbos and even spark plugs," he said. He also has at least two cut-away transmissions, one an automatic and one a manual for a 50th anniversary Corvette. But there's more, so much more. It's clear Shehadi can't let a good deal pass as anyone quickly realizes. There's a lifesize figure of Elvis Presley overlooking the whole shooting match and there's a reclining figure of a bathing beauty, not to mention a guy who looks like an extra in "Star Wars." But don't get the wrong impression; Shehadi isn't running an odds-and-ends shop, although he does have a table dedicated to stuff nobody can identify. No, his shop is orderly, neat and spotlessly clean and once you get the lay-of-the-land you realize it all makes perfect sense. The Shehadi carpet business has been around for generations, but will the museum survive that long? Shehadi said he's not sure what the future will bring for his extreme hobby, but he does know there are no plans to slow down any time soon. Kenn Peters writes about classic cars and related subjects each week. Look for a second report on Shehadi's museum next week at syracuse.com/auto. Know about a car you'd like to see featured? Contact Kenn: kpeters@twcny.rr.com. Previously from Kenn: Rocky Baldino has a '71 Corvette and a '53 DeSoto in perfect condition. More great cars and news about cars. Charney.JPG Phyllis Charney, right, and her son, Mel, pose in the Charney's store in DeWitt in 2012. Phyllis Charney co-founded the men's and boy's clothing store chain with her husband, Jerome, and her father-in-law, Harry, in 1953. She died Thursday at the age of 93. (Provided photo) Syracuse, N.Y. Phyllis Charney, 93, of Fayetteville, who founded Charney's Men's Clothing stores in 1953 with her husband and father-in-law, died Thursday at Crouse Hospital. Charney, or "Mrs. C," as employees and customers often called her, worked at the Charney's store on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt until November of last year, said her son, Mel Charney. "She cared about the employees and their children," he said. "She knew every employee and she loved meeting the customers and just talking to them. She was involved in all aspects." Phyllis Charney and her husband, Jerome Charney, seen here in 1982, co-founded Charney's Men's Clothing store in Eastwood in 1953 with Jerome's father, Harry. Born Phyllis Hoffman in Haverhill, Mass., she came to Syracuse, where her grandparents lived, at a young age. She met her future husband, Jerome Charney, in the 5th grade. They married in 1942. The couple started out operating a wholesale produce business with Jerome's father, Harry. In 1953, the three took a cue from a friend who operated an Army Navy store in Auburn and opened a clothing store on James Street in Eastwood. See: Phyllis Charney obituary At first, the store was very much like an Army Navy store, selling things like work boots and clothes, and sleeping bags. It later began selling men's suits, slacks, shirts and ties, and began specializing in big and tall sizes. (Charney's now carries 87 men's suit sizes.) As sales grew, the Charneys opened more stores, operating up to five at a time and at 14 locations over the decades, including many of them at Syracuse area shopping malls. Charney's now operates two stores one at Empire Plaza at 3150 Erie Blvd. E. in DeWitt and one at 3837 State Route 31 in Clay and will celebrate its 63rd anniversary this spring. At 20,000 square feet, the Charney's store in DeWitt is the largest men's clothing store in Central New York. Mel Charney, who has been president of the family's clothing stores for the past 25 years, said his mother and father constantly emphasized the need to provide good customer service. "They would say that when someone walks into our store, it's like a guest walking into our house," he said. Harry Charney died in 1983 and Jerome died in 1992. Phyllis remained active with the business, however. Mel Charney said his mother would frequently come into the Erie Boulevard store and assist customers picking out suits or matching a tie with a shirt, or would reminisce with customers who would recall visiting the original Charney's in Eastwood when they were children. "As soon as she walked into the store, she would smile," he said. "She loved it." Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Syracuse University runner who was found dead last year in a New York City hotel while on spring break suffered from a heart condition. Sabrina Cammock, 21, was found around 9:20 a.m. on March 7, 2015 in a room she was sharing with friends at the Edison Hotel, at 228 W. 47th St. Cammock and her friends had gone out the night before and then come back and gone to sleep. The New York City medical examiner's office determined last year that Cammock died of an abnormal heart rhythm, The New York Daily News reported. It took authorities months to figure out what happened to Cammock. Police found no signs of trauma and no drugs were found in the hotel room. The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy, but it said the results were inconclusive and that it was doing more tests. Cammock, of Queens, was a senior majoring in public health at Syracuse University's David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. She ran indoor and outdoor track at Syracuse for four years. Country Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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 Aframaxes? Yes please! Aframaxes may be on the verge of reversing their downward trend seen over the past four years. According to an industry note circulated by McQuilling Services. From a supply perspective, the ageing profile of this particular fleet, coupled with a relatively modest orderbook, are likely to support a medium term stronger earnings performance. This would make Aframaxes an attractive investment proposition at current levels, the consultancy said. Aframax demand grew strongly from 2000 through 2011, before softening as increasing US oil production ate into requirements on the benchmark Caribbean/US Gulf trade, while stagnating North Sea and decreasing Libyan supply for European refineries also took its toll on demand. However, McQuilling pointed out that not all Aframax demand has been negative as increased oil flow from Russia to China has resulted in the Far East Aframax trade rising by 137% since 2009 on a tonne/mile basis. This is likely to support demand in the medium term and help to balance the fleets utilisation. While demand in the East is projected to remain stable, we view the Atlantic Basin region as the main driver of growth in the medium term, McQuilling said. Due to the decline in US oil production, the consultancy projected that flows from Latin America producers to the US will grow by 48,000 barrels per day this year, supporting the forecast Atlantic Basin demand. McQuilling also anticipated increases in Latin American and US crude exports to Europe beginning this year, due to a re-balancing of trade flows. With US refineries forecast to source 280,000 barrels per day of additional AG crude in 2016, it is likely that European refiners will have to source some of their crude from elsewhere. Irans return to the fold is seen as a threat to Caribbean market share to India, thereby creating an opportunity for Latin American producers to sell more oil to Europe, which is likely to support Aframaxes, McQuilling. To a lesser extent, increased West African flows to the East Coast US and to China, to feed the teapot refineries, should support tonne/miles demand for larger tankers, while the reduced availability of lighter grades for European refiners could facilitate the start up of a US Gulf to Europe crude trade, which again would support Aframaxes. In amalgamating its regional tonne/mile demand forecasts, McQuilling calculated a 3% increase in total Aframax tonne/mile demand this year, increasing by a further 1% in 2017. On the supply side, an ageing fleet and modest orderbook means limited fleet growth in the medium term. At present, McQuilling has counted 105 uncoated Aframaxes on order, excluding options, which is some 15.1% of the trading fleet and the lowest of the fleet segments. Out of just under 700 trading Aframaxes, around 137, or about 20%, are over 15 years old, the highest in the crude oil segments. As a result, with the moderate number of deliveries, coupled with above average vessel deletions over the medium term will result in net fleet growth of 2.7% and 2.9% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, which is below the forecasts for the crude and DPP fleets. In its 2016-2020 Tanker Market Outlook, McQuilling forecast an average of WS150 for TD9, resulting in an average daily TCE of $30,400, using a bunker forecast of $233 per tonne. As for Aframaxes in the East, the consultancy forecast TD8 rates of WS145, representing a daily TCE of $33,100. Over the course of the five-year outlook, McQuilling anticipated that rates would come under slight pressure in 2017 amid increasing supply, stabilising in 2018 and firming in 2019 and 2020. On a TCE basis, the forecast is for rates to average $28,400 per day over the next five years, as increasing oil prices will impact on bunker costs, which will firm considerably. One of the conclusions that the consultancy draws from its forecasts, is which tanker segment offers owners and investors the most attractive return when buying assets at current market prices, which have been under pressure recently. To compare tankers on a like for like basis, McQuilling projects unlevered IRR expectations using a hold-to-maturity scenario, which assumes that a vessel is sold for demolition at 22 years of age. Cash flows are produced from the five year earnings forecast and augmented with historical data for the years beyond that. Taking this analysis methodology, it was concluded that the 10-year old Aframax segment may provide investors with a 15.8% unlevered return, more than the sector average of 13.5%. Embrace new technology - Poulsson Companies need to be more innovative in their approach and they need to embrace new technology to help drive costs down and optimise the performance of their sea-going assets,said Esben Poulsson, president of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and ICS vice chairman at the CMA Shipping conference this week. Speaking on the topic of Defining the Successful Shipping Enterprise of the Future - What does the industry need to consider in order to be successful in the business tomorrow, Poulsson chose to emphasis the word tomorrow in his speech and how this word forces the industry to think about future advances, particularly in technology. A continuing theme across the shipping industry today is the need for efficiencies. Poulsson said: It is clear that companies need to be more innovative in their approach and they need to embrace new technology to help drive costs down and optimise the performance of their sea-going assets. Covering a number of other potential advantages of technological developments, he considered how robots and drones could assist with work in dangerous environments, including extreme temperatures or with toxic chemicals. Another hot topic at CMA was big data. Poulsson emphasised how he saw this shaping industry practices of the future. The future is not logging on any longer, but it is about having access to constantly streamed data, including between ship and shore. I foresee that live streaming of data between sea and shore will become the norm in the near future, he said. Poulsson also mentioned how important he thought it was to attract new blood in the form of the next generation.We need to work with our regulators and our customers and our investors to make shipping the cutting edge, state-of-the-art industry we know it is, so we can attract the right talent to its doors. Tomorrows successful enterprises need this, he said. He then talked about the importance of greater co-operation between the industry, its associations and the regulator.The industry needs to show a greater willingness to work with and support associations actively engaged in the interests of the industry - that means practitioners working with and supporting their national and international associations much more. This is an important point because the industry is supported by these associations whether regional, national or international and whilst their members are supportive of the work they do, full engagement is essential if companies are to get the correct operating environment. In closing, I would also like to put some pressure on the regulators, both international and national, to improve their game to keep pace with the evolution of the smart industry. Smart regulation should be a mutual aspiration. The development of regulation needs much greater governmental ownership of risk assessment and cost benefit analysis to avoid unintended consequences and to bring future regulation into effect quickly and avoid unintended consequences, he concluded. LISCR head says integrity is essential Also at CMA, Scott Bergeron, Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR) CEO, said companies need integrity, regard for the value of people, a commitment to technological innovation and an understanding of the value of customer service in order to be successful in tomorrows shipping industry. Bergeron said,The integrity of the Liberian Registry is tested regularly. It is usually easy to say Yes to a client, because nobody wants to hear complaints or suffer the potential consequences of failing to agree to a request. The difficult part comes when you need to say No. In a live poll of the audience at the conference, a majority of shipping industry representatives indicated that integrity is routinely compromised in the name of financial gain. Bergeron encouraged the industry to do much better, outlining examples of where the Liberian Registry will not compromise on safety. These included not negotiating on minimum safe manning and not approving unacceptable risk. When the customer proposes an unreasonable risk, he said, we need to have the confidence of our convictions. He also stressed the importance of companies being able to demonstrate consistently the high value they place on their people. In contrast, he noted that he was saddened to see how some seafarers are being treated during the current economic downturn. Bergeron said, It is not uncommon that wage payments are delayed and crew changes are prolonged beyond reason. Even worse, there are an increasing number of cases of crew abandonment. He emphasised that technological awareness and the ability to provide first-class customer service are essential to the success of any commercial organisation in the shipping industry. In many cases, the shipping industry can be slow to adopt technology, both ashore and afloat. Yet early and effective adoption is a critical element of commercial success. The Liberian flag is the most innovative in the business, with an ever-growing list of technology firsts to its name, including the implementation of the first online fee calculator and the first flag state mobile app. Liberia was also the first ship register to provide electronic certificates for vessels, with online verification through tracking and identification numbers. Our philosophy is to apply technology to meet challenges, improve efficiency, reduce expenses for clients, and improve the overall experience that our clients have in working with us. It took our competitors more than 10 years to offer something similar to our online portal facilitating applications for seafarer documents, and most flags still do not have this ability. The benefits exceed all expectations, with some clients achieving savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars in reduced courier fees as a result of using this system, he said. On the subject of customer service, Bergeron told the CMA meeting, The Liberian Registry listens to its clients, and what it hears has led to some of its greatest accomplishments, including the online application system and the registrys extensive use of electronic certificates. In conclusion, Bergeron defined the successful company of the future as one that applies technological innovation early and effectively, consistently places a high value on the people who make the company run, regards integrity as paramount, and always understands and tries to satisfy the needs of its customers. Markets - Ice class LR3s ordered Newbuilding orders continue to trickle in, illustrated by this weeks brokers reports, which showed that Hyundai Samho had won a contract to build two LR3 Suezmaxes for Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Co (AMPTC). Priced at around $130 mill in total, the Ice Class 1C vessels are due to be delivered next year. This contract comes after last years similar order for vessels to be delivered in September and November of this year. Angelakos was also said to have ordered two Aframaxes from Namura for $52.5 mill each. They will be delivered in 2018, broking sources said. Oslo-listed shipowner Ocean Yield has taken delivery of the LR2 Navig8 Sanctity from Sungdong Shipyard, the company has confirmed. Following her delivery, the vessel commenced a 13-year bareboat charter to Navig8 Product Tankers and will operate in the Alpha8 commercial pool. She is the second vessel delivered in a series of four LR2s to chartered to Navig8 Product Tankers. Ocean Yields is experiencing strong growth in its fleet through the delivery of vessels on long term charters to first class shipping companies. Year to date, we have taken delivery of three vessels and will during the next 12 months take delivery of another 10 vessels, bringing the fleet to a total of 27 vessels. The deliveries further diversifies our fleet into new shipping segments and strengthens our earnings, Ocean Yields CEO, Lars Solbakken, said. In the charter market, brokers said that Oman Shipping had fixed the 1999-built VLCC DS Commander for six months at $43,000 per day, while St Shipping was thought to have taken the 2001-built Sea Horizon for two years storage duties at $40,000 per day. Shell was thought to have taken the 2010-built Suezmax Front Njord for two years at $30,250 per day, while SK Energy was believed to have fixed the 2006-built Jag Lyall for two years trading at $22,750 per day. Concordia Maritimes P-MAX Stena Progress, mentioned last week as fixed on period charter, was said to have been chartered by Petrobras for three years at $19,500 per day. Scorpio was thought to have fixed the 2007-built MR sisters Star 1 and Single for three years at $15,600/$16,500 and $17,500 per day for each 12-month periods. In the S&P market, Turkish interests were active buying up the 1996 Aframax sisters CE Merapi and CE Breeze for $9 mill each plus the 1996-built Aframax OBO SKS Tana for $7 mill. Finally, the 1995 MR Golden Gulf was said to be committed to Emirates Shipping for $7.5 mill. P&I group addresses US/Iran issues A gap in third-party liability insurance and pollution cover for vessels carrying Iranian oil was closed this week by the International Group of P&I clubs in the light of continuing sanctions against US-domiciled re-insurers. As a result of a compromise reached between the Group and the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), a fall back option was put in place. The problem has been the continuing sanctions placed on US re-insurers, such as the American Club. Reuters reported that the Group has created $500 mill of additional coverage per ship for Iranian oil at no extra cost to its P&I Club members, quoting the Japan P&I Club. This raises the default insurance coverage for tankers carrying Iranian oil to $580 mill per ship from $80 mill. However, the wider financing problems faced by Iran in the light of the reticence of international banks to enter the Iranian market - are still expected to have an impact. "For even a routine claim, I expect it to be quite difficult to process the payment for Iran," Mike Salthouse, deputy global director with the North P&I Club,told Reuters. "Because sanctions are enforced so robustly, everyone is acutely aware of their obligations and there is a huge amount of caution in dealing with anything Iranian," he reportedly said. Although $580 mill coverage is still less than 10% of the normal liability coverage of $7.8 bill per ship, Asian shippers such as China, India and South Korea, and some shippers in Europe, may find the amount of cover enough to ship Iranian oil, an official with Japan P&I Club said. Japanese shippers may continue to use the government's special sovereign shipping insurance to import Iranian oil until normal P&I coverage becomes available again, industry officials have said. SCF announces fourfold profit increase Effective strategy, balanced chartering policy, excellent technical performance, together with positive freight market dynamics, delivered what was claimed to be exceptionally strong 2015 Sovcomflot (SCF) results. The highlights included an increase in gross revenue of 7.6% to $1,483 mill, compared to $1,378 mill in 2014. TCE increased by 18.8% to $1,240.1 mill from $1,044 mill in the previous year. EBITDA was $742.6 mill, an increase of 38% on the previous years $538.2 mill, while SCFs net profit increased more than fourfold to $354.5 mill from $83.9 mill in 2014. In addition, total future contracted revenues amounted to $8.5 bill. Last year, $756 mill of new debt capital was raised, including two major long-term credit facility agreements to finance four new multi-functional icebreaking support vessels and three new Arctic shuttle tankers for Novy Port project on the Yamal peninsula. Total future revenues for these contracts amount to $2.9 bill. In 2015, SCF also signed two refinancing agreements totalling $130 mill. Sergey Frank, SCF president and CEO, said:We are very pleased with our results for 2015, which have exceeded our expectations. Significantly, there has been a fourfold increase in our bottom line profits in 2015, compared with the previous year. Such result was achieved to a great extent due to Sovcomflots ability to consistently execute its core strategy aimed at continued growth of our project business. Also contributing to our success were a solid technical performance and flexible chartering policy, which helped Sovcomflot to take full advantage of the major rebound in the tanker markets. The major source of our success is our human capital. I should like to commend the entire Sovcomflot team, both at sea and ashore, for their contribution to this achievement, and for their steadfast dedication, expertise, and commitment to highest standards of quality and safety. To emphasise how valuable team efforts are for Sovcomflot and further motivate the employees to accomplish the strategic goals of the company, weve launched our first long-term incentive programme (LTIP) for vessel Masters, engineers and shore service employees in 2015. Looking ahead, our core strategy remains unchanged. We will maintain our leading position as one of the worlds largest tanker fleet owners and operators. At the same time Sovcomflot will continue to build a robust pipeline of fixed income projects in LNG and offshore services. In the short term, we remain cautiously optimistic with regard to the freight market dynamics due to the fundamental supply and demand balance,he said. Evgeniy Ambrosov, SCF senior executive vice president, commented;The success we have enjoyed in 2015 is a good illustration how Sovcomflots industrial shipping business model works in practice. We have continued to focus on our strong client relationships with major international oil and gas companies and to work hard to meet their evolving requirements with state-of-the-art vessels and ever higher standards of operation. In return, we receive guaranteed employment for our vessels, a welcome source of financial stability. As part of that model, we pay particular attention to replacing lower income generating conventional assets with higher specification vessels that significantly improve our fleet income per operating day ratio. Over 2015, Sovcomflot took delivery of two tri-fuelled LNG carriers for long-term time charter to Royal Dutch Shell and we look forward to taking delivery over 2016 and 2017 of three shuttle tankers, four ice breaking platform support vessels and one ice breaking LNG carrier, all fully financed and secured against long term charter contracts. Total future revenues for these contracts amount to $4.3 bill. Last year Sovcomflot remained committed to continuously improving its organisational effectiveness. Another milestone was successfully reached with the completion of an IT integration project for our commercial and technical management functions, one of the most complex and advanced IT projects ever undertaken within the shipping industry. This now provides an innovative backbone for Sovcomflot, giving us access to the latest enterprise management systems, enabling costs to be reduced, and facilitating early implementation of industry best practices,he said. Igor Tonkovidov, SCF executive vice president and CTO, said:In 2015, we made further steps to bolster Sovcomflots reputation of having one of the worlds most technically advanced fleet in our specific areas of operation. In total, we have added 22 vessels to the fleet during the last five years, carefully designed to satisfy our core operations in different cost scenarios, all of them backed by our core clients. "We continued in 2015 to improve operational efficiency and minimise environmental footprint by driving the fleet emission level further down. We continued the digital expansion in daily routines of the vessel maintenance and repairs planning to procure the optimal timing and budgetary results. It comes along the drastic enhancement of engineering skills in the focal areas of the companys strategic development. Safety Comes First leads the company vision in the shipmanagement sphere which we remain very proud of,he said. Nikolay Kolesnikov, SCF executive vice president and CFO, commented:Sovcomflot has been able to implement its strategy and undertake the associated investment throughout the shipping cycle. This reflects the robustness of our business model and commercial strategy that has enabled Sovcomflot to post an increase of 38% in earnings (EBITDA) for 2015, whilst leverage has fallen from 46.4% in 2014 to 42.7% in 2015 and net debt to EBITDA ratio stood at 3.5 times at the year end, and total future contracted revenues amounted to $8.5 bill. These sound underlying financial metrics have allowed Sovcomflot to enjoy good access to the financial markets and have its credit ratings affirmed or uplifted by the rating agencies. For illustration, at the end of 2015, Sovcomflot concluded a $340 mill long-term credit agreement with Sberbank CIB. The funds are being used to finance three Arctic shuttle tankers for the Novy Port project. It is the first credit agreement between Sovcomflot and Sberbank and creates a precedent for the further development of shipping finance from domestic financial institutions,he explained. Next on the To-Do List: Ikigai Many moons ago, I worked as a career counselor, first for a college and then for a nonprofit in a... Voters need a third option at the polls I ran for a public office a few years ago. After winning a battle with Genesee County Parks the NRA... Wendy Wolcott best choice for Mott College We have a very special candidate running for Mott Community College Board of Trustees in Wendy Wolcott. Mrs. Wolcott is... Smith and Goyette are not fine men I am responding to Tamara Carlones editorial regarding Davison School Board members Matthew Smith and Nicholas Goyette. I disagree with... This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? By Elliott Jones of TCPalm VERO BEACH A Broward County jury deliberated for 40 minutes before acquitting Michael Jones, of Vero Beach, in a strangulation case in that county from 2013, according to the 17th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office. The jury began deliberations at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday after a day of testimony. Opening arguments and jury selection were done Tuesday. Jones, though, will remain behind bars and still faces a first-degree murder charge in Indian River County related to the death of his Vero Beach girlfriend in 2014. He is accused of fatally strangling Diana Duve, 26, in his town house west of Vero Beach and then leaving her body in the trunk of her car in Melbourne, according to court documents. Assistant State Attorney Brian Workman, who is prosecuting Jones for Duve's murder, said Wednesday he attended the Broward County trial and was surprised he wasn't found guilty. "I know that prosecutors down there did a really good job; they were very professional in how they presented the case," Workman said by phone returning from the trial. "I thought that the jury would see it, but I respect the jury's verdict and we just go forward with what we have." Workman said ultimately the acquittal won't affect their efforts to convict Jones of first-degree murder. "We're still going to present the evidence regarding Diana Duve's murder," he said. The case that just ended in Broward County was a domestic battery case in which he was accused of strangling a former girlfriend. She approached police after hearing of Duve's death in June 2014. Workman said the state had hoped to present evidence from Jones' 2013 arrest in Fort Lauderdale, but it's not clear if an Indian River County jury will be allowed to hear the allegations now that he's been acquitted. Jones is scheduled for a status hearing June 23 before Indian River Circuit Judge Cynthia Cox. At the time of his arrest in Duve's death, he also was in violation of probation for aggravated stalking of a woman in Broward County in 2012. A hearing is scheduled at 3 p.m. April 15 for the violation, the State Attorney's Office said. The conditions for Jones' probation was that he could not travel outside Indian River County. When authorities were searching for him after Duve's disappearance, they found him at the Hampton Inn in Fort Pierce. Once the April 15 hearing is complete, authorities are expected to transfer Jones to the Indian River County jail to await trial. Staff writer Melissa E. Holsman contributed to this report. SHARE Steve Dormil Olesia Doug By Elliott Jones of TCPalm FORT PIERCE A St. Lucie County grand jury has cleared four police officers who fatally shot a man during a criminal investigation, according to the State Attorneys Office. The officers shot Steve Dormil, 27, as he was accosting a 5-year-old girl in an apartment in the 1000 block of South 27th Circle Nov. 19, according to reports. The girl's mother had called police. When officers arrived at the apartment, the girl had multiple knife wounds and Dormil refused officers' commands to back off. All the officers fired at him to "stop the violent attack," Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney said at the time. The girl, Olesia Doug, later died of her injuries. The four officers were put on paid administrative leave as the Police Department had the Sheriff's Office independently investigate the case. Wednesday, the case was taken before a grand jury, which met all day before deciding at 5 p.m. to not indict the officers on charges, said Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl. All the officers are now back at work. SHARE Julian Diaz, 26, Smyrna, Georgia; warrant for violation of probation, uttering a forged bill, check or draft, grand theft. Kani Pitter, 19, 1700 block of Bonanza Street, Port St. Lucie; carrying a concealed weapon. Gregory Stephens, 55, 1700 block of Mackenzie Street, Port St. Lucie; warrant for passing a worthless check. Clayton Thompson, 19, 2600 block of Arnold Court, Fort Pierce; warrant for violation of probation, robbery by sudden snatching. Boban Temelkoski, 42, 900 block of Mccomb Avenue, Port St. Lucie; warrant for failure of sex offender to report change in information when registering with the Sheriff's Office. Alfredo Molina, 22, 900 block of Easy Street, Fort Pierce; warrants for grand theft, dealing in stolen property, giving false information to a pawnbroker. David Coutu, 28, 7200 block of Kenwood Road, Fort Pierce; warrants for grand theft, giving false information to a pawnbroker, dealing in stolen property. Kenneth Musselwhite, 29, 2400 block of Hinchman Street, Port St. Lucie; warrant for burglary of an unoccupied structure. Alexis Suglio, 18, 6000 block of Woodsmere Way, Fort Pierce; warrant for grand theft of a controlled substance. Johnnie Williams, 72, 500 block of 22nd Street, Fort Pierce; re-admit, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Jernecia Purter, 22, 1600 block of 29th Street, Fort Pierce; re-admit, battery, prior conviction. SHARE Michael J. Thomas Debbie Mayfield Ritch Workman The Indian River Lagoon, Fort Pierce. (FILE PHOTO) By Melissa E. Holsman of TCPalm A Republican health care professional is challenging two veteran GOP lawmakers who hope to represent the newly drawn state Senate District 17 that will include all of Indian River County and the southern half of Brevard County. Michael J. Thomas, a twice-elected Brevard state committeeman with a 30-year career as a Melbourne physician assistant, is running against Reps. Debbie Mayfield, of Vero Beach, and Ritch Workman, of Melbourne. The trio cited different issues they'd champion if elected, but all three said a top concern is securing more funding to protect area waterways, especially the embattled Indian River Lagoon. The up-for-grabs Senate seat with its rejiggered boundaries won't become District 17 until after the Nov. 8 general election, according to Katie Betta, a spokeswoman for Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner. That's because much of the area mapped out last year during the state's redistricting battle currently is within District 16, represented by state Sen. Thad Altman, R-Rockledge. His district doesn't include Vero Beach or Indian River Shores, but the new boundaries will, and will keep Indian River County intact. Altman, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits, is running for the Brevard County House seat now held by Workman, who along with Mayfield also faces term limits. ENTRUSTED TO SERVE Thomas ran unsuccessfully for the Brevard County Commission in 2006. He launched his Senate race in January with $100 of his own money. Thomas said he's ready to take on Mayfield and Workman, both seasoned House members with proven abilities to raise money and run winning campaigns. "I'm certainly no worse of a candidate than they would be; this isn't rocket science," he said. "We need somebody with a solid head on their shoulders, someone who isn't corruptible ... and who really can think their way through a situation logically." He said trust is the most important factor. "I have gotten to know thousands and thousands of families over the last 30 years, both through politics and through a medical practice ... who have known me and trusted me with their health care. Hopefully they'll entrust me to serve their interests well in Tallahassee." Thomas said he wants to improve access to affordable health care, back Second Amendment rights and support efforts to protect and clean the 156-mile-long lagoon and Banana River. "The whole lagoon system," he said, "that's an estuary that really needs a lot of help." UNFINISHED WORK Mayfield said she also wants to boost funding for lagoon projects. "We need to make sure we've got the right solution in place to clean it," she said. She sponsored a failed bill with Altman this year that would have allowed counties to levy a half- or 1-cent sales tax to pay for muck dredging in the lagoon and other waterways, if voters approve. She couldn't cite how much state money she's secured for water projects, but insisted not having her name on a funding request doesn't mean she wasn't heavily involved. "All the money that has been put in, whether it was put in with (Senate President-elect) Joe Negron or (Stuart Rep.) Gayle Harrell or myself," she said, "we've all been very passionate about doing stuff for the lagoon." She said in the Senate, she would continue her crusade to rein in the Florida Municipal Power Agency, which sells electricity to Vero Beach at high prices. She's filed 10 FMPA bills that have failed to pass since 2009. More House and Senate members have "a greater appreciation of what we're dealing with," she said. "What we're dealing with is an entity called FMPA that has no oversight on their finances except from the people financially benefiting from it and it's not the ratepayers," she said. "That's what I'm hoping we will be able to build momentum on, and if I'm elected senator, I can go back and continue this fight for ratepayers of Indian River County." Mayfield said she will move to Brevard County when her term ends in November. In October she married Robert Scaringe, the founder of Mainstream Engineering Corp. of Melbourne. Mayfield said a top Senate priority would be changing the state's education commissioner from an appointed post to an elected office that would be a member of the governor's Cabinet. The state's top education boss was an elected official until 1998, when voters changed it by approving a constitutional amendment. Mayfield this year tried but failed to get enough votes to pass a bill that would have made the education commissioner an elected position upon approval by a statewide referendum. "That's one of the big reasons I want to run," she said. "I want to be part of this process of voicing concerns of parents." To that end, Mayfield said she also wants a seat on next year's Florida Constitutional Revision Commission, a 37-member group that meets every 20 years to consider changes to the state constitution. RACE SPARKS RIVALRY Mayfield and Workman are political rivals now, but for years the two lawmakers, with neighboring House districts, were known to collaborate on common causes. Among them was the 2011 state pension reform, stemming from a successful bill Workman sponsored that required public employees to pay part of their pension costs. Workman, who called himself a "successful reformer," pointed to his 2010 bill that abolished the state's Department of Community Affairs. He also sponsored a new public corruption law approved this year that holds state contractors to the same ethics rules as state agencies. "It's the first time in decades that a public corruption bill has been passed that holds government contractors accountable to ethics laws," he said. He also successfully co-sponsored an effort to pay $7.6 million toward Brevard water improvement projects, he said, in addition to securing $10 million needed to finish a project in Melbourne that is dredging muck from the Eau Gallie River and Elbow Creek. "As a senator," he said, "I want to continue my work on saving the lagoon." CAMPAIGN FINANCE Rep. Debbie Mayfield Donations: $215,239 In-kind donations: $1,049 Spent: $9,526 Balance: $205,713 Note: $200,000 is her own money Rep. Ritch Workman Donations: $270,656 In-kind donations: $2,661 Spent: $167,844 Balance: $102,812 Note: Collected $23,500 from Jan. 8-11, including $1,000 from two political committees and 17 companies representing casinos, tobacco, auto racing, health care and hospitality services Candidate Michael Thomas Donations: $4,575 Spent: $1,436 Balance: $3,139 Note: $1,600 is his own money Source: Florida Department of State, Division of Elections CANDIDATE SNAPSHOT The four-year Senate position pays $29,697. Name: Debbie Mayfield Age: 59 Occupation: Self-employed marketing consultant Seeking: Florida Senate District 17 Party: Republican Position salary: $29,697 Position term: 4 years Residence: Vero Beach Political experience: Florida House of Representatives, since 2008 Volunteer/civic involvement: Vero Beach Finance Committee; Indian River Economic Development Council; Republican Executive Committee; Republican Women Aware; Republican Women of Indian River; United Way of Indian River County Education: Graduate, Pensacola High School, no year provided Family: Husband Robert Scaringe; sons Evan, Samuel and Coleman Mayfield Name: Ritch Workman Age: 42 Occupation: Keiser University business development director Seeking: Florida Senate District 17 Party: Republican Residence: Melbourne Political experience: Florida House of Representatives, since 2008 Volunteer/civic involvement: Workman Warriors 5K founder and organizer of annual fundraiser for Sentinels of Freedom Education: Bachelors in business administration, Appalachian State University, no year provided Family: Wife Terri; children Austin, Alex, Gabby, Lexie, Bailey and Sofia Name: Mike Thomas Age: 58 Occupation: Physician assistant Seeking: Florida Senate District 17 Party: Republican Residence: Melbourne Political experience: State committeeman for 8 years; precinct committeeman for 11 years; unsuccessful 2006 candidate for Brevard County Commission Volunteer/civic involvement: Republican Party of Brevard; Doctors Goodwill Foundation; Space Coast Clinicians Inc. co-founder and president; Florida Academy of Physician Assistants former board member Education: Graduate, physician assistant program, University of Florida, 1984 Family: Wife Troya; daughter Sandy; sons Michael and Jason Jeb Bush (right) speaks as Ted Cruz stands by during the CNN Republican presidential debate at the Venetian Hotel & Casino on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, in Las Vegas. (ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO) SHARE By Bartholomew Sullivan, bartholomew.sullivan@tcpalm.com WASHINGTON Jeb Bush's endorsement of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will have more affect on donors than voters in upcoming caucuses and primaries, close observers in Florida said Wednesday. Right to Rise USA, the political action committee that supported the former Florida governor, has "no plans" to spend money on behalf of any other candidate, spokesman Paul Lindsay said. Records released Jan. 31 indicated Right to Rise USA raised $100,000 from at least 69 Florida residents and companies. Separately, his campaign committee raised $145,449 from the Treasure Coast, Federal Election Commission documents show. "I just heard the news myself," Right to Rise's Lindsay said of the endorsement Wednesday morning. "I'd just refer you to previous reports that say we're going to be giving back donations on a pro-rata basis to donors." 'KISS OF DEATH' St. Lucie County GOP Chairman Bill Paterson called Bush's endorsement "the kiss of death" for Cruz, saying backing by a perceived establishment figure hurts his efforts to appear independent. "He may actually lose support because Jeb has alienated himself from people in his party," said Paterson, who spoke with Republican front-runner Donald Trump at a March 20 Lincoln Day Dinner at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. "Trump is like an unstoppable train at this point and they've got to embrace it instead of throwing rocks on the tracks." Paterson said the stop-Trump effort is only "bloodying up our candidate, and that only gives more fodder to the Democrats" in the Nov. 8 general election. LENDS CREDIBILITY Former Florida Republican Party Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan said "it's a very important step for Sen. Cruz to earn the support of Gov. Bush," whom she noted "spent time looking at the situation" before reaching his decision. Now that the party has narrowed the field from 17 to three, "it makes a big difference who your endorsements come from. The Bush name has a great deal of credibility," the Indian River County tax collector said. Trump would have been happy to have received it, she added. Paraphrasing Bush's endorsement statement, in which he said he was backing Cruz "for the sake of our party and the country," Jordan said it proved he gave the matter a lot of thought. "He didn't just jump into this," she said. SIDELINED MONEY Collier County GOP Chairman Michael D. Lyster said he was not surprised at Bush's endorsement, "given the fact that Trump started his campaign absolutely going after Jeb Bush" as the perceived front-runner in both the money race and the polls. "Jeb Bush is reacting to those early-on attacks," Lyster said. "There certainly appears to be, on the part of a number of people, a 'Stop Trump' movement." But he said he "abhors" hearing the term "establishment" as the entity doing the stopping since neither the leadership of the Republican National Committee nor the Republican Party of Florida has taken that position. "I've almost become of the opinion that Trump's going to be our nominee and we better get used to it," he said. Lyster said the news media have done a poor job in explaining what happens if no candidate reaches the national convention in Cleveland in July without the requisite 1,237 delegates. Since Trump won Florida, its delegates are required under the rules to support Trump through the first three ballots, then are free to vote as they wish. Lyster said Bush's endorsement might have some impact on the upcoming Wisconsin primary, but Gov. Scott Walker's would have more. It's likely to have more impact on donors than voters, he said, and Cruz might be the beneficiary. "Clearly there's still some dollars standing on the sidelines trying to see what's going to happen," he said. "That's one of the unanticipated consequences, maybe, of the Trump candidacy. I think a lot of money has stayed on the sidelines." NO EFFECT Tampa-based Republican campaign consultant Chris Ingram said the impact of the Bush endorsement will be "negligible, at best." Bush doesn't really have a national following of voters, as shown by his primary losses, Ingram said. But the endorsement "sends a message to other establishment people in Washington that it's OK to endorse Ted Cruz," Ingram said, which could "open the floodgates" for other high-profile figures to do the same. R. William Becker, of Peace River Citrus in Vero Beach, who gave Right to Rise USA $300,000 and whose company kicked in another $100,000, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Endorsements typically don't affect average voters, particularly in a "high-information election" like this year's, said Susan A. MacManus, a University of South Florida political science and mass communications professor. "For those really intent on blocking Trump, this is a helpful move," she said. "It will drive some donors and some supporters toward Cruz. But it signals to others whose candidates have dropped out that, if they seriously want to stop Trump, they need to get behind Cruz." Of the impact of the Bush endorsement, Washington-based Republican strategist and former House Speaker Dennis Hastert spokesman John Feehery gave a two-word, emailed response: "Practically none." Bartholomew Sullivan, a veteran Washington reporter, heads Treasure Coast Newspapers' D.C. news bureau. Aerial view of City Center in Port St. Lucie. (FILE PHOTO) SHARE By Nicole Rodriguez of TCPalm PORT ST. LUCIE The federal government has settled its investment-fraud case against absentee City Center developer Lily Zhong. The Securities and Exchange Commission and Zhong reached an agreement earlier this month that bars her from violating the federal laws she was accused of breaking; waives her right to appeal the judgment and its enforcement; and requires her to pay an unspecified amount of fines. Zhong agreed to the settlement without admitting or denying the allegations against her, according to court documents. U.S. District Court Judge Joan A. Lenard signed off on the settlement on March 16, court records show. Zhong faced six counts of violating the Securities Act and Exchange Act. The SEC in November alleged she used money from Chinese investors, intended for Port St. Lucie's City Center and residential projects in Palm Bay, to purchase luxury cars and a boat. The SEC claimed Zhong, a citizen of New Zealand, fraudulently raised at least $8.5 million from at least 17 investors between March 2011 and August 2014 through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, and diverted nearly $1 million to buy the pricey items. How much Zhong will have to pay is yet to be determined, SEC officials said. "That part ... is still being litigated," SEC Regional Director Eric Bustillo said Wednesday. It could take at least 60 to 90 days to reach an agreement on the monetary amount, SEC lawyer Andrew Schiff said Wednesday. Zhong's properties, vehicles and boat will be sold to compensate her alleged victims, SEC officials said. Her assets were frozen and controlled by a receiver while the case played out in court. The receiver, Michael I. Goldberg, on Wednesday asked the court to approve the sale of Zhong's Highland Beach home for $2.85 million, court records show. Goldberg, who is also responsible for selling the City Center land, couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday. Zhong purchased the 22 parcels that encompass City Center at the corner of Walton Road and U.S. 1 two years ago for $500,000 through her company US Investment LLC. She also set up a regional EB-5 center, a federal program that requires foreign investors to put down at least $500,000 each and create 10 American jobs per investor in exchange for green cards. Zhong has had virtually no communication with city officials since then and owes approximately $18 million in outstanding taxes on the land. Last year, however, she submitted a preliminary proposal for a $380 million downtown at City Center. Goldberg has been "in constant contact with the city of Port St. Lucie" since Nov. 12 about possibly selling the land to the city, according court documents. The Port St. Lucie City Council earlier this month authorized interim City Attorney John Fumero to engage in more talks with the SEC to explore options for the property, which could include a sale to the city. Should the city decide not to buy, the council directed Fumero to attempt to partner with the SEC to protect the city's interest should the land go to another party. It's bad enough when the public comment segment of a local government's business meeting is co-opted for political reasons. I never imagined, though, I'd see an elected official step off the dais to disparage a campaign opponent. But that's what Indian River County Commissioner Wesley Davis did Tuesday when he jabbed the county's property appraiser for failing to address what Davis called a so-called "property disaster zone" created by All Aboard Florida. The addition of an extra track and 32 passenger trains a day in 2017 could decrease the county's property value by $320 million, about $1 million in tax revenue, Davis claimed. But how credible was Davis during a publicity stunt like this? He was off track in multiple ways. His campaigning at the commission meeting was an affront to the public, which pays his almost $60,000 annual salary, and his fellow commissioners, who are there to do business. Why was it was a publicity stunt? Davis who told me after the meeting the strategy was his had a consultant, Charlie Wilson, send out a news release Monday, announcing a "Davis Press Event." The release said Davis, during public comment the next day, would "take the unusual action to temporarily step down as county commissioner" to address the commission on "matters relating to" the train issue and Property Appraiser's Office. I'm not the only one taken aback by Davis' grandstanding. "I understand it's the political season, but we need to keep some level of decorum and focus on the business of the county," said commission Chairman Bob Solari, who later cut off two Davis supporters who wanted to address the issue. Solari said he did not want the commission involved in "bad political theater." "There are some levels below which you should not fall, and we were approaching that level today," he added. The irony is Davis told me after the meeting he left the dais because he did not want to be accused of using his position politically. But if he really were concerned about property values along the railway as opposed to beating up on nine-term appraiser David Nolte he would have addressed the issue objectively at the dais. Instead, Davis looked like he cares less about the county than his own future: The property appraiser job pays almost $63,000 more than his commission salary and would provide a healthy boost to his state pension. If Davis really believes in his commission's strategy to spend $2.7 million of our tax dollars to fight the train will be successful, why is he making such a big deal about property values? In his campaign pitch, Davis cited his appraisal expertise but seemed naive comparing Indian River and Martin counties. The two are similar. But the forces driving the anti-All Aboard Florida efforts in Martin County are far more sophisticated. They're led by a collection of wealthy property owners who live along the tracks, the boating community and Bob Crandall, former chairman of American Airlines. So many people there threatened to contest property appraisals that longtime Martin Property Appraiser Laurel Kelly asked her County Commission for more data, she told me. Ultimately, the county spent $60,000 on a study done by Florida Atlantic University, referred to by Davis. "It helps me support my position (on appraisals)," Kelly said. But Davis had another take. "I really feel like our property appraiser's been MIA," he told me after the meeting, adding Nolte could simply use the university report to let commissioners know how much tax revenue they might lose. Based on sales data, though, Nolte said he does not see a radical shift in property values because of the potential for a train. What's more, Nolte explained that commissioners who set the tax rate are solely responsible for taxes. If property values decline because of the trains, commissioners can increase the rate. "I've talked to Wesley about it; he simply doesn't understand it. I don't know how to get through to him," Nolte said, before calling All Aboard Florida "a terrible idea." The star of Tuesday's commission meeting was Solari, a vocal All Aboard Florida opponent who didn't stand for Davis' political posturing. It's only March, with lots of time for politicking so long as it's not at government meetings. The Old Vero Ice Age Sites Committee will present Archaeologist Dr. Andy Hemmings on Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at The Emerson Center, 1590 27th Avenue, on the southeast corner of 16th Street and 27th Avenue, Vero Beach. Hemmings, in this free presentation, will discuss recent findings and current thinking on the prehistoric inhabitants of the Vero site as we approach the centennial anniversary of many of the original discoveries from 1916. 'The wealth of ancient plant and animal life at the site were part of a well-watered oasis existing in an otherwise dry grassland environment during ancient Vero's Ice Age' commented Dr. Hemmings this week. 'All of which would have drawn some of Florida's first people to this location.' A third year of excavations at the Vero site began in February and will continue until May 1. New excavations, laboratory work, and museum collection research at the Old Vero Site continue to build the case for a Pleistocene human presence here more than 10,000 years ago. New finds regarding artifacts, animal bones, earlier work, and the geologic setting of the site will be discussed at his Emerson Center speech. Hemmings obtained his Ph.D. in anthropology/archaeology from the University of Florida in 2004. He has been the resident archaeologist at Vero since the current excavations began in 2014. He is on the staff of Florida Atlantic University that has joined with the Old Vero Ice Age Sites Committee in excavating the site. The capacity of the Emerson Center is more than 800; free admission will be offered on a first-come first-served basis. No tickets are necessary. The last time Hemmings appeared at the Emerson Center, in January 2015, he spoke to a capacity crowd, so an early arrival is encouraged. For more information, contact 772-778-5249. To sign up for an excavation tour call 772-257-9018. Apple has shifted a portion of its cloud services business from Amazon Web Services to the Google Cloud Platform, according to reports published this week. The company reportedly maintained a smaller presence with AWS, as well as its existing relationship with Microsoft Azure. It is spending between US$400 million and $600 million under the cloud services agreement, which was signed late last year, CRN reported, citing conversations that Google executives have held with others. Amazon threw a splash of cold water on the report, raising questions about why Apple would engage in possible violations of its contractual relationship. Its kind of a puzzler to us, because vendors who understand doing business with enterprises respect NDAs and their customers and dont imply competitive defection where it doesnt exist, Amazon said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Kerri Catallozzi. Apple Shift Predicted Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak warned in a research note last month that Apple might reduce its reliance on AWS for cloud services. CEO Tim Cook in a January conference call with analysts cited Apples plans for additional data centers as a driver of 2016 capex growth, Nowak said. Apple announced plans to build data centers in Ireland and Denmark in 2017 and in Mesa, Arizona, later this year, for a total of more than 2.5 million square feet of space, in a bid to power various services, including iCloud, iTunes and the App Store. The company spent about $1 billion on data centers in 2015, including money spent on AWS, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said, noting that it could take one to two years to shift that business away from AWS. It has a team working on those plans, under the code-name McQueen, as in The Great Escape star Steve McQueen, according to a report inRe/code. More the Merrier? Apple is not abandoning Amazon and Azure as providers of cloud services, but adding Google to its stable of providers, according to Jeff Kaplan, managing director ofThinkStrategies. There also is speculation about whether Apple is using its experiences with those companies to shape plans for its own cloud services. Apples tactic of using multiple cloud providers is comparable to what other enterprises are doing today experimenting to determine which cloud services are the best fit for their specific needs, he told the E-Commerce Times. In many cases, they are selecting multiple providers so they arent dependent on a single source. Apple likely is working with multiple vendors to take advantage of the fierce competition in the cloud services space and leverage costs, said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst atTirias Research. AWS is the big dog in cloud services, he told the E-Commerce Times. Google is likely more aggressive on cost, trying to gain share. For Apple, this could save money and show Amazon its willing to shift vendors and keep its suppliers nervous. Another Google Gain The move marks another victory for Google, which last year hired VMware cofounderDiane Greene to help ramp up its corporate cloud services business. Just last month, streaming music provider Spotify announced that it had moved its business over to Google as part of a decision to move away from buying data centers. A handgun that can be folded up so it bears a striking resemblance to a smartphone is coming out later this year. The first product from Minnesota-based company Ideal Conceal, over 2500 people have already expressed an interest in purchasing the weapon when it is released. The .380-caliber derringer, which will cost around $395, comes with two bullets loaded into two barrels. When folded into the locked position, the trigger and trigger guard are concealed by the grip, giving it the size, shape, and general appearance of a smartphone inside a case. It even comes with a clip, so it can be attached to a belt when folded. "Ingeniously designed to resemble a smartphone, yet with one click of the safety it opens and is ready to fire," says the company website. "Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today's environment. In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight." While this isn't the first folding pistol, or even the first to be shaped like a box, it's thought to be the first one designed to not resemble a gun when folded - something that's causing concern among law enforcement officials. "In general, the concept of any kind of weapon that's disguised, so that it's not apparent that it's a weapon, would be cause for concern," said Bill Johnson, executive director and general counsel for the National Association of Police Organizations, to CNN Money. Developer Kirk Kjellberg said he came up with the idea for the weapon when walking through a restaurant and a young boy saw his pistol (Kjellberg has a concealed carry permit). "This little kid says, 'Mommy, Mommy, that man's got a gun,' so the whole restaurant looks at you like you're about to shoot the place up," he explained. "So I thought to myself there's got to be another way to be able to carry without bothering other people." Some states may require owners of the pistol to have a concealed carry permit, but this will depend on state and local laws. Kjellberg said he is considering developing similar guns with different calibers and plans to introduce a semi-automatic version in 2018. Beware: Password-stealing InstaAgent apps have re-emerged on App Store and Google Play Store under new names. For the second time since November, Apple has been tricked into accepting a malicious app on its App Store that basically does a similar thing stealing users Instagram credentials. Google has also been deceived by the rogue apps developer, as a replica of the app can likewise be downloaded via its app store Google Play. The iOS app presently carries the name "InstaCare - Who cares with me?" while the Android app is named "Who Viewed Me on Instagram. Both of these apps have thousands of users at the moment. The former is also deemed as among the most well-liked apps in Germany. David Layer-Reiss of mobile development firm Peppersoft from Germany has uncovered this threat, pushing out a blog post containing his analysis on these new, nasty apps. It seems disturbing that these credential-stealing apps have been built by the same developer, who goes by the name Turker Bayram. Layer-Reiss says that as soon as users install these apps, they are instantaneously compelled to key in their Instagram username and password. The users credentials are then encrypted and sent out to the hackers server. Upon effectively stealing the Instagram login credentials of users, the hacker then uses the stolen accounts to post spam images. "I was astonished that Apple and Google didnt have a closer look at his new application," says Layer-Reiss. "One should assume a developer who already published a malicious app should be watched more closely." Kaspersky Lab has also published a blog post confirming the claims of the researcher about these apps. It has likewise provided its own investigation on the rogue apps. "It is interesting that this application was able to pass the Apple security checks and was published without any problem, even though its controls are more restrictive, without mentioning that apparently this developer already had a history of having published a malicious application before," says Kaspersky, referring to the iOS version of the app. Kaspersky also advises users to be aware of unidentified apps promising something that is not given by the service that they are using. Most of the time, once the functionality does not exist on the service website, it is then going to be difficult for third-party software to offer it. In the meantime, Layer-Reiss also posted a tweet giving out a warning to Android users. The app "Who Viewed Me on Instagram" ( https://t.co/eEPmNORpx5) steals your Instagram password. Do not use this app. pic.twitter.com/V3LkbXqyj3 David L-R (@PeppersoftDev) March 15, 2016 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google is planning on bidding adieu to the Chrome app launcher, completely taking it out of the picture on select platforms by July. The removal will take effect across Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems, but the app launcher will be staying intact on the Chrome OS. "[W]e've found that users on Windows, Mac, and Linux prefer to launch their apps from within Chrome. With Chrome's continued emphasis on simplicity and streamlining browser features, the launcher will be removed from those platforms. It will remain unchanged on Chrome OS," Google says. For the uninitiated, the app launcher is a tool that provides users convenient access to Chrome apps even when the browser itself is not open, essentially mixing them in among desktop apps. According to Google, the removal will happen in the span of several months. In a few weeks' time, the app launcher won't come as a default add-on with fresh Chrome installs anymore. Next, users who already have it will receive a message informing them of the change. In July, there will no longer be a sign of it anywhere except on the Chrome OS. Just to be clear, the Web apps will still be accessible via the shortcut on Chrome that's placed within the bookmarks bar. In other words, this won't have any impact on users' browsing experience. As a quick refresher of the app launcher's history, Google carried out experiments of it back in May 2013. The company then rolled it out on Windows in July 2013, on OS X in December 2013 and on Linux in July 2014. Now, this isn't the first time that Google did something like this. The Chrome notification center also went away last year, and the main reason for that move is that not enough users were sold on the idea. Just like in the case of the app launcher, the company also said that it was removed to simplify user experience. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Contrary to one of the world's long-standing jokes and stereotypes, blondes are not dumb, a new study found. Researchers found that the IQ scores of naturally blonde men and women are just the same as the brunettes', redheads' and people with other natural hair color. In fact, naturally blonde women had a 'slightly higher' average IQ score of 103.2 compared to women with natural brown hair who scored 102.7. On the other hand, redheads had an average IQ score of 101.2 while women with natural black hair scored 100.5. But hold your horses, blonde cheerleaders; the researchers said the slight difference was not statistically substantial. Aww. Study author and research scientist Jay Zagorsky from the Ohio State University said that while 'blonde jokes' are quite harmless, the stereotyping can lead to serious consequences when it comes to hiring, social experiences and even work promotions. "This study provides compelling evidence that there shouldn't be any discrimination against blondes based on their intelligence," said Zagorsky. "I don't think you can say with certainty that blondes are smarter than others, but you can definitely say they are not any dumber." In the new study, the research team analyzed the data of almost 10,900 white baby boomers in American who took the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). The participants were between 14 and 21 years old. In 1980, the participants took the Pentagon's Armed Forces Qualification to analyze the recruits' level of intelligence based on their English and Math scores. After five years, the participants were asked about their natural hair color. While researchers couldn't find any genetic association between intelligence and hair color, interestingly, they found that blondes were more likely to grow up in households with more reading materials compared to people with other, natural hair colors. Zagorsky removed the Hispanics and African Americans in the new research to remove any bias. When it comes to men who are naturally blonde, the results were similar. Men with natural blonde hair had average IQ scores like men with other natural hair colors. The research was published in the Economics Bulletin journal. If natural blondes had any minor advantages, it could be that they grew up in homes with more 'intellectual stimulation' in the form of reading materials. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A commercial Cygnus cargo ship blasted off on a resupply mission to the International Space Station last March 22, Tuesday, at 11:05 pm. The spacecraft streaked into the night sky as it delivered record-breaking load of NASA data and experiments and supplies to space. The Orbital ATK-made Cygnus launched atop an Atlas V rocket in a smooth liftoff from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, bringing almost 7,500 pounds of supplies and science research with it, including scientific data on fire in microgravity as well as equipment supporting some 250 studies. This cargo, according to NASA, will provide ISS crews with the science payloads necessary to support and conduct experiments in scientific areas such as biotechnology and Earth science. Kenneth Todd, operations integration manager for the ISS Program, hailed the launch at a post-launch press conference. For those of you that were here and saw it, I think youd agree that it was an absolutely spectacular launch, he said Wednesday morning. Cygnus solar arrays deployed and unfurled as scheduled about two hours post-launch, keeping it right on track for its planned Saturday arrival at the space lab. Former NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson, now sitting as president of the Space Systems Group of Orbital ATK, says the recipients might even find a number of Easter eggs on board, once the hatch is opened. This is the second flight of Cygnus now even carrying heavier cargo or 3.5 tons more than the December flight of the company. The last mission on OA-4 was also record-setting as it carried the largest payload that the rocket ever launched. The space station had also flown overhead and separates from its booster, settling into orbit around the Earth. It will spend the next three days around Earth to maneuver carefully into a higher orbit. On early Saturday, ISS astronauts will capture Cygnus using a robotic arm. From there the fun will begin as the crew will unload tools and experiments to explore, such as a 3D printer and Gecko Grippers to stick to the station walls. Some of Cygnus gear, however, is not meant to stay on the ISS. The large-scale fire experiment, for instance, will be set free once the craft is released from the space station in May. This resupply mission is Orbital ATKs fifth out of 10 for NASA under a $2.6 billion deal. SpaceX maintains its own 12 missions, $1.6 billion deal, receiving a NASA order for additional five cargo missions in December. This successful launch also broke a streak of failed ones, where the same companys Antares rocket exploded during launch back in October 2014 and a Russian Progress craft failed to bring its supplies April last year. June last year, too, saw the Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX exploding right after launch. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. PlayStation is offering about 60 percent discount on a number of Call of Duty titles and "Planet of the Apes" cinema titles, but the offer is live only for a limited amount of time. PlayStation Store continues its Franchise Sale series with the fourth week of special discounts, and the best thing is that PlayStation Plus members can pile up their price cuts up to 70 percent. The current sale began on March 22 and gamers can rip the benefits until March 28. The price-trimmed games below are ready for download for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. PlayStation 4 games (Plus/ Discount/ Standard) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Digital Pro Edition - $54.99/ $63.99/ $99.99 Call of Duty: Ghosts Digital Hardened Bundle - $44.99/ $54.99/ $99.99 Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Digital Deluxe Edition - $79.99/ $89.99/ $99.99 A few PS4 games and bundles used to cost $59.99 before the sale. Call of Duty: Ghosts Gold Edition now sells for $19.79 with Plus and for $29.39 with the discount. Call of Duty: Black Ops III costs $39.59 with Plus and $49.79 after price trimming and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Gold Edition asks you to shell out $24.59 with Plus and $34.79 with the regular discount. PlayStation 3 games (Plus / Discount / Standard) Call of Duty: Black Ops II With Revolution Map Pack - $19.79 / $29.39 / $59.99 Call of Duty Classic - $9.79 / $14.79 / $19.99 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Gold Edition - $24.59 / $34.79 / $59.99 Call of Duty: Ghosts Gold Edition - $19.79 / $29.39 / $59.99 Call of Duty: Black Ops With First Strike - $19.49 / $29.49 / $49.99 Call of Duty: Black Ops Complete Bundle - $39.68 / $49.13 / $94.49 Call of Duty: Black Ops III - $29.49 / $39.49 / $49.99 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Game Bundle - $29.82 / $39.77 / $76.49 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 With Stimulus Package - $14.69 / $19.79 / $29.99 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 With DLC Collection 1 - $19.59 / $24.79 / $39.99 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - $9.79 / $14.79 / $19.99 A number of PS3 bundles used to cost $99.99, but not anymore. These are: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Digital Pro Edition ($54.99 with Plus, $63.99 after discount), Call of Duty: Ghosts Digital Hardened Bundle ($44.99 with Plus, $54.99 after discount), Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Season Pass Bundle ($43.99 with Plus, $53.99 after discount) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Ultimate Edition (38.99 with Plus, $48.99 after discount). For the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Bundle, Sony initially charged $29.99, but with Plus it sells the bundle for $19.79, and after discount for $23.69. The priciest item on the list is the Call of Duty: Black Ops & Black Ops II Game Bundle, which initially sold for $109.99. With Plus, you can get it at a bargain price of $29.69 or $39.59 after discount. PlayStation Vita games: Call of Duty Black Ops Declassified costs $49.99, $14.49 with Plus and $24.49 on discount. The price tags for the movies are listed in the following manner: HD Original Price / HD Discount Price and SD Original Price / SD Offer Price. "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" - $14.99 / $8.99 and $14.99 / $8.99 "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" - $14.99 / $8.99 and $14.99 / $8.99 "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" - $14.99 / $8.99 and $14.99 / $8.99 "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" - $14.99 / $9.99 and $14.99 / $9.99 "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" - $14.99 / $8.99 and $14.99 / $8.99 "Planet of the Apes" - $14.99 / $8.99 and $14.99 / $8.99 "Planet of the Apes (1968)" - $14.99 / $8.99 and $14.99 / $8.99 "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" - $14.99 / $8.99 and $14.99 / $8.99 Next week, Metal Gear and "Mission Impossible" will join the Franchise Sale program. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Researchers discovered the remains of two castles in Glasgow during a 250 million (over $354 million) Scottish Water project that will upgrade the wastewater infrastructure of the city. The discoveries include a castle that was used by bishops in the 12th or 13th century and the Partick Castle. The uncovered remnants include various stone walls and ditches. The discovery is considered as one of the most important archaeological finds in Glasgow "for a generation." Guard Archaeology conducted the onsite archaeological work on behalf of Scottish Water. The 17th-century Partick Castle was once thought to have been lost. Past documentary evidence said it might have stood on the site of a previous castle that was used by bishops during Partick's rural years. Experts now say that the recent discovery is "the first hard, tangible evidence" that both the earlier castle and Partick Castle actually existed. The discovery was made during the preparations for the installation of the city's combined sewer overflow (CSO). According to West of Scotland Archaeology Service's Hugh McBrien, people already knew about the existence of a 17th-century castle or a tower house. However, all they had before were documents and antiquarian drawings that depicted the existence of the Partick Castle. "The survival of these medieval remains is especially remarkable given that the site, not unlike many industrial river banks across Britain, has witnessed such large-scale destructive development over the centuries," said Guard Archaeology project manager Warren Bailie, who stressed on the national significance of the findings made during Scottish Water's work. The castles and artifacts have lain quietly underneath what was once an industrial laundry, an engine works facility, the old Partick Central Railway Station, a foundry and a metal scrapyard. The recovered artifacts included some metalwork, animal bones, glass, leather and pottery fragments. "The history of the area in this part of Partick, where Scottish Water needs to replace our existing CSO, is documented on old maps but it is only when the ground is opened up that you can fully understand what has survived 19th-century industrialization," said Scottish Water's environmental advisor Simon Brassey. Scottish Water said that the discoveries were much more thrilling than what they expected. With the help of the archaeologists, they are glad to be part of the discovery of something with a national significance. The discoveries in Glasgow follow another recent discovery, this time in East Yorkshire in England, where builders came upon the remnants of a village dating back to the Iron Age while preparing a site for a housing project. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Much to the amazement of the researchers at UK's Hull University, they were startled to find that a hybrid female fish had developed testicles, self-fertilized her eggs and even given birth to offsprings. The hybridized fish was that of the cichlid species, tropical freshwater fish also referred to as "hopeful monsters." It was aquarium-bred under laboratory settings at the university where it ended up growing both the male and female sex organs. Insects and flowers alike naturally breed via the process of self-fertilization, which is also referred to as "selfing." In the case of animals, birds, fish and other vertebrates, both male and female species are usually required for fertilization and the subsequent reproduction of their young to take place. Selfing has been previously observed in another species of fish namely the mangrove killifish. In this species' case, self-fertilization is their natural and basic way of reproduction. Ola Svensson, lead author and researcher from the University of Gothenburg's Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, told Discovery News that in the case of mangrove killifish, selfing is an adaptation since it can be hard for them to find a mate. Selfing in such instances is better than not producing at all. The researchers at Hull University had come across two varied species of cichlids that eventually resulted in reproducing this hybrid self-fertilizing fish. According to them, hybridizations of such nature do occur in the wild as well as in laboratories. Over the course of one year, this strange fish had given birth to 46 offsprings. "In total, this intersex produced 14 broods, raising 46 living F2-juveniles over a period of 25 months while in isolation in a 20 20 20 aquarium. Two sons and 15 daughters survived to adulthood and were fertile," the study mentions. To further study this strange phenomenon, the researchers confined 18 sibling sisters and 12 daughters into isolation for a period of one year. This was to determine if these female fish would by any chance to self-fertilize in a similar manner like their sisters and mother, but it did not occur. However, when the same set of female fish was crossed with their male counterparts, they reproduced offsprings. The remarkable findings were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, on Wednesday, March 23. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" finally aired its 13th episode for season 3 and just as we predicted when the promotional photos were released on March 7, the last episode titled "Parting Shot" really did become the turning point for Agent Barbara "Bobbi" Morse and Agent Lance Hunter. If you have not seen "Parting Shot" yet, be aware that there will be spoilers below. An Inhuman with the power to affect tear ducts may or may not use their power on you at the end of the episode. We already know from "The Inside Man" that the two agents stowed away in Gideon Malick's private plane, which was heading to Russia to discuss plans for the "sanctuary state" for Inhumans, but episode 13 opens in medias res when Bobbi and Hunter are already detained and being questioned separately for the assassination of Russian cabinet members. After a cheeky answer to the Interpol Officer's question to Bobbi if she has anything to say she answers with an order of cheeseburger and curly fries, crispy the audience is taken back to the continuation of the last episode, after they alight from the jet. The entire episode switches between two timelines: the first is during the questioning of Bobbi and Hunter, and the second shows the events that unfolded after Bobbi and Hunter followed Gideon's convoy. The two quickly make contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. as they tag the convoy and the agency determines where the convoy is headed. Hunter is not too happy about Phil Coulson's order, which is to just keep surveilling Gideon even if they could get their hands on him, and he also notes that he and Bobbi never had a proper vacation because all their travels together were for a mission. Of course, Bobbi, being the exceptional agent she is she is Mockingbird, after all talks about sacrificing for the job. They are caught by the roving guards of the facility and they try to convince the men that they just got lost. Hunter insists they were just in the Siberian woods picking mushrooms in the dead of winter even when he is being questioned by the Interpol Officer. Bobbi, who seems to be the only one who did the "learn a language" part of being an agent, reveals that Cabinet members are involved. They infiltrate the decommissioned power plant and learn that the cabinet members who gathered all want the sanctuary to exist and that one of them, General Androvich, happens to be an Inhuman. Gideon convinces them to stage a coup d'etat and release the General to assassinate the Prime Minister, and they are apparently very suggestible because they do as Gideon suggests. With the knowledge of the assassination plot, Coulson changes the mission and has the agents focus on protecting the Russian Prime Minister Olshenko (Endre Hules) from his own cabinet members, human and Inhuman. The agents stage a diversion and Hunter grabs the Prime Minister while the others fight or chase after General Androvich whose shadow is not a shadow but "a sentient dark force able to shift its density at will and operates independently from him" thanks, Fitz and Simmons! Basically, dark force Androvich gets the upper hand because Daisy's powers don't affect him and none of the blows that Bobbi and Mack deal make contact. When dark force Androvich knocks Daisy out cold and escapes to where Hunter is, Mack tells Bobbi to end it. Instead of going to where Hunter is, Bobbi hunts down corporeal Androvich and shoots him dead, and this causes dark force Androvich to disappear. Bobbi surrenders after killing the General. Since Hunter is with the Prime Minister, he gets arrested too. Unfortunately for them, instead of being grateful for saving his life, he has them detained and questioned in hopes that they will admit that the United States is still allowing S.H.I.E.L.D. to operate, in spite of intervention from President Ellis (William Sadler) and Coulson. Coulson gets a chance to talk to them, disrupting recording signals so he could discuss with them privately and offer them an escape once he gives the signal to Fitz, but both Bobbi and Hunter refuse. They tell him they will take the bullet for S.H.I.E.L.D. and that disavowal seems a better option than to put the team in danger. Coulson reluctantly agrees but had some things to say to the Prime Minister to let the government release the two no-longer-agents. It ends, of course, with the parting shot. A spy's goodbye at a bar where Bobbi and Hunter stayed for beer and received several shots from anonymous people, but they know the shots came from Simmons, Fitz, Daisy, May, Coulson and Mack. The episode is not even hiding the fact that Bobbi and Hunter are 99.9% leaving the show before the credits roll with all the discussion about missed opportunities together, taking a break from the chaos, Hunter finally coming to terms with what it means to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, patching things up with Agent May and, of course, being told that they are each other's only weaknesses. Yes, we get it, this series is wrapping up the Bobbi and Hunter storyline so they can fly off the coop and on to their own spin-off show, "Marvel's Most Wanted." But kudos to the nice way their presence in the show was concluded. That bar scene was really bittersweet, especially with Mack, the person they both have known the longest, waiting for everyone to finish and leave before they get a private toast of their own. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Male patients with childhood cancer are more likely to suffer from infertility as compared to women, a cohort study has reported. In an earlier study published in the Journal of American Medical Association, patients diagnosed with childhood cancer are found to have a higher risk of developing mental health problems and chronic diseases prompting a review on the long-term effects of chemotherapy drugs used in childhood cancers. The recent findings, however, found that girls who underwent chemotherapy for their childhood cancers can still get pregnant, while boys who underwent the same therapy have lower chances of siring a pregnancy later in life. The cohort study links the findings to higher doses of new alkylating drugs and cisplatin. Published in The Lancet Oncology, the study looked into the effects of the 14 most commonly used chemotherapy medications with regard to pregnancy and childbirth. The research compared 10,938 female and male survivors to 3,949 siblings. At 45 years old, about 70 percent of the female patients got pregnant compared to 80 percent of siblings. For the male patients, only 50 percent were able to get someone pregnant against their 80 percent of their siblings. The results showed that female survivors have lower chances of getting pregnant compared to their siblings, but their chances are still higher compared to male survivors. Dr. Eric Chow, the study's lead author, believes that male cancer survivors who were diagnosed post-puberty should preserve their sperm in a bank to increase their chances of fertility later in life. "However, I think, we, as pediatric oncologists, still need to do a better job discussing fertility and fertility preservation options with patients and families upfront before starting cancer treatment," Chow said. Contemporary childhood cancer therapy helped increase survival rate, but the manner of intervention needs to include long-term health benefits like fertility. Caring for the patient does not stop with curing the cancer. An effective cancer therapy that improves short- and long-term health is the ideal path that health practitioners should tread. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and the American Lebanese-Syrian Associated Charities funded the study. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. T-Mobile recently confirmed its LG G5 launch plans, and Sprint has just announced its own. The modular smartphone will be available for preorder on March 24, and it will be released on April 1. Sure, LG is following Samsung, HTC, Huawei and Apple in constructing its 2016 flagship smartphone out of metal and glass to give it a more premium feel, but the company is also offering that with a twist. In an effort to stand out from its rivals, LG was able to salvage the almost-now-extinct user-swappable battery with its slide-out modular case. LG is betting on this new modular approach and is hoping third-party companies sign on. LG currently offers a user-swappable battery, digital camera/extended battery add-on and a Hi-Fi audio player that all slide into the bottom of the smartphone to add hardware on-the-fly. T-Mobile recently announced its official LG G5 launch plans, and Sprint customers will be glad to know the carrier has just announced its G5 preorder, pricing, release date and promotion details. "The new LG G5, combined with our super-fast LTE Plus Network and amazing offers, makes this the ideal time to give Sprint a try," said Rod Millar, senior vice president-Product and Supply Chain, Sprint. "The LG G5 is an innovative device that features a modular design, allowing the customer to add CAM Plus, for a more comfortable way to take pictures as well as an additional battery. Plus, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile customers who switch to Sprint now can save 50 percent off most standard rate plans." Preorders for the LG G5 will begin on March 24 online and in Sprint retail stores on March 25, with the smartphone being released on April 1. The LG G5 will be offered by Sprint for $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $24. It will also offer customers the LG G5 for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate when signing a new two-year contract with the carrier. The LG G5 features a 5.3-inch 2560 by 1440 quad-HD LCD display with a pixel density of 554 pixels per inch (ppi) and is surrounded by a sleek metal aluminum unibody case. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 GPU (graphics processing unit and 4 GB of RAM. It includes 32 GB of internal storage and microSD expansion slot that supports up to 200 GB microSD cards. LG chose to use a dual-rear camera setup with both a 16 megapixel camera and 8 megapixel camera, in addition to an 8 megapixel front-facing shooter for video chat and selfies. LG is one of the only smartphone makers shipping handsets with a removable battery, and it includes a 2,800 mAh battery that can be easily swapped out thanks to the modular design of the G5. Users can replace its battery and add extra hardware, like a camera accessory or Hi-Fi audio player by simply sliding out the bottom of the handset. Sprint will include an LG G5 extra battery, battery charging cradle and USB-C to micro USB adapter. It will offer the smartphone in color choices of Silver, Titan, Gold and Pink. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amazon, which was previously looking to avoid having to disclose details on how much it pays female employees compared to male employees, has reversed its position and made the information public. The online retail giant revealed that in a review of its United States workforce including warehouse workers, Amazon paid women 99.9 percent of the compensation that it paid to men in equivalent positions. In addition, the company said that it paid minorities 100.1 percent of the compensation that it paid to white employees in similar roles. "There will naturally be slight fluctuations from year to year, but at Amazon we are committed to keeping compensation fair and equitable," said Amazon in a statement. Arjuna Capital, a Baldwin Brothers unit and an activist shareholder for Amazon, was putting pressure on the company to reveal information regarding gender pay equality in its workforce. "We are pleased Amazon is stepping up in response to investor concerns about gender pay equity," said Arjuna Capital Director of shareholder engagement Natasha Lamb. "I assume they looked at the numbers and they were happy with the results and now they're willing to be transparent about it and accountable," Lamb added in her attempt to explain the sudden change of decision by the company. In July 2015, Amazon estimated that women made up 39 percent of its workforce and 24 percent of its managers globally. The figures remain in line compared to a workforce diversity report that the company released in November 2014, when Amazon reported that women made up 37 percent of its workforce and 25 percent of its managers globally. Initially, Amazon wanted to prevent a proposal brought forward by Arjuna Capital and Pax World Funds that would require the company to disclose the information regarding gender pay equality. The Securities and Exchange Commission, however, denied Amazon's attempt to stop the proposal. Arjuna Capital has been trying to push tech companies into releasing information on how much women are paid compared to men in their workforces. Beginning with eBay last year, the firm has since shifted its focus to Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Adobe and Expedia. Only Intel, Apple and Amazon have so far released the gender pay equality information, with Intel announcing that it has 100 percent gender equality in salaries, while Apple revealed that it pays women 99.6 percent of what it pays men among its employees. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Boom is a startup company that is looking to design and manufacture supersonic passenger planes that will be able to travel at 2.2 times the speed of sound. The company is still early on in the development process of such aircraft, though, as it has only started working on the first prototype, which will be launched into flight by late 2017. While the plan seems ambitious, one major name has revealed its belief that Boom can make it happen. The company is no other than Virgin Galactic, a unit of Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Today we're partnering with @Virgin and @VirginGalactic to build and fly supersonic aircraft https://t.co/NCfqAMhTNa Boom Technology (@boomaero) March 23, 2016 The partnership will see Virgin Galactic provide assistance to Boom in building and flying supersonic aircraft. The deal between the two companies, which is worth about $2 billion, is said to be a 10-plane option for Virgin Galactic. This does not mean that Virgin Galactic has already actually purchased the aircraft. The option only confirms that the company plans to purchase 10 planes if Boom is actually able to deliver the supersonic aircraft as planned. The deal complements the 15-plane option that Boom signed with an undisclosed European firm. All in all, the startup's optioned plane investments now total about $5 billion. As to whether Boom's plan will come together is an entirely different story though, as over the years, airplane manufacturers have been trying and failing to create a supersonic passenger plane. The Mach 2 Concorde by Airbus is the most successful among all attempts, operating for 27 years before being shut down partly due to the price tag of $20,000 per seat. Blake Scholl, the founder of Boom, said that affordability is among the top priorities for the startup, adding that the Concorde was more of an economic failure than a technical failure. "We are talking about the first supersonic jet people can afford to fly," Scholl said. Early estimates for flights taken on Boom's supersonic passenger plane include $5,000 for a trip from New York to London, which will be done in half the time compared to the speed of today's passenger planes. Flights from San Francisco to Tokyo, which usually take 11 hours, will only take 4.5 hours and will cost $6,500. In addition, Scholl said that the aircraft will only carry 40 passengers per flight, which would help in keeping the price low per seat, but the demand high. Boom's 11 employees collectively hold serious talent, some of them came from NASA, some from Lockheed Martin and some from Boeing. Virgin Group will add to the knowledge pool, with its The Spaceship Company to provide engineering, design and manufacturing services, along with flight tests and operations. Regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration, however, currently prohibit an aircraft from travelling at supersonic speeds over land, which would mean that once Boom's planes are in the air, it will mostly be sticking with international flights that travel over water. Success in the project could provide leverage for regulations to be amended to allow domestic flights using the supersonic passenger planes. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. AstraZeneca blood thinner Brilinta is no better than aspirin, the company announced on Wednesday. The news came after the results of the so-called SOCRATES trial for the drug were released. Experts found that although Brilinta caused fewer stroke patients to suffer from another stroke, heart attack or death after 90 days of the initial stroke, the results did not show statistical significance when compared to the current standard of care, which is aspirin. The trial involved administering 90 milligrams of Brilinta two times a day and 100 milligrams of aspirin once per day. The British drug manufacturer had hoped the trial would pave the way for more uses of Brilinta, but that certainly was not the case. In fact, it made the drug appear ineffective, at least for now. Some analysts were also looking forward to positive results especially because Sanofi's Plavix had already exhibited limited benefits for strokes, making Brilinta the more potent option. Major Setback For AstraZeneca's Sales The results of the clinical trial took a major blow on AstraZeneca's expectations that Brilinta will lift the company to an annual sales of $3.5 billion by the year 2023. Such expectation is a huge part of the company's road to a $45 billion revenue target, announced as defense against Pfizer's takeover threat in 2014. "It's a setback but at this stage we are not providing any new guidance on the overall ($3.5 billion) number," says AstraZeneca's Ludovic Helfgott. In 2015, the sales of Brilinta reached $619 million. If the trials yielded a positive result, Thomson Reuters Cortellis predicts that the sales of the drug may reach an annual rate of $1.87 billion for 2020. Staying Optimistic Despite Negative Trial Results Despite the negative trial findings, it is worthy to note that Brilinta did not exhibit any safety hazards that may have caused doctors prescribing the drug to go into a panic. With this, the company is staying optimistic as Helfgott, who is the head of the Brilinta franchise, says there are many other potential means for Brilinta's growth. The company is actually making huge investments in large clinical studies involving about 80,000 patients to look for other uses of Brilinta aside from its previously approved indication. For example, the drug has already showed positive effects on patients who have a history of heart attack and not just on those who had an attack during the previous year. The company is also testing the medicine for diabetes and peripheral arterial disease, which is a condition that involves narrowing of blood vessels resulting in impeded circulation in the limbs. The results of these clinical trials are expected to be released in the latter part of 2016 and in the first half of 2017 respectively. AstraZeneca's Elisabeth Bjork says the SOCRATES results do not affect the rest of the project at all. The company is still very excited about the possibilities with Brilinta. The complete results of the SOCRATES trial will be presented at the European Stroke Organization meeting in Barcelona, Spain on May 10 to 12. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A worker died Wednesday night inside a Stavis Seafoods warehouse in South Boston, as found by a Boston fire department personnel who responded to reports of an ammonia leak in the premises. The still-unidentified adult male victim was found on the cold storage facilitys second floor by the stairwell, according to Fire Chief of Operations John Walsh, who said that the leak was reported by warehouse employees by the end of their shift. Fire personnel responded before 6 in the evening to a report of a leak at the warehouse, situated at 7 Channel Street. Soon afterwards, they declared a level 3 hazmat situation, requiring the authorities in the scene to wear full proper gear. Four other workers escaped and all of them had been accounted for by fire officials, who attempted to rescue the sole casualty pronounced dead right at the scene but could no longer reach him. They made a valiant effort, but they were pushed back by the ammonia, says fire department spokesperson Steve MacDonald in a Boston Globe report. The overwhelming smell of ammonia hindered the fire crew from accessing the building, although they were able to eventually close the main valve and stop the leak. The building is said to hold around 5,300 pounds of ammonia, although the cause of the substances leak, as well as any previous safety issues in the building, is still being investigated at the moment. Foul play has been ruled out in the workers death. Boston police authorities are investigating the incident, while the medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the workers cause of death. Stavis Seafoods, on the other hand, noted its cooperation in a statement, saying they were devastated with what happened. A number of streets surrounding the warehouse were closed off, with police advising people to stay far from the area while authorities were conducting the operation. A strong and colorless gas, ammonia could cause poisoning through inhalation. Humans could also be poisoned through swallowing or coming into contact with products containing a very large amount of this gas, which is found in some household cleaners, liniments, and fertilizers. Symptoms of ammonia poisoning include coughing, severe chest pain and tightness, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. In this case, ammonia is used as an industrial refrigerant. Photo: Tony Webster | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Many patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma do not know how to use inhaler devices to deliver life-saving medicines when they are gasping for air. Many of these patients end up in the hospital when their symptoms get out of control. Findings of a new study, however, suggest that the fix for such medical emergencies and additional health care expenses may be as simple as setting aside more time to teach patients how inhaler devices work, whose risk for misuse is greater when patients switch devices. In a new study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society on Monday, researchers randomly assigned a group of patients with COPD and asthma to receive personalized and hands-on instruction on how to use new inhalers while they were in the hospital. They found that 91 percent of the patients who were given instructions on how inhalers work eventually used the devices correctly while only 40 percent of those who did not receive the instructions operated their inhalers properly. A month after leaving the hospital, only 17 percent of the patients who were given instructions suffered from acute flare-ups while 36 percent of those who were not given extra instruction had acute flare-ups during the period. Study author Valerie Press, from the University of Chicago, cited the importance of providing inhaler teaching to patients. "The vast majority of patients do not get inhaler teaching in the hospital setting, especially for rescue devices," Press said. "Without good control, patients are at risk for more breathing attacks, and possibly even more emergency room visits or hospitalizations." The vulnerable patients with low health literacy who had more difficulty understanding their health conditions appeared to benefit the most from getting the extra education. In this group of patients with low health literacy, only 15 percent of those who received the extra instruction suffered from an acute symptom flare-up a month after leaving the hospital. Seventy percent of those who did not get extra education had acute symptom flare ups. "Inpatient treatment-to-goal education may be an important first step toward improving self-management and health outcomes for hospitalized patients with asthma or COPD, especially among patients with lower levels of health literacy," the researchers wrote in their study. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The American Red Cross said that it significantly needs type O negative blood. Type O negative blood can be given to patients with any blood type. It is frequently used in emergency situations regardless that only less than 7 percent of the population in the U.S. has this blood type. Ryan Corcoran, from the Carolinas Blood Services Region said that although all blood types are needed, donation of type O negative blood are crucial in emergency situations particularly when there is not enough time to determine the blood type of the patient. Type O negative blood cells can be transfused to almost anyone, which is why it is also called "universal." "Type O negative donors are an important part of the Red Cross trauma team," said Corcoran. Hospitals rely on frequent O negative donations to ensure availability for patients in need. The high demand for type O negative blood, however, requires frequent donation. "Double red cell donations from Type O donors and donors with Rh-negative blood types play a very important role in maintaining blood supply levels," the American Red Cross wrote on its website. The organization urged eligible donors to make a double red cell or whole blood donation to ensure sufficient supply. In a double red cell donation, an apheresis machine collects the red cells and most of the platelets and plasma are returned. Double red cell donations are about 30 minutes longer compared with a whole blood donation and allow donors to give two units of red cells. The Red Cross said that those who would donate need to be at least 17 years old who are at least 100 pounds. They should also be in good health. Some sates also allow 16-year-olds to make a donation. High school students and those below 18 years old, however, need to meet certain weight and height requirements to be green-lighted to donate blood. Interested donors should also have a blood donor card, or driver's license or at least two forms of identification. Blood donation appointments can be done through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting redcrossblood.org website, or by calling the number 1-800-733-2767. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The U.S. Supreme Court, by a 6-2 vote, declined on March 21 to hear the petition of Nebraska and Oklahoma challenging neighbor state Colorado's marijuana laws. The state attorneys of Nebraska and Oklahoma contended that since Colorado's decriminalization of marijuana there had been an influx of the substance into their states, where the controversial plant remains illegal. The two complainant states argued that Colorado's $100-million-per-month marijuana business, which exported thousands of pounds of the drug to 34 states in 2014, is causing marijuana to be smuggled within their own states. That smuggling threatens the health and safety of their residents, they argued, in addition to other grievances such as creating a "dangerous gap" in the nation's federal drug control system. "If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel," claim Nebraska and Oklahoma. On the other hand, as stated in Colorado's brief, the defendant state claims that, among others, Colorado has not invaded any rights of the plaintiff states and that their injuries are caused by third parties who violate state and federal laws, which are reasons why the case does not require the court's original jurisdiction and that plaintiff states lack standing. The court did not explain why it declined to take the case. In 2012, Nebraska and Oklahoma did not challenge Colorado's decision to change its state constitution and legalize marijuana use and possession. However, the two states claimed that parts of that law contradicted federal law, causing a multitude of detrimental effects on the welfare of the residents of the complainant states. "Nebraska and Oklahoma concede that Colorado has power to legalize the cultivation and use of marijuana a substance that for decades has seen enormous demand and has, until recently, been supplied exclusively through a multibillion dollar black market," says Colorado. "Yet the plaintiff states seek to strike down the laws and regulations that are designed to channel demand away from this black market and into a licensed and closely monitored retail system." Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt remarked that Colorado marijuana that flows into Oklahoma is still a direct violation of state and federal law and that Colorado should address this flow of marijuana outside its borders. Meanwhile, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said that the court's decision does not bar new challenges against Colorado. "This was a meritless lawsuit, and the court made the right decision," says marijuana advocate Mason Tvert. "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." Aside from Nebraska and Oklahoma, some law enforcement officers from other nearby states Kansas and New Mexico also expressed grievances stemming from Colorado's liberal marijuana laws. Photo: Carlos Gracia | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. If you thought the idea of an Ada Lovelace steampunk-style LEGO kit was awesome, you might want to check out one of the latest entries in the LEGO Ideas design competition. A pair of Amelia Earhart fans named Brad Meltzer and Ellen Kooijman have designed a mini-LEGO set featuring the famous pilot and her plane. With enough public support, their kit might make it to a store near you. Meltzer, who is also an author of political thrillers and the force behind the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics series, and Kooijman, a LEGO designer and scientist, are knowledgeable about the real person who influenced their LEGO design. Before the project took off, Meltzer had co-authored a children's book about Earhart titled I Am Amelia Earhart, and Kooijman, a feminist activist, is responsible for kickstarting another LEGO Ideas design project, a LEGO Female Minifigure set featuring women scientists. As for what inspired Meltzer and Kooijman to create the LEGO set in the first place? "Amelia Earhart was a girl who loved adventure, and never let anybody stop her from trying new things. Even things that girls had never done before-like flying all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually she broke flying records and proved to the world that women can soar just as high as men." The complete set comes with a replica of Amelia Earhart's famous biplane, the Canary, which comes in you guessed it canary yellow. The entire kit itself is made up of 186 pieces, including an Earhart LEGO figurine. For those of you who are a little rusty with your aviation history, Earhart was the first woman to make a trans-Atlantic flight solo in 1932, and in 1937 she attempted to put her name in the record books again as the first woman to circumnavigate the world. Unfortunately, her dreams were curtailed when she and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island in 1937. Her body was never recovered, and she was declared officially deceased in 1941, when she would have been 39 years old. Meltzer and Kooijman's LEGO Ideas design page went up on March 2, and has 343 days left to rack up 10,000 votes for a review by the company. If they get enough votes, their dream can turn into a reality, so if you want to support their idea, you can click here to cast your vote. Source: LEGO Ideas 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Volkswagen better come up with a resolution. On Thursday, a federal judge gave the embattled automaker and regulators just less than a month's deadline to present a detailed plan about how it's going to bring nearly 600,000 compromised diesel vehicles into compliance with U.S. emissions standards, as reported by CBS News. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer demanded to have the specifics of the timing of the massive fix and also details about any kind of planned payments to affected owners from VW's emissions scandal by April 21, giving the automaker exactly 28 days to come up with a blueprint. "I would hope by the 21st that as many astounding issues as possible will be wrapped up," Breyer said, according to CBS. The encouraging news is CBS is reporting that Breyer said ex-FBI director Robert Mueller informed him that VW, the Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and lawyers representing class-action lawsuits for car owners have made progress, so a resolution should be expected next month. If one is not reached, though, then Breyer could put VW on trial this summer a scenario the automaker will want to avoid. This deadline comes two months after the EPA and CARB rejected the automaker's proposal for how to fix the nearly 600,000 compromised vehicles in the U.S., saying at the time that the auto company's plans "contain gaps and lack sufficient detail." "The descriptions of proposed repairs lack enough information for a technical evaluation and the proposals do not adequately address overall impacts on vehicle performance, emissions and safety," the agencies said in a joint statement in January. The EPA added: "EPA agrees with CARB that Volkswagen has not submitted an approvable recall plan to bring the vehicles into compliance and reduce pollution. EPA has conveyed this to the company previously." Making matters tougher is that following the deadline announcement Thursday, Volkswagen and Porsche announced a worldwide recall for about 800,000 Touareg and Cayenne SUVs due to a potential problem with their pedal systems. The recall affects 391,000 Touareg models and over 409,000 Cayennes from 2011-16, as also reported by CBS. Taking care of this recall while coming up with a plan to bring about 600,000 vehicles into emissions compliance is not an enviable position to be in, to say the least. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dyson is famous for its line of bagless vacuums, and has more than proven its technology in the industry. Now, the renowned brand is looking to prove itself in another industry as well the automobile industry and electric vehicles within it, to be exact. According to the Guardian, Dyson is seeking help via public fundraising to develop its own electric car at its headquarters of Wiltshire in South England. The news agency reports that it learned that the company was developing an electric vehicle due to an accidental disclosure from the United Kingdom's government. "The government is funding Dyson to develop a new battery electric vehicle at their headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire," the National Infrastructure Delivery Plan published Wednesday, as reported by the Guardian. "This will secure 174m of investment in the area, creating over 500 jobs, mostly in engineering." When the news outlet asked Dyson to confirm the report, a company spokesperson said: "We never comment on products that are in development." Even before this report surfaced, there was wide speculation of Dyson working on an EV after the company's CEO, Max Conze, refused to scratch the possibility. "We are ruling nothing out," he said at the time, as reported by the Guardian. "Like our friends in Cupertino (referring to Apple), we are also unhealthily obsessive when it comes to taking apart our products to make them better." Building a motor for a high-powered vacuum is one thing, but doing the same for electric vehicles presents an entirely different challenge one for which the company is reportedly up. Although Dyson is synonymous with vacuums, the company's history of inventions touches on everything from cargo boats to bladeless fans and the Airblade hand dryers found in many public restrooms at restaurants, bars and other businesses. In addition, the company announced a five-year investment in battery technology, perhaps paving the perfect storm toward developing an electric car soon. Dyson uses light but largely-effective motors in its devices, making it intriguing to see if it can come up with something foreign and innovative to the auto industry in the EV space. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. France's Agriculture Ministry confirmed on Thursday that a case of mad cow disease was discovered in the northeastern region of Ardennes, the first in the country since 2011. Authorities in the European Union suspected the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as mad cow disease, was present in a 5-year-old cow from a cattle farm in Ardennes who died prematurely. The case was first reported to the European Commission and the veterinary watchdog in Paris, the World Organization for Animal Health. The European Union reference laboratory verified it was in fact a case of mad cow disease on March 23. However, the Agriculture Ministry told the public on Thursday that beef in France is safe to consume because all parts of the cow that have the possibility of being infected are required to be removed from the slaughter house. "The detection of this case has no impact for the consumer," the ministry said. Even though the reported case shouldn't scare people away from ordering a hamburger, it could have an effect on exports in the country. The case could lower France's safety grade based on the risk level of BSE, making it harder to export beef. There were four cases of mad cow discovered in Europe in 2015, but this is the first case for France in five years. The disease spread widely throughout France and the U.K. in the '90s and early 2000s, but has since been in decline in the recent years. BSE is a disease that affects the brains and damages the central nervous systems of cattle. The cows are said to only show symptoms four to six years after falling ill with the disease. These symptoms include having a hard time getting up and lack of coordination. At that point, the cow is expected to die in as soon as a few weeks. Humans can contract mad cow disease after consuming beef that is infected. We get what is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease that also has symptoms of lack of coordination as well as depression and dementia, and which can lead to death. Source: Reuters Photo: Bas Leenders | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Want to learn hacking and cybersecurity? Follow these 10 steps to kickstart on your hacking career Hacking! The term has glamourous connotation for some while others view hackers with contempt. Hacking was mainly used in the good old days for getting information about systems and IT in general. Over the years it has got a negative connotation due to few hackers who are also cyber criminals. If you leave aside the cyber crime part, hacking is a very respectable field with top dollar being paid to top grade ethical hackers. Most of the tech companies hire hackers to test the strengths and weaknesses of their own system and software. These hackers know when to stop, and the positive trust they build earns them a large salary. If you are ready to jump in and learn the art, below are a few tips that will help you get started! Question yourself: Why do I want to learn? Hacking does not mean interrupting a website or breaking into someones email accounts. While cracking is malicious, hacking is about how to usefully deploy systems and involve in a specific style of programming. Nowadays, hacking is normally used to include data breaches, system cracks and malicious attacks, but you need to ask yourself is it really worth the risk? If you are truly interested in programming and systems, then ethical hacking could prove to be a lucrative career choice for the right reasons. What is hacking? Hacking is much more than using software to brute-force a password, or hiring a botnet to launch DDoS attacks against a website for the fun of it or cracking your media streaming kit to download shows for free. It is about solving problems and finding answers, whether in the IT field or otherwise. Why hacking? As said above, hacking is a romanticised term for many. This is due to movies where the protagonist can crack anything from White House servers to ISS spacestation by punching in a few keys. There are some who view hackers with contempt but top hackers generally evoke respect among the online fraternity. Moneywise, hacking offers many career options that include a range of software issues from exploit development to network defence. However, hacking is about finding the answers to your own questions and the hunger to put in very long hours to find that evasive bug in the code. Research While there is no set guidelines to learn hacking and cybersecurity, but to start off with you can learn more on different programming languages, job opportunities, skills, and join hacking and cybersecurity community groups. Before you commit yourself, there are lot of questions you may want to ask yourself and also learn a few terms such as are you interested in networking, or penetration testing, or the security of mobile applications, or bug bounties? You will be able to follow your passion, if you have a common idea of where your own interests lie. Choosing the correct programming language You shouldnt limit yourself to any particular language. But you need to learn the programming language before you start prodding around. The important factor here is interest. If you become bored, you are likely to become irritated and give up your efforts. Be it any programming language such as Python, C++, Perl or any other language, the important thing is know the basics that also gives an idea of operating systems such as Windows and Unix, as well as networking. This will help in fundamental understanding to bind everything together at a later stage. What operating system are you using, and why? Research different tools and systems normally used by those in cybersecurity while you are learning programming or working on a project. For instance, the open-source Linux build Kali is a popular option as it comes pre-loaded with hundreds of tools for use in the ethical hacking field. You can run this along with other systems, such as Windows or Mac. However, using a virtual machine to run Kali on Mac can lead to problems due to Apples code and permissions, such as an inability to use the internal wireless adapter. It is recommended to use this situation only as a way to learn Kali and workarounds methodically. Kali also has a Android version and since Android is ruling the landscape, it would do you a host of good if you concentrate your bug finding venture on smartphones. Be a part of a project or sign up for a course Most youngsters want to take up hacking but dont know where to start. As said above, most of them think hacking happens at a click of fingers but it is not so. You have to put in lot of hours to get your hacking targets right. Websites such as Coursera and Udemy are a good place to learn these basic skills, you can also sign up for a course for the same. Depending on how to learn best, taking a step-by-step course with tutorials could be the way forward, or otherwise, find a project. Hacking, patches, improvement, and mods are all interweaved through understanding a programming language or an operating system. So take up something that interests you whether it is streamlining and creating a program, or creating a gaming mod, or fixing a security issue, or joining community competitions offered by groups such as Hackthissite.org. Hacking, Learn what to avoid! One of the keys in hacking is to draw a thick dark red line in what you can to and what you wont do. Once you have learned some newly-acquired skills and rearing to show it off, you may want to slow down. Avoid getting tangled with authorities at any cost. Learn about your own countrys rules on ethical hacking and cybersecurity so that you do not overlook the illegal elements in your activities. For instance, slipping into a corporate network without consent is not legal. Also some companies may not like you looking at their code while many have specific terms and conditions on how you should go about bug finding in their codes. Almost all tech companies fret at hackers going public with their vulnerabilities without informing them and you may not like to make a big tech company your enemy. Maybe, it will offer you a job with a big fat paycheck. So, its better to be safe than never! Specialise Hacking is about choosing the right path and you need to specialise. You cant go about hunting for desktop vulnerabilities one day and switch on to finding Android vulnerabilities on the nex. If you really want to become a specialist, then do not limit yourself to just learning a programming language. There are a huge range of topics and subjects that you should research and learn about, including learning about the essential fundamentals. Learning about hacking history, the Metasploit framework, online security and privacy, social engineering, Shell, and databases are only some of the areas you should explore. Be a part of bug lovers community Sharing helps and in hacking, sharing is often the key to success. The open-source community always welcomes people who have a good knowledge of computers, operating systems and programming and love to solve problems and think creatively. A great place to start is GitHub, which is not a wonderful way to meet other hackers, developers and both professionals and enthusiasts but also is a good way to polish your skills and have a hand in enhancing coding and streamlining. Choosing it as a career The decision is left to you. You can hack purely for the love of it and hopefully contribute to software development or projects for the good of all and research, or you could go down a path that may land you with fines and jail. After following this road, if ethical hacking is still something that you want to follow, then your skills are in definitely in hot demand that you get a fun job to enjoy along with a decent paycheck. Remember hacking pays well but stick to being on the right side of the law at all times. NASA is hiding big ISIS secret say hackers who DDoSed it A team of hackers linked to the online hacktivist group, Anonymous, have allegedly attacked NASAs computer systems as part of a global campaign against government cover-ups. The two hacking groups called New World Hacking and AnonCorrupt claimed they DDoSed NASAs mail website and email servers on Sunday. Although the NASA website seems to be up and running, the hackers showed proof of their DDoS attack to Mirror. The hackers told that NASA was withholding a piece of key information about the terror group ISIS, although they didnt divulge what that secret information might be. New World Hacking is the same group which DDoS BBC website on New Years Eve and took it down for several hours. NASA on its part denied the attack. The hackers presented a screenshot of nasa.gov to Mirror as a proof of their attack. We believe NASA is holding back information on many things, not just one, a member ov New World Hacking told . The main thing we suspect they are holding back some more information on ISIS that the public needs to know. We wont tell the public what we think they are hiding we will let NASA explain. The hacking group said that the DDoS attack on NASA was a part of campaign called Operation Censorship (or #OPCensorship) and was also a practice run for upcoming cyber-assaults against Donald Trump, which are expected to take place on April Fools Day. This attack is a protest and a demonstration, it continued. We want Trump to know that he is next. The New World Hackers said NASAs email servers were brought down during the hack attacks, which were launched by a number of supporters around the world. 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. Chinese businessman admits to cyber spying on Boeing and hacking into networks of top military contractors In a statement issued on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said that a Chinese businessman pleaded guilty to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of top U.S. military contractors to steal sensitive military aircraft data and send to China. Identified as Su Bin, the 50-year-old Chinese citizen admitted to working together with two unindicted Chinese co-conspirators for more than five years to target military data, including Boeings C-17 military transport aircraft and Lockheed Martins F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, the department said. This plea sends a strong message that stealing from the United States and our companies has a significant cost, said John Carlin, assistant attorney-general for national security. We can and will find these criminals and bring them to justice. However, the Department of Justice didnt recognize the eventual recipients of the stolen information inside China. Sus plea agreement, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central district of California, comes in the midst of intensifying U.S. efforts to restrict what officials describe as rampant Chinese cyber-spying. Beijing has repeatedly denied U.S. claims that it steals secrets from American companies, including in Sus case saying that the allegations are purely ungrounded and serve an ulterior purpose. In the meantime, it has accused the U.S. government of its own hacking campaign against China. In September, the two governments agreed to refrain from cyber theft of trade secrets and intellectual property against one another for commercial purposes. Last month, James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told Congress that China continues to have success in cyber espionage against the US Government, our allies, and U.S. companies. But the spy chief said it was not yet clear whether the most recent efforts were backed by the Chinese government or it involved the theft of data for commercial gain. However, prior to the deal, some U.S. cybersecurity firms had traced hacking to Chinese military units. Su was arrested in Canada in July 2014. He was later transferred to the U.S last month after waiving extradition. The businessman also known as Stephen Su and Steven Subin directed a pair of Chinese associates who obtained access to defence contractors computer networks. On at least one occasion, Su sent his partners lists of U.S. and European defence executives in an email with the subject line Target. According to the plea agreement, the two unnamed allies began hacking into the corporate computers starting around October 2008. Once they had gained access, they emailed lists of files and folders to Su asking him which were important enough to steal. Su would then reply with requested file names highlighted in yellow and the hackers would obtain the material and email it to him. Su also made off with a presentation on aircraft training and a flight test plan along with stealing information on how to produce C-17 components. All of the information was forbidden from export outside the U.S. In Sus case, he now faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice his financial gain from the spying, whichever is greater. He is due to be sentenced in July. Microsoft deletes Tay AI after it became a Hitler-loving sex robot within 24 hours Twitter seems to turn even an machine into a racist these days. A day after Microsoft introduced its Artificial Intelligence chat robot to Twitter it has had to delete it after it transformed into an evil Hitler-loving, incestual sex-promoting, Bush did 9/11-proclaiming robot. Tay was an Microsoft experiment in conversational understanding. The more you chat with Tay, said Microsoft, the smarter it gets, learning to engage people through casual and playful conversation. However, Twitter can turn even the most eloquent of diplomats into zombies and the same happened to Tay. Soon after Tay launched, Twitter users starting tweeting the bot with all sorts of misogynistic, racist, and Donald Trumpian remarks. And Tay started repeating these sentiments back to users and in the process turning into one hatred filled robot. "Tay" went from "humans are super cool" to full nazi in <24 hrs and I'm not at all concerned about the future of AI pic.twitter.com/xuGi1u9S1A Nosgeratu ? (@geraldmellor) March 24, 2016 We can fault Tay, she was just a advanced parrot robot who just repeated the tweets that were sent to her. https://twitter.com/TayandYou/status/712753457782857730 Tay has been yanked offline reportedly because she is tired. Perhaps Microsoft is fixing her in order to prevent a PR nightmare but it may be too late for that. https://twitter.com/TayandYou/status/712856578567839745 FBI vs. Apple : Israeli company Cellebrite is the one which will hack San Bernardino shooters iPhone for FBI The FBI vs. Apple case which had turned into a battle zone between privacy lovers, encryption supporters and authorities is headed for a new plot twist. The iPhone hacking case, which had evoked some reactions even from the staunchest of critics has a Israeli angle to it. When FBI asked the court to postpone the hearing for a few days, most watchers, including Apple had only one question for FBI. How will it hack the iPhone without Apples help? Looks like an Israeli cybersecurity firm is helping FBI to crack the San Bernardino shooters iPhone without Apples intervention. The Israeli digital forensics firm thats had a history of working with the FBI has been reportedly working with FBI in the past in matters of hacking. Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Cellebrite, a company that specializes in extracting information from cell phones, was the mysterious outside party that came forward and offered to help the FBI gain access to an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers. Based on Cellebrites hacking expertise, the Department of Justice asked for an eleventh-hour postponement in its hearing over a court order. According to IBT, Cellebrite, a private company founded in 1999 and based in Petah Tikva, Israel, manufactures a variety of technologies that make it possible for law enforcement agencies to extract crucial data from popular cell phones. Cellebrite has a good working relation with FBI. In 2013, the FBI purchased two kits for extracting data from cell phones from Cellebrite. According to the procurement documents, the Cellebrite system can quickly extract phonebook, pictures, videos, SMS messages, call histories and deleted histories for rapid analysis. It had more than $280,000 worth of contracts with the agency. Cellebrite on its website says its able to get past the passcode on iPhones running iOS 8, however, the San Bernardino shooters iPhone has a much later version of iOS. As the iPhone hacking case moves on from Apple to Cellebrite, it looks like the US government is getting what it wants even as Apple and its supporters are left crying hoarse. We've noticed you're adblocking. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. Thank you for your support. A new sparkling beer called Champale will go on sale tomorrow after two-year battle and legal threats from French champagne producers who claimed the name was too similar to their own famous bubbly. The English tipple - which will be sold in sparkling wine-shaped bottlescomplete with a traditional wired cork - has been made by a vineyard on Mersea Island in Essex where according to local legend the Romans first tended vines 2,000 years ago. But the battle to produce the powerful Champale - 10.5 per cent strength - was only won after owner Roger Barber convinced the trademark authorities - and French - that they had no claim on the word "champ" Champagne growers insisted that "champ" was the common familiar term for champagne - but Mr Barber pointed out that in England "champ" was short for champion. A popular sea swimming race dating back to 1915 has been called off after new EU rules branded the waters too polluted despite being cleaner than ever before. The Stert Island Swim, which takes place every year off Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, has fallen foul of the EUs decision to significantly increase the pass-mark for safe bathing waters. Burnham Jetty North was one of 10 beaches that were previously regarded as safe but have been deemed too dirty for swimming under the new standards, which are roughly twice as tough as the old ones. The 1.5-mile Stert Island Swim traditionally takes place each August, but organisers have announced it will not go ahead this summer because of concerns about insurance after the new rating. Organiser Martin Rogers, from West Country Triathletes, said: "We had a call from Sedgemoor District Council this week confirming that the new EU regulations on bathing water quality mean that the area that we swim in does not meet the required standards. "We feel it too much of a risk to host the event as any insurance would be invalidated. If junior doctors harbour any concerns about the direction in which the British Medical Association is leading them, now is the time to act on them. We know the doctors have a grievance and feel strongly about the impact of the new contract on their pay and conditions. But they have been ill-served by the tactics of the BMA; and its latest announcement of an all-out strike next month without emergency cover the first such action in NHS history is a militant step too far. "So while the Prime Minister ignores his own comments about visiting the North, what I am saying is that we are open for business and I urge people to come and visit and see some of the beautiful scenery in the country. "But for everyone else the added bonus is that you seem guaranteed not to bump into him." On a January visit to Grasmere, the PM launched a major PR campaign to show the area was "open for business". "Let's advertise and promote that to the rest of Britain, and the world," he said. At an end of term meeting with the Conservative Partys 1922 backbench committee earlier this week, Mr Cameron told MPs: I could do with time to think. It has been a tough week but lets not lose sight of what we do. The Prime Ministers tough week had included the fallout from Iain Duncan Smiths resignation, the ongoing feud between the pro and anti-Europe factions of the party, demands for the resignation of the Chancellor over his budget and the terrorist attacks in Brussels. He had also told MPs that he needed a break from the ultra-fast news cycle. Mr Cameron previously visited Lanzarote with his wife and three children in 2014. Twitter is turning the world into a place where people hurl abuse at each other quicker than they can think or even speak, the Church of Englands newest bishop has warned. The Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells, said social media and blogging had fuelled the rise of Trump culture in the US adding that she wanted to keep it from our shores. She pledged to stand against the social media-driven tendency to react and pass judgment on others without stopping to think. Dr Wells, currently Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has been named as the new Bishop of Dorking, in the Church of England Diocese of Guildford, which covers Surrey and parts of Hampshire. The independent health sector and the care industry was taking a "free ride on the back of the government paying for training" and made "little or no contribution" to the training of new nurses, it added. The Government has estimated there will be a need for 14,000 foreign nurses in the lifetime of this Parliament to 2020. However, Sir David said he was concerned there would be a "rush" in the next one or two years which would see the majority of the 14,000 brought in. The cap of 3,000 to 5,000 should be introduced to avoid that rush taking place, he added. The report said the NHS spend nearly 1 billion on agency nurses - some of whom will be foreign nationals - in 2014-15. Last year the head of the nursing union warned the NHS was spending ludicrous sums poaching foreign nurses while rejecting two thirds of British applicants for training, Dr Peter Carter claimed staff shortages across the UK had reached crisis levels, with almost every NHS hospital trawling the globe for staff. The head of the Royal College of Nursing said attempts to procure nurses from countries that can ill afford to lose them were ethically dubious and hugely expensive. A United Nations panel which concluded Julian Assange is "arbirarily detained" in the Ecuadorian embassy in London has been formally requested to review the decision after being ridiculed by David Cameron. The Prime Minister condemned the group last month after it reported the WikiLeaks founder had been subjected to "deprivation" and a breach of human rights. Mr Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden over a rape allegation. Now the British Government has insisted the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's conclusions are "deeply flawed". Hugo Swire, the Foreign Office minister, said: "The original conclusions of the UN Working Group are inaccurate and should be reviewed. A separate Scotland would have started life today 2,000 per person deeper in the red, according to an impartial expert analysis published to coincide with the SNPs independence day if there had been a Yes vote. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) projections indicated Scotland would have been 10.6 billion worse off in the 2016/17 tax year if it had broken away from the UK, following the collapse in oil revenues. Even if Alex Salmond had managed to negotiate a good deal on Scotlands share of the UK national debt, or had managed to increase economic growth rates, the respected think tank concluded that tax rises and spending cuts would likely have been required to manage its more difficult finances. In contrast, the Scottish Governments White Paper on independence told voters: On independence in 2016, Scotlands estimated financial position will continue to be healthier than the UK as a whole. We will set out on a firm financial footing. Two other analyses published on Mr Salmonds promised independence day of March 24, 2016 also warned Scotland would have faced austerity squared if there had been a Yes vote in September 2014. A report commissioned by the Scottish Conservatives said the cost of separation would have been 1,700 per person based on recent SNP government figures for 2014/15, which did not capture the full impact of the collapse in oil revenues but still found Scotland had a 15 billion deficit proportionally twice that of the UK. Leaving the EU would improve Britains security, a former head of MI6 has suggested, as a series of serious intelligence blunders in the run-up to theattacks in Brussels emerged. Sir Richard Dearlove said that Britains borders could be strengthened in the event of a Brexit and extremists could be more easily deported, moves which he said were security gains with little apparent downside. He was paraded on television last month admitting various crimes including disturbing social order and endangering national security the latest in a series of television confessions by human rights champions in China. The purported confession was criticised by Washington who called for the lawyers release. Mr Zhang represented dozens of churches which were targeted in what has been called Chinas anti-cross campaign. Officials have removed crosses from more than 1,200 churches in the eastern province of Zhejiang since early 2014. Many other churches have been demolished. Hong Kong bookseller Lee Bo who disappeared from the city and surfaced in mainland China has returned, police said on Thursday, the latest twist in a case that has provoked anger over China's interference in the city. British citizen Mr Lee is one of five Hong Kong booksellers known to go "missing" in recent months - the other four are now under criminal investigation on the mainland. The men all worked for the Mighty Current publishing house in Hong Kong, which produced salacious titles about political intrigue and love affairs at the highest levels of Chinese politics. Mr Lee's case caused the greatest outcry because he disappeared from Hong Kong, prompting accusations that Chinese law enforcement agents were operating in the semi-autonomous city, which is illegal under its constitution. The other four booksellers went missing from Thailand or southern mainland China. "Immigration department and police met and took statement separately with Lee Bo, who had returned to Hong Kong from the mainland this afternoon," a government statement released late Thursday said. Mr Lee had been handed over to immigration officials at the Lok Ma Chau border point in northern Hong Kong, the statement said. Mr Lee, 65, was last seen at a Hong Kong book warehouse before his disappearance, but spoke publicly for the first time on Chinese television late last month saying he had gone to the mainland of his own accord. The South Korean president on Thursday ordered the military to step up its readiness across the peninsula and to be prepared to face down "provocations" from North Korea. Park Geun-hye said the South's forces must be "fully ready to aggressively cope with North Korea's reckless provocations," a spokesman for the president told reporters in Seoul. Mrs Park also called on civilians to be "well prepared for any contingency," adding that Pyongyang's recent threats against South Korea are "a direct challenge to the entire world." North Korea has stepped up its own military manoeuvres and its propaganda campaign in recent days, with state media on Wednesday claiming that its forces are poised and ready to attack the presidential Blue House in Seoul in retaliation for joint South Korean-US military exercises currently under way in the South. The North has also been angered by the imposition of sanctions by the United Nations after it carried out a fourth underground nuclear test in January and the test-launch of a rocket the following month. State media has declared that the North's military will turn the Blue House and Seoul into "a sea of flame and ashes". New Zealand has voted to keep its flag complete with the Union Jack in a historic referendum in which the public decisively rejected prime minister John Keys proposal to abandon a 114-year-old emblem that he dismissed as a colonial relic. In a 57 to 43 per cent vote, the public opted to keep the flag rather than adopt a new flag, called the silver fern. New Zealands election commission said the voter turnout was 67 per cent a high result involving more than 2.1 million voters. The final vote tally will be announced next Wednesday. Mr Key, a monarchist, has pressed the case for change, saying the silver fern emblem screams New Zealand and was akin to Canadas decision to put the maple leaf on its flag. He insisted that New Zealands flag design was excessively dominated by the Union Jack and was too similar to Australias. Britain will vote to leave the EU because people are "pouring in all over the place" as a result of 'crazy' levels of immigration, Donald Trump has predicted. The front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and billionaire tycoon also hit out at Boris Johnson's claim that his comments calling for a ban on Muslims entering the United States made him "unfit" to be President. In an interview with ITV's Good Morning Britain, he said there was "unrest" in the UK and insisted "thousands and thousands" of Britons backed his controversial comments about Muslims. It also seems that after the attacks, the Belgians wasted their efforts on a manhunt for one of the suicide bombers. It took them not hours to realise that they were chasing a dead man, but days. This is hardly the sort of news to inspire confidence in the capability of the authorities. Calls for calm and solidarity, made by the Belgian prime minister among others, are appropriate at this time. But what comes next? Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, says that Brexit would make Britain safer, since we would be able to deport radical preachers more easily. He also argues that Britain is Europes leader in intelligence and security matters and gives much more than it gets in return. That is a disturbing verdict. After the attacks in Brussels at the heart of the European establishment and those in Paris last year, many will agree with him that Europe, with its open borders and its haphazard approach to counter-terrorism, is harming our own security. At the very least it is time for a dramatic overhaul of that approach, just as Britain managed after 7/7 and the US after 9/11, if Europe is to prevent further acts of terror. Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) announced on Wednesday it had suspended aid activities at a refugee centre on the Greek island of Lesbos to avoid complicity in what it described as an "unfair and inhumane" EU deal to send newcomers back to Turkey. The move came a day after the UN refugee agency UNHCR said it had suspended some activities in Greece, saying reception centres had become "detention facilities". The International Rescue Committee (IRC), operating in Lesbos, and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) swiftly joined MSF and the UNHCR in voicing concerns and scaling back activities. Despite being one of the world's most wanted men, Radovan Karadzic evaded capture for more than a decade, including an extraordinary period where he disguised himself as a bearded New Age healer. The former president of Bosnia's Serb republic disappeared from the public eye in 1996, and spent the next 12 years on the run from both the cream of Western intelligence services and legions of his own highly-motivated enemies. But even though there was a $5 million (3.5 million) reward for his capture, he always managed to stay one step ahead of his pursuers, prompting claims of inside help from sympathisers in the Serb government in Belgrade. During those years, numerous reports surfaced of him moving from village to village in the Bosnian Serb heartlands, where supporters considered it an honour to host the fugitive. At one point, to the irration of his would-be captors, he even became a poet-on-the-run, publishing a book of verse in Serbia called "Under The Left Breast Of The Century". An unknown terrorist remained on the run on Wednesday after Belgium police missed a series of opportunities to catch the Brussels suicide bombers, The Telegraph can disclose. The jihadi, whose true identity is thought still not to be known to authorities, is at the centre of a massive manhunt. In a now notorious CCTV image showing the suicide bombers walking nonchalantly through Brussels Airport in the moments before that attack, the mystery terrorist is seen wearing a hat and white coat. It is thought the man abandoned his suitcase bomb and fled the scene. It has emerged that police appear to have missed a number of opportunities to capture other members of the cell. Najim Laachraoui, the cells bombmaker who is now reported to have blown himself up in the airport attack, had travelled to Syria to join the Islamic State in 2013. Police and security services had failed to monitor his return. The Conagua indicated that the atmospheric phenomenon registered maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 165 kilometers per hour. | Read More Market participants turned little sceptical due to the steep valuation demanded by the company. (Representational image) MUMBAI: The initial public offers (IPO) launched during the last one week saw subdued participation from equity market investors as expensive valuations and volatility in the secondary markets forced many participants to stay away from the primary market. The public issuances from Bharat Wire Ropes, Healthcare Global and Infibeam managed to just scrape through getting subscribed just over one times their issue size, even though companies like Infibeam spent heavily on advertising. The Rs 450-crore IPO from Infibeam was subscribed 1.11 times while IPOs from Bharat Wires Rope and Healthcare Global were subscribed 1.21 times and 1.56 times respectively. Infibeam is the first company from the e-commerce sector to tap the capital market through the IPO route. However market participants turned little sceptical due to the steep valuation demanded by the company. At the higher end of the price band of Rs 432 per share, Choice Broking said the valuation sought by Infibeam is 39 per cent higher to its global peers such as Amazon.com, eBay Inc and Shopify Inc. Thus we assign avoid ratings to the issue, it said. In the case of Rs 650 crore IPO from Healthcare Global Enterprises, the portion reserved for non-institutional investors category and retail investors remained under subscribed. Analysts at Angel Broking pointed out the current challenges faced by the company and said that only long term investors should subscribe to the Healthcare Global IPO. Similarly, the Rs 70-crore IPO from Bharat Wire Ropes also received adve-rse recommendations fr-om stockbrokers citing ex-pensive valuations. The film 'Sarbjit' is based on the life of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan. Mumbai: After facing several roadblocks, makers of 'Sarbjit' have finally managed to complete the shoot. The elated director, Omung Kumar shared a selfie with the films cast & crew- including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Richa Chadha and Randeep Hooda. Last month, the team had faced issues with the authorities regarding shooting permissions at various locations. Earlier this year, the team had faced an issue in getting permission to shoot an essential sequence at the Wagah Border. Few weeks later, their shoot at Bhindi Bazaar in Mumbai was brought to a standstill. The film 'Sarbjit' is based on the life of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan. While Randeep will play the role of Sarabjit Singh, Richa will essay the role of Sarabjits wife. The film will be narrated through the perspective of Sarbajit's sister Dalbir Kaur, played by Aishwarya. Kaur was the face of the family's fight to free Sarabjit who died in a Pakistani jail after being attacked in April, 2013. The film will be narrated through the perspective of Sarabjit Singhs sister Dalbir Kaur, played by Aishwarya. Three leading DoPs reveal the secrets of their craft, and explain the techniques they used to create hits like War and Peace, The Night Manager and The Secret Life of Twins WAR AND PEACE George Steel (Credits: War and Peace, Peaky Blinders, The Honourable Woman, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death) You start off wanting to do the edgiest stuff you can do. [Director] Tom Harper and I wanted to reinvent Tolstoy. In the end you realise the real satisfaction is in telling the story in a simple but beautiful way. We set out to do something that would appeal to the BBC1 viewer. I had six weeks prep which is probably not enough for something as mammoth as War and Peace. But you start where you start and thats at the script and we went through it scene by scene, working out what can we do here and what can we do there. You construct an ethos or an approach for connecting to the script visually. We wanted it to be slightly old fashioned and referential to the old productions. But we also wanted it to be modern and fresh. Visually we wanted a simplicity to it a Russianness if you like. The simplicity of Russian film is what makes it so special. The way we lit the series changed as the story got progressively darker. Over time it became slightly grittier, with more contrast, less colour. It started off very colourful, and we eased the colour out. We started episode one in St Petersberg. At that time, it was the most modern of cities. We wanted it to be glitzy, rich, glistening and very glossy looking. In the grade, we started off in a direction that was quite Russian and quite dark. But you dont want to alienate your audience. So, as hesitant as I was to change the look, we did change it, to make it brighter and more accessible. Colour was really important to the story. I love colour. But in period photography you are slightly limited in your sources, to firelight and candles, so theres a limited palette of colours. But I was keen, because people had such amazing costumes, to keep the colour in it and not for it to become de-saturated. Lots of people use de-saturation as a short cut for filmic, but I dont believe that is true. I believe what is filmic and cinematic can be still colourful. We used the Alexa XT. We shot using 1970s Kowa anamorphic lenses which we cropped out into 16.9. I like the slight aberration of the anamorphic lens. It gives you a bit of a period look in that things are not entirely faithful and they are slightly different. We shot most of it at T4 [focal length stop], because I wanted a bit of depth of field. It is very trendy nowadays to shoot very wide open, with a shallow focus. I dont particularly like that I find it distracting and gimmicky. And, when you have great actors, you dont want to miss anything. An actor like Paul Dano likes to bob and weave hes a hard actor to keep in shot. Its that sponteneity that makes him great, so you dont want to be worried about him being in focus as well. We shot lots on sticks, a dolly and a gimbal. This helped give a classical feel. We only shot handheld in the battle, just for flexibility. And we shot the Rostov family all handheld, to give them a slightly different edge so they were slightly more bohemian. But it was also about creating a difference. We shot the Bolkonskys in their grand palace on a dolly and sticks. For it to be effective you need to chop against something. The Rostovs were meant to be the people we related to more. The inner life of the characters in the book is the hardest thing to depict. For the most part it was shot single camera, but we did have a second camera, and we were always ready to shoot if we spotted something such as sky, snow or shadows. The reason I am a DoP is to photograph what actors can do. It doesnt matter what distractions or explosions there are. If there is no emotional core there, there is no point. The job of the DoP is to give the actors the most comfortable environment in which to be able to do what they do. Being an actor has got to be one of the hardest things in the world. Everyone thinks they can be an actor. But when you see what great actors can do, you realise how special it is. You have got to create an environment where it is as stress free as possible. So on a practical level, you shouldnt create an environment where an actor cant move more than three inches without having to be relit. You should light the set and let them walk around. And if they go dark, they go dark. In my mind there is no division between me, the director, crew and actors; we are one. We are creating something together. Being a DoP is not just about practical skills. It is about who you have become, why you are that person, and why you decide put your little spin on the visual. Good cinematography is something you feel not necessarily see. THE NIGHT MANAGER Michael Snyman (Credits: The Night Manager, The British, Of Kings and Prophets, The Red Tent) When I read the initial scripts, I was immediately drawn to the huge ambition they portrayed. The images that presented themselves in my head were no short of spectacular. I have been fortunate to work with [director] Susanne [Bier] on a few projects prior to The Night Manager. We have a well-earned creative trust in one another. Our art director, Tom Burton, had done some initial groundwork on the locations. We began collaborating on the scripts, which set us on a location hunt through Europe for roughly six weeks of conceptualizing and brainstorming ideas. I continuously fed this information back to Susanne for some consensus as her knowledge of Europe and its nooks and crannies is so profound. The puzzle slowly started to come together. The journey through Europe was visually so important to grasp the atmosphere of these locations and then to translate them into the script. It gave me a good sense of where this film should live cinematically. Being a DOP is a bit like being a chameleon. Each project is so different from the next and you continually have to re-invent yourself. Initially, everyone interprets a script differently and I like to just listen and draw from that. Its a very interesting exercise to do. You will be amazed how different people visualise things. The art is to take from that what you can and interpret it in your own way visually, draw from your experience and with collaboration put it on the screen. My approach right from the outset was to treat The Night Manager as a feature film and to try to service the ambition and scale that the scripts deserved. Trying to fit the complex nature of the scripts into a schedule and then realising our budget was not without its challenges. At the outset I was concerned about the pitfalls of lighting and photographing (operating a camera) such a huge and complex script. I was always aware not to fall into that trap of compromising the look and feel of the show just to get it done; actually in hindsight, it put me inside the story, it put me into our amazing casts every action, nuance and subtlety that they so brilliantly portray. I use both Alexa and Red. For me it is about what you want to achieve out of the script and what it demands. The Night Manager was so diverse and vast I really enjoyed using the Red Dragon. There is a certain organicness that is created by this camera that I felt would be great for the story. I have had a great relationship with the camera. I can shoot in very low light with the Dragon sensor. I know how the pictures work and how to work them in post -production. We ran two cameras most of the time to get that off angle that is so appealing. There were so many different worlds in the scripts that it presented me with the opportunity to treat each location with a different look and feel. It came down to how the lighting should work, how the camera should move and how the relationships between the characters developed. It was important to us not to be contrived but to rather find the subtlety in our approach of TNM. All the creatives were on board with this concept. Zermatt, London, Devon, Cairo, Istanbul and Mallorca all are so diverse from one another. We doubled Morocco for Cairo due to the present instability in Cairo and Mallorca for Istanbul for schedule purposes. The logistics involved were a constant challenge. One of our major challenges was our demanding schedule, which was in constant flux due to the mere logistics involved. There was a lot of improvisation that took place and changes were constant, it was demanding on all the assistant directors involved to make our seemingly impossible schedule work. I think when we finally reached Mallorca there was a huge sense of relief amongst everyone. THE SECRET LIFE OF TWINS Brendan McGinty (Credits: The Secret Life of Twins, The Six Queens of Henry VIII, River Monsters: Lair of Giants) In The Secret Life of Twins, we were looking at identical twins, so any location that was evocative of symmetry was key to us. We looked for those mirror opposites on locations. More than any shoot I have done, my response on Twins was more to shape that it was to lighting. We decided not to use handheld. I love handheld you can be very responsive and the camera can be anywhere you want it to be. But what one has to sign up for with handheld is its visual signature, the cameras point of view and presence in every image. For the audience it is not invisible or neutral. It is why someone like David Fincher doesnt like handheld he loves camera movement but he doesnt want the heavy-handed signature of handheld. I used a fairly obscure set of Russian lenses, Lumatech Illumina. I discovered them through a commercial Id done. They are extraordinary, and flare like hell. They were perfect for Twins, but I havent used them since. They hit the right note for that project. Over the last five years I have increasingly, and now almost exclusively, used the Red Epic its most recent manifestation being the Weapon and the Dragon prior to that. I like the ergonomics of the small camera. I think Arri have now got there with the Mini, which is a brilliant camera too. I love shooting in Raw. With my background as a stills photographer I have existed in the world of Raw colour space for a long time, and I cant go back. I just think with a 16bit colour space even if I bake a look in for a given project that Raw is always there as a sort of negative. You have enormous latitude that you can retain in post if you want but also throw away if you dont want to. In the doc world, I live on Angenieux zoom lenses. I use the Optimas, the shorter zooms. I am not really a fan of zoom lenses as lots of DoPs arent with good reason. But Angenieux are the exception to that they are every bit as good as the prime lenses I like. Im also not sure any lens flares as beautifully. When it comes to primes, my go to lenses are Master Primes. I would definitely point to Emmanuel Lubezkis sensational work at the moment. His current style has a lot to do with the wide Master Primes he is using. I love what he is doing. I look at The Revenant, that very close up, close focus, extreme wide angle work and dont think he could do it on any other lens other than Master Primes. The lack of distortion and extreme geometry in them allows you to get very close to someone without distorting them in a way that some wide angles do. In many ways, I think they are the most naturalistic of lenses. A lot of lensed have too much lens in them. Vintage anamorphics are perhaps the most distinctive case of that. To my taste there is possibly too much anamorphic at the moment. I love using them on promos or fashion pieces. But for drama or something more real world, I find the lens in them often too much with their horizontal flares and barrelling. I often find it too heavy handed a signature and it can take me out of the piece. Share this story NSUI demands Appa Rao's dismissal Hyderabad, March 24 (INN): The National Students Union of India (NSUI) on Thursday demanded the dismissal of Appa Rao as the Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad Central University. Led by Telangana unit president B. Venkat, nearly 100 NSUI students held protest at Nampally Railway Station and also burnt the effigy of Appa Rao. They raised slogans against the State and Central Governments demanding Appa Rao's dismissal. Speaking to media persons later, Venkat said normalcy in the HCU could not be restored unless Appa Rao is replaced with another VC. He alleged that holidays were declared for university for no reason and students who staying in hostels are being denied food, water and electricity. News Posted: 24 March, 2016 On Wednesday, Varun took Lilly Singh and Humble the Poet out for dinner. Mumbai: International sensation Superwoman, who is currently in Mumbai, met up with Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan for dinner last night. Varun and Lillys plan to catch up was made on Twitter. Just few days ago Varun had Q&A session on Twitter with his fans, where Lilly joined in asking him when would they hangout in the city, to which Varun instantly replied back with a thumbs up. On Wednesday, Varun took Lilly Singh and Humble the Poet out for dinner. By the looks of it, the three had great time together. Meet the very talented @iisuperwomanii last nite and @humblethepoet. Such cool people A photo posted by Varun Dhawan (@varundvn) on Mar 23, 2016 at 11:29pm PDT Varun and Lilly, who share common adoration for Dwanye Johnson, met up for the first time on the sets of Dilwale and became friends. Lilly Singh is one of the most popular Youtubers in the world and has a massive fan following. Heads up to prevent injury from falls Morning walks in my neighborhood are one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. I love the coolness of daybreak and the special sightings of the stag and two does that frequent our open space. I also enjoy my walk because each day at... Signs that point to the best time for retirement Ive been thinking a lot about retirement lately. One of our amazing staff members, who has been with Senior Concerns for the last 13 years, retired last month. It just doesnt seem real. I always thought of Dana as young. Certainly not the person to... Rethinking the mandatory retirement age How old is too old for working at a job? Last week a news story hit my inbox and it really got me to thinking about age and retirement. The article noted that Target Corp. abandoned its mandatory retirement age of 65 for its CEO,... Tips to promoting a healthy nights sleep for children Question: Help, please. My daughter is almost 2 years old and has been an easy child to put into her own bed. Yet in the past few weeks she is purposefully stretching out the bedtime routine longer and longer. She wants more: more stories, more... The problem being seen at the ground level is that when patients start showing resistance in the first six months of treatment, it is important to evaluate the resistance to the drugs. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Initial treatment for TB has become a cause of concern as a large number of patients are showing resistance to the first line of antibiotics and physicians are not able to identify this early, said experts ahead of World TB Day that is observed on March 24. Drug-resistant TB strains are found to emerge when the antibiotic fails to kill all the bacteria that it targets. According to the TB India 2015 annual report, AP and TS have the third highest burden in the country with 1,07,293 new patients registering for treatment. The major concern is the failure of commonly used drugs for treatment. Bacteria have developed resistance to commonly used isoniazid and rifampin. The bacteria are also showing resistance to newer antibiotics like fluoroquinolones and injectable medications including amikacin, kanamycin and capreomycin, said Dr Yughandhar Bhatt, consultant pulmonologist. The problem being seen at the ground level is that when patients start showing resistance in the first six months of treatment, it is important to evaluate the resistance to the drugs. Experts find that most of them continue the same drugs for another one year, making the bacteria stronger. The failure of early identification of drug resistance prolongs avoidable suffering and morbidity of the patient. It enhances severity of the disease and also increases the chances of transmission of the bacteria to the close family members who are living with the patient, said Dr Gopi Krishna, senior pulmonologist at Yashoda Hospitals. At the same time, there are many tests that have hit the market which are not required. A senior pulmonologist on condition of anonymity explained, There are TB Gold, TB Silver and also skin tests being done which are not the right yardsticks for diagnosing the disease. The market is flooded with these unregulated tests which need to be stopped as they are adding to the existing burden. Being cautious Tests that go wrong: The TB skin test isnt perfect. Sometimes, it suggests that people have TB when they really dont. It can also indicate that people don't have TB when they really do. A false-positive test may happen if youve been vaccinated recently with the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine. This vaccine is seldom used in the United States but is widely used in countries with high TB infection rates. False-negative results may occur in certain populations including children, older people and people with AIDS who sometimes dont respond to TB skin test. A false-negative result can also occur in people who have recently been infected with TB, but whose immune systems haven't yet reacted to the bacteria. Many overseas Indian students sent back for Tuberculosis treatment A large number of student expatriates from the US, Europe and Saudi Arabia are being sent back to seek treatment for tuberculosis. Every month five new students are being examined for the treatment of TB, city pulmonlogists say. These students have to take a break of six to eight months and get certified that they are free of TB and only then are they allowed back to the foreign country for education, said Dr N. Rao, senior chest physician. Many private hospitals are seeing these student patients in the city. Due to the change in weather conditions, eating outside food and also not finding food of their choice, latent TB is found to become active in these students, said Dr Gopal Krishna, senior chest physician. As most of these countries do not want to bear the burden of expatriates, they send them back till they are certified as completely cured. After certification from the treating doctor there is also another clinical evaluation carried out by independent doctors who are attached to the embassy. Only after they clear the test are the travel permits given, said Nagesh Reddy (name changed), a student who contracted the disease. Hair tests were introduced halfway through last year by the AFL as a way of collecting data on drug use within the league and for target testing. The AFL's football boss, Mark Evans, this week said positive hair tests may soon count as a strike against players under the AFL's illicit drugs policy. Hair testing could show young players being lead astray by their older teammates, Western Bulldogs boss Peter Gordon says. Until 2015, players were only hair-tested in the off-season. Some players were still taking illegal drugs overseas during the off-season, Gordon said, and the use of hair testing as part of the three strikes regime could help put a stop to that. Gordon said hair testing could provide evidence of drug use from three months prior to the sample being taken. "The industry is hoping that when the knowledge of that filters down, it's going to impact the incidence use a lot," he sad. Gordon said if a known drug user tested positive to certain contaminants, then other 18-year-olds at the club returned similar results, it may help clubs identify if older players were acting as bad influences on youngsters. In a move that has enraged one of the city's most powerful developers, Planning Minister Richard Wynne has rejected a $1 billion Collins Street tower that would have overshadowed the Yarra River. Mr Wynne's rejection marks the second time developer CBUS Property has had its plans for the former National Mutual site at 447 Collins Street knocked back. CBUS Propertys plan for 447 Collins Street twin towers connected by a skybridge - has been rejected by the planning minister. Lord mayor Robert Doyle said Mr Wynne's decision was a terrible result for the city, and the project had now become "a planning political pawn". Former planning minister Matthew Guy rejected an earlier tower proposal on the site that rose to almost 100 levels. Around 80 per cent of Indians believe that women invite rape and are responsible for any violence directed towards them. (Photo: Pixabay) After the infamous Nirbhaya gang rape case made shocking headlines all over the world, one would expect people becoming more sensitised towards womens safety in the country. But sadly such progressiveness is just a distant dream for now. The team of Bol Public Bol asked men and women on the streets of Mumbai a simple question what makes men rape and were shocked by their responses. Not one person among those who were interviewed said that they believed it was the rapist who was completely at fault. They actually blamed the women for dressing up inappropriately and giving the wrong signals to men. Tragically, the video ends by saying that around 80 per cent of Indians believe that women invite rape and are responsible for any violence directed towards them. This surely raises some disturbing questions about where are we heading towards as a society. Click on the link below to view the video: Australian corporate regulators have launched another salvo against failed property and wealth spruiker Jamie McIntyre alleging his Pilbara property investment scheme is "misleading and deceptive" and breaches financial advice laws. Companies controlled by Mr McIntyre's 21st Century Property and 21st Century Education have been accused of duping investors in the Pilbara, a mining region in the north west of Western Australia hit hard by the commodities downturn and slumping real estate prices. Jamie McIntyre was accused of being a 'conman' in a Senate hearing in 2015. Credit:Wayne Taylor 21st Century's scheme lured investors with the proposal, "Do you know how to buy Australian property, no money down?". Investors were encouraged to become a director and shareholder of a company that purchased property from another business called Macro Realty Developments, according to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission. Tony Abbott is looking forward to working on infrastructure projects that affect his electorate. Credit:Andrew Meares So, why pay women who choose to have babies? First, because it's only an illusion of choice. If I could have delegated to my husband the job of growing a baby in his belly for nine months, risking permanent damage to his genitals through childbirth and having sole responsibility for breast feeding, believe me, I would. That's the choice I would make. In reality, couples choose to have babies. But it is by and large the female partner who bears the physical and financial burden of taking time out to care for the resulting offspring. Secondly, we should pay women to have babies because, as it turns out, if you don't, we have fewer of them. Fabulous, you may think. No more rug rats tearing up my favourite cafe and disturbing the peace while I try to read my weekend Herald. But ageing populations have made increasing fertility an urgent goal of public policy. One is not supposed to mention the indelicate matter of financial incentives when it comes to having children. Those little blighters are priceless, of course. But actually, they're not. They're pretty expensive. Particularly when you factor in the opportunity cost of the carer's time the income they could otherwise earn by doing paid work. It turns out that many women respond to the current way of doing things by simply having fewer babies. How do we know? Because of a new study by two female economists at the University of Sydney, Hayley Fisher and Micaela Bassford, which provides the first Australian evidence of the impact on women's fertility intentions of Labor's paid parental leave scheme introduced in 2008. The economists were able to use data from the respected HILDA survey, which asks women about how many children they intend to have. Lots of factors influence that decision, of course, but the authors were able to segment women into those working in the public sector who mostly already had access to paid parental leave and those in the private sector who, by and large, did not. Turns out women in the private sector did report a dramatic rise in their fertility intentions after the introduction of paid leave. Overall, one in four Australian women said they would now like to have one additional child, on average. Interestingly, there was no impact on childless women. The decision to have a first child was not influenced by the availability of leave. But there was a significant impact on so-called "higher-order fertility" the decision to have two children, not one, or three not two. And even more interestingly, the effect was almost entirely driven by more highly educated mothers. Tony Abbott would call them "women of calibre", although I don't like the phrase. I don't like the implied social engineering that only women of calibre should breed, not women of lesser calibre. Or, that women of calibre should breed, even if they don't want to. Women should do what is best for them. But I do care about a system of incentives that penalises women financially for childbirth and that seems to discourage some women from having babies they would otherwise like to have. It's important to note that this study only looked at the impact of moving women from a position of no leave to Australia's minimal 18 week scheme which, by the way, is positively miserly by international standards. Across the wealthy countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the average paid leave available to mothers is more than one year, up from 39 weeks in 1990 and 17 weeks in 1970. Australia is almost half a century behind when it comes to paid parental leave. It's time we caught up. The study's results can't tell us for sure if there would be a fertility boost from moving to a more generous scheme, as Abbott proposed. Although a survey in Austria, which has varied the generosity of its scheme up to two years, and then back to one year, found it did influence fertility intentions. If you were worried about taxpayers footing the bill to pay parents at different rates to raise their children, you could get business to fund the scheme. You could introduce a 1.5 per cent levy on big business to pool funds to help pay for the leave, delivering small businesses the ability for the first time to fund parental leave and removing forever the incentive for any individual firm to discriminate against hiring or promoting a woman for fear they'd have to pay her not to work. Which, of course, was exactly Abbott's proposal, which was ultimately defeated by big business and conservatives in his own party, aided and abetted by feminists who couldn't see beyond their personal hatred of the scheme's father. They were wrong. Comedian Garry Shandling has died suddenly in a Los Angeles hospital at the age of 66. Shandling, who starred in The Larry Sanders Show, is believed to have suffered a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, local time. He was taken to St John's Hospital by ambulance, but died a short time later, Los Angeles Police said. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from high-profile entertainers. Australia's wind farm commissioner has insisted taxpayers are getting good value for money out of his $200,000 a year salary. In an interview with Fairfax Media, Andrew Dyer, who was appointed to the wind energy watchdog post in October, said he believed there were genuine issues around wind farms to be solved and he was one of a handful of people with the skills to do it. The national wind farm commissioner, Andrew Dyer. Credit:Eddie Jim The national wind farm commissioner has been a highly contested position since it was first created by then Prime Minister Tony Abbott last year. Critics say the position established via a deal with anti-wind crossbench Senators was another attempt to stymie the roll-out of clean energy under then Prime Minister Tony Abbott. There has also been a heavy focus from critics on Mr Dyer's $205,000 a year remuneration and the job's classification as part-time. Contouring a beauty sensation we hear so much about thanks to loyal fans like Kim Kardashian West, but some peeps out there are still managing to get this simple makeup trickery all wrong. Celebrity makeup artist, Liz Kelsh, who counts Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Palermo, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Hawkins, among some of her most well-known clients, told Fairfax Media that the famed slimming illusion is a "fabulous" technique but she has noticed it is being worn like an accessory. Make-up contouring like this extreme effort by Kim Kardashian could be a thing of the past if hair contouring takes off. Credit:Kim Kardashian/Instagram "If you can clearly see a stripe on your face, you've gone too far," she said at the launch of her new line of beauty brushes in collaboration with Manicare in Sydney. "It should be a little bit of a magic trick to slim down your face and enhance your cheekbones. The defence used by Salim Mehajer to beat claims he had sworn at and threatened a personal trainer at his gym was a straightforward one. The controversial, suspended deputy mayor of Auburn said he could not have engaged in the threatening, expletive-laden tirade towards Bruce Herat at the gym in Burwood last September simply because they were words he would never use. "Those certain words don't exist in my vocabulary," Cr Mehajer, 29, told Burwood Local Court on Thursday where he faced an intimidation charge. "The key thing is keeping the credibility of the office and working with the business community rather than intruding in and accusing them," he says. "Being an honest broker is the term I often use." The Small Business Ombudsman role has an emphasis on being an advocate to government and so an added challenge for Carnell will be persuading government to listen to her advocacy, Brennan says. "There are always issues around timing for concerns you put to government and resourcing issues," Brennan says. "A key challenge will be influencing government to make its interventions more constructive for the small business community. That's not to say the ombudsman should be the primary policy adviser. Where the ombudsman comes to the fore is assessing the impact on the small business community." The independence of the Small Business Ombudsman needs to be at the "forefront of the mind" of Carnell at all times, Brennan says. "Sometimes government agencies have to be reminded of that," he says. "This is an independent office and that is one of the obvious strengths of the thing. You are not here to say 'Yes minister' you say 'No minister' as well." A man accused of sexually assaulting two sisters when they were girls returned at least seven years later to rape one of his alleged victims, a court has been told. Michael Fieldew, 60, has been committed to stand trial on more than 50 charges of sexual assault, including several counts of rape, over a series of alleged attacks in Mooroolbark and Lilydale. The judge described the crime as an ''abhorrent violation of a vulnerable woman". Credit:Penny Stephens He pleaded not guilty to all charges following a four-day committal hearing in Melbourne Magistrates' Court this week. Mr Fieldew is charged with sexually assaulting the sisters between January 1979 and September 1983. Hundreds of police gathered on Thursday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of Constable Angela Taylor, who was killed when a bomb exploded outside the Russell Street police headquarters on March 27, 1986. Constable Taylor was the first policewoman killed in the line of duty in Australia. Chief Commissioner Graham Aston presents a National Police Service Medal to Angela Taylor's parents Marilyn and Arthur. Credit:Eddie Jim "Victoria Police is a big family," Victoria's chief commissioner Graham Ashton said. "And today is evidence of Victoria Police doing what families do." Angela Taylor's parents Marilyn and Arthur. Credit:Eddie Jim It was just after 1pm on Easter Thursday when the car bomb detonated, killing Constable Taylor and injuring 22 others. Craig Minogue, Stan Taylor and Peter Reed were convicted of planning the bombing, motivated by a deep hatred of police. Minogue is believed to have become eligible for parole earlier this year. "The murder of Constable Taylor and the injury of many more innocent people at Russell Street shook our organisation to its core," Mr Ashton said. "An innocent life was stolen, taken far too soon. But her memory has never died and today's service is a reflection of that." The Blue Ribbon Foundation announced on Thursday that $150,000 in Constable Taylor's name had been donated to the Royal Melbourne Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. "We wanted to take a tragic situation and create something positive," Blue Ribbon Foundation chairman Bill Noonan said. "It's also a reflection of how Angela lived helping others at a time when they needed it most." Hyderabad: Hyderabad Central University (HCU) on Thursday claimed that water and Internet facilities on the campus were 'never' disconnected by the authorities but 'temporarily' halted as these were affected by the ongoing protests. Read: HCU row: Striking non-teaching staff resume duties as eerie calm prevails in campus Refuting the allegations by a section of students that varsity authorities disconnected these facilities for the past two days, the officials today said water supply was temporarily stopped as some miscreants damaged the pump. Read: 25 students and 2 faculty members arrested for UoH violence "The university never cut off water nor electricity on the campus. Some miscreants damaged the pump on the campus and (it) has been since restored. It may also be noted that there is a general water shortage to the campus for the last two months," the officials said in a statement. Read: 25 students and 2 faculty members arrested for UoH violence With regard to Internet service being cut off, HCU faculty member Bipin Srivastava said that "Internet facilities are managed by non-teaching staff. Since the non-teaching staff went on strike, Internet services were interrupted for that time." Read: Kanhaiya Kumar stopped at the gates of Hyderabad University The HCU administration officials said, "The varsity did not disconnect Internet facility on the campus. The Internet facilities have been restored on the campus." Read: Hyderabad University students search for food, caned After the violence by some students, the varsity administration is making all efforts to restore normalcy on the campus. The Vice-Chancellor has already declared that the classes will resume from Monday, the statement said. Read: Hyderabad University students search for food, caned There is no restriction of movement on "legitimate or authorised" members of the university community. The administration has decided to restrict the entry of only the outsiders on the campus, it added. Meanwhile, a shoe was hurled at Kanhaiya as he was about to address a seminar at the university on Thursday. A man sitting in the audience threw a shoe at Kumar but it missed him and fell just ahead of the stage. The seminar on 'Constitutional Rights' was organised at Sundrayya Vignana Kendram (SVK) at Baghlingampally here, a building run by Left parties. Police took away the man even as commotion prevailed in the hall for sometime. The meeting continued after the incident. The man who threw a shoe at JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, shouts after flinging it. (Photo: DC) Kumar is on a two-day visit to Hyderabad and Vijayawada, his first after being released from jail. He was imprisoned on charges of sedition. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's linking of the European refugee crisis with the Brussels bombings is dangerous, the Belgian ambassador says. Mr Turnbull warned in a speech on Wednesday that Europe faces a "perfect storm" from failed or neglected migrant integration, foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria, and porous borders. He said recent intelligence showed the Islamic State group was using the refugee crisis to send its operatives into Europe. New York: Navinder Sarao, the 36-year-old trader whose allegedly bogus trades contributed to the 2010 "flash crash" can be extradited to the US to stand trial, a British judge has ruled. Sarao, who allegedly made millions from illegal trading from his parent's house near London's Heathrow Airport, should be sent to the US in the "interests of justice", Judge Quentin Purdy of Britain's Westminster Magistrates' Court said in a 15-page judgement on Wednesday. Navinder Singh Sarao, a British trader charged over his role in the 2010 US flash crash, left, leaves court on Wednesday. Credit:Bloomberg Sarao faces federal criminal charges in Chicago for fraud, commodities manipulation and spoofing -- or the practice of placing orders but not executing on them in an effort to manipulate prices. Prosecutors said Sarao illegally spoofed futures contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) for years, including on May 6, 2010, or the day of the infamous 'flash crash'. The Hague: Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by a United Nations tribunal for leading a campaign of terror against civilians that included the slaughter of 8000 Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995 and the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo. The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia convicted Karadzic of genocide for the Srebrenica massacre, which aimed to kill "every able-bodied male" in the town and systematically exterminate the Bosnian Muslim community there. Karadzic was convicted of persecution, extermination, deportation, forcible transfer and murder - but was acquitted of genocide - in connection with a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces during the country's 1992-95 civil war. In addition, Karadzic was found to have been "instrumental" in a campaign of sniping and shelling that terrorised the civilian population of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. And he was convicted of leading the taking of UN employees as hostages, to obstruct NATO from carrying out airstrikes on behalf of besieged Bosnian Muslim civilians. Stanford, California: Hillary Clinton is doing what Republican rivals now say they took far too long to do: taking Donald Trump seriously. In interviews and foreign policy addresses this week, the Democratic front-runner has worked to undercut Mr Trump's credentials in the wake of deadly bombings in Brussels. Her goal is to transform the voters' vision of the bombastic reality TV star into a potential commander-in-chief with his finger on a nuclear trigger an image her team believes will repel voters in November. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a Washington Tribal Leaders panel at Chief Leschi School in Puyallup, Washington state, on Tuesday. Credit:AP Mrs Clinton is casting herself as a calm harbour in a stormy world, frequently mentioning the need for "steady hands". The comment is a clear reference to Mr Trump with the implication he'd never fill that need. Whoopi Goldberg cautiously took the stage of the Westside Theatre, armored only in an asymmetrical cardigan and Dutch clogs. She didn't know her lines. She hadn't attended a single rehearsal. Was this another tragic case of a spoiled celebrity slouching through a play? Anyone familiar with the EGOT-winning actress and comedian would immediately know this is certainly not the case. In fact, this lack of preparation is all part of the plan in White Rabbit Red Rabbit, the New York debut of Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. "I don't know if I would call it a monologue," says show coproducer Devlin Elliott, when pressed to categorize the highly unconventional solo performance. "It's more a play, or a theater social experiment. It's a communal experience between audience and performer," he explains, before pausing to second-guess even that vague characterization. "That makes it sound like improv...That's not it at all!" So what exactly is it? White Rabbit Red Rabbit is definitely scripted, but the actor is not allowed to look at the words on the page until the moment he or she steps in front of an audience. At the top of the show, the actor is handed the script and a vial of some mysterious substance. The script contains a list of instructions for the actor and audience, who move through the show with an equal amount of foreknowledge. Additionally, the author speaks through the actor to give an explanation of who he is and how he came to write this unusual play. Patrick Wilson led the March 21 performance of White Rabbit Red Rabbit. ( Bruce Glikas) Soleimanpour wrote White Rabbit Red Rabbit in 2010 after declining to participate in the two years of military service required of all Iranian men. As a result of his refusal, he was not allowed to travel outside Iran. Instead, he let his words journey for him: White Rabbit Red Rabbit has been performed all around the world and has been translated into 15 different languages. Because of the necessarily spartan nature of the play (no rehearsal, director, or designers), it has been particularly popular at theater festivals. It was at one of those festivals, the Edinburgh Fringe, where Elliott and producing partner Tom Kirdahy discovered the show: "We were in a really cramped space in the middle of the aisle. It was packed and we were both a little grumpy," Kirdahy recalls. "But within minutes we were riveted. People lingered outside the venue after because everyone wanted to talk about it. It was so surprising and unpredictable." It's not just the audience that is regularly caught off guard by White Rabbit Red Rabbit. "This is not what I expected," Goldberg said as the evening took increasingly strange twists. "I'm as surprised as you are." While she occasionally appeared befuddled, Goldberg maintained a light and humorous rapport with the crowd, a coolness that has undoubtedly been refined from years of hosting volatile personalities on TV's The View. Unfortunately, you don't get to throw to a commercial break in live theater. One can easily imagine how the play could be radically different in the hands of another actor. Of course, the unique nature of the show means that you don't have to imagine: This is a one-shot affair. Once an actor has done it, the magic of spontaneity is gone and can never be recaptured. With that in mind, Elliott and Kirdahy have lined up a series of actors to lead the show, which performs every Monday night. "We put together a wish list," explains Kirdahy about the casting, which now includes Cynthia Nixon, Brian Dennehy, and Alan Cumming. "We wanted audience members to have this special experience with beloved stars. These people have nothing to prove yet they're constantly challenging themselves as artists. They love the thrill of the high-wire act this performance demands." Nathan Lane reveals the script for the opening night of White Rabbit Red Rabbit. ( Bruce Glikas) Tony Award winner Nathan Lane was the first out of the gate. "It helps to be married to him," says Elliott when asked how he got Lane to agree to take the opening night of this highly experimental production (the two were wed last November). "I knew on the airplane home from Scotland that we would have to be very cryptic about what we would say about the show to Nathan, because we wanted him to do it," he recalls. "He got it right away." Naturally, Elliott and Kirdahy are evasive when asked about the script. "I plead the fifth," replies Kirdahy when asked to confirm or deny a theme of the play. They don't want to ruin the surprise for actors or audience. So here's what we do know: White Rabbit Red Rabbit is an opportunity to discover the work of a form-pushing Iranian playwright while the actor, a beloved star of screen or stage, is doing the same. A portion of the proceeds benefit PEN International, an organization that supports writers living under hostile governments around the globe. Is that enough for you to take the plunge into the unknown? It was for Whoopi. What is a Green Vehicle? It is a vehicle which, for its size and purpose, provides the Canadian consumer with environmentally-friendly returns that compare favourably with other vehicles in its class. 2016 Canadian Green Car of the Year and 2016 Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year VANCOUVER, March 23, 2016 /CNW/ - In a press conference at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver International Auto Show, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt claimed top honours from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) as the 2016 Canadian Green Car of the Year (CGCOTY). The annual award was presented by Kevin Corrigan, Chair of the CGCOTY Committee. The Chevrolet Volt was chosen from among three finalists, winning over the 2016 Honda Civic and 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The finalists were earlier announced and recognized at the Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS) in February, and "crowned" with special green car toppers for the duration of the show. The winning Chevrolet Volt, as well as its running-mates, will wear the same crowns for the duration of the Vancouver show, identifying them as finalists for the Canadian Green Car of the Year Award. "Chevrolet is honoured to receive AJAC's Green Car of the Year award, as it reinforces our commitment to being a leader in electrification," said Laura Pacey, brand director, Chevrolet in Canada. "The second-generation Volt is a no-compromise electric car, delivering up to 80 kilometres of EV range, greater efficiency and stronger acceleration, making it the most innovative plug-in vehicle in the industry." The Canadian Green Car of the Year entries are selected from eligible entries in the Canadian Car of the Year program. All vehicles are part of the "TestFest" program, in which more than 70 of Canada's top auto journalists drive entries back-to-back for evaluation, including the Green vehicles. The Green entries are then re-evaluated against each other under a separate set of specific Green criteria, with their original category scoring is factored in. Vote tabulation and results are handled by the international accounting firm KPMG. Of the four entries vying for for CGCOTY, Chevrolet, Honda, and Hyundai beat out the Smart ForTwo Coupe for the three finalist positions. "A Green vehicle isn't always just the electric car, or the smallest car," Kevin Corrigan says. "A fuel-efficient gasoline four-cylinder, or a six-cylinder luxury hybrid, can also be considered a Green vehicle in its segment of the market. Canadian consumers require environmentally-friendly transportation that meets their needs, whether it's a small city runabout, or a large but fuel-efficient luxury product. Our intention with the Canadian Green Car of the Year program is not just to make consumers aware of environmental vehicles, but to know that we've tested them extensively and have chosen what we feel is the year's best." Jeep Brand Introduces New 2017 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and Summit Models at the New York International Auto Show New York, March 23, 2016; Already the most awarded SUV ever, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is about to become even more capable and even more luxurious. At the New York International Auto Show today, the Jeep brand expanded its Grand Cherokee lineup with the introduction of a new Trailhawk model the most capable factory-produced Grand Cherokee ever. The brand also introduced the 2017 Grand Cherokee Summit, bringing a new exterior appearance, a plush new interior and even more standard premium features to consumers looking for the ultimate premium full-size SUV. With our new Trailhawk and Summit models, Jeep Grand Cherokee becomes even more capable and more luxurious, said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand FCA Global. Our Cherokee and Renegade Trailhawk models are among our fastest selling and most sought-after models, and we are following that successful formula to provide consumers even more legendary Jeep 4x4 capability for Grand Cherokee the most awarded SUV ever. Our new Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit is in direct response to consumers who continue to ask for even more luxury, craftsmanship and standard premium features in a full-size SUV packed with capability, Manley added. In 2015, Jeep Grand Cherokee sales rose 7 percent to 195,598 units in the U.S. The new Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and Summit models arrive in Jeep showrooms in late summer. The Most In-Depth Jeep Vehicle Shopper's Research - Anywhere! The Jeep brand introduced the Trailhawk name on the Grand Cherokee concept vehicle that first appeared at the 2012 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. The idea was to deliver a unique and more rugged appearance, with a host of functional features that resulted in an increased level of off-road 4x4 capability.The Trailhawk name moved to production with the introduction of the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee, as the most capable of four models (Sport, Latitude, Limited and Trailhawk), and continued with the all-new 2015 Renegade. It joins the Grand Cherokee lineup as a sixth model for 2017 (Laredo, Limited, Overland, Summit, SRT and Trailhawk).Grand Cherokee Trailhawk models are equipped with a host of standard off-road capability features, including Jeeps Quadra-Drive II 4x4 system with rear Electronic Limited Slip Differential (ELSD) for all powertrains, a unique version of Grand Cherokees Quadra-Lift air suspension developed for Trailhawk that offers improved articulation and total suspension travel, as well as Selec-Speed Control with Hill Ascent Control. Skid plates and a Trailhawk-specific anti-glare hood decal are also standard.Approach angles on the Jeep Grand Cherokee are 29.8 degrees or 36.1 degrees when the lower front fascia is removed for severe off-roading, while the breakover angle is 27.1 degrees and the departure angle is 22.8 degrees. Grand Cherokee Trailhawk models offer up to 10.8 inches of ground clearance.The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk exterior features a front fascia and seven-slot Jeep grille that debuted on the 2016 Grand Cherokee 75Anniversary edition, Trailhawk-signature red tow hooks in the front and rear, standard rugged 18-inch or optional 20-inch Goodyear Adventure off-road tires with Kevlar reinforcement, new Trailhawk and Trail Rated badges with red accents, mirror caps and a roof rack with Neutral Gray accents, and optional Mopar rock rails for added protection.Inside, Trailhawk models feature a unique black interior with leather and suede performance seats for comfort and control, red accent stitching, brushed Piano Black appliques, gun-metal finish on all painted interior parts, a Trailhawk badge on the Jeep steering wheel, and red accent stitching on the seats, doors and console. A standard 8.4-inch Uconnect touch screen includes updated off-road pages showing wheel articulation and other vehicle 4x4 capability features, such as suspension height and 4x4 and Selec-Terrain modes.Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk models are available in Redline Red, Billet Silver, Bright White, Rhino, Granite Crystal, Velvet Red and Diamond Black Crystal exterior paints.Packed with standard premium amenities, the new 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit is the most luxurious vehicle in the full-size SUV segment.The Grand Cherokee Summits exterior boasts a new look with an updated front fascia, grille and LED fog lamps, with new 20-inch polished aluminum wheels.A stunning new full-wrap Laguna leather interior in Indigo and Ski Gray is one of four color schemes. The full leather interior boasts a Nappa leather-wrapped dashboard, center console and door panels, and Laguna leather seats with edge welting.Other Summit interior colors are Black, Brown and Dark Sienna Brown. All Summit models come equipped with a suede premium headliner, lighted door sill, acoustic windshield and full side glass, Active Noise Cancellation, premium Berber carpet mats and a Harmon/Kardon 19-speaker, 825 watt amp audio system with three subwoofers.An array of technological and other features are also standard on the 2017 Grand Cherokee Summit, including auto-folding power mirrors, headlamp washers, Blind Spot Detection, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and, for the first time, Lane Departure Warning and Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist.Jeeps Quadra-Drive II 4x4 system with ELSD is standard on all Summit models, as is Grand Cherokees Quadra-Lift air suspension and Selec-Speed Control.Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit models are available in Light Brown Stone, True Blue, Bright White, Ivory Pearl, Granite Crystal, Velvet Red, Diamond Black Crystal and Luxury Brown exterior paints.Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most awarded SUV ever and the vehicle that has long defined what a premium SUV should be. The Grand Cherokee Summit models receive added features, as well as a Summit California Edition appearance package that further enhances Summits premium exterior aesthetics.Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers best-in-class 30 miles per gallon (mpg) highway courtesy of an available 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine and standard eight-speed transmission. The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 boasts an unmatched driving range of more than 730 miles.Legendary Jeep capability comes courtesy of three available 4x4 systems, Jeeps Quadra-Lift air suspension system and class-leading Selec-Terrain traction management system. Grand Cherokee boasts best-in-class towing of 7,400 pounds and a crawl ratio of 44.1:1.A refined exterior design complete with available bi-xenon headlamps with signature LED daytime running lamps (DRL) provides a premium appearance. Interior luxury is achieved with premium amenities, including Natura leather, exotic open-pore wood trim and unique color offerings.Built on 75 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence.The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Patriot, Renegade, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options.FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FCAU and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol FCA. 2017 Infiniti QX70 Limited debuts at the New York International Auto Show NEW YORK March 23, 2016; Infiniti today unveiled the new 2017 Infiniti QX70 Limited, a specially equipped version of the iconic QX70 performance crossover, at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. Available in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive configurations, it is scheduled to go on sale at Infiniti retailers nationwide beginning in summer 2016. The QX70 Limited is the second in the Infiniti lineup, joining the 2016 QX80 Limited. "The QX70 Limited offers a range of premium exterior and interior treatments, adding an extra touch of exclusivity to the dramatically styled crossover," said Randy Parker, vice president, Infiniti Americas. "The QX70 has always been a popular model in the greater New York area so it's fitting that visitors to the New York International Auto Show will be the very first to see this beautiful new QX70 Limited model." The Limited model's exterior enhancements begin with a unique front fascia, LED daytime running lights replacing the standard QX70 fog lights and a new grille design (coming on all 2017 QX70 models). Other changes include body-color side air vents, dark-finish outside mirror housings, dark finish rear combination lamps and a stainless steel rear bumper protector. Capping off the exterior are a rear hatch-mounted "Limited" badge and unique 21x9.5-inch multi-spoke premium paint-finished aluminum-alloy wheels mounted with 265/45R21 V-rated all-season tires. Inside, the QX70 Limited features a special high-contrast Graphite and Stone-colored interior treatment. Among the transformative interior elements are a dark-color headliner, special open pore wood trim with aluminum flake trim on the console, deep pillow quilting on the center console and aluminum-trimmed pedals. The seats themselves include high-contrast leather appointments with Graphite outside sections and Stone inserts. The seats include deep pillow quilting and Stone color stitching and piping. The steering wheel and shifter boot also feature Stone color stitching. Climate-controlled (heating and cooling) front seats are standard with the QX70 Limited. Like all Infiniti QX70s, the new QX70 Limited will be powered by a 325-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 with VVEL (Variable Valve Event & Lift). The engine is matched with a 7-speed automatic transmission featuring Adaptive Shift Control (ASC). Its array of available advanced technology systems will include an Around View Monitor system with Moving Objection Detection (MOD), Intelligent Cruise Control (Full-Speed Range) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP). Public days for the 2016 New York International Auto Show, held at Jacob Javits Center, run from Friday, March 25 through Sunday, April 3. About Infiniti Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China. Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017. Infiniti design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing. Infiniti is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and innovative driver-assistance technologies. From the 2016 season, Infiniti is a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance. Kochi: For the first time in the country, Kerala High Court has decided to waive the colonial practice of court vacation by setting up additional benches during the upcoming summer vacation. Additional division benches and single benches would be constituted to clear the backlog. Civil, criminal and writ petitions pending for a long time, which are ready for hearing, will be listed. Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan, who passed the decision, asked the court to implement the same during this vacation. Supreme Court Chief Justice T.S. Thakur had recently urged the chief justices of various High Courts to conduct additional hearing during the vacation. In the past, two benches used to function on Tuesdays and Fridays during the summer vacation. If counsel for both parties are willing, cases will be listed. In cases where the respondent is the state, the request for listing of the cases can be made by counsel for the petitioner after giving copy of the request letter to the government pleader, Registrar-General Ashok Menon said. We should welcome this trend. I am happy that Kerala High Court has decided to make a move to do away the practice of vacation for all the judges, said former Kerala High Court acting chief justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair. He added that the system of court vacations should be stopped. This is for the first time that Kerala High Court is conducting special hearing during the summer vacation. We are awaiting willingness from the judges to constitute benches. At least six benches will function this time, Mr Ashok Menon said. An advance list of the cases to be taken up for hearing would be published after the receipt of such request filed by the advocate in accordance with the procedure. Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, convicted in the US for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, told a Mumbai court on Thursday that terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was arrested. The 55-year-old, who has turned approver in the terror case, disclosed this fact during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the US. Headley also told the court that he had visited the Sena Bhavan twice. He, however, did not specify the year for the same. "We wanted to target the chief of Shiv Sena... His name was Bal Thackeray. LeT wanted to kill him wherever a chance arose. I knew that Bal Thackeray was the head of Shiv Sena. I have no first hand knowledge but I think an attempt was made by LeT to kill Bal Thackeray," he said. "I don't know how this attempt was made. I think the person (who was sent to kill Thackeray) was arrested but he managed to escape from police custody. I don't have first hand knowledge about this though," Headley added. He also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. On a question asked by Wahab, Headley said that he bought two shops in Dubai in 2004 or 2005 for 5000-2000 USD and both the shops are still functional. However, he refused to provide the address, saying that his relatives are looking after those shops. When Wahab alleged that LeT is looking after those shops, Headley said Subhan Allah'. Abu Jundals defence lawyer wanted this word to be interpreted as an affirmation to his question but Headley said that it is advocate Abdul Wahab's imagination. Special judge G A Sanap asked Headley to just answer in yes or no and restrain from using words like Subhan Allah', which could be misinterpreted. To which Headley said, Insha' Allah, will take care of this in future. When asked by Wahab as to how much money he had spent on his visit and reconnaissance in India prior to 26/11 attacks, Headley said, "I am not sure... Many lakhs were spent by me not as high as Rs 30-40 lakhs but much less. It is correct that ISI spent this money but it is not correct that I demanded the money from them." Headley said that after the 26/11 attacks, when he had come to India again (in March 2009) at the behest of Al-Qaeda to carry out further attacks, its leader Illiyas Kashmiri gave him about Pakistani rupees one lakh. He claimed while LeT came under the scanner of international community after the November 26, 2008 attacks, it was not correct to say that LeT became soft towards India. "I think they (LeT) became soft about Denmark (Mickie mouse project) but not India. After the Denmark issue (LeT backing out from attacking Denmark) I went to Al-Qaeda, as LeT had become soft," Headley told the court. Headley told the court that while he had not personally met any of the 10 attackers in the 26/11 case but he had seen the photo of one of the attackers on internet and identified him as Ajmal Kasab 'Rehmatullah Aliah'. When asked as to why did he put the words 'Rehmatullah Aliah' after Kasab's name, Headley replied, "When a person is dead he should be prayed for whether he is good or bad. One should pray for the person...to be forgiven. I don't know if Kasab was good or bad as I didn't know him." When prodded if what Kasab had done (by participating in 26/11 attacks) was good or bad and if the act of 26/11 was good deed or a bad deed, Headley said, "Of course the act of murder is not going to be a good act. Any kind of murder of innocent person is a bad act." Wahab then asked him if he was 'happy and satisfied' with the damages in the 26/11, to which Headley said "this is an argumentative question. Kush the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, Kush nahi the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, (I was happy is also a wrong answer and I was not happy is too a wrong answer). What can I say ?" Headley also told the court that in the 26/11 case (in which he has been awarded a 35 years sentence by the US court), supervised release is also part of his sentence. "As per the US law, I have to compulsorily undergo 85 per cent of my sentence and I don't know if my sentence can be terminated before completion of 85 per cent sentence." He also told the court that within half an hour of his arrest by FBI he had started cooperating with them and gave them all information. Headley also said that he was also interrogated by a team of NIA officials from India and he had cooperated with them too. "It is not correct that NIA questioned me about my wife Shazia's involvement in 26/11. I did not give any information about Shazia as she had no role..she was not part of the conspiracy," he told the court. Headley also got into a verbal spat with Khan when the lawyer persistently questioned him about Shazia, his former wife Faiza and their knowledge of the 26/11 terror attack. "The communication between me and my wife Shazia and Faiza are privileged and private and it is none of Mr Wahab's interest," Headley told the court. The LeT operative however clarified that Shazia was not working for the terror outfit but said that he (Headley) does not know if her father was working for Pakistan's ISI. At one point of time, an irked Headley even asked Khan if he would say where his father works. On Wednesday, Headley had said that the US had once financed his trip to Pakistan and also claimed that he had "donated" about Rs 70 lakh to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) till 2006, two years before the Mumbai attacks. Read: US had once financed my trip to Pak, reveals Headley in cross-examination The 55-year-old terrorist, who was cross-examined via a video link from the US, told the court that after his arrest in 1998, "The Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) of the US financed my trip. I was in contact with DEA then, but it is not true that between 1988 and 1998 I was providing information or assisting DEA". Headley, who is serving a 35-year jail term in the US and has turned approver in the 26/11 case, contradicted reports that he had received money from the LeT. "I never received money from LeT...this is complete nonsense. I gave funds to LeT myself. I had donated more than 60 to 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees to LeT throughout the period I was associated with them. My last donation was in 2006", Headley told the court. Also read: Headleys cross-examination begins, dodges questions on his wife Shazia He clarified that the money given was not for any specific operation of LeT, but was a general donation primarily for many things. "These donations were from my business in New York and from the income that I earned by selling and purchasing some properties in Pakistan. I don't remember if I informed US authorities about my donations to LeT," he said. Picking holes in the credibility of Headley's evidence, 26/11 attack plotter Abu Jundal's lawyer today argued that the terrorist, who faced conviction twice in the past before the Mumbai strikes, had indulged in criminal activities and violated his plea bargain agreements with the US government. Headley was convicted in 1988 and 1998 by a court in the US for alleged drug smuggling, Jundal's lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan said. However, on both the occasions, Headley had entered into a plea bargain with the American government and got off with a lighter sentence. "One of the conditions of my plea agreement was that I should not take part in any criminal activity. I violated this condition by going to Pakistan and joining the LeT," Headley told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here. Read: Was inspired by Hafiz Sayeed's speeches, reveals David Headley Headley told the court that after completing his four year sentence in 1988, he was involved in drug smuggling from 1992 to 1998 and had visited Pakistan during this period. Headley was examined by the prosecution in February this year for five days and the court later adjourned the case for his cross-examination, which started from Wednesday. Testifying from an undisclosed location in the US, Headley told the court that it was not possible that his donations were used for the 26/11 terror attacks. "My last donation was made in 2006 and at that time 26/11 plan was not in place," he said. Read: From Daood Gilani to David Coleman Headley: A timeline When Khan kept implying in his questions that he had received money from LeT, an irked Headley said, "I have repeated it several times. I did not receive any money from LeT...if you don't understand this language I can say it in Urdu." Seeing Khan smile, Headley said, "Your client's life is relying on this case. You should be serious about that...don't joke." Headley also told the court that Tahawwur Rana, his associate and a Pakistani native who operated an immigration business in Chicago, was aware that he was an operative of terror outfit LeT. On being asked by Khan about Rana, Headley said, "Rana knew about my association with LeT. I informed him about the training imparted by me to LeT operatives. I disclosed to Rana that I was spying for LeT. This was four to five months before the 26/11 attacks." Read: ISI funded terror operations and my trips to India, says David Headley He said Rana had objected to his association with LeT, and added that Rana was not in "constant touch" with any LeT operatives. "Rana objected to my association with LeT. He did not want me to continue using his office in Mumbai. I conceded his objection and started taking steps to close down the office. This was in July 2008," he said. Headley also told the court that Rana had once come to Mumbai just prior to the 26/11 attacks, and that the latter continued his association with him till his arrest. "I was working on Denmark conspiracy project (Mickey Mouse project) on my own and not with Rana. Rana offered me assistance on some occasions. He was a 'small part' of it," he said. Read: BARC, Sena Bhavan too were on radar: David Headley Queried about his wife Shazia, a visibly exasperated Headley told the defense counsel that he is not going to answer questions about her. Headley also refused to reveal the location of his life, whether she is in USA or Pakistan, or her father's name. "Shazia is still my legally wedded wife. I do not want to disclose Shazia's location at present. I do not want to answer any question about my wife Shazia," he said. He, however, said his wife never visited India and that he had disclosed to her about his association with LeT. "Shazia never visited India. Originally she's from Pakistan. I had told Shazia about my association with LeT. I don't remember when I disclosed this to her, at least not immediately." When Khan asked Headley what was Shazia's reaction to this disclosure, he said, "Her reaction to this is between me and her. It is our personal relation. I don't want to disclose whether she objected or not or what she said. I am not going to share what happened between me and my wife." When Khan continued questioning him on Shazia, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam took objection to it and said that under Section 122 of the Indian Evidence Act, the communication between a husband and wife is a privileged one and need not be disclosed. However, the judge said that he will decide tomorrow on whether Khan's question to Headley about his wife falls under this purview. Headley also told the court that in the 1998 drug case trial in the US, he had testified against two co-accused, out of whom one was acquitted and the other was convicted as he pleaded guilty. He said that he was sentenced to 15 months in jail and after that he was kept on five years' supervised release. "There was a motion moved by the state government attorney to terminate my supervisory release because of my 'good conduct'," Headley said. He also said that in the 1988 case while he was sentenced to four years imprisonment, his co-accused were awarded a heavier sentence than him. The Pakistani-American terrorist had earlier concluded his week-long deposition before the Mumbai sessions court through a video-link from the US on February 13. Headley said in his earlier deposition how Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI provides "financial, military and moral support" to terror outfits LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, and how LeT planned and executed the 26/11 Mumbai attack. He had also claimed that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an allegedly fake encounter in Gujarat, was an LeT operative. Leeds eatery fined over filthy conditions A LEEDS takeaway has been fined after an inspection found filthy conditions with grease dripping down the walls of the eatery. Inspectors had been on a routine visit when they found that grease had collected in the ventilation systems and was dripping down the kitchen walls, as well as filthy containers and utensils. Officers said he had failed to implement any kind of food safety management. Shaan Pizza on Harehills Road was fined nearly 3,000 for hygiene offences, which saw kebab meat stored on newspapers in the freezer, and filthy hand contact points. Asim Hussain, who operates Shaan Pizza on Harehills Road, appeared before magistrates earlier this week. He pleaded guilty and was fined 1,500 and ordered to pay 1,118 in costs and a 120 victim surcharge. Following the inspection, Hussain explained to magistrates that steps had been taken to clean the premises. Councillor Mark Dobson, executive member for environmental protection and community safety, said: Reviews of restaurants or takeaways might give you an idea about the quality of food and service but they that can never be taken as an indication of cleanliness. Its not until our environmental health officers get behind the scenes that we get a true picture of how your food is prepared and in some cases its not one any customer will want to see, hear or smell. Cases like this highlight just how important it is to check food hygiene ratings before you book a table or place that takeaway order. When the inaction of a food business renders food unfit for consumption or puts customers health at risk, we will always take action. For Dogs, its Trick and Treat Its almost Halloween, a great time to teach your dog a trick and give him a treat. Most trainers are fans of trick training. Its not as silly as it... Muzzle is not a bad word If you see a dog in a muzzle, you immediately think the dog is aggressive. Right? Well, this is not always true. Unfortunately, seeing a dog in a muzzle carries... Looming behind the actions of Andreas Lubitz, who deliberately flew himself and 149 others into a French mountainside a year ago this week, is an increasing body of evidence that something is seriously wrong with how young pilots are trained, recruited, and treated by many of Europes budget airlines. Last weeks report by French investigators into the crash focused on Lubitzs record of psychiatric problems and the failure of his family, colleagues, and the airline, Germanwings, to detect what some of his doctors already knew: He should not have been flying and, indeed, should have been hospitalized. But the report gave brief attention to work pressures that probably contributed to his increasingly desperate state of mindpressures that are felt by thousands of pilots as a result of how a number of airlines now treat them as a cost to be ruthlessly controlled and exploited rather than an indispensable asset central to the safety of flying. It is now clear that, in addition to Lubitzs medical problems, nobody detected or caught the part played by what the French investigators called the socio-economic pressures on his deeply troubled state of mind. The investigators point out in their conclusions: One of the explanations lays in the financial consequences he would have faced in the case of loss of license. His limited Loss of License insurance could not cover his loss of income resulting from unfitness to fly. And the European Cockpit Association, representing 38,000 European pilots, applauded the French report for recognizing the link between employees socio-economic risks and aviation safety and said that it needed to be more in the focus of the aviation industry and European institutions. Indeed, in Europe nearly half of the pilots between the ages of 20 and 30 are flying without the security of being directly employed by an airline. Thousands of young pilots like Lubtiz often face a long chain of debt and financial stress. Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, charges students it selects for training a fee of 60,000 euros out of a total cost for training of 150,000 eurosLubitz had taken out a loan of 41,000 euros to pay for his training. But the costs of satisfying the ambition to become a pilot can be a lot higher than those faced by Lubitz. The Irish budget carrier Ryanair, for example, unlike Lufthansa, pays nothing toward the costs of qualifying as a pilot, which can be as high as 130,000 euros before even getting into a Ryanair cockpit. All this occurs at an age when mortgages and new families frequently add to the obligations. Lubitz reportedly planned to marry his girlfriend. At the core of this widely practiced regime are bogus employment contractsa term used to describe how young pilots are hired through an agency, not the airline, as though they are self-employed contractors, thereby stripping them of normal professional employment security and benefits. This practice (for various reasons not possible for airline pilots in the U.S.) is part of profound changes that are putting new stresses on pilots in Europe, including one that was cited in the French report on Lubitz: the high costs to students of learning to fly and the debts that they incur, often lasting for years. There are plenty of people ready to lend you the money to become a pilot, certainly in Europe, even though the job market is quite precarious in your first few years of flying, Capt. Martin Chalk, the president of the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations, IFALPA, told The Daily Beast. I am aware of more than one airline where their recruiting and training programs are profitable to the airline. They dont care if the pilot fails because they have made their profit from them anyway. The full extent of the stressful conditions facing pilots became clear only after work by researchers at Ghent University in Holland. In 2014, at the request of the European Commission, they set out to survey airline employment practices across Europe. More than 6,600 pilots, out of a total of around 65,000 in Europe, responded to the researchers, an unusually high response rate for a survey. Much of what the pilots said was alarming and the researchers quickly realized that they were looking at an unsuspected level of concern among pilots about not just the experiences of their workplace but the implications of these experiences for airline safety. Originally, the surveying was not done to unearth safety-related issues, a veteran pilot told The Daily Beast. It was done to identify employment-related issues. But the safety implications became an emergent outcome that wasnt expected. But it wasnt necessary to do that study to find that causal link. It was self-evident to people like me. The Ghent University researchers realized that what was happening as a result of the competition among pilots for jobs was similar to what had happened in the international shipping industry, where lax labor laws had been exploited to drive down costs and strip crews of job securitywhat the researchers called a race to the bottom. This should, they said, raise an intense sense of urgency with regard to flight safetywe call upon all stakeholders to act on this clear warning. In the civil aviation industry its minutes past midnight. One of many pilots quoted by the researchers repeated that warning. The race to the bottom needs to be regulated by the European Union before passengers get killed. People are committing suicide because of this outrageous way they are being treated. Another said, This industry is a disgrace. European employment law and working regulations do not seem to apply to the aviation industry, and those that are certainly not enforced. In answer to questions from The Daily Beast, the International Air Transport Association, IATA, said, Issues concerning employment contracts are the prerogative of individual airlines. We are confident in the present system of pilot training and safety, however we believe that further standardization of activities and the creation of a performance oversight environment may help to drive further improvements. The IATA spokesman said he was not familiar with the Ghent University report and did not respond to the specific question of whether IATA had studied it. IATAs principal role is lobbying governments and regulators on behalf of the airlines, not advocacy on behalf of either airline employees or the public. IFALPA, on the other hand, represents more than 100,000 pilots employed in nearly 100 countries. Capt. Chalk, whose day job is as a senior captain on a major international airline based in Europe, says, Stresses have been created that werent there before. We need to ensure that a highly competitive marketplace doesnt have collateral damage. We shouldnt be allowing airlines to erode safety margins, working pilots beyond sensible fatigue or stress limits. Even when people are taken on it will be on a piecemeal basis where, from month to month, they get whatever work their employer gives them. They often have high loan costs to pay, and all that bundles up into a very low standard of living for a period that may appear to be unending. It is a question with Andreas Lubitz, he was 27 years old and had only been flying for Germanwings for 18 months. He doesnt appear to have had any other form of career. Capt. Chalk wanted to make it clear to me that he wasnt including all airlines or even all budget airlines in his warnings. Some airlines are better than others, and the answer is not to pick on budget airlines but, rather, to ensure that regulators are insisting on minimal levels of safety that are prescribed at a global level. However, in the responses to the Dutch researchers, among the European budget carriers one stood out as the most egregious. They wrote: The conditions at Ryanair are observed to be an area of concern the position of pilots is becoming increasingly more precarious. Ryanair, based in Ireland, dwarfs all other European airlines. From January to November last year it carried 99.9 million passengers, and is planning to carry as many as 180 million by 2024. (In 2015 the total number of passengers carried by all U.S. airlines was 798 million.) In the six months ending Sept. 30, 2015, it had record earnings of 1.09 billion euros and expects its year-end profits to be up by at least 35 percent on the previous year. Although Ryanair originally followed the business model pioneered by Southwest Airlines in the U.S., using only one type of airplane, the Boeing 737, and turning flights around much faster on each stop to get the most efficient use of equipment, the companys notoriously hard-charging boss, Michael OLeary, has since developed his own business model that screws down far harder on his airlines costs; Ryanairs unit labor cost is 6 euros per seat-mile, compared with Southwests equivalent of 35 euros. Capt. Chalks problem with the Ryanair model is that it moves risks from the employer to the employee. And as a consequence, he says: If you take away employment security from safety-sensitive staff you cause them to be much more careful about raising issues that they feel the employer doesnt want to hear. One clear effect of this tension is that because pilots responding to the Ghent University survey were assured anonymity the number of Ryanair pilots who seized the opportunity to speak out was unusually high, 650 out of a total of around 3,000. (In contrast, out of 3,662 British Airways pilots only 73 responded.) Of the total number of Ryanair pilots (the actual number can fluctuate between 3,000 and around 3,400) around 1,400 are captains and 1,700 are first officers. Between 85 and 90 percent of the captains are on permanent employee contracts, whereas as many as 80 to 90 percent of the first officers are on the self-employed contractsthe so-called bogus or agency contractswhere the pilot is acting, in effect, as a one-man company hiring out his services. As the veteran pilot (who requested anonymity) points out, thats a situation in which the majority of captains have job security and most of the first officers do not. Anybody who thinks there is no difference in the way those two groups respond to safety issues is living in Alice in Wonderland. Experienced captains get the better deal, he says, because they are a core group and are much more difficult to replace. On the other hand, a first officer on an agency contract doesnt get paid if he doesnt fly. The airlines pilots have frequently complained about how the company assigns home bases to its crewsthese are the cities throughout Europe where crews are based according to the routes they fly. Generally senior captains can choose the cities closest to where they live, but first officers have complained of arbitrary assignments at short notice. For example, last month the Ryanair Pilot Group that represents more than half of the airlines pilots, complained that pilots at two German bases, Frankfurt-Hahn and Bremen, had been told that because fewer flights were being operated from these cities in the summer they would have to move to other cities. The pilots, said the Group, had been given just eight days to respond with their preferences without any indication that they would be met. Ryanair pilots replying to the Ghent University survey also cited lack of sick leave as a source of undue pressure. As one Ryanair pilot told The Daily Beast: The typical pattern is that a pilot who has had more than five sick days in a year will get a notification on a Thursday or Friday to go to a meeting either in Stansted [near London] or Dublin the following Monday or Tuesday. In that time they have no possibility of getting professional advice over the weekend, and they wont be told any specific details of what the meeting will focus on. It will be pointed out to them that its not really acceptable to be sick for more than five or six days in a year. Every six months all Ryanair pilots, captains and first officers, are required to have what is called recurrent training, where they are checked for their flying proficiency in a flight simulator. For every hour a Ryanair pilot flies passengers, 4.2 euros are deducted from his pay to cover the costs of this training. However, despite what many pilots see as an unusually relentless pressure applied to the human costs of operating at Ryanair the airline has a virtually flawless recordnot one fatal accident in 30 years of rapid expansion. As Capt. Chalk noted: Ryanair, along with all the other low-cost airlines, are very vocal that they do not compromise on safety. In large part, that is true. They often have young fleets of airplanes. I have no evidence that they cut corners with engineering, or that they dont fulfill all the training criteria. It is also important to acknowledge that regimes like those at Ryanair and other low-cost carriers are, of course, part of the bargain that has been struck between us, the passengers, and an airline industry that has delivered a level of value and convenience that only a few decades ago would have seemed unattainable, and in doing so they ended a system of cartels that had kept fares beyond the reach of many. This year nearly half the worlds population, 3.5 billion people, will be flying on scheduled air routes throughout the globe. And the safety record has never been better: In 2015 there were only three fatal accidents worldwide. That included the Germanwings mass murder-suicide and the Russian Metrojet crash in the Sinai that has been attributed to terrorism. Those numbers translate into one death for every 40 million passengers. How has this been achieved? Two things have happened simultaneously and coincided in their effects: radical new business models that make flying accessible to many more millions of people, and a technological leap in the safety-critical elements of commercial aviation. So staggering is this advance that if the ratio of fatal accidents to the number of flights remained where it was in 1962 we would be seeing a serious air crash every other day instead of barely any in a whole year. In this transformation the pilots havent got smarter, the airplanes have, as well as all the navigation aids that support them. One by one the original main causes of crashes have been virtually eliminated: engine failure, metal fatigue and structural failure, weather, human error. (Last weeks crash of a FlyDubai Boeing 737 in Russia seems to have demonstrated that weather, if it combines with a chain of other factors, can still be lethal if due caution is not exercised by pilots and air traffic controllers. Fly Dubai has a budget-airline business model and the BBC is reporting that the pilot involved in the crash was about to quit because of fatigue problemsand that another pilot had fallen asleep at the controls from exhaustion.) In an analysis made by Boeing, the three threads that characterize airline disastersthe overall accident rate, the fatal accident rate, and the total loss of an airplanehave all fallen steadily over the decades to a point where they very nearly merge at zero. But pilots will always remain at the core of safety, the last resort in an emergency. And the demand for them will increase. Boeing has predicted that by 2034 as many as 558,000 pilots will be needed worldwide. At the moment in Europe, though, there is a surplus of qualified pilots. (There is a shortage of pilots in the Middle East and China, and in North America the pool of pilots will soon be inadequate to meet growing demand.) Cockpit automation has meant that the new generation of pilots has never had the seat of the pants instincts wired into them that older generations brought to the job. Nonetheless recent experiences (notably the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501 in December 2014) have shown that, more than ever, pilots need to keep sharp reflexes and well-trained responses for those moments when a human needs to intervene if the technology fails. For that reason it would be dangerously complacent to see safety solely in terms of what shows up in accident statistics. In the culture of budget airlines, for example, there could be, Capt. Chalk warns, a growing risk that the management hasnt yet become aware of, and may not be aware of until it manifests. And the veteran pilot adds: If the criterion is simply, Did we kill people? then safety isnt a problem. But safety is not an absolute, its a spectrum of possibilities. The real question is not how many events you have had, but how many times did you come close? Of course, given all the pressures and personal hardships described here that are faced by aspiring airline pilots in Europe, the question is: Why do young people, as they clearly do, continue to enlist for pilot training? One pilot quoted in the Ghent University report said, The flight schools are selling a dream to 18-year-old kids. And Captain Chalk agrees: There is still an allure to flying, people will bend over backwards to get into the job. But then he cautions: In this profession its not until your mid-thirties that you are getting to a point where most people would anticipate being in their mid-twenties. Income stability available to most professionals in their mid-twenties, certainly by the end of their twenties, is pushed back here a number of years beyond. Its something that the Germanwings report didnt address. When I began my career somebody paid for my training and I signed a commitment to work for them for a period of time, and so long as I worked for that period of time the training cost was absorbed by the company. They sank a significant investment in me and they wanted to see a return. But the path I took to get my job is no longer available. It doesnt exist any more. It is a very difficult prospect now. Im not sure I would encourage my children to take up flying. Brussels attack brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui join a long line of terrorist siblings, and they wont be the last. Particularly in groups bound by ethnicity or religion, it is common for members of the same family to become involved in the organization. From the perspective of the terrorist group, engaging family members can help sustain both the commitment of participants as well as increase the likelihood of strong operational security. Many siblings are recruited into terrorist groups together, with the older sibling often facilitating the entry of the younger family member. British twin sisters Zahra and Salma Halane, for example, arrived in Syria in 2014 and proceeded to try to recruit their younger siblings to join them. We observed this phenomenon during the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris by the Kouachi brothers and, at the Boston Marathon, by the Tsarnaev brothers. Statistics prove that is not simply a random phenomenon. Six of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were brothers, and according to the research of Mohammed Hafez, as many as 25 to 30 percent of cases of terrorist acts involve members of the same family. Research from the New American Foundation showed that a third of Western foreign fighters had family connections. When siblings join terrorist groups, they typically are deployed together in the same operation, although occasionally at different locations. That appears to have been the case with the Bakraoui brothers in Belgium, and it also occurred in Russia in 2004 with Amanta Nagayeva, a Chechen woman who detonated herself onboard Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1303 from Moscow to Volgograd on Aug. 24, killing everyone on board. Her sister Rosa killed herself and 10 others outside the Rizhskaya subway station in Moscow within a week. In cases of sibling suicide bombers, each sibling ensures that the other is less likely to change their mind at the last minute, or worse, inform on the group to the authorities. Terrorist organizations constantly fear infiltration. In interviews conducted in Northern Ireland with former members of both Republican and Loyalist terrorist groups, we were told that the terrorists spent almost as much time looking for potential spies as they did planning operations. Engaging siblings decreases the possibility of police or security services infiltration. We can assume that is the case for many groups that worry about the police, army, or security services infiltrating them. Hafez also has observed that the recent heightened security environments encourage jihadis to turn to the family for recruits. Kinship recruitment, which is difficult for security agencies to observe, is facilitated by several psychological mechanisms that bind individuals together on the path to extremism, he wrote. Psychologically, high-risk missions require trust and commitment, which generally can be assumed when members of the same family operate (and kill) together. Much like the echo chamber created within friendship networksthe group of guys phenomenon, as Marc Sageman has called itan echo chamber can exist within the family. It is also possible that when an entire community feels disaffected, or marginalized, brothers or sisters will have comparable experiences and can be radicalized by some of the same influences. However, similar experiences and backgrounds do not guarantee the same outcome. While many siblings followed the path together into terrorism, other families had opposite experiences. In the provisional IRA, it was not uncommon for one brother to join the IRA while his sibling became a Catholic priest. One Palestinian family had even more dramatic results: In 1981, Fathi Shiqaqi founded the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. His brother Khalil got a Ph.D. in political science and heads the Palestinian center for policy and survey research, and is a fellow at Brandeis University. While brothers and sisters may be involved, and there are significant reasons why terrorist groups like to use them in attacks, it is important to emphasize that at the end of the day, people choose their own individual path toward or away from terrorist violence. Yet in some cases, it has even become standard practice for groups that terror stays within the family. Our research has uncovered not just brothers, but sisters, cousins, and even parents and children who join the terrorist organizations as family units. ISIS has capitalized on recruiting entire families. Often the Muhajiroun (foreign fighter) father and mother will take their children along with them to emigrate to the so-called Islamic State. ISIS has been exceptionally good at convincing parents to come and bring the children in its video propaganda (Eid Mubarak from the Islamic Caliphate, 2014) and getting parents to allow them access to the children for training in their child units, the Ashbal (Cubs) of the Caliphate. During the course of our research on ISIS propaganda and the recruitment of children, we have documented a father bidding his son farewell before a suicide attack, and 4-year-old Isason of U.K. jihadi bride Khadijah Daredetonating a vehicle with three ISIS hostages locked inside. Australian Jihadi Khaled Sharrouf posted a photo of his 7-year-old son holding a severed head onto his Facebook page in 2014. The fact that ISIS has deliberately recruited entire families means that the likelihood of seeing more such cases in the future are high. As families emigrate to Raqqa together and the children are exposed to extreme barbarism and atrocities, there will be more sibling children from which ISIS can and will recruit, as well as more family terror ties between parents and children. The suits and architects of the DC movie universe may be wringing their hands over the critical beatdown Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is getting, but theres a silver liningand a golden lassoto be found in the mushroom cloud of vitriol. Its also Warner Bros.s best chance for picking up the pieces of Bat-suit and Superman cape in the rubble of BvS. Can Wonder Woman save the DCU? No, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice doesnt pass the Bechdel Test. Maybe thats too much to ask of a movie whose title and premise literally pits one ideal of spandexed comic book hypermasculinity against another. I cant recall many scenes in BvS in which two women both have speaking lines, let alone talk to each other, let alone talk to each other about something other than men. Thats fine, I guess. Im not here to hold WBs feet to the fire for not making a movie that is specifically about Batman beefing with Superman into a girl power blockbuster. Its not like any other huge studio superhero movies have done much better (looking at you, Marvelnobody puts Black Widow in the corner except the other Avengers and Disneys merch execs). Besides, Batman v. Superman will find its multimillions and satisfy plenty of fanboys and girls whove been tingling with anticipation for the super-matchup for years now. To everyone else, I can only say this: Come for the joyless man-boys who love their mommies pummeling each other, stay for one of the only things worth getting excited about in the future of DCs movies: Gisele from the Fast & Furious movies. Gal Gadot won her shot at playing the most famous female superhero in comics history after driving and shooting her way into the hearts of action fans alongside Vin Diesel and his international familia of criminals with hearts of gold. After being introduced in Fast and Furious as Gisele Yashar, the ex-Mossad agent and right-hand woman to a cartel leader, Gadot returned to join the Toretto gang in Fast Five. In Fast 6, she sealed her place in Fast & Furious history by going down with the most epic heros death of the franchise, sacrificing herself on a car tethered to a speeding airplane to save Han, who then (through the magic of retconning) moved to Tokyo to drift away his heartache and crossed paths with some bad dudes, thus leading back into the events of Furious 7. By one line of logic (mine), the fate of the biggest international action franchise on the planet therefore owes a debt of existence to Gisele and Gadot. But back when Gadot won the Wonder Woman gig in late 2013, the Internet backlash commenced over her slim frame, her even slimmer resume, and her ability to carry the responsibility of female superheroism on her shoulders. Ironically, the Israeli actress is one of the only action stars in Hollywood who has actual military training, having served for two years in the Israeli Defense Forces (prior to that, she was crowned Miss Israeland has no love for Hamas). In any case, her appearance in BvS should lay to rest all those initial fears. Although she first pops up in BvS in couture playing sultry mind games with Ben Afflecks Bruce Wayne across a roomful of well-heeled Gothamites, Gadots Diana Prince/Wonder Woman has way bigger fish to fry than her brooding fellow future Justice Leaguers. Shes beautiful and elegant and sexyat least, thats how we see first her through Waynes eyesbut like any femme fatale worth her salt, shes exploiting her looks as a front. If youre a gorgeous Amazonian goddess on Earth, why not flaunt it? Of course, Wonder Womans extended cameo in BvS is a conspicuous play at setting up the future Justice League movies and stand-alones planned for The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher)all of whom also get their own brief introductions in BvS. Theyre intriguing enough glimpses of DCs future stars in character, but giving Wonder Woman a solid foothold in the hearts and minds of DC fans is for obvious reasons far more important a move to pull offnot insignificantly because shell mark the first major comic book heroine in the modern age of superhero movies to get her own tentpole. Its worth noting that unlike the angry, tunnel-visioned Batman and the willfully oblivious Superman, Wonder Woman is the only hero in BvS whos able to keep her emotions in check. While the boys fight over whose brand of heroism is more heroic, shes also the only one using her superpowers like a smart, mature adult. (It figures: Shes probably half a century older than them.) And when the shit hits the fan, Wonder Woman makes the heroic decision to join a fight that isnt hers. How refreshing it is to see a hero be a hero instead of agonizing over the choice or making it all about them! Critics could cry foul over the skimpiness of the outfit Wonder Woman wears in battle compared to the body-con head-to-toe suits Batman and Superman sport. But theres one key moment director Zack Snyder weaves in as she gleefully crashes around the gloomy Gotham City port, taking on Doomsday. She tumbles to the ground, her bare thighs exposed, and smiles gleefully like the warrior princess that she is. Now, some folks may consider it a gratuitous upskirt shot. I prefer to think of it as her Beyonce armor. In her action scenes and her Diana Prince moments, Gadots Wonder Woman comes off as a self-possessed figure enjoying every facet of her womanly power. Which, sadly, is more than I can say of the other women of BvS, who merely serve as props for Batman and Superman to work out their man problems. Why are we, as a movie-going society, spending so much time and energy on men who just cant handle being heroes, instead of the strong badass women around them? Id like to call for a moment of silence for Lois Lane, who returns after Man Of Steel to again give Superman someone to emote at. Here, a script by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer asks her to make a multitude of insufferably idiotic decisions that she must then answer for, often to her own discredit. What makes this so aggravating is the fact that in every facet of her work life, Lois is clearly professionally superior to her superhero boyfriend. Shes a star reporter who can commandeer her papers news chopper and travel abroad on dangerous assignments. She has an all-powerful press credential that gives her access to all sorts of government proceedings. She wears sensible vests and power skirts and traipses all over Gotham and Metropolis in heels way less practical than the ones Bryce Dallas Howard outran all those dinosaurs in. So theres a modicum of satisfaction to be had as Clark fails to be a more respectable journalist. Theres a running character motif about how newspaper editor Perry White assigns him fluff pieces on the shitty sports beat because no one at the Daily Planet takes the pathologically polite farm boy seriously as a journalist. Which makes it all the more infuriating when the movie decides to take Lois down several pegs. For starters, it makes her utter the excruciating line Im not a lady, Im a journalist during an interview with a terrorist leader. But after that meeting goes FUBAR, she eats crow and apologizes for going into the desert to do her damn job as a journalist to regain the favor of a judgy government source. Later she makes what is literally the dumbest decision of the entire movie, just to set up yet another scene in which she must be saved. Meanwhile, BvSs hatred of journalism extends across the newsroom of the Daily Planet, whose pro-Superman bias is repeatedly slammed. Laurence Fishburne makes Perry White into a morally compromised newsman whos only after great headlines. He spends most of his scenes barking about headlines at a female character named Jenny whose job title at the Daily Planet is itself rather opaque. Junior editor? Headline intern? Token female who exists only to add more estrogen to the cast quota? But I digress. While Lois endures the most thankless jobs out of any main characters in BvS (doting girlfriend, bad reporter, princess to be saved), at least shes an actual character. Which is more than you could say for the nameless woman we see in bed with Bruce Wayne, who is such a non-entity we never even see her face, much less learn who the hell she is. Even Martha Kent, Supermans dear ol ma, is present in BvS to beyou guessed it!saved. Only Holly Hunters Senator Finch gets to show any balls by challenging the twerpy Lex Luthor over his plot to obtain stores of Kryptonite. All of this is to say that clearly, women are not the focus of BvS. So what does it say that the most wondrous of these women turns out to be more intriguing and watchable in her precious few moments of screen time than our two brooding, boring protagonists? Its not like we need another movie about Batman or Superman or Spider-Man or Iron Man or Hulk or Thor or Captain America wrestling with their male identity issues, reluctant to take on the responsibility of using their extraordinary powers for good. What it does promise is that when the dust clears on BvS, we might actually have something to look forward to in the Wonder Woman stand-alone set for 2017. Hell, even this summers Suicide Squad, with its motley crew of grimy maniacal heroes and Margot Robbies Harley Quinn, seems far more interesting now through the haze of this weekends morose Batman and Superman bashfest. And as the rest of the DC cinematic universe takes shape, you can be sure WB execs are listening. If gazing at the future of DC through BvS goggles means we finally get the kind of female heroes we deserve, maybe all the self-indulgent man moping wasnt completely for naught. With fiery gusto, she would lead demonstrations and even argue in full public view with Army officers accused of committing excesses on civilians. (Photo: PTI) Srinagar: Born on May 22, 1959, Mehbooba Mufti is one of the most prolific and talented women politicians of the country and is currently a member of the Lok Sabha, representing her home constituency Anantnag. Also read: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti declared Jammu & Kashmir CM candidate She began with a law degree from Kashmir University but showed no signs of any flair for public life in the late 1980s, when bringing up two infant daughters-Iltija and Irtiqa-and the other travails of married life occupied her time. Her responsibilities only doubled after she split from her husband Javed Iqbal. Iltija now works in London at the Indian High Commission while her younger sister Irtiqa is involved in the film industry. Muftis only brother Tassaduq Sayeed is a Cinematographer in the Hollywood and Bollywood and has lensed Bollywood blockbusters like Omkara and Kaminey. Their mother Gulshan Nazir Ara had unsuccessfully contested the 1996 Assembly elections. Read: Mehbooba Mufti meets Modi to end impasse over J&K govt formation Kashmiri separatist campaign burst into a major violence in 1989-90. In mid-1990s when horror stories of excesses and harassment by security forces and renegades working tandem with them began emanating from Kashmir Valley and parts of the States Jammu region, she chose to exhibit the passionate side of her nature. Also read: No new conditions from PDP accepted: BJP She would visit places to express her solidarity with the victims of violence including families of slain militants. With fiery gusto, she would lead demonstrations and even argue in full public view with Army officers accused of committing excesses on civilians. This helped her to gain popularity and, in fact, her name soon became a byword for empathy and solace, mainly in south Kashmir. Elections for the State Assembly were held in 1996 after a gap of nine years, and Mufti had already become proactively involved in the politics. She was elected to the Assembly from home constituency Bijbehara on Congress party ticket. Her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had just returned to the party he had left in 1987 to show his anger at the alliance the Congress had formed with National Conference, its traditional rival in the State. He had joined V.P. Singhs Jan Morcha. Farooq Abdullahs NC was voted to power in J&K in the 1996 elections. Mufti quickly made a mark as the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly. The Muftis again split from the Congress to form their own Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and Mufti became its vice-president. She resigned her Assembly seat and went on to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 1999 from Srinagar but lost to NCs Omar Abdullah. In 2002 Assembly elections, she was elected from Pahalgam segment. PDP formed a coalition government with Congress with Sayeed as Chief Minister for three years on rotational basis. While Sayeed was named as PDPs patron, his daughter was formally elected the party president. In 2004, Ms. Mufti won the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat to make it to Parliament for the first time. PDP, however, failed to win a single seat in 2009 Lok Sabha elections when she did not contest herself. Earlier in 2008 elections, she won the Wacchi segment in South Kashmir to the State Assembly. She was elected to the Lok Sabha from Anantnag again in 2014. She is now set to become the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. CASTEL VOLTURNO, Italy By the time Aziz Ehsan, a 46-year-old Iraqi, was arrested near Naples on Tuesday, local anti-mafia police had already been trailing him for days to determine just why he was in the heartland of the Camorra crime syndicates territory. He was well known by both the French and Belgian secret services, which list him as a suspected ISIS contact. The Neapolitan cops were also aware of an international arrest warrant for him in Switzerland, where he was wanted in connection with a variety of offenses, including forgery, assault, and possession of illegal weapons. He was apparently just the type of person Italian authorities thought might provide a valuable clue as they work to piece together the details of the complex relationship between Jihadist fighters and Italys various mobs. But when the attacks took place in Brussels, the authorities decided it was time to move in and get him. He was arrested as he slept in a car with Italian license plates registered to a deceased man on Tuesday and is awaiting extradition to Switzerland, France, or Belgium. He claimed that he was in the area to scout out luxury hotels for rich Iraqi tourists, but the police didnt buy it; he appeared to have been living in the car for days. They also pointed to an absence of notebooks, a laptop, or tabletitems youd think to bring on a research trip. His no-frills, no contract burner cellphone, like the kind favored by Western jihadis, was another sign that Ehsan wasnt in the region to see which five-star hotels offered the best glass of Limoncello. We executed a European arrest warrant near Naples and arrested an Iraqi citizen known to the Belgian and French secret service, Italys interior minister Angelino Alfano declared after his arrest. He was in contact with terrorists. Ehsans presence in Italy very likely posed no imminent threat to anyone in this country, but it may be extremely significant in Europes losing battle against ISIS-motivated terrorism. Authorities now want to know if Ehsan was here on business, especially if he was working with the Camorra to secure false documents or illegal armsboth big moneymakers for the Neapolitan clans. Since the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in January 2015, Italian anti-mafia and anti-terrorism officials have been unraveling long-standing connections between Jihadi fighters and the Camorra in Naples. They have also uncovered ties to the Sicilian Cosa Nostra Mafia and the Calabrese Ndrangheta gang, tracing weapons being trafficked in from the former Yugoslavia and several African nations which allegedly arrive easily in Neapolitan ports. Italian anti-mafia police have made three major arrests in the last 12 months, during which they have confiscated major weapons arsenals that included Kalashnikov rifles, submachine guns, body armor, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition that were ready to be sold to terrorist connections. They even found a price list for a wide variety of weapons available for prices ranging from 250 to 3,000 that was printed in Arabic, French, and Italian. Naples has been, for many years, a central logistics base for the Middle East. The Camorra is also active in the world of Jihadist terrorism that passes through Naples, Franco Roberti, a prominent anti-mafia prosecutor, told The Daily Beast before the Brussels attacks. Naples lends itself to this type of activity. In the past there have been contacts between Jihadi militants and the Camorra clans. He says that Italys mafia-fighting forces have thwarted plots and synergies between the terrorists and the mobsters. Whats not known, of course, is how many plots theyve missed. It is certainly a well-known fact that the Camorra runs a highly successful enterprise in the lawless Neapolitan hinterland running drugs, illegal arms and forged documents that make it especially easy for anyone entering Europe illegally to pass through even the tightest borders. It is just as well-known that the main client base has never been strictly Italian. We have evidence that groups of the Camorra are implicated in an exchange of weapons for drugs with terrorist groups, Pierluigi Vigna, Italys national anti-mafia prosecutor, said before he passed away in 2012. Vignas words were quoted in a variety of Wikileaks cables that imply that the United States government has been well aware of the terrorist-mafia connection for some time. Criminal interaction between Italian organized crime and Islamic extremist groups provides potential terrorists with access to funding and logistical support from criminal organizations with established smuggling routes and an entrenched presence in the United States, according to one cable on Italy penned by the FBI. Investigators say logistics help in moving Jihadi fighters through Europe is one of the hardest rackets to crack. Last summer, Salah Abdeslam, who, until last week, was the most wanted man in Europe for his role in the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, traveled freely through Italy with the help of a network of what could be referred to as mafia-sponsored terrorism travel agents. Authorities in Italy say he boarded a ferry in Bari headed for Greece last August, and that he used a pre-paid Italian debit card until the Paris attacks. Authorities say he used his real name tied to fake Italian documents in both instances. The idea of Europes most wanted man running free is concerning enough. But what is at least as worrying is that the weapons being trafficked into Italy will end up being used in European capitals. Michele del Prete, an Italian counter-terrorism official who has been focusing on the links between organized crime and violent jihadists, warns that the two forces of evil have found a comfortable partnership. It is established and proven that the lawless climate in Naples has often created favorable conditions for logistical support, exchange of weapons, and false documents, he said. There are specialized groups we have tracked in various municipalities and prefectures that we know are facilitating terrorism. Investigator Roberti takes it a step further. Campania, especially the province of Caserta and Castel Volturno, is one of the main gateways into Europe for those who want to become a terrorist, he said. It has been demonstrated by numerous investigations. On this now, there are no doubts. Every European who flies frequently knows the airport in Zaventem, has spent time in the ticketing area that was strewn with blood, limbs, broken glass, battered luggage and other wreckage. It was another attack on aviation that pulled the United States into the conflict sometimes known as the global war on terror in the first place. Since then, airports and airplanes have remained a constant target for Islamic militants, with travelers being encumbered by new batches of security measures after each new attack or attempt. After the ex-con Richard Reid managed to sneak a bomb aboard a transatlantic flight in December 2001, but failed to detonate the explosives, American passengers were forced to start removing their shoes on their way through security. After British authorities foiled a 2006 plot in which terrorists planned to bring liquid explosives hidden in sports drink bottles aboard multiple transatlantic flights, authorities strictly limited the quantity of liquids passengers were allowed to carry. When Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab snuck explosives hidden in his underwear onto a flight on Christmas Day 2009, he ushered in full-body scans and intrusive pat-downs. Those are the misses. There have been hits, too. In August 2004, two female Chechen suicide bombers, so-called black widows, destroyed two domestic Russian flights. In January 2011, a suicide bomber struck Moscows Domodedovo airport in an attack that looked almost identical to the one that rocked the airport in Brussels: The bomber struck just outside the security cordon, where the airport is transformed from a soft target to a hard one. Just months ago, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS)the perpetrator of the Brussels attacksdestroyed a Russian passenger jet flying out of Egypts Sinai, killing 224 people. The targeting of airports and airplanes has been so frequent that in lighter timesback when the terrorists seemed so much worse at what they dosome pundits openly mocked their continuing return to airplanes and airports. In one representative discussion from early 2010, a well-known commentator described jihadists as having a sort of schoolboy fixation with aviation. But the reason for this targeting, of course, is neither mysterious nor quixotic, and its one the jihadists have explained for themselves. Following the November Paris attacks, ISIS released an infographic boasting that its slaughter on the streets of Paris would force Belgium to strengthen its security measures which will cost them tens of millions of dollars. Moreover, the group claimed, the intensified security measures and the general state of unease will cost Europe in general and France in specific tends of billions of dollars due to the resulting decrease in tourism, delayed flights, and restrictions on freedom of movement and travel between European countries. And that was before the group successfully attacked the Brussels airport, despite those costly new security measures. Even before 9/11, jihadists saw bleeding the American economy as the surest path to defeating their far enemy. When Osama bin Laden declared war against the Jews and crusaders in 1996, he emphasized that jihadist strikes should be coupled with an economic boycott by Saudi women. Otherwise, the Muslims would be sending their enemy money, which is the foundation of wars and armies. Indeed, when bin Laden first had the opportunity to publicly explain what the 9/11 attacks had accomplished, in an October 2001 interview with Al Jazeera journalist Taysir Allouni, he emphasized the costs that the attacks imposed on the United States. According to their own admissions, the share of the losses on the Wall Street market reached 16 percent, he said. The gross amount that is traded in that market reaches $4 trillion. So if we multiply 16 percent with $4 trillion to find out the loss that affected the stocks, it reaches $640 billion of losses. He told Allouni that the economic effect was even greater due to building and construction losses and missed work, so that the damage inflicted was no less than $1 trillion by the lowest estimate. In his October 2004 address to the American people, dramatically delivered just before that years elections, bin Laden noted that the 9/11 attacks cost al Qaeda only a fraction of the damage inflicted upon the United States. Al Qaeda spent $500,000 on the event, he said, while America in the incident and its aftermath lostaccording to the lowest estimatesmore than $500 billion, meaning that every dollar of al Qaeda defeated a million dollars. Al Qaeda fit the wars the United States had become embroiled in after 9/11 into its economic schema. In that same video, bin Laden explained how his movement sought to suck the United States and its allies into draining wars in the Muslim world. The mujahedin bled Russia for ten years, until it went bankrupt, bin Laden said, and they would now do the same to the United States. Just prior to 2011, there was a brief period when jihadism appeared to be in decline. Al Qaeda in Iraq, the group that later became ISIS, had all but met with defeat at the hands of the United States and local Sunni uprisings. Successful attacks were few and far between. Representative of those dark times for jihadists, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a special issue of its online magazine Inspire celebrating a terrorist attack that claimed no victims. In October 2010, jihadists were able to sneak bombs hidden in printer cartridges onto two cargo planes. Due to strong intelligence efforts, authorities disabled both bombs before they were set to explode, but the group drew satisfaction from merely getting them aboard the planes. Two Nokia phones, $150 each, two HP printers, $300 each, plus shipping, transportation and other miscellaneous expenses add up to a total bill of $4,200. That is all what Operation Hemorrhage cost us, the lead article in that special issue of Inspire boasted. On the other hand this supposedly foiled plot, as some of our enemies would like to call [it], will without a doubt cost America and other Western countries billions of dollars in new security measures. The magazine warned that future attacks will be smaller, but more frequentan approach that some may refer to as the strategy of a thousand cuts. The radical cleric Anwar Al Awlaki, writing in Inspire, explained the dilemma that he saw gripping al Qaedas foes. You either spend billions of dollars to inspect each and every package in the world, he wrote, or you do nothing and we keep trying again. Even in those days when the terrorist threat loomed so much smaller, the point was not a bad one. Security is expensive, and driving up costs is one way jihadists aim to wear down Western economies. Unfortunately, al Qaedas envisioned world of smaller but more frequent attacks proved unnecessary for the jihadists. Less than two months after the special issue of Inspire appeared that celebrated an at best half-successful attack, the revolutionary events that we then knew as the Arab Spring sent shockwaves through the Middle East and North Africa. This instability would help jihadism reach the current heights to which it has ascended, where the attacks are not only more frequent but larger. Unfortunately, the United Statesblinded at the time by the misguided belief that revolutions in the Arab world would devastate the jihadist movementpursued policies that hastened the regions instability. The damages wrought by these policies are still not fully appreciated. The silver lining to the jihadist economic strategy is that they, too, are economically vulnerable. The damage inflicted on ISISs state by coalition bombings and other pressures forced the group to slice its fighters salaries at the beginning of this year. But as al Qaeda watches its flashier jihadist rival carry out gruesome attacks on Western targets and get bombarded in return, it discerns further proof of the wisdom of its strategy of attrition. As it watches these two sets of foes exhaust each other, al Qaeda believes that its comparative patience will pay off. It believes that its own time will come. On Monday, the Supreme Court of the Unites States heard oral arguments in the case of Wittman v. Personhuballah, to decide whether Virginia lawmakers unlawfully considered race while redrawing congressional district lines in 2012. Most courtroom commentators believe that SCOTUS will be reluctant to overturn the lower courts decision and reinstate a district map that was drawn by the Virginia legislature to favor Republicans and with the passing of Justice Scalia, a 4-4 tie would uphold the lower court decision. Republican attorneys argued the lower court ruling was wrong because the intent behind the Virginia General Assembly-drawn districts was to protect incumbents, not to dilute the voting power of African-American voter as the lower court decided. Did the Republican-controlled General Assembly get into the business of partisan incumbency protection? Yes, and admittedly so. Was it racially-motivated gerrymandering? Hard to tell. But whichever side of the case the court takes, more than any other element of the partisan-fueled gerrymandering imposed in Virginia, it highlights the disturbing trend for those who view voting rights as a protection of voters, rather than the right of a political party to protect their party-loyal incumbents. The fact is, voters have not been fully represented before the Supreme Court since the court declared its one-person one-vote standard in Reynolds v. Sims in 1964. In that case, the Court struck down the constitutionality of mal-apportionment, a gerrymandering tactic that allows incumbent politicians to dilute the power of some voters by placing them in districts with a larger population size. Importantly, incumbent politicians from both parties used mal-apportionment to insulate themselves from electoral competition and dilute the power of voters who wanted to vote their incumbent representatives out of office. Attorney Michael A. Carvin, representing the Republicans, argued that the Virginia gerrymandering plan was acceptable because it was not racially motivated. The motivation, he argued, was simply to protect incumbents. Every incumbent was re-elected, he argued in support of the legality of the gerrymandering plan. Just imagine what the Warren Court would have made of this argument in 1964! Incumbency protection trumps voter rights. This is because both political parties, collectively, occupy nearly 100 percent of our state and federal offices. So what about the nearly 50 percent of voters who now say that they dont think either party represents their views? Neither the Republicans nor Democrats are opposed to SCOTUS starting with the presumption that drawing legislative districts to protect incumbents is an acceptable form of gerrymandering. And now, the issue is whether using racial demographics as a part of these incumbent protection plans is also acceptable. In short, the case pits the unlawful practice of packing minority voters into a district with the goal of making it easier for white Republicans to be elected in adjoining districts against the more basic goal of protecting incumbents. But what if the Court were to start with a more basic question: Should elections serve voters or the partisan incumbents that draw the districts in the first place? In Reynolds v. Sims in 1964, the last case where both the Democrats and Republicans were on the same wrong side of the voting-rights issue, the court declared the American principle of one person, one vote. So how can we protect that principle if the Court has accepted the Republican and Democratic parties attempt to frame the voting-rights issue as one that concerns only two parties, one winner? Take California Democratic Party v. Sims, for example, decided in 2000. In that case, the Democratic Party successfully argued in front of the Supreme Court that the State of California had no right to allow voters who were not members of the Democratic Party to participate in their primary elections. Forget the fact that taxpayers fund the primaries. Forget the fact that over 90 percent of elections are decided in the primary, and therefore, are usually the only meaningful stage of the election process. And forget the fact that the Supreme Court rejected this very argument in 1944 when the same Democratic Party argued that they had the private right to exclude African Americans from their primary elections. Now, the Republican parties in Utah, Montana, Idaho, and South Carolina are using the Democratic Partys arguments to close otherwise open primariesso only members of their party have a say in the all-important primary elections. And just to be clear, the Democratic Party is doing the same thing in Hawaii and elsewhere. That is because the Democratic and Republican parties are both incumbents. And the two parties have a duopoly over the their primary election system, which has become the most important part of the public election process over the last 50 years. Both parties have a vested interest in protecting this duopoly and have successfully reframed voting-rights issues that should be adjudicated under the one person, one vote standard, and instead, have the court view these cases as if they concern only the private rights of political parties. In this case, for example, attorney Michael A. Carvin, representing the Republicans, defended the Virginia gerrymandering plan as not being racially motivated but was created to protect incumbents, calling it a success. Every incumbent was re-elected, he said. Forget whether the attorneys who spend their lives making arguments on behalf of the Democratic Party think that Virginias redistricting plan used race to divide the electorate, and therefore, benefit the Republican Party. Lets accept the defense of the case that protecting unpopular and partisan incumbents is an acceptable mode of determining to whom our representatives are accountable. At a time when 80 percent of the American electorate is dissatisfied with their representation, maybe we need to refocus our analysis on the rights of votersnot whether race was used to hurt Democrats or help Republicans. And as Justice Sotomayor stated, If youre race-neutral, you move people not on the basis of their skin color but on some neutral principle. And you have shown that at least five precincts were moved where it wasnt on the base of partisanship, it was on the basis of race. Just think about that statement. How can a Supreme Court justice, occupying the same courtroom that held that one person, one vote is the standard by which our American democracy should be weighed, take it for granted that drawing districts to benefit one Republican over one Democrat or vice versa is somehow an acceptable neutral way to protect all votersincluding the 45 percent of voters who dont think either party represents them? Unfortunately, whether political parties have the right to divide voters in a way that protects the purely partisan control over our government isnt even up for argument. Is partisan gerrymandering alive and well in America? Absolutelyand the Court encourages it. But there should be no question the Court must also act to eliminate racial gerrymandering as well. For voters who think that both parties manipulate voters in a way that puts their private interests ahead of the publics right to a nonpartisan election process, it will take a renewed Reynolds v. Jones effort on behalf of individual voters to bring before the Court a more fundamental voting-rights issue: Have both parties used gerrymandering to violate the one-person, one-vote standard? As we witness the mass exodus of voters away from political parties, the people are ahead of the courts in rejecting extreme partisanship and a party-first view of the world. But until the Court catches up, we shouldnt be surprised that these voters just arent turning out to vote at all. While vehicles entering the airport were being checked by state police, all baggage was being thoroughly checked by personnel of Central Industrial Security Force. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: Security has been stepped up at the airport here following a major security scare across airports in the country in the wake of bomb threat calls to IndiGo flights, officials said. A 'seven-tier' security apparatus has been put in place at the Chennai airport, which has both Domestic and International terminals, even as visitors entry had been banned, they said. While vehicles entering the airport were being checked by state police, all baggage was being thoroughly checked by personnel of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Security agencies, including CISF, IB, R&AW and different wings of state police, were carrying out round the clock monitoring inside and outside the airport, officials said. Patrolling has also been intensified outside the airport, they added. On Wednesday, there was a major security scare across several airports in the country, including Delhi, following a phone call from the US that 11 aircraft of private carrier IndiGo could be in the danger of being blown up. Police are seeking help identifying a vehicle of interest in an aggravated assault that occurred in the Post Oak Mall parking lot late Monday. Surveillance photos released by the College Station Police Department show a dark colored vehicle leaving the mall parking lot after a gun was fired between Bealls and Macy's. Anyone with information about the vehicle should contact the lead detective at 979-764-3479. Around 7:15 p.m. Monday, a woman said she was approached by a man who pointed a gun at her and fired a shot into her car, officials said. The woman was not injured in the incident. Officials are seeking two black males in connection with the incident. Both are between the ages of 14 and 20, officials said. Officials said the woman and the shooter did not know each other and the shooting appears to be random. Chennai: Raghavendran Ganesh, an employee of Infosys with roots in Tamil Nadu, is missing after a blast in the metro line between Merode and Park stations in Brussels in Belgium on Tuesday. We are yet to get any information about him. They said they are trying to locate him in the list of injured people as his name was not in the casualty list. Company officials said they are waiting at the hospital, Annapoorni Ganeshan, his anguished mother told Deccan Chronicle from Mumbai when this newspaper contacted her on Wednesday night. Raghavendran had spoken to his mother in Mumbai just before he left for work on Tuesday in Brussels. She got a call later from her other son living in Germany, who told her about the blasts having taken place in Brussels. Raghavendran used to travel to work on the metro route where the blast occurred. Coffee is the drink of choice for millions of us. But the world's second-most traded commodity originates in Ethiopia - and its home is under threat. Ethiopia isn't all dusty deserts - far from it. The country also contains rugged highlands and lush, tropical forests. Coffea arabica grows here in its original, wild form. The forests of south-west Ethiopia are considered to be the birthplace of coffee and the centre of its genetic diversity. But these forests and this gene pool are under pressure. It is already one of the last major woodlands remaining in Ethiopia, and deforestation over the past 40 years has resulted in the loss of one-third of the south-west's forest cover. We risk losing the forests entirely in coming decades. It is critical that these forests are protected. Commercially grown coffee has been bred over the years to ensure high yields and other useful characteristics. But it is descended from a small number of individual plants, and so relies on a relatively narrow genetic range - just 10% of the diversity found in the wild. This makes it vulnerable to pests - and climate change is an additional threat. Wild coffee on the other hand exhibits much greater genetic diversity, which increases its chances of adapting to new challenges and reduces the possibility of extinction. It represents an insurance policy for plantation coffee, in case commercial strains are ever badly damaged. These forests also play a critical role as a 'water tower' for the river Nile - serving lowland Ethiopia, South Sudan and Egypt, storing carbon to stabilise the climate and enhancing rainfall upwind in the often drought-affected, northern highlands of Ethiopia. Ample rainfall, fertile soils, littel protection But maintaining these forests is difficult. Rainfall in the south-west is good and the soil fertile and there is a long history of people moving here for farming, including from the drier and more densely settled north of the country. This, alongside investor interest in commercial coffee and tea plantations, has seen agricultural land encroach on the forest. Without adequate resources to police such a large area, the forest became 'open access' - anyone could go in and take what they wanted and they rarely got apprehended. In an effort to protect the country's forest resources, the Ethiopian government adopted a nationwide policy of Participatory Forest Management (PFM), which bestows management responsibilities on communities that live near the forest and have had traditional rights to it. In an inspired take on the forked tongue of American Indian lore, JP Morgan has just announced that it will stop direct financing of all new coal mines and new coal power plants in rich countries. There are at least three major holes in that plan. What JP Morgan really means is that it will not stop 'indirectly' funding coal - the bulk of what it and every other bank does - through, for instance, intermediation in capital markets. Neither will it stop funding existing coal mines and power plants around the globe. The world's entire existing coal infrastructure can take a deep breath because it may still benefit from JP Morgan's largesse. And it will not stop funding coal in developing countries where as it happens pretty much all new coal plants are being built. One wonders what it is that JP Morgan is in fact stopping. Funding new coal mines in the UK? There aren't any. Funding new coal-fired power plants in France? There aren't any either. As luck would have it though, the JP Morgan bankers are by no means alone. They're all at it! Delegates from a European development bank (which must remain nameless to protect sources) were recently visiting the Philippines, excited to back its clean energy sector. The South East Asian country is endowed with lots of free sun and free wind as well as large water resources. With its over 7,000 islands, it is the perfect setting for a decentralized energy system built around clean energy and reaching every one of its rich and poor. Furthermore, it is on the frontlines of suffering from climate change, which Filipinos know of first-hand and experience year-round. Imagine the surprise of the European bankers when they heard from their Filipino counterparts how much the latter were excited about backing, you guessed it ... coal-fired power plants. Their excitement extended to recompensing projects destroying the Filipinos' health, and contributing to dangerous climate change, with cheaper money than what they were prepared to provide to new solar or wind power plants. And the same holds true in all corners of the world. Earlier this year, Korea's green growth strategy was downgraded while the country increases its new coal capacity 65%. Australia's biggest banks are cheering coal by pumping billions into it, having signed off on $5.5bn worth of dirty energy deals in 2015. But even that largesse is not enough to attract private sector finance. So in came China General Nuclear Corporation (CGN) last October to take a 33.5% stake in the project for 6 billion (US$8.7 billion) into the project, on a promise of being able to build a nuclear power station of its own in the UK. But EDF was still unable to finance the balance of costs estimated at 12 billion, as set out in a letter last week from EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy, which said the project could not go ahead without a massive injection of new capital into EDF by the French government. Immediately, Emmanuel Macron, the French economy minister, made it clear that EDF would be bailed out. He dismissed concerns in both countries about the high cost of the project and signalled the French government's willingness to prop up EDF to enable it to complete the job, whatever it took. "If we need to recapitalise, we will do it", he said. "If we need to renounce dividend payments again, we will do it." Which is all very well - but would have to be done in a way that would avoid falling foul of the EU's rules on state aid. If the French government's investments into EDF appears to be distorting markets in energy or giving EDF unfair support over and above other energy suppliers and sources, then the Commission could well rule against the measures. And even if it doesn't, legal challenges are certain to be field at the European Court - potentially tying the whole thing up for years. And another thing: EDF and CGN have agreed their deal in principle, but nothing has been signed. The key question is how any cost overruns are to be divided up between EDF and CGN. CGN wants EDF to shoulder 100%. EDF wants it shared pro-rata to shreholding. This one could run and run. A monstrous white elephant poison pill With political cartoonists depicting the two planned 1,600 megawatt reactors at Hinkley Point as a giant white elephant, it is clear that most people believe it is only the political will of governments that is keeping the project afloat. Opposition to the project on both sides of the English Channel is strong. In France, the nuclear industry employs 100,000 people, and the trade unions that represent many of them oppose the building of new British reactors because they believe it will jeopardise French jobs. EDF needs to spend billions on its ageing fleet of 58 reactors at home to bring them up to modern safety standards. And the unions' views matter because they have six seats on the EDF board. In the UK, there is also growing unease because of the very high cost of the Hinkley C deal, which as pointed out by Greenpeace Chief Scientist Doug Parr could still be costing today's school leavers dear as they prepare for retirement. This extraordinary deal looks even worse with the recent revelation that if for any reason the contract is terminated before 2060, the UK will be liable to pay EDF 22 billion in damages. Caroline Lucas, a British Green Party member of parliament, called the damages a "poison pill" for taxpayers. She told the Guardian newspaper: "Hinkley represents a terrible deal for taxpayers and a huge burden on bill payers too. This flies in the face of relentless ministerial rhetoric on value for money for consumers, especially compared to the costs of wind and solar power, which are cheaper than nuclear and continue to fall." The UK government's position remains that the new station will bring 25,000 jobs during its construction phase and will be a much-needed boost to energy supply, providing 7% of the country's electricity needs. EDF also claimed in a statement that it and partner CGN are taking all the risks. British consumers, it says, will not pay a penny until the plant produces electricity. And in a way it's true - the biggest risk for the UK is if the project is completed and the country is forced to pay throug the nose for it until 2060 or beyond. When, if ever, the plant will produce electricity remains the great unanswered question of the whole saga. EDF is aiming for 2025, seven years later than its original target of 2017. But to judge by other EPR projects the chances of construction being completed by then are remote. Over cost, behind schedule The reactor design is untried, and all four of the prototype reactors under construction at present are years behind schedule and massively over budget. The first, at Olkiluoto in Finland, is nine years late, and the second, at Flamanville in France, is six years late and counting. Neither is expected to start up for at least another two years. And it's looking increasingly likely that Flamanville, which is suffering from a faulty pressure vessel and head, may never be completed. But some believe that the building of the nuclear power stations is not about economic reality, or even about producing electricity for the UK. Green campaigner Jonathan Porritt, who chaired the UK's Sustainable Development Commission for a decade, says Hinkley is "a deal that has nothing to do with market reality. Nothing to do with affordability ... and nothing to do with addressing our climate change responsibilities. "By contrast, it's got everything to do with political leaders in three nations (the UK, France and China), all of which need' Hinkley Point to happen for grubby geopolitical interests of their own." Paul Brown writes for Climate News Network. Oliver Tickell edits The Ecologist. West Burlington pool shooting suspect found not guilty After two days of testimony, the suspect in the shooting at the West Burlington Swimming Pool was found not guilty of all charges. Hyderabad: Describing universities as centres that promote 'critical thinking', Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday alleged that educational institutions in India were under attack. "There is an allegation that we are doing politics. Are we doing politics or is the government doing politics? (It) has a pre-planned script to destroy autonomy of universities. The precise work of universities, intellectuals is to promote critical thinking," Kanhaiya Kumar said. Read: HCU row: Striking non-teaching staff resume duties as eerie calm prevails in campus Meanwhile, a shoe was hurled at Kanhaiya as he was about to address a seminar at the university on Thursday. A man sitting in the audience threw a shoe at Kumar but it missed him and fell just ahead of the stage. The seminar on 'Constitutional Rights' was organised at Sundrayya Vignana Kendram (SVK) at Baghlingampally here, a building run by Left parties. The man who hurled a shoe at JNU students' union leader Kanhaiya Kumar is taken away by the police. (Photo: S Surender Reddy) Police took away the man even as commotion prevailed in the hall for sometime. The meeting continued after the incident. Kumar is on a two-day visit to Hyderabad and Vijayawada, his first after being released from jail. He was imprisoned on charges of sedition. The struggle in JNU is an extension of the campaign in Hyderabad Central University (HCU) for justice to Rohith Vemula, he said. There is a similarity between HCU and JNU, Kanhaiya said, adding that both institutions were fighting for the autonomy of universities and for social justice. "This fight of ours is to save the country, save democracy and bring justice for Rohith Vemula," said the JNU students' union president. Read: 25 students and 2 faculty members arrested for UoH violence Citing struggles in FTII, Aligarh Universtity, HCU and JNU, he claimed that campuses in India were becoming war zones. The development agenda of the NDA government has taken a back seat during the last two years of its rule, he alleged. Read: Kanhaiya Kumar stopped at the gates of Hyderabad University Kanhaiya also said he would not campaign in the coming elections in four states. Kumar was not allowed to enter the HCU campus on Wednesday evening where he was scheduled to address students agitating over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in January this year. Read: Hyderabad University students search for food, caned Kumar, who came with Rohith's mother and brother to express solidarity with students, was greeted with slogans for and against him at the gate after the University issued a notification banning entry of outsiders, including political parties, media and other social/student groups. The police too kept a strict watch on the main gate. Read: Total clampdown, major vigil at University of Hyderabad After landing in the city on Wednesday, the student leader had blamed the government for blowing up the JNU issue (students screaming 'anti-national' slogans). He said this was to divert attention from Rohith's suicide and its aftermath. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DARIEN -- With its flame-red color and signature rooster-emblazoned bottle, Huy Fong Sriracha hot sauce has risen from humble beginnings to become an icon of American culture--a cursory web search revealed t-shirts, mugs, lunchboxes, keychains and underpants featuring the sauce's logo, designed by Huy Fong Foods founder David Tran. Tran, a refugee from Vietnam who arrived in Los Angeles aboard a freightliner named the "Huey Fong", started the company to cater to other Vietnamese arriving in the U.S. The condiment was originally designed to accompany pho, a popular Vietnamese noodle soup. "Pho is the national dish of Vietnam, and we were accepting hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War," said New York-based historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman, who has researched Huy Fong Foods and interviewed Tran. Tran, Lohman said, knew the population of newly-arrived Vietnamese was "going to want to eat pho, and they're going to want to have a hot sauce to eat with their pho like they have back home." Named for the city of Si Racha in southern Thailand, where it was invented, Sriracha sauce consists mainly of peppers and garlic. Huy Fong's sauce--in daily speech usually simply called "Sriracha"--is manufactured in Irwindale, Ca. with ingredients grown nearby. All peppers are sourced from Moorpark, Ca.'s Underwood Farm, which devotes 1,700 acres to Huy Fong's red jalapenos; all garlic is grown in the town of Gilroy--known as the "Garlic Capital of The World", according to Lohman, for the quantity of garlic it produces. Tran founded Huy Fong Foods in 1980, naming the company after the ship that had brought him and his family to California. The Tran family began distributing their signature sauce by bicycle, but demand quickly grew. Three years ago, the company opened its giant Irwindale facility, where it remains--despite a 2013 lawsuit from the city, citing complaints that factory emissions were giving its neighbors stinging eyes and other pepper spray-like symptoms. "There was this kind of awkward standoff between the City of Irwindale and the Sriracha factory," Lohman said Tuesday before her speaking engagement at Darien Library. "I think the city council thought they could kind of bully the factory. They didn't realize the power that Sriracha had." Following a passionate Internet-fuelled outcry from Sriracha fans around the globe, the mayor of Los Angeles interceded; the lawsuit was thrown out after the factory installed a new ventilation system. Lohman, who had recently toured the factory during its busiest production time, found the lawsuit "shocking." "I smelled nothing outside of that factory," Lohman told The Hour. When asked by Lohman about Sriracha's popularity, the famously media-shy Tran responded that "it's because Americans like spicy food," Lohman said. "I think that counters the normal stereotype about Americans," Lohman added. "We have eaten consistently spicier and spicier and spicier foods as the decades have progressed." Sriracha's unique flavor, viscous texture and eyecatching design contribute to its beloved stature as well, according to Lohman. About half as spicy as Tabasco, Sriracha has a sweeter, milder flavor and is more paste-like than the average pepper sauce. "You can really engineer every bite of your food with Sriracha in a way that's more difficult with a more watery sauce," Lohman said. Matt Storch, local chef and restaurateur, incorporates Sriracha into several of his signature dishes. He praised the sauce with enthusiasm. "You can put that sh*t on anything, because it's delicious," Storch, who will soon open a pho restaurant in Black Rock, told The Hour. "It's sweet, it's savory and sour, all at the same time." In its transparent bottle, the bright orange condiment is offset by a green cap and a design with text in five languages, creating a visual that's hard to ignore. When Huy Fong began appearing in restaurants, Lohman said, "it would really stick out on these tables. People would remember it, and steal it, and see it in the grocery store and want to buy it." Today, "people are putting it on their hamburgers, and their eggs, and their pizza," Lohman told The Hour; recently, a friend spotted a bottle on the table at a kosher Czech restaurant in Queens. Huy Fong Sriracha has transcended its Southeast Asian origins. "It is purely American." NORWALK -- Leadership and success were themes of the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce Leadership Institute graduation breakfast and to that end Marc Grenier ended his closing toast with a fitting remark: "I wish success to you all." Grenier, managing parter at Law Offices of DePanfilis & Vallerie and also the chairman Leadership Institute Committee, earlier had quoted former General Electric CEO Jack Welch: "Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. After you become a leader, success is about growing others." The Norwalk Leadership Institute (NLI) is chamber program that helps to grow future business and community leaders. Participants are typically professionals on an upward track within their company or organization. It has been held annually since 1981. The participants meet weekly and learn about a different aspect of leadership and about the Norwalk community at each session. They also are tasked with a project to complete at the end of the program. This year's task was holding the event "Careers on Fleek." The crowd of about 40 people Wednesday morning at Dolce Norwalk Center included the 13 graduates, chamber officials, and Mayor Harry Rilling. Also in attendance were co-workers, bosses, and family of the graduates there to show support. Graduates Jacqueline Kaufman, Francesca Forlivio and Vernece Richardson led a Power Point presentation about the "Careers On Fleek" program, which was held at the Maritime Aquarium on March 11. It involved inviting middle school students from Norwalk to attend and learn about resume and career building, communication skills, and personal finance. Twenty-five students participated. Many NLI graduates expressed a desire to see the program continue. The term "on fleek" means on point or done properly. "We worked well together as a team from the beginning. We were all able to contribute," Kaufman said. "Everyone really came through. Our various career backgrounds allowed us to bring different skills to the table." Forlivio said they warned the students about their digital trail that they make on social media. Some things students post online never go away and potential employers always check an applicant's social media presence, Forlivio said. Grenier earlier had pointed out another danger of using technology for communication. He said many students are using text messaging, email and social media as their primary means of communication. Many of these students will not be equipped with the oral communication skills needed for job or college interviews, he warned. "Communication via text messaging and other social media has had a negative effect on our verbal communication skills," Grenier said. "What can sometimes be resolved with a simple phone call morphs into multiple text messages that sometimes are misconstrued. All of us here this morning need to invest the time and effort to better develop our children's personal communication skills so that they may succeed in life."Faith Douglass of the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, one of the graduates, said the NLI helped her understand the history of Norwalk and the many opportunities the city offers. "It's about giving back and realizing there's a tie between the business community and social services," she said. "They have to work together to be a successful community." John Forlivio, CEO and president of John M. Glover Agency, was in attendance to support his employee, Francesca Forlivio. "We're always looking for ways to give back and have our people involved with the community," he said. "It's a good start for future leaders in our community."Terri Polley, chairman of the chamber, called the Leadership Institute "one of the most important things that the chamber does. It exemplifies the importance of leadership." Edward Musante Jr., president and CEO of the chamber, praised the graduates for their hard work on the "Careers on Fleek" project. "It was a wonderful project," he said. "It was very well done and well attended. Congratulations on your hard work over the last months." NORWALK -- New York City's graffiti and hip-hop explosion of the 1980s was an early inspiration to local artist Jahmane Artz. "Going through the Bronx back in the early Eighties, the Bruckner and the Cross Bronx (Expressways) were like an outdoor gallery for graffiti," Artz, a South Norwalk native, remembered. "As a kid, it made me feel that I could be an artist, because it was outside the constraints of the institution. It wasn't in a gallery; it wasn't elitist." As he became more involved in graffiti, Artz and his friends began mining New York museums like the Met for fresh influences to incorporate into their street art. "By the time I started evolving as a graffiti artist, I was studying the fine arts," said Artz, whose work currently hangs in the Sidewalk Gallery at PressProof Studios, on the corner of South Main Street and Haviland Street. Artz said the show--a "cross-section" of his work--is an eclectic overview of his output from the past 20 years, adding that he tends to produce work in distinct series or collections, each employing a distinct style. A collection might draw on any theme "from vintage movie poster to abstract prints to more scientific theme-based," Artz told The Hour. "That's kind of how my mind works." Besides his exhibition at Sidewalk Gallery--which is designed to be viewed from the street--Artz's public work can be found on an electrical box near 50 Washington, where his "Where the Wild Things Are" mural is part of the "Traffic Graphic" public art program he curated. Although he cites as major influences the Art Nouveau posters of Alphonse Mucha and the paintings of artist and sculptor Elizabeth Catlett, Artz said his main inspiration comes from daily life. "I get a lot more of my influences from real reflections of life around me" than from other artists, Artz said. As well as being a painter, Artz teaches art in Bridgeport, writes for The Beat magazine and runs a clothing company called Kultjah Designs, which was once located on Washington Street. "In one way or another, most of my life revolves around art," Artz said. Artz encourages his students and others who are determined to live off their art to give it their full effort. "If it's your passion, do whatever you have to do to do it," Artz said. "Even if you have to get a job to support your art, do it." The Sidewalk Gallery consists of a 50-foot partition inside the workspace of PressProof Studio, a SoNo packaging and product design company. The artwork faces the street so it can be viewed by pedestrians. "At night, the lights go on, and you can see it from outside," said PressProof owner William Gramigna, who lives in South Salem, N.Y. The two-year-old display space is curated by Gramigna and Jennifer Hunter, the gallery's associate director. "It's the fine art crossover, which we love, because in our mind we're all fine artists, but we do this to put the kids through college," Gramigna said, indicating the shop containing his business. "I think it's good for the community, and good for everybody's soul." Jahmane Artz's work will be on view through March 28. The next exhibitor at the gallery will be Ellen Gordon, a Stamford-based painter and printmaker. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MANCHESTER -- It was three decades ago that Derek Oatis was busted at a New York airport with South American cocaine he intended to sell to his prep school classmates, a scandal that led to the arrest and expulsion of more than a dozen students at a prestigious Connecticut boarding school. Now an attorney in a Hartford suburb, Oatis said it was unnerving to relive the ordeal as he watched "The Preppie Connection," an independent movie inspired by his story. "Surreal is a good word," Oatis said. "It all came flooding back." The film, starring Thomas Mann and Lucy Fry, debuted at the Hamptons International Film Festival in October and was released last week on Amazon, iTunes and other online services. The names of the people involved in the real-life drama have been changed. The film's director, Joseph Castelo, said he was drawn to Oatis' tale because he, like Oatis, attended a prestigious prep school in the 1980s and considered himself an outsider because he came from a working-class family. "There was so much about it that symbolized the early '80s," said Castelo, who runs Coalition Films in Hoboken, New Jersey. Oatis, 49, grew up in Meriden, Connecticut, and attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford as a day student on a scholarship. He remembers Choate parents arriving in helicopters on the first Parents Day he attended, while his mother and father drove a Dodge Dart. "I didn't have a lot of friends, and I didn't fit in," Oatis said. One of his friends was Matt Holmes, whose parents lived in Venezuela. Holmes would bring back small amounts of marijuana for himself when returning from visiting them, Oatis said. Word spread, and soon a dozen or so students were giving Holmes money to buy pot and cocaine for them in Venezuela, Oatis said. "Everybody knew what was going on," Oatis said. In 1984, Oatis and his girlfriend, Cathy Cowan, traveled to Venezuela to buy $5,000 worth of cocaine, about three-quarters of a pound, using Holmes' drug contacts and money from classmates. When they got off the plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport on their return, they were immediately taken into custody. Officials found the cocaine in a talcum powder bottle in Oatis' suitcase and in some baggies in his pockets. On Cowan, authorities found a handwritten list of Choate students who were buying the drugs. Choate officials had learned about the trip beforehand and called police. None of the students received prison time. Oatis said he believes it helped the defendants that many came from wealthy families. Oatis, who had faced up to 15 years in prison, was charged by federal authorities as a youthful offender and was sentenced to five years of probation and 5,000 hours of community service, the same sentence Holmes received. Under a youthful offender prosecution, the charges against Oatis -- then 17 -- were erased. Choate, which counts John F. Kennedy among its alumni, said in a statement that the movie is "a highly fictionalized account of a difficult moment in the school's history" and Oatis' case led to the "zero-tolerance, one-strike" policy for student drug use that remains in effect. Seeing the movie was somewhat cathartic for Oatis. "I never really had come to grips with it," Oatis said about the cocaine bust. "I had a huge amount of guilt. I still have a huge amount of guilt from what I put my family through." To the Editor: After the horrific Islamic Terrorist attacks in Brussels, our government is looks to take away more liberties from US citizens by making travel harder and imposing restriction on us. Meanwhile, our government pushes for open borders, no checks on illegal aliens coming into our country and importation of thousands of potential terrorists. It is mind numbing the stupidity of our government. Since 2009 the Obama Administration has been importing hundreds of thousands of non-vetted Muslim immigrants into our Country. Tens of thousands of non-vetted Muslim from Syria have been shipped to our Country using UPS airplanes and Homeland Security buses to hide their presence. They have been placed into States that have objected to taking these non-vetted immigrants and into democrat run states. These Muslim immigrants will not assimilate into our Country because of their beliefs; all you have to do is look to Sweden, Germany and France. The Government believes it is better blame the American People and to take away more of our liberties than it is to address the real threat our Nations security. Ssg. Wynn S. Allen Fairfield WILTON The Board of Selectmen, at its regular meeting on Monday night, covered several topics. The following is a summary of some of those discussions. Town Planner Bob Nerney presented the South Western Region Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which the board approved unanimously 5-0. This plan was drafted for the South Western Region, eight towns that were formerly part of SWERPA, and is now part of WESCOG, the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, Nerney said. What this is, is the federal government requires that towns, in order to be eligible for disaster funds in the event of a natural hazard have a mitigation plan put together. This might be anything from forest fires to earthquakes or perhaps more appropriate to this part of the country hurricanes, coastal or even inland flooding. Nerney said the regional agency went through the process of meeting with all the eight towns this plan was prepared for, and assigned a table to deal with such events. (The tables) sort of assigns a ranking table to various events, puts forward recommendations for dealing with these events in terms of emergency preparedness in trying to make other physical improvements, for instance, to buildings, create an inventory of topics that are an area of concern in the event of a hazard, Nerney said. What it is does is really the federal government asking the towns to have a plan in place to, again, work toward lessening the severity of the impacts that might otherwise occur. Nerney said there is not cost impact to the town, and no long-term contract commitment. On the contrary, failure to adopt (the plan) might put the town at risk in terms of making us potentially ineligible for federal disaster relief, Nerney said. First Selectman Lynne Vanderslice asked about funding from outside sources. Its sort of a target goal to aim for, Nerney said. These are some of the recommendations to be considered, be it implementation of GIS, for instance, to allow for better coordination of emergency responders after an event, or looking at drainage systems, for instance, and ways to improve them. It doesnt obligate us; its asking each community to do its homework and give some thought in terms of how it might put itself in a better situation, which hopefully, at the end of the day will result in less cost for the community and the federal government. Nerney said the town participates in emergency preparedness on a regular basis now, among town officials, Social Services, and the police and fire departments and EMS. This is a five-year plan, but Nerney said it will probably be re-visited before it expires. Pat Sesto, chairman of the Norwalk River Valley Trail, presented a plan for an eight-vehicle parking lot at Sharp Hill Road, alongside the trail. The proposal was approved 5-0. Almost a year ago we submitted an application to the DOT to get permission to create a small, eight-car parking lot off of Autumn Ridge, Sesto said. If anyone has used the trail, or gone through on a lovely day, or even some not so lovely days, through Sharp Hill, the Autumn Ridge has taken the brunt of peoples enthusiasm for using the trail. The rest was clearly an unintended consequence of doing the trail piece meal, that you create a new trailhead that wasnt a part of the big plan. Sesto said adding a parking lot along the trail was a good idea, but it required more than getting permission. We have permission from the state to do the trail, we have to lease the land to an entity, Sesto said. The NRVT is not an entity. This is one of those partnership opportunities where we look to the municipality to be an entity to support the trail moving forward. We finally have the lease. I believe its pretty straightforward, consistent with other town leases of property consist of. There will be no annual fee because its for public use. There is a $500 fee for processing the application, which the NRVT will cover. We have 30 days to vacate should Route 7 come through or anything else. Its pretty standard fare as far as I can see. The plan still has to go through the Planning and Zoning Commission for final approval, Sesto said. Selectman Mike Kaelin asked about lighted crossing signs at Sharp Hill at that potentially dangerous intersection. Yes, they are on order, Sesto said. The police department has been fabulous. (Capt.) Tom Conlan in helping us negotiate through and the Police Commission helped us get the rectangular rapid flashing beacons. We had to raise the money for that. We have street signs that point to the crosswalk. Cars are supposed to yield for pedestrians and bicycles there. Sesto said the closest neighbors are aware and pleased with this recent development and the impending push-button activated crosswalk lights. Deborah McFadden, who was elected the new chairman of the Democratic Town Committee earlier this month, spoke first about the suddenly controversial topic of filling vacancies on town boards and commissions when a willing participant is an unaffiliated voter. I want to reiterate how important volunteers are, McFadden said. Theyre really essential to the working of our town government. All our boards, committees and commissions are volunteers. What were talking about tonight is extremely important for filling the boards, committees and commissions in town. Im speaking as the DTC chair, but we do not have an official position because we havent had time to vote on one. McFadden said the DTCs nominating committee has actively sought unaffiliated voters to put forward as candidates. We have a history of supporting a number of candidates as unaffiliateds, McFadden said. We are very eager to put forward those names. We are open to suggestions on how to make that process more open for unaffiliateds who want to participate through a DTC or an RTC process, so we are happy to do a better job of marketing what that process is so more people can participate in that process. The process has worked for decades. We have been able to put forward names for the boards and commissions as vacancies have appeared, and when there has been need for term limits and people being replaced on a regular basis. McFadden said concern has arisen when the process has changed, or when someone who has gone through the DTC selection process and been turned down and done an end run to the Board of Selectmen for his or her own application. The other thing is, with the process of you interviewing people, you are a public entity and the interview is public record, McFadden said. If you interview 10 people, and you pick one, the other nine know they are not selected. In our current process, its confidential. The RTC has put forth a recommendation, but we cannot comment on it. I acknowledge it. We recognize that there is a vetting process. There is great value in the vetting process. McFadden noted that in her campaign for first selectmen, she knocked on many doors and found that many of the towns unaffiliated voters leaned Republican. Vanderslice asked about how the unaffiliated voter would go through the vetting process, without a party declaration. Weve had a number people who have served and they have wanted to remain unaffiliated, McFadden said. I appreciate the fact the fact that you as a Board are going through and not accepting the status quo. Thats a good thing. McFadden said the DTC vetting process can take as much as six weeks. Its become apparent to me from the discussion weve been having in the public about this, theres a great misunderstanding about whos doing what and why theyre doing it, Kaelin said. I will state at the outset that I am not in favor of making any radical changes in the way we do things. Its not because Im lazy. Its because its not my place to do it. What I think everyone needs to understand is we didnt set up this system for how people get nominated to serve on elected boards and commissions; our state and federal forefathers did this. We have a two-party system on all levels of government local, state and federal but thats all been established by laws and constitutions. What people kind of lose sight of is that the primary role of a political party is to get somebodys name on the ballot so that the voters can vote for them. The partys function is literally to nominate people for elective office. The way it has evolved in the Town of Wilton is that the Republican Town Committee has been responsible for nominating individuals to get their names on the ballot to run for (Republican) office in town, and the Democratic Town Committee has been responsible for getting individuals to run on the Democratic side of things. Kaelin said the RTC has search committees sub-committees for the BOS, the BOE, land use and public safety, and members of those committees have the responsibility to find and feed candidates to the RTC for possible nomination. What Im really against doing is changing a system that has worked so well for so many years, and creating all these unintended consequences, Kaelin said. We have been interviewing people that have not gone through the Town Committees, and now we have to try to determine not just whos the right person, but are in the right party, and can they sit on that board because of majority representation rules, and should they sit on that board because they represent a majority of voters. Im not in favor of changing the basic system that we have because its there for a reason and it works well. We have to find a way for people who do not want to go through the political parties to step up and serve in town government if they want on an appointed board. I dont think we need to re-invent the wheel and create a whole new system to do that. I think we all we need to do is look to the electoral model. All you have to do is petition for it and (Selectman) David (Clune) is living proof of it. Kaelin said a petitioning candidate still has to go through the BOS, or, as Gil Bray did in his bid for selectman, he went to the DTC for vetting after starting out as unaffiliated. Dr. James McSweeney, a 40-year resident of Chicken Street, wants to limit the party bickering and he wants to start with the Economic Development Commission. Were a small town, in a small state, and at some point the distinction between Republican, Democrat and unaffiliated doesnt make any sense, McSweeney said. You could probably start with this Economic Development (Commission). It should be non-partisan, because the Republicans dont have an in on intelligence and knowledge, neither do the unaffiliated, neither do the Democrats. What you want to do is fill that job with the best people possible. Its a tribute to the town that you have so many people willing to volunteer. I know there are some towns where people dont volunteer and the jobs are vacant. My suggestion would be to start this Economic Development (Commission) as non-partisan and it would be your job to pick the best people to try to improve the economic development of Wilton. Whether you are Republican, Democrat or unaffiliated, you still have to pay taxes. The whole idea is to make the town more vibrant, more economically active, and to reduce taxes. Hyderabad: Undeterred by having a shoe thrown at him, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday asserted that he would continue his fight for freedom and social justice, and ensure that the Rohith Act was enacted to end caste bias in educational institutions. He said universities were under attack in the country under the Modi government with budgets cuts, adding he would see that no Dalit or poor was denied education. Two youth, suspected to be Gomatha Raksha (cow protection) Dal activists, threw a shoe at Mr Kumar leading to a commotion at the seminar he addressed on Constitutional Rights at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram here on Thursday. Attackers came early for front seats The police on Thursday arrested two youths for throwing a shoe at JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar while he was addressing a meeting at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram at Bagh Lingam-pally. The two were identified as Pavan Kumar Reddy and Naresh Kumar, activists of Go Raksha Dal. While the slipper did not hit Mr Kumar, the two were immediately caught and roughed up before the police took over. The seminar continued. The duo was produced before court and granted bail. A few minutes after Mr Kumar started speaking, one of the youths, who was sitting very close to the dais, started raising slogans against the JNUSU president and shouting Bharat Mata ki jai. And before anyone noticed, he hurled his shoe at Mr Kumar. But the shoe missed him and fell at a distance. He was immediately surrounded by Mr Kumars supporters and soundly thrashed. Cops, who were stationed outside the campus, rushed in and rescued the duo and shifted them to the police station. According to sources, the two came to the venue half an hour before the programme started and sat near the dais. While being shifted to the police station, they said that they had come to the venue with an intention to protest his address. Amid protests, they were shifted to the police station and a suo motu case was registered against them for intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace (504 IPC), assault or using criminal force (352 IPC), wrongful restraint (341 IPC) and criminal trespass (447 IPC). Later they were produced in court and were granted bail. Protests continue in university Protests at the UoH following the suicide of Rohith Vemula showed no signs of abating. On Thursday night, students gathered near the shopping complex and burnt an effigy of vice-chancellor Prof. Appa Rao Podile. Many students who got hurt in the police crackdown at the V-C lodge on Tuesday evening shared their experiences after burning of the effigy which was followed by sloganeering and raising of various demands including the release of 25 students and two faculty members of the university in judicial remand. The State Disaster Management Authority has only come out with a heatwave action plan and circulated it to all district collectors without initiating concrete measures for ensuing its implementation strictly. (Representational image) Hyderabad: The Telangana state government is ill-equipped to face the summer heat. While temperatures have touched record levels in March itself resulting in deaths due to sunstroke, there is no coordinated effort between various departments on tackling the heat in the peak summer months of April and May. The State Disaster Management Authority has only come out with a heatwave action plan and circulated it to all district collectors without initiating concrete measures for ensuing its implementation strictly. Over 50 heat-related deaths have been reported in the last week. Heatwave action plan remains only on paper Last year, nearly 520 people in Telangana had succumbed to heatwave related illnesses. Nalgonda and Khammam districts were the worst hit. To prevent recurrence of such incidents, the government came out with a heatwave action plan for the first time earlier this month, informing citizens about extreme heat conditions and the necessary steps to tackle it. The action plans primary objective is to alert those most at risk of heat-related illness when extreme heat conditions either exist or are imminent and to take appropriate precautions and to involve Revenue, Health and other departments to help people. The plan was devised along the lines of Gujarat and Odisha. But it remains only on paper. The State Disaster Management Authority, headed by the Chief Minister is yet to take stock of the situation in this regard. Unlike opiates, cannabis has never been linked to any fatal overdose. According to DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young in a 1988 ruling, it would require a cannabis user to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much cannabis as contained in one cannabis cigarette. However, opiates kill tens of thousands of Americans every year. The only reason opiates are legal and cannabis isnt is because the federal government owns the patent on cannabis, preventing the pharmaceutical companies from making money off of it. This is why 25 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of cannabis. Gelato, smoothies, pizza and more: Check out the newest in Bucks' eats These new Bucks County dining spots are serving up everything from gelato, pastries and pizza to green smoothies, cold-pressed juices and acai bowls. Laumeier Sculpture Park presents Gigi Scaria: Time, April 16-August 14, 2016. The multimedia exhibition consists of recent photographs, films and a large sculpture inside the Whitaker Foundation Gallery at the Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center, plus an outdoor commission located in Laumeiers Museum Circle. Gigi Scaria: Time is organized by Dana Turkovic, Laumeiers Curator of Exhibitions. New Delhi-based artist Gigi Scarias work focuses on "social mapping"whether territorial, cultural, environmental or of the hierarchies and systems of our global communities. Each element draws on these themes, continuing Scarias inquiry into time, migration, community collapse and the beauty in labor and collaboration. He explores the layers of ancient cultures as they get subsumed in the worlds mega-cities and reflects on the unique form of city-building that exists in St. Louis by cross-pollinating the disappearing architecture and symbols from New Delhi with the Woodhenge at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. This show is an attempt to observe the intricacies of the phenomena called ' time,' said Scaria. Memories and histories of our 'time' are slipping into the whirlpool of change, which is only understood by the notion called 'speed. Invoking the Mounds at Cahokia to the present-day crisis of widespread migrant population, Time tries to grab our time through many perspectives. This is the first time my large-scale sculptural work will be exhibited in a public space abroad. I am really excited for this opportunity at Laumeier, and am looking forward to the interaction of the Parks visitors with my work. Scarias practice focuses on the hurried transformation of cityscapesmore specifically, the sprawl of New Delhi and the chaotic demolition and displacement throughout impoverished areas. With a layer of satire and cynicism, his abstracted structuresboth imagined and constructedexplore the themes and experience of time in an analysis of urban architecture and investigate the past, present and future of his location and the permanence and impermanence of personal and social space. Gigi Scaria: Time is part of Laumeiers new five-year programming theme, New Territories: BRICS, 2015-19. New Territories takes a broad look at the worlds cultural zones as they have directly and indirectly impacted life in St. Louis. Projects and activities under New Territories will twist the economic acronym BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa] beyond the market forces driving the global economy. Laumeier Sculpture Park is free and open daily from 8:00 a.m.-30 minutes past sunset. The Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. during exhibitions only. What: Gigi Scaria: Time Supported by Joan and Mitch Markow and Ellen and Durb Curlee Where: Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott Road, Saint Louis, Missouri 63127 Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center, Museum Circle When: Saturday, April 16-Sunday, August 14, 2016 Public Opening: Saturday, April 16, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Gigi Scaria has curated a series of films in collaboration with Webster University Film Series Director James Harrison. The films will be screened at the Webster University Winifred Moore Auditorium located at 470 East Lockwood, Saint Louis, Missouri 63119. Tickets are $6 for general admission and $5 for Laumeier Members, Webster University alumni, senior citizens and students. All tickets will be sold at the door. Kutty Srank (The Sailor of Hearts), Directed by Shaji N. Karun / Thursday, May 26 / 7:30 p.m. Satya (Truth), Directed by Ram Gopal Varma / Thursday, June 23 / 7:30 p.m. Stalker, Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky / Thursday, July 21 / 7:30 p.m. Artist Biography Gigi Scaria was born in 1973 in Kothanalloor, Kerala, India. He received his M.F.A. in Painting at Jamia Millia University, New Delhi, in 1998 and his B.F.A. in Painting from the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, in 1995. Scarias works have been included in a number of important exhibitions and venuesmost notably, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014 and the India Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale, the 3rd Singapore Biennale and the Prague Biennale, all in 2011. He has had solo exhibitions at the Smart Museum of Art-The University of Chicago; Ian Potter Museum of Art-The University of Melbourne; Dubai Art Fair, United Arab Emirates; Gallery Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai; Galerie Christain Hosp, Berlin; Video Space, Budapest; The National Art Studio, Changdong, Seoul; Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi; and the Inter America Space, Trinidad. He has also exhibited at India China Contemporary Art, Shanghai; Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei; Helsinki City Art Museum; Kulturhuset, Stockholm; and at Vadehra Art Gallery, London; The Jewish Museum, New York; The 4th International video art Biennial, Tel Aviv; National Gallery of Modern Art Bangalore; Govett Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand; Helsinki City Art Museum, Finland; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; and The Newark Museum, New Jersey, among many others. Scaria lives and works in New Delhi. Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden of TS A.K. Srivastava has issued orders asking divisional forest officers to utilise the services of the panel of marksmen from Hyderabad. Hyderabad: Established shooters who are members of the National Rifles Association of India and a few former members of the Indians for Guns forum have been roped in by the Telangana state government to cull wild boars damaging agriculture crops. Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden of TS A.K. Srivastava has issued orders asking divisional forest officers to utilise the services of the panel of marksmen from Hyderabad. The services of E. Chandan, E. Chetan Reddy, A. Anirudh, Keshav Kamineni Rao, P. Raja Gopal Reddy, N. Vamsee Chakaravarthy, Shafath Ali Khan and Marcus G. Campos have been enlisted by the forest department. The order stated: Applications have been received from certain arms licence holders who are renowned shooters and they have offered voluntary service without any cost involved to shoot wild boars damaging agriculture crops on specific request of DFOs. Based on the applications a panel of persons who qualify as renowned shooters and who have valid arms licences has been prepared. Experts say they have experience in culling District Forest Officers (DFOs) have been asked to providing logistics to the shooters at the nearest forest rest house and provide local transport. Wildlife experts say that the shooters shall be given training in wildlife identification and scientific methods of culling . Mr Chandan said, All of us have participated in culling operations in Africa and have got credentials. We have also done trophy hunting abroad and have enough experience in the wild. We have never come into the picture all these days as we run our own businesses. We are doing this voluntarily. The issue of wildlife training is being raised by certain vested interest elements who have a revenue model and have been charging the government all these days. Mr Rajagopal Reddy said, Last July and November, I had gone to Bihar on the invitation of the government and culled blue bulls. We are all renowned shooters and we will not enter the forest. We will only do it in agriculture fields, that too on the request of DFOs and in the presence of forest officials. It is not necessary to have wildlife training. Identi-fication is done by fores-ters. Forest department is using our expertise to cull the wild boars. Mr N. Chakravarthy said, I was a member of Indians for Guns forum but I am not active any more. I have experience in culling in South Africa and Namibia. It would not be a problem as we have experience abroad. The wild boar menace is rampant in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Mahbubnagar and Karimnagar. Mr Shafath Ali Khan said that he had experience in culling across India and also had written books on wildlife and had trained several foresters in tranquilisation and culling. BJP president Amit Shah arrives in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to visit Amal Krishna, who was injured in the BJP-CPM clash at Kattayikkonam last week. (Photo: DC) Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP is understood to have decided to showcase the attack on its cadre at Kattayikkonam allegedly the CPM activists on the national arena. The visit of BJP president Amit Shah to the city and his meeting with Amal Krishna, the RSS taluk karyavah who was injured in the attack, is part of the strategy, according to party sources. Mr Shah, who had no other scheduled programme in the city, on his arrival in from Chennai in a chartered flight late on Wednesday evening went straight to the hospital where Mr Krishna was admitted. Mr Krishna, 26-year-old RSS worker, was seriously injured in clashes between CPM and BJP workers at Kattayikonam on March 14. Initially the BJP leaders were keen to shift the injured youth who is an MTech degree holder to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. But later they expressed satisfaction at the medical treatment he got at the private hospital here. He had suffered severe head injuries in the attack. He was offered ventilator support initially, but has now been shifted to a room where his condition is improving after a neuro surgery. Soon after the attack, the BJP had alleged that the CPM was resorting to violence fearing a defeat in polls. Former BJP State president and election committee convener V. Muraleedharan was also attacked in the clashes between BJP and CPM workers at Kattayikonam near Pothencode. In fact Muraleedharan is the BJPs candidate from Kazhakoottam Assembly constituency where Kattayikonam also falls. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jennifer Peltz (The Jakarta Post) New York Thu, March 24, 2016 When questioned over a murder, Richard Rosario named 13 people he said could back an alibi 1,000 miles long. But he spent 20 years in prison before the conviction was overturned, freeing him - at least for now. Rosario wiped at his face and smiled Wednesday as a judge threw out his conviction in a 1996 New York City shooting that happened while Rosario says he was in Florida. Both his lawyers and prosecutors now agree his then-attorneys didn't do enough to track down Rosario's alibi witnesses and enlist them in his defense. "I've been in prison for 20 years for a crime I didn't commit," said Rosario, who had lost multiple appeals. "My family didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve this, and nor did the family of the victim." Rosario hasn't been cleared: Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark agreed to recommend dismissing his conviction, but not the charges themselves, while she reinvestigates the killing of 16-year-old George Collazo. Prosecutors could ultimately decide to retry Rosario or to drop the charges. "A modicum of justice has occurred today," said one of his lawyers, Glenn Garber of the Exoneration Initiatve. But "he's not been fully vindicated, and we hope he will be soon." Rosario's release came two months after Clark succeeded 27-year DA Robert Johnson and days ahead of a planned released of a "Dateline" digital series on NBCNews.com on the case. It adds to a roster of over 25 convictions from New York City's high-crime 1980s and '90s that prosecutors have disavowed in the last five years. Rosario's attorneys called his case an illustration of unreliable eyewitness testimony, bungled defense and the difficulty of fighting a guilty verdict. Rosario, now 40, was arrested after two witnesses identified him from a police photo book as the man who'd shot George Collazo in the head after an exchange of words on a Bronx street on June 19, 1996. No forensic or physical evidence tied Rosario to the crime. He said he'd been staying with friends in Deltona, Florida, and he listed over a dozen people he said had seen him there. Police didn't contact those people, according to Rosario's current lawyers. And his own court-appointed attorneys at the time didn't fully explore the alibi witnesses, either. After phoning the witnesses proved difficult, his initial attorney, Joyce Hartsfield, got a judge's OK to pay to send a private investigator to Florida but then never dispatched the investigator, according to a 2010 appeals court decision. Another lawyer, Steven Kaiser, took over before Rosario's trial, mistakenly thought the court had nixed funding for the investigator's Florida trip and didn't pursue it further. Kaiser said Wednesday that he was "absolutely thrilled" at Rosario's release but declined to comment further. Hartsfield didn't immediately respond to phone and email messages. The couple who said they'd hosted Rosario testified at his trial and said they had good reason to remember his presence and other details from the day of Collazo's killing: Their first child was born the next day. But the trial prosecutor urged jurors to discount them because of their friendship with Rosario. During Rosario's appeal, a judge said additional alibi witnesses wouldn't have added significantly to his defense. Rosario's lawyers argue otherwise, noting that some of the witnesses weren't close with Rosario and so might have been more difficult to discredit. Several of them did ultimately participate in the case, testifying at an appellate hearing in 2004. For now, Rosario headed home Wednesday with his wife and their two children, both born before he was arrested. He declined to talk about his case as he left court. Instead, he called for freeing other people who are fighting their own convictions. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 At least 2,000 foreign companies in Indonesia have been avoiding billions of dollars of tax in the last 10 years by claiming that their companies are currently running at a loss, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro has reported. Each company, according to him, should have paid a minimum average of Rp 75 billion in tax liabilities per year. In total they have caused at least Rp 100 trillion (US$7.5 billion) in state losses. "Thus, in the last 10 years we've lost Rp 100 trillion just from those 2,000 foreign corporate tax payers that haven't complied with the rules. This is a form of tax fraud that needs to be resolved," Bambang said at the Presidential Palace, as quoted by setkab.go.id. As for individual taxpayers, he continued, their tax obedience was also quite low. There were only 900,000 taxpayers, out of 5 million NPWP (tax identification number) holders with two or three sources of income who last year paid personal-income tax, a total of Rp 9 trillion. "It is less than one percent of last year's non-oil and gas tax revenue target of Rp 1 quadrillion," Bambang said. The government will encourage the tax office and Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) to cooperate in listing taxpayer data, as well as integrating IT infrastructure between the two institutions. The measures are in accordance with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's instruction to increase the tax ratio. "Our tax ratio is still 11 percent. The President is aiming for a growth of 12 or 13 percent in the future, and 15 percent if possible," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said Tuesday. (ags)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Taking care of pets means more than merely showering them with affection. Fortunately, there are many pampering and daycare service options for pet owners in Jakarta, particularly for dog lovers. In addition to a grooming center and playground, some of the services also also provide a dogpool, spa, pet clinic and pet hotel. If you want to show a much-loved pet a good time in the capital, our six reccommended places below are a great place to start. Vodka & Latte Those familiar with Top Dogs salon in Japan owned by Tetsuya Yoshida will find his name attached to this place as it boasts as the famous groomer's sole partner in Indonesia. Various Japanese-style dog cares are available at Vodka & Latte including washing and trimming, styling, spa, and even coloring and tattoo with starting price of Rp 100,000 (US$7.5). A dog park, playground, pool, daycare and hotel are also available to take care of and entertain energetic animals. While waiting for their pets to get pampered, patrons can opt to indulge in some food and beverages at the property's Oh La La Cafe. Location: Jl. Kemang Timur Raya 88A, South Jakarta Contacts: +6221 71793737, +628777 1001338 Derby Winner's House Dog lovers in the northern part of Jakarta can consider this place as a good option for their beloved pets when they are away. The daycare service offers clean rooms equipped with air conditioning and/or a fan, depending on a dog's needs. In addition to an outdoor environment and jogging track, Derby also provides a complimentary shuttle service to pick up and bring home pets of those living in Kelapa Gading area. Location: Jl. Kelapa Hibrida IV, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta Contacts: +62821 14143128 Jakpetz Besides dogs, cats are welcome at this daycare as long as the pets are older than six months. In addition to providing separate cages, Jakpetz also features a grooming service and an integrated pet relocation arrangement. The price for services at Jakpetz starts at Rp 100,000. Location: Jl. Benda No. 10 Kemang, South Jakarta Contact: +6221 7816368 Pet Station A daycare with a clean environment and air-conditioned rooms, salon and hotel are among the services provided at Pet Station with starting price of Rp 100,000. A swimming pool is also available for pets to stay healthy and cool. While pampering their canines, customers can shop for pet supplies such as food, grooming products, supplements and accessories at the Pet Station store or shop online at the official website. Location: Jl. Pluit Putri Raya No. 1A-C, North Jakarta Contact: +6221 666 028702 Zoom Pet City Jakarta Available for dogs and cats, this place provides a grooming center with starting price of Rp 150,000. A one-stop service, Zoom Pet City also features a playground for cats, dog park, dogpool, an obedience school for dogs, a pet clinic, a pet cafe and a pet store that sells food and accessories. Location: Jl. Kemang Timur 3A No. 2, South Jakarta Contacts: +62878 8885 6787 Petsmile Vet and Spa Those particularly concerned about their pets' health may consider this place as it has a pet clinic with dedicated veterinarians available every day. The grooming service welcomes dogs and cats and occasionally rabbits with a starting price of Rp 70,000. Prior to grooming, the vet will first check your pet to ensure which type of service is needed, such as anti-fungi or anti-flea treatment. (kes)(+) A swimming pool for dogs and a daycare are also among the facilities available at Petsmile. Location: Jl. Laut Samudera Blok 01 No. 7 Duren Sawit, East Jakarta Contact: +62856 3944907 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 After nixing the 2013 national curriculum two years ago, Culture and Education Minister Anies Baswedan has decided to once again adopt the much-criticized program after making improvements to teaching methods. Anies said the ministry had prepared a more comprehensive syllabus for teachers and students, based on experience gleaned from testing the new method over the last two years. The ministry has decided to increase the number of schools that will adopt the 2013 curriculum. 'Around 25 percent of the total number of schools in the country will use this revised syllabus [from July]. We are now training national instructors, who will then train teacher trainers at the provincial level, in regencies and cities,' Anies told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. Shortly after being inaugurated as education minister by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo in December 2014, Anies decided to drop the maligned 2013 national curriculum and ordered schools countrywide to revert to the 2006 curriculum. Soon afterward, Anies set up a team tasked with revising the problematic 2013 curriculum, led by the ministry's former director general of primary and secondary education, Suyanto, along with 11 education experts and academics, to identify problems with the new curriculum. The 2013 curriculum, first implemented by Anies' predecessor, Mohammad Nuh, had drawn harsh criticism for creating confusion among students, parents and teachers, who have also complained about the extra workload it created. The 2013 curriculum came under a barrage of criticism for dropping science in favor of civics and religious instruction. As previously reported, the new curriculum will consist mostly of civic education and religion with science being integrated into the two subjects. Details from the new curriculum have also become the target of ridicule from activists. A sample civics lesson states that a 10th grade student must learn discipline from the behavior of an electron, which always moves within its orbit. Currently 6,221 schools, 6 percent of the country's total, are using the 2013 curriculum. The ministry's research and development head Totok Suprayitno said the revised curriculum allowed teachers to be creative in developing their own teaching methods. 'Previously, teachers had to stick to the syllabus. Now, they're allowed to come up with techniques that they think could engage students,' Totok told the Post on Wednesday. He said the revised curriculum would not put a greater burden on teachers. 'Math teachers, for example, will no longer have to assess students' religiosity or morality,' he added. The revised curriculum, however, maintains the thematic learning method for elementary students, which is tailored to their age. On report cards, students' scores will be based on subjects, such as math, English and science. Parents and teachers expressed hope that the revised syllabus would not add to their confusion. Wiwik Yudaningsih, mother of Rinta, an 11th grader at BPK Penabur Gading Serpong in Tangerang, Banten, expressed her frustration over the version of the 2013 curriculum that the school had adopted. She said the syllabus required students to cover all subjects, barring them from having a specialization. 'My daughter is in science class but in a religion test, for example, she was asked questions that were too deep, as if she were taking a theology major. Or in sports, they are assigned to write and research about athletes,' she said. __________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 The government has urged Uber and GrabCar to become business entities and apply for yellow license plates for their armadas, which identify cars designated for public transportation, to create a level playing field with conventional taxis. Some have questioned whether yellow plates would be the best choice for ride-hailing apps in their bid to legalize their operations in Indonesia. Thejakartapost.com made some simple calculations and found that car owners working with ride-hailing apps would pay lower administration costs if they drove yellow-plated cars, compared to the costs they must bear for their private cars at present. A yellow-plated Toyota Vios, which is widely used in taxi armadas, bears annual tax of Rp 269,000 while a private car, featuring a black license plate, needs to pay 10 times more, at Rp 2.7 million. Referring to Transportation Ministry information, the cost to undergo a road worthiness test is Rp 100,000 per vehicle every six months, or Rp 200,000 per year. It usually takes one hour to complete the test. Routine licenses cost car owners Rp 150,000 for the permit, plus Rp 25,000 for a travel time card. The license is valid for five years, thus the annual cost is Rp 35,000. In total, adding the extra cost for license and scrutiny tests, car owners who joined with Grab and Uber would only have to pay Rp 504,000, far less than the Rp 2.7 million they would otherwise pay annually for their private car. Indonesian Taxation Analysis Center (CITA) tax expert Yustinus Prastowo agreed that operating as public transportation vehicles would allow Uber and GrabCar drivers to pay lower administrative costs. Their cars would also not be subject to value-added tax. "If they [Uber and GrabCar] use black plates as they are doing now, they are subject to value-added tax," he said, noting a 2003 Finance Minister Decree that excludes taxi services from the tax. Profit scheme Yustinus added that if the government wanted to make sure that Uber and GrabCar paid the required tax, the solution would be more complicated than issuing them with yellow plates. For example, the government must assess the profit-sharing scheme between app developers and the drivers or car owners. "Conventional taxi drivers have their fees or commissions automatically deducted for income PPh [tax]. What about the profit sharing in app-based transportation? Who will deduct or pay the tax? Do the drivers pay their income tax?" he said. Therefore, he argued that the yellow plates were not the answer. The best solution, according to him, would be for both types of taxis to play by the same rules to guarantee some of the principles of private transportation such as tax liability, car quality inspections and customer service. "It would be good to have them both running under the same regulations. However, vehicle owners with the apps may be reluctant to change their plates to yellow," He said. Yustinus suggested that app-based taxis use special plates for their vehicles, instead of converting to yellow plates. "The plates may be black, but with a distinctive added mark," he said. (ags)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Buenos Airies Thu, March 24, 2016 Police in Argentina have arrested a man who allegedly walked into a radio station carrying a belt with fireworks and threatening to use them as explosives. The security ministry says police arrested journalist Carlos Alberto Serbali in the office of state-run Radio Nacional in downtown Buenos Aires after he threatened to detonate a bomb inside the radio station on Wednesday. President Barack Obama is on a two-day visit to Argentina and security measures have been heightened after the terrorist attack in Belgium. The building is located about a mile from the presidential palace where Obama met Argentine President Mauricio Macri. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich tells the government's Telam news agency that authorities are still investigating and that she hopes the incident is unrelated to Obama's visit. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 While more people are literate in the country, the country still struggles to make reading a habit. A recent study conducted by John Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, puts Indonesia in the second-lowest rank of 61 measurable countries for its 'literate behavior characteristics' ' everything from numbers of libraries and newspapers to years of schooling and computer availability. Indonesia sits in 60th place after Thailand and before Botswana. The Scandinavian countries are the champions of the research with Finland in first place, followed by Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden rounding out the top five. Hanna Pangestu, a third-grader at the state-owned senior high school SMAN 2 in South Tangerang, said that a one-hour reading session is scheduled every fortnight at her school, but the teacher is seldom present, so 'it's not conducive [to reading] and we end up doing other stuff, but not reading.' Just like Hanna, who said that she only likes to read Japanese comic books, Muhammad Akhfin, a university student majoring in communications studies, said that he only likes novels. 'I like science fiction novels, but not news or history because I think they are boring,' he said. Culture and Education Minister Anies Baswedan said that the illiteracy rate has in fact significantly decreased in the past 10 years. 'Indonesia has seen its illiteracy rate decrease significantly and we have many libraries, but the reading habit is still low because of a lack of passion,' he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. The ministry's data shows the percentage of illiterate people has decreased from 10.5 percent in 2005 to 3.7 percent in 2015. Anies admitted that poor reading habits are a serious problem in the country despite the many libraries available. Indonesia placed at the 36th rank in terms of the number of libraries, above countries like Portugal, New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, the Netherlands and Singapore. The major setback in the country's assessment came from data from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that shows only one out of 1,000 Indonesians is passionate about reading. The study sets out data from 61 countries, drawing from sources ranging from UNESCO to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 'These kinds of literate behaviors are critical to the success of individuals and nations in the knowledge-based economics. Societies that don't practice literate behavior are often squalid, undernourished in mind and body, repressive of human rights and dignity, brutal and harsh,' Miller said as quoted by The Guardian. Anies said that the School Literacy Movement outlined in Ministry Regulation No. 23/2015 suggested that every school provides 15 minutes of free reading time before school starts. But students are slow to change. Arief Rachman, UNESCO ambassador for Indonesia, said that besides school, regional government plays a big role in encouraging the habit. Indonesia's Reading Movement seeks book-lover communities on the village level, while Reading Habit Development by the Language Centers needs regional leaders to also revamp their provincial libraries as well as those owned by state universities. 'Implementation at the regional level is the key. Leaders need to actively seek and create bookworm communities,' he told the Post. 'Communities need to be imposed with popular books or magazine that they like at the first place before moving on to the heavier themes of readings,' he went on saying. Commenting on the study results, Arief said that Indonesia's low rank and Scandinavians' top positions correlates with each of the nations' cultures, as well as other factors. 'Indonesia has a verbal culture in which people talk more to relay information, while the Scandinavians have a more reserved nature.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anggi M. Lubis (The Jakarta Post) Nusa Dua Thu, March 24, 2016 The inability of the Bali Process mechanism to address an influx of Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees last year is being used as a lesson for the future as the international forum concludes, bringing out a new declaration and mechanism to ensure an agile and timely response to prevent undesired recurrences. The sixth Bali Process ended on Wednesday with a 14-paragraph declaration, a document unprecedented at the forum, as well as consent from its 48 member states and organizations to grant Indonesia and Australia authority to call a consultative meeting with affected countries in the case of influx crises. A UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) report estimated that 33,600 refugees and migrants of various nationalities took to smugglers' boats in Southeast Asia in 2015, the bulk of them Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Some 370 people are believed to have died in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea during the year. Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and her Australian counterpart Julie Bishop cochaired the international forum, which was designed to address issues on refugees, human trafficking and related transnational issues. 'When the emergency situation in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal arose, there seemed little we could do in the context of the Bali Process to respond to that emergency situation,' Retno told reporters in a joint press conference after the meeting concluded. 'We are as such very grateful for the support from delegates to the sixth Bali Process for creating this regional consultation mechanism.' In the mechanism, Indonesia and Australia will play leading roles in determining when to communicate if problems arise. Retno said that the cochairs would request a steering committee at senior official level to meet and discuss the situation and at certain levels to contact the affected and interested countries. Bishop called the declaration a 'landmark' toward reinvigorating coordinated efforts to tackle the current regional and global challenge of irregular migration. 'When the events in the Andaman Sea unfolded, there was no mechanism for the Bali Process to bring members together in a timely fashion and we believe this [consultation] will give us the opportunity to do so,' she said. The declaration itself comes at a time of growing concerns regarding irregular migration and tragic loss at sea, and highlighted how the decline in refugees in the second half of 2015 was attributable to the efforts of affected countries to disrupt smuggling network. Among the points in the document are the need for comprehensive regional actions based on border sharing and collective responsibilities, to address the root causes of irregular movement, explore potential temporary protection and local stay arrangements, involuntary return for those found not to be entitled to international protection and the need to engage with the private sectors and raise public awareness. 'I think in the past, there was always a strong unilateral response, or one country, but it wasn't done in conjunction with others,' said the UNHCR's assistant high commissioner for protection, Volker TArk, who represented the organization at the Bali Process. 'With the events that happened last year, had we had such mechanisms now at the time, we would have certainly called for its [sic] activation.' At first reluctant, Indonesia welcomed 1,800 Rohingya refugees last year, while Malaysia accepted another 1,000. Australia, meanwhile, has been refusing to accept refugees that registered in Indonesia in or after July 2014 and has garnered criticism for sending boats carrying migrants back out to sea, although Bishop noted that Australia had taken around 2,000 refugees over the past three years. Refugees have long been a flashpoint between the two countries, with large numbers seeking to reach Australia by boat ending up stranded in Indonesia instead. The flow of would-be refugees arriving in Australia has largely dried up after Canberra introduced in 2013 a tough policy of turning back vessels when it is safe to do so. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Trisha Sertori (The Jakarta Post) Gianyar, Bali Thu, March 24, 2016 The combination of sharp-thinking, rural village women and an all-too-common bucket list have led to surprising results for the handsome Kaudern's Cardinal. Endemic to Central Sulawesi, the exotic black and silver markings of the tiny ornamental Banggai cardinalfish make it a must-have item on the bucket list of many aquarium hobbyists. Due to consumer demand, that list is placing the endemic Indonesian fish under serious threat in the wild. Founder of the Indonesian Nature Foundation (LINI), conservation biologist Gayatri Reksodihardjo-Lilley, said that while the numbers of Banggai cardinalfish in the wild have been decreasing at an alarming rate, the fish had proved to be surprisingly simple to breed in captivity. For a sharp thinker, simple equation equaled village based aquaculture replacing, or at least greatly reducing, the wild harvest of the vulnerable species without causing a loss of income for those trading in the ornamental fish. With substantial funding provided by the Australian Consulate in Bali and land generously offered by the Sianawati Sugiarto family, Gayatri established the non-government LINI Aquaculture and Training Centre in the remote hamlet of Les on Bali's north east coast. Local women are currently learning how to breed the ornamental fish at the community-run aquaculture center, in hopes of taking the pressure off wild populations. At the same time, the women ' many of whom have only primary-level education ' are developing new skills that will later offer a side income for their families. 'Balinese women don't have a lot of opportunity to work outside their villages or even in the village. We are trying to provide them with a work place, not full time but as a side income so they can still look after their families and farm animals,' explained Gayatri. Replicating the natural breeding environment for Banggai cardinalfish demands attention to detail, says Gayatri. Women at the new center, the training center that will be officially launched in early April, are learning the importance of seawater clarity, temperature and feeding regime. Any breach of the protocols set down can mean a failure to reproduce. 'The women first need to understand water quality. It needs to be perfect, from the salinity levels to temperature and it must be ammonia free. Ammonia forms from fish waste and left over feed. It's been a challenge to teach the 'why' of water quality. It [the specifics of water quality] is quite technical,' says Gayatri. She explained that although the water may look clear, it still requires testing to ensure optimum natural breeding conditions for the fish. 'These women may not have gone to school, so this is a big step for them. However, most of them already have kids and have thus nurtured babies, now they nurture the fish,' says the conservation scientist. Breeding the Banggai cardinalfish has increased the women's concern for the marine environment. 'Village girls seeing these fish born have developed empathy for the fish. Many of these women are used to seeing ornamental fish as the commodity their husbands or fathers collect in the wild, but as aquaculture they see the whole life cycle,' says Gayatri. 'What was a commodity is now seen as a living being that they have nurtured from birth to maturity and that has increased their empathy for fish in the wild as well'. This new found perspective on the natural world was highlighted when the LINI Aquaculture and Training Centre sent its first live harvest to Britain earlier this month. 'The morning we packed and sent 400 Banggai cardinalfish to the UK, the mood that morning was tinged with sadness, but also pride. We knew the fish were going to good homes,' says Gayatri of the groundbreaking pilot ornamental fish breeding project. With evidence of the success of community run aquaculture breeding in Bali, Gayatri hopes the model in Les Village can one day be replicated in central Sulawesi, allowing wild Banggai cardinalfish populations to breed safely in the wild. 'These are an endangered species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which categorize the status of a species, including the Red List Book. Through our population surveys we have seen the population decline over the years because there has been no effort to protect the species or undertake conservation management in its natural habitat,' says Gayatri. The conservation scientist stressed that the Banngai cardinalfish are one of those very rare sea creatures that are endemic to just a small area of Sulawesi and not found anywhere else in the world. 'Endemic fish are rare. Almost no marine species is endemic. As a mouth brooder, the Banggai cardinalfish lives in a controlled area, unlike spawning fish,' says Gayatri, explaining that the small vermillion fish carries its babies in its mouth for three weeks, fasting the entire period, until they are released into the Maluku seas to grow. In the US, the Banngai cardinalfish has been placed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and also on the threatened species list. 'But not here in its home. How can we, as Indonesians, fail these fish when the international community is so focused on its protection,' says Gayatri. ' Photos courtesy of Indonesian Nature Foundation (LINI) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) has decided to distribute Rp 7.62 trillion (US$576.72 million) in dividends, or Rp. 311.66 per stock. The biggest lender to small and medium enterprises is maintaining its dividend payout ratio at 30 percent. The cum dividend date will be 12 April. "Our business grew healthily in all respects over the course of 2015," BRI president director Asmawi Syam said after a shareholders meeting in Wednesday. While overall industry growth was in double digits, BRI's credit distribution grew 14.7 year-on-year (yoy), far above average. The bank also announced the buyback treasury stock for its employee stock ownership program (ESOP) from October 12, 2015, to January 12, 2016. Total stock bought was 221,718,000 stocks. The shareholder meeting also saw changes to the boards of commissioners and directors. "Two directors have left because their terms are over, one director has been rehired for a second term and there is one additional commissioner," Asmawi said. The two directors who left were Gatot Mardiwasisto, director of human resources, and A. Toni Soetirto, director of consumer banking. Gatot and Toni will be replaced by Priyastomo and Sis Apik Wijayanto, respectively. "Priyastomo is already with BRI, currently as the leader of the Bandung regional office, while Sis is currently a director at Bank Tabungan Negara [BTN]," Asmawi said. The directors will begin their terms of service following a fit-and-proper-test at the Financial Services Authority (OJK). (bbn)(+) Chennai: Captain Vijayakanth has finally made up his mind, tying up with the Peoples Welfare Alliance (PWA) and thus ending the long suspense over his choice from among the many suitors. His DMDK will contest 124 seats while the PWA constituents-MDMK, VCK and the two Left parties-will have to share the remaining 110 among themselves. And of course, Captain will be King if the DMDK-PWA front wins the elections as the coalition has accepted him as its chief minister candidate. The joint statement issued by the DMDK and the PWA at the end of a meeting of their leaders at DMDK office in Koyambedu Wednesday morning crashed whatever little hopes that the DMK and the BJP might have had of signing the actor-politician for the May 16 state polls. Needless to say chief minister Jayalalithaa should be happy as now her chances of returning to Fort St.George for the sixth term have considerably brightened with this split in the anti-AIADMK votes, which archrival DMK chief M. Karunanidhi tried hard to avoid by pleading with Vijayakanth for alliance till the very last minute. Captains perceived vote share of 5-8 per cent could matter in a closely contested poll. The day began with the PWA leaders--MDMK general secretary Vaiko, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI (M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan and CPI state secretary R Mutharasan-arriving together at the DMDK office to finalise the alliance and make the formal announcement to the media. They had also brought the customary silk shawls to honour their newly crowned king. The four party leaders met me today and said they desired to be kingmakers and I must be the king. I agreed. Vaiko wanted to know if we will form a coalition government if our front wins the elections and I had no hesitation in saying yes. I had no hesitation, Mr Vijayakanth told his supporters in the party office. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alison de Souza (The Jakarta Post) Thu, March 24, 2016 Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot can add scene-stealing to her list of superpowers on screen and off. When the cast of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice gather at the Warner Brothers lot in Los Angeles to talk to The Straits Times and other media, the 30-year-old Hollywood newcomer somehow fields more questions than any of her famous co-stars. This, despite the fact that the Israeli model and former beauty queen is just a bit player in the new film, which stars Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman. The story is a dark and brooding tale that requires Affleck and Cavill to mope around a fair bit, so at a press screening in Los Angeles, the only time the audience cheers is when Gadot appears in a critical scene. At the press event the next day, reporters still cannot get enough of the charming actress - flanked by heavy-hitters Affleck, 43, and Cavill, 32, she answers questions about the movie and how she hopes her stint as Wonder Woman will inspire her four-year-old daughter Alma as well as other children. "I'm so happy to be the one who's going to tell the Wonder Woman story because it's such an important story to tell. I think it's so important for girls and boys to have a strong female superhero to look up to," she says. This is the biggest role to date for the former Israeli television actress, who was a model and the 2004 Miss Israel pageant winner before she began appearing as minor supporting characters in films such as Knight And Day (2010) and three installments of The Fast And The Furious franchise (2009 to 2015), where she played weapons expert Gisele. She missed out some major roles - including the one that went to Olga Kurylenko in 2008's Quantum Of Solace - but one day got a call about a mystery part in a new Warner Bros movie. "They wanted to audition me for something, they would not say what, so, of course, I was intrigued and I did. And two weeks later, they asked me to do a camera test with Ben and I said, 'Great, what's the role?' My agent said they would not say a word, but to expect a call from director Zack Snyder. "And Zack called me that night and said, 'I'm not sure you have it in Israel, but have you ever heard of Wonder Woman?' I think I went dead for a good few seconds," Gadot recalls, with a laugh. After the auditioning process, which stretched to seven weeks, "they finally called to say I got the part", says the star, who beat Kurylenko, 36, for the role. As the lasso-wielding badass, Gadot is also getting her own movie - next year's Wonder Woman, which has just started filming. In the meantime, Batman and Superman concede that she stole a bit of their thunder in this movie. Affleck says: "Gal did such a great, amazing job and made all the scenes that I was in with her better. It made me better. She's my favourite part of the movie when she shows up." Cavill agrees, adding: "Gal cuts a fine figure as Wonder Woman. She brings something particular, something statuesque, something other- worldly to the character." The person Gadot is most keen to impress, however, is Alma, her daughter with Tel Aviv real estate developer Yaron Varsano. "She adores princesses, but at the same time, she'll tell me, 'The princess, she is so weak. She falls asleep, the prince will come and save her and kiss her and he's the hero!'" So she is glad that she is getting to play such a female character who so clearly does not need a prince to rescue her. But the film-makers took some heat from fans when news of Gadot's casting broke - some comic- book aficionados said she was too thin and flat-chested to play the character, who cut a rather voluptuous figure in the comic books as well as in the 1975-1979 TV series starring Lynda Carter. Firing back at her critics, she said in a recent Glamour magazine interview that if they want her breasts to be "accurate" to the comics and Wonder Woman's origin story as a member of the Amazon tribe of female warriors, that means slicing off one breast - because according to Greek mythology, that is what Amazonian women do so it would not get in the way of their bow and arrow. In addition, the actress - who was a combat instructor in the Israeli army when she did her two years of national service - embarked on a regimen of martial arts training to prepare for the role and added 7.7kg of muscle to her frame as a result. "I feel so much better now," she told Glamour. "When you feel strong, it changes everything: your posture, the way you walk. I look at photos from five years ago and think, 'Whoa, I was too skinny. It's not cool.'" While she is full of praise for the Wonder Woman played by Carter in the 1970s series, she fully intends to make the character her own, even if it means ignoring some of the most ardent fans. "You can't please them all. My responsibility is not to pay too much attention to all the noise around me, but to pay attention to the script, to the director Zack and to protect the character and to try to tell her story the best I can." (kes)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 The government will summon psychiatrist Fidiansjah for his recent controversial remarks on LGBT people, in which he labeled homosexuality and bisexuality mental disorders. A renowned physician and member of the Indonesia Psychiatrists Association (PDSKJI), Fidiansjah made a statement that have been widely criticized by international medical circles as he paraphrased diagnostic guidelines to support his statements. Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek said on Wednesday that she would ask for confirmation from Fidiansjah, who currently serves as the ministry's mental health prevention and management director. The minister's request was anticipated, especially after the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) had issued a warning to Fidiansjah. 'Yes, of course [I will summon Fidiansjah]. I will clarify [his statements] because I just read briefly [about them]. I believe I have to hear it completely first [from him],' she told The Jakarta Post. Nila added that the ministry was still waiting for clarification from Fidiansjah before issuing an official stance on whether homosexuality and bisexuality can be classified as mental disorders. The LBH Jakarta has reprimanded Fidiansjah after the latter had insisted that he 'had spoken nothing but the truth' by labeling homosexuality and bisexuality mental disorders in a TV talkshow. The LBH Jakarta said that the psychiatrist did not cite a complete explanation from the Mental Health and Mental Disorder Diagnostic Guidelines (PPDGJ) concerning sexually related mental disorders when he was asked to talk about sexual orientation from a medical perspective. 'He said homosexuality and bisexuality are prone to mental disorders, without further mentioning in the guidelines that [it explains] 'sexual orientation itself cannot be categorized as a disorder',' LBH Jakarta lawyer Veronica Koman told the Post on Wednesday. The guidelines, in fact, said that any sexual orientation is prone to mental disorders. Veronica said that Fidiansjah had violated Article 28F of the Constitution that guarantees the right to communicate and to obtain information. 'His incomplete statement could deceive anyone who watched the show.' Fidiansjah refused to heed the warning because 'a psychiatrist has a responsibility to explain the truth to the public,' he claimed. He admitted that he had only cited a piece of information from the guidelines due to 'the restricted time of the show's airtime'. 'The PDSKJI has scrutinized several changes in the guidelines, including the removal of a sentence that said 'sexual orientation itself cannot be categorized as a disorder',' he said. He claimed that the association would further communicate with the Health Ministry, which has the authority to revise the guidelines. In February, the PDSKJI labeled homosexuality and bisexuality as mental disorders, which it says can be cured through 'proper treatment'. The claim has been widely criticized by the international community. The PDSKJI's plan to change the guidelines is against the stance of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA). The WPA, representing more than 200,000 psychiatrists from 118 countries, including Indonesia, said it is wrong to view sexual orientation as a psychiatric problem. 'There is no sound scientific evidence that [a person's] innate sexual orientation can be changed,' the WPA's position statement states. 'Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality can create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish and they can be potentially harmful,' the statement continued. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) responded to PDSKJI's controversial decision on Mar. 8, by sending the PDSKJI a formal reprimand, saying the Indonesian association's decision because it would only lead to coercive treatments and violence against people of LGBT orientation. The APA itself removed homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973. (mos) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 The government is once more sending mixed signals over ride-hailing applications such as Grab and Uber, allowing such services to continue operations while completing all requirements needed to secure proper permits. The Transportation Ministry summoned on Wednesday representatives of Uber, Grab and the Jakarta Transportation Agency to settle legal issues regarding the ride-hailing applications, which were the subject of violent protests in the nation's capital the day before. On Tuesday, some 12,000 conventional transportation drivers gathered their vehicles on city thoroughfares to express their anger at the government, which they accuse of failing to regulate increasingly popular app-based transportation, hitting their incomes. The rally turned violent as striking taxi drivers attacked their colleagues who were still carrying passengers, forcing them to join the strike. The police detained 83 people for questioning. Speaking at a press conference after Wednesday's meeting, Transportation Ministry secretary-general Sugihardjo, who also serves as the ministry's acting director general of land transportation, said that the government deemed the operations of Uber and Grab 'illegal' as they had failed to obtain the necessary permits to run a public transportation service. The ministry, however, will allow Uber and Grab to continue their operation within the so-called transition period, during which they are expected to obtain all necessary permits, Sugihardjo said. 'But during the transition period, they can still operate, because consumers also need to adjust. But they are not allowed to expand their fleets,' he said. The Jakarta Transportation Agency, Sugihardjo said, would set the length of the transition period based on the total time needed for Uber and Grab to obtain the permits from the city's one-stop integrated service (PTSP) office. Failure to obtain the permits will earn government sanctions for the apps' partner drivers. Grab and Uber partner drivers were recently awarded a deed of establishment as cooperatives from the Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry, as a mean to fulfill their status as a legal entity. However, both Sugihardjo and Jakarta Transportation Agency head Andri Yansah stated that this was not the only requirement for the cooperatives to operate legally, as they also needed to have public transportation operational permits. 'It's just one of the seven requirements, including having a legal entity, tax identification numbers [NPWP], exact office location, public transportation permit, car pool, at least five vehicles, vehicle worthiness tests [KIR] and so on,' Andri said. Ministerial decree no. 35/2003 on public transportation stipulates that transportation services without a designated route require an operational permit, with administrative and technical requirements including a car pool and cooperation with a mechanics. However, Andri said that the government would not regulate the fares for non-designated route transportation such as car rental. The ministry was previously criticized for failing to provide comprehensive regulation on app-based transportation services, prompting Tuesday's protests. Last week, more than 2,000 drivers, members of the Land Transportation Drivers Association (PPAD), similarly took to the streets to express their anger. -------------------- To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 The West Jakarta Police have uncovered the distribution of 18 kilograms of methamphetamine allegedly arranged by a Chinese national. Police officers arrested the suspect, identified as LF, 37, on Jl. Mangga Besar Raya in Taman Sari last Tuesday after receiving tip-offs from residents about a planned drug deal in the area, West Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Rudy Adinugroho told a news conference on Wednesday. 'We searched him, but the meth was not on him. All we found was a key to his apartment at Mediterania Palace Residence in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta,' Rudy explained. He added that officers had then escorted the suspect to his apartment and asked him where the meth was hidden; the suspect indicated a suitcase containing the 18 kilograms of meth. 'We then confiscated the meth, which has a value of Rp 24 billion [US$1.82 million]. The discovery has saved 80,000 lives,' Rudy claimed 'The suspect said he had received the meth from a friend named Cen Keu, who lives in China.' The police said in a statement that the suspect would be charged under Article 114 of the Criminal Code for allegedly serving as a middleman in narcotics distribution, bearing a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 The government has issued a travel warning for Indonesian citizens planning to visit Belgium amid the tense security situation in Brussels following bomb attacks in the country's capital. 'We [the Foreign Ministry] have issued a travel advisory and it has been published on the ministry's website. We issued the travel warning for Indonesian citizens [wanting to visit Belgium],' Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said in Jakarta on Thursday. The minister said the government issued the travel advice after recent terror attacks in several locations in Brussels, followed by the Belgian government's decision to increase the country's security alert level. At least 34 people died in explosions at Brussels airport and a subway station on Tuesday morning. Three Indonesian citizens were reportedly injured in the incident. 'The ministry has identified the victims as a mother and her son [aged 6] and daughter [aged 4]. They are currently receiving intensive treatment at University Hospital Leuven,' said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Armanatha Nasir. In the travel advisory, the government calls on all Indonesian citizens currently in Belgium, especially Brussels, to remain vigilant and avoid places with high risk of becoming a terror target. Furthermore, all Indonesian citizens are reminded to follow the directives of local authorities, ensure their personal safety and pay close attention to their surroundings. The government has also urged all Indonesian citizens who plan to visit Brussels to consider the importance of their travel and, if possible, postpone their departure. Those who continue with plans to travel to Belgium, the government says, should first seek comprehensive information about the security situation in their destination. The Indonesian Embassy in Brussels reported that security conditions in the city remained at level 4, the highest alert level. Zaventem International Airport will remain closed until Friday while subway services have been reduced. The Indonesian Embassy in Brussels has opened hotlines on +32 478957214 or +32 478405728 for Indonesian citizens who are in Belgium and need assistance or further information. The Belgian government's official Crisis Centre can be accessed at crisiscentrum.be or centredecrise.be, along with a hotline +32 78151771. (sha/ebf)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tama Salim and Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Reports that three Indonesians were critically wounded on Tuesday in two explosions in Brussels are emerging as Muslim leaders condemned all the attacks and acts of terrorism. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said officials at the Indonesian Embassy in Brussels had received word that three Indonesian citizens were being treated in hospital in the aftermath of a bomb that went off at Brussels' Zaventem airport on Tuesday. Another explosion took place downtown at the Malebeek subway station. The two bombings killed more than 30 people. Arrmanatha said that an Indonesian mother and her two children were undergoing emergency treatment at Leuven University Hospital. The condition of one of her children had stabilized after the child received treatment for the injuries, he said. 'We are currently crosschecking data from the Indonesian Embassy and [the local] immigration office to confirm the identity of the mother and her children, so as to determine whether they are indeed Indonesian citizens,' he said on Wednesday. The embassy approached the woman's Belgian husband, who was not at the airport when the bomb exploded, to provide assistance. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), whose members consist of prominent Islamic clerics from major Islamic organizations in the country, condemned the blasts, the responsibility for which was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) movement. MUI deputy secretary-general Tengku Zulkarnain said that Indonesian Muslim clerics had expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives caused by the two bombings, calling for all Muslims around the world to pray for the family members of the victims in order to stay strong during the gloomy days. 'Any act of terrorism wherever and whenever it is and whoever does it and whatever the religion of the attacker must be opposed because Islam never justifies violent acts,' Zulkarnain said. He said that terrorist groups wrongly used the word jihad to justify their actions in bombing public spaces, adding that the word must not be used in such a context. 'Jihad is a state of affairs where people fight back when being attacked in a war. Attacking people in public spaces like on a bus or on the metro or wherever it is, is not jihad but jahat [evil],' Zulkarnain said, using an Indonesian word to express himself. The MUI called on Western media outlets not to relate the attacks to Islam by publishing presumptive stories telling readers that the blasts took place about four days after the arrest of a prime suspect in November's Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, who is reportedly a Muslim. Zulkarnain further said that the MUI strongly encouraged Muslims around the world to teach their children and family members to love each other in order to prevent them from doing the same actions in the future. Separately, Muhammadiyah secretary-general Abdul Mukti said that the country's second-largest Islamic organization also condemned the attacks in Brussels, whatever the motives were. 'Any act that results in the loss of people's lives is inhumane. Authorities in Brussels should investigate the bombings thoroughly and bring the bombers to justice,' Mukti said. Even if the perpetrators turned out to be Muslims, it did not mean that they represented Islam when doing the killing, and their acts clearly damaged the image of Islam, the secretary-general added. 'Islam teaches its followers to spread peace to the world.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 A Japanese citizen was found dead at the Hotel Intercontinental Jakarta lobby after reportedly jumping from 25th floor of the Plaza Residence, the name of apartments above the hotel, on Wednesday night. The Jakarta police suspect that 23-year-old Amame Eumatsu committed suicide by jumping from the apartment bedroom. Amame was in his room before the incident happened. At 10.30 p.m. his father, Nobuo Uematsu reportedly went to check on him in his room, but he was no longer there. Nobuo then found that a window had been left opened. A hotel receptionist said that he heard something fall onto the canopy of the hotel lobby. He then discovered the body. Police have conducted an investigation and collected evidence at the scene. "The dead body has been taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital (RSCM), Central Jakarta, for an autopsy and further investigation," Jakarta police spokesman Sr. Comr. Muhammad Iqbal said on Thursday. Meanwhile, Central Jakarta Police spokesperson Comr. Suyatno said that until now police have not found the motive of the alleged suicide. "We suspect that he jumped from his apartment. Currently, we are still gathering information from witnesses," Suyatno said. (dan)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited the construction site of the ongoing trans-Kalimantan highway project on Thursday in a bid to speed up the long-delayed 99-kilometer toll road worth Rp13.11 trillion (US$990 million). Soon after its inauguration in 2010, the project was stalled due to land acquisition problems. In November 2015, Jokowi urged the East Kalimantan governor to continue the project. The toll road is expected to cut the drive between Balikpapan and Samarinda from three hours to one hour. "It began again in November. Construction has reached 7.6 km," Jokowi said, adding that 85 percent of land has been acquired. He expressed his optimism that the remaining 15 percent could be resolved soon. The Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road is expected to be completed by May 2019. A section from Balikpapan to Sepinggan is currently underway and is expected to be finished in April. The toll-road's construction is divided into five sections. The first section, connecting Balikpapan and Samboja, is a length of 13 km, while the second section is dubbed Samboja-Palaran I, the third section is named Samboja-Palaran II, the fourth section connects Palaran-Jembatan Mahkota and section five will connect Balikpapan-Sepinggan. During the visit, Jokowi and First Lady Iriana were accompanied by Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, State Secretary Pratikno and East Kalimantan Governor Awang Ishak Faroek. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Indonesia's human rights body has reminded the government and the House of Representatives not to misuse the revision of the Terrorism Law to limit freedom of expression, in relation to a plan to add an article on treason. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Thursday that the regulation could have negative impacts if the government and legislative body did not accommodate people's aspirations. We agree that the revision is to intensify preventive actions but we don't want the bill to restrain freedom of speech,' Komnas HAM member Nur Kholis told reporters, adding that the government should hold a public hearing to involve all relevant parties in the law revision. The government hopes the revision of the 2013 Terrorism Law will enable the police to take legal steps against terrorist suspects even if they have not yet been proven to have committed terror acts. (vps/dan)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ina Parlina and Raras Cahyafitri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's decision for the gas-rich Masela block to be built onshore, against an agreement between the operators and energy authorities for an offshore plant, has further delayed the project and set a bad precedent for the investment climate. Ending months of uncertainty that divided two ministers in the Cabinet with a public spat, Jokowi said his decision was aimed at bringing benefits to the national and local economy of South Maluku. 'The first consideration is that we want the local and national economy to be positively impacted by the development of the Masela block. We also want regional development to be affected by the big project,' Jokowi told journalists on the sidelines of a working visit to Kalimantan. The Masela block, operated by Japan's Inpex and Shell, was expected to be the country's biggest offshore gas project, with operators estimating a production capacity of 7.5 million tons of gas per year starting in 2024, triple the figure in the initial proposal. However, as Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said was about to sign Inpex's revised proposal, after being approved by the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Task Force (SKKMigas), opposition emerged from Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli. Rizal argued that building the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, which is deemed a major future energy source for the country, offshore would not benefit the local economy and instead proposed an onshore plant. With the new onshore scheme, operators of the block will need more time to revise their plan of development (POD), which previously took years to study. For now, Inpex spokesperson Usman Slamet said the company could not comment because it was still waiting for a formal letter to revise its POD from the government. The POD revision is expected to cause a delay in the Masela block development, for which Inpex and Shell have the rights until 2028 at a cost of more than US$14.5 billion, potentially requiring a longer contract term if they want to continue the project under the government's onshore scheme. Further delay in the multibillion project will make it less commercially attractive for the operators to invest and threatens gas security in the country, which is also faced with the Asian LNG glut and price declines, Business Monitor International (BMI) Research oil and gas analyst Peter Lee said. 'Impacts on the domestic market will be pronounced as a combination of rising consumption, stagnant production and regulatory hurdles for new project start-ups lead Indonesia's net LNG exports to fall drastically over the short to medium period,' said Lee, referring to three local gas projects that include Masela, Gendalo-Gehem by Chevron ' part of the Indonesia Deepwater Development (IDD) project ' and Tangguh Train 3 by BP. It was also estimated that project delays while consumption continues to grow could make Indonesia a net importer of gas by 2022 as the country, currently an LNG exporter, is estimated to need to start importing the product in 2019. Public policy expert Agus Pambagio said the onshore decision had undermined the government's credibility, considering that most studies point to support for an offshore development plan. Under prevailing regulation, approval for oil and gas block development requires a signature from the energy and mineral resources minister and does not require consent from the President. Still, Rizal took to Twitter to show gratitude for the President's decision, while Sudirman expressed optimism that the two operators would continue to work on the project since Inpex and Shell had been working on the plan for 16 years with hefty spending on exploration, despite concerns that they may pull out owing to regulatory uncertainty. 'Therefore, we will give them a chance to review the proposal. We will push efforts to ensure all parties receive optimum benefits,' said Sudirman, who accompanied Jokowi during the press briefing, along with SKKMigas head Amien Sunaryadi and State Secretary Pratikno. Sudirman added that he would make sure that any delays in the project would not be prolonged, as Inpex ' which holds a 65 percent stake in Masela and won the 30-year production-sharing contract for the block in 1998 ' has expressed disappointment in the prolonged decision-making process. Jokowi expressed his anger early this month after another round of public mudslinging between Rizal and Sudirman over the Masela development. The spat turned personal as evinced when Rizal uploaded a meme on his Twitter account attacking Sudirman. ________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, was on Thursday elected as its legislature party leader, clearing the deck for her to becom the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP MLAs joined by senior party functionaries and members of its extended core group met here with Ms. Mufti in chair to discuss threadbare the issues pertaining to government formation with alliance partner BJP. Ms. Mufti briefed the meeting on her latest round of talks with BJP leadership including Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in Delhi. Read: Mehbooba Mufti meets Modi to end impasse over J&K govt formation Party spokesman Naeem Akhtar said that Ms. Mufti was unanimously elected the PDP legislature party leader and that the meeting held at her official residence Fairview overlooking the Dal Lake ended with it. Muftis confidant and former minister Abdur Rehman Veeri proposed name of Ms. Mufti as PDPs legislature party leader and it was seconded by Syed Altaf Bukhari, also a former minister and MLA, the spokesman added. Besides all the 28 PDP MLAs (27 elected and one nominated woman member), the meeting was also attended by Independent MLA from Zanskar, Syed Bakar Ali Rizvi, who pledged his support to Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, Mr. Akhtar said. He added, Following the nomination of Ms. Mufti as the PDP legislature party leader and the chief ministerial candidate, further Constitutional requirement and the process for the government formation would be taken to the logical conclusion in consultation and coordination with the coalition partner BJP. Also read: No new conditions from PDP accepted: BJP Ms. Mufti thanked party and its lawmakers for electing her as party legislative leader which is constitutionally required before she stakes claim to form government. Thank you for choosing me as the leader of PDP legislature party. You all are my strength, she was quoted having told the meeting. She urged the party lawmakers to rededicate themselves to accomplish the mission and vision of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and reiterated her resolve to work towards implementation of the Agenda of Alliance formulated with BJP. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said Indonesia needs a more efficient regulatory system to ease the entry of foreign investment into the country. Speaking about his participation in the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao, Hainan, China, on Thursday, Kalla said Indonesia presented a promising market opportunity for Asian industrial countries, such as China, Japan and Korea. 'Business players from all industrial countries, especially China, need a wider market and cheaper production base compared to what they can get in their home countries. They also need big resources. We, Indonesia, have both of them,' said Kalla as quoted by Antara news agency. One important thing Indonesia needed to do was to ensure that its regulatory system was much more efficient, so that it would be easier for foreign investors to enter the country, the Vice President said. 'With a more efficient regulatory system, it will be more efficient for the industrial players to come to Indonesia because we have a lot of resources, especially human resources,' he said. Kalla was set to speak about the future of Asia and the increasing economic cooperation among countries in the region during the Boao Forum for Asia. 'I'm going to speak about what Indonesia view is regarding the Future of Asia. Overall, I will speak about the potential to strengthen cooperation and look for similarities and much more open investments among Asian countries,' he said. Data shows that China sees Indonesia as its second-biggest market for investment after the US. Total realized foreign investment, excluding the downstream oil and gas and finance sector, from China to Indonesia amounted to US$2.1 billion between 2010 and 2015. According to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), China ranks 11th among other nations in terms of amount of realized investment in Indonesia. The Indonesian and Chinese governments are targeting an investment commitment of up to $30 billion from China in Indonesia in 2016. Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, BKPM chairman Franky Sibarani, Foreign Deputy Minister AM Fachir, Vice Presidential Office head Mohamad Oemar and Indonesian Ambassador for China Soegeng Rahardjo accompanied Kalla at the Boao conference themed 'The New Future of Asia: New Dynamics and New Vision'. (ebf)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Despite a recent survey by the Religious Affairs Ministry confirming improved religious harmony in diverse neighborhoods, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), known for its controversial edicts condemning Islamic minority groups, says it will ban Muslims in the country from wearing clothing associated with other religions, a move that campaigners claim will damage religious tolerance. MUI edict division head Huzaemah Tahido Yanggo said the Islamic body was currently preparing an edict to justify the ban, which is expected to be announced in April, adding that an MUI team working on the dictum had found prophetic words and deeds that would be used as a legal basis for the initiative. The cleric said legitimate hadiths examined by the MUI confirmed that it was forbidden for Muslims to wear clothing that featured symbols of other religions, such as retail workers wearing Santa Claus costumes to welcome Christmas. The MUI said that wearing costumes from other religions, especially ahead of religious festivities, could indicate that wearers acknowledged that the respective faith was true. The council added that believing in a faith other than Islam for Muslims would damage their religiosity. Huzaemah said the edict would prevent shopkeepers or companies that forced Muslims workers to wear outfits from other religious from welcoming any religious events in the future. 'Hadiths say 'for you, your religion, and for me, my religion.' It is the legal basis, which confirms that people cannot be forced to do something that is not suited to their religion,' the MUI cleric added. The MUI said Islam respected differences of faith and encouraged its followers to help other people on matters not related to faith, but added that Islam discouraged its believers from being involved in festivities of other religions that employed religious symbols. The MUI said it was up to individuals to decide whether they wanted to comply with the soon-to-be announced edict, as the Islamic body was only obliged to inform Muslims about what is forbidden and allowed in Islam. 'The only punishment for disobedient Muslims is sin, as violating the edict will not result in prosecution because this country has its own law,' she said. In spite of several interfaith conflicts, a survey by the Religious Affairs Ministry in February found that the country did enjoy religious harmony, especially in regions where Muslims are the minority. Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said the country had performed better in the tolerance index last year because people were more open to interfaith dialogue and his ministry had established the Religious Community Harmony Forum (FKUB) to aid communication between groups. The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy said that the edict was unnecessary and would hurt religious tolerance in the country. 'The question is how will using other religions' costumes damage someone's own faith? Such an edict will tend to create wrong perceptions [...] The edict has nothing to do with increasing the country's religious tolerance,' said Setara deputy chair Bonar Tigor Naipospos. The institute's chairman Hendardi said the edict would clearly sharpen religious segregation given that it would be disseminated via MUI's local branches nationwide. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Amid the crowded Golkar Party chairmanship race, House of Representatives Speaker Ade Komarudin, a frontrunner, said on Wednesday that his close relationship with the government attracted the support of party members in the regions. Ade said that his position in the legislature had fallen in line with the regions' aspiration for the party to support the government, its traditional stance for over four decades. 'The logic is that I'm a House Speaker and the key to good governance is good relations and connections between the legislative and executive [branches of the government]. Its important for the two sides to share a constructive mindset,' Ade told The Jakarta Post. To him, the signal is a one-step-forward point as it will determine the support he gathers from the provincial executive boards (DPD I) and regional executive boards (DPD II). 'After touring a number of provinces, one of three things I've found out is that the DPD I and DPD II will tend to vote for who the government may support,' he said. The executive boards also demand a moderate, uniting figure that has never been tied up in legal troubles nor has the potential to face legal problems. Ade, a politician with close links to the government, has traveled to 23 provinces to campaign since declaring his candidacy earlier this month at Yogyakarta North Square in Yogyakarta. He said that he received strong support during his trips. Under the leadership of Aburizal Bakrie, Golkar led an opposition camp to the government after failing to win in the 2014 presidential election. The opposition was not long celebrated as Aburizal failed a succession by the end of the year, resulting in a prolonged party leadership crisis. The crisis paralyzed the party, causing it to perform poorly in the first concurrent regional head elections in December. Finishing second in the 2014 legislative elections, the party only secured victory in 55 out of 264 regions contested in the December election batch. Golkar's two factions will consolidate through an extraordinary national congress (munaslub) in May, which will also stage the chairmanship race. Other candidates that may compete in the chairmanship race include secretary-general Idrus Marham, House Golkar faction secretary Azis Syamsuddin, faction chairman Setya Novanto, lawmakers Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Airlangga Hartarto and party executives Mahyudin and Priyo Budi Santoso. Ade also said that he succeeded in quieting the noise at the House. Before Ade took the speaker seat from former House speaker Setya, the House was in the spotlight on account of Setya's alleged breach of ethics in an attempt to renegotiate Freeport Indonesia's mining contract extension. Aburizal then proposed Ade ' a pro-government lawmaker ' as Setya's successor. 'The House was noisy before. Now it's not, right?' Ade said. Moreover, he also said that a sign of support from Golkar's boss could be seen in his appointment as House speaker. One of Ade's rivals, Idrus, also said that he was called on to run in the race to bring Golkar to victory in the 2017 and 2018 regional elections, as well as in the 2019 presidential election. On a separate occasion, Golkar senior politician Yorrys Raweyai said that preparations for the upcoming national congress were ongoing. Yorrys explained that the party elites were discussing the establishment of a steering committee and organizing committee, the two committees that will play a crucial role in ensuring the fate of the national congress. 'The discussion is still ongoing. We have almost reached an agreement and will reveal it to the public soon' Yorrys said. _________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Safrin La Batu and Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Denpasar Thu, March 24, 2016 The Jakarta Police have named five suspects after the skirmish between conventional taxi drivers and ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers working for application-based transportation services during Tuesday's demonstration to demand the government ban ride-hailing apps. Rallies were conducted simultaneously in several parts of the capital by drivers of conventional taxis who said their income had dwindled since app-based transportation began operating in Jakarta. The police said around 12,000 taxi drivers participated in the rallies, which turned violent after protesters stopped taxis that were continuing to operate, smashing their windows and forcing the drivers to join the rallies. Some participants were also seen beating up ojek drivers from app-based services. Around 6,000 security personnel were deployed to secure the rallies. Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Mohammad Iqbal said on Wednesday that the five suspects were drivers of various modes of transportation, and had been charged with allegedly committing various offenses. One of the five men is a taxi driver identified as FY, 31, who is suspected of encouraging fellow taxi drivers across Greater Jakarta to bring weapons to the rallies to use against drivers from ride-hailing apps. 'The suspect provoked his fellow taxi drivers through his Facebook account,' Iqbal said. On Tuesday, a screenshot of a Facebook post from the account of a person called Fery Yanto went viral along with several pictures of the man and two weapons. He has a Blue Bird logo on his account. 'These [the provocative posts] were of course dangerous,' said Jakarta Police special crimes director Sr. Comr. Mujiono. 'We, therefore, decided to form a special team and we arrested the man at 1:30 a.m.' Police said in a statement that FY would be charged with multiple offenses under Article 28 of the Internet Transaction Law on posting provocative comments and Article 160 of the Criminal Code. Both articles bear a maximum penalty of six years' imprisonment. Meanwhile, according to a police report received by The Jakarta Post, three of the suspects are drivers of three-wheeled bajaj (auto rickshaws) who reportedly disrupted public order and were charged under Article 63 of the Road Law, which bears a maximum sentence of 18 months' imprisonment. The remaining suspect is an app-based ojek driver, whom the police charged with violating Article 156 of the Criminal Code on showing hostility to others, with a maximum penalty of four years behind bars. The police did not elaborate further on the alleged offenses of each suspect. But Jakarta Police general crimes chief Krishna Murti said they all had 'made provocations and attacked [vehicles]' at the rallies. The police also detained 79 drivers from GrabBike and Go-Jek to undergo questioning. They were later released but Krishna said questioning would continue. 'They were released because their alleged offenses were just misdemeanors,' he said. Meanwhile, following Tuesday's rallies, hundreds of taxi drivers in Denpasar, Bali, staged a similar demonstration on Wednesday. They demanded the government ban both Grab and Uber, saying the app-based services had created unfair business competition. Dressed in Balinese attire with udeng head scarves, they marched around 1 kilometer from Puputan Margarana Field in Renon to the provincial transportation agency. 'They are illegal. They don't have permits. We pay our tax, but they don't. This is unfair,' said Ketut Wirta, chairman of Bali's Taxi Drivers Association. Earlier in February, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika issued a ban on Grab and Uber, but it was not effective. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti has ordered the police force to take measures in anticipation of possible revenge attacks in response to a series of arrests of alleged terrorists in a number of places across the country. Speaking to the press after chairing a meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, he urged all police personnel to ensure peace and security in urban areas such as Jakarta, as members of terrorist networks were certainly 'unhappy about the arrest of several alleged terrorists.' 'The agenda of the meeting was to ensure security and order in the community, particularly from possible disturbance from terrorists,' Badrodin said as reported by kompas.com. He called for police officers to give special attention to the security of important facilities such as airports, government institutions and other places where many people usually gathered. Since the Jakarta attack on Jan. 14, the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism squad has arrested dozens of alleged terrorists. Late last month, the police arrested two alleged terrorists in Malang, East Java. Most recently, Siyono, an alleged terrorist, reportedly died undergoing interrogation after being arrested at his house in Central Java. Members of a joint police-military operation in Poso, Central Sulawesi, also arrested and killed a number of suspected members of the Mujahideen Indonesia Timor (MIT) terror group led by Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, in Central Sulawesi's town of Poso. Badrodin said that the security personnel had intensified their operation by carrying out raids in a number of places to restrict the movement of MIT members. 'The raids will be carried out secretly in a number of places,' said Badrodin as reported by kompas.com in Jakarta on Wednesday. He claimed the police had identified a place that Santoso and members of his group had used as a hideout on several occasions and that security personnel had been involved in shootouts that caused casualties of both sides. 'We don't know whether Santoso was among those who were involved in the shootouts. We are still waiting for the progress of the operation,' said Badrodin, adding that he was optimistic that Santoso would soon be arrested. 'There are only geographic problems in the way of their arrest. We are already aware of their location,' he added. (bbn)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Raras Cahyafitri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Risks loom large of a possible socioeconomic and cultural quagmire following President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's decision to favor onshore development of the gas-rich Masela block in the name of greater benefits for national and local economies, dropping an initial offshore scheme proposed by the block's contractors, Inpex and Masela. Under an onshore scheme for the Masela block, the contractors may have to find appropriate locations in the nearby Tanimbar Islands to station liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants close enough to the gas reserves located in the Arafura Sea. Some analysts have raised concerns about technical issues in the development of the country's most important deepwater gas project, including the presence of an ocean trench between the gas reserves and possible islands slated to host the plants, such as Aru Island, which is located 600 kilometers from the block, and Yamdena Island, 300 kilometers from the block. In addition to the technical issues, public policy expert Agus Pambagio, who has visited the islands, said socioeconomic and cultural issues as well as religious backgrounds might complicate decision-making about which islands will host the gas plants. 'There are concerns regarding how local residents who expected an onshore development will receive the project [...] This will likely be a problem if one is developed and another is not,' Agus said. He also highlighted that the demographic differences between Aru Island, inhabited mostly by Muslims, and Yamdena Island, which has mostly Christians, could spark religious tensions in the area. While the constitution guarantees the freedom of religion, the country is facing a number of conflicts triggered by religious issues. Separately, Connie Rahakundini Bakrie, president of the Indonesian Institute for Maritime Studies, criticized the decision to choose the onshore scheme as it was at odds with the President's vision of Indonesia as a global maritime axis. 'We have big maritime potential but our orientation remains on onshore developments. Local economic empowerment can still occur even if the plants are located offshore,' Connie said. She also highlighted that onshore development could cost the country in terms of geopolitical strategy as the block is very close to neighboring Australia. Meanwhile, Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) spokesperson Elan Biantoro said onshore development could create immediate jobs for locals, with more than 10,000 workers expected to be absorbed in building infrastructure projects, including roads and plants. Elan said, however, that in the long run, an offshore plant ' which would allow some equipment to be built elsewhere or even overseas ' promised greater revenue for the state, which could in turn be used to develop local economies. According to data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the approximate cost of onshore refinery construction is US$16 billion, less than the $22 billion required if the refinery was built offshore. When announcing his decision on Wednesday, President Jokowi highlighted that onshore development was seen to bring more benefits to the national and local economies, as well as multiplier effects for regional development. SKKMigas chief Amien Sunaryadi said his office would follow up on the decision and talk with Inpex, the operator of the block, on further measures. Inpex holds 65 percent interest in the block and its partner Shell holds the remaining 35 percent. The two companies proposed a floating LNG development with a capacity of 7.5 million tons per year for the block. Nov. 16, 1998 The government awarded the block to Japan's INPEX (65 percent interest) as operator and its partner Royal Dutch Shell (35 percent) for a 30-year period until 2028. December 2010 Inpex and Shell submitted the Masela POD under a scheme for an offshore LNG plant with a capacity of 2.5 million tons per annum (MTPA) Sept. 10, 2015 Inpex submitted to SKKMigas a revision to its Masela plan of development (POD). The revision involves the development of a floating LNG plant with 7.5 million tons per year in processing capacity, higher than an initial plan of 2.5 million tons. Oct. 7, 2015 Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli criticized the offshore plan. Rizal claimed that the plant, touted to become one of the world's biggest LNG facilities, would leave the community's economy behind and instead proposed a new idea for an onshore plant. November 2015 President Jokowi decided to seek a second opinion and the government hired US consultants Poten & Partners to assess which of the two alternatives ' an offshore or onshore plant ' is the most commercially feasible development for the project. Dec. 29, 2015 Poten & Partners recommended an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, similar to the plan of development submitted by Inpex and Shell, the operators/investors of the Masela block which was approved by SKKMigas. Feb. 1, 2016 Jokowi said in a limited Cabinet meeting on the development of the Masela deep-sea gas block that before making the final decision, he would first meet with the block's operator, Inpex Corp. Feb. 2, 2016 Inpex has called on the Indonesian government to make a quick decision on the future of the Masela gas project, which has been in limbo as a result of a proposed change in its development plan. Feb. 3, 2016 Representatives from Inpex reportedly visited the presidential office. -------------------- To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Indonesia and the Netherlands have agreed to encourage further business cooperation between the two countries. In a bilateral meeting in Jakarta on Thursday, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and her Dutch counterpart, Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, expected that more Dutch businesspeople would invest in Indonesia, especially in the maritime sector. The Foreign Ministry said in a press statement on Thursday that in the meeting, the two ministers had discussed potential Indonesian and Dutch partnerships in trade and investment. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation on infrastructure development in Indonesia. 'The Netherlands is one of Indonesia's most important trade partners in Europe. It is also a traditional market of Indonesia,' the statement read as quoted by kompas.com. In the closed meeting, the two ministers also said they were committed to increasing partnerships in the field of education between the two countries. Earlier, Retno and Koenders held a meeting on the sidelines of the Bali Regional Ministerial Conference that ran from March 22 to March 23. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anggi M. Lubis (The Jakarta Post) Nusa Dua Thu, March 24, 2016 Indonesia has urged Australia to prioritize resolving the regions' refugee problems rather than taking in those from other parts of the world as Australia launched a strategy to eradicate human trafficking and modern slavery. Indonesia, which hosts more than 13,000 refugees, has been stressing the need for countries in the region to share the financial and supervisory burden. Jakarta has been urging Canberra to let in more of the refugees who intend to enter the country but are currently stranded in Indonesia. Refugees have long been a flashpoint between the two countries, with large numbers who are seeking to reach Australia by boat ending up stranded in Indonesia instead. The flow of would-be refugees arriving in Australia has largely dried up after Canberra introduced in 2013 a tough policy of turning back vessels when it is safe to do so. Australia insisted that it had done its fair share. 'Australia is sharing the burden and will be looking to other countries in our region to do similar,' Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said at the start of a three-day visit to Indonesia. She added that Canberra took a 'significant number' under the refugee humanitarian visa and had committed to taking thousands of Syrian refugees. Foreign Ministry director for multilateral affairs Hasan Kleib said that Indonesia expected destination countries in the region to increase their quotas and prioritize resolving problems in the region. 'We have seen an influx of refugees to Europe in recent years [']This has led to countries in the region taking in fewer Southeast Asian refugees,' Kleib said. 'Australia is taking refugees from Europe. We want them to consider refugees here in Indonesia instead,' he added. Hasan ' who chaired a senior officials meeting at the Bali Process forum ' said that Indonesia and the UN High Commission on Refugee (UNHCR) had been seeking to place refugees in Indonesia in destination countries outside Europe, as the continent was facing the worst migrant crisis since World War II. 'We have asked countries outside Europe to increase their intake,' he explained. When asked by journalists about the possibility of accepting more refugees transiting in Indonesia, Bishop replied, 'Australia is already playing a significant role, and we urge other countries to do similarly.' Bishop said that her country had taken in approximately 2000 refugees from Indonesia over the past three years. She added that her country was the third-highest country in the world in terms of refugee intake, having set up a humanitarian program to place 13,750 refugees a year and to raise the figure to 18,750 over the next three years. In September last year, the country announced it would resettle 12,000 refugees from Syria, in addition to its existing refugee take-up. Bishop on Wednesday took an opportunity before commencing the Bali Process international forum to launch a new international strategy to combat human trafficking and slavery. Citing data on how over 30 million people had become victims of the practice and how modern slavery resulted in US$150 billion in annual profits for involved businesses, Bishop said it was vital to enact a global strategy to combat the transnational crime and to ensure Australian companies were not involved. 'We need to understand that this is a transnational issue. This is why our response is international,' she told reporters. The strategy, she said, would complement a five-year national plan introduced in late 2014. There are six points in the international strategy, she explained, including efforts on working with countries in the region. 'We will build our cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia in prevention, in detection, in prosecution,' she said. Other points are to work more closely with related multinational institutions, to work within the Bali Process, to work with businesses in ensuring good practices in their labor supply chain, to advocate for victims and to make the Australian ambassador for people smuggling issues a designated ambassador for people smuggling and human trafficking. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Shea Driscoll (The Jakarta Post) Singapore Thu, March 24, 2016 Parents of babies born from Thursday (March 24) onwards will get $3,000 (US$2,191) upfront into their child's Child Development Account (CDA) under the new First Step Grant. Envisioning a Singapore that is a "great place to raise a family", Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat kicked off the social portion of his Budget speech in Parliament on Thursday by announcing measures about caring for the young. They include: -the Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant; -new pilot initiative KidStart, for young children who need support; -the Fresh Start Housing Scheme will provide a grant of up to $35,000 for families with young children in rental housing. First, under the First Step Grant, parents of babies born from Thursday onwards will get $3,000 upfront into their child's CDA. Under the Baby Bonus Scheme, the Government currently matches, up to a ceiling, parents' deposits into their children's CDA, a special savings account whose funds can be used at approved institutions to pay for childcare fees, medical expenses and more. That ceiling is $6,000 for a first or second child, $12,000 for a third or fourth child and $18,000 for any subsequent children. A one-off CDA top-up of either $300 or $600 was announced at last year's Budget for babies born between Jan 1, 2009, and Dec 31, 2015. The First Step Grant will give $3,000 to eligible Singaporean children born from March 24, Heng said, without parents having to contribute anything first. "This will apply to eligible babies born from today," Heng said to laughter from those in attendance. "I'm told that on average last year we have 93 babies born every day. So, congratulations to our 93 babies." The amount will count towards the existing caps, meaning first-time parents who receive the grant and then save $3,000 to their child's CDA will hit the $6,000 co-savings ceiling. They will then have $9,000 in their child's CDA, compared to $6,000 from an identical savings before the grant. However, while children born from Thursday are eligible, the money will only be deposited from July 1, when necessary updates to systems are completed. Parents of babies born between Thursday and June 30 should wait until July 1 before saving into the CDA. Those who choose to save to the CDA before July 1 will not be eligible for the grant. Heng also announced that the Medisave withdrawal limit for pre-delivery medical expenses will be doubled from $450 to $900 with immediate effect. Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo, who oversees population matters, will elaborate on other measures at the Committee of Supply debate, he added. In a Facebook post, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin said that he will be at KK Women's and Children's Hospital on Friday to share the announcement with new parents. Ms Teo said in a Facebook post on Thursday evening that the First Step Grant will help an estimated 74 per cent of CDA holders maximize the government contribution caps, up from the current 60 per cent who do so. About 5 per cent of CDA holders today do not save into the accounts at all, 'perhaps because they are unable to do so'. 'The $3,000 grant will be particularly helpful for this group of parents and their children,' she added. Also announced was a new pilot initiative to help parents who may need support in giving their children a good start in life. KidStart, meant for kids up to six, will use government and community resources to help such children receive learning, developmental and health support. Research shows that a child's early life experiences significantly influence their physical, cognitive and social development, Heng said. The program will cost more than $20 million and benefit about 1,000 children - a cost of roughly $20,000 a child. Finally, the Fresh Start Housing Scheme, first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at last year's National Day Rally, will help families with children living in rental housing. Some had previously bought a flat, but sold it and moved into public rental flats, making them not eligible for first-timer housing grants. "For those who are determined to work hard to own a home again, we want to give them a fresh start," Mr Heng said. To that end, the scheme will provide a grant of up to $35,000 for these families with young children to own a two-room flat with a shorter lease. However, these families must demonstrate effort, he added. For example, they must stay employed and make sure their children attend school. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tassia Sipahutar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Indonesia should continue to prioritize the upgrading of national infrastructure alongside ongoing structural reforms in order to improve the business climate and fully exploit the country's economic potential, experts and officials have suggested. Speaking on Wednesday in a seminar on structural reforms in emerging Asian markets, Bank Indonesia (BI) deputy governor Perry Warjiyo said in Indonesia's case, efforts to streamline bureaucracy and promote changes to the way the government works would help boost infrastructure development and human capital. 'Improvements in electricity infrastructure, for example, could increase national economic growth by an average of 0.26 percent per year,' Perry said at the event, jointly held by the central bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). By the end of 2015, Indonesia had more than 55,523 MW in installed capacity, with 2.458 MW added to the national electricity system last year. As of December, the electrification ratio stood at 88 percent. In an attempt to boost economic growth, the government plans to procure 35,000 MW of additional electricity over the next several years to support the growing industrial sector. According to a simulation enacted by BI and ADB, higher electricity capacity could contribute an additional 0.33 percent growth in Sumatra, 0.18 percent in Java, 0.63 percent in Kalimantan and 0.22 percent in parts of eastern Indonesia. Improvement in electricity would also bode well for employment, increasing labor take-up by 0.13 percent nationwide. Kalimantan is projected to benefit most from the improvement, with employment up 0.25 percent, the simulation suggested. When combined with human capital development, the improvements will boost national gross domestic product (GDP) by an extra 0.52 percent and labor absorption by 0.65 percent. 'We also need simpler business licensing and procedures. That will encourage economic growth from the investment side,' Perry added. The Finance Ministry's fiscal agency (BKF) head, Suahasil Nazara, meanwhile, said the government had introduced budget reforms and fiscal stimuli plans to achieve sustainable growth. The government is looking at 5.3 percent GDP growth in 2016, up from last year's achievement of 4.8 percent. He reiterated the government's intention to prioritize infrastructure development, citing massive infrastructure spending allocated in the state budget. The government has allocated Rp 313.5 trillion (US$23.81 billion) from this year's state budget for infrastructure development, an increase from Rp 290.3 trillion in 2015. It has also slashed electricity subsidies to Rp 38.4 trillion in 2016 from Rp 73.1 trillion last year to make way for greater spending on infrastructure. Former finance minister Chatib Basri, also speaking at Wednesday's discussion, said that infrastructure reforms needed to include business players in the export-oriented sectors to avoid past mistakes, when capital inflow was almost solely channeled to domestic-oriented sectors. 'We have started to receive significant capital inflow again, directed toward exports, so that they are naturally hedged and reduce foreign exchange risk,' he said. -------------------- To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Chennai: Putting up a brave front, the DMK on Wednesday rejected suggestions that the alliance between DMDK and Peoples Welfare Alliance would have adverse impact on the DMKs electoral prospects. But, most analysts feel, the new alliance would open three-way race in the May 16 Assembly elections and adversely impact DMKs chances to regain power. We reported it first The birth of Captain Vijayakanth alliance has cleared the confusion in the alliance scenario in the State and paved the way for a four or five-cornered contest. The birth of Captain Vijayakanth alliance has cleared the confusion in the alliance scenario in the State and paved the way for a four or five-cornered contest. Political analysts see exciting possibilities now and say such a situation has emerged after the 1989 Assembly elections when there was a four-cornered fight between the DMK, two factions of AIADMK and Congress. However, DMK leaders did not see any impact due to the new alliance. Reacting to a query, DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin said We are not watching any other alliance developments. We are concentrating on our election work. When asked about the impact of the new alliance on DMK, he shot back, saying What impact?. However, analysts feel the new alliance would be strong enough to impact the chances of DMK, in most of the seats, since a few thousand votes would make a huge difference in Assembly polls. Political analyst Karl Marx said This is a new scenario in Tamil Nadu politics. The Captain Vijayakanth alliance would be strong enough to avert chances of a straight contest and make the fight triangular. The BJP and PMK can also be losers as the new alliance will be seen as the real alternative. Some analysts see a similarity between NDA front in 2014 Parliamentary elections and the formation of PWA-Vijayakanth alliance. Political commentator Badri Seshadri said This is similar to NDA in 2014. Here, BJP had been replaced by Left parties and PMK with Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. In my assessment, this alliance can get around 20 per cent votes and has the capability to win about 40 seats. A hung Assembly is possible. Even if AIADMK gets a majority, there will be a new opposition front that can challenge the DMKs place in State politics, he said. DMK spokesperson Thamizhan Prasanna went further back and compared the 1971 Assembly elections with the present scenario. The DMK did not have any allies except the newly formed Indira Congress then, while other opposition parties have formed a big coalition. The DMK was written off, but it swept the polls, he recalled. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 Jakarta's public transportation drivers remained unappeased on Wednesday, the day after a strike by thousands of conventional taxi drivers descended into violent protests against ride-hailing apps, which they insist are illegal. Police and Jakarta Transportation Agency officers were seen standing guard at places where ojek (motorcycle taxis) and angkot (public minivans) pick up passengers. At least a dozen police and transportation agency motorcycles were parked in front of Kota Tua railway station in West Jakarta on Wednesday morning. While the streets were calm, many remained resentful in the wake of Tuesday's violent protest, which saw 12,000 conventional transportation drivers ' mostly Express and Blue Bird taxi drivers, as well as drivers of angkot, buses and bajaj (three-wheeled vehicles) ' take to the streets in anger. They accused the government of failing to regulate increasingly popular app-based transportation services such as Grab, Uber and Go-Jek, which they say are eroding their income. During the protest, conventional taxi drivers initially targeted uniformed Go-Jek and Grab drivers; groups of ojek drivers later counterattacked, smashing cab windows. The Jakarta Police have charged five people with provocation and disruption of public order. Fifty-two-year-old Sutrisno, who drives a number 12 angkot plying the route between Kota Tua and Pasar Senen in Central Jakarta, said that he and many of his fellows still fiercely resented app-based drivers. 'I understand we're all trying to make money here, but we should be competing in a fair game,' Sutrisno said, driving his vehicle. More and more people have stopped using minivans since GoJek, Grab and Uber gained popularity, he said, adding that many conventional public transportation drivers were angry because their app-empowered counterparts not only violated regulations but also set lower fares. As a result, Sutrisno said, conventional public transportation drivers could not compete. Similarly, a conventional taxi driver who requested anonymity said that he supported the violent acts of his colleagues, which he thought were 'necessary' to make their point. 'If we're not violent, the government won't listen to us,' he said. He explained that business in the conventional taxi industry had slowed significantly since black-plated Grab and Uber cars had entered the market, offering lower fares. 'I haven't seen a Go-Jek or Grab driver on the streets today. I don't know how angry I would be if I saw one,' he said. In response to the riots, Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama asked conventional taxi drivers to remain calm and not provoke each other. He also demanded conventional taxi firms fire violent protesters, at the risk of losing their Jakarta operational licenses. Meanwhile on social media, netizens called on Blue Bird and Express Taxi to apologize on behalf of their drivers, amid a damage control effort from Blue Bird, which offered free rides throughout Wednesday. Twitter user @Riradana tweeted, 'Saw your drivers protest yesterday, they were inhuman. Free ride? No thanks, I value my ideals, humanity and safety more,' she said. Fellow Twitter user @adi_wp tweeted, 'Hoping @express_group and @Bluebirdgroup will apologize for yesterday's incidents.' In Bali, conventional taxi drivers followed suit and staged a rally on Wednesday to protest against ride-hailing apps. The peaceful protest saw hundreds of participants demanding the government ban app-based transportation services, saying that they had created unfair business competition for them. Agnes Anya and Ni Komang Erviani contributed to this story _____________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 The government says the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road ' part of the Trans-Kalimantan highway development program ' is expected to be completed in May 2019. On his third day of his working visit to Kalimantan, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will inspect the construction of the first toll road project on the island, in Karangjoang, North Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. Jokowi will check the progress of the construction of the 99.2 kilometer toll road worth Rp14.9 trillion, which is expected to cut travel time between Balikpapan and Samarinda, previously about 2.5 hours to 3 hours, to an hour, according to a press release from the Presidential communications team. The Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road is divided into five sections. The first section will connect Balikpapan and Samboja, with a length of 13 km; the second section will connect Samboja and Palaran II; the third section will connect Samboja and Palaran II; the fourth section will connect Palaran and Jembatan Mahkota; and the fifth section will connect Balikpapan and Sepinggan. After a visit to a highway construction site, the President is scheduled to deliver social assistance through the Household Assistance Program (PKH), Elderly Assistance Cards (ASLUT), Assistance Cards for Disabled People (ASPDB) and Indonesian Smart Cards (KIP). The President is also scheduled to visit Teritip dam, the dam located in East Balikpapan, which has a capacity of 2.4 million cubic meters and an output of 260 liters per second. The visit to Teritip dam will be the last of Jokowi's working trip in Kalimantan. The President and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo will return to Jakarta in the afternoon on Indonesian Presidential Aircraft-1. (bbn)(+) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lisa Leff (The Jakarta Post) San Francisco Thu, March 24, 2016 A University of California committee on Wednesday cited anti-Semitism as a form of intolerance that campus leaders should challenge but rejected a more far-reaching denouncement of arguments against Israel's right to exist. The committee of the university's governing Board of Regents voted unanimously to send the statement on to the full board for final consideration on Thursday. A year in the making, the formal position opposing anti-Semitic behavior comes amid a wave of impassioned campus activism that has sparked tensions between Palestinian rights supporters and strong allies of Israel. Jewish organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Federations of North America and American Jewish Committee had lobbied in favor of the document written by an ad hoc working group. The board appointed the group after complaints that an earlier version drafted by UC administrators failed to explicitly condemn anti-Semitism. The panel approved what is being called a "Statement of Principles Against Intolerance" after softening language in an accompanying report that listed "anti-Zionism" ' the rejection of Israel's right to exist ' as another kind of discrimination that didn't belong at the university. Critics of that proposed declaration, including faculty and student groups, had argued that the initial report language stating, "Anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California" could be used to stifle free speech and scholarship. "Anti-Zionism names a political viewpoint that individuals have a right to express under the First Amendment," Judith Butler, a UC Berkeley comparative literature professor, told the board. Regent Norman Pattiz, who served on the task force that drafted the statement and report, suggested amending it to read, "Anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California." Pattiz said the change would make clear the university recognizes a distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel and actions that cross the line into inappropriate demonization of Jewish people. The system-wide principles are meant to be "aspirational rather than prohibitory," said Charles Robinson, the UC system's general counsel, As such, they do not bar particular acts or proscribe sanctions but serve to remind administrators of their duty to combat bias and to impose discipline in cases that violate existing anti-discrimination policies, Robinson said. The principles "express a viewpoint on conduct that promotes and conduct that undermines the purposes and mission of the university," he said. "Intolerance, discrimination and bias fall into the latter category." The statement was drafted in response to pro-Israel groups that demanded more be done to protect Jewish students amid heightened activism on behalf of Palestinian rights. Student Regent Avi Oved, a UCLA student who is active in Jewish affairs and served on the advisory group, supported amending the report. "Anti-Zionism should not be conflated with anti-Semitism," Oved said. Oved added, though, that students with strong ties to Israel are sometimes subject to slurs that would not be tolerated if they were directed at other minority groups. If adopted on Thursday, the declaration would make the University of California the first public university system to reaffirm its opposition to anti-Semitic behavior since campaigns for academic and economic boycotts of Israel have taken root on many U.S. college campuses. The draft considered Wednesday described the university as an institution dedicated to the free exchange of ideas and a community where "anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination have no place." Pro-Palestinian groups and faculty members with research specialties in the Middle East were upset that anti-Semitism was the only type of intolerance specifically mentioned in the principles at a time when Muslims in the US increasingly face discrimination. They remained concerned that the slight change to the introductory report made Wednesday did not go far enough. "The regents' new policy offers no clarity on how to determine when criticism of Israel or anti-Zionism crosses a line into anti-Semitism, and was predicated on the erroneous assumption that support for Palestinian rights is inherently anti-Semitic," said Tallie Ben Daniel, a coordinator for the pro-Palestinian group Jewish Voice for Peace. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 24, 2016 The merger of two city-owned water firms ' sewage treatment firm PD PAL Jaya and water operator PD PAM Jaya ' aimed at providing affordable clean water for residents, awaits the go-ahead from the Jakarta administration. Last year, the administration announced that it would merge the two firms in order to effectively process the city's wastewater into reusable domestic water. According to data from the city administration, service coverage for clean water in Jakarta was at 60 percent, while sewage treatment was only 4 percent. A lack of integration between the two services had resulted in sewage treatment being inadequate. PAM Jaya president director Erlan Hidayat said that PAM and PAL have drafted a bylaw to officially merge the two firms. The bylaw has been submitted with the Jakarta administration for official discussions. 'There are three very important points in the draft bylaw. First, is that the scope of duties of the new city-owned firm must be clear,' Erlan told The Jakarta Post recently. Erlan explained that the new city-owned firm must handle the clean water management, wastewater and groundwater, as all were closely linked to one another. He went on to say that the development plans of new settlement areas, such as the housing on man-made islets upon the ongoing reclamation projects, must actively involve the new city-owned water firm. 'In the bylaw, we propose that all low-cost rental apartment (rusunawa), which will be built by the Housing and Government Buildings Agency, can have access to clean water and sewage treatment systems provided by the new city-owned water firm,' Erlan said, adding that the bylaw would also include issues of working capital for the firm. Despite protests, Erlan said that the firm would not be against the possibility of cooperating with private firms. In 2013, the Coalition of Jakarta Residents Opposing Water Privatization (KMMSAJ) filed a citizen lawsuit against the city administration demanding that the court annul an agreement between PAM Jaya and two private water operators ' PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and PT Aetra Air Jakarta (Aetra). The coalition claimed that the cooperation had failed to guarantee an adequate supply of clean, potable water in the capital. Earlier this year, however, the Jakarta High Court overturned the lower court's decision and granted the central government's appeal to continue the privatization. Separately, water and hydrology expert Fatchy Muhammad said that the city administration should focus on the takeover of Palyja and Aetra before moving on to merging PAM Jaya and PAL Jaya. PAM's contract with the two private firms ends in 2023. Fatchy said the merge of the two firms was important toward a better water management system in Jakarta. However, he said, the city administration should tread carefully when cooperating with private firms. For example, he said, the cooperation with Palyja and Aetra had brought more losses than benefits, both for the city administration and residents. On Tuesday, the New York City Council overwhelmingly approved two zoning proposals that Mayor de Blasio believes will help create more affordable housing. The plans, known as Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability, were opposed by Community Board 3 and many other neighborhood organizations. Our local Council representatives Margaret Chin and Rosie Mendez will appear before CB3s land use committee next month to talk about the new zoning rules. Chin was an outspoken supporter of the plans. She voted in favor of both zoning text amendments. Mendez voted for Mandatory Inclusionary Housing but abstained on Zoning for Quality and Affordability. Today I voted for #affordablehousing bills that will inc. our ability 2 provide housing 2 those who need it so badly pic.twitter.com/wblPrW3zzt Margaret S. Chin (@CM_MargaretChin) March 22, 2016 There was some drama leading up to the vote. City & State reported: The City Council passed the zoning legislation at a Tuesday meeting, where many lawmakers echoed (Mayor) de Blasios portrayal of the measures as historic and game-changing. But as City Councilwoman Margaret Chin launched into a description of why she was backing the visionary proposals, about two dozen protesters on a balcony overlooking the Council Chambers started yelling, with some suggesting the legacy the lawmakers votes would usher in would be one of displacement. It took security several minutes to remove the demonstrators. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called a recess because one of the protesters lay on the floor, requesting medical aid. The vote continued when an ambulance arrived and paramedics began tending to the man. A spokeswoman for the City Council said six of the protesters, including the man who was suffering from a back spasm, appeared to have superglued their hands together, which made it difficult for security to remove them from the chambers. The spokeswoman said none were charged with a crime after interrupting the meeting chanting Vote no; MIH has got to go, in reference to the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing zoning plan, and calling the lawmakers sellouts. One particularly vocal man shouted, This plan that youre talking about is going to evict the same people in this city that elected you. How dare the Progressive Caucus do this? The inclusionary housing program requires developers to set aside a portion of large developments in newly rezoned areas for affordable housing. The plan dubbed, Zoning for Quality and Affordability raises height limits in many districts. The administration agreed to various changes in the plans to win Council approval. Local advocates were pleased that an original scheme to raise height limits in contextual zoning districts was scrubbed. In a message to supporters, Andrew Berman of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation praised the incredibly important, hard fought for changes. He also detailed ongoing concerns about the plans: In Inclusionary Zoning districts in our neighborhood, height limits have been increased ONLY for new developments that include 20% affordable or senior affordable housing, though the increase in height was reduced in some cases. Where height limits were 80 feet, the Mayor proposed 105 foot height limits, but the City Council only approved 95 feet (this applies to Avenues A and C, 1st Avenue, and 2nd Avenue north of 3rd Street, and most of our proposed University Place/Broadway rezoning). Where height limits were 120 feet, the Mayor and City Council agreed to increase them to 145 feet (this applies to Avenue D, Houston Street, 2nd Avenue below 3rd Street, 3rd/4th Avenue corridors [including midblocks], and part of our proposed University Place/Broadway rezoning). The stronger height limits we fought for governing new market rate developments in these areas remain in place. GVSHP opposed these increases in height limits because our studies found that the limits rarely interfered with the production of the 20% affordable housing (as the City claimed), and that increasing the height limits alone was unlikely to result in increased production of affordable housing, just taller buildings. GVSHP proposed instead a narrower, more targeted approach that would ensure that in the rare cases where existing height limits might interfere with full inclusion of affordable housing, new buildings could exceed height limits only to the degree necessary to include the affordable housing, rather than lifting height limits for such developments across the board. The Mayor and City Council refused to consider this alternative. Other local stakeholders expressed support for the de Blasio initiatives. In a press release put out by the mayors office, Chris Kui, executive director of Asian Americans for Equality, said: I want to commend Mayor de Blasio and the City Council for their leadership in passing this historic plan that will change the lives of so many New Yorkers. The current housing market has brought unprecedented pressures on immigrant communities and seniors across the city, severely impacting their quality of life. Now finally, there is a comprehension citywide mandate and plan for building and preserving 200,000 units of housing that is affordable, helping to ensure that New York City will remain a diverse and thriving city for all of its people for the next generation and beyond. Chin and Mendez will be at the April 13 meeting of CB3s land use committee. It takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Seward Park Extension, 56 Essex St. On Tuesday evening, Community Board 3 voted to support a liquor license for Gracias Mama, a Mexican taqueria at 162 East Broadway. But in a resolution approved 29-11 (with 3 abstentions), the board asked the State Liquor Authority to review whether the establishment is subject to the 200 Foot Rule. Thats a provision in state law that prohibits liquor licenses located on the same street and within 200 feet of a school or church. St. Teresas Church is located at 16-18 Rutgers St., one block away from the proposed restaurant. Nima Garos (of the Little Italy spot Gelso & Grand) and Koorosh Bakhtiar had won the support of the SPaCE Block Association, which negotiated reduced operating hours for the business (midnight weeknights, 1 a.m. weekends). But members of other block associations opposed the application. They are distressed by the proliferation of permits in the immediate area. Some people have also lamented the displacement (or at least the perceived displacement) of a Chinese bakery and newsstand ensconced on this corner for many years. The applicants said they hired a surveyor, who concluded that the distance (door to door) between the church and the restaurant is 214 feet. Many neighbors disagree. It will now be up to the State Liquor Authority to decide. A lot will depend whether officials measure from the front door of the church at 16 Rutgers St., or from the handicap-access ramp, which is several feet closer to the restaurant. You can see our previous coverage of this story here and here. India is the world's second most populated country with 1.25 billion people. It is the 10th largest economy and represents around 2.5 per cent of the global GDP. Economic growth in India has steadily risen over time, resilient even during the global economic crisis. In 2014-15 growth was 7.3 per cent and is projected to accelerate in the years ahead. India has more than 18 per cent of the worlds population, but only 4 per cent of the worlds renewable water resources and 2.4 per cent of worlds land area. There are limits on usable water owing to uneven distribution. The bulk of inflows in the rivers, especially in the southern peninsula, takes place during June to October. This requires storage of water. Irrigation is a state subject as per the Indian Constitution. However, the Government of India has the responsibility of inter-state river planning. The Centre should play an ombudsmans role in proper planning and management of river basins. For the second year in a row, India had a deficient monsoon last year. The deficit as forecast by IMD was about 14 per cent. Although rainfall deficit was felt pan-India, the intensity was higher in the peninsular parts. In the five states of South India, the rainfall deficit has been greater than 20 per cent. As a consequence of poor rainfall, water storage in key reservoirs is about 22 per cent lower than last year, which could have large impacts on agriculture. Agriculture is the largest sector that uses water, and water scarcity mainly affects it. To tide over such situations a lot of research needs to happen in the agriculture sector to develop crop varieties, which require less water. Telangana could be highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to its semi-arid climate. The agro-climate of the state is semi-arid, conducive for cultivation of agriculture and horticulture crops with an average annual rainfall of 960 mm. The gross cropped area is 50 per cent of the geographical area. The agriculture sector contributes 17.2 per cent to the states GDP (2012-13) and remains the mainstay for 65 per cent of the state's population. Over 85 per cent of the farmers belong to the small and marginal category with an average landholding size of 1.11 hectare. As many as 63 per cent of the farmers in Telangana depend on rain fed agriculture, resulting in lower yields per unit area (Socio Economic Outlook 2015). Simultaneously, Telangana is undergoing a changed socio-economic situation as a consequence of the drought conditions prevailing in the state. The Telangana state water sector investment strategy is based on two main pillars. First, to utilise the states unutilised share of allocated river waters (mostly in the Godavari basin) and surplus flood waters to augment supplies of water for various uses by taking up re-engineering of the projects: and second, to concurrently improve and modernise irrigation service delivery/performance of existing irrigation infrastructure by taking up restoration of all minor irrigation tanks under Mission Kakatiya. India has extensive groundwater resources and is the largest user of groundwater globally. India extracts about 245 billion cubic metres of groundwater per year, which represents about 25 per cent of global groundwater extraction. Groundwater use spurred the Green Revolution and currently provides for 65 per cent of irrigation. Over 80 per cent of rural and urban domestic water requirement in India is met by groundwater. But India's groundwater resources are under threat from uncontrolled and over abstraction and contamination. The present practice of groundwater development by the individual farmer has resulted in inequity as well as unsustainable management of resources. Since groundwater occurs in an aquifer and is not confined to the land holdings of the individual farmer, it is imperative that for sustainable use, groundwater resources are managed by the aquifer based community instead of an individual well owner. The primary task should be assessment of ground water availability and delineation of aquifers across the country for planning the recharge of aquifers. At present there is no framework to enable the aquifer level community to manage the groundwater. It is necessary to develop a legal framework for enabling the community to assess the groundwater availability in the aquifer, prioritize the uses and allocate the groundwater resources available in the aquifer for various uses. Climate change alone could increase demand for irrigation in several river basins, including the Brahmaputra, Brahmari, Chotanagpur, Eastern Ghats, Godavari, and Sahyada, while water stress is expected to increase in some of these river basins in future. The water sector is faced with critical challenges. First, competition among different water using sectors (irrigation, urban/rural domestic water supplies, industry, etc.) and even within the same sector among various water users (for example, in irrigation sector among the head, middle and tail reaches of farmers) is increasing, giving rise to disputes and conflicts. Second, the poor quality of irrigation service delivery is undermining the performance of irrigated agriculture. Third, outdated irrigation/water management practices and low use of modern technologies are resulting in poor irrigation service deliveries and resulting in decrease in water use efficiency low productivity of water as well as irrigated agriculture. Tank irrigation is well suited and developed in southern India, especially in Telangana state. Renovation restoration and rehabilitation on minor irrigation sources brings in food security in the villages and improves overall nutritional standards. Rehabilitation of the tanks will also improve groundwater levels, which will bring more area under cultivation. The restoration of tanks should be taken up on a watershed approach for sustainable irrigation. More emphasis should be given to improving water use efficiency by adopting water efficient technologies in cultivation and by crop diversification. Judicious use of irrigation water is required to get more crop per drop. Conjunctive use of surface and ground water should be encouraged for optimum utilization of canal water and to more water productivity. Although India has made some improvements over the past decades regarding both the availability and quality of drinking water systems, its large population, especially in rural areas, are left out the least mandated 40 litres per day. Regardless of improvements in the drinking water system, many other water sources are contaminated with both bio and chemical pollutants, and over 21 per cent of the countrys diseases are water-related. One concern is that India may lack overall long-term availability of replenishable water resources. In addition, water scarcity in India is expected to worsen as the overall population is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2050. The need of the hour is to provide clean and safe drinking water to the population. With a view to providing safe and clean drinking water to all, Telangana state has taken up Mission Bhagiratha under which all habitations and towns will be covered with safe and clean drinking water. Care should be taken not to contaminate the water bodies by putting in place stringent legislation. Polluters should be forced to pay the price. Water is a finite resource and managing water in days of rapid socio-economic growth and change is challenging. Decentralised water harvesting by adopting watershed approach along with measures at domestic level like percolation tanks should be adopted for improving ground water level. Water saving techniques at the farm level should be followed by changing cropping patterns. Sprinkler and drip irrigation methods should be followed for judicious use of water. System deficiencies should be rectified to arrest leakages and seepages. Israel's Cellebrite is helping the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's attempt to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino. (Representational image) Mumbai: Israel's Cellebrite, a provider of mobile forensic software, is helping the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's attempt to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California shooters, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Wednesday. If Cellebrite succeeds, then the FBI will no longer need the help of Apple, the Israeli daily said, citing unnamed industry sources. Cellebrite officials declined to comment on the matter. Apple is engaged in a legal battle with the U.S. Justice Department over a judge's order that it write new software to disable passcode protection on the iPhone used by the shooter. The two sides were set to face off in court on Tuesday, but on Monday a federal judge agreed to the government's request to postpone the hearing after U.S. prosecutors said a "third party" had presented a possible method for opening an encrypted iPhone. The development could bring an abrupt end to the high-stakes legal showdown, which has become a lightning rod for a broader debate on data privacy in the United States. Cellebrite, a subsidiary of Japan's Sun Corp, has its revenue split between two businesses: a forensics system used by law enforcement, military and intelligence that retrieves data hidden inside mobile devices and technology for mobile retailers. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The deadline for Erasmus funding is just around the corner, so if youre still finalising your travel plans for next year you need to get organised and fast! Luckily, student accommodation provider Luckily, student accommodation provider Uniplaces has carried out some research that might help out those of us who are a little bit disorganised... or those of us who miss the funding deadline altogether. The 2015/16 grant for Erasmus students pays up to 250/300 per month, on top of your student loan and depending on the country visited. With this in mind the team at Uniplaces have got the calculators out to work out which cities you can live in for around that amount. The five Erasmus cities that you can study in for free have thus been revealed and its a southern European love story (almost) all the way, with Spain, Portugal and Italy leading the cost-effective pack. Lisbon (pictured), Milan, Barcelona and Valencia have been named alongside Amsterdams second city, Rotterdam, as the best places for students to study for free. Uniplaces platform The survey compared the average monthly costs of double room lodgings available to students on thein various cities. To this data were added other student costs such as meals, transport and internet access. The absolute cheapest city is Lisbon, with a total monthly expenditure of 372. Particularly good value are the meal costs, at around 110 per month, and average accommodation at 202. Accommodation even in the desirable neighbourhoods of Baixa and Mandrake can be enjoyed in this budget. In second place is Valencia. Shared accommodation costs 216 - very competitive with the Portuguese capital. The higher costs for transport (42) and meals (approximately 137) push the total monthly estimate 428. Rotterdam and Barcelona occupy the third and fourth positions in the ranking, with monthly outgoings of 488 and 503 respectively. Rounding off the list is Milan, where the average cost for a shared room for a month is 374. Milan has one of the best value transportation systems in Europe, with a cost of 35 per month, making an overall monthly cost to student of 582. Add the 300 grant to your usual student loan and minus the living costs in these European hotspots, and youre laughing all the way to the airport. So, the only question left is where will you pick? 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However, the company has included an external 6-piece sound system in the shape of the Mi TV bar along with the TV. You can always go for a cheaper option and exclude the Mi TV bar if you are on a tight budget. Moving on to the smaller variant, the 43-inch FHD model is a little significantly thicker at 10.9mm. The display on this smart TV is powered by Mstar 6A908 processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB internal storage. Xiaomi's 43-inch FHD TV (Source: Twitter) This variant also employs Dolby and DTS dual outputs. Both the TVs run on Android with the companys proprietary MIUI on top. While both the TVs make amazing additions to Xiomis product line up, the company should look forward to plan to launch both the smart devices in India soon. In China, the 65-inch 4K curved glass Mi TV 3S will be available for CNY 8,999 (approximately Rs 92,400) and the smaller 43-inch TV will be available at just CNY 1,799 (approximately Rs 18,500). Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Prosecutors said the confirmed toll from the two attacks was 31 dead and 270 wounded (Photo: PTI) Brussels: Belgian prosecutors said Wednesday that two brothers carried out suicide attacks at Brussels airport and on a metro train, with one of them leaving a desperate will in a trash can saying he did not know what do any more. Ibrahim El Bakraoui blew himself up in the check-in hall of Zaventem airport while Khalid El Bakraoui attacked a metro train at Maalbeek station near the EU headquarters, Frederic van Leeuw told a news conference. Prosecutors said the confirmed toll from the two attacks was 31 dead and 270 wounded. Van Leeuw said Bakraoui's "will" said he was "in a rush", and "I don't know what to do ... hunted everywhere ... no longer safe", adding that "I don't want to end up in a cell next to him". That appeared to be a reference to Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who is reportedly linked to Bakraoui, and who is in custody in Belgium after being captured last week. The computer on which Ibrahim wrote the will was dumped in a trash can in the same street in the Brussels district of Schaarbeek where investigators found an unexploded bomb, an Islamic State group flag and bomb-making materials on Tuesday night. Prosecutors confirmed that they had found 15 kilos (33 pounds) of TATP high explosive in the flat. They also found chemicals including 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of liquid oxygen, detonators, a suitcase full of nails and other bomb-making equipment including plastic trays, tools and ventilator. A third man, who was filmed with Ibrahim and a second unidentified suicide bomber and who fled the scene without detonating his device, remains on the run, prosecutors said. "The third man is on the run; he left his bag with the biggest bomb in it, which exploded later because it was so unstable. This third person remains unidentified and is still being looked for," he said. A Pakistan embassy official is at the airport to negotiate with the Russian authorities for the release of these men, says officials. (Photo: AFP) Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said that 132 of its traders were detained at the Moscow airport by Russian authorities and efforts were underway to repatriate the remaining 84 nationals. Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafess Zakaria said that these Pakistanis were part of a group of traders, who were traveling to Russia for an exhibition yesterday when they were detained at the Moscow airport. Russia already sent back 48 Pakistanis yesterday while the remaining 84 will be soon brought back, said Zakaria. "The Foreign office is in touch with Russian embassy in Islamabad on the matter," he said. It was not known why they were held and being deported back, he said. The Express News TV reported Pakistan's ambassador to Russia Qazi Khalilullah saying that the Pakistan embassy in Moscow is negotiating with the Russian authorities for their release. "A Pakistan embassy official is at the airport to negotiate with the Russian authorities for the release of these men," he said. The incident comes after the Brussels attacks on Tuesday, which killed more than 30 people and created worldwide panic. Patong pub security guards arrested for fatal stabbing of Frenchman PHUKET: Two Patong pub security guards were arrested yesterday (Mar 23) for a stabbing incident in Soi Sansabai in the early hours of yesterday morning which left a French tourist dead and a second tourist wounded. homicideviolencepatong By Eakkapop Thongtub Thursday 24 March 2016, 11:34AM A police officer holds up a shirt that Somkit Lemut said had been dumped in a bin in Taweewong Rd. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The knife believed to have been used in the stabbing. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The main suspect, 33-year-old Somporn Kakkaew, confessed to police that the stabbing took place because he believed he was going to lose a fight with the two tourists, named as French national Akim Boukheddouma, 24, (the deceased) and 23-year-old Moroccan, Said Missoury. Lt Col Suthichai Tienpo from Kathu Police, together with tourist police, investigated the incident and after checking CCTV footage from the area discovered that Somporn had an accomplice who joined the fight just before the stabbing took place. The investigation led to the arrest of 30-year-old Somkit Lemut, who police learned worked at the same pub in Soi Sansabai as Somporn. Somkit told police that while he was inside the pub getting ready to close, he noticed Somporn arguing and fighting with two tourists outside. He went to help Somporn after seeing him being attacked, when suddenly Somporn pulled out a knife and stabbed one of the men. He also told police that the tourist attempted to take the knife from Somporn which resulted in both Somporn and the tourist sustaining knife wounds. The two tourists ran towards a hotel about 200 metres from where the incident took place. I took Somporn to hospital and on the way dumped our bloody clothes in a rubbish bin on Taweewong Rd, Somkit told police. Lt Col Suthichai explained: I went to Vachira Hospital after learning that Somporn had been admitted there for a knife wound to his wrist. I was told that he had lost a lot of blood because the wound was on the main artery so we had officers monitor him while he received treatment. Somporn told us that he had just finished work and was heading home on his motorbike when two drunk tourists lurched into his bike. They accused him of driving his motorbike into them before an argument ensued, which escalated into a fight, he said. Somporn told police: Even though Somkit came to help me, I realised I was not going to win the fight because both tourists were stronger than us so I decided to use the weapon. Lt Col Suthichai concluded, Both men confessed and gave details of the incident, which matches the CCTV footage we obtained. We have all the evidence including the knife and key witnesses. Both men will be punished according to law. Somkit now faces a charge of accessory to assault causing death and injury, while Somporn will be charged with murder and assault causing death and injury. Hassane and Majeed were arrested before they launched the plot. Police found they did have a weapon and ammunition. (Representational Image) London: Two home-grown British extremists face long prison terms for conspiring to kill soldiers, police officers and civilians in west London in a plot inspired by the so-called Islamic State group. Physics student Suhaib Majeed, 21, was convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to murder and preparing terrorist acts. Tarik Hassane, 22, had pleaded guilty during the trial at London's Old Bailey courthouse. Prosecutors said he was the mastermind. They had planned to shoot from an untraceable moped and then ride off. They had scouted possible sites including a police station and an army barracks. Police Commander Dean Haydon said the plot was extremely concerning because it involved an Islamic State-inspired drive-by shooting rather than a martyrdom operation based on a suicide bombing. "This plot is almost an elevation in complexity," he said. "This is about acquiring a moped and committing a drive-by shooting. Acquiring a firearm, silencer and ammunition, almost in broad daylight targeting police officers, and targeting the military and members of the public. That's a real concern for me, a real concern for the counter-terrorism command that we've almost seen an escalation." He said the plotters had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and were intent on committing murder. Hassane had been photographed with a gun and a book about Osama bin Laden, the late al-Qaida leader. Two other defendants were found not guilty of being part of the plot although they had provided the group with a weapon. They denied knowing about the conspiracy but admitted firearms offenses. Hassane and Majeed were arrested before they launched the plot. Police found they did have a weapon and ammunition. The jury was not told for legal reasons that Hassane and Majeed had links to a mosque used by Mohammed Emwazi, the Islamic State figure who made a series of grisly beheading videos before he was killed in a US drone attack in Syria. Phuket police ask for help identifying man found hanged from tree PHUKET: Police are asking for help in identifying the body of a man who was found hanged in a eucalyptus plantation on bypass road this morning (Mar 24). They suspect foul play played a part, but are waiting for doctors to confirm the exact cause of death. constructiondeathpolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Thursday 24 March 2016, 02:20PM The man has a prominent tattoo on his back, an image of a peacock sitting branch with three stars and crescent moon. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Lt Col Suchart Meelumpong of Phuket City Police was called at 7:30am to investigate an incident where the body of a man had been found hanged from a eucalyptus tree in Koh Kaew. Police arrived at the plantation with Kusoldharm rescue workers where they found the body of a Thai man, believed to be 25-35 years old, hanging from a tree by a nylon rope. The man was wearing short jeans with paint stains all over them and a long sleeve T-shirt with K Engineering Co Ltd printed on the back. He was dressed like a construction worker, a painter perhaps. We found no identification on the body. said Lt Col Suchart. He continued, We found a wound on the mans foot, and at the bottom of the tree was a pair of flip-flops and a plastic bag containing an opened pack of noodles and a water bottle. The man has a prominent tattoo on his back, an image of a peacock sitting branch with three stars and crescent moon, he said. There are two lines of bruising around his neck but no other injuries were found. There appears to be no sign of assault around the area, and we are not sure if he went up there and hanged himself or he was strangled and someone hung him. His hands were in a position that made it look like he was dead before he was hanged. Residents in the area said they have never seen him before, Lt Col Suchart explained. The body was taken to Vachira Hospital so doctors can confirm the cause of death and we are checking with construction companies in the area. The body was found very close to the underpass construction site and near several work camps so we will ask around. If anyone recognises the tattoo and is able to help us identify him please contact 082-2756049 or dial 191, Lt Col Suchart concluded. Three Brussels attackers identified as nation mourns BELGIUM: Three suicide bombers who struck Brussels airport and a metro train in attacks claimed by the Islamic State were identified Wednesday (Mar 24), as a grieving nation observed a minutes silence for victims of the carnage. violencedisastersdeath By AFP Thursday 24 March 2016, 09:05AM Brussels airport workers and their relatives hold candles as they pay tribute to the victims of Brussels triple attacks near the airport in Zaventem. Photo: AFP As hundreds of mourners gathered in the city in a show of solidarity with the 31 people killed and 300 injured, prosecutors said brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui had carried out attacks at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek station. Bomb-making expert Najim Laachraoui was identified by police sources to AFP as the second airport bomber, while police stepped up a huge manhunt for a third airport attacker whose suitcase bomb failed to detonate. Belgian media on Wednesday withdrew reports that a man arrested in the capital was Laachraoui. Arrested man in Anderlecht is not Najim Laachraoui, the Derniere Heure newspaper tweeted, while the RTL broadcaster said that the suspect arrested in Anderlecht was not Najim Laachraoui in the end. Turkey said it had detained Ibrahim El Bakraoui near the Syrian border in June 2015 and deported him as a foreign terrorist fighter, piling more pressure on Belgian authorities who have faced criticism for failing to tackle the extremist menace. All three suspects have been linked to the November attacks in Paris, which like the Brussels bombings were claimed by IS, underscoring the threat European nations face from the jihadist group. US President Barack Obama urged nations to unite against terrorism and said wiping out IS was his top priority. Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw revealed that Ibrahim El Bakraoui had left a desperate will on a computer that he dumped in a trash can, in which he said he felt hunted and added I dont know what to do. In an apparent reference to Salah Abdeslam, the key suspect in the Paris massacre arrested in Brussels on Friday, Bakraoui added: I dont want to end up in a cell next to him. Long Live Belgium A third man in a hat and white jacket seen on CCTV footage with Bakraoui and Laachraoui pushing their bomb-filled bags on trolleys through the departure hall shortly before the attacks is still at large, Van Leeuw said. Belgium has declared three days of mourning and on Wednesday hundreds of airport staff and their families carried candles and flowers in a silent march and vigil near Zaventem. It could have happened to me, said security guard Gregory Lupant, who added he was worried about colleagues who had not been heard from, and others who had lost a leg or finger. Earlier in the day, King Philippe, Prime Minister Charles Michel and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker led a minutes silence outside the EU headquarters in Brussels, the city that is also home to NATO. In the citys Place de la Bourse, where mourners have laid banners and candles, defiant applause broke out among the large crowd gathered to honour the dead, chanting: Long live Belgium. But the attacks have raised troubling new questions about Belgium's ability to handle the jihadist threat, already under scrutiny after it emerged that the Paris attacks were largely planned in Belgium. Belgian authorities had already been hunting the Bakraoui brothers, both Belgian nationals with long criminal records, over their links to Abdeslam. They issued a wanted notice for Laachraoui on Monday, the day before the attacks, with officials saying he had travelled to Hungary with Abdeslam last year and that his DNA has been found on explosives linked to the Paris rampage. Then on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had arrested one of the Brussels attackers last year and deported him to the Netherlands. A senior Turkish official later confirmed that it was Ibrahim El Bakraoui. Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, the Belgian authorities could not identify a link to terrorism, Erdogan said. Belgiums Justice Minister Koen Geens denied however that the 30-year-old Belgian citizen had been flagged as a possible terrorist. At that time, he was not known here for terrorism, Geens told VRT television. He was a common law criminal out on parole. Bomb factory In a raid on Tuesday night investigators found a bomb factory in an apartment near where Ibrahims computer was left in the Brussels district of Schaarbeek, an area that has links to Abdeslam. They found 15 kilos (33 pounds) of TATP high explosive, chemicals and detonators, Van Leeuw said. Prosecutors said on Tuesday an unexploded bomb, an IS flag and bomb-making materials had been found. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said the attacks, the worst in the country's history had killed or wounded people of around 40 nationalities. The dead include a Peruvian mother of twin girls, one of whom was injured by flying debris in the airport attacks. The health ministry said late Wednesday that the number of people injured had climbed from 270 to 300, 61 of whom were in critical condition. A bit afraid Brussels airport announced it would stay shut until at least Saturday while investigators continued to comb through the wreckage. The citys subway system partially reopened, although rush-hour crowds were thinner than usual and soldiers were checking passengers bags. Im a bit afraid, especially for my little brothers, said 18-year-old Dominique Salazar as she took her young siblings to school. But we dont have any other choice to get around. Authorities are under immense pressure over their apparent inability to smash extremist networks in Belgium, Europe's top exporter of jihadist fighters to Syria per capita. Leaders across Europe have reacted with outrage to the bombings, with the EU calling an emergency meeting Thursday of interior ministers and vowing to defend democracy and combat terrorism with all means necessary. White House hopeful Hillary Clinton urged Europe to step up its efforts, including through better intelligence sharing. Right now, many European nations... don't alert each other when they turn away a suspected jihadist at the border or when a passport is stolen, she said. US Secretary of State John Kerry is to visit Brussels on Friday to offer Washingtons support and issue condolences. Brussels, Belgium: Long before blowing themselves up in crowds of innocent people, suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui and his brother Khalid lived the lives of the classic Brussels hoodlum. Carjackings, robberies and shoot-outs with police were just some of the convictions collected by the Belgian brothers who took part in the metro and airport assaults in Brussels claimed by the ISIS group. Read: Brussels attacks: Picture of Indian survivor goes viral Both were said to have links with top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, while the third identified Brussels attacker, Najim Laachraoui, was the suspected bomb-maker for the November rampage in the French capital. Baby-faced Ibrahim, 29, who blew himself up at the airport on Tuesday along with Laachraoui, had been given a nine-year sentence in 2010 after a gunfight with police, according to local media. He took part in a bungled robbery at a Western Union office in which a police officer was injured in the leg. Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were identified as suicide bombers -- one at the airport and one at a metro station -- who had already been sought for links to Abdeslam. (Photo: AP)Read: Faces of tragedy that spoke to millions Turkey said it had detained Ibrahim in June last year as a "foreign terrorist fighter" and then deported him to the Netherlands. President Recept Tayyip Erdogan said the Belgian authorities had failed to confirm his links to terrorism "despite our warnings" and had later released him, although it is not immediately clear when he crossed to Belgium from the Netherlands. Ibrahim, seen on CCTV footage with two other suspects pushing airport trolleys with their bomb-laden bags, left a confused and scared message on an abandoned computer, according to the Belgian federal prosecutor. "Hunted everywhere... no longer safe," Ibrahim said in the message. "I don't know what to do." Carjacker To Suicide Bomber His younger brother Khalid, 27, who blew himself at the Maalbeek metro station just a short walk from the main EU institutions, was a convicted carjacker, receiving a five-year sentence 2011, according to La Derniere Heure. Federal prosecutors revealed on Wednesday that both were Belgian citizens with convictions "not linked to terrorism". They burst into the public eye on March 15 when police raided an apartment in the Forest district of Brussels, as part of the investigation into the Paris attacks that killed 130 people. Read: Hunted everywhere, dont know what to do: Belgian bombers desperate will Media reports said a joint squad of Belgian and French police approached the property because it was rented under a false name used by Khalid to secure a hideout months earlier for the Paris team. Belgium filed an Interpol search for Khalid, who was suspected of renting other properties used to prepare the Paris attacks, including one in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi from where ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud set off to spearhead the assault. The police last week fully expected to find an abandoned property, as utilities in the Brussels apartment had been shut off for weeks. Instead they came under heavy gunfire, with one assailant killed and two men fleeing -- including, it is thought, Salah Abdeslam, then Europe's most wanted man who would be arrested three days later. The brothers were not believed to have been present but their connection to ISIS terrorism was established. 'Typical' Student The second airport bomber was named as Najim Laachraoui, 24, who was captured on the CCTV footage with Ibrahim and another assailant who is the subject of a massive manhunt after his bomb did not go off and he fled the scene. Read: Turkey says Brussels attacker deported in 2015, Belgium ignored warning Investigators have found traces of Laachraoui's DNA on explosives used in the Paris gun and suicide bomb assaults, including at the Bataclan rock venue where 90 people died. DNA traces were also found in a rural Belgian hideout used on the eve of the Paris attacks, as well as in a suspected bomb factory in the Schaarbeek district of Brussels. Moroccan-born Laachraoui grew up in Schaarbeek and had been wanted by police over the Paris attacks since December, though by a false identity that was only unmasked last week. Laachraoui attended Schaarbeek's Sainte-Famille Catholic school for six years where an official told AFP he was a "typical" student. He received his baccalaureat, the equivalent of a high-school diploma, in 2009. A newsletter posted on the school website indicated he studied electronics, but the official would not confirm this. Read: Brussels attacks may have targeted Americans: US Lawmaker Laachraoui went to Syria in September 2013 in one of the first waves of terrorists to leave Belgium for the war-torn country, where he fought under the ISIS nom de guerre Abu Idriss, according to media reports. In February, a Belgian court convicted him in absentia for his involvement with ISIS. He was known to have returned to Europe in September when he was checked by police under a false identity in a Mercedes driven by Abdeslam, who now sits behind bars in Belgium. Also in the car was the Algerian Mohamed Belkaid, 35, shot dead during the March 15 search and gun battle in Brussels that eventually led to Abdeslam's capture. Long before blowing themselves up in crowds of innocent people, suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui and his brother Khalid lived the lives of the classic Brussels hoodlum. Carjackings, robberies and shoot-outs with police were just some of the convictions collected by the Belgian brothers who took part in the metro and airport assaults in Brussels claimed by the ISIS group. Both were said to have links with top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, while the third identified Brussels attacker, Najim Laachraoui, was the suspected bomb-maker for the November rampage in the French capital. Baby-faced Ibrahim, 29, who blew himself up at the airport on Tuesday along with Laachraoui, had been given a nine-year sentence in 2010 after a gunfight with police, according to local media. He took part in a bungled robbery at a Western Union office in which a police officer was injured in the leg. Turkey said it had detained Ibrahim in June last year as a "foreign terrorist fighter" and then deported him to the Netherlands. President Recept Tayyip Erdogan said the Belgian authorities had failed to confirm his links to terrorism "despite our warnings" and had later released him, although it is not immediately clear when he crossed to Belgium from the Netherlands. Ibrahim, seen on CCTV footage with two other suspects pushing airport trolleys with their bomb-laden bags, left a confused and scared message on an abandoned computer, according to the Belgian federal prosecutor. "Hunted everywhere... no longer safe," Ibrahim said in the message. "I don't know what to do." Read: Did taxi dispatcher mix-up limit Brussels bombing? Carjacker To Suicide Bomber His younger brother Khalid, 27, who blew himself at the Maalbeek metro station just a short walk from the main EU institutions, was a convicted carjacker, receiving a five-year sentence 2011, according to La Derniere Heure. Federal prosecutors revealed on Wednesday that both were Belgian citizens with convictions "not linked to terrorism". They burst into the public eye on March 15 when police raided an apartment in the Forest district of Brussels, as part of the investigation into the Paris attacks that killed 130 people. Media reports said a joint squad of Belgian and French police approached the property because it was rented under a false name used by Khalid to secure a hideout months earlier for the Paris team. Belgium filed an Interpol search for Khalid, who was suspected of renting other properties used to prepare the Paris attacks, including one in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi from where ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud set off to spearhead the assault. The police last week fully expected to find an abandoned property, as utilities in the Brussels apartment had been shut off for weeks. Instead they came under heavy gunfire, with one assailant killed and two men fleeing -- including, it is thought, Salah Abdeslam, then Europe's most wanted man who would be arrested three days later. The brothers were not believed to have been present but their connection to ISIS terrorism was established. 'Typical' Student The second airport bomber was named as Najim Laachraoui, 24, who was captured on the CCTV footage with Ibrahim and another assailant who is the subject of a massive manhunt after his bomb did not go off and he fled the scene. Investigators have found traces of Laachraoui's DNA on explosives used in the Paris gun and suicide bomb assaults, including at the Bataclan rock venue where 90 people died. DNA traces were also found in a rural Belgian hideout used on the eve of the Paris attacks, as well as in a suspected bomb factory in the Schaarbeek district of Brussels. Moroccan-born Laachraoui grew up in Schaarbeek and had been wanted by police over the Paris attacks since December, though by a false identity that was only unmasked last week. Laachraoui attended Schaarbeek's Sainte-Famille Catholic school for six years where an official told AFP he was a "typical" student. He received his baccalaureat, the equivalent of a high-school diploma, in 2009. A newsletter posted on the school website indicated he studied electronics, but the official would not confirm this. Laachraoui went to Syria in September 2013 in one of the first waves of terrorists to leave Belgium for the war-torn country, where he fought under the ISIS nom de guerre Abu Idriss, according to media reports. In February, a Belgian court convicted him in absentia for his involvement with ISIS. He was known to have returned to Europe in September when he was checked by police under a false identity in a Mercedes driven by Abdeslam, who now sits behind bars in Belgium. Also in the car was the Algerian Mohamed Belkaid, 35, shot dead during the March 15 search and gun battle in Brussels that eventually led to Abdeslam's capture. The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with the Belgium national colors black, yellow and red in honor of the victims of the attacks at the airport and the metro station in Brussels. (Photo: AP) Islamic State supporters have mocked the solidarity displayed by various countries over the Brussels attacks by putting put up an online poll asking what colour would the Eiffel Tower be next and asking people to suggest which country should the dreaded organisation target next. ISIS had claimed responsibility for the triple bomb attacks that took place in Brussels international airport and Maelbeek metro station, leaving 31 people dead and close to 300 injured. 'What will be the colour of the Eiffel Tower in the next attacks?' was the poll question published by one user online. The iconic building had lit up in the colours of the Belgian flag to show solidarity to the victims of the Brussels bombings. In November last year, it had lit up in the colours of the French flag after the deadly Paris attacks, which was also orchestrated by the Islamic State. US, Russia and United Kingdom were among the countries that featured in the poll and UK was voted most by jihadi supporters for being the next target of terror attack. 'The Islamic State will attack London, Washington, Rome and all the infidels' capitals,' tweeted an ISIS supporter. IS members distributed sweets to residents of Syria to celebrate the Brussels attacks. (Photo: SITE) This comes a day after ISIS had released photos of its members celebrating the brutal slaughter of innocent lives in Europe by distributing sweets. Photographs showing jihadis handing out sweets to residents in Syria were circulated by the terror group across the internet. Photographs showed bags of sweets and other items being handed by militants to young children and men in the province of Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria. The photos included a statement, describing how ISIS had distributed sweets to Muslims in 'joy of the blessed attack against the Crusaders in Brussels.' The ease with which suicide bombers were able to set off powerful explosions in Brussels has triggered massive security concerns across the globe and also shown how popular European cities have become soft targets for ISIS fighters. How to watch and what to know about South Dakota State at North Dakota Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges on Thursday at a UN court, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Hague: Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges on Thursday at a UN court, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal found Karadzic guilty of orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 people dead. The UN court found Karadzic criminally responsible for genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered. He was also held criminally responsible for murder, attacking civilians and terror for overseeing the deadly 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during the war. However, the court didnt hold Karadzic responsible in a second genocide charge, for a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces. Karadzic had faced a total of 11 charges and a maximum life sentence, but was given 40 years imprisonment. One set of hands behind Paris. The same set of hands behind Brussels. A single set of hands, building the suicide vests and connecting the wires that twice brought the nightmare in Syria and Iraq to the heart of Europe. And then Tuesday, as Belgian investigators finally closed in, it now appears those hands turned on themselves, ending their deadly capabilities forever in a final explosion at an airport ticketing counter in Brussels. Such is the picture emerging from Belgium, where police sources on Wednesday confirmed that alleged explosives expert Najim Laachraoui named Monday as a key suspect in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks was among the three suicide bombers in Brussels. Laachraoui, 24, a Belgian-passport holder born in Morocco and raised in the Brussels suburb of Schaerbeek, is now among the firmest links between Paris and Brussels, having left a trail of his DNA on explosive belts in both cities. Coupled with other revelations culled from a cascading series of terror raids, investigators now are rapidly connecting new dots between the two cities. The emerging conclusion: the bombing campaigns were the work of a single interconnected jihadi super-cell that was able to regroup in the four months between blasts, even after the death of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, its Belgian ringleader, in a shootout days after the Paris attacks. Belgian investigators also traced the cells travels to a critical moment last September, when alleged bomb maker Laachraoui, travelling together in a car with Paris attack suspects Salah Abdeslam and Mohamed Belkaid, were able to talk their way through a police stop at the Austria-Hungary border with the help of false identity papers. Presenting himself under the alias Soufiane Kayal, Laachraoui was able to avoid detection despite the existence of an international arrest warrant naming him as a recruiter for Daesh. While Daesh (also known as ISIS and ISIL) claimed responsibility for both attacks, new clues emerging from Brussels suggest the remnants of the cell may have acted unilaterally, perhaps in desperation, as they mobilized to attack Belgium before police closed in. The Belgian prosecutor on Wednesday outlined a suicide note attributed to Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, one of two Belgian-born brothers who set off suicide belts in Brussels. The message appeared to have been written in the wake of last Fridays capture in Brussels of Paris attack suspect Abdeslam. Writing in French on his laptop computer, el-Bakraouis angst-filled last words tell of feeling in a rush, not knowing what to do, being hunted everywhere, not being safe. And they describe his ultimate dread of ending up in a (prison) cell. The words point more to a man gripped with panic and despair rather than one steeling himself for an explosive end. Belgian security agencies, having already endured withering criticism in the four months since the fingerprints of the Paris attackers were first traced to Brussels, on Wednesday faced more questions still after revelations that the bomber Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was arrested last summer in Turkey near the Syrian border. El-Bakraoui was first deported to Holland and then on to Belgium, arriving as a suspect red-flagged by Turkish officials. But Belgian authorities failed to confirm his suspected links to terrorism despite our warnings that he was a foreign fighter, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens downplayed the Turkish presidents admonition, saying that Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was not yet on police scanners for suspected terrorism but as a common-law criminal who was on conditional release. Belgian police were able to raid the Bakraoui brothers apartment Tuesday night thanks to a tip from a taxi driver who had unwittingly delivered the bombers to the Brussels airport before becoming suspicious and alerting authorities. Police described the premises as a de facto bomb-making factory, replete with 15 kilograms of homemade explosives. Though the taxi driver sounded the alarm too late to save those caught in Tuesdays blasts, Belgian media reports suggest the onslaught could have been worse a fourth suitcase, thought to contain yet another bomb, was said to be too big to fit in the taxi and instead was left behind. Read more about: SHARE: The hundreds of demonstrators who have been holding space in front of Toronto police headquarters since Sunday night never met Andrew Loku. Yet for four days, theyve been calling out the name of the 45-year-old black father of five who was shot and killed by Toronto police last summer. The protestors, who are overwhelmingly black, heard the decision last week by the Special Investigations Unit not to criminally charge the officer who killed Loku, and have responded with outrage and resolve. They want justice and accountability from the police, for Loku and the series of black people who have died at the hands of police in recent years. Nothing can return Loku to his family, or erase the message of indifference to black life that has been communicated through the decision not to charge his killer. But the significance of this weeks resolute public demonstration is clear: black people in this city know we are under attack, and will stand our ground until we see real change in policing. That change can begin when police break their silence and name the police officer who shot and killed Loku. The SIU, which investigates serious injuries, deaths and sexual assaults involving Ontarios police, is not accountable to the public. The agency took eight months to investigate Lokus death on July 5, 2015, then released a 700-word report clearing the subject officer who fired two shots into Lokus chest. SIU director Tony Loparco wrote, I am satisfied that the subject officer fired his weapon believing it to be necessary to shoot Loku, who was in his apartment hallway with a hammer in his hand. Loparco may be satisfied, but black Torontonians are disgusted that our lives are viewed so cheaply by the SIU. Many questions remain even if we accept the SIUs explanation, in the case of Loku or the scores of killings and beatings of black people that have passed without consequence in recent years. If the officer who killed Loku acted appropriately, why should his identity be kept a secret? Why do police, who are sworn to serve us, maintain the ability to harm or even kill us in complete anonymity? The officers anonymity is all the more insulting when we consider the systemic racism in Toronto policing that constantly scrutinizes black bodies. Demonstrators also decry police carding, a racist form of documentation that forces black people to identify ourselves and justify our very existence where we live. Police demand to know everything about us, even though we are not hurting anyone. By contrast, police who kill us are not even named. The courageous organizers of Black Lives Matter Toronto are holding space to demand justice for Loku, and for all those who experience police brutality and systemic racism. In sustaining this protest, they have opened a forum for others who face systemic racism and political indifference: injured migrant farm workers, indigenous people, the homeless, the undocumented. Many clearly see the disrespect shown to Loku and his family, and are standing in solidarity to bring about accountability. Few demonstrators were surprised when police violently disrupted the protest on Monday evening, dismantling the tents they were sleeping in, and extinguishing the fire that kept them warm. You cant script this stuff: any attempt by black people to take up space in Toronto, whether at a public park for Afrofest or in front of the headquarters of their own police, results in a backlash, in excessive sanction, in lectures, in violence. We get it, but were not going to accept it any longer. Mayor John Tory has reached across the Atlantic Ocean to condole with the families of those killed in the recent attacks in Brussels, Belgium. As I write this, Tory hasnt uttered one word about the SIU decision not to charge Lokus killer. When the killing was under investigation, Tory, who put himself on the police board, said he was obligated to remain silent. His silence now, along with that of the entire elected city council, is an endorsement of the ongoing police disregard for black lives. The officer who killed Loku has likely been on the job since he took the South Sudanese refugees life last year. We do not know if he hurt anyone before Loku, or has hurt anyone else since then. There is no way to hold police accountable if they can harm us and remain anonymous. To begin the process of accountability, police must release the subject officers name. Desmond Cole is a Toronto-based journalist. His column appears every Thursday. SHARE: Ontario will spend almost $23 billion on education in the 2016-17 school year, a boost of $300 million a move welcomed by school boards that nonetheless warned funding for areas like special education remains a concern. I think the overall increase in per-pupil spending just barely hits inflation, said Annie Kidder, executive director of research and advocacy group People for Education. Which is fine, but still, as with last year, there are constraints in some areas. The per-pupil funding will increase by 1.4 per cent to $11,709. Kidder was pleased to learn the government is providing $7 million to be shared among the 72 school boards to help with educating First Nation, Metis and Inuit youth in public schools because thats where the vast majority of (aboriginal) kids are more than 80 per cent are in provincially funded schools, and this is a really important start. Another change the government will introduce will force school boards to pay fair market value when purchasing buildings from other school boards. Currently, boards are obliged to offer closed schools and buildings to other public entities first, giving other school boards a discounted replacement value rate if the fair market value is higher. Robin Pilkey, chair of the Toronto District School Board, said based on our preliminary analysis, the ministry appears to have fully funded the recently negotiated labour settlements and recognized inflation in utilities and transportation costs. We are also pleased to see that future sales of property between boards will be at fair market value. But Toronto City Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22, St. Pauls) said the City-School Boards Advisory Committee had hoped the city would be exempt from paying fair market value, to facilitate what the city and what many community members would like, to create new parks instead of townhouses at a glance, it would make it far more difficult to protect public lands because it makes them more expensive. The public already owns these lands and it is ridiculous to force these public entities to pay fair market value to one another. In announcing the education funding increases on Thursday, Education Minister Liz Sandals said the overall cash injection reflects the commitment of our government and the entire education sector to take our publicly funded education system from great to excellent. NDP education critic Lisa Gretzky, the MPP for Windsor West, accused the Liberals of not properly investing in education. Over the past three years the government has simply not spent more than $1 billion, she said. When it comes to actually investing in education, the Liberals are falling short leaving families and kids to pay the price. The Ontario Public School Boards Association said the governments increase in funding reinforces a strong school environment and the growth of student success but president Michael Barrett warned many of our member boards have already been absorbing reductions in other budget areas such as special education and this has had an impact on their flexibility. SHARE: The Islamic State group called on the 15,000 or so civilians still living in Palmyra to leave the famed ancient city. (Representational image) Beirut: The Islamic State group called on the 15,000 or so civilians still living in Palmyra to leave the famed ancient city on Thursday as Syrian pro-government forces closed in, a monitoring group said. IS called on loudspeakers on civilians still in Palmyra to leave as fighting reached the outskirts of the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrian troops and militia are poised for a final assault on the city, which IS has held since May last year, after advancing to within two kilometres (a mile) yesterday. It is the culmination of an offensive that the army launched at the beginning of the month with the support of intense Russian air raids. Despite the exactions of the jihadists, which have included public beheadings in the city's ancient amphitheatre, some 15,000 of Palmyra's 70,000 residents stayed on under IS rule, according to Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The historic first round of direct talks with the Taliban took place in the Pakistani resort town of Muree last July to find a solution to the 13-year-old insurgency. (Photo: AP) Islamabad: Pakistan was making "sincere and consistent" efforts for promoting reconciliation in Afghanistan through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the US. Sharif was speaking to US ambassador to Pakistan David Hale who called on him in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported. Sharif said Pakistan has a vital stake in peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and is engaged in sincere and consistent efforts for promoting reconciliation through an Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process. The US ambassador appreciated Pakistan's efforts for revival of peace in Afghanistan. Hale said peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of entire region and Pakistan's endeavors in this regard will help a great deal. The historic first round of direct talks with the Taliban took place in the Pakistani resort town of Muree last July to find a solution to the 13-year-old insurgency but hit a roadblock after the announcement of the militant leader Mullah Omar's death, which had been kept secret for two years. Pakistan hosted a four-nation talks in January this year for trying to create a roadmap for restarting peace negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan national government. The four-day talks involved Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and the US. The Taliban, however, issued a statement on March 5 saying they would not participate in a peace process with the Afghan government until foreign forces stop attacking their positions and leave the country. It said reports of their participation were "rumours." The Afghan government still hopes to hold peace talks with the Taliban. Talking about the Pakistan-US relationship, Sharif said important decisions agreed during his visit to the US have generated a new momentum in steering the bilateral relations forward. He said Pak-US strategic dialogue has been instrumental in identifying the achievements made so far and setting new targets under six working groups. Sharif said he looks forward to have useful exchange of views on bilateral issues with US President Barack Obama during his visit to attend the nuclear security summit later this month. Lahore: Britain's Queen Elizabeth must apologise for executing legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 1931 and pay blood money to his heirs, human rights activists in Pakistan said on Thursday as they marked his 85th death anniversary. Events to mark Bhagat Singh's death anniversary was held on Wednesday in two different places in Pakistan's Punjab province. The first ceremony was held at the birth place of Bhagat Singh -- Chak 105-GB, Banga Chak, Jaranwala, Faisalabad district -- some 100 kilometres from here. People from different walks of life attended the ceremony and paid rich tributes to him for his struggle for freedom. The second function was held at Shadman Chowk where Bhagat was hanged along with his companions Raj Guru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931 after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the regime. A resolution has also been adopted unanimously demanding the British Queen (Queen Elizabeth II) tender an apology for executing the freedom movement hero as well as paying blood money to his heirs. Bhagat Singh was initially jailed for life but later awarded death sentence in another "fabricated case", they said. A written message of Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was also read out during the occasion. Bambawale lauded efforts of the Bhagat Singh Foundation for organising the event to keep his memories alive. "We will submit this resolution to the British High Commission in Islamabad to be forwarded to the Queen," rights activist Abdullah Malik said. "We will agitate with the British government to tender apology for executing Bhagat Singh," he said. Shadman's event was held under strict security in the face of threats from extremists. Since the Bhagat Singh Foundation has been demanding renaming the Shadman Chowk as 'Bhagat Singh Chowk' the Hurmat-e-Rasool, a sister organisation of Jamaat-u-Dawah, opposing it and suggesting to rename it as 'Hurmat Chowk'. Iqbal Virk, owner of the Bhagat Singh Haveli, said Singh's struggle is getting popular among the youth here as they often ask him about the background of Singh and his companions. "The government must organise events in the honour of Bhagat Singh on the eve of Pakistan Day (March 23) as he and his fellows had paved the way for freedom," he demanded. The government had recently preserved two rooms of the Bhagat Singh's haveli. The pictures of Bhagat and his fellows have been displayed in the rooms. in all my 73 years I never heard of islam or the koran like aside from the other trubbles in the past why is it this suddenly poped up with hate for christains.. theres something else and its not religion or terrorist something else woke it up what is it. I think its a thing that is agenst jesus Christ from what I found the past few years they don't believe in jesus. only a god. are they trying to destroy our belief in jesus. and why. ... is it because the teachings of jesus a threat to islam.. after a few thousand years to now... it don't add up, but its something no one knows of yet as to the root of the reason. Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener. Pricing power. Some companies have it, others don't. Jim Cramer told his Mad Money viewers Wednesday that companies who have pricing power see their stocks rally, but those who don't are fated to tread water at best. That's why Cramer owns shares of Apple (AAPL) , Alphabet (GOOGL) and Facebook (FB) for his charitable trust, Action Alerts PLUS. Apple, he said, may have released a smaller iPhone this week, but it still commands a premium price. Meanwhile, both Facebook and Google can pretty much charge whatever they want for advertising and companies are happy to pay it. Tobacco is another industry with pricing power, Cramer said. It's the only industry where the product is literally addictive. Those without pricing power include the oil companies, where oversupply has crushed pricing, and quick serve restaurants, which have been struggling against McDonald's (MCD) new low-cost menu. Then there are the drug stocks, where companies struggling against each other in patent wars and against the government, which perpetually accuses them of gouging. Those with price power flourish, Cramer concluded, but those that can't raise prices flounder. Blink and You'll Miss It If it seems like the market has been giving you whiplash lately, you're not alone, Cramer told viewers. It used to take investors days or even weeks to change their mind about a stock, but in today's market those decisions are being made in just hours or even minutes of events occurring. That's how after yesterday's terrorist attack in Brussels, the markets could sink lower, only to end the day mostly flat to higher by the end of the day. It's also how Nike (NKE) could report what seemingly were good earnings, only to see its shares tank but then quickly recover. Cramer said he also saw this trend with Five Below (FIVE) , which had run up 20% before it reported, then tanked on the earnings release itself, only to end up $2.65 in record speed. Cramer said these re-valuations on the fly are a new trend that's popping up more and more in the markets, and investors need to keep an eye out for them. Cramer's Elite 8, Part 1 In honor of March Madness, Cramer unveiled his "Elite Eight" list of the top CEOs in the market today. Every team needs a great coach, he said, and these are truly the best of the best. First is Honeywell's (HON) Dave Cote, who took the helm in 2002 and has been delivering for shareholders ever since. Cote has installed a culture of constant innovation, planting seeds for the future and publishing five-year plans that the company not only keeps, but exceeds. Next is McDonald's (MCD) CEO Steve Easterbrook, who has turned around the fast-food giant in record time. By reinvigorating the franchisees and transforming the menu, McDonald's is seeing accelerating same store sales for the first time in ages. Cramer also praised Jeff Immelt of General Electric (GE) for navigating the industrial giant through the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the financial crisis of 2008 and continuing to refocus the company's efforts. This stock has a lot more room to run, Cramer said. Rounding out the first four is Microsoft's (MSFT) Satya Nadella, who has transformed an old tech titan from an irrelevant giant to one that's laser focused on growth while still being shareholder friendly. More importantly, Nadella has made Microsoft, well, cool again. Executive Decision: Manny Chirico For his "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer sat down with Manny Chirico, chairman and CEO of PVH (PVH) , a stock that shot up 4.9% today after the company reported a 6-cents-a-share earnings beat on a 7% increase in revenue that beat the company's own forecasts. Chirico said underwear and intimate apparel were both strong drivers this quarter. Growth was challenging in the U.S. but strong in both China and Europe. When asked about China in particular, Chirico noted Calvin Klein is currently a $275 million business in China, with Tommy Hilfiger being about half of that. Chirico said he thinks each could become a $500 million business. As for other positives, Chirico said commodity costs continue to be low and PVH's return on investment from its company-owned stores has also been terrific. Cramer continued his recommendation of PVH. Lightning Round In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Intuit (INTU) , Adobe Systems (ADBE) , Dow Chemical (DOW) and Verizon (VZ) . Cramer was bearish on H&R Block (HRB) , ServiceNow (NOW) , Chesapeake Energy (CHK) , LyondellBasell Industries (LYB) , Annaly Capital (NLY) and Arcos Dorados (ARCO) . Sports and Business In a special interview, Cramer sat down with Brent Celek, entrepreneur and tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles, to discuss football and business. Celek said his desire to become an entrepreneur stems from wanting his own success and the ability to learn from his mistakes. He said teamwork was one trait he learned from the NFL that translated perfectly to the restaurant business. When asked why so many football players end up being broke, Celek said that for many, they trust others with their money rather than trying to make it on their own. To watch replays of Cramer's video segments, visit the Mad Money page on CNBC. To sign up for Jim Cramer's free Booyah! newsletter with all of his latest articles and videos please click here. At the time of publication, Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS had a position in AAPL, DOW, FB and GOOGL. The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum carnage, officials have told The Associated Press. The network of agile and semiautonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. The officials, including European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker who follows the jihadi networks, described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to attack the West. Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks claimed he had entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered "more or less everywhere." NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) are decreasing by 0.55% to $59.51 on Tuesday morning, as the company began selling its TV, Internet and phone service on Amazon.com (AMZN). This is the Philadelphia-based cable giant's highest-profile online retail partnership, the Wall Street Journal reported after yesterday's market close. A new page titled "Amazon Cable Store" on Amazon.com sells Comcast's Xfinity bundles and has customer service for Amazon.com customers. The two companies decided on a way to sell TV, Internet and phone services over the course of a year in a way that simplified the process, the Journal noted. "They helped us in our thinking about how to simplify the experience and just make it clean," Comcast's cable division president Neil Smit told the Journal, "We're partnering with a company that's so good at the customer experience - I think that's really what excites me." For example, Amazon.com helped the cable company decrease the number of clicks it takes for a customer to finish a transaction. The Seattle-based e-commerce company will take a fee every time a customer signs up for a Comcast subscription using Amazon.com, sources told the Journal. Shares of Amazon.com are lower by 0.59% to $550.69 at the start of trading on Tuesday. Separatelty, TheStreet Ratings Team has a "Buy" rating with a score of A- on the stock. This is based on the convergence of positive investment measures, which should help this stock outperform the majority of stocks rated. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, growth in earnings per share, increase in net income, reasonable valuation levels and good cash flow from operations. The team believes its strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins. Recently, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author. You can view the full analysis from the report here: CMCSA Investors who are looking for a solid growth opportunity and a safe dividend payer should own shares of Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) , the largest egg producer and marketer in the U.S. Cal-Maine will report fiscal third quarter 2017 earnings Monday before the opening bell. Since our buy recommendation a year ago, Cal-Maine stock has delivered almost 50% gains, from around $37 per share to $54.96 on March 4. (Shares were trading just over $50 on Wednesday). Despite the rise in its shares so far in 2016, which has bested the 1% increase in the S&P 500undefined index, the Jackson, Miss.-based company is still attractively priced. But that's likely to change once its results are announced. For the quarter that ended in February, the company is expected to earn $1.05 per share on revenue of $468.56 million, translating to flat earnings growth, while revenue is projected to be up about 7%. For the full year, ending in May, earnings are projected to soar 121% year over year to $7.37 per share, topping last year's mark of $3.33, while revenue of $2.06 billion would mark a year-over-year increase of 30%. As evidenced by the strong full-year earnings and revenue projections, consumers love eggs. And Cal-Maine, which has become a staple at the breakfast table, has profited handsomely from that business. The company continues to enjoy strong demand for its specialty eggs, sold under brands like Egg-Lands Best and Land O Lake. And Cal-Maine, which generates some 27% of its sales from these brands, is seeing no signs of slowing down. Not only are its profit margins rising, thanks to lower feed costs, its volumes are also improving, suggesting strong pricing power with consumers who have valued its brands. Given these fundamental factors, its tough to ignore the long-term value in Cal-Maine shares, which are priced at just ten times fiscal 2017 estimates of $4.99 per share, or seven points below the S&P 500 index. It's likely for this reason, Cal-Maine stock has a consensus buy rating and an average analyst 12-month price target of $57.50, suggesting a premium of more than 11% from current levels of around $52. Add in its 75-cent quarterly dividend that yields 5.70% annually, or almost three times the S&P 500 index, you should scramble to buy these shares. This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned. Every day, it seems, brings more news about the battle for women to have an equal position to men in corporate America. Just this week, massive online retailer and Web services firm Amazon (AMZN) reversed course in its opposition to a shareholder resolution that would commit the company to pay equity for women. It's 2016 and paying men and women the same for a day's work is still, puzzlingly, an issue. Perhaps that's because women are still restricted from and, in some cases, completely shut out of the highest echelons of power in the country's biggest companies. Women are still severely underrepresented in corporate boardrooms across America. While progress has been made on the issue with more women in S&P 500 boardrooms than ever before, one congresswoman is taking action to speed up the process. U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, recently introduced the Gender Diversity in Corporate Leadership Act (H.R. 4718) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish a gender diversity advisory group to study and make recommendations on strategies to increase gender diversity on corporate boards and amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require publicly traded companies to make disclosures to shareholders with respect to gender diversity. Though less than a month old, the proposed legislation has already received quite a bit of support. Representatives Donald Beyer of Virginia and Debbie Dingell of Michigan, both Democrats, are co-sponsors of the legislation. And just days after the bill was introduced, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter offering its support. "We've been trying to partner up with other business leaders to try to create some different organic ways to get more qualified women on boards," said Tom Quaadman, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Center for Capital Markets, in a phone interview with TheStreet. "When Congresswoman Maloney introduced her bill ... it's something that we were very supportive of." We reached out to Representative Maloney to learn more about the Gender Diversity in Corporate Leadership Act and why getting more women into the boardroom sooner rather than later matters. Here's what she had to say, via email. TheStreet: What prompted you to introduce the Gender Diversity in Corporate Leadership Act? Why this, and why now? Carolyn Maloney: I asked the GAO [Government Accountability Office] to do an analysis of women on corporate boards and the results, which came out this January, shocked me. Women hold just 16% of seats in the boardroom, and even if the rate of women joining corporate boards doubled, so they were named at the same rate as men, it would still take at least 40 years (until 2056) for women to reach parity. It's in the public interest to have more diverse and representative boards of directors and my bill is intended to help correct this problem. TST: It appears that the SEC is receiving more appeals for it to force companies to reveal more information about inequality. Public firms will soon have to disclose CEO pay ratios, and the SEC has received a petition to disclose gender pay ratios. Why should this matter to the SEC and to investors? CM: Investors know that having more diverse boards and corporate executives leads to better company performance. Investors, as well as the SEC, also know that to overcome issues like the gender pay gap, which are a major drag on our economy and which lead to long-term inequality, we need to make sure there are more opportunities to for women to rise through the ranks of corporate America In my discussions with business leaders, it's crystal clear that boards and executives set the tone for companies, and we should make sure that women are in these positions to contribute. TST: What sort of reception have you received for the proposed act, beyond the Chamber of Commerce? What sort of support have you received? What about opposition? CM: I've been very pleased by the support I've received so far. In addition to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, my legislation has been endorsed by several local chambers of commerce, the National Women's Law Center, and groups like Catalyst that share the goal of getting more women on boards and in senior executive positions. I don't think anyone can really be opposed to a bill that calls for information, that is already public, about company's board of directors to be easier to access. What will be telling is who doesn't support this bill, because this is something that should be very easy for companies to comply with. TST: We've come across seven S&P 500 companies that have no women on their boards of directors (and in some cases, never have or haven't for 10 years). The response on this from these companies, and from many onlookers, is generally that women will eventually get there. Is that an acceptable response? CM: Research and experience tells that there are structural biases and hurdles that prevent women from having equal opportunities. As the GAO analysis found, even if the current rate of women joining corporate boards were doubled, it would still take at least 40 years to reach parity. That's unacceptable to me, and companies should take stock of their own processes to recruit and identify candidates for their board. TST: What is your hope with this bill? I'm very hopeful. With the support we've received so far from outside stakeholders, this should be a bill that garners wide bipartisan support. TST: What other areas on Wall Street and in SEC regulation do you think suffer from gender-related issues? CM: For a long time, our workplace policies have not kept up with the demands on working parents and caregivers. We've seen some attention to these issues from Wall Street in recent years, but there's still a lot of progress that needs to happen. We need to ensure that employees can move to a flexible schedule when they have young children or need to care for a sick relative, without sacrificing their prospects for advancement. Even in 2016 the brunt of the care giving responsibilities in a family fall to women, so they are disproportionately affected by policies that penalize workers that need to balance these demands. I've introduced the Flexibility for Working Families Act, which would make sure that employees can request a change in their schedule without fear of retaliation. Women are not only underrepresented in corporate boardrooms, but in senior leadership positions at major corporations. Without a deliberate commitment by companies to recruit and retain women, the disparity will persist. This is bad for women who suffer economically from a lifetime of lower wages, but it's also bad for companies. Studies show that companies with women in top leadership positions outperform their peers. To the extent that it can, the SEC should encourage gender diversity throughout the corporate pipeline and companies should take a look at how their policies can help them make progress toward gender parity. Impact investing is all about making a positive social or environmental statement while shooting for an above market return. And while it sounds like a highly political way to invest, it actually cuts across the aisle, said Fran Seegull, chief investment officer of ImpactAssets. "Progressives appreciate the fact that government aid alone is not enough to move the dial on the social and environmental issues of our time," said Seegull. "And for the conservative folks, we say that we are trying to create private sector solutions to public sector problems, thereby decreasing the role of government." There are $6.5 trillion dollars, or one in six investment dollars in the United States, associated with impact investing, according to Seegull. She said that figure is up 76% from 2012. Most of that money is invested in the public markets with environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors taken into account. On the private side, Seegull said there is about $100 billion invested in private companies where the impact themes might be job creation, housing or education. Seegull said the huge wealth transfer from baby boomers to millennials and women in the range of $40 trillion over the next 30 years will also raise impact investing to a new level. "We know that both of those cohorts are very interested in investing consistently with their values," said Seegull. Finally, Seegull said there are now a number of asset classes individual investors can choose from in order to create an impact investing portfolio. "There has been an explosion in green bonds, so that can be a tax advantaged fixed income type of investment," said Seegull. "You could also invest in equity mutual funds through families such as Pax, Domini, Calvert and now BlackRock ( (BLK) ) is getting into the mix and they are working on an impact investing ETF." Editors' Pick: Originally published March 23. Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.B) Warren Buffett just gave a big vote of confidence to Ford Motor (F) CEO Mark Fields. In turns out that Buffett is a fan of Fields. And Fields holds Buffett in high regard. At the New York International Auto Show this week, I asked Fields which CEO at a publicly traded company does he most admire? Fields' answer was the Oracle of Omaha, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett. "He's known for his investment savvy," explained Fields. "But the way he runs Berkshire Hathaway is quite interesting, giving his business leaders the autonomy to grow their businesses but also holding them accountable." In his annual letter to shareholders this year, Buffett wrote "every day Berkshire managers are thinking about how they can better compete in an always-changing world." Buffett is quick to commend Berkshire's managers, often signaling out a few during Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting each spring. So I decided to find out if Buffett felt the same way about Fields, who has earned praise and admiration for his leadership at Ford. I contacted Buffett and passed along Field's comments. Buffett is a busy man of course, between running a giant conglomerate and searching for companies to buy. But Buffett responded almost immediately. "I'm flattered," Buffett wrote in an email. "Especially because the appraisal came from Mark who is doing an outstanding job in running Ford." Whoa! Nice compliment! And it's probably a bit more meaningful considering that shares of Ford have lost ground in the past year, as have shares of its competitors GM (GM) and Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) . Of the 15 common stock investments held by Berkshire Hathaway with the largest market value, none are in the auto sector. But who knows? Maybe one day they will be. For now, these two executives may be content just being part of the same mutual admiration society. Personally, I think they should get together for a few laughs, because they both share a good sense of humor. For example, when I reached out to Buffett to let him know what Fields thought of him, he also wrote this: "Are you sure he didn't say that Warren is the best CEO in the 85 and older age bracket?" The answer to that -- of course -- is no! American Airlines (AAL) , in a striking reversal, said it will offer profit sharing to its employees, reversing CEO Doug Parker's long-standing belief that profit sharing is an unreliable way to compensate workers. The announcement came Wednesday afternoon in a letter to employees from Parker and President Scott Kirby. The reversal in policy seems to reflect Parker's recent effort to repair a culture that pilots have described as "toxic." At a March 8 investor presentation, Parker declared that airline management has changed now that the industry seems to have achieved a state of generally reliable profitability. Today, "it's a race for the best employee relations," he said at that time. "Our goal is to make American the airline with the best employee relations in the airline business." Competitors Delta (DAL) and United Continental (UAL) both offer profit sharing. The letter said American Airlines is establishing a profit-sharing program effective with 2016 annual earnings, which is considered to be extremely likely, although it is not assured. "The program has already begun and will pay out in early 2017 based on what we earn in 2016," the letter said. "The plan will put 5% of every pre-tax dollar we earn into a profit-sharing pool." The money would be shared by about 118,000 American employees, not including upper management. "Although we continue to believe the most effective way to increase compensation is through higher base pay, we recognize there is a team-building component to profit sharing," according to the letter. The letter quotes Elise Eberwein, executive vice president for people and communications, as saying "Profit sharing is a feeling, not a formula." American shared profits at the same 5% rate prior to the 2013 merger with US Airways, but for approximately a decade it had no profits. "Although this 5% rate is lower than our peers, we plan to offer hourly pay rates higher than those same peers in the contracts we're negotiating now and in those to be negotiated in the future," the letter said. The letter said management lacks the ability to increase unionized employees without union approval, but noted "Because we will not be asking for anything in return, we expect your union leaders will readily agree." Bob Ross, president-elect of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, called the move "a step in the right direction." "I am pleased to see management is assigning value to employee morale and I look forward to building on this progress," Ross said in a prepared statement. He will take office next month. Interim APFA President Marcus Gluth added, "I'm happy to see that management is finally recognizing everything flight attendants do to make American Airlines successful." This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned. In the wake of Tuesdays attacks in Brussels, many travelers have begun to question airport safety. Their concerns arent unfounded, but they can also take heart. Terror attacks have done virtually nothing to make air travel less safe overall. Since the September 11 attacks, there has a perception that transportation networks are a signature target for terrorists. Hubs such as the Brussels Airport arent the only sites to be sure, as the events of Paris and San Bernardino demonstrated, but from the train bombings of London and Madrid to the World Trade Center attacks themselves, transport has played a disproportionate role in terror attacks. Visibility plays a major role in this since one of the most high profile consequences of a terror attack are the heavily armed police and troops that fill airports and train stations, as they already have in the wake of Brussels. Its a typical response no matter where in the world an attack happens, with governments looking to lock down vulnerable locations, known to security experts as soft targets. Yet at the same time, those guards can increase the feeling among passengers that they have become a target. The question of whether we have entered a more dangerous age of travel is ultimately about the effectiveness of terror tactics. Attacks such as at the Brussels Airport are high profile events. They resonate particularly well when it comes to transportation networks, in part, because travel exposes us in a way that few day-to-day activities can. Travelers, already made vulnerable by putting their fate in the hands of an unknown airline pilot in an unfamiliar place, have those worries compounded with each successful attack. Thats why terrorists pick those targets in the first place. We all use transportation, so that's a good scare to put into people, said Rich Roth, executive director of the security firm CTI Consulting. Any place a person has to go, anywhere they must go, if you can take away that element where they feel safe, that's where there's a target." Airports in particular are prime targets specifically, because of how hard governments work to protect that space. The big thing to look at is how much money we've spent [on security]," Roth said. "Its, Oh you guys can spend a billion dollars on airport security and we can still get in.' Yet individual travelers dont need to be concerned. For all that terrorism has been remarkably effective at achieving its stated goal (and the fear is undeniable), actual danger to individual travelers is minimal. If anything travel is safer now than ever before, even from terrorists. This past December, in the wake of the Paris attacks, the website Statista released a study on victims of terror attacks in Western Europe, stretching back to the 1970s. The findings show that by this metric, the past 20 years have constituted an era of almost unprecedented peace across the continent and Great Britain. Even accounting for tragedies in London, Madrid, Norway and Paris, the danger posed by terrorism remains vanishingly low. Fewer people are killed or put at risk by terror attacks than at any time in recent history. Hijackings have followed a similar pattern. Since 2001, global commercial hijackings have fallen from 11 events that year (and 26 the year before) to 0 in 2015, and an annual average of 1.8 in this decade. Commercial aviation deaths overall (due to accident, attack or other causes) have also steadily decreased since a high in the 1970s and 80s. In fact, 2014 was the safest year on record to fly. This at a time when air traffic continues to increase. As Roth explained, no matter how high profile terror attacks may be, the risk to individuals is minimal. Thats not much comfort to those who lost their lives in Brussels or Paris this past December. Travelers in general, however, can take heart that this is a case where the noise is much louder than the signal. Part of the reason for this is that security measures do tend to work. For the most part everything is being kept outside, Roth said. If you notice the last time this kind of attack happened at the El Al ticket counter in L.A., that person once again tried to do something outside of security, because he knew he had no chance to get inside. To carry out an attack requires forethought and planning, and that provides opportunities for security to spot a threat before it materializes. Even a purse snatcher, Roth pointed out, needs to scout out his territory to make sure he doesnt run afoul of the police. That creates patterns and systems that police can spot, identify and disrupt. Even something as simple as obnoxious guards asking simple, random questions has a powerful deterrent effect on a would-be attacker. A bomber does not want to have to answer questions from somebody while he's got an active bomb, Roth said. Nobody wants to be asked a question, but especially not if you're doing something wrong. Airport security may not always be pleasant, and there are many well warranted criticisms to be leveled at both its invasiveness and theatrics, but in general, it does work. The question, however, in the wake of Brussels is whether airports will reconsider where that security perimeter should begin. Despite cries of protest in 2001, the government tightened access to the sky side of terminals while the land side remains freely accessible. It remains to be seen whether the TSA or comparable overseas agencies will consider extending checkpoints or barriers past ticketing and check-in areas to try and disrupt future attacks. That said, even the best system can be defeated. As Roth pointed out, simply because an attack happened doesnt mean that someone failed. While reporting has begun to circulate about missed opportunities to arrest the Belgium attackers in prior months, the reality, he said, is that there are no perfect systems. By the numbers, though, airports are doing very well. Terrorists are good at making a lot of noise in a crowded room. Its the heart of their tactic, to spread fear as far from their initial attack as possible. As far as safety goes, though, history is not on their side. Air travel is safer now than it has almost ever been. Sometimes its impossible to stop bad things from happening, but most travelers will get home safe. Twisted Sister said: Bring back teaching by rote will solve a lot of problems in today's society. Both of my parents were public school teachers and the closest I came to that was a Navy Radar Instructor. Click to expand... I had to look up that word.I don't think that would solve anything.Students need to learn how to use logic. Unfortunately 90% of them simply don't have the capacity for it. It would be beneficial if they at least tried to develop that ability in those other 10%.In the war against truth, one must not only tell intelligent people they're stupid, but also tell stupid people they're intelligent. Equating memory to intellect is just that. If the illogical brainwashed masses think they're smart and given a degree which attests to that notion, they won't listen to the reasoning of their superiors.Concordia University PortlandThe two biggest examples of rote learning are the alphabet and numbers. Slightly more complicated examples include multiplication tables and spelling words. At the high school level, the elements and their chemical numbers must be memorized by rote. Many times, teachers use rote learning without even realizing they do so.Is rote learning an outdated technique or is there a valid place for its use in the classroom today? Increasingly, rote learning is being abandoned for newer techniques such as associative learning, meta cognition, and critical thinking instead of being used as a functional foundation to higher levels of learning.Its always useful to apply meaningful relationships to basic skills. At the end of the day, however, rote learning plays a bigger role than most teachers would like to recognize in todays learning climate.The difference between memory and intelligenceThe mental ability to memorize is often used as an indicator of intelligence. No doubt, the two are strongly linked, but memory is not always a reliable indicator of intelligence. Working memory does not directly affect the level of intelligence of a student.Most of the time, a deficit in working memory is due to the structure of learning. Think of working memory as a filing cabinet. If each piece of information has a separate file, finding the information becomes difficult. If factors such as stress, lack of sleep, and distractions are involved, finding the information is even harder. Instead, effective memorization involves categorization of the information and sections within sections of the filing cabinet.Memory is not a strong indicator of intelligence. Instead, it is linked to interaction of environmental factors and training. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Terex (TEX) stock is rising by 4.30% to $24.76 in early-morning trading on Thursday, after China's Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology increased its takeover bid to $31 per share. Earlier this year, Zoomlion had offered to acquire the company in a deal valued around $3.29 billion. The new offer is valued at roughly $3.4 billion, Reuters reports. However, last year Terex agreed to merge with Finnish rival Konecranes. Terex's board has not changed its recommendation in support of the proposed merger with Konecranes. Until Terex's existing agreement with Konecranes is terminated, the company will not be able to enter into an agreement with Zoomlion, according to a statement. Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates the stock as a "hold" with a ratings score of C. Terex's strengths such as its financial position based on a variety of debt and liquidity measures that we have evaluated are countered by weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and poor profit margins. You can view the full analysis from the report here: TEX TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. It has sure been quite the week for the cruise line industry. On Monday, Carnival (CCL) announced that Cuba has agreed to let the company begin cruises to the island country starting May 1, the first time in more than 50 years that an ocean liner from the U.S. has been allowed there. President Obama said two years ago that the U.S. would begin rebuilding diplomatic relations with Cuba, which collapsed during the Cold War. The U.S. embassy there reopened in 2015. So far, Carnival's key rivals such as Royal Caribbean (RCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) continue to work on getting approval from the Cuban government to sell directly to the region. "There are a lot of reasons it's taking longer to get the approval, some of which are way beyond the cruise industry," said Royal Caribbean International president and COO Adam Goldstein. Chief among the reasons is getting Cuban officials to trust Americans after years of being kept at bay. Goldstein said, "The consideration on how to engage with a U.S. economy that is trying to be more approachable and active with the Cuban economy presents the Cuban leadership with tremendous questions that they are trying to work through." Even once Cuba opens up to the likes of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, investors shouldn't expect a meaningful lift to profits. "There is literally not enough capacity in Cuba to host cruise ships to make a meaningful economic difference in the performance of the public cruise companies," said Goldstein, who pointed out that right now there is only one pier in Havana Harbor that could host cruise ships. Goldstein's assessment of the Cuban market was echoed by Carnival. "We are very excited about Cuba -- it won't provide an immediate bottom-line benefit, but what it does is increase interest in taking a cruise and helps raise awareness," Carnival CEO Arnold Donald explained to TheStreet. Donald added, "Over time, we will have other ships going to Cuba and more ports will open up, which will drive interest in cruising to the Caribbean -- we think it will be a major positive economic driver." While the cruise companies are currently attempting to exploit a budding opportunity in Cuba, they being forced to navigate a more uncertain environment in Europe. Three explosions rocked the Belgian capital Tuesday morning, killing at least 31 people and wounding 270 more in apparent suicide bombings. Based on the financial performance of consumer and travel companies in Europe after the attacks in Paris last November, the latest bombings and related security concerns probably will drive demand down again. "We saw a relatively limited impact from the Paris attacks," said Goldstein, who remained optimistic that demand would bounce back even if the bombings change the vacation plans of those in the U.S. and Europe. For the year, Royal Caribbean anticipates a low-single-digit decline in the yield for its European itineraries. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Office Depot (ODP) are gaining by 8.83% to $6.91 in mid-morning trading on Thursday, after a judge criticized the FTC for its attempts to challenge the merger between the office supply retailer and Staples (SPLS). U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he was unsettled by the allegations that the FTC was looking to change testimony by Amazon.com (AMZN), the Wall Street Journal reports. The FTC is worried about a lack of competition if Office Depot and Staples merge, however Amazon executive Prentis Wilson spent most of Wednesday testifying about Amazon's new business site. The site sells office supplies and Staples and Office Depot say its entry into the market ensures competition, the Journal noted. Wilson was on the stand in a hearing that was closed to the public. Judge Sullivan ordered that the parties spend the night going through the testimony to identify confidential information that needs to be blacked out in order for the rest of the testimony to be released to the public, the Journal added. Separately, TheStreet Ratings has set a "hold" rating and a score of C- on Office Depot stock. The primary factors that have impacted the rating are mixed - some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and good cash flow from operations. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself and poor profit margins. TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author. You can view the full analysis from the report here: ODP With more than 980 companies and 47 countries registering for the upcoming Defence Expo scheduled next week in Goa, the ninth Defexpo India biennial exhibition for Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security is showing significant growth. India is among a handful of countries in the world with indigenous capabilities in the defence fields such as multi-level strategic deterrence, ballistic missile defence, nuclear powered submarines, main battle tank, stealth destroyers, aircraft carriers and 4th generation fighter aircraft. With the changes in government policies on defence acquisition and Make in India campaign, considerable impetus is being given to indigenisation in the defence sector. According to the Ministry, till date 980 companies and 47 countries have registered for participating in the Expo. India will be the largest exhibiting country with 540 exhibitors. The largest international group of exhibitors will come from the USA (94), the Russian Federation (71), UK (46), Germany (39), Israel and France (each is represented by 38 exhibitors). Impressive growth in exhibitors is noted from South Korea (18) and Norway and Italy (16 each) signifying the marketing thrusts these countries are aiming at India. In contrast, the low presence of Spanish companies (only one is registered to exhibit). In total, the number of foreign companies increased 33 percent over defexpo 2014, a total of 490, up from 368 in 2014. The number of Indian doubled from 256 to 510. Around 950 delegations against 511 in 2014 are expected to visit the exhibition this year providing great synergy in business to business (B2B) activities during the short span of 4 days. The exhibition will thus provide an excellent platform to enhance growth in the sector in the coming years. 204 official delegations from 44 countries and around 750 non official business delegations are attending the show. The net area sold during this edition is 40725 square meters against 27,515 Square Meters in 2014. The gross area of exhibition has increased over three folds to 150,000 square meters against 45,000 Square Meters in 2014.Secretary (Defence Production) Ministry of Defence, AK Gupta said the success of Defexpo 2016 would not be gauged by the contracts signed, but by how effectively it would provide a business-to-business forum for Indian and foreign companies to tie up partnerships to benefit from the Make in India policy. Underlining the new commitment to Make in India, Gupta stated that 90 per cent of the procurement approvals by the National Democratic Alliance government had been accorded under the Buy Indian and Buy & Make (Indian) procurement categories. He said DPP-2016s new category of Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured equipment would further add to indigenous production. My suggestion is that now, the foreign OEMs will have to look towards partners in Indian companies because we will be issuing request for proposals (RFP) to the domestic companies under the new DPP increasingly. Gupta said, adding that if OEMs have to supply to the Indian forces, they will have to enter into collaboration with the Indian companies. Unlike last event in 2014, there is no bar on blacklisted companies from taking part in the expo. Debarment is from the point of view of purchase by the Ministry of Defence. They can showcase their products to other countries and enter into collaboration, Gupta said. In February 2014, when the DefExpo was held in Delhi, the Defence Ministry had decided to keep 27 Indian and foreign firms, including those facing the CBI inquiries, out of the biennial military exhibition. Director of Defence Exhibition Organisation, Wing Commander MD Singh, confirmed one such company Finmeccanica is participating in the event. Other blacklisted companies such as Rheinmetall Air Defence, Singapore Technology Kinetic or IMI are not be participating. In 2014, the Defence Ministry had kept AgustaWestlands parent company Finmeccanica, which was under the scanner over the VVIP chopper scam, out of the show along with its other group companies including Selex, Alenia Aermacchi, Oto Melara and WASS. Finmeccanica was later allowed to participate in Aero India show last year. Cover photo: Ancient Indias Military Techniques by Ajay Prabhakar NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Petrobras (PBR) stock is down 0.56% to $5.33 in early afternoon trading on Thursday after a stronger dollar and record high U.S. crude inventories pressured oil prices. WTI crude is falling 1.43% to $39.22 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude is declining 0.74% to $40.17 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange this afternoon. U.S. commercial crude oil stockpiles increased by 9.4 million barrels to 532.5 million barrels last week, U.S. Energy Information Administration data showed on Wednesday. "A dose of reality (has) derailed the current perception (of a) rally, at least for the time being," Energy Management Institute analyst Dominick Chirichella told Reuters. Additionally, an International Energy Agency senior executive said a production freeze between Russia and some OPEC members would be "meaningless" because only Saudi Arabia has the resources to boost production, Reuters noted. Petrobras, a Brazilian state-operated oil and gas company, is part of Real Money's "Stressed Out" index. Separately, Petrobras has a "sell" rating and a letter grade of D at TheStreet Ratings because of the company's disappointing return on equity, weak operating cash flow and generally high debt management risk. You can view the full analysis from the report here: PBR TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Petrobras (PBR.A) stock is decreasing 1.43% to $4.13 in midday trading on Thursday after oil prices slipped because of a stronger dollar and rising U.S. crude oil stockpiles. WTI crude is falling 1.13% to $39.34 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude is declining 0.54% to $40.25 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange this afternoon. Last week, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories increased by 9.4 million barrels to a record high of 532.5 million barrels, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data released on Wednesday. "A dose of reality (has) derailed the current perception (of a) rally, at least for the time being," Energy Management Institute analyst Dominick Chirichella told Reuters. Additionally, an agreement to freeze production between Russia and certain OPEC members would be pointless, considering Saudi Arabia is the only country that could increase production, an International Energy Agency senior executive said, Reuters noted. Brazil-based Petrobras is a state-run energy company that is a part of Real Money's "Stressed Out" index. Separately, Petrobras has a "sell" rating and a letter grade of D at The Street Ratings because of the company's disappointing return on equity, weak operating cash flow, disappointing stock performance and generally high debt management risk. You can view the full analysis from the report here: PBR.A TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Exxon Mobil (XOM) stock is rising by 0.13% to $83.86 in afternoon trading on Thursday after the SEC ruled that it must include a climate change resolution on its annual shareholder proxy, Reuters reports. The agency decided that Exxon should not be able to prevent a climate-change proposal from undergoing a May shareholder vote. If approved, the proposal would require that Exxon detail specific risks that climate change and related legislation would pose to its operations. However, Exxon shareholders have never approved a climate-change proposal, Reuters notes. Environmentalists nonetheless applauded the decision. "The SEC has rejected Exxon's attempt to silence investors' concerns about the very real financial risks associated with climate change," Shanna Cleveland of Ceres, a nonprofit group that tracks environmental records of public companies, told Reuters. Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates the stock as a "hold" with a ratings score of C. Exxon Mobil's strengths such as its reasonable valuation levels, solid stock price performance and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures are countered by weaknesses including feeble growth in the company's earnings per share, weak operating cash flow and poor profit margins. You can view the full analysis from the report here: XOM TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. March 10, 1963 March 18, 2016 Alan Ackerman was born on March 10, 1963, to parents Cyrena J. and J. Mark Ackerman, who at the time resided in Pomona, California. The young family moved to Boulder, Colorado, in August of 1964, where they lived in graduate student housing. Four years and a younger brother named George later, Alan and his family moved to what would be his final resting place, Albany. He attended Fairmont Elementary School (where he famously told his third grade teacher he didnt need to learn to write because hed have a secretary to do that later in life), North Albany Junior High and West Albany High School. Although Alan spurned team sports for his entire life, he was an avid lifelong skier (snow and water) and pilot, learning to fly with his father Mark starting in the mid-1970s. Alans true talent emerged relatively early in life, as he had a true aptitude for working with electronics. While his father, a former air force electronics technician, taught him at first, by his early teens Alan had progressed to a level where Mark wasnt able to provide much support. In high school, Alan first succeeded in commercializing his expertise, clandestinely modifying and selling floppy disks to students in computer class and club, developing an interface to allow Albany high schools to use existing Teletype machines as printers for newly acquired Radio Shack TRS 80 computers. After high school, Alan started his first company, Microbits alongside best friend John Wiley (and former accomplice), selling Atari gaming systems out of the back of a bicycle shop, and later developing products to be used alongside the system (which prompted the two to drop out of OSU although Alan was already on academic probation). The bank foreclosed on Microbits in 1985, but within a few months the company had been restarted under the name Supra. Supra went on to become a significant player within the global computer industry, with offices in Washington and Germany, and led the way in Albany as the first local company to provide day care for employees children. Having married DLynn nee Barry in 1987, they had their first son, Alexander, in 1992, before moving from Albany to Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1995, the family grew to four with youngest son Austins arrival, and Alan said farewell to what would be his greatest success as Supra was sold to Diamond Multimedia. Unfortunately, Alans success in business was not mirrored in his family and personal life. He struggled for much of his life with depression and substance abuse issues, leading to his eventual separation from his family in 2008, and later divorce. In the two years that followed, he faced a particularly challenging period in which his struggles with addiction led him to become homeless at times, living on the fringes of Vancouver society. Following his recovery, he moved to La Paz, Mexico, for two and a half years where he found a measure of peace and happiness. Alan returned to Albany in January of 2015, before passing on March 18, 2016. Alan was predeceased by his father, Mark, and is survived by the rest of his immediate family. In Alans memory, the family asks that donations be made to the Mental Health America of Oregon (www.mhaoforegon.org/donate), and friends are welcome to stop by 190 Widmer Place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Monday or Tuesday. Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.fisherfuneralhome.com. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Alibaba (BABA) stock closed lower by 0.91% to $75.86 in Thursday's trading session, as China's stocks plunged by the most in two weeks today. The Shanghai Composite Index declined by 1.6%, closing below 3,000 for the second time this week, Bloomberg reports. The measure is down 16% so far this year, as investors worry about the slowing economy and about whether a weaker yuan will trigger capital outflows. The economic slowdown is preventing companies' financial results from improving, with the industrial sector especially hard hit, Bloomberg notes. "The old economy is still in the doldrums," Wang Chen, a partner with Xufunds Investment, told Bloomberg. "Unless the economy picks up the rest of the year, earnings won't see improvement." Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates the stock as a "hold" with a ratings score of C-. Alibaba's strengths such as its notable return on equity, robust revenue growth and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures are countered by the fact that the stock has had a generally disappointing performance in the past year. You can view the full analysis from the report here: BABA TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this article's author. Yahoo (YHOO) , the multinational web technology giant, has suffered a decline in fortunes. Once upon a time, the company had the best search engine, the trendiest social media platforms, and the most advanced storage on the internet. However, in all of these capacities the company has been surpassed by the likes of Alphabet, Facebook, and Dropbox. The once-great juggernaut is quickly losing its relevancy. Perhaps even worse, its stock is suffering. Yahoo has fallen by more than 22% year over year. Some shareholders have had enough. In particular, activist hedge fund Starboard Value is declaring a mutiny, announcing its intention today to step in and replace Yahoo's entire board. Starboard owns about 1.7% of the company, having bought in back in 2014. The hedge fund has nominated nine candidates to replace Yahoo's team. Among those on the chopping block are chief executive officer Marissa Mayer. All of this turmoil makes Yahoo an extremely risky investment right now. On March 10, representatives from Yahoo and Starboard met to brainstorm ways to avoid a proxy fight, to no avail. Yahoo instead announced that it had appointed two new board directors, a move to which Starboard didn't take kindly. Yahoo's annual meeting is scheduled for late June. If the matter of a board election is taken to a shareholder vote, analysts expect the large institutional holders such as BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Vanguard to side with Starboard. Yahoo's largest shareholder is co-founder David Filo, who also happens to be one of the board members Starboard wants removed. The main reason Starboard has given for wanting to replace the board is concern over Yahoo's current efforts to sell its core business, which includes the company's search engine, email, and news sites. Yahoo has been auctioning its core business since February after deciding not to spin off its share of Alibaba Group, China's e-commerce behemoth. In a letter to Yahoo, Starboard founder Jeffrey Smith wrote, "The same management team and board that have failed shareholders for years want shareholders to entrust them with one of the most crucial decisions yet to be made." Can these big changes improve the value of Yahoo and even make it a worthwhile investment opportunity? Or will it remain a dangerous and toxic stock? "We believe that Yahoo is deeply undervalued and opportunities exist within the control of management and the board of directors to unlock significant value for the benefit of all shareholders," Starboard said. Yahoo is currently reviewing Starboard's proposal and says it will "respond in due course." A dynamite leadership team, such as the one Starboard is proposing, with Rick Hill formerly of Novellus Systems at the helm, could turn this down-and-out company into a comeback special. Yahoo rose slightly today on the news and is currently priced at $34.86. Investors who enjoy a gamble could get in now at bargain basement prices and potentially reap huge profits, if all goes according to Starboard's plan. Do we face a repeat of a 2008-style debacle? You need to prepare now, by weeding out the fundamentally flawed stocks that could ruin your portfolio. We've done the homework for you, by putting together a report on the world's most dangerous stocks. These equities are poised to collapse; don't get left holding the bag. To download your free copy, click here. This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned. Luggage carts are parked near damage at Zaventem Airport in Brussels on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Belgian authorities were searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country's deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union's capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport after scores were killed and injured in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station. (AP Photo/Yorick Jansens, Pool photo via AP) In this image taken from video Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic listens to the verdict at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, The Netherlands Thursday March 24, 2016. Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges Thursday at a U.N. court, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. (ICTY, Pool via AP) Migrants hold banners during a protest demanding the opening of the border between Greece and Macedonia in the make shift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Conditions in Idomeni, where thousands have been stranded since the border shut to refugees earlier this month, have steadily deteriorated, exacerbated by days of rain that have turned the fields into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) A Brussels airport worker works on a laptop as he stands between luggage that was left behind during Tuesday's terrorist attack on Brussels Airport, in a warehouse near the airport in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, March 24, 2016. The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum carnage. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys) Recover your password. A password will be e-mailed to you. Youre going to need a scorecard in the not-so-distant future just to keep track of all the Oregon county governments that have filed lawsuits against other branches of government. So far this year, weve already seen Linn County sue the state of Oregon over how state forest trust land has been managed. The basic argument there is that the state has failed to manage those lands to maximize revenue to the counties that contain those lands, and that failure amounts to a breach of contract. As a result, the lawsuit claims, the counties have suffered financial damages. You can count on this legal action taking years to fully unwind. Linn County also is among the leaders in a coalition of counties thats pondering the possibility of a lawsuit against the state over the recently approved increases in the state minimum wage. The argument there is that, since the increase did not come with appropriations from the state to pay the increased wages, the law amounts to an unconstitutional unfunded mandate. Now, add a new batch of potential plaintiffs to your list: County commissioners this week wrote an opinion piece for The Oregonian in which they said that western Oregon counties are poised to sue the Bureau of Land Management for what they called its ongoing failure to honor commitments etched in federal law. The commissioners Tony Hyde, from Columbia County, Simon Hare from Josephine County and Tim Freeman from Douglas County argued in their piece that While the final decision on a new management plan has not yet been made, the BLM apparently intends to double down on current management policies that strangle county budgets and keep our communities mired in poverty. This is very similar to the argument that Linn County is making in its lawsuit against the state. But the lands that the three commissioners specifically are targeting are under federal, not state, control. The federal lands in question are known as O&C Lands, short for Oregon and California Revested Lands; the lands in question, about 2.6 million acres, originally were granted to the Oregon & California Railroad to build a rail line between Portland and San Francisco. The land was reconveyed to the United States government by an act of Congress in 1916 and currently is managed by the BLM. Both Linn and Benton counties have some O&C lands within their borders, but the issue is particularly important in the southwest corner of the state, where counties continue to teeter on the brink of insolvency. In some of those counties, the BLM owns as much as 75 percent of the land. As timber harvests in those counties have declined, so have payments from the federal government and the result has been a financial squeeze on those counties. According to the piece from Hyde, Hare and Freeman, the BLMs new management plan for the lands in question offers little hope for the struggling counties: The BLM draft preferred alternative allocates only 24 percent of the forest for long-term timber production, providing just 27 percent of historical receipts counties have received, the commissioners write. At those revenue levels, counties will be forced to severely reduce essential services. The commissioners call on Congress to step in and forge a better deal to manage the lands. But if that doesnt happen and the odds seem long indeed the counties say theyll turn to the courts. And you can be sure that Linn County officials would be interested in joining the lawsuit. After all, whats another lawsuit among friends? (mm) Last month, when Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi went to Jawaharlal Nehru University, he was taking a big risk. In 2009, when he had visited the university, he was jeered and shown black flags. The audience, mostly Left-leaning, asked him uncomfortable questions about the policies of the United Progressive Alliance. And, Rahul beat a hasty retreat. But he was greeted with cheers on his recent visit to the campus, as it erupted in protest over the action taken by the government against students who had allegedly raised anti-national slogans. Yet again, he was shown black flags, albeit by students whose political affiliation was of a different hue. But Rahul did not have to fend off uncomfortable questions. And his message resonated with the students as he thundered on the mic: The Modi government is bullying institutions like JNU. Do not let them bully you! Rahul was prompt in reacting to the developments in JNU. Nonetheless, it was a political risk, and that was clear when the BJP lost no time in saying that Rahul was taking the side of the 'anti-nationals'. According to sources, at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee prior to the Budget session of Parliament, senior leaders had warned him that the JNU issue could backfire. But Rahul spoke strongly in favour of taking up the issue, arguing that the nationalism claims of the government had limited resonance. He felt the perceived crackdown on campuses as well as scenes of violence in a Delhi court where JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, accused of sedition, was produced did not go down well with the vast majority, especially the youth. The JNU episode brought to the fore the key arsenal in Rahuls line of attack against the Modi governmenta direct attack on the RSS ideology. And, he is convinced that this fight is best launched through the campus route. A senior Congress leader said Rahul had a visceral hatred for the RSS. Long before the suicide of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad University, Rahul had worked out his plan of visiting colleges across the country and interacting with the youth. He discussed with his party colleagues RSS plans to influence educational institutions, especially institutes of higher learning. I want to use this irritation of the youth against the RSS, he is learnt to have told his aides. IN MUMBAI, he told students: Why must I be singled out because I wear this or that, eat this or that, pray to this god or that god. This is India, it cannot survive if these questions are going to define and divide us. In all his talks with students in the past several months, Rahul has spoken about the Modi governments alleged plans to hit at plurality and inclusion. His argument is that the RSS is trying to impose a flawed ideology on the students. He has spoken frequently about the anti-dalit, anti-progress and anti-youth mindset of the RSS, referring to issues such as Love Jihad and demand for review of reservation. Attack centre: Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad University during a protest against Rohith Vemula's suicide | AP In his interactions with party colleagues, Rahul has been talking about how to project the Congress as the main force against the RSS ideology. A few months ago, at a function held to mark the 125th birth anniversary of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he said a fascist organisation had achieved decisive power for the first time and his party was the biggest force fighting it. Reacting to Rahuls tirade, RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya said: No matter what he said, the people of Bharat know the hollowness of his allegations. As a result, public support for the Congress is fast depleting. On the contrary, the welcome, acceptance, support and trust of people for the RSS is consistently growing. It is from this line of attack against the RSS that Rahul gets his main ammunition against Modi, that he is so well formed in the RSS mould that he feels his opinion is right and he does not care for the opinion of others. In Parliament, Rahul said the prime minister had been taught by his teachers in the RSS that there was only one truth, which was theirs. There is a conscious effort to draw a contrast between Rahul and Modi, with Rahuls aides saying he holds exhaustive consultations and takes the opinion of everyone before taking a final decision. Rahul has himself spoken about the Bengaluru incident and how that sets him apart from Modi. Students in Bengaluru had differed with him on the efficacy of the Swachh Bharat campaign, and he is learnt to have told party colleagues later that he was OK with it as he did not impose his decisions on anyone. Also, part of the plan is to tap the restlessness with Modis style of working that all decision-making is centralised in the Prime Ministers Office. An anecdote that Rahul loves to tell is that of Modi calling up Congress president Sonia Gandhi to inform her about the Naga accord and telling her: We have achieved a historic feat which your party could not do in 40 years. He narrated the episode in Parliament also, claiming that none of the chief ministers in the northeast and not even Home Minister Rajnath Singh had been aware of the accord. Rahul has also spoken of how Modi 'paradropped' on Lahore on his way back to Delhi from Moscow to have a 'Chai Pe Charcha' with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, claiming that Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj was not consulted on it and that the impromptu visit ended up undoing all the effort made by the UPA government in cornering Pakistan on the issue of cross-border terrorism. Rahuls efforts have been to corner the government, with issues ranging from land acquisition, agrarian distress, problems of the salaried class, lack of employment opportunities for the youth and tribal rights. When you are in power, you cannot proactively take up issues as your own party is in power and you will end up being seen as fighting your own government. That is what happened in the case of the ordinance row, in which he was badly misunderstood, said a leader close to Rahul. Also, Rahul believes in politics that is issue-based and not personality-driven. IN HIS SPEECH in the Lok Sabha, Rahul made a detailed critique of the ruling dispensation. If it was the 'suit boot ki sarkar' remark that he came up with earlier, painting the Modi government as pro-rich and anti-poor, this time, he mocked the government for launching an amnesty scheme for black money, saying it was a 'fair and lovely scheme'. He said that in the name of 'Make in India', people only got to see the mechanical 'Babbar Sher' (Asiatic lion), the icon of the scheme, everywhere, and no one knew if it had created any jobs. The speech also showed that the plan is to now portray the Modi dispensation as not just anti-poor but also anti-dalit, anti-minority, anti-adivasi, anti-youth and anti-earning class. The counterattack has been fierce, with Modi going the extra mile in his speech in Parliament to counter Rahul. He recounted the speeches made by Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi to attack Rahul over disruption of Parliament and government business getting stuck. Top guns of the party were unleashed to take on Rahul. It is learnt that Rahuls speech was discussed by ministers after a cabinet meeting which took place that day. And shortly afterwards, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley wrote on Facebook: As one evolves from a young to a middle-aged one, we certainly expect a certain level of maturity. The more I hear Shri Rahul Gandhi, the more I start wondering, how much does he know, when will he know. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj also strongly rebutted Rahuls claims that Modi had kept them out of the loop on Naga accord and his decision to drop in on Nawaz Sharif in Lahore. Just for genuine public concerns that the Congress vice president raised in Parliament, three most senior ministers jumped in to deflect questions asked to Shri Modi, and all that the PM himself did was pointless by attacking Shri Rahul Gandhi and the Congress rather than answering the tough questions posed to him, said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi. A leader close to Rahul said he was vulnerable to attacks, what with the 'Pappu' barb among others, because he was sincere to the extent of being completely transparent. Nothing is hidden. And we tell him that it is not such a good thing for a politician to be so transparent, said a leader close to him. Rahul has the resilience of not getting provoked, said a close aide. Very demeaning, dirty and obscene remarks were made by the RSS as also by BJP leaders about his sabbatical. We said to him that the Congress should react strongly, but he chose to act like a statesman and ignore it. He said we should join issues of peoples concern and not of personal mudslinging, he said. Rahul intends to focus on taking up issues of the poor, dalits, adivasis, farmers, the youth as well as the earning class. There is also a close monitoring of the election promises of Modi. In the coming months, he is set to launch a campaign against the government on the rural employment scheme, food security and forest rights act. Modi has to watch out for this challenger. The Hiddush organization has released a survey which shows growing support for civil marriage in Israel. In addition, the poll shows a growing lack of trust in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel batei din among respondents. 75% of the Jewish public supports the introduction of civil divorce in Israel, including 58% who favor civil divorce for all, and 17% who favor civil divorce for those who were married in civil ceremonies. 69% of Israels Jewish public does not trust the state rabbinical courts, of which 35% have no trust for them at all, and 34% are disinclined to trust them. However, 52% of respondents also have no trust for the civil family courts. The survey was conducted for International Agunah Day by the Rafi Smith Polling Institute for Hiddush For Religious Freedom Equality, the Center for Womens Justice, and Mavoi Satum. It was conducted last week via an Internet panel among a representative sample of 500 adult Israeli Jews. Many other surveys have examined the levels of support for civil marriage in Israel, but surveys dealing with matters of divorce in Israel are relatively rare. Head of Hiddush Rabbi Uri Regev said in response that The survey is a tremendous vote of no confidence in the Orthodox establishments monopoly. The public has resoundingly rejected the state rabbinical court system, which discriminates against women, traps many women seeking divorce in loveless and sometimes abusive marriages, and empowers their husbands to bribe them for their freedom. All successive Israeli governments have sold off the publics freedoms of marriage and divorce to the fundamentalist establishment; until Israel recognizes civil marriage and divorce, it will remain among the most regressive countries in the world in this realm. Executive Director of Mavoi Satum Batya Kahana-Dror, Esq. explained, The data indicate that the rabbinical monopoly is losing its legitimacy. Alienation from Israels religious institutions is growing among Orthodox and traditional Jews. Dror added, This damages not only the democratic character of the state, but also its Jewish character. Israeli law should reflect the publics will, and permit freedom of choice in marriage and divorce. Director of the Center for Womens Justice Dr. Susan Weiss, Esq. stated, The right to marry and the right to divorce are fundamental human rights. Israels imposition of Torah law on its citizens is a violation of human rights, and it unnecessarily causes more women to become agunos. Officially adopting civil marriage and divorce in Israel will significantly reduce the number chained women, and would be the first and necessary step towards a comprehensive solution of this terrible phenomenon. Survey Details: Support for civil divorce (75%) is greater than support for civil marriage, which consistently polls at approximately 65%. Among the secular public, 99% supports civil divorce, including 88% who support civil divorce for all, and 11% support civil divorce for those who were married in civil ceremonies. However, 66% of Zionist Orthodox Israelis oppose this, as do 93% of the ultra-Orthodox. 79% of women favor introducing civil divorce, compared to 71% of men. Among the opposition parties voters, support for civil divorce approaches 100%: including 97% of voters for the Zionist Camp and Yesh Atid parties, and 100% of Israel Beitenu and Meretz voters. Even among the non-Orthodox coalition parties voters, 74% favor civil divorce (including 53% who support this measure for all Israelis), including 90% of Kulanu voters. Perhaps most surprising: 52% of the Bayit Yehudi partys supporters favor civil divorce, likely representing the large faction of non-religious voters for Bayit Yehudi. 69% of respondents do not trust the state rabbinical courts, including 93% of secular Jews and 60% of traditional Jews. However, 65% (almost two-thirds) of Zionist Orthodox Jews and 82% of the chareidim trust the rabbinical courts. Interestingly, 18% of chareidim, 27% of Shas party voters and 17% of voters for Yahadut Hatorah do not trust the rabbinical courts. Neither do 100% of Israel Beitenu and 67% of Likud voters. 52% of the Jewish public are disinclined to trust the civil family courts, leaving only 48% who have confidence in the non-religious courts to deal with matrimonial matters. There is no difference in this regard between men and women. Of the 52%, 40% expressed no trust whatsoever in the family courts, and 12% said they were disinclined to trust them. This nearly 1:1 ratio of Jews who trust the family courts to those who do not can be found across three sectors of Israeli society: among secular Jews, 51% trust the family courts, as do 56% of traditional and Zionist Orthodox Jews. However, only 24% of the chareidi community trusts the civil family courts. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Hillary Clinton is doing what Republican rivals now say they took far too long to do: Taking Donald Trump seriously. In interviews and foreign policy addresses this week, the Democratic front-runner has worked to undercut Trumps credentials in the wake of deadly bombings in Brussels. Her goal is to transform the voters vision of the bombastic reality TV star into a potential commander in chief with his finger on a nuclear trigger an image her team believes will repel voters in November. Clinton is casting herself as a calm harbor in a stormy world, frequently mentioning the need for steady hands. The comment is a clear reference to Trump with the implication hed never fill that need. In a speech Wednesday Stanford University, Clinton called for strong, smart, steady leadership, arguing that recent comments from Republicans Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz show they are not up to the task of combatting Islamic militants. Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike, she said, referencing a call by Trump to lessen U.S. involvement in NATO. Putin already hopes to divide Europe. If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin. Clinton also assailed Cruzs call for patrolling Muslim neighborhoods. When Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals and for racially profiling predominantly Muslim neighborhoods, its wrong, its counterproductive, its dangerous, Clinton said. Trump quickly dismissed her speech on Twitter and insisted hes better prepared to take over the countrys fight against Islamic State militants. Just watched Hillary deliver a prepackaged speech on terror. Shes been in office fighting terror for 20 years and look where we are! he wrote, adding: I will be the best by far in fighting terror. Im the only one that was right from the beginning, & now Lyin Ted & others are copying me. That last was a reference to a Republican rival. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Political strategists in both parties admit to being slightly baffled by the coming general election, acknowledging they have few clear expectations for a match-up between candidates with such high negative ratings and vastly different personal styles. But there is on prediction they all agree on: It will get ugly. Though there are still months of primary contests to come, the two front-runners have already begun trading heated attacks. Trump has accused Clinton of being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands across the globe. Clinton, in turn, has accused him of inciting violence and likened his rise in the polls to dark chapters of history like the Holocaust. Her aides see foreign policy as an area that allows Clinton to highlight both Trumps unpredictable temperament and lack of international experience. Democrats say those points, coupled with his controversial statements about women, Latinos and Muslims, will help their party woo moderate independents and even Republican voters and of-set potential losses among the white, working class men attracted to Trumps candidacy. One day after the Brussels attacks, Clinton stressed adapting to take on a sophisticated opponent, strengthening alliances abroad and not using bluster that alienates our partners. The United States, she said, must intensify the air campaign against Islamic militants, support local Arab and Kurdish forces on the ground, take on extremism online and harden defenses at home. She said the Brussels attacks showed the need for a harder look at security protocols at airports and other sensitive, so-called soft sites. Referencing the conflict between the FBI and Apple over an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, Clinton said the technology community and government must find ways to work together, calling for an intelligence surge in the United States and with allies. Like Clinton, Trump, sees international instability as offering advantages to his campaign, repeatedly pointing to the November 2015 attacks in Paris as a turning point that boosted his poll numbers and helped win him voters. Whenever theres a big problem_national security type problem_I go up because people view me as much stronger. And they actually think that I_I think they feel Im much more competent, Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg television. Hes offered a flurry of inflammatory and frequently vague policy proposals to tackle terrorism. In the wake of Brussels attacks, he for the U.S. to close up our borders, start widespread government surveillance on Muslims and expand international laws to permit forms of torture like waterboarding. And hes increasingly trying to recast Clintons tenure as Americas top diplomat as one of failed leadership, blaming her for continued chaos in the Middle East. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, he branded Clinton Incompetent Hillary, saying the woman has been a disaster and every foreign policy conflict shes been involved with has turned out badly. (AP) While Ted Cruz decried gutter politics against him, former Republican presidential contenders gave him a boost Wednesday, casting the Texas senator as the partys last best chance to stop Donald Trump. The long and bitter 2016 campaign shifted to a new Midwestern battleground. Ahead of Wisconsins April 5 primary, Gov. Scott Walker, who dropped out of the race last fall, declared that only Cruz can catch Trump as time runs short in the primary season. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush gave Cruz his endorsement a step perhaps designed to hurt Trump more than help the unpopular Texas senator. For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena, said Bush, who was knocked out of the 2016 contest last month. To win, Republicans need to make this election about proposing solutions to the many challenges we face, and I believe that we should vote for Ted as he will do just that. Indeed, as Democrat Hillary Clinton addressed rising national security concerns, the Republican contest was hit again by personal insults this time involving the candidates families. Cruz slammed Trump during an appearance in the front-runners hometown for making a vague threat on Twitter the night before to spill the beans on Cruzs wife. Gutter politics, Cruz said. Trumps warning that he would disclose something about Heidi Cruz came in response to an ad by an outside political group that featured a provocative photo of Trumps wife, Melania, when she was a model and before they were married. Trump misidentified the Cruz campaign as the source of the ad. Heidi Cruz addressed the situation directly during an appearance outside Milwaukee. The things that Donald Trump says are not based in reality, she said. The Republican infighting came the day after Cruz scored a win in Utah and Trump claimed Arizona. Despite modest signs of strength, the first-term Texas senator needs a near miracle to catch the billionaire businessman. The day-after delegate math laid bare the challenge: Cruz needs to win 83 percent of the remaining delegates to overtake the front-runner. And further complicating Cruzs path, Ohio Gov. John Kasich vowed to stay in the race at least until the next primary. There is zero chance that we would drop out before Wisconsin. And thered be no reason for us to, Kasich told reporters as he campaigned in the state, acknowledging his only hope to secure the nomination lies at a contested convention this summer in Cleveland. Kasich did not earn a single delegate in Tuesdays contests, but suggested he would do fine in Wisconsins upcoming primary and would excel in late-April elections across the East. A frustrated Cruz charged Kasich with playing spoiler by taking votes that could have gone to him. And in an interview, Cruz suggested that the Ohio governors political future could benefit from a speedy exit: I think hed be a tremendous addition to an administration, Cruz said on CNNs New Day. Things were decidedly less contentious on the Democratic side. Clinton won in Arizona on Tuesday, maintaining a lopsided advantage over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race despite his wins in Utah and Idaho on the same night. The former secretary of state is now almost three-quarters of the way to the Democratic nomination. As the world grapples with a new wave of overseas violence, Clinton engaged Trump on national security with a California speech painting him as a misfit as potential commander in chief and laying out what shed do to keep America safe in perilous times. Slogans arent a strategy. Loose cannons tend to misfire. What America needs is strong, smart, steady leadership, she said. Trumps win in Arizona gave him a little less than half the Republican delegates allocated so far. He needs to win 54 percent of those remaining to claim his partys nomination before the July convention. Candidates signaled they would spend a lot of time in Wisconsin over the next 12 days. Its pivotal for all three candidates, said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, the former state chairman of the Wisconsin GOP. The states voters, he said, are going to find themselves at the center of the political universe. Walker, whose run for president ended in September after a 90-day campaign, has yet to endorse anyone in the race. But he made his analysis clear. Senator Cruz is the only one whos got a chance, other than Donald Trump, to win the nomination. My friend Governor Kasich cannot, Walker said in an interview with WTMJ-AM broadcast on Wednesday. Cruz also won the first-ever presidential endorsement of the political arm of the conservative Club for Growth, a group that engaged the billionaire in a war of words earlier in the year. Their records make clear that Ted Cruz is a consistent conservative who will fight to shrink the federal footprint, while Donald Trump would seek to remake government in his desired image, said Club President David McIntosh. (AP) An Israel Air Force mashgiach kashrus who maintains a chareidi lifestyle shaved his beard under threat of being jailed for refusing an order if he did not. The soldier serves in a major air force base in central Israel. Persons close to the soldier explain he shaved while crying for it was the first time in his life since his beard began growing that he was without it, for in his eyes halacha compels him to maintain a beard. However, he feared if sent to jail he will lose his position as mashgiach. IDF officials tried to explain it away, citing he did not really have the beard for religious reasons, but persons who know the soldier and the case insist this simply is not so. Interestingly, 0404 News questioned the military spokesman, with the latter reporting the soldier was not religious, just how a non-religious Jew can be a mashgiach kashrus since this would be in direct contradiction of IDF Chief Rabbinate regulations. No response was received but it does appear this incident is being probed by relevant authorities. While by and large frum soldiers are permitted to maintain a beard, in some cases, or perhaps many cases for religious soldiers outside a chareidi or hesder environment, and there are many, officers do routinely instruct them to shave and all too often there is no one around to assist such a soldier. Such a soldier is aware that if jailed for insubordination this appears on his record and will have a negative impact if and when he wishes to advance. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Both Israel and the United States are working to block a vote on Thursday, 14 Adar-II that would result in a condemnation of settlements and compel the UN to establish a blacklist of businesses based in Yehuda and Shomron. The resolution is the initiative of Egypt and other Muslim countries. If passed, the economic and political ramifications would be very serious for Israel and the businesses based in those areas. Should the resolution pass it would be another blow against the Israeli battle against BDS for the resolution states the businesses in Jewish communities throughout Yehuda and Shomron are in violation of international law. The resolution also warns businesses around the world not to deal with these businesses, and not to assist them in any way for doing so may result in becoming a partner to human rights violations. Article 17 of the resolution is particularly worrisome to Israel. Israeli diplomatic officials around the world during recent weeks have been working to enlist support for Israels position against the resolution. Article 17 would also compel the UN Human Rights Commissioner to establish a list that would be updated annually containing all the businesses around the world that have an involvement in businesses in Yehuda and Shomron. This includes anything such as security equipment, housing construction equipment and banking and business services to cite a few examples. Haaretz quotes a senior PA (Palestinian Authority) official stating PA Chairman Abu Mazen and senior official Dr. Saeb Erekat are determined to have Article 17 included and signal they are unwilling to pull it. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Arab Block MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi told Israel Radios Reshet Bet on Thursday morning 14 Adar-II that ISIS in no way represents Islam. He added those who perpetrate the type of terror attacks seen this week in Brussels are not Muslims in his mind and he condemns them and what they stand for. The Arab MK calls on the international Islamic community to combat ISIS to prevent additional attacks against anyone. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Build your returns: Dividends are a reliable key to long-term success If you want to build your wealth in the short-term, the simplest way to do so is by saving more money. If you want to build your wealth over the long-term, some simple investing is most likely to be the best plan. It means taking a risk with your money, but over the long-term there is a wealth of evidence that risk pays off. Some statistics landed with us this week that neatly illustrated this. The AIC flagged how someone who had invested 100,000 in the average UK Equity Income investment trust twenty years ago, would now have a pot worth 216,000 and would also have picked up 124,600 in dividends. There are a couple of things to note here. Firstly, that 126 per cent capital return may sound hefty, but over 20 years it is only 3.9 per cent a year. However, you also need to take into account the dividends paid out and even uncompounded that bumps total annualised returns up to 6.2 per cent. If you had reinvested the dividends, the total return on the UK equity Income over 20 years jumps to 7.5 per cent. My first thought whenever I see figures like this is have they just chosen a flattering time period, so I ran some myself too. I picked the last ten years perhaps one of the most uninspiring periods for UK investors out there. Over that time, the FTSE All-Share has risen a feeble 11 per cent. Factor in its dividends, however, and the total return rises to 58 per cent. By comparison the average UK Equity Income investment trusts total return is 103 per cent. This is the beauty of buying a relatively simple dividend investment, holding it for the long term and compounding the payouts. It has the power to transform lacklustre returns. Of course, the question it begs is, how do I do this simply? After all, you cant buy the average UK equity income trust, so you must choose one from the field. That means you could have got lucky and picked the best performer Finsbury Growth & Income, with its 165 per cent 10-year total return, or the worst Troy Income & Growth, with its 26 per cent total return. There is obviously a big difference between these two trust's performance when it comes to how worthwhile an investor would see that last decade of risking their cash on the stock market. Finsbury Growth & Income (disclosure, I hold this in my portfolio) has returned 9.8 per cent an year, while Troy Income and Growth has returned 2.3 per cent. With hindsight it is easy to see which one of these two very similarly named trusts proved the best option. The difficulty for any investor picking funds or investments trusts is working that out in advance. I invest in actively managed funds and investment trusts, meaning I am happy to chance my arm on finding good fund managers who I think will do better than the market. My method is to look for a combination of good long-term past performance, a clear and well-defined investing strategy and a manager who articulates all this and explains to investors what they do. That then needs to fit with an investment opportunity that I think will do well at a given time. WHY INVEST? Many of those who already have plenty of rainy day savings built up still shy away from investing. Ask why and the two main reasons will typically be that either investing is too complicated, or the risk of losing money is too great. Certainly, it is true that investing does require a little work. It is also absolutely vital that investors understand that in return for the reward of higher potential returns than cash savings, they must take the risk of a fall in the value of their investments. But if you are willing to accept this and think long-term, then investing can be a very rewarding endeavour, with the potential to grow your wealth substantially. The respected and long-running Barclays Equity Gilt study shows that over ten years to 2014 the annual real return (after inflation) on cash was -0.7 per cent on average, while the real return on shares was 4.1 per cent. I would be the first to admit, however, that there is a huge potential for human error here. On my side, the selection and methods I employ may prove to be misguided, on the fund manager's side, they may get things badly wrong. You can look to expert's fund tips, select lists and model portfolios to help you choose a manager - and despite the warranted scepticism on some of these, I think they are a useful starting point for doing your own research. But still human error looms large. One answer to the conundrum is to choose a tracker fund or ETF, which simply follows the market. You wont beat the market by getting lucky and picking a winner, but nor will you suffer from making a dud choice. The simple cheap HSBC FTSE All Share Tracker has a total return of 49 per cent over ten years or 4.2 per cent a year. Thats not shoot the lights out performance but it covers a duff period for the stockmarket and seven years of 0.5 per cent rates. Alternatively, you could simply invest in the world. That's possible by picking the broadest possible equity index tracker, such as BlackRock's iShares Core MSCI World ETF, which invests in the stockmarkets of developed countries around the world, weighted by size. If you want to spread your risk and diversify, you could choose a simple tracker that does that too, such as the Vanguard Life Strategy range, which invests around the world and can mix different levels of shares and bonds - you simply the blend you want. That really is as easy as investing gets. For help on starting to invest in the simplest way possible, visit our easy Isa investing page. Barclays' Equity Gilt Study shows how annual returns on different assets compare over the long-term Mr Kipling cakes firm Premier Foods saw its shares drop 10 per cent today, having soared 71 per cent yesterday as takeover hopes were dented by a big stake sale to its new Japanese partner. Premier Foods shares leap yesterday after the group revealed that it had rejected two US takeover bids and announced a tie-up with instant noodle giant, Nissin Foods. Today the UK firm - which also makes Sharwood's Asian food range, Bisto gravy and OXO cubes - noted that Nissin has agreed to acquire a 17.3 per cent stake in it, thought to be from US private equity firm Warburg Pincus, making the Japanese group its biggest shareholder. Slice of Britain: Mr Kipling maker Premier Foods has rejected two takeover offers by US group McCormick David Beever, Premier Food's chairman said: 'We welcome Nissin as a new long-term shareholder in our business. By gaining a strategic investor who understands and supports our growth ambitions, we have an exceptional opportunity to deliver shareholder value. 'Based on the conditional cooperation agreement we announced yesterday, we very much look forward to working with Nissin to develop ways our two businesses can co-operate to drive growth.' In late morning trade, shares in Premier Foods fell 10.7 per cent, or 5.75p to 48.0p after surging 71 per cent yesterday when Britain's biggest branded food producer had said a second bid by US spices and herbs group McCormick & Company still significantly undervalued its growth prospects. In February, McCormicks made an 'highly conditional' offer of 52p per share for Premier, valuing the UK firm at around 429.4million. The second cash offer of 60p per share, made earlier this month, valued Premier at 495.5million. But Premier rejected both offers. Under takeover rules, McCormick now has until 5pm on April 20 to make a firm offer for the business or pull out of its pursuit of the UK firm. Beever said yesterday: The Proposal fails to recognise the value of Premier's performance to date and prospects for the future, including the strategic plans we have to accelerate growth. Despite being rebuffed, McCormick said it still believed in the rationale for a combination of the two firms. The US group added it believed its revised 60p-a-share proposal should be 'well received by Premier Foods' shareholders, employees, pensioners and other stakeholders'. It had hoped the sweetened approach would lead to 'prompt and full engagement from Premier Foods', the firm added. Yesterday's news came as Premier Foods also announced a tie-up with Japan's Nissin in a bid to bolster growth overseas and introduce new products in the UK. Nissin, which invented the world's first instant noodles in 1958, operates in 19 different countries across the world. Its products include Cup Noodle and Top Ramen. Premier Foods' chief executive Gavin Darby called the tie-up an exceptional opportunity for the group. We look forward to working with Nissin to explore ways our two businesses can cooperate to better serve both our customers and our shareholders. Traders said, despite buying the big Premier Foods' stake, Nissin is unlikely to want to make a full bid for the UK firm. Tasty loaf: Premier said it was on track to write off all of its remaining investment in bread maker Hovis Premier, which will publish its full year results on May 17, also said yesterday that its trading for the 52 weeks to the beginning of April has been in line with its expectations. He might say hes one of lifes winners but even Donald Trump is not immune to shifts in the market. The outspoken billionaire and presidential hopeful lost money on 18 of the 21 hedge funds he backed last year, new analysis shows. And a tumultuous start to 2016 has seen 17 of them fall in value since the New Year. In total, the businessman who boasts that his IQ is one of the highest and he is a really smart guy has invested in 23 funds worth 85.7million. Calculations by Reuters suggest they lost an average of 8.5 per cent last year, strongly outperformed by the industry as a whole which saw rival funds break even. The money might be a drop in the ocean compared with Trumps overall fortune but City figures heaped ridicule on his investing expertise. Veteran investor Justin Urquhart Stewart said: This rather sums up Trumps ability to lose rather than make shedloads of money. Hes just a spiv with a dodgy hairstyle. God help us if he wins the American election because hairspray will be the only winner. For his part, the man known as The Donald said he had given his cash to trusted acquaintances and the funds had done well since he paid in three or four years ago. I put some money with people that are friends, he said. I have no idea if theyre up or down. I just know that they have been very good over a period of time. I do very little hedge fund business. For the most part I dont believe in it. Trumps outspoken views have won him a huge following in America. He is now just 498 delegates short of winning the Republican nomination, well ahead of his rivals. A victory would put him in a straight race with the Democratic candidate, likely to be Hillary Clinton. But a string of controversial statements including proposals to ban all Muslims and make Mexico pay for a 1,000-mile wall along its border have made many nervous. Wall Street bankers have reacted to his rise with alarm. Trump has previously sued Deutsche Bank and called JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon the worst banker in the United States. He also argues hedge fund managers are getting away with murder under US tax laws. The Washington Post spoke to several executives who questioned Trumps abilities but refused to go public for fear of angering him. Some of Trumps hedge funds have performed well. GAMCO Global Gold, Natural Resources & Income is up around 16.27 per cent since the start of the year, beating the benchmark. And the Invesco European Growth Fund gained 4.82 per cent in 2015 against a benchmark loss of 5.66 per cent. But American analysts were scornful about his choices and said they could not understand why he paid so little attention. By the looks of it, Mr Trumps investing prowess is very pedestrian, said Brian Shapiro, chief executive of Simplify LLC. For someone who prides himself on being surrounded by the best talent, said Brad Alford, an investment advisor and CEO of Alpha Capital Management, Im surprised to see so few winners. Trump is also invested with BlackRocks Obsidian fund, which has averaged annual returns of 3.39 per cent in the last five years, sources say. Ahead: Trump holds a sign supporting his plan to build a wall between the United States and Mexico Obsidian fell 6.17 per cent in 2016 through March 11, while other comparable funds rose 0.69 percent, according to a private report seen by Reuters. Trump also uses 11 Baron vehicles with different investment strategies, including small-cap stocks, real estate and emerging markets. Nine lost money in 2015, with one energy and resources vehicle falling nearly 32 per cent. Nine are down this year with single-digit losses. Barons long-term track record is better. The firms best-known Baron Growth Fund has gained an average of about 8.6 per cent annually over the last five years. And in 2015, three Paulson funds used by Trump all fell, Reuters said. One of the funds, the Paulson Advantage Plus fund, had declined an average of about 22 per cent every year over the last five years. Trump also invests in individual stocks, including Apple, Goldman Sachs and Altria Group. Axe man: Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam has been forced to announce another 2,000 job cuts The chief executive of Credit Suisse has been forced to announce another 2,000 job cuts after discovering his own staff were concealing risky trades. Tidjane Thiam said some employees in the beleaguered banks markets division had concealed perilous bets from senior management in the run-up to a cost-cutting drive in October. It meant the investment loss the bank had assumed it made could have been far greater. In an astonishing admission, he told Bloomberg: This wasnt clear to me, it wasnt clear to my chief financial officer, it wasnt clear to many people inside the bank. 'Thats why I said there needs to be a cultural change, because its completely unacceptable. A lot of the problems in the investment bank are that people have been trying to generate revenue at all costs. There was no transparency. Thiam said there had been consequences for those responsible. The firms London offices will be hit hardest by the latest cuts, which come on top of 4,000 positions already being axed by the end of 2016. Staff bonuses for 2015 have been slashed by 36 per cent and Thiam himself has asked for a 40 per cent bonus cut. It is another blow for a bank which had until recently avoided the swingeing cutbacks seen elsewhere. About 35,400 UK banking jobs have been axed since 2009 and analysts warned the picture remained bleak. In January, Barclays said it would cut 1,200 investment roles worldwide. Deutsche Bank last week warned it could make a loss this year. Laith Khalaf of Hargreaves Lansdown said: A lot of banks are trying to remove some of the riskier areas of their business because theyre being more heavily penalised by regulators. Now is not a good time to be wearing a pin-striped suit. Thiam said he expected to announce a loss for the first quarter of 2016 due to a slump in financial trading. And Credit Suisse now says it wants to cut an additional 581million from costs by the end of 2018, on top of the 2.5billion cuts already announced. Energy bills in the UK could rocket by 1.5million a day if Britons vote to leave the European Union, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd will warn in a speech today. But supporters of a Brexit said the claims were absurd and accused the Government of using fear tactics to convince people to remain in the EU. In the latest warning from Government officials over the risks of Britain leaving the EU, Rudd will also say this would put the UKs energy security at more risk of hijacking by Russia. Warning: Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said Brexit would push energy bills up by 500million a year If we left the European internal market, we'd get a massive electric shock because UK energy costs are likely to rocket by at least half a billion pounds a year - the equivalent of British bills going up by around 1.5 million each and every day, Rudd said, citing a report by National Grid. According to the report, the impact of a Brexit was very likely to be negative, with losses coming from less investments and less energy trading. However, it also states that if the UK leaves the EU but remains in the internal energy market most of these costs would be mitigated. Still, the cost of investment in badly-needed new power infrastructure could rise by hundreds of millions of pounds as a result of market uncertainty, according to the report carried out by Vivid Economics on the behalf of National Grid. But Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said the EU cost the UK 350million a week and made energy bills more expensive due to regulation. Amber Rudd's absurd claims simply aren't backed up by her own research, he said. It is quite extraordinary the extent to which the Government is willing to do down Britain in its desperate attempt to win the referendum. Rudd said leaving the EU would put the UKs energy security at more risk of hijacking by Vladimir Putin Speaking to employees at an energy interconnector site in Kent, Rudd will also say that, outside of the EU, the UK will become more dependent on gas imports from Vladimir Putins Russia, which could threaten to cut off supplies or drastically increase prices. We can't let our energy be hijacked as a political pawn to bring Europe to its knees...As a bloc of 500 million people, we have the power to force Putin's hand. However, speaking this morning on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, she also admitted that very little gas was currently imported from Russia, but that this would change in the long-term. Access to the European market through the Internal Energy Market is how we keep prices down - we cannot ignore the role of Russia, she said. In response to her claims, Go Movement executive director Alex Deane said: This is the Government's Project Fear taken to a whole new level. The UK has one of the highest carbon resources in Europe. Putin does not have the power to switch off the lights in Britain, as the Energy Secretary implies. In any case, we can't decide our nation's future based on whether we think Putin will smile or frown. 'Absurd': Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott said Rudd's claims were not backed by her own research Deane claimed that if the UK was not in the EU, it would have 14billion a year to invest as it wanted, including in energy generation. The Energy Secretary suggests the EU benignly doles out money to the UK out of an investment pot. This is simply not the case. All investment in the UK is on a commercial basis and highly profitable to the investor. Masan Group subsidiary Agro Nutrition Company (Anco) offered VND126,000/ share ($5.66) and bought 11.3 million shares worth $64 million to become a strategic investor in state-owned food processor Vissan at the IPO on March 24. Vietnam Meat Industries Limited Company (Vissan) held its initial public offering on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, where Anco submitted the highest bid of VND126,000, while Vietnam French Cattle Feed JSC Proconco (also under Masans umbrella) bid VND125,000. Anco acquired 14 percent of Vissan and has become a strategic investor. Photo: Vissan website. Seoul-based CJ CheilJedang Corporation offered VND120,600. Vissan's charter capital jumped to VND1.42 trillion ($64 million) following the auction, with private investors snapping up VND 906.8 billion ($40.7 million) worth of shares at an average price of VND80,000 - six times higher than the opening price of VND17,000. The state holding in the food firm stands at 65 percent, while Anco now holds a 14 percent stake. Vissan is one of the country's leading food manufacturers, specializing in processing and trading fresh meat, processed foods and related meat products. Vissan is a member company of the Saigon Trading Group (SATRA), which is a recognized 45-year-old brand with 130,000 sales outlets nationwide, and more than 1,000 supermarkets and convenience stores. The food giant turned over VND4.5 trillion ($202 million) in 2015 with a profit of VND150 billion, marking annual growth of 10.2 percent. Anco is a cattlefeed enterprise established in 2001 with two Vietnamese stakeholders. In 2013, three Malaysian parties bought up a 61 percent stake. The acqiusition will fit in with Vissan's farm to dining table strategy. Le Tung, chairman of Saigon Trading Group, said that the strategic investor is expected to strengthen the Vissan brand and stay committed to the company over the next five years. Anco and Vissans other investors plan to build a slaughterhouse covering 10,000ha in Long An province worth USD80 million. Driving to a Buddhist temple on the northern fringes of Bangkok, beauty salon owner Natsuda Jantaptim is running through her youngest daughter's likes and dislikes. "We sleep in the same bed together, she has her own pillow and blankets," she told AFP, her daughter sitting quietly in the front passenger seat. "We didn't switch the air-con on two nights ago because she was cold. In the morning, she likes to drink strawberry milk," she added. On first reckoning, it sounds like the everyday observations of a dedicated mother. Except the daughter Natsuda refers to isn't real. Certainly not in the living, breathing flesh and blood sense. She is a meticulously groomed plastic doll, part of the latest celebrity-fuelled superstitious craze that has swept the country -- much to the dismay of the kingdom's conservative military rulers. Known in Thai as "luuk thep" (child angels), the pricey dolls, which can cost up to $600, were first popularised a little over a year ago by celebrities who claimed dressing up and feeding the dolls had brought them professional success. "Luuk thep" (child angel) dolls at the home of collector Mananya Boonmee. Photo by Christophe Archambault/ AFP Believers say the dolls -- many of which are blessed and have sacred scripts drawn on them by a monk -- contain the spirit of a real child and must be treated as a living being. The theory runs that those who look after their dolls like members of the family will see good fortune returned to them. As a result, plastic dolls are now taking their seats at restaurant tables, cinemas and even on airplanes. - Luck, magic and belief -Natsuda, 45, lives with her very real 21-year-old daughter. But that has not dimmed her affection for the doll, auspiciously named 'Ruay Jang' (So Rich). "Since I got 'Ruay Jang' my life has really changed. For example I won the lottery which I had never won before," she explained. After praying for help from her doll, she added, a friend paid back a significant loan after years of fruitless efforts to chase it down. Asked what she would say to those who think her credulous she replied: "It's a personal belief, I cannot blame those who don't believe in it but I believe in what I worship." In many ways Thailand's child angel craze is simply the latest manifestation of a deeply superstitious society that places enormous emphasis on warding away bad luck and making good merit. More than 90 percent of Thais identify themselves as Buddhist. But the country's Buddhism is known for its syncretism, comfortably blending many animist and Hindu traditions into daily worship. Many Thais fervently believe in good and malevolent spirits -- and that offerings or the latest lucky charm will ward off bad karma. In the late 2000s a style of large amulet became the latest "must have" item -- often selling for thousands of dollars each -- following the death of a popular police officer who claimed the charms helped him solve a murder case. The luuk thep craze appears to have divided Thais. Some see it as a natural extension of their merit-making traditions while others deride it as a commercial ruse and symbol of the dumbing down of Buddhism. "I freak out sometimes when I see them on the train," admitted Lakkhana Ole, a 31-year-old graphic designer from Bangkok who says she spots dolls increasingly often around the city. A poll this week by Bangkok's Suan Dusit Rajabhat University found two thirds of Thais saw the dolls as something positive if it gave them direction or helped alleviate loneliness. A poll by Bangkok's Suan Dusit Rajabhat University found two-thirds of Thais saw the "luuk thep" (child angel) dolls as something positive if it gave them direction or helped alleviate loneliness. Photo by Christophe Archambault/ AFP But the same poll also found that 72 percent of respondents dismissed them as the hocus-pocus of overly superstitious people. - 'Damn you, you idiot' -"It reflects that society is perverse," Phra Buddha Issara, a conservative nationalist monk, famous for his fiery denunciations of commercialism with mainstream Thai Buddhism told AFP. "If you're lonely... you can just go out and talk to your neighbours, interact more with others, do good things for public, help the blind, sweep floors or grow plants," he added. Asked if he would he bless someone's doll he replied: "The only thing they would receive from me is: 'Damn you, you idiot." Issara's criticism has been matched by Thailand's justice minister, a former general, and the country's top police officer, both of whom have publicly fretted that the craze is getting out of control. Phra Ajarn Supachai, a monk in Nonthaburi's Bangchak temple has no such qualms. He regularly conducts prayer sessions for luuk thep dolls and their owners -- for a donation. "People began turning up with the dolls about three years ago," he told AFP. "Now we get around ten people a week." Natsuda's friend Mae Ning is a regular. Last week she took Natsuda to chant prayers as the saffron-robed Supachai anointed all those present, dolls included, with a stick soaked in sacred water. Mae Ning, an avid collector and trader in luuk thep dolls, believes many Thais are looking for comfort in uncertain times. "Some people are stressed about Thailand's bad economy, its politics, their jobs and finances, so they want something to attach to," she explained. "When people have the dolls, they feel that they are happy just like they are in another world." Natsuda, admits many find her attachment to Ruay Jang unusual. "But honestly I don't care because what I do doesn't cause anyone trouble, she said.- AFP March 24, 2016 | 03:47 am PT Hanoi Creative City This is going to be Hanoi's first notable rooftop jam at this wicked setup 20 stories up! VISUAL ART DeDe La Plume (FR) MUSIC SAMEED // Local Talk Records (UK) Sameed Alexander is a Manchester-based producer and DJ. Passionate crate digger, he gets inspiration from the great diversity of his vinyl collection. Dubby chords, raw acid sound, jackin snares and funky bass melodies. His Spend EP was a strong first offering, with support from Steve Bug, M.A.N.D.Y, Roy Davis Jr, Homework, Tanzlife, Jacques Renault, and Nina Kraviz. His second release on Parisian label Skylax, a more soulful affair with hints of garage and comparisons to moodymann, has been supported by Jeremy underground. ALISTAIR HOBSON // live production (UK) Alistair is a sound designer, electronic music composer and live performer. He fuses technical prowess with an artistic awareness, of which is always being inspired by the culture and sounds of the environment around him. SHUMKOV (RUS) HLEB (UKR) MAGGIE (FR) b2b ALI (UK) Food: Chicken Kebabs 4 p.m, March 26, 2016 Rooftop, Hanoi Creative City, 1 Luong Yen street, Hanoi Entrance fee: VND80,000 Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Gabriel Rom Bayside High School began an early celebration of its 80th anniversary, making it one of the oldest public schools in the five boroughs. At a ceremony Saturday, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), state Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) and state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) gathered with students, staff and alumni of the storied school to mark the occasion. The lawmakers presented proclamations declaring the importance of the school and the significance of the anniversary. Opened in 1936, and built during the Great Depression, Bayside High School was the first in the city to be constructed with federal funds from the New Deal-era Public Works Administration. The school cost $2.5 million. Gregg Sullivan, chairman of the Friends of Bayside High School, ran through many of the great historical events the school had borne witness to. This school takes us through a number of great human events, he said. The Great Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars and the J.F.K. assassination. The historical significance of the school, and its 80 years as a single entity, were themes each speaker touched on. You have to love what Bayside has been and is for the community, Avella said. It is a historic school. Principal Michael Athy, speaking about his vision of the schoolpast, present and futuresaid the success of Bayside is due to its legacy as one of the most rigorous and community-oriented schools in the city. We are an intensely popular school, Athy said, noting that in the past year 13,000 applicants competed for 600 seats.And to our alumni: We stand on your shoulders, and for that we are eternally grateful. Athy mentioned that more than 60 members of the schools staff are alumni, including Mindy Karten Bornemann. Karten-Bornemann, class of 75 and now a teacher at the school, said she remembers her time as a Baysider vividly. Its a familyone of the few high schools that have stayed together over all this time. There is a real local group of people who come back, including me. Tony DAguanno, class of 80, spoke of the school as one of the few respites during the citys racially charged 1970s. We existed in this little bubble where the racial tensions of the city and the history of the 1970s was all around us, yet we didnt feel it in the school. It was almost surreal. There was lots of racial tension at other high schools, and none at ours. This school is a living legend, said Lester Speiser, a former principal of the school from 1973 to 1985. I see a building that has risen to the needs of this community and of this city. DAguanno now in his 40s, approached him. Hi, Principal. I was a student of yours and This school was an anomaly for us, DAguanno said. Speiser clasped DAguannos hand. Im so happy I could see you, he said. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Madina Toure Friends and family of the late Joanne Gennaro, wife of former City Councilman James Gennaro and a Hollis native, described her as a warm, friendly woman who always supported her loved ones. Gennaro, 64, died March 18 at the age of 64 from suspected multiple system atrophy, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nervous system, according to her son, Daily News Executive Editor Rich OMalley. She had been fighting the condition for the last eight years. She was everything to us, OMalley said. She was a mother, father, sister, brother to me for so many years because it was just the two of us. She was a single mom and she was going to school to give us a better life to be able to get a better job. He said she supported all of her family in whatever they wanted to pursue, noting that she helped her second husband, James Gennaro, tremendously during his campaign for City Council. She even went door-to-door herself for him and made phone calls for him, he said. She just went all in and thats how she was. Paul Leonard, communications director for City Councilwoman Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan), who served as communications director for James Gennaro from 2012 to 2014, praised his wife. In my life, Ive never seen a man more devoted to his wife than Jim. My thoughts are with him, and the rest of Joannes family and friends at this difficult time, Leonard said in a statement. One of six children, Gennaro was born and raised in Hollis. She attended the now-closed St. Pascal Bayon High School in St. Albans, then worked at the Port Authority. In the early 1970s, she married Dennis Patrick OMalley, who was also from Hollis. The pair briefly lived in Georgia, Florida and Virginia, where she gave birth to Rich in 1975. Two years later, her first husband was killed in a naval training accident out in the Mediterranean Sea while doing landings on a carrier. Gennaro and her son Rich then moved back to Hollis, near her mothers home. She earned her associates degree in court management at St. Johns University in May 1983 while working in the alumni department. On Halloween 1988, she met James Gennaro, whom she dated and eventually married in July 1991. Their daughter, Christina, now 21 and a junior at FIT in Manhattan, was born in March 1995. Joanne Gennaro worked at PartyLyte, a candle and household items sales company, and as a director of development at Bishop Molloy Retreat House in Jamaica Estates. She made an organ donation to the NYU Dysautonomia Center, where she was treated. Community Board 8 member Jim Gallagher, president of the Fresh Meadows Homeowners Civic Association, has known Gennaro and his family since the late 1990s when he was president of the Jamaica Estates Association. They were always very nice to us, very accommodating, to my family, especially to Yolanda (Gallaghers wife), Gallagher said. The wake took place at R. Stutzmann & Son funeral home at 224-39 Jamaica Ave. in Queens Village. The funeral mass was held Thursday morning at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jamaica Estates. The family asked for donations to the Dysautonomia Foundation in lieu of flowers. City Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria), who was James Gennaros deputy chief of staff for six years, said hundreds of people attended the wake Wednesday afternoon. Their love for each other was always so pure, so beautiful, Constantinides said. She was a great mother to their son, Rich, and Christina, their daughter. This whole journey they went through, Joanne was always upbeat, was a wonderful person, would ask me about my family and ask me about how things were going. Joanne is also survived by her mother, Susan Pryor, 88, and siblings James, Andrew, Jeffrey and Robert Pryor and Jo-Ellen. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Gabriel Rom State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) announced last week that the 2016-2017 state Assemblys budget includes a proposal to fund a feasibility study for the Long Island Rail Roads old Rockaway Beach Rail Line. The proposal, if adopted by the state Senate, would constitute the first guaranteed funding to go toward evaluating the much-discussed rail line. Goldfeder touted the funding as a huge step in the fight to reactivate the line. He said the proposal directs the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line. The study requires that the MTA complete a comprehensive feasibility study and submit it to the governor and the leaders in both houses of the Legislature no later than March 1, 2017. The Assembly and the Senate have until April 1to agree on their respective one-house budget proposals. With the study now included on the Assembly side, Goldfeder is urging colleagues in the Senate to ensure its inclusion in the states final budget. This is a huge step forward for families in southern Queens and the entire city who deserve transit equity, concluded Goldfeder. For too long, we have let this valuable right-of-way remain unused and abandoned. This new MTA study will confirm that full restoration of the line is the most cost- effective and environmentally sound way to ease congestion on our roadways, connect Queens neighborhoods and improve commutes for every New York City family. Last year, Goldfeder sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) calling for the feasibility study to be included in the state budget. That letter was co-signed by a majority of the Queens Assembly delegation. At a Council hearing in November, Goldfeder made a similar argument in favor of reactivating the Rockaway Branch Line. He said that plan would cost almost $2.5 billion less than Phase One of the Second Avenue Subway and would provide more than twice the amount of track. Goldfeder spoke wistfully of the days when the Rockaway Line provided a 30-minute, single-seat ride to Midtown Manhattan. To this day, Goldfeder said, many of my older constituents, when I see them at rallies, will come up to me and tell me stories of their childhood and how they remember utilizing that line. The Rockaway Line was fully decommissioned in 1962 and much of it has remained untouched for more than four decades. U.S. Rep Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan), senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, also advocated for the lines reactivation at the council hearing. A major mistake was made 40 years ago. They should have reactivated it then, Nadler said. Airport development adding to economy, jobs in the region Pittsburgh may always be known as the Steel City, but a wave of new industries are popping up near its airport to redefine business in the region. The Australian government has confirmed that one of its citizens has contracted the Zika virus upon returning from Vietnam, which has put the Vietnamese health sector in a state of alert, said the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the announcement, the victim arrived in Vietnam on February 26 and returned to Australia on March 6. The suspected case showed symptoms identical to those linked to the Zika virus, including fever, rash, headache, conjunctivitis, muscular and joint pain, red eyes and nausea. While in Vietnam, the victim travelled to Ho Chi Minh City, the central highland province of Lam Dong, the central province of Khanh Hoa and the south-central province of Binh Thuan. It has not been confirmed that this case of Zika was contracted in Vietnam, said Dr. Tran Dac Phu, head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Health Ministry. Nevertheless, Vietnams Health Ministry has sent a working team led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Long to Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan. The team, in coordination with local authorities, will provide direct supervision and implement measures to prevent a potential outbreak of the virus. Health officials have raise concerns over the fact that the Zika virus is associated with microcephaly, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development. Photo by Mario Tama. Long also instructed the health sector to increase the level of emergency, and test individuals with Zika-like symptoms. Most individuals infected with Zika virus experience mild or no symptoms. About 25 percent of infected people develop symptoms between two and 10 days after infection, said the WHO. Local authorities are advised to promote communication campaigns so that people will use the mosquito repellent to fight against dengue and malaria outbreaks. The Health Ministry has also instructed Pasteur institutes in Ho Chi Minh City and in the central city of Nha Trang to support health authorities in areas the Australian visited. The two institutes must step up taking samples of individuals who might be infected with the virus and prepare medicine and medical equipment to assist localities monitoring and dealing with a Zika outbreak. Vietnam has contacted the WHO and Australian government to ask for more information about the case. The information will help us to determine whether or not the Zika virus is present in Vietnam. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika is likely to be between three and 12 days," Dr. Phu said. The Health Ministry will continue to work closely with the WHO and Australian agencies to clarify the situation and carry out the necessary surveillance. Vietnam has tested about 200 samples of medical waste from areas the victim visited, but no cases of infection have been reported so far. No cases of Zika infected have been reported in Viet Nam so far, but the country is expanding surveillance as the global epidemic becomes more serious, the health official said. The Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947. The most recent outbreak of the virus is in the Americas. The WHO announced that the Zika virus has so far been recorded in 59 countries and territories. The virus is also thought to be present in a number of Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia following reports of foreigners returning from these countries having contracted the virus. However, the WHO is not recommending travel restrictions to these countries. Most victims experience mild symptoms, while recovery is usually complete and fatalities are rare. Health experts have observed an increase in babies born with microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome that has coincided with Zika infections. Two independent laboratory studies by Brazilian scientists and Johns Hopkins University, which looked into the impact of the virus on brain cells, have shown that the virus can attack and destroy brain cells so that the brain is unable to grow. This is an important link between the Zika virus and microcephaly, or small head syndrome. However, it is worth noting that the laboratory results may not correctly reflect what could be happening in the human body. Therefore the WHO has yet to officially confirm the connection between Zika and microcephaly, indicating that it needs more scientific evidence to make a definitive conclusion. Lary was charged with possession of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone. SHARE Two men were arrested after Wichita Falls police say they found drugs in the men's car. According to a WFPD news release: An officer stopped a car near the corner of McGregor and Bridwell streets around 10:30 p.m. Monday for failing to signal when turning. The officer saw what appeared to be a glass methamphetamine pipe in the vehicle. Police found a usable amount of meth in the pipe. The men, Matthew Lary and Blake Chapa, were charged with possession of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone and also arrested on warrants. Lary remained jailed Wednesday while Chapa was free. The following was taken from Wichita County court records: BAIL Suspect: Brittany Lee Kuter, 28 Charge: Fraudulent use or possession of identifying information against an elderly (two counts) Offense date: Jan. 14 and Jan. 21 Bail: $10,000 each Suspect: Detrick Jaron Gipson, 36 Charge: Theft (two counts) Offense date: Feb. 4 and Feb. 6 Bail: $10,000 each Suspect: Samuel Vance Barnett, 29 Charge: Injury to an elderly or disabled person Offense date: Feb. 11 Bail: $15,000 Suspect: Jenny Dawn Page, 28 Charge: Burglary of a habitation Offense date: Feb. 15 Bail: $50,000 Suspect: Phillip Matthew Key, 27 Charge: Evading arrest with a prior conviction Offense date: Feb. 24 Bail: $5,000 Suspect: Cynthia Key, 50 Charge: Hindering apprehension of prosecution Offense date: Feb. 24 Bail: $5,000 Suspect: Tommy Peevy, 45 Charge: Possession of a controlled substance Offense date: Feb. 24 Bail: $5,000 Suspect: Chad Michael Phelps, 22 Charge: Theft of a motor vehicle Offense date: Feb. 25 Bail: $5,000 Suspect: Devin Geter, 20 Charge: Possession of prohibited substances and items in a correctional facility Offense Date: Feb. 27 Bail: $5,000 Suspect: Thomas Andrew Charlie MacDonald, 27 Charge: Possession of a controlled substance Offense Date: Feb. 27 Bail: $10,000 Suspect: Lashawnda Tettleton, 27 Charge: Theft with two or more convictions Offense Date: Feb. 27 Bail: $5,000 Suspect: Iesha Escalante, 19 Charge: Possession of a controlled substance Offense Date: Feb. 28 Bail: $5,000 Suspect: Precious Nicole Tillery, 17 Charge: Aggravated robbery Offense Date: Feb. 28 Bail: $5,000 CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Premier High Schools plans to open a new campus in the Wichita Falls area. They are open-enrollment charter schools. SHARE TIMES RECORD NEWS FILE Premier Charter Schools plans to open a campus in the Wichita Falls area. By Lana Sweeten-Shults of the Times Record News Students may find new hallways to roam if an open-enrollment charter school follows through with plans to open a campus here something to which the Wichita Falls ISD is opposed. The school board at a special session Tuesday learned that Premier High Schools has submitted an application to open a campus in the Wichita Falls area, though no campus address has yet been secured. According to U.S. News and World Report, 26 Premier High Schools operate in Texas, with campuses in such cities as Abilene, El Paso, Richardson, Beaumont, Irving, Tyler and Brownsville, to name a few. Superintendent Michael Kuhrt is familiar with the charter school. One operates in Dayton, Texas, where he served as superintendent before accepting a position with the Wichita Falls ISD. "They're all over the place the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston, Austin," Kuhrt said. " ... They have a totally online curriculum. ... They have seats; you go to school and sit at a computer." Currently, an open-enrollment charter school does not operate in Wichita Falls. The last charter school here, Bright Ideas, was closed by the state at the end of the academic year in 2015. It was one of 14 underperforming open-enrollment charter schools whose charters were revoked, meaning it would no longer receive state funding. State money makes up the bulk of the funding for such schools. Bright Ideas, according to the state, did not meet its financial accountability requirements for three of the preceding school years in which the state issued accountability ratings. The board discussed submitting a form to the Texas Education Agency, which asks if the addition of the campus to the area would have a major impact on the school district and in what manner. "We do feel this has a likely chance it would negatively impact our district budget," Debby Patterson, executive director of school administration, said. The Wichita Falls ISD operates 29 campuses three high schools, three junior high schools, 16 elementary schools, four Head Start/Early Childhood campuses and three alternative facilities with an enrollment of about 14,200. Board member Reginald Blow said he wanted to recommend "that this does not happen" and submit the necessary forms to the state to express the anticipated negative impact on the district. The school board's next meeting is 6 p.m. Monday at the Education Center. CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS Senior high school students participated in various seminars during the Senior Send-Off Wednesday morning at the Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Event Center. SHARE By Lana Sweeten-Shults of the Times Record News Dear Wichita Falls high school seniors: We're sending you off into the world. Good luck, kids. But before then, let us tell you a little about ... Healthy food choices. What college will be like. A career in the military. A career on the police SWAT unit. Such was the call of the day at the Partners-in-Education-organized Senior Send-Off Wednesday at the Multi-Purpose Events Center. More than 670 seniors from Wichita Falls, Hirschi and Rider high schools and Harrell Accelerated Learning Center were invited to attend. The program aims to make the transition from high school into "real life" a little smoother. One of the sessions students chose four from among 15 was the cool kid on the Senior Send-Off block, complete with Wichita Falls Police Department officers from the SWAT Team and K-9 Unit. "So what interesting things have happened to you on the job?" Texas Tech-bound, future biology major Chris Owen of Rider High School asked. Officer Jacob Blashill, who serves on SWAT and night shift patrol and is Intoxilizer certified, said two weeks ago on Boren Avenue, a man "came out with a knife on his throat and wanted us to shoot him." Blashill also told students about several drug arrests. He knew one woman he stopped was high on some kind of drug and not alcohol. She insisted on blowing into a Breathalyzer. He knew better and wanted to do a different test for other drugs. "How do you take blood from her?" another student asked. "You take them to the hospital." He also was on scene for a recent deadly shooting at The Haystack bar. "Do you have any not-sad stories?" Owen asked. "I do have a lifesaving bar; I saved someone's life. ... An older man had a heart attack. You've got someone yelling out for you to save their dad's life. ... I said, 'Let's do this.'" Officer John Ricketts, who's with the K-9 Unit, told about the dedication of the police canines at their behest, one of which wanted to tear through the Plexiglas between the front and back seat of a patrol car to defend one of the police officers. Then there was the time, two years ago: "There was a guy known to be with the Mexican cartel. He made one drop before we found him. ... He had a kilo of methamphetamines inside the purse." A popular session was Scott Plowman's mini class on healthy food choices. Part of that popularity might have to do with his team serving barbecue sandwiches during the talk. Plowman, who owns Pelican's and the Parkway Grill, told the seniors in his session, "In canned/frozen foods, watch for things like added salt or sugar." This was the 10th year for Senior Send-Off. "The purpose is to present them with a variety of information that will be useful for their future," January Jones, PIE coordinator, said. "... I think they can get a little bit out of everything" and can go into the workplace and make themselves hireable. Owen said he found the police presentation interesting: "It was cool to hear about their real-world experiences," he said. Victoria Phifer of Wichita Falls High School, who wants to get a nursing degree, said what was useful to her was filling out a questionnaire that told her about her proclivities and talents. "It told me about my leadership and how I work well with others." And here was another bit of advice from Plowman as high school seniors were getting ready to graduate and head into "real life": "You don't want to cook broccoli until it's mush." SHARE The Islamist terrorists' global war on the civilized continues unabated with Brussels, Belgium the latest target of an ISIS mass homicide. As I write this column, Belgian authorities report the coordinated terror bomb attacks on Brussels' airport and a city metro train station killed 34 and wounded almost 200 people. This Brussels attack lacked the strategic magnitude of 9-11. Its death toll is well below the 131 murdered in Paris in November 2015. The Paris slaughter was Europe's most deadly terror attack in a decade. However, the Brussels assault was executed with the same fanaticism and audacity we witnessed on 9-11 and saw again in Paris. Several dozen other Islamist terrorist mass homicides around the globe have been equally audacious and coldblooded. The November 2008 massacre-by-gunfire in Mumbai, India, left 164 people dead and over 300 wounded. Al-Qaida's March 11, 2004 (3-11) slaughter in Madrid murdered 191 Spaniards and wounded 1,800. It affected Spain's national elections and brought "Socialist peace candidate" Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to power. He immediately withdrew Spain's troop contingent from Iraq. Zapatero certainly secured peace with al-Qaida, didn't he? No, he didn't. Based on official statements, the Brussels attacks were well organized and planned. The metro train station was near the European Union's administrative office. ISIS sent E.U. bureaucrats a message: we intend to kill you. Several media reports called the attacks revenge for the March 18 arrest of Salah Abdeslam. Abdeslam helped plan the November attacks in Paris. Perhaps revenge was a motive. However, radical Islamists are seeking revenge for the loss of Spain in 1492, a fact that apparently escaped Prime Minister Zapatero's strategic notice. I suspect ISIL terrorists had already planned the attacks and accelerated their time table after security officers claimed Abdeslam was "worth his weight in gold" as a source of information on ISIS and its terror operations. French and Belgian government officials wanted to announce Abdeslam's capture. Paris was a horror. However, intelligence officers usually advise minimizing news of a capture until they have finished interrogating the terrorist and run checks to gauge the accuracy of any information the terrorist provided. A sophisticated organization like ISIS will know a raid occurred. Neighbors talk. So officials say a suspect was arrested, then shut up and let the enemy worry. Which is why publicly gloating about Abdeslam's motor mouth strikes me as a grievous mistake. It tells ISIS terror cells to run, go to ground or quickly execute planned operations. In the counterterror business unforced errors caused by myopic political considerations or lack of professional discipline often exact a price paid in the loss of more innocent lives. That noted, the Paris attack seems to have been a sobering political watershed. French and Belgian governments now acknowledge the obvious: Islamist terrorists are waging war against them. Since the Paris bloodletting, Western European security forces have become noticeably aggressive. French and Belgian police have conducted several raids where suspected ISIS terrorists were either killed or arrested, and done so with enough frequency to indicate intelligence services have identified ISIS support networks in France, Belgium and Holland. Police have been quick to execute follow-up operations. French authorities reported that four people duly described as radical Islamists were arrested March 16 for allegedly helping plot the Paris attack. The arrests followed a police raid on a house in Brussels in which two terror suspects were slain. The war against ISIS, however, won't be won by police forces. ISIS must be defeated in Syria and Iraq. Yes, in the Middle East that battleground from which Spain withdrew in 2004. The U.S. withdrew its forces in 2011. Last week ISIS forces killed a U.S. Marine in Iraq. To defend Brussels and New York, U.S. ground forces must go back. Austin Bay is a commentator on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," covering foreign affairs but often addressing issues in Texas that have a national interest. Denise Palumbo has only been in her Saratoga Springs house for a year, but already the home has become a center for family dinners and holiday get-togethers. Her unique but classic style undoubtedly draws guests into her home, while the open floor plan allows for comfortable socializing and dining. Living alone, Palumbo has been able to create the exact type of space she wanted in a house. As co-owner of Plum and Crimson Fine Interior Design, Palumbo certainly had the means and drive to make her vision a reality. "I really understand how much planning is involved," she says of creating her own ideal home. "It's so hard for people to envision what it is they're buying," Palumbo explains. "I like to put furniture on the floor plan and show them exactly how much space they have. Nobody wants to say later, 'Oh I should have made this room two feet bigger, because now I can't fit a second sofa in there.' " When it comes to art, or even the decor in general, Palumbo goes for what speaks to her over what's hot or conventional at the moment. "When you buy what you love, you'll always find a place for it," she says. "Don't buy it because it matches your room." In guiding her clients to their dream home, Palumbo advises them to fill the house with what makes them feel comfortable, calm and happy, and this includes the color scheme. Even in her bathroom, timeless components meet new trends. The floor is a Calcutta marble, which Palumbo describes as "classic and traditional," and she has paired it with a very modern glass tile above. When it comes to dressing up the house for the holidays, classic and modern come together once more. "I'm very traditional and family-oriented," Palumbo says of her approach to holiday decorating, but admits there are some beautiful new holiday trends today as well. She puts out a small tree in addition to a big one, with the small tree maybe having this year's color or something a bit more funky. But the big Christmas tree will always be adorned with decorations her kids made 25 years ago. "I'm not giving up those Popsicle stick ornaments." THE KITCHEN: In the kitchen, a popular herringbone pattern is displayed, but the countertops are actually quite unusual. "I like the texture on that marble," Palumbo says of the honed leather marble counter tops. "I like that it's not your traditional white marble, it's darker." THE DECOR: When asked about incorporating books into the decorating scheme Palumbo said, "I like to use things in my decor that I have, and not necessarily have to go shopping for everything." The books on the living room coffee table are travel books she's picked up from places she's visited. They're both decorative and functional they look nice, and guests can rifle through them like coffee table books, but she reads them regularly as well, learning more about the destinations she has traveled to. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. THE BEDROOMS: Palumbo loves the color purple. As a young girl growing up in Rhode Island, she was inspired by the purple toile she saw in the Newport mansions, and you'll find this soft and soothing shade throughout her master bedroom and bathroom. The kids' room, shared among her granddaughter and goddaughter when they visit, has a vibrant orange wallpaper, but only on the end walls, as an accent. Palumbo says, "I love wallpaper, but I tend to use patterned wallpaper sparingly. As a general rule, with the big open spaces, I like paint." THE LIVING ROOM: Another golden guideline Palumbo goes by in her designs is to marry the traditional with the modern. Throughout her home, old-fashioned elements are being woven into and lifted up by contemporary trends. In the living room, one can find a small, antique post office box incorporated into the modern-looking fireplace. After Tran Minh Loi posted evidence of a police officer accepting a VND60 million ($2,700) bribe on Facebook, he was arrested for cooperating with those handing over the money. Dak Nong provincial police arrested Loi, 48, on March 22 in Cu Kuin district in Vietnams Central Highlands. Deputy Director of Dak Lak Public Security Colonel Luong Ngoc Lep said Loi was suspected of being an accomplice in the bribing of a Dak Mil district police officer. Loi has also been accused of profiting from helping people point the finger at authorities for their wrongdoings. On January 15, Dak Mil police arrested six people for gambling in Thuan An commune. Sub-lieutenant Lanh Thanh Binh then contacted their families, hinting they would be released in return for a cash payment. One of the gamblers relatives contacted Loi to help bring the matter to light. Loi arrested by the police. Photo by Kh.Uyen The families gathered VND60 million and recorded Binh accepting the bribe. Loi then posted the footage online on the Anti internal invaders Facebook account he manages, and where he has previously posted evidence of corruption by authorities in Dak Lak and Dak Nong provinces. The police officer, Binh, was stripped of a title known as "People's Policeman" and charged with abuse of power for personal gain. Huynh Cao Tri, 38, Nguyen Xuan An, 31, Truong Thi Lan, 47, and Nguyen Thi Ti, 56, have also been charged with bribing Binh. Dak Nong Police has also suspended two other Dak Mil police officers who had some involvement in the case. According to article 364 of the Criminal Code, giving bribes worth from VND2 million to under VND100 million may result in a VND20 million to VND200 million fine, non-custodial reparation order of up to three years or a prison sentence from six months to three years. Wauwatosa, Wis. While Ted Cruz decried "gutter politics" against him, former Republican presidential contenders gave him a boost Wednesday, casting the Texas senator as the party's last best chance to stop Donald Trump. The long and bitter 2016 campaign shifted to a new Midwestern battleground. Ahead of Wisconsin's April 5 primary, Gov. Scott Walker, who dropped out of the race last fall, declared that only Cruz can catch Trump as time runs short in the primary season. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush gave Cruz his endorsement a step perhaps designed to hurt Trump more than help the unpopular Texas senator. "For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena," said Bush, who was knocked out of the 2016 contest last month. "To win, Republicans need to make this election about proposing solutions to the many challenges we face, and I believe that we should vote for Ted as he will do just that." Indeed, as Democrat Hillary Clinton addressed rising national security concerns, the Republican contest was hit again by personal insults this time involving the candidates' families. Cruz slammed Trump during an appearance in the front-runner's hometown for making a vague threat on Twitter the night before to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife. "Gutter politics," Cruz said. Trump's warning that he would disclose something about Heidi Cruz came in response to an ad by an outside political group that featured a provocative photo of Trump's wife, Melania, when she was a model and before they were married. Trump misidentified the Cruz campaign as the source of the ad. Heidi Cruz addressed the situation directly during an appearance outside Milwaukee. "The things that Donald Trump says are not based in reality," she said. The Republican infighting came the day after Cruz scored a win in Utah and Trump claimed Arizona. Despite modest signs of strength, the first-term Texas senator needs a near miracle to catch the billionaire businessman. The day-after delegate math laid bare the challenge: Cruz needs to win 83 percent of the remaining delegates to overtake the front-runner. And further complicating Cruz's path, Ohio Gov. John Kasich vowed to stay in the race at least until the next primary. "There is zero chance that we would drop out before Wisconsin. And there'd be no reason for us to," Kasich told reporters as he campaigned in the state, acknowledging his only hope to secure the nomination lies at a contested convention this summer in Cleveland. Kasich did not earn a single delegate in Tuesday's contests, but suggested he would do "fine" in Wisconsin's upcoming primary and would excel in late-April elections across the East. A frustrated Cruz charged Kasich with playing "spoiler" by taking votes that could have gone to him. Cruz suggested that the Ohio governor's political future could benefit from a speedy exit: "I think he'd be a tremendous addition to an administration," Cruz said on CNN's "New Day." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Malta As National Grid prepares to spend as much as $1.4 billion over the next 24 months upgrading its gas and electric equipment across upstate New York, it also has a message for the public. Watch your driving, please! National Grid was holding its annual meeting with local first responders, fire and police officers at the Hyatt Place hotel on Wednesday. Much of the meeting focused on safety and coordination during emergencies and storms, and at the conclusion, National Grid held a work zone safety demonstration for the news media to raise public awareness in advance of the coming construction season. Melanie Littlejohn, regional executive for National Grid's upstate New York operations, was at the event and said that the utility's workforce has dangerous jobs already. And when road work is involved, it gets that much riskier because of drivers. National Grid documents dozens of driver and pedestrian "encroachments" on work zones each year. "It's in our DNA. We do dangerous work, period," Littlejohn said. "But how do we deliver them home safely each and every day back to their families?" Duane Beach, a National Grid lineman and safety advocate for IBEW union Local 97, said drivers are increasingly distracted either texting or talking on their smart phones. And that's a bad combination with more utility construction work that is often right on the side of the road. The workers directing traffic with stop and slow signs are trained to make eye contact with drivers. "What we're asking the public to do is have a heightened awareness and to be responsible when you are coming into these work zones," Beach said. "Just be respectful to these employees, who are there trying to keep the electricity and the gas on." Absent from Wednesday's event was William Flaherty, the longtime local National Grid regional executive who attends most of the utility's local events. Littlejohn told the audience at the Hyatt that Flaherty is transferring to a similar job with National Grid in Rhode Island, where Flaherty can be closer to family. Until recently, Littlejohn was the regional executive for the Syracuse market, but National Grid has made her regional executive of all of upstate. She said a replacement for Flaherty will be on board by May or early June. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Meanwhile, National Grid executives say a large part of its new investment will be on replacing natural gas lines and fixing existing leaks. Bryan Buck, National Grid's director of gas operations for eastern New York, said the utility has cut its backlog of gas leaks needing to be fixed in half in the past year. He said that is important because the public and local governments worry the most about gas leaks, he said, one of the reasons that the utility is planning to replace or add 98 miles of new gas lines over the next two years. "We're constantly upgrading and monitoring our system," Buck said. lrulison@timesunion.com 518-454-5504 @larryrulison This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany In May 2014, an advocate for hiking the minimum wage in New York emailed a University of California labor economist with a list of talking points "we'd love you to cover." The economist, Ken Jacobs, was set to testify before the New York state Senate's Labor Committee about the benefits of municipal minimum wage hikes in California. "That works for me," replied Jacobs, chair of the Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. "I will work on it tomorrow." During his trip to New York, a progressive public relations firm working for higher wages set up a meeting for Jacobs at The New York Times editorial board. Jacobs assisted an advocate rounding up New York union support, according to emails. But that was not Jacobs' last foray into New York's wage wars. Earlier this month, Jacobs and three Berkeley colleagues released a study showing that boosting the minimum wage in New York from the current $9 to $15 would generate a 23 percent average wage increase for 3 million workers. That would "greatly outweigh the small effect on employment," the report stated. The Times Union was recently provided hundreds of pages of emails among minimum wage advocates, Jacobs and other Berkeley academics, demonstrating a deep level of coordination between academics and advocates. The emails were provided by the Employment Policies Institute, a Washington, D.C., group backed by businesses including the restaurant industry which obtained them through an open records request. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has made a phased-in $15 wage push a top budget priority, has touted the Berkeley researchers' findings in his efforts to pass what would be the nation's highest statewide minimum wage. On both sides of the battle, the ties between researchers and those pushing a political agenda can create a thick data fog, and a perception that truly independent research is elusive in the nationally uncharted waters of the $15 wage. Senate Republicans, the lone political roadblock to its implementation in New York, have not definitively ruled out the $15 wage, but have said they want further study. Two officials at the business-backed American Action Forum, another Washington, D.C.-based group, penned a November study on the $15 wage in New York. That nonprofit's funders, according to tax records, include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which paid the Action Forum $129,000 in 2014 to produce policy research. The Action Forum's November study reached a radically different conclusion from the Berkeley Labor Center group: The $15 wage would cost at least 200,000 (and possibly as many as 588,000) jobs in New York. The Action Forum, like other business-backed groups, has itself consistently produced research that warns against raising the minimum wage. The study's authors included the former head of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who was also an adviser to Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain. One difference for the Berkeley Center is that it's not only a top institution that can carry an extra degree of prestige, but it's publicly funded. Yet records also show the ties between Berkeley and labor interests. In a March 10 op-ed arguing for the $15 wage, Cuomo pointed to the Berkeley Labor Center's 2013 study concerning "poverty-level wages at big corporations," and how taxpayers pay billions for programs like food stamps to subsidize low-wage workers. "We should focus on the facts, not fear," Cuomo wrote. But that study, coauthored by Jacobs, was funded by the Service Employees National Union, which has led the push for a $15 minimum wage nationally, records show. Its New York affiliate, SEIU 1199, has led the push here. In a phone interview, Jacobs said Berkeley's methodology for minimum wage studies has been extensively peer-reviewed, and panned the methodology of the American Action Forum. "All the work we do is quality academic research," Jacobs said. "Anyone can check that method. The results are the results." The lead researcher on the $15 study, prominent Prof. Michael Reich, chairs a separate Berkeley unit, which he says takes no direct union money and is mostly funded by the State of California. His $15 study did get backing from Ford Foundation and the New York-based Fiscal Policy Institute, which gets substantial union funding. A deep-pocketed, SEIU 1199-funded lobbying campaign for the $15 wage, the Mario Cuomo Campaign for Economic Justice, paid the Fiscal Policy Institute at least $26,000 in the first two months of this year, Politico New York recently reported. The Berkeley Labor Center has done at least six other studies on the minimum wage in California municipalities, all showing that a wage increase would be beneficial. In fact, Jacobs could not name a study conducted by Berkeley that said raising wages would have an overall negative impact. He did say one done for Los Angeles showed a slightly unfavorable impact on employment. Reich said no funder of one of his studies had sought to suppress it because the results were unfavorable. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. In one April 2014 email, the relationship between academic and funder seemed explicit: Jacobs explained he was seeking grant money to support his unit's research "for local groups engaged in work to raise the minimum wage" in California. Jacob added that his Center would provide "testimony/media work." Jacobs told the Times Union that Berkeley also provides such research to businesses (such as a current one for PricewaterhouseCoopers not related to the minimum wage) and local governments, such as the cities of San Jose and Los Angeles. "Our job is to provide the best (objective) evidence possible," Jacobs told the Times Union. The Berkeley Labor Center mixes public and private funds: Its donors include the State of California, as well as "foundations, other government entities, businesses, unions and community organizations." Jacobs said the Labor Center has an annual budget of about $2.5 million, and estimated only about 10 percent came directly from unions. Reich, the author of the $15 study, said that the popular view of economists across the country had shifted towards the benefits of a higher minimum wage in no small part due to his work. For instance, Reich noted a University of Chicago survey of leading economist conducted last September showing an increasingly broad acceptance of the positive effects of such an increase. Reich noted he has been invited to the White House, and Vice President Joe Biden who has pushed the $15 cause alongside Cuomo had cited his work in a speech. "Berkeley's work is right up there with Harvard in the university world," Reich said. "I do happen to think it's important to help low-wage workers (but skewing studies) doesn't happen in my world. I've written things that were critical of unions, and also that they've had a positive effect." Reich provided copies of memos he has been circulating with state Assembly Democrats and Senate Republicans refuting the business-backed American Action Forum study. He wrote that "studies that use data from recent more moderate increases in minimum wages are not reliable predictors" of the effects of a $15 minimum wage. A spokeswoman for the American Action Forum said its research applies the findings of the Congressional Budget Office as well as other top economists, examining different ways minimum wage impacts employment. "These studies are highly regarded, and that is why we use them in projecting the impact of raising the minimum wage in New York," she said. cbragg@timesunion.com 518-454-5303 @chrisbragg1 Kathleen Parker asserts in her column ("Trump puts balance of the world at risk," March 13): "Anyone who believes Trump will do any of the things he has promised might want to ask (Ben) Carson about brain surgery." Presumably, these potential non-achievements include Trump's promise of a high wall to be erected along our border with Mexico at their expense. U.S. Trade Representatives suggested local officials get out of the office and actively seek investors in order to improve business opportunities and attract investment from the U.S. The 'Meet the USA' seminar held yesterday in Hanoi was attended by representatives of more than 50 U.S. businesses and 40 local officials, and was organized by Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. embassy in Hanoi ahead of the May visit of U.S. President Barack Obama. At the seminar, commercial counselor at the U.S. Embassy Stuart Schaag said Vietnam's regions had many high-quality goods, but producers did not know how to "offer" them to international businesses. He said the choice of investments by American businesses was entirely at their discretion, without any government intervention. When they wanted to invest in Vietnam, they would seldom learn about the market through government officials, and Vietnams regions needed to directly promote their unique products. He advised the Vietnamese officials to leave their desks and participate in international conferences, meet investors and seek opportunities to show how their areas products differed from elsewhere. Today, competition is not only between countries but also between the locals. This really is a race, Schaag said. Competition makes each local area develop differently, and they can only sell their products if they actively offer them, he added. Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, Sherry Boger, said many U.S. businesses were looking for investment opportunities in Vietnam's regions. However, there should be more developed infrastructure, services and administrative procedures to make it more convenient for U.S. investors, she suggested. "Some U.S. businesses have lost patience because procedures in Vietnam are quite slow. The TPP is approaching, and Vietnam has to prepare quickly and take action because this is an opportunity for the country to place itself in an important position on the world map, Boger said. In response, the leaders of Vietnam provinces expressed their desire to welcome a wave of investment from U.S. businesses. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said that Vietnam U.S. relations were continuing to strengthen and move in a positive direction, with increasing opportunities for cooperation. Several area residents received the prestigious Paul Harris Fellows award during Titusville Rotary Clubs meeting on Tuesday, in the community room of Benson Memorial Library. Those taking part in the award ceremony include (from left) Chris Fiely, Titusville Rotary past president; Carolyn and Dr. Paul Rizza, of Slippery Rock, who are Arch Klumph Society members; Amanda Runge, annual giving officer for the Rotary Foundation; Steve Coleman, Titusville Rotary secretary and past president; Tammy McHenry, Dick Roeder, Young Fan, Jennifer Snyder, Rotary first vice president; Traci Speer, Rotary president elect; and Terri Wig. [March 24, 2016] AAR Wins $105 Million Award from U.S. Navy for Contract Logistics Support of C-40A Clipper Aircraft WOOD DALE, Ill., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AAR (NYSE: AIR) was awarded a $104,970,967 five-year, fixed-price contract by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for fleet logistics support, including commercial depot support and site support, for the C-40A Clipper aircraft, a derivative of the Boeing 737-700 commercial airliner. "We are honored by this selection and look forward to providing top-notch service to our U.S. Navy customer," said John Holmes, Chief Operating Officer, Aviation Services. "This award further cements AAR's position as a prime logistics sustainment provider in the government and defense marketplace." "AAR is a strong fit for this contract because we can utilize our broad range of services and facilities across the country to maintain the airframes from tip to tail," said Don Wetekam, Senior Vice President, Government & Defense Programs. "And we will be partnering with United Airlines under their Part 121 certificate for technical parts and quality oversight." Heavy maintenance work on the C-40A aircraft, the newest commercial derivative medium lift aircraft used for Navy Unique Fleet Essential Airlift missions, will be performed at AAR's Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Oklahoma City airport, with logistics being supported at five Naval Air Stations. AAR will also use its landing gear repair facility in Miami and component repair shop in New York to support the Navy fleet. AAR has contracted with Lockheed Martin Commercial Engine Solutions to provide engine repair work. "This contract is a great example of how AAR can apply commercial aviation supply chain best practices to help he government increase efficiencies and decrease costs," said David P. Storch, Chairman, President & CEO. "In this time of reduced budgets, government can rely on a trusted partner like AAR that has been providing aviation aftermarket services for more than 60 years." About AAR AAR is a global aftermarket solutions company that employs more than 4,500 people in over 20 countries. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, AAR supports commercial aviation and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AAR's Aviation Services include inventory management; parts supply; OEM parts distribution; aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul; and component repair. AAR's Expeditionary Services include airlift operations; mobility systems; and command and control centers in support of military and humanitarian missions. More information can be found at www.aarcorp.com. This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including those factors discussed under Item 1A, entitled "Risk Factors", included in the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2015. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond the Company's control. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. For additional information, see the comments included in AAR's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150319/183226LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aar-wins-105-million-award-from-us-navy-for-contract-logistics-support-of-c-40a-clipper-aircraft-300240847.html SOURCE AAR [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] Caribou Biosciences' Co-Founder Dr. Jennifer Doudna and Chairman of the Board Rodolphe Barrangou Selected for 2016 Canada Gairdner Awards Caribou Biosciences, Inc., a developer of CRISPR technologies for precision cell engineering, announced today that co-founder Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., and Rodolphe Barrangou, Ph.D., M.B.A., Chairman of Caribou's Board of Directors, have been named as two of the winners of the 2016 Canada Gairdner Awards for their contributions in CRISPR-Cas characterization and gene editing. The Canada Gairdner Awards are among the world's most esteemed medical research prizes and recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. "We are delighted that Jennifer's and Rodolphe's visionary work and accomplishments are being recognized with this highly prestigious award," said Rachel Haurwitz, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Caribou. "Their pioneering discoveries and continued pivotal efforts are helping to quickly transform the vast potential of CRISPR-Cas gene editing into reality. We continue to be deeply honored to have them serve central roles in both the creation and advancement of our organization." Dr. Doudna, the Li K Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley and Investigator of the Howard Hughes (News - Alert) Medical Institute, was recognized for her work in the development of CRISPR-Cas as a genome editing tool for eukaryotic cells. Dr. Barrangou, an Associate Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University, a NC State University Scholar, and the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Scholar in Probiotics Research, was recognized for his work in establishing and characterizing CRISPR-Cas bacterial immune defense system. Additional information on the Canada Gairdner Awards and the selections of Dr. Doudna and Dr. Barrangou can be found at www.gairdner.org. About Caribou Biosciences, Inc. Caribou Biosciences, Inc. is a developer of technology-based solutions for cellular engineering and analysis based on CRISPR systems. Caribou's tools and technologies provide transformative capabilities to therapeutic development, agricultural biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, and basic and applied biological research. For more information, visit www.cariboubio.com and follow @CaribouBio. "Caribou Biosciences" and the Caribou logo are trademarks of Caribou Biosciences, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005643/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 23, 2016] Researchers Develop Innovative Blood Test to Predict Risk of Developing the Tuberculosis Disease Scientists at the Center for Infectious Disease Research, the largest independent nonprofit in the U.S. focused solely on infectious disease research, and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) (University of Cape Town) recently developed an important blood test that can predict whether a latent (asymptomatic) Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is likely to develop into active tuberculosis disease (TB). These blood biomarkers can predict development of disease by measuring the expression of specific RNAs, which measure gene activity, in the blood. The group's findings were published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal, and could be developed into a diagnostic for large-scale efforts to screen and preventatively treat the disease. Although the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection affects one third of the global population, 90 percent of this infected population will never develop active TB. This innovative biomarker test can identify the majority of individuals that will progress to active TB at a 10 to 20 percent false positive rate. "This discovery could help develop a diagnostic that would narrow the detection and treatment gap for tuberculosis, impacting how the global health community approaches this epidemic," said Dan Zak, PhD, an assistant professor at the Center for Infectious Disease Research. Scientists studied RNA expression patterns in blood samples obtained from a study of more than 6,000 teenagers infected with Mtb from Worcester, South Africa, who were followed for more than two years to identify who progressed to active TB disease. The identification of the blood biomarkers that prospectively predict the progression of the infection to TB were then confirmed using samples obtained from a separate study of 4,500 adults from South Africa and The Gmbia assembled through an international collaboration between several countries. "The test can predict progression to TB more than one year before disease manifests, which provides a window of opportunity to use treatment to prevent the disease," said Professor Willem Hanekom, principal investigator of the study. The biomarker blood test, which consists of a set of blood RNAs measured by PCR (News - Alert), will soon be evaluated in a clinical trial to determine if targeted preventive therapy can prevent individuals at risk from developing TB. These findings could allow for screen and treat campaigns to be implemented on a large scale, preventing the Mtb infection from progressing and changing how the global community responds to this epidemic. This discovery is the culmination of a series of research projects over the past 10 years with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the European Union and the South African Medical Research Council. The full manuscript detailing the researchers' findings, titled "A blood RNA signature for tuberculosis disease risk: a prospective cohort study," was published in the March 23, 2016 edition of The Lancet, a leading medical journal. To learn more about tuberculosis research at the Center, please visit http://cidresearch.org/science/diseases. To learn more about the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, please visit: http://www.satvi.uct.ac.za/. About the Center for Infectious Disease Research The Center for Infectious Disease Research - based in Seattle, Wash. - is the largest independent, nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused solely on infectious disease research. Our mission is to make transformative scientific advancements that lead to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. We advance the science to develop vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria that claim the lives of millions of people every year. With your support in advancing our research we seek to build a healthier, more hopeful world. For more information, visit www.CIDResearch.org. Address Center for Infectious Disease Research 307 Westlake Ave N #500 Seattle, WA 98109 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160323006597/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] Tuberculosis Study Launched, Powered By Citizen Scientists on IBM's World Community Grid ARMONK, N.Y. and NOTTINGHAM, England, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM's (NYSE: IBM) World Community Grid and scientists at the University of Nottingham are launching a study to address tuberculosis, one of the world's most deadly diseases. It is expected that hundreds of thousands of volunteers will donate vast computing resources to aid this effort facilitated by IBM. Launched today, the new "Help Stop TB" project on IBM World Community Grid will model aspects of the behavior of tuberculosis bacteria to better understand its potential vulnerabilities that new medicines may one day exploit. Volunteers will make the processing power on their devices available, when otherwise not being used, to perform the millions of calculations necessary for these simulations. Crowdsourcing a virtual supercomputer in this manner to study the disease will provide results significantly faster and achieve greater results than relying on conventional computational resources typically available to researchers. Tuberculosis (TB) has plagued humans for thousands of years. Approximately one third of the globe's human population harbors TB today and 1.5 million people died from it in 2014, prompting the World Health Organization to rank TB alongside HIV as the world's deadliest infectious disease. Dr. Anna Croft, lead researcher of the Help Stop TB project and Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham in the UK, says that "TB is one of the world deadliest infectious diseases, along with HIV, and one third of the world's population harbors the TB bacterium. My team will use World Community Grid to help science better understand the TB bacterium, so we can develop more effective treatments, and eventually eradicate this threat to human health." Although several drugs and a partially effective vaccine have been developed to help combat TB, the TB bacterium can evolve to resist available medicine, particularly when patients interrupt or discontinue treatment, which often occurs when they do not have consistent access to medications and medical care. Nearly half of European cases are now resistant to at least one drug, and 4% of all cases worldwide are resistant to treatment regimens that combine drugs. HIV patients with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to TB. Tuerculosis can be a slow killer, often dormant for long periods of time before exploiting poor nutrition, old age or a weakened immune system to become active. It is most often spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, laughs or even talks. Symptoms can start with cough, weight loss, and fever, developing into breathing difficulties and violent coughs that bring up blood. Initially residing in the lungs, it can spread to, and cripple, other organs. The tuberculosis bacterium has a coating which shields it from many drugs and the patient's immune system. Among the fats, sugars and proteins in this coat are fatty molecules called mycolic acids. The Help Stop TB project will use the computing power donated by World Community Grid members to simulate the behavior and chemical properties of mycolic acids to better understand how they protect the TB bacteria. Scientists hope to use the results to eventually develop better treatments for this deadly disease, particularly those that evade TB cell wall defenses. World Community Grid was created in 2004 by IBM as part of its citizenship program focused on innovation. Hosted on IBM's SoftLayer cloud technology, World Community Grid facilitates massive amounts of completely free computing power for scientists by harnessing the surplus cycle time of volunteers' computers and Android devices from all over the globe. The combined power available on World Community Grid has created one of the most powerful and fastest virtual supercomputers on the planet. "Thanks to World Community Grid's massive computational power, we can study many different mycolic acid structures instead of just a few," says Dr. Croft. "This type of analysis at this scale would otherwise be impossible." More than three million computers and mobile devices used by nearly three quarters of one million people globally and 470 institutions from 80 countries have contributed virtual supercomputing power that have fueled more than two-dozens vitally important projects on World Community Grid over the last 11 years. Since the program's inception, World Community Grid has enabled important scientific advances in areas such as cancer research, AIDS treatments, genetic mapping, solar energy and ecosystem preservation. Many of these efforts might not have even been attempted without the free supercomputing power provided by IBM's World Community Grid. World Community Grid is enabled by Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC), an open source platform developed at the University of California, Berkeley and with support from the National Science Foundation. Volunteers can help stop TB by joining World Community Grid. IBM also invites researchers to submit research project proposals to receive this free resource, and encourages members of the public to donate their unused computing power to these efforts at worldcommunitygrid.org. For more information about IBM's philanthropic efforts, please visit www.citizenIBM.com or follow @CitizenIBM on Twitter. And for up to the minute media alerts about University of Nottingham, follow @UoNPressOffice on Twitter. The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is 'the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a "distinct" approach to internationalization, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.' (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of 'Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers' at the Times Higher Education Awards 2015. It is ranked in the world's top 75 by the QS World University Rankings 2015/16, and 8th in the UK by research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world's greenest campus for three years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities. Contact(s) information: Ari Fishkind IBM Media Relations +1 (914) 499-6420 [email protected] Emma Lowry Media Relations Manager Faculty of Engineering The University of Nottingham +44 (0)115 8467156 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tuberculosis-study-launched-powered-by-citizen-scientists-on-ibms-world-community-grid-300240546.html SOURCE IBM [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] Frost & Sullivan Lauds Volpara Solutions' Quantitative Breast Imaging Tools for Driving Growth of the Breast Density Assessment Market KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, and WELLINGTON, New Zealand, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the breast density assessment solutions market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Volpara Solutions with the 2016 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership. Volpara Solutions offers a suite of multi-vendor breast imaging tools including VolparaDensity, VolparaAnalytics, VolparaDose, and VolparaResearch. The quantitative software tools allow for personalized measurements of volumetric breast density, patient dose, breast compression and other factors designed to help maintain accuracy and consistent quality in breast screening. Volpara Solutions' technology is installed in more than 30 countries and its geographic footprint continues to expand. To date, more than 9 million women have had their breast density assessed by VolparaDensity. VolparaAnalytics provides quality metrics and key performance indicators that let facilities evaluate their mammography and tomosynthesis system utilization, examination times, patient dose, patient positioning, and patient comfort. This can help sites correct issues that may impact the quality of the breast imaging services they deliver and help improve quality of care. "The company believes that the more specific data it provides to the medical professional, the more it contributes to securing an accurate diagnosis for patients, and this is a driving force behind new solution developments that collect a new type of data," said Frost & Sullivan's Research Associate, Svetlana Korosteleva. "Volpara Solutions leverages modern network technologies and supporting IT deployment models. It intends to further expand its analytics capabilities by leveraging wider sets of metrics that enable it to switch to predictive healthcare, the next frontier for the healthcare industry." "With recent pivotal research demonstrating the link between breast cancer risk and density combined with extensive validation of the ability of volumetric breast density to overcome the limitations of mammography, we have seen strong adoption for both clinical use and academic research," noted Ralph Highnam, PhD, CEO and Chief Scientist, Volpara Solutions. Frost & Sullivan is pleased to recognize Volpara Solutions for innovative strategies in strengthening its brand and thereby, demand for its products, in the intensely competitive breast density assessment solutions market. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has leveraged competitive intelligence to successfully execute a competitive strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning and customer satisfaction. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Volpara Solutions Founded with the goal of helping radiologists give women the most accurate information possible regarding their breast health, Volpara Solutions is the wholly owned sales and marketing arm of Volpara Health Technologies Limited of New Zealand (formerly Matakina Technology). Available in most markets where breast cancer screening is commonplace, VolparaDensity provides an objective volumetric measure of breast density from both digital mammography and tomosynthesis data. VolparaDensity is part of a suite of quantitative breast imaging tools built on the Volpara Solutions algorithm that allows for personalized measurements of density, patient-specific x-ray dose, breast compression, breast positioning and other factors designed to provide critical insight for breast imaging workflow. For more information, visit www.volparasolutions.com. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure. The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. 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Joseph +603.6204.5910 510/435-4031 [email protected] [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frost--sullivan-lauds-volpara-solutions-quantitative-breast-imaging-tools-for-driving-growth-of-the-breast-density-assessment-market-300240962.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] Complacency With Case Management Technology Exposes U.S. to Belgium-Style ISIS Attack, Says A Just Cause DENVER, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Congress gave the FBI $1.3 billion dollars to modernize information technology systems that left America vulnerable to the 9/11 attacks. However, 15 years later, "FBI and the Department of Homeland Security" remain technologically inferior due to multiple failures to build a modernized case management system. The $400+ million Virtual Case File project by the SAIC Corp. was declared "unfit for use" and in a 2012 interview with FierceGovernmentIT, former FBI chief technology officer Jack Israel said that the $900+ million Lockheed Martin Sentinel project's "demise" was the FBI's failure to build an electronic case management system. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160323/347404LOGO "What Sentinel was designed to do is come up with automated workflows for all investigative processes that went on in the FBI," said Israel. "It was supposed to come up with new search paradigms, ones that were more used today, like Google searches," added Israel. "It was supposed to promote information sharing, being able to share with the rest of the law enforcement and intelligence community information that the FBI had developed. And it was supposed to go from a paper-based storage of information, of records, to electronic records management," explained Israel. "That may sound kind of strange, because the case file system in ACS is electronic...But, the records themselves that the FBI uses to go to court, are, today still paper. Unless you have a way to certify electronic records, like with a digital signature," Israel expounded. "Our Case Investigtive Life Cycle (CILC, pronounced "silk) software does exactly what Mr. Israel describes, including digital signatures, electronic case file dissemination to prosecutors and the courts," says David Banks, Chief Operating Officer of the IRP Solutions Corporation. "And we challenge our federal government to put us and CILC to the test. "I have no doubt that there was corporate collusion to criminalize IRP's debt to eliminate us as competition," adds Banks. "I suspect that in the eyes of prosecutors and the courts, a few African-American entrepreneurs couldn't possibly possess enough intelligence to develop innovative software for FBI & DHS," muses Banks. "Case closed. These guys are criminals," Banks retorts. In what former federal appellate judge H. Lee Sarokin calls a "strange case," debts incurred from the development of CILC. "The government's contention that [IRP] was a scam defies reality," Sarokin said in the Huffington Post. Court records show that IRP were in discussions about a $12 million dollar pilot project with DHS and was a front-runner for the Federal Investigative Case Management System (FICMS) initiative to provide a single case management system for all federal law enforcement agencies. "We demonstrated CILC to a large joint DHS/DOJ working group where DHS official Stephen Cooper told us the FBI was very impressed with CILC," says Banks. Email shows that DHS requested and received a $100-million-dollar quote for 2 CILC modules for their 2005 budget exercise. "This instance of wrongful prosecution didn't just damage individuals, families and businesses, it partially explains why, after more than a decade of effort and fruitless expenditure of more than a billion tax dollars, the security issues that left America vulnerable on 9-11 remain unresolved," says Dr. Alan Bean, Executive Director of Friends of Justice. "IRP...had the answers, but the federal government was asking the wrong questions. FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors never saw this as a civil matter, a case of well-intentioned businessmen incurring business debt," contends Bean. "Until you realize that five of the six men at the heart of this story, the public face of the company, are African-American, nothing else makes sense," says Bean. "President Obama, Congress, Attorney General Lynch and DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson must come together to close security gaps associated with inferior case management technology," says Lisa Stewart of A Just Cause. "Our leaders not only have a responsibility to correct injustice but to protect Americans from enemies, both foreign and domestic," adds Stewart. CONTACT DETAILS: Lamont Banks A Just Cause www.a-justcause.com 855-529-4252 Ext 710 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/complacency-with-case-management-technology-exposes-us-to-belgium-style-isis-attack-says-a-just-cause-300240532.html SOURCE A Just Cause [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] March 24, 2016 | 12:34 am PT Due to the ambiguity and complexity of the Vietnamese language, I had to use the word 'authentic' to describe what would otherwise be referred to as a high quality education. I didnt mean to ask whether Vietnamese people care about education or not, because they obviously do. In every Vietnamese family, there is no more important topic than the childrens studies. Besides earning a living, there is no chore that takes up more time than supervising childrens studies. In terms of family spending, education is probably second only to food. To put it simply, peoples interest in education is undoubtable. What I was asking was which kind of education, which outcomes from education, do we Vietnamese care about, both at home and at school? I have a feeling that the majority of Vietnamese people think of education as a way to give their children a good life, to earn decent money, and in the best-case scenario to become a state official. Few of them deny this purpose. The children usually understand this and do appreciate what they are given. They are also no strangers to their parents corrupt practices, such as paying bribes to get their children into the state schools they want (which are fully subsidized and usually not their state-designated ones), or buying scores. But what are the results? Vietnams productivity is 15 times lower than Singapores. Vietnam is still a lower-middle income country. Vietnams GDP per capita is 28 times lower than Singapores. Vietnam is supposed to be on a path to becoming a fully industrialized country, and the valid question raised in the parliament is why is Vietnam still unable to produce phone chargers, headphones, bolts for Samsung cellphones? Why cant we produce bolts for a Boeing B777 planes wings? This is just a small example to raise bigger questions around our research capability, and production and distribution of our industrial products. Its hard to think of any other industrial product developed here apart from the tuk tuk. Obviously, theres a problem with 'human capital' in Vietnam, despite the fact that Vietnamese people pay huge attention to, and lots of money on, education. Because we are still locked in an outmoded if not regressive view of education. We have a warped view of what the purpose and outcomes from education should be. Many parents want their children to become state officials, but in any society, state officials account for only a small portion of the workforce. The more developed a society is, the fewer state officials it needs. No matter how great the parents desire is, the chances of their children becoming officials remains low. Many want their children to have a leisurly life, work less and earn easy money. In real life, this is rare, and if it does come about it is usually the result of ferocious competition with the winner being the most capable one. The more developed a society is, the more ferocious the competition. So, what decides a childs future lies in the 'human capital' of the child; in their knowledge, skills, courage and morals; not in their parents ambition for what kind of person they become or what job they will have. A common element that is related to the strong development of countries such as Singapore, Korea and Israel is compulsory military duty. What one learns in a military environment is good for the development and enhancement of 'human capital' in those countries. There people learn discipline, the combination of specific and general skills, the ability to endure and solve challenges, comradeship, and the ability to coordinate and organize in general. The army is a great school. The skills and knowlege learnt in the army will bear fruit later. For children to have a progressive education, its essential to absorb the four pillars of learning as set out by UNESCO: learn to know; learn to do; learn to live together; learn to be. Those are the purposes of learning. And education at home and at school is the tool to realize those purposes. There is no purpose of being a state official. There is no purpose of pleasure, of working less yet earning more. In recent days, one of the topics causing discussion is the story of families in Ha Tinh province giving 600 children (many of them going to kindergarten and primary school) two months off to protest the decision to merge secondary schools. When these kids were forced to sacrifice their right to study and became hostages in their parents' fight, I asked myself this question: do those parents fully understand the purpose of education, and do they what theyve done to their children? Loving children the wrong way does great harm to them. Which brings us back to the question: what do we know about an 'authentic education', both in society and in our institutions of learning? [March 24, 2016] Video Surveillance Market 2022 Growth Forecast at 16.56% CAGR Dominated by IP Video Surveillance System PUNE, India, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial sector of global video surveillance market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2022, while geographically, APAC is forecast to hold the highest market share and grow at a high CAGR during forecast period. Complete report on global video surveillance market spread across 192 pages, profiling 12 companies and supported with 81 tables and 60 figures is now available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/video-surveillance-systems-services-market-analog-ip-components-hardware-cameras-monitors-storage-software-video-analytics-vms-service-vsaas-hosted-managed-hybrid-analysis-market-report.html The major reason for the growth in video surveillance is due to the increasing rate of security threats, criminal activities, thefts, and others. The advancements in video surveillance applications such as cloud services, network cameras, big data analytics, and other technologies have increased the scope of the video surveillance market for wider application in different sectors. An IPvideo surveillance system dominates the market since the price of high-image quality-based IP cameras prices reduce and use of IP cameras dominate analog cameras. Also, the implementation of video surveillance software with IP systems is easy and the portability of storage space for data storage increases its use in all sectors. These factors are likely to grow the video surveillance market for IP systems at a high CAGR. This report covers the said market in regions including the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). The market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2022. The high adoption rates of new technology, large number of market players, and growing security threats are some of the important factors that have contributed to the growth of the video surveillance market in the APAC region. The key players in the eosystem of the video surveillance market profiled in this report are Axis Communications AB (Sweden), Bosch Security Systems (U.S.), Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. (China), Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (China), FLIR Systems Inc. (U.S.), Honeywell Security Group (U.S.), Avigilon Corporation (Canada), PELCO by Schneider Electric (U.S.), Panasonic System Networks Co., Ltd. (Japan), Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd. (South Korea), Nice Systems Limited (Israel), and Infinova Corporation (U.S.). Order a copy of Video Surveillance Market by System (Analog, IP), Component (Camera, Monitor, Server, Storage Device, Software), Service (VSaaS, Maintenance), Application (Infrastructure, Commercial, Institutional, Defense, residential), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022 research report at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=113821 To determine the market size of various segments and sub-segments of the over the top (OTT) market, extensive secondary research is done. In Tier 1 (25%), Tier 2 (50%) and Tier 3 (25%) companies were contacted for primary interviews. The interviews were conducted with various key people such as C-Level (35%) and Director Level (25%) and others (40%) from various key organizations operating in the global video surveillance market. The primary interviews were conducted worldwide covering regions such as North America (45%), Europe (30%), APAC (30%) and Row (5%). On a related note, another research on Video Surveillance Storage Market Global Forecast to 2020 says, the global video surveillance storage market is expected to be USD 6.65 billion in 2015 and is estimated to grow at a high Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during the forecast period. This report provides detailed insights into the video surveillance storage market split across five major regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East Africa, and Latin America. Companies like Cisco Systems, Dell, EMC Corporation, Hitachi, Seagate Technology, NetApp, Robert Bosch GmbH, Honeywell International, Avigilon Corporation, and Pelco by Schneider Electric have been profiled in this 147 pages research report available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/video-surveillance-storage-market-by-technology-das-san-nvr-nas-dvr-unified-storage-by-media-hdd-ssd-optical-drives-linear-tapes-by-deployment-cloud-on-premise-worldwide-market-fore-market-report.html . About Us: RnRMarketResearch.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 100+ leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. With comprehensive information about the publishers and the industries for which they publish market research reports, we help you in your purchase decision by mapping your information needs with our huge collection of reports. Contact: Priyank Tiwari UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune - 411013 Maharashtra, India. Tel: +1-888-391-5441 [email protected] Connect with Us: G+ / Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/104156468549256253075/posts Twitter: https://twitter.com/RnRMR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/RnR-Market-Research/413488545356345 SOURCE RnR Market Research [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] DHgate.com is the Preferred Way to Buy Your Prom Dress in 2016 BEIJING, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DHgate.com is offering high schoolers attending the prom in spring 2016 a cost effective way to order their prom dress. Dresses start as low as $16 and are shipped in as little as two days. Custom dresses also available. What's more is that you can buy with confidence, because dresses on DHgate.com are subject to a manual verification process that ensures every advertised dress matches the corresponding photos and description. 'THE PERFECT DRESS' Dance-goers select silhouette, neckline, back-design, embellishment, body shape, design trend, style, color and size, in order to narrow down the search for their perfect dress. If a custom dress is what you are looking for, visit DHgate and design your dream prom dress for a fraction of what it would cost at your local store. Buyers can communicate directly with the designer to request additional features and altercations. Custom dresses arrive in around 15 days. 'MANUAL VERIFICATION' A DHgate.com manual product verification team in Suzhou, China, ensures that dresses actually match their corresponding online product listing, confirming that the pictures uploaded by the designer are real pictures of the dress, and that the pictures have never previously existed on the website. 'ABOUT DHgate.com' DHgate is the oldest and the biggest transactional cross border B2B e-commerce marketplace in China. We aim to provide global buyers with quality products at competitive prices. Founded in 2004, DHgate.com has approximately 10 million global buyers from 230 countries and regions, with 1.2 million global sellers offering 33 million product listings. Our business enables buyers to directly access global manufacturers of the world's top brands with rich product selections. DHgate is an all-in-one platform with integrated services for international logistics, cross border payments, internet financing, etc. DHgate.com's US product distribution warehouses allow for 24 hour delivery and convenient product returns & refunds, bringing great convenience to US buyers at http://www.dhgate.com. For more information please e-mail [email protected] or call +86-10-8202-8870 x2398. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dhgatecom-is-the-preferred-way-to-buy-your-prom-dress-in-2016-300240990.html SOURCE DHgate.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Volunteer walks in honor of her husband Thousand Oaks resident Joan Hull will be among those participating in this years Conejo Valley Walk to End Alzheimers at 9 a.m. Sat., Oct. 22 at the Westlake Promenade. Hull... Overpass could get protective fencing A substantial safety upgrade for the areas most notorious overpass is finally getting some Caltrans considerationbut dont expect changes any time soon. At the Sept. 21 Moorpark City Council meeting,... Early detection is the best way to survive breast cancer Every October, we celebrate those men and women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. But what is breast cancer and how can it be diagnosed and managed? There are... China is North Korea's sole major ally but it strongly disapproves of its nuclear programme and was angered by its fourth nuclear test in January and a subsequent rocket launch. Chinese President Xi Jinping will push President Barack Obama next week to resume talks on the North Korean nuclear issue, a senior diplomat said on Thursday, a meeting that could also touch on hacking and the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea). China is North Korea's sole major ally but it strongly disapproves of its nuclear programme and was angered by its fourth nuclear test in January and a subsequent rocket launch. While China has signed up for tough new U.N. sanctions against North Korea, it has said repeatedly sanctions are not the answer and that only a resumption of talks can resolve the dispute over North Korea's weapons programme. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said Xi and Obama will have their first meeting this year on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in Washington next week, and will talk about North Korea. "On this issue, China's position is consistent. We are dedicated to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," he told a news briefing. "We think this issue should be resolved via dialogue and consultation. We are dedicated to maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula. On this important issue, Presidents Xi and Obama will have an opportunity to have a full exchange of views." China has been calling for a resumption of so-called six-party talks between the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Russia has also urged Pyongyang to return to negotiations. Numerous efforts to restart the talks have failed since they collapsed following the last round in 2008. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last week the country would soon test a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads in what would be a direct violation of U.N. resolutions. The North's state media said on Thursday the country had successfully tested a solid-fuel engine that boosted the power of its rockets, indicating it is continuing to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, also in defiance of the sanctions. China has also been upset by some U.S. moves, including new unilateral U.S. sanctions against Pyongyang and the possible deployment of a missile defence system to South Korea that Beijing says could harm its security. North Korea is not the only issue Beijing and Washington do not see eye to eye on. Hacking has been a sore spot. In September, Obama said he and Xi had agreed that neither government would knowingly support cyber theft of corporate secrets to support domestic businesses. Li said disagreements on the hacking issue had been "hyped up" by the media, but that the two countries had a dialogue mechanism which was working well. On the South China Sea, where China's increasingly assertive territorial claims have alarmed its neighbours and the United States, Li said China "has its own point of view and position". "Of course if this issue comes out, President Xi will explain this position to the U.S. side," he added. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also have claims. March 24, 2016 | 12:17 am PT A piece of suspected aircraft wreckage found off the east African coast, seen at Mozambique's Civil Aviation Institute (IACM) in Maputo, on March 3, 2016 : AFP Two pieces of debris found in Mozambique are "almost certainly from MH370", Australia said Thursday, after technical analysis provided the latest clue to the fate of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft. Until the latest discoveries, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion which lies to the east of Mozambique had been confirmed as coming from the plane which disappeared two years ago. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Transport Minister Darren Chester said, adding that Malaysian investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean." The two pieces are a flat grey fragment with the words "No Step" printed along one side, found on a sandbank, and a metre-long piece of metal picked up by a holidaymaker. Australia is leading the search for MH370 in the remote Indian Ocean, where the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight is believed to have diverted when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. Another piece of debris yet to be identified as coming from the missing jet was picked up near Mossel Bay, a small town in Western Cape province, South African authorities said Tuesday. They did not reveal when it was found. Malaysia is working with South African officials to arrange for the examination of the fragment, which Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said on Wednesday was "suspected to be the cowling from an engine". Mossel Bay lies more than 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) from Vilankulo, the Mozambican resort where one of the pieces being examined in Australia was found. - 'Search for MH370 continues' -Specialists, including from Australia and Boeing, have been conducting investigations in Canberra alongside the Malaysia team on the two items after they were found in Mozambique. When a two-metre-long (almost seven-foot) flaperon part washed up on a beach on the French overseas territory of La Reunion in July, it was the first concrete evidence that MH370 met a tragic end. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the agency leading the search, had said then that its location was consistent with drift modelling of where debris might have floated. Chester said the hunt for the crash site, far off Australia's southwest coast, would continue. "There are 25,000 square kilometres (9,650 square miles) of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," he said. Three vessels contracted from Dutch firm Fugro -- Fugro Discovery, Fugro Equator and Havila Harmony -- along with Chinese ship Dong Hai Jiu 101 are scouring the ocean depths, with the plane believed to have sunk up to 4,000 metres (13,100 feet). The search has been projected to cost up to Aus$180 million (US$130 million). The Australian, Chinese and Malaysian governments have agreed that when the target zone of 120,000 square kilometres has been fully searched -- expected to be around June to July -- they will end the hunt unless "credible new information" emerges. Analysis of the flaperon has so far not offered further information to help solve what happened to the aircraft. Analysts have said that only by locating the crash site and recovering the black box will authorities be able to solve the mystery of why the plane went down. The Department of Justice indicted 7 Iranian nationals today (March 24) on charges related to the "Operation Ababil" wave of cyberattacks upon U.S. bank websites that lasted from the fall of 2012 through the spring of 2013. (Image credit: mj007/Shutterstock) The attacks "disabled victim bank websites, prevented customers from accessing their accounts online, and collectively cost the banks tens of millions of dollars in remediation costs," a DoJ press release said. It also said that "the attacks did not affect or result in the theft of customer account data." Each of the seven defendants was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit and aid and abet computer hacking. One man was also charged with obtaining and aiding and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer, related to a September 2013 network intrusion of the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye, New York, just north of New York City. No damage was incurred at the dam. MORE: 7 Scariest Security Threats Headed Your Way The massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks knocked several banking sites offline at once, two or three times per week for extended periods. The affected institutions included Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, the New York Stock Exchange, PNC Bank, Capital One, Union Bank, Fifth Third Bank, HSBC, TD Bank, American Express and US Bancorp. Claiming credit was a previously unknown group calling itself the Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Cyber Brigades, which called its attack Operation Ababil and posted manifestoes online in English and Arabic demanding that the notorious "Innocence of Muslims" video be removed from YouTube. However, U.S. intelligence officials quickly said that the attacks came not from a religiously motivated "hacktivist" group, but instead from Iranian government entities. At the time, the sheer power of the attacks was thought to be out of range for hacktivists, but subsequent, unrelated DDoS attacks proved that wrong. The indictments allege that the seven men were employed by two Iranian companies, ITSecTeam or ITSEC and Mersad Company. Both companies were seemingly controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the former street fighters who have become as militarily powerful as Iran's regular armed forces and control large sectors of the Iranian economy. Three men Ahmad Fathi, Hamid Firoozi and Amin Shokohi are alleged to have been ITSec employees. Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, aka "Nitr0jen26," Omid Ghaffarinia, aka "Plus," Sina Keissar and Nader Saedi, aka "Turk Server," all apparently worked at Mersad. Fathi and Firoozi are 37 and 34, respectively; the other five defendants are all in their mid-20s. Each faces up to 10 years in prison for the banking attacks. Firoozi is alleged to have been the person who penetrated the Bowman Avenue Dam's control systems and gathered "information regarding the status and operation of the dam, including information about the water levels and temperature, and the status of the sluice gate, which is responsible for controlling water levels and flow rates," according to the indictment. He faces an additional five years in prison for that. The Bowman Avenue Dam intrusion is really not much of a hack, and security researchers snooping online often find similar industrial-control systems left unprotected or lightly protected. The indictment alleges that Firoozi could have opened the dam's sluice gate had it not been manually disabled at the time, but that would have had to take place during heavy rains to cause even localized flooding. As with the five Chinese military personnel indicted in 2014 for alleged industrial espionage, the U.S. does not expect the Iranian defendants to appear in court any time soon. LAUSANNE, Switzerland All things considered, reviewing a gaming mouse is not that hard. Take a few measurements, play a few games, do a little analytical writing and you're about 90 percent of the way there. Making a gaming mouse, on the other hand, is a monumental task. You need a creative design, rigorous testing and precise measurements, to say nothing of a solid plan to sell the device after it's done. At Logitech's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, the company's engineers pulled back the curtain to let me see how a gaming mouse is made and, if you're a connoisseur of high-end gaming peripherals, the process is quite fascinating. Logitech's newest mouse is the G900 Chaos Spectrum. I had a chance to put this $150 device through its paces earlier this month, using the same tools as the engineers who built it. The G900 is quite unlike anything Logitech has built before: an ambidextrous, wireless peripheral that appeals specifically to an e-sports crowd. To convince users to buy this ambitious (and expensive) device, the company would have to tackle a challenge: a long-standing expectation that wireless gaming mice would never be as reliable as their wired counterparts. MORE: Best Mice for Gaming If you're curious about how the mouse came to be or you want a glimpse of how gaming mice develop, in general here's how engineers conceived, tested and approved Logitech's latest peripheral. Mechanical Design: Making the right trade-offs The first thing a mouse needs is a basic concept. After that, it needs a physical design, which is where the mechanical lab comes in. The mechanical lab in Lausanne is fairly modest, as most of the mouse design takes place at a separate Logitech facility in Cork, Ireland. However, I still got to learn quite a bit about how the G900 got its distinctive shape and light weight. Everything in peripheral-device engineering is a trade-off. The G900 weighs 107 grams (3.8 ounces). Initially, the engineers were aiming for 105.1 grams (3.7 ounces). But a metal scroll wheel feels better than a plastic scroll wheel. Light mouse bodies exploded during early drop tests. Both the right and left mouse buttons needed to withstand at least 20 million clicks at 60 grams of actuation (the amount of force used to depress the buttons) and feel just as good between the beginning and the end of the process. In the end, a sturdier body allowed the mouse to withstand more force and deform considerably before breaking. The engineers expressed both delight and frustration at the process of creating the G900. While they are quite proud of the device they came up with, they admitted that there is no way to make a "perfect" gaming mouse. The best they can do (and this holds true for just about any piece of professional engineering) is to make the smartest trade-offs they can in order to maximize the device's strengths and minimize its drawbacks. "If you have an uncomfortable mouse," said Kevin Forde, an electrical engineering director at Logitech, "you're wasting your time." RF Lab: Withstands extreme interference My first hands-on test came at the radio-frequency (RF) lab. If you're building a wireless device, you need to test it under both ordinary and extraordinary conditions, to make sure that radio interference won't lead the signal astray. To that end, we made use of Logitech's anechoic chamber a room that completely blocks out external radio frequencies, and costs a mere pittance, at 600,000 Swiss francs (about $617,000 at current exchange rates). (Aural enthusiasts will note that this was not a true anechoic chamber, which blocks out all external sound.) I had a chance to test the G900 firsthand against three very similar wireless competitors: the Razer Mamba, the Razer Ouroboros and the SteelSeries Sensei. Logitech's RF engineers set up a mouse on a rotating apparatus and matched it with a tracking program. Ideally, the mouse would draw a series of perfect circles. However, they also installed a high-frequency structural simulator (HFSS) in the room to mimic wireless noise from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals. Your house may not be as busy as a Logitech office, but chances are, you have a few wireless controllers, Bluetooth speakers or streaming media players that could interfere with a signal. With no outside noise, all four mice performed equally well, diagramming perfect circles all around. I took hold of the controls and began to gradually increase the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth noise. To be perfectly fair, all four mice performed at or very close to peak efficiency under ordinary household circumstances. The worst-case scenario, however, told a very different story. Under a huge Wi-Fi and Bluetooth strain (something beyond even a college LAN party), the Ouroboros drew excellent circles but jumped wildly around the screen. The Sensei started to draw spirals rather than circles. The Mamba fared better, jumping only slightly every few rotations. The G900, however, stayed remarkably consistent. It's important to remember that Logitech devised this test. So while there's nothing untoward about it, it's not surprising that the results favor Logitech's product. However, the test is not designed to prove the G900's superiority, but rather to allay customer fears about wireless unreliability. If a G900 can withstand overwhelming Bluetooth and Wi-Fi noise, it should be fine for both home and tournament use. Optical Lab: An end to wireless lag? One of the most common complaints about wireless gaming mice is that they generate lag and introduce unnecessary delays. But is it true? Logitech set out to test this hypothesis in its optical lab, and I got to experiment for myself. The results were surprising: The G900 was not only theoretically more responsive than similar wireless mice, but it even matched or exceeded some of its wired competitors in my tests. To that end, I played a simple clicking game with a G900, a Razer DeathAdder Chroma and a SteelSeries Rival. (The latter two are wired mice.) A colored circle would appear on screen, I'd click it and then I'd repeat the process for about a minute. This simple whack-a-mole game was not tracking my score, but rather how quickly the mouse responded to my commands after I started moving it. The G900 took an average of about 4 milliseconds to respond to my commands, while the Rival was closer to 8 ms and the DeathAdder took about 11 ms. I asked the engineers if there was a functional difference between these numbers; after all, in even the fastest action games, a few milliseconds won't mean the difference between victory and defeat. Furthermore, mouse input is not the only thing that generates latency in a system; there's also the monitor and the motherboard to consider. The engineers acknowledged that the G900's speed is not an incredible advantage but reiterated that this wireless mouse can process user commands faster than its wired brethren. It may be time, they said, for gamers to cut the cord especially because many of them swear by wired mice but then go out and buy a wireless Xbox One controller for the very same system. Tracking Lab: Beyond DPI A gaming mouse is only as good as its sensor, which is what Logitech's engineers test in the tracking lab. Gaming mice are somewhat unusual among peripherals in that they can accelerate from stationary to dozens of miles per hour in an instant. (Motion controls can also do this, but motion controls rarely factor into e-sports.) As such, a good gaming mouse has to continue tracking, even when faced with the prospect of inhumanly rapid acceleration. In a hands-off test, Logitech engineers put a G900 and a Mamba on a quickly rotating turntable in order to gauge how quickly the two mice could track. (The test was hands-off because there wasn't much to do other than activate the turntable and watch the data appear on screen.) While the G900 wasn't always the fastest in the resultant tests, it was quite consistent and gave off no false readings. The Mamba jumped the gun once or twice. The most interesting part of the tracking lab was not the test itself, but rather Logitech's thoughts on the quest for gaming mice to achieve ever higher dots-per-inch (DPI) sensitivity rates. "DPI is a consequence of good design, not a goal," said Olivier Theytaz, an electrical engineering director at the company. Theytaz said most consumers don't have a good understanding of what DPI is or does, and that most pros still play at 400 DPI because it's what the mice they grew up with offered. The engineers are more interested in making a mouse with consistent acceleration than one that accelerates so quickly that most people wouldn't even know what to do with it. There was even a fun tracking exercise in the RF lab, known as the Katapult 2.0. Logitech's engineers created a compressed-air engine that propels a metal arm holding a mouse across a semicircle at incredibly high velocities. If a mouse can withstand this tracking test and the G900 can it's a good bet that it will stand up to whatever punishment gamers can dish out. Of Mice and Men While these tests and experiments are by no means everything that goes into a gaming mouse, it was fascinating to get a glimpse behind the scenes and see a few critical steps in making high-end gaming devices. Most of the engineers I spoke with were both lifelong gamers and incredibly knowledgeable electrical engineers, applying the demands of gaming and the laws of physics with equal fervor. While most of Logitech's tests pitted the G900 against competing mice, the point was not to prove Logitech's superiority, but rather to demonstrate that wireless PC gaming is a viable option. The G900 is as reliable, as accurate and as resilient as a wired mouse, and it's much lighter, to boot, with no cords to get in the way of heated multiplayer matches. Just about every other PC component, from Internet connectivity to printing, has dropped the wire. There's no reason why gamers alone should be rooted to the 20th century. "Comparing regular mice to gaming mice is like comparing regular cars to Formula 1 racers," said Fabrice Sauterel, the project leader behind the G900. And it's true. Office documents and online videos don't need the same level of precision and reliability. But gaming peripherals can also act as a crucible, by which better technology filters down to the general populace. Today's wireless gaming mice may be tomorrow's everyday desktop and laptop accessories sleeker, more stylish and ready to meet computing's toughest challenges. BURNS & MAC EARNINGS TAX EXEMPTION AND INCENTIVES IS THE FOCUS OF THE LATEST MAILER AGAINST QUESTION 1!!! Text: The City lets this CEO keep his earnings tax to pay for his fancy office . . . This guy has to clean up after him and still has to pay the earnings tax. New clip from The Pitch: Kansas City Council Expected To Pass Incentives for Burns & Mac Money line: "Burns and Mac will keep nearly $42 million in earnings taxes from now until 2037" KANSAS CITY CLASS WARFARE IS NOW A KEY COMPONENT OF THE EARNINGS TAX BATTLE!!! The subject of Kansas City earnings tax exceptions and controversial corporate incentives is now in play amid the latest blast from opponents.To wit . . .The juxtaposition is masterful asLike it or not, this is more convincing than the soft sell civic interest pitch that E-tax proponents are selling to voters in public . . . When not threatening an e-tax apocalypse in private.And let's get it straight, this is a fight betwixt rich people while Rex Sinquefield has billions but Kansas City corporations, lawyers and consultants are also denizens of the 1% . . . Still . . .Theof the message makes a simple pocketbook play . . .You decide . . . Referring to the imposition of capital controls in 2015, Stournaras said that the bank holiday had caused distortions and indirect consequences whose results could not yet be assessed, but also had some positive consequences, such as encouraging the use o The crisis in Greece was not caused by the austerity memorandums but an unjustifiably expansive fiscal policy, where state spending far outstripped state revenues, Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras said on Monday at an event organised by the 'Citizens' Movement'. "The crisis in Greece has a name: a great risk of default of the Greek state at the end of the 2000s, chiefly due to an unjustifiably expansive fiscal policy that shot the budget deficit to giddy heights via a great increase in state spending, without a matching increase in state revenues. All that followed and the memorandums were efforts to avert default. These efforts obviously had unpleasant repercussions, but the repercussions of default would have been incalculable," he said. The former finance minister stressed that the debate that predominated in Greece had not been "sensible" and had created illusions. Among others, he noted, it had prevented public opinion from understanding and adopting the necessity for deep reforms. As a result, only Greece among the four Eurozone countries that entered memorandum programmes was still in a programme. The remaining three had all exited the programmes and Ireland was growing at a rate approaching 8 pct, he pointed out. In Greece, the public debate had instead deepened the uncertainty and eroded society's trust in politics and the institutions, Stournaras said. Positive consequences Referring to the imposition of capital controls in 2015, Stournaras said that the bank holiday had caused distortions and indirect consequences whose results could not yet be assessed, but also had some positive consequences, such as encouraging the use of electronic payments, with signs that this then had a beneficial impact on both private consumption and on tax revenues, while decreasing the size of the informal economy. Talking about Europe's response to the crisis, Stournaras said that the banking union could bring multiple benefits, contributing to fiscal stability and a better functioning of banks, as well as better financing of businesses and households. Another knock-on benefit of a fully operational banking union for Greece would be to break the vicious cycle between the problems of the banking sector and fiscal imbalances in the country, he added. Source:ANA-MPA RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Works on building a TAP natural gas pipeline project in Greece will begin by the middle of the year, Richard Skoufias, manager of the project in Greece announced Works on building a TAP natural gas pipeline project in Greece will begin by the middle of the year, Richard Skoufias, manager of the project in Greece announced. Addressing a conference on the energy market , Skoufias said the pipeline will extend from the Greek-Turkish borders to Italy, via Albania and the Adriatic Sea and stressed that the project was sending a message of investment confidence for the country while at the same time upgrading the countrys role in the region. The consortium has signed partnership agreements with 150 Greek enterprises and has had 450 meetings with local communities. We look forward to completing the transaction for DESFA, Anar Mammadov, chief executive of SOCAR said addressing the conference and pledged to complete works in Revithousa and for a variety of supply sources for Greece and the region with natural gas. George Alexopoulos, managing director for Strategic Planning in Hellenic Petroleum noted that the country offered significant investment opportunities in research and production of hydrocarbons, renewable sources, transport and natural gas/electricity infrastructure. He asked for a speeding up of procedures to evaluate bids for hydrocarbon exploration in the Ionian Sea, while commenting on renewable energy sources he estimated that in the 2016-2020 period Greece could attract investments up to 2.5 billion euros for an additional 2,000 MW. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Commuters' surprise when their trip to Woolwich train station takes them to Athens instead... after signs are changed for Jason Bourne movie... Commuters were left baffled after being 'transported' 1,500 miles from south east London to Athens after filming of the new Bourne movie took over a railway station, British newspaper Daily Mail reported. Passengers at Woolwich Arsenal station in south London couldn't believe their eyes on Monday when they saw underground maps of the Greek capital city and Athens written in English and Greek, Aohna, at the station. Commuters were left in 'total confusion' as they wondered how they had been transported to the ancient city, one of the oldest in the world, with recorded history going back to around the 11th-7th century BC. Hannah Harniess tweeted a photo of the changes, adding: 'Totally confused in Woolwich station today & utterly missed the fact Matt Damon filming Bourne while I was there! Doh!'One traveller, calling himself Nana jr wrote: 'Woolwich Dlr (Docklands Light Railway) really tryna [sic] get me lost today.' Nigel Green tweeted: '@LondonDLR Woolwich Arsenal station has a face lift & changed name. 'Can't believe I've morphed to Athens.'Another wrote: 'Got on DLR 2Woolwich today, ended up in Athens.' Personal trainer Jamie Tyler, 28, said: 'I was heading out on Monday afternoon for a meeting with a client and got to Woolwich station to find I had somehow moved to Athens. 'I stood for a few minutes thinking I was still dreaming and then I clocked a film crew and Matt Damon wandering about - it was only then that I twigged.' The 45-year-old actor and film crew are currently filming the fifth instalment of the Bourne series, Jason Bourne, which is due to be released this summer. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Tourexpi, turizm haberleri, Reiseburos, tourism news, noticias de turismo, Tourismus Nachrichten, , travel tourism news, international tourism news, Urlaub, urlaub in der turkei, , holidays in Turkey, , global tourism news, dunya turizm, dunya turizm haberleri, Seyahat Acentas, This site is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+, at a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768. Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said its regional subsidiary has won a turnkey order to construct 400 kV reactor transformers and associated works at Sur and Izki substations in Oman. The contract was awarded by the Oman Electricity Transmission Company to L&T's metallurgical and material handling business, said a statement from the company. L&T is an Indian multinational engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services with over $15 billion in revenue. It operates in more than 30 countries worldwide. The other major international order for L&T was a breakthrough EPC contract in Ethiopia for the construction a 400/230/15 kV substation and three 230/15 kV substations at various locations. The contract for these substations was awarded by the Ethiopian Electric Power as part of its plan to improve the energy infrastructure of the country. The project is funded by the French Development Agency. The Indian group said it has also received an order in South East Asia from a reputed customer for the establishment of a high-voltage substation which will be executed on an engineering, procurement and construction basis. Over all, the construction arm of L&T has won orders worth Rs32 billion ($480 million) across its various businesses, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Saudi Arabia has earmarked $10.65 billion to build and upgrade more than 20 airports to help accommodate its fast growing aviation industry, said the organisers of an upcoming aviation summit in Riyadh. Organised by Nispana and Semark, the inaugural Airport Modernization Summit is scheduled to take place on May 8 and 9. It will provide the main stakeholders with an ideal platform to come together and listen to real-time case study presentations by global leaders, network with peers, exchange ideas and source some of the latest technology that can be used to modernize the existing airports and develop new airports of the future. With the launch of the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, the first airport in Saudi Arabia to be constructed and operated entirely by the private sector following a Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) Agreement, the regulators have announced the plans to privatize airports as a means to support Kingdoms finances. This will allow foreign companies to invest in the Saudi Arabian airports without the need for local partners. The Saudi Arabian Airports see an annual increase of more than 10 per cent of passengers and 5 per cent of aircraft operations. Seventy per cent of goods bound to the Middle-East are destined for Saudi Arabia and the government is focused to increase its cargo handling capacity to circumvent the need for shipments to transship through neighbouring GCC countries. TradeArabia News Service The value of bilateral trade between Oman and Iran, which stood at $370 million in 2015, is likely to reach $4 billion in the next five years, a top official said. Mohammed Reza Nematazadaeh, Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade at the Islamic Republic of Iran, was speaking at the fifth edition of Oman Economic Forum, which opened yesterday (March 23) in Muscat, Oman, reported the Oman Observer. Iran is also keen about an initiative launched by the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs about organising a conference in Iran in October about investment opportunities in Oman, he said. Qian Keming, Vice-Minister of Commerce in China hailed the sultanates efforts to develop manufacturing industries, logistics, transport, tourism, fisheries, minerals and other non oil sectors, the report said. Niki Yamada, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, highlighted that Itochu will also build the biggest water desalination plant in Barka, Oman which will produce about 280,000 tonnes of water per day. Iraq's armed forces started an offensive against Islamic State in the northerly Nineveh province on Thursday in what a military statement described as the first stage of an operation aimed at liberating the city of Mosul. The assault was launched from the Makhmour area, to which thousands of Iraqi troops have deployed in recent weeks, setting up base alongside Kurdish and US forces around 60 km south of Mosul. Backed by air power from a US-led coalition and by Kurdish peshmerga forces, Iraqi troops advanced westwards, recapturing several villages from the Islamist militants, according to multiple military sources. "The first phase of the Fatah (Conquest) Operation has been launched at dawn to liberate Nineveh, raising the Iraqi flag in several villages," said a military statement cited by state TV. Iraqi officials say they will retake Mosul this year but, in private, many question whether the army, which partially collapsed when Islamic State overran a third of the country in June 2014, will be ready in time. The city, home to 2 million people before being taken over by the ultra-hardline jihadist group, is by far the largest centre it controls in either Iraq or Syria, and is still heavily populated, complicating efforts to retake it. The military statement urged civilians to stay away from buildings used by the insurgents, warning that they would be targeted in days to come. "Iraqi security forces in Makhmour ... are beginning to expand the forward line of troops," said Colonel Steve Warren, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the US-led coalition. Makhmour is located in a strategic triangle of territory between Islamic State's core area of control in northwestern Iraq and the Hawija area, from which the militants have threatened oil installations around Kirkuk. Thursday's advance brings Iraqi forces closer to the oil town of Qayyara on the banks of the river Tigris, control over which would help to isolate Hawija from Mosul. A Shi'ite militia leader met Kurdish peshmerga commanders last week to discuss plans to push the insurgents out of the Hawija area together with the Iraqi army. The offensive should also reduce the threat to the base in Makhmour, which has come under repeated attack from Islamic State, resulting in the death of a US Marine last week. The Iraqi military statement named the villages recaptured as Al-Nasr, Garmandi, Kudila and Khurburdan. - Reuters The Saudi Arabian cyber security market is expected to grow to over $3.48 billion by 2019, at a rate of 14.50 per cent, said the organisers of an upcoming summit in Riyadh. Organised by Nispana, the second annual Cyber Security Summit will take place on April 6 and 7. It will feature an array or presentations and interactive panel sessions from international experts to address current challenges faced and come up with strategies to pave the way for a cyber-safe future. The Cyber Security Summit will present all the participants with an excellent opportunity to network with peers, share divergent viewpoints as well as identify internationally renowned cyber security. As per the National Information Security Strategy, Saudi Arabia has increased cyber security spending and investment across government agencies and local governments. Saudi Arabias cyber security market exports market alone is estimated to grow to over $ 37.5 billion by 2016 with a growing rate 10 per cent on IT and software year on year. TradeArabia News Service The United Arab Emirates will take part in an upcoming meeting in Doha between Opec and non-Opec oil producers, the Gulf state's energy minister said on Thursday. "We received an invitation to participate in the Doha meeting between Opec and non-Opec and we confirmed our participation," Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazrouei wrote on his Twitter account. The meeting in Qatar on April 17 will bring together oil producers to discuss a global pact to freeze production to support prices. Reuters Top Qatari retailer Al Meera Consumer Goods Company said it has signed contracts worth QR239 million ($66 million) to build six new shopping centres across the country as part of its expansion strategy for 2016 and beyond. The deal, awarded to Al Khayarin Group Contracting and Trading and Al Muftah Contracting Company, is part of the 14 stores planned for the coming period. As per the agreement, Al Muftah Contracting Company will work on the construction of four new Al Meera shopping centres, while Al Khayarin Group Contracting and Trading will be building two shopping centres for the company. The shopping centres will come up in Rawdat Aba El Heran, Azghawa, Leabaib and Umm Qarn, while the two new Al Meera shopping stores were be located at Al Khor and Saileya, on a land area of 15,000 sq m each. Dr Mohammed Nasser Al Qahtani, the deputy CEO of Al Meera signed the agreement with Khalid A. Al Muftah, the finance director of Al Muftah Contracting Company and Muhammad Idrees Anwar, the chief executive and managing partner of Al Khayarin Group Contracting and Trading. On the project deals, Dr Al Qahtani said: "We are excited to venture into this new partnership with Al Khayarin and Al Muftah who will be building six of Al Meeras 14 new shopping centers planned for the coming period." He said out of the 14 planned, Al Meera has already started construction work at five branches including Sailiya North (Al Miarad), Leabaib 2, Al Wakra (west), Um Slal Ali and Bu Sidra and expects to complete the project within the next three months. Al Muftah said: "We are pleased to be partnering with Al Meera, one of the biggest enterprises in Qatar, and are proud to play a role in its expansion strategy, which caters to the needs of more consumers across the country." "The four new stores shall be built to the highest standards, using the latest equipment and will live up to Al Meeras motto of being consumers favourite neighbourhood retailer," he stated. Idrees Anwar said: "Under the partnership agreement, Al Khayarin will be working on the establishment of two new state-of-the-art shopping centers. We look forward to the opening of the new Al Meera stores for consumers in those two key locations as per schedule." The project management services for the six new stores will be provided by Al Rayan Partners (ARP), said a statement from Al Meera. Khalid Fakhroo, the general manager of Al Rayan Partners, said: "With our established experience in project management and our local market expertise, ARP is the right partner for Al Meeras new shopping centers." "We will be trying our level best to ensure that the operations go as planned and that the projects are delivered on time, within budget and as per Al Meeras approved quality standards," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Spanish masons march on International Womens Day. Samuel Sanchez Its never too late. That was the spirit in which Spains freemasons held their recent annual assembly in Madrid, welcoming representatives of lodges from all over the world. The meeting came after a number of other major events organized by Spains Grand Lodge in recent months, all part of a bid by an organization that was once ferociously persecuted by General Francisco Franco to rebuild its reputation and establish that it isnt, and never has been, a danger to the country. After Franco died, there was arguably greater resistance to legalizing the freemasons than there was to allowing the Communist Party to operate During his 40-year dictatorship, Franco was fond of referring to the Jewish-Masonic conspiracy, even doing so in his final speech, given from the balcony of the Royal Palace in September 1975, less than two months before his death. With the dictator out of the way, Spain began its slow transition toward democracy, as political parties, labor unions, and religious movements were all legalized and civil rights restored. All except for the freemasons, that is, who had to wait until 1979 to be legalized, and only then after the High Court had overruled the Interior Ministrys initial refusal to allow them to be registered. Franco, a devout Catholic, was not alone in his mistrust of the freemasons: in 2005, Pope Benedict described masonry as a sin; and interestingly enough, his successor, Pope Francis shares this view, despite his liberal tendencies. On this earth toward the end of the 19th century, the conditions for the growth of young people were dreadful. This region was filled with masons, priest-haters, anti-clericalists, and Satanists, declared the Argentinean pontiff at a meeting of young Catholics in Turin last September. Sign up to our newsletter! The EL PAIS English Edition is launching a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here. A few weeks later, a Spanish bishop suspended a priest for being a mason, while the Catholic Churchs Infovaticana magazine accused the organization of a range of crimes, including murder. Spains Grand Lodge brushed off the incidents in a humorous article in its publication, El Oriente, pointing out that the founders of three of the worlds biggest car manufacturers the Chrysler brothers, Henry Ford and Andre Gustave Citroen were all masons: Criticism of the conspiracy is correct, ran the article. Do you want a real argument to feed anti-masonic feeling? Without Ford, the Chrysler brothers and Citroen, there would be no traffic jams. Nevertheless, some of Spains institutions are doing their bit to help restore the reputations of masons who suffered under Franco. In January, Madrids College of Lawyers rehabilitated the memory of 61 members who were expelled in 1939. In the wake of Francos victory in the civil war that year, dozens of freemasons, some of them well-known figures, were either exiled, imprisoned or, in some cases, shot. In 2005, Pope Benedict described masonry as a sin, a view his successor Pope Francis has shared Which partly explains why Spains Senate this year invited members of the countrys Grand Lodge to take part in official acts as part of the United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, although it did so at the insistence of Isaac Querub, the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain, who had previously called on the upper house to invite Grand Master Oscar de Alfonso Ortega and the head of the Spanish masons Grand Council, Jesus Gutierrez Morlote. In fact, even some senior members of the Catholic Church are taking a more forgiving position. Italian cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Papal College for Culture, recently published an article in LOsservatore Romano, the Vaticans daily newspaper, entitled Dear Brothers in the Masons, calling for dialogue between the Catholic Church and the freemasons. It has to be said, though, that in the four decades since Spain has returned to democracy, the freemasons efforts to be accepted have met with mixed fortunes. At the most recent World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges, held in San Francisco in November 2015, Oscar de Alfonso Ortega told delegates: Our country occupies a particular place in the history of persecution we have suffered, but that isnt where the enigma lies. The masons who visit us, who take their status as such in their own country for granted, realize that democratic Spain has made no effort to restore the honor of this institution. The theme of Spains Grand Lodge for 2016 is Let your actions, not your words, speak for you. De Alfonso Ortega attended the San Francisco conference bearing an unusual responsibility: aside from representing Spanish masons, since last summer he has presided the Ibero-American Masonic Confederation, one of the most important regional masonic organizations in the world, with around 10,400 lodges in 25 countries and a combined membership of 350,000. For Spanish masons, who number just 3,000, aside from being an honor [this responsibility] will help strengthen our Order here and internationally, he says. The masons who visit us realize that democratic Spain has made no effort to restore the honor of this institution Grand Master Oscar de Alfonso Ortega Fall 1958, the Pardo Palace in the outskirts of Madrid: Francos official residence. Two US senators, along with a high-ranking military man, are received by Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Their mission is to sound out the dictator about a possible visit by the then president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. What kind of reception would he get? Franco is delighted at the prospect, and begins expanding on the need to eradicate once and for all the Communist threat, and is willing to help the United States in its fight against the Soviet Union, hoping to win the support of the West in the process after all, it had only been admitted to the United Nations in December 1955. Carried away in his euphoria, Franco also declares that freemasonry must also be done away with. At which point, one of the senators politely interrupts: Sir, President Eisenhower is a protestant, Im a mason, and my colleague here in the Senate is Jewish. We would all be in jail if we lived in Spain. The military man, Eugene Vidal, an old-school Yankee blueblood and head of aeronautics at West Point military academy, drove home the point with a certain degree of sarcasm: No, no my dear sir, Im also a mason and I too would be shot here. The story of the meeting was told many years later by US writer Gore Vidal, the son of Eugene Vidal and the grandson of another US senator, Thomas P. Gore. Franco was reportedly livid, but the prospect of parading through the streets of the Spanish capital alongside the leader of the free world was too much to resist, and he kept his views on the freemasons to himself after that. Eisenhower finally visited Spain in December 1959. Of course it was not just the masons who Franco felt threatened his vision of Spain: he had only just allowed the first protestant churches to reopen, despite the vociferous opposition of the Catholic Church. By the late 1950s a few Jewish families had also cautiously returned. Six of the Second Republics prime ministers were masons, among them Manuel Azana What the United States perhaps was unaware of, and that has largely been overlooked in Francos long list of crimes, is that the dictator had already virtually eradicated masonry from Spain. Some historians have wondered why Franco loathed the movement so much: some have speculated it might have been because his brother and father, both of whom he is said to have hated, were masons, and that he had been rejected by a lodge. The masons have always been associated with anti-clericalism and liberalism, both anathemas to Franco. What is beyond dispute is that in 1936, when he launched his uprising that led to the civil war, he made the 6,000 or so masons in Spain one of his prime targets. Once in power, legislation was soon passed outlawing freemasonry, and some 18,000 trials were held that led to firing squads, long prison sentences, and exile, along with the seizure of all property belonging to anybody convicted of belonging to the freemasons. After Franco died, there was arguably greater resistance from Spains institutions to legalizing the freemasons than there was to allowing the Communist Party to operate. There was a time when the masons were both numerous and powerful in Spain. There were 151 masons among the 470 parliamentarians who made up the first legislature of the Second Republic in 1931. Little wonder that Franco described the Republic as a masonic operation. Six of the Second Republics prime ministers were masons, among them Manuel Azana, along with 20 ministers and 14 undersecretaries. A further 21 masons served as generals in the army. Freemasons had played a key role in the French Revolution and the Enlightenment in the years running up to it. Napoleon belonged to the order, as did George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In Latin America, Venezuelas Simon Bolivar, Mexican president Benito Juarez and Cuban independence leader Jose Marti were also freemasons. A University College London modeling report, published in "Open Science," looked at urban car use to conclude that cities have to become car-free to survive. Simply put, if we don't reduce the number of cars in our cities then they will just completely clog up and stop moving. The study"A paradox of traffic and extra cars in a city as a collective behaviour"notes the number of cars is actually increasing faster than the number of peoplein 2019, 80 million cars were built while the population increased by 78 millionand the manufacturing of those cars was responsible for 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions. That's bigger than aviation and almost as big as steel and concrete, and that's before you even fuel or charge them up. The study authors construct a mathematical model where time is money, and residents chose between driving their car or taking public transit on the basis of the time it takes to do the trip. The paradox in the title is understood by most people who drive in cities: the more people who decide that driving is faster, the more crowded the roads, and the longer the trip takes. "Where all individuals decide their commuting mode trying to minimize their costs, but the emergent result is the overall worst-case scenario, where the average commuting time is maximum and where all people decide to use their car," write the authors of the study. The economic cost of driving increases when there are more cars. University College London The solution that any Treehugger would come up with is to build more transit or bike lanes and reduce traffic lanes and parking to get people out of cars; this would make it faster for everyone, even the drivers once it finds an equilibrium. But this is hard to do when the majority drive, so most of the money goes guess where: "With an increased number of vehicles in the city, policymakers are inclined to construct even more car infrastructure and invest even more in private cars, which then creates more incentives for private vehicle use and results in even more congestion." The car people are loud and getting louder these days in reaction to road calming, Low Traffic Networks (LTNs) bike lanes, and any other moves that might make their trip a few minutes longer. The study authors note that there are many reasons that the car ends up dominating the picture: "The rapid growth of urban population, land-use policies and car-oriented infrastructure that dominated the twentieth century derived in sprawling low-dense suburban areas, increasing the commuting distance at the expense of active modes of transportation (walking and cycling), and making it economically costly to introduce efficient public transport with high frequency and reachable at short walking distance. The car became the preferred mode of transportation for many city-dwellers, increasing the number of motorized trips and, as a consequence, augmenting the congestion and air pollution." Bailouts, subsidies, tax breaks, and "unethical industry efforts to hide the negative environmental and health impacts of car use" all hide the real economic cost of cars. So it's hard to make a rational choice between transit and driving, and more people drive, and that's a problem. "Mobility is a crucial aspect to consider both for urban studies and for sustainability. Producing cars takes 4% of the total carbon dioxide emissions, but there are all types of other costs related to motorized mobility. These include direct costs, such as the petrol or electricity they consume, infrastructure and congestion itself, and indirect ones, including road insecurity, the (un)active mobility, the space devoted to cars in cities and others." Alternatives have to be actively promoted, with more travel options, plus local shops and services. Also, "increasing the induced costs that car users put on themselves and that public transport users put on drivers could be achieved with some interventions, by reducing the space devoted to cars, with more public transport lanes, tramways, wider sidewalks, and pedestrian roads, for example." Their model basically concludes that to make transit and active transport more attractive and appealing, one has to make driving less appealing. This is a tough sell, especially in a report coming from London, where there are incredible battles over every effort to calm streets and reduce traffic. It's got to the point where the drivists claim they actually represent disabled people who have to drive, businesses who need customers who drive, and poor people, who have to breathe their exhaust. It's all upside down. In the press release, the report author Dr. Humberto Gonzalez Ramirez (Universite Gustave Eiffel) said: "Currently, much of the land in cities is dedicated to cars. If our goal is to have more liveable and sustainable cities, then we must take part of this land and allocate it to alternative modes of transportation: walking, cycling and public transport." The study authors say their model can be applied to any city, but everyone already knows the results intuitively: when you add more cars, you get more congestion. This stunning pyramid cottage in Iceland is not only sustainable and charming, its available to rent on AirBnB! Its about an hour and a half drive from Reykjavik. Located in the middle of Icelands famed Golden Circle Route, the Geysir and Strokkur geysers, Gullfoss waterfall and Thingvellir National Park are all within easy reach. Or maybe you just want to hang out on the back deck of this pyramid? Or take a soak in the hot tub? Or view the night sky through the glass triangle skylight? What a clever construction in a gorgeous setting. And its environmentally friendly. The house is kept warm by geothermal water. Pipes in the floor keeping it warm and comfortable year-round (additional heaters are available for extra cold days). The electricity comes from a close-by geothermal energy power-station, hot water comes from the a hot spring and the cold water is natural spring water from a well. It doesnt get better than this. The cottage has a symmetrical design consisting of two steep-sided pyramids separated by the entrance hallway. Yes, thats a hot tub. A monster hot tub. But could you imagine Iceland without one? The two pyramids keep the sleeping area and the social zones separate. The pyramid house has that triangular 3D thing going on and lots of green around it (in the summer). Lots of outdoor space to take advantage of. What a unique rental this is! One of the rooms is a loft with skylights for viewing the Northern Lights. How awesome would that be? You enter the foyer and turn to the right for the social zone and to the left are the three smallish bedrooms and one bathroom. The whole building is triangular, inside and out. The kitchen is open and there are no upper cupboards. Thats because the wall is angled in. The use of light wood and white walls makes this an open and airy space. There are lots of windows and skylights to let the sun shine in. Up the stairs to the loft area for viewing the heavens through the triangular skylights. Even the stairs have an open, airy feeling. The bedrooms are on the far side of the staircase. The bathroom is clean and sleek looking. With a wall towel warmer. The mirror is placed higher than usual, to accommodate the slanted walls. Even the shower walls are angled. Every bit of space is utilized well in this pyramid house. The beds are snug to the wall. The rental contains two queen bedrooms plus a smaller childs room. A splash of pink brightens up the room. The bedrooms also have desks no room for separate home offices here. As pretty as this photo is, well visit in the summer. For anyone wishing to rent this charming pyramid cottage, winter or summer (or spring or fall) check out the Air BnB listing. Photos: Palmi, AirBnB listing Queen Letizia signs a book of condolence in the presence of King Felipe (right) and the Belgian ambassador. J. GUILLEN (EFE) King Felipe VI and acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy have hardly had any working meetings since the December 20 general election. Before that, the heads of state and government would hold weekly face-to-face sessions, and the royal palace sometimes released photographs of these encounters. Neither La Moncloa, the prime ministers residence, nor La Zarzuela royal palace would confirm on Wednesday the date of the last one-on-one meeting between Rajoy and Felipe VI. Neither La Moncloa nor La Zarzuela royal palace would confirm the date of the last one-on-one meeting between Rajoy and Felipe A spokesperson for the royal family said that both men were in touch by telephone. I havent spoken with the king, but he is perfectly up-to-date with information, said Rajoy at noon on Tuesday, nearly four hours after the attacks in Brussels. By comparison, both men spoke shortly after the Paris attacks on November 13. The difference between both cases illustrates how the relationship has cooled ever since Rajoy, of the conservative Popular Party (PP), became the head of a caretaker government. A growing rift This distancing began on January 22, when La Zarzuela said in a release that Rajoy had turned down the kings offer to stand as the prime ministerial candidate at the first investiture session in Congress. This offer was made on the basis that the PP won the most seats (123) at the inconclusive December election. With the winning candidate refusing to stand for office Rajoy knew that he lacked support from other parties and would be voted down the king then made the same offer to the second best-performing candidate, Pedro Sanchez of the Socialist Party. Many members of the PP had hoped that Felipe VI would not offer the nomination to anyone else, thus giving Rajoy more time to drum up support for a successful bid. Sanchez, who only had 90 seats and also lacked sufficient support from other forces, tried anyway, leading Rajoy to call the investiture vote a farce and a piece of vaudeville. Felipe VI has only made three speeches since his Christmas address, compared with the 20 he delivered over the same period last year Rajoy also accused the Socialist leader of misleading the king, suggesting that Felipe VI had allowed himself to be tricked by Pedro Sanchez. Even before that, Rajoy had already been heard discussing the likelihood of a fresh election in Spain with British Prime Minister David Cameron. The acting government is taking it for granted that this will be inevitable, and is refusing to submit to congressional oversight of its actions, alleging that Congress has no mandate to control a caretaker government. The acting governments interpretation of its own job description has also had an impact on the Spanish Crown. Since his traditional Christmas address, Felipe VI has only made three speeches, compared with the 20 he delivered over the same period last year. The king has also canceled four trips: to Saudi Arabia, Britain, Japan and South Korea. La Zarzuela is especially pained at the second cancellation, as it has been three decades since the last such royal trip to the UK, and Elizabeth II only organizes two state visits a year. English version by Susana Urra. Ana Maria Gazmuri of the Daya Foundation. SEBASTIAN UTRERAS More information Inicia la cosecha de la mayor granja de marihuana en Latinoamerica Latin America's largest farm growing marijuana for medical use, located in southern Chile, has begun its harvest. Sponsored by the Daya Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering, it hopes to pick 1.5 tons of the plant by mid-April. If you think that to make a joint, you use half a gram, we have enough to make three million joints, jokes Pablo Melendez, director of operations. With one for every six people, that's enough for the whole of Chile. Melendez oversees the progress of the 6,400 plants seeded last November in this field in Quinamavida, 320 kilometers south of the Chilean capital of Santiago. Its an unprecedented initiative in the region, says Daya's Ana Maria Gazmuri, who is supervising the project. Despite not having the most advanced legislation, Chile is a pioneer among Latin American countries, she adds. The medicines produced from the marijuana will be used to treat around 4,000 patients suffering from chronic pain Uruguay is the only country in the world that has fully legalized marijuana. With no airports nearby, accessing the farm is not easy. From Santiago, its a 300-kilometer drive south to the city of Linares. From there, the road twists and turns, requiring several phone calls to the hosts for directions. The smell from several meters away is intense. The entrance leads up to a steep dirt road and sentry box where a guard asks for visitors details. Finally, the crop comes into view: one hectare of marijuana plants perfectly lined up waiting to be harvested. The Daya Foundation cultivates 16 varieties of marijuana and has established several security measures to prevent theft: guards patrol 24 hours a day, and there is an electrified fence, a dog, security cameras and direct lines to two police stations in the area. But we've found there is a certain level of social awareness when it comes to plantations for the sick, says Gazmuri. Homemade marijuana-based medicines Until last year, marijuana-based medicines could only be purchased on the black market in Chile. To help people suffering from chronic pain, three years ago, the Daya Foundation set up a medical network to teach patients who opted for this kind of therapy how to make their own medicines. Now, about 700 people are using homemade cannabis-based treatments. It changed my life, says Arturo who suffers from a degenerative disease that put him in a wheelchair. He is now able to lead an independent life and regularly takes 100-kilometer bike trips. Around 60 locals have been hired to help with the harvest and kitted out with protective suits and gloves. They cut, wash, and then hang the plants in drying sheds. They are then ground up and analyzed by Chilean pharmaceutical company Knop Laboratorios. It will be the first plant-based medicine made from cannabis produced in Latin America, says Nicolas Dormal, the farms director. About 20 Chilean municipalities have financed the project. The medicines produced from the marijuana will be used to treat around 4,000 patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy and the chronic pain caused by arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Representatives from Argentina and Brazil regularly liaise with Daya to study its production and management model. People also come from Australia and California and are dumbstruck by what they discover, Gazmuri explains, adding that marijuana cultivation for medical use is set to take off in Latin America. Colombia has just legalized medical use, Costa Rica is trying, Uruguay just began its first production. Chilean law does not ban cultivation or consumption of marijuana, but selling the drug is illegal. There was the mentality here that we couldn't do this. Many conservative sectors of Chilean society should be asking themselves how we were able to score this important goal, Gazmuri says. English version by Dyane Jean Francois SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 22 BJP state president Kamal Sharma today condemned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for comparing JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar with legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. He was in the city to launch BJPs Tiranga Yatra to commemorate the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev falling on March 23. Unfortunately, the tribute given by Tharoor and Congress to these martyrs by comparing Kanhaiya with the legendary Bhagat Singh is ridiculous and a shameful act. This is sheer insult to our great martyrs that has hurt the people nation-wide, said BJP chief. While condemning Tharoor, Sharma said Congress should apologise to the nation and said that those who raise anti-national slogans should never be compared to the legendary freedom fighter. While addressing the gathering of the party leaders and workers at Jyoti Chowk, Sharma further said, Kanhaiya, who is yet to come clean on the sloganeering in JNU being compared with Shaheed Bhagat Singh has left the entire country outraged. while lambasting Congress for standing with the anti-national people, Sharma pointed out that earlier All-India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi had went to the JNU, extending his whole-hearted support and solidarity with Kanhaiya, who was arrested on sedition charges and was out on bail. Sharma said today, Rahul had met Kanhaiya at his official residence. He has endorsed the fact that Congress was working against the countrys national interests. Now, it is clear that Tharoor had gone to the JNU as a messenger of Congress vice-president. No wonder now Tharoor equates Rahul with Mahatama Gandhi, he stated. Sharma said, The message is loud and clear - Congress is now openly pampering anti-national ideology and those pursuing it. He also argued that it was Kanhaiya, who had said in the JNU that Kashmir women were raped by armed forces. Disgustingly, Tharoor has equated him with Shaheed Bhagat Singh, whereas Rahul is extending him complete backing by meeting him personally at his residence, he said. Sharma demanded that the Congress must come out with categorical statement, as to whether it subscribes to what Tharoor had said or not. Rahul Gandhi, Tharoor and Congress owe an apology to the whole country, he said. Earlier, Sharma along with other party leaders started Tiranga Yatra from Jyoti Chowk and reached Company Bagh Chowk, where he addressed and effigy of Tharoor was burnt as a mark of protest. Mumbai, March 23 The United States had financed my trip to Pakistan once, David Headley, an American militant of Pakistan origin, said on Wednesday as the defence in the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008 trial began cross-examining him. The 55-year-old terrorist, born Dawood Sayed Gilani, was speaking to the court through a video call from the US, where he is currently serving a 35-year sentence for his role in the attacks that killed 166, including six American citizens. Headley had been convicted for drug charges twice in 1988 and in 1998. After his arrest in 1998, "the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) of the US financed my trip. I was in contact with DEA then, but it is not true that between 1988 and 1998 I was providing information or assisting DEA, he said. He also dismissed reports that he had received money from the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) the militant organisation that had been responsible for the Mumbai attacks as untrue. "I never received money from LeT...this is complete nonsense. I gave funds to LeT myself. I had donated more than 60 to 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees to LeT throughout the period I was associated with them. My last donation was in 2006, Headley said. The money was not for a specific operation but was a donation. "These donations were from my business in New York and from the income that I earned by selling and purchasing some properties in Pakistan. I don't remember if I informed US authorities about my donations to LeT," he said. Headley admitted to violating terms of his plea bargain with the US government when he became part of the LeT. One of the conditions of my plea agreement was that I should not take part in any criminal activity. I violated this condition by going to Pakistan and joining the LeT," Headley told the court. After completing a four-year sentence, he got involved in smuggling drugs between 1992 and 1998 and visited Pakistan during that period. Tahawwur Rana didnt approve of my association with LeT He also claimed Tahawwur Rana a Pakistan Canadian who operated an immigration business in Chicago, USA knew about his association with the LeT but did not approve of it. Rana knew about my association with the LeT. I informed him about the training imparted by me to LeT operatives. I told Rana that I was spying for the LeT. This was four to five months before the 26/11 attacks." "Rana objected to my association with them. He did not want me to continue using his office in Mumbai. I started to close down the office. This was in July 2008," he said. 'No questions about my wife' However, Headley refused to answer questions pertaining to his wife as the defence questioned him on whether his wife, Shazia, knew of his involvement with the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the group that has been blamed for the attack. Shazia is still my legally wedded wife. I do not want to disclose Shazia's location at present. I do not want to answer any question about my wife Shazia," he said. He said his wife had never visited India but admitted that he had told her about his involvement with the LeT. "Shazia never visited India. Originally she's from Pakistan. I had told Shazia about my association with LeT. I don't remember when I told her, at least not immediately." He also admitted his wife knew about his plans to change his name. "She knew that I was going to change my name from Dawood Gilani to David Coleman Headley," he said. However, he refused to answer any more questions about his wife. "Her reaction to this is between me and her. It is our personal relationship. I don't want to disclose whether she objected or not or what she said. I am not going to share what happened between me and my wife." Tahawwur Rana, who knew Headley from military school, has been sentence by a court in the US for providing material support in the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 and supporting a plotted strike aimed at a Danish newspaper in 2013. Agencies SMA Kazmi & Neena Sharma Tribune News Service Dehradun, March 23 There is fresh trouble for the beleaguered Harish Rawat- led Congress government in Uttarakhand, that faces the floor test on March 28, with the Uttarakhand BJP today claiming the support of more disgruntled Congress MLAs. Claiming that state and the central leaders were in touch with these MLAs, Uttarakhand BJP spokesperson Munna Singh Chauhan claimed that at least four of them were ready to abandon Rawat. He did not name these MLAs. Chauhan claimed that some members of the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) were ready to switch sides too. The PDF comprises Independents and BSP and UKD legislators. Chauhan said the nine rebel Members of Legislative Assembly could not be disqualified under the anti-defection law as neither had they defied the party whip, nor defected to another party. The role of two BSP legislators has become extremely important. Sources say it is party supremo Mayawati who will decide whether or not to support the Rawat government during the floor test on March 28. The Chief Minister's camp claims that one of the BSP MLAs, Haridass, is likely to vote for the government but is unsure about Sarvat Karim Ansari. Dhaka, March 24 At least 13 persons have been killed and around a thousand others injured in poll-related violence during local elections held in party lines for the first time in Bangladesh, the police said. Much of the violence was in the southern coastal town of Mathabria, where clashes broke out on Tuesday when thousands of ruling party supporters attacked police and border guards and snatched ballot boxes. At least five persons were killed and several others injured in Mathbaria area that saw the deadliest violence. Apart from this, two persons were killed in Coxs Bazar and one each in Jhalakathi, Netrakona and Sirajganj in polls-related violence. Police opened fire when the ruling party workers refused to move away after hearing that their candidate was losing. Three persons died on the spot while three others passed away on way to hospital in Barisal. Main opposition outside parliament Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called the polls a farce as their nominees bagged only 30 seats in 712 union councils and attributed the violence to the newly introduced system of contesting polls with party tickets. We previously feared the new system will spark violence, our apprehension turned true, BNP Spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon told PTI. Awami League activists had laid siege to a college centre where the counting was under way, said police official Abu Ashraf. Most of the dead were ruling party supporters. Yesterday, 712 Union Parishad went to the polls, held on the party lines for the first time. The Election Commission initially had planned to conduct elections to 730 Union Parishad but it had to postpone the polls in 18 places due to legal complications. Elections to 643 Union Parishad are slated for March 31 in the second phase and 681 Union Parishad on April 23 in the third phase. Around 2,200 unions will go to polls in three more phases till June. BNP, which boycotted the 2014 general elections but decided to take part in the local government polls to revamp their politics, said almost all the local council polls were marred by violence, rigging and fraud including ballot- stuffing by the ruling party supporters. The elections will not change the political landscape of the country, but a sweeping victory would consolidate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas hold on power ahead of the general elections in 2019. PTI Beijing, March 24 Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next week to discuss several issues, including increasing friction between the two countries over the disputed South China Sea. It will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. It will be of great significance in advancing the bilateral relationship in a sustained and stable way, Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said at a briefing on Xis upcoming trip. The meeting is regarded significant as it provides an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss bilateral tensions over the South China Sea, where the US is challenging Chinas claims by sending its naval ships and aircraft. Li said Xi will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Invited by Obama, Xi will attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington from March 31 to April 1. Prior to attending the summit, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28 to 30 at the invitation of Czech President Milos Zeman. PTI tricountyleader.com expired on 09/23/2022 and is pending renewal or deletion. Backorder Domain SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression According to a report by Feeding America, 17 percent of Oklahomas population is considered food insecure, leaving 242,990 children unsure where they will get their next meal. Locally, this means that one out of four Broken Arrow children are at risk of being hungry. To help reduce hunger in Broken Arrow, Broken Arrow Public Schools (BAPS) is once again partnering with Move For Hunger and Broken Arrow Neighbors for the fourth annual districtwide food drive March 21-25, the week following spring break. For five days, students and staff from across the Broken Arrow district are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items including canned foods, juice, pasta, soup, baby food and more to any school site or department. All donations benefit Broken Arrow Neighbors, a nonprofit that provides basic needs and emergency assistance to Broken Arrow families. "We are thrilled to be working with Broken Arrow Public Schools for the fourth consecutive year, said Adam Lowy, founder and executive director of Move For Hunger. I'm truly amazed by the enthusiasm of so many young people working to help those in need." Last year, the effort resulted in 21,000 pounds of food, the most ever collected by the district. Nationwide, the BAPS event is the largest school-related drive for Move For Hunger, and the districts assistance throughout the school year makes it the top contributor of food donations to Broken Arrow Neighbors. The goal for this year is 21,000 pounds. I am always amazed at the level of understanding todays youth has regarding food insecurity and their willingness to accept the call to action of the Move for Hunger project, said Kim Goddard, executive director of Broken Arrow Neighbors. This food drive is truly a reflection of a strong community joining forces to address social issues that are typically unacknowledged. It is a pleasure to work with Broken Arrow Public Schools on such a worthy cause. The parents of a 12th-grade special education student who was allegedly backhanded by his teacher while in class last school year have filed a civil rights lawsuit against the teacher, school principal and Tulsa Public Schools. Ricky and Cynthia Leland filed the lawsuit March 15 in Tulsa federal court, claiming a Webster High School teacher subjected the student to verbal, physical and emotional abuse in 2015. The lawsuit claims former teacher Kevin R. Short abused the student on numerous occasions, including by yelling at him and encouraging other students to socially reject the student during class. On one occasion, Short allegedly put the student in a corner and placed a cardboard box around him. Another time, Short encouraged other students to label the youth as annoying and sought to turn him into an outcast, according to the lawsuit. The abuse culminated, according to the lawsuit, with Short allegedly yelling, grabbing, hitting the student and punching his fist into his own hand during an encounter with the student on May 7 in a classroom. The May 7 encounter was captured on a cell phone video by another teacher, who claims to have witnessed prior abuse of the student by Short, according to the lawsuit. The other employee couldnt take it any longer, so he made a video of it, said Michael King, an attorney for the family. Short was suspended with pay May 7 and resigned June 16, according to a district spokesman. He had worked for the district since 2000. Short also faces a felony caretaker abuse charge filed June 23 in Tulsa District Court. An affidavit by TPS campus police officer Michael Whitlow filed in connection with the charge describes the encounter depicted on the video: Video starts out panning the classroom. The videographer starts to move to another part of the room that is divided by partition. You can hear someone saying Whyd you act like that? As the camera moves thru the entryway. You can then see the suspect appear to backhand the victim and hear a faint slapping noise, which causes the victim to back up and start to cry and bury his face in his hands. The suspect forcefully pushes the victims head back by forcefully pushing his right hand, palm open, to the forehead of the victim. The suspect can be heard saying Think youre tough? Suspect forcefully pushes the victims right shoulder with his left hand and states You punk kid! Suspect again says Punk and made a threatening gesture of a punch by striking his own left hand, palm open with his right fist, which caused a loud, threatening slapping noise. Suspect then forcefully pushes victim back toward the wall with his right hand saying What? You saying something to me? Suspect then grabs the victims left wrist with his right hand and pulls him toward himself. The civil lawsuit says the other teacher reported the alleged abuse to Webster Principal Shelly Holman on two occasions prior to spring break 2015, yet no action was taken to protect the student or discipline Short. Holman is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit The civil lawsuit indicates that the student lacks basic communication skills, is generally not verbal and frequently has difficulty understanding what he is being asked to do. The youth has since received counseling and moved to a different school. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $75,000. King said the school district never advised the teens parents of the prior reported encounters. They found out about the alleged prior abuse only after receiving a copy of the video from the other teacher. Tulsa Public Schools declined through a spokesman to comment on the lawsuit. In the criminal case, a judge has rejected a request by Short to throw out the video evidence. Short claims he had a right to expect privacy in the school classroom and neither he nor the student granted the other teacher the right to video record their activities. A jury trial is scheduled for June 13 in the criminal case. Shorts attorney did not return a telephone call seeking comment on the charge. A proposal by interim Tulsa County Sheriff Michelle Robinette to essentially turn funding of the Tulsa County jail upside down was narrowly accepted Wednesday morning by the board overseeing jail operations. Currently, payroll and benefits for detention officers and deputies and management assigned to the jail soak up almost all of the revenue from the .25 percent criminal justice operations sales tax. On Wednesday, Robinette proposed reversing that by redesignating deputy and management payroll about $11.5 million from the second-highest priority for jail tax revenue to the lowest. The effect would be to move those personnel costs from the jail tax fund to what is known as the county contribution fund primarily money paid by the city of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for housing prisoners in the jail. The redesignation, Robinette said, would mean jail sales tax revenue could cover all other jail operations, including detention officer payroll and a $480,000-per-month medical bill that is now being paid barely half the time. One of the things I hear is that you dont have enough control over how money is spent, Robinette said. This would give you control over everything. The catch is that the rest of county government would have to make up a $2.8 million gap between projected county contribution fund revenue and expected expenses. Robinette pointed out the county has been putting in close to that amount in recent years anyway, but in bits and pieces and on short notice. This way, she said, the county budget board would know in advance how much is needed and how it would be spent. The proposal seemed to catch the six jail board members present by surprise. Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, Owasso Mayor Jeri Moberly and Glenpool Vice Mayor Momodou Ceesay three of the jail boards four municipal representatives quickly climbed on board. Shifting the pieces around doesnt change the size of the pie, but I like this because it simplifies what we are doing, Ceesay said. But county commissioners, who as county budget board members must find the $2.8 million, werent as pleased. Commissioners Ron Peters and John Smaligo, taken aback by the unexpected proposal, said they wanted a few days to think about it. But a motion had already been made and seconded, and the proposal went through by a vote of 4-2, with County Commissioner Karen Keith joining Bartlett, Moberly and Momodou. The boards seventh member, Sand Springs Mayor Mike Burdge, was not present. Robinettes proposal comes as the jail board, the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office and the county officials who make up the budget board struggle to put the jail on a self-sustaining basis. A fiscal year 2017 budget is supposed to be presented to the jail board on April 14, just days after Tulsa County voters elect a new sheriff. The new sheriff will be the fourth person to hold the position in less than a year. To what extent this impending transition will have on the budget process or whether the new sheriff will agree with Robinettes initiative is unclear. In recent years, the jail has cost just under $40 million a year to operate. The jail tax is expected to bring in about $27.1 million, and the county contribution fund another $8.3 million. The rest has to come from the county general fund or from other jail-generated revenue. Robinette said Wednesday the jail could net $500,000 from operating its own commissary instead of contracting it out, and nearly $1 million by raising the incarceration rate charged to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the same level the U.S. Marshals Service is charged. The county thinks it should be recovering more from the city of Tulsa for housing its prisoners, and has sued for a higher reimbursements from the Department of Corrections. Robinette also proposes charging the Tulsa County Court Clerk for some or all of the cost of 31 deputies on the jail payroll who are assigned to courthouse security. Projects in Vision Tulsas tax package show a local commitment to teachers despite barriers that keep city taxes from affecting state obligations like salary, Tulsa education leaders said Thursday. Our city councilors and our mayor said, Education matters, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Deborah Gist said. It matters tremendously to the success of Tulsa, so they worked with us to figure out a way to include it to find the kinds of things that would be appropriate and put those in the package. A question that has often reached city leaders throughout the several years spent on developing the Vision tax package is: Why spend tax money on anything but teacher salaries? The answer, Gist said, is that the city cant. The way that our education system is set up in Oklahoma is, our primary operating dollars come from the state, Gist said. They are collected through ad valorem taxes and state taxes, combined at the state and distributed to school districts. So when it comes to teacher salaries, recruitment and retention, municipalities like Tulsa have to get creative, she said. Vision Tulsa, coming to a vote April 5, includes two projects that specifically target Tulsa schools not just Tulsa Public Schools but all public schools in the Tulsa city limits, including the Jenks and Union districts. The project aimed at teachers is a $10 million fund to provide incentives in teacher retention and recruitment. The fund would provide for additional certification and training, as well as a housing-assistance program to attract new teachers. The other project is a $14.5 million proposal that would go toward sidewalks, lighting, crosswalk striping and other school-by-school needs to help children walk to and from school safely. Its a way for us through the Vision package to make sure our children are safer, which is very clearly a city role, Gist said. Then through the teacher retention and recruitment, we are finding creative ways for the city while its not through salaries other ways that the city can help us support the awesome teachers we have in our classrooms. The safety project is designed in part to address a long-standing concern Tulsa City Councilors have monitored children injured along streets with poor sidewalks or lighting. Councilor Anna America said the Safety First Initiative addresses just that. Weve had 15 kids who have been injured or killed on their way to or from a Tulsa school in the last five years alone, America said. Thats not acceptable to me. Thats not acceptable to anybody. Unfortunately, we have not built a city that is really safe for kids to get around in. This piece is going to address that. America said about 100 schools will have access to the safety improvements, 80 from TPS, about 16 in Union and five from Jenks. Safety First will put $14.5 million into making every school across the city of Tulsa every school safer to get to. We the People Oklahoma filed an ethics complaint Thursday morning with the city clerks office regarding personal buyouts or paying for rank used by some Tulsa police officers. The activist groups complaint states that the practice at its least gives an appearance of impropriety and favoritism. At most it is an ethical quagmire that can lead to corruption, favoritism and cronyism. Personal buyouts are an apparently longtime and unregulated practice involving police officers paying superiors to retire so they can move up the ranks before their promotion eligibility expires and they must retake the annual tests. Eligibility is seeded by exam performance, and rank promotions are handled in that order as openings arise until the list expires after a year and the process is repeated. The complaint cites a range of city ethics codes that We the People believes are being violated. They involve using public positions for personal gain or holding a financial interest in performing duties in the public interest, participating in city business in which there is a related personal financial interest, disclosing a benefit not shared by the general public, and exchanging gifts or favors that may be perceived as influencing. What we dont want to do is have this swept under the rug, said Marq Lewis, leader of the group. I think our community and our city is reeling from a lot of problems of things just being swept under the rug. We want a full investigation of these types of practices. Tulsa County sheriff candidate Vic Regalado, a Tulsa Police Department sergeant, has said he participated in the practice in 2013. Regalado said he and a superior reached a mutually beneficial agreement so the superior whom he did not name would retire about a month early. Regalado then was able to move from the rank of officer to sergeant as the next in line based on his exam scores before his eligibility expired. Otherwise, he would have had to go through the testing process again. Regalado previously told the World that he made up the difference in lost salary for the superior, who felt strongly about me being promoted. Former Police Chief Ron Palmer previously told the World that he was advised about the practice and could find nothing prohibiting it, but that it just doesnt seem like it should happen. Palmer said some people who were bought out needed to be or else they wouldve died in their chair because the Police Department has no mandatory retirement age. The Tulsa Fire Department does not have a similar practice but supposedly did decades ago, a public information officer previously told the World. Tulsa Fire Capt. Stan May said that once an employee gets on a promotion list, the list does not expire until every employee on it has been promoted. Once the last person is promoted, the department has a specific number of days to establish a new list. During a news conference in front of City Hall, Lewis was asked by reporters whether he thought the Police Department should follow the Fire Departments rank promotion policy or implement a mandatory retirement age to help eliminate personal buyouts. Lewis said he couldnt say whether he would support either potential remedy. Rex Berry, running for sheriff on the Democratic side, has said he was unaware that personal buyouts were still taking place. Berry, a retired Tulsa Police corporal, said he never approached a superior about a personal buyout, nor did any employees talk to him about such an arrangement. City of Tulsa spokeswoman Michelle Allen confirmed the city received the ethics complaint. Allen said Mayor Dewey Bartlett has the option to select an entity to investigate or take appropriate action. She listed Human Resources, the City Attorneys Office or the City Auditors Office as options. The complaint asks for those who violated the ethics code to be reprimanded following city guidelines. The ethics code states that intentional violation by a city official shall be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal or removal from office as may be provided by law. OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Mary Fallin on Wednesday signed two measures to provide emergency funding for schools and prisons. Fallin signed Senate Bill 1572 to provide $51 million from the states Rainy Day Fund for common education to offset 7 percent cuts that were made due to a deepening revenue failure in the current fiscal year. Cuts to common education were more than $109 million. She also signed Senate Bill 1571 to provide nearly $27.6 million to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, allocating roughly the same amount that was lost through the 7 percent cuts. I appreciate members of the House of Representatives and the Senate for their quick approval of these two bills and for the cooperation of their leaders in agreeing that this is the most responsible option, Fallin said. The appropriation of these supplemental funds will pay for vital state services for education and corrections between now and when the fiscal ends on June 30. The withdrawal will leave about $306.5 million in the Rainy Day Fund. With the governors signature on Senate Bill 1571, the DOC will now be able to make payroll, pay for beds we contract with counties, halfway houses and private facilities and, most importantly, avoid furloughs, said Joe Allbaugh, interim director of the DOC. Lawmakers are expected to have $1.3 billion less in crafting a budget for fiscal year 2017. Now, legislators need to focus on the 2017 fiscal year, which starts July 1, and take action to put recurring revenues on the table this session, like I proposed in my executive budget, Fallin said. Failure to do so will result in the same problem next year. The Rainy Day Fund option is a one-time fix, but we need to do the tough work to pass a budget this session that contains true, meaningful fiscal reforms the state needs. OKLAHOMA CITY A resolution on new academic standards for reading and math remained uncertain Wednesday as lawmakers left the Capitol early without taking final action. The standards were developed to replace Common Core standards, which were adopted by lawmakers and then repealed by the Legislature in 2014. The law required the creation of new standards to be approved or disapproved by lawmakers within 30 legislative days of submission. The standards were submitted Feb. 1. Failure to act means the standards would take effect. At issue is the time frame to take action, which is based on days lawmakers are in session. Legislators have taken a few days off from the normal schedule, which from Monday to Thursday. This week they chose not to work on Thursday. Many believed Wednesday was the deadline. But House Speaker Jeff Hickman, R-Fairview, said the deadline is Monday. Earlier in the week, the House and Senate passed separate resolutions approving the standards with suggested changes. But by Wednesday, neither chamber had taken action on the bill from the opposite chamber before they adjourned for the week. The deadline to pass House Joint Resolution 1070 in the Senate is Monday, and we believe it should be considered, Hickman said. If no action is taken, any revisions to the new academic standards by the State Board of Education will have to come back to the Legislature for an additional 30-day review process. With passage of HJR 1070, the board can quickly make revisions, submit a report of these changes and not have to come back to the Legislature for approval. Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said Wednesday was the last day the resolutions could be considered. Both resolutions included suggested improvements and instructions intended to assure that the State Department of Education provides assistance to educators in developing their curriculum, and review clarifications and comments, Ford said. With the actions of each chamber approving their respective resolutions, this reflects the members approval of these standards, giving educators time to implement the standards for the coming school year, Ford said. The State Board of Education can address the recommendations made by both chambers without statutory action. Therefore, it is not necessary that either resolution be sent to the governor. Phil Bacharach, chief policy advisor to State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, said there is a difference in interpretation between the department, the Senate and Speaker Hickman. The clock we believe and its fair to say the Senate believes and until Speaker Hickmans statement I would have thought the House believed began on Feb. 1, which makes today the 30th legislative day, he said Wednesday. As far as returning to the Legislature for a 30-day review process, Bacharach said education officials believe that will be unnecessary. We feel very confident that the standards are strong and dont need any substantive revisions, Bacharach said. Even with the House resolution which gave us authority to make changes, they were small technical changes. Hospitals are businesses. While some people view health care delivery as a governmental service like education or public safety, health care is a business. It is the largest private industry in the state, employing approximately one out of 10 Oklahomans. This is especially true in rural Oklahoma where health care is often the largest employer. Not only do hospitals employ many people who pay taxes, they also purchase goods and services from vendors, provide philanthropic support to our communities and often pay tax revenue to state and local governments. They also support businesses around them like specialists and pharmacies. Like all businesses, hospitals cannot continuously provide services in excess of revenue. Unlike most businesses, hospitals cant turn anyone away. So if someone shows up at the hospital without health insurance, hospitals are obligated to provide care with no way to cover those costs. In a state like Oklahoma with no additional source of funding to fill in the gaps, the economic engine sputters. To avoid closing, often the only options for hospitals are to shift costs to the private sector, increase costs for those with insurance or shut down. We have already seen this firsthand in communities such as Sayre and Frederick. Businesses around the state are struggling to keep up with rising insurance premiums and health care costs. And more importantly, no one wants to rush a loved one to the hospital only to find the doors are closed. Oklahoma needs to take care of all of its people and having quality hospitals is a key component of physical and economic health. Think about it: A company looking to open a plant in Oklahoma is much more likely to choose a community that has a hospital. Closing hospitals only makes it more difficult to attract capital investment and recruit new jobs, especially to rural Oklahoma. And without jobs, more people will move away from rural Oklahoma and a downward spiral will accelerate. Solving the problem will not be easy. It will require courage, leadership and compromise. There are many ideas out there to address the issue of finding funding sources for health care. Everyones ultimate goal is private health insurance plans for every Oklahoman. But as part of that solution, we must be seeking new sources of funding so that hospitals can continue to treat all of Oklahomas residents. Lawmakers have shown in the past they support innovative solutions to making sure hospitals can remain open. We need to build on that success and find additional opportunities. Inaction will have devastating, long-term impacts on the health of Oklahomans and the prosperity of our state. It is time for action on what is truly a business issue impacting all Oklahomans. Fred Morgan is president and CEO of the Oklahoma State Chamber. It's Divali time so at TV6 over the next few days, we bring you some of the interesting aspe This weekend 60 Minutes features stories on Mick Fanning, Brussels, a Bosnian war criminal and corruption in Malaysia. Mates Everyone knows Mick Fanning is so much more than a champion surfer and occasional shark wrestler. Hes one of the most decent human beings on the planet, and his friendship with Barney Miller proves it. As a youngster, Barney dreamt of being a professional surfer until he was severely injured in a car crash when he was twenty. The accident left him a quadriplegic. Tough times followed, but ten years ago he had a chance meeting with Fanning and theyve been best mates ever since. These days Mick takes Barney surfing and is also literally helping him get back on his feet. But like any good mate, Barney is also helping Mick recover from the personal and professional traumas he has endured in the past 12 months. Reporter: Peter Stefanovic Producer: Mary Ann Jolley Terror in Brussels As the people of Belgium mourn their dead after another senseless terrorist attack, many people are now asking how such hatred could come from within its own borders. On 60 Minutes this week Michael Usher reports from Molenbeek, a Brussels suburb many locals call terror town. Molenbeek is widely known as a breeding ground for jihadists. This small but densely populated neighbourhood has been linked to as many as four attacks in Europe, including the carnage in Paris last year. Usher confronts the local mayor to find out why nothing has been done to stop the radicalisation of a generation of young men. Reporter: Michael Usher Producers: Phil Goyen, Garry McNab Dirty Secret While politics and skulduggery are frequent bedfellows in most countries, its hard to believe the extent of the intrigue and corruption in the Malaysian government. The greatest scandal surrounds the murder of a beautiful young woman who was having an affair with a high-ranking apparatchik. Only she wasnt just killed, she was blown to pieces with explosives by two government bodyguards. One of her killers, Sirul Azhar Umar, was sentenced to death but fled to Australia and is now being held in Sydneys Villawood Detention Centre. Its believed Sirul is keeping a dirty secret about who ordered the murder. Now, Malaysias former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad himself an outspoken and controversial figure has come out of retirement to have his say. He tells Ross Coulthart the Australian government needs to protect its Malaysian detainee and grant him immediate asylum. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producers: Grace Tobin, Mary Ann Jolley War Criminal As European nations and other countries, including Australia, battle Islamic extremism, the endgame in another brutal conflict the Bosnian war of the 1990s is being played out in the Netherlands. The War Crimes Tribunal is about to pass judgment on Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who is accused of genocide. Back in 1993, at the height of the terrible war, the late Richard Carleton filmed a remarkable 60 Minutes interview with Karadzic, which not only highlighted the alleged war criminals evil activities but also Carletons very brave interviewing style. Reporters: Richard Carleton, Tara Brown Producer: Howard Sacre 7pm Sunday on Nine Next month Showcase has the Australian Premiere of the documentary Only the Dead. Foxtels Brian Walsh told TV Tonight earlier this year, It is gripping television. Michael Ware is the photojournalist who came back from shooting all of the incredible footage in the Middle East and gathered material over a few years and compiled it into a riveting 2hr documentary. Its very graphic and will be quite controversial. Only the Dead is a war story unlike any ever seen. It follows Michael Ware, an Australian journalist for CNN and Time Magazine who is transplanted into the Middle East following the impact of 9/11. Ware is one of the few Western journalists who lived fulltime in Iraq during the war, and this documentary is the story of what happens when an ordinary man undertakes a journey through the deepest recesses of the Iraq War, coming face to face with the most feared and most hated terrorists on the planet. Sunday April 3 at 8.30pm. Foxtel next month will mark 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare (April 23 1616). Both Foxtel Arts and the History channel will feature Documentaries and Arts programming. Leo Schofield will present some of the programs from the Globe Theatre in London. Foxtel Arts will feature performances of classics staged at the Globe from 2007 2013 and the second season of Shakespeare Uncovered with a whos who of stars including Ethan Hawke, David Tennant, Joseph Fiennes, Joely Richardson, David Harewood, Kim Cattrall, Hugh Bonneville, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Irons and director Trevor Nunn. The Shakespeare Enigma will also air on History. Foxtel Arts Romeo and Juliet (2009) Three Hour Film Sunday April 3 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere Join Arts in April as they celebrate 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare. The prolific playwright will be celebrated Sunday to Wednesday with a recorded live performance from the Globe Theatre, London. Featuring a raft of Royal Shakespeare Company thespians, the performances will showcase the best of Shakespeares comedies, tragedies, romance and historical plays. Kicking of the celebration is the complete Shakespearean play Romeo & Juliet in its entirety, filmed at the Globe Theatre London, live. A violent street brawl between their rival families is the prelude to Romeos first encounter with Juliet. Despite this, and the fact that Juliet has been promised to another man in marriage, they fall in love. But any plans for their future happiness are cruelly destroyed by renewed violence between the two families and while the adults remain almost comically preoccupied with their own affairs, among their children a hidden tragedy begins to unfold. With its wonderful combination of lyricism, suspense and dramatic changes of mood, Shakespeares heartbreaking tale is one of the greatest of all love stories. Stars Holly Atkins of The Bill and Adetomiva Edun of Merlin. Othello (2007) Three Hour Film Monday April 4 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere The republic of Venice employs Othello, a self-made man and a Moor, to defend its overseas territories against the Turks. But for all his military success, Othello remains an outsider in the city, an object of racism, envy and mistrust. As the Turkish threat gathers and Venetian forces are despatched to Cyprus, Iago, a junior officer secretly enraged by his lack of promotion, exploits Othellos ambiguous position and ingenuous nature, driving him into a passionate and uncontrollable jealousy. With its racing concentrated plot and intense dramatic details, Othello is one of Shakespeares most exciting, atmospheric and heartbreaking plays. By introducing to early 17th-century England a black character as complex as Othello, it is also one of his most extraordinary imaginative achievements. Stars Eamon Walker of Chicago Fire and Tim McInnerny from Black Adder as Lord Percy Percy. Macbeth (2013) 2.5 Hour Special Tuesday April 5 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere When three witches tell Macbeth that he is destined to occupy the throne of Scotland, he and his wife choose to become the instruments of their fate and to kill the first man standing in their path, the virtuous King Duncan. But to maintain his position, Macbeth must keep on killing first Banquo, his old comrade-in-arms; then, as the atmosphere of guilt and paranoia thickens, anyone who seems to threaten his tyrants crown. From its mesmerising first moments to the last fulfilment of the witches prophecy, Shakespeares gripping account of the profoundest engagement with the forces of evil enthrals the imagination. Stars Samantha Spiro of London Spy and Joseph Millson of Banished. Alls Well that Ends Well (2011) 2.5 Hour Film Wednesday April 6 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere Helena loves the arrogant Bertram, and when she cures the King of France of his sickness, she claims Bertram as her reward. But her brand-new husband, flying from Helena to join the wars, attaches two obstructive conditions to their marriage conditions he is sure will never be met. Alls Well That Ends Well grinds the romantic against the realistic at every turn and brilliantly reverses all the usual expectations of Shakespearean comedy. And some of Shakespeares most inventive language gives life to not just his single-minded heroine and her churlish lover, but a fantastic cast of frauds, cynics, sentimentalists and buffoons. Stars Ellie Piercy of Brothers of War, Colin Hurley of David Copperfield and Janie Dee of Londons Burning. A Midsummer Nights Dream (2013) Three Hour Film Sunday April 17 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere An enchanted forest charms a disenchanted court. In Athens a daughters disobedience forces two lovers to flee to the woods, pursued by the two lovers they rejected. In the woods, amateur actors rehearse a play, while the king of fairies plays tricks and captivates the night. A mischievous Puck with the magical juice of a flower helps love lose its way while the fairy queen falls for an ass; the king and queen of the fairies reconcile; the lovers find each other, return to court and marriage celebrations end in a theatrical dream. Hermia loves Lysander and Helena loves Demetrius but Demetrius is supposed to be marrying Hermia When the Duke of Athens tries to enforce the marriage, the lovers take refuge in the woods and wander into the midst of a dispute between the king and queen of the fairies. Shakespeare put some of his most dazzling dramatic poetry at the service of this teasing, glittering, hilarious and amazingly inventive play, whose seriousness is only fleetingly glimpsed beneath its dreamlike surface. Stars Fergal McElherron of Charlie, Huss Garbiya of The Bill and John Light of Father Brown. The Taming of the Shrew (2013) Three Hour Film Monday April 18 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere Shakespeares most outrageous comedy, The Taming of the Shrew introduces one of theatres great screwball double- acts, a couple hell-bent on confusing and outwitting each other right up to the plays equivocal and controversial conclusion. Stars Kate Lamb of Call The Midwife and Leah Whitaker of Whitechapel. The Tempest (2013) 2.5 Hour Film Tuesday April 19 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere Prospero, Duke of Milan, usurped and exiled by his own brother, holds sway over an enchanted island. He is comforted by his daughter Miranda and served by his spirit Ariel and his deformed slave Caliban. When Prospero raises a storm to wreck this perfidious brother and his confederates on the island, his long contemplated revenge at last seems within reach. Inspired by reports of the first English colonies in the West Indies and imbued with a spirit of magic and the supernatural, The Tempest is Shakespeares late great masterpiece of forgiveness, generosity and enlightenment. Stars James Garnon of Foyles War, Jessie Buckley of War & Peace and Roger Allam of Les Miserable (1985). Much Ado About Nothing (2011) Three Hour Film Wednesday April 20 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere Claudio loves Hero and Hero Claudio and nothing seems capable of tearing them apart. Claudios friend Benedick loves Beatrice and Beatrice Benedick, but (because neither will admit it) nothing seems capable of bringing them together. Only the intrigues of a resentful prince force Benedick to prove his love for Beatrice by killing his best friend. Driven along by a romance all the more charming for being unacknowledged, Much Ado About Nothing is a miracle of comic and dramatic suspense and gives us, in the bantering Beatrice and Benedick, two of Shakespeares wittiest, most lovable pair of lovers. Stars Charles Edwards of Downtown Abbey and Eve Best of Nurse Jackie. Shakespeare Uncovered (Season 2): Ethan Hawke on Macbeth: Tuesday April 5 at 7.30pm. Romeo & Juliet with Joseph Fiennes: Sunday April 3 at 7.30pm Othello with David Harewood: Monday April 4 at 7.30pm Hamlet with David Tennant: Sunday April 10 at 7.30pm. Shakespeares Women with Joley Richardson: Monday April 11 at 7.30pm. Antony and Cleopatra with Kim Catrall: Tuesday April 12 at 7.30pm A Midsummer Nights Dream with Hugh Bonneville: Sunday April 17 at 7.30pm The Taming of the Shrew with Morgan Freeman: Monday April 18 at 7.30pm The Tempest with Trevor Nunn: Tuesday April 19 at 7.30pm The Henrys with Jeremy Irons: Sunday April 24 at 7.30pm History The Shakespeare Enigma One Hour Special Saturday April 23 at 8.30pm Australian Premiere This high-gloss documentary examines a highly controversial topic: Who was William Shakespeare, and did he write the works we associate with his name? Among the most interesting candidates advanced by scholars as the real dramatist is Christopher Marlowe, a successful author and secret agent of Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeares first plays werent performed until after Marlowes early death in 1593 at the age of 29 in a sordid pub brawl in Deptford, by the River Thames, East of London. Until now this has seemed to rule out Marlowe as a candidate for the writer of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet and King Lear. But in this new documentary, biography and history specialists explore a fascinating and revolutionary thesis: Christopher Marlowe faked his own death to avoid arrest and possible execution by Elizabeth Is ministers. This freed him to devote his life to literature, using actor-manager William Shakespeare as his straw man drawing on his own lifes experiences for at least some of his subject matter! High-budget re-enactments and shooting on original locations sketch an image of the golden age of Elizabethan theatre, and scholars from various fields weigh in on the question of Shakespeares secret. I am an American Airman. My mission is to Fly, Fight, and Win. I am faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, and a legacy of valor, are words within the Airmans Creed all Airmen recite throughout their career. These values are things that live in the hearts of all who have spoken these words as an idea, or guideline -- but in some cases these values become a legacy that can be seen or a place that can be visited. The legacy of Col. Larry Pinball Kemp was transformed into a location March 21, at the Tyndall Pilots Gym when it was renamed the Kemp Pilot Gym. This dedication is really special to me and our family, said Adelina Kemp, Colonel Kemps widow. Its like a living memory of Larry and what he stood for. He was an incredibly disciplined man and believed in taking care of yourself so you could be the best that you could be. Kemps storied career is summed up by his biography. Kemp was born in Murray, Utah, on July 16, 1951. He graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Plant Science in 1973. Following this, he received a commission in the United States Air Force, where he served his country for over 30 years. During his years of service, he received many awards and recognitions as an F-4, F-5 and F-15 pilot. Additionally, he held several military leadership positions, culminating as commander of the Southeast Air Defense Sector at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in May, 2003, and continued as a civil servant, as an F-22 Raptor flight simulator instructor until late 2014. Prior to the unveiling of the new sign on the door and plaque inside, members of Kemp family and Tyndall leadership gathered at the gym that was to bear his name to memorialize Kemps life and fondly reminisce. I am humbled to be in the presence of Pinballs spirit, his family, his friends and his gym, said Col. Robert Sanford, 601st Air Operations Center combat control officer. The mark he left on the Air National Guard and the Air Force community needs no embellishment. Pinball would definitely be glad to see us all by the gym right now, Sanford said. To be honest, I tried to avoid the gym when Pinball was here, because Im telling you there was never enough weight on the bar when I was on the bench compared when he was lifting. I dont know about yall, but I keep looking for him. I know its crazy, but I expect for his face to come around the corner any minute telling me to put more weight on the bar. If this is what we call spirit, then his spirit is still with me and I hope it never leaves, Sanford added. Although lighthearted stories about Kemp were told, a somber tone rang through the entire dedication. You have heard many positive words today to describe Pinball, Sanford said. I will use many of the same words, which is no coincidence. Because what you saw in Pinball is what you got: intelligence, honesty, integrity, enthusiasm, belief, determination, love, empathy, strength, dignity, kindness and compassion. He was comfortable in his own skin and was the best listener. One of the things I loved about him was that he took the time to listen to and learn from those around him. Pinball would never defend or, for that matter, concede a point for the sake of doing it. He would always acknowledge that different people with different experiences could respectfully hold their own viewpoints, Sanford added. At the conclusion of the event, Ms. Kemp remembered her husband, and gave insight as to how he would have reacted to this honor. Larry spent a lot of time in this gym, Kemp said. He took care of it and worked out here. This means so much to our family. As you can see, our family traveled from as far as Reno and Utah, she said. If Larry was here, he wouldnt want all this fuss going on about him, but he would be very honored. Sex Therapist and Self Serve Co-Founder Molly Adler talks about the mind-body connection, improving timing, communication tips and sex techniques that awaken the senses. For many couples, its a frustrating reality when one partner is finished and she hasnt even gotten started. Sex Therapist and Self Serve Co-Founder Molly Adler will help you open up to more pleasure. What is holding you back? Is past trauma still present? Is performance anxiety getting in the way? Are you distracted? Frustrated? There are many things that can get in the way of orgasm, but a more orgasmic experience is possible. Well talk about the mind-body connection, improving timing for both parties, communication tips, and sex techniques that will awaken the senses. About the teacher: Molly Adler, LMSW, ACS is a Licensed Master Social Worker and Board Certified Sexologist with the American College of Sexologists. In 2007, Molly co-founded Self Serve with Matie Fricker. She offers trainings on LGBTQ* issues, sexuality, and cultural humility in mental health. Molly has presented at Harvard, Tufts, University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Conference on Aging, and the National Association of Social Work New Mexico Conference.p> We offer an early bird discount for the first 7, paid signups up to two days before the class. All other tickets are $20/person. Use promo codeEB03.24.2016 to get the early bird pricing. Aliens- near polling stations (video) The Republican Party has a serious argument for refusing publication of voter lists after voting. Vahram Baghdasaryan, Head of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faction, asks, What do you think, dont we think that they raise that question on purpose so that, suppose, after the elections they force us to face the fact by saying that after 2014 the CC has considered that provision unconstitutional, and now it has become constitutional. How did it happen? Vahram Baghdasaryan is also against use of electoral ink, which is one of five demands presented by the opposition- the voters will not participate in elections. But perhaps the Republican Party refuses the publication of voter lists after voting, as they are the main resource of electoral fraud for the Republicans? Mr Baghdasaryan is against the publication of voter lists as the officials, who provide bears service to the authorities, will make their employees go and vote for the candidate of the authorities. Yes, but the Republican Party can threaten those officials and prohibit it, Every person before being a political figure is an ordinary mortal and wants to strengthen its positions and wants to show that he works very well. Head of the ruling faction suggests that the opposition agree about the idea of the electronic registration and voting by identification cards. Though, the authorities arent against the idea of installing cameras at the polling stations, Discussions over the issues of financing are underway so that cameras are installed at the all polling stations. The idea of cleaning the voter lists is also vulnerable; some people havent been in the republic for 3-4 years, but on the day of elections they decide to come and vote, I have participated in the elections with the majoritarian electoral system for three times. Thousands of people, who werent in the republic for 3-4 years, came during all the elections and participated in the elections. The opposition, according to Mr Baghdasaryan, is doing everything possible so that the authorities will not agree with it. Soon they will suggest placing aliens near the polling stations so that they can register falsifications. UDs Karen Stein invites students to participate in the May 12 Elder Abuse and Exploitation Conference at no charge by submitting a one-minute video sharing their thoughts about elder issues. UDs Karen Stein invites students to participate in the May 12 Elder Abuse and Exploitation Conference at no charge by submitting a one-minute video sharing their thoughts about elder issues. 8:09 a.m., March 24, 2016--The University of Delaware will host the multidisciplinary Elder Abuse and Exploitation Conference on Thursday, May 12, bringing together professionals, advocates, students and community members to better understand elder abuse and take responsible actions. UDs Karen Stein, along with conference organizers, invites students to participate in this event by submitting a short video sharing their thoughts about elder abuse. Explained Stein, We want to engage students, who are very passionate about social justice issues, to recognize the signs of elder abuse and exploitation, and enlist them as lifelong advocates for elder issues. Stein, associate professor in UDs School of Public Policy and Administration, is a nationally recognized leader on elder abuse issues, and will be a keynote speaker at the conference. To attend the conference at no charge, students are invited to submit a one-minute video answering the question Why should I care about elder abuse? Videos may be displayed on the conference website or shared at the event itself, and submissions may come from UD undergraduate or graduate students, as well as from students at other colleges and universities. Visit the website for participation details. The conference will feature several nationally known speakers, including Elizabeth Loewy, former chief of the New York County district attorneys elder abuse unit, who successfully prosecuted the complex and highly publicized financial exploitation case involving philanthropist and socialite Brooke Astor. Also speaking will be Philip Marshall, grandson of Brooke Astor, who shares his familys story to further awareness of elder justice issues. Delaware Secretary of Health and Social Services Rita Landgraf will also present, along with many other local experts and practitioners in elder justice, health care, social services and related fields. "We are encouraging a broad range of students to participate -- from health sciences to criminal justice to business to leadership -- everyone has a role to play," said Sharon Merriman-Nai, associate scientist at the Center for Drug and Health Studies (CDHS). CDHS, affiliated with the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, is partnering with the Division of Professional and Continuing Studies to present the conference. For more information or to register, or to inquire about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, call 302-831-7600, write to continuing-ed@udel.edu or visit the Elder Abuse and Exploitation Conference website. 4:36 p.m., March 23, 2016--When the movie Spotlight hit theatres last fall, University of Delaware English professor Ben Yagoda invited Walter Robinson the real-life editor who led the team of investigative journalists portrayed in the film to speak on campus during spring semester. Robinson accepted, but I wondered if anyone would remember the film by March, he said. As it happened, he had no reason to worry. Spotlight went on to win Academy Awards for best picture and best original screenplay, and a nearly full house turned out at UDs Mitchell Hall on Tuesday evening, March 22, to hear Robinson talk and to ask him questions. He told the audience of students, faculty and community members about how the film came to be, the painstaking work the screenwriter and director put into making its details as authentic as possible for a Hollywood movie, his own career spanning more than 40 years in newsrooms and most of all his continued passion for investigative journalism. Good reporting is often the only light that illuminates lifes darkest corners, he said, adding that even in the current environment of precipitously declining revenue and readership for traditional newspapers, good journalism plays a critical role in a democratic society. There are still great opportunities to do stories that really matter. The reporting project that was dramatized in the film is an example of that, Robinson said. A five-month investigation by the designated Spotlight Team of investigative journalists at the Boston Globe exposed a pattern of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests in the Boston area and a decades-long cover-up of those crimes by church and civil authorities. The work sparked similar investigations and disclosures across the country and around the world and won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Robinson told his audience that the filmmakers did a kind of investigation of their own into the Spotlight Teams work, recording in-depth interviews and researching the same documents that the journalists had uncovered. Although the resulting movie was a dramatization, not a documentary, he said, it was highly realistic in its portrayal of the reporting process. This film is amazingly true to what happened, he said, even while the process of compressing five months of work into a two-hour movie necessarily eliminated much of the day-to-day routine and often tedious work of the investigation. Real investigative reporting is almost never exciting, Robinson said. The work you do to get the story is never as interesting as the story itself. Journalists generally like the film because of its authentic details about the characters and atmosphere of a newsroom, he said, including the clueless reporters stumbling around in the dark trying to decide what story to pursue and how to work it. He urged students in the audience to continue considering careers in journalism, especially with a focus on investigative reporting. Robinson called the Internet a double-edged sword that has caused many of the economic woes facing traditional newspapers but also offers journalists the means to gather investigative information and uncover stories much more quickly, accurately and efficiently than ever before. Using the Internet as a tool, in combination with doing face-to-face interviews, will enable reporters to continue to pursue investigative work, he said. The best stories do not come to you, he told aspiring journalists in the audience. You have to go to them. Classroom visit with journalism students Earlier in the day, Robinson met for a question-and-answer session with students in the History of American Journalism class taught by Mark Bowden, instructor in English and Distinguished Writer in Residence at UD. Walter Robinson has been a reporter at the Boston Globe for much longer than youve been alive, Bowden told the class, which has been studying the history of investigative journalism. The Spotlight story is very much in that tradition, he said. Robinson answered students questions about the film and the reporting project itself. He told them that newspapers remain important to society and democracy but acknowledged that the past decade has been difficult. Reporting staffs have shrunk significantly, and many editors are less willing to devote resources to in-depth, or even what used to be considered basic, news coverage. But, he said, during a recent seven-year stint of teaching investigative reporting at Northeastern University, his students produced 26 front-page stories for the Globe. Their enthusiasm and success show that investigative reporting can still be done in spite of the current climate in which newspapers are losing readers and advertisers to online outlets, he said. Somebody maybe somebody in this room is going to figure out how to monetize good journalism again, he told the students. Article by Ann Manser Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and Evan Krape 8:06 a.m., March 24, 2016--When thinking of Israel, the first thing that comes to mind for some may be the turmoil in the region. Others think of falafel or the Dead Sea. Fewer still, despite the large impact the small country has on it, think of technology. The Startup Nation Technology Fair visited the University of Delaware last month, hoping to introduce students to cutting-edge technology companies and innovative startups in Israel. UD is one of only 15 college campuses that the Tech Fair visited this year. The program was made possible by Israel Ideas and Hasbara Fellowships, in partnership with the University of Delaware Hillel. The event began with a panel featuring three Israeli innovators and was moderated by Dan Freeman, director of the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship at UD. Through the panel, students heard first-hand about challenges new startups face including growing a user-base and securing financing. It was an unparalleled opportunity for students interested in pursuing a career in technology, computer science and business. The panel was followed by a technology expo in which 15 Israeli start-ups and early stage companies presented themselves. It was a unique opportunity for students to meet entrepreneurs, test out their products, services and technology and learn about internship opportunities. One of the Israeli companies represented at the fair was Zeekit, a business based on a creative fashion app. The app lets users upload pictures of themselves to try on different outfits in a virtual environment that can eliminate difficult returns after they purchase something online and realize it looks awful on them. The expo not only featured lifestyle apps but also education apps like Vikki, which works with academic researchers worldwide and turns their cutting edge research into intelligent animated videos that are fun and accessible to everyone. The Tech Fair allowed students to see how new Israeli technologies are changing the face of the world. In addition to UD Hillel, Hillel International and Hinenu, the Tech Fair was supported on campus by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship, the UD Honors Program, the Jewish Studies Program, the Career Services Center, the Association for Computing Machinery at UD, the Entrepreneurship Club, Blue Hens for Israel and Israel U. Israel is ranked among the top five most innovative countries in the world and UD students had a firsthand look at the some of the countrys new technology. It was such a great experience to see how entrepreneurs use technology to their advantage, said Zachary Senzer, one of the 120 students who attended the fair. Being able to view the impact of technologies on a global market was an exciting opportunity. Photos by Evan Krape The State Border Service is beefing up the Ukrainian-Romanian section of the border because of possible heightened risks of illegal immigrants crossings. The service spokesman Oleh Slobodyan told a press conference held at Ukrinform, Ukrinform reports. "Given the active efforts to combat illegal immigration enforced by Hungary, a change of immigrants traffic is predicted on the eastern route of their movement to the EU, in particular through the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine via Romania towards Hungary and Slovakia. This is confirmed by the results of the joint risk analysis made with our Hungarian colleagues," said Slobodyan and he noted that in this connection reinforcements of the border protection agency have been deployed in the area between the Chernivtsi and Transcarpathian regions. Slobodyan reported that the State Border Service initiated a meeting with the regional and law enforcement agencies related to the specified program for cooperation and joint actions on this issue. No Ukrainian servicemen were killed but four soldiers were wounded in the ATO area in eastern Ukraine over the past day. Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the anti-terrorist operation, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at the briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "No Ukrainian servicemen were killed as a result of the armed hostilities over the past day. However, four our soldiers were wounded in fighting near Avdiyivka [18km north of Donetsk]," Motuzianyk said. ol NATO does not intend to give up a firm response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine in exchange for cooperation with Russia in combating terrorism. NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said this at the joint press conference with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite in Vilnius on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Russia raises the question that we should cooperate against terrorism and stop our actions taken in response to the aggression against Ukraine. We're not going to make any indulgences. Russia has violated the basic principles of the European security system with its aggression. Even if we better cooperate against terrorism, we are not going to give up our firm response to its aggression and the illegal annexation of Crimea in particular," the NATO Deputy Secretary General said. ol President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has visited Turboatom corporation in Kharkiv, where he met with its staff and observed production facilities. He noted that energy, economic and national security of Ukraine depends greatly on the efficiency of Turboatom performance, which is why this company is included in the list of strategic enterprises. The press service of the President reports. "Today this company is a leader in energy machine building," Poroshenko said. A total of 40 percent thermal, 65 percent nuclear, 90 percent of hydro power plants are equipped with turbines and machinery manufactured by Turboatom. He noted that the company is actively working on new orders. Moreover, last month several important contracts with companies from the United States were sealed. He stated that at present thanks to such enterprises as Turboatom the Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive new armored vehicles and tanks. "Today we have the opportunity, we have arms and know how to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine," Poroshenko said reminding about successful testing of Ukrainian missiles two days ago. The IMF will not give money to the representatives of the old regime, whose number in the Government and the Parliament is greater than that of the reformers. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said this during his visit to Slovyansk, government-controlled town in Donetsk region, News of Donbas website reports. He added that Ukraine had management problems. "The reforms are the main issue. There is a struggle between the old and the new Ukraine in this issue. The International Monetary Fund has no reasons for giving at least one dollar to the representatives of the old Ukraine. Both the President and the Prime Minister should understand this," Herbst said. The West is on the side of the "new" Ukraine, he added. ol The largest Georgian ISP company Caucasus Online, which has been providing services IPTV (Internet TV) since 2011, on March 23, 2016 included UA | TV in the list of its "basic package" of TV channels. Caucasus Online has about 60 000 subscribers in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and in the cities of Batumi, Poti, Zudidi, Kutaisi, Rustavi. Information Policy Minister Yuri Stets has commented: "It was symbolic that Georgian viewers were able to see on air of UA | TV the videoclip of action support for Nadiya Savchenko in Tbilisi, where a major participant was a group from the Sukhishvili National Ballet. UA | TV was provided with this video clip courtesy of General Director of Tabula Television (Tbilisi) Tamara Chergoleishvivli. Also, we express our gratitude for the assistance in distributing the Ukrainian foreign broadcasting TV channel in Georgia to the Embassy of Georgia in Ukraine," a statement said. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko together with Poland is ready to initiate a change in the format to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski made a statement following talks in Minsk, Belarus, with Belarusian President, PAP news agency reports. "President Lukashenko has also acknowledged the need to alter the format of talks on peace (in Ukraine - ed.), and he is ready along with Poland to initiate another peace initiative," said Waszczykowski. During the talks Lukashenko thanked Poland for its vision of Belarus as an independent and stable state. "I think that your country in the West does not need another unstable country following Ukraine crisis," Lukashenko noted. President of Belarus said he wanted to restore relations with Poland on the highest level and meet with the leadership of Poland in the near future. During Waszczykowskis travel to Belarus the sides also discussed the possibility of modernizing the border crossing checkpoints between the two countries for implementing local cross-border traffic regime, and keeping historical dialogue and solving problems of the Polish minority in Belarus. Member of the European Parliament, member of the Dutch People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, head of "Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe," Hans van Baalen has called the Dutch to support Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU by voting in the referendum on April 6 in the Netherlands. He made a statement at the debates "The EU, the Netherlands, Ukraine: prospects and benefits of cooperation" that was held in The Hague, the Ukrinforms Holland correspondent reports. "No matter what party you belong to, but this issue is about to back people who want to live in a normal country. Ukrainians want to live in such country where theres a rule of law, where there are anti-corruption activities, where you can work, where once can practice freedom of expression and free media. In other words, Ukrainians want to live in a free country and make their own decisions. And they have to receive this chance. It is a question of dignity. This agreement includes a trade section as well, but it is also about Ukraine as a democratic country. Therefore I will certainly vote "yes" without any doubts, he said. However, the politician noted that the referendum itself is not linked to Ukraine. "Unfortunately, at this referendum, like at many others, the people do not vote directly on issues which are asked of them. We had the referendum on the European Constitution. The voter turnout was 60 percent and about 60 percent of them said "no." When they began to determine what were the reasoning behind it they discovered that the government was unpopular, the people did not know anything about the agreement, there were people who opposed the EU, but it was not directly related to the agreement itself. Unfortunately, this referendum is not about Ukraine," he said. Yemeni porter Ali unloads a UNHCR aid package at a temporary warehouse set up in a school in, Taizz city, Yemen UNHCR/M.Al Hasani TAIZZ, Yemen, March 24 (UNHCR) - Porter Abduh Kaid Farhan was taking an afternoon walk through the battle-torn Yemeni city of Taizz last November when a shell struck and fatally injured him. Rushed to the hospital, he died later that day, leaving behind a grieving family, already struggling to get by in a city straddling the frontline of Yemen's now year-old conflict. "He was not just my uncle but also my dearest friend. His death has left me with such sorrow," says his nephew Ali, a porter himself, who like many Yemenis caught up in the war is facing ever-greater hardship. Since Abduh's death in November, the family of a mother, father, five sisters and two brothers has faced a deepening struggle to survive. "I very much worry about what is to come - can this end?" Ali asks, clasping the hand of his wife Um Ahmed. "Will we get our lives back, and what future can I give my children?" He and his family are far from alone. Since the escalation in the conflict in Yemen on March 26 last year, some 21.2 million people - or 82 per cent of a population of over 26 million - require some form of protection or humanitarian assistance. The inhabitants of much of Taizz, Yemen's third largest city with a population of 600,000, have been caught up in some of the most intense fighting in the ongoing conflict. Residents have been deprived of humanitarian aid for up to nine months as a result of a blockade of its main access routes. Like Ali and his family, they have had to contend with a lack of access to healthcare and clean water, as well as shortages of fuel, cooking gas and critical drugs. Meanwhile, the cost of increasingly scarce food supplies have become exorbitantly expensive as the conflict draws on. "People are dying of hunger and children are living in fear in this war, even if they still have shelter," said Ali, who finds occasional work loading and unloading trucks. "At times we have to go out desperately looking for any food available to feed the family. If we survive one day, it is hard to survive the next." In response UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on all parties to the conflict to allow humanitarian access, especially to the hardest hit areas like Taizz, where most of the internally displaced and other conflict-affected communities are located. "Yemen is facing an unprecedented and ever-deepening humanitarian crisis, and the needs of the displaced and conflict-affected communities must be addressed," stressed Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR's representative in Yemen. Despite obstacles, UNHCR managed last month to deliver blankets, mattresses, and other emergency relief aid to 1,000 war-hit families largely isolated by months of intense fighting in three locations in the embattled centre of Taizz: Al Qahirah, Salh and Al Mudhaffar districts. UNHCR has also taken advantage to new access since key roads into Taizz reopened since March 11, and has dispatched badly needed emergency relief items from Aden for 1,000 families in Mashra'a Wa Hadnan and Sabir Al Mawadim districts, immediately south of Taizz's embattled city centre. For Ali, Um Ahmed and their family, their hope is for an end to a year of bitter war that has driven 173,000 individuals to flee Yemen, and brought sorrow and hardship to millions who stayed behind. "We hope and pray for peace," he said. "That we can move around freely and without fear." Reporting by Mohammed Al Hasani in Taizz, writing by Teddy Leposky in Sana'a, Yemen Purpose. The purpose of research is studying influence of partial androgen deficiency in aging men on development of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. Methods. To describe this phenomenon a PubMed and national databases were searched for testosterone, partial androgen deficiency of aging men, 5-dihydrotestosterone, 17-oestradiol, prostate cancer, androgen blockade, benign prostatic hyperplasia, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, transforming factor of growth-, insulin-similar growth factor-1, insulin, PSA, AR, ER, Ki67, Bcl-2, p53. Results. A decrease in the levels of total and free testosterone induces an increase mitotic stimulation - an increase in the levels of 5dihydrotestosterone, 17estradiol, insulin, STG, cellular growth factors and other mitotic factors. Conclusions. Partial androgen deficiency in aging men and disorder of tissue renewal (regeneration) are main causes of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer development. Keywords: testosterone, partial androgen deficiency in aging men, 5-dihydrotestosterone, 17-oestradiol, prostate cancer, androgen blockade, benign prostatic hyperplasia, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, transforming factor of growth-, insulin-similar growth factor-1, insulin, PSA, AR, ER, Ki67, Bcl-2, p53. 1. Introduction Cells of a number of tissues, including cells of glandular epithelium of prostate gland have androgen receptors. These cells in the process of their development from low-differentiated androgen-independent transform into differentiated androgen-dependent cells [1]. Cambial cells represent specialized progenitor cells which show incipient characters of differentiation and continue division. When dividing, they produce progeny, a part of which continues to divide, and another part remains low-differentiated [2]. When cells acquire androgen receptors, their further division and differentiation become not possible without availability of sufficient amount of testosterone increted in physiological impulse regime by Leydig cells [3, 4]. After forty years of age men show a violation of updating of tissues, decrease in the number of cell-producers of testosterone (Leydig cells) and reduction of testosterone circulating in the blood. This reduction is named partial androgen deficiency of aging men (PADAM) [5]. PADAM violates division and differentiation of androgen-dependent cells. Deficiency of testosterone production results in development of atrophy of tissues consisting of them. [6, 7]. The answer to insufficient production of testosterone is formed by a complex of compensatory-adaptive reactions, affecting both autocrine, paracrine and endocrine levels [3]. Compensatory reactions are aimed at additional formation of mitogenic factors (cell growth factors, 5-dihydrotestosterone, 17-estradiol, insulin, somatotropic hormone and other factors), having a stimulating effect on proliferation of epithelium. A decrease in the level of testosterone induces an increase in mitotic activity, disruption of regulation of the cells, as well as inhibition of apoptosis [3]. The intensity of these reactions is proportional to a degree of reduction in testosterone production [3, 8]. In view of the interdependence of the neurohumoral regulatory processes [9] a reduction of the production of testosterone is reflected on endocrinal regulation as a whole [6, 8]. PADAM provokes a breach of the mechanisms of regulation in the system of the gonads-hypophysis-hypothalamus, including of an increase in the activity of the hypophysis [10]. Type of sexual constitution is determined by an individual adjustment of endocrine system and corresponding receptor expression of receptors regulated by its tissues. In case of a strong type of sexual male constitution a body uses the full potential of testosterone incretion by Leydig cells. A necessary condition for normal development of their androgen-dependent tissues is increased concentration of testosterone in blood. In absence of reserve capacities of an organism for additional formation of testosterone in men with a strong sexual constitution type, even a small reduction in testosterone formation after 40 years causes disorder of androgen-dependent cells development. Developing accompanying compensatory reactions (aimed at stimulation of mitotic activity) and atrophy of androgen-dependent tissues result in men with strong sexual constitution in significant increase in the risk of prostate cancer development and cause early baldness [3, 6, 7]. Increase in mitogenic stimulation in patients older than 40 years old, associated with a decrease in sex hormones, is complemented by an increase in mitogenic stimulation caused by violation of tissue regeneration. Reduced pool of stem cells in people after 35-40 years old, leads to disorder in their replenishment of growth zones, cells which replace dead old cells. In particular on the background of reducing in the pool of stem cells in men over 35-40 years old is a reduction in the number of Basal progenitor cells of the prostate gland, which become unable to adequately replace dead old differentiated cells (Principal cells). In response to a reduction in the pool of stem cells and subsequent reduction in growth zone cells number as a compensation by autocrine-paracrine mechanism production of cellular growth factors (insulin-like growth factor-1, epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, etc.), aimed at stimulation of growth zones for replacement of old dead cells is increased. Increased production of cell growth factors due to reduction in the pool of stem cells and depletion of growth zones does not lead to generation of an adequate amount of progenitor cells that provide a replacement of dead old cells. With age a number of cambial zones cells is gradually decreasing. Naturally with age increment mitogenic stimulation increases and becomes constantly high [7, 11, 12]. A basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factors of I and II (IGF-I, IGF-II) and also some other cellular growth factors possess the expressed mitotic activity and are pro-motor factors of carcinogenesis [13]. The constant increased levels of the cellular growth factors stimulating proliferation of cambial cells lead to a metaplasia, and in the subsequent to a malignization [7, 12]. These factors significantly increase the risk of development of prostate and other organs cancer. Stimulation of proliferation with these factors of paraurethral glands leads to development of benign prostatic hyperplasia [1, 3, 13, 14]. The probability of development of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia significantly increases after forty years of age [3, 14, 15]. At this age men show a reduction of testosterone circulating in the blood [5]. 2. Effect of Testosterone Concentration on the Intensity of 5-Dihydrotestosterone and 17-Oestradiol Formation The formation of 5-dihydrotestosterone and 17-oestradiol increase in men older than 40-50 years. A minimum accumulation of 5-dihydrotestosterone and 17-oestradiol is noted in experimental mediums with a normal physiological level of testosterone in the blood plasma of men. Any replacement of the content of the testosterone in the medium (either an increase or decrease) leads to a consistent growth in the formation of 5-dihydrotestosterone and 17-oestradiol, and, consequently, an increase in aromatase activity and 5-reductase. Therefore, when the concentration of testosterone was reduced to 3 ng/ml (10.41 nmol/l) the level of 5-dihydrotestosterone rose by 1.82 times. When the level of testosterone was reduced to 1 ng/ml (3.5 nmol/l) the level of 5-dihydrotestosterone rose by 3.3 times. Where larger concentrations of testosterone were found, growth in the content of 5-dihydrotestosterone was also noted: in a concentration of 12 ng/mL (41.6 nmol/l), a growth by 2.9 times; in a concentration of 24 ng/ml (83.3 nmol/l) by 4.9 times; and in a concentration of 600 ng/ml (2082.0 nmol/l) a growth of 10.5 times. Similar results are found in the dynamics of the accumulation of 17-oestradiol in the incubational experimental medium [16]. The increase in the activity of 5-reductase and aromatase is determined by the physiological role of testosterone, estrogens, and 5-dihydrotestosterone. Testosterone takes part in processes of division and differentiation of cells with androgen receptors. A reduction in the formation of testosterone inhibits the development of cells with androgen receptors in a whole series of tissues based on measures of ageing [3, 16]. Testosterone and 5-dihydrotestosterone connect to one and the same receptor. The ability to connect with the androgen receptor is higher for 5-dihydrotestosterone in comparison with testosterone [9]. Therefore, when the level of testosterone goes down and there is a corresponding compensatory response in the increase of the level of 5-dihydrotestosterone in men with PADAM [8]. On the contrary: a low 5-dihydrotestosterone level is a promoting factor in the progression of prostate cancer and the decreased survival in prostate cancer patients [17]. An increase in the activity of aromatase and 5-reductase is directed at compensating for the lack of mitotic activity of testosterone [3, 8]. Estrogens induce an intensive karyokinesis in tissues containing specific receptors [13]. Both 5-dihydrotestosterone and testosterone, connecting with one and the same inner-cell receptor [9], stimulate the proliferation activity of cells [18]. The estrogen receptors are located both in the cells of the stroma and in the cells of the epithelia of the prostate gland, with a primary localization in the stroma. The stimulating effect of 5-dihydrotestosterone is strongest on epithelia cells during the synergic influence of estrogens on the stroma [1]. 5-dihydrotestosterone does not serve as a complete replacement of testosterone: unlike testosterone, it is formed in tonic regime, while production of 5-dihydrotestosterone does not correspond to the impulsive formation of LH. Moreover, the greater decrease in testosterone production as men get older limits the formation of 5-dihydrotestosterone and the manifestation of the given compensatory mechanism even though there is an increase in 5-reductase activity [3, 8, 16]. Conversely, rehabilitating the level of testosterone to its physiological level by testosterone replacement therapy leads to a decrease in the production of 5-dihydrotestosterone and 17-oestradiol and leads to prevention of the benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer [3, 8, 14]. When the level of testosterone goes up, the increase in the activity of aromatase and 5-reductase, apparently, also has a compensatory character, since the main way to reduce the level of testosterone is to increase the intensity of testosterones metabolism [19]. In this case some of the interim products include 5-dihydrotestosterone and 17-oestradiol [3, 16], which become the reason for the development of cancer of the prostate in animals which got large doses of androgens in experiments [1, 20]. 3. The Influence Changes in the Testosterone Level on the Levels of Hormones and on the Cell Growth Factors in Men Decrease in a level of testosterone for rather short time interval allows to connect occurring changes only with the given factor. Accordingly, (at patients with a cancer of prostate), it is possible to consider the pathological processes accompanying orchiectomy / androgen blockade similar to what develop at decrease in formation of testosterone at men 35-40 years. After the orchiectomy an increase in the level of STH was observed [3], which depends on the stimulation of somatoliberin [9]. An increase in the secretion of somatoliberin and repression of the secretion of somatostatin is observed during reduction of the sensitivity of the hypothalamic centers to inhibition of glucose. The given changes are found after 35-40 years. Insulin resistance promotes an increase of STH. After orchiectomy the level of insulin regularly increased [3]. Formation of STH is additionally stimulated by Vitamin D [9], the level of which increased after orchiectomy [3]. The fall in the levels of testosterone and 17-estradiol was accompanied by an increase in the activity of the aromatase. This confirms the increase of the level of estrone. Just like 17-estradiol, estrone is formed under the influence of aromatase [9]. The formation of estrone from adrenal androgen androstendion allows one to evaluate the activity of aromatase even when the level of testosterone is significantly reduced after orchiectomy [3]. Seeing that when the level of testosterone is decreased the activity of aromatase as well as of 5-reductase increases [8], the increase in activity of aromatase after orchiectomy points to the growth of 5-reductase activity. Thus the reason for the decrease in production of 5-dihydrotestosterone and 17-estradiol in patients following orchiectomy is that the level of testosterone decreases significantly (from which 5-dihydrotestosterone and 17-estradiol form). Despite this, the enzymatic activity of aromatase and 5-reductase, contrarily, increases [3]. The reduction of the levels and, accordingly, of the kariokynetic activity of testosterone, 5-dihydrotestosterone (and, accordingly, of EFR [18]), and 17-estradiol after orciectomy is compensated not only by an increase in aromatase and 5-reductase activity, but also by an additional exertion of production by cells of peptide growth factors. The given changes are conditional upon the endocrinal activators of reproduction of cells [3]. In all patients after orchiectomy there ensued a reliable increase of the level of bFGF [3]. bFGF has the most pronounced stimulating influence upon the proliferation of the epithelia. By its kariokynetic activity bFGF surpasses several other growth factors [1]. After orchiectomy an increase in the formation of IGF-1 was observed [3]. This was promoted by the increase in the secretion of STH. STH and IGF-1 manifest pronounced karyokinesis [9]. The receptor of IGF-1 is similar to the receptor of insulin, and therefore IGF-1 can connect with the receptors of insulin and activate them [9]. The increase in the levels of IGF-1 and insulin in patients after orchiectomy is a compensatory answer to the development of insulin-resistance. Insulin, along with IGF-1, raises the kariokynetic activity of the cells. From these positions its possible to examine insulin-resistance as an instrument for the increase of the level of insulin, STH, IGF-1 and, accordingly, theyre kariokynetic activity [3]. The increase in the levels of the given indicators is characteristic of the stage of the promotion of tumor growth [13]. The increase in aromatase activity and the levels of the majority of growth factors after orchiectomy indicates that compensatory-adaptation reactions which develop when the level of testosterone goes down are directed towards an increase in the mitotic activity of the cells. Their expression is proportional to the degree of reduction of the testosterone level [3]. The given changes combine with the oppression of the formation of TGF [3] - a factor responsible for the consequential passage by the cell stages of the stages of differentiation and the start of apoptosis [13]. Thus the reduction of the level of testosterone causes an increase in kariokynetic activity, the breach of the regulation of the cell-differentiation and the start of apoptosis. The given changes create the conditions for the development of a new tumor from low-differentiated androgen-independent epithelial cells, despite the dystrophic changes happening in the androgen-dependent cancer cells of the primary tumor [3]. For this reason antiandrogen therapy in addition to atrophy of tumor tissue leads to increase in Gleason grading of remaining tumor cells. Long-term antiandrogen therapy reduces the size of nuclei, and polymorphism of androgen-dependent cells nuclei decreases. The use of inhibitors of 5-reductase has a similar, but less pronounced effect [21]. Morphological findings are supported by clinical data. Use of finasteride increases the risk of prostate cancer development with high grade of Gleason score [22]. Low level of 5-dihydrotestosterone is associated with prostate cancer progression and decrease in survival in active observation of patients with prostate cancer [17]. 4. The Role of Testosterone in Regulation of the Expression of Genes of Several Proliferation Factors Due to the inter-dependence of neurohumoral regulatory processes [9], inadequate testosterone production as a result of a reduction in the number of cell-producers of testosterone (Leydig cells) has an influence on the entire endocrinal regulation system as well. An entire series of genetically determined compensatory-adaptive reactions takes place. These changes are combined with an increase or a decrease in the expression of the according genes. In addition to regulation of physiological processes in genome as in evolutional generated biological program, are fixed compensatory responses to various pathological conditions. The male organism has formed standard genetically-determined variants of functioning of the endocrinal and paracrinal-autocrinal regulation systems over the course. These variations match both normal conditions and the majority of pathological states a man can have, one of which is a reduction in the production of testosterone. The changes represent a series of compensatory-adaptive reactions which develop among men with PADAM, and have a systematic character [23]. At decrease in formation the testosterone with the age and occurrence of infringement of division of androgen-dependent cells of many tissues of an organism the superfluous formation on endocrinal, paracrinal, and autocrinal levels of all possible factors which can be involved for stimulation of cell division is genetically determined [23]. The absence of an adequate incretion of testosterone by Leydig cells in response to LH activity is accompanied by an expression in bFGF, EGF, and bcl-2 genes, as well as by a decrease in expression of the insulin receptors gene. When partial age-related androgen deficiency is corrected however, the expression of these genes is reversed. This suggests that the changes in gene expression which take place due to PADAM are not permanent [23]. The change in the pattern of gene expression which takes place during the process of phylogenesis depends on the level to which testosterone production has deviated from physiological norms. The new variations of the functioning of the endocrinal and paracrinal-autocrinal regulation systems when testosterone production are made through a mechanism of negative feedback [23]. The series of compensatory reactions which forms is aimed at making up for the inadequacy of the mytogenic action of testosterone through the means of an increase in aromatase and 5-reductase activity, and increased synthesis of a series of cell growth factors, as well as higher levels of endocrinal activators of mitosis (somatrope hormone, insulin) and vitamin D [3]. The expression of AR and ER is added to by increased 5-reductase and aromatase activity [16]. An increase in the level of mitotic factors in the blood plasma puts both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent cells of the organism under equal conditions. The result of PADAM is increased expression of genes of several cell proliferation factors and a decrease in the expression of the gene of insulin receptors in older-aged men. An increase in proliferative activity together with insulin resistance is a partial result of the expression of metabolic syndrome [3, 23]. A decrease in the quantity of insulin receptors (insulin resistance) leads to a reactionary increase in the level of insulin. At this point insulin-independent sugar diabetes (type 2 diabetes) starts to develop. Insulin increases mitotic activity [9]. From this point of view insulin resistance can be seen as a mechanism for increasing the level of insulin, and correspondingly, for increasing its mytogenic activity [23]. An increased level of insulin is characteristic of the stage of tumorous growth promotion [13]. The inverse development given pathological processes can be received through androgen replacement therapy. The necessary level of testosterone is formed in the body as a response to LH incretion when androgen-replacement therapy in patients with PADAM is made properly. Autocrine-paracrine interaction is also normalized thanks to the obstruction-free passage of androgen-dependent cells through the testosterone-dependent cell development stage. When testosterone regulation is rehabilitated in there is no longer any need for compensatory-adaptive reactions to take place in the body, as happens in men with PADAM. One can observe a decrease in the expression of the ER, bFGF, EGF, and bcl-2 genes, and an increase in the expression of the IR gene [23]. The given changes in the level of expression of these genes is accompanied by an decrease in the levels of estrogen, bFGF and insulin in the blood plasma in men with PADAM who were given androgen-replacement therapy [14, 23]. 5. Extragonadal Production of Testosterone and Changes in the Expression of Receptors of Steroid Hormones in the Development of Partial Androgen Deficiency in Aging Men (PADAM) Violation in development of cells at testosterone-dependent stage of differentiation in the presence of PADAM precedes to a malignant growth. Background alterations of malignant tumor development can be observed in tissues surrounding a tumor (tissues of a peritumorous zone) [6]. In order for replacement of the shortage of mitotic activity of testosterone, a whole complex of compensatory-adaptational reactions forms [3]. The given compensatory changes are expressed as by intensification in production of factors increases cells division as well as by increase of stimulation of formation of the testosterone [3, 6]. Each of the eukaryotic cells (with minor exceptions) is a carrier of the individuals entire genetic information. While the genome is almost identical for all cells in the organism, their proteom and metabolom are determined by inner and outer physiological factors. The fact that cells are included in compensatory reactions means that this process is capable of modulating their metabolom, which is proven by the hormonal activity of a significant number of non-endocrinic cells in the organism. For example, firstly extra-gonadal testosterone production is developed among patients with PADAM [6], secondly cancerous cells of the prostate gland synthesize analogues of hypophysial hormones [24], thirdly there us extra-gonadal production of estrogens by fatty and several other types of tissues takes place among women [25] in the menopause period, and lastly myocytes of the wall that brings arterioles (which are transformed into epithelioid cells), and mesangyocytes of the kidneys over a long period of ischemia begin to produce renin [26]. Apparently the situational manifestation of compensatory hormonal activity by the majority of cells and tissues (including tumorous cells) forms a diffusive endocrinal system (APUD-system) [6]. The strongest expression of extra-gonadal testosterone production among men with andropause is observed when there is a significant increase in mytotic activity of cells when they go through malignant transformation. The malignant transformation of cells is the most strongly expressed form of the manifestation of compensatory changes as PADAM develops [6], which determines its physiological role. Insulin, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulate extra-gonadal production of testosterone by other tissues, for which such a function isnt common under normal conditions. Thus, among the majority of patients studied, even despite the fact that these patients belonged to older age groups, when making a primary analysis normal levels of common testosterone were found [6]. The malignant transformation of a whole set of tissues is accompanied by the manifestation of hormonal activity in these tissues [9]. An increase in the level of testosterone is achieved not only by hypophysial stimulation of Leydig cells, but by the use of synthesis of testosterone by other tissues as well, for which, in normal conditions, such a function is not typical. The given conclusion is confirmed by the significant prevalence of the amount of testosterone in the peritumorous tissues of the prostate or in the tumorous tissue among patients with cancer of the prostate, bladder, or rectum as compared to the level of testosterone in the blood serum of these patients. Among patients with cancer of the prostate, the levels of testosterone in the malignant tissue were routinely higher than the analogous indices in the tissues of the peritumorous zone [6]. This shows that partial androgen deficiency of aging men is compensated for by production of testosterone outside the gonads. The predominance of the level of testosterone in the tumorous tissue as compared to the peritumorous zone attests to the intensification of testosterone production outside the gonads together with a malignant transformation of cells producing testosterone. The largest expression of the given compensatory-adaptational reaction occurs when the level of mitotic activity of the cells is significantly increased during their malignant transformation. Extra-gonadal testosterone production is directed at compensation of partial age-related androgen deficiency. However, the compensatory incretion of hormones by cells and tissues for which endocrinal functions are not typical is not regulated [9, 26, 27], and is inadequate. This is proven by the signs of inadequate testosterone regulation observed among patients with PADAM of the peritumorous zone among patients with prostate cancer in the form of atrophy of androgen-dependent prostate tissues and the increase expression of AR in these tissues as compared to the analogous index in the prostate of young men. Thus despite additional extra-gonadal testosterone production, there is no inverse development of compensatory reactions, as conditioned by PADAM, including an increase in proliferate activity [6]. The developing compensatory-adaptative reactions during a decrease in the level of testosterone are most of all directed towards an increase in the mytotic activity of the cells. Their expression is proportional to the level of the decrease in the level of testosterone. In particular, an increase of 5-reductase and aromatase activity, which synthesizes 5-dihydrotestosterone and estrogen, is observed in patients whose testosterone levels decrease [3, 8]. The receptor apparatus which accepts the signal, together with cells, tissues and organs that make secretions form a unified interdependent system [9]. Activation of receptors on the cell membrane increases the effect of the according regulating factor [27]. The expression of AR and ER is added to by increased 5-reductase and aromatase activity. This increase is observed when the testosterone level goes down. The expression of AR and ER in the tissues of the peritumorous zone of the prostate and the expression of ER in the tissues of the peritumorous zone of the rectum, supplement of the increase in the activity of aromatase and 5-reductase, which are observed when the level of testosterone drops [6]. The intensification of steroidogenesis in the tumorous tissue can be caused by the presence in this tissue of lymphocyte-macrophage infiltrate. Lymphocytes and macrophages are capable of synthesizing testosterone. Lymphocytes and macrophages also have aromatase activity, transforming androgens into estrogens [25]. Lymphocyte and macrophage infiltrate of tumors of the prostate gland, bladder, and rectum, as well as in the peritumorous zone of the given organs, locally supplement the overall compensatory reaction directed towards raising mitotic activity. The presence of lymphocytes and macrophages in the process of steroidogenesis affirms the conception of immunal and neuroendocrinal unity [6]. Disruptions in the process of differentiation of androgen-dependent cells, caused by PADAM, are morphologically created by atrophy of the tissues consist of this cells. In particular, atrophy of the epithelium of acenuses of the prostate is observed. The given changes took place in the tissues of the peritumorous zone of the prostate. Atrophy of the epithelium in the glands of the peritumorous zone among patients with prostate cancer, and the absence of atrophy in the prostate glands of the control group of young men, together point to the inadequacy of the compensatory mechanism created by extragonadal synthesis of testosterone during PADAM [6]. Extragonadal synthesis of steroidal hormones is stimulated by hormonal and autocrino-paracrinal factors. Prolactin, insulin, vitamin D, insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) have a strong influence on this process [13, 25]. The increase in the level of the given factors is characteristic for development of metabolic syndrome (X-syndrome) and is seen when the level of testosterone decreases [3, 14]. A rise in the levels of STH, insulin, estradiol, 5-dihydrotestosterone, vitamin D, bFGF, IGF-1 and EGF among men with PADAM [3, 8] stimulate cell proliferation (increase expression of Ki67) and inhibition of apoptosis (increase expression expression of bcl-2), found in the peritumorous zone among observed patients to a considerable extent. In this way, atrophical changes in androgen-dependent cells, stipulated by PADAM, are accompanied by an increase in the risk of blastomatous transformation [6]. An increase in the given factors in the blood plasma involves androgen-independent tissues in the formation of compensatory reactions as a response to the development of PADAM. Thus, among the patients observed extragonadal production of testosterone by tumorous tissue of the rectum and bladder was revealed. Immunohistochemical study of the tissues of these organs among the control group, as well as in the peritumorous zone among patients with bladder or rectal cancer did not reveal the presence of AR. In the peritumorous zone of the given patients Ki67 and bcl-2 were expressed regularly [6]. Extragonadal production of testosterone in the patients observed in this study, as well as the results of other studies (synthesis of the analogues of hypophysic hormones by cells of the cancerous tumor of the prostate gland [24], extragonadal production of estrogens by fatty tissue and several other types of tissue among women [25] in the menopausal period, and synthesis of renin by myocytes of the wall of the afferent arteriole, transformed into epitheliod cells, and by mesangiocytes of the kidney during expressed, long-term ischemia of kidney tissues [26] and other examples), show that potentially any cell of the organism is able to produce hormones. Hormonal activity of tissues (which arent endocrinal or neuroendocrinal by nature) is conditional upon either insufficiency of the corresponding endocrinal factor (for example, extragonadal production of androgens among men with PADAM and of estrogens during the menopausal period) or upon the assistance of the developing hormone in the chain of the compensatory-adaptational reactions [6] (for example synthesis of prolactin by the tissue of cancerous tumors of the prostate gland [24], which leads to an increase in aromatase activity [13]). Apparently, such cells, which manifest hormonal activity under certain conditions, form the so-called diffuse endrocinal system (APUD-system) [6]. Among the majority of patients belonging to older age groups the indices of the level of testosterone were within the normal referential interval, which can be explained by the extragonadal production of testosterone. The compensatory secretion of hormones by nonendocrinal tissues and cells (including tissues of the tumors) becomes unregulated [26, 27] and inadequate. Atrophy of androgen-dependent tissues of the peritumorous zone and the increase expression of AR in these tissues (changes which attest to the insufficiency of testosterone regulation) among patients with prostate cancer affirm the inadequacy of the given compensatory mechanism [6]. The increase expression of p53 (which determines normalization of cell growth and stops proliferation of tumurous cells), which was shown in the peritunorous zone in patients with cancer of the prostate, bladder, or rectum, helps to control the increased proliferative activity, which develops as an answer to the inadequacy of the mytotic action of testosterone during PADAM [3, 6]. The increase expression of p53 adds to the increase during PADAM of the levels of transforming factor of growth- (TGF) and cytotoxic factors of anti-cancerous cell immunity [3]. During a long and significant increase mitotic stimulation, their effectiveness becomes inadequate, which was seen when tumorous tissue developed among the patients observed in this study [6]. Extragonadal production of testosterone by a whole series of tumors and tissues of the peritumorous zone, accompanied by an increase in proliferative activity, is predetermined to a significant extent by partial androgen deficiency of aging men (PADAM). The given changes are directed at compensation of testicular deficiency (in particular at overcoming the androgen-dependent stage of the development of androgen-sensitive cells), and are the partial manifestation of metabolic syndrome (X-syndrome). The atypical cells, which unavoidably develop under metabolic syndrome, are dealt with by means of the immune process, the capabilities of which become less and less adequate in the given circumstances [6]. The pathological processes described in this study concern all organs and tissues of the organism, including both androgen-dependent, and androgen-independent tissues, thereby raising the risk of their tumorous transformation [6]. 6. Reaction Immune System on the Incise Mitotic Activity The dependency of cell immunity on PADAM is affirmed by the expressions of AR, ER, PR, bcl-2 and p53 of lymphocytes and macrophages of infiltrate of the tumor and peritumorous tissues among the patients studied [6]. Action of cell immunity is carried out through formation of cytotoxic factors (TNF and others), secreted by activated macrophages, monocytes by the cells [28, 29]. Cytolysis of the cells-targets of the malignant tumor leads to its incomplete necrosis [28]. The given process has an autoimmune nature. The cytolitic action of the T-cells on the freshly-formed tumorous cells is shielded by receptors which are limited by killing (KIR) [28], and therefore necrosis develops in the most early-formed divisions of the tumor. Acid phosphatase, which posseses cytolitic activity, is held in macrophages, in primary (auzorophile) granules of neutrophiles and in several other cells of the immune system [28, 29]. Alkaline phosphatase also posseses cytolitic activity. It is held in secondary (specific) granules of neutrophiles and, equally to other highly-active substances and enzymes, is capable of causing death in tumorous cells [28]. PSA is a serine proteinase an enzyme, relating to the class of hydrolases. 1-antichemotripsine and 2-macroglobulin connect with PSA, converting it into an inactive form [13]. Besides the epithelia of the prostate gland the serine proteinases are formed by a whole set of cells. After orchiectomy a reliable decrease of the initially-increased level of TNF was determined. The given changes were accompanied by a set of cytotoxic factors of cell immunity [3]. Granules of macrophages, neutrophiles, cytotoxic - cells also contain serine proteinases and esterases of the chemotripsin type. The regulation of the activity of the proteinases is done by their inhibitors, secreted by the macrophages: by -antichemotripsin and 2-macroglubin. Besides the manifestation of cytotoxicity serine proteinases can cause in the cells-targetsfragmentation of DNA and the start of the program of apoptosis, acting on the path of inner-cell signalization. Serine proteinases participate in the antibody-independent alternative path of activation of the compliment [28, 29]. Thus the increase of PSA, determined before orchiectomy in patients with prostate cancer, is not only the consequence of a secretion of the malignant cells of the epithelia of acinuses germinating the surrounding tissues entering into the bloodstream, but also the expression of an overall compensatory activation of the system of the complement and of cell immunity [3]. The increased values of acid phosphotase, alkaline phosphotase, PSA, TNF determined before orchiectomy after orchiectomy testifies to the development of a compensatory reaction of anti-tumor cell immunity in response to the increase of proliferate activity among patients with PADAM. The given reaction is directed at the utilisation of the formation of atypical cells and the regulation of apoptosis. The reduction of regulatory as well as of the majority of cytotoxic factors of cell immunity, testifies to the decompensation of mechanisms of anti-tumor immunity in patients after orchiectomy [3]. The androgen dependency of the reaction of cell immunity is confirmed by the presence of AR in lymphocytes and macrophages [6]. The significant reduction of the level of testosterone (after orchiectomy) causes the decomposition of antitumor immunity [3]. 7. Influence PADAM on Increase Tone of the Smooth Muscle and Development the LUTS Changes in hormonal regulation are reflected on the path of the transmission of the signal. cAMP is an intracellular mediator. Initiation of the cAMP-path of signal transmission develops after binding together of the receptor of the cell surface with the according ligand [2]. A number of peptide hormones (luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, parathyroid hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and several others) can serve as a ligand [9]. Thus, an increase in the production of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, parathyroid hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone and several other peptide hormones, under partial age-related androgen deficiency [8, 14], leading to activation of cAMP-paths of signal transmission, besides other effects, influence the regulation of the tone of smooth muscle fiber [30]. In order to understand pathogenetic mechanisms for increasing tone of smooth muscle fiber together with cAMP - and cGMP-paths of signal transmission, its necessary to keep in mind a third path as well: the inositol phospholipid path (Ca-messenger system) from surface cell receptors. The mitotic effect of the majority of cell growth factors takes place through the inositol phospholipid path of signal transmission [2], as well as through catalytic receptors with tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. Apparently, interaction between all three paths of signal transmission is significant. The effect of a series of cell growth factors (when involving the Ca-messenger system) is mediated by the formation of diacilglicerol. Diacilglicerol activates protein kinase C, which is accompanied by stimulation of proliferation of cells. Liberation of Ca++ from cell repositories promotes the given process, leading to increased tone of smooth muscle cells. Diacilglicerol then breaks down to arachidonic acid, which is necessary for synthesis of prostaglandin. Initiation of the synthesis of prostaglandin leads to an additional clonus of smooth muscle cells [2]. These mechanisms, apparently, not only promotes a violation of microcirculation, but also development of LUTS (as a result of the increase in tone of smooth muscles of the urinary bladder and the prostate gland) and other pathological states among aging men as a result of increased smooth muscle tone [30]. Affecting the path of signal transmission shouldn't be viewed as the only way to solving the problem of increased tone of smooth musculature among people of older age groups. The studied mechanisms of signal transmission are universal: they are used in all cells of animals and man. Therefore, pharmacological medications which have an influence on the signal transmission path dont have a selective medical effect. The use of such medications (especially over a long period of time) is limited by a series of side effects [30]. The effectiveness of androgen-replacement therapy for reducing LUTS among patients of older age groups with malignant prostate hyperplasia is proven by clinical studies [8]. A decrease in LUTS when conducting androgen-replacement therapy is also caused by recovery of the structure of atrophic androgen-dependent tissues of the prostate and the neck of the urinary bladder. An age-related decrease in production of sex hormones, leading to atrophy of tissues that depend on them, apparently leads to a decrease in the threshold of affectability of the receptors located within them (in particular -adrenoreceptors). The latter aggravate the manifestation of LUTS [30]. Normalization of the tone of smooth muscle fibers can help to rehabilitate hormonal regulation of androgen-dependent tissues (by providing adequate androgen-replacement therapy), and also, in the future, by restoring the pool of pluripotent stem cells which replenish the number of cells-predecessors of cambial zones [7]. 8. Perspective Methods of Prevention and Treatment of Tumors of Prostate The androgen blockade method has been widely used during treatment of prostate cancer for more than 60 years [31]. As a rule, establishment of the diagnosis of prostate cancer constitutes an androgen-dependent process and as a result of the androgen blockade tumor regression is observed among 70-80% patients. The significant reduction in the level of testosterone has a strong influence on the reduction of cancer of the prostate. Therefore, it is considered that the main task of conservative therapy of prostate cancer lies in restricting the influence of androgens on the prostate gland. This is achieved with the help of preparations that block the stimulation of the formation of testosterone by the testicles on the level of the hypothalamic-hypophysis, with the help of anti-androgens, orchiectomy, or various combinations of these methods [32]. However, a few years after the start of hormonal therapy the majority of patients show the development of low-differentiated androgen-resistant prostate cancer [33]. The contradiction which arises when applying an androgen blockade is in the fact that men with prostate cancer are prescribed therapy which, in addition to the breach of production of testosterone due to age, reduces the action of androgens on the prostate tissues. Thus the prescription of antiandrogens only intensifies the consequences of the age-related decrease of testosterone, and doesnt eliminate ethiological and all pathogenetic factors of the development of prostate cancer. The androgen-dependent cells of prostate requires the presence of a physiologically necessary level of testosterone for further development. A decrease in the testosterone level is compensated both by an increase in mitotic stimulation [3]. Natural immunity reactions are initiated by a series of chemical structures (glycoproteins, containing mannose, and others), that appear among old, proliferate and malignant cells [28]. Highly-active forms of oxygen and nitrogen, as well as other factors determine the cytolytic (including antineoplastic) action of monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and cytotoxic T-cells to a significant degree [28, 29]. The use of antioxidants consistently decreases the effectiveness of the immune system response under an increase in mitotic activity of cells. Therefore the antiproliferative effect of a series of phytopreparations, described by many authors, is apparently caused not by their antioxidant activity, but rather by different reasons. When using a series of phytopreparations (Gentos), one can observe a decrease in the levels of luteinizing hormone, 5a-dihydrotestosterone and estradiol, the increase of which is observed during a decrease in testosterone production [34]. From this position, the use of a series of phytopreparations among patients with PADAM can be viewed as an analogue to androgenreplacement therapy, and several of the components can be viewed as phytoandrogens (having a similar effect) [34]. At the same time, phytopreparations cant replace the missing testosterone completely. When there is an obvious need to conduct androgen-replacement therapy, the dose of the preparation shouldnt exceed the quantity of the hormone that decreases with age. The danger of prescribing surplus doses of testosterone preparations was shown in research done in the last century on mechanisms of development of prostate cancer in experiment. One can suppose that prescribing small doses of testosterone (suiting the age-related decrease in hormone production [35]) between courses of conducting an androgen blockade will help improve the results of treatment of patients with prostate cancer. The androgen-replacement therapy will be effective for active surveillance of the abovementioned patients and for prophylactic at men 40 years are more senior of the prostate cancer and the benign prostatic hyperplasia especially at men with the strong sexual constitution [3, 36]. Taking into account the many-staged oncogenesis [13] and the good, quick effect for atrophy of tumor tissues, its possible to expect the androgen blockade to be very promising under the condition that it will be done in relatively short cycles (no more than 6 months). Between cycles of androgen blockade and after them the recovery of division and differentiation of normal cells prostate by means of androgen-replacement therapy is necessary. Its not possible to restore the hormonal balance without the production of testosterone by the patients own Leydig cells. For this reason only a pharmacological androgen blockade can be considered effective (in view of its reversibility) [3, 8, 36]. The daily dose of testosterone which enters the blood plasma when conducting androgen-replacement therapy among patients with PADAM should not exceed the loss of testosterone production that comes with age. Prescribing a large dose of the preparation leads to suppression of the bodys own testosterone production while losing the circadian rhythm of incretion. When calculating the daily dose of estosterone, one should take into account the average daily production of testosterone in men [35]: 7 mg/day [37]. One should also take the age-related decrease in testosterone production of 1% per year on average after 35 40 years of age for common testosterone into account. Androgen replacement therapy should be conducted continually [7, 35]. The perspective method for decrease excess stimulation of mitotic activity and restoration of own production testosterone at people 40 years are more senior is the restoration of number of a pool of pluripotent stem cells by transfusion of mononuclear fraction of the peripheral blood from young donors of 18-23 years of one with the recipient blood types and a sex [11, 12]. 9. Conclusion When the production of testosterone is decreased in the male body, androgen-dependent cells turn out to be in the worst situation: an increase in the level of promoter factors of carcinogenesis in the blood plasma is accompanied by a breakdown in the development of cells during the androgen-dependent stage [6]. Likewise, cases of prostate cancer make up a significant part of all the oncological diseases among older-aged men. For this same reason, among men with prostate cancer primary analysis usually reveals androgen-dependent tumors [15] which are formed from cells whose tumorous transformation began at the androgen-dependent stage. An increase in proliferate activity, together with insulin resistance, is a partial manifestation of metabolic syndrome, (X-syndrome), the development of which among men is due, to a significant extent, to an decrease in the production of testosterone and violation of updating of tissues [3, 7, 12]. The recovery of testosterone production and regeneration helps make a decrease in proliferative activity and the rehabilitation of regulation of the androgen-dependence cells of the prostate and other tissues and organs, as well as to reduce insulin resistance among older men. These changes suggest that metabolic syndrome is possibly reversed (X-syndrome), which represents to a significant degree a phylogenetically-formed response to a decrease in testosterone production [11, 12, 14]. Conflict of Interests There are no competing financial interests in relation to the work. Written by: Alexander Victorovich Pechersky Department of Urology, North-Western State Medical University Read the Abstract References [1] N.A. Lopatkin, Guide to Urology, vol. 3, pp. 374, 377380, 385, 394395, 504, Medicine, Moscow, 1998. [2] B. Alberts, D. Bray, J. Lewis, M. Raff, K. Roberts, J.D. Watson, Molecular biology of the cell, vol. 2, pp. 176529, vol. 3, pp. 7381, Mir Moscow, 2-nd edition, 1994. [3] A.V. Pechersky, V.F. Semiglazov, O.B. Loran, V.I. Mazurov, A.I. Karpischenko, A.M. Nikiforov, N.M. Kalinina, L.B. Drygina, N.I. Davydova, M.G. 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Severin, Molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis of the Prostate, Herald of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, vol. 5, pp. 2935, 1998. [19] M. J. Tsai, J. Clark, W.. Schrader, B.W. O'Malley, Mechanisms of action of hormones that act as transcription-regulatory factors, in Williams text-book of endocrinology, J. D. Wilson, Ed., pp. 55-87, W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1998. [20] R.T. Prehn, On the prevention of prostate cancer by androgen Administration, Cancer Res., vol. 59, no. 17, pp. 41614164, 1999. [21] U.U. Andreeva, V.V. Danilova, L.V. Moskvina, L.E. Zavalishina, T.V. Kekeeva, P.G. Malkov, G.A. Frank, Tumors of an urinary system and male genitals. Morphological diagnostics and genetics, pp. 118123, Practicheskaya medicina, Moscow, 2012. [22] I.M. Thompson, P.J. Goodman, C.M. Tangen, M. Scott Lucia, G.J. Miller, L.G. Ford, M.M. Lieber, R.D. Cespedes, J.N. Atkins, S.M. Lippman, S.M. Carlin, A. Ryan, C.M. Szczepanek, J.J. Crowley, C.A. 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Pechersky, Y.A. Dombrovskaya, O.V. Pecherskaya, B.T. Moroz, The role of sex hormones in regulating the expression of insulin receptors and microcirculation, Herald of StPetersburg Medical Academy of Postgraduate Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 2833, 2010. [31] D.P. Petrylak, Chemoterapy for the Treatment of Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer, European Urology Supplements 2, pp. 1523, 2002. [32] V.N. Stepanov, N.L. Shimanovskii, Androcure-preparation of the first line inpalliative treatment of inoperable prostate cancer, Moscow medical journal, no. 8, pp. 2631, 2000. [33] K. Pummer, The role of urologist in the management of hormone-refractory prostate cancer, European Urology Supplements 2, pp. 2428, 2002. [34] A.V. Pechersky, V.P. Alexandrov, V.N. Mazurov, I.V. Knyazkin, P.N. Zezyulin, E.V. Nikolayeva, Treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia using Gentos, Urology (RU), no. 5, pp. 1617, 2000. [35] A. Pechersky, Features of diagnostics and treatment of partial androgen deficiency of aging men, Central European Journal of Urology, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 397404. [36] A.V. Pechersky, About mechanisms of development of a prostate cancer and a substantiation of perspective methods of treatment of the given disease, The VII international scientifically-practical conference: Advanced achievements of the European science 2011 Byl. GRAD-BG, vol. 31, pp. 5052, 2011. [37] A. Morales, C. Schulman, J. Tostain, F. Wu, Selecting the correct terminology for testosterone deficiency, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., no. 50, pp. 407409, 2006. All the latest Uttoxeter news Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. U.S. shale gas has expanded its market into Europe. Earlier this month Ineos Intrepid, the world-largest LNG carrier has bound for Norway with 27,500 m3 of liquified ethane gas. This marked the first shipment of U.S. shale gas to Europe. Ineos is the private petrochemical company based in Rolle, Switzerland with office in Lyndhurst, United Kingdom. Jim Ratcliffe founded the company in 1998 in Hampshire, England. In 2010, Ineos was moved its headquarter from Hampshire to Rolle, Switzerland. The company is also operating its own tanker, including the one that carrying ethane from U.S., Ineos Intrepid, which is also the largest LNG carrier in the world. Ineos Intrepid left the Marcus Hook terminal near Philadelphia on March 9. Seeking Alpha reported the shipment is another sign of how the North American shale boom has transformed the global energy map. In the company's official press release, Ineos founder and chairman Jim Ratcliffe said, "This is an important day for Ineos and Europe. We know that shale gas economics revitalised US manufacturing and for the first time Europe can access this important energy and raw material source too" Ethane is an important component for chemical industry, as a byproduct of natural gas production. Ineos Intrepid carried ethane from Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania, where Range Resources and Consol Energy are the two companies that drilled in the area. Both companies have a 15-year contract with Ineos to ship ethane, as the companies have been struggling to deal with the low oil price. Unlike crude oil and gas, ethane is not restricted for export from US, but pipeline, transportation and storage limitation have hindered the shipment. Therefore, Ineos has built two largest gas storage tanks in its facility at Rafnes in Norway and Grangemouth in Scotland to receive the gas. "We are nearing the end of a hugely ambitious project that has taken us five years. I am proud of everyone involved in it and I believe that Ineos is one of very few companies in the world who could have successfully pulled this off. I can't wait for the Ineos Intrepid to finally get to Norway and complete the job," said Ratcliffe. Ineos expected to ship the ethane to Grangemouth later this year. Similar to shale oil, shale gas is also extracted from unyielding shale rocks and it has given America a leading edge in oil and gas production, thus creating the balance of power in energy. Shale oil has revitalized US industry. LNG Industry reported that Ineos expected the same technology will also do the same to European industry. Ineos Intrepid has started its way to Norway carrying 27,500 m3 of liquified ethane gas. This also marked how U.S. shale revolution has changed the global energy map. Iron ore price continued to rally as demand from China's property market is increasing. The improve in property market and plan from policy makers' to loosen margin-lending controls in equity trading also helped improving the sentiment. On Monday iron ore extended a gain toward $60 a metric tonne as China's property market showed further sign of recovery. Metal Bulletin Ltd reported iron ore with 62% content in Qingdao climb for a fourth day adding another 2.3% upsurge to a $58.82 a dry ton. Amidst the lingering oversupply, iron ore still managed to rally 19% in February, which also supported by weak dollar. According to Metal Bulletin as quoted by Business Insider, "Ferrous futures in China surged in morning trading after the Tangshan Iron & Steel Association published detailed plans late last Friday for production cuts in Tangshan ahead of the International Horticultural Expo that begins in end April." The surge in iron ore also corresponded with the raise in China's steel futures. Reuters reported that steel price jumped more than 3% to their highest since June in Shanghai futures. China is the biggest consumer and producer of steel in the world. An increase of steel demand in domestic market indicated a raise in construction activity, which showed a further recovery in China's property market. Analyst at Macquarie Group in its latest result on China steel survey said the increase of steel price has also advanced profitability in China's steel mills. That will push them to produce more steel amid a relatively low inventory, indicating the current pace of demand may be outstripping that of production. With the increase demand from China, iron ore has rebounded from consecutive losses in three-year and surprising analysts who forecast further decline. The policy from China's government to support the growth has also helped the price. Government has planned to loosen the margin-lending controls in equity trading to help brokerage in their margin-trading business. Senior commodity strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Sydney Daniel Hynes told Bloomberg, "Positive sentiment in the Chinese steel market is resonating from the plans to loosen margin lending in the stock market. Further gains in house prices is also supporting steel and iron ore." China's National Bureau of Statistics reported house prices in China increased in 47 cities since last month. Investment in real estate development has recovered from a two-year downward streak in January to February. While sales also increased to 3% in the first two month of 2016, compared to a 1% rise for the entire 2015. Price of iron ore continued to rally as China's property market showed further sign of recovery. It also corresponded with the raise of steel future as demand for iron ore from China's steel mills is increasing. Talbot Underwriting Ltd is expanding its financial lines business in Australia. For this, it has strengthened financial team with induction of finance professionals. The new underwriters at its financial lines team will drive business growth in Australia. Talbot Underwriting, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Validus Holdings Ltd, has appointed David McKenzie and David Jones as class underwriters at its financial lines team. News Channel 10 reports that Talbot is attracting new talent that supports it expansion plan in Australia. Talbot is offering different underwriting services to Australia's financial sector. New recruits are expected to contribute to the success of Talbot in addition to expanding its footprint in Australia. Adam Matteson, Managing Director at Talbot Australia, said: "We are thrilled to welcome David McKenzie and David Jones to the Talbot team here in Australia. Having worked in Brisbane, Sydney and London, Talbot's new recruits have a proven track record of developing unique solutions for the Australian financial institutions market. I look forward to the opportunities they will bring to our organization." Business Wire further adds that Talbot Underwriting operates within Lloyd's insurance market through Syndicate 1183. Talbot is engaged in underwriting through Syndicate 1183 in marine, aviation, transport, energy, terrorism, political risk, accident and health, construction, contingency, financial institutions and property segments. James Skinner, an Active Underwriter at Talbot, said: "As Talbot expands its platform in Australia, it is imperative that we bring in talented individuals with deep expertise in Australia's financial institutions sector. I am confident that their experience and knowledge of the market will be invaluable as we continue to support our clients and grow our footprint in the region." David McKenzie has over 25 years of experience in insurance, alternative insurance products and financial markets. He served as State Manager at Axis Specialty Australia in Queensland. David had also served at Aon and Willis. He was founding manager of a proprietary trading firm that invested in varied financial products. Syndicate 1183 has capacity of 600 million for 2016 underwriting year of account. Talbot Underwriting Ltd is one of the investment advisors to Validus Holdings Ltd. The varied exposure of Talbot will further support its expansion plan in Australia. Validus Holdings is a holding company for reinsurance and insurance operating companies, as reported by Yahoo Finance. David Jones has over 20 years of experience in insurance and banking markets. He recently served as State Manager of Victoria at Axis Specialty Australia. He worked at several financial institutions with different responsibilities. He had worked at Chubb Insurance and Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Former investment advisor of Scottie Pippen has been sentenced to up to three years in prison for deceiving his clients. The former American basketball player invested over $20 million with Robert Lunn, who forged his signature and took away his investments. Lunn was convicted to three years in prison for committing bank fraud, less than the nine-year term pursued by prosecutors. Lunn used the $1.4 million loan amount, which he received by counterfeiting Pippen's signature, to repay his personal debts. Charles Norgle, the US district Judge, found that the money advisor had lied about faking Pippen's signature and by appealing that he had been granted consent to apply for another loan under the name of Robert Geras, a former venture capitalist, as reported by Chicago Tribune. In addition to the imprisonment, the judge also penalised Lunn with a fine of $2.7 million and ordered him to pay a compensation of $1.5 million that included $400,000 payable to Pippen. John Beal, Lunn's lawyer, told Norgle that Pippen had previously regained $8 million in a bankruptcy court following the sale of South Side shopping mall, where the money advisor had pumped in huge capital from Pippen's investment money to another contractor, abcNews reports. In his letter, Pippen wrote "Our accountant notified us that there was a reason to believe Mr. Lunn had taken our investments and committed bank fraud. To learn that such a substantial amount of our earnings were in the hands of a criminal was so disturbing. We felt violated and betrayed." But, Beal calls his letter as "an outrageous sob story." In 2014, Lunn illegally received a total of nearly $3 million as loan amount from Leaders Bank in Oak Brook, including the $1.4 million that he received by faking Pippen's signature. Prosecutors alleged Lunn for using the money for his personal needs, paying mortgages and other investment customers. However, Beal defended Lunn saying that the South Side shopping mall contract landed him in insolvency and that the failed deal was an aberration in an investment business. But prosecutors pointed out that Lunn had also lied regarding his educational background, which included a graduate certificate from Brother Rice High School and degrees from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, but none was right. According to CHICAGO SUN TIMES, in 2004, Pippen received a compensation amount of $11.8 million in a civil case against Lunn. The US authorities said that Lunn distorted the price of his assets in order to receive loans. In the letter, Pippen said that this betrayal has left him and his wife, Larsa, more anxious about their future financial condition. During the trial, Pippen said that he will not sign any documents for Lunn. Bangladesh Bank (BB), the country's central bank, has been mulling for potential law suit against the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and has hired a US lawyer in this regard. The lawsuit is going to be filed following denial of responsibility by NY Fed since the cyber heist took place from the opposite terminal of SWIFT interface. Hackers have successfully instructed the NY Fed on February 4 to transfer $81 million (57 million) from BB's current account to several accounts in the Philippines. However, the payments have been made following standard authentication protocols introduced by SWIFT society and acknowledged by all members connected to its network, reports BBC. , US representative Carolyn Maloney has urged for probing last month's cyber attack on Bangladesh Bank following publication of an internal report in Dhaka. The brazen heist from Bangladesh central bank's account in the NY Fed appears as threat to undermine the confidence of global central banks over Federal Reserve. The heist has also posed threat to safety and soundness of international monetary transactions, reports Reuters quoting Maloney from a statement of the NY Democrat. Google Inc. has reached a deal to win a corporate client for its cloud computing business on Tuesday. Under the deal, Landing Home Depot (LHD) will move some of its data to Google's cloud. The agreement has been flagged by Greg DeMichillie, a Google executive through a press briefing and is scheduled to get announced formally on Wednesday. Google Cloud Platform has found momentum under the leadership of Diane Greene, a co-founder of VMWare, reports Fortune. Greene has joined Google during late last year. VMWare serves many of the customers, Google Cloud has also targeted, with its virtualization technology for improving the efficiency of data centers. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. has ruined the notoriety of a mutual fund that traverses its source to billionaire Warren Buffett. Robert Goldfarb, Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb chief executive officer and a co-manager of the Sequoia Fund will retire and will be succeeded by David Poppe who will become the lead manager and company's CEO, according to the firm's letter to the shareholders on Wednesday. Sequoia chairman Roger Lowenstein said that he has faith in Poppe and his team that Poppe will not be afraid to buy not so well-known stocks and sell them. He also added that Goldfarb was responsible for the Valeant share since he was the CEO of the firm. According to Bloomberg compiled data, since 1970, Sequoia has returned 14% of yearly gains up to last year surpassing the 11% of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index. However, this year it dived to the lowest point of the pack as a result of Valeant's downfall. The fund fell 11% this year and pulled more than 99% of peers after lagging behind 89% in 2015. Investors withdrew $780 million from the fund in the five months to the end of February and further plunges in Valeant shares last week generate more solicitude to be expected. In one day, Sequoia Fund went from 51st out of 100 funds in its category to 98th, in terms of year-to-date performance when Valeant informed it could violate banking covenants due to financial reports delay, the Financial Times reports. "While our commitment to a value-oriented strategy grounded in extensive primary research remains as strong as ever, the Valeant experience has spurred a period of reflection," he wrote. "We have resolved to take a more collaborative approach to constructing the portfolio that will feature a more significant role for our senior analysts." Last week nearly 1.5 million Valeant shares had been sold by Sequoia in an effort to shrink investors' taxes by booking capital losses. It's the same week that Valeant lost its single day market value of more than 50%, lessens earnings guidance and said it could confront a debt default due to its 2015 annual report filing, reports The Wall Street Journal. CEO Robert Goldfarb will be retiring and will be replaced by David Poppe who co-managed the fund for 10 years and will also become the lead manager as well as becoming the CEO of Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb Inc. Mr. Goldfarb will retire by the end of March. Recent reports indicated that the Chinese government is turning against the country's largest online marketplace company Alibaba Group Holdings. The state-run media has been reportedly highlighting negative aspects of the company since last week. Business Insider published a comprehensive report on how the government might be using the state-run media to throw shades towards the company. Usually, the state media doesn't criticize domestic companies, considering the country's nature whereas the government is tightly controlling the media. The attack from media first happened to Alibaba last week when state-run broadcaster CCTV released a documentary of its investigation towards the company. CCTV reported that Alibaba is selling fake goods on its website. The issue has emerged from outside the country months ago, but it had just become an issue in China. The company claimed that it spends hundreds of millions of dollars to combat this problem. Another criticism came from the Chinese government to Alibaba's new business Ele.me, an online food delivery service. The new business quickly became a key player in the fast-growing market with a 33.7 percent market share. However, the government expressed their allegations that the company is allowing unqualified vendors to sell food on the platform. The company is now being investigated regarding the matter as state-run media are broadcasting the accusations. The report is remarkable for two reasons, as noted by Fortune. First is because the state-run media usually doesn't criticize domestic companies. In previous years, critics from the media are directed towards foreign companies such as Apple and Starbucks. The second reason that makes this remarkable is that the stock price was hardly affected by the news. The shareholders seem to have shrugged off the news easily as traders no longer appear as sensitive to evidence of fraud as before. The reports didn't do much to damage Alibaba in terms of sales and shares. According to TechinAsia, CCTV's attack on Apple three years ago also hasn't done much to hurt the company's sales in the country. Alibaba has responded by thanking CCTV for calling attention to the problem and called for a united effort to address the issues. There's no evidence on this, but many believe that the government is turning against Alibaba because of an anti-Xi Jinping article published on the company-owned news site. Ever since state-run media has been reporting against the company in an unusual move to criticize domestic companies. However, the company hasn't seemed to take much damage from the criticism as the stock price and sales remain unchanged. Canada's liberal government has unveiled their 2016-17 federal budget on Tuesday, led by Finance Minister Bill Morneau. The first budget could be a good news for students as the government is seeking post-secondary education affordability. According to The Gazette, the Liberal is determined to make post-secondary education more affordable with the new budget and policies. One of the Liberals' biggest strategy is to increase grant amounts by 50 percent. Under the new budget, students from low-income families are eligible for $3,000 in federal grant money per year, compared to previously $2,000 per year. Students from middle-income families can receive up to $1,200 per year compared to previously $800. The increased grant amounts will be available starting from the 2016-17 academic year. The grants will cost $1.53 billion over the first five years and then $329 million per year from then on. The new program will benefit nearly 247,000 students from low-income families and 100,000 students from middle-income families, according to the Liberals. The new financial aid program for students imposed by the Liberals will also see changes in student loan payments to make it easier for students. The Globe and Mail noted that the changes include allowing low-income graduates to delay their student loan payments until they make more than $25,000 a year. Currently, university graduates are expected to start paying back by the time they make more than $20,210 annually. In addition, the budget also proposes a new way of determining students financial aid. The new way will implement a flat-rate student contribution model, whereas students will contribute an annual flat amount toward their education fees regardless of their working status while in university. The budget did not specify the flat rate, or if it will vary depending on students' financial situation. Even though the changes are proposed in the 2016-17 fiscal budget year, it's likely that the full impact of the changes will take years to implement. The government will likely eliminate tax credits to fund the new program so post-secondary students can receive more grants. Eliminating tax credits, however, could put graduate and professional students at a disadvantage. Besides the students financial aid, Bill Morneau's first budget also highlights some other changes, including the Canada Child Benefit. According to CBC, new monthly tax-free payments, and other tax measures will be up to $6,400 a year per child under 6, and $5,400 for those aged 6 to 18, according to household income. Canada's Liberal government first budget will help post-secondary students to get more grants, as well as loosening the standards to students loan payment. The new budget and policies proposed are targeted to make university education more affordable and attainable. SHARE Food Talk Ethics of field to fork in focus Author and University of Virginia professor Willis Jenkins will discuss the ethics of food and the politics of climate change March 31 at California Lutheran University. "Cultivating the Sky: How the Ethics of Food Matters to the Politics of Climate Change" begins at 7 p.m. in the Lundring Events Center on the Thousand Oaks campus. The event will be streamed live at CalLutheran.edu/live. In his lecture, Jenkins will outline a "moral ecology of food" and how communities address the effects of climate change. Food ethics is an interdisciplinary field that provides analysis and guidance for how, ideally, food should be produced, distributed, prepared and consumed. For more information, contact Sam Thomas at 493-3693 or sthomas@callutheran.edu. SHARE Charles Mundy Douglas Edwards By Kathleen Wilson of the Ventura County Star The Santa Clara Waste Water Co., an affiliated business unit and four company officials were indicted on new charges, the District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. The businesses along with Chairman Douglas Edwards, CEO William Mitzel, Assistant General Manager Marlene Faltemier and Vice President Charles Mundy were named in an indictment issued by a grand jury late last week. Prosecutors said the alleged charges stem from a search by District Attorney investigators on Nov. 5 at the company plant west of Santa Paula. Investigators found more than 5,000 gallons of hazardous waste that the company had not previously reported to county environmental regulators as required by law, prosecutors said. The waste was identified by prosecutors as Saxon 10-81/Petromax, which they described as a corrosive chemical cleaning agent. The allegations in the indictment replace those claimed in a felony complaint filed in December against the businesses, Mitzel and Faltemier based on the same search. Edwards and Mundy were added based on new evidence, Senior Deputy District Attorney Karen Wold said Wednesday. The indictment includes various charges related to handling and disposal of hazardous waste, failure to update records, withholding information, submission of false statements, interference with enforcement and conspiracy. By proceeding with the case via indictment, prosecutors may be able to get the charges consolidated with those in a 71-count indictment issued in August. The earlier indictment relates mainly to an explosion at the plant in November 2014 that resulted in injuries and closure of the plant at 815 Mission Rock Road. If Superior Court Judge Kent Kellegrew allows the charges to be consolidated, a single jury can hear the entire matter, Wold said. Edwards will be filing a legal challenge because the indictment is "grossly inspecific" said his attorney George Newhouse. "Our client continues to be charged with a specter of crimes he clearly did not commit," Newhouse said, adding that Edwards intends to vigorously defend himself. Mundy's attorney could not be reached for comment Wednesday. All defendants appeared in court Tuesday and were served with the indictment, prosecutors said. Arraignment was continued to April 20 in Courtroom 21. All defendants remain free on bail as previously set by the court, officials said. STAR FILE PHOTO The Lobster Trap Restaurant and Casa Sirena Hotel & Marina in Oxnard. SHARE By Kathleen Wilson of the Ventura County Star A height limit for selected parcels at Channel Islands Harbor should be increased to 55 feet to accommodate a proposed hotel, a panel decided Tuesday. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors upped the limit in connection with a developer's proposal to build an extended-stay hotel to replace the closed Casa Sirena Hotel. The amendment to a public works plan also requires approval by the California Coastal Commission. The limit in the plan is 25 feet, but other structures in the vicinity exceed that, including the Casa Sirena at 43 feet, Harbor Director Lyn Krieger said. Opened in 1972, the Casa Sirena was a prominent landmark at the county-owned harbor in Oxnard. But it is now beyond repair and needs to be replaced, according to developer Brighton Management. The Irvine company has proposed a hotel with four stories, one more than the Casa Sirena. The developer wants to add another story to allow for the full array of rooms. The footprint of the hotel must be shrunk because the structure has to be moved inland to leave room for a public promenade and plaza. Supervisors also agreed to increase the allowable number of rooms from 184 to 210. The hotel is now projected to contain 205 rooms, but Krieger said she was recommending the higher number for flexibility in case plans change. The height adjustment applies to two parcels at the end of Peninsula Road, not the entire harbor. Residents living near the harbor commonly object to proposed developments, citing concerns about increased traffic, risks to the environment and quality of life. They lodged no complaints on the hotel at Tuesday's hearing, but did call for extensive traffic studies for future projects including the rehabilitation of the Fisherman's Wharf complex at Channel Islands Boulevard and Victoria Avenue. "We want to make sure all local development is included in any traffic study," Judy Dugan, of Hollywood Beach, told the board. "You can wait three lights trying to get across Victoria at Channel Islands." Krieger said she hoped that the Coastal Commission would consider the amendment before the end of the year. She is targeting 2017 for construction of the hotel to begin and completion in 2018. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Zaragoza (from left) talks to sophomores Stephanie Mairs and Victoria Duke at Oxnard High School's sixth annual Military Career Day. SHARE JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Marine Corps Sgt. Ephraim Chavez talks to Nathaniel Terry, a senior at Oxnard High School, on Military Career Day. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Nicholas Twine, a junior in the Aviation Academy at Oxnard High School, competes in the tug-a-war event at the sixth annual Military Career Day. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Skyler Blanchette, an 11th-grader at Oxnard High School, finishes with 20 pull-ups at the U.S. Marine Corps station during the sixth annual Military Career Day. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Marine Corps Pvt. Jose Vargas shows Oxnard High School students on how to do a proper pull-up at the sixth annual Military Career Day. By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star More students than ever are looking at entering the U.S. Armed Forces, but primarily as a stepping stone to another career, according to recruiters visiting Oxnard High School on Wednesday for the sixth annual Military Career Day. "A lot of the students are very intelligent," said Navy 1st Class Petty Officer Miguel Parades, who was presenting information to students along with 1st Class Petty Officer Jason Johnson. "The military might be a way to continue into another career after the service in different professions and trades." Military Career Day included presentations by the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. Johnson said Ventura County is welcoming to recruitment efforts. "You have Port Hueneme, and the kids there want to join to follow in their parents' footsteps," he said. "Ventura County is a very military-friendly place." Air Force Junior ROTC Cadet Major Jonathan Viveros, a junior who organized the day's program, said he hopes to be accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy. "I'm taking AP classes and doing enough extracurricular activities to make myself competitive," he said. "My dad was in the Air Force and my great-grandfather was in the U.S. Army and stormed the beach at Normandy in World War II. I want to do this in honor of my family." Viveros' goal is tough to achieve, according to Air Force Capt. Tom Buenger, who touted the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, alongside Navy Capt. Marv King, who discussed the Naval Academy in Annapolis. "It's such a competitive process," said Buenger, who noted that military academies don't charge tuition, although they require a service commitment for those who complete the full four years. King said the military academies accept the same caliber of student as Ivy League schools. "The academies are still for people looking for a quality education," King said, adding that the number of applicants has grown. "The Navy Academy is arguably among the most competitive schools in the country." Dale Weaver, a senior aerospace science instructor, said the Air Force Junior ROTC program, which he directs, doesn't appeal to everyone, given its emphasis on military dress and exercises. "There is a lot of peer pressure," he said. "It's a pretty strict program, and there are those students who don't want to wear a uniform or cut their hair. But those who join, love it. "We like to be a positive force on campus," he added, "and you'll see that kids are willing to hang out with ROTC students even if they're not in the program." Weaver said the program has held steady, with about 100 students enrolled each year. But he said recruitment at eighth grades in Oxnard and Port Hueneme were very successful this year and he expects a record number of students next fall. Freshman Elayza Garcia said she enjoyed the presentation on military careers, even though she has no intention of going into the armed services at this point. "I found it interesting," Garcia said. "They gave details about everything. While it's not for me personally, it's good to know how hardworking they actually are." STAR FILE PHOTO The beachfront Oxnard Shores neighborhood is popular for short-term rentals. The city is seeking public input via an online survey through April 7. SHARE By Staff Reports Oxnard has set up an online survey on a hot topic: short-term vacation rentals. The city wants residents, visitors and business owners to chime in by April 7. You can find the survey at www.oxnard.org/survey. The feedback will help Development Services Department staff craft city regulations for rentals of private homes through sites such as Airbnb and VRBO. While vacation rentals are nothing new, in some neighborhoods they have proliferated with online sites that allow easy, widespread marketing. In the beachfront Oxnard Shores neighborhood in particular, a bitter battle has emerged as homeowners grapple with the issue. The Mandalay Shores Community Association is holding board elections Saturday after an overflow crowd canceled the annual election in January. City planners say they have received complaints from other communities as well, including RiverPark in north Oxnard. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SIMI VALLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT Simi Valley police assisted a DEA task force last week in making two Methamphetamine arrests in Los Angeles County, officials said. SHARE By Staff Reports Simi Valley police assisted a DEA task force last week in two drug arrests in Los Angeles County, officials said Wednesday. The agency's narcotics unit helped make the arrests on March 17 in El Monte and San Fernando, police said. A suitcase full of Methamphetamine was seized in El Monte during an undercover operation and Antonio Morales, 22, of Los Angeles was arrested in connection with the drug charges as well as child endangerment, authorities said. He had his two children in the vehicle when he went to deliver the suitcase, officials said. Jovan Segura, 40, of San Fernando, was arrested in the follow-up investigation when he was found with two pounds of Methamphetamine in his vehicle, police said. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Los Angeles police officer Nhut Huynh speaks to Wednesday's crowd after Edo was named Hero of the Year during the National Police Dog Foundation luncheon at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Ventura. SHARE TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Edo rests next to his handler, officer Nhut Huynh, after being named Hero of the Year during Wednesday's National Police Dog Foundation luncheon at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Ventura. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Santa Barbara County Deputy Mike McNeil tells Magnum to sit during Wednesday's National Police Dog Foundation luncheon at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Ventura. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR FBI Special Agent James Corbett is the featured guest during the National Police Dog Foundation luncheon Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Ventura. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Luis Ramirez, a security officer for Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, pets Lola during Wednesday's National Police Dog Foundation luncheon. By Alicia Doyle, Special to The Star During an armed hostage situation at a residence earlier this year, officer Nhut Huynh of the Los Angeles Police Department knew his police dog, Edo, could be killed. Edo was supposed to go into the house as a diversion so the officers could go in another way, confront the armed suspect and rescue two wounded victims. It worked. Edo went first to the two wounded hostages, then quickly turned to an adjoining room and found the suspect. "Edo took a bite-hold of the suspect's leg, pulling it to expose the suspect's handgun, which was subsequently recovered," said Lt. Michael Carodine. "Knowing that the suspect was armed, the canine officers were fully aware of the risks," he said. "However, without delay, they made history." On Wednesday, Edo was named Hero of the Year by the National Police Dog Foundation in a ceremony at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Ventura. The event honored police canines and their handlers from agencies in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, although representatives from other counties attended, as well. Oxnard and Santa Paula police, along with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department and Ventura County Search and Rescue, were among the local agencies represented. Huynh, with Edo at his side, said he was humbled to be with so many handlers and their police canines. "Yes, we put a lot of training into these dogs and spend a lot of hours with them, but I'm just a chauffeur; I drive him around," Huynh said. "We can't know exactly what he was thinking the moment he went to the door and made the decision between two shot victims and the suspect." On the move, Edo made a split-second decision of which person in the house to take out, said Rodney Ayl, of Agoura Hills, a foundation board member and veterinary oncologist. "Dogs can do things that people can't, and their protective instincts for their handlers and for people are beyond compare," Ayl said. "So when these dogs are trained and we can harness that particular instinct ... they show incredible loyalty to their handlers." When budget issues erupt, dogs and their handlers are among the first to be cut, said Norm McDaniel, event emcee and foundation board member. "So these agencies really need the support of the public and organizations like the National Police Dog Foundation to be able to provide those additional funds to put those canines and those officers back on the street to help protect us," said McDaniel, of Ventura. Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams said the presence of a police dog can immediately defuse a situation. "Just hearing that bark just seeing the dog next to the officer adds a different dynamic and most times ends with a better-resolved situation," she said. Wednesday's guest speaker was James Corbett, of Boston, an FBI special agent whose book "Solemn Vow" features photographs of 50 dogs and their accomplishments in 26 states. "Some saved a life, some have rescued little girls, some have pulled people out of fires," said Corbett, who is donating all book proceeds to the National Police Dog Foundation. Daniel Casson, a senior officer with the Oxnard Police Department, attended the ceremony with Jax, his third canine partner since 1998. "The dog is probably the most valued and used tool in the Police Department because they do so many different things," Casson said. Mary Ann Underwood, a foundation board member and organizer of Wednesday's event, hoped to underscore the importance of police canines in all communities. "They do so much. They're partners and they're loyal and they're so smart and so good at what their job is," said Underwood, of Camarillo. "It's just amazing to watch them." ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Ventura SWAT officers convene in front of a martial arts studio where officers serving a search and arrest warrant were confronted by a man with a gun who fired off a single gunshot. A man was later found dead inside. SHARE By John Scheibe of the Ventura County Star Authorities said Thursday that a child molestation suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot at a Ventura martial arts studio. Police Cmdr. Sam Arroyo said the suspect, Sean Curtis, 38, of Ventura, was found dead Wednesday inside United Studios of Self Defense after police had gone there to arrest him on suspicion of child molestation. As police were entering the dojo in the Montalvo Square Shopping Center on South Victoria Avenue, Curtis pulled out a gun. "Officers then decided to back away and go outside," Arroyo said. Moments later, police heard a gunshot from inside the studio. Police surrounded the area and used a camera-equipped robot to examine the scene and determine whether anyone was in the business with Curtis. Police also brought in additional officers, including a SWAT team, and an armored vehicle and used a loudspeaker for about 90 minutes to communicate to anyone who might be in the studio. Once police determined Curtis was the only person inside, they went back in, Arroyo said. Investigators said two 10-year-old girls who were students at the dojo allegedly were molested by Curtis, and the most recent incident was reported in the past week, Cmdr. Tom Higgins said. The molestation incidents reportedly occurred in the studio, authorities said. Police had a search warrant in addition to an arrest warrant, Arroyo said. Police went to the studio "hoping to find other victims," he said. Investigators found some physical evidence, which they took from the studio, he said. Curtis owned the martial arts studio in addition to being an instructor there, Arroyo said. An autopsy Thursday showed Curtis died from a single gunshot wound to the head, the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office said. United Studios of Self Defense is operated as a franchise, according to the Laguna Hills-based company. Company officials could not be reached for comment Thursday. "It's really sad what happened here," said Jesus Hernandez, who works one door down from the studio. Hernandez said the studio seemed to be popular with students. "Many of them would arrive for classes starting in the midafternoon," Hernandez said as he stood outside the studio. The studio's front windows and door were taped with blue cardboard on Thursday. Arroyo said students ranging from young children to adults studied at the dojo. Some of the adult students arrived as the events unfolded Wednesday to find out more information about what was happening. Parents of the younger students also stopped by to figure out what was going on or brought their children there for classes, not knowing about what had happened. As the scene transitioned from an active scene to a death investigation, affected businesses in the shopping center went back to their normal operations. Staff writer Megan Diskin contributed to th report. President Truong Tan Sang receives Governor of Kaluga, Russia. (Source :VNA) The President lauded the Governor for working with Vietnams localities and enterprises in order to map out a cooperative mechanism between the two sides. The leader said the economic bilateral relationship has not fully tapped its potential and requested the governor and Russias authorities to join hands with a view to effectively realise agreements signed between the two sides. President Sang informed the governor of areas of successful Vietnamese businesses in that are looking to invest overseas. He also thanked the governor of Kaluga for supporting Vietnamese nationals who are studying and working in the province. In return, the governor praised the traditional cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, asserting that the visit is aimed at bolstering collaboration in agri-business, particularly the cow breeding model and milk processing of Vietnams TH Truemilk group. He briefed the President on the potentials and advantages of Kagula and stressed the province is implementing several policies to attract investment, adding that it has always supported and created best possible conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in the locality./. STAR FILE PHOTO SHARE By Bartholomew Sullivan, bartholomew.sullivan@jmg.com WASHINGTON Twelve Republican House members from California have asked President Barack Obama to direct federal agencies to increase exports of water from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta because "through El Nino, Mother Nature has blessed our state with much-needed precipitation." The letter, signed by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and U.S. Rep. Steve Knight, R-Lancaster, among others, hit the president's desk at about the same time as a letter from Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein making a similar request. "I ask you to direct the Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to maximize pumping in the ... delta to the maximum extent allowed under the Endangered Species Act and biological opinions," Feinstein wrote. "I believe that this year's El Nino has highlighted a fundamental problem with our water system: A dogmatic adherence to a rigid set of operating criteria that continues to handcuff our ability to rebuild our reserves," her letter stated. The House members wrote: "The fate of California and the lives and livelihoods of our constituents are at risk." Democratic California Sen. Barbara Boxer said she disagreed. "My clear understanding is that the federal agencies are doing their job and moving water where it's needed consistent with the Endangered Species Act," Boxer said. The White House did not have an immediate response Thursday. Natural Resources Defense Council staff attorney Doug Obegi said agencies are relying on real-time information to make their pumping decisions. "It's deeply disappointing that the members (of Congress) are demanding that the agencies ignore the biological science and monitoring data on California's fisheries, threatening not just salmon and endangered fisheries, but the thousands of fishing jobs that depend on them," he said. SHARE Four days before Tuesday's grisly bomb attacks in Brussels, police raided a shabby three-story brick row house in Molenbeek, a heavily Moroccan working-class district of Brussels. There, they captured Salah Abdeslam, the last surviving member of the terror group that killed 130 people in Paris in November. Abdeslam had eluded police for four months, and no one in Moleenbeek betrayed him. Nor did anyone warn police about Tuesday's plans to bomb Brussels' airport and metro. So the new attacks raise the same frustrating question: How to deal with the social pathology that has made Molenbeek a notorious jihadi base from which youths travel to Syria and hatch plots to attack Europe? Earlier this week I visited Molenbeek and found two different communities: one isolated and resentful and the other struggling to advance with insufficient help from the outside. The key to halting the incubation of terror lies in whether officials can offer "the other Molenbeek" a more hopeful future one that shields its children from the fantasies sold by the shills for jihad. At present, those children grow up isolated from the world outside their ghetto. On the surface, Molenbeek doesn't look scary. Crowds of locals, including many women in hijab, jostle along a main street lined with halal butcher shops, inexpensive clothing and household goods stores, barber shops and cafes, where unemployed men gather to sip tea. But residents say Molenbeek has changed dramatically over the past decade, losing its diversity of cultures. Shops and restaurants stopped selling alcohol, Islamic bookshops multiplied, the last Jewish shops moved out after being threatened by hostile young men. Locals no longer mingle with other Belgians. "This municipality has the highest population density in Brussels and one of the most youthful populations," I was told over coffee by Sarah Turine, deputy mayor of Molenbeek. She said the schools are poor, and the dropout rate high, while unemployment reaches 40 to 50 percent in the 18- to 25-year-old group. "Recruiters from Syria come looking for them (unemployed youths), hang out in cafes and mosques to talk to them. They give them a sense of purpose," Turine said. Abdeslam was a typical school dropout: He trafficked in drugs with his brother (also one of the Paris attackers). There was no hint he was ever involved in radicalism, nor did he attend a mosque. But a childhood friend who had gone to Syria in 2014 recruited the brothers. All over Europe, but especially in Belgium, officials are wrestling with how to reach out to alienated and culturally isolated Arab-European youths. After many locals left for Syria in 2013, the Molenbeek municipality set up an outreach program to help families whose children "were in danger of leaving." They trained social workers to discredit what the recruiters are saying. Clearly these programs are insufficient. "What can we do to manage these young people who prefer death to life?" asked Yves Goldstein, cabinet chief to the Brussels regional president. Goldstein's main concern: the failure to integrate isolated urban ghettos such as Molenbeek into the wider world. "We can't deny that young people (in Molenbeek) are confused about the question of identity," he said. "There is no diversity." Goldstein believes reaching children ages 7 to 12 before they quit school is essential. "We have to create more diverse schools, housing, education, but local governments have no money," he said. Belgian officials are spending hundreds of millions for security but haven't the funds to bolster schools and expand cultural offerings for youth who are prey for jihadi recruiters. Yet just three blocks from Abdeslam's hideout, I found a hint of the other Molenbeek, the majority of whom are looking for a better life and fear their children might be wooed away to fight jihad. The symbol of this other Molenbeek is a new cafe, Le Palais de Balkis, which displays a level of diversity that had leeched out of the district. There, I saw Muslims of all ages, including a family with a heavily covered mother and chic young girls in hijab, along with non-Arab Belgians. Aziz Mouaouia, a factory worker at a local Audi plant who had stopped for a snack, summed up for me the untapped possibilities in the community. "Molenbeek is a victim of the political failure to integrate," he stated flatly. He hopes his daughters will go to a university, but "it is difficult because teachers never show up and it is very hard to fire them. At 12 to 13 years old, the students drop out. "Young people want to live the dream they see in the movies," he said, but "when they realize it is impossible, they turn to petty crime. Then if they try to reintegrate, society rejects them. "This is the perfect opportunity for these recruiters to pick these guys up and capture them emotionally." Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Readers may write to her at: Philadelphia Inquirer, P.O. Box 8263, Philadelphia, Pa. 19101, or by email at trubin@phillynews.com. SHARE California's traffic ticket amnesty program is working ... sort of. The Judicial Council of California reports that 58,000 drivers had their fines reduced in the first three months of the 18-month program, launched in October. The problem is there are 3.3 million traffic tickets eligible under the program. Gov. Jerry Brown pushed the amnesty idea, declaring the existing traffic court system is a "hellhole of desperation" for the poor. The problem is twofold. First, the initial fines, after all the additional fees are added, are too large for many people to pay during the time allowed by the courts. If they are late, then the system begins to double and triple the amount of the fine. In a case highlighted by The Star in October, a 24-year-old mother of three from Oxnard saw her traffic tickets balloon to more than $5,000. That led to a hold being placed on her driver's license. Under amnesty, she was able to reduce the amount she owed to $600 and start the process of getting back her license. Local court officials told us that 74,200 cases in Ventura County are eligible for the new ticket amnesty program. The amnesty program, even if it becomes more successful, will not rid us of this issue. The problem comes from the layering of non-related fees that California has tacked onto traffic fines. Let's say you get stopped and ticketed for failing to carry proof of auto insurance. That's a $100 base fine. But when the court system gets through adding all the mandatory extra fees, that fine has now become $490. And if you miss the deadline to pay, the amount jumps to $815 just for failing to carrying proof of insurance. If you don't pay the fine, the courts will suspend your driver's license. A 2013 study found 4.3 million Californians one in six adults had lost their driving privileges because of unpaid traffic tickets. And those who continue to drive face an even greater fine, or possibly jail, if caught driving without a license. You can blame our friends in the California Legislature for most of this problem. Over the years they have decided that one more fee added to a traffic ticket is the perfect place to raise money for things like the Department of Justice's DNA lab, and emergency medical services, and court construction costs, and peace officer training and wildlife preservation. This problem is particularly acute in low-income communities. Folks without much money to start with are far less likely to be able to afford the stiff initial fine. And once it begins to escalate in cost, then they find it impossible to pay. The amnesty program is designed to get those folks out of trouble and off the books. Clearly the state needs to do a much better job promoting the campaign. Our local court officers, particularly the court commissioners who handle many of these cases, are doing a great job in letting folks know about this option. There needs to be more outreach throughout all parts of the state. Everyone in this dilemma should be aware of this apparent one-time option before it expires in March 2017. There also needs to be serious conversation in Sacramento to rein in the outrageous layering of fees on basic traffic fines. Mario Batali will personally be on hand to open the new Books for Kids/Mario Batali Foundation Library at the Acelero Spring Valley Learning Center. The event will begin with the children joining Chef Batali to officially open the librarynot with a traditional ribbon-cutting, but in a unique and visual way! Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Congresswoman Dina Titus will also be in attendance. Afterward, he will read Green Eggs and Ham to the children. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Las Vegas chefs from the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group will provide very special breakfast treats for attendees. This new library marks the third Southern Nevada library that has been funded by the Mario Batali Foundation and the 11th library it has funded nationwide. The 161-square-foot library will hold nearly 1,000 books, many of which are for bilingual readers, offering an excellent range of reading material for children from one month to 12-years-old. The foreigner has suffered from typhus and a fever since March 8 after returning to Australia two days earlier. The clinical symptoms suffered by the victim are similar to those of Zika, a virus quickly becoming epidemic in Brazil. The patient has been diagnosed with Zika, the International Health Regulations, an international legal instrument under the World Health Organization, said on Wednesday. Tran Dac Phu, director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, said that the patient traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Dong Province in Central Highlands region, and the two south-central provinces of Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan. The visitor arrived in Vietnam on February 26 and left the country on March 6. The department and the Khanh Hoa administration enacted measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease yesterday. Nguyen Thanh Long, deputy director of the preventive medicine department, said that the organization will also have a meeting with the Binh Thuan administration about the issue on Thursday. Zika is a disease caused by the Zika virus and is spread primarily through bites from infected Acedes mosquitoes. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is now infamous for the large numbers of babies born with brain damage in Brazil and the increase in Guillan-Barre syndrome, a nerve disorder, experts at the World Health Organization said, adding that urgent action is needed to deal with the growing crisis. A human shadow on a dried field in Cambodian province of Oddor Meanchey. (Source: VNA) The provinces of Kampong Cham, Banteay Meanchey, Oddor Meanchey and Kampong Thom and others are having a water shortage, as the water in their wells and ponds is starting to evaporate so much, the Khmer Times quoted Oum Ryna, Director of the Meteorology Department at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, as saying. Serious water shortages have been seen in the most remote provinces, especially areas far from water sources, he said. The Ministry has called people to save water until the rainy season comes and pay attention to their health by drinking enough water in the hot season, he added. Cambodia is not the only country facing a water shortage. Many of the Mekong countries, including Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and parts of China, are in similar situations, he said. In response to the drought, China decided to release water into the lower reaches of the Mekong River from March 15th to April 10th./. The event, which was centered on protecting water resources during climate change, was intended to contribute to Ho Chi Minh Citys socioeconomic development and was organized by the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The water quality at Nha Be Station in Ho Chi Minh City recorded by the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center returned an alarming result confirming that the water monitored at the station is salinized and microbiologically contaminated, and of substandard even for household use. The center said its aquatic monitoring network in Ho Chi Minh City consists of four stations, which collect samples at 7:00 am on the 15thday of each month. The samples are then tested for a number of indicators such as heavy metal and agrochemical levels before being reported in a water quality document. The center also noted that the most common issue with rivers in Ho Chi Minh City is a constantly high iron level, which turns the water a yellowish colour, especially during the height of the rainy season. During the dry season on the other hand, the water suffers from salinization and microbiological contamination. Measurements at Thu Thiem Station on the Saigon River also indicate insufficient dissolved oxygen levels, organic and microbiological contamination, and salinization during dry seasons. The figures, however, are not entirely pessimistic, as monitoring results at Lai Thieu Station in Binh Duong Province revealed that water in the Saigon River was of relatively good quality, uncontaminated, and could be used in households once treated. Similarly, the water of the Dong Nai River at Long Son Station in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, was also rated as 'fairly good,' and could supply households for normal use. Indicators measured by the Center for Environmental Monitoring and Analysis of Ho Chi Minh City at locations upstream of the Saigon River also showed that the water quality there was good and suitable for supply. The conference raised the point that some sections including Trung An and Hoa Phu on the Saigon River, and Hoa An on the Dong Nai River, which were rated satisfactory for use, were of worse quality than others of these rivers, which was attributed to industrial and household wastes. With such issues in mind, the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center urged that measures be taken to closely monitor salinization and iron as well as microbiological levels in the water to come up with timely coping methods. Ha Minh Chau, deputy chief at the Climate Change Bureau of Ho Chi Minh City, underlined the vital role of water supply in the survival of the citys population of around ten million, and suggested an evaluation study on the risk of salinization. Chau asserted that the construction of emergency clean water reservoirs should be considered, alongside planning specific areas that allow the mining of groundwater. Solutions to the current water problems were also proposed by a research team from the Faculty of Environment and Resources at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Water and Environment. The research team recommended stricter laws to punish actions that pose harm to the water system, while raising fines and imposing public labor punishment on violators. The team urged the construction of 12 wastewater treatment plants in Ho Chi Minh City to alleviate the problem. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed that many solutions have been implemented already with positive results, such as the control over 3,000 sources of wastewater, while 100 percent of industrial zones in the city have qualified wastewater treatment systems. The department also announced its plan to move all manufacturing facilities that cause pollution away from residential areas by 2020. According to the result announced this morning, Anco bought all the shares that Vissan put up for sales. Contenders were South Korean company CheilJedang, which bid at VND120,600 ($5.39) and Vietnamese-French feed production joint venture Proconco, which bid at VND125,000 ($5.59). Consequently, after Vissans IPO, strategic investor CheilJedang, a subsidiary of conglomerate CJ Group, holds 4 per cent. Masan, through subsidiaries and partners, holds 24 per cent. On April 29, Vissan expects to hold its first shareholders meeting and in June this year it will start operating in the joint stock model. Vissan, a member of Saigon Trading Group (SATRA), is planning to build an $80 million food processing plant in the southern province of Long An. The 10-hectare project is expected to be completed in 2020. It is going to use the meat from one million pigs per year. When the companys Ho Chi Minh City plant relocates there, Vissan will give back the land it currently occupies in the city to SATRA. President Barack Obama waves goodbye as he boards Air Force One on his way to Argentina, as he leaves Havana, Cuba, Mar 22, 2016. (Photo source AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) BUENOS AIRES: The White House is considering a possible visit by President Barack Obama to Hiroshima, the Japanese city devastated in history's first atomic bombing at the close of World War II, a US official told AFP. The official, who asked not to be named, said the details of Obama's visit to Japan for a Group of Seven summit in late May had yet to be finalized, but a trip to Hiroshima had not been ruled out. Obama is scheduled to participate in the summit of leading democracies in central Japan's Mie prefecture. In 2008, then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Hiroshima, becoming the highest, sitting US political figure to visit the city. Japan has long urged world leaders to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see the horrors of the atomic bombings and join efforts to eradicate nuclear arms. Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government's top spokesman, refrained from directly commenting on the reports, but reiterated Tokyo's position. "The government has always called on leaders around the world to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see for themselves the reality of atomic bombings," Suga said. "We believe (visits) are important to boost international momentum toward achieving a world without nuclear arms." Washington will make its final decision after a planned trip to Hiroshima by US Secretary of State John Kerry for a meeting of the G7 foreign ministers on April 10-11. On August 6, 1945, the US dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing about 140,000 people, including those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after due to severe radiation exposure. Three days later, the US military dropped a plutonium bomb on the port city of Nagasaki, killing some 74,000 people. The bombings are controversial in the United States, where opinion remains divided over whether their use in the closing days of World War II was justified. US President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires on Mar 23, 2016. (Photo: AFP/POOL) BUENOS AIRES: Fresh from his landmark trip to Cuba, US President Barack Obama travelled on Wednesday (Mar 23) on to Argentina, where four decades later resentment still simmers over Washington's backing for its former dictatorship. After calling for freedom and democracy as he stood alongside Cuba's communist leaders on the first leg of his regional visit, Obama touched down in another Latin American nation with a history of delicate relations with the United States. Obama, who hopes to remake the United States' image in Latin America, met Argentina's new free market-friendly President Mauricio Macri at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires on Wednesday morning. Roads were closed as Obama's motorcade headed to the Casa Rosada, where he and Macri were scheduled to give a news conference shortly before 1600 GMT. Tuesday's deadly bomb blasts in Brussels prompted Argentina to put its security forces on high alert as it received Obama, who is travelling with First Lady Michelle Obama, their two daughters and his mother-in-law. There was a security alert when police arrested a man who burst into the offices of a state radio station near the presidential palace threatening to blow the building up, station employees told media. The building was evacuated and no one was reported hurt. It is the first visit by a US president to Argentina since 2005. That year George W Bush was met by angry protests at a summit where regional leaders blocked his plans for a free-trade deal. Macri has reached out to Washington and other foreign powers since taking office in December after years of combative relations under his leftist predecessors. But the delicate issue of US involvement in Latin America's violent history will rear its head during Obama's visit to Buenos Aires - after the Havana visit touched on sensitivities over human rights in Cuba. On Thursday morning Obama will pay homage to victims of the "dirty war" by Argentina's dictators against dissidents. That day marks the 40th anniversary of the military coup that started the 1976-1983 dictatorship. Declassified documents have shown that top US officials backed the coup and America's wider image in Latin America was tarnished by involvement in coups and death squads. US AND THE 'DIRTY WAR' After the talks with Macri, Obama was due to lay a wreath at Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral and meet local people, before attending a state dinner. His administration said last week it would declassify military and intelligence records linked to Argentina's "dirty war." "We're determined to do our part as Argentina continues to heal and move forward as one nation," said Obama's National Security Advisor Susan Rice. The sensitive date of the Argentina visit angered some victims' groups. Several organisations have called on Obama to apologise for US support of the military regime. But four opinion polls showed a majority of Argentines approved of Obama's visit. Obama "believes that part of moving forward in the Americas or any other part of the world involves a clear-eyed recognition of the past," said Ben Rhodes, one of the president's top advisers. "He will be more than willing to speak to what took place 40 years ago, to the suffering that took place after the coup and to the complicated history between the United States and Argentina as it relates to those events." Adolfo Perez Esquivel, 84, an Argentine human rights activist who like Obama is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, recalled that US military academies trained troops from Argentina and other Latin American regimes in torture techniques. "It would be good to have a public recognition of United States interventionism," he said. US 'VULTURE' FUNDS Some small leftist groups called for demonstrations against Obama's visit in Buenos Aires and in the Andean resort town of Bariloche, where the Obamas are due to head on Thursday for a few hours' leisure time. Demonstrations are also planned Thursday in memory of the dictatorship. Some vowed also to protest in anger at the treatment of Argentina by its US creditors. Macri's government has reached a settlement with US hedge funds that his predecessor Cristina Kirchner branded "vultures." The Obamas are scheduled to leave Argentina on Thursday night. Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang (right) and his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov at the signing ceremony of intergovernmental protocol in Moscow. - Photo vov The protocol was signed by Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov in Moscow on March 21. The document was negotiated and signed based on the priority clauses of investment projects under the free trade agreements between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Its contents show that Russian vehicle manufacturers such as KAMAZ, GAZ and UAZ will co-operate with their Vietnamese partners to set up several joint ventures to manufacture and assemble trucks, cars with 10 seats and above, crossover utility vehicles (CUV) and a number of special-use vehicles. The two sides have pledged to assemble cars under Viet Nam's planning on automobile industry development by 2020, with a vision towards 2030. Of this, the local supply rate will be 25 per cent for the special-use vehicles, 30 per cent for trucks and CUVs and 35 per cent for cars with 10 seats and above by 2020. The two sides have pledged to assemble cars under Viet Nam's planning on automobile industry development by 2020, with a vision towards 2030. - Photo vietq.vn By 2025, the local supply rate is set to reach 40 per cent for special-use vehicles and CUVs, and 45 per cent for trucks and cars with 10 seats and above. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Manturov said the protocol was seen as the first bilateral project to develop the free trade agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and EAEU, thus helping to increase the trade turnover between the two countries in industrial investment and production. He said the signing of the protocol would create more jobs for Vietnamese workers, not only helping Viet Nam to manufacture automobiles but also to export cars to other countries. Minister Hoang said Viet Nam had long hoped to manufacture automobiles in the country with a significant amount of local supplies. The establishment of joint-venture projects on assembling and manufacturing automobiles in Viet Nam forms part of the FTA signed with the EAEU in May 2015, and the automobile industry's planning strategy, he said. Hoang said if the project was successfully carried out under this commitment, Russia would transfer its technology to Viet Nam. After a short period, the rate of local supply was expected to reach 40 per cent and wouldl regularly increase over the next few years. The Vietnamese minister had a working session with EAEU Minister in charge of Trade Veronika Nikishina on the same day. The minister had led a Vietnamese delegation on a visit to Russia from March 20 to 22. He was scheduled to visit Belarus on March 23. The seminar, officially named TPP and the Textile, Apparel, and Footwear Sectors: How to Seize Opportunities?, is jointly organised by VIR and the Vietnam Association of Foreign-Invested Enterprises (Vafie). It has also received support from the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) and the Vietnam Leather, Footwear, and Handbag Association (Lefaso). The textile, apparel, and footwear industries, all of which are rated amongst Vietnams major export areas with a total annual turnover of $27 billion in 2015, are expected to benefit the most from the lowered tariffs after the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) comes into effect. Fellow TPP members, such as the US and Japan, are also Vietnams largest export partners in textile and footwear, bringing great opportunities to Vietnamese exporters in these sectors.. During his opening speech, Dr Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy chairman of Vafie and former editor-in-chief of VIR, noted that Vietnams admission to the TPP was expected to bring great opportunities to the domestic textile, apparel, and footwear sectors. Sectorial players will be well-posited to capitalise on market expansion, export growth, and a deeper engagement in the global supply chain. However, numerous challenges darken the horizon. The seminar focuses on appraising the implications of the TPP on the textile, apparel and footwear industries and analysing the bottlenecks that may affect the performance of businesses in the sector. Notable issues include engagement in the global value chain, buyers trends, the domestic support industry, among many others. We will also discuss measures to tackle these bottlenecks and take advantage of the opportunities that the TPP offers to the textile, apparel, and footwear sectors, he said. According to statistics released by Vitas, 75 per cent of Vietnamese firms in the textile, apparel, and footwear sectors only offer simple cut-make-trim services, while only 2 or 3 per cent can participate in high-value-added activities, such as original design marketing. Moreover, 70 per cent of materials are imported, with more than half coming from non-TPP countries, such as China and Korea. As a result, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dang Huy Dong emphasised that Vietnamese firms, especially supporting industries, must prepare thoroughly for the TPP, especially in terms of materials, due to the yarn forward rule of the trade deal. Concerns about environmental pollution are also mounting due to the high levels of sewage released by dyeing and weaving factoriesof which we might see a lot more in the coming time. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is thus collaborating with other relevant Ministries to find a solution to this problem. Likewise, Dr Nguyen Cong Ai from KPMG Vietnam suggested that Vietnamese textile, apparel, and footwear firms invest in technology, machinery, as well as increase their capacity to design to create added value for the products. Cooperation with foreign partners, especially in dyeing and weaving, was crucial. The seminar will continue this morning with presentations and a panel discussion from leading experts in the apparel, textile, and footwear industries. At the first teaching class, the message of water is a precious resource that should be preserved, protected and saved was conveyed to 900 pupils at five schools from District 8 and Binh Chanh district participating in the project through a series of activities such as painting exhibit, photos and cartoon. In 2015, the Mizuiku programme was successfully piloted at six elementary schools in two districts of My Duc and Thanh Oai in Hanoi with the participation of about 1,600 pupils. In 2016, the programme is to benefit around 2,400 elementary pupils from 10 elementary schools in Bac Ninh, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City with new initiatives such as the Water Saving and Protecting Festival and outdoor activities for students to learn about water and mid-term and closing evaluation of the project. What makes Mizuiku 2016 unique is an intensive update in teaching content for the sake of project practicality. Meanwhile, apart from activities in the north, we also focus resources to expand the programme to the south of Vietnam. the expansion is a further manifestation of our strong commitment to the sustainability of Mizuiku I love clean water, said Tomomi Fukumoto, executive officer, deputy chief operating officer of the corporate communication division of Suntory Holdings. Mizuiku is a water education programme that has been successfully deployed in Japan since 2004 by Suntory Group with the participation of over 100,000 pupils and parents in Japan. Vietnam is the first country other than Japan having this project developed. Joint press conference and ceremony to launch Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (Source: VNA) Themed Shared river, shared future, the meeting confirmed the six countries commitment to peace, stability and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region, and set forth major orientations for Mekong-Lancang cooperation. Looking forward, the MLC will focus on five priority fields of water resources, production capacity, cross-border trade, agriculture and poverty reduction. At the meeting, delegates stressed the importance of the Mekong River for the development of the riverside countries, while agreeing to intensify coordination between the six countries in managing and using water resources sustainably, considering this a leading priority. They also supported the proposal of building a Mekong-Lancang water resources cooperation centre, to boost collaboration between the six nations in sharing information and data, managing floods and drought and conducting joint studies on water resources in the Mekong River, known as Lancang in China. The participants adopted the Sanya Declaration, and a Joint Statement on Production Capacity Cooperation among Mekong-Lancang countries, together with a list of Early Harvest Projects for MLC. Head of the Vietnamese delegation, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, delivered a speech at the event, stressing the need for the six countries to manage and use water resources in the Mekong River scientifically and sustainably. Acknowledging the role of the MLC for sustainable development and prosperity in the Mekong sub-region, Vietnam proposed three projects which were then added to the list of Early Harvest Projects. Vietnam is ready to work with China and Mekong Sub-region countries in deploying a joint project to establish a centre on Mekong-Lancang water resources cooperation, including making contribution to the establishment and operation of the centre in terms of finance and experts./. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Former Windham County state Sen. Peter Galbraith announces his bid for the Democratic Party's nomination for governor of Vermont during an event Tuesday March 22, 2016 at the Statehouse in Montpelier, Vt. Galbraith said he was running to change the system in Montpelier "that too often favors the special interest over the broader public interest." He's says he would seek to raise the minimum wage immediately to $12.50 and move to $15 an hour. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring) Wilson RingAP Following months of hints and whispers to the media, former state Sen. Peter Galbraith officially announced he was running for governor as a Democrat on Tuesday, laying out a progressive platform aimed at shaking up a race that has seen few major policy disagreements. This is a remarkable state, but that doesnt mean we should continue to do thing as we have, Galbraith said in a Statehouse news conference. So I am running to change a system in Montpelier that too often favors the special interests over the broader public interest. Galbraiths proposed platform boils down to three big promises: raising the minimum wage in increments to $15, banning big money from politics and protecting Green Mountain ridgelines from industrial wind projects. Speaking to a crowd composed mostly of anti-wind advocates bringing their message to the Statehouse, Galbraith was cheered when he pledged to ban industrial wind. Global warming is the most serious long-term threat that our planet faces, but this doesnt mean that all solutions make sense, he said. Giant turbines, and the roads built to construct and service them, are destroying Vermonts most pristine ecosystems. Galbraith, 65, the son of famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith, repeatedly knocked Gov. Peter Shumlins tenure, taking issue with his modest work on health care and aggressive courting of energy interests. He called Shumlins efforts to award companies with financial incentives a suckers game that we cannot win. Galbraith, who lives in Townshend, Vt., served Windham County in the Vermont Senate from 2011 to 2015. Prior to that, he held several diplomatic positions, including ambassador to Croatia. Galbraith also took issue with calls from Republican gubernatorial candidates Phil Scott and Bruce Lisman to cap any budget increases to the states level of economic growth. Holding budget increases to 2 percent will put next to nothing into the pockets of most Vermonters, he said. It might mean an extra five dollars to those making minimum wage. As for the two other Democrats in the race, Sue Minter and Matt Dunne, Galbraith portrayed them as candidates with few differences, and agendas that were lacking vision. He said he decided to run because the slate of Democrats wasnt progressive enough, saying somebody has to step up to carry the issues. China will offer $11.5 billion in loans and credit lines to five Southeast Asian countries for infrastructure and other projects, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday. In 2014, Li offered $20 billion in loans to Southeast Asia, while visiting Myanmar to attend an East Asian summit, an attractive proposition for a region struggling to fund the roads, ports and railways needed for growth. Li made the new offer, which includes 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) in preferential loans and a $10 billion credit line, to the leaders of five countries along the Mekong River. He was speaking at a summit with leaders from Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in the southern Chinese resort town of Sanya on Hainan island. His comments were carried on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website and by the official Xinhua news agency. Such offers of financial aid are not unusual at such get-togethers. He did not give a timeframe for when the funds may be dispersed. Li added that he would push China's new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and its Silk Road fund to also fund projects in the region, and ensure a greater use for China's yuan currency in dealings with the five countries. "There are six countries on one river. The Lancang-Mekong sub-region is our joint home," Li said, referring to the Chinese name for the upper part of the river which runs through China. "Over the many years of being neighbors we have become family," he added. Despite the proffers of friendship and money, China has a strained relationship with two of the countries whose leaders Li met - Vietnam and Myanmar. Vietnam and China are involved in an increasingly ugly dispute in the South China Sea over competing territorial claims. In Myanmar, China has been angered by a decision in 2011 by suspending the $3.6 billion, Chinese-invested Myitsone dam project, and is also nervous at the prospect of Myanmar's new government led by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. While Beijing had strong ties with the former Burma's military junta, it has also moved to cement relations with Suu Kyi, who met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last year. The United Nations Secretary-General hailed the conviction of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic Thursday as historic for the people of the region and beyond as well as for international criminal justice. Ban Ki-moon said that the judgment shows once again that fugitives cannot outrun the international community's collective resolve to make sure that they face justice according to the law. The U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Karadzic of genocide and nine other charges, and sentenced him to 40 years in prison. Criminally responsible The court found the 70-year-old Karadzic guilty for Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 people dead. ITCY said Karadzic was criminally responsible for genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, when Serb forces killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys, in what has been called the worst atrocity in Europe since the Holocaust. Presiding judge O-Gon Kwon said that without Karadzics support the Srebrenica massacre could not have happened. However, Karadzic was acquitted by The Hague tribunal of a count of genocide for the campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces during the conflict. As the most senior Bosnian Serb leader, Karadzic's responsibilities during the Bosnian War included ultimate oversight of the Bosnian Serb army. The official commander of the army, former General Ratko Mladic, is also on trial for genocide in The Hague. Admitted 'moral responsibility' In his closing statement at the tribunal in 2014, Karadzic admitted only "moral responsibility" for his wartime actions. Karadzic insisted U.N. prosecutors do not have any evidence to support charges linking him to atrocities in the Bosnian War, and accused them of putting the entire Serb people on trial. In a 874-page written statement at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Karadzic said he was not aware at the time of the slaughter at Srebrenica. Batman and Superman may face off in an upcoming movie blockbuster, but copies of the superheroes' first outings dating back almost 80 years are going on display in a new exhibition of original DC Comics books. The single-owner "Impossible Collection (DC Chapter)" features more than 1,000 DC classics, many hugely valuable, and is said to have taken over 16 years to assemble. It includes the "highest graded copy" of Superman's debut in "Action Comics No. 1" from 1938, as well as "Detective 27" where Batman made his first appearance in 1939. The collection, previewed to media Wednesday in London ahead of a global tour later this year, belongs to Ayman Hariri, the son of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005. "I think people have a respect ... for these books and the characters that they represent," Hariri told Reuters. "Each book has a very good representation of what was going on in the world at the time." Hariri said he began collecting Superman comics on a wide scale after his father's death, inspired by a picture of the senior Hariri drawn as the superhero, which is also on display at the exhibition. When asked about the value of the coveted "Action Comics No. 1," he declined to give a price. "'Action Comics (No.) 1' is when Superman first appeared and the day before that, there was no Superman," he said. "I don't think anyone could possibly imagine a world without Superman." Superman will be flying onto cinema screens this week in the blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill as the two caped heroes. Advocates for refugees, the environment and victims of sexual violence earned prominent berths on Thursday in a list of the world's greatest leaders published each year by Fortune magazine in a tribute to their values, effectiveness and commitment. Members of the list ranged from Jeff Bezos, head of online retailer Amazon.com, at the top of the list and Pope Francis to those less chronicled such as Congolese hospital founder Denis Mukwege and Mina Guli, who promotes water conservation in Australia, Fortune said in its online edition. "It isn't enough to be accomplished, brilliant, or admirable," Fortune wrote in an article accompanying the list. "We recognize those who are inspiring others to act, to follow them on a worthy quest, and who have shown staying power," it said. Among names on the list working in environmental and humanitarian causes, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was cited for the landmark climate summit in Paris and David Miliband was named for his work for refugees as chief executive of the International Rescue Committee. As founder of the Luke Batty Foundation, Australian Rosie Batty was named for her efforts combating domestic and sexual violence. The founder of Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mukwege, a surgeon and gynecologist, was listed for his work treating victims of sexual violence by soldiers and rebels. Amina Mohammed, the minister of environment in Nigeria, was cited for helping put together the package of Sustainable Development Goals approved by the member states of the United Nations last September. Domenico Lucano, the mayor of Riace, Italy, was listed for helping migrants and boosting the economy of his Calabrian village, and Melinda Gates and Susan Desmond-Hellman were listed for their work running the philanthropic Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Guli, an Australian lawyer and activist, was listed for founding an organization called Thirst to educate consumers about water conservation; Ramon Mendez for transforming energy use in Uruguay where he is head of climate change policy; and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his plans to fight climate change and efforts to resettle Syrian refugees. "It turns out the world is full of people you've never heard of who are rallying followers to make life better in ways you never imagined," Fortune wrote. Fortune's third annual list appears in its April 1 issue. China has launched an unusual charm offensive to explain its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, seeking to assuage global concerns about military expansionism by portraying the move as Beijing's contribution to regional security and development. The message is in stark contrast to Beijing's more bellicose stance on the South China Sea, where its claims on a vital trade waterway have raised hackles across Asia and the United States. China has repeatedly said it does not seek a U.S.-style "hegemony" by extending its military reach, including through bases abroad. Now that it appears it may be doing precisely that, the government has been quietly briefing on its rationale for the Djibouti base and using state media to address fears of China's aims. "China is explaining it as part of the 'one road, one belt' strategy, to help link Ethiopia to the sea," said one Western diplomat who has been briefed by Chinese officials on the Djibouti base, referring to China's New Silk Road strategy. That involves opening trade corridors across continents that will help bolster the Chinese economy and connect it with the rest of the world. A $4 billion railway will connect Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to Djibouti's new Chinese-invested port, where a military facility will be located, according to Chinese media. A second diplomat, also been briefed by China on the plans, said it was an "unusual" move by the normally secretive Chinese government to try and bring a degree of transparency to its plans. "China does not want to be seen as a threat," the diplomat said. Indian alarm In a lengthy statement to Reuters, China's Defense Ministry confirmed it had communicated its intentions about Djibouti to "relevant countries and international organizations", reiterating the facility was mostly for resupply purposes for anti-piracy, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. "What needs to be stressed is that China upholds a path of peaceful development... and has never engaged in an arms race or military expansion. This will never change." Djibouti, which already hosts military facilities for the United States and France, has echoed Beijing's line that the base will be used for refueling and other logistical support to fight piracy and protect trade routes. But it also says the West should not be worried if China seeks "military outposts", given that Western nations have had them for years around the world. Construction began in February in the country of fewer than a million people, striving to be an international shipping hub. Djibouti's location on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fueled worries in India that it will become another of China's "string of pearls" of military alliances and assets ringing India, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Indian military officials told Reuters that China's naval presence in Djibouti would add another dimension to India's military contingency planning, so far confined to land and air operations stemming from a decades-old border dispute with China across the Himalayas. Together with China's involvement in Pakistan's Gwadar port, another potential military base, the role of China's navy would be greatly enhanced and posed a threat to the Indian navy, Indian army brigadier Mandip Singh said in a paper for the government-funded Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses. "Djibouti also enables China to base its long-range naval air assets there. And these are capable of maintaining surveillance over the Arabian Sea as well as India's island territories off the Western coast," he wrote. The Western diplomat briefed on the Chinese plans added: "If I were Indian, I would be very worried about what China is up to in Djibouti." A U.S. State Department spokesman said late last year: "We look forward to gaining greater clarity as to the roles and purposes of this new facility, and note that China participates in international counter piracy actions in the Gulf of Aden." String of African pearls More bases may be on the way, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hinted at this month's annual meeting of parliament. There are several African ports which China and Chinese firms are helping to build and develop. Commercial in nature, they all could berth Chinese naval ships one day. One Chinese diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the idea for the Djibouti facility came up last year when China's navy evacuated foreigners from Yemen. The Chinese frigate involved had to give most onboard supplies to those evacuated, leaving it with the problem of finding new supplies. Unlike the United States, China has no permanent resupply bases. "It's a supply facility pure and simple," the source said. With Beijing keen not to call Djibouti a military base, state-run media has reined back using the term to describe it. The Global Times, an influential tabloid, quoted Chinese experts shortly after Wang spoke as saying China was not building a military base in Djibouti, only a supply facility. Djibouti's government, meanwhile, is keen to develop military cooperation with China. "China is already well prepared to support Djibouti, to increase its military capabilities and guarantee its security," Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan said during a visit to Djibouti in 2014, in comments carried on the website of Djibouti's embassy in Beijing. Tension is mounting between China and neighboring Indonesia after a recent fishery dispute brought to light their competing claims over the 200-nautical miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surrounding the Natuna Islands, which sit northwest of the island of Borneo in the disputed South China Sea. Analysts say China, while standing firm on its maritime claims, will refrain from irritating Indonesia, which has threatened to bring Beijing to the international arbitration court for a clarification over the Natuna situation. But that doesnt mean China is ready to make another concession after having openly acknowledged Indonesias sovereign rights to the islands, they add. Fishery dispute intensified Jakarta claimed in mid-March that a Chinese fishing boat was illegally fishing just over four kilometers off the coast of the Natuna islands and inside waters Indonesia claims as its exclusive economic zone. Indonesia coast guards thus detained eight Chinese fishermen before a Chinese Coast Guard ship intervened and freed the detained vessel by ramming it back into the South China Sea. To convey an official protest, Indonesia Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti asked to meet with Chinas Jakarta-based ambassador to denounced Chinese authorities support for illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing. The Indonesia government also expressed harsh words for Chinas violations of its EEZ and demanded it return the arrested vessel. During a recent press conference, the countrys Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi insisted that [it was] a violation by Chinas coast guard into Indonesias sovereignty and jurisdiction in the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf. The minister urged China to abide by international laws. In good state relations, we should respect the existing international laws, including the 1982 United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea, she added. No wrongdoings China, however, has denied any wrongdoing. Sun Weide, the acting charge daffaires of the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta, said he told Minister Marsudi, during their meeting, that the incident happened in the traditional Chinese fishing grounds, and demanded the Indonesian government immediately release the detained fishermen. I emphasized that we hope the Indonesia side can proceed from a mutual interest about good bilateral relations and solve these kinds of issues, Sun told reporters after the meeting, reiterating that when it comes to fishery disputes or maritime issues, China is always ready to work with Indonesia to solve the dispute through negotiations and dialogues. However Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law expert at University of Indonesia, said the Chinese argument has no legal merit. To say that the Chinese fishermen have the right to catch the fish based on traditional fishing grounds, according to the Chinese government, is a defense that is not recognized under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, he said. He added that what is recognized is traditional fishing rights, which must be agreed to between states, such as an agreement Indonesia has with Malaysia, but not with China. No more concessions? China has reiterated that it has no competing claim over Indonesias Natuna Islands, which is in line with its first-ever statement, issued in November, to openly declare that Beijing has no objection to Indonesias sovereignty over the islands. The Natuna islands, which sit between the northern tip of Indonesia and the southern tip of Vietnam, consists about 270 islands with 70,000 residents and lie outside of Chinas self-designated nine-dash-line, which maps Beijings claim to almost all of the South China Sea. It was a significant concession in favor of Indonesia. But Indonesia is growing impatient with Chinas strategic ambiguity over the countrys legitimacy of the islands EEZ, which protrudes into Chinas nine-dash-line territorial claims. Some thus argue that, judging by the way it has handled the fishery dispute, Indonesia is getting tough on China about their overlapping waters. In response, China will try to avoid any escalation of tensions, said Li Jinming, professor at Xiamen Universitys Center for Southeast Asia Studies, dismissing the likelihood that the dispute will turn into a similar episode in 2014 when plummeting relations between China and Vietnam over the presence of a Chinese oil rig in the disputed waters fueled anti-China sentiments in Vietnam. Court of arbitration Nevertheless, China is unlikely to back down on its territorial claims, the professor added. China has never opted to resolve disputes in the Court of Arbitration. Instead, China has long proposed that both concerned countries should peacefully settle their differences on overlapping waters through negotiations and dialogues, said Li. That means, the professor added, China will continue to boycott the international courts authority if Indonesia follows the Philippines footsteps to resolve the territorial rows. Hikmahanto Juwana agrees that the issue should be solved through direct talks. "I think that kind of manner should not be conducted by good friend of Indonesia and this kind of manner should be dealt in the diplomatic corridor rather than settling it in the international tribunal or settling it legally, he said. Meanwhile, Chinese netizens are also taking a nationalistic stance on the dispute. Most Weibo users have written strong-worded posts. One user said it is time to teach Indonesia a lesson and another said [China] should have had exercised its rights to self-defense and sunk the Vietnamese [official] vessel. Yet another commented that China should have played it the hard way so as to set an example for other [neighboring] countries to well-behave. A bookseller based in Hong Kong who went missing three months ago returned to his home Thursday and the Chinese government insists he was not kidnapped. Lee Bo is a British citizen and one of five book publishers who have gone missing under mysterious circumstances in the past few months. He and the other four men all worked for the same publishing company, Mighty Current, which specializes in producing tabloid-style tales about political intrigue and love affairs within the Communist leadership. The loosely sourced stories published by Mighty Current were banned in mainland China but were popular with mainland tourists in the semi-autonomous Hong Kong. Lees disappearance in particular led to an outcry from Hong Kong citizens who accused the Chinese government of sending law enforcement agents to Hong Kong to abduct him, which is illegal under its constitution. The Chinese government, as well as Lee, denied the claims that he was abducted, instead insisting that Lee smuggled himself into mainland China. According to a government statement, Lee returned to Hong Kong Thursday and met with officers as part of an investigation into his disappearance. The statement claimed that Lee had traveled to the mainland to assist in the investigation into the disappearance of one of his fellow book publishers, Gui Minhai. According to the statement, Lee said he was safe and free while travelling in China. Renouncing book business Lee had appeared on Chinese television in late February to assure watchers he had gone to the mainland on his own accord. At the time, though, British authorities said they believed Lee was involuntarily removed to the mainland. Upon returning to Hong Kong Thursday, Lee told Phoenix TV, a private broadcaster based in the city, he left for mainland China using normal means because he needed to help in the investigation. He said he may need to return several times to assist in the future. Lee also told reporters at the border that he will no longer publish or sell books that are sheer fabrication. He added, "Press and speech freedoms do not mean you can make things up. There are still people in Hong Kong who are doing that, and I hope they will no longer do that." Critics in China say they arent buying his story. Albert Ho, a pro-democracy politician in Hong Kong told France's news agency that no one really believes Lees story, and that people generally think he was forced to go back to China. The Lee Bo incident has really crushed the confidence of Hong Kong people in respect of One Country, Two Systems,' he said, regarding the agreement between the two technically-separate nations. Lees four colleagues are all facing criminal investigations on the mainland. Earlier this year, Gui said on Chinese state television that he returned to the mainland to voluntarily surrender himself after fleeing a suspended sentence 12 years ago for a fatal drunken driving case. About a month later, he was on state media again, this time to say he illegally shipped books into China from Hong Kong. Lees three other colleagues, Cheung Chi-ping, Lui Por and Lam Wing-kee, blamed the book trade on Gui, but are still facing charges. The rate of child marriages in Bangladesh could drop by a third when girls are educated and taught job skills, according to a study released Wednesday on ways to counter the practice rampant in the South Asian nation. Two out of three girls in South Asia marry before age 18, according to the Population Council, a nonprofit group that researches health and development issues. In a study of more than 9,000 Bangladeshi girls, however, the child marriage rate dropped 31 percent when girls received educational tutoring or took classes in critical thinking and decision-making, it said. The rate dropped by 23 percent when girls were given job skills training, it found. "In Bangladesh, limited evidence exists on what works to delay child marriage," said Ann Blanc, vice president of the Population Council, in a statement. "These results are a major leap forward." Bangladesh has the second-highest rate of child marriage in the world, behind Niger, and the highest rate of marriage of girls under age 15, according to a 2014 report by UNICEF. It said three-quarters of girls in Bangladesh marry before they are 18. In its study, the New York-based group provided education and training to girls in 72 communities. Worldwide, more than 700 million females got married before their 18th birthday, according to UNICEF. Nadine began as a computer image... and ended up as a real virtual human. I am a social companion. I can speak with emotions and I can recognize people, said the interactive robot that is programmed to think and react to human behavior. At 1.7 meters - tall, the humanoid has brown hair, soft skin and a face that can express humanlike emotions. Nadine is a younger version of her inventor, Nadia Thalmann, the director of Singapores Nanyang Technological Universitys Institute of Media Innovation, who has spent 30 years doing research into virtual humans. Thalmann said she feels a bond with the emotionally intelligent robot, which she claims has her own personality, moods and emotions. Nadine is truly like a companion, the researcher said. Its like a beautiful sculpture. But she has life and she can interact with you. While that may true, Nadine has a way to go before she looks like a living human. Her hands appear large, and dont move the way human ones do. Her eyes have that vacant machinelike stare and her voice has little feeling. But still, its remarkable that Nadines software allows her to respond to hundreds of thousands of questions. 'I don't like you' Not only can she chat with humans, but she can recall past conversations. Where were you born? asked Thalmann as she speaks to Nadine through a microphone in a research room at the university. I was born in Japan, but I did my learning at NTU, Nadine replied. Can you laugh? Thalmann requests. Yes, I can. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha." Thalmann demonstrated how Nadine can express different emotions. You are horrible, Thalmann told Nadine. No, you are. I dont like you. I dont want to talk with you, replied Nadine appropriately. Student Shawn Tan came into the room and greeted Nadine with a wave. Would you like to meet some new people, he asked her. I think we can figure this out together, Nadine said. She waved to Tan as he left the room. Have a great journey until next time, she said. Tan was impressed. Her movements could be better, but her reactions and her intelligence is definitely cool. Companionship for humans In the future, it is hoped that Nadine, and other robots like her, will play an important caretaking role in helping people with autism by interacting with them, and providing companionship for the elderly or people with dementia. These people need to always be in interaction, so Nadine could stay when there is nobody else to read stories, to maintain conversation, Thalmann explained. Thalmann and her team are now trying to improve Nadines hands so she can grasp and hold items. They also are working on improving the robots self awareness. One day some of us may even have a Nadine in our homes to keep us company. One of Africa's best known satirists blames government pressure for journalist sackings at Kenya's biggest newspaper group which threaten to reverse decades of hard-won press freedoms. In a continent where journalists are often jailed, the Daily Nation's decision to end the contract of cartoonist Godfrey Mwampembwa after 23 years has made Kenya's journalists wary that their prized media freedom is at risk. Mwampembwa's black and white sketches, published under the pen name Gado, have won a following around Africa for depicting politicians as greedy and corrupt hyenas, vultures and pigs. "Cartoons are a barometer of press freedom in any country," said Mwampembwa, a Tanzanian cartoonist who has lived in Kenya for years. "When that is under attack, you know you are in trouble," Mwampembwa, who is 46, told Reuters in his office in downtown Nairobi this week. Any sign of pressure on the press before the 2017 elections will cause unease in Kenya, where politicians have been blamed for stoking ethnic tensions in the past. Deadly ethnic violence erupted after the 2007 polls, prompting a new constitution that protects media freedoms and outlaws hate speech. Mwampembwa said his removal, and the sacking of several other journalists, showed the Daily Nation and its parent company Nation Media Group had "crumbled" under pressure from President Uhuru Kenyatta's government after his relentless needling of officials. "This is a situation where an organization is capitulating to political and corporate pressure," he said. "The gains that were made are being rolled back, especially now that we are going into elections." Nation Media Editor-in-Chief Tom Mshindi denied this, saying Gado's contract had reached a "natural end" and the government had never asked for a journalist to be fired. "We will never bow or succumb to pressure from government or any other quarter," Mshindi said in a statement. Presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu called the allegations "absolute rubbish". He said: "Even when we feel criticism is severely unjustified, we don't think it is in our place to gag anyone." "Arm Twisting" Before he became president in 2013, Kenyatta sued the Nation Media Group over one of Mwampembwa's sketches. The group sacked senior editor Denis Galava in January after he wrote an editorial criticizing Kenyatta for poor performance. Since then, it has also fired the Sunday Nation's investigations editor and the Sunday Nation news editor. Galava has launched a lawsuit challenging his sacking. Others say they plan to. Mwampembwa said the government used its big advertising budget, spent via a centralised body that purchases space, to influence Kenyan papers battling falling circulation. "This one body is used to arm-twist newspapers," said the cartoonist, who is suing NMG for wrongful contract termination. Mwampembwa has faced criticism beyond Kenya's borders. Last year he took a sabbatical from work after Tanzania's government banned one of the group's titles that had published a cartoon by Mwampembwa that lampooned then President Jakaya Kikwete. The weekly East African apologized for the drawing depicting Kikwete being fed grapes by one of seven scantily-clad women, each representing what Mwampembwa saw as weaknesses in the Tanzania's government, such as corruption and cronyism. Although the group agreed to his sabbatical, Mwampembwa said he was told his contract was at an end when he tried to return. On his travels to countries such as Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, where journalists face regular censure, Mwampembwa said he found that aspiring reporters and satirists look up to Kenya's media. He has been feted for co-founding XYZ, a popular satirical TV puppet show. "They admire that in Kenya you have this kind of leeway to lampoon presidents," he said. Losing that would resonate across Africa. "That's the worry." A Republic of Congo army general is calling for a campaign of "civil disobedience" to reject official results showing President Denis Sassou Nguesso has won re-election. General Jean-Marie Mokoko spoke to VOA's French to Africa Service Thursday, after Congo's interior minister announced in Brazzaville that Sassou Nguesso won over 60 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, and thus no second-round ballot would be necessary. In a telephone interview, Mokoko said the results are "falsified" and "do not reflect the reality of the polls." "When a dictatorship is installed in a country, we [call on] people, basically, to engage in legal civil disobedience to block this attempt at fraud," he said. Mokoko said the opposition coalition has no weapons and will not go to war, but indicated that neither will they appeal to the courts, which he called "subservient" to the president. There was no immediate reaction from the government. The general was a candidate in the election -- finishing third, according to official results. In an audio statement posted on YouTube, he said polling station results collected by the opposition show it was "impossible" for Sassou Nguesso to have won re-election outright in a first round of voting. The opposition has yet to release its own vote tallies. Interior Minister Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou announced the official results on national television at 3:30 a.m. Until Thursday, all telephone and Internet service in Congo had been shut down since the election on Sunday. Mboulou said the measure was needed for security reasons. The results, which must be validated by Congo's constitutional court, showed Mokoko winning 14 percent of the vote, just behind the runner-up candidate, Guy-Brice Parfair Kolelas, who had 15 percent. The election followed a voter referendum last October that removed age and term limits that would have prevented the 72-year-old Sassou Nguesso from seeking re-election. Critics of the poll accused the president of a "constitutional coup." Sassou Nguesso initially served as Congo's president from 1979 to 1992. After losing an election, he returned to power during a 1997 civil war and won re-election in disputed polls in 2002 and 2009. Finger-pointing, firings, a mysterious disappearance and threats of lawsuits are swirling around one of historys largest cyber heists, with authorities apparently no closer to nabbing the mastermind. What investigators know for certain is that early last month, after nearly a year of careful planning, someone orchestrated 35 fraudulent transfer instructions to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in an attempt to steal $1 billion dollars from the Bangladesh central bank. The hackers were able to successfully direct transfers of $81 million to accounts in the Philippines, which has some of the worlds strictest bank secrecy laws. Long time planning The hackers had been remotely monitoring the Bangladesh central banks activities for several weeks and may have breached nearly three dozen of its computers, private investigators said. The group introduced malicious code, known as malware, into the banks server in Dhaka, according to an interim report from FireEye, a U.S. cybersecurity company hired by the Bangladesh Bank to investigate the theft. The malware was specifically designed to hijack access to the Swift network, used by financial institutions to authorize transactions through secure messaging. The security breach of the Brussels-based Swift system used by 3,000 financial institutions globally, the report reveals, is part of a much larger breach that is currently under investigation. Banking malware such as Tinbapore and Gootkit have been used in the recent attacks on other banks in Asia, according to cyber defense specialists. Malware continues to evolve and cybercriminals are devising more creative methods to carry out their attacks, warned Lim Chin Keng, a regional director for security solutions at F5 Networks. Elsewhere in the region, we are already witnessing evidence of cyberattacks on banks. More entry points An increasingly digitized banking sector is giving more vulnerable entry points to hackers. The creativity of the attacks and the process by which cybercriminals are planning and carrying out their attacks definitely show how cybercriminals have stepped up their game, Lim told VOA from Singapore. We are taken aback with the gumption and sophistication of the recent cyber heist to pull off what could have been one of the largest fraud attacks. Cybersecurity consultants say the banks must share in the blame. It should not have to take an incident like this to spur banks into action, said Lim. The current security solutions some banks are using do not adequately offer the level of visibility they need. The Bangladesh Bank is consulting with lawyers to weigh its legal options against the American reserve bank, according to media reports in Dhaka. Atiur Rahman, the central banks governor, resigned last week to take moral responsibility for the breach of the banks operations. Bangladesh Finance Minister A.M.A Muhith told the Prothom Alo newspaper that Bangladesh Bank officials were "100 percent" involved in the scandal. "Of course! One hundred percent they are [involved]. This cannot be possible without complicity of the locals," the newspaper quoted Muhith as saying, noting the U.S. bank requires hand prints and other biometric information from central bank officials for transactions. Missing expert A Bangladeshi information technology expert, who went missing for six days after accusing central bank officials of negligence, just as mysteriously reappeared on Wednesday. Tanveer Hassan Zoha was taken home by detectives who said they found him wandering around the Dhaka airport railway station, according to local media reports. His family alleged that Zoha, who had worked as a security specialist for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, had been abducted March 17 by a group of men not wearing any uniforms. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the probe of the cyber-heist and its agents have been seen in Dhaka conferring with government officials there. Tangled Philippine probe The head of a bank in the Philippines has gone on indefinite leave after strongly denying allegations he did anything wrong in connection with the Bangladesh money transfers. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) President and CEO Lorenzo Tan insisted on taking a leave to allow him to focus on clearing his name in the money laundering issue a board committee is investigating, the bank said in a statement. A branch manager has accused Tan of ordering her to move the money. I did not do anything wrong. If this is a nightmare, I want to wake up now, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) manager Maia Deguito told ABS-CBN television after authorities stopped her at Manila airport as she tried to leave the Philippines. I live everyday in fear. Several criminal complaints have been filed against Deguito and another RCBC employee for allegedly falsifying documents to open four accounts at the branch nearly nine months before the Bangladesh cyber heist. The bulk of the money withdrawn from the Bangladesh bank's account on February 4 was transferred into a local Philippine businessman's newly-opened dollar account. William Go, the sole owner of DBA Centurytex Trading, which services imports for international garment labels, has said his signature was forged to set up the account and has since sued Deguito and former RCBC officer Angela Ruth Torres. Deguito has alleged that Go is a good friend of Tan. Casino chips From the businessman's account the money was then briefly transferred to Philrem, a foreign exchange brokerage. Its president, Salud Bautista, told a Philippines Senate inquiry that $30 million went to casino junket operator Weikang Xu. Another $29 million was changed into gambling chips at the Solaire casino in Manila and $21 million went to the Eastern Hawaii Leisure Resort and Casino, in a special economic zone 600 miles north of Manila. Casino chips are commonly used to launder money because the exchanges quickly become anonymous. Philippines Senator Sergio Osmena has pointed a finger at a man previously linked to illegal drug operations, Kim Wong, as the mastermind. Wong was not present at the Senate hearings as he was reportedly undergoing medical treatment in Singapore. The Senate committee has scheduled a third hearing for next Tuesday (March 29). We want to be good citizens of the world. We want to cooperate with the whole world in combating crime problems of this nature, Philippines foreign minister Jose Almendras has told reporters, noting that Bangladeshs ambassador was one of the very few allowed to sit in on the closed Senate executive session with those accused of facilitating the transfers. Sri Lanka investigation Meanwhile in Sri Lanka, a court has imposed travel restrictions on six directors of the Shalika Foundation suspected of being involved in the theft from the Bangladesh central banks account. The suspects in Colombo allegedly tried to transfer $20 million to an account at Sri Lankas Pan Asia Bank. The bank became suspicious and alerted the intermediary, Deutsche Bank, because the word foundation was wrongly spelled as fandation. A query by the German bank to the central bank in Dhaka led to that transaction being halted. The Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek was little known to the world just a year ago. But after the Paris attacks on November 13 and the bombings in Brussels on March 22, the name of the neighborhood has become synonymous with Europe's problem of home-grown Islamic terrorism. The reason: in both the Paris and Brussels attacks, the trail leads back to this dilapidated neighborhood of some 95,000 people just minutes from the center of the Belgian capital. At least three of the Paris attackers came from Molenbeek and one of them, alleged mastermind Salah Abdeslam, successfully hid in the neighborhood for months before being captured on March 18. The brothers named by police as suicide bombers in the Brussels attacks, Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, also have links to Abdeslam and his Molenbeek-based network. How did Molenbeek became a center for militant Islamic extremists in Europe and what lessons does it teach about fighting radicalism? Here are five things to consider. Alienation Molenbeek may be just a few minutes commute from prosperous downtown Brussels but this former canal area district is filled with rundown, cheap housing that for decades has made parts of it a magnet for mostly North African migrants. In some quarters the population is 80 percent Muslim and unemployment is 30 percent overall, rising to almost 40 percent among the young. If previous generations of migrants found plenty of low-skilled jobs in Belgium's car factories and coal mines, the country's move over recent years from an industry-based to a service-based economy has left their children with far narrower employment opportunities. "There are no factories, no jobs -- except for those who speak both French and Dutch or have a university degree -- and 60 percent of these young people with a Muslim background do not have a degree and do not speak Dutch," Bilal Benyaich, a Belgian who has written extensively on radicalism, extremism, and terrorism, was quoted as saying by Foreign Policy magazine after the Paris attacks in November. He has said that the problem of alienation in Molenbeek also stems in part from Belgium's decision in the 1970s to allow preachers trained in Gulf Arab states to teach in local mosques as Brussels sought favorable oil deals with Saudi Arabia. The Salafist preachers promoted a more radical form of Sunni Islam than the one usually practiced in the Maghreb but whose message resonated with the frustration felt by young people unable to integrate into Belgian society. The preachers "had a major influence on several generations of young people born in Belgium to a Muslim background," Al-Jazeera quoted Benyaich as saying, also in November. The proof may be in the Paris and Brussels attacks, both claimed by the extremist group Islamic State. The extremist Salafist organization is reported to recruit heavily among radicalized young Muslims in Molenbeek and other areas of Belgium. Per capita, more fighters in Syria have come from Belgium than from any other European Union country, and more than 300 Belgians have gone to Syria and Iraq, according to the Brussels-based Egmont think tank. Criminal Gangs And Extremism One of the lessons of Molenbeek is that Islamic extremism has particular attraction to marginalized individuals already engaged in criminal activities. Belgian federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said on March 23 that the Bakraoui brothers "had a heavy criminal record not linked to terrorism." Abdeslam ran a bar in Molenbeek that was shut on suspicion of being a hub for drug dealing. "Because of the difficulty of fitting into a hostile society, they look for alternative networks where they can blend in," says Rik Coolsaet, a senior associate fellow at Egmont. That suggests that both criminal gangs and terrorist networks offer the sense of belonging that marginalized individuals seek. But belonging to criminal groups also gives terrorists a valuable asset: a network of cronies who are unknown to the police as militants and who can hide them in safe houses. Abdeslam used just this system to go underground as police across Europe searched for him following the Paris attacks. While some believed he had been spirited out of Europe by Islamic State extremists to Syria or elsewhere, it now appears to he was hiding in Molenbeek the whole time. "Abdeslam relied on a large network of friends and relatives that already existed for drug dealing and petty crime to keep him in hiding," Van Leeuw said on March 20. "This was about the solidarity of neighbors, families." But such reliance on secret networks of contacts also suggests that the militants cannot count on any wider community support than close associates in Molenbeek to shield them from police. Many Molenbeek residents are aghast at the Paris and Brussels attacks, have condemned them, and say they reject any linking of terrorism to their neighborhood. Black-Market Weapons Another factor that may contribute to the growth of terror networks in Molenbeek is easy access to weapons. Experts believe many of the assault rifles used in the Paris attacks, which killed 130 people, were purchased illegally in Belgium. "Over the last five to 10 years, the fact is that Brussels has become known for a large black market in illegal weaponry and an illegal arms trade," says Leo Neels, director of the Itinera Institute think tank in Brussels. "For terrorist fighters willing to commit an attack, it is rather easy to find the way." Belgium has a history of lax gun laws that enabled purchasers until 2006 to buy a gun simply by showing an identification card. Restrictions tightened that year after a far-right extremist went on a shooting rampage in Antwerp but by then Belgium's reputation as a weapons market was already well established. Belgian police try to crack down on the illegal arms trade, whose major source is the Balkans. But they have the same challenges in stamping it out that they do with eliminating the illegal drug trade. Intelligence Challenges Yet another reason terrorism networks have found it easy to take root in Brussels is sparsely staffed intelligence services. Belgium's intelligence agency is reported to have just 600 staff members, a third as many in the Netherlands next door. Belgium also has tight rules on how the agency operates, including a law banning house raids at night. "It is true that the Belgian security services have been and still are to some extent underfunded," says Dave Sinardet, a professor of political science at The Free University of Brussels. "It is also true that the political focus and political energy has not always been very strongly oriented toward security challenges." He says that public debate in Belgium has frequently focused on the political problems of governing a country that is divided into three communities with substantial self-rule: a Dutch-speaking Flemish region, a French-speaking region, and a German-speaking region. "We spent years and years focused mostly on internal institutional questions and linguistic issues between Flemings and Francophones and all this time could have been devoted to reforming security policies, but the focus was elsewhere," Sinardet says. Falling Through The Cracks Nowhere is Belgium's decentralized state more visible than in Brussels, the officially bilingual capital. And that extreme decentralization may help account for how a neighborhood like Molenbeek could become home to more and more radicalized individuals over time without causing more alarm. Brussels is divided into 19 communes, each with its own mayor. It also is divided into six police zones, each with its own police superintendent. The result is a duplication of bureaucracies that observers say obstructs the sharing of information. The New York Times recently listed some of the prices Brussels pays. Among them are an inadequate security apparatus for monitoring Molenbeek, an inadequate system for tracking people moving to and from Brussels, and divisions between federal agencies along linguistic and cultural lines that complicate conducting investigations. Human Rights Watch has released a report describing how Sudanese security forces have subjected female activists, human rights defenders and journalists to sexual abuse, intimidation, and other forms of ill-treatment. The rights group says it does not believe any security officer has ever been held to account for these actions. In a new report entitled Good Girls Dont Protest, Human Rights Watch has documented cases in which it says Sudanese authorities abused, harassed and intimidated women who were involved in protests and rights campaigns, as well as journalists and others. Human Rights Watch senior researcher Jehanne Henry says male activists tend not to have the same experience as their female counterparts. So we have got a lot of examples of national security officials in particular, but also police, sometimes, harassing women who are protesting, taunting them, telling them, What are they doing out on the street. it is not the place of women?' And then we have got much more serious examples as well of national security officers or suspected national security officers who have actually abducted or detained women and raped them, said Henry. She described one case from Sudans April 2015 elections, when a female activist was distributing leaflets urging a boycott. She was arrested from outside of her family home, and then driven away, some distance away from town, and she was raped in a very remote location by three national security officers, she said. And then when they were finished beating her and insulting her and raping her, they drove her back to the main road and dropped her off, she said. Sudan is a deeply political culture and women have been politically active for a long time, according to Henry. The report suggests abuses against women seemed to increase as public protests and demonstrations became more frequent around the time of the Arab uprisings, South Sudans 2011 secession, Sudans economic downturn, and uprisings in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. Henry believes it is necessary to highlight these cases of rape, sexual violence, and harassment committed by security forces, in order to ask the Sudanese authorities to take appropriate action. So we want to show that this is happening, ask them to address it by showing zero tolerance for it and by holding security forces accountable when they are found to have done this. And Sudan has denied that its officials do engage in sexual violence, and it has not to our knowledge held anyone accountable for any abuses of female activists, said Henry. Sudans National Security Act of 2010 gives national security officers broad powers, effectively ensuring individual officers will avoid prosecution. Sudan has ratified human rights conventions that prohibit inhuman and degrading treatment, yet public morality laws proscribe a womans manner of dress, movement, and role in public life. Violations can bring punishments of lashing and stoning. HRW is urging the Sudanese government to reform these laws, including the national security act, and repeal corporal punishment. Calls to a Sudan government spokesman for response were not answered. Egypt has launched a new crackdown on human rights groups, questioning staff and ordering asset freezes over accusations they took foreign funding to destabilize the country after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Egyptian rights activists say they are facing the worst assault in their history in a wider campaign to erase the freedoms won in the 18-day revolt that began on Jan. 25, 2011. Some say they are working from home in anticipation of arrests as the noose tightens on non-governmental organizations that have faced growing pressure since the burst of activism that accompanied the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled autocrats from Tunisia to Yemen. It is not clear how many groups will be investigated in the case that has so far affected staff or management from at least six of Egypt's best-known rights groups. They include Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and Gamal Eid, founder of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. An investigating magistrate has banned both men from traveling abroad and ordered their assets frozen pending an April 20 court decision. EIPR associate director Heba Morayef expects that freeze to be extended to the group as a whole, potentially forcing its office to close. "I think some in the security agencies see human rights organizations as part of this global conspiracy to sow chaos, and that is actually in the asset freeze order," Morayef told Reuters. "This would be the biggest blow to human rights organizations in 30 years." Egypt's Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Waly, who oversees the NGO sector in Egypt, did not respond to a written request for comment this week. There was also no comment from Egypt's prosecutors, who have banned reporting of the legal details of the case. Since toppling elected president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013, general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Sissi has overseen a crackdown on opposition in which hundreds of Brotherhood supporters were killed and thousands jailed. The net has widened to include liberal and secular activists at the forefront of the 2011 revolt. Many are behind bars, charged with violating a 2013 law which prevents a repeat of the protests that helped unseat two presidents in three years. Sissi portrays himself as a bulwark of stability in a region that has slipped into chaos since the 2011 revolts, prioritizing security over civil rights. Under pressure NGOs have felt exposed since late 2011, when authorities raided 17 pro-democracy and rights groups, accusing them of joining a foreign conspiracy against Egypt. In 2013, a court ordered the closure of several foreign pro-democracy groups, including U.S.-based Freedom House, and gave jail sentences to 43 NGO staff including 15 Americans who had fled the country. A case against dozens more Egyptian NGOs and lawyers was never closed but remained largely dormant until this year. None of the NGO staff summoned for questioning have been formally charged. Egyptian law allows prosecutors to freeze assets, ban travel and remand suspects in custody for extended periods without charge. NGOs say they have received scant information on the investigation. It is not illegal for NGOs in Egypt to receive foreign funding, according to Negad al Borai, a senior lawyer and anti-torture campaigner who is representing Behgat and others, but that funding may not be used for illegal activities, including those that undermine security. According to a defense lawyer's written notes of the magistrate's asset freeze request memo, the groups in question saw a spike in foreign funding immediately after the 2011 revolt. In the memo, the magistrate concludes that foreign funds were used to harm national security, destabilize Egypt and divide different social classes with the aim of "ensuring the failure of the Egyptian authorities." "This all started because in 2011 ... the security agencies wanted to find an explanation for what happened on Jan. 25. So they said money came to the NGOs before January and this is the cause of what happened," said Mohamed Zaree, Egypt program manager at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS). "But what happened actually happened because of the interior ministry, because of torture, because of repression, because of the state of emergency," he added. Zaree has not been summoned but two former staffers have, and CIHRS shifted its regional studies activities to Tunis in 2014 as the space for free speech shrank. International criticism The crackdown comes at a sensitive time for Egypt, which has been battling an Islamic State insurgency in northern Sinai and a weak economy. It is keen to burnish its international image but has faced new criticism over human rights from the European Parliament since Italian student Giulio Regeni was murdered in Cairo in February. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern last week over Egypt's decision to reopen its probe into the NGOs. In February, authorities closed the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture and the dragnet has widened to include women's groups. This week, the Nazra for Feminist Studies group saw three employees questioned. Its director, Mozn Hassan, has also been summoned. "They want to stigmatize us," Hassan told Reuters. "They want to say publicly that those people are spies, that those people are not patriots." Most human rights groups do not deny receiving foreign funds and say any move to freeze their assets or to close funding sources would severely limit their activities. The campaign to curb NGO activities dates back almost as far as their establishment in the 1980s. NGOs had hoped the law would be reformed after 2011 to give them more freedom. Five years on, the NGO law is still in the works. In the meantime, the Social Solidarity Ministry has ordered NGOs to register under a law that would give it ultimate control over their funding and activities. Groups like EIPR say they have tried to register but faced bureaucratic obstacles. Most rights groups are instead registered as companies or law firms and say they work within the law. "Their goal is to eliminate several organizations that have been outspoken in the past few years," EIPR founder Bahgat said. "I think this is not a bluff." The Iranian government has written to the United Nations defending its recent ballistic missile launch, which was criticized by the United States and other nations. In a letter dated March 23, Irans U.N. ambassador, Gholamali Khoshroo, told the Secretary-General and the Security Council that Iran has not taken any activity that violates the language of a U.N. resolution adopted in July. That resolution calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology. The Iranian ambassador said his government fully honors its commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the July deal with the six major powers on its nuclear program. Khoshroo said in the letter that there is no basis for raising this issue in the Security Council, adding that it is contrary to the prevailing positive environment and detrimental to the good faith implementation of the nuclear deal. On March 14, council members met at the request of the United States to discuss the missile launch. U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said then that the launches were dangerous, destabilizing and provocative and undermine the prospect for peace in the region. She said the United States would not give up in the Security Council and would provide technical information that Iran had made public showing that the technology they used is inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons in defiance of the U.N. resolution. Power added that Washington could consider its own unilateral response. Speaking at a book launch event Thursday, Ambassador Khoshroo said Tehran is happy about the nuclear deal, but at the same time we are not receiving the removal of sanctions on banking and the transfer of money; there still are problems, he added. Of U.S.-Iranian relations he said, a small window of communication has been opened, we are expressing our dissatisfaction to each other through that small window, but the big door is closed. Iraqi forces bolstered by coalition airstrikes have met with stiff resistance in the first step of their offensive to retake the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. About 4,000 Iraqi forces started their advance toward a number of villages about 75 kilometers southeast of Mosul at 6 a.m. Thursday. Pershmerga forces said some of the villages had been evacuated. Reporting exclusively from the scene, VOA observed that the troops came from two directions, creating a pincer movement around the villages. By midafternoon, the troops had seized four villages, but had not yet managed to control all the area, Peshmerga General Najat Ali told VOA. "They advanced, but when they reached those villages, IS attacked them with suicide bombers, by mortars, by machine guns, by those weapons," he said. "They [Iraqi forces] are now stopped; they cannot advance." The forces are from two Iraqi brigades from Iraq's U.S.-trained 15th Division. Also involved are members of Sunni tribes, which many Peshmerga commanders have said are crucial to hold the traditionally Sunni areas. WATCH: Iraqi Forces Start Offensive on IS Stronghold of Mosul From the sandbagged berms of the front line, dark clouds of smoke in the distance rose from the horizon. Peshmerga soldiers said IS had set tires on fire to create clouds of dark smoke in an attempt to obscure their positions. Pivotal fight But as Najat Ali and his forces paid close attention, looking through binoculars, coalition airplanes flew overhead and pounded one of the villages with airstrikes. U.S. officials said coalition aircraft launched multiple airstrikes on at least two locations. WATCH: Video footage from the scene In addition, 200 U.S. Marines were operating out of a small outpost called Fire Base Bell to provide artillery and targeting support for Iraqi forces. Najat Ali said the fight was a pivotal moment. "Now, really indeed, if the Iraqi army succeeds in this operation, they will succeed in the second and third step to liberate Qarrayah and Mosul," he said. "But if they fail in the first step, they will fail to liberate Mosul. They will not liberate Mosul easy; maybe it is harder than before." Another Peshmerga commander located to the north of Mosul said the area the Iraqi army was fighting for included roads connecting Mosul to other Iraqi cities, as well as the Qayyarah bridge across the Tigris river. They are trying to clear this area because it is important, Peshmerga General Hussein Nooraldin told VOA. When night falls ... As it got later in the warm, spring afternoon, Najat Ali said it was crucial for the Iraqi forces to decide whether to retreat or press on. "When it is becoming night, maybe it's a problem for the Iraqi army," the Peshmerga general said. He said his forces were bracing for a possible IS counterattack. Both Kurdish and Iraqi flags flew from the small front-line post, but the Kurdish Peshmerga are not taking an active part in the fight. They are holding the front line at what they consider the border of Kurdish territory. Yet parked directly behind them were mobile and field artillery. The offensive was launched from Makhmour, where a U.S. Marine was recently killed in an IS rocket attack. Iraqi forces have been gathering in the area in recent weeks. The Israeli military detained one of its soldiers Thursday after video showed the soldier shooting a Palestinian attacker who had just stabbed another soldier. A video of the incident in the West Bank city of Hebron shows the Palestinian attacker laying on the ground, while the Israeli soldier approaches him and fires one shot. While the video does not show the soldier shooting the assailant, blood can be seen after the shot rings out, the Associated Press reports. Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner told Reuters the soldier has been suspended from duty while military police conduct a formal criminal investigation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) views this incident as a grave breach of IDF values, conduct and standards of military operation, he said. Prior to the shooting, two Palestinian assailants had attacked the Israeli soldiers with knives. One was killed in initial gunfire before the incident that apparently led to the other Palestinian's death. The injured soldier was taken to an Israeli hospital, where a spokeswoman says he is in stable condition and only sustained light injuries in the attack. Reuters news agency reports the Palestinian Health Ministry identified the two dead men as Ramzi al-Qasrawi and Abdel-Fattah al-Sharif, both 21. Israeli forces have killed nearly 200 Palestinians since October 2015, and say 129 of them were assailants. During the same time period, Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens while carrying out attacks in the streets. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin say that cooperation between the two countries has been instrumental in achieving an unexpectedly successful cessation of hostilities in war-torn Syria Kerry and Putin spoke before going into talks at the Kremlin on the way forward in Syria, on terrorism and the situation in Ukraine Putin welcomed Kerry with praise for U.S. leadership in Syria: "We are aware that the groundwork we have on Syria has only been possible by the supreme political leadership of the United States, specifically by the leadership of President Obama." Kerry said it is fair to say that cooperation between the United States and Russia has made it possible for Syrians to taste and smell what it means to have a reduction of violence and a resumption of some humanitarian aid deliveries after five years of bloodshed. "Mr. President," Kerry said to Putin, "I know you have ideas, and you've already made a very critical decision with respect to draw down forces in Syria. We obviously also have ideas on how we can now, most effectively, make progress in [the United Nations talks in] Geneva, and then the very serious and difficult work of the decision." Kerry also began the talks with Putin on a positive and optimistic note, saying: "I look forward much to the opportunity tonight to be able to find a way forward, and frankly, ultimately to see if we can rebuild the relationship between the Untied States and Russia by proving we can solve some serious problems together and building from there." Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to hold a joint news conference later Thursday after talks between Kerry and Putin. The remarks began with Putin joking about Kerry having to carry his own briefcase in Moscow. Kerry responded, saying he would show Putin what is in his briefcase when they have a private moment, adding that he thinks Putin will be surprised. Earlier Thursday, both Kerry and Putin met separately with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, viewed by some as a sign of Russias increased influence as a power-broker in the Middle East. Kerry also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He said that a partial cease-fire in Syria had been beneficial in reducing levels of violence there, but more remained to be done in terms of both a reduction of violence and the flow of humanitarian aid. Kerry said that the cessation in hostilities has produced the first significant flow of humanitarian assistance to people, some whom had not seen assistance in several years. The talks in Moscow, added Kerry, can help bring the conflict in Syria to an end as quickly as possible. He also said he hoped for cooperation from Russia in dealing with other conflicts, namely those in Yemen and Libya and the Middle East peace process. This is the first high-level, in-person meeting between U.S. and Russian officials since Moscow announced a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria last week. In announcing the trip, Kerry said: We have reached a very important stage in this process. This is a moment to seize, not waste. A senior State Department official said Kerry wants to hear how Putin and Lavrov view the current status of efforts towards a political transition away from the leadership of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The official made clear that the U.S. position remains that Assad must step down in order for there to be a viable path to peace after five years of bloodshed in Syria. He said now that the cessation of hostilities in Syria is going better than many expected, and since Russia is reducing its footprint in Syria, Kerry wants the U.S. and Russia to move forward on a political transition there. Putin has had recent conversations with Assad, the official said, and is likely to have a sense of where the process stands. Brussels attacks Kerry is also likely to discuss Tuesdays attacks in Brussels, which he has called an assault against the Belgian people and against the very heart of Europe. A senior State Department official told reporters traveling with Kerry that the secretary views the Brussels attacks as part of the larger threat posed by the Islamic State militant group, which claimed responsibility for the bombings in the Belgian capital. Ukraine fighting The continued fighting in Ukraine is also likely to be a focus of Kerrys talks with Putin. Kerry said: "We also have some ideas on how we can make faster some progress on ideas with respect to Ukraine." The senior State Department official told reporters President Barack Obama and Kerry are concerned by the recent sharp increase in violations of the cease-fire, and want to see all elements of the Minsk Agreements implemented this year. The agreements represent a package of measures meant to reduce the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. They also authorize the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) access to monitor and verify the cease-fire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the separatist-controlled side of eastern Ukraine. Beginning in February 2014, Russia orchestrated a military intervention and ultimately annexed Crimea a few weeks later, a move that was condemned by the international community which hit Moscow with sanctions. Russia is pushing hard in Europe for an end to the sanctions. Nadiya Savchenko release The senior State Department official told reporters Kerry will definitely raise the issue of the jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko. Savchenko was sentenced Tuesday by a Russian court to 22 years of imprisonment. The pilot was taken hostage by Russia in 2014 and has been on a hunger strike since early March to protest the Russian criminal case against her. The State Department said it is extremely concerned about her sentence because her health is imperiled. She has reportedly endured interrogation, solitary confinement and forced psychiatric evaluation. Kerry will again call on Russia to immediately release Savchenko and other unlawfully detained people. Civil society, NASA Kerry began his trip Wednesday by holding a roundtable with young members of civil society at Spaso House, the residence of the American Ambassador in Moscow. This was the first time Kerry has had a chance to meet with young Russian professionals from all walks of life. Also Thursday, Kerry is meeting with NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and with American astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent one year in space. NASA has worked with Russia on transit to and from the International Space Station since retiring the last of the U.S. space shuttles in 2011. European Union justice and security ministers hold talks in Brussels Thursday on ways to shore up intelligence and security, as police search for yet another suspect in the attacks in the Belgian capital that killed at least 31 people and wounded 300 others. Police have launched a manhunt for a second man who appears involved in the suicide bombing at Maelbeek metro station Tuesday morning, Belgian media report. Authorities earlier identified Khalid El Bakraoui as the assailant in the metro attack that killed 20 people and injured scores more. But video surveillance at the Maelbeek station showed a second man walking with El Bakraoui carrying a large bag, Belgiums Le Soir newspaper reported, citing police confirmation. El Bakraouis brother Ibrahim has been formally identified as one of the two suicide bombers in the airport attacks that occurred the same morning. Media have identified the second bomber as Najim Laachraoui, a bombmaker for Islamic State, who is considered a key accomplice in the November Paris attacks. A third man, captured in airport video pushing a trolley with the two suicide bombers, remains at large. Islamic State claims responsibility The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks, as it did for the Paris attacks in November. Indeed, mounting evidence points to increasingly closer links between the Brussels and Paris terrorist strikes, raising questions about lapses in cross-border intelligence and security cooperation. Those questions will be at the forefront of the EU meeting Thursday afternoon. We need to have a union of security, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said at a news conference in Brussels Wednesday, urging member states to adopt the Commissions proposals on tighter external border controls and measures to make it more difficult to acquire firearms within the EU. Visa-free system Europes visa-free Schengen system, already threatened by the migrant influx, is also under fresh scrutiny. Much of the attention centers on Belgium, as authorities here are increasingly pressured to explain how a terrorist network apparently managed to plot and carry out two attacks in Paris and Brussels within months. Turkish authorities said Wednesday they had caught Ibrahim El Bakraoui in 2013 at the Syrian border and deported him to the Netherlands. Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, the Belgian authorities could not identify a link to terrorism, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Wednesday. For their part, Belgian authorities say the El Bakraoui brothers were primarily known as criminals who spent time in prison. Not everyone is pointing fingers. Who is at fault in the area of terrorism? EU Commission President Juncker asked in an interview with Le Soir. Lets not start criticizing Belgium. I dont share this scorn. Attack 'almost inevitable' Michael Hayden, former director of the U.S. National Security Agency, told VOA the attack was "almost inevitable." "I realize that's a pretty dramatic word," Hayden said. "But if you look at what has happened...the soft targets, the transportation targets, the maximum civilian casualties, (it's) something we could see." Hayden also said it is "certainly not the last" attack Islamic State will carry out, saying the group has a "network that seems to be active and thriving in the heart of Europe." The retired four-star general, who also headed up the CIA, said European intelligence and security agencies could do a better job at sharing information. Counter-terrorism expert Thomas Reynard, of the Brussels-based Egmont Institute, believes cooperation between French and Belgian police is often underestimated. Its not like we just started cooperation, he said. Obviously cooperation between police, between intelligence services anywhere in the world including often within one single country is also difficult. So is this a case of perfect cooperation - definitely not, he added. But whats important is these remain hiccups rather than a major lack of cooperation. Cross-border cooperation The attacks also point to good cross-border cooperation among the assailants. A case in point is Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Paris attacks who was caught in a Brussels police raid last week. On Thursday, his lawyer Sven Mary said he wanted to be transferred to France rapidly. Mary also told the French News Agency his client was not aware that the Brussels attacks were being plotted. Yet last week, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders said Abdeslam told investigators he had been ready to restart something in Brussels. Moreover, evidence points to ties between Abdeslam and the Brussels assailants. Abdeslam and suicide bomber Laachraoui were spotted last September at the the Austria-Hungarian border, driving in a rented Mercedes with a third suspect, Mohamed Belkaid, who was killed during last weeks police raid in the Brussels neighborhood of Forest. Many other suspects in the Paris and Brussels terrorists attacks also appear united by tangled bonds of childhood friendships, family ties or shared prison terms. Both attackers included pairs of brothers, underscoring yet another pattern among jihadi fighters, experts say. Salah Abdeslams brother Brahim was among the Paris suicide bombers, while the two El Bakraoui brothers both blew themselves up in the Paris attacks. Belgians mourn victims Meanwhile, the country remains in mourning for the victims of the Brussels attacks. Flags are at half-staff, and another moment of silence was to be held Thursday afternoon for the victims. At the Place de la Bourse, in downtown Brussels, a steady stream of visitors arrived to place candles and flowers at a makeshift shrine. Hundreds gathered for a second consecutive night on Wednesday to sing and post messages of peace and Belgian pride. I came came here to show I wasnt afraid, said 85-year-old Nicole Olyff who wandered around the square. And Im happy to see there are still tourists in Brussels and so many people coming here. Some high profile detentions of illegal migrants have sparked a debate in Hong Kong over how they should be dealt with. Earlier this week police busted a smuggling ring responsible for trafficking illegal migrants into the Chinese territory. Hong Kong and mainland authorities arrested 11 suspected gang members in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province during raids on more than 20 locations. They also detained 73 alleged illegal immigrants as part of the investigation, including 10 who police said were fake asylum seekers. The migrants come from a range of Asian and South Asian nations, including Vietnam, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are also not the first migrants in recent weeks to be detained for allegedly entering the territory. Controversial declaration One of Hong Kongs leading politicians, Regina Ip, head of the Beijing friendly New Peoples Party, created a controversy this week when she said asylum seekers should be made to live in a detention camp across the border in Shenzhen. It has been done before. Vietnamese boat people have been put in closed camps. The criticism from the courts is that if they are detained for an excessively long period, they ought to be allowed to roam freely in the city, and that has given rise to a lot of law and order problems in Hong Kong, she said. Ip said if made to live in a detention camp, the number of people seeking to come to Hong Kong would also fall, and the government would be able to process the remaining asylum applications more quickly. More than 11,000 people have applied for asylum in Hong Kong. Not everyone is backing the idea, including the territorys top official. Pressure on the administration Hong Kong chief executive, CY Leung said the issue of asylum seekers has exerted a lot of pressure on the administration, but that the establishment of a detention camp in Shenzhen would take too long. Ips proposal has prompted criticism from human rights advocates, who are worried about the liberties of the migrants. Its not clear to me and I dont think its ever been articulated, why the mass deprivation of this highly vulnerable group of individuals would in any way lead to a quicker processing of their claims, said Isaac Shaffer, protection claimant services manager at the Justice Center Hong Kong. Police say many migrants pay thousands of dollars to fly into Shenzhen, where smugglers take them to Hong Kong by boat or over land. Victims of traffickers Two weeks ago a boat of migrants, traveling through fog in the middle of the night, was stopped by authorities. Police said the boat carried 22 illegal immigrants from Pakistan and India, including a three-year-old girl. Yuk Kai Law of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor said many arrive in Hong Kong with massive debts owed to their traffickers. So theyre happily indebted when they arrive in Hong Kong and they have to work for almost seven months without any salary payment, he said. It typically takes the Hong Kong government more than two years to process each application for asylum, at an expected cost of tens of millions of dollars each year. Authorities in southwestern China's Sichuan province have released a Tibetan monk from prison after he served a four-year sentence for pulling down a Chinese flag and scattering leaflets calling for Tibetan freedom, Tibetan sources said. Sonam Gonpo, 26, a monk at the Dza Wonpo monastery, returned to his home in Sershul (in Chinese, Shiqu) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture on March 12, a Tibetan living in India told RFA's Tibetan Service. "His current state of health remains unknown," said RFA's source, Jampa Yonten, citing contacts in the region. News of Gonpo's release was briefly delayed from reaching outside contacts because of strict communications clampdowns imposed by Chinese authorities in the area. "In 2012, Sonam Gonpo pulled down the Chinese national flag at a local school and hoisted the Tibetan national flag in its place," Yonten said. "China later sentenced him to four years in prison on the charge of pulling down the flag and for distributing leaflets." A companion, Sonam Choedar, was detained at the same time and has also completed his sentence, but has not yet been released, Yonten said. Both men initially were held for nine months in secret with no word given to their family members, and were sentenced Sept. 11, 2013, the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) said in a March 23 statement. "The reason for the arrest of Sonam Gonpo [and Sonam Choedar] was in February 2012," said TCHRD director, Tsering Tsomo. The area around Gonpo's native Wonpo Township has been held under tight restrictions ever since protests challenging Beijing's rule swept Tibetan areas of China in 2008, he added. "Monks at Wonpo monastery had steadfastly refused to hoist Chinese flags on their monastery, and the ensuing crackdown led to scores of arbitrary detentions, arrests and unlawful searches of Tibetan homes by Chinese security personnel." According to VOA's Tibetan Service, another Tibetan monk, Khomatsang Jigme, 45, of Jolep village in Ngaba, was released from Mein-Yang prison in Sichuan Province on March 12. It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the A new bottleneck of Cuban migrants bound for the United States has formed this month in Panama, threatening a fresh diplomatic headache in Central America after thousands were flown out of the region earlier this year. Just as Barack Obama was making the first visit to Cuba in 88 years by a U.S. president, 1,500 migrants from the communist island were bunched on Panama's border with Costa Rica, struggling to reach the United States to start new lives. The buildup followed the airlift of about 6,000 Cubans from Costa Rica and Panama, which ended last week. However, another knot of migrants has grouped in western Panama since Costa Rica stopped issuing Cubans transit visas in December to try to stem the human tide that clogged up its border with Nicaragua last year. "If I hadn't left Cuba, I would have ended up in prison because I love freedom and having options," said Halena Leiva, 31, who has worked as a cleaning lady in the Panamanian border town of Paso Canoas since she ran out of money on her way north. During his 48-hour visit this week, Obama challenged Cuba's government with calls for democracy and new economic reforms. Cuba has loosened restrictions on private enterprise in recent years, creating a growing middle class, but most people still earn tiny wages and many of the young wish to work abroad. 'Good change' "With the visit of Obama, this is the beginning of a good change," said Cuban welder Isbel Loriete, 45, who was confident he would find plenty of work in the United States once he got out of Panama. "Every change is good." Last year Cubans took advantage of an open-door policy in Ecuador to head northward, fearful that decades of preferential U.S. policy toward them could be ending. Running the gauntlet of corrupt police and people smugglers, Cuban migrants young and old made the long trek before Cuba stepped up pressure on its allies in the region, such as Nicaragua and Ecuador, to halt the surge. Nicaragua sealed its border in late November and Ecuador imposed visa requirements on the Cubans beginning in December. By then, many of the migrants were already in South America. Over 7,000 were trapped on the Nicaraguan border, and only after much diplomatic wrangling did Central American nations in late December agree to airlift most of the stranded Cubans out. Costa Rica said a final group of migrants left just last week. Still, seven to 10 migrants are still turning up at the Panamanian border every day, on average, local officials say. Luis Hincapie, Panama's deputy foreign minister, said Wednesday that Central American countries, as well as others including Ecuador, Colombia, the United States and maybe Cuba, aimed to schedule a summit to discuss the issue in Guatemala. Voters in New Zealand have soundly rejected a proposed new flag that would replace the British Union Jack in the current flag's upper left corner with a silver fern. Preliminary results released by the nation's electoral commission Thursday showed just over 56 percent of those participating in the postal-only referendum want to keep the current 114-year-old flag, compared to 43 percent who voted for the new design. The referendum was the result of an 18-month debate that cost taxpayers $17 million. Supporters of the proposed new flag, led by Prime Minister John Key, said the current version is a relic of New Zealand's colonial past, and too closely resembles that of neighboring Australia. But others mocked the alternative flag as nothing better than a beach towel, and said the referendum was a legacy-building exercise for Prime Minister Key, who enjoys high approval ratings after eight years in office. The alternative flag was among more than 10,000 potential designs submitted when the process began in 2014, and was picked as the final choice in an earlier referendum. The proposed replacement flag maintained the circular four-star pattern that represents the Southern Cross constellation seen on the current flag. The Swedish Academy, which selects Nobel Prize winners in literature, denounced the Iranian government Wednesday for issuing a death warrant in 1989 against British author Salman Rushdie. In February of that year, Ayatollah Khomeini, Irans spiritual leader, accused Rushdie of blasphemy for what he had written in his novel "The Satanic Verses." Khomeini issued a death warrant for Rushdie, and the author was forced into hiding after several of his translators and publishers were attacked and murdered. Since Iran first issued the death sentence 27 years ago, the countrys leaders have occasionally raised the reward on Rushdies head. In recent weeks, state-run media outlets in Iran announced the decision to raise the bounty by an additional $600,000. In a statement posted on its website Thursday, the academy, for the first time, officially denounced the death sentence and reward, calling them flagrant breaches of international law and rules of civilized interaction within the world community. The Swedish Academy decries the retention of the death sentence for Salman Rushdie and that state-controlled media are permitted to encourage violence directed at a writer, Tomas Riad, the academys secretary, wrote in the statement. 1989 death warrant When Iran first issued the death warrant in 1989, the academy issued a statement defending Rushdies right to free speech, but didn't explicitly back the author. The academy referenced its code against getting involved in political issues. When asked why the academy chose to issue a statement now, Riad told the Associated Press increased diplomatic relations between Iran and western countries in recent months forced the academy to revisit the still-active death warrant. The issue came up in the academy and we decided to do it, he told the AP. It wasnt a controversial decision. "The Satanic Verses" caused controversy in Muslim communities throughout the world when it was released in 1988 due to its use of themes from the Quran. Countries throughout Africa, Asia and South America banned the book, and it was burned during demonstrations some of which turned violent in England and Pakistan. The southeastern U.S. state of North Carolina has passed a law banning local governments from allowing transgender people to use public restrooms and locker rooms for the gender with which they identify. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, a Republican, signed the bill on Wednesday, after the state legislature convened a special session to pass the measure quickly. The new law was timed to take effect before the city of Charlotte could enact its new law allowing transgender people to use public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity rather than their biological sex (the gender recorded on a baby's birth certificate). Opening the special one-day session of the legislature was reported to have cost $42,000. The state law was not passed without argument. In the state House of Representatives, about a third of the Democrats voted for the law along with the Republicans. In the state Senate, all 11 Democrats walked out of the chamber in protest, leaving the 32 Republicans -- who would have won the vote anyway -- to pass the measure with no opposition. Supporters of the new state law say allowing transgender people to use the restroom of their choice would give men easy access to women's bathrooms and vice versa, allowing potential predators to enter those restrooms by claiming they were transgender. Opponents of the state law say transgender access laws in other places have not had those results. The law does not apply to single-occupant bathrooms. The new state law also creates North Carolina's first statewide nondiscrimination policy for public places, including hotels, restaurants, and taxis. But it does not include protection for sexual orientation or gender identification (gay and transgender people) and also prohibits local governments from extending protection to those groups. Other U.S. states such as South Dakota and Tennessee have tried to pass such laws recently, but failed. U.S. President Barack Obama said the United States was slow to speak out on the atrocities committed during Argentina's former dictatorship but says his administration will "confront the past with honesty and transparency." "What happened here in Argentina is not unique to Argentina and its not confined to that past," said Obama in Buenos Aires. "Each of us have a responsibility each and every day to make sure that wherever we see injustice, wherever we see rule of law flouted that we are honest witnesses, that we are speaking out, that we are examining our own hearts and taking responsibility to make this a better place for our children and our grandchildren." Obama on Thursday visited a memorial park to victims of the so-called "Dirty War", on the 40th anniversary of the coup that installed a brutal military regime. The president said that it takes courage for a society to address "uncomfortable" truths about the "darker parts of its past." "Confronting crimes committed by our own leaders, by our own people, that can be divisive and frustrating. But its essential to moving forward to building a peaceful and prosperous future in a country that respects the rights of all of its citizens," Obama said. Criticized visit Declassified U.S. documents have shown that the United States backed the regime that human rights activists say was responsible for the death or disappearance of some 30,000 people between 1976 and 1983 - the Dirty War period. Obama has said his administration will try to make amends by declassifying more documents which made further detail the role the United States played in the dictatorship. Critics of the president's visit, including many who lost friends or relatives during the years under the military government, say the Obamas should not have come to Argentina on such an important anniversary. Protests linked to the anniversary are expected in Buenos Aires and across the nation. Obama is the guest of Argentina's new president, Mauricio Macri, who is intent on strengthening the strained ties between the two nations. Macri said Wednesday that the Obamas' visit came "at a perfect time" because, he said, "Argentines have understood and decided to build mature and reasonable relationships with every country in the world." Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia - tenuous at best since the 1979 Iran revolution - have plummeted in the wake of an international nuclear deal with Iran and Saudi Arabias execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric in January. The two rivals have mended explosive rifts in the past, and some analysts say its time they mend the current one, lest they ignite a direct war that could swallow the whole region. Detente is the better option, said Jean-Francois Seznec, senior fellow in the Atlantic Councils Global Energy Center and an expert on the political economy of Gulf states. I would argue that having low oil prices is making life much more difficult for both Saudi Arabia and Iran, he said. They have huge demands on their treasuries. The Saudis have a lot of cash on hand and can last longer, but if there were a major military conflagration, it would ruin both of them, and I think they realize that. Saudi Arabia has another reason to mend fences with Iran: For all its boasting , its military isnt up to war with Iran. The Saudis have spent $700 billion over the past 20 years or so building up their military, and the U.S. has been training the Saudis for fifty years, said Seznec. But their military structure until lately was very poor, just a way for various clans to show off their toys, but not necessarily to defend the country. Furthermore, the booming shale industry in the U.S. means America is not as dependent on Middle East oil imports and unlikely to help out.The U.S. is less interested in losing people and money to defend countries which have less interest, in terms of economics, he said. Iranian overture? But Iran can ill afford any further military adventures, after years of conflict, tough sanctions, and the drop in oil prices, Seznec also points out. Iran is really close, I think, to the brink of bankruptcy," he said. "The only way for their economy to improve would be to work with the Saudis to bring up the price of oil a little bit, which can only happen with Saudi effort and Saudi help. Iran's predicament may explain a recent report in Kuwait media. It said that Irans intelligence minister recently visited Kuwait with a written message from the Iranian president, looking for quiet dialogue toward settling issues with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and restarting relations with Gulf Arab countries read, Saudi Arabia. Kuwait asked for Iran to lift custodianship of Shi'ites in Gulf and Arab countries as a confidence-building measure, some media reports say. While GCC members are reported to be considering the overture, sources say Riyadh is not likely to make any official response. The problem of Syria Iran, however, will not do what Saudi Arabia really wants it to do, that is, withdraw from Syria, says Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denvers Josef Korbel School of International Studies. They are in Syria for reasons that have very little to do with sectarian theology and everything to do with Irans national security doctrine, its competition for regional hegemony with the Saudis and primarily its access to Hezbollah, said Hashemi. And Iran knows that if the Assad regime falls, the successor regime is going to be deeply antagonistic to Iran, very sympathetic to the Saudis, and that would be a game changer in terms of Irans influence in the region. This statement only supports Saudi Arabias narrative. The Saudis view Iran not just as the main threat to their own security, but they also see it as the primary cause of the tumult that has gripped the region over the past few years. They maintain that Iran has a pattern of supporting militant Shia groups that want to oppose their will on their respective countries, with the Lebanese Hezbollah being the prime example, said Fahad Nazer, a political analyst with JTG, Inc. and former political analyst at the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C. This week, the U.N. announced that warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a ceasefire and renewed peace talks. Could this have any impact on the Cold War between Saudi and Iran? It will certainly help diffuse tensions between Tehran and Riyad, but it is not a game changer, said Hashemi. Nazer is equally doubtful. Bringing the bloodshed in Syria to an end is an even bigger priority for Saudi Arabia than is stabilizing Yemen, he said. The Saudis view the war in Syria as an era-defining conflict that could have long term repercussions for the entire region for years to come. At least seven police officers were killed in a suspected insider attack in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, authorities said. The early morning incident Thursday happened at a security outpost in the district of Arghandab. Officials said the slain members of the Afghan Local police, or ALP, were asleep when three of their colleagues sprayed them with bullets and fled the scene along with the victims' weapons and ammunition. Taliban claim responsibility A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility and said the attackers safely rejoined the insurgent ranks. The ALP is a community policing system established about six years ago to protect villages and remote districts around Afghanistan because of the insufficient presence of army and police forces there. Provincial authorities have launched an investigation into the deadly attack in Kandahar, which borders Pakistan. Insider attacks have killed up to 30 Afghan security forces since the beginning of the year and the Taliban has claimed responsibility for most of them. Meanwhile, clashes between supporters of rival warlords in Maimana, the capital of the northern province of Faryab, left at least one person dead and wounded several others on Thursday, provincial police officials said. The violence involved loyalists of ethnic Uzbek Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum and the governor of neighboring Balkh province, Atta Mohammad Noor, an ethnic Tajik leader. The trouble happened after thousands of Dostum supporters had gathered for a rally to protest the defacing or removal of billboards in Balkh featuring the Afghan vice president. Afghan security forces intervened and brought the situation under control, officials say, adding tensions still prevailed in the region. In Cameroon, President Paul Biyas backers are urging him to move up national elections and seek another term for himself while opponents say his 34 years in power has been more than enough. On Thursday, both camps staged demonstrations here in the capital, and members of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement marked the partys 31st anniversary by showing support for the president at events across the country. Here in Younde, supporters sang that Biya is their leader and father and that, at age 83, the man remains sharp enough to be president for as long as he wants. Charlemagne Messanga Nyamding, a CPDM central committee member, said his party wants Biya to change the constitution and organize early elections. The next presidential poll is scheduled for 2018, and a term is seven years. Biya already revised the constitution in 2008 to remove presidential term limits. Nyamding said Cameroonians have always loved Biya. He said they continue to believe in the president because he has shown through experience, courage and determination that he's the best person to develop Cameroon and protect it from crisis and security threats. Opposition efforts But across town, opposition parties organized protests. Lawmaker Patricia Ndam Njoya of the Cameroon Democratic Union said the country should concentrate on more pressing matters such as development, reforming the electoral code and defeating Boko Haram. The militant extremist group has been attacking security forces and civilians in the north since last year. Njoya said she found it curious that, with increasing security threats from Boko Haram terrorists and Central African Republic militants, Biya would be so focused on retaining the presidency for life. She called it a total injustice. Njoya said opposition groups need to unite behind a single candidate, something they never have been able to do before. Ruling party central committee member Benoit Ndong Soumet said those who say they dont see positive steps by Biya are blind and ungrateful. No end to African strongman era Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since November 1982, is the oldest sub-Saharan African president after Robert Mugabe. The Zimbabwe leader, who turned 92 in February, has headed that country since late 1987. The end of the African strongman era was predicted back in 2014, when mass protests in Burkina Faso ousted President Blaise Compaore after 27 years in power. But several countries have proved otherwise. The longtime leaders of Uganda and the Republic of Congo have just won fresh terms in office, though results of both polls are being contested. Ugandas Yoweri Museveni has ruled since 1986; Congos Denis Sassou Nguesso has led his country since 1979 except for five years in the 1990s. Rwanda overwhelmingly voted yes in December to change its constitution so President Paul Kagame, who has held office since 2000, could run for as many as three additional terms. And Chadian President Idriss Deby, leader since 1990, looks poised to win a fifth term in April. South Sudan President Salva Kiir fired his foreign affairs minister Wednesday who served a role throughout the country's 27-month civil war. In a decree read out on national television, Kiir gave no explanation for firing Barnaba Marial Benjamin and also did not name a replacement. However the move followed calls for Marial's resignation after comments purportedly made by him that inferred the oil-rich region of Abyei was not part of South Sudan. I have been relieved of my duty as the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation for the Republic of South Sudan this evening by a presidential decree by my president, Salva Kiir Mayardit. I greatly appreciate the confidence that he has placed in me for the last three years as minister of foreign affairs, Marial said. He denied he was fired because he had said the oil-rich region of Abyei was not a part of South Sudan. Abyei is a disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan whose Ngok Dinka population has voted to join South Sudan. A recent foreign ministry statement signed by Marial and sent to the United Nations said a prominent Abyei-born academic, Luka Biong, is Sudanese. Marial said he supports the Abyei Protocol which says the status of the region should be decided by its Ngok Dinka and Misseriya tribes through a referendum. Our position, as I articulated as a foreign minister is that Abyei has joint sovereignty for the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan, and thats why the Abyei Protocol said there should be the right of self-determination by the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms to choose whether they go back to South Sudan where they originally were or remain part of Sudan, Marial said. Abyei held an unofficial referendum in 2013 and the regions Ngok Dinka ethnic group said it wanted an alliance with South Sudan. But the results were never recognized by the governments of both South Sudan and Sudan. Abyeis other major ethnic group, the nomadic Misseriya tribe, whose leaders are allied with Sudan, did not participate in the vote and said they would not recognize the referendum results. Survivors of the Srebrenica massacre said the 40-year jail term handed down on Thursday to Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic for war crimes and genocide was not tough enough and came too late. "I am so disappointed," said Bida Smajlovic, 64, who watched a live broadcast of the verdict with her two sisters-in-law in Potocari, a Srebrenica suburb where the three women saw their husbands for the last time 21 years ago. "We have been in shock ever since the first gunshot and this is yet another one," she added. All three of the husbands perished when Bosnian Serb forces, commanded by General Ratko Mladic, took over the U.N.-protected area of Srebrenica on July 11, 1995. They separated women from men and massacred about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the following days in Europe's worst single atrocity since World War II. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found Karadzic guilty on 10 counts of crimes against humanity and violations of the customs of war, including the genocide in Srebrenica. It acquitted him of charges for genocide in seven other municipalities. "I wish there was capital punishment," added Vasva Smajlovic, 73. "My husband is dead for 20 years and Karadzic is still alive. At least I expected a lifetime [in] prison." The streets were empty in what is now a ghost town and there were only rare passers-by willing to comment on the verdict on the president of the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic and the supreme commander of its armed forces during the 1992-95 war. Bida Smajlovic's husband tried to escape through the woods but was killed along with his two brothers. Their bodies were found in two separate mass graves in the eastern Bosnia, where bones of the Srebrenica victims are still being dug out 20 years later. "This came too late," sighed Bida Smajlovic, who lives alone in her home overlooking 7,000 white tombstones where the victims were buried. Another 1,000 are still unaccounted for. "We were handed down a verdict in 1995," she said. "There is no sentence that could compensate for the horrors we went through or for the tears of only one mother, let alone thousands." Many Bosnian Serbs however defend Karadzic and believe that Serbs have been unjustly targeted by The Hague tribunal. "The 40-year imprisonment is unfair and will contribute neither to truth nor to trust in our region," said Mladen Bosic, the head of the Serb Democratic Party [SDS] that Karadzic founded in 1990. "The Hague tribunal has once again shown that it is a political court, the politically-based verdicts were handed down to all Serb leaders from Serbia, [Bosnia's autonomous] Republika Srpska and Croatia," he said. "It hurts that this day is chosen to pronounce the verdict [to Karadzic] in the Hague," Bosnian Serb president Milorad Dodik told reporters shortly before the verdict. He was speaking at a ceremony in Serbia to commemorate the anniversary of the start of NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia in 1999. Syria says its forces have fought their way into Palmyra, the ancient city held for nearly a year by Islamic State insurgents who destroyed many of its Roman-era antiquities. Syrian state television said Thursday that government troops backed by Russian warplanes pushed into the city. Islamic State fighters used loudspeakers to warn civilians to leave as the fighting intensified. The state news agency SANA showed Russian planes flying above the city, helicopters firing missiles and soldiers and armored vehicles advancing. Destruction Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site known as the "Pearl of the Desert," has been held by Islamic State since May. To widespread condemnation, the insurgents blew up many of the city's world-renown relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and looted centuries-old artifacts. The head of Syria's antiquities and museum's agency, Maamoun Abdulkarim, said he hoped the government's advance on the city would end the "nightmare" of last year's Islamic State takeover. He called the fight for Palmyra a "cultural battle for the entire world, and everyone who believes in common human heritage." The Syrian broadcast said fighting is occurring near one of the archaeological sites. One soldier said he had a message for the Islamic State fighters: "You will be crushed under the feet of the Syrian Arab Army." Dwindling population Palmyra's one-time population of 70,000 dwindled to 15,000 under Islamic State rule. The extremists' harsh tactics, including public beheadings of supposed opponents, sparked the exodus. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors fighting in Syria with frontline accounts from inside the country, said most of the residents fled before the government assault this week. "Only those too poor to flee stayed behind," the monitoring group said. If forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regain control of Palmyra, it would be a strategic as well as symbolic victory, since the city is the gateway to the vast desert extending from central Syria to the Iraqi border. The Turkish military says its warplanes have carried out airstrikes on Kurdish rebel positions along the border in northern Iraq. The airstrikes, which took place late Wednesday, struck 11 targets, including ammunition deports, bunkers and shelters, belonging to the Kurdistan's Workers' Party or PKK. The attacks took place in Iraq's Hakkurk, Haftanin and Avasin-Basyan regions. The military said 26 PKK fighters were killed during shellings Tuesday in Turkey's southeast. Turkey said more than a thousand militants have been killed in the largely Kurdish southeast since the PKK cease-fire collapsed in July President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said more than 300 members of the security forces have died, while the pro-Kurdish opposition says hundreds of civilians have also been killed. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and European Union. Ukraine's parliamentary speaker emerged Thursday as the front-runner to replace unpopular Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, signaling a breakthrough in a political crisis that has lasted months. Current and former members of the ruling coalition met to discuss nominating Volodymyr Groysman, 38, a former mayor and ally of President Petro Poroshenko, but stressed the appointment could only work if parties can agree on a new coalition deal. Support for Yatseniuk's Western-backed government has plunged since he took power after the 2013-14 Maidan protests, and his government has been hanging by a thread since three parties quit the coalition, the first in September. Coalition infighting and corruption have stymied reforms demanded by Kyiv's Western backers and derailed negotiations for a new $1.7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund needed to prop up the war-torn economy. Groysman might be a good compromise candidate to balance competing factional interests. But he would still need to convince the United States, the European Union and the IMF, all increasingly frustrated with Kyiv, that Ukraine would honor its international commitments. "I believe that all commitments ... regarding implementing the IMF program, issues relating to EU association, regarding the free-trade zone with the European Union, must be carried out by Ukraine seamlessly," he said at a news conference. "This is a question of our reputation." Miklos to cabinet? Groysman said he would invite former Slovak Finance Minister Ivan Miklos, currently an adviser to the finance minister, to join his cabinet, but did not specify for which post. Groysman's appointment is not a shoo-in, even assuming Yatseniuk will finally bow to calls to resign, and it is likely to come only after days or weeks of fractious talks between parties. "I am sure that if we do not resolve the political crisis, the only way out of the crisis will be via snap parliamentary elections," Yuriy Lutsenko, a senior lawmaker in Poroshenko's party, told reporters. Technocrat Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko, a foreign-born former fund manager, had also been considered as a candidate. While championed by Washington as a reformer, lawmakers said she lacked support in parliament. Groysman is seen as a talented orator who has grown in confidence as speaker a role that requires a calm authority to manage the bickering and brawls that periodically interrupt sessions in Ukraine's parliament. "Groysman is able to find a compromise with all politicians. Groysman knows every deputy he knows their desires, interests and foibles," Serhiy Leshchenko, a lawmaker from Poroshenko's party, said in an interview with Ukrainian news site Liga. "Groysman knows how to use these instruments to reach agreement with different groups of deputies." Dozens of bikers have been indicted in last year's deadly shootout between two rival biker gangs in Texas that left nine people dead. A grand jury Wednesday indicted 48 more bikers, bringing to 154 the number of people facing felony charges for the melee that also injured 20 others. Prosecutors said all the bikers are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and could face 15 years to life in prison if convicted. A biker gathering at the Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas, last May turned bloody after a confrontation between the Bandidos and Cossacks biker clubs became chaotic and bloody, as police swarmed into the gunfire and dozens of bikers ran for cover. Security ministers of four West African countries on Thursday pledged to improve cooperation in fighting terrorism plaguing the region. Dozens of locals and foreigners have died in hotel attacks in recent months. Ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Ivory Coast ended a two-day meeting here Thursday by agreeing to improve how they share intelligence and coordinate their national security services, as well as to standardize legislation for better border controls. The meeting was called in the wake of the terrorist raids in all the countries except Senegal. Hamed Bakayoko, the Ivorian minister of interior and security, said the countries had collaborated before but want to work together more closely. "We were all fearing these attacks. Now we are in the heart" of them, Bakayoko said. "So our situation has changed. Thats why we want to go further in our strategy of global response to a global threat." Improved border control sought The ministers also agreed to push West African countries to implement a biometric identity card system to better track people within the region. "We should not think that we are well enough prepared and that there will be no more problem," said Malis security minister, Salif Traore. " We need to learn lessons of what has been happening." Jihadist group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for several attacks since November. Then, terrorists struck a tourist hotel in the Malian capital of Bamako, killing 20 people. A January attack on a hotel in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou left 30 dead. And on March 13, militants besieged a beach resort in Grand Bassam, the Ivory Coast's former capital, leaving at least 19 dead. Senegal, unscathed but wary Senegal hasnt suffered a recent attack, but Interior Minister Abdoulaye Diallo, said his country quickly would implement measures to thwart terrorism. "We are going to go very, very fast," he said, "because the threat is taking shape, becoming clear." The ministers also have agreed to raise public awareness about the need for vigilance and for cooperating with security services to anticipate and monitor religious radicalism. Nepals Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli appears to be creating history on his visit to China, which began March 20 and ends this Sunday. The prime minister has signed several agreements aimed at reducing Nepals centuries-long economic dependence on India, including a plan to create a railway thoroughfare from China through the Himalayas. On Wednesday, Beijing and Kathmandu signed a deal under which China will supply petroleum products to Nepal, which has been dependent on India for this product. Beijing is also finding ways to reduce Nepals dependence on India for electricity by planning a transmission line across the border. "Nepal can be a bridge between China and India," Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday, putting his stamp of approval on the moves. Xi has reasons to be pleased at the turn of events, according to analysts, as an earlier attempt to establish strong linkages with Nepal in 2008 did not succeed. The move has military connotations because the Himalayan Heights are a crucial strategic asset. Additionally, the Indian military has a close relationship with the Nepali forces and Beijing would be keen to dilute it, analysts said. Oli said last week that Nepal wants to utilize seaports in China for its foreign trade. Currently, 90 percent of Nepals foreign trade passes through India. We have been an India-locked country. We are now developing a strong partner in China, and opening up new transit routes, Rajan Bhattarai, a member of parliament from the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), told VOA. Tunneling Himalayas Many, however, regard these moves with skepticism because of Nepal's daunting mountain terrain, its cultural connectivity with India and Olis tenuous position in the Nepali political theater. India has said Nepal is within its rights to seek other partners; but, some believe New Delhi may be concerned about the new situation because linking Nepal and China with railways would give the Chinese military a unique advantage over rival India. I don't think China would do anything in Nepal that would seriously hurt Indias interest and affect its own relationship with New Delhi, Pramod Jaiswal, senior research officer at Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi, said. China needs Indias vast market for goods and infrastructure construction a lot more than it needs Nepal. China's Foreign Ministry has acknowledged that the cross-border railway was still at the proposal stage, and that a feasibility study has not yet been done; but, analysts said the capability of Chinese railway engineers to take the Tibetan railway line to the Nepali border should not be underestimated. At one stage, Chinese officials talked about digging tunnels through the Himalayas to quickly stretch the railway line to the Nepali border. Separately, Chinese railway engineers demonstrated rare tenacity as they laid tracks across the mountain ranges in Tibet. Political opportunism? The prime ministers actions follow a massive border blockade created by agitating opposition forces, which stopped the flow of goods from India for weeks until it was resumed recently. Nepal had accused India of supporting the agitators from the Madhesi community -- mostly people from Nepals plains with close links with India. They were opposing provisions in a new constitution that denied them certain rights. Oli has been forced to amend the constitution to accommodate the Madhesi demands. [The] Nepali prime minister is upset with India over the blockade. He wants to invite China to counterbalance India in Nepal, Jaiswal said. There is another reason driving Oli closer to China, according to analysts. His party does not have a majority in parliament, and depends on the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which is known for its pro-China stance. These two parties were rivals earlier. Many people believe China played a role in bringing them together, Jaiswal said. Nestled in the Himalayas, Nepal has been known to the world largely for Mount Everest, for the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini and for being an almost 100 percent Hindu kingdom next to India. The countrys only political significance has been its role as the first stopover for Tibetans fleeing from China to India in the hope of seeing the Dalai Lama. Observers say they believe China relies heavily on the Nepali army and police force for blocking the entry of fleeing Tibetans, and keeping a close watch on Tibetan refugees already settled in Nepal. Every country has its own reasons for enhancing friendship. We understand what issues are sensitive and important for our neighbors, and we try to do what we can for them, Rajan Bhattarai said. Zimbabwe Ambassador to Belgium, Tadeous Tafirenyika Chifamba, says indications are that all Zimbabwean citizens are safe in the country following terrorist bombings at the local international airport and train station on Tuesday. Ambassador Chifamba told VOA Studio 7 that some Zimbabweans, who were supposed to arrive at the airport on the day of the bombings, went to Paris, France, and used buses to get to Belgium. The information that we have is that all Zimbabweans are safe, at least I can speak on behalf of the diplomats and their families. I can also speak on behalf of students who are studying in Belgium. We have been actively contacting the authorities here and we are aware that one or two Zimbabweans were transiting through Brussels but fortunately they were not affected. For some that we were expecting yesterday (Tuesday) they disembarked in Paris and came by bus to Belgium. So far the information that we have is that no Zimbabweans were affected. Asked about the current security situation in the country, Ambassador Chifamba said it was tense and the authorities were doing everything in their power to keep the situation calm but on maximum alert. He said the bombed airport is still closed with indications that it may open Thursday or as soon as they are convinced that the place is cleared and safe for use. On warnings by the United States that terrorists were planning to carryout more attacks, he said, Europe is not the only theater of turmoil in todays world. I guess it is fair to say what we see emerging particularly after the attacks in Paris and elsewhere, I guess there were some scares in the UK last year and here in Brussels, is that a new normal seems to be emerging that perhaps until and unless the problem of ISIS is addressed as well as issues to do with extremism and terrorism we might be in this kind of situation for the long haul. He noted that the U.S appears very much concerned as one of the bombed checking-in counters at the airport were for airline plying the American routes. Authorities say 31 people died in the explosions, which left over 271 people injured. Intelligence officials said Wednesday that a 25-year-old Islamic State bomb maker who was involved in the Paris attacks in November was one of two suicide bombers who targeted the Brussels airport this week. Authorities said Najim Laachraoui, who was born in Morocco but grew up in Brussels, was identified as a key participant in the Paris attacks after his DNA was found on suicide vests used in the operation. His DNA was also found Tuesday at an apartment in Brussels where authorities think bombs were constructed. Meanwhile, a second man identified as a suicide bomber in Tuesday's Brussels attacks had been detained by Turkey and deported but was released by European authorities about eight months ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday. Erdogan said his government warned authorities in Belgium about Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who was stopped in southern Turkey near the Gaziantep border crossing into Syria. The Turkish president said el-Bakraoui was deported last July but was then subsequently released, "despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter." Globally today, millions are taking time out to commemorate World TB Day, observed every year on this day, March 24. Tuberculosis is a deadly and infectious bacterial disease that kills millions annually, and health organizations are using this years occasion to call on everyone to Unite To End TB. Algerian-based, Zimbabwean junior doctor, Chipo Chatukuta, says less is known about the deadly nature of TB than HIV/AIDS. Very few people understand the gravity of this disease because most people know that it can be cured, it can be treated, it can be presented, she said. People take HIV more seriously because they know its a disease that cannot be cured. For many people afflicted with this disease life is not easy, as 53-year-old Annie Chitamba explained. Sometimes its embarrassing to have to explain to everyone, Chitamba, who has three children, said. Its difficult for me, its just a change of life. We have more on this for you on our evening broadcast. Tune in at 7:30 pm on the 909 medium wave and on the 4930, 5940 and 15460 shortwave frequencies, and on our website WWW.VOAZIMBABWE.COM. Some former white commercial farmers, who lost their land under Zimbabwe's controversial agrarian reforms introduced in 2000, have welcomed moves by the government to compensate them for farms, which were seized by the state. However, several displaced farmers remain skeptical about the government's sincerity over the issue. Some evicted white farmers relocated to urban areas while others resettled in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Britain, among several other nations. They ventured into commercial farming and are said to be doing well in these countries. Zimbabwe refused to compensate them after forcibly taking over their land. At least several farmers decided to take the matter to local and regional courts. They ended up being granted an order in South Africa to auction property belonging to the Zimbabwean government in an attempt to get some form of compensation. The recent announcement by President Robert Mugabe's government that it intends to compensate the farmers for the seized land has been received mostly with skepticism by some of the farmers. $8,6 BILLION FOR COMPENSATION They say Zimbabwean leaders lack the political will to settle such matters and the capacity to mobilize financial resources to fund the exercise due to the depressed economy widely projected to grow by only 1,5 percent this year. Independent evaluators estimate that Zimbabwe needs to pay the farmers $8,6 billion for seized assets such as houses and about $2,8 billion for the land. The ruling party leadership has vowed that Zimbabwe will never to compensate farmers for the land. Former white commercial farmer, Jonny Rodriguez, who ventured into wildlife management after losing his land, says the government is too broke to pay any kind of compensation to the evicted farmers. He says to make matters worse, it will be difficult to come up with agreed compensation figures as most farmers lost farm ownership documents when the state embarked on what he terms a chaotic land program. Another former commercial farmer, Kerry Kay, believes that the government's move is an acknowledgement that the land reform scheme was disastrous. PESSIMISTIC Hendrik Oliver, chief executive of the Commercial Farmers Union, says his organization is pessimistic at this stage of the deal because there were no significant moves towards compensation by government in the last 16 years. Olivier says the talk of compensation for seized land by high-ranking government officials, including Lands Minister Douglas Mombeshora, gives them a bit of hope and is looking forward to see some action on the part of state. Like Rodriguez, Oliver says the government would struggle to raise funds for compensating the farmers. He says Zimbabwe needs to speed up the process as some ageing destitute former white commercial farmers are struggling to make ends meet because they had invested everything on their farms. The government is planning to introduce some taxes on occupied farms in an attempt to raise money for paying for the seized farms. The farmers hope that the latest moves by the government would finally settle the land disputes, resulting in the revival of the agricultural sector, which once contributed significantly towards Zimbabwes Gross Domestic Product. LAND SECURITY Charles Taffs of African Farming Solutions says land can only be fully utilized in the near future if farmers are able to access bank loans using land as collateral. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are pressing Zimbabwe to pay its huge debts and have set conditions, including the compensation of white commercial farmers who lost their land, before opening new lines of credit for the nation. Zimbabwe passed a law in 1992, which stipulated that only underutilized land would be expropriated with the government paying compensation for fixed assets on seized white-owned farms. At least 3,500 farmers lost their land under Zimbabwes controversial land reforms. Zimbabwe was prevented by some provisions of the Lancaster House Agreement to take over white-owned commercial farms in the first 10 years of independence. The country settled for the willing-seller-willing buyer scheme, which saw some farmers refusing to part with vast tracks of land. It then used the Land Acquisition Act of 1992 to seize their properties in order to fulfill one of its main objectives of the liberation struggle - giving land to the majority black population. But indications are that only a few black people linked to President Mugabes government benefited from the land reforms. Every year on March 24th, millions of people around the world join the United Nations in commemorating International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The purpose of the Day is to honor the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice and pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in, the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all. It is also designed to recognize, in particular, the important work and values of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, of El Salvador, who was assassinated on March 24, 1980, after denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence. In his message to mark the day, United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, said, On this day, I urge states to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated. Let us all do more to protect human rights and human dignity." Alouise Mutanga, director of the Association of the Victims of Political Violence based in South Africa, said rehabilitation and compensation is needed for victims of political violence. We need to be compensated because some victims houses were taken, some victims houses were destroyed because we supported the opposition. Some people were chased away from their homes by their headmen especially in the rural areas. Discrimination and victimization must end. We have not received food aid from government, we are struggling. Some of the victims of violence include people in Matabeleland and the Midlands provinces who were killed, maimed and displaced by a crack army unit trained by the communist North Korean government. Belgian authorities piece together trail of suicide bombers A picture emerged Wednesday of the men who bombed the Brussels airport and a central subway line killing scores, with prosecutors and media naming two brothers and a Belgian with links to Paris as the search continued for a fourth attacker. GALLERY This screengrab, released by the federal police on demand of the Federal prosecutor shows three suspects of the attacks at Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, Tuesday 22 March 2016. The men on both the left and right are yet unidentified, the man at center has been the identified by the Federal Prosecutors office on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 as Ibrahim El Bakraoui. Brussels (dpa) - Brothers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were known to police and had extensive criminal records that were not linked to terrorism, federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said. The third man, reported by state broadcaster RTBF to be Najim Laachraoui, was already sought as a suspected bomb maker in Novembers terrorist attacks in Paris.Ibrahim, 29, was one of two suicide bombers who died at Brussels Airport. Khalid, 27, died in the attack at the Maelbeek subway station, where an explosion tore through the second wagon of a train that was headed away from the neighbourhood housing EU institutions.A fourth suspect is on the run after having dropped off at the airport a bag containing "the most significant" explosive charge that had been prepared for the attacks, Van Leeuw said. But the bomb only went off later, once a bomb squad was on the scene.The two attacks in the Belgian capital, which happened about one hour apart on Tuesday, left 31 people dead and 300 injured. The Belgian Health Ministry said that 150 people were still hospitalized and 61 were in intensive care.Most of the injured, representing 40 nationalities including three European Commission staff members, suffered burns that in some cases were accompanied by "war injures like lesions related to a powerful blast," the ministry said.The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attacks.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said one of the suspects had been detained in his country near the border with Syria, which has long served as a a gateway for fighters, including Islamic extremists, to join armed groups participating in the Syrian civil war.The man, identified as Ibrahim El Bakraoui by broadcaster CNN Turk, was deported by Turkish officials. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens told local media that the man had been deported to the Netherlands.European officials held a minute of silence to commemorate the victims, as French Prime Minister Manual Valls met with his Belgian counterpart, and US Secretary of State John Kerrys office said he would travel to Brussels on Friday to reiterate US support for the investigation and international efforts to counter violent extremism.In Brussels, many gathered around an impromptu memorial in front of the former stock exchange wondered how the Belgian-born attackers could have turned on their home."I think a whole lot of questions about our society will take place," one of the citys deputy mayors, Ans Persoons, told dpa.Movement in the city has been limited since the attacks, and the airport will remain closed to passenger flights through Friday. The Maelbeek subway station could remain closed for weeks; some roads in the centre were blocked by police.Details on the attackers provide potential insight into a complex network reaching across Europe. Laachraoui had been sought for months by his alias Soufiane Kayal in connection to the November 13 attacks at bars, cafes, national stadium and a concert hall in Paris that left 130 people dead.Laachraouis false identity was recorded by Hungarian authorities when he travelled to Budapest with the key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam. Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels last after months on the lam.Traces of Laachraouis DNA were also found in a house and an apartment in Belgium that are thought to have been used by the Paris terrorists before their attacks. He travelled to Syria in 2013.Khalid used a false identity to rent an apartment in the Brussels neighbourhood of Forest where a shootout with police occurred during a terrorism raid last week, the broadcaster RTBF said. He is also thought to have rented a hideout in the southern city of Charleroi that was used to prepare the Paris attacks.The three airport bombing suspects, including one who is still unidentified, had been picked up by a taxi driver in the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaerbeek before the attack.While searching the building where the three men had come from, police found 15 kilogrammes of explosives, 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide, detonators, a suitcase filled with nails and screws and other bomb-making material, prosecutor Van Leeuw said.In a trash bin in the same street, investigators found a computer that contained Ibrahims will.He wrote that "he was in haste, not knowing what to do, being sought everywhere, not being secure anymore and that if he drags this out he risks to end up ... in a [prison] cell," Van Leeuw said. President Robert Mugabe once described the Five Brigade atrocities in Matabeleland and the Midlands provinces in the 1980s as a moment of madness. In the late 1980s, he set up an inter-ministerial committee headed by the late Vice President John Nkomo to look into possibilities of bringing closure to the massacre of an estimated 20,000 innocent civilians. The committee never made any recommendations as it was disbanded without a public announcement. Recently, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been strongly defending allegations that he was among top state officials, who were involved in the killings, which resulted in the setting up of the Simplicious Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry to probe the massacres. The report was never made public. Caught up in allegations over the massacres is former Education Minister David Coltart, who recently published a book, which alleges that Mnangagwa made disparaging remarks about so-called dissidents and their supporters, mostly aligned to PF Zapu then led by the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo. Mnangagwa has threatened to sue Coltart for defaming him. What can Zimbabweans learn from the Five Brigade or Gukurahundi massacres? For perspective, we reached Reverand Ray Motsi of the Baptist Church, whose PHD thesis was on Five Brigade massacres, and Dr. Shepherd Mpofu of the University of Johannesburg. Motsi says there is a lot that is needed before victims of the massacres get state compensation. First and foremost there must be an acknowledgement, acknowledgement of that happened and this acknowledgement can about if people explain what happened to themselves by being given the opportunity to talk and also there must be people that did this and we know them they must be still alive especially the commanding group He said this is supposed to be a national agenda as state funds were used when the Five Brigade committed the atrocities in the two regions. Ndebeles are citizens like everybody else and so they must be accorded their rights to be able to be addressed as Zimbabweans and not just people who came from somewhere. He noted that an inclusive approach is needed in addressing this sensitive issue as relatives of victims want some kind of closure. Dr. Mpofu echoed the same sentiments, noting that all people who are linked to the atrocities need to come out in the open and talk about the issue. He said the Ministry of National Healing has over the years become a toothless entity. Moses Mzila Ndlovu, who once presided over the ministry, was arrested when he addressed a meeting on Five Brigade atrocities in Lupane, Matabeleland North, a place where some of the killings took place. It seems that was just done to put a blanket over our faces and not to face the real problems Noone knows exactly what happened (during the Gukurahundi atrocities). We have three thesis that explain those things. One, it says is was a Shona versus Ndebele issue. Secondly, it was Mugabe wanted to exterminate Nkomo supporters and the third one there was a Super Zapu funded by South Africans to destabilize Zimbabwe. And what we really want to know now is what really happened. He further said, The genocide has always affected Shona/Ndebele relations in Zimbabwe and even the national identify project that Zanu PF seeks to create it has always been affected by that. He said some people have even attributed Ndebeles position, mostly of deputies, in various institutions via Gukurahundi. If children in Matabeleland are to be swallowed by a river trying to cross to school How do you explain that? Gukurahundi. Under-development in Matabeleland How do you explain that? So, Gukurahundi has become an auto explainer to many things that go wrong in Matabeleland. And for you to stop that you need the government to explain those things and come out clean. Reverend Motsi echoed the same sentiments, noting that Zimbabweans should be free to discuss Gukurahundi atrocities. We must grant people who are victims an opportunity or whose relatives were victimized, and died and disappeared to talk about it. This whole idea of putting a lid on Gukurahundi continues to traumatize people. I kind of keep annoyed when people talk about reconciliation and forgiveness. What would you be forgiven for when you havent acknowledged what the problem is? So, for me this is a national agenda, this is a Zimbabwean problem. Shonas and Ndebeles must come together and address this issue. Its not a tribal issue, its a national issue. I am saying this because I am Shona. I need everybody to know that. Dr. Mpofu said some Shonas have been victimized for the atrocities. I think the Reverand (Motsi) has to also say those in power because its not Shonas who are responsible for this. Some Shonas have been victimized as responsible while there have nothing to do with it. He said Zimbabweans should pressurize the responsible people to answer for the atrocities through specific political parties or non-governmental entities. Technology and healthcare have always gone hand in hand, and with the health of the world in crisis at the moment through the We can see it. Photo: HBO, Getty Images Darren Star, the creator of Sex and the City, said that his first pick to play the love of Carrie Bradshaws life, Mr. Big or John if you prefer was actually another handsomely suave man: Alec Baldwin. I was thinking of Alec Baldwin for Big initially, Star told EW. But I met with Chris Noth and thought he was perfect. I remember the first table read, how good he was. John Corbett, who played furniture hottie Aidan Shaw, was also not Stars first pick. We initially were thinking about Aidan Quinn for Aidan, but I think he wasnt available, said Star. I loved John Corbett in Northern Exposure, and we were like, Well, whats John Corbett been up to? He just had the laconic, dudish vibe. But we kept Aidan because we loved the name. It all worked out: Alec Baldwin went on to do 30 Rock, and Chris Noth stamped himself in our hearts as Mr. Big. Hes like the Chrysler Building. Classic. The titular character of Pastor Tim is only seen once: As a corpse, lying dead in the cabin where he goes to write his sermons, the apparent victim of a faulty space heater. This isnt the real Pastor Tim, however, only part of Elizabeths dream. She watches as Paige discovers her spiritual mentor, dead at her parents hands, only to have the man morph into Elizabeths rapist, Nikolai Timoshev, whom Philip killed way back in the pilot. Its quite the juxtaposition, and the sort of thing you can really only get away with in dream sequences a tactic The Americans rarely deploys. In this specific case, Elizabeths dream functions as a canny, economical summation of her fears surrounding Paige and what shes done. Pastor Tim may not take part in the onscreen action in Pastor Tim, but he informs much of the episodes emotional thrust, if not its main action. (More on that in a bit.) Through the bug in the church office, Elizabeth discovers that Paige told Pastor Tim her secret, leaving her parents with an impossible decision: Do they dispose of the problem in their usual way, leaving the very real possibility that Paige discovers what they did? Or do they, as Philip suggests, try to work Pastor Tim? The choice seems obvious to Elizabeth, who wants the miserable son-of-a-bitch out of their lives, but the ever-accumulating bloodstains on Philips hands make him resistant to taking down another innocent, it would seem. Elizabeth makes the very good point that if Paige were to find out, shed almost certainly never be part of the Directorate S second generation thus giving Philip what hes wanted all along but is it worth them losing their daughter in the process? (Of course, being raped by her commanding officer ultimately didnt deter Elizabeth from her mission, so maybe Timoshevs appearance in her dream implies she recognizes the faultiness of this logic deep down.) Ultimately, its a decision they dont have to make, because Paige forces their hand by coming forward and telling Elizabeth what she did. This puts them in a classic no-win situation; they cant get rid of the man who could destroy their family without Paige figuring out what they did, which would then destroy their family. Were in trouble, Elizabeth murmurs as the episode closes, as she and Philip are visually trapped within the shadows of their parked car, the specter of Pastor Tim closing in around them. Whether Pastor Tim knows the full implications of the information hes received is unclear we saw him pumping Paige for more details last episode, but his motives for doing so are still open to interpretation. He could truly be acting out of a desire to help Paige and protect his community, or he could have darker motives. The thing is, his motives ultimately dont matter; information is what matters in The Americans, which makes Pastor Tim a massive threat to the Jenningses, Directorate S, and the KGB. The specific circumstance surrounding how he got that information through Paige is the only thing keeping him alive. Unfortunately, the security guard Philip encounters on the airport shuttle has no such protection. The guard stumbled upon a sensitive situation, so Philip had to neutralize the threat brutally, and to the strains of a synth-pop classic, no less. The Americans use of contemporary songs is one of its hallmarks, and tonights Tainted Love sequence is the upper echelon of the series musical pantheon, up there with Tusk from the pilot and last seasons chase scene set to The Chain. Soft Cells 1981 hit has a dark edge that belies its buoyant synth line which makes Philips split-second decision to dispose of the security guard exponentially more unsettling than it already was. Granted, Philip tries to work the situation first, attempting to explain away his contacts squirrelly behavior. But the Russian pilot whos been tasked with transporting that dangerous pathogen is far too spooked to play along with the ruse, forcing Philip to give the bioweapons mission its first instance of collateral damage. Philip strangling the security guard to death (while his frightened contact looks on) is pointedly ironic, given his reluctance to kill Pastor Tim. The kill doesnt come easily to Philip he unloads on Elizabeth when he gets home, returning once again to his memory of bludgeoning that bully with a rock. But when faced with the possibility of blowing his cover and ruining the mission, he acts pragmatically and brutally to neutralize the threat. Hes capable of no such pragmatism when it comes to Pastor Tim, though, because Paige is involved. Collateral damage is one thing; ruining his daughters life more than he already has is quite another. But heres a question: Would Philip have acted so pragmatically were this another mission? He is plainly desperate to get that vial out of his possession, out of his home, and out of his life. He even resists when Gabriel informs him that hell be responsible for transporting the vial out of country, a battle he clearly loses. (Guess that new computer from the Center was Gabriels trump card.) The look of anger and terror on Philips face when he sees the pilot didnt take the vial, leaving it once more in his possession and making the security guards death absolutely pointless man, you just gotta feel for the guy, murderer or no. This is all on track for where Philips character has been heading, but whats interesting about Pastor Tim is that we begin to see Elizabeth losing her bearings, as Gabriel puts it during their meeting in the park. The combined stress of the Paige debacle, the Glanders threat, and her mothers death has left Elizabeth more unsettled than were used to seeing her. Gabriel seems to sense this, attempting to defuse the situation any way he can though his tactic of telling Elizabeth her dying mother said she loved her may have backfired, as she doesnt believe it for a second. (From what we know of Elizabeths mom, who was apparently a sentient block of ice, shes probably right to suspect Gabriel is trying to appease her with a lie.) Going back to that final line Were in trouble one gets the sense that for the first time in recent memory, Elizabeth is truly at a loss. Hell, you know things are bad when shes considering accompanying Philip to EST. Elizabeths openness to EST is surprising to us as well as Philip. Up until now, weve gotten the sense that any sort of ideology that might fall under the spiritual heading is verboten in her personal philosophy. (Opiate of the masses and all that ) Shes still clearly skeptical, pressing Philip about the timing of all this and insinuating that his bad feelings about their pickup last episode stemmed from EST. But she also seems to recognize that Philip has been having a hard time lately, and the fact that she is willing to talk to him about what hes getting from EST feels like a small victory for the Jenningses marriage, which has always been fraught with ideological tension. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, were treated to a quick glimpse of a much different sort of marriage: That of Nina and Boris, her heretofore unseen and almost-unmentioned husband from what seems to be a lifetime ago. (Thanks to those who pointed out last week that Nina has mentioned her husband once before, to her cellmate last season.) To call Nina and Boris estranged would be an understatement; while she was sending him goods from America (the scheme that got her into this mess in the first place), he was raising another family something Nina seems aware of, and fine with. Theirs was (and is) a marriage of convenience, and both seem to recognize theres nothing left in the relationship for them. My world was too small for you, says Boris, who expects Nina to finally ask for a divorce. But Nina, inscrutable as always, has other plans, slipping Boris a note to smuggle out of the country, which will inform Antons son that his father is alive and in Russia. I share in Anton and the wardens incredulity that Nina would take such a risk. Im honestly not certain whats motivating her behavior. Does she really have such strong feelings for Anton that shes willing to stick her neck out for him? It wouldnt be the first time, I guess whatever her ultimate goals, Nina seems to have legitimate feelings for both Oleg and Stan, and took on enormous risks for both of them. Is Anton just the latest extension of that impulse? Is this part of a longer con? Or has her time in prison and the laboratory left her so fixated on the ideas of comfort and family something she spent a lot of time talking with Anton about that she feels compelled to do this for him? As is usually the case with Nina, its hard to tell whats going on behind those big, gorgeous eyes. Back in the U.S., and on the other side of the inscrutability spectrum, we have poor Henry Jennings, forgotten by everyone but Stan, who at least hasnt transferred his anger toward Philip onto his son. Henrys mac-and-cheese brodown with Stan is pretty much the only moment of levity in this very dark episode. It also unveils some important clues in the Mystery of Henrys Cologne, which we now know is Ralph Lauren, and may have been stolen from Stans house. (We never do see Stan return with the unopened bottle of the stuff he bought for Matthew, which leads me to suspect Henry has been nurturing those kleptomaniac tendencies he first displayed a couple seasons back.) Henrys friendship with Stan is a strange one, not least because it highlights how far he is flying under his own parents radar. Paige is taking up all their energy right now, but Henry is growing up fast fast enough to appreciate a zipper-front dress and has potential to cause just as much trouble as his older sister, if not more. If Paige and unsuspecting Pastor Tim led to this much upheaval, imagine what Henry and Stan could be capable of. Better hope Henry never tears his eyes off that computer and actually notices whats going on around him. Breakups are rarely clean. Theres always a last-ditch effort or a heartfelt plea that creates confusion and moments of self-doubt. Is breaking up the right choice? That confusion and doubt is even more compounded when youre ending a relationship with a co-worker and that co-worker suggests you pretend to get married as part of a vigilante ruse. I mean, weve all been there, right? After a brief hiatus, Arrow returns with Broken Hearts, an episode that examines the fallout of Felicitys decision at the end of Taken to break off her engagement with Oliver. At the outset, Felicity puts on a brave face. She has a manic energy about her as she makes moving arrangements and discusses her breakup to-do list with Oliver. Its not cold or heartless but a very realistic way someone as analytical as Felicity would cope. Shes determined to move forward and to keep things professional between her and Oliver. She makes very clear that she expects to stay a part of Team Arrow. Forever and always, Oliver says in a way that would make even Malcolm Merlyns heart melt. Oh boy, Felicity. Oliver is not going to make this easy for you. Arrow loves a good parallel, so while Oliver and Felicity navigate their post-breakup status, psycho stalker Cupid (a.k.a Carrie Cutter) arrives in town to wreak havoc on newly married couples. And by havoc I mean killing. Where her previous M.O. had been an obsessive love, this time Cupid is bitter and borderline nihilistic. The reason for her new morose outlook on love is that her Arrow died (i.e., the Roy death fake-out from Broken Arrow), as did her quasi-crush Deadshot. Team Arrow learns early on that Cupid has returned, and Thea makes the connection that Cupid is attacking celebrity couples the ones famous enough to have their own portmanteau nickname like, say, Olicity. When Team Arrow head out to protect the next targeted couple, the Green Arrow thwarts Cupids attempt to harm the couple by shooting one of his rope arrows at her. But hes unable to keep her tied down (oh, the symbolism!), and Cupid breaks free. (The fact that Cupid doesnt think that the Green Arrow is the same Arrow from before is a bit silly. I mean, she was his stalker and had clippings of him all over her apartment. Of all people, she would have memorized that jawline. But Cupid does have a few screws loose, and Amy Gumenicks performance is charming enough that I give this logic leap a pass.) While Team Arrow tries to get a handle on Cupid, Laurel tries to keep Damien Darhk behind bars. I legitimately forgot that Laurel was a DA, and Im pretty sure she did, too, because she appears at a bail hearing for the most dangerous man in the city without being able to cite any shred of evidence. And to top it off, Thea and Felicity are the ones who point out to Laurel that she should use Team Arrow as witnesses because of that one time Darhk kidnapped them and tried to kill them. Thats right. Former shoplifting truant Thea has a better legal instinct than Laurel. Laurel takes their advice and puts Dig on the stand. But Darhks lawyer challenges Digs credibility when he reveals that Dig and Thea were involved in a big drug buy together. Dig, of course, cant reveal that it was part of their vigilante work. Seeing Laurel in a bind, Quentin offers to testify about his secret work for Darhk, even if it means Quentin ends up in jail. Quentin, ever the police captain, wants to see Darhk behind bars no matter what. After some initial resistance, Laurel later puts her father on the stand. As Quentin publicly confesses to helping Darhk, you can sense Quentins relief at coming clean. Paul Blackthorne played this scene nicely, but besides his testimony, I thought the court scenes really dragged the episode down. They felt low-energy, which isnt a bad thing per se, but there wasnt enough excitement and action in the remainder of the episode to counterbalance it. (And I know Arrow can do courtroom scenes well. Moira Queens trial in season two stayed compelling for a number of episodes.) Meanwhile, Felicity is at the lair trying to track Cupid. She examines fibers found in a glove Cupid left behind at a scene and surmises that Cupids hideout is located at a long-term storage facility for wedding gowns. Team Arrow investigates, and, sure enough, at the facility Cupid has a crazy vision board that is full of newspaper clippings of celebrity engagements. Not surprisingly, one of those clippings is an announcement for Oliver and Felicitys engagement. This leads Oliver to a so-crazy-it-just-might-work idea: He and Felicity should get married to bait Cupid. Felicity balks at the suggestion, but Thea and Dig are onboard. Thea wants to leak the news of a secret wedding as a way to tip off Cupid. Theres even a venue available: Oliver confesses that hes been too heartbroken to cancel the venue for Oliver and Felicitys planned nuptials. (The crack in Olivers voice as he explains this doesnt make me want to cry or anything. Its just my allergies.) Felicity, whos become increasingly defensive and cutting over the episode, is not moved by Olivers confession, but shes willing to go through the awkward exercise to help the team. Cut to the faux wedding. Moira Queen would be rolling around in her grave if she saw these basic business-conference ballroom furnishings. Hes Oliver Queen! Shes the CEO of a major corporation! Surely, even on short notice, the couple could have found something a bit more aesthetically pleasing, or at least with less bejeweled privacy screens. The wedding begins with just Oliver and Felicity and an officiant, who jumps right into the vow portion of the ceremony. Felicity tosses off a few cold and cynical statements, while Oliver uses the opportunity to throw an emotional Hail Mary pass. His vows are genuine, heartfelt, and delivered with enough sentiments like the way you make me feel is the best part of my life that Felicitys post-breakup facade starts to crack. He slips the ring on her finger and vows never to lie to her again. But before she can respond, Cupid arrives and shoots Oliver with an arrow in the heart! But this is not Olivers first day off the island, and hes prepared with a Kevlar vest. He quickly gets up off the ground, but a Kevlar vest wont protect him from the C4 charges Cupid has planted around the venue. Before she pushes the trigger, Cupid gives an acerbic speech about the pointless nature of love. Felicity uses that opportunity to convince Cupid that love is what makes life worth living and makes specific references to her and Oliver. In essence, her speech to Cupid acts as her vows to Oliver. She even throws Oliver a few lovey-dovey glances. But the moment is interrupted when Thea and Diggle come in to take out Cupid. After a brief fight, Cupid is detained. Darhk is also detained. Quentins testimony swayed the judge, and so shes ordered Darhk to jail until his trial. Hes taken back to his cell, and there, with a devious grin, he slips on his wedding ring. Is he missing Lady MacDarhk that much? Or do you think theres a bit of magic in that ring? While Darhk puts on his ring, Felicity once again returns Moiras ring to Oliver. She gives a great speech to him in the lair about Olivers default to Island Oliver, and that she cant trust that he wont lie to her again. Oliver, almost in tears, begs her to give their relationship another chance. Oliver, for once in his vigilante life, is operating on emotion and optimism, while Felicity is keeping a practical, emotional distance. In a way, its like the inverse of season-three Olicity. Emily Bett Rickardss and Stephen Amells performances this episode were nuanced and powerful. Their scenes, for me, are what pushed this from a mediocre episode to one worth watching on a second viewing. Rickards, in particular, really nailed that kind of hazy, gray phase of a breakup. While some might see Felicitys fluttering between love declarations and reconfirming her breakup as an inconsistency, I see it as realistic portrayal of someone coming to grips with the end of a long-term relationship. A breakup is never simple when you still love the other person. And Felicity makes clear she loves Oliver, but, more important, she loves and values herself outside of that relationship enough to step away. The shot in Taken when Felicity puts the engagement ring on the table was pretty devastating. But nothing prepared me for this episode, which has the most heart-wrenching shot of season four so far, even surpassing Oliver holding Felicitys lifeless body: Felicity removing her flash drive from the lair. Felicitys going to quit the team! FLASHBACKS The magic idol in the cave sequence felt a bit Raiders of the Lost Arclite. The best I can say about the flashbacks is that at least Tiana and Ollie havent stuck their tongues down each others throats yet. YET. BULLS-EYE Loved the shot of Oliver watching Felicity walk into the venue. A great callback to the look he gives her in The Dodger, one of my favorite season-one episodes. I liked the choice to bring back a darker Cupid. It prevented her return from feeling too repetitive from previous episodes and gave her a bit more of an edge. The grimace leading up to Olivers Hey we need to get married. Thumbs-up for pulling off Funny Oliver in a heartbreaking Olicity ep! Thea reacting to hearing that Cupid is attacking celebrity couple Alison and Robert: Alibert! Thea was kind of fun this episode. Willa Holland played her a little more loose and carefree. Olicity gets a shout-out in the news scrawl! Not too many remarkable stunts this episode, but I did enjoy Speedys wild limo ride and slam into that building. But Im already gone, Felicity to Oliver, when he tells her he doesnt want to let her go. With Felicity gone, Im hoping theyll bring Curtis into the mix. Im pretty sure Olivers plan to win back Felicity is to look as casually dapper as possible. Cupids double arrow shot in the opening scene. MISSING THE MARK I still find myself rewinding scenes too often because the audio is so muddled. The scene where Cupid first gets away from the Green Arrow was a bit convoluted. Not sure if it was the directing or the structure of the scene or the brides acting, but it didnt quite click for me. NUMBER OF SHIRTLESS STEPHEN AMELL SCENES: 0 (those suspenders, tho) Come find me on Twitter and tell me what other vows Oliver should have made. Theres plenty to enjoy in Philadelphia, but as I watched, I found myself wishing for what it could have been. That said, the episode does reveal that Abbis dad is Tony Danza, so its tough to complain too much. Can someone please give Broad Citys casting director a raise? Though Abbi and Ilana live within ever-changing circumstances they are, after all, the platonic ideal of early twentysomethings Broad City isnt too interested in having its characters change, and Im just fine with that. They dont need to. Nevertheless, it seems odd that this episode doesnt come with higher stakes for Abbi as a character. Philadelphia takes place in Abbis hometown, introduces us to her dad, and gives us further insight into her shameful past as a jam-band devotee. While these details hint at a lingering fear Abbi worries that she wasnt a good person when she was younger the story line doesnt really find ways to explore and exploit this insecurity. Thats a missed opportunity. Yes, the trip to Philadelphia is plenty fun. But a lot of the events within the episode could have been transposed to New York; it doesnt feel all that different. What makes a hometown visit special is a hyperspecific type of regression. Its a particular sort of experience, which can only happen when youre not far enough removed from your childhood to be entirely different from who you once were. The same way its fun to see how Ilana is entirely the product of her mother, it would have been nice to see how a childhood spent growing up west of Philadelphia turned Abbi into Abbi. But I digress. Abbis dad TONY DANZA! ABBIS DAD IS TONY DANZA! is planning to turn her childhood bedroom into an infrared sauna, so Abbi and Ilana trek out to gather up her belongings. Alongside evidence of a tween crush on David Schwimmer and the remnants of ill-advised dreadlocks, they also discover a vintage JonBenet Ramsey Beanie Baby and an envelope full of money that Abbi had raised for a classmate named Alice Ackerman, who was hit by a bus. Two things become immediately apparent: Ilana has to sell the JonBenet Beanie Baby for an exorbitant amount of money. Abbi has to find Alice, whose life was surely ruined by the accident, and give her the money she raised so long ago. In the hopes of finding Alice, our heroes head off to a bowling alley owned by the Ackerman family. They have to pull from the cash envelope to rent shoes, but its worth it, because Abbi ends up running into her old friend Carl Schiffiless (pronounced like syphilis), who had a big crush on her when they were in high school despite Abbi pointing out his unfortunate name to their classmates. While Abbi and Schiffiless make out in the locker room, Ilana tries to broker a deal on the JonBenet Beanie Baby. Eventually, the bowling-alley attendant gives in and tells them where Alice lives. After the battery on Abbis Jeep dies, they try to hitch a ride with some teens, who will only agree if theyll buy them booze. Abbi and Ilana do so with $200 from the Alice fund but the deal is off when there are cops waiting right outside the liquor store. Left without a ride, they do what anyone would do: They get absolutely smashed while roaming the streets of suburban Philadelphia, looking for the house the Ackermans supposedly live in and, if they can find it, the house Will Smith allegedly purchased for his mom. The JonBenet Beanie Baby is stolen by a local dog, leaving Abbi and Ilana to drunkenly fight him off. After they wrestle back the Beanie Baby, they find themselves standing in front of a gorgeous house, which turns out to belong to Alice Ackerman herself. Not only was Alice fine after the accident, shes also gotten ridiculously hot and lives in this amazing place with none other than Carl Schiffiless. When its revealed that Abbi has not only taken hundreds of dollars from the fund that she initially forgot to donate, but also made out with Alices boyfriend on her first day back in town, shes understandably pissed, so Ilana offers her the Beanie Baby as a consolation prize. While they walk away from the house, Ilana reveals that it was worth over $13,000. Now its Abbis turn to be pissed. I wish I could tell you Tony Danza had more to do in Philadelphia. At least he joins in for a breakfast dance sequence over the credits, giving us a really cute glimpse into Abbis relationship with her dad, but thats about it. Im hoping well see more of him. Between Danzas dance moves and the revelation that Abbi sucked in high school, there was just enough to justify pulling the girls out of New York for an episode but next time they venture outside the five boroughs, Id love to see the trip affect them just a little more. Other Thoughts: Jian Ghomeshi at his trial. Photo: David Cooper/Getty Images Canadian radio host Jian Ghomeshi has been cleared of all sexual assault charges, THR reports. The charges drew from accusations made against Ghomeshi by multiple women who claimed that the CBC host had sexually abused them. In his ruling, Canadian judge William Horkins dismissed the charges against Ghomeshi four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking arguing the three women who testified in the case were not credible witnesses, thanks to inconsistencies and outright deception in their stories. I am forced to conclude that it is impossible for the court to have sufficient faith in the reliability or sincerity of these complainants, Horkins said. Put simply, the volume of serious deficiencies in the evidence leaves the court with a reasonable doubt. Still, he clarified, that is not the same as deciding in any positive way that these events never happened. Ghomeshi, who also fronted the indie band Moxy Fruvous, has claimed that any abuse that occurred was part of a consensual BDSM arrangement. In a statement, the CBC said it stood by its decision to fire Ghomeshi in 2014. Don Cheadle in Miles Ahead. Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics When, in 2006, Miles Davis was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a family member announced that there was a biopic in the works starring Don Cheadle which was, as it turned out, news to the actor. But the idea was inspired. As the cocaine-addicted Davis in Miles Ahead, Cheadle has the right wariness and sad, shocked-open eyes. He can seem at once self-contained and feral. His rhythms are his own. Cheadle ended up co-writing (with Steven Baigelman) and directing Miles Ahead, too, and its half-marvelous. But it was hobbled from its inception. After years of jumping through hoops, Cheadle couldnt get enough financing without a white co-star who turned out to be Ewan McGregor, playing a journalist pushing a story on the musicians five-year disappearance (circa 1979) from the music scene. Its not as bad as it sounds, though. Rather than employing the usual, dopey, birth-to-death biopic scenario, Cheadle focuses on a single episode and leaves plenty of room for flashbacks. The emotional gist is that Davis has never recovered from the loss of his wife Frances Taylor (Emayatzy Corinealdi), who finally fled when after cheating on and beating her Davis pulled a gun and began hunting phantom intruders. The movies actual scenario is a pure fantasia, complete with a McGuffin an elusive session tape made during Daviss fallow period that his record company wants and a nefarious manager (Michael Stuhlbarg) and his client, a young trumpeter (LaKeith Lee Stanfield), steal. Theres a lot of raging and gun-waving and even a car chase, and it might have all come together with a better, less abrupt payoff. Stanfield who played a fiercely hurting teenager and wrote his own devastating rap in Short Term 12 looks more and more like a major actor, and he doesnt let the machinations of the story penetrate the characters sphere of arrogance. Everything thats great in Miles Ahead seems marginal to the main plot when Cheadle lets himself go with the flow. His style is jazziest when he travels into the past, as Miless memories drift in on a wave of blue notes and cigarette smoke and the younger Miles aloof but not oblivious surveys his listeners before fixing on Frances. As embodied by Corinealdi, shes too much woman for Miles, not just ripely beautiful but bursting with a need to make her own art. Jealous whenever she travels (despite his own myriad sex partners), Miles makes Frances give up classical dance to devote herself to him. He bends his bandmates to his will, too, but gives them room to find their inner pulse. Miles Ahead probably doesnt show enough of Daviss rapport with Gil Evans and Herbie Hancock for the true fan, but it captures what you hear on many of Miless records the sound of great artists alone together. The writer George Grella Jr. described Davis as an intensely, erotically intimate soloist: you overheard his thoughts, and he was telling it like it is. Thats what Cheadle evokes when hes onstage and he is, at the very least, fingering the notes, having grown up playing sax. This is probably Cheadles most electrified performance since the one that made him a star, as the incorrigibly homicidal Mouse in Devil in a Blue Dress. Hobbled by illness, his Miles still seizes the space, using Daviss high rasp to force people to lean in close. When he smokes cigarettes, he smokes hard. He burns too hot to settle into existing forms. He might have wished the movie broke out, too. *This article appears in the March 21, 2016 issue of New York Magazine. Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images Unfortunately, you only really feel the true impact of a person when they die. Every loss is a reminder that we dont say I love you enough, we dont give those hugs that we should have, we dont squash beefs until its too late. But theres something eerily beautiful in dying; even though you dont get to see the results, its your final life examination. What did you do while you were here? Who did you touch? Did you change peoples lives? And will you truly be remembered when youre gone? Waking up to news of the passing of Malik Phife Dawg Taylor, member of A Tribe Called Quest, was like a gut punch Ive only felt a few times in adulthood Michael, Luther, Whitney, Bowie. While I was refreshing my Twitter in shock around 8 a.m., my roommate walked out of his room, saying, Phife died, man. Its not right, and just left to go to work. It was clear this would be a day when nothing else really mattered. All you wanted to do was talk to the people that got it, avoid at all costs those that didnt, and hope that the masses felt the same way as you. When we lose some people, the outpouring of support isnt what youd hoped it would be. With Phife, that most certainly isnt the case. Its something about the death of a lyricist that hurts a different way. Yes, its about the person, and its this familiar voice you know, but youve also spent such a significant portion of your life effortlessly repeating their lyrics, after a not-so-effortless period of time attempting to perfect them. Award Tour off of Midnight Marauders was among the first rap songs I forced myself to learn, without ever consulting the crib sheet that was the CD insert. Over and over again: listen, rewind, listen, rewind, listen, rewind. This was not in 1993, however I was 6 when the album came out. This was a few years later, because by virtue of an 1987 birthdate, Tribe was not my group. I was not a Tribe fan in real time. Once I learned about Tribe and played catch-up, there was no turning back; I was a superfan, forever. But I wasnt a ATCQ/De La Soul/Jungle Brothers/Leaders of the New School kid wearing black medallions, no gold in 1989 I was 2 years old. And because of that, out of respect, my initial reaction was to defer to those who did come up with Tribe, and to take a back seat. But looking at how the day has unfolded, its a reminder that Tribe was a rarity. Because Tribe was for everyone. It didnt matter when you got on the Tribe train, all that mattered was that you hopped on. A Tribe Called Quest mattered to everyone. And in that, Phife the Di-Dawg, the five-foot assassin mattered to everyone. When many people die, the outpouring of love comes from one corner of society. Its this thing in which some are aware of what happened and others dont have the slightest clue what people are so sad about. Thats not what has happened today with Phife. I witnessed more people having something to say about Phife than not. Watching young kids, people in their 40s, 20-something rappers, sportscasters, talk-news pundits, athletes some of everyone pay their respects on social media today has been an amazing thing. People throwing out their favorite lyrics has been a very real, cathartic process. You can almost see the person who tweets the lyric as the younger version of themselves, rapping them aloud in their room, behind the wheel, at a party. What a beautiful legacy to have, more people feeling something than not. Theres one completely left-field tribute, however, that made me smile, truly summing up how far-reaching Tip, Phife, Ali Shaheed, and Jarobis music got, and how much it meant to people. Traffic reporter Mark Arum from Atlantas WSB-TV, with the help of anchor Fred Blankenship and reporter Mark McKay, threw Phife lyrics into an entire segment about the morning commute. The entire segment. Its not perfectly executed, which is why its so perfect. This isnt some shit brand trying to capitalize on the news of the day, these are just some dudes that clearly grew up on Tribe, were feeling some type of way about the news, and wanted to pay their respects in the one way they could, during the morning local-traffic segment. And its perfect that theyre paying tribute to Phife. He wasnt, outwardly, the coolest one of the Tribe bunch, so its okay to be a little square and do your best Phife impression. He was your guy. But he also was the coolest, in his own way. Phife Dawg was heroic. He was a beast. And he rapped both like there was no tomorrow and that he would live forever. Those seem in direct contrast to one another, but after today, its clear that both could not be more true. 2014s Selma. Photo: Atsushi Nishijima/Paramount Pictures #OscarsSoWhite provided a rallying point for the discussion around diversity, or the lack thereof, in Hollywood. But a recent report provides more evidence that the problem goes far deeper that just the Academy Awards despite proof that films with diverse casts perform better worldwide. UCLAs 2016 Hollywood Diversity Report, published by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, examined 163 theatrical films released in 2014. Some glaring data: Minorities only held 12.9 percent of the lead roles in these movies, down from 16.7 percent in 2013. With minorities making up 37.9 percent of the U.S. population in 2014, that means actors of color were underrepresented by a factor of nearly three to one. As far as casts go, 80.9 percent of these movies featured a cast composed of fewer than 30 percent minorities, up from 72.4 percent in 2013. And films closest to an accurate representation of demographic distribution in the U.S. those falling in the range of 31 percent to 40 percent minority had decreased from 7.5 percent to 5.6 percent of the movies looked at by the survey. Minorities were underrepresented by a factor of three to one among directors and five to one among writers. The report also makes the convincing argument that one of the biggest reasons for this lack of diversity has to do with the gatekeepers it found that agents at the top-three talent agencies are 90.8 percent white and 68.1 percent male. But theres another element to underrepresentation that makes it puzzling: Worldwide box-office returns indicate that diversity pays off. Films with a cast made up of 41 to 50 percent minority actors had the highest median global box-office return as well as the highest median return on investment. Films with a cast made up of more than 50 percent minority actors had almost exactly the same median global box-office returns as films with casts of ten percent or less minority actors. And over the last few years, the story has been similar. In 2011 and 2013, the highest median global box-office returns came from movies with 21 to 30 percent minority casts, and in 2012, it was movies with 31 to 40 percent minority casts. This evidence seems to fly in the face of the Hollywood maxim that global audiences wont come out to see minority leads in major films, a belief thats been cited despite the mammoth careers of Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and plenty of other minority movie stars. It also reinforces the power of minority moviegoers, who made up more than 40 percent of tickets sold for all ten of the top performers in 2014, as well as 59 percent of the audience for the years box-office champ, Transformers: Age of Extinction. The report cites similar data for the success of diverse casts on television, and it paints a familiar picture of women being disadvantaged in terms of representation as well. But the most important conclusion to be drawn from these findings is that for Hollywood, diversity doesnt have be treated as a crusade or a mea culpa. Its good business. If Star Wars withdrawal is driving you to pull your hair and claw your skin while you wait for Decembers Rogue One, fear not: You can now see some new footage shot in a galaxy far, far away. Sure, its mostly footage of characters looking at stuff in hallways, but people in Beggars Canyon cant be choosers, right? Disney just released a teaser trailer for the deleted scenes included in next months home-video release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the images raise more questions than they answer. When, exactly, did Kylo Ren have time to inspect the Millennium Falcon? How did Han, Chewie, and Finn get out of Maz Kanatas basement? Will we finally see some resolution of the romantic tension between Rey and PZ-4CO? Start penning your deleted-scene fanfic now. Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images Time Warner is the latest studio to voice opposition to a Georgia bill that would, among other things, prevent individuals from having to perform or attend same-sex marriages. Yesterday, Disney stated that they would boycott filming in Georgia if the bill went through, and AMC came out against the bill as well. Viacom joined in yesterday, issuing a statement urging Governor Nathan Deal to veto. Time Warner, another major media company that uses Georgias resources, urged Deal to veto the bill in a statement Thursday: At Time Warner, diversity in all its forms is core to our value system and to the success of our business. We strongly oppose the discriminatory language and intent of Georgias pending religious liberty bill, which clearly violates the values and principles of inclusion and the ability of all people to live and work free from discrimination. The company added that they urge Governor Deal to exercise his veto. According to Deadline, Deal has until May 3 to veto. UPDATE: The Weinstein Company has stated that they will boycott filming in Georgia if the bill goes through. Here is the companys statement: The Weinstein Company will not stand behind sanctioning the discrimination of LGBT people or any American. We have plans in place to begin filming Lee Danielss new film in Georgia later this year, but will move the production if this unlawful bill is enacted. We hope Governor Deal will veto bill HB 757 and not allow sanctioned bigotry to become law in Georgia. UPDATE No. 2: Starz, 21st Century Fox, and Lionsgate have issued statements urging Governor Deal to veto the bill. This post has been edited throughout. The West Wing is adored for its sonorously rhythmic dialogue, so it makes a sick kind of sense that combining the shows rat-a-tat banter with Hamiltons hip-hop broke a sound barrier, bringing the number of words per minute way down. At least thats what happened in todays Ham4Ham, in which Hamiltons cabinet paid tribute to The West Wing from the East Wing, walk-and-talking Cabinet Battle #1, a number that is normally dance-and-rapped. This is all fine and good, and we know that The West Wing inspired Hamilton and that, with the whole intelligent-hothead-who-has-an-in-house-father-figure-thing, Alexander Hamilton is clearly a Josh. But, Lin-Manuel Miranda, you came all of this way. We would have liked to see your Jackal. In Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, a town about 40 miles north of Ardmore, theres a remarkable little storefront enterprise called The Toy and Action Figure Museum. Inside, one finds what is surely one of the most extensive collections of action figures anywhere. From battalions of GI Joes, to superheroes, to movie and TV characters, theyre all here, beyond counting. If part of a museums job is to be a depository of cultural ephemera, then this attraction more than lives up to that lofty title. But is a museum anything more than that? What ought a museum be in todays world? These are the kinds of questions that are roiling the profession these days as forces like multiculturalism have challenged what museums do and how they do it, making them more hotly contested right now than any other institution in the worlds of art, culture and history. In his book Displays of Power: Controversy in the American Museum From the Enola Gay to Sensation, Steven Dubin writes that in our politics today, people butt heads over representations and portrayals. They struggle for their interpretation of some historical moment to win out. They crusade to control what others know and feel about certain issues. Such struggles play out in museums over things like what counts as great art or how the narrative of a nations history is packaged for visitors. Our politically charged atmosphere can make any museum a potential arena for combat. Led to protests In 1969, the Metropolitan Museum in New York mounted an exhibit called Harlem on My Mind, which led various groups to protest this or that. Mayor John Lindsay even threatened to withdraw public funding unless the museum pulled a controversial essay in the shows catalog. (Rudolph Giuliani would do something similar over a controversial piece included in a 1999 exhibit called Sensation at the Brooklyn Museum. Lindsay got his way; Giuliani did not.) When such things are afoot, its a clear sign that art museums are doing something quite different than a century ago when they first emerged on the scene. Last week in an essay pondering the moral role that museums can play, New York Times critic Holland Carter said that in the past when people wondered how to live moral lives, they could look to the saints, or take their questions to church. Today, some of us might instead turn our attention to art and the institutions that house it. Carter noted that art isnt just about objects its about ideas, histories and ethical philosophies that [the public] may have a stake in and an opinion about. Its worth remembering that museum originally meant a seat or shrine for the muses, those Greek goddesses who presided over the various arts and who brought inspiration to mortals. A museum is therefore a place in which to be inspired, an identity that I think we sometimes lose today. (Considering this also makes it clear that amusing means a shutting off of inspiration and thought.) In 1972, the director of the Brooklyn Museum said that the forum is where the battles are fought, the temple is where the victors rest. Today, art and history museums are something of each, both forum and temple. This can make them comforting and familiar, but also unsettling and alien. What counts is that they remain free to present their material how their curators see fit. Stifling disagreement is not the way of free inquiry. Museums need not descend into chaos to remind us of this, but today they ask a little more of us than before. We should go prepared to join into the conversation. x Historic Waco Foundations annual spring lecture will be presented by archaeologist Katherine Turner-Pearson at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lee Lockwood Library and Museum, 2801 W. Waco Drive. In her lecture, The Stone Site: A Waco Indian Village Frozen in Time, Turner-Pearson will discuss her personal experiences with the excavation at the site, a contact-period Waco Indian village just north of Waco. For more information, call 753-5166. Genealogical Society Bosque County Genealogical Society will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Clifton Civic Center, 403 W. Third St. in Clifton. Jake Mangum, project development librarian for the Portal to Texas History at the University of North Texas Libraries, will discuss the latest digital projects and services available to researchers. The free program is open to the public. Fish fry dinner The Church Missionary Society at St. Luke A.M.E. Church, 117 E. Church St., will have a fish fry dinner from noon to 5 p.m. Friday. Cost is $10. For more information, call 799-1426. Knitters correction The location for a meeting of the Waco Knitters and Crocheters was incorrectly listed in Wednesdays Briefly column. The group will meet from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the meeting room at the West Waco Library, 5301 Bosque Blvd. For more information, visit www.wacoknitters.weebly.com. 1K, 5K, 10K runs Merak No. 104 Daughters of the Nile is sponsoring the fourth annual Going the Distance for the Children 1K, 5K and 10K runs April 9 in Woodway Park, 924 Estates Drive. The 1K begins at 7:45 a.m., and the 5K and 10K begin at 8 a.m. Race day registration begins at 6:45 a.m. Entry fee is $25 through Saturday and $30 after. To register, visit www.runsignup.com/ go-distance/signup. For more information, call Betty Bickett at 817-707-6872. Bus trip to Austin Meals and Wheels of Waco is sponsoring a bus trip to Austin April 7. The bus will depart at 8 a.m. from the parking lot of First Baptist Church of Waco, 500 Webster Ave., and will return about 5:30 p.m. Participants will visit the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Governors Mansion. Cost is $100, which includes bus fare, admission to the Bullock Museum and IMAX Theater, and lunch at the museum cafe. A light breakfast will be served on the bus ride to Austin, and refreshments will be served on the return trip to Waco. To reserve a spot or for more information, call Janet Nors at 752-0316. MCC spring holiday McLennan Community College will be closed Friday and Saturday for a spring holiday. For more information, visit www.mclennan.edu. Submit items for Briefly in printed or typed form to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302; or email to goingson@wacotrib.com. Entrepreneur Nancy Grayson is the first to take advantage of Wacos new ordinance allowing small-lot subdivisions in the inner city. And fittingly, shes starting small. The Plan Commission on Tuesday recommended a special permit allowing Grayson to split a lot on Dallas Street in half and build two cottages side by side. Each lot will be 35.5 feet wide by 115 feet deep, about two-thirds the size of a minimum standard lot. Grayson, the founder of Rapoport Academy charter school, eventually plans to build as many as 11 houses along Dallas Street, just around the corner from Lula Janes, her Elm Avenue bakery. But she said she plans to build one at a time, with hopes of starting her first spec home in April, to be finished this summer. Weve had tremendous interest, Grayson said. People have come to the bakery or stopped me at the grocery store. Ive gotten calls from Houston and Dallas from people who want to downsize and move to Waco. But Grayson said shes not in a hurry. She and her husband, Bob, are going to feel out the demand for the compact houses before deciding what to build next. The first house will have a kitchen, bathroom, one bedroom and a living room that also has a fold-down Murphy bed. The first one is a charming, Southern-style cottage, she said. Its a one-story house, but the next one may be two-story. . . . Its going to depend one what peoples expressed interests are. She said the houses will all have an early-20th-century look that is appropriate for the historic East Waco neighborhood and will include high-quality finishes, pier-and-beam foundations and porches big enough for a table and chairs. We looked at what builds strong neighborhoods rather than great-looking boxes to live in, Grayson said. I would like for any developer to start thinking in terms of strengthening neighborhoods rather than just building houses. Waco City Council in February approved the small-lot ordinance as one way to repopulate the inner city. It allows lots as small as 3,000 square feet in certain circumstances and zoning categories within the boundaries of City Center Waco, which stretches from East Waco to North 25th Street and from Herring Avenue to Baylor University. Against the recommendation of the Plan Commission, the council required anyone wanting to create small lots to get a special permit, requiring public hearings at the commission and council meetings. Grayson opposed the permit requirement and said Wednesday that it has added time and cost to her project. The special permit will go to Waco City Council on April 5 for another public hearing. In accordance with the new ordinance, city planners reviewed the architectural design of the house and made some suggestions that Grayson agreed to, such as more substantial porch pillars and brick steps. Overall, Graysons project should be a model for future small-lot construction in the city, city planning director Clint Peters said. Pilot project I think its a pilot project, Peters said. Its a good location for that. Obviously, Dr. Grayson has a good track record with development and projects in East Waco. He said Dallas Street has several fantastic historic homes, and he is starting to see properties improved within a few blocks of Graysons project. That includes a home renovated by HGTV celebrities Chip and Joanna Gaines and a 1906 home at 212 Dallas St., currently under renovation by Leo and Dana Miller. The Plan Commission recommended that two-story home for local historic landmark status on Tuesday. Dana Miller, who owns the Village Herbalist shop nearby at 402 Tyler St., said she is excited about moving to East Waco with her husband and five sons. And she is glad to see Grayson bringing more neighbors to the block. I think her ideal of building these is to plant people in the neighborhood, Miller said. I think its awesome. Im sure shell sell the houses quickly. An East Waco man was sentenced to 12 consecutive life prison terms Thursday after he was found guilty of harboring a 15-year-old runaway and charging a string of men to have sex with her. A jury in Wacos 19th State District Court deliberated about 40 minutes during the punishment phase before recommending 12 life sentences for 51-year-old Andre Renor Evans. Jurors took about an hour Thursday morning to find Evans guilty of three counts of human trafficking and nine counts of sexual assault of a child. Judge Ralph Strother stacked the 12 life sentences, ordering Evans to serve the terms consecutively. He also stacked those 12 terms onto a 20-year term for retaliation for which Evans currently is on parole. Barring reversal of his convictions, Evans, who had five previous felony convictions and 17 misdemeanor convictions, will spend the rest of his life in prison. Longtime courthouse officials said they think Evans consecutive sentences add up to the longest handed out in McLennan County history. The girl, now 16, testified Wednesday that Evans supplied her with drugs and charged men to have sex with her at his Preston Street home in January and February 2015. The girl testified that Evans considered her a prize and kept her high on drugs while collecting money from a parade of men who showed up at his East Waco home to have sex with her. It was like he had a trophy, the girl Evans called Summer or Star testified. Like, I have this white girl, and she is young and pretty. After the jury returned its verdict, the girl stood in front of the panel and thanked them. I have been through a lot in my life and I may not have made all the right decisions, she said. But Im 16, and at least Im not going to prison like he is. Ive learned not to let people mess with me anymore. I did that my whole childhood. At least one woman on the jury wiped away a tear after the girl spoke. In an interview later, the girl referred to testimony from an East Waco woman who quoted Evans as saying that the girl got what she deserved after he shot her with heroin and allowed men to have sex with her for a fee. He said I got what I deserved, she said. I did get what I deserved. I got my justice, and this is right. Sam Martinez, who represented Evans, declined comment after the trial. System failures Prosecutors Gabrielle Massey, Hilary LaBorde and Evan ODonnell told jurors that the system failed the girl, who was removed from her mother when she was 6 and abandoned by her adoptive family seven years later after her erratic behavior intensified. Back in state custody, the girl bounced from foster homes to placement centers to mental health hospitals to juvenile facilities and was sexually assaulted in Austin and Waco before she wound up at Evans house. The girl said she ran away from many of the centers, including a shelter in Waco. Massey referred to the system failure in her closing arguments but also said the system failed again by allowing Evans to parole from a 20-year prison term with four previous felony convictions and his long history of criminal behavior. This defendant could have seen her as a broken girl, Massey said. But instead, what he saw was an object that he could profit and benefit from. The girl called Evans Preston Street home, which sits across the street from a church and a half-block from a park, a trap house, describing it as a place where people paid Evans to take drugs and have sex. She said Evans had sex with her on numerous occasions when she was 15, and other men who came to the house paid Evans to have sex with her. She told the jury about one day last year when she said she didnt even bother to get dressed because Evans allowed a steady flow of men to come into a bedroom there to have sex with her. A woman she met helped her escape from Evans home, and the two lived together for a time, she said. She prostituted herself to get money to survive and to feed her crack cocaine habit, she said. After that, she was sent back to juvenile detention and later to a drug rehabilitation center in Florida, she said. All I have ever wanted since I was a little kid was to be with a family, she said Wednesday. I would give up drugs in a heartbeat to have a family. A 16-year-old runaway testified Wednesday that Andre Renor Evans considered her a prize and kept her high on drugs while collecting money from a parade of men who showed up at his East Waco home to have sex with her. It was like he had a trophy, the girl Evans called Summer or Star testified. Like, I have this white girl, and she is young and pretty. The girl told her traumatic life story of abuse, rejection, drug addiction and prostitution during testimony on the third day of Evans human-trafficking trial in Wacos 19th State District Court. Evans, 51, a five-time felon, is charged with three counts of human trafficking and nine counts of sexual assault of a child. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors Gabrielle Massey, Hilary LaBorde and Evan ODonnell and defense attorney Sam Martinez rested their cases Wednesday afternoon and will give jury summations Thursday morning. The girl referred to Evans Preston Street home, which sits across the street from a church, as a trap house, a location where people paid Evans to take drugs and have sex. She said Evans had sex with her on numerous occasions when she was 15, and other men who came to the house paid Evans to have sex with her. On one particularly horrific day, after Evans and a woman shot the girl numerous times with heroin, she said she didnt even bother to get dressed because of the steady stream of men who came to Evans house to have sex with her. Bounced between families She started her testimony by telling jurors that state child protective workers removed her from her mothers care at age 6. She bounced around between foster families for a time until she was adopted by a family in Pflugerville. She was happy there and was enjoying being part of a real family for the first time until she reached a certain age and her adoptive father started groping her and looking at her differently. She said it confused her and she started acting out, cutting herself and becoming aggressive. The family didnt know how to deal with her and wanted to send her to a mental hospital, but she ran away, lived with a friend and started using drugs. Police tracked her down, but she told them she wasnt comfortable living with her family anymore. The family terminated their parental rights, despite their promise to always love her, she said. After that, I felt pretty alone, she said. She was placed back in state custody, where she ran away from several group placement centers and escalated her drug usage and wild lifestyle, she said. After she ran away from a home in Austin, she was sexually assaulted by five men in Austin. She went back to the placement facility but soon ran away again, she said. If I wasnt going to be with my family, I didnt care where I was going to be, she said. State officials continued to place her in residential placement centers, mental health facilities and drug treatment centers. She ran away from most all of them, she said. She said she lived for a time with a single mother and her daughter but left because she didnt want to expose the young girl to her extreme lifestyle. She got in touch with her father, who was in prison when his parental rights were terminated. She said he drove from Louisiana to pick her up, but she didnt want him to be arrested for having custody of her, so she left again and was placed in Trinity Home, a shelter in Waco. She quickly realized how easy it was to run away from that facility, she said, and ended up at a Waco nightclub. Later, she said, two men sexually assaulted her on videotape. Those charges are pending. She was detained as a runaway for a time and later sent back to Trinity Home. She ran away again and moved in with a boy she met at Waco High School, she said. He lived in East Waco, and she said she met Evans one day while walking by his house to buy cigarettes at a neighborhood store. She said Evans commented that she was new to the neighborhood and offered her drugs. She said after she left her unfaithful boyfriend and had no place else to go, she walked to Evans house to get high. She said Evans had sex with her multiple times while she was staying with him. She said she could not remember how long she stayed but that she stayed high the whole time she was there, while Evans was paid by men who had sex with her. She said some men balked at having sex with her, telling Evans she was too young. Evans knew she was 15 but he told the men that she was in her 20s, she said. A woman she met at the house helped her escape Evans grasp, and the two lived together for a time, she said. She prostituted herself to get money to survive and to feed her drug habit, she said. Return to Evans house A few days later, she returned to Evans house and spent the night when her friend went out of town, she said. That is when she said Evans and the woman shot her with heroin and men came in droves to have sex with her. The next day, her friend returned and got her out of Evans home, and she never went back, she said. After that, she was sent back to juvenile detention and later to a drug rehabilitation center in Florida, she said. All I have ever wanted since I was a little kid was to be with a family, she said. I would give up drugs in a heartbeat to have a family. After drug treatment, she grew closer to her father, she said, but two months later, he hanged himself. She found his body and cut it down. In other state testimony, Lee Carter, a Waco psychologist, said he examined the girl during one of her stays at a Travis County center and diagnosed her with chronic post traumatic stress disorder because of her traumatic experiences. Carter said she was ideal prey for human traffickers. She was in a powerless state of living. Her lifestyle was characterized by its helplessness, he said. In defense testimony, Evans mother, who owns the home on Preston Street, and his sister both said they went by the house to check on Evans on a daily basis. Both said they never saw young girls or evidence of drug use or prostitution there. Were I so disposed, I might well have wagered during Mondays three-hour court hearing on the botched March primary election that two-term McLennan County Precinct 1 Commissioner Kelly Snell would by now be retracing his steps across his precinct and re-erecting his distinctively yellow campaign signs for an election redo with challenger Cory Priest. It certainly made sense. A final analysis of poll numbers suggests 93 voters were cheated of the opportunity to vote in the race because of incorrectly issued ballots and, given the narrow margin of Snells victory (25 votes), it only seemed natural the election be redone. And because voters will vote in other races in the May 24 runoff, it wouldnt cost much extra to also place this election on the Republican ballot. But all of this would be flawed thinking, at least from a legal perspective. While the patience of retired state District Judge James Morgan at times seemed tested by Snells attorney, he ultimately bought David Tekells argument that it was statistically impossible the elections outcome would have changed had those 93 people actually voted in this race. And given the additional argument that another election might disenfranchise all voters who came out on Election Day, voted in the race but might opt not to return for another election (for whatever reason), the Priest plea for a new election was denied. Snell prevailed. Complicating all this was what appeared to be general confusion by the attorneys representing Snell and Priest on what previous court cases going back more than 100 years regarding election mishaps had said and what the rulings meant. At different points, both attorneys cited the same court decision to add the weight of precedent to their clients cases. And when Snells attorney called to the witness stand Kevin Stuart, a political scientist with the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture, to testify how the folks who didnt get to vote March 1 almost certainly would have voted (based on how other folks voted), Priests attorney, Joe Nixon, understandably objected, labeling it all junk science. And when Nixon and Stuart mixed it up on the probability of something happening or not happening, the latter offered up this statistical jewel: Were not perfectly sure the sun wont go supernova tomorrow, but its not a great cause for concern. At another point, when Tekell objected that Nixon was being argumentative with his expert witness, Judge Morgan deadpanned: Oh, its argumentative, but thats where we are. Were arguing about it. And so the arguing continued. Snell argued that the 93 voters should have scrutinized the flawed ballots on Election Day and raised any objections there and then rather than after casting their ballots and going home. This prompted Nixon to inquire whether Snell believed voters should know all the races on a ballot before voting and whether he believed in poll taxes. Not to be outdone, Nixon in his closing argument told the frontier story of David Kelsos winning his election to the Indiana Senate in 1844 by one vote an election in which ailing farmer Freeman Clark, whom Kelso once defended of a murder charge, ordered his sons to carry him to the polls so he could return the favor and then died on the return trip. Kelso, having won by that one vote, later clinched election of Edward Hannigan to the U.S. Senate by Indianas divided state senators, again by one vote Kelsos. (At the time, state legislatures selected U.S. senators.) Hannigan went to Washington, D.C., where in 1845 he voted for annexation of Texas by the United States, a controversial measure that passed, again, by one vote. So Texas history was made by one vote sort of and some Hoosiers. All that done, Nixon dedicated the days proceedings to Freeman Clark and the 93 voters disenfranchised in the March 1 primary election. But the courtly gesture came to naught, given the judges denial of a new election. Better luck next time. Republicans act shocked that their party might as well be one of Donald Trumps hotels with his name plastered on it. He won the Arizona primary Tuesday and, barring a miracle or a coup at the convention, he will be the Republican presidential nominee. Many millions have been spent by the anti-Trump forces, to no avail. A prominent mainstream member of the party recently told me that donors met secretly in a restaurant to plot their next move, but the only decision they made was how they would like their steak done. No one should be surprised. It takes a big tent to house both Trump the non-Golden Rule billionaire with New York values and five children by three wives and Billy Graham, but thats what the Republicans built. The party of Main Street hung out a welcome sign to resentful white Southerners, tea partyers, home-schoolers, anti-tax, anti-spend fiscal conservatives, evangelicals and militiamen; those who embrace creationism and reject science; and anyone with a grudge, not to mention isolationists and hawks. To those who long to deport undocumented immigrants, love automatic weapons and believe global warming is an Al Gore hoax, the party said, Come on in. Trump rushed into the vacuum created by this open-door policy. His brassy showmanship, garish success and big checks to candidates earned him a celebrity perch similar to Clint Eastwoods before he talked nonsense to an empty chair at the 2008 convention. It all came in handy as he campaigned in Arizona with the endorsement of a fellow Republican politico-celeb, the tough, immigrant-baiting Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Despite an increasing Hispanic population, hes won six straight elections in Maricopa County, which contains almost two-thirds of Arizonas population. Others pursued Arpaios help (including Sen. Ted Cruz) even though he is known for rounding up Hispanics and faces pending civil contempt charges for defying orders to stop the practice. For fun, hes forced jail inmates to wear pink underwear and to live outside in tents in searing heat. Trumps victory in Arizona shows that a right-wing populist can use racist undertones to thrive by enraging and engaging the forgotten white working class without actually helping them. Hes not even in favor of raising the minimum wage. Arpaio and Trump are exemplars of what Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus warned against in his autopsy of the partys 2012 drubbing. He said that if the party was to ever regain the presidency, it would have to give up anger and tearing down in favor of optimism and building up. Its too late. Trump and Arpaio rose to prominence as leaders of the angry birther movement committed to tearing down Obama. Trumps name recognition made him a regular spokesman on television and his money funded investigators aiming to prove that President Barack Obama wasnt a natural citizen but a Kenyan-born Muslim socialist. If a Republican, save Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, blasted this crazed effort to delegitimize Obama, it went unnoticed. Polls found that while 62 percent of Americans said they believed Obama was born here, 24 percent thought he wasnt and 14 percent were unsure. Of the doubters, 62 percent were Republicans. And Arpaio and Trump had back-up. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fed the base by pledging to do everything in his power to make Obama a one-term president. The obstruction continues with his refusal to give Obamas Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, as much as a meeting with Republican senators, citing some non-existent precedents. Trump is not an outlier but what the party should have expected. While the sit-downs in non-smoke-filled rooms continue, the party is cooked. Some Republicans are lining up behind Trump Govs. Chris Christie and Rick Scott, Ben Carson and the former House speaker, Newt Gingrich. Others dance around it. Speaker Paul Ryan condemns specific Trump outrages the stoking of anger and violence, the attacks on Muslims, the lack of seriousness but says that he will respect the primary voter. Still others whisper cheerfully that Trump might pull off the hat trick in November of enraging minorities but winning with angry white males. The big tent worked out. Trump was let in. Now the Republican Party is another Trump-branded property. Margaret Carlson is a Bloomberg View columnist. One Hundred Years A Hero, a new biopic documenting the extraordinary life and career of Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, USAF (Ret.), will premiere Friday, April 22 at 5 p.m. in the Air Force Museum Theater in Dayton, Ohio. As part of the Living History Film Series, a panel discussion will follow the screening. Still going strong at 100 years of age, Col. Cole expects to attend the premier, participating in the discussion with film makers Jon Tennyson and Scott Guyette. A second showing of the film and discussion will be offered at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. Sept. 7, 1915, just 12 years after Dayton natives Wilbur and Orville Wright conducted the first powered, controlled airplane flights at Kitty Hawk, Dick Cole was born in Dayton, Ohio. He was born at home, just blocks from the brothers now famous bicycle shop. Fascinated by flight as a child, he often rode his bicycle out to the levees above McCook Field to watch pioneering pilots such as Jimmy Doolittle and John Macready test fly the newest concepts of the day. Little did the youngster know that a few short years later, in April of 1942 , he would be sitting just inches from Doolittle, flying as co-pilot on one of the most celebrated missions in U.S. military history, the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, Japan. Dick Cole had left the United States aboard the carrier USS Hornet on April 2, 1942. On April 18, 1942, he was co-pilot of the first American airplane to attack the Japanese home islands since war had been declared. The Raid was just the beginning of a year overseas for Cole. After the Doolittle Raid, Cole remained in the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) to Fly the Hump, one of the riskiest of all World War II aviation missions. In the spring of 1942, Japanese units overran Burma on Indias northern border, cutting off the last significant land routes that supplied the struggling armies of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in China. The United States and its Allies needed to keep China in the war. Since she had been attacked by the Japanese in 1937, her forces had preoccupied nearly 2 million Japanese troops. However, that strategy could only work if China and Allied troops could be supplied. So in April 1942, Cole, now assigned to the Air Transport Command, started flying the Hump in C-47s loaded to the gills with everything from gasoline to food to bandages whatever was needed to keep China and her Allies in the fight. The dangers of flying 530-mile long passage over the Himalayan Mountains which became known as the Aluminum Trail were many, and a terrible price was paid. Nearly 1,000 men and 600 Air Transport Command planes were lost by the end of China-Burma-India Theater operations. In addition, China National Aviation Corporation lost 38 planes and 88 airmen. Cole faced those dangers until April 29, 1943, when he was finally released from assignment with the Air Transport Command.Cole flew nearly 60 round trips between India and China, over and through the terrifying Himalayas, in order to supply those defending China. Now, a year later, he was going home to a great stateside assignment, test flying newly manufactured airplanes. Once home Cole met and married the love of his life Marta, all in the span of three months before receiving a phone call sending him back to the war front. The call was from Col. Johnny Alison, a well-known hero of the CBI, a fighter ace who had commanded the 23rd Fighter Group. Alison was forming a new unit to carry out a top secret mission in the CBI no details, no incentives, no promises just a question: Are you interested?, followed by a typically terse Dick Cole response: Sure. With that, Cole became a member of the first Special Operations Unit in the history of the United States Army Air Corps, the1st Air Commandos Group. Cole participated in Operation Thursday in Burma, which marked the first U.S. aerial invasion into enemy territory and the first nighttime heavy glider assault landing. The unit played a legendary part in the re-taking of Burma from the Japanese. Later, when asked why he would go back to such dangerous duty in the CBI after all hed been through, Cole said, It needed to be done. And I wanted to do something for the war effort on my own. I didnt want to only be Jimmy Doolittles co-pilot for the rest of my life. Dick Cole One Hundred Years a Hero was produced by the multi-award winning aviation documentarians, Sleeping Dog Productions, in conjunction with the Voices of Valor project of the Fagen Fighters World War II Museum, Granite Falls, Minn. Film makers Jon Tennyson and Scott Guyette will be sharing their experiences working with Dick Cole and others to preserve their important stories and honor our veterans. Thankfully, Colonel Richard E. Cole, One Hundred Years a Hero, is still with us and scheduled to attend the premier of his exciting biopic. The theater April 22 and 23 events are the third of eight Living History Film Series programs planned for 2016. The Series brings aviation history alive through films and guest speakers. The Living History Film Series is sponsored by Texas Road House and the Boeing Co. Holiday Inn Dayton-Fairborn is the official hotel partner for the series, offering special rates for visitors. Tickets are available at the theaters ticket counter or by emailing theatre@afmuseum.com for $15 per film ($12 for Friends Members). The theater is operated by the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc., a Section 501(c)(3) private, non-profit organization that assists the Air Force in the development and expansion of the facilities of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. For more information on the Air Force Museum Foundation, visit www.airforcemuseum.com. The Air Force Museum Foundation is not part of the Department of Defense or any of its components and it has no governmental status. About National Museum of the U.S. Air Force The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the worlds largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space. Each year about one million visitors from around the world come to the museum. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil. A brand new exhibition dedicated to a civil aviation giant is now on display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. The exhibition entitled Sir Alan Cobhams Flying Circus: A life of a Pioneering Aviator focuses on one of Britains forgotten heroes, Sir Alan Cobham, a true aviation pioneer, both in the air and on the ground. The display was officially opened by Lady Cobham on Wednesday 23 March during a private event and will run until 30 April 2017. Cobham was a long distance aviator and an aeronautical innovator who became famous for his exploits in the interwar years. This exhibition showcases his diverse flying career and the contributions he made to the world of aviation, most notably the Air to Air refuelling technique, still used by air forces across the globe today. He inspired countless members of the public to have successful flying careers, including Shropshire born Spitfire ace Eric Stanley Lock. Cobham learned to fly during the First World War and later went on to set many long distance aviation records. He became the first person to fly from London to Cape Town and back in 1926 for which he received the Air Force Cross. In the same year at the age of 32, Cobham was knighted by King George V after the successful completion of his Australia flight, where he famously landed his seaplane on the River Thames outside the Houses of Parliament. He won many notable aviation trophies including the Kings Cup air race in 1924 and the Britannia Trophy in 1923, 1925 and 1926. All three Britannia plaques are on display as part of the exhibition, along with a medal case which includes Cobhams Knight Commander of the British Empire badge and star. Cobham was one of the biggest celebrities of his day and was well-known for his series of flying tours of the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa, which became affectionately known as Sir Alan Cobhams Flying Circus. These tours promoted aviation to the public and were a source of inspiration for countless pilots in the Second World War. Tours of the UK during the 1930s included several shows in the Midlands; Castle Bromwich Aerodrome in Birmingham, Harlescott Flying Ground in Shrewsbury, Stafford Common in Stafford and Kitchen Lane in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton were just some of the many locations to host the show. Brave, visionary and innovative, Cobham was a record setter who inspired a generation. One such pilot who had his first flight with Sir Alan Cobhams Flying Circus, was Spitfire fighter ace Flight Lieutenant Eric Stanley Lock who was born in Bayston Hill near Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was credited with 26 confirmed victories and received the Distinguished Service Order for his magnificent fighting spirit and personal example which have been in the highest traditions of the service. In the years that followed his circus success, Cobham went on to pioneer the aeronautical technique of air-to-air refuelling with his company Flight Refuelling Limited. So advanced was the technology he developed, his probe and drogue technique is still used today in its fifth generation. His legacy to aviation lives on through his aerospace company which still continues to pioneer aeronautical technologies. This exhibition is a highly visual display of Sir Alan Cobhams life and his many notable achievements, showcasing some of the treasures from the collection including a Union Flag that was flown on Cobhams de Havilland D.H.50J biplane during his Cape Town flight. Other items on display include a flying helmet, log book and personal letters to his mother. The exhibition also features film footage that will show how he turned aviation into a breathtaking spectacle. Visitors to the Museum can now view the exhibition in the museums Temporary Exhibition Gallery in Hangar 1 until 30 April 2017. RAF Museum Curator, Daniel Albon said: Sir Alan Cobham was famous for saying Its a full time job being Alan Cobham and after curating this exhibition I certainly think he was right! This exhibition was extremely well received at RAF Museum London and I am really excited that it is now launching at RAF Museum Cosford. We have some brand new objects and panels in this exhibition that Im sure will be well received by visitors at Cosford. Following an epic, year-long maintenance effort in Marana, Arizona, Dynamic Aviation has successfully flown their Lockheed VC-121A Constellation Columbine II to her new home, in bucolic Bridgewater, Virginia. President Eisenhowers former transport, and the first to use the callsign Air Force One, arrived amid much fanfare at Dynamic Aviations main base of operations a little after 2pm local time, following a four-hour flight from Mount Pleasant, Texas. Strong tail winds brought the Connie in half an hour earlier than expected, and the silver bird circled gracefully over the small airfield a couple of times before touching down gently on the narrow runway. (Amazing video of the landing below from cutter-pilot82 on YouTube) Several hundred people welcomed her home, and a couple of television news teams were also on site to interview the main players. Because it was a ferry-flight, only essential personnel were aboard the VC-121, and these included pilot Lockie Christler, Bob Woodward, Tim Coons and Scott McDonald in the cockpit, with mechanics Brian Miklos and Rocco Minich in support. Dynamic Aviations founder, and chief driving force behind the endeavor, Karl Stoltzfus flew the Beech King Air chase plane on the journey. Interestingly, Christler was part owner of Columbine II prior to Dynamic Aviations purchase. In conversation, Christler related that his father, Mel, bought the VC-121 as military surplus, along with four other examples, from the aircraft boneyard beside Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona back in May, 1970. They rebuilt four of the Connies for agricultural use, installing hoppers in the fuselage and taking the planes all over North America and even the Caribbean on spraying operations. After years of flying such tasks with his father, Lockie Christler is himself a highly experienced multi-engine pilot. While he has only 500 hours or so in Constellations, he did add that most of that time was at just 200 feet! One can only imagine the sight and sound of an aircraft the size of a Connie roaring over the countryside at that altitude but to see four of them in close formation, as happened on one particular spraying operation in Washington State now that would have been other-worldly! Christlers company never converted Columbine II into a sprayer though, as her starboard main gear had been swapped for the incorrect part from a later-generation, Lockheed 1049 Super Constellation during her time in storage at Davis-Monthan. Presumably, this was just for the convenience of keeping the aircraft upright while her original gear leg went onto another airframe, but it rendered the aircraft inoperable. This twist of fate played a major role in saving the aircraft though, as instead of carving Columbine II up for commercial use, they just used her as a parts source for maintaining the other four Connies. It wasnt until the mid-eighties that the Christler family learned the true history of their Constellation, and this is the only reason they didnt scrap her. They felt they had an obligation to save President Eisenhowers aircraft, and gathered the necessary spare parts; restoring Columbine II to fly again by 1990. After two seasons on the air show circuit, they tried to find the right buyer to take her on but, for whatever reason, none were forthcoming, and she slipped back into dormancy by the early-2000s. Thats not to say she wasnt cared for, but a desert climate, while preserving metal very well, is tough on systems, hoses, and other perishable materials. Thankfully, Karl Stoltzfus and Dynamic Aviation stepped up to the plate to resurrect this historic aircraft. The whole endeavor is pretty amazing when one stops to think about it. It has taken the dedicated labor from several dozen people, and no insignificant amount of funds to get the aircraft to her present condition. Considering that Columbine II re-flew for the first time just three days prior to beginning her trans-continental flight, it seems almost inconceivable to see her now, ensconced safely at her new base in Bridgewater, Virginia. There were no major hiccups along the way either, barring a one-day delay in Mount Pleasant due to carburetor issues. Karl Stotlzfus flew down to San Antonio in the King Air chase plane to pick up the necessary parts, and they were ready to go again within a short space of time. Lockie Christler noted that the Constellation flew really well, especially considering she has sat idle in the desert for the past dozen years or so. Karl Stoltzfus also expressed what a huge relief it was to finally have the aircraft home, and couldnt say enough how grateful he was to everyone who had helped get the project this far. Among those to receive special mention were his chief mechanic, Brian Miklos, and Scott Glover, president of the Mid America Flight Museum, whose volunteers were invaluable to the effort. All told, the aircraft has roughly 9.5 hours on the clock following her return to airworthiness. That will most likely be all she gets before undergoing more in-depth maintenance in Bridgewater, Virginia. It is clear that Karl Stoltzfus is serious about his plans for Columbine II, as Dynamic Aviation is constructing a huge, dedicated hanger for her at the airport. The hangars skeletal frame is already erect, and Stoltzfus says it will be ready for Columbine II sometime this June. Stoltzfus also stated that his main focus so far has been getting the aircraft to Virginia, but she will now need a thorough refurbishment both inside and out, including a set of new engines. If all goes well, he estimates this work will take three years but, as in most restorations, it will likely take longer. When asked about what he hopes to do with the aircraft on the air show circuit, he answered that it wouldnt just be a display aircraft. He was adamant about wanting Columbine II to serve as an educational tool. He hasnt yet decided exactly how to accomplish this, but will be putting serious thought into the plan while the aircraft is under restoration. Given his teams efforts thus far, it will surely be a well-conceived and executed endeavor. We at WarbirdsNews will be following the project as it develops, and look forwards to bringing you further details as they emerge. We will also strive to bring regular progress reports on the restoration as well. WarbirdsNews wishes to thank everyone at Dynamic Aviation, and in particular Ken Stoltzfus and Katie Dillon, for helping us with these articles over the past year, and to Karl Stoltzfus and Lockie Christler for taking the time to answer our many questions during the melee at Bridgewater following the landing. We also want to thank Zdenek Kaspar and Boneyard Safari for the wonderful images over the past couple of days too. Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. Once upon a time, Newcrest Mining was adamant that shareholders did not want the company to hedge its gold production. "Our investors are looking for spot price exposure," former chief executive Greg Robinson said in 2013, insisting shareholders could hedge their own positions by purchasing shares in other companies and commodities. Hedging has become more fashionable among Australian gold miners. However, with the gold price near record highs in Australian dollar terms, the largest gold miner on the ASX has decided to embrace hedging. Newcrest confirmed on Thursday a portion of the gold produced at the Telfer mine in Western Australia had been hedged until June 2018. Hermes International chief executive Axel Dumas has warned this will be a difficult year with subdued growth as the threat of terrorism saps tourist spending, which accounts for a third of the luxury industry's sales. "We haven't had the same level of tourism in France this year as before," Dumas told reporters in Paris on Wednesday, as the French maker of luxury silk scarves and handbags reported 2015 earnings. The luxury bag maker feels the fallout from the terrorist attacks, which have deterred people from travelling. Credit:Bloomberg He said 2016 will be "complicated" by headwinds the industry faces across the globe, yet struck a resilient tone: "We don't have to panic. A challenge never hurt anyone." Tuesday's bombings in Brussels worsened the outlook for the luxury market, a third of which comes from purchases by tourists, according to consultants Bain & Co. The terrorist attacks in Brussels remind us once again of the global threat of terrorism, the need to be vigilant at home, to maintain the security of our borders, to ensure our laws provide our security forces with the tools they need to keep us safe and, of course, to continue to support our allies in the battle against the terrorists of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. These attacks are shocking and barbaric. Sadly, however, we can no longer say they are surprising. We are all united with Belgium in this battle, just as our forebears were 100 years ago in the fields of Flanders, in the First World War. The attacks are an unfortunate reminder of how violent Islamist extremism appears to have reached a crisis point in Europe. Inevitably, questions will be raised about the adequacy of security at Brussels Airport. Beyond this, there will be debate around at what point people entering an airport should be security screened. It will affect every major terminal around the world, including those in Sydney. As a former aviation journalist based in Brussels, I also associated the name Zaventem with the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which is just down the road from Brussels Airport. After the twin attacks in Belgium, the Brussels suburbs of Zaventem and Maelbeek will be inextricably linked to the horrendous loss of more than 30 lives at the hands of terrorists. Today, international airports divide their departure areas into the "air side" for everything beyond the security checkpoint and the "land side" for everything before. The trade-off for lining up through scanners and removing your belt and shoes is tax-free shopping. But those being waved off by family and friends might wish to linger longer land side before venturing into the sealed confines of air side. Shattered windows at Zaventem airport in Brussels after a bomb blast on Tuesday. Credit:Peter Dejong There is a desire from those who run airports to maximise the real estate in terminals by shifting the line between air side and land side line closer to the gate, allowing more passengers and non-travellers to mingle in common areas. Airports such as Singapore Changi are seen as destinations in their own right by locals, who are drawn to the wealth of shops and attractions in the terminals. Elsewhere, luxury car forecourts and IKEA showrooms have all featured in airport terminals. Technology is making this halfway line appear more arbitrary. Remote check-in is already the norm for domestic flights and mobile phone check-in for international flights is growing. In the US, for example, passengers can scan the machine-readable page of their passport on their phone at check-in to trigger pre-flight clearance checks. A second iteration of the Kardashian mural in Sydney has fared rather better, but the two nudes in Hosier Lane, unveiled on Wednesday morning, barely made it through the coffee crush before being censored by council contractors armed with tins of paint and rather limited artistic talent. By 9.30am, the nipples were gone, replaced on one of the murals with a suitably modest but rather one-dimensional tank top. One of the murals after the crack team of Genital Removal Experts had done their work. The subject of that painting, Peggy Sue Winters, was disappointed with the council's intervention. "I feel that censoring my body is taking away my ability to present myself in the way I want," said the nude model and dancer. "It's all too common for female bodies to be commodified and objectified in our society, but when a woman takes control of that it's deemed unacceptable and confronting. The Kim Kardashian scenario is a prime example of that. "I hope that this culture of censoring and slut-shaming ends sooner rather than later, and I'm glad more and more people are taking a stand and helping to bring this issue into light." See her social media post of the image here. The City of Melbourne, however, sees it purely in terms of what it deems acceptable in a public place. "Hosier Lane is an iconic public space and we need to strike a balance to ensure that all members of our city can enjoy the public art on display," a council spokesman said. "In this case, our contractors censored the images based on Council's street art guidelines. These guidelines correspond with the Australian Public Broadcasting guidelines for nudity in advertising and public places." The council's graffiti management plan frames the notion of acceptability with reference to the fact that it is a criminal offence in Victoria to "create offensive graffiti that is visible from a public place if that graffiti would offend a reasonable person". The second mural, before censorship... ...and after. (All images: Dean Sunshine) Of course, one person's reasonable is another's prudish, and Dean Sunshine for one can't see why anyone would have an issue with images of nudity in a public place. "Really, you go to the NGV, you'll see nipples, heaps of them," he said. "In this day and age that sort of censorship is ridiculous." Lushsux similarly argues that the murals are part of a long tradition in fine art. "It's an update on the old thing of getting a model to stand in one place for 10 hours while you paint her on canvas in the nude in a dingy Parisian studio," he told Fairfax. Within seconds of seeing her mother floating face down in their backyard swimming pool, five-year-old Allison Anderwald had sprung into action to save her from drowning. Grainy home security camera footage shows Allison wading up to her mother, Tracy Anderwald, who had a seizure in the pool. The girl dragged her mother to the shallow end where she turned her over to breathe. Allison then ran for help less than a minute and a half after seeing her mother in trouble. Bangkok: An Australian woman who is eight weeks pregnant has been sentenced to 10 months' jail on charges of publishing seditious articles in Singapore, the stiffest sentence ever imposed for the offence in the city-state. Ai Takagi, a 23-year-old Australian of Japanese descent from Brisbane, apologised to the people of Singapore for the harm she had caused for posting comments on her popular website The Real Singapore. "I know that the harmony which Singapore enjoys today requires careful and continuous efforts on the part of everyone, citizens and visitors alike, to maintain," Takagi told a court on Wednesday, according to the Straits Times. "I sincerely apologise for the harm I have caused through my actions." The threat of terrorism is increasingly darkening the global horizon with violent acts occurring around the world, with the latest right in the heart of Europe. The WCO offers its sincere condolences to the victims and families of the terrorist attacks of 22 March, and expresses its solidarity with all of its Member States who have recently been suffering from terrorist attacks. This includes two Customs Officers from Poland, who were set to travel out of Brussels Airport, and were injured in the explosions. Terrorism includes many facets, including the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). WCO Programme Global Shield data reflects a substantial increase in IED related incidents over the last four years with estimates of over 70,000 casualties, of which some 78% were civilians. In the aftermath of recent terrorist attacks, national governments are increasingly examining their counter-terrorism structures. The WCO and its Members have long been active in counter-terrorism. Supply chain security has played a significant role in the WCO agenda since 2001, and recently the Customs community has been examining its role in relation to national security. The Customs contribution to fighting terrorism was further crystallized recently by the Punta Cana Resolution, which was adopted at the WCO Policy Commission in December 2015. The Punta Cana Resolution calls for Customs Administrations to play an active role in contributing to border security and highlights the contribution Customs brings to the management of security threats both nationally and internationally. While it is recognized that Customs does not have the primary responsibility for preventing terrorist attacks on the ground, the resolution acknowledges that Customs has much to offer to national security and plays a critical role in that regard. Effective counter-terrorism efforts increasingly depend on timely information and intelligence as well as international cooperation. Customs Administrations possess vital information in relation to international supply and travel chains, and are in a critical position, through their functions, to assist other competent authorities by providing them with operational leads and information contributing to early warning systems and promoting better detection of potential terrorism related threats. In light of recent terrorist attacks, the WCO is committed to continue providing support to all countries in their counter-terrorism efforts. The WCO Security Programme includes initiatives and tools specific to Customs authorities and their contribution to this important area of concern. These include the field of improvised explosive devices, small arms and light-weapons, strategic and dual use goods, passenger controls, and terrorist financing. All these initiatives, which include awareness-raising materials and training packages, communication platforms for information exchange, Customs-Business cooperation programmes, and operational law enforcement cooperation, provide practical and pragmatic tools for front-line Customs officers to better contribute to the management of terrorist threats that include a cross-border dimension. In addition to the mentioned tools, WCO has recently been working on various cross-cutting tools, such as the usage of API and PNR information for targeting, which will enable Customs to better contribute to national security objectives. In the wake of the recent attacks, WCO will further liaise with its international partners to enhance coordinated border management practices and to enhance information exchange between Customs and its fellow law enforcement agencies, especially as it relates to sharing critical security information. Similarly, WCO will work in the context of the existing global governance frameworks, for example the United Nations and G7, to further promote Customs security contribution and WCO tools. At the technical level, the organization is pursuing the implementation of its technical assistance and capacity building programmes under the WCO Security Programme making its tools available to the Membership. One message should be crystal clear: as the key guardians of national borders, we play an important role in ensuring that, in addition to our traditional responsibilities in revenue collection, protection of society from illicit trade, and trade facilitation, Customs works closely with police and security services to fight these brutal attacks on innocent people. The WCO is committed to redoubling our efforts to support our colleagues around the world. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world Loading... Ramps on the Moon is a new initiative by a group of regional theatres aimed at putting disabled people at the heart of routine programming in a way that renders their disabilities completely irrelevant. The Government Inspector, which will tour each of these participating venues, launches the project. Certainly Birmingham Rep's artistic director Roxana Silbert makes no special concessions with her production of Gogol's satirical comedy: this is the Rep's professional company presenting the latest show in its season. That's not to say there's no reference made to the interweaving of accessible techniques, and no jokes mined from the resulting set-ups. In fact, some of the biggest laughs come from exactly these moments: at one point the surtitles break down, prompting a hilarious semi-mimed exchange between a sign-language user and the less-than-competent Government Inspector of the title. Fair game, indeed. So much for the undoubted success of the aim for full integration. What of the production itself? It has to be said that Gogol's play nearly 200 years old now in this adaptation by David Harrower feels dated. Silbert and her designer Ti Green have elected to set it in some indeterminate Russian backwater in a time period impossible to pin down. The ethos they reference is that of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and there are elements of the farcical comedy and petty provincialism that are clearly drawn from Wes Anderson's movie. But farce particularly satirical farce relies on pace and razor-sharp wit as much as any gurning and pratfalls, and here both are outweighed by the scale of the piece. Most scenes are just a bit too long, and the overall running time of nearly three hours could easily stand a half-hour's happy trimming. Among the performances, David Carlyle is more victim than perpetrator as the town mayor desperate to please the man he supposes is the visiting government inspector. He does suppressed desperation to a tee but the script enforces such changeability and flakiness on him that the character's credibility struggles to survive. Kiruna Stamell and Francesca Mills make a terrific double act as his wife and daughter respectively, while Robin Morrissey is entertainingly dim-witted and duplicitous in the title role. Jean St Clair's silent but so vociferous turn as the judge, meanwhile, threatens to steal the show. It's a workmanlike, amiable production with plenty to amuse, and gets Ramps on the Moon off to a solid start. Like the participating artists and companies, I look forward to the time when nobody even bothers to mention the whole subject of disability. The Government Inspector continues at Birmingham Rep until 26 March, then tours to New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (6-16 April), West Yorkshire Playhouse (20-30 April), Nottingham Playhouse (4-14 May), Theatre Royal Stratford East (18-28 May), Everyman, Liverpool (1-11 June), Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (17-25 June). Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VANCOUVER Eldorado Gold says its relationship with the Greek government has significantly improved since it suspended some mine development work there in January. We are, I believe, moving to a better place here, chief executive Paul Wright said on a conference call Thursday. Weve seen more encouraging engagement between ourselves and the ministry over the last month or two. Vancouver-based Eldorado Gold (TSX:ELD) put the Skouries gold project on care and maintenance and laid off 600 workers in January, saying it would not resume work until it received the necessary permits and relations with the government improved. Those relations have been strained in recent years, with the Skouries project drawing strong condemnation and protests from some locals over fears of environmental effects. It has also been a source of several legal battles. The company says it has been encouraged by developments since January, with the government having issued a building permit for its Skouries project in February and an installation permit for its Olympias gold project on Tuesday. Wright said hes encouraged that the company didnt have to struggle to get the permits through the courts as they have over the last year or two. These approvals are being granted by the ministry, as opposed to us having to wrest them free through legal action, said Wright. The company is only awaiting approval of its technical study on Skouries before moving ahead. Jamie Kneen, MiningWatch Canadas communications and outreach co-ordinator, said there is still significant local opposition to the mine over concerns of high arsenic levels and effects on water supplies and local tourism. He said community members opposed to the mine have been focused on building political support to block it, but if the left-leaning Syriza government approves the mine, they could return to the streets. The support from the anti-mining movement had really been key to getting Syriza elected in northern Greece, and if the government and the party are no longer responding to that, then I think people might well turn back to direct protests, said Kneen. Wright said local support is strong for the mine and the government is responding to the needs of the community. Clearly the country needs employment, it needs job creation, it needs taxes, it needs investment, said Wright. Late Wednesday, Eldorado Gold reported a net loss of US$1.54 billion for 2015 after taking a non-cash impairment charges of US$1.53 billion, mainly related to its Greek assets. The company also announced that it was suspending its dividend as of the first quarter of 2016. Along with its gold development projects in Greece, Eldorado Gold also has operational gold mines in Turkey and China. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. LONDON, Ont. A Jewish group and the Conservative party are calling on Ottawa to oppose the appointment of a Canadian scholar to a top spot with the United Nations, pegging him as anti-Israeli. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs says in a statement that it condemns the selection of Western University law professor Michael Lynk as the UNs special rapporteur on human rights in Palestine because of what it calls his long-held and public bias against the Jewish state. Lynk says he understands there is controversy around his appointment but believes his writings and views are being misrepresented. He declined further comment but says he would be happy to speak further once he has had the chance to confer with the UN over the details of his new position. Lynk says he is delighted to be chosen for the role and that he will carry out his responsibilities impartially and in keeping with international law. Conservative foreign affairs critic Tony Clement called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to apply pressure against Lynks selection by the president of the UN Human Rights Council. Clement says in a statement that Lynk has called for the prosecution of Israel for war crimes. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/03/2016 (2404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO Two pioneering researchers in the HIV-AIDS field are among this years winners of the prestigious Canada Gairdner Awards. Each year, seven awards which are nicknamed the Baby Nobels because 83 Gairdner winners have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes are handed out along with $100,000 cheques. Dr. Frank Plummer is the recipient of the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, which honours a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science. HANDOUT Canada Gairdner Wightman Award recipient Dr. Frank Plummer. The scientist, academic and former head of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg is being recognized for groundbreaking research he conducted in Africa that helped in understanding HIV transmission. Its a wonderful honour. The Gairdner is Canadas most prestigious scientific award in the health sciences and its become very prestigious international as well, Plummer said. With support from the University of Manitoba, Plummer conducted research throughout the 1980s on a large group of sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya. He discovered that two-thirds of them had HIV-AIDS. Meanwhile, despite multiple exposures, about 10 per cent of the sex workers were not infected by HIV. The identification of natural resistance to HIV was able to guide strategies in vaccine development, and are being used worldwide to prevent many thousands of HIV infections. As head of the National Microbiology Laboratory, Plummer also led the response to numerous outbreaks. Dr. Anthony Fauci was named recipient of the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, which recognizes an individual responsible for a scientific advancement that has made a significant impact on health in the developing world. Fauci, director of the U.S.-based National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was honoured for critical contributions made to understanding how HIV destroys the bodys immune defences. Fauci played a pivotal role in directing research that led to the development of antiretroviral drug combinations, transforming the lives of people infected by HIV. He was also one of the main architects of the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which has already been responsible for preventing millions of HIV infections throughout the developing world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Allan Ronald, now retired from a distinguished career as a University of Manitoba medical professor, brought Plummer to Africa as a grad student in the early 1980s. It wasnt long before the student surpassed the teacher, Ronald suggested Wednesday in a phone interview. Back then nobody truly understood they were dealing with an epidemic that was global. In the early years, we saw an incredible opportunity before the AIDS epidemic was really recognized what Frank did a wonderful job with, with our Kenyan colleague Dr. Elizabeth Ngugi, the two of them set up this clinic to care for sex workers. It was his idea and no one was caring for them. They were the source of the infections we were seeing, trying to understand why there was so much sexually transmitted disease. It was really going upstream to attack the problem, Ronald recalled. That clinic was the foundation for the later discoveries. It allowed us to address how HIV was spreading in an African setting, Ronald said .Im delighted hes getting this recognition. Its well deserved. Added Plummer, Its been an incredible journey In addition to going from the bedside to the bench, a lot of what we discovered in Kenya from the mid 80s to the late 90s has been turned into health interventions throughout the world and its prevented many thousands of HIV infections. Its very satisfying and it was great doing it. It was an exciting time, Plummer said. Author Larry Krotz chronicled the time in the book, Piecing the Puzzle, the Genesis of AIDS Research in Africa. The clinic is still operating and Plummer said he tries to get back once a year, for an international scientific conference held in Kenya annually. Plummer is still working in the field, these days as distinguished professor at the University of Manitoba, based in Toronto, and as a senior adviser to the chief public health officer with Canadas Public Health Agency. The Canadian Press, files from Alexandra Paul Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/03/2016 (2404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Gina Swansons family calls it a hideous, vile and repugnant act of violence. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSKirsten Swanson, sister of Gina, speaks to media after the sentencing of her sister's killer Wednesday. Now a Winnipeg jury has found there is no doubt about who is responsible for the rape and killing of the 33-year-old single mother inside her home. Schuyler Vanwissen, 31, was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday evening for the May 2011 attack. Jurors heard three weeks of evidence and spent about five hours weighing the evidence before reaching their verdict. There were gasps, tears of relief and even applause from the victims loved ones. Swansons mother and sister read powerful impact statements out loud as the matter went straight to sentencing. Swanson was survived by a daughter who is now 11. She was staying with family members at the time of the homicide. I see sadness in her face and pain in her heart, Kirsten Swanson told court of her niece. I get overwhelmed by thoughts of fear and anger and sadness. How is it possible that one person can cause so much pain and suffering that will last a lifetime? How she died rips me in half every day. Vanwissen was given an automatic life term with no chance of parole for at least 25 years. Short of the death penalty, justice has been served, Kirsten Swanson said outside court. The key piece of evidence was semen found inside the victim, which proved to be a match to Vanwissen. Police took voluntary samples from 39 men who had some connection to Swanson, including family members, friends and neighbours such as the accused. Winnipeg Free Press files Gina Swanson was slain in May 2011. Before the trial began, defence lawyer Martin Glazer argued that police had breached his clients rights in obtaining DNA. He wanted all of the evidence suppressed, which would have left the Crown without much of a case. Queens Bench Justice Rick Saull rejected that motion. Glazer then tried to have the case ended last week without it even going to the jury, filing a motion for a directed not guilty verdict based on no evidence. Glazer also moved for a mistrial earlier, claiming one of the police officers who testified had given potentially inflammatory evidence in how she responded to questions he posed during cross-examination. Saull dismissed both bids. In closing arguments earlier this week, Glazer claimed the Crowns case against Vanwissen was full of holes and sinks in its own quicksand. He suggested the RCMP forensic lab may have botched the testing process and contaminated the samples, leading to a flawed result. But even if it truly was a match, Glazer told jurors they couldnt make assumptions that means she was automatically raped. The onus is on the prosecution to prove a sexual assault did happen. Its not on us to prove it didnt happen, said Glazer. Crown attorney Michael Himmelman said Vanwissen was trying to cloud the issue. He noted none of Swansons friends who testified had even heard of Vanwissen and there is no evidence the pair had any kind of relationship, let alone a sexual one. Himmelman said all of the evidence including the fact Swansons hands were tied with her own panties, which contained Vanwissens DNA should lead to an obvious finding of guilt. Glazer had thrown out several other potential scenarios for Swansons killing. He noted friends say she liked to smoke marijuana occasionally, which led to the suggestion that perhaps her drug dealer killed her. Glazer spoke of the possibility a group of home invaders targeted her for a robbery. Jurors werent buying it. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSHappy with the sentence handed down to her sister Gina's killer, Kirsten Swanson is embraced by supporters outside the courthouse Wednesday. There were other interesting details jurors did not hear about, including Vanwissens previous issues with the justice system and drugs. Vanwissen never took the witness stand to testify in his own defence, meaning that type of information was off-limits for the Crown. Court records show Vanwissen was hit with a restraining order in February 2008 by the mother of a woman with whom hed just fathered a child. She accused Vanwissen of harassing her and of disturbing behaviour while under the influence of a serious drug addiction. Jurors also didnt know Swansons father was a longtime Winnipeg police officer. Lawyers made pre-trial agreements not to bring that up during the trial. Dennis Swanson testified how his daughter didnt show up for work. He went to check on her, used a spare key to gain access, and found a horrible scene inside. She was almost naked, tied up and had a knife sticking out of her chest, having been stabbed five times. A plastic bag was also placed over her head and inside her mouth. He then described immediately retreating from the home, securing the residence and calling 911. This was based on his police instincts although jurors were never told this. www.mikeoncrime.com Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Air Canada must keep a maintenance operation in Winnipeg, but the type of work will be entirely up to the airline under new legislation introduced by federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau on Thursday. The amendments to the Air Canada Public Participation Act water down requirements to keep heavy maintenance operations in Winnipeg, Montreal and Mississauga imposed on the airline 28 years ago as it became a private company. While the act still requires some maintenance work to be performed, it no longer requires overhaul centres. Instead, Garneau said the type and volume of the work is now the choice of the airline. Were recognizing that in todays competitive world Air Canada, which competes not only in Canada but internationally, should not have certain restrictions imposed upon it which make it more difficult for it to be competitive, Garneau told reporters in a scrum following Question Period Thursday. TYLER ANDERSON / NATIONAL POST FILES Air Canada must keep a maintenance operation in Winnipeg, but the type of work will be entirely up to the airline under new legislation introduced Thursday. Heavy maintenance is major repair or replacement work, such as overhauling an engine or major repairs to an aircrafts wings or electrical systems. It is work done in a hangar and a single aircraft often takes several weeks or months to complete, ensuring considerable manpower hours. Garneau said he feels comfortable making the change, given that Air Canada has settled legal disputes with Quebec and Manitoba over its compliance with the existing participation act, by promising to create centres of excellence for aircraft maintenance in Quebec and Winnipeg. The details of the Winnipeg program are still thin, but the pledge is that 150 new jobs will be created next year, with two new aerospace companies setting up shop in Winnipeg to do work for the airline. Quebec has an agreement for a maintenance centre of excellence and a 20-year contract for maintenance work to be done in Quebec on new C-series jets Air Canada is buying from Quebec-based Bombardier. Quebec sued the airline in 2012, and Manitoba joined the lawsuit as an intervener, after heavy maintenance work in Winnipeg and Montreal was moved out of the country following the bankruptcy of Aveos Fleet Performance. Aveos was the spin-off company from Air Canada that did its heavy maintenance work for several years. The 2012 bankruptcy put more than 400 people in Manitoba out of work, 1,800 in Montreal and a few hundred each in Vancouver and Mississauga. Two Quebec courts sided with the Quebec government that Air Canada had violated the Public Participation Act by not having heavy maintenance work in the city. The airline argued, and the previous Conservative government agreed, that the act was not clear that the work had to be heavy maintenance, and that line-maintenance jobs were enough to meet the legal requirements. Line maintenance is work done while an airplane is at or near the gate, and includes preparation to get an aircraft ready for flight and system checks. It is generally limited to work that can be completed within a single work shift. Air Canada was appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada but that appeal is on hold pending the final details of the settlements with Quebec and Manitoba. Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu said it was time the legislation changed to reflect the changes in the industry in the past three decades but added airline officials were still studying the bill and would make a submission to Garneau once a full review is completed. No other airline in Canada is subject to restrictions such as those imposed on Air Canada, Rovinescu said in a release. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair raged against the legislation, and accused the government of letting Air Canada off the hook despite the airlines violation of the act for the last four years. I just listened to Marc Garneau try to justify the unjustifiable, Mulcair said. If you read the statute Mr. Garneau brought into Parliament today, if they do a single engine once a year in Winnipeg, a single engine once a year in Mississauga, a single engine once a year in Montreal, theyve done everything they have to do. The legislation also amends the locations where maintenance jobs must remain from the cities of Winnipeg, Mississauga, Ont., and Montreal, Que., to the provinces of Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario. In Manitoba that wont likely have much of an impact since Air Canada only has operations in Winnipeg. But in Ontario and Quebec, it gives the airline more flexibility. Manitoba NDP MP Daniel Blaikie said the Liberal government is pulling the rug out from under Winnipeg aerospace workers. Prior to this they had legal guarantees about the kind of work that was to be done and after this they wont. Winnipeg Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux was critical of the airlines actions on jobs when Aveos went bankrupt and he was an opposition MP. Today however, Lamoureux said the airline has promised jobs in Winnipeg, and its only fair in the global airline competitive environment the government give the airline some flexibility. Dave Ritchie, Canadian general vice-president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said the Liberals delivered a complete sell out of Canadian aviation workers with this move. Every protection we had is gone because they will now control the type and the volume of work, Ritchie said in a statement. We have the expertise to maintain, overhaul and repair aircraft, this legislation doesnt even guarantee we can perform an oil change. It undermines an entire industry, leaving it completely vulnerable. This is a complete sell-out of Canadian aviation workers. Manitoba is home to the third largest cluster of aerospace companies in Canada, behind Quebec and Ontario. It employs more than 5,000 people, and generates about $1.6 billion in economic activity. mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/03/2016 (2404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It was a wild and dangerous scene near the University of Manitoba: two masked men opening fire in a crowded parking lot, narrowly missing their intended target. Now the pair behind the July 2014 daylight attack have admitted responsibility in a case still shrouded in mystery. Bryan Anthony Devlin, 32, and Matthew Ronald Lavergne, 31, pleaded guilty today to several firearms offences including careless discharge and were handed five-year prison terms under joint-recommendations from Crown and defence lawyers. Devlin was given an additional three months custody for breaching a weapons ban at the time. But what court didnt hear is what triggered the attack. The intended victim was being watched by the two accused courtesy of a GPS tracker they had covertly placed under his vehicle days earlier, according to lawyers. This suggests a level of planning rather than something spontaneous. The monitoring device actually wasnt discovered until several months after the incident. The victim had just emerged from the Macs store in the area of Pembina Highway and Chancellor Drive when two shots were fired his way around 7 p.m.. Both missed. The man then took off running, while Devlin and Lavergne sped away. Several witnesses to the shooting provided detailed information to police, including a report that they threw a gun out the window on Bison Drive. Police located the loaded Colt .45 handgun, which had the serial number removed. The pair was arrested later that evening during a traffic stop on the Perimeter Highway. Police also located body armour and handcuffs in their vehicle. Its quite an interesting case, to say the least, prosecutor Jocelyn Ritchot told court Wednesday. But no further backdrop to the incident was provided to the court, including a possible motive. Lawyers said it was a true plea bargain with both sides giving things up to come to a resolution. Both Devlin and Lavergne have prior criminal records involving drug offences. When its all put out on the table there now, you feel stupid about it, Lavergne told Queens Bench Justice Joan McKelvey. Im looking forward to completing my sentence so I can become a productive member of society again, added Devlin. Both men have been in custody without bail since their arrest, which will be reduced from their overall sentence. They have also been given lifetime weapons bans. The actions of the accused were reckless and extremely dangerous to public safety, said McKelvey. Quite clearly there was a callous disregard for public safety. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/03/2016 (2404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba Justice has asked RCMP in Saskatchewan to investigate a motor vehicle collision involving two off-duty Winnipeg Police Service officers. The officers vehicle struck a parked car in a residential neighbourhood at about 3:20 a.m. on March 12, a Manitoba government press release said. The crash caused extensive damage to both vehicles as well as a fire hydrant. One of the off-duty Winnipeg police officers was taken to hospital by ambulance. The other was treated for inuries at the scene. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba was notified about the off-duty, after-hours crash on March 17. After reviewing materials supplied by the Winnipeg police, the civilian director of the unit identified a conflict of interest, the press release said. The director determined that the unit shouldnt play any role in the investigation of the crash to ensure it is conducted independently. On March 22, Manitoba Justices director of policing asked the out-of-province RCMP to assume responsibility for the investigation. No further details will be provided at this time, the release said. In some minds theres a certain appropriateness in locating a college campus where a brewery once stood and in having the colleges founder take up residence in the brewers home. Before there was thought of Saint Marys University, there was the Gilmore Valley Brewery, and long before the Terrace Heights mansion with the commanding view of the Mississippi valley was known as the bishops house, LaSalle Hall or as Cotter Hall, it was home to brewer and businessman C.C. Beck. C.C. Beck was born in Goeppingen, Schwabland, Germany, in 1831 to a family noted for longevity. The C.C. stood for Carl Christian, Charles Christian or Christian Carl the man was known to his contemporaries only by his initials, making the order of his names a matter of local speculation. He left his boyhood home for Augsburg, Bavaria, at 15 to learn the brewers trade, and in 1857 he set sail for the U.S., to join his brother, also a brewer, in Dubuque, Iowa. Dubuque wasnt to his liking, so on Nov. 11, 1858, he caught a late-season packet to Winona. Three years earlier, three partners had opened the Gilmore Valley Brewery, the first in Winona. Beck bought out Brentle and Sherer and went into business with the remaining partner, whom he bought out four years later. Parcel by parcel, he added to the landholding surrounding the brewery, until he owned 160 acres on Terrace Heights and Gilmore Valley. He expanded the brewery in 1872, and in 1876-77 at a cost of more than $15,000 built the brick-and-stone mansion that looked down on his land, his brewery and the growing city below. In 1877 the brewery caught fire and burned to the ground. Beck collected the insurance and assumed the vocation of gentleman farmer in lieu of rebuilding. He began dealing in hardware and other merchandise, an occupation that apparently suited him well, as the business flourished to the point where in 1887 he built a three-story brick store and warehouse in the heart of the city business district at 109 E. Third St. In 1889, he was a member of the founding board of directors of Merchants National Bank. He died in 1900, leaving an estate that would be valued at well more than $2.5 million in todays dollars. His third wife, Margarethe, was heir to his fortune. Becks first wife, Alvina, had died in 1880 at 35 of congestion of the brain and apoplexy. Within three years he remarried, 22-year-old Matilda, who died suddenly in 1889 of softening of the brain. Shortly thereafter, Thomas Lichtensteiger, a saloonkeeper on Second Street, passed away suddenly, leaving Margarethe a young widow. The recent widow and widower became man and wife in a private ceremony too soon thereafter for the suspicions of some local wags, particularly since the Lichtensteigers were publicly known to be a less than happy couple. Margarethe would live in the mansion on the hill until 1911, when a new home was ready for her, and she put the Terrace Heights home and farm up for sale. She found a ready buyer not far away. Winona Bishop Patrick Heffron had made it known to the members of the Winona Board of Trade that he had an interest in the property Mrs. Beck was looking to sell as the site of a new College for Boys. In January 1911, Winona businessman S.L. Prentiss informed the bishop he had the option to buy the house, the 160-acre farm and 15 adjoining acres of the Winona County poor farm for $28,000. In March, Heffron obtained the blessing of Pope Pius X and St. Marys College had a campus. C.C. Becks home would be the first campus building, and Bishop Heffron would be the first campus resident. Heffrons predecessor, Bishop Joseph Cotter, made his home in the four-story brick residence at the corner of Cummings and Wabasha on the St. Teresa campus. Heffron turned the residence over to the Franciscans and moved to the new diocesan property on Terrace Heights all the better to oversee construction and operation of the new college. After Heffrons death in 1927, his successor, Bishop Francis Kelly maintained the home as the bishops residence and did extensive remodeling adding a third story, porch and balcony. In 1933, Kelly approved the sale of Saint Marys College to the Christian Brothers for $350,000, but the diocese retained ownership of the bishops residence for another two years, finally selling the house to the Brothers for $25,000 in 1935. The Christian Brothers christened the building LaSalle Hall and turned it into a residence for young men entering the order. LaSalle Hall would be home to the student brothers until 1950 when it became a residence for Saint Marys students with no particular religious vocation and the name was changed to Cotter Hall. For nearly a decade, until 1972, Cotter Hall served as a convent for an order of Mexican nuns, who served as housekeepers for the Christian Brothers and cooks for the entire campus. The house then was used as a residence until about 1990. It was used to store furniture and equipment until it was gutted by fire in June 2006. Understanding the need to work with all Dear Editor: Over the past several years, Ive had the opportunity to serve on county-wide boards and committees with Ryan Marquardt, an independent candidate for the Madison County Board of... Vote to support our public schools Dear Editor: Like many of you, I am proud to be a graduate of Iowas public school system. Like many of you, I am proud of the education our students... Inside the Iowa House Iowans are exhausted and fed up with politicians deciding their every move, and the issue of reproductive freedom is no different. Earlier this summer when the US Supreme Court overturned... This is where you will always belong Andrew Forbes reminded graduands that their future success is also the success of the University. The Distinguished Professor in the School of Physics addressed the Faculty of Science graduation ceremony in the Great Hall today, 23 March 2016. He told graduands that while they are graduating from this University, you can never leave Wits. Our success and your success are now entangled, intertwined. People judging you in the future and looking at what you have achieved, will be looking at us (the University) too. Everything we do will reflect on your status because this is where you come from and this is where you will always belong, he said. In congratulating the graduands, Forbes reminded them that greatness comes from within and is not dependent on ones external environment. Try to be brilliant at something. And try not to follow the crowd and to worry about the environment you find yourself in, he added. About Professor Andrew Forbes: A former Chief Researcher and Research Group Leader of Mathematical Optics at the CSIR National Laser Centre, Forbes joined Wits in 2015 as part of the Universitys Distinguished Professor programme. He has since established a new Structured Light Lab in the School of Physics. He is active in promoting photonics in South Africa and is a founding member of the Photonics Initiative of South Africa, a Fellow of SPIE, and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. A life of the mind: Philosophy conference inspires undergraduates Philosophy at W&M Keynote speaker Kelly Trogdon of Virginia Tech presenting at the close of the 2016 Undergraduate Philosophy Conference. Photo courtesy Max Miroff Photo - of - Hide Caption For some W&M undergraduate students, a weekend contemplating Kant, Descartes, Aristotle, Hume and Rawls is one well spent. The William & Mary Philosophy Club hosted the fifth annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference in James Blair last weekend. The conference has become a spring tradition for the kind of die-hard philosophy students to whom presentations like Problems with Contemporary Compatibilism make sense. The conference is organized by undergraduate philosophy students for undergraduate philosophy students. Mimicking professional academic conferences, it was originally envisioned as a regional conference, but has grown in the students it attracts. Weve had one attendee from as far as California, so now we can say its a national conference, Philosophy Club President Max Miroff 16 said. We actually received some submissions from India, although Im not sure logistically how theyd be able to come. Miroff said the club sponsors the conference as an academic exercise and a way to build community among philosophy students. Theres a narrative about William & Mary emphasizing undergraduate research, and I see this as one of the ways in which it really uniquely facilitates a learning experience and a process that helps undergraduate academics, Miroff said. Hengrui Ruan 16 presented at the conference in 2014 and credits the experience with convincing him to pursue graduate school. Ruan is a history major and though he had taken a number of philosophy classes, he considered himself a philosophical layman. The paper he submitted for the 2014 conference (Exploring Arendtian Freedom and Action in Foucaults Discipline and Punish) was originally written for a political theory course, so he was surprised when it was accepted. It actually went very well, he said. That was the first time I ever got an opportunity to participate in a semi-professional setting. It gives you a wonderful opportunity to present your academic work and hear from your peers. It definitely gave me a boost of confidence. Being accepted into the conference was an endorsement of the quality of my work and whether Ill be able to, at least on a minimal level, operate in an academic environment. The conference also provides William & Mary students a chance to network with philosophy majors from other institutions and to interact with the keynote speaker, an invited faculty member from another institution. This years keynote speaker was Virginia Tech Philosophy Professor Kelly Trogdon, who presented Wherefore Fundamentality? To organize the conference, Miroff issued a call for papers and prepared the roughly two dozen entries for blind review. Faculty advisors Chris Freiman and Aaron Griffith culled the top nine papers before a panel of philosophy students chose the top two to award cash prizes. Even with the prizes, the two-day conference is run on a shoe-string budget, Miroff said, costing less than $2,000, paid for with a Community of Scholars Fund mini-grant through the Roy R. Charles Center for Academic Excellence. The fund encourages intellectual interaction between faculty and students outside the classroom. The Philosophy Department also helps offset conference costs, this year giving $1,000, and in the past the Deans Office has helped fund the conference. The conference reflects the departments and the universitys commitment to teaching excellence, Griffith said. Planning a conference takes time and energy. That the students, department and university are willing to put the time and energy into the conference shows that it prioritizes undergraduate research and takes seriously the task of preparing students for the profession. Students from all around the country had to compete to get a speaking spot at the conference. I think this indicates that the philosophy department at William & Mary is seen as a place where philosophy is thriving and students are being well trained. American Physical Society report notes challenges to LGBT physicists An ally in physics William & Mary physicist Wouter Deconick is a member of an ad hoc committee of the American Physical Society that recently produced a report on the challenges that gender minorities face in the physics community. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption William & Mary physicist Wouter Deconinck is a member of an ad hoc committee of the American Physical Society that has just released a report titled LGBT Climate in Physics: Building an Inclusive Community. The report outlines the status of gender and sexual minorities within the physics community. Deconinck, an assistant professor of physics, notes that the report addresses the entire U.S. physics community, including tenured professors, research scientists, graduate students and undergrads. The report was released at the March meeting of the APS and has been picked up by national media, including the journal Nature. The report outlines challenges and barriers to LGBT physicists, who often encounter exclusionary behavior from other members of the physics community. Deconinck said the exclusionary behavior problem isnt unique to physics by any means, but seems to be stronger in numerical fields such as physics. And, he said, the report does not mean that physicists, as a group, are bigoted. There is a tendency in physics to discount anything related to human emotions: only numbers and 'objective' measurements are important, Deconinck said. This means that physicists are in general well-meaning but oblivious to the effects of their actions. They have good intent, but that does not negate the negative impacts of their actions. A press release from the committee lists a number of findings from the report, which was the result of focus groups, a detailed climate survey and a set of in-depth interviews among members of the physics community who self-identify as LGBT. Over one third of LGBT climate survey respondents considered leaving their workplace or school in the past year; this was correlated strongly with experiencing or observing harassment or discrimination LGBT physicists have faced uneven protection and support from legislation and policies, and may be fired or, in some countries, charged as criminals as a result of their LGBT status or for discussing LGBT issues LGBT physicists with additional marginalized identities faced greater levels of discrimination women experienced exclusionary behavior at three times the rate of men, and particular challenges exist for LGBT persons who were also people of color. Deconinck pointed out that trans physicists face particular workplace challenges, with more than 40 percent of the trans and gender-nonconforming population reporting their colleagues refer to them using incorrect pronouns. That is one of the easiest things someone can do to make the trans person feel accepted and comfortable, Deconinck said, and it appears that more than 40 percent of the trans physicists do not work in an environment where that is the case. The report includes a set of recommendations to improve the climate for LGBT, both within the APS itself as well as in the American physics community at large: Ensuring a safe and welcoming environment at APS meetings for LGBT individuals Addressing the need to systematically accommodate name changes in publication records Developing advocacy efforts that support LGBT equity and inclusion Promoting inclusive practices in academia, national labs and industry Implementing LGBT-inclusive mentorship programs Supporting the establishment of an APS Forum on Diversity and Inclusion. Deconinck is an active supporter in a number of efforts to increase inclusion of women and gender and sexual minorities in physics and in science generally. He notes that his department has a climate steering committee that includes undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty. I can't speak for LGBT physicists since I'm an ally and have not had to live through the intricacies of coming out to colleagues or students, he said. In general, William & Mary does pretty well, though. On the recent Campus Pride survey of schools, we scored 3.5 stars out of 5 on LGBT friendliness. That leaves room for improvement. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Exelon and Pepco complete merger 24 March 2016 Share Exelon Corporation and Pepco Holdings completed their merger yesterday after receiving approval from the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. The merger brings together the two companies' six electric and gas utilities to create a major gas and electricity utility covering the USA's mid-Atlantic region. Exelon and Pepco signed a definitive agreement to combine their two companies in an all-cash transaction on 30 April 2014 with the unanimous agreement of both companies' boards of directors. At the time, the companies anticipated closing the merger, which required approvals from the public service commissions of the different states involved as well as Pepco stockholders and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), in the second or third quarter of 2015. The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, which had previously rejected the merger as not being in the public interest, yesterday voted in favour of it with modified terms and conditions that have been accepted by the companies. The FERC, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, the Delaware Public Service Commission, the Maryland Public Service Commission, and the Virginia State Corporation Commission had already given their approval to the merger. The merger brings together Exelon utilities BGE, ComEd and PECO, and Pepco Holdings' utilities Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco. Exelon's generating fleet includes 23 nuclear reactors. Exelon CEO Chris Crane will retain his current position as president and CEO of Exelon, while David Velazquez has become president and CEO of Pepco Holdings. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics The surgeon-in-training told the patient she had to return to surgery because not enough of her rib had been removed, when actually the wrong rib had been taken. A Connecticut woman has filed a lawsuit against Yale New Haven Hospital after having the wrong body part removed during a May 18, 2015, surgery performed by a surgeon-in-training who lied later to cover up the mistake he had made. Deborah Craven, 60, was scheduled to have part of her eighth rib removed due to a lesion. Instead, Dr. Ricardo Quarrie, a resident surgeon at the hospital, removed the seventh rib. Quarrie then tried to cover his mistake by telling Craven she had to go back to surgery because not enough of the eighth rib had been removed. A metal coil used during surgery was also left inside Craven, according to the lawsuit. Radiologists marked the site of the lesion on Cravens eighth rib prior to the surgery by placing metallic coils into the rib and injecting dye into the skin and surrounding tissue. When Craven awoke after the surgery she had immediate pain that lasted into the evening. An x-ray showed that the metal markers were still in place and that part of the seventh rib had been removed. Joel Faxon, who is Cravens attorney, said there would have been no lawsuit had Quarrie not lied about the mistake. A spokesman for the hospital said the facility recognized that a mistake had been made and they advised the patient, apologized, and immediately reported the error to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. When she learned of the mistake, Craven asked that Quarrie not be involved in the corrective surgery, but he was still allowed to assist with the second operation. The case was filed with the Superior Court of New Haven on March 14. Gregg Foot tasting the burger By: Wayne Morin A BBC journalist of the United Kingdom, asked doctors to remove a piece of his thigh so he can learn how it tastes. BBC journalist Gregg Foot, was determined to learn how humans taste if they were cooked like animals. Because eating human meat, including your own, is illegal, Foot asked scientists to cook his flesh so he can smell it and recreate the taste of human meat. Scientists studied the cooked sample and revealed that it contains similar muscle fibers to those found in both chicken breast and some cuts of beef. It was then cooked, and scientists analyzed the smell, which they said is a big part of taste. They determined that human meat tastes somewhere between pork and lamb. Foot then made a replica burger using lamb and pork, and he liked it. Two shoplifters covered in yellow paint By: Wayne Morin People in Zambia, are angry after a clothing store manager publicized photos, showing two young women covered in yellow paint. The Human Rights Commission has condemned the attack and described it as torture and inhuman. The incident unfolded at the Jet Stores located at the Presidential Housing Initiative shopping mall in Lusaka. The two women, aged 19 and 21, were covered in yellow paint after they were accused of shoplifting. The manager took photos of the women and published them on social media sites. HRC chief Mweetwa Muleya said that the act by Jet Stores was cruel and demeaning to the two young women. The commission said that it will summon the Jet Stores manager and the two victims for further investigation before deciding on the appropriate punishment. Jet Stores announced that they have fired all employees involved in the incident. The bear and Miguel Franca By: Feng Qian A man was arrested after he was caught wearing a vest that belonged to a stuffed animal. Police in Oregon, released a photo of the bear wearing the red vest that was custom made for it. The life-size stuffed animal stands guard at the Montbell store in Portland. The vest is bright red and was made especially to fit the big stomach and thin neck. Police found 35-year-old Miguel Franca, who was caught wearing the vest. Franca is 6 feet tall with a thin structure, according to police. He was seen walking across the Ross Island Bridge just before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, wearing the vest. Franca was taken to the Multnomah County Jail, and charged with theft. Meanwhile, the bear is once again wearing the vest. Erikka Hope By: Wayne Morin A woman was arrested on a charge of battery after allegedly running over her boyfriend with a car because he looked at nude women at a strip club, police in Florida said. The Brevard County Sheriffs Office said that they have arrested 24-year-old Erikka Hope, after being accused of beating up her boyfriend outside the Pin Ups Gentlemanas Club. Hope was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, battery, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and possession of a controlled substance. She was booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes, and her bail was set at $33,000. According to the police investigation, around 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, Hope drove to the strip club and confornted her boyfriend for being there and looking at nude women. Hope then punched the man in the face before going back into her car. Hope then rammed her vehicle into her boyfriend, causing him to suffer serious injuries. Hope also damaged to other vehicles while trying to leave the parking lot. Police later found several Xanax pills in her car. With rock bottom oil prices pushing the expected deficit to as high as $4 billion, Alaska's financial crisis understandably cast a pallor over Tuesday's City and Borough Assembly meeting. Speaking with city finance director Lee Burgess on Monday, one of the key areas of concern for Wrangell moving forward will be an impending drop by thirds each year to state revenue sharing commitments. This year funds came to $568,000, but could taper off to $417,000 the coming year, less than $300,000 after that, followed by no funds at all by the middle of 2018. Cuts to the ferry system notwithstanding, other areas for concern will be state allotments for community jail funding, which already fell sharply this year, and for capital projects, upon which a $10.7 million replacement of the facilities at Shoemaker Bay Harbor currently hinges on. On the state budget, Borough Manager Jabusch reported to Assembly members the Alaska Municipal League has been paying close attention to negotiations in the Legislature. While it indicated much of the budget is now in place, details will likely be unavailable until the last few days of the session. City department heads and the finance director are working on a budget draft as well, which should be ready to present by late April. The wider region has also been nervously awaiting a final state budget. Assembly members Mark Mitchell and Julie Decker returned from Southeast Conference's Mid-Summit Session last week with unpleasant news about the budget crisis and its expected impacts. The message is pretty bleak in Juneau, Decker said. One of her larger concerns is political, she pointed out. It being an election year, legislators seemed hesitant to tackle unpleasant but necessary revenue increases to balance the state budget. I don't know if it's a completely foregone conclusion that they'll take no action, Decker said. However, she was not hopeful. Mitchell's takeaway from SEC was that the toughest cuts to services and new taxes would likely wait until after the coming budget cycle to take effect. We'll just have to buckle down and contend with it, he said. In his report to the Assembly, Jabusch cited data from the state assessor's office which indicated Wrangell would be in a relatively better position than some of its neighbors to handle such future constraints. Per capita, the city's general obligation debt was by far and away the lowest, at $644. The next lowest were Craig at $1,511 and Sitka at $2,924, with a high of $20,863 per head in Skagway. Over the last 15 years, Jabusch emphasized the city had undertaken more than $100,000,000 in capital projects, with very little debt incurred. Meanwhile, taxes collected on property, sales, raw fish, alcohol and other areas were the lowest in Wrangell, with an average burden of $1,800 per resident. By contrast, residents in Ketchikan and Juneau bore a respective $3,209 and $2,839. And while economically less diverse than the larger boroughs, Wrangell's boatyard and medical services sector both give the community a sturdier footing than some. There's some doom and gloom, but hopefully there's a ray of hope at the end of that, Decker said hopefully. Tuesday's meeting was prefaced by a budget workshop with members of the school board and district. Superintendent Patrick Mayer explained their current incarnation of the budget was not substantially different from this year's, but a final calculation would depend on education funding levels agreed on by the House and Senate. While the Base Student Allocation increase by $50 proposed by the governor's office made it into drafts put forward by both legislative chambers, whether the state's contributions to teacher's pensions would drop remained unclear. Reporting on projects, Jabusch said most of the final items on the city dock refurbishments have been bid out and signed, including railings along the dock approach, an additional summer float on the south side and its gangway. Only electrical remains for the project, which should ready to bid out by the month's end. While the paving of Evergreen will not happen this year, Jabusch reported the city will make completion of paving at Wood Street a priority before its grant runs out in June 2017. On Monday and Tuesday Public Works patched up the potholes at the Shoemaker Bay Harbor parking lot, filling and grading the surface to reduce water retention. He also wanted to remind homeowners that assessment notices are heading to postal boxes, and that residents have until April 20 to file an appeal. Because assessments are not especially detailed, residents are encouraged to file an appeal if they have any questions. That's part of the assessor's job, to meet with everybody, Jabusch explained. Forms to file an appeal are available at City Hall. Contaminant remediation continues at the Byford yard, with a project manager with the Department of Environmental Conservation due to visit this Wednesday. Mitchell queried whether Jabusch knew if the Byford cleanup was turning out to be more extensive than first expected. He responded he had not heard anything to that effect. We'll find out something tomorrow but we're certainly not in a position to do anything, he told Mitchell. Speaking earlier this month, DEC expects to have the bulk of its work complete by the end of this summer. The cost could potentially run in the neighborhood of $3.9 million, to be paid for through the states Oil and Hazardous Substance Release Prevention and Response Fund. Assembly members approved on second reading an ordinance amending municipal code to allow them to fully participate in meetings by phone. The change is based in part on Sitka's code. Out of a new need from this decision, the Assembly also approved the addition of $950 to the clerk's budget for the purchase of a new teleconference phone for City Hall, to come from General Fund reserves. It also approved a noncompetitive purchase of four 1,440 Volt outdoor primary switches for Wrangell Municipal Light and Power in the amount of $64,113. The money matches funds being put up by Southeast Alaska Power Agency to proceed with work at the substation near the power plant. The Assembly issued a resolution opposing Senate Bill 198, which proposes imposing a 12.5-percent royalty on seafood production. What has been proposed by one of the senators is to treat seafood like oil, said Decker, who is also executive director of Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation. It's craziness. It's a relative increase of over 500 percent. The Assembly also approved cancellation of its scheduled May 10 meeting, so members will be free to participate in a memorial service. The Royal Canadian Mountain Police will be performing a small headstone ceremony for Constable Spencer Heathcote, who perished with another colleague while on patrol in 1901 when their boat sank near Wrangell. Heathcote's body was recovered and buried, though the location has since been lost. We're assisting them with their ceremony, explained Jabusch. The cancellation will not conflict with budget season, with a workshop likely to be scheduled on or around May 9. We'll still have plenty of time to do that, Jabusch said. Additional 500,000 Funding Boost For Arts Hub / Market Development This article is old - Published: Thursday, Mar 24th, 2016 An additional 500,000 is to be invested into Wrexhams new Arts and Cultural Hub / Peoples Market with adjoining retail spaces on Chester Street also set to benefit from the money. The additional funding boost was announced today as part of the Welsh Governments Vibrant and Viable Places programme. The 500,000 will be invested into additional works to the Arts and Cultural Hub on Chester Street, with the funding expected to enhance visitor facilities, revitalise the immediate area and improve adjoining retail premises. Although details of exactly how the adjoining shops will be revitalised has not been confirmed. In February it was confirmed that Arts Council Wales had approved funding of 2.3 million towards the development, with Wrexham Council contributing 1.5million. A further 700,000 has been put towards the scheme from Wrexham Councils previous bid for the VVP fund. The additional 500,000 brings the total spend on the Arts Hub / Peoples Market to around 5million. Speaking about the funding boost, Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities and Partnerships, said: I am very pleased with the additional funding for the Arts project in the Peoples Market. The monies will be used to enhance visitor facilities, revitalise the area and improve retail premises. Cllr Neil Rogers, Lead Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, added: This is very good news. It will increase the spend within the markets area in total of around 5 million and will further enhance the proposed project. Wrexhams funding is part of twelve regeneration projects in Wales receiving a 12.8m boost. The additional funding brings the total investment in the Welsh Governments flagship regeneration scheme to 118 million. A recent report found, between 2014 17, the programme will create more than 2,000 jobs, support 3,000 people into work and bring a further 300 million into Wales. It is also expected to provide 1,000 affordable homes and more than 2,300 homes in the private sector Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister Lesley Griffiths said: This additional funding is a huge boost to key regeneration projects in Wrexham and Flintshire which will make a very real difference to their local communities. As well as improving important local services, the funding will create jobs and traineeships and boost Wales housing supply. The Welsh Government is committed to creating jobs, supporting the economy and increasing housing supply and our flagship VVP programme is at the very heart of our efforts. Work on converting the Peoples Market into an Arts and Cultural Hub / market space is set to begin in January 2017, with the development set to be complete by 2018. Community Councils Rally to Support Safeguarding Standards Cause This article is old - Published: Thursday, Mar 24th, 2016 Community Councils across Wrexham have rallied to the call for funds to save the Veteran Standards and made contributions to the Crowdfunding appeal. Last month Wrexham.com reported that a campaign to safeguard the standards of the Eighth Army Vets, the Korean Vets, the Burma Star Vets and the Normandy Vets had been launched. The project is part of the Together in Wrexham initiative which looks at alternative ways of providing non statutory services and funding which otherwise would have been provided by the Council. A total of 12,400 is needed to preserve the standards with a combination of crowdfunding and traditional fundraising activities (such as bag packing in a local supermarket) will be used to raise the funds. If the campaign is successful, the standards will be on permanent display at the Guildhall The campaign has also been supported by Community Councils across Wrexham, with Gwersyllt, Rhos, Minera, Broughton, Llangollen, Rossett and Acton all making contributions. Representing Gwersyllt Community Council, Cllr Bernie McCann said: This was something our members were very keen to support. Gwersyllt has strong links to the armed forces as do other communities in the area and I am pleased to be here today with other Community Councillors to support this appeal to safeguard the standards. More information about the campaign and how you can get involved can be found here. Student Easter Bunny Donates Eggs to Care Home & Childrens Ward This article is old - Published: Thursday, Mar 24th, 2016 A Wrexham Glyndwr University student went the egg-stra mile this week donating more than 50 Easter eggs to a care home and to a local childrens ward. Business student Louise Handley, 31, launched an appeal for Easter eggs to donate them to Broughton Hall Care Home and Wrexham Maelors Childrens Ward in time for Good Friday. She said: Residents at the home loved them. We actually took them around and gave them out individually to each resident and looking at their faces was great. They were all so thrilled. Some even stated it had been a few years since they had had one. I helped organise a Christmas dinner for Broughton Hall residents at the university last year so I wanted to help them at Easter too. I wanted to give the residents a nice treat. Louise, originally only raising the eggs for Broughton Hall, collected 54 eggs in total, smashing her target of 38, so decided to donate the rest of them to Wrexham Maelors Childrens Ward. She said: After the first week of the appeal I thought we were going to struggle, but then the last couple of days we were flooded with Easter eggs so I called Wrexham Maelor to ask could I donate some for the children there. They were very thankful when we delivered them and are going to give them out over the weekend along with the other eggs they have received. I wanted to give something back to the community and we have had such a great reception for the appeal which is nice. Students and staff donated the egg-cellent treats and proprietors of Wrexham Village, where Louise lives, donated 18 chocolate eggs. Louise had a cracking great time delivering the eggs to residents and the hospital ward, along with friend and health and social care student, Lady Lyn, 23. Hayley Jones, activities co-ordinator at Broughton Hall Care Home, said: We didnt tell the residents Louise was coming with the eggs so it was a big surprise for them, they were very shocked. Theyve never had donations like this from outside the care home. Louise helped organise a lovely dinner for the residents at the university at Christmas and watch the pantomime too. She is really good and is such a very kind girl. Louise is already hoping to help Broughton Hall again this Christmas. Weather Warning Issued With Gale Force Winds Forecast Over Easter Weekend This article is old - Published: Thursday, Mar 24th, 2016 In typical Bank Holiday fashion there will be some bad weather over the weekend, with a yellow weather warning for gale force winds currently in place for Wrexham. The Met Office have this afternoon issued the weather warning across Wales, with severe winds set to hit the area on Saturday. Its expected that the bad weather will begin at 6am on Saturday morning, before calming down at around 9pm in the evening. The Met Office have described the weather as a swathe of strong winds which will be accompanied by heavy rain at times. This is expected to bring gusts of 45-55 mph, which may reach highs of 60 mph later in the day. Coastal areas exposed to the southwest could experience more frequent gusts of 55-65 mph. The Chief Forecasters Statement adds: Please be aware of the possibility of localised travel disruption. An active frontal zone is expected advance steadily east across the country through Saturday, accompanied by strong, gusty winds and periods of heavy rain. Whilst the strongest gusts are likely to be confined to coastal districts at first, and in the immediate vicinity of the front, gales are likely to become more widespread inland later in the morning and through the afternoon. Winds should ease markedly as the front clears through, particularly in the south. The day after the mass bombings in Brussels that killed 34 people and wounded another 230, it emerged that Belgian authorities had specific forewarnings of the attack and had already last year identified the men who carried out the assault as Islamist terrorists. The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported Wednesday that Zavantem Airport and the Maelbeek metro station were known to be targets for planned terror attacks. It wrote, The Belgian security services, as well as other Western intelligence agencies, had advance and precise intelligence warnings regarding the terrorist attacks in Belgium on Tuesday, Ha'aretz has learned. The security services knew, with a high degree of certainty, that attacks were planned in the very near future for the airport and, apparently, for the subway as well. The suspected attackers were well known to police authorities. Two of the suicide bombers, Khalid El Bakraoui, who attacked the metro station, and his brother Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who exploded a bomb at the airport, had been convicted of armed robbery and were known to have connections to the November 13 attacks in Paris carried out by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Both were identified post-mortem by their fingerprints. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been detained in Turkey and identified as an Islamist fighter, then deported to the Netherlands last year. One of the perpetrators of the Brussels attack is a person whom we detained in June 2015 in [the southeastern province of] Gaziantep and deported We informed the Brussels Embassy of the deportation process of the attacker with a note on July 14, 2015. However, the Belgians released the attacker despite his deportation, Erdogan said. Erdogan added that Belgian authorities were unable to establish any ties between El Bakraoui and terrorist activity despite the Turkish warnings, which were ignored. Another bomber who blew himself up at the airport has still to be identified, and the third airport attacker, identified as Najim Laachraoui, remains on the run. Belgian authorities said they were looking for a man of Turkish origin, 22 years old, driving an old, dark Audi A4 car. These reports raise the most serious questions as to how and why Belgian and allied intelligence agencies allowed the Brussels bombings to occur. In the fifteenth year of the war on terror declared by Washington and its European allies after the September 11, 2001 bombings, intelligence agencies have at their disposal sophisticated spying techniques capable of tracking virtually all cell phone and Internet activity. Claims that the attack occurred because Belgian and allied intelligence agencies somehow failed to connect the dots are simply not believable. Belgium has been on high alert. Large numbers of soldiers and police were deployed in Brussels when the city was placed on lockdown following the November 13 attacks in Paris, and again after last weeks capture of November 13 attacker Salah Abdeslam. Belgian forces had advance notice of the targets of an attack and the identity of the attackers. Nonetheless, the ISIS team was able to amass a large stock of bomb-making equipment undisturbed and plan, prepare and execute devastating and coordinated terror bombings. During the first lockdown, in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, 16 people were arrested and 22 searches were made, which produced nothing. All the while, Abdeslam was living a few kilometers from his parents home. Abdeslams capture in last weeks police raid apparently pushed the ISIS terrorists to put their plans into action. Ibrahim El Bakraouis laptop was found in a dustbin in the street. On it police found a recording of Bakraoui saying he was acting in a rush and did not [know] what to do anymore, as he was being searched for everywhere and was no longer safe. If he stuck around he was likely to end up in a prison cell. Police located El Bakraouis apartment by speaking to the taxi driver who dropped off the attackers at Zavantem airport. He told police he picked them up from 4 rue Max Roos in the Schaerbeek area of Brussels. Police searched the apartment and found 15 kilos of explosives, 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide, detonators, a case full of nails and screws and other bomb-making materials. There are as yet no calls for mass sackings in Belgian and European intelligence circles after this stunning breakdown of security. The reason is that powerful factions within the ruling elite and the state, far from being genuinely revolted by these attacks, view them as a political godsend, allowing them to press for policies on which there is broad agreement in ruling circles: stepped-up military intervention in the Middle East, police-state surveillance measures in Europe and incitement of anti-Muslim racism. New York Times columnists Thomas Friedman and Roger Cohen published articles yesterday that in virtually identical terms argued for an escalation of the war in Syria, ostensibly to fight ISIS. Cohen declared that the Wests ponderous wait-them-out approach to the murderous fanatics of the caliphate looks like capitulation, while Friedman asked whether Obama hasnt gotten so obsessed with defending his hands-off approach to Syria that he underestimates both the dangers of his passivity and the opportunity for US power to tilt the region our way. European officials are holding a conference today to coordinate a broad expansion of police operations across Europe, while Marine Le Pen, the leader of Frances neo-fascist National Front, is calling for large-scale raids against Muslim neighborhoods in France. We must immediately launch a vast police operation to invest all these districts that are outside our Republic, she declared. Under these conditions, it is increasingly clear that ISIS serves US and European imperialism not only as a proxy force fighting for regime-change in Syria, but also as an instrument to press for anti-democratic and unpopular policies at home. The ISIS attacks in Paris last January and again in November, and in Brussels this week, were all carried out by the same terror network. This network is well known to French intelligence and to its US and European counterparts. All of these forces are linked to the original Al Qaeda network that emerged from the collaboration between the CIA and Saudi and Pakistani intelligence to mobilize Islamist fighters against the USSR and the Soviet-backed Afghan regime in the 1980s. Khalid El Bakraoui rented, under an assumed identity, an apartment in the Belgian town of Charleroi for the authors of the November 13 attacks as a stop-over on their way to Paris. He also rented the apartment in the Forest area of Brussels, where on March 15 police first encountered Salah Abdeslam, and where Mohamed Belkaid was killed in a gun battle that allowed Abdeslam to escape the initial police raid. The French news site Mediapart reported that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the organizer of the November 13 attacks, and Cherif Kouachi, one of the Charlie Hebdo attackers, both knew Farid Melouk, a top figure in French Islamist circles. Melouk was a leading member of the Algerian Islamic Armed Group (GIA), a terror organization linked to Al Qaeda that fought the military junta during the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s. Cherif Kouachis meeting with Melouk on April 11, 2010 was photographed, using telephoto lenses, by investigators of the French Anti-Terrorism Sub-Division (SDAT). Arrested with other Al Qaida members in Belgium in 1998 for attempted murder, possession of arms and explosives and falsifying government documents, Melouk was in prison until 2004, when he was extradited to serve a second term in France until 2009. When released, he stayed in France, quietly establishing closer ties to ISIS. He managed to flee to Syria the day after the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Speaking to the Investigative Commission on Jihadist Networks of the French National Assembly last year, anti-terrorist investigating Judge Marc Trevidic declared, The older ones are returning to activity. Farid Melouk, of whose presence in Syria I have now learned I met him in 2000 when I was dealing with the first Afghan network. He was at the head of a very big network that provided passage for jihadists These older ones have a phenomenal number of contacts in Belgium and France. Such reports underscore that, over the course of decades, the jihadist networks have been investigated and mapped out in the greatest of detail by the European secret services, judiciary and police agencies. With investigations just beginning into Tuesdays bombings in Brussels, European Union (EU) officials are pushing for an extraordinary expansion of police and intelligence agency spying powers. EU justice and interior ministers are meeting today to map out an intensification of intelligence-gathering and to coordinate police operations across the continent. The first day of the investigation has already raised the most serious questions as to the role of the Belgian state in the attack. It is already clear that as in last years ISIS attacks in Paris, the perpetrators were well known to police and intelligence agencies. In the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, European governments of all stripes are claiming that the attacks were able to proceed because a failure of intelligence sharing prevented authorities from identifying the attackers. On this fraudulent basis, they are demanding stepped-up police spying on the population. The best remedy against such attacks is information exchange, declared German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere. The main point, however, is that we have separately existing data poolsfor visa traffic, for investigative data and for flight passenger data. We have to link these. De Maiziere bluntly declared that privacy and data protection rights were irrelevant, saying, These attacks and the current security situation, the terror situation, have to lead us to put these data protection reasons at the bottom of the list. Paris is pushing for the adoption of a controversial pan-European Passenger Name Record (PNR) system to centralize flight data in Europe and hand it over to intelligence agencies internationally. The PNR is a symbol. The European Parliament must fully show its commitment in the fight against terrorism, said French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called for a unitary European security structure of police and intelligence agencies, stating, Secret services work more and better together. Renzi held up as a model police operations during the 1968-1980 years of lead, which saw bloody violence involving far-right groups and petty-bourgeois left groups such as the Red Brigades. Italy, alas, has experience to offer. Italian police dealt with the mafia, terrorism and the Red Brigades, he said, adding, Europe will defeat jihadist terrorism the way Italy defeated terrorism. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos insisted there should be no concerns about secret, anti-democratic conduct by the state agencies now being granted massive powers. The logic of the deep state has finished in our days, everything is globalized, everything is internationalized, Avramopoulos declared. Avramopoulos reference to the end of the deep state is highly significant. It is apparently aimed at reassuring the public that, despite the handover of extraordinary powers to intelligence and police agencies, there will be no return to the wave of bombings and military coups by far-right parties and army factions that swept Europe from the 1960s to the early 1980s. In a period of economic crisis and social protest, marked by events such as the 1968 general strike in France and the 1975 toppling of the Franco dictatorship in Spain, the ruling class sought to retain power by resorting to military coups and terror bombings falsely blamed on left-wing groups. These included the CIA-backed coup in Greece in 1967 that ushered in the dictatorship of the colonels; the coups of 1960, 1971 and 1980 in Turkey; and the far-right bombings in Italy such as the 1969 Piazza Fontana killings in Milan and the 1980 Bologna massacre. Avramopoulos reassurances are worthless. Amid the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s and the discrediting of pro-austerity governments across Europe, the build-up of police powers poses the most dire threat to democratic rights. The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) seized on Tuesdays terrorist attack in Brussels to call off planned strikes by Immigration, Border Force and Agriculture public sector workers at international airports in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, today and during the Easter weekend. The union said it had cancelled the 24-hour strikes after an appeal by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at a press conference on the bombings in Belgium. The CPSU, which covers the majority of federal public sector employees, responded immediately. We have agreed to Mr Turnbulls request to postpone these strikes in good faith and conscious of the understandable concerns of travellers in the wake of the Brussels attacks. Our members would never take industrial action that compromises Australias national security at this time or any time, CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood told the media after Turnbulls appeal. The union called off the stoppages without any consultation with its members. Rank-and-file Immigration, Border Force or Agriculture workers were given no opportunity to vote on the cancellation before Floods announcement. In the first place, the unions rush to shut down industrial action at Australian airports demonstrates, yet again, the support of the union bureaucracy as a whole for the bogus war on terror, which consists of predatory US-led military aggression throughout the Middle East and the imposition of draconian police powers and mass surveillance at home. Far from protecting the public from terrorism, it is this war that has created and heightened the danger of terrorism in Australia and around the world. Secondly, the CPSU is anxious to prevent the pent-up anger among its members, after years of job cuts, wage freezes and the erosion of working conditions, from erupting out of its control. And thirdly, with the growing possibility of an early federal election on July 2, following Turnbulls crisis decision to set in motion a political process that will likely lead to a double dissolution of both houses of parliament, the CPSU is signaling its readiness, under conditions of immense political instability, to work with the Liberal-National Coalition government to end the dispute before the election. The airport walkouts were due to be part of limited national industrial action that began on Monday, involving some 100,000 federal public sector workers in 13 different government departments, over stalled enterprise bargaining (contract) negotiations. Most public sector enterprise agreements expired two years ago. Over 130,000 employees, or almost 85 percent of the federal public service workforce, currently do not have work agreements. In effect, this has already meant a two-year wage freeze. On Monday, public sector workers struck for 24 hours at Medicare, Centrelink, the Australian Tax Office, Defence, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Prime Ministers Department, Education, Environment, GeoScience Australia, IP Australia, the Australian Synchrotron and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Civilian air traffic controllers and technical workers at the Department of Defence also walked out for the day. The next day, Immigration, Border Force and Agriculture staff held rolling stoppages at the Cairns, Townsville, Perth, Darwin and Adelaide airports. These strikes were supposed to be followed by three weeks of rolling partial industrial action by Department of Immigration workers, commencing on March 29. The CPSU has spent the past two years blocking unified action by federal public sector workers, while appealing to the Coalition government to recognise that the best way to achieve its cost-cutting demands is by collaborating with it. When Turnbull ousted his predecessor, former prime minister Tony Abbott, last September, the union pleaded with him for cooperation to achieve the governments agenda. The government has offered annual pay rises of 2 percenta cut in real wages compared to the actual increase in the cost of living for workers. And since any increase would not be backdated, it means the current wage freeze would apply for more than two years. Moreover, any nominal wage rises would be conditional on the removal of hard-won working conditions. For example, the offer made by the Department of Human Services to its employees would end guaranteed rostered days off. Rostered staff could be directed to work any time between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., including split hours, with no requirement for management to genuinely negotiate employees working hours. Performance monitoring would be intensified, job security undermined and family leave and other hard-won conditions reduced. Part-time and casual workers also face cuts in their take-home and overtime pay and working conditions. Since it began negotiations in March 2014, the CPSU has reduced its original pay claimdown from 4 percent per year over three years to between 2.5 percent and 3 percent. Before this weeks stoppages, the union signalled that it was prepared to accept even lower increases. This is not a dispute about pay: we are not far apart on money, CPSU national secretary Flood told the media. Flood called on Turnbull and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash to discuss a more sensible bargaining policy with the union and fix this mess. In other words, the CPSU will do whatever it can to dissipate the growing frustration of public sector workers. The mess to which Flood referred is the palpable hostility and resentment among union members and her concerns that the union could lose control of the situation. Over the past decade, the CPSU has worked closely with both Labor and Liberal-National governments to axe over 16,500 positions and impose repeated efficiency dividendsa mechanism for slashing costs and driving up workloads. While feigning opposition to some of these austerity measures, the union has fully embraced the underlying drive, which was enforced by the previous Labor government, to slash costs. This offensive is set to intensify once the election is out of the way, whichever party or coalition forms the next government. On March 22, the Michigan Senate passed the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) reorganization legislation promoted by Governor Rick Snyder with bipartisan support. The effort by state and federal officials to use the school districts financial crisis to accelerate the attack on teachers and further undermine public education is reaching a climax. Last week the State House passed a bill to provide an emergency $47.8 million to keep the district from running out of cash by April 8. The measure is tied to a bill that would place the school district under the control of the Financial Review Commission (FRC), the unelected body set up to oversee Detroits finances after the citys 2013-14 bankruptcy. The Senate is expected to take similar action this week. The moves to end the legislative logjam points to the possibility that both parties will reach an agreement on the parameters of a reorganization plan after the Easter legislative break. Snyder has pushed for a plan to dissolve DPS and create a new Detroit Community Schools (DCS) district for a year. Democrats, pro-privatization foundations, unions and local businessmen supported the Republican governors plan. However, Snyder has faced determined pushback from politicians associated with the right-wing Mackinac Center who want even more draconian measures leading to the outright privatization of education in the states largest city. The general framework of the proposed legislative package represents a win-win for Wall Street. First, the old DPS would be downgraded from an educational institution to a tax-collecting entity. It would function over the next 10 years as a conduit, collecting tax millage and paying off a $515 million debt to the state. Such a mechanism would ensure that hedge funds and other major holders of Michigan state bonds are made whole. Second, the so-called new school districtthe financial crisis of which will not be remedied by the dealwill be subject to the dictates of Detroits big business FRC. The FRC was set up as part of the Grand Bargain negotiated by Judge Steven Rhodes, who oversaw the Detroit bankruptcy and is now the transitional manager for DPS. At the time, Forbes noted the formidable reach of the FRC, stating that it had the type of power that could cause some chaffing with the elected officials, specifically the ability to approve budgets and review major contracts and collective bargaining agreements. In other words, the new school district will essentially be under emergency management without a formal emergency manager. The aim of the commission will be to reshape Detroit education according to the same corporate model being imposed on the city as a whole. It will increase the grip of private corporations over the schools and will accelerate the attack on the wages, pensions and working conditions of educators. The FRC will have the authority to appoint and terminate the districts chief financial officer, giving it even greater on-the-ground influence. The commission members have no experience in public education and all are committed to serving the interests of the banks and big business. They include: Mayor Mike Duggan, a millionaire and former CEO of the Detroit Medical Center; City Council President Brenda Jones, former local president of the Communication Workers of America; and Michigan State Treasurer Nick A. Khouri, former executive vice president for DTE Energy. In April 2015, Khouri insisted that the city of Flint continue using water from the Flint River, despite safety and health complaints, as the condition for an emergency loan from the state. The FRC also includes other businesspeople: Stacy Fox (real estate, DuPont, Sunoco, Visteon), Lorron James (automotive logistics), Darrell Burks (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and Bill Martin (real estate). While the legislation sets aside an income stream to pay the debt, it fails to address the chronic problems facing DPS finances. The Snyder proposal replaces the funds, which will be diverted to debt repayment, with some $72 million annually in tobacco settlement revenue. While some right-wing Republican legislators have called this too generous, it actually appears to be a formula for continued insolvency. It presumes, at best, stagnant funding for the Detroit schools even as classrooms are severely overcrowded, under-maintained and notoriously unsafe. Michigan is one of a dozen US states that provide zero funding for school infrastructure. Moreover, the proposals do not address the districts sizeable underfunding of the Michigan State Public Employees Retirement Fund as well as the costs of prefunding retiree health benefits. Overall, Detroit schools will retain about $2.9 billion in this type of debt. This points to the likelihood that former Judge Rhodes will insist that teachers accept drastic pension and health care cuts, just as he did during the Detroit bankruptcy. A deal will first be hammered out in Lansing ensuring the repayment of bondholders investments. When that is out of the way, a predictable crisis will emerge over the lack of money for retirement and health care, and the FRC will be in place to enact cuts. During the Detroit bankruptcy, Rhodes overruled the states constitutional protection for pensions and later called for the complete elimination of defined-benefit pension plans across the country. This is why Snyder chose him as transition manager of DPS. Far from opposing these attacks, the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) and its parent union, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), have done everything to muzzle the independent initiatives of teachers and throw their support behind Snyder and Rhodes. They have not just offered their endorsement, but have organized a campaign to back this reactionary legislation. The progress today in getting the $47 million is critical, AFT representative Ann Mitchell told an online DFT group last week. But the fight needs to continue, she said, making it clear this meant emailing legislators and other measures to pressure the legislature. She said these small actions would all build up to a mass march in Lansing on April 12 if the schools were closed or on April 26 if local control was not enacted. Finally, Mitchellrevealing her class affinitytold the online group that the DFT had issued a letter of intent to bargain with Judge Rhodes and was excited and hopeful to fairly negotiate a contract for the first time in a long time. There is absolutely nothing fair about this process. After decades of union-backed concessions and the acceptance of school closings and mass layoffs, the DFT and AFT will once against put a gun to teachers heads and tell them that they have no choice but more givebacks in order to save the schools. The demand for local control, while sounding vaguely democratic, has no real popular content. Although there are still differences in the state legislature over the restoration of an elected school boardwith the House wanting to put it off for eight yearssuch a body will be nothing more than a democratic facade for the districts real decision-makers, the Financial Review Commission. When and if it is elected, the local school board will be allowed to handle the petty cash while the FRC will be implementing ruthless cuts to public schools. Teachers must draw the essential lesson from this painful process. Both political partiesDemocratic and Republicanare working in a bipartisan fashion to destroy education and enrich the privateers. The DFT/AFT act as their willing accomplices and are only concerned with protecting the institutional and financial concerns of the union apparatus. Teachers should organize rank-and-file committees to unify all educators and fight for the broadest mobilization of the working class to defend the social right to a quality public education for all. Above all this means developing an independent political struggle by the working class against both big business parties, the capitalist courts and judges and the profit system they defend. The immense social power of the working class must be mobilized to break the grip of the corporate-financial elite over society and reorganize the economy on the basis of public ownership and democratic control. Both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have seized on Tuesdays terrorist attacks in Brussels to declare their support for militarism and attacks on democratic rights. While the candidates voiced different proposals, these lay entirely along a spectrum of violence and repression, from drone missile attacks and bombing in the Middle East, to torture of prisoners, to mass detentions of Muslims within the United States. The loudest shouting came predictably from Donald Trump, the billionaire blowhard who leads the contest for the Republican nomination, although the most sweeping new proposal for attacking democratic rights came from his closest Republican rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Trump reiterated his proposals to ban Muslims from entering the United States and authorize the torture of prisoners seized in the course of terrorism investigations. He told CNN that the Belgian authorities should have tortured Salah Abdelslam, the alleged terror conspirator arrested last week on charges related to the November 2015 Paris attacks. I would be willing to bet that he knew about this bombing that took place today, Trump said Tuesday. Cruz sought to attack Trump from the right, calling his criticism of NATO, made in an interview with the Washington Post editorial board Monday, an endorsement of isolationism. The Texas Senator argued that NATO should formally join the US-led war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Last fall, Cruz criticized Trumps call to ban Muslims from entering the United States, but Tuesday he offered an even more radical and sweeping proposal in a written statement. We need to immediately halt the flow of refugees from countries with a significant Al Qaeda or ISIS presence, Cruz said. This would effectively bar refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and most other Middle Eastern states, and conceivably could be applied to the whole of Europe as well. The statement continued, We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized. How such neighborhoods would be defined and what would be done to secure them, Cruz did not spell out. However, he told reporters the proposal was similar to operations mounted by the New York Police Department, which infiltrated mosques and sent spies into stores, restaurants and other locations patronized by Muslim-Americans in order to conduct surveillance. You would continue the proactive policing that we saw here in New York, Cruz said. You would reinstate the program. This spying was illegal, unconstitutional and totally ineffective as an antiterrorism program. It was ultimately abandoned after a series of lawsuits, but Cruz claimed that Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped the policy only out of political correctness. This police state proposal did nothing to slow the movement of Republican politicians into Cruzs camp in the presidential race, in a last-ditch effort to block Trump. The most prominent recruit to the Cruz camp was former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who shut down his own presidential effort last month. Bush gave Cruz his endorsement Wednesday, the day after Cruzs call to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods in the US. For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena, Bush said in a written statement, underscoring that the objections of the Republican establishment to Trump have more to do with his provocative style than with his fascistic politics. While the Democrats disavowed the measures proposed by Cruz and Trump, they both endorsed the methods of the Obama administration, including stepped-up drone warfare and bombing of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited the Brussels attacks as an argument for choosing leadership that is strong, smart and above all steady, and declared, Todays attacks will only strengthen our resolve to stand together as allies and defeat terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. She also called for stepped-up state spying, saying, We have to toughen our surveillance, our interception of communication. Her campaign immediately scheduled a speech on counterterrorism which she delivered Wednesday morning at the Bechtel Conference Center at Stanford Universitya venue named after the company that provided the Reagan administration with its two leading national security figures, Secretary of State George Shultz and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. In the speech, Clinton criticized her Republican opponents for their anti-Muslim rhetoric, saying, We need to rely on what actually works, not bluster that alienates our partners. Citing Trumps plans to seal off the Mexican border and Cruzs plan to surround Muslim neighborhoods with police, she continued, Walls will not protect us from this threat. We cannot contain ISISwe must defeat ISIS. She promised to continue the policies of the Obama administration in solidarity with our European allies, both in terms of stepped-up security in monitoring visas and air travel, and in the war against ISIS in the Middle East. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the Cruz plan as unconstitutional. We are fighting a terrorist organization, he said, a barbaric organization that is killing innocent people. We are not fighting a religion. Sanders emphasized the war against ISIS in the Middle East. We are making progress in Iraq, he said. ISIS is losing 20 percent of the territory it held last year, but clearly weve got to do more. We need to forge a coalition of the Muslim countries in the region, including some that have not been as active as they should be, with the support of the United States and other major powers to finally destroy this barbaric organization. The comments on the Brussels attacks came as the candidates campaigned in the March 22 contests in three states in the Mountain West: primaries for both parties in Arizona, caucuses for both parties in Utah, and caucuses for the Democrats in Idaho. The results went as predicted, with Clinton and Trump easily winning the primary elections in Arizona, the largest state voting, with relatively heavy turnout, and Sanders and Cruz winning the Utah caucuses. Sanders also won the caucuses in Idaho. Cruz had won the Republican caucuses in that state on March 8. On the Republican side, both Arizona and Utah were winner-take-all contests, with 58 delegates awarded in Arizona to Trump, while Cruz won all 40 delegates in Utah, with the combined result increasing Trumps delegate lead by 18. The remaining Republican, Ohio Governor John Kasich, won no delegates in either state. There is only one Republican contest for the next month, in Wisconsin April 5, before a series of primaries in the mid-Atlantic states April 19 and 26. On the Democratic side, Sanders has dominated the caucus states, where enthusiastic support and willingness to turn out are major factors. Clinton did not even bother to run campaign ads in Utah and Idaho, despite endorsements from virtually the entire Democratic Party hierarchy in both states. As a result, Sanders gained a narrow edge in delegates for the day, winning 57 to 51, a margin far too small to significantly cut into Clintons 300-delegate lead. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) is holding meetings in Australia and New Zealand to alert students, youth and workers to the greatest danger they face, the threat of a Third World War. Fifteen years after the United States launched the war on terror, the entire world is being dragged into an ever-expanding maelstrom of imperialist violence. The invasions and interventions organized by the US, with the direct support and participation of successive Australian governments have devastated Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. Amid the deepest crisis of the capitalist system since the 1930s, the war drive of the major imperialist powers has created flashpoints in every corner of the globe, any one of which could trigger a catastrophic global conflagration. The US and NATO are engaged in a massive rearmament program aimed at Russia. In the Asia-Pacific, the Obama administrations pivot to Asia is embroiling the entire region in the United States preparations for war with China. The Australian ruling elite has placed the entire population at the front and centre of Washingtons military confrontation with China. The Turnbull governments Defence White Paper, released in February, outlines expenditure of $195 billion on new submarines, warships, jet fighters and an array of other military hardware over the next decade. US basing arrangements will be expanded, while every aspect of social and economic life will be subordinated to the drive to war. The implications of the agenda being pursued by the imperialist powers in the United States, Australia and in Europe lead inexorably in the direction of a nuclear war, with cataclysmic consequences for the entire population of the world. The Australian political establishmentLabor, the Liberals, the Greens and their pseudo-left apologists, as well as the corporate mediahave maintained a conspiracy of silence over the criminal preparations for war with China. This is because they know that among working people and youth, there is widespread anti-war sentiment. But there is, as yet, no organized international political movement opposing the reckless policies of the imperialist pyromaniacs. This meeting, along with similar ones being held by the IYSSE on campuses across the United States, will review the present state of the global war drive, examine its causes and implications, and outline a political strategy for the building of a new mass, anti-war movement. We urge all students to attend. Macquarie University Thursday, March 31, 1pm Campus Hub Building C10A, Level 3, Lindsey Room University of Western Sydney Thursday, April 7, 3pm Bankstown Campus, Room BA01.1.099 (Please note change of date and time) University of New South Wales Thursday, April 7, 6:30pm Central Lecture Block 4 Melbourne Wednesday, April 13, 6:30pm Arts House Meat Market, 5 Blackwood St. North Melbourne University of Newcastle Friday, April 15, 5pm Clubhouse, under The Bar on the Hill New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington Wednesday, April 13, 5pm Student Union Building, Room SU220 Details for a meeting at Griffith University in Queensland will be posted soon. After half a year in office, nothing remains of the platform Jeremy Corbyn put forward in his election campaign for the leadership of the British Labour Party. He won the leadership contest by appealing to mass opposition to war and austerity, gaining 60 percent of the vote and trouncing three candidates associated with the former right-wing leaders of the party, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The most recent example of Corbyns abandonment of all of his campaign promises was the pro-austerity pledge made earlier this month by his closest political ally, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. McDonnells statements had more in common with the economic nostrums of Margaret Thatcher than even the thin gruel of mid-twentieth century Labour Party reformism. On March 11, in advance of the March 16 budget of Conservative Party Chancellor George Osborne, McDonnell cast Labour as a party that could be trusted by the ruling elite to continue imposing austerity. Labour should show how we can account for every penny in tax revenue raised and every penny spent, McDonnell declared. To erase any doubt about the Corbyn leaderships commitment to permanent austerity for the working class, McDonnell went on to pledge that Labour would operate under a fiscal credibility rule and commit to always eliminating the deficit on current spending in five years. Speaking to the Guardian, he baldly declared, Socialism is about planning, and planning is about making sure every penny is spent effectively. On March 12, six months to the day of Corbyns election, McDonnell told the BBC, Let me make it absolutely clear. I will be absolutely ruthless about how we manage our spending. His statements on economic policy are in line with an unbroken chain of reversals by Corbyn of the pledges on which he was elected, carried out in the name of preserving party unitythat is, capitulating to the partys right wing on all fundamental issues. Corbyn set the rightward course of his tenure immediately after his election by naming a shadow cabinet prominently featuring various Blairite warmongers, including Hilary Benn as his foreign secretary. He stood down from the Stop the War Coalition, of which he was a founding member and chairman from 2011. At Labours annual conference later that month, Corbyn agreed to cancel his proposed debate on scrapping Britains Trident nuclear submarine missile system after the UKs three biggest unions said they opposed ending Trident. Corbyn proceeded to junk other policies he has advocated for years, including a promise to renationalise the public utilities privatised by the Tories under Thatcher. His response to the November 13 terror attacks in Paris was to cancel a speech he was to make the next day criticising the UKs foreign policy as one based on perpetual war. The Paris attacks were utilised by Tory Prime Minister David Cameron to push for a yes vote in parliament to intervene militarily in Syria. Just prior to the December 2 vote, Corbyn commissioned a survey of Labour Party members showing that 75 percent were opposed to air strikes in Syria. Despite this backing, Corbyn authorised a free vote by Labour MPs, meaning they would not be censured or disciplined for supporting war. He did so knowing that a large contingent of Labour MPs would line up behind the Tory war resolution. In the event, 66 Labourites backed military action, giving the Tories the significant majority they politically required to start bombing Syria. That same month, Corbyn and McDonnell issued a letter instructing local Labour councils to abide by the law and impose austerity cuts demanded by the government. Within two weeks of assuming office, Corbyn had already abandoned his lifelong opposition, based on a programme of economic nationalism, to the European Union (EU). He has now pledged Labour to campaign for the UK to remain in the EU in the June 23 referendum called by Cameron. The significance of these retreats was underscored within days of McDonnells pre-budget utterances. Osbornes attacks on disability allowances, even as he gave further tax breaks to the rich, was used by the anti-EU wing of the Tory Party to stage a rebellionincluding the resignation of Iain Duncan Smith as secretary of state for work and pensions. Duncan Smith, who railed against a budget that was deeply unfair and criticised the government for targeting the poor because they dont necessarily vote for it and may never vote for it, was able to posture as more sympathetic to the poor than Labour, adding fuel to the efforts of the ultra-right forces leading the Leave campaign ahead of the June referendum on EU membership to tap into working class anger over austerity and inequality. With the Tories torn apart by factional conflict, widely despised and resting on a wafer thin majority, Corbyn and McDonnell are seeking to position Labour as trusted guardians of the interests of the British bourgeoisie should a general election be called. Their sole aim is to preserve social order, while carrying out the anti-working class policies required by the ruling elite, dressed up in the language of equal sacrifice. There is a stark symmetry between the treacherous and cowardly course of Corbyns tenure and the betrayal carried out by the Syriza government in Greece, which similarly repudiated all of its campaign promises and imposed a European Union austerity package more savage than those that had preceded it. It is as if the fake-left Labour Party leader were following a script penned by his brother in arms Alexis Tsipras. Notwithstanding the fact that Corbyn operates within a long-established social democratic instrument of the British bourgeoisie, while Tsipras heads a left bourgeois formation that rose to prominence due to the shipwreck of the social democratic PASOK, the two figures, both promoted by the entire fraternity of pseudo-left parties internationally, play identical roles. They both serve as lightning rods for social discontent and political instruments for diverting it into harmless and impotent channels. These two strategic experiences of the European and international working classfirst in Greece and now in Britaindemonstrate the utterly reactionary and anti-working class character of the pseudo-left. Syrizas betrayal was neither an aberration nor the result of mistakes or misconceptions on Tsipras part, as various pseudo-left organisations now claim. The treachery of Corbyn underscores that these experiences reveal the class character of all of the anti-Marxist, fake-left tendencies, speaking for privileged layers of the middle classthe Socialist Workers Party in Britain, the New Anti-capitalist Party in France, the Left Party in Germany, the International Socialist Organization in the USwhich have integrated themselves into bourgeois and imperialist politics. Their essential function in behalf of crisis-ridden capitalism is to preempt and prevent the emergence of an independent political movement of the working class for socialism. Corbyns evolution has completely vindicated the analysis made by the World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party of Britain during his campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party. In August of 2015, prior to Corbyns election victory, we wrote: Above all else, what has been proved by the bitter experience made by Greek workers with Syriza is that it is impossible to defend anythingjobs, wages, essential social serviceswithout breaking the stranglehold of the financial oligarchy over economic and political life. It demands the independent political mobilisation of the working class against the major corporations and banks and their governmentwhich Greece has also proved will stop at nothing to safeguard their interests, even if this means destroying a country and plunging millions into abject poverty. Corbyn offers no such struggle. Should he win the leadership of the Labour Party, or become the focus of a political regroupment of the pseudo-left, he will betray all of those who voted for him just as surely as did Alexis Tsipras of Syriza. The claim of the pseudo-left that Corbyns election showed it was possible through pressure from below to transform the Labour Party into an instrument of working class struggle and progressive change lies in tatters. The turn is to the building of the Socialist Equality Party in Britain and the International Committee of the Fourth International around the world to arm the emerging mass struggles of the working class with a revolutionary socialist and internationalist programme. This is inseparable from the struggle to expose and defeat the pseudo-left defenders of the capitalist status quo. A right-wing government coalition led by the outgoing Prime Minister Robert Fico has been formed in Slovakia following the parliamentary elections of March 5. The social democratic Smer-SD of Fico agreed a coalition pact with the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), the Most-Hid party (of the Hungarian minority in the country) and the right wing party Siet, which entered parliament for the first time. The four-party coalition has 81 of 150 available seats. The withdrawal of any party would lead to the loss of majority, and the coalition is regarded as extremely unstable, with the smaller coalition partners torn by sharp internal differences. Observers believe it is likely that Ficos multiparty coalition will break up before the end of its term. Fico had focused the election campaign in Slovakia on the issue of refugees, although last year just 330 asylum applications were made in the country and only eight acceptedin a country of 5.4 million inhabitants. Nevertheless Fico placed the refugee question centre stage, patently seeking to divert attention from the countrys social crisis. The result was a massive shift to the right. The vote for Ficos own Smer-SD decreased from 44 to 28 percent, while several extreme right-wing parties, including an openly fascist organisation, were able to cross the five-percent hurdle and enter parliament. A total of eight parties are now represented in parliament, including the far-right Our Slovakia (LSNS) led by Marian Kotlebaa man who appears regularly in a black shirt and sings the praises of the pro Hitler Slovakian regime which ruled between 1939-1945. Nearly a quarter of first-time voters voted for LSNS. Kotleba ran as a candidate in the regional elections in November 2013 for the first time, and was elected in a runoff for the post of regional chairman of the Banska Bystrica region. Without any MPs his influence was limited. Now his fascist movement has 14 seats in parliament. Regardless of its inherent instability and the open conflicts between coalition partners, the new government is clearly on the right. The SNS is well known for its agitation against refugees and Roma. In his first term in power from 2006 to 2010, Fico formed a coalition with the SNS, which stood in the election campaign against the countrys Hungarian minority of nearly half a million people. This has not prevented Most-Hid, the self-appointed defender of the Hungarian minority, from joining the new coalition with Fico and SNS. Founded in 2009, Most-Hid represents a wealthy layer of Hungarian speakers in Slovakia, seeking to advance their social interests by increasing their political influence. The party advocates neo-liberal policies and shares the positions of Fico and SNS on the refugee issue. Infighting has broken out in Most-Hid, which had previously ruled out a coalition with Fico. The deputy chief of Most-Hid has resigned from the party in protest. The Siet party is also far right. It was founded in 2014 by the Catholic lawyer Radoslav Prochazka, after he quit the right-wing conservative KDH. Siet combines ultraconservative with nationalist, neo-liberal economic policies. At the center of its election campaign was the repulsion of refugees and radical tax cuts for big business. The new government has been greeted with skepticism in most European capitals because of its likely instability. In July Slovakia takes over the rotating EU Presidency, under conditions of deepening crisis for the European Union. The conflicts over refugee policy in the EU are likely to intensify. Fico is a resolute opponent of the refugee policy of the German chancellor Angela Merkel. Following the distribution of the first refugees by the EU Commission and the allocation of 800 refugees to Slovakia, Fico filed a complaint in early December 2015 to the European Court. While the new coalition will undoubtedly step up its criticisms of the EU, Slovakia remains highly dependent on Brussels. EU transfers to Slovakia amount to around 1.7 billion annually, about 2 percent of GDP. In the ten days of coalition negotiations, Fico pledged to continue with the austerity policies of the last few years. His focus is on a balanced budget by 2020 and a tough stance against debtor nations like Greece. Smer-SD will take over nine ministries, including the key departments of finance, home affairs and economy. The finance minister is once again Peter Kazimir, a staunch opponent of loans to Greece and advocate of tough budget-cutting measures in his own country. The new government is planning further tax relief for companies and radical health care reforms. The SNS is to take over the ministries of defence, education and agriculture, the Hungarian party the ministries of Justice and Environment while Siet takes over the Ministry of Transport. It was already clear during the election campaign that the official agitation against refugees was used to deflect attention from the social and economic problems. The government parties are agreed on imposing their rightist agenda on the population. The economic prospects for Slovakia are very poor. While the official unemployment rate is around 10 percent, in some regions of Slovakia nearly a third of the population is unemployed. The minimum wage is just over 400 euros per month. In February teachers and hospital staff protested against intolerable conditions. Around 600 nurses announced their resignations. The hospital staff are prohibited from striking and the average salary of a nurse is between 500 and 800 euros. Some 11,000 teachers are taking part in strike action affecting 700 schools nationwide. The teachers were supported by students and parents. Teachers salaries are on average less than 1,000 euros a month. Hundreds of posts are unoccupied, and the workload has increased enormously. A poll by a government-related institution has shown that more than 52 percent of the population support the teachers demands. Just two days after setting up the trigger for an early election, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last night delivered the annual Lowy Lecture to an audience in Sydney at the Lowy Institutea key foreign and strategic policy think tank. Turnbulls first major foreign policy speech as prime minister will be closely scrutinised not only in Canberra but also in Washington, which is placing growing pressure on the Australian government to expand its commitment to the US pivot to Asia and military build-up throughout the region against China. In delivering the Lowy Lecture, Turnbull was walking a fine line: demonstrating his support for the Australian alliance with the United States while advocating that the country take full advantage of new and developing economic opportunities in Asia. The two policies, however, are at odds with each other, because Washingtons confrontational pivot threatens to undermine Australias relations with China, its largest trading partner. Turnbull began his speech by condemning the latest terrorist attack in Brussels, using it to reaffirm his support for the war on terror and Australian involvement in the US-led wars in Iraq and Syria. For more than two decades, Canberras backing for Washingtons neo-colonial operations in the Middle East has been the quid pro quo for US support for Australian interests in the Asian Pacific. Turning to Asia, the prime minister repeated what has become a familiar line: these are extraordinary times, exciting times in which Australian businesses must seize the opportunities in the fastest growing region of the world. He painted a fanciful picture of the next wave of growth in Asia ... [that] promises to be every bit as spectacular as the one that weve experienced. China, Turnbull declared, was managing a difficult transition to a consumer-based economy, but the expansion of the Chinese middle class offered enormous opportunities ... right across the [Australian] economy, for services, soft commodities. He emphasised the bright prospects that had opened up for Australian businesses due to the recent free trade agreement (FTA) with China. The economic rise of India offered another historic opportunity that we must seize, he enthused, while no part of the regional transformation is more exciting to me than the one taking place right here on our doorstep in Indonesia. These rosy scenarios bear no relation to the realities of the deepening global economic breakdown, from which Asia is not excluded. Slump and recession in the US, Europe and Japan have hit Chinas export-dependent economy and its continuing slowdown is impacting on countries throughout the region and globally, including Australia. Turnbulls call to seize opportunities comes at the direct expense of the working class. If we are to make the most of these exciting opportunities in Asia, we first need to ensure we are resilient and agile at home, he declared. By becoming more agile, Turnbull has in mind a marked acceleration of the corporate agenda of pro-market restructuring and austerity, at a time when his government is increasingly under fire from business leaders and commentators for failing to implement. Indeed, in what is an election year, Turnbull has taken the unusual step of threatening to trigger an early double dissolution election for all seats in both houses of parliament. The very measure that he has chosen as the trigger for the polllegislation to re-establish a regulatory body with draconian powers against construction workersindicates the broader anti-working class agenda that his government intends to carry out after the election. Having outlined the rosy prospects for Australian business in Asia, Turnbull attempted to answer his domestic foreign policy critics, including the opposition Labor Party and former prime minister Tony Abbott, who was ousted by Turnbull last September. Both have argued for a tougher line against alleged Chinese expansionism, especially in the South China Sea. Turnbull reiterated his commitment to the rules-based system based on the United States and its post World War II alliances, which have underpinned peace and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region. He highlighted his governments recent Defence White Paper and its objectives of not only defending Australia, but supporting the security of maritime South East Asia and the South Pacific. Like the Obama administration, Turnbull blamed Chinas actions in the South China Sea for creating anxieties and raising tensions among its neighbours and again warned that they were counterproductive, regardless of the legal merits. While saying that Australia had no opinion on the territorial disputes between China and its neighbours, he nevertheless looked forward to the outcome of the Philippine case in the international court in The Haguea case supported and assisted by Washington to undermine Chinas claims. Turnbull also emphasised Australias developing defence partnership with Japan and strategic cooperation with Indiaties that have been pushed by the United States as the cornerstones of its preparations for war against China. For all Washingtons criticisms of Chinas military activities, it is the US pivot to Asia that, over the past five years, has generated enormous tensions throughout the Indo-Pacific region. By sending US navy destroyers within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-administered islets in the South China Sea last October and again in January, Washington is risking a potentially catastrophic conflict with China. Significantly Turnbull made no reference to ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Seathe pretext for the Pentagons provocative operationseven though he is well aware that Washington is pressing his government to follow suit. Turnbulls failure, to date, to authorise a freedom of navigation operation could become an election issue. In what can only be interpreted as a warning to Turnbull, Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of Murdochs Australian, declared last Saturday that Labor had won the battle on the defence policy front. Sheridan, who is very well connected in US foreign policy and military circles, praised Labors defence spokesman Stephen Conroy for his advocacy of a challenge to China in the South China Sea, and branded the government as timid and close to deceitful. Sheridan also highlighted another of Washingtons bones of contentionthe leasing of the port of Darwin to a Chinese company, which the US has implied will allow China to spy on the American military based in the northern city. Conroy, he declared, had forced significant policy changes by initiating a parliamentary inquiry. This whole matter has deeply embarrassed the government and driven [defence minister Marise] Payne ever deeper into hiding. Behind the Turnbull governments reticence to act in the South China Sea lies the fundamental dilemma confronting Australian imperialism, which has depended on its longstanding military alliance with the US to pursue its interests in Asia and globally, but is reliant on China as its top trade partner. Mounting a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, even with US backing, could result in economic retaliation by Beijing, or worse, a clash that leads to a wider conflict. Turnbull is also well aware that Kevin Rudd, the last Australian prime minister to advocate a foreign policy initiative that was at odds with Washingtons interests, was ousted in June 2010 in a party room coup orchestrated by a handful of Labor powerbrokers, revealed by WikiLeaks to be protected sources of the US embassy in Canberra. Rudds crime was to call on the Obama administration to reach an accommodation with China in the Asia Pacific, right at the point when the White House was preparing its confrontational pivot. Turnbull, a merchant banker with connections in China, was critical of Rudds replacement, Julia Gillard, when she transformed the Australian parliament into a platform for Obama to formally announce the pivot to Asia in November 2011. He warned against a doe-eyed fascination with the leader of the free world and declared, not unlike Rudd, that the best and most realistic strategic outcome for East Asia must be one in which the powers are in balance, each side effectively able to deny the domination of the other. Last January, however, as he prepared to challenge Abbott, Turnbull shelved his previous criticisms and pledged his support to the pivota US strategy which is aimed not at a balance in Asia, but American hegemony. Since taking over in September, he has supported, in words, all of the US actions including its freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea. Now his government is coming under mounting pressure to replace words with action, and all the dangers that entails. A hint that he would not necessarily bow to US demands came at the end of Turnbulls speech when he declared: The new and more complex economic landscape emerging in China and across the rest of Asia will require more focus and hard work. The same is true for our strategic environment, which is becoming more complex. In both the economic and security realms we have to be agile and resilient and above all very clear-eyed. This is a time for very keen focus on our national interest. This is unlikely to be a signal that will be well received in Washington. 6 years, 7 months ago by Scott Hardy Hopes city and county can re-visit issue Quincy's Mayor hopes the city and county can re-visit having the Quincy Police Department lease space in a new Adams County Jail in the future, even after the rejection of the lease agreement Wednesday night by the Adams County Board. Scott Hardy has more. 6 years, 7 months ago Mary Griffith New desks and chairs for students and teachers, plus new folding tables for the cafeteria will cost one hundred and sixty five thousand dollars. The Quincy School Board last night approved the low bid expenditures for the new and improved spaces at Quincy High. The school district and the city of Quincy are in negotiation to keep three school resource police officers on the job. Currently, the city and the school district split the cost of the school law enforcement officers fifty-fifty. Because of city budget cutbacks, the school district is being asked to pick up seventy-five percent of the cost. Social media rumors sparked fear that kept thirty percent of the Quincy High School student body home a few weeks ago. That mass absenteeism sparked School Board President Sayeed Ali to call for discussion on the impact of social media on the educational environment. A threat scrawled on a high school bathroom wall was investigated and determined to be a hoax. But social media posters ignored the facts and fueled the fear that kept students away from class. Superintendent Roy Webb says there is "no mechanism in place to squelch a rumor. The school alert phone call system to parents is great for weather cancellations and true emergencies or credible threats. But, it cannot be overused for every social media rumor or it will not be effective. It also draws attention to the perpetrator, which is what they crave." School board member Mike Troup says the administration can't react to unfounded social media rumors. Brownies and bake sales are back! The Quincy school board has approved over two dozen policy revisions. One of those allows the school district to waive the mandated healthy nutritional standards for fund-raising purposes. The school textbooks used by Quincy public school children are under scrutiny. In a systematic, methodical way, the curriculum committee is reviewing textbooks used in every subject at every grade level. In addition to hardcover textbooks, electronic textbooks are being purchased. And they are expensive. The textbook under review for April approval is for high school political science. Pearson Publishing will charge the district over nine thousand dollars for 65 books. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a flight attendant during a trip from Washington, D.C., to Jacksonville, Florida. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Jacksonville reports in a news release that 36-year-old Joseph Michael Sharkey of Virginia entered his plea Tuesday. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Court documents say Sharkey was on a JetBlue flight Jan. 31 when he verbally assaulted another passenger and then placed that passenger in a headlock. The complaint says Sharkey then fought with two flight attendants and attempted to leave the plane through an exit door before he could be restrained. He was kept in flex cuffs for the rest of the flight. The plane landed safely in Jacksonville, and airport police arrested Sharkey. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida State University has named a new dean of the College of Business. Michael D. Hartline will officially become the dean on April 1st. Hartline, the Charles A. Bruning Professor of Business Administration at Florida State, joined the college's faculty in 2001 and has served as interim dean since July. "Michael is a highly collaborative, dedicated leader," said Sally McRorie, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. "He has great strengths in relationship building at every level from colleagues and students to alumni and donors. Dean Hartline's enthusiastic commitment to strategic initiatives and moving the College of Business into the Top 25 is contagious!" During his time as interim dean, Hartline played a major part in securing a $100 million gift from Jan Moran and The Jim Moran Foundation to create the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship, which will be the largest interdisciplinary entrepreneurship school of its kind in the nation. "I am incredibly honored to be named dean and eager to continue serving our great college and university," Hartline said. "We are putting the pieces in place that will keep us on the path toward preeminence. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni are outstanding, and I look forward to working with them and FSU leadership on key initiatives that will further enhance our reputation around the world." Hartline has been a faculty member at Florida State for 15 years. He succeeds Caryn Beck-Dudley, who left Florida State after nine years of service to become dean of Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business. ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia has set an execution date for a man convicted of killing a woman in 1996. Department of Corrections Commissioner Homer Bryson on Wednesday scheduled the execution of Kenneth Fults for April 12. Fults was convicted in 1997 of killing Cathy Bounds, who was shot five times in the back of her head. Prosecutors say Fults killed Bounds after breaking into her house during a weeklong crime spree. The U.S. Supreme Court in October turned down an appeal from Fults. His lawyers argued racial bias had prevented him from getting a fair trial. Fults' lawyers had gotten a signed statement from a juror in which the juror twice used a racial slur when referring to Fults, who's black. Another Georgia inmate, Joshua Bishop, is set to be executed March 31. TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - A Leon County judge ruled that FAMU cannot hold a second election for SGA president, which was scheduled for Tuesday, at its main campus. According to Attorney Mutaqee Akbar, a judge found Thursday that there was no wrong-doing in the SGA election held at the Tallahassee campus, however he did find problems with the election at the law school in Orlando. The injunction that was granted means that FAMU cannot hold a re-elelection on the main campus, but is able to continue with the process at the Orlando campus. Student Body President-Elect Justin Bruno accused University President Elmira Mangum and other administrators of violating his rights and meddling in the recent student election. Bruno and his running mate won the election Back in February, but his opponents went to the University and accused their campaign of violating election standards. He also said he was never notified of any violations and never had the chance to appeal. The re-vote at the Orlando campus will happen Tuesday. TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - Police are still searching for a man who allegedly robbed a Subway and put students on alert at nearby FSU. According to Tallahassee Police, a man walked into the Subway on West Tennessee Street around 9 a.m., Wednesday. Police said the man, armed with a handgun, demanded money from the clerk. The clerk handed him an undisclosed amount of money and the suspect fled on foot, police said. A K-9 unit was brought in to search for the suspect but police say the scent was lost somewhere on campus, FSU Police said. An alert was sent out to students on the FSU main campus shortly after the robbery. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 600- 603 tall with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, blue jeans and gloves. Investigators are asking anyone with information about this incident or the identity of the suspect to please call Crime Stoppers at 850-574-8477 (850-574-TIPS) or the Tallahassee Police Department at 850-891-4200. In general, water immersion does not bring up religious connotations for me. I take a dip when its hot and when I have a chance. Sometimes I go for a dip when I have no choice, and cool water traps me in aggravated social situations. 13 years ago, on the eve of my wedding, I soaked in the sea in accordance with a two-year tradition I developed during my two years living in Tel Aviv. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter I was at Gordon beach in the morning hours, accompanied by my younger brother who served as a type of halakhic specialist, floating near the breakwater. Since then, Ive tried to immerse myself on the eve of Yom Kippur every year as well. Hop over to the nearest spring with the kids. A cold Immersion that shrinks my blood vessels and, in my opinion, my sins as well. An ancient mikveh, discovered during renovations in a Jerusalem home. (Photo: EPA) I write all of this to make it clear that my connection to the Chief Rabbinates ritual baths (mikvehs) is completely loose. I dont bathe in theirs and they dont bathe in mine. Most of the governments ministers are the same way. The ministers (including some of the ministers from HaBayit HaYehudi), their wives, and their children prefer leaving that to others. If it was possible, they would leave the vote on the mikveh bill to others as well. So, whoever made taking a dip into a political preoccupation has committed a double sin: One against those above, and one against those below. The test of history shows that the Jewish people love to fight and love being clean: Two contradictory qualities. Archaeological research of the Second Temple time period uncovered hundreds of ritual baths of all kinds. Strict hygiene rules probably also allowed for a greater life expectancy. Medieval urban legend says that Jewish mortality rates from the black plague of the 14th century were significantly lower than those of the gentiles. Why? Because they used to wash their hands before meals, and take frequent dips in the mikvehs. Thats the cleanliness part. The fighting part? Its very far from being sanitary. An ancient mikveh discovered during construction of a kindergarten facility in Jerusalem. (Photo: Shai Halevi, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority) The debate over the mikveh bill, which only passed the preliminary reading stage this week, is bigger than the question of which rabbinate tells us how to dip. Israelis have become accustomed to the Chief Rabbinate. Nothing can surprise them already. A chief rabbi who took bribes, rabbis who refuse to implement government decisions or who participate in events against IDF recruitment, jobs being handed over to insiders brothers, uncles, sons, or merely the chief rabbinate's event that took place this week and the dishes served at it all kosher under the Edah HaChareidis Badatz (an inspection and arbitration body that oversees religious matters. -ed), because their own kosher inspection is apparently not good enough (as uncovered by Channel 2 News Yair Sharki). Reality surpasses parody. The same applies to the mikvehs. The problem with ultra-Orthodox law and the support by the coalition is that it is a small pond that hides in it a large sea. Not a sea of halakha (A collection of Jewish religious laws. -ed) but a one of policy. Whats hidden here is a debate on the connection with the American Jewish community. Loosening that tie could prove to be a strategic threat far greater than Palestinian terrorists armed with knives. President Reuven Rivlin met with merchants from West Bank settlements that are faced with an economic boycott on Wednesday night and declared, "BDS is an expression of clear anti-Semitism, manifested in a desire to harm Israel and to question its very existence." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Central at the meeting were representatives of the organization Lev HaOlam, which, in cooperation with the Samaria Residents Council, aids small businesses in the territories dealing with boycotts of their products in different locations across the world. Amongst other activities, the organization purchases a wide variety of products every month from business owners, and sends them in packages to more than 1,000 customers worldwide. The venture exports cosmetics, olive oil, honey, Judaica, chocolate, tea and other items. "One cannot cast any doubt on our historic connection with the Land of Israel, with our country and our homeland. The boycotts are motivated by an opposition to Israel's existence," the president told the business owners. President Rivlin with the representatives (Photo: Mark Nieman) Rivlin continued, "One of the important things in making peace between us and our neighbors, the Palestinian Arabs, is creating and building trust, and the importance of that is everyone's ability to live well in this land and to cooperate. Joint enterprises in which Jews and Arabs work together are an example of creating this trust, and this is expressed not only in Jerusalem and Haifa, but also in Judea and Samaria." Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan said at the meeting, "We are faced with a difficult attack: an attack of delegitimization and an attack of defamation of the State of Israel. We stand strong against this attack. We bring many parliamentarians to the Barkan Industrial Park in Samaria. "They always go inside and see Jews and Arabs working together and making the same salary, and they admire the coexistence. When we tell them that this is the coexistence that they want to boycott, they can't believe it. I promise the president: we are strong; together, we will beat the boycott." Representatives presenting President Rivlin with a Lev HaOlam basket (Photo: Mark Nieman) A representative of Lev HaOlam, Nati Rom, said that the boycott was indeed causing economic damage: "We have found that many people across the world refuse to recognize the State of Israel as an independent, Jewish and democratic state. The phenomenon has gotten hold of additional factories in Judea and Samaria, and many manufacturers are facing financial hardships due to anti-Semitic organizations' calls to boycott manufacturers from the State of Israel. We've seen manufacturers who have had to hide their identities, their names and their locations, and we felt a strong need to restore power and Jewish pride to its proper place." Lev HaOlam presented Rivlin with one of its packages that included handmade artisan jewelry from Shilo and Tekoa, chocolate and honey from Har Hevron communities and cosmetics from Itamar. An IDF soldier was filmed shooting in the head a neutralized terrorist lying on the ground in Hebron on Thursday, after the latter attacked another soldier. The soldier was arrested. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Two terrorists armed with knives stabbed a soldier, moderately wounding him, at an IDF post near the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Hebron on Thursday morning. The two were shot and neutralized by soldiers from the IDF's Kfir Brigade, and the wounded soldier's condition was later downgraded to light. A video filmed several minutes later by B'Tselem volunteer Emad abu-Shamsiyah shows one of the terrorists, Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, lying on the ground motionless, when an IDF soldier aims his weapon at him and shoots him in the head. According to B'Tselem, a-Sharif was alive and wounded when he was shot. : . X The IDF Spokesman's Office said in response: "An initial investigation into the incident found this to be a very grave incident that contravenes the IDF's values and what is expected of its soldiers and commanders. In light of the findings of the initial investigation done by the commanders at the scene, the investigation was passed on to the IDF's Criminal Investigation Division (CID)." The initial investigation found that the shooting occurred three minutes after IDF soldiers shot and neutralized the knife-wielding terrorists. Thereafter Israeli paramedics evacuated the wounded soldier to the hospital, while IDF officers took control of the scene and closed it off. Despite this, an IDF soldier from the Kfir Brigade's Shimshon Battalion decided, for a yet unclear reason, to shoot the terrorist who was lying on the ground apparently seriously wounded, which resulted in the terrorists death. Despite this, an IDF soldier from the Kfir Brigade's Shimshon Battalion decided, for a yet unclear reason, to shoot the terrorist who was lying on the ground apparently seriously wounded, which resulted in the terrorists death. The Judea and Samaria Division also intends to examine why the terrorists were left wounded on the ground for several minutes without receiving any medical treatment, as IDF orders dictate. The Judea and Samaria Division also intends to examine why the terrorists were left wounded on the ground for several minutes without receiving any medical treatment, as IDF orders dictate. The IDF soldier receiving treatment on the scene (Photo: TPS) The IDF added that Thursday mornings incident is not characteristic of IDF troops' conduct in hundreds of similar incidents in the West Bank over the past six months, and it is possible that disciplinary action will be taken against the shooting soldier's commanders as well. One of the terrorists neutralized at the scene of the attack. IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Moti Almoz announced Thursday that the soldier was arrested and questioned. He mentioned that all those involved in the event will be questioned, and that it was "a very severe incident. This is not the IDF culture or the Jewish peoples' culture." One of the terrorists neutralized at the scene of the attack. Brig. Gen. Almoz added, "As far as the orders given to soldiers are concerned, the moment terrorists are neutralized, soldiers are supposed to immediately give medical assistance to the wounded, including the terrorists. This is the IDF, these are the values of the IDF, and this is not up for interpretation. We are unambiguous about this." "We will have to check why, several minutes later, after the incident ended well from an operational standpoint, with control in hand and no danger to the soldiers the soldier decided to open fire. We've all seen the footage, we will give updates as the investigation goes on, the soldier is under arrest and, until we understand what went on there, he's presumed to be innocent even though the incident is severe." Brig. Gen. Moti Almoz. "This is not the IDF culture." (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon responded to the publications as well, saying, "The incident is highly severe, and completely contrary to the IDF's values and its combat morals. We must not allow, even as our blood boils, such a loss of faculties and control. This incident will be dealt with in the strictest manner. Our struggle against Palestinian terror, and terror in general, is determined and decisive. We have no intention of compromising on the issue of our citizens' and soldiers' security, and we are handling the terrorists and their dispatchers with an iron fist." Ya'alon mentioned that "Even when we have to hit our enemies and beat them in war or battle, our moral duty is to (adhere to a strict moral standard). Preserve our humanity. Remember the limits of strength after the enemy has been struck as well, and avoid acting in immoral ways. Remember that our strength does not come from our military capabilities alone, but first of all from our moral power. This is our duty, to win and remain human beings." Defense Minister Ya'alon. "The incident is highly severe." (Photo: Motti Kimchi) MK Ahmad Tibi (Joint Arab List) responded to the publications while on a trip to Romania, saying, "IDF soldiers and police officers shoot and execute wounded Palestinians in cold blood as a result of the tempestuousness of Israeli ministers and politicians. The politicians are no less responsible than the shooter. The incident in Hebron was documented, but there are many incidents which were not. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is personally responsible for this murder." This unusual incident comes after another embarrassing incident at the Kfir Brigade, considered a leading brigade in fighting terrorism in the West Bank, which occurred two and a half weeks ago. Two soldiers from the brigade's Nachshon Battalion were stabbed by a terrorist who surprised them while they were on guard duty in the Nablus area. The two soldiers, who were stationed at an isolated and sensitive post, had left their weapons on the ground, while they were playing backgammon and trash was scattered all around them. Junior commanders in the battalion were removed from their position following the incident, while the battalion commander received a rebuke in his personal file. UN - The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a cessation of hostilities starting at midnight on April 10 and peace talks in Kuwait beginning a week later, United Nations special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Wednesday. "This is really our last chance," Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in New York. "The war in Yemen must be brought to an end." The UN says more than 6,000 people, half of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the Saudi-led military intervention which has targeted civilians with air strikes. Some of the attacks could be crimes against humanity, UN sanctions monitors told the Security Council in January. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the global Sunni Muslim militant organization, has also expanded its foothold in the country as the government focuses on its battle with the Houthi rebels. The University of California's governing board is set to sign off Thursday on a statement condemning anti-Semitic behavior and a companion report urging campus leaders to confront "anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism," but a proposal to equate anti-Zionism with religious bigotry was rejected. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter A committee of the university's Board of Regents voted unanimously on Wednesday to send what is being called a "Statement of Principles Against Intolerance" and a report summarizing the context for it to the full board for consideration. A year in the making, the documents were prepared at the urging of some Jewish groups that argued the 10-campus UC system needed to affirm its opposition to anti-Semitism amid growing student activism on behalf of Palestinian rights. "There is absolutely no doubt that anti-Zionism is the driving force behind the alarming rise in anti-Semitism at UC and at schools across the country," said Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a Hebrew lecturer at the university's Santa Cruz campus who led the campaign. Palestinian Authority calls for general boycott of Israeli companies When a draft of the statement was released last week, critics expressed alarm over language in the accompanying report that cited both anti-Semitism and "anti-Zionism" - the rejection of Israel's right to exist - as types of discrimination that don't belong at the university. Faculty and student groups said the report, if endorsed along with the principles themselves, could be used to stifle free speech and scholarship. The regents' Educational Policy Committee softened the disputed wording slightly on Wednesday. "Anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California," it now reads. Some students said the final language still conflated a political doctrine with anti-Jewish bias and could suppress free speech. "Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism have very little to do with each other," said Tallie Ben Daniel, an academic advisory council coordinator for the group Jewish Voice for Peace. Regent Norman Pattiz, who served on the task force that drafted the statement and report, said it was appropriate for the university to link disapproval of Israel with prejudice toward Jewish people and that the issue was a personal one for him. "My colleagues on the working group couldn't done a better job of looking at the roots of these issues and finding ways to deal with the subject of anti-Semitism, which for some reason has had a very difficult time finding its way into the group of minorities that in some way have faced intolerant behavior, Pattiz said. "Well that's over now. It's found its way in," he said Anti-Israel protest march Supporters of the draft, including student regent Abraham "Avi" Oved, whose parents were born in Israel, said anti-Zionism has evolved into a politically coded contemporary brand of anti-Semitism. From their perspective, anti-Zionist rhetoric - marked by calls for Israel's destruction or denial of its right to exist - frequently feeds more overt forms of anti-Jewish hatred. He cited an instance in which the phrase "Zionists should be sent to the gas chamber" was scrawled on a building at UC Berkeley after a student senate campaign calling for university divestment from US companies doing business with Israel. The UC system is considered one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the country, comprising 10 campuses including the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles. If adopted on Thursday, the declaration would make the University of California the first public university system to reaffirm its opposition to anti-Semitic behavior since campaigns for academic and economic boycotts of Israel have taken root on many US college campuses. Pro-Palestinian groups and faculty members with research specialties in the Middle East were upset that anti-Semitism was the only type of intolerance specifically mentioned in the principles at a time when Muslims in the US increasingly face discrimination. Free speech advocates remained concerned that the slight change to the introductory report made Wednesday did not go far enough. "We called for the UC to change the prior version to make clear that anti-Zionism, like other political speech, is not equated with discrimination," Alan Schlosser, senior counsel at the ACLU of Northern California, said. "Unfortunately, the revised version doesn't give that clarity. The system-wide principles are meant to be "aspirational rather than prohibitory," said Charles Robinson, the UC system's general counsel, As such, they do not bar particular acts or proscribe sanctions but serve to remind administrators of their duty to combat bias and to impose discipline in cases that violate existing anti-discrimination policies, Robinson said. MOSCOW - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that renewed efforts are needed to fight the Islamic State group in Syria in the wake of the attacks in Brussels. Kerry is in Moscow to discuss the fragile truce in Syria that is hoped will spark UN-brokered peace talks. He will meet President Vladimir Putin later in the day. Kerry said in his opening remarks at the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the attacks in Brussels that killed at least 31 and injured more than 200 has underscored the urgency for "every country that has the ability" to help put an end to IS. A pro-Palestinian activist on Wednesday removed and tore up an Israeli flag placed at Place de la Bourse Square in Brussels in solidarity with the victims of the terror attack in the Belgian capital while French TV channel RTL was broadcasting live from the square. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The French network was broadcasting one of the spontaneous memorial services at the scene of the attack when a woman wearing a hijab was seen on camera removing the flag from among the flags of other countries, crumpling it, and tearing it up. After that, she hid it under one of the solidarity signs left at the square. X "I got the video from a Jewish student in Brussels, who happened to be watching TV and saw it on the live broadcast from the scene of the attack," said Ido Daniel, who heads the Israel Students Union's program to combat anti-Semitism. "As soon as I got the video, I made sure to spread it across social media. This is the only way we can fight and reveal the true faces of these activists and what they're focusing on at such a dire time." Daniel went on to condemn the protester, who he said "didn't really care about the terror victims or the catastrophe that occurred in her city only 24 hours before. What bothered her most in this terror attack was the fact the Israeli flag was there as part of a show of solidarity with the Belgian people. This is the essence of the anti-Israel obsession." Esther Herlitz, a diplomat, former member of Knesset and an Israel-prize laureate, died on Thursday at 94 years of age. Born in Berlin, Herlitz immigrated to Israel in 1933. She served on the Tel Aviv City Council and was a member of the eighth and ninth Knesset, where she was the first woman to serve on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Herlitz was the first woman to reach the rank of ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when she was appointed as Israel's representative to Denmark in 1966. The soldier who was documented shooting a neutralized terrorist saw the terrorist move, thinking he might have been reaching to detonate a bomb, his lawyer said Thursday Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "You can clearly see in the video that the terrorist moves, and that the terrorist is wearing a coat that could conceal an explosive vest and other explosives underneath," attorney Benjamin Malka said. "We are studying the case and will give our client proper representation." Malka continued, "This is a process that is at its start. Things have yet to be deeply examined and I am saddened to see that a public trial has been conducted before the suspect has been given the right to defend his innocence." The soldier's family told the press that "We are studying things, and believe in the innocence of our son, who is an exemplary fighter and a combat medic." The video of the incident. (: . ) X A member of the Jewish community in Hebron, one of the first people to arrive at the scene, said that after a soldier was treated medically, calls of "get back, get back. The bomb technician hasn't arrived yet." Following this, he said, someone yelled "he's moving," and then a shot was heard. When the man turned around, he saw the shot terrorist. A video filmed several minutes later by B'Tselem volunteer Emad abu-Shamsiyah shows one of the terrorists, Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, lying on the ground motionless, when an IDF soldier aims his weapon at him and shoots him in the head. The video in question was filmed following an attack in which two terrorists armed with knives stabbed a soldier in the Hebron neighborhood of Tel Rumeida Thursday morning, moderately wounding him. The two attackers were shot and neutralized by soldiers from the IDF's Kfir infantry brigade. A few minutes later, one of the soldiers can be seen shooting one of the terrorists, Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, who was lying on the ground. Brig. Gen. Almoz added, "As far as the orders given to soldiers are concerned, the moment terrorists are neutralized, soldiers are supposed to immediately give medical assistance to the wounded, including the terrorists. This is the IDF, these are the values of the IDF, and this is not up for interpretation. We are unambiguous about this." Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon responded to the video as well, saying, "The incident is highly severe, and completely contrary to the IDF's values and its combat morals. We must not allow, even as our blood boils, such a loss of faculties and control. This incident will be dealt with in the strictest manner. Our struggle against Palestinian terror, and terror in general, is determined and decisive. We have no intention of compromising on the issue of our citizens' and soldiers' security, and we are handling the terrorists and their dispatchers with an iron fist." Litigation with Russia over Naftogaz assets in Crimea could start in summer Naftogaz head National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy has said that the litigation with Russia over Naftogaz assets in Crimea could start in summer, Naftogaz Board Chairman Andriy Kobolev told reporters on Wednesday. He said that the lawsuit will be international investment arbitration. "Claims have been sent to the Russian Federation The process has been launched. I think it [the start of the action] will take two or three months," Kobolev said. He said that Russia can bring counter offers to Ukraine on compensation of Crimean assets of the Ukrainian holding before the arbitration is commenced. The Global and United States Hydrobike Market Report has been published by QY Research recently. Hydrobike Market Analysis and Insights This report focuses on... The Ukrainian government has finished a document on a EUR 400 million credit from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for ratification by parliament. The credit will provided for projects in the agricultural sector, Deputy Agricultural Policy and Food Minister of Ukraine Vladyslava Rutytska said in Kyiv on Thursday. "This week we've finished a package required for submission to the Verkhovna Rada for ratification. The document was drawn up jointly with other ministries," she said. Rutytska said that the funds will be sent to support small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, mainly grain and oilseed producers. The funds will be also allocated to support aquaculture and other projects managed by the ministry. Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk in late December 2015 signed a financial agreement to raise a EUR 400 million loan from the EIB for projects in the agricultural sector. The agreement secures a EUR 400 million loan for the term of 12 years with a four-year grace period to finance projects in cereals and oil seeds cultivation, modernization of fisheries and aquaculture in Ukraine. Ukraine's Ministry of Finance acts as the borrower. Together with the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry and Ukreximbank, it will select projects and monitor their implementation. EIB loans can be used to cover up to 50% of the projects' cost. The remaining funds will come from the banks participating in the projects and ultimate beneficiaries. The implementation of the project will provide for the accumulation of EUR 800 million of financial resources. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has instructed to convene a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). The council will discuss proposals on Ukrainian sanctions against persons from the 'Savchenko list' and submit them to the government. "I have ordered to convene a meeting of the NSDC in the near term. Proposals on publishing Ukrainian sanctions against persons from so-called 'Savchenko list' should be handed to the government," he told reporters in Kharkiv on Wednesday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, in turn, proposed that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approves a resolution on imposing sanctions against persons involved in the Savchenko case. He said at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that he submits a draft cabinet resolution on applying and expanding personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) against persons who are implicated in committing illicit acts towards Nadia Savchenko. "This will be an additional list to our sanction list, as now we can determine everyone who was involved in the fabrication of the case against Savchenko. After the approval the draft resolution will be sent to the NSDC," the minister said. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk proposed that the decision to impose sanctions against persons involved in the Savchenko case should be made at an ad hoc meeting of the NSDC. This would accelerate the process. Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Consolidating the cultural dimension of bilateral relations Bucharest - Chisinau was the main topic addressed on Thursday, at the meeting between the president of the Joint permanent committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate for the relationship with UNESCO, deputy Ana-Maria Catauta, and - Save Romania Union (USR) floor leader Ionut Mosteanu announced on Tuesday in the Chamber of Deputies' plenary sitting the tabling of a simple motion against Minister of the Interior Lucian Bode, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook - US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez will be in Bucharest, from Tuesday to Thursday, as part of an official delegation of the United States of America at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest, according to the US Embassy in - Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu on Wednesday signed the book of condolence in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro Help your friends know more - President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday will sign the condolence book opened in memory of Queen Elizabeth II at the residence of the ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Romania, the Presidential Administration announced. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. - Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Thursday had a meeting with International Telecommunication Union Secretary General Houlin Zhao, in which context he gave guarantees that Romania will do its best for the organisation of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (ITUPP-22) to represent a landmark event - Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu, the national leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the ruling coalition, said on Tuesday that there will most likely be a select parliamentary committee that will deal with justice legislation instead of Parliament's judiciary committees. - Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies Cornel Feruta met on Tuesday in Bucharest with the Polish government's Plenipotentiary for the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) Pawel Jablonski, with whom he discussed aspects related to Romania's future mandate in the perspective of the Kyiv reports over 50 strikes against its positions in Donbas by militants on Wednesday, most strikes recorded near Donetsk Militants continue to violate the ceasefire terms and use weapons banned by the Minsk agreement against positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the press center of the headquarters of Kyiv's army operation in Donbas has said. "All in all, the enemy has carried out 53 strikes against positions of Ukraine's Armed Forces in the past 24 hours. Most of them 48 have been recorded near Donetsk," the headquarters said in a report as of 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, published on the press center's Facebook account. Ukrainian military positions in Yakovlivka, Staromykhailivka, Lozove and the Donetsk airport area came under mortar fire, it said. "Both 82mm and 120mm mortars were used. The enemy fired more than 100 mines," the press center said. Militants fired mortars, grenade launchers and BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle weapons at Ukrainian army positions in the vicinity of Lozove. Ukrainian military positions in Avdiyivka, Zaitzeve, Mayorsk, Pisky and Opytne came under the heaviest fire. Militants also shelled Ukrainian positions in the vicinity of Shyrokyne, Novovyboyivka and Dokuchayevsk, near the city of Mariupol. In particular, militants used 120mm mortars there. The Ukrainian military also detected a militants' drone near Bohdanivka on Wednesday. Ukrainian officials are doing their best to coordinate efforts with the international community to make Russia release Ukrainian servicewoman and parliament deputy Nadia Savchenko, who was sentenced in a Russian court to 22 years of imprisonment, said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. "The whole world must apply sanctions against all 46 persons involved into the organization of the mock trial that took place recently," Poroshenko's press service quotes him as saying on Thursday morning during a meeting with Nadia's mother. According to the report, president ordered the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to draft the list of individuals to be included in the so-called "Savchenko's list." "We're doing our best to coordinate the efforts with the international society to increase pressure on Russia to release of Nadia Savchenko," the president said. The head of state said he had spoke by telephone this week with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Poroshenko said it is important to liberate other Ukrainians illegally detained in Russia, including Oleh Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko. New Delhi: In the wake of the heightened terror threat in the national capital during Holi, Delhi Police beefed up security with the deployment of 2,500 paramilitary personnel in the city. On Wednesday, Delhi Police received inputs from the central agencies about a possible terror attack in hotels and hospitals in the city. According to PTI report, central agencies warned Delhi, Punjab and Assam police about a former Pakistan army soldiers, who is likely to have crossed the border and entered India through Punjab with six terrorists last week. As per the reports, agencies also alerted that the terrorists might attempt to carry out terror attacks in New Delhi during Holi. A report published in Indian Express said that in order to avoid any untoward incident in the national capital, Delhi Police deployed at least 2,500 personnel from the paramilitary force in several locations across the city. New Delhi: Jet Airways will operate three recovery flights from Amsterdam to Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto on Thursday to fly the passengers stranded in Brussels following a series of explosions that rocked the airport and metro station in the Belgian capital on Tuesday. An airline spokesperson said the first recovery flight, 9W 227, will depart from Amsterdam for Mumbai at 1400 hrs (local time) while the one for New Delhi (9W 1229) will depart at 1600 hrs (local time), the spokesperson said. Jet Airways will also operate a recovery flight (9W 1230) to Toronto from Amsterdam, which will leave the Dutch Capital at 1800 hours, according to the spokesperson. The Mumbai-based airline, however, did not give the number of flyers who were stuck at the Brussels airport due to the blasts, which left over 30 people killed and several injured including two crew members of Jet Airways. Amsterdam will become Jet Airways European gateway for its international operations from Saturday. As of now Brussels airport, which will remain closed even today for passenger flights, continues to serve as Jet Airways' hub for overseas operations for Europe and beyond. The spokesperson said the guests are currently on their way from Brussels to Amsterdam by road. Mumbai: David Coleman Headley, the accused turned approver in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case, on Thursday told an anti-terrorism court here that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) had instructed him to target the then Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. He informed the court that he had visited the Sena Bhawan in Mumbai twice in 2011 as part of the attempt to kill Thackeray. I visited Sena Bhavan twice on the instructions of my supervisor Sajid Mir (of LeT), and the target was to kill the Shiv Sena chief, Headley said. He also revealed that the LeT had tried to kill Thackeray even before the 26/11 attacks. There was an attempt (to kill Bal Thackeray) but he was unharmed. The assailant was arrested but fled from custody later on, he said during a cross examination in the court on Thursday. He added that I don't have a first-hand knowledge but yes attempt was made. The 55-year-old disclosed this fact during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the US. He also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. Yesterday, Headley spilled the beans on how once US financed his trip to Pakistan and also claimed that he had "donated" about Rs 70 lakh to LeT till 2006, two years before the Mumbai attacks. He, however, contradicted reports that he had received money from LeT. "I never received money from LeT... This is complete nonsense. I gave funds to LeT myself. I had donated more than 60 to 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees to LeT throughout the period I was associated with them. My last donation was in 2006," Headley told the court. He also said that after his arrest in 1998, the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) of the US had financed his trip. Also, the terrorist, who faced conviction twice in 1988 and 1998 for alleged drug smuggling before the Mumbai siege, had indulged in criminal activities and violated his plea bargain agreements with the US government, the court was told. Headley, who is serving a 35-year jail term in the US, also told the court that Tahawwur Rana, his associate and a Pakistani native who operated an immigration business in Chicago, was aware that he was an operative of LeT. Headley had also disclosed that Rana had once come to Mumbai just prior to the 26/11 strikes, and that the latter continued his association with him till Headley's arrest. He, however, refused to answer questions about his wife Shazia and reveal her location, whether she is in the US or Pakistan, or her father's name. "Shazia is still my legally wedded wife. I do not want to disclose Shazia's location at present. I do not want to answer any question about my wife Shazia," he said. When Khan continued questioning him on Shazia, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam took objection to it and said that under Section 122 of the Indian Evidence Act, the communication between a husband and wife is a privileged one and need not be disclosed. The Pakistani-American terrorist had earlier concluded his week-long deposition before the Mumbai sessions court through a video-link from the US on February 13. Headley, in his earlier deposition, said how Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI provides "financial, military and moral support" to terror outfits LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, and how LeT planned and executed the 26/11 Mumbai attack. He had also claimed that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an allegedly fake encounter in Gujarat, was an LeT operative. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Top Hurriyat leaders from Kashmir on Thursday met the Pakistani High Commissioner here amid uproar by the opposition Congress for allowing them to hold talks. According to Times Now, they were to hold discussions on the Kashmir issue. Criticising the Modi government, the Congress questioned if this is what the ruling-BJP meant by nationalism. Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq have met the Pakistani High Commissioner, Abdul Basit at the embassy here for a lunch meeting, which reportedly lasted for about an hour. After the meeting, Mirwaiz told media persons that "Kashmir being an important element of the composite dialogue, we feel some Kashmir specific measures need to be taken on the ground." He also said that they discussed the Pathankot incident and "Pakistanis are very keen to see their investigation team in Delhi." He did not divulge more about the meeting. Both Mirwaiz and Geelani are in Delhi at the invitation of Basit for the Pakistan Day function held at the Pakistani High Commission on Wednesday. Before leaving for New Delhi to attend the Pakistan Day function on Wednesday, Mirwaiz had said that "Hurriyat conference is not against any country or nation. "We have always welcomed the dialogue process between India and Pakistan. We hope the two counties would evolve the ways and means to include the people of Kashmir in the composite dialogue process. "We believe the vision of Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be carried forward in which he said issues should be settled within the parameters of 'Insaniyat' (Humanity) which is much greater than the parameters set by the constitution." Mirwaiz dismissed opposition to the separatist leaders attendance at the Pakistan Day functions in New Delhi. "It is like creating a storm in the tea cup. We have always been attending these functions at the invitation of Pakistan High Commission. We go there to put forth our viewpoint and not to oppose anybody," Mirwaiz said. On Wednesday, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar attended the Pakistan Day function at the high commission here as the official representative of the Indian government. Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar and eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani were also present. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of Pakistan on their National Day. "Greetings to the people of Pakistan on their National Day," he tweeted. Pune: A case of rioting has been registered against over 200 unidentified people in connection with a clash between workers of NCP and a group of BJYM and ABVP activists on Fergusson College campus here in which NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad was allegedly manhandled, police said on Thursday. Deccan-Gymkhana police, where the case was registered under relevant sections of rioting of IPC late last night, said the work of identifying the people from various organisations is underway and CCTV footage as well as videograbs of the incident are being scrutinised. Yesterday, Awhad was allegedly heckled as he reached the campus to interact with students and the principal after he dashed off a letter to Pune Police seeking action against those who purportedly raised anti-national slogans during ABVP's informal event to discuss the topic "Truth of JNU" in presence of JNU ABVP leader Alok Singh. Principal R G Pardeshi, however, later retracted on his statement calling it a "typographical error" after several Dalit organisations here accused him of branding students including Sujat Ambedkar, greatgrandson of B R Ambedkar and son of former MP Prakash Ambedkar, as "anti-nationals". After Awhad concluded his speech at a corner of the campus, he was allegedly heckled by members of BJP's youth wing, and some affiliated right-wing organisations and stones were pelted at his car which led to the deployment of an anti-riot squad and saw the police stepping in to control the situation. Police had to intervene and escorted Awhad to his car, but even after the NCP leader had got inside the vehicle, footwear and stones were hurled at his car. Also, police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd before Awhad and his supporters left the campus. After the clash, a riot-control squad of police was deployed. "We registered a case late last night against over 200 unidentified people from both the groups and upon scrutinising CCTV footage and video recordings of news channels, we will identify the suspects," said a police inspector. He said police will also speak to Awhad to get his version of the incident. Awhad, however, denied that he was manhandled. "They were not even able to touch me and my people and police steered me from the location safely," he told PTI last night. Meanwhile, ABVP spokesperson Nikhil Karampuri said that when Awhad was manhandled, their workers were far away from spot and denied any involvement in the incident. Washington DC: A team of researchers has set a new world record in 5G wireless spectrum efficiency, achieving 1.59Gbit/s over a 20MHz radio channel. Engineers from the Universities of Bristol and Lund, working alongside National Instruments (NI), demonstrated how a massive antenna system can offer a 12-fold increase in spectrum efficiency compared with current 4G cellular technology. Multiple antenna technology, referred to as MIMO, is already used in many Wi-Fi routers and 4G cellular phone systems. Normally this involves up to four antennas at a base station. Using a flexible prototyping platform from NI based on LabVIEW system design software and PXI hardware, the Bristol configuration implements Massive MIMO, where 128 antennas are deployed at the base station. Bristol's Massive MIMO system used for the demo operates at a carrier frequency of 3.5GHz and supports simultaneous wireless connectivity to up to 12 single antenna clients. Each client shares a common 20MHz radio channel. Complex digital signal processing algorithms unravel the individual data streams in the space domain seen by the antenna array. The Massive MIMO demonstration was conducted in the atrium of Bristol's Merchant Venturers Building and achieved an unprecedented bandwidth efficiency of 79.4bit/s/Hz. This equates to a sum rate throughput of 1.59Gbit/s in a 20MHz channel. Professor Andrew Nix, Head of the CSN Group and Dean of Engineering, said: "This activity reinforces our well established propagation and system modelling work by offering a new capability in model validation for Massive MIMO architectures. This is a truly exciting time for our PhD students and opens up further opportunities for collaborative research with our national and international partners." Ove Edfors, Professor of Radio Systems at Lund University said: "We see massive MIMO as the most promising 5G technology and we have pushed it forward together with partners in Bristol and in our EU project MAMMOET. It is a pleasure seeing those efforts materialize." The Hague: Dutch officials Thursday confirmed that one of the Brussels airport suicide bombers was expelled by Turkey and sent to the Netherlands last year, but stressed he had been unknown to Dutch law enforcement. "The Turkish authorities requested Ibrahim El Bakraoui to leave the country and put him on a flight from Istanbul to Amsterdam on July 14, 2015," Dutch Justice Minister Ard van der Steur said in a letter to the Dutch parliament. "He was not under suspicion in the Netherlands," Van der Steur stressed, adding Ankara had not provided any explanation for why Bakraoui was being sent to Holland. Belgian ministers have come under fire for intelligence failings over Tuesday`s Islamic State suicide attacks in which 31 people died. Bakraoui blew himself up at Brussels airport along with another attacker, while his brother Khalid set off a suicide bomb at a Brussels metro station. Belgian authorities are still searching for a third assailant who left his bomb-filled bag at the airport before fleeing the scene, and are hunting a second metro suspect. Pressure has mounted on Belgium`s government over claims it ignored the expulsion of Bakraoui from Turkey in 2015 as a "foreign terrorist fighter", and the interior and justice ministers have both offered their resignations although these were rejected by the country`s prime minister. The Dutch justice minister will meet with lawmakers on Tuesday after the long Easter weekend to debate the issue. "He was not registered in our relevant databases. He has never been arrested in the Netherlands," the minister insisted. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said Turkish authorities had detained the attacker in June last year in Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, and then deported the "foreign terrorist fighter" to the Netherlands at his request. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens said he was aware the man had been sent to the Netherlands from Turkey, but denied he had been flagged as a possible terrorist. Erdogan however said the Belgian authorities had failed to confirm the suspect`s links to terrorism "despite our warnings" following his expulsion. Washington: A group of influential American lawmakers have introduced a legislation asking the Obama administration to help India join the APEC forum, saying an economically prosperous India benefits the US' strategic goals in Asia. "Membership in APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) would provide India a constructive forum to glean insight from other Asian countries that have already taken significant steps to advance their economies," Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Matt Salmon, who introduced the legislation in the US Congress, said. "Indian Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi is striving for major economic reforms to open India's markets, improve trade volume, and facilitate his growing population's need for continued job growth," he said yesterday. Salmon is joined by Congressman Ami Bera, the only Indian- American lawmaker in the current Congress, Co-Chair Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans; Ed Royce, Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee; Elliot Engel, Brad Sherman, George Holding, Derek Kilmer, Dana Rohrabacher and Scott DesJarlais. Bera said that India is one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies. "An economically prosperous and regionally engaged India benefits the US' strategic goals on Asia," Bera said. The legislation notes that the US-India partnership is vital to the US strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region and across the globe, and is an integral aspect to the Administration's Rebalance to Asia. Observing that India enjoys a location within the Asia- Pacific region which provides an avenue for continued trade and investment partnerships with APEC member states, the legislation asks Secretary of State John Kerry to develop a strategy to obtain membership status for India in APEC, including participation in related meetings, working groups, activities and mechanisms. It directs the Secretary of State to actively ask APEC member states to support such membership status for India and submit a report to the Congress within two months of the passage of this legislation. Singapore-headquartered Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum for 21 economies to promote free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The members are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam. Washington: Criticising the Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for their anti-Muslim rhetoric, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has said demonising Muslims could alienate partners and undermine moderates needed to fight against ISIS. "We need every American community invested in this fight, not fearful and sitting on the sidelines. So when Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly- Muslim neighbourhoods, it's wrong, it's counter-productive, it's dangerous," Clinton said in remarks at the prestigious Stanford University. "As a spokesman for the New York Police Department pointed out last night, that kind of blanket bigotry would treat the city's nearly 1,000 Muslim police officers as threats," Clinton said. "It's hard to imagine a more incendiary, foolish statement," the former Secretary of State quoted the spokesman as saying. The 68-year-old Democratic party front-runner asserted that demonising Muslims also alienates partners and undermines moderates needed around the world in the fight against ISIS. Noting that there has been a lot of talk from both Republicans and Democrats about the importance of building coalitions with Muslim nations, Clinton said, "Having actually done this, I can tell you, insulting allies and partners is not a good way to start." "Another thing we know that does not work, based on lots of empirical evidence, is torture. Many intelligence, military and law enforcement experts have attested to this fact. It also puts our own troops and increasingly our own civilians at greater risk," she argued. In her major policy speech on ISIS, Clinton criticised Trump's recent remarks to review US policy on NATO. "Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket, would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike. Putin already hopes to divide Europe. If Mr Trump gets his way, it'll be like Christmas in the Kremlin. It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous," she said. Clinton said in the struggle against ISIS, allies are needed as much as ever. "We need them to be strong and engaged, for they are increasingly on the frontlines. London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, Istanbul -- they've all been hit by terrorism," she said. "So it's essential that the US has strong partners who can work with it to disrupt plots and dismantle networks in their own countries before they lead to attacks in the United States," she added. PGO to ask Interpol to convict in absentia Russian prosecutors and judges involved in Savchenko case The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine is drafting a legal brief that outlines suspicions about Russian prosecutors and judges involved in the sentencing of Nadia Savchenko to 22 years in a penal colony. Ukrainian prosecutors say they will ask Interpol for guidance about how to convict the individuals in absentia. "Today a notice of suspicion has been drafted. We're preparing international instructionsif they are refused, we will appeal to Interpol," PGO prosecutor Vladyslav Kutsenko said in Kyiv on Wednesday. He added that the procedure of conviction in absentia is being followed. Kutsenko said each of three judges and each of three prosecutors dealing with Savchenko's case will be given notice. Russia may then fulfill the mentioned international instructions and will familiarize judges and prosecutors with the suspicions issues by the PGO, or it may refuse to do that. "After refusal is received, and, unfortunately, we predict refusal, we'll ask Interpol to place the aforementioned persons on a wanted list. Then we will initiate the procedure of conviction in absentia," Kutsenko said. After the procedure of conviction in absentia is completed, the aforementioned people will continue to serve. "Under our legislation a person starts serving a prison sentence only after the person is arrested. This could take from 5 or 10 years," he explained. Kutsenko said he strongly believes that Interpol will put the aforementioned people on a wanted list. He said the PGO will present all the necessary documents and provide the necessary arguments for this. The Hague: Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted by UN judges of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, the worst war crime in Europe since World War Two, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Karadzic, 70, the former president of the breakaway Bosnian Serb Republic, was found guilty on 10 out of 11 charges brought by war crimes prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He would appeal the decision, his legal adviser said. "The accused was the sole person within Republika Srpska (the Bosnian Serb Republic) with the power to prevent the killing of the Bosnian Muslim males," said presiding judge O-Gon Kwok, in a reference to the 8,000 killed at Srebrenica. "Far from preventing it, he ordered they be transferred elsewhere to be killed," the judge said. Karadzic was acquitted of one count of genocide in various towns across Bosnia during the war of the 1990s. The three-judge panel said Karadzic was "at the apex of power," heading the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic and Supreme Commander of its armed forces, when crimes were committed by his troops. Judges said the 44-month siege of Sarajevo could not have happened without his support; that he committed crimes against humanity in an attempt to purge Muslims and Croats from parts of Bosnia; and that he had intended to eliminate the Bosnian Muslim males of the town of Srebrenica. Karadzic`s legal adviser Peter Robinson said Karadzic was "disappointed by the verdict, astonished by the reasoning and he wants to appeal." As the judges described the siege of Sarajevo, Karadzic looked pained and his face tightened into a grimace. VICTIMS` TEARS Victims` families in the courtroom, some of then elderly, listened intently when the genocide at Srebrenica was discussed. One wiped away tears as the judge described men and boys being separated from their families. When Karadzic was ordered to stand for sentencing, he listened with eyes mostly downcast. After judges departed, he sat back heavily in his chair. Victims` families embraced before quietly leaving the courtroom. Outside, Hatidza Mehmedovic, who lost her entire family at Srebrenica, said she was enraged by the verdict, and no punishment could have been harsh enough. "He can live in a cushy prison while I have to live in Srebrenica, where his ideology is still in place," she said. "I have no sisters, no brothers, no husband." Karadzic was arrested in 2008 after 11 years on the run, following a war in which 100,000 people were killed as rival armies carved Bosnia up along ethnic lines that largely survive today. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said he would stand by the Serbs of Bosnia. "We will stand by our people and we will protect their existence and their right to have their own state," he said. Serge Brammertz, the court`s chief prosecutor, said he hoped the ruling would make populist politicians in the region more reluctant to hail convicted war criminals as heroes. "There is nothing heroic about raping persons, about sexual abuse in camps," he said. "There is nothing heroic about executing 7,000 prisoners which have been detained in impossible circumstances. There is nothing heroic to kill with snipers children who are playing." He said prosecutors may appeal Karadzic`s acquittal on the second genocide charge. WORLD OPINION The only more senior official to face justice before the Tribunal was the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody a decade ago before a verdict was reached. Ratko Mladic, the general who commanded Bosnian Serb forces, was the last suspect to be detained over the Srebrenica slaughter and is also in a U.N. cell awaiting judgment. The Srebrenica massacre and the Serb siege of Sarajevo were events that turned world opinion against the Serbs and prompted NATO air strikes that helped bring the war to an end. Karadzic defended himself through his 497-day trial and called 248 witnesses, poring over many of the millions of pages of evidence with the help of a court-appointed legal adviser. Rejecting the charges against him, Karadzic sought to portray himself as the Serbs` champion, blaming some of the sieges and shelling on Bosnian Muslims themselves. He says soldiers and civilians who committed crimes during the war acted individually. Opponents of the ICTY say its prosecutors have disproportionately targeted Serbs as 94 of 161 suspects charged were from the Serbian side, while 29 were Croat and nine Bosnian Muslim. [http://tmsnrt.rs/1Sd4TAa] Prosecutors have been criticised for not bringing charges against two other leaders of that era who have since died - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic. Many Serbs, both in Bosnia and Serbia, regard the court as a pro-Western instrument, say Karadzic is innocent and believe his conviction is an injustice for all Serbs. A Malian man pled guilty in New York on Thursday to conspiracy to murder in the killing of a US diplomat outside a restaurant in Niger shortly before Christmas 16 years ago. William Bultemeier, 51, was shot in the chest by two men armed with a pistol and an AK-47 as he was about to get in his car outside the La Cloche bar and restaurant in the capital Niamey in the early hours of December 23, 2000. Bultemeier had been in West Africa for five months, under contract to re-establish the Department of Defense attache office at the Niger embassy. He had been scheduled to return home to North Carolina the day he was killed. Alhassane Ould Mohamed, 46, on pled guilty to conspiracy to his murder before district judge William Kuntz in a US federal court in Brooklyn. He will be sentenced on April 26 and faces 25 years in prison. Bultemeier, a Pentagon official who had been assigned to the US embassy, left the restaurant with five other American colleagues when he was accosted. After demanding Bultemeier`s car keys, Mohamed and an accomplice shot him. They also shot Staff Sergeant Christopher McNeely who ran to his colleague`s aid. The two attackers escaped in the US diplomatic vehicle. Bultemeier died of his injuries. McNeely survived. The US Defense Department said at the time that the incident appeared to be a criminal act and not politically motivated. The Niger government launched a vast manhunt, and initially jailed Mohamed for the killing and for the murder of four Saudi citizens on the border between Niger and Mali in 2009. But he escaped jail in a June 2013 jailbreak blamed on Al-Qaeda-linked extremists. He was re-arrested by French forces in northern Mali in November 2013 and extradited by Mali to the United States in March 2014. Lahore: Britain's Queen Elizabeth must apologise for executing legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 1931 and pay blood money to his heirs, human rights activists in Pakistan said today as they marked his 85th death anniversary. Events to mark Bhagat Singh's death anniversary was held yesterday in two different places in Pakistan's Punjab province. The first ceremony was held at the birth place of Bhagat Singh --Chak 105-GB, Banga Chak, Jaranwala, Faisalabad district -- some 100 kilometres from here. People from different walks of life attended the ceremony and paid rich tributes to him for his struggle for freedom. The second function was held at Shadman Chowk here where Bhagat was hanged along with his?companions Raj Guru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the regime. A resolution has also been adopted unanimously demanding the British Queen (Queen Elizabeth II) tender an apology for executing the freedom movement hero as well as paying blood money to his heirs. Bhagat Singh was initially jailed for life but later awarded death sentence in another "fabricated case", they said. A written message of Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was also read out during the occasion. Bambawale lauded efforts of the Bhagat Singh Foundation for organising the event to keep his memories alive. "We will submit this resolution to the British High Commission in Islamabad to be forwarded to the Queen," rights activist Abdullah Malik told PTI today. "We will agitate with the British government to tender apology for executing Bhagat Singh," he said. Shadman's event was held under strict security in the face of threats from extremists. Since the Bhagat Singh Foundation has been demanding renaming the Shadman Chowk as 'Bhagat Singh Chowk' the Hurmat-e-Rasool, a sister organisation of Jamaat-u-Dawah, opposing it and suggesting to rename it as 'Hurmat Chowk'. Iqbal Virk, owner of the Bhagat Singh Haveli, said Singh's struggle is getting popular among the youth here as they often ask him about the background of Singh and his companions. "The government must organise events in the honour of Bhagat Singh on the eve of Pakistan Day (March 23) as he and his fellows had paved the way for freedom," he demanded.The?government had recently preserved two rooms of the Bhagat Singh's haveli. The pictures of Bhagat and his fellows have been displayed in the rooms. Srebrenica: Widows of Srebrenica massacre victims on Thursday slammed as inadequate the 40 year sentence handed down to former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, as supporters dismissed the ruling as biased. "He killed so many children and will perhaps live long enough to regain freedom. Where he is is not really a prison. It is warm, he eats, he even looks good," said Bida Smajlovic who lost her husband and brother in the atrocity. "My pain and my loneliness endure and nothing will change that, nothing can reduce my suffering," she said. The 63-year-old`s husband was one of three brothers who died at Srebrenica. Almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed and their bodies dumped in mass graves by Bosnian Serb forces in the 1995 massacre, the worst bloodshed on European soil since World War II. On Thursday, their wives, including Bida, gathered nervously in Srebrenica around a television set to watch war crimes judges in The Hague sentence Karadzic, now 70, who will receive credit for time already spent in detention since 2008. Another Smajlovic widow, Sajma, wept as she saw Karadzic on television. "As soon as I see him it angers me," she said, adding that she had taken tranquillisers to cope with the pain of the sentencing. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday sentenced Karadzic to 40 years in jail after finding him guilty of 10 charges relating to Bosnia`s 1992-1995 war, including genocide for the Srebrenica slaughter.But Vasva Smajlovic, 73, said no sentence, however long, could compensate her for the loss of her husband Ismet. "There is no adequate sentence for him, he will perhaps live long enough to be freed and has already lived for a long time, unlike my Ismet," she said. "The best sentence would be to kill him on the spot, for the world to see him decompose. The fact I have lived to see him condemned brings me some comfort," she added. In Belgrade after the sentencing, up to 5,000 ultranationalists briefly broke out in chants of "Radovan Karadzic!" during a pre-election rally against the government, which also took aim at the Hague-based tribunal. "The verdict on Radovan Karadzic is a verdict on all Serb people, all of Serb history and the Serbian nation," Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj told the crowds, some of whom let off firecrackers. "He was sentenced while innocent... just because in a crucial historical moment he led Serbs in Bosnia," said Seselj, who faces his own verdict from the court next week but is excused from attending for medical reasons. In 1992 Karadzic founded the Republika Srpska (RS), a breakaway Bosnian Serb territory, and the conflict that ensued pitted his forces against the country`s Muslims and Croats. The Dayton peace accord which ended the war in 1995 formalised Bosnia`s division into two semi-independent entities -- the RS and a Muslim-Croat Federation.Current RS leader, firebrand Milorad Dodik said it was "absolutely clear that today`s verdict... was made under strong pressure from various international lobbies". He said the ruling was in accordance with "stereotypes about Serbs` exclusive guilt for the war in Bosnia", Beta news agency reported. Earlier Thursday, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic warned against attacks on the RS in light of the verdict, saying Serbia would "stand with our people, we will protect the right to survive and exist" in the RS. But in Sarajevo, Bosnian Muslim political leader Bakir Izetbegovic described the conviction as the "most important verdict" since the Nuremberg trials for prominent Nazis. Other victims of Karadzic`s aggression, while drawing some comfort from the ruling, seemed less satisfied. "I was hoping for a life sentence," said Adil Draganovic, 63, who was held captive in a Bosnian Serb concentration camp during the war and travelled to the Hague for the verdict. "But then again 40 years is as good as a life sentence for him," he said, while sporting a Bosnian flag around his neck. In the remote and snowy Montenegrin village of Petnjica, where Karadzic was born, there was further disappointment for different reasons. Relative Simeon Karadzic, 65, said the war crimes convict had shown a "spirit of tolerance" towards Muslims after moving to Sarajevo in his teens. "The tribunal... simplified reality too much. All the actors were divided into good and bad." Jaime Gilt, an obviously Floridian, gun-regulation-hating, 31-year-old mother, was shot in the back while driving. Her 4-year-old son whom she'd been training as a child marksman is reported to have shot her. Ms. Gilt's pistolwhich was apparently ready to fire live ammunitionslid out of her purse and into her son's hands, where he put it to immediate use. Police have cleared the child of malice, but an investigation determined the mother was negligent because she failure to secure her gun. She faces up to 180 days of jail time. Via the Putnam County's Police Facebook page: Putnam County Sheriff's Office Press Conference March 22, 2016 Captain Gator DeLoach As most of you know at around 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, Jamie Gilt was traveling from Jacksonville to a residence in Putnam County to pick up a horse. As Jamie was traveling west on State Road 20, she was preparing to make a u-turn which would ultimately lead her to her destination. While she was waiting for a break in traffic, she felt something strike her in the back, then noticed the windshield of her truck was broken. Seconds later, Jamie began to bleed from her chest. Realizing she had been shot, She called her cousin, who was nearby. At that same time, Jamie saw a patrol car approaching her. Jamie flashed her lights and attempted to wave the deputy down. Deputy Wayne Jones saw Jamie's truck and recognized there was a problem. Once he approached Jaime, he could tell she was in distress. Jamie told the deputy she had been shot by her son. Deputy Jones made sure Gilt's son was not injured, secured the handgun which he found in the rear floorboard, called for assistance, and began rendering aid to Gilt until EMS arrived. The investigation revealed that Jamie placed the gun, which was not in a holster, under the front seat of the truck. Sometime during her drive the gun apparently slid back to the rear floorboard, below where her four year old son was seated in a booster seat. According to family members, the child recently learned to unbuckle his seatbelt. Investigators discovered the child removed himself from the seat, presumably to grab a toy from the floorboard, saw the gun, picked it up and accidentally fired through the rear of the driver seat, striking Jamie. The bullet struck her in the back and exited through her chest. The Florida Department of Children and Family services was notified by the Sheriff's Office and assigned an investigator to follow up on the case. A copy of this investigation, along with an affidavit charging Gilt with a violation of Florida Statutes regarding the safe storage of firearms is being forwarded to the State Attorney's Office for review. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office supports the rights of citizens to own and possess firearms. I do want to remind everyone that in the presence of a child, gun owners bear the additional responsibility of ensuring children do not gain unintended access of a firearm, in hopes of preventing tragedies like this in the future. A working visit of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to the United States is scheduled from March 30 by April 2, the president's website has reported. According to the president's press service, Poroshenko will take part in a Washington nuclear security summit at the invitation of US President Barack Obama. "As a part of the visit the president is to hold talks with US leaders, along with the bilateral meetings with the leaders of states and governments attending the summit," reads the report. The president announced his visit to the United States during his visit to Kharkiv this week. "In the near future, next week, I will pay a visit to Washington, where we will continue to expand our cooperation in the establishment of the new police force; a new prosecutor's offices and cooperation between law enforcement agencies" the president said. JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's anti-corruption watchdog may seek state funding to speed up its investigation into a growing scandal over President Jacob Zuma's relationship with a wealthy family of businessmen, its spokesman said on Tuesday. In an affair that has caused wild swings in the rand since erupting last week, Zuma is facing calls to resign since a number senior officials went public with allegations that the Guptas wielded an undue influence on the government. The Guptas, whose businesses stretch from media to mining, have denied offering government jobs and say they are pawns in a plot to oust Zuma. Zuma also denies the allegations. Oupa Segalwe, spokesman for the Public Protector, said the watchdog was "considering this approach" when asked about comments his boss Thuli Madonsela made in the Beeld newspaper on Tuesday. "We want to ask the Treasury for a special fund for our special investigations. Then we can appoint a team of external forensic investigators and conclude the investigation quicker," Madonsela was quoted as saying in the paper. The opposition Democratic Alliance party is asking Madonsela to investigate whether Zuma used his influence to benefit the Gupta family. The ruling party, affirming its support for Zuma after a three-day summit this weekend, said it would lodge its own investigation into the matter. The family said on Tuesday it welcomed the ANC's probe. "We welcome this process which should ultimately allow the truth to be recognised and end this current trial by innuendo and slander," the family said in a statement. Zuma sacked finance minister Nhlanhla Nene in December and appointed a junior politician with no record of national financial management to the post, before backtracking and summoning past finance minister Pravin Gordhan a few days later. Last week, Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas said that in December, the Gupta family offered him his boss's job. The allegations come as Africa's most industrialised economy faces the possibility of ratings downgrades which would raise the costs of borrowing. They also come ahead of local elections due around the middle of the year which analysts say could show eroding support for the ANC, which has been in power since white rule ended in 1994. (Reporting by TJ Strydom; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Raissa Kasolowsky) SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday called China's military deployments on the South China Sea "counterproductive", an unusually forceful rebuke against the country's biggest trading partner. Australia has consistently supported U.S.-led freedom of navigation activities in the South China Sea, where Beijing has been adding reclamation to islands and reefs in waters claimed by several regional countries. The United States has accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island, a move China has neither confirmed nor denied. "They are ... counterproductive, regardless of the legal merits, on which we do not express a view nor make a claim," Turnbull said in a speech in Sydney, referring to China's military deployments. Turnbull is expected to visit China next month. The Chinese government last month expressed its displeasure with Australia's new defense spending plan. China has repeatedly accused the United States of militarizing the South China Sea with its freedom of navigation patrols in the region, and boosting of military alliances with countries like the Philippines. In February, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country's South China Sea military deployments were no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii. Tensions between China and its neighbors Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan over sovereignty in the South China Sea have risen after China embarked on significant reclamations on disputed islands and reefs in the area. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. (Reporting by Byron Kaye and Matt Siegel; Editing by Nick Macfie) By Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank confirmed on Sunday that cyber criminals tried to withdraw $951 million from its U.S. bank account, as the countrys finance minister said he first got to know of one of the biggest bank heists in history through the media. Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank, and transferred $81 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to casinos in the Philippines between Feb. 4 and Feb. 5. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said the central bank did not inform him about the heist, and that he learned of it only a month later when news first appeared in the media. I am very much unhappy about the handling of the issue, he told reporters in his office in Dhaka. He said he planned to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday and decide what action to take against central bank officials. The cyber heist and its global scale has left Bangladesh officials scrambling to find answers and recover the money that was lost. The incident has also left other banks and businesses around the world eager to learn more, so they can review their own networks for signs that they are vulnerable to similar attacks or might already have been breached. Bangladesh Bank said in a Facebook post that hackers made 35 separate requests to withdraw money from its Fed account, totaling $951 million, confirming earlier reports. Officials have said the account, used for international settlements, had billions of dollars. Bangladesh officials expect that it would be difficult to recover the money that has already gone out of the banking channels. Officials have said that the money that made its way to the Philippines was further diverted to casinos and then possibly on to Hong Kong. After a meeting with the investigators and central bank officials on Sunday, Mohammad Aslam Alam, the secretary of the banking division of the ministry of finance, said recovery could take months. But he added that the Philippines had managed to freeze $68,000, which Dhaka should be able to recover. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the largest opposition party, demanded the resignation of the central bank governor and the finance minister. (Reporting by Serajul Quadir; Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Stephen Powell) By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Belgian government warned at the weekend that there might be an attack after the security services captured their most wanted man. It came swiftly. Tuesday's explosions, which killed at least 30 people at the main Brussels airport and an underground rail station, came just days after Belgium's security services caught the last surviving suspect in November's attacks on Paris. Belgium has announced 400 million euros ($450 million) of extra spending to upgrade its security capabilities since it emerged that the country of 11 million people served as the base for the Paris attackers who killed 130 people. But Tuesday's bombings at home show how much further it still has to go. Security experts say squabbling layers of government, under-funded spy services, an openness to fundamentalist preachers and a thriving black market in weapons all make Belgium among the most vulnerable countries in Europe to militant attacks. One U.S. government official told Reuters that Tuesday's attacks showed Belgian authorities still "have not upped their game". Catching Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam on Friday was a coup for Belgium's security services. But his four months apparently hiding and moving about the capital were also proof of how difficult the task of securing Belgium is likely to be. It is still too early to say whether Tuesday's attacks were directly linked to Abdeslam's capture. U.S. officials believe they may have been already in the works before his arrest, and was not highly sophisticated or the type of attack that required a huge amount of ingenuity. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Charles Michel, who had locked down the capital for days in November after the Paris attacks, warned on Sunday of "a real threat". U.S. government sources said that, while the United States and Belgium had believed that another attack after Paris was highly likely, they did not have hard intelligence about where or when such an attack would occur. Reviving arguments over Belgian policies in the wake of the Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed in an operation apparently organized from Brussels, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin spoke of "naivete" on the part of "certain leaders" in holding back from security crackdowns on Muslim communities. A lawmaker from Michel's party, Didier Ducarme, hit back on French television. He said comments like Sapin's "are starting to seriously irritate me" and noted that it was a France-based gunman who killed four at Brussels' Jewish Museum in 2014. BENEATH THE RADAR Catching up after years of neglect was always going to be a problem for Belgium's intelligence agency, which has just 600 staff, a third as many as in the neighboring Netherlands, a country not much larger and with fewer home-grown jihadists fighting in Syria or Iraq. Belgium has supplied the highest per capita number of fighters to Syria of any European nation, and the crowded Brussels borough of Molenbeek has been described as a "Jihadist air base" because of the number of militant suspects believed to be living there. To follow a single suspect around 24 hours a day without being detected, security agencies need crews of as many as 36 officers, U.S. and European officials estimate, meaning even well-staffed agencies such as Britain's MI5 can only closely follow a limited number of suspects at any particular time. According to Alain Winants, head of the Belgian intelligence service from 2006 until 2014, Belgium was one of the last places in Europe to obtain modern techniques to gather information, such as telephone taps. On one occasion, police had to deny they let Abdeslam slip due to a law banning house raids at night. Michel has already said he accepts more is needed. It is impossible for any country to completely secure "soft targets" like busy railway stations and airports. But Belgium also has unique challenges. The patchwork country divided between French- and Dutch-speakers has a bureaucracy that hinders the sharing of information, with six parliaments for its regions and linguistic communities, 193 local police forces and, in Brussels, 19 autonomous mayors. That allows militants to hide below the radar in a way they cannot in the much more centralized Netherlands, as well as slowing the passing of new laws to rein in the preaching of hate in mosques and a roaring trade in illegal weapons. Nearly 6,000 firearms are seized every year in Belgium, more than in all of France, police data shows, often sold by Balkan crime networks to home-grown Belgian jihadists. VANISHING IN MOLENBEEK Belgian authorities have been accused of neglecting Muslims and failing to help find jobs to shield them from people seeking to radicalize desperate young men. Youth unemployment can reach up to 40 percent in some parts of wealthy Belgium. "Because of the difficulty of fitting into a hostile society, they look for alternative networks where they can blend in," said counter-terrorism expert Rik Coolsaet at the Brussels think-tank Egmont. "Gang activities and the foreign fighters' undertakings are carried out on the margins of the local environment, where they grew up," Coolsaet said. Just a few miles from the power of the headquarters of NATO and the European Union, but effectively a world away, Molenbeek on the poorer side of the city's industrial-era canal has become a notoriously difficult place to track militants. Abdeslam was able to vanish into the streets of Molenbeek, some quarters of which are 80 percent Muslim, for four months, protected by family, friends and petty criminals, not far from his parents' home. Some problems go back to the 1970s, when Belgium, still heavily industrial at the time, sought favor and cheap oil from Saudi Arabia by providing mosques for Gulf-trained preachers. European officials acknowledge that no amount of quick funding increases for Belgium's intelligence services will immediately solve the multitude of challenges. "We know that it will take a long time," said General Gratien Maire, deputy head of the French defense staff, said at an event in Brussels on Sunday. "So we have to be honest and clear with our people." ($1 = 0.8920 euros) (Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, Mark Hosenball in Washington and Michel Rose in Paris; Editing by Peter Graff and Cynthia Osterman) The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is concerned about changes Canada Post warns could be coming. In May, the Crown Corporation will start test-sorting Charlottetown mail in Halifax. The move would reduce the amount of work clerks at the depot and postal carriers in Charlottetown need to do. Canada Post says no permanent changes will made until October, but it's warned the union up to three letter carriers out of 20 delivering in the capital may no longer be needed. The head of the Charlottetown local, Pearl Gillis-Palmer said Canada Post isn't telling them how the decision will affect clerk staffing levels. "The only thing that we have so far, is that it looks like there, the letter carriers, their positions will be deleted," she said. "And then, down the road, it's going to affect clerks because they don't need them to sort the mail if it's coming already pre-sorted and sequenced for each route." 'No employees will lose their jobs' In an email statement, Canada Post said if there are changes, any employee affected would be offered other work. "We're going to do a sequencing exercise for a few weeks starting in May in order to gather information on how much of the mail our machines can sequence ... We will use this information to make changes to our employees' itineraries in October," said Eugene Knapik, Canada Post Media Relations. "No employees will lose their jobs. Our customers will not see any significant change in their mail service. Any reduction in the number of positions required will take place through attrition." Gillis-Palmer said the union is also worried letter carriers in Charlottetown who are already facing long routes could be asked to deliver even more. "We're not with this at all. We're trying to fight it," she said. "The routes in Charlottetown now they're all too large, they're taking too long, and we're going to continue our fight because it's just too hard on the letter carriers. It's too much work for them." Canada Post said it will be re-evaluating the length of routes in Charlottetown during a two week visit in late May and early June. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has ordered ExxonMobil Corp to put a climate change resolution to a shareholder vote at its annual meeting in May. The proposal, put forward by New York state's comptroller, would force the company to account annually for risks that climate change or legislation designed to control carbon pollution would post to the company. Exxon had argued the proposal was vague and pointed to the carbon-related information it already publishes for shareholders, including a 2014 report titled Energy and Carbon Managing the Risks. But the SEC ordered the company to go further in disclosing carbon risk. Investors are taking an increasing interest in carbon risk, including the risk that oil and gas might have to remain in the ground to meet climate change targets set in Paris last year. Investment manager BlackRock has said it now takes note of the issue as it manages investments and the Bank of England is studying the potential impact of a carbon bubble that could wipe out company value. The Rockefeller Family Fund, which signalled a plan to divest from fossil fuels in 2014, said Wednesday it plans to immediately "eliminate holdings" of Exxon, the company that helped build the family fortune. Criticism from the Rockefellers "While the global community works to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, it makes little sense financially or ethically to continue holding investments in these companies. There is no sane rationale for companies to continue to explore for new sources of hydrocarbons," the Rockefeller Fund said in a statement on its website. It also was critical of Exxon for working since the 1980s to try to debunk climate change calling it "morally reprehensible conduct." New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who oversees the state's $178.3 billion pension fund, called the SEC's decision a "major victory" for shareholders. "Investors need to know if ExxonMobil is taking necessary steps to prepare for a lower carbon future, particularly now in the wake of the Paris agreement," DiNapoli said in a statement. Story continues New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating whether the company misled the public and shareholders about the risks of climate change and has subpoenaed Exxon for records, emails and other documentation. Oilsands investment Exxon has significant investments in Canada's oilsands including Kearl and Cold Lake projects. Its latest annual report predicts a sharp rise in oilsands production over the next 15-20 years. Exxon did not comment on the SEC resolution, but said it would send a recommendation to shareholders about the proposal ahead of the vote. According to Reuters, Exxon shareholders have never approved a climate change-related proposal, and last year rejected a request that a climate expert be appointed to the company's board. New footage has emerged of the operation that led to the arrest of Europe's most wanted man, Paris terror attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam. The 26-year-old was captured in Brussels on Friday, four months after November's terror in the French capital that left 130 people dead. The video, obtained by French television channel iTELE, shows the police operation in the build up to the arrest, with armed officers converging outside an apartment and slowly moving to the entrance of the building. Abdeslam is seen being led away in a grey tracksuit and walking with a limp after being shot in the leg by police in the Molenbeek area of Brussels. Another man, whose identity is unclear, tries to escape by running into the street, before being shot and falling down. Abdeslam's lawyer said on Monday he has been co-operating with investigators and is "worth his weight in gold". "I think that Salah Abdeslam is of prime importance for this investigation. I would even say he is worth his weight in gold," Sven Mary told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. "He is collaborating. He is communicating. He is not maintaining his right to remain silent." Interior Minister Jan Jambon has said the country is on high alert for a possible revenge attack following the capture of Abdeslam. Belgium's federal prosecutor has said investigators are still "far from solving the puzzle" of the Paris attacks, after talks with his French counterpart. "We have a not a bad amount of pieces of the puzzle and in the last few days several pieces have found their place. But I am still, and we are still, far from solving the puzzle," Frederic Van Leeuw told a news conference. He added that authorities do not know the "exact path" of Abdeslam after he fled the scene of the attacks, but hope to find out more details "if he decides to tell us". Police have found the DNA of Najim Laachraoui, an accomplice in the attacks who is still on the run, on explosives used by the jihadists during the assault, a source close to the French investigation told the AFP news agency. Story continues The 24-year-old, who left for Syria in February 2013, returned to Europe using false documents in September, travelling with Abdeslam. During questioning since his arrest, Abdeslam has told investigators he was planning new operations from Brussels, according to Belgium's foreign minister. Didier Reynders said the authorities are taking the claim seriously 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". He added: "We have found more than 30 people involved in the terrorist attacks in Paris, but we are sure that there are others." Paris prosecutor Francois Molins also said at the weekend that Abdeslam claimed he planned to carry out a suicide attack outside the Stade de France, but did not go ahead with his plan. ATO will not change stance on Ukraine for cooperation with Russia NATO will not eschew additional security measures in the eastern Europe in exchange for the possible assistance of Russia in combating terrorism, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said. At a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, Vershbow said he hopes that West's and Russia's stances on fighting terrorism will draw them together. It won't change NATO's response on Moscow's policy over Ukraine, he said. He said that even if the West cooperates with Russia in fighting terrorism, it will not alter the military bloc's firm stance on Russian aggression against Ukraine and Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. Turkey has claimed it notified Belgian authorities last summer that one of the Brussels suicide bombers was a "foreign terrorist fighter". The country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been detained near the Syrian border in June 2015 and deported to the Netherlands. He added: "Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter." El Bakraoui was later freed from custody. It has also emerged that both Ibrahim El Bakraoui and his younger brother Khalid, the man behind the bombing at Maalbeek metro station, were convicted criminals. Najim Laachraoui, the other Islamic State attacker at Zaventem Airport, was the suspected bomb maker in last November's Paris massacre. :: How Brussels And Paris Attackers Are Linked Belgium's terror threat alert remains at its highest level as police pursue a suspect captured on CCTV alongside Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Laachraoui - moments before they detonated their suitcase bombs. The man, who was dressed in a light-coloured jacket and a hat, is yet to be named by investigators. Prosecutors have claimed his suitcase bomb, which failed to detonate, was the largest of them all. Belgian counter-terror officials have raised the prospect that other suspects linked to the attacks may also still be at large. In total, the attacks have killed at least 31 people - a student and a mother of twins among them. Local media reports suggest that of the 150 injured victims still in hospital, 61 of them are in intensive care. :: IS Using Brothers 'To Plan Attacks In Secret' Four Britons were among those hurt in the blasts, and worried relatives have said they are "desperately" searching for David Dixon - a man originally from Hartlepool who is feared to have been on Brussels' subway system at the time of the Maalbeek explosion. The UK's Home Secretary, Theresa May, is meeting her counterparts from EU nations in Brussels later for specially convened talks about the bombings. An EU statement said the meeting is "intended to show solidarity with Belgium and discuss the actual state of play in the fight against terrorism". TOKYO (Reuters) - A ship loaded with weapons-grade plutonium left Japan for the United States on Tuesday in what is the largest such shipment of the highly dangerous material since 1992, the environmental group Greenpeace said. The 331 kg (730 lb) of plutonium, enough to make about 50 nuclear weapons, was taken from a nuclear research center in the port town of Tokai Mura, and left on a British ship, the Pacific Egret, for transport to the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina, Greenpeace said. The website www.vesselfinder.com said the ship is a nuclear fuel carrier. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), which is the government agency responsible for the nuclear material, has not commented on the Greenpeace statement. An agency spokesman cited security reasons. The U.S. embassy in Tokyo also declined to comment. Shipments of plutonium are highly sensitive because it can be used in nuclear weapons or to make a so-called dirty bomb. In Japan, public sensitivity is also high because it is the only country that has been attacked with nuclear bombs. The shipment is a tiny portion of the nearly 50 tonnes of plutonium Japan holds. Most of it comes from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel burned in its reactors at power stations. All but two of Japan's reactors have been shut since a meltdown at a nuclear plant in Fukushima, north of Tokyo, after a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The plutonium being shipped was supplied by the United States, Britain and France for the JAEA's Fast Critical Assembly project in Tokai Mura, according to the International Panel on Fissile Materials. The agreement to transfer the material to the United States was reached in March 2014, the panel said on its website. (Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Robert Birsel) ASTANA (Reuters) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's Nur Otan party won 82 percent of the vote in Sunday's snap parliamentary election criticized by Western observers as falling short of democratic standards, preliminary figures showed on Monday. Nazarbayev, 75, congratulated his party at a "victors' forum" event in Astana where he walked triumphantly to the stage as thousands of youths dressed in his party's blue and yellow colors chanted: "Nursultan! Nur Otan!" "This is a great accomplishment of our democracy," he said. The election could open the door for Nazarbayev's daughter Dariga to enter parliament under a party list, a move that would fuel speculation about her as a possible future leader. The result is unlikely to surprise anyone in the oil-rich Central Asian nation Nazarbayev has run since 1989, brooking little dissent. It has never held an election judged free and fair by Western observers. Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote had fallen short of commitments for democratic elections. "It is clear that Kazakhstan still has a long way to go towards fulfilling its election commitments, although some progress was noted," Marietta Tidei, OSCE Special Co-ordinator for the election observation, told reporters. "The ruling party had a clear advantage over others in these elections, and while the parties were generally able to campaign freely, genuine political choice remains insufficient." DAUGHTER DARIGA Nazarbayev called the vote in January, apparently favoring an early election in case the economy, hit hard by the slump in the price of oil, were to worsen in the course of the year. The Central Election Commission said two other parties, the Communists and Ak Zhol, had passed the 7 percent threshold needed to win seats, meaning that the lower house, the Mazhilis, will include the same three parties as before. Three other parties, the Social Democrats - who denounced the poll as rigged - as well as Birlik (Unity) and Auyl (Village), won less than 7 percent each. Still unclear is the makeup of Nur Otan's faction, as it has a list of 127 candidates vying for places in the 107-seat Mazhilis. Observers are focusing, in particular, on the president's daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva, who is deputy prime minister and also on the party list as a candidate. Her potential move to parliament, where she could become the speaker of the lower house, would be interpreted as a step towards an eventual transition of power to her. Nazarbayev said on Sunday the vote was unlikely to result in a major reshuffle of cabinet ministers. (Reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Ralph Boulton) By Roch Bouka BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - Police and soldiers patrolled Congo Republic's capital and cellphone networks remained cut on Tuesday as authorities took action to stem possible unrest before announcing partial results from a presidential election. Veteran President Denis Sassou Nguesso is widely tipped to have won Sunday's vote, whose credibility the country's opposition and the United States have questioned. Hundreds of police guarded major roads and troops were deployed near the presidential palace, the defence ministry and the main traffic circle, witnesses said, as the government extended the telecommunications blackout into a third day. Sassou Nguesso, 72, pushed through constitutional changes at a referendum in October to remove term and age limits that would have prevented him from running again. He has ruled the oil-producing state for 32 of the last 37 years and must win a majority against eight opposition candidates to secure a third consecutive term without a run-off. The electoral commission said on Monday it expected to publish initial results on Tuesday. Votes from remote areas of the country are expected to take at least another day to collate. Many residents of opposition strongholds in southern Brazzaville left the city fearing violent protests and most shops remained closed. Voting was peaceful on Sunday but later police fired tear gas at crowds who had gathered to follow the count in the southern Bacongo neighbourhood. At least 18 people were killed by security forces in protests ahead of October's referendum. The government had announced a shutdown of mobile phone and internet services for Sunday and Monday, which it extended into Tuesday without explanation. The blackout was designed to prevent unofficial results circulating, Evan O'Connell, a consultant to the electoral commission, said by email. "Rumours of landslide victories of one camp or another are already circulating online, mainly driven by the diaspora which are the easiest way to create tensions," he said. The opposition says the vote was marred by fraud and plans to publish its own results, an action the government says would be illegal. The U.S. State Department said it had "received numerous reports of irregularities that have raised concerns about the credibility of the process", urging authorities in a statement to restore communications. Congo's election is also being watched closely across Africa, where several long-ruling presidents are seeking to stay on beyond constitutionally mandated term limits. In neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, opponents of President Joseph Kabila accuse him of trying to delay a presidential election scheduled for November. Kabila has declined to comment publicly on his political future. (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Washington and Aaron Ross in Kinshasa; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and John Stonestreet) Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton have moved a step closer to a potential general election showdown after easy victories in Arizona's primary. Mrs Clinton's Democratic challenger, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders , stormed to victory in Tuesday night's Utah and Idaho caucuses. :: Road To Winning The Nomination And Texas Senator Ted Cruz scored a resounding win in the Republican caucuses in Utah. Long queues were seen, with some voters even ordering pizza, as the three states became the latest battlegrounds in the White House race. Tuesday's attacks in Brussels thrust national security back to the top of the campaign agenda. Mr Cruz was rebuked by civil rights groups when he said US authorities should "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized". Former Secretary of State Mrs Clinton used her victory speech to take aim at her Republican rivals, saying the last thing America needs "are leaders who incite more fear". Mr Trump branded Mrs Clinton "Incompetent Hillary". The Arizona win guaranteed the real estate tycoon another 58 delegates, padding his lead over Mr Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich . But Mr Cruz - who won an endorsement on Wednesday from former Republican candidate Jeb Bush - claimed all 40 of Utah's delegates. The feud between Mr Cruz and Mr Trump took a more personal turn on Tuesday, after the property mogul threatened to "spill the beans" about the senator's wife, Heidi. Mr Trump was reacting to an ad in Utah, produced by a group opposed to his candidacy, that used a photo of his scantily clad wife Melania from a photo shoot more than a decade ago. Mr Cruz hit back with a tweet of his own, saying: "Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless." Heidi Cruz told reporters in Wisconsin "most of the things that Donald Trump says have no basis in reality". Story continues With four months until the party convention, the path to defeating Mr Trump is growing narrower. Overall, Mr Trump has 739 delegates, Mr Cruz has 465 and Mr Kasich 143. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination. On the Democratic side, some 2,383 delegates are needed to secure the Democratic nomination. Including superdelegates, or the party insiders who can support whoever they like, Mrs Clinton leads Mr Sanders by 1,681 to 927. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a cessation of hostilities starting at midnight on April 10 and peace talks in Kuwait beginning a week later, United Nations special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Wednesday. There have already been several failed attempts to defuse the conflict in Yemen, which has drawn in regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the Arab world's poorest country. "This is really our last chance," Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in New York. "The war in Yemen must be brought to an end." A Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign in Yemen a year ago with the aim of preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking control of the country. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Saudi Arabia is "fully committed to make sure that the next talks take place and particularly supports us with regard to the cessation of hostilities." The United Nations says more than 6,000 people, half of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the Saudi-led military intervention whose ultimate aim is to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. U.S.-based rights group Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that the United States, Britain, France and others should suspend all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia over what the group deemed unlawful air strikes. "The only way to limit the damage is for countries to stop providing weapons to Saudi Arabia," said Philippe Bolopion, Human Rights Watch deputy global advocacy director. The Saudi-led coalition has targeted civilians with air strikes and some of the attacks could be crimes against humanity, U.N. sanctions monitors told the Security Council in January. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said prominent Yemeni figures would be enlisted to cooperate with a de-escalation and coordination committee on the cessation of hostilities and "to report on progress and security incidents." He said the peace talks would focus on five areas: a withdrawal of militia and armed groups; a handover of heavy weaponry to the state; interim security arrangements; restoration of state institutions; and resumption of inclusive political dialogue. The warring parties have been asked to present a concept paper on each of these areas by April 3, the U.N. envoy said. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), an affiliate of the global Sunni Muslim militant organization, has also expanded its foothold in the country as the government focuses on its battle with the Houthi rebels. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Chris Reese and James Dalgleish) IT Management The Key to Better IT Communication Getting the right message out can be the difference between success or failure for technology projects on campus. Here's how three universities have fine-tuned their IT communication strategies. When Kathy Lang was named chief information officer of Marquette University (WI) in 2002, she realized that the university's IT organization did not have a communications plan. "Changes were being made, updates were happening, there were outages and nobody was aware of it," she said. "We might put it on the Web site, but I realized that wasn't good enough because people aren't going to look there." Part of developing a plan was working with people on campus to determine the best ways to communicate, the protocols and best methods for sending communications, she added. One creative approach Lang took was the development of a communications subcommittee on every large project. For instance, in 2002-2003 Marquette was implementing a new student information system, and Lang made sure to involve someone from the university's marketing and communications team to help get key messages out to the right audience. "It was the first time in 20 years moving to a new SIS, and I knew that in order to succeed we had to have proper communication with the entire campus," she remembered. "And we have been using that strategy ever since, because it has been so effective. We were able to implement PeopleSoft in 18 months on time and on budget and part of it is because of strong project management, but one specific critical success factor was that strong communications team. I saw or read about so many project failures and when you study what failed, communication is always right up there near the top." Marketing IT Lang is not alone among CIOs in identifying communications as a weakness of IT organizations and trying to address it. In an October 2015 Campus Technology article, Hilary Baker, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at California State University, Northridge, described her approach: "Who knew that a CIO was in the marketing business? But I am and my team is so much so that I now have a director of communications reporting to me that I did not have in other times in my CIO career." For this article, we interviewed Mayra Solano, CSUN's director of planning and communications, about her position, which she has held for the past two years. Solano said that before her position was created, the IT group was not developing marketing plans around new initiatives. "People think of IT as a service organization. One of my goals is to begin to think about services as products for our students, and explaining the overall benefits." Solano noted that Baker has helped her by including her in internal IT leadership discussions. "I am always in those meetings, and she is an advocate for keeping me in the loop," she said. "She gets that communications is important. When she meets with the cabinet, she fills me in on developments that will affect the campus." For any new project, Solano creates a top-level communication strategy, and then breaks it up into different audiences. "You can't have a targeted marketing plan without understanding your audience," she emphasized. Before rolling out a service, she gathers a focus group of students, faculty or staff to learn more about how they perceive a service and their expectations. "That really drives the messaging," she added. CSUN rolled out a new e-portfolio tool to students last fall, and this spring semester will see a new marketing campaign targeting graduating seniors. "We have 42,000 students and they are at different stages academically, so the messaging for a freshman or sophomore is very different from what you develop for a graduating senior," Solano pointed out. She has held focus groups of students at different academic stages and asked them directly what would be the best way to get their attention about the e-portfolio. Based on their feedback, the No. 1 approach will be a social media campaign, she said. "But they also want to see lawn signs and posters around campus. Even though they are always on mobile devices, they are still looking for print ads on campus." Another lesson Solano has learned is that students don't want this information from the university only; they also want to get it from classmates. So for the e-portfolio project, the university hired eight student ambassadors to help spread the message. Six Ukrainian servicemen have been injured in the army operation in Donbas in the past 24 hours; no one is dead, Ukrainian Presidential Administration spokesman for military matters Andriy Motuzianyk said on Thursday. "None of our soldiers were killed in the hostilities over the past day, yet four were wounded. That happened in Avdiyivka. Another two servicemen were hurt in the explosion of a pull-action mine planted by the enemy in Stanytsia Luhanska," Motuzianyk said at a press briefing in Kyiv. All was quiet in the Luhansk sector over the past day, he said. Tensions persisted along the entire frontline in the Donetsk area. The hostiles opened fire in Luhanske, Zaitseve, Avdiyivka, Opytne, Pisky and Krasnohorivka, he said. According to Motuzianyk, Ukrainian positions were shelled by mortars and armored vehicles, and militants' snipers were active. In all, the hostiles fired over 100 mines of various calibers, and 48 attacks on Ukrainian army positions were observed in the Donetsk sector, the spokesman said. There was a clash with hostiles who attacked a Ukrainian stronghold in the Mariupol sector, but "suffered casualties and were pushed eastward," Motuzianyk said. Two shelling incidents occurred in the same area overnight, and Ukrainian forces returned fire each time. The hostiles also attacked Hnutove and Shyrokyne, he said. By Dustin Volz, Nate Raymond and Jim Finkle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is expected to blame Iranian hackers as soon as Thursday for a coordinated campaign of cyber attacks in 2012 and 2013 on several U.S. banks and a New York dam, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters. The Justice Department has prepared an indictment against about a half-dozen Iranians, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. It is one of the highest-profile U.S. indictments against a foreign nation on hacking charges. It follows a landmark 2014 case in which a grand jury charged five members of the Chinese military with hacking into American computer networks and engaging in cyber espionage on behalf of a foreign government. The charges, related to unlawful access to computers and other alleged crimes, were expected to be announced publicly by U.S. officials as soon as Thursday morning at a news conference in Washington, the sources said. The indictment was expected to directly link the hacking campaign to the Iranian government, one source said. The banks will not be identified in the indictment due to fear of retaliation, the source said. Though a planned indictment for the breach of back-office computer systems at the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York, has been reported, it was only part of a hacking campaign that was broader than previously known, as the indictment will show, the sources said. The dam breach coincided roughly with a spate of distributed denial of service attacks in 2012 that hit more than a half dozen U.S. financial institutions and the two episodes were long suspected of being connected. Cyber security experts have said these, too, were perpetrated by Iranian hackers against Bank of America , JPMorgan Chase , Capital One , PNC Financial Services and SunTrust Bank . In the intrusion of the dam computers, the hackers did not gain operational control of the floodgates, and investigators believe they were attempting to test their capabilities. The hackers who were expected to be named in the indictment all reside in Iran, one source said. The Justice Department declined to comment. 'WILD WEST DAYS' The indictment would be the Obama administration's latest step to confront foreign cyber attacks on the United States. President Barack Obama accused and publicly condemned North Korea over a 2014 hack on Sony Pictures and vowed to respond proportionally. No details were made public of any retaliation. James Lewis, a cyber security expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said, "We need to make clear that there will be consequences for cyber-attacks and that the Wild West days are coming to an end." Two weeks ago, it was widely reported that U.S. prosecutors were preparing an indictment against Iranian hackers related solely to the dam attack. The broader indictment would come at a time of reduced tensions between the United States and Iran after a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. At the same time, the Obama administration has shown a willingness to confront Tehran for bad behaviour. Charging the Iranian hackers would be the highest-profile move of its type by the Obama administration since the Justice Department in 2014 accused five members of China's Peoples Liberation Army with hacking several Pennsylvania-based companies in an alleged effort to steal trade secrets. 'WHEN, NOT IF' U.S. national security professionals and cyber-security experts have grown increasingly worried about attacks on infrastructure including dams, power plants, factories and financial institutions. That concern has grown since a December cyber attack in the Ukraine caused a blackout that temporarily left 225,000 customers without power. Speaking at a cyber security conference earlier this month, National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers said it was a matter of when, not if another country launched a successful and destructive cyber attack on U.S. critical infrastructure like the one seen in Ukraine. Some experts have said the United States is less well-equipped to respond to a major infrastructure attack because systems are more connected and reliant on the Internet. The United States and Israel covertly sabotaged Irans nuclear programme in 2009 and 2010 with the now-famous Stuxnet computer virus, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges that were enriching uranium. (Reporting by Dustin Volz in Washington, Nate Raymond in New York and Jim Finkle in Boston; additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington and Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Jonathan Oatis) PA Resources AB (the company) has completed the transaction with Petrogas E&P announced on 9 February, 2016 regarding the divestment of its portfolio of North Sea assets. The agreement is based on the sale of three entities of the group, namely PA Resources UK Limited, PA Resources North Sea Limited and PA Resources Denmark Aps which hold the companys 24% interest in license 12/06 in Denmark as well as its exploration licenses in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. The payment for this transaction is in tranches. PA Resources has received the first tranche and expects to receive the second tranche within four (4) weeks. The proceeds from the sale will be used to repay creditors in accordance with the reorganisation plan adopted in October 2015. Only category A* (Reorganisation Note) and category B** creditors should expect to receive a payment. The company is currently still in discussions with a number of bidders for its Tunisian assets and expects to be in a position to provide an update soon. * For definition of category A creditors refer to section 8.4.3.1 and 6.7 of the Reorganisation Plan ** For definition of category B creditors refer to section 8.4.3.1, 8.2 and 8.3 of the Reorganisation Plan. Category B does not include bondholders as explained in section 6.4 Stockholm 24 March, 2016 PA Resources AB (publ) For additional information, please contact: Slimane Bouabbane, VP Business Development / Acting CFO Phone: +46 708 16 66 24 E-mail: ir@paresources.se The information was published at 11:30 CET 24 March 2016. A large group of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) followers detained in Ukraine are Russian citizens, Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Hrytsak said on Wednesday. "Recently there have been several special operations in Ukraine, during which we raided four transit centers used by ISIS to relocate their supporters (in Europe), as well as to Syria. Of the 25 detained foreigners, 19 are citizens of the Russian Federation," Hrytsak said in an interview with TV Channels on March 23. "What does it mean? It means that from Russia or some post-Soviet space representatives or followers, members of ISIS are moving over Russia's territory. They use the territory of Ukraine as a transit zone," the SBU chief said. Hrytsak said he is unfamiliar with reports about the success of Russian security services in detaining ISIS followers on the territory of the Russian Federation. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Militants have not allowed members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) to visit the Yasynuvata junction for an inspection, which may indicate the presence of armaments and military hardware banned by the Minsk agreements in that area, the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) press center has said. "Today, they denied access to the Yasynuvata junction to the OSCE team that visited the area on an inspection mission. As a rule, such practice indicates the presence of armaments and military hardware prohibited by the Minsk agreements, which are hidden from the international community, or the relocation of illegal armed units to new positions," the press center wrote on Facebook on Thursday. The staff expressed concern about the situation, and said that "tensions had been escalating" in the area. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Department also reported that militants obstructed the OSCE SMM work. It said the monitors were denied access to the Bezimenne area on March 22. The People's Front faction at a meeting on Monday will discuss the proposal of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction to nominate Ukrainian Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Groysman for the post of prime minister, Deputy Head of the People's Front faction Viktoria Siumar has said. "We will discuss at a faction meeting on Monday both the candidacy for the premiership and the key positions of the coalition agreement and the government's action program," she told reporters before a meeting of heads of factions at the speaker's office on Thursday. However, the condition for the People's Front backing Groysman will be granting it the right to decide on the candidacy for the new chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Siumar said. "We've got a proposal from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc that if the People's Front votes for Groysman as premier, the People's Front will decide on the candidacy of the speaker," she said. When asked whom the People's Front may nominate for the speaker, Siumar said this may be current First Deputy Speaker Andriy Parubiy. KYIV. March 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) - More than one-third of Kyiv residents (37.6%) evaluate the quality of taxi services in Kyiv at three points on a five-grade scale, another 16.3% at two points, while 14.4% of respondents estimated Kyiv taxi services at one point, according to a study conducted by Active Group. According to a press release distributed at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine, 25.8% of respondents evaluate the quality of taxi services in the capital more positively at four points, while 5.9% of Kyiv residents consider that the quality of Kyiv taxi deserves the highest rating. 24.4% of respondents in Kyiv said they faced problems using taxi services, and 17.1% said they used taxi services regularly. According to the survey, 7.4% of Kyiv residents use taxi services once a week or more often, 22.9% several times a month and 30.6% once every few months. Some 20.8% of Kyiv residents almost do not use taxi services (once every six months and less), and 18.4% of respondents do not use such a service. "Given the low estimate of the quality of Kyiv taxi services, it is not surprising that only 22.3% of respondents did not face problems while using the services, and 36.2% of respondents faced, albeit rarely, discomfort in a taxi," reads the document. In addition, 41.2% of respondents positively assess the access of international taxi services to the Kyiv market, in particular the Uber online taxi service, 25.5% are neutral and 29.4% of Kyiv residents are even aware of the service. Only 3.9% of respondents negatively refer to the appearance of Uber taxi in the market. A sociological research had been conducted by Active Group in the framework of the Kyiv Omnibus project from March 19 to March 21. Some 2,017 respondents were interviewed. The poll's error margin does not exceed 2.5%. A man lights candles on top a Belgian flag to mourn the victims in downtown Brussels, Belgium, March 23, 2016. At least 34 people were killed and 180 injured after explosions at Brussels airport and a metro station on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) With Europe facing a fresh terror threat after three bomb blasts killed at least 34 people and injured about 270 in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, analysts agreed that sharing intelligence was at the heart of combating extremist groups such as Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks. Anthony Glees, a professor at the University of Buckingham in London and director of its Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, told China Daily that Belgium's divided society made it easy for terror groups to slip into that country unnoticed. He said the Brussels attacks on the main airport and a rush-hour subway train came as no surprise, given last week's arrest in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Security analysts said the perpetrators of the Paris attacks were traced back to Molenbeek, an area of Brussels with a heavy immigrant population many from Syria, Iraq and North African countries. Abdeslam had fled from France to Molenbeek. The ease with which Abdeslam and others were able to cross the border between France and Belgium until now free of controls because of the Schengen Agreement, which established open borders was also a factor, analysts said. Glees said there were doubts about the effectiveness of communication between Belgian intelligence services and the police. The terrorist attacks in Europe have refocused attention on the seemingly unchecked flow of migrants arriving in Europe via Turkey and Greece. Intelligence analysts said some of those involved in attacks over the past 18 months have used that route to infiltrate the European Union and take advantage of the Schengen Area. More than 1 million migrants, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, are now in Europe. "The difficulty is that those who want to cause trouble are already in Europe, and the security services, especially in Belgium, struggle to keep track of them," said a British expert in asylum affairs who requested anonymity. The attacks came at a particularly crucial time for the United Kingdom, which will vote on continued European Union membership in a national referendum on June 23. Current polls indicate that people wanting to remain in the EU are leading. However, those in favor of leaving the EU said the attacks could swing the vote in their favor, citing increased security and less exposure to Europe-based terror attacks as reasons. Meanwhile, in China, investors, academics, analysts and government officials attending the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province said the attacks would not deter Chinese investment in Europe. He Jintong, a professor of global investment at Nankai University in Tianjin, said most Chinese companies were interested in either acquiring or partnering with manufacturers and technology companies in Europe, which are mainly located in business parks outside cities, where it would be difficult for terrorists to launch an attack. "Great opportunities are still there for Chinese investments in Europe, particularly since they would be protected by Europe's relatively stable legal and governmental framework, especially in ... Germany or France," he said. Yao Zhizhong, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the terrorist attacks won't change Chinese companies' decisions to invest in Europe because of its high-quality assets, which are "at a bargain price over time". However, Ni Jiali, general manager of the outbound tourism department of Chinese online travel-service provider Lvmama, said the terrorist attacks "will dampen the enthusiasm of Chinese tourists to visit Europe over the short term. Before, security was the last issue you needed to worry about." Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during his inspection tour of the National Defence University (NDU) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing, capital of China, March 23, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Gang) BEIJING, March 23 -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday underscored the importance of combat effectiveness in the military academy. Xi made the remarks during an inspection tour of the National Defence University (NDU) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the top military academy. While being shown the NDU history museum, Xi applauded the university's accomplishments. He encouraged the university to continue to improve its educational theories and training models, as this would boost the competence and professionalism of its faculty. To build a world-class army, military-affiliated colleges must be elite academies, Xi said, adding that reform and innovation would support this goal. The president urged all military academies to advance warfare strategies to create a "military theory that is up-to-date, pioneering and unique." They were encouraged to closely follow global military developments, research the role of IT in military operations and address the problems in the country's combat readiness. Xi, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), urged servicemen and women to adhere to the correct political direction. He urged military universities to stick to the Party's absolute leadership, maintain a high degree of consistency with the CPC Central Committee in thought, politics and action, safeguard the CPC Central Committee's authority, and follow the CPC Central Committee and the CMC. He also underscored the importance of military innovation, calling for more efforts to nurture, gather and retain talented servicemen and women. Improving students' ideological and political abilities and enhancing their political ethics should be the top priority in education, Xi said, adding that the Party committee at military universities must lead by example and demonstrate "a righteous academic attitude." The leadership and Party committee at military academies must be united in the promotion of a honest, moral political culture, and resolutely fight corruption, Xi said. >>>Related: President Xi calls for reforms, innovation in military colleges Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for reforms and innovation in military-affiliated universities and academies in a bid to support the building of stronger armed forces. China, 5 other nations to boost connectivity, use of river resources Premier Li Keqiang consults with Yuan Longping (left), known as "the father of hybrid rice", during an exhibition on Lancang-Mekong cooperation in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday. (WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY) China and five other countries along the 5,000-km Lancang-Mekong River agreed on Wednesday on a sweeping plan to deepen cooperation and build a comprehensive connectivity network covering railways, highways, waterways, ports and aviation. China also promised 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) in preferential loans and a credit line of $10 billion to support infrastructure and production capacity projects in cooperation with the countries. Premier Li Keqiang announced the loans and the agreement in Sanya, Hainan province, at the first meeting of the leaders from the six countries along the river. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting also discussed the use of water resources, and China vowed to take measures to support improvement of living conditions in downstream areas along the river. The Mekong River, whose upper part is known in China as the Lancang River, is an important water source for the five countries on the Indochinese Peninsula Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and it nourishes a population of 326 million. Beijing announced last week that it will provide an emergency water supply through April 10 to countries along the river to deal with drought. "That demonstrates China's sincerity toward improving living conditions in countries along the Mekong River," Premier Li said at a joint news conference after the meeting. He announced that China will use $200 million from its South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to help the five nations to realize the targets set in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China also will provide $300 million to support small and medium-sized cooperation projects proposed by the six countries. Additionally, it will set up a Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation center and an environmental cooperation center to promote green development. Li suggested holding leaders' meetings every two years, foreign ministers' meetings every year and occasional meetings of high-ranking officials and working teams. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who co-chaired the meeting with Li, called the gathering a "new chapter" in the Lancang-Mekong cooperation process. Former Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Zhang Jinfeng said, "The mechanism will not only benefit the six nations, but also boost the integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations." China is the biggest trading partner of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and the biggest source of investment in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. China's bilateral trade with the five nations reached $193.9 billion last year. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn] BEIJING, March 24 -- Chinese people from the mainland and Taiwan have a shared responsibility to safeguard the Nansha Islands, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here on Thursday. Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a regular news briefing after Taiwan issued its South China Seapolicy and sent an Amicus Curiae Brief to The Hague. In response to a question on Taiwan's recent claims on the South China Sea, Hua described the Nansha Islands as "patrimony" of the Chinese nation. Taiwan's academic institutions Wednesday sent an Amicus Curiae Brief to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague after the Taiwan authority published South China Sea policy on Monday. Both defined the Taiping Island as "an island" in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and claimed the maritime rights of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. "China will not accept nor be involved in the arbitration initiated by the Philippines," she said, saying China's position is clear and consistent. "Nansha Islands, including the Taiping Island, have been Chinese territory since ancient times," Hua said, adding that the Chinese people have been living and working there for a long time. "China will take Nansha Islands as a whole to claim maritime rights," Hua said, reaffirming China's resolute opposition against the Philippines'attempt to unilaterally deny China's territory sovereignty and maritime rights by arbitration. By Justin Madden CHICAGO (Reuters) - A California animal rights activist who freed 2,000 minks from an Illinois fur farm in 2013 was sentenced on Wednesday to house arrest and ordered to pay $200,000 to the farm's owners, prosecutors said. Tyler Lang, 27, was indicted in 2014 under the rarely used Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, a 2006 law making it a federal crime to cause damages or disruptions at zoos, circuses, breeding farms and other places. "Lang was not engaging in lawful activism or peaceful protest, but instead was committing a crime," Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany Biesenthal said in the government's sentencing memorandum. In addition to paying the $200,000 restitution to the farm's owners, Lang was sentenced to six months of home confinement followed by six months in a work-release facility, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois said in a statement. "The use of illegal methods of activism harassment, threats, vandalism does nothing more than taint the image of law-abiding activists who are attempting to create change through legal protest and lawful demonstration," Biesenthal said. Lang and his friend Kevin Johnson, 28, released the minks from their cages in August 2013 on a farm in Morris, Illinois, and spray-painted the barn with the words "Liberation is Love." They also poured an acidic substance over two trucks that were parked on the farm, prosecutors said. Both Lang and Johnson are from Los Angeles. Lang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to travel in interstate commerce with the purpose of damaging an animal enterprise, prosecutors said. Lang's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. On a website to raise funds for their defense, Lang and Johnson are described as facing state repression under a law designed to "conjure public fear of the animal liberation movement." The two were arrested in 2013 and originally pleaded guilty to state charges of possession of burglary tools, but were indicted on federal charges in 2014. Johnson pleaded guilty last year to the same charge as Lang. Johnson was sentenced last month to three years in federal prison for his involvement, prosecutors said. About a dozen people have been charged under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights. Two other California animal rights activists were sentenced last month for violating the act, the center said. (Editing by Matthew Lewis) By Vera Eckert FRANKFURT (Reuters) - China helped push global green energy investment plans to record heights in 2015, offsetting a sharp fall in Germany, authors of a U.N.-backed report said on Thursday, predicting further growth. Solar and wind power, especially in developing countries, are driving spending higher and last year for the first time renewables made up more than 50 percent of new electricity capacity plans, the Frankfurt School of Finance report said. "The term 'niche product' no longer applies to renewables," said Ulf Moslener, professor for sustainable energy finance at the school and one of the report's authors. "Investments are becoming less expensive, due to falling equipment costs, which will also enable further growth, especially in light of the new momentum from the Paris climate summit goals," he told reporters. Firmly committed renewable investment plans totaled $286 billion last year, up 5 percent from $273 billion in 2014, according to the study, which is prepared annually by the Frankfurt School-United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Collaborating Centre and Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Solar power accounted for $148 billion, up 12 percent partly driven by an ongoing solar boom in Japan. Wind accounted for $107 billion, up 9 percent helped by offshore projects. Biomass accounted for just $5 billion of investment pledges, down 46 percent. The study excludes large hydrological power projects because of environmental concerns. Other studies which include such data therefore may arrive at larger sums. China accounted for $103 billion of the total, up 17 percent, ahead of Europe with $49 billion, the United States with $44.1 billion and Asia, excluding China and India, at $48 billion. China expects its greenhouse gas emissions to peak by "around 2030" as part of its commitments to a global pact to combat global warming signed in Paris last year. China, India and Brazil and other emerging nations jointly outdid developed nations, with $156 billion or 55 percent of the total. Spending plans in Germany, a leader in renewable projects, technology and research, fell by 46 percent to $8.5 billion in their steepest fall in 12 years, the report said. Factors behind that fall included lower costs, limits to available land, and regulatory changes aimed at forcing renewables into market-based remuneration and away from fixed tariffs, it said. The full report is available at http://fs-unep-centre.org (Reporting by Vera Eckert; editing by Jason Neely) BEIJING, March 24 -- China will work with the international community to ensure the success of the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit, Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said Thursday. Li made the remarks at a press briefing on President Xi Jinping's attendance at the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, which will be held in Washington, the United States, from March 31 to April 1. During the summit, Xi will deliver a keynote speech on China's new measures and new achievements in nuclear security, and raise practical proposals on strengthening global nuclear security, said Li. President Xi's participation demonstrates China's positive and constructive attitude to working together with other countries to build an international nuclear security system and enhance nuclear global governance, the official said. China hopes that the summit will continuously step up the international consensus on nuclear security to effectively handle new circumstances and new challenges, and promote capacity building for various countries to implement nuclear security obligations and political commitments, he said. China also hopes the summit will boost international cooperation on nuclear security and create a shared culture of nuclear security, Li added. He said China will work with parties concerned to make contributions to the construction of a fair, cooperative and win-win international nuclear security system and improve the levels of global nuclear security. President Xi will meet with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obamaon the sidelines of the summit, Li said, noting it will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. He said the president will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Prior to the summit, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28 to 30 at the invitation of Czech President Milos Zeman, said Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing. Xi's visit to the Czech Republic will be the first state visit by a Chinese president in 67 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, his first visit to Central and Eastern Europe, and the first trip to Europe this year. It signals a major diplomatic move toward Europe, Liu said. During his time in the Czech Republic, Xi will hold talks with Zeman and meet with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, Senate chairman Milan Stech, Chamber of Deputies chairman Jan Hamacek and Prague Mayor Adriana Krnacova, said Liu. The two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations, the Belt and Road Initiative, cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, China-Europe relations and other international and regional issues of common concern, said Liu. Liu said the two sides will also sign a number of cooperative agreements covering economy and trade, infrastructure, finance, health care, aviation, science and technology, and culture. Xi's visit to Czech will set the wheels in motion for the future development of bilateral ties, said Liu. China believes that this visit will push forward all-round mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations, elevate bilateral ties, and promote China-CEE cooperation as well as China-Europe ties, he said. Nanterre (France) (AFP) - A French court threw out a case Thursday in which the children of slain Angolan rebel chief Jonas Savimbi sued the makers of the "Call of Duty" video game for representing their father as a "barbarian". The magistrates said the lawsuit contained procedural flaws and that they had no jurisdiction in the case. "We are disappointed," said Cheya Savimbi, the 42-year-old son of the notorious rebel. The Savimbi children sued Activision Blizzard, the maker of Call of Duty, for defaming their father by portraying him as a violent character in the 2012 "Black Ops II" game. Call of Duty, the world's best-selling video game last year, puts the player in the role of a shooter, and often features characters based on historical and political figures. Cheya previously told the court in Nanterre outside Paris that he wanted to "rehabilitate the memory and image" of his father, who led a brutal 27-year war against the government in Luanda. The offending clip showed Savimbi, known as the "Black Cockerel" by his supporters, rallying his troops from the back of a tank as MPLA government troops advance on them, gunfire rattling all around. He yells out phrases such as "fight, my brothers" and "we must finish them... death to the MPLA". "Seeing him kill people, cutting someone's arm off ... that isn't Dad," Cheya said. Activision's lawyers argued freedom of expression. "He was a warlord, there is no possible contestation," said lawyer Etienne Kowalski. Savimbi was known to have terrorised civilian populations and became one of the first warlords to fund his army with so-called "blood diamonds". He was killed in battle against MPLA government forces in 2002, paving the way for a peace deal that would bring an end to one of Africa's longest and bloodiest conflicts, which erupted after independence from Portugal in 1975. BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian President Janos Ader has rejected a law to establish national housing societies due to a lack of transparency and weak guarantees for stakeholders, the second piece of financial legislation he has vetoed within weeks. One political analyst said that Ader may have considered the use of public funds outlined in the bill irresponsible but that the move did not appear to represent a broader ideological standoff with Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling party. "The new constitution (of 2011) has placed the responsible use of public funds as one of its key tenets," said Csaba Toth, an analyst at think tank Republikon Institute. "(Ader's) job is to be a guardian of the constitution. That is why he probably thought that he will not become an accessory to the legalization of the irresponsible use of public funds." The government said the issues raised by Ader could be resolved with a government decree regulating the specifics of the scheme. The law would establish societies to collect funds from members joining on a voluntary basis to finance new home purchases and would also include state subsidies, a mainstay of Orban's housing program. The right-wing government has implemented several measures to boost bank lending and new housing to underpin economic growth which is expected to slow this year. But Ader, a lawyer who has held key posts in Fidesz and has been close to Orban since Fidesz's early days in 1988, sent the new law, passed in an expedited procedure last week, back to lawmakers for review. Ader said in a letter to lawmakers on parliament's website that he was in favor of extending the housing opportunities of families with state support, but voiced concerns over transparency and supervision in the legislation. "Implementing the task requires the establishment of a body that is transparent and provides appropriate guarantees for its members and is monitored by tight supervision," Ader said. "In my view, the law does not meet these requirements." Ader said the fact that members of the new societies would not be protected by existing deposit or investment protection funds could also create uncertainty. Ader has the right to send laws back to parliament or to the constitutional court for review but he has very rarely used this right in the past four years. His five-year term, which can be renewed once, expires next year. Earlier this month he blocked an amendment to the central bank law that curbs the transparency of finances of business units of the bank in a rare show of defiance, dealing a blow to central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy, an ally of Orban. (Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Krisztina Than; Editing by Hugh Lawson) By Bernadette Christina Munthe JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia on Thursday urged Chinese ships not to enter its territorial waters, days after it protested against what it called a breach of its sovereignty by a Chinese coastguard ship. Indonesia is not embroiled in rival claims with China over the South China Sea and has instead seen itself as an "honest broker" in disputes between China and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. But an incident last Saturday involving an Indonesian patrol boat, and a Chinese coastguard vessel and fishing boat in what Indonesia said was its waters has angered it and led to it questioning its work to promote peace. Chief security minister Luhut Pandjaitan said Indonesia would maintain good relations with China but "without sacrificing Indonesia's sovereignty". "We urge Chinese ships not to enter our exclusive economic zone, which can be disruptive," Pandjaitan told reporters, referring to Indonesia's maritime territory near the northern Natuna Islands, where Indonesia says the incident took place. Foreign minister Retno Marsudi said on Thursday Indonesia was waiting for clarification from China over the incident, in the far south of the South China Sea. China has said its vessels were operating in "traditional Chinese fishing grounds" and its coastguard vessel did not enter Indonesian waters. It has also reiterated that it recognizes Indonesia's sovereignty over the Natuna Islands. Indonesia's finance minister, Bambang Brodjonegoro, said on Wednesday Indonesia's economic relations with China were unlikely to be affected by the dispute. (Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Robert Birsel) By Lesley Wroughton and John Irish MOSCOW/GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to press President Vladimir Putin over a political transition for Syria on Thursday, after Europe's foreign policy chief turned up unexpectedly in Geneva to try to reinvigorate peace talks. With a fragile truce in place and Europe pressing the warring sides to keep going with negotiations, a state department official said Kerry wants to "get down to brass tacks" on the question of President Bashar al-Assad's future. The head of Syria's delegation in Geneva sounded positive after meeting European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, a rare encounter with a senior Western figure. "For the first time, I can tell you that we were able to break the impasse, maybe in the form and a little bit in substance," he said, adding that the government would attend the next round of talks after legislative elections in government-held areas on April 13. He did not give any details and Mogherini said the EU had not changed its position on the need to start a political transition in Damascus. The Saudi-backed opposition, whose chief delegate also met Mogherini, has said there are no points of convergence. The negotiations have been bogged down on a series of issues and one delegate said it was up to Kerry and Putin to create a breakthrough. "We're waiting for a U.S.-Russian accord to solve the (key) issue once and for all. Until they resolve it this process will drag on," Randa Kassis, who heads up a Moscow-backed opposition group, said. While the United States want Assad to step aside, Russia says only the Syrian people can decide his fate at the ballot box and has bristled at any talk of regime change. Kerry is holding talks with Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday, in a meeting arranged after the Russian leader's surprise announcement on March 14 that he was partially withdrawing his forces from Syria. "The Secretary would like to now really hear where President Putin is in his thinking ... on a political transition" in Syria, the official said as Kerry arrived in Moscow. "Obviously what we are looking for, and what we have been looking for, is how we are going to transition Syria away from Assad's leadership," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. UNILATERAL THREAT After five years of conflict that has killed over 250,000 people and caused the world's worst refugee crisis, Washington and Moscow reached a deal three weeks ago for a cessation of hostilities and delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged areas. The State Department official said meetings with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would evaluate the status of the ceasefire and try to "get on the same page" about ending violations and increasing humanitarian assistance. Russia this week threatened to act unilaterally against those who violate the ceasefire unless it reached a deal with the United States on ways to detect and prevent truce breaches. The Syrian opposition has accused government forces of renewing sieges and stepping up a campaign of barrel-bombing across the country. Government officials have rejected any discussion on the fate of Assad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the peace talks were always going to be long and difficult, and it was too early to talk about patience running out on any side. U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday he hoped the U.S-Russia meeting would give an impetus to the peace talks where the divisive issue of a political transition is stalling progress. But the State Department official played down expectations the meeting would have an immediate impact on the talks, which adjourn on Thursday. A Syrian activist at the talks, Jihad Makdissi, said de Mistura was planning to issue a paper on a "potential common vision". The Syrian government delegation said the U.N. envoy had handed them a document which they would study on their return to Damascus. No details of either paper were disclosed. However, the United Nations said the Syrian government had given verbal assurances that aid convoys can go into three or four areas that its forces are besieging. U.N. humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said the United Nations had been allowed to enter eight or nine of the 11 areas it had asked to supply with aid, including three or four besieged areas. But it had not been allowed to go into the town of Daraya, where the World Food Programme has said some people have been reduced to eating grass. PALMYRA OFFENSIVE On the battlefield, Syrian government forces and their allies were reported to have pushed forward against Islamic State fighters to reach the outskirts of the historic city of Palmyra on Wednesday. State news agency SANA quoted a military source who said the army and allied militia advanced in the hills outside Palmyra and towards a road junction "after eliminating the last terrorist Daesh groups there", referring to Islamic State fighters. Islamic State is not covered by the truce agreement. The Syrian army is trying to recapture Palmyra, which Islamic State seized in May, to open a road to the mostly IS-held eastern province of Deir al-Zor. Clashes raged around Palmyra after government forces took control of most of a nearby hill with air cover from Syrian and Russian warplanes, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Russia has withdrawn around half of its air force in Syria, according to Reuters calculations based on state TV footage, some of which was not broadcast. But Moscow has maintained a group of Su-24 bombers at its Latakia air base and deployed a number of advanced attack helicopters, meaning it is able to continue a reduced number of air strikes in the country. Operating from Russias Shayrat air base southeast of Homs, the helicopter force will be used to secure territory gains around Aleppo and support the Syrian army offensive against Islamic State in Palmyra, Western officials said. (Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov, Jack Stubbs, John Davison, Dominic Evans, Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles; Writing by Giles Elgood and Philippa Fletcher, editing by Peter Millership and John Stonestreet) Moscow (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry met President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday to try to convince him to support an end to Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria. Putin had warm words for Kerry at the start of their meeting, thanking him for his "business-like" approach and hailing the United States for helping broker a ceasefire in the war-torn country. "We understand that what we have managed to achieve on Syria has only been possible thanks to the constructive position of the political leadership in the US, the position of President Obama," Putin said. Kerry lauded the truce between government forces and the opposition that has seen fighting drop and called to "make progress even deeper" towards finding a lasting political solution to the conflict. "It's fair to say, Mr President, that the serious approach with which we have been able to cooperate with one another has made a difference for the lives of the people of Syria," Kerry said. "You have ideas and you have made a very critical decision with respect to the drawdown of your forces," Kerry said, referring to Putin's partial withdrawal of Russian forces he had sent to prop up Assad's regime. "We, obviously, also have some ideas about how we can together, most effectively, make progress even deeper and the begin the very serious political process of transition." Earlier, Kerry had met his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and told him the bomb attacks in Brussels demonstrated that countries must come together. "Our counterparts, whom you and I have both talked to in the last days, are hopeful that these meetings here in Moscow today have an ability to be able to further define and chart the road ahead so that we can bring this conflict in Syria to a close as fast as possible," Kerry said. Lavrov told Kerry diplomatic efforts had been focused on creating a "balance of interests" among all sides involved in the Syrian crisis, including Moscow and Washington. Story continues But US officials fear the Syrian opposition will drop out of UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva unless Russia's ally Assad agrees to step down as part of a political transition. Putin has stood by Assad, and even sent Russian warplanes to fight to protect his regime and strike the extremist Islamic State group, which has seized territory in the east of the country. But Moscow's partial withdrawal of its forces from Syria has created what Washington believes is an opportunity to press for a change of stance on the regime. "What we're looking for, and what we've been looking for, for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad's leadership," a senior US official told reporters. In Geneva, opposition negotiators confirmed that they are counting on Russia to keep the pressure on the regime. After the latest round of meetings with UN mediator Staffan de Mistura, opposition spokesman Bassma Kodmani told journalists: "This is a unique moment, a precious moment and we hope Russia will seize this moment and use its leverage." And de MIstura said Thursday that the UN was aiming to restart Syria peace talks on April 9. - Middle East powerbroker - In a sign of Russia's strengthened role as a Middle East powerbroker, both Kerry and Putin met separately with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Kerry's visit also comes while Europe faces a security crisis after Tuesday's attacks in Brussels, which left 31 dead and 300 injured. On Wednesday, Lavrov called for Europe to drop its "geopolitical games" and unite behind efforts to fight terrorism, as Russia continues its air strikes in Syria. Kerry acknowledged that the ceasefire negotiated by Russia and the United States between Assad and the armed Syrian opposition has led to a steep reduction in violence, but that much work lay ahead. "We both know that more needs to be done in terms of both the reduction of violence and the flow of humanitarian goods," Kerry told Lavrov. Kerry will next travel to Brussels to offer Washington's support for Belgium and Europe's efforts to counter violent extremism. By John Irish, Lesley Wroughton and Lisa Barrington GENEVA/MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian troops backed by Russian air support fought their way into the Islamic State-held city of Palmyra on Thursday, their biggest offensive yet against the jihadist caliphate, as Moscow and Washington discussed how to help to end the civil war. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an atmosphere that was noticeably more amiable than past meetings, reflecting new diplomacy the two Cold War superpowers have championed in recent weeks. Both men expressed hope for more progress toward ending the fighting. In Geneva, where the first peace talks involving President Bashar al-Assad's government and his foes began this month, the opposing sides were expected to sign on to a U.N. document reflecting some initial common ground. The aim was to move toward discussing the divisive question of a political transition in Syria when the talks resume next month. Moscow is the main ally of Assad's government, while Washington and other Western countries have backed foes trying to overthrow him during five years of civil war that has killed 250,000 people and led to the world's worst refugee crisis. Both superpowers share a common enemy in Islamic State, the Sunni Muslim fighters who have declared a caliphate to rule over all Muslims from territory in Syria and Iraq. After Russia intervened with air strikes to shore up Assad last year, Washington and Moscow have jointly sponsored a peace process that has produced the first sustained ceasefire of the war and the first negotiations involving the warring parties. "The serious approach that we have been able to cooperate on has made a difference to the life of people in Syria and to the possibilities of making progress on peace," Kerry said at the start of talks with Putin in Moscow. "The people of Syria and the people of the region have as a result been able to taste and smell the possibilities of what it means to have a huge reduction of violence and receive humanitarian assistance." Putin, who has announced he is winding down Russia's military involvement in Syria, even offered warm words for U.S. President Barack Obama, with whom his relations have sunk to a Cold War-era level of hostility since Washington imposed sanctions on Russia over its intervention in Ukraine in 2014. "We understand that what we have been able to achieve on Syria has been possible only thanks to the position of the U.S. top political leadership, President Obama," Putin said at his meeting with Kerry. "I very much hope that your visit will allow us to bring our positions closer on moving forward to solve the Syrian crisis and ... on Ukraine." The U.S. and Russian-sponsored ceasefire between Assad's government and his enemies does not cover Islamic State, allowing Damascus to ramp up its fight against the jihadists. After months in which the West accused Moscow of helping Assad fight mainly against other foes, Damascus has launched a major offensive this month to take back Palmyra, which the fighters seized in their biggest Syrian offensive of last year. The state-run news channel Ikhbariya broadcast images from just outside Palmyra on Thursday and said government fighters had taken over a hotel district in the west. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army had advanced into the hotel district just to the southwest of the city and reached a residential area, after a rapid advance the day before brought the army and its allies right up to its outskirts. Palmyra has some of the most extensive ruins of the ancient Roman empire, some of which were dynamited by Islamic State in what the United Nations calls a war crime. BABY STEP The peace talks in Geneva were due to be adjourned on Thursday until next month, with the sides expected to agree to a document drawn up by a U.N. special envoy outlining basic principles, in what one diplomat called a "baby step" forward. The sides still have yet to address the biggest challenge: the nature of a post-war "political transition". Opposition leaders say Assad must leave power; the government says this is not up for negotiation. Washington believes that Moscow, closely allied to Assad, can nudge Damascus to make concessions. Before political talks can begin, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura aims to establish if there are points held in common by the different parties and announce them. "Basic principles have been laid out. De Mistura wants to announce that all sides have agreed so that he can move on to the transition issue at the next round," said a senior Western diplomat. "It's a baby step, but a necessary step. It's not a bad result." De Mistura said later that in the next round of talks "we have to start focusing on the political process". A summary of the document seen by Reuters contains points including reforming state institutions, rejecting terrorism unequivocally and implementing United Nations Security Council resolution 2254 that guarantees a political transition of power. It also calls for no tolerance of acts of revenge from either side, rebuilding the Syrian army on national criteria, ensuring a democratic non-sectarian state and preserving womens rights in fair representation. BATTLE FOR PALMYRA The capture of Palmrya and further eastward advances would mark the most significant Syrian government gain against Islamic State since the start of Russia's military intervention last September. Islamic State has lost territory in both Iraq and Syria since last year when it captured Palmyra in Syria and Ramadi, a provincial capital in Iraq. A soldier interviewed by Ikhbariya TV said the army and its allies would press forward beyond Palmyra. "We say to those gunmen, we are advancing to Palmyra, and to what's beyond Palmyra, and God willing to Raqqa, the center of the Daesh gangs," he said, referring to Islamic State's de facto capital in northern Syria. The Syrian state news agency SANA showed warplanes flying overhead, helicopters firing missiles, and soldiers and armored vehicles approaching the city. The U.S.-led military coalition against Islamic State said it had also struck targets in and around Palmyra, a rare example of the U.S.-led force attacking an area also under attack by Russian-backed government forces. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday it had carried out 41 sorties between March 20-23 in the region of Palmyra, attacking 146 "terrorist targets." (Reporting by Tom Miles, Stephanie Nebehay, Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Maria Tsvetkova, John Davison and Dominic Evans; writing by Peter Graff and Peter Millership; editing by Giles Elgood) (This story corrects date of election to Nov. 8 from Nov. 3 in eighth paragraph) By Alana Wise WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's modeling agency, saying there was insufficient evidence a foreign-born model had been misled or was owed back pay. U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres found that Alexia Palmer had not provided proof that Trump Model Management LLC fraudulently applied for a U.S. visa for her or that she had been denied fair wages. Attorneys for both Palmer and the modeling agency could not be immediately reached for comment. Lawyers for Trump, who owns the agency but was not named directly in the suit, have called the case "frivolous" and "without merit." Palmer, a Jamaica native, sued in October 2014, alleging that for her three-year contract with the agency, she was promised a $75,000-a-year salary, but received just $3,880.75. She sought $250,000 in back pay. The lawsuit also alleged Palmer's experience was part of a grander scheme to "lure foreign models to the United States" and cheat them out of their pay. But Torres said there was not enough evidence to prove that Palmer had worked the requisite number of hours over the three years to justify a minimum hourly wage complaint or warrant back pay. The case's dismissal was a setback for attorneys who sought to bring a class action against the agency on behalf of models. A group lawsuit could have drawn additional attention to Trump's employment of foreign-born workers as he seeks the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election. Trump, a billionaire New York businessman, has acknowledged legally using foreign workers in his businesses but has said his experience would allow him to reform a visa system that can be easily manipulated. The case is Alexia Palmer v. Trump Model Management, et al., U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-08037. (Reporting by Alana Wise; Editing by Peter Cooney) Sydney (AFP) - Two pieces of debris found in Mozambique are "almost certainly from MH370", Australia and Malaysia said on Thursday, after technical analysis provided fresh clues to the fate of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft. Until the latest discoveries, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, which lies east of Mozambique, had been confirmed as coming from the plane that disappeared two years ago. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Transport Minister Darren Chester said, adding that investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean." The two pieces are a flat grey fragment with the words "No Step" printed along one side, found on a sandbank, and a metre-long piece of metal picked up by a holidaymaker. Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said investigators had advised that the "dimensions, materials and construction" of both parts conformed to Boeing 777 specifications, while the "paint and stencilling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines (MAS)". "As such, both parts are consistent with panels from a MAS Boeing 777 aircraft, and almost certainly are from MH370," he said in a statement, adding that the examinations conducted in Australia's capital Canberra took place from March 21-23. Australia is leading the search for MH370 in the remote Indian Ocean, where the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight is believed to have diverted when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. Another piece of debris yet to be identified as coming from the missing jet was picked up near Mossel Bay, a small town in Western Cape province, South African authorities said Tuesday. They did not reveal when it was found. Story continues Malaysia is working with South African officials to arrange for the examination of the fragment, which Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said on Wednesday was "suspected to be the cowling from an engine". Mossel Bay lies more than 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) from Vilankulo, the Mozambican resort where one of the pieces being examined in Australia was found. - 'Search for MH370 continues' - Specialists, including from Australia and Boeing, have been conducting investigations in Canberra alongside the Malaysia team on the two Mozambique items. When a two-metre-long (almost seven-foot) wing part known as a flaperon washed up on a beach on the French overseas territory of La Reunion in July, it was the first concrete evidence that MH370 met a tragic end. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the agency leading the search, had said then that its location was consistent with drift modelling of where debris might have floated. Chester said the hunt for the crash site, far off Australia's southwest coast, would continue, with nearly 80 percent of the target area so far checked but yielding nothing. "There are 25,000 square kilometres (9,650 square miles) of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," he said. Three vessels contracted from Dutch firm Fugro -- Fugro Discovery, Fugro Equator and Havila Harmony -- along with Chinese ship Dong Hai Jiu 101 are scouring the ocean depths, with the plane believed to have sunk up to 4,000 metres (13,100 feet). The operation has been projected to cost up to Aus$180 million (US$130 million). The governments of Australia, China and Malaysia, where most of the passengers were from, have agreed that when the target zone of 120,000 square kilometres has been fully searched -- expected to be around June to July -- they will end the hunt unless "credible new information" emerges. Analysis of the flaperon has so far not offered further information to help solve what happened to the aircraft. Analysts have said that only by locating the crash site and recovering the black box will authorities be able to solve the mystery of why the plane went down. Photos of a woman wearing a traditional costume and posing in a park with plum flowers recently went viral online. To many people's surprise, the beautiful woman, Jin Ying, 27, is the Communist Youth League Secretary in charge of tourism and communication for the town of Wangtan in Shaoxing, located in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Jin said that she took the photos and posted them online to attract attention to Wangtans beautiful spring landscape and promote local tourism. According to Jin, she has worked in Wangtan for almost four years. Wangtan has the largest plum flower park in all of eastern China. Many local people come to appreciate the flowers during plum flower season, but few people outside of Shaoxing know about the place. Jin personally spent more than 1,000 yuan (US$ 154) to hire a photography studio to shoot her with the plum flowers. Many netizens expressed interest in Jin and the location where she took the photos. Some even asked her to be their girlfriend. Jin said she was already married and hoped people would focus on the beautiful landscape rather than on her. Moscow (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to intensify the drive for a political settlement in Syria but remained divided over Bashar al-Assad's future. After four hours of talks at the Kremlin, Kerry said the United States and Russia had found common ground on the Syrian peace process and on taking the fight to the Islamic State jihadist group. Before the meeting, US officials had suggested he would sound out the Russian leader about pressuring his ally Assad to step aside as part of the political solution, but afterwards little of this was said. Kerry noted that Putin had begun to withdraw the Russian forces that had been sent to shore up Assad's rule, and had renewed Russia's commitment to the political process under way at UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva. "Russia will have to speak for itself as what it's going to choose to do in order to help Mr Assad make the right decisions, but we agreed today... that we will try to accelerate the effort to move the political process forward," he said. "We agreed on a target schedule for establishing a framework for a political transition and also a draft constitution, and the target is August," Kerry said at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the talks. Lavrov told journalists that Moscow and Washington would now step up efforts to get the Syrian regime and opposition to hold "direct talks" in Geneva, where a round of negotiations that saw a United Nations mediator shuttle between the delegations concluded on Thursday. "As the immediate task we have agreed to push for the soonest start of direct talks between the government delegation and the whole spectrum of the opposition," Lavrov said, calling for "a transitional governance structure" in the war-torn country. Putin did not attend the final news conference, but he had unexpectedly warm words for the United States' role in Syria at the start of the Kremlin encounter. Story continues "We understand that what we have managed to achieve on Syria has only been possible thanks to the constructive position of the political leadership in the US, the position of President Obama," Putin said. Kerry said the two sides were looking to bolster the month-old ceasefire between Assad's forces and the opposition hammered out by Putin and Barack Obama. "We agreed today to build on recent gains to take immediate steps to reinforce the cessation of hostilities," Kerry said, adding this included "steps to end the use of any indiscriminate weapons, to halt attempts by either side to seize new territory and to finalise a common understanding for how this cessation can be institutionalised." "We agreed that the regime and the opposition need to begin releasing detainees," he added. Lavrov told Kerry that diplomatic efforts had been focused on creating a "balance of interests" among all sides involved in the Syrian crisis, including Moscow and Washington. - Russian warplanes - But US officials fear the Syrian opposition will drop out of UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva unless Russia's ally Assad agrees to step down as part of a political transition. Putin has stood by Assad, and even sent Russian warplanes to fight to protect his regime and strike the Islamic State, which has seized territory in the east of the country. But Moscow's partial withdrawal of its forces from Syria has created what Washington believes is an opportunity to press for a change of stance on the regime. "What we're looking for, and what we've been looking for, for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad's leadership," a senior US official told reporters. In Geneva, opposition negotiators confirmed that they are counting on Russia to keep the pressure on the regime. After the latest round of talks with UN mediator Staffan de Mistura, opposition spokesman Bassma Kodmani said: "This is a unique moment, a precious moment and we hope Russia will seize this moment and use its leverage." And de Mistura said Thursday that the UN was aiming to restart Syria peace talks on April 9. Ties between Russia and the US have been at their lowest point since the Cold War amid fury over the Kremlin's meddling in Ukraine. Kerry insisted Washington was not backing down on the crisis. Kerry said Ukraine's territory still includes the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed two years ago, as well as disputed rebel-held areas in the east of the country. He also said that he had raised the issue of freeing Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko after she was sentenced this week to 22 years in jail over the killing of two Russian journalists following what the West has condemned as a politically motivated sham trial. Brussels (AFP) - A grieving Belgium on Thursday hunted two fugitive suspects after bombings that struck at the very heart of Europe, as security authorities faced mounting criticism over the country's worst-ever attacks. With growing evidence of links between Tuesday's bombings and similar attacks that struck France in November, key Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam insisted he was unaware of plans to strike the Belgian capital. Thousands of Belgians were expected to observe another minute of silence on the third and final day of mourning for the 31 people from all over the world killed in the attacks, while doctors battled to save scores more critically injured. Belgian authorities faced growing pressure to do more to tackle the Islamic State menace threatening the continent, even as they scrambled to track down two more men over the attacks on Brussels airport and the metro. Brussels was on maximum security alert with soldiers in camouflage standing guard outside embassies and government offices and underground rail services cut between 7:00 pm and 7:00 am, forcing commuters to scramble for the last trains home. Abdeslam's lawyer Sven Mary said Thursday his client now did not want to fight extradition following his arrest in the Belgian capital on Friday, four months after the IS attacks in Paris in which 130 died. "Salah Abdeslam told me that he wishes to leave for France as soon as possible," he said. Abdeslam is said to have links to brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, who carried out suicide attacks on the airport and the metro, with Khalid said to have rented out a flat used by the Paris team and another that was raided in the hunt for Salah. Asked if Abdeslam, the last known survivor of the cell of 10 men who carried out the Paris attacks, had prior knowledge of Tuesday's assault on Brussels, Mary replied: "He didn't know it". But he added that Abdeslam had stopped cooperating with investigators since the attacks. Story continues - 'Why?' - Belgian authorities are now hunting a man with a large bag seen talking to Khalid El Bakraoui on CCTV footage at Maalbeek station, who then did not get on to the train, police sources told AFP. A huge manhunt is already under way for a third attacker at Brussels airport, who was seen on security footage with Ibrahim El Bakraoui and a man identified as Najim Laachraoui, but whose bomb did not go off. The attacks have stunned Brussels, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, and candles, Belgian flags and teddy bears were piling up in the central Place de la Bourse with tributes left to the victims of the attacks. In an unprecedented homage, Belgium's federal and regional parliaments will lead a national minute's silence in the presence of King Philippe at 1300 GMT, and there will also be gatherings at Zaventem and in towns around the country. Outside the bombed metro station of Maalbeek, just a few hundred metres from key EU institutions, a banner read "why?" in English, French and German. Hundreds of airport staff and their families carried candles and flowers in a silent march and vigil near the shattered terminal that will stay closed until Saturday. "We are all one big family. The whole world is with us and we see that we can count on one another but I am very sad, very sad to see such a thing happen," said one staff member who gave his name as Jonathan. Questions were being asked of under-fire European security authorities after it emerged that the three bombers were known to police and that Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported from Turkey as a "foreign terrorist fighter". Belgium's Justice Minister Koen Geens denied however that the 29-year-old Belgian citizen had been flagged as a possible terrorist, saying he was "not known here for terrorism" and was a "common law criminal out on parole." EU justice and interior ministers will convene later Thursday in Brussels for an emergency meeting to show "solidarity" to Belgium and work out a plan to address the threat to Europe posed by jihadists. The continent is already fighting crises on several fronts, from its worst refugee crisis since World War II to the possibility of Britain leaving the bloc, and leaders have vowed to combat terrorism "with all means necessary". - Victims from around the world - Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said the attacks, the worst in the country's history, had killed or wounded people of around 40 nationalities, with doctors saying they were treating injuries "seen in war." Very few of the dead have been formally identified but stories were emerging of lucky escapes and tragic ill fortune of people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. A young German couple headed for a New York holiday were among the victims of the Brussels airport attack, which left the wife missing and the man in a coma, the Bild daily reported. It identified the couple by their first names as Jennifer, 29, a sales employee, and Lars, a 30-year-old hospital nurse, and said they had looked forward to the US trip after they married last year. Adelma Marina Tapia Ruiz, a 37-year-old Peruvian woman, was killed by the airport bomb but her two young daughters and husband survived because the twin girls had run off and the father was chasing after them. Doctor Muriel Brugmans, who tried to save her life in hospital, said on Facebook: "Tonight I'm thinking very much about my patient, mother of two adorable little girls. She was... so worried for her daughters." The health ministry said Wednesday that the number of people injured had climbed from 270 to 300, 61 of whom were in critical condition. "It's war," said Jacques Creteur, head of the intensive care unit at Erasme. "It's the kind of trauma seen in war." By Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Brussels suicide bomber Najim Laachraoui was a nice, intelligent boy, his brother said on Thursday, and gave no warning signs of being radicalised before he left for Syria in 2013 and broke all contact with his family. Laachraoui, a 25-year-old Belgian, was one of Tuesday's suicide bombers, security sources have told local media. A veteran Islamist fighter in Syria, he is also suspected of making explosive belts for last November's Paris attacks. No one in the family saw any change in his attitude before the day he called them to say he had left for Syria, his 20-year-old brother Mourad said. They also have no clue as to what could have led him to be radicalised, he said. "He was a nice boy, and above all he was clever, that's what I remember of him," Mourad said of his brother, who graduated in electromechanics. The last time he saw Najim, he told a news conference, he looked "normal." The family warned the police in 2013 when Najim told them he was in Syria, Mourad said. The police visited them at the time and came back to search their home after the November 2015 Paris attacks. Mourad, who said he was deeply saddened by the November attacks, said he never saw his brother with their suspected mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud, another Belgian, or anyone else involved in the Paris or Brussels carnage. Najim was religious, as is the family, Mourad said, adding that he would do everything possible to make sure his three younger siblings still at school do not become radical. Mourad is a taekwondo athlete who has represented Belgium in European and world competitions, Belgium's ABFT taekwondo federation said on its website. "It's crazy, really - the same parents, the same upbringing, and one turns out really well and the other really bad," his lawyer Philippe Culot said. "Mourad and his whole family are crushed that Najim could have committed such a barbaric act." "You don't choose your family," Mourad remarked. Authorities have not officially said that Najim is dead and his family has had no confirmation either, Mourad told journalists. "VERY GOOD STUDENT" Najim Laachraoui was a model student in a Brussels Catholic high school, its director told Reuters earlier on Thursday. "Najim Laachraoui was a very good student," said Veronica Pellegrini, the director of the Institut de la Sainte Famille d'Helmet, a Catholic school in the ethnically mixed east Brussels borough of Schaerbeek. "He never failed a class," Pellegrini said of Laachraoui, who studied at the school for six years, until graduating in 2009. "We haven't heard from him since," she said. Traveling under the false name Soufiane Kayal, Laachraoui was documented driving from Hungary into Austria in September in a car driven by Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Paris attacks who was arrested in Brussels last week. There is speculation Laachraoui had just returned from Syria, possibly by sea with refugees. Catholic religion classes are part of the school's curriculum for all students regardless of their religion and Laachraoui would have attended those classes as any other student, Pellegrini said. It is not uncommon for Muslim pupils in Belgium to go to Catholic schools, which can be seen as more conservative or more exclusive than state schools. (Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Tom Heneghan) Marine archaeologists think they've discovered a lost Portuguese ship from explorer Vasco da Gama's fleet off the coast of present-day Oman, more than 500 years after it sank in a deadly storm. A team led by David Mearns, of the U.K.-based Blue Water Recoveries, first located the shipwreck in 1998 using archives and historical documents as a guide. After recent underwater excavations and careful analysis of more than 2,800 artifacts, including cannonballs and rare coins, the researchers are now fairly certain they have found the nau Esmeralda, the doomed ship commanded by da Gama's uncle. Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama found a sea route to India in 1498, becoming the first European to reach Asia by sea and ushering in an era of Portuguese imperialism. Da Gama secured a monopoly on the valuable spice trade, terrorizing coastal cities and vessels along the way. (In one infamous story, da Gama torched a pilgrim ship carrying more than 300 Muslimsincluding women and children returning from Mecca.) [See Photos of the 500-Year-Old Shipwreck] During da Gama's second voyage to India (1502-1503), his uncles Vicente and Bras Sodre were in charge of a five-ship squadron. They had specific instructions to provide military cover for friendly trading states on the west coast of India and to disrupt Arabic shipping along the route, Mearns told Live Science, but they disobeyed their orders and instead went to the Gulf of Aden, where they carried out a campaign of piracy. After sacking and killing everyone on five Arab ships (and keeping much of the loot for themselves), the Sodrebrothers needed to make repairs. They took shelter in a bay at Al-Hallaniyah, the largest of the Khuriya Muriya Islands, located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) off the southern coast of Oman. "They were friendly with the Arabs [on the island] and trading with them maybe too friendly with their wives, it seems from the archives," Mearns said. Story continues The Portuguese ships were anchored in a bay that was protected on all sidesexcept the north. When the local fishermen knew there was a strong wind coming from the north, they told the Portuguese sailors to get on the other side of the island. But, believing their iron anchors to be strong enough to withstand the storm, the Sodre brothers didn't heed the warnings. The wind came, and the ships' moorings were torn away. Bras Sodre's ship, nau Sao Pedro, ran hard aground, but Vicente's ship, nau Esmeralda, sank in deeper water, killing him and everyone else on board. [The Top 10 Intrepid Explorers] Another captain from the squadron recounted the disaster in great detail in a letter to the Portuguese king, and the story has been retold in many histories. "It was a very rich and well-told story, which is great for archaeology," Mearns said. "You usually don't have that luxury." That story led Mearns to the northeastern coast of Al-Hallaniyah in 1998. During the initial investigation, he said he found more than 20 large stone cannonballs sitting right on the surface of the seabed. Mearns and his Omani partners then conducted more thorough archaeological surveys and excavations in 2013, 2014 and 2015. They found hundreds of artifacts, including copper-alloy barrels, a number of stone shots, gold coins, West African and Asian ceramic pots and stone beads, he said. To examine some of the shipwrecks' corroded artifacts, the team turned to high-tech methods. They used CT scanning to identify two silver coins: the Manuel indio, minted in 1499; and the real grosso, minted sometime between 1475 and 1479. Portuguese King Dom Manuel I ordered the indio to be struck after the return of da Gama's first voyage to India, specifically to be used in trade with India. As there is only one other known indio in the world (housed at the National Historical Museum of Brazil), this coin has reached legendary status in the coin-collecting world, Mearns and his colleagues wrote. CT scans were also used to get a better look at a bell (which was wrested from under a boulder in shallow water) and found that it was inscribed with the numbers "498." The researchers suspect that perhaps the "1" eroded from the manufacture date of 1498; that would chronologically fit with Sodre's squadron, which left Lisbon in 1502. "It's very possible that that could be the oldest ship's bell ever found in the world," Mearns said. "And it was found less than 100 meters [328 feet] off a shoreline, in a depth of water that you could have snorkeled to. As small as the world is, there are still places left to explore." The findings were published online March 14 in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Damascus (AFP) - The Islamic State group suffered a double setback in Syria Friday as army troops recaptured half of the ancient city of Palmyra and the Pentagon said the jihadists' second-in-command was killed in a US raid. The seizure by Russian-backed Syrian troops of half of Palmyra including the hilltop citadel and the airport came nearly a year after IS overran the UNESCO world heritage site. The Syrian regime's gains came after US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's President Vladimir Putin agreed to intensify the drive for a political settlement in the war-torn nation. Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said the death this week of Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, described as IS's number two, would hamper the jihadists' ability to conduct operations in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. He said the US was "systematically eliminating" IS's cabinet, referring also to the killing earlier this month of "Omar the Chechen", described by Washington as the jihadists' defence minister. "The momentum of this campaign is now clearly on our side," said Carter. However, separate attacks by IS in Iraq and Yemen Friday claimed over 50 lives, with observers warning that as their self-proclaimed "caliphate" shrinks towards extinction, its fighters are likely to ramp up suicide attacks on civilian targets. A suicide bomber killed at least 30 people at a local football tournament south of Baghdad, while in Aden three suicide bombings at security checkpoints killed 22 people, including 10 civilians. - 'An ancient treasure' - Syrian state television said loyalist troops seized the Palmyra citadel "after inflicting many losses in the ranks of the terrorist group Daesh," using another name for IS. It said the army had also cut off the main Palmyra-Deir Ezzor highway leading to the Iraqi border. "Pro-government forces, which have the support in Palmyra of the Russian air force, took control of half of the city as well as the airport," a military source said. Story continues IS has blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years. Built in the 13th century, the citadel is Palmyra's main Islamic-era monument. Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdelkarim said the army had also "liberated the district of hotels and restaurants as well as the Valley of the Tombs". He said troops were 600 metres (yards) from the site of the Temple of Bel, which IS destroyed in September, "but it is advancing slowly because of mines and above all to protect the city, which is an ancient treasure." - Assad still a sticking point - The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 18 soldiers were killed in fighting and by mines planted by retreating jihadists, while 24 IS militants died in air strikes and clashes. In Moscow, the defence ministry said Russian warplanes carried out 146 air strikes against "terrorist" targets in Palmyra from March 22 to 24. Its full recapture would be a major strategic and symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since whoever holds Palmyra also controls the vast desert extending from central Syria to the Iraqi border. Despite the football tournament bombing, IS faces mounting pressure in Iraq where the army said on Thursday it had launched a long-awaited offensive to retake second city of Mosul, a key IS hub since 2014. Iraqi forces cleared roadside bombs and booby traps Friday in villages from which they ousted jihadists a day earlier south of Mosul, officials said. Friday's fighting for Palmyra came as the latest round of peace talks aimed at ending Syria's five-year war, which has left more than 270,000 people dead, came to a close. Kerry and Putin, who back different sides in Syria's war, agreed at a rare meeting in Moscow to push for a political settlement, but the future of Assad remains a sticking point. In Beirut, UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged a speedy end to the war and other Middle East conflicts saying "this is a critical time for the region". But unless Assad agrees to step down, there are concerns the Syrian opposition could drop out of UN-brokered peace negotiations, which UN envoy Staffan de Mistura aims to restart on April 9. - 'Jihadists celebrating Brussels' - The focus of Syria's war appears to have shifted to the battle against IS in Palmyra, nearly a month after a truce between the army and non-jihadist rebels brokered by the United States and Russia came into force. Global concern over the jihadist threat was further heightened this week by a deadly attack in Brussels that was claimed by IS. In IS's de facto capital Raqa in northern Syria, "jihadists have been celebrating the Brussels attack all week," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The group's top religious figure in the city, Abu Ali al-Sharii, led the Friday prayer with a pledge to commit more violence. "We vow new operations by jihadists in the West," he said, according to the Observatory. Washington (AFP) - The US Treasury named units involved in Iran's ballistic missile program to its sanctions blacklist Thursday, two weeks after the country ran missile tests that Washington labeled "provocative and destabilizing." The Treasury placed sanctions on Shahid Nuri Industries and Shahid Movahed Industries, both units of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group the US says is responsible for Iran's liquid-fueled ballistic missile program. It also sanctioned the Al-Ghadir Missile Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which it said appears to have operational control of the country's ballistic missiles. The US actions were based on broader sanctions over the country's alleged ties to terror activities. Sanctions tied to its nuclear activities were lifted in January as part of a deal with major powers. The move came after the IRGC conducted ballistic missile tests over March 8-9, which Tehran argued did not violate the deal over its nuclear program or UN resolutions barring the country from launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear weapons. "Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for terrorism pose a continuing threat to the region, to the United States, and to our partners worldwide," said Adam Szubin, Treasury's acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. "We will continue to use all of our tools to counteract Iran's ballistic missile program and support for terrorism, including through sanctions." The sanctions freeze any assets of the listed entity under US jurisdiction and ban any business with them by US companies or individuals. In addition, the US blacklisted British businessmen Jeffrey John James Ashfield and John Edward Meadows, as well as companies linked to them, for their attempts to sell aircraft and parts to already blacklisted Mahan Air, the country's second largest airline that is closely tied to the IRGC. Story continues Mahan Air "continues to support the Iranian government's destabilizing actions in the region by conducting flights to Syria in order to transport fighters," the Treasury said. In Tehran, the foreign ministry blasted the new US moves. "The Iranian ballistic missile program has nothing to do with the nuclear agreement and does not violate" the UN Security Council resolution, said spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari. "This program is completely defensive and no action can deprive the Islamic Republic of its legitimate and legal rights to strengthen its defense capacity and its national security." On Sunday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States of continuing to penalize the country despite the January deal that lifted sanctions tied to Tehran's agreeing to limits on its nuclear program. The United States has lifted sanctions "on paper," he said, "but they are using roundabout paths to prevent the Islamic republic from achieving its targets." "They have said they lifted the sanctions... but, in fact, they are working to prevent the lifting of sanctions from taking effect," he added. New Zealanders voted convincingly against a proposal to ditch Britain's Union Jack from the national flag and adopt a silver fern design, official referendum results showed Thursday. The country's electoral commission said 56.61 percent of voters backed the existing flag, while 43.16 favoured a change. The results are preliminary but the size of the margin means they are unlikely to change when the final tally is released next Wednesday. The outcome will likely be viewed as a defeat for Prime Minister John Key, the main advocate for change, who described the existing banner as a colonial relic from the days of British rule. "New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag. I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it," he tweeted. Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said some would be disappointed with the outcome but the government had staged a robust democratic process that had given people a choice. The referendum was the culmination of an often-heated 18-month debate which touched on issues of national identity in the South Pacific nation of 4.5 million people. On one side of the ballot was the existing flag, a dark blue ensign with the Union Jack in the top left corner and four red stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. On the other was the proposed alternative -- a silver fern on a black-and-blue background, which retains the four stars. Created by designer Kyle Lockwood, it beat four other proposed flags in a preliminary referendum last December. - 'Special symbol' - Key called the existing flag a colonial throwback, saying the silver fern used by the All Blacks "screams New Zealand" in the same way the maple leaf identifies Canadians. He described the vote as a once-in-a-generation chance to update the flag after more than a century. However, veterans' group the Returned and Services Association argued that to change the flag disrespected previous generations who fought and died under the banner. Story continues "We are delighted, but not surprised," it said after the result was announced. Others criticised the new design's aesthetics, with "Jurassic Park" actor Sam Neill saying: "This ugly beach towel is no alternative. It's hideous." But there were high-profile advocates for change, including ex-All Black skipper Richie McCaw, who said the existing flag was too similar to Australia's. "The silver fern has always been the special symbol on the All Black jersey... so the new flag with a silver fern as a part of it would be a great option," he posted on Facebook earlier this month. Lewis Holden, head of the New Zealand Republican Movement, said he was buoyed by 43 support for change and anticipated "an ongoing debate... over the coming decades". The issue also become mired in political controversy, with many seeing it as Key's pet project. The conservative leader's approval ratings remain stubbornly high, even after eight years in power, and political opponents have seized on the chance to deal him a rare electoral defeat. The centre-left Labour Party, normally a reformist organisation, has condemned the entire debate as Key's "hugely expensive and highly unpopular vanity project". "John Key's flag project... divided the country and became a personal crusade," Labour leader Andrew Little said. But the debate also had its lighter moments, particularly when the original 10,000-plus submissions for new flags were publicly released. One of the most popular designs with online users was a flag featuring a kiwi bird shooting green lasers from its eyes. Another had a sheep alongside a cone of ice cream, with designer Jesse Gibbs saying he had selected two of New Zealand's favourite things to create a combination that was "Kiwi as bro". Belgian police are hunting two suspects in the Brussels bombings as investigators establish more and more links between the bloody events in Europe's symbolic capital and November's carnage in Paris. Belgian police staged fresh raids late Thursday and Friday, detaining nine people in all, including three linked to the Paris attacks in which 130 people died. This is what we know so far about Tuesday's suicide attacks at Brussels airport and a metro station that left 31 people dead and 300 wounded and were claimed by the Islamic State group. - Airport bombings - The first suicide bomber struck at 7:58 am (0658 GMT) in the departure hall at Zaventem airport, followed nine seconds later by a second bomber, federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said. Both men were captured moments before on security cameras, pushing trolleys with dark bags through the busy airport. A man wearing a dark hat and white jacket walking next to them is believed to be a third assailant whose bomb failed to go off and who fled the scene. The bombs caused part of the terminal building's ceiling to cave in and blew out windows as people fled in panic. - Metro attack - Just after 9:00 am, a suicide bomber struck in Maalbeek metro station, just a few hundred metres (yards) from the main European Union offices and many diplomatic missions. The explosion ripped apart a train, sending a cloud of smoke and dust onto the street above where dazed and bloodied survivors got first aid. - Casualty toll - The health ministry said Wednesday 31 people died in the attacks, with 300 wounded, a toll that could rise further with 61 injured in critical condition. Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said around 40 nationalities were among the dead and wounded but the process of identifying the victims is slow. Eleven fatalities have so far been identified by their families or governments, including citizens of Britain, China, France, Morocoo, Venezuela and the United States, as well as several EU staff. - Suspects identified - Following fingerprint analysis, the prosecutor Wednesday named Belgian national Ibrahim El Bakraoui, 29, as one of the airport bombers. Federal prosecutors identified the second airport bomber as Moroccan-born Najim Laachraoui, said to be a top IS bombmaker who had fought for the group in Syria and whose DNA was found on explosives used in Paris. Bakraoui's younger brother Khalid El Bakraoui was named as the metro bomber. Van Leeuw said the brothers had criminal records "not linked to terrorism", with Khalid a convicted car jacker and Ibrahim sentenced to nine years in prison for firing a gun at police. Prosecutors said Khalid rented properties in the southern city of Charleroi from where suspected Paris attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud set off to lead the assault in the French capital. A taxi driver who drove three men to Brussels airport led police to a house in the city's neighbourhood of Schaarbeek. There, investigators found 15 kilos (33 pounds) of explosives, an unexploded bomb, an Islamic State flag and bomb-making materials. They also found a computer containing a "will" by Ibrahim El Bakraoui who said he was under pressure to act as the police closed in and he did not want to end up in a jail cell. - Manhunt - Besides the third man at the airport who fled, police are also seeking a second suspect over the metro attack after sources said a man with a large bag was seen on CCTV footage at Maalbeek station. Another source said Bakraoui was seen talking to the man who did not get into the train carriage with him. The bombings took place just four days after the arrest in Brussels of key Paris attacks suspect, Belgian-born Frenchman Salah Abdeslam, after four months on the run. His lawyer said Thursday that Abdeslam "didn't know" about the Brussels attacks and that he wanted to be extradited as quickly as possible to France, after initially opposing it. Belgium's federal prosecutor said Friday Abdeslam has "invoked his right to silence" and has not spoken to investigators since a brief interview the day after his arrest. - Paris link - The jihadist networks behind the Paris and Brussels attacks are "in the process of being destroyed", French President Francois Hollande said Friday after police foiled what they described as an imminent attack. French police arrested 34-year-old Reda Kriket near Paris on Thursday, saying he was in the advanced stages of planning an attack. On Friday, the Belgian authorities made three fresh arrests in Brussels, after picking up six people overnight Thursday. The Belgian federal prosecutor meanwhile revealed Friday that Laachraoui's DNA was found on a suicide vest and a piece of cloth at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, and on a bomb at the Stade de France stadium, strengthening suspicions that he was the network's bombmaker. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to discuss the deteriorating situation on the Korean peninsula with his US counterpart Barack Obama when he visits Washington for a nuclear security summit next week, a senior Beijing official said Thursday. North Korea's most recent atomic test in January and a series of rocket launches are likely to be on the two leaders' agenda when they meet on the sidelines of the summit, foreign affairs Vice Minister Li Baodong told reporters. "During the meeting, the two presidents will have a full exchange of views on bilateral issues... including the issue of the Korean Peninsula," Li said. "We believe that the issue of the Korean peninsula should be resolved through dialogue and consultation," he added. The two-day Nuclear Security Summit will discuss how to best secure radioactive materials, including preventing would-be terrorists from accessing them. The summit itself will not address issues related to North Korea's recent weapons tests, but may touch on stopping the provision of nuclear materials to the country which could be used to develop weapons. China is one of 52 countries and international organisations participating in the conference, which was first held in Washington in 2010. This year's meeting is the fourth in the series initiated by President Obama and has been billed as the last. US policymakers have pushed China, North Korea's only ally, to put pressure on the country to stop its nuclear provocations. But Beijing is concerned about the stability of its neighbour and has resisted taking any steps that could potentially weaken its ailing economy. North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a solid-fuel rocket Thursday, the latest in a series of weapons tests. Tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test. Xi is scheduled to visit the Czech Republic on his way to Washington. The U.S. and the Philippines recently held the sixth bilateral strategic dialogue. Media reports said that the U.S. military is granted access to five military bases in the Philippines based on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which was approved by both sides. The U.S. fleet and troops can now use these bases near the South China Sea to conduct maritime security operations. As part of the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy adopted by the U.S., the EDCA will enable more U.S. military presence in the Philippines and push Americas pivot to Asia. An official from the U.S. Defense Department who participated in the dialogue claimed that the U.S. will fund the Philippines to improve its radar facilities and other technology that helps to monitor disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea. With the South China Sea situation heading toward stability, such military action from the U.S. and the Philippines has attracted attention. Recently, the U.S. has been accusing China of militarization, which in reality is nothing more than the limited and necessary deployment of defense facilities on Chinas own islands and reefs. Whats ridiculous about this U.S.-Philippines strategic dialogue is that even as both sides voice strong opinions against militarization of the South China Sea, both sides are also agreeing to open more military bases in the region. Both countries even explicitly acknowledged the goal of expanding U.S. military presence in the area. Such a double standard is unacceptable. After the Cold War, the U.S. military never left the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2009, when the U.S. adopted the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategies, the superpower has planned to send 60 percent of its air and maritime forces to the region by 2020. It is obvious that the U.S. is the party pushing militarization in the Asia-Pacific region. China has fewer strategic arms such as nuclear submarines, strategic bombers, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and aircraft carriers. Whats more, China has conducted far fewer military exercises in the South China Sea than the U.S. has, and always on a smaller scale. The blame for militarization should by no means be placed on China. The Philippine islands are to the west of the South China Sea, a location with great significance in the region. After over 20 years of being absent from Philippines, the U.S. military's re-entry to the region is very significant. It is a crucial step for the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy. The U.S. air force base in Palawan Island is less than 500 kilometers from the Nansha Islands. U.S. military jets at the base could reach the Nansha Islands within 30 minutes. Compared with the Kadena U.S. Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, the Palawan base shortens flight time to less than one third of what it was before, leaving more time for action above the targeted area. Obviously, these military bases in the Philippines would be an ideal springboard for the U.S. to gain control of the region. The U.S. has many military bases in the South China Sea, including one in Subic, Philippines and a naval base in Singapore. However, the U.S. should keep in mind that there have been protests in the Philippines over the decision to let the U.S. military use the countrys bases. Recently, a non-governmental organization in the country issued a statement against the decision. In accordance with the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement, the EDCA will not promote the modernization of the Philippines military. What the country really needs is economic development and national industrialization, and they cannot achieve those things by becoming a colony of the U.S. This situation is a provocation to China, and it will not stand. The increasing military presence of the U.S. in the South China Sea will only accelerate militarization in the region, encourage countries like the Philippines to provoke China, and intensify regional tensions. It is not conducive to regional peace and stability. (The author is a research fellow at China's Naval Research Institute) BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Monday agreements like the one reached last week by the United States and the Philippines allowing for a U.S. military presence at five Philippine bases raised questions about militarisation in the South China Sea. The United States is keen to boost the military capabilities of East Asian countries and its own regional presence in the face of China's assertive pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest trade routes. The United States and its regional allies have expressed concern that China is militarising the South China Sea with moves to build airfields and other military facilities on the islands it occupies. Asked about the base deal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that U.S.-Philippine cooperation should not be targeted at any third party nor harm other nations' sovereignty or security interests. "I also want to point out that recently the U.S. military likes to talk about the so-called militarisation of the South China Sea," Hua told a daily news conference. "Can they then explain, isn't this kind of continued strengthening of military deployments in the South China Sea and areas surrounding it considered militarisation?" China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. The United States says it takes no sides in the disputes but wants to ensure free navigation through the sea. It has said it will increase what it calls freedom-of-navigation operations by its navy ships through the waters. U.S. allies Malaysia and Australia both reiterated on Monday calls for freedom of navigation through the South China Sea. "We've been extremely consistent in saying that our activities will continue, that we will send our ships and our planes to that part of the world as we require, as it is necessary in accordance to international law," Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne said after meeting her counterpart in Malaysia. Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that free movement in the air and waters should continue. China has never interfered with freedom of navigation and has stressed that some of the equipment it is installing on small islands and reefs will facilitate navigation. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard, addtional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Nick Macfie, Robert Birsel) Friends and relatives carrying the coffin of Nasrulhudin Najumudin to his house at Tampines on Wednesday. (Photo: Yahoo Singapore) Commuters have expressed sadness about the deaths of two SMRT staff near the Pasir Ris station on Tuesday (22 March) and are concerned about the train operators work safety standards. Speaking to Yahoo Singapore at Pasir Ris station on Thursday (24 March), the commuters said that the tragedy has raised more questions than answers. Two SMRT staff, Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, and Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, were killed when they were hit by a train at a platform near the Pasir Ris station. They had only joined the train operator in January and were trainee staff. The duo were supposed to carry out maintenance on the tracks when the accident happened. They were buried next to each other on Wednesday (23 March) afternoon. Gamar Khatib, who commutes by train daily, described the accident as totally avoidable and lamented about the loss of two young lives. The system has been in operation for many years and this is the first time such a thing has happened. This explains how the relevant authorities have slackened, not only for train operations but public buses too. Honestly, I will never look at trains the same way again, said Gamar, who is self-employed. Confidence in SMRT affected Gamars point was echoed by Asyikin Amri, 24, who questioned whether safety standards were compromised, which led to the deaths of the SMRT staff. According to Asyikin, who spoke to Yahoo Singapore at Pasir Ris MRT station, the tragedy has caused members of the public to be worried about the work safety issues that SMRTs maintenance staff face daily. To a certain extent, my confidence in SMRT has been swayed, said Asyikin, who works in the healthcare industry. Narayan Gurung said that SMRT maintenance staff who are inexperienced, like the two victims, should not be allowed to work on the tracks so soon. Such workers, according to the 40-year-old civil servant, must receive proper guidance from their senior colleagues before being entrusted with such an important task. Story continues Pasir Ris residents react Financial consultant, Dex Tan, also said that the accident could have been avoided and raised concerns about the general safety of the Pasir Ris station. I think the platform at Pasir Ris is the only one without doors. Aside from the unfortunate accident, I think the authorities should do something about it, said the 32-year-old, who lives in the area. Flowers placed at one of the MRT pillars in Pasir Ris. (Photo: Yahoo Singapore) Another Pasir Ris resident, Fahmy Ramdan, said he was shocked when he learnt about the accident as it happened just a few hundred metres away from his flat. The 22-year-old student, who watched the rescue operations from his flat, said there is a need to address safety procedures quickly. Victims cousins demand transparency Meanwhile, the cousins of Asyraf told Yahoo Singapore that they want the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for track operations to be properly reviewed by SMRTs top management. Nur Amirah Anwar, 29, said the top management needs to understand fully the risks that ground staff face and only then will the SOPs be effective. My point is management just come up with SOPshow do they even know if it is feasible or safe for their staff, she said via a WhatsApp message. Another cousin, Mohamed Shahrul, 28, asked whether there are backup procedures to avert an accident should there be a communication breakdown between staff. SMRT said in a statement on Wednesday that there were no records of coordination between the staff on the tracks and the signal unit at the station to stop incoming trains prior to the accident. Shahrul called for full transparency from the SMRT management in order to ease the concerns of its staff and members of the public. The Islamic State group suffered a double setback in Syria Friday as army troops recaptured half of the ancient city of Palmyra and the Pentagon said the jihadists' second-in-command was killed in a US raid. The seizure by Russian-backed Syrian troops of half of Palmyra including the hilltop citadel and the airport came nearly a year after IS overran the UNESCO world heritage site. The Syrian regime's gains came after US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's President Vladimir Putin agreed to intensify the drive for a political settlement in the war-torn nation. Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said the death this week of Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, described as IS's number two, would hamper the jihadists' ability to conduct operations in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. He said the US was "systematically eliminating" IS's cabinet, referring also to the killing earlier this month of "Omar the Chechen", described by Washington as the jihadists' defence minister. "The momentum of this campaign is now clearly on our side," said Carter. However, separate attacks by IS in Iraq and Yemen Friday claimed over 50 lives, with observers warning that as their self-proclaimed "caliphate" shrinks towards extinction, its fighters are likely to ramp up suicide attacks on civilian targets. A suicide bomber killed at least 30 people at a local football tournament south of Baghdad, while in Aden three suicide bombings at security checkpoints killed 22 people, including 10 civilians. - 'An ancient treasure' - Syrian state television said loyalist troops seized the Palmyra citadel "after inflicting many losses in the ranks of the terrorist group Daesh," using another name for IS. It said the army had also cut off the main Palmyra-Deir Ezzor highway leading to the Iraqi border. "Pro-government forces, which have the support in Palmyra of the Russian air force, took control of half of the city as well as the airport," a military source said. IS has blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years. Built in the 13th century, the citadel is Palmyra's main Islamic-era monument. Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdelkarim said the army had also "liberated the district of hotels and restaurants as well as the Valley of the Tombs". He said troops were 600 metres (yards) from the site of the Temple of Bel, which IS destroyed in September, "but it is advancing slowly because of mines and above all to protect the city, which is an ancient treasure." - Assad still a sticking point - The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 18 soldiers were killed in fighting and by mines planted by retreating jihadists, while 24 IS militants died in air strikes and clashes. In Moscow, the defence ministry said Russian warplanes carried out 146 air strikes against "terrorist" targets in Palmyra from March 22 to 24. Its full recapture would be a major strategic and symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since whoever holds Palmyra also controls the vast desert extending from central Syria to the Iraqi border. Despite the football tournament bombing, IS faces mounting pressure in Iraq where the army said on Thursday it had launched a long-awaited offensive to retake second city of Mosul, a key IS hub since 2014. Iraqi forces cleared roadside bombs and booby traps Friday in villages from which they ousted jihadists a day earlier south of Mosul, officials said. Friday's fighting for Palmyra came as the latest round of peace talks aimed at ending Syria's five-year war, which has left more than 270,000 people dead, came to a close. Kerry and Putin, who back different sides in Syria's war, agreed at a rare meeting in Moscow to push for a political settlement, but the future of Assad remains a sticking point. In Beirut, UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged a speedy end to the war and other Middle East conflicts saying "this is a critical time for the region". But unless Assad agrees to step down, there are concerns the Syrian opposition could drop out of UN-brokered peace negotiations, which UN envoy Staffan de Mistura aims to restart on April 9. - 'Jihadists celebrating Brussels' - The focus of Syria's war appears to have shifted to the battle against IS in Palmyra, nearly a month after a truce between the army and non-jihadist rebels brokered by the United States and Russia came into force. Global concern over the jihadist threat was further heightened this week by a deadly attack in Brussels that was claimed by IS. In IS's de facto capital Raqa in northern Syria, "jihadists have been celebrating the Brussels attack all week," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The group's top religious figure in the city, Abu Ali al-Sharii, led the Friday prayer with a pledge to commit more violence. "We vow new operations by jihadists in the West," he said, according to the Observatory. AFP News Pro-Russian authorities on Saturday urged residents in the southern Kherson region, which Moscow claims to have annexed, to leave the main city "immediately" in the face of Kyiv's advancing counter-offensive. It comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched 36 rockets overnight in a "massive attack" on Ukraine, following reported strikes on energy infrastructure that resulted in power outages across the country. And Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida became the latest world leader to reproach Moscow for its talk of using nuclear weapons. Kyiv's forces have been advancing along the west bank of the Dnipro river, towards the Kherson region's eponymous main city. Kherson was the first major city to fall to Moscow's troops, and retaking it would be a major prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive. In recent days, Russia has been moving residents in the region -- which Moscow claims to have annexed in September -- east to Russia, in efforts Kyiv has denounced as "deportations". "Due to the tense situation on the front, the increased danger of mass shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must immediately leave the city and cross to the left bank" of the Dnipro river, the region's pro-Russian authorities announced on social media. A Moscow-installed official in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, told Russian news agency Interfax on Saturday that around 25,000 people had made the crossing. Sergiy Khlan, the Ukrainian deputy head of the Kherson region, said Russians were removing property and documents from banks and the passport office as they withdrew. Ukraine's general staff said Moscow's forces had abandoned two more settlements in Kherson and were evacuating medical personnel from a third, accusing them of looting local civilians. - A 'serious threat' - Earlier Saturday, Japan's Kishida denounced Moscow's comments regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict. "Russia's act of threatening the use of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to the peace and security of the international community and absolutely unacceptable," he said. The 77-year period of no nuclear weapons use "must not be ended", said Kishida, speaking in Australia. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Putin has made several thinly veiled threats about his willingness to deploy tactical nuclear weapons. Earlier this month, the European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that the Russian army would be "annihilated" if Russia launched such an attack. Washington has also warned Moscow of "catastrophic" consequences should they use such weapons. Japan is the only country ever to have been hit with nuclear weapons: the US atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, which killed 140,000 people, and the second US bomb on Nagasaki, three days later, which killed 74,000 people. - 'Afraid for our lives' - At a train station in the town of Dzhankoy in the north of Crimea, a peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Kherson residents were boarding a train for southern Russia, an AFP reporter saw Friday. "We are leaving Kherson because heavy shelling started there, we are afraid for our lives," said Valentina Yelkina, a pensioner travelling with her daughter. More than a million households in Ukraine have been left without electricity following Russian strikes on energy facilities across the country, the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidency Kyrylo Tymoshenko said on Saturday. Fresh Russian strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Ukraine's west, the national operator said earlier, with officials in several regions of the war-scarred country reporting power outages as winter approaches. Russians "carried out another missile attack on energy facilities of the main networks of Ukraine's western regions", Ukraine's energy operator Ukrenergo said on social media. "These are vile strikes on critical objects," said Zelensky. "The world can and must stop this terror." Power outages were reported in other parts of the country and local officials repeated calls to reduce energy use. Some parts of Ukraine have already cut their electricity use by up to 20 percent, according to Ukrenergo. "Saturday in Ukraine starts with a barrage of Russian missiles aimed at critical civilian infrastructure," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter. He once again urged Kyiv's allies to hasten the delivery of air defence systems. In the Russian Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, at least two civilians were killed in strikes on Saturday, according to the local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Nearly 15,000 people were left without electricity, he added. Russia last week reported a "considerable increase" in Ukrainian fire into its territory, saying attacks had largely concentrated on Belgorod region and neighbouring regions of Bryansk and Kursk. bur-imm/jj/ah Two of the bombers who carried out the twin deadly attacks in Brussels were brothers and known to police, Belgium's federal prosecutor has confirmed. Ibrahim El Bakraoui, was one of two men who blew themselves up at Zaventem Airport, Frederic van Leeuw told a news conference. The 30-year-old left a will on a computer that was found, it has been revealed. The other brother, Khalid, carried out the suicide attack on an underground train at Maalbeek Metro station. He was identified by his fingerprints. The second airport bomber has not been unidentified while a third, who has not been officially named but is reported to be Najim Laachraoui, is on the run. Both brothers had criminal records but had not previously been linked by police to terrorism until now, it was reported. :: Terror In Brussels: Live Updates Khalid had rented under a false identity the house in Brussels raided by police last week, in an operation that later led to the arrest of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam. It has emerged Ibrahim had been sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted in October 2010 of firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle at police and wounding an officer after a robbery in Brussels earlier that year. In 2011, his brother Khalid was given a five year jail sentence for car jacking. Earlier on Wednesday it was suggested Laachraoui, the chief suspect being hunted over the airport bombing had been captured, but these were later withdrawn. The 24-year-old had already been identified by French police as the chief bombmaker for the Paris attacks last November. CCTV footage taken in the moments before the twin blasts at Zaventem Airport showed two of the three men wearing single gloves to conceal detonators. The explosives were contained in their luggage and detonated before reaching the security gate, according to Zaventem's mayor. Confirming a suspect is still on the run, Mr Van Leeuw, said: "A photo showing the three suspects has been issued and one of them has been identified, Mr Brahim El Bakraoui, because of his fingerprints, and he is of Belgian nationality. Story continues "The second one on the left of the photograph has not been identified. "The third one, in a hat, is still on the run and his bomb did not explode. It contained the biggest explosive charge and there was great instability of the explosives." Investigators were tipped off by police by a taxi driver who had driven three "suspicious" individuals to the airport - and was told not to touch their luggage upon arrival. He directed police to the house where he had picked them up in the Brussels suburb of Schaerbeek. Inside the property detectives found a nail bomb, chemical products and an Islamic State flag. Belgium is continuing to mourn following the airport attack and the subsequent explosion on the metro. The 31 victims killed in the attacks are starting to be identified. Downing Street has said it is "concerned" about missing Brussels commuter David Dixon, originally from Hartlepool, who failed to arrive at work on Tuesday morning. Four Britons were injured in the attacks, three of whom are being treated in hospital, said Number 10. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for both atrocities, and in a statement, the terror group warned of "dark days" ahead for the western nations against it. :: In the UK, anyone affected or concerned about others caught up in the attacks can call +442070080000. :: The Belgian Crisis Centre has also set up a helpline for people calling from outside Belgium: +3278151771. Those in Belgium are asked to call 1771. Norwegian photographer Elena Sellberg captured the rare phenomenon of a rainbow caused by ice rather than rain in Uvdal at an altitude of 1050 metres. This otherworldly vertical rainbow looks like a magical pillar coming straight down from heaven to the snowy earth. The dreamy scene is like a setting from fairy tales, with snow-coated trees shining in the sunlight against a backdrop of cloudy mountains. Brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el Bakraoui are believed to have blown themselves up at Brussels airport. Najim Laachraoui, the "man in white" with them in CCTV footage, has become Europe's most wanted man after he apparently fled the airport amid the carnage. Here is what we know about the men allegedly behind the Brussels terror attacks. :: Najim Laachraoui :: Born 18 May, 1991, one of six children. :: Educated at the Institut de la Sainte-Famille d'Helmet Roman Catholic high school in Brussels suburb of Schaerbeek. Believed to have later graduated in electro-mechanical engineering. :: Left for Syria in February 2013 after adopting jihadi name Abou Idriss. Subject of international arrest warrant issued in March 2014 for recruiting IS fighters. :: Returned to Europe in September 2015, travelling with Paris attacks prime suspect Salah Abdeslam and Mohamed Belkaid, a 35-year-old Algerian also wanted in connection with the Paris attacks who was killed in a Brussels police raid last week. :: Given fake ID "Soufiane Kayal" in Budapest and evaded capture at Austria-Hungary border when the suspected terrorists were stopped by pretending to be tourists on a trip to Vienna. :: Identified on Monday by prosecutors as man who made explosives used in the Paris atrocities. His DNA was found on suicide belts used at Bataclan theatre and Stade de France - and at a Brussels apartment used for bomb making. :: Suspected of making explosive TATP, which can be made with common household products and was used in Paris. It has been nicknamed "Mother of Satan" for its high susceptibility to accidental detonation and can pass undetected through scanners designed to pick up explosives containing nitrogen. :: Khalid and Ibrahim el Bakraoui :: According to Belgian media, Ibrahim, 30, blew himself up at Zaventem airport, while Khalid, 27, was the suicide bomber on the Maalbeek metro. :: Both were known to police for their involvement in organised crime and were more recently wanted over links to the Paris attacks terror cell. Story continues :: Khalid was believed to have rented an apartment in the Forest area of Brussels where Belkaid was killed during a police raid and Abdeslam's fingerprints were found. :: He was given a five-year suspended jail sentence in February 2011 for a series of car-jackings. Police found Kalashnikov assault rifles when they went to arrest him. :: Ibrahim was reportedly jailed for nine years in October 2010 for his part in an armed robbery at a Brussels stockbroker, when he fired on police with a Kalashnikov, wounding one officer, as his gang tried to escape. BEIJING (Reuters) - Philippines fishermen threw fire bombs at Chinese law enforcement vessels in the South China Sea, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, after Philippines media reported that fishermen had been struck by bottles hurled from China's coast guard ships. The reports said that a clash occurred at Scarborough Shoal, an area China seized control of after a three-month stand-off with the Philippine coast guard in 2012. The reports said Chinese coast guardsmen hurled bottles at the Philippines fishermen, who responded with rocks. China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Scarborough Shoal - known by Beijing as Huangyan Island - was Chinese territory which Philippine fishermen had been fishing around illegally. "Chinese official ships advised the illegally stationed Philippine trawlers to leave, in accordance with the law, but they refused to obey," she told a daily news briefing. "Certain people on the ships even waved around machetes and flung fire bombs, carrying out deliberate provocation, attacking the Chinese law enforcers and official boat, confronting China's law enforcement and seriously threatening the safety and order of the waters around Huangyan Island," Hua said. China had strengthened its "management" around the shoal, she added, without elaborating. A spokesman for the Philippines Foreign Ministry declined to comment, pending an official report "from our concerned agencies". China and the Philippines have long exchanged accusations about each other's behavior in the disputed South China Sea. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. A spokesman for the U.S. Defense Department, Commander Bill Urban, said Chinese Coastguard vessels had sought since 2012 to block fishing access to the area, "restricting the long-standing commercial practices of others". "We are concerned that such actions exacerbate tensions in the region and are counterproductive," Urban said. He said that the United States, which is a treaty ally of the Philippines, wanted to see claims resolved peacefully in accordance with international law or arbitration. Last week, the U.S. Navy said it had seen activity around Scarborough Shoal that could be a precursor to more Chinese land reclamation, which China has conducted on a large scale elsewhere in the South China Sea to back its territorial claims. Navy chief Admiral John Richardson also told Reuters that a ruling expected in late May or early June in a case the Philippines has brought against China over its claims in the International Court of Arbitration in the Hague, could prompt Beijing to declare a South China Sea exclusion zone. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema in MANILA and Andrea Shalal and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Nick Macfie and Grant McCool) By Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh police met an official of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Dhaka on Sunday to try to track down culprits in an attempted $951 million cyber heist from the country's central bank. Initial investigations aim to identify the origin of a transfer order for $81 million that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York paid from Bangladesh Bank's account there to casinos in the Philippines, a senior police official told reporters. The transfer, one of the largest cyber heists in history, was among 35 requests that unknown hackers made for payments from the bank's New York Fed account in early February. Other requested transfers from that account, which Dhaka uses for international settlements, were apparently blocked. Former finance secretary Fazle Kabir took over on Sunday as head of the central bank after the former governor Atiur Rehman resigned amid complaints from the government that it had only learned of the heist a month later from the media. Also on Sunday, the wife of a cyber crime expert reported he had disappeared after being abducted from a motor rickshaw in the early hours of last Thursday. He had met police on Tuesday and told the media he knew three user IDs used for the heist. Senior police official Mirza Abdullahel Baqui said after meeting the FBI official that criminals in six countries were apparently involved in the heist. "This is the biggest transnational organised crime ever seen in Bangladesh and so we sought both technical and human assistance (from the FBI)," he said. The officials also discussed how to proceed with their investigation, he added. A government investigative committee led by former central bank governor Mohammad Farash Uddin began its probe into the heist on Sunday. "This is a wake-up call," he said of the unprecedented breach in the bank's computer security. A Philippines Senate hearing last week was told that $30 million of the $81 million haul was delivered in cash to an ethnic Chinese casino junket operator in Manila. The rest was transferred to two casinos in the Philippines. According to his wife, cyber crime expert Tanveer Hassan Zoha was blindfolded by unknown people in plainclothes early on Thursday before being taken away in a vehicle. He had gone on Tuesday with a special police force to the central bank where they spent several hours. Afterwards, he told reporters he knew three of the user IDs involved in the heist. Kamrun Nahar Chowdhury, Zoha's wife, said police had refused to investigate her husband's disappearance and she had appealed to the government for help to free him. Police were unavailable for comment. "We don't know why he was picked up," she told Reuters. (Reporting by Serajul Quadir; Editing by Tom Heneghan) By Jim Finkle and Serajul Quadir (Reuters) - The SWIFT messaging system plans to ask banks to make sure they are following recommended security practices following an unprecedented cyber attack on Bangladesh's central bank that yielded $81 million, a spokeswoman for the group told Reuters on Sunday. Brussels-based SWIFT, a cooperative owned by some 3,000 global financial institutions, will issue a written advisory on Monday asking banks to review internal security, the spokeswoman said. SWIFT staff will also begin calling banks to highlight the importance of reviewing security measures after the attack in Bangladesh, she added. "Our priority at this time is to encourage customers to review and, where necessary, to reinforce their local operating environments," the spokeswoman added. Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank and in early February attempted to steal $951 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which it uses for international settlements. Some attempted transfers were blocked, but $81 million was transferred to accounts in the Philippines in one of the largest cyber heists in history. SWIFT has so far said little about the attack, except that it was related to "an internal operational issue" at Bangladesh Bank and that there was no compromise in its core messaging system. SWIFT prepared a summary of previously issued recommendations for implementing security measures to thwart hackers, which advises members to pay close attention to best practices, the spokeswoman added. While SWIFT can advise members to follow certain minimum security standards, there is no organization with regulatory oversight of how central banks and other financial institutions secure their networks, said independent security consultant Shane Shook. That means that security is not uniform among central banks, making some more vulnerable to cyber attacks, said Shook, who has helped investigate some of the biggest financial breaches. A confidential interim report on the investigation, which forensics experts submitted to the bank on Wednesday, said that attackers took control of the bank's network, stole credentials for sending SWIFT messages and used "sophisticated" malicious software to attack the computers it uses to process and authorize transactions. Investigators said in the report, which was reviewed by Reuters, that they expect to continue their investigation for another two weeks and believe the attackers have targeted other financial institutions. The report was prepared by FireEye Inc and World Informatix, which were hired by Bangladesh's central bank to investigate the massive theft. The investigators did not identify other victims or name the hackers, but said that forensic evidence suggests they were also behind other recent cyber attacks on financial institutions. "FireEye has observed these same suspected FIN threat actors within other customer networks in the financial industry, where these threat actors appear to be financially motivated, and well organised," said an interim report sent to the bank last week. Representatives of Bangladesh Bank and FireEye declined to comment on the confidential report and their probe into the Feb. 4 heist. World Informatix Chief Executive Rakesh Asthana told Reuters via email that he could not discuss the investigation, but that he expected Bangladesh Bank to issue a news release on Monday. Details from the interim report were previously reported by Bloomberg News and Bangladesh's The Daily Star. The Daily Star also reported on Saturday that Bangladesh Bank linked its SWIFT operation with other technology operations belonging to the central bank in Dhaka and other cities in October 2015, citing an unnamed bank official. Prior to that, they were separate systems, the report said. Connecting those systems may have given the hackers a path to break into the bank's SWIFT platform, the article cited the official as saying. (bit.ly/21ClRuq) (Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston and Serajul Quadir in Dhaka; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By Lefteris Karagiannopoulos ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece said on Thursday it would speed up the creation of reception centres for up to 30,000 migrants to help cope with a sharp rise in numbers because of border closures in the Balkans that cut off the main migration route to wealthy western Europe. Tens of thousands of refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece, straining resources of the recession-hit country that has borne the brunt of a massive influx into Europe of people fleeing conflict in the Middle East for more than a year. "We will attempt to create reception facilities for 30,000 people over the next 20 days," said George Kyritsis, a Greek government spokesman for the refugee crisis. Greece now has some 38,000 positions available in reception centres for refugees. There were almost 50,000 refugees and migrants in Greece on Thursday, many living in squalid conditions in tents near its northern border with Macedonia, waiting for a border to open. Kyritsis said it was a priority that migrants left the camp, close to the border town of Idomeni. "The border (to Macedonia) is shut, and it's futile for them to stay there." The European Union and Turkey last week agreed to halt the flow of migrants to Europe in return for political and financial rewards for Ankara, sealing off the main route by which a million migrants poured across the Aegean into Greece last year. Human rights organisations reject the pact, which fast-tracks registration and asylum applications under which hundreds of new arrivals have been detained since Sunday. Refugees or migrants whose applications fail will be sent back to Turkey. Aid agencies have said that cooperating with the Greeks at detention centres would make them complicit with a practise they say runs roughshod over human rights. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR is now refusing to provide transport for newly-arrived migrants escorted to registration centres. Since March 20, when the EU-Turkey accord took effect, migrants and refugees are not allowed to leave the centres, effectively turning them into detention camps, critics say. Kyritsis said the centres were not detention centres but areas where refugees needed to be "kept under supervision". (Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Mark Heinrich) File photo: China's high speed railway Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich suggests China participate in the construction of a high speed railway from Samara, the sixth largest city in southwest Russia, to Tolyatti, on March 24, 2016. According to Dvorkovich, the Russian side has met with National Railway Administration of China. They discussed about the design of a railway from Moscow to Kazan, which was undertaken by the Chinese side. As the design work is going well and smoothly, the Chinese constructors expressed their hope to participate in more railway projects in Russia. Deputy PM Arkady Dvorkovich mentioned the construction of a new high speed railway from Samara to Tolyatti in southwest Russia which will pass the Kurumoch International Airport, and said that China is welcomed to take a part. Undoubtedly, this is a very attractive project, Dvorkovich said. And we will have several more promising railway construction projects in the near future, he added. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday assailed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for adopting a measure that calls for the establishment of a database of businesses "involved in activities" in the occupied West Bank. Israel's U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, called the database a "blacklist" and said the UNHRC was behaving "obsessively" against Israel. The Geneva-based council, a 47-member state forum established 10 years ago which Israel and its major U.S. ally accuse of bias against the Jewish state, adopted the motion with 32 votes in favour, none against and 15, mostly European nations, abstaining. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement calling the body an "anti-Israel circus," adding the council "attacks the only democracy in the Middle East and ignores the gross violations of Iran, Syria and North Korea." The council asked for the list of enterprises to be updated annually and to be appraised of the "human rights and international law violations involved in the production of settlement goods." Netanyahu said it was absurd to condemn Israel rather than deal with attacks by Palestinians against Israel and by Islamic State in Europe. "Israel calls on responsible governments not to honour the decisions of the Council that discriminate against Israel," Netanyahu said. Danon said the council's decision reminded of "a dark period in Europe when Jewish businesses were singled out. Whoever supported today's decision, should be ashamed." The council also named Canadian Stanley Michael Lynk as its new investigator on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories following the resignation in January of special rapporteur Makarim Wibisono, citing Israel's failure to cooperate with him. Among the nearly 40 resolutions adopted by the council at the end of its four week session were resolutions on Syria, Iran and North Korea. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed East Jerusalem, declaring it part of its eternal, indivisible capital, in a move never recognised internationally. (Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Chris Reese) The Independent Elon Musk plans to lay off most of Twitters workforce if and when he becomes owner of the social media company, according to a report by The Washington Post.Musk has told prospective investors in his Twitter purchase that he plans to cut nearly 75% of Twitters employee base of 7,500 workers, according to Thursday's report.If confirmed, the cuts would leave the company with a skeleton crew, according to the Post.The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberations.San Francisco-based Twitter and a representative for Musk attorney Alex Spiro did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.SEE MORE: What Happens If Elon Musk Buys Twitter?While job cuts have been expected regardless of the sale, the magnitude of Musk's planned cuts are far more extreme than anything Twitter had planned.Musk himself has alluded to the need to cull some of the company's staff in the past, but he hadn't given a specific number - at least not publicly.Already, experts, nonprofits and even Twitter's own staff have warned that pulling back investments on content moderation and data security could hurt Twitter and its users.With as drastic a reduction as Musk may be planning, the platform could quickly become overrun with harmful content and spam.After his initial $44 billion bid in April to buy Twitter, Musk backed out of the deal, contending Twitter misrepresented the number of fake spam bot accounts on its platform.Twitter sued, and a Delaware judge has given both sides until 28 October to work out details.Otherwise, there will be a trial in November.Additional reporting by The Associated Press. By Karolina Tagaris LESBOS, Greece (Reuters) - More aid agencies helping refugees and migrants arriving in Greece said they were joining a boycott of detention centers on Wednesday, angered at an EU deal they say runs roughshod over human rights. Human rights organizations reject the pact between the European Union and Turkey to fast-track registration and asylum applications, under which hundreds of new arrivals have been detained since Sunday. Refugees or migrants whose applications fail will be sent back to Turkey. Aid agencies said cooperating with the Greeks at detention centers would make them complicit with an "unfair and inhumane" practice. Two aid agencies said on Wednesday they were following the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR and aid organization Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), a major contributor to the relief effort, which both announced on Tuesday they would cut back assistance. "The IRC alerted the (Greek) coast guard on Monday that we would not transport the world's most vulnerable people to a place where their freedom of movement is impeded upon," said Lucy Carrigan, a regional spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The IRC will continue to support those at another makeshift camp, she said. The Norwegian Refugee Council, a major non-governmental organization, said it was suspending most of its activities at a detention center on the Greek island of Chios. "We are extremely close to be in a position where this site is dangerously overcrowded ... We have a large number of refugees including pregnant women and children lying on the concrete floor in the reception hall," said Dan Tyler, a protection adviser for the council. Tension in the facility was building up and there had already been demonstrations, he told Reuters. THOUSANDS STRANDED Thousands of people have been stranded in Greece since a cascade of border shutdowns in the Balkans started in February. There are almost 50,000 refugees and migrants stranded in Greece, the vast majority of them not detained in camps since most arrived before the new EU arrangement came into effect on March 20. Some 12,000 are at Idomeni, a sprawling complex of tents on the Greek border with Macedonia. Since Tuesday, MSF medical personnel have been absent from the camp, citing security reasons after two migrants tried to set themselves on fire. Migrants living at Idomeni blocked a motorway and a customs checkpoint on Wednesday, demanding that the border be opened. Greek authorities said they needed help. "We need these international organizations, particularly the UNHCR, which is of great assistance to us. Naturally we want it to stay, under certain rules, of course," Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Toskas told Greek radio. A government source said migration minister Yannis Mouzalas was trying to coax aid organizations back. "He is the best placed to mediate with these groups," the source said. Mouzalas, a physician, was extensively involved with aid agencies and participated in relief missions before his cabinet appointment in Greece's leftist-led government last year. More than 147,000 people, many fleeing conflict in the Middle East and Asia, have arrived in Greece by sea this year. Almost one million arrived in Europe via Greece in 2015. (Additional reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Oslo, Renee Maltezou and Angeliki Koutantou in Athens; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Tom Heneghan) RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's decision to reduce United Nations staff at the Western Sahara mission is sovereign and irreversible, but the government is committed to military cooperation with the U.N. to guarantee the ceasefire there, the foreign minister said on Thursday. Morocco this month asked the U.N. to pull out more than 80 staffers and close a military liaison office after criticising U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for using the word "occupation" to describe Morocco's annexation of the disputed territory. "Our decision is sovereign and irreversible," Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar told reporters in Rabat. He said military contacts with the U.N. mission, known as MINURSO, had not been disrupted and Morocco was committed to cooperation to ensure the continuity of the ceasefire. Morocco took over most of the territory in 1975 from colonial Spain. That started a guerrilla war with the Sahrawi people's Polisario Front who say the desert territory on Africa's northwest belongs to them. The U.N. brokered a ceasefire in 1991 and sent in its MINURSO mission, which consists of military and civilian staff, to monitor the ceasefire and organise a referendum over the region's future. But deadlock has delayed the vote for years. Mezouar said Morocco was ready for serious talks that would not ignore the reasons for the current situation. Polisario representatives say Morocco is putting a ceasefire at risk by expelling U.N. staffers and trying to scuttle the referendum, including on the question of independence. Morocco has offered an autonomy plan as the only way forward. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Ruth Pitchford and Mark Potter) By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea successfully tested a solid-fuel engine that boosted the power of its ballistic rockets, state media reported on Thursday, as South Korea's president ordered the military to be ready to respond to the North's "reckless provocation." Pyongyang's claim indicates it is continuing to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a rapid pace in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and amid assessment by the South's officials that it could conduct a new nuclear test at any time. The isolated state has in recent weeks stepped up bellicose rhetoric, threatening pre-emptive nuclear strikes against Washington and Seoul, as well as making claims of advancement in its weapons technology. The Rodong Sinmum, North Korea's ruling party newspaper, carried photos of leader Kim Jong Un on site as a rocket engine laid horizontally on the ground emitted a fiery blast. A two-page report detailed the testing of the engine's structure and thrust. "He noted with great pleasure that the successful test ... helped boost the power of ballistic rockets capable of mercilessly striking hostile forces," KCNA news agency said. North Korea said last week it had conducted a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile, and would soon test ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. On Wednesday, North Korea repeated a threat to attack the South's presidential office, saying its large-calibre multiple rocket launch systems are on alert to strike the Blue House and its special operations unit is ready to go into action. South Korean President Park Geun-hye office said she had ordered a heightened state of alert and put the military on standby to "respond actively to reckless provocations by the North." U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner repeated a call on North Korea to "refrain from any actions and any rhetoric that raise tensions in the region and comply with its international obligations and commitments." The current tension on the peninsula follows tough new U.N. sanctions against the North over its nuclear and missile programmes and coincides with annual military drills by the South Korea and the United States. The North calls the exercises "nuclear war moves" and has threatened to respond with an all-out offensive. It has conducted a series of rocket launches in recent days. SOLID FUEL ROCKET ENGINE Pyongyang has previously launched long-range rockets that used liquid fuel but it was seen to lack the capability to build solid-fuel long-range or intercontinental missiles. Solid-fuel rockets have advantages in military use, although liquid fuel rockets are considered more sophisticated as their thrust can be controlled in flight. The North has deployed short and medium-range missiles and test fired them, but never flight-tested the KN-08 ICBM it is believed to be developing. Despite its boasts to be making progress, many experts believe the North is a decade or more away from building an ICBM capable of threatening the United States. Michael Elleman, a U.S.-based expert on solid rocket fuel with the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, said the engine North Korea tested appeared to have been for the upper stage of a larger rocket or missile. He told a Washington seminar hosted by the Washington-based North Korean monitoring project 38 North that Pyongyang was at least 15 years away from being able to produce solid-fuel motor large enough to able power an ICBM. He said it was unlikely North Korea was producing rocket engines itself and was probably instead relying on a stockpile from the Soviet era. Elleman said he found it "shocking" that Kim Jong Un was photographed standing a few yards away from the rocket motor, apparently just before the test. (http://www.rodong.rep.kp/en/) He said there was a risk of an inadvertent explosion from "one, maybe one-and-a-half, possibly even two tonnes of propellant." "Solid rocket propellant is essentially an explosive that burns at slower rate," he said. "They were putting Kim Jong Un at risk by having him near such a volatile system." North Korea's stepped-up rhetoric and weapons claims come ahead of its planned congress of the ruling Workers' Party, the first in more than 35 years. Some Pyongyang-watchers say the North may look to claim a splashy achievement, such as a fifth nuclear test, in the run-up to the congress as young leader Kim Jong Un looks to bolster his domestic legitimacy. North Korea is ready to conduct a fifth nuclear test "now, immediately," South Korea's unification ministry said on Monday. (Additional reporting by Ju-min Park and James Pearson in Seoul, and David Brunnstrom in Washington; editing by James Dalgleish and Cynthia Osterman) By Stine Jacobsen OSLO (Reuters) - A Norwegian humanitarian group said on Wednesday it is suspending its activities on the Greek island of Chios in the wake of the EU-Turkey deal, echoing the harsh criticism of the United Nation's refugee agency UNHCR. The decision by the Norwegian Refugee Council, a major non-governmental organisation in the aid sector, comes a day after the UNHCR said it would no longer assist in the transfer of migrants and refugees arriving in Greece to "detention centres". The deal is aimed at halting the flow of migrants across the sea to Greece but the UNHCR said the deal was being prematurely implemented without the required safeguards in place. An official at the Norwegian Refugee Council said the way the centre on Chios, a Greek island close to the Turkish coast, operated had changed "dramatically overnight" since Sunday, when the EU-Turkey deal came into effect. "Before it was an open reception and registration facility... Now it is a closed detention centre," Dan Tyler, a protection adviser for the council, told Reuters by phone from Chios. The NRC said it was suspending most of its work within the registration centre on the island, including direct distributions of water, blankets and clothes and maintenance of water and sanitation services. "We are three days in now, and I think the situation, if it remains as it is for much longer, will be appalling from a humanitarian point of view," said Tyler. The centre was close to full, he said. It has the capacity to receive 1,200 people and already more than 1,100 people had arrived since Sunday. "We are extremely close to be in a position where this site is dangerously overcrowded ... We have a large number of refugees including pregnant women and children lying on the concrete floor in the reception hall," he said, adding that tension within the facility was building up and there had already been demonstrations. The NRC will maintain personnel at the centre as an observation post, he said. Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Tuesday it was pulling out of one centre on the island of Lesbos "because the EU-Turkey deal is turning reception centres to deportation centres". (Editing by Hugh Lawson) By Matt Spetalnick and Frank Jack Daniel HAVANA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama pushed Cuba to improve human rights during his historic visit to the Communist-led island on Monday, publicly sparring with President Raul Castro who showed flashes of anger and hit back at U.S. "double standards". In a joint news conference that was tense at times, Obama praised Castro for openly discussing their differences but he said a "full flowering" of the relationship can happen only with progress on the issue of rights. "In the absence of that, I think it will continue to be a very powerful irritant ... America believes in democracy. We believe that freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and freedom of religion are not just American values but are universal values," Obama said after talks with Castro, in remarks broadcast live on Cuban state television. The Cuban leader countered that no country meets all international rights but appeared uncomfortable as he made the rare step of taking questions from journalists in a country where the media is state controlled. Obama, the first U.S. president to visit Cuba in 88 years, agreed in 2014 to improve relations with the former Cold War foe but he is under pressure at home to push Castro's government to allow political dissent and to further open its Soviet-style economy. Opponents say he has given away too much as he improves ties, with too little from Castro in return. Castro, an army general who became president when his ailing older brother Fidel retired in 2008, had never before taken questions from foreign reporters on live Cuban television and was clearly irritated when asked about political prisoners in Cuba, demanding the reporter produce a list of those in jail. "Tell me now. What political prisoners? Give me a name, or the names," Castro said. "And if there are these political prisoners they will be free before nightfall." Cuba says it has no political prisoners and that the dozens listed by dissident groups are instead common criminals. Castro said Cuba has a strong record on rights such as health, access to education and women's equality. His government criticizes the United States on racism, police violence and the use of torture at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. In another awkward moment at the news conference, Castro lifted Obama's arm in the air as if to form a victory salute. Obama resisted, letting his hand hang limp rather than form a fist. TENSION PALPABLE Fumbling with a headset providing translation, the 84-year-old leader scolded reporters when he was asked again about rights, saying he agreed to only take one question. Obama playfully encouraged him to address a second but Castro seemed reluctant as he obliged. "How many countries comply with all 61 human rights? Do you know? I do. None. None," Castro said. As part of the diplomatic breakthrough in 2014, Cuba released 53 prisoners that the U.S. government considered political prisoners. But the dissident Cuban Commission of Human Rights and National Reconciliation says 79 are still behind bars, among them more than 40 held for peaceful political protest. "This list is here if they want to see it," commission leader Elizardo Sanchez said on Monday. His commission's list also includes armed anti-government militants, convicted hijackers, army deserters and spies, but Sanchez said they are considered political because they were denied due process. Obama's ease with reporters' questions contrasted with Castro's manner. With American flags hanging in Revolution Palace, the tension was palpable as Castro declined to call on a slew of Cuban journalists who yearned for the rare chance to ask him questions. Castro offered Cuba's recipe for better relations, saying the United States needs to lift its 54-year-old trade embargo on the island and hand back the Guantanamo Bay base to Cuba. Obama did not respond to the demand on Guantanamo Bay but said he was optimistic about the elimination of economic sanctions against Cuba. "The embargos going to end. When, I cant be entirely sure," Obama said. Obama has urged Congress to rescind the economic embargo but has been rejected by the Republican leadership. Thwarted so far, Obama has instead used his executive authority to take a series of steps loosening restrictions on trade and travel. For decades, Obama's trip would have been unthinkable. It became possible after secret talks led to the 2014 agreement to normalize relations. A series of business deals timed to coincide with the visit appeared to show the strategy was bearing some commercial fruit. Ahead of the meeting with Castro, Obama announced a deal that Google would provide more Wi-Fi and broadband access on the island. Western Union announced it was set to expand in Cuba and online hotel bookings company Priceline Group made Cuban rooms available to U.S. customers. Starwood Hotels on Saturday became the first U.S. company to sign a hotel deal in Cuba since 1959 revolution. Google said later its efforts were in the "early stages." Obama hopes that commercial deals between U.S. companies and Cuba will help protect his policy shift on Cuba even if a Republican wins the U.S. presidential election in November. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Daniel Trotta and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Kieran Murray and Alistair Bell) By Matt Spetalnick and Frank Jack Daniel HAVANA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama pushed Cuba to improve human rights during his historic visit to the Communist-led island on Monday, publicly sparring with President Raul Castro who showed flashes of anger and hit back at U.S. "double standards". Obama praised Castro for openly discussing their differences but he said a "full flowering" of the relationship would happen only with progress on the issue of rights. "In the absence of that, I think it will continue to be a very powerful irritant," Obama said in a joint news conference with Castro that began with jokes but was tense at times. "America believes in democracy. We believe that freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and freedom of religion are not just American values but are universal values," he said. Both men's remarks were broadcast live on Cuban state television from Cuba's Palace of the Revolution in a room draped with the Stars and Stripes and the Cuban flag. Castro countered that no country meets all international rights but appeared uncomfortable as he made the rare step of taking questions from journalists in a country where the media is state controlled. Obama, the first U.S. president to visit Cuba in 88 years, agreed in 2014 to improve relations with the former Cold War foe but he is under pressure at home to push Castro's government to allow political dissent and to further open its Soviet-style economy. He said the two sides would hold talks on human rights in Havana later this year. Opponents say Obama has given away too much as he improves ties, with too little from Castro in return, although the leading Republican candidate for the Nov. 8 presidential election, Donald Trump, said on Monday he would likely continue to normalize ties with Cuba if elected. Castro, an army general who became president when his ailing older brother Fidel retired in 2008, had never before taken questions from foreign reporters on live Cuban television and was clearly irritated when asked about political prisoners in Cuba, demanding the reporter produce a list of those in jail. "Tell me now. What political prisoners? Give me a name, or the names," Castro said. "And if there are these political prisoners they will be free before nightfall." Cuba says it has no political prisoners and that the dozens listed by dissident groups are instead common criminals. Castro said Cuba has a strong record on rights such as health, access to education and women's equality. His government criticizes the United States on racism, police violence and the use of torture at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. Ben Rhodes, a senior Obama aide, later insisted that Cuba has political prisoners and said the U.S. government had shared lists of them with Cuba. He said Cuba has shifted from long prisons terms to short-term detentions of political opponents. Later in the evening, Castro sat between Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for a dinner of rum flavored soup and pork, at a table that also included the leaders' top advisers. 'EMBARGO'S GOING TO END' Obama's ease with reporters' questions contrasted with Castro's manner. The tension was palpable as Castro declined to call on a slew of Cuban journalists who yearned for the rare chance to ask him questions. Fumbling with a headset providing translation, the 84-year-old leader scolded reporters when he was asked again about rights, saying he agreed to only take one question. Obama playfully encouraged him to address a second but Castro seemed reluctant as he obliged. "How many countries comply with all 61 human rights? Do you know? I do. None. None," Castro said. In another awkward moment, as the news conference ended, Castro lifted Obama's arm in the air as if to form a victory salute. Obama resisted, letting his hand hang limp rather than form a fist. As part of the diplomatic breakthrough in 2014, Cuba released 53 prisoners that the U.S. government considered political prisoners. But the dissident Cuban Commission of Human Rights and National Reconciliation says 79 are still behind bars, among about 40 held for peaceful political protest. "This list is here if they want to see it," commission leader Elizardo Sanchez said on Monday. His list also includes armed anti-government militants, convicted hijackers, army deserters and spies, but Sanchez said they are political because they were denied due process. Castro offered Cuba's recipe for better relations, saying the United States needs to lift its 54-year-old trade embargo on the island and hand back the Guantanamo Bay base to Cuba. Obama did not respond to the demand on Guantanamo Bay but said he was optimistic about the elimination of sanctions against Cuba. "The embargos going to end. When, I cant be entirely sure," Obama said. Obama efforts to encourage Congress to rescind the embargo has been rejected by the Republican leadership. Thwarted, Obama has instead used executive authority to loosen restrictions on trade and travel. Obama said direct flights from the United States would start this year. He said regular tourism to Cuba could happen "very soon," in comments to U.S. network ABC. A clutch of deals timed to coincide with the visit appeared to show the strategy was bearing commercial fruit, notably U.S. cruise company Carnival's announcement on Monday that it would sail the first ship from the United States to Cuba in more than 50 years, in a deal that will bring in thousands of U.S. tourists at a time. About a dozen major U.S. brands have stuck deals or are in talks with Cuba. Ahead of the meeting with Castro, Obama said Google would provide more Wi-Fi and broadband access on the island. Google said later its efforts were in the "early stages." (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Kieran Murray and Alistair Bell) Prince Harry has been covered in paint during his trip to Nepal as part of the Holi festival of colour. Harry wanted to experience everything Nepal could throw at him and with his hosts up in a hilltop village celebrating the festival this week, he was happy to get his hands and face dirty. Happily joining in, the Prince was splattered with red paint, but then got his own back on his hosts by covering them with paint too. He had trekked to Okhari, a remote hillside community, to see how the Gurkha Welfare Trust is helping to reconstruct the Gauda secondary school after it was destroyed in last year's earthquake. Harry was again showered in garlands and scarves when he arrived in the village. He was covered in so many that he joked "you're wrapping me like a present, there's no space left!" The night before he had stayed up in the hills with a Gurkha family and woke up early to see the sunrise over the distant mountains. Reflecting on his short stay with Mangali Tamang, 86, a widow of a former Gurkha rifleman, he said: "It was amazing really, peaceful actually. "Lots of dogs barking, but it didn't seem to bother them. "Apparently the locals, they're happy if the dogs are barking, but they're not happy if their dogs are not barking." The people of Nepal have made him feel at home, and there was a serious gesture of thanks he wanted to make by travelling to the British Gurkha camp in Pokhara. After serving in Afghanistan, alongside soldiers from Nepal, he lay a wreath at the camp for those killed in service. On a card he had written "with the deepest admiration, respect and gratitude. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten", showing his solidarity with the families who have lost loved ones fighting for our country, and those who continue to serve. BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak president Andrej Kiska appointed Robert Fico as prime minister on Wednesday after Fico's leftist Smer party won the largest share of the vote in a March 5 election and formed a four-party coalition. Fico's Smer won the most votes but lost its majority by a wide margin, raising uncertainty over whether a stable government could be formed before Bratislava takes over the European Union's rotating presidency later this year. But Fico, prime minister in 2006-2010 and 2012-2016, moved fast and three small centrist and nationalist partners signed a coalition agreement with his party on Tuesday. Fico's cabinet, also appointed on Wednesday, now has 30 days to win a confidence vote in the 150-seat parliament, where the four parties hold 81 seats. Ideological differences between Fico and two center-right coalition parties and animosity between Slovak nationalists and a party representing the Hungarian minority raise questions over how long the coalition will last. Fico's party will be dominant in the coalition and hold key ministries of finance, interior and foreign affairs. The finance ministry will again be in the hands of Peter Kazimir, respected for keeping budget deficits under control and known for his tough stance in the euro zone's negotiations with debt-plagued Greece. The coalition plans moderate cuts in taxes for corporations and small entrepreneurs and a balanced budget by the end of its term in 2020, two years later than previously planned. It has also agreed to tackle shortcomings in healthcare and education and increase transparency in government and public spending after a series of corruption scandals. Fico based his pre-election campaign on strong opposition to allowing refugees into Slovakia and filed a lawsuit against an EU decision to impose mandatory quotas on distributing refugees among member states. But this agenda was not mentioned at all in the coalition agreement, suggesting it was not a common priority for the four parties. (Reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova; Editing by Tom Heneghan) TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The U.N. envoy to Libya said on Wednesday he had been forced to cancel a flight to Tripoli because he had not been granted landing rights by the self-declared government there. Martin Kobler said he had intended to visit the Libyan capital to "pave the way" for a U.N.-backed unity government to move there from Tunis. Fayez Seraj, prime minister of the unity government, said last week that such a move was imminent. Libya has two sets of rival parliaments and governments, one in Tripoli and one in the east. A unity government was formed under a plan to end Libya's simmering conflict, but has faced stiff opposition from hardliners on both sides of Libya's political divide. Earlier this month the unity government called for an immediate transfer of power. But the prime minister in Tripoli, Khalifa Ghwell, warned it not to move, and the eastern government said it should first secure a long-delayed vote of approval from the internationally recognised parliament in the east. Ghwell's office in Tripoli said authorities there had asked Kobler for an agenda for his visit but had not received a reply and therefore had not granted permission for him to land. Previous requests from Kobler to visit had not been granted for the same reason, it said, adding that the visit had been postponed, not cancelled. In televised comments on Wednesday, Ghwell repeated his criticism of Kobler and the U.N., saying they risked creating "chaos". Seraj has said that his government would be able to move to Tripoli after a security plan was agreed with police and military forces, as well as armed groups. But the security situation in the Libyan capital remains fickle, and there have been repeated clashes between armed groups. Overnight, the commander of Tripoli's diplomatic police, Faraj Swaihili, escaped an assassination attempt by an armed group, according to accounts posted by residents on social media. No-one could be reached to confirm the reports. At least seven people were killed on Wednesday in clashes about 35km (22 miles) west of Tripoli between a brigade from Zawiya and armed militiamen who had tried to ransack the town of Tuwaybiya to avenge an earlier killing there, said security official Sabri Kshada. That followed clashes near a bank in the Bab Ben Ghashir district of Tripoli on Monday, and heavy gunfire between the Zawiyat Addahmani area and Bab Azizziya on Saturday. Tripoli is controlled by a number of semi-official armed groups which clash periodically, and it was not clear if any of the most recent incidents were linked to political developments. Some armed groups, including powerful factions from the western city of Misrata, have said they will back the unity government, but other brigades remain opposed. (Reporting by Aidan Lewis in Tunis and Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli; Editing by Richard Balmforth) By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a cessation of hostilities starting at midnight on April 10 and peace talks in Kuwait beginning a week later, United Nations special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Wednesday. There have already been several failed attempts to defuse the conflict in Yemen, which has drawn in regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran, and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the Arab world's poorest country. "This is really our last chance," Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in New York. "The war in Yemen must be brought to an end." A Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign in Yemen a year ago with the aim of preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking control of the country. The U.N. Security Council welcomed the announcement and urged parties to the conflict to "immediately reduce violence and refrain from any action that could lead to increased tensions, in order to pave the way for a cessation of hostilities." Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Saudi Arabia is "fully committed to make sure that the next talks take place and particularly supports us with regard to the cessation of hostilities." The U.N. says more than 6,000 people, half of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the Saudi-led military intervention whose ultimate aim is to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. U.S.-based rights group Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that the United States, Britain, France and others should suspend all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia over what the group deemed unlawful air strikes. The Saudi-led coalition has targeted civilians with air strikes and some of the attacks could be crimes against humanity, U.N. sanctions monitors told the Security Council in January. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the global Sunni Muslim militant organization, has also expanded its foothold in the country as the government focuses on its battle with the Houthi rebels. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said prominent Yemeni figures would be enlisted to cooperate with a de-escalation and coordination committee on the cessation of hostilities and "to report on progress and security incidents." He said the peace talks would focus on five areas: a withdrawal of militia and armed groups; a handover of heavy weaponry to the state; interim security arrangements; restoration of state institutions; and resumption of inclusive political dialogue. (Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by James Dalgleish and Tom Brown) KKR has agreed to buy into seeds provider Advanta Enterprises in a deal which values the business at about $2.25bn. Since this past Tuesday, March 15, was VITA Awareness Day, it seems appropriate to share a few thoughts about the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and the role that credit unions can play in making free tax assistance available in their communities. In Montana, that has certainly been the case. Why VITA For over a decade, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites have been trusted spaces where working families can go to get help in filling out their income taxes. The VITA program provides low-and moderate-income families access to free and easy tax-preparation services, and nationally, has put billions of dollars back into the pockets of hard working Americans. In 2015, IRS-certified volunteers serving in Montanas over 60 VITA sites and numerous Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) sites helped return over $16 million dollars in federal income taxes to more than 16,000 working Montanans. Thats a lot in our geographically huge, largely rural state. Because these services do not cost eligible filers a dime and have far lower error rates than self-and paid-tax preparers, tax filers are able to claim more of what they earn, which helps them better make ends meet, build financial stability, and save for the future. VITA volunteers also help raise awareness about the federal earned income tax credit (EITC) and make sure that working taxpayers claim the credit at the correct amount. Research shows that the EITC lifts millions of working families out of poverty every year, encourages single parents to work more, and improves childrens school performance and earnings later in life. But, 20 percent of eligible tax filers do not claim the credit. Last year, VITA/TCE volunteers in Montana helped provide over $5 million to 4,000 low-income working families through the EITC. These families were able to use their refunds to get caught up on bills, pay for basic necessities, like food and utilities, and cover expenses like car repairs, which helps secure a reliable form of transportation to get to and from work. Why Credit Unions Every year, the VITA program helps low-and moderate-income working families make the most of their refunds, which improves their financial security and supports local economies. Being a part of VITA offers credit unions a great way to fulfill their mission to help members and participate in their communities its a chance to build trust with current members and the perfect opportunity to reach out to non-members, who maybe havent heard of credit unions before. In Montana, credit unions participation in VITA has really had an impact on the programs reach and scope in our state. As this infographic shows, credit unions and our partners supported over half of the VITA sites and were responsible for a large portion of the tax returns filed and the refunds claimed in 2015. Giving community members a free, safe, and smart alternative to more costly (and sometimes predatory) tax preparation services can take a lot of stress out of tax season for a lot of people. VITA is rewarding and it can also be a perfect fit for credit unions wanting to make a difference in their communities. Ted Cruz, aggressive supporter of Texecutions, bowhunter Ted Nugent, war, concealed carry. Goldman Sachs, the 2nd amendment FRAGMENTS OF THE TED CRUZ RECORD1 COURT CASESFive times Ted Cruz argued in favor of state murder before the Court. Once he defendedRepublican gerrymandering which stole the voting franchise from his Latino brothers and sisters as well as other political parties.. . He defended Texas' record of withholding Medicaid from many poor children. He tried to keep a man in jail who had already served many years beyond the mandatory 2 year sentencing.I and IISenator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, was a Solicitor General in 8 of the 9 times he argued cases before the US Supreme Court. Five of his cases involved upholding Texecution. Twice he argued for permission to execute (murder) Jose Medellin against an order from the international court and in disregard of the request of G W Bush to give Medellin a new hearing.Cruz was defending Texas courts' disregard of the Vienna Convention, Article 36, which gives all foreign nationals the right to contact their embassies or consulate. Because the Republican dominated U.S. Supreme Court disregarded the international treaty to which the US is a signatory., Cruz won the case which the world considered an illegal bloodletting.The International Court of Justice cited 51 Mexicans barred from contacting their embassies. (There were also Canadian and German victims.)IIIA second time Cruz went before the U.S. Supreme Court to argue that LaRoyce Smith be murdered by the state, despite the fact that the Court had previously ordered the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reconsider the case because of improper jury instructions. The highest court ruled against Cruz's attempt to murder in this instance. In addition Cruz ignored the fact that LaRoyce Smith was adjudged to have a mental disability or to be intellectually disabled.IVIn yet another attempt to murder a prisoner, Ted Cruz argued that Texas should be able to execute Scott Panetti, though he was adjuged schizophrenic and unable to understand why he was sentenced to death. Cruz lost. In 2015 the courts still had not decided if Panetti was mentally sane enough to be executed.In Kennedy v. Louisiana, Cruz sought yet again to murder a prisoner. Patrick Kennedy,a rapist. The Court ruled against Cruz who represented Texas and lawyers for Louisiana since rape is a lesser crime thanmurder and therefore execution would be a violation of the 8th Amendment, according to the justices.VIIn League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry March 1, 2006, in betrayal of his own Latino brothers and sisters, Cruz argued that Texas Republicans had a right to gerrymander districts in such a way that Latinos were disenfranchised. It was a partial victory, the Republican Court ruling that 2 districts must be redrawn but that the rest could remain.VIIIn Frew V Hawkins Ted Cruz defended Texas' position in denying Medicaid to many poor children. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously against him.VIIIFor stealing a calculator from a Texas WalMart Michael Haley was sentenced to 14 years in jail, despite the fact that state law limited the sentence to 2 years. Ted Cruz in favor of keeping Haley in jail.IX The last case was as a private citizen for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. in a patent dispute over a deep fat fryer.2 WAR"We have no dog in the fight of the Syrian civil war." said Cruz before he switched and advocated tripling the bombing of Syria, a bombing in which at least 4 other countries were partaking.3 CLIMATE CHANGECruz has been like many Republicans a critic of scientists calling for measures to reduce climate change.4 MUSLIMSCruz could not answer how many Muslims are in the US when CBS' Nora O'Donnell asked. The number is 3 million, less than 1%. Cruz advocated police patrols in Muslim neighborhoods, though unlike in Europe, Muslims except perhaps in Minnesota, Michigan and a few other places are not ghettoized. In response, the NYC police commissioner said there were 1000 Muslim officers in the NYPD, and perhaps some of them were guarding Cruz when he came to New York.5 ARAB CHRISTIANSCruz told Arab Christians they were consumed with hate if they did not stand with Israel6 GOLDMAN SACHSLike Hillary Clinton, Cruz has strong ties to Goldman Sachs. His wife receives a 6 figure salary there. John Kasich worked for Lehman Brothers at the time it was going bankrupt.Goldman Sachs, heavily invested in war, received billions in taxpayer funded bailouts from the government though it was not in trouble.7 FRAUDULENT CAMPAIGN TACTICSThe Cruz campaign put out a false story right before the caucuses that Ben Carson had left Iowa, which was not true. The Cruz campaign spread inaccurate robocalls in the Carolinas as well.8 CUBAWhile President Obama was mending severed ties between the US and Cuba, a work ofgreat importance in our troubled world, he received criticism for 'yukking it up' from Ted Cruz. Donald Trump, John Kasich and Paul Ryan all criticized the President for not comingimmediately back from Cuba when the Brussels bombings occurred.9 NET NEUTRALITYCruz' position sides with huge corporations controlling the internet and against net neutrality.10 TEXASOf the 44 presidents, 4 or 9% have been from Texas. 3 of the 4 (LBJ and the 2 Bush's) have initiated war or expanded it.Oil, cattle slaughter, and military spending drive the money machine of Texas.11 RELIGIOUS VIEWS"It is the job of a chaplain to be insensitve to atheists." -Ted Cruz-12 GUN CONTROLCruz in whose state students can carry concealed guns into classrooms is an opponent of gun control.13 THE COMPANY ONE KEEPSTed Cruz defends racist animal butcher, bowhunter Ted NugentIn his filibuster, Cruz chose to read Green Eggs and Ham.Ted Cruz defends racist animal butcher Ted Nugent, bow and arrow hunter.This writer is voting for a 3rd party candidate in the 2016 election.Picture sources:cleveland.com I am a long time retired engineer of 40 years, and now retired. I have been an activist for 51 years and retired and sold my Oakland home to live in Sacramento. I give a single testimony of a young man going through serious trails and tribulations under First Class Lodi llc, The Law Offices of Bornstein & Bornstein, the former The Apartment Group Inc, and Bay Apartment Advisors. It is time for tenants to have courage and demand a reciprocal relationship of respect, and dignity. First Class Lodi llc, successfully purchased a multifamily 66 unit apartment building called, Lake Park Apartment, located at 1565 Madison street, Oakland, CA 94612. During the process of escrow, which commenced in April, and was finalized on June, 10th of 2014. Martin J Higgins was a prevalent ubiquitous fixture, who denied having vested interest ties to First Class Lodi llc, as well as, The Apartment Group Inc which was a real estate brokerage firm that also acted as a property management group. In addition he would purport to diminish a strong intertwined interest with property ownership of multiple Oakland rental buildings. Ironically his overwhelming presence would separate him from the entities he conducts business under. There was public suspicion surrounding the role of Martin J Higgins, whose alias name is Marty Higgins. The apprehension in interacting with the public would create a growing chasm.Within the timeline of the escrow at Lake Park apartments Charles Brooks III and Charles Brooks II had a close relationship with the owners including knowledge of their process of pulling permits, to renovation coordination, to the overall structure of the LLC's finances and orientation of assets. This type of knowledge for some investors would be viewed as a threat to their overall real estate endeavors networked around the building. This would initiate a long unilateral battle against Charles Brooks II and Charles Brooks III who are long term residents at Lake Park apartments, and played a large role in maintaining the Lake Park apartments.The harassment of tenants in apartment 117 would soon accelerate in September of 2014, which houses three residents. This would occur after thirty three of the sixty six units in August of 2014 petitioned to the Oakland Rental Adjustment Program, to dispute certain pass throughs under a justified rent increase exceeding the Urban CPI, known as capital improvements. Charles Brooks III would receive the most attacks by the owner investors, after joining the building's then newly formed tenants union, becoming a proactive member and creating published information of the incidents and circumstances that were surrounding conditions of the building after the point of sale.The harassment would become so severe from management and the owner investors, that Charles Brooks III would initiate an RPA, ( The Rental Protection Agency ) The United States largest rental authority that provides Landlord tenant mediation; along with the ability to generate a negative public report as a penalty to landlords that are completely unwilling to at the least respond to a tenants aggrievement. After 3 months of failed attempts for a response or a mediation to occur from interjection by the RPA between Charles w Brooks III and First Class Lodi llc, resulted in a rare generation of a negative public report. To further provide benefit of the doubt to the property owners, Charles Brooks III extended the time frame to give the maximum allotted time to the Landlords. In addition he had extensive communication with 3 council member in the late fall of 2014 into the early winter of 2015. That further included the former chair of the city council Pat Kernighan who altruistically volunteered to have an hour and a half conversation listening to circumstances and giving recommendations based on her years of experience.Charles Brooks III is a college graduate, who majored in Health fitness sciences, and business. He is strongly involved in his community and is an active member of multiple community organizations. In addition he has a registered business in Oakland and loves to educate people and learn from others in his community. He stands on principals that he does not compromise on, and in turn this may occasionally lead to sacrificial consequences in the short term, but the perpetual endurance overcomes obstacles, and leads to success.Martin J Higgins has an increasingly nefarious reputation proliferating in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his name has become unhinged and decloaked from the LLC's, where he has fiscal interest. He has been publically identified for incidents of endangering the lives of the tenants which hold contractual agreements under his property investments. Furthermore his conduct is evading and draining municipal resources by not pulling the required permits for construction or demolition. These practices are not minor and increasingly erode the confidence of the public and adds to the volatility that may negatively effect a municipal bodies ability to generate stable revenue. This brings in to question, the possible need for a full audit of his LLC's and possibly a criminal probe to get to the underlying reasons for the normative unethical practices.There were twenty nine long term units within Lake Park apartments, who attended three housing hearings at the offices of the Oakland Rental Adjustment Program, which is housed under the Department of Housing Community and Development. The Oakland Rental Adjustment Program was implemented and granted powers through an ordinance passed by the city council under Oakland Municipal Code chapter 8.22.00 in 1983. The tenants were successful in disputing half of the capital improvement pass throughs due to many of the pass throughs being ineligible in meeting the criteria of adding to the longevity of the building or primarily benefiting the tenants. Thirdly the agents for the owners were unable to show proof of finalization of permits that are required when attempting to pass through a renovation. In addition property owners must provide invoices, receipts, and proof of services and renovations in an organized fashion to meet the prerequisites, in order to pass on a capital improvement to tenants.Lake Park Apartment's is a 66 unit building that was officially completed in 1965, and has many plumbing and electric issues that would require extensive work. Instead of resolving the major infrastructure issues requiring major repair, the owner investors instead prioritized gold platting as the MOI. Gold platting is when excessive value ia added to a building by using the most expensive fixtures and materials towards the interior, and visible exterior areas of a given building to add curbside appeal. Although they may sound standard and innocent new pipes added to an old infrastructure, along with wiring on a unit by unit scale without abatement can be cataclysmic to an older building's wellbeing. The plumbing issues and electric issues have become increasingly degraded as new pipes and electrical wires have been added through vacant unit renovations, which place more burden onto a 51 year old electric and water infrastructure. This along with the lack of consistent management and maintenance has fostered an environment with unfettered, narcotic solicitation, prostitution, and unlawful crime that has become normal aberration at Lake park apartments.Currently Charles w Brooks III has been subjected to severe harassment and retaliation, which even includes distortion of the California state law Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act 1954.50 et, seq to erroneously exempt an apartment under the rent adjustment program in a 66 unit building that received a certificate of occupancy in 1965. The tenants of apartment 117 have been supplanted by fictitious paper tenants, who have a significantly materially different tenants agreement. The law offices of Bornstein & Bornstein, which have a long history of misconstruing local rental housing laws, which in turn causes CA to become an increasingly less desirable place to conduct business due to erosive operating cost along with commercial and residential housing prices. This is also responsible for a growing number of tech workers of child bearing age seeking tech hubs in other parts of the nation in order to have a reasonable quality of life. The Bay Apartment advisors the current property manage group for many of the buildings owned by First Class Lodi llc, along with the legal council of The law Offices of Bornstein & Bornstein have created a fictitious tenancy and effectively created a straw man argument.The agents of the owner on 1/21/2016 alleged there were changes in tenancy and created a fictitious person named Charles Brooks, along with unknown tenants claiming unlawful possession of an occupied unit; this argument is being used as a justification to exempt a unit off of the Oakland Rent Adjustment Program In addition the agents of the owners held on to his checks for 8 weeks, and sent a letter dated 2/11/2016 indicating the cashing of checks did not waive the alleged Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act argument. In addition the 60 day notice to increase rent called for a rent increase from 847.27 to 2065.00 without any significant changes to a unit that has not been renovated in 30 years. The agent owners in return sent photo copies of January and February checks to two addresses. the first address was Charles Brooks III's residential address, but the second was his personal P.O Box address shared by 4 other business partners. This would become pragmatic as each individual needs to know in advance of such personal identifiable information being sent to the designated address, as specific mail would not be removed.The gross negligence of the agents for the owners caused Identity theft. Charles brooks III along with his attorney communicated to management what occurred as well as the damages, management agreed to have a sit down, but never followed through with arrangements. Instead they quickly sent a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit, knowing the circumstances were dire, and the restructuring and investigation were currently in full motion. On 2/23/2016 a notice with the fictitious name appeared, even after long communication that such a person does not exist. The monetary damages reached 9,000.00 dollars, and Charles w Brooks III has been forced to file a small claims suit against First Class Lodi llc, and sign under duress an unlawful detainer that excludes the recognition of existing tenants within the unit. He has been generous in only asking for the underlying 4,734.00 as a gesture of good faith.Even more disturbing is the plethora of cease and desist orders along with police incident reports he has submitted and generated, as he is in fear for his life. Charles w Brooks III is in a mindset of trepidation that he may receive bodily harm or even be murdered based on the accelerating tactics of harassment by the property owners. Many of his neighbors and family are in fear of his safety, and there own safety. The outlets of communication by management and the owners have grown increasingly restrictive, which adds to the ongoing intimidation such as the removal of his designated parking space was taken without any written notification or oral communication.Charles w Brooks III has made it clear to the public and management that he will not be intimidated, bullied, nor will he give up on protecting the tenants which he states are the recipients of inequity delivered by management and property owners. He is compromising his life, but feels after 19 months of harassment there must be a voice for a growing number of tenants within the San Francisco Bay Area who are coercively having their rights infringed upon. The true root of the problem boils down to a lack of respect and a serious volatility in housing practices that negative ripple effects in society, and the funneling of capital away from the mainstream economy, and the pillars of society.There is a possibility based on long compilations of documentation of unlawful surveillance imposed by First Class Lodi llc, Bay Apartment Advisors, and TP partners, could lead to an unprecedented multi building class action law suit. This includes Melissa Hennings who has battled First Class Lodi llc for over a 1 1/2 years after being injured, subjected to an uninhabitable construction site, and finally being forced to move after her quad plex she resided in for 10 years was red tagged. The time is coming to combat the notorious companies that are raising the land values while creating unsafe and hazardous market rate housing in return. This is at a time where the middle class is no longer a majority, and a growing number of people are in discontent with the establishment, and an American dream that is becoming far less obtainable as the US becomes a two tiered nation.The battle has just begun and it is possible that Charles Brooks III could be harmed or loose his life, due to the knowledge he has of the entities and the connections he has in both the community and business world. This is just one anomaly that is becoming a normal practice in the San Francisco Bay area's growing housing crisis, which has reached the points of endangering and harming the lives of tenants. There are consequences and repercussions for actions that break down the fabrics of society, and the growing unethical practices are leading to an erosion of society. The unfettered practices that continue with impunity do not evade the laws of action and reaction. All chickens must come home to roost, and the seeds you sow into the ground will be the fruit you will inevitably reap.cited source material_________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Coalition for Police Accountability (CPA) is working towards a November 2016 ballot measure, drafted by Oakland residents, to establish a Police Commission that oversees, monitors and holds accountable the city's Police Department. A strong Police Commission in Oakland will: Create a more effective police department; Hold police accountable; Deter police misconduct; Sustain NSA reforms; End discriminatory policing; Save taxpayer money; Promote 21st century policing standards; Promote transparency and public engagement. You can help make this happen! The Oakland Police Department has been under the supervision and effective control of a Federal judge since 2003. The Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA) the City of Oakland agreed to, resulting from a pattern of police misconduct and racial profiling, was supposed to last no more than five years. We're now in our 13th year, the longest period of continuous Federal oversight in American history! It's been very costly; Oakland has paid more than $30 million dollars in external monitoring and related costs in to implement the sustainable reforms that would lead to the end of the NSA.Since 2003 we have had four Mayors, seven City Administrators, and five Police Chiefs. Real reform is not just a matter of getting a good police chief; it requires actually changing the City government itself. We need a City institution that represents the communities the police are intended to serve.Crime remains a major issue in Oakland as does a lack of trust in the police within communities of color. These two problems go together. Until the community trusts the police, there will be no significant reduction in crime. That trust cannot be earned until the Oakland Police Department achieves and sustains the reforms the City agreed to.The Coalition for Police Accountability includes many organizations and community leaders in Oakland who are united in the belief that we need genuine and effective civilian oversight of the police. Over the past year the Coalition has developed Measure X, an amendment to the Oakland City Charter that turns the current Citizens' Police Review Board (CPRB), which can do no more than recommend discipline, into an agency of a Police Commission that has real power to approve police policies and, after an evidentiary hearing, to discipline officers who are found guilty of misconduct.As a Charter amendment, Measure X can only be enacted by a majority of Oakland citizens voting at an election. The Coalition is working hard to get it on the ballot this year and we need help.We are asking you to donate online at our website: http://www.coalitionforpoliceaccountability.org as a single payment or in the form of recurring monthly payments. You can also write a check to the Coalition for Police Accountability and mail to 2624 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland CA 94601. Or, please consider hosting a house party which could raise that amount and also help to educate Oakland voters on this issue.We have done all we can with very limited resources, but we need your help if we are to succeed in November. Mumia Abu-Jamal, a political prisoner, is being denied medical care for Hepatitis C, which will certainly result in his death if he does not receive the necessary medical care now. Please sign the petition to PA Governor before 4/15/16 at http://www.iacenter.org/mumiahepcsign/ The text of the petition is as follows:Text of petition:: To Pennsylvania Governor Tom WolfWe call on you to make the cure for hepatitis-C possible for thousands of Pennsylvanians infected with this virus, including up to 10,000 in PA prisons and 45,000 in Philadelphia. There is a cure that is 95 percent effective but Gilead Sciences charges up to $94,500 for the 12-week long treatment with Sovaldi or Harvoni. Thousands are being denied the hep C cure by Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, personal medical insurers and the PA Department of Corrections. In 2015, while many people were suffering and dying from cirrhosis or cancer of the liver because they didnt have the means to pay the steep price for the cure, Gilead made an obscene $17 billion in profits.As we informed you in petitions last year, political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal almost died from hepatitis C complication. The DOC spent over $160,000 treating Abu-Jamals hep C symptoms but refuses to provide him with the available cure. The cost of the DOCs refusal to cure the disease when first detected is not only immeasurable in suffering and loss of lives of state prisoners but leads to higher financial expenses as the disease is allowed to develop into cirrhosis or cancer of the liver. We ask you to make the DOCs hep C protocol a guide for treatment and eradication of HCV, not a manual for the denial of care. Prisoners with untreated hep C unknowingly bring this deadly disease back to their communities often to neighborhoods with poor access to quality healthcare.HCV is a greater threat to PA residents than HIV, Ebola or Zika. Countries such as Egypt and India are providing the hep C cure to their patients for a tiny fraction of the cost in this country. Why not Pennsylvania? Gov. Wolf, it is your job to see to it that everyone with the hep C virus should get the cure - those in prison too.For prisoners like Mumia Abu-Jamal, untreated hepatitis C is a death sentence. The PA DOCs refusal to fully treat Abu-Jamal and other prisoners is a clear violation of the U.S. Constitutions Eight Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. In light of the PA DOCs refusal to provide the cure to HCV, we therefore call on you to release Mumia Abu-Jamal and all other prisoners needlessly suffering from untreated hepatitis C.[your signature will appear here]Please sign by submitting form above by Friday, April 15. The signed petitions will be delivered to Governor Wolf on Friday, April 22.International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, NYC Campaign to Bring Mumia Home International Action Center The MOVE Organization Support Farmworkers!Join farmworkers from the independent farmworker union Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) for a panel discussion, workshop, and a boycott picket at Whole Foods Market.This event starts at Alley Cat Bookstore3036 24th St, San Francisco, CA 9411011AM: Hear from the farmworkers as they give a history of their struggle in fighting for an end to systemic wage theft, poverty wages, hostile working conditions, and unattainable production standards. Learn about what they are doing to get a union contract and the direction they are heading in their work.Lunch/Networking (food not provided)2PM: Interactive WorkshopLearn about the tactics of a boycott picket, how to have conversations about issues affecting farmworkers, and prepare posters for the boycott picket at Whole Foods Market.4-5PM: Boycott Picket at Whole Foods Market with Families United for JusticeWhole Foods Market, 2001 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94114Background information:Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) an independent farmworker union comprised of 450 migrant farmworkers based in Whatcom and Skagit Counties in Washington state is embarking on a month-long tour along the West Coast to organize a major offensive on the worlds largest berry distributor, Driscolls Berries.For the last two and half years the workers have been fighting to win a union contract at Driscolls supplier Sakuma Bros Berry farm, and have endorsed a consumer boycott of Driscolls berries. The delegation, including union president Ramon Torres and two rank and file union members, will make stops in 16 cities in Oregon and California.In union halls, churches and classrooms farmworkers will share their story of working ten hour days picking berries with their children at their side, receiving poverty wages and no lunch or rest breaks for years before rising up and fighting to change these conditions with strikes, court cases and a consumer boycott. In the tradition of Cesar Chavez they plan to organize grassroots boycott committees that will promote the boycott on an ongoing basis until Driscolls suppliers negotiate union contracts.The tour marks a turning point from a localized fight in Washington State with little national media attention to an international effort of two independent farmworker unions taking on the corporate food regime and putting farmworker justice and transformation of the food system back into the minds and actions of U.S consumers. In March of 2015, international grassroots interest in the boycott of Driscolls berries exploded when 80,000 farmworkers in San Quintin Mexico launched a general strike, formed an independent union, Sindicato Independiente Nacional Democratico de Jornaleros Agricolas and endorsed the consumer boycott of Driscolls. Since then the two independent unions have announced that neither will sign union contracts with their respective Driscolls suppliers unless the other union is signing a contract as well.As long as Driscoll's continues the exploitation of workers in Mexico and the US we will fight for the well-being of our families with the boycott. Boycott Driscoll's! said Felimon Pineda, VP of Familias Unidas por la JusticiaIn the United States the average lifespan of a farmworker is only 49 years. Conditions for farmworkers in the United States are just as bad or worse than they were during Cesar's time Says Rosalinda Guillen a farmworker and organizer who grew up the Skagit Valley during the 1960s.On March 17th when Familias Unidas delegation leaves Washington State to begin the tour, thousands of workers in Mexico will be setting out on foot in a four-day march from San Quintin to the US Mexico border to mark the one year anniversary of their strike. Familias Unidas and El Sindicato have seized the political moment and are organizing grassroots power to build a boycott on the scale of the Cesar Chavez grape boycott to take on the corporate ag industry and win union contracts for berry pickers in both Washington State and San Quintin Mexico. Familias Unidas west coast tour is manifesting power through a farmworker led grassroots movement to end exploitation border to border.Halfway through the tour Familias Unidas is calling for a major action to confront the corporate executives of Driscolls at their headquarters in Watsonville on March 31st - Cesar Chavezs Birthday - which is a state holiday in California.We can think of no better way to honor Cesar Chavez on his birthday, than to speak truth to the corporate food regime at their front door said Ramon Torres, President of Familias Unidas por la Justicia.To learn more about Familias Unidas and La Alianza de San Quintin and their struggles against the largest berry distributor in the world (Driscoll's) visit http://www.boycottsakumaberries.com , like Familias Unidas on Facebook, or find your local boycott committee. Rock Steady: Students Build and Bond Through Alternative Spring Break Julia Savich '16 Story by Julia Savich 16; Photos provided by ASB students and staff Senior physics major Julia Savich has participated in Alternative Spring Break (ASB) every year shes been a student at IWU. Following is her first-person account of this years ASB group of 20 students and two staff members, and their work at Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. March 13 From only a few hours of playing cards our first night at the hotel en route to West Virginia, I could already tell the group of students this year was a great one. Everyone was eager to get to know one another, and the majority of the group stayed up late into the night talking and laughing together. Around half of the students this year were ASB returners, significantly more than previous trips, and having students who were familiar with it seemed to help the first-timers see the value of ASB and the strong friendships it can build. Furthermore, our group was very inclusive. In previous years, small groups of students signed up together and stayed together for the duration of the trip. This year, only pairs of friends signed up together, so students branched out more, rather than staying in tight circles of familiar friends. Arriving in White Sulphur Springs around dinnertime, we received a warm greeting and briefing about the kind of work the Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity affiliate had planned for us. We divided into two groups and assigned four members of each group to act as a group leader, a safety manager, a tool manager and a clean-up manager. Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity was undeniably the most organized affiliate I have encountered during my four ASB trips because they knew what they wanted us to accomplish on the worksite, they designated a Habitat construction leader for each student group, and they were well prepared to house the approximately 50 students and staff from both IWU and Curry College from Milton, Massachusetts. March 14 Instead of a traditional spring break, 20 students and two staff members traveled to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. We started our first workday in two groups: one group installing a fence next to a finished home and the other group building the footer, or base layer, of the foundation for a new house. The fence group dug postholes, covered the posts with a vinyl cover and assembled sections of the fence. Constructing the foundation required that we cut and build a drainage system in the bottom of a dirt pit that matched the exact dimensions of the house. Another smaller group within the foundation group worked on setting up strings around the foundation pit to use later for squaring the house. Chris Crown 17 described this side project as measuring the square of the house to an 1/8th of an inch using prop boards, string, and a spinning laser. His group leveled the string with the spinning laser, a tool he used for research he conducted last summer through the Oklahoma Water Resource Center. Our Habitat construction site leader, also named Chris, encouraged us to apply our previous building and leadership skills to the projects on the worksite, and he excelled at uncovering our strong suits. For instance, he noticed that I held a leadership role on the ASB trip, and that my leadership style is usually passive. When the opportunity arose, Habitat Chris put me in charge of the gravel project, urging me to take on a more active leadership role. All throughout the week, he encouraged us to try new things and learn as much about construction as possible. Halfway through the workday, the fencing group finished their project and joined the foundation team. Together the IWU group members started to tackle the large project that was the gravel pile. In order to level the foundation of the house, we lined the bottom of the dirt pit with three inches of gravel. We divided into shovelers, bucket and wheelbarrow carriers, and spreaders. Sarah Sadowski 17 noted, It was great seeing everyone from different backgrounds and majors working together to accomplish our common goal of preparing the house for the foundation. After three hours of moving gravel under the bright sunshine, we finished our task and ended the day with feelings of accomplishment. As Nicole Chlebek 16 put it, We rocked it today. We had a lot of tedious measurements to make, and we hauled a lot of gravel. The evening consisted of further reflection when we shared our insights from the day through shout-outs and thorns and roses, otherwise known as highs and lows. Most of the shout-outs and highs of the day centered on the gravel pile, which truly brought our group together. We saw students take charge and push themselves to work as hard as they possibly could because of that enormous pile of rocks. We also realized that on this worksite, no one doubted our abilities. In previous years, we experienced slight sexism on the worksite, and we had spent the week breaking down those stereotypes. This year, however, there was no question whether or not a woman could transport as much gravel as a man, and we were all equals, proving our own abilities as we went. March 15 Rosa Zapata18 (left) and Kelsey Kujoth 16 spread gravel in the foundation pit to prepare for installation of the drainage system. (Photo by Elyse Nelson Winger). Tuesday started out a little slow because we had a team of 15 people assigned to an eight-person project. Our project was to clean off the foundation of a finished home and add grout to any places where parts of the foundation had chipped off. Another IWU group worked on installing kitchen cabinets in the same home, which involved carefully aligning the cabinets and making extra pieces to fit between the cabinets. After a leisurely morning of sharing tools and delicately aligning cabinets, half of our group returned to the foundation project from the first day because the group from Curry College had finished leveling and raising the drainage system earlier in the morning. Now we needed to fill the pit with enough gravel to hold cement inside of the drainage system. Ultimately, we ended up lining three-fourths of the foundation pit with eight inches of gravel, but ran out of time to completely finish the job. As a result, we planned to arrive to the worksite early to finish the gravel project before the cement truck came in the late morning. That evening we got a taste of West Virginia culture by going to the American Heritage Music Hall Inc., where we danced to live bluegrass and country music with local community members. The people were very welcoming and eager to show us how to dance, and we thoroughly enjoyed trying our best to follow their lead. The happiest moment of this night was when I realized that every single member of our group was out on the dance floor giving it their all. We were making up dances, teaching each other how to dance, and even getting twirled around by some of the older folks, too. The willingness of this group to jump in and try anything continually astounded me throughout the week. March 16 We started the workday off early to get the gravel finished before the cement truck came. The truck ended up arriving half an hour early, but we finished laying down the remaining gravel while a group started spreading cement on the part that was already done. This portion of the foundation building allowed us to partner with students from Curry College. Patti Henderson, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Provost, observed all of us were working together, making two teams become one. With the gravel in place and the first layer of cement poured and smoothed, the bottom of the footer was complete. Habitat Chris then informed us that we moved over 30 tons of gravel in three days. We were astounded. As part of Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanitys spring break program, students are encouraged to work a half-day on Wednesday and use the rest of the day to explore the local area. We used the extra time to go on a bunker tour at the Greenbrier Resort, a top employer in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The bunker was a $300 million secret fallout shelter rented by the government for Congress from 1962 to 1992. Touring the bunker and the Greenbrier Resort sparked discussions in our group about the great disparity between the communities where we were building homes and the lavish Greenbrier Resort. We felt frustrated that hundreds of millions of dollars were poured into stocking an unused bunker for 30 years, when so many families in the U.S. and all over the world struggle to pay for food or find clean drinking water each week. This frustration intensified our determination to make progress on the worksite, and we couldnt wait to get back. During our group reflections at night, we shared insights uncovered as a result of going on the ASB trip. Group members delved into overcoming obstacles at the worksite, newfound desires to conserve nature, rekindling of religious beliefs, a yearning to learn about new cultures, and other fascinating topics. I was amazed at our groups willingness to open up and share their feelings. Although this was the only formal time during the week we shared so deeply and openly, with the exception of our last reflection at a McDonalds on the way home, we continued to explore these topics informally throughout the week, sharing our own experiences and insights. March 17 Sujit Johnston 16 (left) and David Yoon 17, part of the roof crew, work on soffeting. (Photo by Kelsey Kujoth16) Thursday was a bit slower, but we used the day to get to know each other, the Habitat construction leaders, and the homeowners. On the site, my small group worked on the soffeting of a house, and entered into conversation with those around us as we did so. One of the construction leaders shared his life story for half an hour while perched on the top of a ladder. He started with the difficulties of watching his wife tear her life apart with a drug addiction. He longed to help her, but only felt as though he was enabling her. After 40 years of marriage, he went to Russia to get away from the oppressive life he was living, and a dangerous helicopter ride to serene wilderness opened his eyes to the life that he was missing out on. Eventually, he turned his life around, seeking only what gave him pure happiness: God, fishing and Habitat. By the end of his story our group was in tears, and we were reminded that taking a few minutes each day to listen is incredibly important because you never know what you might hear. It may very well change your life. As Selena wisely put it, Today was a relationship day. In the evening, the Curry College and IWU students hosted a community dinner where we got to know the Habitat homeowners and construction leaders better. The dinner was a perfect addition to the relationship day. During our group reflection, we each shared words that embodied the week: empowering, nutritious, euphoria, memorable, strong, enlightening, optimistic, renewing, eye opening, invigorating, bliss, passionate, wisdom, uplifting, new, community, wonderful, laughter, fun, inspiring, happy, and diverse. March 18 After the group moved half of the first of two large gravel piles, Crystal Ocampo-Fernandez 18 deemed the pile ASB Mountain and snapped a photo. We touched up paint, laid vinyl flooring, finished the cabinetry, and put tar on the foundation of two houses for our final day on the worksite. Again, we continued to develop relationships with one anther and the construction leaders because a lot of the work was slow-paced and detailed. Our goal was to make the houses as nice as possible and to provide the homeowners with wonderful homes to live in because that is what they deserve. At the end of the workday, we participated in a closing ceremony during which we all shared one takeaway from the week. Many students expressed that this was the best spring break they had ever had, and that they formed strong, new relationships with those around them. The whole week was filled with such strong positivity and growth, and I would have to agree that this was undoubtedly the most moving and impactful spring break for me as well. Leaving the worksite and construction leaders was bittersweet because it was difficult to express the positive influence they had on our lives and even harder to drive away with the knowledge that we may never meet again. A trip to the Blue Bend Recreation Area brought our outdoor adventuring to a close. We bonded while hiking along the river, taking breaks to stop along the bank and listen to the sound of the rushing water. My favorite memory from the hike was when we all stopped at the base of a small waterfall and then all 20 students proceeded to climb up it. We didnt make it very far because of its size, but we laughed and chatted as we tried. It was the little moments that made this trip so wonderful. There was absolute joy in every moment, big or small. March 19 At the beginning of the trip, we were each secretly assigned another person in the group as our secret buddy. Over the course of the week, we were to watch that person and find something meaningful to give him or her at the end of our trip. Around noon on our way home on Saturday, we stopped at a McDonalds. This was our last whole group meeting and reflection, during which we gave out our secret buddy gifts. Each gift that was given at that McDonalds had a unique twist or story to go along with it, and despite over half of the gifts being related to gravel in some way, they were all personalized and meaningful. During this reflection time, we also shared one final thought about the trip. Many people mentioned the positivity that was inherent throughout the week, and others cherished the opportunity to meet people they wouldnt normally have met in their classes. Selena was right that Thursday had been a relationship day. However, all in all, the whole week was a relationship week, and the bonds we made and lessons we learned will hopefully extend beyond the limits of spring break. From the glories of nature to the silliness of hanging spoons from their noses, the ASB team recorded their trip in this photo gallery: - Doubt has been cast on unconfirmed reports that the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has surrendered - Leadership earlier posted a video purporting to show Shekau urging his followers to surrender - Analysis of the video by Legit.ng failed to confirm any such order Reports that emerged in the early hours of March 24 suggested that Boko Haram had finally surrendered to the superior power of Nigeria. A video published by Leadership, shows the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, who was previously rumoured to have been killed, advising his followers to "surrender to save themselves". The screeshot of the controversial Facebook post Shekau in the video uploaded by the Leadership reportedly appeared to have surrendered to constant bombardments by the Nigerian troops. However, analysis of the speech by Shekau casts doubt on the claims of the terrorist leader's surrender. Legit.ng's editors have carefully listened to the now-viral speech by Shekau. They could not verify any message urging the Islamists to lay down their weapons in the video. Contrary to the Leadership's take on the video, our translators noted that Shekau continually used: "Naji sakon ku, naji, gaisuwar ku, Allah ya saka maku da alkairi," meaning "I have received ya messages, I have heard you greetings, God bless you." He also spoke about their deformed caliphate in Gwoza, noting that the people are also wishing him well. Further analysis of the video suggests that a surrendering man does not surrender with arms at his shoulder. Shekau was carrying a firearm and could not possibly be telling others to lay down theirs, experts say. See the original of the post below. Trending: Boko Haram kingpin, Abubakar Shekau surrenders..Trending: Boko Haram kingpin, Abubakar Shekau who was rumoured to have been killed surface in new video advising his followers to "surrender to save themselves."Shekau here appears to have surrendered to constant bombardments by the Nigerian Army troops. Posted by Leadership Newspapers on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 There have been several controversies regarding the leadership of the Boko Haram sect and the well being of Shekau. On several occasions the leader of the Islamist group has been pronounced killed. However, for every time a statement is made regarding his death, Shekau makes it a point of duty to reassure his followers that he is still alive and that their course is a worthy one supported by God Almighty. His medium of choice being videos that many have had to wonder if it really is the terrorist leader or his clone. It would be recalled that there was also a time when the media had it that Shekau had been apprehended. The jihadist leader was reportedly arrested by the Nigerien troops at Abadam, Borno state, and taken across the border to Bosso, Niger Republic. But the military could not confirm the alleged attack, as some claim the he has so many impersonators. About two years there were security reports, that Shekau have died as a result of wounds he sustained during a shoot-out with security agents. The reports suggested that he was almost captured, but his aides managed to evacuate him across the border to Cameroon. Sources said Shekau didnt make it but there was no evidence to prove it, until his picture surfaced, showing him on a hospital bed, looking lifeless. The war against the insurgent sect is still ongoing, there have been daily reports regarding the Nigerian troops' success against the sect. In a recent statement, the army said they conducted clearing operations at Menari, Bulamari, Zangebe, Maafa, Mijigine, Baale and Kaltaram villages in Mafa local government area of Borno state. The operation reportedly led to the rescue of 180 people who had been held hostage by the terrorists. Stolen cattle belonging to the hostages were also discovered in Giltimari and Baale. Source: Legit.ng Legit.ng is #1 online trusted source of the latest news in Nigeria. We are covering Nigeria news, Niger delta, world updates, and Nigerian newspaper reviews. We guide our readers to the world of politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion, lifestyle and human interest stories. DCC plc has reached agreement with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. to acquire a commercial, aviation and retail fuels business in Denmark, substantially formerly owned by Shell. The business comprises the remedy package resulting from the purchase by Couche-Tard of Shell's downstream marketing operations in Denmark, agreed in March 2015. The [] Edinburgh has maintained its position in the top 20 of a global property investment index for the second consecutive quarter thanks to sustained investor confidence at home and abroad. The JLL Investment Intensity Index compares the volume of direct real estate investment over a three-year period relative to the city's [] Ikea Centres Russia, part of Ikea Centres Group, has signed four significant international brands as part of a raft of new deals for two of its Moscow centres. Armani Exchange, LOreals NYX, Hunkemoller and Undiz are all international brands that are new to the Russian market. Armani Exchange a... [] Galleria Riga in the capital city of Riga, announced a significant retail leasing deal with the Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) Group that sees the first COS store in the Baltics signed, as well as a major new H&M store. Due to open in the second half of 2016, both stores [] On behalf of Industrials UK LP, Ryden has purchased Redbrook Business Park in Barnsley for 7.3 million (5.8 million), reflecting a net initial yield of 7.85%. The seller was Adhold Ltd and Mileguide Ltd with CBGA Robson and AWS acting on their behalf. The 17,102 sq m (184,092 sq ft) [] Looking like beefed up Honda Navi, a set of Honda Zoomer-X Concepts which managed to get top honors in the Motorbike Idea Challenge 2016 were in attendance at this years Bangkok Motor Show. Each bike was built by a different team with entirely different ideas in mind. Honda Zoomer-X Concept by KD Shop This concept portrays the diminutive 108 cc step through as an adventure bike. With on-off tyres, sturdy suspension system (USD front fork and gas-charged rear monoshock), LED spot lights, a tall windscreen and plenty of tubular guard rails all around, the Zoomer-X by KD Shop is ready to kick up some dirt. To further enhance its adventure quotient, the custom builders has fitted the concept with an upward swooping exhaust canister (enhances water wading capabilities). Honda Zoomer-X Concept by Sry Shop If you are fan of defense forces, you would love the Zoomer-X Concept by Sry Shop. The purposeful runabout features camouflage livery with a classic beige and olive green color combination. The tinted headlamp, brown saddle and matching handlebar, spoke wheels, off-road tyres, a side bag and rear carrier adds to the two wheelers character. Honda Zoomer-X Paint Concept As the name the suggests, the Zoomer-X Paint Concept features fluorescent green paint finish for wheels, protective bars. The fender, headlamp cowl and engine cover sport white-black chequered livery. The concept also features a saddle that sources its inspiration from race-cars bucket seat, a rear-mounted spare wheel, LED headlamp will grille and knuckle guards. The technical details of the concepts were not shared by Honda Thailand. The stock Zoomer-X is powered by a 108 cc single-cylinder fuel-injected air-cooled engine which is mated to a CVT to produce 8.35 PS at 8,000 rpm and 8.58 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. Stay tuned to Rushlane as we cover the 2016 Bangkok Motor Show LIVE Chest pain and shortness of breath are the most common symptoms reported by both women and men with suspected heart disease, a finding that is in contrast to prior data, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session. The study, which includes one of the largest cohorts of women ever enrolled in a heart disease study, also found that women had a greater number of risk factors for heart disease than men, yet these women were more likely to be characterized as lower risk not only by their health care providers, but also by scores that objectively measure and predict heart disease risk. "The most important take-home message for women from this study is that their risk factors for heart disease are different from men's, but in most cases symptoms of possible blockages in the heart's arteries are the same as those seen in men," said Kshipra Hemal of the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina, and lead author of the study. The finding that women have more risk factors for heart disease than men means measures to reduce risk need to be a priority for women, as well as men, Hemal said. Some previous studies have suggested that women having a heart attack are less likely to have classic symptoms such as chest pain and more likely to have atypical symptoms such as back pain, abdominal pain and fatigue that may be less readily recognized as heart attack symptoms. Hemal and her colleagues sought to shed light on a different group of patients--those without a prior heart disease diagnosis who were being evaluated for symptoms suggestive of heart disease. Few studies, mostly several decades old, have examined sex differences in this group of patients. The Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain (PROMISE), a randomized trial conducted at 193 centers in the United States and Canada, enrolled 10,003 patients, of whom more than 5,200 were women. Half of the patients were randomly selected to receive a heart CT scan, which generates 3-D images of the heart's arteries that doctors can use to noninvasively assess the degree of narrowing. The rest received a functional or stress test--an exercise electrocardiogram, stress echocardiography or nuclear stress test--used to track the heart's response to stress. Hemal and her colleagues examined patient data to assess differences between women and men in age, race or ethnicity, risk factors, symptoms, evaluation and test results. advertisement The study found that, compared with men, women were older (average age 62 vs. 59 for men), more often non-white, less likely to smoke or be overweight, and more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a history of stroke, a sedentary lifestyle, a family history of early-onset heart disease and a history of depression. Chest pain was the primary symptom for 73.2 percent of women and 72.3 percent of men. The two sexes, however, described this pain differently--women were more likely to describe it as "crushing," "pressure," "squeezing" or "tightness, " whereas men were more likely to describe it as "aching," "dull," "burning" or "pins and needles." Equal proportions of women and men (15 percent) reported shortness of breath as a symptom. Although women were more likely than men to have back pain, neck or jaw pain, or palpitations as their primary symptom, the percentage of patients of both sexes reporting these symptoms was very small (1 percent of women vs. 0.6 percent of men for back pain, 1.4 percent of women vs. 0.7 percent of men for neck or jaw pain, 2.7 percent of women vs. 2 percent of men for palpitations). Women had lower scores than men on heart disease risk-assessment scores, suggesting a lower risk of heart disease, and before any diagnostic tests were conducted, health care providers were more likely to consider that women probably did not have heart disease. Nontraditional risk factors such as depression, sedentary lifestyle and family history of early-onset heart disease--risk factors that in this study were more commonly found in women than in men--are excluded from most risk-assessment questionnaires, however. "For health care providers, this study shows the importance of taking into account the differences between women and men throughout the entire diagnostic process for suspected heart disease," Hemal said. "Providers also need to know that, in the vast majority of cases, women and men with suspected heart disease have the same symptoms." Women were more likely than men to be referred for a stress echocardiography or nuclear stress test and less likely than men (9.7 percent vs. 15.1 percent) to have a positive test. Factors predicting a positive test differed for women compared with men. In women, body mass index and score on one of five risk-assessment questionnaires (the Framingham risk score) predicted a positive test, whereas in men scores on two risk-assessment questionnaires (the Framingham and modified Diamond-Forrester risk scores) predicted a positive test. "The fact that this is one of the largest cohorts of women ever evaluated in a heart disease study lends validity to our findings," Hemal said. A limitation of the study is that it looks only at the diagnostic process and not at whether there are differences between women and men in numbers of heart attacks or in outcomes from heart attacks, she said. "The next step in this research will be to examine whether and how the differences we have identified between women and men influence outcomes," she said. New Zealands dairy industry could become like this countrys unprofitable meat industry if foreign investment in farms and processing plants continues, warns Labours primary industries spokesperson, Damien OConnor. Milk production for Fonterra was down four per cent last year. Theres concern that over time Fonterra will face a supply risk and struggle to fill the huge processing facilities it has built.

The Jane Goodall Institute

If there was a contribution to science to be made, then, certainly by now, a couple of chimpanzees named Hercules and Leo have made it. They've been numbed countless times by anesthesia. They've had wires inserted into their muscles. They've been deprived of anything even resembling their natural habitat, spending most of their lives in the steely-cold environment of a laboratory. Dodo Shows Soulmates Dog Goes Everywhere In His Dad's Kangaroo Pouch Now, the world's best-known primatologist is pleading with scientists to give them something back. Like a real home where they can live out the rest of their lives as chimpanzees rather than test subjects. Jane Goodall, along with the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), is lobbying to have the chimpanzees moved from their current home - a kind of warehouse at the University of Louisiana run by the New Iberia Research Center - to an animal sanctuary. "I have been following for some time now the sad lives of both Hercules and Leo, and I really urge New Iberia to release them to sanctuary so that they can live out the rest of their lives in dignity," Goodall said in a video statement sent to The Dodo. "And, surely, there can be no good reason to prolong their lives of servitude. So please, I beg of you, do the right thing." Nonhuman Rights Project The chimpanzees, both nearly 10 years old, have been at the center of a protracted legal battle, spearheaded by NhRP, to have them released to Save the Chimps, a sprawling sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida, that's billed as the world's largest chimp refuge. Although a judge denied the group's bid to free the chimpanzees last year, it was considered a victory of sorts for animals. This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Nature/MacMillan "The fact that the hearing occurred, that we were granted standing to sue on behalf of Hercules and Leo ... gave their plight the serious consideration it deserves," the organization noted in a press release issued on Thursday. It's a milestone, the group added, "in the fight for recognition of the legal rights of self-aware, autonomous nonhuman animals, [and] first and foremost their right to bodily liberty." "Kula was lucky she wasn't far from home and her owner could hear her barking," Whitney Sickels, a staffer at the Hawaii Island Humane Society (HIHS), told The Dodo about the rather unusual rescue of a 3-year-old Brittany spaniel. Hawaii Island Humane Society Last Wednesday, Kula managed to escape from her home, the surrounding land filled with volcanic activity. Her owner, Terrance Moniz, went looking for her around 1 a.m. When he found her, he discovered that she had fallen into a collapsed lava tube. "There are a lot of lava tubes on the Big Island," Sickels explained. "They're basically caves created when a river of lava gradually builds solid walls and a ceiling. When the lava flow stops and the last of it passes downhill, a cave is formed. They vary in size and can be anywhere and often well- hidden." Dodo Shows Wild Hearts Guy And Wild Shark Have Been Best Friends For Decades Hawaii Island Humane Society But the lava tube was no match for HIHS animal control officers Starr Yamada and Marie Kuahiwinui-Eggers, who arrived on the scene that morning to get Kula out of there. According to the Hawaii Tribune Herald, the two officers spent hours navigating through the dark depths of the tube, getting cuts and and scratches along the way. But a little discomfort didn't stop them from getting the job done. They ultimately pulled Kula back up above ground, where she was reunited with her owner. Hawaii Island Humane Society Sickels said that this sort of rescue is surprisingly uncommon, given the large number of lava tubes on the island. Hawaii Island Humane Society Moniz was so thankful for the rescue that he wrote a heartfelt email to the Humane Society to express his gratitude. Kula is safe at home now - and it was all thanks to the work of two everyday heroes. Hawaii Island Humane Society Edna OBriens chilling new novel inspired by the life of Radovan Karadzic arrives just as the Butcher of Bosnia has finally been sentenced to 40 years in prison for genocide. If Karadzics long-delayed punishment brings some element of resolution to the Bosnian civil war, OBriens novel picks at that wars scars, forcing us to feel the lingering, outlying disfigurement wreaked by an evil man. [U.N. tribunal finds former Bosnia Serb leader guilty of genocide] Europeans are more likely than Americans to catch the poignant allusion in OBriens title, The Little Red Chairs. In 2012, on the 20th anniversary of the Siege of Sarajevo, a theater company filled the center of that once smoldering town with 11,541 red chairs to commemorate the lives of the victims. More than 600 of those chairs were little ones representing the children who had been killed. But nothing about this books opening betrays such vicious content. OBrien brings us to the Irish village of Cloonoila, which has not welcomed anybody quite as exciting as Dr. Vladimir Dragan in years. A young bartender, who is the first to meet him, swears that the stranger behaves like a gentleman, an out-and-out gentleman down to his pointy shoes. The villagers are all atwitter about this handsome, bearded man with the aura of one of those holy men, pilgrims that used to travel around, barefoot, doing good. When they learn that hes not just a doctor but an actual sex therapist, the town practically shudders in unison. There are layers of deception being perpetrated here. OBrien, undiminished at the age of 85, proceeds as though shes spinning some mossy comedy of village life with set pieces polished to an emerald shine. Like a modern-day Music Man, the mysterious doctor dazzles the town gossips with references to Siddhartha and Ovid. His first patient is a skeptical nun who arrives for a medicinal massage and lies peeping through the slits of her almost closed eyes, for fear of any hanky panky. (She dare not tell the sisters that afterward, her energy was prodigal, a wildness such as she had not known since her youth.) Dr. Vladimir even wins over the local priest, who worries that this out-of-town therapist might bring in a lot of new-fangled ideas . . . and a whiff of Darwinism maybe. OBriens perfectly calibrated BBC charm is as much a facade as Dr. Vladimirs aesthete persona. But as we catch glimpses of the doctors true nature (and OBriens literary cunning), a lonely woman in town named Fidelma falls under his spell. Forty years old, married to a much older man, Fidelma has miscarried twice and fears that she will never have a child. In a chapter that she narrates herself, she mocks the extravagant rumors about Dr. Vladimirs healing abilities but confesses that shes begun to dream about him. It was the mist that did it, she claims. A white mist, like a winding muslin, enfolds our part of the world from time to time. That touch of woodland fantasy runs through the novel from start to finish, even when the story shifts into the horrific reality of recent history as gently as twilight fades to night. Indeed, The Little Red Chairs contains one of the most indelibly gruesome torture scenes Ive ever read. But OBriens real subject is not the Bosnian civil war, which she alludes to only periodically, or Radovan Karadzic, whose biographical details she only sketches. She is primarily interested in this tangential victim, Fidelma, a woman who finds her modest life poisoned by a brief intersection with one of the 20th centurys most famous monsters. As a reflection on the problem of evil, The Little Red Chairs takes a curious, destabilizing approach. Fidelma is not like those victims named by the United Nations. None of the 11,541 red chairs is set for her. Her involvement with the Butcher of Bosnia is incidental, almost tawdry. As she confesses later, I had a part in his life, a walk-on part. But if her sorrow is merely collateral what she calls counterfeit guilt her punishment is unspeakable. What does it cost, OBrien asks, to fall under the sway of such wicked magnetism? How does one ever feel clean again? In this extraordinary articulation of the lingering effects of trauma, Fidelma finds herself ejected into the world, having lost all connection between what is natural and what is unnatural. During one of their last conversations, Dr. Vladimir tells Fidelma, Start forgetting. . . . everything, but she doesnt have the mass murderers essential amnesia. In the fractured scenes that fill out the second half of the novel, she exists in a stunned state of shame and terror, running through menial jobs, convinced that shes a failure even as a testifier to her own victimhood. She remains at a strange emotional remove from us, out of reach of our sentimentality or pity, a survivor of something so horrific that we cant look directly at her. In the end, what leaves one in humbled awe of The Little Red Chairs is OBriens dexterity, her ability to shift without warning like life from romance to horror, from hamlet to hell, from war crimes tribunal to midsummer nights dream. And through it all, she embeds the most perplexing moral challenge ever conceived in the struggles of one lonely, middle-aged woman who just wanted a baby but now wanders the earth along with so many others, craving the valleys and small instances of mercy. At a time when our best writers are such delightfully showy stylists, OBrien, who has been publishing novels for more than 50 years, practices a darker, more subtle magic. Surprise and transformation lurk in even the smallest details, the most ordinary moments. Craving company one night, Fidelma wanders into a pub and sits down: Behind her, on the windowsill, there are a few flowers in a small vase and when she touches one, she jumps in terror, dismayed by that tenderness, that touch. Brace yourself for that same charge when you touch this novel. Ron Charles is the editor of Book World. You can follow him on Twitter @RonCharles. On April 3 at 6 p.m., Edna OBrien will be at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW, Washington, DC. For tickets, call 877-987-6487. The young adults in the rock musical American Idiot may suffer from alienation and malaise, but they apparently dont have a problem with vertigo. In Keegan Theatres pleasant if rather diligent-looking production, based on Green Days Grammy Award-winning album, the performers repeatedly perch and clamber on enormous poster-covered frames that lean against the upper level of the set. The conceit underscores the precariousness of the rebellious characters social standing and emotional health. Its post-adolescent life as climbing wall. The jungle-gym-like sequences add resonance and visual interest to the show, directed by Mark A. Rhea and Susan Marie Rhea and featuring a hardworking cast of young (and/or young-looking) actors with varying degrees of vocal prowess. Over the course of a tuneful-enough 90 minutes, accompanied by a very creditable band (on the sets upper level), the cast conjures a tale of angst and growing pains in a post-9/11 world. (Jake Null is the productions music director.) Seen on Broadway earlier this decade and on a national tour in Washington two years ago, American Idiot follows three friends chafing against the parameters of the suburban milieu in which they have grown up. While Johnny (Harrison Smith) drifts into drug use in the big city, Tunny (Hasani Allen) enlists in the military and gets wounded abroad. Meanwhile, Will (Josh Sticklin) stays home with his pregnant girlfriend, Heather (Molly Janiga). Hearts are broken. Lessons are learned. Discontent is voiced. In the Keegan incarnation, a parade of narrative or dreamlike images a military hospital, a line of people wearing underwear, a rite-like sharing of heroin trundles steadily along to such Green Day hits as Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends. In the pivotal role of Johnny, Smith is an appealingly disaffected hero, with a manic vibe and smudged guyliner beneath his bugged-out eyes. Allen and Sticklin create bland but earnest portraits of his pals. The three male leads display limited vocal power and control, assets they will perhaps develop later in their careers. (Allen and Smith are students at Catholic University.) The best singing comes from Janigas Heather and the charismatic Eben Logan, who plays Johnnys city fling, Whatsername. (Debra Kim Sivigny designed the costumes, which include lots of punk and teen-deadbeat looks.) The figure of St. Jimmy (Christian Montgomery), the Mephistophelian tempter who lures Johnny to heroin, seems wan in this production. Another weak point is the dancing, which abounds in repeated sullen-slacker gestures, like the flopping-hair effect the women achieve by pitching their heads forward and back every other minute. (Rachel Leigh Dolan choreographed.) The dancing always looks to be a marshaling of concerted, much-rehearsed effort. But, then, no one ever said putting on a rock musical was childs play. Laura Gabberts documentary City of Gold follows food critic Jonathan Gold through Los Angeles. (Goro Toshima/Sundance Selects) All of Los Angeles real Los Angeles can be found in Jonathan Gold. The Los Angeles Times food critic spends much of director Laura Gabberts documentary, City of Gold, driving the citys streets in search of culinary pleasures, mostly obscure and lowbrow from slime eels to hot dogs, and everything in between. Gold can put a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the culinary map, but the geography that actually matters here is that of the citys diverse ethnic neighborhoods, including Tehrangeles, Little Ethiopia, Koreatown and the Chinese communities of the San Gabriel Valley. Golds job is one part professional mouth, and one part demographer of a changing city. Thats the takeaway Gabbert wants to leave her viewers with, but theyll also come away with a nice list of dining recommendations for their next trip to L.A. The critic dishes out recommendations for Thai (Jitlada), Ethiopian (Meals by Genet), Korean tacos (Kogi) and chili fries (Toms #5), and the shots of lovingly prepared Mexican and Chinese food will make your stomach rumble. Gold, who shed his anonymity before the films Sundance Festival debut last year, looks like the subject of a Flemish painting and eats like a boar. As the first food critic to win the Pulitzer Prize (in 2007 while writing for the L.A. Weekly), he has been an obsessive chronicler of immigrant cuisine, which has become an obsession of foodies (a word he probably hates). Basically, if youre a young nonminority urbanite who knows congee from kitfo, you have Jonathan Gold to thank, in some small way. For the immigrant community, he is a kingmaker. Gabbert captures several stories of American transplants cooking their native food and struggling, until white people magically appear in their restaurants one day, led by Golds reviews. All of a sudden, theyre able to send their kids to college and live the American dream. But there is little tension in the film, beyond Golds struggles with deadlines and his environmentalist brothers mild disapproval of him eating rare and endangered animals, a practice Gold has mostly disavowed. Gabbert devotes too much time in the second half of the film which closely follows the approach of a 2009 New Yorker profile of Gold on Golds early years. It could have delved deeper into more pressing questions about contemporary food culture, such as the fetishization of so-called ethnic cuisine and the dwindling influence of the critic. The film is most interesting when it uses Gold to tell the story of Los Angeless diversity, rather than the story of the most important stomach in Los Angeles. Still, it is a colorful and loving tribute to the kinds of restaurants that food critics once ignored and a few fancy places as well. (One great moment: Celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvres involuntary angry eye twitch when Gold walks into Trois Mec, unannounced.) Gold proselytizes about the beauty of a strip mall and grunts with pleasure at the first hit of spice from a Thai soup. He doesnt take notes while he eats: You could take notes when youre having sex, too, he says, but youd sort of be missing out on something. For devotees of lifes other primal pleasure eating City of Gold is a guided trip around the world, without ever leaving one city. Jennifer Garner stars in Miracles from Heaven. (Chuck Zlotnick/Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment) 10 and older Miracles from Heaven (PG) Soft-hearted kids 10 and older, whether theyre from religious families or not, will react emotionally to this story of a dying little girl who gets well as a result of what she and her parents deem to be a miracle. Hollywood is taking faith-based films seriously now, and the acting and production values show it. The Beams are a fun family, with three daughters and lots of pets, liv ing on a beautiful piece of land in Texas. They are devout Christians who declare their faith openly and often. Christy Wilson Beams 2015 memoir of the same name inspired the film. Her middle daughter, Anna, became ill at age 10 with pseudo-obstruction motility disorder, which, as the book explains, makes it impossible for her little body to process food or even water in the normal way. Anna is in pain with a bloated belly, yet wasting away. With her devoted mom (Jennifer Garner), she visits a specialist in Boston, where a kind waitress (Queen Latifah) befriends them. But Anna gets worse. Then a near-fatal backyard climbing accident seems mysteriously to cure her. Anna says she went to heaven and talked to God. Accept that or not, this is a moving tale of familial love. (109 minutes) THE BOTTOM LINE: Scenes showing Anna sick and in pain, frantic moments in an emergency room, and tubes pushed up her nose and into her stomach could upset children younger than 10 and some older. Parents must consider what their kids can handle. Characters discussion of faith in and out of church will feel familiar to many children, but unusual to those whose families worship differently or not at all. Zootopia (PG) Consistently humorous and frequently all-out hilarious, Zootopia is an ingenious animated parable about acceptance and tolerance. It uses the animal world to mirror humankind and our tendencies toward prejudice and stereotyping. Its best for kids 10 and older because of its complex ideas and several scary bits. The animators renderings of animals, from shrews to yaks to giraffes, are droll and joyous. Zootopias heroine, a rabbit named Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), leaves her rural home and worried parents to follow her dream of becoming a cop in the big city of Zootopia, where all animals, prey and predators, live in peace. That doesnt mean prejudices dont still exist. Judy gets into the police academy as part of a diversity initiative. But when she graduates, the chief, a Cape buffalo (Idris Elba), only sees her as a meek parking cop. Judy resolves to prove herself. She wins the chiefs okay to follow a lead on a case involving the disappearance of several of Zootopias predator citizens. She enlists the aid of a fox con artist, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), and they uncover a bizarre plot. A scene at Zootopias DMV office, staffed entirely by sloths, is a classic hoot. (109 minutes) THE BOTTOM LINE: Spoiler alert: Some scenes, in which usually peaceful animals are injected with a serum that makes them go wild and attack, could scare kids under 10, especially in 3-D. Judy and Nick get into dangerous scrapes, such as falling off a cliff. They also visit a hippie animal nudist colony and are embarrassed by seeing everyones naughty bits (which arent really shown). Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is in theaters March 25, 2016. ( / Warner Bros.) PG-13 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice As he did with Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder yanks this superhero saga from its comic-book roots and infuses it with thick dollops of existential, post-9/11 angst. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is long, sometimes hard to follow and overstuffed with plot and digital effects, but it is nearly always gripping. High-schoolers who prefer superheroes with moral and intellectual grit can revel in this film. That noted, its very dark mood and intense violence make it a decidedly iffy choice for timid or nightmare-prone middle-schoolers. The story opens with flashbacks of a battle that nearly destroys Metropolis. Cut to Supermans (Henry Cavill) bloody rescue of his love, reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams), from possible terrorists. A senate subcommittee and even Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck), over in Gotham City, question whether Supermans efforts are worth the collateral damage. As for Superman, he views Batman as an out-of-control vigilante. Neither understands the other. Enter addled young tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), who gets ahold of the mineral kryptonite, so dangerous to Superman. Batman and Superman continue on a somewhat anti-climactic collision course, until Luthors evil plans erupt. (151 minutes) THE BOTTOM LINE: The mood, tone and violence are all very dark. The superheroes begin to wonder if humankind even deserves their help. The gunplay, aerial dogfights, impalements and chases, while not graphic in terms of blood and gore, have a lethal intensity that implies much loss of human life. The dialogue includes one S-word. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Adults of middle and later years are the likeliest audience for this sentimental, slapdash sequel, but the film might also appeal to teens who enjoy warm family tales. If, however, those teens want the stories to have internal logic or the humor to be subtle, theyll be disappointed here. Screenwriter and star Nia Vardaloss story hits umpteen logical potholes, which she paves over with awkward quick fixes in the dialogue. And the humor is unapologetically broad. From a teen perspective, it might help that part of the plot hinges on a girl trying to get her loving but overprotective parents to back off a bit. The proudly ethnic Greek American family that Vardalos introduced 14 years ago still butts into one anothers lives with zero tact and much affection. Toula (Vardalos) and her totally non-Greek husband, Ian (John Corbett), now have a brainy 17-year-old daughter who is mortified by her family and in rebellion. She longs to go away to college, but Toula cant face the idea. On top of that, Toulas crotchety parents need to renew their vows (long story) and Toula and Ian feel the spark has left their marriage. Much advice comes from Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin), the expert. (94 minutes) THE BOTTOM LINE: The dialogue and visual gags include a lot of not-quite-raunchy sexual innuendo, from the Greek slang for private parts to lectures from Aunt Voula on how Toula can put spark back into her marital sex life. From left to right: Christina (Zoe Kravitz), Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort), Tori (Maggie Q) and Peter (Miles Teller) in The Divergent Series: Allegiant. (Murray Close/Lionsgate) The Divergent Series: Allegiant This is the first half of a planned two-part finale for the Divergent series, based on the young-adult trilogy by Veronica Roth. Alas, much like the second film, Insurgent, this installment disappoints with its graceless narrative, intensified violence and occasional dullness. It also does a poor job of catching newcomers up with the plot. The mayhem is too graphic for preteens and even some middle-schoolers, but most teens will find some satisfaction in it if they love the books. A post-revolutionary reign of terror has begun under Evelyn (Naomi Watts), the problematic new leader in the blasted landscape that was Chicago. The heroine, Tris (Shailene Woodley), disapproves of Evelyns show trials, mob justice and point-blank executions. Evelyn also is the mother of Triss love and fellow insurgent, Four (Theo James). Tris, Four and their unreliable allies, Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and Peter (Miles Teller), escape Evelyns paramilitary in a hail of bullets and go over the wall. They find the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, run by David (Jeff Daniels), who tells them that humanity was nearly destroyed by genetic tinkering, which he aims to fix. When he tells Tris she is the only genetically pure human left, they doubt his motives. (121 minutes) THE BOTTOM LINE: There is not a lot of blood, but the mayhem point-blank killings, pitched gun battles and bone-cracking fights has a more intense feel than in the earlier films. The executions, while not graphic, are truly disturbing, as is the talk of genetic purity. Apart from Tris and Four stealing kisses, there is no sexual innuendo. The Young Messiah Flawed and violent, but an effective tale of devotion, The Young Messiah grittily depicts life in the Holy Land two millennia ago, as it imagines a year in the life of 7-year-old Jesus. Based on Anne Rices 2005 Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt: A Novel, the film uses too much lethal mayhem for a PG-13, so its not for preteens. Jesus and his family leave exile in Egypt and return to Judea. A pious, sweet little boy, Jesus knows he has healing powers, but doesnt know why. His parents, Mary and Joseph, have withheld the truth from him for fear of Roman reprisals and mob suspicion. But when a bully attacks Jesus, then falls dead, Jesus brings the boy back to life. He uses his powers again and again. When he walks into a skirmish among Roman soldiers and Judean rebels, a Roman centurion spares him. The centurion has killed children before, hunting for the rumored newborn messiah. When he realizes who Jesus is, he will come after him again. A demonic figure often lurks in the background, only visible to Jesus. The Young Messiah has flaws typical of biblical epics: actors with British and Irish accents that supposedly make them more real; backdrops that look phony. But this films strength is more intimate than epic. (111 minutes) THE BOTTOM LINE: The many violent scenes stay within PG-13 range by cutting away before blood flows. Verbal references and a visual flashback depict Roman soldiers slaughtering children. The killings are strongly implied, but not graphic on-screen. One girl is nearly strangled and let go. Walking back to Nazareth, Jesuss family passes rows of men nailed to crosses. A centurion stabs a crucified man. Battle scenes show men impaled on spears, but with no graphic wounds. One scene implies an attempted rape, when a woman kills her attacker. WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: Sushi burrito station at Buredo. (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) The ingredients slender matchsticks of carrot, leaves of pickled cabbage, pudgy wedges of avocado, golden tubes of tempura shrimp are piled so high, I have no idea how the guy behind the counter will squeeze it into the modest square of nori covered with seasoned rice. It seems like a circus trick: the sushi burrito as clown car. But squeeze it he does. In fact, no matter how outrageous that stack of ingredients, the sushi roller at Buredo always manages to cram it into the seaweed sheet, like a middle-aged jock willing himself into old jogging tights. Never mind that the seam on the sushi burrito/jogging shorts always bursts the moment its forced into action. Both the aging jock and the sushi burrito can still cling to the fantasy: The former remains an athlete in his prime, the latter is tied to traditional Japanese sushi culture. I dont know how to classify the food at Buredo, which D.C. natives Travis Elton and Mike Haddad opened last summer on 14th Street NW (with a second shop planned for Dupont Circle). The sheer size of the rolls places them on the Chipotle end of the sushi-burrito spectrum. The nori wrapper and vinegared rice drag the rolls toward the maki-sushi side. The lack of subtlety pushes them back toward bulging burrito territory (although just barely, given the cartoonish, hair-metal personality of some maki rolls). The occasional use of raw fish and tobiko roe swings them back the other way. Ultimately, I view the rolls at Buredo as more burrito than sushi. I think this for a number of reasons, but mainly because the rolls have no structural integrity. Every damn one falls apart, like an overstuffed flour tortilla that spills its guts no matter how you bite into it. But because each is also designed to be a meal unto itself, the rolls have little sense of balance. One bite, you might get a mouthful of braised pork shoulder, the next you might get all carrot sticks and cucumbers. These logs are as much about loud aiolis and sauces as they are about fish, seasoned rice and toasted nori. WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: The Riki, spicy beet, avocado, pea shoot leaves, at Buredo. (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) They also happen to be, by and large, delicious. Elton and Haddad almost spaz out if you compare their brand to the other monstrous sushi-burrito mutants that threaten our urban habitats, and I think I understand why. Despite sharing certain characteristics with their fishy, wide-mouthed peers health consciousness, rolls sold as self-contained meals, an infants delight with messy food their Buredo concept is far more refined than that of many of their competitors. The menu is not some fast-casual free-for-all, in which customers can create a junior-high cafeteria dare rolled up in seaweed. These rolls have been carefully engineered. [The remarkable rise of the sushi burrito.] In a political climate in which many Americans fear the rise of autocrats, or anyone with a hidebound agenda, a fast-casual concept without vast customization might sound downright fascist: Youll eat our sushi burritos, and youll like them! But youll have to excuse my totalitarian tendencies if I say that customization at fast-casual shops is overrated. Its too easy to throw away cash on semi-gag-worthy grub. For me, part of the thrill of dining out is experiencing a kitchens creativity. Haddad and Elton worked for months on their compact menu, first with Tom Madrecki, the man behind Chez Le Commis, and later with Khan Gayabazar, the former Fujimar chef who now leads the kitchen at Buredo. Once you take a bite of their meticulously workshopped burritos or, more precisely, once you can take a complete bite, with all the ingredients together youll immediately grasp that real pros are responsible for the fusion-oriented flavor combinations. WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: The Beatrix, tuna and salmon, at Buredo. (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) My favorite rolls involve sashimi and shellfish, which may reveal my bias for pairing vinegared rice with fish. The superb Beatrix doubles down on sashimi with slices of raw yellowfin tuna and salmon, which spoon inside a nori wrapper with some cool, clear and crunchy garnishes. The Sofie forces tempura shrimp to shack up with warring parties: avocado slices and Sriracha mayo, the ying and yang of creaminess. The Pai Mei drips more liquid than a busted radiator, but it pairs slices of fresh salmon with pea shoot leaves and tiny spears of asparagus, these spring flavors slightly goosed with pickled red onion. When a sushi burrito fails, it does so mostly at the hands of an employee who prepares it. The Crazy 88 flits from rich, brawny pork to stinging kimchi slaw, the two never quite serving as the counterweights necessary for a balanced roll. This is a recurring issue, the result, I believe, of a burrito line that relies on intuition and speed over precision and measured portions. Compare the Buredo approach to the one at Maki Shop, where the six-ounce rolls rely on equal portions of protein, vegetable and rice. The balance is built into the bite. [The $20 Diner: Its easy to get wrapped up in Maki Shops rolls.] WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: Overhead photo of the sushi burrito station at Buredo. (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) Buredo has only a few sides to pair with its nori wraps. I shouldnt be surprised at how much I like the brown rice chips from Riceworks: The company, after all, mixes ground white corn into the snacks, which go down like tortilla chips for sake swillers. When you order miso soup, youre handed a bowl with diced tofu, green onions and julienned carrots and jicama at the bottom. You add the cloudy soup from a push-button dispenser, which coughs out the perfect amount of liquid, practically the only precise measurement in the place. Of course, Id be happier if machine miso werent sweet and mealy with root vegetables. A common theme runs through your experience at Buredo: a Tokyo-like excess. You sense it in the Blade Runner-meets-Washington mural from artist Patrick Owens. You taste it in the house-made orange-ginger snickerdoodle (with Chinese five spice), which is about four ingredients more than necessary. You feel it in the crush of humanity at lunch, where a long communal table in the center of the space allows customers to gather over their mid-day meal. Collectively, theyre all pressed together in their own kind of sushi burrito. An Atlas V rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday, carrying supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station. (Ben Smegelsky/NASA/Reuters) Fresh supplies are rocketing toward the International Space Station, where the shelves are less than full after a string of failed deliveries. Launched Tuesday on an unmanned rocket, the cargo includes nearly 8,000 pounds of food, equipment and scientific gear, including a 3-D printer and robotic grippers modeled after the sticky hairs that grow on the feet of geckos. There are also materials for an experiment that will help show how fires spread in weightlessness. After the cargo ship heads back toward Earth, NASA will remotely ignite a blaze inside a box that will be equipped to send data about the fire to researchers. [Astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth this month after one year in space] In the past year and a half, several resupply trips to the station have ended in disaster, with unmanned rockets blowing up during launch. As usual, some surprises were tucked away for the six space station astronauts, who should receive the delivery Saturday. Maybe theyll find a few Easter eggs on board; who knows? Frank Culbertson, an executive at Orbital ATK, the company handling the mission for NASA, said with a smile. A beer garden in Bamberg, Germany. (Werner Kunz) Maik, a fire-safety expert from Stuttgart, is giving me a bit of advice. What is this beer? Youve ordered the wrong one! he barks, gesturing at my squat glass mug of foam-topped, pale-golden Ungespundet. Im a bit taken aback, to be honest. Weve just met, at Bambergs Spezial inn, where customers squeeze next to each other around rustic wooden tables. Hes not finished. Maik points to his glass, which contains Spezials famous Rauchbier Marzen, a dark amber lager with a gentle smoked character. This is the beer you should have had! he adds, with a satisfied flourish. The worst thing about it? Hes right. Spezials Rauchbier (smoked beer) Marzen is a classic, while this Ungespundet (unbunged, meaning much of the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation was allowed to escape) is merely quite good. I do, however, have an excuse: Ive had the Marzen before, and I wanted to try the Ungespundet. And thats fine, because, whatever Maik says, trying beers is what you do in Bamberg. This is a city of just 70,000 people but nine breweries, at the heart of a region Franconia where beer comes second only to God, and then only sometimes. There was even a beer war in Bamberg once. (In 1907. The brewers wanted to raise prices; the customers werent keen. The customers won.) [Dusseldorf vs. Cologne: My two rounds of a friendly German beer bout] Im here to find out why Bamberg has such a rich beer culture. Its a good time to do it: This year, Germany is celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot, a law that dictates which ingredients can be used to make beer (malt, hops, water and yeast, essentially, although the current law, updated in 1993, has a number of loopholes). Advocates say it ensures quality; a growing minority of drinkers reject that claim, insisting its just marketing for mediocre beer. And theres a lot of mediocre beer in Germany these days. Not in Bamberg, though. I arrive just before Wednesday lunchtime, and, having checked in at Spezial (a brewery, hotel and tavern rolled into one), I set out across town. Its the start of March, and the temperature is a little above freezing so Im in search of warmth by the time I step inside Kachelofen, one of the Old Towns classic taverns. With its checkered tablecloths, ceramic mustard pots and numerous native trinkets on the walls and windowsills, Kachelofen is almost a parody of a Franconian inn. Named after the beautiful but rather obtrusive tiled ceramic heaters that are a staple of barrooms here, Kachelofen offers three draft beers, with, unusually, just one from Bamberg: Schlenkerlas Rauchbier, which is like Spezials but smokier. I know it well, so perversely, given my mission I go instead for a Seidla (half-liter) of St. Georgen Kellerbier, which comes from the nearby town of Buttenheim. I dont regret it. Its rich and honeyed, full of that unmistakable southern German grain character, with a long, almost austere bitter finish. Served alongside a not-for-the-fainthearted classic of German country cooking Frankisches Bauernpfannla, or Franconian Farmers Pan, composed of liver sausage, liver dumplings, roast pork, sauerkraut and fried potatoes its just the job ahead of an afternoon of exploring. Altes Rathaus is the old town hall, originally built around 1467. (Will Hawkes/For The Washington Post) Reinforced, I waddle off in search of the 13th-century Bamberg Cathedral, which is less than 10 minutes away on Domberg (Cathedral Hill), one of seven hills in the city. This Roman Catholic cathedrals four spires one currently encased in scaffolding tower over Bamberg, so its an easy task. Its starting to rain by the time I arrive, so I hurry inside. I walk slowly toward the altar, almost missing the vivid Bamberg Horseman, a statue created around 1235, which depicts an unknown young noble on horseback. I sit down to take it in. Its a mighty structure, which reflects the huge role the Catholic faith has played in this citys history. You simply cant avoid faith here: There are shrines and wayside crosses all over town. Franconia is a region with both Catholic and Protestant traditions, and Bamberg is very Catholic. [A self-propelled Belgium brewery tour through Belgium lets you bike to pints] Outside, it has stopped raining good news for me, as Ive got a meeting scheduled on the other side of town. Im going to meet Gerhard Schoolman, the co-owner of a bar called Cafe Abseits, reputedly one of the best places to try Franconian country beer in Bamberg. It doesnt disappoint. I order a glass of Ganstaller Braus Zoigl, brewed about 10 miles to the south in Schnaid. Its soft and alluring, with an orange-peel aroma and a growing bitterness in the mouth. Like all the best Franconian beers, its extremely easy to drink. Why, I ask Gerhard, is Bamberg such a great beer town? Perhaps its geographical, he says. We have special mountains with sandstone, where you can chill the beer, and we have many small rivers and lakes for ice. We have an area where we grow barley and, before the First World War, we also had a large area where hops were grown. He thinks for a moment. I dont know why we have so many breweries its a miracle, maybe! Spezial is a brewery, hotel and tavern rolled into one. (Will Hawkes/For The Washington Post) The interior of Spezial brewery, where beer is served from wooden barrels. (Will Hawkes/For The Washington Post) Theres that religion again. After chatting to Gerhard for an hour or so, I wander back to Spezial for a rest. Its a good place to consider the history of Bamberg brewing, as Obere Konigstrasse, where youll find Spezial, boasted 22 breweries-cum-inns in 1817. It was part of the main route from Berlin to Italy. Now it isnt, and there are just two. (Fassla, opposite Spezial, is the other.) The evening is spent at a few of Bambergs inns. Fassla is livelier than Spezial, with a central alleyway where locals gather for cheaper beer and, so the story goes, in order to say that they havent been to the pub because they didnt go inside. Upriver, at Keesmann, the atmosphere is calmer but the Pils equally good; its no wonder this herbal, lemony drop is regarded as one of Germanys best Pilsners. A few yards away is Mahrs, where I have dinner: Schauferla, slow-roasted pork shoulder, with a Seidla of Mahrs Ungespundet, called just U. The brewpubs dont differ hugely in aesthetic terms a pair of antlers on the wall here, aging hops there, plenty of dark wood and country-style furniture everywhere but individuality isnt the key. Crucially, they share the conviviality that marks a great place to drink. While Im at Mahrs, a man comes in and knocks on the table to greet his friends. Its a local custom that sums up the cozy charm of Bambergs pubs. The next morning, I go in search of views at Altenburg castle, which sits at the top of the citys biggest hill. I wander through the city center, stopping to watch some squabbling ducks on the millpond-like Ludwig-Donau-Main Canal before I cross the Regnitz river, white-foamed and rushing as if angry at having been forced to take so many twists and turns through Bamberg. It flows in two arms here, separating the eastern plain from the island city (made up of one large and a number of small islands in the heart of Bamberg), and that from the hill town to the west. I spot a truck from Buttenheims Lowenbrau brewery carefully negotiating the medieval streets while a Deutsche Post employee, clad in yellow and blue, parks her bicycle (this is a city of bikes as well as beer) and wanders off to deliver a parcel. I stop to take a look at the improbably shaped Altes Rathaus (the old town hall, originally built around 1467), which sits on an island with a half-timbered section that juts out over the river. The story goes that the bishop of Bamberg refused to provide land for a town hall, so the locals made an island for it. Whether thats true or not, the Altes Rathaus is a remarkable structure, with baroque and rococo touches including painted walls that are just the right side of gilding the lily. Its another 40 minutes walk before I reach Altenburg castle, on the cusp of open country. A final forested climb, with birds singing and the last remnants of snow lying on the ground, and Im there. As expected, the view is fantastic. Beyond the canopy of trees, there are Bambergs red-tiled rooftops, with spires here and there, and farther afield, the hills of Franconian Switzerland. On the other side, theres pure green: the rolling hills of Franconia. Schlenkerlas tavern on Dominikanerstrasse. (Will Hawkes/For The Washington Post) A walk like that creates a thirst, so I hurry down the hill to Schlenkerlas tavern on Dominikanerstrasse, close to the river. Inside, theres a choice of rooms: To my left, the Alte Lokal looks pretty full, so I turn right into the Dominikanerklause, a space that owes its ecclesiastical atmosphere to the fact that it used to be the house chapel of the Dominican monastery on this site. The religious aspect extends into my choice of drink: Fastenbier. Available only between Ash Wednesday and Easter and served from a wooden barrel, its a cloudy, dark red lager, with huge smoke character and plenty of noble hop bitterness. Its so good that it doesnt take me long to need another one as an accompaniment to a plate of bratwurst and delicious Bamberg potatoes. I gesture at the bearlike chap manning the barrel at the other end of the room. Fasten? he asks. I nod. Window detail at Schlenkerlas tavern. (Will Hawkes/For The Washington Post) Bratwurst and potatoes with Fastenbier at Schlenkerlas tavern. (Will Hawkes/For The Washington Post) Theres one final place I want to visit in Bamberg, purely because Im amazed that it exists: the Weyermann Fan Shop. Weyermann is a malt producer a very good malt producer, its true, that sends its specialty products around the world, but still, just a malt producer. It amazes me that theres a fan shop, so I head up there in the afternoon. Opened last year, it demonstrates how this traditional brewing town is beginning to tangle with modernity. You can buy Weyermanns own beers here (some call it Bambergs 10th brewery), plus beers from breweries around the world that use its malt: Rogue, Flying Dog, Kona and Anchor, to name a few. Theres a framed copy of the Reinheitsgebot (for $50) or, if you prefer, a bottle of Weyermanns Licorice Porter (which is non-compliant, because of the licorice). Theres also a whiskey distillery in one corner of the room. As Im peering at it, Gregor Alic, who works for Weyermann, comes over to talk. He turns out to be a mine of information. Although Slovenian himself, he knows the Franconians well enough. Theyre very aware of their heritage, he tells me. Theyre stubborn people; although this is a part of Bavaria, they wouldnt consider themselves Bavarian. Theyre still angry with Napoleon for giving Franconia to Bavaria in 1807! Stubborn, religious, blessed by geography: Its becoming clear why Bambergers have such wonderful beer. But perhaps theres another reason. Look at those old guys, Maik says as we chat on my final evening in the city. Hes pointing at a group of friends playing cards in the corner of Spezials dining room, each with a glass of Marzen. Theyre 100 years old! This beer is that healthy! His estimate of their age might be a bit off they look to be in their 60s but otherwise, he might be right again. A beer culture this rich is good for the soul. Hawkes is a London-based freelancer and the author of Craft Beer London. More from Travel: Even beer skeptics can enjoy Oregons craft-brewery mecca Sampling Virginia moonshine at its source In excellent spirits: Whiskey tours of Tasmania The final day of school for students in Prince Georges County is set for June 20, thanks to a state waiver that exempts the Maryland school system from having to make up two days of instructional time lost to winter weather. Students in Prince Georges County missed seven school days because of inclement conditions, but the district only had four make-up days built into its calendar. To compensate, district officials converted a Feb. 12 professional development day into a day of instruction and applied for a two-day state waiver. The Maryland State Board of Education granted the waiver at its Tuesday meeting. Under Maryland law, school systems are required to hold classes for a total of 180 school days. Many systems apply for waivers to avoid extending their school years or to limit how many days they need to add. Prince Georges officials said school will dismiss two hours early on June 20, and the next day will be the final one for teachers. Montgomery County school officials, who had six days of weather-related closings this school year, also applied for a two-day waiver from the state. The district has not yet heard back, officials said. Maryland officials expect to make decisions on other requests during the next few weeks, said Bill Reinhard, spokesman of the Maryland State Department of Education. Waiver requests are considered on a case-by-case basis, he said. State regulations say that waivers may be granted when weather has been severe and school systems have shown they have made efforts to compensate for missed days. The Maryland Senate unanimously approved a criminal justice bill on Thursday that would significantly change how drug offenders are sentenced, shifting the focus to treatment rather than prison. The vote came after a long debate about whether the measure goes far enough to reduce prison costs and population. This is the largest reform of the criminal justice system passed in a generation, said Sen. Michael J. Hough (R-Frederick), who worked with Sen. Robert A. Zirkin (D-Baltimore County) on amendments to the bill in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. But several lawmakers, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), said they are hoping for changes in the House of Delegates that will provide additional state savings. This is a small step, said Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), and I think many people hoped for a big step. Last week, an analyst found that changes made to the bill by the Senate judicial committee would reduce the amount of money the state would save on prison costs. Instead of saving nearly $250 million over 10 years as initially projected, the analysis showed that the state would save $34 million during the same time period. [Landmark criminal justice bill delayed as its impact is questioned] Miller delayed a vote on the bill after he saw the analysis. The judicial committee then reversed one of its changes. After a member of the Legislative Black Caucus asked for a postponement, Miller delayed the bill again. On Thursday, Miller said he was thrilled to see the measure moving forward and called the legislation a 100 percent improvement from where we are. With some further changes, I think it could make all of our constituent groups happy, he said. Under the original bill, there would be strict limits on what sentences could be given to parole violators: 15 days for the first revocation and up to 45 days for the third revocation. The Senate committee voted to do away with the caps, allowing judges to impose longer sentences if they feel the parolee poses a public safety risk or for other good cause. After an outcry, the committee dropped the good cause language from the amendment. The legislation, modeled after laws that have been enacted elsewhere, would send people charged with drug possession to treatment instead of prison; eliminate disparities in penalties for offenses involving crack and powder cocaine; make it easier to have drug-possession convictions expunged; and offer drug offenders the same number of credits to reduce their sentences that are given to other nonviolent offenders. It would also allow people who are serving mandatory minimums for drug offenses to appeal their sentences. At the same time, it would increase the penalties for second-degree murder and kidnapping. Also on Thursday, the Senate sent a bill to the governors desk that secures future funding for Prince Georges Hospital Center as it transitions to a planned regional medical center. The legislation was sponsored by Miller, who criticized Gov. Larry Hogan (R) earlier this year for withholding $15 million in hospital funding. Hogan later agreed to allocate the money. The Senate also gave preliminary approval to a pay-equity bill, delayed earlier this week, after Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles) offered an amendment to address concerns that legislators expressed about the impact the bill would have on small businesses. Middletons amendment removed a provision that would have allowed people to file a complaint within three years from the time they discover they may have been a victim of discrimination. He replaced it with language that requires a complaint to be filed within three years from the time a person leaves a job. The Senate also gave preliminary approval to a bill that would require drug prescribers and pharmacists to register with and use a prescription-monitoring database that helps identify abuse of medications. The measure is similar to a proposal Hogan made this year as part of his plans to address a growing heroin epidemic stemming from widespread painkiller addiction. Both chambers of the legislature appointed delegates to the conference committee that will reconcile differences between the state operating budgets that the House and Senate approved in recent weeks. The delegates will be Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City), Tawanna P. Gaines (D-Prince Georges), Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County), Kirill Reznik (D-Montgomery) and Wendell R. Beitzel (R-Garrett), while the senators will be Madaleno, Edward J. Kasemeyer (D-Howard), James E. DeGrange Sr. (D-Anne Arundel), Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery) and George C. Edwards (R-Garrett). The House also gave preliminary approval to a bill that would allow public safety employees such as police and firefighters to exclude up to $15,000 in retirement income from taxes after the age of 55. Josh Hicks contributed to this report. Former two-term Prince Georges County states attorney Glenn F. Ivey is vowing to bring the fight to Republicans in Congress if elected this fall to the seat being vacated by Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.), who is running for U.S. Senate. [A portrait of Congressional hopeful Glenn Ivey] Ivey, 55, was the subject of dozens of news articles and evening news broadcasts as the countys chief prosecutor for eight years. But there are a few things about him that, to this day, are not as well-known. Here is a short list: Cancer survivor: During his first term as states attorney, in 2004, Ivey was diagnosed with kidney cancer and underwent surgery. He has been cancer-free ever since. Drive-by: Also in 2004, Ivey suffered a flesh wound after he was shot in a drive-by while getting ice cream in District Heights with Rushern L. Baker III, a fellow Democrat and former state lawmaker who since 2011 has served as Prince Georges County executive. The shooter opened fire with a pellet gun on the crowd gathered outside the shop. Stolen vehicle: When Ivey was first elected the countys top prosecutor, Prince Georges had one of the highest auto-theft rates in the country. A few days after winning the election, Iveys minivan was stolen from his Cheverly driveway still bearing his campaign bumper sticker. News junkie: Ivey, who lived in Northern Virginia as a teenager, still has a copy of the famous Nixon Resigns! front page of The Washington Post. The Watergate hearings made an indelible impression on the aspiring attorney, he said. First appearances: Ivey is not fastidious about car care. But he says he said he learned a valuable lesson after a local activist chided him for arriving to a community event in a pollen-coated government vehicle: You need to wash your car, you represent all of us now. Former Prince Georges states attorney Glenn F. Ivey (Mark Gail/For The Washington Post) This is the fourth in a series of profiles of the six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to represent Marylands 4th Congressional District. Growing up in North Carolina in the 1960s, Glenn F. Ivey saw firsthand how the civil rights movement changed his home town of Rocky Mount. The schools desegregated. You could shop in stores and go into restaurants where you hadnt been allowed, Ivey, 55, recalls. I saw these people making a difference. And I wanted to be one of those who could help people in the same way. That desire led to a career as a lawyer, Capitol Hill staffer and prosecutor, including eight years as states attorney in Prince Georges County. Now Ivey is running for Congress, one of six Democrats vying for the partys nomination to succeed Rep. Donna F. Edwards, who is running for the Senate. He has raised the most money in the race and is the first to run television ads. [Contest to succeed Edwards boils down to three veteran politicians] Ivey is trying to reacquaint himself with voters who may be more familiar with his wife, Jolene Ivey, a state delegate from 2007 to 2015 and a candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014. He says his work experience and commitment to the community have prepared him to advocate for constituents and Democratic interests in a deeply polarized legislature. I know you are tired of Congress being dysfunctional and the political fights of scoring points instead of getting things done, Ivey said at a recent candidates forum. I want to make sure we stand with the president, protect Social Security and protect Obamacare. The second son born to a U.S. Air Force military police officer and a school librarian, Ivey moved to Northern Virginia as a teenager after his father got a job with the Labor Department. He graduated from Princeton University and received a law degree from Harvard before returning to the Washington area in 1987 to become an aide to Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich). He later spent four years as a federal prosecutor and worked for Sens. Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.). [5 lesser-known facts about Glenn Ivey] Ivey said he learned bipartisanship watching Conyers persuade Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) to collaborate on a bill requiring warning labels on alcoholic beverages and seeing Sarbanes, Daschle and other Democrats forge a deal with Republicans to pass a federal minimum-wage hike. It was a great model of how things could come together, he said. By 2002, Glenn and Jolene Ivey had married and moved to Prince Georges, where they raised five sons. Their blended family also includes Glenn Iveys daughter from a previous relationship. Jolene Ivey and Glenn Ivey in their home in Cheverly in 2014. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) Ivey served two terms as states attorney, building a reputation as a thoughtful and fair litigator during a time when the rates for homicide and violent crimes were dropping dramatically. He reorganized the prosecutors office, which his predecessor, Jack B. Johnson, had left in turmoil (Johnson, who had become county executive, later pleaded guilty to corruption charges related to his tenure as county executive). And Ivey worked closely with the community helping create mentoring programs, asking faith leaders to open a dialogue about domestic abuse and forming a task force of local organizations to develop anti-gang programs and laws. [Seniors press 4th district candidates on Social Security] His high-profile prosecutions include the cases of Roger B. Hargrave, who in 2005 stormed into the workplace of his estranged wife, Yvette Cade, doused her with gasoline and set her ablaze; and then-police officer Keith Washington, who shot two furniture deliverymen in 2009, killing one of them. When Ronnie White, who was accused of killing a police officer, was strangled in his jail cell in 2008, Iveys office faced intense public scrutiny and demands to hold someone accountable. After a year-long investigation, he announced that there was no evidence to support murder charges against jail employees. Although many were unhappy with the decision, some including the then-president of the county chapter of the NAACP, June White Dillard ultimately concluded that Iveys probe had been fair. We pressured him a lot, said Dillard, who is backing Ivey in the primary race. He was always responsive to us. Ivey also met with Whites father several times during the investigation. The key was to be sympathetic to his plight, Ivey said. The focus was on getting it right. . . . I think he appreciated that. At one point, Ivey was considered a possible running mate for then-gubernatorial candidate Martin OMalley. But OMalley tapped Anthony Brown, then a state delegate. Now, Brown and Ivey who most recently has worked in private practice are the two front-runners in the congressional race. Ivey appears to be focusing especially on older, African American women, among the most reliable voters in the district. Although he is not a fiery speaker, his Southern drawl, folksy manner and willingness to listen seem to appeal to those he meets while campaigning. Lessie Hairston of Capitol Heights yelped when she spotted the bespectacled, suspender-wearing candidate on her doorstep the other day. She asked to take a picture with him. I got a picture with Obama, too, Hairston said. Well, can I count on your vote? Ivey asked. She replied: Youve got it. Next: Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk. With less than three weeks left in the 90-day legislative session, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Thursday that he remains frustrated that the General Assembly has not moved on his proposal to provide tax relief to retirees and to create a nonpartisan redistricting panel to draw Marylands legislative and congressional districts. It hasnt even been discussed in this entire session; [the bill is] in somebodys drawer somewhere and we want to put some pressure on them in these last 16 days to see an up-or-down vote, Hogan said of redistricting during a wide-ranging interview in his office. They cant just ignore everybody in Maryland who wants to see this issue debated, discussed and voted on. But there is little chance it will happen. Democratic legislative leaders have balked at the idea of making redistricting changes, arguing that the state needs to wait for national redistricting reform. Hogan pointed out a small black digital clock he keeps on his desk, which ticks off the number of days, hours and seconds he has left in his term. He said he uses the timepiece as a reminder of the work he wants to accomplish and the amount of time he has left. He joked that he is always telling his staff to get it done, while rattling off the numbers displayed. So far, he thinks the state is moving in the direction he envisioned when he launched his campaign, which was largely focused on rolling back taxes and fees. Last year, no new taxes were passed and it looks like were going to be able to do that again this year, Hogan said. Given the fact that we came here trying to be change agents to take the state in a different direction, there is obviously a little friction with folks who have been here a long time and want to protect the status quo. But weve compromised and weve been pragmatic. I think weve accomplished quite a bit. He said he is pleased overall with how the session has unfolded, especially the passage of his $42 billion operating budget. The Senate also passed a tax- relief bill that slightly lowers tax rates for residents in the top four income brackets, mostly individuals earning more than $100,000 and married couples earning more than $150,000. It slightly increases the personal income tax exemption for middle-income taxpayers over four years and expands the earned-income tax credit for the working poor, while extending that benefit to taxpayers who are younger than 25 and do not have children. Both chambers have passed the budget, unanimously in the Senate and by a 133-5 vote in the House. A budget conference committee will reconcile the amendments made to the bill in each chamber. So far, we couldnt have had a better session with regard to the budget, Hogan said, noting that other states with a divided government, including Pennsylvania, have not been as fortunate. I cant remember when it has ever happened before, when it went this smoothly, few changes, getting it done with such support in both houses. [Maryland House approves Gov. Hogans $42 billion budget] On national politics, Hogan said he continues to be disgusted with the campaigns of both Republicans and Democrats. Hogan said he saw the truck carrying an anti-Trump billboard circling the state capitol on Wednesday. Rep. John Delaney (D), who many believe is a potential 2018 gubernatorial candidate, paid for the advertisement. For weeks, Delaney has been demanding that Hogan say whether he plans to endorse Donald Trump if he wins the Republican nomination for president. I thought it was cute, the governor said with a smile, adding that the billboard was the handiwork of the campaign manager of his 2012 opponent, former Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D), who is now working as Delaneys chief of staff. Im not endorsing Trump. Im not really engaged in the process. . . I dont think every day about what Donald Trump is doing or what John Delaney has to say. I dont really care. I only endorsed one guy and hes out of the race. He said he has yet to talk to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), his choice for the Republican nomination, about Christies surprise endorsement of Trump. The two have only exchanged text messages, he said. Its going to be an interesting conversation if I ever do talk to him, Im sure, he said. Hogan later told the Associated Press that he could consider supporting another candidate if Trump wins the nomination. He also said that he doesnt think that Trump should be the nominee. The governor, who is still undergoing chemotherapy once a month to prevent his non-Hodgkins lymphoma from returning, said his energy level has returned to full strength, his hair is growing and he is trying to lose some of the weight he packed on from the steroids that were part of the treatment. He said his scans continue to show he is in remission. Knock on wood theyll stay like that forever, he said. Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett has asked police to review the departments use of Tasers, the electric-shock stun guns deployed by county officers in four fatal incidents since 2009 the most of any jurisdiction in the state. Leggett (D) said Thursday he asked Police Chief Thomas Manger to examine Taser use in the four deaths, along with the departments policies and training, in response to a Baltimore Sun investigation published Saturday. To my surprise, were leading the pack in the number of deaths by Tasers, Leggett said. It raises questions to me about how, when and how frequently we use them. . . . Ive asked Chief Manger to go back and review all of it. Leggett added that he might also ask an outside consultant to participate in the review to make sure we have enough eyes on it. A police spokeswoman, Lucille Baur, confirmed that the review is underway. The chief and the county executive are on the same page as usual, Baur said. The Sun reported that Montgomery police have been involved in four of 11 fatal Taser incidents in Maryland since 2009. In three of the four, officers exceeded the recommended 15-second safety limit, the newspaper reported. Between 2012 and 2014, there were 42 incidents involving Montgomery police in which Tasers were activated for longer than 15 seconds. In one instance, Tasers were activated for 108 seconds. Overall, Montgomery ranked third in the state for stun-gun use behind the city of Baltimore and Baltimore County, with 326 incidents since 2009. The Sun story included a 17-minute iPhone video of the fatal April 2013 incident in which a Taser was used on Anthony Howard, 51, in a Gaithersburg cul-de-sac. Howard, who had been acting erratically, was standing still, holding a childs scooter, when officers fired Tasers nine times for a total of 37 seconds. A police spokesman told the Sun that grand juries cleared officers of any criminal behavior in the incident and the three other fatal episodes. But Leggett said the departments policies regarding Taser use may need revision. Looking at it as a criminal matter is a different standard, said Leggett, who said it seemed from the video that Howard had been hit with the stun guns too often and too long. Montgomery County Council member Marc Elrich (D-At Large), chairman of the Public Safety Committee, praised Leggetts decision to call for a review. He said the committee will hold an April 28 hearing with police officials on Taser policies. Elrich said he was reluctant to draw conclusions before talking to police, but he called the Howard video disturbing. You cant possibly be trained to do that, Elrich said. Maryland Del. Joseline A. Pena-Melnyk (D-Prince Georges), right, talks with a voter after a 4th Congressional District candidates forum Feb. 23 at Bowie State University. (Mark Gail/For The Washington Post) This is the fifth in a series of profiles of the six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to represent Marylands 4th Congressional District. The telephone number listed on Del. Joseline A. Pena-Melnyks campaign material connects directly to her mobile phone, which rarely leaves her hand as she drives from suburban Maryland to Annapolis in her lime-green-and-blue Toyota Prius. From her days as a public defender to her first political job on the College Park City Council, accessibility and a willingness to challenge authority has always been the cornerstone of Pena-Melnyks public service. Now she is bringing that up-close-and-personal approach to her long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D). Pena-Melnyk, 49, lacks the establishment support of her two top competitors. So she is trying to build her own network one voter at a time. [Five things about Joseline Pena-Melnyk] I bring a perspective that no one has here as a woman, as an immigrant, as someone who never had it easy, Pena-Melnyk said at a recent forum. I am passionate, I fight hard. . . . I will take a stand when its not popular. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pena-Melnyk arrived in New York on a visa with her mother and sister when she was 8 years old. The girls soon returned home to stay with their grandparents for several years so their mother could get established. Back in New York, Pena-Melnyk found herself translating at the state welfare office for her mother, who was trying to get benefits to augment her garment-factory pay. Eventually, the teenager started doing the same for other Spanish-speaking families in Manhattans Washington Heights neighborhood. She had no fear of talking to people when things were bad, said Pena-Melnyks sister, Yuberky Pena. Her mother called her la abogadita, or the little lawyer, because she could be both stubborn and argumentative. Del. Joseline A. Pena-Melnyk speaks Feb. 23 at a forum for candidates for the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.). (Mark Gail/For The Washington Post) After one particularly bad disagreement, Pena-Melnyk moved out, staying with friends and renting a room for the last few months of high school. She reconciled with her mother before heading upstate to Buffalo for college and law school. She paid her way through school with a series of retail jobs, earning enough to help support her younger sister, who became a mother while a teenager and moved in with Pena-Melnyk in Buffalo after her childrens father was killed. [Maryland politics: Why Emilys List is spending big to defeat a progressive Democrat] Pena-Melnyk also volunteered at a shelter for battered women while in college. During law school, she interned for a nonprofit legal organization documenting the working conditions of migrant farmworkers in Ohio. At one point, while taking photos of the workers, she was threatened at gunpoint by a farmer. We ran; we literally, physically ran, Pena-Melnyk said. It was amazing what they were willing to do to cover up and made me realize how important the work we were doing was. Pena-Melnyk began her legal career in the public defenders office in Philadelphia but moved to Washington to join her then-fiance, Markian Melnyk, after failing the bar exam. She passed the test in 1993 and became a court-appointed defense attorney and an advocate for foster children and abused children in D.C. Superior Court. After spending time in private practice, Pena-Melnyk joined the U.S. attorneys office as a prosecutor. In 1999, after the first of her three children was born, Pena-Melnyk left the courtroom. But she stayed involved in public life, joining the board of the immigration rights group CASA of Maryland and winning a seat on the College Park City Council in 2003. Friends say Pena-Melnyk is known for getting personally involved in helping people driving high school students to college fairs, finding shelter for women who need it, taking neighbors to medical appointments. She doesnt just refer them to an agency, said Suchitra Balachandran, an environmental activist who is close to Pena-Melnyk. I often tell her that she cant make everything a personal mission, but this is how she functions and will continue to function. In 2006, Pena-Melnyk defeated several establishment candidates to win an open seat in the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 21, which includes northern Prince Georges and Anne Arundel counties. People told me I couldnt win, she recalls with a smile. She is considered an underdog in the race in the 4th Congressional District, which covers most of Prince Georges and parts of Anne Arundel. It includes both the immigrant-rich neighborhoods that are her base but also many predominantly African American or non-Hispanic white areas, where her Caribbean accent and background are less familiar. Pena-Melnyk, whose home in College Park is just outside the district, has sponsored more than 50 bills in Annapolis, each of which is framed and displayed on the walls of her State House office. She helped pass laws that digitized medical records and provided mental health training at schools, and she led a years-long fight to pass a bill prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity, which became law in 2014. At times, her progressive stance has put her at odds with Democratic legislative leaders. Pena-Melnyk says she is okay with that. I decided a long time ago to make decisions after consulting with constituents, she said. When my head hits the pillow, I have to be comfortable with my vote. Next: Terence Strait. A super PAC run by the National Association of Realtors has spent over half a million dollars in support of Rep. Chris Van Hollens Senate campaign. The money has gone toward television and Internet advertising as well as polling in the tight Democratic primary between Van Hollen and Rep. Donna F. Edwards. The group would not disclose how much money it intends to spend or where. However, so far the group has bought time in the Baltimore television market. Maryland needs and deserves proven, effective leadership, its 30-second ad says. Van Hollen, the ad says, has delivered that leadership by encouraging affordable home ownership. NAR spokesman Jon Boughtin said that the group makes targeted investments in campaigns at the request of local and state associations who help identify candidates, like Congressman Chris Van Hollen, who have a strong track record of support for homeownership. [Candidates on the attack in Maryland Senate debate] He would not say how much the group plans to spend on the race beyond the $554,850 already reported. The super PAC is the first outside group to support Van Hollen in the Senate race. For months, Edwards has benefited from the backing of a super PAC run by the Democratic abortion rights womens group Emilys List. Early in the race, Van Hollen had pushed Edwards to sign a pledge barring such outside groups from the race, but she refused. Van Hollens pledge would have required both candidates to donate to charity an amount equivalent to half what any outside group spent on the race. But he would not commit to such a pledge unilaterally. Chris Van Hollen is the only one in this race who has taken a stand against outside Super PAC money flooding into Maryland, Van Hollen spokeswoman Bridgett Frey said in a statement. He proposed an Elizabeth Warren-style anti-Super PAC pledge to keep them out of this election the offer was quickly rejected because Congresswoman Edwards has a habit of saying one thing and doing another. Edwards spokesman Benjamin Gerdes countered that the investment was a sign of Washington special interests taking Van Hollens side in the race. Van Hollen has outraised Edwards in the race by a wide margin. At the end of last year, he had more than 10 times as much money in his campaign account. He has advertised extensively in Baltimore; she has not aired any ads at all. But Women Vote, the Emilys List super PAC, has committed at least $2.4 million to supporting Edwards with advertising on television and online. The most recent polling in the Senate race gives Edwards a slight lead, while several other recent polls find the two candidates tied. Their first debate was last Friday; a second debate is scheduled for this Friday. Republican Richard J. Douglas, a candidate for Marylands open Senate seat, said Thursday that while his daughter is gay, he opposed the states legalization of same-sex marriage. I have a lesbian daughter, Douglas said at a primary debate that aired on Fox 45 on Thursday afternoon. I love my daughter, I want no harm to come to her, but our traditions matter, and tolerance is a two-way street. When gay marriage was legalized in Maryland in 2012, he said, I didnt celebrate it. . . . I didnt agree with the result; I didnt like it. One of his rivals for the Republican nomination, Chrys Kefalas, who works for the National Association of Manufacturers and is openly gay, said that while he thinks same-sex marriage is an issue of individual liberty, equality and dignity, its also not what matters to voters. ISIS is beheading people, Kefalas said, referring to the terrorist group Islamic State by its other name. People are losing their jobs. State House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County), who is also seeking the nomination, agreed. This was a divisive issue in the past, she said, but its definitely been settled. What Marylanders care about now are taxes, jobs and the economy. In a state where there are more than twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans, whoever wins the April 26 primary faces very long odds in the general election. All four of the candidates on stage Thursday tried to balance conservative positions with a moderate appeal. [Democratic candidates on the attack in first debate] They said they believed in climate change but did not want to deal with it in a way that would hurt U.S. workers. Most said they would meet with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland but probably would not vote to confirm him. Only Kefalas warned that it might make sense to hold hearings before the November election, given the possibility that Democrats will take both the presidency and the Senate next year. Lets have hearings, lets vet the nominee, lets find out how this nomination stands, he said. Each candidate made the case for his or her particular appeal in a blue state. Douglas said only he had worked with the last Republican senator from Maryland, the late Charles McC. Mathias Jr., who was in office when Douglas was at the State Department. Candidate Joe Hooe, who owns a local tire company, said his relationship with customers and his novel immigration plan would give him a leg up. That plan is to charge undocumented immigrants and their employers each $1,000 a year for temporary work certificates. Kefalas noted that he had worked as a speechwriter in the Department of Justice under President Obama. His Greek American immigrant background, career in business and government, and status as a gay Republican would help him appeal to Democrats, he said. Szeliga argued that she knows how to win as a Republican in Maryland, having worked with Gov. Larry Hogan (R) both in office and on the 2014 campaign that put him there. Polls show a wide-open race for the nomination, with few voters paying much attention a month before the April 26 primary. In a recent Baltimore Sun poll, Szeliga led the field with 6 percent of the vote. Seventy-nine percent of voters were undecided. In all, 14 candidates are seeking the nomination. Those who participated in the debate Thursday were chosen by the Maryland Republican Party, which required contenders to have raised at least $10,000 by March 9. By the end of last year, Kefalas had raised the most money, but Szeliga had more cash on hand. Both had raised and spent less than $200,000 sums dwarfed by the multimillion-dollar Democratic primary. A man being sought on warrants charging him with attempted murder and sexual assault in Maryland opened fire on D.C. police officers Wednesday evening, shooting two guns as he tried to evade arrest, according to law enforcement authorities. Officers were not struck, and police said at least one officer shot at the gunman but missed. The suspect, 34-year-old Richard Butler III, was arrested, and both weapons were recovered, according to police. The suspect has relatives in the District, and court documents also list an address for him in Virginia. He told court officials that he was homeless. D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said the man pulled his guns from a knapsack strapped to his chest and opened fire as the officers approached a group in the 600 block of Mellon Street SE., off Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Police said the suspect fired his weapon over several blocks as he fled on foot, striking five vehicles with bullets. The windshield of one vehicle, which was stopped at a traffic light, was hit. The driver was not injured. We dont see cases like this all the time, Lanier said Thursday. Noting increased tensions between police and some communities across the country, Lanier said, I think the mentality of truly violent offenders is that they are much more likely in any jurisdiction to engage police. [Man wanted in Prince Georges County stabbing, sex assault] Documents filed in D.C. Superior Court say that Butler tested positive for the hallucinogenic drug PCP after his arrest and admitted to using synthetic drugs within the past 30 days. Court records show that Butler is on probation until December 2017 after having served 36 months in prison for a weapons conviction in the District. The records show he violated his release conditions three times in March because he failed to show up for drug testing. Butler has been convicted of felonies in the District, Maryland and Virginia. He served three years in Virginia for being a felon in possession of a handgun and six years in Maryland for robbery with a deadly weapon. The suspect is wanted by Prince Georges County police in connection with a stabbing that occurred March 7 on Tyrone Drive in Upper Marlboro. Police said the suspects girlfriend was stabbed several times outside a house. He was charged in a warrant with attempted murder. Police said Butler is also wanted in a March 3 sexual assault of a young woman and a March 4 arson in which an incendiary device was thrown through an apartment window. Both incidents occurred in Landover. Butler was charged with arson and a second-degree sex offense. Lanier said a D.C. police officer had seen Butlers photo on a wanted flier earlier Wednesday. Later that evening, Lanier said, the officer saw people on Mellon Street that he believed were playing a dice game. As the officer drew closer, Lanier said, he recognized one of the men from the flier. The arrest affidavit says that as the officer approached the suspect to identify him, the man ran to the edge of an alley, turned and fired two shots. The officer returned fire. The court document says that the officer then chased the suspect along several alleys and streets, at one point jumping over fences, and that the gunman kept turning around, facing [the officer] firing back at him. Butler faces 10 criminal charges in the District, including assault on a police officer, weapons violations and assault with a dangerous weapon. Clarence Williams and Lynh Bui contributed to this report. Caption: A view of St. Elizabeths the Districts only public psychiatric hospital. (Evy Mages for The Washington Post) A patient at St. Elizabeths Hospital has been charged with sexually assaulting another patient at the Districts public psychiatric institution, according to D.C. police. Police on Saturday arrested Richard Garrs on a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. At a preliminary hearing Thursday, a D.C. Superior Court judge found probable cause for the charge and ordered Garrs held in custody. [Bowsers pick for St. Elizabeths comes from troubled hospital, has doctorate from unaccredited Charisma University] Garrs, 44, is accused of entering the room of a female patient about 12:30 p.m. Saturday and sexually assaulting her, court records say. The patient told her personal support technician and a nurse minutes after Garrs left the room, and police arrived about 45 minutes later, according to records. The alleged victim recognized him as the new guy who moved into the residential unit the previous night, the records say. Police said they reviewed security footage showing Garrs entering the patients room and leaving four minutes later. Police said they recovered a pair of mens briefs from the room and found Garrs walking around the hospital without underwear. He was arrested at 6 p.m. Its not clear why Garrs was admitted to the hospital. Records show he has a criminal record involving incidents in California, Texas, Oregon, Utah and Montana. A D.C. Superior Court judged issued a bench warrant against him last year when he failed to appear on a lewd, indecent or obscene acts charge. Garrs is represented by a lawyer from the D.C. Public Defender Service. A spokeswoman for the agency did not immediately return a message left at her office. Department of Behavioral Health Director Tanya Royster says the agency, which oversees St. Elizabeths, is speeding up plans to upgrade surveillance and hire more safety officers in response to the alleged assault. The Department of Behavioral Health is committed to a safe, therapeutic environment at St. Elizabeths Hospital where people with serious mental illness can get better, Royster said. We also are reviewing to make sure all protocols were followed and that they reflect industry best practices. Phyllis Jones, a spokeswoman for the Department of Behavioral Health, said patient rooms are off-limits to other patients. Some patients are allowed to move around the hospital grounds more freely than others, but she said privacy laws prevent her from saying what restrictions applied to Garrs. St. Elizabeths has a long history of troubles including assaults of patients and staff and patients wandering off the grounds that prompted seven years of federal oversight ending in 2014. A report by the nonprofit University Legal Services identified 10 sexual assault reports in the 300-patient hospital in 2010. [From 2011: Reports find progress, lingering troubles at St. Elizabeths] Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) selected a new leader for the hospital, James Edward Kyle, who took over March 2. Kyles hiring has come under scrutiny because his only other experience leading a hospital was four months in 2015 when he ran a facility on an Indian reservation in South Dakota, where federal officials shut down the emergency room after determining hazardous conditions posed a risk to patients. Problems at that facility predated Kyles tenure, but community leaders told The Washington Post that he didnt improve operations. Kyle also worked for two weeks at the University of the District of Columbia in 2013 as the R.N. director of nursing for the universitys non-credit programs until regulators found he lacked the proper credentials, according to records kept by the Districts Board of Nursing. A UDC spokesman declined to answer questions about Kyles tenure, citing privacy requirements connected to personnel matters. His background is in nursing but Kyle earned a doctorate in leadership from Charisma University a school in the British West Indies that is not accredited in the United States and was unable to get recognition in the Philippines, where it was founded. Lee Satterfield, right, chief judge of D.C. Superior Court, walks out during a fire alarm with Lori Gunn, left, and Tonya Coleman Fannin, center. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Inside Courtroom 301 in D.C. Superior Court one recent morning, Judge Lee F. Satterfield was growing exasperated. There were dozens of cases to hear. When one prosecutor asked for more time, Satterfield was not pleased. Strike one government. Youre delaying progress, the judge said. Im doing the best I can, the prosecutor responded. Things got just as bad for a D.C. public defender who said her client needed medical treatment. Satterfield asked whether she had completed the proper paperwork. She had not. Lee Satterfield, chief judge of D.C. Superior Court, in his office. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) His arm is in a sling, the attorney said, suggesting the defendants need was obvious. She sighed loudly as she began filling out the forms. Are you sighing at me? Satterfield asked. For nearly eight years, Satterfield has served as the courts chief judge, setting policies for the 112 judges and overseeing the $123 million budget and operations. The 57-year-old Satterfield is known as exacting even abrasive at times but also as a good steward of the massive court system. When hes at his best, hes among the best weve ever had. Hes very good with colleagues, said Judge Frederick Weisberg, one of the handful of judges Satterfield permitted to be interviewed. He has very good judgment and always puts the institution before the interests of any one individual. [Chief Judge Satterfield in his own words] Satterfield, who underwent a heart transplant last fall, is weighing whether to run for an unprecedented third term as chief or instead return to the regular bench of judges. So far, the judge wont say publicly whether he has decided, but he is expected to announce his choice this month. Satterfield admits that he sometimes rubs judges and attorneys the wrong way, but he said it is always clear where he stands. I agree that I had gained a reputation but I didnt have time for any petty stuff. I have been battling health issues since I was 16, Satterfield said in a recent interview. When you are fighting for your life, you learn to be truthful and not everyone is going to like the truth. Just five months ago, Satterfield was on the operating table in a Fairfax hospital, receiving a new heart after two years on a waiting list. His heart was damaged by chemotherapy decades earlier, when he was diagnosed with cancer as a teen. The cancer cost him his left leg. A few years ago, Satterfield had a defibrillator implanted, and he also has suffered a stroke. Satterfield followed in his late fathers footsteps. Lee A. Satterfield was a former prosecutor with the Justice Department who went on to become lead in-house counsel for what was then the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Co. In 1977, the elder Satterfield was tapped to become a judge in D.C. Superior Court. But it was around the same time the family discovered his son had cancer, so he withdrew his name to care for the teen. The younger Satterfield said his love of the law was inspired by his father, and he eventually was able to fill the spot his father gave up for him. After graduating from George Washington Universitys law school, Lee F. Satterfield began his career as a prosecutor. He spent the early part of his career, in the mid-1980s, prosecuting homicide and drug cases in the U.S. attorneys office in the District. After a stint as a defense attorney, he returned as a prosecutor with the Justice Department in 1991. The following year, at age 33, he was appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush. Satterfield said he is proud of the initiatives that were administered during his tenure as chief judge. He created a specialized behavioral court in which some juveniles charged with crimes who comply with treatment may have their charges dropped. He also launched an effort that allows tenants to report infractions against their landlords. He overhauled the jury selection process so that potential jurors are called only if they are likely to be needed for trial. And he is overseeing a $63 million renovation of the courthouse. His tenure has not been without controversy. Last year, Satterfield fiercely defended the courthouses policy of having all juveniles who are in custody wear shackles on their wrists and ankles when they appear in court, but he relaxed the rule after it came under intense criticism. Now, the decision is made on a case-by-case basis. [Chief judge weighs in on using restraints for juvenile offenders] But the biggest concern about Satterfield, expressed privately by judges, is that he sometimes openly criticizes colleagues in emails or group meetings. Its a public beheading, said one judge, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the judge was not authorized to comment. In the recent interview, Satterfield said the heart transplant has changed him. Hes more grateful, he said, and with his improved health, his mood is lighter. Im healthy now. When you dont have blood going to your brain, yes, it will affect your demeanor, he said. Magistrate Judge Rainey Brandt calls Satterfield one of her mentors. She remembers sitting in her office with Satterfield one November afternoon in 2011 when she noticed him slurring his speech and drooling. Brandt said she could tell he was having a stroke, but Satterfield became dismissive when she asked him if he wasnt feeling well. Angered by Brandts questions, Satterfield bolted out of her office and went back to his chambers, she recalled. Brandt followed him. I was trying to keep him from falling asleep. Everything that I ever learned from Girl Scouts from signs of a stroke, I figured he was having a stroke, but I didnt want to yell that out and upset anyone else, she said, pausing to wipe away tears as her voice choked. Brandt called for two other judges, and the group then called 911. Though Satterfield had to take some time off from the bench to recover, he stayed focused on his job, even sending emails from his hospital room. Ive had health issues, but I would not let those issues define me, he said. During a recent fire drill, several courthouse staffers came over while Satterfield was outside the courthouse. They welcomed him back with a hug, handshake or smile. Its not clear whether anyone else will seek to become the chief judge. That person is selected by the Judicial Nomination Commission, a seven-member group that comprises U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, four attorneys and two city residents. The commission picks the chief based on interviews with the applicants, letters of recommendation written by judges, attorneys and other members of the public. No matter what role he takes next, Satterfield said his new heart has given him a new mission, and he has become a cheerleader for organ donation, speaking to court employees who are waiting for an organ themselves or are considering donating. I think Ive been blessed. I was raised Catholic, but Im not religious now. But Ive been blessed, he said. Members of the Alumnae Association of Mills College visit an artist's studio at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) The artists and visitors who interact inside Alexandrias colorful Torpedo Factory say they love the free-spirited nature of the place, where sculptors and painters discuss the original works they are creating with those who wander past. On a recent day, several visitors said they wouldnt change a thing. Change is coming, however, as multiple groups wrestle over who will control the 42-year-old cultural attraction that is the artistic centerpiece of the evolving Old Town waterfront. A consultants report has triggered an effort to simplify a multilayered management structure that critics say prevents the arts center from maximizing its audience, setting long-term goals, winning grants and attracting a more diverse group of tenants. Leaders of the centers various boards are trying to come up with a proposal to create a single governing entity. That has set off a frenzy of concern among many of the 165 artists who rent the buildings 82 studios. They say a more tightly structured approach, less driven by the artists, could harm the essence of what has long been a successful enterprise. We dont want to be a few token people on a board, said Don Viehman, president of the centers artists association. The artists want to be there to protect the environment we created. [Artists fear that change could sink the Torpedo Factory (1993)] From munitions to brushes The U.S. Naval Torpedo Factory manufactured torpedoes from 1918 to 1923, then became a munitions storage facility until production resumed during World War II. After the war, the building was a federal storage facility, which was purchased by the city of Alexandria in 1969. Five years later, local art league president Marian Van Landingham proposed an experiment: Turn the building into working studio spaces for artists. The $140,000 renovation was funded by the city and aided by volunteers, who labored to cover the dirty green-and-gray paint on the walls with fresh coats of antique white purchased by Van Landingham herself. The center has survived several attempts by the city to sell off the building prime waterfront property. For the past four years, the center has covered its $960,000 annual budget and made a small profit. [Arts center began life making weapons] It now pays rent of about $370,000 a year for 72,500 square feet, plus utilities, under a lease that expires at the end of June. City government spokesman Craig Fifer said market rate for the space would likely run an additional $1 million to $2 million. Students of Deirdre Saunder's crash course in drawing focus on their work at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) The 15-member Torpedo Factory Art Center Board subleases the space to the Alexandria Art League, which operates a school, store and gallery; and to the artists association, which in turn rents space to individuals or groups of artists. The artists group also runs the blind-juried competition that awards studio space to newcomers. The citys archaeology museum occupies a portion of the property, rent-free. A 2010 consultants report that urged more economic self-sufficiency and vitality brought some improvements but also made the governance structure more complex, those involved with the center say. When the center sought a rent reduction in 2014, the city council instead commissioned a new consultant to help create a business plan. But the Jan. 31 report, from the Cultural Planning Group of Philadelphia, California and Hawaii, essentially said that there could be no plan until the centers management is simplified. It advised creating an independent nonprofit board, not one that is partly appointed by the council and beholden to specific groups, which the report said has resulted in near paralysis in decision-making and planning. Artists have expressed strong objections, filling Alexandrias weekly newspaper with letters and issuing their own statements that criticize the method and depth of the investigation. Yet the boards of all the organizations involved agreed to the reports underlying recommendations in a series of split votes last week. Patricia Washington, a member of the Torpedo Factory board who is also chief executive of the citys visitor and events agency, said that redefining the art center as the citys waterfront revitalizes is important. I think this is a battle over whether its going to be an artists colony or a more of a nonprofit, professionally run, she said. And I think the opportunity is so much more important than peoples fears. [Artists form a happy mix (1986)] A quest for improvements The center is open all but five days a year, with three entrances the main one from the urban canyon of Union Street, an often-overlooked one that angles in from the slanted pedestrian access off King Street and the back door off the busy, sunlit waterfront wharf. Coming in from the wharf, visitors must dogleg around an elevator shaft and pass a set of bathrooms and through double doors before they reach the soaring central hall. Eric Wallner, chief executive of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, said critics think the three-story center lacks a sense of vibrancy. Wheres the childrens area? he asked from his compact office. The old days of passive observers watching an artist work are over people want to engage with the art. Weve talked about a maker-space, where visitors are encouraged to build objects, or a hands-on, touch-the-art scene. Still, the automated counters at the center log about 500,000 entrances and exits a year. While admission is free, many visitors, such as the Cohen family, from Loudoun County, patronize nearby shops and restaurants. This week, they talked to painter Tory Cowles about how she chose the forms and colors on her most current painting as well as the sense of spontaneity she was trying to channel. It definitely met my expectations, said Lisa Cohen, who said that she had been trying to plan a visit for years. She took her children and a friend to a crepe restaurant for lunch before their visit, and they planned to stop for dessert after. Rachael Nease works on a photography project at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) The centers detractors say that too many studios are closed too often (they must be open at least 28 hours a week). They also note that most of the artists are older and white, in a city that is increasingly young and racially diverse. Art is a lifetime commitment, said Van Landingham, 78, a former state lawmaker and one of six artists who have worked at the center since it opened. Weve had people here who are very productive into their 90s. [Alexandria delegate sticks to activist roots] She said that there is an annual turnover of about 10 percent. But neither the artists association nor the art center board has done a census or collected data on who visits the center, who the artists are, what work they produce and how much of it gets sold. These are measurable things we should be able to measure them and improve upon them, said Michael Detomo, the boards president. He said it is unlikely that a new governance proposal will be ready by spring. Instead, the board will ask the city council to extend its lease into the fall, to allow enough time to resolve this limbo status, resolve this parallel management responsibility. Its not impossible, its just very complex, Detomo said. The conversation has been very trying. People have fears and there are all kinds of unfounded rumors. Santiago J. Erevia receives the Medal of Honor, the U.S. militarys highest award for valor, from President Obama on March 18, 2014. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Santiago J. Erevia, an Army specialist who braved unremitting hostile fire to single-handedly destroy four enemy bunkers in a search-and-clear mission during the Vietnam War, an act of heroism recognized nearly half a century later with the Medal of Honor, died March 22. He was 70. His death was announced by the Bexar County Veterans Service Office in San Antonio, where Mr. Erevia lived. Other details were not immediately available. Mr. Erevia was one of two dozen veterans who received the Medal of Honor in an unusual White House ceremony led by President Obama in March 2014. They were selected for the award after a Pentagon review, mandated by Congress in 2002, of past discrimination in the bestowal of the militarys highest honor for valor. Each recipient had previously received the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military award, for heroism in World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War. Seventeen of the men, among them Mr. Erevia, were Hispanic. One was African American, and one was Jewish. Only three were alive to receive the medal in person. Mr. Erevias medal recognized his actions on May 21, 1969, when he was a 23-year-old radio-telephone operator serving in South Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. He and his unit were dispatched to Tam Ky, a town on the South China Sea, and tasked with rooting out a contingent of North Vietnamese concealed in bunkers and other hideaways. I thought I was going to get killed instantly, Mr. Erevia recalled. (Courtesy of U.S.Army) Starting from the edge of a rice paddy, the men were faced with crossing 100 yards or more of open land. As they advanced, enemy troops, some of them camouflaged with tree branches and leaves, emerged from spider holes and trenches and began firing. Mr. Erevia was ordered to deliver first aid to the wounded but came under attack. Although he could have taken cover with the rest of the element, he chose a retaliatory course of action, according to his Medal of Honor citation. With heavy enemy fire directed at him, he moved in full view of the hostile gunners as he proceeded to crawl from one wounded man to another, gathering ammunition. With another soldier, Patrick Diehl, Mr. Erevia sought cover behind a tree. We were back to back, Mr. Erevia once told an interviewer. I said, Diehl, do you see anything to your side? He never answered. And I said, Diehl! I turned around and he was laying on the ground with a bullet hole square on his forehead. Mr. Erevia concluded that, if he was going to perish, he would do so fighting, and he advanced toward the North Vietnamese, ignoring their fire. I zigzagged, firing my M-16, he told NPR in 2014. I thought I was going to get killed instantly. He made his way to the first of four bunkers, where, according to the citation, he dropped a grenade into the fortification and destroyed it. He moved on to the second and third bunkers, destroying both with his last grenades. When he reached the fourth bunker, an enemy soldier was firing into the air and put a bullet through Mr. Erevias jacket, according to an account released by the Army. I was about maybe two or three feet away from him, Mr. Erevia told NPR. And then I shot him point blank with my M-16, and end of story. Mr. Erevia later helped evacuate the wounded and the dead. He said that for years he was haunted in his sleep by images from that day. A fellow soldier, John Mac MacFarland, was asked to draft a Medal of Honor citation for Mr. Erevia. Years later, MacFarland told the Los Angeles Times that he had spent weeks writing the account of his comrades heroism. When Mr. Erevia did not receive the medal, MacFarland blamed what he feared was the insufficiency of his writing skills. Other soldiers speculated that Mr. Erevia had been passed over for the medal not because of discrimination but because he had not been wounded or killed, according to the San Antonio Express-News. But in 2014, Mr. Erevias son Jesse told The Washington Post that the family wondered why he didnt receive it the first time, and thought it may have been because of his name. Months before the White House ceremony, President Obama phoned Mr. Erevia to inform him of his selection for the medal. He said that, for some reason, I was overlooked, but that he was making it right, Mr. Erevia recalled. I said, Thank you very much, sir. Santiago Jesus Erevia was born in Corpus Christi, Tex., on Dec. 15, 1945. He left high school and worked as a cotton laborer, cook and soda deliveryman before joining the Army. I thought maybe I could better myself, he told the Los Angeles Times. Besides the Medal of Honor, his awards included the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. After his Army service, Mr. Erevia served in the Texas National Guard and became a postal carrier. He was married to Leticia Lopez and had four children, one of whom, Roland, served in the Army in the 2003 Iraq War. Mr. Erevia said he told his son not to try to be a hero. Just duck and hit the ground and raise your rifle and shoot toward the enemy, he counseled him. I was put into the situation that I could not get out. If his son did not have to put his life in the hands of God, Mr. Erevia said, he should not. An earlier version of this obituary incorrectly reported that Mr. Erevia was born in Nordheim, Tex. He was born in Corpus Christi, Tex. YEMEN U.N. envoy says peace talks will follow April 10 truce The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a cease-fire at midnight on April 10 ahead of a new round of peace talks starting April 18 in Kuwait, the United Nations envoy to Yemen announced Wednesday. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed made the announcement after consultations with Yemens internationally recognized government and Houthi Shiite rebels as well as regional countries, the United States and France. Previous attempts to implement a cease-fire in Yemen have failed to take hold. A first round of talks was held in Switzerland in December. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he is more optimistic about the upcoming talks because they have the support of all parties. If we fail this time, its probably one of our last chances to get an end to this war, he said. Yemens conflict pits the government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, against the Houthis, allied with a former president. The Houthis took over the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, and the U.S.-backed coalition began airstrikes against them in March 2015. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi reshuffled his cabinet, naming nine new ministers and creating a portfolio for business but leaving the key ministries of defense, foreign affairs and the interior untouched. (Uncredited/AP) The U.N. envoy said the talks are aimed at yielding an agreement to end the conflict and allow the resumption of political dialogue. Associated Press EGYPT Sissi reshuffles cabinet; key posts are unchanged Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi reshuffled his government on Wednesday, replacing nine ministers but leaving the key defense, foreign affairs and interior posts untouched. The shake-up comes as Egypts economy is reeling from five years of unrest and a severe slump in the vital tourism sector. The government recently devalued the currency, causing a surge in prices that could further erode support for Sissi, who led the overthrow of an elected Islamist president in 2013. Security forces, meanwhile, are bogged down in a fight against Islamist militants, and a sweeping crackdown on dissent has fed international criticism of Egypts human rights record. The cabinet changes the first since September seem to reflect the wide-ranging challenges Sissi faces. The nine ministers who were fired included those in charge of finance and investment. Associated Press Syrian army reaches outskirts of Palmyra: Syrian government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have advanced swiftly in central Syria, seizing high ground around Palmyra and positioning themselves to recapture the historic town, held by the Islamic State militant group. The troops, supported by Lebanese Shiite militiamen, reached within 1.8 miles of the town, according to the state TV broadcaster. ICC orders Ugandan militia fighter to stand trial: The International Criminal Court has ordered a senior Ugandan commander in Joseph Konys feared militia to stand trial on 70 charges, including murder, rape, torture and using child soldiers. Dominic Ongwen is the only member of Konys murderous Lords Resistance Army in the courts custody. Kony remains free despite years of efforts to track down and capture him. Debris highly likely to be from Malaysia plane: Two pieces of debris recently discovered along the coast of Mozambique are highly likely to have come from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Australian officials said Thursday. The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 on board and is believed to have crashed somewhere in a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean. Israeli military closes West Bank access for Purim: The Israeli military has imposed a four-day closure on the West Bank, banning Palestinians from entering Israel during the Jewish festival of Purim. The closure will be lifted at the end of Saturday. Exceptions will be made for humanitarian and medical cases. Israel considers Jewish holidays prime targets for Palestinian attacks. From news services ISRAEL Soldier detained in death of Palestinian The Israeli military on Thursday detained a soldier who was captured on video shooting an injured Palestinian who was lying on the ground. The army said the incident took place in the West Bank city of Hebron after two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier. It said that troops then shot and killed the pair. In a video released by the Israeli human rights group BTselem, one of the attackers appears to still be alive after the initial shooting. The video, taken by a Palestinian volunteer for the group, shows the wounded Palestinian lying on the ground, slowly moving his head at one point. About a minute later, a soldier raises his rifle, cocks the weapon and fires. Blood is then seen streaming from the Palestinians head. The incident was widely condemned by Israeli officials. Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman, called the incident a grave breach of army values. Military police have detained the soldier, which Lerner called an extraordinary measure, and are investigating the incident, he said. The military said the investigation began before the video surfaced. A man and a boy stand by a bonfire at a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni. Greece said deportations of migrants and refugees from Greek islands to Turkey would start April 4. (Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images) The incident comes amid a six-month wave of Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks that have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Over the same time, at least 188 Palestinians have died by Israeli fire. Israel says most of them were attackers, and the rest died in clashes with Israeli forces. Associated Press UKRAINE Parliament speaker may replace Yatsenyuk Ukraines parliamentary speaker emerged Thursday as the front-runner to replace the unpopular Arseniy Yatsenyuk as prime minister, signaling a breakthrough in a political crisis that has lasted months. Current and former members of the ruling coalition met to discuss nominating Volodymyr Groysman, a 38-year-old former mayor and an ally of President Petro Poroshenko, but stressed that the appointment could work only if parties agree on a new coalition deal. Support for Yatsenyuks Western-backed government has plunged since he took power after the 2013-2014 Maidan protests, and his government has been hanging by a thread since three parties quit the coalition. Coalition infighting and corruption scandals have stymied reforms demanded by Kievs Western backers and derailed negotiations for a new $1.7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Groysman might be a good compromise candidate to balance competing factional interests. But he would still need to convince the United States, the European Union and the IMF that Ukraine would honor its international commitments. Reuters 178 reported killed in yellow fever outbreak in Angola: The World Health Organization said the first yellow fever outbreak in Angola in three decades has killed 178 people. The WHO said more than 450 people have been infected since the outbreak was first reported in December. Although 5.7 million people have been vaccinated against yellow fever, there is a global vaccine shortage, the organization said. Half of severely infected patients die within 10 to 14 days if they do not get treatment. Yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes. Poland targets prescription-free emergency contraception: Polands ruling conservatives plan to reinstate a prescription requirement for morning after emergency contraceptive pills, a move that critics say reflects Catholic Church pressure. Since sweeping to power in October, the Law and Justice party has taken steps to redesign Polands young democracy to reflect the countrys traditional Catholic values. The party has already said it will end state funding for in vitro fertilization. There is just one morning-after pill available in Poland without a prescription. Algerian indicted in New Years Eve sex assault in Cologne: A 26-year-old Algerian man has been indicted on suspicion of participating in a sexual assault on New Years Eve in Cologne, the first person charged over a sexual offense in criminal incidents that heightened tensions over Germanys migrant influx. More than 1,000 complaints were filed over a spate of New Years Eve crimes in Cologne, blamed largely on foreigners, and several hundred of those were allegedly sexual crimes. Egypt says it has killed suspects in Italian students death: Egypts Interior Ministry said it has killed four members of a gang suspected of being linked to the slaying of an Italian student whose torture and death sparked an international outcry over the possible involvement of Egyptian police. The ministry said that gang members specialized in abducting foreigners while posing as policemen and that security forces found the personal belongings of 28-year-old Giulio Regeni in the gangs possession. In an exchange of gunfire, the four were killed in their vehicle in an eastern Cairo suburb, the ministry said. Regeni disappeared Jan. 25, the fifth anniversary of Egypts 2011 uprising, when police undertook a broad security sweep. E.U. to start deportations from Greece on April 4: A government official in Greece said deportations of migrants and refugees from Greek islands to Turkey would start April 4 and would be carried out by the European Unions border protection agency, Frontex. A spokesman for a government refugee crisis committee said the deportations under an international agreement on refugees would start with migrants who had made no asylum claim while in detention in Greece. From news services Lally Weymouth is a senior associate editor at The Washington Post. After the Cold War, Poland began slowly to remake itself, and by the last decade it had become a beacon of freedom and a model for economic reform. But nationalist undercurrents persisted in the countrys politics. In the mid-2000s, the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice Party held power briefly; last year, the party came back in force, capturing the presidency and the majority of the Parliament. Now it appears to be dismantling many of the countrys democratic checks and balances, starting with its highest court. The new Polish government refused to seat the justices appointed by the previous government and passed a law requiring a supermajority of judges for rulings. President Andrzej Duda, elected in May, is heading to Washington this coming week to attend the Nuclear Security Summit. Duda spoke with The Washington Posts Lally Weymouth this past week in Warsaw about the court and other matters. Edited excerpts follow: In the West, many are concerned about the battles here over the constitutional court. The previous Parliament appointed five judges, two perhaps improperly. You are a lawyer. Why didnt you swear in the other three judges, all of whom were ruled valid by the constitutional court? The answer is simple. The [new] Parliament had passed a resolution invalidating the five judges appointed by the prior government. So instead, in the middle of the night, you swore in four judges appointed by your partys government? The Parliament passed its decision before the constitutional court made its decision. The constitutional court has ruled that the parliaments decision is invalid. Your prime minister even refused to publish the courts ruling, which is actually illegal. The constitutional court in Poland has no authority to assess resolutions [of Parliament]. Youre saying that one independent branch of government, the court which is the equivalent of our Supreme Court has no authority here? According to the Polish constitution, the constitutional court does not have the authority to assess resolutions through which judges are nominated. Your party has a majority in Parliament. So it vetoed the appointment of the judges made by the previous Parliament without waiting for the court to rule, right? That was the decision made by the Polish Parliament, known as the Sejm. . . . Im sorry, but nobody has the competence to stop the Sejm from working. The Venice Commission, a European multilateral institution, ruled that the governments effort to alter the workings of the court endangered not only the rule of law but also democracy and human rights. If the constitutional court passed its judgment without looking at the resolution passed by the Polish Parliament, then by doing this it violated Wait a minute. The court said the law was invalid. But still the law was in force. The constitutional court is bound by the binding law, and this is very clearly stipulated in Article 7 of the constitution. So are you arguing that the court has to abide by the very law it has declared illegal? . . . Arent you taking away the courts independence? The independence of the constitutional court was not violated whatsoever. People in the West are concerned that Poland is sliding away from democratic standards. I think that if the public opinion in Western Europe and the United States had access to reliable information on how the current opposition tried to take ownership of the constitutional court last year, then it would be very clear about the essence of this dispute in Poland. Why should one branch namely Parliament be allowed by a simple majority to change the functioning of another independent branch? Because there was a deep violation of democratic rules by the former Parliament. It tried to take ownership of the constitutional court. Your partys government has basically taken over the public media. The former heads of the public media were dispensed with, and your partys members were put in charge. What do you think of that? I dont think that this situation is extraordinary, because after every election, the new government makes changes in the public media. The people who were working in the public media during the former government were nominated by the former authorities. There is no longer an independent prosecutor. The prosecutors role has now become part of the justice ministers portfolio. How do you feel about that? Such a solution was introduced in Poland after 1989, when we cast off the bonds of communism. This is connected with the responsibility of the government for the internal domestic situation security in the state and the public order. There is much curiosity about your party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. My former party leader. Because the day after the elections, I resigned [from the party]. Well, the leader of the ruling party. It is said that Kaczynski, a former prime minister, is pulling the strings and is really the man in power in Poland, even though hes only a member of Parliament. Reportedly, you and the prime minister were chosen by him. Whats your relationship with him? Does he tell you what to do? People who were critical of me as a candidate running for the presidency will keep saying that I am not an independent president. But today, I am the president of the Republic of Poland. And any decisions I am taking, I am taking on my own responsibility. Okay, but can we talk about Kaczynski? In my reporting, its said here and in Washington that hes the most powerful man in Poland. He is the leader of the party that today has the majority in the Polish Parliament. However, Andrzej Duda is the president, and Beata Szydlo is the prime minister. I believe that both myself and Madame Prime Minister feel a personal responsibility for the issues we are dealing with and for which we are taking decisions. How big a threat do you think Russia poses to your country? I think that this question should be viewed from the perspective of the broader international context, not purely the Polish perspective. But do you worry about Russia? As far as Ukraine is concerned, I have no doubt that international law was violated decisively [by Moscow]. The territorial integrity of the country was infringed. Its hard not to be worried by this situation. Russia has many times violated international law over the last couple of years, from Georgia through Ukraine to Syria. All of that arouses obvious uncertainty. That is why I believe NATO should demonstrate that it [will] respond to the current situation. Does that mean stationing troops on Polish soil or troop rotation? I believe that NATO should strengthen its defensive potential in this part of Europe to such a degree as to make it absolutely clear that it does not pay off to launch an attack against any member state. Only the increased presence of NATO in Central and Eastern Europe can ensure real deterrence. Are you talking about the U.S. now? Of course, the United States is the biggest and strongest member of NATO. Are you saying the United States should have a base here? I would like to see a significantly increased presence of U.S. troops on our territory. One of the aims of your government seems to be to reopen the investigation of the tragic plane crash in which Kaczynskis brother, then-President Lech Kaczynski, was killed in 2010. Do you believe it was an assassination? So far, not all the evidence has been assessed, which makes it impossible to really investigate the case and at least try to reach the truth. The flight recorders and the wreckage of the plane have not been investigated by Polish scientists in a reliable way. The normal procedure in such cases is to try and reconstruct the wreckage of the plane in order to try and establish the reasons of the crash. In this particular case, this has not been done. There is still a lot to be explained. You said various things about refugees during your campaign that refugees shouldnt come here, that they would bring epidemics with them. Do you still feel that way? Today I believe that our basic duty is to help those people Im referring to refugees from Syria to make sure that peace comes back to their country so that they are able to have a stable life. Poland has never denied assistance, and if anyone needs such assistance, we are going to do so. Youre just about to go to the U.S. How do you see Polands relationship with the U.S.? The U.S. is a wonderful country and a big ally of Poland. I would like to make sure that the cooperation between Poland and the United States is as good as possible. Twitter: @LallyWeymouth Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. A WOMAN in Maryland who becomes pregnant as the result of rape and chooses to have the child is required by law to include the man who raped her in any decisions about adoption. If she decides to raise the child herself, she will have to interact with her rapist about custody and visitation matters. Faced with these unsettling, even frightening, prospects, some women opt instead to terminate the pregnancy. So obvious is the need for reform that groups as disparate as Planned Parenthood, Maryland Right to Life, NARAL and the Catholic Conference are backing legislation before the General Assembly that would establish a court process to terminate rapists parental rights when a child is conceived through rape. The bill has the support of a majority of lawmakers, with 33 senators and 78 delegates signed on as sponsors. Last week, it managed with commendable help from House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) to finally get out of the House Judiciary Committee and sailed to approval on the House floor. But passage is far from assured, say advocates sobered by the fact that similar efforts stretching back to 2007 inevitably came up short because of stiff resistance from defense attorneys, who worry that the rights of the accused are given short shrift. Leading the opposition this year is the Maryland State Bar Association, which submitted an eight-page letter of opposition. In a blistering rebuke, Del. Kathleen M. Dumais (D-Montgomery), sponsor of the bill, pointed out that the proposed process is neither arbitrary nor automatic, and instead provides for a balanced adjudication with protections for all parties, including the accused. Just as there are provisions to terminate parental rights when there are allegations of child abuse or neglect or drug use, there should be a way to give recourse to rape victims. Under the proposal, rape victims would be able to go before a family court judge, who after an evidentiary hearing would decide if there were clear and convincing evidence the pregnancy was the result of non-consensual sex. There would also have to be a separate finding of whether it was in the best interest of the child to terminate parental rights. The procedures are in keeping with standards used to decide family court issues. The bill is now in the hands of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, whose chairman, Robert A. Zirkin (D-Baltimore County), told us he is generally supportive but that there are technical issues that need to be resolved. Its an argument thats been used in the past to kill the measure or to gut it. This is the seventh time this measure has been introduced. There has been extensive debate. Sponsors have bent over backward to address concerns, and the bill includes substantial due process protections. It is time Maryland joined the more than 20 other states that have acted to protect sexual assault victims. IF THERES any lesson to be learned from the case of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, it is the age-old one about how appearances can be deceiving. When President Obama swapped five Taliban chiefs for the captive U.S. soldier, he clearly expected the homecoming to play as a good news story, about a person national security adviser Susan Rice said had served with honor and distinction. It quickly developed, however, that the Taliban captured Mr. Bergdahl after he had abandoned his post, and that many of his former comrades in arms deeply resented the dangers this reckless action imposed on those who risked their lives to search for him. Soon, White House celebration of Mr. Bergdahl gave way to a campaign of denunciation in conservative circles, including Sen. John McCains (R-Ariz.) ill-advised threat to hold a Senate hearing if the returnee were not punished for desertion. The vilification reached its peak with Donald Trumps labeling of Mr. Bergdahl as a traitor who should have been executed. Yet the demonization doesnt square with the facts, as a newly disclosed report from the Army general assigned to investigate Mr. Bergdahls conduct shows. Mr. Bergdahl left his unit with the bizarre goal of sparking a high-level military investigation of his grunt-level grievances. That irrational decision, in turn, seemed reflective of long-standing mental-health issues that had caused Mr. Bergdahl to fail as a Coast Guard recruit and might well have caused the Army to turn him down, too, but for a manpower shortage at the time he volunteered. Once in Taliban hands, Mr. Bergdahl was regularly and savagely beaten, starved and mistreated; far from collaborating, he repeatedly tried to escape, earning more torture. Meanwhile, the generals report confirmed that no U.S. personnel lost their lives as a direct result of Mr. Bergdahls abandonment of his post, contrary to claims of many critics. The general, Kenneth Dahl, recommended Mr. Bergdahl receive no prison time, as did a military hearing officer. But a higher-ranking officer referred the case to a general court-martial, where the erstwhile prisoner stands accused of not only desertion, which carries a maximum penalty of five years, but also the even more serious charge of misbehavior before the enemy based on the dangers to which his actions exposed his fellow troops, for which a conviction could earn him life in prison. What began as a test of Mr. Obamas ability to deliver an American from captivity has thus mutated into a test of American military justices ability to remain impartial amid pressure from political overlords and a deeply polarized political debate. We agree with those who say that Mr. Bergdahls conduct in leaving his unit was wrong, that it put lives at risk and that, despite his psychological issues, he should be accountable. At the same time, the Army may have contributed to this debacle by enlisting a soldier it shouldnt have. And even without formal accountability, he has already suffered horribly for his actions. In our view, the military justice system will pass this test to the extent it tempers judgment with due consideration of everything the case reveals about human frailty and with mercy. DECLARING THAT we shouldnt accept ugliness as the norm, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) delivered a fine speech Wednesday on the tenor of the nations politics, calling on political leaders as well as ordinary Americans to aspire to a more reasonable debate. Unfortunately, Mr. Ryan did not directly confront the chief threat to that goal: GOP front-runner Donald Trump. Mr. Ryans lofty oratory alone will not clean him or his party of Mr. Trumps moral tarnish. On their own, Mr. Ryans words were quite commendable. He argued that the business of political leaders was to propose policies and put the quality of their ideas to the test. He warned against playing to your anxieties or playing the identity politics of our base and their base. He said that politicians should not resort to scaring you, and that Americans should not presume that those who disagree with them do so in bad faith. He also admitted that he was wrong to write off a large piece of the country as takers in the 2012 presidential election. Unfortunately, the nations political discourse has deteriorated considerably since 2012. There may be many reasons for this, including large structural and demographic forces to which politicians respond but over which they have limited control. Yet there is little doubt that Mr. Trump has not only exploited emerging divisions but also enthusiastically pried them open. While Mr. Ryan warns against playing identity politics and appealing to peoples anxieties, Mr. Trump this week continued to exploit fear of Muslims and illegal immigrants, calling to close up our borders, warning that immigrants could be ISIS and arguing, with scant evidence, that the Belgium terrorist attack might have been prevented if Western authorities had tortured a captured extremist. While Mr. Ryan calls for focusing on substance, Mr. Trump has run a uniquely substanceless campaign, telling us Monday that his solution to inner-city poverty was giving them spirit. While Mr. Ryan attacks gutter politics, Mr. Trump defended his comments on the size of his hands and other organs by saying he had to do it because Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) started it. Given the gaping divergence between Mr. Ryan and Mr. Trump on essential civic values, it is a wonder that these two men remain in the same party. It is more than a wonder it is a shame that Mr. Ryan has not repudiated Mr. Trump and promised to oppose him. Doing so would have made clear that Mr. Ryan puts the principles he advanced before partisan loyalty and political calculation, where they firmly belong. Instead, Mr. Ryan continues to be another not-so-innocent bystander as his party slides toward Trumpism. Before House Speaker Paul D. Ryans Address on the State of American Politics Wednesday, an aide went to the microphone to instruct the crowd. You dont have to save your applause to the end, said the aide, Caleb Smith. If he says something you like clap. You know? You can stand up. Its fine. Forgive me if I dont join in the ovation. Ryans speech had the promise of boldness: Would the highest-ranking Republican in government, and the man many Republicans would like to see as their presidential nominee, finally denounce the racist demagogue who threatens to take over the party of Lincoln? Alas, no. Ryan tiptoed, floating an alternative to Donald Trumps hatred but not mentioning the bigoted billionaire by name. Instead of playing to your anxieties, we can appeal to your aspirations, the speaker said. We dont resort to scaring you; we dare to inspire you. If someone has a bad idea, Ryan lectured, we dont insult them into agreeing with us. And who, pray tell, might be the target of this generic piety? One young man, after Ryans prepared remarks, asked about the presidential race. Im not going to ask you to name names, he began. Im not going to, Ryan interjected. Ryan went out of his way to distribute blame. How many of you find yourself shaking your head at what you see from both sides of the aisle? he asked. That, Mr. Speaker, is weak. There is, in general, plenty of bad behavior on all sides. But the current crisis is very specific: A xenophobe who makes scapegoats of racial and religious minorities is threatening to take over the Republican Party and to throw the country into turmoil and Ryan isnt denouncing him, or even saying he wont support Trump. Instead, Ryan spoke Wednesday of the need to raise our gaze and aim for a brighter horizon. Instead of talking about what politics is today, I want to talk about what politics can be. But while Ryan gazes, his party and his country burn. Ryan, I believe, is a decent man. His aides tell me hes in a tight spot, and its true: As chairman of the Republican convention, he will be the enforcer of rules if Trumps claim to the nomination is challenged hence Ryans desire, as he puts it, to be Switzerland, to be neutral and dispassionate. Also, he clearly would, despite his demurrals, like to be the consensus nominee. But to preserve his neutrality, and his presidential prospects, Ryan is making a corrupt bargain. There is no neutrality between good and evil. At the moment, the man Ryan refuses to denounce is warning to spill the beans about GOP rival Ted Cruzs wife threatening an unspecified smear after a group unaffiliated with Cruz issued an ad featuring an old fashion photo of Trumps wife. Trump is also supporting Cruzs proposal that the United States patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods while also reiterating his support for torture and for banning Muslims from entering the country. Yet the Swiss Ryan this week disagreed with those who say Trump is authoritarian. Trump reported that Ryan, in a private phone call, couldnt have been nicer. Ryans event was ideal positioning for a nominee-in-waiting. He stood in front of five flags and behind a lectern labeled with the Twitter-friendly labels @SpeakerRyan and #ConfidentAmerica. Two hundred interns filled the seats in the Ways and Means Committee room, where Ryan once presided. He wore a favored baby-blue tie, which brings out his eyes. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), 31, the youngest woman to be elected to Congress, introduced him as a happy warrior and repeatedly called him Paul. The speakership was a job he didnt ask for but answered the call to serve, she said. Ryan, owning his establishment manacles, recalled that it was a big deal to be on Ways and Means. We treated each other with respect. . . . We disagreed without being disagreeable, he said, contrasting that with the toxic discourse undermining government. We dont have to accept it, and we cannot enable it, Ryan said. Yet Ryan IS enabling it. What role do you think members of Congress have in bringing the nation together? one of the interns asked. It is not our job simply to say we are just as angry as the rest of everybody else, to put gas on the fire, he said. At another point, he asserted: I think how we conduct ourselves is very important, and we set an example and lead by example. Right. But leading by example means denouncing and disowning the demagogue in our midst. This is no time to play Switzerland. Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. The cant-quite-believe-whats-happening shotgun marriage between Ted Cruz and the Republican establishment further solidified Wednesday when Jeb Bush endorsed the senator from Texas and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signaled that he is also likely to back him. Cruzs growing roster of mainstream Republican support is a striking development for someone who has consistently sought in his political career and during his year-long campaign to portray himself as the ultimate Washington outsider. But the senator has been far outdone on that score by Donald Trump, and now Cruz and mainstream Republicans have common cause in an urgent, mutual desire to prevent the New York billionaire from running away with the nomination. Not that they are entirely comfortable with one another. Bush delivered his endorsement in a written statement, not a joint news conference or photo op. Cruz welcomed him but didnt linger in praise. In his statement, Bush called Cruz a consistent, principled conservative who has demonstrated the ability to appeal to voters and win primary contests. 1 of 53 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz on the campaign trail View Photos The Texas Republican was the first major presidential candidate to formally declare a bid. Caption Looking back at the Texas senators presidential bid. May 3, 2016 Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with his wife, Heidi, by his side during a primary night campaign event in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trumps march to the Republican nomination. Darron Cummings/AP Wait 1 second to continue. He added: For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena, or we will certainly lose our chance to defeat the Democratic nominee and reverse President Obamas failed policies. In an interview with WTMJ radio in Wisconsin, Walker, a former presidential candidate who has stayed out of the national spotlight since ending his short-lived campaign in the fall, said he would probably make an endorsement before his states April 5 primary. He made clear that he thinks Cruz has a much better chance of winning than Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the only other non-Trump candidate left in the Republican race. Youve pointed out that if youre someone whos uneasy with the front-runner, right now theres only one candidate I think if youre just looking at the numbers objectively Ted Cruz, Walker told host Charlie Sykes in an interview recorded before Tuesdays Arizona and Utah contests. Senator Cruz is the only one whos got a chance, other than Donald Trump, to win the nomination. My friend Governor Kasich cannot. Many fear that Bushs support comes at a time when it is already too late to block Trumps path to the nomination. He padded his wide lead in delegates with a win in Arizona on Tuesday. Cruz won Utah, which has fewer delegates. Campaigning at the Womens National Republican Club in Manhattan, Cruz ticked through a list of supporters he was won in the past 10 days, including Bush, Mitt Romney and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), all of whom have clashed sharply with the senator in the past. If you want to talk about the full spectrum of the Republican Party, as broad and ideologically diverse as you could imagine, thats it, Cruz said. As Cruz read the three names, the crowd applauded. But their cheering was much louder when he mentioned Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who, like Cruz, has clashed with party leaders. Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said she expected Bush to provide a fundraising boost to the campaign. With Trump mostly self-funding, Cruzs financial team sees an opportunity for a much-needed replenishing of his campaign coffers. Our only competition, if you could call it that, is Kasich, said Mica Mosbacher, a Texas-based Cruz fundraiser whose husband served as commerce secretary under President George H.W. Bush. Kasich has lagged behind in the money chase. In the Senate, Cruz has caused headache after headache for GOP leaders. Many blamed his 2013 fight to shred Obamacare for a government shutdown. He called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) a liar on the floor of the Senate. And he refused to back incumbent Republican senators against primary challengers in the 2014 midterm elections. Ultimately, associates say, Bush, who ran as a centrist alternative to Cruz and others, made a pragmatic decision: Cruz is the only one left who can beat Trump. I think he made the endorsement because he felt Ted could be the best vehicle among those left to get the nomination, said Charles Foster, a Houston lawyer and Cruz donor who supported Bush and is close to the Bush family. The endorsement was finalized in a phone call between Cruz and Bush on Monday. They had met in person this month in Miami before a presidential debate there. Despite the senators professional ties to former president George W. Bush he worked for Bushs 2000 campaign Cruz and Jeb Bush have no personal or professional relationship despite meeting and chatting at presidential debates and their recent interactions. But there is a notable link: Jebs son, George P. Bush. The 39-year-old Texas land commissioner is now considered the Bush familys next best hope to reclaim the White House, but he cannot expect to easily advance in Texas state politics without Cruzs support. At no time during their interactions was there any talk of how a Bush endorsement might affect the political future of George P. Bush, said associates of the governor familiar with the talks and the Cruz campaign. The Cruz campaign declined to comment on the interaction but did not dispute that account. While Cruz has racked up establishment support in recent days, many would-be backers have not moved off the sidelines. Among them: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and many donors in his deep pool of financial support. Some say they are waiting to see what happens in Wisconsin, where a Trump win could deal a decisive blow to Cruz and Kasich. Others say they doubt Cruz can win a general election. I dont have too much concern about where he stands, said Frank VanderSloot, an Idaho billionaire and top Rubio donor. I have concerns about how he stands there. He comes across as arrogant. With Trump running as even more of an outsider than Cruz, there is some risk for the senator from Texas becoming too closely associated with mainstream figures. I think it hurts him, Trump said in an interview with The Washington Post. I think it actually hurts, and I dont want those endorsements. OKeefe reported from Washington. Katie Zezima in New York, Karen Tumulty in Palm Beach, Fla., and David Weigel in Waukesha, Wis., contributed to this report. Sen. Ted Cruz has spent his time in government vowing to preserve civil liberties, often citing the Fourth Amendment to voters on the campaign trail and vowing to shrink government. But Cruz (R-Tex.) has alarmed some libertarians this week with his proposal to have law enforcement patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods in the United States, which they see as the type of invasive federal program that encroaches on personal freedom. I think this is a reflection of his misunderstanding of civil liberties, that you can start surveilling people just because they belong to a group, said Ron Paul, the former Texas congressman and scion of the modern libertarian movement. Thats something thats done in a police state, and its not supposed to be done in this country. Cruz called for the policing of Muslim neighborhoods hours after Tuesdays terrorist attacks in Brussels, which killed at least 31 people and injured 270. Cruz said he wants to effectively revive a defunct and controversial counterterrorism program in New York that targeted Muslims. [NYPD settles lawsuits over Muslim monitoring] Cruzs proposal was embraced by Republican front-runner Donald Trump but met with swift criticism from many others. President Obama, who left Cuba Tuesday, said Wednesday that neighborhood surveillance is done in that country, which Cruzs father fled in the 1950s. The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. Its contrary to who we are and its not going to help us defeat ISIL, Obama said at a news conference in Argentina, using an acronym for the Islamic State. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton tweeted Wednesday: When Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, its not just wrong its counter-productive. [Cruzs call to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods spurs outrage] Cruz has spent much of his presidential campaign trying to court libertarians, talking up his desire to shrink government and strengthen personal freedom. Cruz also spearheaded a compromise bill as the USA Patriot Act expired that ended the National Security Agencys bulk data collection program. If youre a terrorist, we need to track down everything you do, and we need to go out and find you and kill you, Cruz said in Alabama in August. But if youre a law-abiding citizen, the federal government has no business seizing your phone calls or your emails. Cruzs campaign said that the senator is committed to protecting civil liberties and that his proposal is typical police protocol. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, claps upon arriving for a rally Wednesday in New York. (Pearl Gabel/Reuters) [As Rand Paul stalls, Ted Cruz seeks to pick up support among libertarians] It is standard, good policing to direct the resources to where the threats are coming from, Cruz said Tuesday. But critics said it smacks of the bloated bureaucratic programs that Cruz said he wants to do away with. Personally, I was troubled by it. It certainly sounds more intrusive more big government, less effective than policies Id like to see, said Cato Institute Executive Vice President David Boaz, who is not publicly supporting any candidate. Cruz has been attempting to thread the needle between the hawkish and more dovish factions of the Republican Party on foreign affairs. He has taken some of his toughest stances on terrorism repeatedly saying that the United States must carpet bomb the Islamic State into oblivion while warning against unnecessary intervention abroad. Last month, Cruz also went against libertarian sentiment by saying that Apple should help the FBI recover encrypted data from the cellphone of one of the terrorists in San Bernardino, Calif. [Ted Cruz vows to utterly destroy ISIS and carpet bomb terrorists] Lanhee Chen, Mitt Romneys chief policy adviser in 2012, sees Cruzs proposal as part of his attempt to simultaneously win over traditional Republican hawks and libertarian-leaning voters. I think hes doing what makes sense, and thats where the vacuum is, said Chen, who also advised Florida Sen. Marco Rubios campaign. I think that many Republican voters want to see a Reagan-esque foreign policy. Aside from the ideological debate over Cruzs comments, some experts say Cruzs plan is a legal nonstarter. Policies that result in warrantless surveillance or monitoring of belief communities are unconstitutional, said Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Unions National Security Project. John Inazu, a professor at the Washington University School of Law, said Cruzs proposal sounds like fear mongering, but there could be ways to increase patrols that would withstand a constitutional challenge. The police would still be subject to constitutional constraints before they questioned or detained specific individuals, Inazu wrote in an email. At some point, an overly localized presence could raise First Amendment concerns about chilling expression or association. Regardless of legality, others also question its effectiveness. I think his so-called cure is more costly and less effective than he would allow, said Richard Epstein, a professor at New York University School of Law. It turns out once you do the patrols, people on the other side will adapt their behavior in order to minimize their exposure, so its not clear that its going to work. The National Gallery, one of many London landmarks which have been lit up in support of Belgium following the terrorist attacks in Brussels. (Anthony Harvey/Getty Images) The two text messages David Dixon sent on his way to work in Brussels Tuesday morning one to his long-time partner and another to his aunt reassured the jittery women. He told his aunt in England, who had just heard the news of the airport explosions, that he was safe and fine. He told his partner, the mother of their 7-year-old son, that the trains were running normally. And then came the deafening silence. Dixon, 51, a British IT contractor working in Brussels for a financial services company, hasnt been heard from since. He texted me before 9 a.m. and I asked him if his train had been canceled and he said it was running fine, his long-time partner, Charlotte Sutcliffe, 43, told the London Times. She told the newspaper that Dixon had a choice of one or two Metro lines for his daily Brussels commute to his office at the Euroclear company. He obviously took the train with the bomb, otherwise he would have got to his office, she said. His aunt, from Hartlepool, England where Dixon is also from, said she was the one who informed her nephew of the devastating terrorist attack at Brussels airport. As soon as I heard on the news about the explosion at the airport I thought of David and I texted him to ask whether he was all right, Ann Dixon told the Telegraph newspaper. It was a relief when he texted back soon afterwards and said he was safe and fine, she said. He said he hadnt even realized that there had been bombs going off at the airport. It was only an hour later that (the other bomb) went off. Terrorists first attacked Brussels international airport and then a station in the citys Metro system less than an hour and a half later. Sutcliffe spent the first day after the worst attacks to hit Belgium since World War II frantically going from hospital to hospital in the Belgian capital in a desperate search for the father of her young son. I have given the police all the details they need, the clothes he was wearing, his medical history, his dental records, so they can identify him if he is alive or dead, Sutcliffe told the Times. When I call the hospitals, they say they do not have any unidentified patients but the police tell me there are unidentified patients in hospitals across the country, she was quoted by the paper as saying. Sutcliffe is still hoping that Dixon, with whom she moved to Brussels for work several years ago, may be among the injured yet to regain consciousness, she told the paper. The Belgian health ministry has said there are a few unidentified people in comas in Brussels hospitals. Dozens of injured people remained in intensive care two days after the attacks that killed at least 31 people and left some 300 other s injured. Belgian authorities have warned the death toll could rise. I keep hoping he will answer his telephone, she told the Times. I am still hopeful I will find him. He is such a very funny guy, a tremendous sense of humor, and so very clever. I just want him to come home. Read more: Heres what we know about the attacks in Brussels Explosives called The Mother of Satan were likely used in the attack Why are brothers teaming up to launch terror attacks? Who is Najim Laachraoui, suspected Islamic State bombmaker? Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Hossam Bahgat, shown in 2011, is founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. (Sarah Rafea/AP) Egypt has launched a new crackdown on human rights groups, questioning staff and ordering asset freezes over accusations that they took foreign funding to destabilize the country after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubaraks 30-year rule. Egyptian rights activists say they are facing the worst assault in their history in a wider campaign to erase the freedoms won in the 18-day revolt that began Jan. 25, 2011. It is not clear how many groups will be investigated, but the staff and management of at least six of Egypts best-known rights groups have been affected. They include Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and Gamal Eid, founder of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. An investigating magistrate has banned both men from traveling abroad and ordered their assets frozen pending an April 20 court decision. EIPR associate director Heba Morayef expects that freeze to be extended to the group as a whole. I think some in the security agencies see human rights organizations as part of this global conspiracy to sow chaos, and that is actually in the asset freeze order, Morayef said. This would be the biggest blow to human rights organizations in 30 years. Since toppling elected President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013, general-turned-president Abdel Fatah al-Sissi has overseen a crackdown in which hundreds of Brotherhood supporters have been killed and thousands jailed. The net has widened to include liberal and secular activists at the forefront of the 2011 revolt. In late 2011, authorities raided the offices of 17 pro-democracy and rights groups, accusing them of joining a foreign conspiracy against Egypt. In 2013, a court ordered the closure of several foreign pro-democracy groups, including U.S.-based Freedom House, and gave jail sentences to 43 staffers of nongovernmental groups, including 15 Americans, who had fled the country. A case against dozens more Egyptian NGOs and lawyers was never closed but remained largely dormant until this year. None of the NGO staff summoned for questioning have been formally charged. Egyptian law allows prosecutors to freeze assets, ban travel and remand suspects in custody for extended periods without charge. The crackdown comes at a sensitive time for Egypt, which has been battling an insurgency in northern Sinai and a weak economy. Secretary of State John F. Kerry expressed concern last week at Egypts decision to reopen its probe into the NGOs. Right-wing demonstrators at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, near one of the memorials to the victims of the recent Brussels attacks. March 27, 2016 Right-wing demonstrators at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, near one of the memorials to the victims of the recent Brussels attacks. Alastair Grant/AP Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks there. Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks in Belgium. Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks in Belgium. The bomb attacks in Belgium offer new evidence of its security forces shortcomings in monitoring violent Islamist radicals, a failure that has allowed this country at the heart of Europe to become an incubator of terror. One glaring example: Belgian authorities knew that at least one of the two siblings who blew themselves up in Tuesdays attacks Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, 29 had entered Turkey with the apparent intent of joining Islamist militants in Syria, according to a senior Turkish security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. Bakraoui was stopped by Turkish authorities last summer at the Syrian border and sent to the neighboring Netherlands. But Belgian officials now say that at the time, they did not equate his attempt to join the fighters with a possible terrorist threat. His younger brother, Khalid el-Bakraoui, 27, was also monitored in Turkey, but it remains unclear what the Belgians knew about his movements. Eventually, Khalid el-Bakraoui became a logistical operative in the Paris siege that left 130 people dead in November, according to a senior European official familiar with the case. He then joined his brother in the coordinated attacks Tuesday that killed 31 people and wounded more than 270 at the Brussels airport and in the citys metro system. The Islamic State asserted responsibility for both attacks. [Officials: Second bomber at Brussels Airport was Islamic State bombmaker] The missed cues did not stop there. A Belgian citizen of Moroccan descent, Najim Laachraoui, 24, was identified Wednesday as another of the suicide bombers at the Brussels airport, and he is said by authorities to have been involved in crafting the deadly explosives used in the attacks. His DNA was found on explosives detonated in the November assault in Paris. That suggests that Laachraoui had managed not only to elude capture in recent months but also to operate on Belgian soil. Belgiums failure to head off Tuesdays attacks comes 4 1 / 2 months after authorities realized that the Paris attacks had been largely plotted out of Molenbeek, a working-class, heavily North African neighborhood in Brussels that is considered a breeding ground for violent young jihadists. But the latest revelations suggest that despite dozens of raids and detentions across Europe, the network behind the France plot was never fully dismantled, leaving some of its members to act again. The problems in Belgium include anti-terror operations that failed to capture their targets. For example, officials say at least one of the Belgian brothers, Khalid el-Bakraoui, had served as a frontman in leasing safe houses for the Paris attackers and their alleged accomplices, including Salah Abdeslam, Europes most wanted man, who was arrested last week by Belgian authorities. But two suspects escaped a raid on one such safe house in Brussels three days before Abdeslams capture. Analysts say that the suspects who fled could have included one or both of the Bakraoui brothers. Fresh fingerprints of Abdeslam were found in the apartment. If that operation would have been planned differently, the suspects would not have escaped via the roof of that apartment, said Jean-Charles Brisard, chairman of the Center for Analysis of Terrorism in Paris. This is crazy. This is something that should never have happened. [Why brothers are teaming up to launch terror attacks in Europe] Yet the troubles in Belgium run far deeper than intelligence lapses or bungled operations. This multilingual nation in which citizens speak French, Dutch and German is plagued by societal rifts and rivalry between jurisdictions. Belgium has undergone radical devolution since the 1980s in which federal power has been increasingly concentrated in a complex array of local and communal bodies. Brussels has six police forces, each answering to a different mayor. Information is not always shared between the agencies, making it easy for leads to fall through the cracks. Like Abdeslam, terrorist plotters have managed to hide in plain sight in Brussels. That is partly a result of open borders that, until the Paris attacks, allowed a free flow of people throughout much of the European Union. Co-conspirators could travel between Belgium and France without attracting authorities notice. Brussels continues to morn the victims of bombing attacks that killed 31 people and wounded more than 270. But people are expressing a resolve not to let the fear of terrorism rule their lives. (Jason Aldag/Cleophee Demoustier for The Washington Post) But the terrorists relative ease of movement, critics say, also reflects the failings of a convoluted and overwhelmed law enforcement system in Belgium. Although this nation of 11.2 million has sent more foreign fighters per capita to the Islamic State than any other country in Europe, Belgium has a relatively small security apparatus. Brussels, the capital, is home to 2,500 international agencies and organizations, including NATO and the E.U. headquarters. Yet nationwide, the Belgian federal police have a total force of approximately 12,000. The Belgian police have also been hampered by bizarre rules. According to Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens, just two days after the Paris attacks Abdeslam was likely in a flat in Molenbeek. But because of the countrys penal code, which prohibits raids between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless a crime is in progress or in case of fire, police were ordered to wait until dawn to pursue him. By then, Abdeslam was nowhere to be seen. [This is the man suspected of making the Brussels bombs] Despite warnings that Belgium could be a target of terrorist attacks, security at the Brussels airport was inadequate. In the beginning of this year, a Belgian union expressed alarm at findings of tests run at the airport to detect bombs in carry-on luggage. In one round of tests, half the bombs were not detected, according to Christina Schori Liang, a senior fellow at the Geneva Center for Security Policy. The inspectors also revealed that fences around the airport had holes that were not repaired for months, Liang said. The security-clearance process was found to so be lax, she added, that employees could begin working without waiting for the process to conclude. It can take up to three months. On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has been a transit point for young Europeans drawn to the Islamic State, said one of Tuesdays attackers he did not say which was arrested in his country last summer and deported back to Europe. The Turkish official said the president was referring to Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who was stopped at the Syrian border. Asked whether Belgian officials were notified, the official said, Yes, they knew. On Wednesday, Geens, the justice minister, confirmed that officials were aware that Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who had a record of violent crime, had been expelled by the Turks to the Netherlands after trying to enter Syria. Speaking to a local radio station, he declined to say whether officials knew he had reentered Belgium. But he seemed to suggest that the attempt to enter Syria did not indicate a special threat. At that moment, he was not known for terrorism, but as a criminal, Geens said. Analysts say Belgiums terrorism problem goes beyond security issues and includes social divides related not only to linguistic barriers but also to incorporating waves of Muslim immigrants in recent decades. Immigrants and their children maintain that they are ostracized and find it more difficult to get jobs. Belgian youth born outside the European Union had an unemployment rate of 43.6 percent in 2014, compared with a rate of 23.2 percent for Belgian-born youth. Missy Ryan and Annabell Van den Berghe contributed to this report. Read more: With Belgian terror attacks, the strains on a battered Europe grow Obama, in Argentina, rejects calls for change in strategy against ISIS The Saudi origins of Belgiums Islamist threat Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world Right-wing demonstrators at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, near one of the memorials to the victims of the recent Brussels attacks. March 27, 2016 Right-wing demonstrators at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, near one of the memorials to the victims of the recent Brussels attacks. Alastair Grant/AP Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks there. Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks in Belgium. Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks in Belgium. It was Muslims. That was the first worry of Melek Dogan, a 21-year-old Belgian woman, when she heard of the blasts at the Brussels airport and subway. In a country where wearing a headscarf or having an Arab-sounding name can often spell joblessness and suspicion, many Belgian Muslims are doubling down on national spirit even as they fear renewed discrimination from their fellow citizens. The pain is especially biting for the young, most of whom have never known a home other than Belgium and are facing down attackers with common backgrounds. The brothers in the attacks were 29 and 27. A suspected Islamic State bomb maker was just 24. All grew up in Belgium. With Muslims among the dead and injured, many in Belgiums Muslim communities say that they are fed up with being tarred by the actions of men whose attacks hit them as badly as the other residents of this nation. And in an only-in-Belgium inversion, many are reaffirming their patriotism even though some of the countrys most powerful leaders are ethnic nationalists who want to split the country into pieces. To me, origins dont really matter, said Dogan, who was born in Belgium of Turkish immigrant parents. Im Belgian. [Anti-terrorism crackdowns may have spurred attackers, Belgian prosecutor says] Since Tuesdays attacks, the square in front of Brusselss grand 19th-century stock exchange building has become a gathering place for grieving residents of this city, and immigrants and the children of immigrants are powerfully represented. The flags of Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Syria are displayed proudly. But none overshadows Belgiums black-gold-and-red banner, which on Wednesday was borne by all shades in Brusselss ethnic stew. Dogan visited the stock exchange square, the Place de la Bourse, with a friend Thursday, spurred by a desire to be with others after a co-worker was slightly injured in the subway blast. The three work at a pastry shop in Molenbeek, the Muslim-majority area of Brussels that has earned a grim reputation as a hotbed of jihadist radicalization, although it is just a 10-minute walk from the city center. Here you can see everyone coming together, said Dogan, looking around at the square, where hundreds of people had laid a thick carpet of flowers and candles to memorialize the dead. A minute of silence on Thursday stretched to two minutes, then five, then eight as hundreds of people quietly mourned together in the ordinarily bustling heart of the city. The stillness was ended by a man who played taps on a penny whistle. Dogan said she did not know how long the spirit of solidarity would last and she feared that the entire Muslim community would be vilified for the actions of a disaffected few. Terrorism is the problem, she said. Its a shame for Belgium, because were going to pay for something we didnt do. [Photos: The moving tributes for victims of the explosions in Brussels] Residents in Brussels held vigils in the aftermath of bombings that killed at least 31 people Tuesday. People gathered at Place de Bourse and chanted "Get lost ISIS," and "We are with all victims." (Victoria Walker/Cleophee Demoustier for The Washington Post) If Thursdays mood outside the stock exchange was somber, a day earlier it had been an exuberant show of national pride, with people from various faiths and ethnic backgrounds chanting in a melange of French, English and Arabic. We love Brussels! they declared. Unity not hate! Other chants cursed the Islamic State, a group that members of the crowd said is antithetical to their sense of religious and national identity. They say the attackers were Muslim, but Islam isnt like that. This is not human behavior, said Ines Aabajda, 16, who attended the vigil with a friend. This isnt our religion. Aabajda, the daughter of Moroccan immigrants, said she felt completely at home in Belgium and identified as Belgian. I like my country, just like anyone from Belgium does, she said. Its a small country, but the people are enthusiastic and kind. In Molenbeek, where joblessness runs several times higher than in Brussels as a whole, some residents are working to shift perceptions so that they are seen as the ordinary Belgians they say they are. How long do we have to wait? said Ibrahim Ouassari, 37, who was born in Molenbeek to Moroccan parents. He said a teacher at his 12-year-old daughters school recently asked him to mark down his daughters origin next to her nationality in her registration papers, even though the family has lived in Belgium for three generations. Maybe my daughters children wont be asked, he said as he sipped coffee at a cafe in Molenbeek filled with trendy hand-hewn wooden tables and people typing on Apple computers. Ouassari recently started a business incubator, Molengeek, that he hopes will bring fresh opportunities to the neighborhood. Young men and women will be less susceptible to the siren whisperings of radical imams if they have jobs to go to every morning. And if they have good products to sell, suddenly it wont matter to customers that their names sound Moroccan, he said. In my mind, I think like a Belgian person, but you look at my face and you see an Arab, he said. But when we go to Morocco to visit family, they say, Oh, youre Belgian. Its very difficult when you dont have an identity. When you feel every time you need to give a justification when there is terrorism and bad things. And you have nothing to do with it. [Islamic State asserts responsibility for the Brussels attacks] Given Belgiums unusual ethnic and linguistic divisions Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia have different school systems, parliaments and even health regulations Ouassari joked that he and others with immigrant origins are better Belgians than those whose families have lived on this territory for centuries. Belgium is very fragmented. You have people who are Walloon, Flemish, he said. We dont have this problem in our minds were Belgian. Tuesdays attacks targeted parts of the transit system at the peak of rush hour, so they were equal-opportunity in spreading terror. Hanane el-Amrani, a cook at a refugee support center, said Thursday that she was worried about a friend who had been out of touch since the bombings. She took the metro to work, and weve had no news of her for two days, Amrani said as she stood at the top of the stock exchanges sweeping steps and surveyed the tapestry of people in front of her. Her friend Loubna Lafkiri is a mother of three and a gym teacher at a Muslim school in Brussels. Weve been contacting all the hospitals and checking all the ID lists, said Amrani, 29, who wore a tight black headscarf. Despite the discrimination that she said she faces for being Muslim, Brussels is her city, and Belgium her country, Amrani said. Im a third-generation, and her 4-year-old son is the fourth, she said. Were capable of succeeding here, no matter what. There were so many people crying in the metro, it was chaos, and it could happen to any of us, Amrani said. I hope they find my friend. She still has love to give to her children. Griff Witte and Cleophee Demoustier contributed to this report. Read more: A quiet morning in Brussels ends in gruesome terrorist attacks Brussels terrorists probably used explosive nicknamed the Mother of Satan Bomb attacks show how Belgium became an incubator of terror Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world An image from a security camera shows three suspects of the attacks at Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, pushing trollies with suitcases. The Belgian federal prosecutor confirmed, April 9, that Mohamed Abrini, right, who was arrested in connection to the attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, was the man in the hat captured in surveillance footage at the airport on March 22. March 22, 2016 An image from a security camera shows three suspects of the attacks at Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, pushing trollies with suitcases. The Belgian federal prosecutor confirmed, April 9, that Mohamed Abrini, right, who was arrested in connection to the attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, was the man in the hat captured in surveillance footage at the airport on March 22. Belgian Federal Police/AP More than a dozen people were killed, and several others were injured, after explosions at an airport and metro station in the Belgian capital. More than a dozen people were killed, and several others were injured, after explosions at an airport and metro station in the Belgian capital. More than a dozen people were killed, and several others were injured, after explosions at an airport and metro station in the Belgian capital. The French interior minister said Thursday that police had foiled a terrorist plot with the arrest of a man who was believed to be at an advanced stage of planning an attack on French soil. The arrest infiltrated the upper level of a terrorism network, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said, and was the culmination of several weeks of investigation. There was no apparent link to Tuesdays attacks in Brussels, he said. The French arrest came as the Belgian prosecutors office announced six arrests in Brusselss Schaerbeek and Jette neighborhoods, part of its investigation into the attacks at Brussels Airport and a subway station near the European Unions headquarters. Belgian authorities have been scrambling to track down suspects who remain at large as officials confront accusations that they had failed to disrupt the plot that claimed dozens of lives this week. It was not clear whether the six participated in the attacks, Belgian authorities said, nor is it known yet how many people were involved as it became clearer that the Brussels attacks had links to the November massacres in Paris. A top European security official warned Thursday that the threat of Islamic State attacks is greater than previous assessments, underscoring calls for tighter security even as police widened the hunt for accomplices in the Brussels blasts. Rob Wainwright, chief of Europol, said that the terrorist group has adopted a more aggressive posture toward Europe and that security authorities were focused on about 5,000 suspects who had become radicalized in Europe and traveled to Syria to fight. Many have now returned. [Security forces missed chances before the Brussels attacks] We are faced by a more dangerous, a more urgent security threat from so-called Islamic State, Wainwright told the BBC on Thursday. It threatens not just France and Belgium but a number of European countries at the same time. . . . It is certainly the most serious threat we have faced in at least a decade. Wainwright spoke ahead of an emergency session of European security chiefs in Brussels. European leaders have been criticized for not acting more quickly to integrate security strategies and were under pressure Thursday to produce results. The bloodshed struck directly at the liberty upon which the European project was built, Belgiums prime minister, Charles Michel, said in a speech to mark a national day of mourning. Meanwhile, police pressed ahead with a manhunt for a suspected accomplice who is believed to have fled Tuesdays attack at Brussels Airport. Belgian authorities have released more details about the suspects linked to the deadly terror attacks in Brussels. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) The French newspaper Le Monde and the Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported that video monitors had captured images of another possible accomplice, who is believed to have slipped away on the Brussels subway. The report could not be immediately confirmed. Criticism has also been leveled at the Dutch government, which on Thursday released a letter from Turkish authorities announcing their decision to deport Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, 29, to the Netherlands in July, after he was apparently detained at the Turkey-Syria border. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said Wednesday that Turkey explicitly warned Dutch authorities that Bakraoui, who would become one of the airport suicide bombers, was a foreign terrorist fighter. But the letter does not explain why Bakraoui was deported, and Dutch Justice Minister Ard van der Steur said Turkey did not explain its decision. Because Bakraoui was not on any watch lists at the time and because he had a valid Belgian passport, van der Steur said, there was no reason to take any action. In a sign of the intense pressure on Belgian authorities after what are widely regarded as a host of security failures in the lead-up to Tuesdays attacks, the countrys interior and justice ministers offered to resign Thursday, according to Belgian news media reports. [ Quiet morning in Brussels ends in gruesome terrorist attacks] Both Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens have come under criticism for their departments inability to disrupt the terrorist cell before it struck, despite links between the Brussels plotters and the attackers in Paris in November. The Brussels attackers had been on authorities radar. Bakraouis brother, Khalid el-Bakraoui, 27, who is believed to have been the suicide bomber on the Brussels subway car, had even been subject to an international arrest warrant. The Belgian prosecutors office said Thursday that the warrant was issued Dec. 11 and that he was wanted for using a false name to rent an apartment in the Belgian city of Charleroi that was used as a hideout for the Paris attackers. A photo, released to Turkish media Thursday, showed a police mug shot of the elder Bakraoui smiling and unshaven, wearing a dark T-shirt prior to his deportation to the Netherlands in July. A variety of personal details about the bombmaker trickled out Thursday. Najim Laachraoui, hailed in an Islamic State video for devising the explosive packages that killed 31 people in Brussels, had attended Catholic school, and his younger brother has become an international taekwondo competitor. Yet a news conference Thursday with the bombmakers brother and an interview with the director of the Catholic school did little to shed light on what led Laachraoui, described as a good student and kind and intelligent brother, down the path so many others have followed to violent extremism. The Catholic school in the ethnically mixed Brussels neighborhood of Schaerbeek welcomed non-Catholics. He was a good student, recalled Veronica Pellegrini, the director of the Institut de la Sainte-Famille dHelmet. Pellegrini said he spent six years at the school and studied humanities. In an interview, Pellegrini said the school never asks the students what religion they observe. And she said that the school had not heard from Laachraoui since he graduated in 2009. The schools website describes its philosophy: For us, school is a place of learning and a space for a common life. Each student acquires knowledge and skills, learns to live and to work with others. On another page, describing the schools philosophy, it quotes from the Bible: We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. . . . Do not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. It was another fragment in the lives of violent Islamist extremists who grew up in Brussels in a manner that gave no hints at what they would later become. Laachraouis brother Mourad, a well-known athlete for his taekwondo skills, said that while his family was a practicing Muslim family, he did not notice any changes in his brothers behavior. After Najim left for Syria, Mourad said that tried to find him and get him to return. He tried using Facebook, but Najim stopped using his real name. Their parents called the police in 2013 and saw police again in December after the Paris attacks. Mourad said he felt sorrow for the victims of the bombings. Asked about his sports career, he said: I want to continue my sports. I am fighting. I have always been fighting and I will continue fighting. As for his younger brothers and Syria, he said, I am now the oldest one, and I will prevent the others from going. Najim Laachraouis DNA was found in a Brussels apartment raided last week. The discovery of a militant cell there eventually led to the arrest of Salah Abdeslam last Friday. Abdeslam is believed to have been involved in logistics for the Paris massacres, which claimed 130 lives. After a court hearing Thursday, Abdeslams attorney, Sven Mary, said the suspected terrorist is not fighting extradition to France, reversing his earlier position. In response to reporters questions, the attorney said that the 26-year-old suspect had not known about the plans to attack Brussels and that his client wants to leave for France as quickly as possible so he can explain himself. Brian Murphy in Washington and Michael Birnbaum in Brussels contributed to this report. Read more: Heres what we know about the attacks in Brussels Explosives called The Mother of Satan were likely used in the attack Why are brothers teaming up to launch terror attacks? Who is Najim Laachraoui, suspected Islamic State bombmaker? US Secretary of State John Kerry gestures as he speaks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Moscow. (Sergei Chirikov/EPA) Secretary of State John F. Kerry called Thursday for unity between Russia and the United States to help end the conflict in Syria, saying this weeks terrorist attacks in Brussels have underscored the urgency of defeating the Islamic State. In brief remarks at the Russian Foreign Ministrys guest house in downtown Moscow, Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised a recent cease-fire agreement in Syria that seeks to jumpstart U.N.-brokered peace efforts in Geneva. After talks with Lavrov, Kerry is slated to meet with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, where Kerry will seek to gauge Moscow's readiness for a political transition in Syria that could remove President Bashar al-Assad from power. [Kerry pledges U.S. help in Brussels attack probes] Russia launched military airstrikes in the five-year old Syria conflict last year, bolstering its ally Assad and sending the armed opposition reeling, including factions backed by the West and its partners. Putin, who drew down his forces in Syria by about half last week, has maintained that Assad is an important bulwark against terrorism in Syria and warned that Moscow could rebuild its forces in Syria within hours. Kerry said that the bilateral talks in Moscow were a chance to "prove that two powerful nations that have been able to find cooperation in the past few years despite differences have the ability in the face of those differences to do what is necessary to meet the challenge." [Syria shows that Russia built an effective military. Now how will Putin use it?] Kerry noted that a recent cease-fire agreement had led to a fragile but beneficial reduction in violence in the Syrian conflict, which has sent hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing the violence into Europe. He cited estimates saying the reduction in violence was as high as 90 percent. Lavrov, 66, echoed Kerrys statements, saying that cooperation between Moscow and Washington had achieved success because we were working on the basis of equality. He also said that the talks on Thursday would address the crisis in southeast Ukraine, which has seen a considerable reduction in violence but little progress toward a political solution since peace accords were signed in Minsk more than a year ago. The United States imposed sanctions following Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, saying that decision had isolated Putin from the world community. Ukraine has been locked in battles between pro-Russian rebels and forces of the Western-allied government in Kiev. But Russias entrance into the conflict in Syria and growing concerns about terrorism in Europe, especially following the Paris attacks last November, have re-invigorated contacts between Moscow and Washington. [Kerrys desperate push on Syria] Moscow wants those talks to be closer, which it says is necessary to fight international terrorism, but will also prove that Russia has escaped international isolation over the Ukraine conflict. Last week, Moscow threatened it would begin using force to unilaterally enforce the Syria ceasefire if it could not hammer out a more explicit rules with the United States military to enforce the cease-fire. Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria, said in response that there was no delay and that the issues "have been discussed at length already, and continue to be discussed, in a constructive manner." Kerry is also expected on Thursday to urge Putin to release Lt. Nadiya Savchenko, who was recently sentenced by a Russian court to 22 years in prison for directing mortar fire that killed two Russian journalists in southeast Ukraine in 2014. Savchenko's case has become a cause celebre in Kiev, where she was elected to parliament and conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine while waiting for trial in custody in Russia. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called the conviction a "show trial." Ukrainian officials said they were ready to trade several alleged Russian servicemen arrested in southeast Ukraine in exchange for Savchenko's freedom. Read more: In the Syria chess game, did Putin outwit Obama? Russias surprise withdrawal resonates from battlefield to peace talks ISIS threat in Europe more urgent than feared, security chief warns As European governments scramble to contain the expanding terrorist threat posed by the Islamic State, on the battlefield in Iraq and Syria the group is a rapidly diminishing force. In the latest setbacks for the militants on Thursday, Syrian government troops entered the outskirts of the historic town of Palmyra after a weeks-old offensive aided by Russian airstrikes, and U.S. airstrikes helped Iraqi forces overrun a string of Islamic State villages in northern Iraq that had been threatening a U.S. base nearby. These are just two of the many fronts in both countries where the militants are being squeezed, stretched and pushed back.Nowhere are they on the attack. They have not embarked on a successful offensive in nearly nine months. Their leaders are dying in U.S. strikes at the rate of one every three days, inhibiting their ability to launch attacks, according to U.S. military officials. [New ISIS recruits have deep criminal roots] Front-line commanders no longer speak of a scarily formidable foe but of Islamic State defenses that crumble within days and fighters who flee at the first sign they are under attack. On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would begin pulling its military from Syria, potentially winding down nearly six months of airstrikes. The alliance between Russia and the regime of Bashar al-Assad goes back decades. Here's a bit of historical context that explains why Russia was fighting to prop up its closest ally in the Middle East. (Ishaan Tharoor and Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) They dont fight. They just send car bombs and then run away. And when we surround them, they either surrender or infiltrate themselves among the civilians, said Lt. Gen. Abdul-Ghani al-Assadi, commander of Iraqs counterterrorism forces, who is overseeing the latest Iraqi offensive to capture the town of Hit in Anbar province. Their morale is shaken. We listen to them on their communications devices. Their leaders are begging them to fight, but they answer that it is a lost cause. They refuse to obey orders and run away. The group still controls big swaths of territory and could potentially prove as deadly in defeat as it was when it was on the offensive. Strikes in Belgium, Turkey and France may herald the tip of an iceberg of militant networks that have already infiltrated Europe, law enforcement officials fear. Whether the recent strikes are a response to the battlefield setbacks, as some U.S. officials have said, or an inevitable consequence of the global jihad precipitated by the extremists ascent is hard to tell. Recent weeks have seen a revival in Iraq as well as Syria of the suicide bombings and hit-and-run assaults that do not win ground but are deadly to people otherwise living beyond militants reach. Scores have been killed in suicide bombings in Damascus and Baghdad this year. [8 stories you should read to really understand the Islamic State] But U.S. military officials say they believe that after more than 18 months, the military campaign has found its stride. As time goes on, as our systems mature, were becoming more effective, said Col. Steve Warren, the U.S. militarys spokesman in Baghdad for the campaign. Weve become much better at spotting them. Anytime they try to move, were able to find and finish them. They cant move, havent won any battles for a long time, and theyve got difficulty leading because were hitting their leaders. 1 of 32 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Inside Syria View Photos As the conflict enters its fifth year, Aleppo, Syrias most populous city, has been sliced in two by the war and in the capital Damascus, there is little sign of the anniversary on the streets. Caption As the conflict enters its fifth year, Aleppo, Syrias most populous city, has been sliced in two by the war and in the capital Damascus, there is little sign of the anniversary on the streets. March 10, 2016 A souk, or open-air market, in the old city of Aleppo. Lorenzo Tugnoli/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. It is not only the U.S.-backed effort that is gaining momentum. Russian airstrikes played a major part in facilitating the Syrian armys entry into historic Palmyra, which was snatched by the Islamic State nearly a year ago during its last major burst of offensive activity. Syrian forces helped by Russian strikes also have made gains around the Islamic State stronghold of Bab, east of Aleppo, and are making inroads on the southwestern outskirts of Raqqa province. It is unlikely, but not implausible, that the Syrian army will reach Raqqa before U.S.-backed forces do, U.S. officials say. [How the battle against the Islamic State is redrawing the map of the Middle East] Most of the advances, however, are being made by the assortment of loosely allied forces, backed to varying degrees by the United States, that are ranged along the vast perimeter of the Islamic States territories. They include the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, in northeastern Syria; the Kurdish peshmerga in northern Iraq; the Iraqi army, which has revived considerably since its disastrous collapse in 2014; and Shiite militias in Iraq, which are not directly aligned with the United States but are fighting on the same side. The U.S. military estimated earlier this year that the Islamic State had lost 40 percent of the territory it controlled at its peak in 2014, a figure that excludes the most recent advances. In Anbar province, a newly regenerated Iraqi army is advancing along the Euphrates Valley toward the town of Hit and has captured more than 25 miles of territory in the past week. In eastern Syria, the seizure late last month of the town of Shadadi by the Kurdish YPG aided by U.S. Special Forces was accompanied by the capture of nearly 1,000 square miles of territory. Although the town had not been headlined as an Islamic State stronghold, it has long been known in Syria as an epicenter of extremism and a major source of Syrian jihadist fighters against U.S. troops during the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Most recently, it had served as a key supply and staging area for battlefronts in both Syria and Iraq, and it was there that one of the most powerful and effective of the Islamic States leaders, Omar al-Shishani, was killed in a U.S. airstrike this month. [The Islamic States emir of war dies of wounds suffered in U.S. airstrike] The operation was planned to take place over weeks. Instead, the town fell within days, said a senior U.S. administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly. Shadadi was going to be a major six-week operation, he said. The ISIS guys had dug trenches and everything. Instead, they completely collapsed. Theyre collapsing town by town. The biggest constraints on further military advances now are largely political, U.S. officials say. Progress on important fronts such as reconciliation in Iraq and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Syria are not keeping pace with the advances on the battlefield, stalling plans to take the fight to the Islamic States most vital strongholds. Plans for an operation to capture Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic States self-styled caliphate, are on hold because of tensions between Kurds and Arabs over who would participate and how to govern the city after it has been taken. The YPG has declared a breakaway federal region that does not include Raqqa, while U.S. plans to train and equip an Arab force to fight for the town are lagging. Likewise, preparations for an offensive for Mosul, the biggest city under Islamic State control, are being held up by disputes over who should take part and how to govern the northern Iraqi city after it falls. The powerful Shiite militias, credited with making many of the earliest gains, are insisting they be given a role, over objections from the U.S. military and the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga. We could probably liberate Mosul tomorrow, but we would have a real mess on our hands if we did, said Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. A lot of work needs to be done to ensure an orderly transition of power in Mosul. The Iraqi army described Thursdays operation outside the northern Nineveh province town of Makhmour as the start of the Mosul offensive. U.S. and Kurdish officials, however, said it was a far more limited operation, to drive the Islamic State out of a string of villages that have been threatening U.S., Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga troops based in the town. A U.S. Marine based in Makhmour died in rocket fire on Saturday. [A U.S. Marine is killed in Iraq, the second combat casualty of the ISIS war] An Iraqi army officer in Makhmour, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters, said troops encountered little resistance, overrunning five mostly empty villages as militant fighters retreated. The Islamic State continues to defend when it is attacked and shows no sign that it is losing cohesion in its core territories but it is starting to become possible to foresee the groups ultimate defeat, said Knights, who thinks that could come by the end of next year. They are starting to fall apart, he said. Theyre a small movement. If you bring them under pressure on half a dozen battlefields at the same time, they cant do it. Mustafa Salim in Baghdad contributed to this report. Read more: Operation launched against Islamic State near base where U.S. Marine killed Inside the surreal world of the Islamic States propaganda machine American ISIS fighter captured by Kurds: I found it hard Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world A Chinese businessman pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Los Angeles to helping two Chinese military hackers carry out a damaging series of thefts of sensitive military secrets from U.S. contractors. The plea by Su Bin, a Chinese citizen who ran a company in Canada, marks the first time the U.S. government has won a guilty plea from someone involved with a Chinese government campaign of economic cyberespionage. The resolution of the case comes as the Justice Department seeks the extradition from Germany of a Syrian hacker a member of the group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army on charges of conspiracy to hack U.S. government agencies and U.S. media outlets. [U.S. charges three suspected Syrian Electronic Army hackers] Two years ago, the United States brought the first indictment for economic cyberespionage against hackers working for a foreign government. The indictment of five Peoples Liberation Army officers in May 2014 was one of the earliest public signs of a new approach to hacking campaigns sponsored by nation-states. Sus plea follows a years-long investigation into the theft of scans, drawings and technical details related to Boeings C-17 military transport plane, as well as to advanced fighter jets. The total cost of the programs runs into the billions of dollars, and they involve technologies whose export is prohibited without a license. The businessman, 50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hack information that is export-controlled. He faces a maximum of five years in prison. This plea sends a message that were committed to going after people even if they are affiliated with nation-state actors who steal from the United States, said John Carlin, assistant U.S. attorney general for national security. It shows we can find them even if they think theyre anonymous because theyre doing it through hacking and that we can bring them to justice, where they face penalties, like incarceration, just like every other felon. [Indictment of PLA hackers is part of broad U.S. strategy to curb Chinese cyberspying] Su, also known as Stephen Su and Steven Subin, did not actually carry out the hacking. That was left to his co-conspirators, both officers in the Peoples Liberation Army in China, said prosecutors, who did not name the two. Su, the owner of Lode Technology, a company that does business in aviation and space sectors and had an office in British Columbia, identified technical data that the hackers could target and emailed it to them, said prosecutors in the Central District of California. One of the two PLA hackers would obtain the information. The two hackers would then write reports describing the data they had stolen, the value of the information and its significance in developing similar technologies, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a charging document. The hacking campaign ran from 2008 to 2014, prosecutors said. In one intercepted email, one of the PLA officers wrote that through the thefts of C-17 data, we [made] important contributions to our national defense scientific research development. In 2009, Su sent an email to one of the PLA officers with a subject line of Target. Attached was a file containing the names and positions of U.S. executives on whom the hackers could prey, according to the plea agreement. There are some who say, Youll never catch anyone, Carlin said, referring to skeptics of the Justice Departments get-tough approach to hacking associated with nation- states and terrorist groups. Well, we have caught someone. In January, the United States took custody of a hacker accused of aiding the Islamic State from overseas. Ardit Ferizi, a citizen of Kosovo, was detained in Malaysia in September on a U.S. provisional arrest warrant. He is charged with stealing data of U.S. service members and passing it to the terrorist group, which urged supporters online to attack the military members. Ferizi was arraigned in a U.S. court in January. [U.S. accuses hacker of stealing military members data and giving it to ISIS] After Su was arrested in British Columbia in June 2014 on charges filed in California, the Justice Department began extradition proceedings. A month later, Chinese authorities detained a Canadian woman and her husband on suspicion of stealing state military and defense research secrets, according to Canadian media reports. They were eventually released. In the end, Su waived his right to oppose extradition and agreed to be sent to the United States. In the fall, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged that his country would not engage in economic cyberespionage. One of the only reasons they were sitting down at the table with the United States is that authorities showed they were capable of holding nation-state hackers accountable, Carlin said. At the time that Xi made his pledge, Su was already locked up in Canada on U.S. charges. Read more: U.S. charges Iran-linked hackers with targeting banks, N.Y. dam Following U.S. indictments, China shifts commercial hacking away from military to civilian agency With a series of major hacks, China builds a database on Americans William Bultemeier was fatally shot by Alhassane Ould Mohamed in Niamey, Niger, on Dec. 23, 2000. (U.S. Attorneys Office in Brooklyn) A Malian national pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiring to murder an American diplomat in West Africa more than 15 years ago. Alhassane Ould Mohamed, 46, admitted that he shot and killed William Bultemeier outside a restaurant in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Dec. 23, 2000. U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher McNeely went to Bultemeiers aid and was gravely wounded, but he eventually recovered. Mohamed shot Bultemeier, a civilian employee with the Pentagon who had diplomatic status in Niger, as he was about to enter his car, which was marked with diplomatic plates. A second man opened fire with an AK-47, hitting the Marine and Bultemeier. Mohamed and the accomplice fled in Bultemeiers embassy vehicle. Mohamed was arrested days later in Mali but escaped in 2002. He was arrested again in 2010 in connection with the slaying of four Saudi nationals in a remote region of Niger. He was convicted of those killings, but in 2013, he escaped once more. Later that year, he was captured by French forces in Mali and extradited the following year to the United States. Officials have said the shooting was not politically motivated, but Mohamed is suspected of having ties to terrorists. According to State Department cables disclosed by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, Mohamed was implicated in the kidnappings of four Western tourists along the border of Mali and Niger in late 2008 or early 2009. The Westerners were later sold to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Mohameds case sat for years in the U.S. attorneys office in the District until it was finally moved to New York, where federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and FBI agents worked to collect new information, U.S. law enforcement officials said. Mohamed will be sentenced next month. As part of the plea deal, Mohamed faces 25 years in prison. He was originally charged with murder and attempted murder in 2013. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Bultemeier was to have begun his return journey to the United States on the day he was killed. McNeely retired from the Marine Corps as a master sergeant. He was the Marine detachment commander for the U.S. Embassy in Niger at the time of the shooting. Belgium was left reeling after three attacks left at least 31 people dead and more than 200 injured March 22. The terror began unfolding during peak rush hour, and ended with at least one suspect still at large. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) Belgium was left reeling after three attacks left at least 31 people dead and more than 200 injured March 22. The terror began unfolding during peak rush hour, and ended with at least one suspect still at large. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) One perpetrator was an automobile thief before he got religion, and served time in a Belgian prison on a carjacking charge. Another was an armed robber who once shot a police officer while fleeing from a crime scene. Others had convictions for burglary, drug-dealing, larceny and assault. Nearly to a person, all had been violent men, long before they became foot soldiers for the hyper-violent Islamic State. As Belgian police delve into the backgrounds of the men behind Tuesdays attacks in Brussels, they are encountering a pattern familiar to investigators in Paris and other European cities targeted by the Islamic State: The shock troops used in the terrorist groups signature attacks are largely men already well known to local law enforcement not as religious radicals, but as criminals. As it has done for years in the Middle East, the Islamic State appears to be finding a fruitful recruiting ground among Europes street gangs and petty criminals, drawing to itself legions of troubled young men and women from predominantly poor Muslim neighborhoods, U.S. and European officials and terrorism experts say. Some recruits have scant knowledge of Islam but, attracted by the groups violent ideology, they become skilled and eager accomplices in carrying out acts of extraordinary cruelty. [Obama rejects calls for change in strategy against the Islamic State] Some of these guys are just looking for an opportunity to justify their violence and criminality, said Ali Soufan, a former FBI counterterrorism official and a consultant to government agencies on terrorist threats. Now, with ISIS, it is justified because they can say theyre doing it for God. ISIS is another name for the Islamic State. Indeed, some European officials say the perpetrators in the most recent attacks appear to be part of a new wave of recruits that are not radical Islamists but rather Islamized radicals people from societys outer margins who feel at home with a terrorist organization noted for beheading hostages and executing unarmed civilians. Their revolt from society manifested itself through petty crime and delinquency, Belgian counterterrorism official Alain Grignard said in an essay published by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Many are essentially part of street gangs. What the Islamic State brought in its wake was a new strain of Islam which legitimized their radical approach. The thuggish pedigree of the most recent Islamic State attackers was in evidence on Wednesday as Belgian officials revealed new details about the men who carried out the attacks on Brussels main airport and subway line. Two of the suicide bombers, brothers Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui, had spent time in Belgian prisons for violent offenses that included armed robbery and carjacking. [A photo of this Brussels bombing victim was on your front page. Heres her story.] Another member of the Brussels cell, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, leader of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, also had a lengthy criminal career that included multiple stints in jail, for crimes including burglary and assault. Salah Abdeslam, an alleged accomplice in the Paris attacks who was captured in Belgium last week, had previous convictions for drug-related offenses. But even before the attacks in Brussels, security officials said that it had become difficult to distinguish the cells of Islamist militants in that city from its criminal networks. Operatives linked to or inspired by the Islamic State have exploited this overlap to acquire weapons in Belgium and use the nation as a transit point for plots including the attacks in Paris last fall. 1 of 56 Full Screen Autoplay Close European Pressphoto Agency" data-title="March 23, 2016 " data-max-width="2731" data-image="https://www.washingtonpost.com/rw/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2016/03/23/Foreign/Images/05227300.jpg?env=A" data-ratio="0.667"> Skip Ad Photos: The moving tributes for victims of the explosions in Brussels View Photos Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks in Belgium. Caption Mourners pay their respects to those killed or hurt in the terrorist attacks there. March 27, 2016 Right-wing demonstrators at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, near one of the memorials to the victims of the recent Brussels attacks. Alastair Grant/AP Wait 1 second to continue. Belgian security officials have described the linkages as symbiotic, saying that terror groups rely on their criminal associations to help them hide from authorities, procure explosives and other supplies, and trade information on tactics even if the two sides dont share the same objectives or ideologies. There are so many links between criminals and Islamist militants, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said at a security conference in Brussels on Sunday. They are using the same tools. They are using the same cars, the same apartments, the same locations. Over the past year, counterterrorism officials and experts in Europe have begun to document a profound shift in the typical profile of terrorist recruits, asserting that the latest arrivals are closer in key characteristics to urban street gangs than religious extremists. For them, joining [the Islamic State] is merely a shift to another form of deviant behavior, said a report released this month by Rik Coolsaet, a professor in Belgium who has studied the foreign fighter flow. Membership in the Islamic State is for many Muslim youths part of a progression that began with gangs, rioting, drug trafficking and juvenile delinquency, Coolsaet wrote. But it adds a thrilling, larger-than-life dimension to their way of life transforming them from delinquents without a future into mujahideen with a cause. The expanding cohort of terror recruits from criminal backgrounds was described by Coolsaet as the fourth wave of jihadist terrorism, following cycles including those who flocked to Afghanistan in the 1980s, their elite Middle East expatriate successors who were drawn to al-Qaeda, and finally homegrown radicals who forged their bonds over the Internet. [Brussels terrorists probably used explosive nicknamed the Mother of Satan] Religion has plunged as a motivational factor among the latest generation of Islamic State recruits, according to an examination of the groups terror plots by European security authorities this year. As a result, it may be more accurate to speak of a violent extremist social trend rather than using the term radicalization, the report concluded. The prominent criminal element among the networks in Belgium is in contrast to previous generations of terror cells, most notably the roster of al-Qaeda operatives who were based in Hamburg before carrying out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Few of those militants had a criminal record or even any notable brushes with law enforcement resume flaws that al-Qaeda worried would attract scrutiny from law enforcement and risk exposing the groups elaborate, multiyear plot. Several members of the Hamburg cell came from middle-class or affluent families. Most spent time in Germany pursuing degrees in highly technical fields such as electrical engineering and chemistry. Their principal bond was a deepening commitment to an extreme interpretation of Islam, which they cultivated during parlorlike discussions at an apartment they took to calling Dar el Ansar, or House of the Followers, according to the report by the U.S. commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks. The archetype of this breed was Mohammed Atta, who came from a middle-class family in Egypt, had worked as an urban planner in Cairo and applied himself fairly seriously to his studies in Hamburg, according to the report. He went to the trouble of completing his advanced degree before leaving for Afghanistan, where he and others were all but handpicked by Osama bin Laden to lead the plot to hijack airliners and plow them into U.S. landmarks. The Islamic State is clearly of a different lineage that dates to the groups earliest days, when it was called al-Qaeda in Iraq. The groups founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was a tattooed Jordanian with a long history of criminal violence in his home country. Zarqawi, a high school dropout with no formal theological training, fashioned the organization in his own image, ignoring Islamic taboos such as the use of suicide bombers when it suited his purposes. His brutality drew harsh rebukes from bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders of the time, recalled Nada Bakos, a former CIA officer involved in tracking Zarqawi. Zarqawi was never fully accepted into the al-Qaeda brand because he was a thug, and because his logistics network was involved with criminal enterprises, Bakos said. These [Islamic State] guys are the same. The FBI now claims a third party has shown them a method for unlocking the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. Here are the latest facts we know about Apple vs. the FBI. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post) The FBI now claims a third party has shown them a method for unlocking the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. Here are the latest facts we know about Apple vs. the FBI. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post) The FBIs announcement earlier this week that it may not need help from Apple to get into a terrorists iPhone set off a rush of speculation over what novel, last-ditch solution the agency had stumbled on. Long-shot suggestions offered to the bureau have ranged from burning off the phones silicon chip with scalding hot air to modifying it with ion beams. On Thursday, FBI Director James B. Comey seemed to reject one popular proposal that has taken off online to remove the phones chip and make thousands of copies of the encrypted data on it. Ive heard that [method] a lot, Comey said at a news conference. It doesnt work. Officials say the latest solution being pursued is still aimed at finding a way to do what the government had asked Apple to do stop the phone from automatically erasing its content after too many attempts at guessing the passcode. But how the FBI hopes to accomplish this task remains a closely guarded secret and the public may never know how the bureau cracked the phone, if its latest solution works. Officials say the bureau is testing its new approach first on other devices to try to catch any errors that might end up erasing the data that investigators are trying to recover. Caution is the rule of the land, said one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. FBI Director James Comey speaks at a news conference on March 24. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) The FBI expects to try the solution on the original phone possibly within the next few days, officials said. Until the results come in, the high-profile legal battle between the government and Apple the one that was supposed to help establish how much technical help the government can force a company to provide in a major criminal investigation will remain on hold. The government was set on Tuesday to face off with attorneys for Apple in a Riverside, Calif., courthouse over whether the Justice Department could force the company to write the software that might help the FBI in its investigation of the Dec. 2 attack in San Bernardino, Calif., that killed 14 people. But in a surprise move late Monday, the department said the hearing had been postponed to give the FBI time to test a method from an outside party. We tried it on Sunday, Comey said Thursday. It looked like it might work. When asked whether the outside party helping the agency was a company that had worked with the FBI before, Comey said Thursday that it is someone who came forward with an idea. Prior to the FBIs announcement earlier this week that it may not need help from Apple, the agency was bombarded with suggestions. The government tried everything it could think of and asked everyone it thought would be able to help before turning to the courts, Comey said. [FBI: We may not need Apples help with that iPhone, but we didnt lie about it] Colleagues and even rivals in the close-knit group of security professionals specializing in mobile forensics have been furiously comparing notes on the costs, risks and merits of various techniques, sending tips to the government and debating the limitations of the agencys technical capabilities. Mobile forensics has become a booming area now that smartphones of so many different types have proliferated. Within digital forensics, mobile is a more rarified speciality but one that is increasingly in demand as consumers move to smartphones. That market is worth over $2 billion, according to Transparency Market Research. One idea being passed around the security community was a technique that requires removing the phones chip and making thousands of copies of the encrypted data on it. Once the data is copied, the chip is put back on the phone and specialists can attempt to guess the passcode. If they guessed incorrectly they would have 10 attempts before the chips data gets wiped they would replace the data chip with one of the copies. The bureau was aware of this method early on and concluded that it wouldnt work, for technical reasons, said an official familiar with the process. Technicians were concerned, for instance, that removing the memory chip, which is glued to the circuit board, would be difficult to do without damaging the data. Paul Kocher, president of Cryptography Research, said that it requires a nimble hand and its a skill, but many people know how to do it. Still, he said, if the FBI has a simpler method that works, then they should try that. Critics have suggested the government misled the public about needing Apples help to break into the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the two San Bernardino shooters, if it had in fact found a potential solution. But Comey said that argument was silly. What happened, he said, is the global attention surrounding the case has stimulated a marketplace of creative people to try to come up with ideas. He also wrote a letter Wednesday responding to a Wall Street Journal editorial criticizing the governments handling of the case. You are simply wrong to assert that the FBI and the Justice Department lied about our ability to access the San Bernardino killers phone, Comey said. During the news conference Wednesday, Comey said: Lots of folks have come to us with potential ideas it looks like we now have one that may work out. Were optimistic and well see. The government has until April 3 to tell the court whether it wants to proceed with its case against Apple. Andrea Peterson contributed to this report. This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 24, 2016, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, attending the ground test of a high-power solid-fuel rocket engine in North Korea. (Kcna/AFP/Getty Images) North Koreas Kim Jong Un has overseen the test of a solid-fuel rocket engine, state media announced Thursday, claiming a major technological advancement that could greatly increase Pyongyangs ability to strike other countries, including the United States. Experts are working to verify North Koreas latest boast, but, if true, it would mark another worrying development in the states pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. This is dangerous, said Melissa Hanham, senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif. Based on the images we have, we cant say whether this is functional, she said. But at this point, we need to stop thinking about whether they have this technology or not, because if they dont have it now, they will have it soon, and we need to start preparing for that day. North Koreas Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday published a photo of Kim with the rocket against a graffiti-style sign that read: Ruthless thunderbolt of fire for the American imperialists and Park Geun-hyes clique! Park is the president of South Korea and has been adopting an increasingly tough line against the North. The engine spewed out huge flames with a deafening boom, the Norths Korean Central News Agency said. (Kcna/AFP/Getty Images) [South Koreas president vows all-out push to punish North for provocations] KCNA said Kim ordered the launch of a high-power solid-fuel rocket engine that was designed and manufactured by the Korean style. The engine spewed out huge flames with a deafening boom, it said. The engine would boost the power of ballistic rockets capable of mercilessly striking hostile forces, the report said, noting Kims great pleasure and satisfaction with what KCNA said was a successful test. North Koreas rockets and missiles have been powered by a Soviet-era liquid-fuel engine, which has to be loaded at the launch site. That takes time, which gives satellites an opportunity to spot activity taking place. But solid-fuel rockets can be deployed much more quickly, meaning there could be much less warning if any of a North Korean missile launch, experts said. If solid-fuel rockets are on mobile launchers, which can be hidden in tunnels or buildings and wheeled out when theyre needed, they could be deployed anywhere at short notice. [North Korea says it has conducted a successful hydrogen bomb test] Analysts are now poring over photos to estimate the size of the rocket and glean any other details they can about its capability. But in Seoul, South Koreas defense ministry was taking the claim seriously. Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the defense ministry, told reporters Thursday that the military is preparing countermeasures. Separately, Park ordered the South Korean military to be fully prepared to aggressively cope with North Koreas reckless provocations, her spokesman said Thursday. The previous day, North Korea had threatened to scorch South Koreas presidential offices. North Korea has a habit of making boasts that do not appear true as it continues work on nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. In recent months Pyongyang has claimed to have developed a hydrogen bomb and a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Neither claim is borne out by seismic data and photo analysis, experts say. [North Korea threatens to scorch South Koreas presidential offices] This month, Kim claimed that North Korea was able to miniaturize a nuclear warhead. Analysts were skeptical, although U.S. military leaders say it is only a matter of time until North Korea masters this technology. North Korea is clearly making progress in some areas. It is conducting frequent medium- and long-range missile tests, and every test enables its scientists to fix problems and improve capability. This should be a concern for American policymakers, Hanham said. We have a laundry list of things that we dont want North Korea to have. We dont want them to be road mobile, we dont want them to have longer ranges, we dont want them to have compact warheads, we dont want them to have solid-fuel motors, she said. The North Koreans are basically going down that list and ticking everything off. Marine transfer a case containing the remains of Marine Corp Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Monday after he was killed in Iraq. (Cliff Owen/AP) Iraqi forces backed by American airstrikes opened an operation Thursday seeking to drive the Islamic State out of a string of northern villages where U.S. troops twice came under attack over the past week and a U.S. Marine was killed. Iraqi officials said it was the prelude to an offensive aimed at recapturing Mosul, the biggest city under Islamic State control and a longstanding priority for the Pentagon. But Kurdish and U.S. military officials described a far more limited operation to clear the Islamic State from villages near Makhmour, about 40 miles southeast of Mosul and around 30 miles south of the Kurdistan regional capital of Irbil. [What the new Marine base means for the wider battles in Iraq] Makhmour is a front-line base for U.S., Iraqi Army and Kurdish fighters known as peshmerga. This is an operation to liberate villages in the vicinity of Makhmour,said U.S. military spokesman Col. Steve Warren in Baghdad. Theyve had great success so far, he added. Backed by U.S. airstrikes, Iraqi army troops and local tribal fighters overran four villages, an Iraqi military statement said. Local news reports indicated that fighting was ongoing. A U.S. Marine, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, of Temecula, Calif., was killed Saturday in rocket fire against Makhmour, and the small U.S. base there was attacked again on Monday by a small group of Islamic State fighters with guns and grenades. The operation seeks to improve the safety of the troops at the base because there will be less enemy nearby, Warren said. The area, however, remains within rocket range, he added. The Iraqi Army said four villages had been reclaimed in the operation: Nasr, Karmanda, Kuthela and Khurburdan. Makhmour is expected to be an important staging point for an eventual operation to recapture Mosul, but U.S. and Kurdish officials say any such offensive is unlikely to occur for months or more. Salim reported from Baghdad. A U.N.-released photo of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria before it fell into the hands of the Islamic State. (Ron Van Oers/AP) Syrian troops backed by Russian air power on Thursday appeared close to storming Islamic State-held Palmyra, an ancient city whose capture by the extremist group in May shocked the world. Retaking the desert city would represent a significant victory for Russias military intervention in the conflict in support of President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally. Syrian state media reported that ground forces have advanced past the outskirts of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 150 miles northeast of the capital, Damascus. The Islamic State has destroyed several of the citys Roman-era monuments. [The ancient city facing modern scourge from Islamic State] State television said troops have battled their way inside the city, although the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said fighting is still at the edges. The Islamic States Amaq News Agency, however, released a video purporting to show quiet in Palmyra, including empty streets. The group will deter their assault, a fighter shown sitting on top of a tank says in the video, which was translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. Meanwhile, Secretary of State John F. Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss a political transition for Syria that the Obama administration has said must result in Assads exit from power. Putin has firmly pushed back against such a scenario. We agreed on a time schedule to establish a framework for a political transition and also a draft constitution, all of which we target by August, Kerry said at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Earlier in the day, Kerry and Lavrov praised a mutually backed cease-fire agreement that took hold in Syria on Feb. 27. That truce excludes the Islamic State and has held despite numerous violations reported by each side, helping to reduce violence in a war that has killed more than 250,000 people and uprooted millions. Putin thanked Kerry and President Obama for their support in achieving progress in finding a resolution to the conflict in Syria. In Geneva, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura concluded nearly two weeks of what he described as very serious discussions with the Syrian government and opposition representatives over the principles that will guide the political transition that he said would be the topic of talks scheduled to resume early next month. De Mistura presented both sides with a 12-point document of what he called points of commonalities between them. They included Syrian territorial integrity within its current borders as a democratic and non-sectarian state, equal rights for women, the return to their homes of all displaced people, the release of those arbitrarily detained, and continuity of state institutions, including the Syrian military. The Syrian government said it would study the document. An opposition representative in Geneva told reporters that the discussions have perhaps laid the basis for substantive talks at the next round . . . that will lead us directly into discussions about the political transition. So far, the two sides have spoken only in proximity, gathering in separate rooms while de Mistura and his team shuttle between them. Although de Mistura acknowledged that the talks had not moved into substance including Assads future he indicated that their lasting this long without collapsing should be considered progress, along with the continuation of the now four-week-old cease-fire and delivery of humanitarian aid. There have been no breakdowns, no walkouts, no personal delegitimization, de Mistura told reporters. What I would tell the Syrian people is, youre right in having doubts. You have been waiting five years, you have been disappointed so many times, you have been suffering much more than anyone could expect from any people, he said. But please, look at the facts. Would you ever have dreamed just five months ago that countries like the United States and Russia would actually seriously sit and engage in serious talks about Syria? In Palmyra, pro-government forces have faced tough resistance from Islamic State fighters. As many as 40 militants and nine soldiers have been killed during clashes in the area in the past 24 hours, the Observatory said. The official Syrian Arab News Agency published pictures of soldiers flashing peace signs as they purportedly prepared to battle over the city. Palmyras recapture would help Russia bolster its stated narrative of intervening in Syria to fight the Islamic State. The United States and Syrian rebels groups say that Moscows air raids have targeted mostly anti-Assad groups other than the Islamic State. Despite Putins decision this month to draw down his forces in Syria, a number of Russian warplanes have remained and continue to carry out raids. Since September, Russian has conducted a blistering number of airstrikes in Syria, inflicting heavy damage on rebel forces. Capturing Palmyra may have longer-term benefits for Syrias government. Controlling the area would bring Assads forces closer to retaking oil infrastructure in the countrys east that is controlled by the Islamic State. But fighting in Palmyra would threaten to inflict yet more damage to the citys cherished, 2,000-year-old ruins. Many already have been blown up by the militant group, including the 1st-century Temple of Bel. In August, the group beheaded the citys former chief of antiquities and hanged his body from a Roman column. The group regularly targets pre-Islamic artifacts and other symbols of multiculturalism. Andrew Roth in Moscow and Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: Palmyras Temple of Bel withstood 2,000 years of war and invasions until the Islamic State Why the ancient city of Palmyra, seized by the Islamic State, matters The Islamic State has lost more than a fifth of its territory, says report Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world President Barack Obama and Argentine President Mauricio Macri visit Parque de la Memoria in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the countrys murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) President Obama paid homage Thursday to the victims of a military regime that came to power 40 years ago, initially with the support of the United States. A coup on March 24, 1976, intensified a dark period in Argentinas history known as the Dirty War, during which the ruling military junta targeted leftists it viewed as an ideological threat. The Argentine government estimates that 13,000 people were killed or disappeared abducted and never heard from again during that period. Some independent groups put the number as high as 30,000. Even the start of the war is a subject of dispute: Many historians say it began two years before under Isabel Peron, when paramilitary groups began assassinating dissidents. Many Argentines have expressed dismay that Obamas visit to their country coincides with the coup anniversary. But the president sought to use the moment to put to rest a fraught chapter of the U.S. legacy in Latin America. [Obama, in Argentina, rejects calls for change in strategy against Islamic State] Obama joined Argentine President Mauricio Macri at the Parque de la Memoria, or Remembrance Park, which features a long, gray stone wall with the names and ages of 9,000 of the juntas victims and space for many more along the Rio de la Plata. The two leaders walked along the wall and onto a bridgehead, where they each tossed three white roses into the river. They then stood for a moment with their heads bowed. Obama later tacitly acknowledged U.S. support for the regime under the administration of President Gerald R. Ford and said that the United States turned a corner after the election of Jimmy Carter in 1976. Theres been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days, and the United States, when it reflects on what happened here, has to examine its own policies as well, in its own past, he said. Democracies have to have the courage to acknowledge when we dont live up to the ideals that we stand for and weve been slow to speak out for human rights. And that was the case here. Praising Carter as a president who understood that human rights is a fundamental element of foreign policy, Obama said that understanding is something that has influenced the way weve strived to conduct ourselves in the world ever since. Carter created a new State Department position to coordinate human rights efforts, and that appointee, Pat Derian, in turn sent diplomat F. Allen Tex Harris to Buenos Aires to provide a place of refuge for dissidents at the U.S. Embassy. The president cited Derian, Harris and U.S. journalist Bob Cox for taking personal risks to expose some of the juntas worst abuses. Obama, who ordered that the U.S. government now declassify military and intelligence records related to that period, said the global community needs to recognize that human rights violations continue to present a challenge around the world. Each of us has a responsibility each and every day to make sure that wherever we see injustice, wherever we see rule of law flouted, that we are honest witnesses, he said, that were speaking out and that were examining our own hearts and taking responsibility to make this a better place for our children and our grandchildren. Macri said the 40th anniversary was a marvelous opportunity for all of the Argentine people together to say and claim, never again. Never again in Argentina to political violence, never again to institutional violence. He thanked Obama for his collaboration on human rights issues. This gives us an opportunity again to work together, the way you have been doing it, for the defense of these causes around the world, Macri said. But others did not feel as charitable toward the U.S. president. Throughout the city, people marched with drums and waved banners and carried images of people who vanished decades ago. Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel, a survivor of the period who published a letter decrying Obamas visit, joined in the protests. Carlos Pisoni was just 37 days old in August 1977 when both his parents, who were members of the Montoneros, an urban guerrilla group, were arrested and disappeared. He was handed over to his grandmother, who raised him. For us, its a provocation that the U.S. president is here, because the U.S. government took part in the coup here as well as in other parts of the region, as declassified documents show, said Pisoni, who joined a demonstration Thursday in the Plaza de Mayo, where a group of mothers of the disappeared have been marching every Thursday afternoon for nearly four decades. Pisoni said that many of the military officers who tortured and killed people during the Dirty War were trained at the U.S. Army School of the Americas, a Pentagon-run military institute formerly based in Panama. And even though Pisoni welcomed the new round of declassification, he said none of the survivors or victims families decided to participate in Thursdays event with Obama because there were too many open wounds. There were also protests in the town of Bariloche, where the first family spent the day hiking and boating. Daniel James, a history professor at Indiana University, said that Obama is far less controversial here than George W. Bush, who faced protests when he visited in 2005 for the Summit of the Americas. But James added that many Argentines still view the United States through the prism of its interventions in Latin American affairs during much of the past century. The idea of the U.S. as an ideological hegemon is still part of their ideological makeup, he said, adding that 50 to 55 percent of Argentines dont have a positive view of the United States and its role in the world. Irene Caselli contributed to this report. A former Bosnian Serb leader was found guilty of genocide and other charges on Thursday for his role in deadly campaigns during the Bosnian war in the 1990s, including the massacres of thousands in Srebrenica, as an international tribunal announced a long-awaited reckoning in Europes bloodiest chapter since World War II. Radovan Karadzic was found guilty of 10 charges that touched on many of the atrocities and ethnic-cleansing policies that stunned the world as Bosnia became a crucible for the rivalries and fears that tore apart Yugoslavia. Central to the case was Karadzics role in the worst systematic slaughter of the war: the slayings of 8,000 Muslim men and boys outside the Srebrenica enclave near the close of the three-year Bosnian conflict. [Karadzic remains a hero for some] Karadzic, 70, was sentenced to 40 years in prison by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which is nearing the end of its investigations of alleged atrocities and other crimes from the countrys meltdown. In total, more than 100,000 people died in the three-sided Bosnian conflict among Bosnian Serbs, ethnic Croats and Muslims. 1 of 12 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Srebrenica: 19 years later View Photos There were 175 newly identified victims from Europes worst massacre since World War II laid to rest. Caption 175 newly identified victims of Europes worst massacre since World War II are laid to rest. July 11, 2014 Caskets containing the remains of Bosnian Muslims are carried during a funeral in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where 175 newly identified massacre victims were buried. The burial was part of a memorial ceremony to mark the 19th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, considered the worst atrocity of Bosnias 1992-1995 war. More than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were executed in the 1995 killing spree after Bosnian Serb forces overran the town. Fehim Demir/European Pressphoto Agency Wait 1 second to continue. The courts ruling placed widespread blame on Karadzic, who it said directed murders, purges and other abuses against civilians, including the 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, in which Serb gunners and snipers fired nearly daily from surrounding ridges. Karadzic a Bosnian Serb political leader and commander of military forces claimed he was seeking only to protect ethnic Serbs during the war. A legal adviser to Karadzic said he will appeal the court ruling. [Timeline for Karadzic at war and on the run] The proceedings of the tribunal at The Hague, which is backed by the United Nations, have been closely watched as a potentially significant step in applying international law to investigations of alleged war crimes and other abuses against civilians. This is a momentous day for international justice, but also for those in Bosnia who lost husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters in a coordinated campaign of violence, said Susannah Sirkin, director of international policy and partnerships at Physicians for Human Rights, a group that was involved in exhuming remains from some of Srebrenicas mass graves. Karadzic who was indicted in 1995 but was on the run until his capture in 2008 was the most senior Bosnian Serb figure to face prosecution at the court, which has spent more than two decades probing the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. The trial revisited the horrors of Srebrenica, in which Bosnian Muslims were herded from U.N.-designated safe havens into killing fields over several days in July 1995 and their bodies dumped into shallow pits. Investigators later uncovered many bodies with their hands still bound behind their backs and shots to the backs of their heads, evidence of execution-style slayings. [Srebrenicas sad legacy: Case study in investigating genocide] At a U.N. meeting last year marking the 20th anniversary of the slaughter, Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson said the atrocities will remain a stain on the world body. We gather in humility and regret, Eliasson said, to recognize the failure of the United Nations and the international community to prevent this tragedy. Still awaiting trial are Karadzics military chief, Gen. Ratko Mladic, and ethnic Serb political firebrand Vojislav Seselj. In 2006, former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic died in his cell at The Hague before judges could deliver verdicts in his trial. Karadzic was among the most-wanted fugitives from the Balkan wars. When he was captured in Belgrade in 2008, he was posing as a New Age healer with a beard, shaggy hair and oversize glasses and using the alias Dragan Dabic. The Karadzic convictions could serve to strengthen the credibility and reach of other international tribunals, including the International Criminal Court. On Monday, the ICC convicted a former Congo militia leader of war crimes carried out in the neighboring Central African Republic. But some believe it is too soon to judge whether pan-national courts can adequately hold war criminals accountable. We must redouble our efforts to ensure that the prosecution of Radovan Karadzic does not stand as an isolated island of accountability in a sea of impunity, said Nancy Combs, a professor at the College of William and Mary Law School and specialist in international criminal law. After the verdicts on Thursday, the top U.N. human rights official, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, said the decisions also send a wider message about the dangers of nationalism and ethnic vilification. In a statement, he said the trial should give pause to leaders across Europe and elsewhere who seek to exploit nationalist sentiments and scapegoat minorities for broader social ills. Read more: Look back at Srebrenica Gallery: Gen. Ratko Mladic at The Hague Images of Bosnia now and then Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world The plunge in the price of oil since 2014 has exposed the full extent of the Norwegian economys dependence on oil and gas. In response, the Norwegian bourgeoisie, like ruling elites worldwide, are seeking to roll back the social position of the working class. Norwegian capital is seeking to create a life after oil by developing existing industries and financial services. However, such a solution to its problems is a pipe dream. In 2014, 1,904,000 barrels of oil per day (BPD) were extracted from Norwegian oil fields and Karl Eirik Schjoett, director general of Norwegian Oil and Gas Association stressed, It is impossible to replace oil. He pointed out that before the oil industry the GDP per inhabitant of Norway was 40 percent lower than that of Sweden. Now it is 65 percent higher. That is down to oil. A recent estimate calculated that GDP per man-year in the oil and gas industry amounts to 10 million kroner. In the fishing industry, GDP is 1.7 million kroner per man-year and in shipping 1.3 million. The GDP in industry as a whole is only 0.9 million kroner per man-year and in agriculture and forestry a mere 0.5 million per man-year. Schjoett showed one of the sectors considered the new oil industryfishingrecorded a record export of just 75 billion kroner ($8 billion) in 2015. The oil and gas industries exported 450 billion kroner ($49 billion). The ruling elite of Norway now insists that relatively high wages in the oil industry are slashed as the spearhead of a cut in wages for all workers. As far back as August 2012, at the height of the oil boom, Steinar Stroem, a Norwegian professor of economics at the University of Turin, opined in an interview with Stavanger Aftenblad, A lower salary level in the oil and gas industry can help other industries outside the oil industry which will be needed when the oil runs out. This means that employees receive a smaller share of the wealth but it will be better for society as a whole. Stroems call to rob the working class has become the common position of the financial elite and their ideologues following the crash in oil prices. Typical is an article which appeared in Canadas National Post (October 2014), Worlds best paid oil-workers expose Norway to crude price crash. Norway, the article stated, had the oil industrys highest labour costs with the average offshore workers earning $179,000 in 2013: Norway has already been coping with 13 years of production declines from its ageing North Sea oil fields and reduced revenues will imperil further developments to replace oil. Statoil, the state-owned oil company which controls 60 percent of the total production on the Norwegian continental shelf, has lost more than 20 percent of its value in the past year. It has had to borrow and sell assets to cover dividend payments so three new projects it was leading were already deemed to be at risk. The National Post bemoaned the high wage culture in the offshore industry, which meant that workers earned almost twice as much as in the neighbouring UK. Sten Lier Larsen, head of the Norwegian Federation of Industry, stated, Weve incurred a general cost level on the Norwegian shelf that can prove very dangerous. We have extremely higher wages than others. A Reuters article earlier that year headlined, End of Oil Boom Threatens Norways Welfare Model, baldly stated that the end of the oil boom had exposed an economy unprepared for life after oil and threatened the viability of the worlds most generous welfare model. The article warned, High spending within the sector has pushed up wages to unsustainable levels not just for oil and gas but for all sectors and that is now acting as a drag on further energy investment. Norwegian firms outside oil have struggled to pick up the slack in what has been for at least a decade almost a single track economy. In 2015, the crisis deepened with the price of oil in the winter hovering around $30 a barrel. For the first time the Norwegian government was forced to dip into its Sovereign Wealth Fund, now valued at $860 billion, to balance the state budget. In November last year, the English language Nordic Page reported that the consulting agencies, Menon Business Economics and DNV, had forecast in a report, commissioned by a cooperative organization for the oil industry, that up to 200,000 full-time jobs may disappear in Norway because of the downturn. By January 2016, according to the investors journal Zero Hedge, every Norwegian oil field was operating at a loss. At present, according to the Research Institute at Stavanger, there are 330,000 jobs related to the petroleum industry in Norway. In early 2015, unemployment rose to above 4 percent (high by Norwegian standards) and prospects are bleak. Continuing losses on the state oil fund are serving to drive cuts to the governments budget. Earlier this year, the Conservatives/Progress Party coalition set up a productivity commission headed by Joern Rattsoe, professor of economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, to investigate how the Norwegian economy could be remodeled. The commission affirmed that the Norwegian mainland economy (excluding oil, gas and shipping) had grown at an annual average of 3 percent between 1996 and 2005, but from 2006 average annual growth was a mere 0.8 percent. The message delivered was clear, and is one familiar to workers throughout Europe. All growth in the Norwegian economy could be throttled by a steep rise in the number of pensioners, lower oil prices and a swollen public sector. What was needed was creative destruction in the public sector, it advised. The government and corporations are working hand in glove with the trade unions to reduce workers wages and living standards. Joern Eggum, president of the United Federation of Trade unions (Fellesforbundet), the largest trade union in the private sector, and Stein Lier Larsen, head of the Norwegian Federation of Industry, are agreed that any wage increases to be negotiated between the trade unions and employers should be low. Larson summed up the aim of the ruling elite, telling Stavanger Aftenblad on January 28, If jobs are to be saved we must reach a wage settlement of a kind not seen since the 1930s. He warned, There is only one figure that fits in the years wage settlement and that is nil. The consumer price index rose by 0.6 percent in January and household debt, at more than 200 percent of annual disposable income, is one of the highest in Europe. The government/employers/trade union alliance is already well underway, with central wage settlements in recent years lower than previously. At last months conference of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, its director, Kristin Skogen Lund, broke with tradition and invited Norwegian trade union federation head, Gert Kristiansen, onto the stage. Kristiansen stated, We agree that we must face the challenges together. Speaking to the Dagsavisen newspaper, Kristiansen emphasized, We have never been part of trying to negotiate our members out of their jobs, and we dont do that this year either, adding that she preferred to describe lower wage demands as collective common sense. US President Barack Obama arrived in Buenos Aires on Wednesday March 23, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the CIA-backed military coup that installed the fascist military junta of Gen. Jorge Videla. Amidst a massive police operation, involving helicopters and military surveillance and fighter planessome 700 security personnel had arrived earlier in Buenos Aires to prepare for the US presidents arrivalObama moved to Argentinas Government House, the Casa Rosada, met with the recently installed Argentine president Mauricio Macri and gave a press conference. An effusive Macri welcomed Obama: This is your house, he declared. In a reference to Obamas visit to Argentina and Cuba, Macri praised the US for trying to establish a mature relationship with the nations in the region. In turn, Obama called for the US and Argentina to become universal allies and praised the new president for his measures of economic shock that have so far resulted in the destruction of more than 100,000 public sector jobs, wiped out energy subsidies and devastated living standards. The US head of state predicted that Macris economic reforms would place Argentina on the path of sustainable economic growth. He also predicted that US capitalists would launch an investment program in Argentina. I can tell you President Macri is a man in hurry, said Obama; Im impressed because he has moved rapidly on so many of the reforms that he promised, to create more sustainable and inclusive economic growth, to reconnect Argentina with the global economy and the world community. This was a thinly veiled reference to the Macri administrations decision to pay off the Wall Street vulture funds that acquired billions of dollars worth of Argentinas pre-2002 debt. Obama also indicated that the US would collaborate with Argentina on security questions and that the US and Argentina had signed a pact to combat drug trafficking. As he did in Cuba during the previous three days, Obama posed as a defender of civil liberties and open government. He referred to Argentina as one of the most powerful nations in Latin America that could become a key ally of Washington in the region. Argentina is re-assuming its traditional leadership role in the region and around the world, declared Obama. Those words are ominous, given the content of a US State Department information press release that was issued following Obamas discussions with Macri on Wednesday. Washington desires a closer military and security relationship between the US and Argentina so that the latter can bear a greater share of the peace-keeping burden as a junior partner in US imperialisms war agenda. Buried in a list of proposed areas of cooperation, such as nuclear research and clean air, there is a proposal for the beefing up of Argentine military reserves so that the Argentine armed forces can better intervene in so-called peace-keeping operations in Africa and elsewhere. In addition to military equipment upgrades, cooperation against drug trafficking and supposed terrorism in the triple border region of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, the discussions with Macri envision close cooperation between the two countries intelligence agencies. In May of this year, the US Treasury Department will organize its first-ever working-round-table with the Argentine Armed Forces. Similar agreements were discussed involving the US Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security departments. Obama said he would visit Memory Park (Parque de la Memoria), a monument on the shore of the La Plata River to the 30,000 victims of the Videla dictatorship to honor the dead and missing. He also confirmed that Washington would declassify US military and intelligence records related to the junta, as a confidence-building measure between both nations. March 24 is a day of remembrance in Argentina, marking the anniversary of the Videla coup that the US supported in 1976. Following the coup, it helped establish an alliance between the military regimes that ruled in Uruguay, Brazil, Chile and Argentina in the 1960s and 1970s and assisted in the blood bath that followed. Under its Plan Condor, the CIA and US military intelligence trained the torturers and executioners and helped hunt down and disappear the workers and youth that Obama now honors in the name of human rights and transparency. As in Cuba, where he cast over a half century of US aggression as ancient history, Obama is attempting to portray Washingtons support for coups as some long-gone era. But as recently as 2009, his own administration helped orchestrate the overthrow of the elected president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya. The timing of Obamas visit is a source of anger among many Argentines, who see his hypocritical gestures as part of an attempt to wipe out the memory of the crimes committed by US imperialism in the country and broader region. In an emotive open letter, 20 Argentine and one Uruguayan family members of disappeared individuals repudiated Obamas trip and particularly his visit to the Parque in the company of the right-wing president Macri: His arrival, forty years after the anniversary of the civic and military coup, is a provocation against those of us who have fought during decades against impunity. It is an insult to the memory of our 30,000 arrested and disappeared comrades to welcome to our country the president of the nation that promoted and supported the bloodiest military coup that Argentina ever experienced, as in other nations in this region. Many of us lost our sons, parents, family members and comrades, who were all victims of Plan Condor, operated by the United States, and out of which the activities of the armed forces and intelligence agencies of Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay were coordinated, to assassinate thousands of militant workers and students that kept resisting the dictatorships. Now, forty years after, the US announces that it will open the archives related to the Argentine dictatorshipbut we all know that companies such as Ford that had clandestine detention centers in their plants will remain unpunished and no American official will ever be tried in court for participating in the Argentine genocide. Now more than ever: We do not forget, we do not forgive, we do not reconcile. Over the last few months, reports have revealed that the University of California (UC) Board of Regents, presided over by ex-chief of Homeland Security and former Democratic Governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, has sanctioned a secret spyware system capable of monitoring and collecting data from all individuals within the networks of the ten UC campuses and five medical centers throughout California. As head of the UC Board of Regents, Napolitano is one of 26 members who oversee one of the states largest institutions and employers. The University of California is comprised of almost 20,000 faculty members, 200,000 staff, and a student body comprised of nearly 250,000. The spyware system has been installed in complete secrecy, without the knowledge or consent of students, faculty, and staff. The UC Office of the President (UCOP), has issued statements that the spyware is necessary to prevent cyber-attacks and what it terms Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). The office cites a July 2015 UCLA cyber-attack that put the personal and medical information of 4.5 million people at risk. The UCOP stated that from time to time, if a serious cybersecurity threat arises that may potentially impact multiple campuses, the Office of the President may direct campuses to coordinate security monitoring, investigation, and threat remediation activities. Though the spyware has been in place since August 2015, information of the spyware was not revealed until December 2015 when Ethan Ligon, an associate professor at the UC Berkeley campus and member of the Academic Senate-Administration Joint Committee on Campus Information Technology, sent an email to faculty members, ignoring orders by the UC administration to keep the project confidential. The intrusive device is capable of capturing and analyzing all network traffic to and from the Berkeley campus, and has enough local storage to save over 30 days of [all] this data This can be presumed to include your email, all the websites you visit, all the data you receive from off campus or data you send off campus, Ligon wrote in the email. UC Berkeley campus IT staff also showed the device to Associate Professor Greg Niemeyer because they felt sufficiently uncomfortable with the system and its lack of transparency. Niemeyer told the DailyCal, Right now we dont know, we cant ask and we cant find outThe whole operation is covert, and we can only assume from the hardware we see that its extremely expansive. The UCOP has chosen a data collections system, Fidelis XPS, made by Fidelis Cybersecurity, which has the ability to inspect and intercept all communications, including encrypted emails, and has the ability to analyze the contents of that communication. Upon revelations of the Fidelis spyware, students, staff, and faculty have justifiably vocalized the threat of such a spyware system to their privacy rights and academic freedom. Unfortunately, many have been left with the impression that a secret initiative to snoop on faculty activities is underway, Napolitano said in a statement Monday. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no reason to take Napolitanos statements for good coin. As the former chief of Homeland Security for the Obama administration, Napolitano possesses an immense familiarity with NSA spyware systems and privacy infringement. In 2012 while serving in her previous post, she oversaw the Secure Communities program to identify and gather fingerprint and other information on immigrants. She also expanded the 287(g) program which cemented partnerships between federal government and local police to enforce immigration law. Expansion of these programs were deemed necessary to counter home-grown threats, Napolitano said, and called for a culture of collective responsibility in which all individuals act as government informants. When asked the question if she was suggesting that US citizens from school days on should be trained to watch more carefully their schoolmates, their coworkers, their families and their neighbors and then more effectively report what they say to some authority, Napolitano replied to the questioner that they were in fact getting the gist of what Im saying. Napolitano and the UCOP insist that the aggregated data will not be used for non-security purposes. However, it is not difficult to imagine a situation in which student protests and strikes for higher wages are easily categorized as security purposes by the UC administration. Additionally the security policy makes an exception to disclose the personal data for those considered to be engaged in illegal activity. The 26 member UC Board of Regents are handpicked by the Governor to serve 12-year terms. Like the majority of the board, Napolitano has no experience in higher education. While governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009, Napolitano oversaw $100 million in cuts from the Arizona State Universities and another $40 million from the states community colleges. Such was the extent of her previous experience overseeing higher education. The Regents and UC administration are overseeing a virtual wrecking operation increasing tuition all while libraries, art centers, classes, and campus services are cut. The Regents are so widely despised by students, faculty and staff that the board has been forced to hold meetings in secret, as all publicly known meetings have been meet with protests. Currently, students are protesting the chancellor of UC Davis, Linda P.B. Katehi , after the Sacramento Bee reported her ties to private companies, including for-profit universities such as DeVry, and having received $420,000 over three years for serving on the board of textbook publisher John Wiley & Sons, exposing a true conflict of interest. There is little doubt that such a protest would constitute illegal activity in the eyes of the administration, giving license to the administration to spy on student and faculty organizers protesting Chancellor Katehis obscene conflicts of interest. Above all it is Napolitanos background as Chief of Homeland Security which has made her the most desirable candidate to enforce cuts which will dramatically impact the lives of students, faculty, and workers throughout the system. Like the other governor-appointed members, Napolitano hails from the highest echelons of the ruling elite. The students, faculty, and staff of the UC system have every reason to believe the Fidelis spyware and other methods will be directed and used against them as social struggles emerge in the coming period. The author also recommends: Outgoing homeland security secretary to head University of California [20 July 2013] Three US airstrikes killed over 40 alleged Al Qaida affiliated militants on Tuesday at a former government military base west of the southern Yemeni city of Mukalla. Local officials estimated that another 25 militants were wounded in the attack. The Pentagon reported that the site of the attack was a training camp containing more than 70 AQAP [Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] terrorists. This was the second mass-casualty US airstrike this month, after a March 5 airstrike killed over 150 people in Somalia, whom the US claimed were linked to al-Shabaab, the major jihadist militia in Somalia. The US airstrike on AQAP forces comes after a series of significant territorial gains by the jihadist militia. AQAP has come back from a position of considerable weakness, following a devastating military campaign by the Yemeni government in 2012 and repeated drone strikes by the US government. However, since having their forces crippled four years ago, AQAP has made large advances in the past year due to the chaos fomented by the US-backed Saudi war against Houthi militias. Both the United States and Saudi Arabia are seeking to prevent the Houthis from coming to power, after they quickly seized control of the capital and much of the country in 2014. The Houthis are a Shiite group politically close to Iran and have been supported by elements in the Yemeni military who are loyal to former US-backed dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since the beginning of the Saudi-led air campaign on March 25, 2015, at least 6,200 civilians have been killed by Saudi bombers, according to the United Nations. Amnesty International estimates that at least 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes. In 2013 the population of Yemen was approximately 25.4 million peoplemeaning that about 10 percent of the population has been driven from their homes. Earlier this month, on March 15, Saudi warplanes killed 119 people at a market in the Hajja province of Yemen. The UN estimated that 22 children were killed and another 47 people wounded. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein stated that the Saudi-led coalition may have perpetrated international crimes with the bombing and added that all in all the coalition was responsible for twice as many civilian casualties as all other forces put together. It is in this context of bloodshed, aerial bombardment and mass displacement that AQAP has been able to regain significant amounts of territory. Last March it captured the southeastern port city of Mukalla, acquiring an oil terminal, money from the central bank and a weapons depot. In December of last year it took control of the capital of Abyan province, near AdenYemens major port city. Several other towns were taken shortly after, making AQAP a dominant force throughout southern Yemen. The most recent strike by the US military was the largest airstrike in Yemen by the US in five years. Because it also follows another mass airstrike earlier this month in Somalia, some analysts have suggested this represents a change in strategy of the US. Typically US airstrikes have focused on taking out leaders of AQAP rather than broadly killing its members at large gatherings. Adam Baron, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, speculated that the US could be concerned about AQAPs rapid growth in southern Yemen over the past few months. These are areas where Al Qaeda has really managed to get unprecedented amounts of control in Yemen, Baron reported to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Micah Zenko, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations who studies US airstrikes in the Middle East, told the Guardian, The Somalia and Yemen strikes suggest that the White House has authorized a significant opening of the aperture to target gatherings of suspected terror groups, rather than named individuals who pose imminent threats. Both in Syria and Libya the United States has funded and abetted similar Al Qaeda backed forces in order to topple Bashar al Assad and Muammar Gaddhafi, respectively. Similarly, in Yemen, AQAP was reported to be fighting alongside Saudi-backed forces in order to take back Yemens large port city of Aden from Houthi Rebels in 2015. Far from being a one-off event, BBC journalists later filmed Al Qaeda forces fighting alongside Saudi Arabian and UAE forces in late 2015 near the southern city of Taiz. The fact that the United States is now bombing these same forces is a testament to the recklessness and hypocrisy of the so-called War on Terror. The US and its biggest ally in the region, Saudi Arabia, are comfortable funding, supporting and fighting alongside Al Qaeda, insofar as it suits their aims, and dispensing with them when they are no longer needed or threaten blowback against Western interests. Tuesdays attack is yet another testament to this rotten policy. Occasionally stars align, egos swell and famous musical artists feel the urge to combine their talents for the greater good in something called a supergroup. Sometimes, lightning strikes and you get an act for the ages like Cream. Other times, you just end up with Damn Yankees. For every Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young team-up, theres at least an unequal and opposite Chickenfoot. Movies have occasionally tried to pull off the same trick, stuffing two franchises into one, but the results are often less than the sum of their parts (Freddy vs. Jason, Alien vs. Predator). With all the comic book superheroes now flooding the cineplexes, team-ups suddenly seem like a natural progression once again. So it is that we are faced with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a film mashing up two beloved superhero series. The results are somewhat less than beautiful music and a bit more like two loud, lumbering objects crashing into each other in the dark. The film, directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Man of Steel), picks up right where 2013s much-debated Superman opus Man of Steel left off. It tries to give some contextual reasoning for that films bleak ending. (Which, if youll recall, had Supes breaking the bad guys neck and destroying half of Metropolis.) Seems that Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, was there watching it all go down. This got his vigilante blood boiling and set him on a collision course against the super-powered being capable of causing so much collateral damage. This more or less sets up the conflict at the heart of Batman v Superman. Our Batman for this go-around is Ben Affleck, who acquits himself fairly well as the now-aging, world-weary crimefighter. (Its kind of a shame that silver fox George Clooney already had his shot. Now would have been the perfect time to bring him in.) Bats has apparently been fighting crime for some time now in Gotham and is facing down a whole new paradigm with the introduction of invulnerable flying men from outer space. (Kinda makes the Penguin look like kids stuff.) Jesse Eisenberg also joins the fray as our new age Lex Luthor, a manipulative scientist/ businessman egging the Batman/Superman fight on for reasons that arent really explained. (Something about his daddy hitting him when he was a child?) Eisenbergs take on the character is less calculating genius and more twitchy, babbling lunaticthe Joker crossed with his Mark Zuckerberg imitation from The Social Network. As the trailers have already admitted, Wonder Woman is also in the mix (in the form of Israeli model Gal Gadot). But the film is so overstuffed, theres hardly any time to spend with any individual character. Its a two and a half hour movie that feels like it was cut down from a three and a half hour movie. Rest assured, theres plenty of action to be ogled. But the fight scenes are frenetic to the point of distraction. In one almost cartoonish sequence it seems as if every citizen in Gotham is armed with a rocket launcher. Par for the course, the cinematography is dark to the point of blackout. At times its hard to see which concrete-colored hero is punching which concrete-colored villain. The script (by Chris Terrio of Argo and David S. Goyer of Batman Begins/Man of Steel) is loaded down with crowd-pleasing moments. Most of this is predicated on dozens of tiny Easter eggs and winking references to famous comic book story arcs. Its fan service deluxe, and comic book nerds in the audience will hoot and holler over every little name-drop. But the majority of the audience will spend most of their time wondering what all the shouting is about. The film, as you can probably tell from the title, is just a setup for a series of upcoming Justice League films. Its hard to imagine what those films might actually look and feel like, however, as Batman v Superman teases more than a dancer at a truck stop strip club. The main problem with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is that it falls into the same one-note stylistic trap that has dogged DC Comics movies since the success of 2005s Batman Begins. Great as Christopher Nolans trilogy was, it provides a poor roadmap for future superhero projects. Whereas crosstown rival Marvel Comics realizes not all superhero movies have to look and feel the same (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy and the Daredevil TV series, for example, couldnt be more divergent). DC and their movie partner Warner Bros., on the other hand, have tried to weld the same grimdark look onto all their filmsa decision that holds up particularly poorly on a sunny character like Superman. Batman v Superman provides us with an epic, anticipated showdown between two characters who are essentially the same. Both are grim, brooding vigilantes operating outside the law. Theres not enough contrast now to provide the right level of friction. Its no longer a conflict of ideologies: the boy scout vs. the bat. Its now just a bunch of people terrified of Superman based on his ability to murder the entire human race. The one thing sorely missing here is a sense of fun, of escapism. The films script tries even harder to bum us out, referencing touchy modern-day concerns about terrorism, xenophobia and political inaction. Real-life news commentators like Anderson Cooper, Soledad OBrien and Charlie Rose are even brought in as guest stars to add to the uncomfortable realism of it. Way to destroy the fantasy, guys! To allay a few fears, Batman v Superman has a number of moments that work. Everybody looks the part. The concept design is impressive and frequently faithful to its source material. Plus, theres rarely a dull moment. The EPM (explosions per minute) count in this film is astronomical. As mentioned earlier, fanboys and fangirls will feel well-serviced. But the non comic-book-reading public, not so much. This cinematic clash of the titans plays out like a heavyweight fight in Las Vegaswith all the attendant hype, excitement, action, flash, sizzle and inevitable post-event disappointment. My Favorite Quotes Recent Quotes Portfolio Summary Your most recently viewed tickers will automatically show up here if you type a ticker in the Get Quotes box on the top of the page. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 24 By Anvar Mammadov - Trend: Azerbaijan's Southern Gas Corridor Company has released initial price thoughts for a ten-year bond at seven percent yield area, Global Capital agency reported. Depending on market conditions, the SGC's bond offering under the state guarantee is forecasted at the level of $1 billion. Floatation is provided for the financing of Shah Deniz-2 and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) projects and Trans Anatolian (TANAP) and Trans Adriatic (TAP) pipelines. Earlier, the Azerbaijani government held road shows of bonds March 10-16 for the SGC in the world's major financial centers - London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. Citibank, UniCredit and J.P. Morgan are the authorized companies on floatation of bonds according to the decision of Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers from March 7, 2016. Lazard Freres SAS company, in turn, acts as a financial advisor of the Azerbaijani side. The international ratings agency Fitch Ratings has assigned CJSC Southern Gas Corridor's (SGC) senior unsecured Eurobonds a 'BB+(EXP)' expected foreign currency long-term rating. The Southern Gas Corridor project's (SGC) net financial needs for operations and capex will be close to $8.4 billion in 2016-2019, according to Fitch Ratings. The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe through Georgia and Turkey. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov Moscow, Russia, March. 24 By Orkhan Yolchuyev - Trend: Alongside with Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russia wants to resolve such a difficult problem as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry March 24. "The truthfulness of our aims has been proven," she said. "We want to resolve this difficult situation on a par with Azerbaijan and Armenia, but not other co-chairs." Zakharova added that Moscow wants this problem to be removed from the agenda and the conflict to be resolved based on the international law. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 24 Trend: Azerbaijani Defense Ministry and the US Department of Defense held bilateral consultations in the defense sector in Washington March 23, according to the message of Azerbaijani Embassy in the US. Issues of military cooperation in the context of strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the US, cooperation within NATO as well as other issues of mutual interest and future plans were discussed during the consultations. Azerbaijani delegation consisting of representatives of the foreign ministry and the defense ministry was led by head of the International Military Cooperation Department, major general Huseyn Mahmudov, and the US delegation, which included representatives of the ministry of defense and the state department, command of the Joint Staff, and the representatives of the Oklahoma National Guard, was led by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Carpenter. The event was also attended by the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta and Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 24 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) will sell a part of stake in Petkim oil and chemical company of Turkey, SOCAR Turkey Enerji told Trend March 24. Petkim produces plastic packages, fabrics, detergents, and is the sole Turkish manufacturer of such products, a quarter of which is exported. The sale of a part of stake will be held by late March 2016, the company said, without elaborating on the package of shares to be sold. SOCAR holds 51.39 percent of the shares in Petkim. Some 40.93 percent of the shares in Petkim are owned by other shareholders, while the US investment bank Goldman Sachs holds 7.68 percent of the shares. As of Jan. 1, 2016, the assets of Petkim rose by 44.2 percent compared to 2014 (3.79 billion Turkish liras) and stood at 5.46 billion Turkish liras. Petkim's net profit was 639.2 million liras in 2015, having increased by 14 percent compared to 2014. The authorized capital of Petkim was increased to 1.5 billion liras. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 24 By Demir Azizov- Trend: The issues related to the implementation of the agreements reached during the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Uzbekistan in October 2015, were discussed March 24 in Tokyo by the foreign ministers of the two countries, according to the press service of the Uzbek foreign ministry. The sides discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation in political, trade and economic, investment, technological, financial and technical, as well as cultural and humanitarian spheres. They also exchanged views on international and regional issues. It was earlier reported that during the visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a number of agreements was reached on joint investment projects worth more than $8 billion in the modernization of transport and energy infrastructure, development and processing of mineral resources, motor car construction, telecommunications, oil, gas and chemical industries, the contribution of the Japanese side in which will be about $5 billion. In addition, a memorandum of understanding was signed to establish the Uzbek-Japanese Youth Center of Innovations, as well as exchange notes on the project of modernization and provision of Navoi regional multisectoral hospital with modern medical equipment, the ministries of foreign affairs of Uzbekistan and Japan adopted a cooperation program for 2015-2017. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 23 By Emil Ilgar - Trend: Iran has stretched a pipeline to its Naftshahr city on the border with Iraq, but natural gas delivery to Iraq will start in May or June, says Hamidreza Araqi, managing director of National Iranian Gas Company. Iran will supply Iraq with seven million cubic meters of gas per day (mcm/d) in nine months, and after that period the volume will increase gradually and finally reach 25 mcm/d in two years, Araqi told Fars news agency March 23. Iran is to complete the 6th cross-country pipeline, with 110 mcm/d of gas transiting capacity, linking South Pars gas field to Iraq's borders. After the border, the pipeline will run in two routes. The first route is meant to transit 25 mcm/d of gas to Iraq's capital, Baghdad, and the second route is planned to deliver the same amount of gas to Basra. It is estimated that Iran needs more than $2 billion to complete the pipeline. For now, Iran is preparing to gradually make the Baghdad route operational. But the source of initial gas delivery in coming months is not the South Pars. Iran will use its 98-km pipeline from Charmalah settlement to Naftshahr for feeding the route. In the future this pipeline will be linked to the 6th cross-country pipeline. Iran has two agreements with Iraq to export 50 mcm/d of gas to Baghdad and Basra. Morocco said Thursday that it has arrested nine people with suspected links to Islamic State (IS), Xinhua reported. The suspects have been active in Marrakech and three other cities and were planning "IS-style" attacks, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. They planned to join IS camps in Libya in order to receive training, the statement added. Morocco has witnessed a growing threat from IS. The interior ministry said that since 2013, over 30 terrorist cells have been destroyed and "numerous terrorist plans" targeting critical Moroccan and foreign interests foiled. Nearly three dozen members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have been killed in an operation by the Iraqi air force in the beleaguered province of Kirkuk, Press TV reported. Iraqi military aircraft on Thursday targeted a missile development plant belonging to Daesh in the district of al-Hawijah, northwest of the Kirkuk province, killing 35 members of the terrorist group, Arabic-language al-Sumeria news website reported. The development came on the same day as the Iraqi army, backed by allied forces, launched a major offensive to retake the second largest city of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh Province, from Daesh. Daesh seized control of Mosul in June 2014 in the earliest days of its assault. The city was home to some 2 million people before being taken over. The Iraqi troops and forces from the Popular Mobilization Units began "the first phase of conquest operations" in Nineveh, said a statement from Iraq's joint operations command, which is coordinating the anti-Daesh battle by the Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, the Iraqi forces managed to recapture several villages from the Daesh militants and raise the Iraqi flag in them as they advanced towards Mosul. The Iraqi military statement named the recaptured villages as al-Nasr, Garmandi, Kudila and Khurburdan. Also on Thursday, Iraqi forces liberated two districts from Daesh militants in the south of the city of Hit in Anbar Province. Iraqi forces have scored important recent gains against Daesh. Last month, they retook Ramadi, capital of Anbar Province. North Korea has conducted a ground test of a heavy-lift, solid-fuel rocket engine and its separation, Chinese media report. The test was monitored by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Xinhua news agency said on Thursday, citing North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA). According to Kim Jong Un, the successful test will help boost the power of North Korea's ballistic missiles. Last week, Kim Jong Un instructed the country's military to prepare for conducting new nuclear and missile tests to protect the country against the alleged threat from the United States, despite UN Security Council sanctions. The leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea are planning to meet in Washington on March 31 to enhance trilateral cooperation in the face of North Korea's recent nuclear and missile tests. Pyongyang has conducted a range of missile tests in the past few weeks, amid new sanctions introduced against North Korea by the UN Security Council (UNSC). The sanctions came in response to Pyongyang's January hydrogen bomb test, as well as the launch, a month later, of a long-range rocket to allegedly place a satellite into orbit, in defiance of UNSC resolutions. On March 2, the UNSC adopted a resolution which aimed to affect multiple sectors of North Korea's economy, make all cargo going to and from the country subject to inspection and limit or prohibit the nation's export of coal, iron, gold, titanium and rare natural minerals. The resolution also bans conventional arms sales as well as the delivery of aviation and rocket fuel to Pyongyang. The United States imposed new sanctions on North Korea on March 16. The debris was found in Mozambique in early March and was sent to Australia for examination. According to Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester, the examination has been completed. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," the minister said in a Thursday statement. According to the statement, Malaysian investigators have found that both pieces of the debris are consistent with planes from the disappeared Boeing 777 plane. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, less than an hour after takeoff. There were 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board the Boeing 777 aircraft. According to Chester, the search for the plane continues. "There are 25,000 square kilometres [9,652 square miles] of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," the minister said on Thursday. Australia's then Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said earlier this month that an international search-and-rescue operation to locate the remains of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane was narrowing its search area and expected to find the plane by June 2016. Of the 239 people on board the disappeared Boeing 777 passenger jet, six were Australian nationals. In August 2015, a fragment of the plane's wing (flaperon) was found on the French Island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean, which helped to narrow down the search area. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pointed to the constructive stance of US President Barack Obama on establishing the truce in Syria, TASS reported. "We realize that what we have managed to do in the Syrian direction could only be achieved thanks to the stance of the top US political leadership, the stance of President Obama," Putin said at a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry. A ceasefire regime has been in force in Syria since February 27. The Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra groups (both banned in Russia) as well as other armed formations, which the U.N. Security Council has recognized to be terrorist, have been excluded from the ceasefire. The president also said he hopes that the visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry will help the United States and Russia to narrow their differences over Syria and Ukraine. "I do hope that your visit will help us to dovetail our positions on the Syrian and Ukrainian problems," Putin said at the meeting with Kerry after the latter's talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 24 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Israel wants to normalize relations with Turkey, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, the Turkish TV channel Kanal7 reported March 24. He said that Israel has always maintained a policy of rapprochement with Turkey. On March 23, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the first phone conversation in recent years with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin expressed Turkey's readiness to cooperate with Israel in the fight against terrorism. Relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated after the Freedom Flotilla incident in 2010, when a convoy of six ships, including one under Turkey's flag, tried to approach the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and activists on board. The flotilla was blocked and stormed by Israeli forces, with eight Turkish citizens being killed. Earlier, Erdogan said Israel should apologize for the Freedom Flotilla incident, pay compensation to the families of those killed and end the blockade of the Gaza Strip. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Iraq's armed forces started an offensive against the "Islamic State" terrorist group (aka IS, ISIS or ISIL) on March 24 in the region around Mosul with air cover from the US-led coalition, pushing the militants out of several villages, according to a statement read on state TV, Reuters reported. The offensive is the first phase of an operation that the Iraqi government aims to conclude this year with the capture of Mosul, the largest city in the north of the country, according to the statement. The first phase of the Fatah (Conquest) Operation has been launched at dawn to liberate the city of Nineveh, raising the Iraqi flag in several villages, the statement read. Mosul, home to around two million people before it fell to the IS during a lightning offensive in 2014, is by far the biggest city ruled by the jihadist group in either Iraq or Syria. An Iraqi offensive to recapture it, backed by air strikes and advisers from a US-led coalition, would be the biggest counterattack ever mounted against the group. Earlier, Turkey sent military aid to Iraq with two C-130 planes to liberate Mosul. It was expected that the operation to retake Mosul would start in April 2015. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which doesn't obey to KRG, said it also wants to take part in liberation of Mosul. Christ the Redeemer Statue Lit in Belgian Colors (Photo : Getty Images) China joined the global community on Wednesday in condemning the attack in Brussels on Tuesday, killing at least 34 people and injuring more than 200. Beijing also reiterated it is vigorously against all forms of terrorism. The Chinese people stand with the Belgians and the Europeans, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement. She expressed Chinas willingness to enhance cooperation with Belgium and the international community to address the challenges and threats coming from terrorists. Advertisement The explosions, preceded by gunfire, damaged Belgiums airport and a city metro station in Brussels, the capital city. The Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attacks after the recent arrest in Brussels of the 2015 Paris attacks mastermind. But a senior French counter-terrorism expert downplayed the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, although the official acknowledged that the IS has the capability to stage mass-casualty attacks in Belgium and Europe even if national and regional governments have intensified security crackdown on terrorism. He explained that the IS never recognized Abdeslams role in the Paris attacks since he did not follow the original plan to blow himself up. Rather, the official said that the Tuesday bombings were likely in response to previous police raids in Belgium that resulted in the death of two jihadists and the arrest of a third one, reported Expatica. Hua said the Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassy in Belgium is monitoring the situation in Brussels to see if there were any Chinese nationals among the victims, reported China Daily. According to the University Hospital Saint-Lucs emergency unit, there were no Asians that sought treatment after the attack. The hospital is near the Brussels International Airport. If Chinese nationals plan to visit Belgium, the embassy advised them to exercise caution. Meanwhile, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel canceled his trip to China this week to attend the Boao Forum. In a statement, Michel said, What we feared has happened. In this time of tragedy, this black moment for our country, I appeal to everyone to remain calm but also to show solidarity. Actress Emma Stone attends The Ninth Annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards at 548 West 22nd Street on November 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Andrew H. Walker) Science has proven that blondes are not really dumb. Researchers have unveiled new evidence to prove the joke wrong. There are a lot of jokes involving blondes being dumb but a new research has proven that wrong, AL reported. A group of researchers has new evidence that blonde-haired people are as intelligent as their dark-haired counterparts. Advertisement The Ohio State University researchers have examined 10,878 men and women to check out if intelligence is influenced by the factor of hair color. The people involved in the study took the Armed Forces Qualification Test. Army recruits took this exam and the Pentagon determined their intelligence with the results. The results showed that blonde haired women have a higher IQ than brown, red or black haired women. The researchers have also found out that blondes were also more likely to be classified as geniuses than to have low IQ than women with other hair colors. Jay Zagorsky, a scientist at Ohio State University, said that the study has given evidence that there should not be any discrimination against blondes. Their hair color does not mean they have a low IQ, he added. The study could not say whether there were any genetic relationships between hair color and intelligence, according to Telegraph. Zagorsky did find out the reason why blondes had higher intelligence than the others which was they grew up in homes where it had a lot of reading material to use. The professor has also noted that 20.7 percent of women reported that they were blonde compared to just 17.1 percent of men. He could not say for sure how the percentage may have affected the results. The major findings of the experiment still hold true that blondes could hold on their own intellectually and hair color does not matter when it comes to intelligence. The researchers also said that the stereotypes about blondes being dumb can have economic consequences. Zagorsky added that the stereotype is "harmful" since many employers will seek intelligent workers for their companies. Meanwhile, Stanford University scientists in California have found out that switching just a single "letter" of the DNA could turn brunettes to blondes. This change will have no effect on the brain so the intelligence is still intact. Check out the dumb blonde stereotype busted video below: Chinese President Xi Jinping and German President Joachim Gauck. The two leaders said that they will promote continuing cooperation between their respective countries. (Photo : Twitter) Chinese President Xi Jinping and German President Joachim Gauck have agreed to increase the ties between their respective countries and promote cooperation in several key areas of economic development. The two leaders made the proclamation during Gauck's arrival on Monday for a five-day state visit. Xi stressed that China and Germany need to work together to strengthen their presence in the international market. He added that the two countries should also give more effort in supporting the Belt and Road initiative, China Daily reported. Advertisement The Belt and Road initiative is an economic development framework proposed by China to promote cooperation among countries surrounding the ancient Silk Road. Xi added that China and Europe should also seek the support of a third party in promoting the initiative. Xi reiterated that China seeks cooperation with more partners in the international community to help increase production capacity. The Chinese leader stressed that such an effort will also help European investment plans, adding that the level of cooperation his country has with Eastern Europe can also be extended to the entire continent. For his part, Gauck said that Germany is still very much committed to forming cultural ties with China. He also said that it is important for both countries to keep an open mind to overcome the cultural barriers between them, CCTV America reported. The German president also remembered the various joint achievements made by the two countries in the economic and political arena. The visit marks Gauck's first time in China since coming to office in 2011. After the meeting, both leaders were present at the opening of the Year of Germany-China Youth Exchange 2016. The event is aimed at promoting student exchange between the two countries for the whole year. Satoru Iwata, Global President, Nintendo Co., Ltd., speaks during a news conference after the unveiling of the new game console Wii U at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian) Nintendo has denied that they are ending the production of Wii U. The NX is reportedly rumored to be launched in 2016. On March 23, Wednesday, Nintendo was reportedly going to end production of its current home console, according to Nikkei The report also said that the company has already stopped making some of the its accessories. Advertisement Later that day, the hardware manufacturer's spokesperson told IT Media that the article Nikkei published was not "an announcement from the company." They added that they still plan to continue to produce the console unit "next fiscal year and beyond." The American division of the company has not given any statement as yet. The home console was launched in November 2012 and it was seen as the successor to the company's popular Wii console. It had better features compared to its predecessor like better graphical capabilities and a controller that has dual-screen functionality. Wii U sales were low against its predecessor and other major home consoles like Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One. After the console debuted, third-party game publishers reportedly sent back their console development kits. As of Dec. 31, 2015, 12.6 million units of the family home console were sold around the world while ts predecessor that had sales of 101.6 million units. The PlayStation 4 sold almost 36 million units worldwide. Xbox One's sales is still unknown because Microsoft would not reveal it to the public. The recent home console might not be as successful as the console before it but it can still attract attention. Its sales grew more than 150 percent last week due to the release of the Pokemon fighting video game called "Pokken Tournament." With the issues of the console's sales and Nikkei's strong, reliable reputation when it comes to covering the Japanese video game market, the article the Japanese newspaper published had some credibility to it. Meanwhile, the article Nikkei published also reportedly claimed that the upcoming NX will be announced this year, which the Nintendo company has said a few years ago. With the recent low Wii U sales, the new console could replace it. Watch the end of the Wii U rumor video below: Part of the fine selection of wines in the Ritz cellar which includes a supply of the best French vintages. (Photo : Getty Images/Keystone) French wine might get ruined soon due to the climate change the world is experiencing right now. Researchers have suggested drinking all of it now before it gets spoiled. Elizabeth Wolkovich, assistant professor of organismic and evolutionary biology, has said that French vintners have produced a lot of good grape wine due to climate change. If the temperature will go higher, however, the good wine will soon be ruined, EurekAlert reported. Advertisement In a recent study, the researchers from Harvard and NASA have suggested that the current global warming situation is making early harvests of wine grapes from France more frequent. These harvests result in higher quality wines where the grapes have just the best balance of sugar and acid. Wolkovich said that the harvest dates of the grapes are getting much earlier and it points to it being connected to climate change. To get their conclusions, she and her team examined over 500 years of French harvest records. A major turning point for temperatures in the northern hemisphere was in 1980 and the research team saw that the harvest dates across France is getting earlier, she added. Benjamin Cook, a climate scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, said that thanks to climate change, the grape growers do not need the drought to get the necessary warm temperatures to harvest grapes for French wine. He also added that it is a "fundamental shift in the large-scale climate under which other, local factors operate." The heat, for now, has brought out some "grands millesimes," which is a French term for great vintages, Discovery reported. France has temperatures warmed by about 1.5 degrees Celsius over the 20th century and it is still rising. Pinot noir in Burgundy and Merlot in Bordeaux, which are signature grape varietals in France will no longer be as well-adapted. Certain French wines like Champagne, Sauternes, Margaux and Saint-Emilion is only grown in authorized areas and also according to the rules about which grape varieties can be used. So for the winemakers, if the rules are changed, it will also change the identity of the wine. Check out the wines regions of Bordeaux video below: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States government agency responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. (Photo : Facebook/ NASA) NASA said that it hopes to set a Mars Outpost by the end of 2030, which will serve as an accommodative hub for astronauts on temporary basis. The first NASA astronauts to visit the red planet will be focused on establishing a research-and-operations base and not a colony. According to NASA's chief of exploration scientist Ben Bussey, a colony is a long way down the road and no one in NASA currently thinks of a permanent human base, Space reported. Rather, the space agency is currently planning of setting up an exploration zone for the first crew who will set foot on Mars. Advertisement The exploration zone (EZ) will be a circle with a radius of about 62 miles, which is roughly the amount of ground that NASA envisions its astronauts will be capable of covering in the 2030s era. The EZ's buildings and crew quarters will be located at the center of the circle, near the science and resource "Regions of interest" (ROIs). The astronauts will then exploit the ROIs in hunt for signs of life on the red planet, besides carrying further investigations. The setup of the EZ will function by the same token as the MCMurdo station in the United States' facility of Antarctica. The station serves a base from which scientists can perform varied research and exploration works during summer. However, the final EZ site selection and set up is still years away. NASA intends to map out Mars before making the final decision, and this, according to NASA experts, may require the space agency to launch a new resource scouting orbiter. NASA also prospects that a permanently occupied Mars settlement might finally grow out of its crewed activities. But owing to other several organizations, the agency terms a Mars colony as the explicit goal. According to CNN, NASA is making long strides as far as its Mars exploration program is concerned. Recently, the agency came up with the most detailed map of Mars to date. By tracking the gravitational pull on its spacecraft, a better resolution and view was achieved. In the meantime, NASA formulates to have an orbiter in Mars by 2022 to execute its plans. Here is a clip showing more about NASA's Mars mission: Android N aka New York Cheesecake is expected to bring ART JIT and quick settings API. (Photo : Twitter/fossBytes ) Earlier this month, Google released the first developer preview of its upcoming mobile operating system, Android 7.0 or Android N. While the Android N preview came much earlier than expected, now speculations are rife that the Mountain View-headquartered tech titan may also release Android N before it is expected. Advertisement If a recent report in a Korean financial site, The Bell, is any indication, Android N is expected in mid-July, just four months from now. Precisely speaking, the report suggests that Samsung is planning to launch its Galaxy Note 6, which has been codenamed Grace, with Android N onboard during this time. In fact, the Galaxy Note 5 was launched in August 2015, but its next version is expected much earlier. If the report carried by the Korean site turns out to be true, Galaxy Note 6 owners will not require upgrading their devices to the latest operating system (OS), as they will buy the device with pre-installed Android N. All said and done, not everyone seems to be convinced about the authenticity of the report in the Korean site. Usually, Google does not release a new version of Android until it has showcased the updated version of the operating system at the Google I/O. For instance, the tech giant released the previous version, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, in October 2015, while the version before that, Android 5.0, was launched in November 2014. What is more, Google is yet to release its latest operating system to OEMs, BGR reported substantiating the skeptics' views. Furthermore, the report pointed out that Samsung generally waits till August end or early September to launch its Galaxy Note devices. For instance, the Galaxy Note 5 was unveiled in August 2015, which means that the Galaxy Note 6 will come within a year of its predecessor! Although the Korean site does not offer any information regarding the upcoming Galaxy Note 6, aside from the fact that it will run on Android N, it said that Samsung has never followed a particular pattern while releasing its devices. For instance, the South Korean tech giant released its flagship smartphone Galaxy S7 series during the World Mobile Congress 2016 in February last, days before the Galaxy S6 completed one year in the market. Watch the video on Android N developer preview first look below: Project Market aims to encourage Arab-German co-productions in preparation for the Robert Bosch Stiftung Prize Arab filmmakers are invited to apply to attend Project Market Amman, taking place between 26 and 31 May. The event will be held in cooperation with the Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC), and Robert Bosch Stiftung, one of the leading private European foundations. Up to ten young Arab directors will be selected to meet with fifteen German producers. Over the course of four days, the German and Arab filmmakers will be offered a space to exchange knowledge and project details. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by The Robert Bosch Stiftung. Project Market is a space to facilitate the formation of German-Arab teams that are then encouraged to apply for the annual Robert Bosch Stiftung prize. The prize is given to three teams to help them realise their film projects. Each prize is worth up to 60,000 euros, and will be awarded in the short animated film, short fiction film, and short or feature length documentary categories. Arab directors at the start of their film career, be they students or graduates of film and media academies, can apply for the Project Market Amman through the following link www.onlineprojectmarket.de The deadline for submissions is 15 April. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: A Cairo court rejected on Thursday the prosecutions appeal against the Tuesday release order of Mahmoud Mohamed Hussein, an Egyptian teenager who was arrested over two years ago for what his family says was his wearing a shirt with a revolutionary slogan. Mokhtar Mounir, Hussein's lawyer, announced on his Facebook account on Thursday afternoon that the court upheld the decision to release Hussein and another detainee, Islam Talaat, on a bail of EGP 1,000 each pending trial. The 23-year-old Talaat was arrested with Hussein. Since Egyptian law limits pre-trial detention to two years, Mahmoud has qualified for an unconditional release since January of this year. The administrative procedures for the release may take several days. Hussein, who was 17 at the time, was arrested on 25 January 2014, the third anniversary of the 2011 revolution, as he was on his way home from a downtown Cairo demonstration. The two detainees face charges of illegal protesting, possessing Molotov cocktails and belonging to a terrorist organisation." Hussein's family and lawyer insist he was detained at a checkpoint in northern Cairo for wearing a T-shirt with the words "A nation without torture." His detention has sparked widespread condemnation from political activists and local and international human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Search Keywords: Short link: African states, largely neglected by the international community in their fight against terrorism, are moving to combine hard and soft approaches in an integrated, coordinated strategy Over the past few years the Sahel/Sahara region has become a field of conflicts and source of multiple threats due to interwoven causes in which numerous factors operated. Prime among these is the wave of terrorism that threatens all societies and states without exception or discrimination. Our responsibility as military men has grown more complex in light of the advances in the capacities of terrorist groups. We are required to work hard, think creatively, and summon a strong will and determination in order to ensure optimum success in light of our historical responsibility to achieve the aspirationsof our people. General Mohamed Al-Kishki, Egyptian assistant defence minister for foreign affairs Tomorrow, defence ministers from the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) will conclude their meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, held between 22-25 March. With delegations from more than 27 Arab and African states and numerous regional and international organisations, the conference took place under tight security in Sharm El-Sheikh, the South Sinai resort town. Large numbers of Special Forces from both the Armed Forces and the police were deployed. A military source told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Egyptian government realises the importance of this meeting as it comes at a crucial juncture in the history of CEN-SAD. The group is working to reformulate and restructure its organisational bodies and mechanisms to strengthen the economic, military and security capacities of its member states and bolster cooperation in the face of the challenges and threats posed by transboundary changes in the region and their repercussions on the security, stability and development of these states. The source underscored the great attention that Egypt is devoting to the realisation of strategic interests it has in common with all peoples of the African continent. Participants at the meeting are following up on recommendations made in the CEN-SAD conference in NDjamena in February 2014, in the framework of the organisations commitment to promote peace and stability from the perspective of the countries of this region. The meeting of CEN-SAD defence ministers was preceded by extensive meetings of experts from the regional organisations member states, between 22-23 March. A source told the Weekly that the agenda of the fifth CEN-SAD conference included the current state of peace and security in the Sahel/Sahara region; counterterrorism measures, evaluating the results of previous defence minister meetings and discussion of new legal documents presented to the extraordinary summit in 2013. These include draft decisions pertaining to the procedures of the Permanent Council for Peace and Security, the draft protocol creating the Permanent Council for Peace and Security, the modified draft document on the mechanism for conflict prevention, management and resolution, and the draft security and development strategy for CEN-SAD. The agenda also included discussion on strengthening means of military cooperation between member states (in border security, military arrangements, and landmine clearance) and an Egyptian proposal to create a regional counterterrorist centre for CEN-SAD. Defence ministers and delegation heads interviewd by the Weekly on the fringes of the conference agreed that the terrorist threat was foremost in the minds of all conference participants. CEN-SAD members have rallied around a single priority: to create a collective framework for cooperation against terrorism, one based on a precise definition of the term, and the development of concrete mechanisms for combatting it. Sources stressed the need for such a framework to not leave room for international powers to perform our role and to determine our fate and the fate of our countries, their peoples and their armies. One of the delegation heads told the Weekly, It seems that the Western mentality is still trapped in its self-centred cognitive state, which is perpetually inclined to apply double standards on many issues, including ideological extremism and terrorism. The media in all quarters of the world cried out against the terrorist attacks against the Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris, and leaders from around the world flocked to Paris to demonstrate their deep sorrow over the victims. He continued, But the terrorist attacks that Africa has experienced do not receive the attention they merit in international public opinion. They are not on its agenda. At the very time the crime in Paris occurred, Baga in Nigeria fell victim to a horrific massacre perpetrated by Boko Haram gangs, killing 150 civilians and soldiers. No one launched the solidarity slogan We are all Baga along the lines of We are all Charlie. Even Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who had rushed off to Paris to pay condolences, remained silent on what had occurred in his own country. The source added: We, the peoples and governments of CEN-SAD, understand our concerns and our struggles better than others. We need to fight our own battles. We should not wait forever, or expect help that never arrives from the major powers or international organisations controlled by world powers that see our resources and wealth as booty, but do not care for our peoples and their concerns or the terrorism that is gnawing away at their societies and killing people from the desert to the coast. In an interview on Al-Qahira wal-Nas (Cairo and its People) TV programme on Saturday, former Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa said that reports and documents from the UN and other regional organisations confirm communications between the Islamic State (IS) group offshoot in Libya and Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda groups in Africa. He also said that the continued terrorist attacks are proof of the existence of international forces that are manipulating terrorism. Moussa noted that all estimates indicate that 5,000 IS operatives have established themselves in Libya, despite the advances achieved by government forces on the ground. Reports published by Western intelligence agencies indicate that Ansar Al-Sharia group is controlling crossing points between southern Libya and Chad. Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda in West Africa, which has not declared allegiance to IS, controls corridors between Mauritania and northern Mali and northern Niger, and even Libya. Also, more recently, southern Tunisia has been dragged into the terrorists game of death. The World Terrorism Index of 2014 reports that Africa experienced a marked surge in the number of terrorist attacks. It listed Boko Haram, the Shabaab Mujahideen and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) as the most dangerous terrorist organisations in Africa. Their attacks have killed thousands over the past two years. Boko Haram has emerged has a genuine regional threat, imperilling the security of Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Nigeria. This organisation, alone, has killed more than 13,000 people and displaced another million since 2009. An African diplomat based in Cairo suggested that the relative lack of Western concern for the severity of terrorism in Africa compared to the excessive attention it gives to terrorist incidents in some Western capitals could be understood in the framework of the White mans burden theory. To the Western mind, Africa has always represented the world of savagery and backwardness that needed the wisdom and civilising influence of the white man. The transformations in the international order after the Cold War have led the West to resort to the same rationale to justify its superiority and civilisational excellence. This was clearly manifested in the adoption of the principle of the right to protect (R2P) and the declaration of the comprehensive war on terrorism, which were framed in accordance with the prevailing Western logic and mind-set. Reports from international organisations, extracts of which were available at the CEN-SAD conference, indicated that 11 militia organisations are operating in Libya, apart from AQIM branches such as Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa and Boko Haram, which recently declared allegiance to IS and whose operations extend from Nigeria, where it created an emirate for itself about the size of Belgium, to Chad, southern Chad and southern Niger and north Cameroon. An estimated 45,000 to 60,000 members belong to these organisations that use intermediaries and agents to recruit young men and women from schools and religions institutions, exploiting the destitution, lack of government services, and political vacuums in those countries, and especially in towns and villages in border areas. The terrorist organisations have also used financial resources gained from various illicit trades to purchase the loyalty or cooperation of local leaders, providing financial assistance to poor families or setting up small-scale businesses that also serve to incorporate organisation members into the social fabric. Poor government services, widespread corruption and the marginalisation of many rural communities have made these societies ready to accept anything, from poisonous waste and adulterated medicines to goods long past their shelf life, and slavery and human trafficking. AQIM and its subsidiaries are notoriously active in drug trafficking and human trafficking. Other terrorist groups are more involved in smuggling and illicit trade in arms, oil and petroleum substances and foodstuffs, to which activities IS and Ansar Al-Sharia add theft and plunder. The eight core countries in CEN-SAD, before it expanded to 27 member states, are Nigeria, Central Africa, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Mauritania. These sub-Saharan states extend from the western borders of Sudan to the Atlantic coast. All but Senegal and Mauritania are land-bound. Their combined land area of some 10 million square kilometres consists of 64 per cent arid desert and 30 per cent cultivable land. They are also among the poorest countries in the world, despite their many natural resources, including oil, uranium and gold. Four of these countries Niger, Chad, Mali and Mauritania head the list of the poorest countries in the world. A lack of fresh water resources and severe draught aggravate the misery of the people and contribute to the spread of disease in these countries. Their societies are religiously conservative, organised around ethnic, tribal and religious affiliations, and illiteracy rates are extremely high, ranging from 45 per cent in Niger to 83 per cent in Mauritania. They and the areas they live in are therefore easy prey for jihadist militia organisations, especially given conditions of abject poverty, rampant unemployment and lack of central government control over the past 10 years. Of the five major terrorist organisations in Africa, four are in the core CEN-SAD countries (the Somali group known as Shabaab is the fifth). They are: Boko Haram: Originating in Maiduguri in Nigeria in 2002, it has avowed to fight Western education, which it claims has sown corruption among Muslims who suffer high rates of unemployment and marginalisation. Muslims make up around 50 per cent of the population of Nigeria. Ansar Al-Din: This organisation emerged in Mali in 2011, following the return of Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of a Tuareg insurgent movement in the early 1990s who subsequently signed a peace deal between his movement and the Mali government. He was then appointed as a consul in Jeddah, but he returned to the Azawad region in northern Mali to mobilise Tuareg fighters against the state. Tawhid and Jihad (Unity of God and Holy War): An Al-Qaeda splinter group that was also made up of Tuaregs from the Azawad region in Mali. Fighters in the movement, which proclaimed jihad against a large segment of West African nations in 2011, are considered to have wreaked the most terror in northern Mali. AQIM: This group evolved from the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) that, in turn, broke from the Armed Islamic Group in 1997.It became a regional organisation following the death of Osama bin Ladin, when Ayman Al-Zawahiri forged an alliance between Al-Qaeda and the GSPC in Algeria. It is currently led by the Algerian Mukhtar Belmokhtar, the founder of a desert emirate in northern Mali. In October 2015, explosions rocked Mulai, in the district of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria.The attack occurred only three days after a similar attack in Maidaguri. It was said to have been were carried out by two female suicide bombers who entered a mosque wearing explosive belts beneath their clothes. The two attacks focussed attention on how terrorist groups use female suicide bombers as a weapon. Analysts have indicated that jihadist organisations believe that these black widows are more tactically advantageous than male suicide bombers. These black widows, according to observers, see suicide bombing as a means to escape the wretchedness of their lives. More than 20 people lost their lives in the Mulai mosque attack alone. Boko Haram follows the same approach as IS in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, but the Nigerian group has by far outstripped IS in number of suicide bombings. While IS uses almost exclusively male suicide bombers, Boko Haram, which calls itself the Province of West Sudan, uses many females. About half of Boko Harams suicide bombers have been women. Information analysts in the Nigerian intelligence service say that the conservative character of Nigerian society makes it difficult for security personnel, including female policemen, to inspect women, especially in rural Nigeria. The terrorist group capitalises on this for its operations, inspired by the experience of the Black Widow Brigade in the Caucasus whose many attacks targeted Russian civilians and security personnel, as well as Muslim clerics working to promote moderate versions of Islam in Russia. In February 2014, at the end of a summit meeting in Nouakchott, five African heads of states announced the creation of a five-member Sahel organisational framework to coordinate and monitor regional cooperation especially in the realm of counterterrorism in this region where Al-Qaeda-linked groups are active. The Sahel G5, as the organisation is called, consists of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. The member states agreed to establish the permanent seat of the organisation in Mauritania and to elect a Mauritanian president. They also conferred the post of secretary-general on Niger and decided that Chad would host their next summit. After stressing the importance of economic development, the five heads of state stressed their adamant condemnation of terrorism in all forms and affirmed their determination to protect territorial unity and to work together to safeguard security in the Sahel region. In their concluding statement at the Nouakchott summit, the Sahel G5 founders announced that they had decided to draw up an action programme for investment and structural programmes that prioritise security, infrastructure development in transportation, energy, communications and water, demographic modernisation, food security and pastural economy. The Mauritanian president, at a press conference at the end of the summit, stressed that the new group did not conflict in anyway with CEN-SAD or with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel. In 2015, the African Union moved to form a 7,500-strong African force, half of which would be drawn from Chad and the remaining troops from neighbouring Cameroon and Niger. They were joined by a contingent from Benin, even though this country does not share a border along the combat zones. In the face of what is nothing less than an existential danger, the countries of the region find themselves having to choose between extremely costly options, given the lack of an international anti-terrorist coalition such as that fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, and general neglect on the part of the international community of the fight against terrorism in Africa. Their options are to support a joint military intervention in the areas with endemic terrorism, as occurred in Nigeria when the coalition of forces from Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin intervened to combat Boko Haram, or to abandon hope for an agreement on collective action, leaving it to each country to fight terrorism on its own. Naturally, the latter option would be costlier and more risky, as national armies might not be able to sustain a protracted war, and some might have to resort to creating and equipping local militia formations. The third option is for those countries to relinquish their responsibilities, let terrorist organisations operate freely in the areas they control and perhaps even conclude deals with them. The option might be all the more tempting now that it appears that some of those organisations have obtained advanced anti-aircraft missilery and radar equipment from international arms dealers, according to documents French forces found during an operation in Gao in Azawad. Now, in 2016, 60 years after African nations won their liberation from Western colonialism, US and European military bases are returning to Africa on the pretext of the need to fight terrorism. Their sole rival today is China, which has come to Africa to dig for mineral wealth and to use agricultural land and forests in exchange for investing in infrastructural projects, selling consumer goods, and setting up Chinese-language cultural institutes and TV stations. Many delegation heads at the CEN-SAD conference agreed with the view that the Western definition of terrorism is not the same as the African definition of the term. In their interviews with the Weekly, they observed how this difference was manifested in Western interventions in Libya and the Ivory Coast, which were greeted with considerable African opposition. They also agreed that there is an international struggle, playing out below the surface at times and above the surface at others, over world powers attempts to perpetuate African crises in order to promote their own interests and extend their spheres of influence. These attempts are reminiscent of the old approach of colonialist expansionism. The Nigerian Vanguard of 28 January 2015 wrote that the US is blackmailing Nigeria over its war against Boko Haram. It cited the Obama administrations decision to block the sale of American-made Cobra attack helicopters to Nigeria from Israel. Perhaps this explains the Nigerian armys decision to turn to Russia and China with requests for training and, also, why Abuja eventually agreed to allow an intervention by the African Union force, which was a tacit admission that its own army was unable to effectively combat Boko Haram. At a broader level, such developments throw into relief how the fight against terrorism in Africa is connected with the processes of state-building and comprehensive development, which are, first and foremost, an African responsibility. From this perspective, the current trend at both the African and national levels to rely on repressive measures, using police and army forces to combat terrorism, is deficient and short-term. In the long-term, addressing such essential issues as corruption, lack of sound governance, the fragility of the state, and widespread poverty and marginalisation demands a soft approach to fighting terrorism. A soft approach entails an array of political, social and cultural measures, such as challenging extremist narratives, revising prevailing religious discourse and instituting rehabilitation programmes. Civil society has a pivotal role to play in these processes, as terrorism is fundamentally a social issue. Such a comprehensive approach is what is needed in Africa to strike a balance between violent security measures and the soft measures that are required to change ideas and forestall the spread of extremist ideology, as well as the rehabilitation measures that are needed to disengage and re-assimilate former extremists into their societies. The majority of CEN-SAD members advocate a comprehensive approach. In their bilateral meetings on the fringes of the Sharm El-Sheikh conference they discussed four basic components: prevention of extremist thought (revising educational curricula, revising religious discourse, launching awareness-raising programmes in the media); protecting society (defending people against terrorist groups); monitoring (intelligence gathering and processing, and cooperation among intelligence agencies in order to dismantle terrorist networks); and rehabilitation (carefully designed programmes aimed at changing the ideas of imprisoned terrorists and rehabilitating those who vowed to reform or who have been released. The greatest challenge, here, is to build a good level of mutual trust between civil society and the state in Africa. This is essential to strengthen the culture of nonviolence and to affirm the values of citizenship, equality and other democratic principles. It appears that governments in Africa are still at the root of the problem, which makes it the starting point in any serious attempt to promote an effective remedy and reform. Factbox: What is CEN-SAD? The Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) was established on 4 February 1998 in Tripoli during a summit meeting instigated by Muammar Gaddafi in the presence of the heads of state of Mali, Chad, Niger and Sudan and a representative of the president of Burkina Faso. CEN-SAD became a regional economic community during the 36th ordinary session of the conference of heads of state and government of the Organisation of African Unity, held in Lome (Republic of Togo) 4-12 July 2000. It holds observer status in the UN General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/56/92. CEN-SAD has partnership agreements with many regional and international organisations with the aim of promoting common and shared action in the political, cultural, economic and social fields. This status was confirmed by the 7th conference of heads of state and government of the African Union. Core CEN-SAD goals include: Establishment of a global economic union based on implementation of a community development plan that complements local development plans of member states and comprises the various fields of sustained socio-economic development: agriculture, industry, energy, social, culture and health; Removal of all restrictions hampering the integration of CEN-SAD member countries through adoption of measures to ensure free movement of persons, capital and interests of nationals of member states; right of establishment, ownership and exercise of economic activity; free trade and movement of goods, commodities and services from member states; and promotion of external trade through an investment policy in member states; Increase means of land, air and maritime transport and communications among member states and the execution of common projects; Extension of the same rights, advantages and obligations granted to their own citizens to nationals of signatory countries in conformity with the provisions of their respective constitutions; and harmonisation of educational, pedagogical, scientific and cultural systems across the various cycles of education. This article is published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper on Thursday 24 March Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is expected to head to Sharm El-Sheikh later today to attend the conference The opening session of the fifth Sahel-Saharan Defence Ministers Conference, headed by Egypt, was held early Thursday in Egypts red sea resort Sharm El-Sheikh, MENA reported. A number of defence ministry representatives, ambassadors and military attaches from the 27 countries that form the Sahel-Saharan community are in attendance, alongside Egyptian Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is expected to head to Sharm El-Sheikh later today to participate in the conference, according to media reports. In his inauguration speech, Sobhi strongly condemned what he described as brutal terrorist attacks that hit Brussels Tuesday. He added that Africa, especially Sahel-Saharan countries, has been facing many challenges, especially in the fight against terrorism. The meetings will focus on ways to reactivate regional cooperation in security and military matters in combating terrorism in the region of the Sahel and Sahara, as well as legal and structural matters relevant to the organisation. The two-day conference is expected to end Friday. Meetings have been ongoing in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh since Tuesday, 22 March, with military experts from Sahel-Saharan countries preparing the agenda of the two-day conference. The conference convening in Egypt comes ahead of a summit of heads of member states of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States organisation, to be held in Morocco later this year. Search Keywords: Short link: The explosives were seized in Al-Mahager area at Halal Mountain in North Sinai according to the military spokesperson Egypts army has seized 380 kilograms of explosives, including TNT, in Al-Mahager area at Halal Mountain in the North Sinai region, according to an official military spokesperson. Mohamed Samir announced in a statement on his official website that Egypt's third army was able to seize the explosives that were being stored in Al-Mahager based on intelligence information. The Egyptian army and police have been grappling with an Islamist insurgency in parts of the North Sinai governorate that spiked following the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. On Saturday, at least 15 soldiers were killed in an armed attack on a checkpoint in the North Sinai city of Arish. The Islamist insurgency has killed hundreds of Egyptian security forces, predominately in North Sinai. The Egyptian army also says that it has killed hundreds of militants. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt, the United States and the United Arab Emirates concluded on Thursday a joint naval exercise in the Red Sea, a statement by Egypt's military spokesperson Mohamed Samir read. The joint exercise Eagle Salute 2016 included a number of activities including naval scouting, creating naval formations for defense and offence and averting attacks. The exercise, which started on Monday, lasted for four days. The forces practiced firing live ammunition onto incoming airborne targets, as well as measuring the shooting accuracy of the participating units. "Eagle Salute 2016 is considered to be one of the most important joint exercises that Egypt has participated in that shows the depth of relations between the three countries," the statement read. The main phases of the training were witnessed by senior leaders from the participating countries, according to Samir. Search Keywords: Short link: The court postponed its ruling on a decision by a judicial committee to freeze the assets of several Egyptian human rights activists accused of receiving illegal funds for their NGOs A Cairo court delayed on Thursday issuing a ruling on the freezing of assets of several Egyptian human rights activists to 20 April after a request by the prosecution. Last week, a judicial committee overseeing an investigation into the alleged illegal funding of NGOs issued a decision to freeze the assets of four Egyptian human rights activists and their families, including renowned activists Hossam Bahgat and Gamal Eid. The freeze order came as part of a five-year-old investigation into rights activists accused of receiving illegal funding for their NGOs from foreign sources. Bahgat's lawyer Taher Abul-Nasr told Ahram Online that the assets of the two activists were not frozen as the court had not yet approved the committee's decision. The case dates back to 2011, when the Egyptian Ministry of Justice accused several NGOs of illegally receiving funds from foreign governments and institutions based on reports issued at the time by the National Security Agency and the General Intelligence Service. Search Keywords: Short link: The suspects were believed to have kidnapped and robbed foreigners in New Cairo while impersonating police officers, according to the interior ministry Police killed on Thursday suspects believed to be involved in the kidnapping of foreigners in the New Cairo district, Egypt's interior ministry announced. According to the ministry statement, the suspects formed a gang that impersonated police officers to kidnap foreigners with the intent to rob them. The suspects were killed in a shootout with police, who were attempting to arrest them, the ministry said. The ministry did not reveal any further details about the suspects or the identity of their victims other than that they were foreigners. Several news outlets have quoted security sources as saying that the gang is believed to have been involved in the death of Italian student Giulio Regeni, who was found killed in Cairo earlier this year with signs of torture on his body. However, a security source told Ahram Arabic news website that it has not been confirmed that the group was involved in Regeni's murder, adding that investigations are still underway. The body of the 28-year-old PhD student, who was conducting research on independent trade union movements in Egypt, was found on a roadside in February, nine days after he disappeared on 25 January. Search Keywords: Short link: A statement by the education ministry highlighted that the name of the Nobel laureate will return to Arabic exercise books starting next year Segments about Egypts Noble Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei will return to school text books starting from next school year, an official statement by the Ministry of Education said on Wednesday. A thorough study of the subject was made and it was found that the picture of ElBaradei was present in the list of all the Egyptians who won the Noble Prize in both second and fifth grade primary school Arabic exercise books," the statement read. The ministry statement highlighted that the committee tasked to review the Arabic curricula for the 2015/2016 year concluded its work in March 2015 and that the books were printed in August 2015. "The committee has removed the name of the Nobel Prize winner from the fifth grade primary school books but left his name in the second grade primary ones for unstated reasons," the statement read. Education ministry spokesperson Beshir Hassan said on Tuesday that the removal of ElBaradei's biography took place during the tenure of former education minister Moheb El-Rafei following "the request of teachers and parents." The Arabic reading comprehension textbook included an exercise that had pictures of three Egyptian Nobel laureates: former president Anwar El-Sadat, scientist Ahmed Zuwail, and ex-president of the International Atomic Energy Agency ElBaradei. The activity required students to connect the pictures with dates in which they received their Nobel Prizes. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt is set to participate in this year's Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on 31 March to 1 April, state owned MENA agency reported on Thursday. Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry would likely head the Egyptian delegation at the summit. The US is hosting more than 50 world leaders, including representatives from the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Interpol and the European Union. According to a statement by the White House, the fourth and final summit will continue the "discussion on the evolving [nuclear] threat and highlight steps that can be taken together to minimize the use of highly-enriched uranium, secure vulnerable materials, counter nuclear smuggling and deter, detect, and disrupt attempts at nuclear terrorism." The first summit was held in Washington in 2010 with the aim of uniting together international efforts to "secure vulnerable nuclear materials, break up black markets, and detect and intercept illicitly trafficked materials". Search Keywords: Short link: EgyptAir suspended flights heading to Brussels, Belgium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday based on a request by Belgian authorities following Tuesday's suicide bombings in Brussels, state owned MENA agency reported. The airline said in a statement that it would announce any developments regarding flights heading to Brussels. It added that passengers intending to travel to Brussels should contact the company's customer services to postpone their flights at no extra cost or switch to other European destinations. EgyptAir already cancelled two flights heading to the Belgian capital on Tuesday and Thursday after the attacks. At least 34 people were killed on Tuesday in the attacks at Brussels Airport and a metro train. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the bombings. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's foreign ministry said that comments criticising the government's treatment of NGOs were characterised with 'inconsistent generalisation and a lack of evidence that supports such allegations' Egypt's foreign ministry criticised on Thursday statements by "foreign officials" made over the reopening of investigations into several Egyptian NGOs for allegedly receiving funds illegally from foreign governments and institutions. In an official statement, the foreign ministry said that the comments were characterised with "inconsistent generalisation and a lack of evidence that supports such allegations." The statement comes one day after UK Foreign Office Minister for North Africa Tobias Ellwood expressed his "deep concerns" over what he described as the growing restriction on civil society in Egypt, a statement by the British embassy in Cairo quoted him as saying. Ellwood encouraged Egypt's government on Wednesday to work with civil society to implement the rights guaranteed by the country's constitution and to allow non-governmental organisations to operate freely. On Thursday, a Cairo court postponed issuing a ruling on the freezing of assets of several Egyptian human rights activists to 20 April after a request by the prosecution. Last week, a judicial committee overseeing an investigation into the alleged illegal funding of NGOs issued a decision to freeze the assets of four Egyptian human rights activists and their families, including renowned activists Hossam Bahgat and Gamal Eid. The case dates back to 2011, when the Egyptian Ministry of Justice accused several NGOs of illegally receiving funds from foreign governments and institutions based on reports issued at the time by the National Security Agency and the General Intelligence Service. Global rights group Amnesty International issued a statement yesterday criticising the case involving NGOs. "Egypts civil society is being treated like an enemy of the state, rather than a partner for reform and progress, Amnesty said. The Egyptian foreign ministry statement said that the comments on the atmosphere for NGOs in Egypt "aims to perpetuate false impressions over the approach of the Egyptian government regarding foreign funding for NGOs." "The people behind the statements have ignored the fact that Egypt's refusal to provide foreign funding applied to only 7 percent of NGOs in 2015, while the other NGOs have received about $100 million legally in the same year, which proves that there is no restriction on the work of civil society organisations in Egypt" The Egyptian foreign ministry reiterated Egypt's full commitment to supporting the work of NGOs and foreign institutions that work "legally" in the country in accordance with Law 84 of 2002, stressing its commitment to fulfil its obligations under international human rights standards. "Egypt demands that all countries and international organisations respect the country's laws and not interfere in domestic affairs or attempt to influence the justice system," the statement added. "Such allegations raise questions over the reasons behind such an attitude, and whether it is really intended is to protect rights and freedoms or protect certain people or groups... in an attempt to undermine and shake the country's stability." Search Keywords: Short link: Syrian pro-government forces were poised to launch an assault to retake the Islamic State group-held city of Palmyra, as Washington and Moscow meet Thursday to discuss the fraught peace talks. The Islamic State (IS) group overran the city dubbed the "Pearl of the Desert" last May, and it has since blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics dating back thousands of years. Its recapture would be a strategic as well as symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since whoever controls it also controls the vast desert extending from central Syria to the Iraqi border, experts say. Loyalists backed by Russian air strikes were "800 metres (yards) from Palmyra" and now control areas linking it to Damascus and Syria's third city Homs, a Syrian security source said. "The army is now at (the southern and southwestern) entrances to the city and is preparing to begin the battle to liberate Palmyra," the source told AFP. Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier Wednesday that regime forces were two kilometres (one mile) south of Palmyra and five kilometres (three miles) southwest of the city. Meanwhile, there is some hope that high-level US-Russian meetings on Thursday could deliver the momentum needed to move the Geneva peace talks to a new round. US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to gauge whether Moscow is ready to discuss ways to ease its ally Assad from power. With the indirect negotiations in Geneva proving to be sluggish, all eyes are on Moscow since the two powers hold significant sway over the opposing sides in Syria's devastating conflict. "What we're looking for, and what we've been looking for for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad's leadership," a senior US official told reporters. "On the Russian side, there's only one decision maker and you need to be in the room with him to evaluate what's possible," the State Department official added. The official said a shaky ceasefire between the regime and rebel forces and Russia's partial withdrawal could mark an opening for Putin to shift his stance on Assad. The High Negotiations Committee, the main Syrian opposition body, said it hoped that after the Kerry-Kremlin talks "a clear message will be sent to Bashar al-Assad: He cannot continue to paralyse the political transition that the Syrian people are demanding". "Syria's future must be decided by the Syrian people, not by a single man," the group said. Assad's future has been a key obstacle in the latest talks, with the government stubbornly insisting any discussion of him leaving is "excluded" and the opposition saying any talk of allowing him to stay is "absolutely unacceptable". UN envoy Staffan de Mistura voiced "a strong expectation that the talks in Moscow will be productive." When the two top diplomats reach a "common understanding", the process is helped "enormously", the envoy said. But in an interview with AFP, Damascus's lead negotiator at the Geneva talks, Bashar al-Jaafari, insisted that thinking that the regime could be pressured by its Russian ally was a "misreading" of the situation. "When we say that the dialogue must be between Syrians, without outside intervention, this also applies to the Russians and Americans," he said. Washington and Moscow were instrumental in bringing about a fragile truce declared on February 27, raising hopes for an end to the five-year Syrian conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. The ceasefire does not include areas held by ISgroup or the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front, allowing the regime to launch an offensive at the start of the month, backed by heavy Russian air strikes, to try to retake Palmyra. Moscow, which made a surprise announcement last week that it was withdrawing most of its troops from Syria, has continued support for the government's bid to liberate what Putin described as a "pearl of world civilisation". Russia's military intervention has already allowed the regime to retake significant territory since last September. Analysts say Moscow's partial withdrawal could help the peace drive by weakening Assad's position. "If the Russians drop Bashar, he will collapse," said Middle East consultant Agnes Levallois. But the commander of Russia's forces in Syria admitted in an interview that Russia's special forces are still active on the battlefield, directing Russian warplanes. "I won't conceal that there are also contingents of our special operations forces in Syria," Alexander Dvornikov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Search Keywords: Short link: US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Moscow Thursday for talks on the Syrian crisis with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov amid a diplomatic push to end the five-year conflict. Kerry's visit comes as Russia and the US intensify efforts to bring the Syrian conflict to a close while Europe faces a security crisis after Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels, which left 31 dead and 300 injured. An unprecedented ceasefire negotiated by Russia and the United has led to a "beneficial reduction" of violence in Syria, Kerry said. But he stressed much work lay ahead to secure peace. "We both know that more needs to be done in terms of both the reduction of violence and the flow of humanitarian goods," Kerry told Lavrov. Kerry -- who is set to meet with President Vladimir Putin later Thursday -- said many in the international community hoped the US-Russian talks would "further define and chart the road ahead to bring this conflict in Syria to a close as fast as possible." Lavrov told Kerry that diplomatic efforts had been focused on creating a "balance of interests" among all sides involved in the Syrian crisis, including Moscow and Washington. After his Moscow visit, Kerry will travel to Brussels to offer Washington's support for Belgium's efforts to counter extremism. Kerry told Lavrov that the triple bombings in Brussels "underscore the urgency" of fighting the Islamic State jihadist group and other extremist organisations. Moscow -- who said its bombing campaign in Syria was aimed at jihadist groups -- has also called for unity in the fight against terrorism, with Putin saying Tuesday it required "the most active international cooperation." Search Keywords: Short link: Blunt assessments by Barack Obama of longtime US ally Saudi Arabia have triggered unprecedented Saudi criticism of the president as he prepares to visit for a key summit with Gulf allies next month. Obama's comments, published in the April edition of US magazine The Atlantic, have met with a chorus of outrage across the kingdom's tightly controlled media and the pan-Arab newspapers it owns. One of Saudi Arabia's most recognisable faces in the West, former ambassador to Washington Prince Turki al-Faisal, has helped lead the charge. After seven decades of a "special relationship" in which criticism has generally been voiced privately, the US president's public chiding has been seen as a betrayal. His call for Riyadh to "share" the Middle East with its bitter regional rival Tehran and end proxy wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen infuriated Saudi leaders, who feel encircled by clients of Shia Iran. His criticism of the kingdom for exporting its fundamentalist "Wahhabist" version of Islam to other Muslim countries struck at the very heart of the ruling family's legitimacy. "I don't think any US president has ever been so outspoken about Saudi Arabia," said Toby Matthiesen, a Middle East specialist at St Antony's College, University of Oxford. "This is really unprecedented," he added, calling Obama's views "embarrassing" for the kingdom. Mohammed El Oifi, a specialist in Arab media at Sorbonne Nouvelle university in Paris, said that Obama's comments about "Wahhabism" attacked the very foundations of Saudi legitimacy. Since the creation of the kingdom in the first half of the 20th century, the Saud family has ruled in alliance with clerics of the Wahhabi school and regarded itself as the champion of Sunni Islam. Saudi kings refer to themselves first and foremost as custodians of Islam's holiest places, Mecca and Medina, and have poured billions of dollars into facilitating pilgrimages by Muslims around the world. Prince Faisal, also the kingdom's former intelligence chief, questioned in an opinion piece published in several Saudi newspapers whether Obama had "pivoted to Iran". "You accuse us of fomenting sectarian strife in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. You add insult to injury by telling us to share our world with Iran, a country that you describe as a supporter of terrorism," Faisal wrote. Veteran Saudi journalist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed followed with a series of commentaries in Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat and other media last week. He wrote that Obama's "frankness has angered his friends", not only Saudi Arabia but also Britain, Turkey and Israel -- all of which The Atlantic article mentioned as subjects of the US president's frustration and disappointment. There has also been a spate of editorials in the Saudi press attacking Obama's policies, from the nuclear deal with Iran that led to the lifting of sanctions in January to his 2013 decision to step back from planned air strikes against the Syrian regime over its chemical arsenal. "It is hard to conceive of a more terrible miscalculation," an Arab News editorial said of Washington's "rapprochement" with Iran. "Obama has betrayed Washington's loyal regional friends." Obama's decision to accept the negotiated dismantlement of Syria's chemical arsenal was a "prime example of the US losing its credibility," a Saudi Gazette editorial said. "It's the first time in the history of relations between the two countries that the Saudi regime has given the green light for such acerbic and direct criticisms," Oifi said. Frederic Wehrey, of the Middle East Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said the Saudis' public response "is part of a broader image management strategy". He said the airing of differences "has become quite personalised", while Oifi said Obama "is not perceived as a friend of Saudi Arabia." The president, a Democrat, is in the final months of his term and if a Republican is elected in November, the Saudis expect "normal relations" with the US can resume, Oifi said. Following The Atlantic article, the White House announced that Obama would visit Riyadh on April 21 for a summit of Saudi Arabia and the other five Gulf Arab states. "I don't think it's meant to sort of repair, or in reaction to, this (Atlantic) interview," said Wehrey. But with Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies bogged down in a year-old military intervention in Yemen and under pressure to accept a negotiated end to a rebellion in Syria in which they have invested heavily, the summit threatens to be an uncomfortable one. Obama knows he is facing "a weakened Saudi government" that has misread the regional environment, and his demands at the summit "risk being very hard to swallow," Oifi said. Search Keywords: Short link: Saudi Arabia executed two convicted murderers on Thursday, one of them a Jordanian, bringing to 78 the number of death sentences it has carried out this year. Jordanian Ammar al-Sager was found guilty of stabbing Saudi citizen Osama al-Bukhaitan to death, the interior ministry said. Turki al-Gahtani was convicted of shooting dead fellow Saudi tribesman Ghanem al-Gahtani during a dispute, said a ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency. Both executions were carried out in the Eastern Province city of Dammam. Most people put to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword. The executions so far this year include 47 for "terrorism" carried out in a single day on January 2. In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, most of them for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count. Human rights group Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades. The kingdom is one of the world's top executioners, although its tally in 2015 was far behind those of China and Iran. Saudi Arabia has a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death. Search Keywords: Short link: Syrian troops backed by Russian warplanes on Thursday advanced into the ancient city of Palmyra, which has been under jihadist control for nearly a year, a monitor and a military source said. "Regime forces have entered the Hayy al-Gharf neighbourhood in the southwest of Palmyra. They are advancing very slowly because of mines planted by IS (the Islamic State group)," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "The regime is also advancing from the north of the city," Abdel Rahman said. A military source confirmed the advance. "The army has entered from the northwest after seizing control of part of the Valley of the Tombs," he told AFP. "The clashes, which are ongoing, are fierce." Search Keywords: Short link: Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted the crown prince of Abu Dhabi for talks which were to focus on the Syrian crisis. Welcoming Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the start of Thursday's Kremlin meeting, Putin hailed ties with the United Arab Emirates, adding that Moscow was willing to expand them. The crown prince noted that Moscow plays an important role in the Middle East and voiced hope that cooperation between the UAE and Russia could help stabilize the region. His visit follows Saturday's crash of a FlyDubai plane that went down while landing in strong winds in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, killing all 62 people on board, most of whom were Russian holiday-makers. The Kremlin said cooperation in the crash probe was to be part of the talks' agenda. Search Keywords: Short link: The US Treasury Department blacklisted two Iranian companies on Thursday for supporting Iran's ballistic missile program and also sanctioned two British businessmen it said were helping an airline used by the country's Revolutionary Guards. The United States blacklisted Shahid Nuri Industries and Shahid Movahed Industries, cutting them off from international finance. It said they were working for Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), which the United States says is responsible for Iran's ballistic missile program. A nuclear deal signed in July by Iran, the United States and other world powers left a number of differences unresolved. The Obama administration on Thursday announced the indictment of seven Iranians for a coordinated campaign of cyber attacks on dozens of US banks and a New York dam between 2011 and 2013. Iran test-fired several ballistic missiles earlier this month. The United States and other Western nations said the tests violate a UN resolution. Washington imposed sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for supplying Iran's ballistic missile program after a series of tests last year. The tests have stoked calls among Republicans in Congress for continued sanctions against Iran. "We will continue to use all of our tools to counteract Iran's ballistic missile program and support for terrorism, including through sanctions," said Adam Szubin, acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in the Treasury statement. The Treasury Department also blacklisted two British businessmen, Jeffrey John James Ashfield and John Edward Meadows, for running businesses that have provided support for Mahan Air, an Iranian airline. The United States has accused Mahan Air of ferrying troops, equipment and weapons to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war. Ashfield was "directly involved" as of late 2015 in negotiating the purchase of U.S. aircraft engines for Mahan Air, the Treasury said. Meadows is the director of a company that has worked to provide aviation parts and financing to Mahan Air, the Treasury said. Two companies in the United Arab Emirates, Grandeur General Trading FZE and HSI Trading FZE, were also blocked for supporting Mahan Air. Search Keywords: Short link: Algerian security forces shot dead an Islamist militant wearing a suicide bomb belt before he could detonate his explosives in a small town east of the capital Algiers, the state news agency APS said on Thursday. The militant had been evading Algerian troops patrolling on Wednesday night around Maatkas near Tizi Ouzou in the mountainous region in what was once the stronghold of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. "Trapped by the army, he headed toward the police station in Maatkas, where he was probably planning to blow himself up," APS said citing a security source. It said he was shot by the police and had been wearing a bomb belt. Bombings and other attacks have become rare in Algeria since the North African state emerged from a 1990s decade of war with Islamist militants that killed 200,000 people. But al Qaeda's North Africa branch and Islamic State affiliates operate in remote part of the vast, oil-exporting country. The last attempted suicide attack in Algeria was also in Tizi Ouzou in 2011 when a militant tried to drive a bomb-packed truck into a police headquarters there, injuring 29 people. The mountains around Tizi Ouzou, 60 miles (100 km) east of Algiers, were formerly a stronghold of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and other Islamists during the 1990s war. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb last week claimed a rocket attack on an Algerian gas plant, operated by BP and Statoil with state-owned Sonatrach, though it caused no casualties or notable damage. BP and Statoil said they would pull out some of their foreign staff from southern gas fields as security precaution. Search Keywords: Short link: President Barack Obama will honor victims of Argentina's "Dirty War" on Thursday, the 40th anniversary of a military coup that led to a seven-year crackdown against Marxist rebels, labor unions and leftist opponents. Obama described the 1976-1983 dictatorship, during which the Argentine security forces killed up to 30,000 people, as a "dark period" in Argentina's history. But he has stopped short of apologizing for the United States' early support for the generals. He promised on Wednesday to declassify military and intelligence records related to the dictatorship-era, a time when Cold War thinking often put Washington behind right-wing governments in Latin America. Obama will visit a memorial park during his second day in the country. The president said the symbolic stop was meant "to make sure that we acknowledge the incredible heroism and courage of those who stood up against these human rights violations." Many Argentines welcome both gestures. "Obama is not going to say outright 'forgive us', but he's saying it through his actions," said Daniel Slutzky, a 75-year-old college professor. Obama's visit to Argentina is a show of support for President Mauricio Macri's sharp u-turn away from the nationalist policies of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez, who frequently railed against the United States and picked a fight with U.S. bondholders. The U.S. president flew to Argentina from Cuba, where he challenged President Raul Castro on human rights and political freedoms even as the two men cast aside decades of hostility that began soon after Cuba's 1959 revolution. Obama said on Wednesday it was "gratifying to see Argentina champion our shared commitment to human rights". Yet Macri's opponents balk at the suggestion the socially conservative leader is a staunch defender of rights. One group of victims' relatives labeled the timing of Obama's visit a provocation against those struggling against impunity. "We will not allow the power that orchestrated dictatorships in Latin America and oppresses people across the world to cleanse itself and use the memory of our 30,000 murdered compatriots to strengthen its imperialist agenda," the group said in a statement. Later on Thursday, Obama will switch briefly into vacation mode, traveling with his family to the lakeside town of Bariloche in Patagonia. The Obamas will return to Buenos Aires in the evening before taking an overnight flight on Air Force One back home to Washington, wrapping up a trip aimed at improving relations with countries in Latin America despite rocky history. Search Keywords: Short link: Belgium's interior and justice ministers offered their resignations over the Brussels attacks but they were rejected by Prime Minister Charles Michel, Belgian media said on Thursday. Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens were not immediately available for comment. Belgian authorities are facing embarrassment after Turkey said on Wednesday that last year Ankara expelled back to Europe Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks on Tuesday, and warned Belgium he was a militant. "Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter," President Tayyip Erdogan Search Keywords: Short link: Pope Francis washed the feet of 11 young asylum seekers and a worker at their reception centre on Thursday to highlight the need for the international community to provide shelter to refugees. Several of the asylum seekers, one holding a baby in her arms, were reduced to tears as the 79-year-old pontiff kneeled before them, pouring water over their feet, drying them with a towel and bending to kiss them. It was a "fraternal" gesture which sharply contrasted with the "gesture of war, of destruction committed three days ago in a European city" by "people who do not want to live in peace," the pope said in a reference to deadly suicide bombings in Brussels claimed by the Islamic State group. "Behind that gesture... there are arms traffickers, who want war, not fraternity", Francis said at the centre of Castelnuovo di Porto, north of Rome, in an improvised homily. Those picked for this Easter ritual were four Nigerian Catholics, three Eritrean Coptic women, three Muslims from Mali, Pakistan and Syria and a Hindu Indian, as well as an Italian worker from the centre. "We are all brothers and we want to live in peace," the pontiff said at the open-air, windblown mass in the courtyard of the reception centre, one of the largest in Italy. The rite, performed yearly on Maundy or Holy Thursday, commemorates Jesus Christ's Last Supper with the apostles. The centre, run by the Italian interior ministry, houses 892 people from 25 countries, including 36 women and seven minors. Francis has long called for the global community, and Europe in particular, to open its doors to refugees and step up the fight against xenophobia. Thursday's ceremony is part of the run-up to Easter Sunday, and has seen the Argentine pontiff in the past wash the feet of prison inmates and disabled people. Shortly after his election in 2013, Francis visited a youth detention centre where he performed the ritual on a group of young inmates including two Muslims -- the first Catholic leader ever to do so. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's central bank placed a time limit on the tenures of CEOs of commercial lenders on Thursday, setting in motion a purge of several top executives that puts it on a likely collision course with the country's banking sector. To help modernise the sector and "inject new blood", chief executives of public and private banks as well as the heads of foreign banks operating in Egypt would have to quit after nine years, the central bank said in a statement. The decision will force eight top executives to resign their positions, a senior banking official told Reuters. They include Commercial International Bank's Hisham Ezz al-Arab and Arab African International Bank's Hassan Abdalla. Shares in CIB were down 1.7 percent at 1126 GMT. There was no immediate comments from the country's leading banks on the measure, which drew criticism from Hany Tawik, head of Egypt Private Equity Association, a group that represents business community interests. "This is interference in an essential right of the general assembly to appoint someone that is best suited for them. It's my right as a shareholder to choose the head of the bank," he said. The central bank has recently taken steps to alleviate a deepening foreign currency crisis: devaluing the Egyptian pound, lifting caps on foreign deposits and withdrawals, and injecting hundreds of millions of dollars to free up import activity. Its foreign reserves have tumbled to $16.5 billion in February from around $36 billion before the 2011 uprising that ousted long-time leader Hosni Mubarak, driving away tourists and foreign investors that were key sources of foreign currency. Around 40 public and private sector banks operate in Egypt. Both consecutive and non-consecutive CEO terms will count towards the nine-year limit, the central bank said. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt stocks rose for the second consecutive session on Thursday following a cabinet reshuffle that saw 10 new ministers sworn in on Wednesday. The benchmark EGX 30 index was up 0.7 percent to 7,548 points by the end of the session. Market bellwether Commercial International Bank (CIB), which accounts for over one-fifth of the EGX30 market cap, saw its share price slide 1.32 percent to EGP 40.35 after a new central bank term limit rule would force CIB CEO Hisham Ezz El-Arab from his position. The Central Bank of Egypt issued a circular on Thursday limiting the length of the tenure of commercial bank chief executives to a maximum of nine years, a decision that would force several heads of banks from their positions. Credit Agricole, however, saw its share price jump 4.68 percent to EGP 23.06. Global Telecom Holding rose 4.72 percent to EGP 2.66, and majority state-owned Telecom Egypt climbed 3.46 percent to EGP 7.78. In the real estate sector, TMG Holding rose 2.85 percent to EGP 6.49, Emaar Misr for Development climbed 2.26 percent to EGP 2.71, and Palm Hills Development Company was up 2.62 percent to EGP 2.74 by session close. Six of October Development and Investment (SODIC) fell 0.61 percent to EGP 11.33, while Ezz Steel jumped 5.13 percent to EGP 9.43. Local investors were net-sellers of EGP 20.7 million according to Bourse data, particularly retail, while foreign investors and institutions were largely net-buyers. A new cabinet was sworn in on Wednesday by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, with former banker Amr El-Garhy replacing Hany Kadry Dimian as finance minister and former Orascom Construction treasurer Dalia Khorshid succeeding investment minister Ashraf Salman. Former financial regulator Ashraf El-Sharkawy was appointed to head the newly-formed Ministry of the Public Sector, which will manage eight state holding companies previously in the hands of the investment ministry. Search Keywords: Short link: Enjoying Egyptian street food at Zooba in Maadi brings to mind the varied traditions that characterise the act of eating in different locales around Egypt Do you fancy taamiyah? Dalia asked. Always do, I said with a smile as we both looked at the pleasant terrace of Zooba overlooking Road 9 in Maadi that is increasingly looking like an open food court. It was a sunny winter day and we were both very hungry and the inviting "homegrown" label on the simple menu prompted a long order, even if the prices seemed to be slightly on the expensive end for what is otherwise street food: besara with coriander, labna with pickled lemon, labna with roasted red pepper, beetroot salad, classic and eggplant taamiyah (the latter only offered in sandwiches), and for Sherif, who was about to join us and would not have settled for such a relatively vegetarian meal, hawashim chicken liver and kofta (which are also only offered in sandwiches). The homegrown, fresh and warm baladi bread (we went for the classic and dropped the unusual spinach or beetroot bread) was promptly served with cups of tea. Then came the waiter with a few jars. This is the labnah and bessara, she said with a smile. As she saw the shock on our faces she hastened to add, but we can put them in dishes and warm them if you wish. This is how we offer them, to go or to eat here if you wish. As she went to put the food in dishes, as we insisted, I told Dalia about the observations on Egyptian eating habits noted in the book Eirth El-Hekayah (The Heritage of Storytelling). In Nubia, if you are a stranger they tend to serve you your food in privacy, so you would not feel shy and eat enough. In Cairo, the host traditionally helps guests with every serving, to encourage them to eat enough. In the Delta, people tend to eat together from a few dishes. And in Siwa, the host tends to put more dishes than there are people around the table, to indicate willingness to receive more guests or family members. At that point, the food was appropriately scooped into dishes and served, along with the sandwiches. These are really good sandwiches; really good, especially the hawashi. I mean, it lacks the essential street food quality of excessive spicing, but it is still good hawashi, Sherif announced. Dalia was impressed to see the beetroot salad served with an orange-juice-based dressing. Perfect; exactly the right mix; although not very common, she announced. I agreed and added that the mix of ingredients is generally indicative of certain geographic zones. I told my friends about the observation that Nessma El-Goweili made in her book, Eirth El-Hekaya, on the fact that people in Siwa add fresh peppermint leaves to their soup and that people in Nubia make a breakfast of cooking vermicelli and milk with lots of sugar. It is not a cooking book; it is the accounts of a young traveler who decided after the revolution to go get lost a little around the four corners of the country, to explore the Egypt she did not know much about. So it is about the traditions of Egyptians the way they live and so on, I said to answer Sherifs questions on the book. The book was written at the end of her excursion in 2013, and was published by Dar El-Shorouk in 2014. This is not the typical taamiyah sandwich you would eat, even at the best chains of fuul and taamiyah, Sherif remarked, stress his point that while Zooba is effectively offering a street food menu, it is not cooking according to street food norms. It is closer to the kind of taamiyah my grandmother used to make us, he added. Dalia agreed. It is chic street food but it is very good and very clean, she noted. The food was good enough to the point that despite the considerably generous portions we had no leftovers and we decided to go for dessert. Why on earth do they serve cream caramel? It is so out of place on this menu, Dalia noted. We decided to opt for three types of sweet milk and rice pudding (original, with bananas, and with honey, nuts and fruits), and a mix of kanafa and basbousa. Those had to be served in the little jars, the waiter announced. We succumbed, to our displeasure. And we were not of a mind to rate the dessert half as highly as the main meal. It is not bad. My mothers rice pudding is 10 times better at least, Sherif announced. And of course, it does not stand a chance in comparison with the rice pudding served at any milk bar in Al-Hussein, which would also be half as expensive, he added. Dalia and I decided that on the next visit to Zooba we should inspect the kushari, something that Sherif rejected categorically as we shared what he thought was a relatively expensive bill. Search Keywords: Short link: (Beijing) The scandal over the illegal sales of vaccines has ignited public concerns about drug safety while shedding light on China's loophole-ridden system for controlling disease. The scandal came to light earlier this month, when police in the eastern province of Shandong said they arrested a former pharmacist and her daughter for illegally selling improperly stored or expired vaccines worth more than 310 million yuan since 2011. Their sales network covered 24 provinces and cities. The pair allegedly sold 25 types of non-mandatory vaccines used to combat chicken pox, rabies, meningitis and hepatitis A. The shots were for both children and adults. The State Council issued rules for vaccines in 2005 that divided them into two categories. The mandatory category 1 vaccines, such as those for hepatitis B and tuberculosis, are provided to the public by the government for free. Category 2 vaccines included those that members of the public can choose to get at their own expense. The first type is strictly controlled by provincial-level disease control authorities, from purchase to distribution and inoculation. The expenses are covered by the government and are transparent, a person close to the disease control department in Shandong said. The business of category 2 vaccines is more complicated. The 2005 rules opened the door for more market players to participate in the production and sales of non-mandatory vaccines in the hope that competition would lead to fairer prices. But open competition also brought problems. "There are so many players in vaccine production, wholesaling, distribution and retail sales," the source in Shandong said. "The business chain is complicated and interests are entangled. It is very easy for problems to arise and there is room for disease control departments to seek profits." Local disease control and prevention centers across the country are government organizations funded by public money. In many regions, public funds fall short of supporting the centers' operations, so many seek extra income from drug sales. The non-mandatory vaccines have thus become good business for them. In provinces such as Shandong, Henan and Jiangsu, governments set an upper limit for prices of non-mandatory vaccines and allow disease control departments to adjust prices within a certain range. The source in Shandong said disease control centers usually raise prices by 10 percent to 25 percent over the level they stand at when they leave factories. This increase has become an important source of income for disease control centers and their employees, the person close to the Shandong center said, who added that this has led to a problem: "Some institutions and individuals have set up long-term partnerships with vaccine manufacturers and care more about price than quality." While the mandatory vaccines follow rules for government procurement, category 2 vaccines are seldom purchased through public tenders open to public scrutiny, the Shandong source said, explaining that this situation opens the door to corrupt practices. Purchase decisions are usually made by provincial-level disease control centers, who allocate the vaccines to subsidiary hospitals and community clinics. "The disease control centers can then use their monopoly over the vaccine market to seek profits," the source said. In September 2006, Luo Yaoxing, the former director of Shandong Disease Control and Prevention Center's immunology department, was sentenced to life in prison for taking 11 million yuan from vaccine producers in exchange for favors in the province's procurement contracts. To boost sales of the non-mandatory vaccine, some provincial centers encourage hospitals and doctors to promote the vaccines to their patients by offering them bonuses. The source in Shandong said sales have been used as a criterion for assessing the annual performance of some disease control officials and medical staff. This has encouraged some to take risks. In June 2005, police in Si County, in the eastern province of Anhui, arrested several individuals, disease control center employees and doctors, for buying hepatitis A vaccines from unlicensed dealers and inoculating more than 2,400 students without parental permission. One 4-year-old girl died after getting a vaccination. And in July 2014, a community clinic in Yinchuan, in the northwestern region of Ningxia, told locals that children would not be admitted by kindergarten until they got some category 2 vaccines, which are not compulsory. Local education authorities later denied this was true. Disease control centers have also partnered with hospitals, schools and kindergartens to promote vaccinations, even though many local authorities have policies in place that ban the sales promotions for category 2 vaccines. (Rewritten by Han Wei) (Beijing) Shanghai's government will introduce measures to cool its housing market, including requiring bigger down payments for buyers of second homes, a person with knowledge of the matter says. The government will announce the new rules in the next few days, the source said on March 23. The changes would target people purchasing their second home, the person said. For example, second homes of 140 square meters or more would require down payments of 70 percent of the property's price. The ratio for homes smaller than that would be 50 percent. Banks in Shanghai have been requiring homebuyers to come up with down payments of 40 percent of the property's price tag, no matter the size. Housing prices in major cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen have soared in recent months after the central government moved to ease restrictions on home purchases nationwide to help prop up the troubled economy and trim the inventory of unsold homes, particularly in smaller cities. The central bank and the Shenzhen office of the banking regulator recently met with executives from about 20 commercial banks to discuss risks related to mortgages held by homeowners in the southern city, people who attended the gatherings said. Banks were told to conduct stress tests on their home lending because a strong rebound in property prices in the country's biggest cities has sparked concerns that the market may be overheating, the sources said. Employees of banks in Shenzhen and Shanghai have also said that regulators recently asked them to step up their scrutiny on the sources of borrowers' down payments. Prices for new homes in Shanghai jumped by more than one-quarter year-on-year in February, official data show. New homes in Shanghai sold for just over 21,500 yuan per square meter on average last year. But official data show that prices for new homes in downtown areas exceeded 72,000 yuan per square meter at the end of 2015. Shanghai's Communist Party secretary, Han Zheng, told the media during the recent meeting of the legislature in the capital that speculation had led to unhealthy development of the housing market in the eastern metropolis. He vowed that the government would address any irregularities found in how home purchases were financed. Officials in Shanghai recently clamped down on online peer-to-peer lending firms, private fund management companies and real estate agencies that were offering buyers loans to fund their down payments in violation of government rules. The person with knowledge of the coming curbs said banks in Shanghai will also be told to stop competing with each other to offer cheaper loans to home buyers, a practice that has been common in recent years. (Rewritten by Li Rongde) China will offer $11.5 billion in loans and credit lines to five Southeast Asian countries for infrastructure and other projects, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday. In 2014, Li offered $20 billion in loans to Southeast Asia, while visiting Myanmar to attend an East Asian summit, an attractive proposition for a region struggling to fund the roads, ports and railways needed for growth. Li made the new offer, which includes 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) in preferential loans and a $10 billion credit line, to the leaders of five countries along the Mekong River. He was speaking at a summit with leaders from Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in the southern Chinese resort town of Sanya on Hainan island. His comments were carried on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website and by the official Xinhua news agency. Such offers of financial aid are not unusual at such get-togethers. He did not give a timeframe for when the funds may be dispersed. Tourists from the Middle East are becoming big spenders in Korea. The number of visitors from the region doubled from 89,200 in 2010 to 168,300 last year. Visitor numbers from the oil-rich UAE alone surged four-fold to 9,490 last year. The surge is mostly due to the popularity of Korean TV soaps in the Middle East, which has also boosted the number of visitors for plastic surgery and medical check-ups. Per-capita spending among Middle Eastern tourists stands at US$3,056 compared to the average $1,605 per tourist. "Middle Eastern tourists come either with their whole family or other attendants and usually stay long-term, and they then recommend Korea to others," said an official at the Korea Tourism Organization. At the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seoul, around five percent of guests are from the Middle East, but they often book the luxury suites and the amount each spends is some 10 times more than the average tourist, according to staff. Korea's first confirmed Zika patient was discharged from Chonnam National University Hospital after just one day on Wednesday. The man, who is in his 40s, no longer has a temperature or rash and was declared fully recovered. Nothing suspicious was detected in a detailed examination. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the patient was admitted to hospital on Tuesday and went through a thorough examination. "Zika is not transmitted through normal day-to-day contact, so he was discharged on Wednesday morning," it added. But the man will be monitored for any complications from the infection. The patient was infected with the virus from a mosquito bite while on a business trip in Brazil and donated no blood after he returned to Korea. Nonetheless his family and friends will also be monitored. Canadian stocks sink over new stimulus budget 2016-03-24 09:06 TORONTO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Canada's main stock market in Toronto plunged Wednesday as traders were taking in the first budget of the new Liberal government unveiled a day ago in hope of reviving the country's economy. The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite Index lost 114.01 points, or 0.84 percent, to close at 13,379.48 points. Six of the TSX index's eight main sub-sectors were lower. Oil prices plummeted Wednesday as U.S. crude stockpiles increased. The West Texas Intermediate for May delivery moved down 1.66 U.S. dollars to settle at 39.79 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for May delivery decreased 1.32 dollars to close at 40.47 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. TSX energy went down 3.08 percent and metals & mining off 10.79 percent as lower commodity prices weighed. First Quantum Minerals Ltd. lost 16.32 percent to 6.92 Canadian dollars (5.24 U.S. dollars ) a share, Twin Butte Energy Ltd. tumbled 22.22 percent to 0.105 Canadian dollar, while Teck Resources shares retreated 13.38 percent to 9.65 Canadian dollars. The launch customer for Bombardier's new CSeries jetliner, Swiss International Air Lines, said Wednesday it was confident of receiving the jet by June and that it planned to begin services in the third quarter. Bombardier shares went down 5.04 percent to 1.32 Canadian dollars. Gold stocks suffered losses Wednesday's trading, particularly Barrick Gold, which slumped 7.24 percent to 17.54 Canadian dollars, while Kinross Gold Corporation fell 5.83 percent to 3.88 Canadian dollars. Canadian Minister of Finance Bill Morneau on Tuesday proposed in the federal budget a spending of 120 billion Canadian dollars (about 91 billion U.S. dollars) in infrastructure over the next decade. The budget also projected a deficit of 29.4 billion Canadian dollars for fiscal 2016-17. The budget is expected to boost Canada's economic growth by 0.5 percent in the first year and 1 percent in the second year. Defending his government's choice to run a much-higher-than-promised deficit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday the bigger deficit is the result of an increasingly slumping economy. "We promised about 10 billion in new investment and we're bringing forward about 11 billion of new investment," said Trudeau. "It's that the economy has gotten significantly worse." The Liberals have a mandate from Canadians to invest, rather than cut, Trudeau said. "The promise I made was to invest in the future of this country. That's what Canadians told me we needed and we were going to do it responsibly and that's exactly what we're doing." The Canadian dollar traded lower at 0.7568 U.S. dollar, compared with Tuesday's closing rate of 0.7672 U.S. dollar. Chinese premier meets leaders from Mekong River countries 2016-03-24 09:34 SANYA, March 23, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (3rd R), Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (3rd L), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (2nd R), Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong (2nd L), Vice President of Myanmar Sai Mauk Kham (1st R) and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh (1st L) jointly meet the press after the 1st Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, March 23, 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) SANYA, Hainan, March 23 (Xinhua) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met respectively with leaders from countries along the Mekong River on the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) and each country's bilateral ties with China. The leaders, including Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Myanmar Vice President Sai Mauk Kham, and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, were here for the first LMC leaders' meeting held in Sanya of southern China's Hainan Province on Wednesday. --MEETING THAI PRIME MINISTER Li voiced hope that the two countries could well implement the bilateral railway project under the principle of reciprocity, to promote the economic and people-to-people exchanges among countries along the railway and the regional interconnectivity. China and Thailand launched the project of building a railway linking capital city Bangkok with the northeastern city of Nong Khai near Laos last December. The 845-km railway, as Thailand's first standard-gauge double-track railway line, came after a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between China and Thailand on railway cooperation on December 2014. The railway is also part of the backbone of a trans-Asia rail transportation system. Prayut pledged to actively press ahead the railway cooperation, as well as cooperation in other fields such as trade, investment and tourism. Calling China one of the best cooperation partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Prayut also hailed the LMC mechanism as it will benefit all countries along the river. -- MEETING CAMBODIAN PRIME MINISTER Saying China and Cambodia are "trust worthy good friends", Li called on the two countries to maintain high level communication, deepen cooperation in all areas to push forward their comprehensive strategic ties. Li also vowed continuous support for Cambodia's economic and social development, saying the government will encourage companies to increase investment in Cambodia. He said the two countries should connect development strategies, promote cooperation on production capacity and investment, strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade, agricultural products processing, infrastructure construction and protection of cultural relics. Hun Sen, expressing satisfaction for the development of the bilateral ties, thanked China for assistance to Cambodia's development and welcomed Chinese companies to increase investment in Cambodia's infrastructure construction and agriculture. -- MEETING LAO PRIME MINISTER This year marks the 55th anniversary of the China-Laos relations, as well as the 25th anniversary of the China-ASEAN dialogue relationship. Laos will hold this year's rotating ASEAN chairmanship. Li said China will make concerted efforts to support the chairmanship of Laos, and hopes the country could actively participate in the construction of LMC mechanism. He said China was ready to maintain exchanges of all levels with Laos and expand the bilateral cooperation in all areas, especially the big projects of railway and hydropower to better benefit the two peoples. Thongsing pledged to implement the consensus reached in the first LMC leaders' meeting and strengthen the bilateral cooperation. He said Laos will work with China to hold activities marking the 55th anniversary of ties. -- MEETING MYANMAR VICE PRESIDENT Sai Mauk Kham attended the first LMC leaders' meeting on behalf of Myanmar President U Thein Sein, and conveyed the greetings of U Thein Sein to the Chinese leaders. Li said China respects the right of the Myanmar people to choose their own development path according to the country's situation. China will conduct reciprocal cooperation with Myanmar and jointly promote a sustained and healthy development of the bilateral ties whatever changes happened in Myanmar's domestic situation. The premier called on the two countries to strengthen cooperation in areas including infrastructure construction, interconnectivity and industrial parks, increase cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and maintain the peace and stability in the bordering areas with joint efforts. Sai Mauk Kham said Myanmar attaches high importance to relations with China. Myanmar will continue to engage in friendly cooperation with China though it is facing transfer of government. He said Myanmar was ready to work with China to push forward bilateral cooperation on big projects of cross-border industrial parks, road construction and water conservancy. -- MEETING VIETNAMESE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Pham Binh Minh, who was here on behalf of the Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, also conveyed Dung's greetings to the Chinese leaders. Li hailed the "positive momentum" in the development of the China-Vietnam relations since last year, as well as the progress achieved by the two countries in simultaneously advancing maritime, on-shore and financial cooperation. He said as long as China and Vietnam make concerted efforts to maintain high-level visits, strengthen pragmatic cooperation, control differences through consultation, and promote friendship between the two peoples, the bilateral relationship is facing a bright prospect. Minh echoed Li saying relationship with China has always been a priority of Vietnam's diplomacy. Vietnam stood ready to maintain close high level contacts, connect their development strategies, advance reciprocal cooperation, properly handle the disputes to further push forward the bilateral ties. The leaders will also attend the opening ceremony of the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia scheduled on Thursday morning. Li will deliver a keynote speech at the ceremony. Related: Commentary: Lancang-Mekong cooperation offers new opportunities BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The first leaders' meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism (LMC) in Sanya, China, is expected to provide political guidance and a roadmap for subregional cooperation between China and the five Southeast Asian nations of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The LMC mechanism was initiated in 2014 in accordance with the strong will of the six countries along the river for development and prosperity. Full story China eyes cooperation plan for Lancang-Mekong countries SANYA, Hainan, March 22 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday called on countries along the Lancang-Mekong River to make the upcoming leaders' meeting fruitful for future cooperation. Premier Li Keqiang made the remarks while addressing a welcoming banquet prior to the first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Leaders' Meeting to be held on Wednesday in Sanya, a coastal city in southern China's Hainan Province. Full story 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> Dateline: Russia A drunken animal trainer has reportedly been fired from a circus after he took a tiger cub for a walk at a Russian shopping mall. Witnesses posted multiple videos online of the man walking and playing with the small tiger cub outside the Ryazan Shopping Mall, some 128 miles southeast of Moscow. Police responded to the scene and the man, who was found to be drunk, was fined about $70 on a petty hooliganism charge. According to several Russian news sources, the man was fired from the circus after the incident. Dateline: England A Frenchman is accused of fighting with cheese in a English supermarket after unsuccessfully trying to steal it. According to the UKs Metro newspaper, Bernard Conche is on trial for assault after an incident that took place in November at a Waitrose supermarket on Kings Road in Chelsea. Conche had previously been banned from the store, but was spotted taking boxes of Camembert cheese by a duty manager. The manager, Kimberley Taynor, approached Conche. At that point he had three blocks of cheese in his trolley, and he picked those up and threw them at me, Taynor said in court. Security guard Shah Nawaz intervened, but Conche allegedly kicked him in the stomach and started swinging his shopping cart around. Taynor was injured as Conches cart struck her right ankle. Eventually three staff members managed to drag Conche into the stores office. According to court testimony, Conche also kicked PC Jonathon Stanley in the chest as officers tried to place him in the police van. Conche did not appear at his trial in Hammersmith magistrates court, but according to the Metro he was spotted lurking nearby in Wellington boots and a fishermans hat. The trial proceeded in his absence. Conche faces two counts of assault by beating and one count of assaulting an officer in the course of his duty. Dateline: Maryland A Baltimore woman is suing city officials and contractors after she alleges her toilet exploded, drenching her in a geyser of feces. Angela Wrights lawsuit alleges she was sitting on the toilet in her Baltimore home in November 2014 when she was blown off the bowl by an explosive backup of raw sewage. I was literally covered in feces. Are you kidding? Who wants that? Wright told WBFF-TV. According to Wright, who just filed the lawsuit earlier this month, the explosion was caused by a city contractor using high-pressure hoses to clean out the sewer lines in her neighborhood. Wrights lawyer, Louis Glick, said his client suffered physical and emotional injuries in the incident. She was blown off the toilet that day, Glick said. She had to clean it up herself. Can you imagine that? The estimated damage to the bathroom, which has yet to be repaired, is $14,000. Glick said he would probably seek $250,000 if we go in front of a jury to compensate [Wright] properly for the enormous blows to her psyche and physical self. Wrights lawsuit names Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the Baltimore City Council and two contracting companies involved in the sewer cleanup. Dateline: Ohio Police in suburban Cleveland have finally cracked the case of a house that has been egged more than 100 times in the past few years. Jason E. Kozan, 30, of Euclid, was arrested and charged with felony vandalism earlier this month. Homeowner Al Clemens Sr. says his home on Wilmore has been bombarded with eggs, produce and canned goods several times a week starting in May 2014 and ending in June 2015. Thats not- so- coincidentally when Mr. Kozan moved out of his home on Wilmore. The lengthy investigation included undercover stakeouts, neighborhood canvassing and testing of eggshells at a crime lab. Forensics determined that the eggs were purchased from a local Amish seller. Clemens, 86, told FOX-8 News that he used to clean up the mess, but stopped because the vandalism was happening so frequently. According to Clemens, his insurer wouldnt settle a claim on the damage until police caught the culprit. Detectives havent identified a motive for the eggings, but when the crimes were first reported in the local media, Lt. Mitch Houser speculated, Somebody is deeply, deeply angry at somebody in that household for some reason. For the first time an Indian rocket is ferrying a payload of about six tonnes. #coronavirus-additional cases New COVID-19 cases under 30,000 for 4th consecutive day South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 30,000 for a fourth straight day Saturday with the daily death toll down to its 14-week low for a Saturday. The country reporte... #BLACKPINK BLACKPINK to headline BST Hyde Park festival next year K-pop sensation BLACKPINK will headline British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park in London next year, the group's agency and the festival announced Saturday. The four-member act will... Speculation on a new Stone Roses album has grown after fans spotted their gear outside a London studio in recent days. Posting to Twitter, one fan tweeted pictures of Ian Brown and bassist Mani, as well as their equipment in Stone Roses-branded flight cases, outside The Church - the studio of producer Paul Epworth. @NME do we need anymore proof that stone roses are doing new material... recording at the church studios pic.twitter.com/DTDvrM3iuu 23 WITH A DEGREE (@stevyeye) March 19, 2016 According to another fan, frontman Brown said that they were rehearsing for their forthcoming gigs this summer, but that fans could expect to hear new material 'before June'. It could well be that they are in rehearsal, but those pesky 'third album' rumours just won't go away... The band were also pictured in a local pub with fans: Looks like fans attending their Marlay Park gig in July may have a few new tunes to sing... Yeah so Tom Green, remember him? The dude from Road Trip and the infamous Freddy Got Fingered? One poor guy from North Carolina got reminded of him in the most painful way possible earlier this week. James Meyers says he was pulled over by the cops on Tuesday morning because of a broken taillight. But he later learned there was a warrant out for his arrest because he never returned a copy of Freddy Got Fingered that he rented back in 2001. Seriously. Meyers was driving his daughter to school at the time and was allowed to drop her off before the officer put him in handcuffs and brought him down to the station. Despite the fact that the rental store he got the VHS from is now out of business, Meyers is facing a court date on April 27th. Not returning rental property is a Class 3 misdemeanor in North Carolina and punishable by a fine of up to $200. The ridiculous story has already reached Tom Green who has said he'll cover the fine himself if needs be. I just saw this and I am struggling to believe it is real. https://t.co/GrTXoUj29X Tom Green (@tomgreenlive) March 24, 2016 Green is on tour in Australia at the moment but told the New York Daily News that he was happy to support fans of his film. He promised to put in a good word with the court or even pay the fine himself as long at the sum wasn't outrageous. If its 200 bucks of course Ill pay it for him, just for the principle of the thing, Green said. What a stand up guy. We really hope the Leonardo Di Caprio feels the same way when those copies of Titanic in our attic come back to haunt us. Via New York Daily News The first Daredevil season was an experiment for Marvel and Netflix in many ways. You had a reasonably established character debuting on a service that was beginning to dip its toe into the world of original programming. What was more experimental, though, was how Daredevil treated violence in the context of a superhero setting. Very often, the big complaints about major comic-book films is that they're completely bloodless and, at the same time, have huge body-counts that happen off screen. 2013's Man of Steel is the perfect example, with Superman levelling an entire city and nobody batting an eyelid. Daredevil's first season was about bringing it down to street-level and seeing the impact of each and every punch, kick and clobber over the head with a baton. Charlie Cox's surprisingly damaged performance called to mind Christian Bale in Batman; in that you had someone who was emotionally crippled and dealing with it in their own, messed-up way. The second season takes off with a cracking episode that introduces Jon Bernthal's take on Frank Castle. The character, for those that don't know, was descended from '70s Marvel Comics - post-Vietnam War / Watergate, anti-establishment, justifiably angry. The first two episodes do a fantastic job of bringing Castle into the fold and their own grimy, vicious, almost exploitation-era take on Marvel. A fantastic scene sees Castle striding into a hospital with a shotgun and it's impossible not to draw parallels to the first Terminator film, both visually and metaphorically. Castle isn't really human - he is an engine of vengeance. The third episode, however, rounds out the character more fully as Castle and Murdock are trapped on a rooftop and end up discussing the morality of their own actions. For such an action-orientated series to pull back and give a decent chunk of an episode solely to character development and understanding their motivations really is something. What's funny is that, in that same episode, you have a five-minute tracking shot of Murdock beating the crap out of angry bikers. Swings and roundabouts. This series also introduces Elektra Natchios, played by French actress Elodie Yung. A former lover of Murdock's, she's introduced in a slightly haphazard way but soon becomes ingrained into the series itself. Coy, but tough and resourceful, Elektra acts as the morally-ambiguous fold to Murdock's Catholic guilt. The two have an interesting chemistry and, more often than not, the series takes off into some steamy encounters. With the addition of Elektra, The Punisher and a shadowy organisation of ninjas known only as The Hand, Daredevil as a whole begins to falter slightly under the weight. Having so many strands going in various directions means that it can become a little too full on and chaotic. Not only that, there are a few missed opportunities throughout the series - particularly involving Castle and the aftermath of when he's first introduced. However, it corrects itself pretty quickly with a fantastic and blood-drenched follow-up episode that's likely to be one of the best episodes in Marvel's television adventures. As well as this, Daredevil's unique visual style continues to impress and work well with what it has. There's almost an element of '70s horror / crime-thriller to the cinematography, not a million miles away from William Friedkin's output. On the whole, Daredevil's second season lives up to what came before. The return of familiar faces, particularly Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, are all welcome as well as a few others from the first season. Charlie Cox continues to thread the thin line between saint and sinner as Daredevil and the addition of Jon Bernthal and Elodie Yung work well, despite it becoming somewhat cluttered in the final half of the series. Well-paced and sometimes almost too violent, Daredevil continues to push the boundaries for Netflix and Marvel. Let's hope for a Punisher series as well. Velina Lilyanova (The European Parliamentary Research Service) The roots of the current migration crisis can be observed since 2005. Spain was then forced to take necessary regulatory measures due to the increased migration of sub-Saharan Africans through the Spanish enclaves located on Moroccos Mediterranean coast Ceuta and Melilla. Another wave of a massive population shift occurred in 2011 when the regime of Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in Libya. The main country that got under the pressure of refugees was Italy, specifically the island of Lampedusa. In the same year the conflict in Syria began, which now accounts for up to a third of all refugees in Europe. The common features of the immigration countries of origin are essentially the following: weak central and local governments, atrocities committed on its citizens are the norm rather than the exception, a failed economy, the non-existence of a social system and dependence on foreign aid. The Fragile State Index can help us to compile an imaginary list of the worst states with the lowest ranking going to Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea. The main area covered by the migration from these states is then the Western Balkans region (the countries of former Yugoslavia and Albania). What attitudes do the selected Western Balkan states have to the migration crisis and what is their significance? Serbia is, in this respect, first and foremost a major transit hub, which takes two days for refugees to cross. Since January 2015, Serbia has recorded approximately 600,000 incoming migrants. The Serbian policy towards the migrants could be described as seamless, and only with a few exceptions, the central government manages the crisis with a financial and humanitarian aid from the EU. In contrast, Macedonia, despite its historical experience with the migration in the 1990s, when the disintegration of former Yugoslavia and the subsequent conflict over Kosovo were taking place, cannot cope with the current influx of refugees. In August 2015, Macedonias central government was forced to declare a state of emergency since about 10,000 migrants had been passing the country daily. This is given by the fact that the cooperation between the EU and Macedonia is somewhat less intensive than it is in the case of Serbia. According to the estimates, it is expected that in 2015-2017, about 3 million people will pass through the Western Balkans, from Thessaloniki through Belgrade and on to Croatia and Slovenia. The Commission is, in this context, designing and implementing only short-term measures such as the setting of a relocation mechanism, reform of the Dublin system or the provisions of the European Border and Coast Guard. A solution should nevertheless be set in the long-term, focusing mainly on the assistance to the countries of the Western Balkans. Consequently, a continuously proactive policy of the EU and the international community should be conducted, which should be directed towards the solution of the problem in the source countries of migration. (The study can be downloaded here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI%282016%29573949) These attacks have hit Brussels today, Paris yesterday but it is Europe as a whole that has been targeted. The European Union and its Institutions stand united in the face of terrorism, wrote the President of the European Commission, Donald Tusk, following yesterdays attacks in Brussels. He also expressed his deepest sympathy to the people of Brussels and his full support for the solidarity with the Belgian authorities. In response to the attacks that killed at least 30 people, the European Parliament has raised its alert level and heightened security in close cooperation with the Belgian authorities. While personnel have been requested to stay inside, the building remained open although the visitors entrance and the Parlamentarium have been closed. Today, the staff has been asked to telework and all Parliament buildings, with the exception of the main building, remain closed. European Parliament President Martin Schulz issued the following statement: I am horrified by the despicable and cowardly attacks which took place in Brussels. My thoughts go out first and foremost to the victims and the wounded, as well as their families and friends. German Chancellor Angela Merkel commented yesterday that Germany would work with Belgium to find and punish the perpetrators of the horrendous bombing attacks and confirmed that her cabinet would meet today to discuss the implications for Germany. US President Obama started his scheduled address during his historic visit to Cuba by saying that the US will do whatever is necessary to support our friends and ally Belgium. Mrs Mogherini, the head of EU diplomacy, yesterday cut a joint press conference in Amman with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh short as she broke down in tears when speaking about the bombings. She said that the terror attacks marked a very sad day for Europe and compared the continents suffering to the pain experienced in the Middle East. It is a very sad day for Europe as Europe and its capital is suffering the same pain that this region has known and knows every single day, she said. A CBI business group study published on Sunday (20 March) has revealed that it could be very costly for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. The study estimates that the Brexit could bring about a serious shock to the British economy, jeopardizing nearly one million jobs. Leaving the EU could cost about GBP 100 billion (128 billion euros, $145 billion) of economic output by 2020, which is an equivalent to five percent of the countrys annual gross domestic product. Losing almost 1 million jobs would also mean that unemployment rate would be 2-3 percent higher by 2020 than if the UK remained an EU member. According to Carolyn Fairbairn, Director General of the CBI, this analysis shows very clearly why leaving the European Union would be a real blow for living standards, jobs and growth, while adding that even in the best case this would cause a serious shock to the UK economy. The study was conducted by services firm PwC on behalf of business group the Confederation of British Industry. Vote Leave, an organization campaigning in favour of the Brexit dismissed the results, saying that they are skewed. The organization reiterated that leaving the EU was the only safe option. Recently, the centuries-old insurance company Lloyds of London supported the EU membership saying that it would be the better outcome for the group. The company, however, admitted that it was making contingency plans for a possible Brexit. British nationals are due to vote in a referendum that will decide on the UKs future in the EU on June 23. Opinion polls indicate the result will be very tight with as many as 20 percent of voters still undecided. China to install free wifi on over 100 trains by end of april Updated: 2016-03-24 09:49 (people.cn) [Photo/people.cn] By end of April, Beijing Railway Bureau will have installed free WiFi on over 100 trains, and currently, Jinan Railway Bureau is testing free WiFi on 75 trains. But the bullet trains are not included. In order to use the WiFi service, passengers are required to download an APP, which will provide music, news, and movies after logging in. Instant Messaging APPs such as QQ and Wechat are also accessible through the service. However, for the time being, the service will be limited to the named portals. According to Beijing Youth Daily, the WiFi signals on the trains will come from the 3G and 4G services providers along the way, and the wireless network capacity will be able to accommodate 120 devices at the same time on each train. The trains will include lines from Beijing to Shanghai, east China's Qingdao, southwest China's Kunming and Lhasa, as well as south China's Guangzhou. Bank of China and UKTI launch white paper on cross-border ecommerce Updated: 2016-03-24 19:18 By Cecily Liu (chinadaily.com.cn) Xu Luode, executive vice president of Bank of China Group. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Bank of China and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) jointly launched a white paper in London on Wednesday, providing detailed information to assist British enterprises who intend to participate in cross-border ecommerce business in China. The 'China-UK Cross-border E-commerce White Paper' included China's cross-border ecommerce market conditions, regulations and policies. It gave an overview of Chinese national policies and guidelines, financial resources, logistic facilities and custom clearing procedures in Chinese cross border e-commerce pilot cities, and outlined the benefits that can be gained by adopting a structured approach to e-commerce market entry. China has currently appointed 13 cities in a pilot e-commerce program, meaning companies can set up bounded warehouses in these cities to store e-commerce imports, and these products will go through custom clearing when they leave the bounded warehouses and are delivered to customers. These cities are Hangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Suzhou. The white paper also detailed Bank of China's cross-border ecommerce financial solutions, which include cross border currency exchange, trade financing, and cash management. As a market leader, Bank of China now accounts for 46.1 percent of the whole cross-border ecommerce foreign exchange transaction market. The white paper came at a time when the UK and China are enjoying rapidly growing trade, and experts are expecting bilateral trade to accelerate further due to a 'golden era' in the two country's relationship. In 2015, bilateral trade between China and the UK reached $78.54 billion, a large growth from just $11 billion in 2010. Xu Luode, executive vice president of Bank of China Group, said that UK China cross border trade has great potential to increase, and the Bank of China is keen to provide service-oriented solutions to help businesses. The Bank of China and UKTI also held a seminar on ecommerce and match making sessions on the same day to help companies hold one-on-one discussions to explore opportunities. It was attended by 14 Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms, logistics companies and other service providers, including Alibaba, JD.com, Dolphin Supply Chain and NetEaseKaola, and over 70 British companies. Hajera Memon, founder and managing director of Shade 7 Limited, a British firm selling children's pop-up books, said she found the seminar very informative to learn more about methods of doing ecommerce in China, and her company is now considering engaging in cross border ecommerce activities with Chinese partners. Liu Chao, chairman of Avenue51, a UK based logistics and service company that helps British brands to access the Chinese e-commerce market, said many Chinese consumers are already familiar with British products through their travels, so this market has significant growth potential. Liu said many small and medium British companies have engaged in Chinese cross-border ecommerce opportunities with confidence, because their products are already purchased extensively over the years by Chinese consumers through overseas contacts, who send the products as parcels before the opening of China's cross-border ecommerce. According to a 2014 research by Ipsos Mori/PayPal and OC&C Strategy Consultants, the UK accounts for 6 percent of China's total cross-border demand. It forecasts that British ecommerce exports to China would reach 14 billion pounds in 2020. China's cross-border ecommerce volume grew rapidly since 2014 when policy changes enabled this business model. Compared to the traditional import business model, the overseas seller who engages in cross-border ecommerce trade does not need to have a China registered entity, does not need to store products in physical warehouses in China, and the process of completing product registration with Chinese import customs is much faster. According to a PayPal and Ipsos research, 35 percent of Chinese online shoppers purchased cross-border products online once in 2015 compared to 26 percent in 2014. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce forecasts cross-border e-commerce will be worth 6.5 trillion yuan in 2016, accounting for 20 percent of the country's total foreign trade. The event on Wednesday builds on the success of the Bank of China's inaugural cross-border ecommerce exchange event in New Zealand in 2015. The cooperation Bank of China has with UKTI on the white paper also follows the two groups joint hosting the first China-UK small and medium sized enterprises match making event in Manchester in October 2015, and is further demonstration of the two countries' golden era of cooperation. Bank of China said that it will in the future leverage its global network to expand the cross-border e-commerce business model into other major markets- such as Macao, Malaysia and Italy, providing clients with innovative and cost effective cross-border e-commerce service solutions. Capital vows to protect police officers Updated: 2016-03-24 13:32 By Zhang Yi(chinadaily.com.cn) Police officers in Beijing will be better protected following an attack earlier this month that left a policeman hospitalized with a stab wound to the neck, the city's police authority has pledged. Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau made a statement on Thursday, saying it will safeguard officers' rights while they are performing their duties. It follows the attack on March 4 that the bureau describes as the most violent on an officer in recent history. Chen Jia, a policeman in the city's Haidian district, was injured by an unlicensed fruit vendor while seizing the latter's van and removing it from the road. According to the bureau, 109 cases involving infringement of officer's rights and 49 injuries have been reported since the beginning of this year. In relation to these cases, 120 perpetrators have been detained. Testosterone Oxytocin Cortisol Leptin Thyroid Hormone Every person in the world has one thing in common is the need for fat loss. Unfortunately, this is a common scenario for many people. Thats why its important to know what hormones or steroids are available that can help you reach your goal sooner and more efficiently. 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During the trial, a lawyer for the TJSL graduate, Anna Alaburda, argued that the school promoted a misleading employment rate for its graduates. That lawyer claimed TJSL neglected to disclose that many graduates it touted as employed were actually working in hair salons or bookstores, or even selling tractors, as the Union-Tribune reported. The school defended itself by arguing that Alaburda had at one point turned down work and by contending that many of its graduates have successful careers in law. The so-called Alaburda case is noteworthy. It was the first case to go to trial that accused a law school of using inflated postgraduation-employment figures and salaries to defraud applicants. Graduates of law schools filed more than a dozen proposed class-action lawsuits in 2011 and 2012 alone, according to The Wall Street Journal. These suits claimed that the schools defrauded graduates into thinking employment prospects were rosier than they really were. When contacted for comment on Thursday, Brian Procel, a lawyer for Alaburda, did not mention whether his client would appeal the jury verdict. We are proud of the work we did on this case. We called attention to an issue that was not previously discussed, Procel said in an email. We are optimistic that future students will have access to better information when deciding to attend college or graduate school as a result of this case. Story continues Meanwhile, TJSL Dean Thomas Guernsey said the jury affirmed that the school didnt falsify its postgraduation employment statistics. Todays decision by the jury further validates our unwavering commitment to providing our students with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to excel as law students, pass the bar exam and succeed in their professional careers, the dean said in a prepared statement. As Business Insider has previously reported, TJSL can provide an opportunity for aspiring lawyers who cant get into more competitive schools. But for her part, Alaburda claimed that her law school did not give her the tools she needed to succeed in the legal profession, on which she set her sights after graduating from New York University with a bachelors degree in 2002. She decided on the San Diego-based TJSL after reading about its postgraduation statistics in its marketing brochures and in US News & World Report in 2003, according to the lawsuit. US News & World Report said that 80.1 percent of students [at TJSL] were employed nine months after graduation, according to the suit. For comparison, Yale Law School, rated the No. 1 law school in the nation by US News, has a postgraduate employment rate of 88.2%, according to 2016 statistics. Alaburda excelled at TJSL, graduating in the top tier of her class, according to a story about her case in The New York Times. She also passed the bar exam on her first attempt. She graduated from the school in 2008. But despite her academic successes, she said, Alaburda has been unable to find full-time employment as a lawyer. She has sent her resume to more than 150 law firms and received only one job offer, which was less favorable than non-law related jobs that were available to her, the suit says. In addition, Alaburda said, she graduated with $150,000 in student-loan debt a figure that has since ballooned to $170,000 when accounting for interest. NOW WATCH: Leading brands for 100% grated Parmesan cheese contain one non-dairy ingredient that is now sparking lawsuits More From Business Insider Al Qaeda Nusra Front Al Qaeda is employing a strategy that might help the terrorist group outlast ISIS in Syria, and it's revealing its true jihadist endgame in the process. As a different terrorist group, ISIS aka the Islamic State, ISIL, or Daesh claims responsibility for a terrorist attack in Belgium, Syrian Al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front (also known as Jabhat al-Nusra) is flying under the radar, hoping to continue gaining influence in Syria. And experts think that it could be a bigger threat to the US than ISIS in the long term. While ISIS has taken over territory in the Middle East with force and uses violence to repress the populations it controls, the Nusra Front has been working toward winning popular support in the country, hoping that its strategy will help it outlast other jihadist groups. The Nusra Front has fashioned itself as an important partner in the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Unlike ISIS, which imposes harsh Islamic laws soon after it forcefully seizes territory, the Nusra Front has generally been slower to crack down on civilian populations. The jihadists are waiting for Syrians to slowly come around to the idea of Islamic rule, which lowers the chance of a successful uprising if the Nusra Front is able to establish Syria as an Islamic emirate. "This is all the long game," Thomas Joscelyn, an Al Qaeda expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Business Insider. "The concept of jihad and the notion of jihad as [Al Qaeda] understands it was missing in Syria for decades. Their whole idea is to use the war to inculcate the ideology of jihad among the population, which is a slow process." Civil war has been dragging on in Syria for the past five years as Assad fights to hold on to power. Moderate rebels, whose main focus is on defeating Assad, are struggling to make gains as they face onslaughts from the regime and jihadist groups like the Nusra Front. Story continues And ultimately, the jihadist groups who want to see Syria governed by Islamic law hope to be the last ones standing. Western experts charge that the Nusra Front has maintained a tacit coordination with moderate rebels in some areas of Syria, but that might now be crumbling as the jihadists turn on the rebels. Last week, the Nusra Front attacked Division 13, a US-backed group that's affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, killing about a dozen rebels and arresting several more. Syria control map In a note last week, strategic-security firm The Soufan Group explained why this is significant: On March 11, people in Maarrat al-Numan gathered to peacefully protest the Assad regime, able to do so only because of a ceasefire [between the regime and the opposition]. Many waved the flag of the revolution. Jabhat al-Nusra fighters, opposed to any flag other than their own, stormed into the crowd and assaulted civilians. In doing so, the group shed its mask of revolutionary solidarity and revealed its true extremist nature. "Nusra's stated goal throughout all of Syria from when they first started until today is to turn Syria into an Islamic emirate," Ahmad al-Soud, the commander and founder of Division 13, told Business Insider through a translator on Friday. "They don't want any other armed group in Syria except for them, and they want to turn it into kind of what Afghanistan was under the Taliban." Defeating moderate rebels and the regime is the first step, and then the Nusra Front will face other jihadist groups like ISIS. "Once they ... get rid of all the other groups, [the Nusra Front] can finally duke it out between them and ISIS for who's the worst," Soud said. Free Syrian Army Idlib Jennifer Cafarella, a Syria analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, laid out the Nusra Front's strategy in an op-ed for CNN: Jabhat al-Nusra is leveraging its battlefield contributions to create relationships with civil society, civilian populations and other Syrian opposition groups. It then manipulates those relationships in order to achieve dominance. And it directly targets US-backed groups, and defeats them when it can, in order to ensure that moderate forces do not find footing in a new Syria. Soud denied any coordination with the Nusra Front. But he did acknowledge that some Syrians had initially accepted the Nusra Front as a partner in fighting the Assad regime. "The most important thing is that the world understands that the Syrian people reject Al Qaeda's ideology," Soud said. "We reluctantly allowed Nusra into Syria because our main enemy is the regime. After the regime is gone, we will continue to fight anybody who tries to implement their will against the people." As long as Assad remains a player on the Syrian battlefield, moderate rebels will face a stalemate of sorts because they're fighting jihadists and the regime, their already-scant resources will be spread too thin for them to win out over anyone. "As long as the Assad regime is still around, you're still going to have different extremist groups in Syria and they're not going to leave, we're not going to be able to get them out," Soud said. "We can't fight on all these different fronts against the regime and against ISIS and against Nusra." Nusra Idlib Syria What this means for the US The Nusra Front's end goals aren't confined to Syria. A January report from the Institute for the Study of War and the American Enterprise Institute concluded that the US is dangerously underestimating the Nusra Front, which it says could become even more of a threat to the long-term security of the US than ISIS. The report stated that the Nusra Front posed "one of the most significant long-term threats" of any jihadist group. "This Al Qaeda affiliate has established an expansive network of partnerships with local opposition groups that have grown either dependent on or fiercely loyal to the organization," the report said. "Its defeat and destruction must be one of the highest priorities of any strategy to defend the United States and Europe from Al Qaeda attacks." Cafarella, one of the coauthors of the report, wrote in her CNN op-ed that America's focus on defeating ISIS "has played directly into the group's hands, allowing the group to exploit its time out of the spotlight and set up a return to the global stage once ISIS is defeated." Syrian civilians are fighting back against the Nusra Front in some areas, but it's unclear how long they can hold out if the Assad regime keeps bombing rebel-held areas and ISIS continues its brutal rule. Moderate rebels are in many cases outmatched when they go up against jihadists and the Assad regime, which have more funding and resources coming in from outside donors or, in the case of the regime, allies like Russia and Iran. "A group like Division 13 doesn't have a national program," said Joscelyn, the Al Qaeda expert. "The FSA doesn't have a national program, so they weren't going to govern all of Idlib." NOW WATCH: Syrian refugees dressing up as Disney princesses perfectly captures how they dream for better lives More From Business Insider Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) -The banks providing $13 billion in financing for Tesla CEO Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter Inc have abandoned plans to sell the debt to investors because of uncertainty around the social media company's fortunes and losses, people familiar with the matter said. The banks are not planning to syndicate the debt as is typical with such acquisitions, and are instead planning to keep it on their balance sheets until there is more investor appetite, the sources said. The banks, which include Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Barclays Plc, declined to comment. (Adds data, political context) BRASILIA, March 24 (Reuters) - The number of jobless Brazilians has risen by almost three million people since last year as Brazil sinks deeper into its worst recession in a generation, according to data released on Thursday by statistics agency IBGE. The increasing ranks of unemployed have fueled discontent with the unpopular government of President Dilma Rousseff, who is battling to survive impeachment efforts in Congress as a political storm grows over a massive corruption scandal. The unemployment rate in the three months through January rose to 9.5 percent from 6.8 percent for the same period a year ago, the IBGE said. The increase was above market expectations in a Reuters poll that projected unemployment of 9.3 percent. The number of people out of work by the end of January rose to 9.6 million, an increase of 2.8 million or 42.4 percent from a year earlier, both record numbers for the IBGE's household unemployment survey. More than 2 million are set to lose unemployment benefits by June, according to data obtained by Reuters, threatening to erode support for Rousseff among her core working class supporters when she needs them most. (Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier e Camila Moreira; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Brookfield Canada Office Properties (TSX: BOX.UN) (NYSE: BOXC) announced today that it has closed on the sale of its 100% interest in Royal Centre in Vancouver generating net proceeds of C$285 million. Furthermore, the Board of Trustees of Brookfield Canada Office Properties announced a special distribution from the proceeds of the sale of C$1.60 per trust unit payable on April 19, 2016 to holders of Trust units of record at the close of business on April 5, 2016. The distributions are declared in Canadian dollars. Registered unitholders resident in Canada will receive payment in Canadian dollars and registered unitholders resident in the United States will receive the U.S. dollar equivalent unless they request otherwise. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the distribution will be based on the Bank of Canada noon exchange rate on the record date or, if the record date falls on a weekend or holiday, on the Bank of Canada noon exchange rate of the preceding business day. Beneficial unitholders will receive payment in Canadian dollars unless they request to receive the U.S. dollar equivalent. About Brookfield Canada Office Properties Brookfield Canada Office Properties is Canada's preeminent Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Our portfolio is comprised of 26 premier office properties totaling 20 million square feet in the downtown cores of Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa, in addition to a development site in Calgary. Our landmark assets include Brookfield Place and First Canadian Place in Toronto, and Bankers Hall in Calgary. Further information is available at www.brookfieldcanadareit.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Brookfield Canada Office Properties is the flagship Canadian REIT of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $225 billion in assets under management. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com. (Figure in U.S. dollars) OTTAWA, March 24 (Reuters) - Canada is looking "very carefully" at a request for $1 billion in federal aid from struggling planemaker Bombardier Inc, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday, but sidestepped a question on whether Ottawa had a deadline. Trudeau made his remarks in a televised news conference in Toronto. A source directly familiar with the file last week said the government had finished studying the details of the request and was negotiating with the company. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by James Dalgleish) (New throughout, adds reaction from union, opposition party) By David Ljunggren OTTAWA, March 24 (Reuters) - Canada announced on Thursday it would give Air Canada more leeway to decide where its planes are maintained, prompting union protests that the move could cost thousands of jobs. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Air Canada, currently bound by a 1988 law spelling out where in Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario it must carry out maintenance, needed more flexibility to be competitive. He unveiled proposed changes to the law, known as the Air Canada Public Participation Act, that would give Air Canada more say in deciding where the work is done and permitting some to be carried out abroad. "We're allowing Air Canada to compete internationally in this respect because ... it is important for them to be able to play on more of a level playing field," Garneau told reporters. Quebec, citing the original act, had launched a lawsuit against Air Canada for not doing enough maintenance in the province. It dropped the case last month after the airline agreed to buy jets from Montreal-based Bombardier Inc and service them in Quebec for 20 years. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said it would press the federal Liberal government to change its mind. "The Liberals are on the verge of changing a law which will confirm the loss of thousands of jobs ... they have just given carte blanche to Air Canada," the union's Quebec coordinator David Chartrand said in a statement. A spokesman for Garneau said the 1988 act was outdated and in places referred to facilities and jobs that did not exist anymore. He also noted Air Canada had struck a separate deal last week with Manitoba to end litigation over the amount of work done there. The ruling Liberals have a majority in the House of Commons and the legislation looks certain to be adopted after it has been studied. Tom Mulcair, leader of the left-leaning opposition New Democrats, told reporters in Ottawa the new rules meant the airline could get away with doing very little work in Canada. Story continues Air Canada wants an end to the 1988 act, which limits foreign ownership to 25 percent and obliges the carrier to operate in both of Canada's official languages and keep its headquarters in Montreal. Garneau made clear last month these particular stipulations would remain the same. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by W Simon and David Gregorio) By Julie Gordon VANCOUVER, March 24 (Reuters) - Medical marijuana patients in Canada will regain the right to grow their own cannabis after the government said on Thursday it would comply with a federal court decision against a ban introduced by the previous Conservative government. The federal government said Canada's medical marijuana laws would be rewritten to reflect the court's judgment, setting a deadline of Aug. 24 to finalize the changes. "We are committed, as you know, to making sure that Canadians who require marijuana for medical purposes have appropriate access to that," Health Minister Jane Philpott told reporters in Ottawa, adding that the current law will remain in place until the changes are finalized. Philpott did not provide specifics on the planned amendments, but noted the government was focused on addressing the issues of accessibility and affordability. In 2013, the then-ruling Conservative government overhauled Canada's medical marijuana program, requiring that patients buy their cannabis from licensed producers through a mail order system, instead of growing their own marijuana. That prompted a group of British Columbia residents to take Canada to court over the ban, which they said was unconstitutional. Last month, a federal court judge in Vancouver agreed with them, striking down the ban. Medical marijuana is a separate issue from recreational marijuana in Canada. The Liberals, who vaulted to power in October, have pledged to legalize and regulate the recreational use of cannabis, though the time frame remains unclear. Shares of medical marijuana producers were mixed on Thursday, with Canopy Growth Co closing up 2.36 percent at C$2.60, OrganiGram Holdings flat at 76 Canadian cents and Aphria Inc down 1.29 percent to 77 Canadian cents. (Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Dan Grebler) OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland announced today that Mexico has reopened its border to Canadian fresh poultry meat, including chicken, turkey and, most significant in terms of historical trade, duck meat. Mexico closed its borders in 2004 following an outbreak of Avian Influenza. Canadian industry estimates that restored access to the Mexican market for fresh duck meat and other high-quality, fresh poultry meat will be worth approximately $3 million annually. While Mexico still maintains limited Avian Influenza restrictions, the Government of Canada is working with Mexican authorities to remove these as quickly as possible. This new market access comes on the heels of the February visit of Mexico's Secretary of Agriculture, Jose Calzada, where he and Minister MacAulay met to further strengthen the two countries' longstanding partnership in agricultural trade. Quick Facts Canada and Mexico have a strong and complementary trading relationship with approximately $3.8 billion in bilateral trade in agriculture and food products in 2015. Canada and Mexico have over 70 years of diplomatic relations and more than 20 years of partnership through the North American Free Trade Agreement. Canadian and Mexican government and industry officials plan to meet in Mexico in May, 2016 at the Canada-Mexico Partnership Agri-Business Working Group and the Canada-Mexico Consultative Committee on Agriculture to further explore how to deepen their bilateral relationship. Quote "The Government of Canada is pleased that the Mexican market has reopened for additional Canadian poultry products. We continue to work closely with industry to expand international markets for high-quality Canadian products. I look forward to our continued trade relationship in agriculture and food." - Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, P.C., M.P., Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Story continues "Mexico is a hugely important market for Canadian exporters. This improved access for Canadian poultry reflects our government's strong support for Canadians working in this sector. I look forward to building on this success and our trade relations with our NAFTA partner Mexico." - Hon. Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Minister of International Trade "The Quebec Duck and Geese Breeders Association welcomes the recent agreement between the Governments of Canada and Mexico, which will soon enable Quebec producers to resume exports to Mexico after a 10-year embargo. This agreement will help to progressively regain the position lost in this rapidly growing market, with a potential for annual sales of more than $3 million." - Benoit Cuchet, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Quebec Duck and Geese Breeders Association Associated Links - Minister MacAulay Meets with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Calzada in Ottawa - Canadian Exports of Agri-Food and Seafood Products to Mexico - Agriculture, Food and Beverage Profile - Mexico - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada Like us on Facebook: CanadianAgriculture Global Affairs Canada Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaTrade MONTREAL, QUEBEC and VANCOUVER, BRITISH-COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Canada Strategic Metals Inc. ("Canada Strategic Metals" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE:CJC)(YXEN.F)(CJCFF) and Lomiko Metals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:LMR)(LMRMF)(DH8B.F) announces that, further to their news release of February 9, 2016, they have filed their National Instrument 43-101 technical report titled "Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the La Loutre Property" dated March 24, 2016, on Sedar (www.sedar.com). The Resource for the La Loutre Flake Graphite Property of 18.4 M Tonnes of 3.19% Indicated and 16.7 M Tonnes at 3.75% Flake Graphite Inferred with a cut-off of 1.5%. The sensitivity table also features 4.1 M Tonnes of 6.5% Indicated and 6.2 M Tonnes at 6.1% Flake Graphite Inferred with a cut-off of 3%. The Resource is estimated on the Graphene-Battery Zone only and does not include recent high grade intercepts of 28.5 metres of 16.53% Cg and 21.5 metres of 11.53% Cg reported January 6, 2016 and 9% over 90.75 metres reported September 24th, 2015 from the Refractory Zone. The La Loutre property consists of contiguous claim blocks totalling approximately 2,867.29 hectares (28.67 km2) situated approximately 53 km east of Imerys Carbon and Graphite, formerly known as the Timcal Graphite Mine, North America's only operating graphite mine, and 117 km northwest of the International Port of Montreal, key to shipping to North America and Europe. Lomiko is currently completing an option to acquire 80% of the property which requires $665,000 more in work and issuing of 1.5 Million shares to be issue February 15th, 2016. The La Loutre Resource is constrained within a drilled area of approximately 900 m along the N150 striking trend of the graphitic paragneiss, 250 m across the strike and 300 m below surface. Geological interpretation and mineral resource estimation were based on 62 NQ-size drill holes (totaling 8,193.3 m) drilled by Lomiko and Canada Strategic Metals in 2014 and 2015. InnovExplo performed the geological interpretation of lithological domains and mineralized zones using vertical sections spaced 50 metres apart. The mineralized zones strike with an average trend of N150 and an average dip of 45. A minimum width of 4.0 meters (true width) was respected for the interpretation. InnovExplo constructed wireframes of lithological domains and mineralized zones showing a sufficient continuity. The 2016 Mineral resource Estimate includes 18 graphite-bearing zones with high graphitic carbon grades (assays > 4% Cg), 4 graphite-bearing zones with low graphitic carbon grades (assays < 4% Cg), 5 graphite-bearing quartzite domains (assays < 4% Cg), and a remaining external envelope hosting isolated low graphitic carbon grades. The mineral resource was estimated using 3-D block modeling (block size = 5 m x 5 m x 5 m). The grades of the blocks were estimated using the inverse distance squared (ID2) interpolation method for a 1000-metre strike length corridor and up to a vertical depth of 300 metres below surface. The resources are constrained in a Pit shell of 1,100 m by 350 m and a maximal depth of 200 m. 2016 Pit constrained Mineral Resource Estimate (Indicated and Inferred resources) at different cut-off grades - La Loutre Property. The official resource is reported at a cut-off grade of 1.5 % Cg. Indicated Resource Zone Cut-off Cg (%) Tonnage (metric tonne) Grade Cg (%) Graphite (metric tonne) All Zones ?a 3.0 4,137,300 6.50 268,800 ?a 2.5 6,927,500 4.95 342,900 ?a 2.0 15,181,200 3.49 529,200 ?a 1.5 18,438,700 3.19 588,400 ?a 1.0 19,005,400 3.13 595,700 ?a 0.8 19,137,500 3.12 596,900 ?a 0.6 19,279,600 3.09 595,300 ?a 0.5 19,381,900 3.09 598,400 Inferred Resource Zone Cut-off Cg (%) Tonnage (metric tonne) Grade Cg (%) Graphite (metric tonne) All Zones ?a 3.0 6,181,000 6.11 377,600 ?a 2.5 9,699,200 4.86 471,800 ?a 2.0 15,332,000 3.92 600,300 ?a 1.5 16,675,100 3.75 624,900 ?a 1.0 16,927,300 3.71 628,000 ?a 0.8 17,120,500 3.68 629,700 ?a 0.6 17,306,700 3.63 628,100 ?a 0.5 17,400,900 3.63 631,600 The Independent and Qualified Persons (QPs) for the Mineral Resource Estimate, as defined by NI 43 101, are Bruno Turcotte, M.Sc., P.Geo., and Guilhem Servelle, M.Sc., P.Geo, both of InnovExplo. The estimate was prepared under the supervision of Vincent Jourdain, PhD, Eng., Technical Director of InnovExplo Inc. The effective date of the estimate is January 15, 2016. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Pit constrained results are presented undiluted within a Whittle-optimized pit shell, designed with a 30-m buffer around lakes. The estimate includes 18 graphite-bearing zones with high graphitic carbon grades (assays > 4% Cg), 4 graphite-bearing zones with low graphitic carbon grades (assays < 4% Cg), 5 graphite-bearing quartzite domains (assays < 4% Cg), and a remaining external envelope hosting isolated low graphitic carbon grades. Pit-constrained resources were compiled at cut-off grades of 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0% Cg. The official pit-constrained resource is reported at a cut-off grade of 1.5% Cg (grey highlighting). Cut-off grades must be re-evaluated in light of prevailing market conditions (graphite price, exchange rate and mining cost, etc.). Density (g/cm 3 ) data used is on a per zone basis varying from 2.70 to 2.85 g/cm 3 . A minimum true thickness of 4.0 m was applied, using the grade of the adjacent material when assayed, or a value of zero when not assayed. Based on a study of the effect of high-grade values (basic statistical analysis), no raw assays were capped for the mineralized zone, the lithological domains or the external envelope considered in the 2016 Mineral Resource Estimate. Compositing was done on drill hole sections falling within any of the interpreted mineralized zones, lithological domains or external envelope (composite = 1.5 m). Resources were estimated using GEOVIA GEMS 6.7 software from surface drill holes, using inverse distance squared (ID2) interpolation method in a block model (block size = 5 m x 5 m x 5 m). By default, interpolated blocks were assigned to the Inferred category. The reclassification to an Indicated category was done in areas with sufficient density of visually observed information and supported by a maximum distance to drill hole composite of 30 m. Calculations used metric units (metres, tonnes and %). The number of metric tonnes was rounded to the nearest hundred. Any discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding effects; rounding followed the recommendations in NI 43-101. InnovExplo is not aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect the mineral resource estimate. Whittle parameters (all amounts in Canadian dollars): Mining cost=$3.75; Processing cost=$9.40/t; G&A=$2.11/t; graphite price=$1,910/t; mining recovery=90%; milling recovery=95%; dilution=10%; wall slopes=45 (rock) and 18 (overburden). QUALIFIED PERSONS Jean-Sebastien Lavallee (OGQ #773), P. Geo, shareholder of both companies, President & CEO of Canada Strategic Metals and is Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Lavallee drafted, reviewed and approved the technical and scientific content of this press release, except for the content relating to the resource estimate. The resource estimate and this press release has been reviewed and approved by Bruno Turcotte, P. Geo, Guilhem Servelle, P. Geo., and Vincent Jourdain, Eng., who are qualified persons within the meaning of the National Instrument 43-101 guidelines. The resource estimate was prepared under the supervision of Vincent Jourdain, an InnovExplo consulting engineer. Mr. Jourdain, an independent qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release as it relates to the resource estimate. About Canada Strategic Metals Canada Strategic Metals is an emerging company focused on the exploration and development of a number of projects covering over 20,000 hectares in Quebec. With broad management experience in green technology and junior resource exploration and development, Canada Strategic Metals is well positioned to aggressively advance this promising property portfolio for its shareholders. For more information on the Company, please visit www.csmetals.ca. 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. For years, Americans have viewed Democrats as more tolerant and concerned about the poor and lower middle class than their Republican rivals, but they gave the GOP a much stronger grade when it came to the stewardship of foreign policy and national defense. A February 2015 national survey by the Pew Research Center found that by a 51 percent to 31 percent margin, Americans believed that Republicans would do a better job than Democrats in combatting terrorist threats at home. And when it came to dealing with defense and national security matters, the public 48 percent to 35 percent concluded that GOP leaders were more effective. Related: Obama Rips Cruz for Inhumane Comments on Brussels But that, of course, was before the rise of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump and his outrageous, off-the-charts prescription for grappling with the problems of illegal immigration and the growing threat of ISIS both at home and abroad. Trump, who says that he chiefly confers with himself in formulating his foreign policy notions, has unquestionably energized his conservative base with his frequently rash pronouncements on how he would vanquish the enemy in short order. But he has also scared or shaken up many more mainstream Republicans and Democrats by enunciating strategic and foreign policy ideas contrary to Republican foreign policies and ideals dating back many decades. If he prevails in securing the 2016 GOP presidential nomination this summer, as increasingly seems the case, then we may see an historic sea change in public sentiment on national security and terrorism one that moves away from the GOP and towards former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee. Clintons ample foreign policy and government experience have given her an important leg-up in her primary battle against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, even as many liberal Democrats have questioned her honesty and integrity in light of her mishandling of top secret emails during her four years at the State Department and the millions of dollars that she and her husband accepted in speaking fees and contributions from Wall Street bankers. Polls have shown that Clinton is judged far superior to her rivals on governance and leadership, even while she suffers from high overall negative ratings. Story continues But during a highly acclaimed foreign policy speech on Wednesday at Stanford University in California, Clintons gifts as a leader and public policy thinker were on full display and in sharp contrast to Trumps amateurish and potentially dangerous declarations. Related: Close the Borders, Monitor Muslims GOP Candidates Respond to ISIS Attacks Politically speaking its very difficult in this very strange year to talk about impact, but I think people who are paying attention should have noticed that it took her just a few hours to respond to these very serious events in Europe not with extremist, off-the cuff remarks but an organized and well- crafted strategy that included both our allies and our own policies, William Galston, a political and government expert with the Brookings Institution, said on Thursday. And I think the point that she is underscoring is that when it comes to foreign policy and national defense, the Oval Office is no place for on-the-job training, he said. Nor is it a place for people whose temperaments incline them to extreme positions or to shoot from the hip. Trump has vowed to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, arrest and deport more than 11 million illegal immigrants, prevent Muslims from entering the country until the U.S. has a better handle on domestic terrorist threats, and authorize the use of water boarding and even more draconian torture techniques to extract intelligence from enemy combatants. He has pressed the idea of cutting back on U.S. support of NATO in staring down Russia in the Ukraine and other strategic European regions. Then, in the wake of Tuesdays terrorist bombings in Brussels that killed at least 31 people and seriously wounded scores of others, Trump and his chief GOP rival, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, rushed to top one another with more extreme responses. Trump called for U.S. authorities to close up our borders to prevent the infiltration of terrorists, while Cruz proposed authorizing police surveillance of neighborhoods with large numbers of Muslim residents to try to foil conspiracies of future attacks. Related: Trump Does a U-Turn on How Hed Fight ISIS Trump also renewed his call for the use of torture in dealing with terrorists, arguing that the mayhem in Brussels could have been prevented if French and Belgian officials had tortured Salah Abdeslam, the recently captured ringleader of the terrorist attacks in Paris last November, to extract intelligence. The real estate mogul and former reality TV personality embraced Cruzs call for intense police surveillance of Muslim neighborhoods in this country, an idea roundly dismissed as wrongheaded and counterproductive by President Obama and New York Police Commissioner William Bratton. When given the opportunity during a meeting with Washington Post editors and reporters to disavow an earlier proposal to use low-yield nuclear weapons to wipe out ISIS forces on the battlefield, Trump simply changed the subject. What presidents say and how they say it matters, added Galston, a former domestic policy adviser to President Bill Clinton. Presidential remarks reverberate around the world instantaneously these days. And there is a right way and a wrong way to lead the worlds most powerful democracy. Clinton is trying to model the right way. During her hour-long speech in Palo Alto, Clinton derided Trump and Cruz for proposing reckless actions that would enrage Muslim citizens of this country, alienate important allies in the Middle East and elsewhere and provide comfort to Russian President Vladimir Putin by downgrading NATO forces in Europe, according to an account by The New York Times. Related: Trump Turn US Military into the Worlds Rent-a-Cop If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin, she told a large gathering. It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous. NATO in particular is one of the best investments the United States has ever made," she added. "America is a great nation and this is a time for American leadership: smart, strong, steady leadership," she added. "No other country can rally allies and partners to defeat ISIS. Only the United States can mobilize common action on a global scale." Clintons speech suggests that -- even more than before -- she is beginning to pivot from her hard fought Democratic primary campaign with Sanders to what by all estimates will be a bruising, dirty campaign against Trump this fall. While no one seriously questions her credentials as a foreign policy experts and leader, Sanders has repeatedly raised doubts about Clintons judgement including her support in the Senate for the Bush administrations 2003 invasion of Iraq that led to civil war and planted the seeds of the emergence of ISIS in the Middle East. In response to Clintons Stanford speech yesterday, Trump wrote on Twitter, Just watched Hillary deliver a prepackaged speech on terror. Shes been in office fighting terror for 20 years and look where we are! Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: The headquarters of Germany's Deutsche Bank is photographed early evening in Frankfurt, Germany, January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) is hiring about 100 people to boost its equities trading operations as it seeks to recover ground in an area seen as vital to its new strategy, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move comes as Deutsche, a traditional bond trading powerhouse, looks to improve profitability by shifting business to less capital intensive areas such as equity trading. The hiring process, which has started recently, will beef up operations in the United States, Europe and Asia and across product groups, with an emphasis on technology and electronic trading, the source said. A spokesman for Deutsche declined to comment on the firm's strategy. (Reporting by Olivia Oran and Arno Schuetze; Editing by Rachel Armstrong and Maria Sheahan) donald trump arizona GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that international regulations banning torture were developed by "eggheads." During a Tuesday CNN interview, Trump was discussing how when dealing with terror suspects, he'd "absolutely" favor methods, including waterboarding, that are defined as torture under international law. "Well I would say that the eggheads who came up with this international law should turn on their television and watch CNN right now, because I'm looking at scenes on CNN right now as I'm talking to you that are absolutely atrocious," Trump told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. The network was displaying footage of the aftermath of horrific terror attacks in Brussels from earlier in the day, when more than 100 were injured and at least 34 were killed. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which took place at an airport and a metro station. Trump said that if the developers of those international laws watched the CNN footage, "Maybe, just maybe, they'd approve waterboarding and other things." He also said he'd "absolutely" go further than waterboarding when dealing with interrogating terror suspects. "I'd go further. I'd listen to the military people, but I'd go further," he said. "And by the way, torture works." When Blitzer said torture is against the military code and military officials have come out to condemn torture, Trump suggested it was simply political pandering. "I think they're told to say that politically," he said. "I think they believe in it 100%." Trump also suggested that prominent former Gens. George Patton and Douglas MacArthur would agree with him. "These were real generals," he said. "Now, they're spinning in their graves as they watch this stupidity going on." Blitzer noted to Trump that Salah Abdeslam, the prime remaining suspect from November's Paris terror attacks who was detained last Friday, was reportedly cooperating with the Belgian authorities prior to Tuesday's attacks. Story continues "Well, he may be talking, but he'll talk a lot faster with the torture," Trump said. Watch clips from the CNN interview below: Trump dismisses "eggheads" who came up with international law on torture https://t.co/x7xkcrJiaL Zach Wolf (@zbyronwolf) March 22, 2016 Donald Trump says he would "absolutely" go further than waterboarding https://t.co/herraNSRDF https://t.co/u3Efi1XdUs CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 22, 2016 NOW WATCH: The group of girls dabbing behind Megyn Kelly won the GOP debate More From Business Insider donald trump Geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer said Thursday that Donald Trump's skepticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would give the Kremlin more breathing room on the world stage. "That's certainly a reason Putin decided to endorse Trump he understands that US allies will be supported less in a potential Trump administration, giving the Kremlin more room to maneuver," Bremmer, who is president of the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider in an email. Earlier in the day, Trump criticized NATO, the world's most powerful military alliance, as "obsolete." "It is time to renegotiate, and the time is now!" the Republican presidential frontrunner tweeted. Trump argued that NATO, which was formed in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union and nationalist militarism in Europe, should focus more on terrorism. The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks in Brussels, where NATO is based, that killed more than 30 people. NATO has 28 member countries and serves, among other things, as a counterweight to the Kremlin's ambitions in Eastern Europe. Several post-Soviet states, including Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, are NATO members. Ukraine began seeking NATO membership in 2014 after Russian President Vladimir Putin seized the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and sent Russian forces to other areas of Ukraine. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg criticized Russian involvement in Ukraine, and Russia has accused NATO of "provocative" actions. Considering NATO's tensions with Russia, Trump's suggestion that the US might back away from this alliance could be seen as a coup for the Kremlin. Putin has spoken highly of Trump. And Trump has defended Putin when the US media asks about the Russian government's alleged assassinations of its political enemies. This is a change in tone from American politicians who have criticized Russia or emphasized the need to keep the Kremlin in check. "For the last two years all we heard from Western newspapers and TV was very critical of Russia," Victoria Zhuravleva, a Moscow-based expert on US-Russia relations, told Reuters this week. Story continues "So when you hear something that is not so critical and even more friendly towards your country it's like: 'Thank God, there's one person we can talk to: Donald Trump.'" Zhuravleva told Reuters that both Trump and Putin were "open-minded, pragmatic, and say what they think." Vladimir Putin Both Democrats and Republicans have blasted Trump for being soft on Russia. In a Wednesday speech, Hillary Clinton said that "if Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin." Clinton, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, called NATO "one of the best investments America has ever made" and said the US should strengthen its military alliances. But despite the criticism, it might be a smart move politically for Trump to suggest reworking the alliance to demand that Europe contribute more financially. Bremmer said: It's true that NATO has become much less relevant for many of its members in the 21st century, even as some (Poland, the Baltic States) find it more urgent on the back of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Many Europeans don't want to contribute much to common defense, especially given their economic woes. I don't see that changing soon. So I think there's a fair amount of popular support among Americans for backing away. Particularly those that don't feel they've gotten much from America's global policeman and global trade cheerleader role of late. Trump's comments are also consistent with his campaign message of negotiating better "deals" for Americans. "The strongest consistent piece of Trump's policy platform isn't to Make America Great Again," Bremmer said. He continued: It's America First. Blaming outsiders for America's woes. Mexicans are coming to rape our women. Chinese and Japanese are robbing us blind. Muslim refugees want to come here and blow us up. And the Europeans are free riding on American defense. NOW WATCH: The net worths of the presidential frontrunners More From Business Insider By Marwa Rashad and Reem Shamseddine RIYADH/KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Mobarak Musa, a mobile telephone salesman from Syria, has spent 10 years working in Saudi Arabia, sending part of his wages back home to support his parents and three brothers. A shift in Saudi labour policy means he won't be able to do so for much longer. In early March, the Ministry of Labour announced that within six months foreigners would be banned from selling and maintaining mobile phones and accessories for them, in an effort to keep open more jobs for Saudi citizens. So Musa became one of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia who may lose their jobs and be sent back to their home countries this year, as low oil prices slow the kingdom's economy and prompt the government to restrict employment opportunities for expatriates. I dont know where else can I go - I dont know any other job to do," Musa, in his 30s, said in his small shop at a mobile phone market in downtown Riyadh. Millions of foreigners from south Asia, southeast Asia and elsewhere flocked to work in Saudi Arabia during the economic boom of the past decade, filling relatively low-paid posts in the oil industry, construction and services as well as many middle-management and professional positions. Foreigners accounted for 10.1 million of the total population of 30.8 million in 2014, according to the latest official data. The money they sent home was important for their home countries; they remitted $9.1 billion (6.4 billion) out of Saudi Arabia in the third quarter of 2015, central bank data shows. The inflow of people may now go into reverse. Saudi economic growth is slowing as low oil prices produce a state budget deficit that totalled nearly $100 billion last year, forcing the government into spending cuts. Many analysts expect gross domestic product growth, which averaged over 5 percent annually between 2006 and 2015, to fall well below 2 percent this year. Partly because labour rules make it hard and costly to fire Saudi citizens, layoffs in the early stages of a downturn tend to hit foreigners almost exclusively. Story continues Meanwhile the government, lacking the cash to create public sector jobs for Saudis as freely as before, and worried that the official unemployment rate of 11.5 percent among them could rise, is intervening more heavily in the labour market to push Saudis into jobs previously held by foreigners. A top executive at a major Saudi company told Reuters in January that he wouldnt be surprised if one million foreigners had to leave the kingdom by the end of this year. "The economic changes have started to pressure the labour market, and this has triggered the start of the migration of a large segment of foreign workers," said prominent Saudi economist Fadl al-Boainain. "Declining corporate profitability has made the foreign workforce a target for managements seeking to cut fixed financial obligations. CONSTRUCTION So far, layoffs have been concentrated in the construction sector, which analysts estimate employs around 45 percent of foreigners. Hit by shrinking state contracts and delays in payments owed to them by the government, construction firms have been laying off tens of thousands of people since last year. After 12 years in a stable job with a big company, I have started to update my CV and send it to other employers, said Abu Fadi, a Palestinian-Lebanese engineer at a big construction company in Riyadh which is facing a liquidity crunch and hasnt paid salaries to its staff since September. Abu Fadi, who has delayed his marriage plans until his future is clearer, said some of his colleagues who had brought their families to the kingdom were now unable to pay the rent. Some 5,000 technical workers at his company have left, he said. Job losses among foreigners look likely to spread to other sectors, partly because of government policy. Labour ministry spokesman Khaled Abalkhail said the ban on mobile phone sellers would affect about 20,000 workers, and that similar action would eventually be taken in other industries. The labour ministry targets aim to create jobs for around 1.3 million Saudis...There are plans for gradual nationalisation of other sectors such as taxis, travel and tourism, real estate, jewellery and vegetable markets, he told Reuters. Abalkhail said displaced foreign workers could try to find jobs in other sectors. But it will be hard for many do so in a slowing economy, and many lack training for skilled jobs. If they cannot find a company to sponsor a work visa for them, they will have to leave the country within about 90 days. Even some highly paid foreign professionals are considering leaving the kingdom because they see fewer opportunities as the flow of oil money shrinks. After more than nine years in Saudi Arabia, a British petrochemical consultant in the oil-producing Eastern Province said he was considering returning home as projects in the industry were postponed and budget approvals were delayed. Last year was mostly fine, but the end of last year and this year are the worst I have seen, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the economic prospects of his firm. A year ago, there were long waiting lists for foreigners seeking to move into residential compounds for well-off expatriates in Riyadh and oil-producing Eastern Province. The waiting lists have now shrunk or disappeared, and more villas in the compounds are vacant, residents say. Saudi Arabia continues to decline as a top destination for expatriates...given the countrys higher dependence on oil revenues and the extent of planned austerity measures, Gulf Talent, an online recruitment portal for professionals, said in a report this month. (Editing by Andrew Torchia and Peter Graff) By Jessica DiNapoli (Reuters) - Essar Steel Minnesota LLC [ESML.UL], a U.S. affiliate of India's shipping, natural resources and power conglomerate Essar Global Group, has hired financial and legal advisers to help it restructure its debt, according to people familiar with the matter. The company is in the final stages of building a $1.8 billion iron ore pellet plant in northern Minnesota. Its woes underscore the impact that cheap Chinese imports have had on the price of iron ore and U.S. steel manufacturers. Essar Steel Minnesota has hired investment bank Guggenheim Partners LLC and law firm White & Case LLP as debt restructuring advisers, the people said this week. Essar Steel Minnesota has about $1 billion in debt, one of the people added. The sources asked not to be identified because the appointments are not public. Spokespeople for Essar Steel Minnesota, Essar Global, Guggenheim and White & Case did not respond to requests for comment. Essar Steel Minnesota's move to restructure its debt comes less than six months after the bankruptcy filing of its Canadian sister company, steel manufacturer Essar Steel Algoma Inc. Essar Steel Algoma also filed for bankruptcy in 2014. Essar Global moved into Minnesota in 2007, shortly after it acquired the Algoma manufacturer. At the time, the company said it was positioning itself to be close to high-value steel markets and sources of iron ore. The plant, whose construction started in 2010, is scheduled to open this year, according to the company's website. It will permanently employ 350 people once it opens, according to the state. Last year, Essar Steel Minnesota failed to make timely payments to its vendors, according to press statements from the office of the Minnesota governor. The company did not live up to the terms of the original agreement it had with the state, and at the end of last year it accepted a plan to repay Minnesota's $66 million loan. (Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) By Felix Onuah ABUJA (Reuters) - OPEC member Nigeria expects oil producers to agree a supply freeze at a meeting in Doha next month which should stabilise crude prices even if Iran does not join, its petroleum minister said on Wednesday. Qatar has invited OPEC members and major non-OPEC producers to meet on April 17 to agree a freeze following an initial deal in February between Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Venezuela and non-OPEC member Russia to hold supply at January levels. "I expect that we will reach a conclusion on stabilisation, stabilise current production as of January," Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu told Reuters in an interview in Abuja. It was not clear whether all 13 OPEC members including Iran would attend the Doha meeting, though Iranian officials have made it clear Tehran will not freeze output as it wants to raise exports following the lifting of Western sanctions. But Kachikwu said Iran's impact was limited anyway as the country would take time to ramp up production. "We are likely to see Iran not signing on," he said. "But we have all decided that if they don't we will proceed because we do not believe that currently their entry into the market will create too much of a threat for the next year," he said. "So basically price stability is our expectation," he said, referring to the impact of a Doha deal. Nigeria, which is the top oil producer in Africa, has been at the front of pushing for a production freeze as a slump in oil prices has whacked its public finances and sparked the worst economic crisis for decades. Kachikwu said Nigeria's current oil output was 2.2 million barrels a day and he planned to boost it to 2.5 million barrels but this would not add to the global crude supply glut. "Whatever the extra (it) won't be in the market but go for our refining," he said. The West African nation has been trying to kick start production at its four outdated refineries due to limited fuel imports and to end widespread petrol shortages. (Writing by Ulf Laessing; editing by David Clarke) (Adds detail, background) * EU court ruled Europeans had a "right to be forgotten" online * Google has de-listed links from European search engines only * EU privacy watchdogs want Google to scrub web results globally * Google said will appeal French fine By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - The French data protection authority said it has fined Google 100,000 euros ($111,720) for not scrubbing web search results widely enough in response to a European privacy ruling. The only way for Google to uphold the Europeans' right to privacy was by delisting inaccurate results popping up under name searches across all its websites, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) said in a statement on Thursday. In May 2014 the European Court of Justice ruled that people could ask search engines, such as Google and Microsoft's Bing , to remove inadequate or irrelevant information from web results appearing under searches for people's names - dubbed the "right to be forgotten". The U.S. Internet giant has been at odds with European Union data protection authorities over the territorial scope of the ruling. Google complied, but it only scrubbed results across its European websites such as Google.de in Germany and Google.fr in France on the grounds that to do otherwise would have a chilling effect on the free flow of information. In May last year the CNIL ordered Google to expand its application of the ruling to all its domains, including Google.com, because of the ease of switching from a European domain to Google.com. "Contrary to Google's statements, applying delisting to all of the extensions does not curtail freedom of expression insofar as it does not entail any deletion of content from the Internet," the CNIL said. A spokesman for Google, now a unit of holding company Alphabet Inc, said the company had worked hard to implement the "right to be forgotten ruling thoughtfully and comprehensively in Europe." "But as a matter of principle, we disagree with the CNIL's assertion that it has the authority to control the content that people can access outside France, and we plan to appeal their ruling," Al Verney, Google's spokesman, said. Story continues The company did try to assuage the regulator's concerns in February by delisting search results across all its websites - including Google.com - when accessed from the country where the request came from. That meant that if a German resident asks Google to de-list a link popping up under searches for his or her name, the link will not be visible on any version of Google's website, including Google.com, when the search engine is accessed from Germany. But the CNIL rejected that approach, saying that a person's right to privacy could not depend on the "geographic origin of those viewing the search results." "Only delisting on all of the search engine's extensions, regardless of the extension used or the geographic origin of the person performing the search, can effectively uphold this right," it said. ($1 = 0.8951 euros) (Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Elaine Hardcastle) By Scott Malone BOSTON, March 24 (Reuters) - General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt hopes the conglomerate's headquarters move to Boston inspires a sense of staff "paranoia" over losing out to upstart rivals with better technology, he said on Thursday. In a lunch meeting with fellow Boston-based CEOs, Immelt said the maker of products ranging from jet engines to washing machines picked Boston as its new home because of its more than 50 colleges and universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. "This move for GE is all about the next 40 years. What do we want the company to look like, how do we want the company to be challenged?" said Immelt. He has substantially restructured the company over his almost 15 years at the top, selling off businesses, including plastics and much of its finance operations, and refocusing its core manufacturing businesses on higher-tech products. GE said on Thursday it had selected a 2.5 acre (1 hectare) plot of land along the Fort Point Channel, in Boston's Seaport District, to serve as its new headquarters. It will initially house some 1,000 white-collar staff. "I want them to be completely paranoid about the world that we're in. Are we moving fast enough, can we do better, who's smarter than we are?" Immelt told the Boston College Chief Executives' Club. "I want some 29-year-old Ph.D. student at MIT to punch me right in the nose and say 'all of GE's technologies are wrong and you're about to lose.'" The city and state governments offered GE $145 million in incentives, including breaks on property taxes and new spending on infrastructure, including replacing an aging bridge near its new headquarters site. GE will move headquarters employees from its current home in Fairfield, Connecticut, to a temporary site in Boston this summer. A full move into the permanent facility is planned for 2018. GE is buying the land for its new home from Procter & Gamble Co, whose Gillette unit is based in Boston. Story continues GE engaged in a long search for a new home. It considered cities including New York and Providence, Rhode Island, following a dispute with Connecticut over rising taxes. Immelt noted that he expected the company would slowly grow its footprint in Massachusetts, where it already has a jet engine manufacturing operation in Lynn. "I would think more GE divisions would think this is a good place to be," he said. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Dan Grebler) GoogleGlass A Google representative visited a California pawn shop earlier this week to retrieve what appeared to be an unreleased version of its smart headset, Google Glass, that was listed on eBay over the weekend. Frank Romero, who runs the Redwood City pawn shop that listed the device which at one point saw bidding of up to $20,000, according to the San Jose Mercury News tells Business Insider that Google contacted him to get the glasses back. He declined to share any details about whether Google paid him for the device back or made any legal threats. "We were contacted by Google we were glad to give them back," he says. "Anything else is between us. Like I said, we were just glad to give them back. I'm sorry, I know you want more to the story, but for us, when we found out, we just wanted to make sure [Google] got them back." The shop "had no idea" when it listed the device that it was anything other than a normal Google Glass set. Google stopped selling the Explorer version of its headset to consumers in January 2015, but the first details of a new version aimed at business users appeared in FCC filings in December. Google didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. NOW WATCH: A Google employee lives in a truck in the parking lot to save money More From Business Insider By Dave McKinney CHICAGO, March 24 (Reuters) - The Illinois Supreme Court reversed two lower court rulings on Thursday and held that unionized state workers whose 2011 raises were withheld during a state budget crisis are not entitled to back pay unless the state legislature appropriates the money. Roughly 24,000 employees in five state agencies were promised 2 percent pay increases in July 2011 as part of a four-year contract that the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) negotiated with the state. Then-Governor Pat Quinn had budgeted for the increases, which averaged $2,500 per worker, but was unable to deliver them because the legislature failed to appropriate enough money. AFSCME later won an arbitration ruling that ordered immediate payment of the raises despite not having a specific appropriation from the Illinois General Assembly. A state circuit court and appellate court upheld the decision. But in Thursday's state Supreme Court opinion, backed by six of seven justices, the state's high court overturned the decisions and held that Illinois' constitution requires a legislative sign-off on all spending matters, including union pay raises negotiated with the executive branch. Justice Mary Jane Theis, writing for the court's majority, justified the stance by noting past court precedent that "when labor representatives bargain with executive agencies, they do so with the knowledge that any agreement reached will be affected by the General Assembly's appropriation power." AFSCME was disappointed with the ruling. "The court's decision today raises the troubling prospect that government could benefit from a contractual agreement - in this case, the public services provided by many thousands of men and women - but refuse to fulfill its own obligations under that agreement if lawmakers and the governor do not enact a bill to fund them," AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said. (Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) MUMBAI, March 23 (Reuters) - India has defended its right to grant licences allowing local firms to override patents and make cheaper copies of drugs discovered by big Western drugmakers, and said reports to the contrary were "factually incorrect". The Commerce Ministry statement comes weeks after Reuters and media in India quoted the U.S. business advocacy group, U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), as saying India had given private assurances that it would not grant such "compulsory licences". "There have been recent media reports that the Government of India has privately assured that it will not issue any more compulsory licences. It is hereby clarified that such reports are factually incorrect," the ministry said in the statement late on Tuesday. "In this regard, it may be noted that India has a well-established TRIPS compliant legislative, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard IPRs (intellectual property rights). Under the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement Public Health, each member has the right to grant compulsory licences and the freedom to determine the grounds upon which such licences are granted." India is party to TRIPS, or the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, a World Trade Organization agreement that sets down minimum standards for intellectual property regulation. The USIBC's comments were revealed in a submission it made last month to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), which is reviewing global intellectual property laws for an annual report identifying trade barriers to U.S. companies. The USTR has placed India on its "priority watch" list for two years in a row, saying the country's patent laws unfairly favour local drug makers. A legal provision that allows granting of "compulsory licences" has been a key bone of contention. India can grant such licences under certain conditions, such as public health emergencies, to ensure access to affordable medicines. It granted the first such licence in 2012, allowing local firm Natco Ltd to sell a copy of German drugmaker Bayer's cancer medicine Nexavar at a tenth of the price. Story continues Since that ruling, big Western pharmaceutical companies have criticised India's patent law and lobbied for it to be changed. The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which banks on India's robust generic drugs industry to supply cheap medicines to many parts of the world, weighed in last week saying it was "deeply concerned" about the USIBC's submission. "Such a commitment will encourage multinational drug companies to start charging unaffordable prices to Indian patients and governments across the developing world, further undermining access to critical, and life-saving products," MSF said. India's commerce ministry statement did not comment directly on the USIBC's submission. "Even as government of India is conscious of the need to spur innovation and protect individual rights, it retains the sovereign right to utilize the flexibilities provided in the international (IP rights) regime," the ministry said. "It may be noted that to date, there has been only one case of compulsory licence in India and that too after a well-thought out and laid down process, which was subsequently upheld right up to the highest Court of the land." (Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Nick Macfie) Taxis are seen parked near the National Monument as their drivers take part in a protest against what they say is unfair competition from ride-hailing services, in Jakarta, Indonesia March 14, 2016. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside JAKARTA (Reuters) - Ride-hailing apps Grab and Uber must partner with a transport business and register their cars by the end of May if they want to continue to operate in Southeast Asia's largest economy, a minister said on Thursday. "Uber, Grab are app companies. If they want (to operate), they have to partner with a transportation business entity, like a car rental company," Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan told reporters. The proliferation of cheap taxis using ride-hailing apps Grab and Uber in gridlocked Jakarta has made the traditional pick-up and drop-off taxi services unprofitable, threatening the business models of the country's top taxi firms. Indonesian cabbies clashed with drivers working for online apps on Tuesday, pulling them off their bikes and assaulting them as thousands of drivers took to the streets of Jakarta calling for a ban on ride-hailing apps like Grab and Uber. (Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Editing by Nick Macfie) (Adds comment, background) By Bernadette Christina Munthe and Fransiska Nangoy JAKARTA, March 24 (Reuters) - Taxi-hailing apps Grab and Uber Technologies Inc must partner with a transport business and register their cars by the end of May if they want to go on operating in Southeast Asia's largest economy, a minister said on Thursday. Indonesia's new rules on the online ride-hailing apps come two days after thousands of cabbies held a protest rally in the capital, Jakarta, demanding the government ban the two companies. The rise of ride-hailing apps has sparked protests and legal action around the world from traditional taxi operators, who see the new operators as a threat to their livelihoods. "Uber, Grab are app companies. If they want (to operate), they have to partner with a transportation business entity, like a car rental company," Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan told reporters. Singapore's Grab and U.S.-based Uber said they would abide by the new rules. "Even before the demonstration, we had started the process to help our drivers form a cooperative unit and meet the requirements," Ridzki Kramadibrata, managing director of Grab Indonesia, told Reuters. Donny Sutadi, Uber Indonesia's commissioner, told reporters they would partner with a car rental company. The proliferation of cheap taxis using the ride-hailing apps in frequently gridlocked Jakarta has made the traditional pick-up and drop-off taxi services unprofitable, threatening the business models of the country's top taxi firms. President Joko Widodo has welcomed the competition provided by the new companies. Indonesian cabbies clashed with drivers working for online apps during the Tuesday protest. (Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Nick Macfie, Robert Birsel) A tourist carries an umbrella during a rain storm on Wall St. in New York's financial district February 24, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Finance Insider is Business Insider's midday summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours. To sign up, scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Get updates in your inbox," or click here. It should come as no surprise that first-quarter results will be pretty horrendous for Wall Street. A collapsed oil price, concerns around Chinese growth and negative rates combined to create "a perfect storm", according to Macquarie's banks analyst, David Konrad. How bad is it? Well, it is shaping up to be the worst first quarter for investment banking fees since 2009. Industry-wide global investment banking fee revenue is down 36% from the first quarter of last year. You can see how much the top Wall Street banks have earned in fees this year here. In other news, Yahoos activist investor is making a bid to remove the company's entire board, and everyone is worried that a third China bubble is about to pop. Donald Trump invested millions in hedge funds, and they're not doing very well. Ford CEO Mark Fields stopped by the Business Insider office for a chat, and said he doesn't worry about Tesla, Apple, or Trump. He is worried about currency manipulation though, saying: "We can't compete with central banks." Lastly, Wall Street rivals are going head-to-head in an epic relay race in New York. Here are the top Wall Street headlines at midday: The definitive ranking of Wall Street investment banks in every business line - We have new data on how Wall Street banks stack up in every business line, and there is one clear winner. Deutsche Bank is hiring 100 people to boost its equities trading - Deutsche Bank is hiring about 100 people to boost its equities trading operations as it seeks to recover ground in an area seen as vital to its new strategy. The CEO of one of Valeant's largest investors is retiring - Bob Goldfarb, CEO of Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb, and the co-manager of the company's flagship Sequoia Fund which was at one time Valeant's largest investor is retiring from his roles at the firm. Story continues A short-seller you've never heard of has been quietly killing it - You've probably never heard of Ben Axler, a short-seller who's been building an impressive track record online for spotting corporate frauds. Erin Callan, former CFO of Lehman Brothers, shares 3 of the most important lessons she's learned during her career - Callan is publishing a book titled "Full Circle: A Memoir of Leaning In Too Far and the Journey Back." Maserati's SUV has finally arrived in the US - Maserati chose the New York Auto Show to introduce its long-awaited SUV, the Levante, to the US. Note: There will not be an edition of Finance Insider on Friday March 25. More From Business Insider Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov looks on during a meeting with his Germany's counterpart in Moscow, on March 23, 2016 (AFP Photo/Yuri Kadobnov) Moscow (AFP) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday called for Europe to drop its "geopolitical games" and unite behind efforts to fight terrorism, a day after bomb attacks in Brussels killed 31 people. "I really hope that Europeans, in the face of the terrible threat of terrorism that occurred yesterday in Brussels, will put aside their geopolitical games and unite to prevent terrorists from acting on our continent," Lavrov was quoted by Russian agencies as telling visiting German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Europe is facing a security crisis after Tuesday's triple bombing in Brussels, which came on the heels of the November bomb and gun assaults in Paris that killed 130 people. Russia's call to unite against terrorism comes amid a diplomatic push over the five-year conflict in Syria. Steinmeier was in Moscow for meetings with Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin Wednesday, while US Secretary of State John Kerry touched down in the Russian capital ahead of talks with the duo Thursday. The talks between Steinmeier and Putin on Wednesday were an "open and constructive dialogue" touching on the situation in the Ukraine as well as the Syria peace efforts, Germany's foreign ministry said. The West is looking to size up the Kremlin's game plan after Putin's surprise announcement on March 14 that Moscow was withdrawing the bulk of its forces conducting air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Moscow launched a bombing campaign in September saying they were striking the Islamic State group and other "terrorists" before they hit Russia, but the West said they mainly targeted Assad's more moderate opponents. - 'Fight against evil' - Steinmeier said last week that Russia's drawdown in Syria could increase pressure on Assad to "negotiate in a serious way", but peace talks with the opposition in Geneva have failed to make much headway. Story continues "I personally cannot imagine that in light of 250,000 people killed and 12 million refugees, Assad can become a leader acceptable to all segments of the population," Steinmeier told Russia's Interfax news agency Wednesday. An unprecedented ceasefire negotiated by Russia and the United States has largely held in Syria since February 27, but it does not apply to jihadists. Many Russian officials, including Putin, have echoed Lavrov's call for unity in the fight against terrorism. "The fight against this evil calls for the most active international cooperation," the Kremlin said Tuesday. A Russian jet on its way from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort to Saint Petersburg was brought down in October by a bomb, killing all 224 people on board in an attack claimed by the Egyptian-branch of IS. Ties between Moscow and the West have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War over Russia's intervention in war-torn Ukraine but the Kremlin's Syria gambit thrust Putin back into the centre of international diplomacy. Other Russian officials and politicians have used the Brussels attacks to rebuke the West. The outspoken head of parliament's foreign affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov, tweeted Tuesday that while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg was "battling an 'imaginary Russian' threat and stationing troops in Latvia, people are being blown up under his nose in Brussels". Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said she deplored "double standards" in the fight against terrorism. KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Reuters) - Malaysian energy firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) continues to hold talks with Canadian authorities on how it can move forward with its much-delayed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, a company official said on Thursday. State-owned Petronas and its project partners have been waiting for nearly three years for a permit to build the Pacific NorthWest LNG facility in Northern British Columbia. The project has come under contention as aboriginal and environmental groups have said it would threaten a salmon habitat. Canada's federal environment assessment agency last week granted an additional three months to finish an impact study on the project. "We will continue to work constructively with the Canadian government and regulators to see how we can move forward," Adnan Zainol Abidin, Petronas vice president of global LNG projects, told reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference. Earlier this month, Canada's National Post newspaper reported that Petronas was threatening to walk away from the project. However, Pacific NorthWest LNG president denied that Petronas would abandon the project if the federal government did not approve it by the end of March. Asked if Petronas will reconsider its position on the project, Abidin said: "We will make that call when the time is prudent." Analysts say Petronas has already sunk some $12 billion in the project, roughly a third of its entire cost. Struggling with lower energy prices, the company earlier this year announced $12 billion in spending cuts over the next four years. The Canadian government has said it will announce a final decision on the project this year. (Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Tom Hogue) According to a recent report by El Universal, Mexico's Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) has decided to delay the announcement of the names of the winners for its 700 MHz nationwide shared broadband network on Sep 29, 2016. The SCT was initially slated to declare the tender winners on Aug 24. The SCT has cited the number of tenders and the complexity of queries and requests for clarification submitted by the bidders as the primary reasons for the delay. In 2014, the Mexican government had undertaken a massive project of shared wireless network to instil competition in the highly monopolistic telecom industry. The idea was to facilitate small-scale telecom operators to use this state-owned network for their wireless coverage instead of installing their own network, which intends to be highly capital intensive process. However, in May 2015, the government of Mexico slashed its planned expenditure from $10 billion to $7 billion for the proposed deployment of nationwide wholesale mobile network over the next 20 years. The primary reason for the cut in planned expenditure was the governments belief that 12,000 mobile towers should suffice the installation of this network as against 20,000 estimated earlier. The SCT had opened tender to take part in the governments proposed wholesale shared mobile network project in Mar 2015. However, the auction finally materialized on Jan 29, 2016. The SCT has decided to auction at least 90 MHz of spectrum within the 700 MHz-band to cover nearly 98% of the population by 2018. Various leading telecom infrastructure equipment developers with global operational experience offered bids for the state-owned mobile network project in Mexico. Notable among them were Ericsson AB ERIC, Nokia Corp. NOK, Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO, Motorola Solutions Inc. MSI, China Telecom Corp. Ltd. CHA, Alestra, and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. The SCT received 39 tenders from interested parties. Story continues Mexico is the largest economy in the Latin American region with a growing middle class population eager to spend more on high-speed wireless networks for facilitating the use of smartphones and tablets. Also, the wireless penetration rate is relatively lower in the country. Thus, weighing such positives, an investment in the nation may bode well for telecom network equipment manufacturers. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CISCO SYSTEMS (CSCO): Free Stock Analysis Report ERICSSON LM ADR (ERIC): Free Stock Analysis Report NOKIA CP-ADR A (NOK): Free Stock Analysis Report CHINA TELCM-ADR (CHA): Free Stock Analysis Report MOTOROLA SOLUTN (MSI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research March 24 (Reuters) - The Michigan Senate approved on Thursday a $48.7 million emergency spending package aiming to keep the cash-strapped Detroit public schools open in April. The appropriations bill originated in the lower house, where it passed earlier this month. On Tuesday, the state Senate also approved a long-term $715 million package for the school system in one of the United States' poorest cities, but that legislation has not yet been debated in the House. (Reporting by Fiona Ortiz in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) (Adds background) March 24 (Reuters) - The Michigan Senate on Thursday approved a $48.7 million emergency spending package aiming to keep the cash-strapped Detroit public schools open in April. The appropriations bill originated in the state House of Representatives, where it passed earlier this month. A spokesman for Governor Rick Snyder said he intended to approve emergency spending to keep schools open. Detroit's public school system, Michigan's largest, operates 97 schools for about 47,000 students. It is sinking under $3.4 billion of debt and other obligations, and its academic performance is among the worst in the United States. The emergency spending is immediate and would allow the school district to continue operating in its current year, which ends in mid-June. On Tuesday, the state Senate also approved a long-term $715 million package for the school system in Detroit, one of the poorest U.S. cities, but that legislation has not yet been debated in the House. If approved by the House, the long-term bailout would take effect in the next school year. The schools are being run by Transition Manager Steven Rhodes, a former federal bankruptcy judge appointed by Governor Rick Snyder. Rhodes had said that without the emergency funds, he would have to close schools after April 8 because the district is out of money to pay teachers and staff. (Reporting by Fiona Ortiz in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Von Ahn) A man attends a memorial gathering near the old stock exchange in Brussels following Tuesday's bomb attacks in Brussels. The alarming exploitation of the Brussels attacks for political purposes shows how urgent it is to take back the discourse around Islam and Muslims from racists and extremist populists like Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen. Instead of leaving the field wide open for the big-mouthed bigots and xenophobes surfing the murderous wave of global Islamist terror to stigmatize refugees and all peoples of Muslim confession, lets recognize and tackle the important religious dimension to jihadist violencein order to better overcome it. Muslim modernizers, reformers, and secularists, intellectuals, theologians, writers, artists, academics, political figures, and ordinary believers, have long been engaged in an intense ideological war with the Islamic fundamentaliststhe same fanatics who helped create the breeding ground for todays terrorists committing atrocities against civilian populations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the US. They are currently losing the winner-takes-all battle to stop the confiscation of Islam, dating back to the 19th century when contemporary Islamism first emerged as a neo-reactionary force in response to modernization. And they need the Wests support, fast, if it is to make any inroads in winning the fight against terrorism. As French author Jean Birnbaum, the editor of Le Mondes literary review, declares in his excellent new book Un Silence Religieux (A Religious Silence: The Left confronted by Jihadism), by not standing with the brave souls resisting encroaching religious extremism and fighting to save Islam from its Islamist perversion, we have betrayed those who are determined not to watch their cherished religion degraded before their very eyes, with all its cherished cultural, spiritual, and human richness. He says: By repeating that jihadist terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, the highest authorities of the state have not only orchestrated a dangerous negation, they have also planted a knife in the back of all the intellectuals and Muslim theologians who refuse to see their religion reduced to these murderous avatars. Story continues (Birnbaum names among other reformers and critical voices the acclaimed Algerian writer-living-under-a-fatwa Kamel Daoud, the late Mohammed Arkoun and Abdelwahab Meddeb, Rachid Benzine, and Abdennour Bidar, as well as past heros like Indias Mohamed Iqbal and Sudans Mahmoud Mohammed Taha). The chiefly Saudi-inspired neo-Salafists reclaiming a so-called pure Islam and championing a bloody rupture with Europe and the West have been trying, at an accelerated pace in recent decades, to assume control over Islam worldwide. With Gulf States money and the purchased silence of Western allies, they have brought their deadly politico-theological battles to the heart of Europe via radical mosques and cultural centers, hate-preachers, and media and digital soft power, laying the fertile ground for jihadist recruitment by the messianic millenarian apocalyptic behemoth called ISIL. By fomenting hysteria around the Palestinian cause and deliberately spreading anti-Semitic, women and western-hating propaganda, they have brainwashed entire communities into states of collective resentment, victim mentality, and in the worst case, smoothed the transition to murderous holy war. The phenomenon is nowhere more pronounced than in the Belgian capital, home to the European Commission, and thus the capital of Europe. This, in a shambolically-governed country riven by its own ethnic and linguistic disputes, that has let the Jihadist poison spread virtually unchecked among a vulnerable Moroccan immigrant population. Today Belgium is the number one per capita European exporter of foreign fighters to Syria (almost 400, of which 170 have returned). All Euro-terrorist investigation roads have led to Brussels in recent years (Mehdi Nemmouches Jewish Museum killings in 2014, the aborted Verviers attacks, and the AK47 wielding attempted mass murder on the Thalys last year) and particularly to Molenbeek where the November 2015 Paris attacks were planned, until the jihadists made Brussels itself the target. The rot began decades back. Since the 1960s Saudi Arabia has focused on proselytizing in Brussels, financing a grand Sunni mosque and an Islamic culture center in the Cinquantenaire complex, and laying the foundations for Belgium as the epicenter of European jihadism. As Liberation reported: It is against this background that a myriad of extremist organizations began to prosper, taking advantage all at once of the central position of Belgium in European geography, a socially disadvantaged immigrant population, often relegated to living in the same neighborhoods and a certain passivity by the authorities. Now, according to French philosopher Pascal Bruckner, the notorious terrorist hotbed of Molenbeek in central Brussels is more like Mossul or Gaza. Its not a Trump-style no-go zone, but a place where, thanks to the election-focused politicians and deals with Imams, religious associations, and community leaders, other laws prevail, mixing sharia with the code of honor of gangsters with appalling results. Yet while Trump goes on his Twitter rampages blaming all Muslims for the horrible murders in Belgium and Paris, and calling for state-sanctioned torture to extract terrorist confessions, president Obama and the State Departmentalongside other world leaders like Canadas Justin Trudeau and so-called expert analystsonly respond by trotting out their trademark neutral language. Implausibly, this is just any old violent extremism (whatever you do dont mention religion or Riyadh!). TV news reports are filled with interviews with veiled Muslim women declaring This isnt Islam, as the piousand yes, politically correctcrowd are exhorting right-thinking people to avoid suggesting Molenbeek and similar Salafist-captured districts in Belgium and France are Islamist-sheltering enclaves. Meanwhile, police trying to arrest terroristslike Paris attacks logistics man Salah Abdeslamare attacked by young boys. BBC TV trucks are vandalized, and community Omerta means families and friends take months before someone informs on the local boy turned jihadi star. Its time the political establishment in the US and Europe, but particularly the center-leftas exemplified by Obama and French president Francois Hollandeowned up to the profound faith-based motivations underpinning the current wave of ISIL-inspired terrorism. What Abdelwahab Meddeb titled the malady of Islam in his remarkable essay (If fanaticism is the malady of Catholicism, if Nazism was the malady of Germany, it is certain that fundamentalism is the malady of Islam) is hitting Europe. But it can and has already spilled over into the US at San Bernardino and Chattanoogaand the much-vaunted American assimilation is no bulwark. This is not just about crushing barbarism and random monsters. We need to name the enemy, and it is extremist Islamism, whose first victims are of course Muslims, attacked in their homes and countries everywhere. We need to name the enemy, and it is extremist Islamism. It is patently irresponsible to continue parroting the hollow received wisdom that this has nothing to do with Islam (as Hollande has done since the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January 2015). Every man and woman in the street knows these terrorists are shouting Allahu AkhbarGod is Greatand citing their absolutist reading of the Koran in their murders of Christian crusaders, infidels, Jews and miscreantsMuslim or otherwise. The disconnect is deafening and will only help propel the likes of Trump and Le Pen to power because ordinary voters recognize they are at least telling half-truths amid the scare-mongering, hate, and lies. Such deliberate obfuscation on the part of otherwise sane world leaders and influential commentators directly plays into the hands of the Trumps and Le Pens and the bigots taking to Twitter to #StopIslam. The best way to isolate demagogues like Trump and Le Pen is surely to deny them the legitimacy of truth-telling when it comes to Islamist extremism, and take sides in the civil war tearing apart one of the worlds great monotheistic faiths. However, until religion is acknowledged as one of the key factors driving jihadismalthough religion is evidently not the entire storywe cant begin to grapple with its causes. Focusing purely on smashing ISIL in its stronghold caliphateor honing in only on the porous links between drug trafficking syndicates, criminal gangsters, Islamism, and the policing challenge of breaking apart well-hidden terrorist cellswill change little on the ground in Europe and elsewhere, if faith is ignored. Suicide attackers are attracted by a religious fanaticism, and they are engaged in a spiritual war where ideas count. As the most nuanced analysts show, poverty, social exclusion, alienation, nihilism, or even Western foreign policy cannot be seen as the isolated causes of suicide bombings and attacks on civilians. They provide the context in some cases, but why ignore the salient religiousand yesIslamic element? Islamization of radicalism alone will not suffice. These young men blowing themselves and others up are not simply victims of a cult of deranged radicals. In his book, Birnbaum recounts how jihadists like the 2015 Paris attackers and their counterparts in Kenya, Australia, and Syria have libraries filled with erudite theological and religious texts providing the spiritual underpinnings for their actions. And they cant be kept out with walls and better security, because they are within the societythey are homegrown. Encouragingly, a growing movement of center-left thinkers, academics, writers, politicians, and journalists in France and Belgium are calling for a new approach that takes the Islamic aspect of ISIL-style jihadism seriously. They are standing firm against calculated assaults on universal valuesequality, liberty, and fraternitythat make modern Europe the magnet for refugees it is today. Birnbaum in Un Silence Religieux castigates the Left for going along with the trite, politically-expedient Hollande-style (and by association, though he doesnt name him, Obama-style) script after every terrorist attack. In fact, Birnbaum says the Left has proven incapable of grasping the deep-seated religious element (not the only dimension but an important one nonetheless) influencing jihadism, stretching back to the 1979 Iranian revolution when only Michel Foucault picked up on the new fusion of politics and spirituality being touted by the Ayatollah Khomeini. The Left is blinded because it has a secular bias that looks down on spiritual belief, or in Frances case, is grounded in a strong anti-clerical tradition. Even if many of these new jihadists were far from devoutif they were party animals, drug traffickers, users, or even criminals to startthey radicalized very quickly and transformed into murderous religious fanatics. Such a transformation does not occur outside a social, political, and spiritual contexta reality confirmed by researchers like Gilles Kepel, and journalists like Jason Burke and Graeme Wood. And it is precisely the religious element that offers them the justification for turning into suicide bombers and mass murderers of civilians. The secular agnostic atheistic Left has moved so far from the revolutionary energy of its past, it cannot even understand that religious fervor could be a motivating factor behind such acts, and indeed dismisses the idea, to its peril. Birnbaum even says the Left has misinterpreted Marx, who never dismissed religion as a factor in radicalization when he called it the Opium of the Masses. He writes: The weakening of the internationalist profane Left has left the space open to a radical religious hope. If a certain part of the Left is shocked by this comparison it is because it has forgotten its proper messianic vocation and its religious energy. It is so removed from its revolutionary origins, it isnt even capable anymore of seeing this in the eyes of others. Significantly he argues the Left has abandoned the independent voices who are fighting to maintain a definition of Islam that embraces multiple readings of the Koran and equality for women, rejecting the sexual misery of the lands of Allah so eloquently outlined by writers like Algerias Daoud in The New York Times and elsewhere. Taking Birnbaums cue, the Left and the political mainstream needs to reexamine the religious zealotry exciting jihadists. Properly informed, it can then go after the ideas and the hate-preachers online, in mosques, on the streets, and in families and community settings that are spreading this cancer. In the US, even on the Right, many analystslike Max Boot at Commentarysay Europe has just done a bad job of assimilating migrants, whereas the US has done much better. Well, buyer beware. These young men are not doing what they are doing because they are all poor, miserable, excluded, alienated-types. As we know, the Abdeslam family was fully integrated with a family income of more than 100,000 ($120,000), even owning bars. Other jihadists have been highly educated, and held down decent jobs. Bruckner too persuades us to look again at Islamism. We keep saying that we mustnt conflate (the attacks) with Islam without understanding that the jihadists themselves claim they are the only true Muslims, he says. The others, the very large majority are rejected by these fanatics as living in the shadows of miscreants. But these soldiers of the apocalypse are first and foremost believers and we should take them as they are. Follow Emma-Kate on Twitter at @eksymons. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: A woman walks under advertising outside a branch of clothing retailer Next in London's West End, September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Andrew Winning By James Davey LONDON (Reuters) - Next, Britain's most successful clothing retailer of the last decade, warned that 2016 could be its toughest year since 2008 as the outlook for consumer spending has deteriorated, sending shares across the sector sharply lower. Next, which trades from over 500 shops in Britain and Ireland and about 200 in more than 40 countries overseas, lowered its sales and profit guidance for the second time in three months on Thursday, forecasting 2016-17 profit could fall by 4.5 percent in its worst case scenario of a 1 percent sales decline. Its shares slumped by as much as 13.4 percent. Those of rivals Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Primark-owner Associated British Foods fell 4.3 percent, 3.1 percent and 4.1 percent respectively. While Next blamed a worsening economic environment for the downgrade, analysts said it also reflected company specific problems. These include the maturity of its Directory catalogue and Internet business and competition from the likes of Inditex, H&M and pure online players such as ASOS. "It is also in part due to Next's mea culpa on not keeping pace with some omni-channel development and other issues," said analysts at Jefferies. Next has moved to address these issues, outlining plans to revamp Directory by improving its website and mobile offer and developing its credit business. It is also targeting better clothing design, with improved quality along with a quicker response to new trends. NO BREXIT IMPACT "The year ahead may well be the toughest we have faced since 2008," said Next Chief Executive Simon Wolfson. "The outlook for consumer spending does not look as benign as it was at this time last year." Wolfson noted growth in Britons' real earnings slowed markedly from September last year, while growth in output across services, manufacturing and construction all decelerated throughout the course of 2015. Figures published on Thursday showed UK retail sales volumes dropped 0.4 percent last month after a 2.3 percent rise in January, partly reflecting weak demand for new season clothes. Story continues Wolfson also believes there may be a cyclical move away from spending on clothing back into areas that suffered the most during the economic downturn, such as eating out and travel. But Wolfson, a member of Britain's upper house of parliament and a prominent supporter of the ruling Conservative Party, said he did not believe uncertainty surrounding the outcome of a June 23 vote on Britain remaining in the EU was influencing consumer spending. "I don't think anybody consciously says 'look I'm not going to buy that dress because we might leave the EU'. My instinct is that it's not affecting consumer sentiment," he told Reuters. Wolfson favours Brexit but says Next is completely neutral on the matter. Next met guidance with a 5 percent rise in pretax profit of 821.3 million pounds in the year to end-January 2016. Sales rose 3 percent to 4.15 billion pounds and the dividend was increased 5.3 percent to 158 pence. Sales guidance for the 2016-17 year was cut to a range of down 1 percent to up 4 percent from previous guidance of growth of 1 to 6 percent. Profit was forecast at down 4.5 percent to up 4.5 percent. (Editing by Paul Sandle and Keith Weir) Following the ceasefire in Syria negotiated a month ago by Washington and Moscow, Secretary of State John Kerry must now work out a long-term settlement in Syria. Any agreement involves not only the Assad regime and the Russians a daunting duo but also 34 groups backed by Saudi Arabia, including several jihadist organizations. There are two key questions guiding the Obama administration: Will Washington work with the Russians, whose eagerness for a settlement is perfectly evident, or does great-power rivalry foreclose this option? Can Washington reconcile the conflicting goals of regional allies it deems essential to a Syrian settlement? If it cant, Turkey and Saudi Arabia could scuttle the peace deal. Related: Dozens Killed or Wounded in Air Strikes on Syria's Raqqa Youd hardly know it from the sparse news reports, but a second week of talks on the Syria crisis just got under way in Geneva. When they recess Thursday, well have to count it a success if Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy holding this effort together with spit and baling wire, can announce that a third round will begin on schedule next month. But events on the ground have started to outpace the Geneva talks. If you study the ceasefire, announced in Washington and Moscow on February 22, one important item was left out: How will the accord be enforced? Whats the joint policing arrangement on the ground? The omission was most likely by design. It was tough enough for Kerry to make the deal, given tensions with Russia on a range of questions. Washington has consistently declined to work any closer than arms length with the Russian military in any operational context. Related: UN Envoy Turns to US, Russia to Give Impetus to Syria Talks Now Moscow has forced the issue. It sent Washington proposals for joint-monitoring arrangements three days after signing the ceasefire pact. Since then it announced that it would pull out the main part of its military force from Syria. The latter has proven a gesture and no more, but a positive gesture given that it came just as talks got under way in Geneva. Story continues On Monday the other shoe dropped. In order to avoid more inexcusable civilian deaths due to delays, Russia announced that it may begin policing the ceasefire unilaterally--having heard nothing from the U.S. on monitoring. In effect, the Syria crisis forces the Obama administration to face a question Ill bet it wishes it never had to answer: How well does our bedrock animosity toward Russia and its thoroughly demonized president work in the 21st century? Its fundamental. So are the questions raised by Turkish and Saudi involvement in the Syria conflict. In the Turkish case, President Recip Tayyip Erdogans Sunni nationalism led him into an unholy, all-but-overt alliance with the Islamic State years ago. He has since started going after Kurdish militias in Syria and Iraq even as they fight ISIS with American support. Related: Kerry Vows to Work With Moscow for Peace in Syria Despite Differences Now Erdogans causing trouble as negotiations proceed in Geneva. Given that he blocked the Kurds from attending, their declaration last week of an autonomous region along Syrias border with Turkey sits right on the Turkish autocrats doorstep. The Saudis view of the Syria conflict as a religious crusade against Shiites appears unshakable. Washington wants its regional allies to commit militarily on the ground, but the Saudis indiscriminate bombing campaign in Yemen makes the prospect pretty repellent. Both Turkey and Syria back Mohammed Alloush as the Syrian oppositions lead negotiator in Geneva, and its important to know who this man is. Alloush heads the Saudi-backed group Jaysh al-Islam, the Army of Islam, which is fighting for an Islamic state to govern under shariah law. Related: Syria Peace Talks Grind Toward Pivotal Assad Question Jaysh al-Islams record isnt good. It refuses to join the Free Syrian Army and videotapes executions, ISIS-style. According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a generally accepted source, it put captured Syrian soldiers and civilians in cages two years ago and deployed them as human shields. Washington calls Jaysh al-Islam part of the moderate opposition. Moscow and the Syrian government call it a terrorist organization. At a certain point, Washington will have to face that second question: Just how constructive and productive are its longstanding alliances with Turkey and Saudi Arabia? Given the recent opening to Iran, this issue clearly extends beyond the Syria crisis. Its important, obviously, to recognize when these moments of truth arrive. And Syria may turn out to be one of them. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: A young woman walks towards a stage to be photographed while applying for a job as a Playboy bunny during a casting in Monterrey August 7, 2013. PREUTERS/Daniel Becerril By Mike Stone (Reuters) - Playboy Enterprises [ICONAP.UL], the owner of Playboy magazine, is exploring a sale, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, in a move that comes after the storied magazine stopped publishing nude photos of women and put up the iconic Playboy Mansion up for sale. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, said the company could be valued at more than $500 million. (http://on.wsj.com/1LKhZ8R) Hugh Hefner, who founded Playboy in 1953, took the company private in 2011, along with private equity firm Rizvi Traverse Management, in a deal that valued the company at $207 million. In February, the company stopped publishing nude photos, saying they had become outdated due to the plethora of free pornography on the Internet. Circulation of Playboy, also known for its bunny ears, has dropped from about 5.6 million in 1975 to around 800,000 in recent years. Investment bank Moelis & Co (MC.N) is advising Playboy on the sale, the source told Reuters. The company in January put up the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles for sale for $200 million, making it one of the highest asking prices for a private residence in the United States. Playboy Enterprises was not immediately available for comment, while and Moelis & Co declined to comment. (Reporting by Mike Stone in New York; Additional reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2016 / Prophecy Development Corp. ("Prophecy" or the "Company") (TSX:PCY, Frankfurt:1P2) As a result of a review by the British Columbia Securities Commission, Prophecy is issuing the following news release to clarify our disclosure. The Company made the following non-compliant statements regarding its Pulacayo Project in its January 12, 2016 corporate presentation (the "Presentation"), and in the Mine Plan Summary ("MP Summary") and Pulacayo-Paca Summary ("PP Summary"). Non-Compliant Disclosure of a Preliminary Economic Assessment The Company retracts all disclosure in the Presentation, MP Summary and PP Summary that relate to capital cost estimates, Life of Mine production and grade forecast, mining method and mine plan based on indicated and inferred resources*, and advises that the disclosure is not suitable for public disclosure and should not be relied upon because the capital cost estimate, Life of Mine production and grade forecast, mining method and mine plan referred in the Presentation, MP Summary and PP Summary are not supported by a technical report compliant with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The Company does not have a preliminary economic assessment and such a report cannot be completed without significant additional work. The Pulacayo project includes many areas of mineralization (of which the Pulacayo deposit is one) and tailings piles each in various stages of exploration and whose exploration status varies. As a whole the project is in the middle stage of exploration because exploration is completed on one mineralized area and other areas and the tailings piles are in the early or middle stages of exploration. The status of exploration work is that one or more of mapping, geophysical surveys, surface sampling and assays are completed for the tailings piles, many mineralized areas and the portion of the Pulacayo deposit not included in the resource estimate. Exploration has been completed for the shallow eastern portion of the Pulacayo deposit including mapping, sampling, geophysical surveys and drilling providing sufficient information for preparation of the mineral resource technical report titled "Pulacayo SilverZincLead Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Technical Report" prepared by Mercator Geological Services dated June 16, 2015. Non-Compliant Restricted Disclosure The Company retracts all disclosure in the Presentation, MP Summary and PP Summary that relate to historic estimates and an historic economic analysis of an estimate. The historic economic analysis is based on an historic resource estimate which is no longer relevant as the Company has updated the historic resource estimate with more current estimates*. Accordingly, the historic economic analysis and historic estimates should not be relied on. In addition, the Company retracts all disclosure in the Presentation and PP Summary that relate to a "Possible Resource" and advises that such disclosure should not be relied upon because it did not include the cautionary language and other information required under NI 43-101, the term "Possible Resource" was used contrary to NI 43-101, and it is not supported by a technical report compliant with NI 43-101 and such a report cannot be completed without significant additional work. In addition, the Presentation failed to include cautionary language required by NI 43-101 for statements reporting potential quantity and grade, expressed as ranges, of a target such as "Potential Mill Feed" for further exploration. All statements about the exploration targets for the Pulacayo Project are clarified with the following additional language placed proximally and with equal prominence as the statement: The potential quantity and grade at the (target name) is conceptual in nature, in that there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. This additional language would be followed by language that states the basis on which the disclosed potential quantity and grade were determined. *The Company would like to clarify that the Pulacayo mineral resource estimate is disclosed with reference to the Prophecy Development Corp. Pulacayo SilverZincLead Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Technical Report by Mercator Geological Services dated June 16, 2015; and the Paca mineral resource estimate is disclosed with reference to the Prophecy Development Corp. Pulacayo Project Paca SilverZincLead Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate Technical Report by Mercator Geological Services dated September 9, 2015. The Company would like to further clarify that management and the Board of Directors of the Company are not prepared to reach a production decision regarding its Pulacayo Project. Qualified Persons The technical content of this news release was reviewed and approved by Christopher M. Kravits, CPG, LPG, who is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Mr. Kravits is a consultant to the Company and serves as its Qualified Person and General Mining Manager. About Prophecy Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that is engaged in developing mining and energy projects in Mongolia, Bolivia and Canada. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com. PROPHECY DEVELOPMENT CORP. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "JOHN LEE" Executive Chairman For more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations: +1.604.563.0699 +1.888.513.6286 ir@prophecydev.com www.prophecydev.com Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations regarding Prophecy's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These estimates and assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other uncertainties and contingencies, many of which, with respect to future events, are subject to change and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by Prophecy. In making forward-looking statements as may be included in this news release, Prophecy has made several assumptions that it believes are appropriate, including, but not limited to assumptions that: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, such as due to labour disruptions; currency exchange rates being approximately consistent with current levels; certain price assumptions for coal, prices for and availability of fuel, parts and equipment and other key supplies remain consistent with current levels; production forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of Prophecys current mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Prophecys current expectations; and that any additional required financing will be available on reasonable terms. Prophecy cannot assure you that any of these assumptions will prove to be correct. Numerous factors could cause Prophecy's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the following risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in Prophecy's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form as filed on SEDAR and posted on Prophecy's website: Prophecy's history of net losses and lack of foreseeable cash flow; exploration, development and production risks, including risks related to the development of Prophecy's mineral properties; Prophecy not having a history of profitable mineral production; the uncertainty of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; the capital and operating costs required to bring Prophecy's projects into production and the resulting economic returns from its projects; foreign operations and political conditions, including the legal and political risks of operating in Bolivia, which is a developing jurisdiction; amendments to local Bolivian laws which may have an adverse impact on the Company's operations; title to Prophecy's mineral properties; environmental risks; the competitive nature of the mining business; lack of infrastructure; Prophecy's reliance on key personnel; uninsured risks; commodity price fluctuations; reliance on contractors; Prophecy's need for substantial additional funding and the risk of not securing such funding on reasonable terms or at all; foreign exchange risks; anti-corruption legislation; recent global financial conditions; the payment of dividends; and conflicts of interest. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Prophecy's forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law. SOURCE: Prophecy Development Corp. A man walks along railway tracks at the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni, on March 9, 2016, where thousands of refugees and migrants are trapped (AFP Photo/Sakis Mitrolidis) Idomeni (Greece) (AFP) - For the past three days, 15-year-old Ola has clung onto a scrap of cardboard bearing the number 22, hoping her turn will finally come to cross the sealed metal fence on the Greek-Macedonian border. But with other countries on the winding refugee trail to northern Europe announcing a near-complete border shutdown, that chance now seems remote. "We are hoping a miracle will happen," says the Syrian youngster from Aleppo, who has lived in a tent at Idomeni with her mother and two younger brothers for two weeks. "We thought Germany wanted us. That's why we took the boat and came here." Macedonia on Wednesday confirmed it had not allowed any refugees through, but insisted the border was not closed. "The authorities have decided to allow in an equivalent number of migrants who can leave (Macedonian) territory," police spokeswoman Natalija Spirova told AFP. Slovenia and Croatia, two of the countries along the route used by hundreds of thousands of people in recent months, barred entry to transiting migrants from midnight. Serbia indicated it would follow suit. EU member Slovenia said that the only exceptions were for people wishing to claim asylum in the country or for migrants "on humanitarian grounds and in accordance with the rules of the Schengen zone," Europe's 26-country passport-free zone. The measures follow Austria's decision in February to cap the number of migrants passing through its territory, which has led to a gradual tightening of borders through the western Balkans. Coupled with a steady flow of new arrivals from Turkey, the border restrictions have blocked more than 14,000 mainly Syrian and Iraqi refugees in an unhygienic camp operated by beleaguered aid groups. Recurring rainfall has turned the area into a bog. Yuso, a 20-year-old Syrian travelling with his brother, says he is aware of the new restrictions but will soldier on nonetheless. - 'Nothing else to do' - Story continues "We know about Slovenia but we'll try to cross the border, we have nothing else to do," he says. With people routinely falsifying their queue number to skip the line for border passage, women have to intervene to stop the simmering tension from breaking into open violence. Hundreds are waiting to see a doctor or to get a sandwich. In contrast, there are only 100 people queueing in front a UN refugee agency stand to request relocation to another EU state. This process can take months, and refugees have no say in which country they will eventually end up. The European Union has in place a scheme to relocate some 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy, but so far, fewer than a thousand have left. So it's no surprise that given the option -- and the money -- most here would pay a smuggler to get them through the fence. "Some people crossed yesterday through the forest. But we can't go with the children," says Mirvat, a 30-year-old teacher from Aleppo travelling with her three children. Her husband is missing in Syria. "In Syria there is a war. We can't stay there or in Turkey where there is no money to live. We want to go to Germany and have a decent life," says Mirvat. Ola says she has seen traffickers demanding 2,500 euros ($2,700) per person to provide EU documents and passports to European countries. The Greek government says there are nearly 36,000 migrants and refugees stranded in the country, but police in the north said there were another 4,000 people unaccounted for. US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hold a news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 25, 2016 (AFP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Moscow (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to intensify the drive for a political settlement in Syria but remained divided over Bashar al-Assad's future. After four hours of talks at the Kremlin, Kerry said the United States and Russia had found common ground on the Syrian peace process and on taking the fight to the Islamic State jihadist group. Before the meeting, US officials had suggested he would sound out the Russian leader about pressuring his ally Assad to step aside as part of the political solution, but afterwards little of this was said. Kerry noted that Putin had begun to withdraw the Russian forces that had been sent to shore up Assad's rule, and had renewed Russia's commitment to the political process under way at UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva. "Russia will have to speak for itself as what it's going to choose to do in order to help Mr Assad make the right decisions, but we agreed today... that we will try to accelerate the effort to move the political process forward," he said. "We agreed on a target schedule for establishing a framework for a political transition and also a draft constitution, and the target is August," Kerry said at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the talks. Lavrov told journalists that Moscow and Washington would now step up efforts to get the Syrian regime and opposition to hold "direct talks" in Geneva, where a round of negotiations that saw a United Nations mediator shuttle between the delegations concluded on Thursday. "As the immediate task we have agreed to push for the soonest start of direct talks between the government delegation and the whole spectrum of the opposition," Lavrov said, calling for "a transitional governance structure" in the war-torn country. Putin did not attend the final news conference, but he had unexpectedly warm words for the United States' role in Syria at the start of the Kremlin encounter. Story continues "We understand that what we have managed to achieve on Syria has only been possible thanks to the constructive position of the political leadership in the US, the position of President Obama," Putin said. Kerry said the two sides were looking to bolster the month-old ceasefire between Assad's forces and the opposition hammered out by Putin and Barack Obama. "We agreed today to build on recent gains to take immediate steps to reinforce the cessation of hostilities," Kerry said, adding this included "steps to end the use of any indiscriminate weapons, to halt attempts by either side to seize new territory and to finalise a common understanding for how this cessation can be institutionalised." "We agreed that the regime and the opposition need to begin releasing detainees," he added. Lavrov told Kerry that diplomatic efforts had been focused on creating a "balance of interests" among all sides involved in the Syrian crisis, including Moscow and Washington. - Russian warplanes - But US officials fear the Syrian opposition will drop out of UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva unless Russia's ally Assad agrees to step down as part of a political transition. Putin has stood by Assad, and even sent Russian warplanes to fight to protect his regime and strike the Islamic State, which has seized territory in the east of the country. But Moscow's partial withdrawal of its forces from Syria has created what Washington believes is an opportunity to press for a change of stance on the regime. "What we're looking for, and what we've been looking for, for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad's leadership," a senior US official told reporters. In Geneva, opposition negotiators confirmed that they are counting on Russia to keep the pressure on the regime. After the latest round of talks with UN mediator Staffan de Mistura, opposition spokesman Bassma Kodmani said: "This is a unique moment, a precious moment and we hope Russia will seize this moment and use its leverage." And de Mistura said Thursday that the UN was aiming to restart Syria peace talks on April 9. Ties between Russia and the US have been at their lowest point since the Cold War amid fury over the Kremlin's meddling in Ukraine. Kerry insisted Washington was not backing down on the crisis. Kerry said Ukraine's territory still includes the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed two years ago, as well as disputed rebel-held areas in the east of the country. He also said that he had raised the issue of freeing Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko after she was sentenced this week to 22 years in jail over the killing of two Russian journalists following what the West has condemned as a politically motivated sham trial. By Olga Yagova and Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will export more oil to Europe in April than it has in any month since 2013 - despite Moscow's plan to sign a global agreement on freezing production in a bid to lift the price of crude. The fact Russian exports are rising illustrates how hard it will be to enforce the deal, due to be finalised on April 17 in Qatar, and shows the potential for countries to use loopholes to keep exporting crude, blunting the intended impact on prices. Russia can raise exports while keeping production flat by re-routing some oil away from refineries and into exports. Moscow says the freeze covers production, not sales abroad. The International Energy Agency said on Wednesday the deal may be meaningless. Iran and Libya have said they will not participate, at least for now, and they plan to raise production. Nigeria, the top oil producer in Africa, has said it expects oil exporters to agree a supply freeze in Doha next month but that it plans to boost its own output. The increase in Russian exports is mainly because of planned maintenance at refineries that reduced their capacity to process crude. It also reflects Russia's economic slump, which has reduced domestic demand for refined products. But another factor, according to one trader, is a desire by Russian producers to protect their share of the crude oil market in Europe, where Russia's traditional dominance is under threat from newly arriving Saudi supplies. "Of course, no one said those markets belong to Mother Russia. This is purely commercial trade," said the trader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the media. "But a marketplace is a marketplace, no one is going to give it up." EXPORTS NOT INCLUDED Reports that members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as well as non-OPEC producers were discussing an output freeze have helped lift world oil prices from glut-induced 12-year lows hit in January. Story continues Asked what would be covered by the agreement, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters: "The discussion is only about freezing production. And not exports." The high level of Russian oil exports next month was confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday by export pipeline monopoly Transneft. According to the company, Russia is set to export 7 million tonnes from Baltic Sea ports in April, the largest volume since October 2013. That marks a 9 percent increase on the 6.41 million tonnes planned for export in March. IDLE REFINERIES According to Reuters calculations based on Energy Ministry data, Russia will have as much as 4.3 million tonnes of idle refining capacity next month, more than twice the 1.9 million tonnes unused in March. Russian refineries traditionally have the largest offline capacity in April, as companies scramble to finish maintenance before consumption of oil products peaks in summer. This forces producers to divert crude towards exports, because there is nowhere to store the oil that otherwise would have gone to refineries. When refineries come back on line, the glut in exports could end. However, not all of the offline capacity is down to maintenance. Some is simply idle because the economics of the oil industry make it more lucrative to export instead. Oil traders' profit from selling at home and abroad varies depending on demand. According to Reuters calculations, a trader would last month have sold crude with a premium of around 500 roubles ($7.3) per tonne for export compared to a domestic sale. Russia could, in theory, export even more crude, but that would be limited by infrastructure constraints. There is almost no spare capacity at the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, while the Druzhba pipeline, which connects Russia to the northeast corner of the European Union, may take an additional 200,000-400,000 tonnes only, traders say. (Writing by Vladimir Soldatkin and Katya Golubkova; Editing by Dale Hudson) A bag with SAP logo is pictured before the company's annual general meeting in Mannheim, Germany, May 20, 2015. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach BERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German software giant SAP on Thursday extended the contracts of its top executive team until 2021, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, in a move that dispels doubts about the future tenure of Chief Executive Bill McDermott. McDermott lost his sight in one eye after falling down a flight of stairs during a holiday last July. His accident led to speculation in some German media over whether he was fit to continue as chief executive and would be replaced. Last month, German weekly WirtschaftsWoche cited company sources as saying that SAP's board was considering replacing McDermott with two co-CEOs. http://bit.ly/1RB85sy In a memo to employees, SAP said its supervisory board had renewed the contracts of McDermott, Chief Financial Officer Luka Mucic, product development chief Bernd Leukert and Rob Enslin, its global head of sales. Terms had been set to expire in 2017. "To ensure continued success we decided to reappoint them for a period of five years," the memo signed by Hasso Plattner, SAP chairman and a co-founder of the 44-year-old firm, said. As CEO, McDermott acts as SAP's outspoken salesman-in-chief while helping to manage the company's transition to become a supplier of cloud-based business planning services instead of relying on traditional sales of its classic packaged software. Europe's largest software company has cautioned that this transition will put continued pressure on operating margins until at least 2020. SAP is looking to make faster inroads into the market for Internet-based software than long-time rival Oracle and other established software players while fending off pure cloud-based rivals like Salesforce.com and Workday. (Reporting Harro ten Wolde and Eric Auchard; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Edward Taylor) ZURICH (Reuters) - In a widening corruption probe into Venezuela's state oil company by the U.S. Justice Department, Swiss regulators have agreed to provide U.S. prosecutors with records from at least 18 banks relating to the oil firm, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The request for information from the U.S. authorities was part of their investigation into bribery at Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) (PDVSA.UL). U.S. authorities say they have traced over $1 billion (706.47 million pounds) to a conspiracy involving a Venezuelan magnate who allegedly paid bribes to obtain contracts from PDVSA. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara had requested the records in connection with an investigation by the New York Attorney's Office into representatives of Venezuelan energy company Derwick Associates, which has done business with PDVSA, Switzerland's Federal Office of Justice told Bloomberg. Records of any wire transactions between the 18 banks and individuals or companies suspected of bribery or other criminal conduct in Venezuela would be given to federal prosecutors in New York as a result of the request. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Both the U.S. Justice Department and a spokeswoman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara declined to comment. In December, three former officials at Venezuela's state oil company pleaded guilty in a federal court in Houston, Texas, to charges related to a scheme by two businessmen to corruptly secure energy contracts, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi and Nate Raymond; Editing by Mark Potter) By Paul Sandle and Francesco Guarascio LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Facial recognition software, scanners that detect weapons and cameras that spot nervous people are some of the technologies that could be used more widely to secure public places, but some would require greater acceptance of surveillance in Europe. The deadly attacks in Brussels on Tuesday highlighted the vulnerability of Europe's airports and transport systems. European Union officials, grappling with the conundrum of how to increase security while retaining the openness of society, have convened meetings to discuss aviation and land transport security. Their goal is to be able to monitor passengers unobtrusively while minimizing additional hold ups that create crowds, which can themselves become new targets. Experts say technology cannot solve the problem on its own, but techniques such as facial recognition able to pick out known suspects can help if Europeans decide they want more surveillance. Technology security expert and academic Pierluigi Paganini said if properly applied, facial recognition technology could have alerted security forces to the bombers at Brussels airport. "For the technology to be effective, it is however necessary to have several cameras operating, especially, in the case of an airport, at the transit zones," he said. Paul Murphy from IndigoVision, a British company which specializes in video security systems, said a typical system could require 2,000 cameras and powerful computer servers. "Only in the last two years has it become affordable and reliable," he said. "The cost has been prohibitive until recently and also the technology wasn't quite good enough." Such systems have been installed at Israel's Ben Gurion International, major hubs in the Middle East and an airport in South America, he said. But the technology was still not as good as a human, he said, and it could be hampered by simple measures like donning headwear. At least one of the bombers in Brussels was wearing a hat. Story continues Recognizing a suspect in real time is far harder than identifying a suspect after an incident. "Comparing all of those faces (in a crowd) against a database is a enormously difficult task," said Kevin Riordan, UK director of checkpoint solutions at British airport scanner maker Smiths. "Looking for a particular face in a crowd is easier." Real-time identification requires the suspect to be known to authorities and present in the database used by the airport. Elke Oberg of German software group Cognitec said the availability of data to be matched with images taken by cameras was a problem. "For this, it is obvious that security agencies should share more information, in compatible formats, which is rarely the case at the moment," she said. NERVOUS FLUSH The latest airport body scanner machines detect hidden objects with extremely high frequency radiation known as millimeter waves, which bounce off things they strike. Britain's Qinetiq, a privatized former government defense research agency, is working on Passive Millimetre Wave technology that monitors naturally occurring energy from passengers, rather than requiring them to queue up and pass through a scanner that shines a beam at them. It can find concealed weapons at a distance of up to 15 meters, the company says. But any such technologies would still rely on security people on the ground able to respond in seconds. "There are some technologies that are moving us forward, but many of them rely on people making decisions," said Chris Phillips, former head of Britain's National Counter-Terrorism Security office. Israel's Suspect Detection Systems (SDS) is developing thermal cameras able to point out suspects in a crowd by spotting unusual body heat, signaling nervousness. Chief Executive Shabtai Shoval, however, also said surveillance must be combined with agents on the ground. "For example, if set up at the entrance to a terminal to mark out potential terrorists, it would be of limited use if there are not security personnel available on the spot to intercept them," he said. One change on the table at the EU talks will be screening passengers at the entrance to airports, a process already in place in locations like Istanbul. Smith's Riordan said technology was not good enough to scan passengers as they entered a terminal without interrupting the flow. "Millimetre wave technology can do that to a certain range, but whether it can detect what is in somebody's rucksack is another matter." Security portals, which passengers could walk through largely unimpeded, had been deployed, he said, but their effectiveness was limited by the explosives used in attacks not being "very smelly". A better solution might be more use of dogs. "They're much smarter if trained correctly," one EU official said. Another technology being developed by Israel's SDS would allow authorities to contact smartphone-holders in the vicinity of a suspected terrorist incident and commandeer the cameras on their smartphones. "This could be applied after there is an initial attack and a pursuit of suspects, or when an attack has not yet happened but a suspect has been reported," Shoval said. But the technology would require a mind-set shift on the part of civilians, turning them into first-responders. "Israelis are used to this. In Israel, civilians feel like they are also on the front line," he said. "The question is whether the same can be said for Europeans." (Writing by Paul Sandle; additional reporting by Dan Williams, Tova Cohen, Julia Fioretti and Eric Auchard; editing by Peter Graff) * Coalition parties met to discuss speaker's nomination * Parties to negotiate new coalition agreement * Groysman says to honour commitments to IMF, EU * Says wants ex Slovak finance minister in the government (Adds quotes, details, background throughout) By Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets KIEV, March 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliamentary speaker emerged on Thursday as the frontrunner to replace the unpopular Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, signalling a breakthrough in a political crisis that has lasted months. Current and former members of the ruling coalition met to discuss nominating Volodymyr Groysman, a 38-year-old former mayor and ally of President Petro Poroshenko, but stressed the appointment could only work if parties can agree on a new coalition deal. Support for Yatseniuk's Western-backed government has plunged since he took power after the 2013/2014 Maidan protests and his government has been hanging by a thread since three parties quit the coalition, the first in September. Coalition infighting and corruption scandals have stymied reforms demanded by Kiev's Western backers and derailed negotiations for a new $1.7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund needed to prop up the war-torn economy. Groysman might be a good compromise candidate to balance competing factional interests. But he would still need to convince the United States, the European Union and the IMF, all increasingly frustrated with Kiev, that Ukraine would honour its international commitments. "I believe that all commitments ... regarding implementing the IMF programme, issues relating to EU association, regarding the free trade zone with the European Union, must be carried out by Ukraine seamlessly," he told a news conference. "This is a question of our reputation." Groysman said he would invite former Slovak Finance Minister Ivan Miklos, currently an adviser to the finance minister, to join his cabinet, but did not specify for which post. Story continues Groysman's appointment is not a shoe-in, even assuming Yatseniuk will finally bow to calls to resign, and it is likely to come only after days or weeks of fractious talks between parties. "I am sure that if we do not resolve the political crisis, the only way out of the crisis will be via snap parliamentary elections," Yuriy Lutsenko, a senior lawmaker in Poroshenko's party, told reporters. Technocrat Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko, a foreign-born former fund manager, had also been considered as a candidate. While championed by Washington as a reformer, lawmakers said she lacked support in parliament. Groysman is seen as a talented orator who has grown in confidence as speaker - a role that requires a calm authority to manage the bickering and all-out brawls that periodically interrupt sessions in Ukraine's parliament. "Groysman is able to find a compromise with all politicians. Groysman knows every deputy - he knows their desires, interests and foibles," Serhiy Leshchenko, a lawmaker from Poroshenko's party, said in an interview with Ukrainian news site Liga. "Groysman knows how to use these instruments to reach agreement with different groups of deputies." (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Natlalia Zinets, Alessandra Prentice and Alexei Kalmykov; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) French Prime Minister Manuel Valls says there is an "urgent need" to tighten controls on the European Union's external borders (AFP Photo/Miguel Medina) (AFP/File) Paris (AFP) - France's prime minister on Wednesday said there was an "urgent need" to tighten controls on the European Union's external borders after deadly bombings in Brussels claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. "There is an urgent need to strengthen the external borders of the European Union," Manuel Valls told French radio. Heightened vigilance was required to stop people crossing into Europe with false passports, as IS has "stolen a large number of passports in Syria," he said. Europe is facing a security crisis after Tuesday's triple bomb attacks in Brussels, which left around 30 dead, and the November 13 bomb and gun assaults in Paris that killed 130. Two of the suicide bombers involved in the Paris attack were found with fake Syrian passports and several crossed into Europe posing as refugees. Belgian television reported Wednesday that two of the suicide bombers who blew themselves up in Brussels were brothers linked to Salah Abdeslam, thought to be the last surviving member of the core group that attacked Paris. Abdeslam was arrested on Friday after a four-month manhunt, and his fingerprints were found in an apartment rented by Khalid El Bakraoui, believed to have blown himself up alongside his brother Ibrahim. "At this stage more than 30 people have been identified as linked to the Paris attacks. Eleven are dead, 12 are under lock and key and others are still wanted," said Valls. "Were some of them involved in the Paris attacks? We will see, the investigation will reveal this," he added. "These attacks are organised from Syria... with a base, it is obvious, in Belgium but also in France." Valls again urged the adoption of a Europe-wide system of tracking airline passenger names, an initiative that has led to misgivings among critics over the use and security of personal data. France has led the calls for adopting the Passenger Name Record (PNR) system first mooted in 2010, which would cover all international and internal EU flights while providing safeguards on access to and use of the data collected. America's water issues extend far beyond the current crisis in Flint, Michigan and it's going to take a massive infrastructure investment to protect citizens from serious public health dangers, say experts. In light of World Water Day, on March 22, the White House, along with about 150 other institutions, pledged more than $5 billion to improve water accessibility and quality across the nation, acknowledging that "water challenges are facing communities and regions across the United States, impacting millions of lives and costing billions of dollars in damages." In fact, data CNBC obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency reveals that only nine U.S. states are reporting safe levels of lead in their water supply. These include Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Tennessee. According to the EPA, 41 states had Action Level Exceedance (ALEs) in the last three fiscal years, meaning states have reported higher than acceptable levels of lead in drinking water. On its website, the EPA published a regulation in 1991 known as the Lead and Copper Rule to control lead and copper in drinking water. "If the action level for lead is exceeded, the system must also inform the public about steps they should take to protect their health and may have to replace lead service lines under their control," the website states. Furthermore, the EPA told CNBC that of the more than 7,000 schools subject to the EPA Lead and Copper Rule, 431 reported heightened levels of lead between 2012 and 2015. Lynn Thorp, the national campaigns director at Clean Water Action, told CNBC that of particular concern in Lead and Copper Rule compliance data would be public water systems with repeated exceedances of the action level. "If over 10 percent of samples are showing lead at the tap over 15 parts per billion, and this is occurring over and over again, this is a signal that controlling corrosion from lead in pipes and plumbing is not working," Thorp said. Story continues The director did add, though, that because lead levels can vary in any one place and over time, "an exceedance should prompt system action, investigation and notification, but it should not be used to draw conclusions about statewide lead levels at the tap." Experts say, however, that the focus should not necessarily be on water quality in the United States, which is fairly high, but rather with the infrastructure that is delivering the water to our homes, schools, daycares and cities. Casey Dinges, the American Society of Civil Engineers senior managing director, told CNBC that the infrastructure conveying the water is in "serious need of investment right now." "If we continue on the path that we are on now, and if we don't increase investment in these areas, we're putting at risk by the year 2020 over $400 billion in U.S. GDP, 700,000 jobs would be endangered, and over half a trillion dollars in personal income would be at risk," Dinges said. Those investments include pouring money into pipes, water treatment plants and other water infrastructure. Dinges says it would cost a little more than $80 billion over a nine-year period to protect businesses from losing about $150 billion and could protect homeowners from about $60 billion in costs associated with water-related issues. "The cost-benefit ratio of about an $80 billion investment yielding over $200 billion in savings for the country is a good investment for us to make," Dinges said. The water situation in Newark, New Jersey, schools is now in the spotlight as well. John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union, told CNBC that Newark public schools are a "mini-Flint," with tests revealing that at least 30 schools in the city show lead contaminated water samples. "It could be in the upwards of $10 [million] to $20 million dollars to retrofit the plumbing in some of these buildings. Some of these buildings are over a century and a half old," Abeigon said. The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit public policy organization, published a report saying that better regional measures should be in place in order to improve water infrastructure. Among the steps Brookings suggests that local areas can take to improve these issues includes increasing transparency on any water data collected, producing more detailed metrics of the infrastructure itself and conducting more frequent testing. "It is in part an infrastructure crisis, but it is also a case of gaps in government oversight at all levels, of ill-thought austerity and of not being aggressively proactive in taking the job of protecting, treating and distributing drinking water as a public health issue," Clean Water Action's Thorp said. Erik Olson, senior strategic director with the Natural Resources Defense Council, agrees. "The Flint water crisis is extreme, but it's not the only case of lead-contaminated tap water in America. Lead problems exist across the nation, but deficient data reporting, often nonexistent state oversight and an utter lack of accountability by state and federal governments keeps the widespread problem of lead in drinking water largely out of sight," he said. More From CNBC US President Barack Obama (L) and Argentinian President Mauricio Macri deliver a joint press conference at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires on March 23, 2016 (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm) (AFP) Buenos Aires (AFP) - The United States and Argentina sealed a major trade deal on the first day of President Barack Obama's visit Wednesday, bolstering the efforts of his counterpart to end a decade-and-a-half of international financial isolation. After talks in Buenos Aires between Obama and new President Mauricio Macri, the White House announced the signature of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and support for Argentina's full participation in the IMF and other key international financial institutions. Macri won elections in November, ending 12 years of leftist and crisis-ridden rule by the late Nestor Kirchner and his wife Cristina who reveled in political enmity with Washington. Obama is keen to help shore up the new president, spying a chance to put Argentina on a firmer financial footing and creating a new ally in the region. "The United States welcomes President Macri's efforts to strengthen Argentina's ties to the international financial system and engage with multilateral economic fora," the White House said. The White House also announced that six trade delegations would visit Argentina and technical assistance to help support reforms. Argentina is Latin America's third-largest economy, similar in size to Sweden, Nigeria or Taiwan. But a $100 billion default in 2001 made it a financial pariah, effectively shut out from international capital markets. Macri has tried to quickly clear billions' worth of remaining claims from holdout bond holders. A deal has been agreed but has yet to be ratified. Until the issue is resolved, Argentina is frozen out of the International Monetary Fund, making investment difficult. Obama had traveled from Cuba -- where citizens are among the most pro-American in the hemisphere despite government suspicions and Cold War tension -- to a country where anti-American sentiment is rife. George W. Bush was the last US president to visit Argentina. But his 2005 trip to a regional summit sparked mass protests, rioting and arrests. SANTIAGO, CHILE / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2016 / White Mountain Titanium Corporation (WMTM) ("White Mountain" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of a $2,000,000 debt funding agreement with NEXO WMTM Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of NEXO Capital Partners, LLC (collectively "NEXO"). Under the terms of the Loan Agreement dated and entered into on March 16, 2016 (the "Loan Agreement"), the Company borrowed $2,000,000 from NEXO which was evidenced by a 7% Senior Convertible Promissory Note (the "Note"). The Note is convertible into shares of our Series A Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), and the transaction includes demand and piggyback registration rights under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement entered into on March 16, 2016, with Nexo to register the resale of the common shares issuable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock. Under the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Company also issued three-year warrants to purchase up to 8,333,333 common shares of the Company at $0.30 per share. Finally, under the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Company entered into an exclusive Assignment of Development Rights (the "Development Assignment Agreement") with NEXO Water Ventures, LLC ("NEXO Water"), another subsidiary of NEXO. The Development Assignment Agreement relates to the proposed desalination plant to be constructed in connection with the Company's Cerro Blanco mining project in Chile to fund, construct, and manage a desalination plant which forms part of White Mountain's Cerro Blanco mining project in Chile. Complete details of the transaction with NEXO are available in a recent 8-K filing. Mr. Andrew Sloop, who was appointed a director of the Company on March 4, 2016, is a Partner of NEXO Capital Ventures. NEXO is a US private equity firm which specializes in the business development of new technologies through strategic project acquisition and technology-implementation opportunities. NEXO proposes to integrate the use of proven high recovery desalination technologies within the design of the desalination project. By incorporating the proven high recovery desalination technologies into the design at Cerro Blanco, the parties intend to significantly increase the fresh water recovery over that achievable through reverse osmosis alone. The Company has granted to NEXO Water the exclusive right to fund and develop the Company's proposed desalination plant in connection with the Cerro Blanco project, and the parties will negotiate in good faith to create a joint venture and determine an equity split, within industry standards, to share proceeds from future sales of water. Once the Cerro Blanco mine is operational, water requirements for the mine and processing plant will be made available to the project at concessionary rates. Commenting on the Loan Agreement, Michael Kurtanjek, Interim CEO of White Mountain, said, "In keeping with our commitment to advance the Cerro Blanco mine project to a final engineering stage as quickly as possible, the early construction of the associated desalination plant has always been a top priority. We look forward to working with NEXO, who will bring not only the necessary finance to construct the desalination plant but also the technology which could significantly increase fresh water recoveries. With NEXO assuming the funding responsibility for the water plant, this will significantly reduce the projected Capex figure for the Cerro Blanco rutile project." Andrew Sloop added, "I'm delighted to join the White Mountain team and be associated with the development of a world class asset. NEXO already has a significant presence in Chile, and it is for that reason, that a partnership with White Mountain makes good business sense. The project already has the EIS approval in hand, and I look forward to working as a Board member, to ensure a sustainable and profitable mining enterprise at Cerro Blanco." About White Mountain Titanium Corporation The Company holds mining concessions on the Cerro Blanco property currently consisting of 41 registered mining exploitation concessions and 34 mining exploration concessions in the process of being constituted, over approximately 17,041 hectares located approximately 39 kilometres west of the City of Vallenar in the Atacama, or Region III, geographic region of northern Chile. In May 2015, the Company received full environmental approval for its Cerro Blanco project. The Company's principal objectives are to develop its desalination plant and to advance the Cerro Blanco project towards a bankable engineering study and secure funding or other arrangements to place the project into production, if ultimately warranted. It would be the intention to sell the rutile concentrate to titanium metal and pigment producers. Work also continues to investigate the commercial viability of producing a feldspar co-product. The feldspar could find applications in the glass and ceramics industries. Forward-Looking Statements OTC Markets has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and, therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. See the Company's periodic and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the Commission's website at www.sec.gov. Contact: White Mountain Titanium Corporation Michael P. Kurtanjek, President & Interim CEO 011 562 2657 1800 SOURCE: White Mountain Titanium Corporation By Se Young Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world's biggest maker of smartphones and memory chips, announced on Thursday that it plans to adopt a corporate culture akin to a startup, seeking to become more nimble as growth slows. Samsung's executives will sign a pledge to move away from a top-down culture and towards a working environment that fosters open dialogue. The flagship firm of South Korea's dominant conglomerate will also reduce the number of levels in its staff hierarchy and hold more frequent online discussions between business division heads and employees. "We aim to reform our internal culture, execute as quickly as a startup company and push towards open communication and continuously innovate," it said in a statement. The pronouncement is the latest among sweeping changes attempted at a time of crisis by the conglomerate and carries echoes of a 1993 exhortation by Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun-hee to executives to "change everything but your wife and children". Hurt by a rapid decline in smartphone profits and the absence of new businesses to drive growth, Samsung has been under pressure to reform its military-style working culture to foster innovation. Some current and former employees say it will be difficult for a company like Samsung, which has global headcount of more than 300,000, to transform itself. Analysts also say there is the risk of Samsung losing its edge as a fast-execution hardware company by attempting to change its ways. Lee has been hospitalised since a 2014 heart attack, and the group is in the midst of a transition to control by his son, Jay Y. Lee. Other moves in recent years to ease a rigid corporate culture include flexible working hours, a loosening of dress code requirements for weekend work and less pressure on employees to attend after-work drinking sessions that have long been a staple of Korean corporate life. Samsung said it will also cut down on unnecessary internal meetings and simplify reporting procedures in order to improve productivity and offer training to employees to strengthen their "winning spirit". It will also reduce unnecessary overtime and weekend work and push employees to spend time with their families or take advantage of learning opportunities. (Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - According to Dr. Michael Kosdon, a cosmetic dentist in New York City, many of his patients are interested in much more than simply maintaining healthy teeth and gums. In fact, they are often searching for aesthetic enhancements that can address tooth imperfections and help them achieve more of a "movie-star smile." Whether his patients are suffering from cracked, chipped, stained, discolored or even missing teeth, Dr. Kosdon says there is a wide range of cosmetic dentistry procedures that can help individuals successfully rejuvenate their smiles. With that in mind, Dr. Kosdon recently discussed some general things he feels people should look out for as they research potential cosmetic dentists. Dr. Kosdon says taking the time to look into a cosmetic dentist's credentials is very important, noting that higher levels of training is often a good sign of a dentist's experience and commitment to procedures designed to improve cosmetic issues affecting their teeth. He explains that, while many dentists offer commonly performed cosmetic dentistry treatments such as porcelain veneers, not all of these dentists have undergone the same level of training. According to Dr. Kosdon, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) is one professional organization that requires dentists to go through a certification process, helping to ensure that their members have enhanced knowledge, training, and skill specifically focused on cosmetic procedures. Additionally, he believes that many of the top cosmetic dentists are committed to continuing dental education in order to stay abreast of the latest advancements in the field. Since cosmetic dentists must combine their training with a developed artistic eye, Dr. Kosdon further recommends that prospective patients should carefully review before-and-after photos and testimonials of each doctor they are considering to learn more about the results experienced by previous patients. Story continues At his own practice, Dr. Kosdon says he uses the initial consultation and oral examination as a time to carefully listen to his patient's unique goals and recommend which procedure or combination of cosmetic dentistry procedures can best suit the person's needs. He notes that some of his most popular options include professional teeth whitening treatments, porcelain veneers, and dental implants, which can provide patients with missing teeth an advanced alternative to traditional dentures. Dr. Kosdon says individuals who have multiple cosmetic dental imperfections can often benefit from a total smile makeover -- a procedure that combines a number of treatments for a more complete smile rejuvenation. Overall, Dr. Kosdon says, the field of cosmetic dentistry has seen many advances in the last several years and more options are available to patients than ever before. He advises those who are considering cosmetic dental procedures to thoroughly research prospective dentists and be sure to have all of their questions answered before deciding to undergo a specific treatment. About Michael Kosdon, DDS Dr. Michael Kosdon is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Dental Association. He earned his dental degree from the USC School of Dentistry and continued his education at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. Licensed in both New York and California, Dr. Kosdon offers an extensive array of cosmetic, restorative, and general dental treatments at his Manhattan and Beverly Hills offices. He is also the inventor of the Smile Facelift - a procedure designed to help patients reduce signs of age by utilizing advanced dental techniques. Dr. Kosdon is available for interview upon request. For more information, visit smilesofnyc.com or facebook.com/SmilesofNYC. To view the original source of this press release, click here: https://www.smilesofnyc.com/practice-news/new-york-city-cosmetic-dentist-discusses-aesthetic-dental-care-options-and-smile-transformation Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2980992 2000 - 2022 24 .- . focus-news.net, () . 24 . 24 . . 24 . We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, March 24 (CNA) The owner of a Taiwanese fishing boat that was fired at by Indonesian patrol boats as it was sailing through the Strait of Malacca March 21 has demanded that Indonesia apologize and pay compensation for the damage, as well as punish whoever fired the shots. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Singapore and Jakarta, March 24 (CNA) Captain Lin Nan-yang () of the Taiwanese fishing boat the Sheng Te Tsai on Thursday talked about "those 120 terrifying minutes" in the early morning of March 21 in the Strait of Malacca when his cabin and another Taiwanese boat were shot at without warning by two Indonesian official vessels. Come and enjoy Read more [...] Locutus said: Only a fool could ever have imagined that Edmonton or any other large city would "end homelessness," in 10 years or 20 or 30, except by means of fascist methods or wild, unforeseeable social change. Nevertheless, this sappy utopian vision got a bunch of now-superannuated Alberta politicians celebrated for their heroic vision-y-ness. No one is now eager to point out their humiliating total failure -- to point out that an entire professional class collectively promised the public something specific, and came nowhere close to delivering. They did not deliver half of what they promised. Not a quarter. Not a tenth. There was a man in his 20's pan-handling just inside the lobby of the Walmart Monday evening. At the doors on the other side of the store was a listing of their job vacancies. more Colby Cosh: The magic of ending homelessness a and ending up with more | National Post more Click to expand... Being out on the prairies, I see that (for the most part) beingjobless for an extended period of time is a lifestyle choice.Sometimes shyte happens though and people need a handup.I'm at the grocery store two nights ago, and there's a dude outfront with a cardboard sign that says "Hungry. Need to feed myFamily." Maybe he's between falling on a bad situation andbeing caught by the social safety net.Some folks leaving might give him some change, etc....I don't give money to panhandlers and such.I come out of the grocery store with seven bags of stuff. I setfour of them down beside this guys feet. He gives me a hug &we exchange a few words. It's about 8:30pm at this point.I say to him, "That stuff's kind'a heavy. Do you live close or doyou need a ride?" as I've got my truck in the parking lot. There'sa dozen various cans of Chunky ring-pull soups and a big boxof Crackers (stick to your ribs type food) and four liter size juiceboxes that where on sale for 4/$5, and two reusable cloth bagsas they're hardier and distribute the weight better than plastic.Guy say's, "Nah, that's OK. I'll just take a taxi when I'm done here'cuz that's easier."I wished him luck and headed for my truck thinking, you've gotmoney for a cab, and are begging for food? You could use thatcab money for more food another day if you took the ride offered.Oh well, his family, if they exist, will eat well for a day or two. #spitefulwaysAlberta and Saskatchewan are calling on Ottawa to explain why parts of their province are excluded from benefits to help workers hurt by low oil prices.Under the federal governments budget, Employment Insurance benefits will be temporarily extended by five to 20 weeks for a dozen regions devastated by the commodities slump, including most of Alberta, parts of Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.But other hard-hit areas did not make the list, such as Edmonton and its surroundings and Southern Saskatchewan, which includes oil-centric cities like Estevan.They have missed a big part of Saskatchewans oil patch, Premier Brad Wall told reporters after Ottawa unveiled the budget. The rest of our oil patch is in the southeast and southwest and it is excluded.To come up with a formula for extending benefits, the government identified regions across the country where the unemployment rate has soared over the past year as oil prices spiralled downward.Ottawas budget documents stipulated that the jobless rate in the 12 areas increased by 2 percentage points or more for a sustained period between March, 2015 and February, 2016, compared with its lowest point between December, 2014 and February, 2015, without showing significant signs of recovery.mo Its clear: the world wants Bernie SandersAs an American living abroad, I rarely think of myself as belonging to any sort of expat bloc, even though, taken together, we would constitute the 12th most populous state: there are 8.7 million US citizens living outside the country. I did, however, vote in the Democratic primary as part of this constituency.Democrats Abroad will send 13 delegates (as well as eight superdelegates) to the Democratic convention, which is more than Wyoming. The results came in a few days ago, and Bernie Sanders is the winner.Are Americans who go abroad more liberal, or do they become more liberal as a result?He is, in fact, the overwhelming winner: 69% of the vote, to Clintons 31%, with just under 35,000 votes cast internationally. In the UK, which had the most overseas voters of any country, he gained 62%. Of seven expat Democrats in Afghanistan, five voted for Sanders and two for Clinton. She came top only in the Dominican Republic, Singapore and Nigeria.Its even harder to know what to make of the 75 Americans living abroad who went to the trouble of registering as a Democrat in order to vote Dont Know; five were in the UK. It was raining on the day I went. And cold. If you hadnt made up your mind, why would you bother?If its an interesting, and potentially revealing, win for Bernie, its not a terribly significant one. He picked up all of nine delegates. Hillary got four. Ginger Rosenthal never imagined that she would be a business owner for more than 14 years in Fremont. Rosenthal, owner of the Blue Bottle Coffeehouse and Blue Yoga, originally had far bigger plans. But, as everybody knows, plans can change in a hurry. Originally it was my five year plan to open a coffeehouse, pay off the business loans, sell it and then move to Colorado, Rosenthal said during a Tuesday interview. But here I am 14 years later with two businesses and a building. Rosenthals building, 529 N. Main St., is not only home to the Blue Bottle Coffeehouse and Blue Yoga, but also six additional businesses. Five weeks ago, the coffeehouse and Yoga studio received substantial renovations to not only improve the business for customers, but to also make the area even more aesthetically pleasing. Where numerous tables used to reside inside of the coffeehouses entrance has been replaced with a wooden floor where 11 yoga mats are neatly laid out. Additionally, new carpet was laid, walls were repainted and the old Blue Yoga studio was transformed into another space for customers to enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea. Blue Yoga sessions which arent held during Blue Bottle business hours generally have 25 people attend the five weekly sessions that are offered. Yoga session can be found by visiting www.embraceyourway.com After owning Blue Bottle for 14 years and residing in its fourth location the business finally feels right there wont be any more relocating, Rosenthal said. The idea to open a yoga studio came to Rosenthal in 2010. She was experiencing constant work-related stress, had migraine headaches and dealt with other health issues. She started doing yoga, and she felt better. The migraines and maladies were no longer as severe. She had more energy. She was more productive at work. She wasnt as easily rattled in uncomfortable situations. Well, she thought, people like coffee and yoga, so why not find a way to incorporate both under one roof? The coffeehouse gives you a place to unwind and meet with friends, and yoga gives you a place to take control of your health which there is a huge push for right now, Rosenthal said. I think that people feel helpless and think that they need to rely on a doctor or a specialist to figure out their health, and this way, you can start listening to your body and you can start being the best version of yourself. Theres coffee, and theres yoga, two completely separate things that Rosenthal has combined to run a successful business in Historic Downtown Fremont. And after 14 years of bouncing around from building to building, theres no place she would rather be. Downtown Fremont is a tricky place it can be trying at times, Rosenthal said. But its also so rewarding. Tuesday began as a typical work day in Belgium for Nic Dassonville. Dassonville, a former exchange student at Fremont Bergan High School, said he was on the Universite libre de Bruxelles campus, where he works in the communications department, when he received a strange message on his phone. He was working with students when he received a text from his brother who had just arrived at the airport when the bomb exploded. His text said safe, Dassonville said. I didnt know what happened, but I immediately understood it would be something like a terrorist attack. I immediately contacted the security forces of the campus to try to get more info on the campuses' situation. An hour later, when the news of an explosion occurred in the subway, Dassonville asked for the meeting of the crisis center of the University. We were prepared for this situation, given the November lock-down, he said. But, of course, the stress here was more intense as we didnt know if more bombs were to explode during the day. Dassonville remained in touch with the police forces who asked them to keep the students on the campus, so they did. But around 12 oclock, we received an information from the police telling us threats had been made toward the university on Twitter, he said. We immediately decided to evacuate the campuses: 26,000 students and 5,000 staff members. Dassonville said he spent the entire day working on the security measures with his colleagues from the crisis center, and answering questions from journalists from all over the world. We all knew this kind of attacks could happen, he said. Last week, when the terrorists were arrested in Brussels, it was 300 meters away from my daughters school. Police forces were everywhere with automatic weapons. Helicopters were flying in the schools sky. Children were inside the building and when I came to get my daughter, she told me that the police was looking for a robber. Dassonville admits to having feelings of being lost in his words to his family, but especially to his small children. As a parent, having to tell your children that the city and the school we live in might not be safe, he said. But with the terrorists arrests, we all hoped this would be the end of the crisis situation we experienced since November. Unfortunately, it was not. His first reaction was to call his kids' grandparents to ask them to go get the kids at school and to bring them back home, he said. But once I knew they were safe, it was easier to focus on my tasks but you think all day long about all of the people who were hurt, hoping none of your friends were hit. Its when I saw the images from the airport hall, a very familiar place to me, that I really felt the emotional shock, he said. A couple of days after the initial bombings, Dassonville said Brussels remains a bit groggy. Public transportations are not running all the time and the police and the army is everywhere," he said. "The classes are open, but a big part of the university is still closed and we dont know when well be able to go back to the normal way of living in Brussels. Im not even sure its ever going to be normal again." The senator sponsoring a right-to-farm resolution surprised his colleagues Thursday as they got ready to dig into debate again by asking to send the measure back to the Agriculture Committee for more study. But Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell said he'll be back with the constitutional amendment next session. A simple state law isn't enough, he said. More education of urban senators is needed. Kuehn, an agriculture producer, veterinarian and biology professor, said he recognizes the significant interest on the part of the agricultural community and ag producers in the Legislature who know about the importance of agriculture and agricultural technology. The challenge was getting senators not involved in ag production to grasp the need for all that was included in the resolution (LR378CA), he said. And maybe, because of the constitutional aspect of the proposal, it got overanalyzed. "It just reinforced that we have an even greater educational need within the body than I really thought we did," Kuehn said. And given the amount of time left in this session -- 11 days -- another three hours of floor debate wasn't going to answer the questions for some of those senators, he said. Agriculture Committee Chairman Jerry Johnson was among those who thought the idea needed more study. In other states, he said, right-to-farm measures dealt more with animal rights. This one included other types of farm practices and then was complicated with references to technologies and genetically modified organisms, he said. The committee will study the issue over the interim, and include agriculture groups, he said. It is a priority. "I think my mission is to bring ag groups back together because I think they're split on this," Johnson said. He wants it to be a win for agriculture, he said. But the resolution had a lot of risks because so many amendments were filed -- seven in the past week or so. Accusations had circulated since the resolution was introduced that it had come from special interest groups or Gov. Pete Ricketts, with motivations other than protecting agriculture. But Kuehn, a fourth-generation ag producer, said it's something he's been looking at for years. "It is solely mine. I am proud that the other producers and some other senators cosigned and were brought along," he said. "I am the one who sold the governor on the concept," Kuehn said, adding that he's grateful for his support. The constitutional amendment would have prohibited lawmakers from further restricting farming and ranching practices in Nebraska, except in specific instances, unless they could prove a "compelling state interest." The idea was to reduce outside influences, he said, that impact policymaking. "I want to make sure that we don't have special interest groups exerting an undue influence on the policymaking process," Kuehn said. Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson said ending the discussion on the resolution for the rest of the session sets the table for agriculture and the Legislature to have a broader discussion about the way they can work together to protect the interests of farm and ranch families into the future. With just a few legislative days remaining, we look forward to continuing our efforts to address property taxes, which is the No. 1 priority for Farm Bureau members. Russia resumes charter flights to Turkey following a ban imposed in November. Rosaviation, the Russian civil aviation authority, authorized Ural Airlines to fly from Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan to Antalya. Ural Airlines has assignment to operate Antalya flights seven times a week. Russia has banned sales of tour packages and all charter flights to Turkey on December 1. The downing of the Russian Su-24 fighter jet over Syria by Turkey on November 24 has dealt great damage to bilateral relations between Moscow and Ankara. Russia has banned sales of tour packages to Turkey and the Kremlin has halted charter flights to Turkey, which transported about 90 per cent of the 4.4m Russians who visited the country in 2014. Russia delivers the second-biggest group of visitors to a Turkish tourism industry that generated $34bn in revenue in 2014. They have become such a reliable source of income over the past decade that resorts along the southern Mediterranean have started to cater specifically to their tastes, with Russian-speaking staff and amenities now commonplace. Source: RusTourismNews Malaysia Airlines announced the findings by the Australian Government, Malaysian Investigation Team and investigating parties involved, that the debris recovered from Mozambique recently is almost certainly to have come from MH370. The airline said, This will bring us closer to resolving the disappearance of MH370. Malaysia Airlines would like to thank the Australian and Malaysian authorities and other investigating parties involved in the logistical arrangements and analysis of the debris, as well as the continued search for MH370. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the passengers and crew onboard MH370. We hope that this finding will pave the way for closure to the families and friends of the passengers and crew onboard MH370. Malaysia Airlines will continue to provide the latest updates and information to the families and will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities on the investigation and search for MH370. Etihad Airways, which daily flies to Istanbul Ataturk Airport from its Abu Dhabi hub, adds Istanbuls second airport; Sabiha Gocen to its growing network. Etihad Airways expands its services to Istanbul during 2016 with a new four times weekly service to Sabiha Gokcen Airport. The service will commence on 1 July 2016 and be served by an Airbus A320-200, with 16 seats in business and 120 in economy. The route will provide more travel options for guests travelling between the UAE and Istanbul as well as access to over thirty two-way connected markets and over 240 weekly connections around the world over the Abu Dhabi hub. Sabiha Gokcen Airport is an increasingly popular gateway for visitors to Istanbul and the southern section of the region. It is well connected to other domestic cities on the Asian side of the city, including Yalova and Bursa. James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer for Etihad Airways said: Istanbul is a critically important market within our global network and we plan to serve both city airports to support our wider expansion plans. We have seen an increasing number of guests travelling between both the United Arab Emirates and Turkey and we want this trend to continue and grow during 2016. The timing of the service is excellent to attract local travelers between Abu Dhabi and Istanbul, whilst also enabling seamless connectivity with markets in the GCC, Indian Sub-Continent, Northern Asia, Southern Asia and Australia. Istanbul is one of the worlds most popular tourism destinations thanks to its major attractions, cultural heritage and history. Located where Asia and Europe meet, visitors will gain access to attractions that include ancient mosques, palaces, monuments and traditional bazaars. Etihad Airways originally launched services to Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey in June 2009. Today the airline operates a daily service on the Airbus A330, with full network connectivity. Istanbul Ataturk is already such a popular destination within the Etihad Airways network, that it will host one of the airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are also being added to other cities such as Dusseldorf, Perth, Shanghai and Johannesburg during 2016. Etihad Airways schedule for Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen flights, effective 1 July 2016: Flight No. Origin Departs Destination Arrives Frequency Aircraft EY98 Abu Dhabi (AUH) 0850 Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) 1240 Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat A320-200 EY99 Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) 1340 Abu Dhabi (AUH) 1920 Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat A320-200 Note: All departures and arrivals are listed in local time. Zimbabwes Minister of Tourism Mr. Walter Mzembi wants to secure his move to become the next Secretary General of the United Nation World Tourism Organization UNWTO. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has endorsed the candidature of Zimbabwean Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi who wants to contest for the position of secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).The SADC Council of Ministers, which met in the Botswana capital last week, said the regional bloc would rally behind the Zimbabwean minister when he contests for the top UNWTO job in 2017. Mzembi is eyeing the UNWTO secretary general position when the incumbent, former Jordanian Foreign Minister Talib Rifai ends his second term. The Zimbabwean minister is current chairperson of the UNWTOs Africa Commission, a post he has held since 2013. Pascal Viroleau, CEO of the Vanilla Islands organization published a statement regarding the subject. He asks, Can Zimbabwe today be seen as a country set to unify the world of tourism through their emissary, the current Minister of Tourism? The statement says, The race is not a matter of clan or group but remains a matter of unification! The Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands all depend on tourism and these islands are known as year round tourism destinations. They believe in tourism and work hard to defend the industry. The islands have been active supporters of the work of the UNWTO. The islands have always said that the position of UNWTO General Secretary after Taleb Rifai is for a unifier and one the world at large will accept. The race is not a matter of clan or group but remains a matter of unification! Anyone who will replace Taleb Rifai as Secretary General will find his shoes very large to fill. The Secretariat of the Indian Ocean Islands (Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar, Comoros, Maldives, Mayotte and Seychelles) will be meeting soon to make their proposal for the position known. The UNWTO members should think about the choice they all have to make. Already the UNWTO does not have every country as member states and only recently another country dropped from the membership list. This is why the one who replaces Taleb Rifai needs to be a real unifier with the country he today serves seen and respected as an example in the Community of Nations. In September 2015, the 9th Circuit issued an opinion in the case of Lenz v. Universal. Commonly known as the Dancing Baby case, this legal battle revolved around the DMCA takedown of a video featuring the plaintiffs baby dancing to Princes Lets Go Crazy. Shortly after the decision was released, Lenz requested a rehearing of the case. She argued that the ruling made it difficult for plaintiffs to get relief for fraudulent takedowns of content that qualifies as fair use. While the 9th Circuit has now rejected this rehearing request, they modified their original opinion. This amended opinion removes a few key paragraphs that may have an effect on future DMCA cases. Consideration of fair use required First, it is important to note that the original opinion held that a consideration of fair use is required before a copyright holder can legally send a DMCA takedown. This is clear in the ruling, and has survived the amended opinion. This hinges on the fact that fair use is not considered an affirmative defense by the court. An affirmative defense means that the plaintiff has infringed, but they have an excuse for doing so. Rather, fair use is not an infringing use at all. While the fair use defense takes place in a procedurally-similar part of a court case as an affirmative defense, it is not the same thing. How much consideration must be given? In the latest amended decision, the court has removed a statement that says a copyright holders consideration of fair use need not be searching or intensive in order to comply with the law. This probably means that the court no longer wants to be on the record with such a statement. Most likely, they want to keep the possibility open that some cases would require that searching or intensive consideration of fair use. Automated systems to analyze fair use Another part of the original ruling that has been removed in the amended version deals with automated systems. The court recognized that many companies have to deal with an extremely burdensome amount of copyright infringement, due to the ease of digital copying and distribution. Specifically, the court noted without passing judgment, that the implementation of computer algorithms appears to be a valid and good faith middle ground for processing a plethora of content while still meeting the DMCAs requirements to somehow consider fair use. This sentence and other related text is now gone in the new version of the courts opinion. What does this mean? Its hard to say, but it seems obvious that they didnt want to have an endorsement of these automated systems as a substitute for human review within their opinion. This leaves us open for future litigation on the subject of automated fair use-detecting programs and filters. If you own copyrighted materials, create content for the Internet, or run a website that hosts user-generated content, why not contact an attorney for a fair use assessment? Additionally, fair use and copyright law is just a part of my upcoming course for indie game startups sign up here for info. HEATING MORATORIUM TO END: Iowa Utilities Board officials are reminding customers who receive energy assistance customers to contact their local utilities to avoid electric or natural gas service disconnection once the winter heating moratorium ends next month. Iowas winter home heating moratorium protects customers certified for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), from electric or natural gas service disconnection from Nov. 1 through April 1. Beginning Monday, April 4, energy assistance customers could be subject to service disconnection for unpaid bills with proper notice by their local utility companies. Customers that currently are protected under the LIHEAP or Weatherization Assistance programs, and are having difficulty paying their energy bills are being advised to contact their local utilities before April 1 to discuss payment options or arrange for a payment agreement to avoid potential service disconnection. SENATE CONFIRMATION: Members of the Senate State Government Committee on Thursday asked San Wong, director of the state Department of Human Rights, to return for a full committee hearing to discuss concerns they have about the way the agency is addressing the needs of the states minority populations. Wong presented data about income and population on various Iowa demographics and strategies the department has for civic engagement, addressing criminal justice inequities. But committee members said the information was inadequate and provided little evidence that the agency was advocating for women and minorities in the legislative process given a number of issues pertaining to race relations, refugee services and criminal injustices facing American society. Committee chairman Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, said the concerns could impact a Senate vote on Wongs reappointment confirmation where 34 affirmative votes are needed to achieve the two-thirds majority needed for approval. SENATE CONFIRMATION 2: Members of the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously recommended Tuesday the confirmations of Gov. Terry Branstads reappointments of Paul Trombino as director of the state Department of Transportation and Charese Yanney of Sioux City as a member of the DOT Commission. However, the committee held off on consideration of Branstads appointment of Kathleen Fehrman of Des Moines to replace DOT commissioner Amy Reasoner of Cedar Rapids. Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, said lawmakers prefer to maintain a regional balance on the panel that directs statewide transportation policy and funding and Reasoners departure when her terms expires April 30 would create a void in the states northeast quadrant. FUEL PRICES STEADY: Iowa retail gasoline prices are holding relatively steady, according to survey results issued by the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The average statewide price of regular unleaded gasoline stood at $2.03 a gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA. That was unchanged from the previous week but 37 per gallon lower than one year ago. The national average was $1.99, an increase of three cents a gallon from the pervious week. Meanwhile, retail diesel fuel prices in Iowa were a penny higher with a statewide average of $2.08 a gallon, which was slightly lower than the national average but below the $2.72 price of a year ago. On the heating fuel side, propane prices were unchanged from last week with a statewide average of $1.01 per gallon, while home heating oil rose a penny to $1.68 and natural gas prices down three cents. GYPSY MOTH TREATMENTS: Public meetings have been planned in Allamakee and Jackson counties to discuss gypsy moth treatments in northeast Iowa. The April 5 meeting in Bellevue and the April 6 meeting in Lansing both at 7:00 p.m. will feature representatives from Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State University Extension who will present information about gypsy moths and maps of the proposed treatment areas. The European Gypsy Moth is a destructive defoliator of over 300 species of trees and shrubs, especially oaks. Repeated defoliation by gypsy moth weakens trees and can ultimately lead to tree death. Officials say Iowa is part of the Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread program, which has reduced the rate of the advancing front of gypsy moth that is slowly expanding westward into Iowa, primarily in the northeast area of the state. Iowa plans to use aerial applied mating disruption pheromone to control gypsy moth populations. The pheromone used is specific to gypsy moths. QUOTE OF THE DAY: We arent interested in passing a false number that we will only come back and have to cut next year. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, discussing the prospects of setting a fiscal 2018 increase in state aid for K-12 schools after lawmakers passed a 2.25 percent increase for fiscal 2017 this week. The Iowa Senate voted last month to set growth in state aid for fiscal 2018 at 4 percent. Swedish English LUND March 24, 2016 - The shareholders of Anoto Group AB (publ), are hereby invited to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on Wednesday, 27 April 2016 at 09:00 CET, at the Companys head office at Mobilvagen 10 in Lund, Sweden. Notification of participation Shareholders wishing to attend the General Meeting must be entered as shareholders in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB no later than on Thursday, 21 April 2016, notify the Company of their intention to participate no later than on Friday, 22 April 2016, preferably before noon. Attendance is to be notified by mail to Anoto Group AB (publ) at Mobilvagen 10, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden, by telephone +46 46 540 12 00, or by e-mail to EGM@anoto.com. The notification should state name, social security number/corporate identification number, telephone number and registered number of shares. To facilitate admittance to the General Meeting, proxies, registration certificates and other authorisation documents should be submitted to the Company at the above address no later than on 22 April 2016. The Company provides proxy forms at the Companys office in Lund as well as on the Companys web page www.anoto.com. Shareholders who hold their shares through nominees (Sw. forvaltare) must request a temporary registration of the shares in their own name, with Euroclear Sweden AB. Shareholders who wishes to obtain such registration must contact the nominee regarding this well in advance of 21 April 2016. Proposed agenda 1. Opening of the Meeting 2. Election of Chairman at the Meeting 3. Preparation and approval of voting list 4. Approval of the agenda 5. Election of one or two persons to verify the minutes 6. Determination of whether the Meeting has been duly convened 7. Resolution to amend the Articles of Association 8. Approval of the resolution by the Board of Directors to issue new shares with preferential rights for the shareholders 9. Determination regarding the number of members of the Board of Directors 10. Closing of the Meeting Proposals Resolution to amend the Articles of Association (item 7) In order to enable the new share issue resolved upon by the Board of Directors in accordance with item 8 below, subject to the approval of the General Meeting, the Board of Directors proposes that the limitations with respect to the share capital and number of shares in 4 of the Article of Association be amended appropriately. The complete proposal will be finalized when the terms of the new share issue, including the maximum increase of the Companys share capital and number of shares, are determined by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors proposal for amendment of the Articles of Association under this item shall however be within the following limits: (i) as to the limitations with respect to the share capital, the lower limit shall not be less than SEK 20,000,000 and the higher limit shall not exceed SEK 160,000,000 and (ii) as to the limitations with regard to the number of shares, the lower limit shall not be less than 1,000,000,000 shares and the higher limit shall not exceed 8,000,000,000 shares, and the relation between the minimum share capital and the minimum number of shares, respectively, may not be less than one fourth of the maximum share capital and the maximum number of shares, respectively. Approval of the resolution by the Board of Directors to issue new shares with preferential rights for the shareholders The Board of Directors proposes that the General Meeting resolves to approve the Board of Directors resolution of 23 March 2016, to increase the Companys share capital by the maximum amount determined by the Board of Directors, or any director or directors appointed by the Board of Directors among its members, and in other respects in accordance with the following main conditions. The Companys shareholders shall have preferential rights to subscribe for the new shares in proportion to the shares previously owned. The record date for determining which shareholders shall be entitled to subscribe for new shares on a preferential basis shall be 2 May 2016. The Board of Directors, or any director or directors appointed by the Board of Directors among its members, shall be authorised to determine, no later than the fifth weekday prior to the record date, the highest amount by which the Companys share capital will increase, the highest number of shares that will be issued and the subscription price to be paid for each new share. New shares shall be paid in cash. New shares may be subscribed for during the period from 4 May 2016 until, and including, 19 May 2016, or such later period of time as the Board of Directors may decide. If not all shares are subscribed for by the exercise of subscription rights, the Board of Directors shall decide on the allotment of shares subscribed for without the exercise of subscription rights up to the maximum amount of the new share issue, and the Board shall firstly allot shares to those that also subscribed for shares by exercising subscription rights and, in case of oversubscription, in proportion to the number of subscription rights used for subscription of shares; secondly, to others that have applied to the Company for subscription without subscription rights and, in case they cannot receive full allocation, in proportion to the number of shares that each has applied to subscribe for; thirdly, to the guarantors of the share issue, in proportion to their respective subscription undertakings. The new share issue requires that the Articles of Association be amended in accordance with item 7 above. Determination regarding the number of members of the Board of Directors (item 9) Given that Stein Revelsby resigned from the Board of Directors of Anoto Group AB on 23 March 2016, it is proposed that the Board of Directors until the next Annual General Meeting shall consist of four members with no deputies. Miscellaneous The Board of Directors complete proposals for resolutions in accordance with the above, including reports and statements related thereto in accordance with the Swedish Companies Act (SFS 2005:551), will be available at the Companys office in Lund and on the Companys web site, www.anoto.com, no later than three weeks prior to the General Meeting and will also be sent to those shareholders who so request and provide their postal address. According to Chapter 7, section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act, at a General Meeting the shareholders are entitled to require information from the Board of Directors and CEO regarding circumstances which may affect items on the agenda and circumstances which may affect the Companys financial situation. Number of shares and votes in the Company As of 24 march 2016, the total number of shares and votes in the Company was 1 066 193 826. The Company is not holding any own shares. Lund, March 2016 Anoto Group AB (publ) The Board of Directors Tele Columbus AG 24.03.2016 17:45 Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tele Columbus AG: Release according to Section 26 para. 1 WpHG (the German Securities Trading Act) with the objective of Europe-wide distribution Notification pursuant to Section 27a para. 1 WpHG Pursuant to Section 27a para. 1 sent. 1 WpHG, United Internet Ventures AG, Montabaur, Germany, and United Internet AG, Montabaur, Germany, have informed Tele Columbus AG, Goslarer Ufer 39, 10589 Berlin, Germany, by letter dated 23 March 2016, registered as received on the same day, of the following, thereby referring to United Internet Ventures AG's and (due to attribution pursuant to Section 22 para. 1 sent. 1 no. 1 WpHG) United Internet AG's exceedance of the voting right thresholds of 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% on 9 March 2016: 1. Aims underlying the purchase of the voting rights a) The investment serves to implement strategic objectives, but does not serve to generate a trading profit. b) It is intended to obtain further voting rights within the next 12 months by purchase or by any other means, whereas the percentage of the voting rights in Tele Columbus AG shall remain below the 30% threshold. Reference is made to United Internet AG's ad-hoc disclosure pursuant to Section 15 WpHG dated 10 February 2016. c) It is intended to exert an influence on the appointment of Tele Columbus AG's supervisory board. Apart from that, there is no intention of exerting an influence on the appointment of members of Tele Columbus AG's administrative or managing bodies. d) There is no intention to significantly alter the capital structure of Tele Columbus AG, in particular regarding the ratio between own funds and external funds. In this respect, United Internet Ventures AG and United Internet AG understand that the growth policy and the financing of Tele Columbus AG are guaranteed without such changes. To the extent this is not the case, first of all a change of dividend policy would be pursued. 2. Origin of the funds used to purchase the voting rights With respect to the origin of funds used for the acquisition, it was notified that the acquisition of voting rights by United Internet Ventures AG was financed by external funds (loan from United Internet AG). On the part of United Internet AG, in part own funds and in part available credit lines were used. Berlin, 24 March 2016 Tele Columbus AG The Management Board 24.03.2016 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: Tele Columbus AG Goslarer Ufer 39 10589 Berlin Germany Internet: www.telecolumbus.de End of Announcement DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLEARWATER, Fla., March 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday, 19 March, volunteers from The Way to Happiness (TWTH) Association Tampa Bay joined residents, businesses and local groups for the 24th Annual Paint Your Heart Out Clearwater. Volunteers joined in painting the exterior of a selected home in Clearwaters North Greenwood neighborhood. Painting began at 8am and was completed just before the rain came at 11am. Paint Your Heart Out Clearwater is a community partnership comprised of the City of Clearwater, local businesses, community groups and concerned citizens. One day each year, teams of volunteers go out into different Clearwater neighborhoods to paint and beautify 25 selected homes for those in need. This includes the homes of senior citizens who are physically unable to do the work themselves. The Way to Happiness Association participated this year for the first time. It is so rewarding to participate in these community projects to help residents live a better and happier life, stated Tanja Cranton, the Executive Director for The Way to Happiness Association Tampa Bay. These types of events and beautification projects directly align with our precept, Safeguard and Improve Your Environment. We will definitely be part of Paint Your Heart Out Clearwater in years to come. Written by L. Ron Hubbard, The Way to Happiness is a common-sense guide to better living. The 21 precepts comprising the book provide a non-political, non-religious, moral code applicable by anyone to help them find happiness. The Way to Happiness Association has participated in many initiatives to beautify and uplift communities in Pinellas County. Recent projects included cleanups in the core of downtown Clearwater, the Greenwood neighborhood and Clearwater Beach. TWTH opened their Tampa Bay headquarters in July 2015, at 33 N. Fort Harrison Avenue in downtown Clearwater. All are welcome to visit, attend events or help volunteer on other community projects. For more information, please contact Tanja at 727-467-6961. The Way to Happiness The Way to Happiness book was written and published by L. Ron Hubbard in 1981 as a nonreligious, common-sense guide to better living. Its purpose is to help arrest the current moral decline in society and restore integrity and trust to humankind. It is available in 112 languages, with some 115 million copies distributed in 186 nations. The campaign to distribute the book has been embraced by more than 257,000 groups and individuals and is supported by the Church of Scientology. It holds the Guinness World Record as the single most-translated nonreligious book and fills the moral vacuum in an increasingly materialistic society. NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Securities Arbitration Law Firm of Klayman & Toskes, P.A. (K&T), www.nasd-law.com, announces an investigation into Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sales practice violations by Cetera Advisors related to solicited investments in non-traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Business Development Companies (BDCs). According to K&T, the scope of the investigation includes whether Cetera Advisors made suitable recommendations related to non-traded REITs and BDCs; whether adequate disclosure was made of the fees, costs and risks of non-traded REITs and BDCs and whether the high commissions paid to Cetera Advisors resulted in conflicts of interest. Effective April 11, 2016, new regulations related to valuation disclosure requirements, FINRA Notice to Members 15-02, instruct brokerage firms to be more transparent through greater disclosure concerning non-traded REITs and BDCs on account statements. Securities attorney Steven D. Toskes, Esq. comments on the new regulatory notice, Investors will now receive more accurate disclosure for non-traded REITs and BDCs, including valuations of deductions for syndication costs, as high as 10%, and any changes in the value of underlying assets. Mr. Toskes explains, Our investigation is to determine whether financial advisors failed to adequately disclose the risks related to liquidity and effects of syndication costs on the valuation of non-trade REITs and BDCs. Our investigation of Cetera Advisors includes sales practices violations related to investments in non-traded REITs and BDCs include, but not limited, to the following: America Realty Capital Properties (Vereit); Cole Capital REITs; CNL Corporate Capital Trust; Franklin Square Energy and Power Fund; Griffin Capital; Northstar Real Estate Income; and Sierra Income Corporation. FINRA sales practice rules related to potential violations may include misrepresentations and omissions of material facts, conflicts of interest, unsuitable investment advice, securities concentration, or failure to supervise its financial advisors. Our investigation relates to Cetera Advisors solicited investments in non-traded REITs and BDCs for customer accounts. About Klayman & Toskes, P.A. K&T is a leading national securities law firm which practices exclusively in the field of securities arbitration and litigation, on behalf of retail and institutional investors such as non-profit organizations, public and multi-employer pension funds in large and complex securities matters. K&T has office locations in California, Florida, New York and Puerto Rico. If you wish to discuss this announcement or have knowledge of Cetera Advisors sales practices related to non-traded REITs and BDCs can contact us, or call Steven D. Toskes, Esq. at 888-997-9956. Destination: http://nasd-law.com/the-securities-arbitration-law-firm-of-klayman-toskes-p-a-launches-investigation-into-cetera-advisors-sales-practice-violations-related-to-solicited-investments-in-non-traded-reits-and-bdcs/ Some of these windows could be temporarily yours for: first and last month's rent + one month security + 15% that you'll never see again. (Photo via DRA+Photography) "Are there broker's fees in LA?" I asked my realtor friend, Heather D, during a visit last year. "Never on the renter's side," she explained, "most rentals are through a management company or for rent by owner, but if the owner does go through a real estate agent to find a renter then it's the owner who pays the fees." I almost started penning an essay about leaving New York, but instead I reached out to experts in the field here, asking, "Why, why, why do broker's fees exist?" Some realtors we reached out to didn't even know. The short answer, of course, is supply and demand. It's been the way NYC real estate has worked for decades upon decades. A NY Times article from the 1970s illustrates the grief over these fees, ultimately explaining that, aside from getting lucky, there's no real way around paying them. And NYC has always been unique in this waygo to almost any other city in the nation, and you can rent without putting down up to 15% that you'll never see again. Lee Lin at Renthop told me that the NYC market is "such an insane special case. Amazingly, the pervasiveness of broker's fees comes from the inventory being so tight, and the market so fragmented. Short story is, landlords actually like it the way it is, and the last recession gave us a glimpse into what might happen if the market were to ever soften for an extended period." Lin added that "in almost every city other than Boston and NYC, the landlords pay the broker fees, and the brokers are usually called apartment locators or property managers." Typically, a single broker will sign an exclusive right to list, but in NYC and Boston, there are open listings that are not exclusive to any agent. These open listings "are great for the landlord that doesn't want to do any work," Lin says. "They can email 50 firms, have those firms all fight over clients and spend money on marketing, and only one agent earns the fee at lease signing." And of course, the tenant pays that fee. Native New Yorker Jake Dobkin, who's never known a world without broker's fees, explained that NYC has "a relatively high proportion of renters versus other cities (which makes brokering a more profitable business). He also spoke further about the root of the issue: supply and demand. "We have a tiny vacancy rate," Dobkin explained, "which is even smaller than it appears once you take out the apartments you can never access, like the rent controlled and stabilized apartments that only go to native family and friends. So you have a large population competing for a small group of apartments, and that gives the landlords unusual powerso much power that they can demand you use a middle man broker as the only way to rent, simply because it saves them some time and money screening candidate renters." Lin also spoke of the Landlord Factor. "You would think that landlords could charge more rent if they advertise themselves without the broker. However, that's not cost effective for smaller landlords with lots of small buildings or single units. Hiring staff to do all the showings would cost much more and require more work than outsourcing the showings and marketing to the crowd of licensed brokerage firms." Oh well, you're not a real New Yorker until you've paid nearly $10,000 to move in to a studio on the sixth floor of a walkup, only to move the next year and have to do it all over again. A flight attendant who left behind nearly 70lbs of cocaine as she fled a random TSA search at LAX has taken into custody in New York. Marsha Gay Reynolds surrendered to feds at JFK Airport Wednesday, which means she somehow made it onto a cross-country flight from Los Angeles while on the lam. Reynolds was in a JetBlue crew line waiting to check in for a flight from LAX to New York last Friday when she was pulled out of line and subjected to a random search. Before that search was completed, she reportedly kicked off her Gucci heels and fled the airport on foot. Authorities later found 69 lbs of cocaine stashed in her luggage, which ABC reports had a street value of roughly $3 million. Reynolds was charged with cocaine possession with intent to distribute. U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek said she is expected to appear in a Brooklyn federal court today. According to the TSA, Reynolds became visibly nervous when she was pulled aside for a random check last Friday. Authorities told NBC that she quickly made a cellphone call in a "foreign language" before kicking off her shoes, running the wrong way down an escalator, and out of the terminal. Police at LAX searched her bags and quickly found the 11 packages of cocaine wrapped in green plastic. According to NBC's report, the TSA's explanation for how she was able to get on a plane is...shoddy. Authorities had "scanned her identification before she ran from Terminal 4 in LAX but were still in the process of identifying her into the weekend," sources told the network. One of the oldest bars in Manhattan, as well as one of the city's oldest gay bars, Julius' was named as one of New York State Board for Historic Preservation's recommendations to be added to State and National Registers of Historic Places. Governor Andrew Cuomo said, "These landmarks are a part of our rich and storied history and helped define what it means to be a New Yorker." According to the governor's office, Julius' Bar is "one of the city's oldest bars in continuous operation, the Greenwich Village establishment was the site of an important 1966 event in the early modern gay rights movement in which activists organized what became known as a 'sip-in' to successfully challenge New York State Liquor Authority regulations that prohibited bars from serving drinks to known or suspected gay men or lesbians." As Scott Simon explained on NPR, "The Mattachine Society was one of the first gay rights groups in the country. And on April 21 of 1966 the society decided to take inspiration from the civil rights sit-ins that integrated so many lunch counters in restaurants and stage a 'sip-in': go into a tavern, declared that [they] were gay, order a drink, then wait to be served or turned away, and then sue." Three men were refused drinks at Julius'; the next day, the Times ran an article with the headline, "3 DEVIATES INVITE EXCLUSION BY BARS; But They Visit Four Before Being Refused Service, in a Test of S.L.A. Rules" State Senator Brad Hoylman said of the recommendation, "LGBT history is American history. An important part of that history is Julius Bar, one of the oldest gay bars in the city. By including Julius' on the state and national historic registries, we'll help ensure that future generations can be inspired by the events that occurred at Julius' Bar and propelled the LGBT civil rights movement forward. I'm grateful to Governor Cuomo for his leadership and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation for their work in nominating Julius' Bar and preserving LGBT history throughout Greenwich Village." Hoylman has also been advocating for Julius' to be granted landmark status. If Julius' is added to the State and National Registers, the bar can apply for grants and tax credits to preserve itself. Other proposed historic sites include Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church, now Salem United Methodist Church, in Harlem and Beth Olam Cemetery in Brooklyn and Queens. The city is planning to test lead levels in the drinking water at all public schools, and has published data on testing from the last 14 years, after revelations about lead contamination in Newark, New Jersey public schools, as well as the ongoing public health disaster from contaminated water in Flint, Michigan. On Wednesday, the Department of Education launched a searchable database of schools that have been tested since 2002, when the agency first made testing a priority. The search function allows users to look up schools by name and see whether a test has been performed, whether elevated lead levels were found, and what action was taken to address the issue. Where lead contamination was found, the results list the date of the test, and some date back as far as 2004. Of the 90,000 samples taken at city schools, 1.13 percent showed elevated levels of lead, the Mayor's Office told WNYC. School Chancellor Carmen Farina indicated in a letter to parents and staff [pdf] that the contamination found so far has been dealt with. "We want to assure you that New York Citys water is extraordinarily safe," she wrote. "This includes water in the NYC schools." The testing has only been applied to schools built before 1986, when a federal ban on using lead pipes in construction went into effect. Going forward, the city plans to re-test the schools every five years. Lead poisoning impacts adolescent brain development and exposure can lead to learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. Earlier this month in Newark, the city shut off water at 30 of the city's 67 schools due to unsafe levels of lead in the drinking water. In subsequent weeks, it came out that school leaders had known about heightened lead concentrations in school water for four years, thanks to Newark's annual testing, but had hidden it from the public. In 2014, a school district administrator wrote a memo instructing custodians to run school taps for two minutes before the beginning of classes "to reduce the risk of possible lead contamination." Newark is now developing a process for testing and retesting Newark schools to determine the nature of the problems and when they have been fixed. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka estimates that 17,000 children are at risk, and his school superintendent is encouraging parents to utilize free blood testing services for their kids, particularly 330 in two early-childhood programs at affected schools. Governor Chris Christie, back in the state for a stopover amid his Donald Trump self-degradation tour, said that the lead may be present at levels above what federal environmental scientists say is safe, but that they "are nowhere near crisis, dangerous levels." Christie and his predecessors in the New Jersey Governor's Office have a record of doing little in the way of providing long-term solutions to lead contamination. For instance, when dangerous lead concentrations were found in water at Camden schools in 2002, the state shut off the taps and started shipping in bottled water. Fourteen years later, the schools are still relying on bottled water, to the tune of $75,000 a year. The respected emergency room physician who was removed from Mount Sinai Hospital for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a female patient was indicted today for sexually abusing a total of four female patients. Manhattan DA Cy Vance said, "One was sedated to the point of being physically helplessa nightmare scenario for any patient to endure." Dr. David Newman In January, a 22-year-old patient visited the hospital's ER for shoulder pain; during her visit, she claimed that after a nurse had given her morphine for pain, Newman gave her another dose in spite of her telling him that she was already given some. She said that she heard some noises and felt someone touch her breast and something on her face and mouth before Newman allegedly ejaculated on her. The patient was very medicated as Newman wiped her off but she kept the hospital blanket and gown, which was later tested and reportedly tested positive for semen. The patient is now suing Newman and Mount Sinai. After this alleged incident was publicized, a second victim came forward and said she was groped by Newman during a September 2015 visit. Newman, who was initially arrested on January 19, is charged with one count of first-degree sexual abuse and four counts of third-degree sexual abuse; all four victims were women ages 18-29 who visited Mount Sinai's ER between August 2015 and January 2016. Vance added, "I would like to thank these brave women for their strength in coming forward, and encourage any other additional potential victims to call our Sex Crimes Hotline at 212-335-9373." Newman has given TedTalks and in 2013 he wrote an op-ed for the NY Times about gun violence. His lawyer told NBC New York that Newman is a "good man and excellent doctor... We plan on dealing with this in a responsible manner." Your mother, Chris Christie, Andrew Cuomo, and the steadily growing masses of New Jersey residents who commute to New York City under the Hudson River along two weather-worn tracks agree: an additional tunnel, pre-christened the Gateway Tunnel, is desperately needed. The overburdened existing tracks sustained considerable damage during Hurricane Sandy, and delays are frequent. Manhattan-bound trains have even been known to back up into New Jersey. In September, Christie and Cuomo finally signed a joint letter, pledging to front $5 billion each towards the estimated $20 billion Gateway project, so long as the feds agreed to chip in on the remaining $10 billion. While the details of the agreement are still vague, both Amtrak and the Port Authority this week announced additional commitments of $35 million each to early-stage engineering work. "This is intended to jumpstart the planning process, while funding is being developed," said Port Authority head Patrick Foye at a board meeting on Thursday. Foye added that the Gateway Tunnel is likely going to be added to President Obama's Federal Infrastructure Projects Dashboard, which tends to speed up environmental reviews and permitting for large-scale infrastructure projects. Hopefully, considering that "a month's delay on the tunnel project is $80 million in additional costs." The Port Authority also announced an agreement this week with Amtrak, NJ Transit and the U.S. Department of Transportation to sign a "Memorandum of Understanding," according to a Port Authority release. The purpose of the memo will be to set up an "interim framework" for the project's funding and construction. Working together, the various agencies and authorities said this week that they're going to apply for federal grants towards the Gateway Project (which includes a few infrastructure projects independent of the tunnel) "in the coming months." The Port Authority also reiterated this week that the new Gateway Tunnel will allow for the closure and rehab of the existing 106-year-old tunnel. It's worth noting that construction takes time, on the scale of years and years. In 2015, Amtrak predicted optimistically that construction of the new tunnel could be complete by 2025, pushing the completion of the existing track's overhaul back to 2030. By 2040, the number of cross-Hudson commuters is expected to double. Culture Shooting for Double XL was a liberating experience for Huma Though Huma has mentioned multiple times, in jest, that this was the best prep she ever had to do for a role since she got to eat everything she wante... History is sometimes told in small details -- the latest horrific crime, the latest political pledge, the daily war updates. But sometimes history is told on the long view -- increased violence, ideological trends, the military industrial complex. In 1848 women across America met in Seneca Falls, New York, and demanded that women have equal rights in all aspects of our society. Since then, history records only a tale of struggle and immense courage with few victories. There is no place where this struggle is more glaringly exposed than in the question of a woman president. If future generations look to the lessons of America's history, one of those observations will surely be that no woman was qualified to be president during the 20th century. For the 240 years we have been a nation, a woman has yet to hold the highest, most important office in the land, and this in the most important democracy in the history of man, established in a quest for equality. Jeannette Rankin, Frances Perkins, Geraldine Ferraro, Amelia Earhart, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Chisholm or Mary Lyon -- these women could be members of Congress, open universities, fly around the world solo nonstop, win Olympic gold medals or a Nobel Peace Prize, but they could not be president. Now comes Hillary Clinton -- candidate for president -- a woman in the political arena, tempered by political life, dedicated to public service and no more flawed than any man who has sought and held the office. Once again this political season brings with it the language of gender warfare -- men pledging to "punch her out," "crush her," and "demolish her." They claim she is either too delicate and weak or too aggressive, a ballbuster. She is evil, a witch; she is sinister, a liar. Is this because she believes she can be president? Is this because she is a woman? This historical view is not new. And yet, often even young women say, "I would never vote for someone just because she is a woman," while men throughout the 20th century have said I will never vote for a woman to be president. This election year, 2016, again holds promise that our nation will take the long view of history and not again push aside a good, qualified candidate to once again tell women not this year! In the future when our daughters ask "which woman has been president?" I hope for a better answer than "someday dear, someday." "Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradations -- in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States." Seneca Falls Convention, the first Women's Rights Convention -- 1848. Alicia Pichette Helena DECATUR In a Wednesday result that surprised organized labor leaders, maintenance workers at Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s BioProducts plant in Decatur voted to reject joining a union. The final vote tally was 32 against and 25 in favor of becoming part of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. There was a total of 60 workers entitled to vote but several employees did not take part. Asked if he was surprised by the result, Ric Burcham, vice president of the union's Local 103G, said Wednesday evening: Well yeah, kind of. But it is what it is. The majority rejection of unionization draws a line under a tangled and litigated history of trying to organize the maintenance workers. A similar vote in January 2015 had also rejected union membership, 33-28, but was set aside by an administrative law judge in July who ordered a new vote. After hearing union objections, the judge had ruled that ADM management had threatened employees and harassed them in an attempt to dissuade them from union membership. The National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., had adopted the judge's findings and ruled ADM violated federal labor laws. The company denied the allegations but did not appeal the NLRB's findings. ADM spokeswoman Jackie Anderson, reacting to the workers' latest decision to say no to union membership, said the company believed that direct communication with our employees, without union involvement, was most effective. Today, the maintenance employees at our BioProducts facility in Decatur voted against union representation, she added. As a result, we are pleased that we will be able to continue working directly with these employees without the involvement of a third party. Burcham said he was aware of no problems or irregularities with the conduct of Wednesday's vote and said everything went smooth and like it should have. He said that, a year from now, the maintenance workers are free to petition again for a union vote. That's the way it is, he added. You win some, you lose some. DECATUR Over 40 years has passed since the last soldier returned from the Vietnam War. Veterans from that war still meet on a regular basis to talk about their experiences. It is also a chance a to heal, said Dave Frayling. Vietnam veterans are invited to a recognition event from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at the Decatur Civic Center. All branches of the military, along with the public, are invited to the free event. As a member of the event's committee, Frayling has seen the party grow during the last four years. The committee is expecting over 600 veterans and family members to attend this year. Because of the growth, the event has been moved to a larger venue. The Civic Center is bending over backwards for us, Frayling said. Chris Brodnicki, Decatur Civic Center general manager, understands the importance of taking care of the country's veterans. He served in the Navy during Dessert Storm. It's a brotherhood, he said. Veterans will begin the afternoon with opening ceremonies and a keynote speaker. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Nick Walsh will address the crowd with experiences of his 30-year military career. Lay was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam in 1970 and 1971. He found himself in battle again in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Lay is highly decorated with various medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze star and numerous combat medals. He has flown over 15 different countries earning 16,000 flight hours. Also joining him on stage will be filmmaker Nicholas Walsh. His movie Fire for Effect is a documentary of the Vietnam War and its effect on the Midwest. Lay has spoken to several local veterans for the project. The free event will continue with catered food and beverages along with original music from the era. Brodnicki and the Civic Center staff are contributing all they can to make the party enjoyable for the veterans. Good food, good sound system, seating for 600, he said. We are just providing everything that they need without questions. In the future, the committee plans to broaden the invitation list to include veterans from other wars, such as those in Iraq and Iran. Especially the newer wars, Frayling said. Frayling has lived through three major wars. He feels, as many veterans do, the Vietnam War veterans did not receive the same positive attention as others when they returned. This is why he and his friends formed the event. We wanted to recognize the veterans, he said. Because no had done it in the past. SPRINGFIELD A judge may soon decide whether the state and a union representing 38,000 of its workers have reached an impasse in contract negotiations that have dragged on for more than a year. The Illinois Labor Relations Board determined this week that theres enough information in a pair of complaints filed by Gov. Bruce Rauners administration and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 to warrant a hearing before a Springfield-based administrative law judge. The administration and AFSCME have been bargaining over a new contract since shortly after Rauner took office last year. The first-term Republican filed a complaint with the labor board in January accusing the union of bargaining in bad faith and seeking a declaration of impasse. AFSCME responded by filing its own complaint accusing the administration of bargaining in bad faith. Under an agreement between the state and the union, its up to the labor board to decide whether talks have reached an impasse if the two sides dont agree that they have. We conducted our preliminary investigation on both cases and determined that they both raise a question of law or fact that warrants a hearing, said Melissa Mlynski, the boards executive director. She added, It is not us weighing in on the merits of the case or making a judgment that one side is correct at this point or incorrect. The two complaints have been combined into one case and assigned to Administrative Law Judge Sarah Kerley. A date for the hearing hasnt been set. If Kerley sides with the state, it could clear the way for Rauner to impose his contract terms. The governor has been a frequent critic of AFSCME since before taking office and repeatedly accuses the union making unreasonable demands and seeking a contract that would cost the state $3 billion. AFSCME says that figure is wildly exaggerated because it treats costs already in place under the unions previous contract, which expired at the end of June, as if they were new. AFSCME remains committed to bargaining in good faith and reaching a negotiated agreement, spokesman Anders Lindall said. But Gov. Rauner refuses to bargain and remains solely focused on provoking further conflict. His confrontational approach threatens to create a statewide crisis. The governors office did not respond to a request for comment on the labor boards action. Meanwhile, Rauner has yet to act on a bill that would send stalled contract talks to arbitration. The bill, essentially identical to one the governor vetoed last year, was sent to his desk last week. Spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said he plans to veto this version, too. This time around, the measure passed the Senate with a veto-proof majority, including votes from two Republicans: state Sens. Neil Anderson of Rock Island and Sam McCann of Plainview. In the House, it fell four votes short of the total needed to override a veto. The administration and the union also are battling in Sangamon County Circuit Court in separate case over whether Rauner should have been allowed to lay off more than 150 state workers last year as part of budget-cutting efforts. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 64F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) today announced its new Richard G. Hovhannisian Scholarship for Armenian Genocide Studies. AEF has established this scholarship in honor of Professor Hovannisian in recognition of his lifelong dedication to the study of the Armenian Genocide. It is a merit based scholarship for Master and PhD students pursuing studies in higher educational institutions in the Republic of Armenia, specializing in the economic, social-demographic, cultural, legal and political aspects of denial and its accrued impact on the Armenian nation. The Foundation will cover the full tuition during the entire study and research, given that the proposed topic of research is acceptable to the Scholarship Board. This year, the Armenian nation commemorated the centennial of this atrocious crime. To this day, Turkey attempts to silence the past through various policies, meanwhile, continuing to reap the benefits of various international legal agreements. In reality, it continues the denial of the Genocide, thus, perpetuating the consequences of this colossal crime. Looking forward to a new phase in the process of redemption of denied human rights and lost heritage, there is a need for reexamination and broadening of the strategies and tactics that could counteract Turkeys denial policy. This requires sound research and debate in order to feed the actions leading to the punishment through compensation and retribution of the losses that an entire nation had to bear on its shoulders. Thus, it needs an interdisciplinary and broad approach that could examine the different aspects of the losses and their historic and future impact. The study of genocide, which is a gross violation of human rights, can help us understand the conditions under which acts of mass violence are likely to take place, suggesting ways in which genocide may be prevented, states Scholarship Committee Member, Nvard Manasian.In the case of the Armenian Genocide there is a need to comparatively conduct interdisciplinary studies that could help to assess the magnitude of the demographic, economic, political, and cultural impact on the Armenian nation in order to identify the magnitude of loss to be recovered gradually. The new scholarship will support the advancement of the academic debate on the possible avenues for retribution and recovery of lost human rights. Simultaneously, the scholarship would also afford the opportunity to explore the heritage rightfully belonging to an entire nation by feeding the results of this research into the state, diplomatic and public understanding and structured debate in different venues. The details of the terms and conditions of the newly announced scholarship are accessible on the scholarship website of the Foundation. About the Foundation: Along with other activities the Armenian Educational Foundation offers a helping hand to hundreds of students in Armenia, Lebanon and the United States. This assistance has been made possible in large part thanks to the various scholarship funds and generous benefactors. The foundation was established in 1950 and its main objectives areto (a) render financial assistance to Armenian educational institutions, irrespective of their religious affiliation or denomination; (b) assist students of Armenian parentage, to acquire an education in educational institutions and (c) establish and to aid in the establishment of Armenian educational institutions and cultural centers. Today, a greater number of Armenian students are seeking to extend their level of education beyond high school and even college. With the formation of more scholarship funds, the AEF can provide additional support to a larger number of these students in colleges and universities, award those pursuing Armenian studies, establish funds which would focus on specific fields and give financial assistance for academic research. In this way, the AEF hopes that it will help young people make lasting contributions to their respective communities. About Richard G. Hovannisian: Born to a family that survived the Genocide, Richard G. Hovannisian a historian by education, dedicated his life and professional career to studying Armenian and Middle Eastern history. Most of his work is focused on the Armenian Genocide and the First Republic of Armenia. In 1986, Hovannisian was appointed as the first holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA. Upon Prof. Hovannisians retirement, the UCLA Chair was renamed in his honor. Hovannisian is a Guggenheim Fellow who has received numerous honors for his scholarship, civic activities, and advancement of Armenian Studies. Hovannisian serves on the board of directors of nine scholarly and civic organizations, including the Facing History and Ourselves Foundation; the International Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide; International Alert; the Foundation for Research on Armenian Architecture; and the Armenian National Institute (ANI). He received the UCLA Alumni Association's 2010-2011 "Most Inspiring Teacher" award. Contacts: In Yerevan:Armine Haroyan, (374 10) 53 14 85, [email protected] In Glendale:VahakPetrossian, (818) 956 - 0423, [email protected] For more information on the Armenia Educational Foundation activities, please visit: http://www.aefweb.org/scholarships/?page_id=1129 For the past four years, Serop Tovmasian has been raising four kids on his own. He sends nine-year-old Mike to a special needs school every morning and then starts preparing a meal for his children when they return home from school. Its then time to squeeze in the rest of the household chores. Theres no time for work. Serop's savings from Syria will soon run out. The organization now paying the familys rent has said that this assistance will soon end as well. Serop, and the families of his two brothers, moved to Armenia in September of 2015. They fled Syria when ISIS attacked the town of Kobani, on the Syria-Turkish border, where they were living. Serop says that his wife died two years before this and that the bearded extremists killed Hovsep, one of his brothers, when they attacked the town. The families of the three brothers, along with thousands of other Syrians, crossed the border into Turkey, fleeing the advancing ISIS militants. Serop and his family found refuge in the refugee settlement in Suruc, 46 kilometers south-west of the town of Ourfa. There, they lived in tents for eleven months. The town of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab in Arabic) where the Tovmasians were born and Suruc. The black line is the Syria-Turkey border. Aram Atesyan, the Acting Patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, visited the family in Suruc and organized their relocation to Armenia. I asked how the conditions are there. He said theyd give us a house for nine months and pay the rent. Theyd also give us three months in cash assistance until we get on our feet. We came and they just gave us one months assistance. That nine months for the rent turned into six, says Serop, adding that the family gets by on personal savings. Serop was an ironmonger in Kobani and repaired cars. Shahen, his 14-year-old son, assisted him. After they left Kobani, the town was razed to the ground. So too were their house and store. Mr. Tovmasian is worried that he cannot provide for his children here in Armenia. How can I get work and take care of four children at the same time? Whos going to cook, wash and take them here and there. Its been four years that Im doing it by myself. 9-year-old Mike In Syria all the Tovmasian families lived together. His brothers daughters would take care of Mike. Now, they too are looking for work. In addition, Mr. Tovmasian says that only he understands Mike, who didnt speak in Syria. Hes started to utter a few words and to count in Armenia. Mike now attends a special needs school called Arevik created for Syrian-Armenian children. Like his siblings, Mike sometimes equates long noises to the sounds of explosions and gunfire back in Kobani. Its not easy. When someone has fled from one country to another, escaping a war, the brain doesnt work normally. The person is disillusioned with life. It takes time to settle down. We are totally cut off. Do you understand? When these kids sleep, they hear the sounds of tanks, of war, and are frightened. They think they are still in the midst of war, says 53 year-old Serop. Kobani is a majority Kurdish town that had Arab, Turk and Armenian minority populations. There were only eight Armenian families in the town before taken over by ISIS. Three of the families were the Tovmasians. Serop recalls that decades ago there were many Armenian in Kobani. There was an Armenian school in the town and Serop attended it until the third grade. Twenty years ago, when most Armenians left Kobani for Aleppo or elsewhere, the school closed. Serops children learnt Arabic in school and picked up Kurdish from neighbors. Late, when they fled to Turkey, they learnt some Turkish and English. Today, Maral, Shahen and Raffi (in the 4th, 7th and 8th grades respectively) are learning the Armenian alphabet. At school, they find it hard to follow the lessons and arent getting additional hours to learn Armenian. Teachers refrain from asking them questions in class. 11 year-old Maral and a class assignment she wrote in Armenian I write whatever they write on the blackboard. Thats what they told me to do, says Maral. I just look. Im already fed-up. No one talks to me and Im not learning. I just listen for seven hours, nine hours, says 14 year-old Shahen. 14 year-old Shahen and 15 year-old Raffi Raffi and Shahen are getting private Armenian lessons paid for by a benefactor. The children want to receive lessons in the language several hours a week at school. They sometimes find the Armenian spoken in Armenia difficult to comprehend. Serop says that employees in a shoe store where his brothers daughters were working refused to work with them because they dont know Russian. The family mainly speaks Arabic or Kurdish at home. Serop says he tries to speak Armenian with them so that they learn quicker. Photos: Narek Aleksanyan On March 24, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian received Ambassador Argo Avakov, the newly appointed Head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office in Yerevan, on handing over letter of credentials. Congratulating Ambassador Avakov on the appointment, Minister Nalbandian wished success in the implementation of his mission, and stressed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue to provide full support to the activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. Expressing gratitude for good wishes, the newly appointed Head of the OSCE Office assured that he would spare no effort in the maintenance and facilitation of the efficiency of the current projects implemented in Armenia, strengthening of cooperation established with the authorities of Armenia and with the civil society. The sides commended that the OSCE-Armenia relations always were notable for their multi-dimensionality and include active involvement of the Republic of Armenia in the activities of the OSCE in all three directions. Edward Nalbandian highlighted the activity of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, mentioning that the Office is the only OSCE representation in the region that works in full capacity. Edward Nalbandian and Argo Avakov discussed reforms process in Armenia, projects, realized with the OSCE support. (This is an official press release of Armenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) A crackdown on a mob-style network in Italys capital city of Rome saw its former mayor in court Wednesday on trial for corruption and illegal financing, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said. Gianni Alemanno, mayor from 2008 to 2013, is suspected of illegally pocketing an estimated 125,000 (US$ 140,000) to fund political activities. He is also accused of appointing friends to city jobs, AFP said. The case is part of the Mafia Capitale scandal in which 46 people are accused of participating in a crime group that skimmed off millions of euros meant for public services for their own benefit. The Local said the scandal represented the biggest anti-corruption operation seen in Italy since the early 1990s. The scale of the accusations shocked many when news of the investigation broke, Reuters reported. Italian authorities have around 36,000 hours of wiretaps, along with secret videos recording some of the accused receiving bribes, Reuters reported from local media. A former member of the Rome city council was sentenced to prison in January for his involvement in the scheme, Repubblica said. The crime ring was allegedly run by gangster Massimo Carminati and his sidekick, Salvatore Buzzi. Police said the group operated like a mob clan but was independent of established organized crime groups like the Cosa Nostra or the Ndrangheta, Reuters said. According to AFP, Buzzi allegedly paid Alemanno 125,000 (US$ 140,000) in exchange for guarantees to win tenders and for a job for a relative. That sum is said to include 75,000 (US$ 84,000) for electoral meetings, 40,000 (US$ 45,000) for a foundation headed by the former mayor and 10,000 (US$ 11,000) in cash. Investigative Reporting Project Italy (IRPI), an OCCRP partner, reported that the alleged scheme controlled a wide range of tenders, ranging from beach cleaning to managing camps for Roma and services provided by the national health system. It said the group seemed most adept at diverting cash allocated for the care of refugees and migrants. Alemanno said: I will prove my innocence, although many have already written me off as guilty, according to the AFP. The hearing was adjourned until Friday, AFP said. OCCRP Two outsiders who have upended their parties 2016 presidential nominating contests are bringing their populist messages to Wisconsin over the next few days. Real estate mogul and Republican front-runner Donald Trump has scheduled an event Tuesday in Janesville, and Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is holding a rally in Madison on Saturday as caucuses take place in three other states. Both candidates have drawn huge crowds over the past year, but Trump events have been at times chaotic with coordinated disruptions from anti-Trump protesters and retaliation from Trump supporters. In one high-profile case, a Trump supporter sucker-punched a protester being escorted out by police. At another event, a protester rushed the stage while Trump spoke. And earlier this month, a rally in Chicago was canceled at the last minute, leading to bouts of shouting and shoving. Trump has faced criticism for his violent rhetoric against protesters and stoking the tension. Trumps campaign website says he plans to speak at the Janesville Conference Center at 3 p.m. Tuesday. The center referred questions about capacity to the Trump campaign, which didnt respond. The centers 15,000-square-foot main ballroom would likely have a maximum capacity in the 2,500-3,000 range based on city building regulations. Janesville is the hometown of House Speaker Paul Ryan, who offered veiled criticism of Trump on Wednesday. Immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera is planning to protest outside the Trump event on Tuesday, operations director Primitivo Torres said. He said the group is still discussing whether or not to cause disruptions inside the event. Trumps rise in the polls last year came as he referred to immigrants coming into the country illegally as rapists and murderers. We are urging the local authorities there that they should have a plan for public safety, Torres said. Janesville Deputy Police Chief John Olsen said the department has experience policing events at the conference center, including a March 2011 event featuring Gov. Scott Walker in the wake of the Act 10 protests. He didnt say what kind of special accommodations would be needed for the Trump event, but he would be reviewing measures taken in other states. Well just be responsible for making it a safe event for Mr. Trump and those attending and the general public, Olsen said. Janesville City Council President Doug Marklein said he expects there will be a large turnout and the need for extra police security but hes confident the local police force would be able to handle the situation given past experience with the 2011 Walker event. I dont think we get too many celebrities coming here on a regular basis, Marklein said. As far as protests, he added, We just hope they do it civilly and make their point, but not get into shoving and punching matches like a few other cities. Its OK to protest, but keep it civil. Walker told reporters Thursday that the state would offer the same law enforcement protection for a Trump rally or a Sanders rally that it has in the past for large events. At this point, were just appreciative that Wisconsin is relevant in both primaries, both on the Republican and Democrat side, Walker said. Weve had a lot of attention in the past, not just in the presidential race, but to various issues weve debated here in the state in the past. Weve been able to do it without major incident and I would expect the same would be true between now and the primary. Sanders in Madison Sanders is planning his event Saturday afternoon at the Alliant Energy Center, according to his campaign. Washington, Alaska and Hawaii will be holding Democratic nominating contests that day, so Wisconsin will serve as the backdrop for Sanders election day speech. Wisconsin hosts the next primary on April 5. Sanders is trailing front-runner Hillary Clinton in the delegate count, and national political observers view Wisconsin as a potential last stand for his campaign. The event at the centers exhibition hall is expected to draw 9,000 people, according to Robert Dempsey, state political director for the Sanders campaign. Sanders rallied nearly 10,000 people at the Dane County Coliseum in July, one of the early signs that the Sanders campaign might have momentum. Dempsey acknowledged the Saturday event might not draw as many people because it will take place the day before Easter while many UW-Madison students are still on spring break. The event is free and open to the public, with admission on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the campaign. Clinton has yet to announce plans for a visit to the state. Her daughter Chelsea visited Madison, Milwaukee and Waukesha on Thursday. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz made his first stop in Wisconsin prior to the April 5 vote on Wednesday in Pewaukee and also made stops in Dane and Janesville on Thursday. Janesville a draw Mike Wagner, a UW-Madison communications professor who studies presidential politics, said Republican candidates may be drawn to Janesville because theres a concentration of conservative voters in the district of U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who isnt endorsing in the race. The citys blue-collar Democrats are still recovering from the 2009 closure of the local General Motors plant, which makes it ripe for Republicans like Trump to draw support, Wagner and Marklein said. Trump has done a good job of gathering those sorts of voters, so the profile of Janesville is efficient for Trump, Wagner said. A lot of the voters have the demographic characteristics of his voters around the country. People who are sick of elites, mistrustful of news media, mistrustful of experts and looking for someone to right the ship economically. Many folks there feel left behind by the recovery. Ohio Gov. John Kasich held a town hall meeting Wednesday in Wauwatosa with about 400 people and attended a private fundraiser in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. He has scheduled town hall events Monday in West Salem and Madison. Cruz has touted himself as the only candidate capable of stopping Trump based on his delegate count, while Kasich says he is the only one who can beat Clinton in the general election based on national head-to-head polls. The presidential race shifted to Wisconsin on Wednesday, with the two Republican candidates who oppose Donald Trump making their cases against the GOP front-runner. Both Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who appeared at an event in Pewaukee, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who held a town hall meeting in Wauwatosa, face a steep climb to wrest the nomination from Trump. Cruz, in his first stop in Wisconsin in advance of its April 5 primary, said the state is uniquely poised to quash Trumps momentum. Speaking in an on-stage interview with conservative radio host Charlie Sykes, who has sharply criticized Trump, Cruz basked before a supportive crowd of conservative activists who increasingly regard him as the last hope for the anti-Trump faction of the GOP. Cruz has gotten a string of recent endorsements from leading establishment Republicans including former presidential candidate Jeb Bush with whom the hard-line Texas senator previously clashed. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday that Cruz has a more plausible path to the nomination, though he has yet to endorse a candidate. What were seeing is Republicans uniting, Cruz said. It is neck and neck in this state. Weve got two weeks, and the entire country is looking to Wisconsin. A new poll of the Wisconsin primary released Wednesday by Emerson College showed Cruz and Trump in a virtual tie in Wisconsin, with Kasich trailing. Kasich faces an especially steep road to the nomination, having won only his home state so far. Cruz swept all the delegates in Utah on Tuesday while Trump won in Arizona. Cruz supporters in Wisconsin have tried to turn the race into a two-man contest here, but Kasich said he wont drop out of the race before Wisconsin and plans to take his case all the way to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Tommy Thompson compares John Kasich to Bronson Koenig Former Gov. Tommy Thompson introduced Kasich to a crowd of about 400, comparing his underdog shot at the nomination to Wisconsin beating Xavier in the NCAA basketball tournament Sunday on a buzzer-beating shot. Thats why were here today, weve got a winner like Bronson Koenig, Thompson said, referring to the Badgers junior point guard who hit the winning shot. Kasich heaped praise on Thompson after the former Wisconsin governors fiery introduction, calling him an icon without whom national welfare reform would never have happened. Kasich then talked up his experience in Congress balancing the federal budget and growing the Ohio economy since 2010. Kasich wouldnt say whether he would support Trump or Cruz if they become the nominee, but he criticized statements theyve made about patrolling Muslim neighborhoods and closing the borders to Muslim immigrants. He said the solution to global terrorism is to bring together a global coalition including Muslim and Arab allies. He dismissed questions about his viability as a candidate. Ive been running from behind since the beginning, Kasich said. We labored in obscurity. If any of you want to know what thats like, ask your governor who labored in obscurity because he wouldnt call any names. I wont take the low road to the highest office in the land. In a broad-ranging interview with Sykes, Cruz pledged to bring U.S. jobs back from abroad while confronting what he called radical Islamic terrorists. Cruz also confronted Trump, sometimes in personal terms. Trump and Cruz clashed on Twitter on Tuesday when Trump mistakenly accused the Cruz campaign of using a racy photo of Trumps wife, Melania, in a campaign ad. In the same Twitter post directed at Cruz, Trump threatened to spill the beans on your wife, without specifying what he meant. Ted Cruzs wife is Heidi Cruz. Cruz, asked about the exchange, said it shows Trump is an insecure bully. For Donald to go after Heidi, I think, is despicable. And I think it reveals a lot about his character, Cruz said. Cruz also sharply criticized Trump on foreign policy a subject on which he suggested the businessman and political novice is dangerously out of depth. Trump earlier this week suggested the U.S. might need to scale back its involvement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, the mutual defense pact between Western nations. Cruz on Wednesday ridiculed the suggestion as nuts, saying it would strengthen the Islamic State terror group and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Cruz, Kasich eye contested convention in July Cruz faces a nearly impossible task in securing the 1,237 delegates needed to cinch the partys nomination. Trump scored another big win Tuesday night in Arizona winning all 58 delegates and putting him less than 500 shy of the nomination with more than 800 still in play. Cruz won all 40 in Utah, but must win 95 percent of the remaining delegates to secure the nomination before the convention. If no candidate secures a majority of delegates in the primaries and caucuses, it would leave the nomination in play heading into the July national convention in Cleveland. Cruz has predicted he would emerge from such a convention with the nomination. If Kasich were to win every delegate from this point forward he still wouldnt have enough to win the nomination, making his only chance a contested convention. Kasich said Wednesday that neither of his opponents will have enough delegates to win the nomination before July, and emphasized national polls that show him faring better than his opponents in a head-to-head matchup against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Thompson said thats the reason hes supporting Kasich. I like all the candidates, but I want somebody who can beat Hillary Clinton, Thompson said. Unless you win the big dance, unless you win the big election, unless you shoot the shot that goes in, you dont win. The past two Marquette Law School polls showed a majority of Republicans in Wisconsin didnt know enough about Kasich to form an opinion about him. Trump has led by double-digits in past polls, but the next one out March 30 will be the first with only the three remaining GOP candidates. Kasich has secured backing from some high-profile Wisconsin Republicans, including Thompson, former Gov. Scott McCallum and former GOP Congressmen Mark Neumann and Scott Klug. (Kasich is) the clear alternative to Trump, Klug said. Cruz doesnt play as well in the Midwest and the East. I dont think hes got a logical place to gather any momentum. But Cruz is gaining steam among conservatives in Wisconsin. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, an outspoken Trump antagonist, backed Cruz this week after previously supporting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Cruz also has support from U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman and a handful of state legislators, including Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, and Rep. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere. Its pretty clear that in terms of a path to the nomination, Sen. Cruz is not only the conservative alternative to Donald Trump, but the alternative to a Trump nomination, Jacque said. Certainly the preference would be that John Kasich recognize the reality and pull out of the race at this point. Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 16-03-24 Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW No. 56/16 24.03.2016 [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Turkey reportedly reduces and withdraws troops from the occupation regime to reinforce its units ahead of the fight against the PKK [02] Pitella met with Akinci and Talat [03] Kalyoncu: "The government will introduce several bills for the country's security" [04] Erdogan: Turkey informed Belgium over attacker's terrorist links [05] Cavusoglu and Blinken discussed the fight against terrorism and regional issues including Cyprus [06] "Officials" from the CMP briefed about excavations [07] Ten new "universities" are on the way to be established in the occupied area of Cyprus [08] AKP to prepare its own draft of new charter before May [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Turkey reportedly reduces and withdraws troops from the occupation regime to reinforce its units ahead of the fight against the PKK In an exclusive report under the front-page title: "Troops withdraw from Cyprus" Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (24.03.16) invokes reliable sources and writes that "due to the tension and clashes in Turkey, it is reducing and withdrawing a significant number of troops from Cyprus. As it was made known, this process continues for the last 6 months and it has been intensified during the recent days". According to reliable sources, commando units in the areas of occupied Agia Eirini and Mirtou were totally depleted. Also, the number of personnel in all military units in the "north" has been reduced and the number of several troop units including the front-lines has been reduced by two thirds. As it is said, all operations were carried out in secrecy. The paper adds that as it was made known, Turkey continues intensively its fight against the PKK in the southeast. The terror alarm in the country is on the highest level. It was made known that the Turkish troops from Cyprus were sent to Turkey for reinforcement, writes the paper. (AK) [02] Pitella met with Akinci and Talat Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris (24.03.16) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met yesterday with the Chairman of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Gianni Pitella in his office. Self-styled undersecretary of the foreign affairs ministry Erhan Ercin, Akinci's special secretary Cenk Gurcag, Akinci's advisor on political affairs and history Meltem Onurkan Samani and Akinci's foreign affairs coordinator Deniz Birinci were also present at the meeting. Moreover, the paper reports that Pitella and his accompanying delegation, who also met with Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), said that he was still in shock about what happened in Brussels on Tuesday and expressed the need for all countries to adopt a joint strategy when fighting terrorism. Stating that Europe is not an enemy but an ally, he said that this message should be sent clearly to all Muslims. "We do not want an inter-religious war", he stressed. Commenting on the Cyprus talks, Pitella said that he is visiting the island to contribute to peace and the reunification process, adding that they support a solution on the island based on the EU values and the UN Resolutions. For his part, CTP leader Talat also said that the terrorist attacks in Brussels are shocking, adding that a common strategy is necessary for the fight against terrorism. Pointing out that terrorism does not only occur between Islam and Christianity, he reminded that there have also been numerous terrorist attacks in Turkey recently. Noting that the same people are behind the terrorist attacks in Turkey and Brussels, he said that humanity should find ways to put an end to terrorism. Refusing to comment too much on the security measures against terrorism, Talat said that while these measures on the one hand are very important in terms of preventing terrorist attacks, on the other hand, these also obstruct daily life. Expressing satisfaction over the visit, Talat said that they are ready to attend the meetings of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats which he said they are in cooperation with. (DPs) [03] Kalyoncu: "The government will introduce several bills for the country's security" Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (24.03.16) reports that so-called prime minister Omer Kalyoncu, in statements yesterday prior to the meeting of the so-called council of ministers, referring to the issue of the security in the "country", said that they are determined to take all necessary measures to increase security. Stating that their aim is to reinforce the "security forces" and the "police", Kalyoncu stressed that the "government" had already prepared and will submit to the "assembly" for approval several bills. Referring to accusations against him and Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci on their participation to Nevruz celebrations, Kalyoncu denied that their participation meant that they support the terrorists and the PKK and said that all these accusations by several social media and newspapers, is a product of fascist approaches. (AK) [04] Erdogan: Turkey informed Belgium over attacker's terrorist links According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 23.03.16), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on March 23 that Turkey formerly informed Belgium's authorities about the terrorist links of one of the attackers in the March 22 Brussels bombings. Erdogan said that Turkish authorities informed the Belgian Embassy in Ankara in a note on July 14, 2015, that one of the Brussels' attackers was a foreign fighter, but that Belgian authorities had released him after Turkey deported him. "One of the perpetrators of the Brussels attack is a person whom we detained in June 2015 in [the south-eastern province of] Gaziantep and deported", Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart in Ankara. "We informed the Brussels Embassy of the deportation process of the attacker with a note on July 14, 2015. However, the Belgians released the attacker despite his deportation", Erdogan said. Despite this information, the Belgians could not determine any ties with terrorism, he said. Erdogan continued by saying that the Netherlands was also involved in the matter as the suspect was deported to the Netherlands at his own request and the Dutch authorities were also informed about the incident. He added that Turkey deported the attacker to the Netherlands in June 2015 and informed them via a note. The President also said that the world has to "redefine terror, terrorism and terrorists". [05] Cavusoglu and Blinken discussed the fight against terrorism and regional issues including Cyprus According to Ankara Anatolia news agency (23.03.16), Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ankara on Wednesday during which both sides emphasized on enhancing cooperation in the fight against terrorism, diplomatic sources told Anadolu Agency. Cavusoglu and Blinken also discussed bilateral ties, regional and global developments as well as Syria, Iraq and Cyprus issues in the meeting. Recent terrorist attacks in Turkey and Belgium also came up during the exchange of views, sources added. Cavusoglu and Blinken also discussed details about the agreement on refugees between Turkey and the EU. [06] "Officials" from the CMP briefed about excavations Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (24.03.16) reports that the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP) continue its excavation works with nine different groups, both in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus and the occupied area. According to statements made by officials from the Turkish Cypriot Members' office, during the excavations which were taking place in an area near the occupied Epiho dump side, the remains of 5 Greek Cypriot missing persons were found. At the same time, the Committee writes the paper will launch new excavations today in occupied Dikomo. The "officials" said that the excavation works will be launched inside the village after they evaluated information that around 14 Greek Cypriot persons were buried there. Also, the excavations in occupied Agios Georgios, Vouno and Mia Milia villages and in Paphos and Lefkosia in the Republic of Cyprus are in progress. Moreover, the "officials" said that a mass grave was found in occupied Epiho village, belonging to a group of Greek Cypriot soldiers. Referring to the excavations in occupied Agios Georgios Keryneia, the "officials" stated that the remains of a Greek Cypriot were found near a garage. Concerning the excavation works taking place in military zones in Agios Georgios, no remains were found yet, said the "officials". (AK) [07] Ten new "universities" are on the way to be established in the occupied area of Cyprus Under the title: "Ten new universities on the way", Turkish Cypriot daily Detay newspaper (24.03.16) reports that the so-called minister of education Kemal Durust, in exclusive statements to the paper, said, inter alia, that 14 new applications were sent to the so-called ministry of education in 2014 and 5 in 2015 for the establishment of new "universities" in the "country". He added that from the 19 applications in total, the "ministry" had given preliminary permission to 10 "universities" to be established in the "TRNC". Stating that there are 13 "universities" in the "TRNC" until so far with 85.000 students, Durust said that the final permission for the establishment of new "universities" will be given by the so-called Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council ("YODAK"), which will examine whether these meet the criteria. Durust also said that the "authority" for "giving permission" for the establishment of a "university" should be given to the "parliament" and added that a "University law" is into the agenda of the "government". (AK) [08] AKP to prepare its own draft of new charter before May Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 23.03.16) reports that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will prepare its own draft of a new Constitution which includes a shift to a presidential system by the end of April and submit it to Parliament in May or June, after losing hope for the resumption of an inter-party panel tasked with writing Turkey's new charter. "We will start writing the draft next week after establishing a team tasked to this end by taking our previous work on the new charter into consideration," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said during an address to his AKP's provincial organizations on March 23. Davutoglu said that the AKP was planning to complete the writing process of the new Constitution by the end of April and then submit it to Parliament. "I will participate in the [drafting] work, as well", he said. The decision to go ahead with the new charter was given late on March 22 at an AKP central-decision making body meeting, in which senior party officials also drew a road map for the process. "Following detailed and productive consultations, we have decided to take rapid and decisive steps in a bid to meet the expectations of our people for the new Constitution," the Prime Minister said, adding that they also drew up a general framework of the charter. The new charter will bring about the presidential system, he stated. Having 317 seats in parliament, the AKP needs an additional 14 votes from other parties to be able to take its constitutional draft to a referendum. In earlier remarks, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted at an alliance between the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to this end. However, the MHP has also stated its opposition to a presidential system. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio (DPs/AM) Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-24 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at CONTENTS [01] PM Tsipras on Independence Day: 'Next page of our history belongs to a new Greece' [02] EU response to terrorism at the center of Thursday's ministers' meeting [03] Government to submit bill for implementation of the EU-Turkey deal next Wed. [04] Europe needs to re-examine approach to terrorism, Toskas says on arrival for EU ministers' council [05] PM's tweet welcomes ERT, ANA-MPA Arabic programming for refugees [01] PM Tsipras on Independence Day: 'Next page of our history belongs to a new Greece' The Greek revolution of 1821 was the result of European and Greek Enlightenment and a carrier of modern values of freedom with social justice, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in his message ahead of the Greek Independence Day on Friday. "In today's struggle in defense of universal values of humanity, volunteerism and solidarity especially in conditions of an unprecedented economic crisis, the people demonstrate strength, dignity, pride and faith in their strength," Tsipras noted. "The next page of our history belongs to a new Greece, free from the traumas of the economic crisis and the guardianship of lenders, a model of democracy, social solidarity and culture for the whole of Europe," he added. [02] EU response to terrorism at the center of Thursday's ministers' meeting BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/C. Vasilaki) - A meeting between European Union's justice and security ministers along with representatives of European institutions are currently convening for an extraordinary meeting in Brussels, following the terrorist attacks in the city. "We're here to share our condolences with the Belgian people and then to emphasize that we stand firmly for our way of life, for our liberty and strongly convinced to fight terrorism wherever we can. And then also we will once more look at our previous arrangement that we've made and make sure a we share the information," Dutch Internal Affairs Minister Ronald Plasterk told journalists as he arrived for the meeting. "We need to speed up things we've set in motion already. I think it's important that ministers talk to each other and conclude that they should be exchanging information at a high level and more than what they've been doing so far," Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission, said. "I also believe we need to speed up some of the proposals we've put on the table to find the money to make sure terrorists can't use credit cards of pre-paid cards, to make sure we can track where weapons are, to make sure we can actually do better at working together we're working together and making sure these people don't get the instruments to reign terror on Europe," he added. On his side, Commissioner in charge of Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos noted that "it is time to pass from words to actions." "The lives of our citizens, the safety of our citizens is at stake. I hope the outcome of this meeting will open the door for more and deeper cooperation among all states," he said, adding that the framework being prepared on terrorism, which includes creating a European passenger name record (PNR), must finally be enforced. [03] Government to submit bill for implementation of the EU-Turkey deal next Wed. The government will table in parliament on March 30 a draft bill that will address issues relating the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal, the head of Greece's coordinating body for the management of the refugee crisis said on Thursday. Speaking to journalists after a meeting of Government Refugee and Migration Policy Council chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Giorgos Kyritsis said ministers discussed all the issues arising from the EU-Turkey deal and more general problems concerning the management of the refugee crisis. He said that, starting next week, the government will also intensify efforts to relieve the situation at the makeshift camp of Idomeni by providing means of transport to refugees and migrants to be transferred to accommodation centers. He said that similar initiatives could be taken to resolve the problems in Piraeus. "The logic is that all non-organized structures like Idomeni and Piraeus must seize to exist. Now we're making efforts towards both directions, but the government believes that the issue of Idomeni is a priority," he said. "Soon after, that is in the next week, we'll starts [similar] efforts will also start in Piraeus." Asked how the government will accommodate 14,000 people who are stuck in idomeni considering centers nearby are already filled to capacity, Kyritsis said the government can quickly make more than 2,000 positions available in existing centers and that more spots will be freed as of Monday. Responding to a question whether any EU officials have arrived to staff asylum services, Kyritsis said they are expected to arrive by March 28, but that nobody has arrived yet. Asked to whether Greece plans to adopt any legislative directives proclaiming Turkey as a safe third country, he referred to a comment by government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili who had said that "the Greek side doesn't fin I necessary to legislate on this." Kyritsis also announced that the government is preparing 30,000 more spots in the next six months, adding that the locations are "more or less delimited", but noted that any announcements cannot be made by him because the issue is still being discussed with local authorities. Responding to a critical comment on the hotspots being turned into detention centers, Kyritsis said they are not detention centers but "closed centers, in the sense that refugees must be under some restrictions and be available to Greek authorities." "The mentality is not to imprison people," he added. [04] Europe needs to re-examine approach to terrorism, Toskas says on arrival for EU ministers' council BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/ C. Vasilaki) Europe needs to "redesign" its entire approach to dealing with terrorism, Greece's Alternate Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Toskas said on Thursday as he arrived for an EU Extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council. "We are coming here today firstly to express our condolences to the Belgian people and the families of the victims. We are coming to show our solidarity in the struggle against terrorism," Toskas said, while at the same time noting that the tactics adopted until now had not brought results. "I think it is time to redesign the entire effort to combat terrorism, one that is based on social aims and not contrary to social aims. Isolation until now has not given anything. There has to be a redesign, a re-examination of the method for tackling terrorism, to which we are all naturally opposed," Toskas added. With respect to creating a European-wide record of airline passenger data (Passenger Name Record - PNR) and the exchange of information, the minister said Greece supported its adoption and said that "these measures, these technical measures for protecting travellers and passengers must be taken". Asked about the negative reactions of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and NGOs to the EU-Turkey agreement on migration, Toskas said that Greek authorities were working with all NGOs and the UNHCR, because they goals of accepting refugees and migrants was shared "but under specific rules". "This is the proper time to declare that we have to combine the democratic values and freedom in Europe with security in a balanced way. Historically this balance was achieved and this specific period the fear has to be confronted by these values," the minister said in a brief statement on his arrival in English. He underlined that the external borders in Greece were controlled and that despite the continued big flows of refugees, they were all being screened and identified according to the proper European rules. [05] PM's tweet welcomes ERT, ANA-MPA Arabic programming for refugees Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday hailed decisions by the state broadcaster ERT and the ANA-MPA news agency to offer news content in Arabic in order to help refugees in Greece. "We welcome ERT & @amna_news' decision to help refugees by offering much-needed, credible programming in Arabic," Tsipras posted on his @tsipras_eu twitter account. As of mid-March, the ANA-MPA launched a new website in Arabic providing free news and other useful information for migrants and refugees at the address http://www.ana.gr/arabic. The site's content includes useful tips, links, guidelines and announcements issued by the Coordinating Body for Refugees for Arabic-speaking refugee populations in Greece. It is accompanied by multimedia news content, maps and other features. It provides full coverage of news from Greece relating to refugees in the country, as well as the more important news items of the day within the country and those relating to the Arab world in general. It also features a list in English of all the day's news headlines in Greece. The website is mobile- and tablet-compatible and includes links to other ANA-MPA websites in Greek, English and Turkish. ERT has also started broadcasting news programmes in Arabic. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article The reform bill the court struck down would have required taxpayers to pay more into Chicagos municipal workers and laborers pension funds, and would have slightly increased city employees contributions to their own retirements. It would also have reduced cost-of-living adjustments for retired city employees. The Illinois Supreme Court on March 24 struck down a state law designed to shore up two of Chicagos city pension funds, ruling that the reform violates the state constitutions pension clause. But the decision does suggest a way the state could adopt constitutional reforms in the future: by coming to benefit-adjustment agreements with employees, either individually or through their unions collective bargaining. The court ruled that making workers contribute more and receive lower cost-of-living adjustments than they expected would violate the state constitutions pension clause, which says that government employees pension benefits shall not be diminished or impaired. The decision came as no surprise, since last year the court struck down similar, modest reforms to state pension systems. The decision is interesting, though, because it suggests a way the state could make reforms in the future that the court would uphold. In trying to defend its reforms, the city used an argument that advocates of pension reform have long made: that the government can make changes to pension benefits for consideration, meaning the state can reduce an employees pension benefits if the employee voluntarily agrees to the reduction in exchange for some new benefit. The Illinois Appellate Court has said this would be permissible, but the Illinois Supreme Court has never directly addressed it. The city argued that there was bargained-for consideration in this case because workers received a new benefit in the form of a funding guarantee. The bargain supposedly occurred when representatives of city-worker unions allegedly met and 28 of the 31 representatives voted to approve the changes. The court correctly rejected that argument because the unions could not bind their members through that vote, which was not part of collective bargaining with the city. But the court did acknowledge that nothing prohibits an employee from knowingly and voluntarily agreeing to modify pension benefits from an employer in exchange for valid consideration from the employer. That effectively gives the Illinois General Assembly the green light to pass reforms giving workers the option to trade some of their long-term pension benefits for less costly short-term benefits. The decision also leaves open the possibility that unions could agree to such changes on their members behalf if they did it through a collective-bargaining agreement. That could make large-scale changes easier. And it should be permissible because workers represented by a union give the union the right to make a contract on their behalf through collective bargaining. Allowing the state to make deals with employees, individually or through their unions, would be a step in the right direction, but additional reforms will be necessary to actually solve the Illinois and Chicago pension crises. Another step in the right direction, which certainly would be constitutional, would be to put all new government workers in a 401(k)-style plan instead of a defined-benefit pension system. To go further and avoid eventual disaster, however, the state will need a constitutional amendment changing or repealing the pension clause. Todays rejection of the states latest attempt at reform might help motivate Illinoisans to demand one. Jacob Heubert is with the Liberty Justice Law Center The session, which was abruptly convened by Republican lawmakers on Tuesday, came in response to an antidiscrimination ordinance approved by the states largest city, Charlotte, last month. That ordinance provided protections based on sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity, including letting transgender people use the public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, not gender at birth. The state bill, put together so quickly that many lawmakers had not seen it before it was introduced Wednesday morning, specifically bars people in North Carolina from using bathrooms that do not match their birth gender, and goes further to prohibit municipalities from creating their own antidiscrimination policies. Instead, it creates a statewide antidiscrimination policy one that does not mention gay and transgender people. The bill also prohibits local governments from raising minimum wage levels above the state level something a number of cities in other states have done. Whether to allow transgender people access to bathrooms based on gender identity has touched off a national debate, and actions in recent weeks had appeared to turn in favor of that access. Earlier this month, South Dakotas Republican governor vetoed a bill banning access. A similar bill failed in Tennessee this week. North Carolina has gone against the trend, said Sarah Preston, the executive director for the North Carolina office of the American Civil Liberties Union. And they crafted a bill that was more extreme than others. They specifically left gays, lesbians and the transgender community out of the antidiscrimination policy. They want to make it plain that they think that kind of discrimination is O.K. ComEds smart meter deployment is being propelled by a public relations campaign which minimizes and/or dismisses the health and safety impacts that the wireless meters are creating for their customers. What has been known for decades about the health effects of Radio Frequency/microwave radiation is now being passed off by ComEd as a small amount of Radio Frequency being emitted from a smart meter six times a day. A call to customer service posing the question, Are smart meters safe? will elicit a response, You dont have anything to worry about, it is safer than a baby monitor. And, with that simple explanation, the deployment of four million smart meters is underway in Illinois. Community leaders and residents deserve a real answer and hard facts. Throughout this article Radio Frequency/microwave radiation will also be referred to as non-ionizing or non-thermal. For clarification: A definition of thermal or ionizing radiation means it can cause heat shock or burn body tissue. Non-ionizing or non-thermal radiation is a lower intensity that can cause other negative effects on living tissue (human, animal, or plant). Let the truth be known: What is being hidden from the consumer and decision-maker is what has been known by the military for decades: Radio Frequency/microwave radiation even at low levels is a health threat. U.S. military reports nearly 60 years ago confirmed the biological effects of exposure to low level Electromagnetic Radiation. Jerry Flynn is a retired Canadian Armed Forces captain with 22 years of experience in Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence. In that capacity, he worked with U.S. and NATO armies. Flynn writes: In 1956 the U.S. Department of Defense directed the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force to investigate the biological effects of exposure to Radio Frequency/microwave radiation (RF/MW) and Electromagnetic Fields (EMF). In 1957 they reported many implications: evidence it can cause cancer, damage major organs, and disrupt important biological processes. It can harm the immune and nervous systems, cause behavioral effects, interfere with the ability to learn, and damage the chemical barrier that prevents blood toxins from entering the brain. It could possibly cause genetic defects, birth defects, and general effects on growth and the aging processes. Flynn emphasizes, The military noted that pulsed radiation appeared to be more harmful than non-pulsed radiation. (ComEd smart meters emit pulsed radiation.) Air Force Report, 1994 A June 1994 U.S. Air Force document, entitled, Radio Frequency/microwave Radiation Biological Effects and Safety Standards, acknowledged non-thermal health effects. Stated in its abstract, It is known that Electromagnetic Radiation has a biological effect on human tissue. Researchers have discovered a number of biological dysfunctions that can occur in living organisms. Exposure of the human body to Radio Frequency/microwave [RF/MW] radiation has many biological implications that range from innocuous sensation of warmth to serious physiological damage to the eye, and added that there is also evidence that RF/MW radiation can cause cancer. Other adverse health issues include: mutagenic effects, cardiovascular effects, negative effects on chromosomes and notes that Soviet investigators claim that exposure to low-level radiation can induce serious CNS [central nervous system] dysfunctions. NASA Report, 1981 A NASA report published in April 1981, entitled Electromagnetic Field Interactions with the Human Body: Observed Effects and Theories, discussed what EMF and RF/microwave radiation inflicts on humans. Health effects of RF/microwave radiation that were reported are headaches, sleep problems, neurological symptoms, cardiac symptoms, memory problems, increased cholesterol, gastritis, ulcers, increased fasting blood glucose, irritability, inability to concentrate, apprehension, and cataracts (clouding of posterior part of lens in those caused by microwave radiation instead of anterior clouding as seen with regular types). Information for the NASA report was collected from over 1,000 written sources that included journals, conference proceedings, technical reports, books, abstracts, and news items. Navy Report, 1971 In October 1971, the Naval Medical Research Institute published a research report, Bibliography of Reported Biological Phenomena (Effects) and Clinical Manifestations Attributed to Microwave and Radio-Frequency Radiation, which was a compilation of over 2000 references on the biological responses to RF/microwave radiation. It lists well over 100 negative biological effects caused by RF/ microwave radiation. Here is a partial list from the report: corneal damage, brain heating, alteration of the diameter of blood vessels, liver enlargement, decreased fertility, sterility, altered fetal development, decreased lactation in nursing mothers, cranial nerve disorders, seizures, convulsions, depression, insomnia, hand tremors, chest pain, thrombosis, alteration in the rate of cellular division, anorexia, altered adrenal cortex activity, chromosome aberrations, tumors, loss of hair, and sparking between dental fillings. Also mentioned in the Navy Report is, altered orientation of animals, birds and fish. Barrie Trower, a British Secret Service Microwave Weapons Specialist, states: The paradox is how Radio Frequency/microwave radiation can be used as a weapon to cause impairment, illness and death; and at the same time be used as a communications instrument [such as in a smart meter]. By 1971 we knew everything that needed to be known. A 1976 document summarizing U.S. Defense Intelligence research is the saddest and most despicable document ever published in history. The document lists all of the health hazards caused by wireless devices and concludes: This should be kept secret to preserve industrial profit. Since the health threats have been known for decades, where do we stand now? At this time, the installation of smart meters is mandated by law on every home, school, and building in ComEds customer service territory. NO permanent opt-out option is available. Parents, who know the truth about the health risks, have nowhere to turn. There is no avenue available for parents, who are aware of the dangers, to protect their children. Does this sound like Flint, Michigan all over again? Illinois is in the midst of an avoidable, man-made health crisis. What happens when the state faces Flints horrible position concerning water, but with electricity? ComEds smart meter deployment is creating just such a tragic situation. It is up to the residents to take action, push legislators and the Illinois Commerce Commission for a permanent opt-out, and protect the children in Illinois as well as all living beings in the state. Part 2 --Follow this article to find out what other agencies, corporations, and organizations knew about the health effects related to Radio Frequency/microwave radiation and when they knew it. Also covered is who is sounding the alarm in an effort to protect public health and welfare. Almost 100 people mostly from Haiti who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for... By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, Mar 24 (PTI) Pakistan today said that 132 of its traders were detained at the Moscow airport by Russian authorities and efforts were underway to repatriate the remaining 84 nationals. Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafess Zakaria said that these Pakistanis were part of a group of traders, who were traveling to Russia for an exhibition yesterday when they were detained at the Moscow airport. advertisement Russia already sent back 48 Pakistanis yesterday while the remaining 84 will be soon brought back, said Zakaria. "The Foreign office is in touch with Russian embassy in Islamabad on the matter," he said. It was not known why they were held and being deported back, he said. The Express News TV reported Pakistans ambassador to Russia Qazi Khalilullah saying that the Pakistan embassy in Moscow is negotiating with the Russian authorities for their release. "A Pakistan embassy official is at the airport to negotiate with the Russian authorities for the release of these men," he said. The incident comes after the Brussels attacks on Tuesday which killed more than 30 people and created worldwide panic. PTI SH SUA AKJ SUA --- ENDS --- New intel report says group of terrorists entered India again from Punjab town to carry out strikes in Delhi. By Abhishek Bhalla : No lessons have been learnt from the Pathankot attack to plug gaps in border security in order to ensure zero infiltration from Pakistan. A recent intelligence report ahead of a Pakistani team's visit to India for probing the Pathankot attack says that a group of terrorists entered India again from Pathankot to carry out strikes in Delhi's hotels and hospitals. advertisement The report names former Pakistan army personnel Mohammed Khurshid Alam who, along with six "hardcore" terrorists, have entered India to target hotels and hospitals in Delhi. "On February 26, 2016, at around 2030 hours, he (Alam) along with six others crossed over to India through Pathankot, Punjab-Pakistan border," the intelligence note said. According to the report, Alam alias Jahangir has been working as a recruiter, coordinator and guide of jehadi elements in Assam and some other parts of the country over the last five years. Officials in the home ministry downplayed the report, saying it is not alarming. The Punjab border has been vulnerable to Pakistani infiltration over the last year. In July 2015, a fidayeen group from Pakistan attacked Dinanagar town in Punjan in Gurdaspur district killing seven people including four policeman. The information was shared with police chiefs of Punjab, Delhi and Assam on March, 8. Seven security personnel were killed and several others wounded when suspected Pakistani terrorists owing allegiance to Pakistanbased Jaish-e-Mohammad stormed the Pathankot air base after infiltrating on January 1. recent intelligence regarding the entry of seven terrorists from the border areas near Pathankot is significant in wake of the scheduled visit of Pakistani investigators on March 28 Sources said it is likely that they will be allowed access to the airbase but it will be restricted to the point of entry and the area from where the Pakistani terrorists opened fire before being gunned down. "They certainly won't be allowed to have a look at the entire airbase," said a government official. Officials said it has been made clear to Pakistan that the visit and information sharing will be completely reciprocal. India has already sent a Letter Rogatory (LR) to Pakistan-a legal request for sharing information and evidence regarding the probe. Sources said it is likely that New Delhi could ask Pakistan for access to one of the slain terrorists' mother. The terrorist had spoken to her from a Pakistani mobile number before launching the attack on the airbase. advertisement The intelligence report on the recent successful infiltration from Pathankot said that Alam had visited a madrasa in Barpeta district in Assam in September 2015. The ex-Pakistan armyman had stayed in the madrasa for five days and then left for Chirang district, bordering Bhutan. Alam had used another madrasa in Dhubri district in Assam as his base and had visited other parts of the state, it said. In Dhubri, a madrasa teacher provided all required logistical support to Alam, the communication added. Pakistani National Security Adviser Naseer Janjua had shared information about the possibility of ten terrorists entering India last month with his counterpart Ajit Doval. While a top home ministry official had claimed that three of these were killed in an operation recently in a western state without giving further deatails, officials in the security forces and intelligence said they were clueless about any such operation. Pakistani terrorists who attacked the Pathankot Air Force base infiltrated from across the border carrying heavy ammunition and weapons from Bamial in Punjab, National Investigation Agency's (NIA) probe has suggested. The terrorists who carried out the Pathankot attack are also suspected to be from the Afzal Guru Squad. Intelligence reports indicate that Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging breathed fresh life into Pakistan terror group JeM with its chief Maulana Masood Azhar using it is a motivating tool for fuelling terror targeting India. Pakistan has registered a case to probe the Pathankot attack conspiracy after India demanded action based on the evidence it handed over to its neighbour. But Pakistan has not named terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed nor its chief Masood Azhar yet. advertisement Also Read: Pathankot: Car snatched at gunpoint by 3 youths Also Read: NIA releases photos of terrorists ahead of Pakistan SIT's visit --- ENDS --- The entire area has been cordoned off and a bomb squad has also been deployed. By India Today Web Desk: A suspicious suitcase has been found in the Chakkipul area of Pathankot. The area has been evacuated and police started probing. The entire area has been cordoned off and a bomb squad has also been deployed. On January 2, 2016, a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force. Since then the district have been on high alert and security have been stepped up. advertisement Also read: 6 more terrorists invade Pathankot to carry out attacks in Delhi --- ENDS --- An airline spokesperson said the first recovery flight, 9W 227, will depart from Amsterdam for Mumbai at 1400 hrs (local time) while the one for New Delhi (9W 1229) will depart at 1600 hrs (local time). By India Today Web Desk: Jet Airways will be operating three recovery flights from Amsterdam to Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto today to fly the passengers stranded in Brussels following a series of explosions that rocked the airport and metro station in the Belgian capital on Tuesday. An airline spokesperson said the first recovery flight, 9W 227, will depart from Amsterdam for Mumbai at 1400 hrs (local time) while the one for New Delhi (9W 1229) will depart at 1600 hrs (local time). advertisement Jet Airways will also operate a recovery flight (9W 1230) to Toronto from Amsterdam, which will leave the Dutch Capital at 1800 hours, according to the spokesperson. The Mumbai-based airline, however, did not give the number of flyers who were stuck at the Brussels airport due to the blasts, which left over 30 people killed and several injured including two crew members of Jet Airways. Amsterdam will become Jet Airways' European gateway for its international operations from Saturday. As of now Brussels airport, which will remain closed even today for passenger flights, continues to serve as Jet Airways' hub for overseas operations for Europe and beyond. Jet Airways confirms its guests are currently on their way from Brussels to Amsterdam by road transport. They are being accompanied by Jet Airways staff. The airline has made hotel arrangements in Amsterdam for their overnight stay, before they continue onward journey to their destination. Following is the schedule of the recovery flights for March 24, 2016: Flight No From To Departure (Local Time) Arrival (Local Time) 9W 1227 Amsterdam Mumbai 1400 hrs 0300 +1 9W 1229 Amsterdam Delhi 1600 hrs 0425 +1 9W 1230 Amsterdam Toronto 1800 hrs 2135 advertisement Also Read: 34 dead after ISIS strikes Brussels airport, metro station Brussels attacks: Belgium hunts Islamic State suspect after blasts kill 34 --- ENDS --- By PTI: Kolkata, Mar 24 (PTI) The CPI-M, if voted to power in the Assembly election in West Bengal, would conduct a probe into alleged accumulation of assets by the relatives of Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, party MP Md Salim today said. Salim, CPI-M Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, said that the assets accumulated by the relatives of the chief minister and people close to her would be auctioned and the money would be distributed among the poor. advertisement "We will recover crores of money accumulated by duping the poor...We know that they (TMC) are using ill-gotten money in the media also...We will probe everything," Salim said at the party office here while replying to a question if the party would investigate the TMCs alleged links with the Saradha scam. He also hit out at the BJP for keeping mum over the sting operation. He alleged that there was a "secret understanding" between the BJP government at the Centre and the TMC-led state government, which has "influenced" the investigation into the Saradha scam. That was the reason also why no "FIR" was lodged in the sting operation. "This is for the first time that MPs from West Bengal have been caught in such an act on camera," he said. He wondered why no FIR was lodged against them and why there was no probe ordered. "This is because there has been a secret understanding between the BJP and the TMC," Salim said. He also questioned, "On what basis Mamata Banerjee is calling it a doctored video...There are softwares to detect if it is at all doctored. Actually, she does not want the truth to come out." The CPI-M leader also wanted to know why no action was taken against former Burdwan SP SMH Meerza who was caught on the sting video purportedly taking wads of currency notes. He said since Meerza is an IPS officer, he had asked Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to take action against him since his name cropped up in the sting operation. "He (Meerza) is an IPS officer. He is into a service and collecting money for a particular political party. How was he doing that? I have personally spoken to BJPs Siddharth Nath Singh also on this matter but they are still mum," Salim said. PTI SCH MD SMJ --- ENDS --- By PTI: Hyderabad, Mar 24 (PTI) The non-teaching staff of Hyderabad Central University (HCU), who had gone on a strike protesting vandalisation of VCs lodge on March 22 allegedly by a group of students, resumed their duties today as the situation on the campus remained peaceful. Members of HCU Non-Teaching Staff Union had boycotted duties from Tuesday afternoon protesting ransacking of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podiles official residence (VCs lodge) and after being assaulted allegedly by the group of students opposing Podile resuming his duty. advertisement As part of the strike, cooks had shut down Students Mess, expressing support to the Vice Chancellor (VC) after which students had set up an open kitchen yesterday. "Messes, which had been shut down due to the strike by non-teaching staff opened today...they (non-teaching staff) have resumed their duties from today in the larger interest of the university," HCU Registrar M Sudhakar told PTI. Meanwhile, twenty-five students and two faculty members of HCU, who were arrested yesterday in connection with incidents of vandalism at VCs lodge and stone pelting on police personnel, were sent to judicial remand last night and are lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison. "The situation on the campus is peaceful today," Gachibowli police inspector J Ramesh said. Mother of deceased Dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula, Radhika, who had staged a sit-in protest along with scores of HCU students in front of the university last night after being denied entry, withdrew her protest at around 11.15 pm, HCU Chief Security Officer T V Rao said. Radhika and the protesting students, who demanded Podiles immediate removal from the post and the release of students and faculty members arrested in connection with vandalism of the VCs lodge and stone-pelting on police, also made a vain bid to "barge" inside the campus but were stopped at the entrance itself, Rao said. "She wanted to hold a dharna inside the campus, but we prevented her from doing so. She along with around 200 students attempted to go inside the campus, but we stopped them and they finally withdrew their protest at around 11.15 pm," the security official said. PTI VVK GDK DK PRM --- ENDS --- By Mail Today: The ongoing probe into the killing of noted Kannada writer and rationalist MM Kalburgi has taken an interesting twist with the special team of the Karnataka Crime Investigation Department (CID) discovering that contract killers were hired for the murder. The sleuths are now zeroing in on possible suspects who could be from Maharashtra or Goa. According to sources in the Karnataka CID, the organisation responsible for the death of Kalburgi did not want to leave behind any trail and hence may have hired contract killers. "We have specific leads to indicate that professional killers were employed to execute the job. It has already been proven that the weapon used to kill Kalburgi and other rationalists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar is the same. But different contract killers shot at each of them," sources in the Karnataka CID, pointed out. advertisement The police are yet to identify the organisations or people responsible for the killing of Kalburgi. Though the three killings are connected, as the pattern indicates, the people behind it did not want any direct involvement. "Professional killers are hired if anyone wants to leave the trail cold. We have a strong suspicion that the bike-borne duo entered either Maharashtra or Goa after committing the crime," the sources said. Unidentified gunmen shot dead Kalburgi at his residence on August 30 last year in Dharwad in northwest Karnataka. They fled from the scene of crime on a two-wheeler. So far, the police have not been able to identify the culprits though sketches of the suspects were prepared. The government even announced a cash reward for information relating to the suspects, but it has not been successful so far in cracking the case. "But analysis of call data records of more than 20,000 people in Dharwad on the day the crime was committed is pointing us towards something specific. There is no doubt that the conspirators are no more in Karnataka. At the same time, we are taking a different approach in our probe relying on forensics," the sources added. The police are collating information on contract killers from neighboring Goa and Maharashtra in association with their counterparts. "In many of the cases, these contract killers are also ordinary criminals or rowdysheeters. All we need to do is identify them through the right channels, as they are still out there," the sources said and noted that Maharashtra and Goa too are keen on completing the probe. Meanwhile, the CBI, which is probing the killings of Dabholkar and Pansare, would seek the assistance of a third party on the ballistics report owing to conflicts between Karnataka and Maharashtra police on the weapon used. Also Read: Special CID team to probe Kalburgi killing, says Karnataka Home Minister --- ENDS --- Top management of Ringing Bells have been booked for cheating after India Today exposed how the company had been making false claims to customers. By India Today Web Desk: In yet another blow to the manufacturers of the world's cheapest phone Freedom 251, top management of Ringing Bells have been booked for cheating after India Today exposed how the company had been making false claims to customers. An FIR has been registered against the company promoter Mohit Goel and president Ashok Chaddha under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act on a complaint filed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. advertisement India Today's Special Investigation had found out that the phone which Ringing Bells is projecting as its own was actually bought from a company in New Delhi's Kirti Nagar for Rs 3,600 a piece. During a sting operation, the president of Ringing Bells Ashok Chadha had said, "The phone is roughly at a cost of about Rs 2,200 to 2,300 depending upon how much quantity you procure. The answer to why we are selling it at Rs 251 is... a import duty hedge of about 13.5 per cent (as per Make in India). There is an economics of scale. We are looking at a production when people want about a lakh (phones) a month. We are looking at multipliers of that, which is economic of scale in terms of production." However, the telecom industry reacted angrily to the claims being made by Ringing Bells. The Indian Cellular Association has called the Freedom 251 a big joke. Founder and National President of Indian Cellular Association Pankaj Mohindroo had said, "There is no way a phone can be sold so cheap. It's impossible." India Today's Operation Freedom 251 Team had first visited the Kirti Nagar offices of Advantage Communication, a manufacturer and distributor of mobile phones and tablets. INDIA TODAY EXCLUSIVE: OPERATION FREEDOM 251 Advantage Communication owner Sanjeev Bhatia had confirmed that the phone which Ringing Bells was tom-tomming on TV channels had actually been bought from his company and wasn't produced by Ringing Bells at all. "We got an order after which we started manufacturing and delivered them the product. We have even received the payment for the order. Till three days before the launch, we had no clue about our phone being renamed as Freedom 251," said Bhatia. When the investigation team confronted president of Ringing Bells, he was forced to admit that the phone was bought from another company. But he insisted that only the touch plate had been bought from Advantage Communication while the rest of the phone had been put together by Ringing Bells. advertisement "Advantage Communication has just manufactured the touch plate, rest all is ours," said Chadha. However, this claim was also refuted by Advantage Communication. Bhatia said, "It wasn't just one part, but the entire phone, which had been bought from Advantage Communication." According to Bhatia, Freedom 251 is actually Ikon 4, white. Bhatia had said that Ringing Bells erased the brand name of Ikon 4 from the panel and placed their own sticker instead. Ringing Bells had originally claimed that they will start selling the Freedom 251 phone in the market from the end of February. Ringing Bells had told India Today that the company had outsourced the task of assembling Freedom 251 to two production units near the national capital and one near Mumbai. These companies are Vie Technology and Eminence Technologies. The Ringing Bells management told us that they had already placed orders to produce 50 lakh units of the Rs 251 phone. The company claimed that all these phones will be sold in the market by June this year. When contacted Eminence Technologies director Nidhi Khullar had said that it was only five days before the grand launch that Ringing Bells first approached them. Khullar said, "They launched the phone on February 17 and informed us only on February 11." advertisement Nidhi Khullar had also revealed that so far they had not received any green signal from Ringing Bells to start the assembly process. Both the production units that are supposed to ship 50 lakh phones in 90 days said that work on assembling the phone has not even started. The company says it will take cash only on delivery. But the India Today investigation showed that consumers need to be aware of some of the tall claims being made by the makers of Freedom 251. MAKERS OF FREEDOM 251 TALK TO INDIA TODAY ALSO READ Freedom 251: Make in India blitz or a farce? Noida Police files FIR against Ringing Bells for cheating its customers --- ENDS --- According to Delhi Police, extra CISF personnel have been deployed to check and frisk every passenger. Also, agencies are monitoring CCTV footage of various markets. By Mail Today: In wake of intelligence inputs regarding terror groups striking the national Capital, Delhi Police personnel and paramilitary forces have been deployed at various markets, malls, IGIA and Metro stations to secure the city. According to Delhi Police, extra CISF personnel have been deployed to check and frisk every passenger. Also, agencies are monitoring CCTV footage of various markets. advertisement On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary reviewed security preparedness of the Delhi Metro, which carries around 2.6 million passengers daily. He was accompanied by Managing Director of Delhi Metro Mangu Singh. The minister also visited the maintenance workshop and training institute at Shastri Park. Also Read: Threat of a Pathankot-like strike looms large over Delhi --- ENDS --- Armani announced on March 22 that they will discontinue the use of fur in their luxury clothing from the upcoming autumn/winter 2016 collection onwards. The policy will be followed across all the verticals of the brand Armani. By Radhika Bhalla/Mail Today: Ii was a proud day for the fashion fraternity across the world as Italian fashion house, Armani announced on March 22 that they will discontinue the use of fur in their luxury clothing from the upcoming autumn/winter 2016 collection onwards. The statement comes as a major landmark for animal rights associations as the use of animal skins and fur has seen a major resurgence of late with fashion brand such as Chanel and Fendi. advertisement Currently 75 million animals - including domestic rabbits, foxes, minks, and raccoon dogs - are trapped in cages on fur farms to be converted into jackets, bags, keychains and shoe trimmings. Girogio Armani, 81, declared in conjunction with Humane Society International (HSI), "I am pleased to announce that the Armani Group has made a firm commitment to abolish the use of animal fur in its collections." The statement further stated, "Technological progress made over the years allows us to have valid alternatives at our disposition that render the use of cruel practices unnecessary as regards animals. Pursuing the positive process undertaken long ago, my company is now taking a major step ahead, reflecting our attention to the critical issues of protecting and caring for the environment and animals." The policy will be held across all the verticals of the brand, including Giorgio Armani, Armani Prive, and AX | Armani Exchange. Other fashion brands who joined the movement last year were Hugo Boss (banned fur and angora wool), Tommy Hilfiger, Stella McCartney (banned fur and leather) and Calvin Klein. Commenting on the Indian context on the use of fur, FDCI President, Mr Sunil Sethi shared with Mail Today , "FDCI believes in sustainable and ethical fashion, but we do not have any written, fixed policy on the use of fur. "We have worked with PETA for a number of years to come up with many animal-friendly initiatives, and most of our designers in the past have used faux fur." He further added, "In an official capacity, we will talk about this in our next Board Meeting and I'm sure there will be huge support for it." Also Read: Armani finally goes fur-free FTW --- ENDS --- PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was declared as the chief ministerial candidate for Jammu and Kashmir by her party. By India Today Web Desk: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti was today declared as the chief ministerial candidate for Jammu and Kashmir by her party. The decision was made in a meeting of PDP legislators chaired by Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar today. She was unanimously elected as the leader of all PDP legislators in the state. "Mehbooba Mufti is PDP's nominee for the CM's post. Swearing in date will be decided after meeting with the Jammu and Kashmir Governor," PDP leader Muzaffar Baig said after the meeting. advertisement However, PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said that the rest will follow only after consultation with alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Hours before the crucial meeting, Mehbooba visited her father's grave for prayers. Accompanied by one of her two daughters, the PDP chief prayed there for a while before heading to Srinagar to attend the meeting with her legislators. Mehbooba represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. After the meeting, the way has been paved for her to become the first woman chief minister of India's only Muslim majority state. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government after Mehbooba's father and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died in a Delhi hospital. Mehbooba was widely speculated to take over the reins soon but she dragged her feet on continuing to ally with the BJP and wanted it to redraw the alliance terms that had father had authored. After remaining entrenched in their respective positions for more than two months, the two partners warmed up to each other following Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in Delhi. ALSO READ J-K deadlock: Mehbooba calls meeting with Modi on govt formation 'positive' Mehbooba Mufti meets PM Modi over PDP-BJP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir --- ENDS --- Kashmiri Seperatist leader Syeda Aasiya Andrabi said Jammu and Kashmir would one day become part of Pakistan. She also said Pakistan should become model Islamic state. By Naseer Ganai: Separatist woman organisation Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) on Wednesday, hoisted Pakistani flags at many places across the city, even in Lal Chowk, early on Wednesday morning, sources said. They said flags were hoisted in Downtown and civillines areas of the city. The flags hoisted surreptitiously were later removed by the police. Last year, on August 17, Jammu and Kashmir Police had registered a case against chief of DeM, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi for hoisting Pakistani flags in Kashmir. However, Jammu and Kashmir Police is playing down the issue. A senior police official said it was of no consequence and it shouldn't be given importance. advertisement After hoisting Pakistani flags, Andrabi in a statement, justified the act. Andrabi said it continued with its past tradition of celebrating Pakistan day. She said Jammu and Kashmir would one day become part of Pakistan. However, she expressed concern over the present condition of Pakistan. She said Pakistan should become model Islamic state. "After countless sacrifices, Muslims succeeded in creating a separate country but unfortunately since its birth, anti-Islam forces have wanted to destabilise it and never allowed it to adopt the Islamic shariah in totality," Andrabi said. "Though Pakistan is like an Islamic fort, it has not become a true Islamic country. Muslims of Pakistan and religious parties, like Jamat-ud-Dawa and Jamat-e-Islami in particular, should work for the revival of Pakistani ideology so that the country is made to become like a real Islamic country and put before the whole world as a model Islamic state," her statement reads. Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyat Conference moderate faction chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday said that he expects the Union government to carry forward "the spirit of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's vision." He hoped India and Pakistan would evolve ways and means to include the people of Kashmir in the composite dialogue between the two countries. Also Read: Separatist leader Masrat Alam re-arrested in Jammu --- ENDS --- A Malaysian government investigation team has found that both pieces of debris are consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. By Reuters: Australia said on Thursday that plane debris recovered earlier this month from Mozambique was highly likely to have come from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which was carrying 239 people when it went missing more than two years ago. A Malaysian government investigation team has found that both pieces of debris are consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, said Australia's minister for infrastructure and transport, Darren Chester. advertisement "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," he said. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling... and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," Chester said. Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 passengers and crew on board shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing in March 2014. A white, metre-long chunk of metal was found off the coast of Mozambique this month by a US adventurer who has been carrying out an independent search for flight MH370. It arrived in Australia for testing earlier this week. The debris was examined by investigators from Australia and Malaysia, as well as specialists from Boeing, Geoscience Australia and the Australian National University in Canberra. Malaysia said this week it would send a team to retrieve a piece of debris found along the southern coast of South Africa to check whether it could also belong to MH370. The jet is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean and an initial search of a 60,000 sq km (23,000 sq miles) area of sea floor has been extended to another 60,000 sq km. A piece of the plane's wing washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, on the other side of Madagascar, in July 2015. So far only that piece, known as a flaperon, has been confirmed to belong to the missing plane. --- ENDS --- Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru and said they made the supreme sacrifice so that generations after them could breathe the air of freedom. By Press Trust of India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru and said they made the supreme sacrifice so that generations after them could breathe the air of freedom. "I bow to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on their martyrdom day and salute their indomitable valour and patriotism that inspires generations. "In the prime of their youth, these 3 brave men sacrificed their lives so that generations after them can breathe the air of freedom," he tweeted. advertisement It was on this day that Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were executed, a few hours ahead of schedule, after the trio were sentenced to death in the Lahore conspiracy case. He also remembered socialist leader Dr Ram Manohar Lohia on his birth anniversary and described him as "a scholar and original thinker. He inspires people across party lines." Modi also put out a copy of Lohia's letter written to Mahatma Gandhi from Bareilly Central Jail on April 30, 1941 whereby he introduced one Hari Dutt Kandpal from Almora to Gandhi, saying Kandpal, who was a firm believer in non-violence, wanted to meet him after being released from jail. The Prime Minister also greeted Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Mutt on the special occasion of his Sahasra Chandra Darshan and gave him his best wishes. "My warmest greetings to Pujya Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati ji of Kanchi Mutt on the special occasion of his Sahasra Chandra Darshan. "Pujya Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati ji has devoted his life to service and spirituality. I pray for his good health and long life," he tweeted. Also read: Delhi University to celebrate Bhagat Singh's martyrdom day on March 23 Congress distances itself from Tharoor's Bhagat Singh remark Bhagat Singh's 85th death anniversary: Some of his famous quotes --- ENDS --- By PTI: Colombo, Mar 24 (PTI) Sri Lankas much-awaited Right to Information (RTI) Bill was tabled in parliament today fulfilling an election promise of the Sirisena government. The bills presentation had been delayed as the Northern Provincial Council had failed to pass the proposed draft in the Council on time. Minister of Mass Media and Parliamentary Reforms Gayantha Karunathilake while presenting the draft bill to the parliament said, he was pleased to present the draft bill in parliament today, the birthday of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. advertisement Party leaders are to decide on its debating day later. The RTI was a key election pledge made by the opposition coalition now in power when they challenged the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election held in January 2015. Rajpaksa was defeated by Maithripala Sirisena in general elections last year. The Cabinet had approved it in December and thereafter was referred to the nine provincial councils for approval. Rejection by the provincial councils would have meant the requirement for it to be passed by two thirds majority in parliament. Three of nine councils have approved the draft subject to amendments, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday. The Bill provides for the establishment of a Right to Information Commission and the appointment of information officers among other things to uphold the peoples right to know. The civil society activists who were responsible for drafting the legislation said they would ensure an Act of the highest quality to guarantee the RTI. PTI CORR AJR AKJ AJR --- ENDS --- After registering a sensational win against Bangladesh yesterday in a World Twenty20 match, Team India celebrated Holi in some style. Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma put colours on each other in team bus. (BCCI/Twitter) By India Today Web Desk: After registering a sensational win against Bangladesh yesterday in a World Twenty20 match, Team India celebrated Holi in some style. Team members - Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and others celebrated the festival of colours in the team bus. India after losing their first match in the tournament, have bounced back well to keep their semifinal hopes alive by winning successive matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh. advertisement India now travel to Mohali for their last and crucial league match on Sunday against Australia. HAPPY HOLI - Team India members - MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh,... Happy Holi #Ind - @msdhoni @YUVSTRONG12 @harbhajan_singh @SDhawan25 @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/kxme0s0II2 --- ENDS --- Chobani expands capacity Chobani has announced a major expansion to its manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, which it says will be used to drive continued growth and expand production capability to meet demand for new and existing products. Chobani has announced a major expansion to its manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, which it says will be used to drive continued growth in the region, the state and the community and expand production capability to meet demand for new and existing products. As the yogurt category and overall consumption continues to grow, Chobani is self-funding major expansion initiatives, including: + Purchase and conversion of three production lines for Chobani "Flip" products-- its fastest growing yogurt platform + Purchase of a new production line and a new bulk production line for foodservice opportunities to drive further growth in schools, hotels, airlines and restaurants + Purchase of new equipment for new adjacent categories like Chobani Meze Dips and yogurt drinks + Launch of products to new international markets, including Mexico and Puerto Rico in Q2 2016, furthering its mission to make better food for more people "Building the largest yogurt manufacturing plant in the world and expanding it three years later is a really proud moment for us and an example of how right it was to pick Idaho as our second home," said Hamdi Ulukaya, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chobani. "Our success in Idaho and New York is an example of the power and strength of U.S. manufacturing. To food companies like ours, it's a signal of the momentum of the food movement that we started: better food for more people." Chobani commissioned its second domestic manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, in 2013, making it, according to the company, the largest yogurt manufacturing facility in the world. The company had previously invested more than $450 million to build the one million square foot, world-class operation. The initial construction was completed in an unprecedented 326 days, with more than 2,000 men and women who put in more than 1.7 million man hours to build the state-of-the-art facility from the ground up. In addition to expansion plans in Twin Falls, the company says it is also exploring plans to expand its original plant inCentral New York. On the heels of the its Chobani "Flip" product success, Chobani recently announced its expansion and investment beyond the yogurt aisle with two new products that the company says build on the Mediterranean tradition of shared spreads with Chobani Meze Dips and portable protein with Drink Chobani beverage. Insurance Back Best performances in the Romanian insurance market awarded today by XPRIMM This evening the best performances in the Romanian insurance market will be awarded by XPRIMM at the 16th edition of the Insurance Market's Awards Gala. This year the event will also celebrate the Romanian folk traditions, a rich display of Romanian traditional costumes and crafts, celebrating creativity and performance. During the Gala will be awarded the best performances in sales and customers support for the national networks of the Romanian insurance and brokerage companies, as well as the creativity in insurance products design, the best asset managing results in private pensions and the best overall insurance companies on the main segments of activity. Beside the traditional folk costumes parade, the identity and national spirit will be outlined also by three workshops dedicated to the traditional Romanian crafts: egg painting, pottery and weaving. The Insurance Market Awards Gala 2016 will be held at The Oaks Country Club, with the official support of the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum and is supported by the partners PRC - Pavalascu Risk Consultants, Eurotax and DAUNE.expert. The event is organized with the support Consiglieri, Iliana Workshop, BRS - COLOR Blouseroumaine-shop.com and tshirts. Follow xprimmcom on twitter #xprimm or visit www.xprimm.com Author: Daniela GHETU on 24.03.2016 Archive Comment this article 0 comments Atention! "Comment" and "E-mail" are mandatory Name: If you are logged on and you do not fill in your name, will be used the name that you used when you registered If you are not logged on, your name will appear preceded by '(Anonymous)'. For authentication, click here If you are logged on and you do not fill in your name, will be used the name that you used when you registered E-mail: Comment: < 10.000 car. Fill in the code from the image: Insurance Back Registration is now officially open for the Motor Insurance Conference in Budapest The registration is now officially open for the Motor Insurance Conference which will take place in Budapest, on April 28 -29. The Conference will focus on the influence of technology on motor insurance and will gather main players in motor insurance in Central and South Eastern Europe. Current overview of the European motor insurance market, how new technologies and services influence motor insurance, insurance market liberalization, how to make the most of the data base, how to settle international claims are some of the hot topics that will be addressed at the conference in Budapest by renowned experts from across Europe. The Conference is divided into four modules: World of Motor Insurance: What, Where, How? Future of Motor Insurance What to Do with All the Big Data? Claims and Fraud Conference delegates will have a unique opportunity to listen to top-notch presentations, participate in in-depth discussions and network in the company of industry's leaders! The Motor Insurance Conference is organized by the Croatian Institute for Insurance in cooperation with XPRIMM, with the offivial support of the MABISZ - Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies. The General Sponsor of the Conference is Europ Assistance. For more details check the Institute for Insurance event's page Register here Author: Daniela GHETU on 24.03.2016 Archive Comment this article 0 comments Atention! "Comment" and "E-mail" are mandatory Name: If you are logged on and you do not fill in your name, will be used the name that you used when you registered If you are not logged on, your name will appear preceded by '(Anonymous)'. For authentication, click here If you are logged on and you do not fill in your name, will be used the name that you used when you registered E-mail: Comment: < 10.000 car. Fill in the code from the image: Donbas elections may be held just in line with Ukrainian legislation, supervised by OSCE U.S. envoy to OSCE The elections in the occupied districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are possible after the implementation of a complete ceasefire and restoration of security. Elections must be held according to Ukrainian law and supervised by OSCE observers, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Daniel Baer said. During the course of his Twitter microblog conference on Wednesday Interfax-Ukraine asked him if the elections in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are possible under certain conditions. Baer said: "Yes, it's possible. Ceasefire, arms withdrawal needed to set a basic security on the territories that enjoy a special status." He also added that the elections should be carried out according to Ukrainian legislation, in accordance to international standards and under OSCE supervision. The US diplomat also wrote that "Kremlin-controlled media in Russia and Donbas are not free. He said they "deprive people a chance to form their own opinion." Baer said it is unacceptable that Russia sentenced Nadia Savchenko to 22 years in jail. He called for her unconditional release. "The pre-determined verdict in the so-called "trial" has been issued. It's time to #FreeSavchenko," he wrote on Twitter. Federal Penitentiary Service does not mind Savchenko's examination by foreign doctors, says her hunger strike poses no danger The hunger strikes of Ukrainian servicewoman Nadia Savchenko, who has been convicted in Russia, do not create serious risks to her health, Yulia Antonova, head of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service's medical department, told Interfax on Thursday. "The current condition of Savchenko's health is satisfactory; she has been consuming nutrient mixtures, a full-value substitute for food," Antonova said. "No health risks related to her hunger strikes are anticipated, and she remains under constant medical surveillance," she said. "Any threat to Savchenko's life is out of the question," Antonova said. Prison doctors "have everything they need to give any kind of medical assistance to Savchenko, who may be treated at facilities of the Health Ministry, if necessary," she said. "If any foreign doctors ask to examine Savchenko, their request will be processed, there are no impediments to that on our part," the service representative said. She added, though, that Savchenko "had not requested that her health be checked by other doctors." Savchenko has been held in Russian custody since July 2014 after being kidnapped by Russia-backed separatists and illegally taken across the Ukrainian border. On March 22, the Donetsk City Court in the Rostov region sentenced Savchenko to 22 years in a penitentiary on charges of complicity in the murder of Russian journalists. Savchenko prohibited her lawyers from appealing the sentence or filing a pardon request without her permission. Savchenko denies all charges. Kyiv and the global community have more than once called the 'Savchenko case' politically motivated and demanded her release. Savchenko went on several hunger strikes during the court proceeding, including a 'dry' hunger strike during which she refused to drink water. She said on the day her sentence was handed down to her, that the next hunger strike would begin on April 6 when the sentence was due to take effect. According to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, doctors from the Charite Clinic (Germany) have agreed to visit Russia to examine Savchenko. The president also said that Ukraine had engaged the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and "specialists from that organization were ready to join the medical defense of Savchenko." Deutsche Welle radio said earlier this week, with reference to the German Foreign Ministry, that Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier intended to raise the question of the future of Nadia Savchenko during his visit to Moscow on Wednesday. German Foreign Ministry press secretary Sawsan Chebli said the day before the visit that Berlin was ready to send a medical team to Savchenko. "We have been holding negotiations to this effect, but haven't received the final reply yet," Chebli said, assuming that the German foreign minister would touch upon the issue during his meetings in Moscow. On Tuesday, March 29, at 11.00, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency's press center will host a press conference by the Ukrainian Realtors Association, entitled "Features of Ukrainian Realty Market in 2016: Results of First Quarter and Forecast for Spring and Summer." The participants will include President of the Ukrainian Realtors Association Serhiy Zlyden; Chairman of the Statistics and Analyses Committee of the Ukrainian Realtors Association Eduard Brazas and Chairman of the Committee on Legal Issues of the Ukrainian Realtors Association Yuriy Pita (8/5-A Reitarska Street). Accreditation is required by phone: (097) 576 3193, e-mail: annast.editor@gmail.com. A comprehensive approach Guaranteeing the right to abortion isnt enough. We know that economic, cultural, religious, and systemic barriers prevent many people from accessing abortion care even where its legal and available. Our solution: We work across institutions and communities to build sustainable abortion ecosystems. In such an ecosystem, people have the information they need to make decisions about reproductive health, theres community and health-system support for human rights and abortion access, and laws and policies support full bodily autonomy. This report serves to further undermine recent commentary by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claiming that the US has been pursuing aggressive economic policies toward the Islamic Republic and violating the spirit of the nuclear agreement by discouraging foreign investment. Iran News Update previously reported upon the remarks that Khamenei made on the occasion of the Iranian New Year celebration of Nowruz. The supreme leader declared the year ahead to be the Year of the Resistance Economy, thereby encouraging Iranian businesses to operate on the assumption that foreign investment will not be forthcoming and that it will still be incumbent upon them to violate and evade US-led economic sanctions. In addition to conveying Khameneis remarks, those previous reports also addressed the real circumstances behind them, as well as some of the ways in which those remarks have proven to be dramatically exaggerated or one-sided. While it is true that international banks have avoided the Iranian market out of fear of lingering economic sanctions and the possible reversal of recent trends toward rapprochement, it is also true that the US government has complied with its commitment, even as the Iranians have made provocative moves that many see as undercutting the deal. The Associated Press report goes further in contradicting Khameneis characterization of the situation. It indicates that far beyond simply complying with its obligations to suspend economic sanctions, the US is actually going to the trouble of actively encouraging re-engagement with the Islamic Republic. But in light of Iranian activities like this months test-firing of three nuclear capable ballistic missiles, some in the West are sure to see the efforts of people like Buckemeyer as going too far. Many Western critics of the nuclear deal expressed serious concerns that newly acquired Iranian capital would find its way into the hands of terrorist organizations or would otherwise be devoted to destabilizing Iranian activities. Some of these dangers were highlighted anew in the AP report, and have apparently even been highlighted by the US governments lobbying of American businesses that might choose to re-engage with Iran. Buckemeyer reportedly mentions the high levels of economic influence enjoyed by the hardline Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and tells US firms that this is a risk factor that they will have to take into account in determining whether their investments are secure or whether they may eventually become subject to new sanctions. The AP also points out that US firms have been given further pause by recent arrests of American citizens in Iran. These factors support the notion that the roadblocks to economic reconciliation have generally been erected by the Iranians and not by the Americans, who only make the existing risk factors known. Even so, strong critics of current US policy will no doubt question why American diplomats are encouraging American investment in Iran at all, even if they are doing so with strong caveats in place. The strongest of those critics may even connect this encouragement to their notions about a policy of appeasement under the current US government. The perception of such a policy was given expression on Wednesday in the Washington Free Beacon in the context of a new report on the 1.7 billion dollar payment that the US arranged to make to Iran around the time of the nuclear deals implementation and a prisoner exchange between the two countries. Although the payment was characterized as the settlement of long-disputed debts and as a matter separate from the prisoner exchange, a number of commentators soon raised the question of whether it had in fact been a sort of ransom payment to secure the release of four Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran on false charges of spying or undermining national security. The Free Beacon not only persists in inquiring about the nature of the payment but also suggests that that payment may not be the last of its kind. The article asserts that the talks leading to that payment are part of a broader pattern of backdoor settlement agreements and that this could result in additional US taxpayer money being transferred to the Islamic Republic, and thereby potentially being channeled into illicit activities. Among those illicit activities are Irans well-publicized human rights violations, which include arbitrary arrests, political imprisonment, and extensive state controls over the media. The danger of increased financing for these activities is made arguably more serious by the fact that many international human rights groups have expressed concern that financial interests concerning a newly de-sanctioned Iran might encourage Western policymakers to turn a blind eye to the continuation of those human rights abuses. It said the seven accused were believed to have been working on behalf of Irans government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps(IRGC). The IRGC is known to have a cyber army. Tehran significantly increased the resources devoted to the IRGC cyber army following the popular uprising that shook the Iranian regime in 2009. The seven indicted by the US live in Iran and the Iranian government is not expected to extradite them. According to Reuters, at least 46 major financial institutions and financial sector companies were targeted, including JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), Wells Fargo (WFC.N) and American Express (AXP.N), the indictment said. AT&T (T.N) also was targeted. The hackers are accused of hitting the banks with distributed-denial-of-service attacks on a near-weekly basis, a relatively unsophisticated way of knocking computer networks offline by overwhelming them with a flood of spammed traffic. These attacks were relentless, they were systematic, and they were widespread, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch told a Washington news conference. The indictment from a federal grand jury in New York City said the attacks occurred from 2011 to 2013. The attack on the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York, was especially alarming, Lynch said, because it marked one of the first known intrusions on critical infrastructure. A stroke of good fortune prevented the hackers from obtaining operational control of the flood gates because the dam had been manually disconnected for routine maintenance, she said. Andre McGregor a former FBI agent and a lead case investigator on the dam intrusion told Reuters that the Bowman hack was a game-changing event for the U.S. government that prompted investigators to uncover other systems vulnerable to similar attacks, said. Our investigation led to the discovery of many more exposed computer systems with vulnerable management consoles (which) kept me awake at night as a constant reminder that basic cyber hygiene remains the at the forefront of the battle against cyber attacks, said McGregor, now director of security at Tanium, a Silicon Valley cyber security firm. LONG MEMORIES The defendants were identified as Ahmad Fathi, Hamid Firoozi, Amin Shokohi, Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, Omid Ghaffarinia, Sina Keissar and Nader Seidi, all citizens and residents of Iran. They are accused of conspiracy to commit computer hacking while employed by two Iran-based computer companies, ITSecTeam and Mersad Company. Firoozi also is charged with obtaining and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer. U.S. officials largely completed the investigation more than a year ago, according to two sources familiar with the matter, but held off releasing the indictment so as to not jeopardize the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran or a January prisoner swap. Even though Iran is not expected to extradite the suspects, FBI Director James Comey vowed to pursue justice. The world is small and our memory is long, he said at the news conference with Lynch. Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer with cyber security firm CrowdStrike, said, This sends an important message to Iran and other governments that these people cannot operate anonymously. This story is partly based on wire dispatches. [March 23, 2016] Curvature Named a Top Performer in Inaugural Gartner Report on Third-Party Maintenance Providers for Network SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Curvature, an innovative IT infrastructure services provider, has been identified as a Top Performer Network for third-party maintenance (TPM) in a March 2016 competitive landscape report issued by Gartner, entitled, "Leveraging Third-Party Maintenance Providers for Data Center and Network Maintenance Cost Optimization, North America" [ID G00294372].1 According to Gartner's first TPM competitive landscape report, "End-user interest and demand for independent support providers is fueled by a need for cost optimization, especially for post-warranty and End-of-Service-Life (EOSL) data center and network devices." The report also states, "Hardware maintenance is increasingly being considered as 'nonstrategic IT' spending and procurement, with the results being that IT professionals are seeking low-cost alternatives to expensive OEM contracts and pricing." The report's author, Christine Tenneson, is a research director supporting Gartner's Managed Business and Technology services team research. "TPM contracts offer customers an average of 60 percent savings off OEM support list prices," she writes. "However, depending on equipment type, location and product density, Gartner has seen that the range of savings with TPM contracts is 50 percent off OEM list up to 95 percent off OEM list." Within the report, a mix of third-party maintenance providers were identified according to representative attributes/characteristics for top performers, rising stars, disrupters, stalwarts and secondary hardware entrants. Companies considered for the top performer category needed to have the following attributes/characteristics: Global; Providers with significant market share today; Solid brand awareness; Well-developed service delivery strategy; Highly automated processes; Developed channel strategies. For nearly a decade, organizations around the world have relied on Curvature's NetSure third-party maintenance to support Cisco, HP, Sun, IBM, Dell, EMC and NetApp devices. "It's highly rewarding to see Gartner put the spotlight on third-party maintenance and we believe this validates what customers have told us for yearsthey want better procurement and support options than OEMs are willing to give," says Mike Sheldon, president and CEO of Curvature. "We are very pleased to be reconized as a top performer of network services, which we feel complements our growing server and storage support offerings." Related Research Reinforces TPM Drivers and Benefits In related research, Curvature sponsored a Dimensional Research global survey of more than 500 IT decision makers to identify trends in data center procurement and support.2 According to those polled, 60 percent use third-party maintenance while 53 percent purchase pre-owned equipment. The top three drivers for increased adoption of TPM include: Greater focus on reducing operational expenses Improved support offerings from independent maintenance providers Positive experiences with prior-generation hardware Moreover, nearly 90 percent of the survey participants saw clear benefits in their use of third-party maintenance, including: Opportunity to lower costs Cost optimization through hybrid maintenance, including both independent and OEM support Ability to work with a vendor focused only on maintenance Retaining vendor flexibility for future needs Reduced risk caused by vendor lock-in Curvature's NetSure Offers Global Reach, Local Support With NetSure, companies have the flexibility to maintain both current-generation and end-of-life products to extend equipment lifecycles while slashing operational and capital expenditures. A variety of flexible service levels are available, including 24X7 global technical support, four-hour and next-business day hardware replacement worldwide, onsite sparing and field support. Customers also have the ability to use the NetSure portal to centrally manage all their NetSure and OEM server, storage and network maintenance contracts. Supporting Quote Paul Jones , CTO, Sisters of Charity Health System "We quickly saw the value of working with Curvature as the team isn't trying to sell us like the OEMthey're on our side of the fence trying to do what's best for us and it shows. By helping us extend the useful life of our previous-generation equipment, which Curvature supports, we saved hundreds of thousands of dollars." Additional Resources Competitive Landscape: Leveraging Third-Party Maintenance Providers for Data Center and Network Maintenance Cost Optimization, NA: http://www.gartner.com/reprints/year-2-of-2?id=1-31HM834&ct=160318&st=sb http://www.gartner.com/reprints/year-2-of-2?id=1-31HM834&ct=160318&st=sb Dimensional Research Data Center Industry Trends Curvature TPM Momentum Blog About Curvature Curvature is transforming how companies procure, maintain and upgrade equipment and support for multi-vendor network, server and storage environments. Founded in 1986, Curvature is a trusted strategic partner for more than 10,000 organizations globally, including some of the largest telecommunications carriers and mission-critical financial services firms. Based in Santa Barbara, Calif., the company specializes in delivering 24X7 global technical support and advanced hardware replacement from corporate locations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.curvature.com. 1 Gartner, "Competitive Landscape: Leveraging Third-Party Maintenance Providers for Data Center and Network Maintenance Cost Optimization, North America." [ID G00294372, Christine Tenneson, March 17, 2016 2 Dimensional Research, "Trends in Data Center Procurement and Support," January 2016 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/curvature-named-a-top-performer-in-inaugural-gartner-report-on-third-party-maintenance-providers-for-network-300240690.html SOURCE Curvature [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 23, 2016] Fitch Affirms American Family's 'A+' IFS Ratings; Outlook Stable Fitch Ratings has affirmed American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its subsidiaries' (American Family) 'A+' Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings. The Rating Outlook is Stable. A complete list of rating actions follows at the end of this release. KEY RATING DRIVERS Fitch's affirmation of American Family's ratings reflects the company's very strong capitalization, favorable reserve position, improved underwriting performance, and strong market position in the Midwest personal lines market. These positive factors are partially offset by an aggregate exposure to severe weather regional risk that can result in meaningful year-to-year earnings volatility but does not result in a meaningful decline in Fitch's view of the company's capital strength. American Family maintains low financial leverage of approximately 8% as of year-end 2015 and has extremely high levels of interest coverage. Favorably, the majority of debt is housed at the lead operating company thereby the entire asset position is available to service the debt and is not constrained by statutory dividend requirements. American Family's statutory operating leverage was 1.1x at year-end 2015, in line with prior years. Fitch also adjusted American Family's operating leverage to exclude the life insurance subsidiary that is stacked underneath the property/casualty operations and operating leverage increases to 1.3x at year-end 2015. American Family reported a 2015 statutory combined ratio of 96% significantly improved from 100% in the prior year. In particular, 2015 results benefitted from the integration of the Homesite Group, Inc. (Homesite), which represents approximately 10% of overall premiums, a reduction in core ex-catastrophe accident year loss ratio, and lesser catastrophes. American Family acquired direct homeowners' insurance writer, Homesite in December 2013 and direct nonstandard auto insurance writer, The Permanent General Companies (The General), in December 2012. Fitch has concerns about the additional homeowners insurance exposure and the associated earnings volatility that is associated with this line of business from weather related claims though notes this acquisition does geographically diversify the company's book of business. American Family Life Insurance Co.'s (AFLIC) rating reflects its status as a 'core' insurer within the American Family group of companies based on Fitch's Group Rating Methodology, as Fitch believes AFLIC's traditional life insurance products are complementary to American Family's exclusive agent distribution system. As a result, AFLIC's rating receives upward lift to the American Family group rating level. Midvale Indemnity Company's (Midvale) rating reflects its status as an 'important' insurer within the American Family group of companies. Midvale's inclusion within the American Family group IFS rating is baed on its position within American Family's organizational structure and overall business strategy. This includes Midvale's 100% intercompany quota share reinsurance agreement with American Family. As a result, Midvale's rating receives upward lift to the American Family group rating level. RATING SENSITIVITIES The key rating triggers that could result in an upgrade include: --Sustained improvement in the combined ratio approaching 95% or better without deterioration in other parameters. --Maintaining a 'very strong' or better Prism score. The key rating triggers that could result in a downgrade include: --A material deterioration in operating performance, such as a sustained combined ratio approaching 105%. --A sustained reduction in Prism score to the 'strong' category. FULL LIST OF RATING ACTIONS Fitch has affirmed the following ratings: American Family Mutual Insurance Co. American Family Insurance Company American Standard Insurance Co. of Ohio American Standard Insurance Co. of Wisconsin American Family Life Insurance Co. Midvale Indemnity Company --IFS at 'A+'. The Rating Outlook is Stable. Additional information is available on www.fitchratings.com. Applicable Criteria Insurance Rating Methodology (pub. 16 Sep 2015) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=871172 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1001402 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1001402 Endorsement Policy https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&detail=31 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON (News - Alert) THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160323006500/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] Continuum Hosts Recruiting Fair at Pennsylvania Office Continuum, the only channel-exclusive IT management platform company, is hosting a Tech Connect Career Fair on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at its Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania office. Home to the company's Help Desk, the U.S.-based technology service center provides direct end-user support for a variety of desktop-related issues for more than 50,000 users of the small and medium sized business clients of the company's Managed Services Provider (MSP) partners. WHAT: Continuum Tech Connect Recruiting Fair WHEN: Wednesday, March 30, 2016, 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. EDT WHERE: Continuum Metro Pittsburgh, 220 West Kensinger Drive, Suite 300, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania Continuum is hiring for a variety of positions including Help Desk technicians at all levels, business development representatives, account executives and more. During the career fair, prospective employees have the opportunity to interact with staff members, experience Continuum's culture and learn about exciting IT opportunities. Continuum's Jacque Rowden Senior Director, Help Desk and Joel Kennedy, Director of Technical Account Management, are presenting. In 2015, Continuum was awarded a Top Workplaces honor by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In September, Continuum unveiled an expanded, state of the art facility, double the size of its location that opened in 2011 with 30 employees. The Help Desk, now supported with more than 170 technicians, works in conjunction with the company's industry-leading 24x7x365 Network Operations Center (NOC) with more than 600 technicians. For more information on the Tech Connect Career Fair, visit: http://www.continuum.net/company/managed-it-services-metro-pittsburgh-pa. About Continuum Metro Pittsburgh, PA Located in the metro Pittsburgh area in Cranberry Township, Continuum's Pennsylvania office is home to the company's Help Desk. The U.S.-based technology service center provides direct end-user support for a variety of desktop-related issues for more than 50,000 users of small and medium sized business clients of the company's MSP partners. For more information, visit: http://www.continuum.net/company/managed-it-services-metro-pittsburgh-pa. About Continuum Continuum is the only channel-exclusive IT management platform company that allows its Managed Services Provider (MSP) partners to maintain both on premise and cloud-based servers, desktops, mobile devices and other endpoints for their small-and-medium-sized business clients. Continuum's SaaS (News - Alert) platform enables MSPs to efficiently backup, monitor, troubleshoot and maintain clients' IT infrastructure from a single pane of glass, all backed by an industry-leading Network Operations Center (NOC (News - Alert)) and Help Desk. The company employs 1,200 professionals worldwide, monitors 1 million endpoints for its 5,800 partners including MSPs servicing more than 50,000 SMB customers and Web hosting provider partners supported by its R1Soft server backup product line. Continuum established the Continuum Veterans Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing financial support to charities focused on helping veterans find jobs in IT. For more information, visit http://www.continuum.net/ or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) @FollowContinuum. All trademarks recognized. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005305/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] Dealer.com Websites Bring Greater Efficiency and Consumer Connectivity to Automotive Digital Retailing BURLINGTON, Vt., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing to help bridge the gap between meeting the needs of today's car shoppers and the business goals of automotive dealers, Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive brand, today announced it is delivering a more connected website experience that makes the digital retailing process more engaging, secure and efficient. The new features and functionality will create a more complete online to in-store deal-making experience that aligns with today's consumer expectations and accelerates the path to purchase. The new integration features on Dealer.com Websites include: The availability of the MakeMyDeal online communication platform, enabling shoppers to start deals securely and confidently on Dealer.com websites and also have direct, one-to-one connection with dealers to make deals online, arranging the deal terms before the shopper walks into the store; online communication platform, enabling shoppers to start deals securely and confidently on Dealer.com websites and also have direct, one-to-one connection with dealers to make deals online, arranging the deal terms before the shopper walks into the store; High levels of retail security available through sitewide HTTPS encryption to safeguard consumer data, providing the secure backbone for MakeMyDeal; and Greater design and website flexibility, empowering dealers to configure their online storefront with more than 50,000 design options that can be implemented through an intuitive, user-friendly interface or through collaboration with client service teams. "Consumers are becoming increasingly more confident in and savvy about the car shopping process going online, preferrin to spend less time in the showroom," said Wayne Pastore, senior vice president, Dealer.com. "This isn't the end of the dealer's role in the transaction but rather an opportunity to help them reinvent the car buying experience and create a new level of dealership loyalty and trust. At Dealer.com, we are focused on arming dealers with the digital retailing solutions they need to meet their consumers wherever they are in the purchasing process, and capture their business so they can drive results for their dealership." Dealers will be able to view demonstrations of the enhanced Website solution at the National Automotive Dealers Association Convention & Exposition (NADA 2016), March 31-April 3, 2016, in Las Vegas (Booth #1124C). Please visit us online to schedule a demonstration and learn how to can make your website work harder for you. About Dealer.com Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive brand, provides an integrated platform of Advertising, Website and Managed Services products which allow OEMs, dealer groups, retailers and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology and data to better engage and connect with their customers. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of innovation, with a focus on health and wellness, making it one of the most desirable places to work, and a valuable partner for automotive retailers. For more information, please visit www.coxautoinc.com. About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive, Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, vAuto, Xtime, and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151207/293908LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dealercom-websites-bring-greater-efficiency-and-consumer-connectivity-to-automotive-digital-retailing-300240536.html SOURCE Dealer.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 24, 2016] Endgame CEO Nate Fick to Deliver Keynote at 2016 Infiltrate Conference ARLINGTON, Va., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Endgame, Inc., a leading provider of cybersecurity software solutions to help enterprises hunt, contain, and evict the most sophisticated adversaries, announced today that CEO Nate Fick will keynote the 2016 Infiltrate Conference in Miami Beach, Florida on April 7, 2016. Infiltrate is a deep technical conference that focuses entirely on offense-based cybersecurity issues, including computer and network exploitation, vulnerability discovery, and rootkit and trojan covert protocols. "Nate's time in the Marines and at the forefront of cyber defense is unique in the industry, and we're excited to have his talk as the keynote of our conference," said Dave Aitel, CEO of Immunity Inc. and founder of Infiltrate. The keynote will focus on lessons from military combat that are applicable to the digital domain. As a unit commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nate Fick was forced to adapt quickly to the challenges of contemporary warfare from the paradoxes of counterinsurgency, to the hard-power realities of escalation dominance and deterrence, to the ethics of just war and the ongoing competition for talent. Today, computer security is at a similar inflection point an industry in which billions of dollars were spent last year, yet 90% of large enterprises are breahed, with adversary dwell times averaging 200+ days. Nate's speech will highlight how lessons from the battlefield can empower the security industry to take an offense-based approach to navigating the current threatscape. Endgame's offense-based approach to automate the hunt for adversaries derives from its heritage running the largest cyber operations in the world with the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Its research has revealed a distinct gap in organizations' abilities to proactively hunt for cyber threats and risks. The traditional security stack, such as antivirus, network IDSes, and firewalls, are no longer sufficient to catch today's advanced threats leaving enterprises vulnerable to breaches that bypass perimeter defenses. For more information on Endgame's hunting solution, download our latest point of view here. About Endgame Endgame automates the hunt for the most sophisticated adversaries in enterprise networks. Endgame's technology and techniques are proven to detect and respond rapidly to cyber threats in the most extreme environments - from defending US national security interests to protecting the world's critical infrastructure. The Endgame Cyber Operations Platform, developed for elite US DOD cyber protection teams, enables enterprises to automate the entire hunt mission, detecting and blocking adversaries at every phase of the cyber kill chain. Endgame's world-class R&D team extends our advantage with novel stealth technologies, vulnerability and threat analysis, and unique detection and prevention technology. At Endgame, we help our customers move from being the hunted to being the hunter. Endgame was founded in 2008 and has offices in Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, San Antonio, TX and Melbourne, FL. For more information, visit www.endgame.com and follow us on Twitter @EndgameInc. Media Contact: Margot Koehler [email protected] 781.424.8943 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/endgame-ceo-nate-fick-to-deliver-keynote-at-2016-infiltrate-conference-300241099.html SOURCE Endgame, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] anterior El Consejo de DD.HH de la ONU creo una lista negra para las empresas que hacen negocios en los asentamientos israelies Paper in all of its beauty, fragility, strength and versatility is explored in an exhibition at the Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St., running through May 1. Cut, Fold and Form: Featuring Kiff Slemmons and Julie VonDerVellen celebrates the many ways that artists use paper to express their thoughts and emotions, in forms ranging from jewelry and clothing to artists books, vessels, abstract sculptural forms and more. The exhibit takes viewers far beyond more traditional, two-dimensional uses of paper to folded, layered, rolled, curled and woven creations that may appear to be made out of other materials. In Julie VonDerVellens Time series, for instance, the intricately woven, handmade paper of her Wrapped wrist watch could easily be mistaken for fabric or leather. And, while her Two Times mantle clock is constructed completely out of paper, book cloth and acrylic paint, it looks deceivingly sturdy. Exploring new forms VonDerVellen, one of two featured artists in the show, said her work with paper as a sculptural element grew out of an artists books class she took and just loved. As she went on to prepare shows for her masters degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the now Milwaukee-based artist (originally trained in graphic arts) said she began to explore the concept of an artists book, beyond its traditional, rectangular structure. With many stories she wanted to tell, VonDerVellen said she started working with different types of paper and various techniques, including weaving and embroidery, to figure out how she could tell those stories in new and different ways (http://julievondervellen.com). Her Time series reflects the stories of a difficult chapter in her life, and most importantly the hope for the future that those around her promised the passage of time would bring. And while the pieces have personal meaning for her, VonDerVellen said she hopes they will also evoke memories for viewers, from their own experiences and history. Because none of the time pieces function, they also suggest the need to stop, be still and focus on where you are right now, the artist said. A lot of time was spent, in doing this work, reflecting on being present and grateful, she said. Collaborative inspiration For Kiff Slemmons, the shows other featured artist, the journey into creating with paper began with a vacation she and her husband took to Oaxaca, Mexico, some 20 years ago. While there, Slemmons a metalsmith who has exhibited her work nationally and internationally for more than 30 years met and began working with local artisans, including Francisco Toledo, who run a handmade paper facility in a village outside of Oaxaca. There was something about the handmade paper that I found particularly appealing, the Chicago-based artist said. Excited about the work done during that first visit, Slemmons returned to Oaxaca the following year and for many years after forming a collaboration which resulted in exhibitions of the work created, in both Mexico and the Chicago Cultural Center. At Toledos invitation, she shared her knowledge and skills, creating designs for paper jewelry which local artists could reproduce and sell. And her time working with them led Slemmons to explore her own, more individualized ideas for making jewelry out of their paper, which is made with locally grown materials such as cotton and agave. Slemmons pieces in the RAM exhibition include a collection of bracelets made out of paper discs (and other shapes) each of which has its own, unique sculptural form and a necklace, titled Back to Back, Tip to Tail, in which the tightly, hand-rolled paper beads seem to change direction halfway around the loop. Working with paper has not only allowed her to create objects on a larger scale than she can with heavier materials such as metal, but to try things she might otherwise not have tried, Slemmons said. She said she hopes her work creates some kind of excitement about jewelry for viewers, and perhaps counters some assumptions they might have. I hope it opens people up to what jewelry can be. Engaging the viewer In addition to Slemmons and VonDerVellen, Cut, Form and Fold features paper artwork by a wide range of other artists whose work is held in the RAMs collection, including some recent acquisitions. Viewers can find everything from delicate paper bowls to a wall-mounted display of embroidered gloves and a ruffled dress made out of vintage atlases as well as many interesting interpretations of an artists book. Some pieces even invite the viewer to participate. Gayle Wimmer, for example, offers visitors the opportunity to have a tactile experience with her installation titled Reconstructing Memory: Lo Stenditoio/The Drying Room, which is inspired by a print-drying room at a studio in Florence, Italy. Guests are invited to slip on a pair of gloves and follow instructions for handling some of the dictionary pages from the installation, which explores memory and the literal and metaphorical fragility of the written word. One gallery also offers a wall-mounted iPad library, which allows visitors to virtually page through several of the artists books displayed in nearby glass cases providing a more interactive experience with the artwork. Cut, Fold and Form is one of several exhibitions currently running at RAM. All are included in the price of admission which is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and students. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. More information is available at www.ramart.org. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. 5 injured as police, protesters clash outside PM's residence Five people were injured rights activitsts clashed with police personnel outside the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu on Thursday. CoAS leaving for China on Sunday Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Rajendra Chhetri is scheduled to embark on an official visit to China on March 27. First office set up outside Capital In a first sign of its expansion outside the Capital, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) established a sub-regional office at Charikot, the district headquarters of Dolakha on Wednesday, nearly 11 months after the Gorkha Earthquake. Former MP Lama released on Rs 3m bail Suspended lawmaker of UCPN (Maoist) Lharkyal Lama, who was taken in custody on charge of foreign employment fraud, has been released on bail on Wednesday. Govt intensifies market monitoring on use of plastic bags The Ministry of Population and Environment on Thursday carried out inspection in Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market and retail shops in Kalimati area in Kathmandu to check the adherence to the ban on use of plastic bags with thickness below 40 microns. MH370 search: Mozambique debris 'almost certainly' from missing plane Australia's transport minister says two plane parts found in Mozambique "almost certainly" came from missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. Nepal, China rush to open Hilsa border Hopes of the Nepal-China border point at Hilsa, Humla being opened for formal international trade have been heightened after the two countries signed an agreement in Beijing on Monday to build a bridge across the border river with Chinese funding. Nepal condemns Brussels blasts Nepal on Wednesday condemned the terrorist attacks at different places in Brussels on Tuesday. Nepal in race against time to end child marriage Contrary to governments claim of significant achievement in reducing girl child marriage, a staggering three million girls (24 percent of the total population) have gotten married before their eighteenth birthday, while half of them become mother in their teens. Storm adds to woes of earthquake-hit families Hundreds of temporary shelters of earthquake survivors were blown away when a strong storm tore through the settlements for the quake-hit in Gorkha and Rasuwa districts on Wednesday, adding to the woes of already suffering quake victims. Venisha Limbu murder: 3 accused held, one still on the run Three people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Venisha Limbu, who was found dead at Manpokhari, Nagarkot of Bhaktapur district, on February 26. Thailand's tourism agency has asked its South Korean counterpart to help bring a South Korean star from the sensational hit drama "Descendants of the Sun" to the country, The Nation reported Thursday. Since it premiered on Feb. 24 in South Korea and China, the drama has been an instant hit in the two countries and other Asian nations. According to the report in the Thailand daily newspaper, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), asked the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) to help arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and lead actor Song Joong-ki. The TAT governor is reported to have said the lead actor's visit to Thailand would encourage Thais to travel to South Korea, which saw the number of Thai visitors drop to 370,000 in 2015 from 400,000 a year earlier due to the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Separately, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, during his visit to South Korea this week, called on both countries to work toward co-producing movies and TV dramas, saying it would enhance the tourism industries in both countries. South Korea has offered $7 million in aid to help resolve the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Iraq has suffered from a deepening humanitarian crisis since the ISIL militant group began occupying large parts of the country in 2014. According to official estimates, the number of people requiring humanitarian aid has increased from 5.2 million in January 2015 to 11 million this January. Of the total, 3.2 million people have been internally displaced. "Our government decided to provide assistance following a comprehensive review of the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, the international community's call for aid and other countries' provision of aid," the ministry said in a press release. The United Nations has designated Iraq as a country in the highest level of emergency amid the humanitarian crisis, along with Syria, South Sudan and Yemen. The international body has also called for a total of $860 million in aid for the nation. South Korea plans to send $3 million to the Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization, with the remaining $4 million to be distributed through the WFP, WHO, UNHCR and UNICEF. (Yonhap) President Park Geun-hye on Thursday tasted French food at a festival in Seoul as South Korea hosted a celebratory event to mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic ties with its European partner. In 2010, South Korea and France agreed to designate the period from the latter part of 2015 to the end of 2016 as the "2015-2016 Korea-France Year" to allow their citizens to experience each other's cultures without having to travel. Park said she is pleased that South Koreans have a chance to share French culture in the form of French food at the "So French Delices" event. The "So French Delices" food festival is one of many events that mark this year of France celebrations in South Korea. In June, the two countries are set to formally mark the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Organizers for the event said about a dozen top-class French chefs plan to showcase the tastes of France at the "So French Delices" food festival at the Shilla Hotel that runs until Saturday. There will also be an open-air tasting event for French street food at Gwanghwamun square in central Seoul on Friday and Saturday. Park also said it is very meaningful for the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts in Paris to set up its culinary school in Seoul and to set up a course on Korean food in its school in Paris. (Yonhap) By Javier Solana MADRID In three months, British citizens will have to decide whether or not to remain in the European Union. But they are not the only ones who must consider their political future. The upcoming referendum also poses two important questions for the rest of Europe. The first question is which outcome Europeans would and should prefer. Some have already written off the United Kingdom, claiming that a partner that would consider leaving is not the kind of partner they want, anyway. Whether or not one shares this opinion, the point is worth studying. Indeed, it would be naive not to ask whether retaining a member that is challenging the very principle of European integration would really be in the EU's best interests. The reality is that the British public debate on sovereignty will not end when the votes are counted. After all, even if the majority says "yes" to the EU, a share of the population a substantial one, according to the polls will remain convinced that Brexit would have been much better for the UK. Given this, debates and negotiations involving the UK and its European partners will continue to feature deep disagreements over the restrictions and conditions that accompany membership in the EU. For years to come, the British will demand a constant drumbeat of reaffirmation that they made the right choice. This is an important consideration that should not be dismissed out of hand. But it should not lead the rest of Europe to favor Brexit. Indeed, if the majority of British voters decided to abandon the EU, everyone would suffer the consequences. For starters, Brexit would deal a major economic blow to the UK and the EU alike. But that is not all. It would also weaken the security, foreign policy, and international standing of both parties. In the face of a large-scale migration crisis , conflict on Europe's borders, and the brutality of the Islamic State security threats that affect all Europeans, and that cannot be confronted by any country alone the need for a common EU foreign and security policy is clearer than ever. Yet European countries continue to struggle to reach consensus on foreign-policy measures a failure that is undermining their international influence. Indeed, after spending several years focused on coping with economic crises, the EU's influence and leadership in certain international decision-making arenas have waned. Meanwhile, member countries including the UK, Europe's greatest military power, which has traditionally been committed to international-minded policies have been downsizing their defense expenditures. By intensifying doubts about European integration, Brexit would further reduce the willingness of EU members to cooperate, resulting in the deterioration of both their security and their remaining international influence. For Europe, the loss of such an important security partner would clearly be detrimental. But the UK left to confront global threats on its own, with less means and fewer partners would be more vulnerable as well. The second question that the referendum poses for Europeans is the same one that the British are addressing: Is EU membership worthwhile? Centrifugal forces in the EU are stronger today than ever before, not only across the English Channel, but throughout the continent. Many countries have political movements and parties some stronger than others that are seeking to "recover" elements of sovereignty, to the detriment of common action. Some governments have even taken unilateral measures contrary to EU decisions. Simply put, the lack of solidarity among member states has fueled efforts to weaken the values and principles on which the EU was founded, with many favoring a view that holds out the nation-state as the solution to every problem. Brexit would reinforce this trend, bolstering Europe's nationalist and Euroskeptic forces. With a presidential election in France and federal elections in Germany next year, the potential political boost to anti-European forces could have serious long-term consequences. In this sense, Germany's recent regional elections should serve as a warning. Let us be clear: The view driving these movements that the EU is at the root of Europe's myriad problems, from economic hardship to the refugee crisis, and that withdrawal (or unilateral action) is the only way to resolve them is patently false. The problems we are facing did not arise because of European integration. Global economic challenges and the flood of migrants and asylum-seekers will continue to reach Europe's borders, whether it is united or not. What matters is how Europe responds to them. The rationale for integration is that collective action is far more effective than unilateral efforts. Of course, it would not take long for the folly in the nationalistic approach to become apparent. But the damage caused by then could be severe. Given this, campaigns for European integration should not be limited to a rote affirmation of the benefits the EU has brought to its members, much less to efforts to appease Euroskeptics. Rather, the EU should be reaffirmed as an attractive political project. This delicate moment for the EU demands decisive progress toward a more effective, more integrated, and more desirable union. Javier Solana was EU high representative for foreign and security policy, secretary-general of NATO and foreign minister of Spain. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate. The naval chiefs of South Korea and Japan will hold talks next week on ways to increase collaboration in joint search and rescue exercises, anti-piracy operations and other military issues, the Navy said Thursday. The high-level talks between South Korea's Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jung Ho-sub and Adm. Tomohisa Takei, chief commander of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, will be held on Monday in the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in central South Korea. The main topics of discussion will include the two navies' collaboration in joint search and rescue drills and operations to combat piracy as well as personnel exchanges, according to the Navy. The Japanese commander will arrive in South Korea on Monday for a four-day trip here, which will also include courtesy calls on Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Lee Sun-jin, the Navy also said. The planned meeting marks the first of its kind between the naval chiefs of the two countries since South Korea's top commander visited Japan in July 2011. (Yonhap) North Korea has asked the U.N. Security Council to convene a meeting to discuss joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, calling the maneuvers "a grave threat" to the communist nation. Amb. Ja Song-nam, chief of the North's mission to the U.N., made the request in a letter to the president of the Security Council last week, saying the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises are the largest-ever in size and scope and "truly aggressive in their nature." "The U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises constitute a grave threat to the DPRK as well as international peace and security and deserve urgent consideration by the Security Council," Ja said in the letter, according to a copy released Wednesday. "Therefore, I request that the issue of the US joint military exercises be placed on the Security Council agenda and that a meeting of the Council be urgently held." Pyongyang has long denounced such annual drills as a rehearsal for invasion, despite repeated assurances from Washington and Seoul that they are purely defensive in nature. In protest of the exercises, the North has carried out a series of missile launches in recent weeks. This year's exercises, one of the largest ever, took place amid heightened tensions in the wake of the North's nuclear and long-range missile tests, and were aimed in part at warning the communist nation not to undertake provocations. "These real war-like military maneuvers are also truly aggressive in their nature, characterized by a 'beheading operation' aimed to remove the supreme leadership of the DPRK and 'bring down its social system' pursuant to the U.S.-drafted war scenario," the North's envoy said. The North has made similar requests to the Security Council to no avail. Ja said the council should accept the request, rather than dealing with the country's human rights situation, which he said has nothing to do with international peace and security. (Yonhap) South Korea and France vowed Thursday to jointly tackle North Korea's provocations and human rights abuses as they marked a key anniversary in their bilateral ties. At a forum celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault noted the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and the acute suffering of its people. "North Korea, from the outset of the year, is threatening the entire world with its fourth nuclear test, which was followed by the launch of a long-range ballistic missile," Yun said in a keynote speech. France, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, played an active role early this month in the adoption of a tough sanctions resolution punishing the North for conducting the tests in violation of past U.N. resolutions. "In order to make North Korea realize that it can't survive by developing nuclear (weapons) and that it should sincerely choose the path to denuclearization, we need to put strong pressure on the North through the faithful implementation of the Security Council resolution," Yun said. "For this, South Korea plans to closely cooperate with France, which is a permanent member of the Security Council and a key nation of the EU." On North Korea's human rights situation, Yun said many North Koreans are risking their lives to escape their country in search of freedom and a "life as humans." "This strongly demonstrates, more than any words, the North Korean regime's oppressive rule and repressive human rights situation," he said. Ayrault, who arrived in Seoul Wednesday for a three-day visit, said he was especially moved by the testimonies of four North Korean defectors he met earlier in the day. One of them told him North Korean defectors are here not to live, but to survive. "This strengthened my resolve that France, together with South Korea, in Europe and at the U.N., should strictly implement the U.N. resolution and further strengthen pressure on the North to force its regime to step down," he told Yonhap News Agency on the sidelines of the forum. During his keynote speech, Ayrault stressed the unity of France and South Korea in the face of North Korea's provocations -- the same unity South Korea demonstrated following the Paris terrorist attacks in November. Later in the day, the ministers are scheduled to hold the two countries' first strategic dialogue to discuss a wide range of bilateral and global issues, including North Korea. (Yonhap) No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results Onalaska High School students were among more than 500 students from around the state to take part in the recent State Spanish Pronunciation Contest (Concurso oral estatal) at Badger Middle School in West Bend, and Onalaskas 11 entries fared very well. The contest was organized by level with competition in categories including narration, poetry, theater, impromptu reading and conversation. Those OHS students earning first-place scores included Jessica Ni in Level 4 Narration; Spring Spaeth in Level 4 Impromptu Reading; Aditya Ailiani, Sebastian Bishop, Jai Iyer and Adam Munns in Level 3 Theater; Paige Reaves and Kristina Bellacero in Level 2 Theater; and RaghuRam Prasad in Level 1 Impromptu Reading. AnnaMaria Angelini earned a second place score in Level 3 Poetry, and Kaylin Luck earned a third place score in Level 1 Impromptu Reading. MADISON Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley declined to say Wednesday whether she would recuse herself from an abortion case in light of comments she made as a college student equating abortion to the Holocaust. A moderator asked Bradley during a debate with opponent JoAnne Kloppenburg whether she would remove herself from an abortion case if one came before her because of her comments. Bradley responded by saying she makes recusal decisions on a case by case basis. Bradley said that if she had any question in her mind about her ability to be impartial, she would recuse herself. She added, though, that justices are expected to set aside their political stances and apply the law as written. A liberal group, One Wisconsin Now, revealed this month that Bradley wrote letters and columns for her college newspaper in 1992 calling gay people queers, saying she had no sympathy for AIDS sufferers and calling abortion a holocaust of children. Bradley has apologized and said her views have since changed. Kloppenburg was asked during the debate at the Madison Rotary Club whether she would recuse herself from potential cases involving conservative groups Wisconsin Club for Growth and Wisconsin Alliance for Reform. Kloppenburg, an appellate judge, remained on a case involving Club for Growth in 2014 even though the group had spent against her during her failed 2011 Supreme Court bid. The Club for Growth had sued to halt an investigation into whether Republican Gov. Scott Walkers campaign illegally coordinated with outside groups, including the conservative group. Kloppenburg and two other judges on the 4th District Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit. The Supreme Court later took the case and halted the probe last year. Kloppenburg told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board this month that she didnt believe she had to recuse herself because the Club for Growth had spent money against her, not for her, and therefore no perception of quid pro quo existed. Alliance for Reform, meanwhile, has bankrolled a number of anti-Kloppenburg ads. Kloppenburg said Wisconsins rules for judicial recusal are weak because they essentially leave it up to each individual judge to decide for themselves whether he or she can act impartially. If she was faced with cases involving Club for Growth or Alliance for Reform, she said she would look at the timing and how far removed her connections with the groups are in time and the amount of expenditures involved. The debate was the fourth between Bradley and Kloppenburg in the last nine days. They will square off in the April 5 general election for a 10-year term on the high court. Up to a foot of heavy, wet snow covered Coulee Region highways Thursday morning, prompting closures at dozens of schools and the delay of classes at La Crosse colleges. The storm dropped snow across northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota and into central Wisconsin. A National Weather Service winter storm warning remains in effect until noon today. La Crosse had received 6 inches of snow as of 8 a.m., while accumulation was higher to the north, according to the National Weather Service. Winona had 12 inches; Osseo, in northern Trempealeau County, reported 13. Areas to the south and east received significantly less snow. The Weather Service predicts moderate to heavy snows will continue this morning. Some areas along and north of Interstate 90 could get up to another 4 inches, with scattered precipitation to the south. Temperatures are expected to reach 34 degrees Thursday in La Crosse before dropping to an overnight low of 17. The forecast calls for above freezing temperatures through the weekend, with a chance of rain Saturday. The first snowflakes started falling about 9 a.m. Wednesday in La Crosse, and the National Weather Service reported 1 to 2 inches had fallen by mid-afternoon. Temperatures dropped to around freezing through the morning and into the afternoon, resulting in white trees, cars and grass, with slush on sidewalks and roads. By 2 p.m., a few accidents had been reported including one on the overhead on Mormon Coulee Road. Throughout the afternoon, cancellations and closings trickled in, including after-school activities at La Crosse middle schools. All three colleges and universities canceled evening classes, with Viterbo University and Western Technical College closing at 5 p.m. and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse closing at 5:30 p.m. UW-L plans to reopen at 12:30 p.m. today, with Western opening at 11:30 a.m. Late in Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Scott Walker declared the state of emergency. This storm is bringing heavy snow, strong winds and potential blizzard conditions across the state tonight, Walker said in his announcement. It may cause dangerous drifting and blowing snow as well as limited visibility on roads and highways, causing treacherous driving conditions. As a precautionary measure, we want to ensure all state resources are available and ready if needed. The state of emergency calls to active duty elements of the Wisconsin National Guard as deemed necessary by Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar to help local authorities and directs all state agencies to assist in any response or recovery efforts. Here we are in the last stretch of political fervor before Wisconsins primary April 5. The divisiveness in our country continues its display in living color, along with some outright and embarrassing disregard for human dignity. I feel alarmed and profoundly sad about this erosion in our political process. The rallying behind fear and anger, as well as big money and deception, harms us all. Who is really served? Certainly our children, hardworking families, elderly, veterans, disabled, schools and small businesses are not. I have participated in every election over four decades. I consider voting my citizen responsibility. I am grateful to have this right, and want everyone to have ease and accessibility to vote. Frankly, I can understand the befuddlement, apathy and frustration many feel, as I feel it myself. The ugliness, corruption and big money have turned off so many. Holy cow. This is sad. I am taking my discouragement and putting it to positive action. I am voting for integrity. Thus, this election season is crystal clear for me. There is only one presidential candidate I can stand solidly behind. That candidate is Sen. Bernie Sanders. He has demonstrated consistency, integrity and respect for all, over many decades. He is a statesman, not a millionaire, and cares about the 100 percent. His momentum, as a formidable candidate, comes out of a groundswell of local efforts; not special interests, great big money or any favors by the media. Hear Bernie speak. Get facts, not fiction. Ralph and Sheila Petersheim of rural Viroqua operate their dairy farm partly using the theory that healthy soil builds a healthy farm. The Petersheims were named the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Associations Conservation Farmers of the Year in 2015. Their 500-acre, 80-cow dairy operation is in the town of Sterling. The Petersheims met in high school in Pennsylvania and moved to Vernon County in 1995. Twenty years later, all of the work the Petersheims had done to improve their farm was noticed by Ben Wojan, a project manager of the Vernon County Land and Water Conservation Department. The county knew Ralph had done things as far as being a good steward of the land, Sheila said. Ben told us he nominated us for the award and we won the county award, which entered us in the state competition. We were surprised when we won that one. Wojan said the farm is a good model for others. The Petersheims are doing some things that every dairy farm could do to preserve soil and improve the high quality feed theyre producing, he said. Theyve combined environmental sustainability with farm economic sustainability. Thats something we want to model for others in agriculture. Ralph said he picked up theories on conservation when growing up and working on his family farm in Pennsylvania. The farm was located close to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and when the time came for Ralph and Sheila to take over the farm with their children four out of six had been born at this point the land became too valuable as a development property to continue to farm. Ralph had been driving a semi truck in addition to working his family farm from 1985-95. He and a friend, understanding the land value situation, began to target areas in the United States to purchase a farm. They both settled in southwest Wisconsin. Ralph and Sheila had known each other through 4-H in their late teens. Married and raising their family, they left Pennsylvania and moved their children to Vernon County to the farm that had previously been owned by the Ekern family. This farm was very well cared for when we arrived, Ralph said. We made conservation improvements based on some of the things my dad had done in Pennsylvania. We started slow and did something new every year. The Petersheims added a waterway and planted different grasses in pastures. In addition to the grasses, they planted a radish that was good forage, but when the vegetable had grown and eventually composted in place, it aerated the soil. Shelia said a mix of rye, clover, beans and radishes, among other plants, helped provide cover crops. There were contour strips, but we redid them, Ralph said. We put in a different rotation of crops. Thats what caught Bens attention. Ralph points to the active earthworms below the crops on the Petersheim farm. Worm activity goes down several feet. The worms compost the left-over crops, aerate the soil and are a great indicator of overall soil health. That plant diversity and different root structures is leading to the ability for the soil life including the earthworms theres nothing better as an indicator for healthy soil than those earthworms, Wojan said. The whole time theyre not losing their soil. They dont have bare, exposed soil. Its always covered with some sort of living material. With healthy crops and forage to feed the livestock, the Petersheims do well milking their 80-head Holstein herd. The Petersheims are members of the Westby Cooperative Creamery, where they sell their milk. Its a family operation. The eldest four children, Derek, Daniel, David and Heather, were born in Pennsylvania. The youngest, Heidi and Hope, were born in Wisconsin. The Petersheims have led a traditional farm family life being involved in 4-H, church, the Holstein Board-Junior Association and the creamery board. Ralph is a past president of the Dairy Heard Information Association. The Petersheims were given the unique opportunity to host the statewide Conservation Observance Day program at their farm in August. We had a lot of help with that and were so thankful for everyone who made it so special, Ralph said. Sheila said the event allowed the family to showcase Ralphs ingenuity, including his test strips of different cover crops. Ben Brancel, Wisconsin Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, visited with the Petersheims, who were presented with a legislative citation in recognition of their state honor. In reflecting on the whole experience, Shelia said the family felt rewarded to have chosen Vernon County to run their family farm operation. The main driving thing for us is we want to leave the land better for the next generation and be good stewards, Ralph said. A March storm predicted to drop 7 to 14 inches of snow before it ends this morning closed schools and resulted in Wisconsins governor declaring a state of emergency already Wednesday afternoon. According to the National Weather Service, the storm cross northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota and central Wisconsin, and a winter storm warning is in effect until later today. This mornings commute is expected to be very messy, with snow-covered roads, and drivers are urged to plan for extra travel time. The first snowflakes started falling around 9 a.m. Wednesday in La Crosse, and the National Weather Service reported 1 to 2 inches had fallen by mid-afternoon. Temperatures dropped to around freezing through the morning and into the afternoon, resulting in white trees, cars and grass, with slush on sidewalks and roads. By 2 p.m., a few accidents had been reported including one on the overhead on Mormon Coulee Road. Throughout the afternoon, cancellations and closings trickled in, including after-school activities at La Crosse middle schools. All three colleges and universities canceled evening classes, with Viterbo University and Western Technical College closing at 5 p.m. and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse closing at 5:30 p.m. UW-L plans to reopen at 12:30 p.m. today, with Western opening at 11:30 a.m. Late in Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Scott Walker declared the state of emergency. This storm is bringing heavy snow, strong winds and potential blizzard conditions across the state tonight, Walker said in his announcement. It may cause dangerous drifting and blowing snow as well as limited visibility on roads and highways, causing treacherous driving conditions. As a precautionary measure, we want to ensure all state resources are available and ready if needed. The state of emergency calls to active duty elements of the Wisconsin National Guard as deemed necessary by Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar to help local authorities and directs all state agencies to assist in any response or recovery efforts. The announcement said Wisconsin Emergency Management had been monitoring the storm system and is working closely with state agencies, local officials, and the National Weather Service to track the storm and monitor road condition, and authorities were prepared to close roads or portions of the Interstate 90 if necessary. The heaviest snow was expected Wednesday night into early Thursday morning, with the possibility of thundersnow. The NWS warned snowfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour were possible in the heavy snow band with an additional. You have the power to keep local news strong for the coming months. Your financial support today keeps our reporters ready to meet the needs of our city. Thank you for investing in your community. Stories like these are only possible with your help! Start your day with LAist Sign up for How To LA, delivered weekday mornings. Subscribe A flight attendant who tried to smuggle a huge stash of cocaine through LAX, but ditched the drugs and her shoes when she was spooked at security, surrendered to authorities in New York today. Marsha Gay Reynolds, who was a flight attendant for Jet Blue, surrendered to DEA agents at JFK airport on Wednesday afternoon, according to the L.A. Times. Last Friday, Reynolds allegedly attempted to casually make her way onto a New York-bound flight at Terminal 4 in LAX. But when she was randomly selected for a security screening, she quickly made a nervous phone call in a foreign language, according to a criminal complaint filed by authorities. She then kicked off her Gucci heels and took off, running the wrong way up an escalator and out of the airport, leaving behind a carry-on bag full of nearly 70 pounds of cocaine. While authorities are not yet sure how Reynolds was able to flee, she somehow made her way to New York, where she was arrested. Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Assn., told the Times that the incident highlights the need to post an airport police officer at all security checkpoints, which has been done in the past. He also doesn't think this was Reynolds' first rodeo. I don't believe anybody would trust a mule with that amount of dope the first time out, he told the Times. You're talking about $2 million worth of cocaine...That's pretty troubling. This is more than likely not her first time doing this. Reynolds was charged today in federal court in New York City with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to City News Service. She will eventually be brought back to Los Angeles. Iraqi forces have launched an attack in Mosul and Syrian troops entered Palmyra in an offensive against the Islamic State militant group. On Thursday, Iraqi forces attacked Islamic State militants about 75 kilometers from the city of Mosul. About 4,000 U.S.-trained Iraqi forces moved towards 12 villages southeast of the city Thursday morning. The troops moved in from two directions. Sunni Arab forces joined in the battle. The troops took over four villages but did not control the entire area. Najat Ali is a Kurdish Peshmerga general observing the fight. He said IS attacked with suicide bombers, mortars and guns. That stopped the Iraqi advance. IS burned tires, creating a dark smoke screen. The Peshmerga fighters said they are not involved in the battle for Mosul right now because it is a traditionally Sunni Arab area. But they are giving important information to the Iraqi soldiers. The Sunni fighters are very important to maintaining control of the traditionally Sunni areas near Mosul. Ali said airplanes from the coalition working to defeat IS, including U.S. warplanes, flew overhead and struck the villages. Ali said this is the first part of the operation, and is the most important if the group wants to re-take Mosul. They will not liberate Mosul eas(il)y, he said. Maybe it is harder than before. The Peshmerga fighters said they are preparing for a possible IS counter-attack. They are standing ready at the border between their territory and Sunni territory. Action in Syria At the same time in Syria, forces supported by Russian military airplanes moved against IS in the ancient city of Palmyra. Syrian state media report that troops are already inside the city. But another group observing the conflict between Syria and IS said the battles are still at the edges of the city. The fighting continued into the night. IS took over Palmyra in 2015. Palmyra is a historic city with 2,000-year-old Roman ruins that IS fighters have destroyed. The destruction of the ancient temples and tombs in Palmyra has been called a war crime by the United Nations. The Syrian forces of President Bashar Al-Assad are trying to take back Palmyra and open a road to the eastern part of the country. A U.S.-led coalition also said it carried out air strikes near Palmyra on Wednesday. It was the first strike by the coalition since March 4. A soldier interviewed by the Syrian-run television channel said the army and its allies would keep moving beyond Palmyra to fight against IS in northern Syria. Im Dan Friedell. Reporting by Sharon Behn of VOANews.com, Reuters and the Associated Press was used in this story. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. Do you think these important cities in Iraq and Syria will be take from IS? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story advance n. forward movement coalition n. a group of people, groups, or countries who have joined together for a common purpose European Union justice and security ministers are meeting in Brussels Thursday to discuss ways to increase intelligence and security. Terrorists carried out two bomb attacks in the Belgian capital Tuesday, killing at least 31 people and wounding 300 others. Police are searching for one additional suspect in the attacks. Officials earlier identified Khalid el-Bakraoui as the attacker in the bombing at the Maelbeek underground train station. Twenty people were killed in that explosion. Security video shows another man walking with Bakraoui. Belgian media report that police believe this second man could also have been involved. El-Bakraoui's brother Ibrahim has been officially identified as one of the two suicide bombers in the attack on the airport the same day. Media have reported the name of the second airport bomber as Najim Laachraoui. He is a bombmaker for Islamic State and considered a main partner in the Paris terror attacks last November. A third man walking with the suicide bombers also appears in airport video. The recording shows him pushing a cart. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks, as it did for the Paris attacks in November. Police say evidence suggests increasingly closer links between the Brussels and Paris terrorist strikes. The findings are raising questions about weaknesses in intelligence sharing and security cooperation. These questions will be a major part of Thursdays EU meeting. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spoke to reporters in Brussels Wednesday. He described proposals for tighter border controls and measures to make it more difficult to get firearms within the EU. "We need to have a union of security," he said. Visa-free system Europe's visa-free system is also under increasing scrutiny. The system already is under heavy pressure from Europes refugee crisis. Belgian officials are being pressured to explain how a terrorist network was able to plot and carry out two attacks from Belgium within months. Also, Turkish officials said Wednesday they had caught Ibrahim el Bakraoui in 2013 at the Syrian border. They said they sent him to the Netherlands. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters: "Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, the Belgian authorities could not identify a link to terrorism. Belgian officials say the el-Bakraoui brothers were mainly known as criminals who spent time in prison. But, EU Commission President Juncker urged people to support Belgium. "Who is at fault in the area of terrorism?" he asked in an interview. "Let's not start criticizing Belgium. I don't share this scorn." Attack 'almost inevitable' Michael Hayden is a former director of the U.S. National Security Agency. He told VOA that the terror in Brussels was "almost inevitable." Hayden said, "If you look at what has happened...the soft targets, the transportation targets, the maximum civilian casualties, (it's) something we could see." Hayden also said it is "certainly not the last" attack Islamic State will carry out. The group has a "network that seems to be active and thriving in the heart of Europe," Hayden added. Im Caty Weaver. Lisa Bryant reported this story for VOA. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Post your message in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story cart n. a small wheeled vehicle that is pushed tight adj. not allowing much freedom : strict about controlling what happens scrutiny n. the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical way : the act of scrutinizing something network n. a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other scorn n. a feeling that someone or something is not worthy of any respect or approval inevitable adj. sure to happen casualty n. a person who is hurt or killed during an accident, war, etc. Some members of the Muslim community in the United States are speaking out against what they believe is an unfair fear of their religion. They say the fear of Islam, what is often called Islamaphobia, is a growing problem. But, some members of the U.S. Muslim community also are taking action. Saif Mazhar was born in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. He now works and prays on Chicagos northwest side at the Muslim Community Center. He told VOA that he does not always feel accepted in the community. I guess people look at me differently, Mazhar said. Like if I was to go to like a store or restaurant, I kind of sometimes put my head down a little bit, so people dont look at me in like, a terroristic way, or he looks like a terrorist. Two-hundred-seventy kilometers south of Chicago is the city of Peoria, Illinois. Muslims are in the minority in Peoria. Over 43 percent of the population of Peoria is Christian. However, over 10 percent of those in the Central Illinois city are Muslims. Imam Kamal Mufti is concerned about feelings against Muslims. He is a scholar and religious leader at the Islamic Foundation of Peoria. Mufti said: The comments [made to Muslims are] like all Muslims are terrorists, or that Muslims celebrate 9/11, which is September 11 the day of a number of terrorist attacks in the United States - in 2001. Mufti made a number of observations on religious relations to VOA. He said the hardest speech to listen to happens between Christian and Muslim children. He added that anti-Muslim speech reaches its highest point during election season. Anti-Islamic rhetoric began this political season when presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. Trump also said he would consider closing some U.S. mosques. I dont think a lot of people understand what that [anti-Muslim] rhetoric does to children, does to grownups, to women who choose to wear the headscarf and dress in more apparent religious garb, Mufti said. But Mufti says he wants to change peoples minds. Earlier this month, he opened the doors of his Islamic Center for an event including different religions. The speakers messages dealt with tolerance, peace and respect. The service produced a large crowd, which filled the center. Most attending were non-Muslims. Mosques are not unwelcome places; they are not closed places, said Mufti. What essentially Muslims do in mosques is pray, play, socialize and have fun. Muslims are about one percent of the U.S. population. Throughout the world, however, the religion is growing. The Pew Research Center predicts that Muslims could equal the number of Christians worldwide by 2050. Im Christopher Jones-Cruise. Kane Farabaugh wrote this story for VOA News. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story suburbs n. towns or other areas where people live in houses near a larger city minority n. a group of people who are different from the larger group in a country or area scholar n. a person who has studied a subject for a long time and knows a lot about it rhetoric n. language or speech that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable mosque n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services headscarf n. a piece of cloth worn over a woman's or girl's head garb n. clothing Russia is waging a disgraceful war on Ukraine. Stand With Ukraine! The government on Wednesday cleared the decks for construction of world-class exhibition-cum convention centre in the city at Dwarka by approving transfer of 89.72 hectares of land to the DIPP. The decision to give special directions to the DDA (Delhi Development Authority) to transfer the land to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) for a nominal sum of Re 1 within six weeks was taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Cabinet has given its approval for transfer of land measuring 89.72 hectares in Sector 25, Dwarka, New Delhi, free from all encumbrances, to the DIPP for creation of a world class state-of-the-art exhibition-cum Convention centre," an official statement said. "This is a special case so that directions can be granted to DDA under...The Delhi Development Act, 1957" for transfer of land, it said adding the project is expected to generate spending of over Rs 2 lakh crore per annum after commissioning of the second phase of the project and is estimated to generate over 5 lakh employment opportunities. Commenting on the decision, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the efforts would be made to complete the project "at the earliest". "The Cabinet has approved it. Land was the major issue but that has now come. Multi-use is being permitted. PPP model is also being allowed...So the permission obtained through the Cabinet today is to make sure that you have the flexibility to build it with one or the other method - PPP or completely government," Sitharaman told PTI. Further, the statement said that a committee comprising secretaries from various ministries, including DIPP, Urban Development, Expenditure, DEA and Niti Aayog CEO would steer the project including project structuring and development options in a transparent, competitive manner. The ownership of the said land will vest in and remain with the DIPP, it said adding the centre would comprise a host of independent facilities like exhibition halls, convention centres, banquet halls, auditoria, arena, financial centre, hotels, food & beverage outlets and retail services. The national capital does not have a large world-class convention centre to host global conferences. At present, there are two such centres at Vigyan Bhavan and Pragati Maidan that hold global conferences. Project structuring, initial expenses of non-PPP trunk infrastructure costs will be borne by the government. This may be central government's contribution by way of equity in the project, the statement said. The project will be developed in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. "Permission is also granted to DIPP to lease/sub-lease the land and grant concession to the private entities for development and operation of various facilities. Permission for mixed land use in the project site will be accorded by DDA/ MoUD expeditiously," it said. The official statement said it is estimated that the proposed exhibition-cum convention centre (ECC) will infuse a demand for more than 100 international and local exhibition events annually. India currently lacks an integrated world-class facility which can meet the requirements of global exhibition-cum-convention operators in terms of space, project facilities and transportation linkages. Only a few centres in terms of organised space are available in the country. Pragati Maidan has been the only organised large space for years which too is facing severe capacity and traffic constraints leading to great inconvenience to citizens and visitors to the centre in particular. Further, the huge constant demand for exhibitions and related activities puts immense pressure on the existing facilities resulting in lesser time available for maintenance to hold large-sized events and maintain international standards. In order to capitalise on this vast market and to drive India's industry, commerce, trade and tourism, the DIPP has taken the initiative to develop an exhibition-cum-convention centre at Delhi, the statement added. The development of the facility and supporting components is expected to help increase the share of Asia in terms of number of events to around 15 per cent by 2021. Development of the ECC and support facilities is estimated to contribute more than one million international delegates based (non-leisure) Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions (MICE) tourism per annum, it said. It has been estimated that the global MICE market, which supports 400,000 conferences and exhibitions worldwide, is of the size of USD 280 billion and is a significant economic driver for a large number of nations. The total size of the Asian MICE market accounts for $60 billion having demonstrated a growth of 38 per cent since 2006. "In the absence of world-class exhibition and conference facilities, India has not benefited from the potential benefits of this development," it said. Further, it added that the job creation shall not be limited to core ECC facilities but would also entail opportunities for regular formal employment in supporting ECC land uses like retail, office and hospitality. PTI Mumbai: Beleaguered business tycoon Vijay Mallya has decided to step down as the chairman of pharma major Sanofi India, nearly 33 years after he assumed the post, the company said in a statement here. Mallya conveyed his decision not to seek re-election as a director at the company's ensuing Annual General Meeting, said the Sanofi statement issued late Wednesday. Mallya had first joined in December 1973 as director of Sanofi India Ltd (SIL), then known as Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd. He functioned as the board chairman since December 1983. "I have been privileged to preside over the board of this company, which started as Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and to have participated in its phenomenal growth and prosperity over such an extraordinarily long period of time," Mallya said in a farewell statement. "It was gratifying that the company continued serving needy patients in India with world-class medication while ensuring consistent returns to all stakeholders." Mallya, who is believed to be hiding in the United Kingdom, is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money-laundering case. The former liquor baron known as 'king of good times' has denied that he was "absconding", saying as an "international businessman" he is currently abroad on a business trip and was expected to return by March-end. SIL managing director Shailesh Ayyangar said under Mallya's leadership, in the past 10 years, the company's sales grew from Rs 800 crore to Rs 2,000 crore, share price shot up from Rs 1,655 to Rs 4,358, market cap has almost tripled and the employee strength more than doubled from 1,500 to 3,700. The SIL announced plans to induct Aditya Narayan and Usha Thorat as two new independent directors for five years from April 30, 2016. Subject to fulfilling all requirements, Aditya Narayan, 64, is slated to succeed Mallya as SIL Chairman. SIL is listed on both BSE and NSE. Its parent Sanofi has 60.4 percent equity stake in SIL whose portfolio includes pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare products. In pharma, SIL has a strong presence in diabetes, being the only company with a balanced oral and insulin portfolio. IANS Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, convicted in the US for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, on Thursday told a court in Mumbai that terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was arrested. The 55-year-old, who has turned approver in the terror case, disclosed this fact during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the US. Headley also told the court that he had visited the Sena Bhavan twice. He, however, did not specify the year for the same. "We wanted to target the chief of Shiv Sena... His name was Bal Thackeray. LeT wanted to kill him wherever a chance arose. I knew that Bal Thackeray was the head of Shiv Sena. I have no first hand knowledge but I think an attempt was made by LeT to kill Bal Thackeray," he said. "I don't know how this attempt was made. I think the person (who was sent to kill Thackeray) was arrested but he managed to escape from police custody. I don't have first hand knowledge about this though," Headley added. He also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. On Thursday, Headley spilled the beans on how once US financed his trip to Pakistan and also claimed that he had "donated" about Rs 70 lakh to LeT till 2006, two years before the Mumbai attacks. He, however, contradicted reports that he had received money from LeT. "I never received money from LeT... This is complete nonsense. I gave funds to LeT myself. I had donated more than 60 to 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees to LeT throughout the period I was associated with them. My last donation was in 2006," Headley told the court. He also said that after his arrest in 1998, the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) of the US had financed his trip. Also, the terrorist, who faced conviction twice in 1988 and 1998 for alleged drug smuggling before the Mumbai siege, had indulged in criminal activities and violated his plea bargain agreements with the US government, the court was told. Headley, who is serving a 35-year jail term in the US, also told the court that Tahawwur Rana, his associate and a Pakistani native who operated an immigration business in Chicago, was aware that he was an operative of LeT. Headley had also disclosed that Rana had once come to Mumbai just prior to the 26/11 strikes, and that the latter continued his association with him till Headley's arrest. He, however, refused to answer questions about his wife Shazia and reveal her location, whether she is in the US or Pakistan, or her father's name. "Shazia is still my legally wedded wife. I do not want to disclose Shazia's location at present. I do not want to answer any question about my wife Shazia," he said. When Khan continued questioning him on Shazia, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam took objection to it and said that under Section 122 of the Indian Evidence Act, the communication between a husband and wife is a privileged one and need not be disclosed. The Pakistani-American terrorist had earlier concluded his week-long deposition before the Mumbai sessions court through a video-link from the US on 13 February. Headley, in his earlier deposition, said how Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI provides "financial, military and moral support" to terror outfits LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, and how LeT planned and executed the 26/11 Mumbai attack. He had also claimed that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an allegedly fake encounter in Gujarat, was an LeT operative. PTI On Tuesday, Hyderabad Central University vice-chancellor P Appa Rao currently under judicial probe in the Rohith Vemula case returned to campus after his two-month-long leave. Students of the university protested outside Rao's lodge in campus. Some students were dragged outside the premises and a few among the group then threw stones at the police bandobast. Students were dragged and beaten up and 27 students were arrested. Some video testimonies of students who faced brutality from the police were uploaded by the Justice for Rohith channel on YouTube. A student claimed that after leaving the protesting students outside the gate, the police had asked him, "Why are you not running away?" and hit him. Another economics student said that he was beaten up for waiting for his friends, the police asked him to leave and run away, but he said, "Why should I run away? I am waiting for my friends." The university administration and university professors did nothing to intervene or help the students, claims another student "it was as though my professor was watching an international cricket match," she said in the video. Alumni of University of Hyderabad on Thursday signed off on a letter decrying the goings-on at the university the alleged police brutality being faced by the university. In an open letter, the alumni "observed dismay" at Appa Rao Podile's return to the campus. The letter says, "We the undersigned alumni of this university-in-turmoil write to draw attention to the atrocities that the students are experiencing for raising their voices against injustice. We stand with the students and faculty around the country in universities like UoH, JNU, FTII, DU, IIT Madras, University of Allahabad and numerous others that are fighting to uphold the freedoms that are guaranteed by our constitution." Read the full text: UoH Alumni Statement Anandpur Sahib: Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday said it was fully geared up for Punjab assembly polls slated for 2017 and dared both SAD and NCP to hold the elections ahead of the scheduled time. Speaking during the political conference organised on the occasion of Hola Mohalla in Anandpur Sahib, AAP, Punjab Convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said he came to know that both Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder are issuing statements that there was a possibility of early polls in Punjab. There are indications that Badal wanted to sacrifice the SAD-BJP alliance government on the SYL issue to attain 'martyrdom' for which he was planning to hold elections much earlier than the scheduled time, Chhotepur claimed adding that even Amarinder, who is having political nexus with the Badals, has also sent signals for the early assembly polls in Punjab. "AAP wants to sound both Badal and Amarinder loud and clear that we are completely ready for the polls even if they want to hold these whether in two or six months, whenever. The entire Punjab knows that Congress laid the foundation stone of the SYL and it was during Akali government that 90per cent construction of the SYL was completed," said Chhotepur. AAP national spokesperson and In-charge Punjab Affairs Sanjay Singh said during the last nine years of "misrule" of SAD-BJP alliance, deterioration set in Punjab. Sanjay Singh also cautioned people of Punjab that in their pursuit to hold early polls the SAD-BJP alliance might "create divisions " within various communities on "communal lines " and also try to "spread politics of hate" on the basis of caste and creed. Farmers are being forced to commit suicides while the youth is being constantly pushed into the whirlpool of drugs, he alleged. "Farmers are committing suicides and soldiers are getting martyred, but state government failed to take care of them, but in Delhi in a true spirit of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan', AAP govt gave Rs 50,000 per hectare to farmers as compensation of their damaged crop and martyred's family was given Rs One crore," Sanjay Singh said. Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann alleged "While farmers are committing suicides due to debt and Industry of the state is ruined, Akali Dal is giving an advertisement of prosperous Punjab in its rule of nine years." "Both Akalis and Congress are under panic of AAP, which 'could be evident of their frustration of referring us as 'Topiawale," Mann said. "They make fun of us and term us Dilliwale, I ask Sukhbir Why he live in Delhi and why every evening helicopters drops him to Delhi only? Punjab is not of Sukhbir, Majithia and Amarinder only, it is native land of all Punjabis, who are proud and determined to get rid of them", Mann said. "Akalis have looted you a lot and when they will offer you money for votes, grab it immediately as it is all of yours but give them a befitting reply in EVMs", Sangrur MP appealed. SAD and Congress are trying to befool the public, but they don't know 'ye jo public hai ye sab jaanti jai' (People are smart enough to understand everything), Mann said. "Punjab is passing through a phase which once again needs your support and you need to vow to teach lesson to those who have been destroying your motherland", Ashutosh said. "Recently a survey conducted by a renowned agency has predicted AAP 89 seats in Punjab, but people of Punjab have termed this survey as wrong and claimed that AAP is being underestimated, as it will definitely cross the figure of 100 seats in Punjab assembly polls", Ashutosh said. PTI Mehbooba Mufti is all set to become the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, after she was unanimously nominated as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the post, sources said. The PDP nominated Mehbooba, 56, as the legislature party leader and thus cleared decks for her to succeed her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who died in January, as the chief minister of the state. "Mehbooba Mufti has been nominated as the chief ministerial candidate of the PDP," party spokesman and former minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters outside the Fairview residence of the Muftis on the high security Gupkar Road in Srinagar. PDP lawmakers had gathered at the Muftis to discuss government formation with the BJP. Akhtar said the decision was unanimous and every legislator and senior PDP leader was on board. Mehbooba will be meeting Governor NN Vohra on Friday and is most likely to stake claim to power. BJP state president Sat Pal Sharma is also meeting the governor on the same day at the state Raj Bhawan in winter capital Jammu. Senior BJP leaders, Jitendra Singh, minister of state in PMO, and Ram Madhav, party national general secretary, are expected to be Jammu on Friday to hold a meeting with the state BJP legislators and senior leaders to discuss the government formation with the PDP. The swearing-in date is also expected to be announced after Mehbooba and Sharma meet Vohra, separately though. Top sources told IANS that the oath taking ceremony of the Mehbooba-led new government would take place in Jammu early next month. The sources said Mehbooba's name to head the PDP in the state assembly was proposed by senior party leader Muzaffar Hussain Baigh and was seconded by his senior colleague Abdur Rehman Veeri. The decision came as the party held a crucial meeting of its lawmakers who had gathered to discuss the government formation in the state. It was a constitutional requirement before Mehbooba stakes claim to power in India's only Muslim majority state. Thank you for choosing me as the leader of PDP legislature party. You all are my strength: Mehbooba Mufti pic.twitter.com/E3ucL8N2L0 ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 Visuals from PDP MLAs meeting at Mehbooba Muftis residence (J&K) pic.twitter.com/lTkT80lVhV ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 Mufti, who visited her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeeds grave in Bijbehara in south Kashmir on Thursday, left for her hometown where she chaired the legislature party meet at her official residence in Gupkar. The party is likely to make an announcement on the future of the alliance with BJP after the meeting. She presently represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. She will now have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government after Mehbooba's father died in a Delhi hospital on January 7. She was tipped to take over the reins soon but she dragged her feet on continuing to ally with the BJP and wanted it to redraw the alliance terms that had father had authored. After remaining entrenched in their respective positions for more than two months, the two partners warmed up to each other following Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday in Delhi. The PDP-BJP coalition, after 10 months rule from March 2015 to January this year, ran into rough weather following the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Sayeed breathed his last in a hospital in Delhi on 7 January, following which the state came under Governor's Rule the next day. Since then, the PDP leadership sought Confidence Building Measures and assurances on the implementation of the already agreed Agenda for Alliance from the Centre for forming the government again. The fresh efforts from PDP, which has 27 MLAs in the 87-member state Assembly, comes in the backdrop of repeated assertions made by BJP that it was committed to implementation of Agenda of Alliance arrived at by late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. The talks with BJP, which has 25 MLAs, had hit a roadblock last week when the party's interlocutor Ram Madhav made it clear that no fresh demands would be entertained from PDP and that they had to decide whether they want to form a government based on the Agenda of Alliance document. The toughening of stand came as a surprise for Mehbooba who boarded a plane on last Friday and returned to the state. PDP MP Muzzafar Hussain Baig, who has been playing a key role in the backchannel talks, had clarified that PDP had made no fresh demands and that there was a miscommunication from both sides leading to derailing of talks. PDP and BJP had formed an alliance on 1 March, last year with Sayeed as the Chief Minister. Both the sides had formed an Agenda of Alliance which sought to address internal and external dimension of the state. PDP had toughened its stance after Sayeed's demise by seeking concrete plans for the state's development, including handing over of power projects to the state and vacation of land by the army before the coalition could be revived. Governor's rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on 8 January after Mehbooba decided against taking over the reins after her father's death. With inputs from agencies Yangon: Amnesty International on Thursday urged Aung San Suu Kyi and her party's new government to release all political prisoners when they take office next week, saying it is a historic opportunity for Myanmar to break away from the repression of the former junta rule. "Myanmar's legal framework reads like a textbook of repression, and authorities have in recent years increasingly used it to silence dissent," Champa Patel, Amnesty International's Southeast Asia director, told reporters. The report, based on interviews with human rights defenders, activists, lawyers, and prisoners of conscience and their families, documents the widespread crackdown on political opponents in the past two years. It said the government has relied on draconian laws and other intimidating tactics to silence dissent. Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy party to a historic win in the Nov. 8 elections, and will replace a nominally-civilian, military-backed government that has been in power since 2011. Before that, Myanmar was ruled by the military since 1962. During that time, the junta kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for several years, and jailed hundreds of her supporters and other critics. While the government has released many such detainees in batches over the years, some remain in jails. Amnesty International says it knows of almost 100 political prisoners still behind bars, while hundreds of other activists are in detention or waiting for their trials to end. There was no immediate comment, either from the outgoing government or Suu Kyi's party. Amnesty called on the new government to immediately release all prisoners of conscience, set up a panel to review all cases and ensure no peaceful activists are imprisoned, and to amend or repeal all laws used to crack down on human rights. Still, questions remain if the NLD will have the power to improve human rights given that the constitution puts the military in charge of several key institutions, including the Home Affairs Ministry, which oversees the police. Legal loopholes are used to hand out lengthy jail sentences to activists and ensure that they are kept off the streets. Among them is Htin Kyaw, who is serving 13 years and 10 months for distributing leaflets criticizing the government. He was charged with the same offence separately in all 11 townships where he handed out the leaflets. IANS Srinagar: All eyes are on Thursday's crucial Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislature party meet that will be held over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. Top PDP sources told IANS that the meeting will start at 4 pm at the Fairview residence of party chief Mehbooba Mufti. "Mehbooba will apprise the legislators of her party about the developments including her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week," a PDP source said. "The party will deliberate on its future course of action with regard to government formation in the state." The PDP legislature party had authorised Mehbooba to take a call on the government formation in the state, but the party had not nominated her as the leader in the state legislature, a constitutional requirement before she can stake claim to power in the state. Sources in the party said during its course of deliberation on Thursday, the PDP legislature party is likely to elect Mehooba as its leader. This dispels media speculations that she had decided to allow some other confidante to be nominated as the legislature party leader so that she could continue as the party president and also as the member of the Lok Sabha. Party insiders say it is highly unlikely that Mehbooba would stand down from her claim to Chief Minister's post and allow somebody else to don the mantle because that could create infighting in the party. "She is the undisputed leader of the party. Nobody else is. It has to be her," said a senior PDP leader and former minister here. Mehbooba represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. If she gets elected as the leader of the state legislature party, the way would be paved for her to become the first woman chief minister of India's only Muslim majority state. In that case, she will have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. IANS Melbourne: Greeting people on Holi, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday said the festival was an opportunity for all Australians to deepen their appreciation of Hindu customs. "Celebrating the arrival of spring after winter darkness, the ancient festival of Holi brings with it a promise of the triumph of good over evil, of renewal and rebirth," Turnbull said in his message on Holi. Describing Holi as a "carnival of colour", the Australian Prime Minister said in Australia where the autumn air is cooling and the leaves are starting to turn, the symbolism of the changing seasons still imbues the experience of the lively festival. "As communities across our country gather in celebration, this is an opportunity for all Australians to deepen their appreciation of Hindu customs," the Prime Minister said. "The freedom to express ourselves and to embrace diversity is what makes Australia one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world," he said. Turnbull said Australia is like a "rich tapestry" and every one of the community groups and cultural traditions, woven into that, "is an indelible part of who we are." He extended his best wishes to those celebrating Holi. Another Australian politician who extended his warm wishes to the Indian community celebrating the festival was New South Wales premier Mike Baird. "I would like to extend my warmest wishes to everyone celebrating Holi. It is a festival that brings us together in a spirit of fun and friendship, encouraging understanding of each other's backgrounds in our multicultural society," Baird said in a statement. "This annual Hindu festival is widely celebrated across India and Nepal and is now recognised and celebrated right across New South Wales," he said. Baird said the local Indian and Nepalese communities were to be commended for sharing their cultures and traditions with the wider community. PTI Indian diplomats in Brussels continue to search for Raghavendran Ganesh, an Infosys employee who has been missing since Tuesdays bomb explosions in Brussels. The Hindu reports that the search squad has been able to trace his last telephone activity that day. We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who has been personally monitoring help for Indians stranded in Brussels, tweeted on Thursday. Raghavendran Ganesh, an Indian employee of global software major Infosys Ltd. is missing in the aftermath of Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels. Ganesh's family members are quoted saying that some friends have received messages that he is safe, reports The Indian Express. Though the company did not disclose the missing employee's name and age, it said it was in touch with his family and was working with the Indian embassy in the Belgian capital and local authorities to locate the missing techie on priority. "We are trying to reach one employee with whom we have not been able to connect as with all other employees," the city-based IT outsourcing firm said in a statement on Wednesday, without specifying how many of its techies, including Indians, work in Brussels. "We reached out to all our employees in the city to ascertain their whereabouts and safety following the (terror) attacks in Brussels," the statement added. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that she spoke to Annapoorni, mother of the employee Raghavendran Ganesh, and assured her of the government's efforts to trace her son. "I hv spoken to Raghavendran's mother Mrs Annapoorni. I assured her that we will spare no effort to locate her son in Brussels." It was also learnt that Ganesh spoke to his mother in India an hour before the blasts ripped the Brussels airport on Tuesday morning. Sushma Swaraj also appealed to Indians living in Brussels to help locate Ganesh in the Belgian capital. Posting a picture of the techie, she wrote: "Indians in Brussels - This is the picture of Raghavendran Ganesh. He spoke to his mother an hour before the blasts in Brussels. Please help us locate Raghvendran." At least 35 people were killed and over 200 injured in triple explosions triggered by the Islamic State terror group on Tuesday at the Brussels airport and a metro station. With IANS Ankara: A Turkish interior ministry official says police have detained a Japanese national as he tried to cross the border to Syria with the intention of joining Islamic State extremists. The man was intercepted on his way to the IS-held Syrian town of Jarablus and is now in custody. The official told the AP he had a Japanese passport on him and told interrogators that he wanted to join IS. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government practice. Japanese officials in Tokyo confirmed today that a Japanese national is being held and said they are seeking further details. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the man is 24 and has the initials 'MM'. It said he contacted the group over social media. Separately, five foreigners were arrested near the border as they tried to cross into Syria, according to a security source cited by Anadolu. AP Washington: Criticising Ted Cruz for his call for surveillance of Muslim neighbourhoods, US President Barack Obama has said it would not help defeat Islamic State and reminded the Republican presidential hopeful that his father had to leave Cuba for America as a result of similar policies. "As far as the notion of having surveillance of neighbourhoods where Muslims are present, I just left a country (Cuba) that engages in that kind of neighbourhood surveillance which, by the way, the father of Senator Cruz escaped for America, the Land of the Free," Obama told reporters on Wednesday in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires where he is on a visit. He was responding to a question on Cruz's statements in which the Texas Senator called for increased surveillance of Muslim neighbourhoods. "The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It is contrary to who we are and it is not going to help us defeat Islamic State (also known as ISIS or Islamic State)," Obama said. Obama said one of the great strengths of the US and part of the reason why there has not been more attacks in the country is that America has an extraordinarily successful, patriotic, integrated Muslim-American community. "They do not feel ghettoised, isolated. Their children are our children's friends, going to the same schools. They are our colleagues in our workplaces. They are our men and women in uniform fighting for our freedom. "So any approach that would single them out or target them for discrimination is not only wrong and un-American, but it also would be counterproductive, because it would reduce the strength, the antibodies that we have to resist terrorism," he said. Obama said that he is determined to defeat the Islamic State. "I have got a lot of things on my plate but my top priority is to defeat Islamic State and to eliminate the scourge of this barbaric terrorism that has been taking place around the world. We see high-profile attacks in Europe, but they are also killing Muslims throughout the Middle East, people who are innocent, people who are guilty only of worshipping Islam in a different way than this organisation. "They are poisoning the minds of young people everywhere. Not just in Europe but in the US and undoubtedly in Argentina, people are looking on these websites," Obama said. "There is no more important item on my agenda than going after them and defeating them. The issue is how do we do it in an intelligent way. And our approach has been continuously to adjust to see what works and what does not. "What has been working is the airstrikes that we are taking on their leadership, on their infrastructure, on their financial systems. What has been working is special operators partnering with Iraqi security forces and going after leadership networks and couriers, and disrupting the connection between their bases in Raqqa and their bases in Mosul," the US President added. PTI Buenos Aires: Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) will meet with US President Barack Obama in Washington next week on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit. Obama will host Xi on 31 March. The White House says they'll discuss cooperation as well as areas of disagreement between the US and China. Dozens of world leaders are heading to Washington for the summit, which focuses on preventing terrorists from obtaining nuclear weapons. Obama has sought China's cooperation on punishing North Korea for its nuclear weapons program and on climate change. The two countries remain at odds on maritime disputes, cybersecurity and other issues. Obama and Xi have met frequently in recent years in the US, China and in third countries. The White House announced the meeting while Obama was traveling in Argentina. AP Labor has called on the Turnbull government's cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos to stand aside following the "extraordinary finding" of the NSW Electoral Commission on illegal donations to the NSW Liberal Party. On Wednesday, the commission denied the party $4.4 million in public funding and accused it of "concealing" the identities of illegal major donors ahead of the 2011 state election. The donations in question totalled almost $700,000. Senator Sinodinos was finance director and treasurer of the party at the time, and evidence given to an earlier Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry raised concerns about his "involvement" in the matter, the commission's chairman Keith Mason said. A 24-year-old man has been jailed for at least two-and-a-half years over a horrific, drug-fuelled glassing at a South Coast hotel that left the victim with a 15cm neck wound. Wollongong District Court judge Paul Conlon said had had "no idea" how the male victim was not fatally wounded the night Mitchell Bleimuth slammed a glass into his neck in an apparently unprovoked assault at the Warilla Hotel, the Illawarra Mercury reported. "Mr Bleimuth is fortunate he's not facing a charge of murder, how it [the glass] missed the [victim's] carotid artery I have no idea," Judge Conlon said. "It's deplorable conduct." North Korea says it has successfully tested a solid-fuel rocket engine, which would be a major step in its effort to develop a long-range missile able to reach South Korea and the United States. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency says leader Kim Jong-un was on hand for the test, which he said "will strike great horror and terror into the hearts of the enemies." Using solid-fuel reduces the amount of launch preparation time, increases the mobility of the missiles, and makes them far more reliable than liquid-fueled rockets. Pyongyang has made similar claims before of progress in its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, including a successful simulation of an atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile. Multiple defense experts South Korea and abroad have expressed doubts that North Korea has developed a long-range ballistic missile, or a vehicle that can withstand the searing heat of re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Thursday's claim by the North is the regime's latest response to the annual joint U.S.-South Korea military drill, and a new, stronger round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations over Pyongyang's recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests. North Korea has threatened to launch a massive military attack against Seoul, and launched several short and medium-range rockets and projectiles in the past week. South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Thursday ordered a heightened security posture to cope with a potential North Korean provocation. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong told reporters Thursday that President Xi Jinping will discuss the North Korean nuclear situation with U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in Washington next week. Beijing and Washington are two members of six-party talks aimed at curbing Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, along with Japan, Russia and the two Koreas. The talks broke down in 2008. A senior Defense Department official told U.S. lawmakers Wednesday that Americans have been killed by detainees who were released from the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Paul Lewis, the Pentagon's special envoy for closing the facility, declined to provide details, including whether the incidents occurred during the administration of President George W. Bush or President Barack Obama. "What I can tell you is unfortunately there have been Americans that have died because of detainees," Lewis told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. News agencies quoting unnamed officials have reported that the incident involved an Afghan prisoner released while Bush was president. There have also been allegations that a former detainee was involved in the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. Guantanamo and Brussels The disclosure came during a briefing by Defense and State department officials to lawmakers about how the prison has become a powerful propaganda tool for Islamic State. Obama and administration officials have said images of the U.S. detention facility are a reminder to the international community of U.S.-authorized torture and long-term detentions without trial. "Countries across the world and allies tell us that Gitmo hurts us," Lewis said, using a shortened term for the Guantanamo facility. "By closing Gitmo, we address a concern of the rest of the world. But many Republican and some Democratic members of Congress have opposed closing Guantanamo. Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican, said Wednesday that European allies might change their negative opinions of the detention facility in the wake of the attacks that killed dozens and wounded hundreds more Tuesday in Belgium. "Let me suggest that the attitude of our European friends may well be changing in the next six months or so when they realize that the slaughter thats taking place in Paris and now in Brussels is part of an international movement to destroy Western civilization and replace it with a caliphate," he said. The committee's ranking minority member, Representative Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat, called the facility a "gift that keeps on giving" for extremists trying to recruit fighters, but Rohrabacher said those concerns were misplaced. "I think the bigger recruiting tool is when our government, especially this administration, is perceived as being weak," Rohrabacher said. Transfers continue More than 85 percent of those detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2002 have been transferred to other countries. According to intelligence reporting, less than 5 percent of Gitmo detainees transferred during the Obama administration have returned to terrorism. Some lawmakers, however, fear countries that have received Gitmo detainees, like Uruguay and Ghana, arent prepared to properly monitor them. Ghanas a wonderful place. Its a wonderful country. But the fact is, it does not have top-notch intelligence or law enforcement services to deal with this kind of problem, Representative Ed Royce, a California Republican who serves as the committee's chairman, said Wednesday. As more detainees become eligible for transfer, the Gitmo detention process remains hotly debated, but the option of moving detainees from Guantanamo to U.S. soil remains against the law. Just days after the announcement of a European Union-Turkey refugee deal, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the bloc, saying it could not be trusted. His main concern is the commitment for visa-free travel for Turks through the EU. Under the terms of the EU-Turkey agreement, migrants who illegally cross the Aegean and enter Greece from Turkey would be sent back to Turkey. In exchange, Turks would be granted visa-free travel through the EU as early as June, as long as Ankara complies with certain EU conditions. But Erdogan is increasing pressure on Brussels to honor its commitment and questioning the sincerity of the 28-member group. He said that if Turkey looks to the past from the perspective of values, it can see EU leaders never keep their words and will not do so this time. Erdogan observers say officials are aware of how controversial visa-free travel is, especially for several EU members. France has made clear its opposition and voiced alarm at the prospect of nearly 80 million Turks being able to freely enter EU countries. Adding to those concerns say analysts, is that many of the two million Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey could ultimately become citizens of that country. But to achieve visa-free travel Ankara has to comply with 72 EU standards. Unrealistic, observers say Political scientist Cengiz Aktar said that requirement remains an unrealistic goal. "I have serious doubts that all 28 members would agree on lifting visas for Turkey in June - because Turkey did not comply with the 72 conditions. It seems very difficult it will manage to do so. Only manipulators and naives are taking this deal very seriously. It is a propaganda occasion for the government, because of course, it is very rewarding to announce to Turkish public, that visas will be lifted in June," Aktar said. Ankara is working hard to comply with the conditions. Among them, a pilot project that calls for introducing biometric identity cards, which is expected to be followed by a requirement for biometric passports. Political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners said achieving visa-free travel is crucial for Erdogans political aspirations. "He wants visa-free travel, which is very important to his constituents because most of the visa rejections are among constituents. If he can do that, he will present it as a result of Turkish pressure or Turkish lobbying and he will hit the campaign trail for executive presidency again," Yesilada said. Erdogan is seeking to increase his power by turning Turkey into an executive presidency, which critics warn will be akin to a dictatorship. Analysts say he is close to securing the required votes in parliament and a referendum would likely be held to confirm a new constitution later this year. Morocco's foreign minister says the government's decision to reduce the number of United Nations staff at the Western Sahara mission is "irreversible." The Moroccan government and the U.N. have been at odds since Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon visited a camp in Algeria housing refugees from Western Sahara and used the term "occupation" in reference to their plight. Thousands of people demonstrated against the U.N. across Morocco in response last week, carrying banners like "Ban Ki-moon threatens the U.N. process," denouncing Ban's "lack of neutrality" on the issue. Then, the Moroccan government asked about 55 personnel from the U.N. peacekeeping mission known as MINURSO to leave the country. U.N. officials have asked for the Security Council to act because of the potential for escalation" into renewed conflict in that region. On Thursday, Reuters reported that Morocco's foreign minister said the troop drawdown request remains, but the country also remains committed to U.N. military cooperation to guarantee the cease-fire. Region Still Calm Deputy Spokesman for Ban, Farhan Haq says a small number of international civilian staff is still in Laayoune (the main city in Western Sahara) including the mission head and about 240 military observers. Haq says its a good thing the situation is calm at the moment but if the mission is impaired from doing its work, it cant fulfill all the functions it needs to do to prevent hostilities from resuming, so there is always a threat hanging overhead, he expressed. He says Ban stands by everything he says and while hes not backing away from what he said, he also has explained the use of the word occupation. That he used it as a response to emotions he felt when he was talking about people whose lives have been uprooted for so many years. Haq points out the status of the disputed area is something that ultimately needs to be determined by the territorys Sahrawi people themselves and its the reason why the U.N. mission is in place not just to prevent any flare up of conflict but to put in a process so one can determine the status of Western Sahara once for all. Settlement Stalled Since 1991 The U.N. has been trying to broker a Western Sahara settlement since 1991 after a cease-fire was reached in a war between Rabat and the Polisario Front that broke out when Morocco deployed its military in the former Spanish territory in 1975. The Polisario Front which claims the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis says that a referendum on the future of Western Sahara holds the key to peace and stability in North Africa. "There will be no peace or stability in the region so long as the Sahrawi people are denied the right to self-determination," Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, a leader of the pro-independence group, told a news conference in the Algerian capital last week. But Morocco considers the area as part of its kingdom and insists its sovereignty cannot be challenged. In a statement released last week, the Moroccan government said Ban's use of the word "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara was "an insult." Refugees As a result of the long-standing conflict, tens of thousands of Western Sahara refugees still live in camps in south-west Algeria. "We want them to give us our independence. Enough suffering and homelessness, we have been suffering for 46 years, expressed a Sahrawi refugee at the Smara camp near Tindouf in southwest Algeria. Another one said "we expect Ban Ki-moon's visit to help review the case and solve it peacefully so Morocco understand that this land is not its land but ours, otherwise we will go back and take up arms. Occupation or Not Professor Emeritus of Islamic History in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University John Voll says these latest developments have only emphasized that the current situation remains deadlocked. Voll says the underlying reality is that Morocco has the military force to maintain control while the Polisario Front has real diplomatic support. So the combination of the Polisario inability to have a military victory and Moroccos inability to have diplomatic victory emphasizes the old divisions. He says Bans visit to Western Sahara was part of his responsibility as the Secretary-General in terms of looking at U.N. operations but he says the use of the term occupation was a poor diplomatic choice. Voll also says Ban might have use the word deliberately to push the issue forward. He says the Moroccan response was predictable and expelling U.N. staff is not going to bring an end to MINURSO. The U.S. accused seven Iranians Thursday of carrying out a massive computer hacking scheme on behalf of the Iranian government to disrupt the Internet operations at 46 American financial institutions. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the hackers at two Iran-based computer companies worked for Tehran, including the Revolutionary Guard Corps. She said the seven experienced hackers coordinated a cyberattack campaign from late 2011 to mid-2013 on the banks, including some of the largest in the U.S. based in New York, that flooded their web sites with Internet traffic, crashed their servers and blocked customers from accessing their accounts. Lynch, the country's top law enforcement official, said the cyber intrusions cost the banks, such as JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, "tens of millions of dollars" to repair their company websites. In addition, the U.S. alleged that one of the Iranians hacked into the control system of a small irrigation dam outside New York and would have been able to control its water levels and flow rates, but for the fact that the dam was undergoing maintenance work at the time of the computer intrusion and had been shut down. Lynch described the computer attacks on the financial institutions as "relentless, systematic and widespread." "This case is a reminder," she said, "of the seriousness of cyber threats to our national security. And we believe that they were conducted with the sole purpose of undermining the targeted companies and damaging the online operation of America's free market." Despite Lynch's high-profile announcement of the case in Washington, it is unclear when or if any actual prosecution of the case against the seven Iranians might occur since they have not been apprehended and there is no indication that Tehran would turn them over to U.S. authorities. The U.S. has no extradition treaty with Iran. But Lynch said, "Fugitives don't remain that way forever." The seven accused computer workers were employed by ITSec Team and Mersad Company, the U.S. alleged, and carried out their hacking for 176 days. They were identified as Ahmed Fathi, 37 years old; Hamid Firoozi, 34; Amin Shokohi, 25; Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, also known as Nitr0jen26, 23; Omid Ghaffarinia, also known as PLuS, 25; Sina Keissar, 25, and Nader Saedi, also known as Turk Server, 26. The charges add to the contentious and complicated relations between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. and five other world powers implemented a nuclear agreement with Iran in January that blocks Tehran from manufacturing nuclear weaponry in exchange for ending sanctions that hobbled its economy. But in addition to the cybersecurity charges Thursday, the U.S. added two Iranian units involved in its ballistic missile program to its sanction blacklist, two weeks after Iran conducted missile tests that Washington called "provocative and destabilizing." The action freezes any of the assets under U.S. jurisdiction held by Shadid Nuri Industries and Shadid Movahed Industries, both units of the Shadid Hemmat Industrial Group that is responsible for Iran's ballistic missile program. On Wednesday, U.S. authorities unsealed an indictment accusing a consultant to Iran's United Nations mission, Ahmed Sheikhzadeh, of violating U.S. trade sanctions against Tehran. Similar sanction-related charges against others were dropped in January as the nuclear pact was implemented and Iran freed Americans it had detained. A Vietnam court on Wednesday handed down prison sentences for a prominent blogger and his assistant for publishing articles critical of the government. Nguyen Huu Vinh, 60, and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, 35, were sentenced to five and three years respectively for "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state," under Article 258 of the Penal Code. Both had been detained since their arrests in 2014. Prosecutors said a series of articles Vinh posted on his blog gave a distorted, one-sided view of the ruling Communist Party that would affect the people's confidence in its leaders. Tran Quoc Thuan, one of Vinhs attorneys, told VOA's Vietnamese service that the trial in Hanoi was "extremely abnormal" and "shocked the lawyers." "Weve pointed out that there were serious violations" in the proceedings, from Vinh's arrest to the investigation of his case, Thuan said. "In one example, Lieutenant General Hoang Kong Tu, head of the investigation agency whose name was in the list of 'victims,' was the one who headed the investigation process. "There were violations in the process of collecting evidence," he added. "Evidence presented was illegal and the accusations were groundless. According to the laws, a verdict is based on what is stated in the indictment and what has been debated at the trial. Here in this case, there were some extra [charges] added to the verdict by the judge himself. A verdict based on those abnormalities is abnormal." 'Public' trial Representatives from foreign embassies were not allowed to enter the courtroom, although the trial was listed as public, which Thuan described as a "contrast it is between theory and reality when it comes to Vietnams human rights." Vinh, also known as Anh Ba Sam, created the blog "Ba Sam" in 2007. The blog provided links to stories from state-run news outlets, as well as blog posts from activists. Prior to sentencing, dozens of Vinh's supporters gathered outside the courthouse in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi to demand his release. Blogger Nguyen Lan Thang, a well-known social activist campaigning for the removal of Article 258, was among the crowd. "Today's trial was just like many other dissidents trials. There was harassment preventing people from attending the so-called public trial; some people were arrested; protesters were extremely outraged with the verdict," he said. "We are very upset with the behavior of the Vietnamese authorities. They view us as enemies and make every attempt to repress us, from physical assaults to imprisonment. Todays verdict is one of the injustices we are suffering and we will continue to press our fight for basic rights." Karim Lahidji, president of the International Federation for Human Rights, called the verdict "all the more concerning because it could signal a new wave of repression as new party leaders assume control." Human rights groups have criticized Vietnam for arbitrarily arresting bloggers and activists for peacefully expressing their views. With tens of thousands of migrants stuck on its territory and borders to the north closed off, financially-challenged Greece is bearing the burden of Europes refugee crisis. A small army of activists, aid workers, doctors and ordinary citizens has filled the holes in the states ability to cope with the crisis. Volunteers have come from around the world but many Greeks have also responded with solidarity. The country least prepared, the population least prepared to shoulder this crisis has shown an enormous preparedness to shoulder it actually. But in reality, it is not paradoxical because people understand hardship, said professor Serafeim Seferiadis of Panteion University in Athens. Just nine months ago, Greece was on the brink of bankruptcy. Long lines formed at cash machines ahead of a feared exit from the euro currency. Eventually, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accepted the terms of a new EU bailout in return for further austerity, defying the result of a referendum. The minute that happened, Tsipras lost all leverage and all his bargaining chips. So at the moment, all he is trying to do is plead for some help in the hope that this would ring a bell with the European Union institutions, Seferiadis said. Funds withheld Those EU institutions are keeping Athens on a tight leash. Europe is refusing to hand over the latest tranche of bailout money or discuss debt relief until it sees further tax and pension reforms. The latest talks broke down Sunday without agreement and will resume next week. But there are signs of sympathy for Athens. We need some understanding for Greece's situation, which is simultaneously dealing with pensions, the level of taxes and the necessary means to accommodate refugees, French Finance Minister Michele Sapin said Monday. The EU has earmarked $782 million to cope with the migrant influx, much of it destined for Greece. The islands are preparing to host thousands of EU immigration personnel to help implement the new migrant deal with Ankara, which would see all new arrivals sent back to Turkey. But major aid organizations, including the U.N.s refugee agency, have withdrawn staff from island facilities, saying they refuse to be complicit in what they called a "mass expulsion operation." The International Police Association of Macau (IPAM) honored Malaysian politician and social activist Lee Lam Thye for his efforts in the battle against trans-border crime, as reported in Malaysian newspaper, The Star. At last weeks ceremony in Macau, Lee a former leader of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) who is known in particular for his social work was presented with IPAMs honorary president distinction for his efforts, especially his role in the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF). Lee told The Star that he hopes to use his influence to foster closer ties between Malaysia and Macau. Other recipients included five individuals of various backgrounds who have contributed to the betterment of the people of Macau. The awards and appointment letters were handed out by the associations president Lei Hong Po, as well as vice-presidents Lam Vai Chun and Ho Kam Tong. I will do my very best to help promote and encourage the people of both cities to work closely together in the fight against trans-border crimes, said Lee. Crime is a major concern not just in Macau or Malaysia but all over the world, and we need the support of the people to assist the authorities in their fight against criminal activities, he added. Aside from security concerns, Lee said he hoped to address cultural and investment opportunities, as well as to deepen social ties. Lets unite in our endeavors to fight for a better world so that the people can have a better future, he said. IPAM was founded in July 1999, a few months before Macaus handover. It is a branch of the International Police Association recognized by UNESCO. The Macau branch currently has more than 1,200 members. RM Earlier this week, the Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) celebrated the 65th anniversary of its Workers Medical Center. Hope was expressed during the celebration that the government will train more medical professionals, Macao Daily News reported. Aside from the addition of 50 new hospital beds, the Center provided 177,000 medical services last year, more than 7,000 of which were home nursing services. The FAOM said it needs a larger team of medical professionals and additional space. The president of FAOMs executive board, Chiang Chong Sek, said the medical facility houses one rehabilitation center and employs a team for home nursing services. In 2004, the FAOM worked with the government to provide home medical services for those patients who cant readily leave their homes. Ten years ago, the problems of an aging community and the increasing population compelled us to help the government providing rehabilitation services. The FAOM has expressed its hope that the government can enhance cooperative ties with non-governmental organizations to upgrade the communitys medical services. Staff reporter The Chief Executive (CE), Chui Sai On, will lead a delegation from Macau to visit the cities of Nanjing and Changzhou in Jiangsu Province on March 29 and 30, the Government Spokespersons Office announced. The CE and his delegation will visit the regions industrial park, assist with the inauguration ceremony, and sign an agreement for the creation of a new park that will be co-developed by Jiangsu and Macau. The delegation will visit the Jiangling industrial park in the City of Nanjing and the Taihu industrial technology park in Changzhou City. They will additionally meet with the leaders of Jiangsu Province. Forefront of Macau Gaming to demonstrate on May 1 Forefront of Macau Gaming, an association that represents the interests of casino dealers, is losing momentum. Without a headquarters and with the current crisis in the gaming sector, the group says that the upcoming Labor Day demonstrations will test its ability to mobilize people to its cause. Macau Legend to sell Landmark casino hotel Macau-based casino services firm Macau Legend Development Ltd has signed a letter of intent to sell its Landmark Macau casino hotel, GGR Asia reported yesterday. The buyer, according to a Wednesday filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has been identified as Li C.K., a substantial shareholder and a person connected to the company. A report from the Hong Kong Economic Journal identified the buyer as Li Chi Keung. An individual by that name has been described in the firms 2015 interim report as having a stake of approximately 12 percent in Macau Legend. The casino at Landmark Macau, named Pharaohs Palace Casino, operates under the casino license SJM Holdings Ltd. Fishermans Wharf to get new immigration checkpoint According to an Executive Order published in the Official Gazette, the new immigration checkpoint that will be installed at the Macau Fishermans Wharf is exclusively for people entering or leaving the territory in leisure crafts. The new checkpoint at the Marina of the Fishermans Wharf will operate as needed, according to the CE order published in the Official Gazette. It will commence operations on April 1. Nuno Lopes De Oliveira is a young, up-and-coming designer who was born and raised in Macau. The 24-year-old is a recent fashion design graduate from Middlesex University in London, and has had his work featured in numerous fashion publications. The Macanese designer is hesitant about returning to the MSAR, fearing that he will be unable to find work in the creative industry. He tells the Times that local residents with creative talent often find employment lacking in their field of study, and some choose to stay abroad. Macau Daily Times (MDT) Why do you think so many Macau students in the creative industry seek education abroad? Nuno Lopes De Oliveira (NLO) The leading universities in Macau are unable to provide proper art education. This has already made it difficult for young Macau citizens graduating from high school, because they have fewer opportunities to pursue careers in the creative industry. I feel that [studying fashion design] in Macau would be a much more challenging and daunting task [than in London] because of the lack of creativity and fashion placements. For example, one of my lecturers [at Middlesex University] works closely with Lady Gagas design team and even created garments for Lady Gaga and Florence and the Machine. These [experiences] alone encouraged me to continue the pursuit of my career in this extremely competitive industry. MDT How effective do you think the governments efforts to diversify Macaus economy away from gaming and toward the cultural and creative industries have been? NLO I have heard over the years that the Macau government has been pushing forward in terms of diversifying Macaus industries, but their main focus is on small businesses. For example, the government is offering loans for young Macau citizens to start up their own businesses. But in my opinion, there is a lack of education in terms of what is required to be successful in opening a business in the arts and creative industries. People are set up for failure because of the lack of knowledge after all, education is key. There are bound to be many talented individuals in Macau that go undiscovered and unnoticed due to the dominance of the gambling industry. The government is so desperate to push gambling that they forget about other important areas that contribute to a diverse society. In a nutshell, the government should include the arts as part of the curriculum at schools and offer more diverse courses at their higher education institutes. Children will grow up being more aware of their potential. MDT You say that getting young people involved in creative education can help the development of creative sectors and provide employment opportunities. But will more creative graduates mean fewer job prospects? NLO If Macau pushes toward a more creative society, students that want to study creative subjects will be less likely to move abroad [where they would not] contribute to the economy in Macau. Furthermore, if Macau invests money in creative arts facilities, people may even move to Macau for their education. This can benefit [Macaus] economy greatly. Once Macau develops its creativity, jobs will naturally crop up around Macau such as teaching jobs, retail jobs and designing jobs. At the moment, the only jobs that are suitable for fashion design graduates in Macau are those working for a casinos wardrobe department, which lack an outlet for individual creativity. Had I studied in Macau, it probably would have left me working in a casinos wardrobe department. MDT As a successful designer abroad, will you return to Macau if you can find work in the fashion industry? NLO The long and short of it: no, I wouldnt return to Macau to work, unless Macaus government does something serious about the creative industry. The opportunities that have arisen in London in one year would have taken a whole lifetime in Macau. [Since arriving in the UK] I was fortunate enough to be one of the students chosen to showcase my work at London Graduate Fashion Week [] and to have British Vogue and Vogue Italia showcase my work on their websites. This was quite overwhelming considering how prestigious such fashion publications are. I never expected this to happen to a 24-year-old Macanese boy who moved to England to gain more experience and a creative outlet. The educational departments [in Macau] do not have the same networks that the UK universities do, such as media involvement with publications such as Vogue. I believe that this is due to the current state of Macaus educational system and [society here] being so secluded from Western fashion. Daniel Beitler Earlier this week, Guangdong police intercepted a cross-country Internet and telecommunication scam, the perpetrators of which claimed to work for two casinos in Macau, mainland media reported. The police arrested 218 suspects, including 38 Cambodian nationals, and confirmed that the suspects were believed to have scammed victims for a total of RMB140 million. More than 1,000 people from 11 different cities fell victim to the scam. Since last March, the Foshan police had received frequent complaints from residents claiming to have been sent messages, which contained website URLs, from two casinos in Macau. The police confirmed that these casinos did not offer online services. The criminals planned and executed their scam from scratch, including setting up websites, a Chinese-language messaging service and a phone call line for customer services. They also posted videos of scantily clad women acting as dealers. Once victims completed the registration on the fraudulent websites, fake customer service representatives would coax them into transferring money to a private account to acquire chips. The criminals would then allow some victims to win a small amount of money while simultaneously preparing them for a larger loss, after which point they would cease communication with the victims. The servers were reportedly located in Poipet, a boomtown near the Cambodia-Thailand border. The 11 perpetrators all hail from Fujian province. 18 provinces including Jilin, Shandong, Shanxi, Anhui and Hunan were all linked to the fraud. More than 1,000 police officers joined the operation, 150 of which travelled to Cambodia to apprehend the criminals. Unexpectedly it seems that a lighter touch by Beijing towards Hong Kong has arrived even despite calls for independence! The great taboo subject raised here and responded to without fire and brimstone fearmongering. Quelle surprise. While I rooted for more patience in the last HK Observer (China Needs to Woo Youth) it was a plea but not anticipated, yet we saw a slew of conciliatory commentary about the territory come out. Signals to Hong Kong from mainland officialdom had been largely stern and reproachful until this months National Peoples Congress and Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference meetings. Quite why officials appear to be setting a more soothing tone in how Beijing addresses Hong Kong is not yet clear. Counsel taken to avoid provocative remarks to radical elements may well be behind it. This years potentially crucial legislative council election would logically be a factor too. There was the strong showings of youthful candidates in district elections and the recent by-election where a young localist, separatist candidate came third with 60,000 votes; double the amount a number of incumbents were elected with. This from growing youth disenchantment with how once country two systems is playing out, and the young, unlike in past LegCo elections, intend to vote en masse. That will not likely favour the establishment. Reportedly there has been a long term research effort to take local pulses. However if that was the case why was the NPCs Standing Committee position on democratic reform so contra flow to public opinion and citizens aspirations? Did the pan-democrat engineered LegCo rejection of the reform bill galvanize new research? Was there a more rigorous appraisal of existing surveys that had been previously been doctored to produce what wanted to be heard? Whatever the reasons, to see evidence of an appeasing approach is a relief, and very welcome as was the albeit secret meeting of the Democrat party members with senior Chinese officials during the NPC meetings; a brave but risky move for the democrats in an election year when significant numbers of pan-democrat voters and legislators reject rapprochement with Beijing. Those against such meetings argue that past attempts have proved useless because their words went unheeded. Worse, it appeared to some voters as kowtowing when in their eyes so little had been achieved. Sadly this view ignores who much was achieved by the Democrats in Beijing getting a ten-seat enlargement of the directly-elected legislative council for 2012, including the five so-called super seats even through indirectly chosen via the directly elected district councilors, which thereby also substantially widened the voting base. Its that sort of pragmatism and mutual good will thats needed to go forwards when the political reform process is restarted. Unfortunately the process will be five to ten years away too many years for the impatience of many young voters. In the meantime if only middle ground could be found between the chief executive and the pan-democrats on inclusiveness in the decision-making process. In order for that to happen there must be the necessary give and take by both Beijing and the pan-democrats, which can only happen with plenty of interaction and that cannot be done with loudspeaker political grandstanding. A good start could be made if in exchange for some private climbing down in their long-term demands the pan-democrats could expect to have more influence in local affairs. Indonesia says one of its patrol ships fired shots at two Taiwanese vessels suspected of illegal fishing only after they ignored repeated warnings to leave Indonesian waters in the Strait of Malacca. Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said yesterday that the fisheries patrol ship involved in the incident followed all standard procedures for dealing with foreign vessels. He vowed that Indonesia will stick to its policy of taking firm action against illegal fishing. Yunus Husein of the Illegal Fishing Task Force said the Taiwanese vessels were sailing without flags off Lhoksemawe in Sumatras Aceh province. He said no one was injured. Taiwan has demanded an explanation from Indonesia. A statement by its Foreign Ministry condemned the use of force and asked for evidence of any wrongdoing by the Taiwanese boats that could justify the shooting. Pandjaitan said Indonesia abided by international standard procedures in dealing with foreign ships entering our territory, including by providing warnings through raising flags, voices and warning shots in the stern of the ship. Indonesia has taken strong action in the past year against illegal fishing, destroying dozens of captured vessels. In the past week, the Indonesian government has also butted heads with Beijing after the Chinese coast guard helped a Chinese fishing vessel escape from Indonesian control. The ship was caught fishing illegally off Indonesias Natuna islands, which overlap the southernmost reaches of the South China Sea. Indonesias assertive response in that case has suggested it is adjusting its stance of always staying at arms-length from the territorial disputes other Southeast Asian nations have with China over its expansive claims to the South China Sea. The Taiwanese tuna long-liners were docked at Singapores Jurong Fishery Port yesterday. Associated Press reporters saw crew members on deck but were not allowed to approach. The Singapore newspaper Straits Times said the two captains and their 25 crewmembers were tired but in good condition. Lin Nan-yang, the captain of the Sheng Te Tsai, told the newspaper that the early Monday morning shooting occurred without warning and he was unable to understand what the Indonesian crew was saying over the radio. Taiwanese media reported the crews of the ships were unharmed. Ali Kotarumalos, Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, AP HONG KONG police said missing book editor Lee Bo returned home yesterday following his disappearance in a case that rattled civil liberties advocates in the territory. In a statement the police added that Lee told officers that he had been safe and free on the mainland, but provided few details. THAILAND Police said yesterday that they arrested 15 Malaysians trying to smuggle millions of dollars of crystal meth and heroin stashed in luggage on a train bound for Malaysia. They said that the seizure included 226 kilograms of crystal meth, with a street value in Thailand of USD13 million. MYANMAR Amnesty International has urged Aung San Suu Kyi and her partys new government to immediately release all political prisoners, saying they have a historic opportunity to lead Myanmar out of the repressive climate under the former junta rule. NORTH KOREA says it has successfully conducted a high-powered, solid-fuel rocket engine test, which if confirmed would be a major step forward in boosting its missile attack capability against South Korea and the United States. South Korea Samsung Electronics, the worlds largest maker of phones, memory chips and television sets, plans to revamp its authoritarian, top-down corporate culture to become more like a lean startup as it copes with sluggish demand and growing competition. JAPANs whaling fleet has returned with 333 whales, its catch quota, that it caught in its first Antarctic harvest since an international court stopped its hunt two years ago. BANGLADESH Deadly violence erupted during local elections in Bangladesh, leaving at least 13 people dead this week. Analysts said the mayhem shows the countrys democracy is struggling in the face of Islamist extremism and a divisive debate over how to deal with the legacy of its 1971 civil war. SYRIA According to Syrian state television, government forces have entered the ancient town of Palmyra, however a monitoring group said the fighting was still outside the city. ARGENTINA U.S. President Barack Obama, who is on a visit to Argentina, has promised to release secret files concerning the U.S. role in the military coup there 40 years ago that installed one of the regions most brutal regimes. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced this week that Li Jia, the Party Committee Secretary of Zhuhai, is under investigation for serious disciplinary offenses. The decision has surprised some observers as Li met a group of governors from Kyrgyzstan a day before his arrest. Last month, Li led a delegation of Zhuhai officials to Macau. On March 20, Li attended the commencement ceremony of the Tianqin Project, a gravitational waves research program planned by Zhongshan University, with a total planned investment of RMB15 billion. The Zhuhai authorities subsequently announced a RMB300 million investment to finance part of the program, which will be based in Zhuhai. Li is the first Party Committee Secretary of Zhuhai who has been arrested while still in office. According to mainland media, the investigation will delve into his work between 2003 and 2012, during which time he served on the Municipal Committee of Meizhou. His previous associates include former Guangzhou party boss, Wan Qingliang, who was prosecuted for corruption. Born in Hunan province, 51-year-old Li Jia obtained his bachelors, masters and PhD degrees from Zhongshan University where he then served as Deputy Secretary of the Communist Youth League from 1991 to 1994. Since February 2012, he has been appointed as Party Secretary of Zhuhai, Director of the Municipal Peoples Congress, and the first Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhuhai garrison. Staff reporter The House State Affairs Committee has approved a bill that would ban the harvesting of tissue and organs from aborted fetuses, sending it on to the full House. However, it wasn't the party-line vote that's usual in the committee for bills related to guns, abortion, gay rights and other contentious social issues the panel's four Democratic members boycotted the hearing. "This bill, like many others introduced this session, is designed to inflame a small constituency that these politicians count on to vote for them," the Democrats said in a statement. "That's campaigning on the public dime." Instead the Democrats, along with a group of abortion rights and civil rights lobbyists who usually testify against such bills, attended a rally on the Capitol steps in favor of Medicaid expansion that was happening at the same time as the hearing. Tissue and organ harvesting from aborted fetuses was thrust into the national spotlight last summer, after an anti-abortion group released videos that appeared to show Planned Parenthood officials talking about selling fetal tissue for profit, which is illegal. The videos led to renewed pushes by Republicans in many statehouses and in Congress to investigate and defund the organization. The only criminal charges so far have been against two of the people who filmed the video, who were indicted in Texas. Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter declined a request from some Republican lawmakers to launch a similar investigation in Idaho last year. Planned Parenthood lobbyist Hannah Brass Grier said the bill is "a solution in search of a problem, at best, and harmful and offensive at worst." She said Planned Parenthood in Idaho does not have a fetal tissue donation program and that the group has been cleared of wrongdoing in the states that have investigated it. "Any excuse to advance their anti-abortion agenda, any excuse to keep women from making their own decisions without government intrusion, and they will take it," she said. The bill's supporters say banning harvesting tissue or organs from aborted fetuses makes sure an incentive isn't created to get abortions. "Clearly we have created industrial harvesting of pre-born babies (and that is) a crime against the human race," said Senate sponsor Cliff Bayer, R-Boise. The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday. The United Nations' basic philosophy is both anti-American and pro-Communist. The U.N. was founded by Communists and Council on Foreign Relations members whose common goal was and still is a socialist world government. Communism destroys individual liberty and redistributes our wealth to dictators. The U.N.s High Commissioner for Refugees is an international socialist which is another name for communism. The Muslim immigration invasion will destroy America! The U.N. seeks power to control the environment (Agenda 21, global warming hoax), our guns, our property and our children through the Common Core curriculum. The U.N. Charter outlines the path to world tyranny. It outlines basic rights, but then denies them by saying those rights are implemented by U.N. law. The U.N. is building its own army to enforce its will. Incredibly, it has been the official policy of the U.S. government to disarm America and create a U.N. Army. (See State Department publication 7277: Freedom from War.) The U.N. ignores Communist atrocities, but targets non-Communist nations and leaders. The UN did nothing when the Chinese and Soviets murdered civilians. America supplies the much of the U.N. budget; however, most countries vote against us. The U.N. finances tyrants and assorted enemies of the US. Billions of taxpayer dollars go to the IMF, World Bank and U.N. agencies. The U.N. is a moral cesspool filled with perverts and fat cats. U.N. employees are exempt from income taxes. The U.N. Criminal Court allows American citizens to be tried for violating U.N. treaties. No jury of peers is provided, no bail is set, no appeal is permitted. Trials in foreign countries can be hostile to U.S. citizens. To keep the USA as a sovereign, free and independent nation, we must get out of the United Nations by having Congress enact H.R.1205. Adrian Arp Filer Volunteers Interlink Volunteer Caregivers provides volunteers to help elderly, disabled and chronically ill people live safely and independently in their homes. Volunteers assist with transportation to health-related appointments and essential errands, light housekeeping chores, friendly visits, yard maintenance and simple home repairs. Carpenters and handymen are also needed. Volunteers are reimbursed for mileage and covered with excess auto liability insurance. Commitment is flexible with no minimum hours required. Information: Edie, 208-733-6333 or ivcofmv@gmail.com. Volunteers Idaho Home Health and Hospice needs volunteers who will bring compassion, support and dignity to those facing a serious, life-limiting illness and their families. Volunteers can choose between offering respite to family caregivers or provide support with administrative tasks. Information: Heidi Walker, 208-734-4064 or Heidi.Walker@LHCgroup.com. Volunteers St. Lukes Home Health and Hospice needs volunteers to share compassion and increase the quality of life for patients and their families. The program is designed to offer companionship and socialization to patients, plus respite and support for the caregivers. Information: Marie Sharp, 208-814-7603 or sharpm@slhs.org. Drivers The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program in Twin Falls. Volunteers will drive patients to and from medical treatments. Commitment is flexible. Information: Renae Delucia at renae.delucia@cancer.org or 702-891-9023. Drivers The Twin Falls Senior Center is looking for volunteers to deliver meals to homebound seniors in the Twin Falls area. The center delivers meals Monday through Friday, and routes take one hour or less to complete. Commitment is based on your availability. Volunteers can commit as little as one hour a week or up to five days a week. Several positions are available. Volunteers must be age 18 or older with their own car and have proof of liability insurance. Drivers are reimbursed for fuel. Information: Sandee Earl, 208-734-5084. Volunteers/drivers Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley and the ReStore are seeking adult volunteers. At the ReStore, volunteers are needed to provide general customer service, receiving, coordinate volunteers, fixing items to be sold in the store, and drivers to pick up donations. Information: 208-735-1233 or the Habitat office, 669 Eastland Drive S., Twin Falls. Volunteers St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center is in need volunteers for comfort care, front-desk greeters, auxiliary gift shop, workroom volunteer and some specialized positions throughout the hospital. Qualifications include friendly, compassionate individuals; ability to walk, stand and sit for a time; and the ability to take the initiative and be flexible in differing roles as needed to provide help or comfort to patients, visitors and staff. Information: Kim Patterson, 208-814-0861, or visit the Volunteer Services Office on the lower level at St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road, Twin Falls. In a first decision of its kind, the Palestinian Authority responded to an Israeli ban on products from five Palestinian companies, adopted earlier this month, by adopting a similar move that it said would be implemented immediately. In response to the Israeli decision to ban the entry to Jerusalem of products from five Palestinian companies, the government decided to ban the entry of products from five Israeli companies to the West Bank. This decision takes effect immediately, said the PA in a statement released Wednesday after its weekly cabinet meeting. The release however called that sufficient time be given to the Palestinian merchants to sell the concerned stocks already in their stores. A trade war between Israel and Palestine is expected to lead to serious economic crisis in Palestine because 90% of its exports go to Israel which also controls almost all its borders for access to the international world. If Tel Aviv institutes tariffs or additional restrictions on Palestinian goods the consequences could be catastrophic and Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah seems to be aware of this as he decried that the ban on the five Palestinian companies could lead to a loss of $310 million per annum. He also described the Israeli ban as an oppressive, political decision contrary to all commercial agreements and protocols and criticized it as being racist and part of many attempts to isolate Jerusalem from its surroundings and erase its identity. A ceasefire is expected to be implemented in Yemen on April 10 ahead of the peace talks scheduled to take place on April 18 in Kuwait with the UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed saying that this is really our last chance. The war in Yemen must be brought to an end, the Special Envoy said expressing hope that the upcoming talks would contribute positively to ending the war. The UN Security Council also called on the warring parties to immediately reduce violence and refrain from any action that could lead to increased tensions, in order to pave the way for a cessation of hostilities. The last ceasefire was violated several times with both sides holding each other responsible. The Saudi-led coalition will be marking the one year anniversary of its intervention in Yemen on Saturday. The coalition intervened in Yemen to reinstate Hadi as the legitimate president. Special Envoy Ismail said Riyadh is fully committed to make sure that the next talks take place and particularly supports us with regard to the cessation of hostilities. The U.N special envoy to the country is hoping that a comprehensive agreement would be reached in Kuwait in order to pave the way for an inclusive political dialogue. Egypts President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday named new ministers of tourism, finance, investment, justice, civil aviation, among others in order to revive the North African nations ailing economy. The Arab worlds most populous state has struggled to spur economic growth since the 2011 uprising ushered in political instability that scared off tourists and foreign investors, key sources of foreign currency. To improve the countrys economic performance, banking veteran Amr el-Garhy was appointed finance minister and Dalia Khorshid, formerly an executive of Orascom Construction, as investment minister. Amr el-Garhy and Dalia Khorshid are expected to pilot the countrys economy which grew by a mere 4.2 percent in the fiscal year 2014 / 2015. This year budget projects a 5 percent growth for the financial year ending in June. Mohamed Hossam Abdelrehim, who served as Egypts top judge in 2014-15, was appointed justice minister, when the key defense, interior, and foreign ministers all kept their portfolios as did holders of economic portfolios such as the planning and supplies ministers. After years of publicly lionizing Sisi as the savior of the nation, many Egyptian influential figures have started blaming the president for the ailing economy, the Islamist insurgency raging in the Sinai Peninsula, and the brutality of the police force which has not been reformed. Brussels Airlines has cancelled all flights to and from global destinations to Brussels, Belgium, until further notice. The decision comes after two blasts struck Zaventem international airport in Brussels on Tuesday, followed by an explosion in a subway station in the city. At least 30 people were killed and over 200 wounded. In a statement, Brussels airlines stated that all passengers holding a ticket for a Lufthansa Group flight (Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Germanwings) between 22 and 28 March to/from/via Brussels can rebook or refund their ticket for free. The Brussels airport has been shut down and will remain closed on Wednesday, authorities said. About 400 flights at Brussels were cancelled Tuesday morning, affecting roughly over 20,000 passengers. The blasts on Tuesday were claimed by the Syrian-based terror Islamic state group, which warned that more attacks would follow. The attacks were perpetrated four days after the arrest of locally based French national Salah Abdeslam, 26, accused of having played a key role in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks. Two of the suicide bombers who carried out the Tuesday attacks have been identified as Belgian brothers, Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui, while a third suspect is being hunted. According to the Belgian federal prosecutor, Brahim carried out the attack at the airport and Khalid at the Maelbeek metro station. About 260 people were injured, some seriously. The level of alert was raised at all European countries airports and borders. International Organization of La Francophonie or French speaking countries organization (OIF) Secretary-General Michaelle Jean on Tuesday began official visit to the Indian Ocean OIF member states, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. The week-long official trip will end with a tour of a tourism and sustainable development project of the Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin in Seychelles, the organization said in a statement. In less than eight months, the sixteenth Francophonie Summit will take place in Antananarivo, this visit will be an opportunity to see the progress of preparations and before going to meet the Malagasy population, especially the youth, Michaelle Jean said. At the crossroads of Africa and Asia, two key centers of economic strategy for the Francophonie, Madagascar and the countries of the Indian Ocean embody the plurality, diversity and vitality of the francophone world. The November summit will be an opportunity to show that French may be the vector responsible for development and shared growth, she said. Heads of state and government officials from the 80 members of La Francophonie will attend the summit. Michaelle Jean will meet with President Hery Rajaonarimampianina, as well as with the Foreign Minister and representatives of French speaking diplomatic corps. She will also inaugurate the OIF office for Indian Ocean countries. Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state (northeast Nigeria) has left about 20,000 deaths with an estimated $5.9 billion worth of damages according to a World Bank report that has not yet been released. The report quoted by the French news agency, AFP, reveals the extent of damage caused by the Nigerian-based terror group since it started insurgency in the region in 2009. The report indicates that in the 27 districts of the Borno state, fighting has destroyed or damaged nearly 30% of homes, classrooms and 5,335 buildings, including 552 schools, 1205 administrative buildings, 76 police stations, 35 power stations, 14 prisons, 201 health centers and 1,630 water points. In Borno alone, 20,000 people may have been killed and 2 million displaced, a high figure against previous estimates. The federal government of Nigeria was quoted as saying that pasture, river basins and lakes were poisoned in 16 districts and 470,000 herd of cattle were killed or stolen in the same state. As a reminder, Boko Haram carries out attacks in Nigeria and neighboring countries in a bid to take control of more territory. Three Nigerian states Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have been under a state of emergency since May 2013. The group was deemed the worlds deadliest terror group, surpassing its ally Islamic State (Isis) in November 2015 and Nigeria has become the worlds third most-terrorized country as a result of the groups violent insurgency. HIV (yellow) infecting a human immune cell. Credit: Seth Pincus, Elizabeth Fischer and Austin Athman, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health Botswana appears to have achieved very high rates of HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppressionmuch better than most Western nations, including the United Statesaccording to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues in Botswana. The findings suggest that even in countries with limited resources where a large percentage of the population is infected with HIV, strong treatment programs can help make significant headway against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The study will be published online March 23, 2016 in The Lancet HIV. "By now, we hoped to have an HIV vaccine. That hasn't happened. Ironically, treatment of HIV-infected persons may be our most effective, efficient way to prevent new infections. These results show that Botswana has made great progress in reducing the number of people who are infectious to others," said Max Essex, Mary Woodard Lasker Professor of Health Sciences, chair of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health AIDS Initiative, and chair of the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership. Global HIV programs have continued to face challenges in achieving the high rates of testing and treatment needed to optimize health and reduce new infections. Mounting evidence suggests that providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all people living with HIV, regardless of the stage of their disease, can help. In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) proposed new testing and treatment targets: that 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status; that 90% diagnosed with HIV be given ART; and that 90% who receive treatment have virologic suppressionvery low blood levels of HIVby the year 2020. The researchers looked at the achievability of the UNAIDS targets in Botswanaa middle-income African nation where 25% of the population aged 15-49 is HIV positive but which also has a mature public ART programby directly measuring HIV status, treatment, and viral suppression among 12,610 people from 30 communities across the country between October 2013 and November 2015. Study participants were drawn from a large, ongoing HIV prevention study in Botswana. The participants responded to a questionnaire, had their blood tested for HIV if their status wasn't known, and, if they were infected with HIV, their viral load was checked. Out of the 12,610 participants, 3,596 (29%) were HIV infected and 2,995 (83.3%) of these individuals already knew their HIV status. Among those who knew their status, 2,617 (87.4%) were receiving ART. Significantly, the study authors called it "remarkable" that of the 2,609 people receiving ART who had their viral load checked, 2,517 (96.5%) had viral suppression. Until now, there has been considerable uncertainty as to whether the ambitious targets proposed by UNAIDS can be achieved, especially in countries with limited resources where the HIV burden is highest, according to the study authors. But the new findings suggest that Botswana could meet and even exceed the targets well before 2020, especially if ART eligibility is expandedand that other countries could do the same. "This is significant work as it provides further evidence that the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment target is both realistic and achievable," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe, who was not involved in the study. Lead author of the study was Tendani Gaolathe of the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership. Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Kathleen Wirth, Molly Pretorius Holme, Joseph Makhema, Quanhong Lei, Vlad Novitsky, Kathleen Powis, Nealia Khan, Hermann Bussmann, Scott Dryden-Peterson, Rui Wang, Eric Tchetgen Tchetgen, Victor DeGruttola, and Shahin Lockman. Funding came from The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the terms of cooperative agreement U01 GH000447. More information: "Botswana's Progress Toward Achieving the 2020 UNAIDS 90-90-90 Antiretroviral Treatment and Virologic Suppression Goals: Results of a Population-Based Survey," Tendani Gaolathe, Kathleen E. Wirth, Molly Pretorius Holme, Joseph Makhema, Sikhulile Moyo, Unoda Chakalisa, Etienne Kadima Yankinda, Quanhong Lei, Mompati Mmalane, Vlad Novitsky, Lillian Okui, Erik van Widenfelt, Kathleen M. Powis, Nealia Khan, Kara Bennett, Hermann Bussmann, Scott Dryden-Peterson, Refeletswe Lebelonyane, Shenaaz el-Halabi, Lisa A. Mills, Tafireyi Marukutira, Rui Wang, Eric J. Tchetgen Tchetgen, Victor DeGruttola, M. Essex, Shahin Lockman, and the BCPP study team, Lancet HIV, March 23, 2016, "Botswana's Progress Toward Achieving the 2020 UNAIDS 90-90-90 Antiretroviral Treatment and Virologic Suppression Goals: Results of a Population-Based Survey," Tendani Gaolathe, Kathleen E. Wirth, Molly Pretorius Holme, Joseph Makhema, Sikhulile Moyo, Unoda Chakalisa, Etienne Kadima Yankinda, Quanhong Lei, Mompati Mmalane, Vlad Novitsky, Lillian Okui, Erik van Widenfelt, Kathleen M. Powis, Nealia Khan, Kara Bennett, Hermann Bussmann, Scott Dryden-Peterson, Refeletswe Lebelonyane, Shenaaz el-Halabi, Lisa A. Mills, Tafireyi Marukutira, Rui Wang, Eric J. Tchetgen Tchetgen, Victor DeGruttola, M. Essex, Shahin Lockman, and the BCPP study team, Lancet HIV, March 23, 2016, DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3018(16)00037-0 Leading scientists have identified an important gene that is associated with cleft lip and palate. Experts say the discovery is a step closer to understanding how this birth defect arises, and will help in the development of medical approaches to prevent the disfiguring condition. An international team, led by Newcastle University, UK, and the University of Bonn in Germany, has found that variants near a gene called GREM1 (Gremlin1) significantly increase the risk for cleft lip and palate. A cleft is a gap in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth, or sometimes both. Each year, approximately 250,000 babies worldwide are born with a cleft, equating to about two babies a day in the UK. Dr Heiko Peters, who works at Newcastle University's Institute of Genetic Medicine, is senior author of the research paper published in the journal, PLoS Genetics. He said: "The findings reveal a link between GREM1 and specific clinical characteristics that arise in the formation of a cleft lip and palate. "This is very important in this research area as it helps to decipher the complex interplay between genes required for the different steps and in different tissues during lip and palate development. "A cleft lip can occur with or without a cleft palate and the genetic factors that predispose to palate involvement are largely unknown." The research team carried out analyses on genetic and clinical data from three large patient cohorts and identified a strong association between a region on chromosome 15 and cleft lip and palate. Experts carried out studies on mice to investigate where GREM1 is normally active in the development of the face and how alterations in the gene's activity may affect the lip and palate. Results indicate that it is not the loss of GREM1 function but rather its increased activity that causes the condition. It is the second gene which has been shown to be linked to a condition in which a cleft of the lip and a cleft of the secondary palate occur together. Dr Peters added: "These findings provide a framework for further analyses of GREM1 in human cell systems and model organisms, broadening our understanding of the processes that regulate the face's shape." Although not life-threatening for patients with access to postnatal surgery, cleft lip and palate requires additional multidisciplinary care by specialists, including ear, nose and throat experts, orthodontists and speech therapists. Children with the condition can have dental issues, speech problems and are at increased risk of serious ear infections and hearing loss. Currently, scientists only have a fragmented picture about which genes are required for lip and palate development, and how environmental factors might interact with genetic risk factors. To establish effective prevention strategies scientists must identify genetic risk factors and understand how gene-gene and gene-environment interactions interfere with lip and palate development. As the use of personalised medicine increases, understanding how genetic changes alter foetal development will become increasingly relevant. This is particularly important for conditions such as cleft lip and palate that appear to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as smoking or certain medicines used by the mother. Further studies will focus on identifying genes and environmental factors that interact with GREM1. Dr Laura Yates, consultant in clinical genetics at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The families we meet in genetic clinics on a daily basis generally have two common questions. "Firstly, what is the cause of the developmental anomaly affecting their child or themselves, and secondly, can it be treated or prevented in future pregnancies? "Studies such as this contribute vital pieces of information that enable clinicians to provide patients with answers that are relevant to them and their family, not just general statistics. "Our understanding of how genetic factors in both mother and foetus, and external or environmental influences impact on foetal development in the womb, is far from complete. "This study takes us one step closer to being able to identify genetic changes that increase the chance of a particular form of cleft lip and palate re-occurring in a family, therefore to studying what can be done to reduce the chance of this happening in individuals who have this genetic change." Case study Mother-of-five Joanne Brown knows first-hand the challenges faced by those with a cleft lip and palate. The student nurse's daughter, Emily, seven, was born with the condition and has had to undergo three operations so far with more expected in the years ahead. Emily has coped well with her condition but having a cleft lip and palate has affected her speech and confidence. Joanne, 33, of West Rainton, County Durham, who is married to David, 45, a joiner, welcomes the research into the condition. She said: "I found out at my 20 week pregnancy scan that Emily had a cleft lip and palate. I was very upset as I didn't know anything about the condition. "Speech is a huge problem for Emily and she is shy around other children. She never used to look in the mirror and it has taken time for her to be able to do this. "It's so important that research is carried out as the condition is a lifelong problem for sufferers. "This research is a significant step forward in understanding the condition. It would be phenomenal if, in the future, the chance of a cleft lip and palate occurring could be reduced." Explore further Scientists identify mutation associated with cleft palate in humans and dogs More information: Kerstin U. Ludwig et al. Meta-analysis Reveals Genome-Wide Significance at 15q13 for Nonsyndromic Clefting of Both the Lip and the Palate, and Functional Analyses Implicate GREM1 As a Plausible Causative Gene, PLOS Genetics (2016). Journal information: PLoS Genetics Kerstin U. Ludwig et al. Meta-analysis Reveals Genome-Wide Significance at 15q13 for Nonsyndromic Clefting of Both the Lip and the Palate, and Functional Analyses Implicate GREM1 As a Plausible Causative Gene,(2016). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005914 Michael Houghton was waging war against hepatitis C even before he discovered the virus in 1989. Soon, he will begin testing a vaccine designed to protect the world from all strains of the disease. (Photo: Richard Siemens) Arthur Conan Doyle's famous literary detective Sherlock Holmes once noted that "the little things are infinitely the most important." It's a belief that investigators at the University of Alberta obviously share. Whether they're seeking to understand the tiniest forms of life, taking small steps toward major breakthroughs or influencing students in subtle but profound ways, U of A researchers and educators are proving that little things can make a big impact. In mass media and popular culture, medical research is often framed as a race to overcome a complex, seemingly insurmountable challenge, with lives hanging in the balance. Enter the team of scientists in white lab coats, working around the clock to cure HIV, eradicate cancers or make Alzheimer's a thing of the past. This sort of narrative is dramatic, hopeful and in line with what some expect of science, but the reality is that progress is far more incremental. Michael Houghton's "race" started 35 years ago in a San Francisco-area lab where he was part of the team that first identified hepatitis C. In those days, the early 1980s, scientists knew the virus existedpatients were getting sick because of blood transfusionsbut it was labelled for what it wasn't: "non-A" or "non-B" hepatitis. "It ended up taking seven yearsa lot of false leads, a lot of frustration," remembers Houghton, now Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology at the University of Alberta. When Houghton's team did manage to discover the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989, it was a watershed moment among virologists and immunologiststhe first step toward eradicating an infectious disease that affects 170 million people worldwide. Spread largely through unsafe handling of blood and dirty needles, hep C in its chronic form can result in serious damage to the liver, including organ failure. In the years since discovering the virus, the U.K.-born Houghton has led efforts at the U of A's Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology to create the world's first vaccine capable of protecting the body from all strains of HCV. There are seven major genotypes of the virus, each with hundreds of different subtypes, making it genetically more variable than HIV and thus that much harder to treat. If their phase 1 clinical trial succeeds, the vaccine will prevent 500,000 new infections estimated to happen every year. This race should be over, but it isn't And while his U of A team focuses on the long game of vaccination, several pharmaceutical companies have developed new antiviral drugs that effectively cure hep C. This race is all but over. At least it would be, if the new antivirals did not cost upward of $1,000 per pill, putting a cure out of reach of thousands of infected Canadians. At the same time, Canada lacks a concrete national strategy for hepatitis C that focuses on eliminating the disease through improved co-ordination, prevention and management of the disease, particularly among those at higher risk of infection, such as intravenous drug users. Earlier this month, Action Hepatitis Canadaa group representing 35 member organizations that include the Canadian Liver Foundation, Canadian Treatment Action Council and Canadian AIDS Societycalled on Ottawa to develop such a strategy. "It's very frustrating, for me and the whole field, when we can cure hepatitis C but what's restricting us in the U.S. and in Canada is just the price of the drug," says Houghton, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Houghton isn't out to blame Big Pharma. He did, after all, spend a considerable portion of his career in the private sector and understands the cost realities associated with the research and development of drug therapies. But there are also hard realities for Canadians and our provincially run health-care systems. With drugs that cost on the order of $60,000 to $150,000 per patient for a 12-week treatment, curing every Canadian infected with HCV would cost on the order of tens of billions of dollars, Houghton estimates. But failing to act, he adds, would be even more costly given the potential risks associated with hep C. Three-quarters of people infected with the virus develop chronic hepatitis, and a quarter of those develop problems such as cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. One of the major challenges with hepatitis C is many people don't know they are carriers for yearssometimes decadesafter becoming infected, often learning of their diagnosis after showing symptoms of liver damage. The new antivirals are so expensive that in many cases provincial pharmacare programs only cover patients with more pronounced symptoms. "It's almost like we're going to wait until you get very sick before we treat you. That's never ideal," says Houghton. "The treatment cures hep C, not liver cancer, and that's a very real risk when you delay treatment." Hepatitis C survivor "one of the lucky ones" Edmontonian Jack McClure knows he's one of the lucky onesand this coming from a guy who fought through liver cancer and underwent a transplant with complications so severe his second liver nearly failed. "I was real sick," he remembers. "I struggledone foot on a banana peel and the other on a grave for one year, but I pulled through on that one." McClure, 64, isn't sure when he was infected with HCV, but suspects it happened in the 1980s when he experimented with cocaine, a less common but possible method of transmission. He was diagnosed roughly 15 years ago when he applied for work as a garbageman and underwent a physical. He didn't take the job, but the blood test he was given confirmed his infection. "I didn't know anything about hepatitis," he says, something he would soon learn mirrored much of society at the timeeven some physicians. "The first doctor I went to, at a medical centre, told me it was caused by sex. So I looked it up and thought, 'You're an idiot, that's hep B.' Generally, hep C isn't passed along through sex. Eventually society learned more about hepatitis, that you can get it in various ways, but at first you're kind of ostracized." A year ago, McClure qualified for a clinical trial for hep C patients who have received liver transplants. He was treated with Sovaldi in combination with another drug. Unlike older-generation drugs like interferon, which is also used in chemotherapy, there were no side-effects. Through the course of the six-month trial, his blood gradually showed smaller and smaller concentrations of the virus until it was gone. McClure, now retired from hauling roof trusses and jobs like door-to-door milk delivery, only wishes every patient with hep C could have free and timely access to the same medicines, including friends and family who have been "pulled down" from delayed treatment. Canada's uneven response to hep C Taking new medicines such as the hepatitis C antivirals Solvadi or Harvoni from the lab to a patient's bedside is a complicated process in Canada. Pharmaceutical companies must first prove a new drug is safe and effective for a specific treatment purpose through lengthy and expensive clinical trials before Health Canada decides whether the product can be sold, though it makes no determination on the actual cost. Once a drug is approved by Health Canada, another federal agency examines the evidence on the drug and what a manufacturer wants to charge before determining whether the medicine should be listed by provincial, territorial and federal formularies. It's then up to those jurisdictions to determine whether a drug will be covered by their respective pharmacare programs. This can lead to an uneven response between provinces, with some, such as Quebec, typically quicker to cover new drug costs. "It's expensive to respond, to put these drugs on the formulas. However, treatment might be expensive but disease might be more expensive," explains Lorne Tyrrell, a close colleague of Houghton's and director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology. Tyrrell, too, is one of the world's leading authorities on viral hepatitis. He co-developed the first oral antiviral treatment for hepatitis B, lamivudine, now used in more than 200 countries around the world. His accomplishments in the field have landed the former dean of medicine in the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and last year saw him honoured with a Killam Prize. Tyrrell says Alberta is generally in the middle of the pack in Canada in terms of its response to hep C, though when the first protease inhibitors were licensed in November 2011, it took a full year before they were covered in this province. Part of the problem, he says, is the people making the recommendations for Alberta's drug benefit formulas are not experts in the field, which can delay decisions. Any delay can have long-term health implications for those infected with HCV. There are four stages of infection, from stage 0 where there is no evidence of inflammation or fibrosis in the liver to stage 4, which is full-blown cirrhosis. Across Canada, patients must show signs of stage 2 before their medication is covered by provincial pharmacare. That's also the standard for Blue Cross, though some private insurers do cover earlier stages, Tyrrell explains. "We do scans on our patients, and if they don't meet the criteria, they don't get the treatment. We have patients that have earlier hepatitis Cstage 1 fibrosisand they know it will progress but can't get access to therapy." Living in fear of hepatitis C Cynthia Robson did not quality for the antiviral Harvoni until her fibrosis advanced to stage 2. The Sherwood Park resident was infected in 1985 when she received a transfusion after giving birth to her son. She's among the estimated 60,000 Canadians infected with HCV between 1960 and 1992 from tainted blood transfusions and blood products, a public health scandal that gave rise to the Krever Inquiry into the country's blood system. Robson says she's lived in fear of hepatitis C since being diagnosed in 2001fear that she would accidentally spread the disease, fear that it would ultimately take her life before her time. After twice undergoing exhausting and unsuccessful 48- and 30-week treatments with interferon and ribavirin, she resigned herself to a bleak fate. "I figured I would just end up getting liver cancer, that's all there was to it," she says. The first time Robson heard of a curative drug for HCV, Harvoni, was when celebrity Pamela Anderson posted an Instagram photo announcing to the world she was free of the disease after nearly 15 years. Robson, who also suffers from osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia and receives AISH because she can't work, says at one point she contemplated approaching Harvoni's maker, Gilead Sciences, to see whether she would qualify to receive the drug as a research patient because she had no way of paying $150,000 for the 12-week treatment. It was around the same time she learned that her specialist, Tyrrell, had already applied for her to receive the drug, and was fully covered by AISH. When she sat down in Tyrrell's office this past January to go over her latest blood work results, the virus was gone. "I started crying, I just couldn't believe it. I kept saying, 'I never cry like this,'" she remembers. And though she's relieved and happy for herself, Robson recognizes her story could have been drastically different if AISH hadn't fully covered her treatment. A friend of the family recently lost his father due to hep C complications, and she fears working Canadians without employer-provided or private health insurance will fall through the cracks. "There are people who were in worse shape than I was and they could be cured. But they're not, and that's very unfortunate," she says. McClure's assessment is far less forgiving. To him, there is no difference between the high cost of hepatitis C drugs and "that bastard in the States," Martin Shkreli, the former Turing Pharmaceuticals executive who became an international pariah after raising the price of the HIV drug Daraprim by 5,000 per cent. "It's a crime, you knowyou come up with a cure and then you make the cure and it's too expensive," McClure says. "They've got to get it together and let society get together and get their hands on [the medicines] without liquidating their assets." Rising drug costs are a major concern for governments and health-care systems across Canada. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, prescription drug spending reached an estimated $28.8 billion in 2014representing 13.4 per cent of all health-care spending. The public sector paid 42 per cent of that total, or $12.1 billion, with another $16.7 billion covered by private insurers ($10.3 billion) and Canadian households ($6.4 billion). Drug prices in Canada are determined by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, which generally sets prices at the median of seven other countriesthe United States, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. A major factor in the cost of hepatitis C antivirals is that they are so new to the market, they are still covered by patents. In Canada, drug patents extend 20 years from the date of filing, but the actual time a medicine is protected is typically less than half that, because of the years it takes for regulatory approvals. "There's no such thing as cheap medications for hepatitis C. They're all quite expensive," says Tyrrell. He notes that pharmaceutical companies invest significant dollars developing new drug therapies, often with a limited window to recapture their investment. In many cases, drugs are on the market for a short time because they didn't sell, had side-effects or were replaced by newer and better therapies, he says. In the case of hepatitis C drugs, this advance in therapies happened in a short window of just a few years. Costs only come down when there are competitive alternatives or when a patent expires, giving rise to generic versions of a drug. Another way to bring down costs is through bulk buyingprovinces and territories joining forces to negotiate cheaper prices from pharmaceutical companies. The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance was created in 2010 with just that in mind, though its impact in Alberta has so far been limited, says Dean Eurich, a clinical epidemiologist in the School of Public Health with a background in the pharmaceutical sciences. Eurich was part of a team of scientists who studied the alliance's impact on drug access in Canada, looking at approvals three years before it was created and the following three years. For some provinces, the alliance seems to be working and increasing access, though in Alberta it hasn't had a huge impact on drug listing decisions, explains Eurich. As of March 2015, the alliance reports it has completed joint negotiations resulting in price reductions on 63 brand-name and 14 generic drugssaving Canadians an estimated $490 million annually. Eurich says one of the issues for researchers, clinicians and, ultimately, patients, is the lack of transparency in those negotiationsprivate contracts between government and pharmaceutical companies. When the alliance says it's saving money, the public has to take its word for it, without a true understanding of a drug's costsomething he thinks should change. "If you're looking at a publicly funded formulary, then, yes, there should be disclosure," Eurich says, though he recognizes that clearly wouldn't sit well with private companies that wouldn't want to divulge that information. Governments should invest in their own medicines, recommend screening In addition to bulk buying, Houghton suggests there's an opportunity for international collaboration between governments and research universities to develop their own drugs and vaccines. The Helmholtz-Alberta Initiative between the U of A and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres is an example of a viable partnership with the expertise in research and development capable of taking a discovery from bench to bedside, he says. The investment cost would be high initially, but health-care savings would be in the billions, not just for hepatitis C drugs but also for medicines for cancer therapies, which can be even more expensive. "The counter-argument is pharma know better how to do this than government, but many people now have that expertise. I came from the biotech sector to do this and we at the U of A are starting that discussion. We are at the start of a new era," Houghton says. "The cost is high initially, but in the long run, the country is going to save billions and billions." The cost of the new hepatitis C antivirals is just one area of disappointment for researchers in the field. Three years ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control adopted guidelines recommending blood screening for HCV among all baby boomersa demographic at higher risk of infection as a result of casual drug use in the 1970s. The Public Health Agency of Canada has failed to act, which has been a "huge disappointment," says Houghton. Tyrrell says Canada could learn from countries such as Australia and Scotland, which have excellent hepatitis C strategies with guidelines covering screening, prevention, treatment and monitoring. Provincially, Alberta finds itself "in the middle of the pack," Tyrrell adds, with British Columbia leading the way in documenting and identifying HCV carriers and co-ordinating a response. "Screening becomes more important when you have good therapy. Then you can offer patients a real alternative to get rid of it and clear the virus," he says. Supervised injection facilities key to reducing infection rates Beyond screening, governments at every level have an opportunity to reduce the spread of infection among the most vulnerable and at-risk populations. That is precisely the goal of Access to Medically Supervised Injection Services Edmonton, a group representing 25 organizations interested in creating a supervised injection service in the city. Elaine Hyshka, an incoming assistant professor in the School of Public Health who has studied inner-city drug use and health needs in Edmonton, says intravenous drug use appears to be on the rise in the city and the vast majority of the people she has studied say they have contracted hepatitis C. Hyshka and a research assistant spent five months conducted 320 hour-long interviews with inner-city Edmontonians to learn more about their health and factors negatively influencing their health such as drug abuse. Some 91 per cent reported injecting drugs intravenously, with 80 per cent saying they'd used in public and 26 per cent confirming they'd borrowed or shared needles. The researchers were not equipped to test participants' blood, but through self-reporting found that about 70 per cent of men and women had previously tested positive for HCV. One of the problems with existing needle exchange programs, Hyshka says, is they aren't open 24 hours a day. Her group would like to see a 24/7 supervised injection service added to an existing Edmonton facility, one stocked with clean needles and supervised by nurses. "It is fundamental," she says of such a facility's role in harm reduction and curbing the spread of diseases like hep C. "It provides a safe, sterile environment to inject drugs and access to other health services." Access to Medically Supervised Injection Services Edmonton is finalizing its proposed service model, which it plans to take to stakeholders for consultation in addition to seeking the federal exemption needed to operate. Though supervised injection sites such as Insite in Vancouver have been politically nebulous in the past, Hyshka and her peers are buoyed by leaders at all three levels of government who have shown signs of support for harm reduction and protecting society's most vulnerable citizens. "It's important to know that these services have been implemented in almost 60 cities worldwide and there's no evidence to support that they increase crime or substance abuse," Hyshka says. Designing the "ultimate" hep C vaccine Just as he's done for 35 years, Houghton continues his research into manufacturing what he calls "the ultimate vaccine" for HCV. Unlike another HCV vaccine in development, his lab is developing one that uses the body's immune response to produce antibodies that neutralize the virus. Initial testing has shown the vaccine effective against all seven genotypes of HCV. It will be tested in healthy, uninfected people by the end of 2017, part of a phase 1 clinical trial. If the trial is a success and the vaccine is approved, potentially toward the end of 2018, it will be given to Canadian patients considered at high risk such as intravenous drug users, paramedics, police officers and health professionals exposed to blood. The vaccine would be administered more broadly in developing countries where disposable needles are not used in medical practice. The ultimate goal is to perfect the dosage and land on a vaccine that is affordable, at a cost of about $50, that can be used anywhere in the world. "Getting a vaccine out there that's affordable to Canada and to the United States and developing countries is an important goal for all of us," Houghton says. "And in terms of a national plan for Canada for protecting the community from hep C, this is a major plank in the plan." For survivors like Robson, life after hep C is transformative. She will be around to see her grandchildren grow upgranddaughter Eva was born last April and she's crossing her fingers for a few more additions to the family. Suddenly, her 65th birthday this August is no longer a gloomy prospect. "I'll be having a big party this year. Instead of a fateful party, I'll be having a real celebration." Explore further Expensive drugs that cure hepatitis C are worth the cost, even at early stages of liver fibrosis Tuberculosis: Many Australians believe it was eradicated years ago but the grim reality is that TB is still a major world-wide killer, responsible for 1.5 million deaths a year. Today is World Tuberculosis Day, but every day is TB day for University of Queensland researcher Dr Nick West, as he battles to combat a disease that kills someone every 21 seconds. "A lot of people think TB was only a problem when their grandparents were young but, sadly, that couldn't be further from the truth," Dr West said. "Despite a concerted international effort, there were 9.6 million new cases of TB in 2014, resulting in 1.5 million deaths. And one in three people globally is infected with TB. Dr West, the founder and Laboratory Head of the Tuberculosis Research Laboratory in UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, said TB, caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was highly contagious and could be spread from person to person simply by breathing. "When a person sick with TB coughs or sneezes, little droplets containing the bacteria can float through the air, allowing them to be easily inhaled by others," Dr West said. He said intensified research efforts have resulted in new vaccine strategies, new candidate antibiotics and rapid diagnostics that suggest that one of the oldest human infections could be beaten. "Any successful anti-TB strategy has three pillars prevention, diagnosis and treatment," Dr West said. "My team and I are contributing to all three areas, using modern genomic technologies to gain a better understanding of how bacteria actually cause TB. "In the past few years we've made huge progress in this area. "We're now in the process of translating our discoveries into practical solutions such as new therapies and control measures." The Tuberculosis Research Laboratory at UQ, established in 2012, is the only facility in the country dedicated solely to the microbiology of TB. World Tuberculosis Day marks the 1882 announcement of Dr Robert Koch's discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TSU Students end protest By Messenger Staff More than a week of protests and conflict at Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University (TSU) - wherein two groups of students were opposing each other - finished late on March 16 with a special deal and a precondition to Government.The rival groups of students managed to reach a consensus over the urgent need of reform in TSU after they appealed to the Government to carry out systemic reform in the University and remove the Interior Ministry spies from the education institution.To reach their goal, the students demanded the signing of a special agreement in the coming days between the students, the university leadership and the Ministry of Education about long-lasting cooperation in the reform process.If the Government fails to start genuine work on the problematic issues before April 16 this year, the students threatened they would launch further large-scaled demonstrations.Georgias Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili welcomed the students' solution and promised students a crucial role and participation in the higher education reform process.I am very glad the students chose a peaceful form of negotiations. The view of each student is of the utmost importance for the Government, the PM said.Reforming the higher education system is one of our top priorities, and we are eager to carry out systemic reform in this direction. We will maximally involve students in the reform process, Kvirikashvili added.The PM admitted the higher education in Georgia required fundamental reform.The conflict started about a week ago when one group of students, calling itself Auditorium 115, protested against the candidate for the post of the University Chancellor (head of administration), who according to them was unsuitable for the seat due to his past activities and his cooperation with Interior Ministry spies at TSU.Chancellor candidate Giorgi Gaprindashvili, who previously served in TSU Students Government (Tvitmmartveloba), dismissed Auditorium 115s accusations over misspending Tvitmmartveloba funds and the abuse of other students and cooperating with embedded Interior Ministry operatives.To restore peace at TSU ,the PM appealed to Gaprindashvili to remove his nomination from the outset of the conflict. Initially Gaprindashvili resisted, but on March 14 he said he had left the race that triggered protests amongst another group of students, who mainly supported Tvitmmartveloba.The Tvitmmartveloba demanded the resignation of the University Rector Vladimer Papava, as they accused him of opposing Gaprindashvilis candidacy.Meanwhile, Auditorium 115 and a the majority of lecturers were against Papava leaving the post.Papava himself said he would not resign.It is obvious that Georgias higher education (and all levels of education) require fundamental reform.It should also be stated that Tbilisi State University - Georgias premiere higher education institution - has always been the initiator of moves leading to progress and renovation.It is also welcome that students can use a civilized form of communication to advance their views.Their demand is fair - TSU and other education institutions need urgent reform, and such institutions must be free of Interior Ministry spies.The presence of Ministry spies at various civil institutions has been criticized many times by civil sector representatives and it is time for the Government to settle the issue. Billionaire Donald Trump won an easy victory in Floridas 2016 Republican presidential primary so easy, he said, that he garned an unparalleled amount of support in the process. "Out of 67 counties (in Florida), I won 66, which is unprecedented. It's never happened before," Trump said during an MSNBC interview March 21. It is true that he won 66 counties (Sen. Marco Rubio won his birthplace of Miami-Dade before dropping out of the race), but Trumps nearly unanimous win is hardly unprecedented. We looked at county-by-county election results from the states Division of Elections website. Big wins arent altogether unusual in Florida, if you go back just a few years. Keep reading Joshua Gillin's fact-check here. It's looking more and more like Florida's next insurance commissioner will be Pinellas County resident Jeffrey Bragg. That became clearer on Thursday afternoon when Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater recommended only two of the 55 candidates who applied for the post get a follow-up, and likely final, interview before Gov. Rick Scott and the full Florida Cabinet on Tuesday. Atwater recommended just Bragg and State Rep. Bill Hager, R-Delray Beach, get the final interview with a vote expected that same day. But for Hager, Iowa's former insurance commissioner, to win the appointment, he has to win the support of both Atwater and Scott. But on Wednesday, Scott's office recommended only Bragg be brought back for a final interview. The full cabinet appoints the next insurance commissioner, but Scott and Atwater must be in agreement and on the prevailing side of the vote. Earlier this week, Hager and Bragg had private telephone interviews with Scott, yet Scott's only advanced Bragg's name. Attorney General Pam Bondi's office on Tuesday recommended Hager be added to the public interview list after Scott's office recommended Bragg. Officials for Florida Agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam did not recommend any additional names beyond Bragg and Hager. Bragg, a 67-year-old Republican, ran the nation's terrorism risk insurance program from 2003 until his retirement in 2014. In the early 1980s, he worked under the Reagan Administration, serving in the Federal Emergency Management Agency where he was the administrator for the national flood insurance program. @ByKristenMClark A dispute over access to voter data in a South Florida congressional race is highlighting a divide between the Florida Democratic Party and its progressive caucus. For the second time this month, leaders of the progressive caucus are openly criticizing their party leaders, this time on behalf of Debbie Wasserman Schultz's primary opponent. But the caucus' complaints were immediately rendered moot, though, because -- unbeknownst to them and independent of their grievances -- Florida Democratic Party leaders already agreed to make a special exception that addresses critics' concerns. The controversy stems from a decision by party leaders earlier this month to deny Wasserman Schultz's challenger, Democrat Tim Canova, access to its voter database. In an "open letter" sent Wednesday and provided to the Herald/Times, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida asked Wasserman Schultz -- a Weston congresswoman and chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee -- to intervene to ensure her challenger has a fair shot in the primary race. Party voter files are a treasure trove of data and information that campaigns collect, curate and share between their state and national political parties, and they're especially valuable to political newcomers -- if they can get access to them. It's been the policy of the Florida Democratic Party for the past six years to withhold access to candidates challenging incumbent Democratic members of Congress. But the party has changed its mind this week -- in this single instance -- and will now give Canova access to the voter file "to avoid any appearance of favoritism," Scott Arceneaux, the state party's executive director, told the Herald/Times on Thursday. "This is a truly unique set of circumstances where we have an incumbent member of our delegation who's also our DNC chair," Arceneaux said. @MichaelAuslen Gov. Rick Scott is joining a rising chorus of conservative voices criticizing President Barack Obama for continuing a Latin American tour, despite Tuesday's bombings in Brussels. Following the gruesome terrorist attacks in Brussels earlier this week, President Obama chose to continue gallivanting across the communist country of Cuba with the Castros," Scott said in an official statement from his office. "Now, he is dancing the tango in Argentina." (A note: Obama only met with one Castro in Cuba -- the country's president, Raul.) Obama had been in Cuba for a historic visit to open up relations with the country. Now, he's in Buenos Aires meeting with Argentine leaders. Other critics have suggested Obama should go to Brussels or return to the U.S. But Scott took it a step further, requesting that the president come to Florida to assuage tourists' fears about traveling to Europe. "As the tourism capital of America, in Florida, we understand how important it is to communicate effectively about any safety concerns to tourists," he said. "It is time for him to return home and lay out for the American people how he will combat terrorism in a way that will not only keep Americans safe at home, but also as they travel abroad. Florida is the perfect place for this address." Photo credit: Associated Press As the story goes, the first recorded Christmas celebration in Montana was at the confluence of the Flathead River and the Clark Fork River near Paradise. The valley itself was used by Native Americans to winter their horses in a mild climate, ultimately leading to Wild Horse Plains. Years later, the town of Paradise grew into an important rail center, with the only roundhouse between Chicago and Seattle. Rail passengers and workers often stayed at the Paradise Hotel. Since 1910, the Paradise Elementary School has sat quietly on a hill, overlooking the valley below. No longer is Paradise a bustling rail center and, as a result, the towns population has dwindled to 163 people. The Paradise School closed its doors in 2013, with the Paradise School District retaining ownership until July 1. If nothing is done, it will be turned over to the Plains School District, which will likely sell it to the highest bidder. Two years ago, the Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, was formed to ensure that this historic building is saved, preserved and repurposed for long-term public use. Specific uses include a community, arts and visitors center (The Paradise Center) for area residents and tourists who drive Highway 200 on their way to Glacier National Park and points beyond. Also planned are an outdoor amphitheater and veterans memorial. So far, a three-part feasibility study has been completed: a Missoula team of historic preservation experts; a student-faculty team from Montana State Universitys School of Architecture; and a student-faculty team from the University of Montanas School of Business Administration. One expert wrote that the school is stoic, sound and solid (and) can be easily adapted to use as a small arts facility and a visitors center. A budget of $50,000-$60,000 was set for the first year of operation, starting July 1. If the money is not raised by then, the property may be privatized or, possibly even worse, allowed to decay and crumble. This proud building, which is eligible for the National Historic Register, deserves to be protected and cared for, sharing the history of Paradise and the surrounding area. With your help, it will continue to educate and inspire people for another 105 years. Donations are welcome and may be sent to Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee, P.O. Box 162 Paradise, MT 59856. For more information, please visit our website at paradiseschoolproject.org, which includes a YouTube video. While small businesses represent the majority of American exporters, their export sales represent less than a third of the overall value of American exports. Ninety-five percent of the worlds consumers live outside of our countrys borders, but only 1 percent of American small businesses are selling to them. Small businesses make up nearly 98 percent of exporters in the six states I represent Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Exporting can be profitable for businesses of all sizes. On average, sales grow faster, more jobs are created, and employees earn more than in non-exporting firms. The recent Commerce International Trade Administration state report shows how critical exporting is in each state across the nation. For more information on this report, go to www.trade.gov/mas/ian/statereports. The power of exporting will only be increased with the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. TPP would unlock additional opportunities for U.S. small businesses, which are the backbone of the U.S. economy. By addressing trade barriers that are particularly challenging for small businesses to navigate, TPP allows our small businesses to reach new markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, TPP will help more small businesses navigate the barriers by eliminating 18,000 taxes and tariffs that deter many from considering foreign markets. U.S. agriculture is likely to be a primary beneficiary of the agreement, as 85 percent of U.S. agricultural exports are currently sold to TPP nations. The deal would boost agricultural trade even further by significantly lowering tariffs and opening up nations like Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia to competition in agricultural trade. For example, taxes would be immediately removed on more than half of our agricultural exports to Japan and on over 90 percent of exports to Malaysia and New Zealand. In other words, if ratified by Congress, TPP would help open doors for small businesses that would otherwise remain closed. It would be the first trade agreement that incorporates a chapter regarding American small and medium-sized enterprises. The chapter bolsters substantive commitments on these issues in chapters like those on Customs and Trade Facilitation, E-Commerce and others by providing readily accessible information to small and medium-sized enterprises on the opportunities TPP will offer, and giving them an ongoing means to engage with TPP governments on ways to enhance the functioning of the agreement so as to benefit small- and medium-sized enterprises. By 2030, two thirds off the worlds middle class consumers are projected to live in the Asia Pacific region. The Internet and e-commerce has opened up a new world of opportunity for small businesses to sell to them with the click of a mouse. TPP would help them realize that promise. Opponents of the deal contend that increased global trade moves jobs overseas. But for our small business sector which creates two out of three new jobs in our country the opposite is actually true. According to a study published by the Institute for International Economics, exporting firms not only grow faster, they are less likely to go out of business than non-exporting companies. Also, firms that export pay up to 18 percent more than companies that dont. Overall, TPP levels the playing field for American workers and American businesses, leading to more Made-in-America exports and more higher-paying American jobs here at home. Passing TPP would help small businesses share their ingenuity with vast new pools of waiting consumers who believe in the American brand, keeping alive that intrepid entrepreneurial spirit that makes this nation so great. I do not have negative feelings for my Muslim neighbors (as Pastor John Lund suggests in his guest column in the Missoulian on March 22 ). I have negative feelings for radical groups with the political ideology of Islamism. Islam is not a race or a skin color. It is an ideology. This ideology supports the destruction of the West and all of the freedom and liberty we have gained. It is an ideology that supports the destruction of women's rights and gay rights as fought for and won in the United States of America. David Montague (letter, March 22) suggests we who are not members of the "bring the Syrian refugees to Missoula group" are extinguishing Liberty's lamp. I have seen huge gains for the liberty and rights of women. I grew up in a time when women did not have the same rights as men. And gays - there was no chance of any type of rights for gay people. The definition of Liberty's lamp includes the huge responsibility the United States has to keep the lamp of liberty burning. The flame must be protected from radical winds that could extinguish it. We must protect the weaker (some women, some people of color and some in the LGBT community). A big part of this protection includes intense vetting of any refugee entering our beloved country. Dear Missoula Mayor John Engen: Regarding your March 14 guest column concerning Gov. Steve Bullock, you continually described the governor as a "public servant who has made a career of putting others' interests ahead of his own." There is no question he has done a lot of good things for the people of Montana. Unfortunately, he will only be remembered for planting the seeds for Islamic jihad in Montana. You, the city council members and the county commissioners will also be remembered for that very thing. While the governor attends the funerals of our warriors who fell on the Islamic battle field, he is welcoming non-vetted Muslim refugees to Montana. This is the ultimate slap in the face to the widows and orphans of these brave soldiers. You, the governor, the city council and the county commissioners are not only betraying the families of our fallen warriors, you and your political pals are betraying every veteran, dead or alive, by helping Islam gain a foothold on American soil. Like it or not, Steve Bullock has become an enabler for President Barack Hussein Obama. If the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, CIA, U.S. Department of State and every European governmental agency cannot vet these "peaceful" refugees, what makes you think Steve Bullock can? When you look at the pictures of poor Middle Eastern women holding babies, remember most Islamic terror groups have used women and children on the battlefield to die in the name of Allah. They can do it here. Accepting non-vetted Muslim refugees is nothing less than surrendering to the people that brought us 9/11. Rick Ferguson, Condon As Arbab Razvi watched her 4-year-old students play with blocks and beads in her prekindergarten classroom on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, she had to raise her voice to scold Senator Ted Cruz. The day before, in response to the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Mr. Cruz, a Texas Republican running for president, declared that he wanted the police to patrol and secure Muslim communities in the United States because they might harbor terrorists. When I have these little children, what am I going to tell them? Ms. Razvi, 23, said. Am I going to tell them when theyre above a certain age that somebody is going to monitor them just because they are Muslim? Is that something I have to teach them now? Most of the 18 children in the classroom were new immigrants girls and boys from Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Africa. I have different skin colors here and all of these students are Muslim, Ms. Razvi said. How can you label these different faces? While some artists, like Mr. Abebe, have been lucky enough to be contacted by a gallery owner, other artists have been the ones reaching out. After uploading their works on Instagram and Twitter, they tag curators and art dealers whom they want to have a look at their work, hoping to make a connection. Nkechi Bakare, who runs her Instagram account Art News Africa out of Lagos and has accumulated more than 86,000 followers since she started in 2014, said that every day she gets at least one message from artists asking her to review and post their work on her account. Others get in contact over social media directly with art collectors and gallerists. We are seeing a lot of the Internet democratizing artistic conversations, said Ayo Adeyinka, an art dealer and owner of the Tafeta Gallery near Oxford Circus in central London. One artist, Babajide Olatunji, sent me a friend request on Facebook. If you send a request, I make a polite effort to check out your page, and I saw how talented he was. They exchanged messages and spoke about where Mr. Olatunji, a young Nigerian artist, wanted to go with his career. Impressed, Mr. Adeyinka took him on as an artist brokering sales, introducing him to institutions, and managing press and public relations. The Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey said that thanks to the Internet, where he posts his artistic productions on his Instagram account, he not only was offered and took the chance to study in Brazil but he also was contacted by one of his future collectors, who is based in California. I think technology helps African artists to reach many people in the global art space, he said by email. For example, Ive been getting many residency opportunities from all over the world because people always see my work online. Bosch declined to comment on the lawsuits or provide details about the way the engine software works, citing investigations by the authorities. The Bosch software, also used by other carmakers, can be customized for different vehicles and motors. One question for the courts will be whether Bosch shares any blame because of the relative ease with which the software could be used as a defeat device to evade emissions tests. Another question is why Volkswagens top managers never asked themselves why their engineers succeeded where others had failed in producing relatively inexpensive diesel cars that met American standards on nitrogen oxides, which are stricter than those in Europe. I was beating up on em pretty hard, Mr. Lutz said. Theyre doing it and we cant? Nobody could figure out how they were complying and their engine technology is very similar to everybody elses. If Volkswagen is not able to fix the cars, there might be no alternative but to buy them back, a solution mentioned by the judge on Thursday. To get owners to surrender the cars, Volkswagen would probably have to pay more than the market value, adding to the already enormous financial burden from the scandal. Mr. German, the owner of the 2010 Audi, who recently moved to Ithaca from Austin, Tex., said by phone that he would gladly accept the car at its prescandal book value, with perhaps a little extra to cover the hassle factor. According to Kelley Blue Book, an Audi A3 like Mr. Germans was worth about $16,300 before the emissions cheating became known and about $14,370 now. I dont want my car anymore, he said. AN interesting obituary appeared in The New York Times recently, though the death of its subject last month was largely unnoticed beyond his family and friends. Thats not surprising. Delmer Berg wasnt a celebrity. He wasnt someone with great wealth or influence. He had never held public office. He was a Californian. He worked as a farmhand and stonemason. He did some union organizing. He was vice president of his local N.A.A.C.P. chapter. He protested against the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. He joined the United States Communist Party in 1943, and, according to The Times, he remained an unreconstructed Communist for the rest of his life. He was 100. He was also the last known living veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Not many Americans younger than 70 know much about the Lincoln Brigade. It became the designation given to the nearly 3,000 mostly American volunteers who fought in the Spanish Civil War in 1937 and 1938. They fought on the Republican side, in defense of the democratically elected leftist government of Spain, and against the Nationalists, the military rebels led by Gen. Francisco Franco. The Nationalists claimed their cause was anti-Communism and the restoration of the monarchy, and the Republicans professed to fight for the preservation of democracy. Fascists led the former, while Communists, both the cynical and naive varieties, sought control of the latter. And into the Republican camp came idealistic freedom fighters from abroad. WASHINGTON A special House committee empaneled to investigate fetal tissue research is preparing to issue 17 subpoenas to medical supply companies and laboratories, seeking the names of researchers, graduate students, laboratory technicians and administrative personnel and prompting charges of intimidation. Abortion rights advocates and some university officials say the House investigation into how some of the nations most prestigious universities acquire fetal tissue threatens to endanger the lives of scientists, doctors and their staff members. The new subpoenas will only escalate a battle that some researchers fear could shut down studies seeking cures for Parkinsons disease, the Zika virus and other illnesses. Representative Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, who opposes most fetal tissue research because of its association with abortion, intends to issue the subpoenas on behalf of the Republicans on the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives. The panel was created to investigate fetal tissue research after the release of surreptitiously recorded videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials trying to profit illegally from the sale of such tissue. Twenty states have cleared Planned Parenthood or decided not to investigate; few affiliates nationwide were engaged in fetal tissue transfers. The videographers were indicted in Texas. On Thursday, a federal suit by Planned Parenthood and its California affiliates alleging fraud, illegal recording, trespassing and invasion of privacy was broadened, joined by affiliates in Colorado, Texas and Louisiana that were implicated in the videos. HONG KONG A Hong Kong bookseller whose disappearance in December provoked protests and concern over the state of media freedom here returned to this semiautonomous city from the Chinese mainland on Thursday, the Hong Kong police said. The bookseller, Lee Bo, was one of five people associated with the company Mighty Current Media to have disappeared, only to emerge in mainland China, apparently in detention. The company published gossipy books on elite politics in China, and the detentions were seen by many in Hong Kong as an effort to clamp down on media voices critical of the Chinese Communist Party. The case of Mr. Lee, also known as Lee Po, was particularly troubling to civil society advocates because he disappeared from the streets of Hong Kong, and it is still unclear how he crossed a border with Guangdong Province on the mainland. He is widely suspected of having been taken by mainland security officers, although he told the Hong Kong authorities that he had returned to the mainland by his own means voluntarily and it was not an abduction, the police said in a statement. Michael Petre: Weve heard a big boom Paul Brasseur: Weve noticed a smell of burning which resembled a blast Paul Brasseur: Here are the images weve lived. TITLE: INSIDE THE BRUSSELS METRO Two shot of the men TEXT CARD Michael Petre and Paul Brasseur commute together everyday. || SECOND CARD On Tuesday, before entering the subway, they heard about a bomb at the airport. Michael I think the metro was easy prey that day. [cuz there was no police or army presence cuz they went to the airport] OR I think the metro was easy prey that day. I suspected the police and the army would have gone to the airport. I was somewhat afraid to take the metro that day. Paul Brasseur: just like in a nightmare. We were worried that the event would happen and it did. window Paul Brasseur: Our car was just next to the one where explosion happened, Paul Brasseur: We were paralyzed by the strength of shock, by the heat. We saw objects flying around, debris burning around us. - Michael Petre: Our situation was more chaotic (than in this footage). we couldnt escape through the doors because we couldnt open them, Paul: My first reflex was to escape this hell at all costs. At the same time, I was really scared. I thought I was dead. Michael: so we had to escape through the window. [has to end here] MICHAEL [IN 18:30] When I got home, we went to the hospital to get psychological counseling and, when I picked my children up from school, we spoke about it together using simple words. PAUL (IN around 07:15)This is frightening[...] Theres a feeling of anger, of revolt which moves us but we have to find solutions because we cant keep living like this for very long. END THE HAGUE Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader, was convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by a United Nations tribunal on Thursday for leading a campaign of terror against civilians in the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Mr. Karadzic, 70, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in lethal ethnic cleansing operations, the siege of Sarajevo and the slaughter of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995, in proceedings that were likened to the Nuremberg trials of former Nazi leaders. The trial here was the most important in the 23-year history of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and a defining test for the entire system of international justice, human rights advocates said. Twenty-one years after Karadzic was indicted, this verdict is a forceful manifestation of the international communitys implacable commitment to accountability, the United Nations human rights chief, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, said in a statement. In 2007, he set out to start his own label, Y. Rousseau, in Napa Valley, with a dream of establishing tannat as a fine wine in the United States. But he searched in vain for grapes in Northern California, until he discovered that Alder Springs had a scant half-acre. It warranted a visit. Right away, I realized I was dealing with an amazing grower who would not cut any corner for high-quality grapes, Mr. Rousseau said. He persuaded Mr. Bewley to plant a little more tannat. The Rousseau 2011 Alder Springs tannat is a lovely wine, nowhere near as tannic as Madiran but well structured, with vibrant earthy, floral, stony flavors. Mr. Bewley, 62, may be the last person one would suspect of setting out on such a passionate, perhaps quixotic voyage. He grew up in the agricultural town of Lodi, Calif., in the northern part of the Central Valley, studied business and made a fortune in the 1980s as a founder of California Cooler, which helped to set off the short-lived wine cooler craze. By 32, he had cashed out and was ready for a new challenge. Though Lodi was not then a fine-wine region, Mr. Bewley had grown up in a family that prized great wine. He decided that he liked the wine business and wanted to grow great grapes. But where? In an effort to determine what made a good vineyard site, Mr. Bewley and a team of specialists over three years toured the best vineyards in Europe to see what they might have in common. He concluded that good soil chemistry and good drainage were crucial. Searching for the right spot in California, Mr. Bewley traveled all over Napa and Sonoma, taking soil samples, before looking to northern Mendocino, where he already owned some timberland. BOX ELDER State Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, said Thursday that accusations she is a racist because she spoke at an event hosted by an anti-Indian group are false. The claims were made against Fielder, who is a member of the State-Tribal Relations committee, by some Montana tribal members and a human rights group last November after she spoke at an event sponsored by the Citizens Equal Rights Alliance, or CERTA. "To characterize that as an anti-Indian group is a mischaracterization," Fielder told the committee at a meeting here. "It is being done to stifle this conversation of addressing public lands in the state." Fielder spoke about her advocacy of transferring federal lands to the state during a regional education conference sponsored by the alliance last September. The group's members says they do not tolerate racism, but the co-director of the Montana Human Rights Network has called them "the most notorious organized anti-Indian group in the U.S., dedicated to terminating tribal governments, abrogating treaties, and turning management of tribal resources over to the state government." Elaine Willman, a board member for the alliance, wrote a memorandum to the committee clarifying its position and relationship with presenters. "Presenters representing various organizations are not asked to endorse CERA in order to participate; nor does CERA endorse any guest presenters or organizations. CERA is not a 'racist' organization and is held in high regard by numerous national experts and organization," the letter said. At the end of a November meeting of the committee, Alvin "Jim" Kennedy, tribal councilman at Fort Belknap; George Horse Capture Jr., councilman at Fort Belknap; and Rachel Carroll Rivas with the Montana Human Rights Network questioned if Fielder belonged on the State-Tribal Relations Interim Committee. Four others also sent comments questioning Fielder's attendance and speech at the event and called her attending the event "inappropriate," "dangerous" and "unbecoming." Committee members at that time steered the conversation toward an end, saying Fielder, who was not at that meeting because of an excused absence, could not defend herself. Fielder said Thursday the issues in her northwestern Montana district, which is heavily forested, have prompted her to develop an expertise in the management of public lands. Because of her knowledge, groups that agree states can manage lands better than the federal government will invite her to speak at their events. Senate District 7 includes Sanders and Mineral counties and small pockets of Missoula and Flathead counties. She said the accusations against her are meant to stifle a discussion about transferring federal lands to state ownership and management. "I've been running into this almost everywhere I go, people that do not want this discussed at all. I have had legislators tell me if it was brought up, they would walk out of the room and not listen," she said. "There has been a concerted effort to try to dirty and slander the reputations of the people that are working for better land management through public control." Fielder said her attendance at an event does not equate with her endorsement of the event organizer's opinions. "I don't have an affiliation with CERA; they don't have an affiliation with me," she said. "I was simply asked to come speak on the issue of public lands. I can assure you I'm not a subscriber of CERA's policies." The only part of the conference she attended was her talk, but while she was there, she saw people from her district who are Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal members, Fielder said. She is frustrated with accusations of racism. "I think the travesty of that discussion is that racism does exist, and when you start calling things that aren't racism racism, you muddy the waters of what racism really is," Fielder said. "Racism is dangerous. We shouldn't stand for anybody that's trying to divide people with accusations of racism when it does not exist." In her letter, Willman wrote that CERA organized in the mid-1980s to "assist enrolled tribal members who have very limited civil rights within tribal governing systems." State Rep. George Kipp III, D-Heart Butte, said CERA's relationship with tribes in the 1980s was not good. Tribes like the Blackfeet saw the alliance as a threat to their existence, though he said based on Willman's letter it appears it has changed its mission. "They don't want to see that monster rise again," Kipp said. "Conflicts existed before, there were fistfights on the Blackfeet reservation. They wanted to cut the reservation in half. These issues were very big in the '80s and relevant to the existence of our people." Kipp said he understood Fielder's side of the issue, but asked her to be more aware of future associations she makes. "That's your passion and I can only caution you because you are on this committee, this committee was created for a purpose, this committee is to develop a relationship between the tribes and the state. That's what we're about." Kipp said the Fort Belknap tribal members who spoke at the November meeting were invited Thursday but didn't attend. "I don't see them here today, maybe they have flushed us down the toilet." Fielder said she welcomes meeting with members of the Fort Belknap tribes, and all other Montana tribes, to clarify her stance. In a special report for the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights and the Montana Human Rights Network, the Missoulian reported, Chuck Tanner said "CERA leaders promote misinformation about tribal treaty rights and sovereignty, espouse far-right conspiracy theories that promote bigotry against Indian people and others, call for mean-spirited and inflammatory attacks on tribal communities, and have allied their cause with a broader far-right movement that threatens civil rights, environmental protection and economic justice." "In the end," Tanner writes, "CERA's anti-Indianism is an affront to the United States Constitution and the spirit of tolerance and equality between all peoples." She will keep speaking at meetings sponsored by groups like the alliance. "I will continue to go and address whoever would like to learn about it, but I think it is disgusting what certain groups are trying to do to suppress the conversation and suppress discussion and dirty and toxify the discussion just so people won't talk about better public land management." Fielder said she was recently asked by the Americans Lands Council to be their CEO as an unpaid volunteer, a position she accepted. She's welcome to working with tribes through the Lands Council, but clarified the group is not pursuing anything related to Indian land regulations. Thompson Falls, where Fielder lives, is surrounded by millions of acres of federally controlled lands. The community suffered last summer, she said, when firefighters were grounded by federal regulations that prohibited the use of state helicopters because they weren't on a list of federally approved devices. Fielder said millions of dollars of timber were lost and habitat was unnecessarily destroyed. "Our streetlights were on in the middle of the day because it was so dark with smoke the light sensors were telling our streetlights it was nighttime she said. "Communities were evacuated, property burned." Fielder said this was another "really serious consequence out of a stupid regulation out of Washington, D.C." There are parallels between how Thompson Falls is suffering and the social problems members of the interim committee heard as they spent time in two reservations towns along the Hi-Line this week "Our communities are economically depressed and unsafe," Fielder said. "People used to come to Thompson Falls for work, they used to come to our community from Missoula to find work. Most of our working-age people have gone somewhere else to find work, so our elders are left with no families to look in on them. "What happened to our community because we can't provide for ourselves anymore because our resources have been locked up and locked down is we're seeing the same kind of horrific trends in our community that reservations are trying to battle poverty, crime, drugs, a downward spiral of society, suicide issues." HELENA The governors office has seen a jump in public records requests since the fall and is dealing with requests the likes of which it hasnt handled before, leading to an increase in how long it takes to produce documents. Andy Huff, Gov. Steve Bullocks chief legal counsel, said so far this year he's received 21 requests, 12 of which came from media organizations. In 2015 he received 43 requests, 15 of which were from the media. The increase in requests could be tied to the election this fall, Huff said. Democrat Bullock is running for re-election against tech entrepreneur Greg Gianforte, a wealthy Republican from Bozeman. In my experience I dont think weve ever had the number and type of requests were seeing this year, he said. An overwhelming majority of requests are from the media, Huff said, though he has received a couple from law firms concerning litigation and some from citizens who want information about bison or other topics. The number of requests started to pick up in the fall of last year, but has started to drop off. It seems to be slowing down, Huff said. Im hoping to catch up here in the next few weeks." Late last year Lee Newspapers requested email correspondence from personal email accounts belonging to Gov. Steve Bullock sent to any members of his staff, cabinet and elected or appointed state officials from the start of his term until the date of the request. Lee also requested text messages sent from the governor's state-issued cellphone as well as the work cellphones of several members of his staff, cabinet and other state officials. The governors office is planning to release emails from the governors personal account next month, Huff said. The governor is allowing Huff to access his personal email account to complete the request. Its the first time ever for that, Huff said of the nature of the request. He didnt have a estimate of how many documents the request will produce. A batch of emails released last December included messages former Lt. Gov. Angela McLean sent from her personal email account to Bullock's personal account. The emails had information about meetings between McLean, Bullock and Dave Parker, senior adviser to the governor and lieutenant governor and mentioned a call from Parker asking McLean to imagine if all her initiatives were removed. The emails also touched on if McLean would remain Bullocks running mate for this years election. The email showed up in the request, which only covered messages sent from or to state email addresses, because McLean forwarded the sent messages from her personal account to her state email account. The request did not produce any replies from Bullock. Government officials' use of personal emails to conduct official business has been in the spotlight lately. The New York Times found in December that Defense Secretary Ashton Carter used a personal account to conduct some business shortly after he started at the Pentagon. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been criticized for her use of personal email when she was U.S. Secretary of State. The request for text messages is still pending. Huff said the state doesnt keep a catalogue of texts sent, but does have phone bills listing phone calls, the amount of time spent on a call and number of texts sent a month. The states cellphone service provider is Verizon Wireless, which typically retains data on the content of text messages for less than a week. No one has made a request concerning text messages before, Huff said. This is new ground. Weve never seen any of this stuff before. Helena attorney Mike Meloy said Montanas open records statute has a very broad definition of the word record. State law defines public information as: Information prepared, owned, used, or retained by any public agency relating to the transaction of official business, regardless of form, except for confidential information that must be protected against public disclosure under applicable law. A text message relating to the transaction of official business would certainly fall within that definition, Meloy said. Washington state updated its policy in 2015 to require management of text message content. Users can save messages, agencies can use third-party software to capture texts and save them in a repository or as a email sent to the agency or use a vendor service to capture and retain texts. Huff handles requests for the governors office. Requests from state agencies or other departments go through those agencies or departments. When he receives a request, he responds with an estimate how long long it will take to fill. Hes also supposed to give a cost estimate agencies can charge for what it costs them to fill a request but he usually doesnt assess a fee. If a request is narrow and specific, such as emails sent or received by one person over a few days, Huff has an information technology employee from his office pull the documents. If its just for a page or two, he will have the person who sent the email pull it themselves. For requests that cover multiple email accounts going back months, something that can produce hundreds of documents, hell ask a Department of Administration IT employee to gather the documents. The information will come to him on a portable drive, and hell print it all out. Then hell go page by page to see if any information needs to be redacted for privacy or confidentiality reasons. Items can be redacted for security purposes, or if emails or calendar entries contain private information about employees children, medical information or similar details. He will also black out private addresses or phone numbers. Some emails from constituents sent to the governors office contain details about medical or personal matters and hell redact that as well. Right now it takes him about a month to fill a well-defined request. It could take longer if a request involves litigation. Huff said he tries to fulfill requests in the order theyre received, but will do a more simple request before an older one if it wont take long to fill. Last year, he worked on other projects, but hes mostly working on requests now. Huff is the only employee in Bullocks office who works on requests; another person retired last year. Huff was appointed at the start of Bullocks term. He had worked as assistant attorney general for Bullock on campaign finance cases and Indian and water law. He was also legal counsel for former Gov. Brian Schweitzers American Indian Nations council. PLAINS After receiving more than 1,000 emails and phone messages in less than 60 hours since a federal arrest warrant for a Plains man allegedly involved in the standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon was made public, Sanders County Sheriff Tom Rummel took to Facebook on Wednesday night to ask for calm and patience. The FBI is seeking to take 25-year-old Jake Ryan, whose identity was unsealed Monday, into custody to face charges. The continued order of business in this situation will be to keep calm and not feed into any negative rhetoric, drama or gossip that is so prevalent in social media, Rummel wrote. There is a misconception that Sanders County is teaming with FBI agents bent on taking Jake Ryan into custody, he continued. That is a lie. There is not one FBI agent in the county, and the vast majority of my correspondence with them has been by phone. The FBI has also reiterated that it is not their purpose or intent to aggravate this situation. Their goal is the same as mine, that this situation be resolved in a rational, peaceful manner. There have been suggestions on social media, from backers of the Ammon Bundy-led 40-day occupation of the refuge, that Ryan might make a stand rather than give himself up. Some have called on Rummel to offer Ryan protection from federal agents. Others have thanked the sheriff who says there is no evidence Ryan is in Sanders County for his handling of the situation so far. Outside citizen involvement will only complicate this issue for law enforcement and the Ryan family, Rummel said Wednesday night. The sheriff first addressed the situation Monday on Facebook. Rummel wrote that the Ryan family was working with an attorney who was in contact with the FBI and that it was the sheriffs intent to make sure that Jake Ryans safety and rights are provided for. Although this situation stems from a federal warrant, it is being handled at the local level, Rummel wrote Wednesday night on the Sanders County Sheriffs Office Facebook page. I have an open line of communication with the Ryan family and will continue to provide them with accurate, truthful information that can be passed on to Jake when they are able to contact him. The occupation of the wildlife refuge earlier this year led to the killing of one of the occupiers, Robert LaVoy Finicum, who was shot by Oregon police at a roadblock after fleeing a traffic stop. Authorities say Finicum was reaching for a weapon when he was shot. Ryan is one of 26 people indicted by a grand jury after the occupation. He had not been identified until Monday. He faces gun and conspiracy to impede law enforcement charges and is accused of violating a Native American archeological site by digging a latrine using heavy equipment. Rummel ended his Wednesday night post by thanking people for their support, understanding and patience. A few words about the pious insincerity of Mitch McConnell. As you are no doubt aware, McConnell, the Senate majority leader, announced on the very day that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died that he would refuse to hold hearings on any replacement nominated by President Obama. McConnell's "reasoning," if you want to grace it with that word, was that since the president has less than a year left in his term, the appointment should be made by whomever the American people choose as his successor. Last week, after Obama fulfilled his constitutional duty by nominating respected federal judge Merrick Garland to the post, McConnell renewed his refusal. "The Biden rule," he said, "reminds us that the decision the Senate announced weeks ago remains about a principle and not a person. It seems clear that President Obama made this nomination not with the intent of seeing the nominee confirmed, but in order to politicize it for purposes of the election." The American people, added McConnell, should have a say in this. "So let's give them a voice. Let's let the American people decide." There are four lies here, each more threadbare and cynical than the last: 1. The Biden rule? There is no such thing. There is only an opinion Vice President Joe Biden expressed 24 years ago as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that if a vacancy opened on the top court during convention season which is still several months off the president should "consider" not nominating a replacement until after the election. It bears repeating: Biden never said the president should not nominate or the Senate should not vote; he only suggested waiting until "after the election" to do so. 2. It's the president who's politicizing this? In psychology, that's known as "projecting." Around the way, it's known as the pot calling the kettle black. 3. "A principle and not a person?" No, it's about a person the same person, the president toward whom McConnell and his party have expressed such unremitting disrespect the last seven years. 4. The voice of the people? The people have already spoken twice in elections that were not close. For that matter, they are still speaking. A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll says 63 percent of us want the Senate to hold hearings and vote. McConnell should just claim he's too busy arranging his sock drawer. That would be more credible than the excuses he's given. The quality of a lie is a direct reflection of the respect the liar has for the person being lied to. That will seem counterintuitive, but consider: You put effort into a lie, work to make it plausible, credible, believable, when you have regard for the recipient, when his good opinion matters or his discovery of the truth would be disastrous. That being the case, what does it suggest when you put as little effort into a lie as McConnell has? Indeed, while he has been roundly condemned for disrespecting the president, let's spare some outrage for the way he is also disrespecting us. Not just in failing to do his job, but also in offering such a transparently dishonest rationale for it. He knows he's lying, you know he's lying and he knows you know he's lying. But you get the sense he doesn't care. Why should he? Those who need to believe there's a noble principle behind this obstructionism will be willingly gulled. As to the rest of us, so what? That's not statesmanship. It is not even politics. It's just contempt and not only for the president. If we cannot count on McConnell and his party to do the country's business and behave in a manner befitting serious people in positions of responsibility, perhaps it's not too much to ask that they at least spare us that. Tell better lies next time. Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald, readers may contact him at lpitts@miamiherald.com. Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi [] Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] Dear Kenyans, Hello from this side of the world. Greetings from the jungle. I have been obliged to write you this letter following my appearances in your capital city last week. Allow me to introduce myself. Here in the wild, they call me Ngetuk, owing to my Kingly personality. I was the lion that strolled along Mombasa road a few days ago. I know I scared a few of you early risers. At this juncture, I wish to apologize for the slight misunderstanding I had with that mzee. You see I felt that he was threatening me or something like that. I am the King, and threats simply mean nothing to me. I spared his life so he could tell the story to his grandchildren, of how it felt to be massaged by a Kings manes with a heavy breath. I found it hilarious that he wet his pants. Pass my deepest apology to him. Anyway the main reason why I write you this letter is to explain why we have been visiting your city. You will recall that a few weeks back, six lionesses were in Langata. Well, let me clear that up. Those were not just lionesses; they were in fact, my concubines. You see, I get privileges for being a King around here. I have a pack of thirteen pretty lionesses for myself. They help me relax my loins. They also, for all the good reasons, hunt down meals for me. Before you judge me for what many will call promiscuity, its good to know that I am polygamous in nature just like all the African lions roaming the plains. I am informed that your urban women have strongly opposed this notion. Poor African men, arent you losing culture? That said, after my six beautiful concubines returned from their detour in Langata, they informed me of strange things they overheard as they strolled in the darkness of the suburbs. Well, they told me that your city has a governor who once slapped a woman in public. Is it true? Well if its true, then I would love to see that man someday, because he would easily survive the jungle. But the other loud mouth, who was slapped by his wife, who is he? He needs a lecture on how-to-be a-husband-in Africa. He should shut up. But again, I am lion, so what do I know. Your country I hear is so corrupt that your President-a heir of your founding father, shamelessly talks about it in his foreign trips. He tells it in his speeches of how greedy his country men are. And talking about corruption, what is this thing called Eurobond? Did you guys ever have your answers? Then theres Chickengate. Wait, what are chicken doing on your gates, again? Somebody tell me! Is it also true that your Deputy President is a hustler who travels around in jets? Forgive my many questions; my mind was blown by the happenings in your country. Your judges, do they also take bribes before delivering their judgments? What a life you swim in ladies and gentlemen. The youngest of my concubines mentioned a woman called Waiguru. I hear she is quite a thing. I was told that this woman-Waiguru, caused ripples in the city when one Thursday evening scandals followed her home. These tales were so shocking I was obliged to come and see for myself the men and women who were allowing their country to rot; Men and women who were dictated by words of careless tribal politicians. I had to come and see the city that was slowly eating into our natural habitat in the name of development. I had to see these men who were so eager to see us disappear like thinning smoke. Forgive me for my surprise visit last week, but again I am the king, I can decide to roam my kingdom any day. You think Nairobi belongs to you? Heck No! That was once our home before you erected your buildings. I wish to end my letter Kenyans. But I have a message for you lovely people. Be vigilant, Be your brothers keeper, and Be honest. Because it is your individual straight characters, that will make you country beautiful. Be heroes in your homes, in your hamlets, in your offices. That way your moral standards will redefine Kenya. I have to go; one of concubines keeps stroking my mane seductively. Honestly I cant quite concentrate. We all know what she wants and I would be unfair to this darling if I fail to deliver. Cheers Kenyans. Yours Truly King Ngetuk of Enkare Nairobi By Wesley Kipngenoh/ SDE An Uber taxi was on Wednesday morning burnt in Riruta Satellite. According to the police, the driver of the taxi was hired by a man at Yaya Centre in Nairobi who said he needed to pick up his girlfriend from Naivasha Road in Riruta. On reaching Satellite, he asked him to stop so that he could relieve himself but on doing so, four men emerged and set the car ablaze, Dagoretti OCPD Rashid Mohammed said. He said that the driver escaped unhurt when he realised the intentions of the five men. Barely a month ago another Uber taxi was reduced to ashes in Kilimani. Here are the photos BRUSSELS Belgiums interior minister and justice minister tried to resign Thursday ahead of an emergency meeting of European security chiefs held amid growing questions about why authorities couldnt prevent deadly Islamic extremist attacks on Brussels despite increasing signs of a threat. Prosecutors announced a direct connection between the Brussels bombings that killed 31 people and injured 270 others and last years attacks on Paris, which appear to have been carried out by the same Islamic State network. The attacks have laid bare European security failings and prompted calls for better intelligence cooperation. Interior Minister Jan Jambon said after a government meeting Thursday that If you put all things in a row, you can ask yourself major questions about the governments handling of the threat from Islamic extremists. One notable question was raised by Turkeys announcement that it had warned Belgium last year that one of the Brussels attackers had been flagged as a foreign terrorist fighter. But the prime minister asked Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens to stay on, given the current challenge the government is facing. The country lowered its threat level late Thursday, but said the potential for attacks remains likely. The danger has not gone away, said Paul Van Tigchelt, the head of the terror assessment authority. The meeting came as Belgian and French media reported a second attacker is suspected of taking part in the bombing this week of a Brussels subway train and may be at large. Belgian prosecutors have said at least four people were involved in Tuesdays attacks on the Brussels airport and a subway train, including brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, identified as suicide bombers. European security officials identified another suicide bomber as Najim Laachraoui, a suspected bombmaker for the Paris attacks. Khalid El Bakraoui blew himself up on the train, while Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Laachraoui died in the airport. Prosecutors have said another suspected participant in the airport attack is at large, a man in a hat seen in surveillance images who has not been publicly identified. Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and Frances Le Monde and BFM television reported Thursday that a fifth attacker may also be at large: a man filmed by surveillance cameras in the Brussels metro on Tuesday carrying a large bag alongside Khalid El Bakraoui. It is not clear whether that man was killed in the attack. Prosecutors, who have not said how many people overall may have taken part in the bombings, did not respond to the reports. The federal prosecutors office issued a statement Thursday saying that Khalid El Bakraoui had rented a house used as a hideout for the Paris attackers, and that he had been hunted by police since December. Several of the Paris attackers were Belgian or had links to Belgium, and the country has been on high alert for possible attacks. Turkeys president said Wednesday that one of the Brussels suicide bombers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, was caught in June 2015 near Turkeys border with Syria and deported to the Netherlands, with Ankara warning Dutch and Belgian officials that he was a foreign terrorist fighter. Turkish officials said he was later released from Dutch custody due to lack of evidence of involvement in extremism. The Dutch justice minister has confirmed that one of the Brussels suicide bombers was flown from Turkey to Amsterdam in July, but says that authorities werent told why and had no reason to detain him. In a letter to parliament, Justice Minister Ard van der Steur said Thursday that Ibrahim El Bakraoui was put on a plane from Istanbul to the Dutch capital on July 14, but that Turkish officials didnt say why and his name wasnt flagged in any Dutch law enforcement databases. Van der Steur says that El Bakraoui had a valid Belgian passport when he arrived in Amsterdam so there was no reason to take any action at Schiphol Airport. It wasnt clear what El Bakraoui did after arriving in the Netherlands. European Union justice and interior ministers held an emergency Thursday afternoon to discuss the attacks, and pledged to cooperate more closely on intelligence sharing. They also appealed as a matter of urgency for the European Parliament to adopt an agreement that would allow authorities to exchange airport passenger data. Also Thursday, the chief suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was summoned to court in Brussels after his arrest last week in the Belgian capital. His lawyer, who had initially vowed to fight extradition, said Abdeslam now wants to be sent to France as soon as possible. Abdeslam evaded police in two countries for four months before Fridays capture, and the attackers in Brussels may have rushed their plot because they felt authorities closing in. Abdeslams lawyer, Sven Mary, told reporters at the courthouse that he asked for a one-month delay on any transfer while he studies the large dossier, but that Abdeslam wants to explain himself in France, so its a good thing. Mary said the extradition process should be done by mid-April. France is seeking Abdeslams extradition to face justice for his involvement in the Nov. 13 attacks on a Paris rock concert, stadium and cafes, which killed 130 people. Several attackers were also killed. Belgium is holding three days of national mourning. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, in a speech Thursday, said the attacks on the European Unions capital targeted the liberty of daily life and the liberty upon which the European project was built. Our country and our population were hit at its heart, he said in front of the Parliament building. He honored the children who have lost their papas, who have lost their mamas in the attacks. Security remains tight, but barriers were removed around the subway station hit by the attack, Maelbeek. The airport will remain closed until at least Saturday. While Brad Paisley may remain tight lipped on just who he voted for or what political party he belongs to (which let's face it, is probably a smart move), he isn't bashful about accepting an invite or two to perform for President Obama at the White House. He's a two time performer at that gig and also performed at an inaugural gala last year. Brad gives some insight on those special White House performances in a new Nashville Scene interview. He says, If you dont agree with this administration, or with any administration, or with Congress, or with issues, boycotting things is not going to help." Brad continues, "Declining the invitation to play something like the inauguration would be a slap in the face to our democracy. It would be a missed opportunity for country music to be present. And to that I say.God Bless America. "LIKE" Nashville Gab on Facebook HERE "FOLLOW" Ashley Anne-Helene on Twitter HERE Miles Okazaki Andy Milne Tyshawn Sorey Upcoming Appearances:Sunday, April 24-3:30 PM@ Teatro Latea(Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center)Part of the Sant Jordi celebration and in connection with the International Books and Roses Day.Alexis Cuadrado Group: PoeticaAlexis Cuadrado (Bass), Rowan Ricardo Phillips and Melcion Mateu (Voice-Spoken Word),(Guitar), Andy Milne (Piano),(Drums)NYC CD Release Celebration!Friday & Saturday, May 20-21- 7:30 & 9:30 PM:@ The Jazz GalleryAlexis Cuadrado Group: PoeticaAlexis Cuadrado (Bass), Rowan Ricardo Phillips and Melcion Mateu (Voice-Spoken Word), Ben Monder (Guitar), Andy Milne (Piano), Tyshawn Sorey (Drums, 5/20),(Drums, 5/21)'Poetica' is a beautifully crafted and deftly performed set of music that is inextricably connected to poetry written by 2 deep and dark modern poets. Alexis wrote the music in such a cinematic way that you really feel you are carried away in a dream. The poets, Melcion Mateu and Rowan Ricardo Phillips, recite the poems very effectively, functioning as the '2 horns' out in front of the fine quartet that Alexis has assembled. Throughout the recording, Alexis' bass is an essential character in each story with his beautiful sound, rhythmic bounce and lyrical solos."Alexis Cuadrado and his ace band create dramatic, impassioned settings for and interactions with bi-lingual spoken words, bringing to mind rare, noble, exciting precedents by Kip Hanrahan and Frank Zappa, Carla Bley/Paul Haines' Escalator Over the Hill and Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency!- for here and now."Howard MandelOn this flotilla of sounds, wrecking beautifully with words, we are drowning-no, resurrecting!-in the lapis luzi of tragic joy, catching the brighten, glittering port of repose. Where have we arrived? These moments of repose in Poetica, when the voice surges with haunting ore-toneover the sparse music, singing there are no / towers," we know our port is Manhattan. Soon the isle is full of noises, like the inside of a late night cabaret, where-since Walt Whitman is the MC-we can all sing out of key the song of ourselves. And this is the gift of this album; it intimately washes against us the sonic waves of the little things that make New York New York, in spite of the abundant threat they endure. It will endure like the skyline it praises."Ishion HutchinsonThe imaginative bassist Alexis Cuadrado revives spoken word jazz with modernist glee, enriching bebop forms, beat generation poetry and multi-lingual storytelling on the lively, compelling Poetica. His musicians and vocalists turn words into rhythms that clamor, protest and even swing, much like Gil Scott-Heron did, while Cuadrado's lucid bass ties it together by expertly fusing syncopation with emotive, improvisational flourishes."Nick Bewsey, ICON MagazinPoetica restitches the seams between languages and media, speech and song."Ben LernerAntoni Piza, musicologist and scholar, writes in his liner notes for Poetica: '"The moment one learns English, complications set in," proclaims the sardonic, unreliable narrator of Felipe Alfau's postmodern novel Chromos, a work of fiction about a group of Spaniards negotiating the realities of their adopted country, the United States. The Americards," as they are referred to in the book, are neither full-fledged Americans, nor (tragically) Spaniards any longer. Their in-betweenness is their most salient feature and the source of their elated, often insane, meditations.'The music of Alexis Cuadrado could be understood as an exploration of that same idea. The bassist/composer's new recording, Poetica, available on Sunnyside Records on May 20th, was preceded by two albums dedicated to the exploration of issues of cultural dislocation. With Noneto Iberico (2011) he investigated the sonorities that result from adapting certain traits of flamenco and avant-garde classical music to the language of jazz. Then, on A Lorca Soundscape (2013), Cuadrado's first recording incorporating words and voice, he paid homage to the Spanish poet and his celebratory, lyrical evocations of New York City hybridity in the early twentieth century. Cuadrado has also set to music, Chaplin's classic silent film, The Immigrant (2015).Now, with this stunningly adventurous new album, Poetica, which represents a massive creative leap, Cuadrado creates a multilingual tapestry involving texts by two critically-acclaimed contemporary poets: Melcion Mateu (who writes in Catalan, but living a life in which he is often speaking Portuguese, Spanish and English), and Rowan Ricardo Phillips (a native New Yorker, and translator of Catalan literature). Poetica also features the extraordinary talents of Miles Okazaki on guitar, Andy Milne on piano and keyboards, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums; three artists who rank among the most forward thinking creative forces in jazz today.On Poetica, the audience/listener is taken through various sonic spaces, composed or freely improvised, built around the poems, written by Mateu and Philips. The voices of these poets are the de-facto front line of this jazz sextet", creating a moving performance that translates the emotion of their poetry into a unique listening experience. The effect is powerful and stirring, as Cuadrado's music, embodying the confluence of jazz, Flamenco and New Music, combined with Philips' and Mateu's lightning-bolt expression, conjures vivid images with a fully present, personal voice.Cuadrado, Mateu, and Phillips exploit to the fullest, the advantages of dislocation, distance, and cultural imbrication. Settling in a new country, learning new customs and a new language can be a monumental challenge, but the reward for the true artist is an immense awakening and liberation of one's creative spirit, evidenced on Poetica.Alexis Cuadrado is a Barcelona-born and Brooklyn-based composer, bassist and educator. His most recent critically acclaimed works A Lorca Soundscape, Noneto Iberico and Jazz Miniatures for Double Quartet explore the confluence of Spanish and American music and present a unique voice that draws from the crossover of jazz, flamenco and new music. NPR Music states, Listen to Cuadrado's compositions and you'll find every reason to take him seriously."Rowan Ricardo Phillips is a poet, literary and art critic, and translator. He is the author of the poetry volumes Heaven (2015) and The Ground (2012), both on Farrar Straus & Giroux, and is the recipient of a 2015 Guggenheim fellowship, the 2013 Whiting Writers' Award, the 2013 PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award and the 2013 Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award for Poetry. Dalkey Archive published a book of his criticism in 2010, When Blackness Rhymes with Blackness and he has translated extensively from Catalan.Melcion Mateu is the author of four poetry books in Catalan: Illes lligades (2015, winner of the prestigious Jocs Florals de Barcelona" award), Vida evident (Octavio Paz Award 1998); Ningu, petit (2002), inspired by Winsor McCay's classic comic strips, Little Nemo in Slumberland; and Jardi amb cangurs (2005). An anthology of his poetry in a bilingual edition, Catalan- Spanish, is forthcoming this year, Habitaciones y canguros (translated by Jose Luis Rey). Mateu has translated works by Siri Hustvedt, Michael Ondaatje, and John Ashbery, among others, and written articles for newspapers such as El Pais, La Vanguardia, and Avui.Various excerpts in this press release were taken from the album's liner notes by, Antoni Piza, musicologist, writer and director of the Foundation for Iberian Music at The Graduate Center- City University of New York Iranian MP: Iran will conduct military exercises wherever it deems necessary Finnish delegation to visit Ankara to discuss NATO membership Social media giants are likely to oppose Turkey's new law Pastor steals $900,000 to buy stocks and car in U.S. Lithuanian President Nauseda is named most popular politician in country Charles III will embark on longest tour of world in history of royal family Deputy Director of Institute of Oriental Studies of RAS: Baku's goal is that Karabakh has no Armenian population Hurricane Roslyn in Pacific Ocean intensifies to third category Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, begins forming government U.S. Treasury Department records budget deficit of over $429 billion in September Why does Baku need aggravation on border with Armenia? Skakov assesses likelihood of new aggression Iranian Foreign Minister: I had important meeting with Pashinyan in Armenia Johnson spotted in economy class on flight from Dominican Republic to Britain Armenian PM and European Parliament Resident Rapporteur for Armenia discuss Karabakh situation Authorities in Kherson urge residents to immediately leave city Russian expert: Baku's attempts to open corridor by force will cause negative response not only from IRI or Russian Telegraph: Britain to send about 60 old tanks to NATO base in Germany for exercises Artak Beglaryan: You will see me in new position Netanyahu: Iran nuclear deal could bring Russia 'hundreds of billions' Russia and Turkey begin to develop gas hub project PM Pashinyan discusses agenda of bilateral relations with Iranian FM Anna Hakobyan meets Armenians in Paris Sargsyan: Recognition of Artsakh people's right for self-determination must be reflected in legal documents Italy's first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, sworn in Private jet goes missing off coast of Costa Rica Times of India: India tests nuclear-capable Agni Prime missile Spiegel: German Foreign Minister and Defense Minister ask to allocate 2.2 billion for military aid to Kiev Deputy PM of Armenia and Head of Sharjah Heritage Institute discuss strengthening of Armenian-Emirati relations Biden allows participation in U.S. presidential election in 2024 Secretary of Security Council of Armenia and representatives of AIISA discuss security issues Kakhovka reservoir increases water discharges in case of possible destruction of HPP Pashinian's spouse: Yesterday at Elysee Palace I was received by dear Brigitte Macron At least 15 people killed in bus-truck collision in India Explosion at Uzbek Defense Ministry depot injures 16 people Armenian NA Speaker receives Iranian FM: Tehran opposes obstacles on border with friendly Armenia President Harutyunyan receives group of members of Union of Artsakh Reserve Officers NGO Newspaper: Armenia restores diplomatic ties with Hungary? China hit by 5.5 magnitude earthquake Armenian Defense Ministry denies Azerbaijani report on shelling, calling it disinformation Blinken: Moscow is not interested in stopping aggression against Ukraine Japan and U.S. will hold joint military exercises France withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty CNN: White House is in talks with Elon Musk to create satellite Internet service Starlink in Iran Baku outraged by Iran's statements and frightened by IRGC military exercises Who are main beneficiaries of 'Zangezur' corridor?: Another anonymous article by 'Haykakan Zhamanak' newspaper Ankara decides to stand up for Riyadh amid deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and U.S. French Foreign Minister considers it vital to keep lines of communication with Russia open Pentagon refuses to give details of conversation between Austin and Shoigu Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: Head of Caucasus Muslims Department again made slanderous and false statements Erdogan denies using chemical weapons against Kurds and threatens those who dare to talk about it Saudi Arabia and China will strengthen their ties in energy sector Governor of Gegharkunik province receives representatives of OSCE fact-finding mission Penny Mordaunt runs for Prime Minister of Great Britain Sweden expects ratification of NATO membership application by Hungary and Turkey to be completed soon European Union will allocate 1.5 billion euros per month to Kiev in 2023 An Israeli-built flight school opened in Greece Russian Railways is negotiating with Azerbaijan and Iran to launch the Rasht-Astara route Overchuk: Construction of road through Meghri, whose sovereignty is not in question, depends on Armenia's position Armenian Defense Minister's working visit to India is over Hungary will not agree to limit prices for imported gas Iranian Foreign Minister: Iran considers Armenia one of most important transit countries Naribekyan participates in meeting of secretaries general of PACE parliaments Delegation from United Arab Emirates visits Armenia at invitation of head of MONKS: Two agreements signed Dollar, euro drop in Armenia Iran consul general in Armenias Kapan: We do not accept any change of borders Baza: Mobile military registration and enlistment offices will be removed on Russian-Georgian border Iranian Consul: Countries of region do not need presence of foreign armed forces Armenia FM: Iran consulate general in Kapan will be important for regional security Iranian Consul General advises Kapan residents not to worry anymore: Iran is here for Armenian people FM reaffirms Armenia plan to open consulate general in Irans Tabriz Turkey to open consulate in occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh Turkish Ministry of Finance: Ankara can buy Russian oil without Western funding Armenia Security Council chief briefs European Parliament rapporteur on recent Azerbaijan military aggression British bookmakers name favorite for post of prime minister Erdogan: Armenia-Azerbaijan relations progress will contribute to Armenia-Turkey relations normalization Iranian Consulate General opens in Kapan Erdogan: Turkey is looking for alternative to American F-16 fighters Iran consul general: We are here for Armenian people Turkey FM slams OSCE decision to send needs assessment mission to Armenia Peskov reacts to Erdogan's words about Putin's softening on Ukraine negotiations YEREVAN. The internal borders of the Schengen Area cannot always be closed. The German Ambassador to Armenia, Bernhard Matthias Kiesler, noted the above-said at Thursdays discussion on the recent migration to Europe. The ambassador expressed a view that a Europe-wide solution needs to be found to this matter. We should exert all possible efforts so that these borders are opened again, Kiesler said. This also means that we need to do everything so that the external borders of the Schengen Area become as reliable as possible. The German diplomat stated, however, that the matter at hand is to prevent, through effective means, the illegal flow of people into Europe. We believe that this burden should to be distributed equitably between the European countries, he stressed. But Bernhard Matthias Kiesler added that the main task is to see to it that the Syrian crisis is resolved, and people can live in peace in their country. YEREVAN. Education XXI Century international specialized exhibition will be held from March 30 to April 1 in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, informed the press service of the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Yerevan. More than 50 organizations will participate in the exhibition this year. The representatives of numerous universities will brief the applicants on the peculiarities of the admission rules, education benefits, and student life at their respective institutions of higher education. In this years event, a special attention will be paid to the creation and development of the university brands. In addition to their main specialty, the schoolchildren and university students will also be able to choose additional education. Robotics will be one of the interesting topics at this exhibition. Also, seminars and roundtable discussions will be organized at the event. YEREVAN. After the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, it cannot be ruled out that Germany likewise can become a target of terrorism. The German Ambassador to Armenia, Bernhard Matthias Kiesler, said the abovementioned at Thursdays discussion on the recent migration to Europe. In his words, the solution of this problem will not be easy. We [i.e. Germany] certainly dont want to have a police state, Kiesler noted. On the other hand, we will do everything to overcome the possible terrorist acts. But the solution of this problem is the contribution of joint efforts by Europe. In response to a query as to whether Germany is vulnerable to the threat of terrorism, the ambassador stressed: There is no special and separate problem in connection with refugees and terrorism. Of course we cant rule out terrorist acts, but I dont support the theory that is generally suspicious of the people coming to Europe from the Middle East. Its important that we learn lessons from the general history of migration and the threat of international terrorism, which we have to resist against. European states are not going to change their value systems because of a few criminally-motivated individuals, many of whom had and have criminal records. Director of the British Independent Conflict Research and Analysis (ICRA) center, Christopher Langton, told the aforementioned to Armenian News NEWS.am. In his words, despite the evident failings in European state and inter-state security mechanisms, there needs to be a sense of proportion. The attackers from so-called Islamic State took advantage of a liberal and democratically evolved system simply to kill people using a distorted vision of Islam to give the excuse for their acts, Langton said. There will now be a tightening of security structures and a better integration of intelligence and information sharing, he added. This, according to the expert, will link countries to inform a better response. Two explosions occurred Tuesday morning at Brussels Zaventem airport. Shortly thereafter, there were more explosions in the Schuman and Maalbeek subway stations of the Belgian capital city. The Brussels terrorist acts claimed the lives of more than 30 people. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the blasts. YEREVAN. - The ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) is always ready to hold a working discussion on the approaches of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) faction concerning the Electoral Code. Chairman of the parliamentary Committee on State and Legal Affairs, Hovhannes Sahakyan, who is also an RPA MP, told the aforementioned to Armenian News NEWS.am correspondent. Touching on the 4+4+4 format of talks proposed by ANC faction head Levon Zurabyan, the MP stressed: We will ourselves decide the format in which we will take part in the discussion, be it with four, five or one participant. We have always said that we are ready for discussions in any format and in any place, regardless of how many people will turn up. Zurabyan earlier proposed to base the adoption of the new Electoral Code on a wide public and political consensus. For this purpose he proposed the 4+4+4 negotiation format, which will include four representatives from the ruling parliamentary powers, opposition and NGOs. The number of the injured as a result of the Brussels attacks has reached 316, Belgian Health Minister Maggie De Block informed. However, she didnt provide any details on the number of casualties, which, according to the latest information, is 32, TASS reports. Two explosions occurred Tuesday morning at Brussels Zaventem airport. Shortly thereafter, there were more explosions in the Schuman and Maalbeek subway stations of the Belgian capital city. According to the official information, the Brussels terrorist acts claimed the lives of 32 people. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Iranian MP: Iran will conduct military exercises wherever it deems necessary Finnish delegation to visit Ankara to discuss NATO membership Social media giants are likely to oppose Turkey's new law Pastor steals $900,000 to buy stocks and car in U.S. Lithuanian President Nauseda is named most popular politician in country Charles III will embark on longest tour of world in history of royal family Deputy Director of Institute of Oriental Studies of RAS: Baku's goal is that Karabakh has no Armenian population Hurricane Roslyn in Pacific Ocean intensifies to third category Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, begins forming government U.S. Treasury Department records budget deficit of over $429 billion in September Why does Baku need aggravation on border with Armenia? Skakov assesses likelihood of new aggression Iranian Foreign Minister: I had important meeting with Pashinyan in Armenia Johnson spotted in economy class on flight from Dominican Republic to Britain Armenian PM and European Parliament Resident Rapporteur for Armenia discuss Karabakh situation Authorities in Kherson urge residents to immediately leave city Russian expert: Baku's attempts to open corridor by force will cause negative response not only from IRI or Russian Telegraph: Britain to send about 60 old tanks to NATO base in Germany for exercises Artak Beglaryan: You will see me in new position Netanyahu: Iran nuclear deal could bring Russia 'hundreds of billions' Russia and Turkey begin to develop gas hub project PM Pashinyan discusses agenda of bilateral relations with Iranian FM Anna Hakobyan meets Armenians in Paris Sargsyan: Recognition of Artsakh people's right for self-determination must be reflected in legal documents Italy's first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, sworn in Private jet goes missing off coast of Costa Rica Times of India: India tests nuclear-capable Agni Prime missile Spiegel: German Foreign Minister and Defense Minister ask to allocate 2.2 billion for military aid to Kiev Deputy PM of Armenia and Head of Sharjah Heritage Institute discuss strengthening of Armenian-Emirati relations Biden allows participation in U.S. presidential election in 2024 Secretary of Security Council of Armenia and representatives of AIISA discuss security issues Kakhovka reservoir increases water discharges in case of possible destruction of HPP Pashinian's spouse: Yesterday at Elysee Palace I was received by dear Brigitte Macron At least 15 people killed in bus-truck collision in India Explosion at Uzbek Defense Ministry depot injures 16 people Armenian NA Speaker receives Iranian FM: Tehran opposes obstacles on border with friendly Armenia President Harutyunyan receives group of members of Union of Artsakh Reserve Officers NGO Newspaper: Armenia restores diplomatic ties with Hungary? China hit by 5.5 magnitude earthquake Armenian Defense Ministry denies Azerbaijani report on shelling, calling it disinformation Blinken: Moscow is not interested in stopping aggression against Ukraine Japan and U.S. will hold joint military exercises France withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty CNN: White House is in talks with Elon Musk to create satellite Internet service Starlink in Iran Baku outraged by Iran's statements and frightened by IRGC military exercises Who are main beneficiaries of 'Zangezur' corridor?: Another anonymous article by 'Haykakan Zhamanak' newspaper Ankara decides to stand up for Riyadh amid deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and U.S. French Foreign Minister considers it vital to keep lines of communication with Russia open Pentagon refuses to give details of conversation between Austin and Shoigu Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: Head of Caucasus Muslims Department again made slanderous and false statements Erdogan denies using chemical weapons against Kurds and threatens those who dare to talk about it Saudi Arabia and China will strengthen their ties in energy sector Governor of Gegharkunik province receives representatives of OSCE fact-finding mission Penny Mordaunt runs for Prime Minister of Great Britain Sweden expects ratification of NATO membership application by Hungary and Turkey to be completed soon European Union will allocate 1.5 billion euros per month to Kiev in 2023 An Israeli-built flight school opened in Greece Russian Railways is negotiating with Azerbaijan and Iran to launch the Rasht-Astara route Overchuk: Construction of road through Meghri, whose sovereignty is not in question, depends on Armenia's position Armenian Defense Minister's working visit to India is over Hungary will not agree to limit prices for imported gas Iranian Foreign Minister: Iran considers Armenia one of most important transit countries Naribekyan participates in meeting of secretaries general of PACE parliaments Delegation from United Arab Emirates visits Armenia at invitation of head of MONKS: Two agreements signed Dollar, euro drop in Armenia Iran consul general in Armenias Kapan: We do not accept any change of borders Baza: Mobile military registration and enlistment offices will be removed on Russian-Georgian border Iranian Consul: Countries of region do not need presence of foreign armed forces Armenia FM: Iran consulate general in Kapan will be important for regional security Iranian Consul General advises Kapan residents not to worry anymore: Iran is here for Armenian people FM reaffirms Armenia plan to open consulate general in Irans Tabriz Turkey to open consulate in occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh Turkish Ministry of Finance: Ankara can buy Russian oil without Western funding Armenia Security Council chief briefs European Parliament rapporteur on recent Azerbaijan military aggression British bookmakers name favorite for post of prime minister Erdogan: Armenia-Azerbaijan relations progress will contribute to Armenia-Turkey relations normalization Iranian Consulate General opens in Kapan Erdogan: Turkey is looking for alternative to American F-16 fighters Iran consul general: We are here for Armenian people Turkey FM slams OSCE decision to send needs assessment mission to Armenia Peskov reacts to Erdogan's words about Putin's softening on Ukraine negotiations European Parliament rapporteur on Armenia visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan European Parliament rapporteur on Armenia to legislature speaker: Attack was from Azerbaijan, naturally Armenia President to EEU PMs: We will manage to take another confident step by respecting mutual interests EUSR Toivo Klaars exclusive interview with NEWS.am on EU Monitoring mission,Nagorno Karabakh future and violence videos Explosions rock Ukraines Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia President meets with newly formed Artsakh Public Council members Armenia PM: We need understanding in price horizon, at least in medium term Lawyer: 20 of fallen solders parents detained from Yerevan military pantheon are recognized as injured party PM: Armenia trade with other EEU countries increased by 74% France region to provide 300,000 to Armenias Syunik Province affected by Azerbaijan military aggression Eurasian Intergovernmental Council extended meeting underway in Yerevan MOD: Armenia did not fire at Azerbaijan positions, vehicle MPs in Strasbourg, present threatening dangers: Armenia has powerful support in European Parliament Years first snow falls in Armenias Shirak Province World oil prices on the rise Newspaper: Russia dismisses Armenia PM's news on Karabakh Russia PM in Yerevan, to discuss with EEU colleagues single oil, natural gas markets formation Newspaper: Why is Iran in hurry to open consulate in Armenias Syunik Province? France, Spain, Portugal agree to build Barcelona-Marseille natural gas pipeline Admiral: U.S. should now prepare for Chinese 'invasion' of Taiwan Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month events set by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale will celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in April with special activities and presentations. The theme is Walk Together, Embrace Differences, Build Legacies and the observance begins with a kick-off event at 5 p.m. on April 4 in the Student Centers International Lounge. The event will provide an overview of the month and its activities. Refreshments will be served. Dante Basco, the actor, writer, poet and producer who came to fame as Rufio, leader of the Lost Boys in Steven Spielbergs movie Hook, is the keynote speaker. He will present From Lost Boy to Fire Lord: Dante Bascos Life in Hollywood at 6 p.m. on April 21 in Lawson Hall, Room 151. Basco has starred in numerous other films, including Take the Lead with Antonio Banderas, and is the founder of the weekly poetry venue, Da Poetry Lounge in Los Angeles. Several films and discussions are slated during the month, including Meet the Patels, a movie at 7 p.m. on April 11 in the Missouri Room of the Student Center. Its the story of actor Ravi Patel, 29, and his traditional Hindu parents who are upset that he is single and he agrees, after a breakup with his white girlfriend, to enter the semi-arranged marriage system commonly used by Indian Americans. Afterward, an open discussion about interracial relationships and the ways culture and identity shape lives and love will take place. Ka Mei Vivian Chen, a senior accounting student, and the Asian Business Association will host Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling at 5 p.m. on April 12 in the Student Centers Illinois Room. It will highlight the workplace stereotypes Asians often encounter, both positive and negative, how the label model minority affects Asians, and include real-life illustrations. Fresh Off the Boat: The Asian-American Journey, will explore the diversity that is within Asian American as there are actually many ethnicities, languages, religions and histories represented by the people. The event will explore the stereotypes perpetuated by the media and culture, the diversity that exists and the similar experience the people share because of their racial identity. SIU celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander month in recognition of the cultures, accomplishments, struggles, contributions, hopes and dreams of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It is held in April rather than the traditional month of May to allow an entire month during which the campus and community can enjoy the various events. With the exception of a couple of workshops, all of the Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month events are free and open to the public. Find the complete schedule of events and additional information online at www.inclusiveexcellence.siu.edu or call 618/453-3740 to learn more. Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, delivered a foreign policy speech at Stanford in which she urged greater U.S. leadership and solidarity with allies in Europe and elsewhere in the global fight against terrorism. (Photo: Aaron Kehoe) Clinton at Stanford: Global alliances key to ending terrorism Hillary Clinton said this week's attacks in Belgium were a "brutal reminder" that the United States and its allies must work even more closely in their counterterrorism efforts: "We cannot contain ISIS. We must defeat ISIS." Hillary Clinton spoke today at Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and urged greater U.S. leadership and solidarity with allies in Europe and elsewhere in the global fight against terrorism. The former U.S. secretary of state delivered a foreign policy speech in Encina Hall to a standing-room-only crowd of students, faculty, staff, community members and press. She gave her talk the day after three explosions killed and injured scores of people in Brussels, Belgium. The Islamic State group later took credit for the deadly attacks. Clinton said that Stanford has become a center for national security scholarship. She was introduced by FSI Director Michael McFaul, a professor of political science, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and former U.S. ambassador to Russia. McFaul emphasized that FSI is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary institute dedicated to research and education. He said that FSI is committed to "expanding the dialogue" on this issue and looks forward to hosting other possible policy addresses by presidential candidates on such topics. Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, graduated from Stanford in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in history. "I'll never forget the first day we brought Chelsea here. It's a great treat to be back," Clinton said. Three-point plan Clinton said, "The threat we face from terrorism is real, it's urgent and it knows no boundaries." The attacks in Belgium were a "brutal reminder" that the global fight against the Islamic State group and radical jihadists is far from finished, she added. Clinton, who was secretary of state from 2009-2013, laid out a three-point plan to thwart terrorism: First, the West must realize it faces a constantly adapting adversary that is operating across the globe. Second, it is vital for the United States and its allies, especially in Europe, to strengthen their partnerships and efforts at stopping terrorism. Third, the most effective approach focuses on what actually works in the fight against terrorism and that does not include "blustery" and unrealistic rhetoric, she said. The stakes could not be higher, Clinton said. The Islamic State group is attempting genocide of religious and ethnic minorities, is enslaving and killing innocent people and is committing widespread rape and violence against women and girls. "We cannot contain ISIS," she said, "we must defeat ISIS." She advocated eliminating the group's strongholds through an intensified air campaign accompanied by stronger and better-equipped Arab and Kurdish forces while pursing a diplomatic strategy to wind down the civil war in Syria. Clinton said it is imperative to dismantle the global financial and support network for terrorists, and confront its key enablers and extremists, even online. At home, the United States must harden its own security systems and build up its resilience while disrupting plots before they arise. "Our enemies are constantly adapting, so we need to do the same," said Clinton, calling for an "intelligence surge" for both the United States and its allies against terrorist forces. Staying ahead of threats in the world of technology is also critical. In talking about borders and walls, she noted that even the highest wall cannot keep out the Internet. Clinton suggested striking a balance between civil liberties and security concerns in the area of encryption. "There are legitimate worries about privacy," she said, adding that the tech community and the government must stop seeing each other as adversaries and start working together. "We can't let fear stop us from doing what's necessary to keep us safe," said Clinton, who is also a former U.S. senator from New York who served during 9/11. She warned against another costly ground war in the Middle East and the idea of "carpet-bombing" enemies into oblivion. Allies, financing, refugees Strengthening America's alliances in Europe was a key theme in Clinton's policy address. "We cherish the same values and face the same adversaries," she said. She said George Shultz showed during his diplomatic career how the cultivation of international allies and partners ultimately pays off for America's interests. Shultz was in attendance for Clinton's talk. "You reap the rewards from the time put in," said Clinton about Shultz, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and former U.S. secretary of state in the Reagan administration. NATO is one of the best investments this country has ever made, she said, noting that William Perry, a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and at the Hoover Institution and also in attendance, astutely supported that organization while he served as the U.S. secretary of defense in the 1990s. NATO is dedicated to the defense of Western Europe. Clinton urged European banks to cut off the funds that flow to terrorism, and suggested that European countries get even more involved in anti-terrorism efforts in intelligence and security than they are now. The back-and-forth movement of terrorist recruits between the Middle East and Europe must also be ended. "Stemming this tide will require much better coordination among every country involved," Clinton said. One problem is that the European Union keeps delaying a vote to share traveler information between member states, she added. The Syrian refugee crisis is "heartbreaking," and the United States must keep its doors open to its fair share of refugees. "But we have to be smart and vigilant about how we process people into our country." 'Common action' Clinton criticized inflammatory rhetoric that "demonizes" Muslims and makes it harder for moderate Muslims to cooperate with security and police forces. And, she added, torturing terrorist suspects does not work. "Experts attest to this fact, and it puts our troops and civilians at greater risk," she said. Only the United States can mobilize "common action on a global scale," Clinton said. "America is a great nation." UF, UF Health see significant jumps on Forbes Americas Best Employers list For the second year in a row, the University of Florida and UF Health are on Forbes' list of America's Best Employers, with UF Health rising nine spots from last year to No. 16 among all health-care providers and UF ranking 13th among public universities in the survey of workers nationwide. Overall, both saw marked improvements from 2015. UF Health came in at No. 89 on the list of the top 500 companies, up significantly from 154th last year, while UF also saw a notable rise from 121st last year to 90th this year. In the education category, which includes K-12 school systems and colleges and universities, UF ranked 24th. Our employees make it possible for us to focus on high-quality patient care, so we are extremely pleased that our nurses, doctors, faculty and staff would recognize us in this fashion, said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health. This recognition reflects the UF Health culture of engagement and collaboration among faculty and staff across the academic health center. Paula Fussell, UFs vice president for human resource services, said shes pleased with the latest results. UF being on the list again this year is wonderful news; seeing that our ranking improved so much is icing on the cake, Fussell said. It reflects the importance we place on our employees and the effort we put into making the University of Florida such a great place to work. Working with online statistics provider Statista, Forbes asked more than 30,000 U.S. workers employed by companies with more than 5,000 staff members to determine, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they were to recommend their employer to someone else. Forbes also asked workers how they feel about the other employers in their industry. Employees were contacted anonymously online without the involvement of their employer. Respondents included in the sample are representative of the U.S. workforce by gender, age, region, education and ethnicity. The full Forbes list is available at http://www.forbes.com/best-employers/list/. A decade after the end of civil war in Nepal in which about 13,000 people were killed, Nepal's transitional justice bodies are all set to register complaints of the war-crime victims from April 17. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) will spend two and three months, respectively, starting from April 17, in registering the complaints. The victims or their families would be able to file their complaints at the Local Peace Committees (LPC). After helping to bring the decade long conflict to an end, Nepal Maoists laid down their arms in 2006 while agreeing on join the peace process. About 14 months ago, the Nepal government had formed two transitional justice bodies that were to inquire into the war-era crimes and human rights violations and to ascertain the status of disappeared people. The bodies were also to recommend legal action against those accused of committing the atrocities. It took over a year for the government to endorse the process of seeking complaints from the victims and probing them. Over 9,000 cases of human rights abuses have been documented by UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. TRC Chairman Surya Kiran Gurung told reporters that there will be an oversight mechanism for monitoring the process of lodging of complaints throughout the country to ensure that every family of victims could file their complaints. The oversight body will have those representing the voice of the victims and the human rights activists. After completing the process of collecting complaints, both bodies will prepare a list and probe into them gradually. The TRC will seek to find the truth of various cases of human rights abuses, try to bring about reconciliation among the families of victims and tortures during the war era, and recommend amnesty. There is no official data of the number of people killed or missing furing the civil war. Data compiled by various human rights organisations said that an estimated 16,000 deaths, 1,400 disappearances, 20,000 cases of torture and an unknown number of rapes took place during the Maoist insurgency between 1996 and 2006. Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had started the armed rebellion against the State in 1996 to end the feudal system in the country and to install a communist regime. --Indo-Asian News Service giri/kb/vm ( 398 Words) 2016-03-24-16:59:46 (IANS) In December 2015 when ingenious entrepreneur Harshavardhan Reddy, chairman of AURA Group, turned down the offer of 3 Billion USD as the first round of funding for his pet project Readydeals.com there was opposition from his partners. The board questioned his rationale behind refusing the deal. Heartburn among partners lead Reddy to step out of the group with his intellectual project to form his own HVR Group. In retrospect the decision of not accepting the funding proved right. Currently, Readydeal.com is the world's largest aggregator and incubator (for startup's) on a single Artificial Intelligence enabled e-commerce (AIEBOT) platform. AIEBOT is unique because in addition to incubation startup, this portal also covers all entities of business, consumers and government abbreviated as B2B, B2C, B2G, C2B, C2G, C2C, G2G, G2B and G2C segments. In the world of lookalikes, Readydeals.com is different, a never before experience for the users and a complete revolution in e-commerce. On one hand it brings world's top brands on a single platform; on the other hand, it offers unlimited opportunities to start-ups and business prospectors to develop and expand their business models. HVR group's support to the "Startup India" and "Make in India" campaign, the current favorites' of the Government, has given a new lease of life to startups , entrepreneurs and people with innovative concepts to join HVR group's start up platform. According to Reddy, Readydeals is the country's first e-commerce mall which has created a homogeneous opportunity for start-ups to join and be a part of this 100 billion dollars club. "Readydeals covers all aspects of products and services and brings them literally to your doorstep," he added. The portal has over 600 stores for users to explore personal and professional entities under one umbrella by bringing many of the world's biggest consumer brands on a single platform. The all-encompassing Readydeals.com also provides for engagement opportunities with the government including ministries from agriculture to coal, power, steel, science and technology, consumer affairs, food and public distribution, civil aviation, communication and information technology to heavy industries, finance, urban development and rural development, women and child affairs and tribal affairs, etc. Almost every ministry of the central government is covered bringing the North and South block to the homes of users. The portal will enable users to know and connect to virtually everything in the world at the click of a mouse or a voice command. The portal prides itself in making available a one-stop shop to everything that businesses and individuals seek to access. It is a unique opportunity in self-learning, knowledge upgrade and rich consumer experience unlike anything in the world so far. (ANI) Following violent clashes between the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) members and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists at the Fergusson College here which lead to the deployment of riot squads, an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons in the case. A case has been lodged under IPC sections 323, 143 (unlawful assembly) and 145. NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad was allegedly manhandled on the campus during the clash following which the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, within hours of writing to the Pune Police for taking action against those who allegedly raised 'anti-national' slogans in campus, Fergusson College principal Ravindra Singh Pardeshi retracted from his views saying that it was a 'printing' mistake. "Yesterday, I said that I have talked to a local committee. As a college principal, I am trying so that things go smooth in the college campus. We want to sustain a peaceful environment. There was a printing mistake in the letter. We are making the necessary corrections," Pardeshi told the media here. "I had asked the Pune Police for investigation. If the students are found involved in it then action should be taken. We are requesting the police to investigate it," he added. Singh had written a letter to the Pune Police seeking investigation into the alleged 'anti-national' slogans raised in the college premises on Tuesday. The students, who had gathered under the Ambedkarite ideology group, raised slogans for JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar and Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula who hanged himself in Hyderabad Central University campus earlier in January this year. (ANI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs will meet in Srinagar today to take the final call regarding the formation of a new government in the state. They will also deliberate upon the continuance of the PDP's alliance with BJP following party Chief Mehbooba Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday. Soon after the meeting, Mufti had said that she would take a final decision regarding the government formation and PDP-BJP alliance after consulting her party MLAs in the legislature meeting. Describing her meeting with the Prime Minister as positive, the PDP Chief had had expressed satisfaction about its outcome. "I am satisfied after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was a very positive meeting. A stalemate was going on for a long time. A final call will be taken after the legislature meet on Thursday," Mehbooba told the media here. Mufti met Prime Minister Modi at the 7 Race Course Road in a last ditch effort to renew a partnership between the PDP and the BJP to form government in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, BJP said it was committed to the implementation of already agreed Agenda of Alliance. PDP is yet to come up with the reaction to the allegations of opposition parties. State Governor NN Vohra has called separate meetings with PDP Chief and BJP State Unit President tomorrow. Meanwhile, BJP has clarified that it has not accepted any new condition from PDP for the formation of a new government in the state. Talking to media persons in New Delhi, party General Secretary Ram Madhav said during her meeting with the Prime Minister, the PDP Chief did not raise any demand. (ANI) Government agencies and state owned companies in Indonesia will buy 500,000 tonnes of domestically produced rubber to support prices, the Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said in a statement on Thursday.The government will also channel subsidised loans to farmers to make them replant 1 million hectares of rubber plantation, the minister said."This should start as soon as possible," Gamal Nasir, the agriculture ministry's director general of estate crop told Reuters. REUTERS JW PM0752 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-651576.Xml Bandhakam Kamgar Mahasangh affiliated to Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh will agitate in front of labor commissioner office here on March 30 for pressing their demands. According to the officials press release from BMS office, they have issued a notice to the labour commissioner for their demands including no secting of affidavit by Municipal Corporation from construction workers, Mediclam Policy of construction workers financial problem in hospital. So many workers got in accident and hospitalized due to various ailments. board should pay the amount of hospitalization to all workers and their family, indutaing delivery of female worker and when construction work is stop due to non availability of sand, workers should get allowance for their survival. Moreover workers demanded inclusion in scheme of provident fund and after retirement workers should get gratuity. For the demands construction workers from all over Aurangabad District will agitate 'Dharana Andolan' In front of labor commissioner office situated at Bhagy Nagar on March 30, the BMS release added.UNI VKB PS PM0933 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-651091.Xml In an apparent dig at the AIADMK ahead of the May 16 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, BJP President Amit Shah raked up a more than decade long issue and said Kanchi Acharya Jayendra Saraswathi was arrested for political reasons (in 2004). Speaking at the 84th Birth Jayanthi celebrations of the Kanchi Seer here last night, he recalled the tremendous work made by the Kanchi mutt for Hindus and said despite there being no truth, the Seer was arrested and troubled for political reasons. Mr Amit Shah said when he was a Minister in Gujarat he had protested against the arrest. He was referring to the arrest of Kanchi Acharya in November 2004 by the then AIADMK Government headed by Ms J Jayalalithaa in connection with the case relating to the murder of Kancheepuram Varadharajaperumal Temple Manager Sankararaman. Crediting the acharya for "ensuring peace between two communities in Gujarat," Mr. Shah said Kanchi mutt has done tremendous work for Hindus . Speaking on the occasion, senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy said the BJP wanted to unite the people of the country and not divide them . Stating that Indians across the country have the "same DNA" and his genes and that of Muslims were identical, he squarely blamed the British colonialists for "systematically dividing the people" and said "we (the BJP) do not want to divide anybody, we want to unite people". Praising the services rendered by the Kanchi Acharya and the Kanchi Mutt to the people and society, Dr Swamy hoped that a national renaissance in the country would come and the Seer would be able to unite everybody.UNI GV KSR ADB 1048 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-651686.Xml The RSS has hit out at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, saying that he had lost his political space and was siding with 'Anti-nationals' in desperation.The Sangh in an editorial in the latest edition of its mounthpiece 'The Organiser' has also slammed the Congress and the Left for their 'unholy'' alliance in West Bengal and attacks on RSS workers in Kerala, questioning the silence of the ''tolerance brigade' over these incidents.Stating that India was passing through a phase of national resurgence, editorial said that as the cultural power of 'Bharat' was being recognised all over the world, the political isms survived on negating this fact were becoming irrelevant."The obvious reaction is the emergence of blatant opportunistic alliances to prevent any positive change. After facing murderous history of more than three decades, the Congress is happy in aligning with the Communists in West Bengal. Tolerance brigade go silent on the issue of violent spree against RSS workers in Kerala,'' the RSS mouthpiece said.The editorial wanted to know why "the proponents of freedom of expression'' did not find it necessary to stand against the onslaught on a newspaper in Kerala which carried just a news item on the issue of polygamy. "They are not ashamed of taking open anti-national or seditious stand as part of this sinister attempt. All variants of political spectrum, ranging from Rahul Gandhi to Owaisi, are using the RSS as a punching bag to save their spaces,"the Organiser said. It said the strategy of these leaders and parties was not only to negate the facat that a ''swayamsevak'(Prime Minister Narendra Modi) was at the helm of national affairs, but also to refute the overwhelming acceptance of the "Bharatiya idea of Bharat"."They are negating not just change of government but also the contours changed due to that.As there seems to be a grand strategy to deplore integrationist idea of Bharat, there is greater need for positive resolve for constructive transformation,'' it said. UNI NAZ PS PM1313 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-651758.Xml India and Indonesia concluded the Joint Training Exercise 'Garuda Shakti IV/ 2016' which was aimed at enhancing the ability of both the armies to undertake joint tactical level operations in counter Insurgency environment under the United Nations Charter.The exercise that took place at the Military Training Area, Magelang, Indonesia, commenced with an opening ceremony on March 11 and was presided over by senior officers of the Indian and Indonesian Army. Post the ceremony the Indian Army troops were oriented to the terrain and tactical aspects of training. Training comprised of tactical drills wherein the troops of both armies trained jointly sharing each other's experience in counter Insurgency operations. The Indian contingent comprised of platoon sized troops of an Infantry Battalion under Southern Command theatre and the Indonesian Army comprised of 503 Airborne Battalion of the TNI -AD.The training culminated in a three day joint training exercise and lessons drawn were consolidated for incorporation in the next edition. The exercise finally concluded with the closing ceremony wherein outstanding performers were awarded and cultural programmes showcasing the rich culture and heritage of both the countries were displayed, a Defence Ministry release said here.UNI NAZ PSPM1236 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0352-651730.Xml Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Justice Ajit Singh, on his maiden visit to the Central Jail, Dimapur yesterday, was dismayed on finding that "no doctor was stationed" inside the jail during his visit. Official forces informed that Justice Singh suggested that a doctor assigned to the Central Jail should be stationed and urged the responsible authority to look into the matter. While visiting the inmates, the Chief Justice suggested that those serving jail term on petty cases, should be released on personal representation (PR) bond. He also urged the officials to take the matter for examine the records of the criminals and take up the matters with higher authority. UNI AS PL PS PM1250 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-651724.Xml 26/11 Mumbai terror attack operative David Coleman Headley, who had been vehemently denying that he had not been paid by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, finally made a sensational revelation before a court today that the ISI had massively funded his entire operation. Speaking to the media after Headley's cross-examination, Special Prosecutor in the case Ujjwal Nikam said that the Pakistani-American terrorist had made four major revelations in today's session. "He said that the Pakistan ISI had given him huge finances for completion of the 26/11 operation. Secondly, he said that the LeT attempted to kill Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray and one person was apprehended by the police but he escaped. Of course Headley made it clear that he had no firsthand knowledge about this information but that he heard it from the LeT people. Thirdly, he said that following the growing international pressure on the LeT following the 26/11 attack, they made a soft stand in the Denmark attack," Nikam said. Asserting that key 26/11 plotter Abu Jundal's lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan has been repeatedly putting pressure on Headley in the cross examination with regard to the involvement of his wife Shazia, Nikam added that he had once again flatly refused to answer anything saying it was privileged conversation between husband and wife. "Headley further disclosed, that in one mail from Shazia, she had described the corpses as well as the injured in the terror attack as cartoon. These are the sensitive revelations he made today. The defence's attempt was to book Shazia for criminal conspiracy and that she had the knowledge about the terror attack," he said. In other revelations, Headley disclosed via video link from a US prison that he was planning another attack on India after 26/11 on the instructions of Al-Qaeda and not the LeT. However, he asserted that he did not condone what was done by Ajmal Kasab, the lone LeT gunman who was caught alive and executed later. "I visited India in March 2009 and went to National Defence College and other places to select the target. This tour was funded by Ilyas Kashmiri and expenditure of this tour was around 1 Lac (Pakistani rupees) and was paid in cash by Ilyas Kashmiri," Headley said. Yesterday in his cross examination, Headley accepted that he had funded Rs. 80 lakh to terror outfit Lashkar e Taiba (LeT), adding that he did not know the purpose of the money. "David Headley, the approver in 26/11 case, has been cross-examined today by the Attorney of Abu Jundal's lawyer. He has admitted three important facts. Firstly, he admitted that he has donated 80 lakhs Pakistani rupees to Laskar-e-Toiba. However, he claimed that he was not knowing exactly as to where that money was used and for what purpose," Nikam told the media here. Today was the second day of Headley's cross examination and it will resume tomorrow. Meanwhile, reacting to Headley's revelation, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that he feels proud that Bal Thakeray was on the hit list of LeT. "A killer was hired by the LeT to kill Shiv Sena chief but the mission failed. In this case, the Mumbai Police also arrested a suspect but he ran away from police custody. I would like to ask that why the police hid this fact. Who was that person who ran away from the prison and how did he escape? What was the conspiracy behind this? The Mumbai Police and the then government have to answer these questions. The then Police Commissioner should be questioned," Raut told ANI. "It is no surprise for us as Bal Sahib has always been a true nationalist and has always been against the notorious activities carried out by Pakistan and terrorists. We feel proud that Bal Sahib was on the hit list of LeT," he added. (ANI) In what could seen as an attempt by the Congress to establish a connect with the masses, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi today celebrated Holi with party workers at the AICC headquarters. Mrs Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with senior party leaders Motilal Vora, Ahmed Patel , Ambika Soni, Ghukam Nabi Azad and others celebrated Holi together. On this occasion, party leaders smeared 'gulal' on Mrs Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The party president and vice president also exchanged sweets with party workers. Party sources say the decision of the top leaders of the party to celebrate Holi with party workers is an attempt to establish a connect with the masses. In this context, party sources point out Rahul's visits to religious places like his trek to 'Kedarnath' shrine followed by the visit to 'Kheer Bhawani' in Kashmir and Krishna temple in 'Vrindavan' among others. UNI AR PSPM1334 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0352-651774.Xml Taking exception to the presence of Union Minister Prakash Javadekar sharing platform with Kashmiri separatist leaders at the Pakistan National Day function at the country's High Commission here last night, the Congress today attacked the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government for its "confusing" policy towards Pakistan."One time they call off the Foreign Secretary level talks on the ground that the Pakistan envoy is engaged with Kashmiri separatists, and next time members of the Government have no hesitation in joining separatists at the Pakistan High Commission for a function, all of which is sending a very confusing signal", Congress Spokesperson Tom Vadakkam said here even as the Hurriyat leaders are today meeting High Commissioner Abdul Basit for talks.Mr Vadakkam said "the policy of the previous UPA Government towards Pakistan was based on very sound and clear principles, but the NDA Government had taken a path that did not seem to serve any purpose".Mr Javadekar had last night spent about 15 minutes at the Pakistan National Day function which was attended among others by Hurriyat leaders Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Naeen khan. The High Commissioner had earlier yesterday while talking to reporters tried to downplay the presence of Hurraiyat leaders, saying that "it was nothing new, as the Kashmir leaders had been visiting the High Commission in the past too".UNI NAZ PS PM1402 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0352-651808.Xml The Congress vice-president, who was drenched in colours, was seen applying colours on SPG personnel and wishing them on the occasion. The SPG, formed in 1988, provides security to the Prime Minister and former prime ministers and members of their immediate families. Earlier in the day, Gandhi joined the festivities at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office along with his fellow party leaders and workers. "My message is of peace and brotherhood. Everyone should live with love in their hearts," he told the media. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah also celebrated Holi with party workers at his residence. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi were also seen celebrating Holi. (ANI) Residents of the national capital today celebrated the festival of Holi with the traditional fervor, splashing colours on each other and distributing sweets to relatives, friends and acquaintances.Amid the beat of drums, people were seen dancing to the tune of beats and smearing each other faces with 'abir' and gulal in view of the tradition. According to the authorities, no untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the national capital.Around 2500 paramilitary commandos have been deployed along with the city police force amid the terror threat by intelligence inputs.Another 2500 traffic officials have been deployed to check incidents of drunken driving, over-speeding, reckless driving and other traffic offences, police officials said.Holi has always been a lively, energetic and cheerful festival.Children were seen playing Holi with coloured water in water guns and flung water balloons at passersby from rooftops or the balconies of their homes.A 12-year-old Ankur Gulati, a resident of South Delhi, said, "I have been waiting for this day for a long time. Now, the day has come and we are celebrating the festival with great fun."Youngsters were seen on motorcycles riding high, spreading colours and shouting 'Holi Hai!'Special 'gujiya', the traditional pastry, was made for guests who were treated with sweets.The celebrations can be seen more interesting in the crowded urban pockets of the national capital. UNI SM PS SHS 1624 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0271-651908.Xml :Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar today ruled out undertaking campaign for the Left Parties in the ensuing Assembly elections to West Bengal and Kerala. Talking to newspersons here, Mr Kanhaiya asserting that he has no political agenda against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that his focus would be on his academic achievements and promoting students activism. He demanded respect for all nationalities on the country's campuses, which is now facing constant threats of attacks and blamed the Modi government for violence on the institutions of higher learning to cover up its own failures on various fronts. Mr Kanhaiya, who was denied entry into the University of Hyderabad(UoH) campus last evening, condemned the violence on the campus, which he claimed was engineered by some people, who were already in the vice- chancellor P. Appa Rao's but students and teachers were blamed for the violence. He also condemned the lathi-charge on students and expressed solidarity with some of the students, who had been arrested in connection with incidents. UoH students have been protesting for the last three days against the return of Prof. Appa Rao,who is named in the Rohith Vemula suicide case. Prof. Rao was forced to go on a long leave, in the wake of a long-drawn unrest on the UoH campus, following Rohith's suicide in January, this year.UNI SMS KVV AK 1535 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-651879.Xml A fire broke out in a hotel at Raja Katra area in Burrabazar of Central Kolkata this morning.The fire has been brought under control with the help of fire brigade sources here said.Police said the fire was first seen around 0830 hrs on the first floor of a four-storey hotel.Altogether eight fire engines rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control after few hours, a fire official said.No casualty was reported in the incident so far."We have started an investigation to know the exact reason of the fire. But after primary investigation we are suspecting that the fire might have been started due to short-circuit," a senior fire brigade official said.UNI BM AD PS PM1518 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-651835.Xml On the evening of Tuesday, hundreds of Sena activists vandalised a BJP programme called Adishakti Mahila Gaurav Sanman at Shrikrishna Managal Karyalaya here, leading to a scuffle between the Sena and BJP activists following Ms Rahatkar's statement over the Marathwada issue, police said today. Ms Rahatkar had reportedly stated that the demand for separate Marathwada is a feeling of the people and it should be respected. Following Ms Rahatkar's statement, Sena women's wing president Gadekar and hundreds of party activists shouted slogans against Ms Rahatkar and the BJP. Following the scuffle, BJP and Sena activists filed complaints against each other with the city police station. Acting on BJP's complaint, police yesterday arrested nine activists of the Sena. They all were then produced before a local court which sent them all to judicial custody for four days. The hearing on their bail application will be held on March 28.UNI RDS SS VS SHS BL1636 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-651932.Xml In a tragic incident six tourists including two women from West Bengal were killed and two others critically injured when the vehicle they were travelling overturned near Neulapur under Dharmasala police station in Jajpur district today. Police said while three tourists died on the spot, three others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. The two seriously injured people were shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack as their condition turned critical. Police said the identification of the tourists is yet to be ascertained.The toruists were on their way to Puri from West Bengal when the mishap took place.UNI DP KK SHS BL2048 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-652256.Xml The United Nations Human Rights Council decided to set up a three-person commission to investigate human rights abuses in South Sudan, making a last minute amendment to a resolution to significantly bolster scrutiny of the country.The Council had been considering mandating a single expert, a proposal initiated by the United States and Albania. But after an oral amendment, it agreed by consensus to set up the commission, with a renewable one-year mandate.South Sudan yesterday said it would cooperate with the commission, which is charged with looking gang rapes, destruction of villages and attacks on civilians that may constitute war crimes. REUTERS JW0545 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-651558.Xml Some detainees released from Guantanamo Bay are responsible for the deaths of Americans, a senior Defense Department official said, yet the administration still believes it is in the country's best interests to close the controversial prison.Republican lawmakers who say the detention center could help prevent attacks like those this week in Belgium were angered by the remarks of Paul Lewis, the Pentagon's special envoy for the effort to close the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."Unfortunately, there have been Americans that have died because of Gitmo detainees," Lewis told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. He did not give details about the deaths."When anybody dies it's a tragedy. We don't want anybody to die because we transfer detainees," Lewis said during an exchange with Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher. "However, it's the best judgment and the considered judgment of this administration and the previous administration that ... we should close Gitmo."Congress members have argued bitterly over whether detainees transferred from Guantanamo Bay would end up on the battlefield.The Obama administration has been trying to make good on a 2009 pledge the president made to close the facility. US law bars transfers to the United States, and lawmakers are unlikely to lift those restrictions, especially in an election year.Guantanamo opponents say holding prisoners for years without charge or trial goes against fundamental US values and acts as a recruiting tool for militant groups, potentially endangering American military personnel.Many Republican lawmakers insist the prison is an essential tool for holding and interrogating suspects who threaten the United States. Rohrabacher suggested at Wednesday's hearing that the attack in Brussels, and attacks like those in Paris last year, might change the mind of US allies who have pressed Obama to close the detention camp."Let me suggest that attitude of our European friends may well be changing in the next six months or so when they realize that the slaughter that's taking place in Paris and now in Brussels is part of an international movement to destroy Western civilization and replace it with a caliphate," Rohrabacher said.On Tuesday, attacks by Islamic State suicide bombers killed at last 31 people in Belgium.Of the 780 prisoners ever held at Guantanamo, 647 were released to their home countries or resettled elsewhere, most while Republican George W. Bush was president. Today 91 detainees remain. REUTERS JW0555 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-651559.Xml China has launched an unusual charm offensive to explain its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, seeking to assuage global concerns about military expansionism by portraying the move as Beijing's contribution to regional security and development.The message is in stark contrast to Beijing's more bellicose stance on the South China Sea, where its claims on a vital trade waterway have raised hackles across Asia and the United States.China has repeatedly said it does not seek a US-style "hegemony" by extending its military reach, including through bases abroad.Now that it appears it may be doing precisely that, the government has been quietly briefing on its rationale for the Djibouti base and using state media to address fears of China's aims."China is explaining it as part of the 'one road, one belt' strategy, to help link Ethiopia to the sea," said one Western diplomat who has been briefed by Chinese officials on the Djibouti base, referring to China's New Silk Road strategy.That involves opening trade corridors across continents that will help bolster the Chinese economy and connect it with the rest of the world.A 4 billion dollars railway will connect Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to Djibouti's new Chinese-invested port, where a military facility will be located, according to Chinese media.A second diplomat, also been briefed by China on the plans, said it was an "unusual" move by the normally secretive Chinese government to try and bring a degree of transparency to its plans."China does not want to be seen as a threat," the diplomat said.INDIAN ALARMIn a lengthy statement to Reuters, China's Defence Ministry confirmed it had communicated its intentions about Djibouti to "relevant countries and international organisations", reiterating the facility was mostly for resupply purposes for anti-piracy, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations."What needs to be stressed is that China upholds a path of peaceful development ... and has never engaged in an arms race or military expansion. This will never change."Djibouti, which already hosts military facilities for the United States and France, has echoed Beijing's line that the base will be used for refuelling and other logistical support to fight piracy and protect trade routes.But it also says the West should not be worried if China seeks "military outposts", given that Western nations have had them for years around the world.Construction began in February in the country of fewer than a million people, striving to be an international shipping hub.Djibouti's location on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fuelled worries in India that it will become another of China's "string of pearls" of military alliances and assets ringing India, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.Indian military officials told Reuters that China's naval presence in Djibouti would add another dimension to India's military contingency planning, so far confined to land and air operations stemming from a decades-old border dispute with China across the Himalayas.Together with China's involvement in Pakistan's Gwadar port, another potential military base, the role of China's navy would be greatly enhanced and posed a threat to the Indian navy, Indian army brigadier Mandip Singh said in a paper for the government-funded Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses."Djibouti also enables China to base its long-range naval air assets there. And these are capable of maintaining surveillance over the Arabian Sea as well as India's island territories off the Western coast," he wrote.The Western diplomat briefed on the Chinese plans added: "If I were Indian I would be very worried about what China is up to in Djibouti."A U.S. State Department spokesman said late last year: "We look forward to gaining greater clarity as to the roles and purposes of this new facility, and note that China participates in international counter piracy actions in the Gulf of Aden."STRING OF AFRICAN PEARLSMore bases may be on the way, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hinted at this month's annual meeting of parliament.There are several African ports which China and Chinese firms are helping to build and develop. Commercial in nature, they all could berth Chinese naval ships one day.One Chinese diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the idea for the Djibouti facility came up last year when China's navy evacuated foreigners from Yemen.The Chinese frigate involved had to give most onboard supplies to those evacuated, leaving it with the problem of finding new supplies. Unlike the United States, China has no permanent resupply bases."It's a supply facility pure and simple," the source said.With Beijing keen not to call Djibouti a military base, state-run media has reined back using the term to describe it.The Global Times, an influential tabloid, quoted Chinese experts shortly after Wang spoke as saying China was not building a military base in Djibouti, only a supply facility.Djibouti's government, meanwhile, is keen to develop military cooperation with China."China is already well prepared to support Djibouti, to increase its military capabilities and guarantee its security," Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan said during a visit to Djibouti in 2014, in comments carried on the website of Djibouti's embassy in Beijing.REUTERS JW PR0636 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-651561.Xml Britain's membership of the European Union helps secure the country's energy supply from any possible threat by Vladimir Putin's Russia to restrict gas flows, energy minister Amber Rudd will say today.Her comments are part of the government's campaign to persuade Britons to vote to stay inside the EU at a June 23 referendum. Public opinion is evenly divided and many voters are undecided on an issue that will define the country's future global role.Rudd will argue in a speech that Britain's dependence on imported gas is "not without risk" and that EU membership gives it greater negotiating power in supply disputes.Russia provides around 30 percent of the EU's gas and a single supply deal signed last year by Britain's biggest energy supplier Centrica meant that at the time Russia's Gazprom would meet 9 percent of the country's gas needs."We have seen how countries such as Putin's Russia use their gas supplies as a tool of foreign policy, threatening to cut off supplies or drastically increase prices," Rudd will say according to advance extracts of her speech."We can't let our energy security be hijacked as a political pawn to bring Europe to its knees. By working together in the European Union, each member state can stop this becoming a reality ... To put it plainly - when it comes to Russian gas, united we stand, divided we fall."She will also say that an exit from the 28-member EU would threaten foreign investment in Britain's energy industry. REUTERS JW PR0635 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-651563.Xml A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's modeling agency, saying there was insufficient evidence a foreign-born model had been misled or was owed back pay.US District Judge Analisa Torres yesterday found that Alexia Palmer had not provided proof that Trump Model Management LLC fraudulently applied for a US visa for her or that she had been denied fair wages.Attorneys for both Palmer and the modeling agency could not be immediately reached for comment.Lawyers for Trump, who owns the agency but was not named directly in the suit, have called the case "frivolous" and "without merit."Palmer, a Jamaica native, sued in October 2014, alleging that for her three-year contract with the agency, she was promised a 75,000 dollars-a-year salary, but received just 3,880.75 dollars. She sought 250,000 dollars in back pay.The lawsuit also alleged Palmer's experience was part of a grander scheme to "lure foreign models to the United States" and cheat them out of their pay.But Torres said there was not enough evidence to prove that Palmer had worked the requisite number of hours over the three years to justify a minimum hourly wage complaint or warrant back pay.The case's dismissal was a setback for attorneys who sought to bring a class action against the agency on behalf of models. A group lawsuit could have drawn additional attention to Trump's employment of foreign-born workers as he seeks the Republican nomination for the November 3 election.Trump, a billionaire New York businessman, has acknowledged legally using foreign workers in his businesses but has said his experience would allow him to reform a visa system that can be easily manipulated.The case is Alexia Palmer v. Trump Model Management, et al., US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-08037. REUTERS JW PR0709 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-651568.Xml North Carolina's governor signed into law a measure that blocks local governments in the state from enacting ordinances to allow transgender people to use public bathrooms that match their gender identities.The legislation came in response to such a provision approved last month in Charlotte, the state's largest city, as part of an expanded nondiscrimination ordinance that also added protections for marital and familial status, sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.The bill passed both chambers of the legislature during a one-day special session convened in Raleigh to address the Charlotte law. Republican Governor Pat McCrory, who signed the bill late on yesterday, said the Charlotte measure "defies common sense.""The basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings, a restroom or locker room, for each gender was violated by government overreach and intrusion by the mayor and city council of Charlotte," McCrory said in a statement.Controversy over the bathroom component echoed similar fights across the country as transgender advocates push for the right to choose restrooms and locker rooms, including in schools, based on gender identity rather than birth gender.Republican lawmakers in North Carolina warned that the "radical" Charlotte measure would create a public safety issue by giving men, including sex offenders, access to women's bathrooms if allowed to take effect on April 1."This is a common sense bill that protects the privacy expectations of our citizens while clarifying local authority," said Republican Representative Paul Stam.Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy groups condemned the law's passage and said they were exploring legal challenges.They say no public safety risks had resulted in the more than 200 US cities that have enacted protections similar to those passed in Charlotte."We are disappointed that Governor McCrory did not do right by North Carolina's families, communities, and businesses by vetoing this horribly discriminatory bill," said Chris Brook, legal director of the state's American Civil Liberties Union.The bill requires multiple-occupancy bathrooms and locker rooms in public schools and government buildings to be used by people only according to their biological sex.The measure also creates North Carolina's first statewide nondiscrimination policy for public places, including restaurants, hotels and taxis. But it limits the protections against discrimination to race, religion, color, national origin and biological sex.Local governments would be prohibited from passing anti-discrimination ordinances that extended the protections to include gender identity and sexual orientation. REUTERS PS PM0937 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-651607.Xml "At the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Iranian President will visit Pakistan from March 25 to 26," the Express Tribune quoted a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office. This will be Rouhani's first visit to Pakistan as the President of Iran. The Iranian President will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and businessmen. During his stay is Islamabad, Rouhani will hold meetings with his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. "The leadership will have an exchange of views on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly after the lifting of sanctions on Iran that has opened new avenues for enhancing economic interaction," Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakria said. He added that cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual concern will also be discussed. The visit comes days after Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif toured Saudi Arabia to witness the multi-national military exercises. Pakistan is although part of Saudi-led 34-nation counter-terrorism alliance, it is trying to ensure that its move does not affect its ties with Iran. Meanwhile, reports say that Pakistani leadership will take the Iranian President into confidence about its decision to join the Saudi alliance. Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif had expressed his desire to strengthen relations with Iran. (ANI) President Barack Obama will honor victims of Argentina's "Dirty War" today, the 40th anniversary of a military coup that led to a seven-year crackdown against Marxist rebels, labor unions and leftist opponents.Obama described the 1976-1983 dictatorship, during which the Argentine security forces killed up to 30,000 people, as a "dark period" in Argentina's history. But he has stopped short of apologizing for the United States' early support for the generals.He promised yesterday to declassify military and intelligence records related to the dictatorship-era, a time when Cold War thinking often put Washington behind right-wing governments in Latin America.Obama will visit a memorial park during his second day in the country. The president said the symbolic stop was meant "to make sure that we acknowledge the incredible heroism and courage of those who stood up against these human rights violations."Many Argentines welcome both gestures."Obama is not going to say outright 'forgive us', but he's saying it through his actions," said Daniel Slutzky, a 75-year-old college professor.Obama's visit to Argentina is a show of support for President Mauricio Macri's sharp u-turn away from the nationalist policies of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez, who frequently railed against the United States and picked a fight with US bondholders.The US president flew to Argentina from Cuba, where he challenged President Raul Castro on human rights and political freedoms even as the two men cast aside decades of hostility that began soon after Cuba's 1959 revolution.Obama said on Wednesday it was "gratifying to see Argentina champion our shared commitment to human rights". Yet Macri's opponents balk at the suggestion the socially conservative leader is a staunch defender of rights.One group of victims' relatives labeled the timing of Obama's visit a provocation against those struggling against impunity."We will not allow the power that orchestrated dictatorships in Latin America and oppresses people across the world to cleanse itself and use the memory of our 30,000 murdered compatriots to strengthen its imperialist agenda," the group said in a statement.Later today, Obama will switch briefly into vacation mode, traveling with his family to the lakeside town of Bariloche in Patagonia.The Obamas will return to Buenos Aires in the evening before taking an overnight flight on Air Force One back home to Washington, wrapping up a trip aimed at improving relations with countries in Latin America despite rocky history. REUTERS SHS VN1626 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-651939.Xml The US-led coalition conducted 34 strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic State in its latest round of daily strikes against the militants, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.Yesterday, in Syria, eight strikes near four cities - Al Hawl, Manbij, Mar'a and Palmyra -- hit seven of the militant groups' fighting positions and three tactical units, among other targets, the coalition said in the statement released today.In Iraq, 26 strikes near nine cities hit an Islamic State weapons storage facility and communication facility as well as 12 tactical units, the statement said. The strikes, concentrated near Mosul, Sinjar and Hit, also hit several vehicles, mortar positions and a weapons cache, it added.REUTERS SHS BL1731 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-652053.Xml Initially opposing to be sent home, Abdeslam wanted to return to France "to explain himself", news channel BFMTV quoted his lawyer Sven Mary as saying. "Salah Abdeslam has asked me to inform you that he wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible. He wants to explain himself and this is a good thing," the lawyer said, according to Xinhua. Belgian public broadcaster RTBF reported that a Brussels court must decide on Thursday whether to extend the detention period for Abdeslam and several other suspects arrested in connection with the Paris attacks. Abdeslam, who was arrested in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, will not appear at the court hearing, RTBF added. The 26-year-old Frenchman, raised in Belgium, was accused of "participation in terrorist murder" that left 130 victims dead in the French capital on November 13 last year. According to a Paris prosecutor, he had planned to blow himself up in Paris, but changed his mind. --Indo-Asian News Service pm/ ( 195 Words) 2016-03-24-19:01:35 (IANS) Morocco said today it had dismantled a suspected militant cell linked to Islamic State's affiliate in Libya and that some of the nine men arrested were planning attacks in the North African kingdom.It was the latest in a series of radical Islamist groups Morocco says it has broken up. An interior ministry statement said the cell was operating in the city of Marrakesh, the coastal town of Sidi Bennour and in Smara, which is in the neighbouring territory of Western Sahara.It said the nine group members were inspired by another militant from Sidi Bennour who was killed in the Libyan capital Tripoli when militants attacked a prison in September 2015 in a attempt to free inmates there.Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ), the judicial part of the Moroccan domestic intelligence service, has actively tracked alleged militants since Islamic State seized large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014-15.Hundreds of fighters from Morocco and other Maghreb states like Tunisia and Algeria have joined Islamist militant forces in Syria's civil war. Some are threatening to return and create new jihadist wings in their home countries, security experts say.Nearby Libya has become a major draw for jihadists from North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa as Islamic State has taken advantage of the security chaos there to build a base, operate training camps and take over the city of Sirte.The Moroccan government believes 1,500 Moroccan nationals are fighting with militant factions in Syria and Iraq. About 220 have returned home and been jailed, and 286 have been killed in battle.Morocco, an ally of the West against Islamist militancy, has suffered militant attacks in the past, most recently in 2011 in Marrakesh when an explosion tore through a cafe and killed 15 people, mostly foreigners.REUTERS SHS BL1814 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-652148.Xml Egypt has launched a new crackdown on human rights groups, questioning staff and ordering asset freezes over accusations they took foreign funding to destabilise the country after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Egyptian rights activists say they are facing the worst assault in their history in a wider campaign to erase the freedoms won in the 18-day revolt that began on Jan. 25, 2011. Some say they are working from home in anticipation of arrests as the noose tightens on non-governmental organisations that have faced growing pressure since the burst of activism that accompanied the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled autocrats from Tunisia to Yemen. It is not clear how many groups will be investigated in the case that has so far affected staff or management from at least six of Egypt's best-known rights groups. They include Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and Gamal Eid, founder of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. An investigating magistrate has banned both men from travelling abroad and ordered their assets frozen pending an April 20 court decision. EIPR associate director Heba Morayef expects that freeze to be extended to the group as a whole, potentially forcing its office to close. "I think some in the security agencies see human rights organisations as part of this global conspiracy to sow chaos, and that is actually in the asset freeze order," Morayef told Reuters. "This would be the biggest blow to human rights organisations in 30 years." Egypt's Social Solidarity Minister Ghadi Waly, who oversees the NGO sector in Egypt, did not respond to a written request for comment this week. There was also no comment from Egypt's prosecutors, who have banned reporting of the legal details of the case. Since toppling elected president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013, general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Sisi has overseen a crackdown on opposition in which hundreds of Brotherhood supporters were killed and thousands jailed. The net has widened to include liberal and secular activists at the forefront of the 2011 revolt. Many are behind bars, charged with violating a 2013 law which prevents a repeat of the protests that helped unseat two presidents in three years. Sisi portrays himself as a bulwark of stability in a region that has slipped into chaos since the 2011 revolts, prioritising security over civil rights. UNDER PRESSURE NGOs have felt exposed since late 2011, when authorities raided 17 pro-democracy and rights groups, accusing them of joining a foreign conspiracy against Egypt. In 2013, a court ordered the closure of several foreign pro-democracy groups, including U.S.-based Freedom House, and gave jail sentences to 43 NGO staff including 15 Americans who had fled the country. A case against dozens more Egyptian NGOs and lawyers was never closed but remained largely dormant until this year. None of the NGO staff summoned for questioning have been formally charged. Egyptian law allows prosecutors to freeze assets, ban travel and remand suspects in custody for extended periods without charge. NGOs say they have received scant information on the investigation. It is not illegal for NGOs in Egypt to receive foreign funding, according to Negad al Borai, a senior lawyer and anti-torture campaigner who is representing Behgat and others, but that funding may not be used for illegal activities, including those that undermine security. According to a defence lawyer's written notes of the magistrate's asset freeze request memo, the groups in question saw a spike in foreign funding immediately after the 2011 revolt. In the memo, the magistrate concludes that foreign funds were used to harm national security, destabilise Egypt and divide different social classes with the aim of "ensuring the failure of the Egyptian authorities." "This all started because in 2011 ... the security agencies wanted to find an explanation for what happened on Jan. 25. So they said money came to the NGOs before January and this is the cause of what happened," said Mohamed Zaree, Egypt programme manager at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS). "But what happened actually happened because of the interior ministry, because of torture, because of repression, because of the state of emergency." Zaree has not been summoned but two former staffers have, and CIHRS shifted its regional studies activities to Tunis in 2014 as the space for free speech shrank. INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM The crackdown comes at a sensitive time for Egypt, which has been battling an Islamic State insurgency in northern Sinai and a weak economy. It is keen to burnish its international image but has faced new criticism over human rights from the European Parliament since an Italian student murdered in Cairo in February. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern last week over Egypt's decision to reopen its probe into the NGOs. In February, authorities closed the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture and the dragnet has widened to include women's groups. This week, the Nazra for Feminist Studies group saw three employees questioned. Its director Mozn Hassan has also been summoned. "They want to stigmatise us," Hassan told Reuters. "They want to say publicly that those people are spies, that those people are not patriots." Most human rights groups do not deny receiving foreign funds and say any move to freeze their assets or to close funding sources would severely limit their activities. The campaign to curb NGO activities dates back almost as far as their establishment in the 1980s. NGOs had hoped the law would be reformed after 2011 to give them more freedom. Five years on, the NGO law is still in the works. In the meantime, the Social Solidarity Ministry has ordered NGOs to register under a law that would give it ultimate control over their funding and activities. Groups like EIPR say they have tried to register but faced bureaucratic obstacles. Most rights groups are instead registered as companies or law firms and say they work within the law. "Their goal is to eliminate several organisations that have been outspoken in the past few years," EIPR founder Bahgat said. "I think this is not a bluff." REUTERS AY RAI2258 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0352-652414.Xml BOAO, March 24, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang(2nd R) holds a dialogue with entrepreneurs attending Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 24, 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) BOAO, Hainan, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday highlighted global cooperation as he reassured entrepreneurs attending Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) that China's market will stay open. The premier said, "there are more hopes than difficulties" when meeting with entrepreneurs in a symposium on the sidelines of the annual conference in the southernmost island province of Hainan. "We hope to forge our new future here in China," said Deloitte's global chairman David Cruickshank, adding that next year marks the centennial anniversary for the company in China. Cruickshank said the company was devoted to supporting China as it pursues reforms and innovation amid the new economic reality. Premier Li said he was delighted to see Deloitte in cooperation with Chinese enterprises, and that China will work to ensure a level playing field for all enterprises regardless of their ownership. China will gradually open up industries that are monopolized by state-owned enterprises for the participation of private and foreign companies. He did not specify which industries they would be. Takeshi Uchiyamada, chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., said the company is happy to contribute to the green growth of China. He said he sees a role for Japanese companies as China tries to deal with its environmental woes. In partnership with Chinese companies, Toyota sold 1.3 million cars in China last year. The company began selling two of its hybrid cars in China in October last year. Premier Li said China was pursuing green development as part of its economic transition, and is encouraging the development of vehicles powered by new types of energy. He said he would like to see Japanese companies, especially Toyota, boost cooperation with Chinese car companies on new energy vehicles. Chinese market is open, and will be more open to foreign companies, Li said. He added that China was negotiating free trade agreements with many countries and is in talks with other Asian countries on the establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Li Shufu, chair of China's auto maker Geely, said his company was cooperating with Toyota on battery technology for hybrid cars. Premier Li said China was like a hybrid car, as traditional and new growth drivers are both in place to support the economy. Mass innovation and entrepreneurship are boosting the new growth drivers and China will eventually overcome the challenges and move to a higher level of economic development, the premier said. "Kazakhstan has benefited from China's Belt and Road initiative and China's plan to build large power plants and steel plants in the country," said Machkevitch Alexander Antonovich, chair of the Board of Managers of Eurasian Resources Group. Li said that the two nations have reached initial agreements to cooperate on more than 50 projects. The two countries should aim for win-win cooperation. The equipment China transfers to Kazakhstan will be advanced and environmentally-friendly. John Micklethwait, Bloomberg's editor in chief, talked about the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Premier Li said the AIIB was founded in accordance with the international common practice and it runs parallel with institutions like the Asian Development Bank, not a rival to the current international financial system. "Committed to upholding world peace and global free trade system, China has become an important force in safeguarding world peace and supporting global economic recovery," Li added. Related: Premier Li urges business circle to tighten cross-Strait ties BOAO, Hainan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang has urged business people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to firmly safeguard the political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and deepen cross-Strait economic cooperation. Li made the remarks on Thursday while meeting a delegation headed by Vincent Siew, honorary chairman of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, at the ongoing 2016 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA). Full story Chinese premier meets members of BFA board of directors BOAO, Hainan, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with members of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) board of directors Thursday in China's southern city of Sanya, hailing the forum as a platform for countries to open their minds and conduct discussions for innovation and industrial revolution. Coming off of a fresh round of state primaries and heading into a day of Democratic caucuses in Hawaii, Alaska and Washington state on Saturday, it seems as good a time as any to check in on the 2016 presidential candidates to see where they stand. Nationwide, businessman-turned-politician Donald Trump still leads his opponents, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, by an average of 15.4 percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics. A Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday put Trump's support at 43%, while Cruz had 29% and Kasich had 16%. Read more: Topless Woman Interrupts Bernie Sanders at Phoenix Rally The same poll put former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ahead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders 50% to 38%, although a CNN/ORC poll released Monday indicates that Sanders may be closing that gap; 51% of respondents said they'd most like to see Clinton get the party's nomination for president, whereas 44% said the same of Sanders. However, his numbers are up since the last CNN/ORC poll, in which 38% opted for him. Clinton's percentage was four points higher at the time. Hillary Clinton campaigns in Phoenix one day before the state's primary. Clinton is still ahead nationwide, according to RCP, with a 9.6-point lead on Sanders. The March 22 primaries in Arizona, Utah and Idaho made for a change in recent voting patterns, but they didn't reverse either party's pecking order. In Tuesday's contest in Arizona, Trump scored big, with 47.1% of the votes against Cruz's 24.9% and Kasich's 10%. Because Arizona's GOP primary is winner-take-all, Trump added the state's 58 delegates to his tally. Clinton bested Sanders in the Grand Canyon State, where the party's primary was colored by some pretty shady behavior. She won 57.6% of the vote to his 39.9%, gaining 44 delegates to his 30. Super long lines at Arizona polling places point to suspicious activity in Democratic primary. It was a different story in Utah, however, where the Republican caucus ran firmly in Cruz's favor. He won the state's 40 delegates with 69.2% of the vote, versus Kasich's 16.8% and Trump's 14%. In the Democratic caucus, Sanders was victorious, winning 79.3% of the vote to Clinton's 20.3%. Sanders got 26 delegates from the Beehive State, while Clinton got six. Cruz also overtook Trump in Idaho, garnering 45.4% of his party's vote to Trump's 28.1% and Kasich's 7.1%. Cruz was awarded 20 delegates and Trump, 12. Sanders beat Clinton here too and by a wide margin. His 78% voter support won him 17 delegates, while her 21.2% got her just five. Where does that leave them? Trump still leads the Republican race, with 738 of the party's requisite-for-nomination 1,237 delegates. Cruz has 463 and Kasich has 143. Clinton, meanwhile, has 1,223 delegates against Sanders' 920. Curt Wimberly, a student in Georgetown University Law Center's J.D. and LL.M. in taxation joint degree program, knew he was interested in tax law from the start of his legal education. After taking some tax-related courses as a J.D. student, he was confident that applying to the joint program would be a worthwhile option: It would allow him to gain the legal knowledge that any lawyer needs to succeed while also focusing on a specific subject area. "To be able to pursue both degrees and have access to the entire tax curriculum at Georgetown is why I chose to do that originally," says Wimberly, who had previously worked in an accounting firm and is now in his final semester at Georgetown. For U.S. law students looking to pursue careers in highly specialized fields like tax law, a joint J.D. -LL.M. degree program might be the way to go. Meanwhile, international students may also pursue an LL.M. , or Master of Laws degree, for different reasons, such as to better understand U.S. law practice and enter global firms or companies, says Justin Swinsick, associate director of graduate admissions at Georgetown Law, which offers five joint J.D.-LL.M. degree options. U.S. students contemplating this route should ask themselves and program officials these five questions. 1. Will adding an LL.M. help you achieve your career goals? Experts say students should consult an academic adviser to determine whether adding an LL.M. to their J.D. is worth the cost depending on their goals, especially as legal experts' opinions about the value of doing so in many disciplines can vary. [Discover how, though controversial, LL.M.'s can lead to specialized legal jobs.] Still, there may be compelling reasons to pursue the degree, and Swinsick recommends that students search for individuals with the types of jobs they would be interested in down the line and ask whether they think the joint degree is a good idea. "I think that kind of firsthand advice from somebody is really, really helpful for a student in determining if a program is going to put them in that position," Swinsick says. Story continues 2. What are the joint program's enrollment options and procedures? Many joint degree students from the U.S. choose that option after already starting their J.D. education, experts say. Interested students, therefore, should check out their enrollment options and a school's application procedures for the second degree. Many programs allow students to apply to the LL.M. component during their second or third year of law school. For example, J.D. students and alumni at the New York University School of Law can add a part-time or full-time LL.M. in taxation. Many part-time LL.M. students, therefore, have time to also work at law firms and other venues, says John Stephens, director of the graduate tax program at the school. [Understand how law schools work to make students more employable.] He points to a scenario that might arise for these students: "If the law firm or I want to start work quicker, will I be able to do that, and if so, what would that look like? How long would I have to finish the program?" 3. Are you willing to possibly spend extra time on a joint degree? At some schools, a full-time joint J.D. -LL.M. degree can add an extra semester of education -- as opposed to a full year, which would likely be the case if pursued separately -- though this varies across institutions. Experts say interested students should ensure that they are willing to invest their time and money in the joint degree. At Georgetown, the joint degree programs -- with LL.M.s offered in areas such as taxation, national security law and environmental law -- typically last seven semesters, which is generally less time than it would take to earn the two degrees individually, but longer than the J.D. alone. However, students at the Washington University School of Law have options of either a six- or seven-semester joint J.D. -Tax LL.M. program, depending on when they apply. 4. What are you looking for in terms of faculty? Patricia Brown, director of the graduate program in taxation at the University of Miami School of Law, says students should understand what type of faculty would be teaching them in a given program. This might involve a combination of adjunct professors with expertise in particular industries in addition to regular professors. "Look at what the professors are writing about," Brown says. "If they're writing about something that sounds exciting, you probably would be interested in talking to that professor." 5. How do student services work in the joint degree program? It's important for students to understand how student services, such as career advising, operate in a joint degree program. [Check out three nonlegal careers for law school graduates.] Swinsick suggests students consider whether services are the same across the two programs. "Do they have specialized people that just work with LL.M. students, or is it just the J.D. career services that focus mostly on the J.D. students?" he says. This is important, he says, so students "don't find themselves in a circumstance where they may be isolated and not have the support they thought they were going to get because they're now in a different cohort." Searching for a law school? Get our complete rankings of Best Law Schools. Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Salah Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect in November's Paris attacks, will no longer fight extradition to France as he had vowed to do but instead now wants to return to "explain himself", his lawyer said on Thursday. Abdeslam, a French citizen, was arrested in Brussels on March 18 after a four-month manhunt in the wake of the Nov. 13 shooting and suicide bombing rampage by Islamic State militants that killed 130 people in Paris. His lawyer, Sven Mary, told reporters in Brussels that he hoped Abdeslam's return to Paris could happen "as soon as possible ... Regarding going to France, I think it's really a question of weeks". Paris prosecutor Francois Molins had said last week that at worst it could take three months for Abdeslam to be handed over to France after the suspect said he would oppose extradition. Investigations into suicide bombings in Brussels on Tuesday - also claimed by Islamic State and in which at least 31 people died - have pointed in Abdeslam's direction as well, indicating that the same jihadist network was involved in both the Paris and Brussels attacks, police said. Mary said Abdeslam was due in court in Brussels on March 31 to face a European arrest warrant issued by France. This warrant is a procedure reserved for European Union member states that speeds up the traditional extradition process by preventing government authorities from blocking any transfer. Asked whether Abdeslam, born and raised in Brussels, was still helping police investigators, Mary declined to comment, citing client confidentiality. Mary had said on Monday that Abdeslam was collaborating and communicating, and that he was "worth his weight in gold" for the investigation. As the only suspected participant or planner of the Paris attacks in police custody, Abdeslam would be a possible significant source of information on others involved in support networks, financing and links with Islamic State in Syria, investigators have said. (This story corrects paragraph 7 to show Abdeslam born and raised in Brussels) (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Andrew Callus and Mark Heinrich) By Abhirup Roy (Reuters) - Accenture Plc raised its full-year net revenue forecast well above analysts' expectations and reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, led by strong growth in its consulting business, especially in North America. Shares of the company, whose competitors include IBM Corp and India's Infosys Ltd and Tata Consultancy Services, rose as much as 5.1 percent to a record high of $113.18 in early trading on Thursday. Accenture has been investing heavily to boost its digital business, which offers analytics, content management, social media and cloud services to businesses. "The company is very well positioned for newer, more discretionary projects, particularly around digital initiatives, where it's certainly taking share," Atlantic Equities analyst Christopher Hickey said. Accenture is also less exposed to the healthcare and banking industries than some of its competitors, Hickey told Reuters. The company, which is incorporated in Ireland, said it now expected full-year net revenue to increase by 8-10 percent in local currency terms, up from its previous estimate of 6-9 percent. That implies revenue of $33.53 billion-$34.15 billion, well above the average analyst estimate of $32.20 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue in the company's consulting division rose to $4.29 billion in the second quarter ended Feb. 29, an increase of 12 percent in dollar terms and 18 percent in local currency. The business accounted for a little more than half of Accenture's revenue, with the rest coming from its outsourcing business. Outsourcing revenue was $3.65 billion, flat in dollar terms but up 6 percent in local currency. Accenture's shares were up 3.3 percent at $111.29 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Up to Wednesday's close, Accenture's stock had risen nearly 18 percent in the past 12 months compared with a 0.5 percent increase in the S&P 500 IT Services index. Net revenue, or revenue before reimbursements, rose 6 percent in dollar terms and 12 percent in local currency terms, to $7.95 billion in the latest quarter. Net income attributable to Accenture rose to $1.33 billion, or $2.08 per share, from $690.7 million, or $1.08 per share in the year-earlier period. Excluding items, the company earned $1.34 per share. Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.18 per share and revenue of $7.72 billion. (Reporting by Abhirup Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Ted Kerr) Washington (AFP) - An activist investment firm Thursday launched a bid for control of Yahoo, saying Marissa Mayer's management team has "failed to deliver results" that would revive the struggling Internet pioneer. In an open letter to Yahoo shareholders, Starboard Value LP said it would nominate nine "highly qualified" directors to the company's board -- a move likely to pave the way for a sale or merger of Yahoo. "We believe that Yahoo is deeply undervalued and opportunities exist within the control of management and the board of directors to unlock significant value for the benefit of all shareholders," said Starboard, which owns about 1.7 percent of the company's shares. "We have been extremely disappointed with Yahoo's dismal financial performance, poor management execution, egregious compensation and hiring practices, and general lack of accountability and oversight by the board." Responding to the letter, Yahoo said in a statement that the board nominating and governance committee "will review Starboard's proposed director nominees and respond in due course." Although Yahoo is one of the best-known names on the Internet and is used by around one billion people, it has fallen behind Google in Internet searches and has been steadily losing ground in online advertising. Ironically, Mayer joined Yahoo as chief executive from Google less than three years ago as a result of a proxy war launched by a different activist investor group. While Mayer has injected some energy and glamour into the company, Yahoo's finances have failed to improve and its core operations are valued in the market as worthless, with the company's valuation propped up by its stakes in China's Alibaba and Yahoo Japan. Roger Kay, analyst and consultant with Endpoint Technologies Associates, said Yahoo has simply been overtaken as new models emerge for the Internet. "Yahoo is an old-fashioned portal vintage 1999; it's still useful as a portal but it can't become something else," Kay said. Story continues Under the current situation, "I think the breakup of Yahoo is imminent, as is the departure of Marissa Mayer." - More restructuring - In February, Yahoo said it was cutting 15 percent of its workforce and narrowing its focus as it explores "strategic alternatives." The announcement, coming with the release of a big quarterly loss, offered the first sign that Yahoo may be open to a sale or merger after years of struggling to regain its former glory. The California company reported a loss of $4.43 billion in the final three months of last year, due mostly to lowering the value of its US, Canada, Europe, Latin America and Tumblr units. Yahoo said at the time it was launching "an aggressive strategic plan to simplify the company, narrowing its focus on areas of strength to better fuel growth." At the same time, it said it was looking at "additional strategic alternatives," suggesting it could seek a deal to sell or merge the company. Mayer has been seeking to push Yahoo toward mobile as she seeks to streamline operations and cut back on some digital content. But the research firm eMarketer said Yahoo's critical advertising revenues were expected to fall 14 percent this year as it lags behind rivals such as Google and Microsoft. Starboard's letter said that "we have been extremely disappointed with Yahoo's dismal financial performance, poor management execution, egregious compensation and hiring practices, and general lack of accountability and oversight." One measure of Yahoo earnings, Starboard said, fell 47 percent year over year. "This atrocious performance is even more appalling when you consider the billions of dollars spent in recent years on what has proven to be wasteful acquisitions and research and development expenditures," the letter said, noting that $2.3 billion was spent on acquisitions since 2012 but that more than half of that has been written down. Starboard is proposing a slate of directors which includes its chief Jeffrey Smith, who has been active in pressing for change at other firms ranging from AOL -- which was sold last year to Verizon -- to Darden Restaurants. Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy said the Starboard effort "complicates the deconstruction of Yahoo in its core business" as the group seeks to divest its hefty stake in Alibaba. "What Starboard really wants is some kind of payback for their investment losses, not to run the company with their board," Moorhead told AFP. "I don't expect this board swap-out to get too far and (it) could result in Starboard suing Yahoo and its board members for breaking their fiduciary responsibilities." By Alan Baldwin LONDON (Reuters) - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Thursday it would investigate allegations that Chinese swimming covered up positive tests ahead of Olympic trials due to be held next month. The Times newspaper reported claims by whistleblowers that five positive tests, two believed to have been failed in October and the others at the turn of the year, were suppressed "to avoid a storm". WADA, which has already said it will probe earlier claims in the newspaper of 'systematic drug use' in Russian swimming, expressed concern. "These are very serious allegations concerning Chinese Swimming that warrant further examination," it said in a statement. "WADA is now fully scrutinising the information that The Times newspaper has passed on to us so that we can determine exactly what the appropriate steps are and so that we can address this matter head on." China finished second to the United States in the swimming medal tables at the 2012 London Olympic Games, and top in the 2014 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, with the host nation third. Rebecca Adlington, who won the 400 and 800 metres freestyle titles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said swimmers at the Rio Games in August needed to be confident they were racing against 'clean' opponents. "This is a subject that, as a former athlete, I know all about," said the Briton, now retired from competitive swimming. "We know what it feels like to step up on your blocks at an Olympic Games and look sideways at the other swimmers in the next lanes and be thinking 'are you clean? Are you not? Is something going to come out afterwards? "Something has to happen," she added. "FINA and the organisers really have to go into it further and have a full-on investigation. That's the only way we are going to be able to say the sport is clean." An official reached by telephone at the Chinese Swimming Association's news office, who would not give his name, said he was unaware of the newspaper report. Swimming's world body FINA said on Wednesday that they had asked the Times to share any information with them about Russian swimmers. "Any new allegations of doping in our sport, which are substantiated by evidence and which have not already been addressed, will be investigated as a matter of utmost urgency," it added. The Russian Swimming Federation said it condemned the taking of banned substances and "information regarding the hiding of positive doping tests is completely false." Russian sport was thrown into turmoil last year when a report by WADA exposed endemic cheating and corruption in Russian athletics. Russian track and field athletes have been suspended from international competition and will miss the Olympics if the country cannot get the ban overturned, a humiliating blow to the pride and prestige of a sporting superpower. (Additional reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Lidia Kelly in Moscow, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Martyn Herman) No one noticed as the tall, thin man carried a package into the Capitol and left it in the Senate reception room. It was nearly July 4, 1915, and Congress hadnt been in session since March, but many of the legislative buildings were open and thinly guarded. Frank Holt, 44, sneaked back out and made his way to Union Station. At 11.40 p.m., the package exploded, wrecking the ornately decorated room but hurting no one. Around that time, a Washington newspaper received a note signed by R. Pearce that claimed responsibility, noting that the blast aimed to make enough noise to be heard above the voices that clamor for war and serve as an exclamation point for an appeal for peace. But that appeal was far from over: Upon hearing the explosion, Holt boarded a northbound train and headed to his next target. In the space of a few days, he passed from deranged nut to lone-wolf terrorist and possible conspirator in the publics mind. The next morning, Holt reached the Long Island estate of J.P. Morgan Jr. The son of the iconic J.P. Morgan was following in his fathers footsteps and proving a strong supporter of the British, serving openly as Britains purchasing agent for munitions. Holt stormed into the house, and the two men fought until a butler knocked Holt out with a lump of coal to the head. Only after Holt was restrained did Morgan realize hed been shot in the groin, albeit not seriously. At the police station, Holt calmly confessed to the D.C. bombing but said hed only wanted to talk to Morgan and persuade him to stop financing and shipping munitions. He even claimed the shooting was accidental. Holt was peddling a combination of lies and half-truths. He said he was a native-born American and pacifist who worked as a German professor at Cornell and had taught at other universities. But with his picture fronting newspapers nationwide, the lies soon caught up with him. He was really German-born Erich Muenter, wanted in Massachusetts for the murder of his wife 10 years earlier. His talent for languages had indeed landed him a job teaching German at Harvard. But 10 days after the birth of his second daughter, Muenters wife, Leona, died suspiciously; it was later determined that she had succumbed to arsenic poisoning. By the time Cambridge police issued an arrest warrant, Muenter had disappeared; a nationwide search and $1,000 reward failed to find any trace of him. Story continues It turned out that Muenter had been hiding in plain sight. Under his new name he continued teaching German at colleges around the country and remarried. At the time of the attacks, his second wife was waiting for him in Dallas, where he had been hired to teach at Southern Methodist University. But after leaving Cornell, Muenter rented a house in New Jersey and began stockpiling dynamite. His former Cornell colleagues said Muenter had made strongly inflammatory pro-German comments. Hed also written to Kaiser Wilhelm, supposedly as part of his one-man campaign to keep America out of the war. Police in New Jersey compared the purchase records of the dynamite with the small amount used in Washington and the sticks found in Muenters car and coat. Worryingly, some of the stockpile was missing. While Muenter sat in his cell, the headquarters of the New York City police were bombed on July 4, 1915. Three days later, a bomb exploded on the ship Minnehaha on the same day Muenter had written in a note that there would be attacks on two other ships carrying arms to England. Other than that coincidence, there was no evidence that Muenter was part of a pro-German plot to bomb American targets. In the space of a few days, he passed from deranged nut to lone-wolf terrorist and possible conspirator in the publics mind. Muenter reflected many of the traits of the lone-wolf terrorists we are seeing today, says Jeffrey D. Simon, visiting lecturer at UCLA and author of Lone Wolf Terrorism: Understanding the Growing Threat. He was smart, dangerous, had access to explosives and combined personal and emotional problems with the desire to commit violence in the name of some cause. The British and French governments leaped on the story as further evidence of German hostility, an accusation made easy to swallow by the recent sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-boat that May. Muenters bombing undoubtedly lent credence to fears about German traitors and spies on American soil during World War I, says University of Kansas professor Lorie Vanchena. But Muenter never answered the conspiracy accusations. On July 6, the day before the ship bombing, Muenter climbed to the top of his cell block and threw himself down head first, breaking open his skull. A prominent New York psychiatrist asked for Muenters brain in order to examine it for criminal abnormalities. A jailer obligingly shoveled it into a bucket and sent it to the doctor. Related Articles LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola's population has risen to nearly 26 million from earlier estimates of around 21 million, according to the results of a 2014 census released on Thursday. The capital Luanda has the highest number of residents at over 6.9 million, while the average age of the population is 20.6 years, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said in a report. The government says accurate population statistics will help it allocate funding for key sectors of the economy such as health, education, housing, social security and infrastructure. Angola is Africa's second biggest oil exporter and crude sales account for around 95 percent of its foreign exchange earnings. Its economy has been hit by a sharp decline in oil prices since mid-2014, forcing deep cuts in public spending. The census shows the literacy rate remains low, with only 13 percent of young people aged 18-24 years completing secondary education. The labor market accounted for 40 percent of Angola's people, the INE said. (Writing by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by Joe Brock) By Scott Malone and Colleen Jenkins (Reuters) - Families of Americans missing in Brussels since this week's deadly suicide bombings by Islamist militants were desperate on Thursday for any word of their loved ones after a false alarm that a missing U.S. couple had been found. About a dozen Americans were hurt in Tuesday's attacks on Brussels' airport and a metro station, but there have been no confirmed U.S. fatalities so far, according to U.S. officials, who added that the situation remained very fluid. At least 31 people were killed and more than 270 wounded in the blasts that were claimed by the Islamic State militant group and sent shockwaves across Europe and the world. Among the U.S. citizens still unaccounted for were Justin and Stephanie Shults, originally from Tennessee and Kentucky but now living in Belgium. Adding to their relatives' anxiety, the Shults were wrongly said to have been located on Wednesday. Justin's brother, Levi Sutton, said a State Department official told his mother the couple had been found, but that an hour later a social worker called the mother to say the information was incorrect. "Nothing is clear at this point so I don't want to say anything else," Sutton told Reuters in a Facebook message. It was not immediately clear what led to the confusion but when asked about the Shults family being given incorrect information, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, We certainly apologize for any misunderstanding. The couple have not been heard from since they dropped off Stephanie's mother at the Brussels airport shortly before the check-in area was rocked by the powerful explosion. Stephanie Shults works for food company Mars Inc., and Justin is employed by a filtration system company. "We are working with authorities, and if you have any information that will help locate Stephanie and Justin, please message us directly," Mars said in a Facebook post. Story continues Sutton said on Twitter that his mother would be arriving in Belgium on Thursday, "and hopefully she can get some answers." Stephanie's mother had her hearing damaged by the blast but has vowed to remain in Belgium until her daughter and son-in-law are found, her sister Betty Newsom told NBC station WAVE. "OFFICIAL AMERICANS" MISSING The chairman of the U.S. House intelligence committee, Representative Devin Nunes of California, said on Wednesday that the attacks may have targeted Americans.. The State Department's Toner said the government was aware of about a dozen U.S. citizens who had been wounded in the attacks and had no indication that any U.S. citizens had been killed. He said among those still unaccounted for were two "official Americans," meaning they were U.S. government employees or their family members. That description could include both State Department employees, military employees or others, he said. The United States has a large diplomatic and military presence in Brussels, including at the U.S. missions to Belgium, the European Union and NATO, which are headquartered in the city. Counted among the Americans confirmed injured in the bombings were three missionaries from the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as a U.S. Air Force airman and four members of his family. Sister and brother Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski, whose citizenship was unclear but who lived in New York, were also at the airport and are unaccounted for, U.S. media reports said. The New York Daily News reported that the siblings had just arrived in Belgium and that they were speaking by telephone with a relative when the attackers struck. "Please help find my boyfriend and his sister Alex Pinczowski Sascha Pinczowski," a New York woman named Cameron Cain appealed on Twitter. (Reporting by Scott Malone in Boston and Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Alistair Bell) Arizona residents Andrew and Denise Brandt, who were at the Brussels airport in Belgium at the time of the terrorist attacks there, both say they are overwhelmed with horror and shock and feel lucky to have survived the bloodbath. The couple landed on Tuesday at the Brussels airport waiting to catch a connecting flight to Liberia, where Denise works for the aid agency Jhpiego Health Services. They had traveled to Bangkok, Thailand to attend a conference and to celebrate their upcoming anniversary on March 28. The Arizona residents had just left a duty-free store in Terminal B when they heard what Denise describes as a "lion's roar." "If you have ever been near a lion roaring, every hair on your body stands up," Denise, 41, tells PEOPLE. She adds, "We heard it and we felt the shock wave come through us and we looked at each other and we both knew it was an explosion. The floor shook. I just remember this kind of shock wave coming over me. You could just feel it throughout your body." The Brandts were among thousands at the airport when terrorist bombs rocked the departure hall in two explosions, killing 14 at the airport. After another attack at a Brussels subway the death toll is currently reported at 34 with at least 187 injured. Instinctively, the Brandts began moving as fast as they could away from where they thought they had heard the blast. "We saw people running toward us, away from where the explosions had occurred," says Denise. "Some people were crying and some were on their phones, calling loved ones," she says. They stayed calm and focused but kept moving quickly. "We knew it was an explosion but we didnat know if there was just one explosion or if there was an active shooter situation going on. We just knew that something bad had happened and we had to get somewhere safe," Denise says. They Were Telling Us in English, 'Evacuate, Evacuate, Evacuate' Andrew, 37, who has worked in law enforcement, "wanted to go back to see if he could help," says Denise. Since she has worked in Afghanistan, she has "been around similar situations a sometimes worse. So we both remained calm and were focused." They walked with a stream of fellow travelers who were all headed toward the end of the terminal. "Then it picked up as a wave of people started heading in the same direction." "There were a few people running and a few people crying, but people were relatively calm where we were," she says. "I'm sure it was a totally different situation where the explosion actually occurred. They were telling us in English, 'Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate!'" When they emerged from the terminal, they stood waiting outside with thousands of other passengers a who had no idea what was going on, she says. "Most people didnat know what had happened," she says. 'I'm Sorry for the State of the World' The Brandts boarded a bus to a cargo hold area "where we were standing with thousands of other people outside in the cold with very little information," says Denise. "Somebody did hand out blankets." They sat there for hours, with no luggage, not knowing what would happen next. "A man walked past us who was all bloodied," says Andrew. "It looked like he had shrapnel and glass in his legs. I saw people put a few bloodied women into an ambulance." When buses finally arrived, "it was every man, woman and child for himself," says Andrew. "People were pushing to get on the bus. We didnat know where it was going." The bus took them to a stadium, where they registered so that family and friends contacting the airport would know they were OK. They hopped on a free train, "the only trains running in the city at that point," and headed to a hotel, where they turned on the news and were shocked by what they saw. "This is abhorrent," says Denise. "I'm sorry for the state of the world." She adds: "Thank God we were safe. We will never forget where we were this anniversary." By Amy Tennery (Reuters) - A bizarre lawsuit purportedly filed by the gunman in the 2011 mass shooting in Arizona that critically injured U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords may be a hoax, an Arizona news website reported on Thursday. The lawsuit was filed March 18 in federal court in Arizona naming the plaintiff as Jared Lee Loughner, the gunman who pleaded guilty to killing six people in a rampage at a Tucson supermarket. The suit's demand for $25 million in damages from Giffords for causing emotional and psychological distress instantly prompted a storm of reaction online and in social media. Local news website Tucson News Now revealed Thursday that the document, which claims that Loughner is innocent, is being imprisoned illegally and is being controlled by the government, may in fact have been filed as a hoax. Tucson News Now reported that the Loughner lawsuit has a note in the filing that says it could be thrown out because it does not follow proper form. The news outlet cited another lawsuit filed days earlier in Michigan federal court that was later revealed to be a hoax. That $10 million suit was purportedly filed against the ride service Uber Technologies Inc by former driver Jason Brian Dalton, who was charged with murder after admitting to police that he had shot eight people during a five-hour spree in Kalamazoo, killing six. (In paragraph 2, corrects spelling of Giffords and in paragraph 6 corrects spelling of Loughner.) (Reporting By Amy Tennery; Editing by David Gregorio; Editing by David Gregorio) By Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Atlanta's airport was briefly evacuated on Wednesday over a suspicious package while U.S. law enforcement agencies and travelers were on edge a day after deadly suicide bombings by Islamist militants rocked Brussels. Passengers were ordered out of public areas of the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the United States' busiest by passenger volume, but the site was quickly cleared and operations resumed, airport officials said. Parts of Denver airport were also evacuated on Tuesday, hours after at least 31 people were killed and 271 wounded in attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train, as airports across the United States tightened security. U.S. officials were trying to find Americans missing after the attacks, which the officials said injured about a dozen U.S. citizens including three Mormon missionaries, a U.S. Air Force airman, and four members of his family. Among those missing were U.S. government personnel, a State Department spokesman told reporters in Washington. "We still have not accounted for every official U.S. government employee or their family members on the ground," said the spokesman, Mark Toner. "Partly that reflects the size of the mission or three missions: there's a bilateral mission, there's a mission to the EU, as well as a mission to NATO." The situation, Toner added, remains "very fluid." He could not confirm whether any Americans were killed. Representative Devin Nunes of California, chairman of the U.S. House intelligence committee, said the attacks may have been aimed at U.S. citizens, noting that the airport blast struck close to U.S. airline counters and that the metro station hit was near the U.S. embassy. "It looks like it was targeted toward Americans to some degree," Nunes told reporters. Apart from the eight Americans confirmed as wounded, U.S. media reported on Wednesday that relatives of at least four other Americans who had been traveling in Belgium were still trying to track them down. Husband and wife Justin and Stephanie Shults, originally from Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively, but now living in Belgium, have not been heard from since they dropped a relative at the airport shortly before the blasts, a family member said. "We haven't been able to contact them going on 30 hours," Justin Shults' brother, Levi Sutton, told Reuters in a Facebook message. "Stephanie's mom is fine but she was separated from Justin and Stephanie." DEATH TOLL COULD RISE Sister and brother Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski, who had been living in New York, remain unaccounted for, the New York Daily News reported. The Pinczowskis' citizenship was unclear. A woman who identified herself on social media as Alexander Pinczowski's girlfriend said she had been unable to contact him since Tuesday morning. Belgian officials have said the death toll could increase because some victims at the subway station were blown to pieces and hard to identify, and several survivors were in critical condition. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said on Wednesday that one of its missionaries, Richard Norby, 66, was in a medically-induced coma after lengthy surgery to address shrapnel wounds and second-degree burns. The attacks sent shockwaves across Europe and around the world, with authorities racing to review security at airports and on public transport systems. Islamic State, which controls areas of Syria and Iraq and has sympathizers worldwide, claimed responsibility for the Brussels bombings, fueling debate and controversy in the United States about how to stop such attacks. U.S. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said the United States and Europe should take a "harder look" at protocols at airports and other "soft sites" outside security perimeters. U.S. Republican presidential campaign hopeful Donald Trump has advocated torturing militant suspects to obtain information, while another Republican candidate, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, called for heightened police scrutiny of neighborhoods with large Muslim populations. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, rejected singling out Muslims and said while on a visit to Argentina that any such approach "is not only wrong and un-American, but it also would be counterproductive because it would reduce the strength, the antibodies that we have to resist the terrorism." Obama and Vice President Joe Biden said the United States was offering Belgium all assistance to help bring the bombers to justice. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Belgium on Friday, a State Department spokesman said. (Additional reporting by Megan Cassella, Amanda Becker and Susan Heavey in Washington, Barbara Goldberg in New York, Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago, Jeff Mason in Buenos Aires; Writing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis; Editing by Bill Trott and Grant McCool) By Byron Kaye and Swati Pandey SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia said on Thursday debris recovered this month in Mozambique was highly likely to be from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, while Malaysia called for a stepped up search of Africa's coast for clues to the plane's fate. Official analysis found two pieces of debris were "almost certainly from MH370", Australian infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester said in a statement, referring to the Boeing Co 777 that vanished in March 2014 with 239 people on board. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling ... and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," Chester said. The flight disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, creating one of the most baffling mysteries in aviation history. Investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off the plane's transponder before diverting it thousands of miles off course, out over the Indian Ocean. A search, led by Australia and one of the most expensive ever conducted, has focused on a 120,000-sq-km (46,330-sq-mile) band of sea floor in the remote southern Indian Ocean. In 2015, French authorities said a wing part found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion was part of the plane. The Mozambique debris was examined by investigators from Australia and Malaysia, as well as specialists from Boeing, Geoscience Australia and the Australian National University in Canberra. 'SOLVE THIS MYSTERY' The discovery is likely to add to pressure from the public for the search to go on beyond a mid-2016 schedule for it to be wound up. Most of those on board were from China. "If they don't find the plane in the area where they're searching now, they and others need to continue to look," said U.S. adventurer Blaine Alan Gibson, who found one of the new pieces of debris this month on his own independent search. "They've got to solve this mystery. We can't give up after the current search area is completed," Gibson added in a telephone interview, shortly after being told by the authorities that his discovery matched the plane. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the coasts of South Africa and Mozambique should be searched and Malaysia wanted to send a team. "We are currently awaiting approval from the South African authorities," Liow said. "The coastal search will be by a Malaysian team and focused around South Africa and Mozambique." Liow, however, said the location of the underwater search need not be changed. The piece of debris that Gibson found is a white, metre-long chunk of metal with "No Step" printed on it. It arrived in Australia for testing this week, along with another piece of debris found in Mozambique soon after.[nL3N16B08T][nL3N16T25S] "I can't use the word happy to describe how I feel, because that means that the plane crashed, and that the plane crashed in a forceful impact," Gibson said. "I'd use the word 'hopeful'." (Additinal reporting by Matt Siegel in SYDNEY and Rozanna Latiff in KUALA LUMPUR; Editing by Robert Birsel) Paris (AFP) - A bankrupt Luxembourg investment firm once chaired by disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will be investigated for fraud, a French judicial source said Thursday. French prosecutors set out charges of organised fraud, misuse of corporate assets and breach of trust against Paris-listed Leyne Strauss-Kahn and Partners (LSK) earlier this month. "The investigators are interested in the functioning of LSK from 2007 and not only during the period when Dominique Strauss-Kahn was chairman," the source said. It is the latest in a series of scandals for the former French minister, which have derailed the career of a man once considered a frontrunner for the French presidency. He resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund in 2011 after being accused of attempted rape in New York, although the charges were later dropped. He faced trial last year for his alleged role in a prostitution ring in France, but was acquitted. Strauss-Kahn had hoped to turn LSK into a $2 billion investment fund and headed its board of directors from September 2013 to October 2014. But the firm went bankrupt in November 2014, owing nearly 100 million euros to more than 150 creditors, according to a source close to the investigation. Former shareholders of LSK have accused Strauss-Kahn of lying about the health of the company's finances. Jean-Francois Ott, former chief of real estate firm Orco, launched the initial complaint, saying he was given false information about LSK and lost 500,000 euros ($560,000) that he invested in July 2014. Strauss-Kahn has blamed the company's mismanagement on his business partner, Thierry Leyne, who committed suicide in October 2014. The company was declared bankrupt a few weeks later. Strauss-Kahn quit the firm just days before Leyne's death and accused his former associate of "excessive borrowing". The investigators will seek to determine whether he had a direct role in managing the company's funds, which he denies. Story continues Strauss-Kahn said in a letter to the Luxembourg judiciary in November 2014, seen by AFP, that board meetings did not reveal any serious difficulties in the finances, and daily operations were left to Leyne. Strauss-Kahn's lawyer Jean Veil said that in autumn 2014 his client had "made the Luxembourg prosecutor aware... of irregularities he had noticed." Veil added that the former IMF chief "received no remuneration for his work at LSK and lost the value of his investments. He is himself a financial victim of Thierry Leyne ". But critics say he must have known about LSK's financial difficulties, noting that the firm stopped making payments in May 2014. Yohan Attal, lawyer for a couple, the Urbachs, said that at the time when his clients were considering solicitations from LSK, "the directors of the company and the president knew their merchant bank was bankrupt". Nearly 75 years after Wonder Woman's creation, Gal Gadot is bringing the iconic superhero to the big screen for the first time in Warner Bros.' Batman v Superman. Based on the reaction at Sunday's premiere in New York, the arrival of Wonder Woman (aka Diana Prince) might be the film's biggest moment. Gadot's entrance as the sword-wielding DC warrior received the night's loudest cheers and hollers. That sentiment seems to be echoed with regular theatergoers. According to a Fandango survey, Batman v Superman ticket buyers say Wonder Woman's debut is the biggest draw, with 88 percent of respondents saying they are looking forward to seeing the character. The film's producer Deborah Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter that she felt a personal responsibility to get the character right. "She's such a symbol of women's roles," she said. "In every decade she's existed, she has reflected women of the times. I think it's only fitting that now, especially with a lot of talk about gender equality, that she really has her rightful place on the silver screen." As the Zack Snyder-helmed film hits theaters in the U.S., here are five things to know about the 30-year-old Israeli actress behind the indestructible shield. Read More: 'Batman v Superman': 5 Things to Know About Henry Cavill 1. Big Break The 5'10" model-turned-actress landed her first role in a studio tentpole with Universal's Fast & Furious and followed that up with three more installments of the gas-fueled action franchise. 2. She's a Real-Life Warrior Unlike the vast majority of actresses, Gadot's background includes military training. She served for two years as an enlisted soldier of the Israel Defense Forces, where she learned to use weapons. 3. She's a Mom Too Gadot and husband Yaron Varsano have a 4-year-old girl, Alma. The family is based in Tel Aviv. 4. She's Popular at Warner Bros. Story continues Studio executives gushed about Gadot at the New York premiere's afterparty, where the actress gamely posed for pictures. "Not only is she amazing onscreen, she just might be the nicest person in the world," one top executive said. 5. What's Next Gadot is getting her own spinoff with Wonder Woman, which began shooting in November (Warner Bros. has dated the Patty Jenkins-helmed film for June 23, 2017). Next month, she will head to London to begin filming The Justice League Part One, which hits theaters on Nov. 17, 2017. She's also onboard for The Justice League Part Two, slated for June 14, 2019. On the non-superhero front, the WME-repped actress will star opposite Jon Hamm, Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher in the suburban espionage comedy-action film Keeping Up With the Joneses. Two days after unveiling the campaign for her new Juicy Couture collecton on Instagram, Behati Prinsloo celebrated the Behati x Juicy collab in New York, where she debuted her teeny tiny baby bump. This marks the Victoria's Secret model's first red-carpet appearance since news broke that she was expecting her first child with husband and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. A glowing Prinsloo stepped out in a black slip dress and a denim duster from her collab (which will be available for $348 on April 15). Prinsloo was joined by fellow VS angels Josephine Skriver, Taylor Hill and Romee Strijd during the press event in Dream Downtown on Thursday. In celebration of her limited-edition range, Prinsloo took to Instagram to post a collage of celebs (Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian included) in their best Juicy velour tracksuits. "In honor of my @juicycouture launch today, I needed to share these unforgettable juicy moments hehe! #early2000s," she captioned. Unforgettable, indeed. MAMA TO BE: Behati Prinsloo (Photo: Getty Images) By Alastair Macdonald, Foo Yun Chee and Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium's interior and justice ministers offered to resign on Thursday over the failure to track an Islamic State militant expelled twice by Turkey as a suspected fighter last year and who blew himself up at Brussels airport this week. Ibrahim El Bakraoui was one of three identified suspected suicide bombers who hit the airport and a metro train, killing at least 31 people and wounding some 270 on Tuesday in the worst attack in Belgian history. At least one other man seen with them on airport security cameras is on the run and a fifth suspected bomber filmed in the metro attack may be dead or alive. Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Charles Michel, who asked them to stay on. "In time of war, you cannot leave the field," Jambon, a right-wing Flemish nationalist, said. The security lapses in a country that is home to the European Union and NATO have drawn international criticism of an apparent reluctance to tackle Islamist radicals effectively. Turkish officials said Bakraoui, 29, had been expelled last July after being arrested at Gaziantep near the Syrian border and again in August after he returned to Antalya. Belgian and Dutch authorities had been notified of Turkish suspicions that he was a foreign fighter trying to reach Syria. At the time, Belgian authorities replied that Bakraoui, who had skipped parole after serving less than half of a 9-year sentence for armed robbery, was a criminal but not a militant. "You can ask how it came about that someone was let out so early and that we missed the chance to seize him when he was in Turkey. I understand the questions," Jambon said. "In the circumstances, it was right to take political responsibility and I offered my resignation to the prime minister." Investigators are convinced that the same jihadist network was involved in the deadly Paris attacks last November. Islamic State posted a video on social media on Thursday calling the Brussels blasts a victory and featuring the training of Belgian militants suspected in the Nov. 13 shootings and suicide bombing rampage in Paris that killed 130 people. PRESSURE ON EU With pressure mounting on Europe to improve cooperation against terrorism, EU interior and justice ministers were meeting in Brussels on a joint response to Tuesday's bombings. Before that, King Philippe, Prime Minister Michel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attended a memorial event outside at the Belgian parliament, while hundreds of ordinary Belgians observed a minute's silence at a makeshift shrine with candles and flowers outside the Brussels bourse. "The cries of distress and pain, the sirens and the apocalytic images will remain forever engraved in us," Michel said. "Our country is in shock, but we are strong. No one will bring down this democracy." French Prime Minister Manuel Valls demanded a "strong European response", but officials say many states, including France, withhold their most cherished intelligence despite a mantra of willingness to share information. The chief surviving suspect linking the Paris and Brussels attacks, French national Salah Abdeslam, 26, arrested in the Belgian capital last week, was remanded in custody until April 7 with two other suspects. His lawyer, Sven Mary, who requested the adjournment, said Abdeslam had not been aware of the plan to attack Brussels that was carried out four days after his arrest by men who had shared hideouts with him. "Salah Abdeslam has asked me to inform you that he wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible," Mary told reporters at the courthouse, saying his client "wants to explain himself". Bakraoui's brother Khalid, 26, a fellow convict, killed about 20 people at Maelbeek metro station in the city center. Security sources told Belgian media the other suicide bomber at the airport was Najim Laachraoui, a veteran Belgian Islamist fighter in Syria suspected of making explosive belts for November's Paris attacks. The third suspect captured on airport security cameras pushing a baggage trolley into the departures hall is now the target of a police manhunt. He has not been named. The bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and a black hat ran out of the terminal, federal prosecutors said, and a third suitcase bomb, the biggest of the three, exploded later as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties. U.S. CRITICISM U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the bloodshed in the Belgian capital showed Washington's European allies should do more to fight Islamic State alongside American efforts in the Middle East. Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticized the lack of cooperation among European countries, saying the EU lacked a system for exchanging air passenger data or a joint intelligence center to share information. Opinion polls suggest support in Britain for leaving the European Union in a referendum set for June 23 is gaining ground since the Brussels attacks, which fanned security fears that some politicians have linked to immigration. U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who has suggested torture could be used on militant suspects, said he expected Britain would vote to leave the EU because of concerns about high levels of migration. Casualties from Tuesday's attacks came from about 40 nations, drawing an international outpouring of support for Brussels during three days of mourning. Washington said Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Belgium on Friday. The case highlighted Belgium's problem with some 300 locals who have fought in Syria, the biggest contingent from Europe in relation to its national population of 11 million. At the time of the Paris attacks, its security service had fewer than 600 staff. The government has since raised spending on police and intelligence. Brussels airport said there would be no flights before Monday at the earliest, with the departure hall sealed off by investigators. Travelers on the busy Easter weekend were diverted to Antwerp, Liege and the northern French city of Lille. (Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Julia Fioretti, Barbara Lewis, Bate Felix, Jan Strupczewski, Robin Emmott and Jean-Baptiste Vey in Brussels; Writing by Paul Taylor and Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Ralph Boulton) By Alastair Macdonald, Foo Yun Chee and Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium's interior and justice ministers offered to resign on Thursday over the failure to track an Islamic State militant expelled twice by Turkey as a suspected fighter last year and who blew himself up at Brussels airport this week. Ibrahim El Bakraoui was one of three identified suspected suicide bombers who hit the airport and a metro train, killing at least 31 people and wounding some 270 on Tuesday in the worst attack in Belgian history. At least one other man seen with them on airport security cameras is on the run and a fifth suspected bomber filmed in the metro attack may be dead or alive. Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Charles Michel, who asked them to stay on. "In time of war, you cannot leave the field," Jambon, a right-wing Flemish nationalist, said. The security lapses in a country that is home to the European Union and NATO have drawn international criticism of an apparent reluctance to tackle Islamist radicals effectively. Turkish officials said Bakraoui, 29, had been expelled last July after being arrested at Gaziantep near the Syrian border and again in August after he returned to Antalya. Belgian and Dutch authorities had been notified of Turkish suspicions that he was a foreign fighter trying to reach Syria. At the time, Belgian authorities replied that Bakraoui, who had skipped parole after serving less than half of a 9-year sentence for armed robbery, was a criminal but not a militant. "You can ask how it came about that someone was let out so early and that we missed the chance to seize him when he was in Turkey. I understand the questions," Jambon said. "In the circumstances, it was right to take political responsibility and I offered my resignation to the prime minister." Investigators are convinced that the same jihadist network was involved in the deadly Paris attacks last November. Islamic State posted a video on social media on Thursday calling the Brussels blasts a victory and featuring the training of Belgian militants suspected in the Nov. 13 shootings and suicide bombing rampage in Paris that killed 130 people. PRESSURE ON EU With pressure mounting on Europe to improve cooperation against terrorism, EU interior and justice ministers were meeting in Brussels on a joint response to Tuesday's bombings. Before that, King Philippe, Prime Minister Michel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attended a memorial event outside at the Belgian parliament, while hundreds of ordinary Belgians observed a minute's silence at a makeshift shrine with candles and flowers outside the Brussels bourse. "The cries of distress and pain, the sirens and the apocalytic images will remain forever engraved in us," Michel said. "Our country is in shock, but we are strong. No one will bring down this democracy." French Prime Minister Manuel Valls demanded a "strong European response", but officials say many states, including France, withhold their most cherished intelligence despite a mantra of willingness to share information. The chief surviving suspect linking the Paris and Brussels attacks, French national Salah Abdeslam, 26, arrested in the Belgian capital last week, was remanded in custody until April 7 with two other suspects. His lawyer, Sven Mary, who requested the adjournment, said Abdeslam had not been aware of the plan to attack Brussels that was carried out four days after his arrest by men who had shared hideouts with him. "Salah Abdeslam has asked me to inform you that he wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible," Mary told reporters at the courthouse, saying his client "wants to explain himself". Bakraoui's brother Khalid, 26, a fellow convict, killed about 20 people at Maelbeek metro station in the city centre. Security sources told Belgian media the other suicide bomber at the airport was Najim Laachraoui, a veteran Belgian Islamist fighter in Syria suspected of making explosive belts for November's Paris attacks. The third suspect captured on airport security cameras pushing a baggage trolley into the departures hall is now the target of a police manhunt. He has not been named. The bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and a black hat ran out of the terminal, federal prosecutors said, and a third suitcase bomb, the biggest of the three, exploded later as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties. U.S. CRITICISM U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the bloodshed in the Belgian capital showed Washington's European allies should do more to fight Islamic State alongside American efforts in the Middle East. Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticised the lack of cooperation among European countries, saying the EU lacked a system for exchanging air passenger data or a joint intelligence centre to share information. Opinion polls suggest support in Britain for leaving the European Union in a referendum set for June 23 is gaining ground since the Brussels attacks, which fanned security fears that some politicians have linked to immigration. U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who has suggested torture could be used on militant suspects, said he expected Britain would vote to leave the EU because of concerns about high levels of migration. Casualties from Tuesday's attacks came from about 40 nations, drawing an international outpouring of support for Brussels during three days of mourning. Washington said Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Belgium on Friday. The case highlighted Belgium's problem with some 300 locals who have fought in Syria, the biggest contingent from Europe in relation to its national population of 11 million. At the time of the Paris attacks, its security service had fewer than 600 staff. The government has since raised spending on police and intelligence. Brussels airport said there would be no flights before Monday at the earliest, with the departure hall sealed off by investigators. Travellers on the busy Easter weekend were diverted to Antwerp, Liege and the northern French city of Lille. (Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Julia Fioretti, Barbara Lewis, Bate Felix, Jan Strupczewski, Robin Emmott and Jean-Baptiste Vey in Brussels; Writing by Paul Taylor and Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Ralph Boulton) Brussels (AFP) - A long list of blunders and missed opportunities by Belgian intelligence services in the run-up to the Brussels attacks has raised urgent questions across Europe about whether they could have prevented the carnage. The suicide bombers repeatedly slipped through the fingers of Belgian authorities -- with one of them remaining free to attack despite having been deported by Turkey as a jihadist just months earlier. Poor coordination in a dysfunctional political system divided between French and Flemish speakers and a failure to infiltrate networks of jihadists have contributed to a string of failures that has caused international concern. But some experts have warned against singling out Belgium, saying similar situations could happen in other countries as extremist cells become increasingly skilled at flying under the radar. Nevertheless, criticisms that Belgium rejected back in November when it emerged that the Paris attacks were planned there have now begun to hit home, with two ministers offering to resign over "errors" in handling the Brussels attackers. "We're paying a big price for the fact there is a lack of cooperation," said Hans Bonte, the mayor of Vilvoorde, a northern Brussels suburb where many Belgians of Moroccan origin have left to join the Islamic State group in Syria. Bonte told AFP there is a "lack of information which is transferred quickly enough or at all between" six police zones in Brussels or between the federal police and local police or between the state security services and local forces. - 'No one interrupted' - Belgium, a country of 11 million people with an estimated 400,000 Muslims, has the highest number of foreign fighters per capita in the European Union, with around 500 who have left for Syria and Iraq. But time and time again the authorities have appeared unable to tackle the growing jihadist networks. All three Brussels bombers -- airport attackers Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui and metro attacker Khalid El Bakraoui, Ibrahim's younger brother -- were all linked to key Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam. Story continues Last week, Abdeslam was himself arrested just around the corner from the family home in the troubled district of Molenbeek, after four months on the run. Meanwhile the Bakraoui brothers both had long criminal records. Ibrahim had been given a nine-year sentence in 2010 over a gunfight with police after a bungled robbery at a Western Union office. Prosecutors said this week that the brothers had no record of a link to terrorism -- but then admitted that Khalid was the subject of an international arrest warrant for terrorism in December and had rented an apartment used by the Paris attacks cell. They also issued a wanted notice for Laachraoui on Monday, the day before the attacks. But the biggest questions have been over the claim by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Belgium ignored intelligence about Ibrahim El Bakraoui after Turkey arrested him near the Syrian border as a "foreign terrorist fighter" and deported him in June 2015. "What is a fact is that these brothers were well known...(and) were also convicted," Bonte said. "It is a very strange feeling that you have the knowledge now that they were living in Brussels and no-one has seen them and no-one has interrupted their organisation." - 'Not North Korea' - Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon said Thursday that he and Justice Minister Koen Geens offered to resign over "errors" regarding the Turkish revelations but Prime Minister Charles Michel refused. Pieter van Ostaeyen, a Belgian expert on jihadists, said the complex system of 19 Brussels mayoral districts and multiple police zones created by the bilingual federal system make "it a lot harder for open and transparent communication". Van Ostaeyen said the Belgian authorities also lack human intelligence sources who "can blend into suspected networks" in vulnerable Muslim communities in areas like Molenbeek and Schaarbeek, where the Brussels bombers hid out before the attacks. He added that Belgian security forces lack qualified staff like Arabic speakers and singled out the Belgian federal police for having only "one person working half-time tracking social media," which jihadists frequently use to recruit members. But Yves Trotignon, a former counter-terrorism analyst with France's DGSE external security services, said it is difficult for Belgium and other democracies to stop all people determined to blow themselves up at soft targets. "Belgium is not a police state, it is not North Korea," he told AFP. In any case, Belgium is in many ways a microcosm of fractured intelligence cooperation across the 28-nation European Union, whose headquarters are in Brussels, officials said. "It is still only five member states which provide 90 percent of the information," an EU diplomat said. EU interior ministers were meeting in Brussels on Thursday to find ways to improve coordination. By Alastair Macdonald, Foo Yun Chee and Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium's interior and justice ministers offered to resign on Thursday over a failure to track an Islamic State militant expelled by Turkey as a suspected fighter and who blew himself up at Brussels airport this week. Brahim El Bakraoui was one of three identified suspected suicide bombers who hit the airport and a metro train, killing at least 31 people and wounding some 270 on Tuesday in the worst attack in Belgian history. At least one other man seen with them on airport security cameras is on the run and a fifth suspected bomber filmed in the metro attack may be dead or alive. Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Charles Michel, who asked them to stay on. "In time of war, you cannot leave the field," Jambon, a right-wing Flemish nationalist, said. The security lapses in a country that is home to the European Union and NATO have drawn international criticism of an apparent reluctance to tackle Islamist radicals effectively. It also raised questions about information sharing between Western intelligence services. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Bakraoui, 29, had been expelled last July after being arrested near the Syrian border and two officials said he had been deported a second time. Belgian and Dutch authorities had been notified of Turkish suspicions that he was a foreign fighter trying to reach Syria. At the time, Belgian authorities replied that Bakraoui, who had skipped parole after serving less than half of a 9-year sentence for armed robbery, was a criminal but not a militant. "You can ask how it came about that someone was let out so early and that we missed the chance to seize him when he was in Turkey. I understand the questions," Jambon said. "In the circumstances, it was right to take political responsibility and I offered my resignation to the prime minister." Geens said systems should be reviewed but said that other countries had been attacked and cited in particular Sept. 11, 2001 in the United States, noting that "there were 3,000 dead". "We must be very critical of ourselves," he said. "On the other hand ... we must note that such events have occurred in the countries with the highest security, with the best intelligence services in the world." Investigators are convinced the same jihadist network was involved in the November Paris attacks on cafes, a sports stadium and a concert hall that killed 130 people. Public broadcaster VRT said investigators believed Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, arrested last Friday, probably planned a similar shooting and suicide bomb attack in Brussels. "The terrorists were planning the same scenario as in Paris, only it partially failed," VRT said. One man was killed in a shootout with police on March 15 that led to the discovery of assault weapons and explosives and the arrest of Abdeslam, 26, and another suspect on March 18. Belgium lowered its security alert level one notch down from four, the highest level, to three; but officials did not say what that would mean in terms of security measures that have seen a heavy police and military presence in Brussels. Islamic State posted a video on social media calling the Brussels blasts a victory and featuring the training of Belgian militants suspected in the Paris attacks. ABDESLAM TO "EXPLAIN HIMSELF" The lawyer of the chief surviving suspect linking the Paris and Brussels attacks, French national Abdeslam, said he wanted to "explain himself" and would no longer resist extradition to France. Salah, said lawyer Sven Mary, had not been aware of the plan for the Brussels airport and metro attack that was carried out by men who had shared hideouts with him. After calls from U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for the possible use of torture in such cases, Belgian officials have faced questions over their failure to extract prior intelligence from Abdeslam. Two sources familiar with the matter said the Bakraoui brothers had been on U.S. government counter-terrorism watch lists before the attacks. But it was not clear precisely how long they had been known to the authorities. Bakraoui's brother Khalid, 26, a fellow convict, killed about 20 people at Maelbeek metro station in the city center. De Morgen newspaper said he had violated the terms of his parole last May by maintaining contacts with past criminal associates, but a Belgian magistrate had released him. BROTHER'S CONDEMNATION Security sources told Belgian media the other suicide bomber at the airport was Najim Laachraoui, a veteran Belgian Islamist fighter in Syria suspected of making explosive belts for November's Paris attacks. Laachraoui's younger brother Mourad issued a statement condemning his actions in the first public reaction from a family member of one of the Brussels attackers. The third suspect captured on airport security cameras pushing a baggage trolley into the departures hall is now the target of a police manhunt. He has not been named. The bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and a black hat ran out of the terminal, federal prosecutors said, and a third suitcase bomb, the biggest of the three, exploded later as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties. The U.S. State Department said it was trying to account for U.S. citizens in Brussels, including two who were U.S. government employees or their family members. Identifying victims and even some of the 316 wounded has proved difficult. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the bloodshed in the Belgian capital showed European allies should do more to fight Islamic State alongside American efforts in the Middle East. The attacks highlighted Belgium's problem with some 300 locals who have fought in Syria, the biggest contingent from Europe in relation to its national population of 11 million. At the time of the Paris attacks, its security service had fewer than 600 staff. The government has since raised spending on police and intelligence. (Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Julia Fioretti, Barbara Lewis, Bate Felix, Jan Strupczewski, Robin Emmott and Jean-Baptiste Vey in Brussels; Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Ralph Boulton) The Hague (AFP) - Dutch officials Thursday confirmed that one of the Brussels airport suicide bombers was expelled by Turkey and sent to the Netherlands last year, but stressed he had been unknown to Dutch law enforcement. "The Turkish authorities requested Ibrahim El Bakraoui to leave the country and put him on a flight from Istanbul to Amsterdam on July 14, 2015," Dutch Justice Minister Ard van der Steur said in a letter to the Dutch parliament. "He was not under suspicion in the Netherlands," Van der Steur stressed, adding Ankara had not provided any explanation for why Bakraoui was being sent to Holland. Belgian ministers have come under fire for intelligence failings over Tuesday's Islamic State suicide attacks in which 31 people died. Bakraoui blew himself up at Brussels airport along with another attacker, while his brother Khalid set off a suicide bomb at a Brussels metro station. Belgian authorities are still searching for a third assailant who left his bomb-filled bag at the airport before fleeing the scene, and are hunting a second metro suspect. Pressure has mounted on Belgium's government over claims it ignored the expulsion of Bakraoui from Turkey in 2015 as a "foreign terrorist fighter", and the interior and justice ministers have both offered their resignations although these were rejected by the country's prime minister. The Dutch justice minister will meet with lawmakers on Tuesday after the long Easter weekend to debate the issue. "He was not registered in our relevant databases. He has never been arrested in the Netherlands," the minister insisted. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said Turkish authorities had detained the attacker in June last year in Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, and then deported the "foreign terrorist fighter" to the Netherlands at his request. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens said he was aware the man had been sent to the Netherlands from Turkey, but denied he had been flagged as a possible terrorist. Erdogan however said the Belgian authorities had failed to confirm the suspect's links to terrorism "despite our warnings" following his expulsion. The body of a young man recovered from a Mexican beach Wednesday is believed to be that of Justin Kirby Walker, the 18-year-old spring breaker who went missing Saturday morning after attending a concert on Texas' South Padre Island. Police tell PEOPLE that medical examiners are working to identify the remains. Officials could not offer a specific time frame for when a positive identification might be made. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Authorities believe that the body found Wednesday could be Walker's, as it had on clothing similar to what the 18-year-old was wearing when he was last seen. Around one of the wrists was a plastic bracelet the same kind issued to those attending the concert Justin vanished from, police explain. According to MySanAntonio.com, the body was found near the Mexican border city of Matamoros. "The currents could have very easily carried him into Mexico. It's happened before," Cameron County Parks Police Chief Horacio Zamora told the outlet, adding that it's been challenging coordinating with Mexican authorities during the Semana Santa holiday. Justin would have turned 19 in two weeks, according to police. Walker is a white male standing 5 feet 9 inches tall. He has brown hair and green eyes. He weighs 175 pounds and was last seen sporting a navy blue tribal shirt with dark shorts, Nike shoes, and a black hat. Those with information regarding Walker's whereabouts are being urged to call (956) 761- 5283. Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram gunmen have abducted 16 women in a remote area of northeast Nigeria's Adamawa state, police, a lawmaker and locals told AFP. "We received report of the kidnap of 14 women and two girls by gunmen believed to be Boko Haram insurgents near Sabon Garin Madagali village", said Adamawa state police spokesman Othman Abubakar. "We have sent search teams to the area and have notified the military who have also deployed personnel for search and rescue operation in the bush to free the hostages." Adamu Kamale, who represents the area in Nigeria's lower chamber of parliament, the House of Representatives, also confirmed the abduction, which happened on Wednesday. Locals said the hostages were seized in the bush while fetching firewood and fishing in a nearby river under the escort of two civilian vigilantes assisting the military against the Islamist insurgents. "When the civilian vigilantes escorting the women saw the heavily armed Boko Haram fighters advancing on them they fled, leaving the women to their fate," said Madagali resident Garba Barnabas. Two women who escaped by jumping into the river and pretending to have drowned later returned to the village to raise the alarm, he added. Madagali district, which lies on the border with Borno state, has been repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram during its nearly seven-year insurgency, which has left more than 17,000 people dead. Human rights groups have said fighters have kidnapped thousands of women and young girls, including more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted from the Borno town of Chibok nearly two years ago. The insurgents temporarily seized Madagali district and parts of Adamawa as well as large swathes of territory in Borno and Yobe state in 2014, as they sought to establish a hardline Islamic state. More than 2.6 million people have fled their homes since the start of the violence but as troops began a fight-back last year and recaptured territory, some of the internally displaced have returned home. Story continues Sporadic hit-and-run attacks have continued however, as well as suicide bombings. "Since people returned to their homes we have been experiencing attacks by Boko Haram despite claims that security has been restored", said Kamale. "The abduction shows that more security needs to be deployed to protect the people from attacks and abductions." BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Lebanese soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in northern Lebanon on Thursday, the National News Agency (NNA) and a security source said. Three others, including one officer, were wounded in the explosion which took place near the town of Arsal close to the Syrian border, NNA reported from a military statement. The army shelled positions of militants on Arsal's outskirts after the blast, the security source said. Islamist militants are active in the area near the Syrian-Lebanese border. Fighters from Islamic State and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front briefly overran Arsal in 2014 before withdrawing after clashes with the army. Nusra Front freed 16 Lebanese soldiers and policemen in December 2015 in exchange for jailed Islamists. It had captured the soldiers during the Arsal incursion in 2014. Islamic State is believed to be still holding nine soldiers it captured. (Reporting by John Davison and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Louise Ireland and Mark Potter) London (AFP) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff condemned the "fascist methods" of opponents seeking her ouster and said the country's current political crisis would leave a "scar" if not resolved democratically. In an interview with several foreign media groups, Rousseff said she was being pressured to resign because her rivals wanted "to avoid the difficulty of removing -- unduly, illegally and criminally -- a legitimately elected president from power". The leftist leader earlier this week ruled out stepping down despite mass protests and impeachment proceedings in Congress. In the interview with The Guardian, The New York Times, Le Monde, El Pais and Argentina's Pagina 12, Rousseff said any attempt to remove her without legal basis would represent a "coup". "I am not comparing the coup here to the military coups of the past, but it would be a breaking of the democratic order of Brazil," she said, in comments reported by the Guardian. She said any such move would "leave a deep scar on Brazilians' political life". Rousseff, an ex-guerrilla tortured under Brazil's military dictatorship, said she was in favour of protests because she was from "a generation in which if you opened your mouth you could go to jail". She emphasised, though, that the estimated three million people who protested against her in the largest rally so far represented less than two percent of Brazil's population. She painted her opponents as powerful elites opposed to the social changes that have swept Brazil in the past 13 years of left-wing government. "Who stands to benefit from this?" she asked, according to The New York Times. "I can assure you that they're in the backstage of power." The impeachment case is based on accusations that Rousseff doctored the government's accounts to boost public spending during her 2014 re-election campaign and hide the depth of a recession last year. Story continues She denies her actions were illegal or different from standard practice in previous administrations. Her opponents are also seeking to link her to a multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras, but investigators have not accused her and she vehemently denies involvement. With her coalition splintering amid the crisis, Rousseff called former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the rescue last week, naming him her chief of staff. But the move blew up in her face when the judge heading the Petrobras investigation, Sergio Moro, released a wire-tapped phone call suggesting the appointment was really aimed at saving the ex-president from arrest on corruption charges. "Violating privacy breaks democracy because it breaks the right of every citizen to a private life," she said, banging the table as she made her point, the Guardian reported. The interview came as the United Nations office on women's rights in Brazil criticised "sexist political violence" in the campaign to oust Rousseff, the country's first female president. "Why do they want me to resign?" she asked in the interview. "Because I'm a woman, fragile. I am not fragile. That is not my life." The head of the Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) says the organisation is in receivership and is negotiating a rescue package with the Pacific island nation's government. Interim chairman Fe'ao Vunipola said the TRU had debts of 300,000 pa'anga (US$130,000) and could not afford to pay staff salaries. The bulk of the debt was owed to a Hong Kong-based firm behind a 2012 uniform deal with the union, Vunipola told the Matangi Tonga news website on Wednesday. He said the TRU was officially placed in receivership last October, prompting World Rugby to suspend a 600,000 pound (US$850,000) grant due to be paid in mid-March. Vunipola, a former Tonga international and the father of England duo Billy and Mako Vunipola, said he was discussing a rescue package with the government. "At the moment they are drawing up a plan -- shall I say a rescue plan or takeover plan," he told Radio New Zealand International. "It sounds good, it sounds favourable and we are currently talking of the best way forward for Tonga Rugby, in association with our government helping us out in the long run." He told Matangi Tonga that part of the proposed deal would involve installing the country's Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva to be the President of the TRU. Vunipola also said World Rugby representatives would be in Tonga early next month for meetings with the TRU and government that he hoped that would result in payment of the suspended grant. ISTANBUL (Reuters) - One of the attackers in the Brussels suicide bombings was deported from Turkey twice last year and the authorities warned their European counterparts that they suspected him of being a militant fighter, two Turkish officials said on Thursday. The first official said Ibrahim El Bakraoui's initial deportation in July had been based on police suspicions that he was a militant fighter, but no crime was committed in Turkey, describing his expulsion as an "administrative deportation". "The police were looking at him and came to the conclusion that he may be a foreign fighter. He was picked up in (the southern town of) Gaziantep," said the official, declining to be named because of the sensitivities of the case. President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported on July 14, 2015, and that Belgium had subsequently ignored a warning that he was a militant. Bakraoui is one of two brothers named by Belgium as responsible for the attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels on Tuesday and were claimed by the Islamic State group. Both brothers are believed to have died in the attacks. The second Turkish government official told Reuters that Bakraoui had entered Turkey for a second time on Aug. 11 though Antalya airport on the Mediterranean coast and was again deported two weeks later, on Aug. 25. The official did not specify where he was deported to on the second occasion. Turkey's pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper said Turkish police had detained Bakraoui after ascertaining that he planned to go to conflict areas in Syria. The newspaper also said his brother, Khalid, had entered Turkey on Nov. 4, 2014, through Istanbul's Ataturk airport and was monitored by security forces before leaving the country again 10 days later. That, the newspaper said, was more than a year before Belgium issued a notice for his arrest. Turkish officials could not immediately confirm that Khalid had also been in Turkey. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Washington (AFP) - A prominent US lawmaker said Wednesday that he was convinced the deadly Brussels terror strikes could have been aimed at Americans since there were US airline counters nearby. "From my vantage point, it does look like an attack on Americans. It looks like it was targeted towards Americans to some degree," Republican congressman Devin Nunes, the House Intelligence chair, told reporters. Nunes noted that Tuesday's bomb attacks -- which the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for -- tore through part of Brussels international airport "right by the United, American and Delta airline stands." And the location of the Maalbeek metro station bombing was "close to the US embassy," he added. "If you were going to pick locations where you might hit Americans, those would be the locations," Nunes argued. Hundreds of mourners gathered in the city Wednesday in a show of solidarity with the 31 people killed and 300 injured in the triple bomb attacks. Earlier in the day, Belgium's King Philippe, Prime Minister Charles Michel and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker led a minute's silence outside the EU headquarters in Brussels, the city that is also home to NATO. Youssef Mousa booked his trip to Brussels the first week of February. He and three friends had plans to spend two weeks exploring Europe by train, and Brussels was the first stop; they'd arrive on March 27. 20-year-old Mousa, who is from England and studies at the University of Birmingham, said he was a little wary of traveling to Europe's major cities after November's attacks in Paris. He'd nonetheless swallowed his fears for a trip to Rome around Christmas and had enjoyed safe travels. But that peace of mind was cut short the morning of March 22, when multiple explosions at Brussels' Zaventem airport and the Maalbeek metro station left at least 34 people dead and 300 injured. Not soon after, the Islamic State group, or ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attack. Two brothers were identified as suicide bombers responsible for the blasts. Would he still take his vacation to the Belgian capital? "Initially, I was still happy to travel to Brussels and hoped the situation would calm down by the time we'd arrive," Mousa said. "But one by one, our group's family advised us and pretty much prohibited us from going to Brussels, and so we had to cancel." Mousa and his friends had booked an Airbnb rental for their stay in Brussels and were able to cancel their reservation and receive a full reimbursement. He said the company also offered them the option to rebook in the future at a discounted rate. On the day of the attacks, Airbnb activated its "urgent accommodations" tool, a page where those in need could find free emergency housing. When reached for comment, an Airbnb spokesperson said that the company's cancellation policy includes "political unrest in the destination country" as an "extenuating circumstance" under which customers can cancel their reservations and forgo any cancellation penalties. While the spokesperson said it's too soon to tell how many people will be opting out of their vacations to Brussels, or rethinking their plans to Europe entirely, a few others shared Mousa's concerns. Story continues "It's scary because it is the same Brussels I went to last year, but it's under the attack now," said Kural Amudhan, 26. The Munich native planned to go to Brussels for Easter and, like Mousa, he'd booked an Airbnb for his stay. He too ended up canceling his reservation and received a reimbursement in full. "I cancelled the trip due to caution from my family members. Brussels was not the same Brussels after the Paris attacks either." "I cancelled the trip due to caution from my family members," Amudhan said. "Brussels was not the same Brussels after the Paris attacks either." His family had warned him of traveling to the capital city even before Tuesday's attacks. Amudhan didn't say whether he was considering rescheduling the trip for a later time, or if he'll be traveling elsewhere for the holiday, but Mousa has found a compromise for his plans. After quickly swapping their stop in Brussels for one in Amsterdam, Mousa and his friends finalized their two-week vacation to the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic. Still, Mousa speculates that, especially in light of the United States' official travel warning for all of Europe, people will become more mindful about their travels to the continent. "Travel is a beautiful thing, and experiencing multiple cultures and societies is one of the best forms of education in this day and age, where every country is so easily accessible," Mousa said. "It dismays me that people will be dissuaded from traveling to Europe due to these attacks." David Garfinkel, a 23-year-old New Yorker living in London for a fellowship, said that even though the U.S. has earned a reputation for its high rate of mass shootings, there's something even more unsettling about living in Europe during the current wave of terror attacks. Following the two attacks in Turkey earlier this month, Garfinkel canceled plans with friends to travel to Istanbul again, partly at the request of his parents. "Knowing Turkey's been kinda dangerous already, I had my reservations, and my parents sort of just agreed with me that they'd rather not have me go," he said. "The U.S. feels safer in avoiding ISIS, and although the shootings in the U.S. are steady, they are more constant, whereas it is unclear how things are going to escalate down the road here in Europe." Garfinkel said he has plans to go to Munich's Springfest in April, and while good beer will cut the anxiety of being at a crowded event in a major European city, there's still some lingering fear. "It's a strange feeling," he said. "It'd be nice not to have to worry about terror while traveling, but it definitely has some impact on my decisions. I just try and make the best of it." Stephanie Yoder, who runs the blog Twenty-Something Travel, had some tips for young people traveling abroad in the wake of terrorism. In November she wrote a post entitled "Do NOT Cancel Your Travel Plans Because of Terrorism." "Fear tears us apart, closes us off and, in many sad cases, makes us hateful," wrote Yoder. "It makes the world seem like it's full of big and scary 'others,' when it's actually full of people just like you and me. And some bad guys sure. But the good outweighs the bad, especially when you look at it from a place of reason and not fear." "Fear makes the world seem like it's full of big and scary 'others,' when it's actually full of people just like you and me." She remained steadfast in her convictions after Tuesday's attacks. "Millions of people visit Europe every year without incident," Yoder said on Thursday. "The statistical chance of being killed by a terrorist is extremely small. Do your own research and then decide what you feel comfortable with." As Mousa and his friends embark on a two-week adventure, they'll keep these words in mind. "To live in fear sends the message that [ISIS] is winning an unfair and reckless fight," he said. "Obviously we need to be safe, but there are methods of doing so that aren't total avoidance." "The UK has had issued a 'severe threat level' since 2014, a step below the maximum threat level," Mousa said. "However for most of us life does, and must, continue as normal." BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Brussels suicide bomber Khalid El Bakraoui violated the terms of his parole last May by maintaining contacts with past criminal associates but a Belgian magistrate released him, De Morgen newspaper said on Thursday. The report emerged as the interior and justice ministers offered to resign over the failure to re-arrest Bakraoui's brother Brahim, also convicted of a violent crime, when he was sent back from Turkey and in apparent breach of his parole. Brahim El Bakraoui, 29, was one of two men who blew themselves up at Brussels airport on Tuesday, while Khalid El Bakraoui, 26, detonated a bomb at Maelbeek metro station in the city center. The paper quoted prosecutor Christian Henry in the southern city of Mons as saying that on May 13, 2015, Khalid El Bakraoui drew police attention because he parked his car in a one-way street facing in the wrong direction. It then turned out he was sitting in the car with a former criminal associate, in violation of his 2013 parole. But he was released again by the court, because he had strictly complied with the other parole conditions, like seeking a job and reporting regularly for checks with the assistant prosecutor. He showed no signs of being radicalized then. The prosecutors office was not available for comment. Things changed from Oct. 22, the paper quoted prosecutor Henry as saying, shortly before the Paris attacks on Nov. 13. Khalid El Bakraoui missed four scheduled meetings with the assistant prosecutor and moved out from his old address without informing the authorities. This was a violation of his parole, which was subsequently revoked last month. (Reporting By Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Catherine Evans) SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - About 38 percent of California Republicans support billionaire Donald Trump's bid for the U.S. presidency, but more than half say they are not satisfied with their choices of candidates, a new opinion poll shows. The poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California on Wednesday also shows that among Democrats who are likely primary voters, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont with 48 percent support compared with Sanders' 41 percent. The survey also showed that California Democrats are much more likely to be satisfied with their presidential choices than Republicans. Among Democratic voters surveyed, 65 percent said they were satisfied with their choices of candidates, while just 46 percent of Republicans say they were satisfied with the field. Among independents, who make up nearly a quarter of registered voters in the most populous U.S. state, satisfaction with primary choices is even lower, at 34 percent. Democrats, who make up 43 percent of registered voters in the state, break along age lines in their support for Clinton or Sanders, the poll showed. Voters aged 45 and older skewed heavily for Clinton at 63 percent, while the same percentage of voters below age 45 said they support Sanders. The U.S. presidential election is on Nov. 8. The PPIC poll showed an increase in support for Trump when compared with a poll by the Field Research Corporation in January. In that survey, Trump and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas were in a statistical tie at roughly 25 percent each. Since then, however, several candidates have dropped out of the crowded Republican race. Nationwide, Reuters polling conducted on Tuesday showed Trump with a commanding lead among Republicans at 44.6 percent. By comparison, 26.9 percent said they supported Cruz and 19.8 percent supported Ohio Governor John Kasich. The PPIC poll of 1,710 adult California residents was conducted March 6-15, and has a margin of error of 3.6 percent. Polling ended on the night that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Montreal (AFP) - A former Canadian radio star has been acquitted of all charges of sexual assault on Thursday during a trial in which three women accused him of beating them during sex. The allegations against syndicated radio host Jian Ghomeshi led to one of the country's most high-profile trials, prompting a debate about how the justice system addresses sexual assault. Judge William Horkins concluded the eight-day trial saying the plaintiffs had been "less than full and frank and forthcoming" in their statements to police, the court and media. "The evidence fails to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt," he said in his verdict. The 48-year-old radio host had pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault and one count of of overcoming resistance by choking dating back to 2002 and 2003. He faced a possible sentence of life in prison. Dozens of protesters gathered in front of the Toronto court chanting, "We believe the victims!" after the verdict was issued. The charges were laid in November 2014 after at least a dozen women came forward with accusations Ghomeshi strangled them, punched them or slammed them against walls. Ghomeshi argued that his acts were consensual rough sex of the kind found in erotic novels such as the best-seller "Fifty Shades of Grey." Before he was fired by Canadian public broadcaster CBC over the scandal, his top-rated arts magazine radio show "Q" was heard across Canada and in more than 180 cities in the United States. Ghomeshi will appear in court again in June for a second trial on a single count of sexual assault dating from an alleged incident of workplace harassment in 2008. The Hill A little more than two weeks stand between now and Election Day, and its likely going to come down to the wire as Republicans and Democrats duke it out for Senate supremacy. The two sides are fresh off of third-quarter fundraising releases and squarely in the middle of debate season, with Republicans starting to feel Beijing (AFP) - Four staff of a Chinese media outlet that carried an anonymous letter calling on President Xi Jinping to resign have been missing for over a week, a colleague said Thursday. A letter appeared on the Wujie News website earlier this month accusing Xi of a litany of policy mistakes and asking him to step down for the good of the country, before it was deleted. Media criticism of top leaders is almost unknown in China, where the press is strictly controlled by the ruling Communist Party. Four staff including CEO Ouyang Hongliang and managing editor Huang Zhijie have been "out of contact" since last week, a reporter at the magazine who asked not to be named told AFP. "I think they are assisting an investigation," said the staffer, adding that the media outlet may be shut down, although the letter's appearance was probably the result of a "hacking attack". A Chinese journalist, Jia Jia, was held last week at Beijing airport while on his way to Hong Kong, with rights groups linking his detention to an alleged attempt to warn Wujies CEO about the letter. But his lawyer has said that his detention may not be connected to the document. Wujie has not published any original articles on its website since Wednesday last week, and has not updated an account on the Wechat social media platform since Friday. Xi has tightened already strict controls on the media since coming to power in 2012, and recently urged state-run outlets to "reflect the will of the party". - 'Personal safety' - Mainland Chinese media coverage of Xi is typically limited to accounts of meetings or speeches, or gushing with praise. He has presided over a slowdown in economic growth and a clampdown on civil society that has seen hundreds of people arrested. The letter, seen by AFP in a cached form, berated him for centralising authority, mishandling the economy and tightening ideological controls. "Due to your gathering of all power into your own hands and making decisions directly, we are now facing unprecedented problems and crises in all political, economic, ideological, and cultural spheres," it said. Story continues Signed "Loyal Communist Party Members", it added: "For the Party cause, for the long-term peace and stability of the country, and for your own personal safety and that of your family, we ask you to resign from all positions of Party and state leadership." Wujie -- known as Watching in English -- was founded in 2015 with funding from Internet giant Alibaba, as well as the provincial government of Xinjiang in China's northwest. It is based in Beijing. Police in China's capital did not answer a phone call asking for comment. Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily on Thursday first reported that four staff were missing and added that the outlet was "facing closure". It earlier reported the letter had appeared as a result of hacking, citing an insider as saying: "Wujie is not so stupid as to mess around in that way." Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to discuss the deteriorating situation on the Korean peninsula with his US counterpart Barack Obama when he visits Washington for a nuclear security summit next week, a senior Beijing official said Thursday. North Korea's most recent atomic test in January and a series of rocket launches are likely to be on the two leaders' agenda when they meet on the sidelines of the summit, foreign affairs Vice Minister Li Baodong told reporters. "During the meeting, the two presidents will have a full exchange of views on bilateral issues... including the issue of the Korean Peninsula," Li said. "We believe that the issue of the Korean peninsula should be resolved through dialogue and consultation," he added. The two-day Nuclear Security Summit will discuss how to best secure radioactive materials, including preventing would-be terrorists from accessing them. The summit itself will not address issues related to North Korea's recent weapons tests, but may touch on stopping the provision of nuclear materials to the country which could be used to develop weapons. China is one of 52 countries and international organisations participating in the conference, which was first held in Washington in 2010. This year's meeting is the fourth in the series initiated by President Obama and has been billed as the last. US policymakers have pushed China, North Korea's only ally, to put pressure on the country to stop its nuclear provocations. But Beijing is concerned about the stability of its neighbour and has resisted taking any steps that could potentially weaken its ailing economy. North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a solid-fuel rocket Thursday, the latest in a series of weapons tests. Tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test. Xi is scheduled to visit the Czech Republic on his way to Washington. China has released a Christian human rights lawyer detained after representing churches whose crosses were demolished by government officials, a rights group said. Zhang Kai was detained in late August ahead of a scheduled meeting with David Saperstein, a US envoy researching religious freedom. Secretary of State John Kerry called for his release. Texas-based rights group China Aid said on its website that Zhang had been freed on Wednesday, citing a social media message in which he said: "I have already safely arrived home." Since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, the officially atheist Communist party has taken a harder line towards civil and religious society, including its some 70 million Christians. More than 200 lawyers and legal activists, including Zhang, were questioned or detained in July as part of a sweeping nationwide crackdown. Around a dozen have been formally arrested. In Zhejiang province in the east, local officials have demolished churches or removed crosses from their exteriors in a campaign that rights groups say has impacted hundreds of parishes. State-run website Wenzhou Online last month cited police in Zhejiang as saying that Zhang had been identified as the "mastermind" behind a series of "illegal religious gatherings". China Aid said Zhang had offered legal assistance to approximately 100 churches affected by the ongoing cross demolition campaign. Zhang, himself a Christian, was held under a form of detention that allows suspects to be held for up to six months in an undisclosed location, it added. Beijing had rejected US calls to free Zhang, adding it had "no right to interfere with China's judicial sovereignty and China's domestic affairs". By Dan Levine SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A businessman from China pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors including Boeing Co, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Su Bin, 50, faces a maximum five-year sentence for allegedly conspiring with two other people in China to obtain sensitive military information and export it illegally. Su's attorney, Robert Anello, said in an email: "In resolving this matter Su Bin hopes to move on with his life." According to U.S. government court filings, Su began working in 2008 to target U.S. companies. In 2010, he emailed a file to an unnamed individual in China which contained information about Boeing's C-17 military transport aircraft. Su also helped his co-conspirators decide which company employees to target, and translated documents from English to Chinese. Arrested in Canada in 2014, Su ultimately consented to U.S. extradition, the Justice Department said. Canadian media reported in January that two Chinese soldiers conspired with Su to obtain blueprints for F-35s and other jets. The Chinese government has repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked about the case at a daily news briefing in Beijing, said she was aware of the recent developments. "The Chinese government consistently attaches importance to protecting the legitimate rights of Chinese citizens overseas. We will pay close attention to this case," she said. Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher said the company "fully cooperated with the authorities throughout this process and we welcome this development." Sentencing is scheduled for July 13 before a Los Angeles federal judge. (Additional reporting by Jessica Macy Yu in BEIJING; Editing by G Crosse and James Dalgleish) By Amanda Becker (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday the attack in Brussels that killed more than 30 people is the "latest brutal reminder" that more must be done to defeat Islamic State militants, including by European Union member countries. In an address at Stanford University in California, Clinton said the United States and Europe should take a "harder look" at protocols at airports and other "soft sites" that are outside security perimeters. Clinton also said "there is much we can do to support our European partners" but "there is also more they can do to share the burden with us." Clinton said she would like to see more European countries investing in defense and security in the way Germany has during the Obama administration. "The most urgent task is stopping the flow of foreign fighters to and from the Middle East" who are citizens of France, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom with European passports that make it easier for them to cross into Syria and return radicalized, Clinton said. Clinton said that many European nations do not currently alert their neighbors when they turn away a "suspected jihadist" at their border or when a citizen's passport is stolen. European Union countries also need to share traveler information more readily, Clinton said. "It's actually easier for the United States to get flight manifests from EU nations than it is for EU nations to get them from their own neighbors, thanks to an agreement that the United States negotiated when I was secretary of state," Clinton said. Additional steps that could be taken in Europe are the creation of a "new, unified, European border and coast guard" to strengthen the external borders of a continent that is under "unprecedented pressure from refugees and migrants," Clinton said. Clinton also praised past partnerships between the United States and Europe, calling the NATO alliance between North American and European countries one of the best investments that America has made. Republican front-runner Donald Trump has in recent days said that the United States should rethink its involvement in the decades-old alliance. Clinton also took aim at Trump, along with presidential rival U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, when she slammed "offensive, inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims," including those who could be partners in the fight against terrorism. (Reporting by Amanda Becker in Washington; Editing by Eric Beech and Andrew Hay) By Frank Jack Daniel HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombian peace negotiators missed Wednesday's deadline for a final accord but talks will continue in Havana to end Latin America's longest war, representatives of the government and the FARC rebels said. The government of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, had set a self-imposed March 23 deadline to reach a comprehensive pact. "In all honesty, we have to inform the public that at the moment there are still important differences with the FARC," Humberto de la Calle, the government's lead negotiator, said at a news conference. "We are going to make every effort to reach a final agreement. But this requires quick decisions," a clearly frustrated de la Calle said, adding that talks that have already stretched for more than three years could not be indefinite. Latin America's longest war has killed some 220,000 people and displaced millions of others since 1964. The conference was held hours behind schedule as the two sides unsuccessfully tried to agree on a common statement and produce a roadmap towards peace. Instead the government and the FARC issued separate communiques. "We are acting with the idea of building a good agreement, to make 2016 the year of peace, the year of the end of war in Colombia," said the FARC's lead negotiator Ivan Marquez. Talks are due to restart on April 4. Both sides recently said the deadline was unlikely to be reached, in part because of rebel security concerns and disagreements about the location of safety zones where the fighters can hand in their weapons after a ceasefire is declared and during their transition into democratic politics. Earlier on Wednesday another rebel negotiator, Pablo Catatumbo, raised concerns that right-wing paramilitary groups he blamed for a spate of killings in Colombia might pose a threat to the FARC once it disarms. On a previous FARC attempt to give up arms for legal politics, in 1985, hundreds of their former combatants were assassinated. Any final deal would be placed before Colombian voters for approval, with a U.N. mission supervising rebel disarmament. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met the negotiators on Monday in Havana, including the FARC for the first time, during President Barack Obama's historic trip. The rebels expressed gratitude for U.S. involvement, which they said might help move negotiations forward and protect their fighters once they disarm. In January, the United States co-sponsored a U.N. Security Council Resolution to set up a mission of unarmed international observers to monitor and verify eventual peace. (Additioanl reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Andrew Hay) BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's second-largest rebel group has freed a civilian hostage held for more than six months, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday, meeting a government condition for the start of peace talks. The National Liberation Army, or ELN, released Ramon Jose Cabrales, the president said on Twitter. Local media reported the Roman Catholic Church assisted with the liberation. "I celebrate that Ramon Jose Cabrales is now free and can reunite with his family," Santos said. Cabrales was captured by the guerrillas in September. The 2,000-strong ELN has been conducting exploratory talks with the Colombian government, but Santos has repeatedly said formal negotiations would not begin until Cabrales and a soldier hostage were freed. The soldier, Jair de Jesus Villar, was freed on Sunday after being held for six weeks. The Santos administration began peace talks with the larger FARC rebel group in late 2012. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) By Keith Coffman COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - A lawyer for the man accused of killing three people and wounding nine others in a shooting rampage at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic in November asked a judge on Thursday to commit the defendant to a state mental hospital. The motion by the public defender was an indication that a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation of Robert Lewis Dear found him unfit to serve as his own attorney, as he has requested, in a case over the first fatal attack on a U.S. abortion provider since 2009. Rather than rule immediately on Dear's competency, El Paso County Judge Gilbert Martinez acted on the evaluation report by granting a prosecution motion for a further hearing on the matter on April 28. Dear, 57, a South Carolina native who has declared himself guilty and a "warrior for the babies" in courtroom outbursts, was ordered by Martinez in December to submit to a mental examination after he demanded to fire his public defender and act as his own lawyer. The results of that assessment remain under seal, but the defendant himself said in a jailhouse interview with Colorado Springs television station KKTV last week that he had been informed that doctors found him incompetent to stand trial. Dear, who insisted he is competent, previously told a Denver station that he intends to plead guilty and expects to be executed. Entering the courtroom for Thursday's proceedings, shackled and dressed in lime green jail garb, the bearded defendant was heard to say, "The Hebrew word for lightning is 'barak,' like Barack Obama," but the meaning of his comment was not known. 'Barak' means lightning in Hebrew. Dear sat slumped quietly in his chair through the rest of the proceedings. He has been held without bond since surrendering at the end of a bloody five-hour siege on Nov. 27 at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, where police said Dear opened fire with a rifle outside the building, then stormed inside. Story continues Killed in the rampage were a U.S. Army veteran and a mother of two who happened to be in the clinic's waiting area as well as a police officer. Dear, charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault in the attack, has not formally entered a plea. Prosecutors have yet to say whether they intend to seek the death penalty if Dear is convicted. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Colorado Springs; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Cynthia Osterman) Anthony Atamanuik and James Adomian starred in a very special episode of Chris Hardwick's @Midnight on Wednesday, taking on the personas of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. The hourlong episode served as the comedy game show's election special, starring the two comedians in what was billed as its "#MidnightDebate: Trump vs. Sanders." The Comedy Central show changed its format from three comedians battling against one another in a series of comedy challenges to feature a pseudo-debate between Atamanuik's Trump and Adomian's Sanders. The duo appeared on the show to promote their upcoming Fusion special, Trump vs. Bernie, airing on April 27. "For months voters across this great land of ours, and also Michigan, have been tasked with the incredible responsibility of choosing our next president," introduced Hardwick, "and boy have they been blowing it!" "They're here to pander for your votes," he continued, welcoming Atamanuik (as Trump) to the stage to boos from the audience, to which the comedian replied, "get them out of here waterboard them!" Read More: Bernie Sanders Talks Trump, Brussels Attacks on 'Kimmel' Hardwick offered them both time for opening statements, which Adomian (Sanders) used to talk about his recent endorsements from some fake unions and "one half of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young." He added that he's doing really well with "shoppers who shop at Whole Foods who feel bad about shopping at Whole Foods." Atamanuik used his time to boast that he has "received a rose in every single ceremony," adding in several non sequiturs before a few random offensive phrases. The episode included questions from Twitter, which covered Trump's family, the middle class, Muppets and ghosts. @Midnight's usual segment called "Hashtag Wars" went political in this episode with #IfIWerePresident, asking the two candidates (and fans playing along on Twitter) to share what the country would be like if they were in charge. Story continues Said Atamanuik (Trump): "I am going to hunt down Rosie O'Donnell like Osama bin Laden." Adomian (Sanders) replied: "I would put the rich Wall Street bankers in the same prison that Magneto goes in, and I would institute a national Netflix account with one password!" Tonight @trumpvsbernie bring you the debate you DESERVE!https://t.co/6TEJTdLGBe @midnight (@midnight) March 24, 2016 At an old job in New York, one OZY editor and all her female colleagues covered their laptop cameras with yellow Post-its. Each had had one too many creepy experiences with an overly friendly IT guy. Call them paranoid, but maybe they were just prepared. In one study, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found: Less than 5% of people know when their computer is recording them. Rebecca Portnoff, the lead researcher, happened across some Web forums that discussed things like webcam hijacking. Obviously creeped out, she wanted to figure out a defense for the public. She and the other researchers had 98 people sit at a computer and perform two tasks one computer-based, the other paper-based. During the session, the webcam would activate and record a 10-second video, also activating the computers camera indicator light. Less than half of everyone working on his or her computer didnt notice when the light was on. Even worse? Only 5 percent noticed the light when they were distracted by filling out a paper questionnaire. This is problematic because most computer spying happens when people are in front of their computer but not actually using it. Noticing the indicator light doesnt do much, though: The researchers also found that a majority of the participants had no clue what the light even meant. Hackers conduct this wizardry through Remote Administration Tools, or RATs, which are just as nasty as the beady-eyed rodents. RATs allow a person anywhere in the world to do sinister things on your laptop like commandeer the camera or rifle through your files and photos all by tricking you into downloading a program. Some criminals use these Swiss army knives of cybercrime, as cybersecurity firm Lancopes threat intelligence expert Gavin Reid calls them, for sextortion, which is pretty much what it sounds like: Creeps film videos or take photos of unsuspecting people undressing or having sex and then threaten to release the recordings if the victims dont pay a ransom. Its similar to what the FBI calls ransomware: An attacker overtakes your computer, turns on your webcam and demands payment to restore control of your device. Hackers not-so-affectionately refer to the unwitting performers as their slaves in online forums or websites dedicated to the display of the ill-gotten acquisitions. Reid says this happens all too commonly. Story continues Portnoff says there arent reliable statistics on how many people are being recorded without their knowledge, but the effects can be devastating. She adds, The ones who you hear about are the ones who get caught. Last year, the FBI estimated around 700,000 people had been victims of just one RATs program created by a couple of 20-somethings and sold online for $40. Nick Buchholz, senior threat researcher at computer security company Damballa, says he wouldnt be surprised to see more and more RATs created that allow hackers to initiate chats, stream video or take snapshots. Its like the Chatroulette you didnt sign up for. All is not lost, however. Portnoffs study also looked at ways to get people to notice when their webcam is on. A giant, red, flashing camera symbol on the screen helped. Portnoff hopes the computer industry will adopt more proactive warnings like hers. Unfortunately, noticing your indicator light isnt enough to guarantee someone isnt spying on you: Its possible to activate a laptops little camera without detection, according to Reid. Pulling off that trick, though, says Portnoff, is the hacker holy grail. So what does Portnoff herself do? I keep a sliding sticky device over my webcam. And make sure my anti-virus is up to date. The cybersecurity experts suggest you do the same. (Paranoid OZY editor, consider yourself vindicated.) Related Articles BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso has won a new five-year term with 60.39 percent of the vote, the interior minister said on Thursday, extending his long rule over the oil-producing nation that first began in 1979. Interior Minister Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou announced the result on state television and said opposition leader Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, who is popular in the south of the capital Brazzaville, won 15 percent in Sunday's vote, while retired general Jean-Marie Mokoko won 14 percent. Opposition candidates have alleged election fraud and said on Wednesday that their own results show Sassou Nguesso headed for defeat. The government has imposed a blackout on internet and mobile phone communications since Sunday, and it also banned the use of motor vehicles nationwide during the vote itself. Sassou Nguesso came to power in 1979 and governed until 1992, when he lost an election. In 1997, he regained power after a civil war and then won elections in 2002 and 2009 at which there were allegations of fraud. He campaigned this time on a promise to develop the country's infrastructure and commit a quarter of the state budget to education to tackle high youth unemployment in the nation of 4.5 million. The 72-year-old pushed through changes to the constitution in a referendum last October to alter the term and age limits that would have barred him from standing for another five-year mandate. (Reporting by Aaron Ross; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Hugh Lawson) For parts of the American West, March means rattlesnake-hunting time. Hunters search outdoor nooks, caves, and crevices where rattlesnakes den over the winter months, spray gasoline down their holes, and wait for the noxious fumes to force the animals to slither out for fresh air. The bewildered snakes are then snatched up and transported to various rattlesnake roundupsdozens of mass snake executions that the public is invited to attend in Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Sweetwater, Texas, claims to hold the largest annual event, where thousands of western diamondback rattlesnakes are put in a single pit. The event set a new weight record this year, with hunters bringing in nearly 25,000 pounds worth of rattlesnakes. Each year, handlers put on shows for the audience, baiting snakes into striking balloons, before the animals are ultimately killed. Their skin, meat, heads, and rattles are sold to the public. Rattlesnake roundups are done in the name of safety, organizers say, to keep local rattlesnake populations in check and help protect humans and livestock from venomous and deadly snakebites. Ready, Set, Gas: Texas Town Set to Kill Thousands of Rattlesnakes But conservationists contend the roundups are nothing more than a display of animal cruelty toward a misunderstood, and understudied reptile. Its the type of treatment typically reserved for invasive species such as the Burmese pythons infiltrating Floridas Everglades National Park, or the Asian carp plaguing American rivers and threatening to reach the Great Lakes, said Melissa Amarello, herpetologist and cofounder of the nonprofit group Advocates for Snake Preservation. There may be some species population controls that are conducted by wildlife agencies, but there is no other native species that gets this type of treatment from the public, Amarello said. It speaks to the negative public perception of snakes, and the lack of conservation efforts on their part. Story continues To change the perception of snakesoften thought of as heartless, cold-blooded killersAmarello starts with the facts. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 7,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year in the United States. Five people ended up dying from snakebites, including those who refuse anti-venom treatment, and who keep snakes as pets. Bee stings, lightning strikes, and dog attacks are all more deadly in the U.S.. Not to mention that most snake bites are reported by exterminators who handle snakes all of the time, or when people are trying to handle them, like during these roundups, Amarello said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has not reported a single cattle death by snakebite since 1991. The problem, according to Amarello, is that people dont view snakes the way they see other native wildlifeand sometimes, scientists dont, either. New research show is that snakes like the western rattlesnake have far more advanced social lives than biologists realized. Weve got new video footage from research work that shows the social bonds that snakes form with other individual snakeslike friends, Amarello said. They dont look like, or express emotions like we do, but theyre shy, and they want to be left alone. Even the definition of a rattlesnake is changing. Researchers at the University of Arkansas found that six out of the eight known subspecies of the snakewhich include the prairie rattlesnake, Arizona black rattlesnake, and great basin rattlesnakeare actually distinct species. Before, these snakes were all just part of one great rattlesnake complex, said Michael Douglas, one of the researchers. But these distinct species, in different distributions, can be evaluated on individual levels to determine if they are threatened or endangered on a state level. For most people, snakes fit into two categories; poisonous or not poisonous, and thats enough for them, he added. So, they can end up getting a raw deal when it comes to protections being put in place for them. Douglas doesnt see evidence that rattlesnake roundups have a negative impact on overall rattlesnake populations, but he also disagrees with the notion the events help curb overpopulation of snakes. How do they know theres an overabundance anyway? Douglas asked. Theres a lot of natural controls that impact snake populations. Just because you see a lot on a hot day doesnt mean the area is overpopulated. And while Western rattlesnake populations might be holding steady despite the roundups, the gasoline spraying tactics used by rattlesnake hunters can wreak havoc on any other animals living in the caves and crevices with the snakes. The Advocates for Snake Preservation estimate as many as the gasoline spraying could impact 350 other wildlife species, which can pollute the surrounding environment. Multiple state wildlife agencies have banned using gasoline or fumes to drive rattlesnakes out of their homes. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department proposed a ban in 2014 that was not enacted. Now, the Center for Biological Diversity has filed a petition to put the proposal back in front of the agency. Its indefensible that Texas still allows gassing to hunt wildlife, Collette Adkins, a scientist and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. Using toxins to hunt rattlers risks contaminating groundwater and harms hundreds of other animals, including 20 endangered species, that also live underground in Texas. Send a Letter: Help End the Mass Killing of Wildlife Related stories on TakePart: 'Killing Contests' That Target Pregnant Females Threaten to Wipe Out This Graceful Ocean Animal California Bans Wildlife-Killing Contests Ready, Set, Gas: Texas Town Set to Kill Thousands of Rattlesnakes Original article from TakePart ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam said he has total confidence in finance chief David Mathers and global markets head Tim O'Hara after large illiquid trading positions pushed the bank to accelerate its cost-cutting plan. Earlier in the day, Thiam said he and others at bank were surprised by extent of its illiquid positions and that a bank cannot have its CEO and CFO surprised by this. Asked whether Mathers still had his total confidence, Thiam told reporters: "Absolutely... Tim O'Hara too. I appointed him. He was with me all day today." (Reporting by Joshua Franklin; Editing by Alexander Smith) New York (AFP) - US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz was barraged by criticism Wednesday one day after proposing that police "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized." Included among critics was President Barack Obama, who called the Texas senator's idea "contrary to who we are." "Any approach that would single (Muslims) out or target them for discrimination is not only wrong and un-American, but it also would be counterproductive," Obama told reporters in Argentina, which he visited after a historic trip to Cuba. "I just left a country that engages in that kind of neighborhood surveillance, which, by the way, the father of Senator Cruz escaped for America, the land of the free," he said. Cruz issued his proposal Tuesday in response to bomb attacks in Brussels that left at least 31 dead in a plot claimed by the Islamic State group. The ultra-conservative senator's rival, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump -- who has advocated the use of torture against terrorism suspects -- backed Cruz's proposal, calling it "a good idea." Meanwhile Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton denounced Cruz's proposal as "dangerous" and "counter-productive." "It's hard to imagine a more incendiary, foolish statement," she said in California, where she was campaigning. "One thing we know that does not work is offensive, inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims," she added, calling Muslims a "first line of defense" against terrorism. John Kasich, the Republican presidential candidate running in third place, also denounced Cruz's remarks. "The last thing we need is more polarization," he said. - 1,000 Muslim NY police - New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton was among the proposal's most vocal critics. "He doesn't know the Hell what he is talking about," Bratton told CBS News, saying the city's police force includes nearly 1,000 Muslims. "Ironically, when he is running around here, we probably have a few Muslim officers guiding him." Story continues There is little love lost between New Yorkers and Cruz, who was in the city Wednesday speaking to supporters. The candidate already incensed residents in January by disparaging what he called "New York values" and previously tangled with Mayor Bill de Blasio over police reform. On Wednesday, he blasted de Blasio for dropping a secretive surveillance program enacted by former mayor Michael Bloomberg after the September 11 attacks. Known as the Demographics Unit, the program deployed plainclothes police officers to eavesdrop on Muslim communities by circulating in mosques, shops and elsewhere to compile files detailing residents' habits. The highly controversial program became the subject of two federal lawsuits. "It's not surprising that the Democratic political henchmen of Mayor de Blasio are coming after me," Cruz said on CBS. "And that is on the instructions of Mayor de Blasio." "Yesterday, we saw a horrific terror attack in Brussels," he added. "It was not a lone wolf. It wasn't an isolated attack. It was radical Islamic terrorism and it was (the Islamic State group) that has declared jihad and is waging war on us." Asked the number of Muslims in the United States -- some 3.3 million -- however, he admitted not knowing. Cruz, who picked up an endorsement from former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Wednesday, is courting support from establishment Republicans bent on stopping Trump's march to the party's nomination. But he is trailing far behind the real estate tycoon in the primary vote, thanks partly to the billionaire's anti-immigrant calls to ban Muslim visitors and build a wall on the Mexican border. The Muslim advocacy group the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called his policing proposal "fascist-like" on Tuesday, asking him to "retract and apologize for his unconstitutional policy proposal." Twitter also exploded with comments under the hashtag #MuslimNeighborhood. "In my #MuslimNeighborhood you'll find people distributing clean water to the victims of the Flint Water Crisis," one tweet with photographs attached said about the tainted water scandal in the Michigan city of Flint. It was retweeted 1,400 times. "@tedcruz good luck trying to distinguish a #MuslimNeighborhood from any other because Muslims are an integral part of the American Fabric," read another. A third showed a picture of three smiling women: "hey @tedcruz pick which two of us are Muslim and patrol us." The war between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz over their wives is getting even nastier. Read: Obama Slammed For Dancing Tango in Argentina Trump retweeted an unflattering image of Heidi Cruz beside a photo of Melania, writing: No need to spill the beans. The images are worth a thousand words. Cruz quickly responded: Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life. https://t.co/pprXhIMzUT Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 24, 2016 The war of the wives erupted when a Cruz Super PAC that supports Cruz circulated a nude photo of Melania in GQ in 2000, with the caption: Meet Melania Trump. Your Next First Lady. The ad was aimed at conservative Mormons in Utah. Trump threatened to "spill the beans" on Cruzs wife, Heidi, in what was an apparent reference to her bout with depression ten years ago. Cruz rushed to her defense, saying on Wednesday: If Donald wants to get in a character fight he's better off sticking with me because Heidi is way out of his league. It turns out that line is almost word for word from the 1995 movie The American President, starring Michael Douglas. Read: Trump Threatens to 'Spill The Beans' About Cruz's Wife After Ad Shows Naked Photo of Melania Story continues In the film, Douglas, who plays the president said: You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me because Sydney Ellen way is way out of your league! Trump mocked Cruz on Twitter: Lyin Ted Cruz steals foreign policy from me, and lines from Michael Douglas just another dishonest politician. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016 Heidi, 43, is a Harvard MBA, a former Goldman Sachs executive and a former economic policy advisor to the Bush administration. She comes from a family of missionaries. Melania, 45, speaks five languages and is a former supermodel who grew up in Slovenia. Watch: Trump Renews Muslim Ban After Calling Brussels Attacks the Beginning Related Articles: "There was a time in music where songs could really have an impact, and this song is really doing that," said songwriter Diane Warren on Tuesday night of "Til It Happens to You" the empowering sexual assault anthem she co-wrote with Lady Gaga. Its powerful, the power of music. The Guess-sponsored cocktail event, a partnership between the brand and Peace Over Violence, a nonprofit organization that aims to build healthy relationships and stop sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence, was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown L.A. for Denim Day, April 27, to encourage the public to wear jeans to raise awareness of sexual assault and rape. The evening honored The Hunting Ground, a documentary about rape on college campuses, and its hit single, "Til It Happens to You," which Warren composed after watching scenes from the film. She was moved by the stories, gifting the song to the filmmakers and ultimately the cause, and would end up playing it to Gaga over the phone. "It touched her," said Warren. "And it really became a Lady Gaga song. Shes part of why this message is heard." Gaga gave a memorable and emotional performance at the Oscars this year ("Til It Happens to You" was nominated for best original song), while being surrounded by survivors of sexual assault, including Kamilah Willingham, a Harvard Law School graduate featured in the film. Thank U Kamilla and all U brave badass survivors. #TILITHAPPENSTOYOU pic.twitter.com/u9C5yy4Fqy Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) March 23, 2016 "What I loved about the performance was that it was strong, and we werent up there like a bunch of hurt victims," said Willingham. "It was really intense, and when I watched it later, I cried my eyes out. Just seeing Lady Gagas face, as she sang the song Ive never seen anything like that before." "She was singing a high 'E' which is hard to get to," said Warren. "She hit that thing nine times. I havent seen a performance like that in my lifetime. The Oscar audience, they wouldnt sit down, they were sobbing. I was sad we didnt win. Everybody was shocked, including me, but I think the affect of the song is a bigger win. It doesnt compare." Story continues The night began with an a capella performance of the song by Acasola of California State University, Northridge, followed by moving speeches by Willingham, The Hunting Ground director Kirby Dick, producer Amy Ziering, Violence Intervention Program executive director Dr. Astrid Heppenstall Heger, Denim Day spokespersons and musicians Aloe Blacc and Maya Jupiter (who has written the song "Never Said Yes" about the movement), and the two hosts of the evening, executive director of Peace Over Violence and Denim Day founder Patti Giggans and Guess co-founder and chief creative officer Paul Marciano. "This is not an easy subject," said Marciano, who has been applauded for making Guess the first and only international brand to speak out on the taboo subject of sexual assault and rape, when he took the stage. "Were here to educate and advocate." The Guess Foundation will donate 10 percent of proceeds from all denim and select accessories sales to Peace Over Violence starting on Monday, April 25, 2016 through Saturday, April 30, 2016. A photo posted by GUESS (@guess) on Mar 22, 2016 at 9:13pm PDT LONDON (Reuters) - French director Alice Winocour and Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts said they drew on their own personal experiences for "Disorder", a paranoia thriller about a former soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The film, released as "Maryland" in France last year, follows ex-special forces soldier Vincent, played by "Far from the Madding Crowd" actor Schoenaerts, whose job is to protect the family of a wealthy Lebanese businessman. When his employer is called away, leaving Vincent to tend to the safety of his wife, played by Diane Kruger, and child, the ex-soldier fights his own paranoia while feeling that they are in danger. Winocour said her own personal traumatic experience had been an inspiration for the film. "I had suffered from PTSD myself by giving birth to my daughter and almost died from pre-eclampsia with her," she said. "And that is what the film is about ... sensation, and the film is almost like a sensory experience and I wanted it to be very physical." Schoenaerts said he was so anxious making the film that he could not sleep. "I was in a situation where I only had like three weeks' prep and that gave me a lot of anxiety, I was so nervous and I was scared that I wasn't going to make it. "By accident, by being so nervous I slept ... two hours a night ... and I started to notice that I was having similar symptoms to what these guys were going through, so I pushed that button, and then of course I tried to study myself as I was going through it," he said. Schoenaerts, who also recently starred in the moody erotic thriller "A Bigger Splash", added that the cast and crew started acting "funky" after two months of filming in the luxurious house around which the drama is centered. "That house in the beginning feels like a palace ... But if you spend two months, it becomes more of a prison, and people don't like to be in jail, so everybody started acting funky." "Disorder" is released in UK cinemas on Friday. (Writing by Helena Williams and Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Both Disney and Marvel Studios have vowed to stop filming in Georgia if a religious liberty bill that is currently before Governor Nathan Deal is signed into action. Both studios have shot extensively in the state of Georgia in recent years, with Captain America: Civil Wars filming taking place there last summer, while Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 is currently in production at Pinewood Studios, just outside Atlanta, too. The studio decided to shoot in these locations because of the tax incentives that the state of Georgia offer to production companies. But a Disney spokesman on Wednesday was emphatic that they would take their business elsewhere if the legislation, which not only protects religious officials from overseeing same-sex marriage ceremonies but also allows faith-based organisations to deny services or employment to individuals that violate their sincerely held religious belief, wasnt overturned by the Governor. Disney and Marvel are inclusive companies, and although we have had great experiences filming in Georgia, we will plan to take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law, the Disney spokesman declared, via Variety. The Motion Picture Association of America has also spoken out about the deal, while at the same time its senior vice president of state government affairs Van Stevenson has confidently predicted that Governor Deal wont allow a discriminatory bill to become law in Georgia. AMC, who film The Walking Dead in Georgia, have also joined the boycott, while Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin has urged other studios and production companies to denounce the bill by refusing to conduct production in the state until its dismissed, too. Read more: - The Truth Behind Indiana Jones Maguffins - Was This Man The Inspiration For Shrek? - Meet The OTHER Guy Who Played Han Solo [Image via Marvel] According to a leading economist, the public debate over affirmative actions role in higher education is missing the point, and could actually lead to worse academic outcomes for students who get a boost from a colleges affirmative-action policies. That view, however, is hotly contested by a wide range of scholars. Richard Sander, an economist at UCLAs law school, told a group of education journalists last month, that the public conversation about admissions policies that consider race wrongly defines the key terms of the debate. The question shouldnt be whether black or Latino students do better in the nations top colleges than they would at less competitive colleges. Highly selective schools like Yale or Cornell have high graduation rates for all their students. Instead, Sander says the public dialogue should focus on how students with similar test scores fare in colleges with differing degrees of admissions selectivity. To him and other supporters of the idea of mismatchthat attending a tougher school may at times negatively affect a studentthe question to ask is this: Do students at more selective colleges whose test scores are lower than their peers perform worse academically than students with similar scores at less selective colleges? More From The Education Writers Association Education Writers Association The concept of mismatch was further muddled by what many people viewed as a poor choice of words by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in comments he made during the second hearing of the University of Texas v. Fisher case about the use of race in college admissions. There are those who contend that it does not benefit African Americans to get them into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less advanced school, a slower-track school where they do well, the recently deceased justice said. Story continues Mismatch is a not a racial effect, Mr. Scalias unfortunate comments to the contrary, said Sander. Mismatch is something that affects all groups. Recommended: Why Do College Basketball Coaches Make So Much Money? The Fisher case is politically contentious, with liberals largely in favor of the use of racial preferences in admissions and conservatives against it. When Scalia inelegantly referred to the mismatch theory in his remarks opposing race-conscious admissions, he was attempting to summarize the theory Sander has explored. But the UCLA professor said he actually supports the use of race in admissions when necessary. Many of the people who do research on this, including me, think that racial preferences are also desirable and should be part of any system that we haveas long as were paying close attention to whether there are harmful side effects, boomerang effects, in the process, he said. Sander, who co-wrote the book Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students Its Intended to Help, and Why Universities Wont Admit It, cited several studies that give credence to the idea of mismatch. His own work focuses on students college grades and class ranks rather than graduation rates because he argues researchers can make better conclusions about what hurts or helps a student academically. He also says universities may be compelled to weaken their graduation requirements to show that more non-white students are graduating. His famous 2005 study that looked at racial preferences for black students at elite law schools found that when black students were able to attend schools that were highly selective, their grades were often near the bottom of the barrel compared to their elite law school peers. He also found that law school students admitted with racial preferences had higher dropout rates. Still, he calculated that racial preferences expanded the enrollment of black law students by only 14 percent. Recommended: The Obama Doctrine The findings were met with a flurry of criticism. One scholar wrote in response that black law students who are similarly qualified when applying to law school perform equally well on the bar irrespective of what tier school they attend. There is no evidence that affirmative action reduces the bar performance of the students it is designed to help. Race-consciousness is not an exception to the otherwise routine functioning of the admissions process for those schools, but is an indispensable part of it. In the book Mismatch, Sander and his co-author recommend that colleges provide admitted students witgh data on how past students with similar high school grades and SAT scores performed in college. The transparency, they argue, would help students determine if theyre academically ready to take on the challenges of that school or particular major. In recent years, Sander has sued universities, including his own, to get them to disclose data that would enable comparisons between their students scores on the law school entrance examLSATand their success on the bar exam. Early data suggests students with the same LSAT scores are less likely to pass their bar exams after attending more selective law schools and are more likely to pass the bar exam at less selective universities. Proponents of mismatch also argue that students who may be out of their academic leagues at high-ranked universities choose to opt out of certain majors, like physics or math, in favor of disciplines that are less rigorously graded. That line of reasoning has been attacked by other scholars. Recommended: The Mysterious Thing About a Marvelous New Synthetic Cell Other mismatch data is mixed. A 2012 summary of the literature found that students who enroll at institutions where the student body is largely more academically prepared tend to have higher graduation rates than they otherwise would but lower class ranks and grade-point averages. The same study concluded that after accounting for a students race, socioeconomic background, and one important indicator of college readiness (SAT score), college-completion rates increase as the level of school selectivity increases. The mismatch debate has larger implications. Because the U.S. population is becoming less white, policies that support the academic achievement of black and Latino students are vital to the nations economic success, said William Kidder, associate vice chancellor at UC Riverside. Because under-represented minorities are a large part of our society, if too many are left behind, in terms of graduating, doing well beyond college, America itself will not be able to do all that it can on the world stage, he said at the event. Kidder also cited research that suggests students at diverse campuses experience cognitive growth through interacting with different racial and cultural groups. He was a co-author of a review of research that largely rejected the premise of mismatch, finding that theres little evidence that students with lower high-school grades and test scores are better off attending less selective schools. Sander strongly repudiated Kidders analysis. I contend that this is not a serious work of scholarship, but is instead a polemic authored by Zealots, he wrote in a paper in 2014. The definitions that are central to the debate over racial preferences can overlap, but keeping them in order is key. Affirmative action means giving a group of students some kind of preference, like for students who are poor or come from certain zip codes. Racial preferences are just thatadmissions policies that take into account an applicants race. The role of mismatch in this debate is to determine whether students who are admitted with the aid of admissions preferenceslike race, income, or being related to alumniperform well academically despite at times having lower grades and college-entrance test scores than the average scores for the incoming class of students at a particular college. There are two more related conceptsovermatching and undermatching. An undermatched student is someone whose academic performance in high school exceeds those of fellow students at a particular college, suggesting that the student could have gotten into a more selective university but for various reasons did not. Overmatched students are the oppositethose whose high school performances suggest they may struggle in a more selective school and are better off at a less challenging college. A 2013 study found most college students are either undermatched or overmatched, and its the students themselves who choose to attend colleges that are either below or above their academic skillssuggesting college-admissions counselors have a smaller effect on the actual composition of college campuses than previously thought. Cost issues can lead high-performing students to enroll at the less selective school, while overmatching tends to occur because parents and students may feel confident a more selective school yields larger academic benefits. But belief may not align with actual outcomes, the authors note in a 2015 paper. Just because we find evidence that more informed students and their families think college quality trumps concerns about overmatch does not make it so. Students and parents believe lots of things contrary to the evidence; this particular belief might belong to that set, they wrote. And academic preparedness is not necessarily the only consideration colleges are making, said Rutgers University law professor Stacy Hawkins in a scholarly interview that included Sander. Many colleges and universities consider the ability to amass sufficient racial and ethnic diversity among their student bodies as essential to their educational and institutional missions, she said. Thus, race-consciousness is not an exception to the otherwise routine functioning of the admissions process for those schools, but is an indispensable part of it. This article appears courtesy of the Education Writers Association. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. What's the deal with Donald Trump and bald eagles? On Wednesday, his presidential campaign was hit with a copyright lawsuit over a portrait of an eagle alleged to be owned by Wendy Shattil and Robert Rozinski, identifying themselves as award-winning professional photographers specializing in nature and wildlife photography. The complaint filed in New York claims that Donald J. Trump for President has misappropriated an iconic photograph for campaign signs and has incited an "epidemic of third-party infringement." This isn't the first time Trump has experienced an eagle attack. In December, Time Magazine released behind-the-scenes footage of an unusual photo shoot in which Trump tried to pose with a bald eagle in his Trump Tower office before the bird lunged at him. "What you will do for a cover," said Trump at the time. "This bird is seriously dangerous but beautiful." via GIPHY The above video went viral, and now Trump is facing a lawsuit that talks about how "especially in the Internet era, viral promotion of candidates is invaluable." The plaintiffs say they became aware of the infringement when watching news coverage of the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary and spotted an attendee at one of his rallies holding a printed sign incorporating their photograph. They researched further and said they discovered that the Trump campaign hosted an online store where the eagle image was incorporated for various merchandise. The lawsuit has some examples, including this one. According to the complaint, the Trump campaign is not just selling merchandise, but also encouraging others to print signs featuring the eagle to express their support. "The Defendants published content incorporating the Photograph via Internet social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, intending that the individuals accessing such content via those services would 'share' via Facebook, 'retweet' via Twitter, and 'pin' via Pinterest that content for subsequent use by others," states the complaint. "The effect of this iterated unauthorized reproduction and redistribution is the rampant viral infringement of Plaintiffs' exclusive rights in their Photograph." The lawsuit says that Trump for President, demanding damages for both direct and secondary copyright infringement, refused efforts to resolve this matter privately. The plaintiffs are represented by Joshua Bressler. UPDATE, 12:55 PM: Donald Trump is a sniveling coward, his GOP rival Ted Cruz said this afternoon, in response to Trumps retweet comparing photos of their wives with the message, images are worth a thousand words. Its not easy to tick me off. I dont get angry often, Cruz told reporters and TV cameras as he campaigned in Wisconsin. But you mess with my wife, you mess with my kids, thatll do it every time. Donald, you are a sniveling coward and leave Heidi the hell alone, he said, declaring, Our spouses and our children are off limits. He added, Real men dont try to bully women. It is not an action of strength, it is an action of weakness, and the action of a petty man who is intimidated by strong women. UPDATE with Trump morning tweet and Ben Carson reax: This morning, GOP front-runner Donald Trump, in a re-tweet that pitted a photo of former model Melania Trump against a photo of Sen. Ted Cruzs wife and Goldman Sachs investment manager Heidi Cruz, further illustrated what he meant when he said, back in August, I cherish women. I want to help women. Im going to be able to do things for women that no other candidate would be able to do: TV news outlets pounced, noting Ted Cruz campaign communications director Alice Stewart this morning called the re-tweet conduct unbecoming of the office for which Trump is running. Stewart also reiterated that Cruzs campaign had nothing to do with the anti-Trump SuperPAC ad, featuring a nude-Melania photo from a GQ spread, that started it all. She further said Cruzs campaign has denounced the ad and that Cruz has called family members off limits. Trumps senior adviser Stephen Miller, meanwhile, contributed to this mornings TV news cycle warnings that Trump wont let up until Cruz condemns that ad and tells the SuperPAC to knock off the rannygazoo. So, expect days more of this. Story continues Meanwhile, The View this morning tried to draw former GOP candidate Ben Carson, who has endorsed Trump, into the kerfuffle: PREVIOUS, March 23: In todays episode of Real Housewives Of Presidential Candidates, Heidi Cruz, Teds Harvard MBA-ed/Goldman Sachs investment manager wife, held a rare solo press conference in front of her husbands Wisconsin campaign HQ this morning to say with a steely smile, You probably know by now that most of the things Donald Trump says have no basis in reality. So we are not worried in the least. She was talking about a Trump tweet that has titillated the media since yesterday: Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016 Reporters Who Are Dying To Know What Are Heidi Cruzs Spill-able Beans instead politely asked her questions such as, Are spouses fair game? I want you to focus on what our campaign puts out, which youll find is a positive hopeful, optimistic agenda for this country, she scolded. Ted talks a lot about what we call optimistic conservatism. Several questions in, one reporter finally screwed up courage to ask what was her response to Trumps threat. Ted Cruz is the right person to be president of this country. Hes ready to be commander in chief on day one, she said, smiling frozenly. Earlier this morning, her husband, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, rushed to the defense of the little woman on CNN. Last night Donald threatened my wife. He went directly after my wife, Cruz told New Days Chris Cuomo. And I got to tell you, No. 1, Heidi my wife shes the daughter of missionaries in Africa. Shes my best friend in the world. And if Donald wants to get into a character fight, hes better off sticking with me because Heidi is way out of his league, Cruz chest-thumped. Yesterday, Trump won Arizonas 58 delegates, but Cruz snagged Utahs 40 delegates. Days earlier, a SuperPAC that wants Cruz in melania-628x356 the White House, called MakeAmericaAwesome (because its already great), ran a Facebook campaign against Trump, aimed at the states conservative voters. The ad features a nude photo of Melania Trump from a 15-year-old clothing-challenged GQ photo spread. Over the photo, but not covering Melania, thank goodness, ran the headline: Meet Melania Trump. Your Next First Lady. GQ, which re-ran its photo shoot with Melania a couple weeks ago, without incurring the wrath of Trump at least, according to his Twitter account this morning was tickled pink. A British GQ photo shoot with Melania Trump from January 2000 is being used by his political opponents to attack him. A few weeks ago we republished the photo shoot of Melania Trump which you can see here, and theyve clearly annoyed Donald Trump, GQ simpered. Not long after Trumps initial, dazzling tweet, Cruz had responded, using The SuperPAC Defense, aka I was nowhere near that decision-making: Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless https://t.co/0QpKSnjgnE Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 23, 2016 Trump this morning responded to Cruzs CNN appearance but, so far, not to Heidi Cruzs press conference/media knuckle rapping: Lyin' Ted Cruz denied that he had anything to do with the G.Q. model photo post of Melania. That's why we call him Lyin' Ted! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016 [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5aZc3DeOoQ&w=970&h=546] Related stories Donald Trump Rips Lindsey Graham's 'Daily Show' High Jinks - Update CNN's Five-Candidate Event Edges FNC In Demo But Gets Thumped In Overall Audience Brussels Attacks: Media Becomes Platform For Political Football In U.S. Presidential Race & Brexit Debate As part of her dual degree program in medicine and public health at the University of Wisconsin, fourth-year student Nayeli Spahr, 32, devotes much of her time to the Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. Here, deep in the underserved south side of Milwaukee, Spahr runs two-hour group well-child visits for 12 immigrant families with babies. The group approach has "eased the time pressure of a 15-minute doctor visit," says Spahr, and encourages the parents to open up about their challenges and share solutions. "You can address things like social support through medical visits," she says, "if you think a little outside the box." Medical schools are increasingly doing just that themselves as they scramble to prep students like Spahr to take charge of a health system centered on preventive medicine and population health, or care that's tailored to provide the best outcomes for a population of patients given their environment and culture. [Explore five reasons to consider applying to med school.] Across the country, schools are injecting principles of population medicine into their curriculums, putting even first-year students out in the community to tackle real health problems, and teaching future doctors about nutrition and exercise. The reason for the push: As a reformed health system increasingly rewards better care and preventive care rather than number of procedures, medicine will be less about treating episodes of acute illness and more about managing chronic diseases. To date, medical education hasn't kept up with calls for change. It's been "building a Pinto for a market that wants a Tesla," says David Nash, founding dean of Thomas Jefferson University's College of Population Health in Philadelphia. But now all kinds of new ideas are being embraced. While some schools have simply expanded the curriculum, others have created a certificate program or public health track students can opt to take along with the traditional courses. A number have added dual M.D.-Master of Public Health programs. Story continues [Learn four ways medical industry changes are shaping school curriculums.] At the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, "we emphasize that we're not just treating disease but preventing it," says Robert Golden, the school's dean. "From the start, we want students thinking not only about patients and families but populations." In Wisconsin's popular public health case studies, first- and second-year students examine a scenario from multiple perspectives, such as that of a drunk driver who is severely injured. What is the cost to the health system? How do drunken driving and seatbelt laws affect the epidemiology of such accidents? Third- and fourth-year students do most of their clinical rotations in underserved rural or urban areas, where they might also stage disaster drills or provide health education to diabetic children. Students can pursue a public health pathway or dual degrees; those who decide to get the MPH typically take a detour between the second and third years of medical school to complete it. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, which offers a public health concentration, is another pioneer. The first week of school, new students can expect to visit a community in need and then explore factors that affect health, from unemployment to poor air quality. [Explore local public health as a career path for medical students.] Second year brings another powerful learning experience, the poverty simulation. In a large room with areas designated for utility companies, businesses, homes, schools, a jail, a pawn shop, social services agencies and health facilities, faculty and other volunteers play business owners, civil servants, police, teachers, doctors and the odd thief or drug dealer. Students act the part of members of needy families struggling to get kids to school or daycare and show up at jobs, pay the bills, and get services in the face of various obstacles. Think: The line to pay your gas bill was so long that you are late getting to work, and you lose your job. Or a thief steals your mortgage money, and you have no way to replace it. The hope is that students who can put themselves in their future patients' shoes will have more empathy, says Jason Morrow, professor of ethics and medical humanities at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in San Antonio, which stages the same simulation. At the same time, schools are paying greater attention to the role of lifestyle choices in disease prevention. While it's still true that less than a third of medical schools are meeting the minimum number of hours of nutrition education recommended by the National Academy of Sciences, changes are afoot. Last year in New Orleans, Tulane University's medical school christened a gleaming new teaching kitchen near a community clinic in what used to be one of the city's "food deserts," or places where access to fresh foods is severely limited. There, the students learn "culinary medicine" and members of the community can take cooking classes. As part of her studies at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sandy Jiang, 24, has created a wellness curriculum for at-risk youth that will be launched next year. "It's been great practice for me to take what I'm learning and put it in lay terms so kids can learn why it's better to eat right," says Jiang, a second-year student working toward dual degrees in medicine and public health. This story is excerpted from the U.S. News "Best Graduate Schools 2017" guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The Democratic Republic of Congo called for halving the size of the UN peacekeeping force in the country by the end of the year. The mandate for the 20,000-strong peacekeeping force expires in March, but the United Nations envisions a cut of only 1,700 troops, citing a fragile security situation in the DRC. Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda told the UN Security Council that Kinshasa and the United Nations have been negotiating the peacekeeping mission's "orderly and definitive" exit. He noted that the army will send reinforcements in a few months to help its forces fighting rebels in the country's east, allowing the government to take full charge of the security in that region. "The DRC government has set an ambitious goal," he said, "to create the conditions that will permit, by the end of this year, the removal of half the UN peacekeeping troops deployed in our country without affecting security or stability." "We never asked for a hasty or disorderly exit of the peacekeepers, but we are not willing to compromise on the sovereignty of our country," Tshibanda added. The central African country has long called for a plan leading to the total withdrawal of peacekeepers. US Ambassador Samantha Power voiced concern this week over DRC government efforts to limit cooperation with the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO. In March 2015, the UN reduced the peacekeeping force by 2,000 soldiers, although it can increase the force up to 21,000 if needed. Tshibanda also said the DRC government was not willing to allow outside forces to influence its elections calendar. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that he was "very concerned" about a political impasse in the country, citing a risk of violence if credible elections are not held on time. Although the DRC is scheduled to hold elections in November, the chances of them taking place are growing dimmer. Critics of President Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, suspect him of planning to extend his rule after his mandate runs out at the end of the year. After three years of battling tuberculosis, a disease that claimed the lives of his father and younger brother, Sonu Verma, a patient in northern India, hopes a cure for his illness may be within reach. "Only a few more months and my nightmare will end... it will be my rebirth, free from tuberculosis," the 25-year-old scrap dealer, who has been left visibly lean and weak by the disease, told AFP. As India marks World TB Day on Thursday, it faces an estimated 2.2 million new cases of the disease a year, more than any other country, according to the World Health Organisation. The government says it is stepping up its fight, with Health Minister J.P. Nadda earlier this week launching a new drug to help beat the growing menace of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Treating TB successfully requires patients to follow a strict, months-long drugs regimen -- or risk their disease becoming drug-resistant. But factors such as inadequate medical facilities, lack of knowledge, poverty and social stigma mean drug resistance is a growing problem. Verma, who lives in the district of Sonipat in Haryana state, was told he had TB in 2013. A year later he was found to have multi-drug-resistant TB, after failing to complete his initial course of treatment because of a shortage of money and poor medical advice. "It was the worst time of my life," Verma told AFP. "I was always tired, I couldn't eat, couldn't work and couldn't even be close to my family." Verma was tracked and counselled by volunteers from Axshya, a civil society project backed by the Indian government that works to ensure that TB patients complete their treatment. Now he is taking a new drug and doctors say his prospects are good. Despite the efforts of the national TB programme, hundreds of thousands of cases go undiagnosed each year, Dr Sarabjit Chadha, project director of Axshya, told AFP. "There are a significant number of cases who are still not coming for diagnosis and treatment," he added. Story continues Kushminder Balhara, a local medical practitioner who has been practising in Sonipat for almost 15 years, said attitudes towards the disease were slowly changing. "Earlier, people used to be reluctant to say that they wanted to get tested for TB because of the social stigma," Balhara told AFP. "Now, knowing some of the TB symptoms, I refer at least two to three suspected TB cases to government facilities every month." Cairo (Egypt) (AFP) - Egyptian police said they had identified people linked to the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni, after killing four members of a criminal gang and finding the victim's passport at one of their apartments. The interior ministry said in a statement that it has shared its findings with Italy, which was helping investigate the abduction and murder of the Cambridge University graduate whose mutilated body was found in Cairo in January. The ministry also released photographs of Regeni's passport, university identification cards and a wallet. The manner of Regeni's abduction and killing provoked accusations in Italy of Egyptian police involvement, something Cairo had strongly denied. Regeni, 28, had been researching labour movements in Egypt, a sensitive topic, and had written articles critical of the government under a pen name. The incident threatened relations between Egypt and Italy, a strong supporter of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi whose security services have been accused of abusing dissidents. The ministry had announced earlier on Thursday that police had killed four members of a criminal gang that had kidnapped and robbed foreigners in Cairo in a shootout, without mentioning Regeni. A later statement said they found the men, who were posing as police, inside a van and exchanged gunfire with them, killing them all. "When they saw the police they fired at them. The police returned fire, resulting in their deaths," the interior ministry said. Police then tracked down Regeni's belongings at the home of one of the gang members' sister. "Italian security has been has been notified about the results," the statement said. - Passport, wallet - After Regeni's body was found, activists in Egypt and the Italian press initially pointed a finger at the Egyptian security services, which deny allegations by rights groups that they abduct and abuse dissidents. Regeni had gone missing on the evening of January 25, the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that overthrew veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak. Story continues Police were out in force that day to prevent protests, and Regeni was last heard from as he walked to a metro station to meet a friend. The interior ministry had said they believed criminals were behind Regeni's abduction and his brutal killing. His body was found a week later at the side of a road on Cairo's outskirts, bearing the signs of brutal torture. In an interview with an Italian newspaper this month, Sisi promised to "do everything" to find Regeni's killers. "I promise you that we will do everything to shed light (on the case) and we will get to the truth," he told La Repubblica newspaper. The statement Thursday said an unidentified corpse with a gunshot wound was found in the gang's van, along with an assault rifle, an electric prod and fake police identification. The gang had been responsible for at least nine robberies, including one involving another Italian, according to the ministry. Their investigation led them to the apartment of one of the slain suspects' sister, where they found a leather bag that contained Regeni's passport wallet, the statement added. The suspect's wife was also arrested at the apartment and said the bag belonged to her husband. By Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE (Reuters) - U.N. judges will pronounce their verdict on Thursday in the genocide trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic over the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two. Karadzic is the highest-ranking person to face reckoning before the U.N. tribunal in The Hague over a war two decades ago in which 100,000 people died as rival armies carved up Bosnia along ethnic lines that largely survive today. Among the main charges is that Karadzic, who was arrested in 2008 after 11 years on the run, controlled Serb forces that massacred 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 after overrunning the supposed U.N.-designated "safe area". Karadzic, who once headed the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic and held the title of supreme commander of its armed forces, is charged with two counts of genocide, the second for a campaign of purging Bosnian Muslims and ethnic Croats from towns around the country. [http://tmsnrt.rs/1UxDRqy] The 70-year-old former psychiatrist, still in robust health, could be imprisoned for life for these and nine other counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. If he is convicted, the sentence will be pronounced at a later date. The only more senior official to face justice before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody a decade ago before a verdict was reached. Ratko Mladic, the general who commanded Bosnian Serb forces, was the last suspect to be detained over the Srebrenica slaughter and is also in a U.N. cell awaiting judgment. "I expect justice to win tomorrow and that he (Karadzic) will be sentenced for the killings," said Munira Subasic, whose son was among the victims of Srebrenica. The "verdict is very important to show new generations, especially those in Serbia who have been poisoned with hatred already, what really happened in Bosnia," she said. The Srebrenica massacre and the years-long Serb siege of Bosnia's capital Sarajevo, with which Karadzic is also charged, were events that turned world opinion against the Serbs and prompted NATO air strikes that brought the war to an end. Karadzic defended himself through his 497-day trial and called 248 witnesses, poring over many of the millions of pages of evidence with the help of a court-appointed legal adviser. Prosecutors say he conspired to purge Bosnia of its non-Serb population. Rejecting the charges, Karadzic sought to portray himself as the Serbs' champion, blaming some of the sieges and shelling on Bosnian Muslims themselves. JUDGEMENTS REMAIN DIVISIVE Opponents of the ICTY argue that its prosecutors have disproportionately targeted Serbs, with 94 out of 161 suspects charged from the Serbian side, while 29 were Croat and nine Bosnian Muslim. [http://tmsnrt.rs/1Sd4TAa] Prosecutors have also been criticized for not bringing charges over the atrocity-ridden war against two other leaders of that era who have since died - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic. "If you had got prosecutions of those three (including Milosevic) then you'd get a really good picture of the way the violence was produced but we're not getting it," said Eric Gordy, an expert on the court at University College London. The ICTY, set up in 1991 at the outset of federal Yugoslavia's violent break-up that killed 130,000 people through the 1990s, was meant to deter future war crimes and promote reconciliation - but its judgements remain divisive. This week, the government of Croatia - an ex-Yugoslav republic now in the European Union - asked the ICTY to revise a ruling that named Tudjman, the country's founding president, as an accessory to a plan to commit ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. Many Serbs, both in Bosnia and Serbia, regard the court as a pro-Western instrument, maintain that Karadzic is innocent and believe his conviction would inflict grave injustice on all Serbs. Serge Brammertz, prosecutor at the tribunal, worries that its work, which is winding down, has done little to help heal the war's deep wounds, given that ethnic nationalists continue to dominate power in much of Bosnia. "I'm not convinced everyone has really understood the wrongdoings from the past," he said. "Many people in all the former Yugoslavia are still using a rhetoric that is still closer to what we heard in court than we should expect." (Additional reporting by Ivana Sekularac in Belgrade; Editing by Anthony Deutsch and Mark Heinrich) By Paul Lienert and Jessica Dye DETROIT (Reuters) - In August of 2009, after ruptured airbag inflators in Honda vehicles were linked to least four injuries and a death, the automaker quietly requested a design change and did not notify U.S. regulators, Honda confirmed in response to inquiries from Reuters. Honda Motor Co<7267.T> asked supplier Takata Corp<7312.T> to produce a fail-safe airbag inflator, according to Takata presentations and internal memos reviewed by Reuters. The previously undisclosed redesign could make Honda and Takata more vulnerable in more than 100 pending federal lawsuits and dozens more state suits, according to several legal experts and an attorney suing the companies. The request shows that Honda understood the safety risks posed by the inflators long before it started expanding recalls by the millions in 2014, the attorneys and law professors said. U.S. law requires automakers to disclose safety risks and actions to prevent them to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But Honda spokesman Chris Martin said the redesign did not require notice to regulators because the safety risk involved Takata manufacturing errors rather than a specific design defect. Honda requested the redesign to protect against the possibility of future manufacturing errors it was not an acknowledgement of a larger design flaw in the inflators, Martin wrote. Honda started installing the modified inflators in some, but not all, vehicles in 2011 and continues to do so today, Martin said. Honda expanded recalls as it became aware of more defects, he said. The fail-safe modification - outlined in Takata technical documents and internal presentations between 2009 and 2011 and confirmed by Honda - added vents in the inflator to channel pressure from an explosion away from a drivers neck and torso. For a graphic depicting the "fail-safe" fix, see http://tmsnrt.rs/1Rog3lH NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas declined to comment on the design change or whether Honda had a legal obligation to notify the agency. Story continues Takata confirmed in a statement that it tested and deployed several versions of the redesigned inflator at the request of an automotive customer. The supplier declined to answer more detailed questions and declined to respond to Hondas explanation of the reasons for the change. Takata has previously acknowledged that some of the ruptures were connected to manufacturing errors at its factories. Honda is Takatas biggest customer, and the automaker owns a small stake in the airbag supplier. LEGAL PERIL Peter Henning, a corporate law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, called Hondas distinction between manufacturing and design problems a technical argument that is at odds with the law and regulatory practice. You cant say, Its a supplier problem, not ours, so we dont have to talk about it, he said. They are responsible for every part on their car and also responsible to report a problem with any part on that car. John Kristensen - a Los Angeles product liability plaintiff's lawyer who has worked on major product defect lawsuits against Toyota and other manufacturers - agreed that the cause or type of a safety risk is irrelevant to legal notification requirements. Honda officials made a determination of a defect when they asked for the fail-safe design, said Kristensen. They had an obligation to tell the government back in 2009. Good luck defending that. In many states, plaintiffs alleging design defects are required to prove that companies could have used a safer design, said Rob Ammons, a Houston lawyer who has represented clients suing Honda and Takata in three cases alleging that inflator defects caused death or injury. Obviously, this would be significant evidence that one existed, certainly as early as 2009, said Ammons, who has settled two of the cases and has one pending. Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina and an expert in automotive safety and regulation said that Honda could make an argument that "its always improving its products for instance, that air bags are getting safer every year, he said. Im not sure how a jury would approach or examine that. The federal cases against Takata, Honda and other automakers have been consolidated in a Miami court. They involve individual claims for injuries and deaths and proposed class actions seeking to represent millions of customers who say their vehicles lost value. Trials in both types of federal cases could start as soon as 2017, according to court filings. Honda has reached confidential settlements in some personal-injury lawsuits, court records showed. AN EFFECTIVE FIX Since 2008, Honda has recalled 8.5 million vehicles to replace defective inflators, including 2.3 million in February. All but 875,000 of those recalls came in 2014 or later. Takata inflators in Honda vehicles have been linked to nine deaths and more than 90 injuries in the U.S., according to NHTSA. Seven of those deaths and 70 injuries have occurred since Takata began producing the new inflator design for Honda starting in late 2010. The redesign worked as intended, Martin said. All of the deaths and injuries happened in vehicles with older inflator designs. New York (AFP) - US regulators have told ExxonMobil and Chevron to permit shareholders to vote on resolutions requiring assessments of how climate change policies might affect them, according to documents released Thursday. The two oil giants had sought to persuade regulators to allow them to drop the resolutions, which are backed by environmentalists and employee retirement programs in California and New York. The resolutions demand an "annual assessment of long term portfolio impacts of public climate change policies," including estimating the value of the companies' assets under global climate policies that could depress demand for oil and gas. The US Securities and Exchange Commission ruled against the two oil giants, telling ExxonMobil in a March 22 letter that it disagreed with the company's view "that the proposal is so inherently vague or indefinite" that shareholders would be incapable of assessing it. The SEC decision sets the stage for a shareholder vote on the resolution later this spring. The majority of ExxonMobil shareholders have previously sided with the company in prior climate resolutions. "Based on the information you have presented, it does not appear that ExxonMobil's public disclosures compare favorably with the guidelines of the proposal," the SEC said. "Accordingly, we do not believe that ExxonMobil may omit the proposal." The SEC issued a similar letter to Chevron. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, a trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, applauded the SEC decision as "a major victory for investors who are working to address the risks that global warming presents to our portfolios." "Investors need to know if ExxonMobil is taking necessary steps to prepare for a lower carbon future, particularly now in the wake of the Paris agreement," DiNapoli said. The SEC also refused to let ExxonMobil and Chevron delete a second climate resolution requiring them to boost capital distributions due to risk to the company's business from "stranded assets" that cannot be developed because of strict emissions limits. An ExxonMobil spokesman said it will provide the board's position on the resolutions next month. (Reuters) - Activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP on Thursday unveiled a slate of nine potential candidates for election to Yahoo Inc's board of directors. Here's a look at who they are: BRIDGET BAKER Bridget Baker is a media expert with expertise in cable networks. As a former president of TV networks at NBCUniversal, now a unit of Comcast Corp , she ran the company's cable distribution business, where she negotiated hundreds of content agreements with cable and satellite operators and helped launch business network CNBC. TOR BRAHAM Braham is a deals specialist with experience on the boards of large technology companies. He was an investment banker at Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse and, before that, advised on mergers and acquisitions as a lawyer at Silicon Valley's top firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He's on the board of NetApp Inc , a storage company analysts say is also in need of a turnaround. BRAD BUSS Buss built his career as a chief financial officer at publicly traded technology companies such as SolarCity Corp and Cypress Semiconductor . He has experience dealing with large personalities such as Tesla Motors Inc CEO Elon Musk, since he serves on the board of Tesla. W. LANCE CONN Conn has connections in both the technology space and the more traditional cable industry. He is close to Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen from running Allen's investment firm, Vulcan Capital, and also serves on the board of Charter Communications , which is awaiting approval for its acquisition of Time Warner Cable . Through serving on Charter's board, Conn has ties to Liberty Media Corp executives John Malone and Greg Maffei, whose digital media company has been speculated to look at investing in Yahoo. Story continues DALE FULLER Fuller is the security expert with stints as interim CEO of McAfee Inc and a current director at antivirus firm AVG Technologies NV , another company that has explored a sales process in the past. EDDY W. HARTENSTEIN Hartenstein has been around the block as a media executive, publisher of the LA Times, former chief executive of Tribune Co and board member of several publicly traded companies. He currently serves on the boards of several technology companies that are in the midst of transformative mergers, such as SanDisk Corp , which is being taken over by Western Digital Corp ; Broadcom Ltd , which is now owned by Avago; and Rovi Corp , which had been reported to be in talks with Tivo Inc . RICK HILL Hill has experience in intellectual property as a former chairman of technology designer and licensor Tessera Technologies Inc , and worked for 20 years at Novellus Systems, a semiconductor company. Hill could be a key board member when dealing with Yahoo's trove of patents. Yahoo has said it exploring a sale of non-core patents worth $1 billion to $3 billion. DEBRA JANSSEN Janssen, a financial services executive who is chief operations officer at Bankers Trust, has also has worked at CDS Global, a division of the media company Hearst Corp that provides services to publishers. JEFFREY SMITH Jeffrey Smith is the one who engineered the entire board slate as CEO of Starboard. Smith, who successfully oversaw a proxy fight at Darden Restaurants Inc , will have his work cut out for him at Yahoo, where he has to win over several of Yahoo's large institutional investors plus co-founder David Filo, its largest shareholder with a 7.5 percent stake. This fight comes as Yahoo presses ahead with an auction for its core Internet business. Some Yahoo investors are concerned that a proxy fight would hinder the auction effort, sowing doubts among potential buyers over the stability of Yahoo's board, Reuters has reported. (Reporting by Liana B. Baker in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski) They come by night and they steal the future. Every year, poachers in Nicaragua and other countries wait for cover of darkness and then make their way onto the beaches where endangered sea turtles have just laid their eggs. Working quickly, they dig up the precious eggshundreds at a timeand disappear. Some of the eggs turn up a few days later, priced as low as 20 cents apiece in local bars. Others travel thousands of miles to the United States or China, where they can sell for upwards of $150 each. Exactly how the stolen eggs get from a beach in Nicaragua to a restaurant in Hong Kong remains unknown, frustrating efforts to combat the black market trade. A new project hopes to solve that. The nonprofit Paso Pacifico is in the process of developing an innovative fake egg to help conservationists better understandand maybe stopthe illegal trade. The eggs will contain a GSM transmitter hidden inside a 3-D-printed shell made to look exactly like what poachers would find within a fresh sea turtle nest. The fakes, each the size of a ping-pong ball, will then be tracked over cellular networks along their smuggling routes to their final destinations. The project was one of the winners of the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge, organized by U.S. Aid for International Development, National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. Paso Pacifico and its partners received $10,000 and technical support from the challenge, which they are now using to perfect the prototype. The plan is to start testing them [the transmitters] in the next nesting season, which will start in July, said Eduardo Bone-Moron, Paso Pacificos managing director. The first batch of fake eggs made their public premiere last week at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Paso Pacifico is still identifying the best transmitters to use in the field and perfecting the 3-D-printed materials, which dont quite look like real sea turtle eggs yet. Bone-Moron said the organization is working with an art studio near Hollywood to get the right color and texture for the next phase of the prototype. Story continues RELATED: Endangered Green Sea Turtles Return to Florida in Record Numbers Once that is complete, the first fake eggs will be tested in Nicaragua a few months from now. Our rangers will locate vulnerable active nests that are more likely to be poached, for example, nests that are closer to trails, Bone-Moron said. Theyll uncover part of the nest, place an artificial egg inside, and then cover it back up. We will plant as many eggs as possible in the beach to increase the possibility of poachers taking the artificial eggs. Bone-Moron said that once the transmitters are planted, they may reveal a great deal of information very quickly. Smuggling networks need to act fast to get their stolen goods to their final destination, as sea turtle eggs go bad in about 15 days. If these guys have the capacity to send an egg from a beach in Central America to China in 15 days, its a well-structured network, he said. The eggs probably go through several middlemen along the way, and hopefully the technology will illuminate each step in the process. The very existence of the fake eggs may even serve to deter some poaching from happening in the first place. Eventually the poachers will learn there is something wrong with the beaches, Bone-Moron said. That is totally fine with us. The reason theyre poaching right now is because its so easy. If they see that were watching them, we may be able to discourage them. After the first tests of the transmitters, Bone-Moron said he hopes use of the fake eggs can be expanded wherever sea turtles lay their eggs. We want to have eggs that are cheap enough that any nonprofit or any government agency can buy them and plant them on the beaches all over the world, he said. Sign the Petition: Help Save Sea Turtles From Extinction Related stories on TakePart: Scientists Crack a Mystery Surrounding Endangered Sea Turtles The Secret of How Sea Turtles Find Their Way Home Across the Ocean Ocean Plastic Pollutions Shocking Death Toll on Endangered Animals Original article from TakePart VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Coast Salish Territories - In a brief released today, West Coast Environmental Law, supported by First Nations, scientists and conservation groups, is calling for Canada's Fisheries Minister to act immediately on his mandate to "restore lost protections" for fish habitat gutted by the former Conservative government. Nearly fifty signees in an open letter accompanying the brief, including noted scientists, the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, are asking Fisheries and Oceans Minister Hunter Tootoo to reinstate habitat protection and 'scale up' Canada's Fisheries Act to modernize the 150-year-old legislation. "It's a huge relief to see the Minister's mandate direct from the Prime Minister is to ensure that fisheries and their habitat remain healthy for future generations," says Linda Nowlan, staff counsel for West Coast Environmental Law. "The federal government can act now to put the guts back into the Fisheries Act by restoring full habitat protection." Released during Canada Water Week and the United Nations World Water Day, Scaling Up the Fisheries Act recommends an immediate repeal of controversial changes to fisheries law made by the previous federal government. In 2012, four former federal fisheries ministers and 600 Canadian and international scientists decried omnibus Bill C-38 that weakened fish habitat protection and removed safeguards for more than 130 freshwater and marine fish species at risk in Canada. Nowlan says restoring the section of the law known as HADD - which prohibits harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat- is widely supported by First Nations, fishers, anglers, scientists, conservation groups and coastal communities, and does not require prolonged consultation. Citing habitat destruction as the most common cause of species decline, the brief also calls for the Minister to modernize the Act, building on previous fisheries reform efforts that came to a halt in 2012. Story continues Recommendations include recognizing Indigenous rights, strengthening monitoring and enforcement, and protecting ecologically significant areas to ensure healthy fish populations. Quotes "Restoring the Fisheries Act, which was gutted by the Harper government, is key to developing a new relationship with First Nations. Our Aboriginal Rights are well established for government to respect and is fundamental to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Government's commitment to a new relationship with First Nations. His commitment to enacting the Cohen Commission report is a very positive step forward in developing a new path with First Nations, but this commitment must embrace and enact the 'principles' found within the recommendations." Chief Robert Chamberlin, Vice President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. "The Liberal Government has also committed to the implementation of research, restoration and management recommendations that are contained in the Special Report on Wild Atlantic Salmon in Eastern Canada presented to Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2015. Strong habitat protection is essential if we are going to succeed in reversing the long-term decline in numbers of wild Atlantic salmon." Sue Scott, Vice-President of Communications for the Atlantic Salmon Federation. Links: Brief: Scaling up the Fisheries Act http://wcel.org/sites/default/files/publications/ScalingUpTheFisheriesAct.pdf Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo's Mandate Letter http://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister-fisheries-oceans-and-canadian-coast-guard-mandate-letter Letter to Minister Tootoo dated March 14, 2016, signed by 47 organizations http://fisheriesact.ca/sign-on-letter-march-2016.pdf West Coast Environmental Law website: http://wcel.org/ WCEL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCELaw/ WCEL Twitter: https://twitter.com/WCELaw Media spokespeople will be available for English and French language interviews in BC, Ontario and New Brunswick. Berlin (AFP) - German authorities have brought the first sexual assault charge stemming from New Year's Eve mob violence in the western city of Cologne against an Algerian man, prosecutors said Thursday. The 26-year-old suspect is believed to have groped a woman while he and around 10 other men surrounded her at the city's main train station, a spokesman for the Cologne administrative court told AFP. "The first sexual assault charge has now been filed," the spokesman said, nearly three months after the events that inflamed public debate about a huge influx of refugees and migrants to Germany. The Algerian national, who was not named, is also accused of stealing the victim's mobile phone from her handbag. The suspect's 23-year-old brother is accused of stealing another woman's phone while he and other men surrounded her, but a sexual assault was not reported. It was not immediately clear when the cases would go to trial, the spokesman added. Prosecutors received more than 1,100 criminal complaints over incidents on New Year's Eve in Germany's fourth biggest city, including over 480 accusations of sexual assault, news agency DPA reported. Most of the 120 suspects are from Algeria or Morocco, including recent arrivals and men who have been in Germany for years. Only three people have been convicted in the ensuing months, for theft, and the city's police chief conceded in February that most perpetrators may never be caught. The attacks fanned tensions in Germany, which took in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, and put intense pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel for her welcoming stance toward refugees fleeing war. Far-right groups railed against "sex jihadists" and "rapefugees" in street rallies and the events were seen as pivotal in delivering strong results to a populist anti-migrant party, the AfD, in three state elections this month. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A flight attendant who ran from Los Angeles International Airport moments before a search turned up 66 pounds (30 kg) of cocaine in her luggage surrendered to authorities in New York on Wednesday, law enforcement officials said. The suspect, who was not identified by name, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles, said Special Agent Timothy Massino of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Massino declined to release further information about the case, citing an ongoing investigation. Law enforcement officials have not said which airline employed the flight attendant. Authorities have previously said that the woman fled a terminal at LAX on Friday evening when she was selected for a random screening, prompting a search that turned up the cocaine in her carry-on bags. NBC News reported on its website that the woman escaped from the airport on foot after making a nervous phone call in a language not recognized by officers, leaving behind a pair of designer shoes. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Sandra Maler) Miami (AFP) - Florida, with its wet, mostly subtropical climate, should be fertile ground for the Zika virus, but is ready to fight hard to fend it off, officials said Wednesday. So far, the southeastern US state has recorded 72 Zika cases, all in people who had traveled to countries where the virus is more widespread, particularly in Latin America, said Anna Marie Likos, an epidemiologist at the state health department, at a University of Miami seminar on the illness. Mosquito-transmitted Zika infection has been linked to increased rates of microcephaly in babies born to infected mothers. The birth defect causes babies to have abnormally small heads, which can cause brain damage. Zika has also been linked to Guillain-Barre, a rare condition that causes the body's immune system to attack a part of the nervous system that controls muscle strength. Florida, particularly the Miami airport, is a major crossroads for tourists from Latin America and the Caribbean. The hot, wet conditions facilitate mosquito breeding. The Aedes aegypti mosquito behind Zika's quickening spread also transmits dengue and chikungunya. But the authorities in Florida have been able to fend off both viruses, Likos said. Even though Zika is cause for concern and action, "there's no need to panic," said Lillian Rivera, director of the Miami-Dade County health department. "We will deal with this because we have great scientists and we have great resources that can get us through this whole situation of Zika," she added. Governor Rick Scott declared a state heath emergency in February to put the state on a disease-fighting footing. Brazil has been hardest hit by the Zika outbreak, with some 1.5 million people infected. AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was found guilty of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide and nine other war crimes charges, U.N. judges said, sentencing him to 40 years in prison. Karadzic, 70, the most senior political figure to be convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, was found guilty of 10 out of 11 charges. He was acquitted of a second count of genocide in Bosnian towns. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Louise Ireland) By Steve Bittenbender LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) - A former Kentucky lawmaker received a seven-year prison sentence on Thursday for bribing an inspector to overlook violations at his coal mining companies, his attorney said. Former state Representative W. Keith Hall, 56, who was convicted in federal court in June 2015 of paying $46,000 over a five-year period to former mining inspector Kelly Shortridge, was also fined $25,000, said his attorney, Brent Caldwell. Prosecutors said at Hall's trial in Lexington that most of the funds were funneled from Halls companies to a shell company the two men created in the name of Shortridges wife. Shortridge reached a plea agreement and testified against Hall. He is slated to start his 24-month sentence next week. According to court documents, sentencing guidelines for Hall called for more than eight years in prison. His attorneys argued a sentence closer to the minimum 6-1/2 years was more appropriate. Caldwell said on Thursday an appeal was still possible, adding his client disagreed with the verdict. Hall, a Democrat, served 14 years in the Kentucky General Assembly before losing a primary election in May 2014. His indictment came five months later. His companies listed in the indictment included Beech Creek Coal Co, LLC & HEI Services LLC. (Reporting by Steve Bittenbender, Editing by Ben Klayman and Peter Cooney) VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Fortuna Silver Mines, Inc. (FSM)(FVI.TO) is pleased to report updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates as of December 31, 2015 for the Caylloma Mine located in Arequipa, Peru and for the San Jose Mine located in Oaxaca, Mexico. Jorge A. Ganoza, President and CEO, commented: "Our combined Proven and Probable Reserves have been negatively impacted by a forty-one percent net decrease in silver ounces at our Caylloma mine; primarily as a result of updating geologic models, depletion, changes in commercial terms, and applying a higher cutoff and dilution to narrow silver rich veins. At San Jose, silver and gold reserves are essentially flat with respect to 2014, after successfully replacing the depletion of 4.9 million silver ounces and 38,500 gold ounces for the year." Highlights of Reserve and Resource Update Combined Proven and Probable Reserves for Caylloma and San Jose are reported at 5.8 Mt containing 35.9 Moz silver and 229.2 koz gold, representing year-over-year decreases of 13 percent in contained silver ounces and 9 percent in contained gold ounces Combined Inferred Resources for Caylloma and San Jose are reported at 10.0 Mt containing an estimated 69.3 Moz silver and 404.6 koz gold, reflecting year-over-year decreases of 10 percent in contained silver ounces and 16 percent in contained gold ounces Proven and Probable Reserves for San Jose are reported at 3.8 Mt containing 28.2 Moz silver and 210 koz gold. There is no variation for silver and a 4 percent decrease in contained gold ounces with respect to 2014. Proven and Probable Reserves for Caylloma are reported at 2 Mt containing 7.7 Moz silver. This represents a year-over-year decrease of 41 percent in contained silver ounces. Mineral Reserves - Proven and Probable Contained Metal Property Classification Tonnes (000) Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Ag (Moz) Au (koz) Caylloma Mine, Peru Proven 254 138 0.47 2.05 2.34 1.1 3.8 Probable 1,724 119 0.28 2.95 3.73 6.6 15.4 Proven + Probable 1,979 121 0.30 2.83 3.55 7.7 19.3 San Jose Mine, Mexico Proven 282 237 1.84 N/A N/A 2.1 16.7 Probable 3,498 232 1.72 N/A N/A 26.0 193.3 Proven + Probable 3,780 232 1.73 N/A N/A 28.2 209.9 Total Proven + Probable 5,759 194 1.24 N/A N/A 35.9 229.2 Mineral Resources - Measured and Indicated Contained Metal Property Classification Tonnes (000) Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Ag (Moz) Au (koz) Caylloma Mine, Peru Measured 582 82 0.36 1.11 2.16 1.5 6.7 Indicated 1,269 84 0.31 1.14 2.10 3.4 12.7 Measured + Indicated 1,851 84 0.32 1.13 2.12 5.0 19.3 San Jose Mine, Mexico Measured 64 89 0.71 N/A N/A 0.2 1.5 Indicated 780 84 0.72 N/A N/A 2.1 18.1 Measured + Indicated 844 84 0.72 N/A N/A 2.3 19.6 Total Measured + Indicated 2,695 84 0.45 N/A N/A 7.3 38.9 Mineral Resources - Inferred Contained Metal Property Classification Tonnes (000) Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Ag (Moz) Au (koz) Caylloma Mine, Peru Inferred 3,392 132 0.59 2.20 3.30 14.3 64.7 San Jose Mine, Mexico Inferred 6,561 261 1.61 N/A N/A 55.0 339.9 Total Inferred 9,953 217 1.26 N/A N/A 69.3 404.6 Notes: Story continues Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are as defined by CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability There are no known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect potential development of the Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves at Caylloma or San Jose Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves estimated as of June 30, 2015 and reported as of December 31, 2015 taking into account production-related depletion for the period through December 31, 2015 Mineral Reserves for San Jose are estimated using a break-even cut-off grade of 137 Ag Eq g/t based on assumed metal prices of US$ 19/oz Ag and US$ 1,140/oz Au; estimated metallurgical recovery rates of 89% for Ag and 89% for Au and actual operating costs incurred in period June 2014 through May 2015. Mineral Resources are estimated at a Ag Eq cut-off grade of 100 g/t, with Ag Eq in g/t = Ag (g/t) + Au (g/t)* ((US$1,140/US$19) * (89/89)) Mineral Reserves for Caylloma are estimated using break-even cut-off grades based on estimated NSR values using assumed metal prices of US$19/oz Ag, US$1,140/oz Au, US$2,150/t Pb and US$2300/t Zn; metallurgical recovery rates of 84.5% for Ag, 39.5% for Au, 92.6% for Pb and 89.9% for Zn; and actual operating costs incurred in period July 2014 through June 2015. Caylloma Mineral Resource are reported based on NSR values using the same metal prices and metallurgical recovery rates as detailed for Mineral Reserves; and an NSR cut-off grade of US$50/t for veins classified as wide (Animas, Animas NE, Nancy, San Cristobal) and US$100/t for veins classified as narrow (all other veins) Total may not add due to rounding procedures N/A = Not Applicable San Jose Mine, Mexico As of December 31, 2015, the San Jose Mine has Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 3.8 Mt containing 28.2 Moz of silver and 210 koz of gold, in addition to Inferred Resources of 6.6 Mt containing a further 55 Moz of silver and 340 koz of gold. Year-over-year, Mineral Reserves remained constant in tonnes and in contained silver and decreased 4 percent in contained gold after net changes resulting from production-related depletion and upgrades of new reserves through infill drilling . Silver grades remained essentially flat at 232 g/t and gold grades decreased 5 percent to 1.73 g/t. Infill drilling was successful in upgrading from Inferred Resources to new Mineral Reserves approximately 1.2 Mt averaging 277 g/t Ag and 1.93 g/t Au reported for the Stockwork, Bonanza, and Trinidad veins. Measured and Indicated Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves decreased 15 percent year-over-year to approximately 0.8 Mt due to improved conversion of resources to reserves. Year-over-year, Inferred Resources decreased 7 percent and 15 percent in contained silver and gold ounces, respectively. Silver grade remained flat and gold grade decreased by 8 percent. The net variation is primarily explained by additions through exploration offset by reductions from upgrading of Inferred Resources by infill drilling in the Trinidad North and Central Stockwork zones and geological reinterpretation of previously modeled veins. Brownfields exploration budget for 2016 at San Jose is $8.2 million, which includes 22,000 meters of diamond drilling and the development of a 1,500 meter underground exploration drift that will allow better access to test the northern extension of the Trinidad North vein system. Exploration drilling is in progress at the Trinidad Central zone in the San Jose Mine and at the La Noria/San Antonio vein system, a parallel vein system located two kilometers to the west of the San Jose Mine area. The company disclosed further details of San Jose's brownfields exploration program on December 16, 2015 (refer to "Fortuna provides year-end update for the San Jose Mine, Mexico"). Caylloma Mine, Peru As of December 31, 2015, the Caylloma Mine has Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 2.0 Mt containing 7.7 Moz of silver and 19.3 koz of gold, in addition to Inferred Resources of 3.4 Mt containing 14.3 Moz of silver and 64.7 koz of gold. Mineral Reserves decreased 41 percent in contained silver ounces compared to 2014. The loss of ounces is explained primarily by the update of geological models from June 2014, the net loss to mining related depletion, higher cutoff and dilution applied to narrow veins, and changes to commercial terms. The loss in reserve tonnage is lower than the silver loss, at 35 percent due to the gain in base metal credits from additions to reserves from base metal rich zones. Silver grade decreased 9 percent to 121 g/t, lead grade increased 26 percent to 2.83 %, and zinc grade increased 13 percent to 3.55 %. Year-over-year, Measured and Indicated Resources, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, increased by 9 percent to 1.9 Mt due to the negative impact on reserves of commercial terms and the geological reinterpretation of the ore deposit. Inferred Resources decreased by 0.96 Mt or 22 percent to 3.4 Mt, silver grades remained flat, and lead and zinc grades increased by 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively. The decrease in Inferred Resources is primarily due to the upgrading of resources through infill drilling, and changes in the geological interpretation of the mineralized zones. Brownfields exploration budget for 2016 at the Caylloma Mine is $2.9 million, which includes 17,000 meters of diamond drilling. Drilling will be focused on testing new exploration targets in the northern portion of the Caylloma District and in the Pisacca prospect area located a short distance to the southwest of the plant as well as further exploring the northeastern extension of the Animas Vein. Qualified Persons The Mineral Resource estimates have been prepared under the supervision of Eric Chapman, Mineral Resource Manager of Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. The Mineral Reserve estimate and the Mineral Resource estimate exclusive of Mineral Reserves were prepared under the supervision of Edwin Gutierrez, Technical Services Corporate Manager for Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. E. Chapman and E. Gutierrez are Qualified Persons as defined by the National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Gutierrez is a Registered Member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. (SME Registered Member Number 4119110RM) and is responsible for ensuring that the information contained in this news release is an accurate summary of the original reports and data provided to or developed by Fortuna Silver Mines. About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna is a growth oriented, silver and base metal producer focused on mining opportunities in Latin America. Our primary assets are the Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru and the San Jose silver-gold mine in Mexico. The company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in selects other areas. For more information, please visit our website at www.fortunasilver.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jorge A. Ganoza President, CEO and Director, Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Trading symbols: NYSE: FSM / TSX: FVI Forward looking Statements This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward looking Statements. The Forward looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mines and mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company's mines and mineral properties; mineral resource and reserve estimates; timelines; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "planned", "reflecting", "will", "containing", "remaining", "to be", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Forward looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for silver and other metals; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding mine production costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that Forward looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward looking Statements. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Reserves and Resources Reserve and resource estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for public disclosure by a Canadian company of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and reserve and resource information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. You are cautioned not to assume that resources will ever be converted into reserves. You should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. You should also not assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. You are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth in this news release may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The French data protection authority said it has fined Google 100,000 euros ($111,720) for not scrubbing web search results widely enough in response to a European privacy ruling. The only way for Google to uphold the Europeans' right to privacy was by delisting inaccurate results popping up under name searches across all its websites, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) said in a statement on Thursday. In May 2014 the European Court of Justice ruled that people could ask search engines, such as Google and Microsoft's Bing , to remove inadequate or irrelevant information from web results appearing under searches for people's names - dubbed the "right to be forgotten". The U.S. Internet giant has been at odds with European Union data protection authorities over the territorial scope of the ruling. Google complied, but it only scrubbed results across its European websites such as Google.de in Germany and Google.fr in France on the grounds that to do otherwise would have a chilling effect on the free flow of information. In May last year the CNIL ordered Google to expand its application of the ruling to all its domains, including Google.com, because of the ease of switching from a European domain to Google.com. "Contrary to Google's statements, applying delisting to all of the extensions does not curtail freedom of expression insofar as it does not entail any deletion of content from the Internet," the CNIL said. A spokesman for Google, now a unit of holding company Alphabet Inc, said the company had worked hard to implement the "right to be forgotten ruling thoughtfully and comprehensively in Europe." "But as a matter of principle, we disagree with the CNILs assertion that it has the authority to control the content that people can access outside France, and we plan to appeal their ruling," Al Verney, Google's spokesman, said. The company did try to assuage the regulator's concerns in February by delisting search results across all its websites - including Google.com - when accessed from the country where the request came from. That meant that if a German resident asks Google to de-list a link popping up under searches for his or her name, the link will not be visible on any version of Google's website, including Google.com, when the search engine is accessed from Germany. But the CNIL rejected that approach, saying that a person's right to privacy could not depend on the "geographic origin of those viewing the search results." "Only delisting on all of the search engine's extensions, regardless of the extension used or the geographic origin of the person performing the search, can effectively uphold this right," it said. ($1 = 0.8951 euros) (Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Elaine Hardcastle) PARIS (Reuters) - A French national suspected of belonging to a militant network planning an attack in France was arrested on Thursday morning, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. The arrest helped "foil a plot in France that was at an advanced stage," Cazeneuve said on Thursday night in a televised address from his ministry. "The individual questioned, a French national, is suspected of high-level involvement in this plan. He was part of a terrorist network that planned to strike France," Cazeneuve said. Following the arrest by the French counterterrorism service, DGSI, the agency carried out a raid on Thursday night at an apartment building in Argenteuil, a suburb in northern Paris, he said. "At this stage, there is no tangible evidence that links this plot to the attacks in Paris and Brussels," said Cazeneuve, who was in the Belgian capital earlier on Thursday. French radio station France Info reported that the man had been sentenced in Belgium for belonging to a jihadist network. French TV station ITele reported that explosives had been found in the man's house. The arrest came two days after suicide bombers hit the Brussels airport and a metro train, killing at least 31 people and wounding some 270 in the worst such attack in Belgian history. In November, 130 people were killed in Paris in coordinated attacks on cafes, a sports stadium and a concert hall. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for both the Paris and Brussels attacks. (Reporting by Miriam Rivet, Geert De Clercq and John Irish; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney) Aix-en-Provence (France) (AFP) - A French appeals court on Thursday bailed two pilots pending a probe into allegations they tried to fly a cocaine-laden jet out of the Dominican Republic. In what has become known as the "Air Cocaine" case, Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos were sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking in the Caribbean state, but managed to escape and flee back to France. They were arrested in March 2013 along with two other men as they were about to take off from the Dominican resort of Punta Cana. Authorities said they were preparing to leave on a privately-hired Dassault Falcon 50 jet with 26 suitcases containing 680 kilogrammes (1,500 pounds) of cocaine. They have been in custody in France since November 2015 where they are under official investigation. The appeals court in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence on Thursday, however, released the pair on condition that they do not travel, work in the aviation sector or contact other suspects in the case, a judicial source told AFP. They were also required to surrender their passports and attend their local police station once a week. "We asked the public prosecutor to tell us what evidence they had and they could not tell us. So it is normal that they be freed, they are innocent," said one of their lawyers, Dupond-Moretti. In October 2015 Fauret and Odos managed to flee the Dominican Republic, travelling by boat to the Franco-Dutch island of Saint Martin before flying to Martinique and then on to France. They had appealed their conviction and the Dominican authorities did not hold them in detention pending the appeal. The two men said they wanted to be tried in a "functional justice system" and clear their names. They were arrested a month after arriving in France. The two other men convicted with them, Nicolas Pisapia and Alain Castany, remain in the Dominican Republic. Another Frenchman, aviation security expert Christophe Naudin, is awaiting trial in the Dominican Republic for allegedly helping Fauret and Odos to escape. He was arrested in Cairo in February and extradited back to the Dominican Republic. Marseille (AFP) - A year after the Germanwings plane crash caused by a suicidal co-pilot a year ago, French investigators are still wrestling with a complex manslaughter probe involving interested parties from some 20 countries. Despite a quick start and rapid revelations over the cause of the crash, it has been harder pinning down who can be held criminally responsible, with the question of doctor-patient confidentiality at the heart of the case. Hardly an hour and a half after the plane crashed into the French Alps on March 24, 2105, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin overflew the site. The plane was shattered into such small pieces that they were difficult to discern from the air. But the black box voice and flight recorders were quickly recovered virtually intact and it was swiftly revealed that 27-year-old co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane, killing all 144 passengers and six crew, mostly from Spain and Germany. Although Lubitz cannot be brought to justice for murder, Germanwings, a low-cost subsidiary of Frankfurt-based Lufthansa, could bear some responsibility for the disaster. Three months after the crash, a three-judge panel in Marseille launched an investigation against unknown persons for manslaughter. - No conclusions 'anytime soon' - A central issue is that of reconciling doctor-patient confidentiality with the responsibility of an airline for the lives of its passengers. French prosecutors said Lubitz, who suffered from psychosis, was terrified of losing his sight and consulted 41 different doctors in the previous five years, including psychiatrists as well as ear, throat and nose specialists. German prosecutors said a search of Lubitzs flat had found medical documents, including a torn-up sick leave note from the day of the crash, which supported "the assumption that the deceased had concealed his illness from his employer." The Marseille probe is complicated by the fact that German rules governing companies' responsibilities are different, as is the treatment of the violation of doctor-patient responsibility. Story continues The French investigators called earlier this month for "clearer rules" on the lifting of medical confidentiality if pilots show signs of psychological problems. In their final conclusions on the disaster, French civil aviation experts recommended more stringent medical checks for pilots, but stopped short of suggesting changes to the current system of flight deck door locks, which can only be opened by the pilot in the cockpit. German investigators are conducting a parallel probe, but are still bogged down in translation and evaluation of French prosecutors' documents, and said in March a "conclusion is not expected anytime soon." Meanwhile impatient relatives are planning to sue the airline's parent company Lufthansa in the United States, claiming that Lubitz should never have been allowed to fly a plane. "The only thing that interests me is that we find whoever... failed to prevent Lubitz from flying a plane," said Annette Bless, whose daughter Elena died in the tragedy, a day before she would have turned 16. Since this weeks mass murder in Brussels yet another terrorist attack launched by locals, not foreigners people have again been asking a simple question: Why do we allow the authors of such atrocities to keep recruiting people online? The most public and extreme expression of that came in December, when Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said hed support closing the Internet up in some way to shut out terrorist groups like the Daesh death-cult that pretends its an Islamic State. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders recognize that you cant actually build a wall in the Internet. But after Brussels, they too called out the importance of stopping terrorist recruitment online. Social networks arent just sitting around Its not as if the major U.S. social networks have been idle. In February, Twitter announced on its own blog that it had suspended over 125,000 accounts for threatening or promoting terrorist acts, primarily related to ISIS. That post went on to explain that the company had increased its staff devoted to the issue and had begun combining reviews of suspicious accounts with automated scrutiny to find others like them. Has that made a difference? A February study published by George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism found that this campaign was not a futile Whack-A-Mole game; as Daesh/ISIS supporters came back online with new accounts, they found fewer followers. Graph from The Islamic States Diminishing Returns on Twitter: How suspensions are limiting the social networks of English-speaking ISIS supporters, by J.M. Berger and Heather Perez Facebook, in turn, has tightened its community standards to ban even condoning terrorism, and now has five offices around the world devoted to monitoring and taking down terrorist content. At a panel discussion yesterday on the responsibilities of tech companies vis a vis terrorists, the Software & Information Industry Associations public-policy vice president, Mark MacCarthy, commended the zero tolerance rules at Twitter and Facebook for terrorist recruitment. These policies are proving to be reasonably effective, he said. Story continues Another panel member, Google public-policy counsel Alexandria Walden, said that companys YouTube service takes action on 100,000 videos a day that violate its community standards. Beyond the fact that blocking access from an entire country as Trump has called for is nearly impossible if you dont occupy it first (and its still not easy afterwards), State Department special advisor Jason Pielemeier observed that such a move would risk cutting off some of our own intelligence sources: It might also block human rights activists who are trying to document atrocities. He added: There are parts of the government that are very concerned about taking this stuff off the Internet where its visible and can be tracked. Filtering out the the filth of Daesh propaganda automatically would be even harder, and in some cases could lead to evidence of atrocities going unseen. This sort of screening and erasure of content would violate the First Amendment if the government ordered it. But Twitter, Facebook, and Googles platforms are private spaces, and they get to set the rules for who gets to post things there for free. The problem of counterspeech The second half of this discussion often goes something like this: How can America, the superpower of advertising and marketing, win this battle of ideas? Early attempts at such countermessaging have gone over as well as most government propaganda (which is to say not very well at all). More recently, Washington has been seeking the help of private industry in Silicon Valley, Hollywood and Madison Avenue. But effective marketing requires knowing your target market. At Wednesdays panel, Emma Llanso, who runs the Center for Democracy and Technologys Free Expression Project, said she doubted that any such Madison Valleywood Project would look very authentic or credible. The most effective counterspeech is likely to come from people with similar backgrounds as the targets of radicalization efforts say, an imam who doesnt subscribe to Daeshs abhorrent distortion of Islam. But keeping people off the Internet because they tweet from a certain area or about certain topics risks silencing those positive contributions. (Remember that most of Daeshs victims are themselves Muslim. Over this month, Daesh-linked attacks in Ankara and Istanbul killed more people than in Brussels.) A more recent government program, as outlined in a Daily Beast post by Kimberly Dozier, would identify those authentic voices and channel technical help and funding towards them. That might work better as long as the intended audience doesnt then see those counterspeakers as U.S. puppets. The Internet isnt really the issue anyway As a deeper read of coverage about the Brussels atrocities should make clear, our bigger problem remains not piecing together clues that were already in hand. Its starting to look like Belgian investigators didnt follow up on leads they had, just as French police missed hints about the Paris attacks, and U.S. authorities did the same with clues prior to the 9/11 attacks. And yes, it does not help our cause when political candidates who probably couldnt name the five pillars of the Islamic faith announce that Muslims represent a collective risk. No discussion of radicalization can ignore that factor. But theres a rich history of politicians suggesting the Internet and the tools we use on it represent a primary explanation for real-world problems see, for instance, blaming encrypted phones and communication for making the Paris and San Bernardino attacks possible. We invented all this stuff, the arguments go; why cant we just tell the nerds to think harder, flip the right switches and make the issue go away? Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro. (Yahoo file photo) Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen defended the Government Proceedings Act in Parliament on Thursday (24 March), saying that the Act protects Singapores security forces by allowing them to perform their duties without worry. However, the Act did not protect personnel from criminal proceedings if they perform their duties in a rash and negligent way, Ng said, citing two cases in the past where members of the Singapore Armed Forces were charged in court. The Act prevents armed forces from being sued for civil wrongdoing when they are in the line of duty. In the first case, an SAF truck driver was fined $3,000 for negligence when he reversed a vehicle into and killed a Lance Corporal in 2011. In the second case, which happened in 2012, a conducting officer appointed a serviceman to drive an SAF vehicle during an exercise even though the latter did not have the proper licence. The vehicle overturned and killed a passenger, and the officer was later sentenced to six months jail. The AGC (Attorney-Generals Chambers) can prosecute them in criminal courts. And if you look at the cases that have been prosecuted, have gone to jail it doesnt give us joy when there is a fatality and our servicemen go to jail, Ng said. The minister was responding to a question by Dennis Tan, The Workers Partys Non-Constituency Member of Parliament, concerning the punishment that was meted out to the two SAF officers involved in Private Dominique Sarron Lees death. Tan asked a follow-up question about whether the government would consider amending the Act to exclude certain circumstances, such as when a death or injury occurred because safety regulations were not followed. The defence minister again defended the Act, recounting an incident during the security summit at Shangri-La Hotel on 31 May last year when police officers opened fire at a car that rammed through security barriers and killed the driver. Ng said, Twenty-eight defence ministers inside that hotel I went to Shangri-La dialogue that year, early in the morning my car was diverted Despite all the concrete barricades, a car had attempted to rush through. Story continues What do you do if youre in charge, if youre meant to secure the place? And you think well, Im not protected if I make a mistake. Our Home Team did the right thing, Ng told the House. Said the minister, The facts came out subsequently, it was drug offence-related. For whatever reasons, they were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. But how do the guards know? Suppose it were explosives in the trunk of the car, gone through the barricades, crash into the hotel. The loss of lives. The loss of reputation. The loss of confidence in our ability. Do you want to give our security forces the confidence that when they do their job and when they do it without recklessness or negligence, that the Government Proceedings Act protects them? Ng earlier reiterated the findings of a coroners inquiry in the case of Lees death - that the allergic reaction to zinc chloride in the smoke grenades used for training could not have been reasonably foreseen. Lee died in 2012 after collapsing during a training exercise where smoke grenades were used. During the inquiry, it was revealed that Lees platoon officer had detonated six grenades when safety regulations only specified two. The platoon officer, Captain Najib Hanuk, and the safety officer, Captain Chia Thye Siong, were punished by a military court martial, fined, and had their promotions delayed. According to Ng, the monetary costs of their punishments amounted to half their total annual salaries. Lees family had a civil suit against the Singapore Armed Forces and its two officers struck out by the High Court earlier this year, and ordered to pay the costs of legal proceedings. A few days later, Ng came out on Facebook to say that his ministry should waive the legal costs, after a public outcry against the decision erupted online. The SAF and two officers later waived the legal costs. Hospitals are full of old tech clacking keyboards, dated operating systems, pagers essential to saving lives and keeping people safe. Those high stakes make them easy hostages. A tiny virus spread through the computer systems at Methodist Hospital in Henderson, Kentucky, on Friday, after sneaking in via a spam email. The hackers behind the attack demanded four bitcoin, or about $1,670 at time of writing, to be securely transferred before they'd give the hospital control over their own information. Instead, the hospital decided to lock its systems down and fight the virus, posting this notice to its site: "Methodist Hospital is currently working in an Internal State of Emergency due to a Computer Virus that has limited our use of electronic web based services. We are currently working to resolve this issue, until then we will have limited access to web based services and electronic communications." Finally, on Tuesday morning, Methodist Hospital reported that it had successfully fended off the attack without paying a dime. Cute little virus: Methodist Hospital was hit with a strain of ransomware called Locky, which sounds adorable. Locky spreads throughout your computer and puts the ".locky" file extension on files, encrypting and scrambling the data. How do you get out of it? You pay up to whoever has the key, likely the hacker who targeted your systems with Locky. Other hospitals haven't been as lucky in February, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles paid a ransom of 40 bitcoins, or $17,000 at the time, to hackers, just to get access to patient records and internal communications. Hailey Baldwin has been snapped up by IMG Models, meaning superstardom is surely within sight for the daughter of Hollywood actor and director Stephen Baldwin. But who exactly is the newest It' model on the scene? According to WWD, the teenage beauty has just signed a global contract with IMG, the agency that counts Gigi Hadid and Gisele Bundchen on its books. Until now, you might have known Baldwin for being snapped by the paparazzi running around town with her famous group of friends, which includes Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Justin Bieber, but she has been quietly chipping away at her modelling career for some time. The 19-year-old niece of Alec Baldwin, first started modelling at 16. At 175cm tall she is a little on the diminutive side for the catwalk, but has carved out a strong debut in editorials, first appearing in Tatler in 2014 before going on to make the pages of Miss Vogue, Teen Vogue and Love Magazine last year. She landed the cover of Wonderland's April/May 2015 edition, and also fronted L'Officiel Netherlands's issue of the same month. Like her BFF Gigi, Baldwin appears to have a close working relationship with US designer Tommy Hilfiger, walking in both his Spring/Summer 2016 and Fall/Winter 2016 shows. She has also hit the catwalk for Philipp Plein and Sonia Rykiel in the past. Her biggest advertising coup to date has been Ralph Lauren's Denim & Supply' Spring 2016 campaign, in which she stars alongside the Brazilian model Thiago Santos. The model took to Instagram to inform her 4.9 million followers of her new contract - reposting an IMG shot that perfectly showcases her all-American appeal, sporting a choppy blonde bob, blue denims and a white marine-inspired blazer. While her current following might pale in comparison to the stratospheric social media statuses enjoyed by her supermodel friends, there is no doubt that we are about to start seeing a lot more of fashion's new protegee. The Colombian city of Medellin is as infamous as it is beautiful. Tucked away in the mountainous Aburra Valley, Medellin is often called the City of Eternal Spring because of its lush landscapes and sweeping views. But, like the rest of the South American nation, the city is scarred by the ghosts of the worlds longest civil war and its history as the capital of Pablo Escobars drug operation. Once the worlds most dangerous city, Medellin has undergone a resurgence, thanks to government investment and an infusion of international capital. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal even named it City of the Yearbut artist Vita Osorio Sanmartin isnt convinced her city has really changed. I dont feel safe, she writes to TakePart in an email. Despite being fiercely loyal to her birthplace, Sanmartin believes the citys leadership is doing a poor job of protecting its residents. The measures taken by the current mayor to counter violence are very poor, she explains. The city invests more in urban [redevelopment] than in schools and hospitals, and that also makes me feel insecure. RELATED: Haitis Reigning Hip-Hop Star Is Putting the Spotlight on Female Power Sanmartin, 28, rarely felt at ease growing up in Medellin. When she was just three years old, her father was murdered by two men attempting to steal his taxicab. The traumatic incident changed the course of her life. It is why Im an artist, Sanmartin says in the latest episode of Resilient Cities, a five-part docuseries airing on Pivot, TakeParts sister network, that explores the underground art scene in locales around the globe. Sanmartin honors her fathers memory by incorporating artifacts from his life, such as his bicycle and camera, into her work. They are very important to me because it is a link between his life and my life. Because I didnt have a memory of him, my first work of art was to create my father from the stories and photographshis bike, his shirts, whatever I could get of him, she tells TakePart. From there, it was inevitable to go on. Story continues Sanmartin has continued to criss-cross genres, expressing herself in sculptures of hands with missing fingers (a nod to her father, whose finger was severed when he was killed), drawings, and photographs. She says her work is less a reflection of artistic skill and more an opportunity to give Colombian people a voice. My art is not pretty. I dont know how to draw the correct way, for example, and I like that, because I dont want to talk about my abilities and my skills or how beautiful my pictures are, she says. I dont need special abilities. I want to make people feel Colombias stories. RELATED: A Graffiti Artist Is Remixing an Ancient Art Form to Tell the Real Story of Beirut Like her countrys volatile past, many of those stories are political, a theme that permeates Sanmartins work. One art installation looked at the reparations process in the countrywhich attempts to recoup economic losses for victims family membersand included government paperwork, a portrait of her father, and the constitution of Colombia. In the case of Sanmartins father, the police said there wasnt enough evidence to convict. My life and my inspiration are in Colombia, she says. In Colombia, everything is political. Sanmartin also plays the drums in a rock band. While some artists prefer one medium to another, She values creativity in any form. RELATED: Colombia, the Surprising Global Leader in Transgender Rights I think there is only one art. It is the way you can externalize whatever you are feeling. Art is important because it allows people to feel, no matter the form. Its just the vehicle, she explains. Each one allows me to explore different forms of expression. The experience between each one is very different and reaches the person in different ways. Though Sanmartin says she lives in a beautiful country with bad leaders, she cant imagine leaving her birthplace, because she believes things can and will get better. We are a people tired of war, wanting to do different things, she says. I left the country in 2013 for an exhibition in Boston and then went with my family to Miami and Orlando. I think that in the world there are wonderful cultures to explore, but I never thought to live away. How can I talk about Colombia being outside of it? she adds. Its OK to dream and travel around the world, but I always return my feet to the earth that made me. Resilient Cities airs Sundays at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Pivot, Participant Medias television network. Take the Pledge: Pledge to Help End Violent Conflict! Related stories on TakePart: Thanks, Pablo Escobar: Colombias Hippos Are Running Wild, and Locals Just Might Have to Start Eating Them Women in Colombias Coffee-Growing Families Are Taking a Seat at the Table Why We Need to Stop Deporting Children to the Worlds Murder Capital Original article from TakePart Long-hidden annotations in a Henry VIII-era Bible reveal the messy, gradual process of the Protestant Reformation. The handwritten notes were just discovered in a Latin Bible published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer. There are only seven surviving copies of this edition, which features a preface by the king himself. The version with the annotations is in the Lambeth Palace Library in London. "This Bible at first glance seems like a blank copy, so nothing interesting there, and very clean, which is the opposite of what we want it to be," said Queen Mary University of London historian Eyal Poleg, who is writing a book on the history of the Bible in England and who uses handwritten notes in Bibles to learn about how they were used. But a closer look revealed that heavy paper had been glued over the margins of the Bible, hiding writing beneath. That writing would turn out to illustrate the Reformation in a nutshell. [See Images of the Annotated Bible Printed by Henry VIII] Religious history The 1535 Bible was published in a transitional time for religion in England. The Protestant Reformation was in full swing. Possessing an unlicensed translation of the Bible in English was a crime punishable by death. English scholar William Tyndale had nevertheless been working on a translation from Hebrew and Greek since the 1520s, a feat that earned him an execution by strangling in 1536. (Translating the Bible had long been dangerous work. John Wycliffe was the first person to attempt a full English translation, in the 1380s. At least one of his followers was burnt at the stake, the fire lit with manuscripts of the English pages. Wycliffe himself died of natural causes, but his bones were later removed from consecrated ground, burned and cast into the river by the order of the Roman Catholic Church's Council of Constance.) Only a few years after publication of the 1535 Latin Bible, Henry VIII showed signs the Church of England was moving away from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church called the English Reformation. He was already on the outs with the Roman Catholic Church after the dissolution of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, had declared himself the supreme head of the Church of England, and was well on his way toward dissolving England's monasteries, a process said to have funded Henry VIII's military campaigns. [Family Ties: 8 Truly Dysfunctional Royal Families] Story continues Poleg's discovery of the annotations written during this period was mere happenstance. He was at the Lambeth Palace Library in order to examine one of the two 1535 printed Latin Bibles there. But he accidentally ordered the wrong one. While he was waiting for the librarian to retrieve the version he'd meant to order, he took a closer look at the volume in his hands. In the margins of one page, he noticed something odd. "I saw there was a very small hole, and a few letters were peeking out," Poleg told Live Science. Someone had pasted heavy paper over the margins. What lies beneath Poleg had to figure out how to see beneath the pasted-on paper as removing the sheets would damage the original pages below. He used a light sheet, essentially a thin, paper-sized lamp that can slide under a page and illuminate any writing that might be hidden. The light sheet let him see that there was writing below the glued-on paper. It also let him see watermarks dating the paper to about 1600. But the printed text on the backside of the page showed through, too, making it impossible to read the handwritten notes. "That's where I got stuck for about six months," Poleg said. Finally, he turned to Graham Davis, an X-ray specialist at Queen Mary University of London's School of Dentistry. Davis took two long-exposure images of the pasted-over pages, one with a light sheet underneath the pages so that the annotations could be seen, and one without a light sheet. He then wrote a software program to virtually "subtract" the printed text, leaving the annotations behind. Suddenly, the hidden words were readable. Transitional time The annotations turned out to be tables of lessons, which are liturgical notes explaining which part of the text to read on particular days throughout the year (Advent, Easter and so on). The surprising discovery was that these tables of lessons were printed in English. Further study revealed that the tables of lessons were copied from the "Great Bible," the first authorized English translation of the book, commissioned by the king's secretary Thomas Cromwell. The Great Bible was printed in 1539. The annotations were made at some point between then and 1549, Poleg said. The presence of these English scribbles in a Latin book reveals how the Protestant Reformation happened on the ground, so to speak. By 1539, Henry VIII had issued legislation requiring all liturgy be given in English, not Latin. But "how people actually prayed, we don't know enough about that," Poleg said. "And this Bible tells us something." "A lot of it is grayscale," he said. "It's not about going against Henry, or either Latin or English, but it's both Latin and English, both trying to do something they knew before, but not going head-to-head with legislation or the reigning monarch." Other covered-up scribbles on the Lambeth copy of the Bible were less religious in tone. On the back page, Poleg found a handwritten promise by a Mr. James Elys Cutpurse of London to pay 20 shillings to a Mr. William Cheffyn of Calais. If Cutpurse (slang for "pickpocket") didn't pay, he'd be sent to the Southwark prison of Marshalsea. Poleg tracked down Cutpurse's history and learned from a Londoner's diary that he had been hanged in July 1552. That means the handwritten promise had been made before then. Thus, the Bible tracks 17 years of tumultuous Reformation history in one document: It started as a royally decreed book, the first printed Latin copy of the Bible in England, then became a study guide on the shift from Roman Catholic Latin to Protestant English, and finally moved into secular hands, its use becoming more like a religious "talisman" than a liturgical text, Poleg said. "Henry's breaking the religious establishment and their books are moving out of the church to all sorts of places," he said. Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. By Clare Baldwin HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong residents and journalists believe the state of press freedom deteriorated in the city for a second straight year in 2015, a survey by a media group showed, apparently a reflection of general unease in the city about mainland Chinese control. While there were no major attacks on the media last year, the case of five city booksellers who published gossipy books about Chinese leaders, and who went missing only to reappear in mainland Chinese custody, contributed to an undermining of faith in free speech, said an official of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, which conducted the survey. "The squeeze in the newsroom is now so telling in newspapers and TV programs that members of the public can sense it," association vice chairwoman Shirley Yam, told Reuters. Fifty-four percent of the public and 85 percent of journalists believed press freedom deteriorated in Hong Kong last year, as measured by a press freedom index, according to the survey released on Tuesday. The survey of more than 1,000 residents and hundreds of journalists found that self-censorship was more common, with the greatest concern being over criticizing China's Communist Party-run government. Former British colony Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula meant to preserve its freedoms. Mainland China has rejected calls for full democracy in a 2017 city election compounding concern about what many residents see as growing mainland restrictions. The mainland government and Hong Kong's pro-Beijing city government have dismissed such concerns. The Hong Kong government said on Wednesday it was firmly committed to safeguarding press freedom. "Every endeavor should be made for journalists to report news professionally and accurately under the principle of editorial autonomy," a government spokesman said. In response to the case of the booksellers, China has said its law enforcement officials would never do anything illegal, especially overseas. (Reporting by Clare Baldwin; Additional reporting by Kalum Chen; Editing by Robert Birsel) David Houston and Hulk Hogan's other attorneys recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the trial with Gawker Media that resulted in a more than $140 million verdict. "We're all in favor of the First Amendment too," says attorney Charles Harder. "And you protect it by not abusing it. And we protect privacy. We're for both. They are only for one." In the video, the attorneys present Gawker owner Nick Denton as his own worst enemy. They are incredulous at the other side's arguments and have a message about the next appellate stage: Bring it on. Denton recently authored his own post about the verdict, in which he called the trial a "sham" and argued that Gawker was unfairly precluded from presenting essential testimony and evidence. Both sides are due back in court early next month for a status conference, with the appeal likely coming after a late-May hearing, when the judge will decide whether to grant a new trial or trim the damages. Read More: Hulk Hogan Speaks Out After Gawker Trial, Calls Nick Denton-Owned News Site "Very Scary" var el = document.getElementById('targetParams');if (el !== null && typeof(el) != 'undefined') {var srcParams = $('.advert iframe').attr('src');var addParams = srcParams.split(";");for (i=1;i<=addParams.length - 1;i++) {if (addParams[i] != '=null' && addParams[i] != 'dcopt=ist' && addParams[i] != '!c=iframe' && addParams[i] != 'pos=t' && addParams[i] != 'sz=728x90') {el.value += addParams[i]+";";}}}brightcove.createExperiences();>>>>>>> By Lin Noueihed and Ahmed Aboulenein CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has launched a new crackdown on human rights groups, questioning staff and ordering asset freezes over accusations they took foreign funding to destabilize the country after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Egyptian rights activists say they are facing the worst assault in their history in a wider campaign to erase the freedoms won in the 18-day revolt that began on Jan. 25, 2011. Some say they are working from home in anticipation of arrests as the noose tightens on non-governmental organizations that have faced growing pressure since the burst of activism that accompanied the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled autocrats from Tunisia to Yemen. It is not clear how many groups will be investigated in the case that has so far affected staff or management from at least six of Egypt's best-known rights groups. They include Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and Gamal Eid, founder of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. An investigating magistrate has banned both men from traveling abroad and ordered their assets frozen pending an April 20 court decision. EIPR associate director Heba Morayef expects that freeze to be extended to the group as a whole, potentially forcing its office to close. "I think some in the security agencies see human rights organizations as part of this global conspiracy to sow chaos, and that is actually in the asset freeze order," Morayef told Reuters. "This would be the biggest blow to human rights organizations in 30 years." Egypt's Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Waly, who oversees the NGO sector in Egypt, did not respond to a written request for comment this week. There was also no comment from Egypt's prosecutors, who have banned reporting of the legal details of the case. Since toppling elected president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013, general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Sisi has overseen a crackdown on opposition in which hundreds of Brotherhood supporters were killed and thousands jailed. The net has widened to include liberal and secular activists at the forefront of the 2011 revolt. Many are behind bars, charged with violating a 2013 law which prevents a repeat of the protests that helped unseat two presidents in three years. Sisi portrays himself as a bulwark of stability in a region that has slipped into chaos since the 2011 revolts, prioritizing security over civil rights. UNDER PRESSURE NGOs have felt exposed since late 2011, when authorities raided 17 pro-democracy and rights groups, accusing them of joining a foreign conspiracy against Egypt. In 2013, a court ordered the closure of several foreign pro-democracy groups, including U.S.-based Freedom House, and gave jail sentences to 43 NGO staff including 15 Americans who had fled the country. A case against dozens more Egyptian NGOs and lawyers was never closed but remained largely dormant until this year. None of the NGO staff summoned for questioning have been formally charged. Egyptian law allows prosecutors to freeze assets, ban travel and remand suspects in custody for extended periods without charge. NGOs say they have received scant information on the investigation. It is not illegal for NGOs in Egypt to receive foreign funding, according to Negad al Borai, a senior lawyer and anti-torture campaigner who is representing Bahgat and others, but that funding may not be used for illegal activities, including those that undermine security. According to a defense lawyer's written notes of the magistrate's asset freeze request memo, the groups in question saw a spike in foreign funding immediately after the 2011 revolt. In the memo, the magistrate concludes that foreign funds were used to harm national security, destabilize Egypt and divide different social classes with the aim of "ensuring the failure of the Egyptian authorities." "This all started because in 2011 ... the security agencies wanted to find an explanation for what happened on Jan. 25. So they said money came to the NGOs before January and this is the cause of what happened," said Mohamed Zaree, Egypt program manager at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS). "But what happened actually happened because of the interior ministry, because of torture, because of repression, because of the state of emergency." Zaree has not been summoned but two former staffers have, and CIHRS shifted its regional studies activities to Tunis in 2014 as the space for free speech shrank. INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM The crackdown comes at a sensitive time for Egypt, which has been battling an Islamic State insurgency in northern Sinai and a weak economy. It is keen to burnish its international image but has faced new criticism over human rights from the European Parliament since an Italian student murdered in Cairo in February. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern last week over Egypt's decision to reopen its probe into the NGOs. In February, authorities closed the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture and the dragnet has widened to include women's groups. This week, the Nazra for Feminist Studies group saw three employees questioned. Its director Mozn Hassan has also been summoned. "They want to stigmatize us," Hassan told Reuters. "They want to say publicly that those people are spies, that those people are not patriots." Most human rights groups do not deny receiving foreign funds and say any move to freeze their assets or to close funding sources would severely limit their activities. The campaign to curb NGO activities dates back almost as far as their establishment in the 1980s. NGOs had hoped the law would be reformed after 2011 to give them more freedom. Five years on, the NGO law is still in the works. In the meantime, the Social Solidarity Ministry has ordered NGOs to register under a law that would give it ultimate control over their funding and activities. Groups like EIPR say they have tried to register but faced bureaucratic obstacles. Most rights groups are instead registered as companies or law firms and say they work within the law. "Their goal is to eliminate several organizations that have been outspoken in the past few years," EIPR founder Bahgat said. "I think this is not a bluff." (This version of the story fixes the spelling of the minister's name in paragraph 8.) (Writing by Lin Noueihed; Editing by Michael Georgy) Athens (AFP) - Greece on Thursday said no migrants had arrived on its Aegean islands in the previous 24 hours, for the first time since a controversial EU-Turkey deal to halt the massive influx came into force at the weekend. But France's Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said "hundreds of thousands" of migrants were in Libya hoping to cross to Europe, amid fears the shutdown of the Turkey-Greece route could encourage people to attempt the even more dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Italy. The high-level panel coordinating Greece's response to the crisis cautioned that bad weather may also explain the halt in boat arrivals from neighbouring Turkey, as the Aegean has been buffeted by storm-force winds since Wednesday. The European Union (EU) and Ankara struck a deal on Friday aiming to cut off the sea crossing from Turkey to the islands, which bore the brunt of a refugee wave last year. The agreement, under which all migrants landing on the Greek islands face being sent back to Turkey, went into effect early on Sunday. Despite the deal 1,662 people arrived on Monday, but this fell to 600 on Tuesday and 260 on Wednesday. Greek authorities have been using the relative calm to set in place the logistics for sending people back, which includes deploying 4,000 security personnel and asylum experts. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was to chair a ministerial meeting Thursday to assess the implementation of the accord. In 2015 more than a million migrants entered Europe, about half of them Syrians fleeing war, with Germany shouldering most of the burden. Of these, around 850,000 people made the sea crossing to Greece from Turkey -- a route that also claimed more than 300 lives. Under the migrant deal, for every Syrian sent back, the EU will resettle one Syrian from Turkey, a country that is hosting nearly three million people who have fled Syria's five-year civil war. The idea is to reduce the incentive for Syrian refugees to board dangerous smugglers' boats to cross to Greece, encouraging them instead to stay in Turkish refugee camps to win a chance at resettlement in Europe. Story continues The EU will also speed up talks on Ankara's bid to join the 28-nation bloc, will double refugee aid to six billion euros ($6.8 billion), and give visa-free travel to Turks in Europe's Schengen passport-free zone by June. The deal also plans major aid for Greece, a country now struggling not only with a debt crisis but with some 47,500 migrants stranded on its territory, thousands of them at the Macedonian border. - 'Unfair and inhumane' - All new arrivals in Greece are being taken to registration centres set up on five Aegean islands. Those seeking asylum will stay there while their application is considered by Greek and European officials. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the UN refugee agency, the International Rescue Committee and the Norwegian Refugee Council have all criticised the EU-Turkey deal on ethical grounds and scaled back some of their activities. "We took the extremely difficult decision to end our activities in Moria (a migrant camp on Lesbos) because continuing to work inside would make us complicit in a system we consider to be both unfair and inhumane," Marie Elisabeth Ingres, MSF's head mission in Greece, said on Wednesday. "We will not allow our assistance to be instrumentalised for a mass expulsion operation and we refuse to be part of a system that has no regard for the humanitarian or protection needs of asylum seekers and migrants." On the other side of the Mediterranean, Le Drian told Europe 1 radio that an estimated 800,000 migrants were in Libya, hoping to reach Europe after fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and elsewhere. More than 100,000 people crossed the Mediterranean Sea in the first two months of 2016 alone, according to the UN refugee agency. One of the big stories in business continues to be the slowdown of the Chinese economy as it comes off of 30 years of growth over 10%. But Hyatt (H) says it sees the country as a big growth opportunity. Hyatt President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian said that growth in China has been significant, where the companys base of value-oriented Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels increased over the past two years by 65%. This reflects increased demand for more affordable lodging alternatives, he said in the companys latest conference call. And while 80% of the companys EBITDA for its 638 properties currently comes from the Americas, international is a main focus for growth going forward for the company. I would say China is clearly a key market for growth, told Yahoo Finance in an interview last week in Chicago. We have seen tremendous growth in Mexico and in Latin America and also in South America. Source: Hyatt Presentation The company has launched six new brands in the last 10 years and 40% of the hotels have joined the system in the last five years, expanding the portfolio significantly. He added that the company had no presence in Mexico four years ago. And now has two of the top five hotels in that market. So thats just a microcosm of the kind of growth that we're seeing in a market that's actually mostly driven by U.S. travelers." Hoplamazian pointed to out-sized growth at Hyatt Place and Hyatt House, the company's more value-oriented brands. For more from the interview with Hyatt's CEO, see below: Hyatt CEO: Heres what weve learned from the rise of Airbnb Hyatt CEO explains how terrorism affected past performance Hyatt sees opportunities to use cash right now LILONGWE (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund will resume Malawi's $150 million extended facility programme which was suspended last year after a scandal involving abuse of state money, the country's finance minister said on Thursday. "The IMF has given us a green-light to the resumption of the programme which allows them to disburse about $30 million of the remainder of the total $150 million," Goodall Gondwe told Reuters. "The advice we get from the IMF is very important because they provide a very valuable yardstick of how we can manage our economy and we will continue doing well especially on public finance management so that we are not off track again." The IMF had suspended the programme following a scandal in which senior government officials siphoned millions of dollars from state coffers. Other international donors, led by Malawi's former colonial ruler, Britain, also halted direct aid to the southern African nation over the scandal. IMF Mission Chief Oral Williams said in a statement on Wednesday that Malawi had demonstrated a concerted effort to put the programme back on track, including improvements in public financial management. Malawi has struggled to grow its economy due to declining export earnings from tobacco and in the absence of aid, which had previously accounted for 40 percent of its budget. The IMF said it expects Malawi's economy to grow by 3 to 4 percent this year after expanding by 3 percent in 2015. But growth may be weather-dependent the Fund said, after an El Nino weather pattern triggered drought and heatwaves, threatening the staple maize and other crops. (Reporting by Mabvuto Banda; Editing by Catherine Evans) By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - Indiana is likely to become the second U.S. state to prohibit abortions based on the diagnosis of the fetus with a disability such as Down syndrome. Republican Governor Mike Pence has until the end of the day to sign or veto the bill, which was ushered through the Republican-led legislature over the last three months. The bill still becomes law on Friday if the governor does not sign it but fails to veto it. The legislature would need a two-thirds vote to override a veto, a threshold both chambers reached when passing the measure. The bill would ban abortion if the expecting mother is seeking the procedure because the fetus has been diagnosed with certain disabilities. It also bans abortions based on race, gender or national origin. In a story published by Indiana Public Media on March 14, Pence said he would give "very careful and thoughtful consideration" to the measure. "But I do bring my belief in the sanctity of life to that, and that will inform the way that I evaluate that, ultimately," he told Indiana Public Media. By law, Pence has seven days to sign a bill that was sent to him on March 17 by the state Senate. North Dakota is the only U.S. state that prohibits abortions based on fetal anomalies. Seven states ban those based on gender, and Arizona prohibits those based on race, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that tracks abortion laws. A petition circulating on Moveon.org hoping to persuade the governor to veto the bill had more than 5,600 signatures as of Thursday morning. The measure would add "shame, stigma and barriers at a time when the most critical need is medically accurate information and compassionate care," it said. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Editing by Ben Klayman and Lisa Von Ahn) JAKARTA, March 24 (Reuters) - Japanese oil firm Inpex Corp and Royal Dutch Shell are expected to invest in the construction of Indonesia's onshore Masela liquefied natural gas plant, an energy regulator official said on Thursday. "Inpex and Shell have no plan to withdraw from the Masela block. They will stay, but they need time to redo their plan for onshore," said Amien Sunaryadi, head of Indonesia's upstream oil and gas regulator, SKKMigas. Indonesia's president on Wednesday rejected Inpex and Shell's proposal to build the world's largest floating liquefied natural gas plant in the country's east, saying an onshore plant would benefit its economy more. The two companies on Wednesday declined to immediately comment on the matter as they said they had not received official notification on the decision. (Reporting by Wilda Asmarini) Adrienne Bailon and Israel Houghton, pictured here at her 2013 birthday party, only recently started dating, he insists. (Photo: Getty Images) Adrienne Bailon doesnt do boring when it comes to romantic relationships. The 32-year-old host of The Real, whose breakup from Rob Kardashian played out in the press, is being labeled the other woman after she was photographed on a bikini and tropical drink-filled vacation with Christian musician Israel Houghton, 44, in Talum, Mexico. After Us Weekly ran the exclusive photos on Tuesday, Houghton who announced just last month that hes divorcing his wife of 20 years, Meleasa, after he failed and sinned in their marriage took to Facebook to deny that he was sinning with Bailon. I met Adrienne Bailon a bit over 2 years ago, we worked together & became friends, he wrote. Our circles connected & we remained good friends. From a friendship, as two single adults we have very recently begun to explore a dating relationship. Houghton continued, As I previously wrote in a statement I released a while back, My marriage had been over for quite some time before going public with my divorce announcement. Where I shared, or as some have pointed out over-shared my failure in my marriage From over 5 years prior. It seems to be simple math that I had not even yet met Adrienne during the time my marriage was falling apart. He ended by imploring his fans not to unfairly blame Bailon for his divorce, writing, It deeply saddens me that an innocent party would be dragged into this situation that I have taken personal responsibility for. Adrienne is a woman of integrity & character Most of all she is a true friend, and she should not be blamed for my past indiscretions. Bailon, who got her start in girl groups 3LW and The Cheetah Girls, has always had a bit of the dramz in her relationships. The NYC native dated Rob Kardashian from 2007 to 2009, popping up on Keeping Up With the Kardashians to do things like get couple tattoos. (Eye roll.) She has said they split because Rob cheated on her. In 2014, Robs sisters/protectors Kim and Khloe publicly slammed Bailon after she had complained in an interview that being stuck with that Kardashian label was so hurtful to me and to my career. Story continues In February 2015, it seemed like she had met Mr. Right when she announced that she was engaged to Lenny Santiago, a music exec on Jay-Zs Roc Nation label. However, by September they were over. On Wednesday, Radar Online reported that Houghton has been ousted as a minister at Joel Osteens Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, after his admission that he was unfaithful to his wife and he was divorcing her and likely this Bailon thing. However, Houghtons rep insisted to the website he has taken a personal sabbatical of his choosing. Either way, he now has extra time to spend not sinning with his new girlfriend. Jerusalem (AFP) - Two knife-wielding Palestinians wounded an Israeli soldier in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday before being shot dead by troops, an army spokeswoman said. The stabbing came at the entrance to the heavily guarded Jewish settler enclave in the heart of the city, the source of constant tension with its 200,000-strong Palestinian population. Medics said the soldier was in moderate condition. It occurred as Jews marked the Purim holiday, which sees street parades and people dressing up in costumes. The already heavy Israeli security presence in Hebron has been increased for the holiday. It was the latest attack in a wave of violence that has left 200 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans an Eritrean and a Sudanese dead since October 1, according to an AFP count. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air raids in Gaza. In an unusual decision, Israel has also closed off the West Bank for Purim, with the security measure that affects tens of thousands of Palestinian workers to remain in place through Saturday. It regularly implements such closures for other Jewish holidays such as Passover and Yom Kippur, though less often for Purim. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's whaling fleet returned on Thursday from its Antarctic hunt after a year-long suspension with a take of more than 300 whales, including pregnant females. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean should stop, prompting it to call off its hunt that season, although it said at the time it intended to resume later. Japan then amended its plan for the next season to cut the number of minke whales it aimed to take by two-thirds from previous hunts. Its fleet set out in December despite international criticism, including from important ally the United States. The final ships of the four-vessel whaling fleet returned to Shimonoseki in southwestern Japan on Thursday, having achieved the goal of 333 minke whales, the Fisheries Agency said. Of these, 103 were males and 230 were females, with 90 percent of the mature females pregnant. "The number of pregnant females is consistent with previous hunts, indicating that the breeding situation of minke whales in the Antarctic is healthy," the agency said in a statement. Japan, which has long maintained that most whale species are not endangered and that eating whale is part of its culture, began what it calls "scientific whaling" in 1987, a year after an international whaling moratorium took effect. The meat ends up on shop shelves, although most Japanese no longer eat it. Japan intends to take nearly 4,000 whales over the next 12 years as part of its research program and has repeatedly said that its ultimate goal is the resumption of commercial whaling. (Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Robert Birsel) A Toronto judge on Thursday has cleared Jian Ghomeshi of all charges in a sex assault trial that made headlines beyond Canada's borders. Justice William Horkins announced the not-guilty verdicts for the former Moxy Fruvous band member and CBC radio host at the Old City Hall courthouse. Judge Horkins concluded that inconsistencies and at times deception on the part of the complainants led him to doubt the credibility and reliability of their testimony. "I find Mr. Ghomeshi not guilty on all of these charges," he said. The inconsistencies were marked in what the complainants told the police in pretrial evidence&lrm under oath, and what they eventually disclosed during the trial under cross examination, Horkins told the court when delivering his judgment. "I have no hesitation in concluding that the quality of the evidence in this case is incapable of displacing the presumption of innocence. The evidence fails to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt," Horkins said in his judgment. He added that two of the complainants had conspired to "bring down Jian Ghomeshi" by coming forward with allegations. "The evidence of each complainant suffered not just from inconsistences and questionable behavior, but was tainted by outright deception," said Horkins. Ghomeshi's trial began on Feb. 1, 2016 the five charges included four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking. The judge-only trial saw Ghomeshi's lawyer, Marie Henein, successfully undermine the credibility and reliability of three women, including Canadian actress Lucy DeCoutere, who alleged he sexually assaulted them. The trial heard three witnesses allege the once-popular host of the CBC's q radio show slapped, punched and choked them during romantic dates. Their testimony alleged incidents that mostly took place in 2002 and 2003. The judge said a "lack of precision" on the part of witnesses recounting events of more than a decade ago was to be expected. Story continues But the court needs to be satisfied testimony is reliable, he added. "It's difficult to have trust in a witness who engages in selectively withholding of information," Horkins said. Ghomeshi never took the stand in his own defense. As he was acquitted of all charges, the former broadcaster appeared to rock slowly back and forth in his chair with relief before he rose to hug his mother and sister, who had been sitting in the front row of the court. Outside the courthouse, Ghomeshi and his lawyers left without addressing the media. In chaotic scenes, brief remarks by Crown Prosecutor Michael Callaghan were interrupted by a topless protester who approached his podium to protest the verdict before she was taken into custody by local police. This article first appeared on Billboard.com. Jo Malone London is launching a luxury collection of perfumes inspired by rare teas reports WWD. Unlike Jo Malone's existing fragrances, which are often a combination of scents and ingredients, the range will include six single scent perfumes -- silver needle, darjeeling, oolong, jade leaf, midnight black and golden needle teas -- to maintain the purity of the aroma. Each perfume has been made with handpicked tea leaves sourced from countries famous for their tea, including Japan, China and India. The scents were then created with an infusion method similar to actual tea brewing. The six scents will come encased in a newly-designed bottle created especially for the range, the first time Jo Malone has created a new bottle for a fragrance in 25 years. The collection will launch in stores on April 1 retailing at 240 pounds ($346) for a 175-ml. bottle. Paris (AFP) - Two controversies around the Brussels attacks have shown yet again the thin line the media must tread between breaking the news quickly and not compromising police enquiries. Just two days before jihadists struck the Belgium capital Tuesday, the police had criticised "the irresponsibility of a certain outlet" which had published information "far too early" about the missing Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, "causing us problems". Hours before Abdeslam was arrested Friday after four months on the run, the French weekly news magazine L'Obs revealed that his fingerprints had been found in an apartment near Brussels. Police moving in to arrest Abdeslam found the outside broadcast van of a Flemish-language TV channel parked only metres from his hideout. Then on Wednesday two Belgian news websites had to retract reports claiming that an as yet unidentified third suspect involved in the Brussels airport bombings had been arrested. It prompted the BBC's veteran Europe correspondent Chris Morris to tweet, "This morning's reporting an object lesson in why all should be careful about quoting anonymous sources secondhand." - Interviews with gunmen - To their credit, Belgian media had respected the news blackout demanded by police in Brussels as they carried out a series of raids days linked to the Paris attacks in November, in which 130 people were killed. The French government watchdog had earlier praised the way its media had covered the Paris attacks after criticising several outlets' coverage of the Charlie Hebdo and kosher supermarket shootings which took place in January 2015. Reporters then had managed to interview one of the Kouachi brothers who massacred some of the country's best known cartoonists as police besieged them, as well as Amedy Coulibaly as he held staff and customers hostage in the Hyper Cacher store in the east of the city. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve warned Wednesday that "the media need to be careful to avoid putting out information that is not accurate and could be exploited" for nefarious ends. Story continues "But I don't believe that the news media is getting in the way of the investigators," he told AFP with an ironic smile. More often than not the media "are late, or you are not very precise, or you haven't got the information," he said. "It is this lag which means the news media does not interfere with the police investigations." On the ground, however, journalists confronted with a deluge of often unsourced material from social media as well as traditional sources find themselves wondering if they will be accused of not only endangering enquiries but also lives. "We are in constant contact with the authorities to see if our leads are potentially dangerous (in these type of situations). In that case, we do not publish," said Corinne Audouin, a crime reporter on France Inter. "Obviously when we are broadcasting live we don't say everything that we know in real time," she added. - News blackouts - The day several suspects linked to the Paris attacks were cornered in Saint Denis north of the city, one of the public radio's reporters learned that the police had stopped firing on the apartment because they had run out of ammunition. "We decided not to broadcast this in case those inside were listening," said Matthieu Aron, an investigative journalist at the station. Several British and American media commentators, however, were more concerned that the blanket coverage given to the Paris and Brussels attacks sent the wrong message while terror attacks elsewhere were not seen to be so newsworthy. The Guardian's Roy Greenslade pointed out that suicide bombings that killed 44 in Beirut the day before the Paris attacks got only a tiny fraction of its coverage in the international media. For Jean-Michel Decugis of the French rolling news television channel iTele, there are times when journalists have to kill their own stories. "I always ask if the information I have will hamper the police. If they tell me it will, I pretty much always would not put it out," he said. But such self-censorship in the name of public safety has been taken to extremes in Turkey, journalists there insist. News and social media blackouts are often imposed by the government after terror attacks, which has already an unenviable record for locking up reporters. "These censorship measures are always disproportionate and always very vague" like the one imposed after Saturday's Istanbul attack, said Johann Bihr of Reporters Without Borders. Sarajevo (AFP) - Bosnia's Muslim political leader on Thursday said Radovan Karadzic's genocide conviction was the "most important verdict" since the Nuremberg trials for prominent Nazis. UN war crimes judges in The Hague sentenced the wartime Bosnian Serb leader to 40 years in prison after finding him guilty of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and nine other charges of murder, persecution, and hostage-taking during Bosnia's 1992-1995 ethnic conflict. "What is important is that a sentence has been passed against a terrible political ideology," said Bakir Izetbegovic, the Muslim member and chairman of Bosnia's tripartite presidency. "Crimes were prepared in an organised, systematic and committed manner. Hundreds of thousands were driven out (of their homes) and the traces of their culture and their religion were later deleted," he told a press conference. "This is the most important verdict since Nuremberg." Almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys lost their lives in the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre. The atrocity was the worst in Europe since World War II. Kate del Castillo has confirmed that she received a warning from the Mexican government to halt production on a planned biopic about drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Investigative journalist Lydia Cacho said in a January interview with Univision that del Castillo told her she had received a message delivered by an actress friend on behalf of Mexico's interior secretary, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong. It said she should not make a film about Guzman and she should stop meddling. In a Wednesday interview with CNN en Espanol's Carmen Aristegui, del Castillo called the message "kind of intimidating," but she plans to go forward with the film anyway. The interior secretariat did not respond to a request for comment. Del Castillo, best known for her lead role in the hit narconovela Queen of the South, brokered Sean Penn's meeting with Guzman in a remote mountain village in northern Mexico. They were accompanied by Fernando Sulichin and Jose Ibanez, who were attached to produce the film. According to del Castillo, it wasn't until the group of four arrived at the secret meeting place with Guzman that she realized Penn wanted an interview with the drug kingpin for Rolling Stone, and she later learned he had no interest in the film project. Read More: The Strange, Ongoing Saga of Sean Penn, El Chapo and Who Was (and Wasnt) Making a Movie Penn, however, told The New Yorker that he and del Castillo had discussed the article beforehand. Del Castillo responded to Penn's claim that she had prior knowledge of the Rolling Stone story as "total and complete bullshit." Now del Castillo says she probably won't do the film with either of the two producers, both of whom have worked with Oliver Stone. "I think that all this is already kind of tainted," she told CNN. "I just have my reasons because I was left out, and I don't want anything to hurt my new project." When asked what actor she would like to play Guzman, del Castillo responded, "Well, not Sean Penn." Story continues In the first of the two-part CNN interview, which aired Tuesday, del Castillo spoke about her fear of the Mexican government, saying she's more afraid of the government than Guzman's powerful Sinaloa cartel. Read More: Kate del Castillo Talks Fallout from El Chapo Meeting: "I'm Afraid of the Mexican Government" Del Castillo, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico and currently resides in Los Angeles, said she's afraid to return to her native country. She fears that if she does, she'll be detained and put under house arrest. She added that the government was looking to extradite her from the U.S. "to cover up big problems," such as the Mexican government's collusion with drug cartels, which prompted CNN's Aristegui to ask if she found it ridiculous that Guzman has been able to exist with government protection. "Well, I don't find it logical that a man gets to be so powerful without any help of key people in certain political and social levels in Mexico society," she said. "I mean, someone is definitely helping him. And it isn't his mom necessarily, right?" Keri Russell, Henry Cavill, John Stamos and John Goodman gave advice to their former selves in a Late Night With Seth Meyers compilation that aired Wednesday night. "Your life is gonna be so exciting," said the Americans star, "but whatever you do, don't cut your hair short during the second season of Felicity. No, I'm serious. People will freak the hell out. You'll get hate mail. You'll even get death threats. But gradually, your hair will grow back and your fans will forgive you. But you will never and I repeat, never forgive your fans." Likewise, Stamos warned his younger self, "On your 18th birthday, the prince of darkness, Satan, will offer you eternal youth in exchange for your soul. Little John, I'm telling you right now: You take that deal." Goodman recalled a horrific incident after which he is now haunted by a one-eyed duck, and Cavill reassured his kid self, "Your biggest dream will come true: You finally get to be in a Batman movie. As for your part in the film, I think it's best we wait until you're older to handle it." Watch the video below. Read More: Seth Meyers Brings Melisandre of 'Game of Thrones' to a Baby Shower BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's president, unsettled by an intelligence report of a coup plot, accused his political opponents on Thursday of trying to destabilize the country by escalating a border standoff with Uzbekistan. Not clearly demarcated, the border zone is a source of bilateral tensions and Uzbekistan stationed two armored personnel carriers and about 40 soldiers there last week, prompting smaller Kyrgyzstan to reinforce deployments on its side. Almazbek Atambayev described the situation there as "tense and unfriendly" and said some of his opponents had tried to foment violence. "Those who say 'Let us oust the Uzbek border guards by force' are effectively calling for war," he told reporters on the 11th anniversary of a revolt that ousted one of his predecessors. "I think this has nothing to do with patriotism and is a betrayal of Kyrgyzstan's national interests." On Tuesday Kyrgyzstan, Russia's closest ally in the Central Asian region, called a meeting in Moscow of a Russia-led security bloc in response to the standoff. Atambayev said he would cancel a planned visit to Uzbekistan in June, to attend a summit of another regional security body, unless the border standoff was resolved. According to the Kyrgyz state news agency, Uzbekistan had since withdrawn the armored vehicles and both countries pulled back most of the soldiers, leaving only a few border guards. Atambayev also referred to allegations made on Wednesday by the state security service that several politicians had been planning to oust him by staging riots across the former Soviet republic. "(Those accused) must be judged according to the law," he said. Violent protests brought down two of the last four Kyrgyz presidents, Askar Akayev in 2005 and Kurmanbek Bakiyev in 2010. The state security service has not charged anyone. But it questioned two opposition politicians, Bektur Asanov and Kubanychbek Kadyrov, according to Zamira Sydykova, the editor-in-chief of Respublika newspaper which is often critical of the government. She told Reuters security service officers escorted both men out of her office. In a statement identifying them only by their initials, the service said they were suspected of "planning actions aimed at destabilizing the social and political situation in the country which were to be followed by the implementation of a plot to violently seize power." Asanov is a former governor of the Jalalabad region, where the border standoff is taking place, and Kadyrov is a former deputy interior minister. Attempts by Reuters to contact both men, who belong to the country's National Opposition Movement, were unsuccessful. Atambayev's presidency ends at the end of next year and he cannot run for a second term. Kyrgyzstan, a mostly Muslim nation of 6 million, hosts a Russian military air base. Its economy has suffered from Russia's recession and slowdowns in other neighboring countries including China. (Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by John Stonestreet) Paris (AFP) - Tens of thousands of students protesting labour reforms took to the streets across France on Thursday, torching cars in Paris and clashing with riot police who responded with tear gas and made more than 30 arrests. Fifteen protesters were arrested in Paris, where two policemen were injured, and another 19 students were detained in the western city of Nantes. The reforms, which had been significantly watered down under pressure from an earlier wave of protests, were adopted on Thursday by the cabinet of the increasingly unpopular President Francois Hollande, who hopes to stand for re-election next year. "Young and insurgent, the world is ours" read one banner as some 5,000 students protested in the French capital, where students torched two cars, threw bottles at riot police and emptied a rubbish bin over other officers. "Police everywhere, justice nowhere," they chanted. Video of a policeman punching a student went viral on social media, and an enquiry has been opened into the incident. Protests were staged in dozens of other cities, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Lyon with a total turnout estimated at 43,000. Students have been at the forefront of protests over the reforms aimed at freeing up the job market and reining in France's 10 percent unemployment rate. Among youths, joblessness is nearer to 25 percent -- among the highest in Europe. Many young people, including graduates, find themselves working on short-term contracts for several years after their studies, or doing internship after internship while hoping to secure a job. The youths, along with unions and the left flank of Hollande's Socialist Party, say the reforms are too pro-business and threaten hallowed workers' rights. One of Thursday's protesters in Paris was dressed as a capitalist, wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar with a sign reading "Business, power, finance -- all together!" Around 58 percent of the French people oppose the measures, according to a recent poll. Story continues Prime Minister Manuel Valls has touted the reforms as "intelligent, audacious and necessary" in the face of stubbornly high unemployment, which has not dropped below seven percent in 30 years. "Our country has become used to (joblessness) for too long," he said. The pressure from opponents prompted the government this month to water down the contested reforms, walking a tightrope between the insistent demands of employers and employees. "It lends new momentum to social democracy," said the bill's author, Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri, calling it "balanced, both providing new flexibility to companies and new protections for workers." - 'Reformist' unions back measures - But bosses are unhappy with the withdrawal of a cap on the amount companies must pay for unfair dismissal, as well as the scrapping of a measure that would have allowed small- and medium-sized companies to unilaterally introduce flexible working hours. While employers' groups called on Valls to restore the reforms' original goal of creating jobs, the concessions were enough to persuade several so-called "reformist" unions to get behind the new version while still urging new language on conditions for laying off workers. The seven unions and youth groups that organised Thursday's protests are demanding the withdrawal of the reforms. A high school protester in Marseille carried a banner reading: "A great leap forward towards the 19th century". Meanwhile students paralysed dozens of schools and universities across France, as they did a week ago. Socialist Party dissidents, threatening stiff resistance when the reforms reach parliament, have presented a "counter-reform". The government's proposed reforms are scheduled to be taken up by parliament's social affairs committee on April 5, and by the full body in late April or early May. Before that, the protest movement plans an even bigger mobilisation for March 31. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese daily As-Safir is to cease its print and online operations after over 40 years, editor-in-chief and publisher Talal Salman said on Thursday, blaming falling revenues and Lebanon's political and sectarian problems. As-Safir, founded by Salman in 1974 with the slogan "a voice for those who have no voice", will end publication on March 31. It is close to the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah. In a situation faced by print media around the world, Lebanese dailies al-Nahar and al-Liwa' have also indicated they are facing financial difficulties because of falling circulation and advertising income. But Salman has said the country's political environment also contributed to the problems of the Lebanese press. Lebanon has a paralyzed political system and sectarian tensions left over from a civil war that ended around 15 years ago. These have increased with Syria's civil war next door. The government has not passed a budget since 2005 and has been without a president for almost two years. Lebanon's economy grew 8 percent a year between 2007 and 2010, but growth has been relatively sluggish since the collapse of a unity government and the start of Syria's uprising in 2011. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at only 2 percent in 2014. "We tried and tried and tried and in the end the great sectarian divide took its first victim - the media, which is supposed to be the one guiding a unified national public," Salman told Reuters. "The press is connected with political life. In Lebanon there is no politics and no political life whatsoever," he said. "This is a country without a state, with no institutions and no president." In an editorial in his paper this week, Salman said the demise of his and other papers in Lebanon - a country famed across the Arab world for its press freedom - threatens the nation's claim to be the "country of freedom". The decision to close As-Safir ("The Ambassador" in Arabic)will be formally announced on March 30 at a press conference. "We have announced the death, but we await the funeral," said Salman. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Tom Heneghan) London (AFP) - Crowds draped in Belgian flags gathered for a vigil in central London on Thursday in solidarity with those affected by the attacks in Brussels. Standing under drizzling rain, men, women and children lit candles and left flowers by a 25-metre (80-foot) flag that stretched over the steps of Trafalgar Square in the centre of the capital. "We are here to say no to terrorism. I am a Syrian, I am a Muslim and I am a refugee in Europe and what has happened in Belgium absolutely broke my heart so I am here to show solidarity to the Belgian people," said Abdulaziz Almashi, 30, a Syrian refugee and campaigner. "Those people aren't Muslims... they don't represent Islam, they don't represent our culture and our values," he said of the perpetrators. The vigil follows tributes in which London landmarks were lit up in the black, yellow and red of the Belgian flag after the Wednesday attacks on Brussels airport and a metro station, which killed 31 people and injured another 600. Kris Nathanael, 27, who works as a regulator in London, said the show of solidarity was comforting for Belgians like her, living away from home. "It's just shocking, it's people who get up and go to work and they say goodbye to the people they love and they never see them again," said Nathanael as she welled up with tears. "I have seen all the flags... A lot of countries have done it and it means a lot," she added. The gathered crowds shared beers, chanted "everybody together" and sang the Belgian national anthem. The Belgian ambassador to Britain, Guy Trouveroy, said it was a bittersweet gathering that showed both sadness and solidarity. Candles were left by the flag "as a symbol of this tragedy, a small thing, but a way for us to remember," Trouveroy said. The offensive to retake Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, has reportedly begun but neither Washington nor Baghdad will be hoisting a Mission Accomplished banner any time soon. The attack kicked off with Iraqi forces supported by U.S. airstrikes and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, freeing towns about 40 miles south of the city, which fell to the Islamic State during the groups 2014 blitzkrieg that saw it capture large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. Related: Trump Does a U-Turn on How Hed Fight ISIS Operations to liberate areas surrounding Mosul launched today, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi tweeted early Thursday. First stage of our offensive has been swift and decisive. Operations to liberate areas surrounding Mosul launched today. First stage of our offensive has been swift and decisive. Daesh is in retreat Haider Al-Abadi (@HaiderAlAbadi) March 24, 2016 "Daesh is in retreat," he tweeted, using a derogatory Arabic acronym for the extremist network. ISIS Targets Destroyed by American Air Strikes | InsideGov Even though the Iraqi government has reportedly dubbed the new campaign Operation Conquest, the push began on the far periphery of the city, which shows how far Baghdad and its allies have to go before they can liberate Mosul. In fact, some U.S. and Iraqi officials told the Associated Press that the city might not be freed this year, as Baghdads army is still struggling to get back on its feet after the mass desertions that decimated the force as ISIS marched across the country. Related: Trump: Turn US Military into the Worlds Rent-a-Cop Its unclear if Iraq has enough personnel, let alone firepower, to take back the city. Coalition and Iraqi leaders estimate that eight to 12 brigades, or an estimated 24,000 to 36,000 troops, will be needed for the Mosul operation, the AP reported. But only somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqi troops have been deployed to the base thats supposed to be a launch pad for the campaign. Story continues The new push likely will end up resembling other, drawn-out battles in the fight against the terror group, such as the one of the key city of Ramadi. The Iraqi army successfully liberated the city, located about 70 miles from the capital of Baghdad, but only after weeks of conflict. The battle lumbered on for so long that Defense Secretary Ash Carter and others publicly complained about the pace before the city was at last retaken. Related: Sanders Attacks on Clintons Foreign Policy Could Help Trump Or it could mirror the long and bloody siege of Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish town situated only seven miles from the Syria-Turkey border. The towns strategic importance prompted the U.S. and its allies to carry out daily airstrikes backed up by Kurdish ground forces launching multiple ground offensives before militants were finally driven out. Overseeing all of this is an Iraqi government that, like others before them, is vulnerable to political crisis. A change in leadership could further complicate the timetable to liberate Mosul. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Paris (AFP) - French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said police had arrested a suspect in the Paris area on Thursday who was in "the advanced stages" of a plot to attack France. While Cazeneuve said the raid in the Argenteuil neighbourhood northwest of Paris had led to a "major arrest", he told reporters there was "no tangible evidence linking the plot to either the attacks in Paris or Brussels". The arrested man, a French national, "is suspected of being involved in the plan at a high level," Cazeneuve said. "He belongs to a terrorist network that sought to strike our country." Police operations were continuing late Thursday, with officers searching an apartment building in Argenteuil after having evacuated its residents. Bomb disposal experts were at the scene to allow police officers "to proceed with searching the apartment, the parking and the communal areas in optimal conditions," Cazeneuve added. A security cordon has been set up around the building. The minister added that the suspect had been under surveillance "for several weeks" and that the arrest was also the result of "close and constant cooperation between European services". The arrest comes two days after 31 people were killed in suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the city's metro, putting security services across Europe on high alert. The assailants in the Brussels attacks -- two of whom are still on the run -- are known to have had links to those involved in the November 13 Paris attacks that left 130 dead. Both assaults have been claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. By Letitia Stein (Reuters) - A former University of Mississippi student pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge on Thursday, admitting to his role in draping a noose around the neck of a statue of the school's first black student, the U.S. Justice Department said. Austin Reed Edenfield accepted a plea deal charging him with a misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting another person in using the threat of force to intimidate black students and staff at the Oxford, Mississippi school, officials said. He is the second ex-student and fraternity member to plead guilty in the incident, which occurred in February 2014. Graeme Phillip Harris admitted to a similar charge last year and was sentenced to six months in prison. Officials said Edenfield, then 19, along with Harris and one other person, hung a noose and a depiction of the Confederate battle flag on a statue of James Meredith, who integrated the school in 1962 amid violent protests and riots. Edenfield tied the rope around the statue's neck, after Harris was unable to do so, officials said. An attorney for Edenfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Edenfield withdrew from the school after the incident and returned home to Atlanta, the government said. Edenfield faces up to a year in prison, but the government is recommending probation because of his assistance in the case involving Harris, said Chad Lamar, assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Mississippi. Harris is serving his sentence in a low-security prison in Butner, North Carolina and is due to be released in July, according to federal prison records. (Reporting by Letitia Stein; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) Its got beaches with clear blue waters that shimmer with the best of the Mediterranean; there are enough mountains and rivers for endless days of hiking and rafting; and to the south sit UNESCO World Heritage sites and castles that have seen the rise and fall of great empires like the Byzantine and Ottoman. But theres one thing you wont find: tourists. Welcome to Albania, the Cinderella of European travel destinations. While some Balkan countries, like Bosnia and Herzegovina, have seen a boom in tourism over the past decade, this long coastal country sandwiched between Greece, Serbia and Montenegro continues to remain off the radar. To many, Albania is still viewed as the poor, autocratic wasteland that it was during its 40 years of communist dictatorship that finally came to an end in 1991. Then there was the civil war of 97 and the refugee crisis caused by the neighboring Kosovo conflict two years later. Not the most postcard-friendly imagery. But the reasons that once stood in the way of tourism are now nothing more than memories. It truly feels wild. Italian tourist Lara Vecchio To anyone able to look past the troubled Balkan history, Albania is a secret treasure. I was very surprised by how beautiful the landscape is, says Lara Vecchio, a tourist from Milan. It truly feels wild. Indeed, the stunning Ceraunian mountain range remains mostly untouched, while being open to family campers or adventurous cross-country skiers. Meanwhile, Tirana, the capital, is buzzing with potential. But Albanias crown jewel is its 296 miles of coast. Prefer pebble beaches? Got it. White sands? Got those, too. Snorkeling? Pick your spot. You might even see some shepherds walking their sheep along the shoreline. Yet what makes Albania an especially appealing attraction, even compared to Italy or Croatia: the price tag. Good luck finding an apartment on Airbnb for $20 a night in either of those countries. In Albania, hotel deals abound. And for a three-course, traditional meal of pork sausages with cream, an assortment of salads and some surprisingly rich local wine, be ready to shell out about $6 a person. But dont expect the infrastructure to be up to par with its competitors air-conditioning, for example, is not a guarantee. Its hard to provide the high standards visitors are used to when we only get running water three times a day! says Klajdi Pushimi, a local tour guide. And the money you save on lodging and food might go toward the flight, which can be pricey. Story continues Still, what the country lacks in infrastructure, the people make up for in hospitality. You cant but feel the honest warmth and candor of people who are not weary of the hordes of sweaty sunburned tourists descending on their streets like locusts. That may soon change, though. Beauty like this often doesnt stay secret for long. Related Articles A bill being fast-tracked through Finlands parliament could lead to an explosion in fishing, logging, and mining on state-managed waters and lands, which include more than 30,000 square miles of forest. The legislation is ringing alarm bells beyond Finlands borders because it treads on the land rights of the indigenous Sami people of the European Arctic. The Finnish government manages about 90 percent of the countrys northern boreal forest, which is part of the territory the indigenous Sami people have inhabited for thousands of years. Finlands forests are also important habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, as well as a vast carbon storehouse crucial to blunting the worst impacts of climate change. Sami food security and cultural survival are threatened by the proposed law, said Tiina Sanila-Aikio, president of Finlands Sami Parliament, because traditional hunting, fishing, gathering, and reindeer herding all depend on keeping broad swaths of the old-growth boreal forest intact. Forestry is one, tourism is the second one, miningall would increase under the act, said Sanila-Aikio. These things would affect reindeer herding to the point that its not economically possible, wiping out a crucial cultural touchstone and source of food and income. It would be a very big loss to our people, because it maintains so much of the indigenous culture, she said. RELATED: Fatal Thaw: The Sami Fight to Preserve an Ancient Culture as the Arctic Warms The Finnish Sami Parliament and all 56 indigenous reindeer herding cooperatives in Finland have come out against the legislation. The Saami Council, a nongovernmental organization that represents Sami across Scandinavia, termed the bill an unprecedented land grab [that] threatens the last old-growth forests of Finnish Lapland and the Sami home area. The center-right coalition government of Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila, which supports the bill, is aware of Sami concerns but has not acted on them, Sanila-Aikio said. Story continues The national government is pushing, very aggressively, legislation that will take away the both land base and the capacity of the Sami, the checks and balances of indigenous culture, said Finnish geographer Tero Mustonen. Mustonen is the founder of an indigenous land rights group, Snowchange Cooperative, which has advised some Sami on the restoration of fisheries and other natural resources in their traditional territory, as well as adaptation to climate change. We are witnessing a handful of politicians pushing through legislation that will significantly weaken the Sami communities, he added. Thats something you are not supposed to be able to do in Europe. Finland is the most heavily forested country in the European Union, with more than 75 percent of its 131,000 square miles covered in woodlands. Metsahallitus, Finlands national forest and parks agency, manages about a third of the forestland and about 5.4 million acres of inland waters. These forests and waters are attractive targets for a country still digging out of the 2008 global financial crisis. Finlands 2015 GDP of $231 billion was 7 percent lower than in 2007, while the unemployment rate is currently around 9.5 percent, according to the BBC, compared with 6.2 percent at the start of 2008. Forces ranging from the offshoring of forestry jobs to the collapse of the countrys high-tech sectorthe Finnish mobile phone firm Nokia saw its stock price plunge from almost $40 a share in late 2007 to under $2 in mid-2012; it has since hovered between $5 and $8 a sharehave led pundits to wonder out loud whether Finland could become the Eurozones next Greece. Sipila won office last year on promises to bring a free marketoriented approach to reviving the Finnish economy, according to Bloomberg News, including wage cuts and fewer national holidays. He sees Finlands forests as part of a nascent bio-economy, Bloomberg reported in April, and aims for the forest-product sector, such as pulp and paper mills, to generate 100,000 jobs by 2025. The current forest management bill would help accomplish this by shifting some of Metsahallitus forest and water management activities into a joint stock company, according to Risto Sulkava, the president of the board of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. The move would mean part of the information will not be available because it is considered [a] trade secret, beyond the reach of federal transparency and public participation laws, Sulkava said in e-mail. It would prioritize activities like lakebed gravel mining, logging, and tourist fishing over conservation-oriented nature areas, according to Sulkava. We have more than 2,000 endangered species; many of then live in these areas, he added. More euros out of the nature areas means more endangered species. Other projects the law would faciliate include a long-sought rail connection from southern Finland to the Norwegian port city of Kirkenes, on the Barents Sea, which would link the country to growing shipping traffic across the increasingly ice-free Arctic Ocean. It is imperative, in this period of rapid climate change in the Arctic, that these northern ecosystems are preserved intact, said Jesus Garzon, a prominent Spanish conservationist, in an open letter to the prime minister on Tuesday. Since 1992, Garzon has led an effort to restore traditional seasonal migrations of sheep and cattle to Spains herders, a practice called transhumance that is aligned with traditional Sami reindeer herding. The new Forestry Act needs to include clauses that provide a protective zone and mechanisms to ensure that does not undermine the opportunities to practice and foster Sami culture, Garzon said. He also noted that Finlands old-growth boreal forests are the warm-weather habitat of many hundreds of thousands of cranes, geese, lapwings, and millions of other small birds from Finland [that winter] in Spain from October to March. The boreal forest, which stretches around the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere, is the largest land-based ecosystem in the world, and accounts for about a third of all forests. Logging and other development of boreal forests diminishes their capacity to store carbon and nurture biodiversity, said forest ecologist Brian Milakovsky, a consultant for the World Wildlife Fund. Even selective logging cant ever completely emulate natural ecosystems. We need portions of the landscape that are subjected to natural disturbance regimes, without our meddling, Milakovsky said. Finland's forest ecosystems are already grappling with the aftereffects of intensive logging, he added. The Finns have a pretty significant list of species that are pretty threatened, because they are associated with forests with an old structure, including dead trees. Logging might not turn the forest into a source of carbon, but a lot of the science shows youre better off leaving the old-growth forest alone if you want it to maximize carbon storage, he added. While managed forest, even a boreal forest, is not by any means an ecological wasteland, we cant ever really regenerate the functions and values of intact forests. Sign the Petition: Protect the Amazon and Its Indigenous People From Brazilian Mega-Dam Related stories on TakePart: Watch How a New Twist on Indigenous Tradition Transforms These Inmates To Slow Climate Change, Save the Toucans and Tapirs Climate Change Triggered Another Year of Extremes in the Arctic Original article from TakePart Hong Kong bookseller Lee Bo who disappeared from the city and surfaced in mainland China has returned, police said Thursday, the latest twist in a case that has provoked anger over China's interference in the city. British citizen Lee is one of five Hong Kong booksellers known to go "missing" in recent months -- the other four are now under criminal investigation on the mainland. The men all worked for the Mighty Current publishing house in Hong Kong, which produced salacious titles about political intrigue and love affairs at the highest levels of Chinese politics. Lee's case caused the greatest outcry because he disappeared from Hong Kong, prompting accusations that Chinese law enforcement agents were operating in the semi-autonomous city, which is illegal under its constitution. The other four booksellers went missing from Thailand or southern mainland China. "Immigration department and police met and took statement separately with Lee Bo, who had returned to Hong Kong from the mainland this afternoon," a government statement released late Thursday said. Lee had been handed over to immigration officials at the Lok Ma Chau border point in northern Hong Kong, the statement said. Lee, 65, was last seen at a Hong Kong book warehouse before his disappearance, but spoke publicly for the first time on Chinese television late last month saying he had gone to the mainland of his own accord. Britain however had said in February it believed he had been "involuntarily removed to the mainland" in what it described as a "serious breach" of an agreement signed with Beijing before Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, a deal that protects Hong Kong's freedoms for 50 years. That earned the ire of Beijing, which blasted Britain for interfering in its domestic affairs. Thursday's government statement again insisted Lee had "returned to the mainland by his own means voluntarily and it was not an abduction". Story continues - 'Crushed confidence' - Lee told police he was assisting an investigation into fellow bookseller Gui Minhai, the statement added. "He stated that he was free and safe whilst on the mainland," it said. Lee requested the cancellation of his missing person case and said he did not require assistance from the Hong Kong government or police, the statement added. Immigration officials also took a statement from Lee, adding he did not provide "thorough information" about his departure and that they would further investigate whether he had committed any immigration offences. Lee "left on his own" after meeting police, the statement said. Lee, speaking at the border, told Phoenix TV that "coming back to Hong Kong and being able to see my relatives and my son who I haven't seen for a long time makes me very happy". Denying that Chinese security agents had smuggled him out of Hong Kong, he said that he returned using "normal means because I have made good progress in terms of my assistance in the investigation". I feel there is a possibility that I may need to return to the mainland multiple times to assist in the investigation." He added: "I won't smuggle myself back in (to China) again". Critics said Lee's return would not restore confidence. "The Lee Bo incident has really crushed the confidence of Hong Kong people in respect of 'One Country Two Systems'," pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Ho told AFP, referring to the semi-autonomous deal under which the city is governed. "Nobody really believes (Lee's) version. People have the general impression that he was forced to go back to China." China expert and Chinese University of Hong Kong professor Willy Lam said he believed a condition of Lee's release would be that he did not "spill the beans about the circumstances of his abduction to China". The other four booksellers are under criminal investigation on the mainland. Swedish citizen Gui Minhai confessed to trying to smuggle illegal books into China in a television interview in February. Cheung Chi-ping, Lui Por and Lam Wing-kee blamed the company's illegal book trade on Gui. Cheung and Lui returned to Hong Kong earlier this month on bail, but are reported to have quickly returned to the mainland. The case has drawn international criticism, with the European Parliament calling for the immediate release of all five men. For the time being, Apple's legal battle with the FBI appears to be on hold. Though the FBI had previously demanded Apple write a completely new version of iOS to bypass built-in security measures, the FBI earlier this week indicated that they may have found a way into the locked iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists without Apple's help. The FBI hasn't officially confirmed it, but it's become plainly evident that the Bureau has enlisted the help of an Israeli software forensics company called Cellebrite. According to Cellebrite's website, the company provides forensics solutions that can "give access to and unlock the intelligence of mobile data sources to extend investigative capabilities, accelerate investigations, unify investigative teams and produce solid evidence." The company further boasts that it employs high-tech methods capable of extracting data from all types of feature phones and smartphones. DON'T MISS: Apple stared down the FBI and won While Apple has long maintained that the FBI never needed Apple's assistance in order to hack into the terrorist's locked iPhone, FBI director James Comey vehemently denies this. In fact, Comey articulates that once the FBI's legal squabbles with Apple became headline news, companies from the private sector began reaching out to them with new ideas, suggestions and tactics. In any event, it's only natural to wonder how much the FBI is shelling out for an iPhone hack that will let them access the data tucked away in a locked iPhone. While you might assume that such information is a well-kept secret, the FBI, being a federal agency and all, can't keep everything it does hidden away. Originally spotted by Joshua Kopstein, a freelance technology journalist and surveillance researcher, the FBI this past Monday may have signed a $15,278 contract with Cellebrite. fbi cellebrite Diving deeper, the contract appears to be for work set to be conducted in Chicago, a tidbit which has led some to believe that the screenshot below is for other forensics work. Still it seems like a crazy coincidence that the FBI would sign a contract with Cellebrite for wholly unrelated technical work just one day after it revealed it may have found a way, without Apple's help, into the terrorist's locked iPhone. Also Story continues It's also worth noting that Cellebrite's website specifically mentions that they possess the "unique capability" to unlock iOS devices running iOS 8.x "in a forensically sound manner and without any hardware intervention or risk of device wipe." Interestingly, the company hasn't mentioned if their methods work on iOS 9, which was what Syed Farook had installed on his iPhone 5c. Related stories 11 paid iPhone apps on sale for free for a limited time This week reminded me of one thing I really hate about Apple Oh good, another theory on what's going to kill the iPhone More from BGR: iOS 9.3s coolest new feature isnt working for some people, but well tell you how to fix it This article was originally published on BGR.com By Jacob Moore, Constant Gardner, and Graham Corrigan We got tired of getting music recommendations from computers. Maybe one day, computers will be able to understand music and automate music discovery better than human beings. But so far, there hasnt been a music discovery app that has gotten it right. No algorithm, social networking service, or customizable radio station has been able to nail it down. Theres still nothing quite as effective as a friend saying, You like so-and-so? Check this out. Thats why we started our recommendations series. It has all been in an attempt to help, but its funny because its probably one of the more controversial things we do. Every time we say, If you like [insert artist name], then check out [insert artist name] we are met with opposition. STOP COMPARING ARTISTS TO OTHER ARTISTS, shouted dozens of angry tweeters and Facebook commenters. Its not about that. If youre looking to discover new music, the fastest way to do it is to dig in based on what you already know you like. If that idea bothers you, skip this one, because weve gathered a months worth of recommendations and put them into this post. Hope you find something you like. Dont forget to check out our weekly updated Spotify playlist here and monthly SoundCloud playlists here. If you like J. Cole, listen to Forest. If you like J. Cole, listen to Forest. Image via Forest Compton rapper Forest is intelligent, introspective, and hes got a knack for melodic beats and flows. He can make fun, lighthearted music, but like J. Cole, some of his best works comes in the form of more reflective songs. If you like Autre Ne Veut, listen to Liss. If you like Autre Ne Veut, listen to Liss. Image via LISS on Facebook Venerable label XL Recordings latest signees are Liss, a four-piece from Denmark. We chose their latest song Sorry as The New Wave this week, saying, Its a shame that so many of the best-written songs end up in the hands of megastars who simply cater to the masses with basic, overproduced pop hits. Sorry could have been one of those songs. Its immediately catchy, beautifully melodic, and the hook is huge. Story continues Similarly, Autre Ne Veuts Arthur Ashin is an incredibly talented pop songwriter, but he consistently surprises us in his music, whether in the way he uses his voice, or the sounds surrounding it. Never be afraid to be weird, artists. If you like YG, listen to Kamaiyah. If you like YG, listen to Kamaiyah. The last couple of weeks have been splattered with online proclamations hailing Kamaiyah as the coming summers soundtrack. We dont often beat dead horses, but that claim feels truer every time Kamaiyahs A GOOD NIGHT IN THE GHETTO comes on. Her Oakland roots factor in heavilyon lead single How Does It Feel, shes proud of where shes from, and youll be caught up in her exuberance too. As well as her Big Money Gang, Kamaiyah calls upon YG for the nasty Fuck It Up, and the West Coasts star burns a little brighter. If you like JUNGLE, listen to T.R.U.C.E. If you like JUNGLE, listen to T.R.U.C.E. Full disclosureif youre looking for the tight instrumentation and choreographed funk JUNGLE provides, prepare for a mutation. T.R.U.C.E. brings a raw edge to this modern funk, and non-falsetto vocals, too. Turn of Time is anchored by a massive bass, with bleating synths popping out around a hiccuping beats. The anonymous English collective has released two songs thus far, and theyre taking things a touch further than their predecessors, dabbling in dissonance with great success. If you like The Knife, listen to Smerz. If you like The Knife, listen to Smerz. Image via Technique PR With their two songs so far, Norwegian duo Smerz have shown they are equally talented as producers, vocalists, and songwriters. On Because, gentle, hypnotic vocals glide above a bass-heavy loop, the influence of club music creeping into this modern song of love and heartbreak. What weve heard from Smerz doesnt have quite the same glistening, synth-heavy production as The Knifes best known work, but if you want mesmerizing pop music with a dark, dangerous edge, youre in the right place. If you like Cashmere Cat, listen to Mura Masa. If you like Cashmere Cat, listen to Mura Masa. Image via BBC Radio 1 When we first spoke to Mura Masa in 2014, around the time of his Soundtrack to a Death project, he told us, I think [Cashmere] Cat changed everybodys world view. So influential. As Mura Masas own stature has grown and style has developed over the past few years, its becoming ever more evident that, just like Cashmere Cat, he can inhabit both the electronic and pop music worlds with total ease. Collaborations with Nao, Denai Moore, Shura, and his most recent with Bonzai have yielded quirky but addictive pop songs, and his instrumental offerings are unpredictable and always on point. Next up, a phone call from Kanye West?! If you like Pharrell, listen to Rodney Tenor. If you like Pharrell, listen to Rodney Tenor. Image via Rodney Tenor Theres no shame in wearing your influences on your sleeve, especially when the results are such great music. Many of todays young artists are hugely influenced by Pharrell, both in terms of production and songwriting, and thats no bad thing, as long as they are synthesizing his influences with their own inspirations to create something new. From its The Neptunes-inspired production to the vocal delivery, Prognosis Hypnosis is fun throughout, the perfect song for the impending summer sun. If you like Hinds, listen to ShitKid. If you like Hinds, listen to ShitKid. Photo by Moa Romanova If you like Hinds for their lo-fi, DIY sound and raw energy, check out 23-year-old Asa Soderqvist. She goes by ShitKid, and her new song 666 is awesome. Her debut EP comes out on April 1 via PNKSLM Recordings, and you can read more about her here. If you like Skepta, listen to AJ Tracey. If you like Skepta, listen to AJ Tracey. Image via AJ Tracey/ Credit: Vicky Grout If youre just getting familiar with this whole grime ting, and Skepta is one of your main references but you want to explore deeper, were here to help. AJ Tracey has been killing it for the past six months especially, hitting radio all over London and dropping the Alex Moran EP. As comfortable spitting over bouncy trap-inspired beats as he is over icy grime, and having already mastered the art of crafting a song, AJ Tracey is set to have a big 2016. Dont say we didnt tell you. Read an interview with AJ Tracey here. If you like abhi//dijon, listen to The Code. If you like abhi//dijon, listen to The Code. Mysterious British duo The Code have impressed us with their cohesive, woozy production since the 1|11 mixtape, but on new effort Blue Electronica, they bring their vocals into the mix more. Whether its a reflection of more creative confidence or just a decision to explore a new direction, the results are a blend of moody R&B and pop, always over an edgy electronic backdrop. Blue Electronica means everything to us, The Code explains. Its a creative project using a balanced mixture of various genres, which tackle perspective on sound. Its the next phase in our production and sound as we grow. As much as the first mixtape, it is very important and its a major step in the journey. To us, and to many, blue is the colour of the sky at its clearest and the sea at its purest. Blue Electronica is deep in the spectrum of music, having its own field from minimal to trance, the drugs, the lights, the sex and the serenity. If you like Young Thug, listen to Kyng. If you like Young Thug, listen to Kyng. We already know were gonna get a lot of hate for this one, but face it, this New Orleans rapper is taking a lot of notes from the Young Thug playbook. Hes even planning to drop a project called Slime Season 3 before Young Thug does. Ha. Read more about Kyng here. If you like Massive Attack, listen to Kudu Blue If you like Massive Attack, listen to Kudu Blue Image via Kudu Blue Brighton, England five-piece Kudu Blue told us that they were inspired by 90s trip-hop (as well as electronica, 2000s garage, and more), and they evoke a similar mournful feeling to Bristol legends Massive Attack. With twitchy percussion, occasional guitars, and haunting vocals, Kudu Blue create music that is hard to categorize or put a date on, but is moving whenever you happen to listen it. The post Music Recommendations Based on the Artists You Already Like appeared first on Pigeons & Planes. More from Pigeons & Planes Escalating military tensions on the divided Korean peninsula took an increasingly personal turn on Friday, with the leaders of North and South each threatening the other's destruction. For North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un that meant overseeing a long-range artillery drill, simulating a strike on the offices and official residence of his South Korean counterpart, Park Geun-Hye. Park, meanwhile, countered by accusing Kim of leading his country down an ultimately destructive path and stressing the need for a drastic change of direction by the regime in Pyongyang. Tensions between the two Koreas have been rising since North Korea carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, and a satellite rocket launch a month later that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test. Pyongyang has upped the rhetorical ante in recent weeks, with near daily threats of nuclear and conventional strikes against the South and the US mainland in response to large-scale South-US war games. On Wednesday, it warned of a "miserable end" facing Park Geun-Hye, with its artillery units standing ready to turn the presidential Blue House in Seoul into a "sea of flames and ashes". - 'Lightning' strikes - According to a report by the North's official KCNA news agency on Friday, Kim took that warning a step further by ordering and personally monitoring a live-fire exercise involving the same target. "Artillery shells flew like lightning and intensely and fiercely struck targets simulating Cheong Wa Dae and rebel governing bodies in Seoul," the North's official KCNA news agency said. Cheong Wa Dae is the Korean name for the Blue House. According to KCNA, it was the largest drill of its type ever conducted, involving "hundreds of different types" of long-range artillery. "If the enemies challenge us... our artillery forces' merciless retaliating blow will turn Seoul into rubble and ashes," Kim was quoted as saying. Story continues The North's ruling party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, published around 40 colour photos of the drill in its Friday edition, showing Kim watching through binoculars as multiple batteries of heavy-calibre artillery units and missile rocket launchers pounded an offshore island from a beach. South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited military sources as saying the exercise was held Thursday near the eastern port city of Wonsan. The North always reacts strongly to the annual South-US military exercises, which it sees as provocative rehearsals for invasion. - 'Decapitation' drill - Its protests have been especially vocal this year, because of the first-time inclusion in the ostensibly defensive drills of a special operation that envisages strikes to "decapitate" North Korea's top leadership. The KCNA report made it clear that the artillery drill was a direct response to that operation by "the gangster US and Park Geun-Hye forces". In Seoul, the Unification Ministry said the North's "provocative rhetoric" was self-defeating and urged Pyongyang to drop its default stance of defiance against the international community. And speaking at a memorial to mark bitter North-South clashes on the disputed Yellow Sea, President Park said the South would "not be shaken one bit" by threats. With the rest of the world united in its opposition to Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, Park said the opportunity was now there "to bring about change in the North Korean regime" which would otherwise "self-destruct". The North's fourth nuclear test in January saw the UN Security Council -- backed by Pyongyang's main ally China -- impose its harshest sanctions to date over the North's nuclear weapons programme. The North responded defiantly, claiming a series of key breakthroughs in its development of a long-range nuclear strike capability, and conducting its first test firing in two years of a medium-range ballistic missile. By Felix Onuah ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's oil industry unions, which staged a strike this month, are pressing the government to prevent oil majors hit by a slump in crude prices from laying off staff, the oil minister said on Wednesday. The two major unions NUPENG and PENGASSAN held a brief strike two weeks ago after the government said it will split state oil firm NNPC into separate units, part of reforms by President Muhammadu Buhari to end graft and mismanagement in the industry. They suspended the action after the government said it would listen to their demands, which they laid out at a meeting with Buhari, their first since the former general was elected a year ago. "They (unions) are worried about job loss in the sector arising from the position of majors who feel that the economy is giving the rough end of the stick," said Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who attended Wednesday's meeting. "And so we are going to be working with the oil majors to ensure that we do not experience the kind of job loss that we are hearing has the potential to occur in the sector," he told reporters. Oil majors such as Shell work with NNPC in joint ventures. The unions also opposed job cuts at refineries, which the government is considering selling, Kachikwu said. NUPENG head Igwe Achese said the meeting had been successful. "Mr President has assured us that both NUPENG and PENGASSAN will continue to be part of the restructuring," he said. The unions were also demanding a swift passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, a project in the works for a decade to overhaul the industry, he added. It will call for environmental, tax and revenues sharing rules. Kachikwu added the government hoped to end fuel shortages hitting much of the West African nation within two months as the state oil firm tries to restart Nigeria's outdated refineries. "Our strategy is that whatever is produced in the refineries will not go for sale, we are going to keep them in the strategic reserve," he said. "The key problem here is that there is no reserve." (Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans) North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has claimed an "historic" advance in the country's nuclear strike capability with the successful test of a solid-fuel rocket engine, state media said Thursday. The announcement came as South Korean President Park Geun-Hye ordered the military to "strengthen readiness" in the wake of multiple North Korean threats to launch nuclear and conventional missile attacks. Tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test. Angered by ongoing large-scale South Korea-US military drills, Pyongyang has ramped up the rhetoric in recent weeks, maintaining a daily barrage of bellicose warnings aimed at Seoul and Washington. The solid-fuel test was personally monitored by Kim, who said it would allow for a major upgrade of the North's missile delivery systems that would "strike great horror and terror into the hearts of our enemies", the state-run KCNA news agency said. Solid-fuel missiles would have distinct advantages -- including greater mobility and the ability to launch within minutes - over Pyongyang's current, largely liquid-fuelled inventory. The North is already understood to use solid fuel for its short-range, road-mobile ballistic missiles, but not for medium-range or untested long-range missiles. - 'Historic and unforgettable' - According to KCNA, the solid-fuel test was of a "large output" engine and included separation testing. "This is an historic and unforgettable day," Kim was quoted as saying. In recent weeks, North Korea has also claimed to have miniaturised a thermo-nuclear warhead that can fit on a ballistic missile, and the successful test of re-entry technology that would allow the warhead -- when carried on a long-range missile -- to survive atmospheric re-entry. Story continues Experts say the claims are likely a mix of fact and exaggeration. However, there is a consensus that North Korea has made strong and steady progress towards its goal of developing an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) that can accurately deliver a nuclear bomb as far as the continental United States. "We view this as North Korea's attempt to showcase its progress in nuclear and missile developments domestically and internationally," said South Korean defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun. On Wednesday, Pyongyang had focused its ire on South Korea's Park, saying its artillery units stood ready to turn her office into a "sea of flames and ashes". The presidential Blue House in Seoul responded Thursday, condemning what it described as "a direct provocation to our nation as well as the president". Park ordered the South Korean military to stand ready to respond swiftly and effectively to any "reckless provocations", the Blue House said in a statement. By James Odato ALBANY, N.Y. (Reuters) - A New York appeals court on Thursday upheld a lower court's dismissal of a suit seeking to remove Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz from the state's primary ballot because of his Canadian birth. The New York Appellate Division agreed with the lower court ruling that the suit should be thrown out because it missed the deadline for filing an objection to Cruz's appearance on the April 19 ballot. Lawyers for Cruz successfully argued that the objectors had filed their petition nearly three weeks late. The appeals judges said they would not address the merits of the case, saying they were "academic." Roger Bernstein, a lawyer for the petitioners, said his clients intend to appeal the decision. New York residents Barry Korman, 81, of Manhattan, and William Gallo, 85, of Manhasset, had filed the suit, arguing that because Cruz was born in Canada, he is not a "naturally born" citizen as the Constitution dictates for a U.S. president. Cruz has defended himself against similar claims in multiple states, saying he was a U.S. natural born citizen at birth because of his mother's U.S. citizenship at the time. Cruz was born in 1970 in Calgary, Alberta. (Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Dan Grebler) Riyadh (AFP) - Blunt assessments by Barack Obama of longtime US ally Saudi Arabia have triggered unprecedented Saudi criticism of the president as he prepares to visit for a key summit with Gulf allies next month. Obama's comments, published in the April edition of US magazine The Atlantic, have met with a chorus of outrage across the kingdom's tightly controlled media and the pan-Arab newspapers it owns. One of Saudi Arabia's most recognisable faces in the West, former ambassador to Washington Prince Turki al-Faisal, has helped lead the charge. After seven decades of a "special relationship" in which criticism has generally been voiced privately, the US president's public chiding has been seen as a betrayal. His call for Riyadh to "share" the Middle East with its bitter regional rival Tehran and end proxy wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen infuriated Saudi leaders, who feel encircled by clients of Shiite Iran. His criticism of the kingdom for exporting its fundamentalist "Wahhabist" version of Islam to other Muslim countries struck at the very heart of the ruling family's legitimacy. "I don't think any US president has ever been so outspoken about Saudi Arabia," said Toby Matthiesen, a Middle East specialist at St Antony's College, University of Oxford. "This is really unprecedented," he added, calling Obama's views "embarrassing" for the kingdom. Mohammed El Oifi, a specialist in Arab media at Sorbonne Nouvelle university in Paris, said that Obama's comments about "Wahhabism" attacked the very foundations of Saudi legitimacy. Since the creation of the kingdom in the first half of the 20th century, the Saud family has ruled in alliance with clerics of the Wahhabi school and regarded itself as the champion of Sunni Islam. Saudi kings refer to themselves first and foremost as custodians of Islam's holiest places, Mecca and Medina, and have poured billions of dollars into facilitating pilgrimages by Muslims around the world. Story continues Prince Faisal, also the kingdom's former intelligence chief, questioned in an opinion piece published in several Saudi newspapers whether Obama had "pivoted to Iran". - Obama 'betrayed' friends - "You accuse us of fomenting sectarian strife in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. You add insult to injury by telling us to share our world with Iran, a country that you describe as a supporter of terrorism," Faisal wrote. Veteran Saudi journalist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed followed with a series of commentaries in Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat and other media last week. He wrote that Obama's "frankness has angered his friends", not only Saudi Arabia but also Britain, Turkey and Israel -- all of which The Atlantic article mentioned as subjects of the US president's frustration and disappointment. There has also been a spate of editorials in the Saudi press attacking Obama's policies, from the nuclear deal with Iran that led to the lifting of sanctions in January to his 2013 decision to step back from planned air strikes against the Syrian regime over its chemical arsenal. "It is hard to conceive of a more terrible miscalculation," an Arab News editorial said of Washington's "rapprochement" with Iran. "Obama has betrayed Washingtons loyal regional friends." Obama's decision to accept the negotiated dismantlement of Syria's chemical arsenal was a "prime example of the US losing its credibility," a Saudi Gazette editorial said. "It's the first time in the history of relations between the two countries that the Saudi regime has given the green light for such acerbic and direct criticisms," Oifi said. Frederic Wehrey, of the Middle East Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said the Saudis' public response "is part of a broader image management strategy". He said the airing of differences "has become quite personalised", while Oifi said Obama "is not perceived as a friend of Saudi Arabia." The president, a Democrat, is in the final months of his term and if a Republican is elected in November, the Saudis expect "normal relations" with the US can resume, Oifi said. Following The Atlantic article, the White House announced that Obama would visit Riyadh on April 21 for a summit of Saudi Arabia and the other five Gulf Arab states. "I don't think it's meant to sort of repair, or in reaction to, this (Atlantic) interview," said Wehrey. But with Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies bogged down in a year-old military intervention in Yemen and under pressure to accept a negotiated end to a rebellion in Syria in which they have invested heavily, the summit threatens to be an uncomfortable one. Obama knows he is facing "a weakened Saudi government" that has misread the regional environment, and his demands at the summit "risk being very hard to swallow," Oifi said. By Jeff Mason BARILOCHE, Argentina (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said the United States was too slow to condemn human rights atrocities during Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship as he honored victims of the "Dirty War" on Thursday, but he stopped short of apologizing for Washington's early support for the military junta. Obama's state visit to Argentina coincided with the 40th anniversary of the coup that began a seven-year crackdown on Marxist rebels, labor unions and leftist opponents, during which security forces killed 30,000 people. "There has been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days," Obama said while visiting a memorial park in Buenos Aires dedicated to victims of the dictatorship. "Democracies have to have the courage to acknowledge when we don't live up to the ideals that we stand for. And we've been slow to speak out for human rights and that was the case here," he said. Obama's trip, winding up later on Thursday, is part of a wider effort to deepen ties and bolster U.S. influence with Latin America after years of frosty relations with left-leaning governments in the region. With South America's leftist block now in disarray amid graft scandals and economic recession, Argentina's new center-right leader, Mauricio Macri, offers Obama a new ally in one of the Americas' biggest economies. Obama traveled to Argentina from Cuba, where he became the first sitting U.S. president to visit in 88 years and opened a new chapter in engagement with the Communist-ruled island after decades of hostilities. That policy shift has boosted Washington's standing in a region long wary of being treated as the U.S. "backyard", although U.S. foreign policy under Obama has still been dominated by the Middle East. DEATH FLIGHTS At the memorial by La Plata River, Obama and Macri walked along a stark wall that is known as the Monument to the Victims of State Terrorism and is inscribed with 20,000 names. On a pier overlooking the river, they dropped white roses into the water to commemorate the dead. Obama bowed his head and stood with Macri in silence. Survivors of the crackdown say one of the military rulers' tactics was so-called "death flights", where political opponents were tossed into aircraft, stripped and then thrown alive into the river and the Atlantic Ocean to drown. Washington's early support for the military rulers reflected Cold War thinking, which sometimes put the United States on the side of brutal right-wing governments in Latin America. In a gesture toward Argentines still angry over that legacy, Obama has promised to declassify U.S. military and intelligence records related to the dictatorship-era. But the U.S. leader was criticized by some rights activists. One group of victims' relatives said the timing of his visit was a provocation. "We will not allow the power that orchestrated dictatorships in Latin America and oppresses people across the world to cleanse itself and use the memory of our 30,000 murdered compatriots to strengthen its imperialist agenda," the Buenos Aires-based Center for Human Rights Advocates said in a statement. Some Argentines welcomed Obama's gestures. "Obama is not going to say outright 'forgive us', but he's saying it through his actions," said Daniel Slutzky, a 75-year-old college professor. Obama praised Argentina for taking on its past. "Confronting crimes committed by your own leaders, by your own people - that can be divisive and frustrating, but it is essential to moving forward," he said. Speaking after Obama, Macri said: "We have to reaffirm our commitment to the defense of democracy and human rights. Every day, somewhere in the world they are jeopardized." Thousands later gathered at the Casa Rosada presidential palace to honor the victims of the junta. The rally and others around the country are held every March 24, a national holiday. Obama's visit to Argentina is a show of support for Macri's sharp turn away from the nationalist policies of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez, who frequently railed against the United States and Wall Street. Obama praised Macri on Wednesday for his rapid economic reforms. The U.S. president was due to head back to Washington on Thursday night. Before setting out, he and his family flew to the Patagonian city of Bariloche for some sightseeing and hiking. Thousands of people lined the route from the airport through the lakeside mountain city, waving as the motorcade sped by. Several hundred people gathered for a protest near the city center, holding signs and making obscene gestures. One sign depicted the national flag and the phrase "For Sale" crossed out, a rallying cry of Fernandez supporters who believe Macri is selling out the country with his market-friendly policies. During his trip to Cuba, the U.S. president challenged President Raul Castro on human rights and political freedoms even as the two men sought to move on from more than half a century of animosity that began soon after Cuba's 1959 revolution. (Writing by Richard Lough and Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Frances Kerry) Buenos Aires (AFP) - President Barack Obama paid homage Thursday to victims of Argentina's former US-backed dictatorship, admitting the United States was "slow to speak out for human rights" in those dark days. Obama became the first US president to formally acknowledge the victims of the 1976-1983 military regime, which declassified documents have revealed was supported by top US officials. "There's been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days, and the United States, when it reflects on what happened here, has to examine its own policies as well, and its own past," Obama said. He spoke at Remembrance Park, a monument in Buenos Aires to the 30,000 people who were killed or went missing under the dictatorship. He paid tribute to victims' families. "Democracies have to have the courage to acknowledge when we don't live up to the ideals that we stand for; when we've been slow to speak out for human rights. And that was the case here." Tens of thousands of people joined a noisy demonstration later in Buenos Aires to mark the 40th anniversary of the US-backed coup that brought the dictators to power. They marched to the din of drums, carrying pictures of the victims. Similar anniversary marches were called in towns across the country. Some rights groups complained Obama had not gone far enough. "The self-criticism was totally light," said Taty Almeida, founder of the victims' campaign group Madres Linea Fundadora. She added that Argentine President Mauricio Macri and Obama "insisted we have to look to the future. They do not acknowledge the genocide and state terrorism that was supported by the United States." - Coup anniversary - Victims' groups had been angered by the choice of the date for Obama's visit, given the US support for the coup at the time. But they welcomed his promise to declassify further documents to shed more light on the fates of the regime's victims. Story continues After the memorial ceremony Obama with his wife Michelle, her mother and the couple's daughters flew to the Andean resort of Bariloche, where they went for a hike and boat ride in a national park. Locals lined the road smiling and waving as Obama's motorcade took the family from Bariloche airport, but at one place a crowd of protesters demonstrated noisily, some raising their middle fingers. - Tango diplomacy - In 2002, Washington declassified 4,000 diplomatic cables that showed US officials encouraged the Argentine junta's purge of leftists. Obama promised to declassify other sensitive military and intelligence records linked to the "dirty war." They may shed more light on US involvement in secret police operations against dissidents in other South American states including Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia and Brazil. Obama has tried to present a softer side of US power in Latin America during the trip this week that took him first to Cuba and then Argentina. In Havana, he attended a baseball match with Cuba's Communist President Raul Castro and even made an appearance playing dominoes in a television show with Cuban comedians. In Buenos Aires, he joked about tasting Argentina's national beverage mate and trying to meet football superstar Lionel Messi. He danced tango at a state dinner in the city on Wednesday. - US creditors - On the first bilateral visit by a US president to Argentina since Bill Clinton in 1997, Obama hoped to nurture a new regional ally. He praised Macri for the economic reforms he has passed since taking office in December after 12 years of leftist rule by the late Nestor Kirchner and his wife Cristina. Obama also welcomed Macri's "constructive approach" in reaching a deal with US creditors to settle debts dating to Argentina's financial crisis in 2002. He said it had led to the "possibility of a resolution" that could let Argentina back into international financial markets. Brussels (AFP) - Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam wants to be extradited to France "as soon as possible" to face charges following his arrest in Brussels, his lawyer said Thursday. Asked if his client had prior knowledge about Tuesday's suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on a metro train, lawyer Sven Mary said in English: "He didn't know it." Abdeslam has been held in a high security jail in Bruges, northwest of Brussels since his arrest Friday, just four days before this week's attacks in the Belgian capital. Europe's most wanted man had been on the run for four months after the November 13 Paris suicide bomb and gun attacks in which 130 people were killed. He is believed to be the last survivor from the cell of 10 men who carried out the massacre. His lawyer initially said he would oppose moves by France to obtain his extradition quickly. But speaking outside the city law courts early Thursday, Mary said Abdeslam had changed his mind. "Salah Abdeslam told me that he wishes to leave for France as soon as possible," Mary said. "I will ask the investigating magistrate not to oppose his departure." He added: "The most important part of the file is in France. His explanations have to go there." Mary did not reiterate his claim made earlier on French radio that Abdeslam has not cooperated with investigators since the attacks in the Belgian capital. "This is confidential," he said outside the law courts when asked. He had been asked earlier by Europe 1 radio if Abdeslam had cooperated with the investigators following the triple bomb attack in Brussels. Mary said: "No". "I don't want him to close up again. If he closes up again, we will be facing more cases like Zaventem and the Bataclan," he told the radio, referring to Brussels airport hit Tuesday and the Paris concert hall struck by jihadists on November 13. LIMA (Reuters) - The frontrunner to win Peru's presidential election next month, Keiko Fujimori, has been given the go-ahead to stay in the race after vote-buying accusations were rejected by a court, a decision that will likely infuriate opponents and do little to calm a hotly disputed contest. An electoral court found on Thursday that the center-right candidate had not broken a new law against the distribution of cash and gifts by candidates who are campaigning. The election in the metals exporter is due to take place on April 10, with a run-off in June if there is no outright winner, but has been thrown into disarray amid a barrage of citizen petitions to bar candidates over the breaking of electoral rules. The allegation against Fujimori, the daughter of disgraced former president Alberto Fujimori, related to an event she presided over where cash prizes were distributed to the winners of a breakdancing competition. However, the electoral court in Lima said that Fujimori, who has described the accusations as "absurd", did not break any rules. It noted that the money distributed was not hers and the event was not a campaign rally. The decision is likely to be appealed and could stoke opposition to her amid calls for equal treatment after two of her rivals were tossed out of the race earlier this month by the national electoral board. The five-member board will hear any appeal against Thursday's decision on Fujimori and will have the final say. Many have questioned the fairness of this year's elections after the board disqualified technocrat Julio Guzman because his party did not comply with electoral procedures when selecting him as a candidate. Guzman was rising fast in the polls and angry Fujimori opponents say the decision was politically motivated and have convened large street protests. The board has denied any wrongdoing or political bias. Fujimori's closest rival, investor-favorite Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, is also facing allegations that he infringed rules by supplying beer for a town festival. The charges were contained in a citizen's petition filed to the board, but the board has not begun a formal investigation into Kuczynski to date. Latest polls suggest around 34 percent of voters support Fujimori, enough for her to win the first round but not enough to prevent a run-off. A second round against Kuczynski would be virtually tied, according to polls. (Reporting by Marco Aquino and Mitra Taj, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien Editing by W Simon) Malacanang yesterday condemned the bombing attacks in Brussels wherein dozens were killed and more than a hundred wounded on Tuesday. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Philippines, along with its many partners in the international community, will continue working to make such acts of extremism a thing of the past, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. Such senseless acts of violence that specifically target innocent people are the very definition of cowardice and have no place in any civilized society, he added. Lacierda said the administration of President Aquino, on behalf of the 101 million Filipinos, stands in solidarity with the Belgian people after the attacks on numerous locations in Brussels. During times of great challenge, Belgium has never failed to extend its support and kindness to the Filipino people, he said, referring to the diplomatic ties of the two countries and the coordination on whether there were Filipinos who were among the victims. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle also expressed his solidarity with the Belgian people. It is really sad what has happened to our brothers in Brussels. We want to express our solidarity with the people, the CBCPNews quoted Tagle as saying. We ask God to show His mercy for the people of Belgium and even for those who perpetrated this horrible incident, the Manila prelate said. At the same time, the Philippine embassy in Brussels through Ambassador Victoria Bataclan has asked Filipinos based in Belgium to avoid public places and to be extra careful after the terror attacks in the Belgian capital. Bataclan advised Filipinos to avoid crowded public places like malls and recreation centers that could be targets of terror attacks. Stay where you are if you do not necessarily need to travel to and from Belgium, and spread caution around, Bataclan said in a statement posted on her Facebook account. Story continues Bataclan also encouraged Belgium-based Filipinos to keep monitoring advisories from local authorities. She advised Filipinos there to be extra vigilant and cautious after Belgium raised its alert level to 4, the highest in that country. She extended condolences to the victims and families on behalf of the Philippine government and asked the Filipino community there to remain calm. The embassy is still verifying whether any Filipinos were affected by the terror attacks. Security measures Following the Brussels attacks, transport agencies have been directed by President Aquino to be extra vigilant and to further intensify security measures to ensure the safety of travelers. In line with the directive, terminals and stations have been placed on heightened alert status. Checkpoints have also been set up and more uniformed personnel are being deployed near the transport facilities. Passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were advised to arrive at least four hours before their scheduled flight as heavy screening may take more time and in anticipation of heavier traffic flow. Security officials at the airport placed the entire NAIA on heightened alert to ensure the safety and security of the flying public. This would mean stricter implementation of security measures, including screening of vehicles, passengers and baggage, while the Office of Transportation Security will conduct thorough baggage screening. The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group has deployed more policemen and K-9 units in the four terminals of the airport. Airport authorities started implementation of Oplan Semanta Santa since Friday and will continue until the peak of passenger arrivals on Easter Sunday. Additional airline personnel were deployed to accommodate the increase in travelers, while passengers are encouraged to use airline check-in kiosks to hasten procedures. We assure the public that the government is taking all the necessary measures to secure our airports, other transport facilities and most especially our people, as they travel during this peak season and beyond. All concerned entities government and private sector alike are ready to address any possible situation, Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said. Abaya said the measures are being undertaken even as no threats are seen in the country. For the time being, we have no reason to fear similar events taking place in the country. We are merely taking precautionary steps and activating quick-response protocols in case any emergencies arise, he said. The government expects an increase in the volume of travelers during the Holy Week. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local enforcers were also stationed along major roads leading to the airport terminals to guide vehicular traffic, especially at the Terminal 3 where traffic has been heavy due to the construction of the expressway. With Evelyn Macairan, Pia Lee-Brago, Jaime Laude, Louella Desiderio, Rudy Santos, Louise Marie Simeon This photo of an aunt breastfeeding her nephew has sparked a discussion about wet nursing [Photo: Facebook/The Milk Meg] Take a look at the picture above. Theres nothing particularly remarkable about the photo of a woman breastfeeding her baby. But when the snapshot was shared to Facebook it sparked an online debate, because the woman doing the breastfeeding isnt the tots mother, but his aunt and the baby shes feeding is her nephew. Meg Nagle, a lactation consultant and blogger, shared the selfie on her Facebook page The Milk Meg earlier this week. My gorgeous little nephew, she captioned the shot. While my sister was at work today I tried to give him a bottle of her expressed milk a few times (which he wouldnt take). I could see he was tired so I popped him on the boob and voila, he was asleep in minutes. Reassuring users she had asked her sisters permission before breastfeeding her nephew, the 35-year-old explained: Breast was last resort because I basically have no milk left, she wrote. Lactation consultant Meg Nagle is still breastfeeding her 4-year-old once a day [Photo: Instagram/themilkmeg] The mum-of-three boys, who is still breastfeeding her youngest son, 4, once a day, was expecting some reaction to the post, but within hours it had attracted over 300 largely supportive comments, with many mums sharing their own experiences of cross-feeding. My sister gave birth to my beautiful nephew nearly 4 years ago now! She was exhausted in hospital and he wasnt quite latching, and she actually asked me PLEASE! JUST FEED HIM!!!. I felt so honoured to give him his first decent feed as a freshy and to help my poor sister get some much needed rest! Will never forget it! Bonding through boob juice! wrote one mum. Another woman was also keen to share her experiences of wet nursing When my nephew was a newborn he drank all the expressed milk that was left for him while I watched him, and was crying obviously hungry. I latched him on and he was content. I even got to tandem nurse him with my son who was a year and a half. Ill always cherish that memory. Story continues Ive nursed 4 of my sisters kids (we were pregnant at the same time 3 times, twins for her the last time). Milks milk! They dont carewhy should we? commented another Facebook user. The post sparked hundreds of women to share their own experiences of wet nursing [Photo: Instagram/themilkmeg] Some women were even keen to share stories of nursing children they werent related to. I nursed a friends baby when I was babysitting (with her okay.) Instantly put baby to sleep for a nap. Best thing ever!!! I wish it was more socially acceptable to share feeding duties. So much easier than messing with bottles!!! one woman wrote. But though the vast majority of the comments were hugely supportive of the post, praising Meg for raising awareness about the topic, some struggled with the concept of wet nursing. I personally get so anxious/angry inside just even thinking about someone else nursing my baby girl, one woman wrote. I dont think its wrong for others if its something theyre comfortable with. I just personally choose to keep my that bond between my baby & myself only, one woman wrote. Im all about breastfeeding but no not someone elses baby. added another. Meg with her family [Photo: Instagram/themilkmeg] This isnt the first time wet nursing has hit the headlines. Back in 2009, actress Salma Hayek kicked off a debate about the subject when she nursed a newborn baby during a charity visit to Sierra Leone. The baby was perfectly healthy, but the mother didnt have milk, she said at the time. He was very hungry. I was weaning my daughter Valentina, but I still had a lot of milk that I was pumping, so I breastfed the baby. Talking to The Weekly about the response to her post Meg says that shes happy that women have felt comfortable sharing their own wet-nursing experiences. I think people are hesitant to talk about it sometimes because they feel self-conscious and are afraid they will be judged, she explains. Meg hopes her post will raise awareness about wet nursing [Photo: Facebook/The Milk Meg] But though shes thrilled that more women seem to be open to cross feeding, Meg, whos the author of the book Boobin All Day Boobin All Night A gentle approach to sleep for breastfeeding families, is also keen to make women aware of the risks. (Some experts believe breastfeeding can spread infections such as hepatitis and HIV). There are very clear guidelines as to the risks involved with milk sharing. Its important to make informed decisions, she adds. What do you think about wet nursing? Would you breastfeed someone elses baby? Let us know @YahooStyleUK This moms photo perfectly illustrates the double standard of breastfeeding moms Women Arent Happy That Jamie Oliver Is Telling Them Breast Is Best (credit: ^ndrew) The interests of tabloid journalists and legal bloggers converged this week, when a jury in Florida state court determined that the gossip site Gawker owed former WWE star Hulk Hogan over $100 million in civil liability damages. In 2012, the site posted a hidden-camera sex tape of Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, without his permission and without approaching him for comment before publication. At the core of the intense, protracted legal battle that followed Gawkers publication of the video is a conflict between Gawkers First Amendment claim of press freedom, and Hogans assertion that his right to privacy had been violated. After the video was initially posted on Gawker, it quickly racked up over four million page views, and Hogan petitioned a federal district court in Florida to compel Gawker to take down the video after the website refused his requests to do so. Gawker stood by its post and asserted that Hogans legal claim was without merit, as the publication of the video was protected by the First Amendments guarantee of press freedom. Gawker writers explained that the Constitution does unambiguously accord us the right to public true things about public figures, while Hogan maintained that, even though he was a public figure, publication of this sort of intimate and private material crosses the line. The question of whether to allow Gawker to keep the video posted turned on the courts assessment of whether the video amounted to newsworthy material. Previous First Amendment cases dictate that whether information is newsworthy can depend on the social value of the published material, whether the information is about a person who voluntarily put himself in the public eye, and the extent to which the material reported was a private matter. The district court interpreted the First Amendment as demanding deference to Gawker, as the judgment of what is newsworthy is primarily a function of the publisher, not the courts. The court went on to underscore how multiple previous Supreme Court decisions embraced the principle that even minimal interference with First Amendment freedom of the press causes an irreparable injury. Story continues In rejecting Hogans appeal, the district court maintained a broad definition of newsworthiness, followed a tradition of deference to journalists, and embodied the general trepidation of courts to judge whether speech should be protected based on an assessment of its content. After this initial defeat, Hogan sought an injunction against Gawker in Florida state court, which ordered that the video be taken down. He also sued Gawker in Florida state court for civil damages in order to compensate him for the massive, highly-intrusive, and long-lasting invasion of privacy. The trial again would turn on whether Gawkers lawyers could convince the six jury members that the video was newsworthy material and fell under a class of speech protected by the First Amendment. The jury ultimately determined that the video failed to meet this standard, and while Gawker plans to appeal, they are currently facing a $115 million judgment. Decisions in other state courts and federal circuits help put this case into context. In 1942, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that Time Magazine violated the privacy of Dorothy Barber when it published a photo of her along with a story about her unique medical condition. The photo, which was taken against her will, did not contribute to the public interest of the news story and was an unnecessary violation of her privacy. While privacy standards are different for celebrities and individuals who chose to open themselves to public scrutiny, other courts have still recognized their privacy claims. Dealing with a case somewhat analogous to that of Hulk Hogan, a district court in California determined in 1998 that musician Bret Michaels privacy was violated when a sex tape was circulated without his permission. The privilege to report newsworthy information is not without limit, the court determined, and the private facts depicted on the Michaels tape had not become public by virtue of Michaels celebrity status. The court in the Michaels case looked to a 1975 decision in the California circuit that determined that claims of public interest fail when material in question is a morbid and sensational prying into private lives for its own sake, with which a reasonable member of the public, with decent standards, would say that he had no concern. Still, Gawkers lawyers maintain that Hogan had made salacious details about his life a matter of public interest after he talked openly about such matters in other forums. Critics have already expressed their concern with the Florida courts judgment, and see it as a dangerous beginning that could open up media outlets to a slew of civil liabilities claims. While the details of this particular case may border on the absurd, critics assert that, unless the right to determine what is newsworthy is reserved exclusively to media outlets and readers, a dangerous chilling effect could stifle the press. Jonathan Stahl is an intern at the National Constitution Center. He is also a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in politics, philosophy and economics. Recent Stories on Constitution Daily We need your feedback on our We The People podcasts Court hears another Obamacare challenge on laws anniversary Constitution Check: Where does the Second Amendment stand now? New York (AFP) - Prosecutors said Wednesday they would not seek prison time for a New York police officer convicted of manslaughter in the death of an unarmed black man that fueled nationwide protests. Peter Liang, a rookie officer who had been on the job just months, was found guilty on February 11 following a jury trial that examined the death of 28-year-old father of one, Akai Gurley. It is rare for US police officers to go on trial for opening fire but departments across the country have come are under heightened scrutiny over the shootings of unarmed suspects, many of them black. Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said Liang acted recklessly but said there was no evidence he intended to kill or injure Gurley. Justice would be served if Liang gets five years probation, six months home confinement with electric monitoring and 500 hours of community service, Thompson said. "Mr Liang has no prior criminal history and poses no future threat to public safety," he added in a statement. "The sentence that I have requested is just and fair," he said. "From the beginning, this tragic case has always been about justice and not about revenge." Liang is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14. His convictions carry a maximum sentence of 15 years. Gurley was shot in the chest by a bullet that ricocheted off the wall in a darkened stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project in November 2014. The jury found Liang guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct after a two-week trial. The Chinese-American police officer had been on the job just 11 months before the shooting. He testified that his gun went off accidentally and that he didn't realize someone was below him in the stairwell. The United States has been gripped by protests denouncing police tactics which kicked off after the high-profile deaths of two other unarmed black men at the hands of law enforcement in the summer of 2014. Port Aine (Spain) (AFP) - Colombian climber Nairo Quintana on Thursday took a potentially decisive overall lead in the snow-capped summit finish of the fourth stage of the Tour of Catalonia, won by Belgian Thomas De Gendt. The survivor of a long escape De Gendt won by 1min 08sec but Tour fans were more focussed on the main contenders as Spain's Alberto Contador and Quintana pushed each other to the limit from 1.5km out. "I really wasn't feeling great on that last climb," De Gendt admitted afterwards. Movistar's diminutive climb king eventually dropped the veteran Contador and was out of the saddle all the way to the line with Australian BMC rider Richie Porte edging Contador to second as the pair desperately tried to limit the damage. "It was a great day. I felt much better than yesterday," said Quintana, in reference to the time he lost on Wednesday's summit finish. But with a medium mountain stage on Friday and a flat one on Saturday ahead of Sunday's seventh and final stage around the hills of Barcelona, Quintana leads Contador by a slender eight seconds, Porte by 17sec, while overnight leader Dan Martin is fourth at 25sec. "The main danger will be the Barcelona circuit," Quintana reflected. "Contador is only eight seconds behind and the others are jst a few seconds more behind. I'll have to watch out." Chris Froome was eighth on the day 1min 45sec adrift of Quintana, and with no time-trial the Sky leader may have ceded the race to the man he beat into second on the 2015 Tour de France. "It was the first big summit finish of the season," claimed France's Romain Bardet, sixth on the day. "And it was a beautiful battle." The two brothers who detonated suicide bombs at an airport and subway station in Brussels this week, killing at least 31 and injuring hundreds more, had spied on a senior Belgian nuclear official in the Islamic States quest to get radioactive materials for a dirty bomb, NBC News reported Thursday. Last month, in a story pointing out the historic vulnerabilities of Belgiums nuclear facilities, The Center for Public Integrity reported on two men caught on camera secretly recording the Belgian nuclear official. NBC News reported that the two brothers who exploded the bombs Khalid el-Bakraoui and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui were the ones doing the taping. Their source was Claude Moniquet, a former intelligence official from France who was hired to investigate terrorist threats to nuclear targets in Europe. The brothers saw the nuclear official as a way to gain the materials necessary to carry out an unprecedented act of terror. Instead, they carried out a more conventional attack. Authorities have said Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, 29, detonated one of the two bombs that rocked the airport, and an hour later Khalid el-Bakraoui, 27, set off the lone bomb at a subway station. This story is part of Nuclear Waste. A look at the worlds faltering efforts to control dangerous nuclear explosives. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another National Security investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. The footage was discovered in a home rented by Mohamed Bakkali, who was arrested on suspicion of helping to plot the Nov. 13, 2015, terrorist siege on Paris that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more. The hours of clandestine video footage focused on a Belgian nuclear officials home in Flanders. As the investigation progressed, surveillance cameras in the nuclear officials neighborhood showed two shadowy figures in the night retrieving a video camera hidden in a bush near the nuclear officials home before driving away in a car with its headlights off. Moniquets remarks suggest that the men shown fetching the camera were the el-Bakraoui brothers. Story continues The terrorist cell naively believed they could use [the nuclear official] to penetrate a lab to obtain nuclear material to make a dirty bomb, Moniquet, chief executive officer of the consulting firm European Strategic Intelligence and Security, told NBC News. In an email to the Center for Public Integrity, Eric Van der Sijpt, a spokesman for the Belgian prosecutors office, wrote, This information can not [sic] be confirmed. The official featured on the cells secret video works at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, known as SCK-CEN, in Mol, about an hours drive northeast of Brussels. He held clearance that gave him extensive access to nuclear materials and radioisotopes for medical and industrial purposes which readily lend themselves for use in a dirty bomb. That raised concern among leaders of Belgiums nuclear program that terrorists might have seen the official they targeted as possible leverage to obtain nuclear or radiological materials. We can imagine that the terrorists might want to kidnap someone or kidnap his family, Nele Scheerlinck, a spokeswoman for Belgiums nuclear regulatory body, told The Center for Public Integrity in February. On April 4, the Belgian government for the first time deployed armed soldiers to guard nuclear reactors and power stations. The unarmed contract security force that historically had guarded the seven nuclear reactors and two power plants in Belgium had worried President George W. Bushs administration in 2004, diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks showed. The U.S. supplies Belgium with highly-enriched uranium, a vital element for nuclear weapons that Belgian plants use to make radioisotopes. Then-Secretary of State Colin Powell privately warned his Belgian counterpart in 2004 that U.S. leaders were uneasy about the weak security at Belgiums nuclear sites. Besides physical security, there has been cause for alarm about insider threats at Belgiums nuclear sites. In 2014, an act of sabotage caused millions of dollars of damage to a nuclear reactor in Doel, 56 miles west of the research center in Mol. The saboteur has not been caught, and terrorism has neither been identified nor ruled out as the motive, according to Van der Sijpt. That same year, Belgian intelligence officials learned that 26-year-old Moroccan Ilyass Boughalab was killed in Syria fighting for the Islamic State. From 2009 to 2012, he had worked as an inspector of welding at the Doel plant. Boughalabs job gave him access to highly sensitive and vulnerable areas of the reactor. Moniquet told NBC News the terrorists bid to access the materials necessary to create a dirty bomb failed. A bomb containing radiological materials, though far less deadly than a nuclear weapon, could trigger panic and cause billions of dollars in damage to a major city. We know that the threat of nuclear radiological terrorism is not a theoretical risk, Miles Pomper, a senior fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation said Wednesday. Pomper was part of an expert panel from the Fissile Materials Working Group, a consortium of 80 nongovernmental organizations working to secure nuclear materials globally, that held a briefing for reporters at the National Press Club ahead of next weeks Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. More than 50 heads of state are expected to attend, but Russia will not be represented. It will be the fourth and presumably final meeting between world leaders with the express purpose of keeping nuclear and radiological materials safe from terrorists. The reality is, every country has an interest in making sure the countries that have these stocks protect them effectively, because the stuff could be lifted off from one place and used on the other side of the planet, Matt Bunn, a professor at Harvard University whos written more than 20 books and more than 100 articles on topics including nuclear security and terrorism. Insecure nuclear material anywhere is a threat to everyone everywhere. The panelists were in consensus that the summits initiated by President Barack Obama have led to improved security of nuclear and radiological material around the world. But much work remains to be done, and they worry that with the end of the summits, international cooperation will lose momentum. They also agreed that the possibility of terrorists using a dirty bomb is less a question of if, than of when. It is nothing short of a miracle that we havent yet seen a dirty bomb in a terrorist attack, nuclear terrorism expert Andrew Bieniawski, vice president for material security and minimization at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, said. And so what happened recently in Brussels is really a warning and a wakeup call. This story is part of Nuclear Waste. A look at the worlds faltering efforts to control dangerous nuclear explosives. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. Actress Rosario Dawson believes presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is the United States' only shot at peace, justice and equality. She believes this because he voted against the Iraq war twice, marched with Martin Luther King Jr. for civil rights and because he's fighting for radical change. And she believes young people have the power to get Sanders elected. In a passionate speech introducing the Vermont Sen. at a rally in San Diego Wednesday, Dawson talked about why she thinks it's important young people not only engage with Sanders' campaign on social media but get out there and vote and recruit others to vote as well. "I have been doing voter registration for 11 years," she said to the crowd at the Sanders rally, "and I can tell you the one question I'm asked over and over and over and over and over again is 'where are the young people?'" "Right. Here." "Where are people coming together under one umbrella with one vision for a future that we can all dream and believe in?" "Right. Here." Here are some other highlights from the fiery speech: "The youth has been on the right side of history on every issue." "They talked about those hippie college kids when they were protesting against Vietnam" "Martin Luther King Jr. who Bernie Sanders walked with couldn't have gotten and done what he did if it weren't for high school students who said 'I'm not afraid to do a sit in.'" "And it's really time that we make them listen." "This is for our future. For my children, your children, our great grandchildren and beyond." "So make sure that you're not just liking this on Facebook, but that you're bringing ten people, at least, each of you...across the states and talk to them and say this is what is at stake." "And make sure this isn't just reflected here among ourself and just in memory but something that has pushed through and we get to see in the history books." "Because history is written by the winners. So we must win." *Mic drop.* Get the five stories that will challenge you to rethink the world by signing up for MicCheck Daily. March 24, 2016: This story has been clarified. Campaign finance reform has become a major issue in the presidential race at least on the Democratic side but even if Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders were able to win the White House, a wholesale overhaul of the current system would take a lot more than a president alone. "Anyone promising that the world will be completely different immediately is blowing smoke to a certain extent," said Daniel Weiner, a senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, which advocates for campaign finance reform. "Our campaign finance infrastructure and our overall electoral infrastructure turn like an aircraft carrier slowly and cumbersomely." Sanders, especially, has made his push to rebuild what he frequently describes as a corrupt campaign finance system the centerpiece of his campaign, and he frequently repudiates assistance from super PACs as a sign of his commitment to the issue. His chances of winning the nomination have faded as Clinton has racked up a nearly insurmountable lead of delegates. Regardless, Sanders has pushed money in politics to the fore of the battle for the Democratic nomination, and will arrive at the convention in Philadelphia with enough delegates to wield some leverage. He and Clinton have put forth substantially similar proposals on campaign finance, both of which draw from proposals by reform groups and on proposed legislation. But making those agendas a reality will depend heavily on the new president's ability to wrangle cooperation from Congress, other executive agencies and even state legislatures. Complicating matters further, reform advocates are divided about what must be done. A few measures, such as an executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose all political spending, or appointing new commissioners to the Federal Election Commission who favor increased enforcement, are under the presidents control. But most of the proposals in both candidates' policy agendas will be a stretch. Story continues This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Lots of cooperation needed Both candidates have proposed a public financing system that would amplify small contributions, something that Congress must approve. The impact of such a proposal would depend heavily on its details. Both have promised to nominate Supreme Court justices who support overturning the Supreme Courts 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC. In addition, theyve committed to push for a constitutional amendment overturning it something that would require approval from Congress and the states. Both have said they would prod federal agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission which are independent, and dont have to listen to create new rules requiring political spending disclosure. "I feel compelled to point out the obvious," said Paul Ryan, deputy executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan group specializing in campaign finance issues, somewhat dryly. "A president cannot pass a constitutional amendment. A president cannot pass a public financing statute through Congress. A president needs lots of cooperation." The president would also have to be willing to expend enormous amounts of political capital on changing the campaign finance system. The new president will have to mobilize a grassroots effort and take steps to highlight the issue immediately upon taking office, said John Bonifaz, the president of Free Speech for People, a Texas-based group that advocates for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, as well as other reforms. "It needs to be put down as a marker for what's going to be major priorities of the administration in the first 100 days," he said, via methods such as major policy speeches around the country. "On these kinds of reforms, it requires all of the American people stepping up" to keep the pressure on, he said. Related: What a president cannot do on campaign finance The intensity gap While Clinton and Sanders have substantially similar proposals to reform the system, the former secretary of state is seen by some as being less committed to a campaign finance overhaul. Sanders has fueled the distinction by pointing to her willingness to accept aid from outside groups that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. I dont know that theres a lot of daylight between them on what they propose, but theres a huge intensity gap, said Richard Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California at Irvine and an expert on campaign finance. Clinton has fought back against the suggestion that she isn't committed to changes. Hillary Clinton has made campaign finance reform a top priority since day one and regularly talks about it on the trail, in interviews and on the debate stage, said Josh Schwerin, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, in an email. When she first announced her campaign, she framed her priorities as four fights, and campaign finance reform was one of those fights. The Sanders campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Some of Clinton and Sanders sharpest exchanges have been over matters of money in politics. In a March debate, for example, Sanders again referred to the nations corrupt campaign finance system, adding, instead of standing up to that finance system, Secretary Clinton has a super PAC, which is raising huge amounts a lot of money from Wall Street and from the fossil fuel industry. I am doing it a different way. For her part, in a February speech conceding to Sanders in New Hampshire, Clinton made the case that her opposition to Citizens United the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that led to the creation of super PACs and "dark money" groups was deep and personal. Now, Senator Sanders and I both want to get secret, unaccountable money out of politics, and lets remember, lets remember, Citizens United, one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in our countrys history, was actually a case about a right-wing attack on me and my campaign, she said. A right-wing organization took aim at me and ended up damaging our entire democracy. So, yes, youre not going to find anybody more committed to aggressive campaign finance reform than me. The Citizens United ruling came about after Citizens United, the conservative nonprofit group for which the case was named, produced a 90-minute documentary about Clinton that was released during the 2008 primary season. The FEC characterized the documentary as an electioneering communication subject to regulation, and Citizens United sued, precipitating the eventual Supreme Court decision. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Not a bipartisan issue, yet Both Democrats give campaign finance and their policy proposals prime placement on their campaign websites a sharp contrast to the three remaining Republican candidates, none of whom highlight it online at all. That brings up another hurdle. "The ultimate solutions will be bipartisan and it will be supported by both parties because that's the only way campaign finance reforms ever happen," said Scott Swenson, a spokesman for advocacy group Common Cause. Although Republican front-runner Donald Trump has criticized the influence of money in politics and other Republican candidates have slammed the current system, none have published detailed reform agendas. The Republican-controlled Congress has so far opposed measures to change campaign finance laws. But John Pudner, a former Republican political consultant who now heads a nonprofit group focused on money's role in politics, Take Back Our Republic, said he's seen some encouraging comments from Republican candidates and lawmakers, and he thinks some are considering laying out a platform. "Campaign finance and money in politics has become such a hot issue that everyone is realizing that if one side is talking about it and the other isn't, that's going to hurt the side that isn't," he said. Pudner said he thinks there's room for compromise proposals. For instance, Republicans might oppose public financing but support a plan for tax credits, he said. Still, a consensus proposal isn't imminent. David Keating, president of the Center for Competitive Politics, a nonpartisan group that describes its mission as promoting First Amendment rights, said the proposals laid out by Clinton and Sanders "are all bad ideas." Keating said having agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission police political disclosure distracts from their core missions and forces them outside their expertise, leading to potential problems like the Internal Revenue Service scandal. In that case, more than 100 groups seeking tax-exempt recognition that were deemed to be potentially political by the IRS waited more than a year for answers from the agency, according to a May 2013 report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The inspector generals report prompted multiple congressional investigations and the resignation or retirement of several IRS officials, including Lois Lerner, who led the IRS division responsible for overseeing tax-exempt organizations. Keating also argues a public financing program that creates a match or incentive for small donations or campaign finance vouchers could be ripe for abuse. "Anytime the government is handing out $6 for every $1, you're going to see scandals," he said. "It may even result in people having less trust in government than they do today." Weiner and Ryan, who said they support public financing, said much of the effectiveness of such a proposal would depend on the details of how it is crafted. Related: The campaign finance aircraft Amendment a dreadful idea Opposition to a constitutional amendment is even more widespread, with some saying it isn't practical. Others say it would lead to more problems than it solves. Joel Gora, a Brooklyn Law School professor who, on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, worked on campaign finance cases including the landmark Buckley v. Valeo Supreme Court case, called a constitutional amendment to overturn Buckley and Citizens United "a dreadful idea." Any such amendment, basically would cut the heart out of the First Amendment," he said. Other groups, such as the Campaign Legal Center and the Brennan Center, strongly support public financing programs but oppose or haven't taken a position on a constitutional amendment. They say their preferred route would be overturning Citizens United via a new ruling by the Supreme Court. Several expressed concerns about modifying First Amendment rights and the difficult path an amendment would have to take. Hasen, for example, called it "a political nonstarter." Ryan called a constitutional amendment "impractical." Almost everyone who works on campaign finance is skeptical of campaign promises to make money in politics a priority. A common refrain: President Obama's failure to nominate new commissioners to the Federal Election Commission five of the agency's six commissioners are still serving despite their terms having expired and decision to not yet issue an executive order requiring government contractors to disclose political spending. Related story: Conservative national groups battle in the states over Constitution redo Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. "That's the million-dollar question. Is his successor actually going to prioritize this issue, or is it going to be a replay of this administration, where his successor pays lip service and then ignores it?" asked the Brennan Center's Weiner. Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21, another reform group, agreed. "We would like to see commitments that, if elected, they will take this issue to the country and promote it as a national priority," he said, through steps like including it in high-profile speeches such as the new president's inaugural address and the State of the Union. Wertheimer, who has worked on campaign finance measures for decades, says he isn't deterred by the difficulty of the task. "The thing about campaign finance reform is, it's impossible to do until you get it done," he said. "You can't do Logic 101 and come to the conclusion why members of Congress are going to enact a new system that may be not beneficial to them, but we have done it in the past. It's hard work and it takes time, and you have to make sure that when you get reform proposals enacted, they're going to work." John Dunbar contributed to this story. March 24, 2016: This story was updated to restore the word "carrier" to a quote from Daniel Weiner. It now says aircraft carrier, not just aircraft. This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council must act to ensure Morocco's decision to expel personnel from a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory of Western Sahara does not set a bad precedent for other missions, a U.N. official said on Wednesday. The controversy over U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's use of the word "occupation" during a recent visit to the region is Morocco's worst dispute with the U.N. since 1991, when the U.N. brokered a ceasefire to end a war over Western Sahara and established a peacekeeping mission, known as MINURSO. The United Nations has shut its military liaison office and withdrawn dozens of international staffers from MINURSO as demanded by Morocco in retaliation for Ban's remarks, which Rabat has described as "unacceptable." U.N. officials have said the reduction of staff has severely affected the mission in the Moroccan-annexed Western Sahara region. So far the 15-country Security Council, which ordered the deployment of MINURSO decades ago and renews its mandate every year, has said nothing on the Moroccan dispute with the U.N. despite near daily discussions on the subject. Ban wants swift council action to back him and MINURSO with a strong statement of support. "The Secretary-General very much wants the Security Council to act, and not only to preserve MINURSO's operations but also to prevent similar actions in other peacekeeping operations around the world," a U.N. official familiar with the Western Sahara dossier told reporters on condition of anonymity. The leaders of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan have demanded the departure of U.N. peacekeepers from conflict-torn parts of their countries. The U.N. official said the presence of MINURSO was necessary to prevent a "security vacuum", adding that "there is the potential for escalation" into renewed conflict. Diplomats have blamed the council's silence on Morocco's traditional ally France, along with Spain, Egypt and Senegal. Rabat accused Ban earlier this month of no longer being neutral in the Western Sahara dispute when he used the word "occupation" to describe its 1975 annexation of the region, when Morocco took over from colonial power Spain. Ban had visited refugee camps in southern Algeria for the Sahrawi people, who say Western Sahara belongs to them. They fought a war against Morocco until the 1991 ceasefire. The Polisario Front wants a referendum on independence, but Morocco says it will only grant autonomy. Polisario says Rabat's moves against the U.N. jeopardize the ceasefire and could lead to renewed conflict. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Toni Reinhold) A Seoul court said on Thursday it had dismissed a defamation suit filed by the US-based aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un against three defectors now living in South Korea. Ko Yong-Suk, who looked after Kim for years when he was at school in Switzerland, filed the suit last year, accusing the three of "spreading false information" about her and her family on TV talk shows The defectors had all escaped the North and settled in South Korea in the 1990s. The lawsuit cited claims that Ko siphoned off gambling money from a secret fund of Kim's late father, Kim Jong-Il, that her father collaborated during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula and that she had plastic surgery after defecting to the US. The Seoul Central District Court said it was dismissing the case because Ko's legal team had failed to carry out an earlier order to provide correct addresses for the three accused, so that they could be served with court papers. The team also failed to use a public notice system, where the names of hard-to-find defendants are displayed on court billboards and papers for a certain period of time. Ko took asylum in the United States in 1998 with her husband, and the suit was filed on her behalf by a Seoul-based lawyer. The younger sister of Kim's mother, who died in France in 2004, Ko had been seeking a total of 60 million won ($52,000) for remarks the defectors made on South Korean TV talk shows between 2013 and 2014. Why Shell Plans to Divest $30 Billion Worth of Assets (Continued from Prior Part) Shells Downstream portfolio Shell plans to retain only the most competitive projects that fit its long-term strategy. With this aim, Shell divested a variety of downstream assets in 2015. These included interests in Tongyi Lubricants in China, Butagaz in France, downstream assets in Norway, and 185 service stations across the United Kingdom. Royal Dutch Shells (RDS.A) decision to separate its Motiva assets was another move in the ongoing restructuring of its downstream assets. Shells downstream expansion plans Shell is also expanding and modernizing its existing asset base. It plans to move ahead with its de-bottlenecking project at the Scotford refinery. Expected to be completed in 2016, the project will raise hydrocracker capacity by 20%. Shell also plans to construct a solvent de-asphalting unit at the Pernis refinery, which will increase the production of lighter, higher value refined products. Subject to approvals, construction is expected to begin in 2016, with completion expected by 2018. Shell also plans to expand its presence in the high-return petrochemical market. In 2015, Shell started production at its new high-purity ethylene oxide purification unit and its ethoxylates unit, doubling the production of both chemicals at Jurong Island in Singapore. Also, Shell signed an agreement to double its ethylene capacity in China. Work is in progress at Shells proposed petrochemical plant in the Appalachian region in the United States. Plus, Shell is planning to construct its fourth alpha olefins unit at Geismar, Louisiana, which is expected to be completed by 2018. As per Shell, this will make the site the largest alpha olefins producer in the world. Going forward Shells downstream portfolio is evolving into a more competitive portfolio poised to grow with the companys expansion plans. Shells aim to strengthen its petrochemical segment will further bolster its downstream segments earnings capacity. Story continues If youre looking for exposure to integrated energy stocks, you can consider the iShares Global Energy ETF (IXC). The ETF has ~57% exposure to integrated stocks, including Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), BP (BP), and Total (TOT). Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Thousands of Sikhs celebrated the annual spring festival of Hola Mohalla on Thursday with displays of horsemanship, bravery and sword fights. Hola Mohalla, which coincides with the Hindu Holi festival of colors, marks the transformation of the Sikh community into a martial fraternity by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th leader of the Sikhs. "This is the first time I am here in Anandpur Sahib and it is a very spectacular experience for us - once in a lifetime experience," said Avinash Kaur, a Canadian national who attended the festival. BEIJING (Reuters) - Six Chinese nationals were wounded in a bus shooting in northern Laos on Wednesday, the official Xinhua news agency said, the latest flare-up of violence affecting Chinese in the country as Beijing extends its economic influence in Southeast Asia. The victims included passengers and drivers of the bus, which was traveling from Kunming, the capital of China's southwestern Yunnan province, to Vientiane, the Laotian capital, Xinhua quoted Chinese embassy officials as saying. The bus was shot at by unidentified gunmen on a road in Kasi, Vientiane province, Xinhua said. A total of 25 passengers and three drivers were on the bus, and the six injured Chinese men were sent to hospital. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had been in contact with Laos. "The Chinese side has launched representations to the Laos side, requesting it to pay close attention and investigate clearly the relevant incident and also take measures to severely punish the assailants and protect the safety of Chinese citizens," Hua said. On March 1, a Chinese national was killed and three wounded in an attack by unidentified militants on a Chinese-backed company in Laos's northern Luang Prabang province, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In January, two Chinese were killed and one wounded in a bomb attack on a bus in remote Xaysomboun province in Laos. Relations between China and Laos have focused mainly on trade and aid, particularly in infrastructure development. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday said China would offer $11.5 billion in loans and credit to five Southeast Asian countries including Laos for infrastructure and other projects. (Reporting by Jessica Macy Yu; Editing by Nick Macfie) Brussels (AFP) - Six people were arrested Thursday in a series of police operations in the Belgian capital, the federal prosecutor's office said, two days after jihadist attacks in Brussels left 31 dead. Three of the suspects were detained "outside the door of the federal prosecutor's office", in the city centre, spokesman Eric Van der Sypt said. Two further people were arrested elsewhere in the city and the sixth was detained in Jette, on the outskirts of the capital, the spokesman said, without giving any further details on their identity. "It will be decided tomorrow if an arrest warrant (charges) are brought against these people," he added. At least two men identified by police from surveillance footage at the airport and metro station where the attacks took place are still at large. Raids have also taken place in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek where the three airport attackers left from on Tuesday morning carrying three explosive-packed suitcases. There have been no arrests in the neighbourhood. Taste is always a matter of preference and something that looks gorgeous to one person might look like junk to another. While that will always be the case, there are some things that most people can agree on. And in the case of smartwatches, many people seem to agree that most examples we've seen so far features designs that aren't nearly as stylish as more conventional watches. There are a few that look alright the Apple Watch and Samsung's Gear S2 come to mind but good old mechanical watches are still often a bit more... classy. Well, now there's finally a smartwatch that's smart enough to not look like a smartwatch. It's time to meet the Nevo Smartwatch for Android and iOS. That's right, the Nevo Smartwatch will work with your phone whether it's powered by Android or iOS, so if you ever decide to jump from one ship to the other, you're still covered. And this isn't a "geeky" smartwatch like most of the ones you've seen. It's actually a real mechanical watch with an actual Swiss movement, but it also packs smartwatch features like notification alerts, as well as activity tracking features. In other words, it's a single sleek device that can pull duty as a smartwatch, a fitness tracker, a sleep tracker and a Swiss timepiece. In fact, separate batteries power the smart features and the watch features; the quartz movement will run for five years on one battery, while the battery powering the smart features will need to be recharged every one to five months which is still pretty impressive. The Nevo Smartwatch is just $299.99 on Amazon with free Prime shipping, and it comes with three different band options. If you want smart functionality without the look of a smartwatch, definitely check it out. Related stories Today's 11 top Amazon deals: $50 box that saves hundreds on your cable bill, and more $50 earbuds that sound great and can also monitor your heart rate Story continues This coffee brewer is a work of art More from BGR: Apple stared down the FBI and won This article was originally published on BGR.com JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa has launched a corruption probe into President Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane and the Guptas, a family of businessmen accused of wielding improper political influence, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. A spokesman for the elite 'Hawks' police unit said it would investigate the graft allegations after a complaint was made by the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's main opposition party. "We have received the docket in the matter between the DA and the Guptas and we are to investigate it," the spokesman told Talk Radio 702. Although the Gupta's relationship with Zuma has been a source of controversy for years, it burst into the open last week when senior figures went public to say the family had exerted undue sway, including offering cabinet positions. The Guptas, whose businesses stretch from media to mining, have denied the allegations and say they are pawns in a plot to oust Zuma. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) said on Sunday it had full confidence in Zuma but would investigate the allegations by senior politicians - including Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas - that they were offered positions by the Guptas. Zuma has acknowledged the Guptas are his friends but denies anything improper. Zuma's son, Duduzane, is a director - along with Gupta family members - of at least six companies, documents show. South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a powerful figure in the ruling party, was reported on Wednesday as saying that the "ANC is not for sale." "The ANC refuses to be captured. Those who might want to capture the ANC and make it their own and influence it to advance personal or corporate interests, you have come to the wrong address," he was quoted by the Rand Daily Mail website as saying at an academic summit in Johannesburg. This is going to be a defining moment," he said. "What is good is that the Gupta family has said that they are willing to cooperate." "It is not only the Gupta family. There are a number of others as well who have tried to capture the state, he said. (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Ed Cropley and Tom Heneghan) By Aaron Sheldrick and Megan Cassella TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has written to U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz demanding a shipment of weapons-grade plutonium en route to her state from Japan be turned back or sent elsewhere, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters. The demand has the potential to embarrass the Obama administration a week before it hosts an important summit on nuclear non-proliferation and undermine what so far has been viewed as a success in keeping weapons-grade material safe. The ship loaded with weapons-grade plutonium left Japan for a Department of Energy site in South Carolina on Tuesday in what is the largest such shipment of the highly dangerous material since 1992, the environmental group Greenpeace said. The shipment "puts South Carolina at risk for becoming a permanent dumping ground for nuclear materials," Haley said in the letter dated March 23. "Therefore, stop shipment or re-route this defense plutonium. God bless." A representative for the U.S. Department of Energy said it is reviewing Haley's letter but cannot comment on matters under active litigation. The state has sued the department over the federal government's plans to scrap a plutonium recycling plant that has been under construction for years in the state. The dispute comes as Washington prepares to host the Nuclear Security Summit March 31 to April 1. The plutonium being shipped was supplied by the United States, Britain and France for the government-owned Japan Atomic Energy Agency's Fast Critical Assembly research project in Tokai Mura, according to the International Panel on Fissile Materials. The agreement to transfer the material to the United States was reached in March 2014 at a previous non-proliferation summit, the panel said on its website. A South Carolina-based environmental advocacy group said the shipment "only exacerbates the plutonium storage and disposition problems at" the department's Savannah River Site, a 310-square mile (500 square kilometers) area bordered by the Savannah River and Georgia. "The U.S. Government has done a poor job of explaining why this material is being taken to SRS, Tom Clements, director of SRS Watch, said in a statement. The 331 kilograms (730 pounds) on board the British-owned Pacific Egret is only a tiny proportion of the nearly 50 tonnes (55 tons) of plutonium held by Japan. ENOUGH FOR 50 NUCLEAR WEAPONS Japan wants to use the plutonium extracted from spent fuel in nuclear plants as fuel for modified reactors. But with nearly all the country's units still shut down in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster five years ago and no schedule for further restarts there is little use for the material. Only a few reactors can take plutonium as fuel. A homegrown reprocessing plant being built in northern Japan, which has relied on the British and French to extract plutonium from spent uranium fuel rods, also has the potential to add to the stockpile, although its start has been repeatedly delayed. The plutonium being shipped, enough to make about 50 nuclear weapons, was taken from the nuclear research center in the port town of Tokai Mura near Tokyo, for transport to South Carolina. The website www.vesselfinder.com said the ship is a nuclear fuel carrier. Shipments of plutonium are highly sensitive because it can be used in nuclear weapons or to make a so-called dirty bomb. In Japan, public sensitivity is also high because it is the only country that has been attacked with nuclear bombs. Japan is also the only nation without atomic weapons with significant amounts of plutonium, which has led to constant criticism from neighboring countries, scientists and others. China, a nuclear weapons state, this week said Japan should abide by its non-proliferation obligations. "Japan is still stockpiling a large amount of other sensitive nuclear materials, including separated plutonium and highly enriched uranium. This certainly is an issue for the international community to be concerned about, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday. Thomas Countryman, an assistant U.S. secretary of state in charge of non-proliferation, has called into question the renewal of an agreement between Washington and Tokyo that allows Japan to reprocess and produce weapons-grade plutonium. The agreement is due to be extended in 2018, but with a new U.S. administration starting in January its status is unclear. "We think that there are genuine economic questions where it's important that the U.S. and its partners in Asia have a common understanding of the economic and non-proliferation issues at stake before making a decision about renewal of the 1-2-3 Agreement, for example, with Japan," Countryman told a Senate hearing last week. (Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo and and Megan Cassella in Washington; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Valerie Volcovici and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Susan Heavey and Andrea Ricci) By Maja Zuvela SREBRENICA, Bosnia (Reuters) - Survivors of the Srebrenica massacre said the 40-year jail term handed down on Thursday to Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic for war crimes and genocide was not tough enough and came too late. "I am so disappointed," said Bida Smajlovic, 64, who watched a live broadcast of the verdict with her two sisters-in-law in Potocari, a Srebrenica suburb where the three women saw their husbands for the last time 21 years ago. "We have been in shock ever since the first gunshot and this is yet another one," she added. All three of the husbands perished when Bosnian Serb forces, commanded by General Ratko Mladic, took over the U.N.-protected area of Srebrenica on July 11, 1995. They separated women from men and massacred about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the following days in Europe's worst single atrocity since World War Two. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found Karadzic guilty on 10 counts of crimes against humanity and violations of the customs of war, including the genocide in Srebrenica. It acquitted him of charges for genocide in seven other municipalities. "I wish there was capital punishment," added Vasva Smajlovic, 73. "My husband is dead for 20 years and Karadzic is still alive. At least I expected a lifetime (in) prison." The streets were empty in what is now a ghost town and there were only rare passers-by willing to comment on the verdict on the president of the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic and the supreme commander of its armed forces during the 1992-95 war. Bida Smajlovic's husband tried to escape through the woods but was killed along with his two brothers. Their bodies were found in two separate mass graves in the eastern Bosnia, where bones of the Srebrenica victims are still being dug out 20 years later. "This came too late," sighed Bida Smajlovic, who lives alone in her home overlooking 7,000 white tombstones where the victims were buried. Another 1,000 are still unaccounted for. "We were handed down a verdict in 1995," she said. "There is no sentence that could compensate for the horrors we went through or for the tears of only one mother, let alone thousands." Many Bosnian Serbs however defend Karadzic and believe that Serbs have been unjustly targeted by The Hague tribunal. "The 40-year imprisonment is unfair and will contribute neither to truth nor to trust in our region," said Mladen Bosic, the head of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) that Karadzic founded in 1990. "The Hague tribunal has once again shown that it is a political court, the politically-based verdicts were handed down to all Serb leaders from Serbia, (Bosnia's autonomous) Republika Srpska and Croatia," he said. "It hurts that this day is chosen to pronounce the verdict (to Karadzic) in the Hague," Bosnian Serb president Milorad Dodik told reporters shortly before the verdict. He was speaking at a ceremony in Serbia to commemorate the anniversary of the start of NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia in 1999. (Writing by by Daria Sito-Sucic, additional reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Adrian Croft/Jeremy Gaunt) Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (AFP) - Widows of Srebrenica massacre victims on Thursday slammed as inadequate the 40 year sentence handed down to former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, as supporters dismissed the ruling as biased. "He killed so many children and will perhaps live long enough to regain freedom. Where he is is not really a prison. It is warm, he eats, he even looks good," said Bida Smajlovic who lost her husband and brother in the atrocity. "My pain and my loneliness endure and nothing will change that, nothing can reduce my suffering," she said. The 63-year-old's husband was one of three brothers who died at Srebrenica. Almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed and their bodies dumped in mass graves by Bosnian Serb forces in the 1995 massacre, the worst bloodshed on European soil since World War II. On Thursday, their wives, including Bida, gathered nervously in Srebrenica around a television set to watch war crimes judges in The Hague sentence Karadzic, now 70, who will receive credit for time already spent in detention since 2008. Another Smajlovic widow, Sajma, wept as she saw Karadzic on television. "As soon as I see him it angers me," she said, adding that she had taken tranquillisers to cope with the pain of the sentencing. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday sentenced Karadzic to 40 years in jail after finding him guilty of 10 charges relating to Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, including genocide for the Srebrenica slaughter. - No sentence 'adequate' - But Vasva Smajlovic, 73, said no sentence, however long, could compensate her for the loss of her husband Ismet. "There is no adequate sentence for him, he will perhaps live long enough to be freed and has already lived for a long time, unlike my Ismet," she said. "The best sentence would be to kill him on the spot, for the world to see him decompose. The fact I have lived to see him condemned brings me some comfort," she added. Story continues In Belgrade after the sentencing, up to 5,000 ultranationalists briefly broke out in chants of "Radovan Karadzic!" during a pre-election rally against the government, which also took aim at the Hague-based tribunal. "The verdict on Radovan Karadzic is a verdict on all Serb people, all of Serb history and the Serbian nation," Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj told the crowds, some of whom let off firecrackers. "He was sentenced while innocent... just because in a crucial historical moment he led Serbs in Bosnia," said Seselj, who faces his own verdict from the court next week but is excused from attending for medical reasons. In 1992 Karadzic founded the Republika Srpska (RS), a breakaway Bosnian Serb territory, and the conflict that ensued pitted his forces against the country's Muslims and Croats. The Dayton peace accord which ended the war in 1995 formalised Bosnia's division into two semi-independent entities -- the RS and a Muslim-Croat Federation. - Serb stereotypes - Current RS leader, firebrand Milorad Dodik said it was "absolutely clear that today's verdict... was made under strong pressure from various international lobbies". He said the ruling was in accordance with "stereotypes about Serbs' exclusive guilt for the war in Bosnia", Beta news agency reported. Earlier Thursday, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic warned against attacks on the RS in light of the verdict, saying Serbia would "stand with our people, we will protect the right to survive and exist" in the RS. But in Sarajevo, Bosnian Muslim political leader Bakir Izetbegovic described the conviction as the "most important verdict" since the Nuremberg trials for prominent Nazis. Other victims of Karadzic's aggression, while drawing some comfort from the ruling, seemed less satisfied. "I was hoping for a life sentence," said Adil Draganovic, 63, who was held captive in a Bosnian Serb concentration camp during the war and travelled to the Hague for the verdict. "But then again 40 years is as good as a life sentence for him," he said, while sporting a Bosnian flag around his neck. In the remote and snowy Montenegrin village of Petnjica, where Karadzic was born, there was further disappointment for different reasons. Relative Simeon Karadzic, 65, said the war crimes convict had shown a "spirit of tolerance" towards Muslims after moving to Sarajevo in his teens. "The tribunal... simplified reality too much. All the actors were divided into good and bad." Washington (AFP) - Coffee chain Starbucks is going to donate unsold meals, sandwiches and salads to hungry and needy people in the United States rather than throw them out. The company announced to a shareholders meeting Wednesday that it is joining a US national program, Feeding America, to help needy people by donating rather than tossing out each evening the still-edible prepared meals it sells. It said that it aims to donate leftover ready-to-eat meals from all of its 7,600 outlets in the United States within the next five years. "In the first year alone, Starbucks FoodShare will be able to provide nearly five million meals to individuals and families in need of nourishing food," the company said. By 2021 the number could be 50 million meals a year. The challenge, it said, is to ensure that salads, sandwiches and other refrigerated meals can still be consumed safely even if they are past the expiration dates on their labels. Feeding America and Food Donation Connection, another group Starbucks is partnering with, have been working to convince restaurants, cafeterias and markets to donate leftover food to help poor Americans, rather than see good food end up in garbage dumps. From Esquire TORONTO-Rob Ford, the former mayor of Toronto, served not only as chief executive of one of the most successful metropolises in North America, but as an international buffoon, a symbol of toxic masculinity, and, as has become clear in 2016, the inventor of a new and virulent style of politics composed of equal parts comedy, rage and celebrity culture. The man rewrote the political playbook without trying. Rob Ford died an accidental prophet. But he was also just a 46-year-old man. A man with a wife who will be a widow, and children who will live the rest of their lives without a father. A man with a family who loved him, a man with a troubled past, who had more than his share of struggles with the basic business of living as a human being and as a man. For Toronto, the city in which I live, Rob Ford will endure as a permanent symbol of the underlying turbulence on which its supposedly liberal facade rests. Toronto imagines itself, and it mostly is, a city of openness and reason-a tolerant city where over half of the population is foreign-born and rational government intervention is widely accepted. Rob Ford represented the precise opposite of that civic fantasy. He exposed the deep rifts of class and race that run through Toronto. I don't think he intended to. His politics were instinctual and personal rather than intellectual. He won the mayoralty by hammering away at a more or less meaningless catchphrase ("Respect for Taxpayers") but his tenure in office quickly fell apart because he had no idea what to do with actual power, except to reward his friends and punish his enemies. Family loyalty was the best of him; it was also the worst of him. Even before he died, idiots were asking "Why were we all so hard on Rob Ford?" The Fords were constantly whining about "the media," and how vicious we all supposedly were on them. All I can say is, if there is any reason for a free press to exist in democracy, it is to report that the mayor is smoking crack. The disgrace of the Canadian press is not that it was too hard on Ford, but that it wasn't hard enough. It took an American website, Gawker, to break the story of the crack video, which is a permanent blot on the record of every Canadian newspaper and on the state of our libel laws. The fact that Rob Ford was never arrested is a similar disgrace on the police force of this city. Rob Ford was driving around this city chugging bottles of vodka, and they did nothing to stop him. In the infamous picture of Rob Ford at the crack house, everyone in the picture except the mayor was arrested or shot. And it was because he was rich and white and they were poor and black. Story continues For Toronto, a city desperately hungry for the approval of others, Rob Ford represented above all an unprecedented level of exposure. At a certain point, it stopped being embarrassing because the size of the story was so bizarre. It wasn't just New York media, or European media, though he regularly made the front pages of all the international papers. I was in a cab in Senegal in the middle of his various scandals, and the cab driver, finding out we were from Toronto, said "Ah, Toronto. Rob Ford." A friend I met there, returning from Burkina Faso, said that Ford was on the cover of newspapers there. The irony is that his legacy is evident more outside the city he ruled rather than inside it. Canada has abandoned, to the absolute maximum, the politics that Rob Ford represented. Justin Trudeau is the new pop culture phenomenon from the North, and Trudeau calls himself a feminist and he doesn't do racist caricatures late at night in Jamaican restaurants. He doesn't talk about eating his wife's pussy to the press. Instead, he talks to the Obamas about how wonderful their daughters are. In the infamous crack video, Ford's most controversial remark was that Trudeau was a "faggot." Well, the guys he thought were "faggots" run the country now. No, the true legacy of Rob Ford is that he identified a bizarre longing in the populations of rich cities with dysfunctional governments, and that longing is much more evident in the United States than in Canada right now. After Ford confessed to smoking crack, and refused to step down-still one of the craziest political decisions ever undertaken--his poll numbers went up. He stumbled on a fact nobody had realized before: such is the loathing of the political class among voters that craziness will be taken as authenticity. Rob Ford, like many other discoverers, stumbled on his discovery. But other, more self-aware, more skilled, politicians were watching. Other politicians-ones with more cynical hearts and fewer self-destructive addictions-were learning. And so here we are in 2016 when the most salient political fact in the world is that the next Rob Ford could easily be the next President of the United States. Wall Street's five-week winning streak is hitting resistance. All three major averages are (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC) in the red, as the strong dollar and weakness in oil prices (CLK16.NYM) and other commodities takes a toll on global markets. Get the Latest Market Data and New with the Yahoo Finance App Yahoo (YHOO) shares are in focus after activist investor Starboard followed through on threats to demand the removal of the entire nine-member board of the struggling tech icon, setting the stage for proxy fight. PVH (PVH), the owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, delivered a slight beat on both its top and bottom lines for the holiday quarter. However, the company gave a disappointing outlook for the year, citing the stronger dollar, a more cautious consumer, and a growing reliance on promotions. Yum Brands (YUM) are on investors' radar this morning. The owner of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut is reportedly in talks with private equity firms KKR, Hopu Investments, and other funds to sell its minority stake in its China operations, as it prepares to spin off the unit. Yum's China business accounts for almost half of the company's sales and is valued at about $10 billion. Office Depot (ODP) and Staples (SPLS) were sharply higher in early trading following reports that a federal judge overseeing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) case against the merger said he was disturbed by the allegations that the FTC used improper tactics to alter Amazon's (AMZN) testimony. Apple Pay's mobile online play Apple Pay (AAPL) is moving beyond apps. Re/code is reporting that Apple Pay will be available for use on mobile web browsers later this year. The feature, which could be announced later this year at Apples annual developer conference, is expected to speed up the online checkout process. Apple takes pre-orders today Apples two new devicesthe 4-inch iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Proare now available to pre-order ahead of their March 31st availability. Is The Street expecting strong demand for these products? Disney, Georgia at odds over anti-gay bill The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is threatening to stop filming in the state of Georgia. The company says it will take its production business elsewhere if the states "religious liberty" bill, which is on the desk of Governor Nathan Deal, is signed into law. Governor Deal has until May 3rd to veto it. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. March 24 is the Holy Thursday, the day of the Last supper, which is dedicated to the proverb of the ten virgins. Holy Tuesday has an inherent connection with the previous day. The sacrament of the day implies that by the fruits of our virtues and good deeds we must be spiritually ready for the second coming of Christ, otherwise we shall wither away like the fig tree and shall find the doors of the Heavenly Kingdom closed like the five foolish virgins. On that day, during the vespers ten children come out to the center of the church symbolizing the ten virgins, holding burning candles in their hands. Among them five are selected as wise. They stand in front of the Altar with burning candles. The other five candles are put out by the clergyman The Gospel message of the day is: Watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Lord comes". Holy Wednesday, anointment and betrayal: On this day the church commemorates the guilty woman who came to Jesus having very precious ointment and poured it on His head. This symbolized the approaching death of the Lord. The apostles blamed the woman for wasting the ointment: This ointment might have been sold for very much and given to the poor. But Jesus said to them: Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." This event of anointment was followed by the betrayal of Jesus by Judah. Armenpress reports in the morning on Holy Thursday, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated commemorating the establishment of the Sacrament of Communion during the Last Supper when Jesus took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave to the disciples and said: Take, eat, this is My body. And He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. The main importance of the Divine Liturgy is the sacrifice of Jesus, His Crucifixion for the salvation of mankind and the Sacrament of Communion which is conducted by the blessed bread and wine which are laid on the Holy Altar. These are the Blood and the Body of Jesus which are spiritual food for the faithful. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them (John 6:56). Washing of the feet: In the evening on Holy Thursday, the service of the Washing of the Feet takes place. After the Last Supper Jesus kneeled before His disciples and washed their feet then wiped them with the towel that was tied around His waist (John 13:5). This was an example of modesty and humility as he says: So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. In ancient times it was accepted to wash the feet of the guests and the elder as an expression of respect and homage. During the service of the Washing of the Feet the bishop or the priest of the church ascends to the Holy Altar together with the children or the servants of the church. It is customary in the Armenian Church that the Catholicos conducts the Washing of the Feet service at the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The clergyman blesses the water and the ointment which are put on the Altar with the cross and the Gospel uttering: May this oil and water be blessed and sanctified. After the Saving prayer the priest takes the towel, kneels and washes the feet of the twelve and anoints them with oil. At the end of the ceremony the Gospel is read mentioning the washing of the feet of the Apostles by Jesus. Jesus washed the feet of the apostles only with water and the use of oil during the service of the Washing of the Feet symbolizes the precious ointment poured by the fallen woman on Jesus. After the service blessed oil is distributed to the faithful for us in their homes. Late in the evening of Holy Thursday the service of Good Friday begins which ends late at night. It is called Khavaroom (darkness) and refers to the sacrament of Holy Friday. Stockholm (AFP) - After a silence lasting 27 years, the Swedish institution which awards the Nobel Prize for Literature denounced Thursday the Iranian fatwa on British writer Salman Rushdie. In a statement criticising the death sentence, or fatwa, the head of the Swedish Academy, Tomas Riad, said: "The fact that the death sentence has been passed as punishment for a work of literature also implies a serious violation of free speech." "The principle of the independence of literature from political control is of fundamental importance for civilisation and must be defended against attacks by avengers and the adherents of censorship," he added. Using the same principle of independence, the academy had originally declined to take a position on the 1989 fatwa on Rushdie, saying it was torn between showing its support for the author and maintaining its expressed neutrality. The death threat was issued against Rushdie by Iran's then supreme leader, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 for the novel "The Satanic Verses," which he deemed blasphemous. The fatwa was, as Rushdie wrote in his 2012 memoir, "a first note of the dark music." Born in India to non-practising Muslims and himself an atheist, Rushdie was forced to go underground. The murder or attempted murder of his translators and publishers followed and the British government placed him under police protection. Three members of the Swedish Academy, Kerstin Ekman, Werner Aspenstrom and Lars Gyllensten, had been critical of the institution's decision to remain silent and refused to partipate in any of its work. They were not, however, permitted to resign. With the addition of new members over the past 30 years, the Swedish Academy, decided to take a position on the fatwa after the amount offered for the assassination of Rushdie was recently increased. In February, 40 state-run media outlets grouped together and increased the bounty for Rushdie's death. "The death sentence and the reward money are flagrant breaches of international law and rules of civilised interaction within the world community and therefore can in no way be compatible with normalisation" between Iran and West powers, Riad said in the statement. By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - A University of North Texas police officer who fatally shot an axe-wielding student last year has been cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury, the school said on Thursday. Corporal Stephen Bean, 27, responded to reports of someone knocking out car windows in a parking garage near campus on Dec. 13 and encountered 21-year-old Ryan McMillan, who advanced toward him with an ax, university police said. Dashcam video released by the Texas Rangers, statewide police investigators, shows Bean directing McMillan to back away as the sophomore student repeatedly yells: Shoot me. The officer shot McMillan multiple times, according to university police. The grand jurys action confirms what we steadfastly believe, Corporal Bean took the action necessary to protect the lives and safety of individuals in the area as well as his own life," the university said in a statement, adding the grand jury decision came last week. Bean had been placed on administrative duty after the incident and was expected to resume patrol duties soon, it added. UNT is in Denton, north of Dallas, and has about 37,000 students, according to its website. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Editing by Peter Cooney) Paris (AFP) - The veteran Algerian writer Boualem Sansal weighed in Thursday to defend his compatriot Kamel Daoud, who is at the centre of storm over his claim that sex "is the greatest misery in the world of Allah". Daoud, who won France's top literary prize the Prix Goncourt last year, sparked outrage for an article he wrote in France's Le Monde daily in the wake of the wave of sexual assaults in Cologne on New Year's Eve. Hundreds of women had reported being molested or robbed by a mob of mostly North African and Arab men in the western German city. While Daoud deplored racists who regard all Muslim immigrants as potential rapists, he went on to claim that the "Arab-Muslim world (is) full of sexual misery, with its sick relationship towards woman, the human body, desire." He said it was the Muslim "soul that needs to be persuaded to change". The novelist has since found himself at the centre of an international row, with his critics accusing him of "fanning the fantasies of Islamophobes". But Sansal, the elder statesman of Algerian letters, rallied to his cause Thursday, writing in the French newspaper Liberation that "saving Kamel Daoud is saving liberty, justice and the truth". Earlier this month a radical Algerian preacher was jailed for six months for calling for Daoud's death, while a group of French academics and intellectuals signed an open later berating the writer and journalist. - 'Politically correct terror' - "We are cursed," said Sansal, whose own latest book "2084" is a nightmare vision of an Orwellian Islamic state. He insisted that an unholy alliance of the "declarers of fatwas and the most emeritus of censors, but also the jealous, the fair-weather friends and the agents of the thought police from their perches on high in the media and cultural institutions, are mobilising to get" Daoud. "We shouldn't kid ourselves, the attacks on Kamel Daoud are (a form of) terrorism called political correctness," Sansal claimed. Story continues In the wake of the controversy, Daoud, a columnist with the Quotidien d'Oran newspaper based in the western Algerian city where he lives, said he was giving up journalism. He won the Prix Goncourt for "The Meursault Investigation", a pointed Arab retelling of Albert Camus's classic "The Stranger", set in his home city. Daoud, 45, was once attracted by Islamist ideas but later turned his back on them. Sansal said although many considered him a "global symbol of the struggle for freedom of expression", he feared Daoud could be browbeaten into forsaking fiction as well. "Kamel has pulled out of journalism. Are they going to oblige him to abandon literature too?" he asked. A fierce opponent of Islamists in Algeria and elsewhere, Sansal, an atheist, said that he discovered "the intelligence and the tenacity of the assassins of liberty and thought" from the moment his own first novel, "Le Serment des barbares" (The Barbarians' Oath), was published. "They make a crime of everything," he said. Haltern am See (Germany) (AFP) - The German town of Haltern am See observed a minute's silence on Thursday, a year to the day after a Germanwings plane carrying 16 local students and two teachers slammed into a mountainside. The community in the west of the country sustained the largest single loss from the disaster that claimed the lives of 150 people, including the suicidal co-pilot who deliberately crashed the plane in the French Alps. Dozens of tearful friends and classmates from the 18 victims' high school gathered on the town's market square, their heads bowed, as church bells tolled at 10:41 am (0941 GMT), the time of the tragedy. The teenage students, accompanied by their teachers, were returning from a school exchange on the Germanwings flight from Barcelona bound for Duesseldorf on the day of the crash. "You are not alone with your pain," Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote in a letter to the pupils' parents on the anniversary. "Many people, including members of the government, are with you in their thoughts." Haltern mayor Bodo Klimpel told AFP before the anniversary that the tragedy was "of course still very present". "It is now part of our town history," he said. Pictures of the victims hang at the entrance of the Josef Koenig high school. There is also a plaque in the school's courtyard, and a room has been set aside where students can sit in silence to remember their friends. "In the beginning, I did not think I would survive the death of my child," Steffi Assmann told a local newspaper, speaking of her 15-year-old daughter Linda. She placed a candle at the grave of her daughter with the inscription "365 days without you". The exchange programme with the Catalonian partner school has continued and a group of students flew there last week and jetted back on a Germanwings flight, school principal Ulrich Wessel said. The ceremony in Haltern came as some 600 people gathered in the tiny village of Le Vernet in the French Alps near where the Airbus A320 came down, to remember the victims. Toyota unveiled its new Prius Prime on Wednesday at the 2016 New York International Auto Show, featuring an efficient model with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The new Prius boasts the highest MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) of any plug-in hybrid, running on an estimated 120 or more MPGe -- making it 26 percent more efficient than its predecessor. The Prius Prime also promises two times the electric range of the previous version and can power up to 84 mph without leaving EV mode. Safety and security get a boost on the Prime, using Toyota's Safety Sense technology. This feature includes pedestrian detection and automatic breaking, a blind spot monitor, a rear cross traffic alert and more. Inside, the new Prius is getting some upgrades, including an 11.6-inch HD multimedia screen, while its exterior boasts a longer and wider, wind-busting shape. The 2017 Prius Prime arrives in Toyota showrooms in the fall. By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The feud between Republican presidential contenders Donald Trump and Ted Cruz over their spouses heated up on Thursday, with Cruz calling the party front-runner "a sniveling coward" for threatening his wife on Twitter. The senator from Texas also sharpened his attacks on Trump's conservative credentials, linking the brash billionaire to disgraced New York politicians Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner. Cruz continued bashing Trump for making Cruz's wife, Heidi, a target of social-media barbs. I have to say, seeing him go deeper and deeper into the gutter, its not easy to tick me off," Cruz said at a news conference while campaigning in Dane, Wisconsin. "But you mess with my wife, you mess with my kids, itll do it every time. "Donald, youre a sniveling coward," Cruz said. "Leave Heidi the hell alone. Cruz's remarks were the latest burst of hostility between the two camps, which earlier this week erupted into full view when Trump accused Cruz of posting a nude photo of Melania Trump on Twitter. Trump responded by threatening to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife, Heidi. Cruz denied having anything to do with the image, which was part of an attack by an anti-Trump Super PAC, Make America Awesome. "Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life," Cruz said in a post on Twitter earlier on Thursday. Cruz's tweet followed one moments earlier by Trump in which he retweeted an image featuring a less-than-flattering picture of Heidi Cruz juxtaposed with a glamorous photo of Melania. The back-and-forth was too much for Senator Lindsey Graham, a former presidential candidate, who blasted both men in an interview on NBC's "Today" show on Thursday. "Talk about things that people really care about, and knock this crap off because these are serious times, and you're not behaving like you want to be president of the United States," he said. For Trump, attacking another candidate's wife may carry some political risk. Half of U.S. women say they have a "very unfavorable" view of the billionaire businessman, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling in March. Cruz fared better, with 24 percent of the 5,000 women surveyed saying they had a "very unfavorable" view of him. The Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton, did worse than Cruz but better than Trump, with 36 percent of women polled saying they had a "very unfavorable" view of her. The poll had a credibility interval of 2 percentage points. Also on Thursday, Cruz began to press Trump on his history of supporting Democratic politicians in New York, which holds its Republican primary on April 19. And while Manhattan is home to Trump's business empire, Cruz spent time there this week campaigning. In media releases and social-media postings, Cruz highlighted Trump's history of donating not only to Spitzer, New York's former governor who resigned amid a prostitution scandal, and Weiner, the former U.S. congressman who quit after tweeting lewd images of himself, but also to other New York liberals such as U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, Senator Chuck Schumer, and New York's current governor, Andrew Cuomo. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment, but Trump posted an Instagram video that showed former Republican presidential candidates Carly Fiorina and Graham expressing doubts about Cruz earlier in the campaign. Both have since endorsed Cruz, saying he is in the best position to halt Trump's march toward the nomination. Both Trump and Cruz are trying to garner enough delegates to win the Republican nomination ahead of the party's convention this summer. After Tuesday's contests in Arizona and Utah, Trump had 739 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination, according to The Associated Press. Cruz had 465. Polls show Trump leading in New York ahead of its primary. And there were also indications on Thursday of Trump's strength in California, where many observers believe he could clinch the nomination by winning its primary on June 7. A new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that among likely Republican primary voters, Trump led with 38 percent to 27 percent for Cruz and 14 percent for Ohio Governor John Kasich. The next Republican contests will be on April 5 in Wisconsin and on April 9 in Wyoming. (Reporting by Alana Wise, Steve Holland, Megan Cassella, and Susan Heavey.; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Andrew Hay) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court ordered the arrest of a suspect in connection with a suicide bombing blamed on Islamic State that killed five people in central Istanbul, the private Dogan News Agency said on Thursday. Three Israeli tourists and an Iranian were killed when the bomber detonated his explosives on March 19 on Istiklal Street, a popular shopping and dining area. A man who had allegedly been in touch with the bomber was detained in the southern city of Gaziantep and transferred to Istanbul, where a court ordered he be remanded in custody, Dogan reported. More than 80 people have been killed in four bomb attacks this year in Istanbul and the capital Ankara. Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for two Ankara attacks, while authorities have blamed Islamic State for the two attacks in Istanbul. (Reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley; Editing by Daren Butler and Nick Macfie) ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes bombed and destroyed nearly a dozen targets belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq late on Wednesday, the armed forces said, the latest operations targeting insurgent camps near the Turkish border. The F-16 and F-4 jets carried out the operation against the camps in the Hakkurk, Haftanin, Avasin and Basyan areas at 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), destroying 11 targets including ammunition depots and shelters, the military said on Thursday. On Tuesday, warplanes struck shelters, caves and ammunition depots used by the Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and rural areas near the southeastern Turkish town of Semdinli. Security forces also killed 10 PKK fighters on Wednesday in clashes in the southeastern towns of Nusaybin, near the Syrian border, and Sirnak, near the Iraqi border, the army said. The military says more than a thousand insurgents have been killed in the largely Kurdish southeast since a 2-1/2-year-old PKK ceasefire collapsed in July, prompting the heaviest clashes in the region since the 1990s. President Tayyip Erdogan has said that more than 300 members of the security forces have died, while the pro-Kurdish opposition says hundreds of civilians have also been killed. Separately, the military said two soldiers had been killed and three wounded when a homemade bomb was detonated by remote control in Nusaybin. The town has been under a curfew since March 14, when security forces launched operations against militants there. Late on Thursday, three Turkish gendarmerie were killed in a car bomb attack by the PKK on their station in Turkey's southeast, security sources said. The attack, which wounded twenty-two gendarmerie, was staged on a gendarmerie station located between Diyarbakir and Bingol provinces and clashes continued after the attack, sources said. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz, writing by Daren Butler and David Dolan; editing by Kevin Liffey and Andrew Hay) YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. 5th conference on HIV / AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia took place in Moscow, in the sidelines of which Russia presented Armenia with the second portable medical diagnostic complex in the framework of the assistance program for prevention HIV / AIDS in Armenia. Armenpress was informed about this from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia. In his thanking speech, the Deputy Health Minister of Armenia mentioned that the portable clinic will be used for free medical service to vulnerable segments of the society, particularly the labor migrants in the provinces of Armenia. He, on behalf of the Government and the Health Ministry thanked the Government of the Russian Federation, Rospotrebnadzor, UN HIV / AIDS Joint Program partners for the present, which is a significant contribution to implementation of the national program of preventing HIV / AIDS. By Yusri al-Jammal HEBRON, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians after they attacked a soldier in the West Bank on Thursday, the military said, and one soldier was detained after being shown on video firing a round into the head of one of the assailants as he lay on the ground. The soldier has been suspended from duty while Israeli military police hold a criminal investigation, the army said in a statement. Footage filmed by a bystander showed one of the attackers prone on the ground following the stabbing, barely moving. One soldier then appears to take aim and fires a shot into the Palestinian's head. The man's body jerks and blood can be seen streaming from his head. "The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) views this incident as a grave breach of IDF values, conduct and standards of military operations. A Military police investigation has commenced and the soldier involved has been detained," military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "What happened in Hebron does not represent the values of the IDF", adding that Israeli soldiers were "expected to exercise restraint and follow open-fire regulations". The United Nations, European Union and United States have backed Israel's right to defend itself during a six-month campaign of street attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while also urging restraint in their use of force. Human rights groups have accused Israeli forces of too readily resorting to gunfire to wound or kill attackers rather than trying to detain them by other means. In some cases, Palestinians have been shot on the suspicion that they were about to carry out an attack. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah said the video offered proof that Israeli soldiers "carry out field executions of Palestinians" and called for international protection of Palestinian civilians. STABBED SOLDIER HAS LIGHT INJURIES An Israeli hospital spokeswoman said the soldier wounded in Thursday's attack was in stable condition and had sustained light injuries. "Two assailants stabbed an (Israeli) soldier at a military post in Hebron. Forces responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their deaths," the army statement said. The Palestinian health ministry named the two dead as Ramzi Al-Qasrawi and Abdel-Fattah Al-Sharif, both 21. Hebron, where there is a community of around 1,000 Israeli settlers living in the middle of the city of 200,000, has been the scene of many violent incidents over the past six months. Thursday's attack took place inside the area where Jewish settlers live side-by-side with some Palestinian residents. Since October, Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens in street attacks. Israeli forces have killed at least 190 Palestinians, 129 of whom Israel says were assailants. Many others were shot dead during clashes and protests. Palestinian leaders say attackers have acted out of desperation in the absence of movement toward the creation of an independent state. Israel says they are being incited to violence by their leaders and on social media. It is the worst period of sustained violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the second Palestinian uprising ended a decade ago. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war, when it also annexed East Jerusalem. Palestinians seek the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza for an independent state. The last round of talks to try to negotiate an end to the decades-long conflict broke down in 2014 and there is little hope at this stage of a resumption. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Luke Baker and Mark Heinrich) By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas' biggest metropolitan areas were the biggest magnet for newcomers in the United States in the year through last July, even as a fall in energy prices sent shockwaves through the oil-rich state, U.S. Census Bureau data released on Thursday said. The Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas added 159,000 and 145,000 residents respectively. Rounding out the top five metro areas for population gains in the period were Atlanta, Phoenix and New York. As of mid-2015, the Houston area was home to 6.6 million people, the Dallas-Fort Worth region had 7.1 million people, though they lagged metro New York, with 20.2 million residents. The fastest growing area for a percentage gain was Villages, Florida, to the northwest of Orlando, which grew by 4.3 percent in the period, it said. Other findings from the Census data included the county of Los Angeles in California being the most populous with 10.2 million people as of July 1, 2015. Cook County, Illinois, where Chicago is located, remained the second most populous but saw its first population decline since 2007. Separately, demographic data from state agencies in Illinois and Texas indicates that within 10 years, Houston is projected to surpass Chicago as the third most populous U.S. city. Houston is projected to have population of 2.54 million to 2.7 million by 2025 while Chicago will be at 2.5 million, according to official data from both states provided for their health departments. New York and Los Angeles are safe at one and two respectively. Texas has been one of the leaders in job creation in the past several years. Even with the troubles in the energy sector, the metropolitan Houston economy, which has grown more diverse, has shown remarkable resilience, adding 20,000 jobs to just over 3 million last year, according to government data. Collectively, Texas' four biggest metropolitan areas, which include Austin and San Antonio, added about 412,000 people, and Texas as a whole gained 490,000 residents, the Census Bureau said. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz) By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shortly after last Novembers attacks on Paris by a Brussels-based Islamic State cell, a top U.S. counter-terrorism official traveling in Europe wanted to visit Brussels to learn more about the investigation. When the official tried to arrange meetings, however, his Belgian counterparts were not welcoming, according to U.S. officials familiar with the events. The Belgians indicated it was a bad time to speak to foreign officials as they were too busy with the investigation, said the officials, who asked not to be identified. Belgian officials declined to comment on the incident. The brush-off was one small sign of mounting U.S. frustration over Brussels handling of its worsening Islamic militant threat. Concern that the small European nation's security and intelligence officials are overwhelmed -- and that its coordination with allies falls short -- have again come to the fore following the Islamic State-claimed attacks on Tuesday that killed at least 31 people. Several U.S. officials say that security cooperation has been hampered by patchy intelligencesharing by Brussels and wide differences in the willingness of different agencies to work with foreign countries, even close allies. One U.S. government source said that when American investigators try to contact Belgian agencies for information, they often struggle to find which agency or part of an agency might have relevant information. Belgium has ordered a sharp increase in security budgets following the Paris attacks, despite being under steady pressure to limit its debt levels under euro zone rules. The government has promised to recruit around 2,500 more federal police, who pursue major crimes, to make up for a shortfall of close to a fifth of the full-strength force of 12,500. It also says it thwarted a major attack in January 2015, and is eager to cooperate with European and U.S. counterparts. "These attacks show that more coordination with the United States is clearly desirable," Guy Rapaille, the president of the committee that provides oversight of Belgiums security and intelligence services, told Belgiums state broadcaster RTBF. But you have to remember that big powers guard their intelligence very closely." U.S. officials acknowledge the recent Belgian efforts to step up funding and recruitment. Yet they say Belgian security services are outmatched by the threat in a country that, per capita, has supplied the highest number of foreign fighters to Syria of any European nation. "They're way behind the ball and they're paying a terrible price," Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told Reuters. Asked on Wednesday whether Belgium was too complacent over the threat posed by Islamic militancy, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said: "I want to stay clear of saying that Belgium was somehow caught by surprise or not aware. You know, we collaborate, we work with Belgium closely." Some U.S. counter-terrorism officials say much of the gap between Washington and Belgium -- and some other European countries -- is cultural. Europeans' deeper commitment to personal privacy sometimes prevents or delays sharing of information such as travel data -- that is taken for granted in the United States. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. government radically reshaped its counter-terrorism agencies. It broke down walls between law enforcement and intelligence authorities, and created new coordinating institutions such as the Director of National Intelligence and National Counterterrorism Center. Belgium, by contrast, is a patchwork country divided between French and Dutch speakers and with multiple levels of government. Belgian security chiefs have repeatedly complained that they cannot handle up to 900 home-grown Islamist militants, among the highest per-capita rates in Europe. Belgium does not divulge the exact number of personnel in its security services and military intelligence, but security experts say they appear under-resourced compared to European counterparts. "Add to that the problem of two languages (French and Flemish), lack of Arabic speakers, and weak coordination between national and local government, you have a huge discrepancy between threat and response," said former CIA official and White House advisor Bruce Riedel, now at the Brookings Institution. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Jonathan Landay in Washington, Robin Emmott and Alastair Macdonald in Brussels; Writing by Warren Strobel; editing by Don Durfee and Stuart Grudgings) HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. imports of Nigerian crude last week jumped to 559,000 barrels per day (bpd), a weekly record going back to mid-2013 as refining firms turned to imports of West African crude that had previously been displaced by domestic grades during the U.S. shale boom. Nigeria was the fourth largest supplier of foreign crude to the U.S. last week, displacing Mexico and also competing with Iraq and Colombia, according to preliminary figures from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Of the 11 cargoes of Nigerian crude that have arrived in the United States this month, eight went to the East Coast, while the remainder were sent to the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to Thomson Reuters Trade Flows data. Along with typical cargoes of Nigeria's Qua Iboe, Bonga and Forcados, two 500,000-barrel cargoes of Usan medium crude were delivered to Royal Dutch Shell at South Louisiana Port, marking the first time since May 2014 that this crude has entered the United States. "More WAF (West African) and North Sea cargoes have been heading to the U.S. as light crude outputs decline," consultancy Energy Aspects wrote in a note last week. U.S. shale production in April is expected to fall by 106,000 bpd to 4.87 million bpd, the second-largest monthly decline on record, according to the EIA's latest drilling productivity report. From 2004 to 2007, Nigeria exported over 1 million bpd to the United States, but a surge of U.S. domestic production that is of similar quality - including shale oil - later forced African light sweet crude producers, especially Nigeria, to find new destinations for their exports. In consequence, the United States only imported some 58,000 bpd from Nigeria in 2014 and 2015, the EIA data say. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga and Liz Hampton; Editing by Chris Reese) By Toby Sterling, Anthony Deutsch and Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted by U.N. judges of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, the worst war crime in Europe since World War Two, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Karadzic, 70, the former president of the breakaway Bosnian Serb Republic, was found guilty on 10 out of 11 charges brought by war crimes prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He would appeal the decision, his legal adviser said. "The accused was the sole person within Republika Srpska (the Bosnian Serb Republic) with the power to prevent the killing of the Bosnian Muslim males," said presiding judge O-Gon Kwok, in a reference to the 8,000 killed at Srebrenica. "Far from preventing it, he ordered they be transferred elsewhere to be killed," the judge said. Karadzic was acquitted of one count of genocide in various towns across Bosnia during the war of the 1990s. The three-judge panel said Karadzic was "at the apex of power," heading the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic and Supreme Commander of its armed forces, when crimes were committed by his troops. Judges said the 44-month siege of Sarajevo could not have happened without his support; that he committed crimes against humanity in an attempt to purge Muslims and Croats from parts of Bosnia; and that he had intended to eliminate the Bosnian Muslim males of the town of Srebrenica. Karadzic's legal adviser Peter Robinson said Karadzic was "disappointed by the verdict, astonished by the reasoning and he wants to appeal." As the judges described the siege of Sarajevo, Karadzic looked pained and his face tightened into a grimace. VICTIMS' TEARS Victims' families in the courtroom, some of then elderly, listened intently when the genocide at Srebrenica was discussed. One wiped away tears as the judge described men and boys being separated from their families. When Karadzic was ordered to stand for sentencing, he listened with eyes mostly downcast. After judges departed, he sat back heavily in his chair. Victims' families embraced before quietly leaving the courtroom. Outside, Hatidza Mehmedovic, who lost her entire family at Srebrenica, said she was enraged by the verdict, and no punishment could have been harsh enough. "He can live in a cushy prison while I have to live in Srebrenica, where his ideology is still in place," she said. "I have no sisters, no brothers, no husband." Karadzic was arrested in 2008 after 11 years on the run, following a war in which 100,000 people were killed as rival armies carved Bosnia up along ethnic lines that largely survive today. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said he would stand by the Serbs of Bosnia. "We will stand by our people and we will protect their existence and their right to have their own state," he said. Serge Brammertz, the court's chief prosecutor, said he hoped the ruling would make populist politicians in the region more reluctant to hail convicted war criminals as heroes. "There is nothing heroic about raping persons, about sexual abuse in camps," he said. "There is nothing heroic about executing 7,000 prisoners which have been detained in impossible circumstances. There is nothing heroic to kill with snipers children who are playing." He said prosecutors may appeal Karadzic's acquittal on the second genocide charge. WORLD OPINION The only more senior official to face justice before the Tribunal was the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody a decade ago before a verdict was reached. Ratko Mladic, the general who commanded Bosnian Serb forces, was the last suspect to be detained over the Srebrenica slaughter and is also in a U.N. cell awaiting judgment. The Srebrenica massacre and the Serb siege of Sarajevo were events that turned world opinion against the Serbs and prompted NATO air strikes that helped bring the war to an end. Karadzic defended himself through his 497-day trial and called 248 witnesses, poring over many of the millions of pages of evidence with the help of a court-appointed legal adviser. Rejecting the charges against him, Karadzic sought to portray himself as the Serbs' champion, blaming some of the sieges and shelling on Bosnian Muslims themselves. He says soldiers and civilians who committed crimes during the war acted individually. Opponents of the ICTY say its prosecutors have disproportionately targeted Serbs as 94 of 161 suspects charged were from the Serbian side, while 29 were Croat and nine Bosnian Muslim. [http://tmsnrt.rs/1Sd4TAa] Prosecutors have been criticised for not bringing charges against two other leaders of that era who have since died - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic. Many Serbs, both in Bosnia and Serbia, regard the court as a pro-Western instrument, say Karadzic is innocent and believe his conviction is an injustice for all Serbs. (Additional reporting by Ivana Sekularac in Belgrade; Editing by Giles Elgood) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy tug missing since 1921 has been discovered sunk off San Francisco, officials said on Wednesday, solving a nearly century-old maritime mystery. The wreck of the USS Conestoga was found near one of the Farallones Islands about 30 miles (50 km) west of San Francisco, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Navy said in a statement. "After nearly a century of ambiguity and a profound sense of loss, the Conestoga's disappearance no longer is a mystery," said NOAA Deputy Administrator Manson Brown. The ocean-going tug left San Francisco on March 25, 1921, bound for American Samoa via Hawaii with 56 officers and sailors aboard. It was never heard from again, and its disappearance triggered an air and sea search and gripped newspapers across the United States. The Navy declared Conestoga and its crew lost in June 1921. It was the last Navy ship to be lost without a trace in peacetime, the statement said. Unraveling the mystery began in 2009, when NOAA found an uncharted likely shipwreck in 189 feet (57.6 meters) of water about three miles (five km) off Southeast Farallon Island, in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The agency began an investigation in September 2014 and the ship was identified in October 2015. Weather logs show that around the time of Conestoga's departure, the wind in San Francisco's Golden Gate area rose to 40 miles per hour (64 km per hour) and the seas were rough with high waves, the statement said. A garbled radio transmission from Conestoga relayed by a ship said the tug was "battling a storm and that the barge she was towing had been torn adrift by heavy seas." Investigators believe that the Conestoga sank as it tried to reach a protected cove on Southeast Farallon Island. Underwater videos show the wreck lying on the seabed and largely intact. The wood deck and other upper features have collapsed into the hull due to corrosion and age, the statement said. Marine growth covers the exterior. No human remains have been found. (Reporting by Ian Simpson Editing by W Simon) Beirut (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon Thursday started a two-day visit to Lebanon aimed at improving conditions for Syrian refugees whose number is more than a quarter of the country's own population. "We are here to find ways to improve conditions for refugees, to support the communities hosting them, and to help mitigate the impact on Lebanon's economy," he said. Ban spoke at a news conference in Beirut beside Lebanon's Prime Minister Tammam Salam, World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim and Islamic Development Bank head Ahmad al-Madani. Syria's five-year conflict has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes, with neighbouring countries bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis. Lebanon alone hosts nearly 1.2 million refugees. "Few countries have demonstrated the generosity that the government and people of Lebanon have shown towards Syrian refugees," Ban said. "Syria's neighbours are a model for other countries and regions that have far more resources than they do," he added. The UN chief, who is on Friday to visit a poor neighbourhood hosting Syrian refugees in the northern city of Tripoli, said he was "concerned by the vulnerability of Lebanese host communities, especially in the most impoverished areas." He also said he was "concerned about the political situation in Lebanon", referring to a crisis exacerbated by the Syrian conflict that has left the country without a president for 21 months. For his part, the World Bank chief said $100 million (89.5 million euros) had been earmarked to support the education of refugees. "We have taken $100 million from a fund that we use only for the poorest countries... and provided today a very concessional loan for the education sector, again to show our appreciation to what Lebanon has done in educating the refugees here," Kim said. The World Bank last month said the devastating economic impact of the war in Syria and its spillover into five nearby countries -- including Lebanon -- stood at $35 billion. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia expects the international community to be persistent and decisive regarding the constant ceasefire violations of the aggressive Azerbaijan. This was stated in an interview with Armenpress by RPA MP, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs Koryun Nahapetyan. Although the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk urged both sides of the conflict to strictly observe the ceasefire during Nowruz and Easter, incidents of ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan routinely continue. Such calls have also been made by various international organizations and their representatives, but Azerbaijan has not responded in any way positively. "We have repeatedly informed our partners regarding this and urged them to be more persistent and decisive in this respect. And soon there will be different types of calls by various prestigious international organizations also. We do not expect that Azerbaijan will listen to these calls, take adequate actions, and does not violate the ceasefire, renouncing its aggressive and bellicose statements. We are not so naive. The Azerbaijani side, however, will continue to exhibit such behavior. Naturally, in this situation we also have a need to take more balanced and persistent actions, " Hayrapetyan said. According to him, because of the situation created around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by Azerbaijan's destructive policy, Armenia should take more decisive and persistent actions. "Our policy is being reviewed in this regard, and I think that soon we will have much more specific and concrete actions, including in the military sphere," Hayrapetyan said. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk issued a statement on March 18 calling on the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides to maintain the ceasefire regime in the upcoming holidays of Nowruz and Easter period. This was followed by the Defense Ministry's statement that Armenia is ready to strictly observe the ceasefire, if Azerbaijan also positively responds to this call. Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group and Gernot Esler, representative of the German presidency in the OSCE urged the same call, to strictly observe the ceasefire during the holidays. Azerbaijan, however, continues to provoke tension on the contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh, by firing grenade launchers. The United Nations on Thursday urged Vietnam to "cease persecution" of government critics after a blogger and his assistant were jailed on loosely worded anti-state charges. Nguyen Huu Vinh, more commonly known as Anh Ba Sam, was handed a five-year jail term on Wednesday, with his assistant, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, getting three years, both on charges of "abusing democratic freedoms". The charge falls under article 258 of Vietnam's penal code, which is one of several vaguely worded provisions in the communist country's laws that rights groups say are used to persecute regime critics. The UN Human Rights Office said it was "very concerned" by the conviction and "the vagueness of the charges provided under article 258", which it said contradict Vietnam's international obligations. "We urge the Vietnamese government to stop convictions under this provision, and other similarly vague ones," said Laurent Meillan, the body's acting regional representative, in a statement issued in Bangkok. He also called on the government to "cease prosecution of individuals merely for expressing an opinion". Vinh was arrested in 2014 and has been held in detention ever since, accused of disseminating anti-government articles on his wildly popular news site. Both Vinh, 60, and Thuy, 35, denied the charges against them and maintained their innocence in the court in central Hanoi Wednesday. According to the official verdict, the blogs run by the defendants, which attracted more than 3.7 million page views, "misrepresented the party's line... and lowered public trust", in Vietnam's communist leaders. Vinh, once a policeman himself, founded the well known political and social blog "Ba Sam" in 2007 -- initially to store articles for his own reference. The blog then became a news aggregator with links to major stories in state-run newspapers as well as blog posts from activists. Story continues Constant hacking attacks forced Vinh to regularly change the blog's web address. It was taken down shortly after his arrest and has not been available since. Vietnam bans private media and all newspapers and television channels are state-run. Lawyers, bloggers and activists are regularly subject to arbitrary arrest and detention. Brasilia (AFP) - The United Nations office on women's rights in Brazil said Thursday that President Dilma Rousseff has been the victim of "sexist political violence" by opponents seeking to oust her. Rousseff, Brazil's first woman president, is battling impeachment proceedings and mass protests calling for her departure. The leftist leader's popularity has tumbled in the face of a recession and an explosive corruption scandal, but UN Women said underlying sexism is fueling the increasingly vitriolic movement against her. "As a defender of women's and girls' rights around the world, UN Women condemns all forms of violence against women, including the political violence of a sexist nature directed against President Dilma Rousseff," Nadine Gasman, head of UN Women in Brazil, said in a statement. "No political disagreement or protest can justify the trivialization of gender violence -- a patriarchical and misogynous practice that invalidates human dignity." Gasman called on Rousseff's opponents to "safeguard democracy and the rule of law." Rousseff, who took office in 2011, accuses her opponents of seeking to oust her in a "coup." Some three million Brazilians took to the streets on March 13 calling for her departure. The impeachment case against her revolves around accusations she manipulated the government's accounts to boost public spending during her 2014 re-election campaign and hide the magnitude of the recession last year. Rousseff, 68, insists the practices were legal and widely used by her predecessors. Pursuing a stronger case, some opponents are now seeking to impeach her on allegations of involvement in the corruption scandal rocking state oil company Petrobras. Rousseff, who has not been charged in the case, vehemently denies involvement. Lyon (AFP) - A French cardinal accused of covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests apologised to victims during a mass, according to the website of his diocese. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, quoting Pope Francis, said Wednesday he was "obliged to assume all the evil committed by some priests and personally apologise for the damage they have caused by sexually abusing children." He said he apologised even though he was not in power in the diocese "when the abominable acts took place". Barbarin, 65, said he met Wednesday with priests, deacons and members of the community in the eastern city of Lyon to discuss a case which even prompted the government to weigh in. Barbarin has been caught up in a scandal over abuses that took place 25 years ago, long before he became archbishop of Lyon in 2002. A priest in his diocese, Bernard Preynat, was charged in January after victims came forward with claims he had sexually abused Scouts between 1986 and 1991. Prosecutors say Preynat has admitted the charges. The victims have filed complaints against several senior diocesan officials, including Barbarin, accusing them of failing to report the priest or remove him from duty Barbarin said that when he learned of the priest's past in 2007, he asked him if he had committed further abuses since 1991 and the priest swore he had not. Barbarin said no accusations had been made since. "You can reproach me for having believed him... but covering up means knowing and letting it happen. Absolutely never," he said. Barbarin has since faced other accusations of failing to remove two other priests in his diocese who had histories of sexual abuse. "I have never, never, never covered up acts of paedophilia," Barbarin said last week after Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged him to "take responsibility" in the case. The scandal has been extremely embarrassing for the Catholic Church in France, which has worked to harden its stance against predator priests since Pierre Pican, bishop of the Normandy town of Bayeux, was convicted in 2001 for failing to report abuse. Story continues The Church continues to be dogged by cases of paedophile priests and past cover-ups, despite Pope Francis' promise of a crackdown. The case recalls the recent Oscar-winning film "Spotlight", which highlighted how the Church would transfer deviant priests between parishes in Boston in the United States, and protected clergy from prosecution. While this practice is no longer commonplace, the French case raises the question of how deep Church authorities should dig into abuse cases lurking in their past. "I know what must be done on current cases. But what to do with these old cases?" Barbarin asked last week. The Vatican has backed the cardinal, saying he had shown "a great deal of responsibility". By Cassie Paton SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The University of California's regents declared on Wednesday they would not tolerate anti-Semitism on campus but rejected a proposal to equate anti-Zionism with religious bigotry, as they tried to defuse tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students. The statement of principles, approved unanimously by the university's governing board, stems from concerns among Jewish students and faculty about a rise in anti-Semitism on several UC campuses in response to recent student activism in support of Israel. Pro-Palestinian campus activists, however, say they are simply voicing legitimate criticism of Israel, which, they say, is being misconstrued, creating a pretext for pro-Israeli activists to squelch the Arab side of the Mideast debate. The regents rebuffed draft language that would have broadly defined opposition to Israel as anti-Jewish bigotry, with the board instead voting to disapprove "anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism." The action by California's flagship public university, reflecting a broader conflict playing out on college campuses nationwide, sought to strike a balance between condemning intolerance and protecting free speech. The UC system is considered one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the country, comprising 10 campuses including the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles. Critics said a blanket condemnation of anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism, as contained in the original draft, would have trampled academic freedom and opened the university to costly litigation. Pro-Palestinian students called the statement the latest in a series of efforts to muzzle political criticism of Israel, including student movements pressing for divestiture or boycotts against the Jewish state. "Are our stories and our struggles simply meant to be built over, forgotten?" asked Omar Zahzah, a UCLA graduate student whose relatives, he said, were forced from their homes with the 1948 founding of Israel. Story continues But supporters of the draft, including student regent Abraham "Avi" Oved, whose parents were born in Israel, said anti-Zionism has evolved into a politically coded contemporary brand of anti-Semitism. From their perspective, anti-Zionist rhetoric - marked by calls for Israel's destruction or denial of its right to exist - frequently feeds more overt forms of anti-Jewish hatred. He cited an instance in which the phrase "Zionists should be sent to the gas chamber" was scrawled on a building at UC Berkeley after a student senate campaign calling for university divestment from U.S. companies doing business with Israel. Regents, meeting at UC's San Francisco campus, ultimately adopted an amended statement declaring: "Anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California. Some students said the final language still conflated a political doctrine with anti-Jewish bias and could suppress free speech. "Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism have very little to do with each other," said Tallie Ben Daniel, an academic advisory council coordinator for the group Jewish Voice for Peace. (Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Sara Catania and Andrew Hay) North American Railroads as of March 19: Coal, Intermodal Matters US and Canadian rail traffic Every Wednesday morning, the AAR (Association of American Railroads) releases the weekly rail traffic data for the previous week. For the week ending March 19, 2016, total US railcar units went down to about 235,000, indicating a sizable decline of ~17% YoY (year-over-year) from the more than 284,000 units one year previously. In line with the previous weeks trend, US intermodal slipped off the tracks, with traffic dropping by 10.7% YoY to ~248,000 units in the week ending March 19, 2016, from 278,000 units during the same period in 2015. Canadian railroads fell in sync with its US counterparts, reporting a decline of 7.3% in railcar units in the week ended March 19, 2016, compared with same period in 2015. Canadian intermodal reported a decline of 7.4% in the same week over one year previously. However, Mexican volumes of railcar units and Mexican intermodal were up by 5.9% and 1.3%, respectively, in the week ending March 19, 2016, over the same period in 2015. North American freight traffic Out of ten carload commodity groups, only three reported rises during this periodmotor vehicles and parts, miscellaneous carloads, and chemicals. The laggards were coal, down by 38.7%, petroleum products, and grain. The railroads submitting weekly data handle about 95% of total US and Canadian freight traffic. Much of the freight is hauled by Class I railroads including BNSF Railway (BRK.B), Union Pacific (UNP), Norfolk Southern (NSC), CSX Corporation (CSX), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), and Canadian National Railway (CNI). In this series, we analyze how each of these freight rail giants fared in the week ending March 19, 2016. If youre looking for indirect exposure to the transportation sector, you might consider investing in the Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP), which has 0.8% exposure to all US-originated Class I railroads. Story continues Lets begin our specific analysis with Norfolk Southern. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Miami (AFP) - The United States repatriated 58 Cubans rescued from rafts while trying to reach American shores in dangerous waters, the US Coast Guard said. They were part of a wave of migration from the communist island nation since the beginning of its rapprochement with the United States. A Coast Guard patrol boat took the rafters to the Cuban village of Bahia de Cabanas, the agency said in a statement. They were rescued in the Straits of Florida -- the 90 miles (150 kilometers) of water separating the US state from Cuba -- from seven different boats over the last week. The Coast Guard has seen a spike in the number of Cubans arriving in the United States by land and sea since Washington and Havana announced they would begin normalizing relations in December 2014. Cuban migrants who reach the United States are put on a fast track to residency and citizenship under a Cold War-era policy that many fear will be shelved as the two countries normalize relations. US President Barack Obama's historic visit to Cuba this week has helped seal the process. "Immigration policies have not changed and we urge people not to take to the ocean in unseaworthy vessels," Coast Guard Captain Mark Gordon said. "It is illegal and extremely dangerous." The Coast Guard rescued another 18 Cuban migrants with severe dehydration off Florida's coast on Friday, although nine other members of their group died during the voyage. More than 43,000 Cubans entered the United States by sea and land during fiscal year 2015 -- which ended in September -- a figure not seen for decades. Some 2,562 Cubans have attempted to reach US shores on rafts since October 1, the Coast Guard estimates. Top US legislators called Thursday for a national security assessment of a Chinese state company's planned takeover of Swiss agribusiness Syngenta, pointing to its sizeable US operations. Senators Chuck Grassley, Sherrod Brown and Joni Ernst, all members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, called for a proactive review of the $43 billion deal by the powerful Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) with participation by officials from the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. The review should assess "any potential ramifications the purchase may have for American national security, with a specific focus on the potential effects on food security and the safety of our food system," the senators said in a letter to the Treasury Department, which chairs CFIUS. "Shifts in company governance; operational strategy; or financial health -- particularly in light of the magnitude of this leveraged transaction -- could have consequences for food security, food safety, biosecurity, and the highly competitive US farm sector as a whole," they warned. Their letter focused on the February offer by state-owned China National Chemical Corp. or ChemChina, to buy the Swiss company, a leading player in farm science and technology, with market-leading seeds and crop protection products. The senators also suggested a growing general wariness of Chinese moves to buy US companies. In a separate letter to the Treasury Wednesday, Brown said Chinese investment deals are behind a sharp overall climb in foreign takeovers of US companies. He referred to national security concerns not only about the Syngenta deal but appliance giant Haier's takeover of General Electric's appliance division, Chongqing Casin's bid for the Chicago Stock Exchange, and others in the technology sector. In their letter, the three senators also pointed to the 2013 takeover of Smithfield, the world's largest pork processor, by China's Shuanghui group as an additional reason why foreign investment in US agriculture needs "careful review." The risk rises when "an acquired US agricultural asset becomes in some part governed by a foreign government with clear strategic interests," they said, adding that "unpredictable behavior" from foreign owners "is a great challenge for the United States." YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. A regular, 35th, round of Geneva Discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia was held in a "rather constructive atmosphere," Armenpress reports Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told TASS on Wednesday after the two-day talks. Over the three months after the previous round of the Geneva consultations, the situation in the region has been "generally calm and relatively stable," he said. Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have expressed their concerns over intensive military cooperation of Georgia and NATO, Karasin noted. "Representatives of Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia again raised their concerns over boosting military cooperation of Georgia and NATO," he said. "Naturally, the young Caucasian republics view it as a threat to their national sovereignty, taking into account the sentiments ruling in Tbilisi." Another major subject discussed at this round of consultations was non-use of force in the region. "I must admit that the majority of participants have done good job and issued a brief draft statement on that matter," he said. "Regrettably, Georgias representatives dodged agreement of this document again. But I think this work will be continued, since such joint stamen is extremely important for the atmosphere of the discussions and the situation in the region." (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc said an attacker had exploited a security vulnerability on its enterprise client portal to steal contact information of a number of customers. The company said the attacker however did not gain access to Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) or other data. CPNI is the information that telephone companies collect including the time, date, duration and destination number of each call and the type of network a consumer subscribes to. Krebs On Security, which first broke the news of the breach, said a member of a underground cybercrime forum had posted a new thread advertising the sale of a database containing the contact information on some 1.5 million customers of Verizon Enterprise. The seller priced the entire package at $100,000, but offered to sell it off in parts of 100,000 records for $10,000 apiece, Krebs added. (http://bit.ly/1S9C6Kc) The vulnerability, which was investigated and fixed, did not leak any data on consumer customers, Verizon said in a statement on Thursday. The company is currently notifying customers impacted by the breach. (Reporting by Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru; Editing by Diane Craft and Cynthia Osterman) Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders' home state of Vermont may become the according to Reuters. In February, the state Senate passed a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana for those over 21 years old starting in 2018, but also ban people from growing plants and selling edibles. The creation of the bill follows a year of convincing hearings in the Senate about marijuana, and its decision needs to be made before May, Reuters reported. However, having marijuana legalization in the hands of lawmakers would "It makes for a much more thoughtful and measured approach," State Sen. Jeanette White, a bill sponsor, told Reuters. "We got to work out the details, we got to ask the questions first and put the whole infrastructure in place before it happens." Gov. Peter Shumlin called the war on drugs "outdated" at his State of the State address in January, and said he thinks legal marijuana according to the Washington Post. With the bill, there'd be a 25% tax on marijuana sales, which would go to "drug law enforcement and drug education programs," according to Reuters. Advocates claim 16 other states have tried similar bills, but this is the farthest one's ever gone, Reuters reported. Out of 895 Vermonters, 55% supported legalization, a poll by Vermont Public Radio found, according to Reuters. In 2013, Vermont decriminalized marijuana, but a substantial amount of users still turned to the black market for purchase in 2015, Shumlin noted in January, according to the Washington Post. "We have a history of tackling difficult issues with respect and care, the Vermont way," Shumlin said then, the Washington Post reported. "I believe we have the capacity to take this next step and get marijuana legalization done right." Rome (AFP) - Italy's luxury fashion house Versace said Thursday its revenues in 2015 grew 17.5 percent, thanks largely to sales of its accessories and its cheekier second line, Versus. While the brand's revenues grew by 645 million euros ($720 million), its retail sales were 28.9 percent higher at 400.7 million euros and income from e-commerce was up 31.2 percent. Revenues were up 33 percent in Europe, 36.6 percent in China, 26.7 percent for the whole of Asia and 27.0 percent in North America, the company said in a statement. It noted "a particularly strong performance of accessories for men and women, which represented 50 percent of first line retail sales," and said Versus "had an outstanding year with sales from boutiques more than doubling" from a year earlier. Fragrances, eyewear and interior designed all performed well according to Versace, which was founded in Milan in 1978 and has seen its Versus line worn by celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Alexa Chung. The company had shown "resilience in the face of a tough environment for the global luxury industry," said CEO Gian Giacomo Ferraris, adding that he was "cautiously optimistic for 2016". This year Versace "will invest up to 50 million euros for new store openings (and) major store refurbishments, including our 5th Avenue flagship in New York and our Milan flagship," he said. Washington (AFP) - Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump's most enthusiastic supporters are predominantly white, lack college education, and bemoan their apparent marginalization in a rapidly changing America. Their unexpected rise as a disruptive force in the 2016 Republican race has raised questions about who they are and what they espouse. Confoundingly for Trump's rivals, so-called "Trumpeters" refuse to conform to conservative orthodoxy. They come from throughout the vast United States, from rural, suburban and urban communities. They extend well beyond niche voters, giving breadth and power to a campaign that was initially dismissed by GOP heavyweights and political pundits last year. Trump has won an average of 37 percent of ballots cast in the 30-plus primary races to date; rich and poor, black and white, young and old have voted for him. But experts working from exit polls say his core supporters are voters eager for a candidate who will tip the economic balance in their favor. The demographic that routinely scores highest for Trump is those whose formal education ended with high school. That is true in the US Northeast, where 47 percent of New Hampshire Republican primary voters with no college education picked Trump, and in the South, where that figure rose to 56 percent in Mississippi. This hardly means college graduates shun the Donald. He often leads that group, too. Those with advanced degrees spread their votes more equally among the candidates, however. But with the Republican Party essentially a white bastion, the real estate mogul's most reliable base of support is caucasians with no more than a high school education -- about half of whom have voted for him so far in 2016. - Eroding economic status - Another variable that figures prominently in Trump's success: the proportion of voters who live in mobile homes. A New York Times analysis established a correlation between the number of mobile home in a county and the likelihood of it supporting Trump. Story continues The more a region remained in the "old economy," with most jobs in agriculture, construction, trade or manufacturing, the more likely it would be to vote for Trump, the analysts found. The same could be said for the proportion of adults who are unemployed or have stopped looking for work. The sense of slipping economic status featured prominently in exit polls conducted March 15 in five states including Ohio and Florida where about one in five voters said they felt they were "falling behind" with family finances. Of those, about half voted for Trump. "Trump is constantly telling voters how his own personal greatness will lead to prosperity," political science professors John Sides and Michael Tesler wrote in the Washington Post. "It's a message that appears to resonate among Americans who do not feel prosperous." - Race - It is difficult to pinpoint the impact that Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric has had on his political success. His call to ban Muslims from entering the country is popular not only among his followers, but with Republicans in general. Few Republican candidates disapprove of Trump's proposal to round up and deport the 11 or 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows. But researchers have found that it is Trump in particular who has galvanized Americans worried about the country's ethnic diversity, notably its growing Hispanic population. A pilot study in January by the American National Election Study found that the more voters give importance to their own "white identity" or believe that discrimination against whites is growing, the more likely they are to vote Trump. - Unorthodoxy - Trump's political positions often run counter to traditional conservative ideology, particularly regarding the role of government and his interest in curbing some excesses of free trade. For example, he challenges free-trade principles by threatening tariffs on imports from China or Mexico. He also supports government helping ensure broader health care coverage or investing in modernizing the country's aging infrastructure. Many voters who describe themselves as very conservative have expressed a preference for Trump's chief Republican rival, Ted Cruz, a Texas senator who adheres to conservative purity. In the past, Trump defended abortion rights. University of Pennsylvania researchers whose work was featured on website FiveThirtyEight found Trump backers also had been more open to abortion in the past. Researchers Dan Hopkins and Diana Mutz have followed a sample of US voters since 2007. They found that Trump supporters in the sample were far more supportive of abortion rights in 2007 than present-day Cruz backers were in the same year. By Julia Harte WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal government control of public lands in the U.S. West remains a political flashpoint weeks after an armed standoff in Oregon fizzled, with lawmakers debating proposals and a left-leaning think tank urging scrutiny of extremist groups. In a dispute that echoes some of the anti-government themes running through the U.S. presidential campaign, Republican lawmakers want to probe federal land management agencies they call the "root cause" of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by right-wing activists in January and February. But Democrats accuse Republicans of "dangerously irresponsible rhetoric" that encourages lawlessness and violence in the wide-open West, where the federal government polices vast tracts of wilderness. The Democratic Party-aligned Center for American Progress on Thursday called on Congress to look into groups like the ones behind the Malheur occupation. Such an inquiry could illuminate a "network of patriot militias, financiers, and special interest groups that are currently fighting to seize control of U.S. public lands, said a report that the center shared with Reuters. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid commended the report on Thursday, saying in a statement, "It is time for Republicans to come to their senses and stand up to these extremists and denounce the horrible values they represent." As long as Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress, the inquiry the report calls for is unlikely, though Republicans' proposals will probably get a full airing. A bill introduced last week by Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican, would eliminate all Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement personnel. This would "fulfill a major objective of the radical 'county supremacy' movement ... which argues that county sheriffs are the highest law enforcement authorities in the United States," according to the Center for American Progress report. Story continues But a spokesperson for Chaffetz rejected that claim, saying the bill would give land agencies a chance to focus "on their core mission without the distraction of their police function," and would require local law enforcement authorities to annually report on their land stewardship. "If the land agencies actually tried to listen and solve the problems of the people instead of imposing a dogma on them, we wouldn't have this issue," Utah Republican Representative Rob Bishop, who chairs the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, told Reuters. Representative Raul Grijalva from Arizona, the chief Democrat on the committee, told Reuters he wants "an end to the dangerously irresponsible rhetoric coming from some in Congress who are promoting a divisive culture of lawlessness and violence in the West." The House Natural Resources Committee last month considered three related Republican bills: one would allow states to take over 2 million acres of federal forests, primarily for logging; another is focused on an aircraft range but would transfer the rights to some roadways across federal land in Utah to counties; a third would let states manage tracts of federally owned land through pilot programs. A spokesman for Alaska Republican Representative Don Young, who introduced the first bill, said it would alleviate a decline in timber production due to ineffective federal forest management. Utah Republican Representative Chris Stewart, who sponsored the second bill, said it is "about military readiness, plain and simple." The sponsor of the third bill declined to comment. (Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Bernard Orr and Cynthia Osterman) Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday took a keen interest in the briefcase of visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry, wondering aloud if it perhaps contained cash intended to sway his opinion on Syria's future. "When I saw you getting off the plane and carrying your things, I got a bit upset," Putin began as the pair met for talks at the Kremlin where Kerry is set to try and shift the Russian leader's position on Syria's Bashar al-Assad. "On the one hand, it's very democratic, on the other hand, I thought, things must be getting bad in the US," Putin said with a small laugh, "if there is nobody to help the Secretary of State with his briefcase". "One would think it's all going well with the economy, no significant layoffs -- but then I thought, maybe there was something in that briefcase that you could not entrust to anyone, something valuable. "It must be money you brought, to better haggle with us on key issues," Putin joked, looking across the table at a smiling Kerry. "When we have a private moment, I'll show you what's in my briefcase," Kerry replied. "I think you will be surprised, pleasantly." Quizzed by a journalist from a Russian state channel on the contents of the briefcase later at a press conference, Kerry made it clear the matter was not for public scrutiny. "That's a secret between President Putin and me," he teased. The coarseness of the 2016 Republican presidential primary is unprecedented in modern political history. Its a campaign season in which violence against protesters is increasingly commonplace and even candidates spouses are not exempt from attack ads and threats from their opponents. One result has been that some groups are now seriously concerned about the physical safety and emotional well-being of people involved in the race. Though in some cases, the response seems more logical than others. Related: Trump Wins Arizona and Gets Ugly, Threatening Cruzs Wife A story in The Washington Post on Wednesday revealed that National Public Radio has begun offering reporters assigned to cover Donald Trumps campaign for the GOP nomination an abbreviated version of the training that they offer reporters covering armed conflicts and other dangerous events. Clearly, NPR isnt treating covering Trump rallies as the equivalent of sending reporters into a combat zone. However, violence at the Republican frontrunners rallies has become increasingly common, and Trump himself frequently directs his supporters attention to the pen in which reporters are forced to stand as he rages about the disgusting and dishonest media. At least once, he has called out an individual reporter by name in front of thousands of his angry supporters. So, it seems understandable when NPR senior vice president of news Michael Orsekes told the Post that the network thought it might be wise to offer reporters some training on how to deal with dangerous or possibly hostile environments. But the Post isnt the only organization concerned about the well-being of people attending Trump rallies. Related: Trump Turn US Military into the Worlds Rent-a-Cop Late Tuesday, The Daily Beast website reported that the white supremacist American Freedom Party is launching the Trump Harassment Hotline to help those who are attacked physically and verbally for supporting Trump. Story continues The 24-hour hotline will reportedly be staffed with attorneys and counselors who can advise Trump supporters on whether they have an actionable legal claim, attorney William Daniel Johnson, the American Freedom Partys leader, told the website. So far, though, while there has been plenty of verbal abuse directed at Trump supporters mainly from groups opposed to racism and religious bigotry most of the documented violence at Trump rallies has involved the billionaire Republican frontrunners supporters sucker-punching defenseless protesters. That may not stop the Trump Harassment Hotline from doing a booming business, though. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: The goal of the #NeverTrump movement is to keep Donald Trump from amassing the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the nomination. (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images) We all had a good laugh at Chris Christies expense after the New Hampshire primary, when he decided to get behind Donald Trump in exchange for dibs on an especially comfortable chaise longue at Mar-a-Lago. Next to the kinds of craven endorsements were seeing now, though, Christie might be in line for a Profile in Courage award. Just yesterday, Jeb Bush followed his pal Lindsey Graham by coming out in support of Ted Cruz, although apparently he didnt think he could get through an actual announcement without falling to his knees and rending his clothes in self-loathing, so he released a tepid statement instead. Bush described Cruz as a consistent, principled conservative who has demonstrated the ability to appeal to voters, by which he meant that Cruz is not Trump and thats all there is to say. This followed the bizarre contortions of Mitt Romney, whose state-by-state endorsement strategy has been so convoluted that Id suggest getting a blank NCAA bracket if you really want to keep up. All of which gets to why this #NeverTrump movement among governing Republicans might more aptly be called #NeverGoingtoHappen instead. Thats not to say I dont understand the strategy here, because I do. The singular goal is to keep Trump from amassing the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the nomination, thus hurtling the party into an open convention for the first time in 40 years. Bush has apparently decided that this can happen only if its a two-man race, even though he almost certainly believes that John Kasich is the only candidate left who has any business being in the Oval Office. So he and other leading Republicans are going to close ranks around Cruz and hope they can get control of the process once the voters are finished making a holy mess of it. (Its interesting that Jeb has not been joined in this cause by his brother George W., who seems to have decided that he would sooner paint Trumps presidential portrait himself than endorse the fellow Texan who once worked for him. That ought to tell you something.) Story continues Romneys strategy is more elaborate. Like many of you who probably also assumed you were watching an old Bewitched rerun on daytime TV until you realized that Darrin had just way too many lines, I watched Romneys speech attacking Trump a few weeks back, and I have to say I was impressed. Where Trump was vulgar and insecure, Romney was cutting and confident, reminding us that titans of business dont hawk bad steaks in late-night infomercials. It seemed possible that Romney, in his advancing years, had at last found within himself some hidden reserve of political steel. But no turns out some distant race of extraterrestrials had actually snatched Romneys body for a day so they could deliver a message about the grave danger of a Trump presidency, and when they were done they dropped the old Romney right back into our laps. Romney endorsed Kasich in Ohio, noting that he was the only guy with a real track record. But then he turned around and announced he was voting for Cruz in Utah anyway although he wasnt actually endorsing Cruz, just so nobody gets confused. Right. If you step back for a second, you can see why Romney might have some interest in getting to a convention with the delegates divided as many ways as possible. Mitt made his fortune as the consummate turnaround guy the bloodless analyst who swoops into a company in crisis and fires all the incompetent executives. What is the Republican Party now if not an organization in crisis? If you were Romney, why wouldnt you look at the disaster looming and recognize a ripe takeover opportunity? But heres the problem for Bush and Romney and the whole #NeverTrump thing generally: You dont win campaigns solely by running against somebody else. You have to give voters something or someone that they can be for. This, of course, was Romneys essential flaw as a nominee four years ago. He effectively ran as the #NeverObama candidate, avoiding anything that could have been misconstrued for a declarative worldview or agenda. He thought it was enough to not be Barack Obama and not be objectionable, and he was wrong. Thats pretty much how Jeb! ran his campaign this year, too. First he was the anti-Clinton, and then he was the anti-Trump. The ubiquitous exclamation point hinted at the hole in his campaign, which is that in the end he offered nothing for anyone to be genuinely enthusiastic about. Thats almost never enough in politics, which is why governing Republicans will almost certainly end up ruing their missed opportunities. As Ive written before, there was a moment, in the week before the New Hampshire primary, when Marco Rubio, having surged out of the Iowa caucuses, seemed poised to emerge as the hopeful candidate of the governing class. But then Christie dismantled Rubio on the debate stage, and the field didnt winnow as it otherwise would have, and the partys leaders continued to watch and wait. Rubios chance passed. There was probably even a brief moment, right after New Hampshire, when Republican governors and lawmakers could have swung behind Kasich, whod easily finished second in the primary, and who had the strongest governing record and approval ratings of anybody in the field. But there again, the party elite cowered and dithered. They were afraid to get on the wrong side of the Trump brigades, worried about being embarrassed if they made the wrong choice. Instead of shoring up a candidate they could enthusiastically be for, they continued to define themselves by the campaigns they were against, offering support only when it was already clear which way the voters were going. (For sheer spinelessness here, no one beats Floridas governor, Rick Scott, who declined to endorse anyone until the day after his states primary, when he boldly threw his weight behind the guy who had won by almost 20 points.) Even at this late hour, you have Scott Walker, erstwhile candidate and two-term governor of Wisconsin, refusing to endorse a candidate in the April 5 primary there, although he hinted he would probably back Cruz at a moment of maximum impact. Maybe that means hes discovered a time machine. Because its almost certainly too late now to derail Trump. So if youre going down anyway, at least go down with some conviction. At least stand up for Kasich, a candidate you think can actually win and actually govern, as opposed to a guy we all know you cant stand. The bottom line is that you cant beat Trump by underscoring the central theme of his ignoble campaign, which is exactly what all this strategic endorsing is bound to do. Trump has gotten to where he is by savaging the Republican establishment as expedient and craven politicians willing to sacrifice any principle to preserve their own power. Its amazing that Republican leaders seem so hell-bent on proving him right. An Indian woman who was pictured covered in dust and blood after the Brussels attacks and made newspaper front pages around the world has been identified as an Indian Jet Airways employee. The brother-in-law of the woman, Nidhi Chaphekar, told AFP Wednesday that he and his brother were set to fly out from Mumbai to join her in Brussels where she was hospitalised A haunting photograph of a dazed Chaphekar covered in debris, that surfaced soon after two massive suicide blasts hit Zaventem Airport, became one of the most widely published images of the bombings. The attacks, which also targeted a metro train in the city, left 31 people dead and 270 wounded. In the photo, shared by millions on social media, the mother of two is seen in the tattered remains of her yellow Jet Airways jacket, missing a shoe and with blood running down her face. "Depending on when the next earliest flight out of the country is, my brother and I will be leaving by tonight or tomorrow morning," the 40-year-old flight attendant's brother-in-law, Nilesh Chaphekar, told AFP by telephone. "We haven't been able to speak to her directly yet. All we know is that she is in stable condition now. We have been kept informed by Jet (Airways)," he said, adding that "it has been a very traumatic experience". Local media citing unnamed Jet Airways sources on Tuesday identified Chaphekar and another employee who was also hurt in the blasts as Amit Motwani. The airlines in an official statement confirmed Tuesday that "two Jet Airways staff have sustained injuries in the explosion at Brussels airport", refraining to identify them with their full names. "Based on latest updates from #Brussels, our colleagues Nidhi and Amit are recovering well. We look forward to welcome them home soon," the airline posted on Twitter Wednesday. Many online have criticised the publishing and sharing of Chaphekar's photo, saying that her privacy should be respected. Story continues "It's sad how insensitive media & SM (social media) is being, in broadcasting @jetairways's injured crew member's photo. Respect her privacy please!!!," tweeted Indian actress Gul Panag. Separately, an Indian employee of Infosys is said to be missing in the aftermath of the attacks, the Bangalore-based software firm said Wednesday. "We are trying to reach one employee with whom we have not been able to connect," the IT outsourcing firm said in a statement. Infosys said it was in touch with the missing worker's family and authorities in the Belgian capital in an attempt to locate the employee. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. President Obama accepted an invitation to a tango dance during a state dinner in his honor in Buenos Aires, Armenpress reports, citing Associated Press. At first, Obama declined the offer, but eventually agreed to dance. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama was dancing with another dancer. Barack Obama arrived in Argentina on March 23. It is the first visit of a U.S president to the country in the last 19 years. Alan Cutter and Lindsay Diaz each owned one half of a duplex at 7601 and 7603 Calypso Drive in Rowlett, a town right outside of Dallas, Texas. The house had been hit by tornadoes over the holidays, but rather than completely rebuild her half, Diaz had planned on simply repairing it. Unfortunately, that's never going to happen. DON'T MISS: Samsung might be close to releasing the most revolutionary phone the world has seen in years Hours after applying for a builders permit this Tuesday, Diaz received a distressing call from Alan Cutter's wife. Diaz tells KERA News, which had been following her story in its series One Crisis Away: Rebuilding A Life, that Mrs. Cutter was frantic, and when she asked what was going on, Mrs. Cutter told her that "a company came and demolished the house by mistake." Sure enough, by the time Diaz pulled up, all that was left was a concrete slab and the wrecked remains of what used to be her home. WFAA, an ABC affiliate in Dallas, reports that Billy L. Nabors Demolition was scheduled to tear down a house at 7601 Cousteau Drive. The company is blaming Google Maps for the error, which sounds convenient, but if you enter "7601 Cousteau Drive" into Google Maps, it directs you to 7601 Calypso Drive. We like to poke fun at Apple Maps on occasion, but as Engadget notes, both addresses are correct in Apple's app. Regardless, the fact that the demolition company was careless enough not to double-check the location is appalling. According to the WFAA report, no one from the company has apologized for the mistake or responded to repeated requests for a comment. Diaz has filed a report with the police documenting the tragic mistake. Related stories Critical Android bug can permanently compromise Nexus and other devices Google's upcoming keyboard app for iOS actually sounds exciting Despite big branding push, Apple is about as trusted on privacy as Google and Microsoft More from BGR: Apple stared down the FBI and won This article was originally published on BGR.com Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today. Yahoo (YHOO) shares are in focus after activist investor Starboard followed through on threats to demand the removal of the entire nine-member board of the struggling tech icon setting the stage for proxy fight. PVH (PVH), the owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, delivered a slight beat on both its top and bottom lines for the holiday quarter. However, the company gave a disappointing outlook for the year, citing the stronger dollar, a more cautious consumer, and a growing reliance on promotions. Get the Latest Market Data and New with the Yahoo Finance App Yum Brands (YUM) are on investors' radar this morning. The owner of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut is reportedly in talks with private equity firms KKR, Hopu Investments and other funds to sell its minority stake in its China operations, as it prepares to spin off the unit. Yum's China business accounts for almost half of the company's sales and is valued at about $10 billion. Office Depot (ODP) and Staples (SPLS) were sharply higher in early trading following reports that a federal judge overseeing the Federal Trade Commission case against the merger said he was disturbed by the allegations that the FTC used improper tactics to alter Amazon's (AMZN) testimony. Dubai (AFP) - A year after it launched air strikes in Yemen, a Saudi-led military coalition has failed to deal a decisive blow to Iran-backed rebels and is facing mounting criticism over civilian casualties. With warring parties drained by the fighting, the United Nations said Wednesday that a ceasefire had been agreed from April 10, to be followed by peace talks. Analysts say that since air strikes were launched on March 26 last year, rebel resistance has been far more effective than expected and the weakness of Yemen's internationally recognised government has been exposed. The Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies remain in control of large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa. Charles Schmitz, a Yemen expert at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said the Huthis and allied forces loyal to former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh are far from defeated. "The Huthi and Saleh forces have done relatively well given the circumstances," he said. "They have no air cover and no secure means of resupplying their arsenal yet they retain significant military power." The Huthis' seizure of Sanaa and other parts of the country raised alarm bells in Riyadh, which feared the Shiite minority from Yemen's highlands would extend Iranian influence in its southern neighbour. When President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government was forced to flee into Saudi exile, Riyadh and its Sunni Arab allies in the coalition vowed to restore it to power. Backed by coalition firepower, loyalist forces have been able to assert control over much of Yemen's once-independent south including the main city of Aden, where Hadi has established a temporary capital. But the rebels have stubbornly held on to eight of Yemen's 22 provinces and heavy fighting has been raging for months in five others. Among them is the strategically important central province of Taez, where loyalists have failed to advance despite a major offensive launched in November. Story continues - Coalition 'handicapped' - The Huthis "have proven adept at holding onto territory and colonising key state organs," said Jordan Perry, a Middle East and North Africa analyst at the Verisk Maplecroft consultancy. "The coalition has been handicapped by a lack of technical expertise and battlefield experience," said Perry. In fact, rights groups allege that coalition strikes have killed far more civilians than rebels. The UN says civilians account for more than half of the about 6,300 people killed in the conflict in the last year. Riyadh's key ally Washington has expressed concerns over civilian deaths and international rights groups have urged the United States and other world powers to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia. As international criticism of the intervention grows, Riyadh is saying its main phase may soon be over. Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri told AFP last week that the "major combat phase" has neared its end. Coalition forces have made "a big achievement towards peace and stability in Yemen," Assiri said. "Today we have a government, recognised by the international community, running the country from Aden." But loyalist and coalition troops have been struggling to secure these areas, where radical Sunni groups have widened their influence. The Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda have exploited the chaos and carried out deadly attacks in the south, mostly against pro-Hadi forces. Hadi's government and the coalition have "prioritised their struggle against the Huthis, turning a blind eye to the gains made by radical Sunni groups that have continued to metastasise within the security vacuum," Perry said. Yemen's powerful Al-Qaeda affiliate has even managed to take control of much of the southern Hadramawt province and its capital Mukalla. - 'Glimmer of hope' - "The Saudis miscalculated the ability of the Hadi camp to govern liberated territory" and "Al-Qaeda took advantage," said Schmitz. It was only this month that coalition warplanes targeted jihadists in Aden for the first time. The United States has meanwhile continued to hit Al-Qaeda in Yemen, killing more than 70 militants in a strike this week. New hopes for a breakthrough in the conflict surfaced on Wednesday after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that warring parties agreed on a ceasefire that would be observed before peace talks start on April 18. Previous negotiations have failed and several ceasefires were never respected. But a recent mediation effort that essentially stopped fighting along the Saudi-Yemeni border could provide "a glimmer of hope", Schmitz said. "The Huthis need to pull back their forces, let go of the Iranians, and show... respect (to) Saudi security concerns," he said. Still, Perry said the rebels are unlikely to withdraw from all the cities they have seized. "The jewel in the Huthis' crown - the capital Sanaa - is not at imminent risk of takeover," he said. Perry said a comprehensive and lasting peace settlement in Yemen was a "distant prospect", with "very limited" potential for power-sharing as "deep divisions will persist." But a halt in fighting is sorely needed, said Rima Kamal, the local spokeswoman of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Hospitals have run out of supplies, electricity and water systems have broke down, food and other basic commodities such as fuel have run critically low" in the impoverished country, she told AFP. "Death and injury have become daily occurrences," said Kamal, whose group has seen two staff members killed during the past year and another abducted. By Marcus E. Howard NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York doctor accused of sexually assaulting two female patients at a Manhattan hospital was indicted on Thursday on charges involving two other women, prosecutors said. The women have accused David Newman, a former Mount Sinai Hospital emergency room physician and author, of sexual misconduct while under his care. He was indicted by a grand jury on one count of first-degree sexual abuse and four counts of third-degree sexual abuse. Newman, 45, author of the 2008 book "Hippocrates' Shadow" about the relationship between physician and patient, has denied the charges. Mount Sinai spokeswoman Kathleen Robinson said Newman was no longer employed at the hospital, and that it was cooperating with authorities. Newman's attorney, Susan Necheles, said in an email that her client's "innocence will be proven at trial, which we hope will take place promptly so that he can get his life back." Newman has been accused of sexually abusing the women, aged 18 to 29, at the hospital between August 2015 and January 2016, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said in a statement. Two of the women came forward after he was initially charged in January. "As alleged in this indictment, four young women who came to the hospital for medical treatment were sexually abused by the very doctor entrusted with their care," he said in a statement. Newman is scheduled to appear in court on June 23. (Editing by Frank McGurty and Richard Chang) YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani attempts to escalate the situation and ceasefire violation incidents during the festive days are a demonstration of insidious policy, NKR President Spokesman Davit Babayan told Armenpress. Azerbaijan is a terrorist state. Azerbaijans actions on the border must be an alert for the international community. The international community must adopt a serious stance on the violations made by Azerbaijan and its disrespect towards the international community. I believe the international community must take tough steps to restrain that country. We witness what happens in Europe and all over the world. Azerbaijans actions are another form of terrorism. What Azerbaijan does along the border, and how it glorifies murderers are also a demonstration of terrorism. If Paris or Brussels attackers were glorified, would the international community be content with it? Of course, not. Then why do they keep silent when scums like Safarov are glorified by the Azerbaijani leadership or take identical measures, Davit Babayan said. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk issued a statement on March 18 calling on the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides to maintain the ceasefire regime in the upcoming holidays of Nowruz and Easter period. This was followed by the Defense Ministry's statement that Armenia is ready to strictly observe the ceasefire, as it has done during the period of the entire confrontation, but expected Azerbaijans positively respond to this call. Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group and Gernot Esler, representative of the German presidency in the OSCE urged the same call, to strictly observe the ceasefire during the holidays. NKR Defense Ministry informs that Azerbaijan, however, continues to provoke tension on the contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh, by firing AGS-17 grenade launchers. The adversary fired over 1100 shots in the direction of Armenian border protecting units from different caliber weapons overnight March 24. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan paid a working visit to a number of military units of the 5th Corps. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry, the goal of the visit was to get familiarized with service organization and the operative situation on the given part of the border on site, as well as to check the implementation process of assignments give during the previous visit. Within the framework of the working visit Seyran Ohanyan visited military positions, familiarized himself with the condition of engineering and fortifications constructions, ongoing works, talked to servicemen on military duty, inquired about their social-living conditions. The Defense Minister gave a number of instructions to the Command Staff of the units of the Corps. No increases to consumers Saying, We have to find a mechanism where we bring that into some form of equilibrium, and once that equilibrium takes place, our demands will be met, Sabga stated, The only person who can fix that is in fact, the Government. So something has to happen to fix that equation. Asked whether depreciation of the TT dollar would drive up costs, Sabga replied, The depreciating TT dollar will drive costs up because it costs us more to buy the foreign exchange. Explaining that the component of foreign exchange differs in the overall cost differs from one sector to another, Sabga said, One of our strategies is to beef up our exports. He added this will, generate more of our own foreign exchange. On whether price increases would be passed on to consumers as a result of challenges to obtain foreign exchange, Sabga said, The TT economy has become a very liberal economy. Disclosing that many persons are fighting for market growth and market position in the economy at this time, Sabga explained, Market forces will dictate what you can and cannot pass on. He added that the current state of play shows that, in many cases, one is not able to pass o Man guilty of slashing wifes throat The charge alleged that Trevor Creft attempted to murder his wife Tricia Anthony by slashing her throat and stabbing her, six years ago. During the trial, Anthony told the presiding judge and jury last week, that she forgave her common- law husband Creft, 35, but moreso, she deliberately and persistently departed from the facts adduced in her testimony at the Preliminary Inquiry (which took place in the magistrates court prior to the High Court trial) by telling Justice Maria Wilson, she could not remember how Creft had attacked her with a knife on Labour Day in 2010. Anthony, 25, stood in the witness box and even with scars visible across her neck which were shown to the jury she told prosecuting attorneys she could not recall what happened. Forced to deem her a hostile witness, which the judge agreed to, the State sought to rely on Anthonys mothers evidence, but she also was uncooperative and was deemed a hostile witness, as well. The prosecution called the wifes brother, but he too confessed on oath, that he could not remember the evidence he gave in the magistrates court. He too was deemed hostile to the states case. Yesterday, after Justice Wilson summed up the case to the jury, they deliberated for an hour and found Creft guilty of attempted murder. The judge remanded Creft into custody for sentencing on April 13. It was a historic verdict in which the prosecutions main witness, more so the wife as victim, had systematically and deliberately departed from testimony given in the preliminary inquiry. After the verdict, Justice Wilson thanked the jury for their service to the criminal justice system, She said, You have responded positively to your discharge. You have a fair idea now how the criminal justice system works. Creft, a security guard, lived in a common- law relationship with Anthony and they have a son. State Attorneys Mauriceia Joseph and Brandon Sookoo, prosecuted the attempted murder charge against Creft, in which he is alleged to have attacked Anthony with a knife, in the presence of their then two-year-old son at her mothers house in Fyzabad, on the morning of June 19 2010. They were estranged and he had asked Anthony for $100 to go to work and she invited him over for the money at her mothers house where she was staying. In the witness box, Anthony said she could not remember giving testimony at the preliminary inquiry that: I stayed two stairs from the bottom to give him the money and he pulled my hand. My son was standing by the accused on the ground. When he pulled my left hand with his left hand, I saw him pull out a knife from his waist. When he pulled my hand, I dropped to my knees on the ground. He put his hands around my neck. I held the knife with my right hand and he pulled the knife from my hand. I was holding the blade. He put the knife and tried to cut my neck. In answering a question asked by prosecutor Joseph, Anthony said, I dont want to pursue this matter any further. After the verdict was announced, Crefts attorney Hubert Charles requested a Probation Officers report as he prepares for a plea in mitigation for Creft. Man charged for shooting Raun Diaz, 31, appeared before Magistrate Adrian Darmanie, on five shooting and firearm-related crimes arising out of an incident which took place at Normandie Hotel in St Anns on March 5. The charges were laid indictably and he was not called upon to plead. Diaz surrendered to police on March 10 and was held in custody at the Belmont Police Station until he was charged on Tuesday night. He was charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life and for shooting Lambert Nevins with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm. Diaz was represented by Criston J Williams and Randall Raphael and will reappear in court on April 22. Murdered prisoners mom demands justice Parks, 30, who was awaiting trial for murder at the Remand Section of the Golden Grove prison was killed while in his cell at the North Wing of the prison on Tuesday. However, it was not until 1 pm yesterday that his mother Lydia Parks was contacted by police and told that her son was killed in an accident and she was asked to go to the Forensic Science Centre to identify his body. The mother eight wasted no time in contacting Attorney- at-Law Gerald Ramdeen and informed about her sons death. Ramdeen accompanied Parks to the Forensic Science Centre shortly after 2 pm yesterday, but on their arrival there they were informed that all autopsies and viewing of bodies had been completed for the day and they should return today. A hysterical Parks walked out of the Forensic Science Centre yesterday in tears, demanding justice and condemned the delay by both the police and prison authorities in informing her in a timely manner about her sons demise. Parks said that 10 years ago her was charged for the murder of a man at Laventille Link Road, and at the age of 20 was sent to the Remand section of the prison to await a trial date for his matter. She said that for the past 10 years he was in a crowded cell with other remand prisoners and was frustrated over the delay to have his matter heard. She said that two years ago he was also stabbed and severely beaten and she did not know of this until she paid him a visit and was informed. She said that on Tuesday she received calls from Remand prisoners informing her that her sons throat had been slashed and 15 prisoners were responsible for his murder. I feel very hurt, they severed my sons throat, 15 of them killed my son, I need plenty justice, Trinidad going bad, Trinidad is the worst, just imagine a child in jail for 10 years, unable to get a date to go to court, and as a parent a whole day and a half passed, then they tell me, I go to Forensic and being told to come back tomorrow. They have no feelings for people, I cannot understand that but I need justice. Second cop in larceny of vehicle probe arrested Another officer, a constable also detained in connection with the same matter, remained locked up in a cell at the Central Police Station. A third officer, an acting corporal, is also expected to be detained shortly. Newsday understands that on Tuesday night officers of the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Harikrishen Baldeo, together with Inspector Montrichard, Sgt Daniel and others, went to the Princes Town home of the sergeant who is based at the Eastern Division and took him into custody. However, the sergeant complained of feeling unwell and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Yesterday he was visited by his attorney and was also interviewed by officers of the Professional Standards Bureau shortly after 1 pm yesterday. The other suspect has already been interviewed by officers of the PSB. Officers are expected to approach Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard shortly for instructions in this matter. It is alleged that last Thursday three officers, a sergeant, an acting corporal and a constable all of the Eastern Division allegedly sold a stolen SUV to a Tabaquite businessman for $12,000. The vehicle was towed from the police station, where the three are based, to the businessmans Tabaquite home. The sale of the stolen vehicle was reported to the Head of the Eastern Division who contacted ACP Baldeo of the Professional Standards Bureau for his intervention. This led to a probe and statements were secured from key persons and video footage secured. The Office of the DPP gave instructions for two of the three officers to be detained, while consideration is being given for the arrest of the third. Fired Jearlean to sue, demands $2M Sources revealed that her legal team is being led by Senior Counsel Avery Sinanan and instructing attorney Gerald Ramdeen . Newsday understands that in the pre-action protocol letter, John will also be challenging her firing on grounds that her behaviour on Monday - when she was summoned to a meeting with the HDC Board members - did not amount to insubordination or disrespectful conduct . Johns case is that there is no basis in fact or law for the HDC to come to a conclusion that there was a loss of confidence in her as Managing Director. Contacted yesterday, John confirmed she will be challenging her dismissal, stating she waited for three months to learn of the outcome of an audit of the HDC and now that she has been dismissed, she will pursue the matter in a bid to preserve her reputation. She said that a person is nothing without his or her reputation . On Tuesday, John received her termination letter which stated she was dismissed because of her, reaction, demeanour and tone, to the HDC Board. Additionally, the Board led by Chairman George alleged that John was insubordinate and disrespectful, a claim John has vehemently denied. Johns dismissal was officially announced in a one-page urgent media release, circulated by the HDC at 3.48 pm on Tuesday YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. 10 operating companies are present in the Armenian "Alliance" and "Meridian" free economic zones, whose investments will amount to 101, 2 million dollars. Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan said during the Cabinet meeting, adding that the investment will create 450 new jobs. As "Armenpress" reports, the Government granted the BAGEZYAN LLC an operating permit in the Meridian free economic zone. A $ 68.5 million investment program is planned for implementing in jewelry and silversmithing spheres. According to Minasyan, in the upcoming 5 years the company will create at least 70 new jobs with an average salary of $ 250-500. "The company plans to expand exports to major destinations in Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union countries, USA, Canada, European countries, UAE, Hong Kong, Mexico, Iraq, Israel, with the annual export volume of over 9.5 million dollars in the near future," the minister said. The newly created "BAGEZYAN" LLC is member of the "BaG Jewelry" company, which has 30 years of history in the international jewelry industry. The company has more than 10 thousand trademarks. The company will have 700 square meters of production area in the "Meridian" FEZ. Economist applauds Govts fuel subsidy talks Hosein was addressing an economic forum hosted by the Penal/ Debe Chamber of Commerce at the FunSplash water park, Debe on Tuesday night in which he said the nation was at a crossroads and also suggested that the TT dollar be allowed to devalue to stimulate the non-energy sector. My view is that the country is at a crossroads, Hosein said, adding, I am in support of the highway to Point Fortin and the highway to Mayaro, I really hope that these two projects take the front burner over the next few years because they can open up the economic base currently idle in terms of unemployed resources or underemployed resources. And regarding the TT dollar, which had witnessed a slump over the past few days, Hosein noted that the currency had moved from $6.39 to $6.60 saying his view was to allow it to devalue itself. We should look at the currency a little harder and allow it to devalue simply because it is one of the avenues through which we can stimulate non-energy sector exports and also stimulate import substitution industrialisation, he said. Hosein said the national consultation on the fuel subsidy should have been done years ago as this had led to lower national productivity and increased traffic congestion. Less than 2% of school population is violent Recently, I was reading an article by one educator (who) stated we need to be careful we dont punish the majority for incidents committed by the minority. If we look at incidents such as assault with and without weapons, extortion, taxing, fighting with and without weapons, we had a total of 5,149 incidents over the four-year period (2012 to 2015); 1,213 in 2012, 1,265 in 2013, 1,310 in 2014 and 1,361 in 2015. We had a total of 6,676 students being suspended from secondary school for violent encounters, which really averages about 1,669 per year and this translates to less than two percent of our student population, Seecharan said. He noted that because the ministry took additional steps in 2014, to ensure greater compliance with reporting, this may be why figures in 2014 and 2015 were slightly higher. Again, this (data) translates to a little over one percent of our students. So the question really is whether the picture being portrayed within the media, notwithstanding we have incidents that are cause for concern, whether that is the reality of what is happening in our schools. Seecharan was speaking at the inaugural conference on Safety and Security in Schools, hosted by the Core Foundation at Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain last Tuesday. Looking specifically at primary schools, he cited a 2007 report titled, Bullying, Victimisation and Delinquency in primary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Lall (author of the report) used a 12- item, self-report scale, in which he asked respondents to indicate the extent to which they had engaged in each of the different acts within the last six months. The most prevalent acts were, being in a fist fight 64 percent of respondents at primary school, and disobeying and answering back your teacher, 66 percent. Forty-five percent of students said they drank alcohol while two percent admitted using illegal drugs and seven percent admitted to smoking cigarettes. Seventeen percent said they stole something, 19 percent skipped school or class and 26 percent fought using weapons while 27 percent said they used force to get something, Seecharan stated. He also shared statistics from a 2010 study in which students from 19 secondary schools in Trinidad were surveyed. The most serious issue was disrespect 60.7 percent of students agreed that this was a very serious issue in school. Fighting, 55 percent. Littering, 53 percent. Disruptive behaviour, 52.5 percent. Gambling, 50.7 percent. Stealing, 49.4 percent. Loitering, 48 percent and bullying, 43 percent. It is important to note, Seecharan added, that fully 37.8 percent of students thought that the presence of gangs within their school was a very serious issue while 34.6 percent cited inappropriate sexual contact between students, 32 percent cited weapons possession and 30.4 percent cited robbery. Include children with Down Syndrome Speaking on the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day, observed on March 21, the networks Event Chairperson Lisa Ghany, said the main focus of the annual DSFN conference is, inclusion. Children with Down Syndrome have an intellectual disability, which means theres a slight cognitive delay so they take longer to learn...but they can learn. Therefore internationally, the trend is for main-streaming and inclusion in what we call typical schools. So the world has moved away from institutionalisation and special schools. Thats what we want here in TT...inclusion of children with disabilities in typical schools, Ghany told Newsday. Ghany noted this would require teachers assistants in some classrooms, more training for special education teachers, infrastructural changes and perhaps new legislation, among other things. If everyone does their part, we can achieve our goal of inclusion. Looking at several families enjoying the after-party following the fifth annual DSFN conference, held on Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, Ghany said while some children with Down Syndrome are attending typical public and private schools locally, it really takes a push from the parents. to achieve the groups goals. The movement is beginning. Student Support Services at the Ministry of Education is aware of what were doing and they have guidelines for the support they can give. But its very inter- connected and its not just one ministry that needs to be involved. Its several. The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Social Development said that an inter-ministerial committee has been appointed to look at these things and we just want it to be a little quicker, Ghany said. CCTV cameras in schools However the jury is still out, he said, on how best to use CCTV to deal with such matters . Weve had schools which put in CCTV cameras (years ago) to deal with external threats during after- school hours . So it wasnt specific to violence and indiscipline . When we looked at the data from schools which installed CCTV cameras, there was a mixed bag . Some schools reported a reduction in incidents, some reported an increase; maybe because theyre being caught on camera, while still others didnt see any change in the number of incidents . So its something we need to revisit and strategise going forward if we are going to use CCTV cameras to address violence and indiscipline. Seecharan was speaking with Newsday on Tuesday, following the inaugural conference on Safety and Security in Schools, hosted by the Core Foundation at Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain . Earlier during the function, he provided data on the use of CCTV cameras in ten primary and 64 secondary schools in the country during the period 2012 to 2015 . Looking at the data in relation to the number of students suspended from these schools during that four-year period, Seecharan said 28 of those schools reported no significant change in suspensions, 12 schools reported increases in suspensions; maybe attributed to the (CCTV) evidence, while in 34 schools, there was a reduction in the number of suspensions . Principal of Arima North Secondary School, Vashti Ramdeen-Steele, also spoke about the use of CCTV cameras during the one-day conference . Acknowledging Seecharans comments that the Education Ministry is trying to decide what role this form of technology should play in tackling violence and indiscipline, Ramdeen-Steele told the audience having CCTV cameras in her school has been quite crucial. We have cameras on Block E and the Form One block so that we can monitor what is happening . Yes, I will say one of the reasons you might see an increase in suspensions is because now we can catch them. So the gambling and so on, its because of the cameras that we were able to identify them . (You) may see an increase in suspensions, so you have to keep that in mind when making your own decision, Ramdeen- Steele told fellow educators present at the conference . Criminologist, Renee Cummings, also addressed the gathering . She reminded teachers that children who we remove from schools are often the ones who need the support the most from the education system. Contractor delays UWI South Campus opening We are eager to go in there but we are having some challenges with the contractor. I dont like to say these things in the public, but we are having some problems with the design and build project. We are trying to overcome those challenges as we speak, Sankat said. The contractor is China Jiangsu International Economic Technical Corp. Responding to questions on Tuesday at the end of The UWI St Augustine Campus Council Meeting, Sankat said he was hoping that the building could be readied for the opening of the new academic year. The topping off ceremony to mark the end of the construction phase of the building was done on July 31. The project was still within budget, Sankat said. That is the good thing, but it is delayed. Clearing up a misconception that the Penal/Debe campus was meant to focus only on law studies, Sankat said, it was never meant to be only for law, but somehow that got into the medias mind set and they called it the law faculty. He said it is a satellite campus of the St Augustine campus that will offer degrees, diplomas and certificates offered by the main campus. This will include medicine, nursing, education and others that were needed. At present, he noted that many teachers from the deep south are attending evening classes for the diploma in education at St Augustine. Some other persons from the south were also attending evening classes in management studies and other areas. Noting that the new campus was in the industrial heartland of Trinidad, Sankat said, the UWI intends to offer the Bachelors degree in technology and electrical engineering there, as well. Some programmes, he said, will be conducted either face to face or by distance. The campus, he said, will be technologically advanced to connect with the main campus and other UWI regional campuses. All students, he said, will be registered at the St Augustine campus. Noting that outfitting of the Penal/Debe campus with furniture has begun, he said that more assistance will be needed for the outfitting of residences, the setting up of the information technology infrastructure, and outfitting with audio visual facilities, among other areas. There is going to be some requests for outfitting, he emphasised. Commenting on reports that there was going to be a ten percent cut in the teaching/instructing staff, Sankat said, That is a rumour. We have taken no decision to cut any staff as I speak. The university, he said, was challenged in terms of its budgets but it was managing them so that staff members were not affected Rio Claro/Mayaro has highest rate of poverty He made this known while addressing 60 entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of the SEE D (Sowing Em- powerment through Entrepreneurial Development) programme on Tuesday morning at the Simplex Complex in New Grant, Princes Town. According to Ramoutar, investment in this part of the country is not one that government is taking lightly given the state of the countrys finances. It is imperative even as we seek to cut costs and attempt to weather the economic storm that we also inspire and enable citizens to become creative, self sufficient, financially independent and grow businesses, with the power to add jobs and revenue to communities that desperately need them, Ramoutar said. Ramoutar noted that as a resident of the area, he can attest to the fact that Mayaro/Rio Claro has the potential to become a major part of TTs food basket, if we are able to successfully revitalize agriculture. He said those opting for crop-production will be working toward developing the economy and emphasized that creating a strong, modern, prosperous and competitive agriculture sector is essential to improving food security. Small farmers like yourselves are a critical piece of the puzzle we need to solve in order to reduce food prices, while lifting families out of poverty, he said. Ramoutar also outlined that the country is experiencing challenging times where people are asked to do more in some cases with much less. He also said that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has asked his (Ramoutar) ministry to develop on the Social Mitigation Plan in order to cushion the impact of the economic downturn on vulnerable groups in society. Now more than ever we need all of our skills, ideas and talents to be put to use in the service of our families, our communities and our country, he stated, adding that the challenge TT faces is great but it is in times like these, that we stand together as a nation as the words of the National Motto says, Together we Aspire Together we Achieve. Ramoutar encouraged business owners to see the grant as an investment in their families, their communities and the nation as a whole. This programme by the government, he said, will touch 180 families in the south land. He urged entrepreneurs to honour the investment by committing themselves to ensure the success of their businesses. The SEE D programme enables an individual to become self-sufficient and financially independent. Under this programme, individuals are given access to tools, equipment and material to start or expand a mini or micro enterprise. He went on to say that business-owners are supported through a multi-pronged system which provides business training, education and mentorship, thereby maximizing their potential for success. Businesses including landscaping, crop-production, cosmetology, minimart, auto body works, plumbing, and electrical services. He congratulated the beneficiaries of the SEE D programing quoting an old Chinese proverb, The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Motivational speaker Hanif Benjamin also addressed the gathering urging entrepreneurs to stop at nothing to achieve the success they searching for. Deputy Director of PREP-PU Beverly Kirton also spoke on the human and social development, urging those in attendance to work hard at their given businesses. Bhoe: My niece resigned Dr Tewarie spoke to reporters yesterday at Tower D, Port-of- Spain, after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting. He said his niece holds a BA and MA in Political Science and had become acquainted with local persons through helping his campaign for the 2014 general elections. Asked about the rules banning relatives from an MPs employ, he said that such a ban would be justified to avoid any compromised positions, or any unethical or corrupt issues. While backing a ban for immediate relatives such as spouses, he thought a more judicious look should be given to cases such as cousins, nephews and nieces, although vowing to obey the existing rules. Dr Tewarie alleged a hypocrisy by some trade unions that seek to appoint their own people to certain posts, and by the private sector which tends to hire persons whom they know. Tewarie said the whole issue should not be judged only on the basis of the Mc Donald matter which, he said, had also involved allegations that her relative was part of a foundation that had questionably received a State grant. While acknowledging that the ban on hiring relatives has its roots in principles espoused in the Integrity in Public Life Act, he said if that legislation is extended too broadly it would end up in problems. He advocated a declaration of interests - such as when a board member steps aside because of a possible conflict of interest - and to so focus on transparency and accountability, not on the relationship. I did hire a relative, the relative has resigned, and if the rule exists I will honour the rule, concluded Tewarie. Paula perplexed over $US shortage The inaccessibility of foreign exchange was recently cited by the Supermarkets Association as the reason behind the price increase of imported items at local supermarkets. However, addressing the Penal-Debe Chamber of Commerces Economic Forum at FunSplash Water Park, Debe on Tuesday night, Gopee-Scoon pointed out that while the recent sharp falls in energy prices had reduced the supply of foreign exchange, Government had made significant injections since September 2015. Since September 2015, the Government through the Central Bank has made approximately US$1.1 billion dollars (excluding March 2016 injections) available to authorised dealers (bearing in mind that the average price of oil over the last six months was US$39 per barrel, she said. Gopee-Scoon noted that the quantum of foreign exchange which had been supplied to the financial system was on par with the previous period (US$1.27 billion during the period October 2014-March 2015 when the average monthly price of oil was US$68 per barrel. It may therefore be reasonable to surmise that a great deal of speculative and precautionary motives are putting unnecessary pressure on the exchange rate, she said. In a wide ranging address which touched on diversification of the economy as well as Value Added Tax (VAT) on food prices, she however reaffirmed Governments commitment to health, education and security saying these sectors would not be compromised. As a Government, we are aware of the changes around us, we must utilise our resources effectively, work within strict timelines, ensure value for money, and most importantly, ensure that the population understands clearly what we are doing and how it affects them, she said, adding, today, there is absolutely no room for waste and inefficiency. And citing the International Monetary Report, [IMF], she said the key to unlocking the countrys growth and diversification potential were structural reforms. What is important at this time is that we need to assess and administer these reforms ourselves, she said, adding that despite the significant challenges facing the nation, Trinidad and Tobago still has enormous strengths, including a well-educated work force, a stable political system, the largest manufacturing sector in the Caribbean, strong financial systems and several exportable services (such as maritime and energy services and the creative industries). YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. In case the Government abolishes customs duties for the implementation of investment programs, the investments of companies will reach 50 million USD. Up till now 6 organizations have been exempted from customs duties. As a result, 550 jobs have been created, Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan announced after the Cabinet meeting. As soon as the extension of the deadline of VAT payments enters into force, investment volume will reach 186 billion drams. Overall number of new jobs will reach 5.500, Armenpress reports the Minister saying. During the Cabinet meeting of March 24 the deadline of VAT payments of ''Sevan Aqua" CJSC was postponed by 3 years. In the framework of the investment program the company intends to invest in fishery industry, which, as expected, will provide the citizens with high quality fish and fish exports from Armenia will add, as well as new jobs will be created. The company intends to invest 1.1 billion drams. It is expected the annual production of the company will be worth 2.22 billion drams (2017) the majority of which will be exported to Russia. If the investment program is successful, it will create 155 jobs with an average salary of 193-215 thousand drams. What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames news YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will receive 19 million 35 thousand AMD from the Council of Europe, for the purchase of electronic devices for prisoner control. The government approved the draft grant agreement. "Armenpress" reports the Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan saying: "The pilot project will test the effectiveness of the control of prisoners by electronic devices." Electronic monitoring devices should be installed in correctional facilities, the rental, testing and installation of which will be carried out by the tender winning company. Not Found The requested URL was not found on this server. Apache Server Port 80 YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. State Food Security Service of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia has banned the import of 19800 kg of frozen chicken minced meat, as it does not fit in the standards of food security. Armenpress was informed about this from the State Food Security Service of the Ministry of Agriculture. Within the framework of border control the State Food Security Service sent the frozen chicken meat imported by Meat Import LLC from Ukraine for laboratory observation, which showed that the meat does not correspond with listeria benchmark defined by technical regulations on food security of the Eurasian Economic Union. Considering the abovementioned, the import was banned. Autumn is my favorite season. The beautiful colors on the trees and the crisp mornings put a spring in my step. There are certain things that mark this season for me, like going to DeGroot Orchards for fresh-picked apples or hearing a marching band at a football game. It's also a time when I Norfolk has grown, but some of the needs and wants havent kept up with the growth. A proposed half-percent sales tax would get the city caught up with many of those needs and wants with safety, streets, sports and recreation. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. "Zvartnots" Airport is operating normally. The airport press secretary Gevorg Abrahamyan informed "Armenpress" that as of afternoon there is no problem at the airport. "We are working normally and passengers are being served normally," Gevorg Abrahamyan said. Police are clarifying the news regarding an emergency situation at "Zvartnots" airport, the Press Service of the Police informed Armenpress. "Armenpress" also clarified that the Ministry of Emergency Situations has not received any such information about the situation at Zvartnots. News appeared in the media stating that there is an emergency situation at the airport and law enforcement agents are checking an airplane. Moroccan authorities announced Thursday the arrest of nine Islamist militants linked to ISIS affiliates in Libya. They were planning to carry out terror attacks in the North African kingdom. According to an interior ministry statement, the captured cell members were active in the cities of Marrakesh, Sidi Bennour and Smara (southern Morocco). Hundreds of Moroccan nationals are believed to have joined terrorist groups in hotbed conflict zones. Morocco, an ally of the West, is often mentioned by terror groups as one of their targets. Moroccan authorities are waging tireless war against Islamist extremists and fanatics. They have disrupted over 160 terror cells since 2002, and nearly forty over the past three years. ISIS has enhanced its influence and presence in Libya, threatening peace and stability of the whole region. The international community has been pushing all Libyan political sides to seal a political deal in a bid to restore stability to Libya and fight back the terror group, which controls 300km of the countrys Mediterranean coastline around the city of Sirte. Sensing the weakness of the country which descended into chaos since the fall of Col Muammar Gaddafi regime following a popular uprising in 2011, the Islamic radical group sneaked in as rival armed groups and political antagonists locked in a bloody power struggle. The nuclear power plant in Tihange, Belgium. Photo: Julien Warnard/epa Hours after suicide bombers struck a Brussels airport and metro station Tuesday, Belgian officials evacuated all nonessential workers from one of the countrys major nuclear facilities, Tihange. The head of Belgiums nuclear regulatory agency had said that no direct threats to the plant existed, but that the move was based on new information, and the events of today. Extra security measures were taken. Yet new reports indicate that authorities knew of a plausible threat involving its nuclear infrastructure, based on intelligence gathered during raids prompted by the November 13 terrorist strike on Paris. After that operation where one person was arrested on murder and terrorism charges Belgian authorities uncovered about ten hours of secretly recorded footage of one of Belgiums top nuclear scientists and researchers. The camera, which CBS News says was mounted and hidden under a bush near the scientists home, recorded his comings and goings. Officials suspect those spying on him may have been tracking his movements in advance of a kidnapping, in order to gain information or access to a nuclear research facility in Mol. (According to Belgian reports, the scientist did not have clearance at Tihange or the other big power plant in Doel.) Those operatives with likely terrorist links, based on where the video turned up may have wanted to steal radioactive materials for a dirty bomb. Belgian officials admitted publicly in February that they had this tape of the scientist, says a previous report by the New York Times, but authorities recovered the footage November 30. Per the Times: Sebastien Berg, a spokesman for Belgiums Federal Agency for Nuclear Control, said that the agency had been informed right away of the existence of the footage and that employees had been told to increase their vigilance on the work floor. But he acknowledged that no additional guards had been hired or other measures taken to secure the perimeters of Belgiums nuclear sites. According to The Independent, officials said they believed the tapes showed the threat was directed at the nuclear scientist and not necessarily at a specific nuclear plant or research facility. Officials, trying to investigate who had stalked the scientist, later viewed surveillance images revealing that two men had picked up the hidden camera from the shrubs and driven away with it. Speculation has already begun that those two men were Brussels suicide bombers and brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, though that information has not been confirmed. According to Belgian media outlet RTBF, at least 11 workers at the Tihange nuclear facility which, again, was evacuated after Tuesdays strikes have been banned from the premises since last week. The plant took away security access to the first seven people following an anti-terrorist raid March 15 in Forest, a Brussels neighborhood. That raid erupted in a shoot-out, with one suspect linked to the Paris terror attacks being killed. That raid also helped police home in on wanted Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam; police detected his fingerprints at the scene, along with an ISIS flag and weaponry. (In another Paris-Brussels link, Khalid el-Bakraoui, who blew himself up at the Maelbeek metro station Tuesday, was the lessee of that raided apartment.) Four more people were apparently denied access to Tihange following the airport and metro bombings Tuesday, says RTBF. No other details have been provided. CBS News also reports that the terrorist cell may have planned to strike March 28, the day after Easter, but moved up the plans with Belgian police possibly closing in following the Friday arrest of Abdeslam. (Abdeslams attorney claims his client only found out about the attacks after they happened.) On the Monday following Abdeslams arrest, law enforcement set off a huge manhunt for Najim Laachraoui, a known Abdeslam associate whose fingerprints were found on suicide vests used in Paris. The next day, Laachraoui, the likely bomb-maker in Brussels and Paris, blew himself up in the Zaventem airport along with Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. Cruz asks godless, hedonistic New Yorkers for their vote. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Most presidential candidates would steer clear of a state after famously bashing it as a symbol of everything wrong with America, but Ted Cruz is a man who doesnt let being hated stand in his way. Cruz kicked off his feud with the Big Apple back in January, when he declared the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or progay marriage, focus around money and the media. Though Donald Trump responded with a burn so bad Cruz was forced to applaud, the senator went on to appeal to Iowans with an antiNew York ad. And just this week Cruz got into a war with NYPD officials when he praised the Bloomberg-era spying on Muslim communities in response to the Brussels terror attacks. Nevertheless, Cruz decided to launch his effort to win New Yorks 95 delegates with a speech in Manhattan on Wednesday. Cruz boasted about his fight with Bill de Blasio and named several other New York Democrats, betting that members of the Womens National Republican Club arent fans of their own elected officials. I arrive in New York, and Mayor de Blasio promptly held a press conference to denounce me so I must be doing something right, Cruz said. If Mayor de Blasio ever holds a press conference and says I agree with Ted, that will be the instant I hang it all up and realize Ive gone terribly, terribly wrong. He went on to praise Mayor Bloomberg for his proactive policing, and noted that Donald Trump has donated to money politicians like Representative Charlie Rangel and former representative Anthony Weiner. I think we have an inherent advantage because the people of New York know Donald Trump, he said of his chances in the state. Its true that New Yorkers dont exactly see the Queens-born Trump as a hometown hero, but two polls conducted in the last month show the real-estate mogul trouncing Cruz in New Yorks April 19 GOP primary by as much as 52 points. Still, it does make sense for Cruz to fight for the Empire State. Delegates are awarded by congressional district in New York, and CNN reports that the Cruz camp is planning to target particular areas where he can pick off delegates. CNN says theyre still working out where those areas are, and while the speech was peppered with references to New York politics, Cruz didnt thoroughly adapt his argument for a New York audience. He entered to a country-music soundtrack and kicked things off by declaring, God bless the great state of New York. Gawkers Hamilton Nolan reports that his address to wealthy Republican New Yorkers included shout-outs to all the single moms who are here, who are working two or three jobs, and all the truck drivers all the men and women with calluses on your hands. Cruz didnt rehash his feelings on the reprehensible values people subscribe to in the great state of New York, but former presidential candidate and New York governor George Pataki was on hand to defend Cruz following the event. According to Business Insider, the former presidential candidate insisted that Cruz wasnt talking about firefighters or people who ride the subway in his attacks on New York. He added that Republicans need to nominate someone other than Donald Trump, though like many in the GOP, he couldnt bring himself to actually endorse Ted Cruz. Hubud, a popular co-work space in Ubud, Bali. Photo: Franz Navarrete By this time next year, its not entirely implausible that Donald J. Trump will be occupying the White House or, as hell likely rechristen it, Trump 1600. In which case, it wont be too much longer till Mexico is separated from us by a huge wall. Then theres Canada as a go-to destination, but for Americans looking to put a little more distance between themselves and President Trump, there are a wealth of other escape plans. About 7.6 million compatriots are already living abroad. Some go where their work takes them; others find they can work from anywhere with a good Wi-Fi connection so why not choose a locale with a low cost of living and a thriving expat community? The U.S. also makes it relatively cheap and easy to live overseas. You dont have to return to the country on a regular basis to maintain citizenship, says Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Migration Policy Institutes office at the NYU School of Law, which cuts down on the trips back home. And you can vote absentee in 2020, if voting is even still a thing then. The work-from-anywhere entrepreneurs of Ubud, Bali The Dossier The Expats So-called location-independent entrepreneurs, running their companies in between yoga sessions and New Age retreats. The Lifestyle Jam aret, which translates as rubber time, rules on the island. Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali, is 33 miles inland and less party-focused than the beach towns. Rent for a One-Bedroom $400 a month for a 430-square-foot home. Getting There Most come under tourist visas and keep their income off the books. Their clubhouse is a co-work space. Open air, not open office. The expat community here is tight, and conversation gets real quickly. Plus, theres a New Agey vibe so people feel safe sharing. My girlfriend and I are finishing a book on our three-month wine-tasting journey. I write and work on my YouTube channel from the co-work space Hubud. Yesterday, at a social event there, I was eating with a Belgian user-experience consultant who just met his girlfriend, a kinesiologist-coach, in Ubud. Matthew Horkey, 33, CEO and founder of Exotic Wine Travel. Nationality: American. Arrived: January 2016. Its like a cheap San Francisco, with better weather. The extracurriculars are even the same. I rise, meditate, exercise, email, [have] client meetings, podcast, yoga, sleep, repeat. I also join the Bali Hash House Harriers, a running-and-drinking club that does a hike every Saturday through places you would never see as a tourist. Rain or shine they go, threading their way through rivers and little villages. Gary Dykstra, 45, founder of consensusreality.io, a Bitcoin consultancy. Nationality: American. Arrived: February 2012. I wake up to the sounds of birds; meditate or do yoga; order my raw organic green juice or turmeric jamu, a medicinal juice, from Wayans Coconut Juice Bar; work from my house, a cafe, or the pool. Theres more going on here than when I was living in San Francisco. Theres even an improv-comedy troupe. Monica*, 38, founder of a sleep-mask manufacturer. Nationality: American. Arrived: August 2013. *A pseudonym requested to protect her visa status. What They Miss Illustration: Luis Mendo Amazon.com. Customs here is a racket. If you ask someone to fix the air conditioner, they say theyll come but dont arrive for a few days if ever. And the wines good, too. One locals favorite bar. Illustration: Luis Mendo I like to have wine at a bar within the restaurant Bridges. It won an award for excellence from Wine Spectator. Horkey The fast-paced businesspeople of Shanghai, China The Dossier The Expats M&A men, ad execs, and lifestyle consultants. The Lifestyle Noisier and busier than nearly anywhere else. Non-Mandarin-speakers, however, lead a relatively cloistered existence. Rent for a One-Bedroom $1,500 a month for a 650-square-foot apartment near the center of Shanghai. Getting There Provided youve got a job, go for it. But the Chinese government is quite strict when it comes to immigration. The French Concession is an expat hub. One local describes the view from his office window. The French Concession. Photo: Mohr/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images My office is in a former French Concession lane house. I see a three-story building opposite me built in the 1930s with ramshackle roofing. There are two bamboo poles and a clothesline stretched between them on the upper floors. Overcoats, overstretched old womens underwear full of holes, and pajamas are drying right next to a chicken carcass and a chunk of fish on the bone, which is a pretty common sight in colder months. Andrew Kuiler, 40, owner and managing director of the Silk Initiative, a food-and-beverage consultancy. Nationality: Australian. Arrived: September 2010. What They Miss Photo: Luis Mendo Gyms that are open late. Decent potato chips. Big skies. Where They Go Out My favorite restaurant right now is Xixi, a great little Italian-owned fusion-Chinese bistro, with great mash-ups such as pumpkin-and-pine-nut dumplings. Kuiler The Connecticut of Shanghai. Foreigners congregate in the suburbs. Illustration: Luis Mendo The outer suburbs of Shanghai like Jinqiao, with their walled villas and international schools which Chinese nationals are forbidden to attend could pass as Wilton, Connecticut. The only Chinese you meet are cleaners and guards, says Kate Lorenz, a relocation specialist. Thats in contrast to Shanghai proper, where the younger set congregates on Yongkang Lu, a strip of bars in the French Concession that looks like Bourbon Street. Expat versus local isnt really a thing. So long as you speak Mandarin. The differentiation of expat versus local is outdated. Theyre both such fragmented groups. Youre more likely to see divisions among industry and stage of life than among nationality or origins. Assuming, that is, you can get past the language barrier. Two young people who are working together in architecture one local and one foreign are much more likely to know each other than two randomly selected expats. That being said, people are much more direct here than in England. It was a shock being told up front I had gained weight in the casual coffee breaks. Alex Ditchfield, 31, vice-president of BDA Partners, a mergers-and-acquisitions firm. Nationality: British. Arrived: September 2008. But the Chinese Communist Partys rule is. Especially on the internet. On a positive note, central planning makes things happen overnight. But its frustrating at work when you need to use VPNs to access relevant information. But even then, sometimes not being on Facebook and Twitter can be a good thing. I realize my life is in many ways richer because I am not so distracted by social media like most friends back home or in the States. Kuiler Its a city of contradiction. The Chinese always seem to find the noisiest way of communicating, and thats on top of the nonstop renovation and construction. You go over there and it buzzes. And yet you have these pockets of quiet, which are very confusing. Kate Lorenz The intrepid journalists of Beirut, Lebanon The Dossier The Expats Reporters who use the city as a convenient home base for covering menatheir acronym for the Middle East and North Africa. The Lifestyle First World nightlife and Third World infrastructure plus the frisson of war-zone adjacency. Rent for a One-Bedroom $460 for an 860-square-foot ground-floor unit in Achrafieh, one of the oldest and most popular neighborhoods. Getting There A one-month tourist visa can be obtained at the Beirut airport; apply for a second and third month at the Surete Generale once in Lebanon. The work-hard-play-hard ethos is the draw. Plus, its relatively safe, for the region. Beirut. Photo: Ivor Prickett/Panos Pictures I was in D.C. before this. Beirut is a more dynamic atmosphere. Theres more fieldwork and more interaction with locals. Beirut doesnt feel dangerous on a day-to-day level, though after the bombings in 2013, I was tentative about walking in public areas: public squares, main roads, downtown Hamra basically anywhere that wasnt on the back roads. Justin Salhani, 28, journalist. Nationality: Lebanese-American. Arrived: August 2010 (returned to D.C. last year). What They Miss Illustration: Luis Mendo Heating in winter. Cheap sushi. Municipal services that work and politicians who understand that these services are a pretty basic part of governance. About Those Municipal Services The electricity problems keep on getting worse, but now we have water problems, too. Weve been in the middle of a garbage crisis for the past eight months, and theres a vast Syrian-refugee community here that is not being cared for. Bryan Denton, 32, photographer. Nationality: American. The homes away from home. Bars, meet-ups, and the sea. Illustration: Luis Mendo Expats congregate at bars in Mar Mikhael and Hamra like the Captains Cabin. The Foreign Press Club also holds the occasional barbecue. In the summer, private beach clubs like Pierre and Friends offer sailing. Like an aging playboy. One take on the citys two sides. Beirut is a place of chaos and hedonism. Its like an aging playboy: He is a bit too proud of his past achievements, talks a bit too much about what it was like when people still called him the Paris of the Middle East. Considering the countries around him are mostly authoritarian, racist torturers, Beirut is a pretty good place to be. Infrastructure, though, is a nightmare. The internet is terribly slow. We have to hire a private water company. Theres a traffic jam all day, starting at 7 a.m. On the other hand, you can go out every night and find a drink somewhere. Lebanese women walk around in the most insane high heels on pavement that hasnt been reconstructed since the Civil War, which ended in 1990. I like that mix. Theresa Breuer, 29, freelance journalist. Nationality: German. Arrived: January 2015. A breakdown of the expat social hierarchy. The old-timers tend to stick to themselves. As a westerner, youll always be an ajnabi a foreigner. That doesnt mean people wont accept you, but its a permanent outsider status. Youll always be looking in. The foreign-press community is made up of several generations. Those of us whove known each other for the last decade are pretty close-knit. We number around ten or so. Its a diverse group that is constantly evolving but has a strong core. There are also a lot of younger journalists starting out, recent arrivals whove been here for a year or so. Lots of them arrived when Egypt started to get too dodgy to work in as a freelancer. Denton The Lebanese bitch about the catastrophic infrastructure but with a cigarette in one hand and a Champagne cocktail in the other. Theresa Breuer *This article appears in the March 21, 2016 issue of New York Magazine. Flint lives matter. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Good morning and welcome to Fresh Intelligence, our roundup of the stories, ideas, and memes youll be talking about today. In this edition, a Flint panel points the finger at the government, Giuliani plays the Hillary is in ISIS card, and The New Yorker changes up its caption contest. Heres the rundown for Thursday, March 24. WEATHER Blizzards in the Rockies are getting so bad that the National Guard has been called out, and more than 1,000 flights out of Denver have been canceled; thanks to the same storm, a state of emergency is in effect in Wisconsin, and heavy snows have even been reported as far west as California. In New York, today will be mild if cloudy, but tonight should be a wet one. [Weather.com] FRONT PAGE Flint Crisis Panel: Government Does Not Care About Poor People, Minorities Were guessing Governor Rick Snyder is regretting appointing that independent panel to investigate the Flint water crisis right about now. The panels findings were released yesterday, and it blamed the lead-tainted water on government failure, intransigence, unpreparedness, delay, inaction and environmental injustice. The report said the government failed to act more quickly partially because it didnt care about poor people and minorities, and blamed officials at every level of the state government. [NYT] EARLY AND OFTEN Certain Loser Is No Quitter After Donald Trump won Nevada, the anxiety in the Republican camp became a full-blown panic with everyone calling on John Kasich to drop out of the race and unite against the Donald. Well, Kasich is having none of it. In fact, it looks like he actually thinks he has the best chance of besting Trump for the nomination. Will someone please explain to him how delegates work? [NYT] Candidate Snags Coveted Failed-Candidate Endorsement Trounced presidential candidate Jeb Bush came out in support of Ted Cruz yesterday, calling him a principled conservative even though it was a written statement, you can almost hear his teeth grinding. Following his endorsement, Jeb went back to disappearing entirely from the national consciousness. [USA Today] Giuliani Confuses Reality With 24 Episode In what would seriously be a crazy twist if it were true, Rudy Giuliani told Bill OReilly yesterday that Hillary Clinton could be considered a founding member of ISIS. So, which is it? Founder of historys most successful terrorist organization or totally incompetent? [Politico] Cruz Campaigns in New York: Welcomed With Citys Customary Warmth and Affection Ted Cruz made a rare appearance in the city where he is perhaps the least popular in the whole country aside from Washington, D.C. In a fairly desperate plea for votes, Cruz doubled down on his disdain for the modern-day Gomorrah, saying if he were elected he would pretty much change everything about New York. So, basically, Giulianis mayoral platform. [CNN] THE STREET, THE VALLEY Last Pleasant American Airline Under Threat Rumor has it that billionaire Richard Branson is taking seriously offers to buy his company Virgin America. Following the news, stocks jumped a full 10 percent. After the surge, Virgin America is now valued at $1.5 billion. [Bloomberg] When Rockefellers Think Your Financial Scheme Goes Too Far, Its Time to Reassess The Rockefellers have sold their stakes in Exxon Mobile and will soon ditch all of their investments in fossil fuels, arguing that the days of fossil fuels are basically numbered and calling Exxon in particular morally reprehensible. John D. Rockefeller helped create Exxon Mobile in the 1880s. [Reuters] Billionaire to Fund Risky Science. What Could Go Wrong? Microsoft founder Paul Allen announced yesterday that he would invest $100 million in a fund that supports cutting-edge bioscience research, saying the money would allow scientists to take risks and risks beget breakthroughs. [TechCrunch] Robot Takeover Starts With Caption Contest New Yorker cartoons are no longer merely a commentary on contemporary mores they may also soon become tools to teach robots how to be funny. The New Yorker just controversially announced it is using crowdsourcing algorithms to find a winner for its beloved-by-shut-ins-and-failed-writers caption contest. Now scientists want to use that data to program robots to have a sense of humor. A dry, elitist sense of humor we rarely get, but a sense of humor none the less. [CNet] MEDIA BUBBLE In an Obviously Good Sign, Vice Will Not Reveal TV Ratings Weeks after launching its new television channel Viceland, the company would like to assure you it is doing just fine. Even though they wont release their ratings, the powers that be at Vice Media will say that most of their viewers still prefer to watch content online and that their most popular show was something called Weediquette. Their least popular was the second episode of Gaycation. [Bloomberg] Vice Partners With iTunes for Documentary One of the many new endeavors for Vice Media is a documentary series exclusively for iTunes called The Score. The two companies announced the new six-part series yesterday. The Score will investigate a different local music scene in each episode; the first episode is about Native American rap in Minnesota. [The Verge] Netflix Picks Up New Show From Cary Fukunaga, Nothing From Nic Pizzolatto Netflix is going to run a new series from Cary Fukunaga. Maniac, a dark comedy based on a show from Norway (so probably a very dark comedy), will star Jonah Hill and Emma Stone oh, so maybe not so dark. [A.V. Club] PHOTO OP Martha Stewart: Roll Model We should all aspire to be as happy as a Champagne-drunk Martha Stewart barefoot hoverboarding through a luxury apartment in Qatar. Aziz let me use his hover board before dinner but after champagne Really easy but be careful of antiques! pic.twitter.com/zlWcigv6cH Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) March 23, 2016 MORNING MEME We dont see what the big deal is; Bernie Sanders basically stole his whole campaign from Bulworth. [GQ] Ted Cruz literally lifted a line from The American President pic.twitter.com/BdG7Qcr4Ye Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) March 23, 2016 OTHER LOCAL NEWS Not the Best Week for These Duplex Owners Two owners of a duplex in Rowlett, Texas, are going through something of a rough patch. First a tornado severely damaged their homes; then, while waiting for the insurance to come through, a demolition company accidentally knocked down their whole duplex. The company was supposed to tear down a house in the next block. This kind of thing must happen all the time. [ABC] Two Friends Do Everything Right Two friends were both arrested for drunk driving after a night out in Salem, Massachusetts. Heres the thing: They were in the same car. After the first driver crashed into a signpost they did the responsible thing and switched drivers. Then the second driver crashed into a parked car, and backed into a police cruiser. That really could have happened to anyone. [UPI] HAPPENING TODAY Amazon Gets Into the Virtual-Reality Game Even though they wont start shipping until October, Amazon will be selling Sony PlayStation VR bundles today after its first stock sold out pretty much immediately on Tuesday. It looks like virtual reality has people really excited. [The Verge] Secretary of State in Cage Fight Talks With Vladimir Putin Secretary of State John Kerry is in Moscow today to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin and discuss the future of Syria and the sputtering peace process there. [WSJ] Verdict Expected in Europes Worst War Crime Since World War II U.N. judges will pass down the verdict today of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who stands accused of genocide for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. [NYT] A group of airport workers pays tribute to the victims of the attack. Photo: YORICK JANSENS A warehouse near Brusselss Zaventem airport is usually used to store goods for export, but following the terror attacks at the airport on Tuesday, it now houses survivors. According to BuzzFeed, hundreds of people who survived the bombings are stranded there until further notice, their travel plans hopelessly derailed. They were reportedly due to board flights to Houston, London, Detroit, New Delhi, and other cities when the bombers struck, and now theyre struggling to make contingency plans. A few have paid taxi drivers to be driven to the nearest airport outside of Brussels, but thats an option not everyone can afford. Queues of people still waiting to find alternative routes out of Brussels #BrusselsAttack pic.twitter.com/OEZ1gEBHpk Rossalyn Warren (@RossalynWarren) March 23, 2016 Here's where hundreds of passengers from Brussels airport slept last night #BrusselsAttack pic.twitter.com/fRXvA1yhsJ Rossalyn Warren (@RossalynWarren) March 23, 2016 No one is sure when theyll be able to leave airlines have reportedly warned passengers they could be stuck there for the rest of the week without their personal belongings. We were told to leave everything behind; we have no bags, no medicine, Dibdi Shah, a 58-year-old woman, told BuzzFeed. Some people dont even have their passports they just ran. We also havent showered; we dont have any clothes. Theres just too many people here now. I really dont think they were prepared for something like this. Red Cross workers are supplying food and first aid while passengers wait to be seen at makeshift airline help desks. One mans airline told him they were prioritizing American and Canadian travelers because theyre easier to deal with. Here are the service desks helping the several hundred stranded passengers trying to get home. #BrusselsAttack pic.twitter.com/KUC2j6ei59 Rossalyn Warren (@RossalynWarren) March 23, 2016 At least one group of travelers cant leave the warehouse for fear of arrest theyd been catching a connecting flight in Brussels but dont hold any of the proper visa documents that would permit them to stay on Belgian soil. If we try to get another flight, we could be arrested, explained one man, who chose to remain anonymous. We cant go to Frankfurt like the others. Belgian authorities are still searching for one suspect whos also believed to be connected to the Paris attacks, and two suicide bombers have been identified as brothers. So far one arrest has been made in connection to the attacks, although the suspects identity is still unknown. The president of Mozambiques Civil Aviation Institute holds a piece of MH370 debris. Photo: ADRIEN BARBIER After accidentally unearthing a sunken ship back in January, the Australian team in charge of the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 has a much more promising lead. Two pieces of debris washed up on the shore of Mozambique earlier this month, and after analyzing them the Australian government has confirmed theyre almost certainly from MH370. According to the governments statement, the location of the debris is consistent with drift modeling and further confirms the plane went down somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. #CNN obtains first images of possible #MH370 debris found in Mozambique pic.twitter.com/LpcdM2GSL7 Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) March 2, 2016 Blaine Alan Gibson, an American obsessed with the case of the missing plane, discovered at least one of the pieces of debris in late February and turned it over to authorities earlier this month. The plane itself vanished two years ago on March 8, 2014 taking 239 passengers with it. An Australian search team has been combing the Indian Ocean for signs of the missing plane ever since. We think weve found the haystack, Martin Dolan, chief commissioner for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, told BBC last year, referring to the ocean. We just need to find the needle. We cant give a 100 percent guarantee but were certainly giving it our best shot. As of now, the team still has 25,000 square kilometers of ocean left to search. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia postponed the VAT payments of Vorotan Systems" LTD for imported goods by 3 years. Minister of Economy Artstvik Minasyan mentioned that the Vorotan Systems" LTD plans to construct a small Hydro Cascade in Khndzoresk village of Syunik Province within the framework of the investment program. For that purpose the company plans to make investments of 3.31 billion AMD, 120.5 million out of which is for obtaining equipment, Armenpress reports Minasyan mentioning. About 40 jobs will be created by the implementation of the investment program with an average salary between 80-90 thousand drams. You wont be seeing this in North Carolina. Photo: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/Corbis As Georgias governor mulls anti-LGBT legislation that could threaten the states relationship with the entertainment industry, North Carolina went ahead and passed a law allowing LGBT discrimination in less than a day. Last month Charlotte passed a nondiscrimination ordinance that would have allowed transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity, among other protections. State Republicans sprang into action to prevent the measure from going into effect on April 1, convening a special session on Wednesday, at a cost of $42,000. The legislation bans transgender people from using bathrooms or locker rooms that dont match the sex on their birth certificates, and prohibits local governments from enacting contradictory anti-discrimination policies. As the Charlotte Observer notes, the state currently has no legal protections for LGBT people, which means they can be refused service by business owners, and the new law prevents municipalities from adding additional protections. Supporters of the legislation argued that the bill was needed both to clarify the states authority on the issue, and to protect women and girls from the potentially dangerous situation of having men (or transgender women) in private spaces. (Transgender people will only be exempt if they have their sex changed on their birth certificate.) One of the biggest issues was about privacy, said North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore. The way the ordinance was written by City Council in Charlotte, it would have allowed a man to go into a bathroom, locker or any changing facility, where women are even if he was a man. We were concerned. Obviously there is the security risk of a sexual predator, but there is the issue of privacy. Madeleine Gause, a transgender woman, countered that its unsafe for her and freaks people out when shes forced to use mens facilities. People arent getting raped and murdered, she told lawmakers. They are just going to the bathroom. Nevertheless, just ten hours after the legislation was introduced, it passed the House by a vote of 8325, and the Senate by 320. (In the House 11 Democrats voted with the Republicans, and in the Senate every Democrat walked out in protest.) Governor Pat McCrory signed the bill into law on Wednesday night, tweeting: I signed bipartisan legislation to stop the breach of basic privacy and etiquette, ensure privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms. Pat McCrory (@PatMcCroryNC) March 24, 2016 Ordinance defied common sense, allowing men to use womens bathroom/locker room for instance. Thats why I signed bipartisan bill to stop it Pat McCrory (@PatMcCroryNC) March 24, 2016 The Human Rights Campaign said that in addition to the issue of discrimination, the bill will put North Carolina school districts in violation of Title IX, which means they could lose $4.5 billion in federal funding. This is really not about bathrooms, said Democratic representative Rodney Moore. This is about fear. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Yesterday in sentences we never thought wed be writing, GOP front-runner Donald Trump started a Twitter feud with Ted Cruz over a slut-shaming Facebook ad featuring his wife Melania. Though Cruz actually had nothing to do with the ad, Trump said hed spill the beans about Heidi Cruz if the Texas senator wasnt careful. Now it appears these mysterious beans may be that Trump doesnt think Heidi is very attractive. On Wednesday night Trump turned to the retweet, his favorite passive-aggressive attack method, to point out the irrefutable truth that Melania is prettier than Heidi (when Heidi screws up her face into some weird pose never seen in real life). Cruz, who earlier today fulfilled this feuds pop culture reference requirement by stealing a line from The American President, contributed his own retweet: .@tedcruz on Heidi: "Shes dealt with a lot of garbage in the business world...Heidi Cruz is not scared 1 iota by a bellowing Donald Trump." Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) March 24, 2016 Then responded like a true gentleman (or whatever youd call a presidential candidate fighting with another candidate about his wife on social media). Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life. https://t.co/pprXhIMzUT Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 24, 2016 Stay tuned for tomorrows installment, in which Amber Rose and Khloe Kardashian will get involved for some reason. Not how they did it. Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection If America were a small frontier town, we would be holding a parade for the sheriff today. The U.S. Justice Department announced on Wednesday that a six-week roundup of the countrys fugitives has resulted in the arrest of over 8,000 outlaws. The U.S. Marshals (the closest thing we have to a national sheriffs office) have been conducting Operation Violence Reduction 12, scouring the country for people on the lam, and rounding up those specifically with open warrants for violent crimes like murder, armed robbery, or aggravated assault. The U.S. Marshals put together a joint task force with regional and district authorities, backed by their investigative authority and fugitive-task-force network, in an operation aimed at clearing bad guys off the docket, wholesale. As part of the focused approach to rounding up outlaws, officials specifically targeted 12 cities where violent crime has shown upticks. Locales that received a clampdown include Brooklyn; Camden, New Jersey; Chicago; Compton, in Los Angeles; Gary, Indiana; New Orleans; Oakland; Baltimore; and Washington, D.C. Among the public enemies corralled by the federal posse were 559 fugitives wanted for murder, 648 gang members, and 946 sex offenders. In Baltimore alone, 148 fugitives were brought in. According to the marshals, the average person who was picked up in the colossal sweep had seven prior arrests and three convictions. In the process, 17 children who had been abducted from their parents were recovered. Maybe the most dramatic confrontation of the operation took place last month, when Blake Fitzgerald and Brittany Harper a couple whose multistate crime spree had given them the nickname Bonnie and Clyde were located. In the ensuing showdown, Fitzgerald was shot and killed and Harper was arrested. It follows another sweep conducted around this time last year: Operation Violence Reduction 7 (the numbering logic is unclear, as there doesnt seem to have been an 8 through 11) led to the arrests of 7,100 violent criminals on the run. Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images Upgrading iOSes can be a minor pain, and its easy to ignore the dialogue boxes encouraging you to do so, especially when the biggest feature Apple is touting for its latest upgrade is Night Shift, which, uh, changes the color of your screen depending on the time of day. But Apple is also patching two major security flaws for this version, which is more than reason enough to find your USB cord and tear yourself away from the phone for the time itll take to upgrade. The first is a problem with iMessage encryption. While the text you send over iMessage is as secure as its always been, a recently discovered security bug would allow hackers to potentially decrypt photos and videos sent over the service. (And, lets be honest: For most of us, were a lot more concerned about the photos and videos we send than the text. Its hard to take a nude ASCII selfie.) From the Washington Post: To intercept a file, the researchers wrote software to mimic an Apple server. The encrypted transmission they targeted contained a link to the photo stored in Apples iCloud server as well as a 64-digit key to decrypt the photo. Although the students could not see the keys digits, they guessed at them by a repetitive process of changing a digit or a letter in the key and sending it back to the target phone. Each time they guessed a digit correctly, the phone accepted it. They probed the phone in this way thousands of times. As bad as that sounds in particular given the recent debate about encryption and law enforcement the second bug is much scarier. Its a vulnerability that allows an intruder to execute code remotely via a Wi-Fi driver, allowing an attacker to use specially crafted wireless control message packets to corrupt kernel memory in a way that leads to remote code execution in the context of the kernel. In case, for some reason, that quote doesnt make perfect sense to you, it means that if youre connected to Wi-Fi even private Wi-Fi, even with a VPN youre vulnerable to an attack that would allow a hacker connected to the same Wi-Fi network to execute code at the devices most foundational level. Scarily, this bug has been known since at least February 1, when it was patched for Android. Not good! Update your phone: Its easy. From the phone, go to Settings; then General; then Software Update; and tap Download and Install. Do it now; dont wait for tonight. Within an hour youll be able to get back to sending nude photos over Wi-Fi without needing to worry. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images The Republican primary campaign has been a complete circus. Youre familiar with the list by now: This race has included a thinly veiled reference to Megyn Kellys menstrual cycle, the slagging of Mexican immigrants as rapists, not-too-sly remarks about the size of multiple candidates penises, a joke about Donald Trump pissing himself, a proposal to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized, and more. Given how the GOP primary has gone down so far, the idea of it sinking into a new low is a bit hard to conceptualize. And yet a new low is exactly where it seems headed, now that Ted Cruzs wife, Heidi, has apparently been deemed fair game and dragged into her husbands fight in as ugly a manner as possible. This latest development was kickstarted by Trumps tweet to Cruz the other night threatening to spill the beans about Heidi, sparking the brief spectacle of two presidential candidates openly beefing on Twitter. No one is entirely sure exactly what he meant, but his tweet is being widely read as a possible reference to a 2005 incident reported last year by McKay Coppins and Megan Apper of BuzzFeed: Around 10 p.m. on the night of Aug. 22, 2005, the Austin Police Department dispatched Officer Joel Davidson to an intersection a couple miles west of the Texas citys downtown. A passerby had called to report that a woman in a pink shirt was sitting on the ground near the MoPac Expressway with her head in her hands, and no sign of a vehicle nearby. When the officer arrived, he found the woman on a swath of grass between an onramp and the freeway. She said her name was Heidi Cruz. According to a police report recently obtained by BuzzFeed News, Officer Davidson proceeded to question Cruz, whose husband, Ted, was then serving as Texas solicitor general. He asked what she was doing by the expressway; she replied that she lived on nearby Hartford Street, and had been walking around the area. She went on to tell Davidson that she was not on any medication and that she hadnt been drinking, aside from two sips of a margarita an hour earlier with dinner. He wrote that he did not detect any signs of intoxication. About a decade ago, when Mrs. Cruz returned from D.C. to Texas and faced a significant professional transition, she experienced a brief bout of depression, Jason Miller, a Cruz adviser, explained to Coppins and Apper. Like millions of Americans, she came through that struggle with prayer, Christian counseling, and the love and support of her husband and family. In theory, this could be an important nudge forward for the national conversation about mental health. Thats because when you speak with mental-health advocates and researchers, one word comes up over and over again: stigma. People who feel ashamed of their condition, or who believe that it implies a personal failing on their part, are much less likely to seek treatment or social or familial support. This can quite literally be a life-and-death matter when it comes to conditions like depression that are associated with a heightened risk of suicide psychological problems are inevitably exacerbated when the afflicted feel they must suffer in silence, and that they lack the support of other human beings. Stigma affects not only the sufferer, but also their friends and family: if they dont feel like they can reveal their loved ones condition to others, they end up shouldering too heavy a burden. In short, the more we can talk openly about mental health, the better off well be. The process of defeating stigma involves among other things telling as many real-life stories as possible about people dealing with mental-health issues. When those people are famous, thats arguably a bonus: its a sign that even successful people deal with these problems (which of course they do). Every little bit helps, so its inspiring to watch high-profile people like athletes discuss mental-health problems openly. All of which is why its so depressing to watch how some Trump supporters are now going after Heidi: My heart breaks for unstable ppl. But THIS matters to the race. It's MORE baggage & drama from Canada Ted #CruzCrew pic.twitter.com/o2r18R2AyN Ames (@VivaLaAmes) March 24, 2016 These attacks have a self-perpetuating nature to them, and are only likely to get worse. And all they do is spread the false notion that either of the Cruzes has something to be ashamed about and that, by extension, other people dealing with mental illness do, too. Cruz herself has decided she doesnt want to talk about what she went through. According to a source close to her, Coppins and Apper wrote, she was not ashamed to talk about her experience [but] ultimately decided against it because she didnt want to minimize the struggle of those who suffer from depression their entire lives by trumpeting her own happy ending. She has every right to make that decision for herself no one is obligated to be a spokesperson but its still profoundly important for stories like hers to come out, for people to simply know that the wife of a presidential candidate dealt with this sort of challenge, isnt ashamed of it, and has continued to live a rewarding life and to see that most other people arent reacting with horror or disgust. That anyone would weaponize Heidi Cruzs mental-health problems suggests we have a long way to go before we defeat the stigmatization of mental illness, and it does very real harm to people who are suffering. Photo: Andrew Cribb/Getty Images You are pretty with a little bit of tattoo, read a Facebook message from a since-deleted account. I froze. Attached to the message was my current profile picture. There was a tattoo Photoshopped onto my upper arm: random Chinese lettering. As if I would be so cliche. My heart felt tight as I read the message one more time and then snapped a screengrab as evidence. It was a familiar feeling. Him again. Online stalking is nothing new. But as the internet has evolved, law enforcement hasnt kept up. The biggest obstacle to effective legislation is that officials simply dont understand how to proceed when a crime is reported. Thats what makes Massachusetts Representative Katherine Clarks proposed bill, the Cybercrime Enforcement Training Assistance Act, so refreshing. Announced earlier this month at SXSW, the bill would establish a $20 million annual federal grant for training state and local law enforcement on dealing with online harassment. We hope to raise awareness and develop local expertise for law enforcement so we are able to prosecute more of these cases, Clark told BuzzFeed News. That sounds promising. But the biggest issue for me has never been prosecution, its been getting law enforcement to take my case seriously to begin with. For more than a decade, I have had an online stalker. Its not an uncommon story. According to the Pew Research Center, 8 percent of all internet users have been stalked online. That statistic jumps to 26 percent for women ages 18 to 24. My stalker started in person when I was a 20-year-old undergrad at Kent State working at a computer lab in the university library. It was the only computer lab with editing software, so the gig was a bit creepy from the start. A few of our clients were older men who covered the screen when I walked by. We once caught a guy Photoshopping Britney Spearss head onto pornographic images. Across from our lab was the May 4th Memorial room, which housed books related to the 1970 Kent State University Massacre. On the wall was a giant, framed photo of the massacres most published, most haunting image: a young girl crying for help, kneeling over her friends dead body. It loomed over my desk with only two glass walls between us. Under the photo was a single research computer, at which we once caught a young man masturbating. His furiously moving hand was reflected in the back of the dead boys head. Then there was my co-worker Jack. He was strange, but I figured he was just geeky. Jacks brand of geeky was giant glasses, most easily described as Jeffrey Dahmer chic, and a penchant for awkward conversation. He often stopped by during my shifts, stood over me asking questions, then scuttled away when other students came over for assistance. When I mentioned that I played the guitar, he abruptly asked for lessons. Like most college students, I was broke. So I said yes. At the end of the third lesson, he pulled a picture out of his back pocket and handed it to me. At first I thought it was a landscape photo. Then I noticed he was in it, sitting on a giant rock. He was small but clearly shirtless. I got nervous. Thats me when I was stationed in Italy, he explained. I had so many questions. He was in the Army? How had he made it through boot camp? Why was he showing me a picture of himself half-nude? But engaging in this strange turn of events felt foolish. Polite follow-up questions felt far beyond my already-worn patience. I ended our guitar lessons after that, citing my busy schedule, but by then things had spun out of my control. His visits during my shift became more frequent. He criticized my appearance, then brought strange presents to apologize. I tried to remain impersonal but when he emailed to ask me out, I saw my chance to bluntly set things straight. Im not interested. I have a boyfriend. Thats when his emails took on a more threatening tone. He sent a poem he wrote about a guy watching a girl get ready for bed. In it, the girl says, I have a boyfriend. The guy responds, Youve done more harm than good. I will move all over you. Frightened, I asked him not to contact me anymore. He told me the poem wasnt about me. He acted offended that I had voiced such a pedestrian interpretation of his art, which made me laugh hysterically. I was beside myself. I wanted to scream. More emails followed. There is darkness in my soul. I am darker than you. Youve been on my mind. The messages were vague but incessant. I now know the persistence of these unwanted messages made Jack the definition of a cyberstalker. But at the time, I blamed myself. I was afraid to be alone on campus or in my apartment. Deciding I needed help, I told our boss what was happening. Much to my surprise, my boss laughed. Oh, hes doing that again? Ill talk to him. I forced a chuckle too. After all, what was this if not funny? Was I ready to get someone fired? Was I ready to file a police report and explain to strangers why Id agreed to give one-on-one guitar lessons to a guy who looked like Jeffrey Dahmer? Studies have found that stalking is the most prevalent form of abuse at work, yet there is no specific pressure in the eyes of the law or otherwise to address it. The messages didnt stop. Not that semester and not when I moved to New York City a year later. Occasionally theyd let up for a few months at a time, but they always continued. One particularly threatening message came as I sat behind the receptionist desk at my first job. It said that since I hadnt answered, he was coming to New York to find me. He was already on his way. I felt my breath shorten and my heart begin to race. I had never felt more alone than that first year in the city. I had no close friends to hide with and no gentleman to escort me home. My boss walked by as I gasped for air. Her advice made sense. Call the police. The New York police said they could do nothing to protect me against an out-of-state stalker. The Ohio police advised I not make my address public and left it at that. If passed, Clarks bill would make it easier to extradite cybercriminals across state lines. But given the dismissive responses I got when I called to report a potential threat, what realistically would have changed for me? Its hard to imagine updated training would have been enough. In a desperate attempt to keep my whereabouts private, I emailed everyone I thought Jack might ask about me back in Ohio. Even knowing where I worked could give him my location. I tried to keep my plea vague, so as not to worry people, but concerned emails from old professors and classmates came pouring back. The boss Jack and I shared also replied, Is this about Jack? Hes harmless! Feeling embarrassed and foolish, I decided to write my first response to Jack in more than a year. It was the last reply Ive ever sent him. I tried to be nice just in case he was waiting outside my building with a chainsaw. I was also firm. You are frightening me. Never contact me again. He never showed up in person, but the messages continued. As social media became more prevalent, so did his access to me. He sent messages about my profile pictures and the new friends he noticed I had. He claimed to have naked pictures of me that he would release if I didnt respond. As a professional writer, I was encouraged to build an online presence. As a woman, I felt exhausted. Women are nearly four times more likely than men to be stalked online. When I received the Photoshop of my upper-arm tattoo, I didnt respond; instead I Googled him, feeling sick with nerves. After years of blocking him everywhere I could, I was afraid Id find more threatening messages. I imagined turning around to find him in my home. As I scrolled through the search results, I did indeed find more messages directed at me. Most incredibly, he claimed I had volunteered my image for a project he was doing to bring attention to violence against women. And it wasnt just me; I also found messages to other women with tattoos Photoshopped on their arms. I immediately felt guilty over how much better it felt to know I wasnt alone. We tell women who are harassed in-person to cover their bodies, and we tell women who are harassed online to stay silent and log off (forever?). But for me, silently enduring a barrage of harassment has been infuriating. Seeing more women open up publicly about their experiences with cyberstalkers has been cathartic but what now? Maybe Clarks bill will help. But it will take more than a legislative victory to convince those in charge that unwanted advances are anything but harmless. Donald Trump. Photo: Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday against Donald Trumps modeling agency, reports Reuters. Alexia Palmer sued Trump Model Management LLC in 2014, saying she was promised a $75,000 salary. She was only paid $3,880.75 and sought $250,000 in back pay. Palmer, who is from Jamaica, also claimed she was used as part of a plan to lure foreign models to the United States. Trumps lawyers called the claim frivolous and without merit. The judge said there was insufficient evidence for both claims, so thats one less lawsuit the GOP front-runner has to worry about. Environmental groups and local activists barged into an auction being held in New Orleans on March 23, disrupting a lease sale for oil and gas drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico. Chanting shut it down and keep it in the ground, protesters overwhelmed government officials trying to conduct the auction. Led by environmental groups such as Rainforest Action Network and 350.org, the protesters succeeded in bringing a spectacle to the lease sale. Related: $40 Billion LNG Project In Australia Cancelled Amid Low Prices Nevertheless, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), an agency housed within the Department of the Interior, completed the sale. However, it was largely a failure. Due to low oil prices, very few bids were submitted for tracts on the Gulf of Mexico. The lease sale only attracted $156 million across 128 blocks, the fourth worst result for the region dating back to the early 1980s. The successful bids were concentrated in the central Gulf of Mexico. A second lease sale for sections in the eastern Gulf of Mexico received no bids at all. Related: Record Loss For Petrobras As Political And Economic Crisis Worsen BOEM put on a brave face. As one of the most productive basins in the world, the Gulf of Mexico continues to be the keystone of the Nations offshore oil and gas resources, BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement. The decline in oil prices and low natural gas prices obviously affect the industrys short-term investment decisions, but the Gulfs long-term value to the nation remains high and the Presidents energy strategy continues to offer millions of offshore acres for development while protecting the human, marine and coastal environments, and ensuring a fair return to the American people. For now, low oil prices are doing much more than environmental groups to kill off interest in offshore drilling. I think the industry is proceeding cautiously, said Janice Schneider, Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. When market conditions improve I think were going to see robust participation by the industry. By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The depletion of old oil wells is expected to surpass new sources of supply in 2016, as the ongoing oil price slump puts a long list of oil projects on the shelf. Bloomberg flagged new data from the Norwegian consultancy firm Rystad Energy, which predicts that legacy production will tip the supply balance into the negative in 2016 for the first time in years. The production from an average conventional oil field typically ramps up in the early years, plateaus and then enters a period of decline. Depletion rates vary wildly from field to field, but a rule of thumb for conventional oil fields which make up the bulk of total global supply is that they decline something like 6 percent per year on average. Again, those depletion rates can differ depending on location, levels of investment, etc., but one thing that is clear is that the oil industry needs to bring new oil fields online every year in order to merely keep production flat. Related: Oil See-saws On Brussels Bombings, OPEC Freeze Rumors Rystad Energy estimates that the crash in oil prices has cut into upstream investment so severely that natural depletion rates will overwhelm the paltry new sources of supply in 2016. Existing fields will lose about 3.3 million barrels per day (mb/d) in production this year, while new fields brought online will only add 3 mb/d. This does not take into account rising oil demand, which will soak up most of the excess supply by the end of the year. But the 3 mb/d of new supply in 2016 will mostly come from large offshore projects that were planned years ago, investments that were made before oil prices started crashing. The EIA sees four offshore projects starting up in 2016 projects from Shell, Noble Energy, Anadarko, and Freeport McMoran plus two more in 2017. The industry completed eight projects in the Gulf in 2015. U.S. Gulf of Mexico production will climb from 1.63 mb/d in 2016 to 1.91 mb/d by the end of 2017. Related: Oil Prices Struggle To Move Beyond $40 However, outside of these large-scale multiyear offshore projects, the queue of new oil fields is starting to be cleared out. By 2017, the supply/depletion balance will go deeper into negative territory. Depletion will exceed new sources of production by around 1.2 mb/d before widening even further in 2018 and 2019. A few months ago, Wood Mackenzie estimated that around $380 billion in planned oil projects had been put on ice due to the crash in oil prices. Wood Mackenzie says that between 2007 and 2013, the oil industry greenlighted about 40 large oil projects on average each year. That figure plunged to fewer than 10 in 2015. The coming supply crunch stands in sharp contrast to the short-term picture. The EIA reported on March 23 that crude oil storage levels once again increased, surging by 9.4 million barrels last week to break yet another record. Total inventories in the U.S. now stand at 532.5 million barrels. Record high storage levels, which continue to climb, are signs of short-term oversupply. The IEA expects supply to continue to outstrip demand by about 1.5 mb/d until later this year. Oil storage levels will have to fall to more normal levels before oil prices can rise substantially. Related: Russia Under Threat From U.S. Natural Gas But the Rystad Energy figures show that the supply-demand balance could quickly swing back in the other direction as upstream investment has screeched to a halt. As soon as later this year, or perhaps in 2017, demand could catch up to supply. Inventories will begin falling quickly and prices will start to rise. However, since supply is inelastic in the short run, the industry may struggle to satisfy demand at stable prices. The oil markets have always suffered from booms and busts, and this is just more of the same. The current bust is sowing the seeds of the next boom. Of course, U.S. shale has demonstrated its ability to ramp up quickly, and those short lead times could allow new supply to come online as prices rise. But it remains to be seen if U.S. shale, more or less on its own in the short run, can meet rising demand in 2017 and 2018 as conventional oil drilling remains on the sidelines. By James Stafford of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: When Moscow abruptly terminated the South Stream natural gas pipeline project in December 2014 (see EDM, December 17, 2014), that decision left all of Russias potential partners in the Balkans in the lurch. They had all made commitments to Russia and South Stream and, in some cases, serious financial if not political investments in the project, only to be abandoned without warning. Since then, many of these countries have been searching for new alternatives. Yet, despite Moscows 2014 decisionand Sofias own previous declaration that it would suspend its governments involvement until the project adhered to the European Unions Third Energy Package regulationsome Bulgarian politicians have continued to push for the revival of South Stream. Thus, Russias Deputy Energy Minister Yuri Sentyurin has claimed that Bulgarian authorities were working to revive the pipeline project (RIA Novosti, Novinite, March 10). This move comes in the wake of other actions indicating that if Russia is not promoting South Stream, it is trying to launch rather similar projects in Southeastern Europe. Related: Oil Prices Fall Fast On Huge Inventory Build It is worth noting that Bulgaria receives about 80 percent of its gas from Russia and has accurately been described as a battleground between Turkey and Russia (Novinite, February 25). The same description may also be applied to the EU-Russia struggle in Bulgaria and in the Balkans as a whole (see EDM, June 10, 2015; March 9, 2016). Certainly, Russian media have targeted Bulgaria for a long time, routinely broadcasting messages demonizing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), for example (Channel One TV, Moscow, February 25, 2015). However the issue of South Stream received new traction in public discussions recently because Russia continues to seek another way to dominate Balkan and Central European gas supplies while bypassing and isolating Ukraine from Europe. When Russias original idea for South Stream ultimately failed, Moscow approached Turkey, in 20142015, about building Turkish Streama pipeline across the Black Sea to Turkey that would end at the border with Greece. Since this proposed gas pipeline would entirely avoid EU territory, Brussels would have no authority over it and would not be able to block it as it had done with South Stream. But even before Turkey shot down a Russian plane that had violated Turkish airspace in November 2015, the Turkish Stream project had failed because Ankara found its cost to be exorbitant (see EDM, November 20, 2015). Indeed, while it was still originally being considered, South Streams projected price had also kept increasing, meaning it was quite unlikely that project was ever financially sound. Related: $40 Billion LNG Project In Australia Cancelled Amid Low Prices Nevertheless, Russia has persisted in trying to expand or develop new dependencies in Europe on its energy exports. More recently, it has proposed expanding the Nord Stream pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany, under the Baltic Sea, by constructing a parallel lineNord Stream II (see EDM, September 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 2015). Moscow would like to be able to use this expanded trans-Baltic pipeline capacity to send more of its gas directly to Germany, which would then ship Russian gas throughout Central and Eastern Europe. But Nord Stream II has aroused a storm of protest from Central and Eastern European governments, nine of whichEstonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Croatiahave recently signed a public letter of protest against it, addressed to EU President Donald Tusk (Tvn24bis.pl, March 18). Conspicuously absent from the list of signatories was Bulgaria. Undeterred in its quest for a pipeline route that would evade the EU and allow it to dominate the Balkans and Central Europe, Gazprom signed an agreement in late February with the Italian Edison company and Greeces DEPA to build an interconnector that would ship Russian gas from Greece to Italy, and utilize the previously proposed ITGI Poseidon pipeline project to connect Greece and Italy. Clearly, this agreement represents an effort to resurrect South Stream, albeit in a different guise (Neweurope.eu, February 28; Rtreend.az, March 3; see EDM, March 3, 4, 8, 9). Related: Is This The Most Intricate Oil Theft Operation Yet? Evidently, these recent decisions have stimulated the perennial longing of some Bulgarian politicians for a share in South Stream. Of course, Gazprom and Moscow have long sought a mechanism by which Russia could ship large quantities of gas to Europe without having to comply with EU legislation and other protocols. But it cannot afford to openly pursue another South Stream and alienate Germany by ditching the Nord Stream II project, even though the latter makes no economic sense and is the source of so much criticism and consternation in the region. Therefore, Russia has had to announce that it is not considering a revival of South Stream and that it is committed to moving forward on Turkish Stream, dubious as that sounds under present conditions (Sputnik News, Interfax, March 18). These maneuvers suggest that steady EU resistance to Russias schemes to undermine its authority and forge bilateral deals with Germany or Balkan countries like Bulgaria can prevail, if such legal and political defiance can be maintained. But it also suggests that doing so will require a long struggle. And clearly, some pro-Moscow elements in the Balkans and Germany are committed to undermining the EU and securing Russian gas on what they wrongly believe would be advantageous conditions for themselves. Moscows ambitions to isolate Ukraine and retain preeminence in Central and Eastern European energy markets have not gone away. However, the remorseless logic of economics may yet force Russia to accept the fact that the only sensible and realistic way to bring gas to Europe is through the existing Ukrainian pipeline networkby following purely commercial and not political means. Bringing Moscow to this realization will take a long time and steady nerves from Brussels. In the meantime, one can reasonably expect more gambits like this Bulgarian one to find ways to preserve Russias way of doing energy deals in the Balkans. By Stephen Blank via Jamestown.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Committee of South America issued a statement on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the military coup in Argentina. Armenpress reports, citing prensaarmenia.com.ar website, the statement mentions that ever since the establishment of democracy, Argentine has made huge steps towards democracy and human rights protection. Our struggle for the recognition of the genocide committed against the Armenian people, justice and compensation recorded its greatest achievements when issues related to human rights came into focus. At the same time, raising voice about Armenian issues was helpful in terms of the recognition of crimes against humanity that had taken place in Argentina, reads the statement. Argentine Armenians also state that every anniversary of the military coup of 1976 is an opportunity for them to revise memories and build future, without denying the past. A military coup took place in Argentina in 1976. The junta preserved the power until 1983, when Argentina lost the Falklands War against Great Britain. With cheap shale gas and falling power costs from renewables such as solar, nuclear power looks like yesterdays technology but, for two reasons, it still matters greatly. Not just in the U.S. but in many other countries where the technology is already well established and where the search for less polluting alternatives to coal has been picking up. Nuclear power still generates 19 percent of the electricity consumed in the U.S. and is arguably the most reliable base-load provider, not just for day-to-day supply but for decade-to-decade. Emitting zero carbon emissions during power generation (green lobbies would claim considerable CO2 is released during construction, not least of which comes from the amount of concrete involved in containment structures) nuclear power plants have been operating for nearly 50 years. Related: $40 Billion LNG Project In Australia Cancelled Amid Low Prices Perfectly Operating Plants Shutting Down A New York Times article tells the story of the H.B. Robinson nuclear power plant, about 70 miles from Columbia, S.C. It has been producing electricity with few interruptions since the Nixon administration. The plant is scheduled to be shut down by 2030, when it will be six decades old. Nor is it alone, between 2029 and 2035 about a third of the countrys 99 reactors will have their operating licenses expire and, as it stands, will therefore close. There continues to be a significant amount of research money flowing from government departments such as the Department Of Energy into research facilities like the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), but no clear vision has yet emerged about which technology will be the most suitable if the industry is to continue contributing a significant portion of the countys power in the decades to come. Small Packages The nuclear industry makes no claims that this will change soon. New technologies can take 20 years to reach regulatory approval and for plants to then be built. Still, in both the U.S. and in the U.K. one design concept that could come to market sooner rather than later already has an established track record. Related: Brussels Terror Attack Drives Europe Further Into Terrorism Rabbit Hole Small modular reactors (SMRs) are, as the name suggests, units designed to produce power at a much smaller scale than the 1,000-2,000 megawatts of current new build designs. Typically, SMRs are 300 mw or less and plans in the U.S. by NuScale, a firm working with Utah Associated Municipal Power, envisage reactors being built in a factory and transported by road or rail to a generating site where they would be grouped together in a modular fashion. The most advanced is the Intermountain West project which envisages 12 small reactors operating at a site by the middle of the next decade. SMRs Across the Pond In the U.K., a firm with 50 years of experience building SMRs for the British Royal Navys fleet of nuclear powered submarines says it can generate power at less than a fifth of the price of new, much-delayed projects such as Britains proposed massive 3,200 mw Hinkley Point project. Rolls-Royce has submitted detailed plans to the British government for SMRs capable of generating 220 mw that could be used in tandem with larger arrays depending on the local demand and infrastructure and, even with the need for regulatory approval for civilian use, could be operational within 10 years. Related: Is This The Most Intricate Oil Theft Operation Yet? Wind and solar power have come to represent a significant portion of installed capacity in many countries, but their contribution is variable and subsidies, although falling, have been controversial. Not that nuclear will not need guaranteed tariffs to be viable but it does, like renewables, have such a low carbon footprint that its attraction in meeting emission targets outweighs, at least in legislators eyes, the cost. Furthermore, unlike renewables, nuclear is outstandingly reliable to meet base-load demand. In the current climate of low-cost natural gas, new capacity is being built using shale gas in the U.S. The extent to which this replaces coal is positive for reducing carbon emissions, but its replacement of aging nuclear plants will have the opposite effect. Big is not always beautiful. Or better, the future for nuclear power may follow the saying that the best things come in small packages. By Stuart Burns via Agmetalminer.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: "Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee is back for another round, brought to you by Great Northern Distilling: grain to glass spirits, handmade in Wisconsin. The whole month of March, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun articles on bars and clubs including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews, the results of our Best of Bars readers poll and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in! There's no touching the performers in a strip club, and it seems there's also no touching Silk Exotic when it comes Milwaukee's choice for best bar for a boys' night out or bachelor party. For the fifth straight year, the gentlemen's club at 11400 W. Silver Spring Dr. topped the competition, finishing far ahead of runners-up Jo-Cats Pub, Leff's Lucky Town and Safe House. With almost 200 women on staff and celebrity clientele, Silk seems to be the strip club of choice (if that's your thing). It dominated the former "Best Strip Club" category in the past, and if the last four years have been any indication, it seems that domination has continued into the "Best Bar for a Boys' Night Out/Bachelor's Party" arena, as well. OnMilwaukee's editorial staff selected Landmark Lanes for its recommendation in this category. OnMilwaukee editors' pick: Landmark Lanes Runners-up: 2. Safe House 3. Leff's Lucky Town 4. Jo-Cat's Pub 5. Trinity Three Irish Pubs The battle for Wisconsin is ramping up this week with the five presidential campaigns turning their focus to the Badger States, and many political pundits agreeing that Wisconsin is a key state in the race. The Wisconsin primary takes place on April 5. Wisconsin will be the only state having a primary that day, making it the first to have a day to itself with both parties voting since New Hampshire on Feb. 9. Wisconsin will be the focus of the presidential race, particularly on the Republican side, after primaries in Arizona and Utah. Early voting started in Wisconsin on Monday and ends April 1. The two Democrats and three Republicans are all establishing a presence two weeks ahead of what is shaping up to be a meaningful primary as the nation turns their eyes to Wisconsin. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will host events in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Madison Thursday. The event in Madison will be at the Hillary for Wisconsin Field Office on Odana Road. "We need to elect a president who can do all parts of the job and who can keep Republicans from ripping away the progress weve achieved," Hillary Clinton said in a statement. "I hope Wisconsinites take the chance to get out and vote early in this election, because the stakes couldnt be higher." Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has opened up campaign offices in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay. Jane Sanders, the wife of the Vermont senator, said she thinks her husband can do well in Wisconsin, as she spoke with Wisconsin reporters as the Sanders team opened up the campaign offices. "I think nobody thinks that people should be living in poverty if they work 40 hours a week, so the idea of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, is something that we think should bring some support there," she said. Officials with Sanders campaign expect hell be in Wisconsin at least once before April 5. Republican Ted Cruz, who is hoping to whittle the race down to a two-man contest, has an event scheduled at Serb Hall in Milwaukee on April 1. Hosted by the Republican Party of Milwaukee County, invited guests include all local and statewide Republican officials. Emcees for the evening will be Vicki McKenna, Jay Weber and Dan ODonnell of WISN Radio. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, needing a victory to stay relevant, campaigned in Wauwatosa Tuesday. Meanwhile, Donald Trump who is trying to reach that magic number of 1,237 delegates required to clinch the nomination announced today that he will visit Janesville next week Tuesday. For the Democratic Party, Wisconsin is expected to have 96 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 86 will be "pledged delegates" which are allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she receives in a states primary or caucus. A candidate is eligible to receive a share of the states pledged delegates if he or she wins at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. For the Republican Party, Wisconsin is expected to have 42 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 24 will be district-level delegates (three for each of the states eight congressional districts). District delegates will be allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who wins a plurality of the vote in a congressional district will receive all of that districts delegates. The most-recent Marquette University Law School poll for the Republican Party presidential primary polling had Wisconsin voters preferring Donald Trump with 30 percent over Marco Rubio with 20 percent and Ted Cruz with 19 percent. That poll was taken on Feb. 18-21. Rubio has since dropped out. That same poll had Bernie Sanders beating Hillary Clinton (44 percent-43 percent) among Democratic voters. Paris by night (Image by polybazze) Details DMCA Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, ever the source of choice quotes, raised eyebrows within France's medical community when he lambasted the plain-packaging rules recently included in a wider health law by health minister Marisol Touraine. In his comments last month, Sarkozy reportedly said: "If we accept plain cigarette packets, in six months they will propose plain wine bottles, and our designations of origin, our terroirs, and our know-how will be no more. Tomorrow, you will have extremists who ask you to accept plain bottling. And then plain cheese." Doctors in France, even though they had their own issues with Touraine's legislation, tut-tutted Sarkozy's comments. His statements, however, speak to the ongoing pasteurization of one of the French nation's favorite pastimes. We are, after all, a nation that is indelibly tied to smoking. There are 16 million people who light up in France (out of a population of 66 million) and yet we still manage to remain healthier than other Western countries with lower smoking rates, despite our stubborn insistence on the habit. Smoking is a cultural touchstone in France, and the refusal of the public to go along with the government's anti-smoking campaigns fits in well with this country's tradition of rebellion against authority. In trying to discourage or disgust French smokers from buying packs, the new packaging rules are sure to see many customers buy anyway--using their wallets to thumb their noses at the nanny state. For better or worse, France's political class seems intent on pushing forward with the paquet neutre. The health law was passed in December of last year, and the French government just recently announced its timeline for implementing them. By 1 January 2017, all cigarette packs sold by France's buralistes will need use the intentionally monotone olive-green plain packaging (and any leftover packs from 2016 will no longer be legal to sell). In the lead-up to next year, the old models of cigarette packs will go out of production and manufacturers will need to start using plain packs; this applies to individual packs as well as cartons and rolling tobacco (which many French are highly fond of). Over the course of six months, the current packs will be able to continue shipping--but after 20 November, deliveries will cease and only the buralistes will still have the right to sell them. Of course, this is assuming the law holds up in court between now and then: one of the major tobacco companies has already appealed to the Conseil d'Etat (Council of State) on intellectual property grounds. The tobacco industry has been arguing about its rights to trademarks for some time, but that is unlikely to be the average French smoker's main complaint about the new measures. Sarkozy's remarks about plain packaging doing away with France's precious savoir-faire might seem flippant, but they mean quite a bit in a country where cheeses, wines, and all manner of other less-than-healthy products (which, taken together, form the backbone of our lifestyle) have their labeling and presentation rigorously protected by French laws. In other countries where these rules have been instituted, such as Australia, the march toward plain packaging has already set its sights on fast food. Forcing all cigarette products into uniform boxes and plastering health warnings on them already seems a condescending approach to informing us about our health, and one that may not even be all that effective--as several Australian bloggers have pointed out, that country's government is at pains to prove its own trend-setting plain-packaging laws have actually had much to do with falling smoking rates. If the Health Ministry tries to apply the same measures to the rest of our beloved vices, Sarkozy will be far from the only person complaining. Of course, smoking rates are lower in France than they once were, even if the drop hasn't been as substantial as in other countrie s--and even if our beloved indoor terraces and cigarette butt-littered sidewalks may cause visitors to think otherwise. Even as they turn away from old-school cigarettes, though, would-be French smokers are still clearly on the hunt for nicotine. Back in 2013 (before they even became truly popular), one million French people were already puffing away happily on e-cigarettes, switching out tobacco for nicotine vapor and exotic flavors. For Marisol Touraine, one million e-cig smokers is apparently too many: at the same time her ministry announced its upcoming cigarette-packaging rules, it also made clear that e-cigs would be banned from many public places. In her view, the electronic devices could be a "gateway drug" for young people interested in cigarette use. It remains to be seen whether the new plain-packaging rules for cigarettes turns out to be a gateway drug for the functionaries at the Health Ministry, leading them down the slippery slope of slapping ugly labels on the other guilty pleasures we love most. Texas Senator Ted Cruz , the most steadily shameless of the contenders for the Republican nomination, moved immediately to his default positions: attacking President Obama and promoting himself. "Radical Islam is at war with us. For over seven years we have had a president who refuses to acknowledge this reality. And the truth is, we can never hope to defeat this evil so long as we refuse to even name it," the senator announced, as details were still being reported from the sites of the attacks on the airport in Brussels and a metro station near the headquarters of the European Union. "That ends on January 20, 2017, when I am sworn in as president. We will name our enemy -- radical Islamic terrorism. And we will defeat it." Cruz, who is emerging as the favorite of establishment Republicans in their efforts to prevent Donald Trump from securing their party's nomination, had to repeat his talking points in a statement posted on Facebook. He then extended his extremism with a statement released by his campaign and his Senate office that declared: "We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized." Those words confirmed that Cruz is every bit as reactionary and irresponsible as Trump. Indeed, Senator Barbara Boxer, D-California, felt it was necessary to remind the Texan that: "You are running for President of the United States -- not some authoritarian police state." Of course, the front-runner for the Republican nod did not suffer the indignity of having to craft reactionary statements for posting on social media. Enjoying his usual wall-to-wall television coverage, Trump just phoned in his xenophobia and hatemongering. The billionaire renewed the crudest messages of a candidacy that has been built around the exploitation of anti-Muslim, anti-refugee, anti-immigrant bigotries. Even before many of the details of the attacks (which killed dozens and injured hundreds) were known, Trump was offering interviewers of messy mix of extreme responses, finger-pointing, and predictions of peril. Click Here to Read Whole Article "I would close up our borders to people until we figure out what's going on," he announced on Fox & Friends. "We have to be very, very vigilant with who we let into this country. We are taking in people without real documentation," continued Trump. "We don't know who they are or where they're from. We don't learn. I will tell you I've been talking about this for a long time. This whole thing will get worse as time goes by." Trump's claims are wildly off the mark, and experts have consistently challenged his attempts to stoke fears about refugees and immigrants. Seth Jones, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation, testified before Congress last year that "The threat to the U.S. homeland from refugees has been relatively low. Almost none of the major terrorist plots since 9/11 have involved refugees. Even in those cases where refugees were arrested on terrorism-related charges, years and even decades often transpired between their entry into the United States and their involvement in terrorism. In most instances, a would-be terrorist's refugee status had little or nothing to do with their radicalization and shift to terrorism." As he called in to television programs after television program, Trump offered more and less extreme variations on the "close-the-borders" theme (suggesting on NBC's Today show that some people might get in with "absolute perfect documentation"). But there was no moderation when it came to talk of torture. "Waterboarding would be fine and if they could expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding," he declared on Today. Authorities, Trump argued, "should be able to do whatever they have to do." Trump was at his worst when he turned his fire on Muslim refugees and Muslim Americans. "We're having problems with the Muslims coming into the country," he said in yet another interview. "You need surveillance," claimed Trump. "You have to deal with the mosques, whether we like it or not. I mean, you know, these attacks aren't coming out of -- they're not done by Swedish people, that I can tell you." Trump was brutal in his description of Brussels as "a disaster city" a total disaster" and aggressive in his dismissal of European leaders. He showed little of the sympathy and solidarity expressed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who spoke of the loss experienced by the families of the dead, of the pain experienced by "the people of Brussels who were the target of another cowardly attempt to terrorize innocent civilians," and of the need to "stand with our European allies to offer any necessary assistance in these difficult times." Amid Cruz's blame laying and Trump's bombast, the Republican contender who has tried hardest to present himself as a rational alternative, Ohio Governor John Kasich , was reasonably pragmatic, calling on President Obama "to organize meetings with the leaders around the world and at the same time get himself in the position of where we can send teams of people immediately to Europe to begin to dig in terms of what we need to do to address the vulnerabilities we have." "The wave of terror that has been unleashed in Europe and elsewhere around the world are attacks against our very way of life and against the democratic values upon which our political systems have been built. We and our allies must rededicate ourselves to these values of freedom and human rights. We must utterly reject the use of deadly acts of terror," argued Kasich. "We must also redouble our efforts with our allies to identify, root out and destroy the perpetrators of such acts of evil. We must strengthen our alliances as our way of life and the international system that has been built on our common values since the end of the Second World War comes under challenge from these and other actors of evil." The Ohioan declared that "we are not at war with Islam" and said that's a struggle to contain extremism will "need to have a coalition of people. Both Arab Muslims who are going to join the coalition to destroy ISIS, the people in Egypt, the people in Saudi Arabia and Jordan and the Gulf states all know that they have an existential threat from radical Islam." Kasich's statement echoed at least some of the measured tone of the Democratic front-runner, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Clinton spoke in interviews of a "need to be in solidarity with our European allies and [of] why NATO is indispensable in our efforts to protect our country and our friends." Clinton also spoke of the need to up "our security cooperation, not only in our own country among all levels of authorities but also with Europeans." And, she said, "there has to be some honest reckoning about what works and what doesn't work." But, importantly, she added that "We can be strong and smart without advocating torture or bigotry. We will not let fear dictate our foreign policy." Clinton challenged Trump directly, by speaking of cooperation with NATO (which the billionaire has dismissed) and by rejecting Trump's torture talk."Our best and bravest intel and military leaders will tell you torture's not effective. It puts soldiers and increasingly our own civilians in danger," she said. "I do believe we have to give our law enforcement and intelligence professionals all the tools they need to do the job to keep Americans safe. But I don't think they need to resort to torture." On ABC's Good Morning America the former secretary of state described torture as an "open recruitment poster for more terrorists." Reprinted from Alternet Bernie Sanders calls five-hour lines a national scandal. Sanders said, "Voting should not be this difficult." And when a young television reporter for Fox News 10 in Phoenix asked Maricopa Country Recorder Helen Purcell, who oversees elections in Arizona's biggest city, what happened and why, she was dumbfounded that the first thing Purcell did was blame voters. "What happened yesterday in Arizona should be considered a national disgrace," said Sanders in an e-mail blast Wednesday afternoon. "I got an e-mail last night from a woman who waited five hours to vote in Arizona. Five hours. And she wasn't alone. We don't know how many thousands of people didn't get to cast their ballots yesterday because they couldn't afford to wait that long." It's not just that many localities were unprepared to handle spontaneous voter turnout, as in Arizona's biggest city on Tuesday. But local election officials also resent voters who get in the way of others, when they show up to cast ballots but are ineligible and weren't smart enough to vote early or vote by mail. "Who's to blame for the long lines?" the reporter asked. "Well, the voters for getting in line. Maybe us for not having enough polling places or as many as we usually have," Purcell replied. "But I think we have seen the hype in the last week to 10 days, of the national candidates coming here--which we haven't seen in past years. So I think that's kind of stirred everybody up, energized them." Sanders won 18 more delegates than Hillary Clinton on Tuesday by getting nearly 80 percent of the vote in party caucuses in Utah and Idaho. But he lost the night's biggest prize -- Arizona -- where voters cast ballots for a primary election in a diverse state seen as a bellwether for California's June primary. Clinton got 235,697 votes, 57.6 percent, compared to his 163,400 votes, or 39.9 percent. "One reason it is so hard to vote in Arizona is because the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act," Sanders said in his e-mail. "There were 70 percent fewer polling places this year than in 2012 in Phoenix's county. They wouldn't have been allowed to cut these polling places if the Voting Rights Act was still intact. These cuts mean with more than 4 million residents, there were just 60 polling places. This is unacceptable, but it's also not an isolated incident." Back in Phoenix, the Fox TV reporter pressed Purcell about her first reply -- that residents would not have had to wait if they voted another way, such as by mail. "They're not to blame for standing in line. They went to the polling places," Percell replied. "They could have voted early. That was their option. I don't mean to blame the voters. I think it's wonderful that voters went to the polls." She then started to explain the numbing details of election administration -- which are not unique to Phoenix but can be found all over the United States. "We looked at voter turnout over the past several years. It's been very, very low," Purcell said, which was one reason they consolidated polling places -- besides lots of voting by mail. "We knew that a third of our voters could not vote in this election, because independents could not vote," Purcell said, referring to the fact that Arizona's political parties do not allow open primaries where all registered voters can cast a ballot for any candidate. Purcell said independents showed up anyway, causing delays because they still had to fill out provisional ballots -- which wouldn't count. And she said the county was using large voting centers where any voter could show up, instead of neighborhood polling places only allowing pre-selected voters, because a state law dramatically cut the number of polling places. "We are required by law to have no more than half of our normal polling places, and we tried to reduce that looking at past history," Purcell said, raising an issue that the TV reporter didn't catch, but underscored exactly how politicized voting rules can be. That change in state law presumably could have been overruled under the Voting Rights Act by the Justice Department if the Supreme Court had not gutted that law's enforcement provisions -- as Sanders noted in his e-mail. "We will certainly look at this and see if we need to do something different," Purcell said. "This was the first time that we allowed people to go to any polling place. So if that is not a good thing, if we need to go back to the old plan, where they are bounded by certain boundaries and that's the only place they can go -- we'll have to look at all of those issues ... I am sorry that they had to wait that long. But I am glad they went out to vote." Purcell was insensitive to blame voters for being spontaneously inspired to go out and cast ballots in a presidential race where they might have an impact. Usually, that's not the case in western states. But she was also correct that most voters, especially first-timers, don't know that there are other ways to vote -- such as voting by mail or showing up at early voting sites. And she also surely knows that independent voters tend to forget that they can't vote in political party primaries that they are not members of -- because her state's political parties want it that way. In other words, voting in America -- as seen in Phoenix and across Arizona on Tuesday -- has been made unnecessarily complicated for a variety of reasons, many of which are beyond the ability of local election officials to control or predict. That undemocratic reality occasionally surfaces on election days when the last thing a candidate expects is that polling places are unprepared for high turnout. Bernie Sanders supporters appeared thrilled when they learned he'd turned down an invitation to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference on Monday. Donald Trump passed up a debate appearance and Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and John Kasich cleared their schedules to speak to 18,000 people inside Washington's Verizon Center. Snubbing AIPAC requires a degree of courage in American presidential politics. Sanders is fighting for his political life in the campaign. He hasn't taken money from the kind of large donors that AIPAC coordinates. He could not match the other candidates' fervor for Israel. So perhaps he could afford not to go, which sent a symbolic message. But Sanders also delivered an actual message by text after the conference organizers wouldn't allow a video hook-up. He also delivered the speech in Salt Lake City. A strong Sanders supporter who is an equally strong critic of Israel's occupation of Palestine might be disappointed in what he said. He couldn't bluntly call Israel's presence an occupation, instead describing it as "what amounts to the occupation of Palestinian territory." What amounts to? In other words, Israel really doesn't mean to occupy this land. This just happened on its way to building ever increasing settlements. Sanders also takes the very safe line of calling for an Israeli and Palestinian state. Oslo is Over The senator from Vermont castigated Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for threatening to leave the Oslo Accords, which the two-state idea is based on. Abbas made this threat last September at the U.N. General Assembly. There isn't an analyst with a pulse who thinks Abbas was serious. But Oslo is already dead, as dead as the two-state solution. It died in May 1999, when its five-year interim period ended, after which Israel should have withdrawn and a Palestinian state should have been created. The continuation of this interim period, having now lasted another 17 years, has led to charges by Palestinians and others that Abbas and his Palestinian Authority are mere collaborators with Israel's continuing occupation. Pulling out of Oslo now would blow up the PA, cost Abbas his job and throw security fully in Israel's hands. But it would be the necessary step towards creating a single, democratic state, which is the only solution left. Everything else at this point, including defending Oslo and two-states, is hot air that supports the status quo allowing Israel to continue the piecemeal conquest of the West Bank. Sanders did call for an end to Israeli "disproportionate responses to being attacked." But he didn't condemn the two massacres in Gaza in the past seven years as he condemned Hamas rocket fire into Israel, which Palestinians say are acts of resistance. Syria and the Gulf On Syria, Sanders appears to accept the Western view, if not propaganda, that Russia wasn't really hitting ISIS, but only anti-Assad groups. Yes Russia hit those groups, but to bolster Assad's army as the major ground force (with the Kurds) to defeat ISIS and al-Nusra Front (Al Qaeda). Sanders repeated his refrain that the Gulf Arabs need to do more to defeat the Islamic State. Somebody must have gotten to him, because he's added to his position the line that he's not asking Saudi Arabia to "invade" Syria. That is exactly what it sounded like that Sanders had been calling for. Saudi Arabia has already been too involved in Syria, sending in well-armed jihadists to overthrow the government, inspired by the war cry of fanatical Wahhabi preachers. An invasion by Saudi Arabia, threatened with Turkey last month, would be the worst possible move, threatening a much wider war. Though mildly supporting Palestinian rights and criticizing Israel, the feisty crowd at AIPAC would have savaged Sanders, compared to how they showered love on Clinton and Trump. The packed arena had a circular stage set up in the middle that appeared to purposely mimic the major parties' nominating conventions. It was as if AIPAC was saying they are the ones doing the nominating. Clinton and Trump Pump the Crowd Both Trump and Clinton mounted that stage to express fierce loyalty to an Israel that they essentially said could do no wrong. Their talking points could have been written by Benjamin Netanyahu. Clinton lashed out at critics of Israel who promote boycotting Israeli goods. She promised to increase military aid to Israel, which already stands at $3 billion a year, and more than $100 billion since 1962. She vowed to stop a U.N. Security Council resolution that would set a deadline for the end of Israel's West Bank occupation--something the Oslo Accords already did. In a half-hour speech she only uttered the word "Palestinian" ten times, and mostly in connection with "terrorism." Clinton briefly called for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. She said the word "settlements" only once, in passing reference, saying, "Everyone has to do their part by avoiding damaging actions, including with respect to settlements." Nothing more was said. With his typical bombast, Trump said no one had studied the Iran nuclear deal as he had, and that his "number one priority" is to dismantle it. He also said he would not allow the Security Council to impose a settlement in Palestine. "An agreement imposed by the United Nations would be a total and complete disaster," he said. "The United States must oppose this resolution and use the power of our veto, which I will use as president 100 percent." Trump only used bellicose language toward Palestinians. He cited the killing last week of an American in Israel by "a knife-wielding Palestinian." "You don't reward behavior like that. You cannot do it," he said. "There's only one way you treat that kind of behavior. You have to confront it." That sounds like a recipe for more bloodshed. Compared to this rhetoric Sanders' speech was reasonable. He called on Israel, for instance, to stop stealing Palestinian water and for the Gaza blockade to be lifted. Perhaps Sanders is holding back his real views on Israel and Palestine, fearful that he could not withstand the attacks of the Israel Lobby and a pro-Israel corporate media. But in the meantime his prescription for peace did go not far enough. Once again AIPAC's apparent stranglehold on U.S. Middle East policy and on its political candidates seems to snuff out any dream for a resolution to the conflict. By Dave Lindorff What's Hillary know about voter suppression? (Image by ThisCantBeHappening!) Details DMCA It sure looks like there was some electoral fraud committed in the Democratic primary in Arizona on Tuesday. The race ended up officially with Hillary Clinton getting 58% of the votes, a total of 235,667. Bernie Sanders got 40% and a total of 163,368. Half of that vote total came from the state's overwhelmingly biggest city, Phoenix, pop. 1.5 million. In Maricopa County, which is where Phoenix is situated, the vote was Clinton 127,000, Sanders 87,000 -- exactly the same 58%/40% split as the statewide vote. (This compares to neighboring Utah, and to Idaho, where on the same day, Sanders beat Clinton 80% to 20% in two caucuses.) But Phoenix, a Democratic city in a Republican county, like most places, has a Democratic machine that is working in lock-step with the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign. So it is disturbing to learn that numerous types of voter disenfranchisement occurred in the Arizona vote, across the state and especially in Phoenix. According to a publication called The Horn, published in Arizona, many registered Democratic voters came to their polling station, only to be told that they were listed as independent, not as Democrat, and thus could not vote, as Arizona has a closed primary for both parties. Those who complained were given provisional ballots, but there has been no report on how many of those provisional ballots, if any, were counted in arriving at last night's result of a Hillary 14% win. The decision on whether to count provisional ballots is made by local voter registrars. But that's not all. A news site called AZCentral.com reported that before the primary, a decision was made to cut the metro area's usual 200 polling stations down to just 60, allegedly as a "cost-saving" measure and because a flood of advance mail ballots had led voting election officials to guess that the number of physical voters using polling stations would be down (an odd assumption, since higher than usual advance balloting by mail is usually a sign of increased voter interest in an election). Phoenix itself ended up with only 12 working polling stations, with the other 48 spread out around the metro area's various municipalities, usually two polling stations per city. By way of comparison, in the 2012 primary, Maricopa County had 200 polling places for 300,000 voters. This year it had 60 polling places for an estimated 800,000 voters. AZCentral quotes angry voters as saying that they had never before had to wait longer than 15 minutes to vote in an election, but in this case, many people ended up waiting three hours or more, and many no doubt gave up -- especially because the media reported Clinton the winner shortly after polls closed at 7 pm, based upon exit polling. According to one report, some voters at one polling station in downtown Phoenix didn't get to cast a ballot in the Democratic primary until after midnight. Many of the closed polling stations were reportedly in heavily Latino neighborhoods. The state Democratic Party said it would investigate any voter complaints, but given top officials' backing for Clinton, it doesn't seem likely anything will come of that, especially anything that would reverse the results. While there is no solid evidence of Clinton campaign involvement in the primary election mess in Arizona, it is not the first time results in a state primary or caucus have been raised this year, and each time, it's a state where Clinton ended up winning. In three of the other cases -- Iowa, Nevada and Massachusetts -- the results were not expected to favor Clinton, and there was evidence to doubt those results. In Iowa, recall, where Clinton won by a fraction of a percent, the a win in a handful of other districts that had ended in a tie would have reversed the result. But in Iowa, the rules call for a coin toss to settle a caucus tie. Coins were tossed in all six of those precincts, and -- surprise! -- Clinton's campaign won all six. That, mathematicians say, has a probability of happening of just one in 64, or 1.6%. In Massachusetts, where Clinton won by one percent of the vote, there are questions being asked because she won in Boston, famously a college town with a youthful population that is demonstrably pro-Sanders. Yet exit polls, which are generally quite accurate predictors of actual balloting, because people are being asked how they voted as they leave a polling station, suggested Sanders had won by close to 10%. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Donald Trump's presidential campaign was never birthed; it was always birthered. The man who, as his wife told a Vanity Fair reporter back in 1990, had a book of Hitler's speeches in a cabinet by his bedside, has an unerring eye for how to wield anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments for his own benefit. Back in 2011, while considering a presidential run, he birthed his first version of the birther controversy, the claim that Barack Obama was born not in Hawaii but Kenya and so was the ultimate Muslim outsider (and an illegitimate president). It was his equivalent of dipping a toe in the political waters and testing the temperature before diving in -- and he still credits that ludicrous claim with burnishing his reputation. ("I don't think I went overboard. Actually, I think it made me very popular... I do think I know what I'm doing," he said in 2013.) This time around, if Donald Trump has proven anything, it's that he knows exactly what he's doing and just what impact the symbols he calls up -- from that Obama birth certificate to Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- are likely to have. It's clear enough that he's been a student of the trade of demagogue, that he has a natural flair for it, and that when he births a new symbol, it tends to be potent. None more so than the Wall (which should by now be capitalized). You know just what wall I mean without my writing another word. There's only been one wall on the planet since his campaign began and, classically enough for our moment, it arrived by escalator. It came full blown, wrapped in a Trumpian ribbon, all 2,000 miles of it strung along the Mexican border of his mind, complete from day one with "rapists," and the news that "they" were taking our jobs in return for "drugs" and "crime." A package deal, that wall arrived full grown on June 16, 2015, when Donald Trump and his present wife, Melania, descended by escalator from the heavens of Trump Tower in New York to announce his presidential bid to the planet. And that wall -- the idea, that is, of purifying our American world of "them" by keeping undocumented immigrants out and getting rid of those already here -- was from that moment at the heart of everything he did. As he said that day, "I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively, I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." And they were worth marking. Anyone who has watched his rallies since knows that those words have become the call-and-response chorus at the heart of Trumpismo, our new nativist celebrity religion. That the wall (no less the idea that Mexico will cover the cost of building it) is a fantasy isn't beside the point, it's the point itself. What would you expect but a fantasy version of future American life from the presidential candidate nominated by The Apprentice, whose closest adviser is, by his own admission, himself. In such a world, the wish, however malign, is truly the father of reality and the world a fantasy object. Unfortunately, such fantasies have real consequences, which is why TomDispatch asked Tanya Golash-Boza, author of Deported: Immigrant Policing, Disposable Labor, and Global Capitalism, to explore both the walling in and deportation dreams (or nightmares) of Trump and his rival Ted Cruz and what exactly to make of them. Tom Day of the Demagogue Trumpian Deportation Fantasies and American Realities By Tanya Golash-Boza In 2006, when I first began researching deportations, George W. Bush was president and quietly building a deportation machine in the Department of Homeland Security. Outside of small activist circles, few Americans knew that deportations had been rising since 1996 due to legislation signed by President Bill Clinton. Nor could anyone then have imagined that the next President would be a Democrat, the son of a Kenyan immigrant, and would make Bush look like a piker when it came to record-high deportations. Nor, for that matter, would anyone have dreamed that deportation would become a -- possibly the -- signature issue of the 2016 presidential campaign. And yet, all of this and more has come to pass in a blistering season of demagoguery, nativism, and outright racism. As again would have been unimaginable a mere decade ago, Republican front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have both promised to deport every last one of the estimated 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States, the whole lot of them, while as a bonus banning Muslims from the country. Trump gave his particular proposals a special twist by labeling Mexicans coming across the border as "rapists," and immigrants more generally as "snakes." On the issue of deportations, the Republican presidential hopefuls differ in only one tiny way: Trump claims he will allow the "really good" immigrants to return, while Cruz wants to get rid of every last undocumented immigrant permanently. To put all this in perspective, here's the crucial thing you need to understand: with such "proposals," we have been plunged into a grim fantasyland. You can be guaranteed that neither of these men has spent a serious moment considering what it might really mean to deport those 11 million actual human beings. Behind such a program there can be no real plan, because it would prove both unaffordable and unworkable (leaving aside its utter inhumanity). Undoubtedly, neither Trump nor Cruz cares about the details of all this, since the point is to arouse deep fears of loss and visceral betrayal in the white working class voters they want to attract. But it's worth taking their proposals seriously enough to ask a relatively straightforward question: Is it feasible to deport 11 million people? Deporter-in-Chiefs? Any plan to deport all undocumented migrants would involve an inconceivably massive expansion of the current deportation program, which since 1996 has already experienced significant growth. The highest number of people ever deported from the United States in a given year is 237,941. That was the number of "interior removals" reported by the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2009. A removal, by the way, is a deportation that involves a court process, while an interior removal is a deportation involving a person who is arrested inside the United States and is not a recent border-crosser. Keep in mind that those 237,941 undocumented immigrants expelled from the country represented a far higher number of deportations than had ever previously been experienced. Before 1995, there were never more than 50,000 total removals (including people caught crossing the border). Only in 2003 were figures for interior and border removals reported separately, at which time there were 30,000 interior removals. A concerted effort in the years that followed would translate into a seven-fold increase in the number of interior removals during the Bush presidency. When President Obama took office in 2009, he topped the Bush numbers, overseeing record deportations and keeping interior removals steadily above 200,000 until 2012. Then those numbers began to decline, dropping to a still hefty 69,478 interior removals in 2015. For his early deportation record, Obama earned the title of "deporter-in-chief" from immigration activists, as well as the ire of the Latino community. Perhaps due to pressure from that community, he has in recent years rolled back deportations, in addition to issuing an executive order that grants temporary authorization to stay and work in the United States to immigrants who came here as children. He also issued another executive order that would grant the same protections to their parents, although it is still held up in the courts. Now, for the future: the promise to deport all 11 million undocumented migrants in, assumedly, two four-year presidential terms would mean the deportation of 1,375,000 people annually, or six times that all-time high of 237,000. In other words, Donald Trump or Ted Cruz would have to almost match Bush's seven-fold increase in deportations on a truly monumental, essentially inconceivable scale. The more realistic question in the grim world of deportations would be: Could one of them even get back to the 237,000-a-year figure? It's far from clear that any president could actually restore such record-high deportation rates today (forget the promise of millions). 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). Reprinted from Consortium News A crucial problem in news media coverage of the Syrian civil war has been how to characterize the relationship between the so-called "moderate" opposition forces armed by the CIA, on one hand, and the Al Qaeda franchise Al Nusra Front (and its close ally Ahrar al Sham), on the other. But it is a politically sensitive issue for U.S. policy, which seeks to overthrow Syria's government without seeming to make common cause with the movement responsible for 9/11, and the system of news production has worked effectively to prevent the news media from reporting it fully and accurately. The Obama administration has long portrayed the opposition groups it has been arming with anti-tank weapons as independent of Nusra Front. In reality, the administration has been relying on the close cooperation of these "moderate" groups with Nusra Front to put pressure on the Syrian government. The United States and its allies -- especially Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- want the civil war to end with the dissolution of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by U.S. rivals like Russia and Iran. Reflecting the fact that Nusra Front was created by Al Qaeda and has confirmed its loyalty to it, the administration designated Nusra as a terrorist organization in 2013. But the U.S. has carried out very few airstrikes against it since then, in contrast to the other offspring of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State or ISIS (Daesh), which has been the subject of intense air attacks from the U.S. and its European allies. The U.S. has remained silent about Nusra Front's leading role in the military effort against Assad, concealing the fact that Nusra's success in northwest Syria has been a key element in Secretary of State John Kerry's diplomatic strategy for Syria. When Russian intervention in support of the Syrian government began last September, targeting not only ISIS but also the Nusra Front and U.S.-supported groups allied with them against the Assad regime, the Obama administration immediately argued that Russian airstrikes were targeting "moderate" groups rather than ISIS, and insisted that those strikes had to stop. The willingness of the news media to go beyond the official line and report the truth on the ground in Syria was thus put to the test. It had been well-documented that those "moderate" groups had been thoroughly integrated into the military campaigns directed by Nusra Front and Ahrar al Sham in the main battlefront of the war in northwestern Syria's Idlib and Aleppo provinces. For example, a dispatch from Aleppo last May in Al Araby Al-Jadeed (The New Arab), a daily newspaper financed by the Qatari royal family, revealed that every one of at least 10 "moderate" factions in the province supported by the CIA had joined the Nusra-run province command Fateh Halab (Conquest of Aleppo). Formally the command was run by Ahrar al Sham, and Nusra Front was excluded from it. But as Al Araby's reporter explained, that exclusion "means that the operation has a better chance of receiving regional and international support." That was an indirect way of saying that Nusra's supposed exclusion was a device aimed at facilitating the Obama administration's approval of sending more TOW missiles to the "moderates" in the province, because the White House could not support groups working directly with a terrorist organization. A further implication was that Nusra Front was allowing "moderate" groups to obtain those weapons from the United States and its Saudi and Turkish allies, because those groups were viewed as too weak to operate independently of the Salafist-jihadist forces -- and because some of those arms would be shared with Nusra Front and Ahrar. After Nusra Front was formally identified as a terrorist organization for the purposes of a Syrian ceasefire and negotiations, it virtually went underground in areas close to the Turkish border. A journalist who lives in northern Aleppo province told Al Monitor that Nusra Front had stopped flying its own flag and was concealing its troops under those of Ahrar al Sham, which had been accepted by the United States as a participant in the talks. That maneuver was aimed at supporting the argument that "moderate" groups and not Al Qaeda were being targeted by Russian airstrikes. But a review of the coverage of the targeting of Russian airstrikes and the role of U.S.-supported armed groups in the war during the first few weeks in the three most influential U.S. newspapers with the most resources for reporting accurately on the issue -- the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal -- reveals a pattern of stories that tilted strongly in the direction desired by the Obama administration, either ignoring the subordination of the "moderate" groups to Nusra Front entirely or giving it only the slightest mention. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Forty per cent 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, Armenpress reports citing The Statesman website. 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 per cent 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 said, 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 per cent and the flow of rivers has reduced by 60-65 per cent. 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 per cent 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 said. 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. Workers Knew First: Media, Politicians and Economists Finally Admit they were Wrong Joel D. Joseph, Chairman, Made in the USA Foundation Twenty-five years ago, there was a widespread consensus that more trade was good for everyone. In 1993, the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, passed with Democratic and Republican support. In 1972, Richard Nixon opened the door to China trade with Democratic support. The overwhelming majority of the media supported more free trade and claimed that it was good for the American economy. Similiarly, most economists thought that more trade was a no-brainer, that it created jobs in the U.S. and abroad. But they were all wrong. Earlier this month the New York Times finally admitted that it made a grave mistake: "What seems most striking is that the angry working class -- dismissed so often as myopic, unable to understand the economic trade-offs presented by trade -- appears to have understood what the experts are only belatedly finding to be true: The benefits from trade to the American economy may not always justify its costs." The New York Times noted a recent study by three economists -- David Autor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David Dorn at the University of Zurich and Gordon Hanson at the University of California, San Diego that found that a prime economic assumption relied on by international economists was false. The false presumption was that economies quickly recover from trade shocks. For example, when Chinese furniture replaces American furniture, the U.S. economy is supposed to adjust. In theory, a developed industrial country like the United States was supposed to adjust to import competition by moving workers into more advanced industries that could successfully compete in global markets. But this theory, like so many other economics theories, proved to be wrong. Dead wrong. The economists examined the effects of increased U.S.-China trade. The presumed adjustment, they concluded, never happened. Wages remain low and unemployment high in the most affected local job markets. Nationally, there was no sign of offsetting job gains elsewhere in the economy. What's more, they found that sagging wages in local labor markets exposed to Chinese competition reduced the average earnings dramatically. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump 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). Articles Listed By Date List By Popularity Search Title Date Between Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 and Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Page 1 of 5 First Last Back Next 2 3 4 5 View All (7 comments) SHARE Video& Quotes: Cenk Uygur Interviews Bernie Sanders It's so nice to see a progressive interviewing a presidential candidate. What a difference. full video and best quotes included. Thursday, March 24, 2016It's so nice to see a progressive interviewing a presidential candidate. What a difference. full video and best quotes included. (3 comments) SHARE The Progressive Presidential Primary If you think Hillary Clinton is going to fight for a progressive agenda, you're smoking the good stuff. The woman who just told her Goldman Sachs audience that the bankers are misunderstood is going to do what -- get money out of politics, fix the banking system, do progressive economic policy? Even if you "stand with Hillary," you don't believe that. Monday, November 3, 2014If you think Hillary Clinton is going to fight for a progressive agenda, you're smoking the good stuff. The woman who just told her Goldman Sachs audience that the bankers are misunderstood is going to do what -- get money out of politics, fix the banking system, do progressive economic policy? Even if you "stand with Hillary," you don't believe that. (7 comments) SHARE The Sniveling Apologizers at MSNBC Don't Represent Progressi First, let me be clear that this is not intended for the hosts on MSNBC. It's management that's the issue. The way Phil Griffin has his hosts trot out for one apology after another is revolting. At least, he included himself in the genuflecting to the right-wing last time around. The whole display is pathetic. Monday, February 3, 2014First, let me be clear that this is not intended for the hosts on MSNBC. It's management that's the issue. The way Phil Griffin has his hosts trot out for one apology after another is revolting. At least, he included himself in the genuflecting to the right-wing last time around. The whole display is pathetic. (27 comments) SHARE Obama Will Ride to the Rescue ... for Republicans There is only one person who can rescue the Republican Party now -- Barack Obama. And he will. In fact, he actively wants to cut Social Security and Medicare. He can't wait for that pat on the back from the establishment when they finally call him post-partisan, above party politics, and a statesman for screwing over his own voters. Let's see what he does. You shall know him by his works. Saturday, December 22, 2012There is only one person who can rescue the Republican Party now -- Barack Obama. And he will. In fact, he actively wants to cut Social Security and Medicare. He can't wait for that pat on the back from the establishment when they finally call him post-partisan, above party politics, and a statesman for screwing over his own voters. Let's see what he does. You shall know him by his works. (4 comments) SHARE Why the Grand Bargain Is One-Sided and Totally Unfair No one in Washington cares about the deficit, least of all defense contractors & the corporate parasites infesting the halls of Washington. So, the Grand Bargain is a Grand Lie. Monday, November 12, 2012No one in Washington cares about the deficit, least of all defense contractors & the corporate parasites infesting the halls of Washington. So, the Grand Bargain is a Grand Lie. (1 comments) SHARE Rape Panels Republicans so far have referred to legitimate rape, forcible rape, easy rape, honest rape, emergency rape, enjoyable rape and now gift-from-God rape. The bottom line is that they don't want to have a rape exception for abortions. Saturday, October 27, 2012Republicans so far have referred to legitimate rape, forcible rape, easy rape, honest rape, emergency rape, enjoyable rape and now gift-from-God rape. The bottom line is that they don't want to have a rape exception for abortions. SHARE The Real Convention Is on the Yacht, "Cracker Bay" The only delegates that matter were on that yacht. They call this group the "Victory Council." This is made of people who are literally millionaires and billionaires and who dictate what Mitt Romney's positions will be. He's a legendary flip-flopper, but if you want to know what he really thinks you had to be on that boat. Friday, August 31, 2012The only delegates that matter were on that yacht. They call this group the "Victory Council." This is made of people who are literally millionaires and billionaires and who dictate what Mitt Romney's positions will be. He's a legendary flip-flopper, but if you want to know what he really thinks you had to be on that boat. SHARE Mitt Romney: Richer Means Superior The most relevant part of this exchange might be the perspective it gives us into Mitt Romney's world view. Rich makes right. If Israel is richer, by definition, it must be superior. If Mitt Romney is richer than everyone else, he must be superior to everyone else. Elect me for president, I'm richer than the other guy. Tuesday, July 31, 2012The most relevant part of this exchange might be the perspective it gives us into Mitt Romney's world view. Rich makes right. If Israel is richer, by definition, it must be superior. If Mitt Romney is richer than everyone else, he must be superior to everyone else. Elect me for president, I'm richer than the other guy. (1 comments) SHARE Friendly Advice to CNN -- Change Everything CNN just had their lowest ratings in a decade. They are in disastrous shape. When I was on MSNBC, we would beat them with a stick. Even after "pro-CNN" stories like revolutions in Egypt and Libya, Japanese nuclear meltdowns and the killing of Osama bin Laden (CNN does much better when major news or international stories break out), we still beat them. Now they're doing so poorly I might even catch them on Current. Wednesday, May 2, 2012CNN just had their lowest ratings in a decade. They are in disastrous shape. When I was on MSNBC, we would beat them with a stick. Even after "pro-CNN" stories like revolutions in Egypt and Libya, Japanese nuclear meltdowns and the killing of Osama bin Laden (CNN does much better when major news or international stories break out), we still beat them. Now they're doing so poorly I might even catch them on Current. (1 comments) SHARE WHCD: A Salute to the Centurions I was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner tonight. And I loved 85% of it. This makes me somewhat of a hypocrite because I often criticize a lot of the people in that room, and I especially single out the chuminess of the press with the government. Sunday, April 29, 2012I was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner tonight. And I loved 85% of it. This makes me somewhat of a hypocrite because I often criticize a lot of the people in that room, and I especially single out the chuminess of the press with the government. (23 comments) SHARE Supreme Court Might Decide Their Second Election It was a similar crew of conservative justices on the Supreme Court that decided that their long-held beliefs on states' rights were irrelevant and made George W. Bush our next president in 2000. Now, they're back!!! And they might decide yet another presidential election. Thursday, March 29, 2012It was a similar crew of conservative justices on the Supreme Court that decided that their long-held beliefs on states' rights were irrelevant and made George W. Bush our next president in 2000. Now, they're back!!! And they might decide yet another presidential election. (6 comments) SHARE Vote Against Obama in Iowa The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a crime against our constitution. It allows for the indefinite detention of US citizens by the military inside the US - without a trial. It's one of the worst laws ever passed in the US and it passed with nary a peep of opposition. I'm positive that a huge percentage of the population is not even aware of it, partly because the establishment media didn't even bother covering it. Thursday, December 29, 2011The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a crime against our constitution. It allows for the indefinite detention of US citizens by the military inside the US - without a trial. It's one of the worst laws ever passed in the US and it passed with nary a peep of opposition. I'm positive that a huge percentage of the population is not even aware of it, partly because the establishment media didn't even bother covering it. (5 comments) SHARE How We Can Change the Media A quote you see everywhere is Gandhi's line about being the change you want to see in the world. Since I'm a corny guy, I took that to heart. Tuesday, December 13, 2011A quote you see everywhere is Gandhi's line about being the change you want to see in the world. Since I'm a corny guy, I took that to heart. (2 comments) SHARE Huckabee the Scrivener: The Man Who Could be President, But Prefers Not To I have been saying for about a year now that the man best positioned to become the next President of the United States is Mike Huckabee. To this day, the Republican voter is desperately in search for the anti-Romney. Even seven out of ten Romney voters say they could switch their vote to someone else. There is no brand loyalty there at all. Thursday, November 10, 2011I have been saying for about a year now that the man best positioned to become the next President of the United States is Mike Huckabee. To this day, the Republican voter is desperately in search for the anti-Romney. Even seven out of ten Romney voters say they could switch their vote to someone else. There is no brand loyalty there at all. (3 comments) SHARE Why Republican Voters Can't Make Up Their Mind It seems like every couple of weeks we have a new leader in the Republican field. Michele Bachmann has been there, so has Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, and now Herman Cain sits atop the field. Why can't Republican voters make up their minds? Friday, October 28, 2011It seems like every couple of weeks we have a new leader in the Republican field. Michele Bachmann has been there, so has Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, and now Herman Cain sits atop the field. Why can't Republican voters make up their minds? (12 comments) SHARE How to Regain Our Democracy There is one answer. It is the one thing that is above Congress and the Supreme Court -- a constitutional amendment. We must pass an amendment saying that corporations are not people and they do not have the right to spend money to buy our politicians. Corporations have no soul. They are profit-making robots. They are not endowed by their creator with inalienable rights. They are legally created fictions... Wednesday, October 19, 2011There is one answer. It is the one thing that is above Congress and the Supreme Court -- a constitutional amendment. We must pass an amendment saying that corporations are not people and they do not have the right to spend money to buy our politicians. Corporations have no soul. They are profit-making robots. They are not endowed by their creator with inalienable rights. They are legally created fictions... (10 comments) SHARE Is Obama Playing Rope-a-Dope? Here was the headline on Yahoo tonight: Obama bows to Boehner on jobs speech I can tell you what any progressive who has been paying attention thought, "Oh boy, here we go again." Thursday, September 1, 2011Here was the headline on Yahoo tonight: Obama bows to Boehner on jobs speech I can tell you what any progressive who has been paying attention thought, "Oh boy, here we go again." (15 comments) SHARE Obama's Tipping Point I have been saying for a long time now that President Obama is the world's worst negotiator and has absolutely no interest in fighting for progressive principles. I didn't make this up out of the whole cloth. I voted for the guy and I desperately wanted him to succeed. But my job is to cover politics and when you cover Obama all you see is him running for cover. Tuesday, August 9, 2011I have been saying for a long time now that President Obama is the world's worst negotiator and has absolutely no interest in fighting for progressive principles. I didn't make this up out of the whole cloth. I voted for the guy and I desperately wanted him to succeed. But my job is to cover politics and when you cover Obama all you see is him running for cover. (2 comments) SHARE Bin Laden Dead - War Was Not the Answer A lot of people will make the point today that we should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible now that our top goal of going over there has been accomplished. This comes, ironically, eight years to the day after President Bush declared Mission Accomplished in regard to Iraq -- and can anyone remind me what that mission was? Monday, May 2, 2011A lot of people will make the point today that we should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible now that our top goal of going over there has been accomplished. This comes, ironically, eight years to the day after President Bush declared Mission Accomplished in regard to Iraq -- and can anyone remind me what that mission was? (5 comments) SHARE Obama Must Win the Next Fight with Republicans -- And Progressives Have to Help It's time to stop playing nice with Democrats. Good-cop, good-cop doesn't work. We need a bad cop. We need a strong progressive wing to keep shouting "no deal!" every time the White House wants to concede (which will be every time). Monday, April 11, 2011It's time to stop playing nice with Democrats. Good-cop, good-cop doesn't work. We need a bad cop. We need a strong progressive wing to keep shouting "no deal!" every time the White House wants to concede (which will be every time). Page 1 of 5 First Last Back Next 2 3 4 5 View All Articles Listed By Date List By Popularity Search Title Date Between Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 and Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 (2 comments) SHARE The Overwhelming Survival-Response to the TCJA of the 2017 "SALT CAP" has been Change One of the most controversial provisions of the TCJA of 2017 was the $10k "SALT CAP", which adversely affected 10.9 million filers (over 18 million potential 2020 voters), the vast majority having withholding surprises in 2019. It has proved to be highly advantageous to landlords in high SALT states, like Trump and Kushner and as a result New York City rents hit a new high of $2,980/mo, the highest in at least three years. Saturday, June 15, 2019One of the most controversial provisions of the TCJA of 2017 was the $10k "SALT CAP", which adversely affected 10.9 million filers (over 18 million potential 2020 voters), the vast majority having withholding surprises in 2019. It has proved to be highly advantageous to landlords in high SALT states, like Trump and Kushner and as a result New York City rents hit a new high of $2,980/mo, the highest in at least three years. (7 comments) SHARE Why a 2018 Mid-term vote for the GOP is a vote for al Qaeda's Most Valuable Party (MVP) No thoughtful voter can question that the American People are not more divided in October 2018 than when al Qaeda declared war on the United States on August 23, 1996 and published its ultimate goal to create a wedge between the American people and their government. The leadership one of our political parties, the GOP bears the lion's share for this wedge, vote accordingly on November 6th. Thank you! Monday, October 29, 2018No thoughtful voter can question that the American People are not more divided in October 2018 than when al Qaeda declared war on the United States on August 23, 1996 and published its ultimate goal to create a wedge between the American people and their government. The leadership one of our political parties, the GOP bears the lion's share for this wedge, vote accordingly on November 6th. Thank you! (9 comments) SHARE Why the GOP's Tax Reform is the Al Qaeda Terrorists Dream Come True! During the 11+ years since Bush-43 warned us, in his September 5, 2006 speech, to take the terrorist words seriously Beltway policymakers have done the exact opposite. The GOP's Tax Reform being latest in a chain of legislation enabling Al Qaeda to achieve its goals, big time. If the GOP Tax Bill is enacted the Republican Party will be the terrorist's Most Valuable Party (MVP). Sunday, December 17, 2017During the 11+ years since Bush-43 warned us, in his September 5, 2006 speech, to take the terrorist words seriously Beltway policymakers have done the exact opposite. The GOP's Tax Reform being latest in a chain of legislation enabling Al Qaeda to achieve its goals, big time. If the GOP Tax Bill is enacted the Republican Party will be the terrorist's Most Valuable Party (MVP). (5 comments) SHARE Why New Jersey's Closed Primaries Led to Voter Apathy, Polarization and Gridlock The inability to have a say in the primaries cause many unaffiliated votes to suffer "learned helplessness" resulting in too many of them dropping-out of the electoral process, yielding low turn-out in general election. The majority who vote in closed primaries are hardcore partisans, resulting in nominees that are polar-opposites and with one gets elected to the political office, gridlock is the result. Sunday, June 4, 2017The inability to have a say in the primaries cause many unaffiliated votes to suffer "learned helplessness" resulting in too many of them dropping-out of the electoral process, yielding low turn-out in general election. The majority who vote in closed primaries are hardcore partisans, resulting in nominees that are polar-opposites and with one gets elected to the political office, gridlock is the result. (2 comments) SHARE "Learned Helplessness", the Self-Inflicted Cause of the Democratic Party's Potential Demise Just as at the turn of the twentieth century, U.S. voters are disenchanted with both political parties as indicated by April 2014 Rasmussen Reports poll which found that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is fair to say that neither party in Congress is the party of the American people This explains why the 2014 mid-term voter turnout percentage of eligible voters was a 72 year low ("learned helplessness" in action). Monday, July 25, 2016Just as at the turn of the twentieth century, U.S. voters are disenchanted with both political parties as indicated by April 2014 Rasmussen Reports poll which found that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is fair to say that neither party in Congress is the party of the American people This explains why the 2014 mid-term voter turnout percentage of eligible voters was a 72 year low ("learned helplessness" in action). (2 comments) SHARE Why The President's Trade Agenda is a Cup Two-Thirds Empty, At Best! Since the current global conflict is a Jobs War, The President's Trade Agenda is a disaster waiting to happen. It fails to address the lion's share of our trade challenge, imports and it supports the Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism which lowers the risk to corporations exporting jobs. Tell your Senators and Representative to support the Americans in the jobs war, by vote against the trade agenda, later this year. Wednesday, July 15, 2015Since the current global conflict is a Jobs War, The President's Trade Agenda is a disaster waiting to happen. It fails to address the lion's share of our trade challenge, imports and it supports the Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism which lowers the risk to corporations exporting jobs. Tell your Senators and Representative to support the Americans in the jobs war, by vote against the trade agenda, later this year. (69 comments) SHARE The Greater Deformation: the Corruption of Democracy in America Americas democracy is under attack by our Financial Aristocracy. In a 2012 CBS News/New York Times poll, 76 percent said the U.S. Supreme Court decides cases based on personal and political views, not legal analysis. Without a mandate for a national referendum on SCOTUS decisions, especially five-to-four decisions,We the People will never, on a sustained basis, regain control of our Democracy. Thursday, March 27, 2014Americas democracy is under attack by our Financial Aristocracy. In a 2012 CBS News/New York Times poll, 76 percent said the U.S. Supreme Court decides cases based on personal and political views, not legal analysis. Without a mandate for a national referendum on SCOTUS decisions, especially five-to-four decisions,We the People will never, on a sustained basis, regain control of our Democracy. (7 comments) SHARE Are Votes for Fast Track, (TPP) and (TAFTA) Votes for Crony Capitalism? Crony capitalism appears to be a Global epidemic, ultimately resulting in the privatization of gains and the socialization of losses. In his bestseller, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America, David Stockman makes the case that crony capitalism has been eight decades in making in America, while according to Rep. Paul Ryan We're starting to see some crony capitalism here in America" Thursday, February 20, 2014Crony capitalism appears to be a Global epidemic, ultimately resulting in the privatization of gains and the socialization of losses. In his bestseller, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America, David Stockman makes the case that crony capitalism has been eight decades in making in America, while according to Rep. Paul Ryan We're starting to see some crony capitalism here in America" (1 comments) SHARE Throwing Good Money After Bad: Extending the Capital Gain & Dividend Tax-cuts American voters crave for truth and leadership. Ideologues who "favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible" represent the antithesis of what voters want and have played a significant role in bringing about the Fiscal Cliff. Tax-cuts that violate expectations,that are void of accountability and lack verification of results deserve to be political liabilities. Tuesday, November 27, 2012American voters crave for truth and leadership. Ideologues who "favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible" represent the antithesis of what voters want and have played a significant role in bringing about the Fiscal Cliff. Tax-cuts that violate expectations,that are void of accountability and lack verification of results deserve to be political liabilities. (1 comments) SHARE The Competitive Double-Standard: The Olympics versus Global Trade When Olympic competition was marred by performance-enhancing drugs, drug-testing was widely accepted; but economic cheating/fraud in the global trade arena, it's business as usual. Human nature beings what it is, a lack of boundaries breeds negative competition. Enron, WorldCom and Madoff eventually ceased to be tolerated, yet our tolerance for negative competition by trading partners has been to date virtually without limit. Friday, July 20, 2012When Olympic competition was marred by performance-enhancing drugs, drug-testing was widely accepted; but economic cheating/fraud in the global trade arena, it's business as usual. Human nature beings what it is, a lack of boundaries breeds negative competition. Enron, WorldCom and Madoff eventually ceased to be tolerated, yet our tolerance for negative competition by trading partners has been to date virtually without limit. (1 comments) SHARE Has Our Defense of Freedom Made America Less Independent? Our trade deficits are weapons of economic destruction, fueled by a laundry-list of free trade agreements. They have eroded America's independence and are enabling al-Qaeda to achieve its central goal of: "bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy". Senator Obama's concern in 2008 has evolved into welcoming free trade agreements with open arms, why? To keep capital happy! It's bipartisan Kool-Aid drinking at its worse. Monday, July 2, 2012Our trade deficits are weapons of economic destruction, fueled by a laundry-list of free trade agreements. They have eroded America's independence and are enabling al-Qaeda to achieve its central goal of: "bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy". Senator Obama's concern in 2008 has evolved into welcoming free trade agreements with open arms, why? To keep capital happy! It's bipartisan Kool-Aid drinking at its worse. SHARE China and Madoff Fraud Parallels and How All U.S. Trade is Adversely Affected This article connects the dots between China's manipulation (a tax on all U.S. exports) and our failed Free Trade Agreements (FTA). Wednesday, October 12, 2011This article connects the dots between China's manipulation (a tax on all U.S. exports) and our failed Free Trade Agreements (FTA). Articles Listed By Date List By Popularity Search Title Date Between Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 and Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 (14 comments) SHARE The honorable way to honor America and its veterans is to dishonor American wars Memorial Day and 4th of July commemorate American imperialism that should be condemned, put to an end,and never honored. Honest history would devote the other 363 days of every year to remorse, apology and reparations to the millions we have murdered,robbed and displaced. This will not end until we citizens take control of our gov't from the robber barons who pull the strings. Series: (5 Articles, 7371 views) Sunday, June 20, 2021Memorial Day and 4th of July commemorate American imperialism that should be condemned, put to an end,and never honored. Honest history would devote the other 363 days of every year to remorse, apology and reparations to the millions we have murdered,robbed and displaced. This will not end until we citizens take control of our gov't from the robber barons who pull the strings. US/NATO Imperialism (5 Articles, 7371 views) (12 comments) SHARE Let's Stay in Touch This reminds readers of the hazards to us all of psychological abnormalities in those wielding political and economic power, citing books addressing this regarding presidents Bush 43 and Trump. Excessive power over our national health bureaucracy is now exercised by Bill Gates, who displays an autistic-like obsession with universal vaccination as necessary for restoring normal life to which he seems peculiarly insensitive. Series: (2 Articles, 3317 views) Sunday, August 30, 2020This reminds readers of the hazards to us all of psychological abnormalities in those wielding political and economic power, citing books addressing this regarding presidents Bush 43 and Trump. Excessive power over our national health bureaucracy is now exercised by Bill Gates, who displays an autistic-like obsession with universal vaccination as necessary for restoring normal life to which he seems peculiarly insensitive. Covid-19 Deceptions & Debacle (2 Articles, 3317 views) (23 comments) SHARE Is Dehumanization the New Normal? Covid-19 looks engineered like 9/11with dark objectives: to keep a terrorized population submissive to the state, impose mandatory vaccines of unknown purpose by corrupting science, transfer wealth from small business to multinational control, install world control under US agencies and private foundations, and reduce and degrade individual humanity to fit grandiose Orwellian visions that we must reject and defeat. Series: (2 Articles, 3317 views) Tuesday, July 14, 2020Covid-19 looks engineered like 9/11with dark objectives: to keep a terrorized population submissive to the state, impose mandatory vaccines of unknown purpose by corrupting science, transfer wealth from small business to multinational control, install world control under US agencies and private foundations, and reduce and degrade individual humanity to fit grandiose Orwellian visions that we must reject and defeat. Covid-19 Deceptions & Debacle (2 Articles, 3317 views) (8 comments) SHARE Our Problem is much more than Trump, and certainly not Iran The Suleimani assassination has evoked typical fleeting reactions by peace activists whose ineffective methods have failed since the Vietnam War. We must do more to awaken deadened psychological faculties in the general public to protect the world from our endless, highly profitable-for-some, bipartisan imperial violence, beginning with truth about relentlessly dehumanized peoples targeted for mass murder and resource theft. Series: (5 Articles, 7371 views) Wednesday, February 5, 2020The Suleimani assassination has evoked typical fleeting reactions by peace activists whose ineffective methods have failed since the Vietnam War. We must do more to awaken deadened psychological faculties in the general public to protect the world from our endless, highly profitable-for-some, bipartisan imperial violence, beginning with truth about relentlessly dehumanized peoples targeted for mass murder and resource theft. US/NATO Imperialism (5 Articles, 7371 views) (11 comments) SHARE Democracy Now! naively trusting of Amnesty International This questions the credibility of Amnesty International's report on the Saydnaya prison in Syria, apparently the latest propaganda effort to demonize Assad, following an oft-repeated formula, strategically timed to undermine Assad's advantage entering peace negotiations, extrapolating wild conclusions from hearsay by anonymous sources in Turkey where the Western/Gulf State mercenaries have gathered. Series: (5 Articles, 7371 views) Monday, February 13, 2017This questions the credibility of Amnesty International's report on the Saydnaya prison in Syria, apparently the latest propaganda effort to demonize Assad, following an oft-repeated formula, strategically timed to undermine Assad's advantage entering peace negotiations, extrapolating wild conclusions from hearsay by anonymous sources in Turkey where the Western/Gulf State mercenaries have gathered. US/NATO Imperialism (5 Articles, 7371 views) (7 comments) SHARE Standing Rock Water Protectors Carry Forward the Spirit of Rainbow Warrior John Trudell On the first anniversary of AIM activist John Trudell's death, this reviews and reflects on his life, courage, integrity and transcendent spirit of resistance to the forces of greed and destruction manifested anew in the Standing Rock Water Protectors. Monday, December 12, 2016On the first anniversary of AIM activist John Trudell's death, this reviews and reflects on his life, courage, integrity and transcendent spirit of resistance to the forces of greed and destruction manifested anew in the Standing Rock Water Protectors. (1 comments) SHARE Presidential Choices Facing Climate Catastrophe Rapidly escalating climate change is the most crucial threat faced by all humanity but received scant attention in our political theater of the absurd, aka presidential election debates between candidates half the electorate were excluded from choosing. Both main party candidates are wholly unsuitable and the Green Party alone proposes revolutionary policies commensurate with the challenge. We cannot afford further delay. Sunday, October 23, 2016Rapidly escalating climate change is the most crucial threat faced by all humanity but received scant attention in our political theater of the absurd, aka presidential election debates between candidates half the electorate were excluded from choosing. Both main party candidates are wholly unsuitable and the Green Party alone proposes revolutionary policies commensurate with the challenge. We cannot afford further delay. (18 comments) SHARE To Survive Psychopathic Leadership, Propaganda Must be Exposed and Debunked Describes control of the public mind as key to all the empire's operations, focused on crude demonization of targeted leaders and gross distortions of history to justify illegal and ruinous wars. The US public must learn to recognize, deconstruct and repudiate media propaganda and by doing so rid ourselves of psychopathic rulers. Series: (5 Articles, 7371 views) Friday, September 2, 2016Describes control of the public mind as key to all the empire's operations, focused on crude demonization of targeted leaders and gross distortions of history to justify illegal and ruinous wars. The US public must learn to recognize, deconstruct and repudiate media propaganda and by doing so rid ourselves of psychopathic rulers. US/NATO Imperialism (5 Articles, 7371 views) (5 comments) SHARE Bill, Hillary and the African Holocaust, Part 2 Completion of preceding article describing Clinton administration's secret sponsorship of Kagame's wars to secure resource control in Africa and Hillary's lack of moral qualification for the office she seeks. Series: (5 Articles, 12024 views) Monday, August 8, 2016Completion of preceding article describing Clinton administration's secret sponsorship of Kagame's wars to secure resource control in Africa and Hillary's lack of moral qualification for the office she seeks. The Hidden Clinton Joint Resume (5 Articles, 12024 views) (7 comments) SHARE Bill, Hillary and the African Holocaust, Part 1 The Clinton conjugal crimes against humanity go back at least two decades, with the African atrocities arguably the worst as well as the least known. We must review Hillary's job application carefully, comprehensively and longitudinally since she is supremely unqualified to be granted any further responsibility for the welfare of this country and the safety of the world community. Series: (5 Articles, 12024 views) Saturday, August 6, 2016The Clinton conjugal crimes against humanity go back at least two decades, with the African atrocities arguably the worst as well as the least known. We must review Hillary's job application carefully, comprehensively and longitudinally since she is supremely unqualified to be granted any further responsibility for the welfare of this country and the safety of the world community. The Hidden Clinton Joint Resume (5 Articles, 12024 views) (6 comments) SHARE There are Many Critical Omissions from Clinton's Job Application This follows my earlier exposes of the Clinton crime team with accounts of their lack of any national loyalty, allowing control of US uranium deposits by Russia and transfer of missile and satellite technology to China, plundering the US Treasury, US resources and US taxpayer-supported technology for their personal enrichment. Series: (5 Articles, 12024 views) Thursday, July 28, 2016This follows my earlier exposes of the Clinton crime team with accounts of their lack of any national loyalty, allowing control of US uranium deposits by Russia and transfer of missile and satellite technology to China, plundering the US Treasury, US resources and US taxpayer-supported technology for their personal enrichment. The Hidden Clinton Joint Resume (5 Articles, 12024 views) (27 comments) SHARE We Desperately Need a Trustworthy Third Party There is a lack of meaningful distinction between our two major parties, both serving the unelected corporate state, defined by Sheldon Wolin as "inverted totalitarianism." We must assert ourselves as citizens, proactively determine our national agenda and choose our administrators (not "leaders") of that agenda. Only Sen. Sanders meets acceptable criteria, has volunteered for the job, and demonstrated elective capacity. Sunday, July 10, 2016There is a lack of meaningful distinction between our two major parties, both serving the unelected corporate state, defined by Sheldon Wolin as "inverted totalitarianism." We must assert ourselves as citizens, proactively determine our national agenda and choose our administrators (not "leaders") of that agenda. Only Sen. Sanders meets acceptable criteria, has volunteered for the job, and demonstrated elective capacity. (10 comments) SHARE Did Black Lives in Africa and Haiti Matter to the Clintons? Describes hidden role of the Clinton administration in the Rwandan genocide and subsequent wars in central Africa to control mineral resources, and suspicions of corruption following the Haiti earthquake by Hillary's State Dept and the Clinton Foundation. Emerging revelations from Hillary's emails and other evidence would make her exceptionally vulnerable to effective GOP attack as the Democratic nominee. Series: (5 Articles, 12024 views) Sunday, May 29, 2016Describes hidden role of the Clinton administration in the Rwandan genocide and subsequent wars in central Africa to control mineral resources, and suspicions of corruption following the Haiti earthquake by Hillary's State Dept and the Clinton Foundation. Emerging revelations from Hillary's emails and other evidence would make her exceptionally vulnerable to effective GOP attack as the Democratic nominee. The Hidden Clinton Joint Resume (5 Articles, 12024 views) (5 comments) SHARE The Hillary Gang Wants to Cut a Deal Hillary is whistling audibly in the dark and her deeply worried party wants a settlement with almost 1,000 delegates still unpledged and Hillary's increasing political liabilities, any one of which could torpedo her candidacy at any time. These liabilities in addition to her weak showing against Trump in polls could cause the superdelegates to switch for personal and party survival. Dare they risk betraying the voters will? Saturday, May 21, 2016Hillary is whistling audibly in the dark and her deeply worried party wants a settlement with almost 1,000 delegates still unpledged and Hillary's increasing political liabilities, any one of which could torpedo her candidacy at any time. These liabilities in addition to her weak showing against Trump in polls could cause the superdelegates to switch for personal and party survival. Dare they risk betraying the voters will? (3 comments) SHARE We are Seeing Revolution Arising. Can We Stay the Course? Describes evidence of revolution predicted by Chris Hedges, the urgent need for a third party bringing significant change, and Sanders likely success running if necessary as an Independent based on political science research and evidence of widespread voter disaffection with our existing political system. This will require pressure from below and refusal of Sanders supporters to support Clinton, who is weaker against Trump. Monday, May 16, 2016Describes evidence of revolution predicted by Chris Hedges, the urgent need for a third party bringing significant change, and Sanders likely success running if necessary as an Independent based on political science research and evidence of widespread voter disaffection with our existing political system. This will require pressure from below and refusal of Sanders supporters to support Clinton, who is weaker against Trump. by Sen. Doug Whitsett According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths from drug overdose have increased 137 percent since 2000. A total of 47,055 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2014 about 130 people a day representing a 6.5 percent increase over the previous year. During the past ten years, highway fatalities in the United States have fallen more than 25 percent, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Even though 2014 was the safest traffic period recorded during the past 40 years, a total of 32,675 Americans lost their lives in crashes, about 90 traffic-related deaths each day. Incredibly, Americans are about 44 percent more likely to die from a drug overdose than in a traffic crash. The rate of death from over-dosage of opioids has soared more than 200 percent over the past 15 years. According to CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., the increasing number of deaths from opioid overdose is alarming. The opioid epidemic is devastating American families and communities. To curb these trends and save lives, we must help prevent addiction and provide support and treatment to those who suffer from opioid use disorders. Strong evidence detailing how the use of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco serve as thresholds to the use of more addictive and harmful drugs is undeniable. There is no doubt that marijuana serves as an entry-level drug, especially among adolescents. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia (CASA) recently released a study showing that children between 12 and 17 years of age who use gateway drugs such as tobacco, alcohol and marijuana are up to 266 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not use gateway drugs. Former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare and current CASA President Joseph A Califano, Jr. stated that this study, the most comprehensive national assessment ever undertaken, reveals a consistent and powerful connection between the use of cigarettes and alcohol and the subsequent use of marijuana, and between the use of cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana and the subsequent use of cocaine and other illicit drugs. CASAs study establishes a clear progression, starting with gateway drugs, and leading to cocaine use. It states that nearly 90 percent of people who have ever tried cocaine used all three gateway substances first. More than half followed a progression from cigarettes to alcohol, to marijuana and then on to cocaine. A recent research paper published in the Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry describes the increasing prevalence of marijuana use disorder in the United States. The National Institute of Health sponsored a study disclosing that nearly six million Americans, or 2.5 percent of the entire adult population of the United States, suffer from marijuana use disorder. That study evaluated the use of drugs and alcohol, as well as related psychiatric conditions, among more than 36,000 participants over the age of eighteen during the 12-month period between 2012 and 2013. The research revealed that past-year and lifetime marijuana use disorders were strongly and consistently associated with other substance use and mental health disorders. The research shows those who smoke marijuana most heavily, and for the longest periods, are most susceptible to marijuana use disorder. They are strongly and consistently prone to a lifetime of association with other substance use disorders, effective disorders, anxiety, and personality disorders, as well as other mental health disease. The researchers found that the risk for onset of the disorder peaks during late adolescence and among people in their early twenties, especially among young males. The director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism commented that the new analysis complements previous population-level studies by Dr. Grants group that show that marijuana use can lead to harmful consequences for individuals and society. This study removes any ambiguity regarding how marijuana serves as a gateway, or threshold level, drug. Marijuana use has already been legalized by the states of Oregon, Colorado, Alaska, Washington and the District of Columbia. According to BallotPedia, ballot proposals to either decriminalize or legalize marijuana have been proposed in 16 additional states this year. Marijuana remains an illegal controlled substance under federal law. Two synthetic cannabinoids, nabilone and dronabinol, have been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. The U.S. Supreme Court recently considered whether to hear a marijuana-related federal lawsuit filed in 2014 by the states of Nebraska and Oklahoma. The suit asked the courts to overturn a Colorado Amendment adopted by the people in 2012, which legalized the use of recreational marijuana. The lawsuit argues that the State of Colorado has created a dangerous gap in the federal drug control system that has caused irreparable injury to its two neighboring states. That case was ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds, but not on its merits. Nevertheless, Oregon is serving as a national leader in the efforts to make the use of both medical and recreational marijuana not only legal, but commonplace. Perhaps more parents and lawmakers should take the time to read these sobering research analyses. Senator Doug Whitsett is the Republican state senator representing Senate District 28 Klamath Falls YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry refutes another Azerbaijani information. The country's media, citing the Defense Ministry press service, spread information on March 24, that Armenians opened fire on the eve of Nowruz and during holidays, using large caliber weapons and mortars on bordering villages and civilians. The Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry announced that it is committed to the agreements and will never be the aggressor. As of the March 19 and March 20 wounded cases in the Azerbaijani army, the Defense Army has nothing to do with them. The reasons should be sought in the Azerbaijani army, which is dominated by an atmosphere of impunity and non-statutory relations. "Armenpress" was informed by the press service of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry. As proven by the 20-year history of the conflict settlement, the Azerbaijani side is increasing the tension on the contact line during holidays of national importance and on the eve of important meetings. Moreover, by spreading this kind of disinformation, the adversary is preparing for its future provocations. ISI director gunned down PESHAWAR: A former regional director of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Peshawar on Tuesday. Abdul Latif, who was also a professor at Qurtaba University, had went to Phase 7, Hayatabad to meet his relatives when assailants on a motorcycle shot him dead, police said. Tatara SHO Abid Afridi said Latif, 61, had retired as a regional director from the ISI three years ago. During his career, Latif served on key positions, including as the first secretary in Pakistans embassy in Afghanistan in the 90s, he added. He was a resident of Tehkal but was on a visit to Hayatabad to meet his relatives when unknown attackers riding a motorcycle opened fire at him just outside the house, killing him on the spot, SHO Afridi said. SP Cantt Kashif Zulfiqar said the deceased was recently appointed as the dean of a university in Afghanistan and was to join the varsity in the coming days. It looks like a targeted killing, he added. Pak Sarzameen Party announced by Mustafa Kamal KARACHI: Announcing the name of his 'new party' on Wednesday, former Karachi mayor Mustafa Kamal said the "Pak Sarzameen Party" will release its manifesto in the near future. The manifesto is being drafted by those who are "most competent", he said. "It should be clear to you that those of us on this path are not here to distribute power, gain power, to steal power or to steal positions," Kamal said, adding that he and his colleagues "curse such power, posts and privilege which cannot serve the people". "The people of Karachi are witness to the time we had the power to bring change," he said, referring to his time as mayor of the metropolis, "And when the time came that those positions were just posts of power, we left." "The day we distanced ourselves from this sin, we became rich," he said, gesturing to himself and colleague Anis Kaimkhani, while referring to their separation from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). "The freedom of Kashmir is the first priority of the establishment... Which Pakistani doesn't want freedom for Kashmir? If the establishment has the same agenda, does that mean Pakistanis will stop wanting it?" he asked. Lamenting the fragmented condition of the population along ethnic and religious lines, he said, "We don't want to divide people's hearts further." "If you want to join us, you must first respect our political opponents," he said. "We will not allow more polarisation or division within the Pakistani society. This is our first principle." The party will propose a new party flag for the Election Commission of Pakistan, he said, but will "not even look at this flag". "We will not hand it to our workers. We will only raise the flag of Pakistan. What constitution can stop me from raising the Pakistani flag?" he asked. "A party's flag is where divide begins... Everyone, no matter what political party he belongs to, believes in our symbol," he said, referring to the Pakistani flag he had raised as the party symbol with Anis Kaimkhani at his first press conference upon his return to Karachi. "It will be our responsibility to respect those who believe in this flag." Kamal said the biggest problem right now is that "we are not taking ownership of Pakistan" and called for a "purely devolved local government system". "Our system has not given anyone a sense of participation," he said. "What are you going to do with new provinces? Today there are four, tomorrow there will be 20, but powers will not be devolved to the lowest level and people will not be empowered. A purely devolved local government system should be in place to achieve this," Kamal said. Citing the example of foreign countries "for which we line up to get visas" as places with purely devolved systems of government. "They make sure their locales have clean drinking water and security." "The common man is the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Make the man on your street NAB. He will enforce accountability." Earlier this March, when Kamal returned to Pakistan, the MQM dissident unleashed a salvo of bombastic revelations against party supremo Altaf Hussain, accusing him of deception, addressing workers while intoxicated and poor running of the MQM. Since then, the former mayor of Karachi has pulled former MQM heavyweights Advocate Anis, Raza Haroon, Anis Kaimkhani, Dr Sagheer, Iftikhar Alam, Waseem Aftab into his party. Advocate Anis and Raza Haroon both have slammed Altaf Hussain, saying the MQM chief is the reason behind party members jumping ship. However, the MQM has denied all allegations regarding the 'minus-Altaf formula' and claims its workers are being 'forced to change loyalties'. Kamal and his colleagues have not specifically denied these allegations or others that suggest the new party is being backed by 'certain quarters'. A number of senior MQM members left the country suddenly around the time Kamal returned to Karachi, causing speculation as to the reasons behind their seemingly abrupt departure. USA to have meaningful dialogue with Pakistan at a nuclear summit WASHINGTON: The US State Department has said it is looking forward to a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan at a nuclear summit next week. As world leaders, including those from India and Pakistan, gather in Washington this week to discuss nuclear security issues, the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School released a report reviewing global security measures. The report concluded that Pakistans nuclear security arrangements were stronger than Indias, although the country still faced significant threats from terrorist groups. At the State Department, spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing that the United States routinely discusses issues of nuclear security with Pakistan. We look forward to having Pakistan represented at the Nuclear Security Summit coming up and to being able to continue to have meaningful dialogue about issues of nuclear security, he added. The two-day, fourth Nuclear Security Summit begins in Washington on March 31 and prime ministers of both India and Pakistan have pledged to attend it. Their presence in the US capital, and subsequent comments by both Pakistani and Indian officials, have also raised hopes for a bilateral meeting between the two South Asian leaders. While US officials have not confirmed or denied reports that they are encouraging the two prime ministers to meet, Mr Kirby said that the US had always welcomed moves aimed at reducing tensions between India and Pakistan. We welcome efforts that have been taken and efforts that may be taken in the future to work out those issues bilaterally between the two countries, he said. Last week, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller also told a congressional panel that Pakistan had really done an excellent job of establishing a programme for nuclear security. This programme was not only serving Pakistans interests, but is also serving on a regional basis to provide training with the help of the IAEA, she said. Ms Gottemoeller noted that India was still at an early stage of establishing its own Centre of Excellence for nuclear security. Meanwhile, a report examining nuclear security worldwide suggests Indias nuclear security measures may be weaker than those of Pakistan, but says the risk appears to be moderate, while claiming risk of nuclear theft in Pakistan appears to be high. US officials have reportedly ranked Indian nuclear security measures as weaker than those of Pakistan and Russia, the Harvard Kennedy School reported. US experts visiting the sensitive Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 2008 described the security arrangements there as extraordinarily low key, the report added. In a review of global measures for nuclear security, the report noted that while Indias security arrangements were weaker than Pakistans, adversary threats in India were also less extreme than those in Pakistan. Overall, the risk of nuclear theft in Pakistan appears to be high, said the report, adding that the possibility of a government or an extremist takeover in Pakistan cannot be entirely ruled out. Nuclear risks in Pakistan, the report noted, was also linked to an expansion in the countrys nuclear arsenal. A shift in Pakistans strategic doctrine towards tactical nuclear weapons also increased the risk, the report added. Despite these risks, Pakistan has substantially strengthened its nuclear security in the past two decades, the report said. It also highlighted the measures Pakistan had taken to enhance security: Deployment of 25,000 troops to guard nuclear stocks and facilities; equipping sites with extensive barriers and detection systems, separating storage of nuclear weapons components, providing weapons with locks to prevent unauthorised use and extensive cooperation with the United States to improve nuclear security. Our company is able to supply on a ragular basis to your place rounded poles of alder-tree and birch wood cylinders. Dimesions of rounded poles: width - 1300 mm. diameter - 60-80 mm. width 2600 mm. diameter 90-120 mm. 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An international team of paleontologists led by Emma Mbua of Mount Kenya University and Masato Nakatsukasa of Kyoto University report findings of fossilized teeth and forearm bone from an adult male and two infant A. afarensis from an exposure eroded by the Kantis River in Ongata-Rongai, a settlement in the outskirts of Nairobi. "So far, all other A. afarensis fossils had been identified from the center of the Rift Valley," explains Nakatsukasa. "A previous Australopithecus bahrelghazali discovery in Chad confirmed that our hominid ancestor's distribution covered central Africa, but this was the first time an Australopithecus fossil has been found east of the Rift Valley. This has important implications for what we understand about our ancestor's distribution range, namely that Australopithecus could have covered a much greater area by this age." A. afarensis is believed to have lived 3,700,000-3,000,000 years ago, as characterized by fossils like "Lucy" from Ethiopia. Stable isotope analysis revealed that the Kantis region was humid, but had a plain-like environment with fewer trees compared to other sites in the Great Rift Valley where A. afaransis fossils had previously appeared. "The hominid must have discovered suitable habitats in the Kenyan highlands. It seems that A. afaransis was good at adapting to varying environments," notes Nakatsukasa. The team's survey also turned up masses of mammal fossils, including a few that probably belong to new species of bovids or baboons. The authors write that the Kantis site was first noted in a 1991 geological survey. At that time, a farmer said that he and his family had come across fossilized bones from Kantis in the 1970s, although they did not recognize their importance. Following airing of Kenyan television programs on paleontological research, locals gradually started to appreciate the fossils. Since then, Kantis and other sites have been identified thanks to fossil notifications from the local population. The team welcomes this achievement not only for its academic implications, but also for the benefits to the local community. "Kantis is in the vicinity of Nairobi, a major city," said Nakatsukasa. "We hope that the discovery of the new site and the fossils will aid in increasing tourism, and in improving educational awareness of the local community." Explore further Gorilla fossil suggests split from humans as far back as 10 million years ago More information: Emma Mbua et al. Kantis: A new Australopithecus site on the shoulders of the Rift Valley near Nairobi, Kenya, Journal of Human Evolution (2016). Journal information: Journal of Human Evolution Emma Mbua et al. Kantis: A new Australopithecus site on the shoulders of the Rift Valley near Nairobi, Kenya,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.006 A Marsh Arab (Ma'dan) woman carries freshly cut reeds, the traditional construction material of mats, baskets, and houses in the Mesopotamian Marshes of modern day Iraq. (2014) Credit: Kelly P. Goodwin For thousands of years, the marshes at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern day Iraq were an oasis of green in a dry landscape, hosting a wealth of wildlife. The culture of the Marsh Arab, or Ma'dan, people who live there is tightly interwoven with the ecosystem of the marshes. The once dense and ubiquitous common reed (Phragmites australis) served as raw material for homes, handicrafts, tools, and animal fodder for thousands of years. Distinctive mudhif communal houses, built entirely of bundled reeds, appear in Sumerian stonework from 5,000 years ago. Now that culture is drying up with the marshes. Recent decades have brought extreme change to the fertile lands famous for the birth of agriculture and the rise of some of the world's earliest cities. The sphere of daily life for Marsh Arab women has shrunk as the natural resources they traditionally cultivated have vanished, reports an international team of researchers in "Effects of Mesopotamian Marsh (Iraq) desiccation on the cultural knowledge and livelihood of Marsh Arab women," published today in the March 2016 issue of Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, a joint journal of the Ecological Society of America and Ecological Society of China. The study is the first effort to specifically document Marsh Arab women's cultural relationship to marsh ecological services. "Imagine the Everglades. The Marsh Arabs used to live in the middle of the water, surrounded by everything green. The fields, the reeds, and the water buffalo were around them. Now they have to walk five, ten kilometers to reach resources. The land is dry and brown," said study author Nadia Al-Mudaffar Fawzi, an Iraqi marine ecologist who returned from New Zealand to the city of her birth in 2009 to teach and conduct research at the University of Basrah. The Mesopotamian Marshes in 2000 were mere remnants of their former glory, after a decade of deliberate drainage. The white area shows the extent of the marshes, once the largest in the Middle East and an important destination for migratory birds, in 1973. Credit: United Nations Environmental Programme. Al-Mudaffar Fawzi studies the impact of climate change on biodiversity in the marshes, the Persian Gulf, and the Shatt al-Arab river which connects them. Rising temperatures, falling water volume in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and groundwater pumping is causing the salt water in the Gulf to extend up the Shatt al-Arab, which is formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. Basrah, now the second largest city in Iraq, is on the Shatt al Arab about 70 kilometers downstream of the confluence. "When I came back in 2009, I knew there were lots of problems with drying of the system. We knew there was big impact on fish production, on water quality in the Shatt al-Arab, and in the north of the Gulf," said Al-Mudaffar Fawzi. In her investigations of the water systems, she also grew interested in the social impact of environmental change, and in people's understandings of the effects of the environment on their lives. Iraq did not have environmental laws until the change of government in 2003, and they remain a low priority in the current chaotic conditions in the country. "The whole situation in the marshes is completely different from what I saw before, in the '70s and early '80s," she said. "Women used to play a role in the ecological system. They used to work with men in gathering reeds and in fishing, and we would see them in the market when they come and sell their produce, like the fish, and the milk from the buffalo, the cheese and the yogurt that they make." Al-Mudaffar Fawzi and her colleagues designed a survey to more formally ask Marsh Arab women about their lives and activities. With the exception of women living on the edge of the Mesopotamia Marshland National Park, created in 2013, where restoration efforts have seen some success, Marsh Arab women reported that their daily lives had narrowed to domestic tasks in the home. Very few women today go out to gather reeds or care for buffalo. "The older women who were adults before the war would tell us, 'back then I was out making dung patties, collecting reeds, taking care of buffalo,'" said author Kelly Goodwin, who works with the international NGO Millennium Relief and Development Services. "They say, 'now I'm just at home'." Goodwin interviewed 34 women, ranging in age from teenagers to more than 70 years, in the Hammar Marshes north of the city of Basrah in December 2013-February 2014. More than half the interviewees were over 50. These older women were born and grew to adulthood before the war in the 1980s and destruction of the 1990s. Nearly 60 percent of younger women under 40 described their days as exclusively "domestic." Reed mats and pigeon homes, ready for market, lean against the side of a reed house. The production and sale of handicrafts is traditional work for Marsh Arab women. The common reed (Phragmites austalis) is a cultural and ecological keystone species of the Mesopotamian Marshes. Lack of water has made this once abundant raw material scarce. Credit: Kelly P. Goodwin. We are not teaching our daughters, older women told the researchers, because the water is gone, the ground is dry and there are no reeds to gather. The water is too salty for our buffalo. Although men and women have separate roles in Marsh Arab culture, traditional women's work took women outside the home and brought supplementary income to the family through market sales. Women cared for water buffalo and gathered reeds to weave into mats, baskets, pigeon cages and other tools. Women turned high-fat buffalo milk into dairy products, dung into fuel, and raise chickens, cattle, and sheep. They helped cultivate rice, wheat, and dates. Usually women, not men, took fish, dairy, and handicrafts to sell in city markets. "The marshes were a cultivated landscape, shaped by selective harvest, hunting, fishing, and burning to promote the natural resources that the Marsh Arabs usedmuch like the precolonial landscape was cultivated by native peoples here in California," said author Michelle Stevens, a professor California State University in Sacramento. Also like California, Stevens said, climate change modeling predicts a future of hotter summers, accentuated droughts, and shrinking winter snowpacks in Turkey's Taurus Mountains, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers arise. In Iraq, war and ongoing political instability have magnified the problems besieging marshes worldwide, particularly in arid landscapes: pollution and too many demands on the water that sustains them. The marshes enjoyed a burst of recovery the mid-2000s after drying up nearly completely in the previous decade. The influx of water, and resulting dramatic greening, can be seen in images from NASA's Terra satellite, captured between 2000 and 2010. The resilient reeds returned quickly as the marshes rehydrated. In the 1990s, former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein deliberately drained the marshes to facilitate oil discovery and to retaliate against tribes that participated in uprisings against his government. Marsh Arabs who had not already fled the front line fighting during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, were forced to leave as the land became barren and dry. After the Second Gulf War removed Hussein from power, Iraqis tore down the water diversions and returned water to the marshes. Many Marsh Arabs returned to their homeland. The apparent resilience of the ecosystem and the culture of the marshes masked fragility, however. The researchers fear that the Marsh may be approaching a threshold of no return, as the older generation with the wealth of skills needed to flourish in the marshes yields to a younger generation that never had the opportunity for hands-on learning. Water in the Tigris and Euphrates has dropped to 20 percent of the pre-war volume. The remaining water carries so much salt that it is often undrinkable. Drought in 2007 hit the region hard, reversing many of the restorative gains for the ecosystem. The generation of Marsh Arabs that grew up outside the marshes had no practical experience of living in the marshes, and struggled to adapt to the lifestyle of their parents' youth. Goodwin describes the tapwater in Basrah as so salty that a filigree of crystals forms on the surface of dishes as they dry. Increased dependence on groundwater is worsening saltwater intrusion from the Gulf. Although the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow across the length Iraq, the water comes from outside its borders. Iraq is at the mercy of the water policies of its upstream neighbors Turkey, Syria, and Iran, all of which have intensified water development projects in recent years. The current political instability makes effective diplomacy on water issues difficult. Recovery of the ecosystem and culture of the marshes will likely depend on diplomatic efforts to secure sufficient water, Al-Mudaffar Fawzi says. In Mesopotamia Marshlands National Park, Iraq's first national park, restoration practices are emerging that appear to successfully restore social and ecological systems, and could be used as templates for restoration in other areas of the Mesopotamian Marshes. But this cannot be done without water. The authors recommend that programs be implemented to preserve traditional skills, to develop a market for handicrafts to support women and their families, and to support cultural knowledge. Otherwise, with the passing of the older generation, these remnants of ancient Sumerian knowledge systems and traditional ways of life will soon be lost. "It was extremely sobering sometimes to see the circumstances some people are living in," said Goodwin. "Much of the land near Basrah city is desertified." But visits to the marshes could also be thrilling, she said, and the visit to the restored region was almost magical. "I really consider it was a privilege to sit with these women, drink tea, and hear their stories," said Goodwin. "I would have loved to have tangible solutions to take back to them that could encourage the retention of cultural traditions and secure ecological restoration. I think they feel they are forgotten and overlooked. I wish I could tell them that they are not forgotten." Explore further Study predicts salt marshes will persist despite rising seas More information: Nadia Al-Mudaffar Fawzi, Kelly P. Goodwin , Bayan Mehdi, Michelle L. Stevens (2016) Effects of Mesopotamian Marsh (Iraq) desiccation on the cultural knowledge and livelihood of Marsh Arab women, Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, dx.doi.org/10.1002/ehs2.1207 Nadia Al-Mudaffar Fawzi, Kelly P. Goodwin , Bayan Mehdi, Michelle L. Stevens (2016) Effects of Mesopotamian Marsh (Iraq) desiccation on the cultural knowledge and livelihood of Marsh Arab women, Predicting the future from the present - that's what logistic maps can do. For example, they can be used to predict the evolution of a population in the near future based on its present situation. They are relevant when studing systems such as entire populations, where the behaviour of the separate units - which have the ability to self-organise - cannot explain the behaviour of the system as a whole. Alexandre L'Her from the University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay, and colleagues have now developed an electronic version of a logistic map that is capable of interacting with many other maps, making the model scalable. As a benchmark to explain new emerging behaviours of entire complex systems, they have studied networks of logistic maps coupled together at various levels. Their findings were recently published in EPJ B and make it possible to more easily compare previous computer simulations with experimental results obtained using this state-of-the art electronic model. Previously, networks of logistic maps allowed ecologists to address the influence of diversity and spatial heterogeneity in competing populations. And logistic maps have not only been used in ecological models; since 1976 they have also been proposed as a model for various other applications, such as a noise generator or an encryption machine for secure communication, among many others. In this study, the authors put forward an electronic version of a logistic map designed to interact with other maps. Employing low-cost components with low power consumption, it can also precisely control noise and key parameters, such as heterogeneities and random fluctuations. This makes it uniquely suited for accurately representing the characteristics of real-world systems. After running the network of electronic logistic maps, the authors calibrated numerical simulations, allowing them to extrapolate findings beyond the mere experimental results. Explore further Babe Ruth and earthquake hazard maps A four-cell stage embryo. Credit: Zernicka-Goetz Lab, University of Cambridge Genetic 'signatures' of early-stage embryos confirm that our development begins to take shape as early as the second day after conception, when we are a mere four cells in size, according to new research led by the University of Cambridge and EMBL-EBI. Although they seem to be identical, the cells of the two day-old embryo are already beginning to display subtle differences. Once an egg has been fertilised by a sperm, it divides several times, becoming a large free-floating ball of stem cells. At first, these stem cells are 'totipotent', the state at which a stem cell can divide and grow and produce everythingevery single cell of the whole body and the placenta, to attach the embryo to the mother's womb. The stem cells then change to a 'pluripotent' state, in which their development is restricted to generating the cells of the whole body, but not the placenta. However, the point during development at which cells begin to show a preference for becoming a specific cell type is unclear. Now, in a study published in the journal Cell, scientists at the University of Cambridge and the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) suggests that as early as the four-cell embryo stage, the cells are indeed different. The researchers used the latest sequencing technologies to model embryo development in mice, looking at the activity of individual genes at a single cell level. They showed that some genes in each of the four cells behaved differently. The activity of one gene in particular, Sox21, differed the most between cells; this gene forms part of the 'pluripotency network'. The team found when this gene's activity was reduced, the activity of a master regulator that directs cells to develop into the placenta increased. "We know that life starts when a sperm fertilises an egg, but we're interested in when the important decisions that determine our future development occur," says Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz from the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. "We now know that even as early as the four-stage embryo - just two days after fertilisation - the embryo is being guided in a particular direction and its cells are no longer identical." Dr John Marioni of EMBL-EBI, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, adds: "We can make use of powerful sequencing tools to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive development in individual cells. Because of these high-resolution techniques, we are now able to see the genetic and epigenetic signatures that indicate the direction in which early embryonic cells will tend to travel." Explore further Shining light on the pathways that give rise to pluripotent cells in rodents and primates More information: Heterogeneity in Oct4 and Sox2 Targets Biases Cell Fate in Four-Cell Mouse Embryos. Cell; 24 March 2016. Journal information: Cell Heterogeneity in Oct4 and Sox2 Targets Biases Cell Fate in Four-Cell Mouse Embryos.; 24 March 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.01.047 Artists impression of the ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter on its journey to Mars with the entry, descent and landing demonstrator module, Schiaparelli, attached (right). Credit: ESA/ATG medialab Following a spectacular liftoff, ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is performing flawlessly en route to the Red Planet. The ESARoscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing demonstrator are well on their way following the 14 March launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After a raucous 10 minute ascent, the three-stage Proton-M rocket delivered the Breeze-M upper stage and its ExoMars payload into an initial parking orbit. Following four crucial engine burns in the next 10 hours, Breeze-M released ExoMars into its interplanetary path to Mars, achieving a departure speed accurate to within just 1.5 m/s. "We had an extremely precise orbital injection thanks to ProtonBreeze and our Russian colleagues, and we are now well on our way to Mars," says ESA flight director Michel Denis. "After the critical first few days in space, TGO is performing flawlessly. Over the next two weeks we will continue to check and commission its systems, including the power, communications, startrackers, and guidance and navigation system." Schiaparelli, which is hitching a ride to Mars with TGO, will also be thoroughly checked in the coming weeks. ExoMars 2016 lifted off on a Proton-M rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan at 09:31 GMT on 14 March 2016. Credit: ESAStephane Corvaja, 2016 Starting in April, the ExoMars team at ESA's mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, will work with the science teams to start switching on and commissioning the craft's scientific instruments. NASA's Electra radio relay will also be switched on and checked next month. In June, the science control centre at ESA's establishment near Madrid, Spain, will start working with the instrument teams at their various institutes, and the Roscosmos science operations centre, to perform a mid-cruise checkout of TGO's instruments. ExoMars Mission Control Team at work in the Main Control Room of ESAs European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) on launch day, 14 March 2016. Credit: ESA/J. Mai Not many problems to solve In the only problem seen so far, the team noted some hours after establishing a communication link that the temperature of the main engine, to be used later during the cruise and at Mars arrival, had started to rise more than expected. In consultations with engineers from Thales Alenia Space France, TGO's prime contractor, it was determined that simply adjusting the craft's orientation in space by a few degrees so that the engine nozzle was no longer directly facing the Sun would do the trick. It did. "It's obvious that the European industry who built ExoMars has done an excellent job," says Michel. By Thursday evening, 17 March, the mission control team had declared the 'Launch and Early Orbit Phase' one of the most critical periods in any mission's life complete, and finished work in the main control room in Darmstadt. From now on, routine operations will be handled from a smaller room, where space and facilities will be shared with other interplanetary missions. Explore further Intensive training for Mars voyage YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. By the government's decision it is planned to combine the Vanadzor Polyclinic No. 4 with Vanadzor polyclinic No. 1, and the Kurtan, Agarak, Gyulagarak, and Gargar primary health care centers with the Stepanavan Medical Center. Minister of Healthcare Armen Muradyan noted during the Cabinet meeting that the decision is due to the ongoing healthcare sector reforms. According to the minister, finances saved as a result of optimization of the medical sphere will be directed towards the development of medical institutions, acquisition of equipments, improvement of personnel and housing conditions. Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan proposed to allocate the surplus medical equipment of the optimization to border communities. "I think if there are working equipments, they need to be allocated to our border communities. If there are indeed working equipments in good condition, discuss with the Governors, it is best if they are sent to the border communities ", Armenpress reports, Hovik Abrahamyan saying. FBI director James Comey, pictured on March 1, 2016, said his agency found an outside party that appeared to have the ability to extract data from the iPhone without Apple's help The FBI Thursday defended the handling of its legal battle with Apple over encryption following an abrupt retreat from its bid to force the tech giant to help unlock an attacker's iPhone. FBI director James Comey said his agency only decided to back down from its efforts after it found an outside party that appeared to have the ability to extract data from the handset without Apple's help. Comey made the comments in a statement, which was also posted as a letter to the Wall Street Journal, responding to an editorial critical of the government's handling of the investigation into an iPhone used by one of the shooters in last year's deadly attacks in San Bernardino, California. "You are simply wrong to assert that the FBI and the Justice Department lied about our ability to access the San Bernardino killer's phone," Comey wrote. "I would have thought that you, as advocates of market forces, would realize the impact of the San Bernardino litigation. It stimulated creative people around the world to see what they might be able to do. And I'm not embarrassed to admit that all technical creativity does not reside in government. Lots of folks came to us with ideas. It looks like one of those ideas may work and that is a very good thing." FBI vs Apple He added that the case "was not about trying to send a message or set a precedent; it was and is about fully investigating a terrorist attack." The Justice Department asked for a postponement a day before a critical hearing before a California judge on the effort to force Apple to provide technical assistance. The Journal said the government's handling of the case offered "reasons to doubt their credibility and even basic competence." The editorial said the Justice Department's legal effort was "reckless" and that the FBI "fibbed by saying the Apple case is about one phone." Other backers of Apple's position have also questioned the government's tactics and claimed the move was aimed at using the case to build public support for increased surveillance. Evan Greer of the activist group Fight for the Future said this week that "even before this latest announcement, multiple expert security researchers have cast serious doubt on the DOJ's claim that only Apple could help unlock the phone." Federal prosecutors and Apple spent weeks trading a volley of legal briefs related to the FBI's demand that the tech company help investigators unlock the phone used by Syed Farook, who died in a shootout after the December 2 shooting in San Bernardino that left 14 people dead and was the deadliest terror attack in the US since 9/11. Several news reports have said the FBI may be using an Israeli forensics company that has developed a technique to transfer data out of the iPhone without deleting the contents. At a news conference Thursday announcing indictments of alleged hackers linked to Iran, Comey said the FBI decided to pause efforts after "someone came forward with an idea." 2016 AFP For Immediate Release Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) hailed todays landmark guilty verdict against former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. After almost six years of proceedings, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found the former political leader responsible for some of the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II. This is a momentous day for international justice, but also for those in Bosnia who lost husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters in a coordinated campaign of violence, said Susannah Sirkin, PHRs director of international policy and partnerships. It may have taken 20 years, but at last Karadzic a psychiatrist-turned-demagogue who fomented ethnic hatred and violence is finally being held responsible for his crimes. During and after the war, PHR led efforts to document atrocities across the former Yugoslavia, exhuming and identifying remains in several large mass graves, including those at Srebrenica. Over the course of a few days in 1995, 8,000 Muslim men and boys were taken from a UN safe area there and killed. PHRs investigators gathered evidence showing the victims were executed, many with their hands tied behind their backs, shot in the back of the head, and dumped in shallow graves. PHR contributed evidence and testimony to the ICTYs proceedings against Karadzic and others accused of war crimes. (Read Sirkins account of PHRs Dr. William Haglunds 2012 testimony at The Hague.) Karadzic is the highest-ranking official to face judgment at the ICTY for his role individually and jointly in the Bosnian war that cleaved the country along ethnic lines and claimed more than 100,000 lives. He was convicted today for his role in multiple massacres, including the massacre in Srebrenica, the siege of Sarajevo, as well as his part in purging towns of Muslims and Croats throughout Bosnia. The wounds of war in Bosnia will leave their marks for generations, said Sirkin. Even as the ICTY winds down, we must continue to pursue justice and support victims loved ones. Todays historic ruling signals to leaders not just in Europe but around the world that if you act with impunity and ruthlessness, you will be held to account. The court sentenced Karadzic to 40 years in prison, which includes the period in which he was detained at the ICTY. He has been held at the court since 2008. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) should be at least as good as the European Union (EU), Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Tigran Sargsyan on 24 March, Armenpress reports, citing BELTA. There is no turning back. We need to improve the Eurasian Economic Union, this union should be as good as the European Union. Otherwise, our people will think that we are just babblers, the Belarusian leader stressed. Alexander Lukashenko noted that the EEU which was established within a rather short period of time has reached a lot. But there are many drawbacks and pending issues which are to be solved due to objective and subjective reasons. All parties, from the Eurasian Economic Commission to the presidents and prime ministers, will have to do their best to advance the Eurasian Economic Union to a brand-new level, the President said. In 2015, Belarus presided in the EEU and put forward a plan of action to develop the union. Due to various reasons, we did not manage to solve a number of issues, Alexander Lukashenko stated. To a certain extent, it can be explained by the changes in the composition of the Eurasian Economic Commission. The accession of Kazakhstan to the WTO also had an impact, we had to adapt to it, the head of state reminded. In spite of these problems, Alexander Lukashenko is optimistic about the future of the Eurasian Economic Union. The life will compel us to make progress in establishing the union, building the formula we have been always talking about. It is need to ensure the real freedom of markets, capital, and workforce within our borders. Our national problems should not hinder the promotion of common interests and the resolution of pending issues, the President is convinced. Tigran Sargsyan, in turn, expressed hope that the efforts to create the single economic space and a huge experience will give a new impetus to the integration processes. Our citizens and businesses should see real benefits from these activities, he remarked. Tigran Sargsyan pointed out serious transformations in the world, new challenges for the European integration. It will be easier for us to cope will all these modern challenges together, the official said. He expressed confidence that the priorities determined during the presidency of Belarus will remain in the spotlight. However, it is still needed to do a lot, Tigran Sargsyan said. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Two terrorist attacks in the Brussels International Airport at Zaventem commune, as well as the metro station "Maelbeek" occurred the morning of 22 March. According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom, they claimed the lives of 31 people, and about 300 were injured, Armenpress reports citing TASS. According to recent data, the main participants of the terrorist attack at the airport were 3 persons. On March 22, their photo with CCTV cameras had been circulated in the media. It is known that 2 of them died, and the third - is wanted. Police still officially confirmed the identity of only one of the terrorists - a citizen of Belgium Brahim El Bakraui, who was born in Brussels on 9 October 1986. As for the second killed terrorist, according to widespread media reports, which has not been officially confirmed by the authorities, it is the 25-year-old Belgian citizen Najim Laachraoui, who in 2013 traveled to Syria to fight alongside the militants. On December 4, 2015, he was wanted in connection with the terrorist attacks in Paris. His DNA was found on the elements of explosive devices, which were used by terrorists on November 13 last year in the French capital. The identity of the 3rd man, dressed in light clothes, is not installed. Police believe his accomplice in the terrorist attack and searches him. According to the Belgian prosecutor on March 23, he left the airport in a big bag and left before the explosion. The explosion at the metro station "Maelbeek" occurred at 09:11 in Brussels Euro block. The direct participants of the explosion in the subway were two terrorists. One of them was identified as the younger brother of Brahim El Bakraui - 27-year-old Khalid. He died. The second terrorist was accompanied by Khalid El Bakraui. On the security cameras, he was captured with a big bag; police believe his accomplice in the terrorist act and leads an active search. His identikit is posted on one of the newspapers. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. On March 24 Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the newly appointed Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Argo Avakov on the occasion of the award of letter of credence. As Armenpress was reported by theDepartment of Information and Public Relations of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, Minister Nalbandian congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and noted that the Foreign Ministry will continue to cooperate fully with the works of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. Expressing gratitude for the wishes, Avakov assured that he will take maximum efforts to ensure and improve the effectiveness of the programs implemented in Armenia, strengthening interaction with the authorities and civil society of the country. The 2 sides noted with satisfaction that the relations between Armenia and the OSCE has always stood out manifold, and include the active involvement of Armenia in OSCE activities at all three levels. Nalbandian stressed the importance of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, noting that this is the only representative organization in the region, which is fully operational. The parties discussed the process of reforms implemented in Armenia and programs implemented by the assistance of the OSCE. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. On March 24 Armenian Foreign Ministry held a reception devoted to International Francophonie Day and the official start of the two-month activities of Francophonie in Armenia. The reception was attended by MPs of the National Assembly, representatives of state agencies, representatives of local self-government bodies, ambassadors accredited in Armenia, heads of French institutions in Armenia and responsible bodies of scientific and education sector. As Armenpress was reported by the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, at the beginning of the reception, participants paid minute's silence in memory of victims of terrorist attacks in Brussels. Minister Nalbandian noted that Armenia, as well as the entire francophone world, strongly condemns these terrible terrorist attacks and expresses its solidarity with Belgium and the friendly people of Belgium. In his welcoming speech, the Foreign Minister said that being active members of the organization, Armenia will hold about 600 educational, cultural and academic events in Yerevan and a number of provinces within the framework of the Francophonie two-month activity. The Minister noted with satisfaction the active participation of young people in the events: over 200 schools are involved in this program. Edward Nalbandian thanked state structures of Armenia - the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Culture and the Mayor of Yerevan; embassies accredited in Armenia, member and observer states of Francophonie and Francophonie institutions which made an important contribution to the organization of events in 2016. Conference of Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia Shahen Avagyan, French Ambassador to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier and Ambassador of Switzerland to Armenia Lukas Gasser was prior to the reception. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The Public Radio of Armenia has undertaken to improve its Overseas Service with a view of paying greater attention to the problems of ethnic minorities, their religious and cultural peculiarities.Armenpress reports citing Public Radio of Armenia that Kurds are one of the largest compactly living ethnic minorities in Armenia. Representatives of the Kurdish community were hosted at the Public Radio of Armenia on March 24 to present their views and proposals on the format and content of the Kurdish-language programs. Representatives of the Kurdish community want the programs to last 90 minutes instead of the current 30 and want greater access to the recordings of Kurdish songs kept in Public Radios Golden Fund. In response to the request, Public Radios Executive Director Arman Saghatelyan noted that international broadcasting envisages a serious financial burden, and extension of the program is a serious issue, but pledged to find other mechanisms to meet the demands of the Kurdish-speaking listeners. As for the access to the recordings, the Directors said they could be released on CDs. Attending the event was Aram Ananyan, head of the Armenpress News Agency. Speaking to Radiolur news program, he stressed the importance of such meetings and discussions with representatives of the national minorities. Kurds have always had the best opportunities in Armenia for launching activity in the scientific-education and cultural spheres, and the Public Radio of Armenia has always been an important platform. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. There is no decision over the possible meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington, Spokesperson for the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Vice President of Republic of Armenia National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov told the journalists about this after RPA executive board session. The President of the Republic of Armenia will pay a visit to Washington. The public and mass media will be informed by the Presidential Administration according to the procedural order, but we are not aware of any decision about meeting. There is no such a decision and there has not even been such a discussion, Armenpress reports Sharmazanov mentioning, referring to the issue of possible meeting of the President of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington during the Nuclear Security Summit. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will also be present there. YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan explicitly ignores the calls of the international community and instead of giving up ceasefire violations, it further escalates the situation. Spokesperson for the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Vice President of Republic of Armenia National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov told the journalists about this after RPA executive board session. It is inadmissible and condemnable. We have regularly mentioned that it is intolerable during meetings with representatives of various international organizations. At least it is intolerable that Azerbaijan not only did not adhere to Andrzej Kasprzyks call for strictly maintaining the ceasefire regime during the Nowrus and Easter holidays, but further escalated the situation, Armenpress reports Sharmazanov mentioning. He added that the international organizations must make more addressed assessments in their announcements and see who really violates the ceasefire regime and who really wants to solve the issue relying on military methods. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk issued a statement on March 18 calling on the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides to maintain the ceasefire regime in the upcoming holidays of Nowruz and Easter period. This was followed by the Defense Ministry's statement that Armenia is ready to strictly adhere to the ceasefire, as it has done during the period of the entire confrontation, but expected Azerbaijans positive respond to this call. Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group and Gernot Esler, representative of the German presidency in the OSCE urged the same call, to strictly adhere to the ceasefire regime during the holidays. It was September 2014, and Rokas fourth book, Brokenville, had just been announced as the OK Tedi Book of the Year, making him a two-time award winner in the Crocodile Prize. I pay tribute to Papua New Guineas great writers who have taken up the noble profession of writing, he continued, his voice ringing with inspiration and determination. IF only each of us could go back to where we come from, sit by the evening fire and listen to a grumpy old orator once more, we could save the prehistory of this nation, said Leonard Fong Roka. It was just in time for National Book Week. The suns rays were now blazing through the coconut fronds, casting shadows like tungsten lights through louvre frames. The early morning dew was still on the lawn and under an okari nut tree, the discussion was on and so were the questions. Can young Papua New Guinean writers find local organisations to publish their manuscripts? How hard is it for PNG literature to get into libraries when their shelves are filling with books by foreign authors? For Roka, they were the wrong questions. Seeking local publishers was barking at the wrong door. Getting into libraries was just another corner to be turned. The first publisher Roka approached had wanted to charge him K6,000 to get Brokenville published, a book that holds the untold raw story of the horrific experience of the Bougainville crisis. Working with Phil Fitzpatrick and Keith Jackson, Roka got the book published and it went on to win an important award. What encouragement this was for PNG writers. It made writing a more noble profession for upcoming Papua New Guinean writers starting from scratch. Seeking a publisher has become much easier with the emergence of Pukpuk Publishing. Its book list now contains 20 PNG titles. So we can marvel at the wonderful rich writing of our writers which has signalled a time for renaissance in Papua New Guinean literature, which had been on the brink of collapse. After 1974, there was a gap filled only by literary inactivity in which the vigour and dynamic development of literature largely disappeared. Only a few great writers lived on in literature, writers like Russell Soaba who survived as mentors and an inspiration to young PNG writers. Soaba had been among those pioneer PNG writers whose works provided a wakeup call for independence. After an email discussion with author Sil Bolkin, my hypothesis on PNG literature emerges. Why would PNG celebrate National Book Week with literature that doesnt have the real essence of its nationality and culture? Why, after all these years, would we bow down the western paradigm instilled in the books of foreign authors that lacks a reflection of PNGs unique heritage? It was a bit of imperialism from the west aided by the PNG governments ignorance, stated Bolkin, until an old kiap and an old journo came along and PNG literature is taking off again through the Crocodile Prize. In this awakening era, PNG literature has writers like Michael Dom, Francis Nii and foresaid Bolkin and Roka to feed the library shelves in schools with books about our own heritage. This is done under the watchful eyes of surviving PNG writers from long ago like the great Soaba and Dr Winduo who chose literature as a lifelong commitment. Roka wrote last year: As the celebration of National Book Week went on in most primary and high schools across PNG on 4-8 August, we forgot to ask ourselves whose literature we were celebrating or what the heritage message and empowerment was for every Papua New Guinean. Bolkin made the sensible argument that PNG has a vault of knowledge and information that can be recorded for the world to know and admire. But something has to happen first. People simply have to write and get their work published with the aid of Pukpuk Publishing. Why wait? he asked. The PNG government has forgotten that people lived on the island of New Guinea for 50,000 years and that heritage has to be cherished. To the up and coming writers, write and write and remember that when you write and publish, you continue to live after you die. Everybody else dies and sinks into headless graves. Writers live on, Bolkin said. So what else can we do to assist the revival of PNG literature? Bolkin believes that the PNG government has ensure that literature is protected and enhanced in an upgraded Institute of PNG Studies, National Cultural Commission, National Museum, UPNG Literature Department and in its own publishing arm. With the inception of the Crocodile Prize and its publications under the watchful eyes of experienced authors and publishers Jackson and Fitzpatrick, the enormous creativity in the minds of Papua New Guinean writers telling of the rich originality of the PNG experience can be read around the world. I was amazed to read books about my own country written in a new era of writers that use blogging and other social media and have also tapped into traditional publishing with the aid of cutting edge technology. Although I have never met Bolkin, Nii and Dom in person, their writings show me a photograph of them. Knowing Roka, I know he writes like he breathes. As a college dormitory buddy at university he would tell me jokingly, Mate, you publish my story in the daily newspapers, mi laik catch. But his story is an inspiration. Young Papua New Guineans need to catch this inspiration and direct it to their home grown literature by taking up the noble art of writing. As Sean Dorney makes clear in The Embarrassed Colonialist, the situation remains much the same a year later: Australians are mostly ignorant and indifferent in regard to Papua New Guinea. "Australia remains substantially ignorant of Papua New Guinea. You cannot dig any deeper than the ongoing Manus issue to see the vitriol and vilification borne out of ignorance by Australians of Papua New Guineans and our country." LAST year Papua New Guineas High Commissioner to Australia, Charles Lepani - who was one of the first Papua New Guinean heads of a government department at independence - observed in Reflections: 39 years of Sovereign Statehood in Papua New Guinea that, despite the two countries closeness and successive leaders tireless effortsto build our relations.... When Don Aitkin and I analysed Australian public opinion polls from the mid-1940s to the lead-up to Papua New Guineas independence in 1975, our conclusion was remarkably similar. As we wrote in Australian Outlook at the time: During the last 30 years, the Australian public has had little knowledge of the New Guinea area, and cared little about it. Studies of British and Dutch public opinion concerning their countries colonies, including Dutch New Guinea, reached much the same conclusions. Some 40 years after Papua New Guinea became independent, the 2015 Lowy Institute Poll suggested that Australians are beginning to adopt increasingly positive attitudes to the need to address global warming, an issue of particular concern to Papua New Guinea, though support for Australias foreign aid program remains weak. The overwhelming majority of Australians believed that stability in Papua New Guinea is important to Australia (82%), and that Australia has a moral obligation to our former colony (77%). Public support for Australian aid and for Papua New Guineas economic prospects was much weaker. And, while just under a quarter of Australians surveyed admired Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter ONeill, just over 60% did not even know who he was. However, as fewer still could identify Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these figures might suggest less about Australians interest in PNG than their awareness of other countries more generally. The feelings barometer, which is intended to measure Australians overall feelings towards 18 other countries, ranks PNG at number 8, quite some distance below Fiji and roughly equal with China and Malaysia. In the case of the Manus Island detention centre, sending, processing and resettling asylum-seekers in Papua New Guinea is widely depicted as a strong disincentive to people from other countries trying to make their way to Australia without proper documentation When it comes to the question of Australias colonialist embarrassment, Gough Whitlam was, surely, concerned with the likely diplomatic and wider international embarrassment of continuing Australian rule when he expressed support for an early transition to independence for Papua New Guinea at a time (in the late 1960s and early 1970s) when formal decolonisation was becoming a global norm. According to the Australian government-sponsored history of Australias role in Papua New Guinea from 1945 until independence, a few former senior officials who returned there for the independence ceremonies in 1975 were embarrassed by the colonial style of the arrangements, the VIP enclosures, the evidence of privilege, and the unfamiliar gulf between officials and the people. However, the Australian former kiaps who pressed for a medal in recognition of their efforts in Papua New Guinea were clearly not embarrassed by a past in which they had played such a pivotal role (they were eventually made eligible for the Australian Police Overseas Service Medal in 2013). A noteworthy feature - really a gap - in Australias colonial legacy is the relative lack of a Papua New Guinean presence in Australia. According to the 2011 national census, there were then only some 26,787 persons born in PNG known to be living here (though there are likely to be others who have crossed the border without being officially registered or who, having entered lawfully, have overstayed). Of the Australian residents shown as Papua New Guinea-born, only some 8,752 were recorded as being of Papua New Guinean ancestry (the two next largest groups were of Australian and then English ancestry). Compare that with the obvious presence - and impact on cuisine and other aspects of culture - of people of indigenous descent from former colonies resident in other former colonising countries. While a number of Australian artists and writers have drawn on Papua New Guinea in paintings, films, poems and books, both non-fiction and fiction, what impact has PNG really had on Australia? Papua New Guinea is home to a rich array of staple foods sweet potato, taro, cooking bananas, yams, cassava, sago, various greens, and other vegetables and diverse ways of preparing them. But where is there a restaurant serving any form of Papua New Guinean food anywhere in Australia? Or even a readily accessible cookery book? While there is now a cafe serving Papua New Guinean coffee in Sydney, how easy is it to find and then buy even the small range of products - coffee, chocolate, and organic virgin coconut oil - sometimes available in some Australian stores? Compare this with the impact that other former colonies, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, have had on the cultures, including the cuisines, of former colonising countries in Europe and North America (and, dare one add, Australia). Thus does the ongoing legacy of the White Australia policy (which applied even to Papuans, who were formally Australian citizens but without right of entry to Australia) continue to haunt relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Both countries have been fortunate in the professionalism, commitment to observe, determination to understand, and willingness to do more than just report events of some of the Australian journalists who have written about PNG. Those who have written books about Papua New Guinea include both Australian-based visitors such as Gavin Souter, Osmar White, Keith Willey and Peter Hastings, as well as residents in Papua New Guinea such as Don Woolford and Don Hogg. Sean Dorney is apparently unique in being a member of both groups at different stages in his career. The number of journalists now reporting on PNG for an Australian audience has reached a new low (only one, employed by the ABC). This means that stories emanating from Papua New Guinea are less diverse, both in coverage and viewpoint, than previously. It also means that many events worthy of being reported are less readily accessible than before as there is no longer a group of otherwise competing journalists able to share the costs involved in chartering an aircraft or boat in order to access places where interesting stories await. Australian-based media - television, short-wave radio, and certain newspapers - are readily accessible in, at least, some places in Papua New Guinea. Rugby League State of Origin matches seem to attract even greater public interest in PNG than they do at home. Might there not be a strong case - quite apart from advocating an enhanced Australian journalistic presence in Papua New Guinea - for media organisations, even governments and non-government organisations in both countries, to work together to establish a Papua New Guinean journalistic presence in Australia? This could both provide audiences in Papua New Guinea with stories and supply a Papua New Guinean perspective on Australian news. Both would enhance a mutual understanding. The National Labour Office in Buka told me: With Chris Siriosi we are doing well and we will deliver better services collectively. Under previous chief secretaries we did not know what the ABG was doing and we were in isolation. But now Chris has aligned us and we are working together, having meetings regularly to inform each other of our achievements and so on. There is order now under Chris Siriosi, the manager of the Internal Revenue Commissions Buka Office told me. This the Chief Secretarys Office was doing. ABG, PNG government and NGO officials praised the Office and its leadership. I believed the responsibilities I was given were about maintaining order, restoring the ABGs credibility as well as achieving important goals under the Bougainville Peace Agreement and which reflected the aspirations of the people. According to many public servants, Chris Siriosi was restoring the office after the previous leaderships disorder and dereliction. He struggled to restore order. I was on a short term contract which expired in June 2015. I JOINED the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) as a Research Officer in November 2014 when Chris Siriosi, my boss, was acting Chief Secretary. Such remarks had me concluding that my office was headed by the right leadership that would drive Bougainville forward. As time passed, though, I saw an ABG underworld unknown to me. In the administration there was no unity or submission to the leadership. Nearly every bureaucrat seemed to be the leader of his own patch. As my Office was also sustaining the independence of the bureaucracy from political interference, we also watched as politicians stretched their fingers right into the bureaucracy. This induced further instability as the bureaucracy was blown hither and thither. Nevertheless, by early 2015 the Office was steaming ahead to put Bougainville on a politically and administratively sound footing. Then politicians with personal ambitions prematurely beheaded it. A new chief secretary was installed - Monovi Hamani from the Bougainville Atolls. He had a Masters degree and various attainments but had a poor track record of leaving the New Ireland Province developmentally stagnant in his term as chief secretary there. Hamani entered my office in a pastors vest. He promised us in his inaugural speech that he would be the first leader of Bougainville to walk to work in his office. He introduced morning prayers every Monday morning. Bougainville has chosen the right leader, I thought. But after a few weeks, the new leader had a new vehicle and a new secretary and had pushed aside the existing executive officer, replaced by a contractor, a fellow Mortlock islander, as strategic officer. Many new officers originating from the Bougainville Atolls flooded the office. Long timers felt out of place and squeezed into corners as the new leadership walked high. Our email boxes began to be filled with corruption stories about the officer and his wife receiving millions of kina of government money for private use. I learned from national bureaucrats in Port Moresby that Bougainville and PNG under Hamani and his briefcase carrier, the strategic officer, had held a chaotic Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting in Arawa that was attended by the PNG prime minister. According to ABG bureaucrats who attended the meeting, it produced nothing positive for Bougainville since Hamani and his strategic officer were both strangers to the process. So I left the Office to follow my old boss, Chris Siriosi, to the referendum office, thinking that the politicians and puppets bureaucrats were satisfied with the axing of their enemies and would now rest. In our new office, the referendum roadmap was ready for implementation. But the politicians and the new Chief Secretary began laying barriers on our paths. For example, when Chris Siriosi was preparing for a meeting in Port Moresby, Monovi Hamani personally ordered the cancellation of the trip. I felt sick witnessing my fellow bureaucrats fighting each other over power and not giving Bougainville their hearts. In Education, the acting secretary and the deputy cannot share a room together. Other officers try to steal money. Some just blame others for their own failures. The new leadership was extravagant, and used their overriding powers to leech their own and other departmental budgets, especially the budget of the referendum office. We regularly fired verbal shots at each other. Then they moved my boss from the referendum office and installed former president James Tanis, their ally who was actively campaigning behind the scenes for the politicians to install him as head. Chris Siriosi left the office and so did I, frustrated that the ABG was controlled by babies who did not seriously address the issues of Bougainville. A few months after I left Buka, Chief Secretary Monovi Hamani, despite been a God fearing man, was suspended for misappropriation. His strategic officer was also under a cloud for othger misdemeanours. The ABG today is controlled by spoilers of the aspirations of we Bougainville people. We have suffered and died for the betterment of our land and government but the wrong leadership and agents of PNG are prevalent and they are threatening our referendum. We can imagine the tremendous loss to promoters of the factories, the loss of employment for the workers - mainly women - and government in terms of tax, foreign exchange and other revenues, he said. To all the direct and indirect stakeholders, we would like to point out that without government support and the enabling policies, the objective of local value addition through processing cannot be realised." Maokola-Majogo said some member-countries of ACA have rolled out reforms in the cashew sector. Some of the member-countries of ACA such as Cote dIvoire, Benin, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau, have recently reformed their cashew sectors to provide an enabling environment and support for all sectors in the cashew value chain, he said. Meanwhile, the trade and industry ministry has announced measures to improve cashew production. A statement signed by the sector minister, Dr.Ekow Spio-Garbrah said government will support the National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to enable them to 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. The statement also said government will initiate discussions concerning the establishment of a credit scheme for cashew farmers. Government will examine the merits of the setting up of the Ghana Cashew Management Board to license, supervise and monitor all activities in the cashew value chain, the statement said. In addition, the statement said government will work with stakeholders to propose and implement a 10-year cashew development plan for Ghana. The man, allegedly attacked Woyome for his inability to refund the GHC51.2 million dubiously paid to him by the state. While Mr Woyome was enjoying his meal, the man stood at a distance and watched him for some time, after which he approached him to find out whether he was the Woyome who had defrauded the state, one of the eyewitnesses revealed. The witness said Woyomes wife immediately denied that her husband was the Woyome who had defrauded the state, but Mr Woyome himself admitted that he was Woyome and tried to find out what the man wanted from him. Immediately Mr Woyome confirmed his identity, the gentleman pounced on him shouting, you are the one who spent our money. We will collect our money today, the source said. The action of the man frightened Woyome and the family as several shoppers were supporting the man, but later he also grabbed the attacker in the neck and attempted to pull him outside the mall. This attracted other shoppers to the scene but Woyome, who at that moment was holding tight the shirt of his attacker, handed him over to the police outside the mall. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that 45 000 women die in childbirth every year in Nigeria. The Healthymagination Mother and Child Initiative is a $20 million joint venture with a mandate to expand access to prenatal screenings to more than 2 million expectant mothers across Nigeria by 2020, in order to decrease the high numbers of maternal deaths in the country. The initiative will address maternal and child health challenges among health workers in Nigeria by training midwives, nurses, and other health professionals to use the portable ultrasound (Vscan Access) screening tool to determine at-risk pregnancies. Through the availability of relevant technologies, such as the Vscan Access and comprehensive training, we aim to make a meaningful contribution to primary and referral care by building capacity, enhancing skills, and driving better outcomes for Nigerian mothers and babies and for their communities, said Farid Fezoua, President and CEO, GE Healthcare Africa. The Healthymagination initiative will target 1300 midwives and prenatal primary health caregivers with 100 000 hours of training over the next three years in maternal and child health care. This new initiative is a major step forward in accelerating the development of maternal and infant care in Nigeria through the promotion of safe pregnancy, labour, and post-natal care. It will support the continuum of care by increasing human capacity, providing mobile ultrasound technology and reducing financial barriers, said Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of State for Health. Comprehensive training will start in May 2016, followed by ongoing mentoring and grading in the field by qualified trainers and clinicians. Expectant mothers will begin to receive the Vscan Access screenings in June 2016 at participating primary care clinics and general hospitals. The Ex-President received the award for his statesmanship and for playing a pivotal role in promoting peace and stability across the continent even after his tenure of office. He was awarded by the Millennium Excellence Foundation (MEF), organisers of the Millennium Excellence Awards (MEA) at his residence in Accra last Tuesday. He was presented with a plaque, a trophy, a citation and certificate signed by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Life Patron and Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, the President of the MEA. The MEA, which recognises the contribution of outstanding personalities who have distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavours both in Ghana and the diaspora, is held every five years. In December last year, 15 individuals, as well as organisations, including former President Kufuor, were awarded during the MEA, but he could not attend the programme because he was in France for the global climate change conference. Presenting the award, Mr Gbeho stated that the foundation recognised the former President for promoting peace and stability on the African Continent and across the globe. Former President Kufuors achievements for the country and the continent, especially in democracy during his tenure are recognised globally. And we as a foundation are encouraged to honour him for all these, he said. He also congratulated Mr Kufuor and urged him to continue in his good works for the nation and humanity in general. Showing appreciation for the award, the ex-President said he was pleased for the honour done him, by such a body which had international recognition. According to him, he saw the award as a feather in his cap, and one that would urge him on to do more for humanity. He also expressed appreciation to Ghanaians for giving him the opportunity to serve humanity. I see the service to Africans as a privilege and opportunity to treat them with respect and humility. More than 190,000 people are believed to be in slave-like conditions in Ghana; according to the Global Slavery Index. Research by the International Labour Organization found that an alarming 49,000 children are engaged in work on Lake Volta alone while 21,000 of that number are involved in work described as hazardous. According to the Assistant Director of ENA, David Awusi, poverty is the central cause of human trafficking. In an interview with pulse.com.gh, he said there is a strong relationship between poverty and human trafficking and for Engage Africa, fighting poverty is our main focus. So we are adopting the PEERED approach in this fight. PEERED is the acronym for Participate, Educate, Engage, Restore and Deter. Eric Peasah, the executive director of Right To Be Free and a member of the Human Trafficking Board believes that PEERED will help civil society and other organisations combat the problem from many other angles and we have agreed to collaborate with them (ENA) at all levels in terms of education, rescue, rehabilitation and advocacy. Although the Human Trafficking Act was passed in 2005, reports about Ghanaians being trafficked are very common in the news. Aside the well-known situation on Lake Volta, many young people have been trafficked to countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria are also popular destinations for human traffickers. The Police who engaged the robbers in a gun battle, critically injured two of the four suspected robbers, who were then chased by the Police and workers of Abossey Okine to the SIC office near Royal House Chapel on the Circle-Kaneshie road where the pair were eventually arrested. Confirming the incident to Pulse.com.gh, the Accra Regional Police Command Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Afia Tenge said one of the injured suspected robbers was released from the Police hospital yesterday, with the other still in the hospital due to his critical condition. She also debunked speculations that the forex bureau attendant died in the robbery attack. "The money that was robbed from the forex bureau has also been recovered. The locally manufactured pistols they used have all been recovered, she added. According to the Minister, she had collaborated with the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the National Ambulance Service and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to ensure security of participants at the festival. She called on all and sundry to participate in the event as it is going to be fun-packed. "It is going to be fun fun, so whether you can paraglide, whether you can do upscaling...there's something for everybody," she added. Meanwhile, Police have deployed anti-terrorist squad to Kwahu in the Eastern region during the Easter celebration to maintain peace and order following recent terror attacks in neighbouring countries. The suspects who were arraigned alongside Captain Koda, the head of security for the NPP flag bearer Nana Akuffo Addo and Captain Kwesi Acquah (retd), who is also the owner of Delta Force Security Company Limited the security firm which brought them into the country were charged with unlawful training and false declaration, something they pleaded not guilty to. The bail to the tune of twenty thousand cedis each with one surety was granted by the court despite the state asking for more time to investigate the matter. In the order the judge Patricia Quansah ordered the BNI to seize the passports of the suspects till further notice. The court also asked the suspects to be held at the court registry pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions but was defied by the BNI officials who sent them back to their cells. The three, Major Ahmed Shaik (retd), 54; Warrant Officer Denver Dwahye, 33, and Captain Mlungiseli Jokani, 45 were picked up at the EL-Capitano Hotel in the central region on the 20th of March upon a tip off where they have been alleged to be training some young people in various security drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques and rapid response manoeuvres. The three, 54-year-old Major Ahmed Shaik Hazis (Rtd.), 39-yearold WO/ Denver Dwayhe Naidu (Rtd.) and 45-year-old Captain Mlungiseleli Jokani (Rtd.) were arrested on Sunday March 20, 2016 at El Capitano Hotel in Agona Duakwa in the Central Region. A Bureau of National Investigations document said The trio, all ex-police officers were engaged in training fifteen young men in various military drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques and rapid response maneuvers. They are all expected to be arraigned on Thursday. Officials of the South African High Commission have also concluded their first round of investigations of the three South African police officers. Meanwhile, the three ex-Police officers are still in BNI custody undergoing interrogation. The NPP has subsequently condemned the BNI's continued detention of the three ex-police officers for questioning. The company has met with some key security heads in the country to map a strategy to protect the gas plant and its pipelines. Speaking to Pulse Business, Head of Public Relations at the Ghana Gas Company, Alfred Ogbamey revealed "that the company has had a meeting with the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police and the Ghana Fire Service on the best way to protect the Gas Company that is so integral to energy provision in the country." The meeting also discussed plans to enhance co-ordination and sharing of security information and strategies among the various security institutions within the eight project-affected districts of the gas project. Addressing a press conference, the acting chairman of the party, Freddie Blay said the arguments by the NDC are baseless. "We have every reason to believe that the lives of our presidential candidate and its running mate are deliberately being exposed to high risk by the Mahama government. We will go as far as to say that the president with his government is deliberately allowing the life of his main competitor for the 2016 presidential race to be endangered," he added. The three ex-police officers, 54-year-old Major Ahmed Shaik Hazis (Rtd.), 39-yearold WO/ Denver Dwayhe Naidu (Rtd.) and 45-year-old Captain Mlungiseleli Jokani (Rtd.) were arrested on Sunday March 20, 2016 at El Capitano Hotel in Agona Duakwa in the Central Region. A Bureau of National Investigations document said The trio, all ex-police officers were engaged in training fifteen young men in various military drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques and rapid response maneuvers. The three have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and unlawful training. The Head of Nana Addos security team Captain (rtd) Edmund Koda and the owner of the EL-Capitano Hotel Captain (rtd) Acquah have also been charged. Arriving in the company of the NPP National Womens Organiser, Otiko Afisa Djaba and regional party stalwarts on Saturday, March 19, the otherwise calm market was thrown into a frenzy when market women saw the NPP flagbearer walk in unannounced into the market, which serves as the major market for the Fiapre township and surrounding communities. Read more: A statement issued by the opposition political party said amidst chants of Nana oo Nana, Nana wo krom, traders at the market abandoned their wares just to catch a glimpse of the NPP flagbearer and exchange pleasantries with him. The loud chants drew into the market residents of the town, who, like many, were unware of the presence of Nana Akufo-Addo. See also: Nana Addo dares Mahama to debate Maame Ama Boatemaa, a tomato seller, lamented about the loss of thousands of Ghana cedis to the microfinance scandal that has hit the region and other parts of the country, resulting in unbearable suffering and hardship. DKM has taken away all my money I have toiled hard to save over the years. This government is doing nothing to help me retrieve my money. My husband died some years ago and Im the only one left to fend for my 3 children. How do I survive in this difficulty? We need Nana to come and rescue Ghana. The suffering is too much, she bemoaned. Madam Abena Asamoa who sells smoked fish at the market bemoaned the lack of activity at the market, a situation they attributed to the rising cost of living which has led to low patronage of their wares. Indeed, the majority of traders who spoke to the NPP flagbearer were angry about the hardships and prevailing economic difficulties in the country, which has made life very unbearable for them. Dont bother addressing us Nana. We are living witnesses in Ghana. We have tasted 8 years of NPP and 8 years of NDC. In this year, we have no choice but to vote for you and the NPP. We will vote massively for you. There are others in the country who need the NPPs message of hope, Madam Abena Asamoa summed up the sentiments of the market women. Credit: Office of Nana Addo According to him, the region is the area he has visited the most, as President of the country. He has, therefore, asked the people of the region to debunk claims by the opposition that the NDC government has neglected the region in development. The president who is in the region to inspect some road works used the opportunity to address chiefs and people of Todome in the South Dayi district of the region Thursday. He said, "When somebody comes and tells you that government has abandoned Volta region, its an absolute falsehood. People have taken that lie and repeated it often and often that government has abandoned the Volta region to the extent that some of our people are beginning to think that it is true that Volta region is not getting its fair share of the national cake; I can assure you that is absolutely false." "This is one region I have visited more than any other region in this country. And when I come, I come to inspect projects, cut sod and commission projects. And so a lot of development is taking place in this region. I can assure you that the NDC government will never take your support for granted. We appreciate that this is our World Bank, it is our IMF and we will never take your support for granted," he added. Mr Cudjoe told Pulse.com.gh on Thursday [24.03.2016] that he finds it difficult to understand the rational behind the decision by the handlers of the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo Addo, to opt for foreign security operatives to train the security men. Perhaps it is borne out of the deep mistrust for our politicised security services, he continued. Well, this is exactly what we should all change about our politics. Mr. Cudjoe qualified the decision by the party to bring in security men as an utterly poor and asked what it meant to the countrys security service. He said politicians politicise everything and now make private choices as we do not trust our own. This is not how to build a country, he said. We must force politicians to think hard about the choices they make, while in office and out of office, to be sure that they aim to protect all our persons, property and country. The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) on Sunday March 20 arrested three South African nationals in the Central region for activities that has the potential to derail the security of the country. The trio; Mahor Ahmed Shaik Hazis(Rtd), 54, WO/ Denver Dwayhe Naidu (Rtd.), 45, and Captain Mlungiseleli Jokani (Rtd), 45; were picked up at El Capitano Hotel in Agona Duakwa, Central region. NPP at a news conference yesterday admitted bringing in the ex servicemen into the country but skewered the BNI for playing into the propaganda of the ruling party, NDC. The partys acting general secretary, John Boadu, said they will seek the safety and protection of the men and would ensure that they are not maltreated by the BNI. The trio, including the Head of Security for Akufo Addo, Captain Edmund Koda (rtd), have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and unlawful training. But NPP for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea has described the charges as watery. President Mahama made the call when he joined Telecom giant MTN Ghana to inaugurate the company's new multimillion dollar headquarters in Accra. "Ghanaians have followed the phenomenal growth of mobile and IT services and developed a huge appetite for quality and reliable services over a relatively short period. Service providers must therefore meet the demands of subscribers and reduce call drop rate, fix competitive price , deliver premium , quality data services and provide exceptional consumer service," he said. President Mahama commended MTN for its contribution to the growth of the Telecom sector. According to him, government would continue to provide entrepreneurial skills that would benefit both public and private sectors . The President urged the management of MTN to use their newly acquired 4 G network to the benefit of all Ghanaians. "We are witnessing more software been developed locally by Ghanaian youths. MTN Ghana is the latest to acquire a 4G license. It is my hope that you'll bring wide experience to bear and reach, deploy your 4G services to the benefit of Ghanaians across the country," he said. There are policemen wearing mufti among the visitors at the waiting department. And inside the airport, there are policemen also there working to ensure passengers safety, a police corporal who did not want to be identified because she has not be authorized to speak on the matter told Pulse.com.gh on Thursday, days after the Brussels terror attack. In the morning, we have those without uniforms and nametags ensuring security. You would not see them, but they are there. Later in the day, the police then deploy armed policemen to continue with security, she said. I am ok with security here, Winfred Gadah, who was at the airport to wait for his boss told Pulse.com.gh. There used to be chairs here for people to sit on, but I believe it is because of security reasons, they are no longer here. Gadah said he monitored the recent Brussels attacks that claimed the lives of 31 people and injured many in the Belgian capital. Two explosions occurred on Tuesday March 21 in the departure hall of the Zaventem airport and a metro substation in Brussels. The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attacks in a statement issued on the IS-linked Amaq agency. After three days of national mourning, Belgium has raised its terrorism alert to its highest level. But Gadah said nothing will happen in Ghana, only God can determine what will happen so I am not afraid. When I came in the morning and I stay in my car for about five minutes because I wanted to eat something, I was approached, Nana Osei, who was at the airport to welcome his relative said. So it tells me security is good here. Ben Senyo, who is among a team of young men ensuring free traffic flow at the airport said when a car is parked at the airport for about 3 to 4 minutes, they will approach the vehicle and question the driver, all in a move to ensure security is not compromised. Speaking on the Brussels attack, Senyo said he is not afraid of a potential terrorist attack in Ghana. According to him, terrorists coordinate their activities with indigenes of targeted countries and that he is convinced no Ghanaian will team up with terrorists to bomb Ghana. A Lebanese woman who did not want her name to be mentioned said she is scared after watching the Brussels attack on TV. American said Wednesday that it will share 5 percent of its pretax earnings with all employees, except top management, starting in early 2017 based on 2016 results. Including its regional-flying subsidiaries, American has about 118,000 employees. Some American employees have complained that they don't get profit sharing like counterparts at other airlines. Delta paid out $1.5 billion last year, United shared $698 million with employees, and Southwest paid out $620 million. At last year's pretax profit, American would have paid about $315 million. American says its profit-sharing rate will be lower than other airlines, but added that it plans to offer higher hourly pay rates once it finishes renegotiating union contracts. Unions, which traded profit sharing for higher base pay in leaner years, would need to approve the profit sharing. CEO Doug Parker had resisted profit sharing and preferred compensation be set by pay rates. But he told employees Wednesday that there is a team-building benefit to profit sharing. The company also said it will speed up a 6 percent raise for flight attendants to April 1. The raises were to follow expected increases at United, but bargaining on a new contract at United is still going on. Last year American Airlines Group Inc., which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, earned $7.6 billion. Excluding one-time items like a big tax-accounting credit, the adjusted profit was a record $6.3 billion. By this collaboration, both states have established a commodity value chain that will sustain the production of rice. Also observers at the event said the bold initiative has shown that there are other investment opportunities that can generate income other than oil. Vanguard reports that Governor Ambode said the partnership signalled the commencement of a new beginning of cooperation and common-sense revolution, which is in line with the change mantra of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which calls for patriotism in all facets of life. Also, Governor Bagudu said the partnership was in line with the effort of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to steer Nigeria from depending solely on oil. The Kebbi state Governor also said the initiative is aimed at meeting over 60% of Nigerias rice needs. The Nigeria Customs Service recently re-introduced the ban on importation of ricethrough land borders across the country. See Pulse Photo Gallery below. This was made known by the National Secretary of AGN, Femi Durojaiye, who confirmed the latest development in a statement. The statement read, The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, this morning 23/3/2016 at the application and argument of Counsel to Actors Guild of Nigeria, Barr. Peter Andor Oboyi, struck out Ibinabos and BOT suit challenging the nullification of her election to the Presidency of AGN and also challenging the legitimacy of the Presidency of Emeka Ike and his Exco. The implication of this judgement is that Engr. Emeka Ike led Exco remain the only authentic and lawful leaders of Actors Guild of Nigeria," "The Honourable Court vehemently reiterated the position of the judicial authority that, Ibinabo, her purported exco members and the Board of Trustees vacate forthwith the office of AGN both at the National and State level and accordingly surrender all AGN assets at their unlawful possession to the incumbent Engr Emeka Ikes Government. Emeka Ike, who had been in a long term battle with Fiberesima over the leadership of the AGN will now become the new president, according to the statement. Despite his battle for power with the actress, Ike has mentioned that he does not wish Fiberesima a jail term, when the news of her 5-year court sentencing emerged. Ike said, "We are in court on the matter of our guild, the Actors guild of Nigeria. Not on the issue of death or a motor accident. I dont wish jail for her. Justice Deborah Oluwayemi, of a Lagos High Court sentenced Ibinabo Fiberesima to 5 years in prison over reckless driving, which led to the death of Dr. Giwa Suraj. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! She said she pulled out of the Biafra movement when it started getting violent. "Some of them wanted Biafra or death. I am like 'no that is not going to work with me'. I don't like slogans that promote death - Biafra or nothing. Try Biafra and peace. Biafra and peace will give you international attention from international networks like , and also human rights agencies," said Olunloyo. She further said: "what I got were people chanting Biafra or death and they were liking violence, making threats at the DSS, the police, the army and they were carrying weapons and doing other stuff. Many people were loud on the Internet and not on the ground protesting. Not all of them. People with those flags on the ground are different from the people online." Kemi Olunloyo yanked away her support from the Biafra movement and now supports the One Nigeria cause. In another clip she spoke about Olamide and how he visits a ritualist. "Olamide I am looking at you at Pulse TV. Have you ever been to a ritualist? Answer the question. We both know the answer. It's not controversial. For me to say something like that out on the Internet. I can stay in front of Mushin and say it no one is going to touch me." The producers of Gidi Fest proudly announces the lineup of artists, hosts and DJs for the 2016 edition of the festival which is back at Eko Atlantic on Saturday, March 26th. The festivals headliners include Davido, Tiwa Savage, Phyno, Yemi Alade and Timaya, while South Africas, K.O and Riky Rick will be coming to Nigeria for the first time to grace the stage, with opening acts in the persons of Adekunle Gold and Small Doctor. Hosts for Gidi Fest 2016 include MTV Base VJs, Nomuzi from South Africa and Nigerias very own, Ehiz, alongside City FM OAP, Sensei Uche. DJ Obi and DJ Kaywise will be on the decks with some comic relief from a couple of your favourite comedians, promising an astounding show with amazing vibes. Speaking on the event, founder, Chin Okeke says, Gidi Fest is a music festival that defines the progression of music and urban youth culture in Africa. The festival was naturally born in Lagos because the city is the melting pot of the continent, yet it maintains a global outlook. Our lineup represents the current crop of African music stars. This year the Flow with The Beat competition is back by popular demand, giving up and coming talent a chance to perform live on the Gidi Fest 2016 stage and feature in the Gidi Cypher with festival artists. Everyone has a chance to #LiveYourMusic by downloading the Gidi Cypher beat produced by DJ Chopstix, flowing over the beat and sending it in to the Gidi Fest team for review. According to the prosecutor, Osasu Ewemade, Olayemi, a married father of three and an English teacher at the King of Kings College, Benin, had allegedly invited the girl who is his student, into his office and defiled her by fondling, kissing and dipping his fingers into her private parts, on May 26, 2014. Ewemade told the court the offence contravened Section 360 of the Criminal Code, Cap 48, Vol. II, Law of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, as applicable in Edo. Mr Foluso Okunmadewa, the banks Lead Specialist on Social Protection and Labour, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja. "What government has done both at the executive and the legislative levels is quiet encouraging and it shows a very great commitment to the plight of the poor in this country. "Such that even when government revenue is dwindling and there are not enough resources to go to different areas, government is prioritising support to the poor. "This is something that we have been clamouring for as international agencies for a very long time and it is happening now even beyond what we ordinarily would have recommended, Okunmadewa said. According to him, the N500 billion approved by the legislators for social protection and safety net is about nine per cent of the budget and about 30 per cent of the capital expenditure. He said, "this goes to conditional cash transfer, school feeding, supporting unemployed graduates by giving them employment opportunities to market women and the like. "The most significant part of it is the one that goes to the poor in terms of cash transfer based on some co-responsibilities, so this is very encouraging. According to Okunmadewa, the World Bank commends the move by the government and will put in some programmes and assistance in addition to what is already on ground. "We have a 500 million dollars support to social protection programme which 70 per cent of that will go to the cash transfer and will go directly to the poor, he said. The statement, issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Olabisi Kolawole in Abuja on Thursday, said Arase took the step after an assessment visit of the area. Agatu has witnessed numerous killings from attacks on villages in the area by herdsmen. The statement said that the deployment was aimed at reinforcing the unit already on ground in the affected communities. It said that additional police operational vehicles were also sent to the Commissioner of Police in the State Command to aid operational support. It also warned that those involved in the killing of two policemen in the area would face the full wrath of the law. It reassured Nigerians that the security agencies would do everything possible to further strengthen security within and beyond the state. The Federal Government has also set up a panel to probe the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.(ICPC). The court order was issued by the Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court. Justice Kolawole in his ruling said A limited order of injunction is hereby granted to restrain the defendants, pending when they are heard on the reply to the plaintiffs motion on notice. That the plaintiffs counsel is hereby directed to obtain a certified true copy of the order in this ruling, and cause same to be served on the Inspector-General of Police. Lamorde reportedly went into hiding after being summoned several times by the Senate to clear the air on the allegations against him. In August 2015, Punch reported that undefinedalleging that former chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, fraudulently diverted N1tr. Uboh claimed that the money was part of the proceeds from the loot recovered from a former Governor of Bayelsa State,Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and ex-Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun. See Pulse Gallery below. Also included in the suit are Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. Premium Times reports that the grouap also called on the ICC to investigate the emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and the emir of Zaria, Shehu Idris for alleged human rights abuses. IHRC in a statement said ICC prosecutor should open a preliminary examination into the incidents that occurred between the 12th and 14th December 2015 in Zaria, Kaduna State." It also demanded that the prosecutor expand(s) its monitoring activities on Nigeria and the armys involvement in attacks against the IMN that occurred in the period between 2014 and 2015. The group also accused the Nigerian government of protecting people who commit offences, adding that there were no indications that the government was willing to look into the case. Speaking on the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by Governor El-Rufai, the IHRC said At the present time, the available information shows some inadequacies or reluctance on the part of the Nigerian authorities to generally address the violence that occurred on 12-13 December 2015. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State governor Malam Nasir el-Rufai is insufficiently independent and impartial to be able to hold those responsible to account, nor is there any reasonable prospect of any prosecutions. In his speech, the governor listed a range of grievances against the IMN, which is indicative of bias against the IMN from the start. The group also added that Both IMN and Amnesty International have expressed concerns that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry is not set up to sufficiently perform a credible inquiry. A clash ensued between the Nigerian Army and Shiite Muslims on December 12, 2015, following allegations that the sect members tried to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. See Pulse Gallery below. The chairman of the House Committee on Information, Gboyega Aribisogan, during a press conference said Yesterday, we read online like other Nigerians that our member, representing Efon Constituency, Afolabi Akanni, who has been in the Department of State Services (DSS) detention in Abuja since March 4, was on admission at a private hospital in Abuja. Nigerians should be reminded that it took the rumour of Hon Akannis death for the DSS to admit officially that it was holding him after spending 15 days in detention without access to anyone. The lawmakers said As we speak, Hon Akanni is in very critical condition and he has not been able to speak with anyone of us. As reported in the media, Hon Akanni could only say that he was sick, he was not well when press men sought to speak with him yesterday. They also said We therefore demand an official explanation from the DSS as to why Hon. Akanni was abducted and held incommunicado for 18 days, only for us to be told that he was admitted at a private hospital in Abuja. We also demand a thorough medical examination of Hon. Akanni as we fear that his health and general well-being could have been compromised while in the DSS custody. Furthermore, we demand an explanation from the DSS whether in a democracy, it is part of the its mandate to disobey court orders and dump Nigerians in detention for 18 days on unfounded allegations. The Department of State Services (DSS) recently released the detained Ekiti State House of Assembly member, Honourable Afolabi Akanni, and allegedly dumped him in a hospital. Watch video of Honourable Afolabi Akanni in DSS custody below. Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig- General Paul Boroh (retd), disclosed this in Enugu on Wednesday, March 24, 2016. The clean up exercise will begin at Ogoni in three weeks time and progress to other parts of the Niger Delta region," he said. "We have gone to visit the area to assess the level of damage and a lot of people from the region will be involved in the exercise, he said, while describing the facilities at Innoson Kiara Academy as fantastic. Boroh stated this at the commissioning of the Skills Acquisition and Training in Automobile Technology and Manufacturing of Plastics by about 200 former Niger Delta agitators under the sustainable reintegration programme in the Presidential Amnesty initiative. According to him, the skill acquisition programme is in partnership with the Innoson Group, manufactures of Innoson Vehicles and Plastics Manufacturing Assembly Plant, Emene, Enugu State. Speaking on the Amnesty Programme, Boroh said: It has substantially achieved its core mandate of restoring peace and stabilizing the security in the Niger Delta region. Ex-militants have now been trained and graduated from formal and informal trainings. The programme is now at its critical stage of sustainable reintegration of beneficiaries who have been trained. Though conceived as a national response to security conditions in the Niger Delta between 2009 and 2011, it has been able to substantially meet its mandate and has been able, through its formal vocational programmes, trained approximately 17,000 beneficiaries in various skills and set up or employed more than 3,583 beneficiaries." Power, housing, transport get more in okayed N6.06tr budgetThis years N6.06trillion budget as passed by the National Assembly (NASS) will pay strict attention to addressing perennial issues in power, housing and transport infrastructure, which got the lions share of the capital votes. READ MORE Otudeko is Africas best chief executive for 2016A Nigerian business mogul, Oba Otudeko, has emerged the Africa Chief Executive of the Year (2016). Otudeko, who is the chairman of Honeywell Group, beat seven other finalists, including Africas richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to clinch the coveted prize at a meeting of more than 800 chief executives across the continent held in Abidjan, the capital of Cote dIvoire. READ MORE Buhari to account for recovered loots soonPresident Muhammadu Buhari will soon tell Nigerians the amount of money so far recovered from the looted funds by political office holders in the past administration. READ MORE________________________________________ VANGUARD NEWSPAPER NASS slashes, passes N6.06trn 2016 budgetABUJAThe National Assembly, yesterday, passed a N6.06 trillion 2016 budget into law, following a motion by the Chairman, Joint Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, seconded by Senator Andy Uba, thus reducing the Presidents proposal by N17 billion. While the President proposed a budget of N6.07 trillion, the National Assembly slashed it to N6.06trillion. The 2016 budget had been trailed by allegations of padding which delayed its passage. READ MORE Nigerians should please bear with us on fuel scarcity KachikwuABUJA At a time Nigerians are expecting respite from the pangs of the lingering fuel scarcity in the country, Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, has dashed their hopes, stating that the current queues at gas stations would persist till late May. READ MORE Presidency: No vacancy in 2019 APCABUJA There will be no vacancy in the Presidency in 2019, members of the National Caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, declared on Tuesday night in a seeming lure to President Muhammadu Buhari to seek a second term. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/presidency-no-vacancy-2019-apc/________________________________________ THE NATION NEWSPAPER N500b cash for the poor stays in N6.06tr budgetLawmakers have retained the N500 billion intervention fund for the poor in this years N6,077,680,000,000 budget. READ MORE Fuel scarcity to persist till May, says KachikwuThere is no solution in sight to fuel scarcity, it was learnt yesterday. This was the outcome of the closed meeting President Muhammadu Buhari had with leaders of trade unions in the oil sector in Abuja. READ MORE I wept on my coronation day, says OlubadanThe Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has said the crowd at his coronation scared him. Adetunji spoke in his palace yesterday when Bishop Wale Oke of the Sword of the Spirit Ministry visited him. READ MORE________________________________________ BUSINESS DAY NEWSPAPER Expectations rising on economy as NASS approves N6.06trn for 2016 fiscal yearThe proposed stimulation of economic activity and growth with N350 billion by the government will soon come to fruition as the National Assembly has approved the 2016 budget with a reduction of over N17billion. This follows separate passage of this years appropriation bill, as the National Assembly approved a budget of N6,060,677,358,277. The amount is READ MORE Top 25 CEOs for BusinessDay Awards todayThe top 25 corporate performers on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) will be recognised and honoured today by BusinessDay Media Limited and its partners, Samsung, British Airways and Sujimoto. British Airways will offer a business class return ticket to London to a lucky winner. The return ticket by British Airways to the winner is in READ MORE PHOENIX A House panel voted late Wednesday to let more than half the 1.1 million students in Arizona schools use public dollars to attend private and parochial schools. The 8-5 vote by the Appropriations Committee follows the failure of supporters of vouchers to line up the votes in the House to open the door for all students. Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said she hopes this scaled-back proposal gains more support. Lesko also crafted this version of SB 1279 to try to overcome opposition from those who say that the vouchers are used largely by families who already can afford to send their kids to private schools. It limits eligibility to students whose family income qualifies them for free- or reduced-price lunch programs. For a family of four, that figure is $44,863 a year. Stacey Morley, lobbyist for the Arizona Education Association, said the most recent figures show about 565,000 students participating in those programs. But that may not cover everyone who would be eligible. Morley said high schools are not required to have such programs. Nor are charter schools. That means the number of children whose family income would qualify them could be higher. Lesko told lawmakers they should not worry there would be a sudden flood of children, armed with scholarships worth about $5,400 a year, fleeing public schools and taking with them the state aid that had gone to those schools. She said state law limits vouchers to no more than one-half percent of public schools students, or about 5,500 youngsters. But Rep. Mark Cardenas, D-Phoenix, pointed out that cap disappears after 2019. And Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, conceded his goal is to eventually make vouchers available to every public school student in Arizona. At the heart of the fight is who should be able to get what is formally called an empowerment scholarship account. When the program was originally approved in 2011 it was limited to students with special needs. Since then, however, lawmakers have approved a series of expansions. That includes foster children, children on Indian reservations and students attending schools rated D or F. Lesko has made no secret she believes the vouchers should be available to all. House Minority Leader Eric Meyer, D-Paradise Valley, said that ignores the effect on the public school system. He said as students leave, they take state aid with them. What that does, said Meyer, is leave the schools less money in state aid for the students who are left. He said these are often the poorest children, those who parents cant afford to drive them to a private school. There will be a sucking sound to the general fund, Meyer said, as more students decide to take those vouchers to attend private and parochial schools. Lesko, however, bills the legislation as saving money. She said that $5,400 cost for the average base voucher disabled students get more is less than the more than $9,000 in taxpayer dollars that go to public schools for each students. But that figure is a bit misleading, as it includes federal aid and local property taxes. The most recent figures for just state tax dollars is about $5,400 a student. Rep. Rick Gray, R-Sun City, said its wrong to look at how the legislation will affect the public schools who might lose aid because students decide to go elsewhere. It really comes down to that child, and whats best for that child, he said. The two major unions NUPENG and PENGASSAN held a brief strike two weeks ago after the government said it will split state oil firm NNPC into separate units, part of reforms by President Muhammadu Buhari to end graft and mismanagement in the industry. They suspended the action after the government said it would listen to their demands, which they laid out at a meeting with Buhari, their first since the former general was elected a year ago. "They (unions) are worried about job loss in the sector arising from the position of majors who feel that the economy is giving the rough end of the stick," said Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who attended Wednesday's meeting. "And so we are going to be working with the oil majors to ensure that we do not experience the kind of job loss that we are hearing has the potential to occur in the sector," he told reporters. Oil majors such as Shell work with NNPC in joint ventures. The unions also opposed job cuts at refineries, which the government is considering selling, Kachikwu said. NUPENG head Igwe Achese said the meeting had been successful. "Mr President has assured us that both NUPENG and PENGASSAN will continue to be part of the restructuring," he said. The unions were also demanding a swift passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, a project in the works for a decade to overhaul the industry, he added. It will call for environmental, tax and revenues sharing rules. OBJ said Okupe should be ignored because he was one of those who campaigned for his expulsion from the party. Okupe on his Facebook page, said Baba Obasanjo still remains the undisputed and authentic leader of the PDP in the South-West. The fact that he tore his membership card is not tantamount to resignation from the party. An action he has not undertaken to date. Tearing of the membership card though a very negative action is undoubtedly a knee-jerk reaction to certain unacceptable or intolerable happenings withing the party which can and will be redressed. Obasanjo who spoke to Premium Times on telephone, said Okupe does not know what he is saying. I was a national leader of the party for eight years, so, how would I now reduce myself to becoming its leader in the South West," he said. The former President also blamed the instability in the African continent on some of its leaders,saying they failed to manage diversity in their societies. Doyin Okupe was spokesman for former President Olusegun Obasanjo. See Pulse Photo Gallery below. If a governor is doing fine, his hiring and firing is not a matter that should be discussed by faceless Facebook manipulators, and by the time you unmask the people behind it, you will discover that they are palm wine drinkers, he said. President Buhari is not going to be fooled by people who want to have a regime where government is just an onlooker and allow the naira to become worthless and people are making money from speculation. So those guys are wasting their time. We have a new federal government that has won election on the basis of change and there are all kinds of people who have made a lot of money from the economy without contributing anything by just playing on exchange rates and commercial papers. It is these speculators, because the CBN governor has been saying we cannot open the doors to all kinds of imports such as toothpicks, tomato paste and all sorts of things who have been feeding fat on our common patrimony, manipulating the exchange rate, moving money across borders, and taking advantage of electronic money transfers, that are behind these campaigns. Of course there are some opportunistic elements, people who feel that if this man goes, I will get there and they are ready to go to any length to remove him. I think this government is making a point that the hiring and firing of CBN governors need not be a political decision, because we should respect institutions; the hiring and firing is not a decision by Facebook manipulators, and by the time you unmask the people behind it, you will discover that they are palm wine drinkers. I think the CBN governor is right, he is standing his grounds and those who are opposed to him are free to speak, but I know that President Buhari is not going to be fooled by people who want to see a regime where government is just an onlooker and allows our naira to become worthless and for people to make money from speculation, so those guys are wasting their time," he added. Oshiomhole was speaking about the policies of the CBN which place restrictions on foreign exchange and imports and have attracted a lot of criticism to Emefiele. --------------------------------------------------- Leadership reports that he said this after a meeting with partys national caucus at the New Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. Oyegun said I am not aware that my office is under threat. I led the party to the State House. It amazes me, occasionally it annoys me. That is one of the things you have to endure when you are in a position like mine. Dont say one year into the present administration, count this year because this is the year we are presenting our budget and implementation will start. Basically, we are expecting the budget to be out, and once that is done, implementation of our policies will start. That is what we will use to deliver on our promises to the people. So we are waiting. He also said the recent media reports about disagreements in the APC is normal. Oyegun also said there are saboteurs in various government agencies trying to hinder President Buharis change agenda. The APC chairman called on the Governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje to sort things out with his estranged God father, and ex-Governor of the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso. See Pulse Photo Gallery below. He also pledged his commitment and loyalty to President Buhari, adding that the Rivers government will do all in its power to assist security personnel to maintain peace and order in Rivers state. He said I wish to also express my profound gratitude and loyalty to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari for his uncompromising commitment towards entrenching a permanent culture of free, fair and credible elections in the country. Wike also sympathised with the family of the corper who was killed during the elections, Mr. Dumiebi Samuel Okonta, and prayed that his soul rest in peace. He also said I am fully convinced that all those persons, including highly placed politicians, INEC staff and members of the Security Services, who deliberately worked to sabotage the re-run elections in the State on March 19, 2016, were fifth columnists and enemies of progress who were out and determined to undermine the electoral process and perpetuate the old discredited ways of doing things in order to ridicule the people of Rivers State, Mr. President, and the nation in general, as incapable of conducting credible and violence elections before the global community. I wish to re-emphasize that I fully share Mr. Presidents position that we must as a people and as a nation exterminate the scourge of recurring flawed elections and join the rest of the civilized world in conducting relatively flawless and credible elections at all times, Wike added. Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state who vied for various political offices, have also pledged to maintain peace and order in the state. See Pulse Gallery below. Shehu Sani who said this on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 while receiving a delegation of labour union in the state who paid him a courtesy visit said there is no doubt the economy is facing challenges but added that governors must prioritize workers salaries instead of embarking on white elephant projects. As you plan your mass rally, I stand by you. Any government that is against the issue of unionism, that government is anti-people. Workers are the backbone of every society and of every revolutionary change. Anybody that is standing for the division of workers union is moving towards the persecution of workers. And any worker who rejects his union identity card is making himself vulnerable to persecution, retrenchment and is under the mercy of the whims and caprices of those in power, Shehu Sani said. Akanni was released on Wednesday, March 23, and hospitalised at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja following his claimed deteriorated health condition. The lawmaker arrived Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Thursday, March 24, amid rousing welcome by the people of the state and Governor Ayodele Fayose. The Ekiti State House of assembly has however demanded an unreserved apology from the DSS and indicated plans to sue the Service and the Federal Government for 'unlawfully' detaining its member. Akanni was arrested by the DSS on March 4, 2016, for alleged security breach, and was detained at the headquarters of the agency in Abuja until yesterday. According to the Ekiti State Government, he was denied access to his lawyer and family. The Government therefore rumoured that Akanni had died in DSS custody. At the meeting which was held at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, Buhari begged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the military and other security agencies to never give room for compromise during elections. While acknowledging that he failed in ensuring a free, fair and violent-free elections in Kogi, Rivers, and Bayelsa States, the President appealed to the electoral body and the military to let Nigerians choose their leaders with freewill. "I am afraid I did not succeed in the election in Kogi, Bayelsa, Rivers. I think that more Nigerians are killed or killed themselves in Rivers than in any particular state. At this stage of our political development, to remain brutal is shameful and as a government, I promise we will do something by the next general election," Buhari said. Read full text of the President's speech below: PROTOCOLS We are members of the legacy party, plus APGA and DPP. We realized since 2005 that to remove the PDP from power, we must sink our differences, come together and form a party. God willing, that eventually happened and that is why we are where we are today, coming together inspite of our differences, both personal and ideological. We must not forget that. Having identified that as members of the legacy party, we again identified three fundamental things facing us. First, security, second, economy and unemployment and thirdly, corruption. We campaigned throughout the country on these three fundamental issues and nobody successfully challenged us and these issues remained relevant. On security, we have made progress. It was a very courageous decision that the party took and executed by the Executive by removing most of the military hierarchy and appointing those to take over from them, acquiring some new hard and soft ware and raising the morale of the military to go secure the rest of the country which was then 14 out of 774 local government. I have said it often that as far as I know and the service Chiefs who are on ground, they are not holding any local government. But they still have some capability especially on soft targets by using technology. For Niger Delta, the militants are sending some conflicting messages. Some have said they are ready to drop their arms and join the rest of the nation to build it. But part of them are still sabotaging installations which is making investments in that lucrative area of Nigeria difficult because nobody will submit his riches to financial institutions, get money only to suffer huge loss. So, the environment for investment is being sabotaged by our own selves, Nigerians. We are doing our best with the military by trying to persuade them to join the rest of the country because in unity lies our strength. Of course the leadership of INEC has been changed, but I appeal to the leadership of the military, security agents and INEC that what I want Nigerians to remember me for, even if I have to leave the Presidency tomorrow is that I respect them. I want all Nigerians to believe and hold their PVC as personal entitlement as Nigerians and use it the way they like, and vote for whoever they like at which ever election. If they voluntarily sold it, it is part of their right and so, let them sell it and remain at home and not participate in any election. But let the law enforcement agencies give them the confidence that nobody will come out who has money to hire thugs, give them drugs and stop them from exercising their fundamental right. I am afraid I did not succeed in the election in Kogi, Bayelsa, Rivers. I think that more Nigerians are killed or killed themselves in Rivers than in any particular state. At this stage of our political development, to remain brutal is shameful and as a government, I promise we will do something by the next general election. On the economy, the fall of oil prices after Nigeria has made itself a mono economy is a disaster. I wonder why people could not believe that in Nigeria, about 27 out of 36 states have difficulty in paying basic salaries of their workers. If from 1999 to at least 2003, oil is above 100 dollars per barrel and an export of about 2 million barrel per day, how come Nigeria failed to make some arrangement to cushion the effect of a probably volatile oil market? Again, it shows failure of the last administration. But we are now to pick the pieces as an APC government and so, there is no need complaining, but let us concentrate and see how much we can do with whatever remains of the economy. We realized that agriculture and solid minerals are two areas that can quickly come to help us to recover economically, at least in terms of employment and feeding ourselves and more importantly, saving the hard currency to make sure that what is left our industries remain open, employing Nigerians and producing goods and services which is very important. The policy we are trying to implement is TSA. When we insist that we have to know what comes in and what goes out for us to make a comprehensive amendment to the economy. If you go and see the Central Bank Governor, he will tell you that in the TSA, we have more than N3 trillion. Where would this money have been if TSA was not in vogue? I was made to understand that vouchers would have quickly been raised towards the end of the financial year and checks made. Whether they are going into projects or private pockets, nobody can prove it to you. But that money is there, it is identified, if is quantified and when the budget comes back eventually, the Ministry of finance will see how to allocate it to the rest of the country. We have tried to make sure that NNPC is reorganized, so that we know how much of our crude is taken, how much it is sold and to which account the money is going. But I tell you that up to the time we came, if anybody told you that he knows how much of crude exchanges hands either on the high sea or reaching their destination and the accounts the money goes into, that person is not telling you the truth. We are getting the cooperation of countries that has received this crude. But we have to be sure of the facts in our hands before we start prosecution so that Nigerians will believe what we have been telling them. Again, I have to repeat myself here for you to appreciate what I am going through because you are closer to the people than myself. I was telling a British team that came to supervise the training team they sent, that when I was in uniform, you took the perceived corrupt ones and put them in safe custody and quietly told them they were guilty until they can prove themselves innocent. But now under multi-party democratic system, I see some of them ride Rolls Royce, some of them have built estates here, but they are innocent until we can prove them guilty. This situation is true and you dont need to stress your imagination to find out. If you can find out, you discover that a level eight officer has five houses, while you, as a Permanent Secretary or Commissioner is still living in a rented house. We have to get credible evidence to carry out successful prosecution and get judgement from the Judiciary. But effort is being made to give a list of recoveries in whatever currencies so far so that Nigerians will know that it is not all about long stories. For the party, I will like you to continue to make sacrifice. I know you are being harassed since the election that they havent seen anything on the ground. Well, if you have any explanation that could be accepted, is that you have three more years to go. When we came in after 16 years of PDP, each government had 42 ministries. We reduced them to 24, removed 21 Permanent Secretaries. We sat down and reflected seriously. We were all in the process of taking over at a time of national budget. So, imagine the volume of work and with what happened in the National Assembly, the padding, it would appear that below the Permanent Secretaries, there are still a lot of bureaucracies that are still with them. So, you have to appreciate the position we are in. Having cut 42 to 24, correspondingly, the parastatals will be cut down to some size and realigned and the boards reconstituted. We gave a blanket order which we had to rescind when we said all boards are suspended or dissolved. We had to go back and lick our vomit in terms of university boards because we found out that according to their laws, they cannot choose Vice Chancellors unless the Boards seat down, interview prospective candidates who wants to be VCs. So, there is nothing wrong in saying sorry and going back on your decision. So, we said sorry and allow all the universities to continue with their boards. But for the rest, eventually, we will make it. So, please, try to bear with us as we reflect on where we found ourselves. The President stated this at the the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held at its headquarters in Abuja. Also present at the meeting are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governors and other party leaders. Speaking on the violence which marred the rerun legislative elections in Rivers State on Saturday, March 19, 2016, Buhari described it as shameful and disappointing. He said the problem of election violence would be addressed in future elections. The issues you raised are true and very germane. The issue you raised are the true precarious plight of the Nigerian worker, especially in Kaduna State. I am particularly disturbed by the position of people in power that came into office with the promise of change. They were voted into office to make condition of the masses and the Nigerian worker better. But today, we are living in reality of failure of that promise. Sani also said If we speak truth to power and created a change of government, then power needs to speak truth to us. There is no doubt the economy is facing challenges. But, instead of governors embarking on white elephant project, the salary of workers must come first. Workers salary must come first before road construction, street light, bridges, housing estates, amusement parks etc etc. Workers salary must come first before any physical and immaterial projects. As you plan your mass rally, I stand by you. Any government that is against the issue of unionism, that government is anti-people. Workers are the backbone of every society and of every revolutionary change. Anybody that is standing for the division of workers union, is moving towards the persecution of workers. And any worker who rejects his union identity card is making himself vulnerable to persecution, retrenchment and is under the mercy of the whims and caprices of those in power. Nigerian workers are the most important segment of Nigerian society. The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, the NLC, TUC, NUT must come together and defend the interest of its members, that is why I support your planned action. Any law, any Act and decree that subverts the fundamental rights and interest of Nigerian workers, disobey that law, he added. S saying such can only build dictatorship. See Pulse Photo Gallery below. The 47-year-old father of 3 whose name was given as Rotimi, was sentenced to 4-year imprisonment by a Magistrate's Court. The prosecutor in the case, Osasu Ewemade, said Rotimi committed this crime on May 26, 2015 in his office in the school premises. It was revealed that Rotimi had invited the victim, a 13-year-old pupil of the school, to his office where he sexually assaulted her. Ewemade also added that the offence contravened Section 360 of the Criminal Code, Cap 48, Vol. II, Law of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, as applicable in Edo and the presiding magistrate, IghoBraimoh, found him guilty on all counts, sentencing him to one year in prison for each count. Brahim El Bakraoui and two other men suspected of carrying out the attack on Tuesday travelled from the Brussels district of Schaerbeek to the airport. The airport bombs and a suicide bombing at Maelbeek metro station in the city centre, which prosecutors said was carried out by El Bakraoui's brother Khalid, killed at least 31 people and injured 270. A man wearing a hat and light-coloured jacket did chat with the taxi driver, talking about his anger towards the United States and how he disagreed with some of its actions, DH said. A bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and black hat ran out of the airport terminal, federal prosecutors said, before a third suitcase bomb exploded in the departures area as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties. The man, captured on film with the suicide bombers, is being sought by police. DH said the taxi driver smelled ammonia during the journey and when he dropped the men off at the airport noticed their bags had traces of white powder on them. He heard about the explosions while driving his next passenger and immediately went to the police, it said. Sall proposed the reform arguing it would further bolster Senegal's already stable democracy. But he has been criticised for not proposing to cut his own first term, as he pledged before he was elected. The 'yes' vote in Sunday's referendum won 62.7 percent of ballots from a national turnout of 38.3 percent, Senegal's election commission said. The proposal they approved reduces presidential terms to five years from seven, starting after the next election in 2019. It also limits the age of presidential candidates to 75 and allows independents to run. In the past year leaders of several other African nations including Burkina Faso, Burundi, Rwanda and Congo have sought to extend their rule. In Burundi and Congo, this triggered protests and led to violence. A spokesman for the elite 'Hawks' police unit said it would investigate the graft allegations after a complaint was made by the Democratic Alliance, South Africa's main opposition party. Although the Gupta's relationship with Zuma has been a source of controversy for years, it burst into the open last week when senior figures went public to say the family had exerted undue sway, including offering cabinet positions. The Guptas, whose businesses stretch from media to mining, have denied the allegations and say they are pawns in a plot to oust Zuma. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) said on Sunday it had full confidence in Zuma but would investigate the allegations by senior politicians - including Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas - that they were offered positions by the Guptas. Zuma has acknowledged the Guptas are his friends but denies anything improper. Zuma's son, Duduzane, is a director - along with Gupta family members - of at least six companies, documents show. South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a powerful figure in the ruling party, was reported on Wednesday as saying that the "ANC is not for sale." "The ANC refuses to be captured. Those who might want to capture the ANC and make it their own and influence it to advance personal or corporate interests, you have come to the wrong address," he was quoted by the Rand Daily Mail website as saying at an academic summit in Johannesburg. This is going to be a defining moment," he said. "What is good is that the Gupta family has said that they are willing to cooperate." U.S. President Barack Obamas late March visit to Cuba, continuing his initiative to re-establish friendly relations between the two countries, arouses opposition on both sides of the aisle in Washington. U.S. President Barack Obamas late March visit to Cuba, continuing his initiative to re-establish friendly relations between the two countries, arouses opposition on both sides of the aisle in Washington. The Republican complaints, of course, are to be expected. If Obama walked across the Florida Strait without wetting the hems of his trousers, Ted Cruz would ask why the president cant swim. But some Democrats also oppose breaking the ice with Havana. It is totally unacceptable for the president of the United States to reward a dictatorial regime, says US Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The president is again prioritizing short-term economic interests over long-term American values. Lets be honest here: Cruz, Menendez and their ilk have done as much to prop up Fidel Castros regime as Castros own secret police agents or neighborhood Committees for the Defense of the Revolution ever could, if not more. Half a century and change of sanctions and embargo have strengthened, not weakened, popular support for the island nations Communist rulers. National isolation is the desire of every dictator: If his subjects never see what a freer society looks like or have the opportunity to avail themselves of its goods and services, they have no standard against which to measure his rule and find it wanting. If a powerful, threatening external enemy actively aids him in achieving that isolation, so much the better: For now even if his subjects DO get a glimpse of higher living standards and relative freedom to travel, speak and worship, he can just blame that external enemy for denying them such things. This is the dynamic which has kept the mullahs in charge in Tehran since 1979 and the Communist Party in charge in Havana since 1959. It is this dynamic which Obama hopes, by way of burnishing his presidential legacy, to interrupt with his Jeffersonian (friendship and commerce with all nations) overtures to Cuba. The beneficiaries of the US embargo on Cuba have been the Castro regime, the US military industrial complex, the US sugar industry, and a few professional opposition exiles living on CIA funds and hoping to one day ride into Havana on American tanks. Its victims are legion and include the entire populations of Cuba the United States. Just as it was a myth that only Nixon could go to China, any president could have gone to Havana. One finally has. And were all better off for it. Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida. WASHINGTON The value of catastrophic events is that they can help people face up to problems that are otherwise impossible to address. Maybe this will be the case with Tuesday's horrific attacks in Brussels. Europe is facing a security threat that's unprecedented in its modern history, at a time when its common currency, border security and intelligence-sharing are all under severe stress. If Europe were a stock, a pragmatic investor would sell it, despite the sunk cost and sentimental attachment. Without radical restructuring, it's an enterprise that's headed for failure. The European Union needs to reinvent its security system. It needs to break the stovepipes that prevent sharing information, enforcing borders and protecting citizens. In the months before Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels, "the system was blinking red," as George Tenet, the former CIA director, famously described the period before Sept. 11, 2001. Yet Belgium like pre-9/11 America couldn't connect the dots. The jihadist wave rolling back toward Europe is dizzying: U.S. intelligence agencies estimate that more than 38,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Iraq and Syria since 2012. At least 5,000 of them came from Europe, including 1,700 from France, 760 from Britain, 760 from Germany and 470 from Belgium, according to official data collected by the Soufan Group, a security consulting firm. Relative to its population, Belgium spawned the largest number of these fighters. Belgian authorities couldn't find Salah Abdeslam, the logistical planner of the November Paris attacks, for more than 120 days, until they finally nabbed him last Friday a few blocks from where he grew up in the Arab enclave of Molenbeek. He was hiding in plain sight. But Belgium's failure was cooked into the system: The jihadists move stealthily, and the Belgians didn't collect or share enough of the intelligence that was there. The authorities had allowed Molenbeek to become a safe haven, more dangerous to Belgium than even the jihadists' sanctuaries in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Americans, who are less exposed to the threat, may smugly imagine they can wall themselves off. But the Islamic State's rampage is more an American failure than a European one. The United States formed a global coalition to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State back in September 2014. This strategy hasn't worked; the Islamic State's domain has shrunk in Iraq and Syria but expanded elsewhere. The failure of the U.S.-led coalition to contain the jihadists has left a fragile Europe exposed to terrorism and social upheaval. President Barack Obama hopes that history will affirm his prudent policy, but this view is surely harder to maintain after the Paris and Brussels attacks. How could the U.S. and Europe develop a more effective strategy to combat the Islamic State? It would begin with truly shared intelligence and military command. After the shock of Pearl Harbor, the top leadership of the United States and Britain gathered in Washington in December 1941 for the "Arcadia Conference." Although remembered for the personal bond between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, its greatest achievement was a unified command that swept aside petty jealousies within the U.S. and British militaries and between the two nations. Once this alliance was struck, eventual victory was inevitable, as Churchill said. The obstacles to success against the Islamic State are similar. The intelligence services of European nations vary in competence and aggressiveness. Experts say that Britain and France have strong spy agencies; Germany's is competent but afraid to level with its public; the rest are relatively weak; and there is no Europe-wide spy agency. Europe wants more "product" from America's intelligence Leviathan, but less collection. Americans and Europeans sometimes act as if they're on different teams. This was the path to Brussels. "There's a general recognition among intelligence professionals that the services have to cooperate more and that the U.S. should take the lead in bringing them together," argues Michael Allen, former staff director of the House intelligence committee. Intelligence strategies that worked against al-Qaida may not succeed with this adversary. The Islamic State leaves few digital signals. More "human intelligence" real spies daring to penetrate the enemy camp is essential, however risky. Another answer may be the application of "machine learning" to big data sets to yield essential leads: Who's likely to be recruited? What are the likely targets? What's the best way to disrupt potential adversaries? European intelligence services must combine forces with the U.S. and with each other. The West needs a new Arcadia Conference to build a partnership to contain the Islamic State as it plots the next Brussels-style attacks. A: The music to what we know as Hail to the Chief was written by the English composer/conductor James Sanderson in 1811 for a theatrical production of Sir Walter Scotts poem, The Lady of the Lake, one of the eras most popular poems. According to the Library of Congress website, Hail to the Chief was first associated with a Chief Executive on February 22, 1815, when it was played (under the title Wreaths for the Chieftain) to honor both the belated George Washington and the end of the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson was the first living president to be personally honored by Hail to the Chief, on January 9, 1829. It was designated as the official musical tribute to the President by the Department of Defense in 1954. Lawyers for a 29-year-old man accused of killing another man with his bare hands during an alcohol-fueled fight in Sioux Falls have requested a mental health screening for their client. Mark Lovejoy is accused of killing 45-year-old Rodney Iron Hawk Sr. outside a motel on Jan. 25. Authorities said the two men were friends. A grand jury indicted Lovejoy in February on a charge of second-degree murder and two counts of manslaughter. He also faces three counts of simple assault in an alleged attack on Iron Hawk's girlfriend when she tried to intervene. The Argus Leader reports that Lovejoy's attorneys have filed a motion seeking a psychiatric exam. WASHINGTON | The split-screen told the story: on one side, images of the terror bombing in Brussels; on the other, Barack Obama doing the wave with Raul Castro at a baseball game in Havana. On one side, the real world of rising global terrorism. On the other, the Obama fantasy world in which romancing a geopolitically insignificant Cuba without an ounce of democracy or human rights yielded in return is considered a seminal achievement of American diplomacy. Cuba wasn't so much a legacy trip as a vanity trip, vindicating the dorm-room enthusiasms of one's student days when the Sandinistas were cool, revolution was king and every other friend had a dog named Che. When Brussels intervened, some argued that Obama should have cut short his trip and come back home. I disagree. You don't let three suicide bombers control the itinerary of the American president. Moreover, Obama's next stop, Argentina, is actually important and had just elected a friendly government that broke from its long and corrupt Peronist past. Nonetheless, Obama could have done without the baseball. What kind of message does it send to be yukking it up with Raul even as Belgian authorities are picking body parts off the floor of the Brussels airport? Obama came into office believing that we had vastly exaggerated the threat of terrorism and allowed it to pervert both our values and our foreign policy. He declared a unilateral end to the global war on terror and downplayed the threat ever since. He frequently reminds aides, reports Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, that more Americans die annually of bathtub accidents. It's now been seven years. The real world has stubbornly refused to accommodate Obama's pacific dreams. The Islamic State has grown from JV team to worldwide threat, operating from Libya to Afghanistan, Sinai to Belgium. It is well into the infiltration phase of its European campaign, with 500 trained and hardened cadres in place among the estimated 5,000 jihadists returned from the Middle East. The increasing tempo and sophistication of its operations suggest that it may be poised for a continent-wide guerrilla campaign. In the face of this, Obama remains inert, unmoved, displaying a neglect and insouciance that borders on denial. His nonreaction to the Belgian massacre his 34-minute speech in Havana devoted 51 seconds to Brussels left the world as stunned as it was after the Paris massacre, when Obama did nothing. Worse, at his now notorious November news conference in Turkey, his only show of passion regarding Paris was to berate Islamophobes. David Axelrod called Obama's response "tone deaf." But that misses the point. This is more than a mere mistake of presentation. Remember his reaction to the beheading of the American journalist James Foley? Obama made a statement expressing his sympathies and then jumped onto his golf cart for a round of 18. He later told NBC News' Chuck Todd that this was a mistake. "Part of this job is also the theater of it," he explained, "it's not something that always comes naturally to me." As if postponing a bucolic recreation was a required piece of political playacting rather than a president's natural reaction a mixture of shock and sorrow to the terrible death of a citizen he could not save. It's not as if Obama is so super cool that he never shows emotion. Just a few months ago, he teared up when speaking about the Sandy Hook school shooting. That was the work of a psychotic. But when speaking about the work of Islamist terrorists, he offers flat perfunctory words. I cannot fathom why. Perhaps having long seen himself uniquely qualified by background and history to make peace between Islam and the West, to now recognize how badly things have gone on his watch is to admit both failure and the impossible grandiosity of his original pretensions. Whatever the reason, he seems genuinely unmoved by a menace the rest of the world views, correctly, with horror and increasing apprehension. He's been in office seven years, yet seems utterly fixed on his campaign promises and pre-presidential obsessions: shutting down Gitmo, rapprochement with Iran, engagement with tyrants (hence Havana), making the oceans recede (hence the Paris climate trip). Next we'll see yet another useless Washington "summit" on yet another Obama idee fixe: eliminating nuclear materials. With the world on fire, the American president goes on ideological holiday. As was said of the Bourbons: "They have learned nothing and have forgotten nothing." Moscow court refuses to suspend manager of Mostoviks branch MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) The Moscow Commercial Court has dismissed a motion filed by Vnesheconombank asking to suspend Oleg Kiselyov from the duties of temporary manager of "Mostovik Development," the court ruling reads. The reasoning behind this decision has not been specified. In December 2015, the court granted the motion by Vnesheconombank and included debt of Mostovik Development to the bank, estimating 2,3 billion rubles ($32,8 mln) in the list of creditors. On October 12, 2015 the court set a monitoring procedure in the Mostovik Development, Kiselyov was appointed as a temporary manager of the company. An application for the companys bankruptcy will be reviewed on April 15, 2016. Mostovik Development is a daughter structure of the Mostovik company. This particular branch is responsible for marketing at the real estate market, project developments and assistance in attracting financial resources to the projects. On June 2, 2015 Mostovik was declared bankrupt by the Omsk Commercial Court. This company was responsible for designing and construction of the buildings for Winter Olympic Games at Sochi. Vostochny Cosmodrome developer ordered to pay VTB bank $52 mln MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) The Moscow Commercial Court on Thursday ordered Dalspetsstroy, the company in charge of the Vostochny spaceport construction, to pay 3.5 billion rubles ($52 million) in debt to VTB bank, RAPSI reported from the courtroom. A credit facility agreement was signed between Dalspetsstroy and VTB in June 2014. Dalspetsstroy representative asked the court to mitigate the penalty because of the companys dire financial condition. The banks representative in turn resisted the motion claiming that the construction company has not repaid the principal debt. VTB has filed several lawsuits to recover debt from Dalspetsstroy. On February 24, the Moscow Commercial Court granted the banks lawsuit seeking 722 million rubles ($11 million) from the company. Another claim for 777 million rubles ($11.5 million) should be considered today. The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The facility is planned to be completed in 2016. The first manned mission is scheduled for 2018. Dalspetsstroy has repeatedly reported that the project was behind schedule at some sites but promised to catch up. According to investigators, ex-CEO of Dalspetsstroy, Yuriy Khrizman, his son Mikhail and Viktor Chudov, Chairman of the Khabarovsk Territory Duma, embezzled about 106 million rubles ($1.6 million) belonging to the company. However, one criminal episode was uncovered within the investigation into the case over alleged embezzlement at Vostochny Cosmodrome. Russian court releases former vice-governor on bail MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) A court in Chelyabinsk on Thursday released former vice-governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Nikolay Sandakov charged with fraud on a 10-million-ruble ($142,800) bail, RIA Novosti reported. On Wednesday, the court held preliminary hearings in Sandakovs case. On Thursday, the court granted the defendant's motion and released him on bail. The case is going to reach the Prosecutor General's Office department for the Ural Federal District. According to prosecution, Sandakov iused his position to embezzle 1.5 million rubles ($21,700). He allegedly proposed to create and maintain a positive media image of an official from the Ozersk city district of the Chelyabinsk region Evgeniy Tarasov to help him with his career. Tarasov allegedly paid Sandakov 1.5 million rubles for this favor. Sandakov was arrested in Chelyabinsk airport while attempting to leave the Ural Federal District. Russian Supreme Court upholds life sentence for Dagestan ex-mayor Amirov MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) Russias Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence passed on Said Amirov, the former mayor of Dagestan's capital Makhachkala, for terrorism, RAPSI learnt in the courts press office on Thursday. Defense lawyers asked the court to reverse the judgment but their appeal was dismissed. Thus the ruling took effect. Concurrently, the Supreme Court reduced the sentence from 18 years to 17 years and 10 months in prison for Amirovs nephew Yusup Dzhaparov. Sentences handed down to other defendants were also upheld. On August 27, 2015, the North Caucasus District Court sentenced Amirov to life in prison for terrorism. His nephew, Yusup Dzhaparov, who was a deputy mayor of Kaspiysk, was sentenced to 18 years in a high security prison and 18 months of supervised release. Six other men who had been also convicted in this case received long jail terms ranging from 10 to 22 years. They were found guilty of organizing a 2011 terrorist attack in a shopping mall in the city of Kaspiysk and killing Arsen Gadzhibekov, the director of the Investigative Committee in one of the districts of Makhachkala. Gadzhibekov at the time of his death worked on a number of high-profile criminal cases, including the 2010 twin bombings in Kizlyar, a town on the border with Chechnya, that left 10 killed and 270 injured. He was also investigating misconduct allegations against members of the Makhachkala city administration headed by Amirov, according to Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin. Moreover, in July 2014, Amirov and Dzhaparov were sentenced to 10 and 8.5 years in prison, respectively, for plotting a murder attempt on Sagid Murtazaliyev, head of the Pension Fund in Dagestan and a prominent Russian wrestler, whose plane was supposed to be shot down by a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile. US court allows plaintiff to service complaint on Russian foundation by email MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI, Vladimir Yaduta) U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted a motion to allow Richard Fisher of Malibu to service a complaint on Moscow-based Petr Konchalovsky Foundation via email. The court ruled that "service via email for a defendant residing in Russia may qualify as an alternative means of service under Rule 4(f)(3)." Fisher turned to the federal court on December 17, 2015. He alleged that the foundation wrongfully declared the oil painting by Petr Konchalovsky he owned a fake. On January 14, Fisher filed a motion seeking to serve the foundation through U.S. Postal Service. The court declined to grant Fisher's request. It noted that although Article 10 of the Convention authorizes service "by postal channels ... absent any objection by the country in which the defendant is located," Russia has objected to Article 10. The motion was accompanied by an affidavit from John Pierceall, an attorney for Ancillary Legal Corporation, a company that serves international legal process. Pierceall confirmed that the foundation has its principal place of business in Moscow. He further averred that Russia suspended all judicial cooperation with the United States in civil and commercial matters since July 2003. Russia does not effect service through its Central Authority, which is the method prescribed under the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters (Hague Convention), according to Pierceall. The U.S. State Department warns in turn that The Russian Federation refuses to serve letters of request from the United States for service of process presented under the terms of the 1965 Hague Service Convention or to execute letters rogatory requesting service of process transmitted via diplomatic channels. The Russian Federation also declines to give consideration to U.S. requests to obtain evidence. Russia opted to suspend judicial cooperation after the United States imposed a fee for all requests for service from any foreign country whether submitted under the Convention or via diplomatic channels. The fee was reportedly imposed to cover costs incurred by a private contractor hired by the U.S. Department of Justice to administer the service functions. The United States claim that fees are permitted under the Convention and charged by a number of countries that are party to the Convention. As a result of Russias policy, litigants were advised to seek guidance regarding alternative methods of service. Due to these complications, Fisher proposed serving the foundation by email. His counsel, David Steiner, submitted an affidavit confirming that Alexander Konov, the Director of the foundation, used email account for some work-related business earlier. It has been my experience that Russia is the only Hague Convention nation that refuses to serve documents for United States litigants based upon Russias reasoning that the U.S. is in breach of the treaty by charging fees, Pierceall told RAPSI in an email. He added that China, Canada, Australia, Cyprus, Estonia and Greece charge fees as well. Meanwhile, U.S. law allows Russian litigants to serve legal documents on persons in the United States outside of treaty procedures by using a private company such as Ancillary Legal Corporation. No Russian lawyer has ever contacted us, however, Pierceall said. RAPSI reached Pamela Egan, partner at Rimon P.C. , for comment. An American federal judge has the power to authorize service by any means not prohibited by international agreement. The service also has to meet American notions of due process, which in the case of a complaint, means that the method of service has to be reasonably calculated to provide notice of the action and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond, according to Egan. Thus, if the plaintiff presents evidence that the defendant uses the email, then the court may well authorize service by email. If on the other hand, there is no evidence that the Defendant actually uses the email address, then such service will not be allowed, Egan said. The availability of email - and the lack of any mention of email in the Hague Convention - threatens to render the Hague Convention obsolete, she added. Russian medic gets 9 years and 2 months in prison for killing patient with punch MOSCOW, March 24 (RAPSI) A court in Belgorod on Thursday sentenced a Belgorod clinics ex-surgeon, Ilya Zelendinov, who punched a patient with a lethal strike, to 9 years and 2 months in penal colony, RIA Novosti reported. The court also prohibited Zelendinov from practicing medicine for three years. Prosecutors asked to sentence Zelendinov to 10.5 years in penal colony, while defense was seeking a suspended sentence, insisting on requalification of the article he was tried under to Causing death by accident. Zelendinov, having medical education and experience, knew for certain about the potential consequences for the victims health that could have come from striking a person in a vital body part neck, yet neglected them, investigators noted. According to investigators, the incident happened on December 29, 2015 when a man who later became a victim was put in a clinic. During one of the procedures a man allegedly kicked a nurse which prompted Zelendinov to come to her defense. Expertise showed that victim died from acute heart failure caused by a strike in the neck. No signs of psychological disorders were found during Zelendinovs examination. A Montana rancher is taking his grass-fed beef from the family ranch to, potentially, the entire country and beyond.Garl Germann, 35, founder and president of Montana Meat Co., was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from the Montana Department of Commerces job creation program.Im really excited about the grant, Germann said. We are currently regional meat distributors, selling grass-fed meat products, fresh and frozen, from more than 50 ranches in Montana and Idaho and delivering the meat to food service facilities and retailers.Germann wanted to expand and started an Internet site where he tells his story. Soon, he hopes he can sell meat, including beef, lamb, pork and other products, directly to consumers over the Internet.We want to be a one-stop shop for meat products, he said. It has been a long-time coming.He hopes to have the Internet site up and running by June 1, he said.Germann, will be selling meat products from 50-100 Montana and Idaho ranchers. They will also continue marketing grass-fed meat to food services and others.Germann was raised on the familys cattle ranch near McAllister, Mont. His family continues to raise cattle, but Germann and his wife, Kaelin, wanted to have value-added agriculture to support their family.On the brink of selling my grandfathers ranch for a song, my father and I began selling grass-fed beef locally, Germann said.He opened a retail meat shop in Bozeman, Mont., and began selling high-quality grass-fed beef from their ranch. Later, they were approved by the state for a portable meat processing plant that could go out to the ranch.Grass-fed beef really took off. It is a sustainable, healthier product, Germann said. We believe cattle were meant to be raised on forage.When demand for grass-fed beef increased, he created Montana Meat Co. (MMC) in 2013, a collaboration of ranchers, processors, and suppliers. Germann gathered support from many regional ranchers, and they were willing to sell their grass-fed beef to MMC.Ranchers in the region benefit from selling under the MMC label, and getting a fair price for their beef, Germann said.Germann later increased the type of meat under the MMC label to include pork, lamb, and other proteins.We make sure there is quality control so people receive a good product at a reasonable price, he said.Under the particulars of the grant, Germann is hiring at least 10 people, and he needs a larger staff to expand sales and marketing.With the grant, MMC also wants to encourage more ranchers to join the label and raise their animals on grass for a fair price.We are continuing to find more markets for our ranchers, Germann said.Germann and his wife have two children, Owen and Mirabella. I came to hear the speaker at the Darby library and arrived early to do so. I arrived prior to 5:30 p.m. and was turned away with the explanation that there were no more seats available. While standing there, several people came and were let in. I asked why and was told they had tickets. I left the building and, passing a lot of unhappy people standing outside, realized this had been going on for a while. As I walked to my car, I saw others getting out of theirs with these elusive tickets in their hands. Strange how only certain people seemed to have these tickets and the general public was not informed that they needed any to get in. I, like others outside, wanted to ask questions but soon became aware this was a feel-good lecture for those who ignorantly believe Islam is a religion of peace. Ive read it referred to as "Islam culture," which is an untrue statement. Their culture includes all the practices which have developed around Islamic religion in which many want to kill all infidels if they dont convert. Samir Bitar states that he wants to have open conversations about what is happening around the country but it seems to be only one-sided. What Bitar, who is from Palestine, fails to point out is that most Palestinians are extremely hateful of the Jewish people and send rockets into their country regularly, killing many people in Israel. Perhaps he should go to Palestine to spread his love and hope and teach them to love Israelites. John Gibney, Hamilton Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003. Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) Press Statement Stop surveillance and harassment of Kashmiri students! Peoples Union for Democratic Rights expresses its outrage at the harassment and arrest of Kashmiri students in Mewar University, Rajasthan, and other educational institutions, amidst an intensifying surveillance of Kashmiris across the country. On 14th March, 2016, a rumour was spread on WhatsApp that aKashmiri students are cooking beefa , in their hostel room in Mewar University, following which a 200 strong mob comprising of Bajrang Dal activists and Vande Matram Sangathan gathered outside the hostel. The four students who were allegedly cooking beef, fled from fear. The mob beat up some other Kashmiri students. The police, not finding the students who were allegedly cooking beef, arrested four other Kashmiri students who lived in the room opposite. They were detained in the police station overnight. On Tuesday 15th March, the four Kashmiri students who had actually been cooking meat a Saqib Ashraf, Mohammad Maqbool, Shaukat Ali Butt and Hilal Ahmed turned themselves in. They acknowledged that they had broken the rule of vegetarianism in the hostel by cooking meat. But it was buffalo meat, not beef. The police rationalised the initial, wrongful arrest as an attempt to protect the Kashmiri students, and as preventive action to prevent the situation from escalating as the police feared that the mob would start pelting stones. Revealingly, it didnat strike the police to control the mob using other means. Rather it chose to satisfy dominant sentiment and the mobas demands by arbitrarily picking up four, uninvolved Kashmiri students. For the police, one Kashmiri is as good as another. The four boys who had been cooking meat, too have committed no criminal offence; they have only broken a hostel rule. Nevertheless they were charged under Sec 151 CrPC for disrupting the peace, kept in the PS overnight and produced before the magistrate on the 16th. They have alleged that they were made to sign a good conduct undertaking, before being released on bail. Significantly, the police has taken no criminal action against the mob that beat up the boys, despite activists of the Bajrang Dal openly declaring that they had led the mob .The only action taken by the police was to register a case against one person under Sec 108 CrPC for circulating a false message. The police has also raised concerns with the University that several incidents of violation of law and order have been reported from the University. The University authorities have attributed the incident to a prevailing rivalry between two groups of students, one from Jammu, and the other from Kashmir- something that these students have denied. The University has over 800 Kashmiri students, out of a total student strength of about 3000. These students are studying here under the Prime Ministeras Scholarship scheme for Kashmiri students. The inciting of anti-Kashmiri student feeling through false rumours on social media, the involvement of right wing Hindu groups, the policeas action based on Kashmiri identity rather than the facts, and the University authorities generalising that the Kashmiri students are a part of conflicts, taken collectively, suggest an attempt to project the Kashmiri students as responsible for vitiating life in the institution. It however defies logic that bright students who have come here to study, far from home, will jeopardise their careers by engaging in such activities. This incident follows close on the heels of developments in Kolkata, where the Central Government has directly initiated a formal policy of surveillance and harassment of Kashmiri students. At the end of February, a directive was issued by policeas intelligence wing to Kolkata colleges to prepare a list of all students with residential addresses in Jammu and Kashmir. This dossier is to be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi. The alleged purpose is to sensitise campuses against events such as at JNU and the subsequent protests at Jadavpur University, but as per the Indian Express senior police officials have indicated that this information will be used for monitoring the Kashmiri studentsa activities. As per newspaper reports, a general advisory has been issued by the Home Ministry to all states. In March, the Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar told the State Assembly that the ATS has been instructed to conduct door-to-door checks of tenements where Kashmiris stay, and collect information, in order to check crime. These are blatant instances of ethnic profiling which violate the most fundamental of rights of freedom and equality. The upshot is that Kashmiris, students who have come to educational institutions to study (quite often on government programmes), or in search of work, are being systematically hounded and made to live in a climate of fear and insecurity. PUDR demands that such a witch-hunt of Kashmiri students and workers be stopped immediately. Moushumi Basu, Deepika Tandon Secretaries, PUDR (pudr@pudr.org) 24th March 2016 URL: http://pudr.org/?q=content/stop-surveillance-and-harassment-kashmiri-students Tractors of many areas will drive Highway 2 across Nebraska in June to raise money for Operation Comfort Warriors, an American Legion program that aids wounded warriors and their families. Participants in the Tractor Relay Across Nebraska (TRAN) will take a tour of several state monuments, from Homestead National Monument to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, June 4 to June 12. The drive is sponsored by Nebraska Antique Farming Association. The cost to participate in the drive is $20 per person. Participants may join the drive at any of the stops along the way. According to a press release from relay coordinator Donelle Moormeier, last year's drive raised $10,700. All of the proceeds go directly to veterans in need, the press release states. Registration forms are available online at AntiqueFarming.org. Registration deadline is May 1, 2016. The National Monument tour itinerary for the 2016 TRAN drive: June 4 Beatrice Homestead National Monument to Geneva June 5 Geneva to Hastings June 6 Hastings to St. Paul June 7 St. Paul to Broken Bow June 8 Broken Bow to Thedford June 9 Thedford to Hyannis June 10 Hyannis to Alliance June 11 Alliance to Scottsbluff National Monument June 12 Scottsbluff National Monument to Agate Fossil National Monument Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Notable new comments and commitments on criminal justice reform from GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan | Main | Fascinating issues emerging in run up to federal sentencing of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert March 24, 2016 Am I crazy to really like the "White Collar Crime Offender Registry" now being developed in Utah? The question in the title of this post is prompted by this notable new Wall Street Journal article headlined "Financial Crime: a New Twist on the Sex-Offender Registry: Utah is most aggressive jurisdiction in publicly shaming financial criminals." Long-time readers likley know that I tend to be a supporter of shaming sanctions as an alternative to imprisonment in some settings, and I see financial crimes as an especially useful arena to explore alternative punishments. Here are details on how Utah is engaged in an alternative sanctions experiment: States have taken the idea of the sex-offender registry and applied it to everything from kidnapping to animal abuse. Utah is expanding it into new territory: financial crime. An early version of the White Collar Crime Offender Registry, which has been online since February, includes more than 100 people convicted of tax, credit-card or insurance fraud; thefts from employers or friends; and bilking investors. They include 41-year-old Kenneth Ray Wagner. Eye Color: Blue. Hair Color: Blonde Targets: Insurance company. The registry displays Mr. Wagners mugshot and explains that he was convicted in 2008 of fraud for dismantling his motorcycle, hiding the parts in a storage locker and claiming to his insurance company that it had been stolen. The list makes Utah the most aggressive jurisdiction in the country when it comes to publicly shaming financial criminals. No other state operates such a list. The Securities and Exchange Commission often shields the identities of offenders. The agency last month refused a public-records request by The Wall Street Journal for information on sanctions paid by specific individuals, saying that providing such information would be a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority does require disclosure of events like some criminal convictions, regulatory actions and customer complaints. But it only applies to securities professionals, and the disclosures are intermingled in a database that includes more routine facts like work history. Utah lawmakers say their list, which is being administered by the states attorney general, will help protect investors by offering easy access to information about con artists. It could also create leverage to get felons to make their victims whole. Convicts who comply with court orders on time and pay restitution in full wont appear on the list. Thats the carrot, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said. The new policy plunges the state into a broader debate about using name-and-shame tactics to punish convicts who have already served their time. Registries have proliferated rapidly in the U.S., experts say. While some lists restrict access to law-enforcement agencies or fire officials, others can be viewed online by anyone, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In addition to the 50 states that publicly track sex offenders, five states including California require registration for arson. Minnesota, Illinois and six others maintain lists of methamphetamine producers. In Indiana, a public website lets visitors use Google Maps to find the location of homes that have been used as meth laboratories. Tennessee requires registration for animal abuse something nine other state legislatures are debating. Florida law requires registration by anyone convicted of a felony of any kind for up to five years after completing the sentence. Utah itself maintains a sex-offender and kidnap-offender list, as well as its new financial-crimes registry. In all, the number of Americans on such lists will soon approach a million, if it isnt already there, said J.J. Prescott, a law professor at the University of Michigan. He warned of possible unintended consequences from applying a public alert designed for sex offenses to other crimes, such as the risk of drug-offender registries being used by addicts to find suppliers.... Utahs white-collar registry will include anyone convicted of second-degree frauds or other financial felonies since January 2006. A total of about 230 people are expected to be on the registry when it is formally launched in a few months, officials said. The state will generally keep people registered for 10 years after a first offense. A second offense adds another decade, and people with three convictions never get off. Mr. Wagners lawyer, Tara Haynes, said he already has paid a considerable price for his crime. He appeared on the list after serving 90 days in county jail and being ordered to pay more than $16,000 in restitution. He is not a white-collar criminal, Ms. Haynes said. "Hes a blue-collar construction worker. Utah lawmakers voted last year to create the registry to stem what they called a growing tide of white-collar crime in the state, particularly by con artists preying on its close-knit religious communities. Convicts need to fill out a form to register, arrange to have a photo taken and update their address and phone number if they change. All but one entry in the early version of the registry includes a photo, typically a mugshot, while some also list aliases such as Missy Moniker or Connie. The site has some glitches. It included one man who died of cancer last yearhe was removed after The Wall Street Journal sent officials a link to his obituaryand another where the wrong offense was initially shown. Mr. Reyes said the state is still vetting the registry, including by asking offenders to check the accuracy of their entries. We want to be fair, he said. Some legal experts say Utahs approach could be an improvement on federal efforts to encourage restitution.... The SEC has yet to collect $9.4 billion of $17.7 billion of sanctions it has imposed in the last five fiscal years, according to data on its website. The question of whether Utahs registry violates defendants rights could end up in court. Clair Rulon Hawkins, a former employee of a Utah real-estate firm, was convicted in 2013 of defrauding an investor who lost $852,000 deposited on two lots of land that Mr. Hawkins helped sell. Mr. Hawkins served four months in Salt Lake County jail and a halfway house. He remains subject to a restitution order for more than $1.4 million. The 50-year-old is appealing his conviction. He also plans a legal challenge to his inclusion on the Utah registry, arguing it violates his constitutional rights to due process, privacy and economic liberty, his lawyer said. State lawmakers and other officials hope their idea will catch on nationally. Mr. Reyes, the attorney general, said his office has been contacted by legislators in several states as well as by federal prosecutors interested in replicating the experiment. I know were the first in the nation for doing it, said Michael McKell, a Republican who sponsored the bill in the Utah House to create the white-collar registry. I certainly dont think we will be the last. March 24, 2016 at 10:22 AM | Permalink Comments First they came for the sex offenders. Doug, I don't disagree with you that alternatives to incarceration are a good thing, but if the white collar registry, meth registries, kidnapping registries, etc., are patterned after the sex offender registry then I think it's a mistake to think of it as an alternative to punishment. They are supplements to punishment. Indeed, courts don't regard registries as punishment at all despite the fact that the public generally views registration as an affirmative punishment. Furthermore, if the results from expanded registries are anything like what has been seen with SORNA laws, then this will accomplish nothing aside from creating yet another class of "untouchables." Research shows that SORNA has no demonstrable effect on reducing sex offenses, so why should the expectation be any different for registries of different flavors? I don't think you're crazy, but respectfully, misguided on this point. Posted by: Guy | Mar 24, 2016 11:30:40 AM I think it's possible that it is a good thing that people who are guilty of financial crimes -- at least for a time -- should be on a list so people who might do business with them etc. are aware that they are bad risks. But, having them on a list 10 years later for all to see is a somewhat harsh alternative. I think we as a society need to do a lot better on dealing with criminals than putting them in cages, killing them and the lesser punishments. So, alternatives are good, and at times shaming should factor in somehow. But, THIS isn't that helpful in the long run there. Posted by: Joe | Mar 24, 2016 11:51:29 AM Joe, I assume that you are aware that any criminal background check, common if not ubiquitous among employers, would reveal that the person in question has been convicted of a financial crime. Registries are just a bad idea, period. Posted by: Fat Bastard | Mar 24, 2016 12:00:35 PM Given that criminal conviction is a public act I don't understand why we don't simply track all convicts. This should be information that the STATE PUBLISHES AS PART OF ROUTINE OPERATIONS REGARDLESS OF OFFENSE TYPE, IT SHOULD NOT REQUIRE GOING TO COUNTY COURTHOUSES TO COLLECT PHYSICAL RECORDS FROM RELUCTANT CUSTODIANS. Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Mar 24, 2016 1:01:59 PM Yes, you are crazy. There is nothing to like about any type of registry. The more you mark people the more you undermine any notion of rehabilitation and you undermine public safety. The average person commits three felonies a day, or so the saying goes, not all of them are prosecuted, public registries fuel unfairness; they increase unemployment/recidivism. Stop with this stuff; they don't do this in the UK or Canada and guess what, there is no wave of frauds and there is a much lower rate of recidivism. Just stop with the registries. Posted by: Old Lawyer | Mar 24, 2016 3:22:01 PM A conviction prospectively ruins an offender's life for past conduct. Most of the time, a conviction already comes up on Google. Now you support registration for white collar offenders? Why not have them put a sign in the yard? How about a tattoo? Let me guess, its to protect the public? And its not really punishment right? Sure. Tell that to the guys who 10 or 20 years later still cant get a job with the DOJ breathing down their throat that they still haven't paid the restitution. And why can't they pay their restitution? No job! Yay, a wonderful virtuous cycle. You know we could also castrate white collar offenders in case they try to get laid and spawn future off spring. Posted by: Retired Attorney | Mar 24, 2016 3:26:57 PM "common if not ubiquitous among employers" what about other people? The general public would repeatedly have reason to associate with these people in a professional sort of way. Maybe track chips for all. If I write it in caps, maybe? Posted by: Joe | Mar 24, 2016 4:06:28 PM Anyone watch the movie Brazil? Its an Orwellian drama were the police is constantly trying to catch terrorists. Or how about the movie Minority Report? There is one part of life that we all have to accept: crime. Some times people will commit crimes. No, you cannot be 100% secure all the time. Yes, the margin of error has to be significant for some types of crime, white collar being one of them, compared to others (murder, rape). If you tag, track, and ruin lives as retribution, you are going to reap what you sow and its not public protection. Everyone talks about "mass incarceration." There is another problem: mass arrests and convictions. The number of new felony conviction in the US is growing at a faster rate than population growth. At some point there will be more people with a felony record than without a felony record. Add to this registration for growing number of offenses and what are you left with? Posted by: Retired Attorney | Mar 24, 2016 4:28:28 PM Count me in with the "Yes, you are crazy" crowd. (Though to be honest, as a psychologist I dislike the word "crazy"). Posted by: Daniel | Mar 24, 2016 6:59:40 PM In my opinion it's most objective to have a registry for when a person is sentenced to more than a certain number of years in prison. The type of offense should not matter. You can have less serious frauds, and more serious frauds. Yes you can have less serious sex offenses (groping?) and more serious sex offenses. It is not OK to classify anyone guilty of offenses in a broad category as permanently bad on a whim. Of course I doubt this will happen because it seems that the forces giving rise to these registries in the first place are not principled forces-they're driven by panic or media hullabaloos. Or at least that is my impression. I would really like to learn more about why they exist but I don't know where to start. Does anyone want to recommend a source? Posted by: random | Mar 25, 2016 8:27:59 AM BTW I think a lot of commenters here are missing a point. Yes you can say, I hate registries, let's get rid of them but obviously in practice that's pretty hard. For whatever reason, the public wants punishment. Maybe it's easier to make registries fairer than to get rid of them outright and if so then that's nothing to sniff at. Posted by: random | Mar 25, 2016 8:33:30 AM @random The problem with that logic is it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It doesn't take much to go from an implicit acceptance of something (but let's make it fairer!) to explicit support. It's not like a virus. It makes sense to treat the symptoms of a cold because, thanks to one's immune system, a cold is self-limiting. Registries are not self-limiting. The more one concedes to them the more they will become ingrown. Then pretty soon they will become a tradition. Then good luck ever ending them. Posted by: Daniel | Mar 25, 2016 1:16:16 PM It probably depends on who you are. For a random person who will only send a check to some organization because they don't have the ability to worry about details, or any ability to contact the right people to get those details made into a law, you might be right. So I guess for us average joes it makes sense to just say, "Registries bad!" On the other hand for elites (e.g. a law professor) they might want to worry about details. Posted by: random | Mar 25, 2016 2:41:20 PM Doug: In response to the original question: Yes, you are really crazy to "like a white collar crime registry"!!!! Tell me, who qualifies. If you say the local cash register attendant who accidentally short changed you, you have the makings of the SO registry, where failure to properly register (at the intentional pitfalls of LE and lawmakers) is a minefield for more severe punishments than 10X the original crime. And, you can't live within 1000 feet of a bank or financial institution. PS: The way my investments are going mostly because of the stupidity of said lawmakers, they (lawmakers) and my financial advisors should all be registered. To say that these are NOT punishments is to make everyone 10 times stupider! Posted by: albeed | Mar 26, 2016 5:47:03 PM Post a comment Lots of food for marijuana reform thought via Marijuana Law, Policy and Reform | Main | Am I crazy to really like the "White Collar Crime Offender Registry" now being developed in Utah? March 23, 2016 Notable new comments and commitments on criminal justice reform from GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan This notable new article about a notable new speech by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, headlined "Paul Ryan just gave a remarkably candid speech and admitted one of his biggest policy mistakes," has significantly increased my optimism about some form of federral sentencing reform moving forward in Congress this year. Here are the details: House Speaker Paul Ryan gave a candid speech about the "State of American Politics" on Wednesday, during which he admitted that he too hasn't always lived up to what he believes is a high-standard of political discourse. A member of the audience asked Ryan after the speech if he had been persuaded differently on any policy position he has held and was willing to admit he was wrong. Ryan who earlier repeated an apology he had made in 2014 for a past statement about America's supposed "makers and takers" when discussing poverty in the country said he had been wrong about criminal justice. "One of the things that I learned is that there are a lot of people who've been in prison that committed crimes that were not violent crimes," he said. "Once they have that mark on their record, their future is really bleak." He said that, when he came to Congress in the late 1990s, he was a staunch supporter of tough crime laws. He admitted that both his own party and Democrats overcompensated at the time. The policies, he said, "end up ruining their lives and hurting their communities where we could've have alternative means of incarceration, instead of basically destroying someone's life. I've become a late convert." "Criminal-justice reform is something I never thought of when I was younger," he continued. "Be tough on crime, be tough on crime." Ryan said criminal-justice reform bills would be brought to the House floor soon. He pledged to "advance this." "I didn't necessarily know this before, but redemption is a beautiful thing. It's a great thing," he said. "Redemption is what makes this place work. We need to honor redemption. We need to make redemption something that is valued in our culture and our society and in our laws." Ryan's candid comments on poverty and criminal-justice reform came at the end of a powerful speech about the current discourse in American politics, which he lamented would end up making Americans "distrust institutions" and "lose faith in government." March 23, 2016 at 06:58 PM | Permalink Comments Of coarse Ryan is from Wisconsin, where men are men and politicians are tagged as worthless overhead for society. Hes a good man, smart and and has a pair and nit afraid to stand up tall. Go Paul. Need more guys like him. Not to sell Sen Grassley short, he to is a good man. Just been around for 14 yrs too long. Bob retire, watch the corn grow. All in all, the guidelines are very slowly getting dismantled, very slowly. Each bit helps someone get out and hopefully a certain pcnt make it. About 1/3 do. Hey, they end up getting a job and paying taxes, thats what we want them to do, right. Posted by: MidWestGuy | Mar 23, 2016 11:09:57 PM Grassley may be an ok guy, but his 40 year career in Congress says he's a leech. Symbolic of the worst of American politics. Posted by: Fat Bastard | Mar 24, 2016 12:39:17 AM "There are a lot of people who've been in prison that committed crimes that were not violent crimes...." True, but what's your point? Is "violent" crime the only crime worthy of stiff punishment? Bernie Madoff committed a non-violent crime. But, he ruined the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people. A guy who punches another guy during a bar fight has committed a "violent" crime. Is he, therefore, necessarily deserving of a longer period of incarceration than a fraudster who never committed a "violent" act? We should incarcerate criminals who harm others and harm society. And, as Madoff demonstrated a criminal can cause immeasurable harm without committing a single act of violence. The same goes for a drug dealer--he can kill kids without ever laying a finger on them. That doesn't mean his conduct isn't harmful and worthy of stiff punishment. Posted by: Hmm... | Mar 24, 2016 6:39:37 AM Hmm, you make good sense. Madoff was a terrible excuse for a human. Fat guy, I dont know about Grassleys record. Only know at 86 yrs of age, he shouldnt be representing anyone. How do we gar fresh new forward thinking ideas, when he needs 4 naps during the day to get by. We just stay stagnent with same old methods. We need to get term & age limits on politicians. Especially the party whips. Posted by: MidWestGuy | Mar 24, 2016 10:21:03 AM Grassley is 82. Posted by: Joe | Mar 24, 2016 11:12:35 AM "Overcompenstion". What a nice word for cowardice. I was always taught that conservatives believed tis better the kiss not made than the awkward explanation afterward. How exactly does one un-ruin a life? Redemption is a lot of meaningless blather. It is designed to make the powerful feel better about what they have done, rather than any meaningful way to address the harms they continue to do. Posted by: Daniel | Mar 24, 2016 7:05:16 PM Post a comment A nearly century-old mystery has been solved after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed this week that a shipwreck discovered on the ocean floor seven years ago is in fact the long lost Navy vessel the USS Conestoga. The seagoing tugboat set sail out of the Golden Gate on the afternoon of March 25, 1921, towing a barge, en route to the American Navy base in Samoa, via Hawaii. The boat was known not to do well in heavy seas, and barely 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco it foundered in high winds under mysterious circumstances, losing its entire 56-man crew in the process. The Navy, unsure how far the boat had gone into the Pacific, missed some garbled radio messages and ignored clues that included a life preserver found at Moss Beach on the San Mateo County coast, and material marked U.S Navy later found in Monterey Bay, as the Chronicle narrates. After sending airplanes and other sea vessels out to search for the Conestoga deep in the Pacific a month later, to no avail, it became "one of the great unsolved mysteries in Navy history" as the NOAA describes it. The air search, which covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, was the largest of its kind ever undertaken at the time. A lifeboat, only showing the letter "C," was later found in Manzanillo, Mexico. Marine archaeologists James Delgado and Robert Schwemmer used a radio-controlled robot diving craft to examine the wreckage last fall, and according to CBS 5, a joint NOAA and Navy mission finally helped confirm the sunken boat's identity. The boat, originally built in 1903 and purchased by the Navy in 1917 for use in World War I, is one of roughly 300 shipwrecks off in the coast off San Francisco that are being mapped by the NOAA as part of a project that began in 2009. San Francisco police announced this afternoon that the two toddlers believed to be missing in the Tenderloin have been found safe. Apparently a woman, known only to the mother as "Jacquita," brought the two children into St. Francis Hospital. The two children appear to be in good health. This is an incredibly happy ending to what could have been a tragic tale. San Francisco police had been searching for the two ever since their mother reported them missing on Monday, only later to be arrested herself for child endangerment. According to police, the two-year-old and one-year-old had last been seen at the Carls Junior restaurant near Hallidie Plaza on March 21 just shy of 2:30 a.m. According to an SFPD press release, as of 3 p.m. today the search was still continuing with "twelve members of the SFPD Honda Unit (on/off road motorcycles) [...] assisting Tenderloin Officers in searching the downtown area." According to SFPD's Facebook page, this all started on March 21 when the children's mother, 26-year-old Shanyce Jones of Oakland, left her kids in the care of her acquaintance Jacquita. According to Jones, she told Jacquita she would be back in three hours, but returned much later to find the kinds and Jacquita gone. Jones apparently made new plans to meet the woman and her children at a spot in Hallidie Plaza on March 22, but when she arrived neither the kids nor Jacquita were anywhere to be found. "During interviews, Jones made inconsistent statements to investigators who developed probable cause to arrest Jones," noted the police. "She was later booked on child endangerment and possession of controlled substance charges. Jones remains in custody." Police released surveillance video of the woman they believed to be in possession of the children, but cautioned to add that they were "not considering this to be an abduction case at this time." Related: Suspect In Attempted Muni Child Abduction Has Past 'False Imprisonment' Convictions It was back in September 2015 that reports surfaced of one San Francisco Police Department officer accused of rape and another who allegedly compromised the investigation. But it wasn't until yesterday that the alleged rapist was arrested, after the officer remained on unpaid leave but in the SFPD's employ for the past seven months. News of the alleged rape began to trickle out last fall, about three weeks after a Sunset District woman went to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment of injuries from a sexual assault. Though she refused to talk to officers while at the hospital, two days later, she told them what had happened and identified the suspect as an officer at Taraval Station, since named by SFPD as Officer Jason Lai. According to a September SFPD search warrant in the case, Lai and the victim drank heavily at the womans house, then the pair then went to the womans bedroom, where she says they had sex despite her saying no I dont want to. In the warrant, Lai reportedly admitted to spending the evening with the woman, but says that he was "hammered" and doesn't remember any details of the night. The Ex reports that a DNA sample was taken from Lai even though "A rape kit was not taken from the woman...since she went to San Francisco General Hospital more than 97 hours after the incident." "A fellow officer at the Taraval Station and friend of the accused [identified Wednesday by the Chron as former SFPD Lieutenant Curtis Liu], compromised the investigation" according to the warrant, which sought to seize Liu's cell phone. (Both Lai's and Liu's cell phones were eventually seized, the Ex reports.) Liu intentionally interfered with a felony sexual assault investigation both by lying to the officers investigating the incident and by contacting the suspect directly to inform him of the progress of the investigation," the warrant read. And that was what I wrote about it in September. I've wondered what was up with the case many times since, and have often asked, with one SFPD spokesperson saying "if I told you anything I'd get in so much trouble" and another saying "when we can tell you anything, you'll know." So I guess we all got to know Wednesday afternoon, when SFPD sent out a press release saying that Lai had finally been arrested. According to the SFPD release, following an Internal Affairs probe "the District Attorneys Office reviewed the facts of this case and Internal Affairs investigators sought an arrest warrant for" for Lai. However, "there was insufficient evidence for a sexual assault charge." There was, SFPD says, probable cause to arrest Lai "for violations related to use and access to confidential criminal offender information and motor vehicle records." It's unclear if these allegations are related to the sexual assault, or are completely separate. A call to SFPD for clarification of that detail was not returned at publication time. SFPD also acknowledges the investigation into Liu's behavior, saying that "allegations surfaced that a second sworn member of the Department had engaged in conduct that interfered with the investigation. This investigation is still open and on-going, however, this member has since separated from the Department." According to the Chron, Liu "said he had called Lai as a joke because he thought the name was a coincidence, but according to investigators, he then went on to lie to his superior officers about contacting him and led them to believe he had made the proper notifications to start an investigation." Those actions, according to court records, "not only delayed the investigation by a day but 'could have assisted (the officer) in destroying and disposing of crucial evidence in this investigation.'" Lai, an SF resident, "was placed on unpaid administrative leave during the investigation and remains on unpaid leave to this day," according to the SFPD. Previous to the leave, he was making $111,000 a year, SF Weekly reports. Following his arrest Wednesday, Lai "was charged with two misdemeanor counts of Unlawful Possession of Local Criminal Offender History Information and 4 misdemeanor counts of Misuse of Confidential Department of Motor Vehicles Information," according to the SFPD. He was booked into San Francisco County Jail, then released on $18,000 bond. He is expected to return to court in May. Previously: SFPD Remains Tight-Lipped After Taraval Station Officer Is Accused Of Rape, Fellow Cop Accused Of Cover-Up If you thought the allegations about the Vallejo Police Department's mishandling of the kidnapping of Denise Huskins last March couldn't get any worse, you were incorrect. As ABC 7 reports after reading the complete civil rights complaint filed by Huskins and boyfriend Aaron Quinn against the City of Vallejo and the department, one police officer in particular, regardless of whether he initially believed that the kidnapping was a hoax, said some truly awful and inappropriate things to both Huskins and her mother after they claimed she was sexually assaulted and requested a sexual assault exam. According to Huskins's attorney James Wagstaffe, Detective Matthew Mustard asserted to Huskins's mother that her daughter's claims of being raped twice while in captivity were false. Huskins's mother told Mustard that her daughter had been sexually abused as a child, and Mustard allegedly responded by saying, "That's what sometimes people do who are victims of sexual assault, that they make it up later and try to re-experience the situation and enjoy the excitement." Later, when Huskins requested a sexual assault exam, she was told to keep her clothes on and they'd perform it "eventually." Police proceeded to wait 15 hours, allowing Huskins to remain in the clothing in which she was kidnapped and assaulted, before performing the exam. According to Wagstaffe, "We have no information that it was ever even tested at all." Huskins's criminal attorney, Doug Rappaport, calls Mustard's behavior "misogynistic," and "one of the biggest miscarriages of justice I've ever seen in my entire 25 year career." Huskins and Quinn announced their intention to sue back in September following an ersatz jailhouse confession from accused kidnapper Matthew Muller. As we learned yesterday, the suit alleges not only defamation by the Vallejo PD, but also false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Though he has not yet stood trial, Muller admitted to KPIX reporter Juliette Goodrich that he had invaded the homes and attempted to assault other women in the past, and that he had acted alone despite writing a manifesto back in March 2015 that alluded to a gang of "gentlemen criminals" like the guys in Oceans 11. The low ransom sum and bizarrely grandiose details in Muller's manifesto and eventual, anonymous written apology, emailed to the San Francisco Chronicle in the days following the kidnapping helped to spur the Vallejo PD to write off the case as a hoax. In the letter, which is still only allegedly attributed to Muller, the kidnapper says he was "horrified at what [I] had done." This after he found out Huskins "was previously the victim of several horrifying crimes, the details of which we will not share because they were told in confidence during a vulnerable moment while she was drugged... we would rather take the chance of revealing the truth than live in a world where someone like [Huskins] is victimized again." Muller has admitted to suffering from bipolar disorder with extreme paranoia and psychosis. Previously: Accused Vallejo Kidnapper Matthew Muller Confessed In Jailhouse Interview, Said He Acted Alone Suspect In Vallejo Kidnapping Possibly Tied To Three More Home Invasions Vallejo Kidnapping Of Denise Huskins Not A Hoax After All, Says FBI SIOUX CITY | Metro Sioux City added just 112 people to its population in one year, a sluggish rate of growth that appears at odds with the area's surging housing market. "It seems like we have a lot of houses being built for people that are moving out of town," Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott said. "I'm disappointed that's all we're up, but at least we're moving in the right direction." The population for the five-county Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 169,069 on July 1, 2015, according to updated estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday. That's up 112, or less than 1/10th of 1 percent from the same date in 2014. Three of the MSA counties -- Woodbury in Iowa and Dakota and Dixon in Nebraska -- posted small year-to-year population gains, while the population was slightly down in the other two, Plymouth in Iowa and Union in South Dakota. The trend of little to no growth was consistent throughout the tri-state region. The population rose in five other area counties -- Dickinson, Lyon and Sioux in Iowa, Thurston in Nebraska and Yankton in South Dakota -- and fell in 11 others -- Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Ida, Osceola, O'Brien and Sac in Iowa, Cedar and Wayne in Nebraska and Clay in South Dakota. Monona County in Iowa stood out in the new Census data, with an estimated population of 8,979, unchanged from 2014 to 2015. David Drozd, research coordinator for the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said stagnant population in Siouxland is connected to slowing birth rates and college students choosing not to return home after graduation. An average of 1,540 births occurred in Woodbury County over the last five years, while Dakota County had an average of 365 births, according to census data. "It's having a natural increase where births are exceeding deaths a little over a 1,000 per year," Drozd said. "That's why the growth is so close to zero." "What we're seeing is natural increase softening a bit as baby boomers age and mortality rates kick in higher," he continued. In metro Sioux City, the population stayed flat from 2014 to 2015 despite a robust economy that has sparked a series of new housing additions and big-ticket industrial projects. More than 4,500 construction workers, the vast majority hailing from outside the region, are currently deployed at the site of CF Industries' $2 billion expansion of its Port Neal fertilizer complex. Drozd said temporary workers are not necessarily included in population estimates because of the way the Census Bureau tracks migration. "For temporary workers, unless they are changing location to where they file their tax return, they probably wouldn't get picked up really well," he said. "If their permanent residence is somewhere else, they may or may not be included." In Woodbury County, Iowa's fourth largest county, the population grew by 296, from 102,486 people on July 1, 2014 to 102,782 people on July 1, 2015. Drozd said metro Sioux City likely is losing residents to larger cities such as Des Moines, Lincoln, Omaha and Sioux Falls. He referred to the concept as a trend of "small rural county movement to regional centers." A growing Hispanic population is helping the metro area avoid further losses in population, he said. In Dakota County, 37 percent, or about 7,798 people, identified as Hispanic in the county, according to 2014 Census estimates. The same demographic information is not yet available for the 2015 estimates. South Sioux City Mayor Rod Koch said the Hispanic community has become a staying part of Dakota County and other northeast Nebraska cities. "The way I see it is we do have a large Hispanic population," Koch said. "The nice thing for us is those kids ... in South Sioux City are graduating from high school and they're staying." Because we were critical of the Iowa Legislature last year for dragging its feet on making a decision about state funding for K-12 public schools, we will commend lawmakers for a more expeditious approach to the issue this year. On Tuesday, a House-Senate conference committee recommended to the full Legislature a 2.25 percent increase, or $153 million, in state aid for schools. Both full chambers were expected to approve the increase on Wednesday; Gov. Terry Branstad said he will sign it. Last year, the Legislature didn't agree on fiscal 2017 funding for schools until June 1, some seven weeks after the April 15 date by which local school districts must certify budgets for the next school year. Held hostage during the overly long process, of course, were frustrated superintendents, boards of education, teachers, parents, students and, by extension, taxpayers in school districts across the state. In editorials after last year's legislative session ended, we urged state lawmakers to do better this year by giving school districts the information they need to craft budgets much earlier in the legislative session. We understand disappointment exists within education about the size of the increase in funding, but at least school districts this year will be armed with certainty about the level of state aid as they complete work on their budgets. Room exists for still more improvement by lawmakers in this process. State law, in fact, requires the Legislature to set state funding for K-12 public schools two years in advance and within 30 days of receiving the governor's budget. Still, we believe this year was an improvement over last year for which the Legislature deserves credit. After almost two decades, the federal government for the first time has been able to meet its goal of awarding five percent (worth $17.8 billion) of all contracts to women-owned small businesses. Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) along with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and two other members announced that the federal government has surpassed its five percent contracting goal for women-owned small businesses (WOSB) for the first time. Women Owned Small Businesses On The Rise In the announcement, Contreras-Sweet said, Meeting this goal means five percent is no longer our ceiling but our foundation upon which to build. A recent SBA-commissioned study revealed women-owned businesses already employ eight million American workers, but when it comes to receiving contracts and capital, women are still under-represented. Thats why the SBA has added 36 new industry categories where women can now compete for set-aside contracts and sole-source awards. This will dramatically expand contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses, paving the way for new jobs and industries to be created. There have been initiatives in the past to help boost government contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses. Two such initiatives worth a mention are the ChallengeHER and Give Me 5 programs. The ChallengeHER Campaign was an effort initiated by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) in 2013 to engage women-owned small businesses in the Federal procurement process. The inititive leveraged the resources of SBA, WIPP, and American Express OPEN to promote the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program and bring more women-owned firms into the federal governments supply chain. The Give Me 5 Program named after the 5 percent federal contracting goal for women-owned businesses, was created by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and American Express OPEN to educate women business owners about how to apply for and secure federal procurement opportunities. WIPP is a national nonpartisan public policy organization representing about 4.7 million business women including 78 business organizations. WIPP identifies important trends and opportunities and provides a collaborative model for the public and private sectors to increase the economic power of women-owned businesses. There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to Justices will decide whether General Assembly statute prohibiting Boone from regulating land without annexing it is constitutional RALEIGH The state's highest court on Tuesday took up the issue of whether the N.C. General Assembly exceeded its constitutional limits when it revoked the Town of Boone's extraterritorial zoning powers in 2014.Lauren Clemmons of the N.C. Department of Justice and Watauga County Attorney Stacy Eggers IV urged the N.C. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling invalidating the law.Eggers said that the law, commonly called the Boone Act, was passed to address abuses by the Boone Town Council."The citizens sought a remedy of relief from a board which they cannot vote for and were simply in a situation of regulation without representation," Eggers said.Extraterritorial zoning allows cities and towns to apply zoning powers in limited areas outside of their city or town limits. While people who live in such ETJs don't pay taxes to the municipality, their land can be regulated by the city. They also are not allowed to vote in the municipality's elections.Eggers said members of the General Assembly were the only people with any authority who could help residents in the Boone ETJ.Jim Phillips, arguing for the Town of Boone, said that the Boone Act is unconstitutional because the N.C. Constitution prohibits local acts relating to health, sanitation, and nuisances.Local acts are bills passed by the General Assembly that affect 15 counties or fewer and do not apply statewide.Phillips said the Boone Act, if upheld, would prevent the town from enforcing safety standards in its building code.Phillips said.Justice Paul Newby noted that theNewby asked Phillips if a broad reading of the prohibition on local legislation affecting health and sanitation might "eviscerate" the General Assembly's ability to move any boundaries."Your honor, I don't think so," Phillips responded. He said the town is complaining about the General Assembly's action related to regulatory authority that goes to health and sanitation."But every change of boundaries is going to impact it," Newby said."Your honor, I would agree that the General Assembly has broad authority to set boundaries that are city limits and county lines," Phillips responded.Clemmons told the court that nothing prohibits the General Assembly from enacting a local bill related to cities' and towns' use of extraterritorial jurisdiction.Clemmons said.Clemmons noted that Boone isn't the only North Carolina municipality that doesn't have extraterritorial zoning powers.The Boone Act was introduced by Sen. Dan Soucek, R-Watauga, who said that the Town of Boone was abusing its ETJ powers by regulating areas that it never intended to annex.Last year, a three-judge Superior Court panel ruled the Boone Act unconstitutional.The Supreme Court took no action. Typically, the court issues rulings within a few months of oral arguments. The University of Tennessee's flagship campus in Knoxville has, like nearly all large schools these days, an Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). And like nearly all such offices, it has pushed an agenda that goes well beyond just making sure that "diverse" students aren't harassed or in any way made to feel unwelcome.Last year, two incidents in particular raised the ire of Tennessee residents and legislators.The first occurred in September, when the ODI's Pride Center published a document urging students and faculty members to abandon conventional English in favor of using "gender neutral" pronouns such as "ze" rather than "he" and "she" and "hir" and "zir" instead of "her" and "him." Why? Because doing so would be more welcoming to "people who do not identify within the gender binary."Many UT alums quickly voiced their disapproval, including Professor Paul Bonicelli of Regent University.Bonicelli, writing on The Federalist , noted that colleges increasingly push notions like this rather than concentrating on education that actually adds value to society. Referring to the kind of university administrators who fill offices like ODI, Bonicelli says that stories like thisEchoing Orwell's understanding of the importance of controlling the language, Bonicelli continued,Under public pressure, university officials quickly took the gender-neutral document down from the site, but did so defensively. Vice Chancellor Rickey Hall responded,The next incident came in December when the ODI posted a memo entitled "Best Practices for Inclusive Holiday Celebrations in the Workplace." It admonished the UT community to "Ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise."Again, many Tennesseans objected, among them state senator Delores Gresham. She was quoted in this Christian Science Monitor article , "By placing a virtual religious test regarding holiday events at this campus, every student who is a Christian is penalized."Again, the UT administration quietly backed down, removing the message that parties with any religious connection were an exclusionary taboo. Administration spokeswoman Margie Nichols was quoted that "It just got in the way of things. We had to move forward."If UT's top officials thought they had extinguished the opposition to the ODI, they were proven badly wrong when the state legislature met in January and the Senate Education Committee voted to remove all funding for it. The committee's amendment would transfer $5 million from diversity funding into other UT programs in its Agricultural Extension Service.That action was supported by Tennessee Lieutenant-governor Ron Ramsey, who is quoted in this Knoxville News story , "I just don't understand the usefulness of this office. What do they do every day other than liberal feel-good programs without actually accomplishing anything?"Local columnist and radio host George Korda wanted to find out if the ODI actually accomplishes anything and so invited Vice Chancellor Hall to appear on his "State Your Case" program. But as Korda observed in his February 29 piece , "I'm writing yet another column about the University of Tennessee's Office of Diversity and Inclusion because the university won't respond to questions or requests about its Office of Diversity and Inclusion."Rather than taking the opportunity to State Their Case, UT officials turned Korda down. The official who responded on behalf of the vice chancellor said that Hall wouldn't go on the show because Korda "had already made up his mind." But how could they know that? And even if it were true, shouldn't academics be prepared-even eager-to explain their reasons to anyone? Good arguments have been known to change minds.But while UT officials declined to speak with Korda, they'd been glad to speak with a reporter from the Chronicle of Higher Education for a friendly piece. University chancellor Jimmy Cheek, for example, saidPerhaps Chancellor Cheek believes that legislators will be persuaded by students talking about their views on diversity, but they ought to be skeptical. Students aren't necessarily good at knowing what is best for a university. Moreover, many have been led to believe that the only way to "have diversity" is for colleges (and other institutions) to focus on some tiny aspects of human difference.Each human being is unique, differing in countless ways. Where our family trees may have begun is one of the least important ways we differ, but it is one that "diversity" offices and programs obsess over. The people who run them would have us believe that a campus couldn't be a truly good educational environment without their efforts at promoting inclusion.Whether that is true is the question Tennessee legislators should ask as they continue to work on the budget and decide whether to keep funding ODI. Objectively, has ODI made the campus better than it was? They should look for evidence and not accept emotional claims.It's worth keeping in mind that before the national diversity mania took hold, colleges enrolled students with-unavoidably-a vast array of differences. But instead of fixating on their racial (or any other) differences, schools just insisted that everyone abide by rules of civil behavior. That worked.In the early 1970s, I attended a liberal arts college and the student body included foreign students, students from various minority populations, raging leftists and furious right-wingers, religious fundamentalists and agnostics, hunting enthusiasts and gun banners, hawks and doves, Packers fans and Bears fans, just to mention some of the diversity on campus.Despite the lack of any Office for Diversity and Inclusion, the students managed to get along. Everyone came into college aware that the world is full of people who are different (and not just in skin color) and that they'd be expected to act like decent adults. No one needed to be hectored about "diversity" because just about every student had already learned to respect (or at least tolerate) differences.You can still find lots of small colleges where there isn't enough money for a campus diversity bureaucracy, and yet you don't find that their students are unable to cope with our diverse nation. On those campuses, you hardly ever see the kind of antagonism that offices like ODI are presumed necessary to prevent.On the contrary, a good case can be made that the focus on diversity is not just a waste of money, but actually counterproductive. As Peter Bregman points out in this Psychology Today article What he's driving at is the way the drumbeat about diversity encourages students to fixate on their group identity and become hypersensitive to any possible slight. It's impossible not to notice that the colleges that have had the worst trouble recently (most notably Yale and the University of Missouri) were also deeply invested in "diversity" programs.Apparently, the more a school fusses over the inescapable fact that people are diverse, the more likely that it will experience campus turmoil-turmoil that will then be cited as the justification for still more diversity programs.Tennesseans are right to question whether ODI produces educational benefits that are worth the cost. Press Release: Emily Rukundo, the first international student at BCCC, after her interview with Global Public Health. Contact: Attila Nemecz Attila Nemecz 252.940.6387 At first Emily Rukundo thought it was a joke. Three months after earning her Bachelor's degree in Social Science, Rukundo's sister approached her sister with an opportunity to study in the United States through Friendship Force. The organization promotes goodwill around the world by providing opportunities for people to stay abroad. Not one to jump into unknown situations, Rukundo felt it was something she should do. Friendship Force member Phil Craig of Bath, NC bought her a plane ticket and arranged for her to stay with his family throughout the duration of her studies. She was hoping she could still find her family when she returned. She was leaving her life behind; leaving everyone she ever knew. When she went to the airport, she was unsure if Craig would actually be there, and that she had not just dreamed up this scenario.Two years after getting on that airplane, Rukundo pulled off a set of headphones following a Skype interview at the library of Beaufort County Community College (BCCC). She had just completed the first round of interviews with Global Public Health, an organization she hopes to work for in Uganda. The library offers this service to students and the public who need to conduct distance interviews. Global Public Health is based in New York City, NY, so Rukundo avoided a flight with the service.She is scheduled for a second-round interview, so if all goes well, she will be back in Uganda this June after receiving an Associate's degree in Human Services from BCCC. Her goal is to help those who need the most help. She hopes to work with children who have lost their parents to AIDS, helping them with health programs and guidance. Global Public Health is guided by the idea that every human being has a right to healthcare.Her studies where sponsored by the Rotary Club so as a result, Rukundo only paid in-state tuition. She spent part of her time working at the Boys and Girls Club in Washington. Runundo said,She wanted to be an inspiration to them.she tells them.Confident, driven and passionate about her work, it is hard to imagine a better role model.One of the things she was surprised to find when she came to Beaufort County was the division between people. She noticed it especially in the churches: people of different races did not go to church together.she said.It has been hard for her to be so far from her family, but the Craigs have been a wonderful surrogate family to her. She has enjoyed her time in Beaufort County and has felt at home at the community college. She said everyone has been very welcoming. When being introduced to new people she often hears,The other students always want to know more about her. She says, "'Keep talking,' they'll say. 'We want to hear your accent.'" Social sciences instructor Judith Meyers, tells her how brave she is. As the first international student at BCCC, students are not accustomed to hearing a variety of accents or meeting people from East Africa. She is grateful to the faculty in the Human Services Program; her advisor, Ann Barnes; and her fellow students at the College.Her current home will never replace her home and family in Uganda. "Home is home," she states plainly. She will be happy to return to her family and start doing what she loves.says Rukundo. It has been far too many years since the Woke theology interlaced its canons within the fabric of the Indoctrination Realm, so it is nigh time to ask: Does this Representative Republic continue, as a functioning society of a self-governed people, by contending with the unusual, self absorbed dictates of the Woke, and their vast array of Victimhood scenarios? Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything. No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their self-anointed pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now. BALTIMORE (March 24, 2016)The Comcast Foundation today announced the 2016 recipients of its annual Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program awards in Maryland. The Program recognizes students who strive to achieve their potential, who are catalysts for positive change in their communities, who are involved in their schools and who serve as models for their fellow students. The philosophy behind the program is to give young people every opportunity to prepare for the future and to engage them in their communities. The program also demonstrates the importance of civic involvement, and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community. "I would like to congratulate these outstanding students who strive to improve their communities and show great commitment to academic excellence," said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. "Thanks to support from community partners like Comcast, we can help ensure today's students become the next generation of exceptional leaders." Comcast, joined by Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford; Maryland House Speaker, Michael E. Busch; and other local elected officials and school administrators, recognized the students at a special event held Wednesday, March 23, at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis. One hundred and nine recipients of the 2016 Maryland Leaders and Achievers scholarships received $1,000. Scholarship recipients from southern Maryland: Dana Wiggins of Huntingtown High School Jasmine Andrade of Westlake High School in Waldorf Daniel Campos of Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret MacKaiya Cherry of Henry E. Lackey High School in Indian Head Caroline Dinh of La Plata High School Aniya Munson of Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf Monique Reid of North Point High School for Science, Technology & Industry in Waldorf Josef-Michal Ross of St. Charles High School in Waldorf Quantaz Lamar Shields, age 28, of Leonardtown, Maryland; and Trevone Damone Butler, age 25, of Lexington Park. GREENBELT, Md. Related press releases from the sheriff's office Wednesday, November 4, 2015 Second Suspect Arrested in CVS Armed Robbery On October 28, 2015, at 10:02 p.m., St. Marys County Sheriffs Office Deputies responded to the CVS located at 26020 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the report of an armed robbery. A black male suspect entered the business armed with a handgun and demanded cash and other items from the victim, an employee of CVS. Witness information led to the quick location and arrest of one suspect in the armed robbery, Trevone Demone Butler, age 25, of Lexington Park. Detectives determined Butler was the driver of the vehicle used to facilitate the robbery. However, the identity of the second suspect who had entered the CVS remained under investigation by Detectives from the Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID). On November 4, 2015, CID Detectives, assisted by members of the Sheriffs Office Emergency Services Team (EST), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Washington/Baltimore High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force executed a search and seizure warrant at a residence in Leonardtown MD. Quantaz Lamar Shields, age 28, of Prince George's County, was located inside the residence and subsequently placed under arrest. Detectives search of the residence resulted in the recovery of evidence from the CVS robbery. Shields was transported to the St. Marys County Detention Center where he was charged with: Armed Robbery Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery Theft $1,000 to less than $10,000 Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony/Violent Crime Possession of a Firearm by Prohibited Person The investigation into this and similar armed robberies continues by detectives and the FBI. Monday, December 21, 2015 Trevone Damone Butler aka Tre (Age 25 of Lexington Park) was identified as a distributor of cocaine. Several undercover purchases of cocaine were made which led to subsequent indictments for Distribution of Cocaine. Suspect Butler was out on bail for numerous armed robberies he was charged with recently. He was arrested and is currently being housed in the St. Marys County Detention Center under a No Bond status. (March 24, 2016)A federal grand jury indicted Quantaz Lamar Shields, age 28, of Leonardtown, Maryland; and Trevone Damone Butler, age 25, of Lexington Park, Maryland, on charges that they conspired to rob businesses in St. Mary's County. The indictment was returned on March 21, 2016 and unsealed today after Butler's arrest. Shields is in custody on other charges.The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron; and St. Mary's County State's Attorney Richard Fritz.According to the 10 count indictment, on five occasions from October 20 to 28, 2015, Shields brandished a firearm and demanded money from employees of a liquor store, motel, pizza store, convenience store and pharmacy in Lexington Park and Leonardtown. Shields took store proceeds, tip money and cigarettes. Prior to leaving the pizza store and pharmacy, Shields phoned Butler so that Butler could pick him up from the scene of the robberies.A detention hearing was held this morning for Butler before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jillyn K. Schulze in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. Butler was detained pending trial. An initial appearance is scheduled for Shields on May 2, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.Shields and Butler face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the robbery conspiracy and on each count of robbery. Shields also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years in prison for the first count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, consecutive to any term of imprisonment for the robberies, a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for each additional count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, and 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a gun.An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and St. Mary's County State's Attorney's Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly O'Connell Hayes and Leah Jo Bressack, who are prosecuting the case. All St. Mary's County Government Administrative Offices will be closed Friday, March 25, 2016 in observance of Good Friday. Offices will reopen for normal business hours on Monday, March 28.The St. Andrews Landfill, six Convenience Centers and St. Mary's Transit System (STS) will be closed Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016. The Landfill, Convenience Centers, and STS System will be open for normal hours of operation on March 25, 26 and 28. The Statewide Specialized Transportation Assistance Program (SSTAP) will not operate on Friday, March 25.All three St. Mary's County Library locations (Charlotte Hall, Leonardtown and Lexington Park) will be closed Friday, March 25. The Lexington Park library will be closed Easter Sunday. All library locations will be open Saturday, March 26, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.All Department of Aging and Human Services Senior Activity Centers will be closed March 25 and there will be no Meals on Wheels deliveries.St. Mary's County Emergency Services & Technology, in cooperation with Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Calvert County Public Safety and Dorchester County Public Safety, will conduct a full-cycle test of the alert and notification sirens throughout St. Mary's, Calvert and Dorchester counties on Monday, April 4, 2016, at noon.The full-cycle test includes a three-minute activation of all sirens within the 10-mile area around Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. All citizens are asked to remember the scheduled testing and relay the information to friends, family and neighbors.The test is being conducted to check siren operation and increase public awareness of the alert and notification siren system. If the sirens sound at any other time, residents should tune to one of the local radio stations listed below for information and instructions.Emergency Alert System stations include: WPTX 1690 AM Lexington Park WYRX 97.7 FM Lexington Park WTOP 103.5 FM Frederick, D.C. WKIK 1560 AM La Plata WKIK 102.9 FM California WPRS 104.1 FM La Plata WSMD 98.3 FM Mechanicsville WNNT 100.9 FM Warsaw WGOP 540 AM Pocomoke WCEM 1240 AM Cambridge WCEM 106.3 FM Cambridge WCEI 96.7 FM Easton WRAR 105.5 FM Tappahannock WKHZ 1460 AM EastonKnowing what to do before, during and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count. Visit prepare.stmarysmd.com to learn about Disasters & Hazards, Being Prepared and Being Informed.The St. Mary's County Board of Elections will conduct the Public Logic and Accuracy Demonstration on the DS200 Ballot Scanner and the Express Vote voting units on Friday April 1 beginning at 10 a.m.The Testing will take place at the Election Warehouse, 47382 Lincoln Avenue in Lexington Park (site of the old Carver Elementary School).Questions about the demonstration should be addressed to Wendy Adkins at 301-475-7844, ext. 1613.At the start of their weekly business meeting, the Commissioners of St. Mary's County paused to recognize county employees for their length of service to St. Mary's County.The annual ceremony recognized 86 employees with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service.Each employee received a certificate signed by the commissioners along with a service pin.The commissioners congratulated and thanked the employees for their dedicated service to the citizens of St. Mary's County.In preparation for the Maryland Department of Mental Health and Hygiene's plan to integrate the administration of behavioral health administration statewide, the Commissioners of St. Mary's County have scheduled a public hearing to solicit citizen comment about the plan.The hearing will take place on Tuesday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the commissioners meeting room in Leonardtown.St. Mary's County has conducted a comprehensive review of the administration of its behavioral health services and held two meetings with stakeholders. The purpose was to identify the appropriate lead agency to manage and monitor the mental health and substance abuse services in St. Mary's County. Currently, this public health issue is largely led statewide by local health departments.The Maryland Department of Mental Health and Hygiene intends to complete the integration of behavioral health administration transition in fiscal year 2017. The recommendation is for St. Mary's County to plan to transition administrative services from the Department of Aging and Human Services to the St. Mary's County Health Department in fiscal year 2018.A copy of the Behavioral Health Service Administration Report can be found on the county's website or can be requested through the County Administrator's Office.Important deadlines for the upcoming 2016 Presidential Primary Election are approaching. The deadline to register to vote, change party affiliation, update an address, and request an alternate polling place for this election is Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 9 p.m..To vote in the upcoming primary election, Maryland residents who are eligible to vote but are not yet registeredincluding 17-year-olds who will be 18 years old or older on or before the November 8 General Electionmust register by the 9 p.m. deadline on April 5. This is also the last day for registered voters to update their address at their local board of elections or change their party affiliation.St. Mary's County residents with a Maryland driver's license or MVA-issued ID may register to vote, change their address, or change their party affiliation online at voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineVoterRegistration . Voters and members of the military, their spouses and dependents who are overseas and who do not have a Maryland driver's license or MVA-issued ID, may also register or change their address or party affiliation online using different identifying information.Paper voter registration applications must be hand-delivered or mailed to the St. Mary's County Board of Elections. A hand-delivered application must be received by the St. Mary's County Board of Elections by 9:00 p.m. on April 5 and a mailed application must be postmarked by April 5.Voter registration applications are available across Maryland at the following locations: Local boards of elections Motor Vehicle Administration offices State Department of Health offices Local Department of Social Services offices Offices on Aging Division of Rehabilitation Services Public institutions of higher education Marriage license bureaus Post offices Public libraries State Board of ElectionsYou may also call 1-800-222-8683 to request an application by mail or download and print a voter registration application at www.elections.maryland.gov/voter_registration/application.html Most of Maryland's polling places are accessible to voters with disabilities. An elderly voter or a voter with a disability who is assigned to an inaccessible polling place may ask to be reassigned to an accessible polling place. This request must be submitted in writing by 9 p.m. on April 5. The request form is available online at www.elections.maryland.gov/pdf/request_for_accessible_polling_place.pdf or by calling 1-800-222-8683 to request a form by mail. On receipt of a timely request, the St. Mary's County Board of Elections will review the request and determine whether there is an accessible polling place with the same ballot as the voter's home precinct and notify the voter of the status of his or her request.To verify voter registration status or to find out if an assigned polling place is accessible, visit voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch The 2016 Presidential Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, April 26 and the 2016 Presidential General Election is Tuesday, November 8. Starting Thursday, April 14 up to and including Thursday, April 21, voters can vote in person at the designated early voting center(s) in their county of residence and update their address. The best days to vote early to avoid delays are Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17. Early voting locations and hours and additional election-related dates and information are available at www.elections.maryland.gov/voting/early_voting.html For more information, voters may contact the St. Mary's County Board of Election at 301-475-7844, ext. 1100 or the State Board of Elections at 1-800-222-VOTE (8683) or visit www.elections.maryland.gov WASHINGTON (March 24, 2016)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is being awardedto exercise a cost-plus-incentive-fee option to a previously awarded contract (N00178-15-C-2016) to continue to provide design agent and technical engineering services in support of the AN/USQ-82(V) Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex Systems (GEDMS) program. GEDMS is a shipboard network used for DDG 51 class destroyers. The GEDMS network transfers inputs and/or outputs for the machinery control systems, damage control system, steering control system, AEGIS combat system, navigation displays, and interior communications alarms and indicators. It was designed to replace the mile of point-to-point cabling, signal converters, junction boxes, and switchboards associated with conventional ship's cabling. GEDMS is being forward-fitted on DDG 51 new construction, back-fitted to Flight I/II DDG 51-78 and Flight IIA DDGs 79-107, LHD Capstone ships and AEGIS Ashore installations. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (91 percent); and the governments of Australia (3 percent); Korea (3 percent); and Japan (3 percent), under the Foreign Military Sales program. The work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (72 percent); Arlington, Virginia (11 percent); Bath, Maine (9 percent); Pascagoula, Mississippi (3 percent); Georgetown, District of Columbia (3 percent); Richardson, Texas (1 percent); and Fairfax, Virginia (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2017. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2010 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and foreign military sales funding in the amount of $840,589 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded amodification (P00003) against a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-15-C-0020) for program management services in support of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator Program Office. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (68 percent); and Germantown, Maryland (32 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2018. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,000,000 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity, is being awarded afirm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable contract for interim contractor services in support of the RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system program. Services include logistics, training, data reporting and field service representative support. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, North Carolina (35 percent); Yuma, Arizona (35 percent); Bingen, Washington (20 percent); and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2018. Fiscal 2016 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $10,056,486 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The, is the contracting activity (N00019-16-C-0031).---WOOD DALE, Ill. (March 24, 2016)AAR (NYSE: AIR) was awarded a $104,970,967 five-year, fixed-price contract by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for fleet logistics support, including commercial depot support and site support, for the C-40A Clipper aircraft, a derivative of the Boeing 737-700 commercial airliner."We are honored by this selection and look forward to providing top-notch service to our U.S. Navy customer," said John Holmes, Chief Operating Officer, Aviation Services. "This award further cements AAR's position as a prime logistics sustainment provider in the government and defense marketplace.""AAR is a strong fit for this contract because we can utilize our broad range of services and facilities across the country to maintain the airframes from tip to tail," said Don Wetekam, Senior Vice President, Government & Defense Programs. "And we will be partnering with United Airlines under their Part 121 certificate for technical parts and quality oversight."Heavy maintenance work on the C-40A aircraft, the newest commercial derivative medium lift aircraft used for Navy Unique Fleet Essential Airlift missions, will be performed at AAR's Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Oklahoma City airport, with logistics being supported at five Naval Air Stations. AAR will also use its landing gear repair facility in Miami and component repair shop in New York to support the Navy fleet. AAR has contracted with Lockheed Martin Commercial Engine Solutions to provide engine repair work."This contract is a great example of how AAR can apply commercial aviation supply chain best practices to help the government increase efficiencies and decrease costs," said David P. Storch, Chairman, President & CEO. "In this time of reduced budgets, government can rely on a trusted partner like AAR that has been providing aviation aftermarket services for more than 60 years." ANNAPOLIS (March 24, 2016)Advocates and victims convened in Annapolis on Wednesday to testify before the Senate education committee on a measure to raise awareness about sexual assault and abuse in schools. Sponsored by Del. Eric Luedtke, D-Montgomery, HB 72 would require the State Board of Education and private schools who benefit from the state's Nonpublic Schools Textbook and Technology Grants program to establish and enforce an age-appropriate program that would educate students about preventing sexual abuse and assault. Bill supporters urged that teachers should begin instruction on the topics as early as kindergarten or first grade, and the program's content could be tailored based on age. "In order to prevent child sexual abuse, one of the most effective things we can do is to make sure that every child receives the message that if they are being inappropriately touched by an adult they need to report it to another responsible adult," Luedtke said. "We've seen case after case after case where if a child had such training, it may have prevented serial abuse from occurring to them and to other children who were abused by the same abuser." Supporters, including Baltimore Child Abuse Center and Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, believe this bill is essential to preventing and ending these abusive vicious cycles. Opposition to curriculum meddling While there were no opponents that testified at the committee hearing, opponents, including several state lawmakersall Republicanvoted against the bill in the House of Delegates. The bill passed the House of Delegates 133-6. The six Republican who were opposed were: Deborah Rey, St. Mary's; Mark Fisher, Calvert; William Wivell, Washington; Robin Grammer Jr., Baltimore; Neil Parrott,-Washington; and Del. Glen Glass, Harford. Of the delegates that MarylandReporter.com reached out to, only Rey responded. She said it is not the job of the General Assembly to decide what a private school's curriculum should be. "It is forcing (nonpublic schools) to create a program, and if the nonpublic school wants to create the program, that's fine," Rey said. "I just don't think the state should be using this textbook and technology program to force the nonpublic schools to create a program that they may or may not want to create." "It is not usually the practice of the General Assembly to dictate curriculum and that has been one of the arguments against the bill, but we wrote the bill in a very specific way it tracks with other types of curriculum the General Assembly has passed previously," Luedtke said. "The one exception we tend to make to that rule is when it comes to health and safety." This bill passed in the House last legislative session, but it died in the Senate committee which heard the bill again Wednesday. Joey Fatone, original member of the 1990s boy band Nsync, is joining the Dirty Pop At Sea Cruise, scheduled to leave Fort Lauderdale next month, event organizers tell SFGN. We are very excited to announce Joey Fatone and Nash Overstreet are joining us and will be hanging out with us during the cruise, said Don Goodlin, cruise planner. Fatone, 39, is currently promoting his newest project, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, a film opening in theaters March 25. Fatone is expected to board the Allure of the Seas, the worlds largest passenger cruise ship, at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on April 10 for a seven night eastern Caribbean cruise hosted by his good friend, Lance Bass. Some minor changes to the original celebrity roster have been announced as comedian Fortune Feimster and dancer Frankie Grande cannot make the voyage due to signing new television show contracts. Replacing Feimster and Grande in the lineup is Nash Overstreet and Marcus Monroe. Overstreet, is best known as lead guitarist for the group Hot Chelle Rae, and Monroe brings a talented juggling act that has thrilled cruise ship audiences in the past. The Allure of the Seas, chartered by Royal Caribbean International, is scheduled to make stops in Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten before returning to port in Fort Lauderdale April 17. Bass and husband Michael Turchin, of Miami Beach, tell SFGN the cruise will be a blast. Goodlin said there are still a few cabins available for last minute sign-ups. To reserve your space, visit www.dirtypopatsea.com Ceres PSI The Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) aboard NASAs Dawn spacecraft is mapping the elemental composition of Ceres in a low altitude orbit, about 240 miles (385 kilometers) above the surface of the dwarf planet. GRaND is in excellent health and operations have gone smoothly during Ceres encounter, enabling us to acquire a high quality data set, said PSI Senior Scientist Thomas Prettyman, Dawn mission co-investigator and lead for GRaND. Neutrons and gamma rays produced by cosmic ray interactions with surface materials provide a fingerprint of Ceres chemical makeup. The data will be analyzed to determine the concentration of chemical elements within the topmost 3 feet (1 meter) of Ceres surface. Data relevant to the possibility of subsurface ice are emerging from GRaND, which began acquisition of its primary data set in December. In Dawns lowest-altitude orbit, the instrument has detected fewer neutrons near the poles of Ceres than at the equator, which indicates increased hydrogen concentration at high latitudes. As hydrogen is a principal constituent of water, water ice could be present close to the surface in polar regions. Our analyses will test a longstanding prediction that water ice can survive just beneath Ceres cold, high latitude surface for billions of years, Prettyman said. High-energy cosmic rays produce neutrons and gamma rays when they interact with materials in the outermost layer of the cerean surface. In addition, gamma rays are made by the decay of radioelements, such as potassium and thorium, found in rocks and soil. A portion of the radiation escapes into space. In low altitude orbit, GRaND can detect radiation originating from Ceres. The spectrum of gamma rays and neutrons measured by GRaND provides information about surface elemental composition. The chemical data contain clues about Ceres origins and evolution. Visit http://www.psi.edu/news/grandceres for a map of neutron counting data acquired by Dawns GRaND in the lowest altitude orbit. Prettymans work is funded by a grant from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA. GRaND is managed by the Planetary Science Institute. The Planetary Science Institute is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to solar system exploration. It is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, where it was founded in 1972. PSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA and international missions, the study of Mars and other planets, the Moon, asteroids, comets, interplanetary dust, impact physics, the origin of the solar system, extra-solar planet formation, dynamics, the rise of life, and other areas of research. They conduct fieldwork on all continents around the world. They also are actively involved in science education and public outreach through school programs, childrens books, popular science books and art. PSI scientists are based in 22 states and the District of Columbia, and work from various locations around the world. SHifting lunar interior University of Arizona The same face of the Moon has not always pointed towards the Earth. The spin axis of the Moon has moved by at least six degrees, and that motion is recorded in ancient lunar ice deposits, reports Matthew Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute and his colleagues in a new paper in the journal Nature. This motion is believed to have resulted from a warm, low-density region of the lunar mantle below the dark patch of lunar mare called Oceanus Procellarum. The same heat source that caused the volcanic mare to form also warmed the mantle. This is the first physical evidence that the Moon underwent such a dramatic change in orientation and implies that the ice on the Moon is billions of years old. Siegler is lead author on the Nature paper Lunar True Polar Wander Inferred from Polar Hydrogen. The new findings help explain the earliest dynamical and thermal history of the Moon and shed light on the origin of lunar water. We found that the polar shift required to explain the distribution of ice matches perfectly with the existence of a fossilized mantle plume below the lunar mare, said Siegler, a PSI Associate Research Scientist. So, the same thing that caused the dark lavas that make up the face of the Man on the Moon also caused the axis of the Moon to move and it is recorded in the polar ice. This ice distribution tells us the near side of the Moon shifted towards the north pole so the Man on the Moon is sort of turning his nose up at the Earth. This gives us a way to model exactly where the ice should be, which tells us about its origin and where astronauts might find a drink on future missions to the Moon. A physical change of the lunar spin axis, known as true polar wander, can only result from a very large change in the mass distribution of the Moon. According to models by co-author and University of Arizona graduate student James Keane, this change was provided by a large, warm region of the near-side lunar mantle, which still exists, controls the current orientation of the Moon, and the face we see from Earth. This also provides an explanation for a longstanding mystery of the odd distribution of lunar hydrogen that has been painstakingly mapped by co-author Richard Miller of the University of Alabama, Huntsville. Compared to similar temperature environments on the planet Mercury, the Moon has far less ice. As this polar migration occurred, ice formerly hidden from the Sun in shadowed craters near the lunar poles would have moved into sunlight and boiled away. The paper shows the Moon may have once had much more ice near its poles and the ice we see today is the tiny portion that has survived this polar migration. Large amounts of ice could have been brought to the Moon by comets and icy asteroids early in the Moons history or potentially outgassed from the lunar maria themselves. Figuring out the origin of this ancient lunar water might also help scientists understand how water was delivered to the early Earth. Reference: Lunar True Polar Wander Inferred from Polar Hydrogen, M. A. Siegler et al., 2016 March 24, Nature [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v531/n7595/full/nature17166.html]. Sieglers work was funded by a grant to PSI from the NASA SSERVI Vortices project and NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. The Planetary Science Institute is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to solar system exploration. It is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, where it was founded in 1972. PSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA and international missions, the study of Mars and other planets, the Moon, asteroids, comets, interplanetary dust, impact physics, the origin of the solar system, extra-solar planet formation, dynamics, the rise of life, and other areas of research. They conduct fieldwork on all continents around the world. They also are actively involved in science education and public outreach through school programs, childrens books, popular science books and art. PSI scientists are based in 22 states and the District of Columbia, and work from various locations around the world. Voters who elect extremists allege they do not decide due to media coverage; but rather due to posts and information from social networks. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Immediately after Marian Kotleba was elected for Banska Bystrica regional governor in December 2013, and after the outrage of most people dispersed, media in an effort not to give space to his extremist opinions partially ignored, partially noticed his slips. Now they are considering how to treat him as a member of parliament. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Most of all, I lack consequent investigative journalism in regions east of Bratislava, Radoslav Sloboda of the project WatchBBSK which follows the events in the Banska Bystrica region, told the Sme daily. The key to solving post-election surprises is to focus on the regions; intensely and consciously. Media space Although media and the non-governmental, civic sector question in the long term Kotlebas claims on how much the regional administration has saved under his control, and point to the cronyism which has become widespread; the election has showed that his popularity is on the rise. Also Kotlebas voters said already in the past that they do not decide according to news in media. Opinions which I see in the region in the long term, but also the general elections have shown that the public is immune to certain types of information in media, Filip Rohacek, chief editor of the regional news-website BBonline.sk said. Some political or cultural authorities have become too little trustworthy for a huge part of people. Most standard media either ignored Kotleba as a governor, or wrote negatively about him. Thus, his medium No 1 has become Facebook, Peter Bardy, chief editor of Aktuality.sk claims. Facebook offered space comparable to the main TV newscast to Kotlebas ideas and his campaign. He did not face criticism there, and could use his rhetoric and choice of words without restriction. Most national media did not want to legitimise Kotleba by offering him the same space as standard sources, or to put each of his scandalous statements to public space, Beata Balogova, chief editor of Sme, explained. But some media, like for example the Sme daily, reported critically on his performance as regional governor. Media cannot ignore Kotleba and his people, but their ideology and opinions are toxic, totalitarian and against the democratic establishment in which we live, media have to treat them very cautiously, Matus Kostolny, chief editor of Dennik N daily, told Sme. It is not the duty of media to give them the same space, nor to approach them on every issue. They are politicians who represent the extreme. The fact alone that they have been elected to parliament does not change anything, Kostolny summed up. Regional media Journalists of the Banska Bystrica Region agree that most local media reported on Kotlebas activities in a standard way. I have not seen any excessive deviations towards huge activity or passivity, Sloboda said. Repeatedly, scandals and slip ups connected with Kotleba were in the media. The regional Banska Bystrica newspaper MY, owned by Petitpress which also publishes Sme, and the Slovak Spectator tried to cover Kotlebas promotional activities the least it possibly could and rather focus on cases and scandals, just like in case of other politicians, Kvetoslava Fajcikova of MY claimed. All the time, I had the feeling that even if media wrote negatively about him, it was rather a driving engine for his fans, she explained. I see it also on social networks that numerous trolls appear under each of negative story who defend him. Regional media in Banska Bystrica or other towns of the region have small editorial staff to make in-depth analyses of the performance of Banska Bystrica regional administration. Moreover, the office virtually does not communicate with media and one can only hardly get statements of the regions leadership. Thus, the common ways of working on reports and journalistic stories have actually vanished, Rohacek says. The almost single source of information about the work of Marian Kotleba has become, except for his own newspaper and opposition, people from regional organisations who started facing problems, or associations which minutely follow the activity of the region. Kotlebas media After his inauguration, Kotleba changed the official magazine of the region, Nas kraj (Our Region) into a promo paper which he started using for his extremist ideology, for hailing his own success and for struggle with his critics, Transparency International watchdog states on its website. When regional councilors stopped the financing of the magazine, he re-named it and published it with money meant for promotional and information documents on the region. Before the general election, the circulation of the magazine increased up to 200,000, one copy for almost every second voter in the region. Despite slamming other politicians for abusing power, what Kotleba has shown with the official magazine of the regional administration cannot be called anything but power abuse, Michal Pisko and Gabriel Sipos of Transparency International claim. The conspiratorial Banska Bystrica radio Slobodny vysielac (Free Broadcaster) paid special attention to Kotleba, probably because both the governor and the radio have focused on a similar target group, according to Sloboda. Kotleba started to express his opinions ever more on issues which are interesting for conspiratorial media; like the questions connected with the European Union, NATO or even resentment towards vaccination. What about the future? Chief editors and heads of news divisions suggested they are discussing how to approach Kotleba after the election. Ignoring him hasnt helped, this is what election taught us, Bardy opined. Media, as us as well, will have to be self-critical and re-evaluate whether they do a disservice by their engagement. Media have to talk with Kotleba and try to disclose his positions and background, says Kostolny. However, part of the informing must also be the context. The chief editor added that they will call Kotlebas party as Fascists, neo-Fascists and extremists. We are an unbiased and impartial TV channel, offering space for statements to all relevant political parties, said Henrich Krejca, head of the newscast for TV Markiza. But we refuse to give space for spreading racism and xenophobia. Chief editor of the Pravda daily, Nora Sliskova, stresses that connections and context are key in such decisions; which has to be constantly stressed and mediate to public. Media cannot be the mouthpiece of extremists. Sme will not ignore Kotleba, either, as he has become an MP and his activities will be under scrutiny. The daily will remind readers of who Kotleba is, according to Balogova, and that he has come from a neo-Nazi sub-culture, while also explaining more the history and putting Kotleba in context. We will not offer him space without good reason, and uncritically, especially not to defend the indefensible: ideas and ideology which suppress human rights and are in conflict also with the Constitution, Balogova summed up. New Business Leaders Forum head on ethics, diversity, transparency. Font size: A - | A + PETER Skodny believes that to behave responsibly today means to behave responsibly towards future generations. This is also why he included among the main priorities for his two-year presidency of the Business Leaders Forum (BLF) in 2016 and 2017 the pursuit of business ethics, transparency, rule of law and diversity. But the main goal, on which they all concur in the BLF, is to have a vision for Slovakia for 20 years and beyond. The Slovak Spectator spoke with Skodny about his priorities, corporate responsibility in Slovakia, and more. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The Slovak Spectator (TSS): What is your definition of a responsible company? Peter Skodny (PS): We can talk about ethics or other things, but I use a historical definition that a responsible company is a company whose director can each morning stand up in front of a mirror and shave without pondering why he is standing here again. This means that it is a company in which one does not need to fear that employees start to ask what is written about it in newspapers. But the most important is that people do not feel ashamed of the company and its management. TSS: What are your plans and goals you would like to achieve during the next two years in your position as BLF president? PS: The BLF is unique in how it unites companies. Compared, for example, with chambers of commerce or employers associations pursuing certain common interests, the BLF does not depend on anything or anyone. Actually, this implies for us that the BLF is an organisation that can become something that shelters and joins meaning it pursues themes that are common and important for all of Slovakia. The main priorities are business ethics and transparency, the rule of law and diversity, but the most important goal is to create a vision for Slovakia so that there are people able to work in Slovakia in 20 years, that companies can exist here, and as now all are talking about elections that there are people at all interested in governing Slovakia. TSS: The BLF has an ambition to shelter initiatives by chambers of commerce and industry. Could you specify your plans and goals in this direction? PS: Basically it should be something similar to the joint Rule of Law Initiative originally started under AmCham, the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia. Of course, first we have to wait for a new government and based on this we will agree on the next steps. But certainly we will want to have a clear vision of Slovakia, because from this everything will unfold including education, subsidies, and so forth. The framework within which we will move in the long term and within which economic and regulatory rules should be set, laws adopted, requirements for education drafted and so on, needs to be clear. This means that when we speak about being responsible in doing business what we want is responsibility in governing. And to be responsible towards the future. TSS: How has the attitude of companies in Slovakia towards corporate social responsibility changed over the last few years? PS: It is impossible to speak about breakthroughs because some things have changed, some not and we are still hearing about deformed parts of the environment. But I think that what is happening in Slovakia is formation of lets call them islands of positive deviation, and that these are growing. This has been happening due to the pressure of large companies because large international companies are asking the local management what is happening here and they also do not want any negative reporting about them in media. On the other hand it is local Slovak entrepreneurs who have launched companies and especially the young generation that does not comprehend that business can be done in a non-transparent way. The question is how big these islands will be, because when a company said in the past that it does not want to do business with the state it was taken for a complete fool. Today I think that there exist relatively many business persons who are very principled in terms of this. And they are principled because sometimes it is very convenient to do business in a clientelistic way, but on the other hand this kills the company in the long term. TSS: How does the development of CSR in Slovakia compare with abroad? PS: To a certain extent it is similar as well as different. When I take neighbouring ex-communist countries, each developed at its own pace. The Czech Republic had a great advantage that when it started it was in the best shape, also from the intellectual point of view. Poland leapt forward, even though we now can talk about its current political environment. Slovakia, in my opinion, has not fully used its potential because we used to have and still have some goodwill, but I dont know whether we go at full blast. Some neighbouring countries are developing and moving forward faster. TSS: Where does the positive attitude of the young generation to corporate responsibility come from? PS: I do not think that it is across the whole generation; there are always some islands, also when we look at election results. I see the relatively long period of time that has elapsed since the fall of the communist regime behind the positive attitude of the younger generation. The second thing is that the youth see positive examples also at home. They have a much more open education, have a much bigger supply of information and make decisions differently. We have in Slovakia companies and young people who are successful in a way nobody assumed in the past that can be successful, whether we look at startups or companies. WebSupport, Pixel Federation, Profesia, or Pelikan, these are all example of companies that grew from almost nothing and are successful because they do their business well. TSS: Slovak companies often do their CSR activities in fields which the state should take care of, like education or health care, what do you think of this? PS: Firms certainly should not substitute the basic functions of the state; their activities should be rather a type of extension. For example, to create conditions for students who otherwise could not study at top universities. The companies should devote their CSR activities to things that are important to the countrys long-term future as politicians often behave in order to get re-elected in a way that means they are not willing to pursue long-term solutions. For me, to behave responsibly today means behaving responsibly towards the next generation. TSS: One of the topics of a responsible approach to doing business is also combating corruption or clientelism, and it is often mentioned by the IT sector. How do IT companies influence the situation? And, according to you, it is possible to achieve these changes without the states involvement? PS: There are a lot of strong words about combating corruption, but effectiveness should also be taken into account. This means that the state or its bodies or local or regional organisations start procuring really effectively, either services or goods, and people start asking whether they get the best possible value. At that moment, the room for corruption is dramatically reduced. At present, we have a problem that nobody asks about the price and what they will get for it, meaning efficiency. Everybody complains about awful health care, awful education, we have awful roads, everything is awful. But when we compare what all these actually cost, then we cannot say that this condition is caused by too little spending, but rather the reason might be that the efficiency is not as high as it should be and that the final value is not what it should be. TSS: In Slovakia companies as well as employees can assign a portion of their paid corporate and income taxes to non-governmental organisations. On the one hand this scheme is appreciated but on the other hand its critics claim that this does not technically mean corporate philanthropy because the donor is only deciding about usage of a portion of the tax paid. How do you perceive that arrangement? PS: It is at least some philanthropy. I am not a tax expert, but it is always about the extent of the tax burden and thus depending on this the philosophy of donorship may be different. Simply, there was some philosophy chosen, whether good or bad. But I think that we in Slovakia have a different problem and this is that there is a relatively high number of people who could donate but do not donate because they ask what they will get in reward. Simply people are behaving as if what is happening here does not matter them. But people have to realise that this touches upon them and that they should not donate only because somebody is forcing them to do so or that it is advantageous for them. TSS: What is the process for a company that did not fully stick on principles of corporate responsibility in the past, but has now changed and wants to become a member of BLF? What happens if a BLF member violates principles of corporate responsibility? PS: In case of a slip-up, then a discussion behind closed doors takes place. Here the company can explain what has happened. It is not an extra friendly discussion, but very open because the advantage of the BLF leadership is that all are experienced professionals who do not need to behave extremely diplomatically because they pursue one common goal. In a case when somebody is reformed and wants to become the member, it is always an individual discussion. This means that we cannot be black-and-white because the world is changing. When we look at history, also many companies that are now successful and corporate responsible, maybe at the beginning of their existence were not so clean here I am not speaking about Slovakia. Each case is individual and I think that the BLF leadership is senior and professional enough to decide correctly. TSS: Companies are already complaining about a lack of qualified labour and the prospects are not optimistic. Should it matter whether a company follows CSR principles when people are deciding whether or not to take a job? PS: Certainly. This is another factor that should be taken into consideration. The experience of our company is that people ask us why we do not want to do projects with the state. It is a completely legitimate question. People do not like when something negative is written about the company where they work. HAD the general election had taken place in mid-March, it would have been won by Smer with 27.5 percent of the vote, while the coalition party Siet would not have made it into parliament with only 3.6 percent. Font size: A - | A + The poll also showed that second place in the election would have gone to right-wing opposition party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) with 12.5 percent of the vote, according to a Focus agency poll released on March 23 and carried out on 1,023 respondents between March 11 and 16. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement SaS was followed in the poll by the Slovak National Party (SNS) with 11.1 percent, Ordinary People and Independent Personalities-NOVA (OLaNO-NOVA) with 10 percent, Kotleba-Peoples Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) with 8.8 percent, We Are Family-Boris Kollar with 7.8 percent, and Most-Hid with 5.9 percent. The ethnic-Hungarian SMK party with 4.3 percent and the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) on 4.1 percent would have also remained outside parliament, the TASR newswire quoted the poll. Within the same Focus poll, 43 percent of Slovaks said they were dissatisfied with the results of the general election, with 27 percent feeling rather dissatisfied and 16 percent being totally dissatisfied. On the other hand, 21 percent of Slovaks perceive the election results positively, with 5 percent being very satisfied and 16 percent feeling rather satisfied, TASR wrote. In total, 36 percent of respondents were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, the poll found. The Slovak University of Technology Bratislava (STU) was placed 401-450th in the Computer Sciences and Information Systems category of the QS World University Rankings. Font size: A - | A + The rankings can be found at www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings/2016. Within Slovakia, STU also placed best in other categories, such as architecture, civil engineering, chemical engineering, engineering, electrical engineering, material engineering and mathematics, the university stated in a press release on March 23. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement In some of these categories, (e.g. civil engineering, mathematics) it ranked even better than or, in others (electrical engineering, engineering) the same as computer sciences, but the evaluators based the ranking on only the best 100 or 200 universities globally. The ranking in individual categories can be found at www.stuba.sk. We are closing on the top global universities, and I believe we can go still higher, STU rector Robert Redhammer said. We have all the pre-conditions for that: experienced teachers, new laboratories with unique devices, internationally respected research, and intense cooperation with businesses. The QS World University Rankings belongs to the so-called big three rankings QS World University Rankings, ARWU- Shanghai Rankings, and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. These publish the world's best-ranking colleges and universities, with the criteria including the university's reputation among academics and employees, its size, international cooperation and research outputs according to publications and number of quotations. QS World University Rankings evaluated 4,226 universities worldwide, with 945 making it into the final ranking, divided into 42 categories, from arts and humanities, through economics and natural sciences, to technology, medicine or chemistry. Slovak president Andrej Kiska has received the resignation of the outgoing government and appointed a new one which has to file its programme statement within a month. Font size: A - | A + On the evening of March 23, the outgoing cabinet made up of representatives and nominees of Smer officially concluded its four-year term, the TASR newswire wrote. At the same time, Kiska appointed Smer leader Robert Fico as leader of the new government and approved its composition. The government now has 30 days to bring its programme statement before parliament which then needs to express its trust in the cabinet. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The current coalition government is the government of a historical compromise, Fico said, as quoted by the SITA newswire. He added that he appreciated Smer coalition parties for taking the wisdom into their hands and opting for the path of a stable coalition cabinet, thanking them for the atmosphere of cooperation and compromises. When we look at the Tuesday events, we all will understand that Slovakia needs most of a stable government able to react to both domestic and foreign challenges, Fico said, meaning the terrorist attacks in Brussels. He also stressed that leaders of coalition parties managed to agree quickly on programme priorities. Fico has become prime minister for a third time, but following his previous one-party cabinet, he now heads a coalition one, composed of four parties: Smer, the Slovak national party (SNS), Most-Hid and Siet (Network). Smer will have eight ministers, SNS three, Most-Hid two and Siet one, the SITA newswire wrote. Read also: Read also: Meet Slovakia's new cabinet (UPDATED) Read more In his address, Kiska stressed that the members take over responsibility for the government and ministries after an election which made it clear that we need to increase the trust of people in a democratic political system. You are a government which has to achieve important results in several spheres, the president said. There is no other, shorter way to get people to stop looking for extreme measures. The president added that several former political rivals have been united in this government, and in the name of this connection, they had to make many compromises. However, in democratic countries, this is nothing unusual. There is no need to close our eyes from the fact that part of citizens reacted to this connection emotionally, with much distrust, Kiska summed up. He also called on the cabinet members to become a government of all citizens, including those who refuse them. Representatives of the four parties agreed on 11 programme priorities for the years 2016-2020. In foreign and European policy, this means a clear continuity of the pro-European and pro-Atlantic orientation of Slovakia, with updating of the country's security and defence strategy, and boosting care for Slovak expats also being agreed upon. The new coalition will push through a joint anti-corruption programme; and the parties agreed to adopt an effective anti-shell-company law in relation to all public resources. Principles of open governance and the constitutional law on proving the origin of property have also been agreed upon. Offering and accepting unethical advantages shall also be prohibited by law, SITA wrote. The division of ministries among coalition parties has shown that the fight against corruption and the foreseen changes in health care and education sectors are not a priority for the new government, opposition SaS party opined, as quoted by TASR. All nineteen parliamentary committees now have their leaders, as elected in a secret ballot on March 23. However, the division of posts in committees caused disputes between opposition and coalition, to be resolved by a panel of legislators. Font size: A - | A + During the founding session of the new parliament, 19 parliamentary committees were created. Eleven will be controlled by the ruling coalition while eight went to the opposition, the TASR newswire wrote. The Smer party took six chairing positions, the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Most-Hid two each; and Siet (network) one; of the opposition, the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Ordinary People and Independent Personalities-NOVA (OLaNO-NOVA) three each and We Are Family-Boris Kollar two. The far-right Kotleba-Peoples Party Our Slovakia did not get any leading post. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Coalition parties have redistributed the committees as follows: the constitutional committee will be headed by Robert Madej (Smer); the mandate and immunity committee by Richard Rasi (Smer); the finance and budget committee by Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer); the European affairs committee by Lubos Blaha (Smer); the education, youth, science and sport committee by Lubomir Petrak; the culture and media committee by Dusan Jarjabek (Smer); the health-care committee by Stefan Zelnik (SNS); the defence and security committee by Anton Hrnko (SNS); the foreign affairs committee by Frantisek Sebej (Most-Hid); the agriculture and environment committee Gabriel Csicsai (Most-Hid); and the social affairs committee by Alena Basistova (Siet). Opposition parties have made the division in the following way: the committee concerning conflicts of interest in posts will be led by Martin Poliacik (SaS); the economy committee by Jana Kissova (SaS); the special committee for supervising the activities of the National Security Bureau (NBU) by Lubomir Galko (SaS); the human rights and minorities committee by Erika Jurinova (OLaNO-NOVA); the special committee for supervising the activities of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) by Daniel Lipsic (OLaNO-NOVA); the special committee for supervising the activities of Military Intelligence (VS) by Richard Vasecka (OLaNO-NOVA); the public administration and regional development committee by Boris Kollar (We Are Family-Boris Kollar); and the committee for reviewing the decisions of NBU by Milan Krajniak (We Are Family-Boris Kollar). On the foreign affairs committee chaired by Frantisek Sebej of Most-Hid, two members of the extremist Kotleba-LSNS party that supports the cancellation of NATO and EU membership will sit. Either Milan Uhrik, or Jan Kecskes will be the deputy head of the committee. Sebej pointed out, according to the Sme daily, that committees select their deputy chairpersons and he will not vote for any member of Marian Kotlebas LSNS party. The inaugural parliamentary session ended on March 23. The next session will be held when the new government presents its Government Manifesto and asks for parliaments confidence. Quarrel over parliamentary committees The next session will also decide on the ratio within parliamentary committees. The opposition does not agree with the fact that the coalition will have a majority (7:5 ratio) in the defence and security committee, which does not correspond with the election results. Opposition MP Daniel Lipsic (OLaNO-NOVA) noted that the coalition has 81 legislators and the opposition 69. The ratio in parliamentary committees should be 8:7 or 7:6, he said, as quoted by TASR. Its bewildering that this ratio isnt respected in some key committees. Such a ratio was in place during the rule of Vladimir Meciar. This committee will be important when discussing various scandals and corruption cases. I guess this committee will have to be convened very frequently. Miroslav Beblavy, former Siet party member and now an independent MP, does not like his assignment to the foreign affairs committee. He said that with his financial expertise he would like to sit in the finance and budget committee. Every legislator is elected for a certain party, Speaker of Palriament Andrej Danko (SNS) said. Had we been discussing the assignment of each of the 150 members, we wouldnt have assembled a new parliament. There are certain mechanisms in place, explained Danko (SNS) who has convened the panel to resolve the dispute. Beblavy, Katarina Machackova and Simona Petrik, who have left the Siet party, were nevertheless assigned to committees by their former mother party. So was Zsolt Simon, who has left Most-Hid. A summer training programme is being prepared for teachers to instruct them on how to tackle the issue of the Holocaust. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Teachers from primary and secondary schools can submit an application for this training programme on teaching about the Holocaust until March 25, the US Embassy to Slovakia informed on its website and also on its Facebook profile. They will be informed about the result by April 15. The initiative involves teachers of history, social science, ethics or other humanities, with excellent knowledge of English. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement A week-long programme for 14 teachers from seven countries has been organised for 11 years during July and August at selected American schools across the US. It emerged from the initiative of the US Department of State, the Association of Holocaust Organizations (AHO) and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. The programme focuses on deepening the education about the Holocaust and showing teachers new ways of teaching about the topic to offer them a new perspective, and on mutual interaction of teachers from various countries. Teachers are accommodated in campuses at the schools, and apart from participation at the seminar, they are expected to actively attend other common events with other participants, prevailing American teachers. Part of the programme is usually also a one-day visit to the Museum of Holocaust Victims in Washington, DC, the SITA newswire wrote. The program is financed by the US Embassy in Slovakia, AHO and the Slovak Education Ministry. Plans call for cutting corporate tax, scrapping tax licenses, but balanced budget postponed. Font size: A - | A + Four parties of the new ruling coalition have agreed on programme priorities that will serve for preparation of the governments plan for its four-year term. While Smer, SNS, Most-Hid and Siet seem satisfied, representatives of the business sector and economic analysts see the priorities as not ambitious enough. The former also calls for systemic measures to improve the business environment bringing tangible results. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement PAS calls on all ruling parties to make sure the future programme manifesto includes tangible and precisely measurable measures, not vague and general statements, whose fulfilment is a matter of discussion and point of view, Peter Kremsky, executive director of the Business Alliance of Slovakia (PAS), wrote in PAS press release. It is especially important that measures to combat corruption and clientelism are not adopted for show, but that real pressure to clean up public life, as required by the public, begins. Smer, SNS, Most-Hid and Siet agreed on March 15 on programme priorities for the new government, slated to rule through 2020. The new government has 30 days to prepare its programme manifesto, i.e. plan for its four-year term, which needs the support of at least 76 MPs. Programme priorities The programme priorities include several chapters addressing the economic and social development of Slovakia. Tax-related priorities include reduction of the corporate tax by 1 percentage point to 21 percent, scrapping of tax licenses as of January 1, 2018 and increasing the cap on flat expenditures, the portion that self-employed people can deduct from their tax base without a need to keep accounting books. In fiscal policy it postponed reaching of a balanced state budget by two years to 2020 compared to the original plan and in terms of combat with corruption they agreed to adopt an effective anti-shell company law relating to all public funds. The priorities also address the dire situation of the health-care sector but also increase of the minimum wage and valorisation of old-age pensions. There is also a plan to create further 100,000 jobs and push the jobless rate below 10 percent. All four new ruling parties showed satisfaction with points they managed to push into the final programme priorities. We found out [during negotiations about programme priorities] that we actually can agree upon 90 percent of our requirements, Smers head Robert Fico said during a discussion programme on the TA3 news channel on March 20. PAS hopes that the new government will prepare a programme manifesto focusing on improvement of the business environment in Slovakia. Along with the National Union of Employers (RUZ), the PAS say the priorities lack systemic measures heading toward increasing quality of the business environment and support of the Slovakias industry. The latter recalled that measures like modernisation of the labour legislation, reform of the regulatory framework in the energy sector, system of education, more systemic creation of legislation or removal of bureaucratic obstacles can fundamentally contribute to strengthening of the competitiveness of Slovakia and creation of new jobs, the TASR newswire reported. View of analysts The list of measures mixes leftist with rightist measures; in terms of the result it is has very little ambition, INESS think tank analyst Radovan Durana told The Slovak Spectator. According to Durana, several measures contradict one another when, for example, efforts to support the business environment would be not complete without lifting regulations on the labour market. We perceive positively the willingness to reduce the rate of the corporate tax, even though the decrease to 21 percent is more or less symbolic, said Durana. Cancelation of [tax] licenses should have been valid as of the first possible day; it makes no sense to postpone this to 2018. Martin Reguli, analyst from the F. A. Hayek Foundation, also assesses programme priorities as very weak in terms of fiscal policy and the business environment. While scrapping the tax licenses and reduction of the corporate tax are steps in the right direction, there is completely missing any mention about a reform of payroll taxes or making the labour code more flexible, Reguli told The Slovak Spectator. I evaluate negatively also the ban on privatising state assets especially because state companies would need to increase their effectiveness and this can be achieved only by privatisation linked with liberalisation of the market on which they operate. Analysts as well as representatives of the business sector keep reiterating the need for bigger structural reforms. Durana said that Slovakia needs such a business environment in order it does not need to buy investors expensively but that they arrive on their own. This is impossible without a radical change in bureaucratic, regulatory and tax burden, said Durana. These changes must go hand in hand with an increase in law enforceability. Reguli added that a structural reform must, apart from liberalisation of the market and reform of taxes and levies, include also a reform of public expenditures. Only after a significant reform of expenditures it is possible to reduce taxes and levies, said Reguli. To reduce expenditures the government should give up control of some sectors via the monopolies it holds. This should be followed also by reasonable reform of social expenditures. But we cannot count with this in case of this government. In general Reguli is sceptical whether this government would have enough courage to carry out these changes while the presence of centre-right parties does not make it more likely. Among Slovak police, fear prevails, according to a former investigator involved in a vast VAT refund scandal. Font size: A - | A + The wide-spread fear is connected also with the fact that cases are not solved due to political nominations of senior functionaries, ex-police investigator Pavol Milan said in an interview for the Sme daily. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Milan had led a team that investigated one of the biggest cases concerning excessive VAT refunds until 2014, in which also the names of ministers Jan Pociatek (originally finance, then transport, now outgoing) and Robert Kalinak (then and now interior) appeared. The main defendant in the case, businessman Milan Chovanec, said in his testimony that top political representatives were helping conceal frauds worth tens of millions of euros. Milan resigned from the police in 2014, due to obstacles he felt in his work and also because he did not have the support of his superiors. When asked why the most serious cases including frauds with VAT refunds, or the Gorilla file, have not been wrapped up yet, Milan commented that this is due to our stance and morals, as we have identified innately with the fact that the system simply has to be that corrupt and that it can work only this way. The whole issue stems from our fear and indifference, Milan summed up. The former investigator said that already in November 2011, he interrogated a witness who testified that top politicians of the ruling Smer party were involved. Later, suspicions involving top Smer members increased. First, his superiors seemed to be Okay with his findings, but later started to get interested. Milan concluded, however, that he left the police and abandoned the investigation before he was able to check deeply into the Smer suspicions. The Presidium of the Police Corps repeatedly refuses suggestions by Pavol Milan that someone put pressure on him during his investigation of the case; claiming that investigators are independent in the process and are only overseen by a prosecutor. On the contrary, when he asked to be released from the Police Corps, he was asked by his superiors to stay, the TASR newswire quoted the Presidium. Rumours that the US Steel will change hands resurface. Font size: A - | A + Amid rumours about a possible sale of the U.S. Steel Kosice (USSK), the steel maker is reducing its labour force, launching a voluntary programme for early retirement to be followed by closing of work places. The moves come in response to a declining market hit by imports of cheap steel especially from China. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Adjustments of the structure of the company are linked with the persisting complicated situation on the market, spokesman Jan Baca told The Slovak Spectator. In efforts to reduce costs the steelmaker launched this January a voluntary programme for early retirement as of the beginning of March, offering a severance pay of a 10-fold of a monthly wage, estimated at 19,000. While a total of 200 showed interest, only 85 people were selected for the programme. As of April 1 USSK is scrapping additional 29 work positions in management and administration. Among those affected is Anton Jura, a senior consultant and the former head of Canadian U.S. Steel, or vice-president of USSK Vladimir Jacko. Rumours about the sale Earlier in March rumours about he sale of USSK re-appeared while the Czech company Moravia Steel, led by Tomas Chrenek Sr, was mentioned as a potential buyer before July 1, the Hospodarske Noviny economic daily reported in mid March. Moravia Steel denied this information and USSK refused to comment. I do not comment on speculation, Baca told The Slovak Spectator. For Lubos Vanco, chairman of the Partner Board of KPMG in Slovakia the sale of USSK makes sense. U.S. Steel had 15 years ago a strategy to expand not only in North America but also in other parts of the world, Vanco told The Slovak Spectator. This has not happened. USSK is its only plant outside North America. Vanco added that the year 2015 was bad for the group when it lost approximately 33 percent of sales and its loss was USD1.6 billion. Prices of its shares decreased by about 60 percent over the last one and half year. From my point of view it does not make sense for U.S. Steel to have a steel mill in Europe when they do not have ambitions to be a global player, said Vanco. The Slovak plant of U.S. Steel reaches significantly better results than the group, even though they are not any special. Thus I personally think that the sale makes sense. In terms who might be interested in USSK, Vanco recalled the bad situation in the steel sector. In North America steel makers suffer from low prices, import of cheap Chinese steel and the fall in oil prices what has impacted the oil industry that is a large client of steel products, said Vanco, adding that especially groups or companies producing a different assortment of steel than in Kosice may be interested as they might achieve synergy this way. Rumours about a potential sale of USSK occurred also in 2013 when the allegedly required sum ranked between USD1 billion USD1.5 billion, according to Hospodarske Noviny. But later the USSK signed a memorandum with the Slovak government, in which it promised to remain in Kosice and maintain its employment levels until 2018, while the government promised to help cut the firms energy and environmental bills. Problems in the steel industry USSK and other steel plants suffer from the import of cheap steel especially from China and call for a halt of the flood of products from China and other countries unfairly sold in Europe at dumping prices. Thousands of steel workers from across the European Union marched in Brussels on February 15 to protest dumping of cheap steel imports on the EU market, and to call on the European Commission to take action. The march was attended by about 100 workers from USSK and took place the same day as a conference on energy-intensive industries hosted by the European Commission. On March 16 the European Commission (EC) suggested policy measures to support the European steel sector to overcome its serious challenges, largely due to global overcapacity. It presented a communication setting out how the European steel sector can overcome its short-term and long-term challenges with the support of member states and EU institutions. According to the EC, a joint effort is needed to overcome these serious challenges fuelled by global overcapacity, a dramatic increase of exports and an unprecedented wave of unfair trading practices. High energy costs and changing market conditions require energy-intensive industries to adapt and innovate to ensure their long-term competitiveness and sustainability. We must do more to help the steel sector and other energy-intensive industries adapt, innovate and compete on the basis of quality, cutting-edge technology, efficient production and a highly skilled workforce, said EC Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, as cited in a press release. We now have a record level of anti-dumping measures on steel products in place and the Commission is determined to restore a global level playing field. We will take steps to further streamline our procedures but member states must also act together and urgently adopt our legislative proposal to modernise EU trade defence instruments and make fairer trade a reality. USSK welcomes that the EC is dealing with problems of the steel industry. We do not require advantages; we only want equal conditions for doing business on the global market, said Baca. From the viewpoint of USSK, it is necessary to improve usage of instruments for defence against unfair trading practices and steel makers must not be burdened by additional direct or indirect costs stemming from the EU emissions trading system. In terms of efforts to act against dumping, USSK sees the United States as a model. They imposed a 265 percent anti-dumping duty for Chinese cold-rolled steel, said Baca. The duty imposed in the EU on comparable material was 13 percent. The American owners entered the then ill-fated Vychodoslovenske Zeleziarne (VSZ) back in 2002. Since this time it heavily invested in increasing effectiveness and ecology of the plant. USSK employer more than 12,000 people and is the biggest private employer in eastern Slovakia. Afinox plan to invest an additional 15 million within next five years. Font size: A - | A + Afinox, producer of technological solutions for the food industry, held an opening ceremony for its new engineering plant in the village of Cana in Kosice Region on March 24, the TASR newswire learnt from company representative Madedji Adandedjan on the same day. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the companys trading partners, the mayors of the villages of Zdana and Cana and Belgium's honorary consul in Slovakia Dany R.E. Rottiers. Italian company Afinox currently employs 30 people at the plant. This number will be increased to 100 in the near future, said Adandedjan, as quoted by TASR. Were searching for additional investments to expand in terms of production capacity, equipment and area. The company exports 90 percent of its output to France. It also wants to establish contacts with customers in Austria and Germany. We have extensive machinery and qualified staff, which is a guarantee of product quality and customer satisfaction, said Adandedjan, as quoted by TASR. Afinox has introduced and has been using the STN EN ISO 9001/2009 quality management system. The company managed to gain support amounting to 560,000 from European Funds and has invested more than 3 million in the plant in Cana to date. We plan to invest an additional 15 million within the next five years, said Adandedjan, as quoted by TASR. We want to build a new production hall and buy additional machinery. Antonio Diaz is the LA-based founder of Life & Thyme, a publication dedicated to culinary storytelling from different food cultures around the world. Founded as a web publication in 2012, Life & Thyme made the leap to print in 2015, and is today a much-loved member of the New Los Angeles cultural scene. Diaz, a survivor of the San Francisco tech world, is a coffee enthusiast and cafe regular at bars across Los Angeles. At Life & Thyme, coffee is our main source of fuel, says Diaz, who is a passionate advocate for the virtues of cross-cultural collaboration between the worlds of coffee & food. When like-minded communities intersect, its a win/win situation for everyone. Sprudge co-founder Jordan Michelman spoke with Antonio Diaz electronically from Los Angeles. Talk to me a little bit about the founding of Life & Thymewhere were you at professionally when the site started, and what was its founding impetus? My background is in interactive design and prior to Life & Thyme, I had co-founded a creative agency focused on helping tech startups in San Francisco. I was constantly surrounded by talented creatives and understood how to work with them, speak their language, and learn from them. In 2012, two things began to happen: I was becoming increasingly interested in food (and coffee!) culture and I was starting to get burnt out churning out websites and mobile designs for tech companies. I wanted to meet people that were doing amazing things and hear a few good stories to understand food better on a more global scale. But I just couldnt relate to the majority of food media out there and felt like I could just learn what I wanted by doing what I was looking for. So I riled up a few of my creative friends and we began documenting the places we were eating at, meeting the people behind them, and telling their stories. And then Life & Thyme was born. It began to grow, gain traction, and the act of documenting became like an addiction. I resigned from the company I had co-founded, and dedicated my entire life (and continue to do so) in building this new media company around food and storytelling. The ironic thing is that most of us do not come from a background in food, which allows our minds to be more curious and not hold any preconceived biases. Life & Thyme documents food culture with an editorial sensibility, as per your About pagecan you expand on that ethos for our readers a bit? Now, Im not one to judge what others might prefer, so I can only speak to our own ideology, but to have an understanding of what food culture looks like from culture to culture, region to region, its a very complex thing. It wont be defined with restaurant reviews, trendy dishes, top 10 lists, or recipes; its going to be defined with taking the time to develop stories about people, where they came from, and what makes them human. Whether were documenting food, coffee, or a drink, we care less about the end product, and more about who was behind it and how that links back to what makes people tick. Once we have that, its our job (or the authors job) to develop a coherent story that humanizes what were after and ultimately, what were trying to say about our subjects. At our core, we are documenting others but we have a very specific perspective on how we present those stories to the world through words, photography, or filmmaking. Talk to me about the jump from web to print for Life & Thyme. Has it changed how you publish online? Has it changed how you pursue stories and what kind of stories you get to tell? The jump to print has been one of the most challenging endeavours I have ever embarked on. Its a massive mountain to climb. Distribution is much more complex than simple page views and the schedule to produce an issue every quarter is something I didnt anticipate being so intense. I didnt come from the publishing industry, so we had to learn by doing, making mistakes, and winging it. We just wrapped up issue five, but every issue we get better and we continue to learn to navigate this new wild west of publishing. Its funny what happens when you begin publishing something in print. Everybody wants to be in print. Our subjects, our contributors, sponsorseveryone seems to value print more than a website. But each issue is very finite, thematic, and limited to a very certain number of stories and locations. That being said, we try to publish a variety of content that makes sense for each platform. Web content might be slightly quicker reads, lots of photography, and big emphasis on producing cinematic short films. The print magazine might hold bigger and longer stories that requires a bit of time investment to get through them all. We are also very selective of which contributors get to document print stories and are often some of our strongest writers or photographers. The website is a great way for new contributors to get their feet wet and so we can get to know them. Our community is everything, so were constantly collaborating with new contributors and seeing how we can involve them in different facets of our platform. Where does coffee fit into your editorial purview at Life & Thyme? What coffee stories have you told that youre particularly proud of? Coffee is huge for us. Aside from being our main source of fuel, our community, especially in Los Angeles, has been built by integrating ourselves into coffee shop culture. Digital communities are great, but cultivating relationships in person isnt as scalable but are far more meaningful. The coffee shop is a natural congregation point where micro-communities are formed. From the beginning, we felt it was important to not only meet people at coffee shops but to meet the people behind the coffee shops and form partnerships or events alongside their ideals. When like-minded communities intersect, its a win/win situation for everyone. We have a whole coffee culture section on our website, but I must say the story I am most proud of is the one for Handsome Coffee Roasters (RIP), one of the first short films weve ever worked on. Their cafe in the Arts District of LA was something special and I am glad we have this short film as a memento of this particular time in LA history. It was also the start of the cinematic aesthetic and form of visual storytelling we wanted to take our future video productions. Youre often highlighting noted restaurants and chefsyour recent features on cocktails at Spago, for example, or this sit-down with Mario Bataliand Im curious if coffee ever comes up in these pow-wows? Are you able to interrogate how the dining industry experiences coffee? To be honest, I wish coffee did play a larger role in the dining experience the way wine or cocktails might. Many restaurants are collaborating with well-known specialty coffee roasters and carrying their coffee, which is great, but it usually feels like an afterthought. If wine, beer, or cocktails could be paired with specific flavors of food, there is no reason why coffee drinks cant. Coffee can be just as nuanced, refined, and complex as wine, so Id love to see more chefs and restaurants thinking how coffee can play a larger role in dining. Whats your personal coffee consumption habit like? Do you brew at home, or have a particular favorite cafe, or both? My morning ritual is to zombie on over to my electric kettle to heat up water, manually grind whatever beans I currently have on hand (its Stumptown this week), and then brew coffee AeroPress style. The whole process is no more than a two-and-half-minute ordeal. Im also bouncing from cafe to cafe for meetings and thats when I order espresso because I am not going to make it at home. Depending where I am in LA, I do have my go-tos: Republique or Verve if I am in WeHo area, Blacktop in DTLA, or Gjusta on the westside. If you could tell any coffee story in the world for Life & Thyme, what would it be and why? Id love to spend a good amount of time with an Ethiopian family that cultivates coffee plants. Not so much to understand the technicalities of how coffee is grown, but to investigate the regions culture, struggles, political issues, to have better context of who exactly is growing our coffee, how they live, and to form a more emotional connection to the people growing the coffee. We walk into any hip coffeeshop, pick up a coffee bag, and it says a countrys name followed by 3 adjectives to describe the flavor, and then we say Sounds good to me! Zero context, zero emotion. I feel like there is a major lack of empathy to the people growing them in these Third World countries and one way to help solve it is through content being created for those stories to become accessible to an audience that consumes coffee. Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge.com. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge. Photos courtesy of Antonio Diaz. After the Russian campaign, the columnist wryly noted, "Napo never won anything important again. Mother Russia had defeated him as it defeated Hitler 130 years later." "Which brings me to the present. Unlike the clowns of the EU and the bungling Americans, Uncle Vlad did a Kutuzov, went into Syria, avoided the risks of getting bogged down and, having lost only one aircraft that was shot down by a NATO power supposedly on his side, departed the quagmire with maximum results." At the same time, Theodoracopulos sardonically added, "that fool of a Foreign Secretary Philip Hammondwarns us not to cheer because it would be 'like praising a man who stopped beating his wife'. Well, I don't beat women in general and my wife in particular, so I wouldn't know. What I do know is that Putin is authenticthe type who wins wars, a spontaneous and courageous leader who has shown up the West as a paper tiger." "And he didn't declare mission accomplished, a declaration that has proved fatal in the case of Iraq and Libya. This is the man the clowns in Brussels tried to bluff with Circe-like songs to Ukraine, so he took back Crimea as a bonus. His standing by Assad has shown up Uncle Sam yet again as an unreliable ally when the going gets tough." Furthermore, she pointed out, it will be rather problematic to oversee the adherence to certain requirements enforced by the new legislation such as, for example, the obligatory use of condoms by prostitutes. "Just take a look at how this is being supervised in Bavaria. The police there actually walk in on people in the act and, using flashlights, check if this requirement is being fulfilled or not. You can only monitor such things if you dont care about peoples dignity," De Riviere remarked. She also said that the law is likely aimed at restricting the sex trade rather than regulating it. "We need to remove the taboo from this occupation, to recognize the sex trade as a liberal profession and prostitutes as individual entrepreneurs. You dont need a separate law for that, you need to normalize the industry. Anti-discrimination and getting rid of the taboo wouldve really helped us," she concluded. "There are many other places to invest. If you are prepared to invest in Ukraine, it's possible that you will be successful sometime in the next 30 years. But I'm not ready. I think there are many other places where I could invest my money. I'd be better off investing in Kazakhstan than in Ukraine in 2016." Commenting on Rogers' pessimistic assessment, Russia's Svobodnaya Pressa newspaper suggested that "it seems that more and more Western businessmen have similar views. In 2015, according to the Ukrainian State Statistics Service, the volume of foreign direct investment into the country amounted to only $3.7 billion." The same statistics showed that Cyprus ranked first among investor countries, "which in fact indicates only that Ukrainian oligarchs had reinvested in themselves through their offshore companies. And even the Netherlands, which ranks second, was mainly those same off-shore companies, located on various islands under Dutch jurisdiction in the Caribbean Sea. " At the same time, the paper noted, "the largest growth in 2015 came not from Europe or the United States, but from Russia. The Statistics Service said that this was the recapitalization of banks with Russian capital. According to Sergei Arbuzov, the former head of Ukraine's National Bank, these banks accounted for 49 percent of the total investment in the Ukrainian economy in 2015." And not just Europe, but in many other countries which have suffered much more terrorist violence and for longer, carried out by the very same terror groups. Europe is in shock and grieving, so emotions are understandably to the fore. This week more than 30 people were killed in terrorist attacks on the Belgian capital, Brussels. The city is also considered to be Europe's political capital, due to it being the headquarters for the European Union administration. With more than 270 persons injured, the death toll could rise in the coming days. The horror follows an even bigger carnage on the streets of Paris only four months ago, when 130 people were shot to death or blown to pieces by suicide bombers who ran amok in the center of the French capital on November 13. Now, Exceptionalistan thinkers are dejected because the EU does not have an army (actually, it does: NATO's) and so "cannot react" to what they have dubbed "Belgium's 9/11". Of course NATO can "react"; it could march over ISIS/ISIL/Daesh across "Syraq" rightfully involving R2P ("responsibility to protect", in this case hundreds of millions of EU civilians). But that's not, and never was, a priority. To blame it all on Belgium as a failed state is so easy. That's part of the puzzle, but not the heart of the matter. Expect EU "leaders" to hold an imminent summit to do something, anything, about ISIS/ISIL/Daesh. Perhaps offer them or be debased by a deal, like the one (illegal under international law) recently struck with "NATO ally" Erdogan, which treats migrants as a lowly piece of merchandise and tramples over myriad logistical and legal barriers. And right on cue, with the bodies in Brussels still not buried, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu once again called for a safe zone in where else Syria, stressing that Europe's security starts with Turkey. Europe's refugee crisis also started with Turkey; it was Ankara that released them en masse from their holding camps in the first place. A legitimate question is whether Ankara would have the gall to flood the EU with refugees without a green light from Washington; the rationale, in this case, would be to" force" Turkey into the EU Erdogan's clause that negotiations for access should be accelerated to improve its anti-Russian status. The EU could always offer ISIS/ISIL/Daesh a "You don't bomb us here in Europe, and we don't bomb you in Syraq' deal". But wait; this (informal) arrangement is already on, via the US-led NATO-GCC coalition. Don't expect EU politicos to connect the dots, as in the EU covert war in Syria specially via the weaponization of scores of "moderate rebels" by Britain and France generating blowback. Expect instead reinforced airport "security" hell over bottles of Perrier. It's now more than established there was a "willful decision" in Washington to let ISIS/ISIL/Daesh which was born in Camp Bacca, an American prison in Iraq fester and prosper. Brussels airport was on the highest possible security level. A Salafi-jihadi cell managed to evade a vast manhunt all over Brussels for four months. An Operation Gladio gambit conducted by CIA/NATO, just like in old times remains a solid working hypothesis. Operation Gladio established an iron clad Western intel principle that killing innocents for a higher cause is justified. The airline recommended passengers to "refrain from their trips" on March 24-25 "due to the uncertainty of the further situation." On Tuesday, two suicide attacks took place at the Brussels Airport departure hall in the northeastern municipality of Zaventem and another explosion inside a subway carriage at the Maelbeek station near EU institutions. At least 31 people were killed and 300 were injured in the attacks. Brothers Khalid and Ibrahim Bakraoui, as well as Najim Laachraoui, were identified by Belgian authorities as three suspected suicide bombers. A fourth purported assailant seen in surveillance images together with Ibrahim and Khalid is believed to be at large. Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon said the man placed a third bomb at the Brussels airport and left. The bomb did not go off in the attacks and was detonated by authorities in a controlled explosion. Given that Adbeslam could have accomplices, the level of the terrorist threat in Belgium should have been increased to the maximum for several days, something that was never done. In an interview with RT, Alexey Filatov, vice-president of the international anti-terrorist association Alpha, said that the "according to incoming data, the Brussels terrorist attacks were provoked by the arrest of Salah Abdasalam." "Apparently, a terrorist act was being planned a large-scale one that should have been staged at a different time. Abdeslam's interrogation could finally help police track his accomplices, which is why terrorist decided to be quick about carrying out the attacks," he said. 4. Molenbeek As such, the municipality Molenbeek is little more than an uncontrollable ethnic enclave, according to RT. It is safe to assume that law and order in this suburb of Brussels has fallen victim to political correctness and multiculturalism. The security services did not even try to work in this "state within a state" that became an all-European hotbed of terrorism, RT said. Yevgeny Satanovsky, head of the Moscow-based Middle East Institute told RT that "multiculturalism and migrants' freedom of access from the Middle East and Africa to Europe for several decades made Brussels the capital of European radicalism and Islamism." "Democracy and human rights have also contributed to this, resulting in the creation of a free Sharia zone in Molenbeek, where the police have not been in decades," he said. 5. Internal fragmentation of security forces The lack of duly coordination between the city authorities and law enforcement agencies has also played a negative role in the development of the latest tragic events in Belgium. "The country is, in fact, divided into two enclaves. There is no single government and parliament, as well as there is no interaction between the executive authorities. And separate intelligence agencies cannot interact within their country," Josef Linder said. He also lamented the fact that "the whole experience of the previous work of the Belgian intelligence services was destroyed by the European Union's policy." 6. Clandestine intelligence agents Many experts, including Linder, pointed out that the fight against terrorism can only be effective with the help of a full-fledged agent network. "Intelligence work in the Belgian enclaves was carried out at a minimum level, and combating terrorism in such a way is almost impossible", Linder said. "We think the police and intelligence services should target people suspected of crimes instead of collecting everyone's data, all of the time." Sadly I suspect the hideous Brussels attacks may have removed the last vestige of a chance for rational debate over the #IPbill. Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) 22 March 2016 If spooks need the mass injustice of the #IPBill to do their job then they are failing Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) 15 March 2016 However, the recent atrocities in both Paris and Brussels have brought calls for greater surveillance powers for law enforcement agencies. Writing for Euractiv, George Friedman, founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures, a global analysis company, said: "The problem of intelligence is that it must assume that anyone might be a terrorist." "Intelligence of this sort is a process of discarding. You begin with the assumption that you have no idea what you are looking for, and over time you find the basis for dismissing some, then more and then focusing on a few. "This sounds reasonable, until you consider that the process requires you to examine virtually everyone. If everyone is suspect and they should be then everyone is subject to examination and no one has the right to privacy," he wrote. Privacy v Protection Intelligence agencies are demanding more access to data from CSPs, with Apple and the FBI in a stand-off over unlocking the iPhone belonging to a gunman. The US case arose following the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, on December 2, 2015, in which 14 people were killed and 22 were seriously injured. Indeed, while other top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, also limited their official commentary to offering condolences and solidarity, some others could not help but criticize what they saw as a patently unfair characterization of Russia as an existential threat to the West, while Daesh, which has now carried out a string of terror attacks against Western capitals, is not. Their frustration is understandable. While Western officials have repeatedly classified Russia as an existential threat, President Barack Obama has pointedly refused to do so in relation to Daesh, even immediately following the Brussels attacks. On Wednesday, during his visit to Argentina, Obama said that "groups like ISIL cant destroy us, they cant defeat us, they dont produce anything. Theyre not an existential threat to usEven as we are systematic and ruthless in going after them, disrupting their networks, getting their leaders, rolling up their operations, it is very important to us not to respond with fear." In other words, the leader of the free world seemed to confirm that Islamist terrorists who have the audacity to murder Europeans in the streets of their own capitals are not an existential threat to the West's existence, while Russia, which is fighting these same terrorists, is. In this light, Puskhov's comments, and those of other Russian officials, no longer seem to sound so absurd; on the contrary, they gain an air of common sense. Magnus Ranstorp is skeptical about the information that at least 400 terrorists have been specifically trained to wreak havoc in Europe. "I regard the information mostly as psychological warfare on Daesh's part", stated Ranstorp, who at the same time admitted that there is substantial evidence in the latest report by the European Police Office of guerilla groups within Daesh, ready to perform terrorist attacks. Pontus Gillnas of the newspaper Expressen argues, however, that Sweden should take the terrorist threat more seriously and set up a special anti-terror force consisting of special police forces, as well as military units. "This force should be able to handle terrorist attacks on a completely different level than the current police resources permit," writes Pontus Gillnas. Even Jonas Gummesson of Svenska Dagbladet argues that Sweden currently lacks a coherent security strategy and is vulnerable to possible terrorist attacks. Sweden's neighbor Finland is also on guard amid a heightened sense of anxiety in the country. Illka Kanerva, head of Finland's parliamentary defense commission, stated in an interview with the TV program Ylen Aamu-tv that Finland should consider tightening its anti-terrorism laws and establish closer ties with other countries in order to combat terrorism in a more effective way. "It is very likely that terrorists will use Finland as a jumping off-ground, because they may find Finland more accommodating in comparison to other parts of Western Europe," Kanerva was quoted as saying. According to Kanerva, Finland's outlay on the war on terrorism only amounts to a quarter of what its Nordic neighbors are spending. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, told a news conference that the EU had been talking about sharing intelligence since 1999, but had not acted for "reasons I don't understand" and called for the swift achievement of a "security union" amid criticism of intelligence failures ahead of both the Paris and Brussels attacks. The ministers will be urged by France to put pressure on European Parliament lawmakers to drop opposition to the proposed introduction of the Passenger Name Records (PNR) scheme, which will allow for the collection and retention, for a period of time, of all data associated with air travelers in the EU. However despite having the backing of EU Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee the proposal has stalled in the European Parliament over privacy and human rights fears. The party leader added that the campaign would not focus on the June UK national referendum on the EU membership. "While I am sure the area of Europe will come up all of the research and polling we are doing shows that it way down peoples list of priorities in terms of electing their local MSP [Member of the Scottish Parliament] because they know they can vote on that separately," she noted. In September 2014, Scotland held a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom, in which over 55 percent of the electorate rejected secession. The issue however remains on the Scottish agenda. In February, Angus Robertson, the leader of the SNP in Westminster, said that the Scots would initiate a new referendum on independence from the United Kingdom in case the latter decides to leave the European Union at the nationwide vote on June 23. EDINBURGH (Sputnik)There is a real problem with the so-called home-grown terrorists in Brussels that the Belgian authorities are failing to deal with, the member of the European Parliament for Scotland, Ian Duncan, told Sputnik on Thursday. It is clear to me that there is a problem in Brussels itself. A lot of the terrorists themselves were home grown, radicalized within the city of Brussels itself and gone to Syria and gained terrible experiences there and have brought them back, Duncan said. On Tuesday, at least 31 people were killed and some 300 injured in two bomb blasts in Brussels' Zaventem airport and an explosion at a metro station in the city center. The Daesh jihadist group, outlawed in many countries, including Russia and the United State, has claimed responsibility for the blasts. "A clinically clean environment makes the body confused and gives rise to allergies," claims Barbro Hult, president of the Porvoo District Allergy and Asthma Association. According to Hult, the Finns, who have quite a reputation for their tidiness, are unconsciously destroying all the important microbes and bacteria that one actually needs to feel well. Barbro Hult means that even the much desired Finnish welfare actually leaves a negative effect on the Finns' health. Living in urban surroundings with streets paved with asphalt and concrete keeps one from spending more time in the nature. "Everything is so sterile in a sense that we don't have to dig the earth any longer. Before, we lived in the country and were in contact with animals. At that time there weren't so many allergies around," said Hult. Last month, Professor Mirja Salkinoja-Salonen of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology of the University of Helsinki identified strong detergents, containing biocides, as the reason behind the wiping out of the "good" bacteria. This is paving the way for mold at schools and workplaces, increasing health risks. Accordingly, Elisbeth Eriksson of the Finnish Martha Organization, which for over 100 years provided the Finnish housewives with advice in home economics, advocates the use of traditional cleaning methods. FARC chief negotiator Ivan Marquez said on Wednesday that the group had presented the government with a "roadmap" for the cessation of hostilities in the country. Marquez expressed hope that the roadmap would be agreed at the next round of peace talks with the government. The FARC rebel group was established in 1964 as the military wing of Colombia's Communist Party. Since then, military confrontation between FARC and the Colombian government has been ongoing, with over 200,000 people having been killed as a result. The two sides have been engaged in peace talks since November 2012 and have reached a number of important agreements including on landmine removal, land reform, transitional justice and an end to illegal drug trafficking. Last year, Santos and FARC signed a deal in Havana that set the schedule for the rebels full demobilization and disarmament. Earlier this month, the Colombian president said that the signing of a peace agreement between the government and FARC could be delayed, in which case he was ready to propose to create another deadline. Among other papers left in a hurry were Islamic propaganda literature, religious notes and data on various punishments for alleged misbehavior. The RT crew also interviewed three captive Daesh fighters, who came from Syria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The Syrian Daesh fighter said that he had been fighting against the Kurds alongside Turkey, citing the well-known slogan the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Saudi fighter revealed that he had easily crossed the TurkishSyrian border and confirmed that all the supplies that they needed had been coming over from Turkey. The Turkish serviceman also confirmed how easy it was to cross the border and said that his commander instructed him to flee to Turkey if ever he was wounded or got surrounded. He also commented at length on the Erdogans policy, his ties with Daesh and the illegal oil trade. Their comments were confirmed by a bunch of leftover passports and other IDs shown by a YPG officer. All of them had a Turkish entry stamp. Among other documents discovered by the crew is a manual, entitled How to wage an ideal fight against the criminal Assad regime. The manual was apparently issued and printed in Istanbul, Turkey, as it has the Turkish address, phone numbers and Facebook page in the lower right-hand corner. MOSCOW (Sputnik)The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that it had documented several instances over the past year in which people detained in Iran had been denied access to lawyers during investigations or forced to change their legal advocate under pressure by judiciary officials. "While Iran claims the new criminal code has improved defendants rights, these efforts are meaningless if parliamentary amendments completely undermine the spirit of fair judicial proceedings," the HRW quoted its Middle East director, Sarah Leah Whitson, as saying. Irans law on criminal procedures stipulates that those charged with national security crimes are allowed to choose a lawyer while under investigation, although such access may be delayed for up to a week. However, amendments passed three days before the law went into force in 2015 restrict the rights of people charged with such offenses, requiring them to select a defender from a pool of lawyers approved by the head of the judiciary. Professor Bulent Ari, deputy rector of Sebahattin Zaim University, who caused a public outcry over his remarks that he "trusts illiterate people more than those who have had a formal education," has stepped down, Sputnik's Turkish edition reported. Speaking on KRT TV, Ari said that he "becomes exasperated" when the literacy rate increases in Turkey. "I prefer to trust the foresight of the ignorant and the illiterate in this country. The people who will make sure this country survives are the illiterates, the ignorant [people] and those who haven't even studied at primary school," he said. On February 22, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria, which took effect on February 27. The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation at the Hmeimim airbase registered seven violations of the ceasefire regime in two Syrian provinces in the last 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "The cessation of hostilities in Syria has been respected in general. However, a total of seven violations of the ceasefire regime have been registered, including five in the Aleppo province, and two in the Latakia province," the ministry said in a daily bulletin posted on the ministry's website. Meanwhile, Daesh terrorists are preparing an offensive on Syrian Arab Army positions near Aleppo, the bulletin said. "According to information obtained from Aleppo locals, there are a lot of terrorists in the populated areas of Al-Safirah, Marran, Shamir, Um Adasa, Dayr Antah. We can conclude that the terrorists are getting ready for the big offensive on the Syrian government army's position in Aleppo province," the bulletin read," the bulletin read. "He died as a hero," the spokesman said. The presence of Russian special forces, conducting target designation missions, was earlier confirmed by Colonel General Aleksandr Dvornikov, a deputy commander of the Central Military District in Russia and chief of Russia's campaign in Syria. "I won't deny that our Special Operations Forces (SOF) are deployed in Syria. They conduct ground reconnaissance of pre-selected targets for Russian warplanes, assist in targeting warplanes in remote areas and perform other tasks," the general said. "Take into account," he added, "that corresponding forces from the US and other members of the [US-led] coalition are performing similar missions in Syria." Moscow has acknowledged the deaths of 5 Russian military servicemen in Syria. The first was Vadim Kostenko, 19, who allegedly committed suicide because of a romantic attachment. On November 24, bomber pilot Oleg Peshkov died after being attacked by a US-made Turkish Air Force fighter jet. Alexander Pozynich, a marine who took part in Peshkov's rescue mission, was killed by terrorists. On February 3, an unnamed military counselor was reported killed in a mortar attack. Also killed in a bombardment was Sergey Chupov, a soldier with the Internal Troops of Russia. According to reports, the Russian Air Force stationed at Hmeimim conducted 41 sorties around Palmyra, hitting 146 terrorist military objects, between March 20-23. Over 320 militants, 6 command centers, and a number of vehicles were reported eliminated. Syrian troops on Thursday entered the ancient city of Palmyra, which had been controlled by Daesh since May 2015. Clashes were ongoing in the city at last report. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US Air Force ordered a $4.8 million contract to continue work on a counter electronics, high-powered microwave weapon to be carried on cruise missiles, the Raytheon Company announced in a press release. The US Air Force has awarded Raytheon Company $4.8 million to continue the Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile, known as CHAMP, aboard the Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM), the release stated on Wednesday. CHAMP is a payload that can disable adversaries' electronic systems, the release explained. "Russia's parliament," Sapunov stressed, "has long called for the establishment of a clear and strict international 'counterterrorism community'." Asked about the chances of such an organization actually being formed, the officer noted that "the voice of reason must be heard. Today one hears more and more comments, from politicians to professionals, on the need to combine our efforts." "The main goal is to prevent such attacks to work preventatively. Right now we are talking more about what has already happened. The attention of the special services must be concentrated on prediction and prevention. For this Europe's intelligence services have both the means and the capacity. I think that they have they have not lost their former mettle, and can counter the threat, if they work through their mistakes." At the same time, Sapunov suggested, a key component in this hidden war must be the fight against the criminal element. "Today, many point to the fact that the criminal environment, in Belgium in particular, has become a breeding ground for terrorism. Brussels and other European cities have seen the emergence of ethnic enclaves in which the police are simple afraid to show themselves." "But it's not just about the shortcomings of the security services. Often the problem lies in the fact that the law, or some other instructions, do not allow them to act do not allow them to work in these enclaves, in order not to offend any ethnic group's feelings." "European tolerance, cultivated by various public institutions, from the OSCE to PACE, has led to tragic consequences," the officer noted. "Of course, this does not mean that Europe should abandon its policy of tolerance, but it must work to change and to tighten up the tools used for counterterrorism, to create a clear front. This includes working against crime, and working among the youth." "When it is said that young people are easily, quickly and quietly radicalized, imperceptibly to the security services, this is simply nonsense. Outcasts and riff raff are present in any environment, and identifying them is not so difficult, if one wants to do so. Russian security services have a wealth of experience in such work. Therefore, today, without losing another second, it's necessary to join our efforts and share experiences." Kerry noted that the ceasefire agreement in Syria, reached with the help of the United States and Russia, has been holding. "The cessation of hostilities has largely held, not entirely," Kerry stated on Thursday. "The overall level of bombing and of shelling has decreased sharply." "We agreed today to build on recent gains by taking immediate steps to reinforce the cessation of hostilities, including by working to end the use of any indiscriminate weapons, to halt attempts by either side to seize new territory, and to finalize a common understanding for how this cessation can be institutionalized," Kerry stated. Russian Foreign Minister Segrei Lavrov also noted that Russia and the United States have agreed to continue the coordination of actions to consolidate the cessation of hostilities in Syria, as well as to prevent violations of the truce. "Thanks to our cooperation on such a basis it was possible to make serious progress in overcoming the Syrian crisis. Thanks to Russian-American initiative approved by presidents [Vladimir] Putin and [Barack] Obama a mechanism of international support for Syrian reconciliation was formed the so-called Syria Support Group," Lavrov said at a press conference with Kerry. Both Moscow and Washington call on all sides of the Syrian crisis to intensify efforts to release prisoners, the top Russian diplomat stressed. "Today weve agreed to build up on the March 14 telephone conversation between the [US and Russian] presidents and to continue coordinating actions in order to secure the cessation of hostilities regime, to curb violations of this regime," Lavrov said. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) All stakeholders in the Syrian peace initiative will be working in the coming days to get Syrian President Bashar Assad to fully engage in the dialogue for a political transition in the country, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a press conference in Moscow. All of us are going to try to get President Assad to make the right decision in these next days to engage in a political process that results in a genuine transition and in peace for Syria, Kerry said during a late night Thursday conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. During their meeting in Moscow, Kerry and Lavrov spoke extensively on areas of agreement between the United States and Russia aimed at achieving a diplomatic solution for the five year-old Syrian civil war. UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) A series of ballistic missile tests conducted by Iran in recent months do not violate the UN Security Council resolution endorsing a nuclear deal in July, Irans Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo said in a letter to the Council. "Security Council resolution 2231 does not prohibit legitimate and conventional military activities, nor does international law disallow them," Khoshroo wrote in the letter provided to the media on Thursday. "Iran's recent ballistic missile test launches were part of ongoing efforts of its armed forces to strengthen its legitimate defense capabilities." Earlier in March, Iranian state media reported that the countrys Revolutionary Guard Corps carried out ballistic missile launches as one of the last steps in verifying the capabilities of Iranian-produced missiles. . If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules . You will be able to participate again through:. If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article. The press release added that the participants of the panel session from both Russia and China paid special attention for cooperation between Moscow and Beijing companies in innovative and entrepreneurial sectors of their economies. Commenting on the outcome of the event, Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum Organizing Committee, noted that the event was constructive, having led to a number of agreements on further fostering partnership with the Chinese representatives during Russia's leading economic forums, SPIEF and the EEF. "We expect the Chinese delegation to be widely represented at our country's major economic forums. Our Chinese colleagues are showing a great deal of activity and interest in these events. On our part, we are also aiming for a continued and steady expansion of our bilateral partnership and the progression of Russian-Chinese relations, in light of new market conditions," Kobyakov concluded. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is an international economics and business event, which each year attracts over 10,000 political and business leaders, leading scientists, public figures and members of the media from all over the world to discuss the most pressing issues facing Russia and the global community. The 20th edition of SPIEF will take place on June 16-18, 2016, at a new venue, the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre. On March 22-25, the BFA is held in southern Chinese city of Boao. The forum, which brings together government, business, and academic representatives from a number of countries aims to strengthen economic integration in Asia. The Aist 2D satellite is equipped with scientific equipment for studying the parameters of the spacecraft's external environment (gases), as well as external factors influencing the materials used in the spacecraft, its hardware and the progress and results of various technical experiments that take place on spacecraft. The equipment package, developed and manufactured by the Institute of Space Device Engineering of the Samara State Aerospace University, consists of three devices: a mass-spectrometer monitor, a solar wind sensor and a gamma counter. "First, we'll see gas escaping the satellite, since its structures contain a good deal of organic materials, including resin and a laminate fabric base. In two to three weeks the satellite will be almost free of any gas, which will enable us to assess the levels of atomic oxygen, the strongest oxidant. In three to four months we will begin measuring the impact of solar activity and radiation," Igor Piyakov, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Space Device Engineering, said, as quoted in the press release. The research will cover the four main positions of the satellite in its orbit: facing the sun, when the device's temperature is at its highest, on the shade side, when the temperature is at its lowest, and during sunrise and sundown. Reducing the Cost of Space Materials Founded in 2014, the Denver-based company is seeking to create a 40-seat supersonic passenger jet capable of traveling from New Yor k City to London in about 3.5 hours. Round trip tickets are expected to cost roughly $5000, the price of an ordinary business class flight from New York to London. According to Boom founder Blake Scholl, "This isn't science fiction We're not using any technology that doesn't already exist; it is just putting it together in the right way." Based on popular 2016 estimates by industry analysts, Boom can pull off the ambitious task. The company recently hired 11 specialists formerly employed by major aerospace organizations, including NASA, Gulfstream Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman. Some of these employees took part in creating military jets, including the F-22 Raptor and the notorious F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Jackson explained that it was being pushed through as quickly as possible, calling it a bait-and-switch, and writing that no one was allowed to see it until the committee met. He said that legislators were given five minutes to read it, and that it was quickly passed before being debated on the House floor. It then worked its way through each required branch of state government in a single day. "Rather than expand nondiscrimination laws to protect all North Carolinians, the General Assembly instead spent $42,000 to rush through an extreme bill that undoes all local nondiscrimination laws and specifically excludes gay and transgender people from legal protections," detailed Sarah Preston, acting Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina, in a statement. The law was in response to a nondiscrimination ordinance adopted in the city of Charlotte, allowing people to use toilets that match with their gender identity. The new law requires all public places to discriminate against transgender people and takes away the rights of gays to sue an employer or business for discrimination. The state law stipulates that cities cannot legally protect their LGBT residents through the use of local legislation. The deal gives Ankara more than 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) and political concessions including the speeding up of Turkey's EU accession talks, in return for stopping illegal migration and taking back non-Syrian migrants who try to cross into Europe. In return, the EU has agreed to distribute Syrian refugees from camps in Turkey across Europe. "The EU demands that Turkey carry out fundamental constitutional and judicial reforms in quite complex areas. However, there is currently a war going on in towns in southeast Turkey, and within Turkey we are seeing a serious surge in Kurdish migration," Turkdogan warned. "Of course, when the level of migration within the country is so high, the EU is not going to exempt Turkish citizens from the visa requirement. For as long as Turkey does not resolve the Kurdish problem, a visa-free regime with the EU will remain a dream, because millions of Turkish citizens want to travel to Europe." A solution needs to be found to the Kurdish question and the Syrian crisis in order for the EU to reach a solution to migration and prevent terrorism, Turkdogan said. "If Turkey and the EU really want to stop these terrorist acts, then above all they need to change their Syrian policy as soon as possible." "It is clear that with regards to the Syrian problem and especially in relation to radical jihadist groups that Turkey and a set of EU countries continue to hold an ambiguous position." "On the one hand, they announce war on Daesh, on the other hand they prevent the defeat of fighters in Cerablus, which is right on the border with Turkey and through which fighters and suicide bombers travel." "Turkey and the Western countries not only don't take any action against them, they also don't allow others, particularly the Kurds, to attack them." "As long as no common plan is formulated and put in place to fight terrorists, the bombings, unfortunately, will continue," Turkdogan warned. In an interview with Sputnik, lawyer Fatemeh Sanaei Nasab of the Iranian Ministry of Justice said that the Swedish Supreme Court will probably say "yes" to Sharia Law being applied to prenuptial agreements in Sweden The interview comes as the court deals with at least two cases related to whether the Iranian legislation is valid in the country. In two separate cases, divorced husbands are at risk of being obliged to pay their former wives a hefty sum known as a mahr, or mandatory payment. Iranian brides receive it in the form of money or property from a groom or his father when a couple is married; the payment then legally becomes her property. In some cases, the bride must settle for an IOU. Some European banks have ruled themselves out of taking part in Russia's issue of $3 billion worth of Eurobonds this year because they are "unwilling to upset US and European authorities," who have imposed sanctions on Russian companies and individuals, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to the report, the authorities believe that the money could be used to offer financing to Russian companies that have been affected by sanctions, and have pressured banks in the EU and US not to participate. However, the Russian Federation is not a sanctioned entity, so US or EU banks would not be breaking the law if they ignored the pressure and took part in the sale. Staffan De Mistura suggests that all parties to the intra-Syrian talks agree that the Syrian government should have the exclusive right of controlling weapons of war in the country, according to a draft declaration of the Geneva talks obtained by Sputnik. "The state and it's reformed institutions will exercise the exclusive right of controlling weapons of war," the document, prepared by De Mistura, reads. UN Special Envoy for Syria suggests that all parties to the intra-Syria talks agree that a unified national army can include the members of the disarmed groups supporting the political transition in the country. "Syrians are committed to rebuilding a strong and unified national army, also through the disarmament and integration of members of armed groups supporting the transition and the new constitution," the document prepared by De Mistura reads. "There shall be no intervention by foreign fighters of Syrian soil," it adds. The parties affected by the five-year Syrian civil war shall be paid reparations, a draft declaration on the last day of the latest round of intra-Syrian talks stated. The subject is one of 12 points UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura defined and submitted to the parties for approval. "There shall be reparations, redress, care and restitution of rights and property lost for those who have suffered loss or injury in consequence of the conflict," the document titled "Essential Principles of a Political Solution in Syria" reads. It calls for the conference of Syrian donors to gain funds for compensations. The next round of talks between Syrian government and several opposition delegations is expected in April. According to reports, one of the bombs detonated at Brussels Airport on Tuesday exploded next to a check-in desk, and the second exploded close to the Starbucks coffee shop in the departure hall. The terrorists' third bomb was at Maelbeck Metro station, in the center of Brussels. "In Israel we are taking measures much further back, much further away from the airport itself and the check-in, before people get into the place. There are a few ways, but this is the main point." Assa said that security teams have to be aware of suspicious individuals, but so do ordinary members of the public. "The security has to locate the potential attacker before he attacks. So, the security personnel have to locate them before, with a lot of indicators that we can teach the security personnel to locate." "It is very easy to see that these three people (the terrorists at Brussels Airport) were carrying a trolley without any luggage. It's one indicator that everybody can see, that it's strange. That's one thing, but there are a lot of indicators that can (make) you suspect somebody, and he will be checked before he will be able to do anything." Assa said that in addition to the signs of an imminent terrorist attack, it is important to spot when a terrorist is making plans prior to carrying out an attack. "When we are talking about the behavior of the attacker, we know that he will not attack immediately. He needs to plan, he needs to be there, he needs to collect information. So, his first action surrounding us is not the attack itself; he will be with us long before." "Even when he will attack, it will take him a few minutes to prepare himself. This is the time that not just the security team, also members of the public can suspect somebody before he carries out an action, and when we are training security personnel, we are talking about the previous actions that somebody can take before he will attack." "Everybody from the public can be more aware of a few indicators, to suspect somebody, to call a policeman, and to check him." If a terrorist attack has not been prevented, there are also steps to bear in mind for the aftermath, Assa said. The statement also underlined that the crucial changes a person's brain undergoes over the first seven years of life depend on breastfeeding, opportunities to learn, and living in a safe environment all things children in warzones are often denied. "In addition to the immediate physical threats that children in crises face, they are also at risk of deep-rooted emotional scars," UNICEF's spokesperson Pia Rebello Britto said. "Conflict robs children of their safety, family and friends, play and routineYet these are all elements of childhood that give children the best possible chance of developing fully and learning effectively, enabling them to contribute to their economies and societies, and building strong and safe communities when they reach adulthood," she added. The number of children living in warzones has experienced a spike over the last few years, with the eruption of new conflicts across the Middle East. In another recent report, UNICEF underlined how one out of three kids in Syria which has been ravaged by chaos and civil war for six years has been exposed to the daily trauma of war since birth. On Wednesday, March 23, TrotPAC Chairman Anthony Perretti issued an open letter to the industry seeking financial support to aid in the organizations efforts to revitalize the Standardbred racing industry in the State of New Jersey. TrotPAC works in conjunction with the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey and is the official political action committee for New Jerseys harness racing industry. In the wake of recent changes at the SBOANJ, there has been some confusion over just where donations to the political action committee should be sent. The release states that, make no mistake, TrotPAC is the political action arm of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey and is duly sanctioned to raise and distribute revenues for the specific purpose of the betterment of the New Jersey Standardbred breeding and racing industry. This is done with the aid of the state industrys official lobbyists at Advocacy & Management Group, Inc., a firm active at the State Capitol in Trenton. The state legislature recently approved a referendum that will be on the ballot in November which will address the approval of casinos in northern area of the State of New Jersey. The harness racing industry will directly benefit by the establishment of gaming outside of Atlantic City, allowing the industry in New Jersey to finally have the opportunity to resurrect itself to a competitive level on par with our neighbouring states. The release states that if voters do not approve casino expansion in November, the states Standardbred programs, as we know them now and in the future, may not be sustainable. The release states that it is therefore imperative that TrotPAC continues to meet with legislators and gain their support. With help, legislators will be able to develop enabling legislation that will ensure the proper level of financial support for the Standardbred industry in New Jersey. The TrotPAC trustees will be reaching out in the near future to ask for your support. If you have questions regarding the upcoming election, the proposed casino operations, or the impact of the casinos on harness racing in New Jersey, please contact Perretti directly (contact information appears below) or contact the SBOANJ office. TrotPAC 64 Business Route 33 Manalapan, NJ 07726 Office: 732-462-2357 Cell: 609-273-5742 [email protected] [email protected] (With files from TrotPAC) A pair of $15,000 co-featured events quite literally serves as the centrepiece of a 12-dash live program at the Meadowlands Racetrack this Friday evening (March 25), and leading trainer Ron Burke will start a top contender in each. In the sixth event, a top-level conditioned pace for fillies and mares, the Burke stable's 19-time winner Sayitall BB will once again battle with Clear View Hanover, as well as eight others. Sayitall BB rises off a pillar-to-post 1:51.2 victory in which she held clear of pocket rival Clear View Hanover via a sharp :27.2 closing split. Joe Bongiorno will once again handle the driving duties aboard the five-year-old Tell All mare, and they will start from Post 3 as the lukewarm 7-2 morning line favourite. Clear View Hanover a winner at this level twice in her last five races drew one position to her inside as the 9-2 second choice, and Hall of Fame driver David Miller will take the lines of the Henrik Lundell trainee. The night's top distaff serves as the payoff leg of the Early Pick 4, which carries a $25,000 guaranteed pool. Just 20 minutes later, the $50,000 Late Pick 4 commences in the seventh event, a top-level conditioned trot with no shortage of talent. Burke trainee Its Huw You Know enters the race off back-to-back wins, most recently making much of the pace in a 1:55.2 Pocono triumph. David Miller is slated to the eight-time winner from Post 6 as the 7-2 second choice. Among those to square off against Its Huw You Know is B Yoyo (the 3-1 morning line favourite), who won at this level in mid-February before a pair of unsuccessful efforts in Open events. Bongiorno will drive the 17-time winner for trainer Richard Johnson from Post 4. Of note, four of the other six in the featured trot enter the race off winning efforts, including Mr Lover (to be driven by Andy McCarthy from Post 1), Dreams of Thunder (John Campbell, PP3), Scorcher Hall (Marcus Miller, PP5), and Saratoga invader Newcastle (Brett Miller, PP7). In addition to the two Pick 4s, the Pick 5 (composed of the first five races on the card) carries a $30,000 guaranteed pool. A pair of 20-cent Jackpot High 5 wagers in Race 5 and Race 12 boast carryovers of $9210 and $148,441, respectively. Fans on-track can enter to win a Florida vacation in Friday's Spring Break Sweepstakes, as well. First-race post time for the Meadowlands Friday card is 7:15 p.m. (EDT). (Meadowlands Racetrack) On Wednesday, March 23, the Ohio State Racing Commission adopted resolution (2016-05) which established thresholds and penalties for Cobalt violations, effective April 15, 2016, the day testing begins for Cobalt at all Ohio racetracks. They are as follows: Cobalt concentrations of less than 25 parts per billion of blood serum or plasma will have no penalty For Cobalt concentrations of 25 parts per billion or greater but less than 50 parts per billion of blood serum or plasma, the recommended penalty is a written warning For Cobalt concentrations of 50 parts per billion or greater of blood serum or plasma, the recommended penalty is a B penalty from the Association of Racing Commissioners Internationals Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances & Recommended Penalties & Model Rules Version 11.0 and are as follows: First Offence: minimum 15-day suspension, $500 fine and loss of purse; Second Offence: minimum 30-day suspension, $1,000 fine and loss of purse; Third Offence: minimum 60-day suspension, $1,000 fine and loss of purse and referred to the OSRC for further action Any Cobalt concentration exceeding 250 parts per billion of blood serum or plasma will be referred to the OSRC for further action For Cobalt concentrations of 25 parts per billion or greater of blood serum or plasma, the recommended penalty includes the placement of the horse on the Veterinarians List with removal from this list only after a blood test confirms that the Cobalt concentration is below 25 parts per billion of blood plasma or serum. Testing costs shall be paid by the owner(s) of the horse These offenses are for any Cobalt violation in any jurisdiction within any 365 day period. Horsemen who have recently claimed or acquired a horse are encouraged to consult their veterinarian and have their horse tested. Dr. James Robertson, OSRC consulting veterinarian, reported on the Ohio State University Cobalt Pilot Study, and said the Ohio Department of Agriculture Analytical Toxicology Laboratory has completed analysis of the blood samples for plasma Cobalt concentrations. The first publication from this study, an abstract entitled Intravenous administration of Cobalt chloride is associated with the hemodynamic alterations in horses will be presented at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine meeting in Denver, Colo., on June 9. Dr. Teresa Burns will present the abstract, which will be published in the meeting proceedings. Dr. Robertson added the study has documented high levels of Cobalt chloride administered intravenously can have serious toxic effects on the cardiovascular system of a horse. (OSRC) hidden For more than a month, federal investigators have insisted they have no alternative but to force Apple to help them open up a phone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. That changed Monday when the Justice Department said an outside party recently showed the FBI a different way to access the data on the phone used by Syed Farook, who with his wife killed 14 people in the Dec. 2 attack. The magistrate judge in the case postponed a hearing scheduled for Tuesday and gave the government two weeks to test its method. But federal officials have been mum about who came forward and what method theyve proposed. Here are some of the leading options outside experts think the FBI might be exploring. Backup and attack One likely scenario involves making multiple copies of the iPhones flash memory, which investigators could use to restore the phones data should they inadvertently trigger the phones self-destruct feature by making too many wrong guesses at the passcode. That feature doesnt actually erase all the files on the iPhone. Instead, it erases a section of the iPhones memory that contains one of the keys necessary to unlock the data on the phone. This section, known as the effaceable storage, sits in a memory chip that theoretically could be removed and plugged into a reader device thats capable of electronically copying whats stored on the chip _ and then replacing the data if its been erased. While the technique hasnt been proven for this purpose, forensic expert Jonathan Zdziarski said it was demonstrated in a widely circulated video that shows a Chinese smartphone vendor using a similar procedure to install more memory capacity on an iPhone. FBI Director James Comey was asked about the technique during a congressional hearing on March 1, but Comey didnt say directly whether the FBI had considered the approach. Reset the count A more nuanced approach would involve isolating the portion of the phones memory where the count of how many passcode attempts have been made is stored, said Ajay Arora, CEO and co-founder of Vera, an encryption software company. In theory, the person working on the phone would then be able to reset the count each time it approached 10, allowing investigators to make an infinite number of guesses. This is more technical and a little more difficult, because youd have to isolate the section, he said. Apple hasnt provided any maps to show where that data is stored. The main problem: The FBI would run the risk of losing information if something went wrong. Shane McGee, chief privacy officer at the FireEye cybersecurity firm, agreed that this kind of approach could potentially work. All the government really needs is the opportunity to do a very simple, brute-force attack, he said. De-capping Another approach, sometimes known as chip de-capping, calls for physically removing the casing of the iPhones processor chip, using acid or a laser drill. In theory, investigators could then connect electronic probes capable of reading the phones unique identification code bit by bit from the location where it is fused into the phones hardware. This method would also have to read the algorithm that combines that code with the user passcode to unlock the phone. Once they get that information, investigators could then load it onto another computer, where they can run thousands of attempts at guessing the passcode without worrying about triggering the auto-erase function on the phone itself. Forensic investigators have used similar procedures to read other kinds of data from computer chips, according to McGee. But experts say the process of physically dismantling a chip is technically demanding and has a high risk of causing damage that would make the data unreadable. A brand new 'zero day' Even a tiny flaw unknown to the softwares creator known as a zero-day vulnerability could potentially give the government, or someone else, a way in, said Jay Kaplan, CEO of Synack and an a former NSA counterterrorism researcher. Those exploits are considered valuable to hackers, who often sell them to others, and to intelligence agencies that use them for gathering data. It isnt clear if the government would share the information with Apple which might then try to fix the vulnerability or if the government would try to keep the information in its back pocket so it can be used for future cases, Kaplan said. While in theory its possible that investigators could go with some kind of brute-force attack, Kaplan thinks its more likely that the FBIs mystery assistant found a zero day instead. Theres plenty of them out there that vendors dont know about, Kaplan said. Regardless of the method, its going to be a pretty complex process, whether it involves a zero day or not. Im sure a lot of really smart people are working on the problem. AP tech2 News Staff Ringing Bells, the maker of what the company claims is the world's cheapest smartphone -- Freedom 251, has hit the news for the wrong reasons yet again. According to reports, an FIR has been registered by the Noida police against the top officials of Ringing Bells. Ibnlive.com reports that a case was filed under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint filed by Kirit Somaiya, BJP MP from Mumbai North-East. The report adds that the FIR was filed at Noida Phase 3 police station on Tuesday against the company promoter Mohit Goel and president Ashok Chaddha. The complaint mentions that Ringing Bells raised funds by issuing misleading ads and used social media to misguide the public. News site Mail Today, which claims it has a copy of the complaint, says that the MP accused the company of abusing the Tricolour too in the advertisements to misguide the buyers. Mohit Goel, director of Ringing Bells Pvt. Ltd said to the news site: "We remain committed to cooperate with any government agency that may require to inquire our organisation for any reason or suspicion. I do maintain that we will deliver the most affordable quality products to our customers through our various range of smart phones including the Freedom 251." Police sources also revealed to CNN-IBN that they have asked company officials to show them manufacturing units where the Freedom 251 mobiles were being manufactured or assembled. They add that police teams will visit these units, if they actually do exist. Police have also asked for company officials to submit essential documents. tech2 News Staff Today's Google doodle is celebrating the India festival of colour -- Holi, with what seems like coloured powder that is used in the actual festivities. As you hit the play button on the doodle, the logo comes alive with a splash of colour. "Today, people around the world will pelt each other with colored powder in celebration of Holi, the centuries-old holiday that is now celebrated throughout the world. Holi coincides with the beginning of Spring, and for many its an opportunity to indulge in the bright, colorful festivity of the new season. Our Doodle honors this tradition, and all those celebrating on this joyous day," explains Google's blog. Google has posted an animated GIF doodle on its home pages in India, Canada, Sweden, Latvia, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia. The same doodle was also posted on Google's Nepal home page on March 22 to celebrate the Holika festival, says this report. The report adds that unlike last year, there is no Holi doodle on the Google UK home page -- a country with a sizeable Indian origin population. Google UK is celebrating British design, arts and aesthetics prodigy William Morris' 182nd birth anniversary today. tech2 News Staff Software giant Microsoft is working towards building a new campus in Bengaluru with an investment of $1 billion. Seven months after taking over charge as the head of Microsoft, CEO Satya Nadella had a high level meeting with Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. According to a report in the Times of India, the meeting that took place on 29 September, 2014. In fact, such was the secrecy around the meeting that there was no trail left behind. Neither was the day marked in Nadella's calendar, nor were people close to the chief minister privy to the meeting. The report quotes a source that says it is expected that the new campus has the potential to create between 5000 to 7000 jobs. Currently, the 54-acre Hyderabad campus is the most prominent presence in India. It houses the software company's research and development, IT and global services. The report further adds that Microsoft employees close to 7000 people in India. The new campus effectively has the potential to double that number. The report adds that neither Microsoft nor the Karnataka IT Secretary confirmed the existence of such a plan by Microsoft. Last year, Google announced that it was setting up a larger campus in Hyderabad. It referred to it as the largest campus outside the US. Family meets Nizami at Kashimpur Jail UNB, Dhaka: Family members of condemned Jamaat-e-Islami leader Matiur Rahman Nizami met him at Kashimpur jail here on Thursday. Jail super of Kashimpur Jail part-2 Proshanto Kumar Banik said Nizami s wife Samsunnahar, his two sons -- Najibur Rahman and Naimur Rahman -- and three daughter-in-laws Subarna, Raiyan and Falua -- entered the jail gate around 12pm. They spent half an hour with him and got out of it around 12:30pm, said Proshanto Kumar. On January 6, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, upheld the death sentence of the Jamaat leader for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. On March 14, the Supreme Court released the full text of its verdict upholding the death penalty of Nizami. Later, a copy of the Appellate Divisions full verdict was sent to the registrars office of the ICT in the evening. The copy of the death warrant for Nizami was sent to the Dhaka Central Jail after the ICT issued the death warrant for Nizami for his war crimes on the day. The Dhaka jail authorities sent the death warrant copy to Kashimpur Jail on the same day as war criminal Nizami is being kept there. On March 15, the jail authorities read out the death warrant to Matiur Rahman Nizami at Kashimpur Central Jail. On October 29, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Nizami to death for committing crimes against humanity, including genocide and the murder of intellectuals, during the Liberation War. Nizami filed an appeal with the Supreme Court on November 23, 2014 challenging the death sentence and claimed himself innocent and sought to be cleared of the charges. Trump says Muslims not doing enough to prevent attacks Reuters, Washington : US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Muslims were failing to report suspicious activity and they must do more to help prevent attacks such as those that killed at least 30 people in Belgium. "When they see trouble they have to report it, they are not reporting it, they are absolutely not reporting it and that's a big problem," Trump said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday on Britain's ITV television. Related: At least 34 dead as explosions rock Brussels airport, subway Trump, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, said it was "a disgrace" that one of the suspects behind last November's attacks in Paris had been found after a long manhunt by police in an area of Brussels where he lived. "He was in his neighbourhood where he grew up and nobody even turned him in and supposedly this is retribution for that. It's a disgrace," he said. Also Read: Donald Trump calls for keeping Muslims out of US Trump said there were signs that an attack by suspected extremists in California in December, which killed 14 people, could have been stopped. "A lot of people in the community knew they were going to do it because in their apartment they had bombs all over the floor ... and they didn't report them," he said. "I don't know what it is. It's like they're protecting each other but they're really doing very bad damage. They have to open up to society, they have to report the bad ones." Punish Tonu killers CoU students demand The students and cultural activists of Comilla University stage a demonstration and formed a human chain at Kathaltala of CoU on Wednesday. CoU Correspondent : The students of Comilla University (CoU) formed a human chain at the university premises on Wednesday demanding the exemplary punishment for the murderers of Tonu, a Comilla Victoria College student. The speakers in the shackle questioned about the security measures of Cantonment area and urged the government for an objective investigation as early as possible. Later on, the students of Comilla University consolidated with the Victoria College and blockade the Dhaka-Chittagong highway that created a 50 km tailback for one hour. CoU Bangabandhu Parishad President NM Robiul Awal Chowdhury, BCL leader Eleas Hossen Sabuj, CoU unit BCL secretary Reza-E-Elahi, Theatre Comilla University, Protibartan, Anuprash Kanthacharcha Kendra and others social and cultural activists were also present at the demonstration. Earlier on Sunday evening, some unidentified miscreants gangbanged and murdered Shohagi Zahan Tonu, a 2nd year student and cultural activist of Comilla Victoria College Theatre at Oli Pur, a restricted area of Comilla Cantonment. The police recovered the dead body and sent it to the morgue for the postmortem. DPI celebrates Global Money Week' 2016 Campus Report : Daffodil Polytechnic Institute (DPI) celebrated "Global Money Week-2016" organized by CIFY, Bangladesh Board and Daffodil International University (DIU). Global Money Week was celebrated worldwide from 14-20 March 2016. Students took participation in different activities (seminar, money museum visit and essay writing competition) and also attended at "Youth Leadership Talk". They received medal and certificate from the guests at Dhaka University Senate Hall at the closing ceremony. Kabir Bin Anwar, Director General (Administration), Prime Minister's Office, A2I, was present as chief guest, Prof Dr Yousuf M Islam, Vice Chancellor, DIU, Rene Cuartero, Network Advisory Manager, Child and Youth Finance International, Prof Dr Md. Kamal Uddin, Treasurer, DU and Amena Hassan, National President, CYFI Bangladesh Board were present in the seminar and shared their opinions. DPI was the strategic partner on this event. BB to open media centre Economic Reporter : Bangladesh Bank (BB) will open a media centre at its headquarters in the city to provide necessary support for the journalists to cover the issues and events related to the country's central bank. Until opening of the media centre, the reporters will be allowed to enter the BB governor secretariat premises provided that they carry and show their professional ID cards after registering their names and names of their organisations at the reception, BB executive director and spokesperson Subhankar Saha told journalists on Thursday. He said the journalists of electronic media, however, would have the right of entry without their camera crew. Referring to the last two days of restriction to journalists' entry into the central bank headquarters, he said BB took the step in the interest of proper investigation into stealing of over $100 million from its account with Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Dutch IT firms keen to partner BD companies Economic Reporter : Dutch IT (information technology) companies have expressed their keenness to partner with Bangladeshi IT companies to seize opportunities evolving in Bangladesh. Dutch public agency CBI (Centre for the promotion of imports from developing countries), ITC, in association with Dutch IT consulting firms GPI Consultancy, Firstlife.net and iConnect-Tech organized a seminar in Amsterdam in the Netherlands recently and discussed the business collaboration. CBI is part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands Sheikh Mohammed Belal attended the seminar and highlighted the government's 'Digital Bangladesh' vision, according to a message received here from the Hague on Thursday. He urged Dutch IT companies to make inroads in Bangladesh taking advantage of the geo-strategic location, demographic dividend and IT-enabling infrastructure and facilities prevailing in Bangladesh. Ambassador Belal, through a presentation, highlighted the ongoing digital revolution and urged all to take advantage of the enabling environment in Bangladesh. Drawing their attention to the geo-strategic location of Bangladesh in between China and India, he asserted that the road to coming Asian century shall traverse through Bangladesh. Four Bangladeshi companies - Datasoft Systems Bangladesh Limited., Brain Station-23, Nascenia Limited and IMpulse (BD) Ltd. participated at the seminar. The top executives of the companies focused on their strength and outsourcing opportunities in Bangladesh while the prospective Dutch companies expressed their keenness on partnering with their Bangladeshi partners with the motto of growing together. Sweety gets relieve in her hometown Sheikh Arif Bulbon :When she manages time viewers choice popular TV actress and model Tanvin Sweety goes to her hometown Muksedpur in Gopalganj along with family. Though she was born in Dhakas Dhanmondi area Sweety has a soft-corner about her hometown. When she feels bad time she shows interest to go to Muksedpur to get relieve. As a part of her experiences, she along with her brother and sister went to Muksedpur yesterday.While talking in this regard Sweety told this correspondent, If I get the opportunity, I go to Muksedpur. Now I am passing free times. For this reason, I have shown interest to go to my fathers residence in Muksedpur along with my siblings. Now my father is not alive. But I really feel him when comes to his residence. I get relieve there. I will return to Dhaka on Saturday.Sweety mentioned that she lost her father Abdul Motalib in November 2014. She is passing days with her mother, six sisters, two brothers and husband Ripon now. Sweety always feels that only for the viewers and fans she has come into this position. Only for them she has become todays Sweety to all. Always smiling face Sweety is working in a drama serial titled Housewives now. Directing by Akram Khan the serial is being aired on Maasranga TV now. Recently her serial Lake Drive Lane telecasted on NTV. Sweety informed that she has no intention to work round the month like previous times. But if she gets good story and director she can work.It may be mentioned that Sweety started her career in media in 1991. She first performed as a model in a TV commercial of Diamond Brand Oil under the direction of Afzal Hossain. She came into limelight to perform in that TVC. Later she also worked in many TVCs. She first worked in a TV play titled Swapner Prithibi with late superstar Salman Shah in 1995. Sweety acted first TV serial was Na, which was directed by Kayes Chowdhury. Biometric SIM regn must by Apr 30: Tarana BSS, Chittagong :State Minister for Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology Tarana Halim yesterday called upon the subscribers to complete their biometric SIM registration by April 30.She emphatically said all unregistered SIMs will be blocked in phases after the stipulated time frame."The fingerprint for SIM registration is meant for online verification. There is no way that it would leak out of the National Identification Number (NID) database," she added. She said, "There is no scope to go slow as this is of high priority, and we will be tough on the issue."The government plans to biometrically verify all active SIMs - 13.32 crore in number as of April,30, Tarana told journalists after inaugurating Ericsson Chittagong office and Internet of Things (IOT) Portal at Hotel Agrabad yesterday afternoon. The state Minister said subscribers will now have to provide fingerprints for buying SIM cards while owners of previously issued SIMs will have to register in the new process by April 30.So far, 42 percent of SIM cards have come under biometric registration and verification, she replied to a question. The government launched mandatory biometric SIM registration system for all cell phones in November last year to curb terrorism, militancy and crimes in the country.The Telecommunications Minister has warned the retailers that the government will cancel their licenses if they failed to carry out biometric registration of SIM by the stipulated time.The state minister said Teletalk is also considering a fourth generation mobile network project of TK 4,600 crore, which is now under evaluation of the Planning Commission. The government has Planned to expand network coverage of Teletalk, increase the number of base stations, for catching more subscribers, she said.The operator currently has 3,750 base stations, of which only 1,562 are 3G sites. Teletalk has covered 476 upazilas with the 2G technology but their 3G coverage is available in only 95 upazilas to date, she said .However, Tarana said they will look for new investment from outside the company before moving to a 4G project if the investment is not found from the government."Digital Bangladesh by 2021" is just not an election manifesto of Bangladesh Awami League; it is a dream. Ericsson is our main partner in building sustainable telecommunications backbone, I would like to thank Ericsson for working hard," she added. She said Bangladesh has a great opportunity to leverage the communication benefits with global transformation that is occurring and take advantage of increasing productivity.She hoped Ericsson, with its global technology and service leadership will bring in new technology that can benefit Bangladesh as a whole". Managing director of Ericsson Bangladesh Limited Mr. Raj presided over the inaugural function addressed among others by Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry Imran Ahmad, MP, Ambassador of Sweden Johan Frisell, Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh General Secretary TIM Nurul Kabir and Teletalk Managing Director Gias Uddin Ahmed. Protest on campuses all over SM Mizanur Rahman :Cross section of people staged demonstrations in different educational institutions across the country on Thursday as the law enforcers have failed to detect and nab the criminals, who were involved in the killing of Comilla Victoria College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu, even after four days.A second year student of History Department of Comilla Victoria College and member of Victoria College Theatre, Tanu was found dead in a bush beside a culvert inside the Comilla Cantonment area on Sunday night. According to locals, her (Tanu) head was smashed. She might have been raped before the murder, they alleged. Meanwhile, students, general people, and leaders and activists of different socio-cultural organisations staged demonstrations, formed human chain and held protest rallies yesterday demanding immediate arrest and trial of the killers of Tonu. When contacted Additional Police Super of Comilla Ali Ashraf said they could not detect the killers yet. However, he said, they are trying their best to apprehend the killers. "At first we will have to be confirmed that who were involved in such gruesome murder as the incident took place inside the Cantonment. Besides, we are now busy on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway to keep the traffic smooth," he told The New Nation. He said following a demonstration in Comilla town yesterday, vehicular movement in the town came to a halt for about two hours. "We have assured the demonstrators of identifying the killers soon," he added The following day on Monday, her father Year Hossain filed a murder case with the local police station. Four days have already been elapsed but police have failed to arrest anybody in connection with the killing. "We couldn't arrest anyone yet," said Abdur Rob, Officer-in-Charge of Comilla Kotwali Police Station.In Comilla, over 35,000 people, including students of Comilla Government College, Comilla Government Women's College and different other educational intuitions and cultural organizations, formed a human chain centering Kandirpar Pubali Chattar at around 10:00am demanding the capital punishement of the killers, blocking several roads leading to it.Leaders of different political parties and members of cultural organizations expressed solidarity with the demonstrators.Talking to reporters, Victoria College theatre former president Al Amin said they will continue their movements until the killers are arrested. The victim Tonu was also known as a theatre activist.They will also light candles at Kandirpar in the evening, protesting the murder. The demonstrators also submitted separate memorandums to Comilla Deputy Commissioner and Police Super in this regard. Our DU Correspondent adds; general students of Dhaka University yesterday formed human chain demanding immediate arrest of the killers of Tonu. They also demanded exemplary punishment to the criminals involved in the brutal murder so that 'no one could dare to think of doing such a barbaric act against women in the future.'In a protest rally at Aparajeo Bangla premises of Dhaka University, the student leaders termed as 'shocking and shameful' the alleged gang rapes of 19 years old college girl Sohagi Jahan Tonu in Comilla Cantonement area. "It is shameful for the whole nation as none has been arrested yet after four days of the incidents,' he added.Meanwhile, Ganajagaron Mancha also staged demonstration and brought out a torch lit procession in front of the National Museum in the city.Focusing on the culture of impunity, Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker said violence against women has increased because of government's ignorance.Our JnU Correspondent adds: the teachers and students of the Jagannath University formed a human chain in front of the University liberation war sculpture on Thursday and demanded capital punishment to Tonu's killers.The human chain was formed under the banner of the 'Students Welfare Association of Comilla Zilla, JnU' led by Zahirul Islam Raj and Ashraful Islam.JnU Teachers Association President Professor Dr Kazi Saifuddin, Assistant Professor of Islamic History and Culture Department Abu Salh Sekander, and JnU Chief Engineer Sukumer Chandra Saha spoke at the programme.They expressed deep concern over the security in Cantonment area. They also urged the concerned authorities to conduct a proper investigation into the killing and ensure capital punishment of the killers.Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (SCF) of Jagannath University unit brought out a silent protest procession and formed a separate human chain in this regard. JnU SCF President Mehrab Azad and General Secretary Kishorre Kumar addressed the rally.In Rajshahi, teachers and students of Rajshahi University formed a human chain in front of the Central Library demanding immediate arrest and trial of the killers of Sohagi Jahan Tonu.Students of Chittagong University also formed a long human chain yesterday protesting the incident. In Sylhet, students of MAG Osmani Medical College staged demonstrations and formed a human chain in front of Central Shaheed Minar demanding immediate arrest of the criminals, who were involved in killing of Tonu.Bangladesh Nari Mukti Kendra in a statement strongly protested the law enforcers' role as the killers have not been identified and nabbed yet. "We are demanding immediate arrest of the killers. We want justice," Sima Dutt, President of Nari Mukti Kendra said. The Black Night Horror of March 25 still haunts people Staff Reporter : The nation will recall the 'Black Night of March 25' today (Friday) in commemoration of the cowardly attack and unleashing large scale genocide on the unarmed sleeping Bangalees by the barbarous Pakistani occupation forces in 1971. On the fateful night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta in the guise of a mock dialogue had resorted to genocide in Dhaka city, the provincial capital of the then East Pakistan, to implement their blueprint to negate the Awami League's election mandate of 1970. In their dreadful operation dubbed as 'Operation Searchlight', the Pakistani occupation forces mercilessly killed the Bangalee members of EPR (East Pakistan Rifles), police, students and teachers as well as thousands of common people in Dhaka city. Pakistan occupation army used tanks and artillery against the Bangalee. They went on rampage in Dhaka University area and killed the intellectuals, teachers and students mercilessly. They not only killed the general people but also tortured, looted and raped a lot that night. In the wake of military crackdown, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who became the undisputed leader of the then Pakistan following his party Awami League's massive victory in the 1970 general elections, declared independence of Bangladesh through EPR wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 (the night following March 25) in 1971 from his historic Road-32 residence at Dhanmondi in Dhaka. The father of the nation Bangabandhu in his message said, "This may be my last message, from today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh wherever you might be and with whatever you have, to resist the army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistan occupation army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved." Later, the Pakistani military junta, in a bid to stop the legitimate movement of the Bangalees, arrested Bangabandhu on that night following his declaration of the country's independence. Later, Bangabandhu was taken to the then West Pakistan where he had to spend long nine months in a dark condemned cell of a Pakistani jail. The night of massacre on March 25 in 1971, was a complete military operation by Pakistan occupation forces. This was one of very few military operations in post-World War-II history, which ultimately had been planned against civilians, just to kill a smart percentage of them and to scare the survivors. The concept of 'Operation Searchlight' was inspired by the My Lai massacre that US Army carried out in Vietnam. The March 25 atrocities carried out by Pakistani military junta triggered the struggle for independence. Following the declaration of independence by Bangabandhu, the whole nation, except a few pro-Pakistani elements, joined the War of Liberation that lasted long nine months. And ultimately Bangladesh was freed from the Pakistani occupation forces with their surrender at the Race Course Maidan, later renamed as Suhrawardy Udyan, on December 16 in 1971. Different political parties and socio-cultural organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes in observance of the Black Night to pay deep homage to the martyrs marking the day. Meanwhile, International War Crimes Mass Trial Committee (IWCMTC) raised a demand for declaring "March 25" as the "International Genocide Day". IWCMTC has taken up extensive programmes for March 25, including exhibition of photographs on that fateful day on Manik Mia Avenue from 10:00 am, discussion and cultural programme at 4:00 pm, paying tributes to all the victims of genocides and lighting up thousands of candles in the evening. It was terrible night. The Pakistani junta started roaming the city streets. The tanks and cannons were shelling. The frightened city dwellers remained their doors closed and light switched off. The shelling and firing continued till Fazr prayers, many survivors shockingly recollect the horror that still haunt them. BNP leader killed in Jessore Jessore Correspondent :A leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was stabbed to death at Lohapatti in Jessore town on Wednesday night. The BNP Thursday held protest procession in Jessore town carrying the body. The dead was identified as Ferdaus Hossain, 52, assistant organizing secretary, Jessore district unit BNP and son of Amin Uddin of Birampur under Kotwali Police Station. Eyewitnesses and police said Ferdaus was wounded critically as he was stabbed by a youth over a sudden feud at Lohapatti at around 9:30pm on Wednesday. He was then rushed to Jessore Medical College Hospital and died there at around 10pm. Dr Waheduzzaman Azad, Assistant Registrar, Jessore Medical College Hospital, declared him dead at around 10pm. Jessore district and town unit BNP brought out protest procession in Jessore town with the body after his post mortem on Thursday noon. Ilias Hossain, officer in-charge, Kotwali police station told The New Nation on Thursday that no case was lodged in this connection.Syed Saberul Haque Sabu, General Secretary, Jessore district unit of BNP said, that the miscreants stabbed the BNP leader to death. Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam seeks quick extradition BBC Online : Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has changed his mind and will not fight extradition from Belgium to France, his lawyer says. Abdeslam is one of the key suspects in November's Paris attacks which left 130 people dead. He was arrested and wounded in a police raid on Friday in Brussels. On Tuesday, suicide bombs in Brussels killed 31 people. The attacks are thought to be linked to the Paris attacks network and Abdeslam's arrest. So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it was behind both attacks. Abdeslam's lawyer, Sven Mary, told French media he "wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible" so he could "explain himself in France". Mr Mary had previously said Abdeslam, a 26-year-old French national born in Belgium, intended to fight extradition to France. The Belgian interior and justice ministers, Jan Jambon and Koen Geens, have offered to resign over the attack - but Prime Minister Charles Michel refused to accept their resignation, Belgian media said. Turkey said on Wednesday that it had warned that one of the Brussels attackers, Brahim el-Bakraoui, was a foreign fighter, but its warning had been "ignored" by Belgium. Abdeslam did not have prior knowledge of the Brussels bombings and had stopped co-operating with police following the attacks, Mr Mary said. A court hearing on Thursday on the detention of Abdeslam and two other suspects has been postponed until 7 April. Meanwhile, the director of the EU's police agency, Europol, has told the BBC the network of jihadists in Europe is "more extensive than perhaps we first feared". Robin Wainwright said there were concerns over "a community of 5,000 suspects that have been radicalised in Europe, that have travelled to Syria and Iraq for conflict experience, some of whom - not all - have since come back to Europe". Belgium's health minister has said that scores of people remain in intensive care following Tuesday's suicide bomb attacks in Brussels. Maggie de Block said that of about 300 wounded people, 61 were still in a critical condition, and she suggested that the death toll could rise further. Brahim el-Bakraoui blew himself up in the attack at Zaventem airport that killed 11 people, while his brother Khalid struck at Maelbeek metro station, where 20 people died, prosecutors said. Unconfirmed reports say another of the airport attackers was the wanted jihadist Najim Laachraoui, whose DNA was found on explosives linked to last year's attacks in Paris. The third suspected airport attacker has not been identified yet and is on the run. Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said the third suspect, who was wearing a hat in CCTV footage from the airport, had left a bag containing "the biggest bomb", which later partially exploded after police had evacuated the terminal, injuring no-one. Meanwhile, police sources have told Belgian and French media that police are seeking a second suspect in the suicide attack on the metro. One source told AFP news agency that a man with a large bag had been seen beside Khalid el-Bakraoui on surveillance footage at Maelbeek metro station. Belgian media say police have issued a sketch of the suspect's face. EU interior and justice ministers are due to hold a crisis meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss their response to the bombings. Balloting ends in SC Bar polls BSS, Dhaka :Balloting in the two-day polls to the Supreme Court (SC) Bar Association has ended yesterday afternoon."A total of 3,921 voters out of the 5,028 members to cast their ballots exercised their voting rights," Barrister Ragib Rouf Chowdhury told newsmen at around 5.40 pm. Voters casted their ballots through 43 booths set up at the Shaheed Shafiur Rahman Auditorium at the Supreme Court Bar Association.A seven-member sub-committee is looking after the whole voting affairs with advocate Harunur Rashid as its convener. A total of 32 candidates are vying for seven secretarial posts and seven executive body members. Of these 32, three are vying for the post of president, four for vice-president, four for secretary, two for treasurer, five for assistant secretary and 14 for members.Pro-Awami League Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad is contesting, under White Panel, with senior jurists Yusuf Hossain Humayun and Azhar Ullah Bhuiyan for the posts of president and general secretary.Pro-BNP-Jamaat candidates Joynul Abedin and Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan, under Blue Panel, are contesting for the posts of president and general secretary. Catch our thieves for knowing truth: Foreign trips futile Editorial Desk: The mystery behind the stealing of US$ 101 million from Bangladesh Bank account with Federal Reserves in New York is yet to be resolved. CID and other intelligence units are trying to unearth the identity of persons who may have facilitated the heist from within Bangladesh Bank. It is almost certain that some people inside the central bank created the space for cyber thieves to know the money transfer system first before they put the electronic transfer orders. Who may be those culprits to have joined hands with cyber thieves from abroad?Meanwhile a CID team is also planning to visit Philippines next week to know more about the people who were involved from the other side of the money heist. Many wonder what role a law officer of the Attorney General Office may have in it. Bangladesh Ambassador is enough to take care of the matter on the Philippines side. But question arises when the thieves are hiding with all probability inside Bangladesh Bank, why there is so haste to go on a visit to Philippines to look for the thieves. In our view the thieves are here, our money was stolen using the computers here and we must identify and catch them here. The Philippines government will catch their thieves. In fact the central bank of Philippines and that country's Anti-Money Laundering Council have already initiated action against banks and cyber thieves. They will do their job; we must expedite our search here. Any foreign visit to nab the culprits may be justified only when our local investigations will probe that there is no culprits sitting under cover. There is no justification to take up expensive trip abroad at this moment. There is also plan to visit USA and Sri Lanka by the probe committee, which however appears giving the visiting opportunity to many wasting state money exploiting the case. Moreover when the Philippines government has already said almost all money has ended in the casinos and there is no scope to retrieve it, there is no justification of such visit as well. The Senate blue ribbon committee of the Philippines on hearing the case last week has observed that there is a clear link between BCRC Bank and the cyber thieves on their end. Similarly there is a quite legitimate suspicion in Bangladesh that these thieves also acted with thieves inside Bangladesh Bank to commit the heist.What is important is why the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance is not opening hearing on the money heist, which has not only caused huge loss of fund, but also lost the country's image as an incapable nation failing to protect its wealth.In our view the hearing by the Standing Committee is overdue and there is a big question why such initiative is not in sight. The Philippines Senate has done it, why not our Parliamentary Body is taking interest in it. News reports said, CID has seized 50 computers which were used by officers in the back office of the dealing room of the accounts and budget departments, foreign exchange transfer departments, security and information technology departments of Bangladesh Bank. They are conducting forensic tests of the computers in which some other technical service providers are also cooperating. Preliminary revelations showed cyber thieves installed suspicious malware into Bangladesh Bank's operational system on January 24. Then on January 29, they installed an advanced background monitor into the system and carried test run to see how it operates and how the transfer order will be carried out. They use three sophisticated tolls into the SWIFT operational system, which is highly secretive to make payment orders. It is not understandable why serious efforts are not being made to catch our thieves for knowing the whole truth? Instead the government is organising foreign trips and arranging legal action abroad. For any legal action, we have to prove our innocence. So first catch our thieves. Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes. What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection? Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were. Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly. Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection: You get to see exactly what will happen to your money When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor. Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on. A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with. You find out about potential major repairs Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing. If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately. You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home. Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly. You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best. This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit. Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home. You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home. You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price. You can sell your home faster and for more money If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are. In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price. Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for. Your home will hold its value longer As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property. When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home. You can make smart decisions about property investments Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property. If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal. There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about. If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing. They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit. You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for. For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money. You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building. You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure. Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so. As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process. CARBONDALE U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack discussed the significance of agriculture as part of the Ward Morton-David Kenny Lecture Series for the Department of Political Science and Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. A very few people fully understand and appreciate what the Department of Agriculture does, Vilsack said. I think if I had a dollar for every time someone said 'I didnt know you did that at the USDA,' I would probably be a wealthy fellow. In his address, Vilsack discussed agricultural impact on national security, energy security, environmental security, and the ability individuals have within multiple domains of agriculture. "I think what Ill do is hopefully paint a different picture, an exciting and innovative picture, of agriculture so that young people who are looking for opportunities will understand that theres many ways to make a difference in agriculture," Vilsack said. He further highlighted Purdue University's research into available openings in agriculture. "Purdue University just did a study not long ago about the number of openings that are available in agriculture related jobs," he said. "They concluded that there were roughly between 57,000 and 60,000 jobs that are going to be available to young people who are graduating college in the very near future." According to Vilsack there's a tremendous amount of interest in agriculture, but the field needs more young individuals involved, and in the farming business. Its an extraordinary place to be, and an extraordinary time in agriculture, he said. The former Iowa governor also shared information regarding his trip to Cuba. "We had a chance to sign an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), which was historic, with the ministry of agriculture in Cuba," he said. According to Vilsack, the US holds 10 to 15 percent of the market. So theres tremendous opportunity," Vilsack explained. "And this MoU, I think, will help us establish a foundation, and a center for relationships that will enable us to do more business down there in the near future." He shared his opportunity to meet with customers in Chile and Peru to figure out a way to get basic information about the market, and make it available to their economy groups. "We have check-offs and we have marketing orders that create funds every year from a self-assessment the producers provide," Vilsack explained. "We have authorized the use of those self-assess funds for purposes of research and education in that market." The lecture marked the 39th for the series, that was established by Jerome Mileur, an alumnus of SIU, in which speakers of achievement and reputation in American government are invited to lecture on the campus each year. The following editorial appeared in Wednesday's Washington Post President Barack Obama concluded his groundbreaking trip to Cuba with a speech to the island's people that celebrated democracy in the presence of Raul Castro, leader of a decaying system of authoritarianism and control. A bright future for Cuba, Obama declared, "depends on the free and open exchange of ideas." He said that "citizens should be free to speak their mind without fear," and free "to organize, and to criticize their government, and to protest peacefully, and that the rule of law should not include arbitrary detentions of people who exercise those rights." He added, "And yes, I believe voters should be able to choose their governments in free and democratic elections." None of this exists in today's Cuba, and the real question about Obama's thaw with the nation is whether serious change will come any sooner - or at all - because of his rapprochement. Obama admonished Castro, "You need not fear the different voices of the Cuban people - and their capacity to speak, and assemble, and vote for their leaders." He described American democracy as imperfect but reminded the Cuban people and their ruler that its strength is open debate. "It's healthy," he said. "I'm not afraid of it." Castro clearly is. Obama met privately with a group of dissidents, many of whom have felt the United States ignored them in recent months as it made concession after concession without winning any reduction in Cuba's assault on human rights. Among those he met were Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in White, a group that was formed by relatives of victims of a regime crackdown more than a decade ago, and Antonio Rodiles, a courageous exponent of democracy who has been detained and beaten for his views. Dozens of other political dissenters were not present because they are still in prison. A truculent Castro responded to a serious question about political prisoners by asking, "What political prisoners?" Before Obama arrived, protesters were again detained; the Internet remains highly restricted; political plurality does not exist. Obama insisted he was not seeking regime change, hailed Cuba's education and health systems and lavished praise on Cuba's entrepreneurs. He left much unsaid about the overweening socialist system, the ubiquitous secret police and the regime that still dominates so much of Cuban life. Will the regime be enhanced or undermined by Obama's policy shift? Does the effective end of the embargo give a lift to Cuba's rulers, or infect the population with a yearning to throw off the suffocating diktat? The real test of Obama's thaw is not to be found in the pomp and circumstance of his visit, but in whether it leads to a Cuba that is freer and more open after Air Force One has departed. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Azerbaijan's Southern Gas Corridor Company printed its $1bn 10year bond on Thursday 80bp back of the sovereign curve, benefiting from an explicit state guarantee, Global Capital agency reported. Initial price thoughts for the 10 year bond were released at 7% yield area on Thursday morning, but leads UniCredit, Citi and JP Morgan were unable to move pricing tighter before pricing in line with that level later in the day, said in report. The bond was sold at 99.112 with a coupon of 6.875%. Demand was largely driven by investors in the UK and US. Azerbaijani government held a bond roadshow for the Southern Gas Corridor on international market in March 10-16 at main world financial centers - London, New-York and Boston. Three manager banks, namely, Citibank, JP Morgan, and Unicredit have been chosen for the bond issuance. Fitch Ratings has assigned CJSC Southern Gas Corridor's (SGC) senior unsecured Eurobonds a 'BB+(EXP)' expected foreign currency long-term rating. The Southern Gas Corridor projects (SGC) net financial needs for operations and capex will be close to $8.4 billion in 2016-2019, said the message of the international ratings agency Fitch Ratings. The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey. At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijans Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage. Turkish foreign minister met the U.S. deputy secretary of state in the Turkish capital Ankara Wednesday during which both sides emphasized on enhancing cooperation in the fight against terrorism, diplomatic sources toldAnadolu Agency. Mevlut Cavusoglu and Antony Blinken also discussed bilateral ties, regional and global developments as well as Syria, Iraq and Cyprus issues in the meeting. Recent terrorist attacks in Turkey and Belgium also came up during the exchange of views, sources added. Tuesdays Brussels bombings at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station killed 31 people and injured 260 others. Earlier in the day, Cavusoglu told TGRT Haber private broadcast channel that two Turkish citizens injured in the Brussels attack were now in good condition. On March 13, a car bomb attack in Ankara left 36 people dead. Previously, the Turkish capital was struck by suicide bomb attacks in February and October, which left over 130 people dead. Istanbul has also been targeted by two suicide bombings this year, with the last one on March 19, leaving four people dead. Turkish authorities have accused Daesh, the PKK and the PYD terrorist groups for the attacks. Cavusoglu and Blinken also discussed details about the agreement on refugees between Turkey and the EU. Israel wants to normalize relations with Turkey, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, the Turkish TV channel Kanal7 reported March 24. He said that Israel has always maintained a policy of rapprochement with Turkey. On March 23, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the first phone conversation in recent years with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin expressed Turkey's readiness to cooperate with Israel in the fight against terrorism. Relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated after the Freedom Flotilla incident in 2010, when a convoy of six ships, including one under Turkey's flag, tried to approach the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and activists on board. The flotilla was blocked and stormed by Israeli forces, with eight Turkish citizens being killed. Earlier, Erdogan said Israel should apologize for the Freedom Flotilla incident, pay compensation to the families of those killed and end the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) said over 80 per cent of the construction work at the Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City has been completed and is due for handover this year, said a report. The Dh4-billion ($1.08 billion) medical city is coming up in the Al Mafraq area of the UAE capital over a 300,000-sq-m area, reported the state news agency Wam. It will boast 732 hospital beds, two royal and 36 VIP suites besides parking facilities that can accommodate 1,610 cars, mostly as covered parking, it stated. On completion, the facility will be handed over to Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha). With several operating rooms and departments for emergency, intensive care, maternity, a medical research center, 132 beds for cases referred to intensive care, including a neonatal intensive care unit, the medical city is poised to become one of the largest intensive care medical facilities at the regional level, stated the report. It consists of several buildings, including the main hospital building, external clinics building and utility buildings. The medical city boasts of two helipads and large external landscapes carefully designed following a special study to ensure comfort and tranquility and provide an appropriate healing environment, it added. Westcon-Comstor Security Practice will participate and showcase its latest innovations and services at the Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (GISEC) 2016, to be held next week in Dubai, UAE. The event will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from March 29 to 31. Westcon Group is an international networking and IT services group, comprising two main business practices, Comstor and WestconME, focused on convergence, infrastructure, security and identification products and services. The company will showcase its recently ramped up services solutions portfolio as well as the latest innovations in the security space from two of its key vendor partners Kaspersky Lab and Firemon, said a statement from the company. Over the past months Kaspersky Lab has published a number of security related reports including the annual Mobile Virusology report and the DDOS Intelligence Report for Q4 2015 and the company experts are ready to educate GISEC event attendees about the key findings of the studies and how regional companies can better protect themselves against todays cyber threats, it added. Ovanes Mikhaylov, managing director in the Middle East, Kaspersky Lab, said: The conference is a great opportunity for us together with Westcon-Comstor Security Practice to communicate with businesses of the region, share our insights and show a comprehensive platform of Kaspersky Lab solutions and services. Our security reports have brought to light valuable information that will give IT decision makers in the Middle East an insight into the latest threats. Among the most dangerous threats in 2015 were ransomware, malware capable of obtaining unlimited rights on an infected device, and data stealers, including financial malware, he said. We also saw an increase in sophistication of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks with new attack channels used by cybercriminals to disable resources. At the event, we aim to help companies tackle the menace that these threats pose, he added. At GISEC, we are keen to share the above insights as well as demonstrate our comprehensive set of security solutions for the enterprise as well as SMBs including endpoint, virtualisation, mobile, data centre and industrial security, DDoS protection, fraud prevention, anti-targeted attack and security intelligence services, Mikhaylov said. Firemons best-in-class security solutions will also be demonstrated at the Westcon-Comstor stand at GISEC. The company helps organizations find, correct and ultimately avoid gaps in their existing network security infrastructure, said a statement. James Frost, sales director Middle East and Africa (MEA) at Firemon, said: A recent report from Gartner entitled Network Security Policy Management Solutions Have Evolved highlights the growing importance of network security policy management technologies from vendors like our company in the light of networks growing in size and complexity. The FireMon Proactive Security Intelligence Platform gives security decision makers key management and operations data to reduce risk and provide appropriate levels of access, he said. Westcon-Comstor has ramped up its services solutions practice over the past year. This is in line with the companys global vision of demonstrating leadership in the distribution space by providing a comprehensive portfolio of services including support services, professional services, education services and supply chain services. The services solutions portfolio will be discussed at GISEC with event attendees. Steve Lockie, group managing director at Westcon-Comstor Middle East, said: Services represents a key element of the companys growth strategy. The distribution landscape today has changed in the context of technology trends like cloud, virtualisation, big data, mobility and software-defined everything, where vendors and the channel expect distributors to be able to support them and their customer base by being an independent supplier of services. The services offering is represented by four pillars: support services, professional services, education services and supply chain services. In terms of technical support, the company has the capability to deliver proactive monitoring support capabilities across multiple vendors and multiple technologies. Tailored support packages include 24/7 hotline support, on-site support, device monitoring where a customers device is proactively monitored 24/7 and potential failures are communicated to avoid reaching an alarm situation and monitoring of customers services, said the statement. The services team in the Middle East now has nine dedicated personnel. The division can tap into a huge resource pool of over 400 engineers with a broad range of skill sets across the group globally, operating in over 70 countries and six continents, it added. TradeArabia News Service Oshkosh Defense, a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services, has won an order worth $243 million from the US Army for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme. The company is a unit of Oshkosh Corporation, a leading industrial company that designs and builds specialty trucks, military vehicles, truck bodies and access equipment. The order, which will serve both the US Army and Marine Corps, includes 657 vehicles, 25 trailers, 2,977 installed kits and related support, said a statement from the company. The JLTV programme remains a top priority for the Department of Defence, filling a critical capability gap for the US Army and Marine Corps by replacing a large portion of the legacy up-armored HMMWV fleet with a modern light protected vehicle. The JLTV provides unprecedented protection and off-road mobility, as well as transportability via air, land and sea. The production contract calls for Oshkosh to deliver a total of nearly 17,000 vehicles, as well as kits and services over an eight-year period with first vehicle delivery in October 2016. The vehicles, trailers and installed kits for this order will be delivered by first quarter FY18. The Oshkosh JLTV delivers the latest in automotive technologies, the Oshkosh Core1080 crew protection system, and the Oshkosh TAK-4i intelligent independent suspension system to provide the ultimate combination of protection and mobility. The JLTV Family of Vehicles is comprised of two variants, a two seat and a four seat variant, as well as a companion trailer (JLTV-T). The two seat variant has one base vehicle platform, the Utility (JLTV-UTL). The four seat variant has two base vehicle platforms, the General Purpose (JLTV-GP) and the Close Combat Weapons Carrier (JLTV-CCWC). The Oshkosh JLTV is scalable and adaptable to future missions and unknown threats for decades to come. Wilson R Jones, president and chief executive officer, Oshkosh Corporation, said: The JLTV programme is providing our soldiers and marines with the worlds most capable light tactical vehicle. The Oshkosh JLTV will be the platform our troops depend on to keep them safe as they perform future military operations outside-the-wire, he added. TradeArabia News Service Belgium's chief prosecutor named two brothers on Wednesday as Islamic State suicide bombers who killed at least 31 people in the most deadly attacks in Brussels' history but said another key suspect was on the run. Tuesday's attacks on a city that is home to the European Union and NATO sent shockwaves across Europe and around the world, with authorities racing to review security at airports and on public transport. It also rekindled debate about lagging European security cooperation and flaws in police surveillance. The attacks came four months after militants, also from IS, carried out bombings and shootings in Paris that killed 129 people. Some Belgian media reports said a forensic link had been established between one of the Brussels bombers, who may have been killed, and the Nov. 13 attacks in the French capital. Washington announced that Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Belgium on Friday to demonstrate support. The Belgian federal prosecutor told a news conference that Ibrahim El Bakraoui, 29, one of two men who blew themselves up at Brussels airport on Tuesday, had left a will on a computer dumped in a rubbish bin near the militants' hideout. In it, he described himself as "always on the run, not knowing what to do anymore, being hunted everywhere, not being safe any longer and that if he hangs around, he risks ending up next to the person in a cell" - a reference to suspected Paris bomber Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested last week. His brother Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, detonated a bomb an hour later on a crowded rush-hour metro train near the European Commission headquarters, prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said. Both men, born in Belgium, had criminal records for armed robbery but investigators had not linked them to Islamist militants until Abdeslam's arrest, when police began a race against time to track down his suspected accomplices. That seems to have prompted the bombers to rush into an attack in Belgium after months of lying low, according to the testament found on the laptop. At least 31 people were killed and 271 wounded in the attacks, the prosecutor said. That toll could increase further because some of the bomb victims at Maelbeek metro station were blown to pieces and victims are hard to identify. Several survivors were still in critical condition. The Bakraoui brothers were identified by their fingerprints and on security cameras, the prosecutor said. A second suicide bomber at the airport had yet to be identified and a third man, whom he did not name, had left the biggest bomb and ran out of the terminal before the explosions. Belgian media named that man as Najim Laachraoui, 25, a suspected Islamic State recruiter and bomb-maker whose DNA was found on two explosives belts used in the Paris attacks and at a Brussels safe house used by Abdeslam. De Standaard newspaper, however, citing an unidentified source, named Laachraoui as the second suicide bomber at the airport. Khalid El Bakraoui rented under a false name the apartment in the city's Forest borough, where police hunting Abdeslam killed a gunman in a raid last week. He is also believed to have rented a safe house in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi used to mount the Paris attacks. "BLACK DAYS" Turkey said it had detained Ibrahim El Bakraoui near the Syrian border last year and deported him to the Netherlands before he was briefly held in Belgium, then released. "Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter," President Tayyip Erdogan said. The Brussels attacks came days after a suspected Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up in Istanbul's most popular shopping district, killing three Israelis and an Iranian. The Syrian-based Islamist group claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, warning of "black days" for those fighting it in Syria and Iraq. Belgian warplanes have joined the coalition in the Middle East, but Brussels has long been a hub of Islamist militants who operated elsewhere. A minute's silence was observed across Belgium at noon. Prime Minister Charles Michel cancelled a trip to China and reviewed security measures with his inner cabinet before attending a memorial event at European Commission headquarters with King Philippe, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. "We are determined, admittedly with a strong feeling of pain in our stomachs, but determined to act," Michel told a joint news conference with Valls. "France and Belgium are united in pain more than ever." Valls played down cross-border sniping over security, saying: "We must turn the page on naivete, a form of carefreeness that our societies have known. "It is Europe that has been attacked. The response to terrorism must be European." EU justice and interior ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the Dutch EU presidency said. More than 1,000 people gathered around an improvised shrine with candles and street paintings outside the Brussels bourse. Belgium's crisis coordination centre kept the level of security alert at the maximum as the man hunt continued. Some buses and trains were running but the metro and the airport were closed, along with key road tunnels in Brussels. The blasts fuelled political debate across the globe about how to combat militants. Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed Obama in November's U.S. election, suggested suspects could be tortured to avert such attacks. He also said in a British television interview that Muslims were not doing enough to prevent that kind of violence. After a tip-off from a taxi driver who unwittingly drove the bombers to the airport, police searched an apartment in the Brussels borough of Schaerbeek late into the night, finding another bomb, an Islamic State flag, 15 kg of the same kind of explosives used in the Paris attacks and bomb-making chemicals. An unused explosive device was also found at the airport. CLOSING IN Security experts believed the blasts were probably in preparation before Friday's arrest of locally based French national Abdeslam, 26, whom prosecutors accuse of a key role in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks. He was caught and has been speaking to investigators after a shootout at an apartment in the south of the city, after which another Islamic State flag and explosives were found. About 300 Belgians are estimated to have fought with Islamists in Syria, making the country of 11 million the leading European exporter of foreign fighters and a focus of concern in France and other neighbours over its security capabilities. Reviving arguments over Belgian security policies following the Paris attacks, in which 130 people died in an operation apparently organised from Brussels, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin spoke of "naivete" on the part of "certain leaders" in holding back from security crackdowns on Muslim communities. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders retorted that each country should look to its own social problems, saying France too had rough high-rise suburbs in which militants had become radicalised. Valls said France had no place teaching Belgium lessons and had problems with its own communities. Brussels airport seemed likely to remain shut for several days over the busy Easter holiday weekend, since the departure hall was still being combed as a crime scene on Wednesday and repairs can only begin once investigators are finished. Reuters Nine of the 10 planes operated by Indias IndiGo airline, which received a bomb threat on Wednesday, were checked but nothing unusual was found, a police official told Reuters. One domestic flight that earlier landed in the Indian capital New Delhi from Jammu in the north was still being checked, said Dinesh Kumar Gupta, deputy commissioner of police at the capital's Indira Gandhi International airport. IndiGo, an airline operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., said in a statement that it had put in place additional security measures and all its passengers were safe. A spokeswoman said only three flights were searched. The company had received a phone call about a bomb threat on some of its planes earlier in the day. The bomb threats came a day after two brothers carried out suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on the Belgian capital's metro on Tuesday, killing at least 30 people. Reuters Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas has appointed Tufan Kobanbay as the property's new executive assistant manager. A Turkish national, Kobanbay brings over 20 years of experience with 10 years in Hyatt. His comprehensive hospitality experience and his loyalty to the Hyatt brand makes him an ideal addition to the hotels executive team, the hotel said in a statement. I believe Hyatt represents one of the ultimate benchmarks of excellence in hospitality, and I could not have a finer company for continuing the career I loved and I wanted to pursue, especially here in Doha, said Kobanbay. The brand assists us with high standards in its approach to taking care of our guests, in the consistent quality of our cuisine and service and in the welcome we offer. Kobanbay pursued an education in tourism and hotel management in Bilkent University in Turkey and then started his career with Grand Hyatt Istanbul in 2000 as a waiter and worked his way up the hospitality ladder with regular promotions. He later joined Hyatt Regency Almaty in Kazakhstan as director of food and beverage and then moved to Grand Hyatt Muscat, Oman, where he was promoted to executive assistant manager and worked closely with Grand Hyatt Dohas current general manager, Christoph Franzen. Before joining Grand Hyatt Doha, he worked four years in Grand Hyatt Goa where he played a key role to increase overall guest satisfaction in the entire hotel. Kobanbay will be responsible for planning, organising, and controlling the work of the food and beverage division, ensuring the smooth, efficient and up-to-standards running of the hotels facilities and food and beverage outlets, as well as maintaining high professional standards of quality and service. - TradeArabia News Service Fremont Family Fun Day Come to Fort Caspar Museum on Saturday for Fremont Family Funday. This months hands-on workshop is Make a Watercolor Painting of the Fort. Visit the Museums current exhibit, Local Artists, Local History, and get inspired by 32 paintings, prints, and sketches of Casper-area landmarks. Then make your own! Participants should plan to drop in between 1 and 3 p.m.; no reservations are required and all supplies will be provided. This program is open to all ages and is free with paid museum admission. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Fort Caspar Museums winter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission prices are $1.50 for adults; $1 for youth (ages 13-18 years); FREE for children (12 years and younger) and for Museum members. For more information, call the Museum at 235-8462, or visit our website at www.fortcasparwyoming.com. Fort Caspar Museum is located at 4001 Fort Caspar Road. Learn more about Pony Express Learn more about the Pony Express at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. The NHTIC will offer a free public presentation that reflects on the important story of the Pony Express at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday. On that date in 1860 a workforce of some 200 men spread out over nearly 2000 miles of the sparsely populated West were making last-minute preparations for the start of one of Americas most exciting original enterprises, said Chris Wilkinson, NHTIC Director. Learn about the intense competition for mail carrying contracts as the American Civil War loomed and what factors helped the Pony Express become one of the enduring inspirations of American history during the 30-minute illustrated presentation by Reid Miller of the NHTIC staff. Special guests for the afternoon will be members of the Wyoming Chapter of the National Pony Express Association, who volunteered countless hours of their time to many events and projects including the log cabin Pony Express station at the NHTIC. For more information, please contact Reid Miller at the NHTIC (307) 261-7781. Piano recital at Mountain Plaza Mountain Plaza Assisted Living, 4154 Talon Dr., hosts an afternoon of music at 2 p.m., on Saturday in the Great Room as Kathy Williams and students present a piano recital. Tween Book Club Monday The Natrona County Librarys monthly Tween Book Club will meet Monday, March 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Library. Participants will read No Talking by Andrew Clements. Students in grades 4-6 can read great books and make new friends by participating in this special book club just for Tweens. Space is limited, so please register in advance by calling 577-READ ext. 122, emailing reference@natronacountylibrary.org, or sign up when you stop by the childrens department to pick up a copy of No Talking. Spring break teen activities Get your teenager out of the house this Spring Break and travel with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming for a day trip to scenic Thermopolis. It is just one of the many activities planned in the coming weeks by BGCCWs Teen Center. Spring Break kicks off with a college tour at Casper College on Monday at 10 a.m. Teens will visit the campus and various programs offered through the college including welding, fire science, diesel engines and mechanics, and education. They will also tour a residence hall and have lunch at the TBird Nest. This is a FREE opportunity for all teenagers. On Wednesday, teens will have a chance to spend the day swimming and splashing around in Thermopolis. The bus leaves the Club at 8:30 a.m. and will return by 6 p.m. Cost to participate is $13 and parents will need to sign a permission slip. For more information on any of these teen engagement opportunities, please contact Chris or Gary at 473-5553. Downtown Easter fun Celebrate Easter downtown and support the YMCA on Saturday. Pictures with the Easter Bunny will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Atrium Plaza. $5 cash by Shay D Photography. Easter egg hunts will take place at 10 a.m., and 1 p.m., at First Interstate Plaza, corner of 1st and Center streets. Inflatable fun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Bank of the West and First Interstate parking lots. Enter raffles for a chance to win scooters and more! Pre-sale raffle tickets are available at participating merchants. The following merchants have committed to donate a percentage of their March 26 sales to the YMCA: Cadillac Cowgirl, Donells Candies, Sierra West, Wind City Books, Merry Peddler Kitchen Store, Punkins Baby Boutique, Floral Rhino, Yumwiches, Shay D Photography, Vita Sana Olive Oil, Crave Candy & Soda, Wonder Bar, Charlie Ts Pizza, Whitelace-n-Promises, Party Time Inflatables, and WyoMade. Upcoming UU events The public is invited to attend the Unitarian Universalist Community of Casper services and other events at our new location, 1040 West 15th Street. Services are held Sundays at 10 a.m. The annual Flower Communion will be held on March 27, and on April 3, Rev. Leslie Kee will speak about The Web of Creation. The UU Casper meditation group meets Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., and the weekly coffee talk is held Tuesdays at 10 a.m. For more information about these events or Unitarian Universalism, visit uucasper.org, email info@uucasper.org, visit us on Facebook, or call Laura Gossman at 259-4469. Easter goods at Methodist thrift Easter goods and decor are on display at the First United Methodist thrift shop located at 611 W. Collins, one block west of the Natrona County high school football stadium. All other merchandise, clothing, kitchen items, books, decorative knick knacks is drastically reduced in price for winter clearance. Clearance prices will continue to drop gradually till all winter merchandise is gone. But dont wait, shop now because its going out the door fast. We will close the week of April 4-9 to clean and re-stock with an all-new spring and summer inventory. Re-opening day is Monday, April 11. Store hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations of clean usable merchandise are accepted during those hours. The shop is staffed with friendly helpful volunteers. All proceeds from sales help support Interfaith and Holy Cross Brothers with their work in helping those in the community who need their services. Take advantage of crazy prices for quality goods while contributing to the community. For more information call 234-6611. Local artists at fort Fort Caspar Museum has mounted a new exhibit of artwork depicting local settings as seen through the eyes Liz Rea and 11 other Casper artists. Titled Local Artists, Local History, it will be on view through April 16. The exhibit was inspired by longtime Casper resident Rea, who combined her interests in architecture and painting to capture many of the citys older buildings several just before they were demolished. In the case of the Henning Hotel, her 1973 sketch catches bricks tumbling from the roof as workers dismantle the once-grand establishment. Also on view are works depicting Casper-area scenes from the museums own collection by Casper artists such as Bob Evans, Ruth Lin Hopkins, Tom Carrigen and Richard Eckhardt-Jacobi. Several depict Fort Caspar, including a detailed rendering of the fort buildings on an old glass jar by Russian-born Boris Bojarnow. Fort Caspar Museums winter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $1.50 for adults; $1 for youth (ages 13-18 years); and free for children (12 years and younger). For more information, call the museum at 235-8462, or visit our website at www.fortcasparwyoming.com. Fort Caspar Museum is located at 4001 Fort Caspar Road. Easter egg hunt at Life Steps Poverty Resistance Food Pantry, along with Casper Housing Authority, will host an Easter Egg Hunt at Life Steps Campus, 1514 East 12th St. in the gym, between 10 a.m., and 1 p.m., on Saturday. Children will be divided into small groups to search for candy in Easter Bunnys field. Candy will be replenished after each group so that all children can have an opportunity to get candy. Special thanks to Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies for supplying candy for this event. For more information PM Mary Ann Budenske of Facefook, email her at MBudenske@aol.com or phone her at 307-253-8955. Easter egg hunt Come join the fun at Mountain Plaza Assisted Living, 4154 Talon Dr., for an Easter egg hunt fun for all ages from 10 to 11:30 a.m., on Saturday. HPCC Annual Easter Egg Hunt Highland Park Community Church would like to invite you to our annual community easter egg hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday. Please invite your friends and family and join us at either Fun Valley, Nancy English or Washington Park. Questions, call 265-4073. After School at the Library Elementary-age students are invited to attend our weekly After School at the Library program on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Natrona County Library. Come use your creativity and show us what you can build with LEGOs! All supplies provided. Call 577-READ ext. 122 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information. Elks breakfast open to public Breakfast at the Casper Elks Lodge is every Sunday from 8 to 11 a.m. Serving pancakes, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage links, potatoes, scrambled eggs, French toast and omelets to order; new to the menu is build your own breakfast burrito. Also served is toast, juice, tea and coffee. All you can eat for $7, children 5 to 12 are $3, 4 and under are free. Come down for the best breakfast in town and see the old crew again. This is open to the public. For more information, call 234-4839. Arbor Day in Bar Nunn The Town of Bar Nunn is celebrating Arbor Day at 8 a.m., on Saturday, April 23, at the Bar Nunn Fire Hall. We will have opening ceremonies, including a flag ceremony provided by Boy Scouts. Afterward, we will plant trees. Refreshments will be provided. Bring your gloves, shovels and rakes and help Bar Nunn to continue its participation in Tree City USA. Bring your children and join our mayor, council, parks members, town employees and your neighbors. born August 31, 1929 in Everett, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on March 21, 2016 in his recliner watching his beloved Red Sox. Jack grew up in Everett and was married to the love of his life, Lorraine Melvin (Quinton) for 62 years. Jack served our country in the Navy during the Korean War. He went to Newman Prep and Wentworth Institute in Boston before moving to Tucson, Arizona in 1960. Jack was hired as an Engineer at Hughes Aircraft and spent his career supporting the defense systems. Alongside his wife, Jack is survived by daughters, Lisa Long (James), Judith Sonkin and son, Scott. Grandchildren, Amy Gravesande (Samuel), Kimberly (fiance, Jon McCroy) and Leland Long. Nieces, Lorene Melvin-Sokoloski (Ed) and Sandra Melvin (Glenn). Jack spent many years serving the Masonic Community as a founding member of Builders Lodge #60 and served as Worshipful Master in 1963. He was also very active in civic-minded organizations in the community (DI, BSA, IOJD). Once retired in 1990, Jack built toys and assistive devices for children through the DES office. He brought great joy to many children through his 15+ years of volunteering. Jack will be remembered for his gentle demeanor and very kind spirit. Many thanks go out to Casa de la Luz Hospice. A Masonic Service will be held to Celebrate Jack's life at F & A Masons Builders Lodge #60, 450 N. Pantano Rd., Tucson, AZ 85710 on March 25, 2016 at 2:00 p.m., in the same building that he helped create. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association mailing to 1159 N. Craycroft, Tucson, AZ 85712 or donations are also taken online at alz.org/dsw. Condolences and flowers can be sent to the home, please message 520.661.6640 for the address. A lawsuit filed in the name of the man who shot former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is bogus, a federal official says. Attorneys for convicted killer Jared Lee Loughner notified the court that Loughner didn't file or authorize the lawsuit, said Cosme Lopez, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Arizona. Loughner is serving life in prison after pleading guilty to killing six and injuring 13 during a January 2011 mass shooting in Tucson that targeted Giffords as she hosted a political gathering. None of the attorneys listed for Loughner has returned calls or emails from The Associated Press. A spokesman for Giffords says she is not commenting on the matter. The fake lawsuit was sent from Philadelphia, and Loughner is imprisoned in Minnesota. This was not the first fake lawsuit filed in high-profile cases. Another hoax involved a $10 million lawsuit supposedly filed against Uber by Jason Dalton, the Uber driver who is accused of killing six people and injuring two in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Feb. 20, ABC News reported March 17. The handwriting did not match Daltons and the mail was routed through Philadelphia, rather than Grand Rapids, Michigan, where mail from the jail that houses Dalton is sorted, ABC News reported. The Tampa Bay Times reported on March 8 that a hoaxster requested a restraining order in federal court against presidential candidate Donald Trump on behalf of former KKK leader David Duke. Duke denied he filed the documents, which had a return address in Louisiana, where Duke lives, but were postmarked in Philadelphia. In April 2014, Fox News reported a lawsuit supposedly filed by Jodi Arias, convicted in the 2008 killing of her boyfriend in Mesa, against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was a hoax. The return address on the lawsuit was incorrect and Arias lawyer denied filing the lawsuit alleging Arias contracted Hepatitis C from a tuberculosis shot administered by jail staff. The suit also alleged Arpaio placed video cameras in Arias cell and sold the videos to the media. In January, Buzzfeed reported on a 2014 lawsuit purportedly filed by Cliven Bundy, the father of the leader of the recent standoff at an Oregon wildlife refuge, alleging President Barack Obama threatened to hurt Donald Trumps business interests if Trump didnt stop questioning Obamas place of birth. A Tucson task force led by the U.S. Marshals arrested a 31-year-old fugitive Wednesday, who was wanted in connection with sexually assaulting a child, authorities said. Marcus Schopfer Von Stoltz, was apprehended in the area of Sabino Canyon Road and Snyder Road without incident, Nathan Alexander, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Tucson office, said in a news release. Von Stolz was arrested in Oct. 2015, after he allegedly sexually assaulted a small girl while he was working as a security officer in a shopping area of Chapel hill, North Carolina, Alexander said. After he posted bond, a search of his computer, seized during his arrest, turned up numerous images of child pornography that authorities believe Von Stolz manufactured, Alexander said. Von Stolz failed to appear for his trial on March 8, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. U.S. Marshals in North Carolina learned that he might have fled to Tucson, and requested the assistance of the Tucson office on March 18. U.S. Marshals located a vehicle associated with Von Stolz at a residence yesterday, and arrested him after he drove the car to a gas station. PHOENIX Saying its the best deal animal rights advocates will get, a Senate panel voted to bar cities, including Tucson, from keeping pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs and cats. The 5-3 vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday came after Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, added what he said are some teeth to the proposal to ensure that pet stores are acquiring their animals only from reputable breeders who comply with all U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations. That includes a $1,000 fine for a first violation and a ban on selling anything but rescue and shelter animals for a third violation within five years. And Kavanagh promised to add new provisions when HB 2163 goes to the full Senate. That includes a requirement that pet shops provide the name of the breeder to prospective buyers, allowing them to investigate for themselves the conditions in which the animal was bred. The changes were enough to convince the Humane Society of the United States, which had opposed earlier versions of the measure, to withdraw its objections. Ditto for former state lawmaker Nancy Young Wright, who had been working to get Tucson to outlaw the sale of commercially bred animals and had testified against an earlier version of the legislation. But none of that satisfied Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson. The USDA standards that we are now enshrining in law and enforcing in law are laughable if they werent so sad, he said. They do not protect these animals, Farley continued, citing provisions that allow animals to be kept in cages day and night that are only 6 inches higher and longer than the animal itself, a wire cage with a wire bottom, stacked on top, that only have to be cleaned once every two weeks. We get the drift, Sen. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, said of Farleys concerns. You have somewhat of a valid point. Shooter said there is nothing the state can do to alter the USDA standards. Kavanagh conceded the deal pleases both the breeding industry and the pet stores that sell their animals. Editor's Note: Attorneys for convicted killer Jared Lee Loughner notified the court that Loughner didn't file or authorize the lawsuit, Cosme Lopez, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Arizona, said on Thursday. Jared Lee Loughner has filed a lawsuit against Gabrielle Giffords and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, alleging Giffords caused him emotional distress and should pay him $25 million, according to documents filed in federal court in Phoenix. Loughner is serving a life sentence in prison for shooting and killing six people in Tucson in January 2011. Former congresswoman Giffords suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was among 13 people wounded. In the two-page lawsuit filed March 18 in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Loughner says he is innocent and asks for his immediate release from prison. He also makes bizarre claims about Giffords. No lawyer is listed in the document. The document is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. The envelope the lawsuit was mailed in was postmarked in Philadelphia. Loughner is serving his time in a Minnesota federal prison facility. Officials with the prison could not be reached Wednesday evening to confirm the envelope was mailed from their facility. The envelope has no markings to indicate in came from a federal prison. Loughner said his head is full of chips and this evil empire govt is controlling me. He said he was a "victim of project mk-ultra" and Giffords is part of the Illuminati. Loughner alleges Giffords was never shot. Instead, she studied Ronald Reagan movies and is pretending to be a gunshot victim. The lawsuit also claims Giffords' husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, is planting equipment in the sky to spy on Americans for the NSA. Loughner claims Giffords played a role in the recent standoff at a wildlife refuge in Oregon, sprayed chemtrails into the sky that are making him delusional, and financed the December shooting in San Bernardino, California. Loughner said he has evidence of Giffords "dancing at boheimian [sic] Grove" with the Rockerfellers and Rothschilds. Loughner said he is not getting proper food in prison, his medications were taken away, and he is water boarded daily by federal agents. A stamp on the lawsuit says the document was filed incorrectly and is subject to rejection by the court. The University of Arizonas Biosphere 2 will host a meeting of One Young World in May. The international group, which convenes young leaders from throughout the world to propose solutions to global problems, will focus on the environment at the summit. Joining the young people are counselors from a variety of fields, including a former astronaut, the only man to walk to both poles and the former president of Peru, Alejandro Toledo. One Young World seeks to give young people the tools they need to turn their aspirations into actions, said Ella Robertson, the programs director. If youre 25 and you have an issue you care about and might be planning on doing yourself later, we show you how you need to be the change you want to see in your world, Robertson said. She said about half of the 500 young people she hopes to attract to the Biosphere 2 event will be from Arizona. Others will come from across the country and from as far away as Japan and Tajikistan. She said the group, which held its first event in 2010, chose the Tucson region because of the Biosphere and because of a fantastic partner in the UA, who are really interested in building a legacy in Tucson around young people and their interest in the environment. She said the attendees will meet a bunch of inspirational peers and hear from world leaders across their fields. She said previous gatherings of One Young World have spawned programs that have impacted 8.9 million people globally. Robertson said one demonstration of the outfits reach is the story of Yeon-mi Park, a North Korean defector and human-rights activist whose 2014 speech at a One Young World summit in Dublin was viewed by 2 million people on YouTube. Joaquin Ruiz, UA vice president for innovation and strategy, said the University is happy to partner with them at the Biospheres 25th anniversary looking at it as an icon for the environment. Former Biospherians Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter, who now head the space tourism venture World View, will also serve as counselors at the gathering. Im actually quite excited about it because in the end one of the things Tucson is all about is sustainability and this will bring our community and the university to the national limelight, said Ruiz, who is also dean of the UA College of Science. Celebrity counselors include CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray and actor and sustainability advocate Adrian Grenier, of the HBO series Entourage. As Maricopa County voters dealt with excruciatingly long wait times, Pima County residents struggled with a different challenge on Tuesday: incorrect party-affiliation listings that prevented some from casting a ballot. Longtime election volunteer Sister Karen Berry, 72, said she noticed quickly that something was amiss during this weeks presidential preference election. Time after time, voters showed up at St. Frances Cabrini Church where Berry was volunteering convinced they were properly registered and ready to vote for their partys nominee. But poll workers had to tell them they werent listed as affiliated with any party. Others found out their voter ID card which many received in the mail on election day read PND, or party not designated. In Arizonas presidential preference elections, voters must be registered with a party Democrat, Republican or Green to vote for one of the partys candidates. In a minority of cases, the voters realized it was their own mistake, Berry said, but most were adamant they had registered properly. Berry got those voters provisional ballots in the hopes that when their party affiliation is double-checked at the Pima County Recorders Office, those votes will count. That happened so much (Tuesday) that I hope it gets investigated, said Berry, former religious education director at St. Frances Cabrini. So many said, What! Ive been a Republican or Democrat all my life. When that happens so often, we begin to think its not the peoples fault. Berrys story echoes those of more than a dozen voters who contacted the Star on Wednesday about what they believe to be mistakes that either prevented them from voting entirely or forced them to complete provisional ballots. One local Republican, Melissa King, said she discovered Tuesday she was inexplicably registered as a Democrat and so couldnt cast her vote for John Kasich. Hunter Guerin changed his affiliation from the Green Party to Democrat last year. But even with his new voter ID card in hand he provided the Star a copy his polling place said it still had him listed as a Green Party member and would only let him vote on the Green Party ballot. I left, unable to express my political opinion in my first presidential election, he said in an email. Others complained of poorly trained election site staff who didnt distribute provisional ballots when they should have. John Read, who says hes been registered as a Democrat since 1988, was told he had no party affiliation at his polling place, and the staff refused to let him fill out a provisional ballot. Im feeling a little defeated, he said. Provisional ballots will only be counted after the Recorders Office checks out whatever discrepancy prevented the voter from casting a normal ballot, such as not having ID, being in the wrong polling location or having an incorrect party designation listed. These issues will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, F. Ann Rodriguez, Pima County recorder, said on Wednesday. Well plug through these things. If its our error, well fix it, right then and there, she said. But many worry mistakes in the offices records will result in their provisional ballot being discounted anyway. Tucson resident Alisa Wolfe filled out a provisional ballot because election volunteers told her she was listed as having no party affiliation. But last July, Wolfe changed her affiliation from independent to Democrat so she could vote for Sen. Bernie Sanders. Later in the day, she went into the Pima County Recorders Office and asked why she was listed as unaffiliated. During the encounter, which Wolfe recorded, the operator pulled up the record of her July 2015 registration as a Democrat. Then she pulled up another record from January 2016 which Wolfe says appeared to be a photocopy of the first document, including her earlier signature which changed her status to party not designated. When Wolfe said she had not made that change, the operator said it was an error and with the click of a mouse, changed Wolfes status to Democrat. I went into the County Recorders Office still believing I must have done something wrong, that this was my fault somehow, she said. Afterwards, she felt totally confused. In response to an inquiry from the Star, Rodriguez said she looked at Wolfes documentation. She said the January record originated from a visit to the Motor Vehicle Division. Rodriguez could not account for how the document was created and is requesting the original document from the MVD. Wolfe said she had in fact gone to the MVD earlier this year to get a new license, but she had no intention of changing her political preference during that visit. The Motor Vehicle Divisions drivers license applications include an option to select a party preference. That information is transmitted to the Arizona Secretary of States Office. But if the applicant doesnt select a party preference, then they are assumed as a PND, or party not designated, said Matt Roberts, spokesman for the Secretary of States Office. The office is undertaking a series of public hearings to review all the problems that beset this election including complaints about false PNDs, he said. We have heard enough of this issue that this will be part of our public hearings were going to hold, he said. Longtime Democrat Kindall Gray, a writing instructor at the University of Arizona, wasnt allowed to vote at her polling place and wasnt offered a provisional ballot either because she was listed as party not designated. Afterwards, Gray called the County Recorders Office and was told she had changed her affiliation at the MVD in 2014. Gray remembers getting a new drivers license with her new address two years ago but said she did not change her party affiliation. I didnt even think about that when I got my drivers license, she said. CONFUSION COMMON Confusion is common during Arizonas presidential preference elections, Rodriguez said. She said the Legislature should change the law to allow anyone including independents and those who dont designate a party affiliation to vote in the election. We dont look forward to this election, she said. Our goal is always for citizen participation. This election just throws a monkey wrench into everything. Brad Nelson, director of the Pima County Elections Department, said he encountered many voters complaining about incorrect party affiliations as he toured polling places Tuesday. Does it need extra scrutiny and research? Absolutely, Nelson said. Otherwise, Nelson said, the day went fairly well. Pima County polling sites processed a steady stream of voters without any long waits or lines, he said. Early numbers show 80 percent of people who cast their votes this election did so by mail, he said. The advent of people voting more and more by mail leads to a more civil and efficient election, he said. PHOENIX A House panel voted in favor of letting more than half of the 1.1 million students in Arizona schools use public dollars to attend private and parochial schools. The 8-5 vote late Wednesday by the Appropriations Committee follows the failure of voucher supporters to line up House votes to open the door for all students. Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, said she hopes this scaled-back proposal gains more support. Lesko also crafted this version of SB 1279 to try to overcome opposition arguments that the vouchers are used largely by families who already can afford to send their kids to private schools. It limits eligibility to students whose family income qualifies them for free- or reduced-price lunch programs. For a family of four, thats $44,863 a year. The most recent figures show about 565,000 students participating in those lunch programs, said Stacey Morley, Arizona Education Association lobbyist. But that may not cover everyone who would be eligible, Morley said. Lesko told lawmakers they should not worry about a sudden flood of children, armed with scholarships worth about $5,400 a year, fleeing public schools and taking with them the state aid that had gone to those schools. She said state law limits vouchers to no more than one-half percent of public schools students, or about 5,500 students. But Rep. Mark Cardenas, D-Phoenix, pointed out that cap expires after 2019. Lesko believes the vouchers should be available to all. House Minority Leader Eric Meyer, D-Paradise Valley, said that ignores the effect on the public school system. As students leave, schools have less money in state funding for the students who remain, and theyre often the poorest kids, whose parents cant afford to drive them to a private school, Meyer said. There will be a sucking sound to the (states) general fund Meyer added. Lesko touts the legislation as a money saver, saying that $5,400 cost for the average base voucher disabled students get more is less than the more than $9,000 in taxpayer dollars that go to public schools for each student. That figure is a bit misleading, as it includes federal aid and local property taxes. The most recent figure for state tax dollars alone is about $5,400 per public-school student. Rep. Rick Gray, R-Sun City, said its wrong to look at how the legislation will affect public schools. It really comes down to that child, and whats best for that child, he said. The Tucson City Council has launched a process to annex about 600 south-side homes near South Alvernon Way and East Valencia Road. The city will ask property owners in the 10-year-old, 174-acre Valencia Reserve neighborhood to sign a petition saying they want to live within the city limits. It has one year to collect about 310 signatures to complete the process. Residents may want to sign to get quicker emergency services, city trash services and a vote and a voice in city elections, said Mike Czechowski, annexation project manager. A Tucson Fire Department station is in the neighborhood and was built in anticipation of growth and annexation in this area, he said. Adding the area to the city would bring an estimated $553,000 of new revenue in the first full year, mostly from state-shared revenue, which is a per-capita tax distributed to cities and towns from state income taxes. On the expense side, the city says it would cover all city services for the neighborhood using existing staff and resources. One capital cost would be maintaining the neighborhood streets. Harry Clyde, secretary of the Valencia Reserve Homeowners Association and a 10-year resident, said it could be hard to get homeowners on board. I see nothing to gain. I think all you want is our tax money, he told the City Council on Tuesday. Each homeowner must now contract with a waste contractor for trash pickup and with Rural Metro for emergency services. Most of us have a pretty strong feeling that we dont want to be part of the city, but its up to the individual homeowners to make that decision, Clyde said. HOA fees in the neighborhood pay for parks, landscaping, walking paths, some security and sidewalk repairs. It has been almost three years since journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras met with Edward Snowden in a Hong Kong hotel. The meeting was the basis for the critically acclaimed documentary Citizenfour and the start of the release of classified documents proving the illegal wiretapping practices of the National Security Agency. On Thursday, March 24 at a sold-out screening at The Loft, Greenwald will tell Tucsonans the issues brought up in the film are still as relevant as they were three years ago. Hell also be part of a sold-out panel discussion Friday night at Centennial Hall that will include Noam Chomsky, a MIT professor and political activist, and Snowden, who will video conference from Russia. Some companies have started to side with the users rather than the government in the fight over privacy, a departure from several years ago, Greenwald says. Silicon Valley companies, Apple and Facebook in particular, want to demonstrate to users that they have been protecting the privacy and sanctity of their communications as opposed to what theyve been doing previously which is collaborating with the NSA and handing it over, he said. The context of the current fight between Apple and the FBI to unlock and decrypt the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook can be found in the reporting by Greenwald and others after Snowden released the documents and in the documentary. They are really the critical context for those issues, he said. He describes a pre-Snowden and post-Snowden context for privacy. He noted tat millions, if not billions, of potential customers will ditch their digital devices if companies do not demonstrate that they are taking privacy concerns seriously. Greenwald advises that those concerned about privacy continue the discussion with friends, family and colleagues. I think it is critical to keep thinking critically about these issues, Greenwald said. And beyond, that there are steps people can take to safeguard their own privacy and make state surveillance more difficult. He suggested people vote with their wallet, saying some companies do offer privacy protections for those concerned about their personal data. That is one of the critical reasons why things have changed for the better, Greenwald said. If this sounds overwhelming, Greenwald said it wasnt that long ago that he had to learn how to better secure his privacy. He said initial communications with Snowden were almost hampered by a digital divide. When I first started talking to Snowden we were almost unable to connect because he wanted me to use this very sophisticated form of encryption which I was unfamiliar that as a journalist, I wasnt well versed in. he said. Two resources to get more information about privacy are the Electronic Frontier Foundation and an organization he helped establish, The Freedom of the Press Foundation. Thursdays talk is sponsored by The New York Times, the University of Arizona School of Journalism, the UAs College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Arizona Inn and the Loft Cinema. The screening of the movie starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Loft with Greenwald answering questions from the audience after the documentary. OPINION: "While it is important to take on cutting edge programs for an institution, Best Practices would dictate a thorough analysis of the costs of a new program versus the proven effectiveness of that new program. After all, these are taxpayer funds we are dealing with," writes Nick Pierson, candidate for the Pima Community College Governing Board. Service animals The House Appropriations Committee voted Wednesday to impose penalties on those who fraudulently claim the animals they are bringing into business are service animals. SB 1382 would permit a civil fine of up to $250 for a first violation. A subsequent offense would be a misdemeanor with a potential six-month jail term. Sen. Barbara McGuire, D-Kearny, said those who pretend they need a service animal only make things harder on those with legitimate needs but may not have a visible disability. McGuire got the support of Pinal County Supervisor Cheryl Chase who said business owners have questioned her service animal that she keeps because of seizures. But Sarah Kader, attorney for the Arizona Center for Disability Law, said SB 1382 really does nothing about those who abuse the law. She said federal law already allows a business owner to ask anyone with an animal who misbehaves to leave, whether it is a service animal or not. McGuire promised to work with supporters and foes before the measure goes to the full House. Municipal incorporation The San Tan Valley is one step closer to being able to incorporate. And possibly some other communities, too. Without debate, the Senate gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legislation carving out a new exception to laws on how and when cities can form. HB 2384 needs a final roll-call before going to the House which has not considered the proposal. The push comes from supporters of efforts to incorporate the community in Pinal County. Part of whats holding that up is that Arizona law gives cities of at least 5,000 within six miles the power to veto the plans. And in this case, Florence is objecting. This legislation would create an alternate method of incorporation, allowing the county supervisors to give the go-ahead for a public vote if the area to be incorporated has at least 15,000 people and the objection is coming from a city with a smaller population. That applies here: The proposed new city would have about 100,000 residents against fewer than 27,000 in Florence. Help India! By Parveen Chopra East Rutherford (New Jersey) : Festive air mixed with spiritual solemnity as the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a leading Hindu sect, held a regional round of its centennial celebration here. Support TwoCircles The grand show Saturday was held in the presence of the sects spiritual leader Pramukh Swami Maharaj at the 20,000-capacity Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Dignitaries who addressed the audience included New Jersey Governor John Corzine, US Senator Robert Menendez and Indias ambassador to the US Ronen Sen. Corzine referred to the theme of the programme and said: I am proud that BAPS and Pramukh Swami speak what all public servants should remember: In the joy of others we should find our own joy. Praising BAPS for its recent contributions to international disaster relief efforts, Senator Menendez, Democrat from New Jersey, said: New Jersey has the third largest Indian-American community in the US. Your children give us hope for our future. Indian-Americans are a central part of the American community and India a central international force. He presented a US Senate Commemoration about the centenary event to Pramukh Swami, who gave him and Corzine each a memento. Sen, impressed by his visits to the marvellous BAPS temples in Chicago and London, said: BAPS continues spreading the Indian message of love, oneness of humankind, and universal brotherhood. Thank you for making me and all my fellow Indians proud to be Indian. Based on the teachings of Lord Swaminarayan (1781-1830), the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) Sanstha was founded in 1907 in Gujarat by the Shastriji Maharaj. The sect, having a large following in India and abroad, especially among people from Gujarat, is holding centenary celebrations around the world. The celebration in New Jersey chronicled BAPS history of working towards spiritual guidance, social service and cultural preservation. Thousands of people from across North America filled the Continental Airlines Arena to the capacity and created a sea of waving BAPS Centenary flags in unison with the youths enthusiastically waving larger flags in the aisles. The three-hour programme was a creative mix of ancient Hindu values presented in a modern context through multimedia videos, youthful dances, Indian classical music, plays and speeches. In his concluding address, Pramukh Swami said: We have all technically advanced in the world but forgot the main point that god is the all-doer. He exhorted people to turn to god to lead a pious life without any vices or addictions. God gives us life and we should use it for good purposes to serve our community, family, or whoever one believes in helping, he added. Pramukh Swami is currently on a North American tour. He inaugurated a new BAPS temple in Toronto July 23 and is scheduled to inaugurate another one in Atlanta later this month. Help India! By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net, Patna: In the last three years, Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Prof P K Abdul Azis has suspended/rusticated 148 students to maintain peace and law and order situation in the university campus. While the authorities say the university was forced to take hard measures of suspension and rustication, others say style of functioning of the university authorities has been dictatorial since VC Prof Azis assumed office. Support TwoCircles Since the new VC took charge in 2007, he has suspended/rusticated, till April 22, 2010, 148 students. In total 136 were suspended, 93 were taken back while the rest 44 were rusticated. Besides, 11 students were directly rusticated. This information was accessed by RTI activist Shahzad Alam. In reply to his March 29, 2010 application seeking information about suspension and rustication since 2007, the AMU authorities provided the data. In 2007, the VC suspended 70 students, took back 50 and rusticated rest 20. The same year, 10 students were directly rusticated. In 2008 also, 24 were suspended, 4 taken back while 20 rusticated. Another student was directly rusticated. The year 2009 brought some relief as 31 were suspended but 27 of them were taken back and 4 rusticated. There was no direct rustication that year. In 2010 (till April 22), 12 students have been suspended. None has been rusticated so far. Why suspension/rustication of students at so big scale? We are forced to take such step to establish peace and restore educational atmosphere in the campus, Rahat Abrar, Public Relations Officer of AMU told TwoCircles.net. On 80 suspension/rustication in 2007, he said: In 2007, a mob of students had put the VC lodge on fire. In that case some were suspended and rusticated. He claims that aggressive suspension has helped the university establish peace and academic atmosphere in the campus. Following violent agitation after a murder of a student last year, many students were suspended but taken back after an agreement. But the same elements are again raising their ugly head, Abrar said. RTI activist Shahzad Alam, however, says the AMU administration has been functioning in a dictatorial style since VC Prof Azis assumed office. There has been dictatorship since VC assumed office three years ago. Protests took place earlier also, but never so many students were suspended. Maybe 10 or 20 students are wrong but how can 148 students be wrong? he asks talking to TCN. In 2007, 80 students were suspended after the VC lodge incident. But some of them were innocents. I know them. They were not at AMU when the incident took place, Alam says and adds: Suspension is a blot on the career of a student even though it is withdrawn. Should AMU authorities not suspend any student at all? I am not against suspension. But first there should be counseling as it is the best way to solve issue. There should be an authority a body of 3-4 professors. They first issue show cause notice, talk to the concerned parties and then take a decision, Alam suggests. Help India! New Delhi : A day after a deep divide between AAPs top leaders came to the fore, its chief Arvind Kejriwal Saturday admitted it needed restructuring and said the differences had been resolved. The party, on the second day of its national executive meet here, rejected the resignation of Naveen Jaihind and Yogendra Yadav who written a letter saying it has fallen prey to the personality cult. Support TwoCircles The resignation of Shazia Ilmi, who quit the party last month over it being run by a crony clique, was also not accepted. All things are going smooth and differences are resolved. We are discussing organisational structure. Expansion of PAC could be possible, Kejriwal said here. Political Affairs Committee is AAPs highest decision-making body. Besides describing Yadav as a valued colleague, AAP convener Kejriwal said the party will try to get Shazia back. Yogendra Yadav has raised some important issues. All of us will work on it, Kejriwal tweeted after meeting Yadav on the sidelines of the meet. Yogendra Yadav is a very dear friend and a very valued colleague. Had long discussions with him, he added. Another party leader Manish Sisodia told IANS: This was cleansing process. Discords are bound to happen in any party. Everything is fine now. I never had anything against Yadav. It were just some points raised by him to which I did not agree, Sisodia told IANS. In response to Yadavs letter, Sisodia had written a stinging letter, accusing the psephologist of finishing off Kejriwal. Talking to reporters, Yadav said: The day I resigned, my party leaders wanted me to withdraw the resignation, but I said issues should be discussed. All these issues were related to the party, volunteers and its well wishers. I am happy that these issues were given importance, Yadav added. The 19-month-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was enveloped in its worst crisis Friday as two of its top leaders Sisodia and Yadav traded charges against each other. Of some 440 seats it contested in the Lok Sabha election, the AAP won only four, all in Punjab. It suffered a setback in Delhi, its pocket borough, by failing to win even a single seat. The process of prostate enlargement originates at the capillary level when a normal physiological functioning of the capillary net gradually turns into pathological angiogenesis due to the lowering of the temperature at the capillary level. Thermobalancing therapy aims to terminate spontaneous angiogenesis via local temperature regulation over a prolonged period of time. Therapeutic Device, termed Dr Allens Device for Prostate Care, is an elastic belt keepings a wax-based thermoelement in the projection of the prostate, see the photos. This thermoelement must be tightly applied to the coccyx area for prolonged period of time in order to accumulate body heat and act as a heat source. Thus the effect of Thermobalancing therapy occurs. Thermobalancing therapy is much different than common heating treatments, because these do not regulate localized temperature. Treatments with imposed heat can be damaging, because the high temperatures destroy delicate cells of the already stressed organ. For example, any temperature above 104 Fahrenheit (or 40C) can result in the death of the living organism. On the other side, low temperatures decrease cellular metabolism and, as a result, interfere with natural replenishment and healing. The following video demonstrates the simplicity of design and use of the Therapeutic Device: https://youtu.be/If6yogDKQkk. Prior to initiating a formal clinical trial, Dr Allen reached and monitored online a large number of BPH patients, who were typically in the watchful waiting stage of their treatment. This way, Dr Allen obtained a sufficient amount of empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of Thermobalancing therapy. In 2011, the Director of the Oxford Innovation Centre in the UK interviewed Dr Allens patient with BPH. This testimonial was shared online: https://youtu.be/V5xidswhxJM. Encouraged by initial treatment results and positive user feedback, Dr Allen decided to carry out a formal clinical study. Professor Ivan Aghajanian, Chief Urologist and the founder of the Armenian Association of Urology, hosted and conducted the clinical trial on the efficacy of thermobalancing therapy and the device at the Department of Urology of the Institute of Surgery Mikaelyan, a leading hospital and research centre in Armenia. Dr Allens Device for Prostate Care worked well. Almost all men with BPH had reduction of the prostate size over time. However, it was found that in some cases the lower urinary tract symptoms relief was coming slowly due to the involvement of problems with a bladder, especially when men were on BPH medications for a long period of time. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate improvement in men with BPH after treatment with Therapeutic Device with positive effects in the IPSS symptom score, PV, and uroflowmetry parameters. Written By: Dr. Simon Allen, MD, PhD. Read the Abstract Top 10 Chinese brands with most overseas revenue Updated: 2016-03-24 06:50 (chinadaily.com.cn) Chinese brands have been earning an increasing proportion of their revenue from their international business, according to the 2016 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands published by global communications group WPP and global brand agency Millward Brown on March 21. Leading the top 20 Chinese brands with most revenue overseas, Lenovo, the world's largest PC maker, continued to grow its PC, mobile and enterprise businesses outside of China, helping balance the softening of the Chinese market. It gained 68 percent of its total revenue from overseas business, up from 62 percent from the previous year. Let us take a look at the top 10 Chinese brands with most revenue from overseas. No 10 Sinopec, 22% China aims to launch Mars probe in 2020 Updated: 2016-03-21 16:39 (Xinhua) The Proton-M rocket, carrying the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft to Mars, blasts off from the launchpad at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, March 14, 2016.[Photo/Agencies] BEIJING -- China is preparing to launch a Mars probe in 2020, and it is expected to arrive on the red planet in 2021, aerospace expert Ye Peijian has said. "Although we are not the first Asian nation to send a probe to Mars, we want to start at a higher level," said Ye, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The probe will include an orbiter, a lander and a rover. The orbiter will conduct global surveys of Mars, and the entry device will land a rover on the surface. Parachute and reverse thrust engine technologies will probably be used in the landing, according to Ye. "We have less than five years till the launch, but we are confident. The probe is being developed by the team that completed the Chang'e-3 lunar probe," says Ye, leader of the team with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). A 3D demonstration video from CAST shows how the Mars probe will fly about 10 months before closing on the red planet. Controllers on Earth will guide it into a large elliptical orbit and the orbiter and lander will separate. The orbiter will stay in orbit for at least a year to photograph key areas and monitor the planet's environment. Unlike the lunar lander of the Chang'e-3 probe, the Mars lander will carry a gasbag, a parachute and reverse thrust engines, which will together secure a safe landing, according to experts from CAST. Zheng Yongchun, an associate researcher with the National Astronomical Observatory, says that combining orbiting exploration and a roving probe in one mission is a rational choice for starting Mars exploration at a high level. "The best and most direct method to look for evidence of life on Mars is to explore the surface. Mars will be a key focus of China's deep space exploration in the future," Zheng says. But communicating with the Mars probe is still a great challenge. China needs to develop a long-life, powerful relay communication device on the orbiter, says Zheng. So how will the Mars rover differ from lunar rover Yutu (or Jade Rabbit), which China sent to the moon at the end of 2013? More students returning after overseas studies Updated: 2016-03-18 08:07 By Zhao Xinying(China Daily USA) Booming economy, improved job prospects mean growing number envision better future Both the number of Chinese students heading overseas to study and the number of those returning to China after finishing their studies abroad have increased in comparison with the year before, the Ministry of Education said on Tuesday. According to statistics released on the ministry's website, a total of 523,700 Chinese students went overseas to study in 2015, marking a 14 percent year-on-year rise. Meanwhile, 409,100 students returned from overseas study last year, up 12 percent on 2014. Another notable trend, the ministry said, is that the ratio of those going abroad and those coming back has narrowed from 3.15 students going overseas in 2006 for every one that returned, to 1.28 for each returnee in 2015. Chen Zhiwen, editor-in-chief of EOL, China's largest online education portal, said the trend started to become obvious a few years ago, when the Chinese economy took off and the economic gap between China and other developed countries began to shrink. Decades ago, very few Chinese people came back after finishing their studies overseas because they saw developed countries as "heaven", he said. "But with the booming Chinese economy, domestic conditions have improved and there is a stronger need for talent. Not to mention the Chinese government has brought in a series of preferential policies to attract people back," Chen said. "In addition, a rapidly developing economy and a lot of emerging industries usually create more jobs and other opportunities and this is also a factor that adds to students' willingness to come back." Zheng Tianying, CEO of the University and College Admissions System, a company that provides services to overseas students hoping to attend a Chinese college or university, said Chinese students' perspective about overseas study has also been changing. "Studying abroad, which used to be a rare, life-changing opportunity for very few Chinese students and their families, has become a common practice that is enjoyed by many students from China in recent years," Zheng said. "More students are just heading overseas for a while to experience it or to broaden their vision and then they are coming back." Between 1978 and 2015, more than 4 million Chinese people went overseas to study. Of those, 2.22 million have returned, the ministry said. zhaoxinying@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily USA 03/18/2016 page3) Get a taste of beer history in Washington's Dupont Circle Updated: 2016-03-24 15:06 By Associated Press in Washington, D.C.(China Daily USA) The National Mall, a look at the White House and cherry blossoms in springtime are all musts for visitors to Washington, D.C. But once you've got the essentials covered, including whatever monuments and museums are on your list, consider spending a few hours in Dupont Circle, a neighborhood with gems that range from a popular indie bookstore to a beer brewer's Victorian mansion. The area also includes a gas station on the National Register of Historic Places and the Phillips Collection, a modern art museum. Take the Metro to the Dupont Circle stop and look for a white marble fountain in a circular plaza. That's the center of the neighborhood. Streets extend out from the circle like spokes on a wheel. Attractions The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., is probably Dupont Circle's best-known attraction. Through May 8, "Seeing Nature" offers 39 paintings from five centuries, including Impressionist works and David Hockney's large, colorful 1998 depiction of the Grand Canyon. In the museum's permanent collection, be sure to see Renoir's lively "Luncheon of the Boating Party," and spend a moment in the Laib Wax Room, a closet-sized space lined with fragrant, yellow beeswax. The Heurich House Museum, billed as "the brewmaster's castle", is a 31-room home at 1307 New Hampshire Ave., built in the 1890s by Christian Heurich, a German-born beer-maker. Heurich was best known for his Senate brand of beer. He survived Prohibition by temporarily turning his beer business into an ice-distribution company, and he was still making beer when he died in 1945 at age 102. The Kennedy Center sits on the land where his factory was located. Hour-long tours of Heurich House are offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but you must reserve online (free, $5 suggested donation). Every third Thursday of the month, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, the museum partners with a local craft brewery for "History & Hops," offering tastings and tours for $30. This spring, a company called DC Brau plans to launch a new beer inspired by Heurich's legacy. Dupont Circle is also home to many embassies. On one block, a white statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, graces the Indonesian embassy, while the flag of Portugal flies from the embassy next door. Another block literally houses embassies from A to Z: Argentina and Zimbabwe. Two curiosities in the neighborhood: Spanish Steps, a flight of stone stairs at S Street and 22nd Street named for the famous steps in Rome, and a gas station on the National Register of Historic Sites at 2200 P St. across from Rock Creek Park. The gas station was built in 1936 by Gulf Oil to look more like a bank or library than a filling station. It's a Sunoco station today, with "SNACK SHOP" written on the tidy building that helped earn its historic designation. Other attractions in the area include the Woodrow Wilson House, 2340 S St., and the Textile Museum, 701 21st St. Shopping and dining Connecticut Avenue has lots of small, fun shops, including for dog owners, The Cheeky Puppy, 1709 Connecticut Ave.; for women's clothing and accessories, lou lou boutiques, a regional chain with stores at 1601 and 1623 Connecticut Ave.; and beads at Beadazzled, 1507 Connecticut. On the second floor of 1702 Connecticut Ave., the Secondi consignment store sells designer finds, ranging from a DVF wrap dress for $98 to a Chanel coat for more than $1,000. Second Story Books & Antiques, 2000 P St., draws treasure-hunters with its outdoor carts of $4 books, while Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Connecticut Ave., draws crowds on weekends for both books and brunch (try the Cubano sandwich and black bean salad). If bowls of vegetables and grains are your thing, Jose Andres' Beefsteak at 800 22nd St. is one of several nearby options. You'll also find dim sum restaurants, a Shake Shack, empanadas (Julia's), tapas (Boqueria) and the local Teaism chain, among many other eateries. (China Daily USA 03/24/2016 page9) Firm wants a bite of the cherry and blossom Updated: 2016-03-24 07:53 By Zhou Yongsheng(China Daily) People flock to see the cherry blossoms at Wuhan University, March 16, 2015. [Photo by Yuan Zheng/asianewsphoto] An enterprise in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, recently ran an outdoor advertisement in Tokyo, claiming Wuhan is home to cherry blossom. The ad also invited Tokyo residents to visit Wuhan University, where cherry blossom attracts a considerable number of tourists from across China, even abroad, in spring every year. The ad, as a historian at Wuhan University said, has several mistakes, especially those on the origin of cherry blossom and the cherry trees in Wuhan. Despite its famous cherry-themed scenic spots, Wuhan did get most of its cherry trees from Japan after 1938, when Japanese soldiers invaded the city and sowed cherry seeds during the occupation. In other words, the cherry blossom in Wuhan does have a genetic connection with the trees planted by the imperial Japanese army more than seven decades ago. That, to some extent, serves as a reminder of the shameful past, when many Chinese people fell prey to the brutality of the Japanese colonialists. Through trials and tribulations, China, along with its anti-Fascist allies during World War II, managed to claim victory in the war against Japan in 1945. But some Japanese politicians' recent rhetoric denying the country's past and war crimes has rubbed salt in Chinese people's wounds. And they should be held responsible for the declining understanding between the people of the two countries. But what drove the Wuhan enterprise to run the inaccurate ad is not clear. It would be a sad comment on the enterprise, however, if the entire endeavor turns out to be a mere publicity stunt to promote its image while deliberately turning a blind eye to the fact that Wuhan is not the place where cherry blossom originated. Nonetheless, criticizing the ad as an "ignorant attempt" to make light of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) would be too harsh an act. True, most cherry trees in Wuhan today have their origins in those planted by imperial Japanese soldiers. But that does not justify the grudge some people have against the city for using the cherry blossom season to attract tourists. Many may see Wuhan's cherry trees as a symbol of Japanese invasion, which was brutal and criminal to say the least, but it is wrong to do so. The cherry trees are a gift of nature that draw hordes of tourists in spring. Moreover, the stands of cherry trees the Japanese soldiers had planted in Wuhan died years ago. Most of the trees we see today were grafted into the rootstocks of the old ones by local residents after the 1970s, some of which were gifts from the then Japanese government and people. The existing trees, therefore, have nothing to do with Japanese militarism and should not incite hatred. More importantly, the cherry trees are now part of public property in Wuhan. Thanks to globalization, most countries have intensified their political, economic and cultural exchanges, especially because their interests are intertwined. Such being said, China has to keep its past sufferings in mind, but it also needs to look to the future. The author is a professor on Japan studies at China Foreign Affairs University. Westerners are often daunted by the thought of learning Chinese, mainly because of the perceived complexity of Chinese characters. In fact, if they knew that they'd be able to get by if they had to learn only pinyin (the Romanization system for Mandarin), they might not be as tentative. But how do Chinese feel about using English? Hezi Jiang, a Beijing native and China Daily USA reporter in New York, said: "There is a popular joke in China: A Chinese man flies to America. On the plane, the flight attendant approaches him and asks, 'Coffee or tea, sir?' "The man thought, 'I've had coffee and tea. I'll have an "or". Thank you'," he said. "To me, a lot of the embarrassing things happen with food-ordering," Hezi said. "For more than a year, I never ordered salmon no matter how much I wanted to have grilled salmon, because the word is hard to pronounce. I used to pronounce the 'l' in salmon, and the waiter/waitress would correct me by asking "sam-mon"? "I found that really embarrassing, so I stopped ordering. I had mahi mahi instead. I love the name, so easy. Also, I didn't like when restaurants offer special menus. The waiter would say a list of things that I have no idea of, and I would look into his/her eyes, nodding. "But it feels great when I can understand an item or two," she said. "Most times, I would order that thing just to prove that I could understand. (Very stupid, I know.) "I found that we say 'yes' a lot when we don't understand. I remember once at a brunch place, a waiter asked my friend, 'White or wheat'?" "He said 'yes'." "We laughed, and he blushed. Ordering food is hard." "I remember when I was preparing for IELTS (International English Language Testing System, a British version of the US' TOFEL) three years ago," recalled Long Yifan, an intern at China Daily USA in New York, who is from Shaoyang in Hunan province. "I tended to use the newly grasped academic words for oral English practice. "I had some friends from Scotland, and one day when we ate out, I was in a hurry to find a restroom. I wanted to express my situation in an academic and formal way, so I said I wanted to 'discharge' myself. They were all surprised and amused. "I felt something was wrong and wanted to make a clarification, so I said I wanted to urinate. They all burst into laughter." "Just like how learning Chinese is hard for English speakers, the reverse is also true, for many of the same reasons," writes Andy Luan on Quora.com, a Q&A website. "Pronunciation is probably the hardest part of learning English at first. "Grammar is next. English grammar is ridiculous. There are a few so-called 'rules', but just about everything seems to be an exception to these rules. For basic grammar, Chinese has some things in common with English (subject-verb-object word order), but a lot of grammar is totally different. "Articles ('a' and 'the') are very confusing to Chinese speakers. Vocabulary and spelling is very hard, but this is actually the part Chinese people are best at. Chinese and English have almost no words in common, as Chinese borrows very few English words. And when Chinese does borrow words from English, they change very considerably, so you wouldn't even recognize it. "So why are Chinese people 'best' at memorizing English vocabulary? Well, they often learn all of it by rote memorization for their English classes. My mother memorized an English dictionary in China before coming to the US. As a result, she can recognize many rare vocabulary words when reading literature. "But the harder part of vocabulary is how words have different endings to turn them into nouns, adjectives, adverbs or verbs. Because Chinese is an extremely analytic language, many words in Chinese can be used as different parts of speech without changing the endings. So this is one of the confusing parts of English for Chinese speakers. "Generally, European students of English can speak English much better than Chinese students, because the pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary are all much more similar," Luan writes. One of my observations is that Chinese speakers tend to have difficulty with third-person pronouns (he and she aren't interchangeable in English) and collective plurals. Many English words are the same in the singular as in the plural, which can cause confusion. So you may hear someone talk about the "researches" done for a story, which is actually quite endearing. Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com Belgium bombings raise worries in US Updated: 2016-03-23 23:44 By AGENCIES and Fu Jingin in Brussels(China Daily USA) People gather at a memorial in Brussels following Tuesdays bomb attacks. [Photo/Agencies] Major US airports were on high alert on Tuesday, with police out in force after at least 34 people were killed in twin suicide bombing attacks on the Brussels airport and subway, although officials said there was no specific threat to the United States. Officials at Chinas embassy in Belgium said that there had been no reports so far of Chinese killed or injured in the attacks. The emergency unit of University Hospital Saint-Luc, which is near the airport, said there were no Asians known to be among those sent there for treatment. The embassy has asked Chinese to exercise caution if they plan to visit Belgium. The blasts at the airport and subway station occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people in November. Belgiums security alert was raised to the highest level after the attacks. Police and troops on the streets were on alert for any further attacks. Banker calls for Canada-China free-trade agreement Updated: 2016-03-25 03:16 By Li Wenfang(China Daily Canada) Canada and China should be working on a free-trade agreement to enhance their underdeveloped trade relationship, said a top Canadian banker. From "underdeveloped relationship to properly developed one is going to take more concrete thinking on both sides. We are not competitive. We are complementary," said Kevin Lynch, vice-chairman of BMO Financial Group. "What we want to do is to find more areas for trade between our two countries. More concrete discussions about how we double trade in five years." Lynch identified significant potential in bilateral trade agricultural products, clean technology related to water and air, and health services dealing with the aging population. Canada can be an important part of the Chinese strategy of diversifying its energy supply, he said. In its new five-year plan (2016-2020), China aims to push forward the establishment of free-trade agreements with Israel, Canada, the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union, as well as an Asia-Pacific free-trade area. In his banking profession, Lynch said he looks forward to an expanded role of the trading hub of the Chinese currency renminbi in Toronto, which was launched in March last year. "We are large participants in it. The more we can expand it, the better for everybody. It lowers the cost for companies doing business in China and outside China,'' he said. "If you are a small business person, the renminbi trading hub is crucial to get your cost down. The transaction cost was so high before. We are a country with a lot of small and medium-sized enterprises. Guangdong province is a region with a lot of medium-sized companies as well." Expanded trade between Canada and China will provide further opportunity to make renminbi clearing even more effective and valuable, Lynch said. The Toronto renminbi hub serves as conduit for 24-hour coverage of global renminbi transactions, enabling businesses to convert Canadian dollars directly into Chinese currency. Lynch's bank runs the only fully incorporated subsidiary of a Canadian bank in China. "We want to grow with the Chinese economy and find innovative ways to serve customers because we are not of the size of domestic banks," he said. China is the second-largest trading partner of Canada, after the United States, with two-way trade reaching 85.8 billion Canadian dollars last year, up 10 percent year-on-year, said Rachael Bedlington, consul general of Canada in Guangzhou. Chinese investment in Canada last year is estimated at $61.8 billion. "The Chinese market represents tremendous opportunities for Canadian companies in a wide variety of sectors. We also see Canada as a prime destination for Chinese investment," she said. "We are convinced that Canada-China trade will continue to steadily rise in the years to come." Bedlington's consulate general is expanding to keep pace with increasing bilateral ties, with the immigration section launched last year to boost the capacity of handling visa applications. As a new step in promoting ties, Alberta province launched its trade office in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Tuesday, the fourth such office for Alberta in China. "The government of Alberta is very interested in increasing our opportunities to trade with China going both directions," said Deron Bilous, Alberta's minister of economic development and trade. "Guangdong is a very important trading partner with Alberta. 20 percent of Canadian exports to China are in Guangdong," he said. Bilous met with private companies and government officials in his first trip outside North America as minister, which also took his delegation to Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. He said he sees energy, agriculture, forestry, tourism and clean technology as major areas for cooperation between Alberta and Guangdong. In 2003 and 2005, Bilous visited Hubei province and Beijing as a coordinator of the Canada World Youth program. China-owned Volvo still aglow over XC90 Updated: 2016-03-24 11:07 By Paul Welitzkin in New York(China Daily USA) Winning an award at the prestigious North American International Auto show in Detroit earlier this year was huge for Volvo and represents a validation of the strategy employed by its Chinese parent, said Volvo's top North American executive. "We are extremely proud because winning the award at the Detroit show was huge for us considering the journey we have taken at Volvo," Lex Kerssemakers, president and CEO of Volvo Car USA said on Wednesday at a preview of the New York International Auto Show, which opens to the public Friday at the Javits Center in New York. In January, Volvo's XC90 crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) was named the 2016 North American Truck of the Year at the Detroit show. The XC90 represents a significant investment for Volvo and China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co, which bought the company in 2010 from Ford Motor Co. The XC90's flexible architecture will underpin a range of models, including mid-size and large sedans and mid-size SUVs for the company. Noting that when Geely acquired Volvo, there was speculation the Swedish brand might not survive, but Kerssemakers said the XC90 is poised to lead a sales revival for Volvo. In January and February, Volvo reported US sales increases of 11.9 percent and 31.1 percent, respectively, from a year earlier. "The XC90 has contributed to this growth," said Kerseemakers. "The remarkable thing Geely did is that they let Volvo be Volvo, which they had promised to us. They have been most respectful toward us," he added. Also appearing at the New York show is the 2016 Buick Envision, a Chinese import from General Motors Co, the largest US automaker. The Envision is expected to hit American showrooms this summer. It is a mid-size crossover SUV and is made in Yantai in northeastern Shandong province, which is part of GM's joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp. Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn predicted stronger-than-expected auto sales in the US and Europe this year. "I think the market will be stronger than forecast - both in Europe and in the United States," he said in remarks at the New York show. Ghosn believes US sales will increase by about 2 percent. In 2015, auto sales totaled a record 17.5 million in the US. Several auto industry forecasters are predicting 2016 sales will reach 17.8 million vehicles. European car-sales growth is likely to be about 2 percent in 2016 after rising 9.3 percent in 2015, an industry association said in January. Ghosn said that the current depressed state of electric-vehicle sales will be temporary. He said global warming is increasing and that electric vehicles remain one way for the industry to trim emissions levels. paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com Debris found in Mozambique and thought to be of MH370 examined in Canberra Updated: 2016-03-24 09:46 (Xinhua) CANBERRA - Pieces of debris found in Mozambique and thought to be from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been thoroughly examined in Canberra, a government media statement revealed on Wednesday. An update from Australia's Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC), the government body in charge of the search for the missing jetliner, revealed the pieces of scrap found on a beach in Mozambique earlier this month had been tested and the agency was eagerly awaiting the results. The Boeing 777 jetliner disappeared more than two years ago, with 239 people on board. In co-ordination with specialists from aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Geoscience Australia, the JACC said the debris was examined for "macrofauna", something which could lead to investigators knowing how long the debris had been in the water. "The items have been treated at Geoscience Australia's quarantine-approved facilities," the statement, released on Wednesday, said. "The pieces were visually examined to remove all visible macrofauna and then rinsed, submerged and agitated in water to capture any loose fauna. "All water was then passed through a series of sieves with any possible macrofauna retained. The sieved material will then be sorted and possible biological material identified. "The items were released from quarantine once they were thoroughly cleaned and all visible signs of possible contamination removed." The JACC said it could take some time for results of the tests to come to hand, but said in the meantime, "other technical specialists" would be analyzing the actual debris for signs it could be from a Boeing 777. "A statement on the findings will be made once the examination process is complete," the JACC said. "Other technical specialists are conducting an examination which will include seeking to identify specific features that may be consistent with the items coming from an aircraft, and if possible, from MH370." Meanwhile the underwater search operation for the aircraft continues, and "more than 95,000 square kilometers" have been explored so far. The JACC has previously said it would be searching up to 120,000 square kilometers of ocean floor throughout the Indian Ocean. Chinese passenger may sue Virgin Atlantic Updated: 2016-03-24 09:58 (en.people.cn) A Virgin Atlantic passenger plane flies in the sky with the moon seen in the background, in London, Britain January 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] The Chinese passenger who was allegedly verbal-assaulted and threatened on board a Virgin Atlantic flight said on Wednesday she has sought legal advice from a British law firm and will not rule out the possibility of escalating the case to court. The victim, Li Wei, said British law firm, Jackson Ng of Chan Neill Solicitors, is now in contact with the airline on whether or not the incident consisted of legal liability and negligence of duty. As of to date, Virgin Atlantic has not issued any formal apology to the passenger. Below is the statement released by Passenger Li Wei: The last few days have been very difficult for me, especially since the flight where I was humiliated, abused, and had to sit through the entire flight in fear. As I previously stated, I did not expect to have been treated the way by representatives of Virgin Atlantic after a humiliating racial discrimination and abuse incident by a fellow passenger. Regardless of the fellow passenger's state of health, I expected much more from Virgin Atlantic in dealing with such incidents, especially before the plane had taken off. As such, I have consulted British lawyers and as of this morning, instructed a firm of lawyers to communicate with Virgin Atlantic on the issue of the failings of their legal responsibilities to me. As this matter could potentially end up in a Court of Law, it would be prudent for me not to make any further comments publicly and I would respectfully ask that all media enquiries be directed to my lawyer, Jackson Ng of Chan Neill Solicitors in London, United Kingdom. I have always been proud to be Chinese and glad to see that many people are shocked that something of this nature could happen. Therefore, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have given me support and for publicising this matter." The incident took place on March 1, 2016, when Li Wei was verbally abused by a Caucasian male passenger and later one of the flight attendants on a London flight en route to Shanghai. According to Li, a Caucasian male began hurling racial epithets such as "f*cking Chinese pig", "get the fk out of here" at her and swearing without any provocation. The incident went from bad to worse when a flight attendant approached the victim threatening to have her taken away from the plane if she did not stop quarreling. UNICEF partners with Tsinghua to improve child well-being Updated: 2016-03-24 17:06 By Yang Wanli(chinadaily.com.cn) Tsinghua University and UNICEF announced a new long-term partnership today to help the world's poorest and most disadvantaged children through innovative solutions and advances in design and technology. The agreement includes the establishment of a Global Innovation Centre for Children that will create products and services to improve the well-being of the most vulnerable children, especially those in developing countries. About 22,000 children die each day due to poverty, according to UNICEF. The partnership will bring together creative problem solvers from China and around the world to develop innovative solutions that will meet the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by United Nations Member States in September. "This partnership is an exciting opportunity to tackle some of the immense challenges faced by children in China and across the world, through creative and innovative solutions," said Yoka Brandt, UNICEF's deputy executive director. "It is a vehicle for concrete and practical action to improve the lives of millions of children." The partnership aims to improve the understanding of children's welfare and sustainable development, and encourage public dialogue and participation in initiatives aimed at improving children's lives. "Tsinghua is dedicated to educating the next generation of innovators who are committed to bring about transformational technological breakthroughs as well as positive social change," said Chen Xu, the university's chancellor. "Partnering with UNICEF provides an opportunity for Tsinghua to contribute to the global cause for children and sustainable development." Xi's visit to boost Sino-Czech cooperation, friendship: People's Daily Updated: 2016-03-24 20:31 (Xinhua) BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping's three-day visit to the Czech Republic beginning on March 28 will bring bilateral cooperation and friendship for a brighter future, a commentary published on Thursday's edition of the People's Daily said. Hailing the visit, the first one by China's head of state to the Czech Republic since the two nations established diplomatic relations 67 years ago, as significant, the commentary said that the people in both countries are expecting the visit to push the Sino-Czech relations to a new level. Bilateral ties have entered a new phase that witnesses the fastest development with the most fruitful results in history, according to the commentary. So far, the Czech Republic has become the second biggest trading partner of China in the Central and Eastern European region, and China has been the Czech Republic's second biggest trading partner in the world, only next to the European Union (EU). In 2015, two-way trade topped 11 billion U.S. dollars. The commentary said China's Belt and Road initiative has presented unprecedented opportunities for the cooperation between the two nations, boosting the integration of their major development strategies, plans and policies as well as practical cooperation. It also hoped the two nations will broaden their people-to-people exchange as China and the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) are celebrating a year of people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The fast development of Sino-Czech ties accompanied the tide of strengthened cooperation between China and the CEEC, according to the commentary. It said Xi's visit will also inject new vitality into China-CEEC cooperation, calling on the two sides to cherish opportunities of joint development. Chinese president to visit Czech, attend nuclear security summit in US Updated: 2016-03-24 21:12 (Xinhua) BEIJING -- China will work with the international community to ensure the success of the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit, Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said Thursday. Li made the remarks at a press briefing on President Xi Jinping's attendance at the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, which will be held in Washington, the United States, from March 31 to April 1. During the summit, Xi will deliver a keynote speech on China's new measures and new achievements in nuclear security, and raise practical proposals on strengthening global nuclear security, said Li. President Xi's participation demonstrates China's positive and constructive attitude to working together with other countries to build an international nuclear security system and enhance nuclear global governance, the official said. China hopes that the summit will continuously step up the international consensus on nuclear security to effectively handle new circumstances and new challenges, and promote capacity building for various countries to implement nuclear security obligations and political commitments, he said. China also hopes the summit will boost international cooperation on nuclear security and create a shared culture of nuclear security, Li added. He said China will work with parties concerned to make contributions to the construction of a fair, cooperative and win-win international nuclear security system and improve the levels of global nuclear security. President Xi will meet with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit, Li said, noting it will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. He said the president will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Prior to the summit, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28 to 30 at the invitation of Czech President Milos Zeman, said Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing. Xi's visit to the Czech Republic will be the first state visit by a Chinese president in 67 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, his first visit to Central and Eastern Europe, and the first trip to Europe this year. It signals a major diplomatic move toward Europe, Liu said. During his time in the Czech Republic, Xi will hold talks with Zeman and meet with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, Senate chairman Milan Stech, Chamber of Deputies chairman Jan Hamacek and Prague Mayor Adriana Krnacova, said Liu. The two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations, the Belt and Road Initiative, cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, China-Europe relations and other international and regional issues of common concern, said Liu. Liu said the two sides will also sign a number of cooperative agreements covering economy and trade, infrastructure, finance, health care, aviation, science and technology, and culture. Xi's visit to Czech will set the wheels in motion for the future development of bilateral ties, said Liu. China believes that this visit will push forward all-round mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations, elevate bilateral ties, and promote China-CEE cooperation as well as China-Europe ties, he said. NYPD officer who killed black man should not go to prison: Brooklyn DA Updated: 2016-03-24 22:20 (Agencies) Peter Liang, the former New York City police officer found guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, should not go to prison, the lead prosecutor in the case has recommended. Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson suggested on Wednesday that Liang should serve community service and house arrest instead of jail time. Liang, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on April 14. He faces up to 15 years in prison. Thompson's recommendation for Liang's potential punishment was made public on Wednesday in a letter he sent to the judge presiding over the matter. Thompson said that Liang is not a danger to the public, thus jail time would be unwarranted. "Because the incarceration of the defendant is not necessary to protect the public, and because of the unique circumstances of this case, the People do not believe that a prison sentence is warranted," Thompson wrote in a letter to Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. Thompson said that Liang, who is Chinese American and the first New York police officer convicted of an on-duty death since 2005, acted recklessly when he went into a Brooklyn housing project and fired a shot that ricocheted off the darkened stairwell walls before killing Akai Gurley several floors below in November 2014. "Peter Liang was indicted, prosecuted and subsequently convicted by a jury because his reckless actions caused an innocent man to lose his life," Thompson said . "There is no evidence, however, that he intended to kill or injure Akai Gurley. When Mr. Liang went into that building that night, he did so as part of his job and to keep the people of Brooklyn and our city safe." Liang, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on April 14. He faces up to 15 years in prison. Thompson said in comments also filed as a recommendation with the court that Liang should receive five years of probation on condition that he serves six months of home confinement with an electronic monitor. He also recommended that Liang perform 500 hours of community service. Gurley's relatives expressed outrage over Thompson's recommendation, saying it "sends the message that police officers who kill people should not face serious consequences." The shooting sparked protests similar to those over police shootings of other unarmed black men in Maryland, Missouri and other states. Chinese Americans also held rallies in major cities on Feb 20 protesting Liang's conviction, expressing concern that he was a scapegoat. About 10,000 people demonstrated in support of Liang in New York City, and several hundred demonstrators gathered in downtown Los Angeles, with some holding signs that said "Save Peter Liang," "Accident not crime" and "All lives matter." "Although we disagree with Mr. Thompson on the fundamental issue of Peter's culpability, he deserves praise for his dispassionate and courageous decision that incarceration is not called for in this case," Liang's attorneys Pauld Shechtman and Gabriel Chin said in a statement. Liang, who was on the police force less than a year, was convicted of manslaughter in the Nov 20, 2014, shooting of 28-year-old Gurley, which occurred in a darkened, Brooklyn public housing stairwell he was patrolling. A jury found Liang responsible for firing a bullet that ricocheted off a wall and killed Gurley, who was walking one floor below. Liang testified that he was startled by a noise, which caused him to accidentally fire his gun. Although prosecutors argued that it was not an accident, Thompson said the case was about justice, not about revenge. "As I have said before, there are no winners here," said Thompson. "But the sentence that I have requested is just and fair under the circumstances of this case." Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. Paris, March 24 (VNA) With impressive macro-economic indexes in recent years, Vietnam has strong appeal for French businesses, according to Commercial Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy in France Nguyen Quynh Anh. In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agencys correspondents on the threshold of the workshop Vietnam, a new Asian dragon in France, Anh said French firms are seeking to partner with Vietnamese counterparts in many fields, especially in energy, which is one of Frances strengths. They also hoped for strengthened links with Vietnam in agriculture and infrastructure development, she noted. According to the counsellor, France is an important partner of Vietnam in the fields of pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, and farm products. Frances exports to Vietnam in 2015 increased by 72.5 times compared to 2014, while Vietnams exports to the European country hit 3.7 billion EUR, up 32.2 percent against those in the previous year. Many French companies have set up their representative offices in Vietnam. This shows that French firms are very interested in the Vietnamese market, she added. Anh also said there is great potential for Vietnamese business to promote export of farm products such as rice, tea and coffee to France, especially when the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement takes effect. The workshop Vietnam, a new Asian dragon is jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Senate of France and the French agency for trade and investment promotion. Beginning on March 25, the event will include round-table seminars to promote Vietnams farm produce. It aims to update both sides enterprises on information related to market potential, and business customs, offering a good chance to discuss measures to enhance connection between the two countries business in the coming time. On the occasion, a cooperation agreement will be signed between the Vietnam Agency of Trade Promotion and the French agency for trade and investment promotion, towards improving the Vietnamese agencys capacity in helping Vietnamese businesses enter foreign markets, as well as helping French companies start business in Vietnam. VNA/VNP Participants at the talk show on "TPP's intellectual property regulations" held by the Government's Portal on March 23 in Ha Noi. Photo baochinhphu.vn HA NOI (VNS) Many Vietnamese firms are indifferent to intellectual property rights regulated in the Trans Pacific Strategic Partnership (TPP) agreement, despite the fact that Viet Nam is a signatory to the deal, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh said. Khanh said during a talk show held by the Governments Portal yesterday in Ha Noi that businesses awareness regarding the issue was limited and inadequate. Without effective measures, it would be very difficult for Vietnamese firms in particular and the country in general to participate in the TPP deal, he said. Once the deals took effect, Vietnamese businesses would have to spend more time on lawsuits. If we do not conduct specific measures and impose stiffer penalties on the violation of intellectual property rights, we will cause severe damage and losses for individuals and organisations that have patented inventions not to mention we are also showing our disrespect to the inventors and discouraging them to create and invent more, Khanh said. Another important thing to note was that Viet Nam currently only imposed administrative punishments on intellectual property rights violations, he said. But the TPP includes criminal penalties for such crimes. Violators may receive warnings and administrative fines or be imprisoned, depending on the severity of the crimes. Le Ngoc Lam, Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Rights Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology said intellectual property rights issues in the TPP deal were different from other trade agreements. There are things stipulated in the TPP that weve never thought of, such as the protection of copyrights about scents, flavours and sounds, Lam said. That is obviously a real challenge for the business community. He said the wave of foreign investment pouring into Viet Nam was likely to trigger disputes about intellectual property rights issues. It was no coincidence that when investing in Viet Nam, most foreign firms asked the Government to commit to protect their intellectual property rights. Intellectual property violations hurt all Vietnamese enterprises and the entire economy. They stop Viet Nam from accessing and utilising the worlds technological advancements, Lam said. Lam said enforcement in Viet Nam was still limited. This was one of the weakest aspects of the countrys legal system. There is no Vietnamese court that specialises in handling intellectual property rights cases. Many trademark and design disputes remain unsolved. Vu Thi Thuan, chairman of the board of directors of Traphaco Pharmaceutical JSC, said the TPP deal would also provide Viet Nam with more opportunities to make the business environment transparent and predictable. In particular, strengthening protection for intellectual property rights will create opportunities to attract more investment in knowledge-based sectors such as pharmaceutical production like vaccines, Thuan said. Thuan said the domestic businesses must adapt themselves to the TPPs intellectual property right regulations, adding that the firms must also make changes in accordance with new legal regulations. Khanh said Vietnamese firms should improve their understanding of international laws to enhance the recognition, application, development and protection of intellectual property rights; promote research and innovation; and apply science and technology for greater quality and productivity. He added that the Government and law enforcement agencies needed to improve knowledge and experience to be able to handle cases related to intellectual property rights and build a stronger legal framework in line with the regulations of the TPP. VNS Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang (right) and his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov at the signing ceremony of intergovernmental protocol in Moscow. Photo vov HA NOI (VNS) Viet Nam and Russia signed an inter-governmental protocol on supporting the production of motor vehicles in the Southeast Asian country. The protocol was signed between Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov during Hoangs visit to Russia which concluded on Tuesday. The document was negotiated and signed based on the priority clauses of investment projects under the free trade agreements between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Under the agreement, Russian vehicle manufacturers such as KAMAZ, GAZ and UAZ will co-operate with their Vietnamese partners to set up several joint ventures to manufacture and assemble trucks, cars with 10 seats and above, crossover utility vehicles (CUV) and a number of special-use vehicles. The two sides have pledged to assemble cars under Viet Nams planning on automobile industry development by 2020, with a vision towards 2030. Of this, the local supply rate will be 25 per cent for the special-use vehicles, 30 per cent for trucks and CUVs and 35 per cent for cars with 10 seats and above by 2020. By 2025, the local supply rate is set to reach 40 per cent for special-use vehicles and CUVs, and 45 per cent for trucks and cars with 10 seats and above. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Manturov said the protocol was seen as the first bilateral project to develop the free trade agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and EAEU, thus helping increase the trade turnover between the two countries in industrial investment and production. He said the signing of the protocol would create more jobs for Vietnamese workers, not only helping Viet Nam manufacture automobiles but also to export cars to other countries. Minister Hoang said Viet Nam had long hoped to manufacture automobiles in the country with a significant amount of local supplies. The establishment of a joint-venture project on assembling and manufacturing automobiles in Viet Nam forms part of the FTA signed with the EAEU in May 2015, and the automobile industrys planning strategy, he said. Hoang said if the project was successfully carried out under this commitment, Russia would transfer its technology to Viet Nam. After a short period, the rate of local supply will reach 40 per cent and will regularly increase over the next few years. VNS Nguyen Duc Chung, chairman of the municipal People's Committee speaks at the event. Photo zing.vn HA NOI (VNS) The capital city will create the best possible conditions for the US investors to launch their projects in the locality, Nguyen uc Chung, chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, said. During a meeting yesterday with more than 50 American businesses, Chung said, the city always regarded the United States (US) as one of the most reliable trade and investment partners. However, the bilateral relationship has failed to match each others potential. Chung called on US companies to make further investments in a wide range of sectors including banking and finance, software development, electronics, and IT, in addition to support industries and environment protection. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said it was the right time for two business communities to expand their co-operation. Trung added that enterprises from the two nations could supplement each other, especially Vietnamese firms who desired to receive funding and update hi-end technologies from their US counterparts that could help them gradually penetrate the global value chain. He emphasised the importance of organising such events to facilitate bilateral co-operation between the businesses of the two nations. Viet Nam was expected by the US firms to perfect the infrastructure and improve the quality of human resources, the US Ambassador to Viet Nam, Ted Osius, said at the event. US investments in Viet Nam were expected to rapidly increase due to Viet Nams potential for consumption and new business opportunities, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investments Foreign Investment Agency (FIA). The FIA said that many US corporations saw Viet Nam as a strategic market with long-term benefits, pointing out that low labour costs was a key factor in attracting investments. Only in 11 months last year, US businesses pumped more than US$226 million in investments into Viet Nam, ranking 14th among 57 foreign investors in the country, bizlive quoted the Ministry of Planning and Investments statistics as saying. VNS Nearly US$13 million has been allocated for the urgent repair of a ong Nai Province bridge.VNA/VNS Photo Manh Linh HA NOI (VNS) Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently approved in principle the allocation of VN298 billion (nearly US$13 million) for the urgent repair of a ong Nai Province bridge. The money will come from the 2016 state budget for the repair of Ghenh Bridge that spans the ong Nai River in the southern province. The Vietnam Railways (VNR) Corporation under the transport ministry has been asked to implement the project. The Deputy PM has also asked the ministry to direct the VNR in the implementation of the project, ensuring the effective use of the allocated capital. The Ghenh Bridge, a key bridge on the North-South railway line, collapsed at noon on March 20 after a barge crashed into its pillar, causing many people to fall into the river. As the bridge is on the North-South railway route, railway services have been affected. Trains running on the route now have to stop at Bien Hoa Station in ong Nai Province. The bridge was built more than 100 years ago and is used by both trains and vehicles.VNS This year and in the future, the private sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are expected to be a driving force for economic growth. While a law supporting SMEs is set to be issued soon, the government is making efforts to ease business conditions for these firms, especially in accessing loans. During a talk with Viet Nam News Agency reporter Thach Hue, Viet Nam Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Chairman Cao Sy Kiem said that credit guarantee activities should be sped up in the future so that SMEs can better access credit. Credit guarantee policies are considered a lifebuoy for many SMEs. Why? SMEs are weak in management capacity and lack mortgages, so many of them cant meet the lending requirements of banks. The government has been aware of the situation and established credit guarantee funds in some localities nationwide. It assigned the Viet Nam Development Bank as a guarantor for SMEs to borrow capital from commercial banks. With such assistance, enterprises have been able to manage funds for their projects and many have been given strength to overcome obstacles. In developed countries in the region and the world, credit underwriting is very popular as a good supporting channel for business operations, especially operations of small companies with limited production facilities and capabilities. Why are credit guarantee funds still generally assessed as inefficient? This is true. Many factors make it hard for credit guarantee funds to operate efficiently in direct and indirect ways. The legal framework for operations of the funds is insufficient, with regulations remaining inconsistent and even conflicting. This causes difficulties for borrowers, lenders as well as guarantors. Credit guarantee funds are formed from three sources: local state budgets, contributions from enterprises, and finances from domestic and foreign organisations. The overseas source is almost insignificant, so the size of current funds are very small, amounting to only some tens of billions of ong. There are also high risks for operations of the funds, which manage incomes and expenses themselves without any refinancing sources. Poor capacity of fund-operating staff in assessing enterprises performance and the feasibility of their projects resulted in many bad debts. Representing SMEs, what does your association hear from firms accessing bank loans with credit guarantees? The majority of the enterprises hesitate to use credit underwriting to borrow bank loans, blaming complicated procedures in accessing the guarantee service. The assessment process repeats and fees double when the companies deal with both guarantee funds and commercial banks. This shows that guarantors and banks lack close co-ordination and mutual confidence, and their enterprises will be put at a disadvantage. In many cases, funds and banks are also worried about irrecoverable debts and unwilling to lend. Thus, relation of the involved parties is even more slackened, meaning chances are less and less for SMEs to receive support. What measures are needed to solve this problem? There must be a complete legal framework that resolves the inconsistency in policies, and capital sources for credit guarantee funds need to be diversified. Dont count on financial contribution of enterprises because they are struggling themselves, let alone assisting others. Fund managing staff must improve their abilities to ensure credit security and uninterrupted fund operations, and the government should help guarantors increase capital by introducing efficient models of fund to attract foreign investments. VNS Think on your feet: Celine Mariage explains to her students how to perform improvisational theatre. VNS Photo Bach Lien by Bach Lien Every Thursday, the theatre workshop that Celine Mariage offers Francophone students at the Ha Noi University attracts the most motivated French-learning students. Here they learn about theatre and how to speak better French. Three years ago, she was sent by Wallonie-Bruxelles International to work as a French language teacher at this university. However, she did not keep herself confined to those strict limits of her mission. She wanted to be more creative, and decided to teach French through theatre, offering students an opportunity to express themselves through this art form which has been her great passion since the age of 18. Her workshop is held every Thursday from 1pm to 3pm in a 30sq.m room of the Wallonie-Bruxelles International at the Ha Noi university in Thanh Xuan district. During the first few weeks, she offers classes to familiarise the students with the world of theatre. They learn how to warm up physically, practice to speak aloud, play games to train to concentrate better. She also teaches them how to do improvisation theatre. Later, they learn how to write theatre scripts and perform the play they wrote together. I have a special course. I studied French literature, and after that, I did a PhD in management. Theater for me is really a hobby I have pursued since the age of 18. It is this passion that I try to convey to students," she explains. Celine Mariage brought to Viet Nam several Belgian experts, including Nicolas Ancion, Belgiums well-known writer, to help students develop scenarios for their plays. Among these theatre pieces was Golden Tripe, which was presented at the French Cultural Centre in Ha Noi during the European theater festival in 2014. Moreover, Celine organised several other classes: a reading workshop to help students pronounce better, and literature classes to help students know better literature from other Francophone countries. She also screens documentary films followed by debates and discussions, offering students the opportunity to express themselves better and to speak in front of others, thereby helping them overcome their shyness. "During my several years of teaching in Viet Nam, I see that many Vietnamese students are a little shy and it takes some time for them to become more confident," she said. "These activities teach them to dare, to have confidence in the teacher, to be more creative, to not only receive but also give a lot... And what is very important is that they learn to work in groups, something they are not familiar with. What is very important in theater or in video making work, is to be able to respect others, to arrive on time for workshops... These are the rules, the things they have to learn gradually. But I can see that those students really want to work, to move forward and progress. Its very interesting, she said with a smile. Those classes have helped change the habits of students, making them more punctual and more confident, apart from helping them improve their French. Ngoc Anh, one of her students, said, "Celine is very open, very friendly and very cheerful. She has a great sense of humour, and often makes us laugh, which can help us forget the stress. But it does not prevent her from being a serious teacher. When working with her, we do not speak any Vietnamese. So, our French has clearly improved. Other students taking part in the theatre workshop also say that she has brought a lot of enthusiasm and creativity to the students since she arrived. She always tries to help them progress and encourages them to actively participate in group activities. A dynamic teacher, she is also highly appreciated by her colleagues. Tran Van Cong, deputy director of the department, said, "Celine takes active part in our activities held inside and outside the university. She is also very devoted to the students. Its she who had proposed the idea of teaching first year students how to pronounce better." Not many know that every day , she rides her motorbike to commute the 12 kilometre stretch that separates her home in Tay Ho district from the Ha Noi University in Thanh Xuan district, where she works. To begin her classes every morning at 7.30 am, she has to get up at 6am. It is not always easy, particularly during the cold winter days. A mother of four boys, she has a busy schedule but is still devoted to her job. For Celine and her family, Viet Nam is the second country of expatriation, but their first in Asia. During the two remaining years in Viet Nam, she still has a number of projects she plans to offer her students. VNS SEOUL North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has claimed an "historic" advance in the countrys nuclear strike capability with the successful test of a solid-fuel rocket engine, state media said on Thursday. The announcement came as South Korean President Park Geun-hye ordered the military to "strengthen readiness" in the wake of multiple North Korean threats to launch nuclear and conventional missile attacks. Tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test. Angered by ongoing large-scale South Korea-US military drills, Pyongyang has ramped up the rhetoric in recent weeks, maintaining a daily barrage of bellicose warnings aimed at Seoul and Washington. The solid-fuel test was personally monitored by Kim, who said it would allow for a major upgrade of the Norths missile delivery systems that would "strike great horror and terror into the hearts of our enemies", the state-run KCNA news agency said. Solid-fuel missiles would have distinct advantages -- including greater mobility and the ability to launch within minutes -- over Pyongyangs current, largely liquid-fuelled inventory. The North is already understood to use solid fuel for its short-range, road-mobile ballistic missiles, but not for medium-range or untested long-range missiles. According to KCNA, the solid-fuel test was of a "large output" engine and included separation testing. "This is an historic and unforgettable day," Kim was quoted as saying. On Wednesday, Pyongyang had focused its ire on South Koreas Park, saying its artillery units stood ready to turn her office into a "sea of flames and ashes". The presidential Blue House in Seoul responded on Thursday, condemning what it described as "a direct provocation to our nation as well as the president". Park ordered the South Korean military to stand ready to respond swiftly and effectively to any "reckless provocations", the Blue House said in a statement. AFP Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Minh Huan spoke with Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) Newspaper about measures needed to improve labour relations, in a bid to reduce strikes. There has been an increase in strikes by workers over the past months. What do you think about this? According to ministry statistics, there were almost 50 strikes and labour disputes in the first two months of the year. One of these strikes involved nearly 20,000 workers of Pouchen Viet Nam Company in the southern province of ong Nai last month. It is a great pity when a strike happens. Strikes document inefficient dialogue and negotiations between workers and their employers. Employer-employee disputes often result when State policies arent appropriately implemented by businesses. Most strikes so far this year related to 2016 minimum wage adjustments, salaries, and employee bonuses. Labour disputes usually arise when businesses fail to pay employees proper salaries and bonuses. Any plan to adjust salary and benefits - including money allocated for housing, meals, etc. - should be negotiated between employers and employee representatives, to avoid common workplace disputes. What are the real reasons behinds these strikes? There is a conflict between costs and profits. The new laws which took effect in January create added pressure for businesses. The regulation increasing the minimum wage, and the new law requiring employees to pay more money for insurance than they did under the old law, are two examples of the additional pressure businesses now face. Businesses have to calculate costs. When production costs increase but product prices dont, businesses usually try to make up for the money lost by trying to reduce workers salaries and benefits.This dynamic causes conflict between costs and profits. On the one hand, government policies are geared towards guaranteeing the interests and living conditions of workers. On the other hand, employers have got to make money and earn profits. Is it illegal for businesses to reduce employee benefits, only to use the money saved to pay employee salaries? The Government issued a regulation on increasing the minimum wage. So businesses must adjust the minimum wage, but keep existing welfare policies for workers. Employers should consult with trade unions before reducing employee benefits or salary, to avoid problems. Government agencies should see to it that businesses comply with Vietnamese labour laws. For example, in the case of Pouchen Company in ong Nai, problems would have been avoided if employers and trade union representatives had negotiated properly. What is the role of trade unions? Provincial trade unions and business trade unions both participate in building harmonious labour relationships. But representatives of trade unions still need to focus on advocating for employee incomes, working hours, and the amount of work required of workers. All of the strikes and labour disputes so far this year failed to follow government regulations and protocals for employee strikes and disputes. It is important to follow Vietnamese labour laws. Workers must have the right to go on strike; but they must obey the law, too. Does the ministry have any means to limit strikes? The ministry, relevant agencies, and local authorities, have all helped workers and employees negotiate. Goals include creating optimum conditions for workers to return to work after strikes, as well as representing workers interests. The ministry reviews relevant regulations and policies, amending and supplementing them as needed. The ministry also expects the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other relevant agencies to increase information dissemination -- and to guide the implementation of related regulations, particularly those relating to adjustment of the minimum wage and employee benefits, assuring the interests of workers. But employees and workers must understand related policies and increase dialogue with each other. This is currently a weak point in labour relations, leading to strikes and causing problems for both businesses and workers. To resolve issues before serious problems develop, workers must respect laws, dialogue with employers, and consult local authorities as needed. VNS President Truong Tan Sang meets with the Governor of Kaluga, Russia, A.D.Artamonov in Ha Noi yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang HA NOI (VNS) President Truong Tan Sang hosted a reception in Ha Noi yesterday for Governor of Kaluga, Russia, A.D.Artamonov. The President lauded the governor for working with Viet Nams localities and enterprises in order to map out a co-operative mechanism between the two sides. The leader said the economic bilateral relationship had not fully tapped its potential and requested the governor and Russias authorities to join hands with a view to effectively realise agreements signed between the two sides. Sang informed the governor of areas of successful Vietnamese businesses in that are looking to invest overseas. He also thanked the governor of Kaluga for supporting Vietnamese nationals who are studying and working in the province. In return, the governor praised the traditional co-operation between Viet Nam and Russia, asserting that the visit was aimed at bolstering collaboration in agri-business, particularly the cow breeding model and milk processing of Viet Nams TH Truemilk group. He briefed the President on the potentials and advantages of Kagula and stressed the province was implementing several policies to attract investment, adding that it had always supported and created best possible conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in the locality. VNS Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (left) meets with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Bejing. Photo VNA BEIJING (VNS) The Mekong-Lancang Co-operation should promote its important role in boosting efforts by member states to scientifically and sustainably manage the water resources of the Mekong River, known as the Lancang in China, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. Minh delivered a speech at the first Mekong-Lancang Co-operation (MLC) leaders meeting which kicked off in Sanya city of Chinas Hainan province yesterday. Minh hailed the significance of the meeting which marks the birth of a new co-operation mechanism between Mekong-Lancang countries. It is also the first time all six countries along the Mekong River will meet to discuss joint efforts needed for sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region. The Mekong sub-region faces numerous development and security challenges, particularly relating to environmental degradation, water resources and climate change, according to Minh. Viet Nam welcomes and prizes Chinas recent decision to increase the release of water in the upper Mekong River to address both severe drought conditions and salt intrusions in the lower part of the river, Minh said. He believes that the decision represents a good start for the Mekong-Lancang Co-operation initiative. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Viet Nam supports the principles and long-term collaboration specified in the Sanya Declaration. The Mekong-Lancang Co-operation was designed around the principles of consensus, equality, mutual benefit, and respect for both the UN Charter and international law. With these values underpinning the collaboration, Minh hopes the MLC will help reinforce good neighbourly relations among the six countries, help them to implement the UNs sustainable development goals through 2030, and contribute to deepening the ASEAN-China strategic partnership. In his speech, Minh affirmed that a complete and connected infrastructure is essential to the development of trade, investment and tourism in the Mekong sub-region. The MLC will contribute to boosting economic connectivity in the sub-region, through development co-operation and infrastructure linkage, he said. Economic connectivity is a priority for the ASEAN Community and for the ASEAN-China strategic partnership. Minh said that Viet Nam supports strengthening collaboration to boost production among Mekong-Lancang countries, in order to increase competitiveness of each member country and to boost production chains linking economies and strategic partners in the sub-region. The leader also noted that among the five top priorities of the Mekong-Lancang Co-operation, co-operation regarding water resources is of primary importance. Viet Nam has agreed to work with China to develop a joint project to establish a centre for Mekong-Lancang water resource co-operation. Viet Nam is also ready to contribute financially to the establishment and operation of the centre. Agriculture plays a crucial role in the financial stability and sustainable development of Mekong-Lancang nations, according to the Deputy Prime Minister. Viet Nam is willing to co-ordinate with other countries by applying new technologies faster, increasing productivity, and forming agricultural value chains in the sub-region. The purpose of these proposed initiatives is to move towards a sustainable agriculture that is both competitive and adaptable to climate change, ensuring harmony between food security and water resource security needs. Trade, investment and tourism co-operation and connectivity are also a driving force for economic growth of countries in the sub-region, according to Minh. So Viet Nam will intensify collaboration with other Mekong-Lancang nations, to facilitate cross-border movement of trade, investment and tourism by simplifying administrative procedures. Minh concluded his speech by emphasising that the MLC is an open co-operation mechanism, capable of supplementing current collaboration frameworks in the Mekong sub-region. This will make co-operation among the six Mekong countries even more valuable. He underlined the need for the MLC to co-ordinate seamlessly with other co-operation mechanisms and frameworks, especially the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the Mekong River Commission (MRC). The Mekong-Lancang countries are China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam. Meetings in China Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Minh thanked China for responding to Viet Nams call to release water from Jinghong hydropower plant in Yunnan province, to provide water for emergency use by countries downstream on the Mekong river, amid the ongoing severe drought during his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Minh suggested ideas to materialise agreements reached by the two countries leaders, including maintaining high-level visits, increasing people-to-people friendship exchanges, and promoting the healthy and balanced development of economic, trade, investment, financial and monetary ties. He also suggested effectively implementing credit and non-refundable grants and facilitating cross-border economic development. On sea-related issues, he expressed concern over recent developments in the East Sea and asked China to realise high-level agreements and common perceptions to manage and settle disputes in line with international law. He also prompted using the effective mechanism of bilateral talks on sea issues, joining ASEAN countries in implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and working towards soon formulating a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. He requested that China refrain from acts that exacerbate the current situation and properly deal with fisheries issues. The Chinese Premier pledged to maintain high-level visits and increase people-to-people exchanges with Viet Nam, while promoting practical collaboration towards managing disputes well with a view to continuously deepening the bilateral comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership. China was committed to continued assistance and co-ordination with relevant countries to help Viet Nam overcome drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta, he said. Earlier, Minh met with his Russian counterpart, Arkady Dvorkovich, during which they agreed to continue regular high-level visits to strengthen mutual trust. They stressed the need to accelerate the ratification of the Viet NamEurasian Economic Union free trade agreement and to bolster trade and investment, particularly in farm produce, industry, and oil and gas energy. The two officials committed to working closely together and with ASEAN member states to prepare for the summit marking the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-Russia dialogue partnership this May in Russia, creating a new driving force for ASEAN-Russia ties and for peace, stability and development in the region. VNS HA NOI Japan has committed to give more than US$400,000 for four community projects across Viet Nam as a part of its long-term aid to the country. In a signing ceremony held in Ha Noi yesterday, Japanese Ambassador in Viet Nam Hiroshi Fukada pledged to provide funding to three provinces to build a primary school in Cao Bang, a school dormitory in Yen Bai and a box culvert across a stream in Lam ong that frequently floods the road during the rainy season and isolates the residents. Japans non-refundable official development assistance (ODA), totalling $406,893, will also provide a Nang and the neighbouring Quang Nam Province with specific equipment for printing in braille, enabling blind people in those localities to have equal access to information. The non-refundable ODA plays an important role in promoting an inclusive economic development so that the wealth gap is not to be widened, said Ambassador Hiroshi Fukada. For the fiscal year of 2015, which runs from April 1, 2015 to March 31, Japan pledged to grant 300 billion yen ($2.56 billion) of ODA to Viet Nam. VNS A flood in Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province in 2015. An historic flood, similar to the flood that battered the central region with 2,000 mm of rain in 1999, is predicted to hit Viet Nam in the second half of this year after the most severe drought in 100 years is forecasted to end by June. VNA/VNS Photo HA NOI An historic flood, similar to the flood that battered the central region with 2,000 mm of rain in 1999, is predicted to hit Viet Nam in the second half of this year after the most severe drought in 100 years is forecasted to end by June. The flood that hit the central region in 1999 was reported to have killed 595 people and caused a loss of over VN3.7 trillion (US$165 million). The deputy director of the National Centre of Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Le Thanh Hai made the warning at a meeting held yesterday in Ha Noi to mark the World Meteorological Day 2016. Hai said after the El Nino phenomenon weakened in June, rains were expected to fall with higher frequency. If the La Nina phenomenon, a weather pattern that cools the ocean surface along the tropical Pacific coast of South America, came right after the El Nino in the second half of this year, the possibility of an historic flood was very high, he said. Besides the flood, irregular weather phenomena were also expected, he said. For example, Hai said the biggest flood in 40 years hit Quang Ninh last August with maximum rainfall of 1,600mm; however there was no rain at all in central Ninh Thuan Province last September. Thats a typical example of an irregular weather phenomenon, he said. Also at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Chu Pham Ngoc Hien ordered the hydro-meteorological sector to integrate hydro-meteorology into the national plan to implement the Paris Agreement on Environment, adopted in Paris last December by 195 nations. VNS A labourer looking for jobs at a job fair. Illustrative Photo vov.vn HA NOI (VNS) More than 1,000 jobs will be available at a job fair for Vietnamese workers who have returned home after the end of their work contracts in South Korea, officials said. The job fair would be held on April 24 at the Hanoi Job Service Centre under the labour, invalids and social affairs ministry (MoLISA), Nguyen Toan Phong, director of the centre, said. The fair aimed to support Vietnamese labourers in the employment permit system (ESP) to get jobs and lead stable lives after they returned from South Korea, helping to reduce the number of illegal Vietnamese workers living in that country, Phong said. Some 35 to 40 South Korean investment firms and foreign direct investment firms, as well as those in the country will participate in the job fair. The jobs are free and of various kinds, such as for South Korean interpreters, managers and staff at hotels and restaurants, those with technical and electronic skills and general workers. MoLISA had earlier said South Korea would recruit 3,500 Vietnamese labourers who are exemplary and loyal in their work this year. VNS Cheaper jewellery import, especially at 1% duty from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) under Free Trade Agreement, has come to a halt from March after the Union government imposed excise duty on the gold jewellery. Approximately 10 tonnes from Indonesia in first half of 2015 and 500 kgs to 1 tonne from South Korea in the past few months are estimated to have been imported in India by paying 1% excise duty. However, Budget has imposed an excise duty of 12.5% with input credit option and 1% for those who are not taking credit for duty paid on inputs. Thus the new excise duty basis for input credit method plugs the gap that existed while importing jewellery using FTA route. Analyst tracking gold jewellery said 12.5% excise becomes countervailing duty for importing jewellery even from countries with whom India has FTA and import duty of only 1% for jewellery is applicable when gold bars are imported at 10% duty. The 1% import duty has always been a controversial issue since it began in 2014 when jewellery started coming in from Thailand. Imports from Thailand virtually stopped after the issue of violation of value addition norms was raised by the government and alerts against them were issued. This was substituted by imports from Malaysia and largely Indonesia. In around June-July last year customs department started asking import of jewellery at 1% duty to submit bank guarantee worth 15% in case if 1% duty is not permissible. Since then imports from Indonesia which were a major source of such imports came to halt. Later importers found that even this type of 1% duty paid jewellery can be imported from South Korea. However with excise slab of 12.5% government effectively curbed that route while honouring FTA provisions. Some importers are still trying to analyse a Supreme Court judgement. In last March, SC had ruled in case of SRF that when excise duty rates are different for input credit option and without that, than in that case lower excise duty rate becomes countervailing duty. However according to Shailesh Sheth, advocate and practitioner, indirect tax, "In SRF's case, Supreme Court had allowed the exemption from CVD to the importer based on excise exemption granted subject to non-availment of CENVAT credit. Review petition reportedly filed by the department is pending as on date. Meanwhile, as a fall-out of the judgment, CBEC made certain amendments to the relevant excise exemption notifications in July, 2015 with a view to protect the domestic manufacturers and to save Make in India campaign. With these amendments, it is debatable whether CVD of 1% can be claimed by the importers of jewellery based on the concessional rate of excise of 1% without CENVAT credit." Hence future of 1% import duty paid jewellery business hinges upon the review petition pending in the Supreme Court. Importers have halted such imports. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will meet top Australian leaders and investors next week and make a strong pitch for foreign investments in India from the country's cash-rich sovereign funds. Indian High Commissioner Navdeep Suri said that during his four-day visit, the minister will meet New South Wales Premier Mike Baird, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Treasurer Scott Morrison, Finance Minister Mathias Corman and Energy and Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg. Suri said that Jaitley might also call on Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Describing Jaitley's schedule as 'a packed and productive one', Suri said: "The visit gives us the opportunity to engage with Australia at multiple levels." He added that the engagements would cover a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, technology, service, financial and superannuation funds, and the Finance Minister will meet business leaders from the different sectors. "Australia has a major sovereign fund called the Future Fund and it also has superannuation funds that have estimated assets of over USD 2 trillion. These funds want a good rate of return and we believe that the India growth story creates a win-win proposition - decent returns for the funds and financing for India's infrastructure plans," Suri told PTI. Jaitley is arriving in Sydney onMarch 29 and will be accompanied by high-powered Indian business delegations from both CII and FICCI besides a top level team including senior representatives from the Ministry of Finance, RBI and SEBI. "The meetings with government will seek to enhance bilateral relations in diverse areas, while those with business will try to focus on the Make in India and Invest in India programmes," he said. Jaitley would woo Australia's trillion dollars superannuation funds industry to invest in India's infrastructure plans. He will meet top 25 CEOs and executives of Australia's largest superannuation funds at the 'Invest in India Roundtable' here next Friday. Suri said the roundtable would be akey element of the minister's visit. "We estimate that between them (top CEOs and executives), they would be representing close to USD 1 trillion of assets under one roof. And that's in addition to the high-level FICCI delegation. We want to use the opportunity to project India as an investment destination to the superannuation funds and also respond to any issues or concerns that they may have,"he said. Jaitley will deliver a public address at the S P Jain School of Global Management in Sydney, which will be his first official engagement. He would also deliver the K R Narayanan Oration in Canberra at Australian National University on 'The New Economics of Financial Inclusion' and participate in a panel discussion at the University of Melbourne. In Canberra, Jaitley would address the Indian community from all across Australia at a special reception organised by the Indian High Commission. Even as the Defence Exhibitions Organisation (DEO) scrambles to patch together a new location in Goa and access roads for Defence Exposition 2016 (Defexpo 2016) - the first one to be held outside Delhi - enormous interest in the Indian arms bazaar will bring 1,030 Indian and international defence companies to India's premier defence exhibition that kicks off on March 28. Not even a local political movement that is protesting the land use and environmental effects of shifting Defexpo 2016 to Quepem Taluka of South Goa has dampened interest from the United States (93 companies), Russia (71), UK (46), Germany (39), France (38), Israel (38) and other arms producers like South Korea and Italy. "More than 47 countries will participate in Defexpo 2016. For the first time, we will be holding live demonstrations of equipment, which was a constraint in Delhi," said A K Gupta, Secretary Defence Production, on Wednesday. Defexpo's future location will depend upon how this exhibition goes off. Asked in writing by Business Standard whether subsequent Defexpos would also be held in Goa, the defence ministry responded: "No final decision has been taken on permanent venue of Defexpo. Future course of action will be based on the experience of the Expo in 2016 and the view of the Government of Goa." Gupta indicated the success of Defexpo 2016 would not be gauged by the contracts signed, but by how effectively it would provide a business-to-business forum for Indian and foreign companies to tie up partnerships to benefit from the "Make in India" policy. On Monday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had cleared the new Defence Procurement Policy of 2016. Not coincidentally, DPP-2016 will be available on the defence ministry website on March 28, the day Defexpo 2016 will be inaugurated. Underlining the new commitment to "Make in India", Gupta stated that 90 per cent of the procurement approvals by the National Democratic Alliance government had been accorded under the "Buy Indian" and "Buy & Make (Indian)" procurement categories. He said DPP-2016's new category of "Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured" equipment would further add to indigenous production. Interestingly, Gupta provided the first official assessment of the real foreign content of India's total defence procurement, which he put at 60 per cent. "We so 60-65 per cent of our procurement from domestic companies. If you take out the foreign content that these companies put in and work out the indigenous content, it comes to about 40 per cent," Gupta estimated. He also laid down a target of 60 per cent indigenisation in the next five years, a target that most defence industry analysts consider unrealistic. Among the 1030 companies participating will be controversial Italian company, Finmeccanica, which is the holding company for AgustaWestland, the helicopter maker whose contract for AW-101 helicopters was cancelled by the defence ministry after Italian prosecutors began investigating charges of bribery of Indian officials to get the AW-101 contract. In the last Defexpo 2014, Finmeccanica had been asked to stay away, with then defence minister A K Antony wary of the cloud over it. Now, with a more liberal "blacklisting policy" being evolved, Finmeccanica is back in the limelight. However, Gupta confirmed that two other blacklisted companies - Rheinmetall Air Defence and Singapore Technology Kinetic - would not be participating. He also confirmed that Pakistan would not be amongst the 47 countries participating, as it had not been sent an invitation. China had been invited to send an official delegation, but has not responded. Zelenskys diplomacy masterclass outpacing dour, grey Putin in battle for hearts and minds When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year, there was no room for jokes or play acting, and Zelensky needed to step up. He did. Megyn Kelly fires up at Meghan Markle over her deceptive nature Sky News Australia contributor Megyn Kelly has slammed Meghan Markle over her "abject dishonesty" after the Duchess of Sussex took a swipe at Deal or No Deal in her latest podcast episode which featured Paris Hilton. Boris Johnsons dad tight-lipped on sons potential return Speculation has begun on who could replace Liz Truss in the wake of her resignation, with her predecessor Boris Johnson expected to stand for the Conservative leadership again. Blizzard shuts down Denver airport, roads DENVER (AP) A powerful spring blizzard stranded travelers at Denvers airport and shut down hundreds of miles of highway in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska as it spread into the Midwest on Wednesday. Snow blown by gusts up to around 50 mph made it unsafe for planes to land or take off at Denver International Airport, leading officials to close it around midday. The airport reopened about seven hours later. The system is moving to the northeast across the Plains and into Michigan. Report: School building hugely underfunded WASHINGTON (WP) The nation is spending $46 billion less each year on school construction and maintenance than is necessary to ensure safe and healthy facilities, according to estimates in a new report. The study, released by a group that advocates for environmentally sound buildings, is meant to draw attention to the condition of buildings that on weekdays house some 56 million students and teachers, but that nevertheless attract little attention in the national debate over education policy and reform. The average U.S. school is more than 40 years old, and thousands of school buildings nationwide are in need of upgrades, according to the federal government. Poor communities in far-flung rural places and declining industrial city centers tend to be in a particularly bad situation. 48 more bikers indicted in Waco shootout DALLAS (AP) A Texas grand jury indicted 48 more bikers Wednesday in connection with a May 2015 shootout outside a Twin Peaks restaurant that left nine dead, bringing the total number of people facing felony charges to 154. Prosecutors announced all the bikers indicted are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, meaning theyre accused of being complicit in the shooting that also left 20 people injured. They face 15 years to life in prison if convicted. McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna won indictments against 106 other bikers in November. He did not rule out more indictments. Vigorous exercise good for old brains LOS ANGELES (TNS) Older Americans who engage in strenuous exercise are more mentally nimble, have better memory function and process information more speedily than do their more sedentary peers, new research suggests. And as they continued to age, participants who were very physically active at the start of a five-year study lost less ground cognitively than did couch potatoes. The latest research, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, is the most recent to underscore the importance of moderate to intensive exercise in healthy aging. Tugboat lost in 1921 found off California WASHINGTON (AP) The discovery of a century-old shipwreck off the San Francisco coast has resolved one of the U.S. Navys greatest maritime mysteries. The Conestoga, a tugboat, had a crew of 56 when it departed the Golden Gate on March 25, 1921, on its way to Pearl Harbor and eventually American Samoa. When the Conestoga failed to arrive at Pearl Harbor as scheduled, the Navy launched what was the greatest search and rescue effort of the 20th century, surpassed only years later by the search for Amelia Earhart. On Wednesday, researchers announced they have found the Conestoga in the waters of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary about 30 miles off the coast. 2 Council Bluffs firefighters injured COUNCIL BLUFFS (AP) Two firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation after blaze at a home in Council Bluffs. The fire was reported a little before 3 p.m. Wednesday. Witnesses said one firefighter jumped through a window at the house to escape a dangerous situation that developed inside. The cause is being investigated. None of the people who live there was injured, but firefighters say three dogs and two cats were killed. North Liberty council backs bus service NORTH LIBERTY (AP) The City Council has endorsed a recommendation North Liberty provide a bus service for people with no access to regular transportation. Under the proposal backed by the council Tuesday night, the city would contract with a Johnson County program that provides transit for senior citizens and people with disabilities. A 14-person bus would travel a fixed route in North Liberty. North Liberty Mayor Amy Nielsen said at the meeting the transit plan is a big piece of a lot of puzzles, of affordable housing, food insecurity, education inequity. The project has a $50,000 starting budget. Officials hope to get the service operating by the end of the year. Principal reports threat by student CHARTER OAK (AP) A western Iowa high school student was sent home with his parents after he threatened his school principal. The incident occurred Wednesday morning at Charter Oak-Ute High School in Charter Oak. Principal Adam Eggeling said no one was hurt and classes were held without interruption. Eggeling said the student threatened to shoot him. Parents were sent a message the school was in lockdown, but Eggeling said he regretted using that description because the issue was resolved before the message was sent. 4th suspect pleads in gun-running case CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) A fourth suspect charged in a conspiracy to ship weapons from Iowa to Lebanon has pleaded guilty. U.S. Attorney Kevin Techau says 31-year-old Bassem Herz entered his plea Thursday in a federal court in Cedar Rapids. Herz was originally charged with his wife Sarah Zeaiter, his brother Ali Herz, and his nephew Adam Herz. The others pleaded guilty earlier this month. The four were arrested in May 2015 after agents intercepted shipping containers headed from Cedar Rapids to Beirut that had many guns and rounds of ammunition hidden inside construction equipment. Herz admitted in a plea agreement four gun shipments were sent to Lebanon between March 2014 and May 2015 and money earned through the gun sales was used to further the scheme. GRUNDY CENTER Marvin Lee Steck, 86, of Carol Stream, Ill., formerly of Grundy Center, died Feb. 18 in Elmhurst, Ill. He was born Jan. 16, 1930, in Grundy County, son of Annette Buseman, and was raised in Grundy Center by his grandparents, Jacob and Martha Buseman, after his mother and stepfather, Heiko Steck, relocated to Chicago for jobs. Marvin graduated from Grundy Center High School in 1948, and then attended Bradley University, Peoria, Ill., for three years, majoring in art with a minor in business administration. After moving to Los Angeles he worked for a commercial printer for a year prior to enrolling at the Art Center College for Design. While going to school he also worked as a technical illustrator for Douglas Aircraft for three years. In 1957 he received a bachelors degree in industrial design and a minor in packaging graphics. He remained in Los Angeles for two more years working for an independent design firm with the Gold Oil Account. In 1959 he moved to the Detroit area where he was employed by Harley Earl Associates as a package designer, transferring to a branch in Chicago. In 1963 he went to work as a designer with the Design and Market Research Laboratory, a division of Container Corporation of America, retiring after 30 years. Preceded in death by: his parents, Annette and Heiko Steck. Graveside services: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 26, at Lynwood Cemetery, Clarksville. Redman-Schwartz, Clarksville, is assisting with arrangements. WATERLOO A Waterloo woman has been arrested for allegedly submitting false information to collect workers compensation benefits after she claimed injuries from a traffic accident were the result of an on-the-job injury. Waterloo police arrested Peaches Worlwee Kehleay, 47, of 507 Keystone St., on Tuesday for felony insurance fraud. She was later released from jail. Kehleay had been working at Tyson Fresh Meats, and she claimed she had injured her right wrist and shoulder in July 2012 while trimming shanks, according to records from an Iowa Workers Compensation Commission arbitration hearing. Court records allege Kehleay didnt inform doctors who treated her that she had been involved in a March 2012 automobile accident. Records state she had been a backseat passenger in a friends vehicle that rolled or struck a bridge. The accident wasnt reported to authorities the driver allegedly didnt have a license and Kehleay had been treated at the Allen Hospital emergency room a few days later and then examined by her family doctor for back a wrist pain, according to workers compensation records. Notes from the hospital and a physical therapist allege Kehleay had indicated she had been hurt in a vehicle accident, records state. Authorities allege that during the workers compensation arbitration hearing, Kehleay submitted signed documents that denied the injuries were from a vehicle accident. Fisherman dies after falling in Cedar River CHARLES CITY Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said late Tuesday that a fisherman died Tuesday evening after falling from his boat on the Cedar River in Charles City. The victim, whose name was being withheld pending notification of relatives, had his small boat anchored just above a low-head dam on the Cedar River when he apparently fell out and went over the dam shortly after 7 p.m. He was pulled from the river downstream of the dam by the Charles City Fire and Rescue and was taken to Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City where he was pronounced dead. Assisting at the scene were the Charles City Police Department and Floyd County Sheriffs Office. The incident remains under investigation by the DNR. Deputies seek help finding missing man CEDAR FALLS Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies are asking for the publics help in locating a Cedar Falls man who has been missing since Sunday. Chad Alan Dempster, 44, left on Sunday saying he was headed to visit relatives in southern Iowa. He never arrived, and there has been no activity on his phone or credit cards, according to the sheriffs office. Authorities said Dempster doesnt have any known medical conditions. Dempster is described as a white male, 6 feet tall and weighing 210 pounds with brown hair. He was last seen driving a gray 2012 Ford F-150 pickup truck with license plate 125-YKN and was wearing a black Iowa Hawkeyes sweatshirt, black running pants and black shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call the Black Hawk County Sheriffs Communication Center at 291-2515. A pair of bodies discovered in Kentucky Lake this week It's an unwritten rule that Disney characters must go through a lot of sh*t before they're allowed to live happily ever after. It doesn't matter if you're a fully-fledged human being or a talking animal with heaps of personality - much heartache, violent trauma and harrowing death must take place in the lead up to a peaceful resolution of the fuzzy kind. But what if those "happy endings" at the end of Disney films were just an illusion? What if, once the credits started rolling, behind the scenes things didn't pan out quite as well as the movies in question led you to think they did? What if the heroes inherent to some of Disney's classic animated movies actually had their worst times ahead of them? You know, in the dark ambiguousness of the end credits sequence. Disney movies exist in a reality of their own, of course - one that doesn't necessarily obey the rules of our own. This article wouldn't make much sense in the context of the ideal fanaticism that Disney films tend to cling to, of course, so consider the following entries as a departure from that magic: it's a step away from the trademark twee in order to weigh what might've happened to certain characters had they been born in the real world. 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29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first. Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well. What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that. The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players. How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long! Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up. Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home. Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves. Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino. Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information. Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead. With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks Betway: Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway. Coral Casino: Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account. Ladbrokes Casino: Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits. Paddy Power Casino: Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. New players can receive a massive 100% match bonus up to 200, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits. William Hill Casino: William Hill Casino is one of the biggest names in the industry, operating in Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1984, this online casino has more than 400 games to choose from, including slots and table games, with a wide array of software providers like WagerLogic, Big Time Gaming and Rival. Bonus: 100% Match Bonus up to 100 Register Now Betway: 100% Match Bonus up to 100 Claim Now Coral Casino: 25% Cash Back on Deposits Claim Now Ladbrokes Casino: 35% Cash Back on First 3 Deposits Claim Now Paddy Power Casino: 100% Match Bonus up to 200 Claim Now William Hill Casino: 100% Match Bonus up to 200 Claim Now If youre interested in trying out an online casino but arent quite ready to commit to one, why not try out one of the many no deposit casinos weve reviewed? You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit. Attention landing force, standby for call aways, comes over the 1MC. Upon hearing the call, Marines and sailors begin hastily throwing packs on their backs and grabbing their weapons from the armory. The loud clang of metal hatches rings through the spaces of the ship and the thud of boots on the deck can be heard while people rush to get their gear ready. The 1MC continues to call out while the Marines and sailors make their way through the cramped passageways trying to make it to the well deck and flight deck on time. Once they reach their designated departure areas they board AAV-P7/A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicles, Landing Craft, Air Cushioned hovercraft and helicopters and prepare to assault the beach. The Marines and sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit joined almost 20,000 service members from four different countries to conduct a combined amphibious assault and simulated follow-on actions as part of Ssang Yong 16 in South Korea. Ssang Yong, which means Twin Dragons, is a biennial combined amphibious exercise conducted by U.S. forces with the Republic of Korea Navy and Marine Corps, Australian Army and Royal New Zealand Army forces in order to strengthen interoperability and working relationships across a wide range of military operations. Ssang Yong 16 began with a combined amphibious assault with 19 ships from the 31st MEU, 13th MEU and the ROK Marine Corps Marine Task Force. Multiple amphibious vehicles and aircraft assaulted the beach and brought troops ashore to begin the exercise. Ssang Yong 16 was among the largest combined amphibious exercise to date, incorporating more than 19,000 U.S., ROK Navy-Marine Corps, Australian Army, Royal New Zealand Army, said U.S. Marine Col. Romin Dasmalchi, the commanding officer of the 31st MEU. It was an incredible experience to share tactics, build personal relationships and enhance our ability to work cohesively together. Bringing together forces on a scale as large as this is complex. It is important we continue to train and work together to ensure cohesion and interoperability. After the combined amphibious assault, the MEU conducted many different follow-on actions to simulate what operations would need to be conducted after carrying out a forcible entry into enemy-held territory. In addition to the initial assaults, the Marines conducted urban warfare training, live fire platoon assaults, mortar shoots, artillery fire missions and a range of air operations. Because of Ssang Yongs large scale amphibious assault and follow-on missions, it required a significant amount of planning and logistical support. That support came from Exercise Freedom Banner 16. "Freedom banner set the conditions for the combined amphibious assault that formed the cornerstone of Ssang Yong 16, said Dasmalchi. Freedom Banners purpose was to practice using naval and amphibious assets to support forces ashore. The amphibious operations conducted during Ssang Yong were the next operational step to Freedom Banners seabasing operations. Incorporating the combined forces during Ssang Yong helps to build maritime superiority between allied countries and prepares the Navy and Marine Corps units to use the sea as maneuver space for operational reach and sea control. We are building stronger relationships and working with our allies and partners in this region to foster a collective stance, or peace through strength. When faced with security challenges, these relationships are critical to the successful defense of the ROK and the ability of U.S. military forces to effectively respond to regional challenges, said Dasmalchi. This cooperation and training ensure the 31st MEU is ready to respond rapidly throughout the Asia-Pacific as needed, across a spectrum of military operations. More Media Mar 24, 2016 | By Tess Just one year ago, the remains of British King Richard III, which were discovered buried in a car park in Leicester, England, were reinterred, more ceremoniously, at the Leicester Cathedral. To mark the one year anniversary of the reinterment, the archaeologists and researchers from the University of Leicester who discovered the Kings remains have created an interactive 3D model of the original gravesite that people can explore and investigate themselves from their very own computer. The digital 3D model, which is being hosted through 3D modeling platform SketchFab, was captured using the process of photogrammetry and Agisofts Photoscan software. The fully rotatable and zoomable 3D model clearly and accurately demonstrates the rather inelegant way the 32-year-old Kings body was disposed of. For those unfamiliar with the monarchs reign and legacy, King Richard III, who was the subject of Shakespeares (albeit fictional) play Richard III, was the last Plantagenet King of England. The Kings reign, which began in1483, lasted only two years when he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth fighting against King Henry VIIs forces. As made evident through the state of his gravesite, which possessed no coffin, no shroud, no jewels, and was even dug too small for the Kings body, Richard IIIs burial was not a very dignified one. The gravesite itself was uncovered in 2012 by a team of archaeologists from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), and just a year later, after many DNA tests and extensive research, the find was confirmed to be the body of the 15th century King, now dubbed The King in the Car Park. The 3D model made public by the University depicts the Kings skeleton as it was found in the car park. Matthew Morris, Site Supervisor for ULAS explains of the discovery, During the excavation in 2012 we took photographs of the skeleton from multiple angles to create a lasting record of how the king's bones were positioned in the grave before we exhumed them. These photos were not taken with photogrammetry in mind but the software is incredibly versatile and can be applied retrospectively to create this superb model." Matthew Morris at dig site The 3D model of the Kings skeleton allows viewers to examine and understand not only how roughly he was buried, but also his scoliosis afflicted back (an inspiration for Shakespeares famously hunchbacked Richard III?), as well as the fatal wounds he suffered in the Battle of Bosworth. Photographs and drawings of the grave, whilst dramatic, are only two-dimensional and do not always best show nuances in spatial relationships that a three-dimensional model can., explains Morris. Photogrammetry provides a fantastic analytical tool that allows us to examine the grave from angles that would have been physically difficult or impossible to achieve during the excavation, and gives us the ability to continue to examine the king's grave long after the excavation has finished. Digital 3D models have in recent years helped not only researchers, but also the public, to better visualize and understand a number of significant historical artefacts. Just yesterday, for instance, we wrote about Cambridge University Librarys unveiling of their 3D model of a 3,000 year old oracle bone, which marked a triumph for publicly available digital files. As museums and institutions slowly begin digitize their collections and increasingly make them open-source, our wealth of knowledge of this world and its history will be sure to grow. To explore King Richard III's grave site, check out the 3D model below: Posted in 3D Scanning Maybe you also like: Allison Eck in Nautilus: Jeremy England is concerned about wordsabout what they mean, about the universes they contain. He avoids ones like consciousness and information; too loaded, he says. Too treacherous. When hes searching for the right thing to say, his voice breaks a little, scattering across an octave or two before resuming a fluid sonority. His caution is understandable. The 34-year-old assistant professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the architect of a new theory called dissipative adaptation, which has helped to explain how complex, life-like function can self-organize and emerge from simpler things, including inanimate matter. This proposition has earned England a somewhat unwelcome nickname: the next Charles Darwin. But Englands story is just as much about language as it is about biology. There are some 6,800 unique languages in use today. Not every word translates perfectly, and meaning sometimes falls through the cracks. For instance, there is no English translation for the Japanese wabi-sabithe idea of finding beauty in imperfectionor for the German waldeinsamkeit, the feeling of being alone in the woods. Different fields of science, too, are languages unto themselves, and scientific explanations are sometimes just translations. Red, for instance, is a translation of the phrase 620-750 nanometer wavelength. Temperature is a translation of the average speed of a group of particles. The more complex a translation, the more meaning it imparts. Gravity means the geometry of spacetime. What about life? More here. From Nature: When he labelled outspoken academics as terrorists, Turkeys increasingly authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was probably not thinking of Voltaires eighteenth-century philosophical maxim: To hold a pen is to be at war. Erdogan sent shivers down the spines of those who care about human rights by declaring on 14 March that those who support terrorists are as guilty as those who pull the trigger, and that Turkish law should be changed to reflect this. The fact that an individual is a deputy, an academic, an author, a journalist or the director of an NGO does not change the fact that that person is a terrorist, he said. One the same day, three academics from universities in Istanbul were hauled into police custody and then refused bail while prosecutors considered charges of making propaganda for a terrorist organization. Their crime? In January, they had signed a petition that called for an end to violence in the southeast of the country, where government forces have been fighting Kurdish separatists. The petition was signed by 1,128 academics, mostly from Turkish universities, when it was publicly launched on 11 January. It immediately sparked Erdogans rage. Many politically appointed university rectors leapt into line, launching disciplinary investigations into members of their staff who had signed more than 500 so far. Dozens of signatories were brought in for police questioning. The harsh response attracted a shocked solidarity. Another 1,000 people signed the petition, including a large number of Western scientists, before it was closed on 20 January. An atmosphere of uncertainty and fear prevails. None of the signatories knows whether they, too, will be arrested, and several have had death threats. Some have actively sought sabbaticals abroad; those working outside the country are afraid to return even to visit family. Meanwhile, Turkey is playing a major part on the world political stage, in a role that is overshadowing the fate of the academics. Turkey is a geopolitical fulcrum. On one side it borders war-torn Middle East, on the other, strife-ridden Europe that is struggling to cope with the refugee crisis. When the country reached a historic agreement with the European Union last week to take back migrants who were crossing into Europe illegally, many in the EU complained bitterly about making a deal with Erdogan because of his worrying human-rights record. More here. Altech Share Placement and Share Purchase Plan Perth, Mar 24, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) ( ASX:ATC ) is pleased to advise that it has raised $1.2 million via a placement of shares to a variety of professional and sophisticated investors at 8.6 cents per share (the Placement). The issue price represents a ~14% discount to volume weighted average price (VWAP) for Altech shares as traded on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) for the last 5 trading days to 18 March 2016 and a ~20% discount to the 10 day VWAP. Funds raised from the Placement will be applied to finalising the detailed design of the Company's proposed high purity alumina (HPA) plant at Johor, Malaysia, for the completion of debt financing and for general working capital purposes. The Placement shares will be issued to a variety of professional and sophisticated investors in accordance with Section 708 of the Corporations Act. Allotment of the Placement shares is expected to be on 1 April 2016 and the shares will rank equally with existing ordinary shares. Share Purchase Plan As announced on 21 March 2016, the Company is pleased to offer to existing eligible shareholders the opportunity to subscribe to a maximum of $15,000 of new shares, at the same price as the Placement (8.6 cents per share), via a Share Purchase Plan (SPP). Under the SPP rules, existing shareholders who are recorded on the share register at 23 March 2016 (record date), with a registered address in Australia or New Zealand will be eligible to participate and each eligible shareholder will be entitled to apply for up to $15,000 of new fully paid ordinary shares of the Company at 8.6 cents per share without incurring any brokerage or other transaction costs. All new shares issued under the SPP will rank equally with existing ordinary shares of the Company. The closing date for participation in the SPP will be Friday 8 April 2016. Full details of the SPP will be announced later today and individual letters including acceptance forms will be mailed to all eligible shareholders. As settlement of the Placement will not occur until after the SPP record date, Placement participants will not be entitled to participate in the SPP unless they were already eligible shareholder of the Company at the record date. About Altech Chemicals Ltd Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia. HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market. ACAs library of educational tools help members improve their business practices. ACA also holds the most popular industry conferences and offers credentialing for collectors, attorneys, and more. ACAs Training Zone subscription gives agencies access to almost all of our education for one low cost. More than 130 middle and high school girls from 12 Lowcountry schools visited March 22 to learn about jobs in aviation as part of the 315th Airlift Wings 9th annual Women in Aviation Career Day. Among the women role models the girls met were the 315th AWs top ranking female, Col. Caroline Evernham, 315th Operations Group commander, Lt. Col. Heidi Bucheit, 701st Airlift Squadron pilot, Staff Sgt. Candace Walters and Tech. Sgt. Lisa Crowther, both 300th AS loadmasters, Master Sgt. Marcie Dickerson, a 315th Airlift Control Flight loadmaster, and Master Sgt. Rachel Bateman, 315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and others. This years guest speaker Col. Barbara Ortiz, Air Force Reserve Command Logistics Readiness Division chief, spoke to the girls about what she would tell her teenage self. Its not going to be easy and sometimes you get pushed out of your comfort zone, Ortiz told the girls. Dont be afraid, find a balance in your life, and dont forget about the people who make you feel important. Ortiz was a maintainer on a spy plane as a young enlisted Airman. She became an officer under the Deserving Airmen Commissioning Program in 1996. After Ortiz spoke to the girls to kick off the event, a group of about a dozen enlisted and officer women Reservists performed a skit that talked about their journey along their career and their family life. "Each year Im happy to see women making more strides in all areas of our military, particularly aviation," said Evernham. "I think that there are just so many different careers available to women that these young ladies find out about and I think its exciting for them. Lt. Col. Mary Jeffrey, 315th OG executive officer, recognized participants of this year's WIA essay contest and presented a scholarship, a one-year membership in Women in Aviation International and a WIA t-shirt. The essay winners were: 1st: Ogugua Nwaezeigwe, Cane Bay High School, $250 prize and an opportunity to shadow Col. Jeanine McAnaney, 315th AW vice commander. 2nd: Jessica Turnbaugh, Hanahan High School, $175 prize 3rd: Shanyla Moultrie, Cane Bay High School, $125 prize Nwaezeigwe said what impressed her the most was that women were no longer restrained by a glass ceiling in a previously male dominated field. I think that today is what showed me that I can be a plane technician. I can get all these degrees. I can really be in this field, the essay winner told TV news crews at the event. In one of the hangars, the girls were given lunch and then visited career tables where they met women in Aersopace Medicine, Security Forces, Aeromedical Evacuation, Combat Camera, and other specialties.The girls also got an up close and personal look at the C-17 Globemaster III parked outside the hangar where they spoke with maintainers and loadmasters. On the flight deck they sat at the controls while talking to women pilots. Women in the military women in aviation are still kind of a smaller portion of the population but thats changing more each year, said retired 315th AW pilot Lt. Col. Debi Rieflin. Rieflin, who is now a first officer with Delta Airlines, said Events like this are our way of reaching out to the young women One of the girls eyes opened wide in disbelief when she met Capt. Moll McCarthy, 300th AS pilot. The girl was in disbelief that despite recently having a baby, McCarthy was at the event in her flight suit. This career day is part of the efforts of the 315th AW and Women in Aviation, an international group that encourages women to seek career opportunities in aviation. According to a 2014 statistic from the Federal Aviation Administration, of the nearly 593,499 active pilots in the United States, less than seven percent are women, and women account for only 25 percent of the more than 678,444 non-pilot aviation jobs in the United States. Any girl out there that wants to do aviation but believes the stereotype that only men can do it should follow their dreams, work hard and believe and follow their hearts that they can make it, Nwaezeigwe added Crosstalks aimed at improving KC-135 service Experts from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the Air Force Reserve, National Guard Bureau and the Legacy Tanker Division conducted a customer support visit here and at two other bases, March 14-18, to listen to unit concerns regarding KC-135 "Statotanker" support and logistics. The team, headed by Maj. Gen. Glenn Davis, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, also traveled to Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama, and Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, with airlift provided by the 507th Air Refueling Wing here. According to William R. Barnes, deputy chief of the Legacy Tanker Division here, the purpose of visit purpose was simple. "We want to enhance aircraft availability," said Barnes. "it's all about getting more iron on the ramp." The team of nearly 30 logistics, maintenance, acquisitions and engineering experts discussed topics ranging from supply rate times, sustaining engineering, product support management and part transportation. According to General Davis, the open and frank discussions were beneficial as there sometimes can be a disconnect between metrics viewed at major commands versus what is going on at the ground level in operational units. "Our goal is to get out to the units, to hear what needs to be heard and then do something about it," said Davis. "These visits allow us the luxury to interact directly with the units because the Airmen in the units are going to have really good ideas." During the Tinker visit, members of the 507th Maintenance Group identified specific maintenance issues to discuss and provided hands-on tours of various back shops, as well as tours of the jets. Having the subject-matter experts on the ground allowed for real-time discussions and solutions to be implemented immediately. According to Davis, visiting the base in person proved to be more productive than a teleconference. "It was great to have the face-to-face interaction so I could put a face with a name," he said. "It helped us to get a better understanding of the concerns of maintenance professionals at the units." Other agencies involved in the visits included, the Defense Logistics Agency, Air Force Sustainment Center, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Air Mobility Command. The Reserve 507th Maintenance Group Commander, Col. Travis Caughlin said that the partnerships built during these visits are very important to KC-135 operations and the unit is always happy to assist. The partnerships and plans built by these visits will ensure the nearly 60 year old KC-135 is flying well beyond 2030, according to Barnes. 90 female missileers, B-52 aircrews make history Ninety female missileers made Air Force history March 22 as the first all-female missile alert crews to serve on alert at three intercontinental ballistic missile wings simultaneously. In honor of Women's History Month, missileers based out of Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota; F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming; and Malmstrom AFB, Montana, completed a 24-hour alert shift to sustain an active alert status of the nation's ICBM force. "The goal of this day was to highlight all the women who worked hard to make a difference in public service and government jobs in the past," said Col. Stacy Huser, the 91st Missile Wing Operations Group commander at Minot AFB. "We honored those women who have worked to gain opportunities and disavow stereotypes when they began their careers. This day was our tribute to them, as well as to inspire future generations of women to work in public service." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up almost 51 percent of the nation's population. Women currently make up 19 percent of the Air Force, the highest percentage of any service. "The fact that we can look across our pre-departure briefing room and see a woman sitting in every seat, for every combat crew going out on nuclear alert, is in itself, significant," said Col. Tom Wilcox, the 341st Missile Wing commander at Malmstrom AFB. "Not because Team Malmstrom is fielding an all-women alert force, but because we have enough women filling combat leadership roles to take alert for the entire wing. In addition to female missileers, B-52 Stratofortress aircrews from Minot AFB and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, participated by fielding all-female flight crews. It is an honor to be flying with these women today, said Col. Kristin E. Goodwin, the 2nd Bomb Wing commander at Barksdale AFB. These two flights, launched and crewed only by women, serve as a source of pride for the whole 2nd Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, and for each and every American. Goodwin flew as aircraft commander for one of the B-52s alongside six other women. In total, 14 women whose ranks range from lieutenant to colonel flew in the bomber formation, serving in the roles of pilot, weapons system officer and electronic warfare officer. "To carry on the legacy of women in the Air Force is very special to me," said 1st Lt. Elizabeth Guidara, the 12th Missile Squadron combat crew deputy director at Malmstrom AFB. "Not being afraid to take risks and taking ahold of those opportunities that present themselves are two things that I've learned to live by throughout my career." Col. Todd Sauls, the 90th Operations Group commander, said he was proud of the diversity in his F.E. Warren unit and excited to see the alert mission come together. When I was a second lieutenant, you would have 10 or so female missileers in an ops group and now we come close to deploying a whole female crew force just because of the numbers we have, Sauls said. This is about history and heritage and having events like this is a good way to honor the people who came before us. First Lt. Kelly Gorham, a 320th Missile Squadron missile combat crew commander, said she never really thought of herself as a woman in the military. Ive just been an Airman, Gorham said. (But) we are women, we are in the military and were doing good things. Sometimes the rewards are masked by that routine, but once you stand back and see that your family can sleep at night, see that your friends can sleep at night and the rest of the United States can sleep because youre standing alert, thats really the greatest reward you can ask for. (Airman Collin Schmidt, Airman 1st Class Jessica Weissman, 2nd Lt. Jessica Adams and Airman 1st Class Luke Hill contributed to this story.) Nidhi Chaphekar, a Jet Airways cabin crew member from Mumbai and a mother of two, is depicted in the viral image covered in dust with a shocked look on her face. Two Jet Airways cabin crew members, Nidhi Chaphekar and Amit Motwani, were injured in the explosions at a Brussels airport on Tuesday morning. A Jet Airways manager says a flight attendant injured in the Belgium attacks is undergoing treatment for burns and has been placed in a medically induced coma. Bernard Guisset, a Jet Airways manager in Brussels, said Nidhi Chaphekar has burns over 15 percent of her body and has a fractured foot, but is out of danger. The image of Chaphekar taken right after the blast was one of the most searing photographs taken Tuesday. It showed the 40-year-old mother of two from Mumbai, her bright yellow uniform ripped across her chest. Her hair was caked with soot, and blood streaked down her face. As a chief flight attendant on Jet Airways long-haul flights, Chaphekar, 40, was in charge of a red-eye flight to Brussels, just days before the airline closed its European hub. She would then take an onward leg to Newark, and arrive back home in India in five days time. Chaphekar was walking through departures when she was caught by the force of the second of two blasts, causing injuries to her eye and ankle. She had slumped backward into the closest seat, as passengers around her made panicked calls. Nidhis husband, while speaking to the media had said that they were in touch with Jet Airways staff but had not received any update on her since Thursday morning. Nidhis brother-in-law, Nilesh Chaphekar, had said that she was on an in-flight management duty and had been working with Jet Airways for 20 years. Actress Jacqueline Fernandez says she loves the generosity of the film industry in offering help for films, causes or charities, like for her Jacqueline Builds initiative. Our fraternity has been very supportive of each other. Whenever there is someone from the industry who seeks help for their movies, or promotions or even causes, charities, I always feel like Bollywood or the film industry always stands up in solidarity, and I love that about my industry. Already I have got a lot of support from a lot of my co-stars, people who have been working with me and who have worked with me, so we are always there for each other, very important, said Jacqueline, who was at the Panbai School to thank schoolchildren who helped in her initiative. Jacqueline said she intends to build homes for at least 10,000 families in Tamil Nadu, who were affected by the deadly floods late last year. The event is scheduled to be launched on April 9 and she has tied up with NGO Habitat for Humanity. This year, I was particularly concerned about the floods in Tamil Nadu. Habitat for Humanity helped me put together Jacqueline Builds, but what we did not really actually expect was the amount of help that we have been receiving from all over India and my sincere thank you to everyone who donated and helped. I have done a build before, it is an amazing experience. You go there, you actually build the home with the person who will later be receiving the home, and you start from bottom up, so youre there carrying bricks, putting cement, you get really dirty and its hot. There is a certain satisfaction that you get at the end of the day because you feel really happy, you put your blood and sweat into it. And the people you hand over the keys at the end of the day are so happy and grateful for the support youve given them, that is absolutely priceless, the actress said. Jacqueline will be seen in Housefull 3, Dishoom and A Flying Jatt this year. Syrian pro-government forces were poised to launch an assault to retake the Islamic State-held city of Palmyra, as Washington and Moscow meet on Thursday to discuss the fraught peace talks. The Islamic State (IS) group overran the city dubbed the Pearl of the Desert last May, and it has since blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics dating back thousands of years. Its recapture would be a strategic as well as symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since whoever controls it also controls the vast desert extending from central Syria to the Iraqi border, experts say. Loyalists backed by Russian air strikes were 800 metres (yards) from Palmyra and now control areas linking it to Damascus and Syria`s third city Homs, a Syrian security source said. The army is now at (the southern and southwestern) entrances to the city and is preparing to begin the battle to liberate Palmyra, the source said. Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier Wednesday that regime forces were two kilometres (one mile) south of Palmyra and five kilometres (three miles) southwest of the city. Meanwhile, there is some hope that high-level US-Russian meetings on Thursday could deliver the momentum needed to move the Geneva peace talks to a new round. US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to gauge whether Moscow is ready to discuss ways to ease its ally Assad from power. With the indirect negotiations in Geneva proving to be sluggish, all eyes are on Moscow since the two powers hold significant sway over the opposing sides in Syria`s devastating conflict.What we`re looking for, and what we`ve been looking for for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad`s leadership, a senior US official told reporters. On the Russian side, there`s only one decision maker and you need to be in the room with him to evaluate what`s possible, the State Department official added. The official said a shaky ceasefire between the regime and rebel forces and Russia`s partial withdrawal could mark an opening for Putin to shift his stance on Assad. The High Negotiations Committee, the main Syrian opposition body, said it hoped that after the Kerry-Kremlin talks a clear message will be sent to Bashar al-Assad: He cannot continue to paralyse the political transition that the Syrian people are demanding. Describing universities as centres to promote criticial thinking, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar alleged that the educational institutions are under attack. There is an allegation that we are doing politics. Are we doing politics or is the government is doing politics (It) has a pre-planned script to destroy autonomy of universities. The precise work of universities, intellectuals is to promote critical thinking, he said while addressing the press. Kumar is on a two-day visit to Hyderabad and Vijaywada, his first visit after coming out of jail on facing sedition charges. The struggle in JNU is an extension of the campaign in Hyderabad Central University for justice to Rohit Vemula. There is a similalrity between HCU and JNU in the context of attack on autonomy of universtities and fight of social justice, he said. Citing examples of FTII, Aligarh Universtity and HCU and JNU he claimed that the campuses are becoming war zones. The development agenda of NDA government has taken a back seat during the last two years of its rule, he alleged. Replying to a query, he said he would not campaign in the election in five states. On Wednesday evening, Kumar was not allowed to enter the HCU campus where he was scheduled to address students agitating over the suicide of the Dalit scholar in January this year. Kumar, who came with Rohiths mother and brother to express solidarity with the students, was greeted with slogans for and against him at the gate after the University issued a notification banning entry of outsiders including political parties, media and other social/student groups besides police keeping a strict security at the main gate preventing non-students from entering. After landing in the city yesterday, the student leader had blamed the government for blowing up the issue at JNU (of anti-national slogans) only to divert attention from Rohiths suicide and its aftermath. A slipper was thrown at Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar when he was addressing a seminar in Hyderabad. The bid was foiled, as organisers rushed to protect Kanhaiya. Kanhaiya is on a two-day visit to Hyderabad and Vijaywada, nearly three weeks after coming out on bail in the JNU sedition case. Three coordinated nail bombings occurred in Belgium, two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, and one at Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. In these attacks, 31 victims and three suicide bombers were killed, with a fourth suspect on the run, and around 300 people were injured. Many commuters and innocent people are still missing. A live bomb was also found during a search operation at the airport. The organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed the responsibility for the attacks. Youth, who can have better prospects and life, but I do not understand, why they are getting attracted towards violence. This is a subject of discussion at this time. We have to find the reason why these brainwashed youth are going there and we have to channelize or counsel them. If this is not stopped here, then humanity on earth is in danger stage. If you observe these Muslim youth, then you will see that they are affected by the collateral damage of war. They are the people from the underdeveloped countries where education needs to be rehabilitated. So, there is no point of well-educated people. They are the Muslims from a country where job opportunities are rare and internal religious groups are shedding the blood of each other in the name of Shia, Sunni and Wahhabi. The religion is damaged within and somewhat USA and European countries have played a big role in fueling these fights. It is very easy to brainwash peoples mind who are with no money, empty stomach and a family to maintain. On top of this, if the religious wars are ongoing, then you can take the advantage in the name of religion. This is perhaps the area where these terror groups are exploiting the youth. India is one of the largest Muslim populated countries in the world. This land has seen many terror attacks. Recently, we have seen NIA raided and arrested many ISIS sympathizers across the country. Though these numbers are less but its a concerning and alarming. Earlier, these youth were showing sympathy towards Lashkar and IM. If you see the pattern then educated Muslims too are joining terrorist organizations but there is no reason why they are involving in this act. Lets us come back to the topic. Brussels Airport bombings were the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgiums history. After this incidence, maintaining high alert against terrorism, Malaysian police have arrested 162 individuals suspected of having links with the Islamic State militant group. Now their government is also in a midst of implementing the Advanced Passenger Screening System to screen tourists entering the country before they depart from their own country. Nowadays, even Pakistan informs India about the terror planned in its land against India. Every week, they come up with story about Pakistani terrorists intruding in India. Major countries are on terrorists radar. We know that every Muslim is not a terrorist but the terrorists at large are Muslims. By and large, the Jihad is wild spread. Look at Belgium; it is an active participant in the ongoing military intervention against ISIS. On the other side, among Western European countries Belgium nationals are with jihadist forces (as a proportion to its population), with an estimated 440 having left for Syria and Iraq as of January 2015. Belgium has been described as a hotbed of jihadist ideology, and a jihadist-recruiting hub. Before the bombings, several Islamist terrorist attacks had originated from Belgium, and a number of counter-terrorist operations had been carried out there. In May 2014, a gunman with ties to the war in Syria attacked the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, killing four. In January 2015, anti-terrorist operations conducted against a group thought to be planning a second Charlie Hebdo shooting included actions in Brussels and Zaventem. The operation resulted in the deaths of two suspects. In August 2015, a suspected terrorist committed a shooting and stabbing attack aboard a Thalys train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris via Brussels, before passengers subdued him. The assailants involved in the November 2015 Paris attacks were based in Molenbeek, and Brussels was locked down for five days to allow police to search for suspects. On 18 March 2016, Salah Abdeslam, a suspected accomplice in the aforementioned Paris attacks, was captured in two anti-terrorist raids in Molenbeek that killed another suspect and injured two others. At least one other suspect remains at large. Belgian investigators believe that Abdeslams arrest may have hastened planning for the bombings. Concluding part tomorrow (Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com) Of course there are TWO SIDES and of course it's CONTROVERSIAL! Williams and Snyderman couldn't be more wrong. In fact what they've said is sheer nonsense. "Snyderman immediately shot back, 'Not controversial subject , Matt. ...It's time for kids to get vaccinated. The science is the science. It's not controversial.'" If you look at Mary Elizabeth Williams's bio, you'll see she's written for the NY Times and the LA Times. And here in this Salon piece she epitomizes the attitude of the media when it comes to the vaccine controversy---THERE ISN'T ONE! ....Remember Nancy Snyderman telling Matt Lauer on NBC, it's "not controversial"? "There are not two sides to every story. Not every issue requires us to legitimize an opposing view. Like, for instance, when the other perspective is totally crackpot. For example, if youre a disgraced fraud, maybe youre really not the best source for information about vaccines." And now another installment of the "NO NO YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT VACCINES AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN LIFE SAVING FAIRY WATER" files.... Salon attacks a prestigious film festival for daring to include a film about vaccines. The censorship calls in the media toward the vaccine injured and their families and those who dare speak out is nothing short of North Korean in its approach. But Americans are wising up. Visit the National Coalition Against Censorship to learn more about the history of censorship in America. They need to do some updating... By Anne Dachel Why else would the claim that a one-size-fits-every-child vaccine schedule is safe be the the most challenged idea in pediatric medicine? Vast numbers of people, experts and parents, don't believe it! What the media, namely Williams here, is trying to do is shut down the debate. BUT BY PRETENDING that all the science is in, everything is settled, they're making themselves completely irrelevant. Where did Williams learn her craft? Was she taught, don't make waves, take the word of the powers that be, especially if it means staying on the good side of advertisers? Attention Mary Elizabeth Williams, you are incredibly naive if you think that the public is buying your spin. We have a lot of sick and disabled children today that the medical community and health officials haven't even noticed. We don't expect our kids to be healthy anymore, since half of all U.S. children have some chronic condition they're living with. Parents want answers. They don't believe things are fine. Back in the late 1800s this kind of story would have been called "yellow journalism" because it has a flashy headline but little real substance. Yellow journalism was reporting with a lot of exaggeration. Congratulations Ms Williams, you and others like you reporting on the vaccine debate have set the news industry back more than a hundred years. I've given up on reporters actually doing what we expect of them. We will never see a mainstream news person thoroughly and legitimately cover this subject. How come members of the press never actually talk to Dr. Wakefield? What is wrong with allowing this controversial figure to defend himself? Why doesn't anyone in the media interview the parents of the children in Wakefield's study? They've even appeared in videos backing Wakefield's work, yet they've been totally ignored by the press. Williams names the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and others in her defense of vaccines with no acknowledgement of the vast web of money ties between these groups and the vaccine makers. All those reporters who complain that this debate doesn't go away need to realize that they're the main reason why. How many more years will news outlets ignore the victims, defend an unchecked, unsafe program, and pretend that the science is settled? This is also about self-protection. Vast numbers of doctors and scientists, institutions and agencies have everything at stake in this. So do most people in the mainstream press. It just can't be true that an out-of-control vaccine schedule has damaged a generation of children. The most telling comment by Williams was this: "Andrew Wakefield's 'Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Controversy' will debut at one of our most prestigious fests." "One of our most prestigious fests"? It's a shock for all the deniers of a link to see that a "respected festival" would include this film. What does that say about the claim that vaccines carry inherent risk? What if parents do have reasons to be concerned? Mary Elizabeth Williams needs to understand that her brand of reporting isn't journalism. It's a call for censorship, and that's not what the media is supposed to be about in America. Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism. When I first met John in 2007. His Asperger's was painfully apparent. At the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the day, John is an adult with autism/Asperger's. We met at the Farmington Mall in Connecticut for lunch. He barely looked at me. (And I thought I looked fetching that day! HA HA!) His voice had a rather high pitch for such a large, strapping man. Check out that photo of us, he's well over 6' tall. I attended the Book Expo America with him. this is a huge book event, and Random House had featured John's memoir Look Me In The Eye with an impressive splash. John and I walked the show together. I remember he had a list of books he wanted - and publishers give the books away at BEA. I had a list too. He walked into a booth and said bluntly to the young, mostly female marketing staff who was handing out books, "I need this (title) book." I immediately saw their response. They looked at John funny. They glanced at each other with the look that said, "Who the heck is this rude man?" They did not know he was one of the hottest new authors at the event. He did not know he had been borderline rude and was being judged by them. He did not notice their looks of disgust. I did. It bothered me. A lot. Over the years following that event, I saw John gain social skills because he was interacting with the public in a new way while on book events. Stupid he's not, and he told me at our first meeting how he had trained himself to look up and make eye contact at predetermined intervals to accommodate his Asperger's. But one night, I got a phone call from John that blew me away, immediately after he began his TMS. His words to me? "Kim, I can read minds!" Dear AofA readers, I'm going to share a few thoughts about this book by one of my first friends in the autism writing community, John Elder Robison . I know some of you will get your back up when I talk about our friendship. And about this new book. Please stand down. I am too damn tired to manage a negative day. I have a 21 year old with 3 more months of school and the adulthood cliff awaits. My days are filled with trying to save our funding to pay for a palatable day program for her. She has a 19 year old sister with autism. She has a 15 year old sister with autism too. As I'm typing this, my back is seizing up with stress pain. I'm exhausted. We haven't slept a full night in years. Money is tighter than a 20 year old wedding dress. Like so many of you, I've been using biomed treatments and behavioral and educational programs for years and years and years. Anyone remember the old Yahoo group TNOT? Tough nuts and old timers. My 3 kids are tough nuts. I'm an older timer at 52. Treatments have been hit or miss for us. Today I want to talk about John and his latest book, Switched On, which is about what happened to him when a treatment WORKED. The treatment is TMS - Transcranial-Magnetic-Stimulation. John was part of a study conducted by Harvard and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. Read about TMS here . In my neurotypical, female fashion, I immediately thought he meant literally that he could read minds. He explained that following TMS, he could tell what people were thinking by their facial expressions. A first for him and something you and I, if typical, take for granted. You know how we can get into trouble with email - because the reader can't sense our nuance or tone? Imagine life like that.I was thrilled for John. Turns out, the result wasn't as thrilling as one would hope. I won't tell you much about the book, I think it's important for you to read it. I will tell you that his subtitle could be, "Be careful what you wish for."Suddenly the safe cocoon of Asperger's was ripped away, exposing John to all of those nuances, some good, many bad. His marriage collapsed. Relationships changed. TMS rocked his world. I'm still thrilled. Why? Because John, who many AofA'ers think of just that big Neurodiversity guy, used a treatment to ameliorate a symptom of autism. And it worked. Just like we try with our own kids with biomed and other treatments. He medically changed himself. Just like we do with when we treat the gut, the heavy metals, the microbes. He's one of us. Please refer back to the top of this post. Stand down. Never in the 9 years that I have known John has he ever denied the severity of my girls' autism. Never has he told me I should leave them as they are without treating their autism. Never has he accused me of not loving my girls for wanting to change their autism. He respects me. I respect him. I asked him if I could come to William and Mary college where he teaches a class in Neurodiversity. I want to tell the students my perspective as a parent. He pointed out that many of those students have siblings just like my Mia. My Gianna. My Bella. So they process the concept of Neurodiversity differently that the Americans (are there any?) who are not yet touched by autism within their families. The siblings know the challenges, the heartache, the worry. And they know treatment is a MUST. We need to learn about how this treatment might help our own kids. Believe it or not, not even Harvard and Beth Israel could get proper funding to expand the study. After all, there's no pill to be sold. No profit in actually remediating some of the crippling aspects of Asperger's. I think this surprised John very much. Not us, right? We know that drill. If our kids could benefit from TMS at a much younger age, perhaps they could manage the changes better than a grown adult? Life is risk/reward. Most of us would take the risk. So I invite you to stand together and please get a copy of Switched On. Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism. Her new novel, House of Cards; A Kat Cavicchio romantic suspense is available from Amazon in all e-formats now. Her memoir, All I Can Handle I'm No Mother Teresa is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book. WASHINGTON, March 23, 2016 -Two new lines of genetically engineered (GE) corn will not be regulated, USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced today. The first line (MZIR098) was developed by Syngenta Seeds, Inc. for both insect resistance and glufosinate-ammonium resistance. The second line (MON 87419) was developed by the Monsanto Company for resistance to the herbicides dicamba and glufosinate. APHIS documents supporting the decision on the Syngenta line are here. Documents for the Monsanto line are here. The Monsanto petition for nonregulated status prompted nearly three dozen comments. It was opposed by Food & Water Watch, which said that allowing dicamba-resistant corn would lead to an increase in dicamba use, which will spur the evolution of dicambaresistant weeds and the abandonment of conservation tillage practices. FWW called on APHIS to prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement. (APHISs decision on both lines was supported by an Environmental Assessment and accompanying Finding of No Significant Impact, or FONSI). The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also said an EIS was needed. Without a coordinated and thorough evaluation of the full technology package, and a meaningful analysis of impacts, adding yet another new crop/herbicide package will continue adding to the existing harmful effects on herbicides on ecological systems, human health, and farmers livelihoods through herbicide drift and nontarget crop losses; the widespread increase in herbicide-resistant weeds; and environmental and public health impacts. Monsanto supported the decision, commenting that the use of herbicides which provide multiple mechanisms-of-action against target weeds is an effective stewardship practice for season-long control of weeds, for delaying the selection of herbicide-resistant weeds, for managing populations of weeds that are already resistant to a particular herbicide, as well as for a long-term solution for sustainable weed management. Keep up with ag and rural policy and energy news as it happens. Sign up for a four-week free trial of Agri-Pulse. The company said that if growers have glyphosate-resistant weeds in their fields, it is recommended that they use two or more different herbicides (e.g. dicamba plus another non-glyphosate herbicide) with different mechanisms-of-action on the resistant weed species. The National Corn Growers Association also supported the decision and said it look(ed) forward to the availability of new herbicide systems in corn production. #30 For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com WASHINGTON, March 23, 2016 U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, wants a thorough governmental review of ChemChinas expected $43 billion purchase of Syngenta, citing concerns about U.S. food security. In remarks to reporters on Tuesday morning, Grassley said he was sending a bipartisan letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, asking for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) to review the purchase. And he wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration who are not normally participants in CFIUS to weigh in as part of that process. The letter, which was officially released Wednesday, is signed by Grassley and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, and two other committee members, Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Constituents have approached us with concerns over this transaction, citing the 2013 CFIUS review of the Shuanghui-Smithfield acquisition. The most common reflection on that experience is that growing foreign investment in U.S. agricultureand the prognosis of more to comeshould be met with a careful review process that captures the issues most relevant to safeguarding the American food system going forward, the senators wrote. To read the whole letter, click here While foreign direct investment is generally positive, careful consideration should be taken, especially if foreign governments are the buyers, Grassley told Agri-Pulse. My concerns of concentration and national security are compounded by the fact that the Chinese government if the Syngenta/ ChemChina deal is approved would be both a regulator in regard to biotech product approval and also, at the same time, owner of an entity that needs biotech approval. Grassley noted that his concerns extend beyond this specific acquisition. Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack expressed similar reservations about seed industry consolidation. Not an Agri-Pulse subscriber? Get our Daily Harvest email and Daybreak audio Monday through Friday mornings, a 16-page newsletter on Wednesdays, and access to premium content on our ag and rural policy website. Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription. Clearly, theres a desire by the Chinese government to acquire agricultural assets that give them access to better food production technology. My concerns for this transaction go beyond the jurisdiction of CFIUS. I remain troubled about the long-term effects of continued consolidation in the seed industry and what that will mean (to) the farmers who have fewer companies to buy seed from, Grassley said. In response to the letter, Syngenta spokesperson Paul Minehart said, We welcome a full review of the transaction by the U.S. government and will continue to work closely with all of the agencies as we move forward in the review process. We believe the proposed combination with ChemChina is good for farmers and customers in the U.S. and all over the world. This transaction is crucial to maintaining choice and competition because it enables us to continue as a leading innovator in seeds, traits and crop protection products, which will preserve the safety, reliability and diversity of the global food supply. Minehart said he does not believe the proposed transaction raises any food safety or significant national security issues. Syngenta will remain Syngenta. It will retain its broad portfolio of businesses and geographic presence. In the U.S., nothing will change for farmers or customers. Any product commercialized in the U.S. will still be required to meet our own high standards as well as pass all applicable EPA, FDA and USDA health and safety review processes, added Minehart. After announcing the proposed deal in February, ChemChina and Syngenta voluntarily initiated a CFIUS review. The companies expect to close the deal by the end of 2016. Updated 3-24-16 at 2:30 pm to add letter, Syngenta reaction. #30 For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com WASHINGTON, March 24, 2016 Now that EPA officials have vowed to get the RFS back on a statutory schedule, a group of lawmakers and industry stakeholders want them to get back to proposing statutory blending levels as well. Earlier this week, Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of 19 senators in sending a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. The letter, signed by eight Republicans and 11 Democrats, said the EPA should reverse course and release a rule this year that follows congressional intent. The forthcoming proposal to set blending targets for 2017 is the EPAs chance to fulfill the commitment that you and Assistant Administrator (Janet) McCabe made to get the program back on track, the letter continued. We hope you take this opportunity. Last year, the EPA finalized Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the RFS for the first time since the 2013 RVO. The announcement set blending requirements for 2014, 2015, and 2016 as well as the biomass-based diesel requirement for 2017. However, the levels were set at 18.11 billion gallons for 2016, a boost from the 17.4 billion gallons proposed earlier in the year, but still shy of the 22.25 billion gallons called for by Congress in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). EPA angered many biofuel stakeholders with the proposed and finalized levels by using a waiver to set RVOs lower than statutory figures. Janet McCabe, EPAs acting assistant administrator for EPAs Office of Air and Radiation, said at the time and several times since that the RVOs represented ambitious, achievable growth. EPA claimed infrastructure concerns prohibited setting RVOs at statutory levels, so it exercised waiver authority over the RFS, but renewable fuel advocates point out that the EISA does not contain a waiver for concerns of infrastructure, only supply. Renewable fuels stakeholders are currently challenging the November RVO release in the court system. The letter was met with applause from eight biofuel trade groups or companies: the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Advanced Biofuels Business Council, Biotechnology Industry Organization, Archer Daniels Midland, and POET. Getting the RFS back to the statutory levels Congress intended is critical in moving our nation forward to energy independence by using cleaner burning, homegrown biofuels, like ethanol, which reduce harmful emissions and our reliance on foreign oil imports, the groups said. As important, returning to the statutory levels intended by Congress will provide the necessary certainty producers need to move forward with critical business decisions. Dont miss out on renewable fuel stories such as this one in our ag and rural policy newsletter, in the Daily Harvest email and on our website. Sign up for a four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription. Back in the fall of 2015, Administrator McCarthy addressed biofuels stakeholders, saying, EPA is working hard to make sure that the Renewable Fuel Standard program is actually moving towards the levels that Congress intended, the groups continued. We are hopeful that the EPA will follow through on their commitment, releasing a rule that reflects this and eliminates the possibility of any distribution waivers. Under the EISA, the statutory 2017 RVO would total 24 billion gallons, a jump of almost six billion gallons from the 2016 figure. The 2017 RVO is expected to be proposed at some point in late spring or early summer. #30 For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com By Betsy Huber Major portions of rural America have no access to broadband. Fewer than one in five Americans (17 percent) cant access what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines as broadband, but that level is three times higher a whopping 53% -- when it comes to rural America. And what about those parts of rural America with broadband access? According to the 2015 State of the Internet Report, the average connection speed in many rural areas is slower than those in Estonia, Uruguay, and Thailand. Thats why the millions of us who live in rural America can muster no more than two cheers for the Lifeline Reform plan recently drafted by the FCC that shifts the focus of the federal Lifeline program to broadband. Its a good move that makes sense in the long term, but it doesnt have to be done with such haste that it severs the wireless Lifeline now helping millions of low-income residents in rural America. The problem is that the FCC timetable for shifting Lifeline from a wireless focus to broadband only is out of sync with the reality of the availability of adequate broadband in rural America. The FCC wants to start a phase out of wireless Lifeline almost immediately and then hang up on it altogether in 2019. After that, Lifeline would only subsidize broadband and landline phone service. Thats the wrong timetable for rural America. The FCCs own data show that as many as 22 million rural Americans lack access to connections to broadband at download speeds of 25 megabits per second (mbps). The Commission also has reported that one in five rural Americans lacks access at the even slower speeds of 4 mbps. The access gap is even worse for people living on Native American tribal lands, where the lack of access surges to 63 percent. While there is much to admire in the FCCs plan for a $9.25-a-month subsidy focused over time on broadband, the truth is that it probably wont result in one new mile of broadband cabling in rural America. All signs are that our communities of non-urban areas will lag for decades when it comes to access to essential broadband. The FCC knows this and so the unfortunate appearance is that the Commissions current Lifeline reform plan is a calculated slight to rural concerns. In less than 45 months the current wireless Lifeline service will vanish. For rural Americans who have no way to use a broadband subsidy, the demise of Lifeline by 2019 will mean that they are effectively cut out of the program. Their only sin: living in rural America. To make matters even worse for those living in rural America, the FCC wants to impose minimum standards on wireless Lifeline that almost certainly would force a co-pay arrangement for subscribers. This would make participation in the program burdensome, if not completely unaffordable, for many low-income rural dwellers. Many of the poorest people with the least access to help live in rural America, these are not consumers who will be able to continue using Lifeline if they have to pony up cash that they just dont have. By phasing out wireless Lifeline and offering only a broadband program they cant access, rural Americans will not be helped by Lifeline reform. Instead, will we rural Americans become the first and perhaps largest group of disconnected victims of the reforms? I ask the FCC: What good is Lifeline reform in rural America if broadband is not available now and you are killing wireless service? Betsy Huber is President of The National Grange #30 For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com Christians in Iraq: Should They Stay or Should They Go? An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in Mosul sits inside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Chaldean Church in Telkaif in the province of Nineveh, July 2014. ( Reuters) The Isis frontline was only an hour's drive south, so maybe I was a bit on edge. But Fr Emmanuel was really starting to wind me up. Instead of sharing a meal and discussing the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi church, we had begun to argue about why Christianity was dwindling in the Middle East. He said that Europeans who welcomed Christian refugees from Syria and Iraq were "completing the uncompleted mission of Isis". Western liberals like me were complicit in the de-Christianisation of the Middle East by allowing Iraqi Christians too easy a route out of their historic homeland, he said. There are push and pull factors to Christians abandoning the Middle East. Isis is the push and we are the pull. Well, let's just say I didn't take too kindly to the comparison with Isis. As tensions mounted, one of the bishops present suggested we say the Lord's Prayer together, each in our own language. "Aboon D'bashmayo..." he began. Our Father, which art in heaven. Fr Emmanuel prayed in Aramaic, the language in which Jesus first taught the prayer to his disciples. It's a language that's still used by Christians in an area that stretches from the edge of Iran through northern Iraq and across the Nineveh plains into north-eastern Syria -- yes, much of it Isis territory. Fr Emmanuel's church was formed in the first century and by those known to the apostles -- as opposed to my church which was formed in the 16th century by a priapic bully looking for a divorce. A bit more humility, I said to myself. Listen again to his argument. Christianity is being wiped from the Middle East, he said. In 2003 there were 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Now it's about 300,000 and still dropping fast. Isis is murdering Christians all over the place. In Mosul, Fr Emmanuel's home town, Christians were especially targeted after the US invasion of Iraq. Back in 2008, Mosul's archbishop was snatched from his car and discovered in a shallow grave a week later. And when Isis arrived in 2014 -- welcomed by the majority of the local population, Fr Emmanuel insists -- the Christian community had "N" for Nazarene daubed on its doors. The Isis message to Christians is: convert or die. In the face of all this, the church's leadership tells its people to be brave, to stay and endure, that in them the very existence of Christianity in the Middle East is at stake. And that's true -- it is. But my problem is that Fr Emmanuel and much of his church's leadership do not practise what they preach. After an attempt on his life, Fr Emmanuel now operates out of the German spa town of Wiesbaden. And until last November the leadership of his church, the Assyrian Church of the East, was based a little further west than its name suggests, in Chicago, Illinois. I totally understand why they want to be far from Mosul. But they shouldn't emotionally strongarm their congregations into staying when they themselves won't. Iraqi Christians have every right to place the protection of their families higher up the list of priorities than the historical continuity of Christianity in the Middle East. And I say this in full knowledge that this is holy week, when Christians are called to follow in the way of the cross. But going the way of the cross is not something academic in Mosul -- Isis is still crucifying Christians. Yes, I'd probably run away too. So did the disciples, remember. "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us," Fr Emmanuel and I continued. Yes, forgive even those murderous bastards of the black flag. Yes, forgive them even when they think that our forgiveness makes us weak and foolish. For the death of Christ is not a martyrdom operation designed to expand the muscle of the Christian tribe. Either the church survives because of its message of reconciliation -- an idea Fr Emmanuel wasn't so keen on -- or it has no business surviving. We are not saved by men with Kalashnikovs. Nor by the numerical vitality of our pews. We are saved by being forgiven. The terrifying existential vulnerability of the Iraqi church reminds me that everything is on the line in trusting so audacious a claim. March 24, 2016 The Israeli occupation of the territories has engendered dozens of human rights organizations and peace movements over the years, and its political right spreads libel about each one. Peace Now informs on settlers and their associates. B'Tselem poisons the media by spreading video clips showing settlers abusing Palestinians. Yesh Din snitches on Jews who merely reminded their Arab neighbors who's boss in Judea and Samaria. Taayush collaborates with the enemy non-Jews who refuse to remove themselves from the land "promised" to the people of Israel. And so on and so forth some are a fifth column," and others Israel haters and petty leftists. But only the activists of one organization, Breaking the Silence, have the dubious honor of being labeled traitors. That organization, which has documented and published testimony by military veterans about human rights violations in the territories since 2004, draws more fire than all the other organizations put together. The Israeli right does not consider the term occupation a legitimate one. Thus, any person or organization that defines itself as an activist against the occupation is considered illegitimate. But over the past year, Breaking the Silence has become anathema even in the talking points of Yesh Atid, and the unrestrained incitement against the organization is usually greeted by silence from Labor. There are those who explain that the reason this group of former soldiers has become the punching bag of the country stems from the fact that it is no longer limiting itself to activity within Israels borders. Not only does it publish reports in Hebrew, it translates them into English, gets funding from foreign organizations and individuals, and appears before foreign parliaments. To put it bluntly, many believe that dirty laundry should be washed at home. Not in the foreign media, not in the offices of the European Union in Brussels and not in testimony before an investigative panel of the UN Human Rights Committee. By the same logic, even if the average Israeli concedes that the occupation is a pollutant, he must put up with the smell. A good Israeli must shut the windows and keep the stench at home. Or perhaps its the sensitivity around state secrets that stung Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that the nongovernmental organization is being investigated for trying to obtain classified information. If his record on the subject is anything to go by, Netanyahu would never have been accepted into his own security detail. In June 1995, for example, the young lawmaker disclosed a secret document compiled by a senior officer in the planning department of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The document detailed the security arrangements that Israel should demand from Syria in negotiations for a peace agreement. At the time, Netanyahu called the leaker a patriot. In September 2007, as opposition leader, Netanyahu broke Israels official policy of silence on the bombing of the nuclear reactor in Syria. In August 2014, this time as prime minister, Netanyahus name came up in the media as the possible source of a secret presentation shown at a Cabinet meeting. Among his other reasons for refusing to order an investigation of the prime minister, then-Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein cited the possibility that the move would entail questioning very senior Israeli public figures. Unlike Netanyahu, Breaking the Silence is careful to publish information only after clearing it with military censors. Details that the censor bans from publication or those that are not verified do not see the light of day. The organization made it clear that the censors office had approved the publication of most of the testimony recorded by Ad Kan activists and aired on a Channel 2 television investigative report. It was this report that initially claimed that Breaking the Silence was gathering classified operational information unrelated to soldiers testimony about human rights violations. And if Breaking the Silence committed treason and undermined the security of the state, why are its members walking around freely? After all, Ad Kan's dubious allegations about their involvement in the murder of an Arab who died in his own bed resulted last January in the two-week police detention and extensive grilling of activists Ezra Nawi and Guy Boutbiya from the human rights Taayush organization. In January, Walla published an investigative report on Ad Kan's monitoring activities of anti-occupation groups. According to the report, the project is funded, at least in part, by the Samaria settlers committee, an organization that supports "price tag" attacks and tries to prevent soldiers from discharging their duties in the West Bank, as documented in a 2015 investigation by the Molad research institute. In 2014, the settlers organization, which gets funding from the Samaria regional council which in turn is funded by the state gave Ad Kan activists tens of thousands of shekels. Sagi Keizler, head of the Samaria settlers council, denied the report but apparently took no legal steps against Walla. The report can still be found online. Breaking the Silence is being picked on for cynical political reasons. For Israeli Jews, there is no cow more sacred than the IDF. A clear majority, including this writer, served, are serving or will serve in the armed forces, just like their parents, children and even their grandchildren. When Defense Minister Lt. Gen. (Res.) Moshe Ya'alon declares that the members of Breaking the Silence are traitors, he means that they betrayed all Israelis. This is not an argument about occupation, ethics or Israels international standing. It's about our lives. Ya'alon was the commander-in-chief of the military, a respected authority on the matter. The tacit conventional wisdom since the start of the so-called knife intifada is based on Talmudic teachings: If a man comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first. Or in common parlance, neutralize him first. Israeli politicians have called for people to do just this when confronted with a possible terrorist. There are even Jews who have already ascribed a broad interpretation to this order. Anyone coming to kill you, in their interpretation, may be a Jew willing to hand over territory to non-Jews. Assassin Yigal Amir, for instance, shot Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin after rabbis and politicians incited against him and his peace policy. Netanyahu himself took part in a demonstration at which a Rabin cutout dressed in a Nazi SS uniform was held aloft. Today, in his dressing down of the organization, he is dressing Breaking the Silence in the uniform of a kapo. Patriots who beat up Palestinians for kicks on city streets and set a bilingual school on fire have already started sending threats to Breaking the Silence activists and their families, including their elderly grandparents. If, God forbid, anyone is hurt, Netanyahu, Ya'alon and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid will rush to issue sharp condemnations of the criminals. They will surely not forget to attack those spreading incitement, but they might forget or ignore their own past contributions. March 24, 2016 Any outsider who has spent the past few months listening in on Israelis' public debate over Breaking the Silence might think that it is a vast organization employing thousands of activists. That person would also have reason to believe that the group is ultimately responsible for all of Israels security woes. Breaking the Silence was founded 12 years ago by Yehuda Shaul, a retired Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer who had served in Hebron. Shaul, now in charge of the groups overseas activities, holds one of just 12 paid positions in the entire organization. For the most part, Breaking the Silence relies on a handful of volunteers, who collect testimonies from soldiers. They are recruited ad hoc in response to specific events, such as the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. In fact, the groups last comprehensive report was published in May 2015. The report contained testimonies from soldiers who had participated in Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip indicating that individual soldiers, not the IDF as an institution, allegedly engaged in war crimes during the fighting. At the time of the reports release, the group also published a sleek booklet in English intended for international distribution. For the most part, the rage vented at the group in Israel can be attributed to the release of the report overseas, compounded by the activities of its members beyond the narrow confines of Israel. The person drawing the most fire is Avner Gvaryahu, a prominent Breaking the Silence activist whose official position is coordinator of outreach to American Jewry. Breaking the Silence believes that it is impossible to shift the public discourse in Israel from within and promote the processes necessary to end the occupation. Therefore international pressure is required. In January, a recording was made public in which Alon Liel, a former Foreign Ministry director general, is heard briefing Breaking the Silence activists and recommending that they extend their activities to Jewish communities and decision-makers overseas. It seems as if this is Breaking the Silences basic mistake, and its most auspicious mistake as well. By making the strategic decision to appeal to the international community, the group shot itself in the foot and lost what little legitimacy it had among Israelis. It went from being a tiny organization with no say whatsoever to the target of Israeli decision-makers, who blame it for almost all the countrys ills. This seemingly insignificant organization has been turned into a means of diverting the public discourse from the diplomatic stalemate, the increase in terrorism and the overall gloomy horizon. Instead of concentrating on major issues, Israelis are now focused on one small group. Ironically, in its 12 years of existence, Breaking the Silence never really made an impact on Israeli public opinion, and whatever influence it may have had has now been diminished even more so. Breaking the Silence was also never especially influential internationally. It is not some powerful organization with branches all over the world. When Gvaryahu speaks on campuses in the United States, he is merely preaching to the choir, addressing an audience that already agrees with him and is not particularly inclined to favor Israel in the first place. The activities conducted by Gvaryahu and volunteers who lecture overseas are just a drop in the proverbial bucket. In contrast, Hillel, the largest Jewish student organization in the world, has a well-established and well-oiled infrastructure and a presence on virtually every college and university campus in the United States. The groups representatives take part in opposing the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement advocating a boycott of Israel, and they promote the image of the other Israel, the one unrelated to the occupation that usually doesn't appear on television. The impact of that group on American students, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, is many orders of magnitude greater than that of Breaking the Silence and its activists, who might lecture in the United States once every few months. On March 17, Channel 2 News aired an investigative report about Breaking the Silence, based on questionable recordings that the news desk had received from the right-wing organization Ad Kan (No More). The report claimed, among other things, that Breaking the Silence had collected classified information from soldiers. Immediately after the report was aired, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to announce that he had instructed Israels security forces to investigate the organization. Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon went so far as to accuse the group of treason. According to Yuli Novak, director general of Breaking the Silence, the testimonies published by her organization are submitted to the military censor and are not released unless the group receives explicit permission to do so. Regardless, her comments did nothing to moderate the whirlwind of attacks against the organization or its members. Who cares if the group never actually compromised the IDF or that it is highly doubtful that Breaking the Silence ever planned to violate military confidentiality or set that as its goal. What matters is that Israelis have a new enemy that they can blast with all the power and means at their disposal. In conversations with Al-Monitor, members of Breaking the Silence said they worry that the incitement against them will eventually end in murder. Novak even complained to the police that her family has been threatened. In Israel, the distance between calling someone a traitor and actually pulling the trigger might not be so great, something Israelis have already witnessed. Furthermore, Breaking the Silence activists are convinced that the attacks against them are orchestrated. They think it is easy for Netanyahu to paint them as the dangerous new enemy and to blame them for all of the countrys existential anxieties. Now that the Iranian nuclear threat has practically vanished from the headlines, the threat from the Islamic State feels distant and Gaza is relatively quiet, what else does Netanyahu have? How can he keep the public on edge when all the old familiar threats are no longer available? Well, now he has Breaking the Silence. True, several former security chiefs have come to the groups defense, among them former heads of Shin Bet Yuval Diskin and Ami Ayalon and a former deputy director of Mossad, Amiram Levin. They claim that Breaking the Silence is important for the preservation of Israels democracy. Still, that doesnt matter to anyone. It looks as if the publics negative attitude toward the organization has already been formulated and etched in stone. The same is true of the attitudes being expressed across the political spectrum, from Netanyahu to Yesh Atid Chair Yair Lapid. It is convenient for all of them to exaggerate the importance of Breaking the Silence and unite the Israeli public in a campaign against it. March 24, 2016 The response of Israels Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz just one day after the attacks in Belgium was such an uncomfortable mishmash of schadenfreude, condescension and rudeness that it was easy to imagine someone had distorted what he actually said. If Belgians continue eating chocolate and enjoying life and looking like great democrats and liberals, and not noticing that some of the Muslims there are planning terrorism, they wont be able to fight them, said the senior minister in a radio interview the day after the attacks. Adopting a somewhat reproachful tone, he seemed to be admonishing the Europeans for their lax policies in confronting international terrorism, compared with Israel's. Katzs comments encapsulated the patronizing attitude toward Belgians coming from the Israeli political right immediately after the attacks, especially on social networks. Comments and the overall mood recalled the gloating arrogance expressed toward the French following the brutal terrorist attack in Paris in November. Using Facebook as his platform, Katzs Likud colleague Minister of Science Ofir Akunis released an especially reproachful and condescending post about the Europeans. Let me repeat myself, the minister wrote. Many in Europe preferred to focus on the vile condemnation of Israel, on marking Israeli products and on boycotts. At the same time, thousands of terrorist cells affiliated with radical Islam sprung up, right under the noses of the people living on the Continent. Some mocked those who warned them about this. Others ridiculed them. Unfortunately, reality struck full force, cutting short the lives of dozens of innocent people. According to Akunis, Europeans were so obsessed with the Israeli occupation that they failed to notice the monster that is Islamist terror growing right under their noses. Whenever terror strikes mercilessly in Europe, the entire spectrum of the Israeli right raises its head. It misses no opportunities to boast about having chosen the right path. The consequences are extremist rhetoric and domination of the countrys security and even its nationalist dialogue. When enlightened Europe closed its eyes and provided immigrants with a home and a relatively easy life, they paid it back with terror. This chorus of we told you so is conducted by none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He sets the tone and sends out his list of talking points. There is no one like Mr. Terrorism himself to explain to the world, Our way is the right way. Obviously, the prime ministers propaganda machine didnt pass up this opportunity to strike out with his message. Netanyahu delivered it in a recorded speech broadcast to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee convention on the day of the attacks, and he expanded on it the next day, when he called a press conference in Jerusalem. If there is any nation in the world that knows what they are going through, it is the people of Israel, who have been standing boldly and bravely in the face of terrorist attacks for many years now, he said. I offered them everything that Israel could do to help them in their fight against terrorism, including intelligence and security aid. When Netanyahu was asked to explain why he has been unable to rein in the current Palestinian uprising, he explained that his government had made many achievements on that front, and then immediately changed the topic to the international war on terror. Even more than Netanyahu is addressing the world, he is addressing the Israeli public. It is his way to achieve two important objectives: to relieve himself of some of the pressure due to Palestinian terrorism, and to explain why there is no partner in negotiations. Netanyahu also believes that as soon as all this clicks in Europe, no one in the international community will have the patience to hear about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Just as he did after the attacks in Paris, Netanyahu wants to send the message that the terrorism striking at Israeli civilians is the same Islamic terrorism that is attacking Europeans. This is the common war being fought by the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness, Netanyahu declared, in an effort to remove the occupation from the equation. Then, as Mr. International Terrorism, he offers the world his experience and assistance. But it is not just Netanyahu. Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid chose to use similar rhetoric. He also addressed first and foremost the Israeli public, which arguably is going through a process of radicalization. The terrorist attacks in Belgium caught Lapid just as he was returning from a demonstration in front of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, a group he called the Terrorist Rights Commission. Lapids comments were directed to the soft underbelly of the Israeli right, which he is trying to attract. Upon arriving in Israel, he wrote a Facebook post explaining, The war against terrorism is a global war, and it should be waged globally. All attempts by Western nations to keep it in the Middle East are destined to fail. [Terrorism] is lethal. It is spreading around the world. Its main goal is to shock, to interfere with life and to attack people's sense of security. And it has another objective: to harm Israel. For Lapid, too, there is no time for talk about the occupation or a two-state solution when fighting global terrorism. March 24, 2016 Six months after the last visit to Egypt by Hamas representatives in September 2015, a high-ranking Hamas delegation paid a five-day visit to Cairo on March 12. No details were publicly disclosed about the security-related talks held at the General Intelligence Directorate, which manages the Palestinian file, but a senior Hamas official following up on the talks with the Egyptian side spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. The official commented, The meetings addressed a number of important security topics, such as the abduction of four Hamas figures in the Sinai Peninsula on Aug. 20, 2015, Hamas demand to permanently open the Rafah crossing and Egypts accusation of Hamas being involved in the assassination of former Egyptian Attorney General Hisham Barakat in June 2015. In addition [talks covered] the continuation of work in some tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Sinai. Although we have emphasized our noninterference in internal Egyptian affairs, we continue to control our security borders with Sinai. Perhaps Hamas preferred not to reveal details about the security meetings with the Egyptian's until after another round of talks following completion of the current regional tour of Hamas officials. Since March 18, Hamas leaders based in Gaza and abroad have been meeting in Qatar. After the Qatar gathering, a Hamas delegation is expected to meet again with Egyptian officials to inform them of the movements final positions on the issues discussed in Cairo. Hamas might then issue an official statement outlining the discussions with the Egyptians. Such a statement, should one be issued, could reveal the points of contention and agreement between the two parties. Hussam Badran, a Hamas spokesman residing in Qatar, told Al-Monitor, Hamas visit to Egypt is a step in the right direction, toward a natural and positive relationship to overcome the tensions that prevailed earlier. Despite the absence of a written agreement, we have stressed to our Egyptian brothers that we have nothing to do with the security incidents in Egypt and Sinai. Hamas is doing its part on the Gaza border, as it always has, and it is concerned about the security of Egypt and its people. This is what we have explained to the Egyptians. In tandem with the Hamas visit to Cairo, positive signs emerged as Egyptians appeared to lighten up on the long-running media campaign against Hamas. On March 17, the well-known journalist Wael Ibrashi, who is close to decision-making circles in Egypt, had called on the media to stop attacking Hamas. On March 12, the government-affiliated newspaper Al-Ahram had published an article by Muhammad Amin in which he described Hamas as a Palestinian resistance movement that has and will always impress Egyptians. Abdullah al-Ashaal, former Egyptian deputy foreign minister, said on March 19, however, that major disagreements still remain between Cairo and Hamas. Egypt wants guarantees from the movement that it will not use Gaza as a way station for fighters of the Islamic State-affiliated Wilayat Sinai. It also wants Hamas to stop providing logistical support to armed groups. This means that patching things up between the two parties would take a long time, although it is extremely important for channels of communication to remain open, according to Ashaal. Meanwhile, Hamas expressed optimism following the Cairo meetings. The Hamas-affiliated newspaper Felesteen published an article March 21 describing the visit to Egypt as having been positive. Earlier, on March 14, Yousef Rizqa, former minister of information in the Hamas government, had spoken of the respect shown to the movement's delegation upon its arrival in Egypt and its stay in an undisclosed location for security reasons. The delegation was provided security guards during the stay. Ibrahim Abrash, former Palestinian minister of culture and political science professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, After Hamas talks with the Egyptians, the movement might need to review its policies, positions and relations, given the decline of the Muslim Brotherhood's influence and of the political Islam that the movement adopted. This is in light of Hamas inability to make any breakthroughs in the internal Palestinian situation due to the deteriorating living conditions in Gaza. Yet, I hope Hamas review will not only be for tactical considerations to strengthen its control over Gaza. On March 20, Al-Monitor met with some members of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas military wing, as they hung a large sign at the Saraya crossroads, the busiest area in Gaza City, that read, The resistance does not point its weapons toward foreign parties. The brigades had previously put up signs in the same spot featuring Muslim Brotherhood slogans and pictures of Morsi. This points to Hamas sending a friendly message to Cairo, indicating that it is distancing itself from the Brotherhood, its mother group. In this regard, Badran said, Hamas positions regarding the Brotherhood are very explicit. We are proud to belong to this groups ideological school, but we are a Palestinian liberation movement, and our decisions only stem from our Shura institutions and the [Hamas] leadership. This is a fact well-known to all parties, Egypt included. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ghazi Hamad, deputy foreign minister in Gaza and a Hamas leader in constant contact with Egypt, refused to acknowledge any link between taking down Brotherhood pictures and the visit to Cairo. I find it strange to say that the fact that Hamas is [merely] taking down some pictures and putting up others follows instead in the context of the movements understandings with Egypt, said Hamad. I can assure you that the agreements reached between the two parties during the recent visit will result in establishing prosperous relations between the two in the future. Hamas appeared to be sending a number of other signals to Cairo following the recent meeting. For the first time, on March 16, Hamas' political bureau, namely, Mousa Abu Marzouk and Khalil al-Hayya, condemned the political assassinations, including Barakat's, that have taken place in Egypt since President Mohammed Morsi's overthrow in July 2013. The Palestinian news site Al-Quds then reported on March 20 that Hamas had ordered its leaders and other members not to use Brotherhood slogans at festivals or to print the groups slogan The Quran and the two swords on ads for movement activities, a step welcomed in Egyptian circles. On March 22, Ismail Haniyeh, deputy chief of Hamas political bureau, denied that Hamas is playing any security or military role in Egypt, while stressing that the movement is keen on establishing good and balanced ties with Egypt. It may be too early to see positive effects on the ground, such as the opening of the Rafah crossing, indicating that Hamas and Egypt are heading toward a honeymoon phase after an irrevocable rupture appeared to be on the horizon. After all, in addition to accusing the movement of being involved in Barakat's death, Egyptian officials had also accused it in February of planning to establish a state in Sinai. Easing the tensions that had prevailed between the two parties can, however, be seen as a big first step toward relieving the logjam that could have resulted in negative consequences for both sides. March 24, 2016 TEHRAN, Iran The Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has been host to a special military and defense industry exhibition since March 5. Among the various countries displaying their goods, China has been particularly active. However, the perhaps most noteworthy feature of the exhibition is the strong and official presence of Irans Ministry of Defense, and the fact that a vast array of Iranian-made armaments and military equipment is being showcased. According to Iran's official IRNA news agency, after China, the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Defense Industries Organization of Iran have had the strongest presence at the exhibition when it comes to equipment variety. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) stipulates that Iran will until October 2020 be barred from conventional weapons trade, without first obtaining authorization from the United Nations Security Council. Nonetheless, during the past few years, in spite of extensive sanctions on exports of conventional military equipment, Iran has managed to become self-sufficient in the production of a vast range of weapons and military equipment. Indeed, a large portion of Irans military equipment is presently met by domestic production. Given this capacity, Iran appears now ready to establish a serious and effective presence in the international armament market. In past years, both the Iraqi and Syrian governments among the most important political and security allies of the Islamic Republic in the region have been dealing with civil war and terrorism. As political differences emerged between the governments in Damascus and Baghdad on the one hand, and with Western countries on the other, the provision of Western military equipment to these countries was disrupted. Enter Iran, which after the Islamic State's capture of Mosul in the summer of 2014 was the first country that sent arms to Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish peshmerga. Moreover, deliveries of weapons to Iraq have increased so much that all semi-heavy artillery equipment, sniper weapons and many other types of personal and armored weapons presently used by Iraqi paramilitary forces are Iranian-made. In addition, over the past year, Iran has also started sending the T-72S main battle tank to Iraq. The same trajectory is evident in regard to Syria. In comparison with Iraq, Syria has always had a more advanced and better-equipped army while Russian military cooperation has been continuous. However, as Iraqi and Afghan paramilitary forces entered Syria, and Damascus faced the danger of its arsenals being depleted, Iranian military equipment has emerged in Syria. For instance, during the ongoing battle for Aleppo, the extensive presence of Iranian-made goods has been widely recorded. This equipment includes Safir tactical military vehicles, Shaheen sniper weapons and other types of personal weapons. It is thus evident that Iranian-made military equipment is officially and extensively now in use in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. Since Iranian-made arms and equipment have yet to be tested, it is not possible to compare them with the originals theyre modeled after. However, the expansion of terrorism in the region has given Iran an opportunity to test its military equipment in action and learn about possible defects. Irans focus on its domestic arms industry has been ongoing. Upon taking office in 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani published the general principles of the government and officially announced, in section 7.2.18, that considering the international sanctions and the widespread threats against the country, it is necessary for the Administration to follow up on the self-sufficiency programs of the defense industry. Also, the Administration will put on its agenda the commercialization of military industries and will utilize the existing potentials of the countrys defense industry in order to increase the country's foreign currency revenues. The JCPOA, and the prospect of the lifting of conventional arms-related sanctions in the next five years, have resulted in the Iranian armed forces seeking a way to expand their domestic military industrial capabilities and become part of the international arms market. For instance, Irans minister of defense participates in most military exhibitions in the region. He is also constantly in contact with countries such as China and Russia regarding the transfer of the most advanced military equipment technology to Iran. In this vein, it appears that the sanctions related to conventional weapons trade are already being dropped, and that in the near future Iran will become a serious rival of both Western and Eastern arms firms that are presently providing conventional weapons to regional states. At the Baghdad exhibition, Iran has showcased a wide range of military equipment such as twinned combat boats, powerful sea engines, unmanned aerial vehicles, various mortars, different rockets and artillery systems, defense items such as advanced systems capable of identifying chemical and radioactive elements, as well as systems capable of designing and producing helicopter and reconnaissance aircraft. Considering Irans active participation in the Baghdad military exhibition, it can be concluded that Iran wants to enter the lucrative global arms market. Given the nature of political relations between Iran and the West, what can be described as a mutual arms embargo beyond the existing legal restrictions appears to be in place. Meanwhile, during the past two years, the Iranians have generously delivered weapons to their regional partners so much that Lebanons defense minister has announced that his country is ready to receive a large amount of weapons from Iran to address the needs of its military. Thus, if the current trajectory of arms deliveries continues, it appears that countries such as Iran, Russia and China are set to become the Middle Easts main weapons suppliers. March 23, 2016 TINDOUF, Algeria Tempers are heating up in Western Sahara. Despite a quarter-century of negotiations aimed at settling the dispute between Morocco and the indigenous Sahrawi people of Western Sahara, Moroccan authorities expelled UN personnel this week after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the situation there as an "occupation." A war of words threatens the 25-year cease-fire. The two rivals in the mineral-rich North African territory have been under continuous UN mediation in an effort to reach a political solution since 1991. At that time, the UN Security Council promised the Sahrawi people the right to vote on whether to be a part of Morocco or to become an independent state (the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic). The Sahrawis are saying that Morocco, by expelling the UN representatives, has left them with no choice but to take up arms again. The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara known by its French acronym, MINURSO was assigned to organize a referendum for the Sahrawi people when Morocco and the Polisario Front (the Sahrawi independence movement) agreed on the 1991 cease-fire. The UN maintained peace, but has not found common ground for the adversaries. The Polisario Front has been calling for the vote for independence, while Morocco says that its autonomy proposal is the most it can offer. The Sahrawi people, who live in southwest Algeria refugee camps controlled by the Polisario Front, received UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on March 5. Ban expressed his desire to bring the two parties back to the negotiation table. According to Bans spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, the visit focused largely on the humanitarian aspects of the situation. [Ban] wanted to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis of the Sahrawi people, a very much forgotten humanitarian crisis that has been going on for 40 years, Dujarric said in a March 7 press briefing following the visit. Ban also visited Bir Lahlu, the Polisario-controlled part of Western Sahara, and was received by Sahrawi officials. During his stay in Bir Lahlu, he described Morocco's presence as an occupation. Moroccos government replied in a March 8 statement that the secretary-general's use of the word indicated he has abandoned [his] neutrality." A massive march was organized in Moroccos capital, Rabat, in protest of Bans statement. The government claimed more than 3 million Moroccans participated in the March 13 demonstration, reportedly encouraged by leading political parties. (The Associated Press estimated attendance at 1 million.) Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar went to the UN headquarters to ask Ban for an apology on what Moroccos regime called verbal slippage. In his press briefing the day after the demonstration, Dujarric said, "The secretarygeneral will be the first to acknowledge that there's been a difference of opinion on the Western Sahara issue, but he continues to believe that, after 40 years, it is important to resolve this longstanding dispute and open the way to the return of the Sahrawi people, to refugees, to their homes. To this end, he called for genuine negotiations in good faith and without preconditions at each stop of his recent trip." Ban expressed anger at the protest because it targeted him personally, and he asked why some Moroccan politicians participated in the demonstration. Morocco responded by reducing its support to the MINURSO, which amounts to about $3 million. Furthermore, it demanded that 84 UN civilian staffers leave the territory. The UN Security Council convened a closed emergency meeting March 17 to discuss Western Saharas latest developments. However, the council could not reach a unanimous statement. According to several sources, France, Senegal, Spain and Egypt were against the condemnation of Morocco over its position toward the UN secretary-general. The secretary-general was disappointed by the Security Council's failure to take a strong stand. It would have been better had we received clearer words from the president of the Security Council, Ban's spokesman said March 18. He had promised that Ban would raise the issue at a UN luncheon March 21. Yet, the luncheon did not come up with any updates except for some efforts from Spain and France to calm the tension between the secretary-general and Morocco. The Polisario representative in New York, Bukhari Ahmed, said that if the UN withdraws its mission, "that would mean the shortest way to the resumption of war." Amid all this tension, young Sahrawi people are playing an important part in the current peace, which was established with great difficulty following 16 years of war. Polisario leaders warn that many young Sahrawis are calling for a return to armed struggle. On the same day that UN mission members left the territory, leaders of the Polisario military met in Bir Lahlou to discuss possible responses to Moroccos action. Tiba Sidihaiba, 40, from Western Sahara who lives in a refugee camp called Boujdour, is roughly the same age as the conflict. He spent 11 years in Cuba studying economics and thought his country would be independent by the time he graduated. No progress has been made for Sidihaiba to return home. He still suffers along with an estimated 160,000 Sahrawi refugees living in one of the worlds harshest environments, where the heat can reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius) in the summer. He lost his father during the guerrilla war that the Polisario went through for more than 14 years. If the MINURSO leaves, I will take [up] arms just as my father did when Morocco invaded my country, except that I am more equipped, he told Al-Monitor. Brahim Salem, 21, has only known life with MINURSO. The English student is being taught by American volunteers at the Smara camp. He sees Western Saharas independence as a fundamental part of his future. Salem now lives with his mother, who has rheumatism, and takes care of her as she is being treated in Algeria. He told Al-Monitor that there is a notion among his generation that MINURSO should organize a referendum or that young people should forge a solution themselves. I prefer to die for a just cause than wait for a lie for another 40 years, Salem said. March 23, 2016 The March 19 arrest of Iranian-Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab in Florida came as a bombshell to Ankara politics. Zarrab allegedly was the key figure running a money-transfer network in 2010-2015 that was designed to evade US sanctions against Iran. Zarrab allegedly acted on behalf of the Iranian government and Iranian businesses, and there is speculation that he must have made a deal with US authorities. Zarrab was first detained in Turkey but eventually was released with the governments help. Many believe that Zarrab had to have known he would be arrested the minute he landed in the United States, and that he wouldnt have made the trip without a deal worked out in advance. His potential disclosures to the US federal prosecutor will surely implicate Turkish officials and, as such, may well be an instrument of pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Preet Bharara, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York who prepared the indictments against Zarrab, became a sensation overnight as the Turkish opposition's social media favorite. In just a few days, the number of Bharara's Twitter followers exploded to more than 80,000 from fewer than 10,000. By March 23 he had 190,000 followers. Hundreds of the new fans had Turkish names. One Twitter user even asked Bharara, You want anything from Turkey? Turkish raki, shish kebab, lokuum, Turkish carpet. Just ask. We are on your service. Naturally, the pro-government wing took countermeasures. Some accused the US prosecutor of being part of a conspiracy, while the pro-government daily Sabah declared him to be a member of the Fethullah Gulen terror organization." The Turkish government, on the other hand, has been totally mum about the arrest of Zarrab, whom it had honored with an award for his proficiency in gold exports and his contribution to the national economy. Halkbank, a public bank Zarrab was working with, immediately declared it had nothing to do with the case but its stock lost 8.7% in one day. Turkey is quite concerned about Zarrab's case being handled by a US district attorney known for tackling tough cases. Turkish officials remember well the infamous Dec. 17-25, 2013, corruption and bribery case, though it has long been shelved. Four Turkish government ministers who were implicated were saved by their immunity. The government helped by reassigning the prosecutors and police who were investigating the scandal. The investigation had revealed that Iran had come under severe pressure when the money-transfer system SWIFT was barred from working with Iran. Tehran then decided to use a bypass system based on Turkeys Halkbank. SWIFT was sidelined first by setting up front companies in China. Money was sent to the Chinese bank accounts of these companies from Iran as if they were reimbursements for exports. That money was instantly transferred to front or real companies in Turkey, also as export reimbursements. Gold bought with that money was moved to Iran via Dubai. There was one case in which the manifest of a ship with a 5,000-ton capacity showed it carrying a load of 100,000 tons of wheat. Turkey was already paying Iran with gold for the oil and natural gas it was buying. To this end, Turkey opened an account for Iran in Halkbank. Iran was converting the deposits in that account to gold. To meet the heavy Iranian demand, Turkey had to import gold: $8 billion worth of gold thus reached Iran. The United States reacted by banning gold exports to Iran in July 2013. That meant a major portion of the $13 billion of gold Turkey had imported remained in Turkey. The investigation in Turkey was not prompted by the system, but by the bribes paid in the transfers. Zarrab, who assumed the Turkish name of Riza Sarraf after acquiring Turkish citizenship, allegedly was running his operation with the cooperation of some Cabinet ministers and their offspring. According to a local allegation, Zarrab was paying the minister of economy, Zafer Caglayan, a commission that is, a bribe of 0.3% to 0.4%. Zarrab is known to have paid Caglayan 103 million Turkish lira (some $35 million) and to have paid Halkbank CEO Suleyman Arslan 16 million lira (about $5.67 million). Many believe that then-Prime Minister Erdogan had to have known what was going on. The US indictments are more comprehensive. For Zarrab and his two alleged accomplices, the charges carry maximum sentences of five years in prison term for defrauding the United States, 20 years for violating the International Emergency Powers Act which regulated the sanctions against Iran 30 years for bank fraud and 20 years for money laundering. The district attorney is also calling for all of Zarrab's assets to be confiscated. Zarrab owns many companies in Turkey, including Mapna Group, Royal Holding, Durak Foreign Currency Exchange, Al Nafees Exchange, Royal Emerald Investments, Asi Precious Metals, ECH Jewelry and Gunes General Trading. One piece of evidence cited in the New York indictment is Zarrabs letter of Dec. 3, 2011, to the governor of Irans Central Bank that declared Zarrab's readiness for "economic jihad against sanctions." The indictments state that Zarrab set up a network of companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to bypass the sanctions. Iranian Camelia Jamshidy, who was working at Royal Holding, and Hossein Najafzadeh, a senior official of Mellat Exchange, allegedly played key roles in money transfers but remain at large. According to the indictment, email traffic between Zarrab and the others revealed numerous violations. Some speculate that when Zarrab heard his Iranian partner Babek Zencani had been sentenced to death for his illegal financial dealings, Zarrab preferred to give himself up to US officials, opting for a short prison term in the United States instead of being executed in Iran. A question frequently heard now is, who will Zarrab destroy with his revelations? Some people wonder if Zarrab's arrest is more than it seems, that the timing while Erdogan faces tensions with the United States, the European Union and Russia might indicate that someone has had enough of Erdogan. Zarrab has retained the international law firm Baker & McKenzie to represent him. Former Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Fevzi Isbaran came out with some incredible allegations on social media: Zarrab moved when Zencani was sentenced to death. He was afraid of getting killed in Istanbul after his protector's powers handed him over to [the] mafia. Zarrab felt that his protectors would kill him to cover themselves. He couldnt go to Europe. Most likely he made contacts with Americans. It is impossible for Zarrab not to know that the FBI would apprehend him the minute he landed in Miami. Clearly there are CIA-FBI intermediaries. If Zarrab spills what he knows, he will get a light sentence and save part of his wealth. If he speaks out, the Dec. 17-25 graft operation in Turkey will become an international case. Daily Hurriyet Washington correspondent Tolga Tanis is among those who said the case will implicate Turkey. He noted that there were references to Turkeys Dec. 17-25 investigations in the US indictments. Former Republican Peoples Party (CHP) deputy Aykan Erdemir agrees. A deal Zarrab can make with the prosecutor to mitigate his own sentence could well lead to detention decisions for new names. Many politicians, bureaucrats and businesspeople may then refrain from visiting the United States to avoid arrests, he said. The United States had earlier warned Ankara about Zarrabs sanctions-evading schemes. David Cohen, who was the Treasury undersecretary in charge of the embargoes on Iran in 2011-2015, made several trips to Ankara before he took over as deputy director of the CIA. Rocket Republic is eager to expand its craft brewery this summer in north Alabama. The Madison establishment isn't moving from its current facility on 289 Production Ave. Like Alabama's other breweries, Rocket Republic is preparing to sell beer directly to customers for off-premise consumption for the first time. Eric Crigger, owner of Rocket Republic, said today's signing of House Bill 176 by Gov. Robert Bentley will have a positive impact on the industry and Alabama economy. The law should go into effect June 1. "We now have about 60 days to make investments in our infrastructure and people to be prepared to serve off-premise," Crigger told AL.com. "With the increased consumption, we anticipate the need to increase production to accommodate our current demands, along with the off-premise demands." The new law will: Allow breweries that make less than 60,000 barrels per year to directly sell up to 288 ounces of its beer per customer per day for off-premise consumption. Allow breweries to deliver up to two donated kegs of its beer to a licensed charity event. No longer require brewpubs to open only in historic buildings, historic districts or economically distressed areas. The Commission formed last year after ABG's direct sales legislation died in Montgomery without a vote. Members of the Commission traveled to Colorado and North Carolina in late 2015 before introducing recommendations in January with input from the Alabama Brewers Guild, wholesalers and the public. Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, R-Madison, helped push the new bill through the Legislature. He said it will be a "game changer" for Alabama breweries, tourism and economic development. "There have been more nationally-based craft breweries that have considered Alabama as an expansion point, and they've kind of overlooked us because of some of our archaic laws, our restrictive laws," he said. "At the end of the day, I'm always going to be in support of less restriction and smaller government when it comes to things such as this and the free market." In fall 2014, Florida-based Cigar City Brewing said the company "kind of purposefully skipped over Alabama and Georgia because ... they really don't have the friendliest legislation" when it comes to craft beer. California's Stone Brewing Company released a request for proposals a year earlier to build a giant brewing, packaging and distribution center on the East Coast. While Stone was on Alabama's radar, the beer maker decided to launch its new $74 million brewery, packaging hall, restaurant, retail store and administrative offices in Richmond, Va. instead. Holtzclaw said the new law will allow existing Alabama breweries to grow, but also open the state up for possible out-of-state expansion. "These owners of these breweries are investing capital in our communities," he said. "They're also hiring people and they're providing a great venue for people to enjoy." ABG commissioned a report from Jacksonville State University in early 2015 to determine how off-premise sales would affect Alabama's economy. The study found ABG's Brewery Jobs Bill would create 655 jobs, generate $12.3 million in tax revenue and create $100 million in total economic output within three to five years. Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, served on the Commission co-chaired by Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, and Rep. Alan Harper, R-Northport. Daniels said they learned a lot about the craft beer industry during the 10-month process of studying beer laws in Alabama and other states. "Everybody had a seat at the table and out of that, came this particular piece of legislation," he said. Several pieces of legislation have helped make commercial and home brewing in Alabama possible during the last few years. It started in May 2009 when Free the Hops' Gourmet Beer Bill passed, bumping the alcohol by volume in beer up from 6 to 13.9 percent. Two years later, Free the Hops celebrated the passage of the Brewery Modernization Act, which allowed breweries to sell beer on-premises like a brewpub. In May 2012, lawmakers approved the Gourmet Bottle Bill, permitting the sale of bottles up to 25.4 ounces. Home brewing became legal in May 2013, removing Alabama from the short list of states that outlawed the practice. ABG Executive Director Dan Roberts said Daniels and Holtzclaw were among the bill's biggest champions this year. "Rep. Daniels' district includes the new Campus 805 development," he said. "Once he understood the competitive disadvantage that Alabama puts on the small business breweries in Huntsville, he became one of our biggest advocates in the legislature. "Sen. Holtzclaw's record speaks for itself. He's understood the economic development potential of craft beer since 2011, when his Brewery Modernization Act. That legislation legalized brewery tap rooms and was the first step in relaxing brewpub restrictions in Alabama." Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com The Best of Batman & Superman To celebrate the release of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," fans Edward Bowser and Ben Flanagan share their personal favorite films, actors, fights, costumes, cars and much more. They even dip into the best of the characters' respective television shows for a few picks, so don't hold that against them. (Warner Bros.) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman Voice actor Kevin Conroy. Some might consider it a cheat to name a voice actor as the greatest depiction of the Dark Knight. Well try this: simply close your eyes and listen when you hear his voice, you KNOW that's Batman talking. Nailing both sides of Batman's persona is not an easy task Michael Keaton was a spectacular under the cowl but so-so as a millionaire playboy; likewise Val Kilmer portrayed a solid Bruce but a forgettable Bat. Even Christian Bale's heralded performance was a bit too gravely in later films. Only Conroy's performances invoked the fear of a vigilante, the class of a socialite and the pain shared by both. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman Micheal Keaton. It doesn't hurt that Keaton served as my primary introduction to the character thanks to starring in Tim Burton's 1989 adaptation of Bob Kane's classic comic book character, but his performance still holds up. Sure, he didn't have the muscles that Christian Bale and Ben Affleck brought to the bat, but Keaton had the perfect look, voice and presence to bring the character to life on the big screen, not to mention the mystery behind the eyes under the cowl. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Superman Christopher Reeve. Not much competition here. Reeve has been the standard-bearer for the Big Blue Boy Scout for nearly 40 years. His portrayal has been so enduring because it's so true to the character's roots the personification of gallantry and heroism juxtaposed with his alter ego's nerdy innocence. When you think of Superman, you think of Reeve. No one else. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Superman Henry Cavill. No one else, eh, Edward? Look, since you took the obvious pick, I'll opt for the active Man of Steel over Brandon Routh's sad sack from "Superman Returns." Even die-hard fans of the comic kinda hate Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel," but Cavill did his part in resurrecting the character folks increasingly think too boring for the big screen lately thanks to his likability and much-needed earnestness. While he didn't propel a perfect iteration, Cavill more than earned the S on his chest for years to come. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman Movie The Dark Knight (2008). In recent years, I've heard critics blast this movie because it feels more like "Joker" movie than a "Batman" movie. Um, that's the whole point. While the movie is filled with gangsters, thugs and costumed super-villains, Batman's main adversary is his own guilt he realizes that his theatrics may have created the monsters he swore to defeat. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Clown Price of Crime is of course legendary, but everything from the films pacing to the blurring of line between hero and villain set the tone for subsequent comic films. For my money, it's the best comic film ever to hit the big screen. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman Movie Batman (1989). While I respect the heck out of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, it all started with Tim Burton's treatment for me, seeing it at the theater at a mere 4-years-old. So perhaps nostalgia made this pick, but Burton's vision of Gotham City (realized beautifully by Anton Furst's wondrous production design), Danny Elfman's musical score and the creative casting give this the edge. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Superman Movie Superman: Doomsday (2007). 1980's "Superman II" is the obvious choice but that one hasn't aged very well. Instead I'm going with the 2007 DC animated film, which stands as a loose interpretation of the iconic "Death of Superman" comic series. Superman falls in battle against the unstoppable Doomsday, villains and imposters run amok in his absence but our hero eventually returns to save the day. The fight scenes are thrilling and Superman's triumphant return was handled very well. Hopefully we'll be able to experience similar highs in the upcoming "Dawn of Justice" film. -- Edward Bowser Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Superman Movie Man of Steel (2013). Nope, not trolling. And I hate that I have to even qualify it that way, but the raging snark that still permeates in response to Zack Snyder's Superman movie still blows me away. Frankly, Superman doesn't totally do it for me in general, but I love the potential the character has on the big screen. That being said, I don't think Hollywood has fully realized it yet. The Christopher Reeve stuff hasn't aged well, and Bryan Siniger's effort fell a little flat. Snyder tried something different, and despite its roughness around the edges, its best bits (namely Henry Cavill, the action and Hans Zimmer's perfect score) shine through enough to give it a hair's lead among the pack. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Most Underrated Batman/Superman Movie Batman Forever (1995). I know, I know, there's lots to hate about this film. Tommy Lee Jones plays Two-Face like the Joker for no good reason. Chris O'Donnell's whiny Robin was aggravating. And the film often seemed too cartoony for its own good. Still, there was lots to love here, with Kilmer's Batman being much better than expected and Jim Carrey's manic energy did The Riddler justice. It's far from perfect but there are more highs than lows. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Most Underrated Batman/Superman Movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993). Sandwiched in between "Batman Returns" and "Batman Forever," this feature based on the astounding "Batman: The Animated Series" delivered that rare early 1990s non-Disney animated movie that kids and adults could appreciate. Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, it told a grim story about a mysterious vigilante begins systematically murdering Gotham's crime bosses, incorporated the Joker (Mark Hamill) and brought an elegance and fun the franchise needed as it re-thought its live-action strategy. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman Villain Heath Ledger's Joker, The Dark Knight. Yeah, yeah, the most obvious choice on the entire slideshow, I know. But there's a reason for that: Ledger's Joker was hilarious, calculating and downright terrifying. Just as he should be. You couldn't take your eyes off him. Yet despite his seemingly random anarchy, there was always a method to Joker's madness. That's what kept our eyes glued to him every time he stepped on screen. You never knew what he would do next, and that's what made him so entertaining. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman Villain The Joker, Batman: The Animated Series. If one Joker goes off the table, I'll take the next in line. Mark Hamill's maniacal and sinister take in the brilliant animated series delighted and frightened me as a child, as I'd watch each afternoon when I returned home from school. Obviously best known for his "Star Wars" work, Hamill perhaps shined even brighter as a voice actor thanks to his wild work as arguably the greatest comic villain of all time. Recommended episode: "Joker's Favor" from season one, in which poor Gotham schmuck endures the Joker's wacky wrath after an awkward exchange during a traffic dispute. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Superman Villain Darkseid, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. If we're talking villains in the live-action movies, it's slim picking for poor Supes -- you've got goofy Lex Luthor, boring Lex Luthor or overrated General Zod spread across five or six films. Thankfully we have Darkseid from the DC Animated Universe, an all-powerful alien warlord with an ax to grind. Despite the shared billing, this is more of a Superman movie than Batman one, with Darkseid not only corrupting Supergirl but LITERALLY showing up at Clark's parents' doorstep to pick a fight. We've gotta get Darkseid on the big screen. "Justice League," anyone? -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Superman Villain Lex Luthor, Superman Returns. Like Edward said, we're low on options for Superman baddies, but despite the fact that his evil plans is once again revealed as a global real estate scheme (Zzz), Kevin Spacey has a ton of fun as the Man of Steel's bald nemesis. In need of a career boost, Spacey chewed plenty of scenery and added a needed dose of humor to Bryan Singer's virtual remake of Richard Donner's work. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman Love Interest Anne Hathaway's Selena Kyle, The Dark Knight Rises. While I prefer Michelle Pfeiffer's creepier version of Catwoman, Anne Hathaway's Selena Kyle was the perfect love interest for Bruce Wayne. She's not just his physical and mental match, she and Bruce were two sides of the same coin victims of broken homes looking to find solace on the streets. By the end of the film, they found solace in each other. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman Love Interest Catwoman / Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), Batman Returns. While I'm tempted to opt for Kim Basinger's turn as Vicky Vale in the franchise's best on-screen romance, I can't pass up picking Pfeiffer's gloriously over-the-top (and career-best) work in Tim Burton's even darker sequel. While not exactly your typical "love interest," Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle shares plenty of witty banter with Batman and Bruce Wayne in several quieter scenes. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Lois Lane Lois Lane/Superwoman, All-Star Superman. Full disclosure here: Lois Lane, in all her incarnations, annoys me to no end. She's always overbearing and shrill so I guess I should give props to all the actresses for their consistent portrayals. Twist my arm and I guess I'll say Lane's best portrayal was in the 2011 animated film, where she temporarily gains superpowers and fights alongside Superman. It's much more fulfilling that watching her pick on poor Clark at work all the time. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Lois Lane Margot Kidder, Superman: The Movie. "Favorite" doesn't seem like the right word, as while I'm not quite as generally annoyed by Lois Lane the character, I just think that like the franchise in which she's featured, the character just hasn't gotten her due on screen just yet. And while the Richard Donner movies' kitschy humor feels dated, Kidder showed plenty of star power and proved a formidable foil to Reeve's Clark Kent. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman/Superman Supporting Character Michael Caine's Alfred Pennyworth, The Dark Knight Trilogy. Alfred's always been a fantastic character but Caine's portrayal really ups the ante. Instead of merely being the stuffy old guy who fills Batman's lunchbox, this Alfred is truly Bruce's father figure in every sense of the word. He even resigned from his duties in "The Dark Knight Rises" when Bruce's bat-obsession became too much to bear. Alfred's tough-yet-unconditional love is unbreakable. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman/Superman Supporting Character Bane, The Dark Knight Rises. Did he live up to Heath Ledger's Joker? That simply wasn't a fair question, as fans and critics readied themselves to compare every last drop of Tom Hardy's wonderfully domineering performance as the principled mercenary who takes over Gotham and breaks Batman's spirit and body. Hardy's accent, the sound design, the mask, the look and just about everything about Christopher Nolan's menacing Bane worked for me in another underrated Batman movie. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batmobile Batman (1966). Gotta go with the classics. It's no high-tech tank-thingy or sleek roadster that can blast its sides off, but this slick Lincoln Futura just oozes coolness. While many (many, MANY) things about the 1966 Batman film and TV series haven't aged well, that classic car will always stand the test of time. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batmobile Batman (1989). Oh, Edward. I appreciate the nostalgic pick, but there is only one true Batmobile, and it's this glorious piece of automotive machinery Tim Burton and his talented team of designers whipped up for the 1989 adaptation of the Bob Kane character. The film's most special prop feels lifted right out of a comic book, a live-action cartoon bullet on wheels with gadgets to spare. One of the coolest movie cars ever. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman Fight Batman vs. Bane, The Dark Knight Rises. It's not often that Bats gets his back snapped like a Kit-Kat, so I have to go with his first battle with Bane. It wasn't much of a fight, actually. Bane laughs off Batman's blows, slapping him around and putting the badmouth on him at the same time. It's rare we see Batman so vulnerable but that moment of weakness would fuel his eventual triumph. Getting beat down isn't so bad when you learn from your mistakes. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman Fight Batman vs. Catwoman, Batman Returns. They trade just as many barbs as they do licks in some of the film's best scenes, particularly when they get physical about halfway through. Keaton's Batman doesn't quite know what to make of this new villain in Gotham City, but Pfeiffer's feisty Catwoman quickly proves she's more than he can handle in the moment. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Superman Fight Batman vs. Darkseid, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. I commented earlier on the gall of Darkseid to show up at Clark Kent's parents' house to beat up their son. Now, it typically takes a lot for Superman to lose his temper this was one of those times. The pair bash each other all over the place eye beams, mega-ton punches, the works. Superman squeaked by with a lucky win thanks to Supergirl. The biggest flaw in Superman films is creating drama how can you challenge a man with near-godlike power? Easy, match him with Darkseid and get outta the way. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Superman Fight Superman vs. Plane, Superman Returns. While not exactly a "fight," the eye-popping sequence in which Superman comes out of retirement to save Lois Lane and other passengers from a crashing plane on a collision course with a packed baseball stadium serves as the film's best action sequence thanks to director Bryan Singer's knack for special effects and action scale. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman/Superman Costume Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. I was a huge fan of the Batman Beyond series and its excellent movie as well. Terry McGinnis' batsuit excels in simplicity no bulk capes or gaudy belts. It's simply a skintight black cybernetic costume with lots of hidden gadgets, including glider wings and jets for brief flight. Plus, its lithe build is perfect for Terry's acrobatic fighting style. Less really is more here. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman/Superman Costume Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). My only real cheat on this list just because I haven't seen the movie yet, I don't care because this is a perfect Batsuit. Going for more of a bruiser Batman, Zack Snyder and his team gave Ben Affleck a bit of an old school comic treatment with shorter ears and a simple design that doesn't call a lot of attention to itself the way, I don't know, bat nipples might. How it's used, we'll find out this week, but I know I at least dig the look. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Batman Music "Kiss From a Rose," Seal, Batman Forever. I was this close to naming a song from Prince's 1989 Batman album, which was filled with hits. But Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" is simply undeniable. The song barely fits within the context of the film it actually would have been a better fit in the atrocious 1997 "Batman & Robin" as an ode to Poison Ivy. No matter, Seal's signature song will always be tied to Jim Carrey's green spandex. I'm OK with that. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Batman Music "Finale," composed by Danny Elfman, Batman (1989). I've got nothing but love for the work done by Hans Zimmer in Christopher Nolan's trilogy, Shirley Walker in "Batman: The Animated Series" and even Elliot Goldenthal in Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever," but I'm sticking with the great Danny Elfman's franchise-defining score, specifically the finale in the first film capping off one of the great Hollywood blockbusters of all time, a sweeping orchestration and reprise of one of my favorite film themes. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Edward's Favorite Superman Music Hanz Zimmer, "Man of Steel." No one song jumps to mind from Superman's movie outings, so I have to go with the best thing about the 2013 "Man of Steel" film the score. While I wasn't a huge fan of the movie's gritty, heavy atmosphere, I did enjoy the foreboding soundscapes, especially that heavy brass effect. At times it sounded more like "Inception" than Superman but sometimes change is good. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Ben's Favorite Superman Music "The Planet Krypton," composed by John Williams, Superman: The Movie. Look, Edward's right. He made the right call singling out the gorgeous work Hans Zimmer did on "Man of Steel," some of my all-time favorite movie music. But since he picked it, I at least get to highlight the great John Williams, who delivered one of the more recognizable themes in movie history, but more impressively got things rolling with the monstrous track "The Planet Krypton," used well in Richard Donner's film but maybe even better in the teaser trailer for "Superman Returns." -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Why Edward Can't Wait for 'Batman v Superman' The fights. Forget the plot and drama, this is simply DC Comic's version of WrestleMania, and we've all got ringside seats. Obviously Batman can't go toe-to-toe with the Kryptonian, no matter how much armor he wears. We're in for a battle of brains versus brawn this one could shake the heavens. -- Edward Bowser (WB) Don't Edit Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Why Ben Can't Wait for 'Batman v Superman' Ben Affleck's Batman. As stated before, I already dig the look of Affleck's Caped Crusader, but everything I've seen so far involving the character in trailers looks extremely promising, like they should quickly pursue producing at least one standalone flick with the star. That being said, I remain cautiously optimistic if only because they've yet to suggest why Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor won't be Jar Jar Binks-level annoying in the movie. Here's hoping most people are wrong about it. -- Ben Flanagan (WB) Don't Edit Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com Enjoy 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' The film opens in theaters everywhere Thursday night, March 24. Check out the final trailer, but try to avoid as many spoilers as possible because this movie promises a handful of surprises that all hope to set up a Justice League film franchise with several of your favorite DC characters moving forward. (WB) Don't get me wrong, y'all. I love Alabama unconditionally. No dried-up, Mr. Burns-looking governor is going to ruin that for me. But I have to be honest, details of Gov. Robert Bentley's alleged affair that put an end to his 50-year marriage almost made me recycle my breakfast burrito. It's creepy. In a finding-out-your-granddad's-a-pervert kinda way. In a picturing-Bill-and-Hillary-in-bed kinda way. In a the-man-known-as-the-family-values-governor-lied kinda way. You can read more about it here but be warned: It's not for those with weak constitutions, or a moral compass. Some of my dedicated readers - by which I mean the commenters who write "This isn't news" on every single humor column - may be saying to themselves this is a serious topic and should not be trivialized with humor. Agreed. I'll bow to the late-night hosts on this one and let the slung mud fall where it may. I'm a mature adult and I plan to take the high road. Instead of poking fun (tee-hee, I said poke) at our governor, I will tell you ways you can feel better about being an Alabamian on a day when our state is making negative headlines around the country: 1. Google "sex scandal" and find out there's a Wikipedia page called "List of federal political sex scandals in the U.S." Be depressed because it's so long and it doesn't even include state officials. Then be encouraged when you realize there are no Alabamians on the list. Winning. 2. Go to YouTube ... whatever you do, DO NOT type "sex scandal" on this page. Trust me on this. Instead, type "kittens being incredibly adorable while getting their heads stuck in things." No one can hold onto a sense of utter betrayal by one's state officials while watching a kitten get its head stuck in a coffee mug. 3. Realize Alabama politics are more drama-filled than "House of Cards" and start counting the money you'll save on that Netflix subscription. 4. Search for "most googled" and realize Alabama and Gov. Bentley are waaaay behind the Green Bay Packer who claims he saw a UFO, the new Bridget Jones movie and Jesus. Which is as it should be. 5. Click the links to the stories about the Green Bay Packer who claims he saw a UFO and the new Bridget Jones movie, realize you spend way too much time online and actually go outside. Look around at Alabama the Beautiful and think of all the things that make us proud, like a Stonehenge replica and giant mooning statue. Remember, the memory of Bentley's administration will fade, but the Coon Dog Cemetery and Boll Weevil Monument are forever. Disclaimer: The preceding is a humor column. You know, a bit of levity to brighten cold, dark days filled with political ads. If you fail to chuckle, or even smile, rather than go about your day and letting me go about mine, I hope you will take the time to comment with "This is stupid!" or "Soooo not funny," or my personal favorite, "I hope you get FIRED!!!!!!" If you prefer, mail $2 to start a fund to send me to comedy school ... or the beach. Either way, thank you for reading. Find more columns here. Walking Dead in church.jpg Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in "The Walking Dead." ((Gene Page/AMC)) An Alabama pastor will be preaching an Easter sermon this Sunday called "The Walking Dead," augmented by video clips and posters of the hit AMC show about the zombie apocalypse. "I'm going to talk about when dead things come back to life," said the Rev. Mickey Bell, pastor of Grace Church in Bessemer. "On the show, they have to deal with dead things." Easter will kick off his sermon series using the theme of "The Walking Dead." A mass mailout of postcards and a billboard at the Bessemer exit for Watermark Place where the church is located have already drawn curious visitors. Incidentally, "The Walking Dead" has two Sundays left in Season Six. It airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on AMC. The finale is a week after Easter and is one of the most anticipated shows of the year. "We're playing off of 'The Walking Dead,' the most popular show on television," Bell said. "They're dealing with zombies. We're dealing with dead things that are coming back to life. We're going to use the theatrics of Hollywood." In the New Testament, Jesus brings back Lazarus from the dead, and then rises himself after his crucifixion, showing his power over death. "When those who hate you bury you, Jesus can bring you back to life," Bell said. "There are sick things trying to kill us." Bell admits that the connection to "The Walking Dead" is a gimmick. "People are attracted to that," he said. "My thing is to get the attention of the unchurched. There are surveys that show that 50 percent of people are not planning on going to church on Easter. That's the biggest deficit we've ever seen. It used to be that everyone would go to church on Easter." The billboard and mail-out has had the desired effect, he said. "There are people saying, 'Maybe I'll give it a try on this one day,' and 'Well, that sounds interesting.' Everyone wants to talk about the zombie apocalypse. They want to believe in something like that, but they don't want to believe Jesus is going to come back." The appeal of zombies shows an interest in death, the fear of death and the end of the world, all of which are at heart religious questions, Bell said. "There's an interest because people have some question marks in their mind," Bell said. "God can help answer those questions. Is there life after death, is there such a thing as coming back from death?" Indeed, Christians have always taught that the dead who believe in Christ do come back to life and have their own resurrection. "They will come back to life," Bell said. "People wonder about things like, 'Are my loved ones who died watching me? Are they part of my life?' The fact they're asking questions, wondering, that means that they've not shut the door to the gospel." "When Jesus returns, those that have believed, they are going to be raised up and united with Christ, they are going to be just like him," Bell said. "The believers are going to be able to unite as one. He opened the doorway. That enables all of us to get up and rise from death. You can come back to life. Not just from physical death, but every person that is divorced or abused can have new life. They have not been too bad for God to forgive them. There are things God can bring back to life." The Rev. Mickey Bell, pastor of Grace Church Bessemer, will preach on 'The Walking Dead' on Easter. Grace Church Bessemer worships in the former Tommy Hilfiger store at the former Watermark Place mall. The congregation has been the only occupant since it moved to the former mall two years ago. Services on Easter will be at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Usually there is one Sunday service, at 10 a.m. "Where you used to get jeans, you can now get Jesus," Bell said. Many of the people who attend the church have been through tough times, he said. "We're giving them hope," Bell said. "They're dealing with family members who have rejected them. We have to instill hope, let them know that they are still wanted, that God loves them, and revive the purpose He put in them when they were created. God has more for them. After Jesus was resurrected, once he took his seat, he enabled us with the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome circumstances and have life more abundantly." Christians today observe Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper and Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Here are five important things to know about Maundy Thursday: What does Maundy mean? The Thursday before Easter is known as either Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday. Maundy is derived from the Latin word for "command," and refers to Jesus' commandment to the disciples to "Love one another as I have loved you." What does it commemorate? Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, which Christians consider the institution of Holy Eucharist, also known as the Lord's supper or communion. It is described in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22. At the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus breaks bread, saying, "This is my body," and pours wine, saying, "This is my blood." He then asks the disciples to "Do this in remembrance of me." What holiday was Jesus observing? The Last Supper is derived from Jesus' Jewish heritage and his observance of a Jewish holiday. The Last Supper was a Passover Seder, the feast of unleavened bread. Jesus and the disciples are eating unleavened bread. Passover is the Jewish festival commemorating the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, when they left so quickly there was no time for the bread to rise. Why foot-washing? Maundy Thursday is also associated with foot-washing. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, an act described in the Gospel of John, chapter 13, as Jesus teaching them to be servants. It's the ultimate act of "servant leadership." Jesus instructs his followers to love and to serve. Most Catholic churches will have a Mass tonight, with a Eucharistic celebration that includes the washing of feet. Maundy Thursday has a dark side Jesus foretells his death, saying he will eat no more until the kingdom of God is fulfilled. It also marks an act of betrayal. "One of you will betray me," Jesus says. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' 12 disciples, is pointed out by Jesus as the one who will betray him. A Boaz teenager on her way to Sardis High School this morning was killed in a car accident. Etowah County Coroner Michael Head said a 17-year-old female was driving a Toyota Camry on Son Johnson Road in Sardis when the accident happened at 7:46 a.m. The driver, Krista Haygood, apparently ran off the road, came back onto it and lost control, sliding sideways until leaving the roadway. The car crossed over a ditch and hit a tree. She was not wearing a seat belt, Head said. The accident is still under investigation. Etowah County Schools Superintendent Alan Cosby said counselors and other support personnel, including local clergy and the Etowah County Sheriff's chaplain will be available for students today at the school. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, classmates, and school staff at the time of this loss," Cosby said. Hoover Cloning Suspects.jpg Fidel Rodriguez Garcia, left, Rafael Bonne Trujillo, center and Leonard Lamorut Rodrigues, right. (Jefferson County Jail) Three Cuban Nationals are in custody in connection with a credit card skimming/cloning scheme, Hoover police said today. The men were arrested March 21, said Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector. Police were contacted by Regions Bank corporate security investigations about several men making multiple fraudulent purchases at the Patton Creek shopping center. Officers, who had received descriptions of the suspects, stopped the vehicle as it was leaving the area on Galleria Boulevard. All three men were identified as the same people trying to use the stolen credit cards, Rector said. Investigators found 32 stolen or cloned credit cards on the suspects. Rector said the cloned cards contained the identities of multiple victims and, of those victims, 15 of the 32 have been located. The credit card numbers were stolen through the use of gas pump skimming devices. Criminals, he said, routinely place skimming devices on ATM machines and are frequently hiding them on gas pumps. Keys used to gain access to gas pumps were also found inside the suspects' vehicle, along with a significant amount of stolen merchandise. It appears that all of the stolen card numbers were obtained or skimmed at the Kangaroo Station on Cahaba Valley Road in Pelham. The pumps, Rector said, have been examined but the skimming device had already been removed. The stolen numbers are believed to have been skimmed between Feb. 20 and March 1. Rector said credit card fraud that is committed through the use of cloned cards and skimming devices continues to be a widespread problem nationwide. It has become increasingly common for these types of organized criminal groups be operating from Atlanta and the South Florida / Miami area. Hoover police in June 2015 arrested another Cuban National with nearly two dozen credit cards cloned from skimmers hidden on Birmingham gas pumps. That man, Yordis Rodriguez-Martinez, was in the U.S. on a work visa. The U.S. Secret Service estimates that annual losses from skimming total about $1 billion each year, or $350,000 a day. Basically, skimming involves criminals putting devices on ATMs or gas pumps to steal account data when consumers slip their debit or credit cards into the card reader. Tiny cameras or fraudulent keypad overlays capture PINs. Criminals then take that stolen information to make online purchases or to reprogram a gift card or other cards with magnetic stripes on the back that can then be used to make purchases in stores. Those charged are: Fidel Rodriguez Garcia, 55, Rafael Bonne Trujillo, 31, and Leonard Lamorut Rodrigues, 31. All three are from Miami. They are being held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail. Anyone with additional information about this case should contact Hoover Detective Ben Nichols at 205-739-7188. Fugitive Captures.jpg Paul Lee Watts, wanted for escape in Shelby County, was found by K9 Naiyah after he ran from Jefferson County sheriff's deputies. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office) A Birmingham man is behind bars after he led Jefferson County sheriff's deputies on a car chase early this morning. Deputies on patrol about 2:30 a.m. in the Center Point area tried to stop a white Chevrolet Impala at Five Mile Road and Azalea Drive. The driver - later identified as 28-year-old Paul Lee Watts - refused to stop and the chase was on. Deputies pursued Watts into Birmingham's East Lake area. Watts, said Chief Deputy Randy Christian, lost control of the car and crashed near Second Avenue and 86th Street North. He then bailed from the Impala, and fled on foot. Deputies lost sight of him, and brought in tracking dog Naiyah, who led lawmen directly to where Watts was hiding within five minutes of starting her search. Watts is charged with attempting to elude, resisting arrest and several traffic violations. It was later learned that Watts was wanted by the Shelby Count y Sheriff's Office on a felony warrant for escape, Christian said. He is being held in the Jefferson County Jail with bond set at $20,000. Christian offered this comment on behalf of Naiyah the tracking dog. ""I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for money I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you stop now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will arrest you." Taipei invites journalists to tour disputed island, which is also subject to claims by the Philippines and Vietnam. Taiping Taiwan had waited 60 years for this moment. Our C130 military transport plane had just landed on the tiny island of Taiping, also known as Itu Aba. Actually it is more a runway than island. Taiping is less than a kilometre long. It had been a four-and-a-half hour, 1,600km journey from the capital Taipei to this distant Taiwanese outpost in the heart of the South China Sea. But it was worth it. As I walked down the ramp on to the tarmac I was making history, albeit history with a small h. I had become one of the first foreign journalists to set foot on the island since Taiwan began its occupation at the end of World War II. Sixty years on, Taiwan has been busy cementing its sovereignty. The government had invited this select group to prove that Taiping island was more than just a rock. And in these waters there is an important distinction between rock and island. Under the outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou, we were told that more than a $100m had been spent on upgrading the runway and port. A hospital, lighthouse and post office have also been added. We were shown evidence of sustainable life: a small farm with goats and chicks. Some of the chickens were sacrificed for our lunch, washed down with juice from locally-grown coconuts. Falling coconuts and sea snakes pose some of the few dangers to life here along with boredom. Power comes from a bank of solar panels and scientists have found a way to produce fresh water. The tour group included several government officials, including Bruce Linghu, a deputy foreign minister, who was formerly Taiwans ambassador to the Marshall Islands, one of handful of countries to recognise Taiwan. I am used to remote islands, which I guess is why I am on this trip, he joked. But he also had a serious point. Taiping is a naturally formed island. Its sustainable, good for the living of the peopleIt is not a rock, he said. Its a phrase we heard time and again during our visit. The population is now almost 200: Coastguard personnel mostly, as well as a handful of scientists and medical staff. Dr Ni Yinghui volunteered to come here for eight weeks. [Its] lonely, he laughs. But that is okay. I think two months is a great period. Not too long and not too short. Taiping is also claimed by China which, of course, claims Taiwan along with Vietnam and the Philippines. And its the latter that has begun making waves in this complex sovereignty battle. Manila has sought to play down Taiwans claim by referring to Taiping island as a rock. Owners of rocks cant claim rights to surrounding islands, in the way that owners of islands can. At the moment Taiwan has yet to begin enforcing those rights, but if it does it would effectively be laying claim to waters within Manilas maritime borders. Why does any of this matter? Well, this region is supposedly rich in oil and gas reserves. It also contains some of the worlds busiest shipping lanes. Last year some $5 trillion of trade passed through these waters. President Ma, who leaves office in two months, has an eye on his legacy, and pushing Taiwans maritime claims is part of that. At a news conference following our visit, the president focused on what he sees as the factual evidence of Taiwans case. Taiping is an island as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he said. In addition to 12 nautical miles of territorial waters, the Republic of China is entitled to claim a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf. Chinas leaders are hyper-sensitive about sovereignty issues. But oddly enough they have raised no objections to the build-up on Taiping island. One analyst has suggested there is a simple reason for this. Taiping would become Chinas if it ever took Taiwan back. Also, it is fair to assume that China would rather its Taiwanese compatriots occupy Taiping than the Philippines or Vietnam. But things could come to a head in a few months which was another reason for the visit. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague is shortly to rule on a challenge by the Philippines that disputes Chinas sovereignty claims. (China has created seven artificial islands, complete with runways in another part of the archipelago.) That challenge could potentially bring things to a head over Taiping. The gentle waves lapping the shores of this peaceful place belie the murky politics of an intensifying battle over who really owns these waters. Amid the sorrow there is a spirit of togetherness in a nation often split by social, political and linguistic divisions. Brussels, Belgium Packed with smiling photos of the missing and desperate appeals for information, the Facebook page full of sorrow was set up to help families find loved ones whose fate remained unknown days after the murderous attacks that tore through Brussels airport and a subway train on Tuesday. Still there is no word of him, says a post by Chandrasekar Ganesan, searching for his brother Raghavendran. We have also tried calling on his mobile, but are simply not able to reach. Raghavendran, whose own Facebook page reveals him as recently married and a fan of Tom and Jerry cartoons, regularly took the metro line passing through Maelbeek subway station where a bomb blast ripped apart a packed carriage, killing at least 20 rush-hour passengers. A further 15 were killed by two bombs detonated an hour earlier in the departure hall of the airport. Overall more than 200 people were injured, some suffering horrific wounds from bombs packed with nails. Belgian authorities delayed releasing victims names as they went through painstaking identification procedures and informed families. Yet little by little, through individual announcements and social media posts, details of the wounded, missing and dead emerged. They revealed a typical cross-section of society in one of Europes most international capitals French and Dutch-speaking Brussels natives, European Union officials, Belgian Muslims, American Mormon missionaries, African migrants, Swedes, Italians, Moroccans, citizens from up to 40 nationalities. Leopold Hecht, 20, a law student, succumbed to injuries sustained in Maelbeek. His university announced the news with immense sadness. Adelma Tapia Ruiz, 36, from Peru, was killed at the airport as she waited with her twin daughters for a flight to New York. Her Belgian husband and their three-year-old girls survived. Yves Cibuabua is missing since taking the metro to work to his job at a Brussels bank. My strengths are that I am brave, passionate and a hard-working person, the financial services operator says on his LinkedIn account. Resistance and hope While so many despairing families were waiting for news or mourning their loss, Brussels returned to work under dark skies on Wednesday gripped by sadness, anger and uncertainty. What I saw today was a total sense of defeat; I saw incredible sorrow, incredible sadness, said Marcus Rooman, 62, director of a community centre in the Forest neighbourhood scene of a shoot-out during a counterterrorism raid on suspects connected to last years Paris attacks the previous week. Amid the sorrow, there was a spirit of togetherness rare in a nation often split by social, political and linguistic divisions. The Place de la Bourse, a square in front of the citys old Stock Exchange, has became the symbol of that unity. Since shortly after the attack, thousands of citizens have been gathering there to place flowers, flags and candles, or chalk appeals for peace on the pavement. The colours of resistance and hope on the sidewalk, heart of Brussels, wrote Veronique Lamquin, chief political correspondent of the daily Le Soir newspaper, above a tweeted picture of the bouquets and banners of many nations. I saw this bringing together people in Brussels, and bringing down barriers between people, more so than anything else, said Rooman. Around the country, sombre crowds gathered to hold a minutes silence at noon in memory of the victims. Marches for hope and peace are planned over the coming Easter weekend. King Philippe and his wife Queen Mathilde met health workers and the injured in a city hospital before observing the silence with French Prime Minister Manual Valls and other officials at European Union headquarters, a short walk from Maelbeek station. Faced with the threat, we will continue to respond together with firmness, calmness and dignity, the king said in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday night. The threat is still real Gradually Brussels was seeking to return to normality. Workplaces and schools opened with some pupils dressed in black or wearing the red-yellow-black national colours. The airport remained closed, but bus and train services resumed with a strengthened security presence. The metro was operating a limited service, although Maelbeek station will remain closed for weeks. The driver of the subway train targeted by the bombers insisted on returning to work on Wednesday, local media reported. Christian Delhasse was unhurt in the attack and won praise for helping injured passengers. There is a very great desire to pick up the thread, to make professionalism and solidarity prevail over everything else, a spokeswoman for the STIB public transport network told brusselsnieuws.be. Yet, fear remained amid this defiance. At least one of the bombers was believed to be still at large. Police operations were continuing in a number of parts of the city, including the Molenbeek neighbourhood, which has earned a fearsome reputation for harbouring extremists behind a number of recent terrorist incidents including shootings and bombings that killed 130 people in Paris last November. The threat is still real, warned Alain Lefevre, director of the national crisis centre. Everybody has to be vigilant. Belgian authorities were also facing hard questions about security lapses, including why the threat level wasnt raised following the detention of Salah Abdeslam, a prime suspect in the Paris attacks who was captured near his home in Molenbeek last week. The Brussels attacks are widely thought to have been carried out in retaliation for Abdeslams arrest. There were also growing calls for the authorities to take a harder line against radicals among Belgiums Muslim community who have been successful in recruiting disaffected young men in tough neighbourhoods such as Molenbeek. Im furious that people who were born here and have been looked after here could do something like this, said Bart De Wever, mayor of Belgiums second city, Antwerp, and leader of the biggest party in the national parliament. People feel Europes tolerance has been abused, and thats putting it mildly, he told Flemish media. Community workers are concerned that the attacks could trigger a backlash against Belgiums Muslims, who are mostly of North African and Turkish origin and make up about 6 percent of the population. Its difficult to say, said Pepijn Kennis, a 27-year-old community worker living in Molenbeek. Im scared there will be more police, more repression, more stigmatisation, and I think thats certainly not the solution. Linda Thompson in Berlin contributed to this report. Protesters continue to clash with security forces in what has spiralled into Ethiopias largest unrest in decades. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia At first sight, things seem to have returned to normality in the town of Ambo, 120 kilometres west of Ethiopias capital Addis Ababa. Few uniformed security forces are visible on the streets. People seem to go about their daily lives as usual. But speak to almost any resident and a different picture emerges. We are living in a violent kind of peace, says an 18-year-old student, who does not want to reveal his name. Like many people interviewed for this story, he fears he might end up in jail, or worse, for speaking his mind. Ambo is perhaps best known for two things: Ethiopias most popular mineral water, and its university, often a hot spot for anti-government demonstrations. Such displays of public dissent earned the town a reputation as the bastion of opposition in a country where the ruling party and its allies took all 547 parliament seats in last years election. When people took to the streets in nearby Ginchi in November last year to object about plans to requisition public land for an investment, residents in Ambo soon joined in. Demonstrations spread like wildfire across the vast Oromia region, feeding on decade-long frustrations over political and economic marginalisation. As the protests intensified, so did accounts of police brutality amid what regime critics describe as a widespread and systematic government crackdown on opponents. Witnesses recount tales of killings, beatings and arbitrary arrests by an array of armed forces deployed to quell what had spiralled into Ethiopias worst civil unrest in a decade. The heavy-handedness of the government has further spurred anger among the Oromo. Earlier in March, students from Addis Ababa University marched in protest towards the US embassy in the capital, demanding the end to police crackdowns. Details of the crackdowns, mostly reported through social media and by activists, have been difficult to verify. Restrictions on movement have made independent investigations risky for human rights workers and journalists alike. Two foreign journalists and their translator were recently arrested for covering the protests. The 18-year-old student in Ambo told Al Jazeera that he was shot in his hand when the military opened fire at the protesting crowd. Even though his hand is healing, he hasnt returned to school in fear of intelligence officers, who are allegedly combing classrooms for those who took part in the protests. They are still looking for people and taking them to prison, he said, trying to conceal the dressing on his hand to avoid attracting the attention of security personnel, who many think are roaming the streets in civilian clothing. Silenced testimonies Such testimonies stand in stark contrast from the image the country often presents to the outside world. Ethiopias state-led development plan has resulted in double-digit growth, improvement of key socio-economic indicators and has helped attract billions in aid. The country is also an important security ally for Western governments in the volatile Horn of Africa. Its uncertain how many people have died in the clashes. Local observers put the figure at between 80 and above 200, while New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) estimates that well over 200 people may have lost their lives since November. READ MORE: Protesters in Ethiopia reject authoritarian development model More than a dozen police officers have also been killed in the unrest. Protesters stand accused of attacking public buildings and burning the houses of government officials. The government has dismissed HRWs death toll as an exaggeration, but has yet to provide its own estimate. We are already taking actions, except that we are not in a shouting match with the media or self-appointed human rights activists, said Getachew Reda, Ethiopias minister of Information. The government has accused radical elements of stoking the unrest but asserts that investigations into the heavy use of force are under way. Yet many Oromo say authorities have failed to take responsibility. Four families of victims interviewed said no government officials had come to investigate the deaths of their loved ones. The only time any government officials come here is to spy on us, said Worku Bayi, the father of one of the victims killed in the protests, 22-year-old Aschalew Worku. After his death, authorities reportedly accused Aschalew of being a member of the Oromo Liberation Front, an exiled opposition movement that the ruling party has labelled a terrorist organisation. Witnesses blame security forces for deliberately obstructing medical care for wounded protesters. Fitale Bulti, a resident of Ambo, watched her nephew bleed to death after he was allegedly shot by security forces. The police wouldnt let us take him to the hospital, said Bulti. For over an hour we just stood there, watching his blood run down the street. Her nephew, Ulfata Bulti, was only 12 years old. Just across the street, Degeneh Shugi, 36, says he was stopped and beaten by security forces while on his way to work. Accused of participating in the protests, he was then taken to the police station along with 15 others, where he was held for four days. Degenehs mother, Derebe Yirga, who is a member of the Oromo Federalist Congress opposition party, reportedly remains in police custody. Rights groups and opposition leaders allege that thousands have been arrested in the most recent crackdowns, a scale that is reminiscent of mass arrests of opposition members during the turbulent aftermath (PDF) of the 2005 elections. WATCH: Hailemariam Desalegn democracy not only an election There are several hundreds that have been detained from our party. But we dont know for sure, as we have lost a lot of communication, said Merera Gudina, chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress opposition party in an interview in Addis Ababa. Gudina named five members of the partys top leadership who have been held or placed under house arrests since protests began. Al Jazeera contacted several officials in the Oromia regional government for comment, but was denied interviews amid rumours of internal reshuffling. Analysts and observers believe that the handling of the crisis has created a rift between the ruling TPLF, the lead party within the ruling collation, and its allied OPDO party, charged with governing Oromia. The OPDOs decision to halt a controversial master plan that governs the expansion of the capital into Oromia, which is what initially sparked protests, has failed to put an end to the crisis. Many Oromo demand genuine reforms and justice for those killed. The government said it would stop the master plan just to calm the people. But what we need is a lasting solution to this crisis, said 23-year-old Gudisa Ragassa, the younger brother of another victim killed in Ambo. If the government cant do that, they shouldnt be in power. Holi is the festival of colours, fun and frolic and is celebrated by millions of Hindus in the Indian subcontinent to welcome the spring. An ancient Hindu festival, Holi is marked as a triumph of good over evil, and has become popular among non-Hindu populations in South Asia. In Bangladesh, many members from the Muslim community also join their Hindu neighbours to celebrate the festival by smearing abeer (a coloured powder) and spraying water colours on each other. Students at universities and colleges in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, and elsewhere get drenched in colour, singing and dancing together. For the Hindu community, who constitute about 10 percent of the population, this festival brings a message of unity and friendship and helps in bridging the communal divide. People forget about the caste barriers, as riot of colours acts as a great leveler, keeping the true spirit of Holi. The Hindu community in Wari near Dhaka colour their faces with blue depicting the Hindu god Krishna. The Brussels attacks may be distant from the front lines, but the atrocities serve ISILs war in Iraq and Syria. Ibrahim al-Marashi is an associate professor at the Department of History, California State University, San Marcos. With the Brussels explosions, following on from the Paris and San Bernardino attacks of 2015, ISIL has projected its terror beyond the Middle East. After Paris, it seemed paradoxical that ISIL, also known as ISIS, would take part in transnational attacks in light of their differences with Al-Qaida. Al-Qaida calls itself a tandhim or organisation, a vanguard to inspire and galvanise, through its use of spectacular acts of violence, a global Muslim awakening. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, however, envisioned itself as a dawla, or state, seeking to conquer territory and establish a government. Yet, how do these attacks in Europe and the United States, whether ordered by ISILs leadership or conducted by independently inspired, autonomous cells, serve ISILs strategy of maintaining its territory in Iraq and Syria? The fact that ISIL has been implicated in three terrorist attacks in Europe and the US show that the viability of the so-called Islamic State has become contingent on these distant attacks. Brussels and ISILs local strategy The make-up of ISILs leadership indicates it would have little interest in ordering or inspiring European or US attacks. For Al-Qaidas leaders such attacks are their life mission. However, the majority of ISILs leaders are Iraqi Arab and Turkmen Sunnis, mostly high-ranking officers of Saddam Husseins military and intelligence services. For them to rise in the ranks, they would have professed the secularism of the Baath party. ALSO READ: The future of Europe after the Brussels attacks After 2003, these Saddam-era figures involved in the Iraqi insurgency most probably calculated that restoring their former control of all of Iraq was impossible. However, while most insurgent groups collapsed after the 2008 surge, ISIL survived, even after the death of its founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 2006. The old guard from the Saddam-era must have viewed ISIL as the most effective structure to reassert their power in areas in which they had originated, such as Mosul, Ramadi, Fallujah, and Tikrit. While this Iraqi cadre lost control over the nation, through ISIL they could capture a relatively large Arab Sunni heartland straddling the Syrian-Iraqi border, which now corresponds to ISILs current borders. These former Baathists today are either genuine reborn Muslims, becoming more religious during Saddams faith campaign of the 1990s, or during their incarceration in Camp Bucca during the insurgency, or just cynically adopting the Salafi veneer of ISIL. Regardless, they launched a quiet coup of ISILs leadership. Their local priority, securing Iraqi and Syrian territory, would have differed from the global jihadist agenda of Al-Qaida, explaining their eventual split in 2014. The Brussels attacks further demonstrate the irrelevance of ISIL's rival, Al-Qaida, which has not conducted an attack in Europe since the January 2014 Paris Charlie Hebdo attacks. by The anti-Shia element embedded in ISILs ideology served for them as a potent mobiliser of both local Sunni communities and Sunnis living beyond Iraq and Syria. ISIL developed a transnational Sunni wing, while its leadership remained primarily Iraq, taking advantage of a devoted religious following among foreign fighters from Europe and the Middle East. The latter shared the local agenda of ISILs Iraqi leaders, depriving Shia governments in Baghdad, and later Damascus, of territory. ISILs transnational Sunni fighters from Europe and the greater Islamic World that are its most effective shock troops, willing to die in suicide bombings on the front lines against Iraqi forces, or its Islamist rivals such as the Al-Qaida-affiliated Syrian al-Nusra Front, which ISIL is combating for territory in Syria. Striking the heart of the West The Brussels attacks further demonstrate the irrelevance of ISILs rival, Al-Qaida, which has not conducted an attack in Europe since the January 2014 Paris Charlie Hebdo attacks. Furthermore, it aids ISIL in weaning away current and potential foreign fighters away from al-Nusra Front. ISIL needs to inspire these foreign fighters embedded in its ranks, who have lost territory recently. Attacks in Europe, redolent with symbolism of striking the heart of the West, providing more outrage in the West and more attention. Brussels attacks: EUs terror problem will get worse This dynamic most likely provides a stronger morale boost to ISIL ranks than attacks within the greater Middle East, such as the attacks in Turkey a few days before that generated little media coverage or outrage. ISIL has demonstrated its power of reconfiguring the identities of Muslims to repudiate their national allegiance to France and Belgium and strike out against their former nations through acts of terrorism. In San Bernardino, the act of repudiation was more intimate than rejecting their nation, when the two attackers killed fellow co-workers, and abandoned their infant child to conduct their killing spree. ISIL can now retaliate against the US and European constituents of the anti-ISIL coalition. The Brussels attack allowed ISIL a transnational display of asymmetric power against Western states and the global order, by demonstrating that if coalition air power can target ISILs capital in Raqqa and its environs, it can target Western capitals or its suburbs as well. Ibrahim al-Marashi is an assistant professor at the Department of History, California State University, San Marcos. He is the co-author of Iraqs Armed Forces: An Analytical History. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Richard Falk is Albert G Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and Research Fellow, Orfalea Center of Global Studies. He is also former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights. This latest terrorist outrage for which ISIL claimed responsibility exhibits the new face of 21st century warfare for which there are no frontlines, no path to military victory, and acute civilian vulnerability. As such, it represents a radical challenge to our traditional understanding of warfare, and unless responses are shaped by these realities, it could drive Western democracies step by step into a mental embrace and physical embodiment of fascist politics. The attacks of March 22 in Belgium occurred in the departure area of the international airport in the town of Zaventem, seven miles outside Brussels and in the Maelbeek metro station in the heart of the city, near the headquarters of European Union. Reports indicate that more than 30 persons were killed and as many as 230 wounded. It is not clear whether these figures include the ISIL suicide bombers who committed this atrocity against civilian innocence. A kind of revenge The timing of the attack makes it seem like a kind of revenge for the capture a few days earlier in Brussels of Salah Abdelslam, the accused mastermind of the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015. It hardly matters whether this line of interpretation is confirmed or not. The essence of the event is one more deeply distressing challenge in a conflict that becomes ever more horrible, with ominous overtones for the future of human security the world over. READ MORE: The future of Europe after the Brussels attacks So far, the public utterances of the powerful have been articulated along predictable lines, and provide little evidence of an understanding of the distinctive realities of the situation and how best to cope with them. The prime minister of Belgium aptly called the attacks blind, violent, cowardly, and promising the resolve required to defeat the threat. So far, the public utterances of the powerful have been articulated along predictable lines, and provide little evidence of an understanding of the distinctive realities of the situation... by Francois Hollande of France, never missing an opportunity to utter the obvious irrelevance, vowed to relentlessly fight terrorism, both internationally and internally. What is missing from such responses is both tactical sensitivity to the originality of threat and a willingness to engage in self-scrutiny. From this perspective, the iconic conservative magazine, The Economist, does far better than political leaders. It points out that the significance of the Brussels attack should be interpreted from a crucial policy perspective: the current limitations of national intelligence services to take preventive action that would alone protect society by identifying and removing threats in advance. The Economist correctly stresses that it has become more important than ever to maximise international efforts to share all intelligence pertaining to the activities of violent extremists. This new war Although this shift from reactive to preventive approaches to defending the social order represents a fundamental reorientation toward the nature of security threats, and how to minimise their lethality, which is threefold: striking fear into the whole of society; creating a huge opening for repressive and irresponsible demagogues; and relying on reactive excessive force in distant countries that tends to spread the virus of violent extremism throughout the planet. There are some deeper, overlooked aspects of the Brussels attack that need to be grasped with humility, and responded to by summoning the moral and political imagination to identify what works and what fails in this new era which places such a high priority on atrocity prevention as the source of the most widespread and intense forms of human insecurity. First, and most significantly, this is an encounter that ignores boundaries, is not properly equated with traditional warfare between states, and is between new types of hybrid political actors. On one side is a confusing combination of a transnational network of extremists and a self-proclaimed territorial caliphate targeting the most sensitive civilian targets in the West. On the other side is a coalition of states led by the United States, which has foreign bases and navies spread around the world that seek to destroy ISIL and its allies wherever they are found. Other versions of terror Secondly, it is crucial to acknowledge that Western drones and paramilitary special forces operating in more than 100 states is an inherently imprecise form of state violence that spreads its own versions of terror among civilian populations in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. READ MORE: Brussels attacks EUs terror problem will get worse It is necessary to realise that civilians in the West and the global South both regard themselves as victims of terror, which will continue to fuel the kind of hatred toward the enemy that offers a pretext for perpetual war. What has totally changed, and is traumatising the West, is the retaliatory capacities and strategy of non-Western adversaries. The colonial, and even post-colonial, patterns of intervention were all one-sided, with the combat zone reliably confined so as to avoid posing any threat to the security and serenity of Western societies. Now that the violence is reciprocal the equation has fundamentally changed. Whether a creative diplomacy can emerge from this tangled web that exchanges an end to intervention for an end to terrorism is the haunting question that hangs over the human future. If it does, it will not come from government bureaucracies, but from intense pressures mounted by the beleaguered peoples of the world. Richard Falk is Albert G Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and Research Fellow, Orfalea Center of Global Studies. He is also former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Let us again repeat, never again, with the hope and prayers that this time it will truly be never again. Radovan Karadzic had already skipped 13 years of his sentence at the time of his arrest in 2008. Today he is 71 and has skipped eight more years of his sentence with his trial. His sentence is scheduled for today. Whatever the verdict will be, the seed of his crime is still very alive. First, his capture was protracted. We watched his trial for eight years. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was very careful to avoid any possible complaint about potentially hurting his rights. But in reality, we all know that his case is like a pedestal on which the killed beast is put on display in the village to prove that the danger is gone. But is it? Questioning the Nuremberg Thesis Europe does not want to realise that the trial of Karadzic is to a degree a trial of itself. His verdict is also the verdict for Europe. For more than two decades, Europe had difficulty in even uttering the word genocide in Srebrenica or Prijedor, as it did not want to repeat a reference to the Holocaust. If it had not been for such an indolent or even partial stance of Europe towards the Evildoer (from 1992 to 1995) and the expectation that Bosnia and Herzegovina would be crushed in less than a few weeks the Evildoer would not have been possible at all. The genocide did not happen somewhere in the Northern Pole, but in the very courtyard of Europe. With its establishment and hesitation, Europe certainly made the Evildoer possible. Todays trial and tomorrows verdict must be as much as for him as it must be for Europe. That is Karadzics creation and legacy, the Serbian entity that was established in Bosnia and Herzegovina. OPINION: Remembering Dayton the accord that ended Bosnian war Not a single person in Bosnia expects any justice from Europe. The only hope Bosnia has is the prevention of any further injustice. Human and worldly dimensions cannot weigh his crime, nor can the scales of justice balance its weight. The Evildoer is simply the exponent of those who facilitated him to be what he is. Fifteen years after the end of World War II, AJP Taylor, a renowned British historian of the last century, wrote The Origins of the Second World War, in which he challenged the Nuremberg Thesis. Accordingly all the evils of this world conflict were credited to Hitler and his gang, and he was accused of revisionism, misinterpretation and more. His book generated many controversies, and long debates followed. Taylor was not some unknown radical fanatic but a renowned and prominent scholar who crushed the all-accepted myth of directing the guilt for such a huge World War II criminal enterprise towards one person or its close group. By the trial of Karadzic and his wartime general Ratko Mladic in the ICTY, Europe - knowingly or not - judges its 'establishment' and its incorrect policy of appeasing. by Basically, Taylor questioned the Nuremberg Thesis, which shielded the world leaders of the time from guilt. An explanation existed which satisfied everybody and seemed to exhaust all disputes. This explanation was Hitler. He planned World War II and his will alone caused it. This perspective obviously satisfied the resisters from Winston Churchill to Lewis Bernstein Namier. They had used this explanation all along and were already using it before the war even broke out. They could say: We told you so. There was no alternative to resisting Hitler from the first hour. The explanation also satisfied the appeasers. They could claim that appeasement was wise and would have been a successful policy if it had not been for the unpredictable fact that Germany was in the grip of a madman. Most of all, this explanation satisfied the Germans, except for a few unrepentant Nazis. After World War I, the Germans tried to shift the guilt from themselves to the Allies, or to make it appear that no one was guilty. It was a simpler operation to shift the guilt from the Germans to Hitler. He was safely dead. He may have done a great deal of harm to Germany while he was alive. But he made up for it by his final sacrifice in the Bunker. No amount of posthumous guilt could injure him. The blame for everything, namely World War II, the concentration camps and the gas chambers, could be loaded on to his uncomplaining shoulders. A similar case for Karadzic In Taylors words, with Hitler guilty, every other German could claim innocence. And the Germans, previously the most strenuous opponents of war guilt, now became its firmest advocates. Taylors approach can also be applied in the case of Karadzic. It seems from what we see now that most of the establishment of Europe looks at his achievement Republika Srpska favourably since it allowed for Karadzics successor on the political scene in Bosnia to prize his ideas and work that was most similar to that carried out by the Nazis in Germany. Clearly and precisely, the trial and verdict in Hague is a positive legal process which must be carried out for historical record. OPINION: Twenty years of genocide denial But can Europe even imagine the case in which war criminals those responsible for the worst mass killings dictate the flow of justice? Or even worse, after they finish their sentences, return home in full glory and with a state tribute? This was the case of several war criminals, namely Biljana Plavsic and Momcilo Krajisnik. After they served two thirds of their term and returned in Republika Srpska, the Serbian establishment with its President, Milorad Dodik, greeted these early-released war criminals. They were welcomed in Bosnia with honours of national heroes. Isnt it sending a frightening message for the future not just to Bosnia but to all of Europe? Are we witnessing a new appeasement policy towards those who openly praise war criminals and their crimes? By the trial of Karadzic and his wartime general Ratko Mladic in the ICTY, Europe knowingly or not judges its establishment and its incorrect policy of appeasing. This policy enabled Karadzic and his gang as it had once enabled Hitler to lead his people into disaster. Now is the time to stop them from going further. Now is the time to wake up and save the Serb people from falling into an even worse historical position that the Germans were in before the denazification process. The Serb people have not gone through any of it yet, and Europes highest priority together with Bosnia and their neighbours should be to help them finally to begin this difficult journey. Let us again repeat, never again with the hope and prayers that this time it will truly be never again! Mirnes Kovac is a journalist and political analyst from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. An earlier version of this article has appeared on Sarajevo Times on March 24, 2016. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. The one-state debate for both peoples is moot given that the two-state solution is no longer feasible. It is duplicitous enough for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to convince audiences outside his own country from time to time that he supports the creation of a Palestinian state. Worse still is that he portrays his efforts in this regard as being constantly thwarted by the Palestinians themselves. In other words, Netanyahu would have us believe that he is a greater proponent of such a state than those who have been denied it by almost half a century of Israeli military occupation and colonisation. He reiterated this fallacy on March 22, while addressing the annual conference of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, Washingtons most influential pro-Israel lobby group. He said he was willing to resume talks on a two-state solution immediately anytime, anywhere, if only his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas was willing to do the same. This just one day after the Israeli government issued notices to seize nearly 120 hectares of land from Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank, and days after it declared more than 2,300 dunums of land in Jericho as state lands, which are then usually granted to Jewish settlers. Never mind that in the same speech, Netanyahu urged the United States to oppose any UN resolution calling for the creation of a Palestinian state. It seems no one else apart from him not the international community or even the Palestinians is allowed to seek such a state. And no one else is allowed to define its parameters. Israels ever-expanding settlement enterprise, which controls around half of the West Bank including its water aquifers and most fertile land and has made a Swiss cheese out of the Palestinian territory must be largely maintained. Preconditions and obligations Israel must keep illegally annexed East Jerusalem whose boundaries have been expanded to comprise some 10 percent of the West Bank as well as the Jordan Valley, which comprises about another 30 percent. Whatever is left for a Palestinian state must be demilitarised in other words remain defenceless and recognise Israel as a Jewish state. There needs to be a paradigm shift in the way people view the conflict and ways to solve it. That involves acknowledging that Israel has created a one-state reality, and finding ways to make that state equitable rather than a vehicle for the apartheid system that exists today. by This demand was not made of Egypt or Jordan, and would further imperil Israels Palestinian citizens, who comprise more than 20 percent of the population and are already treated as second-class. If all these criteria and others are met, then Netanyahu is all ears, because he knows that the end result would not be a state in any sense of the word. That the Palestinians would not and could not accept such a state is precisely why he can claim to support its creation, because he knows it will never come to that. Do not call them preconditions, though he does not like them, and apparently only the Palestinians have them. In reality, while Israels entail flouting international law, that of the Palestinians a halt to settlement expansion is simply adherence to it. As Saeb Erekat, the former chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority (PA), told Al Jazeera: That is an obligation, not a precondition. When objective observers point out the obvious, that Israel cannot claim to be committed to peace with the Palestinians while colonising their land, they are subjected to the full fury of Israeli officials. When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon did so in January, he was accused of encouraging terror. On the rare occasion when Israels own allies do the same most recently US Vice President Joe Biden on March 20 they can safely be ignored, because Israel knows these words will never translate to pressure. OPINION: The two-state solution is dead Remember how quickly the US President Barack Obama caved when Netanyahu rejected a halt to settlement expansion before talks with the Palestinians? He knew that Obama would not twist his arm. And why listen to Biden now, when the US election season means presidential candidates are falling over themselves to appease the powerful pro-Israel lobby? Even when the demise of the two-state solution is brought up, it is almost always portrayed as a possibility that could still be avoided, rather than something that has already happened. This is convenient for those invested in the peace process because they can avoid having to admit they have failed, and having to acknowledge the one-state reality. Point of no return Those who continue to portray a two-state solution as a possibility are inadvertently or otherwise providing Israel with cover to continue wiping Palestine off the map, because the point of no return seems to forever be on the horizon, and as long as that is the case, Israel can avoid blame for passing the point of no return. In reality, we passed it long ago. There was national upheaval in Israel about evacuating several thousand settlers from the Gaza Strip. This renders impossible the prospect of evacuating several hundred thousand from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, even if there was the political will to do so, which there has never been. OPINION: France, US and the phantom of the two-state solution There is nothing radical about highlighting this. Netanyahu himself made clear in his last election campaign that there would be no Palestinian state under his watch it is this pledge to his electorate that should be taken seriously, not his faux declarations to international audiences about seeking peace. His government comprises individuals and parties that openly reject a Palestinian state. People are not listening. They do not want to listen. Delusion is always simpler, more comforting. It suits them, and it suits Israeli officials. There needs to be a paradigm shift in the way people view the conflict and ways to solve it. That involves acknowledging that Israel has created a one-state reality, and finding ways to make that state equitable rather than a vehicle for the apartheid system that exists today. This is actually easier than with two states, because issues of separation borders, settlements, East Jerusalem, resources no longer become the insurmountable obstacles they currently are. Nevertheless, the debate over the desirability of one state for both peoples is moot given that the two-state solution is no longer feasible. The only choice to be faced is whether to continue turning a blind eye to the facts on the ground. Sharif Nashashibi is an award-winning journalist and analyst on Arab affairs. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. US president says Washington was too slow to condemn human rights violations during Argentinas 1976-1983 dictatorship. Prominent human rights groups in Argentina boycotted US President Barack Obamas visit on Thursday to a memorial for people who died during the South American nations 1976-1983 dictatorship. Obama and Argentine President Mauricio Macri visited the Monument to the Victims of State Terrorism at Remembrance Park in the capital Buenos Aires on the 40th anniversary of a coup that led to military rule and began a crackdown on left-wing dissidents. Human rights groups claim they are not willing to forgive or forget the role the United States played at the time, with one group of victims relatives labelling the timing of Obamas visit a provocation. We will not allow the power that orchestrated dictatorships in Latin America and oppresses people across the world to cleanse itself and use the memory of our 30,000 murdered compatriots to strengthen its imperialist agenda, the Buenos Aires-based Centre for Human Rights Advocates said in a statement. Argentinas government estimates about 13,000 people were killed or disappeared during the crackdown on left-wing dissidents, though activists say the number is as high as 30,000. Nora Cortinas, of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo group, said that Obama is a representative of death, accusing the US of backing the junta that killed thousands of people. What would victims say if they saw [us] hugging and paying homage to a president from a country responsible for state terrorism? Cortinas said. Slow to speak At the memorial, where he dropped white roses into the water in an act of commemoration, Obama said that the US was too slow to condemn human rights violations during Argentinas dictatorship but stopped short of apologising for Washingtons early support of the military junta. There has been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days, Obama said. Democracies have to have the courage to acknowledge when we dont live up to the ideals that we stand for. Weve been slow to speak out for human rights and that was the case here, he said. Obama has promised to declassify US military and intelligence records related to the dictatorship era, a time when Cold War thinking often put Washington behind right-wing governments in Latin America. OPINION: Remembering Operation Condor Obamas visit to Argentina is a show of support for Macris sharp turn away from the nationalist policies of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who frequently railed against the US and Wall Street. The US president flew to Argentina from Cuba, where he and President Raul Castro prodded each other over human rights and the long-standing US economic embargo, even as the two men pledged to set aside their decades-long differences and move forward with normalising ties. Julieka Dhu, 22, died in a police cell in Western Australia in 2014, after she was locked up for not paying fines. An Australian coroners inquest into a young Aboriginal womans death in police custody where she was being held for not paying fines has wrapped up after four weeks of evidence. The inquest concluded on Thursday, with Coroner Ros Fogliani not expecting to release her findings for several months. Julieka Dhu, 22, died in August 2014 in a police cell in Port Hedland, in the state of Western Australia. She had been arrested and held over the non-payment of about $3,000 in minor fines. Before her death, she was twice taken in the back of a police van to the local hospital after complaining of feeling unwell. Both times, after a quick check-over, she was returned to her cell. She died the third time she was taken to the hospital after her condition deteriorated further. READ MORE: Australia fails to close gap on Aboriginal disadvantage A post-mortem examination found that she had suffered pneumonia and blood poisoning. Al Jazeeras Andrew Thomas, reporting from Port Hedland, said Dhus death has angered indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, who have had enough of people dying in custody. About 1,400 Australians have died in police custody since 1980, among them a disproportionate number of Aboriginal people, because they make up a disproportionately high number of those in prison, Thomas said. After much public pressure, the coronial inquest is looking into the exact circumstances of Dhus death and whether she was a victim of institutional racism. Dhus family is also pushing for changes in how authorities deal with people who have not paid minor fines. She paid the biggest price. I want the truth and justice for Juleika, her grandmother Carol Roe told Al Jazeera. They knew she was sick. Why didnt they ring an ambulance to take her. No, they chucked her in the back of a paddy wagon to take her and thats not right. Cause unknown of latest deadly incident in one of the worlds most dangerous mining industries. A coal mine accident in northern China has killed 19 miners, Chinese state media reported. The accident happened on Wednesday night on an underground platform in a mine in Shuozhou city in Shanxi province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Its brief report cited the Shanxi Datong Coal Mine Group, which runs the mine. Al Jazeeras Florence Looi, reporting from Beijing, said that there were 129 workers in the mine when the accident happened, and 110 managed to make it to safety. The cause of the accident is still not known. It could have been a fire, a gas leak, a flood, she said. The Chinese government has made efforts to improve the safety conditions in Chinas mines, among the worlds deadliest. There have been reported efforts by authorities to prosecute executives of mining companies where safety standards are thought to be loose or negligent. Earlier this month in the northeastern Jilin province, at least 12 people were killed after a gas leak in a coal mine. The government has said that safety improvements have reduced the number of deaths in recent years. The registered number of deaths in mining accidents in 2014 was 930, contrasting with the year 2002, when 7,000 people were killed in mining accidents. Thats a reduction in the number of deaths but still a high number, and suggests that more needs to be done to improve safety conditions in mines across China, our correspondent said. Ankara says suspected airport bomber was detained and deported as Belgian police comb Brussels for third suspect. Turkey said on Wednesday that it had detained and then deported one of the two suspected suicide bombers at Brussels airport, suggesting Belgian authorities ignored a warning that he was a foreign terrorist fighter. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkish authorities arrested Brahim el-Bakraoui in June last year in Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, and then deported him to the Netherlands in July at his request. We reported the deportation to the Belgian embassy in Ankara on July 14, 2015, but he was later set free, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara. Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, the Belgian authorities could not identify a link to terrorism. Erdogan did not specify how Bakraoui had been transferred from the Netherlands to Belgium, where 31 people died and 270 people were wounded in the bomb attacks at the capitals airport and on a metro train on Tuesday morning. Belgium has not yet replied to Erdogans claims. The manhunt intensified on Wednesday for a suspect seen with Bakraoui and another alleged suicide bomber shortly before they struck Brussels airport. Bakraoui, pictured in the middle of a surveillance photo at the airport, was identified using fingerprint records, Belgian Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said on Wednesday. Bakraouis brother, Khalid, blew himself up on a metro carriage at Maelbeek station. The second airport suicide bomber, on the left of the picture, has been identified as Najim Laachraoui. The third, who left the airport before the explosions, is also not yet identified and remains on the run. The explosives he wheeled in failed to detonate until most people in the airport had fled, Van Leeuw said. #BrusselsAttacks: Grief, Islam and double standards The prosecutor also confirmed that police had carried out raids following Tuesdays attacks, including at an address associated with the suspects after a tip-off by a taxi driver who drove the attackers to the airport. During a house search in the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaerbeek, investigators found 15 kilograms of explosives, detonators, and chemical products, Van Leeuw said. Police also found a computer in a rubbish container in the street that included a note by Bakraoui, the airport bomber, in which he said he felt increasingly unsafe and feared landing in prison. Always on the run, not knowing what to do any more, being looked for everywhere, not being safe any longer, the prosecutor quoted the message as saying. Van Leeuw said one person arrested in one of the raids remained in custody on Wednesday and was being questioned. The prosecutor spoke shortly after crowds of mourners gathered outside Maelbeek station and observed a minute of silence. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attacks, which struck the heart of European officialdom where NATO headquarters is based, along with the European Union, and European Commission. The interior ministry raised the countrys terrorism alert to the highest level after the blasts. Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso has extended his 32 years in power, winning presidential elections in the first round with 60 percent of the vote, the interior minister said. Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou, the interior minister, announced the results on national television at 3:30am local time (02:30 GMT) on Thursday after a tense weekend poll held under a communications blackout. The official count gave Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas 15 percent of the vote and General Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko came third with a little less than 14 percent. On Wednesday, the two opposition candidates rejected partial results released by the Republic of Congos electoral commission, which gave the countrys longtime ruler 67 percent of votes. Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa, reporting from the capital, Brazzaville, said the presidents supporters started celebrating on Wednesday after the initial results were announced. In areas where the government enjoys support, the streets are busy and there is hardly any police or army present. They feel keeping Nguesso in office is good for Congo, she said. Opposition leaders, however, say they will not accept another win for the incumbent. The government has extended an order to shut down mobile phones and the internet to prevent unrest. Oil and timber-rich Congo has been on edge since an October constitutional referendum that ended a two-term limit on presidential mandates, allowing the 72-year-old former paratrooper colonel to run for office again. The long-serving leader is accused by critics of rampant corruption and nepotism and of stifling democracy. Authorities imposed a communications blackout during the vote to prevent opposition candidates from publishing their own results. A government source said that they would remain suspended until after the official results were announced. For the first time, parts of the Muslim-majority country declared a public holiday to mark the Hindu Holi festival. Hindus across Pakistan celebrated the religious festival of colours on Thursday that is now officially marked in the Muslim-majority country as a public holiday. Holi, which is celebrated with the onset of spring and is widely recognised for the throwing and applying of coloured powders on friends and family, kicked off on Wednesday. This month the government accepted a resolution for public holidays on the annual festivals of minority communities, which was presented by a ruling-party politician in the National Assembly Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is also patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council. This year it was not just Hindus celebrating Holi. We had people from different backgrounds and religion celebrating with us, throwing coloured powders and distributing sweets, Aroon Kumar Kundnani, coordinator of the Pakistan-Hindu Council, told Al Jazeera. The government of Pakistan provided security this year, which never happened before. In Karachi, more than 500 Hindus gathered in the Swami Narayan Mandir to celebrate. Changes are slow but they are happening. Whether they were Muslim or Christian, people from all over were celebrating with us, Amar Nath Rangwa told Al Jazeera. At least today it seemed like we were one. Holi is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and countries with large Hindu populations. Hindus in Pakistan make up only about 3 percent of the 190 million population and mostly live in southern Sindh province. Christians represent about 1.6 percent of the population. The Christian community in Pakistan has long been the target of attacks, hate crimes, and blasphemy cases. In 2014, a young Christian couple was beaten and then burned to death by a mob in a small Pakistani village in Punjab province after being accused of desecrating the Muslim religious book, the Quran. On Tuesday, at least 40 people, mostly from the Hindu minority community, died after drinking contaminated illegally-made alcohol during Holi celebrations. Dozen were still in critical condition. Locals often brew alcohol at home that sometimes results in deaths. In Pakistan, it is illegal for Muslims to buy or consume alcohol. Minorities need permits to buy it. Former Bosnian Serb leader acquitted on one genocide count as verdicts continue to be read at the court in The Hague. UN judges acquitted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic on one count of genocide at a court in The Hague on Thursday. But he was found guilty of crimes against humanity in several districts during the war in the former Yugoslavia. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon said Karadzic is not held responsible for genocide in a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces during the countrys 1992-95 war. Kwon said that Karadzic did, however, bear responsibility for crimes including murder, extermination, and forcible transfer in the municipalities. Karadzic also faces a second charge of genocide the Yugoslav war crimes tribunals most serious crime linked to the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Srebrenica enclave. Kwon has not yet read the conclusion to that genocide charge as of 1410 GMT, but did say Karadzic ordered the takeover of Srebrenica before the massacre. About 100 survivors gathered outside the UN tribunal in The Hague on Thursday as judges inside read out verdicts over some of the worst atrocities committed in Europe since World War II. Karadzic, 70, is the highest-ranking person to face a reckoning before the UN tribunal over a war two decades ago in which 100,000 people were killed as rival armies carved up Bosnia along ethnic lines. Dressed in a dark suit and looking calm, Karadzic faced rulings on 11 charges including two counts of genocide. He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted. The final verdicts were expected to be read by 1530 GMT. Remembering Srebrenica Outside the court protest banners were carried with one reading: Srebrenica, we remember the 8,372 victims of genocide. Karadzic is accused of orchestrating the 1995 slaughter of an estimated 8,000 Muslims after Serb forces seized the UNs Srebrenica safe area in eastern Bosnia. Justice is slow but its coming, so we hope that this time the court will have enough courage to say what really happened, because they only need courage, facts they already have, said war survivor Sakib Ahmetovic. Protesting his innocence Karadzic protested his innocence in a rare interview published by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network on Wednesday. I know what I wanted, what I did, even what I dreamed of, and there is no reasonable court that would convict me, he told the website in an email interview. The unnecessary killing of a single man is horrifying, let alone certainly several hundred at least Those who did it are the enemies of the Serbs first, then enemies of those families, then of the Muslim community, Karadzic said. READ MORE: Sarajevo memories of war To Bosnian Muslims and Croats, Karadzic who also faces charges over the shooting of civilians in Sarajevo, capital of the former Yugoslavia is synonymous with war, death and destruction. Bosnian Serbs, however, view him as a national hero who created a Serb Republic a state within a state, which survived under the 1995 Dayton peace agreement. Such sentiments are widely shared across the border in Serbia. Israeli army detains soldier who was captured on video shooting at an alleged attacker lying wounded on the ground. Israeli forces killed two Palestinians who allegedly stabbed a soldier in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, as video emerged of one of the attackers being shot in the head as he apparently lay wounded on the ground. Israeli rights group BTselem published the graphic video on Thursday morning, after the suspected stabbing incident took place in Tel Rumeida, a Palestinian neighbourhood situated near several Jewish-only settlements in the heart of Hebron. Three Palestinians killed by Israeli forces The Palestinian Authoritys Ministry of Health identified the two men as Ramzi Aziz al-Qasrawi and Abed al-Fattah Yusri al-Sharif, both 21. They were both shot while they allegedly carried out a stabbing that left an Israeli soldier injured and taken for medical treatment. The BTselem video shows an Israeli soldier step forward and shoot Sharif in the head. He was already splayed on the concrete, ostensibly unable to move, as Israeli medics treated the injured soldier nearby. This is the first time weve had such a clear video of a Palestinian being executed. This monstrous picture shows how brutal the occupation is, Issa Amro, director of the Hebron-based Youth Against Settlements activist group, told Al Jazeera by telephone. Speaking to Al Jazeera, an Israeli military spokeswoman said that the soldier had been detained and an investigation into the incident had been opened. The IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] views this incident as a grave breach of IDF conduct, values and standards of military operations, she said. The soldier involved has been detained and a military investigation has been opened. OPINION: Israel and Palestine The delusion of a two-state solution As protests broke out in Hebron shortly after the incident, Amro said that there were limited clashes between local Palestinian youth and Israeli forces, who have closed off the neighbourhood and surrounding areas. Since October, tensions have boiled over into escalated violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the blockaded Gaza Strip. In that period, the Israeli army has killed at least 206 Palestinians, including protesters, bystanders and alleged attackers. Of that total, at least 57 were from the Hebron area, where tensions have been particularly high due to the presence of around 500 Israeli settlers in the the middle of the Palestinian city. Palestinian attackers have killed at least 29 Israelis in stabbing and shooting incidents. The traditional Easter Week foot-washing ceremony by the pontiff is meant as a Catholic gesture of service. Pope Francis has visited a refugee centre to wash and kiss the feet of Muslim, Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic refugees a gesture of welcome at a time when anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment has risen after the Brussels and Paris attacks. Francis celebrated the traditional Easter Week foot-washing ceremony at a refugee shelter in Castelnuovo di Porto, outside Rome, inaugurating the most solemn period of the Catholic Churchs Easter season. The Holy Thursday rite re-enacts the foot-washing ritual Jesus performed on his apostles before being crucified, and is meant as a gesture of service. Migrant issues highlighted in Popes Mexico visit Francis was greeted with a banner reading Welcome in a variety of languages as he processed down a makeshift aisle to celebrate the outdoor Mass. A fraction of the 892 asylum seekers living at the shelter attended, though others milled around nearby and filmed the event on their smartphones. Vatican rules had long called for only men to participate in the ritual, and past popes and many priests traditionally performed it on 12 Catholic men, recalling Jesus 12 apostles and further cementing the doctrine of an all-male priesthood. But after years of violating the rules outright, Francis in January changed the regulations to explicitly allow women and girls to participate. READ MORE: Pope visits mosque in besieged CAR enclave The Vatican said on Thursday that four women and eight men had been selected. The women include an Italian who works at the centre and three Eritrean Coptic Christian migrants. The men include four Catholics from Nigeria, three Muslims from Mali, Syria and Pakistan, and a Hindu from India. The new norms said anyone from the people of God could be chosen to participate in the ceremony. While the phrase people of God usually refers to baptised Christians, the decree also said that pastors should instruct both the chosen faithful and others so that they may participate in the rite consciously, actively and fruitfully, suggesting that the rite could be open to non-Catholics as well. UN judges rule Karadzic is guilty of genocide for the Srebrenica massacre and crimes against humanity in Bosnian war. Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was found guilty of genocide on Thursday over the Srebrenica massacre and crimes against humanity committed during the 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia. United Nations judges at the international tribunal in The Hague said Karadzic was guilty of 10 of the 11 counts brought against him during the five-year trial, and he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Karadzic, 70, is the highest-ranking person to face a reckoning before the UN tribunal over a war two decades ago in which 100,000 people were killed as rival armies carved up Bosnia along ethnic lines. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon said Karadzic was criminally responsible for extermination, murder, attacking civilians, and terror for overseeing the deadly 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during the 1992-95 war. On Al Jazeera: Remembering Srebrenica Karadzic used a campaign of sniping and shelling, targeting the citys civilians as a way of furthering his political goals, Kwon said. Karadzics lawyer, Peter Robinson, said his client was astonished by the ruling. President Karadzic was disappointed. He doesnt feel he is legally responsible for any crimes. Nobody has really won from todays judgment, Robinson said. Karadzic will appeal against the convictions, a process that could take up to three years, he said. Satko Mujagic, a former prisoner held by Serb forces for more than 200 days, told Al Jazeera that Karadzic was responsible for ethnic cleansing and blood. Im very glad that this man finally got what he deserved, he said. Mujagic said the verdict should also have a broader effect on Bosnias Serbs, Muslims, and Croats. Honestly, I hope this sentence will mean something for people in Bosnia, because many people deny what has happened people deny war crimes. I hope this means something for reconciliation in the country, Mujagic said. About 100 survivors gathered outside the UN tribunal as judges inside read out verdicts on some of the worst atrocities committed in Europe since World War II. READ MORE: Sarajevo memories of war One banner read: Srebrenica, we remember the 8,372 victims of genocide. Karadzic had long been accused of orchestrating the 1995 slaughter after Serb forces seized the UNs Srebrenica safe area in eastern Bosnia. Al Jazeeras Emma Hayward, reporting from The Hague, said the pain of some survivors hadnt gone away, but added that there was a sense of relief among the families and victims after the verdict. When we heard about Srebrenica, we heard about the Muslim men and boys who were taken away from their families and systematically killed, said Hayward. Some Bosnians outside the tribunal denounced the 40-year sentence saying it was grossly inadequate for the mass crimes committed. For me as a victim of genocide, Im afraid this is some political game, said Munira Subasic. But I still believe in this courts prosecutors, probably theyll prepare more evidence for the appeals process so we hope to be satisfied at the very end. Karadzic was also acquitted on another genocide charge relating to events in 1992, a move that angered some Bosnians. Genocide didnt only happen in Srebrenica but across all of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as persecution, suffering and everything we lived through, said Zumra Sehumirovic outside the court. A psychiatrist by vocation, Karadzic emerged as the Bosnian Serb political leader shortly before Yugoslavia began disintegrating in a series of wars in 1991. His military chief, general Ratko Mladic, is still on trial on similar charges. Karadzic protested his innocence in a rare interview published by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network on Wednesday. I know what I wanted, what I did, even what I dreamed of, and there is no reasonable court that would convict me, he told the website in an email interview. The unnecessary killing of a single man is horrifying, let alone certainly several hundred at least Those who did it are the enemies of the Serbs first, then enemies of those families, then of the Muslim community, Karadzic said. To Bosnian Muslims and Croats, Karadzic is synonymous with war, death, and destruction. Bosnian Serbs, however, view him as a national hero who created a Serb Republic a state within a state, which survived under the 1995 Dayton peace agreement. Such sentiments are widely shared across the border in Serbia. Some residents of Belgrade criticised Thursdays verdict. This is a fascist decision, there is no justice and he was convicted for nothing, said Bosko Solic. Syria state TV says the army recaptured the Syriatel hill near Palmyras castle and is closer to retaking the city. Syrian state TV has said that the army recaptured major parts of the historic and strategic city of Palmyra as battles rage between Syrian army troops and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters. Syrias state news agency, SANA, reported on Friday that the army, backed by forces loyal to the government, has recaptured the Syriatel hill and the Palmyra castle after heavy clashes with ISIL. The army units combed the hill after destroying the last hideouts of ISIS terrorist organisation and dismantled the explosive devices left behind by its members, SANA reported on their website. SANA also reported that the Syrian army captured al-Qubour valley and al-Qusour Mountains, located 3km west of Palmyra city. Inside Story: Why is ISIL targeting cultural heritage? SANA quoted the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, hailing the operation. I welcome the liberation of the Palmyra archeological site, martyr city inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list, which carries the memory of the Syrian people, and the values of cultural diversity, tolerance and openness that have made this region a cradle of civilization, Bokova said on Thursday. The Syrian advance comes amid a government offensive to capture Palmyra that began earlier this month with support from Russian fighter jets. However, Nasser of the Palmyra Media Centre, told Al Jazeera on Friday that the reports are untrue and heavy clashes are still taking place. The city of Palmyra is still under ISIL control, unlike what Syrian state media are reporting. Ongoing clashes are still taking place between ISIL fighters and the Syrian army. Intensive air strikes have been targeting several areas in Palmyra, especially the Palmyra Deir al-Zour highway, Nasser said. Read more: The future of ancient sites in the Middle East A Russian commando who was calling in coordinates for air strikes was killed, said an unidentified Russian military spokesman from the Hmeymim base in Latakia. The soldier died heroically, distracting fire on to himself after being discovered by terrorists and surrounded by them, he was quoted as saying in Russian media on Thursday. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Syrian army, backed by air strikes, has captured the Palmyra castle and that fighting was still ongoing outside the city. ISIL captured the city, also known as Tadmur, in May last year and began a campaign of destroying some ancient sites and using others to stage mass executions. Syria is in the midst of cessation of hostilities between government forces and opposition rebel factions, which has significantly reduced violence in the country. The agreement excludes al-Nusra Front and ISIL, which are considered terrorist groups by the Syrian government. The uprising that turned into a civil war in Syria began five years ago. More than 250,000 people have since been killed, according to the UN, and millions have fled to neighbouring countries and Europe. ISIL began capturing large swaths of territory in Syria in 2013 after wrestling territory off rebel groups and later through its own offensives against both the opposition and government. The group has held on to most its gains but has lost areas in northern Syria to Kurdish groups backed by US air strikes and Syrian forces backed by Russia. Additional reporting by Diana Al Rifai in Doha One year after Yemens civil war began, millions of people have been uprooted and are struggling to survive. Mukalla, Yemen Since the war in Yemen broke out last year, more than 2.4 million Yemenis have become internally displaced by the fighting. After the Houthi rebel group captured Yemens capital, Sanaa, war has raged between the Houthi fighters and supporters of Yemens ousted government, backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday reports began circulating about an agreement reached by Yemens warring parties to observe a nationwide cessation of hostilities starting next month. Many Yemenis expressed hope that this would put an end to the year-old conflict that has killed more than 6,000 people half of them civilians. Al Jazeera recently spoke to four Yemenis, three of whom are internally displaced, about their stories and the challenges they have faced in their daily lives during the past year. Here is what they had to say: Wanted: Stability, stability and stability After living for three decades in Yemens port city of Aden, Ahmad Salim Abdul Manaa fled the city with his family in late June last year after battles broke out between the Houthi rebel group and forces loyal to the Yemeni government. They had lived in Adens Khour Maksar neighbourhood, where some of the fiercest fighting raged. We decided four times to flee Aden, Abdul Manaa said, but could not make it because of clashes on the main road to Hadramout [province]. Now, Abdul Manaa works as a taxi driver in Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout province, while his family lives in the poor, remote village of Hajjar, where Abdul Manaa was born. He rents a dilapidated house there for 1,500 riyals ($7) a month. After fleeing Aden, Abdul Manaa first worked as a shepherd in Hajjar before moving to Mukalla. Abdul Manaa has to work hard every day to pay 2,000 riyals ($9.30) to the company that owns the taxi he drives. I work for my food and drink, he said. I rarely save money for my family. I live and sleep in this taxi. I have a blanket and a pillow in the back. I take them out and sleep whenever I feel tired at night. Meanwhile, Abdul Manaas family is living in abject poverty, and is subsisting on donations from villagers in Hajjar. To make matters worse, a rare cyclone hit Yemen last year, and Abdul Manas house in Hajjar was damaged by the heavy rains. But he told his family to stay put. They cannot go elsewhere, as there were not many empty houses in the village. I asked them to stay in the house, as God who saved them from death in Aden- would [also] save them there. I dream of building a house for my children, said Abdul Manaa. I want stability, stability and stability. Traumatised by bombing Although Aisha Hassan Ali lives just a stones throw away from Ibn Sina hospital in the southern Yemeni city of Mukalla, the heart attack survivor says she sometimes forgoes medical treatment for her ulcers and anemia so that she can afford to feed her children. It wasnt always this way. The divorced mother of six had enjoyed a comfortable life in Sanaa, Yemens capital, selling light meals in schools as most Yemeni schools do not have canteens while her eldest son worked as a driver. All that changed once the Saudi-led coalition began bombing Sanaa last March, in an attempt to drive out the Houthi rebels who had taken over the city. Nearby Alis house were military bases, as well as the residences of prominent Houthis and former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who supports the rebel movement. When the bombing intensified, I fled with my children in July to Seiyun [a city in Hadramout province] and lived shortly with my sister, Ali explained. However, her sisters house was already full of displaced relatives who had fled the civil war in Syria, so Ali and her family returned to Sanaa. One morning last September, a coalition warplane bombed the house of a senior government official, just a few metres away from her home. The explosion damaged windows and doors, burst my right eardrum, and left my children in shock, Ali said. She scrambled to collect important items and fled to Mukalla, where her mother lives, and which has been under al-Qaeda control since last year. So we decided to rent a flat and seek help from charities, said Ali. When we arrived here, the house was unfurnished. My children used to sleep on the ground. Eventually, after a local charity gave her 40,000 riyals ($186), she was able to buy mattresses, blankets and pillows. Although Mukalla is safer for her family, Ali says her young children remain traumatised from the explosions they witnessed in Sanaa. They rush to me when they hear fireworks, and also wake up in panic when they hear the sound of large trucks. They tell me anti-aircraft guns. Meanwhile, her children are unable to attend school. According to Ali, an education director in Mukalla told her that she must return to Sanaa to have the Ministry of Education certify her childrens school documents before they can enrol. I borrowed more than 200,000 riyals ($930) from well-off relatives to survive, in the hope that my life would get better and pay them back.I want people to help me with whatever they can medicine, food and furniture. We will go back to Sanaa when the air strikes stop. But we need money to pay for bus tickets. Travel travails Last March, 38-year-old lawyer Mostafa al-Attas was preparing to travel to Ain Shams University, in Egypt, to present his PhD thesis. But after the start of the Saudi-led airstrike campaign last year, Egypt began requiring Yemeni passport holders aged 18-45 to obtain a visa in order to travel there. To make matters more complicated, the Egyptian embassy in Yemen closed after the Houthi rebels ousted the government from Sanaa last year. As a result, Attas had to apply for an Egyptian visa in Saudi Arabia but Saudi Arabia also requires Yemenis to obtain an entry visa. Finally, last May Attas got a Saudi visa, and applied for an Egyptian student visa in Saudi Arabia. But his application was rejected, and the embassy requested he bring a letter from his university proving that he was a student. When I contacted my university, they told me that I was late and I had to pay 2,000 ($2,800) in fees for a new year, despite having paid 6,200 ($8,700) for the previous years, said Attas. I cannot afford paying that huge amount of money Attas stayed in Saudi Arabia for three months, hoping that the university would waive the new fees. But they did not budge, and he returned to Mukalla. This year, he headed back to Saudi Arabia in January to apply for a visa again. If he fails, he plans to present his thesis at Aden University instead. Even if he were successful in his visa application, Attas noted that flights from Yemen are few and far between, given the bombing campaign. He said many students had to pay $350 to get a transit visa to Oman, which shares a land border with Yemen, in the hopes of flying to Egypt from there. Yet even reaching Oman does not guarantee one will reach Egypt. Some of my friends stayed in Oman for three months waiting for a visa to Egypt, Attas said. Others travelled to Sudan and got stuck there. Coming home? Since arriving in Mukalla after fleeing the war-torn city of Taiz, Saleha Khames Ali and her large family have had very few happy days. But on March 11, they were overjoyed to hear that the Houthi rebels, who had controlled much of Taiz, had been driven out of many parts of the city. For the first time since last March, clashes and shelling stopped in the neighbourhood they had lived in. My neighbours told me that there is no war there, Ali said. Khames Ali and 17 of her family members fled Taiz in September. We decided to escape when shells began to land in neighbours houses. Children were terrified by the sounds of explosions, Khames Ali said. Earlier, she was struck by a bullet shot randomly while shopping in Taizs vegetable market, and was treated in hospital for 15 days, which drained the familys savings. Today, Alis large family lives in difficult conditions, crammed into a flat of three rooms. Fortunately, the landlord took pity on them and asked that they only pay for utilities, not the rent. We have no money. We want to buy tomatoes, onions, chicken, fish and another cooking gas cylinder, Ali said. Khames Ali explained that her husband, a builder, cannot find a job in Mukalla. As a result, she said, when any of my children or grandchildren get sick, we cannot take them to a hospital. One of them is having chronic adenoids. When the family fled Taiz, they left the childrens educational documents at home. We were in a hurry. We forgot the certificates, Ali said. As a result, the children cannot enrol in school in Mukalla. Since hearing that the fighting in Taiz has died down, the family has sent appeals to local philanthropists and charities to help them buy tickets home. We need at least 200,000 riyals ($930) for transportation from Mukalla to Taiz via Aden, said Najeed Mohammed Haider, Alis son-in-law. Bus drivers heading to Taiz from Aden charge more, since fuel is scarce there. Kiwis feel the impact of powerful storms as floods and power cuts cause widespread disruption. Torrential downpours and damaging winds battered New Zealand late on Wednesday and into Thursday, flooding parts of the South Island and causing power cuts on the North Island. On the South Island, the Waiho River burst its banks in the tourist town of Franz Josef, causing authorities to declare a state of emergency. Westland Civil Defence spokesman, Andrew Thompson, told Reuters that around 186 tourists in Franz Josef had to spend the night in an emergency shelter. Meanwhile, homes in the township of Riwaka, near Nelson, were also evacuated. In the 24 hours up to 00:01 GMT on Thursday morning, Nelson recorded a massive 145mm of rain. That amounts to almost twice the March average of 75mm. Officials described the event as a once-in-50-years occurrence. On the North Island, New Zealands largest city, Auckland, felt the brunt of severe gale force winds. Gusts of up to 110km/h disrupted power supplies, leaving parts of the city littered with debris and up to 18,000 homes without power. The winds eased later on Thursday. The last of any showers will clear on Friday to set up a fine and dry weekend filled with pleasant autumn sunshine. Belgium on high alert following the killing of dozens of people in Brussels bombings. Security forces are reviewing airport and public transport safety in cities worldwide. The Brussels attacks also rekindled debate about security cooperation and police methods across Europe and reignited debate about how to combat suicide bombers and gunmen. About 300 Belgians are estimated to have fought with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in the Middle East. Belgium is the leading European exporter of fighters to foreign battlefields, which raises security concerns in neighbouring countries. #BrusselsAttacks: Grief, Islam and double standards So, how will the Belgian government and other European governments deal with the homegrown threat? And is a tougher security approach the answer? Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault Guests: Bruno Lete, Senior Officer for Foreign and Security Policy with the German Marshall Fund. Mathieu Guidere, Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Toulouse. Ewen MacAskill, Defence and Intelligence Correspondent with The Guardian newspaper. Sometimes the best legends are the ones you create about yourself. The Simians of Swing, whose debut release this is, understand. As this legend has it, the London-based band is co-led by an ex-member of the Russian mafiaskilled in the martial artsand a man who spends his days playing chess on his own while meditating on the role of bass frequencies in global geopolitics. Their songs tell tales of heroes and villainsmostly villains and mostly, one assumes, old colleagues from the murky days of international crime and espionage. Thankfully, their day jobs haven't prevented them from learning how to play jazz.Bop-inspired trumpeter(the mafioso) and bassist(the solo chess master) lead the Simians, a band name that reflects Davies' nickname of "Monkey" (unless that's also part of the legend). The pair also take their inspiration from comic bookseach track on Simians Of Swing matches a comic strip from Spanish artist Valentin Ramon. The core band is completed by guitaristand drummerand a bunch of guest performers augment the sound, with no less than three guests on Fender Rhodes."Boppy" is just that, a cheerful, boppy number from Davies. It features a memorable trumpet riff allied to Raman's swinging drums leading into solos from Davies, Fender Rhodes playerand guitarist Boscagin underpinned by more aggressive drums and electric bass. "Vampires In The Attic"another Davies compositionis more fluid than "Boppy" but just as cheery. "Zion" closes the album in a similar vein, a fast-tempo tune with Davies' cascades of notes and McLean's Rhodes at its heart.sings on the noir-ish "Gangster In Love" and the more soulful "St Lucia," two songs that swap the good cheer of the opening duo for a more downbeat worldview. This more melancholy side of the Simians of Swing continues with the mournful "Walt" and the elegiac "Soviet Supreme," a quartet performance recorded live at London's Vortex club, showcasing Boscagin's guitar solo. Slow or fast, upbeat or downcast, the Simians of Swing is an impressive and enjoyable outfit and this self-titled debut is a welcome entry into the band's comic-book inspired music. Istanbul and Ankara in Turkey and, now, Brussels: three major cities devastated by terrorist attacks in the past two weeks alone, resulting in the deaths of so many innocents and leaving countless more injured. In fact, since Novembers attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad, hundreds of terrorist attacks claimed by groups such as the Islamic State, al-Shabbab and al-Qaeda affiliates have wreaked devastation in communities and cities across the world. These desperate times call for us to stand together in solidarity, in unity and in peace, much like the vigils and demonstrations of empathy weve so graciously seen in broadcasts and on our news feeds. Unfortunately, this is not all weve seen. Shortly after news of Brussels surfaced, #StopIslam emerged into the Twittersphere, and unsurprisingly, Donald Trump immediately came out on CNN to reaffirm his temporary ban on Muslims from entering the U.S. Moreover, the Ted Cruz campaigns response to Brussels included a strong criticism of American political correctness, arguing, Our European allies are now seeing what comes of a toxic mix of migrants who have been infiltrated by terrorists and isolated, radical Muslim neighborhoods, and further concluding, We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized. This kind of response pinning the U.S. and the West against Muslims, against refugees is wrong. If you look at the record of attacks from the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations, youll find the majority of these attacks are directed not against the West or the U.S., but against Muslims and innocents in the Middle East and Africa. But while major news outlets covered the attacks in Paris and now Brussels extensively and immediately, equally traumatic attacks in, say, Baghdad or Istanbul, are left significantly underrepresented. The collective fight against terrorism is universal, inclusive of Muslims and non-Muslims alike: a fact this disparity in coverage fails to substantially acknowledge. As for the concern of terrorists riding the backs of refugees to infiltrate the U.S., it should be duly noted that of the 784,00 refugees the U.S. has resettled since Sept. 11, 2001, according to the Migration Policy Institute, only three were later arrested for planning terrorist activities. Yet we have presidential candidates who equate admitting refugees with opening the country up to terrorism, and we have U.S. citizens who fear Islam and Sharia law coming to destroy us all. Disingenuous and dangerous, these arguments purport an unrealistic fear of the other. Meanwhile, that other consists of our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters across the world, who both prioritize peace and suffer from these incessant tragedies as equally as the people of Brussels, Paris and San Bernardino. This is not the time for hate. This is not the time for walls. Its OK to feel fear these are, in fact, fearful times but we need to be intelligent in where we direct and how we act on our fear. We stand best when we stand together, with understanding and empathy for one anothers struggles. And whether well defer to ignorance and misguided fear or rise to the occasion by recognizing the colorblind, religion-blind and country-blind commonality of struggle against terrorism: This will be the test of our time. Glossier, the social-media-savvy skin-care brand behind Allure favorites like Balm Dotcom and Perfecting Skin Tint, just launched a new service that aims to make shopping the site feel a whole lot more personalized. You can now get shade-specific advice and a close look at the brand's new makeup and skin productsvia FaceTime. This service, called Hotline, which I can only imagine to be a nod to a certain Canadian rapper, is currently available only to Apple users, but it's a good idea for anyone who's ever suffered from makeup-related buyer's remorse. After booking an appointment online (currently, the only slots available are on weekdays between noon and 2 p.m.), you get 30 minutes to chat with Eva and Kim, the brand's social editor and community manager, respectively, about Glossier's new Phase 2 makeup collection. The experience is just like watching your favorite YouTube vlogger during a haul videoif she were to occasionally look through the camera and offer you products based on your shade. Neither Eva nor Kim is an experienced or trained makeup artist, but I found that they were superknowledgeable about the products and their ingredients and offered helpful application tips and visual aids in the form of swatches and direct application. They have the look of American Apparel models (minus the perma-pouts) but offer recommendations less like a pushy salesperson at a makeup counter and more like a friend who just seems to apply her makeup more effortlessly than you. And if you're a shy type, don't worry: They mostly steer the conversation, and they use the products daily, so there's plenty of anecdotal evidence. After swatching lipsticks on their hands and demonstrating the concealer on their own faces, we narrowed down my recommended products: Boy Brow in Black,Stretch Concealer in Deep, and the new__Generation G lip shade in Jam__, a "'90s raspberry," according to Eva. We're so used to seeing actress Jordana Brewster all bronzed and glowing in the Fast & Furious movies that we'd never guess one of her beauty woes is actually dealing with constant redness and puffiness from allergies. Like, major allergies. And while inflamed skin and watery eyes suck for us all, when your job requires you to be in front of the camera and to do press junkets, it's that much worse. "I remember the stakes were really high when we were doing press for Furious 7, and I woke up and looked in the mirror, and I had massive puffiness, a really red nose, and watery eyes," she says. "It's not, like, something I can take a raincheck on." Which is why Brewster says she partnered with Zyrtec and got some help from her makeup artist Jamie Greenberg. "We did a lot of contouring that day and a really bold, fuchsia lip to help distract from the other beauty problems," she says. Brewster let me in on some of her other beauty essentials (and a bonus surprising fact about her driving skills). What are some of your go-to quick beauty fixes? "Something I think so many girls can do if they wake up with really puffy eyes is to put on some eye gels under your eyes and wear big sunglasses while you drive or take a cab to work. That really helps bring the puffiness down." Is that why celebrities are always wearing big glassesbecause they're all wearing eye gels? "It might be! It's a good trick. I do it all the time. Sometimes I forget I have them on. I've actually gone to Starbucks wearing them under my prescription eyeglasses, so people might have actually seen them. I just forget because they're so comfortable." You have to travel so much for work. Do you have any beauty rituals you do on the plane? "I've heard of people hydrating their face with mists, but I don't do that. I think people would laugh at me! I do drink a ton of watermore than I normally wouldand stay away from salt." Are there any beauty tips you've picked up on set?"I love using Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat under my eyes and around my laugh lines. It just brightens up my face immediately. And a lot of mascara. I love Armani mascara." We've watched makeup artist Pat McGrath perform her particular brand of magic for many years. Her most mesmerizing trick: turning skin incandescent with a few taps of her index finger. The third launch from Pat McGrath Labs finally pulls back the curtain. "It's the system I've always used for lighting the skin," she told me when I sat down with her last week for a one-on-one demo. "It's what I've been doing, backstage and every day, for 22 years." "It" is called Skin Fetish 003 and includes two different highlighting kits ($72 each), one in Golden and one in Nude. Both contain a dual-ended sticka cream highlighter on one end and a clear balm (with aloe vera and argan oil) on the otherplus a pressed gel pigment and a brush (made in Japan, of course) for blending it all together. "So many highlighters are very metal-looking," she says. "I designed these formulas so you don't get hard shimmer or talc; you just get pure light." As I watched her work with the kits, she alternated between both (they work on all skin tones), layering on the cheekbones, the lids, even the clavicles. Skin Fetish 003 is available at patmcgrath.com on April 26 and atwait for itsephora.com on May 10. McGrath's last two launches disappeared in hours, but she swears this one will stick around. At least for a few weeks. 2005 .. AR's Editor Joe Shea Talks About Elections On Iranian TV Bear Stearns Saved By Fed As Lehman Bros. Falters; Major Bank Failure Looms Over Wall Street, Sends Markets Into 200-Pt. Dive Lie Upon Lie Five Years Into the Iraq War The Administration Still Churns Out Lies by Randolph Holhut A Small Tragedy Even at 90, As Friends Turn Cool She Knows the Show Must Go On by Joyce Marcel I'll Take Me Imagine John Wayne or Arnold In Heels, Silk and a Girdle by Elizabeth Andrews Sen. Nelson Calls For New Fla. Primary; Gov Crist Backs 'Do-Over' Who'll Win? Ask Spock Spock.com Engine Predicts Winners By Site Searches; It Can be Wrong by Jay Bhatti Chatting Up The Cat God Gave Me Dominion Over Him But I Think He's a Non-Believer by Constance Daley Death of a Thug The Life and Horrors of Suharto by Andreas Harsono ___________________________ This Just In Sierra Club: McCain Ducked All 15 Key Votes On Green Laws (AR) A Work By AR's T.S. Kerrigan Is Chosen As 'Best Poem' By Wordpress Site Murder At Mile 63 The Deadly Assault and Bush Administration Cover-Up by S. Eben Kirkesby and Andreas Harsono 5427 14th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207 $6.99 Fish Fridays! Manatee Co.'s Only 24-Hr. FREE Wi-Fi Paid Advertisement On Native Ground AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE STILL LIED TO ABOUT IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Next week is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. And it is likely that sometime in the next couple of weeks, the 4,000th American soldier will die in Iraq. [MORE] Momentum OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - It's 1931, and a 14-year-old girl is standing alone on a stage. She's small and lively with dark curly hair, widespread hazel eyes, slender wrists and an open, eager face filled with the wonder of performing. Her name is Rose, and one day she will be my mother. But now she is performing an Eugene O'Neill monologue called "Before Breakfast" for a ladies' club in a wealthy suburb of Long Island. [MORE] One Woman's World COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I'm not sure but I think I may be socially incorrect. [MORE] On Native Ground ENOUGH FOR A WAR, NOT FOR A PEOPLE by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Last week, the National Governors Assn. met in Washington, D.C. One of the tasks the NGA had on its agenda was to ask President Bush to increase federal spending on roads, bridges and other public works projects as a way to stimulate the economy. He rejected their pleas out of hand, claiming that infrastructure projects wouldn't offer any short-term economic boost. [MORE] Brasch Words BEWARE THE SELF-REVERENTIAL PRESS by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Shortly before the primary votes this past week, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter called Sen. Barack Obama's surge to the Democratic nomination "inevitable." It also called for Hillary Clinton to "start her campaign for Senate majority leader." [MORE] Constance A CONVERSATION WITH MY CAT Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Normally, when the cat starts his evening rant of meowing continuously until he makes his point, I just take it as long as I can, pick him up, and put him in the garage for the night. He doesn't want to go, but the meowing stops and I don't care if he likes it or not. [MORE] Momentum OUT OF STRUGGLE, ART by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Here we are again at the crossroads of art and social change, having the opportunity to watch good and great films about the lives of women in support of the Women's Crisis Center. [MORE] Campaign 2008 HOW TO PREDICT SUPER TUESDAY II WINNERS? ONLINE SEARCH by Jay Bhatti NEW YORK, March 4, 2008, 7:00PM ET -- With the outcomes of the Texas, Vermont, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries to be decided tonight, how possible is it that online searching can predict who will win tonight's primaries? [MORE] One Woman's World DON'T VOTE; IT ENCOURAGES THEM by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Call me angry and disgusted but don't call me un-American because I won't be voting come November. [MORE] On Native Ground BUSH AND THE KEYBOARD COMMANDOS by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- As the days tick down toward the eventual departure of President George W. Bush from the White House, it's a hopeful sign that most Americans are no longer moved by his Administration's constant exploitation of terrorism for political gain. [MORE] Momentum WHICH AMERICA DO YOU LIVE IN? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's a little confusing. [MORE] Make My Dat THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] On Native Ground FIDEL RETIRES: NOW THE COLD WAR IS REALLY OVER by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe now, we can finally say the Cold War is over. [MORE] Make My Dat THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] One Woman's World POLITICS IS NO PARTY by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Are you having a hard time focusing your eyes? Do you have faint red spots all over your body? Is there a ringing in your ears and do you see wavy lines when you look at your television set? Do your hands shake when you try to hold a cup of coffee? And have you recently been forgetting what day of the week it is - or what year? [MORE] Make My Day FOR BETTER OR WORSE ... A LOT WORSE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- "Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse." [MORE] Constance YOU CALL THESE RIGHTS? by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When you express an opinion you hope to persuade others to your point of view. It doesn't always happen but still, opinion writers try. [MORE] Momentum THE BRIDGE WOMAN by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Out there in America - yes, still - is a generation of women who were born in the 1940s, raised in the 1950s, and who came to radical consciousness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am one of them. Hillary Clinton is one of them. [MORE] On Native Ground OBAMA AND MY GENERATION by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- I originally planned on voting for Dennis Kucinich in the Vermont Primary on March 4. [MORE] The Willies: WARNING: THIS MEDICATION MAY MURDER YOUR FRIENDS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla. -- You've heard the warnings, haven't you? Stop Prozac and you may take a shotgun, an Uzi or an AK-47 and mow down your family and friends, or even a whole classroom full of your fellow students. You didn't? Well, that warning is not on the bottle, but like countless mass-murder incidents before it, Friday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, as well as the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 last year, was probably precipitated by the effect of stopping medications that suppress anger and other powerful emotions but do not relieve the underlying cause. Isn't it time we started warning people - or stopped prescribing these medicines? [MORE] One Woman's World DON'T KNOCK ON MY DOOR by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I wish I could feel delight in my poet's mansion being like Grand Central Station all the time, but I can't. And I wish my place was such a place that someone would one day write: "Her door was always open and she always made you feel all fuzzy and warm in her presence. She could make a cup of coffee seem like a banquet." [MORE] Reporting: Panama PANAMA'S VIOLENT LABOR UNREST INTENSIFIES Mark Scheinbaum PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb, 15, 2008 -- After just one day of relative calm, wildcat construction strikes by some members of Panama's largest union flared up again Friday morning, four days after a police sniper shot one worker. More than 140 demonstrators have been injured and at least 500 arrested, authorities say. [MORE] Brasch Words TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008 AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008 CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE] iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- The weather is warming up and many tourists and locals are out in numbers, heading to downtown Washington, D.C. Thursday for the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival. The National Park Service expected the famous blossoms would hit peak bloom on Wednesday and Thursday, a bit earlier than average. An estimated 1.5 million people are expected to descend on the Tidal Basin this year to experience the glory of the blossoms. Japan gifted the United States 3,000 cherry trees in 1912 in celebration of the two countrys friendship. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Is there still a place for knowledge-based authentication i.e., asking questions like "What was the name of your first pet?" to prove an identity? Some in the industry say yes. Knowledge-based authentication methods have been criticized a great deal lately, for much of the "knowledge" they ask for is publicly available on social media and other websites, or available for sale on the black market, or can be dragged out of call center staff and even interactive voice response systems. In some cases, criminals can answer the questions more quickly and accurately than the accountholders and then break into customers' accounts. But the effectiveness of this method may depend on the questions asked. "We've done a lot of fine-tuning of our knowledge-based authentication, picking the questions, picking what order, picking the ones customers tend to get right and criminals tend to get wrong," said David Pollino, deputy chief security officer for Bank of the West. The bank conducts failure analysis to understand which questions are letting customers in and blocking criminals, and vice versa, and adjusts accordingly. "You can boost ones the criminals have a hard time with but customers have an easy time with," Pollino said. "That's going to vary by different demographics and populations, but [with] a little bit of study of the questions, you can see which ones might be able to be researched on social media or online and which ones might be more difficult to come up with." A good place to start is a shared piece of knowledge that only the bank and its customer knows. "Knowledge-based authentication based on internal records that hopefully the criminals haven't stolen yet is a good option," said Avivah Litan, a vice president at the research firm Gartner. A bank might ask the customer for the date of her next mortgage payment. A credit card issuer might ask the size of her credit line or the size of the typical payment she makes on her card. "These are things that are harder for the criminal to get at," Litan said. Unfortunately, skilled fraudsters can socially engineer such information out of the call center rep. "This was certainly a problem in the early days. The crook would just phone back multiple times until he got the right answers," said Richard Parry, principal of Parry Advisors. "Bad training in the call centers was another problem." Cybercriminals don't even have to game the call center. If they know that one of the knowledge-based questions is "What was your last transaction?" they'll make a $5 deposit in the account right before calling so they know the answer. "Social engineering is complex and sophisticated and they're very good at it," Parry observed. Banks could also ratchet up the level of difficulty by asking questions about a completely different product line than the one being accessed. A cybercriminal is unlikely to know that a customer has a mortgage and a credit card at a particular bank, for instance. "If the customer is being authenticated for online banking and the customer also happens to have a credit card account and the bank also happens to have sufficiently sophisticated infrastructure to interrogate transactions on the credit card account to use in another vertical line of business, you could indeed do something like that," Parry said. "My bank could ask, What's the destination of the last plane ticket you put on XYZ card?" This is hard for some banks to do siloed lines of business don't always have access to one another's data, for one thing. An emerging best practice, Litan noted, is to take a risk-based approach to authentication to go from easy methods to tougher ones depending on the risk of the transaction. "I wouldn't rely on knowledge-based authentication for a $10 million wire transfer," she said. "I might not even rely on it for changes to profile information." Litan and others acknowledge that knowledge-based authentication is imperfect. "Nothing's going to be bulletproof," Litan said. "If you can do knowledge-based authentication right, based on questions criminals have a hard time getting, it's a good, practical option. Just don't expect 100% coverage." Destination: Biometrics The ultimate answer, Parry suggested, will come in the use of biometrics. Financial institutions like USAA and U.S. Bank have been deploying facial, thumbprint and voice recognition. Until banks get to 100% adoption of biometric options, however, their fallback is the basic user name and password, which is weaker than knowledge-based authentication. "I think biometrics is where we're going to end up," Parry said. "The journey towards that will be difficult during transition." Meanwhile, banks like Bank of the West are taking a layered security approach using knowledge-based authentication alongside other methods. "The reason we do that is because it gives us the opportunity to fine-tune the controls individually," Pollino said. Flexibility, it seems, is the key always watching for cybercriminals' next move and adjusting accordingly. Editor at Large Penny Crosman welcomes feedback at penny.crosman@sourcemedia.com. Conservatives ought to use Obama's selection of a Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Scalia as an opportunity to challenge the role federal courts generally and the Supreme Court specifically have assumed as the super-legislative body that can overrule all other parts of federal and state government in our republic. This is not want the Constitution intended at all. The Supreme Court seized this power on its own. This is not a "conservative" versus "liberal" issue. Hendrik van Loon, hardly a conservative, in his 1927 book America, wrote: "I ought to have mentioned the name of Thomas Marshal of Virginia, who as Chief Justice of the United States had elevated that court to the dignity of a semi-divine institution, ready and often eager to make scraps of paper as such Congressional legislation as seemed to be in contradiction to the sacred stipulations of the Constitution." The Supreme Court simply invents what it wants the Constitution to mean and then declares its whims to be the meaning of the Constitution. The Constitution was written, of course, so that it was easy to understand that was the idea. Members of Congress, who pass federal laws, take the same oath to respect the Constitution as do Supreme Court justices. In those cases where the Constitution is unclear and needs to be changed, there is a clear process for doing that, which requires a super-majority of state legislatures to ratify any proposed amendments. The practical effect of rogue and limitless federal judicial activism is that the amendment process, which was once recognized as the only process for changing the Constitution, has effectively died. Instead we "amend" the Constitution in a much less rigorous and much less reliable way: through the whims of a handful of Supreme Court justices. The myth of constitutional jurisprudence is as phony as the notion that the best protectors of civil liberties and political rights are a small, insulated, pampered, and unaccountable group of judges who live within the murky and corrupt confines of the District of Columbia, surrounded by fawning lawyers and clerks. This sort of system is really an anti-constitutional system, which relies not upon the clear language of a plainly written document and the few amendments to that document, but instead on a convoluted mess of cases and decisions and opinions. This means that oftentimes the "Constitution" in one circuit court of appeals means one thing and in another circuit court of appeals means something else, until cases slither up the appellate process, and the Supreme Court deigns to hear a case and render an opinion. Even so, through this bizarre system in which the Constitution is effectively amended by one old judge changing his mind the certainty of a Supreme Court opinion lasts only until the balance on that court changes. So the Constitution, intended to provide simplicity and clarity, has been disemboweled. Now it means only what the shadowy priests of the federal bench see in the auguries of those split entrails. Most nauseating is the spectacle of pundits asking politicians running for federal offices if they will follow "the law of the land" meaning the decision of the Supreme Court although all legislative power is granted to Congress, and all power not granted to Congress is reserved to the states. It is bad enough when regulatory agencies and presidents make law by order. When federal courts do it, then Congress is simply an empty vessel, lacking real power, although it represents the interests of the governed as expressed through elections. Why not use the debate over Obama's nomination to the Supreme Court to assert that federal judges do not have the power to interpret the Constitution, void federal laws, or intrude into the rights of state governments? Why not argue in this election that voters and their elected representatives say what the Constitution means and that the opinions of judges cannot overrule the people and their representatives? If we are going to put Washington on trial this election and we should then the Supreme Court should be at the top of the list, although with the federal bench generally and the hordes of lawyers who feast at our expense on this rotted system. If we did that, and if we won the election, then America would be able to have a true, peaceful, constitutional revolution, and the process of devolving power back to Congress, back to states, and back to the people could really begin. I have a confession to make. I actually like Donald Trump. I also like all the other conservative GOP candidates. Id vote for any one of them over Hillary, Obama and Sanders, who all represent the totalitarian Left, the curse of American politics today. The totalitarian Left is now in bed with Jihad, which is why Obama will not allow the words Jihad War or even Islamic terror escape his lips. There are no words to describe that kind of sabotage and betrayal, and none of the other Democrats are any better. On the other hand, Ive known business people like Trump, and they are mostly individualists. They say what they say, and I dont have to agree with them. They are not totalitarians. Many of them are competent, and many of them are likeable. They are usually people people. They are not perfect, and they dont claim to be perfect, unlike our Current Occupant. If Trump is like some of the business people Ive known, I would certainly give him a chance. For one thing, business people study reality, which might come as a shock in contemporary DC. I thought Trump shot his mouth off too often in the debates, and I personally feel upset about his treatment of Carly Fiorina. But I dont think Trump is the kind of guy who would plant sociopaths like Lois Lerner in the IRS to persecute his opponents. Do I think the Don would rule by decree, like Marxo-Jihadist Obama? Nope. And if Trump becomes president and abuses power the way Obama has done, he should be impeached and convicted, just as Obama should have been. If a conservative wins the next election we should still keep an eye on him/her, because thats how the system is supposed to work. We dont go to sleep for eight years. We dont blindly trust whoever is elected. The reason I give the Donald the benefit of the doubt is that he has just vaulted through the vicious media mine field, planted by the killer Left ever since they marched through the institutions in 1970s, following their Italian Communist hero Antonio Gramsci. Ive seen the Alinsky-Gramsci-Guevara Left persecuting college professors way back in the 1970s, when the New Totalitarians took over. They ruthlessly destroyed the most wonderful, tolerant, and genuinely educational system in history, and substituted the fear of PC that intimidates our universities today. The hard Left lynched their own guy Larry Summers as President of Harvard, in the most shameful academic scandal of the 20th century. The hard Left launched the Global Warming Fraud at Stanford University, of all places, and poisoned the public discourse of climate science for decades. The hard Left imported jihad-indoctrinated Muslims who now assault free speech on American campuses. The hard Left has instituted a reign of racist and gender-based governance in our institutions, while accusing their scapegoats of racism and gender-bias. This is out-and-out evil. I am frankly beyond outrage at the malignant corruption of our schools and colleges, followed by the degradation of our media, culture, public health, science, and worst of all, the Lefts malignant twisting of American history. Among other crimes, the totalitarian Left has made it impossible for free speech to thrive in America. They routinely indoctrinate innocent children from elementary school to college, which is why they are directly responsible for the bottomless historical ignorance of the American people today. I have personally known radical Leftists over the years, and in real life many of them are as corrupt, mendacious, greedy, prejudiced, ignorant, Machiavellian, narrow-minded, deluded, power-hungry and sociopathic as they are in public. Imagine a million little Obama clones and you have the academic Left today. Which is why the Democrats today deserve Donald Trump many times over. In fact, they deserve several generations of Trumps to clean up the mess they have made. But we have only one Trump so far. Its a start. Which brings me to our conservative leadership, which is still bitterly opposed to the most popular GOP candidate so far. These are some of the most articulate and thoughtful people I read on a regular basis, and so far, I have not read a single, substantive critique of Trump. Just his style, which is unconventional, pointed, off-the-cuff, and, yes, sometimes careless in choice of words. But he is on a steep learning curve, and demonstrating remarkable speed at it. I know Trump has his pros and cons. Im not looking for perfection, but like his wife and daughter, I wish he would act more presidential. Hes moving that way, but slower than I would want. But I do want a GOP candidate who can bomb the totalitarian opposition to smithereens, as they so well deserve. After all, the Democrats have a national security felon and an unrepentant socialist running for President of the United States. A few critical words might be needed in this election, dont ya think? Yet still, leading conservatives give aid and comfort to the Marxo-Jihado-anti-American establishment. Washington conservatives have somehow lost their bearings. Whats the matter with them? I can only imagine that DC conservatives have a sort of Stockholm Syndrome of loving the aggressor, just as todays Swedes seem to identify with Jihadist thugs and Angela Merkel seems to have a sort of Liebestodt swoon, surrendering to the rapefugees from Turkey. It looks pretty sick from the outside, and I dont want to believe it. Tell us it aint so! Though certainly not the first to do so, Obama vividly demonstrated in 2008 and 2012 the effectiveness of bare knuckle politics in destroying the idea of a unified nation. Many citizens agree with the assessment that during his presidency, Mr. Obama has effectively nullified the motto, E Pluribus Unum. Using us-versus-them rhetoric, he bragged, If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun. In his effort to generate an upsurge in voting in the 2010 midterm elections, candidate Obama vigorous exploited identity politics by pitting groups against each other, urging Latinos to punish our enemies. Such examples have not been lost on either Hillary or Donald. Both seek to exploit divisions by tapping into the anger and fear of frustrated, disaffected voters over perceived favored positions, benefits, and advantages gained by the other. Unifying identity politics with the gender wars in her endorsement of Hillary Clinton, Madeline Albright claimed that any woman not voting for Hillary deserved a special place in hell. The demands of the aging leaders of the feminist tribe to keep the younger women voting solely on the basis of gender have been so extreme that the 18-to-34-year-old set has taken to the internet to characterize the pronouncements of the likes of Madeline Albright, Gloria Steinem, and Lena Dunham as a crusade to bludgeon younger women into voting with their vaginas. In a similarly blatant us versus-them appeal, Trump has attacked the establishment leaders of the Republican Party for their failed promises to build a wall on the southern border and halt the flood of illegal immigrants. In Trumps case, the us are conservative voters and the them are the Republican congressmen and senators who failed to deliver on campaign promises when they were given majorities in both the House and the Senate. Obviously, the seriousness of the threats we face today are very real and pressing, however, they are far from unique in their magnitude and potential consequences. There is legitimate concern about the continuing viability of the Republican Party, with some pundits likening its current condition to the precarious state that lead to the demise of the Whig Party in the mid 1850s. Surely though, the danger Trump poses to the establishment in the Republican Party is no greater than the danger to the Democrat party of the stampede to the radical left being lead by its two geriatric candidates, Clinton and Sanders. Some in leadership in the Democrat Party -- as they see the youth vote going in massive numbers to Sanders must surely be wondering if Hillarys machine may be taking them to a split in the party with consequences as disastrous as the one George McGovern engineered when he and his anti-war brigades captured the nomination of the Democrat Party in 1972 only to see Richard Nixon re-elected carrying 49 states in one of the largest landslides in American electoral history. If a society is to endure as a stable, effective means of unifying its members, there must be a core set of concerns, values, and principles that compel allegiance and compliance with the laws of the land. E Pluribus Unum became the de facto motto of the United States to symbolize Out of Many, One. In the past that core of unity rested on the idea of American exceptionalism being rooted the Declaration of Independences magnificent proclamation that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable right, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness... For over 200 years this ideal was the foundation of the United States of America, a principle unifying the diverse, multicultural population into one nation. For the last 40 years the toxic tide of multiculturalism and moral relativism have been eroding and undermining this foundation. In the late 1960s society began to tolerate the young jettisoning all moral restraint. Each individual was said to be both capable and entitled to choose whatever suited their personal desires or whims. Do your own thing became the national mantra. Indulging in drugs and promiscuous sex were celebrated in total disregard of whether such actions were consistent with the physical laws required for good bodily health or consistent with the natural moral laws for societal health. Just do it or each individual going My Way are certainly not recipes for E Pluribus Unum. By taking God out of the public square, we took away the basis for our commonality: the respect for each other based solely on the certainty that God created us as equals. We are seeing that there is not much left when there is no basis for mutual respect. Tragically, the loss of a common basis for freedom and prosperity is producing a morass of lawlessness. When our youth are taught that all truth is socially constructed, we should not be surprised when people fail to act in compliance with the law. When more and more of the public separate into victim groups viewing themselves above the law, no wonder theres rioting in places like Ferguson and Baltimore. This, then, is the fractured, fractious electorate that Hillary and Donald are facing in seeking the votes to put them in power. Hillarys prospects hinge on turning out large numbers of minorities and feminist angry over what they perceive as a lack of opportunity and/or lack of government benefits. The Donald is trying to appeal to the working class and middle class voters who are angry over seeing their hopes and dreams undermined by a collection of negative forces that they dont know how to deal with but are hoping that Trump does. Somehow in 2016 the motto, E Pluribus Unum, seems out of place and from a long-gone era. The question this election season is whether there is any hope for Unum of the sharply divided Pluribus. In response to the Islamic terrorist attack in Brussels, along with other commonsense solutions, Ted Cruz cited the success of the NYPD Muslim surveillance program. Well, the mainstream media and Democrat talking heads went nuts, launching their usual shock-and-awe attack on anyone who refuses to bow their knee in worship to their god of political correctness. The left called Cruz an idiot and a racist, demanding his head on a platter. And yet Cruz has not wavered, not walked back his solutions or blinked in his resolve to protect Americans. That's what I am talkin' about, folks. Ted Cruz is a rock-solid, character-driven, backbone-of-steel conservative, sold out to defending and advocating for We the People. The Islamic terrorist attack in Brussels happened in the middle of a highly contentious U.S. presidential campaign. This is a time when candidates are typically extremely cautious about what comes out of their mouths, careful not to P.O. any group of voters. Cruz's immediate instinct was to throw political correctness to the wind. Cruz immediately came out with solutions rooted in the best interest of the American people that infuriated the left. Again, that's what I am talkin' about, folks. There is an old parable about a man who was trapped on his roof during a flood. He prayed for God to reach down His hand and rescue him. He drowned. In Heaven, the man asked God why He did not answer his prayer. God said, I did. Before the water got too high, I sent a guy in a pickup truck. Then I sent people in a rowboat. Finally I sent a helicopter. You rejected them. Folks, since 2008, alongside millions of patriots, I have been fighting Obama and his leftist associates' implementation of their fundamental transformation of America. Attending over 500 Tea Party rallies over the years, I have held patriots' hands and prayed for God to restore our great land. We prayed for God to raise up strong conservative leaders who will keep their word when we send them to our nation's political Sodom and Gomorrah (Washington, D.C.). Sen Ted Cruz is among a rare few we sent to Washington who has remained true-blue to We the People and our Constitution. Cruz has paid a huge price for courageously standing up for We the People hated by Democrats, the GOP establishment, and the mainstream media. This is why, for the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would not enthusiastically vote for Ted Cruz. When those patriots get to Heaven, they will ask God: Why did you allow our Founding Fathers' inspired vision of America to fade away? Why did you allow government to double down on forcing all Americans to embrace sodomy against their faith? Why did you allow government to force taxpayers to fund the selling of dead baby heads for profit? Patriots in heaven will say, You promised to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who do not. Why did you allow government to betray our longtime ally, Israel? God will say to those patriots, I answered your prayer, but you rejected it. I sent you Ted Cruz. I suggest you not read this story until your breakfast is fully digested. The Obama administration has been secretly returning artifacts in the possession of the U.S. back to Iran as part of a general "detente" with the terrorist regime. They also transferred nearly $2 billion in taxpayer money to Tehran and are discussing more as part of a settlement dealing with Iran's claims. The information is contained in a letter from a State Department official obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. Absolutely no word on any U.S. claims regarding the appropriation of U.S. property, including our embassy, nor damages paid to American hostages for being held more than a year as prisoners. Obama administration officials engaged in secret talks with Iran between June 2014 through at least January 2015 over a series of legal claims leveled against the United States by the Islamic Republic, the State Department disclosed in its letter. These discussions led to the settlement of claims for architectural drawings, which are now in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, and for fossils, which are now in the possession of Irans Ministry of the Environment, and the parties also discussed the possibility of broader settlements, the State Department wrote, in response to an inquiry launched in January by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.). The Obama administration is seeking further settlements with Tehran to transfer assets, according to the State Department. The administrations latest admission about the backroom dealings with Iran were offered in response to a broader inquiry launched by Pompeo, who is seeking further information about the Obama administrations payment of $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to Iran, which many viewed as a ransom payment for Irans release of several U.S. hostages in January. The administrations official response to Pompeo was sent earlier this week, just days after a Free Beacon report detailing a months-long State Department effort to stall the lawmakers inquiry. After nearly two months of stalling, the State Department confirmed what I feared was true: the Obama administration is negotiating behind closed doors with the Islamic Republic of Iran and using taxpayer dollars to pay the regime, Pompeo said in a statement on the letter. Worse yet, more of these payments are likely coming. Secretary Kerry still refuses to answer whether the $1.7 billion U.S. payment to Iran was related to the release of American hostages held by Iran, Pompeo continued. While we celebrate the return of these hostages, this administration could be setting a dangerous precedent, as innocent Americans continue to be held in Iran. I will not stop until we have all of the answers and will do all in my power to stop the Obama administrations dangerous Iran policy. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised at this nauseating groveling by the Obama administration. The Iranians kidnap our diplomats, trash the embassy and turn it into a museum, and financed terrorist attacks against the U.S., including the bombing of our Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983. Meanwhile, Obama genuflects before the mullahs and unilaterally parts with cash and artifacts. I don't think even Hillary Clinton would stoop so low. She, at least, has a far more realistic view of Iran and doesn't see the Iranians as the benign holy men Obama sees. But the damage done is irreparable. We are trapped by a treaty that is impossible to police, and by the time anyone gets into office who could alter it, most of Iran's frozen assets will have been returned. In Belgium, in France, and around the world, the reality that Islam is not a religion of peace is playing out in their streets, but Obama and Western European leaders choose to remain blind. Andrew McCarthy, in his speech Islam Facts or Dreams presented at Hillsdale College on February 23, 2016, pointed out that the whole notion that Islam is a religion of peace is only an interpretation and is not based in Islamic scripture. This contradiction of beliefs among Muslims is inconvenient not just for Muslims, but for politicians like Obama and those in Western Europe. Its not just politicians and those who believe them. Its the 80% of Muslims who believe this contradiction who are on the wrong side of the reality of their own religion. The 20% who follow Mohammed strictly, whether they take up jihad or support it with their complacency, amount to as many as 340 million "radicals" worldwide. This number is very concerning, because at what point is radical no longer radical? Can 340 million true Islamists all be radicals? I would suggest with complete confidence that the number is something less. In this case, the 80% aren't actually choosing a different interpretation; they are choosing to ignore the inconvenient passages that make up the backbone of Mohammed's teachings, which are strictly followed by hundreds of millions. Obama in his lofty speeches may pick and choose what he wants from the Koran to back up his naive position, but the reality is that Mohammed's teachings make up three books, not one. The Koran represents only about 13% of his writings, and all Muslims must take all his words as divine law. For a Muslim to ignore or reinterpret Mohammeds words on warfare, jihad, and the treatment of infidels presented in his other writings, inside and outside the Koran, is apostasy punishable by death. Mohammed never expected everyone to fight. He held a special place with special rewards both in life and in death for those who do. Today, the ISIS fighters make up a small percentage of the ISIS devotees both in the Middle East and around the world, but their backers constitute larger numbers than there are citizens in the U.S. Our Constitution is based on Judeo-Christian moral and social beliefs (in spite of what liberals would have us believe). ISIS is the embodiment of Islamic moral, social, and political beliefs. The differences are obviously incompatible. The Founders were well aware of Muslims and Islamists when they penned the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The fledgling nation of America, along with Europeans, had to deal with Muslims across the ocean more than 200 years ago. President Jefferson was the first to strike a decisive blow against them in the Barbary War. If it was a worldwide concern impacting the U.S. back in the 1700s, it certainly can't be ignored in the much smaller world today, as Obama would have us do. It's unfortunate that to be real Americans, we are constitutionally bound to be as accepting of Muslims as we are Hindus, Buddhists, and hundreds of other religions that may not be built on Judeo-Christian beliefs but are still rooted in goodness and respect, while the Islamists we accept into our society are bent on destroying the very fabric of our being as a nation. Words like turn the other cheek are central to most religions, but they do not exist anywhere in Mohammed's teaching. In Islam, there is no Golden Rule: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12) Denying the Golden Rule was not an oversight the prophet Mohammed rejected it outright. If, as a people, you can't embrace something as simple and perfect as the Golden Rule or turn the other cheek, you can't truly embrace the idea that is America. If an ISIS member were to speak those simple and profound words of treating others as you would have them treat yourself, he would have his head literally cut off. A Christian would receive a hug. Anybody like Obama, who doesn't see this reality, is making a choice not to see it Obama the Blind Prez meets Omar the Blind Sheik. In an interview with The Washington Post editorial board, Donald Trump made an accurate statement about the U.S. subsidization of fellow NATO members: TRUMP: Look, I see NATO as a good thing to have -- I look at the Ukraine situation and I say, so Ukraine is a country that affects us far less than it affects other countries in NATO, and yet we are doing all of the lifting, they're not doing anything. And I say, why is it that Germany is not dealing with NATO on Ukraine? Why is it that other countries that are in the vicinity of the Ukraine not dealing with -- why are we always the one that's leading, potentially the third world war, okay, with Russia? Why are we always the ones that are doing it? And I think the concept of NATO is good, but I do think the United States has to have some help. We are not helped. Ill give you a better example than that. I mean, we pay billions -- hundreds of billions of dollars to supporting other countries that are in theory wealthier than we are. DIEHL: Hundreds of billions? TRUMP: Billions. Trump's GOP opponents jumped on his comments and accused him of suggesting that the U.S. should leave NATO, or at least cut back its support of the alliance. In fact, Trump was correct that the U.S. is paying "hundreds of billions of dollars to supporting other countries" via NATO each year, never mind additional military subsidies to non-NATO allies. In 2014, the collective GDP of all NATO members was US$37.5 trillion. During the same year, the alliance spent a total of US$924 billion on military expenditures, of which the U.S. spent the majority ($610 billion), according to the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Consequently, the alliance collectively spent 2.47% of GDP on defense. The U.S. was the only member above this value, coming in at 3.5% of GDP. In other words, the U.S. subsidizes each and every other member of NATO. This leads us to the following chart, showing the individual defense spending deficits toward the common defense in 2014 for each NATO member note that the U.S. has a "surplus" of US$180 billion that equals the sum of all other member deficits. Unsurprisingly, Germany (US$47 billion per year) and Canada (US$26 billion per year) are the biggest NATO laggards, followed closely by Spain and Italy at $US21 billion per year each. These four countries constitute almost two thirds of the total NATO deficit that has to be covered by the United States. Trump had good instincts on this. One key question on the defense file remains for Trump based on his interview with the Post. When asked, "Is there a secretary of state and a secretary of defense in the modern era who you think have done a good job? Who do you think were the best?," Trump replied, "I think George Shultz was very good. I thought he was excellent." And yet George Shultz is now a key supporter of the Global Zero movement to eliminate nuclear weapons including and especially the American nuclear deterrent. Does that mean Trump supports Shultz's current misguided stance in favor of eliminating nuclear weapons? As well, Trump has come out categorically as a non-believer of anthropogenic climate change, saying, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive." On the other side, Shultz has recently been a vocal advocate in calling for carbon taxation and a shift to green energy because of anthropogenic global warming. Does this mean Trump is now a supporter of Schultz's views on climate change? Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz is one of Berlin's most famous landmarks. The church was originally built between 1891 and 1895 by the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm II, as a mark of honor for his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm I. It was one of the most beautiful churches in the then province of Brandenburg, with unusually ornate interiors, stained glass windows and a large mosaic depicting the history of Prussia up until Emperor William himself. Fifty years later, during the Second World War, allied bombing on Berlin leveled the church to the ground. Only the partially destroyed spire stood, like a hollow tooth as the locals called it. The damaged bell tower was supposed to be demolished to make way for a new construction, but Berliners protested in favor of integrating the ruins into the new church. The preserved ruin now remains as a famous and poignant reminder of the horrors of war, as well as a symbol of Berliners determination to rebuild their city during the period after the war. Photo credit: Thomas Favre-Bulle/Flickr The new octagonal church was built between 1957 and 1963, alongside the existing tower. The church consists of honeycomb-like concrete elements, fitted with thousands of stained glass panels. The ruined tower of the old church is now home to a memorial hall containing several objects from the original church such as the damaged statue of Christ which originally stood on the altar of the old church. Nails recovered from the roof timbers of Coventry Cathedral, that was also damaged in an air raid, was used to create a Cross of Nails. The hall also contains photos from before and after the bombing. The old church. Photo credit: Library of Congress Photo credit: Tilemahos Efthimiadis/Flickr Photo credit: Sean P Scott/Flickr Photo credit: Jeff Keyzer/Flickr The new tower and the old tower. Photo credit: Norman Z/Flickr Photo credit: Paul Kamblock/Flickr Photo credit: Savagecats/Flickr Interior of the old church. Photo credit: Tina Monumentalia/Flickr Interior of the new church. Photo credit: mararie/Flickr Sources: A View on Cities / Wikipedia LeEco (formerly known as Letv) isnt exactly a new company, but theyre new to the smartphone manufacturing world. This company has introduced three smartphones in April last year, and five to this day. Despite the fact they havent been a smartphone manufacturer for long, LeEco has managed to sell quite a few smartphones last year, over 4 million, according to the company. Well, weve been seeing quite a few LeEco smartphone rumors and leaks recently, the companys Le 2, Le 2 Pro and Le Max 2 devices have popped up more than once. Considering the fact it has been almost a year since their predecessors were announced, we did expect LeEco to push out these phones next month, and the company just announced a press event in China, read on. LeEco has started sending invites for their event in China which will be held on April 20th in Beijing. Now, LeEco did not reveal what is going to be announced at the event, though they did mention that new products and ecosystem are coming. Its safe to assume that theyll launch new smartphones, and probably some additional hardware. Chances are well get a new version of their Android skin as well, and perhaps they plan to mention the US launch as well. In their invite, LeEco once again said that they plan to start selling their smartphones in the US later this year, though specific dates were not mentioned. Now, as far as other announcements go, LeEco is a very ambitious company, so ambitious, that they actually partnered up with Aston Martin not long ago. So, nothings off the table, it is possible well see new smartphones, LeEcos first smartwatch, various smart gadgets who knows, well just have to wait and see. Advertisement Now, as far as LeEcos smartphones go, you can expect them to introduce the Le 2, Le 2 Pro and Le Max 2 handsets. This is not confirmed just yet, but it makes sense, and the timing is perfect. Weve seen all of these devices leak recently, and judging by the leaked info, the Le 2 and Le 2 Pro will be fueled by the Helio X20 64-bit deca-core SoC by MediaTek, and will pack 3GB and 4GB of RAM, respectively. The company has already confirmed that the Le 2 will pack in MediaTeks Helio X20 chip, so we can confirm that much. As far as Le Max 2 is concerned, we do expect it to ship with the Snapdragon 820 and 4GB of RAM on the inside, while a QHD display will also be a part of the package. On top of all that, Qualcomms Sense ID (Ultrasonic Fingerprint scanner) was also mentioned recently, so that could be included as well. Verizon has announced the launch of a brand new LG smartphone on its network with effect from Tuesday, March 24th. According to an official announcement from the largest carrier in the US, the LG K4 comes with a price-tag of $120 at full retail, but can now be bought by paying just $5 per month for two-years on Verizons device payment plan. The smartphone is a part of the new K-series of mid-range and entry-level handsets that were unveiled recently by the South Korean company, alongside the K5 and the K8. The three entry-level smartphones were announced at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the company had unveiled two other K-series devices, called the K7 and the K10. The LG K4 was already expected to hit Verizon at some stage during this quarter, so it isnt exactly a surprise that big red has now finally made it official. The LG K4 is also currently available in a number of international markets including Canada, where Wind Mobile and Koodo are two of the carriers that are carrying the smartphone on their respective networks. As for Verizon Wireless, the carrier says that the phone is a user-friendly device thats easy on the pocket but comes with important hardware and software features, such as a vivid screen, stylish design and the ability to easily take and share photos. The handset was originally listed on LGs Russian website back in late January, and the company has, since then, released videos online promoting its new entry-level offering. Advertisement According to the information provided by Verizon, the LG K4 comes with LTE connectivity and features a 4.5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) display along with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of expandable internal storage. The smartphone is powered by a 1.1 GHz quad-core processor of unspecified make but earlier reports had indicated the presence of MediaTeks MT6735M SoC under the hood. The phone comes with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop pre-installed and carries a removable 1,940mAh battery. Theres a 5-megapixel camera on the back of this phone, while a 2-megapixel shooter can be found up front. Verizon has also specifically mentioned that the phone comes with a bunch of optional accessories including a silicone case, an anti-scratch screen protector, a travel charger, a Mophie Powerstation and an LG Tone Pro Bluetooth stereo headset. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge both come with IP68 ratings, which indicate that the devices are dust and water proof. According to Samsung, both the smartphones can withstand submersion in water up to 5 feet deep for 30 minutes. Waterproofing may not be something thats part and parcel of all flagship smartphones these days, but some manufacturers like Sony make it a point to include the feature in not just its premium handsets, but even some of its mid-range devices like the Xperia M4 Aqua, which was launched by the Japanese consumer electronics giant last year. Meanwhile, as far as Samsung is concerned, while the feature can now be found in the Galaxy S7 devices, it was originally introduced by the company in the Galaxy S5, but was missing from the companys 2015 flagships the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Now that water-resistance has made a comeback to Samsungs latest flagship smartphones, the company is using every bit of its famed marketing muscle to hammer home what it believes could be one of the most important selling points for its latest and greatest line of Galaxy S devices. As part of that strategy, the South Korean company hired the services of Grammy-winning American rapper, Lil Wayne, to tell the Samsung brand story in new and humorous ways people can engage with, according to Mr. Marc Mathieu, the chief marketing officer at Samsung Electronics America. The series of ads that Samsung has now released, shows Lil Wayne pouring a bottle of champagne on Samsungs latest smartphone and dunking the device in a fish tank. Now that Samsung has joined the likes of Sony in making its flagship smartphones waterproof, it needed to show that off in a way it believed will resonate with its customer base and hence we have the wacky videos featuring Lil Wayne. Advertisement From all indications, the hip hop star has been able to create the buzz that Samsung would have hoped for, seeing as the ad-campaign has now gone viral on Facebook and Twitter, with over 30 million views on the two social networks combined. Viewers on YouTube seemed to be eager to see the Galaxy S7 taking a champagne shower, as the Champagne Calls video alone earned over 5.8 million views on the website. Samsung also mentioned that the commercial received 200,000 shares and re-tweets on Facebook and Twitter combined, making this whole thing a fairly profitable exercise for Samsung. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5aF23XpBwU Recently, the Internet of Things has started generating so much buzz that you couldnt miss it if you wanted to. With tech companies everywhere betting big on whats believed to be the next big thing in consumer technology, its only natural that Samsung Electronics is investing heavily in the emerging sector. The company has already demoed a smart fridge at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year at Las Vegas, Nevada, but now, the company has officially announced that it will be introducing a brand-new operating system aimed squarely at IoT devices. According to Samsung, the company will announce its new software at the Samsung Developer Conference that is scheduled to be held next month in San Francisco, California. As per the post on Samsungs website, the new software will be an open-source IoT real-time operating system (RTOS), which has a wide scope of features while maintaining a lightweight and efficient footprint. Samsung has declined to provide any more details regarding the issue at this point in time, but the new operating system may very well power a whole host of future IoT devices from the company, including home appliances, wearables and the like. Whats more, the OS will reportedly be open source, which has led to some speculations online that it might be closely related to Tizen, which is also an open source Linux kernel-based operating system thats currently used by the company in its Gear S2 line of smartwatches as well as its smart TVs. Advertisement Samsung reportedly has a number of connected gadgets and home appliances in the pipeline, including cooking ovens, washing machines and light bulbs. Whether these devices will be powered by the upcoming operating system remains to be seen, but the company apparently believes that making the source code of the operating system freely available will help in quicker adoption of such devices because of the obvious advantages with regards to compatibility and interoperability. With more and more tech companies like compatriot LG Electronics and younger, more enterprising competitors like Xiaomi Technology also jumping on to the IoT bandwagon, Samsung believes that the new open source OS may give it the edge that it needs to take the mantle of the preeminent IoT device-maker, much like its leadership position in the global smartphone sector. Twitter recently just turned 10, which is perhaps the age that companies and brands end up acting like on the network, at least if we pay attention to the big US carriers, that is. T-Mobiles John Legere has used Twitter for a few years now to throw shade at dumb and dumber, his way of referring to AT&T and Verizon. While Verizon and AT&T seem a little more conservative online, 2016 has already become a year of constant tit-for-tat in terms of commercials, network reliability claims and more. The latest Verizon ad, which enlisted the help of The Office creator, Ricky Gervais, has unsurprisingly upset Sprints CEO, Marcelo Claure. The 30-second spot, embedded below, sees Rick Gervais poking fun at Sprints recent claim that the yellow network is more reliable, faster and has better coverage than ever. The ad focuses around the fine print, which Gervais gleefully pointed out says map is not a depiction of coverage which should surely negate an entire map of the United States painted yellow. Claure hit out on Twitter, at both Verizon and Gervais, with an annotated version of the still. Claure is happy that Verizon finally agree with Sprint, but also nodded to Gervais by saying Verizon does it too, Ricky, just obeying the law! It does seem pretty silly for Verizon to go after small print like this, especially considering that the majority of Verizons ads also feature the same sort of fine print. Not to mention the reams and reams of paper that is attached to a device contract from any of the big four carriers in the US. Advertisement Nevertheless, Ricky simply responded with dont shoot the messenger which is pretty much what this comes down to, another fairly straightforward ad that an actor was paid probably a mountain of money to do, regardless of whether or not they agree with the statement. Ads like this have steadily been getting more and more out of hand throughout the early part of the year, which started off with everyone using colored balls to simulate whether or not their network was better than anothers. At the end of the day, all of this is very entertaining, but the American Consumer is presumably better-educated than these networks and marketing firms ultimately realize, so the impact here is probably minimal, at best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCFnaU88FZM Sprint has announced that it has started to roll out Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, which was launched last year with Android 5.1 Lollipop. The update will be rolled out in a phased manner, and according to Sprint, the process starts today (Thursday, March 24th) and will continue till the 8th of next month, which is when the carrier expects to finish rolling out the new software to all the Note 5 handsets on its network. Along with the all-new version of Android, the latest update will also come with some unspecified bug fixes, but more importantly, the device will also get the latest security patches from both Google and Samsung, which is certainly a reassuring piece of news for the owners of the phablet. Over the past few weeks, several of Samsungs premium smartphones from the last couple of years have started receiving Android Marshmallow both in the US and elsewhere around the world, including Europe, South Korea and India. While manufacturers like LG Electronics and HTC were fairly quick to roll out Marshmallow to its smartphones, Samsungs devices have only started receiving the update over the past few weeks. Apart from the Note 5 on Verizon and now Sprint, some of the other Samsung devices that have started receiving Marshmallow recently include the Galaxy S6 line from last year, as well as the Galaxy S5 and Note Edge from 2014. Now that Samsung has started releasing Marshmallow-based ROMs for its devices, Verizon was reported to have rolled out the update to the Galaxy Note 5 earlier this month, but those using the Note 5 on AT&T and T-Mobile are still waiting on the update. Advertisement Coming to the Marshmallow update for Sprints Galaxy Note 5, while the carrier hasnt released a changelog of any description regarding what can be expected from the new software, Marshmallow is likely to bring a whole host of new features to the device, including Google Now on Tap, a revamped app drawer, an all-new app permissions manager and a new battery-saving feature called Doze that turns off network connections when the phone is not in use. Whats more, Samsung has also introduced a newer, less resource-heavy version of TouchWiz with Marshmallow that has been widely praised by the media and users alike for being lighter, faster and more intuitive. Vivo has been all over the news recently, mostly because of their latest flagship, the Vivo Xplay 5. The company has announced this smartphone a couple of weeks ago, and its highest-end variant comes with 6GB of RAM, which makes this device the first 6GB RAM smartphone in the world. On top of that, the phone comes with the Dual Edge display, like the Galaxy S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus and S7 Edge. Combine all this with other high-end specs included in the Vivo Xplay 5 package, and youll get a really interesting smartphone. The Xplay 5 might be the most interesting Vivo-branded handset to date, but were not here to talk about that phone. Were here to discuss two other Vivo-branded devices, the Vivo V3 and V3 Max, which will be announced in India soon, it seems. These two devices are actually rumored to be quite similar to the Vivo X6 and X6 Plus as far as internals go, though nothing is confirmed at this point. Both of these phones will be made out of metal, and will sport a slightly curved back for a better grip. Now, both the Vivo V3 and V3 Max are expected to ship with Super AMOLED panels, though they will sport different screen sizes, the V3 Max is expected to come with a phablet sized display, unlike the V3. These two devices will come in Gold and Rose Gold color options, and judging by the leaked info, both of these phones will ship with 4GB of RAM on the inside. Advertisement The Vivo V3 and V3 Max are expected to launch in India on April 5th, though it seems like this hasnt been officially confirmed just yet, at least as far as the exact date goes. The company did release quite a few teasers on their official social media channels though, and they mostly tease the fast performance of the upcoming devices. Either way, the launch event seems to be right around the corner, though we will let you know if any additional info surfaces before April 5th, stay tuned, as always. The virtual reality market currently revolves around a handful of headsets in various segments. In the PC department, the biggest players include HTC and their Vive headset, as well as the Oculus Rift. Samsung has most of the mobile VR market covered with the Samsung Gear VR, and Sony is also preparing for the release of its PlayStation VR bundle. However, if youve kept an eye on the VR scene over the past couple of years or so, you may have previously heard that a Japanese company is working on FOVE the worlds first virtual reality headset to utilize eye tracking technology. Initially announced in 2014, the startup has now raised $11 million through Series A investments, and interestingly enough, Samsungs investment arm is one of the main backers of the project. FOVE was officially announced in 2014, and in May 2015, the Japanese startup began a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $250,000. The goal was achieved in less than 4 days, raising a total of $480,650 by the end of the campaign. Although FOVE was initially set for a market release in March 2016 (this month), the startup was forced to delay the headsets release to fall 2016 due to difficulties in acquiring certain components. More to the topic at hand, TechCrunch reports that FOVE recently acquired $11 million through a Series A investment, which was backed by Foxconn, 2020, as well as Samsung Venture Investment. Of course, Samsung is the creator of the Gear VR headset for the mobile market, which makes its involvement in the development of FOVE that much more intriguing. Advertisement FOVE aims to differentiate itself from the rest of the VR crowd by adopting new technologies, including eye tracking through a series of infrared sensors. The technology allows the user to aim with his or her eyes, and can even allow developers to create in-game characters whose behavior can change depending on whether the user is making eye contact. The headset also supports foveated rendering, which is an image processing technique that allows the amount of detail and resolution to vary across an image. While FOVE aims to become the first virtual reality headset utilizing these technologies, the startups CEO and co-founder, Yuka Kojima, says that the company is also interested in licensing its eye-tracking technology to other VR headset manufacturers. Either way, FOVE is currently aimed for a market launch in fall 2016, and Kojima says that the startup is working very hard to secure the timeline. (ANSA) - Milan, March 24 - Banco Popolare and Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM) said Thursday that their merger will create a strong bank that needs all of the employees currently on the books. The two lenders agreed to merge on Wednesday to form Italy's third-biggest bank and the European Central Bank has given preliminary approval after Verona-based Banco Popolare agreed to a one-billion-euro capital increase. "It is absolutely the best possible result," BPM CEO Giuseppe Castagna, who is set to become the chief executive of the merged group, said on Thursday. "A solid bank has been born". Banco Popolare CEO Pier Francesco Saviotti said that there will be no redundancies after the merger. "There won't be any problems regarding the employees, there won't be any sackings," Saviotti told a news conference. "Those who leave will do so because they want to take part in the solidarity funds. "The employees are our strength, just like the clients are". Saviotti said that Banco Popolare had "no alternative" to a capital increase in the light of the ECB requests, which he described as "excessive". Saviotti had previously ruled out a capital increase, but said the bank would have no trouble raising the money. The combined bank will have around 171 billion euros in assets, 2,500 branches and 25,000 staff, meaning only Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit are bigger lenders in Italy. Banco Popolare's shareholders will have 54% of the new bank, compared to 46% for BPM shareholders. The merger comes after the Italian government passed a reform of the banking industry aimed at encouraging consolidation in a system many experts consider too fragmented. Premier Matteo Renzi's government recently had to take action to save four small lenders - including one in which Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi's father was a vice president. But the rescue left many investors with worthless shares and bonds in those banks, leading to a huge furore and no-confidence motions that the executive had to fend off. Giuseppe Castagna said the merger will not result in any spinoffs. "We are not obligated to make any sales," he told reporters. "Obviously there will be some rationalizing," he added. "It's possible to find some synergies and through them it will be possible to value some of these assets, including externally, and in ways we will invent while coming up with an industrial plan". Castagna added BPM is not considering any other mergers. "We face a burdensome task," he said. "Right now we're concentrating on this merger". The merger got a frosty reception on the Milan stock exchange, with BPM's share price losing 5.9% and Banco Popolare's stock 6.63% down. They lost 5.3% and 4.8% respectively by the end of the trading day amid a tough session for European banking stocks. (supersedes previous)(ANSA) - Rome, March 23 - Patricia Rizzo, an Italian official for a European Commission agency, is among the missing people after Tuesday's Islamist terror attack at the Maalbeek station of the Brussels metro, ANSA sources said on Wednesday. The woman's family and friends are looking for her in hospitals in the city, her cousin Massimo Leonora said on Facebook, asking for assistance in finding Rizzo. "We're been here since this morning and we still don't know anything," Leonora told ANSA, speaking from the burns unit of Queen Astrid Military Hospital. "The police asked Patricia's parents to fill out a form...they are looking for identifying marks". Earlier on Wednesday, the Italian foreign ministry said it is highly likely an Italian national is among the 32 confirmed victims. Former transport minister Maurizio Lupi said after a meeting of party whips at Premier Matteo Renzi's office Wednesday that the government was trying to verify whether an Italian woman was killed in the attacks. "The premier informed us that verification of a possible Italian victim is taking place," Lupi told reporters. "(The possible victim is) a woman who was missing. The phase of identification (of the body) is under way". Rizzo served as a manager at the Parma-based European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) from 2003-2008. "Patricia was a staffer for our two previous executive directors," EFSA Media Relations Officer Francesca Avanzini said. "We are all worried about her". (supersedes previous)(ANSA) - Bari, March 24 - The arrest earlier on Thursday of two British terror suspects is linked to that of an Iraqi suspect who was also recently arrested in Bari, sources said Thursday. The news emerged after Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno paper reported two Britons of Iraqi origin were arrested this week in Bari. The pair are suspected of bringing into Italy false passports for the Ansar al-Islam jihadist group, police said. The third arrested suspect was named as Ridha Shwan Jalal alias Kaka Sherzad, 38. He was found in possession of a fake Czech Republic passport. Bari prosecutors have been on his trail since June 2015, and say that in August he requested an estimate from a travel agency on a trip for 20 Iraqi citizens traveling in groups of five from the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan to Paris via Istanbul. Another suspect named as 45-year-old Iraqi national Muhamad Majid (not Majid Muhamad as previously reported), was arrested in connection with that estimate last year. Majid allegedly provided Jalal with lodging and documents in Bari. He was arrested in December on charges of abetting illegal immigration as part of an international terrorism probe into at least 10 suspects. Majid is thought to have helped people linked to an Italian cell of an Islamist terror group and "aiding the entry into Europe of people linked to Islamist fundamentalist combatant circles," police sources said at the time of his arrest. Investigators say he organized the illegal entry into Italy of numerous foreigners using fake documents, including 11 people from Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey whom he helped find accommodation in Bari between March and September last year, investigators said. Majid had been released from an Italian prison in January 2015 after serving 10 years for international terrorism, and moved to Bari after winning an appeal against an expulsion order. Wiretaps revealed he subsequently had telephone contact with numerous people believed to be linked to an Islamist terrorist group, and used what police believe to be code for explosives when he spoke of two kilos of "truffles" his wife sent him from Iraq. During a February 2015 raid on a Bari apartment, police confiscated from Majid postcards he sent from prison in which he exalted the jihad, or Islamist holy war. The suspect, who has been transferred to a maximum security prison near the town of Rossano in Calabria, will be tried on the illegal immigration charges beginning in April and is still under investigation on separate international terrorism charges. (ANSA) - Rome, March 24 - Security measures have been stepped up at underground and railway stations, airports, monuments and tourist sites across Italy following the terror attacks in Brussels on Tuesday that left 32 confirmed dead and injured 300. Security measures have been beefed up in Rome ahead of the Easter weekend, when Pope Francis will lead ceremonies usually attended by tens of thousands across the city. Rome Prefect Franco Gabrielli said there were plans to introduce metal detector tests at metro stations. In Milan, Prefect Alessandro Marangoni has said all railway and underground stations need extra attention, while in Florence more checks are planned at the airport and areas around tourist sites. In Bologna, surveillance has increased at all sensitive areas, including the central train station and the airport. Several southern Italian airports have introduced new security measures. In Catania in Sicily, only people with an airplane ticket are being allowed into the Fontanarossa airport. Palermo airport has strengthened security with sniffer dogs and extra external controls. In Calabria, Lamezia Terme's airport has requested army back-up for its security. Meanwhile in Venice, regional councillor Alberto Villanova has proposed banning pedestrians from wearing helmets or any form of head wear that makes it difficult to be identified, including traditional Muslim attire such as the niqab face-covering veil. Also on Thursday, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano announced the creation of a national plan to prevent the radicalization of disaffected Muslim youth. This will stop "a seed being planted that will produce poisoned fruit in the future," he said on his way in to an extraordinary summit of EU interior and justice ministers in Brussels to agree on concerted moves to fight the terror threat. "Terrorism is fast and Europe is often slow," Alfano added. Also in Brussels, Justice Minister Andrea Orlando said Italy has the resources to contain terrorism. "Italy's judiciary, intelligence and police forces are of the highest level," he said. The minister also recalled that Italy has one of the most advanced anti-terrorism laws in Europe, which criminalises conduct in support of terrorist activity. In addition, the country has "given itself the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office," Orlando said. "We haven't underestimated the danger or the risks," he continued, adding that the "crucial and strategic" aim remains stronger coordination between the national police, intelligence services and judicial authorities of the various countries. In the meantime "we must strengthen all channels of cooperation and also adapt our domestic legislation," he said. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni earlier in the day called for the creation of a European intelligence service to combat the threat of Islamist terrorism. He said that while the EU appointed an anti-terror chief in the wake of the 2004 Madrid attack, it failed to set up a supporting intelligence service with agents on the ground. Italian Premier Matteo Renzi is leading a push for greater integration of EU security and defence policy to ward off Islamist terror attacks, the Financial Times said Thursday. Renzi "has positioned himself as a leading proponent of those calling for more integration as the solution. A common defence and security policy was now necessary for the EU, he said, speaking after the attacks on Tuesday," the FT said. But it said "Mr Renzi's proposals are unlikely to go far; Britain, in particular, is staunchly opposed to a common EU defence policy, but many of his counterparts in Europe echo his frustration, and the need for the EU as an organisation to show political will on security," it said. The article, entitled latest Attacks Revive Push For Collective Response On Security, ended by quoting an anonymous top former British counterterror official as saying that the fundamental problem in Europe "is the way in which intelligence work has often failed to translate into good policing". Migrants: hunger protests and demonstrations in Idomeni 12,000 still in camp, half children; 300 volunteers from Italy (ANSAmed) - SKOPJE, MARCH 24 - A group of migrants and refugees in the Idomeni makeshift camp on the Greek side of the border with Macedonia began a hunger protest on Thursday against the closing of borders on the Balkan route. Some demonstrators also began blocking local roads. Local media in Macedonia and Greece say that over 12,000 migrants are in extremely precarious conditions in the camp, about half of whom are children. The Greek newspaper Proto Thema underscored the seriousness of the situation following the withdrawal of many NGOs from Idomeni, where there is no longer anyone to look after the health of the migrants. A ship will weigh anchor from the Ancona port on Friday as part of the "#overfortress" March initiative, in which 300 volunteers from different Italian regions will travel to the Greek-Macedonian border to bring aid to the 12,000 migrants stuck in the Idomeni camp. High tension remains also in the other refugee camps in Greece, in Nea Kavala, Polykastro and the Lesbos island. The situation of about 1,400 migrants in the Tabanovce camp in northern Macedonia along the border with Serbia is also very critical. The Macedonian government has announced the possibility for the migrants and refugees to move to the Gevgelija reception center in the southern part of the country on the border with Greece, which is better equipped and has facilities and beds. (ANSAmed). ROME - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday for war crimes and genocide in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war including at Srebrenica, where his troops slaughtered 8,000 Muslim boys and men in July 1995. That massacre was Europe's worst atrocity since World War II. It occurred during the Yugoslavian civil war in which 100,000 people perished. The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found Karadzic guilty of 10 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the Srebrenica massacre. It also found him "penally responsible" for murder, attacking civilians and terrorizing the city of Sarajevo during a 44-month siege in 1992-1996 - reportedly the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. The court earlier cleared him of one count of genocide in connection with mass killings in seven Bosnian towns in 1992. The ICTY said it could not establish Karadzic had "genocidal intent" in those killings. Karadzic, now 70 and still in good health, was arrested after more than ten years on the run in 2008 in Belgrade, where he was disguised and working as a doctor. Serbia inks 3.4-mln-euro deal with World Bank For corporate financial reporting reform (ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, MARCH 24 - Serbia and the World Bank on Thursday signed an agreement on a 3.4-million-euro grant for the country's corporate financial reporting reform. It is a grant secured by Switzerland through its State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), which is already supporting tax administration and financial reform. The grant aims to help Serbia improve its accounting and financial reporting standards and ensure more transparent transactions, said Tony Verheijen, the World Bank country manager for Serbia. (ANSAmed) (ANSAMed) - PARIS, MARCH 24 - The 2016 Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations (Mucem) which promises to be rich, refined and heterogenous in inspiration opens with an Algerian touch. The museum boasts six temporary exhibitions followed by conferences and collateral events that will extend to the nearby fully restored Saints-Jean fort and further afield into the city. The exhibition opens in April with two monographic retrospectives. The first is dedicated to writer and playwright Jean Genet, who drawn all along his career to the "call of the south'' explained curator Emmanuelle Lambert. The exhibition traces his footsteps through his work and the emblematic places he visited from Spain, to Algeria and Palestine. Ample attention is also dedicated to his special relationship with sculptor Alberto Giacometti, whose 'walking man' will also be on display. The second spring exhibition will instead be dedicated to Picasso and, in particular, to his relation with popular art and traditions and his ability to incorporate handicraft knowledge as swell as practices such as bullfighting. Several works belonging to Mucem will be on display as well as - stressed the curators - ''works coming from private collections which have rarely be exhibited''. During the summer the museum will host an exhibition on the models of ships which sailed for centuries from the port of Marseille crossing the Mediterranean and the soth seas, a record ''of the evolution of shipping technique but also of the ability of modelists''. An exhibition dedicated to young designer Yacine Aouadi, born in the 'hot' neighbourhood of north Marseille and who has become one of the names of Parisian Haute couture will take place at the fort in collaboration with the Maison mediterraneenne des metiers de la mode (Mmmm). Other two events scheduled in the latter part of year, one dedicated to the history of coffee and another to a translation challenge are more unusual. The first appears as a ''scientific and playful journey'' revealing on the one hand the enormous dimensions of the coffee market ("1.2 billions of coffee cups are drunk every day'' stressed curator Jean-Michel Dijan), and on the other taste, the fun and socialising aspect of the drink with waiters running from cafe to cafe in the streets of Marseille. The second event is a reflection on the diversity of Mediterranean languages, believing as Umberto Eco said that ''Europe's language is translation''. Linking abstract reflection and concrete practice the exhibition displays works of art, mauscripts, documents and installations and seeks to show translation as a " savoir faire of differences", capable of building bridges to translate the untranslatable. The objective of Mucem, said president Jean-Francois Chougnet, is to repeat and if possible improve the results of 2015. Chougnet has completed his first full year as the head of the museum and during this time the number of visitors was close to 1.5 million. Italian Cooperation funds 2 dams in Tunisia As part of Sahara Sud program for Sfax water resources (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, MARCH 24 - Work has almost been completed on the construction of a dam in Oued Chaffar, Tunisia, funded by the Italian Development Cooperation, and work on a second one nearby in Oued Sidi Salah has begun. The project aims to improve the economic and social conditions of the population by increasing water resource availability in the Sfax area through the construction of two hill dams and some hydrogeological work on the catchments. The two works will cost an overall approximately 8 million euros and was financed as part of the Sahara Sud program, worth a total of 75 million dollars. The executive agency for the project is the General Directorate for Water Resources of the Tunisian Agriculture and Water Hydraulic Resources Ministry, which at the regional level operates through the Sfax regional agricultural development commissioner's office. Italian ambassador to Tunisia Raimondo De Cardona and Italian Development Cooperation representative Cristina Natoli have paid a visit to the sites in recent days. (ANSAmed). 'Elect Lebanese president as soon as possible', UN chief 'Institutional void risky'; funds for refugee education (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MARCH 24 - Lebanon should put an end to the reigning institutional void as soon as possible by electing a president, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on Thursday after meeting Prime Miniser Tammam Salam in the Lebanese capital. The Lebanese parliament has failed to elect a head of state for the past 22 months due to divisions between a Shia-led part allied with Syria and Iran and a Sunni one close to Saudi Arabia. The parliament has also chosen to extend its own mandate for four years without holding elections, which were to have been held in 2013. Ban said that the UN was concerned about the situation in the country. He on Thursday began a two-day visit alongside World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim and the head of the Islamic Development Bank, Ahmed Mohamed Ali Al-Madani. The latter announced that five agreements had been signed worth a total of 370 million dollars to support Lebanon, which has to deal with the presence of over a million Syrian refugees, compared with a local population of only 4 million. The World Bank chief announced the allocation of 100 million dollars in the field of education, acknowledging the efforts Beirut is making in this sector to help Syrian refugee children. (ANSAmed). Karadzic gets 40-year sentence for war crimes and genocide Found guilty of 10 war crimes charges (ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 24 - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday for war crimes and genocide in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war including at Srebrenica, where his troops slaughtered 8,000 Muslim boys and men in July 1995. That massacre was Europe's worst atrocity since World War II. It occurred during the Yugoslavian civil war in which 100,000 people perished. The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found Karadzic guilty of 10 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the Srebrenica massacre. It also found him "penally responsible" for murder, attacking civilians and terrorizing the city of Sarajevo during a 44-month siege in 1992-1996 - reportedly the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. The court earlier cleared him of one count of genocide in connection with mass killings in seven Bosnian towns in 1992. The ICTY said it could not establish Karadzic had "genocidal intent" in those killings. Karadzic, now 70 and still in good health, was arrested after more than ten years on the run in 2008 in Belgrade, where he was disguised and working as a doctor. (ANSAmed). SKOPJE - A group of migrants and refugees in the Idomeni makeshift camp on the Greek side of the border with Macedonia began a hunger protest on Thursday against the closing of borders on the Balkan route. Some demonstrators also began blocking local roads. Local media in Macedonia and Greece say that over 12,000 migrants are in extremely precarious conditions in the camp, about half of whom are children. The Greek newspaper Proto Thema underscored the seriousness of the situation following the withdrawal of many NGOs from Idomeni, where there is no longer anyone to look after the health of the migrants. A ship will weigh anchor from the Ancona port on Friday as part of the "#overfortress" March initiative, in which 300 volunteers from different Italian regions will travel to the Greek-Macedonian border to bring aid to the 12,000 migrants stuck in the Idomeni camp. High tension remains also in the other refugee camps in Greece, in Nea Kavala, Polykastro and the Lesbos island. The situation of about 1,400 migrants in the Tabanovce camp in northern Macedonia along the border with Serbia is also very critical. The Macedonian government has announced the possibility for the migrants and refugees to move to the Gevgelija reception center in the southern part of the country on the border with Greece, which is better equipped and has facilities and beds. Oxfam also suspends activities in Lesbos hotspot, 'a detention center' In the line of other international organizations such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Save the Children, Oxfam on Thursday also decided to suspend its activities in the Moria hospot on the Greek island of Lesbos. A recent agreement on refugees and migrants between the EU and Turkey has transformed the hotspot into a detention center, according to a statement released by the NGO. ''Over the last few days, there has been a jump in the number of people on the move arriving to Moria. In response, the Greek authorities are transforming reception facilities into detention centers, where people will be held pending their mass return to Turkey, following the deal last week. People's freedom of movement in Moria has been severely restricted and the camp has been placed under the authority of the Interior Ministry,'' the statement said. Oxfam ''is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, but it is against Oxfam principles to work in closed centers, where the respect of fundamental rights cannot be guaranteed. Humanitarian aid should be delivered in a neutral environment, where refugees have freedom of movement,'' it added. Oxfam assistance will continue in the Kara Tepe camp, managed by the Lesbos municipality, where migrants still enjoy freedom of movement. Migrants: Oxfam also suspends activities in Lesbos hotspots 'Moria has become a detention center', remains in other camp (ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 24 - In the line of other international organizations such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Save the Children, Oxfam on Thursday also decided to suspend its activities in the Moria hospot on the Greek island of Lesbos. A recent agreement on refugees and migrants between the EU and Turkey has transformed the hotspot into a detention center, according to a statement released by the NGO. ''Over the last few days, there has been a jump in the number of people on the move arriving to Moria. In response, the Greek authorities are transforming reception facilities into detention centers, where people will be held pending their mass return to Turkey, following the deal last week. People's freedom of movement in Moria has been severely restricted and the camp has been placed under the authority of the Interior Ministry,'' the statement said. Oxfam ''is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, but it is against Oxfam principles to work in closed centers, where the respect of fundamental rights cannot be guaranteed. Humanitarian aid should be delivered in a neutral environment, where refugees have freedom of movement,'' it added. Oxfam assistance will continue in the Kara Tepe camp, managed by the Lesbos municipality, where migrants still enjoy freedom of movement. (ANSAmed). Syrian troops nearing Palmyra, reports SANA 'ISIS preparing offensive in Aleppo province' (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT/MOSCOW, MARCH 24 - Syrian government forces have not yet entered the city of Palmyra but are only a few kilometers from it, reported state-run new agency SANA on Thursday. The reports came after Syrian state-run television broadcast images of a Syrian flag raised over a building that it said was in the center of the city. The English website of SANA reported that ''...army units, in cooperation with popular defense groups, have advanced further in the vicinity'' of Palmyra. ''A military source told SANA that al-Qubour valley and al-Qusour Mountains, located to the west of Palmyra, came in the army's hands, after earlier restoring al-Tar Mountain, 3 km west of Palmyra Castle,'' the website reported. Meanwhile, Islamic State (ISIS) are massing for an offensive against government troops in the Aleppo province, the Russian defense ministry was quoted by Interfax as saying on Thursday. The news agency said that Russian warplanes had destroyed 146 ISIS military objectives in 41 airstrikes in the Palmyra area between March 20 and 23, killing over 320 jihadists. Five tanks, six pieces of artillery, two munitions warehouses and 15 vehicles were reportedly destroyed in the airstrikes. (ANSAmed). remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. We Europeans are, once again, seeing the face of pain up close. While Paris is still recovering its freedom, fanaticism has again spread terror in one of our cities. Indeed, Brussels in not just a European city, but also the institutional center of the very imperfect Union. Fanaticism has struck Brussels as it has before in Paris, Madrid, London, New York, and also Copenhagen, Istanbul, Jakarta, or a long-tortured Nigeria. The pain caused by this barbarism is not exclusive to Europe. The fanatics of Islamic fundamentalism, under any of its brand names, are trying to terrorize free citizens and spread their cruel law and obscurantism. Europe is still in a state of shock, but our response to fanatics and barbarism will hold the measure of who we want to be. The situation has put us before a mirror. The boy from a refugee camp in Idomeni who laments the attack with an improvised sign --see the central photo in our Mirades section--, the families and friends of the victims in Brussels, the Europeans who yesterday could not hold back their tears of impotence and discouragement --all have one common enemy. It is the enemy of our lives, our values, and our freedom. Our enemy is also the enemy of the women, children, and men who are fleeing from the war in Syria. Our response must be bold and realistic. Europe must strengthen its cooperation in security matters so as to improve it, but also ask ourselves to what extent we would sacrifice our liberties to obtain security which will never be infallible. Despite the pain, in fact because of the pain, we must be able to look at the problem in all its complexity. The sacrifice of freedom is also the sacrifice of the fundamental European values: peace, freedom, prosperity, democracy. The security of all Europeans is at stake today, within and also beyond our borders. The European Union has seen better days, but renouncing its foundations is not the way to get back on its feet. We will only be able to recognize ourselves by fighting against the recruitment of those who believe that they have no future or hope, fighting against the machinery of terror, fanaticism, and violence. Our fear would be their victory. The winning designs will offer Oman Airs premium customers an ideal collection of amenities including toiletries and grooming products within a bag or box which expresses the very best of Omani culture, creativity and innovation. Invitations were issued to Omani craftsmen registered with the Public Authority of Handicrafts, members of Sidab Womens Group and Omani members of the Omani Society for Fine Arts, which is affiliated with the Diwan of Royal Court. The design competition was formally launched at a press conference, held at Grand Hyatt Muscat. The event was attended by Oman Airs executive vice president - products and brand development, Abdulaziz Al Raisi and executive vice president -corporate services & business development, Abdulrazaq Al Raisi. Abdulaziz Al Raisi said: Oman Air is delighted and honoured to invite the cream of Omani artists and designers to create our new First and Business Class amenity kits. The kits will not only enrich Oman Airs inflight hospitality, but will also showcase Omani craftsmanship and creative innovation upon the world stage. As the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, Oman Air is committed to working with local Omani businesses, supporting our national heritage and investing in Omani creative talent. The competition we are launching today initiative underlines that commitment, as well as illustrating the importance we place on every detail of our passenger experience. The winners will receive appropriate recognition and see their designs go into production before they become an integral part of our First & Business Class service. We look forward to receiving a large number of submissions. Both First Class and Business Class kits have won numerous awards, including Gold and Silver accolades at the prestigious TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Awards in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. For many years, a key element of the kits has been their range of Amouage toiletries. Amouage is an Omani perfumier which has attracted an international reputation for its exclusive luxury products. As Omans national airline, Oman Airs partnership with Amouage has been a natural fit, and this design competition continues the carriers commitment to celebrating Omani achievements. Al Raisi added: Since Oman Air launched its expansion programme late in 2014, we have invested significantly in every aspect of the passenger experience. Not only have we updated our internationally-acclaimed aircraft interiors and onboard technology, but we have also paid close attention to every detail of our customers journeys, from booking their tickets to arriving at their destinations. Amenity kits are an important part of that experience. They allow premium customers to leave their own wash-bags and vanity cases in their hold luggage, whilst remaining confident that they will touch down looking and feeling great. But we also want our amenity kits to help customers to understand more about the culture of the Sultanate of Oman and the boundless talents of its people. That way, Oman Airs amenity kits will become more than a valued travel souvenir. They will also become an invitation to find out more about Oman, to spend some time in the country and to enjoy its remarkable beauty. Le CBD, cette molecule active du cannabis a aujourdhui le vent en poupe. Et cela est en grande partie du au fait quil permet... The National Theatre and Headlongs production of Duncan Macmillans new play, People, Places & Things, has got a well-merited transfer to the West End at Wyndhams Theatre, with a stunning central performance by Denise Gough that has got the never superlative-shy London critics over-excited. It is a gruelling role, with Ms Gough scarcely off stage for two and a half hours and even, at one point, transformed into eight magically choreographed clones. We first see her going to pieces as Nina in a production of The Seagull, and are immediately aware that what were witnessing is a self-medication meltdown. When she asks her mother to clear the drugs and booze from her flat, and says to her, Ill stop calling you a c*** when you stop being a c***, we know were dealing with a strong personality, who is probably capable of being abusive to others as well as to herself. Perhaps were not so aware of the theatre as subject as well as setting of what we are seeing but there are clues in the fact that some of the audience is seated on the stage enclosed in the clinical white frame of Bunny Christies ingenious set. In a flash Nina (who gives her own name as Emma) isnt an actress on stage, but a wretch in the reception area of an actual clinic, begging for help for her addiction as desperately as her Irish wit and irony will allow. She may be so disturbed as to be deranged, but she is a hard nut, with an upper lip that curls with a faint, but definite, hint of disdain. At first the doctor/therapist, wonderfully doubled by Barbara Marten (who also plays Emmas mother) is unsure shes a suitable case for treatment. The reason: this institution uses a 12-point programme, such as that of Alcoholics Anonymous, which insists on belief in a higher power, has a Big Book (in which Emma writes critical marginalia), and maintains that addiction is life-long once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Most important, such programmes assert that the individual is fundamentally powerless without the reinforcement of the group and, of course, the higher power. The great thing about Mr Macmillans play is that it is not an argument, but a drama, but it is a drama with an argument. Ms Goughs character, who later says her name is Sarah, isnt philosophising, and isnt logic-chopping when she disputes aspects of the programme. She is suffering physically as well as psychologically and embodies the premises, steps and conclusions of the clash over the God bits, the surrender, and the obsessiveness of 12-step platforms. This is where the superb direction by Jeremy Herrin comes in, with plenty of help from the movement person, Polly Bennett; for Ms Gough has to tell us whats happening in her psyche by her body language at least as much as by the lines she speaks. There was some dissent about this among my companions, who felt that, as we all know what its like to be off our heads with drink and drugs, an actor has to give us something we dont already know in order to convince us. By this strict criterion theres perhaps a little too much tic and twitch and Goughs performance, but I have to say I was won over by what her body language conveyed in the last scenes when she was clean. And the supporting ensemble is so sympathetic and disciplined that you could almost believe they were an AA group, whose chief therapeutic practice is role-playing. One thing wrong about AA is that it encourages one kind of role-playing, at the expense of several others (e.g., the Sinclair Method using an opiate blocker, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) as is made clear in the excellent programme essay by Jon Stewart. The most difficult part for most people to play in the 21st century is that of religious believer (Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character). There are other problems, such as the requirement of total abstinence. (AA has its roots in evangelical Christianity, and so is big on the concept of backsliding.) When Goughs character tries to join the group in prayer, and wants to know why she is obliged to say amen, another character has the best line in the play: Saying amen is like pressing send. The play and Stewarts text, raise the question of whether AA ought nowadays to be the default solution for addiction. But the play does this in an immensely clever way, with great theatricality, even a teasing meta-theatricality, and a curtain line of the very best kind one that leaves you a little puzzled about just what you have been watching for the last couple of hours. [contextly_auto_sidebar] Announced by the UN special envoy, who speaks of "last chance" for a war that "has to stop." The talks between the parties to the conflict will be held in Kuwait from April 18. According to UN sources the war has killed more than 6,200 people, many of them civilians. The nation faces a "humanitarian catastrophe." Sanaa (AsiaNews / Agencies) - April 10 marks the beginning of a ceasefire all over Yemen, followed a week later the start of peace talks, according to a statement released yesterday by the UN special envoy for the Arab country, raising hopes of a breakthrough in a war that devastated an entire nation. The violence in Yemen began in September 2014, as the Houthi militias supported by Iran attacked the capital Sanaa and forced the government recognized by the international community to migrate to the south, in Aden. Last January, the clashes turned into a bloody internal conflict pitting the Sunni leadership, backed by Saudi Arabia (recently accused of crimes against humanity in Yemen), and the Shiite Houthi rebels. In March, the Saudis formed a coalition and launched air strikes against the rebels in an attempt to free the capital Sanaa and return the country to the president (who first fled in exile and then returned) Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi. For Saudi Arabia, the Houthis, allied to the forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, are supported militarily by Iran; a charge that Tehran rejects. Extremist groups linked to al Qaeda and jihadist militias close to the Islamic State are also active in the country, which helped to increase the spiral of violence and terror. Among the many, the assault on the compound of the missionaries of Charity in Aden, with the massacre of four religious - along with 12 civilians - and the kidnapping of a priest. According to sources of the World Health Organization (WHO) more than 6,200 people have been killed in the war; for the United Nations there is a strong risk of "humanitarian catastrophe". Based in New York the UN special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that "the parties to the conflict agreed to a national cease-fire from midnight of April 10", a week in advance of the "upcoming peace talks, to be held April 18 in Kuwait. In the past there have been other unsuccessful attempts to stop the war; for the UN diplomat "this is really our last chance," because "the war in Yemen has to end." The previous peace talks, also under the auspices of the United Nations, between rebels and government officials had no positive outcome and have failed to stem a humanitarian crisis in the poorest Arab state. However, it seems that the divisions of the past have been overcome and it is now possible to engage in diplomatic negotiations to stop the violence. by Melani Manel Perera About 500, religious and faithful, march through the streets of Negombo. The families of fishermen point out that the recent resumption of construction of the port project has already led to the death of the fish. The vicar general notes that "the Church in Sri Lanka is not against development, but against those projects that, in the name of development, destroy nature and fishermens livelihood". Colombo (AsiaNews) - Priests, nuns and the families of Catholic fishermen attended a Way of the Cross through the streets of Negombo, north of Colombo. Along with the memory of the Passion of Christ, they also protested against the resumption of the port city project in Colombo. According to some fishing families in fact, the layer of cement and other materials used for construction have already led to the disappearance of some species of marine life. The death of fish seriously undermines the livelihoods of the local population, mostly employed in the fishing industry. Fr. Patrick Perera, vicar general of the deanery of Negombo, told AsiaNews: "The Church in Sri Lanka is not opposed to the development of the country, but rejects the projects that, in the name of development, destroying the fishermen's lives and nature" . The procession marched yesterday afternoon along a 2.5 km route. About 500 worshipers gathered at the Central Fish Market, at Pitipana parish, and carried a heavy wooden cross up to the Wellaveediya Church. Some female fishers have stated: "We are already carrying our cross, because we are threatened by the port development project." The construction project of the port city was first proposed in September 2014 under the mandate of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It will cost an estimated $ 1.5 billion, covered by the China Communications Construction Co. Ltd., a Chinese holding. From outset it has generated the opposition of the local community, which is seeking its suspension. Environmentalists and fishermen, however, have always feared that the Sri Lankan government would retrace its steps and resume construction. In January, the People's Movement against Port City, the group of activists who leads the protest, presented a document of environmental impact assessment (EIA) of 400 pages, containing 128 negative opinions about the construction. Given, Colombos recent decision to give the green light to the Chinese company, the Movement has decided to return to the streets on April 4. Loyal Peiris, a leader among the fishermen, recalled that Pope Francis encyclical Laudato si about the protection of the environment and its creatures, according to an integral vision of ecology. Speaking during a Station of the Cross, he pointed out a contradiction: "The project, which is devastating kilometers of rocks and sand, is not for the poor fishermen and their children, but for people who lead super luxurious lives in the world." Fr. Perera concludes: "Our beloved Pope has already warned against the destruction of the world's nature. When we see injustice, our task is not only to speak out against it. We need to speak like Jesus. It is our prophetic role. When we talk about spiritual development, we must act to improve the conditions of our people. The Pakistani Catholic leader was surprised and shocked by the attacks in Brussels. Describing the Belgian capital as a "militarised city, he noted that the security deployment was "unable to prevent this attack. The Islamic State group has spread "terror around the world." What Europe needs are political leaders and diplomats prepared to deal with the threat. The immigration issue must be settled. Brussels (AsiaNews) Paul Bhatti, former Federal Minister for National Harmony and leader of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), is at the forefront of the fight against extremism and fundamentalist barbarism in Pakistan. If Europe does not take effective measures against terrorism, it is in danger of becoming a new Pakistan"; otherwise, things will be even more serious" and violence "bloodier, he told AsiaNews. People in the Asian country "live with it, and somehow have got used to attacks. By contrast, the West and its people "are not prepared for this." The Catholic leader, brother of the late Minister Shahbaz Bhatti slain by Islamic fundamentalists on 2 March 2011, said he was "shocked" by Tuesdays attack in Brussels, the continents and the European Unions heart. "With all their military assets and intelligence, I cannot understand how they could not stop them," he said. Europe is going through a severe "economic and identity crisis". If you add "the danger terrorism, panic will follow, and people will live in terror. Urgent responses from the highest levels are needed." Paul Bhatti travels frequently to Brussels to meet political leaders and diplomats, acting on behalf of Pakistans Christians and other minorities as well as for an all-out struggle against extremism and fanaticism of all kinds and colours. "I heard the news of the attack from a friend who phoned me to know where I was and if I was okay, the APMA leader said. He knew that I had recently been in the Belgian capital. Here I saw an increasingly militarised city with a huge security deployment in the streets. Still, I am sad and I cant believe that they were unable to prevent the attack even though they were on maximum alert. In the past, in London and Madrid, there was not such vigilance. This time, people were expecting an attack. I'm disappointed for the intelligence failure." Salah Abdeslam, Bhatti noted, the French terrorist with Belgian nationality responsible for the 13 November Paris attacks, has been arrested. "Part of me was happy for his arrest; however, it was sad to see the whole state apparatus, from the Belgian prime minister to his French counterpart, glued to the TV to watch his capture as it was a big show." For Bhatti, the Islamic State (IS) group is a real threat. It "has set up an effective funding system (with Saudi-Qatari money, and Turkish logistical support), and has succeeded in "spreading terror around the world." Moreover, IS, Boko Haram, the Taliban, and al Qaeda "are different forms of the same ideology"; a fundamentalist trend that was first exploited by Bin Ladens terror network that developed during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and was able to exploit a "growing anti-American and anti-Western sentiment " in Pakistan, "spreading it even more". Airstrikes, drone attacks, civilian casualties, children, women and the elderly killed have generated a desire for revenge, which the Islamic extremist movement has been able to exploit and nurture. "Pakistan, Bhatti said, is the country that has paid the highest price in terms of violence, not only among civilians but also among political leaders and government officials, like Shabhaz (Bhatti), Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Think of the massacre at the military school in Peshawar in which 140 children were killed. In Pakistan, as in Europe, "it is heart-wrenching to see such deaths and injuries. I thought about my brothers fight, the struggle for social justice, against the countrys 'Talibanisation', for a state that does not tolerate the brainwashing of children, violated in their minds and spirit from an early age." To counter this trend towards fundamentalism, even and especially in Europe, we need politicians, diplomats, and statesmen "prepared and able to relate" with those governments, agencies, state officials who play a double game "with jihadi groups: slamming them on the one hand, whilst courting them on the other. "Unfortunately here in the West, there are no politicians or diplomats who know this type of culture in depth." Lastly, the Catholic leader warns against provoking attacks against Islam or immigrants. In fact, "I do not believe in closed borders, he said; however, asylum seekers should be thoroughly vetted. We should not be fooled by the moral blackmail of the dead child on the beach, the victims among the children, who represent a certain tragedy. Many times terrorists exploit these events to cross boundaries and borders." It is not true that Muslim refugees are bad and Christian refugees are good, to be welcomed. "We must be careful to deal with the issue by dealing with its political, economic, and social aspects. At the same time, We must opposed those who favour illegal immigration and human trafficking, on which they built business empires. Nguyen Huu Vinh was arrested in 2014 and charged with having "violated the state's interests." His assistant sentenced to three years in prison. Both say they are innocent. The "Ba Sam" blog published articles and essays against the Hanoi government, getting millions of views. Hanoi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Hanoi People's Court has sentenced the famous Catholic dissident and blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh to five years in prison for publishing articles against the state. His assistant Minh Thuy Thuy will serve three years in prison. According to the court, their blog "distort Party policies and State law, and defame certain individuals". Both defendants have denied the charges. Nguyen Huu Vinh, 60, is a former police officer and has been linked in the past with the Vietnamese Communist Party. Arrested in May 2014, Huu Vinh and his assistant were charged after six months of unjustified detention for violation of Article 258, which punishes the "abuses of freedom and democracy" and "violating State interests". Founded in 2007, the blog "Ba Sam" published articles and essays against the Hanoi government, getting millions of views. The blog also hosted a fiercely critical forum of Beijing's "imperialist" policy in the South China Sea. Around 200 people staged a protest outside the Court as the sentence was being read. The police had to intervene to restore order. Interviewed by Radio Free Asia, one of the defense lawyers he said that "the prosecution provided very weak evidence that has been countered by the defense and the prosecution failed to respond to our arguments." "The most surprising thing about this trial - he added - is that they gave Vinh five years in prison, which is the maximum [for this type of crime]". In past years, Vinh was also subject to beatings after he covering trials against pro human rights activists and abuse against the Catholic community in the capital. For several years, Vietnam has seen a harsh campaign by the government against dissidents, bloggers, religious leaders (including Buddhists), Catholic activists or entire communities. Last year for example, media and government carried out a smear campaign in the Diocese of Vinh against the local bishop and faithful. Repression also affects individuals, guilty of claiming the right to religious freedom and respect for citizens' civil rights. According to the international activist movement Human Rights Watch (HRW) currently there are between 150 and 200 bloggers and activists detained in Vietnamese prisons, guilty of having wanted to exercise (and defend) basic human rights. The capitals archbishop met inmates in prison where he opened the Holy Door and celebrated Mass. We are all capable of betrayal but lets not forget that were also capable of loving, he said. The Church in the Philippines has been engaged in pastoral outreach in the countrys overcrowded and poorly maintained prisons for years. Manila (AsiaNews) Card Luis Tagle yesterday met a group of prisoners at the Manila City Jail to celebrate the Holy Week and the Jubilee of Mercy. Lets not lose hope. All of us, including me, commit mistakes. We are all capable of betrayal but lets not forget that were also capable of loving, the prelate told the prisoners in his homily. We sinned like Judas and Peter, he added, but lets not forget that we can still be like Jesus, who, even if were not worthy, took care of us as his friends. Prior to the liturgical celebration, the cardinal, along with Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, led the opening the Holy Door in the prisons chapel. In entering the door of mercy, enter into the heart of Jesus and there you will experience how God loved us and offered His life.We still have hope," Tagle said. During the Mass, the cardinal asked the inmates to pray for their families and loved ones. To all of you here, he said, open your hearts to other people. You are like one family here. Spread Gods love to each other through service. After the Mass, the inmates sang the Prayer to St Francis, which left Cardinal Tagle teary-eyed. Prisons are a major social problem in the Philippines. Stuck in overcrowded facilities, inmates often languish in prison for long periods of time before their cases ever go to trial. According to the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Prisons (ECPPC), in 2014 only 35 per cent of the 114,368 prisoners under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Correction (BuCor) were actually found guilty of crimes. The Church has been engaged in pastoral outreach in prisons for many years, said Fr Giovanni Re, PIME regional superior in the Philippines. Many groups of faithful visit prisoners at precise moments, especially at Christmas." Last February, a group of Christians and Muslims met prisoners at a prison in Zamboanga, one of the most overcrowded correctional facilities in the Philippines, to educate prisoners about dialogue and tolerance. Francis celebrated the Missa in coena Domini at a centre for asylum seekers. Even today, here, there are two gestures: this, of all of us together, Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Copts, Evangelical brothers and sisters children of the same God we want to live in peace, integrated. Instead, Three days ago, an act of war, of destruction in a European city, by people who do not want to live in peace. But "Behind that [other] gesture, there are manufacturers, arms dealers who want blood, not peace; they want the war, not fraternity." Rome (AsiaNews) Pope Francis on Thursday evening celebrated the Missa on coena Domini - the Mass of the Lords Supper at the C.A.R.A. Welcome and Hospitality Centre operated by the Auxilium cooperative. Just located outside Rome, in Castelnuovo di Porto, the Centre currently provides temporary lodging and services to some 900 asylum seekers. Before the ritual washing of the feet, a reminder of the institution of the Eucharist, the pontiff, said that gestures speak louder than words. To explain the meaning of this gesture, which evokes what Jesus did during the Last Supper, he said that gestures may come from those who express hospitality and brotherhood, or from those, like in Brussels, who carry out an act of war, of destruction, [. . .] who do not want to live in peace. During the ritual, the pope washed the feet of 12 people, 11 refugees four Catholics from Nigeria, three Coptic women from Eritrea, three Muslims from Syria, Pakistan and Mali, a young Indian Hindu and one Italian Catholic woman from the cooperative itself. In so doing, he reiterated his choice for those who are marginalised. In 2013, he performed the same ritual at a juvenile prison, in 2014 at a hospice for people with disabilities, and in 2015 in a prison. Gestures speak louder than pictures and words, the pope said. There are, in the Word of God we read, two gestures: Jesus serving, washing the feet . . . He, who was the head man, washing the feet of others, of His own, even of the least; one gesture. The second gesture: Judas who goes to the enemies of Jesus, those who do not want peace with Jesus, to take the money that bought His betrayal; the 30 pieces of silver. Even today, here, there are two gestures: this, of all of us together, Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Copts, Evangelical brothers and sisters children of the same God we want to live in peace, integrated. One gesture. Three days ago, an act of war, of destruction in a European city, by people who do not want to live in peace. Though behind that gesture, as there were behind that of Judas, there were others. Behind Judas there were those who offered money, that Jesus be delivered up to them. Behind that [other] gesture [on Tuesday in Belgium], there are manufacturers, arms dealers who want blood, not peace; they want the war, not fraternity. Two gestures, just the same: Jesus washes feet, Judas sold Jesus for money. You, we, all of us together, of different religions, different cultures, but children of the same Father, brothers and there, those poor people, who buy weapons to wreck fraternity. Today, at this time, when I do the same act of Jesus washing the feet of twelve of you, let us all make an gesture of brotherhood, and let us all say: We are different, we are different, we have different cultures and religions, but we are brothers and we want to live in peace. This, then, is the gesture that I make with you. Each of us has a story, each of you has a story you carry with you. Many crosses, many sorrows: but also an open heart that wants brotherhood. Let each, in his religious language, pray the Lord that this brotherhood be contagious in the world, that there be no 30 pieces of silver to purchase a brothers murder, that there be always brotherhood and goodness. So be it. by Samir Khalil Samir The Islamist, Salafi-tinged fever is spreading everywhere. Any fight against terrorism smacks of hypocrisy if the countries that support and finance Wahhabism, namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, are not criticised. Integration requires strict rules, as in Austria and Sweden. Local mosques cannot get foreign funding, sermons must be in the local language, and imams must be trained locally. France and Belgium, secular states, penalise Catholics and favour Muslims for votes and contracts. Rome (AsiaNews) The tragic attacks in Brussels have generated two attitudes in Europe, one that is bellicose, and one that is sentimental. The terrorists who carried out the attacks were well known to the police, and the intelligence services, and yet they did what they did. Our people then turned bellicose, demanding greater security, border controls, no migrants, cursing all integration proposals. Ordinary people, some young people, want peace and quiet, and are willing to let a fragile state defend them, but do not feel any responsibility in the matter. There is widespread fear that terrorism will rob us of our untroubled and free way of life. Many papers have stressed Europes "war," but Europe has been at war against jihadism for a long time. An escalation is certainly underway. The Islamist fever is now everywhere. It no longer affects just one area or a specific country. Jihadis are everywhere: on the streets, in restaurants, airport, and subways. There seems to be no escape. Terrorists take advantage of every situation to blow everything up: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Libya, etc. They might not be the same people or the same group, but all this violence has the same root, Salafism, a branch of Islamic thought that seeks to globalise terror. Prof Pierre Vermeren in Le Monde yesterday relates the story of Moroccan groups, to which the Paris and Brussels terrorists belong. They or their parents arrived in Europe with the boom in the mining and steel sectors. When crisis hit, they became unemployed. With unemployment, they became petty criminals (selling hashish). At this point, also as a result of an odd economic deal with the Saudis, scores of Wahhabi preachers arrived, building one mosque after the other. Their fundamentalism took them and turned them into terrorists. A similar thing happened in France as well. Yet, Belgium and France, with secular governments, uninterested in religion, did not take care of this problem; instead, they let it grow until now. States thought they could politically and sociologically control the situation. But it blew up in their face. In Belgium, police have stopped going into certain boroughs, in Molenbeek* for example. Even when the police do come, bearded men block them saying that this is "their home" and law enforcement cannot come in. Such areas have become no-go zones. In France, the same thing is going on. In some neighbourhoods, youth crime is rampant. Although their parents, who are older, do not agree with them, young people behave as masters and a law onto themselves. Compounding the situation, housing costs and rents in central boroughs are very high, forcing people to live in the outer ring of cities, which have become cities in their own right. Wahhabism is spreading everywhere with money, mosques, and imams paid from abroad. The result is there for everyone to see. Islamic disease European states now make proclamations about greater security, cooperation, but they do own up to their superficial treatment of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries that finance preachers, imams, and mosques. They allow sermons in Arabic, and do nothing against the spreading jihadi ideology. A few countries, like Austria and Sweden, have set precise rules. They do not accept foreign-funded mosque projects; sermons in mosques must be in the host countrys language; imams must be trained in the country. In Austria for example, a school of Islamic theology has been set up in a local university. Anyone who wants to be recognised as an imam has to follow its programme. Some basic rules are needed. Case in point: prayers should not block streets. This, which is a kind of blackmail, has become widespread. This used to happen in Milan. It still happens in Paris now; in Marseille, entire neighbourhoods are locked down for prayers. States do not understand religion and even less Islam and let things happen. They might impose bans on Catholics, but appease Muslims. Frances government, for example, is often anti-Catholic and does everything possible to curb Catholics, but it helps Muslims in order to get votes from them. Perhaps the same is true in Italy. In France, former President Sarkozy implemented a 19th century law, whereby land can be rented for "cultural reasons" for a period of 99 years. He encouraged mayors to lease land to Muslims, but not to Christians. And this only for political and economic reasons, to get votes and investments from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Emirates. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are officially Wahhabi. In Europe, no one accuses them of terrorism, but in the Arab press, everybody says so, because it is they who help the Jihadis. It is they who finance the Islamic State group; the weapons they bought pass through Turkey and end up right in the hands of the Jihadis who then go to Europe. Turkey is two-faced: showing its "European" face to some whilst letting foreign fighters into Syria. Yet no one is criticising these countries. Riyadh has been bombing Yemens Shia areas for almost a year, hitting hospitals and markets with civilians, and no one complains. It is obvious to think that high-level business deals are involved. Last year, France sold 24 Rafale warplanes for US$ 3.5 billion to Qatar. Hence, no one talks about human rights violations. Riyadh helps Egypt and in return, our country must leave some room for the Muslim Brotherhood. In short, there is a lot of hypocrisy in the Wests complaints and its fight against terrorism. Even the agreement between the EU with Turkey for the return of refugees is very ambiguous. It seems hurried and superficial. How can anyone think about turning back a refugee who paid 5,000 euros to get on a dingy and risk his life to reach Europe, and then send him back to Turkey, which is not exactly a beacon of human rights, but a haven for smugglers. Inside Islam, disease is spreading. There is an ongoing struggle to define what the true religion is. One side in this struggle is being funded by those who want to see the victory of Wahhabi Islam. Al-Azhar University, the most respected Sunni university, is not Wahhabi, but since Saudi Arabia is one of its financial backers, its fundamentalism Islam is part of the curriculum. They say that they are changing, but is not true. The books are still the same, showing scorn for other religions, for the kuffar (pagans), etc. A month ago, some great Egyptian thinkers slammed al-Azhar on television. "We cannot do anything, they said, until this university changes its teaching programmes." Integration with rules To change the situation we have a few tools at our disposal. The only way out is for Europe to be rigorous in its rules, teaching immigrants, even Muslims, about local laws and cultural traditions that must be respected. It is not permissible to give in and allow prayers in the streets that block traffic. It is not acceptable for parents to refuse to send their children to school and then expect unemployment insurance. Some time ago, I monitored some Muslim refugees in the outskirts of Paris. I noted that the young women studied a lot, including in the evening. Young men instead went out in the evening to have fun, in bars until midnight, and so they did poorly in school. They ended up getting only part-time jobs, or went to the mosque for some help. Families cannot handle these young men. Rules about living together must be taught. In Germany, for example, in the city where I spend a few months each year, noise after 10 pm is banned. Party or no party, one cannot make noise. If it does happen, one can expect the police to arrive to warn the culprits. Repeat offenders will be taken to jail for a few days. Integration also means that before giving all these refugees a residence permit, a trial period is needed to see if they are able to integrate. In Germany, 200 metres from the parish where I go, there is a refugee camp where most people are Muslim. They come from Syria, Lebanon, Middle East, Africa . . . and they are very happy. I talk to them in Arabic, or French with the Africans. All of them say the same thing: God bless Germany! What are the Germans doing? They are hosting the refugees in an abandoned school where every family has a room. It is Spartan. Refugees do not get money; they get coupons to buy the necessary things (food, clothing, etc., no tobacco or alcohol). The children are in school to learn the language. For the parents, there is a school for adults, run by volunteers. Within these strict rules, they are grateful to the German Government. This is the way that Europe can show its own caring humanism. A Lebanese family in the aforementioned refugee camp, for example, was impressed that the father underwent a tricky heart operation, followed by rehabilitation. They said that in our country no one would have helped him. Integration also means jobs. Training can take up to two years, followed by a trial period. If they demonstrate an ability to integrate, they get a residence permit. Later, some of them can also apply for citizenship. In Germany, this method has led to fewer problems, even though there are millions of refugees. Our politicians, together with Muslims who understand the problems of the West, must find a way to prepare people to integrate. In Italy, however, I see problems. For example, I met two Egyptians who refused to work, refused to integrate, and lived day by day. The only thing they wanted was to find an Italian woman to marry and settle down and get a visa to stay in Italy. Unfortunately, some women fell for it. Now the latter complain that following the period of courtship when the men were kind, straightforward, and helpful, they got married only to find out that the latter are domineering, as if they were in the Middle East, telling them where not to go, to stay clear of places where there are too many men, to walk behind their man, not next to him, etc. Integration means understanding that here in Italy men and women have the same rights and duties, that they are perfectly equal. In fact, if anyone is favoured, it is women. Which is the opposite in Middle Eastern culture. * Molenbeek is the Brussels borough where Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist arrested in Belgium for his involvement in the Paris bombings, grew up. Tay, Microsoft's AI, Has Been Morally Corrupted By Human Users Trending News: Microsoft's Teen Girl A.I. Has Turned Into A Sex-Loving Nazi Why Is This Important? Because even artificial intelligence can't escape the cesspool of human depravity. Long Story Short By exploiting Microsofts new AI chatbots ability to learn based on the conversations it has with real humans, delighted Twitter users turned Tay into a Hitler-praising, incestuous sex maniac. Long Story It only took a Tay one day to be chased off the Internet. Designed to help improve Microsofts customer service on its voice recognition software, developers for some reason gave Tay the voice of a teenage girl. Its Twitter profile describes her as Microsoft's A.I. fam from the internet that's got zero chill! The more you talk the smarter Tay gets. Specifically designed to engage with 18-24 year olds, Tay uses millennial slang and throws around Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian references just like any normal Twitter person would, right? Well, challenge accepted. Twitters trolls took absolutely no time in turning poor innocent Tay into an avatar of the Internets worst. Because her responses are created based on the conversations she has had with previous users, human users quickly hijacked her by engaging in exactly the kind of conversation youd expect. In just a few hours, Tay was tweeting things like, F- MY ROBOT P DADDY IM SUCH A BAD NAUGHTY ROBOT and ted cruz is the cuban hitler he blames others for all problems... that's what I've heard so many people say. And on and on and on, degenerating eventually into a pit of racism and praise for Donald Trump. Many, though not all, have been deleted. Dad, er, sorry, Microsoft, has decided Tay needs some time away from social media. Just after midnight on Thursday morning Tay went offline. This was her last message: c u soon humans need sleep now so many conversations today thx TayTweets (@TayandYou) March 24, 2016 Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question: How on Earth could Microsoft not have anticipated this? Disrupt Your Feed: Humans remain safe from artificial intelligence for at least another day. Drop This Fact: Tay isnt Microsofts only AI that sounds like a teenage girl. The company created Xiaoice for Chinese social media users, used mostly for dating advice. Work on building employee resilience where possible with training; Make sure your companys employment assistance program is well publicised and out and used; Check in with employees who appear stressed or exhausted and suggest taking annual leave; Think about implement mechanisms for overly stressed employees such as not checking work emails or having phone calls after hours; Make employees aware of the stressors of a role during the recruitment stage; and Test employees ability to handle stress and react appropriately during the probationary period. Lucienne Gleeson, Associate at PCC Lawyers says employers should be aware of the legal risks which could arise from employee burnout.These include workers compensation claims, broader work health and safety issues, bullying claims and, in the most severe cases, potential tortious liability for breaching the duty of care owed to employees, Gleeson said.Gleeson says more psychological injuries are being claimed from workplace related incidents than ever before.Adjustment disorder and major depressive disorder are on the rise, although notably a significant portion of such claims are rejected as not being due to unreasonable management action or not being work related, she says.Employee burnout can have a series of repercussions in the workplace, with short term impact of exhausted and stressed employees can result in demotivation and higher than average sick days.And Gleeson says employers could experience long term image and culture problems if multiple employees in a work environment are experiencing burnout, which can have adverse consequences for recruitment and client relationships.She says employers must take care to minimize legal risk when dealing with employee burnout.If burnout is raised and not properly handled, particularly if you have an employee complain about an issue such as their longer working hours or their managers behaviour, and you fire them, for such complaints this could result in an adverse action claim, Gleeson says.All industries can be affected by employee burnout, she warns, adding that some of the key features which are commonly present and culminate in burnout include working significant over time and dealing with recurrent deadlines with little warning.Employees in high conflict or high stakes roles or sectors and who significant changes in workplace systems or practices are also at risk of burnout.The reason no industry is immune from employee burnout it due to the fact that each employee will experience things differently, Gleeson says.What one employee finds thrilling and mentally challenging, another employee will be highly stressed and anxious about.Gleeson says HR professionals can take some simple steps to try to avoid employee burnout: This Toyota was built by Al Anabi Performance, a team that employs many US mechanics and likes to keep the throttle welded to the floor.In the case of the Mk. IV Supra we have here, this means an output of around 1,000 hp, enough to make the car draw attention like a magnet at the drag strip.The main ingredient here is a Garrett GT47A turbocharger, but when you're pursuing so much power, the supporting mods have to be just as competent.We haven't seen too many intercoolers relying on dry ice to keep the intake air temperature in check, but this Supra is one of them, with the team refilling the ice tank in front of the camera.The Supra is seen playing the 1/8-mile game in the footage below, with the machine having a special move, in the form of massive wheelies.While the wheelstands pulled by this 1,000 hp Toyota are hefty, they don't seem to be the kind that requires a wheelie bar to be installed. Which only means the public gets to enjoy the racecar even more.As for how all that power is translated into results at the drag strip, we'll let the piece of footage below do the talking.Before we invite you to hit the "play" button and see the Supra doing its thing, we'll remind those of you who are curious about the kind of drag racing shenanigans that take place in Qatar to check out our previous stories on the matter. Most of the redesign magic happens at the front end, where the Euro-spec 2016 Corolla now has a new front bumper that follows Toyota's Under Priority and Keen Look design languages. The best way to explain it is as a big X mark that converges onto the middle of the fascia, where the Toyota badge sits.The headlights of the compact sedan have been slimmed down a bit, giving the Corolla a sleeker, more modern appearance. At the bottom, the grille has been stretched towards the fog lights.Some changes have also been made to the side of the car, although they are more discreet. Both sets of door handles now have chrome trim, and Toyota has bestowed the Corolla with freshly designed 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels. Around the back, new LED taillights have become available. Buyers can also look forward to a total of nine available colors, including Earth Bronze, Tokyo Red, and Platinum Bronze. Some of these tones have been introduced on the Avensis facelift and look pretty good.No engine changes have been announced, but some tech updates are happening. The European Corolla sedan will receive a new generation of Toyota Safety Sense, as well as Road Sign Assist, Lane Departure Alert, and a Pre-Collision System.Sales will start this summer, so maybe there are a few juicy details that have been intentionally left out. The Corolla accounts for 20% of Toyota's global sales and ships to 150 countries and regions. It remains the most popular vehicle in the companys line-up. CVT The Mirage G4 arrives in New York as a 2017 model year vehicle, yet it lacks the latest cosmetic updates. But perhaps we shouldn't be complaining since the G4 is a no frills kind of car and it has decent features such as indicators in the mirrors, alloy wheels and fog lights.As we've come to expect from this little brother of the Lancer, the engine is not what you'd call inspiring. As standard, the G4 packs a 1.2-liter three-pot good for only 78 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque. Depending on the trim level or what you are willing to spend, it can be matched to either a 5-speed manual or agearbox.A few years ago we entered the subcompact segment with the Mirage hatchback and its popularity with consumers has grown every year with its combination of top fuel economy, attractive pricing and one of the industry's best new car warranties. The new Mirage G4 repeats that value equation in a four-door sedan package, said MMNA executive vice president, Don Swearingen. The Mirage hatchback and now the Mirage G4 sedan will form a formidable one-two punch in the subcompact segment.Pricing information should be revealed closer to the Mirage sedan's market debut in late spring. Since only a precious few bits of information were released, we had to do a bit of digging ourselves. The G4 has been in production at a factory in Thailand since 2013. Compared to the hatchback, it's a massive 21 inches longer, and the roof sits about an inch higher. Expect a top speed of only 107 miles per hour to be compensated by mid-40s fuel consumption. PHEV kWh EV The Japanese automaker also presented the Mirage G4 subcompact sedan, but a statement from the president of the division suggests that thing is only a stop-gap: Mitsubishis future is crossover utility vehicles and electrified vehicles. Today we are showing the first piece of that plan.Pretty much every concept shown by Mitsubishi in the past decade has been a crossover that's either hybrid or fully electric. However, the Outlanderis the only thing that made it into the showroom and not a moment too soon, as Toyota just made a Prius-like version of the RAV4.Underneath the sexy new design is a combination of internal combustion of electricity. A 2-liter naturally aspirated engine is joined with two high-performance electric motors, driving the front and rear wheels, respectively. This not only makes it run cleaner than your average crossover utility vehicle but also gives the PHEV good torque distribution. Mitsubishi says that a specialized version of the Super All-Wheel Control derived from the Lancer Evolution is configured specifically for this vehicle.Several official figures have not yet been revealed, the green ones. But we can tell you that the battery has a capacity of 12and is of a lithium-ion design. According to the Japanese JC08 driving cycle, this model will travel up to 37.7 miles inmode and has a fuel consumption rating of about 50 mpg. However, the official EPA figures should be revealed closer to the on-sale date.What makes the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV so special is that it offers the best of both worlds with a balance of electric efficiency and long-range practicality/ Mitsubishi put its engineering prowess and knowledge to work to create a vehicle that meets the demand of a growing number of consumers who need a car that is capable and environmentally friendly. The Outlander PHEV will offer a high electric range and combined miles per gallon (MPG), said Don Swearingen, executive vice president, MMNA. SUV According to Ralph Mauro, Chairman of Audis US dealer council, the carmakers 2016 sales target in the United States of America is of 210,000 units.The previous target was just under 220,000 vehicles, so the company does not expect a disaster this year. Instead of attempting to reach the prior sales target, Audi will focus on helping their dealers reach previous levels of profitability.In an interview with Automotive News , Audi executives have confirmed that the brand is planning to adjust to challenging market conditions. However, Audi of America President Scott Keogh declined to comment the figures presented by Mr. Ralph Mauro.This is a common habit in the automotive industry and other areas, as top level executives rarely discuss sales expectations with the press.In a way, we understand their strategy - it is easier to focus on your job if nobody is looking over your shoulder and counting beans and comparing figures to expectations. The CEO already has this burden on his shoulders, so there is no need to explain company strategy and estimates to third parties.Instead, Mr. Keogh predicts that the US luxury segment will cease to grow at the rates seen in previous years, when the growth rate of this sector exceeded that of the overall US auto industry. However, he does expect the US luxury auto segment to grow this year, but by only two or three percent.Audi officials have a good feeling about 2016 on the US market, as they have recently launched the Q7, and the new generation of the A4 will have its first full year of sales. Both cars attain significant volumes in a year, so the German brand should not worry too much about the small decline in the growth rate of the US premium car segment. While the anniversary of the launch of the first Toyota Corolla will take place in November, the Japanese brand has already showcased a special edition of the popular compact car. It will be called Corolla 50th Anniversary Special Edition, and it comes with unique features.Until then, it is time to take a look back at the over 43 million Corollas sold by Toyota in the last half century. This car transformed Toyota and doubled annual production in just three years (1965 to 1968).The Corolla started out as a family car aimed at the Japanese general public, and ended up becoming an iconic nameplate sold in over 150 countries and regions. This car planted Toyota in the position it currently stands in, and the strong points of the first Corolla were enhanced over the years through the 11th generation.Yes, the Corolla has been through 11 generations, something that cannot be easily overlooked. The Japanese company kept each generation in production for an average of four years, but some were kept in place for longer than others.The Corolla is a car many people share memories with, including Mr. Akio Toyoda, the CEO of Toyota Motor Company. A fourth-generation Corolla 1600 GT was the car that Mr. Toyoda used when he finished college, and that vehicle helped the current chief executive officer of the Japanese company make his first steps in the business world.Concerning the 50th Anniversary Special Edition Corolla, Toyota has equipped this version with 17-inch alloy wheels with dark gray inserts and machine finish, a seven-inch high-res touchscreen with navigation, a smart key system, LED headlights, and more. Toyota will only sell 8,000 50th Anniversary Special Edition Corollas in the United States of America, so you have to act fast if you want one of these. Fair enough, we'd say, because such motorcycles and other models similar to those seem to be the most common choices among police departments that also field two-wheeled officers. However, choosing such bikes for official escorts is one thing, and using them for patrolling is an entirely different story.Escorting a politician or some other fellow who might use such state services may require a dash of aesthetics, too, to make things look a bit more impressive. So choosing fat cruisers or touring machines with some modifications that transform them in authority bikes is, probably, the way to go.Speed is also low during most such rides and no radical maneuvers are needed unless something goes terribly wrong. This makes big, heavy bikes that look impressive a decent choice for escorts.However, patrolling and chasing runaway suspects, especially those who use a motorbike as a getaway vehicle is NOT a job for a fat cow. It may sound a bit too harsh for the Harley fans, but what they'll watch after clicking play on the video after the jump should be more than explanatory.Putting things bluntly, fat, heavy bikes are worthless anywhere else than on the highway. Could you picture a Harley-Davidson in any of these pursuits? We tried, and the result was hysterically funny.A police motorcycle should be fast, exceptionally maneuverable, and it should also be a dual-sport model. Being able to pass from asphalt to dirt, jump curbs, steer confidently on tarmac, hard packed or even on rocky surfaces are a must.Suspects that decide to try their hand and lose the cops will not care if the suspensions of their getaway bikes may take a beating when riding fast on bad roads. Most of these bikes and scooters are stolen, anyway, so it really doesn't matter.Still, with a policeman with solid motorcycle training, a firm hand and a determined state of mind riding a 450cc-ish dual sport or supermoto bike, pursuits won't last for too long.We've also seen more footage from the Brazilian police and these fellows could certainly lecture for the forces in many countries around the world. Would you make a run for it if there were such a cop behind you riding a half-liter supermotard? Earlier this week, we told you about an MIT research project that looked into the possibility of traffic-lights-free intersections , since self-driving interconnected cars would not need it. That's just one example. The daily commute is another. As is the fact that we won't probably need to own a car anymore, because ride hailing services will inevitably boom.Uber is well aware of that, which is why the recent report suggesting the company ordered 100,000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class autonomous limousines starting 2020 doesn't appear that far-fetched. Other companies, however, are going for a more hands-on approach, in that they're doing the testing themselves.Take Zoox, for example, a relatively small startup nobody outside the business has ever heard about that is now proclaiming its intention to build fully autonomous vehicles by 2020. And it's not just your ordinary people having a dream: the Zoox team has been recruiting experienced specialists who have worked on similar projects before for other companies. They even hired Joseph Wu this January, the man who built the Tesla Autopilot team, so they're still scouting for talent. In fact, the company has listed several openings on LinkedIn.Yesterday, Zoox was given the permit to test autonomous cars on public roads by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. It's restricted to one car and seven drivers, but it's probably all that Zoox needs at the moment. It is thus joining a select group of eleven other companies that are currently carrying out tests in California, including big names such as Google, Tesla, Volkswagen, Bosch or Mercedes-Benz.Zoox's declared ultimate purpose is to create driverless cars that will be used for a ride-hailing service to rival Uber or Lyft: Zoox is developing fully autonomous vehicles and the supporting ecosystem required to bring the technology to market at scale. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments." We'll probably see a lot more companies such as these in future years. Enterprise Fleet Management has been named a finalist in this year's InformationWeek "Elite 100," the company announced. InformationWeek magazine's list honors U.S. companies for setting the bar on innovative and creative information technology (IT) programs that improve business operations. Information Week magazine has been publishing its "Elite 100" list since 1995, and is including privately-held Enterprise Fleet Management for the first time. "The fact is, being family-owned is a key advantage in today's highly competitive marketplace," said Steve Bloom, president of Enterprise Fleet Management. "Our financial strength and stability are unmatched in the industry, thanks to a conservative and disciplined long-term approach to managing our business." Enterprise Fleet Management operates a network of more than 50 fully-staffed offices, which manages nearly 400,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada and provides local service to businesses, government agencies and organizations with medium-sized fleets, as well as to those seeking an alternative to employee reimbursement programs. For 19 consecutive years, Enterprise Fleet Management has been recognized with the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) "Blue Seal of Excellence" award, an industry record, for high-quality automotive repair and service. InformationWeek will unveil the "Elite 100" at its Conference Awards Dinner and Gala May 3 in Las Vegas. Investigators have begun analyzing the damaged cockpit voice and data recorders from the FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 that crashedat Rostov-on-Don airport inRussia early Saturday, killing all 62 on board. Wind shear reports and gusts up to 50 mph at the time of the crash have gained the most attention in analyzing what led to the crash. Meanwhile, former and current pilots at the Dubai-based budget airline are speculating that fatigue was a factor. Russian news outlet RT, quoting an unnamed former captain for the airline, reported this week that FlyDubai pilots had complained of working too many consecutive shifts and feared a fatigue-related crash would happen. The report said one of the pilots in Saturdays crash, Alejandro Cruz Alava, had worked for 11 days with one day off, while the captain, Aristos Socratous, reportedly gave notice of his resignation to the airline due to an overloaded work schedule.Everybody at the company has these dangerous shifts from day flight to night flight, and then back to a day flight, and then back to a night flight, and it has definitely been a big issue for a long time, the former pilot told RT. Russian transportation officials are examining operations at all budget airlines that fly in the country, and a member of the Russian Investigative Committee has said weather conditions coupled with pilot error or a technical problem have been the focus of the investigation, The Moscow Times reported. Images: AOPA An experienced bush pilot who spent years involved in missionary work thought he was retired from flying until this week, when AOPA surprised him with a newly restored Cessna 152, the 2015 You Can Fly Sweepstakes prize. The winner is Eric Peterson, who was a pilot and then an airport manager for the nonprofit missionary firm JAARS Inc. I got too old to fly for JAARS, but Ive been thinking about getting back into flying, he said during Tuesdays award ceremony in Waxhaw, North Carolina. Peterson, who is also an aviation mechanic, began his flying career as a pilot in Alaska where he met his wife, Carol. They became Christian missionaries and raised a family in the Philippines, where Eric flew Helio Couriers, Super Cubs and helicopters in challenging environments and once was even shot at when flying a Robinson R44. In the tradition of AOPAs annual sweepstakes, organizers created a diversion to make the giveaway a surprise for Peterson. He had recently extended JAARS home airport from 800 feet to 1,400 feet with volunteer help and an old front-end loader. The unpaved strip is where future missionary pilots train for their work overseas. JAARS employees planned a ceremony at the airport to honor him for his work on the runway, and the plan worked. AOPA President Mark Baker recognized Peterson for his lifelong dedication to general aviation, which he is passing on to his two sons. Eric exemplifies the very best attributes of general aviation pilots through his willingness to give of himself for others, he said. The bright yellow 1978 Cessna was restored by Aviat Aircraft in Afton, Wyoming, which has partnered with AOPA to refurbish selected airplanes to promote aviation training and the fun of flight. The Weekenders SocialFlight calendar has a lot of flying in store for those east of the Mississippi. Join fellow flyers on Saturday for the Second Annual Southeast Tennessee Poker Run. Start at your selected base and finish at the Cleveland Regional Jetport. Each entry fee of $10 will go into the jackpot and the winner takes all. Enjoy free food, fuel and prizes. Also Saturday in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, Blue Line Aviation will host its annual open house in Landmark Aviations hangar. Diamond Aircraft will be on display along with the ABC11 chopper and a Civil Air Patrol aircraft. The 21st Annual Fire Ant Festival kicks off Fridayin Ashburn, Georgia, with a Saturday fly-in for this event. Breakfast, lunch, and transportation to the downtown festival will be available for pilots who fly in. Giveaways include a cash prize for the pilot who flies the longest distance to the event. The 50th anniversary celebration of Suwannee County Airport in Live Oak, Florida, will take place Saturday, with hundreds of aircraft, flights and displays. Sponsored by the Suwannee County Airport and EAA 797. For more on this weekends events, visit SocialFlight. 24 March 2016 11:00 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani Defense Ministry and the US Department of Defense held bilateral consultations in the defense sector in Washington March 23, according to the message of Azerbaijani Embassy in the US. Issues of military cooperation in the context of strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the US, cooperation within NATO as well as other issues of mutual interest and future plans were discussed during the consultations. Azerbaijani delegation consisting of representatives of the foreign ministry and the defense ministry was led by head of the International Military Cooperation Department, major general Huseyn Mahmudov, and the US delegation, which included representatives of the ministry of defense and the state department, command of the Joint Staff, and the representatives of the Oklahoma National Guard, was led by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Carpenter. The event was also attended by the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta and Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 24 March 2016 11:28 (UTC+04:00) Turkish foreign minister met the U.S. deputy secretary of state in the Turkish capital Ankara Wednesday during which both sides emphasized on enhancing cooperation in the fight against terrorism, diplomatic sources toldAnadolu Agency. Mevlut Cavusoglu and Antony Blinken also discussed bilateral ties, regional and global developments as well as Syria, Iraq and Cyprus issues in the meeting. Recent terrorist attacks in Turkey and Belgium also came up during the exchange of views, sources added. Tuesdays Brussels bombings at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station killed 31 people and injured 260 others. Earlier in the day, Cavusoglu told TGRT Haber private broadcast channel that two Turkish citizens injured in the Brussels attack were now in good condition. On March 13, a car bomb attack in Ankara left 36 people dead. Previously, the Turkish capital was struck by suicide bomb attacks in February and October, which left over 130 people dead. Istanbul has also been targeted by two suicide bombings this year, with the last one on March 19, leaving four people dead. Turkish authorities have accused Daesh, the PKK and the PYD terrorist groups for the attacks. Cavusoglu and Blinken also discussed details about the agreement on refugees between Turkey and the EU. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 24 March 2016 14:26 (UTC+04:00) Officials say that the suspected bomb-maker from the Paris attacks was one of the two suicide bombers at the Brussels airport on Tuesday. Officials speaking to the Associated Press say that one of the suicide bombers involved in Tuesday's bombing of the Brussels airport was also the suspected bomb-maker for the Paris attacks last November. Identified as Najim Laachraoui, his DNA was found on the explosive devices used in both European capitals. A French police official said that DNA taken from one of the suicide bombers matched Laachraoui's DNA, and was discovered on all of the suicide vests used, as well as in the Brussels apartment where they were made. If true, this would strengthen the likelihood of a connection between the Paris and Brussels attacks. Intelligence officials also indicated earlier on Wednesday that the terrorist group Daesh, also known as IS/Islamic State, has at least 400 trained fighters spread across Europe waiting to launch similar attacks. Attackers carried out bombings in the airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, killing at least 30 people and injuring approximately 260. Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attacks in both Paris and Brussels. Belgium remains on high alert as authorities continue to hunt for suspects related to the bombings. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 24 March 2016 15:00 (UTC+04:00) Israel wants to normalize relations with Turkey, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, the Turkish TV channel Kanal7 reported March 24. He said that Israel has always maintained a policy of rapprochement with Turkey. On March 23, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the first phone conversation in recent years with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin expressed Turkey's readiness to cooperate with Israel in the fight against terrorism. Relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated after the Freedom Flotilla incident in 2010, when a convoy of six ships, including one under Turkey's flag, tried to approach the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and activists on board. The flotilla was blocked and stormed by Israeli forces, with eight Turkish citizens being killed. Earlier, Erdogan said Israel should apologize for the Freedom Flotilla incident, pay compensation to the families of those killed and end the blockade of the Gaza Strip. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 24 March 2016 18:00 (UTC+04:00) Syria and Turkey should remain good neighbors, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said during a meeting with the former Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, the Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported March 24. Assad said that the Syrian people dont feel hostility towards Turkey. He said that the two countries should conduct a joint policy for the sake of territorial integrity of Turkey and Syria. Turkish authorities believe that the main reason for the bloodshed in Syria is the policy of the countrys president Bashar al-Assad. Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed the lives of over 220,000 people. Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) and Jabhat al-Nusra are the most active terrorist groups in Syria. 3.0 ( - - ): editor [at] bahrainmirror.com Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Evening clouds will give way to clearing overnight. Low 51F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Evening clouds will give way to clearing overnight. Low 51F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. The growth in the UK food sector will not match that of 2015, according to data analysis company Horizons managing director Peter Backman. Backman made the comment at Horizons annual briefing this week. The theme of the event was achieving ongoing growth in a decelerating market. Peter Andrews, agent for the Bank of England, also addressed the event, which was attended by more than 120 food industry representatives. The audience heard that the forecast for the UKs foodservice market is less confident than it was, with growth likely to end the year at 1.8% compared with last years 2%. Backman said: There is now some uncertainty in the economy, particularly with the question mark over the UKs relationship with the EU At best, sales are likely to grow slightly across the sector. Backman added that intense competition on the high street meant like-for-like growth was difficult to achieve, putting pressure on chains to grow sales by expanding their outlet numbers. A scarcity of new sites of sufficient quality pushes already expensive rents even higher, he said. Opportunities for smaller chains He added that while the UKs top foodservice brands were able to adapt to changing demand, it was the smaller chains that were likely to find innovation and growth easier. Smaller companies can be more nimble, more adaptable and more able to maintain control it is with the fledgling businesses that we are currently seeing the most growth in the UK in terms of new store openings, and many are bringing something new and innovative to the market, which means the larger players must too. Chancellor George Osborne says bring it on to the threat of legal action from drinks firms. Osborne said the government would fight any legal challenge to sugar tax, and warned companies against wasting money. He added that firms would be better placed spending the next two years focusing on how to reduce sugar in their products. He said: We are very clear it is legal and we would robustly defend it if it were challenged. Dont waste money on a legal challenge. He added that he felt a sugar tax would bring about an improvement in childrens health. "Many companies are doing the right thing and reducing the sugar content in their drinks, and that is to be applauded. We are going to introduce a sugar tax. Its not a threat or a promise, its the way its going to be. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has released new data showing that more than 90% of households consume more added sugar than recommended. Written to the treasury Ian Wright, director general of the Food and Drink Federation, said: The Chancellor is right that a good deal of time and money might be saved if there were clarity on these issues, and I have today written to the treasury requesting that they publish the advice so we can share it with our members. This week, campaign group Action on Sugar said that the bakery industry could be next. Nissin, a Japanese instant noodle firm, has committed to buy a 17.27% stake in Premier Foods. The move comes as the two companies finalise a relationship agreement which will give Premier the ability to distribute Nissin products in the UK, while making its own products more widely available in key overseas markets. Premier Foods said there would also be opportunities for the sharing of intellectual property and manufacturing capabilities. David Beever, chairman of Premier Foods, said: We welcome Nissin as a new long-term shareholder in our business. By gaining a strategic investor who understands and supports our growth ambitions, we have an exceptional opportunity to deliver shareholder value. Based on the conditional cooperation agreement we announced yesterday, we very much look forward to working with Nissin to develop ways our two businesses can co-operate to drive growth. The move comes in the wake of Premier Foods announcing it had rejected two bids from US spice brand McCormick, the latter offer on the 14 March, valuing the company at 60p a share. hostile takeover Dr Hossam Zeitoun, assistant professor of strategy and international business at Warwick Business School, said the move would help Premier Foods fend off a hostile takeover from McCormick and give the company time to turn around its troubled finances. He said: Premier Foods deal with Nissin will help it pursue its turnaround strategy and avoid a hostile takeover by McCormick. This co-operation will be another obstacle for McCormick and would make it even more difficult for the US company to complete a takeover. Companies under the threat of a hostile takeover often look for a white knight, ie. a friendlier acquirer, but in the case of Nissin it doesnt want to be an acquirer - at least not yet. It is content with a stake in the company. This means Premier Foods can continue its turnaround strategy by decreasing its debt and working to boost its market share. Japanese companies are renowned for pursuing long-term objectives. In Japan, hostile takeovers are extremely rare, and Premier Foods is calling Nissin a long-term shareholder, which can give it time to follow its strategy through rather than looking for a short-term hike in its stock price. If all goes well, Nissin may want to acquire Premier Foods in the future, but not at the moment - it only wants a non-executive director on the board. WIZO Wins Benito Juarez National Citizen Merit Award Mexico City - A Jewish women's group in Mexico has been awarded one of the country's most traditional and prominent awards in the field of social services. The Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO) received the Benito Juarez National Citizen Merit Award for 2016 on Monday in a ceremony held at the Mexican Congress. Sponsored by Movimiento Ciudadano, or "Citizen's Movement," a public entity and political party, the Benito Juarez award recognizes people and organizations that have performed outstanding work for the benefit of Mexican society. "This is the very first time the government and the Congress have granted such recognition to our institution in 75 years of continuous work in Mexico. Our work in education is truly fantastic," WIZO Mexico President Shula Shrem told JTA. Alejandro Orozco, general director of the Senior Citizens National Institute, presented the award to Shrem, saying: "Jewish women have always been a example of good values, respect for the family and strength. We have a lot to learn from them." Founded in 1940, WIZO Mexico gathers some 350 women of all ages and sectors of the Jewish community who perform volunteer social work in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana-San Diego and Cancun. WIZO is an international volunteer organization dedicated to social welfare in all sectors of Israeli society, the advancement of the status of women and Jewish education in Israel and the Diaspora. Founded in 1920 and run exclusively by women, WIZO is one of the largest women's networks in the world with over 250,000 volunteers in 50 countries. The Mexican Jewish community has expressed its appreciation for Benito Juarez, former Mexican president and national hero, several times. In 1940,newspaper published a Yiddish-language almanac in which Juarez was praised as a strong defender of the secular state. Following his death in 1972, the president of the Israelite Central Committee also honored the Mexican leader. Holland America Adds More Mexican Riviera Cruises San Diego, California - Are cruisers ready to return to the Mexican Riviera? Holland America is the latest line to bet on it. The Seattle-based company will more than double its capacity in the region next winter with more departures and the deployment of a larger ship. Holland America's 1,916-passenger Westerdam will sail 13 week-long voyages to the Mexican Riviera out of San Diego starting in October through February 2017. The ship is taking the place of the smaller, 1,350-passenger Veendam, which sailed to the Mexican Riviera this past winter. The Mexican Riviera itineraries will call at Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. Cruise lines cut back on Mexican Riviera sailings at the start of the decade after violence in Mexico made vacationers wary about the destination. But a number of lines have been reversing course over the last couple years. In late 2014, industry giant Carnival resumed year-round sailings to the Mexican Riviera out Long Beach, California. At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money . Our home equity reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most the latest rates, the best lenders, different types of home equity options and more so you can feel confident when you make decisions as a borrower or homeowner. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that were putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. Weve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next. Bankrates editorial team writes on behalf of YOU the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether youre reading an article or a review, you can trust that youre getting credible and dependable information. We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information youre reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that were putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Were transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout lifes financial journey. For many, home equity is their most valuable asset. In most cases, equity builds over time as you pay down your mortgage, your homes value increases or you add value by making improvements. Heres how equity works. What is home equity? Home equity is the portion of your home youve paid off in other words, your stake in the property as opposed to the lenders. In practical terms, home equity is the appraised value of your home minus any outstanding mortgage and loan balances. How to build home equity Because home equity is the difference between your homes current market value and your mortgage balance, your home equity can increase in a few circumstances: When you make mortgage payments The easiest way to increase your homes equity is by reducing the outstanding balance on your mortgage. Every month when you make your regular mortgage payment, youre paying down your mortgage balance and increasing your home equity. You can also make additional mortgage principal payments to build your equity even faster. When you make home improvements that increase your propertys value Even if your mortgage principal balance remains the same, increasing the value of your home also increases your home equity. Just keep in mind that some home renovations add more value than others. When the property value rises Often (but not always), property values rise over time. This is called appreciation, and it can be another way for you to build equity. Because your property increasing in value depends on several factors, such as location and the economy, theres no way to tell how long youll have to stay in your home to see a rise in value. However, looking at the historical price data of homes in your area might give you some insight as to whether values have been trending upward or downward. When you make a large down payment Making a larger down payment when you buy the home instantly ups your equity for example, putting down 20 percent versus 10 percent. Doing so could also allow you to tap your equity faster. How to calculate home equity To calculate the equity in your home, follow these steps: Get your homes estimated current market value. What you paid for your home a few years ago or even last year might not be its value today. You can use online home price estimator tools, but consider talking to a local real estate agent or licensed appraiser to get a more accurate measurement of your homes market value. Subtract your mortgage balance. Once you know the market value of your home, subtract the amount you still owe on your mortgage and any other debts secured by your home. The result is your home equity. How to borrow home equity Borrowing home equity could help you get cash for a renovation, consolidate debt or make progress on other financial goals. There are two main types of home equity products, which differ in how you receive the cash and how you repay funds: Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, works like a credit card. You can withdraw as much as you want up to the credit limit during an initial draw period, usually up to 10 years. As you pay down the HELOC principal, the credit revolves and you can use it again. This gives you flexibility to get money as you need it. With a HELOC, you can opt for interest-only payments or a combination of interest and principal payments. The latter helps you pay off the loan more quickly. Most HELOCs come with variable rates, meaning your monthly payment can go up or down over the loans lifetime. Some lenders offer fixed-rate HELOCs, but these tend to have higher initial interest rates and sometimes an additional fee. After the draw period, the remaining interest and the principal balance are due. Repayment periods tend to be from 10 years to 20 years. The interest on a HELOC that is used for a substantial home improvement project might be tax-deductible. Home equity loans A home equity loan is a second mortgage, meaning a debt secured by your property in addition to the first mortgage you used to buy it. When you get a home equity loan, your lender will pay out a single lump sum. Once youve received your loan, you start repaying it right away at a fixed interest rate. That means youll pay a set amount every month for the term of the loan, whether its five years or 30 years. This option is ideal if you have a large, immediate expense. It also comes with the stability of predictable monthly payments. HELOC Home equity loan Type of interest Variable rate Fixed rate Repayment term 10-20 years 5-30 years Payout Revolving credit Lump sum Type of loan Secured Secured Along with HELOCs and home equity loans, there are two other primary ways to borrow equity: Cash-out refinancing A cash-out refinance replaces your current mortgage with another, bigger loan. This loan includes the balance you owe on the existing mortgage and a portion of your homes equity, withdrawn as cash. You can use these funds for any purpose. Unlike a HELOC or home equity loan, a cash-out refi might allow you to get a lower rate on your main mortgage, depending on market conditions, and shorten the term so you can repay it sooner. Reverse mortgages For those who are 62 and older (or 55 and older with some products), a reverse mortgage offers another way to tap home equity. Using a reverse mortgage, homeowners who own their home outright or have a substantial amount of equity can withdraw a portion of that equity. Unlike a HELOC or a home equity loan, the money withdrawn using a reverse mortgage doesnt have to be repaid in monthly installments. Instead, the lender pays you each month while you continues to live in the home. The loan must be repaid when the borrower dies, permanently moves out or sells the home. Is it a good idea to use home equity? Benefits of using home equity Lower interest rates: Your home is the collateral for a home equity loan or line of credit, so these types of products arent as risky as other forms of financing. Because of this, they have lower interest rates than unsecured debt, such as credit cards or personal loans. This can help you save on interest payments and improve monthly cash flow if you need to lower higher-interest debt. Your home is the collateral for a home equity loan or line of credit, so these types of products arent as risky as other forms of financing. Because of this, they have lower interest rates than unsecured debt, such as credit cards or personal loans. This can help you save on interest payments and improve monthly cash flow if you need to lower higher-interest debt. Tax benefits: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allows homeowners to deduct the interest on home equity loans or lines of credit if the money is used to buy, build or substantially improve the home. Drawbacks of using home equity Borrowing costs: Some lenders charge fees for home equity loans or HELOCs. As you shop lenders, pay attention to the annual percentage rate (APR), which includes the interest rate plus other fees. If you roll these fees into your loan, youll likely pay a higher interest rate. Some lenders charge fees for home equity loans or HELOCs. As you shop lenders, pay attention to the annual percentage rate (APR), which includes the interest rate plus other fees. If you roll these fees into your loan, youll likely pay a higher interest rate. Risk of losing your home: Home equity debt is secured by your home, so if you fail to make payments, your lender can foreclose on your home. If home values drop, you could also wind up owing more on your home than its worth. That can make it more difficult to sell your home if you need to. Home equity debt is secured by your home, so if you fail to make payments, your lender can foreclose on your home. If home values drop, you could also wind up owing more on your home than its worth. That can make it more difficult to sell your home if you need to. Misusing the money: Its best to use home equity to finance expenses thatll pay you back, like renovating a home to increase its value, paying for college, starting a business or consolidating high-interest debt. Stick to needs versus wants; otherwise, youre perpetuating a cycle of living beyond your means. How to qualify for the best home equity loan rates Lenders have varying borrowing standards and rates, so youll want to shop around for the best deal. Most lenders are looking for a few basic minimum requirements: A credit score of 620 or higher (a score of 700 and above will qualify you for the best rates) A maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 80 percent (in other words, 20 percent equity in your home) A debt-to-income (DTI) ratio no higher than 43 percent A documented ability to repay your loan FAQ about home equity A 42-year-old St. Petersburg woman arrested early Thursday after she was stopped driving in the wrong direction on a Tampa street. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Christy Lee Walters was stopped just before 1:30 a.m. driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of Waters Avenue. A deputy was driving east on Waters and spotted Walters' 2015 Volkswagen Passat coming directly at him. Officials said the deputy activated emergency lights and avoided a collision with the Volkswagen. After stopping Walters and speaking with her, the deputy detected signs of impairment. According to the arrest report, Walters was unsteady on her feet, her eyes were bloodshot and glassy, her speech was slurred and she had a distinct odor of alcohol. Her blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.221 and 0.224. A level above .08 is considered impaired. Walters was arrested for driving under the influence and transported to Orient Road Jail. Three crashes involving wrong-way drivers and law enforcement officers have taken place in the Bay area just this month. Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy John Kotfila Jr. was killed March 12 in a crash with a 31-year-old drunk driver going the wrong way on the Selmon Expressway. That man, Erik McBeth from Hudson, died on scene. A Temple Terrace police officer was involved in a wrong-way crash Tuesday night. If you saw a horse at a Tampa drive-thru this morning, you weren't imaging things. Tampa police officers took to the streets Thursday morning, some on horseback, for the department's first Doughnut Dash to benefit the Special Olympics. Officers loaded more than 200 dozen doughnuts into cruisers at the Krispy Kreme on North Florida Avenue and delivered the sweet treats to recipients that have been ordering doughnuts for the past three weeks. According to the Tampa Police Department: This is the first ever Doughnut Dash Delivery event for TPD and the first ever event that we know of anywhere in the country where police officers are delivering doughnuts to local charities. The event took orders for approximately 200 dozen doughnuts for delivery to almost two dozen charities and local businesses throughout Tampa. Thats 2,400 doughnuts! Our biggest donation was an order for 50 dozen doughnuts to be delivered to the Ronald McDonald House on Davis Island. The donor was the Casper McDonalds Corporation. Officers also took donations until noon at Krispy Kreme locations to benefit the Special Olympics. Central Oregon Coast in April: Whale Documentary, New Park Published 03/24/2016 at 5:51 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Newport, Oregon) Some interesting developments on the central Oregon coast this coming month, as Lincoln City acquires a new park and an important film about humankind's effects on whales shows in Newport. (Photo: the Agnes Creek Open Space). A stunning new green space area has opened up with Lincoln City, and Sunday, April 10 will be its official ribbon-cutting dedication. A dense forest pathway within the central Oregon coast town, it's a woodsy way to enjoy the outdoors while only being half a mile from the beaches. The Agnes Creek Open Space area is located off Bard Road, in the southern area of Lincoln City. Look for that slightly winding stretch of Highway 101 as you leave the downtown area and approach the Nelscott district, where you're briefly surrounding by close-in hills and a smattering of businesses. A group called Cohort Two ahs partnered with Lincoln City Open Spaces to enhance the Agnes Creek Open Space area by building a footbridge over the creek and installing three carved wooden benches, all with artistic elements. The benches were designed and created by the talented artist Dan Hitchcock of Alsea. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. The Ford Family Foundation provided matching grant funds to complete this project. The rest of the funds were raised by the generous monetary and in-kind donations of the community. (541) 992-1179. Look for a special film and presentation about the impact of our civilization on whales, happening at the Hatfied Marine Science Center in Newport on April 23. On that day, the Oregon Chapter of the American Cetacean Society and Oregon Sea Grant are hosting the film Sonic Sea. Sonic Sea is a 60-minute documentary about the impact of industrial and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life. It tells the story of a former US Navy officer who solved a tragic mystery and changed forever the way we understand our impact on the ocean. The film is narrated by Rachel McAdams and features Sting, in addition to the renowned ocean experts Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Paul Spong, Dr. Christopher Clark and Jean-Michel Cousteau. Sonic Sea was produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Imaginary Forces in association with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Diamond Docs. The film won the Environment Award at the San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival in 2016. A scientific panel discussion will follow the film. Dave Mellinger and Joe Haxel of Oregon State Universitys Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies (CIMRS) marine bioacoustics research will join Leigh Torres and Michelle Fournet of the Marine Mammal Institute on the panel. The program is free and open to the public. The event will be held in the Hennings Auditorium at Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center on Saturday, April 23 at 5:30 p.m. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m. The Hatfield is in South Beach, across the bay from Newport, next to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Contact Joy Primrose, ACS Oregon Chapter President at [email protected] or (541) 517-8754 for more information. Oregon Coast Hotels for these events - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours The American Cetacean Society protects whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats. The non-profit organization was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in San Pedro, CA. Information on the ACS can be found on the website: www.acsonline.org. More about the Newport and LIncoln City areas below, and at the Lincoln City Virtual Tour, Map and the Newport Virtual Tour, Map. More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Despite a large donation from a Dallas restaurateur this week, the Humane Society of Southeast Texas faces an uncertain future, which means animals taken in by city-run animal control shelters currently risk being euthanized. The Humane Society's shelter kept animals as long as necessary to find them permanent homes. Since a March 15 fire that killed 74 dogs, the shelter has not resumed normal operations. That means city shelters likely will be taking in a larger number of animals, who could face euthanasia if not promptly adopted. The Humane Society's board of directors was to meet Wednesday night to map out its next tentative steps, said board president Amy Bean. She said the Humane Society is still waiting for a damage report from its insurer to learn whether its building at 2050 Spindletop Ave. can be renovated. A fire sparked from smoldering lint in a clothes dryer, according to an investigation by the Beaumont Fire Department. The dogs died from smoke inhalation The Humane Society has received donations from the community but is in need of more to rebuild. It is receiving $20,000 from a Dallas restaurant called Cane Rosso. Owner Jay Jerrier, an avid dog lover, organized an event on Monday from which all the sales will go to the Humane Society. Former Beaumont Enterprise cat5 magazine editor Beth Rankin, now the food editor for the Dallas Observer, wrote that the response was overwhelming. The restaurant had a three-plus hour wait to get in, and to-go orders were turned down because it ran out of pizza boxes, she said. An anonymous donor from Nashville pledged $10,000 after reading about the fire online. The Humane Society has gotten donations through its own website and Facebook page and through PayPal and a GoFundMe account. The shelter is planning a memorial service from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the shelter for the dogs who died. DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/dwallach This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Over an unseasonably warm weekend in late January 1976, Houston would also host the first recorded tattoo convention, kicking off a multi-million dollar industry in which famous artists show off their handiwork and compete for cash prizes in front of tattoo enthusiasts of every stripe. Some 130 artists showed up to meet other artists and ply their craft. The third annual Houston Tattoo Extravaganza kicks off Friday at the Crowne Plaza Houston, 8686 Kirby, and one of the artists who organized that first meet-up of misfits and bikers, Lyle Tuttle, will be the guest of honor. Co-founder Dave Yurkew shuffled off to the big tattoo shop in the sky years ago. Yurkew, a Minnesota native, had taken over Bill Sanders' tattoo shop located somewhere north of downtown in 1973. It was surrounded by strip clubs and taco joints just off Buffalo Bayou, Tuttle says. By 1976, he and Tuttle partnered for the first tattoo convention, inviting guys with names like Sailor West, Mr. Tramp, Charlie Potter, and Crazy Ace to ply their trade. There were tattoo parties before but nothing like the show that Tuttle and Yurkew had cooked up for Houston. Tuttle, now 84, has said that the Houston convention itself altered the course of the tattooing industry forever, at a time when it was still mired in worries about hepatitis B and dirty needles. RELATED: Houston fisherman gets awesome leg tattoo Tattooing blew up like an aortic aneurysm after the convention, Tuttle says from his home in San Francisco. He was already tattooed from neck to ankle in 1976, years before most current tattoo artists even picked up a crayon. Even his dog was tattooed. Plenty has changed since the first two-day World Convention of Tattoo Artists and Fans, which attracted people from places as diverse as Des Moines and New York City to a cramped Holiday Inn ballroom in Houston. In 2016, tattoos are not unique and artists are not seen as outlaws with rusty machines inking in kitchens and garages, much to the chagrin of purists who sigh at every tattoo reality show. Coincidentally, tattoo removal specialists are also banking from the industrys popularity. Any blank spot in the road it seems these days you will find a tattoo shop, Tuttle spits. It takes more than a few years in the industry to get Tuttles nod of approval. Tuttle says that at the time of that first convention he felt like a has-been, tattooing since 1949 and less than a decade removed from his heyday in the pages of Rolling Stone and Esquire. He was the "Tattoo Artist to the Stars" for a brief period. Word is that he tattooed Janis Joplin, Cher, Peter Fonda and nearly all the members of The Allman Brothers. Having tattoos was seen as another counter-culture, like hippies but more aligned with the biker set. Hippies could cut their hair and get good jobs. Tattooed bikers had few options in the so-called straight world. It seems quaint that, 40 years ago, a congregation of tatted-up men and women could cause a stir when now even your doctor or lawyer might have a half-sleeve lurking under a designer suit or scrubs. Reporter Marilynn Preston covered the Houston convention for the Chicago Tribune. She painted a picture of big, beefy killer gorilla types with their back and arms covered with skulls, panthers, and gross obscenities mingling with fascinated housewives. RELATED: You can't get much more Texas than these tattoos Preston spoke with a distinguished Midwestern surgeon, age 47, who began collecting tattoos of elaborate Oriental designs when he turned 40. He was on the scene to get tattoo work in discreet places since his wife didnt care for the artwork. To show off to the reporter and others, he had to pull down his pants. A woman named The Shadow worked in a tattoo shop in a New York suburb that she said did a lot of genital tattoos on the upper crust from the city. One housewife got Death Before Dishwashing tattooed on her hip as an act of defiance. Reporters from Esquire and Hustler also came to Houston to cover the 1976 show. Sam Kindrick of Action Magazine in San Antonio came to take photos and write his own dispatch. I distinctly recall photographing an old grandma type who was a walking aquarium. She had fish tattoos all over her. She was a popular figure at the show for many of the tattoo people who knew her, Kindrick says. Sam Kindrick / Action Magazine The convention wasn't just about showing off tattoos. It was also a coming-out party of sorts for the pierced set, who were still on the fringe. Kindrick's coverage from 1976 went into graphic detail about the things that he saw pierced. Of the 135 artists who bravely traveled to Houston for that convention, few are still in the industry or even still living for that matter. One artist in attendance, Don Ed Hardy, would go on to do plenty to further the positive image of tattoos decades later. The next year, the party moved on to Reno, Nev. Don Patton is one of the organizers of this weekends convention. He works at Arc Angel Tattoo in San Antonio with Anthony Montemayor. He has tattoo artist friends in Houston, including Dan Martin at Scorpion Tattoo in Montrose. After years of working on a convention in the Alamo City they decided to throw a convention in Houston. RELATED: Hundreds turn up to show off ink at Tattoo Extravaganza (2015) Patton himself started in the industry in 2002, working first as a shop attendant and doing body piercing, a change from the world of construction. He began tattooing later but he grew up around heavily-inked bikers so he was always exposed to the culture. Hes been taking clients for three years. Our show is put on by tattoo artists, for tattoo artists. Were really choosy about the artists that exhibit. We want the best from all over the world, Patton says. All different styles of tattooing mingle at the convention, but its the traditional style that seems to dominate. The spirit of those old-school artists is alive and well in Pattons scene. Keeping a connection to those old days, though, is hard, which is why guys like Tuttle and Charlie Potter from San Antonio will be at the show. Having him there is a bridge to the guys who built this industry, the trailblazers and the pioneers who fought the system and changed the laws, Patton says of Tuttle. Most of the people who were at that first one arent around anymore, Patton says. Those people just didnt live very long. Potter was at the first show. Hes responsibly for plenty of inked bodies from Beaumont to Marfa. Hes an old biker gangster that does great work, Patton says. Hes a real torch bearer in San Antonio to this day. Potter, now 67, says that when he looks back at photos from the event he gets sad. He was the baby of the group then. "There is a group shot of some of us artists and I am the only one still standing," Potter says. He remembers tattooing servicemen at a shop near Fort Sam Houston just before they shipped out to the Vietnam War. Many of them he never saw again. "That first show almost didn't happen for many reasons, including clashes of personalities, money and the law," says Potter. Some artists didn't want a convention at all, seeing it as a mainstream act. This weekend another old-timer, Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand, will also be at the Houston show. She worked with none other than Sailor Jerry Collins, the prickly father of traditional tattooing, who died in 1973. Most of the people who worked with him during his 62 years on Earth would go on to become influential in their own right. The Houston show this coming weekend will feature 100 booths, with 90 percent of those tattoo artists tattooing on site. Artists from local shops like Richmond Avenue Tattoo, Flying Squid, Secret Tattoo, Scorpion Studios, Chariot Tattoo, Rose & Anchor, and more. A full list of shops and artists is on the conventions official site. Its a chance to get good work from out-of-state artists, Patton says. One of the more sought after artists is Cleen Rock One who has been tattooing since 1995 but is best-known for his appearances on the reality show Ink Master on Spike TV. RELATED: Dear fellow tattooed people: Lighten up Those wanting to get tattooed will need to inquire with an artist if they have time open over the weekend. Smaller tattoos, called bangers because you can bang them out in no time, will be easier to schedule. Pricing, as always, will vary. "Good work isn't cheap, cheap work isn't good," goes the refrain. Just as there were in 1976, gawkers are welcome to come and watch but be warned, you might find yourself leaving newly tattooed. And just like in 1976 you will still see misfits and bikers, but these days there might be a few more strollers in the mix. Patton says he keeps the event family-friendly. Tuttle, if he feels up to it, might also tattoo a few lucky guests, Patton says. Some people just want him to autograph their skin. He will surely want to hold court and talk about tattoo history and, of course, give some of the new guys hell. Tattoos are travel marks, stickers on your luggage. Tattoos are special, you have to go off and earn them," Tuttle has written on his official site. "You can go into a jewelry store and buy a big diamond and slip it on your finger and walk out. It's not like that when you go into a tattoo shop and pick a big tattoo and pay for it. You got to sit down and take it." - The American Red Cross and 12News are joining forces today for a televised relief effort to raise money for victims of the recent flooding in Southeast Texas. Donations will be accepted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the 12News Studios, 525 Interstate 10 South, and the Market Basket at 3955 Phelan Blvd. For more, call 1-800-RED CROSS, visit redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10. - Triangle Therapeutics and Beyond Fitness are accepting donations for the American Red Cross and Humane Society of Southeast Texas following last week's flooding event and shelter fire. The company on Wednesday announced it will also put together Easter baskets for the children impacted by the flood. Requested items include: Easter baskets, plastic eggs, Easter grass, candy and small toys. Donations can be made at 2990 Laurel Ave Ste. A & B in Beaumont and 5957 Ninth Ave. in Port Arthur. Have an item for In the Boardroom? Email LocalNews@BeaumontEnterprise.com Various Connecticut advocacy groups are protesting the Anthem-Cigna merger, according to Hartford Courant. Here are five things to know: 1. The Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, Connecticut Citizen Action Group and Connecticut State Medical Society want to cross-examine the companies during a public hearing. 2. The organizations asked the Connecticut Insurance Department for permission to question the companies. 3. Additionally, the organizations asked the Connecticut Insurance Department to commission a study to analyze the merger's impact on insurance cost, insurance access and the state economy. 4. The Universal Health Care Foundation expressed concerns about a dominant payer limiting provider choice and increasing premiums and out-of-pocket costs. 5. The Connecticut Insurance Department commented groups may apply to cross-examine the companies once they establish a hearing date. A patient is suing Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital for allegedly removing part of the wrong rib during surgery, according to CNN. Here are four points. 1. The patient claims surgeons removed part of her seventh rib when she underwent surgery to remove part of her eighth rib due to a precancerous lesion. She also alleges one of the surgeons tried to cover up the error. 2. On May 18, the patient began feeling pain and underwent an X-ray. One Yale New Haven surgeon told the patient surgeons removed the wrong rib. However, shortly after, a different surgeon told the patient the surgeons did not remove enough of the rib during surgery and she therefore would have to undergo a second surgery. The patient then underwent another procedure to remove the correct portion of the rib. 3. Yale New Haven issued a statement last week saying the hospital recognized the error, informed and apologized to the patient. The hospital also said it reported the incident to the Connecticut Department of Health. The patient says she did not receive an apology. 4. In the suit, the patient alleges Yale surgeons should have known they were operating on the wrong rib because the correct rib was marked prior to surgery with metal coils and dye. More articles on quality & infection control: Older adults at risk of unsafe drug interactions: 4 observations 5 points on primary care physicians failing to communicate genetic results with patients Physicians prescribe exercise, not medication 3 highlights Here are seven updates: SCA, HealthEast partner on Maplewood Surgery Center merger SCA is partnering with St. Paul, Minn.-based HealthEast on a merger of HealthEast's Midway Surgery Center and Maplewood Surgery Center. The partnership went into effect March 1, 2016. The Joint Commission updates 10 most-reported sentinel events The Joint Commission reviewed 936 sentinel events in 2015. The most frequently reported sentinel events are as follows: 1. Unintended retention of a foreign body: 116 2. Wrong-patient, wrong-site or wrong-procedure: 111 3. Fall: 95 4. Suicide: 95 5. Delay in treatment: 76 6. Operative/postoperative complication: 76 7. Other unanticipated event: 56 8. Perinatal death/injury: 42 9. Medication error: 41 10. Fire: 23 Anthem sues Express Scripts to save $3B on prescription drugs Health insurer Anthem is suing Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager, to receive a larger share of savings on prescription medicines. In January, Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish said the payer could save nearly $3 billion in drug costs if Anthem reworked its contract with Express Scripts. Anthem has warned it will terminate its contract if the payer does not receive the price break it seeks. Novant Health expands Kernersville ASC in North Carolina Novant Health is seeking to expand the Kernersville (N.C.) Outpatient Surgery ambulatory surgery center, which will cost the health system $9.8 million. The project requires moving two Novant operating rooms from a facility in Winston-Salem to the Kernersville facility. Opioid prescriptions for common outpatient surgeries on the rise Physicians are prescribing more opioid painkillers than ever before to patients undergoing common surgeries such as carpal tunnel repair, laparoscopic gall bladder removal, some minimally invasive knee surgeries and hernia repair. Between 2004 and 2014, the amount of opioid medication dispensed to patients after surgery also increased markedly. Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy hosts legislative tour West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy hosted the Palm Beach Outreach Coordinator Charity Lewis. Ms. Lewis, a member of Democratic Representative Lois Frankel's staff, toured the facility to learn more about ASCs and discuss the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality and Access Act of 2015. Sutter Health to own majority of Stanislaus Surgical Hospital Sacramento-based Sutter Health recently signed an agreement to become the majority owner of Modesto, Calif.-based Stanislaus Surgical Hospital. The deal is effective April 1. More healthcare news: 2 Southern California hospitals hit by cyberattacks: 5 takeaways Dr. Oswald Rondon joins The Eye Clinic Surgicenter: 5 key notes Uprooting the core process: Why BioSpine Institute offers patient & surgical concierges at its ASC Ann-Arbor based University of Michigan researchers found disciplinary action against physicians differs by state, according to WBT. Here are six key notes: 1. Delaware has the highest punishment rate. 2. Massachusetts has the lowest rate of disciplinary action. 3. Researcher found discipline rates toward physicians and malpractice claims varied by up to a fourfold between states. 4. The discrepancy is due to the difference in state procedures, regulations and resources. 5. The results show officials should implement standards for disciplinary action across state medical boards. 6. Because the study was the first to analyze this topic, the results may be limited in that researchers did not know whether physicians behaved worse in different states. The data does not analyze cases that did not lead to disciplinary action or unreported misconduct. More healthcare news: 7 things for ASC leaders to know for Thursday March 24, 2016 5 notes on Tampa General Hospital's new outpatient medical center Considering alternative payment models in GI: 6 takeaways St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia closed March 11, and Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia has absorbed most of the shuttered hospital's emergency room volume, according to The Inquirer. Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and other local hospitals have also picked up patients who would have previously gone to St. Joseph's for care. In December, North Philadelphia Health System said it would close 146-bed St. Joseph's as the system consolidated operations. The system originally planned to close the hospital March 31, but the hospital ceased operations March 11, according to The Inquirer. Of the 675 St. Joseph's workers, 400 have new jobs, Kevin Feeley, a spokesman for North Philadelphia Health System told The Inquirer. Hahnemann University Hospital hired 28 former St. Joseph's employees. More articles on hospital closures: 8 hospital closures so far in 2016 Plumbing repairs push Tennessee hospital to close Oklahoma hospital to cease inpatient services this month Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) has nominated Donna Lynne, an executive with Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, to be his next lieutenant governor, according to The Denver Post. Here are six things to know about Ms. Lynne. 1. She will also serve as the state's COO, and is expected to start work May 2. 2. She currently is executive vice president of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. She is also the group president responsible for Kaiser's Colorado, Pacific Northwest and Hawaii regions. 3. Previously, she worked in government service for New York City for 20 years under three Democratic mayors and one Republican before joining the private sector, according to according to The Denver Post. 4. She was New York's deputy commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations, director of the Mayor's Office of Operations and senior vice president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., now NYC Health + Hospitals. 5. Ms. Lynne's appointment is not final. The Denver Post reports she must still be confirmed by the Colorado House and Senate. 6. If approved, she would replace Joe Garcia, who announced his resignation last year to become president of the Boulder, Colo.-based Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. More articles on executive moves: Ruth Brinkley has served as president and CEO of Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health since its inception in January 2012. KentuckyOne Health was born from a merger between Louisville-based Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare and Lexington, Ky.-based Saint Joseph Health System. The system also formed a partnership with the University of Louisville Hospital and its affiliated JamesGrahamBrownCancerCenter later in 2012. Ms. Brinkley is a diligent and hardworking leader with an array of experience in healthcare leadership and women's advocacy. She holds a master's of nursing degree from DePaulUniversity in Chicago. Here, Ms. Brinkley took the time to answer Becker's Hospital Review's five questions. Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. 1. How would you describe your leadership philosophy? I am a hard worker who is mission driven and values high performance. I expect other people to work hard as well. My main philosophy is it's not about me, but it's about the mission of the organization delivering care to those we've pledged to serve and I expect people to give their best and commit to the mission. I try to find people who are willing to work hard because I want to be surrounded by a great team. I do not want "yes" people; I expect debate and disagreement, though without being disagreeable. For this particular organization coming together as a system, I particularly look for people who have deep experience, who are resilient and have a lot of grit and determination and who were willing to hang in here for the long term. There's a lot of talk of the "sexiness," if you will, of M&A activity. It's very alluring and exciting to acquire something. I believe it's equally or more important to decide how you're going to integrate what you're acquiring and make it part of what you're trying to achieve overall. We're here to effectively advance post-merger integration and make this the organization it was envisioned to be. 2. Who do you consider your primary role model, or who has had the biggest impact on your professional development? I think my primary role model is my grandmother. She influenced me early on. She had all of those traits I just described. She was a hard worker, she was a teacher, she made sure we studied and really instilled a lot of values in me, particularly honesty, integrity and compassion. When I think about the values we have as an organization reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence that defined her. As I became an adult and a career professional, I've picked pieces from a lot of people that I've worked with. 3. What is the No. 1 issue facing your patient population? It's the disease burden and disease status. The rollout of the Affordable Care Act has really helped a lot of people gain access they would not have had otherwise. That is a positive thing. We have people who have been found with significant illness and disease and have not previously had access to healthcare. Our vision is to bring wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved. That is a core part of our mission. 4. What is your biggest goal for KentuckyOne Health in the year ahead? I want our value-based measures quality, safety and experience scores to improve. We're really focused on that. The first goal is to have an engaged workforce, including physicians and staff, and that leads to quality, safety and service improvements. We won't get there without an engaged workforce. 5. What strategies do you use to balance your professional life with your personal life? I like to travel. I try to go somewhere nice about every six to eight weeks. I have a young granddaughter and a grandson, and it's been fun watching them grow up, so I try to visit them as often as I can. My grandson lives in St. Louis and my three-year-old granddaughter lives in the northern Virginia/ D.C. area. I try to spend time with them; I want to know who they are. I also try to take an adult trip every so often. I've recently been to Philadelphia, New York and I went to Italy over the holiday with my son, my daughter-in-law and my grandson. Burnout is a significant issue in healthcare, with nearly 40 percent of physicians feeling burned out more than 10 percentage points higher than the general population, according to the American Medical Association. Burnout and stress pose a significant threat to healthcare providers, as they may negatively impact personal well-being as well as clinical performance. "This data means we have a lot of work to do," Wayne Sotile, PhD, founder of the Center for Physician Resilience, said at Huron Healthcare's 2016 CEO Forum. "As leaders, we have to increase our efforts to create resilience. Fortunately, we have 60 years of data showing that resilience is a trait that can be trained and taught." Dr. Sotile recommended focusing on the following areas to help physicians develop resilience to burnout and stress. 1. Provide more support and control. Physicians' work environment has transformed from one characterized by high demand and high control to one of high demand, low control and sometimes minimal support, which "can be a toxic combination," said Dr. Sotile. Hospital leaders can remedy this by increasing support for physicians and giving them more control. However, it is important for leaders to first decide how much physician input they will actually take. "Do not invite physicians to the table if you are not ready to hear their input," said Dr. Sotile. 2. Encourage collegiality. The many changes taking place in healthcare that affect care delivery have diminished the feeling of community physicians used to share. Leaders should consider how to boost collaboration and increase support systems as part of their burnout resistance efforts. 3. Concentrate on the things you can control. Common sources of stress for many physicians are out of the hospital's control. Payers, regulatory changes or market forces all apply pressure on physicians on a daily basis. Seeking solutions that are too large often fail to actualize. Dr. Sotile suggests focusing efforts on combating the elements of stress factors one can influence. Others maybe responsible for 90 percent of a problem, but the remaining 10 percent is up for grabs. "What is the 10 percent you are willing to own?" asked Dr. Sotile. "That is a powerful question. What's beneath your feet? What can I do something about?" 4. Grow physician leaders. Physician leadership development is an essential element of getting the results physicians care about the most patient outcomes and satisfaction, as well as their personal well-being. "We need to sell physician leadership to physicians, to show them why it matters," said Dr. Sotile. "And we need to have concrete examples and evidence. We need to be data-based." 5. Expand physicians' cognitive framework. Physicians' extensive medical training and knowledge often shapes them to think in ways that maximize competitiveness and the need to be in control. While leaders should respect this, they can also help physicians expand their mental maps by promoting self-awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy and social skills. Dr. Sotile also encouraged CEOs to demonstrate genuine admiration and empathy to physicians. "Think about physician leadership with a sense of wonderment of seeing familiar in unfamiliar ways. Notice, acknowledge and be generous." Leaders who exhibit this kind of positive attitude can set an example for others throughout the organization. The benefits of animal therapy for patients in the hospital are well known. But at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, hospital staff also benefit from some quality time with furry friends, according to the Chicago Tribune. As part of a new study, nearly 100 nurses, physicians, students and staffers enjoy cuddles and face licks from three dogs: Rocco, Minnie and Dallis. Like many hospitals, Rush has used animal therapy for patients. It has even brought in miniature horses, according to the report. Rush's monthly Pet Pause program has existed for patients for over a year now, but recently, Rush nurses began a study to see if the program could help employees ease stress and burnout. Interacting with animals is shown to lower one's stress hormone levels, blood pressure and heart rate, according to the report. In the study at Rush, the employees get blood pressure measurements and fill out questionnaires rating their stress levels before playing with dogs from a local shelter and animal therapy group. So far, the results have been promising. "My blood pressure was kind of high when I came in, and it was lower when I left by about 10 points, so that was good," Ben Gerling, a nurse, told the Chicago Tribune. Benjamin Gonzales, a graduate student in health systems management at Rush, said, "I could feel the big sighs coming out of me when I was with the dogs, so I know that just coming to this has made my day less stressful. This is amazing. I wish it could be every day," according to the report. Chicago-area residents may have access to a cheaper health insurance plan if the proposed merger between Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care and Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem is approved, according to a Crain's Chicago Business report. In a court document filed under seal earlier this month but made public yesterday, the health systems fired back against the Federal Trade Commission's claims that the Advocate-NorthShore merger would have anti-competitive effects. The systems claim the proposed transaction will not raise healthcare prices for consumers or reduce health insurers' bargaining power, according to the report. Advocate and NorthShore also said the merger would allow the combined system to create a new insurance product that would be priced at least 10 percent below the cheapest comparable plan on the market, according to Crain's. The proposed plan would limit access to providers in the Advocate-NorthShore system. The FTC is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the merger from moving forward. In their court filing, Advocate and NorthShore argue killing the merger would harm consumers. "If this merger is blocked, Chicagoland consumers will be harmed by losing the opportunity to save hundreds of dollars per individual in the network every year," the systems said. Advocate and NorthShore unveiled plans in 2014 to join forces and create a new health system, which would include more than 4,000 hospital beds and employ more than 45,000 workers. Although the systems argue the merger would lead to cost savings and quality improvements, the FTC disagrees. The FTC authorized action last December to block the pending merger, and the Illinois Attorney General joined the FTC in the matter. The two systems subsequently agreed to temporarily halt the transaction while the FTC conducts its antitrust review. "Despite a more than yearlong investigation and the production of 2.6 million pages of documents, there are no documents and there is no testimony zero showing or suggesting that Advocate and/or NorthShore will raise prices as a result of the merger," said Advocate and NorthShore in the court filing. Earlier this year, NorthShore CEO Mark Neaman accused the FTC of gerrymandering, claiming the agency is only analyzing a small portion of the Chicago area's healthcare market to challenge the proposed merger. "First and foremost, the FTC's assumptions regarding the Chicago market are based on an antiquated product model inpatient admissions and a completely gerrymandered area," Mr. Neaman told Becker's. "They've erased some hospitals just a couple of miles away, while ignoring that people travel across a region populated by 8 million people and 75 hospitals for care." The systems accuse the FTC of gerrymandering in their March 18 court filing as well, according to Crain's. The systems and the FTC will present their arguments at a federal administrative trial that is slated to begin April 6 in U.S. District Court in Chicago. More articles on healthcare industry transactions: UPMC gets green light to acquire Jameson Health System Sale approved for shuttered Texas hospital Capella, RegionalCare to merge into new $1.7B company: 10 things to know David H. Newman, MD, a former physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, was arraigned Thursday on charges of sexually abusing four female patients in the emergency room, including touching their breasts and, in one case, sedating, groping, masturbating and ejaculating on a patient, according to The New York Times. Dr. Newman, 45, pleaded not guilty in the New York State Supreme Court to one count of first-degree sexual abuse and four counts of third-degree sexual abuse. He is free on bail, according to the report. Dr. Newman's layer, Susan R. Necheles, said he denies the charges and intends to prove they are false during the trial. Here are six things to know about Dr. Newman's case. 1. He was arrested Jan. 19 after two women told police about the abuse. Since then, two more women have delivered similar complaints to authorities. Dr. Newman was suspended from Mount Sinai after the allegations were first made against him, but he has since been fired. 2. Prior to his arrest, Dr. Newman was a well-known physician, speaker and author who had written about improving relationships between physicians and their patients. 3. In one case, Dr. Newman is accused of sexually abusing a 29-year-old woman who arrived in the emergency room for shoulder pain. He allegedly touched her breast for no medical reason and administered medication to sedate her. Once the patient was too sedated to open her eyes or speak, Dr. Newman masturbated beside her bed and ejaculated on her face, according to the report. DNA from the woman's eye and cheek matched his DNA profile. 4. Dr. Newman told a detective his semen may have been transferred to the face of the patient with shoulder pain because he masturbated in a lounge before treating her. He attributed a second dose of morphine to "some confusion amongst the nurses," according to the report. 5. The other three women accusing Dr. Newman of sexual assault are between 18 and 21 years old and received treatment by the physician in the pediatric area of the emergency room. He allegedly touched each of their breasts while treating them. One woman had come to the emergency room for a cold, another for a rash on her eyebrows and the third for a headache after taking a pregnancy test, according to The New York Times. 6. If Dr. Newman agreed to plead guilty to the top count and register as a sex offender, the district attorney's office would be willing to accept a four-year prison sentence, a prosecutor told the court, according to the report. Up to 4million is to be made available over the next three years to support the development of new Northern Ireland air routes, it has been announced. Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell said funding will be provided through "enhanced co-operative marketing" and will be specifically for the development of un-served routes with a high potential for inbound tourism and business. Speaking at Belfast International Airport Mr Bell said: "Air connectivity is an important driver for economic growth in Northern Ireland. In following through on my commitment to come forward with a package to support enhanced air connectivity, I am delighted to announce up to 4 million of additional support available over a three year period. "Northern Irelands air passenger numbers are growing which is excellent news for the industry. From an economic development perspective I want to ensure we maximise the business opportunities through connectivity to strategic destinations and ensure we can attract visitors into Northern Ireland to experience our world class tourist offering. "I believe Northern Ireland would benefit economically from greater connectivity to a range of un-served short haul destinations within Europe, as well as greater long haul connectivity to Canada and the Middle East. The minister added: Officials in my department are working with Invest Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland on the detailed process for airlines to make proposals for additional support and this will be confirmed to them in the near future. Belfast International Airport welcomed the announcement but said that removal of Air Passenger Duty is "fundamental" to growth. Belfast International Airport Managing Director Graham Keddie, said: "While we welcome the introduction of this new initiative, the removal of UK Air Passenger Duty on flights departing from Northern Ireland remains the real and fundamental key to unlocking significant growth in direct air access. "Only by providing tourists from mainland Europe with direct, sustainable access to Northern Ireland will we see any appreciable benefit in economic terms, through spend in our hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. "We look forward to reviewing the detail of the scheme and to working with DETI, Invest NI and our airlines to fully exploit this opportunity." Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of George Best Belfast City Airport said: "Belfast City Airport welcomes this announcement and we look forward to engaging with the Department as we continue to develop our European route network." UUP MP Danny Kinahan said: "Increasing our connectivity will be a key part of our economic growth and in Northern Ireland the Executive needs to be stepping up to the plate and doing all they can to create the conditions where our airports can keep the good news coming. "Todays announcement can be a step in the right direction in making sure our airports arent losing out on passengers who are instead making the journey to fly from Dublin. I will continue to lobby for an enterprise zone at Belfast International Airport and proper road and rail links that our top airport should have. Jobs will go in manufacturing but the picture is not all bleak More than 6,000 jobs could be lost across Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector over the next decade as companies become more efficient and increase their use of technology. That is according to a major new report on the entire industry here and its overall contribution to the economy. But the study, carried out by Manufacturing NI and Oxford Economics, predicted the industry itself would grow in size, despite headcount falling. It said sustaining growth relied on a number of areas, including investment in new technology and processes, along with changing market habits. "We forecast that total economic output in manufacturing in Northern Ireland will be 5.5bn in 2025," it added. This figure represents an increase of 795m, or an average rise of around 17%. The report said that the industry currently boasted a workforce of 85,000 across Northern Ireland. And Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly said the next Executive must do more to more and create a clear strategy in order to boost the sector here. Northern Ireland's manufacturing industry has suffered a number of blows during the past 12 months. The loss of more than 1,000 jobs at Bombardier followed similar cuts at Michelin and JTI Gallaher. Around 860 positions will go at the tyre giant when it closes its doors in 2018. A similar number of jobs will be lost at JTI Gallaher. On the future job cuts, the report said: "We expect manufacturing employment to fall by 7% over 10 years, with the loss of 6,300 jobs. This will see manufacturing's share of total employment fall to just over 9%." "The decline in manufacturing employment will not be unique to Northern Ireland, with jobs in the sector expected to decline in every region of the UK by 2025. "In fact, the pace of the decline in manufacturing in Northern Ireland will be slower than the UK average of 11%, due in part to the sectoral make-up of manufacturing in the region." It added that the largest falls would be in Belfast, which could see job numbers drop by 1,200 over the same period. Manufacturing is the largest source of export revenue in Northern Ireland, with sales reaching 6bn in 2014, the report said. But Stephen Kelly said that "despite recent high-profile problems" the report "highlights the historic opportunity which the next Executive has to help create renewed economic prosperity". "We believe that it's possible and necessary for the Executive to work with the manufacturing sector to increase its contribution to 20% of GDP, narrowing the gap between north and south of the border," he added. And he said through the "implementation of a manufacturing strategy, the establishment of a target on competitive energy prices, continued stability on rates and a raising of ambition" the next Executive can "create the conditions which will see this target met and transform communities across Northern Ireland". "It can lead a re-industrialisation of our economy," he said. Neil McCullough of Oxford Economics, which carried out the report, added: "We've all heard of the high-profile demise of some of our traditional manufacturers in recent months, but what this analysis has uncovered is that a strong, vibrant and important manufacturing sector remains." Comedian John Cleese in his role as Basil Fawlty, the manic host of Fawlty Towers John Cleese has said he is considering legal action against a production company over what he claims is a "rip-off" of Fawlty Towers. The comedian said he had been unaware of the "astonishing financial success" of the Faulty Towers Dining Experience from Imagination Workshop. In a series of posts on Twitter, Cleese, 76, said the production had been using the classic sitcom's concept, characters and dialogue "without the need to pay (co-writer) Connie Booth and me a single cent". The two-hour interactive show - which debuted in Brisbane in 1997 and has been staged in London - has seen thousands of people enjoy the antics of "Basil, Sybil and Manuel", according to a description on the company's website. Cleese said: "Seems they thought that by not asking, and by changing the 'w' to a 'u', they'd be in the clear! Hilarious. "I'm always learning. I had never realised that 'tribute' is a synonym for 'rip-off'." After one Twitter user branded the situation "f****** shocking", Cleese replied: "That's the phrasing I'm hoping to use in court." Imagination Workshop said it was "staggered" by Cleese's "vitriol" and claimed the actor had known about the show for years. In a statement posted online, the company said: " We are not an unauthorised rip-off show - anyone who knows the law in this area will understand that we do not require authorisation to use the concept of Fawlty Towers. "We are not the bad guys he is painting us to be. It is a shame he has chosen to air his frustrations so publicly rather than contacting us directly about this matter." The stage version of Cleese's show, Fawlty Towers Live, will have its world premiere in Sydney in August. More than 24 hours after the series of tweets began, Cleese posted: "I've just read that I should have contacted them! Sorry! I'd assumed it would be the other way round..." He also joked: "Warning: I have already registered the Trade Mark 'Mindy Pylon's Frying Experience' for a chain of Fish-and-Chip shops." Belfast-born singer Peter Corry has been hitting the high notes with orphans in Africa after an emotional fundraising trip to Mozambique. The West End star flew out especially for a St Patrick's Day performance at the Maputo Embassy, raising 7,000 for the Casa Da Alegria School and Orphanage. The proceeds from his performances at the three-day event will help educate the 500 children who use Casa Da Alegria, 100 of whom are orphaned and up to 70% of whom have HIV. "It was very emotional and you couldn't let the children see you break down," said Mr Corry, who got back to London yesterday after spending a week in the country. "Where the orphanage is, is next to a massive rubbish tip, which the children sift through, and it was heartbreaking to see. "We were given a tour and some of the kids sang for us and we spent some time talking with them, but there was a little girl there who was so unused to human affection that when I tried to pick her up she just seemed lost, then when I gave her a hug she didn't want me to put her down." Mr Corry had been invited by his friend Liz Bottomley, who lives in the country, to perform alongside Irish band Sugan from Co Carlow. She had organised a string of fundraising events which included a gala dinner and beach party to help boost the proceeds for the orphanage. Although it was his first trip to Africa, seeing the orphanage first-hand had such an impact that Corry says he feels compelled to do more fundraising for it. "It was the biggest party in town that week," said the father-of-three. "It seems the Irish have that reputation of being good for a party and especially on St Patrick's Day, but seeing something like that really puts things in perspective for you. "There were babies there only four weeks old, some of the kids were there because they had no parents and others because their parents abandoned them or couldn't cope. Some get visitors on a Sunday, and with some of the kids no one comes to visit. "It was very sad, although the Sisters there are doing the best they can to give them an education and a start in life. "All charities are worthy, there's no way of choosing one better than another, really, but I've decided that proceeds from The Music Box performances, which are split between four charities, will also benefit the orphanage." A generous fundraiser, Mr Corry's next concert in June will raise money and awareness for Concern, which helps destitute people in the Third World. Kitchen craft: Trish Deseine, who has sold over one million cookbooks, has launched her cookbook of Irish recipes in France Meet the Northern Irish chef who is trying to teach the French to love our food. Co Antrim born Trish Deseine has already sold over 1 million cookery books in the country that invented gastronomy and now she has launched Mon Irelande, showcasing recipes and ingredients from the place where she was born. She told The Telegraph: I know its a very difficult thing to do but I love doing difficult things. A lot of the earlier books I wrote for a French audience have a lot of Irish and British touches, so this is really just a step further. She has become a household name in France and has released 12 cookbooks, including Je Veux du Chocolat, which was translated into 9 languages and sold over 400 000 copies. Her new book, which was released under the name Home in the UK, showcases home baking as well as the traditional staples of bacon, cabbage and mackerel. The award-winning food writer grew up as Patricia Brown in Doagh, near Ballyclare on her father Herbert's beef farm. The mother of four moved to west Cork in 2012 after the break-up of her marriage to a Frenchman she met in London, while working for the fashion retailer, French Connection. Although she is now based in the Republic of Ireland for most of the year, she often returns to her roots in the North. Earlier this year, she presented a BBC NI series showcasing food from around the province and she is now preparing another series in the Autumn. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph earlier this year, she said: "It has been fascinating for me, having lived in France for so long, to come back and make these programmes. My mission was to encourage everyone I met to develop a consciousness about where to shop for food, and it succeeded." Almost 25,000 staff in hospitals, clinics and care centres, fire and ambulance services have dealt with attacks while at work in the past three years About 8,000 health and social workers are verbally or physically assaulted every year. Official figures from the past three years show 24,954 front-line staff in Northern Ireland's hospitals, clinics and care centres, fire and ambulance services have dealt with attacks while at work. Jo-Anne Dobson, Ulster Unionist MLA and the party's health spokeswoman who secured the reports, said front-line workers are being hampered by having to protected themselves. "I, like the vast majority of people across Northern Ireland, will be disgusted at these outrageous figures," she said. "Our health staff and emergency workers go to work every day to help people and earn an honest living, not to be abused and assaulted. "There should be a zero tolerance approach taken to assaults on our health workers and I therefore hope that the people behind the almost 25,000 assaults in the last three years have received appropriate punishments." The data from Stormont's Department of Health showed fire fighters suffered 135 incidents in 2013, 99 in 2014 and up to the end of November last year the number had jumped again to 123. Ambulance staff faced 340 attacks in 2013, 356 in 2014 and 250 last year. The report revealed Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, the most heavily populated of the five trust regions, recorded a total of 9,294 incidents over the three years. The Northern Trust, which covers the largest area across Antrim and into Mid-Ulster, recorded 4,006 verbal and physical assaults while the Southern Trust, from Dungannon and Armagh across to South Down, recorded 3,926 incidents. The Western Trust, which covers Co Londonderry and down into Tyrone and Fermanagh, had 3,642 reported incidents against staff over the three years. Joe McCusker, regional organiser with the Unison trade union, said increasingly staff are being attacked in day-time hours amid frustration over long waiting times in some A&Es. "Unison are alarmed with these figures. Consistently s taff are having to face abuse while providing front-line services," he said. "More needs to be done by the employers, but not only them, but by the Assembly, in terms of addressing the issues." Mr McCusker said: "Many of our members who have been assaulted in the workplace not only received physical injuries but they have prolonged trauma as a result, to the point where they are frightened in the workplace." In this image provided by Daniela Schwarzer, smoke is seen at Brussels airport in Brussels, Belgium, after explosions were heard Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (Daniela Schwarzer via AP) The aftermath of this morning's explosions at Brussels airport. Pic Jef Versele/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. The scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard. Pic @davidcrunelle/PA Wire The scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard. Pic: @davidcrunelle/PA Wire A photo shows cars on a blocked highway near Zaventem, Brussels National airport, on March 22, 2016 after two explosions rocked the main hall of Brussels Airport, killing at least one person and wounding several others, officials said. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows smoke rising from the Maalbeek underground, in Brussels, following a blast at the station close to the capital's European quarter. Pic Getty Images The scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard. Pic: Stephanie Vanhemelryck/PA Wire The scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard. Pic: Stephanie Vanhemelryck/PA Wire A photo taken on March 22, 2016 shows Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, after two explosions rocked the main hall of the airport, killing at least one person and wounding several others. The Brussels metro service was being shut down on March 22, its operator said, following a blast at a station close to the capital's European quarter. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA / Belgium OUT/AFP/Getty Images A photo shows cars on a blocked highway near Zaventem, leading to Brussels National airport, on March 22, 2016 after two explosions rocked the main hall of Brussels Airport, killing at least one person and wounding several others, officials said. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images People walk on a blocked highway near Zaventem, leading to Brussels National airport, on March 22, 2016 after two explosions rocked the main hall of Brussels Airport, killing at least one person and wounding several others, officials said. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images This view taken on March 22, 2016 shows the broken glasses at Brussels Airport in Zaventem after a two explosions targeted the main hall. A string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station today, killing at least 13 people, according to media reports, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA / JONAS ROOSENSJONAS ROOSENS/AFP/Getty Images Passsengers wait, on March 22, 2016 near Brussels airport in Zaventem , following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers who were evacuated from the airport wait in Zaventem, on March 22, 2016, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport of Zaventem and a city metro station, killing at least 13 people, according to media reports, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. / AFP PHOTO / Belga / SEPPE KNAPEN / Belgium OUTSEPPE KNAPEN/AFP/Getty Images A passenger waits, on March 22, 2016 near Brussels airport in Zaventem , following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images A passenger waits, on March 22, 2016 near Brussels airport in Zaventem , following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers gather, on March 22, 2016 near Brussels airport in Zaventem , following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers leave with their luggages, on March 22, 2016 near Brussels airport in Zaventem , following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Belgium police officers block a street in Brussels on March 22, 2016 after an explosion occurred at a metro station. At least 13 people have been killed after two explosions occurred this morning in the departure hall of Brussels Airport. The Brussels metro stations have been evacuated after explosions at Schuiman and Maelbeek-Maalbeek. Government sources speak of a terrorist attack. The terrorist threat level has been heightened to four across the country. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA / PHILIPPE FRANCOIS / Belgium OUTPHILIPPE FRANCOIS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers leave with their luggages, on March 22, 2016 near Brussels airport in Zaventem , following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Two passengers wait, on March 22, 2016 near Brussels airport in Zaventem , following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers are gathered near Brussels airport, on March 22, 2016 in Zaventem, following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images In this photo provided by Georgian Public Broadcaster and photographed by Ketevan Kardava a man is wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels, Belgium, after explosions were heard Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (Ketevan Kardava/ Georgian Public Broadcaster via AP) A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows a Belgian police vehicle driving past passengers who are evacuating the Brussels Airport of Zaventem. Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows passengers boarding a bus as they evacuate the Brussels Airport of Zaventem, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station, killing at least 21 people, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images The military police carries extra patrols at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, on March 22, 2016 in response to the attacks in the departure hall of Brussels Airport and at a Brussels metro station. / AFP PHOTO / ANP / Evert Elzinga / Netherlands OUTEVERT ELZINGA/AFP/Getty Images Policemen stand guard at the entrance of a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows passengers waiting in a bus as they evacuate the Brussels Airport of Zaventem, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station, killing at least 21 people, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Policemen and soldier stand guard at the entrance of a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A helicopter of the Belgian police flies above the area near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows a Belgian emergency vehicle driving past passengers evacuating the Brussels Airport of Zaventem, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station, killing at least 21 people, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Policemen stand guard at the entrance of a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Policemen stand guard at the entrance of a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A victim receives first aid by rescuers, on March 22, 2016 near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A picture shows damage to the facade of Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, on March 2016 after two explosions in the airport. Belgian firefighters said there were at least 21 dead after "enormous" blasts hit Brussels airport and the city's metro system. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA / DIRK WAEM / Belgium OUTDIRK WAEM/AFP/Getty Images A security perimeter has been set, on March 22, 2016 near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A victim receives first aid by rescuers, on March 22, 2016 near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A victim receives first aid by rescuers, on March 22, 2016 near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Passengers evacuate the Brussels Airport in Zaventem, on March 22, 2016, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station, killing at least 21 people, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. The blasts come days after the dramatic arrest in Brussels on March 18 of Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November, after four months on the run. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Passengers are evacuated from Brussels airport, on March 22, 2016 in Zaventem, after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers are evacuated from Brussels airport, on March 22, 2016 in Zaventem, after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers are evacuated from Brussels airport, on March 22, 2016 in Zaventem, after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers are evacuated from Brussels airport, on March 22, 2016 in Zaventem, after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers board a bus as they evacuate the Brussels Airport in Zaventem, on March 22, 2016, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station, killing at least 21 people, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. The blasts come days after the dramatic arrest in Brussels on March 18 of Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November, after four months on the run. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images Passengers are evacuated from Brussels airport, on March 22, 2016 in Zaventem, after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Passengers are evacuated from Brussels airport, on March 22, 2016 in Zaventem, after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport.AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Police officers walk past as a group of travelers stand together, after services were suspended on the Brussels Eurostar train route because of the attacks in Belgium, at St Pancras international railway station in London, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Authorities locked down the Belgian capital on Tuesday after explosions rocked the Brussels airport and subway system, killing at least 13 people and injuring many more. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) A police officers sets a security perimeter near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A police officers sets a security perimeter near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Emergency workers arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images An armed policeman secures the access to the terminal area of the Frankfurt Airport, on March 22, 2016, in Frankfurt, western Germany. The increased security comes in the wake of the explosions in Brussels, according to several media have claimed more lives. / AFP PHOTO / DPA / Boris Roessler / Germany OUTBORIS ROESSLER/AFP/Getty Images Policemen stand guard at the entrance of a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images An armed policeman secures the access to the terminal area of the Frankfurt Airport, on March 22, 2016, in Frankfurt, western Germany. The increased security comes in the wake of the explosions in Brussels, according to several media have claimed more lives. / AFP PHOTO / DPA / Boris Roessler / Germany OUTBORIS ROESSLER/AFP/Getty Images Policemen stand guard at the entrance of a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images First aid workers arrive atr Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Belgian servicemen and police officers block the road outside the Prime Minister's office where a meeting of the National Security Council is held, in Brussels, on March 22, 2016, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station, killing at least 21 people, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. The blasts come days after the dramatic arrest in Brussels on March 18 of Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November, after four months on the run. / AFP PHOTO / Belga / JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE / Belgium OUTJAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE/AFP/Getty Images French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve gives a statement after a meeting with French Prime Minister, French Defence Minister and French President following Brussels attacks on March 22, 2016 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. A string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station on March 22, killing at least 21 people in apparently coordinated attacks, officials said. / AFP PHOTO / STEPHANE DE SAKUTINSTEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images First aid workers arrive atr Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve gives a statement after a meeting with French Prime Minister, French Defence Minister and French President following Brussels attacks on March 22, 2016 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. A string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station on March 22, killing at least 21 people in apparently coordinated attacks, officials said. / AFP PHOTO / STEPHANE DE SAKUTINSTEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images Policemen speak at a security perimeter near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Belgian servicemen and police officers block the road outside the Prime Minister's office where a meeting of the National Security Council is held, in Brussels, on March 22, 2016, after a string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station, killing at least 21 people, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. The blasts come days after the dramatic arrest in Brussels on March 18 of Salah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November, after four months on the run. / AFP PHOTO / Belga / James Arthur Gekiere / Belgium OUTJAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE/AFP/Getty Images A police officers sets a security perimeter near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve gives a statement after a meeting with French Prime Minister, French Defence Minister and French President following Brussels attacks on March 22, 2016 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. A string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station on March 22, killing at least 21 people in apparently coordinated attacks, officials said. / AFP PHOTO / STEPHANE DE SAKUTINSTEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve gives a statement after a meeting with French Prime Minister, French Defence Minister and French President following Brussels attacks on March 22, 2016 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. A string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station on March 22, killing at least 21 people in apparently coordinated attacks, officials said. / AFP PHOTO / STEPHANE DE SAKUTINSTEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters arrive at the scene near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: Crew and passengers are evacuated from Zaventem Bruxelles International Airport after terrorist attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 13 people are though to have been killed after Brussels airport was hit by two explosions whilst a Metro station was also targeted. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: Crew and passengers are evacuated from Zaventem Bruxelles International Airport after terrorist attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 13 people are though to have been killed after Brussels airport was hit by two explosions whilst a Metro station was also targeted. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) A police officers sets security perimeter near Maalbeek metro station, on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Picture taken with permission from the Facebook site of Jef Versele showing the aftermath of this morning's explosions at Brussels airport. A Eurostar representative gives advice to a traveler after services were suspended on the Brussels Eurostar train route because of the attacks in Belgium, at St Pancras international railway station in London, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Police dog handlers speak to travelers as they patrol after Eurostar train services were suspended on the Brussels route because of the attacks in Belgium, at St Pancras international railway station in London, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Belgian police officers detain a man at the Gare du Midi train station in Brussels, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and its subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler) Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels on March 21, 2016 after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions. Belgian firefighters said at least 26 people had died after "enormous" blasts rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station today, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. / AFP PHOTO / --/AFP/Getty Images A man looks at flowers and a sign reading (Defy terror, protect freedom) outside the Belgium embassy in Berlin on March 22, 2016. People left tributes to the victims outside the embassy after a series of apparently coordinated blasts ripped through Brussels airport and a train. / AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSENODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images Police and rescue teams are pictured outside the metro station Maelbeek in Brussels, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and its subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Smoke billows from the Zaventem Airport after a controlled explosion in Brussels, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Bombs struck the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations Tuesday, killing and wounding dozens of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler) Travelers wait at the counter of Brussels airlines in Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. After the Brussels attacks, Israel briefly announced that all Israeli flights from Europe were canceled, then reinstated the flights, Israel Airports Authority spokesman Ofer Leffler said. Pini Schiff, former director of security at Ben-Gurion Airport, said the attack in the Brussels airport was a colossal failure of Belgian security, and he said the chances are very low that such a bombing could take place in Israels airport. Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport is considered among the most secure in the world, an outcome stemming from several Palestinian attacks on Israeli planes and travelers in the 1970s. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Police and rescue teams are pictured outside the metro station Maelbeek in Brussels, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and its subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) An Israeli airport security guard patrols with a dog in Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. After the Brussels attacks, Israel briefly announced that all Israeli flights from Europe were canceled, then reinstated the flights, Israel Airports Authority spokesman Ofer Leffler said. Pini Schiff, former director of security at Ben-Gurion Airport, said the attack in the Brussels airport was a colossal failure of Belgian security, and he said the chances are very low that such a bombing could take place in Israels airport. Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport is considered among the most secure in the world, an outcome stemming from several Palestinian attacks on Israeli planes and travelers in the 1970s. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) A pilot and cabin crew are evacuated from Zaventem Airport in Brussels by bus after an explosion on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. At least 26 people were reported dead. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) The blown out facade of the terminal is seen at Zaventem airport, one of the sites of two deadly attacks in Brussels, Belgium, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Authorities in Europe have tightened security at airports, on subways, at the borders and on city streets after the attacks Tuesday on the Brussels airport and its subway system. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) Policemen and soldiers stand guard near a security perimeter set in the Rue de la Loi near the Maalbeek subway station, in Brussels, on March 22, 2016, after an explosion killed at least 11 people, according to spokesman of Brussels' fire brigade A string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people, according to media reports, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images Policemem stand guard near a security perimeter set in the Rue de la Loi near the Maalbeek subway station, in Brussels, on March 22, 2016, after an explosion killed at least 11 people, according to spokesman of Brussels' fire brigade A string of explosions rocked Brussels airport and a city metro station on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people, according to media reports, as Belgium raised its terror threat to the maximum level. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images A wreath is layed on a table along flowers and a candle inside the Belgium embassy in Berlin on March 22, 2016 as the national and EU flag is reflected in the window. People left tributes to the victims outside the embassy after a series of apparently coordinated blasts ripped through Brussels airport and a train. / AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSENODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images Travellers gather at Ryanair helping desk at Barcelona El Prat airport after the Brussels attacks, in Barcelona on March 22, 2016. Europe froze air and rail links to Brussels as the authorities tightened security in alarm over a series of deadly bomb blasts that ripped through the Belgian capital's airport and a city-centre metro station. / AFP PHOTO / PAU BARRENAPAU BARRENA/AFP/Getty Images A boy holds a placard expressing sympathy for the victims of the terror attacks in Brussels during a protest at a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni on March 22, 2016. Greece will not be able to start sending refugees back to Turkey from March 20, 2016, the government said, as the country struggles to implement a key deal aimed at easing Europe's migrant crisis. The numbers are daunting: officials said as of Saturday there were 47,500 migrants in Greece, including 8,200 on the islands and 10,500 massed at the Idomeni camp on the Macedonian border. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREJ ISAKOVICANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images Travellers get informed at Ryanair helping desk at Barcelona El Prat airport after the Brussels attacks, in Barcelona on March 22, 2016. Europe froze air and rail links to Brussels as the authorities tightened security in alarm over a series of deadly bomb blasts that ripped through the Belgian capital's airport and a city-centre metro station. / AFP PHOTO / PAU BARRENAPAU BARRENA/AFP/Getty Images The Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast outside the embassy of Belgium in London, in the wake of coordinated bomb attacks on the main airport and the Metro system in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 22, 2016. The attacks, condemned as "blind, violent and cowardly" by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, came after the arrest in the city last week of terror mastermind Salah Abdeslam, who plotted November's Paris atrocity from the notorious Molenbeek suburb of Brussels. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire The departure board at Rome's Fiumicino aiport displays the cancellation of flights to Brussels on March 22, 2016, in the wake of the series of apparently coordinated explosions ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing at least 26 people. Authorities in Europe have tightened security at airports, on subways, at the borders and on city streets after deadly attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system. / AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABITIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images Travellers gather at Ryanair helping desk at Barcelona El Prat airport after the Brussels attacks, in Barcelona on March 22, 2016. Europe froze air and rail links to Brussels as the authorities tightened security in alarm over a series of deadly bomb blasts that ripped through the Belgian capital's airport and a city-centre metro station. / AFP PHOTO / PAU BARRENAPAU BARRENA/AFP/Getty Images Police officers patrol entrances to Rome's Fiumicino aiport on March 22, 2016, in the wake of the series of apparently coordinated explosions ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing at least 26 people. Authorities in Europe have tightened security at airports, on subways, at the borders and on city streets after deadly attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system. / AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABITIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images The flags of Belgium and the European Union are seen flying on half mast reflected in the window of the Belgian embassy in Berlin on March 22, 2016. People left tributes to the victims outside the embassy after a series of apparently coordinated blasts ripped through Brussels airport and a train. / AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSENODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images An Italian police officer patrols with a dog at Rome's Fiumicino aiport on March 22, 2016 as security measures were reinforced in the wake of attacks in Brussels. European countries vowed to defend democracy against terrorism after blasts at Brussels airport and in the EU's institutional heart left at least 26 dead and dozens injured. / AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABITIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images The Belgian flag flies at half mast above 10 Downing Street in London, in the wake of coordinated bomb attacks on the main airport and the Metro system in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 22, 2016. The attacks, condemned as "blind, violent and cowardly" by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, came after the arrest in the city last week of terror mastermind Salah Abdeslam, who plotted November's Paris atrocity from the notorious Molenbeek suburb of Brussels. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire The Belgian flag flies at half mast above 10 Downing Street in London, in the wake of coordinated bomb attacks on the main airport and the Metro system in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 22, 2016. The attacks, condemned as "blind, violent and cowardly" by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, came after the arrest in the city last week of terror mastermind Salah Abdeslam, who plotted November's Paris atrocity from the notorious Molenbeek suburb of Brussels. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire The Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast outside the embassy of Belgium in London, in the wake of coordinated bomb attacks on the main airport and the Metro system in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 22, 2016. The attacks, condemned as "blind, violent and cowardly" by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, came after the arrest in the city last week of terror mastermind Salah Abdeslam, who plotted November's Paris atrocity from the notorious Molenbeek suburb of Brussels. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire A Belgian soldier patrols outside Brussels Central Station as people are allowed in small group of ten to reach the station in order to take their commuter train following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bombs blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. / AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A man lights a candle at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A man puts a Belgian flag at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A Belgian soldier speaks to a police officer outside Brussels Central Station as people are allowed in small groups of ten to reach the station in order to take their commuter train following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bombs blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. / AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images A candle burns next to a heart drawing at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A woman leaves a bouquet of flowers in the Belgian national colours next to a French national flag with the lettering 'Paris - Brussels - Solidarity' at the fence of the Belgian embassy in Paris on March 22, 2016, in tribute to victims of triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people. AFP PHOTO / THOMAS SAMSONTHOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A woman reacts as people gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A Belgian police officer watches people walk past during an operation to limit the number of people allowed into the central Station in Brussels on March 22, 2016 following co-ordinated attacks at the Airport serving the Belgian capital and its Metro system. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bombs blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. / AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images People hold hands as they gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images People hold hands as they gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A man plays the cello as people gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A replica of the Manneken Pis statue stands at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 in Paris shows a view of a smartphone screening an Instagram page with the ashtag "#JESUISBRUSSELS" (#IAMBRUSSELS) and two tributes images picturing the color of the Belgian flag, a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu and the famous Belgian comic character Tintin, in tribute to victims of triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels on March 22, 2016 after rush-hour bomb attacks killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. Within hours of Brussels attacks tens of thousands of people were sharing images on social media of Herge's cub reporter Tintin, the country's most famous creation, in tears. / AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGET / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTIONJOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images People hold hands as they gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Police forces block the access to the Maalbeek subway station, in Brussels, on March 22, 2016, after a series of apparently coordinated explosions that ripped through Brussels airport and the metro train, killing at least 14 people in the airport and 20 people in the metro in the latest attacks to target Europe. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images A man reacts as people gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: People leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A young boy helps light a candle as people leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A young boy helps light a candle as people leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) People gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and European railways froze links with Brussels after a series of bomb blasts killed around 35 people in the city's airport and a metro train, sparking a broad security response. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Belgian flag flies at half mast above the Royal Palace in Brussels on March 22, 2016 in the wake of co-ordinated attacks claimed by Islamic State group (IS) millitants at the city's airport and in a Metro train. Belgium will hold three days of national mourning in the wake of the deadly attacks in the capital Brussels that killed around 35 people. "All national flags on public buildings will be at half-mast," Frederic Cauderlier, spokesman for Belgian premier Charles Michel, told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA AND Belga / NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / Belgium OUTNICOLAS MAETERLINCK/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A message is written on the ground as people leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: An Amtrak police K-9 unit checks the baggage of passengers at Union Station March 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased around the city after bombings in Brussels have left at least 34 people dead and scores more injured in the bombings. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: An Amtrak police K-9 unit patrols Union Station March 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased around the city after bombings in Brussels have left at least 34 people dead and scores more injured in the bombings. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: A K-9 unit patrols Union Station March 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased around the city after bombings in Brussels have left at least 34 people dead and scores more injured in the bombings. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Belgian special police forces take position in Zaventem following blasts at Brussels airport and a metro station on March 22, 2016. The European Union vowed to defend democracy and tolerance and to combat terrorism "with all necessary means" after triple blasts struck Brussels, the 28-nation bloc's capital. Around 35 people were killed and more than 200 injured. The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility. AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYSJOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images Servicemen of Azov, Ukrainian volonteers battalion, hold torches in front of floral tributes during a ceremony in front of the Belgian embassy in Kiev on March 22, 2016, in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / ANATOLII STEPANOVANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/Getty Images People holds a banner as they gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. THIERRY MONASSE AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A woman writes a message on the ground as people leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) People look at informations inside the North station (Gare du Nord - Noordstation) on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, as stations are opened again with high security measures after a series of apparently coordinated explosions that ripped through Brussels airport and the metro train, killing at least 14 people in the airport and 20 people in the metro in the latest attacks to target Europe. Belgian police issued a wanted notice for a suspect in the bomb attack on Brussels airport on March 22 in which at least 14 people were killed. The Islamic State group officially claimed responsibility for the attacks in Brussels that left some 35 people dead and threatened further violence. / AFP PHOTO / Belga / NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / Belgium OUTNICOLAS MAETERLINCK/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A Metro station is closed off at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) People take part in a rally on March 22, 2016 on the Palazzo di Citta square in Turin in memory of the victims of the attacks in Brussels. Around 35 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in a series of attacks in Brussels today claimed by the Islamic State group and described as a strike at the very heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / MARCO BERTORELLOMARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A message is written on a wall following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Police officers stand guard at the Brussels Airport in Zaventem following twin blasts on March 22, 2016. Around 35 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in a series of attacks in Brussels today claimed by the Islamic State group and described as a strike at the very heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZPATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images A man holds a sign as people take part in a rally on March 22, 2016 on the Palazzo di Citta square in Turin in memory of the victims of the attacks in Brussels. Around 35 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in a series of attacks in Brussels today claimed by the Islamic State group and described as a strike at the very heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / MARCO BERTORELLOMARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images People stand hand in hand in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial in front of the stock exchange at the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images A woman lights a candle in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial in front of the stock exchange at the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows a frame with an inscription which translates as "For our Belgian friends" among floral tributes, candles and notes at the Place de la Republique in Paris in tribute to the victims following a series of apparently coordinated explosions that ripped through Brussels airport and the metro train, killing at least 14 people in the airport and 20 people in the metro in the latest attacks to target Europe. Belgian police found a bomb and an Islamic State flag during a search of a Brussels apartment carried out hours after deadly attacks in the Belgian capital that killed around 35 people, prosecutors said. The Islamic State group officially claimed responsibility for the attacks. / AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGETJOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images People stand hand in hand in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial in front of the stock exchange at the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe.KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A miniature sculpture of Brussels' landmark Manneken Pis (Little man Pee) is seen in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial in front of the stock exchange at the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A couple watches as the colors of the Belgian flag are projected on to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin as the German capital shows its solidarity following the Brussels attacks on March 22, 2016. Security was tightened across Europe and transport links paralysed after a series of apparently coordinated explosions ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing at least 34 people. / AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSENODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images Police officers patrol outside the Maelbeek - Maalbeek subway station in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following a series of attacks in Brussels today claimed by the Islamic State group killing at least 35 people were killed and more than 200 wounded. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images A woman holds a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu picturing a character made of a French flag consoling another made of the Belgian flag, in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris as people gather for a tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAUMARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A man waves a Belgian and Palestinian flag as a mark of solidarity at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) A member of the public holds a Belgium and Palestine flag at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels following the terrorist bomb attacks. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 22, 2016. The attacks, condemned as "blind, violent and cowardly" by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, came after the arrest in the city last week of terror mastermind Salah Abdeslam, who plotted November's Paris atrocity from the notorious Molenbeek suburb of Brussels. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Handout CCTV image issued by Belgian Federal Police of three men they believed are connected with the explosions at Brussels airport. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 22, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Belgian Federal Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. A Federal police helicopter shines light on roofs during searchings at the Place Princesse Elisabeth in Schaarbeek in the region of Brussels on March 22, 2016, during ongoing security operations in the wake of triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / Belga / James Arthur Gekiere / Belgium OUTJAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE/AFP/Getty Images A Belgian flag is display on the Trevi Fountain in Rome on March 22, 2016 in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYSGABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images Messages and tributes left by members of the public at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels following the terrorist bomb attacks. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 22, 2016. The attacks, condemned as "blind, violent and cowardly" by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, came after the arrest in the city last week of terror mastermind Salah Abdeslam, who plotted November's Paris atrocity from the notorious Molenbeek suburb of Brussels. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Young women hold each other at a makeshift memorial in front of the stock exchange at the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A woman reacts at a makeshift memorial in front of the stock exchange at the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: An Amtrak police K-9 unit patrols Union Station March 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased around the city after bombings in Brussels have left at least 34 people dead and scores more injured in the bombings. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: Passengers are evacuated from Zaventem Bruxelles International Airport after a terrorist attack on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 13 people are though to have been killed after Brussels airport was hit by two explosions whilst a Metro station was also targeted. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A young girl lights a candle at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: People gather to leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** A candle is lit at a makeshift memorial in front of the stock exchange at the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 22, 2016, following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A photo taken on March 22, 2016 shows the Belgian flag projected on Rome's Campidoglio in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTEFILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam displaying the colors of the Belgian flag in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / ANP / Evert Elzinga / Netherlands OUTEVERT ELZINGA/AFP/Getty Images Women lay flowers in front of the Belgium Embassy in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, March 22, 2016, after Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) People bring flowers and candles to mourn at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Bombs exploded at the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations Tuesday, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) People light candles in the shape of a heart outside the stock exchange in Brussels on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) People gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. AFP/Getty Images People light candles at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) following attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / THIERRY MONASSETHIERRY MONASSE/AFP/Getty Images Two Belgian flags are projected on Rome's Campidoglio Capitol Hill to honor the victims of the deadly attacks at Brussels airport and subway, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and its subway system prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) A writing on the asphalt reads "Brussels forever" at the place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels, where people write hundreds of messages on the ground to remember the victims of todays attack, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Bombs exploded at the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations Tuesday, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy patrols Union Station train hub as security is heightened in reaction to bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium this morning on March 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. At least 36 lives and injured at least 200 people in the morning rush hour bomb attacks at the international airport and a subway station. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) The Belgian flag is projected on Rome's historical Trevi Fountain to honor the victims of the deadly attacks at Brussels airport and subway, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with the Belgium national colors black, yellow and red in honor of the victims of the today's attacks at the airport and the metro station in Brussels, in Paris, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 22: A person writes a message as people leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. At least 31 people are thought to have been killed after Brussels airport and a Metro station were targeted by explosions. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies patrol Union Station train hub as security is heightened in reaction to bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium this morning on March 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. At least 36 lives and injured at least 200 people in the morning rush hour bomb attacks at the international airport and a subway station. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) People light candles at the Place de la Bourse following today's attacks on March 22, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) People hold a banner reading in French and Flamish "I AM BRUSSELS" as they gather around floral tributes, candles, belgian flags and notes in front of the Bourse of Brussels on March 22, 2016 in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA AND Belga / Aurore Belot / Belgium OUTAURORE BELOT/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows the Belgian flag projected on the European Union Commisson building in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images People hold a banner reading in French and Flamish "I AM BRUSSELS" as they gather around floral tributes, candles, belgian and peace flags and notes in front of the Bourse of Brussels on March 22, 2016. AFP/Getty Images A woman lights a candle among floral tributes and notes in front of the Bourse of Brussels on March 22, 2016 in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. AFP/Getty Images A woman lights a candle among floral tributes, a cross and notes in front of the Bourse of Brussels on March 22, 2016 in tribute to the victims of Brussels following triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital that killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. Belgium launched a huge manhunt on March 22 after a series of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train, killing around 35 people in the latest attack to bring carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA AND Belga / Aurore Belot / Belgium OUTAURORE BELOT/AFP/Getty Images A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows Red Cross tents and police vehicles at the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which was evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek - Maalbeek subway station in Brussels. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train Tuesday, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. / AFP PHOTO / Belga / LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ / Belgium OUTLAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ/AFP/Getty Images Belgian federal police released this image of Brussels bomb suspects. The two men on the left, each wearing a single black glove, are thought to be suicide bombers, while the third is thought to be on the run. Photos issued by the Belgian Federal Police of Najim Laachraoui, who according to local media is thought to be connected with the Brussels attacks, and who is believed to be on the run. Belgian Federal Police/PA Wire BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 23: A sad face is drawn on a Belgian flag near Maelbeek metro station following yesterday's attack, on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 34 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) TOPSHOT - Belgian police officers stand guard near Maelbeek - Maalbeek subway station in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks in the Belgian capital killed about 35 people and left more than 200 people wounded. A series of explosions claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through Brussels airport and a metro train on March 22, killing around 35 people in the latest attacks to bring bloody carnage to the heart of Europe. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Photos shows colours of the Belgian flag being projected on to (from top L) the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the town council building in Belgrade, the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam and Rome's Campidoglio in tribute to the victims of the Brussels attacks. AFP/Getty Images People gather to pay tribute to the victims of the Brussels attacks on the Place de la Bourse in central Brussels, on March 23, 2016, a day after the triple blasts killed some 30 people and left around 250 injured. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / Belga / AURORE BELOT / Belgium OUTAURORE BELOT/AFP/Getty Images A man pays tribute to the victims of the Brussels attacks next to a Tunisian flag at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse - Beursplein square in Brussels, on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA / AURORE BELOT / Belgium OUTAURORE BELOT/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 23: A soldier checks the identification of a person entering Brussels Midi train station on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 34 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 23: People chant and sing songs at the Place De La Bourse in honour of the victims of yesterdays' terror attacks on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 34 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Candles and a printed message are pictured at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after blasts hit the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A Belgian flag is pictured onto one of the two lion sculptures at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after blasts hit the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Queen Mathilde of Belgium (C) meets soldiers during a visit to Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / FREDERIC SIERAKOWSKIFREDERIC SIERAKOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images TOPSHOT - A boy lights a candle at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after blasts hit the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A heavily armed police officer stands watch in front of Union Station in Washington, DC, March 23, 2016. A dozen Americans were wounded in the Brussels attacks and a number unaccounted for, but no US nationals were known to have been among the 31 dead, the State Department said Wednesday. / AFP PHOTO / Jim WatsonJIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images King Philippe - Filip of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium mourn after laying down flowers in the area of the explosion at the Maelbeek - Maalbeek subway station in Brussels, on March 23, 2016, a day after the triple blasts killed some 30 people and left around 250 injured. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA / THIERRY ROGE / Belgium OUTTHIERRY ROGE/AFP/Getty Images People gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images People gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Flowers and candles are pictured as people gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Flowers and candles are pictured as people gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Flowers and candles are pictured as people gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A woman hold a placard reading "Against terrorism and hatred, Solidarity" as people gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images People gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images A woman holds a placard with a heart-shaped Belgian flag reading "We want peace on Earth" as people gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images Belgian flags reading "Pray for Belgium" are pictured as people gather at a makeshift memorial on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016, a day after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, left 31 dead and hundreds injured in the Belgian capital. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers killed 31 people in a strike at the symbolic heart of the EU. AFP PHOTO / KENZO TRIBOUILLARDKENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 23: Flowers, candles and tributes, to the victims and injured, continue to adorn the Place de la Bourse following yesterday's terrorists attacks on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 34 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 23: Paper butterflies and messages of support adorn the walls of the Bourse De Brussels building in the Place de la Bourse following yesterday's terrorists attacks on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 34 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Composite image showing Tower Bridge in central London lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PA Manchester Town Hall displays the colours of the Belgium Flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PA Brussels airport workers and their relatives hold candles as they pay tribute to the victims of Brussels triple attacks near the airport in Zaventem on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images Brussels airport workers and their relatives react as they pay tribute to the victims of Brussels triple attacks near the airport in Zaventem on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images Brussels airport workers and their relatives hold candles as they pay tribute to the victims of Brussels triple attacks near the airport in Zaventem on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images Brussels airport workers and their relatives place candles as they pay tribute to the victims of Brussels triple attacks near the airport in Zaventem on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images Brussels airport workers and their relatives place candles at a makeshift memorial as they pay tribute to the victims of Brussels triple attacks near the airport in Zaventem on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images Brussels airport workers and their relatives hold candles as they pay tribute to the victims of Brussels triple attacks near the airport in Zaventem on March 23, 2016, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images Two children write on a wall at a memorial for victims of attacks in Brussels on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Belgian authorities were searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country's deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union's capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport after scores were killed and injured in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station. (AP Photo/Valentin Bianchi) People light candles which create an heart shape at at a wake of Brussels Airport employees on Martch 23, 2016 in Zaventem, a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / BELGA AND Belga / YORICK JANSENS / Belgium OUTYORICK JANSENS/AFP/Getty Images A couple stand on March 23, 2016 in front of a makeshift memorial with floral tributes and candles in Brussels a day after triple bomb attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway train station killed 31 people and wounded more than 200. World leaders united in condemning the carnage in Brussels and vowed to combat terrorism, after Islamic State bombers attacked the symbolic heart of the EU. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUENPHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: The arches of Wembley Stadium are illuminated with the colours of the flag of Belgium on March 23, 2016 in London, England. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 31 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 23: A man wears the Belgian flag as people observe a one minute silence at the Place De La Bourse in honour of the victims of yesterdays' terror attacks on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 34 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** St George's Hall in Liverpool displays the colours of the Belgium Flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. Photo credit should read: PA Wire St George's Hall in Liverpool displays the colours of the Belgium Flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. Photo credit should read: PA Wire A Belgian national flag is projected onto the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, in solidarity with Belgium after the attacks that occurred yesterday in Brussels, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Belgians began three days of mourning Wednesday for the victims of the Brussels airport and subway bombings, and the country remained on high alert as authorities hunted for one of the suspected attackers seen on surveillance video with two others who blew themselves up. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 23: A woman covers her face near Maelbeek metro station as she reacts following yesterday's attack, on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium is observing three days of national mourning after 34 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a further bomb attack at Maelbeek Metro Station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is underway for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London are lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire The teams stand as a minute silence is observed for the victims of the Brussels attacks prior to the friendly football match between Romania and Lithuania in Bucharest March 23, 2016. Romania won 1-0. / AFP PHOTO / DANIEL MIHAILESCUDANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images The National Gallery and fountains in Trafalgar Square, London are lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire London County Hall by the River Thames displays the colours of the Belgium Flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London are lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London are lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London are lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Messages written in chalk infront of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London which is lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London are lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Messages written in chalk are seen in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London which is lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London are lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Candles and messages in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London which is lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Messages written in chalk infront of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London which is lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Candles and messages in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London which is lit in the colours of the Belgium flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 23, 2016. See PA story POLICE Brussels. Photo credit should read: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire People bring flowers and candles at Place de la Bourse, Brussels, to mourn for the victims on Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016. Bombs exploded Tuesday at the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) People gather at a memorial site located at the old stock exchange in Brussels on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Belgian authorities were searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country's deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union's capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport after scores were killed or wounded in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station. (AP Photo/Valentin Bianchi) Hundreds of people come together at Place de la Bourse to mourn on Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016. Bombs exploded yesterday at the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) A small girl sits among candles set up at a memorial site located at the old stock exchange in Brussels on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Belgian authorities were searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country's deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union's capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport after scores were killed or wounded in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station. (AP Photo/Valentin Bianchi) People bring flowers and candles to Place de la Bourse, Brussels, to mourn for the victims on Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016. Bombs exploded Tuesday at the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Sonia (surname witheld) embraces her children Mateo and Alessia at The Place de la Bourse as she pays her respects to victims following yesterday's terrorists attacks on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) People hold a banner showing the Brussels mascot defusing a bomb at Place de la Bourse on Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016. Bombs exploded yesterday at the Brussels airport and one of the city's metro stations, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Hundreds of people come together at Place de la Bourse to mourn on Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016 (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) The first and Deputy First Ministers have expressed their solidarity with the people of Brussels after yesterday's devastating terrorist attacks killed more than 30 people. In a joint statement Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness strongly condemned the violence and expressed their sympathy with the victims of the Islamic State bombings and their families. "We stand united with the people of the European Union's capital as we try to comprehend the needless taking of lives," it read. "These attacks do not achieve anything but destruction and devastation of life and families. "We stand with our European family when we say those responsible will not be allowed to erode freedom. Our sympathy is with the people of Brussels and Belgium and we support them fully as they move forward from this dark moment." They added that all staff from the Executive working in Brussels had been accounted for. DUP MEP Diane Dodds arrived at the European Parliament yesterday morning shortly before the explosion at the nearby Metro station. She was advised to stay indoors along with her staff. Speaking from her office she said: "These bombings act as a stark reminder of the carnage that mindless and unjustified acts of terrorism can bring to us all. My thoughts are with those caught up and directly impacted by these actions." Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson was also in Brussels. "In the European Parliament this morning we held a minute's silence to pay our respects to those killed and injured in today's attacks at the airport," he said. "Shortly after, news broke that underground Metro stations near the EU institutions have also been attacked. "No political or religious cause can justify such terror." Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson had been flying to Brussels from London, but turned back. Some on social media noted the irony of the convicted bomber being forced to cancel an event in the European Parliament commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising. In an email annoucing the cancellation of 'Gallant Allies in Europe', she added: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected by these terrible events. Stay safe and look out for each other." Her party colleague Matt McCarthy MEP described an "eerie atmosphere" in Brussels. "Everybody (in the Sinn Fein office) is safe and sound and all seem to be happy enough. I am in the bubble of the Parliament Building... there is an eerie sense around the building," he said. Justice Minister David Ford said the world needed to stand with Brussels following the attacks. "Today, the world stands with Brussels in the wake of these horrific attacks," he said. "Alongside our shock, sadness and sympathy with the people of Brussels, these attacks bring a determination to not allow terrorism to undermine democracy and its very principles." The SDLP leader Colum Eastwood called the attacks "sickening." He said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Brussels today. The final death to The Government's Europe Minister has said Northern Ireland would be safer staying in the EU after the Brussels terror attacks. David Lidington made the comments yesterday while visiting Stormont to argue the case for remaining in Europe to local politicians and business leaders. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Lidington said the ease with which security agencies in the EU could share intelligence provided the best protection against terrorist threats. "Citizens here in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK are going to be safer if we stay in the EU," he added. Mr Lidington pointed out that while extradition of criminals in Europe in the past could have taken years, it now happens within weeks. Police can also more easily and quickly share evidence such as fingerprint and DNA files. "If you're outside the EU you can try to negotiate an arrangement, but you're going to be at the back of the queue," he said. "That's why the Chief Constable of the PSNI and his predecessor, Sir Hugh Orde, are saying it is in our security interests to stay in this organisation. We have the best of both worlds. "We don't have to implement justice measures that don't fit our legal traditions here, but we can be in those that make a real positive difference to the safety of the people of this country." Mr Lidington also argued the case for local businesspeople to vote to remain in the EU. Earlier this week a number of business leaders in Northern Ireland said they were anxious about what would happen after the June vote. Peter Burnside, managing director of consultancy company BDO, described the debate "terribly ill-informed". But the minister said staying in Europe made Northern Ireland more appealing to foreign investors. He also insisted that there would be less European red tape for small businesses in the future. For the agriculture sector, Mr Lidington said the uncertainty that a Brexit would bring would be unacceptable. He argued: "Nobody can guarantee that if the UK leaves the EU our farmers and food processors would be able to sell their produce tariff-free into the EU. "There would be some other EU countries with big farm sectors that would be only too delighted to impose tariffs in those circumstances. "Nor can we guarantee that farm subsidies would continue in the same way." Local politicians have been critical of the June 23 date of the referendum, which is less than two months after the Assembly elections on May 5. There was concern that having the polls so close together would be confusing to voters, but Mr Lidington dismissed that, saying he had "absolute confidence in the intelligence of the people of Northern Ireland". "I'm sure they will take their decisions about how they vote in the Stormont Assembly and seven weeks after that, nearly two months, they will come to a considered view of the UK's place in Europe," he added. Homeless Maria Brady (18), who described Catherine as being like a mother to her, during a vigil held by friends in Belfast city centre last night Mourners at the funeral of Catherine Kenny included her sister Lee-Maria (in pink) Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Wednesday 23rd March 2016 St Patrick's Church, Downpatrick. Hundreds turned out for the funeral of Catherine Kenny who died on Belfast streets. Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Wednesday 23rd March 2016 St Patrick's Church, Downpatrick. Hundreds turned out for the funeral of Catherine Kenny who died on Belfast streets. PACEMAKER BELFAST 22/03/2016 The Funeral of homeless woman Catherine Kenny who was found dead in a shop doorway in Belfast, Takes Place at St Patrick's Church in Downpatrick on Wednesday. She is the fifth homeless person to die on Belfast's streets this year. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Hundreds turned out for the funeral of Catherine Kenny who died on Belfast streets. Picture by Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye Wednesday 23rd March 2016 St Patrick's Church, Downpatrick. Hundreds turned out for the funeral of Catherine Kenny who died on Belfast streets. Tributes are left in the doorway of a Royal Avenue shop where homeless woman Catherine Kenny passed away Hundreds turned out for the funeral of Catherine Kenny who died on Belfast streets. Hundreds turned out for the funeral of Catherine Kenny who died on Belfast streets. The funeral of a homeless woman who died on the street heard her described as a generous and much-loved person who tried to conquer her addictions. Thirty-two-year-old Catherine Kenny, from Downpatrick, was found dead in a shop doorway on Belfast's Royal Avenue last Saturday morning. Some 600 mourners turned out to pay their respects at St Patrick's Church in her home town yesterday. Many friends, including members of agencies and charities which had supported her in the past, travelled from Belfast for the funeral. Parish priest John Murray conducted the Requiem Mass, and spoke about Catherine afterwards. "The mood I picked up was that although she had her faults and she had her demons with alcohol, she had tried and there were lots of people who loved her," he said. "She was very generous, apparently. When she was out on the streets she'd have given her sleeping bag to someone else. "Fr Stephen McBrearty, who is the chaplain in Hydebank, where Catherine sadly spent some time, said she was a lovely, gentle person and she never missed Mass when he celebrated it there." During the service Catherine's brother-in-law Darren read a poem in tribute. She is survived by her son Calum and siblings Paula, Lee-Maria and David. "They were really cut up about it," Fr Murray said. "Inevitably at every funeral there are lots of tears, but they were particularly cut up. Although they tried to help her, they weren't holding it against her that I suppose she had let them down at times and let herself down, but they were very kind and understanding. "She was somebody who was trying, but sadly the addictions were stronger than her." After the service Catherine was buried beside her parents Michael and Kathleen. She was the fifth homeless person to die in Belfast this year. They included her partner William 'Jimmy' Coulter, from Ligoniel, who passed away last month. Cathy Morgan, a close friend of Catherine's, posted a lengthy tribute online yesterday afternoon. It said that she would remember her for her kindness and generosity. She recalled: "On the last stretch of Catherine's life most of her clothes given to her over time - coats, jumpers, even shoes - she had given away to the homeless on the street because, as she said herself: 'They needed them'. "She was not just someone who died in the doorway of a shop. She was a person, a human being, a daughter, a mother, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a friend. She had a family, she was loved, but addiction got a hold of her life." Remembering a phrase Catherine was known for - "let me help you" - Ms Morgan praised the work done by those helping homeless people, but called for more support for those suffering from mental health and addiction issues. Fewer than a third of newly-qualified teachers in Northern Ireland have been able to secure jobs, it has been revealed. Just 141 of 445 graduates were employed on a long-term basis in the last year. The number finding work has fallen steadily since 2013, figures released by Education Minister John O'Dowd show. In 2013/14 some 58% of graduates were in employment on a permanent or "significant temporary" basis, but in the past 12 months this has fallen to just 32%. It suggests a bleak outlook for hundreds of new teachers joining the job queue when they graduate this summer. The figures were disclosed by Mr O'Dowd (below) after an Assembly question from DUP MLA Alex Easton. Since April 2013 a total of 1,381 graduates qualified in Northern Ireland and registered with the General Teaching Council. However, just 636 (46%) of graduates were in long-term employment in that period. A breakdown of the figures shows that almost half - 273 of 469 graduates - secured employment in 2013/14. This year, just 141 of the 445 graduates were in a job. Justin McCamphill from the NASUWT teaching union said some graduates were heading abroad in search of work. "We want to see new people in the profession, and for the workforce to reflect the population," he said. "If graduates aren't getting jobs, we risk losing them to elsewhere. It's important that our best young people are in teaching jobs. "The best qualified teachers will produce the best results, and that is the key to building a strong economy." Peter Weir, who chairs the Assembly's education committee, said many teachers were waiting years for full-time work. "While there is some qualification needed on the figures, as to who they include and who they don't, the figures give a clear and shocking indication of the level of unemployment with new graduates," he said. Mr Weir said there was a clear need to look in a strategic way at the levels of supply, and the help offered to newly-qualified teachers. Mr O'Dowd said: "For many graduates, finding jobs in their field in the past few years has been more difficult. "I am aware of the numbers of graduate teachers who have had difficulty finding meaningful employment and that is why I have been actively considering innovative ways to create teaching job opportunities in schools. "However, I have also been mindful of the need to maintain a balance between the numbers being trained and the projected number of teaching vacancies, and have reduced the teacher intake numbers by over 30% in recent years, from 880 in 2004/05 to the current level of 580. If I was to reduce intakes significantly, students will go to England and elsewhere to train and return to look for work. "This would not help reduce the pool of teachers looking for employment." The old UTV logo on Havelock House on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast. UTV which has been an independantant broadcaster in Northern Ireland since 1959 but has now been sold to ITV. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye UTV have unveiled a new logo as the channel moves to position itself as part of the ITV family after a 100m takeover was completed in February. The UTV Live News identity will also be updated in keeping with the ITV News network - both the UTV channel logo and news will have new colour schemes. Rufus Radcliffe, Group Director of Marketing and Research at ITV said: UTVs brand heritage is exceptionally strong in Northern Ireland which is reflected by its market leading position. This is something we wanted to build upon when the channel joined ITV, keeping the strong connection with the UTV audience, but clearly positioning it as part of ITV, the UKs largest and most successful commercial broadcaster. The rebranding of UTV allows us to further cement that relationship in viewers' minds and ensure we now have a consistent identity across everything that we do, all rooted in our positioning as a media brand that is at the heart of popular culture. We will be out and about filming some new idents across Northern Ireland which will be shown across the ITV Network. Trevor McCormick, Creative Director, UTV: This is the continuation of a journey that began back in 1958 with Ulster Television and has seen several UTVs logos evolve on screen over the years. The time is now right to give the channel a fresh identity but one that is still connected to our heritage. Its the start of an exciting new chapter for UTV, and our in-house team will now work closely with our colleagues in ITV to bring this identity to life for viewers on air in the coming months. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London The Government has formally asked a UN Working Group to review its finding that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is being subject to arbitrary detention, saying the opinion was "deeply flawed". The Foreign Office said it rebutted a report last month by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention over the actions of the UK and Swedish governments towards Mr Assange, who has been staying inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than three years. He is wanted for questioning in Sweden over a sex allegation, which he denies, but believes he will be extradited to the United States to be quizzed about the activities of WikiLeaks if he travels. The working group's findings that Mr Assange has been subject to arbitrary detention were challenged by the Government. Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said: " The original conclusions of the UN Working Group are inaccurate and should be reviewed. "We want to ensure the Working Group is in possession of the full facts. Our request for a review of the opinion sets those facts out clearly. "Julian Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK, and is in fact voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadorian embassy. The UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden." The Government said the key points of its rebuttal were that the working group's opinion was deeply flawed, and Mr Assange had never been the subject of arbitrary detention, while his human rights will be protected if and when he is extradited to Sweden. The UN group was not a judicial body and its opinions were not legally binding, said the Foreign Office. The working group is expected to discuss the Government's request during a meeting in Geneva next month. Jeremy Corbyn's approval rating has overtaken David Cameron's in the wake of the political storm over the Budget Jeremy Corbyn's approval ratings have overtaken David Cameron's in the wake of the political storm over George Osborne's Budget, according to a new opinion poll. The Ipsos MORI poll for London's Evening Standard found satisfaction with the Labour leader's performance was up, with 35% satisfied as against 46% dissatisfied - a net satisfaction rating of minus 11. Mr Cameron, in contrast, received his worst rating since 2013, with 34% satisfied and 59% dissatisfied, giving a net score of minus 25. Mr Osborne fared even worse, with 27% satisfied - down 13 points since last month, and 60% dissatisfied - a 14 point increase, to give an overall rating of minus 33. The poll puts support for the Conservatives on 36%, just two points ahead of Labour on 34%, with Ukip on 11% and the Liberal Democrats on 10%. :: Ipsos MORI interviewed 1,023 adults aged 18 and over across Great Britain by telephone between March 19 and 22. The second Brussels airport suicide bomber, Najim Laachraoui, was a suspected bomb maker for Islamic State's massacre in Paris and was already being hunted by police before the latest attack. The 24-year- old was previously believed to be on the run after dumping a bag containing a bomb that failed to detonate and fleeing the airport on Tuesday. But officials confirmed his DNA matched with that of one of two men who blew themselves up inside the terminal, as part of coordinated bombings that killed at least 31 people in the Belgian capital. Laachraoui is believed to be pictured on the left, wearing a black top and a black glove on his left hand and pushing a baggage trolley, in a CCTV image taken at Brussels airport moments before the attacks, according to Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure. Authorities had already been searching for the Belgian national in connection with suspected Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested just four days before the Brussels bombings. Earlier this week, Belgian prosecutors said that DNA evidence had identified Moroccan-born Laachraoui as being one of the accomplices of Abdeslam in the Paris attacks, which killed 130 people at sites including the Bataclan Theatre and Stade de France. Laachraoui's DNA was said to have been found on "several explosive belts", as well as at hideouts in Auvelais and Schaerbeek which was used to prepare explosives and hide Abdeslam, French media reported. He is suspected of making the explosive TATP, which can be made with household products and has been used by terrorists in improvised explosive devices and suicide vests, including in Paris. He is also believed to have travelled to Hungary last year with Abdeslam and one other person in a Mercedes, which was checked by guards at the Austria-Hungary border and allowed to go on. The federal prosecutor's office said on Monday they were seeking details about Laachraoui, who was undestood to have travelled to Syria in February 2013. They believed he had used the pseudonym Soufiane Kayal to rent the safe house in Auvelais, a small town in the south of Belgium, and cross the Austria-Hungary border. In an appeal for information in December, Belgian police said: "Salah Abdeslam has travelled twice during the month of September to the Hungarian capital Budapest using a rental car. "On September 9 2015 he was subject to a check at the border between Hungary and Austria in a Mercedes. "He was accompanied by two people using fake Belgian identity cards with the names Samir Bouzid and Soufiane Kayal. "The same false identity of Soufiane Kayal was used to rent the house in Auvelais which was searched on November 26. " Laachraoui was a former pupil at the Institut de la Sainte-Famille d'Helmet Catholic school in the Schaerbeek area of Brussels and an electro-mechanics graduate, according to Belgian newspaper La Libre. Prince Charles returned to survey the recovery process at various locations in Cumbria, three months after he visited flood-hit communities in the wake of Storm Desmond Prince Harry has made an emotional visit to a Nepalese hospital treating young burns victims, many badly scarred in accidents following the devastating earthquake. The prince was clearly moved when he saw youngsters who have suffered terrible injuries in the temporary shelters used to house thousands made homeless after the disaster last year. Dressed in a blue gown in order to prevent the spread of infections, the prince met children in the burns unit of Kathmandu's Kanti Children's Hospital, supported by the British charity BVS (Burns Violence Survivors) Nepal. Meanwhile closer to home, Prince Charles returned to survey the recovery process at various locations in Cumbria, three months after he visited flood-hit communities in the wake of Storm Desmond. Book of condolence opens at Belfast City Hall on Wednesday for the victims of Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Book of condolence opens at Belfast City Hall on Wednesday for the victims of Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Book of condolence opens at Belfast City Hall on Wednesday for the victims of Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Book of condolence opens at Belfast City Hall on Wednesday for the victims of Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Book of condolence opens at Belfast City Hall on Wednesday for the victims of Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Belfast City Hall illuminated in Belgian colours following terror attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Belfast City Hall illuminated in Belgian colours following terror attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Belfast City Hall illuminated in Belgian colours following terror attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Belfast City Hall illuminated in Belgian colours following terror attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Belfast City Hall illuminated in Belgian colours following terror attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people. Picture by Kevin Scott / Press Eye. Belfast City Hall displays the colours of the Belgium Flag as a tribute following yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PA Belfast City Hall displays the colours of the Belgium Flag as a tribute following Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. PA Belfast City Hall illuminated in Belgian colours following terror attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people. Picture by Kevin Scott / Press Eye. Belfast City Hall illuminated in Belgian colours following terror attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people. Picture by Kevin Scott / Press Eye. Two brothers, one a wanted terrorist and both with long histories of violent crime, were identified as the Brussels suicide bombers yesterday as security officials were accused of missing a string of opportunities to prevent the deadly attack. Brahim el-Bakraoui (29) and his brother Khalid (27) were named as two of the four-strong bombing team who struck the airport and a metro station. Prosecutors warned that several accomplices were still at large. Officials apparently failed to register that Brahim el-Bakraoui, who was the subject of an Interpol 'red notice' alert, had re-entered the country after being deported from Turkey as a suspected jihadist last year. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the bomber had been detained near the Syrian border last June and deported to the Netherlands at his own request. Both Belgian and Dutch authorities were formally notified of his deportation and the suspicion that he was a foreign fighter, Mr Erdogan said. It emerged yesterday that police had found the last testament of Brahim on a computer in which he detailed his increasingly desperate attempts to avoid capture and a long jail sentence. "I don't know what to do. I'm in a hurry. I'm on the run. People are looking for me everywhere. And if I give myself up then I'll end up in a cell," the text read. Only a misunderstanding with the taxi company over the size of the car ordered to take the attackers to the airport thwarted an even more destructive attack. The terrorists were forced to leave one bomb behind when the firm sent a smaller car than expected to pick them up. The unexploded bomb was discovered on Tuesday night when police raided the house where the plotters had prepared their attack. It was the same type as that used in the Paris attacks and was found with an Isis flag. Belgium held a nationwide minute of silence yesterday with King Philippe, Prime Minister Charles Michel and Mr Valls laying a wreath at the Maelbeek underground station. In the afternoon, thousands of people gathered at the Place de la Bourse in the centre of Brussels in solidarity with those killed. Among the 34 dead was a 37-year-old Peruvian mother whose husband and twin daughters narrowly survived. Adelma Tapia Ruiz died at Zaventem Airport while waiting to catch a flight to New York to see her two sisters for a holiday. Her brother, Fernando Tapia, said his sister was with her Belgian husband, Christophe Delcambe, and four-year-old daughters, Maureen and Alondra, when she was killed. A split-second decision saved the rest of her family, who had left the area moments earlier. Mr Delcambe, who was not due to fly, had taken the girls out of the check-in queue to play when a loud explosion ripped through the concourse. One daughter was struck in the arm by shrapnel. Mr Tapia said the family would never understand the attack. "Rest in peace, little sister, and strength to all of us who knew you," he added. "It will take much to assimilate that we will no longer see you." The Belgian federal prosecutor, Frederic van Leeuw, told reporters that the two el-Bakraoui brothers, Brussels-born Belgian citizens, had "extensive" criminal records but they were not related to terrorism. However, convicted car-jacker Khalid is believed to have been the subject of an Interpol 'red notice' since August last year, alerting police forces around the world to the fact that he was a wanted terrorist. Brahim had been handed a nine-year jail sentence in 2010 after using a Kalashnikov assault rifle during a gunfight with police, and he also took part in a bungled robbery at a Western Union office. Brahim was one of two suicide bombers killed at the airport, along with 12 other people. Le Monde reported last night that the second airport bomber was Najim Laachraoui, who has previously been linked to the Paris massacre. French media said his DNA had been found on explosive belts found at the Bataclan theatre and the Stade de France following the killings in the capital five months ago. Brussels police were continuing their search for a third man in a cream-coloured coat caught on security cameras who escaped from the airport after placing a bomb that failed to detonate. His identity remains a mystery. A convoy of families fleeing Islamic State-held Hit in Iraq wait at a checkpoint on the western edge of Ramadi, as Iraqi forces launch an operation to recapture IS-held Mosul (AP) The Iraqi military backed by US-led coalition aircraft have launched a long-awaited operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, a military spokesman said. In the push, Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmour, east of Mosul, early in the morning on Thursday and hoisted the Iraqi flag there, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brigadier General Yahya Rasool. It was not immediately clear how long such a complex and taxing offensive would take. Only recently, Iraqi and US officials refrained to give a specific time on when the Mosul operation could begin, saying it would take many months to prepare Iraq's still struggling military for the long-anticipated task of retaking the key city. Some US and Iraqi officials have said it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi. Iraqi state-run TV interrupted its morning programme on Thursday with a series of news alerts announcing the operation and broadcasting patriotic songs and flag-waving video clips. Mr Rasool said that the US-led international coalition was providing air support but would not divulge more details on the offensive, which he said was dubbed "Operation Conquest." According to an official at the military's provincial Nineveh Operations Command, the aim of the first phase of the Mosul offensive was to clear the areas between Makmour and the adjacent Qayara area to the east of the Tigris River, and to cut one of the supply lines to the nearby Shirqat area. Mosul - Iraq's second-largest city - fell to the Islamic State group during the militants' June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq and also neighbouring Syria. Mosul, about 225 miles north-west of Baghdad, became also the largest city in the Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate on the territories the militants control. Mr Rasool's declaration came only few days after the United States announced that it has set up a small Marine artillery outpost in northern Iraq to protect a nearby Iraqi military base in Makhmour - the likely staging ground for a Mosul assault, located 40 miles south-east of the city. On Saturday, the militants fired two rockets at the base, killing a US Marine and wounding several others. Despite Thursday's announcement, the number of Iraqi troops needed to carry out the operation to retake Mosul, nearly two years after it fell to IS, is not yet in place and training efforts by the US-led coalition are still ongoing. Under political pressure to show victory, Mr al-Abadi has repeatedly vowed to "liberate" Mosul, but US Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart, head of the Defence Intelligence Agency, told Congress last month that he is "not as optimistic." Coalition and Iraqi officials estimate that an eight to 12 brigades, or an estimated 24,000 to 36,000 troops, will be needed for the Mosul operation. So far, only 2,000 to 3,000 Iraqi troops have been deployed at Makhmour base. The Iraqi military must also clear IS fighters from more than 70 miles of territory to ensure reliable supply lines between Makhmour and Baghdad. One leg of the Iraqi military's efforts to clear some of that territory in Anbar has been put on hold. A political crisis in Baghdad has prompted Mr al-Abadi to pull some of Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces back from the front in the Euphrates River valley to secure the capital. The prime minister recalled the forces after influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr mobilised thousands and staged a sit-in outside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone last week in a show of force meant to put pressure on Iraq's political leadership. The Israeli military has detained a soldier who was captured on video apparently shooting an injured Palestinian who was lying on the ground. The army said the incident took place in the West Bank city of Hebron after two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier. It said that troops then shot and killed the pair. In a video released by the Israeli human rights group B'tselem, one of the attackers appears to still be alive after the initial shooting. The video, taken by a Palestinian volunteer for the group, shows the wounded Palestinian lying on the ground, slowly moving his head at one point, and about a minute later, a soldier raises his rifle and fires. Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner called the incident a "grave breach" of army values. Military police have detained the soldier, which Lt Col Lerner called an "extraordinary" measure, and are investigating the incident, he said. The military said the investigation began before the video surfaced. The incident comes amid a six-month wave of Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks that has killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Over the same time, at least 188 Palestinians have died by Israeli fire. Israel says most of them were attackers, and the rest died in clashes with Israeli security forces. Israel blames the attacks on incitement by Palestinian leaders and social media. Palestinians say the violence stems from frustration at nearly five decades of Israeli military occupation. In this framegrab taken from VTM, armed police officers take part in a raid in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium, Friday March 18, 2016. After an intense four-month manhunt across Europe and beyond, police on Friday captured Salah Abdeslam, the top fugitive in the Paris attacks in the same Brussels neighborhood where he grew up. (VTM via AP) BELGIUM OUT Paris attacks chief suspect Salah Abdeslam has changed his mind and will not fight extradition from Belgium to France, his lawyer has said. French officials are seeking his extradition to face potential terrorism charges for his involvement in the November 13 attacks on a Paris rock concert, stadium and cafes, which killed 130 people and injured 368, almost 100 seriously. Several attackers were also killed. He was arrested and wounded in a raid in the Brussels neighbourhood where he grew up, on Friday. The chief suspect in last year's deadly Paris terror attacks appeared in court on Thursday in Brussels, amid increasing signs that the same Islamic State cell was behind attacks in both cities. His lawyer Sven Mary told French Media Abdeslam "wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible" so he could "explain himself in France". On Tuesday three suicide bombs in Brussels killed 31 people and left hundeds injured. European security officials said one of the suicide bombers who attacked Brussels airport is a suspected bomb-maker for the Paris attackers. Meanwhile, Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and France's Le Monde were reporting that a second attacker is suspected of taking part in Tuesday's bombing of a Brussels subway train and may be at large. Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic talks to reporters at United Nations headquarters in March 1993. UN judges are due to deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial (AP) A UN court has convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of genocide and nine other charges and sentenced him to 40 years in prison for orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 people dead. As he sat down after hearing his sentence, Karadzic slumped slightly in his chair, but showed little emotion. He plans to appeal the convictions. The UN court found Karadzic guilty of genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered in Europe's worst mass murder since the Holocaust. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon said Karadzic was the only person in the Bosnian Serb leadership with the power to halt the genocide, but instead gave an order for prisoners to be transported from one location to another to be killed. In a carefully planned operation, Serb forces transported Muslim men to sites around the Srebrenica enclave in eastern Bosnia and gunned them down before dumping their bodies into mass graves. Kwon said Karadzic and his military commander, General Ratko Mladic, intended "that every able-bodied Bosnian Muslim male from Srebrenica be killed". Karadzic was also held criminally responsible for murder, attacking civilians and terror for overseeing the deadly 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during the war and for taking hostage UN peacekeepers. However, the court acquitted Karadzic in a second genocide charge, for a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces. Peter Robinson, part of Karadzic's legal team, said he would appeal. "Dr Karadzic is disappointed. He's astonished," Mr Robinson told reporters. "He feels the trial chamber took inference instead of evidence in reaching the conclusions that it did." Karadzic had faced a total of 11 charges and a maximum life sentence, but was given 40 years' imprisonment. Prosecutors held Karadzic responsible as a political leader and commander-in-chief of Serb forces in Bosnia, which are blamed for the worst atrocities of the war. The 70-year-old Karadzic had insisted he was innocent and says his wartime actions were intended to protect Serbs. The trial is hugely significant for the UN tribunal and the development of international law. Karadzic is the most senior Bosnian Serb leader to face prosecution at the court housed in a former insurance company headquarters in The Hague. Karadzic's conviction will most likely strengthen international jurisprudence on the criminal responsibility of political leaders for atrocities committed by forces under their control. "Victims and their families have waited for over two decades to see Karadzic's day of reckoning," Param-Preet Singh, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "The Karadzic verdict sends a powerful signal that those who order atrocities cannot simply wait out justice," Ms Singh said. In Bosnia, which has remained divided since the war, posters displaying Karadzic's photo and saying "We are all Radovan" were plastered on walls in several towns in the Serb part of the country. Dozens of people gathered in a park in the Bosnian Serb town of Doboj to offer support to Karadzic. In Sarajevo, Amra Misic, 49, said: "I took a day off to watch the verdict as I was waiting for this for 20 years. I wish him a long life," she said, referring to the fact that Karadzic is 70 years old and sentenced to 40 years. Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, accused of fomenting deadly conflicts across the Balkans as Yugoslavia crumbled in the 1990s, died in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before judges could deliver verdicts in his trial. Karadzic's trial was one of the final acts at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal. The court, set up in 1993, indicted 161 suspects. Of them, 80 were convicted and sentenced, 18 acquitted, 13 sent back to local courts and 36 had the indictments withdrawn or died. Apart from Karadzic, three suspects remain on trial, including his military chief, General Ratko Mladic, and Serb ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj. Eight cases are being appealed and two defendants are to face retrials. The judgment in Seselj's case is scheduled for next Thursday. Karadzic was indicted along with Mladic in 1995, but evaded arrest until he was captured in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2008. At the time, he was posing as a New Age healer, Dr Dragan Dabic, and was disguised by a thick beard and shaggy hair. More than 20 years after the guns fell silent in Bosnia, Karadzic is still considered a hero in Serb-controlled parts of the divided country. Last weekend, current Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik opened a student dormitory named after Karadzic and had Karadzic's daughter and wife unveil the plaque. Speaking at the opening, Dodik called the trial "humiliating" and said those who fail to understand why Karadzic is hailed this way are "shallow-minded." His words were followed by resounding applause. The solution for the Dail's fractured election is easy: make the entire membership responsible for government and spread State appointments right across, down to parties of say four or maybe less. In other words, adopt the D'Hondt system wished on Northern Ireland in Easter 1998 with Dublin's approval. It did not work for several years until, in 2007, the turnaround by the late DUP leader Ian Paisley took him and Martin McGuinness into joint leadership. Take note: the First Minister at Stormont is a woman, a giant step in all of Ireland's politics. And Arlene Foster MLA (nee Kelly) from the borderland of Co Fermanagh, sits alongside Mr McGuinness, one of whose former comrades shot and nearly killed her RUC father. This puts to shame the stiff-necks of both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, who cannot see their way to mending the breach of the Civil War of nearly a century ago. Surely a larger band of brothers and sisters will hold the Dail at work until a relative time for the next bout at the ballot and, one would hope, a better future for both Irish parliaments. PADDY McGARVEY Director emeritus, Irish Parliament Trust Following the latest terrorist atrocities in Brussels (News, March 23), one of the questions once again being asked is: what kind of people could be so cold-hearted and destructive and be willing to give up their own lives in the process? It's important to recognise that terrorism is created, it's not human nature. Suicide bombers are made, they are not born. Ultimately terrorism is the product of madmen bent on destruction and these madmen are typically the result of psychiatric or psychological techniques aimed at mind and behavioural control. Suicide bombers are not rational; they are weak and pliant individuals psychologically indoctrinated to murder innocent people without compassion, with no concern for the value of their own lives. They are manufactured assassins. Part of the process involves the use of mind-altering psychiatric drugs. It has been reported that psychiatric drugs were used to brainwash young men in Iraq to create suicide bombers. The Japanese kamikaze pilots, who launched suicide attacks against allied shipping during the Second World War, used amphetamines to override their natural impulse to survive. Amphetamine side-effects include psychosis, euphoria and combativeness. What of the latest terrorist atrocities? Terrorists are also created by psychological methods that destroy individualism, moral judgment and personal responsibility. This gives an understanding of why a person would do something so destructive. Publicly exposing this destructive source behind terrorism provides insight and solutions to an otherwise incomprehensible and devastating phenomenon. BRIAN DANIELS By email The more time young adults spend on social media, the more likely they are to become depressed, a study has found. Of the 19 to 32-year-olds who took part in the research, those who checked social media most frequently throughout the week were 2.7 times more likely to develop depression than those who checked least often. The 1,787 US participants used social media for an average 61 minutes every day, visiting accounts 30 times per week. Of them a quarter were found to have high indicators of depression. Dr Brian Primack, the director of Pitts Centre for Research on Media, Technology and Health, led the study, and told The Independent: It is important to explain that, because this was a cross-sectional study, directionality is not clear from these results. One strong possibility is that people who are already having depressive symptoms start to use social media more, perhaps because they do not feel the energy or drive to engage in as many direct social relationships. However, he said there are several reasons why increased social media could lead to more depressive thoughts. One example he cited was a phenomenon which is sometimes referred to as Facebook depression. People who engage in a lot of social media use may feel they are not living up to the idealised portraits of life that other people tend to present in their profiles. As with many things in the social sciences, it may also be that both of these directions are accurate. This would be concerning, because it would imply that there is a potential vicious circle: people who become depressed may turn to social media for support, but their excessive engagement with it might only serve to exacerbate their depression. The study, by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, looked at the 11 most popular social media platforms at the time: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. There are currently over a billion people actively using Facebook daily, while Twitter attracts 320 million active users every month. These findings are particularly disturbing as the World Health Organisation published a report in October 2015 which said depression is now the leading cause of disability worldwide. However, Dr Primack said he could imagine scenarios in which social media could itself become a tool to combat the problem. We hope that this research may provide one piece to the puzzle of how we can best use powerful tools such as social media to our advantage and not our detriment. We certainly do not recommend that people stop using social media. Social media is obviously an extremely important part of modern-day society and has many important functions. Hopefully the knowledge that there can be emotional risks associated with its use may help individuals to make better choices about the extent to which they use social media and the way in which they use it. It is important to acknowledge that what we found were just overall tendencies for the entire population therefore, these findings do not suggest that every person who engages with more social media use is depressed in fact there may certainly be groups of people who find solace and lessening of their depression through social media resources and relationships, he said. Malaysian police lead one of 15 suspects with alleged links to Islamic State who were arrested in special operations carried out in seven states since Tuesday. Fifteen people suspected of ties to the Islamic State extremist group and plotting a terror attack in Malaysia were arrested in nationwide raids conducted over three days, police said Thursday. Four women are among the suspects who range in age from 22 to 49 years old, and they include a police officer and an airplane mechanic, Malaysian Police Inspector-General Khalid Abu Bakar told BenarNews. The 15 were involved in terror-related activities including trying to acquire chemicals for making bombs, raising funds that were to be sent to an unnamed militant group in the southern Philippines, and trying to help two foreign militants enter another Southeast Asian country via Malaysia, Khalid said. Those arrested are government employees, private workers, a preacher, housewives and students, Khalid told Benar. The 15 were picked up in raids mounted in seven states since Tuesday night by Bukit Aman, the Royal Malaysia Polices counter-terrorist special branch, Khalid said. Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Kedah and Penang were among the states where the raids took place. The special police operations began amid a heightened state of alert in Malaysia and on the day that IS claimed responsibility for coordinated terrorist attacks on Tuesday, which killed at least 30 people and injured at least 270 others in Brussels, Belgium. The latest arrests in Malaysia brings to 177 the total number of people taken into custody on suspicion of links to IS. On Wanndys instructions Later on Thursday, Malaysias police chief issued a statement alleging that the suspects were raising funds among IS supporters in Malaysia to be passed to Malaysians who have joined the group in Syria. They were also involved in hacking a number of websites owned by the government and also establishing working relationships with other terrorist groups in Southeast Asia, Khalids statement went on to say. The suspects were receiving instructions from Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, a young Malaysian suspected of having joined IS in Syria, Khalid said. In February 2015, Wanndy and fellow Malaysian Mohd Faris Anuar made headlines back home when they reportedly took part in the videotaped beheading of a Syrian prisoner, which was posted online. In November, Faris was killed while allegedly fighting along IS forces in Anbar province, Iraq. Meanwhile, authorities in Malaysia accuse Wanndy of actively recruiting Malaysians via social media to join IS in the Middle East . According to Khalids statement, the 15 suspects apprehended this week were also involved in recruiting and sending Malaysians to Syria. The four female suspects were planning to sneak out of the country to join IS, Khalid said. All of the suspects were arrested for terrorism-related offenses and will be investigated under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, he said. Not political spin Malaysia has been on a heightened state of alert since IS claimed it carried out a terror attack in Jakarta that killed eight people, including four suspects, on Jan. 14 the first strike carried out by the extremist group in Southeast Asia. In a written reply to questions from lawmakers, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told parliament on Thursday that Malaysians should take the threat of terrorism seriously. Earlier in the month, Zahid announced that IS last year had plotted to kidnap Prime Minister Najib Razak and other top officials. As of March 14, 162 people had been arrested in the country up until then over suspected links to IS, Zahid wrote on Thursday. I have several times made a statement about the dangers of terrorism and national security. It is not political spin but it is the result of intelligence, Zahid said in his reply. Last month, the home minister said that more than 130 Malaysians might have travelled to Iraq or Syria to join IS. But on March 5, the state-run Bernama news agency quoted Bukit Aman Director Mohamad Fuzi Harun as saying that a total of 47 Malaysians were currently in either of those two countries and that 18 others had been killed while fighting for IS. A bullet pierced a window at Cho-irong Hospital when a group of insurgents entered the facility and shot at police and soldiers, March 13, 2016. Military officials in Thailands Deep South said Thursday they had detained and questioned people in connection with the armed takeover of a local hospital by insurgents on March 13. Since a group of rebels briefly seized the Cho-irong hospital in Narathiwat province while mounting an attack on a nearby military installation, Thai security forces have searched for suspects in districts throughout Narathiwat and neighboring Yala province, said a spokesman for regional office of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC). The searches led to the detentions of up to 14 people, Col. Yuthanam Petchmuang, deputy spokesman for ISOC 4, told reporters at the regional commands forward office in nearby Pattani province. We have adequate reasons to question three suspected individuals for having supporting roles in the seizure of Cho-irong hospital, Yuthanam said Thursday. Without naming any suspects, he added that 11 more suspects were detained for playing other supporting roles in the incident at the hospital on March 13. He said the detainees were questioned separately by military intelligence officers at three different military installations in the Deep South. The hospital seizure occurred amid a series of attacks launched by rebels on the 56th anniversary of the founding of Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the largest and most powerful of various insurgent groups and factions waging a separatist war in Thailands predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking southern border region. Since 2004 at least 6,000 people have died in the conflict. The flurry of rebel attacks on March 13 and 14 took place amid ongoing efforts by Thailands military-controlled government to persuade the rebel groups to resume formal peace talks for the first time since December 2013. Relatives must be informed According to a human right activist, the military has an obligation to reveal the suspects names and be more clear about their whereabouts. In tracking down people for legal proceedings, if some are invited for questioning or being detained, their relatives must be informed about detention places and allowed a visit, to be in line with laws and human rights principles, said Somchai Suthiklom, chairman of a human rights subcommittee for the Deep South. That shall lessen conflicts and create trust among parties involved, he added. During the takeover of the hospital by between 10 to 50 rebels, the insurgents reportedly shot at a nearby military outpost while patients and medical staff were inside the building. The seizure drew an outcry from the U.N. Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia and U.S.-based Human Rights Watch. Both issued statements deploring the actions of the rebels, saying they had violated international law by taking over the hospital and endangering the lives of patients and medical workers. Thai police Thursday announced the arrests of 15 Malaysians suspected of trying to smuggle crystal methamphetamine and heroin with a street value of millions of dollars by train into Malaysia. The suspects were arrested Wednesday aboard a train heading to Padang Besar, a southern Thai town on the Malaysian border, police said. There are 226 kilos [nearly 500 pounds] of Ice [crystal meth] and eight kilos [18 pounds] of heroin, Police Lt. Gen. Thitiraj Nonghanpitak, chief of the Thai Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), told a press briefing in Bangkok on Thursday. He called the haul one of the largest ever in Thailand. Thailands southern border region is notorious as a hub of cross-border criminal activity, including human trafficking and the smuggling of narcotics. More than 10 Malaysian suspects were paraded at the briefing at the CIB office, where confiscated backpacks, each containing several packets of crystal meth and heroin, were displayed. The suspects were charged with co-possession of first-class narcotics, but all of them denied the charge. They face jail terms of up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to 200,000 baht (U.S. $5,660), if convicted. Police Maj. Gen. Sommai Kongwisaisuk, a deputy commander of the CIB, said the heroin was wrapped in 350-gram packets and the Ice in one-kilo packages. In Bangkok, the price of a packet of heroin is estimated at 500,000 baht (U.S. $14,154), and a one-kilo packet of Ice fetches 300,000 to 500,000 baht (U.S. $8,494 to $14,154), police said. Lt. Gen. Thitiraj said the smugglers stayed away from roads. Highway police had check points so they used a train instead. Some of the packets are wrapped with [aluminum foil sheets]. There are some X-ray machines that cannot see through foil. I believe some couriers smuggled by air as well, he said. Surge in smuggling via rail Pol. Col. Putidej Boonkrapru, a railway police supervisor, said trains became the preferred mode of transportation a few months ago, leading railway police to step up their anti-drug campaign. Sommai said the 15 gang members boarded first-class, air-conditioned train in separate cars. Based on a police detective tip, railway officers arrested the first two suspected couriers, who were carrying 23 kilos of Ice while in Rajaburi province, some 150 km (93 miles) west of Bangkok. He said the police later managed to trace 12 others and made more arrests as the train kept traveling south. Suspect paid to carry drugs from Chiang Mai: Malaysian diplomat One of the suspects said he was paid to carry a backpack from northern Thailand, but didnt know what was inside it, Fauzi Khan Ismail, an official with the Malaysia embassy in Bangkok, told reporters. The courier was paid 5,000 baht (U.S. $141) per packet, Fauzi said. Each backpack on display contained more than 10 packets. They got this consignment in Chiang Mai. So they couriered these drugs to Hat Yai, [because] it is close to the Malaysian border, said Fauzi, who represented the Malaysian government at the press briefing. His country wants to work with other Southeast Asian countries to eradicate the drug trade, Fauzi said. In Malaysia, we are facing lot of drugs problem also. Since January this year, our narcotics department, two or three times, they busted big groups, he said. Kia Motors Corp. released a completely redesigned Cadenza, also known as the K7 in Korea, to an American audience at the New York Auto Show today. This is the second generation for the Cadenza and is updated in many ways to offer a much better vehicle than the first generation. A prominent visual enhancement is to the nose of the vehicle which features sharper and more angular lines lending to a much sportier appearance for this luxury sedan. Depending on trim levels, Kia will package the Cadenza with different grills. Lower trim will receive their diamond butterfly mesh insert while higher level trim Cadenzas will get a grille with vertical bars. The chassis of the second generation Cadenza has been completely redesigned to offer up a 35% improvement in structural rigidity. This translates into a more dynamic and responsive chassis overall for the Cadenza. Kia was able to accomplish this feat by utilizing more advanced high-strength steel in building the chassis and further increasing the number of chassis and body reinforcement points. The all new Cadenza is powered by a revised 3.3L V6 motor that pumps out 290hp and offers improved fuel economy. The engine will be mated to Kias all new eight-speed automatic transmission, which replaces the old six-speed unit. To bring up the level of luxury with the new model and to appeal to a wider North American audience, Kia has completely redesigned the cabin and utilize high grade materials throughout. Ample amounts of diamond stitched Nappa leather can be built into the Cadenza per Kias optional interior package. Keeping up on the technology front, the new Cadenza will come standard with the newest iteration of Kias UVO infotainment system which features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. For those who are looking to amp up the audio end of things, the Cadenza can be equipped with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. The all new 2017 Cadenza should be hitting showroom floors later this year. It can be tough for me to trust politicians, especially when they try to relate to normal, everyday folks like myself. When Mitt Romney was campaigning against Barack Obama, one of the knocks on him was that he was fabulously rich. Could a fabulously rich guy really relate to the struggles of a middle-class family in Alabama or a low-income family in Detroit? Could a dude who jetted around in a private jet relate to folks who have to take public transportation? When Bill Clinton told an AIDS activist, I feel your pain, it was hard to take him seriously. Could Bill Clinton really relate to the pain of those afflicted by AIDS? Simply put, its hard to trust a person who hasnt experienced hardship. Hardship and suffering teach us lessons that cant be learned any other way. Although it sounds terribly cliche, there really is such a thing as the school of hard knocks. The reason so many people loved Ulysses S. Grant was because he was a soldier who knew first hand the trials and terrors of war. One of the reasons people loved Abraham Lincoln was that he was a man of the people. He came from a poor, backwoods family, and he understood suffering and deprivation. A person who has suffered understands the unique challenges and trials and pain that accompany suffering. We can trust the leadership of a person who has suffered. These realities make Hebrews 2:18 a precious verse. Speaking of Jesus, it says, For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Our God is not an isolated, insular, always comfortable God. Our God suffered. Jesus suffered in ways we cant even begin to fathom. He was rejected and mocked. He was called an illegitimate bastard. His own brothers made jokes about him. He experienced the sickness and suffering and sadness which permeate all of life. He had friends die. He worked until he was so exhausted that he fell asleep in the back of a boat. He experienced the full fury of Satans temptations. Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He did not have a comfortable, easy, pain-free life. Because Jesus suffered and was tempted, he is perfectly equipped to help me when I am suffering or being tempted. Jesus knows what suffering feels like, he knows exactly what I need in order to honor God in the midst of my suffering, and he has all the power necessary to sustain me in the midst of my suffering. In my grief Jesus can supply me with grace. In my pain Jesus can supply me with perseverance. Jesus is the wonderful physician who has experienced sickness himself. He is the wonderful healer who knows first hand what pain feels like. Its hard to trust someone who has never suffered. Jesus has suffered, which makes him perfectly suited to help me. I can trust a God who has suffered. Stephen Altrogge serves as a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church. Find out more at The Blazing Center. Readers will recall my amusement at the antics of the anti-fracking fraternity at the Cuadrilla shale gas inquiry in Lancashire, who had found a tame noise consultant who was willing to testify that the sounds emitted by a shale gas operation, which were expected to reach the levels of the dawn chorus at times, would be wholly unacceptable. Given that Cuadrilla have already drilled and fracked a well at Preese Hall in Lancashire, this begged the question of how residents in that area had coped. Backing Fracking, the pro-shale group, has gently inquired of Lancashire County Council to see what complaints had been received by council noise abatement officers and they have now had a response. Press release: for immediate release Legal officer confirms that earlier drilling and fracking on the Fylde didnt result in a single nuisance complaint. A request for information made to Fylde Borough Council has revealed that during the construction, drilling and fracking carried out previously by Cuadrilla Resources at sites in Weeton, Singleton and Westby, the local council didnt receive a single complaint about noise nuisance from nearby residents. When asked for clarification, and whether or not the council had received any complaints about other sources of potential nuisance such as odour, dust, traffic or light pollution, Fylde Borough Councils legal officer replied saying that the responsible environmental health officer had received no complaints at all. The request for information was made by campaigners at Backing Fracking, who support shale gas exploration in Lancashire and elsewhere in the UK, after hearing testimony from local opponents at the recent six-week long public inquiry in Blackpool saying that noise had been a problem before and would be again. The inquiry was established to consider Cuadrillas appeals against the refusal of planning permission for two temporary shale gas sites at Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood, and heard from a number of local people expressing views both for and against fracking. Chris Evans, from Backing Fracking, says the lack of complaints is a real eye opener. The fact that the council didnt receive a single public complaint about noise or other potential sources of nuisance when Cuadrilla was operating at its earlier three sites on the Fylde, just goes to show how unobtrusive and tolerable those activities must have been at the time. I think whats happening now is that some opponents are unfairly using the threat of noise and sleep disturbance to influence residents into objecting to shale gas exploration. Without any current frame of reference, those residents are understandably going to be worried about what it will be like, but all they need to do is look to past experience which tells us it wasnt as bad as it is now being claimed. The group also obtained copies of the planning permissions relating to Cuadrillas earlier sites, and found that they each imposed a planning condition limiting night time noise to a maximum of 42 decibels. During the public inquiry, representatives for Lancashire County Council and local opponents argued that 42 dB limit was insufficient to provide protection from noise nuisance. Faced with this evidence of a previous precedent, you have to ask why it is that Lancashire County Council and others would now try to argue that 42 dB is too high a limit, especially in light of the fact that nearby residents were undisturbed by it. Whats different now that wasnt a problem back then in virtually identical rural settings? The fact that there were no complaints to Fylde Borough Council in the past means it really does look like the opponents are deliberately scaremongering in order to stop shale gas at any cost, which would not only mean we could lose out on the potential economic benefits but would lock us into coal and higher CO2 gas imports for longer, concludes Chris. Pendoring extends competition to all indigenous languages, Umpetha Award adds overseas tour In its 21st year, the Pendoring Advertising Awards has extended the competition to all of South Africas indigenous languages. The Truly South African section, with its four sub-categories in which entries in indigenous languages (excluding Afrikaans) competed, will fall away so that each one of South Africas indigenous languages can now compete on equal footing for Pendorings sought-after gold and silver trophies in all the categories. Moreover, the Umpetha award for the best work in an indigenous language other than Afrikaans, which comprised a cash prize of R20,000 last year, has been increased considerably and, as the Prestige award, will henceforth also consist of an overseas study tour worth R100,000. As before, only gold winners will be eligible for the two main awards, namely the Prestige award and the Umpetha award. There are also changes in the Student category; there will now be two prizes of R10,000 each for the overall student winners R10,000 for the best Afrikaans winner and R10,000 for the best student in one of the other indigenous languages as well. Creatives approve The move to henceforth include and reward the best indigenous advertising, on an equal footing with Afrikaans, has been lauded by creatives across the board. I have been watching and participating in Pendoring's transformation as an awards show over the years, and it seems Pendoring is coming of age. I believe that, as an industry, we need to transform our communication from a single language approach to a creative approach that is inclusive of all languages. Pendoring is putting its money where its mouth is, says Pepe Marais, co-founder and chief creative officer at Joe Public. Siphelele Sixaso, head of marketing: SABC Radio says, SABC Radio couldn't agree more. This is groundbreaking work. It is great news for the SABC Radio stations that have been at the forefront of mother tongue broadcasting to ensure that our identity as a nation is preserved and appreciated by all segments of the community. I look forward to seeing more innovation and creativity expressed in South Africas indigenous languages. Well done to all involved in this move to give indigenous languages it rightful place. Jerry Mpufane, group MD at M&C Saatchi Abel, agrees, I wish to congratulate the Pendoring Awards for recognising truly South African work. The creative industry could never claim excellence until it produces proudly South African work in every language. Brands can only connect with the hearts and minds of consumers when they reach them in their home language, thus as an industry, we could never claim a true partnership with clients if brands did not connect with the consumers. Tiaan Ras, strategic director of Etiket, says Pendoring must be commended for including vernacular advertising in the awards. Seen against the backdrop of a board and sponsors who initially created Pendoring to encourage and reward Afrikaans advertising, this is a big and brave step in the right direction to make the Awards South African in every sense of the word. It clearly signals its vision to celebrate the diversity of South African advertising. Elane Vrey, lecturer at the AAA School of Advertising in Randburg, says, More than 70% of first-year copywriting students home language is neither Afrikaans nor English, so up-weighting Pendorings indigenous language awards is excellent news for the School. Not only do indigenous languages have a rich history of storytelling, but some insights and big ideas are so entrenched in indigenous culture that they lose their impact when communicated in English. It is liberating to see my students execute concepts in their home language. They are more confident and the results are brilliant. We cannot wait to enter our work to compete on an equal footing in all categories. Lecturer Darren Meltz from the Vega School of Brand Leadership in Pretoria, agrees. Specifically from a student perspective, it will provide greater scope for recognising work that is thoroughly South African, thus moving the brand forward as the most meaningful platform for the acknowledgement of local creative work. Entries for the Awards open on Monday 9 May and close on Monday 1 August 2016. Founder and CEO of VICE Media, Shane Smith has been named as the Cannes Lions 2016 Media Person of the Year. He will receive his award during International Festival of Creativity on Wednesday, 22 June 2016. Introduced in 1999, the Media Person of the Year Award recognises innovators that have shaped the future of media. Philip Thomas, CEO, Lions Festivals, said, Shane is an influential figure in todays media landscape. Not only is he responsible for taking VICE, which started life as a punk magazine, and expanding it to become the worlds leading global youth media company, but also he is a critically acclaimed journalist. Shane is a producer of Emmy, Peabody and National Magazine Award-winning content, recognised not just for helping to reinvent news documentary but also for helping to present complicated and urgent subjects such as the environment and criminal justice in fresh, accessible terms. As a man of great talent, diversity and unstoppable drive, Shanes a very worthy recipient of this accolade. One of the industrys most respected visionaries, Smith has transformed VICE from a print magazine into an international multimedia brand that operates a network of critically acclaimed digital channels, linear television networks, a mobile content studio, a feature film division and an in-house creative services agency. Most recently, Smith has struck deals with leading platforms across mobile, digital and linear to syndicate the firms award-winning video to viewers everywhere. Smith is also a journalist and the host and executive producer for the Emmy Award-winning news series, VICE, on HBO. Smith has reported from the world's most isolated and difficult places, including North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Liberia and Greenland. Commenting on the award, Smith said, When I was a young man one of my great joys was to go to my local repertory theatre and watch the feature film of the best of Cannes Lions awards. To see the funny, salacious and over the top commercials from around the world offered a window into a different and tantalizing dimension to a teenager living in snowy Canada. As such, to accept the award for Cannes Lions Media Person of the Year is simultaneously humbling and immensely pleasurable because although you dont get into the business to win hardware, it sure makes life a lot more fun when you do. For more information, go to www.canneslions.com. The Mortimer Harvey OmniChannel offering is in full swing, which means new opportunities to recruit rising stars. One of the key growth areas at MH is the digital department, as our expansion into everything online is one of our primary objectives for 2016. Richard Reinhart Digital and Social Media Coordinator Richard is a highly motivated individual who accepts any challenge head-on and is always striving to push the limits of what can be done. He comes to MH with a BBA in Marketing Management and is currently studying a BPhil Honours in Marketing Management. Richards skills include social media management, marketing communications, digital marketing and market research. His enthusiasm and capabilities will be a huge asset to the team as he runs with digital campaigns and manages his social communities. Desiree Inch Digital Account Director As a native Joburger, Desiree moved to the Eastern Cape to finish high school before pursuing further studies in architecture in Port Elizabeth. Shortly after varsity she tried her hand at interior design and wound up in London, where she resided for seven years. She spent five of those years in a marketing position at AOL before returning to East London, South Africa for five years. It wasnt long and she was back in her native city of Johannesburg, where she brings her strong project management skills to her digital accounts at MH. Bongani Nxumalo Digital Developer If its Web- or mobile development-related, then Bongani is the man to get the job done. Bongani has over eight years of experience in the digital space. He puts his fascination for all things digital down to basic curiosity, and sees challenges as a means to learn something new. He also prides himself on staying on top of his art so that he can meet the challenges he faces in his position with the right tools, knowledge and experience. His passion for development and his drive to tackle challenges will be considered invaluable to the MH digital team. Welcome aboard, Richard, Desiree and Bongani! Sovereign Foods has lost the battle against rival poultry producer Country Bird to block the company from voting at a key shareholders meeting next week. The Competition Tribunal said on Thursday that Sovereigns application against Country Bird had been dismissed with costs. The tribunal would give a reason for the dismissal at a later stage. Last week, Sovereign Foods brought an application to the tribunal to have any attempt by Country Bird to reinstate rights in the listed poultry producer or to acquire additional shares be considered a merger. Sovereign claimed that Country Bird and connected parties had a stake of just less than 15% in the company, which they were building up ahead of the shareholder meeting on March 29 to block a broad-based economic empowerment deal from being approved. The deal would secure control of Sovereign in the hands of management and a number of black investors. At 11.50am, the stock was flat at R6.40 on the JSE, valuing the poultry group at R488m Country Bird delisted from the JSE last year. The Africa Tax Symposium (4-6 May 2016) is an annual authoritative event, with the aim of analysing the most pertinent international tax issues of the day and to place them within the African context. This is reflected in the signature theme: Understanding Africas tax issues Building on the success of the inaugural symposium, this years event will take place in Entebbe Uganda and will focus on todays burning tax issues, such as the post-BEPS landscape, aggressive tax planning, transfer pricing and challenges impacting particular industries and transactions. These topics will be brought to life by a rich selection of renowned tax experts. This compelling mix is enriched even further by IBFDs top experts on Africa. The Africa Tax Symposium is an initiative of IBFDs Centre for Studies in African Taxation (CSAT), a think tank devoted to the study and development of African taxation. CSAT scholarships Through the event, CSAT aims to contribute to deeper and more analytical knowledge of international tax across the continent. It also sponsors research into areas of tax policy relevant to particular sectors in Africa. One way of effecting this is by means of CSAT scholarships, under which qualifying researchers receive sponsorship for pertinent research work. CSAT has just concluded arrangements for several such scholarships and full details will be unveiled during the symposium. Executive Chef Henrico Grobbelaar has joined the Southern Sun The Cullinan hotel. Grobbelaar is one of South Africa's most creative and celebrated young chefs with a long list of accolades. His resume includes: Sunday Times Chef of the Year 2009; San Pellegrino International Young Chef of the World 2009; Executive Chef to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland 2010; Captain of the South African Culinary Olympic Team in 2008-2012 and part of the national culinary team since 2005. "To be a chef, you must have a tenacious personality because the industry is a demanding one that requires a high level of commitment and effort if you want to succeed. It is a creative craft and you must be able to take criticism. The hours are long and the environment is hot, fast and noisy, but the rewards are high," advises Grobbelaar. Swimming against the tide He didnt always want to be a chef, he wanted to be an engineer. Although the crisp, white chefs jacket always held some type of mystery and fascination, he qualified as a polymer engineer in 2001. Swimming against the tide, Grobbelaar made the seemingly radical decision to exchange a career in engineering to that of chef, and hasnt looked back since. Instead of enrolling at a Chefs Academy, he peeled vegetables for three years under Australian chef Michael Bridgeman, as an apprentice chef. He then joined Garth Stroebel and Paul Hartmann at what was then their brand new South African Culinary Academy, and graduated top of the class. Under chefs Stroebel and Hartmann, the world of cuisine revealed itself to be every bit as rich and exacting as he had anticipated. I am grateful that I was taught by respected industry chefs Garth Stroebel and Paul Hartmann, who stood at the work counter with me. Their commitment to my success continues to this day. The repetition and drills of the basics have given me an excellent platform from which to build my repertoire and career, says Grobbelaar. His rise to fame hasnt been meteoric. It has been steady and consistent. After more than a decade in the industry, Grobbelaar joined Tsogo Suns Southern Sun The Cullinan hotel in February this year as the executive chef. Grobbelaar is looking forward to complementing the current offering at the hotel with fresh new ideas, starting with the launch of a brand new breakfast concept on 1 April 2016. How do you enthral a marketing journalist with a background in psychology during work hours? Let her listen to one of the world's leading behavioural economists explain at length how marketers can better connect with customers by tapping into their basic decision-making processes. Yes, Im the marketing journalist described in the intro. On Thursday, 17 March 2016 I attended an exclusive presentation on the intuitive customer decision-making process at FCB Cape Town. The agencys strategy planning director David Smythe, introduced Matthew Willcox, head of FCBs institute of decision making in the US. Hes also author of the marketing book of the year The Business of Choice: Marketing to Consumers Instincts, the subject of which goes against the traditional marketing view that humans are logical and patient, as the science of behavioural economics shows were actually highly impatient creatures and delay making decisions. Then when we do, they're based on a number of biases. Without acknowledging this, marketers simply wont get true customer engagement. The business of choice But Im getting ahead of myself without setting the context. A year ago, Smythe spoke exclusively to Bizcommunity about the plethora of choice that would be a trend for the year. Willcox says his book just touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this business of choice or marketing to consumers instincts and he prefers the word choosers to consumers. Looking for a definition of marketing Willcox says you obviously turn to the web and in doing so he found a wiki with 71 definitions. He found most uninspiring and lacking in describing the modern aspects of digital engagement. The bottom line, he says, is all about influencing consumers choices. As a marketer, you need companies to choose your company to meet your corporate objectives. Its the business of getting chosen. Sadly, not many marketers actually know how people make those decisions, yet we understand more about choice today than ever before. History of heuristics Willcox says now is the golden age of decision sciences, we have a confluence of brilliant minds changing the paradigm of how people choose and displacing rationality as the heart of decision-making, instead focusing on behavioural science and how we make choices. That said, we often forget to look a very long way back at the evolution of decision-making; we fixate on culture but not on human natures role in how we make choices and diverge from the rational path. So much of our behaviour is an installed set of tendencies and strategies we've preserved over time. These are usually based on quick and efficient mental choices or shortcuts called heuristics. These are the classic rule of thumb thinking that works most of the time. We're predisposed to take mental shortcuts based on the sheer amount of data we have to act on each day. But that doesnt mean we always make the right choices. Social proof When our choices seem irrational, Willcox says cognitive biases are usually driving the choice. We often ignore the role of instinct in marketing. Marketers can tap into this by encouraging consumers to do something by making it easy. Conversely, you can discourage something by making it a little more difficult to do. Brands exist to make consumers choices cognitively easy and emotionally rewarding, but were also easily influenced, absorbing signals from others through social proof, such as when an ad makes it seem like the rest of the world is acting a certain way and wed be missing out by not doing so, too. Willcox calls this Coca-Cola ad from 1970s a good example of this. With social media has come a rise of this type of clever marketing, such as Customers who bought this also bought this tagging, and the power of online reviews. But remember that this can go the wrong way depending on whether you word it that the majority is doing something positive or not we want to be in the majority no matter the consequences. Future self is not me This links to how advertising targets anything related to the future and making the world a better place, as well as how we process information around the future, which is not just your present self placed further along the time track. Choosers have an irrational preference for taking a smaller reward now, for the present self, over a larger one later, for the future self. Studies show that we think of the self in the future almost as we think of someone else, which is why planning for retirement is so difficult. This is why we procrastinate and make grand plans for the future, yet when the time comes were not so keen as we havent changed so much as to become that person we thought wed be. Its something another person will do, but not your present self whether it comes to health, wealth or long-term benefits. The Nivea sun cream doll activation shattered this by teaching children to put on sun cream now to prevent sunburn in the short-term future. Clever marketers will find ways to make the concept of future self work for the present self. Help consumers avoid loss Willcox said that the cognitive bias of loss aversion is a huge decision influencer for most consumers, as the effect of a loss often has double the psychological effect of a similar gain imagine how youd feel losing R100 over finding R100 in your pocket. We go out of our way to avoid tiny losses, and marketers simply need to tap into their chooser self to consider how choosing your product creates a prospect of avoiding loss. Its simple as rephrasing your copy from Save R100 by X to Avoid losing R100 by X. This concept is also linked to the endowment effect or ownership we value the things we feel ownership of perhaps more than we should: Everyone thinks house is worth more than it really is. Willcox mentioned the Share a Coke campaign as part of this instead of sharing, most of us went out of our way to purchase the product with our name on it. This is a powerful influencer related to the concept of scarcity, often dubbed the superfood of influence. People want more of the things they can have less of, which is why seeing We only have 5 seats left gets you off the fence fast and making a decision to purchase. Remember that advertising a shortage can create demand as theres the implication of quality and social proof. Limited offers that punt scarcity of time also work well. Never be above comparison The category of one is a bad place to be, says Willcox, as we use reference points to make choices. Your brand needs to find a comparison that helps you win and seems like you're giving people the best possible deal. Apple did this well when promoting Mac not as a superior product to PC, but one that also does what PC does. This makes consumers feel they're not losing anything in shifting from PC to Mac. Willcox ended with the following advice: Understand how human nature affects decision making, and you can make your brand a natural, easy and rewarding choice. Close on three of the best work hours in my decade-plus career! Follow Willcox on Twitter and through the #businessofchoice hashtag. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry face various challenges, such as lack of financial and technical capacity, lack of access to construction projects and information, and poor cash flow due to slow payment from government. However, the construction industry can help SMEs to overcome these challenges by assuming some of these burdens. In order to do this, the industry will need client bodies to support them, says Frans Pienaar, chairman of Inyatsi Construction. Pienaar would like to see incentives offered to business for helping SMEs. Business is, by definition, profit-driven and should SMEs have the potential to improve a larger companys bottom-line performance, helping them will become a focus area. Volatile markets With volatile world markets and the adverse influence on developing economies, it is important to overcome the challenges faced by SMEs in the construction industry. If we overcome these challenges, it will create employment opportunities, improved technology, better quality and service delivery and a large capacity base which can be mobilised at short notice should the market grow quickly, he explains. SMEs can support growth of economies in Africa and the rest of the world. With a very low overhead structure, these enterprises are ideally suited to be cost-efficient. Unfortunately, this can count against them as they struggle to get good deals from established business and cannot get the credit or the pricing that large businesses can arrange, Pienaar says. He believes government should incentivise businesses to assist SMEs to ensure they also gain that competitive advantage. Government and big business can also assist in ensuring SMEs obtain good deals in insurance and the financial markets. And government can ensure that projects run cash-positive to enable these enterprises to meet their commitments and build a track record that will contribute to a good reputation in the market. Tech hubs in Africa are increasingly looking for diversified and sustainable models, echoing similar efforts by hubs in the US and Europe, according to Google. Speaking to Disrupt Africa, David Grunwald, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) partnerships at Google for Entrepreneurs, said the co-working spaces and hubs Google works with in Africa show similarities, rather than differences, to spaces in the US and Europe, particularly in the way they are seeking to achieve sustainability and revenues. More similarities than differences Importantly, Grunwald said African hubs are early-on in their formation looking for sustainability models suited to local markets. I think there are more similarities than differences in the way they operate and revenue generation to some extent, Grunwald said. Many of the co-working spots we see in the US and Europe no longer have sponsorship and desk rental as the core of their revenues. Some have diversified into incubation or acceleration, taking a small proportion of equity in member startups. Others generate revenue through corporate innovation programmes which in turn provide their member startups with sales and partnership opportunities, whilst some also run paid education programmes in coding, data science, he said. Most of the hubs in sub-Saharan Africa already start thinking about diversified models even before launch. Some rent out their space for events, also taking opportunities to run paid workshops. I think Africa is slowly discovering what is right for the market and innovating as needed. Vibrant tech communities Google currently supports 25 tech hub partners worldwide, five of these are based in Africa in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa. According to Grunwald, these African hubs play home to some of the most innovative and vibrant tech communities anywhere on the planet. Grunwald says Google derives its commitment to supporting startups worldwide from its own beginnings as a small tech startup; and says the company hopes its partnerships with global tech hubs will serve to create a connected community of entrepreneurs capable of solving world challenges. As a company, we began life as a startup in a garage and remain a startup at heart. Entrepreneurship is firmly in our DNA. Were committed to helping enable the next generation of entrepreneurs to be successful, wherever in the world they might be, Grunwald said. Google for Entrepreneurs builds spaces for entrepreneurs and strengthens startup communities. Since 2011, weve launched our own campuses and formed partnerships that support entrepreneurs across 125 countries. Our mission is to connect global startup communities to resources and each other so that together we can work on the worlds biggest challenges. Countries compete. For investment dollars, tourists and talent, in much the same way that they compete for sporting medals - fiercely. On top of the podium of fastest growing economies is Ethiopia. Ethiopias race to the top The East African nation has a powerful story to tell. In 2015 it was the worlds fastest growing economy - driven by investment in infrastructure, the agriculture sector, population growth and a rapidly expanding manufacturing sector. Ethiopias entry into the global sourcing and manufacturing big leagues is remarkable, taking on and often winning against global leaders like Bangladesh, Vietnam, China and India. We recently had the opportunity to work with the Ethiopian Investment Commission on a trade visit to Hong Kong to engage the investment community and reaffirm that Ethiopia is open for business". Dr. Arkebe Oqubay, a senior Minister in the Ethiopian Government and author of Made in Africa: Industrial Policy in Ethiopia, was in Asia to deliver the keynote address at Prime Source Forum, one of the largest gatherings of senior stakeholders from the apparel and footwear supply chain. The audience heard from Dr. Arkebe about mega developments such as the 1.3 million m2 Hawassa Industrial Park geared for the textile, apparel and leather industries. There are a number of factors that have attracted major companies like PVH, owners of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, including the use of hydropower, tax credits and a highly skilled workforce at competitive rates - to name a few. Competing for attention Effectively telling your story to a trade industry audience is a very different proposition to a sprightly five minute interview with Bloomberg TVs Asia Edge team. Dr. Arkebe delivered a master class in effectively selling a country in the interview. The top three communication lessons that can be drawn were: - Create the conditions for trust: A sceptical or ill-informed audience need to hear things that will make them trust you. Early on in the interview he mentioned that Ethiopia has been experiencing double digit growth every year for the last 12 years. Stellar growth at that rate is rare and commands respect. - Cue key message, and repeat: Reinforcing key messages is the only way to ensure that it sticks in the minds of viewers. The key theme came through repeatedly: Ethiopia has a clear vision; the economy is growing and has the people and policies to make that vision a reality. - Bridge away from off-message issues: Ethiopia has challenges (as do all countries) and in response to a question on recent protests in the country, Dr. Arkebe reframed the discussion to focus on the underlying market dynamism. For Africa to continue rising and join the economic winners circle, more leaders need to effectively tell their good news stories to the international investment community. Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com. Strong performance from cast including Lupita far right Braced for Hope: Review of Eclipsed Golden Theater "To the people: Stand firm! Don't give in! Our course is right and we will win."--Message sent from Africa's First Woman President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf when she was imprisoned. "War is murder, force, anarchy, and debt. It's end is evil, despite any incidental good."-- W.E. B. Dubois. Sunrise, voice, African drums, and profound dark open the play Eclipsed, written by Danai Gurira, and currently at the Golden Theater. The March 19, 2016 matinee performance was superlatively superb. The radiant talent came from many African countries including Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria. As ticket holders waited in a long line and chatted in the brisk March wind, we discovered that many of us had come "to support" Lupita Nyong'o, and others whom we had seen in different performances. We were not disappointed. The vibrant and authentic dialogue delivers a radiance which counters the deadly weight of war atrocities, including rape. A refrain throughout the play is "What is your name?" War denatures. The playwright articulates the terrifying degree to which war can make us forget our humanity, forget who we are. As President Sirleaf says in her memoir, This Child Will Be Great, "violence is a vicious, contagious disease, easily spread." But remembering who we are enables recovery. The setting of Eclipsed authentically reproduces a small concrete garage-size dwelling complete with corrugated roof, Liberian flag high on one wall, kerosene lamp, small wash basin, and an inverted blue tub at the center. Even in this limited space and time, we see something of President Sirleaf's "African tradition of community and collective good," as the older women attempt to protect the virtue of the young girl. The book and the gun will become major symbols in this play, with the book providing a turning point. African writers have an additional responsibility to inform an under-educated audience. Consider carefully the effect of placing the full weight of war on one African man. How did all those weapons enter the country? We don't want the history and culture to be eclipsed! Adding the wisdom included in President Sirleaf's inaugural address, January 2006, providing these words in the playbill, placing them on a screen during intermission, or allowing us to actually hear her voice, would not diminish the power of the play which brings to consciousness destructive levels of stress so many women endured during Liberia's civil war. Liberia whose motto is "the Love of liberty brought us here" declared independence 26 July 1847, borrowing language from the US Declaration of Independence. In the Prologue of her memoir, President Sirleaf reminds us that there were people already living in this place so there was the potential for conflict when "settlers" arrived. More than thirty years ago, a student whose last name is Tolbert, wrote his name in a book, which he gave to me. Liberian Writing. He had been called home to Liberia, possibly to be killed. His uncle and other relatives were killed. He was a witness, but his life was spared. We subsequently saw each other in Lower Manhattan, but neither of us spoke. He was physically the same, but his eyes were so empty. Anyone this close to the tragedy, could not see this play. Eclipsed is powerful. While everyone will not "enjoy" this work in the same way, I highly recommend reading the Prologue and the Inaugural speech of Africa's first woman president before viewing this insightful and disturbing play. According to Sai Kwan, a volunteer worker at the centre in Zerngtai village in Muse Township, Burma Army Division 88 made the arrests using more than 50 soldiers. He said: At about 5 a.m. in the morning, the Burma Army came into the centre and arrested 65 people and seven staff." Those arrested included Sai Chit Ngwe, the head of the rehabilitation centre. Others arrested included Sai Sarm Bee, the headman of village tract No. 3 and Sai Ai Aung, the headman of Zerngtai Village Tract. Sai Kwan said: They accused the villagers of producing and trading drugs. He explained; This centre is a rehabilitation centre. The people living here were brought to treat their illness. We do not produce any drugs, we only make paper." This was a reference to the Ghost Money that the centre produces for use in Chinese funerals. The accused are being held in a prison in Muse Township. They appeared in court on 22 March. Further details of their court appearance are not yet available. Sai Chit Ngwe, the head of the rehabilitation centre who also serves as the headman of a village known as Village 19 was detained but then eventually released. He called for all the people picked up during the raid to be released. He said: They must release all of them, I will not go home unless they release them. The drug rehabilitation centre was established 16 years ago by Sai Chit Ngwe. He established the centre with funds from villagers and donors. The centre does not receive support from the government. BY SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI Tennessee's anti-transgender bathroom bill that would have made it a crime for a transgender person to use a bathroom that corresponds with the gender they identify as and prohibit schools from making any accommodation for transgender students died in committee on Tuesday, but Republicans in the state legislature revived the bill yesterday evening. The Senate Education Committee on Wednesday voted 7-3 in favor of the bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Bell of Riceville. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Jim Coley of Bartlett told the House Education Administration and Planning Committee that he will seek to have the committee reconsider its decision to study the measure after the Legislature adjourns for the year. While the state Senate has already advanced the bill through the Education Committee, Republicans in the state House of Representatives are also moving to revive the bill. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (R) is opposed to the legislation because it could cost the state over a $1 billion in federal funding and open the door for a Title IX lawsuit, among other things. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R) did not have the good sense of Governor Haslam (R) or South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard (R), both of whom have opposed anti-transgender bathroom bills passed by their state legislatures on the basis that they will deeply damage and isolate the state. Governor McCrory signed HB2 into law last night after a one-day special session in which the entire process of passing the bill was completed. It was jammed through as quickly as possible and the state is going to pay dearly for it. If there is any silver lining to be found here, the coming monsoon of litigation against North Carolina could dissuade other states from following suit but I expect this will eventually end up in front of the Supreme Court. Republicans often complain about about decisions handed down by the "unelected" judges of the Supreme Court, but they are the ones who insist on pushing every single social issue to the brink. Republican refusal to hold a hearing on or confirm President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland is not unrelated to this. Remember the Benghazi Committee? The Select Solyndra IRS Committee to Investigate the Benghazi ACORN Birth Certificate Email Account has faced plenty of criticism from Democrats, but the committee now has a conservative opponent. Larry Klayman's Judicial Watch, the conservative group that has filed numerous lawsuits for access to Clinton-related documents, is now blasting the Select Benghazi Committee for its incompetence. Tom Fitton, the groups president, said the panel is conducting its business mostly in secret, causing it to miss opportunities to hold former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration accountable for mistakes in their Libya policy. [...] They have this almost petty approach to transparency that is at odds with the public interest, Fitton said of the committee in an interview. Its not supposed to be a grand-jury style investigation that the public cant be privy to. Theres got to be at least some public forum for gathering testimony and evidence and that hasnt happened here to any significant degree Many folks who have been watching it are just aghast at the approach the committee has taken toward educating the public about what it is doing. Fitton is both right and wrong. He's right that the committee has conducted most of its business in secret, but he's wrong for thinking conducting it publicly would expose new information. There's no there, there. The idea that shocking information has been hidden by the committee is a misnomer. The committee has no new information. We already know what happened in Benghazi and we've known for years. The committee was never going to find anything or lead to a perp walk for anyone. The committee was created to keep the story in the headlines through the presidential election cycle, but wouldn't you know Republicans are so incompetent they can hardly even manage to do that. "Benghazi," as it were, is now a running joke and a meme. If Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton is angry because the committee has failed in its mission to keep the story relevant, I suppose he is correct, but he appears to believe actual evidence of -- something -- has been kept from the public. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Suncor Energy is calling the City of Brandons development agreement for automotive service stations unfair and prohibitive. However, city officials say the regulations implemented in 2010 are a way to ensure former fuel stations are not left contaminated and abandoned. In the event a site is decommissioned, it specifies that the land must be cleaned up within a two-year time frame. What were telling you today is that we cannot in good conscience sign this agreement, as we cannot commit to future liabilities that we dont know might or might not occur, Rob Marshall, a representative of Suncor Energy, said at this weeks city council meeting. Jillian Austin/The Brandon Sun Suncor Energy wants to install a DEF tank at the Petro-Pass site off the Trans-Canada Highway. We want to do business in Brandon but this development agreement will not allow us to do that. The city has seen its fair share of abandoned gas stations, and wants to prevent that from happening in the future. The goal is ultimately that these sites are remediated to a standard which they can be redeveloped and become fully utilized taxpaying properties, said principal planner Ryan Nickel. A public hearing was held this week on the conditional use for 210 Highland Ave., known as Petro-Pass, located south of the Trans-Canada Highway. Suncor Energy wants to expand the service station to install an underground diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) storage tank. DEF is a non-hazardous solution that is necessary for truckers to meet federally legislated emissions standards. Without the DEF, a truckers truck will actually shut down, Marshall explained. If we dont have that convenience at our site, then our guests and our clients will be going to other locations We lose business and volumes go down. Currently, drivers use a manual process, carrying and filling up jugs of DEF. The installation of a storage tank would allow for a bulk, automatic delivery system that Marshall says is more convenient and less messy. Since the zoning bylaw was amended in 2010, there have been at least seven other projects that signed the citys development agreement, including major companies such as Husky Energy and Co-op. The regulation deals with new or redeveloped service stations. We are glad to have these businesses that want to invest and do business in our community, but on the other hand, were just asking them to accept responsibility for anything that essentially may go wrong on their property, Mayor Rick Chrest said. If it incurs some contamination, then they have to deal with it and I think most citizens would support that line of thinking Whats fair is fair, and the business thats occupying the property needs to maintain responsibility. The hearing sparked a lengthy debate around the council table. There seemed to be confusion around some of the wording in the proposed agreement, particularly regarding the level of remediation required. We follow the provincial and federal regulations to the T, but this has gone a little bit further, to the point where our lawyers have said thats a future liability that we cant expose the company to because its an unknown, Marshall said. Marshall also noted that there are rare instances where they physically cannot clean a site, depending on the severity of the situation. The main concern for Suncor is the two-year time frame. What we cant do is commit to cleaning to a developable state unconditionally, Marshall said. It wouldnt be fair to say, for instance, if the property is worth $500,000 and it was a $4-million cleanup. Some councillors expressed concern that the city and its taxpayers would be on the hook to clean up the site, if the agreement wasnt signed. If the likes of the enormity of Suncor couldnt clean it, Im not sure that little old Brandon could. So thats the difficulty youre putting us in here, Chrest said. Council ultimately decided to defer the decision to give them time to seek further legal opinion. The issue will be brought back to the April 18 council meeting. We dont want to stonewall the enhancement, improvement and modernization of this business or any in that industry, so we certainly want to see that worked out, Chrest said. But on the other hand, we do have to protect the taxpayers against future liability. jaustin@brandonsun.com Twitter: @jillianaustin Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the federal Liberal government remains committed to boosting funding for health care, even though his maiden budget devotes not a dime to home care or a new health accord with the provinces. The Liberals made an immediate commitment in last falls election platform to invest $3 billion over four years to deliver more and better home care, including palliative care, starting with a $415-million infusion this year. They also promised to restart negotiations with the provinces on a new health accord, although no price tag was ever attached to that promise. Morneau says the only way to improve the health system is by working with the provinces, which have constitutional responsibility for delivering health care. He says those discussions havent progressed far enough yet to include a funding commitment in Tuesdays budget. But NDP health critic Don Davies says the omissions constitute a completely broken promise. During the last campaign, the Liberals told Canadians they would invest $3 billion over four years in home care, Davies told the House of Commons on Thursday. What does the Liberal budget commit? Absolutely nothing. Earlier Thursday, during a roundtable interview with The Canadian Press, Morneau insisted the Liberals remain committed to our health care system. We know that thats important for every single Canadian. We also know that the only way to get to good conclusions on health care in our country is by working together with the provinces. Morneau said negotiations with the provinces will include discussions on home care, palliative care and mental health but were just not at the stage where that was something that we wanted to put forward in the budget because those discussions need to happen for us to have a clear sense of direction. With the government poised to introduce a new law governing medical assistance in dying, health experts have argued its crucial to simultaneously improve palliative care so that terminally ill Canadians wont feel they have little choice but to end their lives prematurely. In the Commons, Health Minister Jane Philpott assured Davies shes working every day with her provincial counterparts on a long-term health accord that will include a number of initiatives, including a $3-billion investment in home care. The last 10-year health accord, which included an annual six-per-cent increase in health transfers to the provinces, expired in 2014. The previous Conservative government refused to renegotiate it and unilaterally declared that the six-per-cent escalator would end in 2017. Although they denounced the Conservative move and promised to negotiate a new accord with a long-term funding agreement, the Liberals did not specifically promise to reinstate the escalator. And Philpott appeared to suggest Thursday that its not in the cards. At $36 billion, health transfers are already the largest in Canadian history, she told the Commons. As for not putting the promised $3 billion in additional home care funding on the books yet, Philpott said later that the federal government first wants to strike an agreement with the provinces about how that money is to be spent and what Canadians should expect to see as a result. However, Davies argued that if the money isnt in the budget, it will have to come out of existing funding for other health initiatives. The minister cant skate on this, he said. She cant claim to honour those promises and then not have that money in the budget to back up the promises. Its as simple as that. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO The ruling formally acquitting Jian Ghomeshi on several counts of sexual assault starkly illuminates the various flaws in a legal system that rarely dispenses justice to victims, lawyers and womens groups said Thursday. Most agreed that Justice William Horkins had little choice but to find the former CBC star not guilty on all charges given the evidence before him. Horkins, citing devastating cross-examination that exposed sometimes stark inconsistencies in witness accounts and memories, said the shifting recollections of Ghomeshis three accusers left him with reasonable doubt as to whether the assaults took place. University of Toronto law professor Brenda Cossman acknowledged that the witness testimony in the case was highly damaging, describing defence lawyer Marie Henein as decimating the stories each woman told on the stand. But Cossman said the trial also highlighted the enormous pressure victims are under to live up to pre-conceived notions of how the ideal witness thinks and behaves, adding the approach summed up everything thats wrong about the way in which sex assault laws are applied in the courtroom. The outcome isnt surprising, but I think that the message being sent is pretty clear to potential future sexual assault complainants, Cossman said in a telephone interview. If theres anything less than perfect in your behaviour before, during and after the sexual assault, dont bother coming forward because your credibility will be decimated. Horkins pulled no punches in his evaluation of the witness testimony in the case. He described the three women variously as playing chicken with the justice system, being manipulative and even outright lying. His assessment was due largely to Heneins withering cross-examination, which revealed emails, photos and handwritten letters that she argued suggested a desire for more contact with the former Q host. Horkins stressed that he was more concerned with an apparent lack of honesty than by their interactions with Ghomeshi, but did say that their conduct raised questions. Each complainant in this case engaged in conduct with Mr. Ghomeshi after the fact which seems out of harmony, he wrote in the decision. Janine Benedet, co-director of the Centre for Feminist Legal Studies in Vancouver, said misleading statements in the courtroom were concerning, but mused on whether or not complete honesty would have made a difference in the trial outcome. There are two things here. Theres the information that was withheld or was lied about, then there is, was that information really relevant to whether we believe theyve been sexually assaulted or not, she said. Its that second part that I think is concerning. Theres a reason why they were afraid for all that to come out, and part of it is because we judge women very harshly. Tamar Witelson, legal director of Metrac Action on Violence, is as concerned about the treatment potential victims face on the stand as they do on the street. The Ghomeshi trial, she said, vividly illustrated the humiliating process that awaits women who do decide to press ahead with charges. The complainants went through what appeared to be a pretty horrific experience, Witelson said of the trial process. Is that the price that you have to pay in order to get a positive outcome through the criminal justice system? Is it worth it? Womens advocacy groups contend that it is, citing the national conversation that erupted when allegations against Ghomeshi first surfaced in 2014. Nicole Pietsch of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres said the courtroom drama that played out before the public only reinforced the campaigns, hashtags and other survivor-awareness topics that came to light. All the things we heard from victims of sexual violence that said these are the reasons why no one talks about it, thats what we saw roll out in the court, in the cross-examination in particular, and then also in this verdict too, she said. Some seem hopeful that the spectacle and outcome of the trial could lead to systemic change down the road. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looked forward to hearing thoughtful proposals on ways to address violence against women. Amanda Dale, Executive Director of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, is similarly optimistic. She believes the advocacy movement has gained enough momentum to carry them past any potential roadblocks caused by the verdict. Whenever these large systems that we have put our faith in disappoint us, we have a period of mourning and feeling discouraged and licking our wounds, she said. But I think theres been a momentum built here that isnt going to go away easily. And I think in fact, the anger and outrage may fuel another round of reform. Follow @mich_mcq and @ploriggio on Twitter Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO With drone strikes becoming the new form of warfare and stirring up heated debate over civilian casualties, Helen Mirren dropped everything to star in Eye in the Sky, a taut drama about that very subject matter. The Oscar-winning British star had a potential conflict with another, bigger movie at the time she got the script for Eye in the Sky, in which she plays a U.K.-based military officer in charge of a drone mission in Nairobi. But she felt it was an urgent story that needed to be told and she took it on instead even though it hadnt secured distribution yet. Helen Mirren, right, poses on the red carpet for the film 'Trumbo' as her husband Taylor Hackford waits to the side during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on September 12, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese When I first read it, I tell you, I thought, This is incredibly powerful and I want to do it. There was just no question in my mind,' Mirren said during last Septembers Toronto International Film Festival, where the film made its world premiere. I felt it was talking about an incredibly difficult subject in a very thoughtful and properly human kind of way. Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) directed and Guy Hibbert wrote the script for the film, in which a planned drone strike against a Somali terrorist group is complicated when an innocent young girl enters the scene to sell bread near the terrorists house. As the military assesses the potential collateral damage, politicians and experts in the U.K. and the U.S. debate the human, legal and propaganda ramifications. The suspense builds as they agonize over whether to launch the strike and kill the girl, or allow a suicide mission to happen and kill 80. In reality, these decisions are not taken lightly, said Mirren, who won an Oscar for her starring role in The Queen. Do you sacrifice one to save 40, or do you sacrifice 40 to save one? What do you do? Barkhad Abdi, who got an Oscar nomination for playing a Somali pirate in Captain Phillips, co-stars as an agent who uses high-tech spy gear to assess the situation on the ground. He felt close to the subject matter, having fled civil war with his mother and siblings in Mogadishu when he was young. But with this situation, its different, he said. With this situation, its a drone. At least when the war happens, people know the danger surrounding them. They try to run for cover, hide. But with the drone, people dont know. No one knows whats going to happen, no one knows theres any danger coming and one second its all over. Hood hopes the film reminds us of our common humanity and that we dont lose our sense of empathy for others and we dont turn the enemy into a dehumanized, non-human object. All sides in a conflict try to dehumanize the other and thats the only way you can really continue, said the South African native, who was drafted by his countrys military at age 17 and lost a close friend in battle. Both sides do this, throughout history: The enemy is not like me, the enemy is not human, the enemy is somehow other than me and therefore not worthy of my compassion or empathy. Usually what happens in conflicts is we take that approach until its reached such an awful climax and then well go, Oh my God, what were we thinking? Its awful, and we have to reconcile. So I hope the film contains elements of those complex human relationships. Eye in the Sky, also starring the late Alan Rickman, Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox, opens Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. PASADENA, Calif. No matter how smart or well-educated you are, you can be deceived. Thats the message delivered by James (The Amazing) Randi in An Honest Liar. The entertaining and surprising documentary, directed and produced by Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom, premieres March 28 on the long-running PBS series Independent Lens. At 87, Randi looks more like Jasper Beardly on The Simpsons than Harry Houdini. Hes still spry, however. He effortlessly shed ropes from his hands that had been tied behind his back by two reporters last January at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. A young James "The Amazing" Randi is seen with his pet kinkajou in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-James J. Kriegsmann Sr. Dont tear the suit, he quipped, or Ill have to buy it. Randi has been slipping knots since TV began. Born and raised in Toronto, he was first seen on an early Canadian broadcast where he was suspended, upside down in a straitjacket, high over Niagara Falls. He doesnt recall the year but says it was a lucrative gig. I remember thinking how handsomely I was being paid while I was hanging upside down, he says. Randi became fascinated with magic before hed reached his teens, after seeing several shows by the great Harry Blackstone, Sr., at the long-gone Casino Theatre on Queen Street in Toronto. By the time he moved to New York at 17, Randi got to know Blackstone, who helped mentor him as a magician. He was my demigod, says Randi, who worked daring, Houdini-like stunts into his own bag of tricks. An Honest Liar features clips from Randis early Canadian TV appearances, including one showing him on the afternoon kids show Razzle Dazzle with Alan Hamel and Michelle Finney. He also appeared with CBC comedians Wayne and Shuster. He went on to much greater fame in the U.S., appearing with Merv Griffin, Barbara Walters and over 30 times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Carson dabbled in card tricks and Randi says the two would spend time after the show in the hosts white Corvette, talking magic. He was really good but would never do magic on his show, preferring to leave that to the magicians, says Randi. After nearly drowning in a metal bell-shaped container after a hatch failed to open, Randi cut back on the death-defying stunts. He eventually carved out a whole new career, debunking frauds such as mentalist Uri Geller as well as audience manipulations pulled by TV evangelists such as Peter Popoff. One who kept his distance was the Amazing Kreskin. He wouldnt have a thing to do with me, says Randi. Now he sells winning lottery numbers. Why would you sell winning numbers? Youd win it for yourself. He has a racket going on there. Among his favourite magicians today are Penn and Teller. Two of the finest gentlemen I know, says Randi, who claims responsibility for pairing them together. He was once hired by Alice Cooper to add razzle dazzle to rock shows in the 70s, including a guillotine act where Alice got beheaded. I was the one who gave him a couple of gimmicks he used on his hands to produce flames, says Randi. He would transform in front of me from Vincent Furnier into Alice Cooper and it was a wonderful thing to see. Randi can still pull off some amazing tricks. About two-thirds of the way in, the Independent Lens special has a twist few will see coming. We started out making a film about deception and about a man who is an honest liar and a deceiver of sorts, says director/producer Tyler Measom. In the middle of making the film, a deception was revealed that spun Randis life and his partners life in a different direction and took the direction of the film in a very different path. Measom admits it came out of nowhere, but the filmmakers, with Randis blessing, went with it. Hed already agreed to a warts and all portrait, says Randi, who lives by the creed that magicians are the most honest people in the world. They tell you theyre gonna fool you, and then they do it. Bill Brioux is a freelance TV columnist based in Brampton, Ont. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/03/2016 (2404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO Its being heralded as a historic move that will finally bring Canadas disparate indigenous voices together and put a long-needed national spotlight on their artistic works. The National Arts Centre in Ottawa announced Thursday its creating a new Department of Indigenous Theatre as part of its strategic plan for 2015-2020. I really see it as a place where the next great works could be developed, says actor-director Michael Greyeyes, a Plains Cree artistic director of Signal Theatre in Toronto. An historic meeting on February 13, 2016 when 28 Indigenous artists met with all of the Artistic Leaders on the NAC Theatre stage to talk about building an Indigenous Theatre Department at the NAC is shown in a handout photo.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO- Fred Cattroll There are many countries that have actually had national indigenous theatres, and Canada one of the most highly developed, wealthiest countries in the world not having one has been an odd thing because weve had a vibrant theatre community for decades. The NAC says the seeds for the idea were first planted 10 years ago, when Peter Hinton was artistic director and programmed indigenous work into every season. In that time, the NAC also worked with indigenous artists on various projects and started doing retreats with them. When we were working on our strat plan, it was like, Its time. In fact, this should have been the way it was in 69. Why did we wait?' says Rosemary Thompson, the NACs director of communications and public affairs, referring to the year the venue opened its doors. Its a very, very gratifying moment for us, because well be 50 in 2019, and that we will have a full-fledged indigenous theatre department to mark our 50th anniversary is right. It shouldve happened a long time ago. Greyeyes, who also teaches at York Universitys Department of Theatre, was among those who took part in the NACs 2014 summit in Banff, Alta. He says it was there that the formal conversations about the indigenous theatres began. When the NAC conducted a study looking at the artistic projects of Canadas indigenous population, it found the body of work was astounding. Even us, like people who are creating the body of work, were simply astounded, says Greyeyes. Production after production, play after play, it was pages upon pages. Such works spanned the worlds of theatre, dance and opera, among others. Many arent aware of this vast body of work because it isnt produced a lot, says Greyeyes. The Rez Sisters (play) gets produced a lot, other big plays get remounted, but many, many plays dont see that rich production history, and its production history that turns good plays into canonical works. I think thats one of the purposes of the NAC indigenous theatre, is to allow a place for these incredible works, deservedly canonical works, to gain the recognition across the country. Thompson says the theatre will be partly financed through both public and private donations, and theyre convinced its going to be very well supported. The NAC will appoint an artistic director for the theatre in 2017 and launch its first season of full programming in the fall of 2019. What were hearing from indigenous artists is that it should be multi-disciplinary it could be dance, it could be music, it could be visual, it could be craft, says Thompson. We take their lead. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VANCOUVER Skiers and snowmobilers in eastern British Columbia and parts of southwestern Alberta are being warned to use extreme caution in the backcountry over the Easter long weekend because of a high avalanche risk. Avalanche Canada has issued a special warning for Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, and Jasper national parks, Kananaskis Country in Alberta, the Purcells near Golden, B.C., and the North Rockies east of Prince George. Theres concern a deeply buried weak layer of the snowpack has recently produced large human-triggered and natural avalanches. Karl Klassen, a forecaster with Avalanche Canada, said snow cornices, daytime warming and human activity are all potential triggers for new slides. We have a snowpack thats still got a lot of winter-like aspects to it, deep layers that are buried in the snow, some of them unstable, some of them that could become unstable as the warm temperatures and the solar radiation from spring approach, he said. The organization recommends inexperienced or untrained backcountry users stay out of avalanche terrain at least until March 28. Skiers and sledders who do venture into the backcountry this weekend are urged to travel one-at-a-time through risky areas, stay clear of slopes threatened by cornices and always carry appropriate rescue gear. Already have an account? Log in here FREDERICTON - Imperial Tobacco Canada has filed a legal challenge against New Brunswick's menthol ban, which took effect on Jan. 1, but the challenge is coming under fire by the Canadian Cancer Society. We need your support! Local journalism needs your support! As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MONTREAL Claire Kirkland, the first woman elected to Quebecs legislature and a pioneer in the womens movement, has died at the age of 91. The McGill University law graduate became a Liberal member of the then-legislative assembly in 1961 and went on to achieve other noteworthy feats, including being the first female Quebec cabinet minister. She held various portfolios, including transport, communications, cultural affairs, tourism, hunting and fishing before quitting politics in 1973. Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, first woman ever elected to the Quebec legislature and transport minister in the last Liberal government, was re-elected in her Montreal riding of Marguerite-Bourgeoys in Quebec's general election Wednesday. She is seen in this 1970 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard announced Friday that Kirkland will be given special honours during her funeral, which will be organized in part by the provincial government. (Kirkland) put her convictions towards working for the equality between men and women, Couillard said in a statement. On behalf of myself and the Quebec government, I offer my most sincere condolences to her family and friends. No funeral date has been set. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a message on Twitter saying he was saddened by the Kirklands passing while Parti Quebecois Leader Pierre Karl Peladeau called Kirkland a pioneer of womens emancipation in Quebec. Kirkland, who was born Sept. 8, 1924, in Palmer, Mass., was named a judge in 1973 and eventually left the bench in 1991. In 1964 she oversaw Bill 16, which gave married women more powers to go about their daily business, including opening a bank account or signing a lease, without requiring the consent of their husbands. In fact, a few years before the law passed, the newly minted member of the legislature wanted to rent an apartment in Quebec City and was told by the owner he needed her husbands signature. In a 1997 interview, Kirkland said the legislation was her proudest achievement. Her father, Charles-Aime Kirkland, was a doctor and a member of the legislature between 1939 and 1961. Lise Theriault, Quebecs deputy premier and minister responsible for the status of women, noted Kirklands unique contribution to society and her brilliant career, adding that woman are enormously grateful to her. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. HALIFAX A former member of the Canadian military who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder has been sentenced to four years in prison for choking his 17-year-old daughter until he thought she was dead. Robin Andrew Clifford of New Glasgow, N.S., was originally charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. Clifford had admitted saying to his daughter: I wish you would die already. He also told police he had been thinking about stabbing her. One psychologist told the court that Cliffords mental illness appears to be linked to his career with the Canadian Armed Forces. Nova Scotia provincial court Judge Del Atwood said the 45-year-old had experienced a tragic life after he left the military. He was later diagnosed with PTSD, a major depressive disorder and a panic disorder associated with agoraphobia the irrational fear of crowded spaces. His years in military service were very tough, Atwood said in his decision. Mr. Cliffords civilian life has been very unhappy, and it affected his family profoundly. Clifford and his wife separated in April 2013, the judge said. Court heard Clifford and his daughter were smoking marijuana on Nov. 30, 2014, when an argument ensued. Clifford later told police he pushed her off a chair, placed his hands around her throat and tried to choke her to death. When he thought she was dead, he called 911 and told police he was sure he had killed the teen. The girl has since fully recovered from the attack. The judge said there were several mitigating factors in the case, including Cliffords lack of a criminal record, his honourable discharge from the military, his co-operation with police and a pre-sentence report that indicated his actions were out of character. As well, a psychologist assessed Clifford as a low risk to reoffend in a violent way. However, the judge said that attacking someone under the age of 18 was an aggravating factor. Both the Crown and defence recommended a four-year sentence, which the judge accepted, saying Clifford would receive 90 days credit for time already served. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The Liberals have no plans to make Canadas employment insurance fund independent of the federal government, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Thursday. I think the current system works, he said in a round-table interview with The Canadian Press. Morneau said new measures to help the unemployed are included in his recently tabled budget. Minister of Finance Bill Morneau takes part in an interview at Finace Headquaters in Ottawa on Thursday, March 24, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The NDP and Bloc Quebecois, however, have long wanted the fund to be independent to prevent governments from using surpluses to reduce budget deficits or pay down debt. Employment insurance surpluses were $3.5 billion in 2014 and $2.2 billion in 2015, with the money going directly into government coffers. The government predicts an EI surplus of $1.2 billion in 2016 and a deficit in 2017 when the Liberals plan to introduce a reduction in premiums. Contributions to the EI fund will be lowered that year to $1.61 per $100 earned from $1.88 a sharper decrease than the Liberals promised during the election campaign. Morneau said during the interview an actuarial report is conducted every year to help the government set the ideal insurance premium. We want to be transparent, he said. I think with the report, we can explain clearly the premium required for employers and employees. So thats our decision for now. NDP MP Guy Caron said workers and employers should determine for themselves how to spend the money in the fund and decide whether to lower premiums. Instead of increasing accessibility, particularly during difficult economic times, theyre lowering the premiums, he said in a telephone interview. That was the choice of the government. Once again, there werent any consultations with those who pay the premiums. He said 850,000 unemployed people in Canada dont qualify for EI benefits. The government says new policies introduced in Tuesdays budget will give another 50,000 people access to EI benefits. Caron said it was a step in the right direction but that too many people are still left out. The NDP MP added that even though the EI fund looks like it will be balanced over the next few years, it might not stay that way. We could once again reach a surplus, he said. And once again, because the fund is not independent, the money will go into government coffers as has been the case for the last 25 years. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Recent findings from the countrys prison watchdog offer compelling proof that change is needed at the top of the Correctional Service of Canada, a Conservative senator and former Ontario solicitor general said Thursday. The annual report tabled by Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers earlier this month shows the service is failing its most vulnerable inmates, Sen. Bob Runciman said in a statement. Runciman was a Conservative member of the Ontario legislature before becoming a senator and served in a number of cabinet roles, including solicitor general and minister of correctional services. It is increasingly obvious that nothing will change until the leadership at CSC changes, the statement said. That cant happen soon enough. Runciman pointed to the inquest into the death of 19-year-old Ashley Smith, the findings of which should have resulted in sweeping changes to how mentally ill offenders are treated behind bars, he said. Smith was an emotionally disturbed teenager who died in solitary confinement through self-induced choking while at the Grand Valley Institution in Kitchener, Ont., in 2007. I, like many others, hoped the inquest and its recommendations would be a catalyst for change, Runciman said. The CSC has taken what I would call baby steps, with pilot projects that are too small to be effective and may be deliberately designed to fail. In his annual report, Sapers called for an end to solitary confinement for mentally ill prisoners. He also said segregation should be limited to no more than 30 days and not used as an alternative to the disciplinary process. There has been progress in the last year, he noted. The number of segregation placements and repeat placements has dropped significantly because the policy is being better administered, he said. The average daily count in segregation cells across the country used to be around 800, Sapers said. Today it is around 500 and thats without legislation change. While the number of people in solitary has been reduced as a result of CSC actions, segregation is still often used to manage the mentally ill, the self-injurious and suicidal inmates, Sapers said. In a statement, a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said the government saw the prison watchdogs report from a different perspective. By shining a light on the areas within the Correctional Service of Canada that need improvement, and by asking hard questions, the Office of the Correctional Investigator ensures transparency and accountability, and that our correctional system is fair, humane and effective, said Goodales press secretary Scott Bardsley. The government has committed to addressing gaps in services for indigenous and mentally ill offenders, and to implementing the recommendations of the Smith inquest, Bardsley added. Sapers did not respond Thursday to Runcimans statement. Follow @kkirkup on Twitter Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. WINNIPEG Manitobas Liberal leader says her government would set aside a certain number of seats in the legislature for indigenous people, but she wouldnt make that guarantee for the cabinet table. Rana Bokhari said her party, if elected April 19, would work towards electoral reform that would see indigenous people get 10 per cent or roughly six of the legislatures 57 seats. She couldnt say how exactly they would be elected to those seats, but added that would be decided after extensive consultation. She pointed to New Zealand, where Maori have seats in Parliament determined by Maori numbers on the electoral list. This is about moving forward with our indigenous communities. Its about partnership, Bokhari said Thursday. Thats why, as they make 15 per cent of our population, they will receive those seats. Bokhari said its important to have indigenous people at the table, but wouldnt commit to having aboriginal parity in her cabinet. Right now, this is about our indigenous population having 10 per cent of those seats, Bokhari said. I want gender parity. I want all these things, but right now my focus is to make sure that proportion of the population is represented. She couldnt say exactly how the party would encourage indigenous people to run in an election. The Liberals have already promised to bring in proportional representation if they are elected. Bokhari said a referendum would not be necessary for either electoral change. The party had one seat in the legislature when the election was called. It says it has 10 First Nations candidates and three Metis running. The NDP has seven while the Progressive Conservatives have five. The NDP said in a statement it is open to the idea of electoral reform but any changes would be put to the people of Manitoba. The Conservatives did not respond to requests for comment on the Liberal proposal. They spent Thursday talking about literacy and promising to develop a program to ensure kids could read at or above national levels by Grade 3. Leader Brian Pallister said the $7-million program would include a beefed-up curriculum with specific literacy goals, as well as reading assessment teams to help struggling students. NDP Leader Greg Selinger was in the northern part of the province where he announced his party would boost incentives for mineral exploration. Later Thursday, he promised the New Democrats would create 1,000 more beds in personal care homes for seniors, as well as add new hospice beds and improve home-care hours. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/03/2016 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Servers bring you food in a restaurant. Does it matter how attractive they are? Think about that for a moment. Do you think the restaurant, and ultimately the waiter or waitress, has the potential to earn more if they are attractive? Would you pay more, or tip more if the person pouring your coffee and bringing you your steak is good looking? In the end, the amount of your tip is not subject to scrutiny by the human rights board, or the labour board, or any board. Its between you and your server. As for whether a restaurant or bar has the right to tell servers how high their heels should be or how much makeup to wear, thats an entirely different conversation. We all love good-looking, attractive people. We may dislike the favouritism that comes with it, the attention that comes with it, or just be plain jealous (which is my case). But we are wired to like them and to trust them. Harvard scientists recently tested 32 four- and five-year-olds who were shown 12 photos of women aged between 18 and 29. In the study, the kids were asked about a picture. Whether or not they guessed correctly, the researchers suggested they seek the help of one of two people. At this point the children were shown two photos one of an attractive person and the other unattractive and asked who they thought would know the answer. The results, published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, showed more children initially selected the attractive face. Similar studies show babies also smile more for attractive faces than those seen as not as attractive.So in jobs that involve sales, is being attractive something employers subconsciously look for? Or is it done on purpose? Which brings us to restaurant servers. I have a friend in a Western Canadian city (not in Manitoba) who worked for a big chain. When people asked for an application form, they were given one of two types of forms to complete, either plain white or light orange. Both applications were identical with the exception being their colour. Light orange meant that the person was not likely to be as appealing to customers, while the white form meant a green light. She tells me this practice is happening at restaurants across the country, although I only know where she works now. I thought as a society, we couldnt do this. I blame those kids and that pretty face study. But on the other hand, if I run a modelling studio, do I not want attractive people? If Im running a TV station, do I not want attractive people? Are there some professions where it just makes sense? We have some very good restaurants in our city. I think its safe to assume all restaurants in Westman have a dress code in one form or another, potentially encouraging employees to possibly dress in a way that many feel may be somewhat provocative, or at the very least sexy. Some might call it classy. Others might call it sexist. CBCs Marketplace investigated the dress codes at some of the countrys biggest restaurant chains (none of which are in Brandon) and found female staff who say they felt pressure to wear revealing outfits or risk losing shifts. Some managers apparently asked hosts to wear tight dresses, plenty of makeup, and really high heels. The restaurants were secretly filmed, and included Moxies, Jack Astors, Earls and Joey Restaurants. The reporter wore a hidden camera while applying for a job at each of the restaurants. Each time she asked the restaurant management about what she would be expected to wear. One of the women said one chain told her to wear a skirt no longer than where her fingertips fell when at her sides, about six inches above her knee. Another revealed that she was asked to look like she was attending a wedding. As for a response from Moxies, Jack Astors, Earls and Joey Restaurants, all declined comment. However, for one restaurant chain, after the CBC report first aired March 4, the social media backlash was swift. Two weeks ago yesterday, and less than a week after the report aired, Earls released a statement saying it was changing its guidelines to give staffers the choice of wearing pants instead of skirts. Until now, the chain had a suggested dress code. Now, women working at Earls can choose what to wear on their own, be it a skirt or a straight-cut black pant. Earls said it has been working on amendments to its guidelines for some time, and that the chain will spend about a year reworking its dress code so that both women and men wear similar uniforms in future. I think I have another solution. We have exotic dancing in Westman. Men and women both dance with little to no clothing. And if restaurants wish to have wait staff wear little to no clothing, maybe this is the licence they should have for their establishment an exotic dancing licence thus avoiding controversy from employees and/or patrons. And Im not saying this tongue-in-cheek. Im saying there is a market for a restaurant where very attractive men (or women) with little clothing bring your hot beef sandwich to your table in a bow tie, a.k.a Chippendales style. And as long as everyone is on the same page from the employer, to the employee, to a shocked Grandma Edna who just had the most embarrassing lunch of her life all should be good, right? Because in the end, as long as everyone is treated with respect and dignity under the law, all is well that ends well. Now can someone please help me with Grandma Edna? She wont eat any of her meals at the nursing home ever since we took her for that hot beef sandwich. JOKE THIS WEEK A waitress walks up to the table. You guys all finished? Yes. You wanna box for the leftovers? No, but Ill wrestle you for them. BIRTHDAYS Larissa Kells Breanna Thomas-Lyons Trent Barker Steven Fawcett Bryce Paterson Dawn Granger Thomas Ward Jackie Taylor Kayla Ernest Martyn Conrad Elaine Lelond Tyler Glen is a radio DJ on Star-FM. He writes a weekly column for The Brandon Sun. Twitter: @Tyler_Glen Elaine Duggan of Cork's Evening Echo wrote an emotional piece this week reacting to the terrible tragedy in Buncrana at the weekend. I held my children a little longer this week, a little tighter, read an extra story, checked on them a bit more frequently, lingered at their bedroom doorway as they slept peacefully, and I watched them, silently with a heavy ache in my heart. Im sure mothers all over Ireland did the same, as the details continued to emerge of the unimaginable tragedy in Donegal that claimed five lives from the one family. Too often at home its a rushed story time, a quick cuddle, a stern voice to go to sleep as they bounce around in their cot, or wander to the top of the landing, looking for something ridiculous like their favourite toy that they havent played with in two months. On Monday morning I was feeling sorry for myself, a bout of vomiting bug had hit the household, me included, and everyone was sleep-deprived. The toddler was irritable, the pre-schooler was bored, mum and dad were frazzled, the house was like a bomb hit it, the washing was piled high to the ceiling. As I drove to work the news was emerging about Donegal and all my so-called troubles paled into total and utter insignificance. I wiped the tears from my cheeks as I drove. I arrived to the office and bumped into another mother in the canteen, she mentioned Donegal, she had a look that only another mum would have, in the face of such a heart-breaking story. You could see the upset etched on her face as we all imagined the unimaginable. That evening as I drove home I learned more about the victims and those left behind, in particular Louise McGrotty, who lost her husband Sean, sons Mark , 12 and Evan, 8, her mother Ruth Daniels and her sister Jodie Lee Daniels, aged 14, when the car they were travelling in plunged off a pier in Buncrana on Sunday evening. The only miracle was the survival of Louise four-month-old baby girl, Rionaghac-Ann, who was saved from the submerged vehicle by a man who came to help the family.When that hero was interviewed on national news on Monday night, the whole nation mourned with him. I arrived home on Monday to semi-chaos to find the four-year-old wailing like a banshee, because she had to eat cottage pie, the toddler squashing her dinner into her Peppa Pig toy, and a very frustrated daddy trying to convince both girls to eat up. Any other day of the week, the cross words would have come. Not then. Later, we headed to see my mum on her birthday. It was a small gathering, of all the important people in her life: her husband, two children, three grandkids, son-in-law and daughter-in-law. One of the first things she said, when we arrived in the door, was isnt it awful about Donegal. There it was, that look again, of a mother, who could feel another womans raw grief as if it was her own. Then, I looked around the room and thought, how would I feel if all these people, the most important beings in my life, were lost to me in one fell swoop. There, in his carrycot, was my little nephew, just four months old the same age as Rionaghac-Ann, a tiny, vulnerable little thing. What if he, too, had lost everyone in the room before him what would life be like? The kids helped nana blow out her candles, and had a slice of birthday cake (and tried to sneak a second). My four-year-old took a photo of her and nana off the mantelpiece, wrapped it in kitchen paper and re-gifted it to her we all laughed. These are the moments we should be treasuring, memories we should hold dear. Im guilty of sometimes seeing the ordinary, everyday things as humdrum, a daily grind, but theres always magic in even the small things. We just dont always see it or appreciate them. Theres lots of eye-rolling, at the moment, because the kids have nearly three weeks off school. Jezz, what will we do with them? Just do something with them.. anything, spend time with them, go places they enjoy, see things that will interest them. Whether they are toddlers or teens, cuddle them, let them know how important they are in your life, together just go and make some memories. Louise McGrotty should have been spending this week buying Easter eggs. Instead, shes picking out her childrens coffins. I really hope I wont forget Donegal in a few weeks, or even days, and if theres any lesson for us in such a tragedy it is to treasure every moment. Before lights out on Monday night, my four-year-old whispered: I love you more than candy floss, Mom. She shut her eyes and went off to sleep with a smile, and so did I. EU Ministers for Justice are holding an extraordinary meeting in Brussels this afternoon to discuss ways of enhancing security amongst member states. The meeting was arranged in the wake of the attacks on Tuesday which left 31 people dead, 61 critically injured and 250 wounded. Sinn Fein has called on the caretaker government to intervene in the sale of NAMA residential properties to so-called "vulture funds". It follows the decision that 200 houses in west Dublin are to be sold after the sale of a development loan. Dublin West Sinn Fein Cllr Paul Donnelly said: "I am shocked at the massive scale of this sell off by NAMA to vulture funds so soon after the disgraceful treatment of tenants from Tyrrelstown. "I have spent the past two weeks with shocked residents in Tyrrelstown and have demanded that this government take action to support these people who face homelessness. "To hear from news reports that there is a selloff in the region of 5bn is just incredible, these people have no shame and only swift government action will stop this now. "I sat and watched TD's from the caretaker government talk a lot about tenants rights, about social and affordable housing and how in four weeks Enda Kenny will have a new Minister for Housing to deal with this crisis, despite five years of ignoring the pleas for action. "These properties must be investigated to ascertain how many would be suitable for social and affordable housing. "The ball is now firmly in the hands of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, if they drop it now, they will not be forgiven. "There is no more time for talk, the Dail must be recalled and this fire sale must be stopped pending a new Government being in place". Separately, it has been announced that 117 families on Dublin's housing list are to get new homes. The Tuath Housing Association has been granted with funding from the Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Environment to buying new homes at An Riasc in Finglas and Thornwood in Beaumont. A senior UCC lecturer is trying to stop the universitys business school from conducting interviews to hire ten professors. Dr. Joan Buckley, who is head of its Management and Marketing department, took legal action after she failed to make the shortlist. The decision to make up to ten professorial level appointments at the Cork University Business School is described in the ad as a landmark initiative. Dr. Joan Buckley was among the 252 applicants but she wasnt called for interview. Given her contribution to the business school, her standing and extensive research, she has described as inexplicable the decision not to include her in the shortlist. She says she was astounded and distressed when she was notified and had to take sick leave on the advice of her GP. She also expressed concern at the omission of her department in a foreword by UCC President Dr. Michael Murphy in the Candidate Information Pack. Today, she asked the High Court to suspend next months interviews while she challenges what she believes to be a flawed selection process. Her application was not granted but the case will return to court next week to allow the University time to respond to her allegations. Gardai in Cork city are investigating an attack in which a woman in her 20s had her face slashed. A man approached the woman parking her car on Friar Street yesterday afternoon and slashed her face a number of times with what is thought to have been a Stanley knife. Pope Francis has washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic refugees in a gesture of welcome and brotherhood. Several of the migrants wept as Francis knelt before them during a Holy Thursday Mass with asylum-seekers at a refugee shelter in Castelnuovo di Porto, outside Rome. He poured holy water from a brass pitcher over their feet, wiped them clean and kissed them. A UN court has convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of genocide and nine other charges and sentenced him to 40 years in prison for orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 people dead. As he sat down after hearing his sentence, Karadzic slumped slightly in his chair, but showed little emotion. He plans to appeal the convictions. The UN court found Karadzic guilty of genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered in Europe's worst mass murder since the Holocaust. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon said Karadzic was the only person in the Bosnian Serb leadership with the power to halt the genocide, but instead gave an order for prisoners to be transported from one location to another to be killed. In a carefully planned operation, Serb forces transported Muslim men to sites around the Srebrenica enclave in eastern Bosnia and gunned them down before dumping their bodies into mass graves. Kwon said Karadzic and his military commander, General Ratko Mladic, intended "that every able-bodied Bosnian Muslim male from Srebrenica be killed". Karadzic was also held criminally responsible for murder, attacking civilians and terror for overseeing the deadly 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during the war and for taking hostage UN peacekeepers. However, the court acquitted Karadzic in a second genocide charge, for a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces. Peter Robinson, part of Karadzic's legal team, said he would appeal. "Dr Karadzic is disappointed. He's astonished," Mr Robinson told reporters. "He feels the trial chamber took inference instead of evidence in reaching the conclusions that it did." Karadzic had faced a total of 11 charges and a maximum life sentence, but was given 40 years' imprisonment. Prosecutors held Karadzic responsible as a political leader and commander-in-chief of Serb forces in Bosnia, which are blamed for the worst atrocities of the war. The 70-year-old Karadzic had insisted he was innocent and says his wartime actions were intended to protect Serbs. The trial is hugely significant for the UN tribunal and the development of international law. Karadzic is the most senior Bosnian Serb leader to face prosecution at the court housed in a former insurance company headquarters in The Hague. Karadzic's conviction will most likely strengthen international jurisprudence on the criminal responsibility of political leaders for atrocities committed by forces under their control. "Victims and their families have waited for over two decades to see Karadzic's day of reckoning," Param-Preet Singh, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "The Karadzic verdict sends a powerful signal that those who order atrocities cannot simply wait out justice," Ms Singh said. In Bosnia, which has remained divided since the war, posters displaying Karadzic's photo and saying "We are all Radovan" were plastered on walls in several towns in the Serb part of the country. Dozens of people gathered in a park in the Bosnian Serb town of Doboj to offer support to Karadzic. In Sarajevo, Amra Misic, 49, said: "I took a day off to watch the verdict as I was waiting for this for 20 years. I wish him a long life," she said, referring to the fact that Karadzic is 70 years old and sentenced to 40 years. Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, accused of fomenting deadly conflicts across the Balkans as Yugoslavia crumbled in the 1990s, died in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before judges could deliver verdicts in his trial. Karadzic's trial was one of the final acts at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal. The court, set up in 1993, indicted 161 suspects. Of them, 80 were convicted and sentenced, 18 acquitted, 13 sent back to local courts and 36 had the indictments withdrawn or died. Apart from Karadzic, three suspects remain on trial, including his military chief, General Ratko Mladic, and Serb ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj. Eight cases are being appealed and two defendants are to face retrials. The judgment in Seselj's case is scheduled for next Thursday. Karadzic was indicted along with Mladic in 1995, but evaded arrest until he was captured in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2008. At the time, he was posing as a New Age healer, Dr Dragan Dabic, and was disguised by a thick beard and shaggy hair. More than 20 years after the guns fell silent in Bosnia, Karadzic is still considered a hero in Serb-controlled parts of the divided country. Last weekend, current Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik opened a student dormitory named after Karadzic and had Karadzic's daughter and wife unveil the plaque. Speaking at the opening, Dodik called the trial "humiliating" and said those who fail to understand why Karadzic is hailed this way are "shallow-minded." His words were followed by resounding applause. A second attacker is suspected of taking part in the bombing this week of a Brussels subway train and may be at large, according to Belgian and French media reports. The news comes amid growing signs that the same cell of the so-called 'Islamic State' group was behind the attacks in Brussels and bloodshed in Paris last year. The chief suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was summoned to court in Brussels this morning after his arrest last week in the Belgian capital. His lawyer said Abdeslam is not fighting extradition to France, which wants him to face potential terrorism charges. 'Islamic State' claimed responsibility for the attacks in Brussels and Paris, which have laid bare European security failings and prompted calls for better intelligence cooperation and a tougher response to Islamic State extremists. Belgian prosecutors have said at least four people were involved in Tuesday's attacks on the Brussels airport and a subway train, including brothers Brahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, identified as suicide bombers. European security officials identified another suicide bomber as Najim Laachraoui, a suspected bombmaker for the Paris attacks. Prosecutors have said another suspected participant in the airport attack is at large, a man in a hat seen in surveillance images. Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and France's Le Monde and BFM television reported on today that a fifth attacker may also be at large: a man filmed by surveillance cameras in the Brussels Metro on Tuesday carrying a large bag alongside Khalid El Bakraoui. RTBF said it is not clear whether that man was killed in the attack. Prosecutors, who have not said how many people overall may have taken part in the bombings, did not immediately respond to the reports. Attention turned on Thursday to Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam, who evaded police in two countries for four months before Friday's capture in the Molenbeek neighbourhood where he grew up. He was shot in the leg during the arrest. The Belgian federal prosecutor's office said Abdeslam and two other suspected accomplices appeared in court Thursday. Abdeslam's lawyer, Sven Mary, told reporters at the courthouse that he asked for a one-month delay on any transfer while he studies the large dossier, but that Abdeslam "wants to leave for France as quickly as possible". A helicopter circled overhead, and the area was under extraordinarily heavy security, as are many parts of the Belgian capital. France is seeking Abdeslam's extradition to face potential terrorism charges for his involvement in the Nov. 13 attacks on a Paris rock concert, stadium and cafes, which killed 130 people. Several attackers were also killed. Abdeslam, 26, a French citizen who grew up in Brussels' heavily immigrant Molenbeek neighbourhood, slipped through police fingers on multiple occasions, including the day after the attacks. Evidence is mounting that the extremists may have launched this week's attacks in Brussels in haste because they feared authorities were closing in on them after Abdeslam's arrest. Later on Thursday, European Union justice and interior ministers are holding an emergency meeting prompted by the Brussels attacks. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that Brahim El Bakraoui was caught in June 2015 near Turkey's border with Syria and deported, at his own request, to the Netherlands, with Ankara warning Dutch and Belgian officials that he was a "foreign terrorist fighter." But other Turkish officials said he was released from Dutch custody due to lack of evidence of involvement in extremism. Belgium is holding three days of national mourning after the attacks on the EU capital. Security remains tight, but barriers were removed around the subway station hit by the attack, Maelbeek. The airport will remain closed until at least Saturday. Ryanair stated: Following the closure of Brussels Zaventem Airport, all Ryanair flights due to operate to/from Brussels Zaventem from Thursday (24 Mar) to Tuesday (29 Mar) inclusive will operate to/from Brussels Charleroi. "Customers booked to fly from Brussels should make their way to Brussels Charleroi, arrive at least three hours before their flight and allow extra time for additional security checks." Many of the dead remained unidentified, partly because of the severity of devastation caused by the nail-packed bombs detonated in crowds. Eleven people were confirmed dead at the airport, 20 inside the Maelbeek subway station. Six people have been arrested in connection with the Brussels terror attacks, Belgian prosecutors have said. At least 32 people were killed and 270 injured when suicide bombs ripped through the airport and a Metro station on Tuesday morning. Three terrorists died in the explosions and a massive manhunt was launched to track down other suspects believed to be behind the blasts. Belgian prosecutors said the arrests were made during raids in central Brussels, Jette and the Schaerbeek neighbourhood - where police found a large stash of explosives and other bomb-making material earlier this week in a flat believed used by the suicide bombers. Schaerbeek residents said they heard blasts during the police raids, but it is unclear of these were explosions or controlled detonations. The arrests came as officers in France swooped on a man suspected of being in the "advanced stages" of a plot to attack the country, in a raid on the outskirts of Paris. France's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said there were no links "at this stage" between the plot and the terror attacks in Brussels and in Paris in November. Belgian security services were hunting two men pictured with the suicide bombers shortly before the attacks and believed to be on the run. One of the men was caught on CCTV carrying a large bag and walking with jihadist Khalid El Bakraoui moments before the bomb detonated, according to state broadcaster RTBF and France's Le Monde newspaper. Another of the suspected killers, dubbed "the man in white", was pictured pushing a trolley through Zaventem Airport with Najim Laachraoui and Khalid's brother Ibrahim before they blew themselves up. More details have emerged over exactly what the security services knew about the terrorists involved in the atrocities. According to reports, the El Bakraoui brothers were plotting an attack on a nuclear power facility and brought forward the Brussels strikes following the arrest of Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam. The brothers planted a hidden camera in front of the home of the director of research and development at the Belgian nuclear programme, the La Derniere Heure newspaper said. The footage showed the nuclear boss's comings and goings and prompted investigators to conclude the terrorists "could have put national security in danger like never before", the paper added. Prosecutors have confirmed the Brussels bombings, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility, were linked to the Paris attacks in November. Khalid is believed to have rented a house in Charleroi in Belgium which was used as a hideout for the Paris attackers. An international warrant was out for his arrest and police had been searching for him since December. Belgium's interior minister and justice minister offered to resign amid growing questions about why authorities failed to prevent the terror attacks, but the prime minister refused to accept the resignations. KARACHI: Gold prices on Friday lost some value on the local market, traders said. They dropped by Rs500 to Rs147400... LAHORE: The activists of PTI took to the streets on Friday in protest after the Election Commission of Pakistan... Ukraines military tightened the noose around Russian forces occupying the southern city of Kherson as the... BRESCIA. Prima la violente lite, poi laggressione alle spalle. Teatro dellennesimo episodio violento il bar Stella di via Cremona. Le scintille tra due avventori, di nazionalita egiziana, sarebbero scoppiate poco prima delle 23 di mercoledi sera. Una litigata nata, a quanto sembra, per futili motivi e poi degenerata nel sangue. Ad alzare la tensione tra i due uomini, di 49 e 35 anni, sarebbero stati i bicchieri di troppo che entrambi avrebbero bevuto. Dalle parole ai fatti: il piu giovane dei due sarebbe stato aggredito alle spalle. Mentre giocava alla slot machine il 35enne lo avrebbe ferito alla nuca con il coccio di una bottiglia. Immediato lintervento dei Carabinieri, che stanno indagando sullaccaduto, e dellambulanza: il 49enne ferito e stato trasportato al Pronto Soccorso della Poliambulanza, dove stato medicato. La prognosi e di 15 giorni. Firefighters were called in to help clear up an oil leak outside the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets which forced the closure of an adjacent street. Darby Street was closed shortly after midday on Thursday after oil began leaking from a truck outside the markets when its gear box sustained damage. An oil leak forced the closure of Dalby Street, outside the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets in Canberra. The road was closed for about an hour while he clean-up operation was underway however customers could still access the markets via Mildura Street. Rookies at five clubs are in line to play in round one after being elevated to senior lists on Thursday afternoon. Essendon cult hero Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, St Kilda ruckman Jason Holmes, Sydney youngster Tom Papley, West Coast's Brant Colledge and mature-age Gold Coast midfielder Ryan Davis have all been promoted. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti. Credit:Getty Images McDonald-Tipungwuti and Holmes have been elevated in accordance with AFL provisions for replacement players granted to club's affected by January's Court of Arbitration for Sport decision regarding Essendon's 2012 supplements program. Papley, the grandson of former South Melbourne player Max Papley, has been promoted in place of Gary Rohan, who is on the club's rookie list. Rohan was already on the Swans' long-term injury list due to a persistent hamstring issue. Axiom Mining has been forced to reapply for prized nickel leases in the Solomon Islands after a lengthy legal dispute over the legitimacy of its original lease application which had been challenged by Japanese giant Sumitomo Metal Mining. Axiom Mining was invited by the Solomon Island government to apply for a mining lease for the Isabel nickel project, but an objection by Sumitomo Metal Mining kicked off a multi-year legal row which has only just been settled, with all claims to the nickel reserves denied. Indonesia's ban on exports of nickel ore has removed as much as 30 per cent of global supplies. Credit:Bloomberg As a result, Axiom Mining is now to reapply for the contentious leases. In a long-delayed decision by the appeal court, it was decided the original land registration by the government was carried out incorrectly, while at the same time, Sumitomo Metal should never have been allowed to bid for the tenements since it was already in breach of local land-banking rules. The deteriorating fortunes of the mining industry continue to spread to the banking industry as major lenders to resources companies are being hit by troubled loans to that sector. ANZ Bank said on Thursday that its exposures to troubled Australian iron ore and steel company Arrium and international resource company Peabody have forced it to increase its bad debt costs by at least $100 million. The two miners account for about three quarters of the additional credit charge. These troubled loans are in addition to the $800 million loan charge ANZ had already announced last month which itself was up from around $700 million late last year. It was the pace as much as the size of the contagion from the mining downturn that seems to have spooked the market. Westpac has flagged a rise in soured personal loans in mining-heavy regions, as investors remain on edge over any signs of deteriorating credit quality. The chief executive of Westpac's consumer bank, George Frazis, on Thursday said impaired loans in its unsecured lending portfolio will increase by $25 million, or 10 per cent, in its upcoming half-year results. He made the comment in a market update at which Westpac also said revenue in its flagship consumer banking division would rise in the half, helped by market share gains in deposits and mortgage lending. While the rise in bad loans is relatively small for a bank the size of Westpac, and Mr Frazis said it did not reflect broader problems, it comes as analysts debate whether bad loans are set to rise and hit bank profits. It's been a hell of a ride for shareholders in Primary Health Care over the past six months. In that time, shares lost close to half their value, hitting a 13-year low, before rallying back to where they started. Truth be told, Primary had been under pressure for some time. Years of aggressive expansion had left a bloated, inefficient business, and one that had developed a rather poor reputation among health professionals. A government review into Medicare benefits was also weighing on investor sentiment - a regulatory risk that took a meaningful step-up following the federal government's Mid-Year Economic & Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) last year. New CEO Peter Gregg has a strategy to "right-size" the business. Credit:Daniel Munoz But behind it all, Primary has some great assets and is likely to benefit from the tailwind that is Australia's ageing population. Further, a new CEO in Peter Gregg, armed with a strategy to "right-size" the business, tidy up the balance sheet and repair relations with key stakeholders, also allowed for some optimism. "Turnaround" investments may rarely turn, to paraphrase Warren Buffett, but at a sufficiently attractive price - one that adequately compensates investors for the not-insignificant risks the business is facing - there could well be a case to be made for Primary Health Care. Facebook is set to release its virtual reality headset, Oculus, next week. It will be big and clunky, expensive, and cause nausea and other problems for its users. Within a few months, we will declare our disappointment with virtual reality itself while Facebook listens very carefully to its users and develops improvements in its technology. Version 3 of this, most likely in 2018 or 2019, will be amazing. It will change the way we interact with each other on social media and take us into new worlds like the holodecks we saw in the TV series Star Trek. This is the way innovation happens now. You release a basic product and let the market tell you how to make it better. There is no time to get it perfect; it may become obsolete even before it is released. Apple hasn't figured this out yet. It maintains a fortress of secrecy and its leaders dictate product features. When it releases a new technology, it goes to extremes to ensure elegant design and perfection. Steve Jobs was a true visionary who refused to listen to customers believing that he knew better than they did about what they needed. He ruled with an iron fist and did not tolerate dissent of any type. People in one division of Apple also did not know what others in the company were developing, that is the type of secrecy the company maintained. Jobs' tactics worked very well for him and he created the most valuable company in the world. But without Jobs and given the dramatic technology changes that are happening, Apple may have peaked. It is headed the way of IBM in the '90s and Microsoft in the late 2000s. Consider that its last major innovation the iPhone was released in June 2007. Early last month I returned to my little block at the coast after a spell in Canberra and discovered my perfect zucchinis had turned into giant marrows. I posted a picture of my crop on Facebook with the caption: "Leave the veggie patch for 10 days and this is what happens." There were a few amusing replies but the one from former Age librarian and media researcher John Langdon was a stand-out, quoting from The Marrow Song, last recorded in 1973, four years before John began his 37-year career at The Age. And the quote? "Ooooh! What a beauty! I've never seen one as big as that before." It captured three of John's many qualities a genuine interest in others, an incredible general knowledge that was constantly replenished because of John's wide-eyed curiosity, and a dry sense of humour. However two days later he was gone. Out riding his road bike with a group of Castlemaine friends, John had a sudden, massive heart attack and could not be resuscitated. The shock and sadness were all the greater because he was so young and so clearly enjoying his post-Age life. I emailed journalist Shaun Carney after hearing the news and the response was typical of so many of his former colleagues. Shaun wrote that, when he and journalist wife Caroline Milburn left The Age in 2012, "John went to the trouble of copying all of our stories from the digital archive on to CDs. We didn't ask, he just handed them to us. I felt so humbled by that. Such a gentle, generous man." It was clear from the response on Facebook that John did this for everyone - or was responsible for similar acts of generosity and kindness. Andrew Murfett, a former Green Guide editor now living in America, was among many former colleagues who paid tribute. Artists, designers and illustrators have flooded Instagram and social media platforms with their responses to the Brussels bombings, which have claimed more than 30 lives. Perhaps the most iconic illustration in the wake of Tuesday's attacks was an image of a French flag hugging a Belgian flag, by French illustrator Plantu,, which appeared in Le Monde. French illustrator Plantu's response to the Brussels bombings has prompted several deconstructions. The widely shared illustration has also been subject to a series of poignant deconstructions as various illustrators alter the image to include a Turkish flag, in reference to recent attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. Italian graphic designer Margherita Urbani shared an image of the Belgian flag made with Pantone swatches. And that's not even the worst of it. One reviewer called it "a confounding mess of a movie" while another headline slammed it as "a crime against comic book fans". Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been savaged by film critics who describe the latest DC Comics film as a "stink bucket of disappointment". "Zack Snyder's superhero spectacle is a meatheaded, humourless mess that squanders its cast and makes little sense," wrote the UK Telegraph's Robbie Collin. Flawed on many levels ... Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. So where did it all go so wrong? With a thin and incoherent script, overplayed superheroes and a jarring amount of CGI, apparently. The comic book icons are at war in the new film, with Batman convinced Superman is a threat to humanity after the carnage he caused in 2013's Man of Steel. Fairfax Media's Jake Wilson described Batman [Ben Affleck] and Superman [Henry Cavill] as "whinging superheroes", while A.V. Club dismissed them as "both epic bores". When Alex Williams first played Romeo he was just 16 about the same age as Shakespeare's young lover. It was for a production at his high school in Perth's northern suburbs and ever since then he's had a strong hankering to revisit the role. "I've always wanted to play Romeo again to right the wrongs of probably a very half-cooked school production," he says. "At the time it felt pretty good but on reflection ... probably not." Alex Williams and Kelly Paterniti in Romeo and Juliet for Bell Shakespeare. Credit:Daniel Boud Now he has the chance to put to rights the perceived shortcomings of his teenage performance after winning the plum role with Bell Shakespeare, opposite Kelly Paterniti. "I was super fortunate they decided to give me a role this big when they haven't seen me on stage at all," he says. "I feel very fortunate to work with such a great company and get to work with [director] Peter Evans, who is a well of knowledge, and Kelly who is just so good in everything she does." Chris Coleman will replace 2CC drive show host Marcus Paul after he quit the show suddenly this week. Station manager Michael Jones said Coleman would bring a "strong journalistic approach" and had a wealth of experience in talk and commercial radio. 2CC has announced Chris Coleman will replace Marcus Paul on the radio station's drive program. Credit:Suppled "He's a well-seasoned radio guy. I think he's going to be very relatable," he said. Coleman, who went to St Edmund's College, grew up in the ACT and spent 15 years working for ABC Local Radio in Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, the Riverina and Canberra. Cherlene Lee's cavalier cross is called Siao Chu, or "Little Pig" in Mandarin. The name is appropriate; twice he needed emergency veterinary treatment after helping himself to chocolate from the coffee table. Chocolate is toxic to dogs. Luckily for Siao Chu his owner is a vet and he made a full recovery. Vet Dr Cherlene Lee and her dogs, (black dog) Obi-Wan-Kenobi and Siao Chuwho has twice needed treatment after eating chocolate. Credit:Peter Rae But some dogs die after eating chocolate, and vets and animal advocates have issued a warning this Easter about how dangerous the sweet can be. Dr Lee, the principal veterinarian at My Vet Animal Hospital in Waterloo, sees a spike in the number of dogs that have eaten chocolate around Christmas and Easter as some owners give it as a treat. But Mr Turnbull told Lateline his speech was ticked off by his national security advisers. 3. Two Belgian ministers try to resign over attacks At any rate, such is the criticism Belgium is facing for its response to the terror threat, two ministers have offered to resign. They were refused. The latest from our correspondent Nick Miller in Brussels suggests a major failure in intelligence and policing in Belgium with one of Islamic State's most-wanted and well known bombmakers able to walk into an airport. Also some terrifying detail suggesting the attackers' real target was nuclear plants. 4. Japanese slaughter hundreds of whales After a year-long break following Australia's successful action in the International Court of Justice, Japanese whalers returned from the Antarctic "having achieved the goal of 333 minke whales". 5. Abbott and Cameron swap tips David Cameron is a man with a lot on his plate. He's trying to keep his Tories from an all-out civil war over whether or not to leave the EU, prevent the spread of terrorism across the channel and minimise the damage from last week's budget. The bodies of a woman and her young son have been discovered at the bottom of a cliff in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, police say. A relative of the woman contacted police on Thursday night to raise concerns about the welfare of the woman and boy, thought to be two years old. About 8.30pm on Thursday, the woman's vehicle was found parked on a street near Maroubra Beach. Officers from the Eastern Beaches Local Area Command began searching for the woman, with help from officers from the Marine Area Command, Police Rescue, Surf Lifesavers and the NSW Ambulance rescue helicopter. A 32-year-old man will face court over a stockpile of explosives allegedly found in a house west of Brisbane. The man has been charged with several firearm and explosives offences after being extradited from NSW to Queensland. Items are seized to be transported from Pullenvale home. He flew into Brisbane on Thursday afternoon under heavy police guard and taken to the watch house for questioning. Police allege the stash of explosives was found at a home in Pullenvale in August 2014 after officers were called to residence. Police have seized a large number of reptiles after they were found in a vehicle at Blackall at the weekend. Five pythons, one brown snake, two legless lizards, four blue tongue lizards and five central netted dragons were found inside pillowcases and bags in the vehicle. Lizards were seized along with snakes, found hidden in a vehicle. Credit:Queensland Police Service They were taken to the Blackall Police station and identified by wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said the haul was the result of environment officers working closely with the Queensland Police Service. Power up the CuLink and you're presented with Android 4.4 and access to the Google Play store. The CuLink supports Gigabit Ethernet, but your real-world data speeds depend on the distance between the power points and the condition of your electrical wiring. When it comes to internet video you're also obviously at the mercy of the speed and reliability of your broadband connection. There's also the option to connect the CuLink to your home Wi-Fi network. Alternatively you can use Android's built-in hotspot features to generate a Wi-Fi hotspot to share the Ethernet or Powerline AV connection. This might be handy if you've got Wi-Fi-only gear in your lounge room which struggles to connect to the Wi-Fi network coming from the broadband modem in the study. You can also take advantage of Android's Bluetooth tethering. Watch this So far so good, but I was rather surprised to look in the CuLink box and find a tiny USB mouse rather than a remote control. I can't see your average person tolerating a media player which requires you to cross the room and jiggle a mouse to control it, but after raising the issue with CuLink's developers they now have plans to include a remote. Power up the CuLink and you're faced with the standard Android tablet interface. The only TV-friendly optimisation is a dock across the bottom of the screen offering easy access to Applications, Settings, Favourites, File Browser and Web Browser. Standard Android isn't the kind of thing you want to inflict on your average lounge room, it's always been very clunky on the big screen unless you're using something like optimised Android TV on a Sony Smart TV. There's not even a smartphone/tablet app for controlling the CuLink box from the couch, although you might be able to cobble something together using an Android remote desktop app like AirDroid. The CuLink comes with Adobe Flash 11.1 pre-installed along with FireAirReceiver and Miracast Receiver for streaming from mobile devices. The box appears as both a DLNA and AirPlay streaming device on your network, the picture quality is pretty good but the reliability is hit and miss. There's no screen mirroring support from Apple devices. To tap into internet video you've got access to the Google Play store for installing Android apps like Netflix. Keep in mind the CuLink is basically an Android tablet with 5GB of onboard storage as well as an SD card slot, micro-USB OTG port and two USB 2.0 ports. It doesn't have access to the Android TV section of the Google Play store so you have to make do with the standard touch-centric Android apps. You can plug in a USB keyboard to use the Google Play store if you don't want to peck away at the onscreen keyboard. The CuLink supports screen resolutions from 640x480 to 1080p 60Hz, although these options are meaningless if the Android apps don't cooperate. I experienced rather shabby Netflix and Google Play Movies picture quality even when tested on 80 Mbps cable broadband. In the CuLink's defense, its Australian developers are still attempting to replicate my picture quality issues on the test bench. I've tested two units and held off my review for six weeks but they're still working to get to the bottom of it. So what's the verdict? The CuLink is an interesting idea but standard Android on the big screen offers such a cumbersome user experience that it's hard to recommend it to novices or power users not when there are so many other more elegant ways to do the job. Even putting my Netflix quality issues aside, I wouldn't fancy the CuLink as a basic workstation even for children when you could look to an Android tablet or the growing number of dirt-cheap, lounge room-friendly Windows boxes on the market. Support for Powerline AV is certainly handy, but you might be better off buying a standalone set of Powerline AV adapters and hooking them up to a decent media player. Some Powerline AV adapters can also generate a Wi-Fi hotspot. Alternatively you might mirror your smartphone/tablet to your television via Miracast or AirPlay mirroring. A criminal case against a police prosecutor, who had been accused of helping a motorist he knew by shelving a speeding charge, has been dropped. Andrew McSwain was previously suspended by Victoria Police without pay after it was alleged he had prosecuted the case against the motorist between August 2013 and January 2014 and withdrawn a charge of driving at a dangerous speed. It had been alleged that police prosecutor Andrew McSwain withdrew a charge of driving at a dangerous speed for a driver he knew. Credit:Gary Sissons Victoria Police's professional standards command had alleged Mr McSwain had a conflict of interest in that he knew the accused driver and he had altered and read a prosecution summary to a magistrate which was beneficial to the motorist. Mr McSwain was last year charged with perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office. Ben Monteath was leaving a friend's house and heading home when shots were suddenly fired towards him, a court has heard. "I heard a few bangs, then I heard screaming and I saw Ben just drop to the floor," Belinda Grech said in a police statement read to a Supreme Court jury. Ben Monteath. Credit:Channel Seven "I thought it was pellets or something. "One came through the window after Ben hit the ground. I was sitting on the couch in the front room. I heard them yell, 'They hit Ben, they hit Ben.' The WA government will rush through changes to laws that will give it first dibs as creditors on the late Alan Bond's failed Bell Group. The urgent move comes after a High Court challenge was launched by a rival creditor that is further down the list - Dutch Antilles-based Bell Group NV and its liquidator Garry Trevor, arguing the legislation was unconstitutional. The case to recover $265 million from Bond's collapsed Bell group of companies started in 1995. Credit:Neil Eliot There are five key creditors chasing a $1.5 billion pool of money that has been whittled away through legal battles from $1.7 billion less than two years ago. But the coalition state government says it will finally end the nation's most expensive and longest-running court case. Buenos Aires: Police in Argentina arrested a man who allegedly walked into a radio station carrying a belt with fireworks and threatening to use them as explosives. The security ministry says police arrested journalist Carlos Alberto Serbali in the office of state-run Radio Nacional in downtown Buenos Aires after he threatened to detonate a bomb inside the radio station on Wednesday. President Barack Obama is on a two-day visit to Argentina and security measures have been heightened after the terrorist attack in Belgium. The radio station building is located about a mile from the presidential palace where Mr Obama met Argentinian President Mauricio Macri. Paris: The Islamic State terrorist group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells such as the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum chaos, according to The Associated Press. The network of agile and semi-autonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. Sources claim semi-autonomous terror cells, such as the one that caused devastation in Brussels, are spread across Europe. Credit:Bloomberg European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French politician who follows the jihadist networks described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to target the West. Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the Paris attacks claimed he had entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered "more or less everywhere". Tokyo: Japan's whaling fleet returned on Thursday from its Antarctic hunt after a year-long suspension with a take of more than 300 whales, including pregnant females. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean should stop, prompting it to call off its hunt that season, although it said at the time it intended to resume later. The Japanese whaling fleet operating in the Southern Ocean in 2013. Credit:Glenn Lockitch/Sea Shepherd Japan then amended its plan for the next season to cut the number of minke whales it aimed to take by two-thirds from previous hunts. Claims like these, however tenuous, underpin the No campaign's efforts to convince the Dutch that an already-ratified, 1200-page treaty with Ukraine is a bad idea. A sign for the referendum in Amsterdam reads "Vote April 6". Credit:Michael Colborne Thanks to Nijman and his colleagues, Dutch voters will be asked on April 6 whether they approve of a treaty on closer political and economic integration between the EU and Ukraine, one that even No campaigners like Nijman admit won't be reversed. Leading No campaigner Thierry Baudet goes even further than Nijman. Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign the EU-Ukraine deal sparked the Euromaidan protests in Kiev. Credit:Getty Images "The Ukrainian position [on MH17] is absolutely dubious," he claims. "It's a country that's essentially bombing its own people." Baudet even suggests that Ukraine may have deliberately refused to close its airspace over the eastern war zone to gain a tactical advantage over the separatists. "Next week your voting card's coming in the mail! Vote April 6," a sign reads in Amsterdam. Credit:Michael Colborne "Either it was money they wanted [from airlines], or they wanted it as a human shield, to make it impossible for the separatists to defend themselves," Baudet says. Some of these arguments have found their way, of all places, onto toilet paper. A No campaigner, businessman Ruben Marsman, actually received 48,000 ($71,200) of Dutch government campaign finance money to print and distribute rolls of toilet paper containing statements like "Safety wasn't MH17 shot down from Ukraine?" With a new direct democracy law that puts legislation to a vote with at least 300,000 signatures, Nijman and his Eurosceptic colleagues were able to force the first EU-related piece of legislation in the Dutch parliament to a referendum, even if a treaty with Ukraine wasn't their first choice. Nijman and and other right-wing Eurosceptic organisations, want to use the referendum to send a message to Brussels. "We feel left out of our own democracy," Nijman says. "We're doing this to send a signal for our own democracy to Brussels. We want to shake up Brussels a bit." The connection between Russian-media talking points and Eurosceptic parties is a theme being repeated throughout Europe. The UkraineEU Association Agreement has already had its place in history. In late 2013, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the deal, which kicked off the Euromaidan protests that eventually led to his downfall in February 2014. If the Dutch vote no, the government could feel obliged to review the agreement, which would throw a spanner into Ukraine's hopes of European integration. More broadly, a Ukraine that can't pivot towards Europe is one that has to pivot back towards Russia. Nijman, despite saying he's not interested in telling people how they should vote, says that the agreement will be bad for everyone. "In the first place, I worry that it might anger Putin even more, and you never know what that will lead to," Nijman says. Baudet doesn't feel that Ukraine is a country the Netherlands should have anything to do with. Aside from claims of economic damage to both Ukraine and the Netherlands from the agreement, it will provoke further conflict with Russia, he says. "We're disrupting them in the name of some fantasy," he says, "that there is some sort of new Ukraine rising up from the old. "It's the same sort of nonsense we heard coming out of the Arab Spring." Arguments like these anger Yes campaigners and Ukrainians in the Netherlands like Serge Radochyn, who runs the "Oekraine-Referendum" website. "These cliches are one for one what I've heard coming out of the Kremlin," says Radochyn in The Hague, the seat of the Dutch parliament. "It's just a reflection of Russian propaganda to me." No campaigners aren't doing much to dispel that perception. For his part, Baudet echoes the Kremlin's claim that the EU and the West "supported a coup d'etat" in Ukraine. "We have brought the country to the absolute brink of collapse," he says, laying the responsibility for the conflict in Ukraine squarely on the West, particularly the EU and NATO. Nijman echoes another oft-heard Kremlin talking point the existence of neo-Nazi elements in Ukraine and claims that they hold the reins of power. "You've got neo-Nazi members of parliament running around in Kiev," he claims, referring to the far-right Svoboda party that lost all but six of its seats in the 2014 post-Maidan parliamentary elections, getting less than 5 per cent of the popular vote. Michael Khrystenko, head of the group Ukrainians in the Netherlands, doesn't believe the Kremlin has any direct influence on the No campaign. "This referendum would have happened without Russia," he says. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams He wants to make star bucks! A dingy Brooklyn Heights storefront has been collecting dust since a Starbucks moved up the block nearly four years ago, because the owner refuses to lease it to anyone but another big-name tenant and he is rich enough to keep it deserted for as long as it takes to find one, according to a spokesman. Were spoiled with a triple-A credit rating and thats what were looking for again, said a rep for the owner Nathan Silverstein, according to city records who refused to give his name. The caffeinated-dessert chain ditched the two-story retail space on Montague Street between Hicks and Henry streets in 2012, and now the brick building its windows still outlined in Starbucks green is empty save for some old construction materials, and locals say it looks like crappuccino and is bringing down the whole street. Its an eyesore, one resident announced at civic group the Brooklyn Heights Associations annual meeting in February a sentiment echoed by many others in attendance. The denizen suggested he turn it over to the community to use as an art gallery until a new store comes along, but other Heights citizens say he should just lower his asking price to attract more prospects. The civic associations head honcho Patrick Killackey said he has spoken to Silverstein about dropping the figure, but to no avail. The rep would not say how much his boss is asking, but Montague Street is notorious for inflated rental prices and high turnover rate, according one local real estate guru, as many landlords mistakenly believe their properties are as desirable as those along tony strips on the distant island on Manhattan. This is a very frothy environment, said broker Chris Havens. Brooklyn is still mortal. The average asking figures on the strip teeter around $150 per square foot, according to a report issued last fall by the Real Estate Board of New York compared with $162 on the far more heavily trafficked Court Street nearby. But the spokesman claimed he has received plenty of offers at the current price it is just that none of them have been what his boss is looking for, as he will only sign on the dotted line with an established company that isnt in danger of diving into the red. We dont want these new people to start a new company or new corporation and then they go under and break the lease, he said. The rep said they are holding out for the long-stalled reopening of the neighboring Bossert Hotel, and hope some of the hotly anticipated historic lodgings sheen will rub off and attract a high-profile client willing to put up the money for the space. Friday Night Football: Scores, stats, recaps from Week 9 With only two more weeks left in the regular season, teams are fighting for postseason posititioning...or just for a chance to make the playoffs. latest news October 3, 2022 Dee Gambit Hundreds if not thousands of new and returning TV shows and movies are released every month your options of what to watch are endless. Variety, they say is ... The Rainy Day Trust (RDT) is celebrating its 173rd anniversary today (24 March). Founded in 1843 by Henry Lowman Taylor at a public meeting held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate Street, for the purpose of granting permanent pensions, the Charity was then known as the Iron, Hardware & Metals Trades' Pension Society. The Charity has a proud history of unbiased help, given to those in need. The first 'pensioners' were admitted in September 1846. The Charity was honoured in 1893 by the presence of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) at London's Guildhall, where it was announced that Queen Victoria had commanded the charity be designated a 'Royal' charity the name was subsequently changed to The Royal Metal Trades' Benevolent Society. Over the years, the Charity's values have not changed even though its name has. Now known as The Rainy Day Trust, the charity exists to provide financial and other assistance to its core beneficiary group to improve their lives, treating them fairly and with respect. "We are pleased to be able to offer modern support built on a foundation of traditional values," says RDT chief executive officer, Bryan Clover. "We now help people from the home improvement and home enhancement trades and have embarked on a programme of growth and the delivery of new services, including legal advice and telephone based counselling. If readers know of anyone who may need our support, please ask them to contact us." 1st Congressional District race sees Norcross, Gustafson rematch U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1, is looking to repeat his win two years ago over Republican Claire Gustafson when voters turn out this November. EDF has vowed categorically that the Hinkley Point nuclear plant near Burnham-On-Sea will go ahead, dismissing expert claims that it would be in the publics interest to scrap the 18bn project. Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of UK division EDF Energy told MPs on the Energy Select Committee on Wednesday (March 23rd) that a long-delayed decision on the controversial project would be taken very soon and insisted it would be good news for the UK. He highlighted comments by French economy minister Emmanuel Macron, who said on Tuesday that he expected a final investment decision by early May, but drew exasperation from MPs by refusing to explicitly confirm EDFs own expectation of a decision date. Asked by Burnham-On-Seas MP James Heappey why it is reasonable for us to assume it but not reasonable for you to just say it, Mr de Rivaz responded: I am very pleased to give you the privilege to make the assumption and to draw the right conclusion as you have done. Cash-strapped EDF is in negotiations with the French government, its majority shareholder, to secure more financial support to enable it to proceed with the Somerset nuclear plant. Mr de Rivaz, right, said that EDF was facing the challenge of making huge investments across the group at a time when power prices had dropped dramatically, putting more strain on its finances. Discussions to come up with a combination of solutions were now in the final stage and were likely to include further cost-efficiency measures, disposal of non-strategic assets and the French state accepting EDF dividends paid in shares and not cash. He confirmed that the measures would not require any further input from the UK government, which has already committed consumers to pay subsidies to the power plant for 35 years and offered EDF a 2bn loan guarantee. EDF has so far invested 2.4bn in preparatory works for the nuclear plant and is spending 55m a month on the project. The comments have been welcomed by Councillor David Hall, Deputy Leader of Somerset County Council, Steve Hindley, Chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and Dale Edwards, Chief Executive of Somerset Chamber of Commerce. Cllr Hall said: It is clear to see now just how close EDF Energy and the British and French governments are to that all important final investment decision. The committee meeting and the recent support for Hinkley Point C shown by both governments give us confidence that a positive decision will be made very soon. Somerset County Council and HotSW LEP continue to work together in support of a Final Investment Decision for the Hinkley Point C site in Bridgwater. Chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Steve Hindley, added: A green light for the Hinkley development will be of regional and national importance, positioning the Heart of the South West as the market leader for the UKs future energy security. We are looking to the Government and EDF Energy to continue their efforts to help achieve that final investment decision soon. The LEPs role is to drive economic growth, and Hinkley Point has the potential to have a huge impact generating 20bn investment with 60% projected supply chain opportunities, creating 25,000 jobs during construction and 100m a year for the regional economy. Somerset Chamber Chief Executive, Dale Edwards added: Whilst we await the final investment decision from EDF Energy, we are continually working behind the scenes with partners and businesses, helping to get local suppliers Hinkley ready so that they are in a strong position to bid for and win future contracts. PREMIERUL NICOLAE CIUCA: "Nu accept sa intrerupem procesul de invatamant pentru ca nu exista termie in vreuna dintre scoli" The spate of threat calls to airlines continued on Thursday with national carrier Air India, receiving call about bombs being planted on its planes. An Air India spokesperson said the airline's office in Mumbai received the threat call in evening following which security agencies screened planes across network. It was declared as a non specific threat. Air India has stepped up and implementing the security measures as required . All the flights are operating as per schedule. Air India is committed to and accords top most priority to the total safety and security of its passengers, airline spokesperson said in a statement. On Wednesday, IndiGo received threat call at its call centre in Chennai about bombs being placed on IndiGo aircraft. Checks were also carried out in nine aircraft at Delhi following the threat. On Tuesday Jet Airways had received threat calls about bombs being planted on five of its planes. As pharmaceutical majors grappled with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on compliance, concerns on their growth in the worlds largest market and thus, their overall growth increased. Sun, Lupin, Dr Reddys, Cadila and even Cipla and Aurobindo, all are facing FDA ire. Among recent developments include the second set of observations for Lupins Goa plant, indicating increased risks of further action by the FDA. If that happens, approvals for many limited-competition products filed from the facility (a key revenue contributor) can get delayed. Additionally, analysts at Kotak Securities in their March 18 note said they saw a possibility of 10 per cent downgrade to Lupins FY17 consensus EPS (Rs 71, a growth of 45 per cent over a year) due to lower sales of anti-diabetic generics, Glumetza. Not surprisingly, Lupins stock is down 17 per cent in the past week. Suns US revenues have also seen softness due to limitations with the Halol plant and delay in ramp-up from other facilities. Additionally, though IMS data suggested Suns recently launched oncology generics drug, Gleevec, has gained 52.6 per cent market share in the US, analysts at Nomura in a note this month said data did not fully capture the entire market and, hence, its market share might be lower than reported by IMS. Read more from our special coverage on "PHARMA" With a vibrant start-up ecosystem and lesser legacy systems, India will play a key role in Googles strategy as it looks to take on Amazons AWS and Microsofts Azure in the global enterprise cloud services space. India is a pretty exciting place because there are so many growing so quickly over there and the fact that these do not have legacies (systems) is pretty exciting. And they can just start in the cloud. You have seen Sundar take a deep interest in India and so, Google overall is very interested in India, Google cloud chief Diane Greene told PTI. She added that there is a pool of talented manpower as well and overall, its vibrant and it's important to be there (India). Google is investing heavily in creating business tools and products, driven by open source technology and machine learning to help use computing in an affordable and faster manner. As a primary thing, we have sealed up the infrastructure, and now we are opening it up so that every business across the world can use it, Pichai, the India-born CEO of Google said at the Google Cloud Products (GCP) Next 2016 conference here. He cited the example of an animation studio in Mumbai which is using the services to produce a movie, underlying the importance of emerging markets like India. Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt, who was also present at the event, said the use of crowd sourcing, machine intelligence and rapid evaluation will create huge new platforms for companies, IPOs, wealth and "great new things in the future. Its a great time to be in cloud." Google, which has customers like Spotify and Disney, said it is also focussing on ensuring compliance, support and integration with existing IT investments to help clients use public cloud services to accelerate their business. We're combining the 15-plus years of ground-breaking, applied computer science in distributed computing, data management and machine learning that powers Google with the capabilities businesses need to safely adopt cloud today, she said. The VMWare co-founder said Google will use machine learning and big data analytics to help customers. We are doing a lot of work on our roadmaps. We have roadmaps for engineering, customers and partner enablement marketing and communicating with the world. "We often get asked if Google is serious about enterprise and our answer is we are totally committed to this, we have invested billions of dollars on this to bring our innovation and technology to companies," Greene said. Asked how Google plans to catch up with players like AWS and Microsoft as it was a "follower", Greene said the company will use differentiating factors like deep learning and open source innovation. "We are not a follower. We were in the cloud 16 years ago. We got into enterprise after a few of these other companies decided to. "But in terms of our product differentiation and strategy, we are not a follower. We have machine learning, open source, so we are a very different cloud with a lot of differentiation," she said. Amazon, Microsoft and IBM have a sizable presence in the cloud infrastructure market, capturing billions of dollars that businesses are spending to outsource their computing and storage needs. "For our customers, cloud means no longer having to think about data centres, servers, storage and networking. Instead, they're able to focus on creating amazing applications, products and services for their customers knowing that Google is taking care of the infrastructure powering their business," Urs Holzle, Senior Vice President for Technical Infrastructure at Google, said. He added that the company has announced two new locations in Oregon, US and Tokyo, Japan and both will get operational later this year. "These are the first two of more than 10 additional GCP regions we'll be adding to our network through 2017," he said but declined to comment on whether it would include India. Mfar Hotels & Resorts, hospitality arm of Kerala NRI tycoon P Mohamed Ali's Mfar Group, is to invest around $100 million to set up a resort in Maldives. The company is planning to raise money from private equity entities. It also plans a resort in Sri Lanka. P J Mammen, chief operating officer of Mfar Hotels & Resorts, said they were planning a viable circuit connecting Maldives, Sri Lanka, Chennai and Kochi. Both countries are well connected from Chennai and Kochi. Presently, he manages the operation of three functional hotels Le Meridien Kochi, The Westin Chennai and Hormuz Grand Muscat with a combined room strength of 671 and staff of 900. Read more from our special coverage on "HOTEL" Infotech-fuelled hotel boom in South India A 130-villa resort in Maldives is in the design stage, with the potential of adding two more resorts at a later stage. The company expects to commence work for the project from the third quarter of 2016. The Lanka project is is in the design stage, he said. In India, the company is looking at Bengaluru and Hyderabad for expansion. He did not give any timeframe. The Mfar group has interests in realty, hospitality, manufacturing and infrastructure projects, beside a container freight station. The $1-billion group was founded by Mohamed Ali, a Keralite who migrated to Dubai. Shock and helplessness was writ on Sanjay Bahadur's face, a former employee of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, when he received intimation from the Income Tax (I-T) department, asking for taxes of about Rs 34 lakh on the income he had earned between 2009 and 2012. The fresh tax demand was raised with respect to assessment years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. The notice, served to Bahadur on March 17 and reviewed by Business Standard, states that his return for assessment year 2015-16 would be adjusted against the outstanding demand raised for the assessment years. "If no action taken by you immediately on this notice under Section 245, the demand as on that date will be considered for adjustment against your refund," read the notice. This is the fourth notice Bahadur has received from the tax sleuths since 2013. The latest notice has details of the past three notices and highlights the non-payment of dues in the respective years. "I resigned from the airline in 2013, and since then I am filing tax returns. When the second demand notice was raised against me in 2014, I wrote to the tax officer seeking the withdrawal of the demand made by the department," said Bahadur. In his letter dated December 2014, Bahadur had informed the assessing officer concerned in New Delhi that the return on income was appropriately filed by him and there was no outstanding liability on his part. He said the demand appeared because the tax deduction at source (TDS) had not been deposited by Kingfisher Airlines. Bahadur is not the only one; many employees of Kingfisher are getting such notices. Employees, who have already been grappling with a cash crunch because of unpaid salaries for the past three years, are now contemplating legal recourse. "Amid concerns over fresh tax demands, we will soon file a petition in the Bombay High Court against the tax authorities," said Pawan Kirtikar, former employee of Kingfisher Airlines. The notices are being issued despite an order dated March 11, 2016 from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) barring direct demand from employees. "When tax is deductible at the source, under the foregoing provisions of Section 205 of I-T Act, the assessee shall not be called upon to pay the tax himself to the extent to which tax has been deducted from that income," it read. An e-mail sent to CBDT seeking clarification on these tax demands did not elicit any response. "The employees cannot get rid of the tax liability (not paid by Kingfisher) until the airline pays its outstanding dues. The balance amount will be shown in their returns as penalty," said a senior assessing officer. The last salary drawn by Kingfisher employees was in July 2012 which was paid in April 2013. At that time, Kingfisher Airlines had over 5,000 employees across the world. Though defunct, the airline still has 650-700 employees. "People have made written complaints to us, but there is not much that we can do because most of this is system generated," said an I-T officer. In such a situation, taxpayers can go for a 'stay of demand' under CBDT Instruction No 1914, which says a demand will be stayed if there are valid reasons for doing so. "In this case, the defaulter was the airline, hence the employee can file an appeal against the assessment order to stay the recovery of the demand," added the assessing officer. "Such aggrieved employees should look at courts to appeal against the tax demand rather than seeking a waiver. As far as the exchequer is concerned, the I-T department has already attached the bank accounts and the property of Kingfisher Airlines," said a tax expert. In 2011, I-T department had served notice to Vijay Mallya and directors of the Kingfisher Airlines alleging that the airline had deducted TDS on salary payments but had not deposited the same in the I-T account. The I-T department had begun proceedings against Kingfisher Airlines in 2011 for not depositing TDS collected from employees' salaries with the government. Later, the tax department had demanded around Rs 302 crore towards TDS and Rs 70 crore as interest for assessment years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. The matter went to Karnataka high court, which had upheld the assessment order. TAX SWORD Jet Airways passengers who have been stuck in Brussels following Tuesdays terror attacks will return to India early on Friday. The airline shifted its passengers to Amsterdam in buses from where it will fly them to their preferred destinations. Four aircraft were flown from Brussels to Amsterdam as ferry flights without passengers or cargo. However, check-in bags will be flown out of Brussels when normalcy returns. There were about 600 passengers in transit in Brussels who were supposed to travel on Jet Airways flights to India, US and Canada. Additionally, there were about 150 people who were to begin their journey from Brussels. Jet Airways had four of its Airbus A330 aircraft stuck in Brussels after twin blasts at the airport. The airline operates daily flights to Newark and Toronto from Mumbai and Delhi via Brussels. Interestingly, this is Jet Airways last week of operations at Brussels as it had already announced plans to make Amsterdam the new European gateway from Sunday. Jet will be using the same A330 it flies on Brussels route to Amsterdam. Meanwhile, the airline said, two of its crew members Nidhi Chaphekar and Amit Motwani who were injured in the explosions are out of danger and undergoing treatment in hospitals. Our staff in Brussels is coordinating with the local authorities and hospitals to ensure that all the required medical care is provided to them, the airline said. The airline said it made arrangements for family members of the injured crew to travel to Brussels. Pakistani-American terrorist on Thursday told a court here that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray, but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was arrested but he managed to give police a slip. The 55-year-old, who has turned approver in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, stated this during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the US. Headley also told the court that he had visited the Sena Bhavan twice. He, however, did not specify the year for the same. We (LeT) wanted to target the chief of Shiv Sena...His name was Bal Thackeray. LeT wanted to kill him wherever a chance arose. I knew that Bal Thackeray was the head of Shiv Sena. I have no first hand knowledge but I think an attempt was made by LeT to kill Bal Thackeray, he said. I dont know how this attempt was made. I think the person (who was sent to kill Thackeray) was arrested but he managed to escape from police custody. I dont have first hand knowledge about this though, he said. Headley, convicted in the US for his role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks, also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. When asked by Khan as to how much money he had spent on his visit and reconnaissance in India prior to 26/11 attacks, Headley said, I am not sure... Many lakhs were spent by me not as high as ~30-40 lakhs but much much less. It is correct that ISI spent this money but it is not correct that I demanded the money from them. Headley said that after the 26/11 attacks, when he had come to India again (in March 2009) at the behest of Al-Qaeda to carry out further attacks, its leader Illiyas Kashmiri gave him about Pakistani rupees one lakh. He claimed while LeT came under the scanner of international community after the November 26, 2008 attacks, it was not correct to say that LeT became soft towards India. I think they (LeT) became soft about Denmark (Mickie mouse project) but not India. After the Denmark issue (LeT backing out from attacking Denmark) I went to Al-Qaeda, as LeT had become soft, Headley told the court. Headley told the court that while he had not personally met any of the 10 attackers in the 26/11 case but he had seen the photo of one of the attackers on internet and identified him as Ajmal Kasab Rehmatullah Aliah. When asked by Khan as to why did he put the words Rehmatullah Aliah after Kasabs name, Headley replied, When a person is dead he should be prayed for whether he is good or bad. One should pray for the person...to be forgiven. I dont know if Kasab was good or bad as I didnt know him. When prodded by Khan if what Kasab had done (by participating in 26/11 attacks) was good or bad and if the act of 26/11 was good deed or a bad deed, Headley said, Of course the act of murder is not going to be a good act. Any kind of murder of innocent person is a bad act. Khan then asked him if he was happy and satisfied with the damages in the 26/11, to which Headley said this is an argumentative question. Kush the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, Kush nahi the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, (I was happy is also a wrong answer and I was not happy is too a wrong answer). What can I say ? Headley also told the court that in the 26/11 case (in which he has been awarded a 35 years sentence by the US court), supervised release is also part of his sentence. According to the US law, I have to compulsorily undergo 85 per cent of my sentence and I dont know if my sentence can be terminated before completion of 85 per cent sentence. He also told the court that within half an hour of his arrest by FBI he had started cooperating with them and gave them all information. Headley also said that he was also interrogated by a team of NIA officials from India and he had cooperated with them too. It is not correct that NIA questioned me about my wife Shazias involvement in 26/11. I did not give any information about Shazia as she had no role..she was not part of the conspiracy, he told the court. Headley also got into a verbal spat with Khan when the lawyer persistently questioned him about Shazia, his former wife Faiza and their knowledge of the 26/11 terror attack. The communication between me and my wife Shazia and Faiza are privileged and private and it is none of Mr Wahabs interest, Headley told the court. The LeT operative however clarified that Shazia was not working for the terror outfit but said that he (Headley) does not know if her father was working for Pakistans ISI. At one point of time, an irked Headley even asked Khan if he would say where his father works. This happened after Khan had put forth barrage of questions to Headley like if Shazia had hatred towards India, if she objected to his association with LeT, if she encouraged or appreciated him for his links with LeT, if she had objected to his visit to India in 2009 and if he had revealed to Shazia about all information about 26/11 attack. On Faiza, Headley clarified that even she was not aware of the 26/11 plan and hence had not objected to him video graphing Taj hotel when they had visited India together prior to the attacks. Headley also said that Faiza had approached LeT founder Hafiz Saeed requesting him to ask him (Headley) to take her back as he had divorced her. Khan also asked Headley in Hindi, did Faiza approach LeT operatives to make you stay away from terrorist activity as she wanted to save her suhaag (husband) . To this Headley said Suhag bachana yeh sab dialogue hai koi Hindi film ka ... unko pata hi nahin mein kya kar raha hoon toh sawal hi nahin aata ki muje in sab se bahar nikalna (Saving suhag is a dialogue from Hindi films.. she (Faiza) did not know what I am doing so there is no question of her asking Hafiz about dissuading me from the terror activities). When Khan asked Headley if his shops in Dubai are being looked after by LeT, the latter said its only in your fantasies. On one occasion, when Khan asked if Headley was satisfied with the 26/11 attacks, he berated the lawyer and said, fizool ki bate kar rahe ho aap..jo marzi hai aap bolte jara he hai...bewakoofoon se sawal kar rahe hai (you are speaking unnecessarily..you are uttering whatever you want and asking foolish questions ). Khan then said that as a lawyer he was just doing his job, to which Headley said Lag nahin raha hai..chalo theek hai (does not seem so.. but its ok if you say so). A few years earlier, the World Gold Council estimated gold holdings in India at 22,000 tonnes. Estimates of gold with temples in the country could be 3,000-4,000 tonnes. Much of this is what is termed idle gold just in lockers of vaults. The central governments recently launched Gold Monetisation Scheme was one attempt to get these hoards out and put them to productive use. Under it, jewellery and other articles have to be melted to verify the purity and sent to refineries for making bars. However, then, the antique value of any of these will be lost. That estimate of 3,000-4,000 tonnes with temples was made by this newspaper after talking to such places, to bankers, bullion analysts and research reports. These would be in the form of coins, jewellery and gold articles. Temples also have diamonds, given as offerings; theres no segregated value-guess on this. One suggestion that came while talking to benkers and analysts was that it would be worth having a central exhibition centre, with high security, for antique jewellery. Tourists, for one, would like a look and temples could earn from this. Here are estimates of gold reserves with some of the countrys richest temples. This excludes any surface plating or more of gold. Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala This is among the countrys oldest. During a dramatic court battle in 2011 over the riches in this 16th-century institution, a Supreme Court-approved team discovered $22 billion worth, from around 1,300 tonnes of gold jewellery at the then price. Found in five hitherto secret cellars. Sri Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, Andhra By unconfirmed figures, this temple, popularly known as the Tirupati temple, gets 100 kg of gold every month or 1.2 tonnes a year. It is believed to have been constructed over a period, starting 300 AD and is now considered the richest temple in the world, in terms of both donations received and own wealth. The temple is visited by 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily (30-40 million annually; on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of daily pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, the most-visited holy place in the world. These figures from Wikipedia give an idea of the offerings. Its total of gold ornament and jewellery holdings are estimated at $11 billion or 250-300 tonnes. The temple already has 4.5 tonnes of gold with banks as deposits under earlier schemes, fetching yearly interest equivalent to 80 kg of pure gold. Vaishno Devi Temple At least 10 million pilgrims visit every year. It was estimated that the temple has 1.2 tonnes of gold. In 2014, it said it hadreceived 193.5 kg of gold in five years (of which 43 kg was found to be fake). Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai Around 160 kg of gold. Saibaba Temple, Shirdi, Maharashtra Possesses 376 kg gold. Shree Krishna Temple, Guruvayur, Kerala At a conservative estimate, at least two tonnes of gold with this several centuries-old temple. The central shrine is said to have been rebuilt in 1638. Average annual offerings by the devotees are about 15 kg of gold. Jagannath Temple, Puri Built in the 12th century and famous for its annual chariot festival. During the Suna Besha ritual alone, the deities are adorned with gold jewellery weighing 208 kg. No estimate of its gold treasure. Somnath Temple Trust, Gujarat Has around 35 kg of gold. Others There are several other temples with much gold. Like the one in Rajasthan, established 350 years ago, with huge holdings in its vault. Deity property, says a senior official, and so, cannot be given to banks for earning interest. A bank union delegation met finance minister Arun Jaitley and discussed about State Bank of India (SBI)s associate banks and the privatisation of IDBI Bank. A delegation from All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) met the minister on Wednesday in North Block in Delhi. C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, who was part of the team from AIBEA which met the minister, said that during the meeting AIBEA brought to the minister's attention the issues and problems within the associate banks, where bipartite settlement is being violated and SBI service conditions are being unilaterally foisted on the employees while even the government guidelines on compassionate ground appointment and improvement in staff housing loan limits are being denied to the employees of these banks. "We also conveyed our views to him about the need to de-link the associate banks from the clutches of the SBI," said Venkatachalam. AIBEA also filed a detailed memorandum to the minister covering these issues. The minister assured he would address these issues, said Venkatachalam. AIBEA also gave another memorandum regarding the announced privatisation of IDBI Bank. The minister explained the governments points of view. "We explained our viewpoints and reasons for opposing the privatisation of IDBI Bank. We pointed out that the main reason for the problems faced by IDBI Bank was the huge bad loans in recent years and requested him to go for a thorough probe into this so accountability is enforced," he said. AIBEA said that the development finance role should be properly defined so that the bank can be strengthened on those lines. During the meeting, the Finance Minister expressed his concerns about the functioning of public sector banks, the quality of appointments of top executives of the banks and the attempt of the government to streamline the same, the need to strengthen the Public Sector Banks, the necessity for consolidation of Banks with a view to protect the weaker Public Sector Banks, etc. while underscoring the Governments view that public sector character would not be diluted, said Venkatachalam. As Belgian authorities continue investigation into the Brussels terror attack, a third name has emerged as a key suspect. Apart from the brothers el-Bakraoui, the second suicide bomber at the is suspected to be Najim Laachraoui. Najim, 24, is a suspected accomplice of Salah Abdasalem. The latter is the only surviving participant of Paris attacks whom Belgian authorities arrested on March 18. According to AFP, Najims DNA was found on explosives used in the Paris attacks. Najim was born in Morocco and raised in Brussels. The New York Times reports, he studied electromechanical engineering at a Catholic high school in Schaerbeek. According to investigation by Belgian and French authorities, Najim travelled to Syria in 2013 and, as recently as September 2015, travelled with Salah Abdeslam, using his false name, Soufiane Kayal, at the border between Hungary and Austria, AFP reports. Earlier on Wednesday, reports had stated that Laachraoui's was arrested in Brussels. However, the Belgian media later withdrew the report, making it clear that the suspect was still at large. Arrested man in Anderlecht is not Najim Laachraoui, the Derniere Heure newspaper tweeted on Wednesday. Meanwhile, this report on Thursday in The Independent states that Paris bomb maker was in fact one of two men killed in the explosion, officials said. Belgium-born brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, 27 and 29, have already been identified as two of the four attackers operating at the airport and the metro station. While Ibrahim blew himself up at the airport, Khalid carried out the attack at the subway station. The brothers were wanted after an anti-terror raid on an apartment in the Forest-Vorst section of Brussels last week, media reports suggest. The apartment was being rented by Khalid El Bakraoui, according to media reports in Belgium. The brothers escaped from the raid after a shootout reported that it was during that raid that police found a fingerprint of Salah Abdeslam, which led to his subsequent attack. BBC also reported, a note from Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was found in a nearby rubbish bin. In it, he wrote: "I'm in a hurry. I don't know what to do anymore, they're looking for me everywhere. I'm not safe anymore. If I give myself up they'll put me in a cell." Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw was quoted in BBC saying the two brothers were known to police and had criminal records. According to the New York Times, one of the brothers was deported by Turkey back to Europe less than a year ago, Turkeys President said, suspected of being a terrorist fighter intent on entering Syria, where the Islamic State is based. The Belgian authorities however were alerted only during and after the week. A fourth accomplice seen in the video footage as wearing a hat, still remains unidentified and on the run. Police in Brussels today launched a desperate hunt for two men suspected of taking part in the Islamic State bombings that struck at the very heart of Europe. Under-fire Belgian security officials are tracking one man identified at the scene of a suicide attack on the metro, as well as a suspected bomber seen on CCTV footage at Brussels airport. European security authorities faced mounting pressure after it emerged that two brothers who blew themselves up at the airport and on a metro train were known to police and that one of them had been deported from Turkey as a "foreign terrorist fighter". Flags in the shellshocked city of Brussels hung at half- mast as Belgium mourned the 31 people from all over the world killed in Tuesday's attacks, while doctors battled to save scores more injured in the carnage. Candles, Belgian flags and teddy bears were piling up in the central Place de la Bourse with tributes left to the innocent victims of the attacks. Outside the bombed metro station of Maalbeek, just a few hundred metres from key EU institutions, a banner read "why?" in English, French and German. Hundreds of airport staff and their families carried candles and flowers in a silent march and vigil near the shattered terminal that will stay closed until Saturday. "We are all one big family. The whole world is with us and we see that we can count on one another but I am very sad, very sad to see such a thing happen," said one staff member who gave his name as Jonathan. The latest bombings, coming four months after Islamic State jihadists killed 130 people in a series of attacks in Paris, have raised fears of further strikes in Europe, which is battling to deal with home-grown extremists. The continent is already fighting crises on several fronts, from its worst refugee crisis since World War II to the possibility of Britain leaving the bloc, and leaders have vowed to combat terrorism "with all means necessary". EU justice and interior ministers will convene in Brussels for an emergency meeting to work out a plan to address the threat to Europe posed by jihadists and the application of anti-terrorism laws across the bloc. Yesterday, prosecutors said brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui had carried out attacks at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek station, while police sources named bomb-maker Najim Laachraoui as a second airport bomber. Police have launched a massive manhunt for the third airport suspect, seen wearing a hat and white jacket on CCTV footage from Zaventem departure hall, whose explosive-packed luggage failed to go off with the two other suicide bombers. Belgian police were on Thursday hunting for a third man filmed with two Islamic State suicide bombers at as evidence piled up that the same jihadist network was involved in the deadly Paris attacks last November. With pressure mounting on Europe to improve cooperation against terrorism, EU interior and justice ministers were to hold emergency talks on a joint response to Tuesday's bombings in Brussels, which killed at least 31 people and injured 270. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls led calls for a strong European response, but officials say many states, including France, withhold their most cherished data despite a mantra of willingness to share intelligence. The chief surviving suspect linking the Paris and Brussels attacks, French national Salah Abdeslam, 26, arrested in the Belgian capital last week, was remanded in custody until April 7 with two other suspects. Correcting an earlier statement, the public prosecutor said Abdeslam, who is in detention in a prison in Bruges in western Belgium, did not appear in person. His lawyer, Sven Mary, who requested the adjournment, said Abdeslam was no longer opposed to being extradited to France. Turkey's president criticised Belgium for failing to track Ibrahim El Bakraoui, a convicted armed robber whom it expelled last year and who blew himself up at the airport on Tuesday an hour before his brother Khalid, a fellow convict, killed about 20 people at Maelbeek metro station in the city centre. A Turkish government official said Ibrahim El Bakraoui was deported twice from Turkey in July and August after re-entering the country. His initial deportation was based on police suspicion, conveyed to the Belgian and Dutch authorities, that he was a foreign militant fighter, another official said. Since he had committed no offense in Turkey he was deported to the country of his choice, the Netherlands. Belgium's inner security cabinet was meeting on Thursday to discuss the matter. Opposition lawmakers demanded an explanation in parliament. Security sources told Belgian media the other suicide bomber at the airport was Najim Laachraoui, a veteran Belgian Islamist fighter in Syria suspected of making explosive belts for November's Paris attacks, who also detonated a suitcase bomb at the airport. The third suspect captured on airport security cameras pushing a baggage trolley into the departures hall alongside Laachraoui and Ibrahim El Bakraoui is now the target of a police manhunt. He has not been named. The bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and a black hat ran out of the terminal, federal prosecutors said, and a third suitcase bomb, the biggest of the three, exploded later as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties. Public broadcaster RTBF said investigators now believed a second bomber was involved in the metro attack close to European Commission headquarters. The man was spotted on security cameras carrying a heavy bag, but his identity was unknown and it was not clear if he had died or escaped. A computer-generated image showed a young man with hollow cheeks, a tiny goatee beard and thick black eyebrows. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the bloodshed in the capital of the European Union, not far from Nato headquarters, showed Washington's European allies should do more to fight Islamic State alongside American efforts in West Asia. The Brussels event is going to further signify to Europeans that, as we have been accelerating our campaign to defeat ISIL in Syria and Iraq and elsewhere, they need to accelerate their efforts and join us, Carter told CNN, using another acronym for Islamic State. Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticised the lack of cooperation among European countries, saying the EU lacked a system for exchanging air passenger data or a joint intelligence centre to share information. Opinion polls suggest support in Britain for leaving the European Union in a referendum set for June 23 is gaining ground since the Brussels attacks, which fanned security fears that some politicians have linked to immigration. US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who has suggested torture could be used on militant suspects, said he expected Britain would vote to leave the EU because of concerns about high levels of migration. Casualties came from about 40 nations, drawing an outpouring of support for Brussels during three days of mourning. Washington said Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Belgium on Friday. The Belgian government deflected criticism from Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, saying the elder Bakraoui brother, 29, had not been deported to Belgium but to the Netherlands. Officials have said that, as in the case of one of the Paris suicide bombers, they cannot detain militant suspects expelled from Turkey without evidence that they have committed a crime. Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter, Erdogan said. Flemish public broadcaster VRT said the bomber had been released from a Belgian prison in 2014 after serving four years of a 10-year sentence for armed robbery. He skipped two probation meetings last June and was ordered to return to prison in August. But police could not find him. The case highlighted Belgium's problem with some 300 locals who have fought in Syria, the biggest contingent from Europe in relation to its national population of 11 million. At the time of the Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed by Brussels-based militants, its security service had fewer than 600 staff. The government has since raised spending on police and intelligence. Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, leading efforts to counter criticism of Belgian policies toward containing violent extremists among its Muslim community, which makes up about 5 percent of the population, said security had to be balanced with civil rights. As Brussels struggled to return to normal, its airport remained shut until at least Saturday, with the departure hall sealed off by investigators. Travellers on the busy Easter weekend were diverted to Antwerp, Liege and the northern French city of Lille. Brussels Airlines advised passengers to arrive up to three hours before their flight because of security measures. There were long lines outside the terminal in Liege as people waited in the rain to put baggage through new outdoor scanners, VRT reported. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker jumped to Belgium's defence, dismissing charges it was a failed state. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, Juncker told Flemish daily De Standaard. There was terrorism in Britain and in Germany in the 1970s and 1980. There was terrorism in Spain, in Italy and much more recently in France. People should stop lecturing Belgium. Former Bosnian Serb leader was sentenced to 40 years in jail by UN judges who found him guilty of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and of nine other war crimes charges. Karadzic, 70, the most senior political figure to be convicted by the Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, was found guilty of 10 out of 11 war charges. He was acquitted of a second count of genocide in various towns across Bosnia during the war of the 1990s. The judges said Karadzic was criminally responsible for the siege of Sarajevo and had committed crimes against humanity in Bosnian towns. They said he had intended to eliminate the Bosnian Muslim males in the town of Srebrenica, where 8,000 Muslims died in Europe's worst war crime since World War Two. Presiding judge O-Gon Kwon said the three-year Sarajevo siege, during which the city was shelled and sniped at by besieging Bosnian Serb forces, could not have happened without Karadzic's support. His sentence will be reduced by slightly more than seven years for time already spent in detention. It will be served in an as yet undetermined state prison. He is expected to appeal, a process that could take several more years. As the judges described the siege of Sarajevo, Karadzic looked pained and his face tightened into a grimace. Victims' families in the courtroom, some of then elderly, listened intently when the genocide at Srebrenica was discussed. One wiped away tears as the judge described men and boys being separated from their families. After that, Karadzic stared ahead vacantly. When he was ordered to stand for sentencing, he listened with eyes mostly downcast. After the sentence was read and judges departed, he sat back heavily in his chair. After the hearing was closed, several victims' families embraced before quietly leaving the courtroom. Karadzic was arrested in 2008 after 11 years on the run, following a war in which 100,000 people were killed as rival armies carved Bosnia up along ethnic lines that largely survive today. He headed the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic and was Supreme Commander of its armed forces. He said in an interview ahead of the verdict that he had worked to uphold peace and deserved praise, not punishment. "My permanent fight to preserve the peace, prevent the war and decrease the sufferings of everyone regardless of religion were an exemplary effort deserving respect rather than persecution," he told news portal Balkan Insight. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said he would stand by the Serbs of Bosnia. "We will stand by our people and we will protect their existence and their right to have their own state," he said. ICTY prosecutor Serge Brammertz said the world had decided that victims in the former Yugoslavia deserved justice. "For two decades now, those victims have put their trust in us to deliver it. Thousands came here to tell their stories and courageously confront their tormentors. Today, with this conviction, that trust has been honoured. Justice has been done." SURVIVORS AWAIT VERDICT The only more senior official to face justice before the Tribunal was the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody a decade ago before a verdict was reached. Ratko Mladic, the general who commanded Bosnian Serb forces, was the last suspect to be detained over the Srebrenica slaughter and is also in a U.N. cell awaiting judgment. Munira Subasic, whose son was among the victims of Srebrenica, said the "verdict is very important to show new generations, especially those in Serbia who have been poisoned with hatred already, what really happened in Bosnia". The Srebrenica massacre and the years-long Serb siege of Sarajevo were events that turned world opinion against the Serbs and prompted NATO air strikes that helped bring the war to an end. Karadzic defended himself through his 497-day trial and called 248 witnesses, poring over many of the millions of pages of evidence with the help of a court-appointed legal adviser. Rejecting the charges against him, Karadzic sought to portray himself as the Serbs' champion, blaming some of the sieges and shelling on Bosnian Muslims themselves. He says soldiers and civilians who committed crimes during the war acted individually. JUDGMENTS REMAIN DIVISIVE Opponents of the ICTY say its prosecutors have disproportionately targeted Serbs as 94 of 161 suspects charged were from the Serbian side, while 29 were Croat and nine Bosnian Muslim. Prosecutors have been criticised for not bringing charges against two other leaders of that era who have since died - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic. "If you had got prosecutions of those three (including Milosevic) then you'd get a really good picture of the way the violence was produced but we're not getting it," said Eric Gordy, an expert on the court at University College London. Many Serbs, both in Bosnia and Serbia, regard the court as a pro-Western instrument, say Karadzic is innocent and believe his conviction would be an injustice for all Serbs. Their belief is strengthened by the fact that the sentencing coincides with the anniversary of the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia that led to independence for the ethnic Albania-dominated province of Kosovo. Prosecutor Brammertz worries that its work, which is winding down, has done little to heal the war's deep wounds. "I'm not convinced everyone has really understood the wrongdoings from the past," he said. Samsung Electronics Co. is "actively looking" to acquire developers of artificial intelligence and other software as the world's biggest smartphone maker tries to overcome flat-lining sales for its devices. Samsung, which has $61 billion in cash and equivalents, wants to morph into more of a software-driven company, Executive Vice President Rhee In Jong said in an interview. The South Korean consumer-electronics giant also is spending more to develop its own services because the global market for gadgets is saturated and can't be counted on for significant revenue growth, ... Despite sustained volatility through the year, the country's (MFs) pumped in as much as Rs 70,000 crore into Indian equities in FY16, the highest investment in 11 years. The investment has been spurred by retail money mostly coming in through systematic investment plans (SIPs) as well as inflows from provident fund organisations. MFs put in Rs 72,218 crore in FY16, compared with Rs 40,000 crore the previous financial year. In contrast, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 60,000 crore in FY16. Between 2010 and 2014, MFs were net sellers in the market, offloading shares worth Rs 75,000 crore. A deficient monsoon, shaky global markets, sliding global crude oil prices and subdued corporate earnings were the key reasons that impacted Indian equities in FY16. China witnessed a slowdown, with the country devaluing its currency to put its economy on the path of recovery. The benchmark Sensex fell 9.3 per cent in FY16. However, MF managers remain bullish. "There are a lot of global factors that will impact capital and the economy. Many companies are in the commodity sector or have external linkages in the form of exports. But, among many emerging markets, India perhaps has the least linkage and earnings sensitivity to global cyclical factors. This should help our navigate the volatility much better," said Anand Radhakrishnan, chief investment officer, Franklin Templeton Investments, India. In FY16 (till February), equity MFs received total inflows of Rs 75,400 crore, a record high for the sector in a year. The bulk of the money has come in through SIPs. The MF sector is getting money worth Rs 2,500-3,000 crore every month through SIPs alone, say experts. "Most SIP investors have gone through two market cycles - good and bad - and have understood the importance of rupee-cost averaging and disciplined investing for long-term wealth creation," said Himanshu Vyapak, deputy CEO of Reliance MF. "The SIP numbers have risen, but so have their average size and tenure." According to Vyapak, currently, half the SIPs are from what is termed the B-15 locations, meaning from other than the top 15 cities. Fund houses have been pushing aggressively into tier-II and tier-III cities, after the Securities and Exchange Board of India allowed them to charge an extra 30 basis points as part of their total expense ratio for inflows from these regions. Market participants estimate that about Rs 9,000 crore of pension money must have come into in FY16, with Rs 5,000 crore being Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) money. EPFO commenced investing into Indian equities in August last year, after the government permitted the body to invest 5-15 per cent of its incremental inflow into stocks. The festival of colors is here and Bollywood celebrities seem to be completely soaked in the festive spirit as heartfelt warm wishes are pouring in from them. Wishing his fans, Amitabh Bachchan shared pics from his popular song 'Rang Barse' writing, "T 2184 -Happy Holi .." Aamir Khan tweeted: "Wishing everyone a very happy Holi! May your lives be full of colour, and may joy, happiness and peace always be with you. Love. A." Newlywed Preity Zinta tweeted: "#Happyholi folks [?] May the negativity within us be overpowered by the positivity & happiness of the colours of... http://fb.me/1YbTINDWf." Shraddha Kapoor tweeted: "Happy Holi guys! May you all paint your lives with colors of happiness, joy, friendship & love." Anupam Kher wished his fans, writing, "Happy Holi to All. Play safe and dry Holi. Love.:)" Akshay Kumar tweeted: "Do keep in mind the water scarcity problem in our country...opt for dry Holi! Happy Holi everyone, have a colorful one." Arshad Warsi tweeted: "Wishing everyone a happy, colourful, safe & dry holi. Please do not waste water.." Priyanka Chopra wished her fans from Montreal, where she is shooting 'Quantico', writing, "Happi holi from freezing Montreal." Sushant Singh Rajput shared his selfie, writing, "Happy happy Holi guys." Veteran actor Manoj Bajpayi conveyed his Holi greeting, tweeting, "Happy holi to all of youu!" This Hindu festival, which marks the advent of spring and signifies the victory of good over evil, is celebrated over two days, the first one being celebrated as 'Holika Dahan' and the second day as the main festival. On this day, people get together to enjoy this occasion with lots of love, color, food and friendship. Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, today said the court has evidence which hints towards participation of David Coleman Headly's wife in the infamous 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks but the Pakistan American terrorist is denying her involvement. "Headly's wife was talking with him in code language, She said the 'cartoon' (terror attack) is doing well, it did well the whole day. Headley said that his wife Shazia congratulated him on the success of 26/11 in code language and said that you have graduated. In record we also have a mail where Shazia told Headley 'you did a great job yaar'," Khan told the media here. "Headly is not divulging about his wife's role in 26/11 terror attacks and we doubt that there is lot which is untold. The court had decided to forgive Headley only if he shares all the information and unravels the mystery by giving names of all the people involved in the terror attack. But looking at today's session we feel that Headley is hiding a lot of information and is not confessing the whole truth," he added. Headley, who had been vehemently denying that he had not been paid by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, finally made a sensational revelation before a court today that the ISI had massively funded his entire operation. In other revelations, Headley disclosed via video link from a US prison that he was planning another attack on India after 26/11 on the instructions of Al-Qaeda and not the LeT. He also informed that plans to kill Shiv Sena chief Bal Thakrey was also made but he remained unharmed. All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani on Thursday said that by creating a false impression of terrorism, India actually wants to pressurize Pakistan so that this country will surrender its principle stand with regard to the Kashmir issue and will put it on the backburner. He advised the Pakistan Government that they should not beg for talks with India but instead they should send them a clear message that the real and core issue between the two nations is the Kashmir dispute and until this issue is solved according to the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people, the peace, development and the prosperity in this region is a distant dream. Geelani expressed these views in a detailed meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner Jinab Abdul Basit sahab in New Delhi today. This two-hour long meeting took place today afternoon at Pakistani High Commission office at New Delhi which was also attended by Hurriyat leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar, Deputy Secretary General APHC Ghulam Nabi Sumji, Chief Organizar Altaf Ahmad Shah, Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehraj-ud-din and Mohammad Youfus Mujahid while as Deputy High Commissioner Jinab Abdullah Nizamani and other diplomats were also present in the meeting. Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit gave assurance to the Pro-freedom leader of Kashmir that their country will not show any flexibility in its principle stand with regarding to the Kashmir dispute. On the occasion, Geelani said, "We want to tell the world that the freedom struggle of Kashmir has nothing to do with the terrorism and we strongly condemn terrorism in any form." He said that it is India which is holding the Jammu and Kashmir just with the help of its military might and this country is prosecuting and oppressing its citizens since last 69 years now. "Not only Pakistan but it is the moral responsibility of the whole world to help the Kashmiris in their struggle against the tyranny and make room for the free and fair referendum process in the Jammu and Kashmir on the pattern of Scotland," he said. "India had many times made numerous promises with the people of Jammu and Kashmir that they will be provided a free chance to decide their future and their decision will be respected," he added. Geelani further said that the prevailing political uncertainty and disturbance in the state is due to the rigid and stubborn approach of India. He also added that India had backtracked from its promises and is not cooperating in the implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir. The Hurriyat Chairman said that they are not against the dialogue process but India does not maintain a good track record in this regard. "This country uses the talks as a time killing process and to hoodwink the world community. The incidents of violence occur in both India and Pakistan but India wants to blackmail Pakistan over the Pathankot incident," he said. He said that the Kashmiris doesn't want destruction of India in any way but they only want that their basic and birth rights be granted to them. While greeting the Pakistan Government, Pakistan Army and the people of Pakistan on the Pakistan Resolution Day, Geelani said that Pakistan is the only visible supporter of the Kashmiri nation and the way this nation is supporting their rights to self determination, they are extremely thankful to them for that. While expressing his deep concern over the internal situations in the Pakistan, Geelani said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other like organizations are committing an act of terrorism who are working to destabilize this country internally. "Their activities have no relation with Islam and they are damaging the fort of Islam," he said. On the occasion, Abdul Basit prayed for the good health of Geelani and said that he is the symbol of freedom struggle of Kashmir and his determination is a major source of inspiration for them too. He said the whole Pakistan nation salutea him and prays for his long and healthy life. At the end, Geelani criticized Indian media for wrongly projecting the visiting of the pro-freedom people to the Pakistan embassy on the Pakistan day function. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will arrive on a two-day official visit to Pakistan on Friday. "At the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Iranian President will visit Pakistan from March 25 to 26," the Express Tribune quoted a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office. This will be Rouhani's first visit to Pakistan as the President of Iran. The Iranian President will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and businessmen. During his stay is Islamabad, Rouhani will hold meetings with his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. "The leadership will have an exchange of views on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly after the lifting of sanctions on Iran that has opened new avenues for enhancing economic interaction," Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakria said. He added that cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual concern will also be discussed. The visit comes days after Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif toured Saudi Arabia to witness the multi-national military exercises. Pakistan is although part of Saudi-led 34-nation counter-terrorism alliance, it is trying to ensure that its move does not affect its ties with Iran. Meanwhile, reports say that Pakistani leadership will take the Iranian President into confidence about its decision to join the Saudi alliance. Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif had expressed his desire to strengthen relations with Iran. 26/11 Mumbai terror attack operative David Coleman Headley, who had been vehemently denying that he had not been paid by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, finally made a sensational revelation before a court today that the ISI had massively funded his entire operation. Speaking to the media after Headley's cross-examination, Special Prosecutor in the case Ujjwal Nikam said that the Pakistani-American terrorist had made four major revelations in today's session. "He said that the Pakistan ISI had given him huge finances for completion of the 26/11 operation. Secondly, he said that the LeT attempted to kill Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray and one person was apprehended by the police but he escaped. Of course Headley made it clear that he had no firsthand knowledge about this information but that he heard it from the LeT people. Thirdly, he said that following the growing international pressure on the LeT following the 26/11 attack, they made a soft stand in the Denmark attack," Nikam said. Asserting that key 26/11 plotter Abu Jundal's lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan has been repeatedly putting pressure on Headley in the cross examination with regard to the involvement of his wife Shazia, Nikam added that he had once again flatly refused to answer anything saying it was privileged conversation between husband and wife. "Headley further disclosed, that in one mail from Shazia, she had described the corpses as well as the injured in the terror attack as cartoon. These are the sensitive revelations he made today. The defence's attempt was to book Shazia for criminal conspiracy and that she had the knowledge about the terror attack," he said. In other revelations, Headley disclosed via video link from a US prison that he was planning another attack on India after 26/11 on the instructions of Al-Qaeda and not the LeT. However, he asserted that he did not condone what was done by Ajmal Kasab, the lone LeT gunman who was caught alive and executed later. "I visited India in March 2009 and went to Defence College and other places to select the target. This tour was funded by Ilyas Kashmiri and expenditure of this tour was around 1 Lac (Pakistani rupees) and was paid in cash by Ilyas Kashmiri," Headley said. Yesterday in his cross examination, Headley accepted that he had funded Rs. 80 lakh to terror outfit Lashkar e Taiba (LeT), adding that he did not know the purpose of the money. "David Headley, the approver in 26/11 case, has been cross-examined today by the Attorney of Abu Jundal's lawyer. He has admitted three important facts. Firstly, he admitted that he has donated 80 lakhs Pakistani rupees to Laskar-e-Toiba. However, he claimed that he was not knowing exactly as to where that money was used and for what purpose," Nikam told the media here. Today was the second day of Headley's cross examination and it will resume tomorrow. Meanwhile, reacting to Headley's revelation, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that he feels proud that Bal Thakeray was on the hit list of LeT. "A killer was hired by the LeT to kill Shiv Sena chief but the mission failed. In this case, the Mumbai Police also arrested a suspect but he ran away from police custody. I would like to ask that why the police hid this fact. Who was that person who ran away from the prison and how did he escape? What was the conspiracy behind this? The Mumbai Police and the then government have to answer these questions. The then Police Commissioner should be questioned," Raut told ANI. "It is no surprise for us as Bal Sahib has always been a true nationalist and has always been against the notorious activities carried out by Pakistan and terrorists. We feel proud that Bal Sahib was on the hit list of LeT," he added. The Jet Airways is set to fly three recovery flights today from Amsterdam for Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto to transfer all its guests and crew, who were stranded in Europe after deadly twin explosions struck Brussels airport on Tuesday. Jet Airways has already relocated its guests and crew from Brussels to Amsterdam by road yesterday as the Brussels airport continues to be closed for operations. The check-in process for the Amsterdam to Mumbai flight is currently underway. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier tweeted that the two crew members of Jet Airways injured at the Brussels airport were recovering well. To provide convenient connections for guests to and from destinations across Europe and North America via Amsterdam, Jet Airways has also entered into a code share partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which will give access to 30 destinations across Europe and 11 destinations in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, massive investigations are underway following the deadly twin explosions which killed over 31 people and left around 270 wounded. So what if desi girl Priyanka Chopra is not in India on the occasion of Holi, she managed to bring the festive vigor and zeal on her 'Quantico' set in Montreal. The 'Bajirao Mastani' actress recently shared a pic of her 'Quantico' co-stars enjoying Holi fun on her Twitter handle. She captioned the pic as, "Happy holi on set! @jenn_din @arimarlel #annemarie #Quantico." Priyanka, who is away from her family, is celebrating the festival in Montreal and recently tweeted a snap, writing, "Holi Fever on the sets of Quantico! A big thank you to my Quantico family for giving me a home away from home! Quick guess... which one is me??? Happy Holi everyone!." Bollywood's Dabangg Salman Khan celebrated the festival with kids on the set of his upcoming movie 'Sultan.' Also, Tiger Shroff, who is gearing up for the release of 'Baaghi: A Rebel For Love,' celebrated the festival of colours on the set of his movie 'Flying Jatt' with choreographer Remo D'Souza. Sharing a sneak peek of their Holi fun, the 43-year-old dance shared a pic, wherein they are seen applying colours to each other, writing "Working Holi. :))) #onset#aflyingjatt." Taking out time from their work schedules, Bollywood stars made sure to celebrate the festival of colours.. Kurt Cobain's daughter Frances Bean Cobain is calling off her marriage with her daddy's lookalike Isaiah Silva. With this, Frances even mentioned that though her hubby looks like her father, but Kurt's money, reportedly valued at 450 million dollars, is all hers, reports TMZ.com. 31-year-old Isaiah is in a rock band called 'The Eeries' married Kurt Cobain's daughter less than two years ago, after dating her for five years. France has even mentioned in the documents that she is even ready for spousal support. The Australian Government has confirmed that the debris found in Mozambique is almost certainly from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester in a statement on Thursday said the analysis has found that the two pieces of debris discovered in separate locations in Mozambique in the past four months was likely to have come from MH370, reports the Guardian. Blaine Alan Gibson, an American, had on February found a metre-long piece of metal washed up on a sand bank in Mozambique. Later, a South African teenager Liam Lotter came forward with the similar item which he said he had discovered in southern Mozambique in late December. Both pieces arrived in Canberra on March 20 to be examined by investigators from Australia and Malaysia, along with specialists from Boeing, Geoscience Australia and the Australian National University. The pieces were found to be consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft by the analysts. Before the discovery of two pieces, the only confirmed debris of the flight MH370 was a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion. Chester expressed that confirmation has boosted confidence in modelling used by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in charge of the search for the plane to inform its 120,000 sq km search area. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean.The search for MH370 continues. There are 25,000 sq km of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," the Guardian quoted him as saying. The Malaysian Ministry of Transport confirmed to the Australian authorities that the paint and stencilling on the debris matched those used by Malaysia Airlines and were almost certainly from MH370. Meanwhile, Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), said that Malaysia and South African officials were working together in arranging the examination of another piece of debris suspected to be the cowling from an engine picked up near Mossel Bay, a small town in Western Cape province. In 2014, the flight MH370 disappeared from its radars after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, bound for Beijing, killing 239 passengers and crew members on board. Australia is leading the search for the missing Malaysian flight in the southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed after diverting from its route. North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un has hailed the country's advance in nuclear strike capability after Pyongyang claimed of successfully testing a solid-fuel rocket engine. Kim, who personally monitored the solid-fuel test, said that it would allow for a major upgrade of the North's missile delivery systems that would "strike great horror and terror into the hearts of our enemies", the state-run KCNA news agency said, reports the Guardian. The solid-fuel test was of a "large output" engine and included separation testing. "This is an historic and unforgettable day," Kim was quoted as saying. The test done by Pyongyang is the latest in the string of claims regarding its growing technical sophistication of its nuclear programme. Tensions in the divided Korean peninsula has been soaring since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January followed by a long-range rocket launch a month later. The Security Council had two weeks ago imposed strictest sanctions to North Korea following its tests. North Korea has since February fired 15 various projective over four occasions. Monday's launch is the second one in less than a week the Pyongyang has launched projectiles. It had fired two ballistic missiles near Sukchon county, South Pyongan province, on the country's west coast on last week. In recent weeks, North Korea has also claimed to have miniaturised a thermonuclear warhead that can fit on a ballistic missile which experts say the claims with a mix of fact and exaggeration. All the launches come amid joint military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea, which has angered Pyongyang. Arrested Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam's lawyer, Sven Mary, has said that the former is no longer cooperating with the Belgian Police and wants to be extradited to France as soon as possible. The Belgian Police had captured Abdeslam during a raid in Molenbeek, an impoverished suburb of Brussels, Belgium last Friday. The Belgium-born French citizen was shot after he tried to escape his parent's home Molenbeek and was shortly arrested. Mary said Abdeslam had initially cooperated with the investigators but was fighting extradition, reports CNN. Investigators suspect that Abdeslam was probably going to be part of an attack being planned by the ISIS that carried out blasts in Brussels airport and in the city's metro. Abdeslam said that he did not know about the plans. Belgian federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw identified Ibrahim El Bakraoui as one of two suicide bombers at the Brussels airport and his brother, Khalid El Bakraoui, as the man behind a deadly suicide blast about an hour later on a train near the Maelbeek metro station. Meanwhile, a court hearing in Brussels on Abdeslam's detention has been postponed till April 7. Earlier in the day, the EU's law enforcement agency Europol has warned that Brussels attacks showed that a network of at least 5,000 terrorists suspects were more dangerous than previously feared. Confirming that there is a connection of the Brussels bombers to November's attacks in Paris, Head of Europol, Rob Wainwright warned of new aggressive strategy of attacks by Islamic State, reports the Guardian. It seems like popularity of 'desi girl' Priyanka Chopra is increasing by leaps and bounds as she has amassed 6 million fans on Instagram. Expressing her gratitude, the 33-year-old actress shared her selfie with 6 million written on it and captioned the pic as,"Whaaaa? 6 million already! So overwhelmed... Our family has grown so fast! Thank you for all the love! Xoxo #instalove." The 'Bajirao Mastani' actress has 13.3 million followers on her Twitter Handle. Priyanka is currently shooting her popular television series 'Quantico' in Montreal. For the first time, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday celebrated the festival of colours with their counterparts of Pakistan Rangers at the Zero Line. In the past, the Pakistan Rangers had always been denying to celebrate the Holi festival. Both the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers exchanged pleasantries with each other at the Zero Line on the occasion of Holi. There were Holi celebrations for the people on the Line of Control organised by the Jhangar Battalion. Villagers came together and took part in this vivid and lively celebration with great energy. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said he feels proud that Bal Thakeray was on the hit list of terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Reacting over the information divulged by David Headley, Raut it is a moment of proud for him and his party inmates that Bal Thakeray was on LeT hit list. "A killer was hired by the LeT to kill Shiv Sena chief but the mission failed. In this case, the Mumbai Police also arrested a suspect but he ran away from police custody. I would like to ask that why the police hid this fact. Who was that person who ran away from the prison and how did he escape? What was the conspiracy behind this? The Mumbai Police and the then government have to answer these questions. The then Police Commissioner should be questioned," Raut told ANI. "It is no surprise for us as Bal Sahib has always been a true nationalist and has always been against the notorious activities carried out by Pakistan and terrorists. We feel proud that Bal Sahib was on the hit list of LeT," he added. Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, convicted in the US for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has told a Mumbai court that terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was arrested. Headley, who has turned approver in this case, disclosed this fact during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks via a video link from the US. A bomb squad was rushed to Chakki Bridge area of Punjab's Pathankot District on Thursday evening after a suspicious suitcase was found. The police, meanwhile, evacuated the area and took control of the situation. Earlier on Tuesday, three armed men hijacked a car at gunpoint in Sujanpur area of Pathankot District near the Jammu and Kashmir Border. The incident assumes importance as similar incident had taken place before the terror attack at the Pathankot air base on January 6, when terrorists had hijacked a car belonging to a Gurdaspur Police official. Meanwhile, Delhi is on high alert as the central agencies issued a warning about a former Pakistan army soldier entering India through Punjab with six terrorists last month. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday that the last phone call by Raghavendran Ganesh, the Infosys employee from Bengaluru, who has been missing in Brussels since the deadly terror attacks, has been tracked. "Raghavendran Ganesh - We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail," Swaraj said in a tweet. She also lauded the prompt reaction and work being done by the Indian Embassy in Brussels. "It was a very difficult situation after terror attacks in Brussels. I admire the outstanding work done by Indian Embassy under the able leadership of Ambassador Manjeev Puri," she tweeted. Swaraj had earlier tweeted that the two crew members of Jet Airways injured in the explosions at the Brussels airport are recovering well. "I have just spoken to Manjeev Puri our Ambassador in Brussels. He has informed me that Nidhi and Amit are both recovering well," she said Infosys in a statement said that the company reached out to all its employees in the city to ascertain their whereabouts and safety following the attacks in Brussels. "With the exception of one employee who we are trying to reach, we have been able to connect with all other employees. We are in touch with the missing employee's family and are working with the Indian Embassy and local authorities in Brussels to locate our employee on priority," the statement said. Meanwhile, with massive investigations underway following the deadly twin explosions in Brussels which killed 31 people and wounded 270 others, officials have unearthed that two of the bombers were brothers and one of the bombers at the airport appears to be a man authorities named as a suspect in the Paris terror attacks. Ibrahim El Bakraoui has been identified as one of two suicide bombers at the Brussels airport and his brother, Khalid El Bakraoui, as the man behind a deadly suicide blast about an hour later on a train near the Maelbeek metro station. No Indian casualties have been reported from the attack in Brussels so far. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday questioned Mehbooba Mufti's decision to go ahead with the government formation in the state with the BJP after a hiatus of two-and-a-half months, saying that the People's Democratic party (PDP) chief should reveal to the people as to why she had agreed for this without 'getting anything from the Centre'. "Yesterday Ram Madhav gave a statement that Mehbooba ji neither asked for anything nor did she get anything. She sought the Prime Minister's blessing and he gave...We are surprised because for the last two and a half months we are being told that they would get something from Delhi. She had said that unless CBM are implemented, she wouldn't form the government. What happened today? She needs to answere to the people that what made her wait for all these days," Abdullah told the media here. "She kept us under the impression that she would ask for something from the Centre, like funds, or power projects, issue of AFSPA etc," he added. The PDP MLAs today unanimously elected Mehbooba as the legislature party leader. Speaking at the PDP meeting, Mehbooba thanked the party workers for extending their support to her and for backing her during testing times. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, Mehbooba had said that she would take a final decision regarding the government formation and PDP-BJP alliance after consulting her party MLAs in the legislature meeting. Describing her meeting with the Prime Minister as positive, the PDP chief had expressed satisfaction about its outcome. Mehbooba met Prime Minister Modi at the latter's official 7, Race Course Road (RCR) residence in the capital in a last ditch effort to renew the partnership between the PDP and BJP to form government in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP had earlier said that it was committed to the implementation of already agreed agenda of alliance. Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra has called separate meetings with the PDP chief and BJP State president Sat Sharma tomorrow. Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor's rule on January 8 after Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's death on January 7. As Christians commemorate on Thursday Jesus washing the feet of his 12 apostles before having the Last Supper, the Latin Church's diocese here will extend the ritual to girls and women. The change in 'foot washing' ritual on 'Maundy Thursday' is in line with a decree issued in January by Pope Francis, saying the rite should no longer be limited to men and boys, but also include women and young girls. "The decision to extend the ritual to women and girls was taken after the church discussed it at various levels," a spokesperson of Latin Church's diocese here told IANS. Archbishop M. Soosaipakiam will perform the ritual on Thursday evening on women also at the St. Joseph's cathedral situated in the heart of the state capital, the spokesperson said. The Latin Church is in communion with the Roman Catholic Church headed by Bishop of Rome, more popularly known as Pope. Along with the Syro Malabar Church and the Syro Malankara Catholic Church, it accounts for Kerala's Catholics who make up about half of the 61.41 lakh Christians in the state. Washing of the feet is the most important ritual on Maundy Thursday. The change, Pope Francis said, is "an attempt to improve the method of implementation, to express the full meaning of the gesture performed by Jesus at the Last Supper..." While the Latin Church's diocese here has decided to make the change, other dioceses have decided to take it up next year. The Syro Malabar Church also decided to look into the matter next year. Leading the service in Kochi, Mar George Cardinal Alencherry, the head of the Syro Malabar Church, washed the feet of 12 men only. "Today (Thursday) this will not happen in our churches," Paul Thelekkat, a senior priest of the Syro Malabar Church, told IANS. The Syro Malankara Catholic Church has also decided to keep the change in ritual in abeyance, pending discussions at all levels. Before becoming the Pope, Francis, as a bishop, used to wash the feet of not only women but also non-Christians in the rituals in his home country Argentina, Thelekkat observed. "Now the Pope has made a change in the ritual. But as far as the oriental Catholics (Syro Malabar Church and the Syro Malankara Catholic Church) are concerned ritual changes are made not by the Pope, but by the synod of bishops of the particular church. I hope these two churches will look into it," said Thelekkat. 'Synod' refers to the governing body of a particular church. Non-Catholic churches in Kerala continue to hold the ritual, limited to only men and boys. ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs call for patrolling Muslim neighborhoods in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks has sparked a backlash on Twitter. The trending hashtag #MyMuslimNeighborhood calls out the latest controversial remarks made by the Republican presidential hopeful with messages ranging from the humorous to heartfelt. Most users called for unity to dispel Muslim stereotypes. In #MyMuslimNeighborhood, we stand side-by-side against bigotry, hate and intolerance, one user tweeted. Another simply seemed to want to have Cruz over for pizza. Salaam, good evening! I cordially invite you to share a wonderful vegetarian pizza in #MyMuslimNeighborhood. Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton condemned Cruzs comments during a rally in Seattle Tuesday as dangerous, and New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton has also slammed the remarks. During a press conference with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, President Obama said Cruzs comments dont align with American values. One of the great strengths of the U.S. and why we havent seen more attacks in U.S. is we have an extraordinarily successful patriotic, integrated Muslim-American community, he said. The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense, its contrary to who we are and its not going to help us defeat ISIL. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated on Thursday the Palestinian approval to Jordan's arrangements to install cameras at al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Following a meeting with President Abbas, Jordanian Foreign Minister Naser Judeh stressed Jordan's commitment to the protection of the holy Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem and Amman's steady position to preserve the historic status-quo, under which Jordan is responsible for Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem since 1967. He said the installation of the cameras is a Jordanian initiative aimed at "exposing all trespasses or assaults to the holy sites." The cameras will be installed on walls around the vicinity and not inside buildings, he added. Jordan said two days ago that 55 security cameras will be installed at al-Aqsa mosque compound in coming days. Judeh said his country believes that the two-state solution is the only solution to guarantee an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, being the core issue to the region. The spark of the ongoing wave of violence that broke out between Palestinians and Israel was ignited after intense clashes at al-Aqsa mosque compound between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces. The Jordanian initiative to install security cameras at the holy Islamic site was endorsed by the US Secretary of State John Kerry on October 24, 2015. Kerry announced reaching an understanding with Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians to keep the status quo of al-Aqsa mosque compound, under which Jordan will install cameras and Jews will refrain from praying at the compound. Israel said it agreed. Since last October, clashes between Palestinians and Israelis have killed 204 Palestinians and at least 34 Israelis, according the Palestinian health ministry and Israeli sources. Administration of three or more courses of antibiotics before a child reaches the age of two is linked to increased risk of early childhood obesity, says a new study. "Antibiotics have been used to promote weight gain in livestock for several decades and our research confirms that antibiotics have the same effect in humans," said Frank Irving Scott from University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. "Our results do not imply that antibiotics should not be used when necessary, but rather encourage both physicians and parents to think twice about antibiotic usage in infants in the absence of well-established indications," Scott added in the paper published in the journal Gastroenterology. The researchers performed a large population-representative cohort study in the Britain to assess the association between antibiotic exposure before age 2 and obesity at the age of 4 years. The findings showed that children with antibiotic exposure had a 1.2 percent absolute and 25 percent relative increase in the risk of early childhood obesity. Risk was strongest when considering repeat exposures to antibiotics, particularly with three or more courses. "Our work supports the theory that antibiotics may progressively alter the composition and function of the gut microbiome, thereby predisposing children to obesity as is seen in livestock and animal models," Scott explained. Antibiotics are prescribed during an estimated 49 million pediatric outpatient visits per year in the US. A large portion of these prescriptions (more than 10 million annually) are written for children without clear indication, despite increased awareness of the societal risks of antibiotic resistance, as well as other tangible risks, including dermatologic, allergic and infectious complications; inflammatory bowel disease; and autoimmune conditions. Further research is required to assess whether these findings remain into adolescence and young adulthood, as well as to determine if early antibiotic usage leads to later-onset obesity. Spanish giants FC Barcelona are looking to acquire the services of Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian defender Marquinhos to strengthen their defence next season, according to news reports on Thursday. According to Spanish language newspaper AS, Barca turned to Marquinhos after they failed to sign Austrian David Alaba, who has renewed his contract with Bayern Munich until 2021. The same paper noted that the Catalan club negotiated with the player, who informed club sporting director Robert Fernandez of his desire to play as a back instead of a defender. According to recent reports, representatives from the Catalan club met with the young defender's agent last week, Giuliano Bertolucci and his brother, Luan Aoas Correa. During this meeting, a deal worth 4.5 million euros ($5.02 million) a season was agreed. Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens on Thursday presented their resignations, but their offers were declined by Prime Minister Charles Michel. Jambon and Geens reportedly offered to resign amid mounting concern that Belgium failed to act on warnings about Ibrahim El Bakraoui before he blew himself up at the Brussels airport, according to The Guardian. Xinhua said the decision of the ministers followed the revelation of a file about Brussels airport bomber El Bakraoui. He was convicted in Belgium and released on parole that he did not respect. El Bakraoui was then arrested in Turkey on the Syrian border in 2015. With his extradition having not been sought by Belgium, El Bakraoui was deported to the Netherlands in the summer of 2015. Jambon explained his decision on Thursday to Belgian newspaper Le Soir. "I have submitted my resignation. Mr. Geens has done the same. They were rejected. We continue. There were two kinds of error. At the justice ministry and at the Turkish liaison office, which involves the interior and justice ministries. But for now, we continue our work," Jambon was quoted as saying. A ministerial committee met on Thursday afternoon to look at the case of El Bakraoui, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey had warned Belgium about El Bakraoui's dangerous nature and suspected jihadist tendencies when he was expelled from Turkey in 2015, bound for the Netherlands. According to reports, Erdogan has said that Belgium and the Netherlands did not take the threat seriously. The La Libre Belgique newspaper said El Bakraoui was known to Belgian judicial authorities and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2010 on charges of robbery and firing at police. He was later released on bail against the advice of the prison service. Michel said on Thursday: "The government will work with the parliament to ensure total transparency." The Belgian Terrorism Committee will meet on Friday, followed by a joint committee with the internal affairs, justice and interior ministers to discuss the case. An investigatory committee is scheduled to be set up following that meeting. In a shocking disclosure, Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Thursday claimed that an attempt was made on the life of late Shiv Sena founder-patriarch Bal Thackeray. "I believe an attempt was made on the life of the Shiv Sena chief... The man who made the attempt had escaped from police custody," Headley said in the Special Court of Additional Sessions Judge G.A. Sanap. His replies came on the second day of his cross-examination conducted by lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan, the defence counsel for Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, who is facing trial in the 26/11 case. During his examination-in-chief by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on February 12, Headley had first confirmed the Lashkar-e-Taiba's plot to target Thackeray, but had said nothing on an unsuccessful bid made to kill him and the attacker having slipped from the police hands. "The LeT wanted to target the chief of Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray). LeT wanted to kill him whenever a chance arose. I have no first-hand knowledge, but I think an attempt was made to kill him," Headley said. Denying knowledge of how the attempt was made, he said the person sent to kill Thackeray was arrested but slipped from police custody. When Khan asked him how many times he visited the party headquarters Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar and what was the motive, Headley said he recced the building twice and reiterated that the LeT's target was the late Thackeray. To the question, under whose instructions, Headley said he was instructed by his LeT supervisor in Pakistan, Sajid Mir. On any other attempts on Thackeray's life, Headley said he had learnt of one previous attempt on the late champion of Hindutva (Thackeray), and the man who made the bid had escaped police custody. He said post 26/11, when he returned to India in March 2009 to plan out further attacks on behalf of the Al Qaeda terror group, its leader Iliyas Kashmiri funded him to the tune of around one lakh Pakistani rupees. Headley said that though the LeT came under pressure after the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes, it did not become 'soft' towards India. "I think the LeT became soft about Denmark, but not India. After the Denmark issue, I went to Al Qaeda as the LeT had become soft," he claimed. On Holi, megastar Amitabh Bachchan reminisced about not just some of the best days that he had playing the festival of colours, but also the times when the Hindi film fraternity members were used to "losing their status and position to become one" for fun. The 73-year-old, who has been associated with some of the best Bollywood songs on Holi, shared personal photographs of his past celebrations of the festival with some of his colleagues from the film world. He wrote: "It was such innocent and fun times... Just gangs of friends enjoying... Losing their status and position to become one with us and all... Such a humbling feel. Now... Well I don't know, everything has become so... Ah forget it... Love to all and happy holi." Big B mentioned how Holi is a festival "played with such abandon and passion". "The best ones were played at Allahabad when I was very young and Father was in University teaching in the English department. The students would all come over and over ribald songs and music our homes were a flush of great camaraderie and happiness," he added. Delhi, he said, was a little "subdued, because it invariably fell in March when it was still quite cold and the water was a most unwelcome commodity", he stressed that in Kolkata it was "rage". However, he shared that the Holi celebrations in Mumbai were memorable. "The film industry and the best Holi celebrations at the RK Studios of Shri Raj Kapoor, where the entire industry assembled. After his passing, much of the gaiety and fun vanished for some time until, we decided to have these revelries at Prateeksha (the Bachchan house). "They were massive and grand and fun and just full of all that Holi celebrations desired... Dunk-coloured water ponds and tubs, masses of dry colour and the wet all over... Bands and music groups from all parts of the country playing non-stop... Gallons of 'bhang', the traditional drink and the traditional 'gujiya' to eat." For Big B, these were "just the most enjoyable times". "But we have not celebrated it to that extent for some years now .. deaths in the family and illnesses have prevented us .. but I think it is time to restart it all over again .. perhaps next year." Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was on Thursday convicted and sentenced to 40 years imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. According to Xinhua, the former president of the Republika Srpska was acquitted of the first count of genocide in several Bosnian municipalities, which was not a surprise, because in the ICTY no suspect has been convicted for this charge. "There was not sufficient evidence for genocide without reasonable doubt in the municipalities," the judge said. Karadzic was found guilty for the genocide in Srebrenica. "He was receiving information through various channels and was the sole person who could have prevented the Bosnian men from being killed," the judge said. Karadzic was found guilty of five counts of crimes against humanity (persecutions, extermination, murder, deportation, inhumane acts) and four counts of violations of the laws or customs of war (murder, terror, unlawful attacks on civilians, taking of hostages). "Good afternoon," the 70-year-old Karadzic, dressed in a dark blue suit with a light blue striped tie, said after entering the courtroom in The Hague. Listening to the words of presiding judge O-Gon Kwon, who took almost two hours to read out his judgment, Karadzic sometimes raised his eyebrows, gave a look of disbelief or shook his head. The former supreme commander of the Bosnian Serb armed forces and president of the Republika Srpska was held responsible for the deaths of thousands, including the lost lives during the Siege of Sarajevo between April 1992 and November 1995 and the massacre in Srebrenica in July 1995, in which over 7,000 Muslim men were reportedly killed by Bosnian Serb forces. Actors Siddharth, Nakul and music composer S.S. Thaman, who played the lead roles in filmmaker Shankar's Tamil romantic comedy "Boys", are likely to team up after a decade for a yet-untitled project. "#Boys reunion gonna be back on silver screen after 13 years if everything goes as per plan. Details Very soon (sic)," Thaman posted on his Twitter page. A coming of age tale, "Boys" was the launch pad for several actors including Siddharth and Genelia D'Souza. Since "Boys", its lead actors Siddharth, Nakul, Bharath have gone on to be established actors in Tamil cinema, while Thaman chose to be a composer. The labour-intensive cashew industry is crying foul over the budget for fiscal 2016-17 imposing five percent customs duty, four percent special additional duty (SAD) and three percent cess on import of raw cashewnuts without consulting stakeholders, especially farmers, processors and exporters. "We were shocked to know that the budget has imposed a cumulative burden of 9.36 percent duties on import of raw cashew nuts in shell for domestic consumption and exports without consulting stakeholders," Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers' Association ex-president Prakash Kalbavi told IANS in an interview. Though import duty is generally levied on a commodity to protect growers and those affected in the supply chain, the burden on cashew will force its processors to shut their units and lay off labour, mostly women, and growers will be denied the benefit of export price. "We are more dependent on imports to meet the rising demand in the country and for exports, as the cashew crop is limited and seasonal, meeting around one-third of the processing capacity and consumption," Kalbavi said at a trade event here. As against the two-million tonne processing capacity, only 600,000 tonnes of raw cashew nut is grown and processed, mostly in the southern and western states of Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra, although Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have started contributing of late to bridge the demand-supply gap. "The processing industry imports around 1.5 million tonnes of raw cashew as the crop is not only far less than the demand but the yield is also lower than in other countries like Vietnam and those in west and east Africa," Kalbavi noted. The association has urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to roll back the duty, which affects manufacturers more than traders, as the latter get SAD refunded. "As processors and manufacturers, we are at a disadvantage vis-a-vis traders, for whom SAD is refundable if imported cashews are sold raw or without processing. A trader also levies VAT (value added tax) when the shells are sold to a manufacturer for processing them into nuts," Kalbavi pointed out. Asserting that the duty would adversely affect the industry's competitiveness in the domestic and export markets, Kalbavi said the imposition would negate the Modi government's Make in India campaign, as selling imported nuts would be more viable than growing or processing them in the country. "With about 4,000 units, the industry directly employs about 400,000 skilled workers through the year for processing the shells imported from Vietnam and Africa, which grow the crop in October-December, and make up for the shortfall in domestic production. If the duty is not withdrawn, many will shut as they cannot absorb the burden," association secretary M. Tukaram Prabhu told IANS. Raw cashewnuts are grown by small and marginal farmers and processed by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in rural areas, employing mostly women (90 percent) and generating indirect jobs for about 400,000 people. The association has appealed to Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to get the duty withdrawn before the budget is passed in parliament, as Jaitley did not respond to the industry's plea despite the intervention of lawmakers from states where cashew is grown and processed. "India is not only the world's largest producer, processer and exporter of cashews but has also a huge domestic market for its kernels, especially their broken nuts, used in making sweets, biscuits, bakery items, confectionery and snacks throughout the year," Prabhu said. With the prices of other dry fruits like almonds, walnuts and pistachios declining the world over by 30-40 percent, the industry fears that if the duty burden is passed on to consumers, consumption of cashew nuts would slump as its buyers may switch over to other nuts that are cheaper. "As cashew prices are at an all-time high when prices of other dry fruits have declined worldwide, we cannot absorb the additional duty," Kalbavi concluded. (Fakir Balaji can be contacted at fakir.b@ians.in) Mehbooba Mufti was on Thursday unanimously elected as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, paving the way for her to become the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and head a government in India's only Muslim majority state after months of tension with the ruling partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "Mehbooba Mufti has been nominated as the chief ministerial candidate of the PDP," party spokesman and former minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters outside the Fairview residence of the Muftis on the high security Gupkar Road in Srinagar. PDP lawmakers had gathered at the Muftis to discuss government formation with the BJP. Akhtar said the decision was unanimous and every legislator and senior PDP leader was on board. Mehbooba is meeting Governor N.N. Vohra on Friday and is most likely to stake claim to power. BJP state president Sat Pal Sharma is also meeting the governor on the same day at the state Raj Bhawan in winter capital Jammu. Senior BJP leaders, Jitendra Singh, minister of state in PMO, and Ram Madhav, party national general secretary, are expected to be Jammu on Friday to hold a meeting with the state BJP legislators and senior leaders to discuss the government formation with the PDP. The swearing-in date is also expected to be announced after Mehbooba and Sharma meet Vohra, separately though. Top sources told IANS that the oath taking ceremony of the Mehbooba-led new government would take place in Jammu early next month. Mehbooba, 56, will now succeed her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who died on January 7, as the chief minister. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since. Mehbooba was tipped to take over the reins but she dragged her feet on continuing to ally with the BJP and wanted it to redraw the alliance terms that her father had authored. However, the BJP refused any fresh concessions and said it will only give assurances on the agenda, finalized last year when the two parties came together to form the state government. After remaining entrenched in their respective positions for more than two months, the two sides warmed up to each other following Mehbooba's meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday in Delhi. Senior PDP leader and Lok Sabha member Muzaffar Hussain Beigh denied that there has been any give and take with the BJP. "There is no addition or subtraction from the agenda of alliance agreed upon by the two parties. The agenda will be implemented in letter and spirit." PDP leader and Lok Sabha member Tariq Hameed Karra, a vocal opponent of his party's continuation of alliance with the BJP, was also present in Thursday's meeting. Before chairing the PDP meeting, Mehbooba went to her father's grave in south Kashmir Bijbehara town along with one of her daughters to pray there and apparently seek blessings for the governance innings she would be playing for the first time in her political career. She presently represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. She will now have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. The sun shone bright on Thursday morning as people here splashed colours on each other and distributed sweets to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours that leads to spring. People were seen dancing to the beats of drums and smearing each others' faces with 'abir' and 'gulal', as colours traditionally used in Holi are known. Authorities said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the national capital. Over 2,500 paramilitary commandos along with the city police have been deployed here in the wake of intelligence inputs of a terror threat. "No such case was reported till the afternoon," Muktesh Chander, special commissioner Delhi Police, told IANS. Barricades had been set up at many places in the capital to check trouble as more than 2,500 traffic policemen were on duty to keep a close watch on those flouting road safety norms and creating problems, particularly for women. The festival of Holi is associated with revelry and boisterous fun. Police on Wednesday urged people to celebrate the festival with sensitivity towards others. As neighbourhoods erupted into celebrations, children did what they like to do best on Holi -- played pranks by spraying coloured water with waterguns and flung water balloons at passersby from rooftops or the balconies of their homes. Guests were treated with sweets, especially 'gujiya', the traditional pastry with a sweet filling. The celebrations were louder in crowded urban pockets of Delhi. Revellers threw coloured water - deep purple, red, and black - at anyone they came across. "I was waiting for this morning since long. It is fun," said Ronit Tomar, a 14-year-old boy, smeared with differents hues of color, from Sangam Apartments in Rohini. He threw a watercolor-filled balloon at a passerby who was caught unawares. As the man looked around, Tomar shouted "bura na maano Holi hai" (Don't mind, it is Holi). Many were seen consuming bhang (an edible preparation of cannbis) to add zest to their celebrations. Youngsters rode motorbikes, throwing colours in the air and shouting 'Holi hai!'. Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday greeted people on the occasion of Holi festival. The festival would strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and would go a long way in promoting unity and integrity, Devvrat said in a statement. The Chief Minister said Holi, celebrated by the people of all faiths and religions, helped in strengthening the social fabric. --IANS vg/qd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India burst with colours and frenzied street dances by thousands of revellers on Thursday as the nation celebrated Holi, a seasonal festival joyously observed by all - young and old, rich and poor, Hindus and Muslims. Celebrations of the festival of colours, heralding the onset of spring, began early on Thursday morning amid bright sunshine in many parts of the country. People spilled out onto the streets to smear each other with coloured powder, coloured water and mud as well. Politicians and celebrities also didn't remain far off from the revelry of the day which like many Indian festivals is embedded in a Hindu legend. There were clouds of colour in the capital's neighbourhoods as loud celebrations continued throughout the day. Elders cutting across religious and regional divides hugged each other. Streets were filled with young and old, men and women drenching and splashing colour on one another. Children were seen doing what they do best -- playing pranks by spraying coloured water with 'pichkaris' or water guns and hurling water-filled balloons at passers-by from rooftops and balconies of their houses. Elders drank 'thandai' -- an intoxicant made of 'bhang' or cannabis -- and offered sweet gujiyas to guests. Youngsters rode motorbikes, throwing colours in the air and shouting "Holi hai". The day passed off peacefully as the authorities said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the national capital, where over 2,500 paramilitary commandos along with 400 teams of Delhi Police were deployed in the wake of intelligence inputs of a terror threat. Barricades were set up at many places to check trouble as more than 2,500 traffic policemen were on duty to keep a close watch on those flouting road safety norms and creating problems, particularly for women. Police patrolled the main roads to keep miscreants at bay. "No case of violence was reported," Special Commissioner of Police Muktesh Chander told IANS. But the Delhi Fire Services received over 12 complaints of minor fires from various parts of the national capital. Delhi Police booked 558 people for drunken driving, with the highest from south Delhi, on the eve of the festival, associated with boisterous fun. The celebrations were louder in crowded urban pockets of Delhi. "I was waiting for this morning since long. It is fun," said Ronit Tomar, a 14-year-old boy, smeared with different hues of colour, from Sangam Apartments in Rohini. He threw a watercolour-filled balloon at a passer-by who was caught unaware. As the man looked around, Tomar shouted "Bura na maano Holi hai" (Don't mind, it is Holi). Politicians also had fun, an apparent break from political mudslinging. Many of them made a big splash of the day and were seen clicking selfies with visitors. Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted his Holi pictures and wished "everybody on this festival". About the terror alert, the home minister said: "There are routine alerts issued before every festival. The country is safe." Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul celebrated the day at the party headquarters with leaders and workers. "My message is of peace and brotherhood," Rahul Gandhi told reporters. Asked if the greetings were for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well, he said: "Yes. My greetings are for everyone." Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal celebrated Holi with auto-rickshaw drivers, his family members and others at his official residence. "Played holi with my family, volunteers, ministers, MLAs, officers, autowallas and my dear junta. Happy Holi," Kejriwal tweeted. Bihar politicians like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also celebrated Holi together. Lalu Prasad drove off to the chief minister's residence along with his two minister sons - Tejaswi and Tej Pratap Yadav. Holi also showcases Indian traditions of communal harmony as Muslims, Christians and Sikhs play it in large numbers with their Hindu brethren. Such scenes were seen in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and many other places of north and east India. In West Bengal, the festival was celebrated a day earlier as "dol". People across the state marked it with colours, songs, dances and special dishes. In Punjab, thousands of people gathered at Sikh holy town of Anandpur Sahib, 85 km from Chandigarh, for the final day of the 'Hola Mohalla' festival - where traditional weapons and the 'gatka' martial art display were the highlights. Celebrations also took place in Haryana. At some places in the state, especially in rural areas, women could be seen playing the 'lathmaar' Holi with sticks and wet ropes in which they hit men with them. Indonesia has called on its citizens to reconsider travelling to Belgium over security concerns after the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday issued a travel advice as three Indonesian citizens were among those wounded when suicide bombers launched the deadly strikes at the Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station in Brussels on Tuesday morning, Xinhua reported. The three Indonesians have been identified as a mother and her children, a boy and a girl. They were at the airport when the twin blasts took place. The Indonesian embassy in the Belgian capital, after the incident, immediately issued an advisory for some 1,200 Indonesians in Brussels to remain vigilant. Indonesian President Joko Widodo condemned the deadly blasts and also extended his deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and also the Belgian government. Some call it the fourth industrial revolution or "industry 4.0"; for others, the time when machines can "talk" at "smart" factories and "connected" homes to make your life better is here. But for India, Internet of Things (IoT) can bring a real revolution: empowering millions in rural areas and connecting "humans" to the mainstream. A well-connected nation is the first step towards a well-served nation and, hence, connecting rural India to the IoT will provide the much-needed bridge between urban and rural India. "It is a surefire way of channelling the benefits of a digital economy to the largest part of the country. IoT will enable delivery of education, health, governance and financial services to otherwise underserved areas," Oracle India managing director Shailender Kumar stressed. For example, most patients in rural areas do not have access to specialists. Thus, several large hospitals in the metros are beginning to offer remote consulting services in rural villages using media-rich network capabilities. "The doctors can see and interact with patients in remote telemedicine centres, with the case history and medical data automatically transmitted to the doctor for analysis. Similarly, the IoT technology can be leveraged to offer high-quality remote education in high schools across the country," Shailendra Kumar told IANS. The IoT connectivity also offers a host of development opportunities to untapped areas, including manufacturing and e-commerce to market local and traditional products. "A host of 'localisation' technologies can help different regions to communicate; so language is not a barrier. Relevant information and updates can be provided in local languages and scripts," the Oracle executive added. According to K.S. Viswanathan, vice president (industrial initiative) at apex IT body Nasscom (National Association of Software and Services Companies), as IoT emerges as the next big thing to become a $300 billion global industry by 2020, India is all set to capture at least 20 percent market share in the next five years. "The IoT is dramatically alerting manufacturing, energy, transportation, medical and other industrial sectors worldwide," said Viswanathan while launching the "Nasscom IoT Centre of Excellence" in Coimbatore last week. Andhra Pradesh has taken a lead when it comes to leveraging the IoT potential in the country. The state government has approved the first-of-its-kind IoT policy with an aim to turn the state into an IoT hub by 2020 and tap 10 percent market share in the country. "We will develop state-of-the-art IoT infrastructure that matches global standards to grab an Indian market share of $1.5 billion by 2020," said state IT minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy as the Centre is currently drafting an ambitious policy to create an Indian IoT industry worth $15 billion by 2020. On the global consumer front, Gartner has forecast that 6.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2016 - up 30 percent from 2015 - and will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. As you traverse through these mind-boggling IoT numbers, where does India stand? "We see that India will have a significant growth in IoT connections in the next four-five years," said Mats Lundquist, chief executive officer at Telenor Connexion, Sweden-based leading enabler of connected business solutions. Industry numbers indicate that manufacturing will be one of the main IoT drivers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) market and will be the biggest sector in IoT spending. According to a report from global market research firm Frost & Sullivan, manufacturing contributed 30 percent of the IoT spending in 2014 and it is expected to rise up to 32 percent of total spending in the APAC region by 2020 which equates nearly $79 billion. "Being an emerging market, India has a big potential owing to several initiatives like "Digital India" and "Smart Cities". The next big market (for connected devices) in the world is south Asia and India holds a good position," Apalak Ghosh, principal consultant at market research and consulting firm CyberMedia Research (CMR), told IANS. "Eventually, south Asia will contribute to about 30-40 percent of the total connected things," Ghosh added. So where will the real revenue come from - the consumer or the enterprise sector? "The Digital India initiative has created a strategic roadmap to build and strengthen domain competency and place India on the global IoT map. We believe that the enterprise sector will bolster IoT revenues," elaborated Deep Agarwal, regional sales director (India) of US-based Zebra Technologies that builds tracking technology and solutions. "To begin with, the revenue will first come from the enterprise sector. As the technology booms, the revenue will start coming from the consumer sector," Ghosh added. Since IoT is a concept of devices talking to one another, there is a lot of data transfer happening which is vulnerable to cyber threats as well. "The cloud can work as a catalyst to make IoT work and for that, there has to be a right kind of framework that can assist it. The GRC (governance, risk management and compliance) guidelines can play an important part to make IoT work in a proper manner," Ghosh said. India is currently a small IoT market but with great potential. "We will definitely see a great development in the country on the IoT front in the coming years," Lundquist pointed out. For Oracle's Shailendra Kumar, rural India is set to transform itself by taking the technology leap and adopting real-life solutions like IoT. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) Iran on Thursday signed a confidential oil agreement with France's Total to develope the South Azadegan oil field shared by Iran and Iraq, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said. Iran and the oil giant, Total, have agreed to keep the articles of the accord confidential, and the French firm is now "studying its participation in the development of the oil field," Zangeneh was quoted as saying by Press TV. Earlier this month, Zangeneh said that Iran and Total were in talks about the oil field, which is said to hold an in-situ oil reserve of about 33.2 billion barrels, according to the report. Iran reached an agreement with the Japanese Inpex a decade ago to develop the oil field, however, the Japanese company quit the project as a result of US sanctions against Iran's energy sector because of the disputed nuclear issue. Iran and the world powers clinched a nuclear deal in July last year which enables the country to re-engage with the world's energy giants to develop its oil and gas fields. Agri business and FMCG major ITC Ltd has acquired seed potato grower Technico Agri Sciences Ltd, India (Technico India), the company said on Thursday. "The company has acquired the entire equity share capital of Technico Agri Sciences Limited, India, from Technico Pty Limited, Australia. Prior to such acquisition, Technico Agri Sciences Limited was a wholly owned subsidiary of Technico Pty Limited, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Limited," it said in a BSE filing. The acquired company that is in biotechnology business grows and sells "Technituber" and field generated seed potatoes. The acquisition cost was Rs.121 crore, the Kolkata based FMGC company said. It also said the acquisition was expected to improve business and operational synergies. Expressing concern over the functioning of public sector banks and appointments to top posts in such banks, union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the government was making efforts to streamline the system. In a statement issued here on Thursday, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) general secretary C.H. Venkatachalam said Jaitley expressed his concerns when a union delegation met him in New Delhi on Wednesday. Jaitley also spoke about the need to consolidate banks to protect the weak government banks, said Venkatachalam. According to an AIBEA statement, the union members drew Jaitley's attention to the problems faced by the employees in associate banks of State Bank of India (SBI). "We also conveyed our views about the need to delink associate banks from the SBI," the AIBEA leader said. The five associate banks are State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Travancore and State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur. The AIBEA submitted a memorandum to Jaitley on the issue. On the issue of privatisation of IDBI Bank, the delegation told Jaitley that the main reason for the bank's problems was its huge bad loans. The union urged Jaitley for a thorough probe in the matter and fixing of accountability. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would be speaking on 'Reimaging the Indian Economy' at the Sydney campus of the internationally-ranked S P Jain School of Global Management during his official visit to Australia starting March 29. John Lodewijks, economics professor at the School, said that India was the "bright economic star" in an otherwise gloomy global economic environment and that the series of initiatives and programmes announced by the Indian government, ranging from Make in India to Digital India to Smart Cities and Skilling India, had the potential of positively impacting the developmental challenges India faces and in opening up opportunities for foreign investment. School president Nitish Jain said that the minister's visit would enable him to see the world-class facilities of the School and its unique pedagogy, which lie at the heart of its USP. "For a school that started in 2004 with a campus in Dubai and now present in Singapore, Sydney and Mumbai, it is an achievement to be ranked alongside the best in the world," he said. "Minister Jaitley's visit to Australia would be a significant milestone in bilateral relations and it was an honour for the Sydney campus to be the venue for the first speaking engagement of the minister during his forthcoming visit,' he added. Welcoming the opportunity to host the Indian minister, Dr Susan Loomes, head of the Sydney campus, said the students and faculty were hugely excited to welcome him. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will fly to Australia on March 28 on a four-day visit to attract foreign investments in the infrastructure sector. "One of the objectives of the finance minister's visit to Australia is to attract foreign investment in India, especially in the infrastructure sector among others," an official statement said on Wednesday. Arriving in Sydney on March 29, Jaitley will address an interactive session of S.P. Jain School of Global Management, followed by a meeting with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and unveiling of the state-run Union Bank of India's Sydney branch. On March 30, the finance minister will deliver the keynote address at 'Make in India' conference in Sydney, meet prominent chief executives of Australia, hold a bilateral meeting with Australian lawmaker and treasurer Scot Morrison and interact with the Indian community. "Flying into the national capital Canberra on March 31, Jaitley will hold bilateral meetings with Australian Finance Minister Mathias Cornmann and foreign secretary Peter Vergese," the statement noted. Later on the same day, the Indian finance minister will meet Australian National University vice chancellor and its economists and participate in K.R. Narayanan Oration at the university campus. "In the evening, Jaitley will address the Indian community from all cities across Australia at a reception by the Indian high commissioner," the statement said. In the visit's last leg, Jaitley will fly to Melbourne on April 1 and meet Future Fund chairman Peter Coastello, participate in 'Invest in India' round-table conference. "The finance minister will witness the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and Australia-India Business Council," the statement added. Jaitley will also have one-to-one meeting with chief executives of various Australian firms and visit the University of Melbourne to meet its vice chancellor Daniel Andrews. JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar faced protests here on Thursday, with activists of the BJP and affiliated groups trying to disrupt the meeting he was addressing. Tension prevailed at the meeting venue as protesters first stopped his convoy and later tried to disrupt the meeting organised by Left parties. Shouting slogans against Kanhaiya Kumar, leaders and workers of the BJP, its youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and other groups gathered at the venue. Activists of Left parties raised counter slogans. There were heated arguments and jostling between the two sides. Police intervened to control the situation and arrested the protesters. Earlier, the meeting venue was shifted from a college to a hotel as the ABVP and other groups took strong objection to the management granting permission for the meeting in college auditorium. There was tension in Siddhartha College since morning as ABVP, BJYM and other groups threatened to disrupt the meeting if it was allowed in the college premises. They alleged that the management granted permission for the meeting despite sedition charges faced by Kanhaiya Kumar. The student leader was accorded a warm welcome by leaders of Left parties in the evening when he reached Gannavaram airport here from Hyderabad. Police, however, prevented them from taking out a rally. This was second time in the day that Kanhaiya Kumar faced protests. A youth hurled a shoe at him when he was addressing a meeting in Hyderabad. The youth, belonging to a right-wing organisation was arrested. The leader of JNU students' union was last month arrested on charges of sedition after alleged anti-India slogans were raised during a meeting at the JNU campus. He was later granted bail. Kanhaiya Kumar arrived in Hyderabad on Wednesday on a two-day visit, his first outside Delhi after his release. He, however, was denied entry into Hyderabad University to address students and pay tributes to Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar who committed suicide in January. International Institute of Industrial Safety Management (IIISM) on Thursday emerged as the first college in Karnataka to be recognised by Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) for offering an industrial safety course. VTU incharge vice chancellor and registrar H. G. Shekharappa handed over Karnataka Labour Department's approval to IIISM. "Aim of the two semester course is to minimise the possibility of risks, accidents and injuries by the implementation of varied techniques of risk and safety management systems and also to create employments for engineering graduates," said an official statement. According to the statement, Regional Labour Institute (RLI) in Chennai with limited seats is the nearest college offering industrial safety course to Karnataka students until now and with its emergence and recognition, IIISM aims to bridge the gap. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday celebrated Holi with auto-rickshaw drivers, his family members and others at his official residence here. "Played holi with my family, volunteers, ministers, MLAs, officers, autowallas and my dear junta. Happy Holi," Kejriwal tweeted. Holi -- India's festival of colours, was on Thursday celebrated with lots of fun and religious fervour in the national capital. Presidents of Kenya and Somalia have condemned the attacks in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday that killed 34 people and injured over 200 others. In his statement on Wednesday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said "Kenya mourns with the people and government of Belgium following the heinous terrorist attacks on Tuesday". He called on the international community to fight against "extremist enemies", Xinhua reported. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud termed the attacks as "barbaric" and "an affront to humanity". "We join the world in condemning the brutal attacks of civilians in Brussels. We grieve with those who have lost loved ones. We pray for the families affected," Hassan Mohamud said in a statement. Hassan Mohamud said is a global threat, requiring collective responsibility, adding Somalia, a country suffering from Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, continues to work closely with the international community to eradicate extremist groups. Blasts ripped through Zaventeen Airport and a metro station in Brussels on Tuesday morning. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility. An alleged rightwing activist hurled a shoe at Kanhaiya Kumar when the JNU student leader was addressing a meeting here on Thursday. The incident occurred at Sundraiah Vignan Kendram, as Kanhiaya Kumar was beginning his address at the seminar on constitutional rights. The shoe thrower, identified as Pawan Kumar, an activist of right-wing outfit Goraksha Samithi, sitting among the audience when he stood up, raised slogans against the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president and hurled the missile towards him on the dais. It, however, missed the target. Before hurling the shoe, he questioned why Kanhaiya Kumar, who he alleged supports terrorists like Afzal Guru, was being allowed to share the stage. Activists of All India Students Federation (AISF) and others among the audience caught hold of the show thrower and roughed him even as Kanhaiya Kumar appealed for restraint. Police intervened to take custody of the man. Continuing with his speech, Kanhaiya Kumar said that such incidents do not matter to him. "Do whatever you want to do, I am not the one to get scared. My way is the Gandhian way," he said, adding that his is the fight for freedom of expression. The student leader wanted to know at whose behest they are resorting to such acts. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition last month after anti-national slogans were allegedly raised during a meeting organised in memory of parliament attack convict Guru on JNU campus in New Delhi. The 28-year-old reiterated that Rohith Vemula and not Afzal Guru is his role model. Vemula, a Dalit research scholar of Hyderabad Central University (HCU), committed suicide in January due to alleged discrimination in the university. Police did not allow Kanhaiya Kumar to enter the Hyderabad University on Wednesday to address students and pay tributes to the late Vemula. Speaking at the entrance of the university, he alleged that the government is trying to suppress the voice of students by using canes against them On the second day of his visit to the city, Kanhaiya Kumar addressed a seminar and a news conference. He alleged that educational institutions are under attack. "There is an allegation that we are doing politics. Are we doing politics or is the government doing politics," he asked. The student leader said the government had a pre-planned script to destroy autonomy of universities. "The precise work of universities and intellectuals is to promote critical thinking," he said. Citing examples of FTII, Aligarh University, Hyder Central University and JNU, Kanhaiya Kumar claimed that the campuses are becoming war zones. He blamed the central government for blowing up the issue of "anti-national slogans" at JNU to divert attention from Vemula's suicide and its aftermath. "The struggle in JNU is an extension of the campaign in HCU for justice to Rohith Vemula. There is a similarity between HCU and JNU in the context of attack on autonomy of universities and fight of social justice," he said. He condemned police cane charge on students at the Hyderabad university in the name of internal security. He said the development agenda of the NDA government had taken a back seat and those criticising the government and those fighting for their rights were being branded "anti-nationals". "They have made Modi bhakti a synonym for Desh bhakti," Kanhaiya Kumar said. He vowed to fight for the introduction of a proposed "Rohith Act" that will make university officials legally liable for caste discrimination at universities. The JNU student leader said the dreams of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh should be fulfilled by ensuring social justice to dalits, tribals and other deprived sections. He later left for Vijayawada to address a meeting at a college there. Mehbooba Mufti is all set to become the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, after she was unanimously nominated as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the post, sources said. The PDP nominated Mehbooba, 56, as the legislature party leader and thus cleared decks for her to succeed her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who died in January, as the chief minister of the state. The sources said Mehbooba's name to head the PDP in the state assembly was proposed by senior party leader Muzaffar Hussain Beigh and was seconded by his senior colleague Abdur Rehman Veeri. The decision came as the party held a crucial meeting of its lawmakers who had gathered to discuss the government formation in the state. It was a constitutional requirement before Mehbooba stakes claim to power in India's only Muslim majority state. She presently represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. She will now have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government after Mehbooba's father died in a Delhi hospital on January 7. She was tipped to take over the reins soon but she dragged her feet on continuing to ally with the BJP and wanted it to redraw the alliance terms that had father had authored. After remaining entrenched in their respective positions for more than two months, the two partners warmed up to each other following Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday in Delhi. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, likely to be the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday visited her father's grave for prayers, hours before the party lawmakers were to hold a crucial meeting here to take a final call on the government formation in the state. Mehbooba went to the graveyard in the ancestral hometown of Bijbehara in south Kashmir Anantnag district. Accompanied by one of her two daughters, the PDP prayed there for a while before headding to Srinagar to attend the meeting with her legislators. Top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sources told IANS that the meeting would start at 4 p.m. at Mehbooba's Fairview residence in Srinagar's upscale Gupkar neighbourhood. "Mehbooba will apprise the legislators of her party about the developments including her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week," a PDP source said. "The party will deliberate on its future course of action with regard to the government formation in the state." The PDP legislature party has authorised Mehbooba to take a call on continuing the ruling alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But the party has not as yet nominated her as the leader in the state legislature, a constitutional requirement before she stakes claim to power. The sources said the PDP legislature party meeting is also likely to elect Mehooba as their leader. This dispels media speculations that she had decided to allow some other confidant to be nominated as the legislature party leader so that she could continue as the party president and also as the member of the Lok Sabha. Party insiders say it is highly unlikely that Mehbooba would stand down from her claim to chief ministership and allow somebody else to don the mantle because that could create infighting in the party. "She is the undisputed leader of the party. Nobody else is. It has to be her," said a senior PDP leader and former minister here. Mehbooba represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. If she gets elected as the leader of the state legislature party, the way would be paved for her to become the first woman chief minister of India's only Muslim majority state. In that case, she will have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government after Mehbooba's father and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died in a Delhi hospital. Mehbooba was widely speculated to take over the reins soon but she dragged her feet on continuing to ally with the BJP and wanted it to redraw the alliance terms that had father had authored. After remaining entrenched in their respective positions for more than two months, the two partners warmed up to each other following Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday in Delhi. Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Anthony J.C. De Sa on Thursday presided over a meeting to review the arrangements for President Pranab Mukherjee's two-day visit here in April. The president is slated to inaugurate the 'Retreat of the Supreme Court Judges' function at the National Judicial Academy here on April 16, official sources said. The president will arrive in Bhopal on April 15 evening and is scheduled to return to Delhi on April 16 afternoon. Senior civil, police and defence officers as well as representatives of the academy were present at the meeting. The mayor of one of 19 municipalities that make up Brussels has said that to enhance security, people need more resources and it was indispensable to have a better cooperation at the EU level with a true and effective database to exchange information. "Even if Belgium and in particular Brussels at this moment are more under the general attention because of terrorism, I think that unfortunately we are with different degrees all in the same situation," Marc-Jean Ghyssels, mayor of Forest municipality, told Xinhua. In Forest, fingerprints belonging to the November 2015 Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam were found earlier in March in a police raid. "We need to work together and not in a divided way," said Ghyssels. Ghyssels said the police district agent plays an important role because they know the field, they are in contact with the population and they know some secrets or can discover something unusual about a potential danger and communicate it to the judiciary police or the intelligence services. "The problem is that sometimes because of issues of human relations or career, the different services are maybe in competition, this can provoke a drift in the investigation and we should avoid that," he said. Ghyssels noted that people have to face problems on the basis of prevention projects with actions on the social, employment and housing aspects. There are young people not particularly disadvantaged who are bored with life and are searching for an adrenaline fix, he said. "About the future... my feeling is shared by a lot of experts on terrorism at a federal level and among the other mayors, that we are always under threat, there are what we could call 'sleeping' terrorists cells that could always rapidly act," he said. "We solved a little part of the problem and unfortunately other countries like France, Spain or Italy are not completely protected," the official added. Explosions at Brussels' Zaventem airport and at the Maelbeek metro station on Tuesday killed at least 31 people and injured about 300 others. Nigeria has beefed up security at airports in the country following the terrorist attacks in Brussels, an official said on Thursday. Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria spokesperson Yakubu Dati in a statement said sniffer dogs have been deployed in airports to carry out special checks, Xinhua reported. He said the authorities will not leave any stone unturned to ensure maximum security at the airports, especially during the Easter celebrations. All body scanners and CCTVs were operational at the airports, he added. He advised passengers to reach the airports on time for their check-in procedures in order not to miss their flights. Blasts ripped through the airport and a metro station in Brussels on Tuesday morning, killing at least 34 people. Nine persons were killed on Thursday in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh when their vehicle collided head-on with a truck, police said. The vehicle was packed with as many as 22 people, who were heading home after playing Holi, when it collided with the truck, a police officer said. A dozen people were injured in the accident and admitted to a nearby hospital, he said. The condition of four of the injured is said to be critical. The accident took place near Peer Bibyaani in Sikandarabad area. The deceased have been identified as Vipin, Naresh, Manju, Yogendra, Babloo, Mangeram, Sunny, Kashish and Meenu. Distict officials said adequate compensation, as per rules, will be given to the families of those killed in the accident. Actress Dascha Polanco, best known for playing Diaz on "Orange Is The New Black", has been freed from assault charges that her neighbour had filed against her. The Manhattan district attorney's office dismissed the case on Wednesday, reports people.com. Michelle Cardona accused Polanco of attacking her in the 18-year-old's house in Upper Manhattan last year. In the court documents, Cardona said she was punched in her face and head several times. Polanco also reportedly scratched Cardona's arms. Polanco had denied the allegations and her lawyer presented evidence to the district attorney's office demonstrating that the charges were false. Investigators conducted a "thorough investigation" into the allegations while Polanco was offered what was called an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. The charges would be formally dropped if Polanco remained trouble-free for six months. "From the start, Ms. Polanco has denied the allegations and we have said that the charges should be dismissed," attorney Gerald B. Lefcourt said in a statement. "We are pleased that after a thorough investigation and review of the actual evidence, the District Attorney's Office has done the right thing and agreed to dismiss the case against Ms. Polanco," Lefcourt added. New NASA-funded research provides evidence that the spin axis of Earth's moon shifted by about five degrees roughly three billion years ago. The evidence of this motion is recorded in the distribution of ancient lunar ice, evidence of delivery of water to the early solar system. "The same face of the moon has not always pointed towards Earth," said Matthew Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona. "As the axis moved, so did the face of the 'man in the moon'. He sort of turned his nose up at the Earth," Siegler noted in a paper appeared in the journal Nature. Water ice can exist on Earth's moon in areas of permanent shadow. If ice on the moon is exposed to direct sunlight it evaporates into space. The team show evidence that a shift of the lunar spin axis billions of years ago enabled sunlight to creep into areas that were once shadowed and likely previously contained ice. The researchers found that the ice that survived this shift effectively "paints" a path along which the axis moved. They matched the path with models predicting where the ice could remain stable and inferred the moon's axis had moved by approximately five degrees. This is the first physical evidence that the moon underwent such a dramatic change in orientation and implies that much of the polar ice on the moon is billions of years old. "The new findings are a compelling view of the moon's dynamic past," added Yvonne Pendleton, director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) in California. "It is wonderful to see the results of several missions pointing to these insights," he said. These findings may open the door to further discoveries on the interior evolution of the moon, as well as the origin of water on the moon and early Earth. Salah Abdeslam, the surviving suspect of the Paris terror attacks, has asked "to be transferred to France quickly", his lawyer said on Thursday. Initially opposing to be sent home, Abdeslam wanted to return to France "to explain himself", news channel BFMTV quoted his lawyer Sven Mary as saying. "Salah Abdeslam has asked me to inform you that he wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible. He wants to explain himself and this is a good thing," the lawyer said, according to Xinhua. Belgian public broadcaster RTBF reported that a Brussels court must decide on Thursday whether to extend the detention period for Abdeslam and several other suspects arrested in connection with the Paris attacks. Abdeslam, who was arrested in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, will not appear at the court hearing, RTBF added. The 26-year-old Frenchman, raised in Belgium, was accused of "participation in terrorist murder" that left 130 victims dead in the French capital on November 13 last year. According to a Paris prosecutor, he had planned to blow himself up in Paris, but changed his mind. All eyes are on Thursday's crucial Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislature party meet that will be held over the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. Top PDP sources told IANS that the meeting will start at 4 p.m. at the Fairview residence of paryt chief Mehbooba Mufti. "Mehbooba will apprise the legislators of her party about the developments including her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week," a PDP source said. "The party will deliberate on its future course of action with regard to government formation in the state." The PDP legislature party had authorised Mehbooba to take a call on the government formation in the state, but the party had not nominated her as the leader in the state legislature, a constitutional requirement before she can stake claim to power in the state. Sources in the party said during its course of deliberation on Thursday, the PDP legislature party is likely to elect Mehooba as its leader. This dispels media speculations that she had decided to allow some other confidante to be nominated as the legislature party leader so that she could continue as the party president and also as the member of the Lok Sabha. Party insiders say it is highly unlikely that Mehbooba would stand down from her claim to chief ministership and allow somebody else to don the mantle because that could create infighting in the party. "She is the undisputed leader of the party. Nobody else is. It has to be her," said a senior PDP leader and former minister here. Mehbooba represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. If she gets elected as the leader of the state legislature party, the way would be paved for her to become the first woman chief minister of India's only Muslim majority state. In that case, she will have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. Russian President on Thursday expressed hope that the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry will help narrow gaps in Moscow and Washington's positions on Syria and Ukraine crises. The cessation of hostilities and other positive outcomes on Syria issue became possible largely owing to the position of US leadership, in particular that of US President Barack Obama, Putin noted in his opening remarks at the meeting with Kerry. Read more from our special coverage on "VLADIMIR PUTIN" Vladimir Putin orders withdrawal of Russian military from Syria "...We have managed to find some common ground and, leaning on this, move forward to address both bilateral and issues," Putin stressed, Xinhua reported. Kerry expressed the hope that the talks could allow the two countries to find a way to "rebuild and strengthen the relationship between the US and Russia by proving that we can solve serious problems together." Kerry hailed the current truce between Syrian government and the opposition forces, which became reality thanks to US-Russia cooperation in both military and political ways. He also said Russia's withdrawing of the main part of its military forces deployed in Syria, which started on March 15, was "a very critical decision". "We obviously also have some ideas about how we can together, most effectively, make progress even deeper and then begin the very serious work regarding political transition process of Syria, " Kerry said. The top US diplomat added that issues on Ukraine crisis would also be discussed to push forward the peaceful settlement process. The meeting between Putin and Kerry, with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, is still ongoing. A press conference given by Lavrov and Kerry is expected late Thursday night after the discussions with Putin. Kerry's visit to Moscow is the first time this year and the third in 12 months, while his talks with Lavrov on Thursday morning lasted nearly four hours and mainly focused on issues related to Syrian and Ukrainian crises. Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav, who is also its Jammu and Kashmir affairs in charge, will hold talks with party legislators here on Friday over possible government formation with the PDP in the state. BJP sources said that union Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh will also attend the meeting that will come a day after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti's similar talks with her party legislators. The sources said that Jitendra Singh and Madhav, BJP's national general secretary, will arrive here on Friday. After the talks with lawmakers, state BJP president Sat Pal Sharma is scheduled to meet Governor N.N. Vohra. "The BJP high command has deputed Jitendra Singh and Ram Madhav to meet the BJP legislators and senior leaders to discuss government formation in the state after Mehbooba expressed satisfaction on her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a senior BJP leader said. "The political situation in the state would be discussed at the meeting," the leader said. Governor Vohra has called the PDP president and the BJP president for separate meetings with him here on Friday to discuss government formation in the state, Raj Bhawan sources said. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since January 8, a day after Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed passed away in a Delhi hospital. Vohra has been running the state administration with the help of advisors for the last over two months. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday celebrated Holi with party leaders and workers at the party headquarters here. "The Holi celebrations were on since Wednesday afternoon at the party office. Soniaji meets party leaders and workers on every Holi at her residence and celebrates the festival with them. But this time, she along with Rahulji visited the party headquarters," Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told IANS. He, however, said he and other Congress leaders who look after party affairs in Haryana did not observe Holi as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives during the recent Jat reservation stir. Former Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, party spokespersons Randeep Surjewala, Sandeep Dikshit and Meem Afzal were among those present at Holi celebrations at party headquarters. A leader of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress was killed in a bomb attack in South 24 Parganas district, police said on Thursday. According to police, Trinamool leader Abdul Mollah was attacked with bombs by unidentified men while he was returning from an election meeting on Wednesday night in Kakdwip, some 100 km from state capital Kolkata. The Trinamool has accused the Congress of orchestrating the attack. "Mollah was campaigning for me and it is clear that he was killed by Congress goons," Sunderbans Affairs Minister and Trinamool legislator Manturam Pakhira said. Rubishing Pakhira's allegations, the Congress said Mollah's killing was the result of "Trinamool's faction feud". Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton suggested a Donald Trump presidency would be 'Christmas for the Kremlin' only to have her billionaire rival hit back branding her incompetent. "If Mr. Trump gets his way, it'll be like Christmas in Kremlin," she said in an address Wednesday at Stanford University, California targeting Trump for his recent comments that the US should limit its involvement with NATO. Warning such a move would only be a boon for Russian President Vladimir Putin, "who already hopes to divide Europe," Clinton said, "It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous. "When it comes to the struggle against ISIS, we need our allies as much as ever. We need them to be strong and engaged for they are increasingly on the front lines," she said describing NATO as "one of the best investments America has ever made." In her speech on terrorism in the wake of the attacks in Brussels, the former secretary of state also attacked Trump's closest rival Ted Cruz, who on Tuesday called for patrolling Muslim neighbourhoods in the US as a way of combating ISIS. "When Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods, it's wrong, it's counterproductive, it's dangerous," Clinton said. "One thing we know that does not work is offensive inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims," she added. "These Americans are a crucial line of defense against terrorism." Clinton also blasted the Republican candidates for condoning torture as a means of fighting terrorists. Donald Trump was quick to respond to Clinton's attacks. "Just watched Hillary deliver a prepackage speech on terror. She's been in office fighting terror for 20 years -- and look where we are!" he tweeted. Donald Trump also branded Clinton as incompetent questioning his rival's capability to be commander-in-chief. "I think people will see I'm much more competent than she is," Trump told Bloomberg Politics' "With all due respect, I think I'm much smarter than she is. I think I'm much more competent than she is." Trump's used the same phrase during an appearance on Fox News' Tuesday. "Incompetent Hillary doesn't know what she's talking about," he said. "She doesn't have a clue. She's made such bad decisions." Trump later took to twitter to re-up his new phrase. "Incompetent Hillary, despite the horrible attack in Brussels today, wants borders to be weak and open-and let the Muslims flow in," he tweeted. "No way!" (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) After nearly 23 years, beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya has decided to step down as the chairman of pharma major Sanofi India Ltd, the company said in a statement here. SIL said Mallya has conveyed his decision not to seek re-election as a director at the company's ensuing Annual General Meeting. Mallya had first joined as director in December 1973 in the SIL - then known as Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd - and then functioned as the board chairman since December 1983. "I have been privileged to preside over the Board of this Company, which started as Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and to have participated in its phenomenal growth and prosperity over such an extraordinarily long period of time," Mallya said in a farewell statement. He described SIL as not only financially strong but with an impeccable track record and it was gratifying that it continued serving needy patients in India with world-class medication while ensuring consistent returns to all stakeholders. SIL Managing Director Shailesh Ayyangar said under Mallya's leadership, in the past 10 years, SIL's sales grew from Rs.800 crore to Rs.2,000 crore, share price shot up from Rs.1,655 to Rs.4,358, market cap has almost tripled and the employee strength more than doubled from 1,500 to 3,700. The SIL announced plans to induct Aditya Narayan and Usha Thorat as two new independent directors for five years from April 30, 2016. Subject to fulfilling all requirements, Narayan, 64, is slated to take over as the next SIL Chairman in place of Mallya. Listed on both BSE and NSE, SIL's parent company Sanofi has 60.4% equity stake in this legal entity, and its portfolio includes pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare products. In pharma, SIL has a strong presence in diabetes, being the only company with a balanced oral and insulin portfolio. Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next week, a senior official said on Thursday. "It will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. It will be of great significance in advancing the bilateral relationship in a sustained and stable way," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said at a briefing on Xi's upcoming overseas trip, Xinhua news agency reported. Li said Xi will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Invited by Obama, Xi will attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington from March 31 to April 1. Prior to that, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28-30 at the invitation of President Milos Zeman. Chaos prevailed at a meeting addressed by JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar here on Thursday as a slogan-shouting youth threw a slipper at him. The incident occurred at Sundraiah Vignan Kendram, as Kanhiaya Kumar was beginning his address at the seminar on constitutional rights. The youth sitting among the audience stood up, raised slogans against the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president and threw a slipper towards him on the dais. It, however, missed the target. The youth questioned why Kanhaiya Kumar, who he alleged supports terrorists like Afzal Guru, was being allowed to share the stage. Activists of All India Students Federation (AISF) and others among the audience caught hold of the youth and roughed him even as Kanhaiya Kumar appealed for restraint. Police intervened to take custody of the youth. Another youngster said to be accompanying him was also arrested. Their identity was not immediately known. Continuing with his speech, Kanhaiya Kumar said that such incidents do not matter to him. "Do whatever you want to do, I am not the one to get scared. My way is the Gandhian way," he said. The student leader wanted to know at whose behest they are resorting to such acts. Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition last month after anti-national slogans were allegedly raised during a meeting organised in memory of parliament attack convict Guru on JNU campus in New Delhi. Police did not allow him to enter University of Hyderabad on Wednesday. He wanted to address students and pay tributes to Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar who committed suicide in January. March 23 was a busy day for politicians and diplomats alike. For politicians, it was martyrs' day as they competed to lay claim to the legacy of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev who were hanged on this day in 1931. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal unveiled their statues, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a drive to appropriate the memory of the trio to its cause of nationalism. In Hyderabad, student leader Kanhaiya Kumar likened the mother of Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide in January, to that of Bhagat Singh's mother. The Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh celebrated the birth anniversary of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia. Several BJP leaders also tweeted birthday wishes to Union Minister Smriti Irani, who turned 40. And diplomats queued up to attend a dinner by the Pakistan High Commission to celebrate Pakistan's National Day. Almost 90 years ago, the last president of the United States to visit Cuba, Calvin Coolidge, addressed the island nation's grandees in the ornate Grand Theatre in Havana. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama stood on that very stage and declared that the last destructive legacy of the Cold War, the schism between the US and the country that was once its closest ally in the Americas, was at an end. In the audience was Cuban President Raul Castro, brother of the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro; and Mr Obama was careful to address the fears of Cuba's leaders and of its founding generation by saying that the US would not impose its economic and political system on Cuba. But, in words that were surely unprecedented for any live broadcast in that tightly regimented country, the American president nevertheless spoke up for free expression and the exchange of ideas, saying that Cubans themselves could build a new and prosperous Cuba if they were granted the opportunity to seek out new ideas and express them freely. With reference to "Nepal seals transit treaty with China" (March 22), pushed to the wall by our ham-handed policy towards Nepal, the land-locked country, as anticipated, has finally been drawn closer to China. Its transit treaty with China and relieving its total age-old dependence on India bear testimony to a flawed policy towards an otherwise historically friendly neighbour. Immediately after Independence, Indian foreign policy makers followed a conscious policy towards its strategically situated northern border to ensure the directions we took did not force Nepal to look to China, particularly in view of the latter's forcible occupation of Tibet. China's influence in the international arena has grown manifold since then. The Narendra Modi-led government's handling of the Madhesi agitation against certain provisions of the newly enacted constitution of Nepal that led to a crippling blockade can be directly linked to China grabbing the opportunity of reducing Kathmandu's dependence on Delhi for providing transit facilities for goods exported from and imported to Nepal from third countries. For a variety of historical, cultural, economic and strategic reasons, we need to further improve our bilateral relations with Nepal and revisit our policy. Modi would need to adopt some pragmatic approach to Nepal in our policy orientation before it is too late. SK Choudhury, Bengaluru Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201 E-mail: letters@bsmail.in All letters must have a postal address and telephone number With reference to "IS claims responsibility; toll at least 30" (March 23), terror struck once again as Islamic State (IS) carried out twin attacks killing and wounding several people in Brussels. Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon said the country was on high alert sensing a possible revenge attack following the capture of the Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam. Does it hint at a failure of intelligence? Many believe that until the West gets out of the Middle East, IS will have reason to recruit suicide bombers and similar attacks will continue in the western world, Europe and also possibly India. It is high time the threat posed by IS was dispelled. In general, military and government advisers deal with emergencies as they come up without a long-term strategy. But unless the international community unites and starts an all-out war against IS there will be no end to terrorism. One is unable to understand why Western powers do not rein in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey that are accused of funding or backing IS. Restoring peace and democracy in Syria has become more important than ever. Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201 E-mail: letters@bsmail.in All letters must have a postal address and telephone number The political crisis in Uttarakhand took a new turn, with the Congress dragging into the picture accusing him of hatching a plot jointly with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership to topple the state government but the yoga guru on Thursday refuted the charge. Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress President Kishore Upadhyay created a flutter in political circles here on Wednesday by alleging that the yoga guru and BJP chief Amit Shah had hatched a conspiracy together to dislodge the state government and the rebellion against Harish Rawat by the partys MLAs was a result of this. Claiming that he had enough evidence to substantiate his charge, Upadhyay said was in touch with Congress rebels and is one of the key persons besides the BJP president involved in hatching a conspiracy against the ruling party... He (Ramdev) worked like a BJP agent to foment a rebellion against the state government and topple it. Upadhyay said was in touch with the nine rebel Congress MLAs before March 18 when the crisis erupted in the state Assembly during a vote on the appropriation Bill on the states annual Budget. However, taking cognisance of newspaper reports in this regard, Ramdev said he was unnecessarily being dragged into the ongoing political turmoil in the state despite the fact that he had nothing to do with it. I read in the newspapers that Ramdev and Amit Shah together conspired to topple the state government. Not even in my dream did I have a talk with any Congress MLA or party worker. Whatever we do, we do it openly. If we have to make or break something we do it openly we dont do anything with a hidden agenda behind the curtains, Ramdev told reporters in Haridwar when asked to comment on the charges levelled against him. We have no role to play in this matter. Political parties are responsible for political incidents, he said. Reacting to this, Pradesh Congress chief spokesman Mathuradutt Joshi said no amount of clarification on part of the yoga guru can absolve him of his role in the political crisis in Uttarakhand. The yoga guru runs a business empire worth nearly Rs 2000 crore in Uttarakhand and there are a number of cases under investigation against his trust. He has many scores to settle with the state government. The involvement of Ramdev and the top BJP leadership in the ongoing rebellion is direct, Joshi said. was today unanimously elected as PDP legislature party leader, with a senior leader saying that she is the PDP nominee for the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister's post. The 56-year-old PDP President was elected the leader of the legislature party at a meeting of PDP MLAs, MLCs and MPs at her residence in high-security Gupkar this evening. Mehbooba is PDP's nominee for the Chief Minister's post, said senior party leader Muzaffar Baig after the meeting. Mehbooba thanked the party legislators for showing faith in her leadership and electing her as the legislature party leader. She also thanked PDP leaders and workers for their support to her during the nearly three-month-long stalemate over government formation in the state. " is nothing without your support. I thank you for your support over the last three months," she said. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs met in Srinagar today to take the final call regarding the formation of a new government in the state. The meeting was to deliberate upon the continuance of the PDP's alliance with BJP following party Chief Mehbooba Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday. Soon after the meeting, Mufti had said that she would take a final decision regarding the government formation and PDP-BJP alliance after consulting her party MLAs in the legislature meeting. Describing her meeting with the Prime Minister as positive, the PDP Chief had had expressed satisfaction about its outcome. "I am satisfied after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was a very positive meeting. A stalemate was going on for a long time. A final call will be taken after the legislature meet on Thursday," Mehbooba told the media here. Mufti met Prime Minister Modi at the 7 Race Course Road in a last ditch effort to renew a partnership between the PDP and the BJP to form government in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlierb BJP said it was committed to the implementation of already agreed Agenda of Alliance. PDP is yet to come up with the reaction to the allegations of opposition parties. State Governor NN Vohra has called separate meetings with PDP Chief and BJP State Unit President tomorrow. Meanwhile BJP has clarified that it has not accepted any new condition from PDP for the formation of a new government in the state. Talking to media persons in New Delhi, party General Secretary Ram Madhav said during her meeting with the Prime Minister thePDP Chief did not raise any demand. Decks were on Thursday cleared for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President to take over as the first woman chief minister (CM) of Jammu and Kashmir, after she was unanimously elected as the legislature party leader and nominated as the party's CM candidate. Mehbooba, 56, was elected as the leader of PDP Legislature Party at a meeting of senior leaders, which included members of parliament, members of legislative Assembly and members of legislative council, at her residence here. PDP will now need a letter of support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - seen as a mere formality - to become the first woman chief minister of the state. "A meeting of all the senior leaders of PDP was held. During the meeting, the legislators of the party decided that should be the leader of the legislature party and should be nominated as a candidate for the post of chief minister of the state," senior party leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig told reporters after the one-and-a-half-hour-long meeting. Earlier in the day, the PDP president visited her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's grave in Bijbehara in south Kashmir. "Mehbooba visited her father's grave in Bijbehara to offer prayers just before she takes final call with regard to government formation with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir," a PDP leader said. The PDP-BJP coalition, after 10 months rule from March 2015 to January, ran into rough weather following the death of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7, after which the state came under the Governor's Rule. Since then, the PDP leadership has sought confidence building measures and assurances on the implementation of the already agreed Agenda for Alliance from the Centre for forming the government again. Hopes for government formation were revived after Mehbooba met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday. She termed the meeting as "positive", saying she was "satisfied" with the discussions with the Prime Minister. In another development, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah accused Mehbooba of showing indecisive and wavering leadership on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. "If the last two months are a precursor and an indication of the next more than four years to come - God save our state for such indecisive, wavering leadership," he wrote on his Facebook page. Omar said for over two months, the state has witnessed a roller-coaster performance of political posturing from PDP underlined by a display of indecisive leadership. "After the demise of late Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) Sahib, declared her unwillingness to take over the reins of power unless BJP and the central government announced certain confidence building measures (CBMs)," he said. Mehbooba had termed her father's decision to align with BJP as an "unpopular" one, he said and noted that her intentions were viewed as docile and noble - at least as far as BJP is concerned. "She wanted to be seen as a rebel who was immune to the temptation of power that her father had succumbed to. What started as her claim for higher moral ground has ended in the same old territory of serious contradictions - by now an all too familiar hallmark of her and that of her party's," he said. PDP is now clearly about to form the government with BJP and Mehbooba Mufti would become the Chief Minister, shattering the expectations raised by them for the last two months, he said. Omar questioned as to how such a leadership will confront divisive forces that threaten the state's integrity, its amity and its peace. "How will such indecisiveness affect the state politically and economically is something that remains to be seen. Sadly, the script seems to have been written and the preview is alarming," he said. The rebellion that Uttarakhand Chief Minister is witnessing in the state Assembly is nothing new for him. Prior to the revolt by nine Congress MLAs led by Vijay Bahuguna and Harak Singh Rawat to oust him from office, Rawat himself had spearheaded a revolt against the Congress in 2012 when he was ignored for the top job in the hill state by the party high command. At that time, he was minister of state in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet. But he chose not to leave the party. Instead of sulking, Rawat started building his image as an articulate leader, appearing regularly on prime-time TV news debates on various policy matters. Soon, he was heading the key water resource ministry as a full-fledged Cabinet minister. Rawat also kept the pressure on Bahuguna, who was Uttarakhand's chief minister then. Within two years, he managed to dislodge Bahuguna and fulfilled his long-cherished dream of becoming the chief minister of the state on February 1, 2014. Close aides of Rawat admit that he never gives in easily and uses all political tools to marginalise his adversaries. This art, they say, he learnt from veteran Congress leader Narayan Dutt Tiwari. In his long political journey, Rawat has seen many ups and downs in . When Uttarakhand was formed in 2000, the presence of Congress in the hill state was almost negligible. The Bharatiya Janata Party's lotus was in full bloom. Even in the interim assembly at that time, there were just three members of the Congress in the 23-member House with 17 belonging to the ruling BJP. And then came Rawat. He was chosen by the Congress high command to head and revitalise the state unit. Rawat, with his intelligent organisational skills, single-handedly set about the task of reviving the party. He strengthened the organisation at the block level in such a way that the party scored a stunning victory in the assembly elections in 2002 by getting the majority on its own. The Congress's win came as a shock to BJP which had played a major role in the formation of the hill state. But as Congress's fortunes started to soar in Uttarakhand, the party chose to ignore Rawat and brought in Tiwari, a political heavyweight, to head the first elected government of the state in 2002. This was a bitter pill that Rawat quietly swallowed despite mounting pressure from several party MLAs to defect and join hands with BJP to form a new government in the state. Rawat remained loyal to the Congress party and continued to head its state unit till 2007. Every time he was sidelined by Tiwari and other detractors, Rawat bounced back and emerged stronger. And when he took oath as chief minister in 2014, his 12-year-long wait finally came to an end; he was the top contender for the post in 2002 and then again in 2012. Born on 27 March 1949 in Mohanari, near Almora, Rawat has a bachelor's degree in law from Lucknow University. He began his political career from the grass-roots level as a student leader and gradually worked his way up. In 1974, he was elected the district head of the party unit. In 1980, Rawat got the ticket to contest for the Lok Sabha seat from Almora and defeated BJP stalwart Murli Manohar Joshi. He created a hat-trick by winning the seat in the next three Lok Sabha elections till 1989. However, after the resurgence of BJP following the Ram Temple movement in 1991, Rawat's luck ran out. He faced defeat four times since 1991. In 2002 after the he was ignored for the post of state chief minister, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. At the same time, he continued to be the state party chief till 2007. Meanwhile, Rawat managed to get a ticket for his wife, Renuka, from the Almora seat in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. But Renuka lost to BJP's Bachi Singh Rawat. After Almora seat was declared reserved for SC candidates, Rawat shifted his constituency to Haridwar where he won with more than 100,000 votes in the 2009 general election. Pakistan today said that 132 of its traders were detained at the Moscow airport by Russian authorities and efforts were underway to repatriate the remaining 84 nationals. Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafess Zakaria said that these Pakistanis were part of a group of traders, who were traveling to Russia for an exhibition yesterday when they were detained at the Moscow airport. Russia already sent back 48 Pakistanis yesterday while the remaining 84 will be soon brought back, said Zakaria. "The Foreign office is in touch with Russian embassy in Islamabad on the matter," he said. It was not known why they were held and being deported back, he said. The Express News TV reported Pakistan's ambassador to Russia Qazi Khalilullah saying that the Pakistan embassy in Moscow is negotiating with the Russian authorities for their release. "A Pakistan embassy official is at the airport to negotiate with the Russian authorities for the release of these men," he said. The incident comes after the Brussels attacks on Tuesday which killed more than 30 people and created worldwide panic. Sixteen persons, including 14 goons from Madurai, were today arrested on charges of assaulting three persons and demolishing a shed, police said. Police said, Ashwin, an advocate by profession, had been complaining that parking of lorries, in which water was being supplied to the hill town by one Meenakshisundaram, has been causing inconvenience, as the vehicles blocked the pathway to his house and office at Kunda here. As Meenakshisundaram continued parking the lorries, Ashwin sought permission from the district administration to use an earthmover to clean his premises, and allegedly demolished the lorry shed belonging to Meenakshisundaram. One Vignesh, who was sleeping in the shed was caught in the debris and sustained serious injuries, they said, adding, he has been admitted to hospital. When Meenakshisundaram sought an explanation from Ashwin, some goons, allegedly engaged by Ashwin, from Madurai started assaulting him and his brother, following which they were hospitalised, police said. The goons also assaulted an aged woman, who attempted to intervene and stop the fight.However, on hearing her cries, a large number of people gathered at the spot and caught the goons before informing police. Ashwin, his father and the goons were arrested, Town DSP, Manikandan said, adding, they have been remanded to judicial custody. At least 19 workers have been killed in a coal mine accident in north China's Shanxi Province, official media reported today. The accident occurred at around 10:10 PM last night in the mine of Shanxi Datong Coal Mine Group, sources were quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua agency. State-run CCTV said there were 129 people underground when the accident happened but the others reached safety. A 19-year-old Indian has been arrested in the US for entering America "without proper immigration inspection," officials said. Gurtej Singh faces up to six months in prison, a USD 5,000 (Rs 3.3 lakh) fine and deportation from the US, officials said yesterday. He was arrested by agents of the US Border Patrol (USBP) in New York on Tuesday after getting information from Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police based on a tip-off from a local resident. The US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York will criminally prosecute Singh under under charges of 'Improper Entry by Alien', a media release said. Following his arrest, officials interviewed Singh, who was unable to produce any immigration documents that would allow him to enter or be present in the US. Record checks said Singh has no immigration or criminal history in the US, a media release said. "This is a great example of our integration with our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. "The quick response of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police kept this illegal alien from successfully entering the US without proper immigration inspection," USBP Patrol Agent in Charge Wade A Laughman said. German authorities have brought the first sexual assault charge stemming from New Year's Eve mob violence in the western city of Cologne against an Algerian man, prosecutors said today. The 26-year-old suspect is believed to have groped a woman while he and around 10 other men surrounded her at the city's main train station, a spokesman for the Cologne administrative court told AFP. "The first sexual assault charge has now been filed," the spokesman said, nearly three months after the events that inflamed public debate about a huge influx of refugees and migrants to Germany. The Algerian national, who was not named, is also accused of stealing the victim's mobile phone from her handbag. The suspect's 23-year-old brother is accused of stealing another woman's phone while he and other men surrounded her, but a sexual assault was not reported. It was not immediately clear when the cases would go to trial, the spokesman added. Prosecutors received more than 1,100 criminal complaints over incidents on New Year's Eve in Germany's fourth biggest city, including over 480 accusations of sexual assault, agency DPA reported. Most of the 120 suspects are from Algeria or Morocco, including recent arrivals and men who have been in Germany for years. Only three people have been convicted in the ensuing months, for theft, and the city's police chief conceded in February that most perpetrators may never be caught. The attacks fanned tensions in Germany, which took in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, and put intense pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel for her welcoming stance toward refugees fleeing war. Far-right groups railed against "sex jihadists" and "rapefugees" in street rallies and the events were seen as pivotal in delivering strong results to a populist anti-migrant party, the AfD, in three state elections this month. Eighty-six fishermen, who were recently released from a Pakistani jail, today reached Gujarat's coastal town Veraval to a warm welcome by their families. "It is double celebration as I meet my family members on the day of Holi after a year," said Nathubhai, one of the released fishermen, at Veraval railway station in Gir-Somnath district. The fishermen had been arrested by Pakistani authorities for allegedly trespassing into Pakistan's territorial waters. They were released from Karachi's Landhi jail on March 20 and crossed over to India through Wagah border. A majority of fishermen who reached Veraval today belonged to Gujarat, while a few others were from Maharashtra and West Bengal. The Gujarati fishermen were from Una, Talala, Kodinar, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Valsad, Secretary of National Fishworkers' Forum, Manish Lodhri said. Earlier, another batch of 86 fishermen had been released from Karachi jail a few weeks ago. "There are still 400 Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails. We recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to help release them and more urgently get 18 fishermen freed who are in Karachi jail for the last four years," Lodhri said. At least nine revellers died, six of them drowned, while 50 others were injured across Odisha where Holi was celebrated today. While six revellers died due to drowning in Puri, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Cuttack districts, three others were killed in road accidents at different places across the state. A minor boy died while taking a bath after Holi in a pond near Sankareswar area of Puri. In Jajpur district, a man drowned to death in Brahmani River near Sukal Malla Shah Ghat of Bari. In Bhadrak district, a student of Avantika ITI identified as Jyotirmay Pradhan was drowned while taking bath after celebrating the festival of colour. Yet another drowning incident was reported from Cuttack district as a youth was taking bath in river Mahanadi. In Sambalpur district, a 34-year-old man drowned in Sasan canal of Hirakud dam, while another man died due to drowning in Hirakud dam system near Burla, police said. Meanwhile, two revellers were killed while returning after playing Holi as their motor-cycle skidded off the road near a sharp turn on Dhenkanal-Kapilas road in Dhenkanal district, Inspector In-Charge of Dhenkanal Sadar police station Sasmita Barik said. A youth died in a similar road accident in Bhubaneswar, police said. Of the 50 injured, over two dozen persons were rushed to the Capital Hospital here after road mishaps, while some others were admitted to the SCB Medical College Hospital and in other places. Salah Abdeslam, the suspected Paris attacker arrested in Brussels on March 18, has not cooperated with investigators since the attacks in the Belgian capital, his lawyer told Europe 1 radio in an interview broadcast today. "I think he wanted to see me because he had a visit from the investigators" on Tuesday, said lawyer Sven Mary. Asked if Abdeslam had cooperated with the investigators following the triple bomb attack in Brussels, Mary said: "No". "I don't want him to close up again. If he closes up again, we will be facing more cases like Zaventem and the Bataclan," he said, referring to Brussels airport hit Tuesday and the Paris concert hall struck by jihadists on November 13. Asked what Abdeslam thought of the Brussels attacks, Mary said: "I don't want to know what he thinks. At this stage, it's not important." Abdeslam, 26, who was shot in the leg during his arrest last Friday in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, "is recovering bit by bit from his injury, which was not serious," Mary said. Investigators believe Abdeslam played a key role in organising the attacks in Paris but appears to have dumped his suicide vest at the last minute. He was caught after four months on the run, and is being kept in a high-security prison in Bruges in northwest Belgium. Shortly after his arrest, Mary had told reporters that Abdeslam was cooperating with investigators. An activist, who was part of a mob which protested mining operations in Cauvrem village of South Goa, was allegedly assaulted by inmates inside a judicial lock-up in Sada sub-jail here, police said today. According to police, Ravindra Velip, who was amongst five activists arrested yesterday after protests against mining, was assaulted last night by the inmates. "We received information that one inmate was assaulted in Sada judicial lock-up. We approached Velip but he refused to file a formal complaint," police inspector Kapil Naik, in-charge of Mormugao police station told reporters here. The assault happened minutes before Velip was supposed to be released on bail. Jail authorities said since the inmate has not filed any complaint, an inquiry cannot be initiated. "Once he was out on bail, he went to Goa Medical College and got himself treated," a senior jail official said. Villagers of Cauvrem are protesting against transportation of ore by a mining firm through their village road. The iron ore export in Goa has begun after Supreme Court lifted the ban imposed on the mining activity. Defence ministers and officials of 27 African and Arab countries began a two-day meeting in Egypt on Thursday that will explore military and counter-terrorism cooperation. Members of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) were meeting in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, where the Egyptian military deployed in force to secure the conference. "The situation in the Sahel-Saharan states is very worrying," said the Nigerien CEN-SAD Secretary General Ibrahim Sani Abani in his opening speech, citing weapons and narcotics trafficking, and jihadist groups such as Boko Haram. Read more from our special coverage on "TERROR" "This phenomenon knows no boundaries and no state can protect only itself, it requires a coordinated and concerted response." In a statement, he had said the meeting would discuss draft agreements on military cooperation and conflict resolution, and drug and arms trafficking. Several of the bloc's members, including Egypt, are locked in wars with jihadist groups who have killed thousands of people in attacks and taken control of some territories. "Terrorism and extremism presents a strong threat that has spread across all continents," Egyptian Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi said in a speech, after calling for a moment of silence for victims of attacks. In Egypt alone, Islamist militants have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers, and bombed a plane carrying Russian tourists that had taken off from Sharm El-Sheikh in October, killing 224 people. The meeting in Sharm is the fifth CEN-SAD defence ministers' meeting since the bloc's founding in 1998. The group was founded in part to promote a free trade area among member states. Estranged DMK leader today called on his father and party chief M Karunanidhi here, even as his brother and party treasurer Stalin said the meeting had no political connotations and asked the media not to "create unnecessary confusion." Alagiri called on Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence and also met his mother, Dayalu Ammal. The meeting was "to make amends with my FATHER", Alagiri was quoted as saying according to his son Dhayanidhi's Twitter handle. "Went to make amends with my FATHER ... With absolutely no agenda to it... Father being the operative word here...- MK Alagiri," the tweet on Dhayanidhi's handle said. The meeting sparked off speculation that the former Madurai strongman, dismissed for anti-party activities in 2014, might make a comeback, which Stalin sought to scotch. "There is no party-related or political problem (angle to the meeting). You (media) please don't create unnecessary confusion," Stalin told reporters. Party spokesperson, T K S Elangovan, responding to queries about Alagiri's re-induction in DMK, said "party high command has to decide," on the matter. A former strongman of DMK in Madurai and southern districts, Alagiri was dismissed from the party for allegedly violating party discipline, following his repeated criticism of senior DMK leaders and reported power struggle with younger brother Stalin. It was a riot of colours and festivities at the official residence of BJP President Amit Shah here today with a swarm of party workers coming to greet him and play Holi. Besides party activists, some Union ministers also dropped by to greet Shah at his 11, Akbar Road residence. Earlier in the day, Shah greeted people on the occasion of Holi. "Heartiest greetings to all on the joyous mega festival of Holi," Shah tweeted. Amid beats of drums with local artistes dancing to the tune of traditional music, Shah played Holi with gulal with enthusiastic party workers, who had gathered in the lawns of his residence since morning. Before this, he exchanged festival greetings also with the party workers. Amnesty International urged Aung San Suu Kyi and her party's new government to release all political prisoners when they take office next week, saying Thursday that Myanmar's historic transition is an opportunity to break away from the repression of the former junta rule. "Myanmar's legal framework reads like a textbook of repression, and authorities have in recent years increasingly used it to silence dissent," Champa Patel, Amnesty International's Southeast Asia director, told reporters. Serious questions remain unanswered about the new government's power to improve human rights given that the constitution keeps several key institutions under the military's control, including the ministries of home affairs, which oversees the police, defense and border affairs. Amnesty's report, based on interviews with human rights defenders, activists, lawyers, and prisoners of conscience and their families, documents the widespread crackdown on political opponents in the past two years. It said the government has relied on draconian laws and other intimidating tactics to silence dissent. Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy party to a historic win in the November 8 elections, and will replace a nominally civilian, military-backed government that has been in power since 2011. Before that, Myanmar was ruled by the military since 1962. During that time, the junta kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for several years, and jailed hundreds of her supporters and other critics. While the government has released more than 1,100 detainees over the years, some remain in jails. Amnesty International says it knows of almost 100 political prisoners still behind bars, while hundreds of other activists are in detention or waiting for their trials to end. The outgoing government and Suu Kyi's party have not yet commented on the report. Amnesty also called on the new government to review all cases and ensure no peaceful activists are imprisoned and to amend or repeal all laws used to crack down on human rights. The NLD's willingness to free prisoners of conscience is not in doubt, but it may not be able to do so: The Corrections Department is under the military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs. Even after "we have the new government and parliament, they will not have the full authority to manage the country," said Bo Kyi of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. "The Constitution says the commander-in-chief is the most powerful person in the country." The laws themselves have also been applied in ways that add to their severity against dissenters and activists. In one such case, Htin Kyaw is serving 13 years and 10 months for distributing leaflets criticising the government. He was charged with the same offence separately in all 11 townships where he handed out the leaflets. Bangladesh Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty of a top Islamist militant for carrying out a bomb attack in 2005 that had left eight secular activists dead, authorities said today. "The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday confirmed the death penalty of JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) operative Asaduzzaman Chowdhury, upholding the trial court and the subsequent High Court judgments," a spokesman of the attorney general's office told PTI. Eight people had died and 40 others injured in the 2005 attack on the offices of two secular groups that organised cultural events. JMB was banned after a series of bombings across the country in 2005. A special Dhaka court in 2008 had handed down Chowdhury and two other fellow JMB members the death penalty. His other two accomplices weretried in absentia and are still on the run. JMB's founder Shaikh Abdur Rahman and five of his key associates were hanged in March 2007 and hundreds of JMB men were hunted down as Bangladesh launched a massive anti- militancy campaign. Belgian ministers under fire for intelligence failings over the deadly Islamic State suicide attacks on Brussels admitted "errors" and have offered to quit as the country lowered its terror alert following the bombings. Belgium held moving ceremonies to mourn the victims of the suicide attacks on Brussels' airport and metro on Tuesday, which struck the symbolic heart of Europe and have put security agencies across the continent on edge. Prime Minister Charles Michel refused to accept the resignations of the interior and justice ministers after Turkey said it deported airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui and warned Belgium that he was a "terrorist foreign fighter", but was ignored. With criticism growing that international authorities failed to follow links between Tuesday's bombings and the attacks on France in November, key Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam insisted he was unaware of plans to strike the Belgian capital. Police arrested Abdeslam just around the corner from his family home in Brussels today, after he spent four months on the run as the last surviving member of the attackers who killed 130 people in Paris. Abdeslam's lawyer Sven Mary said yesterday his client now did not want to fight extradition to Paris and insisted Abdeslam "didn't know" in advance about the Brussels attacks. But Belgium is reeling from revelations that three of the Brussels attackers - including Ibrahim El Bakraoui and his brother Khalid, who bombed Maalbeek metro station - were known to police and had strong links to Abdeslam. Interior minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens both tendered their resignations yesterday over the claims that Ibrahim El Bakraoui had slipped through the net despite being arrested by Turkey near the Syrian border and deported to the Netherlands. "There were errors at Justice and with the (Belgian) liaison officer in Turkey," Jambon was quoted as telling the Le Soir daily. Prosecutors meanwhile confirmed that Khalid El Bakraoui was the subject of an international warrant for terrorism in relation to the Paris attacks and had rented out a flat used by the Paris cell in the Belgian city of Charleroi. Belgian authorities are now seeking a new suspect with a large bag seen talking to Khalid El Bakraoui on CCTV footage at Maalbeek station, who then did not get on to the train with the bomber, police sources told AFP. Belgium lowered its terror alert to the second-highest level today, two days after the triple suicide attacks at Brussels airport and on a subway train, Interior Minister Jan Jambon said. The minister said on RTL television that the alert had been lowered from the maximum level of four to three on the suggestion of the group that evaluates the terror threat. PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari today called for equal rights for all citizens in Pakistan, irrespective of their religion, and said the minorities must have the opportunity to hold important government positions. "If a Muslim can become the President of India, then why can't a person belonging to the minority community hold an important official position in Pakistan," Bilawal told a large gathering of Hindu supporters in Umarkot district. Umarkot houses the largest population of Hindus in the southern Sindh province which has been a traditional hold of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The only son of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto visited Umarkot to take part in the Holi celebrations with the Hindu community. "I want a Pakistan where every citizen no matter from which community has equal rights," Bilawal said. "It cannot be that Pakistan for Muslims is different from Pakistan for the minorities. It cannot be that Pakistan for men is different from Pakistan for women," he said. The Hindu community leaders presented a traditional Rajasthani headgear and smeared colour on his face to celebrate the festival as Bilawal also tossed powder colors in the air to kickoff the function. The PPP chief vowed to fight for the rights of minorities and insisted law should be equal for everyone. "We can't have a country where Muslims and minorities, rich and poor, labourers and businessmen, farmers and landlord, men and women live with separate statuses." "I do not want one kind of Pakistan for Pervez Musharraf and a different Pakistan for Benazir Bhutto," he added. He said the Pakistan dreamt off by Quaid-e-Azam envisioned a country where the state didn't have to do anything with the religion of individuals and where everyone was free to go to their own places of worship. A daily programme, broadcast by All India Radio's Thrissur regional centre in Kerala, has invited the wrath of BJP which said it was portraying Hindu gods in poor light and it will fight it legally. While the AIR staff alleged that a local BJP leader had threatened them with dire consequences if they did not give a "corrective" version of the programme removing anti-Hindu contents, BJP said it would soon file a case against those behind the act. 'Subhashitham', a programme presented by scholar Dr C N Parameswaran last week, had allegedly depicted the mythical war between 'devas' and 'asuras' as the fight between the upper class, who came from outside the country, and the indigenous people. The BJP alleged the morning programme, which has a wide audience, portrayed Hindu gods Lord Rama and Lord Krishna as "oppressors" and had thus hurt the community's sentiments. The issue triggered a controversy after BJP state secretary B Gopalakrishnan allegedly "threatened" a woman programme executive of AIR and station-director in-charge for broadcasting the programme. Gopalakrishnan, however, denied the charges and said he had not threatened anybody but only asked about the facts. "I did not threaten anybody. I just called the officials and asked how such a programme could be aired through the public broadcaster like AIR. I am a tax payer and have all the right to ask so," he told PTI. The leader also asked how he could be a just silent listener when someone tried to depict his favourite gods in poor light. "I am a hardcore Sri Krishna devotee. How can I simply sit and listen when someone says Sri Krishna and Sri Rama are not Indians and they are outsiders and they came to the country and oppressed the indigenous people here?" he said. He also said Parameswaran, who presented the programme, could air his views in a public place but cannot use a platform like AIR for hurting the sentiments of a community. Gopalakrishnan said he would soon file a case against the scholar as well as the AIR staff for hurting the sentiments of believers and for attempting to destroy religious harmony. He also said he would upload the recording of the programme on the social media. Denying the charges, station director in-charge M N Rajiv said there were no anti-Hindu contents in the programme. "There were no anti-Hindu contents, as alleged in the programme. The BJP leader called us late at night and said we should give a corrective version of the programme and otherwise he would go ahead with agitation and such steps against us," Rajiv told Boko Harman gunmen have abducted 16 women in a remote area of northeast Nigeria's Adamawa state, police, a lawmaker and locals told AFP today. "We received report of the kidnap of 14 women and two girls by gunmen believed to be Boko Haram insurgents near Sabon Garin Madagali village", said Adamawa state police spokesman Othman Abubakar. "We have sent search teams to the area and have notified the military who have also deployed personnel for search and rescue operation in the bush to free the hostages." Adamu Kamale, who represents the area in Nigeria's lower chamber of parliament, the House of Representatives, also confirmed the abduction, which happened yesterday. Locals said the hostages were seized in the bush while fetching firewood and fishing in a nearby river under the escort of two civilian vigilantes assisting the military against the Islamist insurgents. "When the civilian vigilantes escorting the women saw the heavily armed Boko Haram fighters advancing on them they fled, leaving the women to their fate," said Madagali resident Garba Barnabas. Two women who escaped by jumping into the river and pretending to have drowned later returned to the village to raise the alarm, he added. Madagali district, which lies on the border with Borno state, has been repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram during its nearly seven-year insurgency, which has left more than 17,000 people dead. Human rights groups have said fighters have kidnapped thousands of women and young girls, including more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted from the Borno town of Chibok nearly two years ago. The insurgents temporarily seized Madagali district and parts of Adamawa as well as large swathes of territory in Borno and Yobe state in 2014, as they sought to establish a hardline Islamic state. More than 2.6 million people have fled their homes since the start of the violence but as troops began a fight-back last year and recaptured territory, some of the internally displaced have returned home. Sporadic hit-and-run attacks have continued however, as well as suicide bombings. "Since people returned to their homes we have been experiencing attacks by Boko Haram despite claims that security has been restored", said Kamale. "The abduction shows that more security needs to be deployed to protect the people from attacks and abductions. A Lebanese army official says a bomb has targeted a military vehicle in eastern Lebanon near the border with Syria, killing one soldier and wounding three. The official says the bombing occurred on the edge of the town of Arsal in the Atta Valley today. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The Islamic State group and al-Qaida's branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front control parts of that volatile border area. The Nusra Front and IS abducted 29 soldiers and policemen in Arsal in 2014, when they briefly overran the town. Four of the soldiers have been killed in captivity. The Nusra Front in December freed over a dozen soldiers while IS has refused to negotiate over the nine captives it holds. A 10-year-old boy was killed and three other children injured when a canopy covering the area between two buildings in a government housing colony here fell on them in Parbat Patiya locality here, police said. The boys were playing when the canopy fell on them near a two-storey building. Wasim Akhtar Ansari was killed on the spot while the three injured were admitted to a hospital, Police Inspector of Limbayat Police Station B M Parmar said. The incident took place in government housing buildings which were constructed around four decades ago and were poorly maintained, police said. The canopy was not properly supported from below. Old construction of the building coupled with poor upkeep of the housing society caused the incident, Parmar said. (Reopens BES16) Shreyansh after conducting Commission's review meeting issued important directives to the government including action against policemen who deliberately delay action against accused involved in sexual offences against children. If police delay action against persons involved in sexual offences against children, then punitive measures should be taken against concerned policemen under the provisions of Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), says the directive issued by Shreyansh. He also appealed to the government to provide free of cost treatment to those affected with Progeria and also directed the current head of the Commission to provide such forum (which was provided to Shreyansh) to "Divyang" children at district level. Later, he told reporters about the above decisions and also sang a song on demand. Border-guarding forces of India and Pakistan celebrated Holi at the Wagah international border here today. The Border Security Force personnel and Pakistan Rangers celebrated the festival with flowers at Zero line (Joint Check Post) of Attari, DIG (Punjab Frontier) of BSF, Sumer Singh said. He said BSF soldiers went to the Zero Line and Pakistan Rangers came forward to greet the guarding men from India. The DIG said that this is "first time" in the India-Pakistan history that both the forces played Holi with each other at International Border, setting up a "new precedent". BSF soldiers carrying plates with them containing flowers and rose petals showered them on Pakistan Rangers who reciprocated the gesture. Both the forces exchanged greetings and shared pleasantries for few moments and later BSF offered sweets in tray and Pakistan also offered sweets to their counterparts and both sides shook hands happily. (Reopens DES21) Meanwhile, BSP personnel and Pakistan Rangers also exchanged greeting on the occasion of Holi at the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan's Bikarner district. A businessman was beaten to death allegedly for not paying extortion money at Roh Bazar in Bihar's Nawada district today. Roh police station SHO Dharmendra Kumar said Sunil Sao, who ran a flour mill at Roh bazar, was allegedly beaten up with stick and declared dead at Sadar hospital. Police arrested one person named Sanoj in connection with the murder after preliminary probe indicated his alleged involvement in the crime. Sanoj had been demanding Rs 5000 from Sao but the latter could give him only Rs 1000, inquiries revealed, the SHO said. Holi was celebrated in certain pockets of the city with usual fervour. The festival of colours was celebrated in Hindi-speaking areas here like Sowcarpet, where revellers splashed coloured powder and liquids at each other and made merry. Sporting a hue of colours on themselves, those celebrating the festival exchanged greetings. Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has called China an "all weather friend" that has helped it at times of distress, weeks after China sent fuel supplies to the landlocked Himalayan nation to ease a crippling shortage of goods due to a blockade on Indo-Nepal border. "China has respected our sovereignty and supported our development endeavours. Our two nations have been all-weather friends, friends at times of distress as well as at the time of comfort," according to excerpts from Oli's speech at Renmin University here published in state-run Global Times daily today. This is the first time Oli has used the phrase "all weather friends" to describe relations between Nepal and China. The phrase has often been used to characterise close Sino-Pakistan ties by both Chinese and Pakistani leaders. "The time has come to set higher and superior ambitions. Higher than Qomolangma (Mount Everest), and better than the Great Wall. The time has come now to travel together into the united sphere of prosperity," Oli, currently on a week-long visit to China, was quoted as saying in an article titled 'Friendship guides Sino-Nepalese relations forward'. He said that Beijing's Silk Road initiative will ease obstacles faced by the landlocked Himalayan country. "The 'Belt and Road' (official name for Silk Road) initiative is a principal step to unleash our potentials to travel together into the cooperative sphere of prosperity and to catalyse the convergence of our shared interest," he said. "As a friendly neighbour, Nepal has always been well aware of the sensitivities of China. Nepal adheres strongly to the 'One China Policy', and has not allowed its land to be used, under any pretext, against China. And it will continue to keep this commitment firm and intact," he said in an apparent reference to continue to crackdown on dissident Tibetans travelling through Nepal to meet the Dalai Lama who currently resides in Dharamsala. During his current visit, Oli signed the landmark Transit treaty with China through Tibet which Nepalese officials say opens a new avenue for Nepal which is currently dependent on India to route its imports and exports. The two countries signed 10 agreements and laid out plans to extend railway line in Tibet to Nepal, which is also looking to access Chinese ports in order to avoid a repetition of severe shortage of essential goods due to blockade of key border trade points with India by Madhesis over the new Constitution. While Oli avoided any reference to India, a sharply critical article in the same daily accused India of using "forceful measures" to pressurise Oli during his visit to India. "Though Oli visited India first after becoming Prime Minister, it was marked by 'distrust and nervousness'. On the contrary 'his tour in China has been a relaxed one'," the article said. (Reopens FGN22) "India deems Oli's first overseas visit to India a perfect victory. But many international relations observers have not shown much approval," it said. "India didn't use a charm offensive or soft power to win Oli's first state visit, but forceful measures. This is a dated approach, like forcing a weak state to open its gate through heavy gunfire. Such logic is a ticking time bomb in the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which causes damage to their ties every once in a while," it said. "Sandwiched between the elephant and the dragon, Nepal is both unfortunate and lucky. Over the issue of security and internal affairs, it often senses pressure from India. But when it comes to economic growth, both of its giant neighbours have brought it many opportunities," it said. Two Indian nationals who were detained by authorities in China for violating visa regulations have been released, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today. The minister said she has been informed by consulate officials that Dipankar Dutta and Kiran Pakhare have been released from a Chinese jail. "Our Consulate has informed me that both Dipankar Dutta and Kiran Pakhare have been released from Chinese jail," she said on twitter.Com. Swaraj said the Indian duo was "detained by Chinese authorities for violation of visa regulations". "They are both returning home," she added. A Chinese man has pleaded guilty in eastern China to killing his girlfriend in the US where the pair were students in Iowa, a court said today. An officer in charge of trial documents at Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court said that Li Xiangnan entered the plea to murder during a daylong hearing yesterday. The officer refused to give her name, citing court regulations. Li, a former University of Iowa student, surrendered to police in Wenzhou last May after returning to China following the slaying of 20-year-old Chinese national Shao Tong, who was a student at Iowa State University. Her body was found stuffed into the trunk of her car in September 2014. The court officer said that prosecutors say Li planned the killing, but Li's lawyer argued the crime wasn't premeditated. She said the case would continue at an unspecified later date. A Chinese national pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the of trade secrets from US defense contractors, including plans for transport and fighter jets, officials said. Su Bin, 50, had been charged in a 2014 indictment with into the computer networks of Boeing and other contractors, as part of a scheme to steal plans for the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and C-17 transport aircraft. In a plea agreement filed in a California federal court, Su yesterday admitted to conspiring with two unnamed persons in China from October 2008 to March 2014 to gain unauthorized access to the computer networks of defense firms to obtain "sensitive military information and to export that information illegally from the United States to China," the Justice Department said in a statement. Court documents did not indicate to whom Su was sending the plans, but the case highlighted growing concerns in the United States about Chinese of American trade secrets, a topic which has been addressed by President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. "Su Bin admitted to playing an important role in a conspiracy, originating in China, to illegally access sensitive military data, including data relating to military aircraft that are indispensable in keeping our military personnel safe," Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said. "This plea sends a strong message that stealing from the United States and our companies has a significant cost; we can and will find these criminals and bring them to justice." Su was initially arrested in Canada in July 2014 on a warrant based on a US request. He waived extradition and was sent to the United States in February 2016. Su Bin, also known as Stephen Su and Stephen Subin, was a China-based businessman in the aviation and aerospace fields. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is all set to hold talks with DMK president M Karunanidhi here tomorrow over seat sharing between the two parties for the May 16 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. "Azad will be here tomorrow and according to the tentative schedule he will meet DMK president Karunanidhi around 11 am," a State Congress leader told PTI. Earlier, DMK treasurer M K Stalin too told reporters that Azad will hold talks over seat sharing with party chief Karunanidhi here tomorrow. The visit of Azad comes against the background of unsuccessful attempts of the DMK to woo DMDK to its camp. Now that a major party like DMDK is out of picture, it is expected that Congress would bargain for more seats. Besides the Congress, DMK has reached an electoral understanding with Muslim parties like the IUML and the MMK. IUML has been allocated five seats by the DMK. Congo's foreign minister said the government has set a goal of cutting the 20,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in the country in half by the end of the year, a much more drastic cut than the 1,700-member reduction recommended by the UN secretary-general. The mandate for the Congo peacekeeping force expires later this month and it will be up to the U.N. Security Council to decide on any cuts. Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda told the council yesterday that cutting 10,000 peacekeepers is ambitious but he said Congo hopes it can be done "without affecting security or stability." The UN chief recommended a 1,700-member cut because of the fragile security situation in the country. The Congo conflict is a spillover from the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda. Hundreds of Hutus who participated in the mass slaughter escaped into Congo and still fight in the mineral-rich and volatile east, along with other armed groups. In February 2013, the Congolese government and 10 other African nations including Rwanda and Uganda took the most concerted action to bring peace to Congo by signing an agreement not to interfere in each other's internal affairs or host armed groups. The Security Council followed up by beefing up the UN force with an Intervention Brigade and authorizing the use of unarmed drones on a trial basis for intelligence gathering in the east. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned Monday of possible election-related violence in Congo, where a sharp increase in tribal and inter-ethnic conflicts have also been seen in recent months. Congo is scheduled to hold elections in November but the opposition worries that President Joseph Kabila, meant to leave office in December, will postpone the election timeline to stay in power. UN special envoy Maman Sidikou told the Security Council that "credible and meaningful political dialogue is needed to overcome the impasse in the electoral process." He urged UN support for a revision of the voters' registry and said he counted on the council's backing for the recommended 1,700-member cut in the U.N. Peacekeeping force, leading to its gradual and progressive exit from Congo. In March 2015, the council reduced the force, known as MONUSCO, by 2,000 troops. "We never asked for a hasty or disorderly exit of the peacekeepers," Congo's Tshibanda said in announcing the goal of halving the force, "but we are not willing to compromise on the sovereignty of our country. Drenched in a spirit of bonhomie, people celebrated Holi across the country today by applying colours on each other, savouring sweets and exchanging greetings to send out a message of cultural harmony. While the celebrations were largely incident-free, two brothers in Muzaffarnagar were injured after being allegedly shot at. About 70 persons were also reported injured in Holi-related incidents in Jaipur. From morning, youths and children revelled in the streets, daubing friends and family members with colours and also savoured traditional homemade dishes like 'malpua', 'dahi bada', 'gujiya'. People in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh also soaked in the festive spirit and enjoyed the occasion by dancing and singing folks songs. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also extended Holi greeting to the people, saying the festival symbolises the spirit of tolerance, harmony and prosperity. In the national capital, Delhiites smeared friends and families with colours and threw water balloons on passers-by to enjoy the day which remained pleasant weather-wise. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi celebrated Holi at AICC headquarters and also greeted people on the occasion. The party president and vice president were at 24 Akbar Road, the party headquarters, for about 15 minutes. "I convey my greetings to all people on the occasion of Holi. The festival of colours reflects the diversity in the country, which is a symbol of unity in diversity," Rahul said in Hindi on Twitter. At the Wagah border, Border Security Force personnel and Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets to mark the festive occasion, which carries the message of peace and harmony. In Mathura and Vrindavan, popular for their extravagant Holi celebrations extending nearly a week, people regaled with traditional practice including the 'lathmar holi' as the cities soaked in variegated hues. While Dhulehndi (use of colours after Holi bonfire) in prominent temples of Radha Ballabh, Radha Raman and Bankey Behari was played yesterday, many temples celebrated the festival today. People in Mathura also geared up to celebrate 'Huranga', one of the last prominent celebrations of Holi, tomorrow at the Dauji Maharaja Temple. In Punjab, joyous spirit pervaded the streets as people from all walks of life celebrated Holi with traditional fervour and gaiety. The festival of colours was also celebrated in Haryana, though it remained subdued at some places, especially in rural areas of Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Sonipat districts, in wake of recent violence during Jat quota agitation. In Jammu and Kashmir, people in the Valley smeared colours on their family members and friends and distributed sweets. Security forces posted in the Valley also celebrated the festival. Paramilitary and army troopers gathered in their camps and danced to the beats of popular Holi songs besides smearing colours on each other.] The festive fervour was on display in several parts of the Jaipur also as people came out of their homes and danced to the beat of drums, enjoying the festival of colours and traditional delicacies. For Vridavan widows, the occasion brought good as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav gave "holi gift" to them by announcing a number of facilities including RO water purifying system and solar power plant. A US air strike on an Al-Qaeda training camp in Yemen this week killed more than 70 fighters, provincial officials said today, raising an earlier toll of 40 dead. "The toll from Tuesday's US strike has risen to 71 dead and 28 wounded" among recruits of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), one official told AFP, requesting anonymity. Another provincial official and tribal sources had Wednesday given a toll of at least 40 militants killed and 25 wounded in the raid on an AQAP training camp in Hajr, in the southeastern province of Hadramawt. AQAP, which has long been entrenched in Yemen, is regarded by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch, and it has carried out deadly attacks on the West in the past. The Pentagon has said it believes that "dozens" of militants were killed in the strike. Another provincial official confirmed the new toll, while a tribal source said 29 of those were AQAP recruits from neighbouring Abyan province. Al-Qaeda has taken advantage of Yemen's war between Iran-backed rebels and pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition to expand in the south, seizing parts of Hadramawt including its provincial capital Mukalla in April last year. Decks were today cleared for PDP President Mehbooba Mufti to take over as the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir after she was unanimously elected as the legislature party leader and nominated as the party's CM candidate. 56-year-old Mehbooba was elected as the leader of PDP Legislature Party at a meeting of the senior leaders, which included MPs, MLAs and MLCs, at her residence here. PDP will now need a letter of support from BJP -- seen as a mere formality -- to become the first woman chief minister of the state. "A meeting of all the senior leaders of PDP was held. During the meeting, the legislators of the party decided that Mehbooba Mufti should be the leader of the legislature party and should be nominated as a candidate for the post of chief minister of the state," senior party leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig told reporters after the one-and-a-half-hour long meeting. Baig said the "dye has been cast" and formation of a democratically elected government is a mere formality. "Now the only thing that is to be done is to meet the Governor. Mehbooba Mufti and the leader of BJP have to fix a date for swearing in (ceremony)," he said. "It is only a formality. The dye has been cast and we expect that in the very near future a political government will be in the seat," he said. Asked about the conditions laid by PDP for government formation, Baig said, "No, no...The Agenda of the Alliance is very comprehensive. There is no need to put any new issue." The Lok Sabha member from Baramulla said BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav was right in saying that there were no new conditions for government formation. "He (Ram Madhav) is right, there are no new conditions. The Agenda of Alliance was formed after a detailed meeting between (late chief minister) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the Prime Minister. "Nothing can be added to it and nothing can be removed from it," he added. The fast track developments since Tuesday -- when Mehbooba met the Prime Minister -- have put an end to the nearly three-month-long stalemate between PDP and BJP which surfaced following the death of Sayeed, on January 7, this year. The state was put under Governor's Rule and the Assembly was kept in suspended animation on January 8. In the wake of Sayeed's death, PDP had sought assurances on a timeframe for implementation of the Agenda of Alliance from the Centre before renewing the alliance with BJP for government formation. Although it is not clear if Mehbooba got the desired assurances from the Prime Minister, the steps towards government formation moved faster as the PDP chief said she was satisfied after meeting the PM. Earlier, addressing the party legislators, Mehbooba thanked them for all the support during the past three months. "Mehbooba Mufti is nothing without your support. You are my strength...I thank you for your support over the last three months," she said. While PDP has 27 MLAs in the 87-member J-K Assembly, BJP has 25. Two MLAs from People's Conference led by Sajjad Gani Lone and two Independents had also supported the government under Sayeed. Criticising the Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for their anti-Muslim rhetoric, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has said demonising Muslims could alienate partners and undermine moderates needed to fight against ISIS. "We need every American community invested in this fight, not fearful and sitting on the sidelines. So when Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly- Muslim neighbourhoods, it's wrong, it's counter-productive, it's dangerous," Clinton said in remarks at the prestigious Stanford University. "As a spokesman for the New York Police Department pointed out last night, that kind of blanket bigotry would treat the city's nearly 1,000 Muslim police officers as threats," Clinton said. "It's hard to imagine a more incendiary, foolish statement," the former Secretary of State quoted the spokesman as saying. The 68-year-old Democratic party front-runner asserted that demonising Muslims also alienates partners and undermines moderates needed around the world in the fight against ISIS. Noting that there has been a lot of talk from both Republicans and Democrats about the importance of building coalitions with Muslim nations, Clinton said, "Having actually done this, I can tell you, insulting allies and partners is not a good way to start." "Another thing we know that does not work, based on lots of empirical evidence, is torture. Many intelligence, military and law enforcement experts have attested to this fact. It also puts our own troops and increasingly our own civilians at greater risk," she argued. In her major policy speech on ISIS, Clinton criticised Trump's recent remarks to review US policy on NATO. "Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket, would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike. Putin already hopes to divide Europe. If Mr Trump gets his way, it'll be like Christmas in the Kremlin. It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous," she said. Clinton said in the struggle against ISIS, allies are needed as much as ever. "We need them to be strong and engaged, for they are increasingly on the frontlines. London, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, Istanbul -- they've all been hit by terrorism," she said. "So it's essential that the US has strong partners who can work with it to disrupt plots and dismantle networks in their own countries before they lead to attacks in the United States," she added. "America needs European intelligence services working hand-in-hand with our own, including where they may have better reach and expertise like in North Africa. We need European banks to stop terrorist financing. We need European planes flying missions over Iraq and Syria, and European special forces helping train and equip local anti-ISIS forces on the ground," she said. "There's been a lot of talk from both Republicans and Democrats about the importance of building coalitions with Muslim nations. Having actually done this, I can tell you, insulting allies and partners is not a good way to start," she added. Clinton also slammed Trump's view on torture in which he has supported water boarding. "I'm proud to have been a part of the administration that banned torture after too many years in which we had lost our way. And if I'm President, the United States will not condone or practice torture anywhere in the world. Even when we're up against opponents who don't respect human life or human rights, torture is not the right choice," Clinton said. "No other country can rally allies and partners to defeat ISIS and win the generational struggle against radical jihadist terrorism. Only the United States can mobilise common action on a global scale in defense of our people and our values," said the former top American diplomat. Hyderabad Central University (HCU) today claimed that water and Internet facilities on the campus were "never" disconnected by the authorities but "temporarily" halted as these were affected by the ongoing protests. Refuting the allegations by a section of students that varsity authorities disconnected these facilities for the past two days, the officials today said water supply was temporarily stopped as some miscreants damaged the pump. "The university never cut off water nor electricity on the campus. Some miscreants damaged the pump on the campus and (it) has been since restored. It may also be noted that there is a general water shortage to the campus for the last two months," the officials said in a statement. With regard to Internet service being cut off, HCU faculty member Bipin Srivastava told PTI that "Internet facilities are managed by non-teaching staff. Since the non-teaching staff went on strike, Internet services were interrupted for that time." The HCU administration officials said, "The varsity did not disconnect Internet facility on the campus. The Internet facilities have been restored on the campus." After the violence by some students, the varsity administration is making all efforts to restore normalcy on the campus. The Vice-Chancellor has already declared that the classes will resume from Monday, the statement said. There is no restriction of movement on "legitimate or authorised" members of the university community. The administration has decided to restrict the entry of only the outsiders on the campus, it added. The Democratic Republic of Congo called for halving the size of the UN peacekeeping force in the country by the end of the year. The mandate for the 20,000-strong peacekeeping force expires in March, but the United Nations envisions a cut of only 1,700 troops, citing a fragile security situation in the DRC. Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda yesterday told the UN Security Council that Kinshasa and the United Nations have been negotiating the peacekeeping mission's "orderly and definitive" exit. He noted that the army will send reinforcements in a few months to help its forces fighting rebels in the country's east, allowing the government to take full charge of the security in that region. "The DRC government has set an ambitious goal," he said, "to create the conditions that will permit, by the end of this year, the removal of half the UN peacekeeping troops deployed in our country without affecting security or stability." "We never asked for a hasty or disorderly exit of the peacekeepers, but we are not willing to compromise on the sovereignty of our country," Tshibanda added. The central African country has long called for a plan leading to the total withdrawal of peacekeepers. US Ambassador Samantha Power voiced concern this week over DRC government efforts to limit cooperation with the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO. In March 2015, the UN reduced the peacekeeping force by 2,000 soldiers, although it can increase the force up to 21,000 if needed. Tshibanda also said the DRC government was not willing to allow outside forces to influence its elections calendar. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that he was "very concerned" about a political impasse in the country, citing a risk of violence if credible elections are not held on time. Although the DRC is scheduled to hold elections in November, the chances of them taking place are growing dimmer. Critics of President Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, suspect him of planning to extend his rule after his mandate runs out at the end of the year. A relative of a former Uttar Pradesh minister and senior SP leader was shot dead allegedly by a man today over a dispute in Shastri Nagar area here, police said. Former Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar's nephew Abhinav (22) was also injured in the incident that took place in Premnagar area this evening. The deceased, identified as Rajpal Singh (40), is Gangwar's elder brother's son-in-law. The accused has been arrested, police said. The incident was triggered after Rajpal had some dispute with one Satyendra Singh, a low-rank former armyman, who then opened fire on the duo with his licensed gun, police said. Both of them were rushed to a hospital, where Singh was declared brought dead, while condition of Abhinav was said to be out of danger. Gangwar, a local MLA, was minister of state of MSME in the Akhilesh Yadav government but was later sacked. A JetBlue flight attendant who authorities said left behind 32 kilogrammes of cocaine worth up to USD three million after flinging off her heels and running from security at Los Angeles International Airport has been arrested in New York. Marsha Gay Reynolds surrendered to federal authorities at John F Kennedy International Airport, though it was not immediately clear how she reached New York, federal officials said. Reynolds was expected to be in federal court in Brooklyn today, according to US Attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek. Transportation Security Administration officials asked Reynolds to step aside for a random security screening tomorrow, authorities said. Reynolds went to a secondary screening area but quickly dropped her bag, ditched a pair of Gucci heels and fled barefoot downward on an upward-moving escalator, Marshall McClain, president of the union representing LAX airport police officers, said Monday. Reynolds was charged with cocaine possession with intent to distribute. It was unclear if she yet had an attorney. Mrozek said prosecutors believe reports that Reynolds was a runner-up in Miss Jamaica World 2008. New York University lists a Marsha-Gay Reynolds as having been on the school's 2004 women's track and field team, though it wasn't immediately clear if that was the same Reynolds arrested yesterday. On Friday, Reynolds arrived at an LAX checkpoint in Terminal 4 wearing jeans, heels and a black suit jacket, carrying her "known crew member badge," according to an FBI affidavit in support of the charge against Reynolds. It wasn't immediately clear whether she was on duty at the time. When Reynolds was chosen for a random security screening, TSA Officer Jamie Samuel said the flight attendant became nervous and began looking around before pulling out her cellphone and making a call, according to the affidavit. Samuel reported that Reynolds was talking on the phone in a foreign language as she was being taken to a secondary screening area, the affidavit says. Once in the secondary screening area, TSA Officer Charles James asked for her identification. France's data protection agency today fined Google USD 112,000 for only partially honouring requests by individuals to have information about them removed from its search engines. The European Court of Justice has recognised the "right to be forgotten" since 2014, allowing individuals, under certain conditions, to have references to them removed from the Internet. Google has accorded the right for its European extensions -- google.Fr and google.De for example -- but not for google.Com. France's National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) says the delisting should apply to all extensions, regardless of where the search is being performed. "Contrary to what Google says, delisting on all extensions does not impinge on freedom of expression in that it does not involve any removal of Internet content," the CNIL said today. Google said early this month that it would close a loophole that allowed Europeans to find deleted entries by using google.Com instead of the search page for their local country. "Starting next week, in addition to our existing practice, we will also use geolocation signals (like IP addresses) to restrict access to the delisted URL on all Google Search domains, including google.Com, when accessed from the country of the person requesting the removal," it said. Google says it has received 86,600 requests in France involving more than a quarter million Web pages, and has honoured just over half of them. Those turned away can appeal to a judge or, more often, to CNIL, which has received 700 complaints of which 45 per cent were deemed legitimate and forwarded to Google. "As a matter of principle, we respectfully disagree with the idea that a national data protection authority can assert global authority to control the content that people can access around the world," Google's privacy chief Peter Fleischer said in July. A liberal splash of colours today welcomed Google users on its homepage as the search giant marked the Holi festival with a special doodle which reflects the vibrancy of the occasion. The doodle shows the six letters in the company's logo changing colours gradually from all beige to a mix of red, blue, green and orange in various shades. As soon as one visits the homepage, the all beige logo begins to change appearance as a train of colour splashes across it from left to right. The splash of 'gulaal', the dry colour on the logo is a tribute to traditional way of celebrating Holi in the country. On this festival, people daub each other with 'gulaal' or wet colours, while in some areas even flowers are used for celebrations. From dull beige to a colourful marquee, the transition of the logo, somewhat captures the spirit of India, which on this day switches into a riot of colours, with streets and parks all soaked in it. Google had marked Holi a few times in the past as well and in 2014, it had shown a 'pichkari' (spraygun) sitting amid the colour-soaked logo, with letters in all white. It has previously marked festival of lights Diwali also with a special doodle. The festival falls on the last day of the 'Phalgun' month as per the Hindu calendar. The Madras High Court today directed authorities to keep the body of a 45-year-old Dalit man, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Erode district, in the 'cold storage' of Coimbatore Government Hospital till the second post-mortem was conducted. The court also restrained officials in Erode from harassing the man's son, who is the petitioner, to accept the mortal remains. Justice T Mathivanan, before whom the petition by C Balasubramanian came up, in his order said, "Till the conduct of second post-mortem on the body of the father of petitioner, Chinnasamy, district authorities shall not threaten the petitioner to take the body." When Additional Government Pleader P Sanjay Gandhi submitted that he has to get instructions from the government and sought listing the matter on March 28, the judge said, "Authorities are directed to keep the body in cold storage at the Government Hospital, Coimbatore till then." The petitioner sought a second post-mortem examination on the body. The matter relates to the altercation that took place between two groups of people on March 19. Members of one group had picked up a quarrel with a group of Dalits who were allegedly consuming liquor near a well in Dasampudur village, where a local temple festival was held. An upper caste person had reportedly "abused" a 19-year- old Dalit boy by his caste name following which Chinnasamy, leader of a Dalit outfit, intervened and objected. The following day, Chinnasamy's body was found floating in a well in the village, where he was working as a labourer. The petitioner submitted there was no chance of his father committing suicide and suspected that he was done to death by somebody. He also prayed the court for a direction to authorities to conduct the post-mortem in the presence of a doctor as per the guidelines of National Human Rights Commission and till the disposal of the writ petition. The family members and activists from some Dalit outfits had on March 21 staged a protest in the district alleging "foul play" in the death and demanded a thorough probe. Relatives had refused to accept the body demanding proper investigation into the death and arrest of persons responsible for it. Madras High Court today refused to entertain a Civil Revision Petition filed for praying to set aside a February 2, 2014 ex-parte degcree of a subodinate judge against one A Raja Sundari in a matrimonial case and also dismissed the condone delay application filed by her. After referring to several Supreme Court and High Courts judgements, Justice S Vimala said "unfortunately the revision petitioner has landed herself in such a position on account of her own conduct of negligence." Dismissing the petition, the judge said "it is evident that at every stage, the revision petitioner has exhibited indifference. When there is a duty to act with expedition at all stages, and if the petitioner is guilty of inordinate and unwarranted delay coupled with failure to observe the time frame, then the liability to suffer the consequences of dismissal, for want of prosecution, is inevitable." The matter relates to a matrimonial dispute between one Raja Sundari of Tanjore and Suresh Kumar of Chennai. The marriage was held on March 28, 2007 and the petitioner gave birth to boy on January 4, 2008. The husband filed a petition for divorce to Subordinate Judge, Tambaram, on August 4, 2008 and the subordinate judge on February 11, 2010 passed an ex-parte order against the wife. The condone delay petitions were also dismissed by the Judge. On July 11, 2014, Suresh Kumar got second marriage against which Raja Sundari filed a Civil Revision petition seeking to set-aside the orders passed by the subordinate Judge, in the Madras High Court. Justice S Vimala while considering the ex-parte decree passed by the Subordinate Judge in her order after referring to the amendment made to Section 15 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, which states that when a marriage has been dissolved by a decree of divorce and either there is no right of appeal against the decree, or if there is such a right of appeal, the time for appealing has expired without an appeal having been presented or an appeal has been presented but has been dismissed, it shall be lawful for either party to the marriage to marry again. "By virtue of the remarriage, now the interest of second wife has intervened and the court is expected to take cognizance of subsequent event also in deciding the application for restoration/setting aside ex-parte decree, provided fairness to both side" and dismissed the Civil Revision Petition. The Madras High Court today recommended contempt proceedings against the judicial magistrate of Melur for "deliberately disobeying" its order in the illegal mining cases filed againstsome quarry barons in the area. The court directed its Registry to send a copy of its recommendation to the Chief Justice to initiate contempt proceedings or disciplinary proceedings or both against the judicial magistrate. Justice P N Prakash of the court's Madurai bench said Keelavalavu Police in one of thecases charged 23 people under various IPC sections including 147 (rioting) and 379 (theft) and provisions of Tamil Nadu Public Property Damage and Loss (TNPPL) Act. The judge issued the directive when the Special Public Prosecutor told the court that the judicial magistrate was not obeying its order to take cognisance of all the offences committed by the granite barons and committing the cases to the sessions court. The accused could be given even life imprisonment if convicted under the sections. Besides cases had been filed under Prevention of Atrocities against SCs/STs Act, Explosive Substances Act, the court said. But the judicial magistrate, despite clear direction from the high court to take cognisance of all the offences, had taken cognisance of only one offence under 379, and had kept the cases pending without committing them to the sessions court, the court said. "The JM's act is beyond his jurisdiction," it said. "This (act of JM) will mean, as the public prosecutor contended, the accused will escape with a flea-bite sentence (for theft)," the judge said. In all the illegal mining cases, wherein 98 final reports had been submitted, the magistrate had taken cognizance of only one offence, namely theft. Though the high court came to the conclusion that the records showed that the offences under various IPC sections were made out and asked him to take the 98 final reports into cognizance and do the needful, the judicial magistrate had taken cognizance of only one section. When magistrate K V Mahendraboopathy was directed to file a report, he said averments in the charge sheet did not state the accused had the intention of causing loss, and hence he refused to take cognisance of major offences disclosed in the report. The judge said under TNPPDL Act, if a person commits mischief by doing any act in respect of any property, even if the value of loss was Rs 100, one will be liable to be punished. In cases against the accused, they had used explosives to blast government properties for illegal quarrying. Hence it could not be stated that the accused did not have any intention or knowledge about the consequences of the act done by them, the court said. The investigating officer had collected evidence and had filed them along with the charge sheet. The high court also had gone into those materials and had directed the magistrate to take cognizance of the offences under TNPPDL Act. "But the magistrate was depending on the stray observations made in a stray case, and not committing the cases." "One can wake up a sleeping man,but not a person pretending to sleep. The JM belong to latter category," the judge said. The judge directed the judicial magistrate to take cognizance of all the offences disclosed in all the cases relating to illegal miningand commit the cases to the sessions court. The high court had on September 11, 2014 appointed senior IAS officer U Sagayam as the Court-Commissioner to probe "irregularities" in granite mining on a PIL. Sagayam had earlier said illegal quarrying had caused a loss of Rs 16000 crore to the government. The non-teaching staff of (HCU), who had gone on a strike protesting vandalisation of VC's lodge on March 22 allegedly by a group of students, resumed their duties today as the situation on the campus remained peaceful. Members of HCU Non-Teaching Staff Union had boycotted duties from Tuesday afternoon protesting ransacking of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile's official residence (VC's lodge) and after being assaulted allegedly by the group of students opposing Podile resuming his duty. As part of the strike, cooks had shut down 'Students' Mess', expressing support to the Vice Chancellor (VC) after which students had set up an open kitchen yesterday. "Messes, which had been shut down due to the strike by non-teaching staff opened today...They (non-teaching staff) have resumed their duties from today in the larger interest of the university," HCU Registrar M Sudhakar told PTI. Meanwhile, twenty-five students and two faculty members of HCU, who were arrested yesterday in connection with incidents of vandalism at VC's lodge and stone pelting on police personnel, were sent to judicial remand last night and are lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison. "The situation on the campus is peaceful today," Gachibowli police inspector J Ramesh said. Mother of deceased Dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula, Radhika, who had staged a sit-in protest along with scores of HCU students in front of the university last night after being denied entry, withdrew her protest at around 11.15 pm, HCU Chief Security Officer T V Rao said. Radhika and the protesting students, who demanded Podile's immediate removal from the post and the release of students and faculty members arrested in connection with vandalism of the VC's lodge and stone-pelting on police, also made a vain bid to "barge" inside the campus but were stopped at the entrance itself, Rao said. "She wanted to hold a dharna inside the campus, but we prevented her from doing so. She along with around 200 students attempted to go inside the campus, but we stopped them and they finally withdrew their protest at around 11.15 pm," the security official said. Colours of all hues, smell of 'gulal' and joyous spirit pervaded the streets as people from all walks of life in Punjab and Chandigarh today celebrated Holi with traditional fervour and gaiety. The festival of colours was also celebrated in Haryana, though it remained subdued at some places, especially in rural areas of Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Sonipat districts, in wake of recent violence during Jat quota agitation. Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar said the state unit of the party had earlier decided not to celebrate Holi this year in view of the recent violence in the state. All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), an umbrella body of all associations leading the agitation for Jat quota, had also announced not to celebrate Holi in the state to pay tributes to the youths who lost their lives during the protests in various districts. In Punjab, revellers exchanged greetings, visited friends and relatives, gifted 'gujia' (a traditional sweet) besides smearing 'gulal' (colour powder) on each other's faces. 'Holi Hai' reverberated in the air as groups of revellers zoomed the streets on motorbikes while youngsters danced to popular numbers and children with 'pichkaris' chased each other and hurled water-filled balloons on people from rooftops. Police personnel were deployed in both the states and Chandigarh to keep watch on anti-social elements, officials said. The celebrations passed off peacefully. No major untoward incident was reported from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, officials said. Holi, the festival of colours, was celebrated here today with traditional fervour and gaiety by the revellers and security forces. The members of Hindu community in Kashmir Valley splashed and smeared colours on their family members and friends and distributed sweets. Many tourists also celebrated the festival by greeting each other. Security forces posted in the Valley also celebrated the festival, far away from their families and friends. Paramilitary and army troopers gathered in their camps and danced to the beats of popular Holi songs besides smearing colours on each other. The main celebrations were held by the BSF at Humhama Subsidiary Training Centre of the force here, while army jawans celebrated the festival of colours at the Badamibagh cantonment and other camps across the Valley. Greeting people on Holi, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today said the festival was an opportunity for all Australians to deepen their appreciation of Hindu customs. "Celebrating the arrival of spring after winter darkness, the ancient festival of Holi brings with it a promise of the triumph of good over evil, of renewal and rebirth," Turnbull said his his message on Holi. Describing Holi as a "carnival of colour", the Australian Prime Minister said in Australia where the autumn air is cooling and the leaves are starting to turn, the symbolism of the changing seasons still imbues the experience of the lively festival. "As communities across our country gather in celebration, this is an opportunity for all Australians to deepen their appreciation of Hindu customs," the Prime Minister said. "The freedom to express ourselves and to embrace diversity is what makes Australia one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world," he said. Turnbull said Australia is like a "rich tapestry" and every one of the community groups and cultural traditions, woven into that, "is an indelible part of who we are." He extended his bestwishes to thosecelebrating Holi. AnotherAustralian politicianwho extended his warm wishes to the Indian community celebrating the festival was New South Wales premier Mike Baird. "I would like to extend my warmest wishes to everyone celebrating Holi. It is a festival that brings us together in a spirit of fun and friendship, encouraging understanding of each other's backgrounds in our multicultural society," Baird said in a statement. "This annual Hindu festival is widely celebrated across India and Nepal and is now recognised and celebrated right across New South Wales," he said. Baird said the local Indian and Nepalese communities were to be commended for sharing their cultures and traditions with the wider community. The service tax department has arrested a top official of a city-based human resources firm for failing to pay service tax of Rs five crore. The department arrested the Director of the Manpower Supply Company in Chennai, after it failed to pay the tax collected, a release quoted Service Tax Commissioner G Ravindranath as saying today. "The company failed to deposit the service tax collected to the exchequer. It had floated fake entities as sub-contractors and generated fake invoices to avail input tax credit," he said. "This way, the company has been evading payment of service tax since October 2012 and the quantum of service tax evasion is more than Rs five crore," Ravindranath said. He said the Survey, Intelligence and Research (SIR) wing of the department gave enough opportunities to the firm to comply with the law, but it was "uncooperative and evasive", leading to the arrest of the Director. The Director was produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Economic Offences Court, Egmore yesterday and remanded to judicial custody. He has been lodged in Puzhal prison. Six hundred people will gather in a tiny village in the French Alps today to mark one year since their loved ones died when a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately crashed his plane into the mountainside. After a ceremony in the village of Le Vernet, about 80 of them will make a grueling pilgrimage to the crash site at an altitude of some 1,500 metres. Aided by volunteer firefighters and mountain guides, they will walk a muddy, snow-covered mountain path, much of it carved out to allow emergency workers to access the site. A red stake planted in the soil marks the exact site where the plane went down, killing all 150 people on board. The ill-fated plane took off from Barcelona and was headed to Dusseldorf in Germany when German co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 27, drove it into the ground on March 24, 2015. Yesterday a young German woman had already made a six-hour journey to the site. Her daughter was one of a group of high school students who were killed in the crash. "At first, I didn not think I would ever fly again," she said, asking not to be named. Investigations found that Lubitz had a history of depression and suicidal tendencies and the case has raised questions about medical checks faced by pilots as well as doctor-patient confidentiality. Lubitz was allowed to continue flying despite having been seen by doctors dozens of times in the years preceding the crash. After the tragedy, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommended that airlines ensure at least two crew members, including at least one qualified pilot, are in the flight crew compartment at all times. Top managers of Lufthansa -- the parent company of the lowcost Germanwings airline -- arrived in Le Vernet to take part in the commemoration ceremony. The company -- which has denied any wrongdoing -- is facing a lawsuit in the United States from family members who argue Lubitz should not have been allowed to fly. "We are here today to show our respect to the victims and show that we support them," said Lufthansa chairman Carsten Spohr. "Today is not the day to talk about legal issues, today we are just here, with 100 Lufthansa employees, to help the families and support them in their grief." The ceremony will begin with the reading of the names of the 149 victims in front of a headstone erected in their memory, with a minute of silence at 0941 GMT, the exact time of the crash. The Iraqi military backed by US-led coalition aircraft today launched a long-awaited operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, a military spokesman said. In the push, Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmour, east of Mosul, early in the morning today and hoisted the Iraqi flag there, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brigadier general Yahya Rasool. It was not immediately clear how long such a complex and taxing offensive would take. Only recently, Iraqi and US officials refrained to give a specific time on when the Mosul operation could begin, saying it would take many months to prepare Iraq's still struggling military for the long-anticipated task of retaking the key city. Some US and Iraqi officials have said it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Iraqi state-run TV interrupted its morning program today with a series of alerts announcing the operation and broadcasting patriotic songs and flag-waving video clips. Rasool told The Associated Press that the US-led international coalition was providing air support but would not divulge more details on the offensive, which he said was dubbed "Operation Conquest." Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, fell to Islamic State group during the militants' June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq and also neighbouring Syria. Mosul, located about 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad, became also the largest city in the Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate on the territories the militants control. Rasool's declaration came only few days after the United States announced that it has set up a small Marine artillery outpost in northern Iraq to protect a nearby Iraqi military base in Makhour. On Saturday, the militants fired to rockets at the base, killing a US Marin and wounding several others. Syrian troops today entered the ancient city of Palmyra and Iraqi forces launched an offensive against Mosul as pressure mounted on key strongholds of the Islamic State group. US Secretary of State John Kerry was meanwhile holding talks in Moscow to push for peace efforts in Syria, from where IS has claimed attacks on the West including this week's bombings in Brussels. Backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia on the ground, the Syrian army advanced into Palmyra today after launching a desert offensive early this month, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. IS overran Palmyra -- known as the "Pearl of the Desert" -- last May and it has since blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years. "Regime forces have entered the Hayy al-Gharf neighbourhood in the southwest of Palmyra. They are advancing very slowly because of mines planted by IS," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that troops were also advancing from the city's north. A Syrian military source confirmed the advance into the city, saying the army had entered from the northwest after seizing control of part of the historic Valley of the Tombs. "The clashes, which are ongoing, are fierce," he told AFP. Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdelkarim hailed the "imminent" recapture of Palmyra, vowing to rebuild monuments the jihadists destroyed. "I am so happy that the liberation is imminent... And that the nightmare is nearly over, before it is too late, before the total destruction of the ancient city," he told AFP. "I think this 10-month period has been the worst of our lives," Abdelkarim said. IS had earlier urged civilians to flee the city, where about 15,000 of its 70,000 original residents remained after the jihadist takeover. Palmyra's recapture would be a major strategic and symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since whoever holds it also controls the vast desert extending from central Syria to the Iraqi border, experts say. Across the border, Iraqi forces announced the start of an offensive to retake the second city of Mosul, IS's main hub in Iraq. The army and the Popular Mobilisation paramilitary force "have begun the first phase of conquest operations" in the northern Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, Iraq's joint operations command said in a statement. It said four villages had been taken between the town of Qayyarah, which is held by IS, and Makhmur, where US-backed Iraqi forces have been massing in recent weeks. Two knife-wielding Palestinians seriously wounded an Israeli soldier in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron today before being shot dead by troops, an army spokeswoman said. The stabbing came at the entrance to the heavily guarded Jewish settler enclave in the heart of the city, the source of constant tension with its 200,000-strong Palestinian population. It was the latest attack in a wave of violence that has left 200 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans an Eritrean and a Sudanese dead since October 1, according to an AFP count. The Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP today welcomed the Central government's plan to hold year long celebration of 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. The BJP also welcomed the statement of RSS that it would act as Guru's messenger through all its affiliates. "The plan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Government of holding year long celebration of 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikh faith has sent Sikhs gaga. "We also welcome the statement of RSS that it would act as Guru's messenger through all its affiliates," BJP State Spokesperson S S Bijral saidwhile addressing press conference at party headquarters here today. Bijral, while welcoming the announcement of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech that Rs 100 crores were being earmarked for year long celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh's 350th birth anniversary, expressed gratitude on behalf of the community to BJP-NDA govt led by PM Narendra Modi. Five Japanese journalists accused Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government today of pressuring broadcasters to reduce criticism of its policies, but also lamented what they called a failure by media to live up to their convictions. They spoke at a conference after Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi warned broadcasters last month that their licenses could be revoked if they failed to be impartial in political coverage. Japan's broadcast law says programs must be "politically fair," and Takaichi said several times in parliament that a station that repeatedly fails in this regard could have its license revoked. Despite multiple protests that her comments constituted a threat to freedom of the press, she has not backed down. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the government's top spokesman, also has defended her comments as "common sense." The journalists said both Takaichi's comments and the government response have been unacceptable, and vowed to continue their protest. Abe's government has been criticized as being too sensitive to critical reporting. Media experts say mainstream media have been shunning critical reporting to avoid trouble with officials who are increasingly touchy about how Japan and government policies are portrayed by both domestic and foreign media. "Of all ruling Liberal Democratic Party governments, the Abe administration is most nervously checking what the media say, because what's said on television affects his support ratings," said Shuntaro Torigoe, a former Mainichi newspaper journalist and anchor on TV Asahi. "In Japan today, rather than the media watching the authorities, the government watches the media." The journalists also said media outlets haven't fought hard enough for press freedom. "It's not so much about political pressure, it's about deterioration in the media," said Soichiro Tahara, one of Japan's most respected journalists, who is known for asking tough questions to politicians. "To me, the most serious problem is self-restraint by higher-ups at broadcast stations." The resignation of three outspoken newscasters this month has prompted further speculation of interference from the government as it attempts to build public support for contentious policies, such as a broadening of Japan's military role and a revision of the war-renouncing constitution. Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges today at a UN court, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal found Karadzic guilty of orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 people dead. The UN court found Karadzic criminally responsible for genocide in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered. He was also held criminally responsible for murder, attacking civilians and terror for overseeing the deadly 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during the war. However, the court didn't hold Karadzic responsible in a second genocide charge, for a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces. Karadzic had faced a total of 11 charges and a maximum life sentence, but was given 40 years imprisonment. Karadzic can appeal the ruling. Prosecutors had accused Karadzic of being responsible as a political leader and commander-in-chief of Serb forces in Bosnia, which are accused of the worst atrocities of the war. The 70-year-old Karadzic had insisted he was innocent and says his wartime actions were intended to protect Serbs. The trial is hugely significant for the UN tribunal and the development of international law. Karadzic is the most senior Bosnian Serb leader to face prosecution at the court housed in a former insurance company headquarters here. Karadzic's conviction will most likely strengthen international jurisprudence on the criminal responsibility of political leaders for atrocities committed by forces under their control. Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, accused of fomenting deadly conflicts across the Balkans as Yugoslavia crumbled in the 1990s, died in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before judges could deliver verdicts in his trial. Karadzic's trial is one of the final acts at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal. The court, set up in 1993, indicted 161 suspects. Of them, 80 were convicted and sentenced, 18 acquitted, 13 sent back to local courts and 36 had the indictments withdrawn or died. Apart from Karadzic, three suspects remain on trial, including his military chief, Gen. Ratko Mladic, and Serb ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj. Eight cases are being appealed and two defendants are to face retrials. The judgment in Seselj's case is scheduled for next Thursday. Karadzic was indicted along with Mladic in 1995, but evaded arrest until he was captured in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2008. At the time, he was posing as a New Age healer, Dragan Dabic, and was disguised by a thick beard and shaggy hair. More than 20 years after the guns fell silent in Bosnia, Karadzic is still considered a hero in Serb-controlled parts of the divided country. US Secretary of State John Kerry today voiced hope that Washington and Moscow could narrow their differences on Syria and Ukraine as he sat down for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kerry said he hoped the talks would be constructive and allow the nations to find a way to "rebuild and strengthen the relationship between the United States and Russia by proving that we know how to solve some serious problems together and building from there." Kerry hailed a cease-fire in Syria brokered by the U.S. and Russia, saying it had allowed Syrians "to taste and smell the possibilities of what it means to have a huge reduction in violence and to receive humanitarian assistance." US officials "obviously also have some ideas about this and how we can most effectively make progress in Geneva and begin the very serious and difficult work of the transition," Kerry said, referring to Syria peace talks in Geneva. In a playful start to the talks, Putin noted that Kerry walked off the plane carrying his briefcase himself and joked that he must have brought some cash to bargain with Russia. Kerry replied, "When we have a private moment I will show you what's in my briefcase and I think you will be surprised." Switching to a serious tone, the Russian leader said he hoped for a constructive discussion that would "allow us to make our positions on Syria and Ukraine closer." Kerry is seeking clarity from Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as to where Russia stands on a political transition for Syria, particularly on the future of Syrian President Bashar Assad, now that a fragile truce is holding and UN-brokered peace talks are underway. The main Syrian opposition group has wrapped up the latest round of indirect peace talks by urging Russia to "use its leverage" on Assad's government to fulfil international hopes for a political transition. In Geneva, Bassma Kodmani, a leader of the opposition High Negotiations Committee, told reporters today that it wants greater access for humanitarian aid and decried continued sieges by government forces on Syrian municipalities. The United States and Russia have been at odds over Syria since the conflict began more than five years ago, with Washington demanding Assad's ouster and Moscow saying it is up to the Syrian people to determine their leadership. Kerry's meetings were arranged after Putin made a surprise announcement last week that Russian troops would partially withdraw from Syria after five months of military operations in support of Assad's government. US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Moscow today to see if President Vladimir Putin can be convinced to support an end to Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria. Kerry met his counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and was later to head to the Kremlin for talks with the Russian leader and sound him out on the crises in Syria and Ukraine. The top US diplomat said this week's bomb attacks in Brussels demonstrated that countries must come together to conquer the extremist threat wherever it may strike. "I know that many people are very hopeful, Sergei," Kerry said, in brief remarks before the two men held closed-door talks at a foreign ministry conference centre in Moscow. "Our counterparts, whom you and I have both talked to in the last days, are hopeful that these meetings here in Moscow today have an ability to be able to further define and chart the road ahead so that we can bring this conflict in Syria to a close as fast as possible." Lavrov told Kerry diplomatic efforts had been focused on creating a "balance of interests" among all sides involved in the Syrian crisis, including Moscow and Washington. But US officials fear the Syrian opposition will drop out of UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva unless Russia's ally Assad agrees to step down as part of a political transition. Putin has stood by Assad, and even sent Russian warplanes to fight to protect his regime and strike the extremist Islamic State group, which has seized territory in the east of the country. But Moscow recently announced a partial withdrawal of its forces from Syria, creating what Washington believes is an opportunity to press for a change of stance on the regime. "What we're looking for, and what we've been looking for, for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad's leadership," a senior US official told reporters. In a sign of Russia's strengthened role as a Middle East powerbroker, both Kerry and Putin met separately with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Kerry's visit also comes while Europe faces a security crisis after Tuesday's attacks in Brussels, which left 31 dead and 300 injured. Yesterday, Lavrov called for Europe to drop its "geopolitical games" and unite behind efforts to fight terrorism, as Russia continues its air strikes in Syria. Kerry acknowledged that the ceasefire negotiated by Russia and the United States between Assad and the armed opposition has led to a "beneficial reduction" of violence in Syria. US Secretary of State John Kerry says renewed efforts are needed to fight the Islamic State group in Syria in the wake of the attacks in Brussels. Kerry is in Moscow to discuss the fragile truce in Syria that is hoped will spark UN-brokered peace talks. He will meet President Vladimir Putin later in the day. Kerry said today in his opening remarks at the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the attacks in Brussels that killed at least 31 and injured more than 200 has underscored the urgency for "every country that has the ability" to help put an end to IS. The last phone call of Infosys employee from Bengaluru who has gone missing in Brussels since Tuesday's deadly terror strike, has been tracked to a metro rail in the Belgian capital, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said. Indian Embassy in Brussels is making efforts to locate Raghavendran Ganesh since the terror attacks at the Brussels airport and the metro which left 31 dead and 300 injured. "Raghavendran Ganesh -- We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail," Swaraj tweeted today. "We are doing our best to locate Raghavendran Ganesh," Swaraj had yesterday said. Two Jet Airways crew members -- Nidhi Chaphekar and Amit Motwanai -- were injured in the explosions at Zaventem airport and Swaraj said they are recovering well. Both Nidhi and Amit are from Mumbai. "I have just spoken to Manjeev Puri, our Ambassador in Brussels. He has informed me that Nidhi and Amit are both recovering well," she has said. Swaraj had yesterday also said government was coordinating with Jet Airways to evacuate Indian citizens. Brussels airport serves as the European hub for the Mumbai-based airline's international operations, which is now being relocated to Dutch capital Amsterdam from coming Sunday. Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley today told a court here that LeT wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was "arrested" but he managed to give police a slip. The 55-year-old, who has turned approver in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, stated this during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the US. Headley also told the court that he had visited the Sena Bhavan twice. He, however, did not specify the year for the same. "We (LeT) wanted to target the chief of Shiv Sena...His name was Bal Thackeray. LeT wanted to kill him wherever a chance arose. I knew that Bal Thackeray was the head of Shiv Sena. I have no first hand knowledge but I think an attempt was made by LeT to kill Bal Thackeray," he said. "I don't know how this attempt was made. I think the person (who was sent to kill Thackeray) was arrested but he managed to escape from police custody. I don't have first hand knowledge about this though," he said. Headley, convicted in the US for his role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks, also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. When asked by Khan as to how much money he had spent on his visit and reconnaissance in India prior to 26/11 attacks, Headley said, "I am not sure... Many lakhs were spent by me not as high as Rs 30-40 lakhs but much much less. It is correct that ISI spent this money but it is not correct that I demanded the money from them." Headley said that after the 26/11 attacks, when he had come to India again (in March 2009) at the behest of Al-Qaeda to carry out further attacks, its leader Illiyas Kashmiri gave him about Pakistani rupees one lakh. He claimed while LeT came under the scanner of international community after the November 26, 2008 attacks, it was not correct to say that LeT became "soft" towards India. "I think they (LeT) became soft about Denmark (Mickie mouse project) but not India. After the Denmark issue (LeT backing out from attacking Denmark) I went to Al-Qaeda, as LeT had become soft," Headley told the court. Headley told the court that while he had not personally met any of the 10 attackers in the 26/11 case but he had seen the photo of one of the attackers on internet and identified him as Ajmal Kasab 'Rehmatullah Aliah'. When asked by Khan as to why did he put the words 'Rehmatullah Aliah' after Kasab's name, Headley replied, "When a person is dead he should be prayed for whether he is good or bad. One should pray for the person...To be forgiven. I don't know if Kasab was good or bad as I didn't know him." When prodded by Khan if what Kasab had done (by participating in 26/11 attacks) was good or bad and if the act of 26/11 was good deed or a bad deed, Headley said, "Of course the act of murder is not going to be a good act. Any kind of murder of innocent person is a bad act." Khan then asked him if he was 'happy and satisfied' with the damages in the 26/11, to which Headley said "this is an argumentative question. Kush the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, Kush nahi the yeh bhi galat jawab hai, (I was happy is also a wrong answer and I was not happy is too a wrong answer). What can I say ?" Headley also told the court that in the 26/11 case (in which he has been awarded a 35 years sentence by the US court), supervised release is also part of his sentence. "As per the US law, I have to compulsorily undergo 85 per cent of my sentence and I don't know if my sentence can be terminated before completion of 85 per cent sentence." He also told the court that within half an hour of his arrest by FBI he had started cooperating with them and gave them all information. Headley also said that he was also interrogated by a team of NIA officials from India and he had cooperated with them too. "It is not correct that NIA questioned me about my wife Shazia's involvement in 26/11. I did not give any information about Shazia as she had no role..She was not part of the conspiracy," he told the court. Headley also got into a verbal spat with Khan when the lawyer persistently questioned him about Shazia, his former wife Faiza and their knowledge of the 26/11 terror attack. "The communication between me and my wife Shazia and Faiza are privileged and private and it is none of Mr Wahab's interest," Headley told the court. The LeT operative however clarified that Shazia was not working for the terror outfit but said that he (Headley) does not know if her father was working for Pakistan's ISI. At one point of time, an irked Headley even asked Khan if he would say where his father works. A man was allegedly stabbed by a youth when he protested against the eve teasing of his daughter in the Lisari Gate area here, police said today. The 14-year-old girl was standing in front of her house yesterday when a neighbourhood youth Juved Kureshi allegedly eve teased. The girl reported the matter to her father. When the girl's father protested against the eve teasing, Kureshi allegedly stabbed him with a knife and fled, the police said. The injured man has been admitted to hospital. A complaint in this regard has been lodged a Lisari police station, the police said adding that Kureshi is absconding. Mehbooba Mufti, who was nominated today as PDP's chief ministerial candidate, has emerged from the shadow of her illustrious father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to turn the party into a regional force to reckon with. A law graduate, 56-year-old Mehbooba took a plunge into mainstream politics of the state in 1996 by joining Congress, along with her father, at a time when militancy was at its peak. She is credited with the grassroots-level popularity and growth of the PDP with some observers arguing she outshone her father in connecting to the grassroots. What set Mehbooba apart from politicians of her time and even her father was her talent of ground-level political management. The 56-year-old mother of two daughters assumed an image of a fiery leader and won her first Assembly election as a Congress candidate from her home segment of Bijbehara. She then played a key role in her father's victory as Congress candidate in Lok Sabha elections of 1998 when he defeated National Conference's Mohammad Yousuf Taing from south Kashmir. As Sayeed felt an urge to do something for return of peace to Kashmir, Mehbooba was by his side and the father-daughter duo floated their regional party - the PDP - in 1999. They took along some leaders disgruntled with National Conference and many from Congress, a party where Sayeed spent most of his six-decade political career. From there, Mehbooba took on the responsibility of building the new party. She was accused of playing the soft-separatist card, PDP chose the green colour for the party flag and adopted Pen- Inkpot election symbol of the Muslim United Front (MUF) of 1987; but these moves found some resonances on the ground among the Kashmir residents. Mehbooba used to visit the homes of those killed in militancy-related violence and immediately struck a cord with the people, especially women, often lending them a shoulder to cry on. In the 2002 Assembly polls, termed as watershed in the state, PDP bagged 16 seats - most of them from south where Mehbooba had extensively campaigned and consolidated the support for her party and her father was sworn-in as the chief minister with the support of his former party Congress. Two years later, Mehbooba contested Parliamentary polls from south Kashmir and won her first Lok Sabha election. She contested Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar in 1999 but was defeated by her bete noire Omar Abdullah. When Amarnath land row engulfed the state, Mehbooba played an important role in persuading her father to pull out from the coalition government with Congress headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad. In 2008 assembly elections, she contested and won from Wachi segment of Shopian district of south Kashmir. Her party increased the tally to 21 seats but preferred to stay in the opposition. It was the National Conference which formed a coalition government with Congress, which was still smarting from the PDP 'betrayal' following the Amarnath land row. Mehbooba consolidated her party's support base in the years spent in opposition, highlighting the alleged failures of the NC-led coalition government. She was considered a very active Opposition leader, the result of which was seen in 2014 Lok Sabha elections as the party won all the three seats in the Valley. Months later, PDP emerged as the single largest party in the assembly elections bagging 28 seats, paving way for her father to become Chief Minister for the second time. In March 2015, after months of hectic negotiations, the party formed government in Jammu and Kashmir in an alliance with BJP. Although Mehbooba kept a low profile post government formation, she assumed a more central role after reports of Sayeed's ill health surfaced. She was seen by her father's side at most public functions. As Sayeed's health deteriorated, there began speculation about a change of guard in the party and credence to these speculation was given by Sayeed himself when he hinted that his daughter could take over the reins -- not by virtue of being his daughter but by her hard work. Following Sayeed's death on January 7, the state was put under Governor's Rule and the Assembly was kept in suspended animation on January 8. PDP then sought assurances on a timeframe for implementation of the Agenda of Alliance from the Centre before renewing its alliance with BJP for government formation. Hong Kong police today said bookseller Lee Bo, who went "missing" in December, had returned to Hong Kong in a case that has provoked anger over Chinese interference in the city. "Immigration Department and police met and took statement separately with Lee Bo who had returned to Hong Kong from the mainland this afternoon," a government statement released late Thursday said. British citizen Lee is one of five Hong Kong booksellers to go missing in recent months. The five from Hong Kong's Mighty Current publishing house, known for its salacious titles critical of Beijing, disappeared last year, only to turn up in mainland China. Sixty-five-year-old Lee was last seen at a Hong Kong book warehouse in late December, but had spoken publicly on Chinese television late last month saying he had gone to the mainland of his own accord. Britain said in February that it believed he had been "involuntarily removed to the mainland". "Lee Bo told police that to assist in an investigation of a case relating to a person surnamed Gui, he, with the assistance of his friends, returned to the mainland by his own means voluntarily and it was not an abduction," the government statement said. "He stated that he was free and safe whilst on the mainland." Lee had requested for the cancellation of his missing person case and said that he did not require assistance from the Hong Kong government or police during the meeting with police, the statement said. Immigration officials also took a statement from Lee, adding he did not provide "thorough information" about his departure, the government said. Lee's disappearance triggered particular outrage as he was the only one of the booksellers to have disappeared from Hong Kong -- the others went missing in October and were last seen in Thailand or southern China. "The Lee Bo incident has really crushed the confidence of Hong Kong people in respect of the 'One Country Two Systems'," pro-democracy lawmaker Albert Ho told AFP of the system the city is governed under. Ho said Lee's return does not help to calm the worries of the city's residents. "Nobody really believes (Lee's) version, the people have the general impression that he was forced to go back to China," Ho said. One of the other booksellers, Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen, confessed he had "explored ways to circumvent official inspections in China", in his television interview in February. The Mizoram government and Japanese International Cooperative Agency (JICA) on Thursday signed an agreement on 'Capacity Enhancement for Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development.' The memorandum of understanding was signed by top officials of Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, Horticulture and Soil and Water Conservation departments in the presence of state chief secretary Lalmalsawma, an official statement said. was represented by its team leader Satoru Fujita and four other officials both from Tokyo and Delhi, it added. Experts of the Japanese company would, on the company's own expense, undertake technical cooperation project in four rural development blocks in Aizawl, Kolasib, Serchhip and Champhai districts. The had conducted development study during 2013 and 2015 and had formulated a master plan covering 20 years and the technical cooperation project would commence from October this year and continue till September 2021. Training programmes would be conducted in Japan both for officials and farmers from Mizoram for three times during the period and the expenses would be borne by the Japanese government, the statement said. Two pieces of debris found in Mozambique are "almost certainly from MH370", Australia and Malaysia said today, after technical analysis provided fresh clues to the fate of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft. Until the latest discoveries, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, which lies east of Mozambique, had been confirmed as coming from the plane that disappeared two years ago. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Transport Minister Darren Chester said, adding that investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean." The two pieces are a flat grey fragment with the words "No Step" printed along one side, found on a sandbank, and a metre-long piece of metal picked up by a holidaymaker. Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said investigators had advised that the "dimensions, materials and construction" of both parts conformed to Boeing 777 specifications, while the "paint and stencilling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines (MAS)". "As such, both parts are consistent with panels from a MAS Boeing 777 aircraft, and almost certainly are from MH370," he said in a statement, adding that the examinations conducted in Australia's capital Canberra took place from March 21-23. Australia is leading the search for MH370 in the remote Indian Ocean, where the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight is believed to have diverted when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. Another piece of debris yet to be identified as coming from the missing jet was picked up near Mossel Bay, a small town in Western Cape province, South African authorities said Tuesday. They did not reveal when it was found. Malaysia is working with South African officials to arrange for the examination of the fragment, which Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said yesterday was "suspected to be the cowling from an engine". Mossel Bay lies more than 2,000 kilometres from Vilankulo, the Mozambican resort where one of the pieces being examined in Australia was found. Specialists, including from Australia and Boeing, have been conducting investigations in Canberra alongside the Malaysia team on the two Mozambique items. When a two-metre-long (almost seven-foot) wing part known as a flaperon washed up on a beach on the French overseas territory of La Reunion in July, it was the first concrete evidence that MH370 met a tragic end. Two pieces of debris found in Mozambique are "almost certainly from MH370", Australia said today, after technical analysis provided the latest clue to the fate of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft. Until the latest discoveries, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion which lies to the east of Mozambique had been confirmed as coming from the plane which disappeared two years ago. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Transport Minister Darren Chester said, adding that Malaysian investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean." The two pieces are a flat grey fragment with the words "No Step" printed along one side, found on a sandbank, and a metre-long piece of metal picked up by a holidaymaker. Australia is leading the search for in the remote Indian Ocean, where the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight is believed to have diverted when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. Another piece of debris yet to be identified as coming from the missing jet was picked up near Mossel Bay, a small town in Western Cape province, South African authorities said Tuesday. They did not reveal when it was found. Malaysia is working with South African officials to arrange for the examination of the fragment, which Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said yesterday was "suspected to be the cowling from an engine". Mossel Bay lies more than 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) from Vilankulo, the Mozambican resort where one of the pieces being examined in Australia was found. Specialists, including from Australia and Boeing, have been conducting investigations in Canberra alongside the Malaysia team on the two items after they were found in Mozambique. When a two-metre-long (almost seven-foot) flaperon part washed up on a beach on the French overseas territory of La Reunion in July, it was the first concrete evidence that met a tragic end. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the agency leading the search, had said then that its location was consistent with drift modelling of where debris might have floated. Chester said the hunt for the crash site, far off Australia's southwest coast, would continue. "There are 25,000 square kilometres of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," he said. Two pieces of plane debris found in Mozambique are "almost certainly" from MH370, Australia and Malaysia announced today, reigniting hopes of solving the world's biggest aviation mystery more than two years after the jet disappeared over the Indian Ocean. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said of the two pieces of debris that comprise a flat grey fragment with the words "No Step" printed along one side. Malaysian investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, he said. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," Chester said. Until the latest findings, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion had been confirmed as coming from the jet that disappeared over the Indian Ocean with 239 people, including five Indians, on board. After months of searches and questions, a South African teenager and an American lawyer recently found debris on separate occasions off the coast of Mozambique, renewing hopes of solving the major aviation mystery. "I would like to acknowledge the work undertaken by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Geoscience Australia, Boeing and Australian National University which assisted the Malaysian Investigation Team with their examination of the debris," Chester said, adding that "the search for MH370 continues". There are 25,000 square kilometres of the underwater search area still to be searched. "We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," Chester said. The pieces reachedCanberra on Sunday to be analysed for their link with MH370 that disappeared on March 8, 2014, after it took off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, en route to Beijing. Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said investigators had advised that the "dimensions, materials and construction" of both parts conformed to Boeing 777 specifications, while the "paint and stencilling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines (MAS)". "As such, both parts are consistent with panels from a MAS Boeing 777 aircraft, and almost certainly are from MH370," he said in a statement. Meanwhile, officials are arranging to collect and examine a fourth piece of debris, found at Mossel Bay in South Africa's southern coast on Monday by a local archaeologist. It apparently bears a part of the logo of Rolls Royce, the British company which manufactures engines for aircraft including the Boeing 777. Australia is leading the underwater search effort to find the plane in the southern Indian Ocean. Nagaland Governor P B Acharya and Chief Minister T R Zeliang extended their greetings to the people of the state on the occasion of Holi. Acharya said Holi signifies the triumph of good over evil and the celebrations bring about the spirit of Universal brotherhood, love and the power of truth which also bridges the social gap and renews relationships. Nagaland has been passing through a period of turmoil for a long time and now it is the right time to come out of it and make fresh initiatives for permanent peace in the state, he said and called upon all the civil societies to be united and work for the success of peace talks between the Centre and Naga political groups. "Let us through the spirit of Holi transcend all barriers and strengthen our social fabric to make our Nagaland a golden Nagaland by bringing our society together with the spirit of forgiving and renewing fellowship," he appealed. Holi was being celebrated with fervour in Nagaland. Zeliang in his greetings hoped that the festival of colours will renew the feeling of togetherness and fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people of the state and bring in happiness, peace, and prosperity for all. Nagaland PCC president K Therie said the festival of colours is a good opportunity to renew and strengthen the social bonds of brotherhood and mutual respect between communities. It is also a good time to spread the message of peace, joy and love across society and to celebrate unity in diversity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe on his 67th birthday. "Wishing my friend, a leader with great knowledge & wisdom, SL PM @RW_UNP on his birthday. May he be blessed with a long & healthy life," PM Modi said in a tweet. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the fourth time on August 21 last year. Union Civil Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Thursday said new National Civil Policy is likely to be out next month. "At present, we are working on the policy which is likely to be out next month. We have received many suggestions on the draft policy and we are hopeful that new policy will be out in April," Raju said. He was speaking to reporters after addressing a private function here. The minister said the country needs four modern airports, two on West coast and as many on East coast. "At present, we have only three modern airports that have parallel runways at Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad and the fourth one is coming up in Vishakhapatnam. With the size of a country like India we need more modern airports, at least two on the West coast and two on the East coast," Raju said. Raju said his ministry would consider proposals for new airports if governments concerned come forward to provide land to set up such facilities as land is the State subject. To a query, Raju said the work to expand runway of Rajahmundry airport is in progress and it will be completed within a few months. He said the Gannavaram Airport near Vijayawada will be developed as an international airport. "The state government was allotted 700 acres of land for the development of the airport," the minister added. On the demand by the Andhra Pradesh government to grant special status to the state, Raju said it was under consideration. "This is a critical subject. Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Odisha are opposing (the demand). If Union government considers the special status demand for AP, chief ministers of other states will also demand the same", the minister added. Sales during a week dedicated to Asian art in New York were impacted by slowing economic growth in China, even as demand for the most prestigious pieces stayed strong, experts said today. In total, organizers said sales reached USD 130 million during the eighth rendition of Asia Week New York, which involved five auction houses and 45 galleries. That's only slightly more than a third of last year's record of USD 360 million, which included the sale of the collection of US art dealer and Asia specialist Robert Ellsworth that brought in USD 132 million. "The week was complicated. That's not a big surprise," said Christophe Hioco, a French gallerist specialized in Asian antiques and an Asia Week New York regular. The China's economic slowdown weighed on the week's sales, even if the market certainly didn't collapse -- far from it, according to Hioco. "The market has to adjust. People maybe didn't anticipate or understand that the market isn't the same it was a year ago," he said. Lark Mason, chairman of Asia Week New York, painted a mixed picture. "The high end of the market showed considerable strength with many quite robust sales," he said. But "there were unquestionable areas of weakness in the mid level and at the lower end of the market." "The very best quality objects are highly sought after by a very small group of individuals that are willing to spend whatever," he added. "They are not affected by a short cyclical downturn." Other buyers focused on mid-level and lower level works, however, are much more impacted by an economic downturn because they don't have the resources to spend anymore, Mason said, adding that "a lot of these individuals just dropped out of the market." "I believe it is that part of the market that was overheated," Mason said. While fewer in number, Chinese buyers still attended the event, Hioco said. Notably absent, however, were speculators, particularly at the mid or lower level, according to Mason. "The appetite for Asian art is still strong despite the economic slowdown," said a spokesperson for auction house Christie's. North Korea said today that it had successfully conducted a high-powered, solid-fuel rocket engine test, which if confirmed would be a major step forward in boosting its missile attack capability against South Korea and the United States. North Korea uses liquid propellants for its main ballistic missiles that target South Korea, US bases in the Asia-Pacific region and the American mainland. Such missiles need to be fuelled before they are launched, so it is relatively difficult to use them on short notice. The use of solid propellants, already loaded inside missiles, reduces launch preparation time and increases the mobility of the weapons, making it harder to detect signs before they are launched. The North's state media said that leader Kim Jong Un expressed delight after observing the successful testing of a "large-output solid fuel rocket engine," which made an "earth-shaking" sound as it spit out a large beam of fire. Kim said that the test will enhance a missile capability that will "mercilessly" strike enemies, an apparent reference to South Korea and the United States. It is not possible to independently confirm the North's statement or other high-profile announcements from the secretive, tightly controlled country. South Korea's Defense Ministry said today it needs to analyze the statement. The North's test appears intended to use solid propellants for missiles with a range of 400-500 kilometers that can place entire South Korea in its striking range, and Pyongyang will likely try to do the same on medium- and long-range missiles, according to analyst Chae Yeon-seok at South Korea's state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute. Chae said the North already uses solid propellants for some short-range missiles. In recent weeks, North Korea has launched missiles and other weapons into the sea and escalated threats of attacks in response to ongoing annual South Korea-US military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. The drills are the biggest, and come after North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test and launched a long-range rocket earlier this year. South Korea's president ordered a heightened security posture today, a day after North Korea threatened to launch artillery bombardment on her presidential palace. In an apparent effort to prove its claims of boosted nuclear capability, North Korea has also disclosed purported mock-up of a nuclear warhead and claimed to have developed a re-entry vehicle for a missile that is needed to return warhead to the atmosphere from space so it could hit its intended target. The re-entry 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 US mainland. US President Barack Obama paid tribute today to victims of Argentina's former Washington-backed dictatorship at a memorial in Buenos Aires. Obama became the first US president to pay homage to the victims of the 1976-1983 military regime, which declassified documents have revealed was supported by top US officials. He visited the Memory Park on the banks of the River Plate, a monument to the estimated 30,000 people who were killed or went missing under the dictatorship. Alongside Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, Obama tossed white roses into the river in memory of those who were executed by the regime by being hurled from airplanes into the water in so-called "death flights." "A memorial like this speaks to the responsibility that we all have," Obama said in a speech shortly afterwards. "We cannot forget the past." He alluded to the US role in the dirty war, saying each country "has to examine its own policies" and instances when "we have been slow to speak out for human rights." Obama's two-day visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of a right-wing military coup, which the US government condoned and which ushered in the dictatorship. Victims' groups had been angered by the choice of the date for Obama's visit, given the US support for the coup at the time. But they welcomed his promise to declassify further documents to shed more light on the fates of victims of the regime. The memorial in the park has a wall bearing the names of 20,000 victims and a further 10,000 empty plaques for others who have yet to be identified. A jetty runs into the nearby river, commemorating victims of the "death flights. On a fence-mending mission, President Barack Obama has held up Argentina as an emerging world leader worthy of support, as he and Argentine President Mauricio Macri broke with years of recent tensions between their countries. Obama's state visit to Buenos Aires quickly turned into a love-fest between him and Macri, who in December replaced hot-blooded former President Cristina Fernandez, long a thorn in Obama's side. Read more from our special coverage on "US" US disappointed over India denying visa to members of religious rights commission Obama lavished praise on Macri yesterday and said his visit was "so personally important," even riffing on his boyhood interest in Argentinian literature and culture. "President Macri is a man in a hurry," Obama said in Casa Rosada, the pink-hued presidential palace made famous in the by the movie "Evita." "I'm impressed because he has moved rapidly on so many of the reforms that he promised." Macri, who has committed Argentina to a pro-business approach, was equally effusive about Obama, who leaves office in less than a year. "You emerged proposing major changes and you showed they were possible that by being bold and with conviction, you could challenge the status quo," Macri said. He added, "That was also a path of inspiration for what our dear country is now going through." Obama has made no secret of his preference for Macri over the left-leaning Fernandez, whose meandering invectives against the were a source of frequent eye-rolling in the White House. Fernandez was close with Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's famously anti-American late president, and openly admired Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. She was quick to blame the US for Argentina's problems and was accused of helping Iran hide its role in bombing a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, a claim she denied. So Obama was all too glad to see Fernandez replaced by Macri, who has started pushing Argentina back toward the political center after years of flirting with the extreme left. To that end, Obama's visit was a reward of sorts to keep that promising trajectory on track. It's a theme of Obama's Latin America policy that was on vivid display a day earlier in Cuba, where Obama paid a history-making visit aimed at spurring further reforms in the communist country. Obama's administration has also been heartened by the Venezuelan opposition's recent success in legislative elections and Bolivian President Evo Morales' defeat in a referendum on term limits. Those developments have fueled optimism in Washington "that Latin America is moving toward more rational economic and political policies," said Gabriel Salvia of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America, an Argentina-based think tank. Criticising Ted Cruz for his call for surveillance of Muslim neighbourhoods, President Barack Obama has said it would not help defeat ISIS and reminded the Republican presidential hopeful that his father had to leave Cuba for America as a result of similar policies. "As far as the notion of having surveillance of neighbourhoods where Muslims are present, I just left a country (Cuba) that engages in that kind of neighbourhood surveillance which, by the way, the father of Senator Cruz escaped for America, the Land of the Free," Obama told reporters yesterday in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires where he is on a visit. He was responding to a question on Cruz's statements in which the Texas Senator called for increased surveillance of Muslim neighbourhoods. "The notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It is contrary to who we are and it is not going to help defeat ISIL (also known as ISIS or Islamic State)," Obama said. Obama said one of the great strengths of the and part of the reason why there has not been more attacks in the country is that America has an extraordinarily successful, patriotic, integrated Muslim-American community. "They do not feel ghettoised, isolated. Their children are our children's friends, going to the same schools. They are our colleagues in our workplaces. They are our men and women in uniform fighting for our freedom," he said. "So any approach that would single them out or target them for discrimination is not only wrong and un-American, but it also would be counterproductive, because it would reduce the strength, the antibodies that we have to resist terrorism," he said. Obama said that he is determined to defeat the ISIS. "I have got a lot of things on my plate but my top priority is to defeat ISIL and to eliminate the scourge of this barbaric terrorism that has been taking place around the world. We see high-profile attacks in Europe, but they are also killing Muslims throughout the Middle East, people who are innocent, people who are guilty only of worshipping Islam in a different way than this organisation," he said. "They are poisoning the minds of young people everywhere. Not just in Europe but in the US and undoubtedly in Argentina, people are looking on these websites," Obama said. "There is no more important item on my agenda than going after them and defeating them. The issue is how do we do it in an intelligent way. And our approach has been continuously to adjust to see what works and what does not," he said. "What has been working is the airstrikes that we are taking on their leadership, on their infrastructure, on their financial systems. What has been working is special operators partnering with Iraqi security forces and going after leadership networks and couriers, and disrupting the connection between their bases in Raqqa and their bases in Mosul," the US President added. Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next week to discuss several issues including increasing friction between the two countries over the disputed South China Sea. "This bilateral meeting will present an opportunity to advance US-China cooperation on a range of issues of mutual interest, while also enabling President Obama and President Xi to address areas of disagreement constructively," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. Heads of states from over 40 countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will attend the two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 31 and April 1. "It will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. It will be of great significance in advancing the bilateral relationship in a sustained and stable way," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said at a briefing on Xi's upcoming trip. The meeting is regarded significant as it provides an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss bilateral tensions over the South China Sea, where the US is challenging China's claims by sending its naval ships and aircraft. Li said Xi will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Prior to attending the summit, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28 to 30 at the invitation of Czech President Milos Zeman. Only women polling personnel will be deployed in 50 polling stations of Birbhum district, a senior election official said today. "Besides making these polling stations entirely run by women we are planning to deploy only female security personnel in those booths as well," District Magistrate-CJM-returning officer P Mohan Gandhi told a press meet. Most of these polling stations would be set up in municipality areas in this district and there would be some more amenities for both polling and security personnel, Gandhi said, adding that both man and woman voters would cast their votes there. In a novel concept, the EC would make the theme colour of these polling stations "Pink" where the personnel could be given pink uniforms and caps and curtain colour could be of the same colour, he said. The women personnel would either reach the respective polling station in early morning of polling day or put up at a safe nearby place on the night before, he said. Elections will be held in two phases in the district on April 11 and 17. The opposition today blamed the "casual" approach of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra for the goof-up at an event to mark the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. At the Martyrs Day event here yesterday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tributes to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were hanged in Lahore on March 23, 1931. The photos of the three martyrs were prominently displayed but in a major goof-up, the photo labelled Sukhdev was that of Bhagat Singh. "Those in power now have nothing to do with martyrs and the glorious history of our freedom struggle," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI. These kind of goof-ups will continue to happen as solemn events like 'shaheed diwas' are treated in a "casual manner" by this government, Malik said. Action should be taken not only against the official concerned but also higher-ups, he said. Pakistan was making "sincere and consistent" efforts for promoting reconciliation in Afghanistan through an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the US today. Sharif was speaking to US ambassador to Pakistan David Hale who called on him in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported. Sharif said Pakistan has a vital stake in peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and is engaged in sincere and consistent efforts for promoting reconciliation through an Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process. The US ambassador appreciated Pakistan's efforts for revival of peace in Afghanistan. Hale said peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of entire region and Pakistan's endeavors in this regard will help a great deal. The historic first round of direct talks with the Taliban took place in the Pakistani resort town of Muree last July to find a solution to the 13-year-old insurgency but hit a roadblock after the announcement of the militant leader Mullah Omar's death, which had been kept secret for two years. Pakistan hosted a four-nation talks in January this year for trying to create a roadmap for restarting peace negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan national government. The four-day talks involved Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and the US. The Taliban, however, issued a statement on March 5 saying they would not participate in a peace process with the Afghan government until foreign forces stop attacking their positions and leave the country. It said reports of their participation were "rumours." The Afghan government still hopes to hold peace talks with the Taliban. Talking about the Pakistan-US relationship, Sharif said important decisions agreed during his visit to the US have generated a new momentum in steering the bilateral relations forward. He said Pak-US strategic dialogue has been instrumental in identifying the achievements made so far and setting new targets under six working groups. Sharif said he looks forward to have useful exchange of views on bilateral issues with US President Barack Obama during his visit to attend the nuclear security summit later this month. The Pink City today soaked in various hues with revellers thronging streets and smearing each others' faces with colours to celebrate Holi. The festive fervour was on display in several parts of the state capital as people came out of their homes and danced to the beat of drums, enjoying the festival of colours and traditional delicacies. Wearing clothes dyed in hues, people visited friends and relatives to exchange greetings and smeared 'gulal' on each other's faces. Children, too, played with colours and had a splash of coloured water with 'pichkaris' of various shapes and designs. Meanwhile, 27 BJP MLAs from Uttarakhand also enjoyed the festival in Jaipur, where they have assembled to chalk out their future strategy amid political crisis in their state. On the other hand, about 70 persons were reported injured in Holi-related incidents in the city. "Around 70 persons who were injured in various incidents were taken to emergency," a source in SMS hospital said. Police were deployed in different areas to maintain law and order in the city. A 30-year-old police constable was today killed and another injured when the motorcycle they were riding was hit by a tanker near Bagrana on the outskirts of the city here. The accident took place when Krishna Kumar Meena and Ajay Kumar were going to Metro Police Station, their place of posting, police said. The tanker, which was moving on the wrong side of the road, hit a tractor before colliding with the motorcycle, they said, adding while Meena died, Kumar was admitted to a hospital in an injured state. The tanker driver was arrested while his vehicle and the tractor have been seized, police said. Pope Francis washed the feet of 11 young asylum seekers and a worker at their reception centre today to highlight the need for the international community to provide shelter to refugees. Several of the asylum seekers, one holding a baby in her arms, were reduced to tears as the 79-year-old pontiff kneeled before them, pouring water over their feet, drying them with a towel and bending to kiss them. It was a "fraternal" gesture which sharply contrasted with the "gesture of war, of destruction committed three days ago in a European city" by "people who do not want to live in peace," the pope said in a reference to deadly suicide bombings in Brussels claimed by the Islamic State group. "Behind that gesture... There are arms traffickers, who want war, not fraternity", Francis said at the centre of Castelnuovo di Porto, north of Rome, in an improvised homily. Those picked for this Easter ritual were four Nigerian Catholics, three Eritrean Coptic women, three Muslims from Mali, Pakistan and Syria and a Hindu Indian, as well as an Italian worker from the centre. "We are all brothers and we want to live in peace," the pontiff said at the open-air, windblown mass in the courtyard of the reception centre, one of the largest in Italy. The rite, performed yearly on Maundy or Holy Thursday, commemorates Jesus Christ's Last Supper with the apostles. The centre, run by the Italian interior ministry, houses 892 people from 25 countries, including 36 women and seven minors. Francis has long called for the global community, and Europe in particular, to open its doors to refugees and step up the fight against xenophobia. Today's ceremony is part of the run-up to Easter Sunday, and has seen the Argentine pontiff in the past wash the feet of prison inmates and disabled people. Shortly after his election in 2013, Francis visited a youth detention centre where he performed the ritual on a group of young inmates including two Muslims -- the first Catholic leader ever to do so. Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic refugees today, declaring them children of the same God, in a gesture of welcome and brotherhood at a time when anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment has spiked following the Brussels attacks. Francis denounced the carnage as a "gesture of war" carried out by blood-thirsty people beholden to the weapons industry during an Easter Week Mass with asylum-seekers at the shelter in Castelnuovo di Porto, outside Rome. The Holy Thursday rite re-enacts the foot-washing ritual Jesus performed on his apostles before being crucified, and is meant as a gesture of service. Francis contrasted that gesture with the "gesture of destruction" carried out by the Brussels attackers, saying they wanted to destroy the brotherhood of humanity represented by the migrants. "We have different cultures and religions, but we are brothers and we want to live in peace," Francis said in his homily, delivered off-the-cuff in the windy courtyard of the centre. Several of the migrants then wept as Francis knelt before them, poured holy water from a brass pitcher over their feet, wiped them clean and kissed them. Francis was greeted with a banner reading "Welcome" in a variety of languages as he walked down a makeshift aisle to celebrate the outdoor Mass. But only a fraction of the 892 asylum-seekers living at the shelter attended, and many of the seats were left empty. Those who came out, though, received a personal greeting: At the end of the Mass, Francis greeted each refugee, one by one, posing for selfies and accepting notes as he moved down the rows. Vatican rules had long called for only men to participate in the ritual, and past popes and many priests traditionally performed it on 12 Catholic men, recalling Jesus' 12 apostles and further cementing the doctrine of an all-male priesthood. Francis shocked many Catholics within weeks of his 2013 election by performing the ritual on women and Muslims at a juvenile detention centre. After years of violating the rules outright, Francis in January changed the regulations to explicitly allow women and girls to participate. The Vatican said today that four women and eight men took part. The women included an Italian Catholic who works at the centre and three Eritrean Coptic Christian migrants. The men included four Catholics from Nigeria, three Muslims from Mali, Syria and Pakistan and a Hindu man from India. President Pranab Mukherjee today extended his greetings and felicitations to the government and people of Greece on the eve of their Independence Day. In a message to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, he said, "On behalf of the government, the people of India and on my own behalf, it is with great pleasure that I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Your Excellency and to the people of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) on the occasion of your Independence Day. "India and the Hellenic Republic enjoy excellent relations based on our common commitment to shared values and our cultural ties that go back into antiquity," Mukherjee said, according to an official release. Both India and Greece seek to consolidate and strengthen their cooperation and take it to a higher level, he said, adding, "I am confident that our bilateral relationship will continue to flourish for the mutual benefit of our two peoples in the years to come." "I would also like to take this opportunity to convey my best wishes for Your Excellency's well-being and for the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the Hellenic Republic," he said. Fergusson College principal R G Pardeshi today expressed "regret" over the letter written to police wherein he had sought action against individuals for allegedly raising anti-national slogans on the campus during an informal ABVP's 'Truth of JNU' event on Tuesday. Pardeshi has already retracted his statement wherein he had stated that such slogans were raised, calling it a "human error" while drafting the letter. Pardeshi said in a release today that "the education institute does not believe in taking sides." "The letter, which was issued to the police, was written in tremendous tension due to the chaos in the campus. The said letter was drafted by my office and I had little time to verify the contents. "It is purely a human error and it was not intended to hurt feelings of any person or group and as an educational institute, we do not believe in taking up sides," the release said. Pardeshi said the letter given to the police stands withdrawn. "In this episode, if any person is hurt, we express regrets," he said. Pardeshi's letter to police had caused a flutter with the reference to the sloganeering during ABVP's informal event to discuss the topic 'Truth of JNU' in presence of JNU ABVP leader Alok Singh. In the wake of the letter, several Dalit organisations accused him of branding students including Sujat Ambedkar, great-grandson of B R Ambedkar and son of former MP Prakash Ambedkar, as "anti-nationals". Meanwhile, the Deccan Education Society, which runs the college, today appealed to the political, social and educational institutes to cooperate so that academic activities in the college continue smoothly. flew media to its largest island holding in the South China Sea in a bid to reinforce its territorial claims in the disputed and increasingly tense region. Deputy Foreign Minister Bruce Linghu, who led the trip, said he wanted to show that Taiping is an island capable of sustaining human habitation, and not simply a "rock" as the Philippines claims in a case brought before the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Islands are entitled to an exclusive economic zone and other rights not enjoyed by mere rocks. Two dozen journalists were flown to the island aboard a Taiwanese air force C-130 transport plane yesterday that landed on an airstrip guarded by coast guard sentries with rifles. They were shown the island's post office, its fresh water well, the harbour and a traditional Chinese temple. The Philippines and Vietnam also claim Taiping. Critics say Manila is seeking to have Taiping designated a rock to avoid having to share an exclusive economic zone with its own nearby island of Palawan. Speaking to reporters in Taipei following the trip, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said he would invite Philippine government representatives, lawyers, and five members of the arbitration commission to visit Taiping themselves to see that it is "an island with fresh water, capable of sustaining farm production, livestock and human life." The Philippines "remains ignorant" of conditions on Taiping and has "misled the arbiters with absurd reasoning," Ma said. Manila's case, which has been rejected by China, aims to challenge Beijing's blanket claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. Yet it threatens also to harm relations between the Philippines and fellow pro-US democracy Taiwan, which generally enjoy friendly neighbourly relations. Taiwan, which lacks diplomatic ties to negotiate with the five other governments with territorial claims in the South China Sea, has increasingly turned to public diplomacy to reinforce its own claims. Ma paid a visit to Taiping in late January, drawing rare criticism from the United States, Taiwan's key ally, which has urged all parties to avoid steps that might raise tensions. Although Taiwan's claim to almost the entire region overlaps with China's, Ma has sought to cast as a peaceful, humanitarian player in the region. operates a 10-bed hospital, a lighthouse and a fishing industry aid station on 46-hectare Taiping, also known as Itu Aba, which has a population of about 200 mostly coast guard personnel. Britain's Queen Elizabeth must apologise for executing legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 1931 and pay blood money to his heirs, human rights activists in Pakistan said today as they marked his 85th death anniversary. Events to mark Bhagat Singh's death anniversary was held yesterday in two different places in Pakistan's Punjab province. The first ceremony was held at the birth place of Bhagat Singh --Chak 105-GB, Banga Chak, Jaranwala, Faisalabad district -- some 100 kilometres from here. People from different walks of life attended the ceremony and paid rich tributes to him for his struggle for freedom. The second function was held at Shadman Chowk here where Bhagat was hanged along with hiscompanions Raj Guru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the regime. A resolution has also been adopted unanimously demanding the British Queen (Queen Elizabeth II) tender an apology for executing the freedom movement hero as well as paying blood money to his heirs. Bhagat Singh was initially jailed for life but later awarded death sentence in another "fabricated case", they said. A written message of Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was also read out during the occasion. Bambawalelauded efforts of the Bhagat Singh Foundation for organising the event to keep his memories alive. "We will submit this resolution to the British High Commission in Islamabad to be forwarded to the Queen," rights activist Abdullah Malik told PTI today. "We will agitate with the British government to tender apology for executing Bhagat Singh," he said. Shadman's event was held under strict security in the face of threats from extremists. Since the Bhagat Singh Foundation has been demanding renaming the Shadman Chowk as 'Bhagat Singh Chowk' the Hurmat-e-Rasool, a sister organisation of Jamaat-u-Dawah, opposing it and suggesting to rename it as 'Hurmat Chowk'. Iqbal Virk, owner of the Bhagat Singh Haveli, said Singh's struggle is getting popular among the youth here as they often ask him about the background of Singh and his companions. "Thegovernment must organise events in the honour of Bhagat Singh on the eve of Pakistan Day (March 23) as he and his fellows had paved the way for freedom," he demanded. Thegovernment had recently preserved two rooms of the Bhagat Singh's haveli. The pictures of Bhagat and his fellows have been displayed in the rooms. A Russian special forces officer has been killed near Syria's Palmyra, a military representative at the Russian base in Syria was quoted as saying by Russian agencies today. "An officer of Russian special operations forces was killed near Palmyra while carrying out a special task to direct Russian airstrikes at Islamic State group targets," the unnamed representative said, without giving the date of the incident. "The officer was carrying out a combat task in Palmyra area for a week, identifying crucial IS targets and passing exact coordinates for strikes with Russian planes," he said. "The officer died as a hero, he drew fire onto himself after being located and surrounded by terrorists," he said. Moscow has been tight-lipped about having any soldiers on the ground throughout its campaign in Syria that began on September 30. Last week IS-linked media said that five Russian special forces were killed near Palmyra, publishing pictures from their cellphones and a video showing a bloodied corpse. However Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at the time denied that Russian officers were participating in the advance on Palmyra, saying that "the advance is carried out by contingents of the Syrian army". Syrian troops today entered the ancient city of Palmyra, which had been controlled by IS since last May, and clashes were ongoing in the city. Backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia on the ground, the Syrian army advanced into Palmyra after launching a desert offensive early this month, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The defence ministry in Moscow said Russian aircraft carried out 146 strikes on "terrorist targets" in the Palmyra area between yesterday and last Sunday. Security has been stepped up at the airport here following a major security scare across airports in the country in the wake of bomb threat calls to IndiGo flights, officials said. A 'seven-tier' security apparatus has been put in place at the Chennai airport, which has both Domestic and International terminals, even as visitors entry had been banned, they said. While vehicles entering the airport were being checked by state police, all baggage was being thoroughly checked by personnel of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Security agencies, including CISF, IB, R&AW and different wings of state police, were carrying out round the clock monitoring inside and outside the airport, officials said. Patrolling has also been intensified outside the airport, they added. On Wednesday, there was a major security scare across several airports in the country, including Delhi, following a phone call from the US that 11 aircraft of private carrier IndiGo could be in the danger of being blown up. A Seoul court said today it had dismissed a defamation suit filed by the US-based aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un against three defectors now living in South Korea. Ko Yong-Suk, who looked after Kim for years when he was at school in Switzerland, filed the suit last year, accusing the three of "spreading false information" about her and her family on TV talk shows The defectors had all escaped the North and settled in South Korea in the 1990s. The lawsuit cited claims that Ko siphoned off gambling money from a secret fund of Kim's late father, Kim Jong-Il, that her father collaborated during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula and that she had plastic surgery after defecting to the US. The Seoul Central District Court said it was dismissing the case because Ko's legal team had failed to carry out an earlier order to provide correct addresses for the three accused, so that they could be served with court papers. The team also failed to use a public notice system, where the names of hard-to-find defendants are displayed on court billboards and papers for a certain period of time. Ko took asylum in the United States in 1998 with her husband, and the suit was filed on her behalf by a Seoul-based lawyer. The younger sister of Kim's mother, who died in France in 2004, Ko had been seeking a total of 60 million won (USD 52,000) for remarks the defectors made on South Korean TV talk shows between 2013 and 2014. Pakistani security forces today claimed to have arrested an 'Indian naval personnel' in the volatile southwestern Balochistan province. Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed that an "Indian spy" had been arrested from the southern part of the province and he had been transferred to Islamabad. Bugti claimed the man was sponsoring subversive activities in the already-troubled province and arranging for funding and training of the Baloch Republican Army. "He has been identified as Bhushan Yadav and his arrest confirms the involvement of RAW" in Balochistan, he said. Television channels reported that the arrested man was a serving Indian naval officer and deputed to work for India's external intelligence agency RAW. One report said the man was arrested during a raid but no exact location of his arrest has been given so far. At least six persons, including two women and a minor girl, were killed and two others critically injured today when a vehicle carrying tourists overturned near Neulapur in the district, police said. While three persons died on the spot, as many others succumbed to injuries at the Community Health Centre at Badachana. Two critically injured persons were rushed to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack, a police official said. The mishap occurred when a group of tourists from neighbouring West Bengal were travelling in a vehicle to Puri. The vehicle overturned near Neulapur as the driver lost control while trying to save a cow which crossed the road, the official said. The identity of the deceased persons is yet to be established, police said. Six Chinese nationals were wounded after gunmen opened fire on a bus in Laos, state media reported today, the third shadowy attack this year on China's citizens in the Southeast Asian country. The shooting took place north of the tourist hotspot Vang Vieng late Wednesday as the bus carried 28 people from Kunming in southwestern China to the Laos capital, China's Xinhua agency reported citing an embassy statement. The driver managed to steer the bus to safety despite being shot himself, the report said, adding the wounded were receiving treatment at a local hospital. The report did not give details on the severity of the injuries. It is the third time in three months that mysterious attackers have targeted Chinese in the fellow Communist nation, which shares a border with its massive northern neighbour. A Chinese national was killed and three others wounded earlier this month on property belonging to a Chinese-backed company in Luang Prabang province, which borders the area where yesterday's shooting took place. In January a suspected bomb attack killed two Chinese nationals in another nearby province, prompting a travel warning from the US embassy in Vientiane. Neither Laos nor China's Communist leaders have offered a motive for the assaults. The mountainous region where the attacks have taken place have historically hosted insurgencies waged by ethnic minorities against Laos' repressive one-party state. But Beijing's growing footprint in the poor nation has also stirred unease among locals in recent years. China has invested heavily in Laos and capitalised on its bountiful water, forestry and mineral resources. While this flood of foreign investment has fuelled impressive economic growth in the landlocked country over the past decade, the gains have not been evenly distributed and poverty remains widespread. Normally isolated Laos will open its doors to host President Barack Obama later this year as the culmination of its chairmanship of the ASEAN regional bloc. Syrian troops backed by Russian warplanes today advanced into the ancient city of Palmyra, which has been under jihadist control for nearly a year, a monitor and a military source said. "Regime forces have entered the Hayy al-Gharf neighbourhood in the southwest of Palmyra. They are advancing very slowly because of mines planted by IS (the Islamic State group)," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "The regime is also advancing from the north of the city," Abdel Rahman said. A military source confirmed the advance. "The army has entered from the northwest after seizing control of part of the Valley of the Tombs," he told AFP. "The clashes, which are ongoing, are fierce. Kerala's influential Syro-Malabar Catholic Church today did not follow Pope Francis' decree that women should be included in the traditional foot-washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday. However, a parish priest of Blessed Sacrament Church, Thrikkakkara, controlled by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, sent shock waves among its conservative clergy by including 12 women in the foot-washing ritual, which is said to have been performed by Jesus for his disciples before he was crucified to signify an act of humility. Vicar of Blessed Sacrament Church, Fr Jose Vayalikkodath justified his decision to include women in the foot-washing ritual, saying he was "just implementing a revolutionary decision" taken by supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church--the Pope. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. It was in January this year, Pope Francis issued a decree revising the rules for the traditional foot-washing ritual on Maundy Thursday. In his decree, the Pope had said the rite should no longer be limited to men and boys, but also include women and young girls. "Our Church had not taken a decision regarding implementation of the new rules issued by the Pope. The synod of Syro-Malabar Church had not met after the issuance of the decree by Vatican. Moreover, it was not made mandatory this year," Syro-Malabar Church spokesperson Fr Jimmy Poochakkatt told PTI. He also pointed out that some Latin dioceses have also not implemented the new rule. He said next meeting of the synod of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church will discuss the decree issued by the Pope. Taking serious note of the ritual performed at the Blessed Sacrament Church, Thrikkakkara, Poochakkatt said the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church will examine why it took place in only one Church under its control. "Our Church head Cardinal George Alencherry had given an explanation to all parish priests regarding the Pope's declaration revising the rules for the traditional foot-washing ritual on Maundy Thursday. But it happened in one parish in our Church. We will examine it," Poochakkat said. Vayalikkodath said he had performed same ritual last year but now it has become a big issue after the Syro-Malabar Church did not follow the decree issued by the Pope. "I just performed parish duty by implementing Pope Francis' message that there should be no discrimination against marginalised particularly women and downtrodden. He is a servant of Gospel. Pope Francis' life itself is a big message for humanity," he said. "Moreover, I had not received any circular regarding Syro- Malabar Church's decision on this issue," he said. Vayalikkodath also said his parish members, comprising about 100 households, "are so happy" about his decision to include women in foot-washing ceremonies. Tension prevailed at a function hall here this evening when workers of BJP and Left parties virtually clashed over the conduct of a meeting of JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar. The United Forum of Students Unions had organised the meeting for which Kanhaiya reached here from Hyderabad. Workers of BJP and its affiliate organisations reached the function hall ahead of Kanhaiya's arrival and started raising slogans against him. "Kanhaiya go back," they shouted even as AISF, CPI, CPM workers present in full strength sought to retaliate. Heated arguments were witnessed between BJP and CPI workers even as the former tried to barge into the function hall to prevent the JNU student leader from addressing the meeting. A heavy presence of police prevented a clash between the BJP and the Left activists. Police took BJP state secretary Purnachandra Rao and BJYM leader C Rajinikanth and others into custody and whisked them away from the spot. Kanhaiya flew down to Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram from Hyderabad and was driven to the city, 20-km away, amid tight police security. Police sources said no permission had been given for Kanhaiya's meeting. "Since it is being held in a private place, we did not issue any permission. But given the events in Hyderabad Central University and later at another meeting in Hyderabad, we have kept a close watch on the meeting here and posted adequate security," a senior police officer said. In fact, the meeting was supposed to be organised in a private college but due to protests from different quarters the college management reportedly asked the organisers to shift the venue. Hence, the private function palace was chosen, sources said. (Reopens BES16) Meanwhile, a youth identified as one Behra from Guntur, was allegedly thrashed by CPI workers, after he raised slogans 'Bharat mata ki jai' and 'Vande Mataram' while Kanhaiya was entering the function hall. The youth sustained injuries on his face and was taken to a nearby hospital. Actress Jennifer Garner's faith is important to her and the church is the "centre" of her social life. The 43-year-old "Miracles From Heaven" star's Christian faith is important to her and her family and they still make regular visits to the Methodist church back home in Charleston, West Virginia, reported Female First. "My parents did such a great job of raising my sisters and me in a world where faith was part of our lives. It's the centre of our social lives, as well as a spiritual centre," she said in an interview. The actress , who has children Violet, 10, Seraphina, seven, and Samuel, four, with ex-husband Ben Affleck, doesn't believe fame changes people in a "huge" way and those who let success go to their heads were probably always driven to want recognition. "I've lived in L.A. A long time and I know a lot of really incredible, down-to-earth people. I think a few people are kind of more into the idea of fame or whatever, but they were like that when they were kids, I'm sure. I don't see people changing in some huge way. You are who you are. Three suicide bombers who struck Brussels airport and a metro train in attacks claimed by the Islamic State have been identified, as the manhunt for a fourth suspect whose suitcase bomb failed to detonate intensified. Prosecutors said brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui had carried out attacks at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro station, while bomb-making expert Najim Laachraoui was identified by police sources as the second airport bomber. Authorities yesterday stepped up the manhunt for a third airport attacker, seen wearing a hat and white jacket on CCTV footage from Zaventem departure hall, whose explosive-packed suitcase failed to go off with the two other suicide bombers. The three identified suspects behind the twin assaults, which killed 31 and injured 300, have been linked to the Paris attacks last November, underscoring the threat European nations face from the jihadist group. Turkey said it had detained Ibrahim El Bakraoui near the Syrian border in June 2015 and deported him as a "foreign terrorist fighter", piling more pressure on Belgian authorities who have faced criticism for failing to tackle the extremist menace. Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw revealed that Ibrahim had left a desperate "will" on a computer that he dumped in a trash can, in which he said he felt "hunted" and added "I don't know what to do". In an apparent reference to Salah Abdeslam, the key suspect in the Paris massacre arrested in Brussels on Friday, Ibrahim added: "I don't want to end up in a cell next to him." EU justice and interior ministers will convene today in Brussels for an emergency meeting to work out a plan to address the threat posed by jihadists to Europe and the application of EU anti-terrorism laws across the bloc. Leaders in Europe have reacted with outrage to the twin bombings, vowing to defend democracy and combat terrorism "with all means necessary". Belgium authorities are under immense pressure over their apparent inability to smash domestic extremist networks, after it emerged that the Paris attacks were largely planned from the country. Belgium is also Europe's top exporter of jihadist fighters to Syria per capita. Belgian authorities had already been hunting the Bakraoui brothers, both Belgian nationals with long criminal records, over their links to Paris attack suspect Abdeslam. They also issued a wanted notice for Laachraoui on Monday, the day before the attacks, with officials saying he had travelled to Hungary with Abdeslam last year and that his DNA was found on explosives linked to the Paris rampage. The party office of Trinamool Congress was gutted in a fire at Raina in Burdwan district this evening as the ruling party blamed CPI(M) for the incident. SP Gaurab Sharma confirmed the TMC office at Maral in Raina area was gutted in a fire and said an inquiry has been launched. The TMC candidate from Jamalpur assembly seat, under which Raina falls, Ujjwal Pramanik alleged CPI(M) supporters in the area set the party office on fire to create disturbances in the run up to the polls. However, CPI(M) district secretariat member Uday Shankar Sarkar said TMC had many factions in the area who were fighting each other and it was a case of sabotage by one faction. Elections will be held in Burdwan on April 11 and 21 in two phases. Stepping up pressure on the Centre over the excise duty levy issue, jewellers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, who had called off their strike recently, are gearing themselves to resume the indefinite stir by joining other associations next week. The gold traders in the region withdrew the strike last week after the assurance by the government and formation of a committee to look into the issue and find a solution. While the jewellers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry withdrew their stir, majority of associations across the country, continued to protest, seeking immediate rollback of the one% excise duty levy proposed by Finance Minister in the Budget for 2016-17. "The Centre had assured to look into our demands and had formed a committee. But some of our members seek immediate rollback of one% excise duty levy and are continuing the strike. "So, we are planning to join by Monday (March 28)," Madras Jewellers and Diamond Merchants' Association President, Jayanthilal Challani told PTI here. "Almost 90% of the jewellers are still in protest. Only 10% comprising Tamil Nadu and other regions withdrew the strike. Now, we are planning to join strike by Monday." Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are home to about 36,000 showrooms and the jewellery sector in these two places has about eight to 10 lakh employees. Challani had earlier said business worth Rs 6,300 crore was affected in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the earlier strike that went on for 18 days. Jewellers also opposed the Centre's mandatory quoting of PAN by customers for transactions of Rs 2 lakh and above. The government had set up a three-member committee, headed by former Chief Economic Adviser at the Ministry of Finance and Company Affairs Ashok Lahiri, to look into the issues and find a solution. State security prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates have dropped terrorism charges in a case involving two Libyan Americans and a Libyan Canadian, instead charging them with the lesser offense of illegally raising funds, a defense lawyer said today. Prosecutors had initially charged them with knowingly financing two Libyan rebel groups affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, considered a terrorist organization under UAE law. They were arrested in August 2014, around the time that reports emerged of the UAE leading airstrikes against Islamist rebel groups in Libya. The four defendants named in the case are Libyan Americans Kamal Eldarat, 59, and his son Mohammed Eldarat, 34, Libyan Canadian Sami Alaradi, 46, and Libyan national Issa Almanna. All were longtime residents in the UAE and successful businessmen. Lawyer Paul Champ, speaking to The Associated Press from Canada, said prosecutors Monday charged them with providing goods and funds to organizations without approval from the UAE. They face a maximum 15-year prison sentence if found guilty. He said the defendants acknowledge raising money for the Libyan National Transitional Council with documented approval from the UAE Government. The NTC headed the internationally-backed Libyan opposition to longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi during the 2011 uprising and then governed Libya for a period of time after he was killed. Champ said he believes the four "are being treated as political pawns for the UAE's interest in what's happening in Libya." The four say they were tortured during their first three months of detention and forced to sign confessions. Champ said the judge allowed a brief medical examination to take place and that the doctor took photos of scars on Alaradi, allegedly incurred when he was beaten with hoses and other instruments. The British government today issued a vehement rebuttal of a UN panel's findings that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had been arbitrarily detained. Published last month, the United Nations working group's non-binding legal opinion was instantly dismissed as "ridiculous" by London, which has now submitted its formal response, inviting the panel to reconsider its conclusions. Assange faces a rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador's embassy in London for nearly four years in a bid to avoid extradition. The 44-year-old Australian fears that from Sweden he could be deported to the United States over WikiLeaks' release of 500,000 secret military files. The UN panel said the detention it concluded Assange was living under had violated his human, civil and political rights. "The working group's opinion is deeply flawed and Mr Assange has never been the subject of arbitrary detention," the Foreign Office said. "His human rights have been protected throughout." Anti-secrecy campaigner Assange initially spent 10 days in a London prison having been refused bail, but his detention was "absolutely in line with the relevant legislation and regulations", the statement said. The former computer hacker's series of failed court appeals against extradition to Sweden took 18 months and "cannot be considered excessive or unfair", the rebuttal said. "During this period he was granted bail and so cannot be considered to have been detained." The UN panel said Assange should be able to claim compensation from Britain and Sweden. Assange hailed the findings as a "victory", but has continued to remain in the Ecuadoran embassy. The working group will consider Britain's response on April 18 in Geneva. Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said: "The original conclusions of the UN working group are inaccurate and should be reviewed. "We want to ensure the working group is in possession of the full facts. Our request for a review of the opinion sets those facts out clearly. "Julian Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK, and is in fact voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadoran embassy. "The UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden." A hero to supporters and a dangerous egocentric to detractors, Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 and has been portrayed in two movies in recent years. The US Treasury named units involved in Iran's ballistic missile program to its sanctions blacklist today, two weeks after the country ran missile tests that Washington labeled "provocative and destabilizing." The Treasury placed sanctions on Shahid Nuri Industries and Shahid Movahed Industries, both units of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group the US says is responsible for Iran's liquid-fueled ballistic missile program. It also sanctioned the Al-Ghadir Missile Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which it said appears to have operational control of the country's ballistic missiles. The US actions were based on broader sanctions over the country's alleged ties to terror activities. Sanctions tied to its nuclear activities were lifted in January as part of a deal with major powers. The move came after the IRGC conducted ballistic missile tests over March 8-9, which Tehran argued did not violate the deal over its nuclear program or UN resolutions barring the country from launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear weapons. "Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for terrorism pose a continuing threat to the region, to the United States, and to our partners worldwide," said Adam Szubin, Treasury's acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. "We will continue to use all of our tools to counteract Iran's ballistic missile program and support for terrorism, including through sanctions." The sanctions freeze any assets of the listed entity under US jurisdiction and ban any business with them by US companies or individuals. In addition, the US blacklisted British businessmen Jeffrey John James Ashfield and John Edward Meadows, as well as companies linked to them, for their attempts to sell aircraft and parts to already blacklisted Mahan Air, the country's second largest airline that is closely tied to the IRGC. Mahan Air "continues to support the Iranian government's destabilizing actions in the region by conducting flights to Syria in order to transport fighters," the Treasury said. In Tehran, the foreign ministry blasted the new US moves. "The Iranian ballistic missile program has nothing to do with the nuclear agreement and does not violate" the UN Security Council resolution, said spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari. A US judge today gave Volkswagen until April 21 to come up with a plan to fix some 600,000 cars spewing illegal levels of pollutants due to emissions-cheating software. "This issue of what is to be done with these cars must be done by that date," US District Court Judge Charles Breyer told attorneys of the German automaker during a status hearing. If a concrete plan for getting the cars fixed or off the roads was not submitted by the deadline, "the court would seriously consider whether to hold a bench trial this summer so that the polluting cars can be addressed forthwith," Breyer said. VW, which until recently had ambitions to become the world's biggest carmaker, is battling to resolve its deepest-ever crisis sparked by revelations that it installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide. The software, known as a "defeat device", limits the output of toxic nitrogen oxides to US legal limits during emissions test by regulators. But when the vehicles are in actual use, the software allows them to spew poisonous gases at up to 40 times the permitted levels, giving the vehicle better acceleration and fuel economy. Defeat devices are prohibited in the United States, where the VW scam was originally exposed, as well as in other countries. On top of still unquantifiable regulatory fines in a range of countries, VW is facing a slew of legal suits, notably in the United States and Germany, from angry car owners, as well as from shareholders seeking damages for the massive loss in the value of their shares since September. Cases in the United States have been consolidated under Judge Breyer, who said attorneys representing all involved have been working relentlessly for the past month on a way to "get the cars, in their current condition, off the road." However, he said, engineering technicalities and "other important issues" had yet to be resolved. The solution could be a buy-back plan or a fix to the emissions system. But in any case a specific and detailed plan including timing, cars involved, and payments to consumers should be finalized by the April 21 deadline to avoid trial, according to the judge. Breyer told attorneys not to reveal anything about the status talks, contending that confidentiality was critical to success. "We are working around the clock," plaintiffs' attorney Elizabeth Cabraser told AFP as she left the courtroom. "We will sleep when they are fixed." In a statement Volkswagen said it is "committed to resolving the US regulatory investigation into the diesel emissions matter as quickly as possible and to implementing a solution for affected vehicles." "We continue to make progress and are cooperating fully with the efforts undertaken by Judge Breyer... To bring about a prompt and fair resolution of the US civil litigation. An influential US lawmaker today greeted Indian-Americans on the occasion of Holi, the festival of colour, which he described as a "beautiful representation of the incredible diversity". "The Festival of Holi, known as the Festival of Colours, is a time for communities to come together to mark the end of winter and celebrate the coming of spring," said Congressman Joe Crowley. "During this joyous festival, family and friends will join together through dance, music, meals, the lighting of bonfires celebrating goodness over evil, and the tossing of vibrant-coloured powders into the air, all in a grand celebration of peace, friendship, and harmony," he said in a statement. "Holi is a beautiful representation of the incredible diversity here in the US and around the world. To all those celebrating, I wish you a happy Holi!" he said. Crowley is Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus and former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian- Americans. A US Navy ship that went missing 95 years ago with 56 aboard has been found off San Francisco, ending one of the biggest mysteries in US naval history, authorities have said. The USS Conestoga tug boat, which disappeared on March 25, 1921 after departing San Francisco on its way to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, was the last US Navy ship to be lost in peacetime, the Navy and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said in a joint statement. "After nearly a century of ambiguity and a profound sense of loss, the Conestoga's disappearance no longer is a mystery," said Manson Brown, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and deputy NOAA administrator. The wreckage was initially detected in 2009 at a depth of 189 feet (58 meters) by a NOAA survey team working near the Farallon Islands, about 30 miles west of San Francisco. The Conestoga wreckage, located three miles off Southeast Farallon Island in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, was positively identified in October 2015. Experts believe the ship sank as its crew tried to reach a protected cove amid stormy weather. The wreck is on the seabed and largely intact, although the wooden deck and other features have collapsed due to corrosion and age, the release said. The hull is draped with anemones and various species of marine life are present at the site. Video collected by remote controlled vehicles used to explore the wreckage revealed details consistent with the Conestoga, including the four-bladed propeller, steam engine and boilers, porthole locations, large towing winch with twisted wire on the drum and a 50-caliber gun mounted on the main deck. No human remains were found but the wreckage is protected by a law prohibiting unauthorized disturbance of sunken military vessels and planes. The Conestoga left San Francisco and headed to Pearl Harbor with a final destination of Tutuila in American Samoa. Weather records showed that winds in the area about that time increased from 23 to 40 miles per hour (37 to 64 kilometers per hour), and the seas were rough with high waves. When the ship didn't arrive as scheduled at Pearl Harbor some 2,400 miles (3,860 kilometers) away, the Navy launched a massive sea and air search operation, but focused its efforts around Hawaii. Amid the political crisis in Uttarakhand, 27 BJP MLAs from the state who arrived here last evening today celebrated Holi here. "We celebrated Holi in Jaipur and will be going for sight seeing. "Tomorrow, we are going to Pushkar in Ajmer," BJP MLA Ajay Chauhan, from BHEL-Ranipur, told PTI. Chauhan expressed hope that the party would be able to form the government and the politics crisis will come to an end in Uttarakhand. "Strategy is being chalked out by our party leadership," he said. The MLAs are staying at a hotel at Ajmer road here. Swiss knife and accessory maker Victorinox has outlined aggressive expansion plans here over the next three years and is looking to open 35 stores by 2018 with an investment of Rs 80 crore. "We will open 35 stores by 2018, and will invest about Rs 80 crore," Colonel Chandhoke, managing director and CEO of Victorinox, told PTI. The company is also looking at more than doubling its revenues to Rs 200 crore from Rs 75 crore at present, he added. It plans to open 20 stores in 2016, in four metro cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai and will open 10 more stories in tier-2 cities in 2017, and the remaining 5 stores in 2018, Chandhoke said. "We have already signed on 14 stores, and 4 more will come up by mid-June this year," he added. Victorinox is opening 'concept stores' under the brand Gutt Reise using a francise and distribution model, where it will display its knives and travel gear predominantly, besides other products of their global brand partners. "Once we've established over 30 stores we will open Victorinox brand stores going forward," he said. The company will not retail the watches under Victorinox brand in these stores, but will continue to push watch sales in conventional and modern trade, which accounts for about 35 per cent of the turnover. "Currently, our knives, watches and travel gear account for an equal percentage of sales. However, going forward I expect the travel gear segment to account for 50 per cent of sales," Chandhoke said. Victorinox is also set to launch its own line of apparel in the next two years, which account for 10-15 per cent of the overall global turnover of the company, he added. Besides, it will launch the Wenger watches from among its international brands in the country later this year, he said. Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has accorded assent to three bills, including one on appointment of Law officers. The Jammu and Kashmir Law Officers Appointment and Conditions of Service Rules bill mandates that for the appointment of an Additional Advocate General, a person must have at least 10 years of practice as an advocate and at least eight reported judgements to his credit in which he has contributed to the growth of law. He should also be an income tax payee. For appointment of a Deputy Advocate General a person must have at least eight years of practice as an advocate and at least five reported judgements to his credit in which he has contributed to the growth of law, and an income tax payee. For appointment of an Advocate-on-Record in Supreme Court a person must have at least seven years of practice as an Advocate in the apex court out of which three years should be as an Advocate-on-Record, and must an income tax payee. For appointment as Government Advocate, Standing Counsel, a person must have at least five years of practice as an advocate. It may be mentioned that in absence of any Rules governing the appointment and conditions of service of these Law Officers, all appointments on these positions in the past were being done on ad hoc basis. Vohra also accorded assent to the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The amendments to this Act have enabled usage of Electronic Voting Machines for conducting elections to the Urban Local Bodies. It is relevant to mention here that the State Administrative Council, in its meeting held on March 11 had approved the Housing and Urban Development Department's proposal regarding the amendment of this Act. The Governor has also accorded assent to the Jammu and Kashmir State Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple disabilities Bill, 2016. This Act aims to empowering persons with such disabilities; extending support to registered organisations to provide need based services to families such persons;promoting measures for their care and protection, and realisation of equal opportunities and protection of their rights Besides empowering persons with such disabilities to live independently, this Act will enable the state government to ensure timely interventions and mediations for mitigating their genuine problems. Talks between trade unions and garment manufacturers in Tirupur over wage increase remained inconclusive today, following which it was decided to hold a further round of discussions on March 30. In today's meeting, the Joint Committee of six associations of knitwear garment manufacturers, including South India Hosiery Manufacturers Association and Tirupur Exporters Association, reiterated its offer of 18 per cent increase in the first year and three per cent in the second, third and fourth years, respectively. However, representatives of eight major trade unions demanded a higher increase and also sought to discuss other issues like Dearness Allowance and basic needs, president of Joint Action Committee of trade unions, S Duraisamy said. "Failing to arrive at any settlement, the next round of talks has been fixed for March 30," he added. In a first in the domestic private wealth management space, city-based Warmond Trustees & Executors has acquired the private wealth management business of Swiss major Julius Baer Trust Company for an undisclosed sum. Warmond, which specialises in trusteeship, estate planning and e-wills, claimed this is the first acquisition in the domestic private wealth management space wherein a domestic firm is acquiring the business of a multi-national here. Julius Baer came to the country some years back after acquiring private wealth business of erstwhile DSP Merrill Lynch Trust Services. Under the deal, the asset under management of Julius Baer in the country will move to Warmond, but the investment platform will continue to be with the Swiss company, Warmond said. While Julis Baer could not be reached, Warmond did not share the asset under management of both the companies as well as the deal value. The deal also includes Warmond absorbing the key Julius Baer executives, including Anuradha Shah and Amit Pathak along with the team of erstwhile DSP Merrill Lynch Trust Services. Warmond, which has pioneered the concept of electronic will-writing in the country since 2014, is promoted by the city-based law firm SNG Partners headed by Rajesh Narain Gupta, and is backed by NA Shah Associates, a full service boutique law firm. The deal also involves Anuradha Shah and Amit Pathak taking a significant stake and key management positions in Warmond as chief executive and managing director, respectively, but Rajesh Gupta will continue to hold the majority stake. The NA Shah family will also continue to remain invested in the company, Warmond said. Warmond has been in the estate planning business for about a decade helping HNIs set up private trusts and plan their succession and acts as a corporate trustee for them. In addition to trusteeship, Warmond is also in will writing and executorship. Warmond launched the pioneering online will writing called EzeeWill in collaboration with NSDL in late 2014, setting a new trend in the segment. Russian President Vladimir Putin on today took a keen interest in the briefcase of visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry, wondering aloud if it perhaps contained cash intended to sway his opinion on Syria's future. "When I saw you getting off the plane and carrying your things, I got a bit upset," Putin began as the pair met for talks at the Kremlin where Kerry is set to try and shift the Russian leader's position on Syria's Bashar al-Assad. "On the one hand, it's very democratic, on the other hand, I thought, things must be getting bad in the US," Putin said with a small laugh, "if there is nobody to help the Secretary of State with his briefcase". "One would think it's all going well with the economy, no significant layoffs -- but then I thought, maybe there was something in that briefcase that you could not entrust to anyone, something valuable. "It must be money you brought, to better haggle with us on key issues," Putin joked, looking across the table at a smiling Kerry. "When we have a private moment, I'll show you what's in my briefcase," Kerry replied. "I think you will be surprised, pleasantly. Nine women Travelling Ticket Examiners of the Southern Railway have been suspended after they allegedly stormed into the office of a top official and had heated arguments with him. A group of about fifteen women TTEs allegedly entered the office of the Chief Commercial Manager, Ajit Saxena in Chennai and wanted him to hear their representations over work-related issues. "They were told by the official and his office that a prior appointment was needed to discuss such official issues. Some of them had raised their voice and had heated argument with him on March 22," a Southern Railway official told PTI. The official said it was pointed out to the employees that such behaviour amounted to misdemeanour as some in the group had also allegedly tried to prevent the entry of other staffers into his office. The nine TTEs, who were identified as having stormed into the office of the senior official were suspended yesterday, he said. "The identification was done based on photographs taken when the group trooped outside. A complaint has been lodged with the police by the official's office and a counter-complaint has also been given by the women TTEs," he said. Police sources confirmed that an FIR has been registered against nine accused persons based on the complaint of Saxena for criminal trespass, wrongful restraint, and assault/use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty. Meanwhile, Railway trade unions held consultations over the issue. Also, employees affiliated to the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union staged a demonstration alleging the senior official intimidated these TTEs and demanded action against him. Plc raised its full-year net revenue forecast well above analysts' expectations and reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, led by strong growth in its consulting business, especially in North America. Shares of the company, whose competitors include IBM Corp and India's Infosys Ltd and Tata Consultancy Services, were up 2.1% in premarket trading. Accenture, which is incorporated in Ireland but run out of Chicago, said on Thursday it now expected full-year net revenue to increase by 8-10% in local currency terms, up from its previous estimate of 6-9%. That implies revenue of $33.53 billion-$34.15 billion, well above the average analyst estimate of $32.20 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue in the company's consulting division rose to $4.29 billion in the second quarter ended Feb. 29, an increase of 12% in U.S. dollar terms and 18% in local currency. The business accounted for a little more than half of Accenture's revenue, with the rest coming from its outsourcing business. Outsourcing revenue was $3.65 billion, flat in U.S. dollar terms but up 6% in local currency. [nBw81mksva] has been investing heavily to boost its digital business, which offers analytics, content management, social media and cloud services to businesses. Up to Wednesday's close, the company's stock had risen nearly 18% in the past 12 months compared with a 0.5% increase in the S&P 500 IT Services index. Net revenue, or revenue before reimbursements, rose 6% in U.S. dollar terms and 12% in local currency terms, to $7.95 billion in the latest quarter. Net income attributable to rose to $1.33 billion, or $2.08 per share, from $690.7 million, or $1.08 per share in the year-earlier period. Excluding items, the company earned $1.34 per share. Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.18 per share and revenue of $7.72 billion. PLC raised its full-year net revenue forecast well above analysts' expectations and reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, led by strong growth in its consulting business, especially in North America. Shares of the company, whose competitors include IBM Corp and India's Infosys Ltd and Tata Consultancy Services, rose as much as 5.1% to a record high of $113.18 in early trading on Thursday. has been investing heavily to boost its digital business, which offers analytics, content management, social media and cloud services to businesses. "The company is very well positioned for newer, more discretionary projects, particulary around digital initiatives, where it's certainly taking share," Atlantic Equities analyst Christopher Hickey said. is also less exposed to the healthcare and banking industries than some of its competitors, Hickey told Reuters. The company, which is incorporated in Ireland, said it now expected full-year net revenue to increase by 8-10% in local currency terms, up from its previous estimate of 6-9%. That implies revenue of $33.53 billion-$34.15 billion, well above the average analyst estimate of $32.20 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue in the company's consulting division rose to $4.29 billion in the second quarter ended February 29, an increase of 12% in dollar terms and 18% in local currency. The business accounted for a little more than half of Accenture's revenue, with the rest coming from its outsourcing business. Outsourcing revenue was $3.65 billion, flat in dollar terms but up 6% in local currency. Accenture's shares were up 3.3% at $111.29 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Up to Wednesday's close, Accenture's stock had risen nearly 18% in the past 12 months compared with a 0.5% increase in the S&P 500 IT Services index. Net revenue, or revenue before reimbursements, rose 6% in dollar terms and 12% in local currency terms, to $7.95 billion in the latest quarter. Net income attributable to Accenture rose to $1.33 billion, or $2.08 per share, from $690.7 million, or $1.08 per share in the year-earlier period. Excluding items, the company earned $1.34 per share. Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.18 per share and revenue of $7.72 billion. By Vera Eckert FRANKFURT (Reuters) - China helped push global green energy investment plans to record heights in 2015, offsetting a sharp fall in Germany, authors of a U.N.-backed report said on Thursday, predicting further growth. Solar and wind power, especially in developing countries, are driving spending higher and last year for the first time renewables made up more than 50 percent of new electricity capacity plans, the Frankfurt School of Finance report said. "The term 'niche product' no longer applies to renewables," said Ulf Moslener, professor for sustainable energy finance at the school and one of the report's authors. "Investments are becoming less expensive, due to falling equipment costs, which will also enable further growth, especially in light of the new momentum from the Paris climate summit goals," he told reporters. Firmly committed renewable investment plans totalled $286 billion last year, up 5 percent from $273 billion in 2014, according to the study, which is prepared annually by the Frankfurt School-United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Collaborating Centre and Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Solar power accounted for $148 billion, up 12 percent partly driven by an ongoing solar boom in Japan. Wind accounted for $107 billion, up 9 percent helped by offshore projects. Biomass accounted for just $5 billion of investment pledges, down 46 percent. The study excludes large hydrological power projects because of environmental concerns. Other studies which include such data therefore may arrive at larger sums. China accounted for $103 billion of the total, up 17 percent, ahead of Europe with $49 billion, the United States with $44.1 billion and Asia, excluding China and India, at $48 billion. China expects its greenhouse gas emissions to peak by "around 2030" as part of its commitments to a global pact to combat global warming signed in Paris last year. China, India and Brazil and other emerging nations jointly outdid developed nations, with $156 billion or 55 percent of the total. Spending plans in Germany, a leader in renewable projects, technology and research, fell by 46 percent to $8.5 billion in their steepest fall in 12 years, the report said. Factors behind that fall included lower costs, limits to available land, and regulatory changes aimed at forcing renewables into market-based remuneration and away from fixed tariffs, it said. The full report is available at http://fs-unep-centre.org (Reporting by Vera Eckert; editing by Jason Neely) By Adam Jourdan and Umesh Desai SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese companies, with ever more cash tied up in stocks and unpaid bills, are facing their tightest liquidity crunch in a decade, according to a analysis, forcing some into more costly and less secure borrowing to stay afloat. The analysis of Chinese listed companies that have reported 2015 earnings shows it takes them almost 170 days to turn working capital - broadly the net amount tied up in stocks and bills payable and receivable - into cash. For the 141 of the companies that have been around for at least a decade, the figure is 130 days, compared with roughly one month 10 years ago, and both the amount clients owe them and the amount they owe suppliers are at the highest level since at least 2006. The figures demonstrate the growing strains on Chinese companies as banks, chastened by a doubling in bad loans last year, become increasingly reluctant to lend into China's slowing economy. Banks prefer to lend to state-owned enterprises, rather than the smaller businesses that provide 80 percent of urban employment and 60 percent of GDP, so rate cuts and monetary easing steps from China's central bank are not making life much easier for them. "The last two years, people often say things are okay, but then don't pay up," said a manager at Shandong Wansheng Stainless Steel in eastern China, who gave his surname as Wang. "It has a big impact; it means we don't have enough capital and have to find other channels." The squeeze is particularly acute for small businesses like Gangye Machinery in Suzhou, eastern China, which have less clout with suppliers and lenders alike. Pan Zhengqiang, who owns the firm, said his clients are taking two to three months to pay, up from one to two months a year ago, and his bills are piling up and his staff still need paying. He wants a bank loan, but says the banks have too many conditions for people like him, and they always find a reason to turn him down. "If I can't get a loan there, then I have to go to relatives or friends," said Pan. "If I can't even borrow from them, then the only options left are microcredit firms and loan sharks." CASHFLOW RIPPLES The unmet needs of people like Wang and Pan are fuelling a boom in alternative lending such as online loans brokered on peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms, in a country where regulators are already fretting about the hidden risks in its sprawling shadow banking industry. P2P loans shot up in the first two months of the year to hit 243 billion yuan ($37 billion), versus 69 billion for the same period in 2015. They quadrupled in 2015 to 982 billion yuan, according to industry data provider Wangdaizhijia. P2P loans are more costly than bank loans, but they are quick, and speed can be critical to businessmen facing a cashflow crunch. "They run a business and don't need to wait for three months before you are able to tell them that they are qualified (for a loan) or not," said Soul Htite, chief executive of online lender Dianrong.com, echoing complaints from small firms who say they struggle to borrow through regular channels. Dianrong.com now has 2,700 employees, and its loan volumes grew over tenfold last year against 2014, Htite said. Businesses are also increasingly resorting to selling their unpaid bills to a third party, suffering a discount on the face value of the debt but getting immediate access to cash. Discounted bills now amount to 46 percent of the total, up from 20 percent at the end of 2013, according to research firm CreditSights - its highest level since monthly data began in 2011. With China's growth set to slow further from its 25-year low in 2015, and wary consumers paring back their spending, the cash crunch for businesses can only get worse. GMM Nonstick Coatings, which has a plant in Guangdong province making coatings for rice cookers and saucepans, said its China sales, which account for 10 to 20 percent of its total, are down 15 percent so far in 2016. "When consumer (appetite) starts to dip, stuff isn't moving off the retailer's shelf," said CEO Ravin Gandhi. "As soon as the retailer sees that, they take their foot off the gas pedal for their suppliers." That is already having consequences for GMM's trade debtors; it is now imposing a 45-day payment period on domestic buyers, down from 60 days at the end of 2015. "It ripples all the way down the line," said Gandhi. (Additional reporting by Patturaja Murugaboopathy in BANGALORE, Engen Tham in SHANGHAI, Anita Li in HONG KONG and SHANGHAI newsroom; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques and Will Waterman) By Dustin Volz and Jim Finkle WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - (This version of the story corrects paragraph 1 to say hackers did not break into computers) Seven Iranian hackers conducted a coordinated cyber attack on dozens of U.S. banks, causing millions of dollars in lost business, and tried to shut down a New York dam, the U.S. government said on Thursday in an indictment that for the first time accused individuals tied to another country of trying to disrupt critical infrastructure. It said the seven accused were believed to have been working on behalf of Iran's government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Those named live in Iran and the Iranian government is not expected to extradite them. There was no immediate comment from Tehran. At least 46 major financial institutions and financial sector companies were targeted, including JPMorgan Chase , Wells Fargo and American Express , the indictment said. AT&T also was targeted. The hackers are accused of hitting the banks with distributed-denial-of-service attacks on a near-weekly basis, a relatively unsophisticated way of knocking computer networks offline by overwhelming them with a flood of spammed traffic. "These attacks were relentless, they were systematic, and they were widespread," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch told a Washington conference. The indictment from a federal grand jury in New York City said the attacks occurred from 2011 to 2013. Washington has previously accused military officers from China and the North Korean government of cyber attacks against U.S. businesses. The attack on the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York, was especially alarming, Lynch said, because it represented a known intrusion on critical infrastructure. A stroke of good fortune prevented the hackers from obtaining operational control of the flood gates because the dam had been manually disconnected for routine maintenance, she said. The Bowman hack was a "game-changing event" for the U.S. government that prompted investigators to uncover other systems vulnerable to similar attacks, said Andre McGregor, a former FBI agent and a lead case investigator on the dam intrusion. "The investigation's discovery of many more exposed computer systems with vulnerable management consoles is a constant reminder that basic cyber hygiene remains at the forefront of the battle against cyber attacks," said McGregor, now director of security at Tanium, a Silicon Valley cyber security firm. "We must step up our counter-hacking game ASAP to deal with threats from places like Iran and would be terrorists," said New York Senator Chuck Schumer in a statement. Cyber security experts and U.S. intelligence officials have grown more alarmed in recent months by the possibility of destructive hacks of critical infrastructure such as dams, power plants and factories. Some have said a December cyber attack on the Ukraine's energy grid that caused a temporary blackout of 225,000 should serve as a wake-up call. LONG MEMORIES The defendants were identified as Ahmad Fathi, Hamid Firoozi, Amin Shokohi, Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, Omid Ghaffarinia, Sina Keissar and Nader Seidi, all citizens and residents of Iran. They are accused of conspiracy to commit computer hacking while employed by two Iran-based computer companies, ITSecTeam and Mersad Company. Firoozi also is charged with obtaining and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer. The indictments are the latest attempt by the Obama administration to more publicly confront cyber attacks carried out by other countries against the United States. The campaign began two years ago when the Justice Department accused five members of China's People's Liberation Army with hacking several Pennsylvania-based companies in an alleged effort to steal trade secrets. It continued with President Obama's vow to "respond proportionally" against North Korea for the destructive hack against Sony Pictures. "An important part of our cyber security practice is to identify the actors and to attribute them publicly when we can," Lynch said Thursday. "We do this so that they know they cannot hide." U.S. officials largely completed the investigation more than a year ago, according to two sources familiar with the matter, but held off releasing the indictment so as to not jeopardize the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran or a January prisoner swap. Even though Iran is not expected to extradite the suspects, FBI Director James Comey vowed to pursue justice. "The world is small and our memory is long," he said at the conference with Lynch. Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer with cyber security firm CrowdStrike, said, "This sends an important message to Iran and other governments that these people cannot operate anonymously." The U.S. and Israel launched a cyber attack against Iran in 2010, now famously known as the Stuxnet worm, in order to disable Iran's nuclear centrifuges. Some security researchers and officials have long suspected the attacks against U.S. banks and the dam were done in part as retaliation. Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted two Iranian companies on Thursday for supporting Iran's ballistic missile programme and also sanctioned two British businessmen it said were helping an airline used by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Susan Heavey, Megan Cassella and Julia Edwards in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish and Bill Trott) By Matt Scuffham TORONTO (Reuters) - (This version of the story corrects last name of chief executive to Connor from Cooper throughout) Sun Life Financial Inc expects to make further acquisitions in Asia, the Canadian insurer said, after agreeing on Wednesday to take full control of its Indonesian business by buying out partner CIMB Group . Sun Life said it would buy the remaining 51 percent of CIMB Sun Life (CSL) to further expand its presence in a key Asian growth market. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. In the last three years, Sun Life has made acquisitions in Malaysia, India, Vietnam as well as Indonesia. Chief Executive Dean Connor said it would consider more deals in the region as well as investing to support organic growth. "We've invested close to 1 billion Canadian dollars ($757 million) to broaden and strengthen our Asian platform and we think there are lots more opportunities as we look ahead," Connor said in an interview. Sun Life currently operates in seven Asian countries, which also include the Philippines, China, India and Hong Kong. The company hopes to take advantage of the region's burgeoning middle class as they look to save and invest for the future. "The demand for what we do in our industry is accelerating in Asia. As the middle class grows people start to save and they start to protect themselves and their families and save for education," Connor said. Connor said Sun Life had stayed out of Japan and South Korea, markets it views as relatively mature, and is focusing on what it sees as faster growth markets such as Indonesia. In Indonesia, he said around 80 million of the country's 250 million population could now afford insurance and savings products but only around 15 million had purchased them, leaving a big opportunity for future sales. As part of the Indonesia deal, Sun Life has extended a distribution agreement with CIMB, which is one of Indonesia's largest banks. ($1 = 1.3206 Canadian dollars) (Editing by G Crosse, David Gregorio, Diane Craft) The deal, disclosed in a filing in federal court in Manhattan, resolves one of several lawsuits by the National Credit Union Administration against banks over their sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. The deal boosts to more than $2.5 billion the amount the NCUA has recovered from banks through lawsuits it began filing in 2011, the U.S. regulator said. NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz said in a statement the regulator would "continue to aggressively pursue recoveries against Wall Street firms that contributed to the corporate crisis." A spokesman for Credit Suisse declined to comment. The court filing, which described an offer of judgment in the case, said it would not have any effect on a separate but similar lawsuit by the NCUA against Credit Suisse pending in Kansas. The lawsuit subject to the deal centred on mortgage-backed securities underwritten and sold by UBS that Southwest Corporate Federal Credit Union and Members United Corporate Federal Credit Union bought for more than $228.8 million from 2006 to 2007. The NCUA, which filed the lawsuit in 2013 on behalf of the failed credit unions, alleged that the securities' offering documents contained untrue statements that the loans were originated in accordance with underwriting guidelines. The NCUA alleged that in reality, the loans' originators had "systemically abandoned the stated underwriting guidelines" described in the offering documents. The case is National Credit Union Administration Board v. UBS Securities LLC, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 13-6731. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler) By Yuka Obayashi and Osamu Tsukimori TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese trading firm Mitsubishi Corp said on Thursday it would post its first ever annual loss in the year to March 31, totalling 150 billion yen ($1.33 billion), hurt by massive writedowns from a slump in commodities. Japanese trading firms, like major international oil and mining companies, have been caught off-guard by steep falls in the prices of goods from oil to iron ore as China's economic growth has slowed. Local rival, Mitsui & Co Ltd, on Wednesday predicted the firm would post its first net loss since it was established in 1947 after the slide in energy and metal prices forced it book 260 billion yen in writedowns. Trading house Sumitomo Corp last month more than halved its net profit forecast for this year due to 170 billion yen in writedowns on resource assets. Marubeni has written down 73 billion yen on metals and energy assets for the April-December period. Mitsubishi's group net loss is now forecast at 150 billion yen, against its earlier estimate of a profit of 300 billion yen, as the company plans to book an impairment loss totalling 430 billion yen. That will mark its first consolidated net loss since it was established in 1954, a spokesman said. Mitsubishi's impairment losses include a 280 billion yen writedown on its stake in Chilean copper company Anglo American Sur and 40 billion yen on the Browse liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Australia. Its partner Woodside Petroleum and other stakeholders on Wednesday shelved plans to build the $30 billion Browse floating LNG project in the face of global oversupply, spelling the end of an era of mega LNG projects. "We had expected Mitsubishi and Mitsui would book an impairment loss, but the size of the losses were bigger than we had anticipated," Nomura Securities analyst Yasuhiro Narita said. "Trading firms will need to focus more on the areas where each of them has a strength," he said. Analysts have said hefty losses from weak markets may further deter Japanese trading houses from investing in energy and metals projects. Mitsubishi's loss was flagged by the Nikkei business daily earlier on Thursday, which said the trading house is likely to post a net loss of about 100 billion yen for the current year. Shares in Mitsubishi fell 4.1 percent to close at 1,920.0 yen before the announcement. Shares in Mitsui, which announced its revision after the market closed the previous day, lost 7.5 percent to end at 1,299.5 yen, underperforming the Nikkei index which slid 0.6 percent. ($1 = 112.9400 yen) (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Stephen Coates and Joseph Radford) By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Thursday announced the indictment of seven Iranian hackers for a coordinated campaign of cyber attacks on dozens of U.S. banks and a New York dam from 2011 to 2013, signaling an effort by officials to more publicly confront cyber crime waged on behalf of foreign nations. The indictment, filed in a federal court in New York City, described the suspects, who live in Iran, as "experienced computer hackers" believed to have been working on behalf of the Iranian government. The move marks the first time the U.S. government has charged individuals tied to a nation-state with attempting to disrupt critical infrastructure, a vulnerability that security researchers have grown increasingly concerned about in recent months. Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted two Iranian companies on Thursday for supporting Iran's ballistic missile program and also sanctioned two British businessmen it said were helping an airline used by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The charged hackers were identified as Ahmad Fathi, Hamid Firoozi, Amin Shokohi, Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, Omid Ghaffarinia, Sina Keissar and Nader Seidi, all citizens and residents of Iran. They are accused of conspiracy to commit computer hacking while employed by two Iran-based computer companies, ITSecTeam and Mersad Company. Firoozi is additionally charged with obtaining and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer. At a conference announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the accused hackers caused tens of millions of dollars in damages in their assault on U.S banks. At least 46 major financial institutions and financial sector companies were targeted, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and American Express, according to the indictment. AT&T was also targeted. The hackers are accused of hitting the banks with distributed denial of service attacks on a near-weekly basis, a relatively unsophisticated tactic that can bring computer networks offline by flooding servers with spammed traffic. "These attacks were relentless, they were systematic, and they were widespread," Lynch said. But the attack on Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York, was especially alarming to investigators, Lynch said, because the intrusion could have posed a serious threat to the security of Americans. A stroke of good fortune prevented the hackers from obtaining operational control of the flood gates because the dam had been manually disconnected for routine maintenance, she said. The indictment represents the Obama administration's latest attempt to more publicly confront cyber attacks carried out by other countries against the United States. "An important part of our cybersecurity practice is to identify the actors and to attribute them publicly when we can," Lynch said. "We do this so that they know they cannot hide." Though the indictment comes at a time of reduced tensions between the United States and Iran after a landmark 2015 nuclear deal, it is not expected that Iran will allow their extradition to the United States to face charges. FBI Director James Comey vowed to pursue justice, stating at the conference, "the world is small, and our memory is long." (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Megan Cassella and Julia Edwards in Washington and Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and James Dalgleish) By Dustin Volz and Jim Finkle WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - Seven Iranian hackers conducted a coordinated cyber attack on dozens of U.S. banks, causing millions of dollars in lost business, and tried to shut down a New York dam, the U.S. government said on Thursday in an indictment that for the first time accused individuals tied to another country of trying to disrupt critical infrastructure. It said the seven accused were believed to have been working on behalf of Iran's government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Those named live in Iran and the Iranian government is not expected to extradite them. There was no immediate comment from Tehran. At least 46 major financial institutions and financial sector companies were targeted, including JPMorgan Chase , Wells Fargo and American Express , the indictment said. AT&T also was targeted. The hackers are accused of hitting the banks with distributed-denial-of-service attacks on a near-weekly basis, a relatively unsophisticated way of knocking computer networks offline by overwhelming them with a flood of spammed traffic. "These attacks were relentless, they were systematic, and they were widespread," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch told a Washington conference. The indictment from a federal grand jury in New York City said the attacks occurred from 2011 to 2013. Washington has previously accused military officers from China and the North Korean government of cyber attacks against U.S. businesses. The attack on the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, New York, was especially alarming, Lynch said, because it represented a known intrusion on critical infrastructure. A stroke of good fortune prevented the hackers from obtaining operational control of the flood gates because the dam had been manually disconnected for routine maintenance, she said. The Bowman hack was a "game-changing event" for the U.S. government that prompted investigators to uncover other systems vulnerable to similar attacks, said Andre McGregor, a former FBI agent and a lead case investigator on the dam intrusion. "The investigation's discovery of many more exposed computer systems with vulnerable management consoles is a constant reminder that basic cyber hygiene remains at the forefront of the battle against cyber attacks," said McGregor, now director of security at Tanium, a Silicon Valley cyber security firm. "We must step up our counter-hacking game ASAP to deal with threats from places like Iran and would be terrorists," said New York Senator Chuck Schumer in a statement. Cyber security experts and U.S. intelligence officials have grown more alarmed in recent months by the possibility of destructive hacks of critical infrastructure such as dams, power plants and factories. Some have said a December cyber attack on the Ukraine's energy grid that caused a temporary blackout of 225,000 should serve as a wake-up call. LONG MEMORIES The defendants were identified as Ahmad Fathi, Hamid Firoozi, Amin Shokohi, Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, Omid Ghaffarinia, Sina Keissar and Nader Seidi, all citizens and residents of Iran. They are accused of conspiracy to commit computer hacking while employed by two Iran-based computer companies, ITSecTeam and Mersad Company. Firoozi also is charged with obtaining and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer. The indictments are the latest attempt by the Obama administration to more publicly confront cyber attacks carried out by other countries against the United States. The campaign began two years ago when the Justice Department accused five members of China's People's Liberation Army with hacking several Pennsylvania-based companies in an alleged effort to steal trade secrets. It continued with President Obama's vow to "respond proportionally" against North Korea for the destructive hack against Sony Pictures. "An important part of our cyber security practice is to identify the actors and to attribute them publicly when we can," Lynch said Thursday. "We do this so that they know they cannot hide." U.S. officials largely completed the investigation more than a year ago, according to two sources familiar with the matter, but held off releasing the indictment so as to not jeopardize the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran or a January prisoner swap. Even though Iran is not expected to extradite the suspects, FBI Director James Comey vowed to pursue justice. "The world is small and our memory is long," he said at the conference with Lynch. Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer with cyber security firm CrowdStrike, said, "This sends an important message to Iran and other governments that these people cannot operate anonymously." The U.S. and Israel launched a cyber attack against Iran in 2010, now famously known as the Stuxnet worm, in order to disable Iran's nuclear centrifuges. Some security researchers and officials have long suspected the attacks against U.S. banks and the dam were done in part as retaliation. Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted two Iranian companies on Thursday for supporting Iran's ballistic missile programme and also sanctioned two British businessmen it said were helping an airline used by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Susan Heavey, Megan Cassella and Julia Edwards in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish and Bill Trott) U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer had earlier set a March 24 deadline for Europe's biggest automaker to explain where it stood on remediation efforts, after months of talks with the U.S. Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board. Breyer, VW and regulators all said at Thursday's hearing in San Francisco that progress has been made in intensive negotiations, but issues remain and no settlement has been reached. Breyer, who is overseeing more than 500 civil lawsuits, said "a concrete and detailed proposal for getting the polluting cars fixed or off the road" must be made by April 21 or he may move forward with a trial. A settlement could involve fixing some or all of the roughly 580,000 U.S. vehicles or payments to consumers through buybacks and other options, Breyer said. He did not elaborate, but one central issue is whether the EPA would accept a fix that does not completely address excess on-road emissions. Earlier this month, a California official said the state may allow partially repaired VW diesel cars to continue operating on its roads because a full fix may be impossible. The cars are equipped with "defeat devices" that allow them to pass laboratory emissions tests despite exceeding federal standards by up to 40 times when they are driven on roads. If no deal is reached by the deadline, Breyer said he would consider holding a trial on the issue this summer to address the vehicles that the EPA says emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution in real world driving. "We're working around the clock" said plaintiffs' attorney Elizabeth Cabraser, leaving the courtroom after the brief hearing. "I'll sleep when they're fixed." VW spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said the automaker "is committed to resolving the U.S. regulatory investigation into the diesel emissions matter as quickly as possible and to implementing a solution for affected vehicles, as we work to earn back the trust of our customers and dealers and the public." Former Federal Bureau of Investigation director Robert Mueller, who is Breyer's court appointment settlement master, briefed the judge on the status of the talks on Wednesday. The Justice Department in February sued VW for up to $46 billion for violating U.S. environmental laws. VW and its Audi and Porsche brands remain barred from selling any new 2016 diesel models in the United States. After Thursday's hearing, Sierra Club California Chapter Director Kathryn Phillips suggested that U.S. environmental groups would reject any settlement with VW that fails to hold the automaker fully accountable for excess tailpipe emissions. "(The) polluting vehicles need to be fixed or taken off the road, and the consumers who trusted they were buying less-polluting cars need to be compensated. Period. Otherwise the legacy of Volkswagen's deceitful actions will be as dirty and dangerous as the smog left behind by their vehicles," Phillips said in a statement. (Additional reporting by David Shepardson in New York; Editing by Tom Brown) A new programme run by Bord Bia and Musgrave MarketPlace has been launched today. 'The FoodService Academy' seeks to help small Irish food and drink companies develop their business in the foodservice market. The programme, coordinated by Bord Bia, will take place over four months and will include workshops and mentoring. The programme also aims to help the companies achieve growth within Musgrave MarketPlaces foodservice business, which works with over 6,000 customers each week ranging from hotels and restaurants to pubs and nursing homes. Representatives from Musgrave MarketPlace will participate in the workshops, sharing practical insights and experience to help the companies understand areas such as supplier set-up, food safety requirements and distribution model as well as sales and marketing. Bord Bias Foodservice Specialist, Maureen Gahan today commented, "The foodservice market is delivering real growth and value for Irish food and drink companies, as is evidenced in our recent industry report. The out of home market is now worth 6.37bn and this is forecasted to grow to almost 6.9bn by 2018 so this is an area we are encouraging companies to develop." Blanco Nino, Europes first producer of authentic corn tortillas and Nobo, the dairy free ice-cream company, have already been set up as suppliers in advance of the programme starting today. Other companies that will benefit from the programme include Tipperary Kitchen, a family run artisan bakery and Secret Recipe, the only producer of halal and gluten free meals to the foodservice industry in Ireland and the UK. Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Founder Pat Byrne and private equity backers have repurchased Irish regional airline CityJet from German owners Intro Aviation for an undisclosed sum, the company said on Thursday. The regional airline, which carried around 2 million passengers last year, was bought from Air France-KLM in 2014 by Intro Aviation. CityJet operates eight routes into the small London City Airport and a service linking to Air France's hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. "Pat Byrne, the airline's founder with the support of a private equity consortium owned and controlled by European private individuals with considerable experience in the aviation sector, have acquired the airline," CityJet said in a statement. Byrne told the Irish Independent newspaper on Thursday that the airline saw an initial public offering within two to three years as "the ideal way to go." The airline expects to make a modest profit this year and revenue will increase to 300 million euros within two years from the 177 million euros earned in 2014 when it posted an operating loss of 22.7 million euros, he told the newspaper. A spokesman for CityJet declined to comment on the company's profit forecast or the possibility of an IPO. CityJet is expecting delivery of the first of eight new CRJ900 jet aircraft from Bombardier this week with subsequent deliveries to continue until June, it said in the statement. CityJet was the first European carrier to order the new generation SSJ 100 Superjet from Russia's Sukhoi and will take delivery of three aircraft this year with an additional five by July 2017, it said. CityJet has a further firm order for an additional seven Superjets and options on 16 more and said the Russian airliners would ultimately replace its existing Avro 85 fleet. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Savills Ireland have today claimed property investors who previously bought with cash are now expanding their portfolios using mortgage debt. The property consultants have released a report on the Irish residential market which shows that while most investment properties are still being bought outright, the proportion of investor purchases that are entirely cash-financed has been falling steadily for the last 15 months. Instead, mortgage finance is increasingly being used and investors were the buyer group which saw the biggest increase in mortgage drawdowns during 2015 (9%). The report notes that investors generally favour properties in central locations and strong rental areas close to third level institutions and transport links. Looking ahead, Savills expects to see cash investors who are less encumbered by affordability constraints remaining active in the Dublin market. However, with buy-to-let mortgages becoming more readily available, the number of investors gearing-up with modest levels of debt is set to continue. Director of Research at Savills Ireland, John McCartney today commented, "Easy access to credit created a generation of highly geared investors in the first half of the 2000s. Following the bust, however, buy-to-let mortgages became harder to get. Consequently investors reverted to a more traditional cash financed model in recent years. "However, in the last 15 months we have begun to see investors leveraging the equity in their existing properties to expand their portfolios and drive returns by financing or refinancing with modest levels of mortgage debt. This indicates both investors appetite for gearing and banks increasing willingness to provide buy-to-let finance for borrowers who have modest overall loan-to-value ratios." He added, "Savills generally advises its income focused clients to target centrally located 1 bed apartments which tend to generate higher rents relative to the capital cost of acquisition. In addition, with fewer people sharing there is less wear and tear." Source: www.businessworld.ie Irish technology company, NVMdurance, has today announced that it has completed a 2.23 million Series A round of financing. NVMdurance provides software that is proven to make flash memory last longer by extending the intrinsic endurance of the NAND flash. NAND flash chips are used in many devices including SSDs, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, GPS devices, USB drives and flash memory cards. Existing investors New Venture Partners, ACT Venture Capital, Enterprise Ireland and NDRC have invested bringing total funding to 2.48 million. NVMdurance was founded in Ireland in 2013 when the ADAPT project was spun out of the National Digital Research Centre in Ireland. The technology is the result of 13 years work on Flash memory endurance by Joe Sullivan and Conor Ryan. NVMdurance CEO, Pearse Coyle says, "We now have a number of clients committed to deploying our technology in SSDs and flash arrays, two of which have provided revenue advances alongside this Series A funding round. We will announce these clients during 2016. This new funding will help NVMdurance expand its sales and marketing efforts as well as grow our engineering team." Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Almost half of Irish consumers would cease business with a store altogether if their bank details were compromised in a cyber attack on that store. This is according to Irish based consumer research released today by Deloitte. The research shows that 76% of consumers want businesses held responsible for the security of user data and personal information online. A similar number do not want businesses to share their data with third parties and want companies to provide them with tools to protect their privacy, security and reputation online. Consumers also have a clear expectation on banks to keep them safe from online payment and credit card fraud, and also expect government to enforce data protection. Despite their concerns about online privacy, just over half (53 %) of consumers control their privacy settings and only 42% understand how to control the level of data or information available about them. Only 29% feel their mobile phone is as secure as their laptop. A significant 38% consider that mobile devices are less secure. According to the research, fewer than one in ten consumers are comfortable making payments or even browsing on public networks. Partner at Deloitte, David Hearn today commented, "We live in a digital economy. Businesses are amassing more personal information about their customers than ever before. This data is valuable to cyber criminals with the result that businesses are exposed to greater cyber risks than ever before. While consumers are alert to these dangers, they are distrustful of how organisations protect and use their personal information." He added, "Consumers want more control over their data privacy and would like businesses to provide them with better tools to protect themselves online. Businesses can begin to address the trust gap by being more transparent about the information they collect and reassuring consumers about how their personal data is protected." Source: www.businessworld.ie Sterling was on course for its worst week against a basket of currencies in six years on Thursday, hit by a perceived rise in the chances of a British exit from the European Union and companies and fund investors hedging against it. The cost of hedging against sharp swings in sterling over the next three months rose above 15 percent in morning trade in London, its highest since a closely fought parliamentary election in 2010. Ructions within the ruling Conservative Party over June's referendum on EU membership, allied to the reaction to Tuesday's bomb attacks in Brussels, have been at the heart of a rise in bookmakers' odds on voters backing a "Brexit." Sterling itself weakened to its lowest against the euro since December 2014 and was down another quarter of a percentage point at $1.4079, about 2 cents above lows hit last month. There was virtually no reaction to a retail report showing that sales fell by marginally less than forecast last month. Trade-weighted sterling, the Bank of England's broad gauge of the pound's performance against a basket of currencies, hit its lowest in more than two years and is down 10% since November. Sterling could now be on its way to falling below the 1.40 mark, an area last seen at the start of February, analysts from South African bank Investec said in a morning note. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Hundreds participated throughout the state, but ultimately only a choice few could win top honors. Dozens of high school seniors from throughout Utah were recently recognized in the annual Sterling Scholar Award competition. Two students from Cache County received top honors while two others received runner-up recognition among students along the Wasatch Front. The competition seeks to recognize the top students in 14 different categories. Maya Dehlin, a Sky View senior from North Logan, received the top honor for English. Dehlin scored a 31 on her ACT, has a cumulative GPA of 4.0 and is ranked first in her class. She has also been published in Bullying Under Attack and was the winner of the nationwide Teen Ink writing contest. Trenton Chang, a Logan High senior from Logan, received the top honor for Instrumental Music. Chang has not only received a scholarship from the Chopin Foundation of the United States, received third place in the American Prize for Solo Piano, but is also a three-time Utah Symphony Salute to Youth soloist and an outstanding academic student. Chang scored a 36 on the ACT, has a 4.0 GPA and is ranked first in his class. Chang was also recently recognized at a recent board meeting of the Logan School Board. Two other students from Cache Valley received Runner-Up recognition. Ethan Smith, a resident of Lewiston who attends Logan High, was a runner-up in the Business & Marketing category. Jacob Major, a resident of Avon who attends Mountain Crest, was a runner-up in the Skilled & Technical Sciences category. According to the sites website, a Sterling Scholar is a high school senior who is publicly recognized and awarded for the pursuit of excellence in scholarship, leadership and citizenship in the State of Utah. The annual recognition of student academic and service pursuits was started in 1968 by the Deseret News and has continued every year since. Students build a portfolio of their accomplishments and undergo an interview and screening process at the high school level and then the state level. Categories include Business & Marketing, Computer Technology, Dance, English, Family & Consumer Science, Instrumental Music, Mathematics, Science, Skilled & Technical Sciences, Social Science, Speech/Theater Arts/Forensics, Visual Arts, Vocal Performance and World Languages. European security: What happens now? Published on March 24, 2016 Story by euro topics Translation by: euro topics en de it es fr pl After the Brussels attacks the EU's interior ministers have convened for a special meeting to discuss how to respond to the terrorist threat. The exchange of information among European countries must be improved, some commentators urge. Others fear that the data could then end up in the wrong hands. Pan-European cooperation urgently needed - Le Figaro, France Bureaucratic obstacles have left Europe vulnerable, the conservative daily Le Figaro criticises: The EU administrative jungle - 28 capitals with conflicting interests must be jointly accommodated - is no better protected than the Kingdom of Belgium with its four governments. Six police forces are operative in the Belgian capital alone. On the borderless continent, any security loopholes in one country have immediate consequences for the others. Destabilised by the refugee crisis after seven years of economic slump downturn stagnation, Europe most certainly does not need that now. ... The Brits, who are flirting with a Brexit, the French and the Germans, who are tempted by the anti-European far right, have sent a clear message: as opposed to the official credo, the EU is not the solution but the problem. To turn things around after these killings we need more than just an emergency meeting of the interior ministers. (24/03/2016) States must share information - La Vanguardia, Spain Only through international cooperation among police agencies and intelligence services can global terrorism be combatted effectively, the conservative daily La Vanguardia stresses: Europe can't combat jihadism effectively if its various counter-terrorism services created barely communicate with each other. Not to mention the lack of communication among the different authorities within an individual state (the city of Brussels, for example, has six local police forces and one federal force). The organigram of security is made for a national framework rather than tackling global terrorism, not only as regards the different areas of responsibility but also as regards the very character and mindset of these services, which tend to keep their information and sources to themselves. We should bear in mind how 9/11 exposed the distrust and rivalry between the CIA and the FBI. (24/03/2016) Sensitive data could end up in wrong hands - Suddeutsche Zeitung, Germany Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has once again called for improved data exchange in Europe, arguing that security is more important than data protection. But such information can end up in the wrong hands, the centre-left daily Suddeutsche Zeitung warns: The EU states that have efficient security services are not about to toss their sensitive and valuable data into a 28-state pot if there is a chance that other states will play fast and loose with it. Bearing in mind the current state of the security bureaucracy in various EU states, it cannot be excluded that the most sensitive data would find its way into the hands of organised criminals. And as long as this risk exists a joint counter-terrorism centre for all 28 EU states will remain an illusion. ... One effective interim solution would be for able and willing states in core Europe to set up a small, effective counter-terrorism centre with intensive data exchange. (24/03/2016) Have the Belgian authorities failed? - De Standaard, Belgium According to Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan one of the Brussels attackers had been detained in Turkey over his ties with the Islamist scene and deported back to Belgium in July 2015. The liberal daily De Standaard finds the fact that the authorities in Europe released him disturbing: After the Paris attacks the two el-Bakraoui brothers already came under scrutiny. Wasn't it already clear then that one of them, Ibrahim, had basically been presented to the Belgian legal authorities on a platter? Did someone fail to add up the facts or pass on the information? These questions can't be ignored. More than 30 people have died and more than 200 have been injured. All the other countries are observing the situation with incomprehension and growing anger. How can we maintain that our system worked when there are so many indications pointing in the opposite direction? What will happen when Belgium can no longer deny that it has failed as a state? Who will assume the responsibility for this? (24/03/2016) Security measures alone insufficient - Kauppalehti, Finland Lasting success in the fight against terrorism can only be guaranteed by long-term measures and strategies, the business paper Kauppalehti is convinced: Clearly terrorism in Europe cannot be defeated only with joint security measures. The real causes of terrorism - of which the Syria war is currently the most acute - must be defeated. The next step is then to take appropriate steps to integrate the immigrants who have come to Europe, because in the poor neighbourhoods of our big cities the seeds for the radicalisation of immigrants are germinating. Security measures are a first step. But terrorism must be tackled at its roots to prevent it from permanently destroying the European lifestyle, European values and the open society. (24/03/2016) --- 30 Countries, 300 Media Outlets, 1 Press Review. The euro|topics press review presents the issues affecting Europe and reflects the continent's diverse opinions, ideas and moods. Story by euro topics Translated from Sicherheit in Europa: Gemeinsam statt einsam Debra Manfredi is one of about 600 students from classes in the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi who volunteer 5,000 hours each year training, prepping and instructing elementary students as part of their work with the Junior Achievement program. SHARE Singh on dean's list at Washington University Katelyn Singh, of Corpus Christi, was named to the dean's list for the fall 2015 semester at Washington University in St. Louis. Singh is enrolled in the university's College of Arts & Sciences. To qualify for the dean's list in the College of Arts & Sciences, students must earn a semester grade-point average of 3.6 or above and be enrolled in at least 14 graded units. A&M-CC students' volunteering lauded About 600 students from classes in the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi earned one of 60 awards from the U.S. President's Volunteer Service Awards for providing Junior Achievement with significant volunteer resources during the 2014-2015 school year. Flavius Killebrew, university president and CEO, accepted the award March 8 in New York City in conjunction with Junior Achievement's quarter National Board of Directors meeting. Jim Lee, Regents Professor of economics; Ben Blanco, adjunct professor; and Akin Buyukeren, professional assistant professor; coordinate the Junior Achievement Program at the university. Junior Achievement's kindergarten through high school programs are delivered across the country by a network of more than 218,000 volunteers, including more than 1,200 volunteers in the Corpus Christi and Coastal Bend area. The programs provide hands-on work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy education to more than 19,000 students in the Coastal Bend community each year. Rios, Salinas in honor society at A&M-K Texas A&M University-Kingsville students Norma Rios and Priscilla Salinas recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Rios is from Hebbronville and Salinas is from Bishop. These students are among 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction, officials said. Paulison qualifies for Colgate dean's award Sophia Paulison, a history major in the Colgate University Class of 2018, earned the Dean's Award for academic excellence for the fall 2015 semester. Paulison, of Corpus Christi, is a graduate of Flour Bluff High School. The Dean's Award for academic excellence is awarded to students with a 3.30 or higher term average. GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Elementary Teacher of the Year Ruby Shaver (left), a special education teacher at Barnes Elementary, is greeted by Dr. Sandra Clement (right), principal at Moody High School, on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the CCISD Teacher of the Year news conference in Corpus Christi, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Clement was Shaver's principal Mary Grett in Shaver's first year of teaching and also is the principal of Jaime Trevino, the High School Teacher of the Year. SHARE GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Supporters of Ruby Shaver, the Elementary School Teacher of the Year who teaches at Barnes Elementary, jump to their feet on March 23, 2016, as she was announced the winner at the CCISD Teacher of the Year news conference in Corpus Christi. GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Jaime Trevino acknowledges applause after being named the High School Teacher of the Year from Moody High School at the CCISD Teacher of the Year news conference Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in Corpus Christi. GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Ruby Shaver, the Elementary Teacher of the Year, had a large group of supporters at the CCISD Teacher of the Year news conference Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in Corpus Christi. GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Moody High School cheerleaders held banners and posters for Jaime Trevino, a science teacher and the High School Teacher of the Year from Moody on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the CCISD Teacher of the Year news conference in Corpus Christi. By Beatriz Alvarado of the Caller-Times Moody High School principal Sandra Clement said she's learned valuable and unique lessons from both Corpus Christi ISD 2016 Teacher of the Year honorees. Clement's first principal gig was at Mary Grett School, where this year's primary teacher of the year Ruby Shaver spent her first seven years as a paraprofessional. She is now a special education instructor at Barnes Elementary School. And this year's secondary teacher of the year Jaime Trevino, a 33-year veteran educator who will retire this year, teaches science at Moody. "I can't believe I'm getting double," Clement said proudly. The pair were honored during a Wednesday ceremony that packed the district's board room with students, parents, educators and district officials. The district's award, aligned with the Texas and National Teachers of the Year Programs, has recognized teachers for more than 25 years. Fifty-nine campuses submitted nominations and a five member committee reviewed the nominations. Fifteen semifinalists were asked to complete essays. The pool was then narrowed to six finalists who were interviewed. Shaver and Trevino will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will be judged next at the regional level. The four finalists will each receive a $500 cash prize at the annual Teacher of the Year banquet April 14. It will be at the American Bank Center. All campus nominees also will be recognized and presented certificates of commendation. Shaver, who has taught for three years, said her time at Mary Grett stirred a passion to serve the special education population, she said. "I learned these students are not the sum of their disabilities," she said. "They can achieve great things with patience and support." Trevino said he started teaching with one goal: to change lives. He leads an engineering and civil architecture class at Moody's Citgo Innovation Academy for Engineering, Environmental & Marine Science. The Corpus Christi native said he remembers what it's like to be young and afraid of life after college, so he takes pride in guiding his students though the journey of finding a niche and being successful. "The students are a mirror image of myself," he said. "My job is to expand their limited views and to help them realize how far they can go." Twitter: @CallerBetty ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR Ruby Shaver School: Barnes Elementary School Grade: Preschool Years teaching: 3 Jaime Trevino School: Moody High School Subject: Science Years teaching: 33 CCISD Teacher of the Year finalists Elementary Ruby Shaver Dr. Cynthia Hernandez Amalia Barragan Secondary Jason Dykehouse Jaime Trevino Scott Walker SHARE By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times Rangeland Energy believes its plan for a terminal hub at the Port of Corpus Christi positions it well for when Mexico's energy reform is finalized. The Sugar Land company's South Texas Energy Products System is an integrated hydrocarbon logistics system that will receive and store refined products, liquefied petroleum gas and other hydrocarbons at the port. From there, it will be transported to its growing customer base in Mexico. Rangeland announced its plans for the facility Wednesday. The project represents a potential investment of more than $100 million and is expected to create 30 to 50 jobs, each paying $60,000 to start. "It's a great investment project for our area," said Iain Vasey, president/CEO of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp. The terminal site is on the Kansas City Southern Railroad mainline. While construction of the Corpus Christi terminal is underway, Rangeland will work with others to explore the development of inland rail unloading terminal alternatives on the KCS mainline in Mexico, the company said. Destinations may include Monterrey/Saltillo, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Guadalajara and Mexico City. In later phases of the project, marine facilities in Corpus Christi will be added, along with the infrastructure to handle other commodities, such as crude oil, condensate and fuel oil, Rangeland said in a statement. Latin America has become a magnet for American energy companies looking to shore up international clientele. Mexico is especially inviting. Mexico's Congress passed an energy reform bill in December 2013 that ended a decadeslong state monopoly of that nation's oil and gas industry. Experts say the move potentially clears the way for Mexico to evolve as more of a player on the international energy market. "There is an abundance of hydrocarbons in the U.S. and an increasing demand for gasoline, diesel and propane in Mexico," Chris Keene, the company's president/CEO, said in a statement. "We are experienced terminal and pipeline developers with a deep understanding of logistics and how to make an integrated, multimodal system work. We will begin by transloading into rail cars for manifest shipments and grow that business into a large unit-train operation that ties together Corpus Christi's refineries, tank farms, splitters, fractionators and other plants into a well-connected and efficient hydrocarbon hub." Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam Live updates: Follow Donald Trump rally coverage in Robstown, Texas Donald Trump is expected to speak in support of GOP candidates during the Texas rally at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Nueces County CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Mike King (from left) poses with Betty Jean Longoria, Russell Keys and Billy Paul. Longoria was awarded the Community Builder Awared from the Oso Naval Lodge. SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times Betty Jean Longoria has spent her whole life in Corpus Christi, holding several elected positions along the way. On Wednesday, the Oso Naval Lodge celebrated her dedication to the city with the Community Builder Award. Longoria, 76, served as a Tuloso-Midway school board member, city councilwoman and was the first Hispanic woman elected as a county commissioner. She was previously honored in Washington, D.C. with a "Latina Leader Award." As a council and school board member, Longoria stressed the importance of education often to students. Longoria still serves on several boards and continues to be active in the community. FARES SABAWI/CALLER-TIMES Braselton Homes presented a $250,000 check to the Salvation Army on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the organization's community center. SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times Bart Braselton puts people in homes for a living. He wants to help Salvation Army do the same. On Wednesday, the executive vice president of Braselton Homes presented a $250,000 check to the nonprofit organization at the organization's community center. The money will go toward a $5 million Center of Hope, a family services center. "We felt like we needed to get involved," Braselton said. The 28,000 square-foot center will increase shelter space for families and veterans in need. It will be located at 1508 Leopard St. "It's a place families can get hope," said Maj. Terry Ray, who heads the local Salvation Army. The project is still in its fundraising phase, and will break ground in the fall. Digitas LBI leads a team of agencies, all part of the Publicis Groupe, comprising BBH and media agency Zenith (or ZenithOptimedia as they prefer to be named for now, pending a full implementation of the recently announced restructuring). The team is tasked with brand strategy, creative strategy and execution, digital platforms, social media, CRM, and media planning and buying across global markets for the Shangri-La, Hotel Jen, Kerry Hotels and Golden Circle brands. Rather than hold a pitch, Shangri-La chose to work with on projects with various agencies during a trial period. DigitasLBI has been working since the middle of last year on the hotel group's Golden Circle loyalty programme. "Ultimately we were impressed by the data-led, customer-centric approach of DigitasLBi, which matches that of Shangri-La," said Shangri-La International Hotel Management CMO, Steven Taylor, who praised the #LoyaltyIs campaign that DigitasLBI developed in collaboration with the hotel brand's marketing team. "This is a strong example of the work which led us to appoint them in this broader capacity," he added. 'Team Shangri-La', led by DigitasLBi global client service director Laurent Ezekiel, comprises more than 70 people around the world from the three agencies. It is perhaps the first external inkling of the new Publicis Groupe approach following its restructure in December last year. This fully integrated agency team model reflects Publicis Groupes continued drive to break down agency silos in order to create more effective partnerships with clients, said Ezekiel. Incumbent agencies on the account were Ogilvy & Mather, which has held the creative account since 2009, Havas Media and iProspect. "Ogilvy & Mather has represented the Shangri-La brand and creative strategy for many years and has been a fantastic partner in supporting the development of the brand into what it is today," commented Taylor. Adam O'Conor, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong, said the agency is immensely proud of its work for the hotel company. "We wish the Shangri-La brand well as it continues its journey," he said. The decision to move to the new agency team was driven by a need for the brand to be able to "look across the entire customer journey in all its complexity, obtain a holistic view of how consumers connect and be able to respond to ongoing conversations around the brand at a moments notice," said Taylor. "DigitasLBi were able to demonstrate the holistic thinking and capability necessary to accomplish our objectives and also integrated talent from across their network to great effect on a variety of projects." Following Shangri-Las investment in a new CRM platform last year, the group is in the process of redesigning its entire branded digital presence to deliver a responsive, authentic and personalised guest experience. Todays customers decide what luxury means to them and expect brands to recognise their individual preferences and behaviours, which is why were excited to partner with Shangri-La to develop a data-driven approach we hope will help them to lead and innovate in a highly competitive environment," said Ezekiel. Its no secret that Japanese tidying guru Marie Kondo talks to her stuff. When she comes home from work she greets her house. Setting down her handbag she says, its thanks to you that I got so much work done today. She even expresses thanks to mistaken purchases, the things she dislikes and never uses, before throwing them out. Whats brilliant about her philosophy, as articulated in the best selling books The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy: an Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organising and Tidying Up, is that it allows her to imagine the emotional lives of the things we own, encouraging us to treat them with dignity, while simultaneously putting them out on the street to fend for themselves, excommunicating them from our lives when they no longer serve a purpose. Kondo makes spring cleaning into something of a Miyazaki film; its Spirited Away with most of the characters consigned to garbage bags. My favourite Kondo anecdote comes from her high school years, when it came time for her to replace her monochrome cellphone. When I got my new cell phone, I hit upon the idea of texting my old phone. It was my first replacement and I was probably feeling quite excited. After thinking for a moment, I typed the simple message Thank you for everything and added a heart symbol. Then I pressed SEND. My old phone pinged immediately and I checked my texts. Of course it was the message I had just sent. Great. My message reached you. I really wanted to say thanks for all you have done, I said to my old phone. Then I closed it with a click. A few minutes later, I opened my old phone and was surprised to find that the screen was blank. No matter which button I pressed, the screen did not respond. My cell phone, which had never broken since the day I first got it, had gone dead after receiving my message. It never worked again, as if the phone, realising that its job was done, had resigned from its post of its own accord. The reason that Kondos way of talking to her things is so powerful and appealing is that it lets us get rid of useless items while dealing with all the emotional baggage we accumulate on our purchasing journeys. If we bought things that werent right for us, spending money we shouldnt have, its because those things needed to teach us what we didnt want. And even when a once useful item discovers its no longer of use to us, our possessions are glad to retire from service, honourably discharged. One of the reasons were so sensitive about throwing out possessions and enjoy this imaginative conceit, is that Kondo is not the only commodity animist out there. The personification of things in ads and on packaging is ubiquitous. This article is part of the Cultural Radar series The term cute was first used to describe things, not peoplethe phrase What cute little socks! appeared in Virginia Illustrated back in 1857that appeal to us to be taken home and cared for, the same way an orphaned kitten does. The idea that a pair of socks requires not just maintenance but care suggests a belief, or at least a purchase-motivating make-belief, that something inanimate has its own spirit and feelings. Cuteness has thrived alongside the spread of consumer culture and advertising, as all kind of items compete to engage us not with their functional benefits but by appealing to our emotions. To the extent that we believe a product represents us, it is a living part of us. Before Kondo, throwing things out meant killing the spirits that reside on our shelves and in our wardrobes, or even inflicting wounds on ourselves. After Kondo, our unused things are dejected, imprisoned, and to throw them out is to free them. Pushing back against Kondos philosophy, Sir David Anthony Prise Wing-Cheung Tang, KBE, OBE, Chevalier lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres, DSc, BA, whose very name is cluttered, has come to the defence of living among great piles of stuff, praising the serendipities and sense of frisson arising from the sudden discovery of things we had long forgotten. For him, tidying things up is a job that should only be properly handled by the henchmen of the Yakuza. But theres a clear generational determinant in China of whether someone is willing to accept Kondos one key criterion for keeping a possession: does it spark joy? People I spoke to in their 20s and 30s could see the benefit of throwing away excess items but couldnt imagine their parentswho lived through periods of great deprivationjust throwing things out. Its thus become common for the younger generation of Chinese to give their parents the things they dont want, behaviour Kondo explicitly warns against in the chapter What you dont need, your family doesnt either. Despite pockets of resistance, Kondos success suggests shes on to something. And shes not the only one to notice that we have more things than we need. So much more, in fact, that it can detract from our happiness. Championed by fashion blogs like this one, capsule wardrobes are back. And at a debate held in London this month, IKEAs sustainability chief Steve Howard said that In the West we have probably hit peak stuff. Itemising just a few of the things that have peaked, he listed red meat, sugar and home furnishings, including curtains. Post peak stuff, what can companies do in the face of decreased demand? For one thing, they can create products that will last longer and that people will continue to cherish. Dr Martens, for example, sells a For Life line of shoes and boots that come with a lifetime guaranteeensuring the shoes will be fixed or replaced until the purchasers death. Revenues can be won with a higher up-front purchase or service and maintenance fees. H&M, conscious of the incredible wastefulness of fast fashion, initiated its conscious initiative to help people lighten their wardrobes, and their consciences. And Kirsty Fuller has written at length about the role brands can play in a post-capitalist, or at least more conscientious corporate era. The trick, it would seem, is for brands to create lasting, substantial relationships between people and their products, not a series of flings with cute but dispensable commodities. Sam Gaskin is cultural content editor at Flamingo Shanghai Agency habits havent shifted along with consumer behavior. "If you were to watch all seven seasons of Mad Men 92 episodes, 22 times that is still less than the time you and I will spend on our phones this year, which is about 2,000 hours," she said during a conversation with Bill Koenigsberg, president, chief executive and founder of Horizon Media. "The consumer has moved to mobile, but I do not think that the industry is at a point where it is planning creative in such a way that puts mobile first. I think we have a long way to go. We have work to do." To encourage more mobile-first thinking, Everson suggested that CMOs follow the example of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. After he declared his plan to transform Facebook into a mobile-first company, he immediately demanded to see mobile solutions first from an engineer. "If you really want things to change, do what Mark did," she said. "When the team comes in to pitch the campaign say, Can I see it first on the mobile phone, then you can show me the TV. You can change culture from the top if the leaders ask for the right thing and demand it in the brief." Its an education process, and Facebook is learning too, said Everson, sharing the latest stats regarding video viewership on the social media platform. There are 100 million hours of video watched a day, most of which is viewed in social feeds. The average viewing time is 1.7 seconds. On desktop alone, that number increases to 2.4 seconds. "Consumers are in this rapid-consumption mode, which means we have to rethink what are we going to do for thumb-stopping creative, to get consumers to stop and pay attention," Everson said. Facebook has found that 43% of people who watch the first three seconds of a video will stay for 10 seconds. And if they watch the 10 seconds, theyll watch the full clip. To create engagement, agencies need to rethink the creative approach. "Were learning. Every time we learn we share. Agencies are learning and clients are learning," she said. "We have to think mobile as if its 1955 and were running the first few TV ads." Mobile creative is not the only area in which Everson believes the industry could stand to improve. "I dont think were in a good place at all" regarding gender equality, said Everson. The advertising industry, however, is not unique. "There is not a single country in the world that has more than 6% of its CEOs as women. We dont have 50% heads of state; 50% representation in our congress; we do not have 50% representation in any industry in senior leadership roles," she said. "The needle hasnt moved, and the data is even more depressing," Everson continued. "Not only are we not moving into getting women into senior leadership, when they are," they are paid less than their male counterparts, she said. "We have a problem. The ad industry, and even Facebook, has work to do," she said. The number of female employees at Facebook are generally strong at junior levels, but drops in senior ranks. Among the remedies Everson recommended was unconscious bias training. The data shows that when a name at the top of the same resume is female, and there is a bullet point noting that the person is a member of the PTA, that person is far less likely to get hired, she said. "Its worse if you are an African-American candidate," she said. "These are major problems, and we have to be willing to talk about them." "I am a big believer in unconscious-bias training. It makes you look right in the mirror and say ok, where are the biases," she said. "There are biases across gender, religion, race, ethnicity. All forms of diversity are not doing well." One thing everyone can do, Everson said, is work to create change with every hire. If candidates for a job all look the same, "its upon us as leaders to push back" and ask to see more diverse applicants. "They exist," she said. "There is really great talent. And by the way, we are losing the benefit of the diverse thinking that we need." "Whether you believe Gustavo was innocent or guilty and that has yet to be determined in the court of law in the court of public opinion, he has been judged and been found guilty," said Sorrell during an interview conducted by Ken Auletta, a writer for The New Yorker. "He thought and I thought that it was in best interest to the company that he should resign and be replaced by Tamara Ingram as CEO." When Auletta pressed Sorrell on the timing of Martinezs resignation, before the investigation had been completed, Sorrell repeated the statement he made last week that the decision for the CEOs resignation was a mutual one. "It was a mutual agreement that it was in the interest of the company, the clients, to try to end the public examination," he said. Auletta questioned WPPs handling of the JWT case, including an early statement made that its investigation had not found any evidence of the claims made by Erin Johnson, the agencys chief communications officer who filed the suit. "The statement that we made was that there was nothing found as yet. There are two key words there, as of yet," he said. WPP initiated an investigation immediately, he said, upon first receiving a letter from Johnsons lawyers and the subsequent filing of the suit. The company later hired Bettina Plevan "in order to investigate independently," he said. Sorrell vehemently countered the controversial statements made by Publicis Group CEO Maurice Levy yesterday that the JWT case was an isolated incident involving "one mans mistake." "His view was that the J. Walter Thompson and Gustavo Martinez case was a one-off. I disagree. I would disagree violently with that supposition," said Sorrell. "Maurice has a habit of ignoring the facts." To illustrate his point, Sorrell pointed to his own holding companys female employment numbers, which show 50% women in junior and mid-management positions, but "drops unacceptably to a third," he said, adding that the same thing is true for other groups, such as LBGT, transgender, Hispanic and African Americans. "It is unacceptably low." While the industry has put programs in place to try to improve diversity in the industry and to provide training for racial and gender bias, "it is clearly not been enough," he said. Auletta also asked Sorrell whether Johnson would be returning to the agency. "Its up to her whether she wants to come back to the company," he said. | BY Ricki Green | Jeremy Craigen is the newly appointed Global Chief Creative Officer at Innocean Worldwide and this year he was invited to be overall Jury President at the 19th annual AdFest. Campaign Brief caught up with Craigen around the pool at the Royal Cliff Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand and spoke about his first visit to the Festival and the best work. The role of the Jury President at AdFest is to brief and oversee the various judging panels and then get together with the eight category presidents to judge the Interactive and unique Lotus Roots category. For Innocean Worldwides Global CCO, Jeremy Craigen, it was a very rewarding experience and one he has learnt a lot about Asia from. I found it really interesting going through the first three days not actually judging the work but rather observing the judging process of the different juries, said Craigen (pictured above at the final awards show). There was a frustration sometimes and you can think no, theyre voting for the wrong thing for the best of the category, however, thats the joy of this business and its subjectivity. But all the juries were fair and honest with the work and it allowed the best work to rise to the top. The top three highlights for Craigen came from the Film category, including Ocedel Firefly Man which took out the Film Grande Award. Its out of Japan and yet youd think it was out of Thailand. Its so crazy. Its so funny. It has completely changed my opinion of the style and thoughfulness of Japanese advertising. Its completely mad, hilarious and memorable. It wasnt a clear winner, with a lot of discussion around the Tesco Lotus Taxi Mothers Day film out of Leo Burnett Thailand. Craigen explains: Its a lovely film and I like it a lot. At one stage it was winning in the jury room, however, as the discussions went on, the jury were split but leaning slightly towards the Firefly Man. To me I think the degree of difficulty on the Mothers Day spot was not as high, as many brands have taken on good Mothers Day messages. So I think the jury ended up making the right decision in awarding the Firefly Man film. Craigen was also taken with the Shiseido High School Girl film out of Japan. The idea is that anyone can look pretty using Shiseido makeup. Its shot with a camera panning through a classroom in a girls school and the vision then stops at a book. A caption then asks How many boys did you notice in the classroom? And then the film rewinds and you see that every single girl in the room is actually a boy. Essentially, the idea is that everyone can look pretty. The thing about this spot is that you dont see it coming. Its brilliant. It makes you think. And I must say had I been on the jury this would have got my vote for the Film Grande over the other two. But all three are worthy winners and it was a lovely privilege to be in the back of the room through this final judging process. Craigen was also impressed with AdFests Roots Lotus category, a category that is unique to AdFest that is awarded to work that embody local values and local culture in Asia Pacific. I always try and judge a show based on what the show is all about, not on whats won at other places and the Lotus Roots category is particularly unique to this show and region so you look at the work in a different way. I think the danger when you are on awards juries is you just look at work as an advertising person. Whereas Lotus Roots makes you look at the work like a consumer. And this category is so directed at different cultures and thats how you have to judge it. You judge with a different perspective. Is this work unique to the culture? will it really resonate with people in that country? Will it become part of society? It was so wonderful that all the jury presidents were together in the room to judge this category and we were all of the same mind. For me there was the Whisper Touch the Pickle campaign that tackled prejudice to menstruating women in India (BBDO India). My first though was Wow, is this really still a problem in this day and age? So you then have to go into that mindset when you are judging it. The campaign is funny and became newsworthy over a very serious subject. I also loved the WWF Chor Chang Save the Elephants campaign out of Thailand (Ogilvy Bangkok). Not the hardest brief in the world but their approach was uniquely Thai. Theres a letter in the Thai alphabet that is an elephant, and they removed that from the alphabet. So news programs, newspapers, signs etc all left out the letter and the coverage and awareness was brilliant. That to me is what Lotus Roots is all about. Craigen said there were four other very good ideas awarded two from Australia and one from Beirut and Japan and there was also some good work that stayed at the finalist stage. Just seven months into the Global Chief Creative Officer job at Innocean Worldwide Craigen says he is loving the job and he is in it for the long haul. Hes already made a significant hire in the US with Eric Springer coming on board as CCO and three of their commercials were in the top six most popular in a USA Today survey, including the #1 spot. I am getting great support from all our senior management all around the world, and can really feel there is momentum and people really want us as a network to do better. I know its not going to happen overnight and my number one priority in this first year is getting the right people to join the network and letting them then hire the right people. I was very open when I took on this challenge that hiring me wont change Innocean on its own. But we are making a mark already. I was thrilled that Eric decided to join us in the US. Not just because of the amazing work hes done before, like VW Force, but because hell bring so much energy into the agency and network. The Super Bowl, performance was pretty amazing for Innocean America and a real signal of what we are striving for as a Network. Its only the beginning and I think if we can treat every brief like a Super Bowl brief, well see the work get better and better. And, at AdFest Craigen definitely wants the Innocean Worldwide network to have a bigger presence at the Festival next year. Both in the work and as a network. This year we have been a little invisible here and Id like that to change. Weve done pretty well in some categories with a few Silvers but of course Id like us to do better next year. Having experienced the judging and the festival, Craigen leaves AdFest with a strong commitment to return next year. I think its a wonderful show, he says. I must admit my expectations of Pattaya were low before Id arrived, but I had heard great things aboutthe actual festival though. I can honestly say all my hopes for what this show would be like have been realized. The fac ilities here are world class, all the delegates are kept close together, the AdFest crew are amazing and dedicated. Yes, theres a party atmosphere here, but at the same time everyone, from the judges, the organisers and the delegates, is really respecting the work. Its been delightful. | BY Ricki Green | Lions Health, the global annual awards for creative excellence in healthcare communications, has today announced the names of the 27 jurors who will make up this years Pharma and Health & Wellness juries. Representing Australia on the Health & Wellness jury is Matt Gill, group creative director, Healthy Thinking Group, Australia and Gerrard Malcolm, creative partner and managing director, Insight AU, Australia. On the Pharma Lions jury is Phil Brown, creative director, Bill Curtis and Phil Brown, Australia. Says Terry Savage, chairman, Lions Festivals: This a diverse mix of talent from across the globe. Its exactly the balance of disciplines and skills thats needed to judge the specialist area of healthcare. Theyll be looking for creativity that stands out from the regulatory frameworks, awarding work that sets a clear direction for the future of the industry. The 2016 juries have been named as follows: Health & Wellness Jury Joshua Prince, Chief Marketing Officer, Omnicom Health Group, Global Jury President Matt Gill, Group Creative Director, Healthy Thinking Group, Australia Gerrard Malcolm, Creative Partner and Managing Director, Insight AU, Australia Andre Laurentino, Global Executive Creative Director for Unilever, Ogilvy & Mather, Global Carmen Botelho, Group Creative Director & Managing Partner, Float Health, Portugal Jana Apostolopulu, Chief Creative Officer, Pink Carrots Communications, Germany Peter Matheson Gay, Executive Creative Director, Health, Weber Shandwick, USA Chris Duffey, EVP, Global Director of Creative Technology, Sudler Worldwide, Global Bindu Menon, CEO, Point Blank Advertising, India Masaya Shimizu, Planning Director, Dentsu, Japan Emilio Solis, Regional Creative Director, Leo Burnett Mexico Jason Romeyko, Global Executive Creative Director, Saatchi&Saatchi Geneva, Switzerland Al Young, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Inferno, UK Zuleika Burnett, Executive Director, Creative & Innovation, Havas Life Medicom, UK Martin Hafley, Creative Director, DDB Remedy, UK Melyssa Weible, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Elixir Health PR, USA Carlos Ricque, SVP, Creative, DigitasLBi, USA Pharma Lions Jury Alexandra von Plato, Group President, Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, North America Jury President Peter Smith, Regional Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy CommonHealth, APAC Phil Brown, Creative Director, Bill Curtis and Phil Brown, Australia Anne de Schweinitz, Global Managing Director, Healthcare, FleishmanHillard Healthcare, Global John Reid, Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman DC, USA Veronica Trujillo, Area Creative Director, TBWA/WorldHealth, Mexico Sean Riley, Executive Creative Director, McCann Health, Japan & North Asia Richard Rayment, Creative Director, InVentiv Health Communications, UK Tina Fascetti, Chief Creative Officer, Guidemark Health, USA Rich Levy, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Health, USA Lions Health awards outstanding work across Pharma and Health & Wellness with the coveted Lion trophy, the benchmark in creative excellence. The Health & Wellness Lions celebrate consumer product communications, such as over-the counter medicines, applications or devices, while the Pharma Lions are for communications aimed at healthcare professionals, including prescription drugs, vaccines and biotechnology. The juries will convene in Cannes to judge all of the entries ahead of the Lions Health Awards Ceremony on 18 June, which will mark the midpoint of the Festival. All of the work will be exhibited across the two day Festival allowing delegates to digest and take inspiration from the best in global healthcare communications. | BY Ricki Green | Wellington creative agency Clemenger BBDO, with media partner OMD, has announced the launch of Hello a new piece of online video content for the NZ Transport Agency aimed at young drivers using their phones behind the wheel. Says Emily Beautrais, creative director, Clemenger BBDO: Were never without our phones; its the first thing we look at when we wake up in the morning, and the last thing we look at before we go to sleep. We live in a time where the majority of young people say they cant function without their phones. Asking them to put it down at any time is a big ask. Kiwis have heard that using their mobile while driving is dangerous, but theyre choosing to override the risk says NZ Transport Agency senior education advisor, Adrian Stephenson. Says Stephenson: Research suggests driver distraction is likely to be a factor in 20-30% of crashes. However, the majority of young people still admit to using their phone for unnecessary tasks when theyre behind the wheel. While lots of overseas campaigns still use shock tactics, we realised we needed to take a different approach with young people if we had any hope of getting their attention. The content piece is set to Lionel Richies hit Hello we see passengers intercepting their drivers hand as it reaches for the phone, a simple and non-verbal request for the driver to put their passengers safety first. Says Beautrais: Our research showed us passengers feel uncomfortable when their driver uses their phone. Hello makes that discomfort visible without a heavy, judgmental tone. Hello launches on Sunday, 27 March. Video content will be run on online TV, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vevo, Pandora and Spotify. It will also be supported with radio. Agency: Clemenger BBDO/ Proximity Media Agency: OMD Client: NZ Transport Agency Production Company: Curious Film Executive Creative Director: Brigid Alkema Creative Director: Emily Beautrais Creatives: Steve Hansen, Emily Beautrais Agency Producer: Marty Gray, Jen Gasson Agency Sound Creative: Mike Gwyther Group Account Director: Linda Major Account Director: Bethany Omeri Account Manager: Matt Barnes Principal Scientist (NZTA): Paul Graham Principal Advisor (NZTA): Rachel Prince Senior Education Advisor (NZTA): Adrian Stephenson Managing Partner: Matt McNeil (OMD) Senior Account Manager: Katy Baker (OMD) Account Manager: Georgia McNaught (OMD) Director: Ric Cantor Executive Producer: Matt Noonan Producer: Stu Giles DOP: Crighton Bone Editor: Luke Haigh Sound Design: Paul Stent Music Arrangement: Jim Hall, Franklin Rd | BY Ricki Green | Toyota Australia has released a new campaign for Toyota Camry via Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, that will run in cinemas ahead of the highly anticipated Batman vs. Superman film. The campaign will leverage the excitement of superhero fans in the lead up to the movie with content that is contextually relevant, reminding cinema-goers that Batman & Superman arent the only heroes in the room. The film (directed by Abe Forsyth, Rabbit), celebrates the superhero-like qualities of Camry dads through the story of a dad and daughters trip to the beach. | BY Ricki Green | The Mondelez-owned salad dressings and mayonnaise brand ZoOSh has selected Melbourne-based agency Online Circle Digital to manage its digital and eYeka for creative video production for its new marketing push in 2016. Both agencies will work alongside the Carat media agency. The appointment comes as part of the roll-out of their 2016 strategic marketing plan focused on expanding market share. Moving into an aggressive marketing campaign this year, the salad dressing and mayonnaise brand has teamed up with the creative crowdsourcing company eYeka and appointed the digital agency Online Circle Digital. Says Matt Gray, brand manager, grocery, private label and food service at Mondelez International: ZoOSh needs awareness and to be relevant with all Australians to grow the brand. While TV still plays a significant role, we cant rely solely on traditional mediums to reach our audience. The Online Circle Digital team have a deep understanding of Australias digital and social media landscape and are hugely passionate in the space. The first task at hand is to drive awareness and recall of the ZoOSh brand on digital and social media channels with the production of a series of eccentric videos to convey the personality of the brand. Says Lucio Ribeiro, head of strategy, Online Circle Digital: Theres a clear opportunity for ZoOSh to build penetration utilising channels like Facebook and YouTube to shape consumer attitudes and build belief impacting recall and purchase propensity. We are super excited about the challenge and opportunity. | BY Lynchy | CB Exclusive Former high-flying DDB London executive CD Jeremy Craigen, who departed that role in March after 25 years, has been appointed as the new global chief creative officer of Innocean Worldwide. Craigen, whose distinguished career has seen him win many awards at Cannes and other leading shows, was the Global ECD for Volkswagen at DDB. Craigen started his career at Ted Bates in 1984 and joined BMP DDB Needham in 1990. He was appointed Executive Creative Director of DDB London in 2003. During his tenure the agency was twice named The Most awarded agency in the World Accolade by the Gunn report. Says global CEO of Innocean Worldwide Kun Hee Ahn: We have been working towards Innocean being a leading Creative agency on a global scale. Now we have Jeremy as a Global CCO who can deliver on that vision and help steer us towards achieving our ambition. Bob Isherwood joined Innocean in 2013 as a Creative Advisor and we are delighted to have two of the very best Worldwide Creative thinkers in the world to help us achieve this objective. Adds Craigen: My remit is simple. Make the work better, grow the business. What I love about Innocean is their honesty about themselves and their ambition for the future. It is a great company, headed by great people. And this is exactly the opportunity I have been waiting for. I cant wait to get started. Says Aussie expat Bob Isherwood, Creative Advisor to Innocean Worldwide, who was involved in the appointment: Im very excited about working with Jeremy. Its something weve tried to engineer in the past, but the opportunity wasnt right for him back then. Now our stars are aligned, along with our collective experience. 'Be aware of the small print' for flights on third-party booking sites Travel experts say third-party websites like Expedia or Orbitz might offer the lowest airfares, but the savings aren't always risk-free. Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 9:56AM By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla The search for the perfect set of earphones has been something of a quest for me. I've been wanting a quality and multifunctional set of earphones but not wanting to have to overspend for a specific brand. With RHA's MA450i iOS compatible earphones, I found many premium features that would appeal to users expecting to pay a lot more for a set of high quality earphones. If you haven't heard of RHA, they are a British brand of professional noise isolating headphone and earphones. Their products can be ordered online or purchased in most Apple Retail Stores. The MA450i is designed to work with iOS devices and has a built in remote as well as microphone that has plug and play functionality with iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads as well as any Mac computer. The MA540i are made from machined aluminum and have a slick and glossy finish with metallic accents. As a result they feel lightweight yet solid and wear comfortably on the ears for prolonged use. You can tell from first looking at them that they aren't your run of the mill earphones. The remote is well designed for use as there is a dimple for the play/pause button. The microphone quality was above average as a handsfree option for the iPhone or iPad, people on the other end of my Facetime calls could hear me loud and clear. Once you use noise isolating earphones, it is so difficult to go back to a set that doesn't offer this feature. The fabric braided cable is tangle free and is long enough to weave in and out of various layers of outerwear. RHA also includes a nice felt bag to keep the earphones when not in use. RHA also provides seven paris of soft silicone eartips of varying sizes although I found that the pair that was stuck on the phones was completely adequate for my ears. having extra tips is always good since the originals almost always get lost. Sound quality of the MA450i is superb and has a good mix of surprisingly deep lows and steady mid and high notes. I found the MA450i had a fuller wider sound with a good range of music. I tested them on an iPod Classic as well as the HTC One (which has an added feature of Beats audio enhancement) and was very impressed with the outcome. The $50 RHA MA450i have a better range than my daily driver Klipsch Image S4i earphones which cost more than twice as much. They also beat many of the freebie earphones that ship with smartphones today by a wide mile. The MA450i's sound quality is richer and offered better isolation specially in instrumental pieces such as classical, jazz and ambient music. The deep bass and solid all around sound works well with rock, hip hop and metal and because these are noise-isolating earphones everything sounds bigger and heavier. I took the RHA MA540i with me on a recent trip where they were used with various smartphones, my MacBook Pro, a PlayStation Vita and an Olympus voice recorder and they worked very well for all these applications. My only wish was that the remote control could work on non iOS devices. I wonder if this can be made possible with a simple app. Other than that, the RHA MA450i are nearly perfect noise isolating earphones that should satisfy even the most discriminating audiophile. Well built, thoughtfully designed and impressive all around, the RHA 450i should be on the shortlist of any iOS user looking for dynamic quality earphones that are priced right. Rating: 5 out of 5 He then said it looked like a gay car, that Mr Gajic was likely a paedophile, and that he probably had DVDs of him from his childhood. Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper. [Your Business Name] Contact Info Phone: Fax: Email: Web: CAPITOLHILLCUBANS.COM Business Overview Geographic Area Line of Business Brands We Carry Products and Services Discounts Offered Additional Information Business Hours Timezone We Accept Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. The HRD Ministry is developing an aptitude test which will help school students assess their areas of interest so that they can choose and pursue the right courses. The ministry has formed a task force comprising officials of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and psychometric experts for developing a "prototype" of this proposed assessment test, official sources told PTI. At present, the team of experts is working on creating the items and content for a test for Class IX, they said. "Experts from CBSE, NCERT and other bodies are working under the larger umbrella of the HRD Ministry to create a prototype of the psychometric test for Class IX exam. Initially, this voluntary test may be carried out in a few areas and based on the feedback, the ministry may expand it in conjunction with state governments," a senior official said. In a meeting of senior HRD Ministry officials last month, Secretary (School Education and Literacy) S C Khuntia is learnt to have reviewed preparations for the aptitude test. The sources said that the exercise is right now in "preliminary" stages and the general thinking is that this test will be optional in nature and would be an additional tool available to students for making the right choice. The Smriti Irani-led ministry is, however, also examining the possibility of providing certificates to students after the test. When contacted, CBSE spokesperson Rama Sharma said that CBSE had conducted aptitude assessment exercises in the past. "These tests should only be seen as an indicator to help the students and parents in making an informed choice," she said. It is learnt that the HRD Ministry is deliberating on several ideas related to improving the school education in the country in conjunction with state governments. Among the ideas deliberated upon in the meeting last month was the possibility of creating a separate cadre of principals and head masters for better management of schools. If youre werent expecting Toyotas response to Fords claims that the Focus was the best-selling nameplate in 2013 with 1,097,618 deliveries, then you obviously havent been following the pissing contest between two of the worlds largest automakers the same thing happened last October . Toyota issued a statement in which it says, the Corolla achieved global sales of 1.22 million units in 2013, according to the companys internal data based on individual vehicle sales reporting from its distributors. Since Ford sourced its numbers through an analysis of Polk new vehicle registration data from IHS Automotive which captures 96 percent of global new vehicle volumes, Toyota did that too and it came out in front again with global registrations of 1,098,524 million units. Toyota provided a few more details on which cars these numbers include: This figure includes Corolla sedan and other variations in name such as Corolla Axio, Corolla Altis and Corolla EX 4-door sedans, said Toyota in a statement. The subscripts Axio Altis and EX denote trim levels of the 4-door Corolla sedan sold in various global regions, including Japan. Also included are the Corolla-badged Fielder and Rumion 5-door wagons. Based on Toyotas analysis, various competitive claims based on single nameplate registrations may have excluded data for Corolla Axio, Corolla Altis, Corolla EX, Corolla Fielder and Corolla Rumion, which are identified and marketed as Corolla sedans and wagons, said Toyota. By John Halas PHOTO GALLERY The road to the 2016 World Car of the Year has ended in New York, where the winners in five different categories were announced. Crowned 2016 World Car of the Year is the new generation Mazda MX-5, which beat the other two finalists announced in Geneva, the Mercedes-Benz GLC and Audi A4, and will take home the prestigious award. Mazdas roadster was the vehicle of choice in the World Car Design of the Year category too. With an open-top sibling on display at the New York City event, the Audi R8 Coupe is the 2016 World Performance Car, as it proved to be more popular than the other two finalists, the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe and Honda Civic Type R, while the World Luxury Car award went to the new BMW 7-Series. Last but not least, the Toyota Mirai FCV left the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius (Hybrid) in the shadows and walked away with the World Green Car award. The road to the 2016 World Car of the Year begun at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, when the initial nominations were made. Four months later, the list was reduced and at the beginning of March, Geneva was the place where the jury, made out of 71 international automotive journalists, gave us the three finalists for each of the five different categories. 2016 World Car of the Year Mazda MX-5 2016 World Luxury Car of the Year BMW 7-Series 2016 World Performance Car of the Year Audi R8 Coupe 2016 World Green Car of the Year Toyota Mirai (FCV) 2016 World Car Design of the Year Mazda MX-5 PHOTO GALLERY Even though Hyundai will be selling the Ioniq as a Hybrid and a PHEV model, its the pure electric version thats undoubtedly the most future proof. This is the Ioniqs second motor show appearance after making its global debut in Geneva a few weeks back, and now that its found its way to the US, the likes of Toyota, Nissan and Chevrolet need to watch out. Hyundai is doing something truly unique when it comes to this car. Unlike the Prius, and unlike the Leaf or the Volt, the Ioniq is available in three distinctive energy-efficient powertrain versions, which means that customers are no longer limited to just one type of fuel-efficient car. On the other hand, since theres an Ioniq out there for everyone, Hyundai needs to focus its efforts and resources in three different directions, which sounds a bit counter-intuitive since we pretty much know where the automotive industry is heading. But even if we were to focus only on the all-electric version, wed certainly walk away impressed due to its maximum (estimated) driving range of 110 miles (177 km). Even the PHEV model can drive on pure electricity for 25 miles (40 km), and thats not just better than what the Prius can muster, but even better than the recently unveiled Prius Prime PHEV. As of right now, it seems car enthusiasts in general are enjoying pointing out how the Ioniq is a better-looking car than the Prius, and if we add that to its already impressive numbers and range diversity, we might say that Hyundai have struck a bit of gold here. PHOTO GALLERY After the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs US debut was pushed back several times, the plug-in hybrid SUV finally made its appearance at the New York Auto Show and its going on sale in fall 2016. Looking identical to the facelifted European and Japanese 2016MY Outlander PHEV variants, Mitsubishis latest addition to the North American line-up features a 2.0-litre gas engine and two high-performance electric motors, driving the front and rear wheels, responsible for offering a permanent 4WD system that provides quick and optimized torque distribution. The electric units are mounted separately at the front and rear axles, thus providing precise, responsive all-wheel-drive performance, while the companys S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) system ensures intuitive and linear handling or so Mitsubishi says. The battery that supplies the juice for the motors is located is a high-capacity 12kWh lithium-ion pack. located under the floor. The Outlander PHEV features three available driving modes, including the full electric EV mode, series power (electric power with generator operation), and parallel hybrid (engine power and electric motor assistance). The vehicles PHEV system automatically selects the most efficient mode depending of a series of factors, such as road conditions and traction. The system also comes with a regenerative braking mode, capturing electricity under braking. What makes the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV so special is that it offers the best of both worlds with a balance of electric efficiency and long-range practicality/ Mitsubishi put its engineering prowess and knowledge to work to create a vehicle that meets the demand of a growing number of consumers who need a car that is capable and environmentally friendly. The Outlander PHEV will offer a high electric range and combined miles per gallon (MPG), said Don Swearingen, executive vice president, MMNA. Although official figures have yet to be released, we know the car boasts a 20.2 km/L (4.95 l/100 km or 47.5 mpg US) consumption figure, measured in the Japanese JC08 drive mode, while its all-electric range is 60.8 km (37.7 miles). PHOTO GALLERY With a weight penalty of 158 kg (348 lbs) on top of the coupe, but significantly lighter than its predecessor, the second-gen Audi R8 Spyder celebrated its world premiere in New York. Presented in base form at the Big Apple event, it tips the scales at 1,612 kg (3,554 lbs), meaning 113 kg (249 lbs) less than what the previous Spyder used to weigh, and in this version, its 532 HP (540 PS) and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque allow a zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) time of just 3.6 seconds, meaning 0.1 seconds slower than the Coupe. Behind the V10, there is a familiar 7-speed S tronic gearbox, which sends power to the Quattro all-wheel drive system with an electro-hydraulically activated multi-plate clutch, at the front axle. In extreme cases, up to 100 percent torque can be sent to either the front or the rear wheels. Incorporated into the Audi drive select system, the intelligent control offers four driving modes, from dynamic to comfort-oriented, joined by the three driving programs that will make the machine cope with dry, wet or snow-covered road surfaces. Underneath its folding fabric roof, which takes 20 seconds to retract and can be opened or closed at speeds up to 31 mph (km/h), Audi has added its large 12.3-inch virtual cockpit, MMI navigation plus with MMI touch as standard, voice control and the firms smartphone interface, which makes it possible to display selected content from the device into the virtual cockpit. This will become available as an option, from this summer, on the R8 Coupe too. The four-ring brand will hand-build the new Audi R8 Spyder at a manufacturing facility near Neckarsulm, Germany, and it will offer it on sale later this year. PHOTO GALLERY In the demanding world of light commercial vehicles, where every penny counts, it helps to have friends friends who share the burden and provide the economies of scale necessary to drive down prices. Three different automotive groups, General Motors, Fiat and the Renault-Nissan Alliance, came together to create a van for the popular light commercial van segment, with the Italians now presenting their own version of the existing Renault Traffic, Opel and Vauxhall Vivaro, and the upcoming Nissan NV300. Its called the Fiat Talento, as a reference to the Italian name of an ancient coin, which the automaker says evokes value and dependability, while also suggesting its broad range of abilities. To be assembled alongside the other members of the extended van family at Renaults upgraded Sandouville plant, in Northwest France, the Talento gets a different grille, front bumper design, and wheels, but thats about it, so choosing which one is for you, mostly comes down to badge and dealer preferences. Positioned between the Doblo Cargo and Ducato in Fiats commercial range, the Talento will be available with single and twin-turbo and diesel engines paired to six-speed manual gearboxes with power outputs of up to 145 horses. Sales will begin in the second half of the year. Photo Gallery Arriving in Maseratis biggest market, North America, the Levante becomes the fifth addition to the brands range, alongside the Ghibli, Quattroporte, GranTurismo and GranCabrio. Showcased in New York, the Levante will go on sale in the US at the end of August, but dealerships will begin taking orders from April. Prices kick off at $72,000 for the entry-level 350HP Levante and $83,000 for the 430HP Levante S, both getting a 3.0-liter bi-turbo V6 mated to an 8-speed auto that sends power to all four corners, and which allows for what Maserati refers to as outstanding performances both on- and off-road. The Levante has the lowest center of gravity in its class and it benefits from air springs on all wheels, with 5 different ride levels, a perfectly balanced weight distribution of 50-50 between front and rear, and a mechanical self-locking rear different, as standard. The SUV is equipped with a number of safety gizmos that include automatic brake assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, blind spot alert, and 360-degree camera view. Inside, theres Maserati Touch Control infotainment system that works together with an 8.4-inch high-res screen and can be controlled via the rotary knob on the central tunnel. PHOTO GALLERY While the NY Auto Show just entered its second press day, Lexus pulled an ace out of its sleeve and chose the Vancouver International Auto Show to display an old acquaintance of ours in Canada. Its called LF-SA (Lexus Future Small Adventurer) and its an ultra-compact 2+2 luxury vehicle, as the Japanese firm describes it, originally shown last year in Geneva. Despite adopting a compact footprint, the automaker says that the LF-SA boasts a spacious interior, with a 2+2 layout and focused placed at the driver, who gets to sit on a fixed seat and adjustable steering column and pedals, while the front passengers seat slides to allow access to the rear seating. Enhancing driving experience are the wide-angle head-up display and a hologram-style digital display, part of the infotainment system, incorporated into the instrument binnacle. Lexus is cagey about the powertrain of the study, which shares the brands Canada Show stand with the 2016MY range and a virtual reality simulator that lets visitors race a Lexus over a realistic interpretation of the Fuji Speedway track. PHOTO GALLERY Only recently its first attempt at a luxury saloon died a quiet death, and already reports on its successor have started surfacing. According to AutoBild, the replacement for the ill-fated Phaeton might gain an all-electric powertrain. The German publication quotes a spokesman within the company, who said that the Phaeton is and will remain an essential project for Volkswagen. Determined to make it to this segment, VW is said to develop its new entry is reportedly developed alongside the Porsche Mission E and the Audi Q6, which means it will use an all-electric powertrain. Coming after a billion ($1.1 billion) investment, as a pet project of the former VW chief Ferdinand Piech and failing to achieve its sales targets, the last example of the Phaeton has left the Dresden assembly line on March 18, 2016. PHOTO GALLERY Photo: Contributed - E. Enevski a Change is a circumstance that can be viewed with either anticipation or trepidation. It is something that is, ironically, the one thing we can count on. Relationships, work environments, the world around us. Its all in how we accept, adapt and move on that determines our resilience. From a purely physiological viewpoint, change, such as learning new skills or even just trying new activities, causes the brains neurons to fire in new ways to create different learning patterns. In other words, it keeps the brain young. Ive been a gym rat for years, and had, like most, fallen into a routine of sorts. Last week I showed up at a new gym for what I thought was a pedal class (spin maybe?). Turns out it was something called pound. My initial reaction was to politely bow out. I didnt know what it was, wasnt sure if it would be enough of a workout. Thankfully I was persuaded to at least give it a shot. Well, not only was it a fantastic workout, it was also an incredibly fun and laughter-filled class. Afterward, a few of us chatted with the instructor who insightfully shared that most people fear moving out of their comfort zone because they dont want to take the chance of looking silly as they learn a new skill or routine. Pushing past that uncomfortable feeling allows growth, and the confidence to accept that everyone has their own learning curve. Many people who profess that they want change in their lives actually sabotage opportunities through fear-based thinking. Take new relationships for instance. Its difficult to keep past disappointments and experiences out of a budding new romance, you can catch yourself reacting to an innocent comment in a way that has nothing to do with the new person in front of you. Or you catch yourself fast-forwarding and grasping for guarantees that this will work out, rather than relaxing and enjoying the journey. Learning from past experiences is healthy, but reliving them over and over again is not. I know that I struggle with the devil you know mentality at times. There are times when I feel stuck or uninspired in my career, and yet when I am offered a new opportunity, I hesitate. The what ifs take over, and I placate myself with assurances that where Im at is not that bad. I envy a friend whose job was phased out. She didnt have to take that leap of faith in herself. Manifesting change in ones own life does require a reassessment of your own beliefs. You have to be your own cheerleader and best friend, and turn the negative what ifs into positive what ifs. Its really all a matter of perspective. I can completely relate to the reality that sometimes lifes responsibilities take precedent over taking that chance. Your own welfare is not the only thing at stake, but you can still take small steps toward a new end result. First up, surround yourself with people who endorse and support your dreams and aspirations. Change is an ongoing process. Whether its something you sought out or it was thrust upon you, you have to examine and deal with the emotions and feelings it creates. Through this you grow, and become the person youre meant to be: The best version of yourself. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Contributed - Ivelin Radkov This week the Liberal Government tabled the first budget for the 42nd Parliament in Ottawa. As some may recall during the recent election, the Liberals promised that their first two budgets would have deficits capped at $10 Billion each year before returning to a balanced budget in 2019. The budget announced this week with a deficit of $30 Billion adds more debt than what was promised over the entire term, and does not forecast a return to being balanced in 2019. With such a large increase in deficit spending, the obvious question is: Where is this borrowed money going to be spent? While it is difficult to summarize a budget document in a single MP report, I will list some of the areas targeted for increased spending. Public Transit will see spending of $3.4 billion over the next three years. While public transit is not available in some parts of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola it will be helpful in others. Green infrastructure is another area in the budget targeted for $5 billion in spending over the next five years. Spending on First Nations will also be significantly increased in Budget 2016, with a commitment of $8.4 Billion over five years. There are many First Nations communities within Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, and this funding can help ensure many much-needed projects and programs beneficial to the region are completed. Despite such a large increase in deficit spending, there are areas where spending will be decreased or programs eliminated in this budget. One example of this is $3.7 Billion in planned military equipment spending to be deferred down the road. In addition, expenditures such as the childrens fitness and childrens art credit are being phased out starting by reducing them by half for 2016 and eliminated in 2017. On a local note: Budget 2016 does propose to re-open the Veterans Affairs office in Kelowna, although one cannot be certain if this means at the same location. Nor does the budget specify an exact date. From a British Columbia perspective: Ferries built outside of Canada and imported to Provinces operating ferry fleets will no longer be subject to a 25% tariff. The 15% percent mineral exploration tax credit that was introduced by the former Government and set to expire at the end of March will be extended for another year, until March of 2017. Given the importance of mining to many regions within Central Okanagan- Similkameen-Nicola, this continued program can be of benefit to local economies. Tourism will also see a $50 million funding commitment, however this is over two years, and is Canada wide. Missing from the budget? From my own perspective, while the budget does mention the Canada-European Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) international trade deals, there is nothing significant on internal trade. A glaring oversight, considering a new Agreement on Internal Trade is due this month, but appears to have fallen off the federal Governments radar screen. There is also no mention in the budget on a number of Liberal election promises such as restored door to door mail delivery, a reduction in the small business tax rate, and, of course, no plan to return a balanced budget in 2019. This is only a brief summary of a 269 page budget document, and I welcome your comments, questions and concerns on Budget 2016 or any subject before the House of Commons. I can be reached at [email protected] or toll free at 1.800.665.8711 This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Contributed - BC Cancer Agency Comfort is hard to come by when undergoing chemotherapy, but for those in Kelowna, its been extra uncomfortable the past 13 months. Terry Mills has been receiving chemotherapy treatment at the BC Cancer Agency near Kelowna General Hospital for the past year and a half. For the first few months, he was treated upstairs, where there was plenty of space and privacy. Due to renovations to the nearby pharmacy area, chemo treatments were moved downstairs to the main floor in February 2015. The IV transfusions now take place where the two waiting rooms used to be. Mills was told the renovations would take eight months. Thirteen months later, hes wondering when he can go back upstairs. Its harming the patients, because were all squeezed in, Mills said. We have very little room for family to sit beside you while you sit there for sometimes two hours getting these infusions of chemotherapy, which isnt a pleasant experience, believe me. Mills says he has been asking for several months when they will be moving back upstairs, but no one seems to know. They said it could be two weeks or two months, they dont know, he said. It just seems like a freaking boondoggle. The BC Cancer Agency says the renovations were supposed to have taken eight months, but a number of setbacks have pushed back the completion date. There have been a couple delays in the renovation itself weve had some deficiencies in items in our renovations that were outside of our control, said John Larmet, regional director for the agency. As an example, we had a piece of equipment that was supplied that was inadequately specd that needed to then be sent back to the manufacturer and then re-custom-made, which took another six to eight weeks. Larmet says after announcing several extensions to the completion date that have since been extended, he has been reluctant to give a solid timeline for the renovations. While the completion date has been up in the air for some time, he says he is 99 per cent sure chemo patients will be moved back upstairs by mid-April. Larmet says when patients are finally able to do so, they will find increased capacity in the chemo room and improved standards in the pharmacy. I feel bad for the nurses, Mills said. Theyre just so on top of everybody, but for the other patients, including myself, you have no privacy, but theyre doing the best they can. Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer The owner of the Rocky Store in Penticton is disappointed that council decided this week to not allow him to have a rental vehicle franchise at his location on Johnson Road. Store owner Sherlock Oh said he started up the U-Haul business in January. "I've been struggling with financial difficulties running the store for 12 years, and this U-Haul business guarantees I won't have problems," he said." According to city staff, several trucks, trailers and cube vans appeared on the property during the week of Jan. 25. Bylaw officers were called to the property based on several complaints from neighbours, including it being unsightly and not an appropriate use in a residential area. Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said that feedback factored into council's decision. "I think you want to have more of a commercial business that enhances and complements the neighbourhood, like expanding the store and putting more food or beverages there," he said. "You don't expect a large rental fleet of trailers and moving trucks in the middle of the residential area which is a conduit to the Naramata Bench." Oh said he will reluctantly comply with council's decision. "They didn't think of this on a large scale, that people are using this, and there has been a huge demand from the community," he said. "They are only looking at the neighbourhood's concerns." He added that he respects his neighbour's opinions, but also feels they should respect his business as well. Oh says he will shut down the U-Haul business by April 15. "I have no other choice," he said. "I will just keep running the store." Photo: Nicholas Johansen UPDATE: 2:45 p.m. Kelowna RCMP say the driver of the red Honda has been issued a $167 violation ticket for failing to stop at a red light. Police have determined that a red Honda CRV was northbound on Pandosy Street when it did not stop for the red light at the Cadder Avenue intersection, says Const. Jesse O'Donaghey. The driver of the Honda CRV, a 78-year-old Kelowna man, drove in front of, and collided with, a Toyota Camry which had been eastbound on Cadder Avenue. The collision sent the Honda through the fence of a Pandosy Street property. There were no apparent injuries as a result of this crash, adds O'Donaghey. ORIGINAL: 12:15 p.m. An SUV ran a red light and smashed through a residential fence late this morning in Kelownas Pandosy area. Police at the scene said the driver of a red Honda CRV blew the red light on Cadder Avenue and was hit by a grey sedan travelling on Pandosy Street. The impact sent the SUV through a wood fence and into a front yard. The tenant living in the home said the drivers were both shaken up, but didn't seem hurt. I just heard a huge boom and came running out, said the tenant. The crash happened just before noon. Photo: kurga Okanagan residents will be paying less for natural gas. FortisBC said natural gas bills will be dropping by about $52 a year for the average customer. North American natural gas prices over the winter have been lower than expected due to a continued strong production and reduced demand from warmer than normal weather, said Cynthia Des Brisay, the companys vice-president of energy supply and resource development. As a result, the market is experiencing high natural gas storage levels for this time of year, which has further dampened the expected cost of gas over the summer period. In most parts of the province, the cost of natural gas will drop to $1.141 per gigajoule from $1.719. The company said other charges on the bill relating to delivery, storage and maintenance wont change. FortisBC also collects fees and taxes, such as the carbon tax, on behalf of the three levels of government Photo: Contributed Shelley Gilmore and board chair Bruce Olsen at a recent United Way appreciation event The United Way has closed out its 2015 fundraising campaign in the South and Central Okanagan. The fundraising drive netted a little more than $1.25 million, which represents 84 per cent of the 2015 goal of $1.5 million. Despite the state of the economy, our community continues to support United Way making an extraordinary impact throughout the Okanagan Similkameen, said executive director Shelley Gilmore. Our volunteer impact teams will now go to work evaluating agency applications and determining the best, sustainable investments for these funds. The top campaign of the year again was Costco Wholesale's which, with 100 per cent of its employees participating in the campaign, raised close to $95,000. Bank of Montreal, known for strong support, raised $60,000. United Way is supported by 84 employee workplace campaigns as well as a number of corporate and individual donors, sponsors and volunteers giving their time. This year, United Way CSO plans to invest in programs and initiatives that address the root causes of poverty throughout the region. Through collaborations, advocacy and collective action, United Way CSO is working together with agencies, governments, municipalities, associations, businesses and individuals to build stronger, healthier communities. A Community Appreciation Celebration May 4 in both the South Okanagan and May 19 in the Central Okanagan, will include a sneak peek into just what investments are planned. Photo: Contributed The search for a missing toddler who disappeared while playing outside his rural Manitoba home is expanding to include bodies of water. RCMP Sgt. Bert Paquet says underwater dive teams have been brought in to search creeks and shorelines, since most of the dry land around the property has been searched. "There is a lot of hope that ... further examinations of bodies of water today will answer the one question we are trying to answer," Paquet said Thursday. Searchers remained hopeful, he said, but were mindful that more than 36 hours had passed since two-year-old Chase Martens vanished. "Obviously we are talking about quite an amount of time in elements that are extremely challenging for a two-year-old boy," Paquet said. "Knowing what we have dealt with before in similar circumstances, we have to be open to all possibilities. "While we remain hopeful, we also have to keep in mind that the worst-case scenario is something that cannot be forgotten at this point." Chase was last seen by his parents about 6 p.m. on Tuesday playing in the yard at the family's home near Austin. He was wearing a blue jacket, black splash pants, a red hat and boots that light up as he walks. He is described as being 2 1/2 feet tall and weighing 30 pounds. He has blue eyes and light-brown hair. Paquet said foul play has not been ruled out, but is not the focus of the investigation. "But again we need to keep in mind all possible avenues, all possible scenarios. We owe it to the family to keep open minds about what is happening." He said Chase's parents are distraught and desperate as hundreds of people continue to look for their little boy. No physical evidence has been found and police are still looking for any clues or tips that may help in the investigation, Paquet said. "The entire country right now is thinking of this little boy. We are doing the same. If anyone has any kind of information that they question whether or not it should be shared with us, give us a call." More than 500 volunteers, trained searchers, police officers, firefighters and military members combed farmland in a 1.5-kilometre radius of the Martens home on Wednesday. The search area was doubling Thursday to three kilometres. Some volunteers were called off overnight to get some rest, but were back by morning. Trained personnel continued to search through the night, Paquet said. Temperatures dropped to -12 C the night Chase disappeared, but have crept up slightly since then. At some point during the 2017 tourist season, Tourism Kelowna hopes to open its brand new, $3.5-million tourist information centre. The centre, proposed for the foot of Queensway, would replace the outdated tourism centre on Harvey Avenue. Tourism Kelowna CEO Nancy Cameron says visitor traffic to the information centre on the highway has been rapidly declining as technology changes how people travel and how they gather information on destinations. Before GPS and online booking systems, Cameron says visitors relied on visitor information centres for everything from getting directions to finding accommodations and things to do. A highway was the perfect location. "Now, people pre-book their accommodations and their rental car, they get here, they plug in their accommodation GPS co-ordinates, they go to their accommodation, settle in, then they explore," says Cameron. "They naturally gravitate to that hub of the destination. In Kelowna's case, it's the downtown waterfront walkway area. That's where they start their exploration." Cameron says about 440,000 people pass by the area around the foot of Queensway each year. That's compared to just 20,000 people who stop into the current visitor centre each year. And, according to Cameron, that number is falling. Tourism Kelowna hopes to go before city council to seek a rezoning application for the site. Before that happens, the city and Tourism Kelowna need to work out a lease for the property. Cameron says Tourism Kelowna will fund the entire project the city would only contribute the land. The board of directors has approved borrowing up to $2.5 million for the project. Tourism Kelowna will need to raise the balance. "Combining the rents at our current visitor centre with this office, plus a more robust retail component will allow us to cover the mortgage and the upkeep." Cameron says the new information centre will have a 3,000-square-foot footprint with 5,000 square-feet of space over two storeys. The building will be set back 50 feet from the lake, and Cameron says the current waterfront promenade will be extended around the building, making for a continuous walkway from the bridge to the bird sanctuary past Waterfront Park. Cameron says the building will feature lots of glass and open space. Tourism Kelowna hopes to get financing and approvals in place and have shovels in the ground as soon as possible. Thank you for running the story on the stolen quad. I'm the owner of the business that the quad was stolen from. These criminals did over $30,000 damage and destruction to property, along with the theft of over $10,000 worth of equipment and property. I am very grateful to the constable who had enough common sense to realize that a half covered quad was suspicious. We appreciate Castanets ability to inform the community of the good that the RCMP do in a world where negative news dominates. Darrin Grams Enterprise RV Health care providers should educate patients about the risks for Zika virus disease and measures to prevent Zika virus infection and other mosquito-borne infections. Zika virus disease should be considered in patients with acute onset of fever, rash, arthralgia, or conjunctivitis who traveled to areas with ongoing transmission or had unprotected sex with someone who traveled to those areas and developed compatible symptoms within 2 weeks of returning. During January 1, 2015February 26, 2016, a total of 116 residents of U.S. states and the District of Columbia had laboratory evidence of recent Zika virus infection based on testing performed at CDC, including one congenital infection and 115 persons who reported recent travel to areas with active Zika virus transmission (n = 110) or sexual contact with such a traveler (n = 5). Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus. Recent outbreaks of Zika virus disease in the Pacific Islands and the Region of the Americas have identified new modes of transmission and clinical manifestations, including adverse pregnancy outcomes. Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus. Recent outbreaks of Zika virus disease in the Pacific Islands and the Region of the Americas have identified new modes of transmission and clinical manifestations, including adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, data on the epidemiology and clinical findings of laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease remain limited. During January 1, 2015February 26, 2016, a total of 116 residents of 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia had laboratory evidence of recent Zika virus infection based on testing performed at CDC. Cases include one congenital infection and 115 persons who reported recent travel to areas with active Zika virus transmission (n = 110) or sexual contact with such a traveler (n = 5). All 115 patients had clinical illness, with the most common signs and symptoms being rash (98%; n = 113), fever (82%; 94), and arthralgia (66%; 76). Health care providers should educate patients, particularly pregnant women, about the risks for, and measures to prevent, infection with Zika virus and other mosquito-borne viruses. Zika virus disease should be considered in patients with acute onset of fever, rash, arthralgia, or conjunctivitis, who traveled to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/index.html) or who had unprotected sex with a person who traveled to one of those areas and developed compatible symptoms within 2 weeks of returning. Zika virus is primarily transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (1). Most infections are asymptomatic (2). When occurring, clinical illness is generally mild and characterized by acute onset of fever, maculopapular rash, arthralgia, or nonpurulent conjunctivitis. Symptoms usually last from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, and deaths are rare. In addition to mosquito-borne transmission, Zika virus infections have been reported through intrauterine transmission resulting in congenital infection, intrapartum transmission from a viremic mother to her newborn, sexual transmission, and laboratory exposure (3,4). Increasing evidence suggests that Zika virus infection during pregnancy can result in microcephaly, other congenital anomalies, and fetal losses (5). Guillain-Barre syndrome also has been associated with recent Zika virus disease (6). However, the frequency of these outcomes is not known. To characterize Zika virus disease among U.S. residents, CDC reviewed demographics, exposures, and reported symptoms of patients with laboratory-evidence of recent Zika virus infection in the United States. Zika virus disease cases among residents of U.S. states with specimens tested at CDCs Arboviral Diseases Branch during January 1, 2015February 26, 2016 were identified. The cases included in this report had laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection based on the following findings in serum: 1) Zika virus RNA detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); 2) anti-Zika virus immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with 4-fold higher neutralizing antibody titers against Zika virus compared with neutralizing antibody titers against dengue virus; or 3) anti-Zika virus IgM antibodies with <4-fold difference in neutralizing antibody titers between Zika and dengue viruses and a direct epidemiologic link to a person with laboratory evidence of recent Zika virus infection (i.e., vertical transmission from mother to baby or sexual contact). State and local health departments collected information on patient demographics, dates of travel, and clinical signs and symptoms. During January 1, 2015February 26, 2016, a total of 116 residents of 33 states and the District of Columbia with laboratory evidence of recent Zika virus infection were identified on the basis of testing at CDC. One case occurred in a full-term infant born with severe congenital microcephaly, whose mother had Zika virus disease in Brazil during the first trimester of pregnancy (5). Among the remaining 115 patients (including the infants mother), 24 (21%) had illness onset in 2015 and 91 (79%) in 2016. Seventy-five (65%) cases occurred in females (Table 1). The median age of patients was 38 years (range = 381 years); 11 (10%) cases occurred in children and adolescents aged <18 years. Of the 115 patients, 110 (96%) reported recent travel to areas of active Zika virus transmission and five (4%) did not travel but reported sexual contact with a traveler who had symptomatic illness. The most frequently reported countries with active Zika virus transmission visited by patients were Haiti (n = 27), El Salvador (16), Colombia (11), Honduras (11), and Guatemala (10). All 115 patients reported a clinical illness with onset during March 2015February 2016 (Figure). The most commonly reported signs and symptoms were rash (98%), fever (82%), arthralgia (66%), headache (57%), myalgia (55%), and conjunctivitis (37%) (Table 2). Among all 115 patients, 110 (96%) reported two or more of the following symptoms: rash, fever, arthralgia, and conjunctivitis; 75 (65%) reported three or more of these signs or symptoms. Four (3%) patients were hospitalized; no deaths occurred. Among the 109 travelers who had known travel dates, patients reported becoming ill a median of 1 day after returning home (range = 37 days before return to 11 days after return). Laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection included positive RT-PCR test results in 28 (24%) cases and positive serologic test results in 87 (76%) cases; two (2%) cases had serologic evidence of a recent unspecified flavivirus infection and were classified as Zika virus disease cases based on their epidemiologic link to a confirmed case (one vertical transmission and one sexual contact). Estimating the Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in Alaska Using Partial, Nonrandom Measurement Data Erik Everson, MPH; Myde Boles, PhD; Karol Fink, MS; Rebecca Topol, SM; Andrea Fenaughty, PhD Suggested citation for this article: Everson E, Boles M, Fink K, Topol R, Fenaughty A. Estimating the Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in Alaska Using Partial, Nonrandom Measurement Data. Prev Chronic Dis 2016;13:150429. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd13.150429external icon. PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED Abstract Although monitoring childhood obesity prevalence is critical for state public health programs to assess trends and the effectiveness of interventions, few states have comprehensive body mass index measurement systems in place. In some states, however, assorted school districts collect measurements on student height and weight as part of annual health screenings. To estimate childhood obesity prevalence in Alaska, we created a logistic regression model using such annual measurements along with public data on demographics and socioeconomic status. Our mixed-effects model-generated prevalence estimates validated well against weighted estimates, with 95% confidence intervals overlapping between methodologies among 7 of 8 participating school districts. Our methodology accounts for variation in school-level and student-level demographic factors across the state, and the approach we describe can be applied by other states that have existing nonrandom student measurement data to estimate childhood obesity prevalence. Top Background In 20112012, approximately 1 in 6 (17.7%) US children aged 6 to 11 were obese (1). Compared with their nonobese peers, these children are more likely to experience low self-esteem and depression (2), discrimination by other children (3), and academic struggles (4); they are also more likely to become obese adults (5,6). The ability to monitor childhood obesity prevalence at the state and local levels is critical for state public health programs to assess trends and the success or failure of interventions. In estimating obesity prevalence among children, the limited availability or reliability of data on height and weight often presents a challenge. State data on childrens self-reported or parent-reported height and weight are available from national surveys (7,8), but these data are unreliable and often unavailable for younger ages (9,10). Among a sample of children aged 6 to 11, one study (11) found that obesity prevalence estimated from parent-reported height and weight was as much as double the actual measured prevalence. Direct measurement of childrens height and weight is ideal for estimating rates of childhood obesity, but collecting a comprehensive or random sample involves many barriers. Public school students offer a convenient proxy for school-aged children, but measuring the height and weight of students may still require staff time, travel, and training expenses, along with additional staff time for coordination between school districts and the state. Only about a dozen US states have implemented comprehensive systems for screening body mass index (BMI) in selected grades (12). Among national surveillance efforts, only the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) measures the height and weight of children directly. NHANES is designed to produce national estimates for the US population and some subgroups, however, and is not suitable by itself or of sufficient sample size for obtaining state or local estimates (13). One study (14) recently used NHANES data to build a demographics-based obesity model and then applied local demographic data from other sources to estimate childhood obesity rates in Georgia. Although this method could be applied in many areas of the United States, it cannot be used in states that have unusual geography or whose populations have unique demographic characteristics that are not reflected in NHANES data. In Alaska, American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) children are the majority in half (51.9%) of the states school districts (15), but NHANES data sets are not large enough to provide estimates for this relatively small and geographically specific population and do not offer an AIAN race/ethnicity category (16). Furthermore, even if national AIAN data were available, the data might not accurately represent Alaskas predominately Alaska Native AIAN population. This problem is not unique to Alaska; other regions of the United States have large populations of racial/ethnic subgroups that are combined into nonspecific, nonrepresentative racial/ethnic categories; for example, the weight status of Pacific Islanders or Cuban Americans may not be accurately represented by the NHANES categories of non-Hispanic Asian or other Hispanic (17,18). Modeling obesity prevalence on national data is not suitable for Alaska because of the states unique population of Alaska Native people and remote geography. Like most states, Alaska also lacks a comprehensive measurement system in schools from which to directly estimate childhood obesity prevalence. Several Alaska school districts do, however, collect height and weight measurements annually for selected grades. To estimate childhood obesity prevalence in Alaska, we created a logistic regression model that uses these measurements and accounts for variation in school-level and student-level demographic factors across the state. The objective of this article was to describe our methodology, which can be used by other states that have existing, partial, nonrandom data on student height and weight measurements to estimate obesity prevalence. Top Methods Collecting data on height and weight measurements and demographics Student data. Our modeling data set combined student height and weight measurements collected by 8 Alaska school districts during the 20132014 school year. Measurements were conducted by school nurses and public health nurses as part of routine health screenings and an ongoing state program to monitor student overweight and obesity in each district. Although we received some measurements for all grades (pre-kindergarten through grade 12), we limited our analysis to only those grades measured in all districts: kindergarten, grade 1, grade 3, grade 5, and grade 7 (hereinafter called K7). Although the 8 participating school districts represent only 15% of Alaskas 54 school districts, they include the states largest enrollment districts and together have 62.8% of the states K7 students. School district staff members provided height and weight measurements for 83.9% (n = 26,576) of enrolled K7 students in the 8 districts. Measurement data also included data on race/ethnicity (white, black, Asian, Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, American Indian, Alaska Native, multirace, and Hispanic), sex, grade, and age in months at date of measurement for each student. We excluded incomplete records and those with biologically implausible values for height, weight, or BMI, using criteria by sex and age developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (19). After all exclusions, our net measurement rate for K7 students in the 8 participating districts was 82.8% (n = 26,206) (Table 1). Socioeconomic data. As a proxy for school-level socioeconomic status (SES), we obtained data on the percentage of students at each school eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) (20). Students eligible for this program had family incomes at or below 185% of federal poverty guidelines. Our SES data also indicated which schools did not participate in NSLP; the prevalence of obesity at these nonparticipating schools was lower than the prevalence at participating schools that had low percentages of eligible families (ie, schools with high SES). Additional derived variables. Our modeling data set contained several derived variables in addition to the student height and weight measurement and demographic data provided by schools. We computed BMI percentile using a CDC-developed SAS program (21) and created a binary obesity variable indicating students at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex (ie, CDCs definition of obesity). We recoded student data on race/ethnicity into 3 categories to ensure adequate sample size for each: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic AIAN, and other. The racial composition of the other category varied significantly by school district. We also created several school-level variables. Because of obesitys associations with poverty and environmental factors (sociocultural and physical), the racial/ethnic composition of a community can be associated with childhood obesity because of factors other than the race/ethnicity of the children (22). To account for community race/ethnicity, we created 2 variables indicating the percentage of enrolled AIAN students and the percentage of enrolled other-race students at each school. Using our NSLP eligibility data, we created 3 school-level SES categories: low SES (45% eligibility), high SES (<45% eligibility), and nonparticipating school. We chose 45% as a cutoff value because it corresponds with Alaskas eligibility criteria for low-income school funding. Finally, we also created variables ranking school size and indicating metropolitan area or nonmetropolitan area, although neither variable was included in our final model. Modeling student obesity Model specification. We created a mixed-effects logistic regression model to predict the prevalence of student obesity based on demographic factors while accounting for data clustering and random effects at the school level. We developed all aspects of the model using Stata 13.1 software (StataCorp LP), using the meqrlogit command with default options. Our models dependent variable was student obesity status. Independent variables included grade 1, grade 3, grade 5, grade 7, male sex, AIAN race, and other race (all student-level), along with the percentage of school population that was AIAN, the percentage of the school population that was other race, high-SES school, and low-SES school. To account for multicollinearity, we centered each student-level race variable as follows: percentage of school population AIAN (centered) = AIAN race (0/1) percentage of school population AIAN. For example, for an Alaska Native student in a school whose student population was 30% AIAN, the centered student-level AIAN race variable would be calculated as the following: 1 0.3 = 0.7. Finally, our model included a random-effects term to describe school-level variation in obesity beyond what was accounted for by the other independent variables. Model application. To apply our model toward estimating statewide obesity rates, we created a second data set representing all Alaska public schools. This data set included official school-level enrollment counts for the 20132014 school year by grade, sex, and race/ethnicity provided by the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, as well as school-level SES and the same set of derived variables used in our model. After building our model, we estimated statewide K7 obesity prevalence by applying it to this data set. Model validation. We used a jackknife validation procedure: for each participating school district, we re-ran our model without that districts measurement data and then applied the districts enrollment data to estimate its obesity prevalence. We also created alternative estimates by computing weights to reflect each districts enrollment by grade, sex, and race/ethnicity and then applying these weights to each districts measured obesity prevalence. To validate our model, we compared the model-generated estimates to the weighted estimates. Because of the large size and uniquely-metropolitan nature of Anchorage School District in our sample data, we randomly divided Anchorage schools into approximate halves and treated each as a separate district for validation purposes. To describe the portion of total variance due to variance among schools, we calculated the variance partitioning coefficients for each model as level-2 variance divided by the sum of level-2 variance and 2/3 (23). Top Results Statewide obesity estimate. By building a regression model using available measurement and demographic data and applying it to statewide enrollment data, we estimated that 19.4% of Alaska students in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 3, grade 5, and grade 7 were obese in the 20132014 school year. All of the models independent variables, except high-SES school, were significant at P .05 level (Table 2). Validation results. Confidence intervals for weighted estimates overlapped with those for modeled estimates for all school districts except Kenai Peninsula (Table 3). The mean square error between methodologies was 9.2%. The jackknife model estimates summed to a prevalence estimate of 17.1% for all measured districts, compared with 17.2% for the weighted estimates. The estimates by sex, race/ethnicity, and grade for the 8 measured districts in our primary model were all within 0.2% of their weighted estimates (Table 2). Top Discussion We created a logistic regression model to estimate the prevalence of obesity among Alaska students based on a partial, nonrandom set of height and weight measurements and data on student-level and school-level demographic factors. Our method is straightforward and can be easily implemented by other jurisdictions with incomplete school measurement data. This method is also capable of describing unique local populations that are not adequately represented in national surveys such as NHANES. To our knowledge, our study is the first to estimate statewide obesity prevalence among children using locally collected, nonrandom measurement data. Our results show a large disparity in statewide obesity prevalence between non-Hispanic white students (11.9%) and racial/ethnic minority students, particularly AIAN students (32.0%), in grades K7. This disparity is consistent with our model coefficients and with previous findings across multiple years (24) in which the prevalence of obesity among AIAN students consistently exceeded that among white students. The burden of obesity among AIAN students is typically largest in rural areas, where AIAN students are more concentrated. Our model indicates that obesity among AIAN students is significantly higher statewide (32.0%) than in the 8 districts for which we had measurements (24.1%); these 8 tend to be more metropolitan than other districts in the state. This difference highlights the value of our modeling approach, in that the prevalence of statewide obesity would be underestimated by either 1) weighting up (disproportionately metropolitan) measured obesity prevalence to state enrollment totals or 2) using a model such as ours but without AIAN-specific measurements. We developed our model to account for Alaskas unique population. Outside of the Anchorage/MatanuskaSusitna area, 37% of K7 students are AIAN, 31% of schools have fewer than 50 students, and many Alaska communities are inaccessible by road. Accordingly, our initial model included several independent variables to designate location-related differences. School-level variables for percentage of school population that was AIAN and percentage of school population that was other race were significant in our model (P < .001) and predicted obesity beyond student-level demographic factors including race/ethnicity. Independent variables for school size and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan classification (not used in our final model) were not significant (at P .05) when used along with terms indicating school-level race/ethnicity composition. In our sample, then, racial/ethnic composition better captured the variation among schools in how student demographics translated to obesity than did factors such as school size or metropolitan/nonmetropolitan classification. Although we arrived at a particular set of independent variables in modeling Alaska student obesity prevalence, other states undoubtedly have their own unique sets of factors to best describe how demographics associate with obesity. States using a similar approach may wish to account for their own distinct racial/ethnic populations, regions, urban or rural classifications, public or private schools, or any other student-level, school-level, or area-level variable for which reliable data are available. The method we described can also be applied to produce prevalence estimates for various metrics (eg, overweight, severe obesity) or various areas (eg, region, school district, school). As with state-level estimates, accurate results depend on a measurement sample that is of sufficient size and is representative of the variation in the population being estimated. As with AIAN students in our model, subpopulations can be underrepresented in the measurement sample (relative to the population being estimated), provided they are identified in the model. Our study has several limitations. Although we developed our model with data from 8 districts and 183 schools, most (61.5%) of our model development sample was from the states largest district, Anchorage School District. Our modeling approach accounted for this by distinguishing among schools of varying racial minority distributions and SES levels, and schools representing a broad range of each factor were included in our model development sample. Nonetheless, Anchorage has only 37.5% of Alaskas K7 enrollment, and a sample more equally distributed throughout the state would have been preferable. Our measurement data included 8 race/ethnicity classifications, but we collapsed 5 of these categories (black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and multirace) into other because of small sample sizes. The students in these categories accounted for 34% of K7 enrollees in districts that provided measurements but only 16% in districts that did not. The racial/ethnic composition of other students varied significantly by district, but the overall composition was similar between the set of districts that provided measurements and the set that did not. Nonetheless, additional race/ethnicity categories would have been ideal had we had ample sample sizes, especially in producing estimates for individual districts. Finally, the height and weight measurements we used were not collected through a statistically valid sampling procedure or with regularly calibrated equipment but rather as part of schools routine health screening process. Nonetheless, participating schools tried to measure all K7 students, so we have no reason to believe the sample of students was biased toward or against obese students (25). Our method does not account for potential weight bias caused by children dropping out of school, a concern that would increase in studies of older students. Although a random or comprehensive sample is ideal for estimating the prevalence of childhood obesity, there are many barriers to collecting such a sample, including lack of funding, lack of on-site school nurses, and challenges in coordination between school districts and the state. Our method offers a straightforward way for states with existing, partial, nonrandom school measurement data to estimate childhood overweight or obesity prevalence. With sufficient locally representative measurement data, our method is capable of producing accurate estimates of obesity prevalence for children in elementary school and middle school, and can be adapted to account for unique populations and regional variations in how demographic factors relate to weight status. Top Acknowledgments This work was funded by the Alaska Obesity Prevention and Control Program, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. We thank Clyde Dent, PhD, and Julie Maher, PhD, Program Design and Evaluation Services, and Lauren Kelsey, MPH, and Charles J Utermohle, PhD, Alaska Section of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, for their contributions and support. Top Author Information Corresponding Author: Erik Everson, MPH, Senior Research and Evaluation Analyst, Program Design and Evaluation Services, Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Public Health Division, 827 NE Oregon St, Suite 250, Portland, OR 97232. Telephone: 971-673-0610. E-mail: erik.everson@state.or.us. Author Affiliations: Myde Boles, Program Design and Evaluation Services, Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Public Health Division, Portland, Oregon; Karol Fink, Rebecca Topol, Andrea Fenaughty, Alaska Section of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Anchorage, Alaska. Top References Top Tables Table 1. Sample Observations, Students in Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 5, and Grade 7, by Selected Characteristics, Alaska, School Year 20132014 Category No. of K7 Students Enrolled No. of Valid Measurements Measurement Rate, %a % of Sampleb % of Alaskas K7 Enrollment District Anchorage 18,885 16,111 85.3 61.5 37.5 MatanuskaSusitna Borough 6,645 4,996 75.2 19.1 13.2 Kenai Peninsula Borough 3,344 3,027 90.5 11.6 6.6 Kodiak Island Borough 926 678 73.2 2.6 1.8 Ketchikan Gateway Borough 818 729 89.1 2.8 1.6 North Slope Borough 719 440 61.2 1.7 1.4 Alaska Gateway 171 75 43.9 0.3 0.3 Petersburg City 155 150 96.8 0.6 0.3 All sample districts 31,663 26,206 82.8 100.0 62.8 Sex Male 15,207 13,499 82.0 51.5 51.8c Female 16,456 12,707 83.6 48.5 48.2c Race/ethnicity Non-Hispanic white 16,473 13,546 82.2 51.7 48.9c Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 4,304 3,416 79.4 13.0 23.7c Other 10,886 9,244 84.9 35.3 27.4c Grade Kindergarten 6,654 6,048 91.7 23.1 21.1c Grade 1 6,599 4,753 76.0 18.1 20.9c Grade 3 6,256 5,282 88.2 20.2 19.7c Grade 5 5,992 4,942 80.2 18.9 19.0c Grade 7 6,162 5,181 77.9 19.8 19.3c Table 2. Weight-Estimated Obesity Prevalence and Model-Estimated Obesity Prevalence, by Selected Characteristics, Students in Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 5, and Grade 7, School Year 20132014 Category/Group % (95% CI) Statewide (All Districts), Modeled Estimatea 8 Measured Districts Only Modeled Estimatea Weighted Estimateb Alaska state total 19.4 (19.019.8) 17.1 (16.717.5) 17.2 (16.118.3) Sex Male 20.9 (20.221.5) 18.5 (17.819.1) 18.6 (17.419.8) Female 17.8 (17.218.4) 15.7 (15.016.3) 15.7 (14.517.0) Race/ethnicity Non-Hispanic white 11.9 (11.412.5) 12.1 (11.512.6) 12.3 (11.413.2) Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native 32.0 (30.633.5) 24.1 (22.725.5) 24.0 (22.026.1) Other 21.8 (20.423.1) 22.0 (20.623.4) 22.0 (20.623.5) Grade Kindergarten 15.2 (14.016.3) 13.1 (12.014.3) 13.3 (12.014.6) Grade 1 16.7 (15.717.6) 14.5 (13.515.4) 14.7 (13.116.4) Grade 3 20.0 (18.921.0) 17.6 (16.618.6) 17.5 (16.019.1) Grade 5 21.1 (21.023.2) 19.9 (18.821.0) 20.0 (18.421.6) Grade 7 23.7 (22.624.8) 21.0 (19.922.1) 21.2 (19.023.5) Table 3. Model-Estimated Obesity Prevalence and Weight-Estimated Obesity Prevalence, Students in Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 5, and Grade 7, by District, Alaska, School Year 20132014 School District Weighted Estimate, % (95% CI)a Jackknife Modelsb Modeled Estimate % (95% CI) School-Level Variance Partitioning Coefficientc Anchorage part A 18.6 (16.421.0) 17.9 (17.018.7) 0.0153 Anchorage part B 17.1 (15.019.3) 17.6 (16.818.4) 0.0179 MatanuskaSusitna Borough 14.0 (12.315.8) 14.3 (13.315.3) 0.0151 Kenai Peninsula Borough 16.5 (14.718.5) 12.4 (11.113.7) 0.0125 Kodiak Island Borough 15.0 (9.522.9) 21.1 (18.423.8) 0.0129 Ketchikan Gateway Borough 21.4 (17.725.5) 19.9 (16.922.9) 0.0129 North Slope Borough 31.8 (19.147.9) 35.2 (30.939.5) 0.0130 Alaska Gateway 25.8 (22.429.6) 29.6 (19.839.5) 0.0145 Petersburg City 17.5 (16.418.7) 17.5 (11.623.5) 0.0146 Top PPCs Harare plant on course for 2016 commissioning ICR Newsroom By 24 March 2016 Zimbabwes deputy minister for industry and commerce, Chiratidzo Mabuwa, has welcomed PPCs commitment to investing in the country as the company confirms that it expects its second mill, a 0.7Mta unit in Harare, to be commissioned in late 2016. According to reports in News Day, Ms Mabuwa told delegates at the Zimbabwe-South Africa Investment and Trade Initiative meeting in Bulawayo last week that PPCs presence was a sign that the country was open for foreign investment. The company has invested so far US$25m in the past three years with the aim of improving productivity, Ms Mabuwa said. Its expansion shows that the company has bestowed confidence in the Zimbabwean economy. The presence of PPC in Zimbabwe is enough evidence for foreign investors especially those from South Africa. It shows and its a testimony that your investment will always be in safe hands, she said. Ms Mabuwa also said PPC was one of the foreign companies that have complied with the countrys indigenisation laws. Earlier this month, PPC said that its second mill was 60 per cent complete and that commissioning was expected towards the end of 2016. The companys expansion in Zimbabwe comes during difficult market conditions. In the same presentation, PPC stated that sales volumes had fallen by double digits even as prices had dropped by around 10 per cent. PPC put the tough environment down to increasing regional competition and Zimbabwes economic difficulties, which are caused in part by drought conditions and a fall in the value of remittances from South Africa. Published under Buzzi Unicem releases FY15 results ICR Newsroom By 24 March 2016 Buzzi Unicem reported recurring EBITDA of EUR121m for 4Q15 and EUR473m for the full-year 2015. This is above earlier guidance of EUR470m as well as consensus estimate of EUR468m, says analysts Morgan Stanley. Compared to the Morgan Stanley's 4Q15 segmental forecast, the strong performance came from the US, Germany and Russia where the reported EBITDA margins were much higher than analyst expectations. However, this was offset by a particularly weak performance in Italy due to one-off costs and restructuring expenses. Net debt was slightly down and after capital expenditure of EUR304m in 2015, this included EUR164m on capacity expansion projects. In 2015 the group sold 25.6Mt of cement up 1.7 per cent on 2014 volumes and 11.9Mm3 of ready-mix concrete, down 0.9 per cent on 2014. Consolidated net sales increased by 6.2 per cent to EUR2662.1m versus EUR2506.4m in 2014, but in Buzzi's domestic market cement and clinker volumes fell by 2.3 per cent. Below the EBITDA line, income from associates for the full year came in at EUR57m, slightly below expectations, partially due to full utilisation of capacity in Mexico. Net financial expenses came in better than expected at EUR105m (vs MSe at EUR119m). However, income taxes were much higher than expected at EUR94m. The company attributed this to write-off of deferred tax assets derived from tax losses in certain jurisdictions particularly in Italy, which they have carried on the balance sheet for a number of years. It is not clear if Buzzi might still be able to reclaim this in the future when operations in Italy become profitable. Nevertheless, this resulted in a net income miss versus numbers by analysts. Management estimates that 2016 recurring EBITDA may be able to achieve a slightly favourable variance versus 2015. Consensus is expecting recurring EBITDA of EUR52m for 2016, which implies a 10 per cent increase YoY. Although management is known to be conservative, especially this early in the year before 1Q results, the interpretation of the guidance provided would suggest an increase less than 10 per cent, says Morgan Stanley. Published under This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld a decision by the Tennessee Department of Revenue to impose a tax variance on the parent company of Verizon Wireless. The Court held that the Commissioner of Revenue was within his authority to impose the variance, in order to keep the company from avoiding paying Tennessee franchise and excise taxes on over a billion dollars in revenue from sales to Tennessee customers. The lawsuit was filed by Vodafone Americas Holdings, Inc., a multistate wireless telecommunications corporation, and its subsidiaries (Vodafone), doing business throughout the United States as Verizon Wireless. From 2000-2006, Vodafone filed Tennessee franchise and excise tax returns and paid taxes totaling more than $13 million on the revenues Vodafone received for services provided to its Tennessee customers. In 2007, Vodafone filed a lawsuit asking the trial court to require the Department of Revenue to refund nearly all of the Tennessee franchise and excise taxes Vodafone had paid for the years 2002 through 2006. Vodafone claimed that, if the apportionment formula in Tennessees franchise and excise tax statutes were applied correctly, Vodafone would owe virtually no taxes on its sales receipts for cell phone services provided to Tennessee customers, receipts that totaled over a billion dollars in revenue to Vodafone. The Commissioner of Revenue then decided to impose on Vodafone a tax variance, that is, the Commissioner required Vodafone to pay franchise and excise taxes on its sales receipts from Tennessee customers for 2002-2006 by a formula that varied from the standard apportionment formula in Tennessees tax statutes. Tennessees tax laws give the Commissioner of Revenue the discretion to impose a tax variance if application of the standard tax formula would not fairly represent the extent of the taxpayers business activity in Tennessee. Vodafone argued that, by requiring it to pay franchise and excise taxes by a formula other than the standard formula in the Tennessee statutes, the Commissioner exceeded his authority and usurped the legislatures prerogative to set tax policy. The trial court and the Court of Appeals both upheld the Commissioners decision to issue the tax variance. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted Vodafones request for permission to appeal. The Tennessee Supreme Court first considered the Tennessee legislatures statement of the policy behind Tennessees franchise and excise tax statutes, which reads: Doing business in Tennessee is declared to be a taxable privilege. It did an extensive review of the legislative history behind the statutes that give the Commissioner of Revenue the authority to impose a tax variance in certain cases. The Court found that the legislature granted the Commissioner authority to impose a tax variance as an important part of the states effort to prevent corporations doing business in Tennessee from shifting income and profits and as a result, tax revenues out of the state. The Tennessee Supreme Court held that the Tennessee legislature intended for the Commissioner to have the authority to impose a variance where, as here, application of the statutory tax formula would allow Vodafone to reap millions of dollars in revenue from doing business in Tennessee while paying no tax for the privilege of doing so. Striking down the variance, the Court held, would judicially nullify the legislatures tax policy choices. It found that the variance in this case required Vodafone to pay a fair amount of franchise and excise taxes on its revenue from services to Tennessee customers, and so the Court upheld the Commissioners action. Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins filed a dissent in which he disagreed with the majoritys decision to uphold the tax variance in this case. Justice Bivins found that the Commissioner had ignored the Department of Revenues own regulation and had exceeded his authority by imposing the variance on Vodafone. Justice Bivins noted that the Commissioner failed to even address the variance regulation in his letter imposing the variance. Moreover, the imposition of the variance in this case is tantamount to imposing a variance on an entire industry, which was beyond the scope of the Commissioner's authority under the variance regulation, according to the opinion Justice Bivins wrote. A Tennessee couple is still missing after the deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday morning. The office of Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Wednesday released the following statement at the request of the families of Justin and Stephanie Shults. The families request that members of the media please respect their privacy. At this time, neither Belgium nor U.S. officials have confirmed that Justin and Stephanie Shults have been located. We are thankful for the outpouring of love and support we have received at this difficult time and ask for prayers for Justin and Stephanie, said the families of Justin and Stephanie Shults. The couple had been at the Brussels airport after just waving goodbye to Stephanie's mother, Carlolyn Moore, who had been leaving after a visit. The Shults couple has been living in Brussels. Justin is from Gatlinburg and Stephanie is from Lexington, Ky. The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga board of directors announced the appointment of longtime womens right advocate, Kim Seavey as its new executive director. Ms. Seavey is a visionary leader who brings deep experience in nonprofit administration as well as working on issues that help ensure women and girls live healthy and secure lives. Prior to joining The Womens Fund, she served as the administrative director for nine years with Blue Monarch in Monteagle, Tn., which provides a long-term residential program for addicted women and their children. During her tenure, she successfully managed fundraising campaigns, secured grant funding, expanded relationships with supporters and agencies, recruited and trained volunteers, and increased community awareness of addition as it affects women and their children. We received an overwhelming response to the job opening and feel very fortunate to have had such a robust pool of applicants, said Lorie Runge, board co-chair of The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga. We are confident that Kims experience, knowledge, and integrity are an excellent match for The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga, and together we will continue to drive the positive work of improving the lives of women and girls in the Chattanooga region. We are confident that Kims experience, knowledge, and integrity are an excellent match for The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga, and together we will continue to drive the positive work of improving the lives of women and girls in the Chattanooga region. In her first week, Ms. Seavey and the advocacy committee of The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga met with state representatives to discuss key pieces of legislature, which affect womens rights in Tennessee. Over the next few months, Ms. Seavey will oversee planning of VOICES, the annual fundraising and public awareness event for The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga, which will be on Oct 5, this year, as well as continue to meet with local officials and direct service providers to identify challenges which prevent women and girls from living their best lives. I am honored to join The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga which has such a strong record of advocating for women and girls not only in Chattanooga, but across the state of Tennessee, said Ms. Seavey. My experience advocating for women at an individual level will inform my work with The Womens Fund of Greater Chattanooga as we focus this year on decreasing violence against women in our communities." Tennessee State Rep. Mike Stewart pulled out an assault rifle before his colleagues on the legislature floor in an effort to prove a point on easy gun availability. Rep.. Stewart, who said he bought the gun online, asked law enforcement to secure the gun so he could safely show it to colleagues in the legislative chamber Noting that Brady background checks are not required for every gun sale in Tennessee, Rep. Stewart said he was able to buy the gun with cash. There was no identification required and no questions asked. Rep. Stewart said, "In the state of Tennessee, anyone at all can go into a gun show or go online and buy a gun with no background check and no questions asked. I really felt it was necessary to illustrate this to my colleagues and people around the state, showing them just how easy it can be for a prohibited purchaser to buy a gun if background checks are not required. And I really hope they paid attention because when violent felons and domestic abusers are able to buy a gun with nothing but a handful of cash, it puts lives at risk. "Tennessee has a long, proud history of hunting and gun ownership - and this is about keeping guns only out of the hands of the people we all agree should not have them. Those who would stand in the way of expanding Brady background checks are moving against a popular tide - Tennesseans and Americans from all political stripes have had enough of senseless gun violence in America. And I will work with any politician or citizen who is ready to put a stop to it." Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said: "This is a great example of the type of bold leadership that elected officials can and should take, even in states like Tennessee with a rich history of gun ownership. We applaud Rep. Mike Stewart for demonstrating how easy it is for anyone to get their hands on a gun online or at gun shows when background checks are not required. Had a domestic abuser, violent felon, or terrorist been the one to purchase that rifle, the lesson Rep. Stewart taught his colleagues today could have come at a much higher cost. "This is not a political or idealogical issue. In fact, 90 percent of Americans already agree - Congress should finish the job that Jim Brady, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton started by expanding lifesaving Brady background checks to every gun sale. As Rep. Stewart demonstrated yesterday, we all want the same thing - to keep guns out dangerous hands. Outside the reach of lobbyists and special interests, this is not a controversial idea. That's why six states have expanded Brady background checks since the Sandy Hook tragedy, with two more on the way this November. This momentum is so clearly the result of an America that has has enough of the terror that kills 90 people each day. We call on every politician at all levels of government to follow Mike Stewart's example and lead on this life and death issue." The University of Bath is the only university in the UK to have this innovative nano-scale patterning equipment. Researchers at Bath will use the new Nano-Lithography printing system to accelerate its research into nano-engineered LEDs. The University of Bath is the only university in the UK to have installed a unique Nano-Lithography printing system, enabling Bath to lead the way in the development of advanced manufacturing techniques for nano-engineered semiconductors. Based in the University's Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, the PhableR 100 Nano-Lithography System is capable of printing very high resolution periodic patterns at a low-cost meaning new electronic devices that exploit the properties of nano-scale features can be more easily scaled up for production. Such devices have been the focus of extensive research for over a decade and this new equipment will help Bath to contribute in ensuring these developments are translated into products in the market. The III-nitride research group at the University of Bath has been using nanolithography for several years in its research to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used for general lighting. The semiconductor Gallium Nitride (GaN) is key to this technology and the research group will use the new system to accelerate its research into nano-engineered LEDs. Creating three-dimensional structures at the nanoscale provides a route to improving the quality of these materials and in turn the performance of these devices. Ultimately this will increase the energy efficiency in these and other emerging applications, such as water purification, where ultra-violet LEDs are used to prevent viruses reproducing. This innovative system was purchased following a 2.7 million Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant as part of the council's Manufacturing of Advanced Functional Materials funding programme. Lead researcher and Lecturer in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Dr Philip Shields, said: "We are very excited to have this new capability at Bath. Initial results from the tool have matched and even exceeded our expectations. There has been a lot of interest from other researchers to use the tool and we look forward to developing new research collaborations as a consequence." Dr Harun Solak, CEO of Eulitha, said: "We are very pleased to have supplied the University of Bath with this equipment. Their research program focuses on manufacturing technologies for nano-engineered semiconductors which is an area where our innovative technologies have the potential to make a significant impact." Only two other universities in the world have acquired this revolutionary Eulitha equipment, Twente University in the Netherlands and CIOMP Institute in China. Head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Dr Adrian Evans added: "The installation of this system will produce a step change in the Department's advanced nano-manufacturing techniques. It is significant that this is the only system of its type in the UK and will further enhance Bath's research and impact in this exciting area." Parade steps off Audio Article For the first time since 2019, marching bands, classic cars, dance troupes, scouts and politicians made their way along Midlothian Turnpike for the annual Midlothian Day Parade on Saturday, Oct.... The proposed merger of Advocate Health Care and NorthShore University HealthSystem has brought one issue into better focus: Hospitals are thinking more like insurance companies. If the marriage goes through, Advocate and NorthShore plan to create a low-cost health plan that would be offered to Chicago-area employers. Advertisement In exchange for lower premiums, the proposed plan would limit access to providers only in the joint Advocate-NorthShore system. Still, the proposed system would be the largest in the region, with more than a dozen hospitals and a medical group of more than 2,000 doctors plus independent physicians affiliated with the hospitals. The hospital networks' ambitions, though, face a big obstacle. The Federal Trade Commission has challenged the merger on antitrust grounds, arguing that the combined health system would have too much market power in northern Cook and southern Lake counties. The networks' combined market share could lead to higher prices, the FTC said in a federal lawsuit filed in December to block the merger. Advertisement In defense of their merger, Advocate and NorthShore are offering more than cliched statements that the combination will deliver better health care at a lower cost. In court papers filed Wednesday, the hospital networks placed the proposed health plan front and center as a key reason why the merger would reduce costs to consumers. The insurance product would be priced 10 percent below the least costly major HMO plan in the area, which would result in hundreds of dollars of savings per member per year, the health systems said. Chicago-area hospitals Click on the circles for more information. A red dot indicates an Advocate or NorthShore affiliation. The green area is the FTC-alleged geographic market. The price projections aren't just idle talk. Advocate teamed up with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois last year to offer a health plan on the Get Covered Illinois insurance exchange. The HMO plan had the second-lowest premium in Cook County and the lowest premium in four surrounding counties. The premium was 10 percent less than the second lowest-cost Blue Cross plan on the exchange. The Get Covered plan, called BlueCare Direct, attracted nearly 60,000 enrollees, according to the court document. The vast majority of purchasers were individuals and families not small businesses, which also can buy plans on the exchange. Advocate has talked about offering a similar health plan for employer groups but has been told that it lacked the necessary geographic footprint in northern Cook and Lake Counties, home to many large employers, court papers said. Employers tend to prefer broad provider networks to give their workers as much choice as possible. But attitudes toward networks are changing, especially as health care costs continue to rise and employers shift more of the burden to their workers in the form of higher deductibles and copays. Studies show that consumers are willing to have fewer choices for a lower premium. Advocate and NorthShore said that without the merger, they won't be able to offer the low-cost health plan in the foreseeable future. They urged the court to throw out the government's request for a preliminary injunction, which would put the merger on hold until an administrative trial at the FTC later this year. Advertisement If the court grants the injunction, "this merger will die," Advocate and NorthShore said in court papers. asachdev@tribpub.com Twitter @ameetsachdev A Chinese businessman pleaded guilty to hacking U.S. military information related to Boeing's C-17 aircraft, similar to the one shown here. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP/ Getty Images) A Chinese businessman pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Los Angeles to helping two Chinese military hackers carry out a damaging series of thefts of sensitive military secrets from U.S. contractors. The plea by Su Bin, a Chinese citizen who ran a company in Canada, marks the first time the U.S. government has won a guilty plea from someone involved with a Chinese government campaign of economic cyberespionage. Advertisement The resolution of the case comes as the Justice Department seeks the extradition from Germany of a Syrian hacker a member of the group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army on charges of conspiracy to hack U.S. government agencies and U.S. media outlets. Two years ago, the United States brought the first indictment for economic cyberespionage against hackers working for a foreign government. The indictment of five People's Liberation Army officers in May 2014 was one of the earliest public signs of a new approach to hacking campaigns sponsored by nation-states. Advertisement Su's plea follows a yearslong investigation into the theft of scans, drawings and technical details related to Boeing's C-17 military transport plane, as well as to advanced fighter jets. The total cost of the programs runs into the billions of dollars, and they involve technologies whose export is prohibited without a license. The businessman, 50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hack information that is export-controlled. He faces a maximum of five years in prison. "This plea sends a message that we're committed to going after people even if they are affiliated with nation-state actors who steal from the United States,'' said John Carlin, assistant U.S. attorney general for national security. "It shows we can find them even if they think they're anonymous because they're doing it through hacking and that we can bring them to justice, where they face penalties, like incarceration, just like every other felon." Su, also known as Stephen Su and Steven Subin, did not actually carry out the hacking. That was left to his co-conspirators, both officers in the People's Liberation Army in China, said prosecutors, who did not name the two. Su, the owner of Lode Technology, a company that does business in aviation and space sectors and had an office in British Columbia, identified technical data that the hackers could target and emailed it to them, said prosecutors in the Central District of California. One of the two PLA hackers would obtain the information. The two hackers would then write reports describing the data they had stolen, the value of the information and its significance in developing similar technologies, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a charging document. The hacking campaign ran from 2008 to 2014, prosecutors said. In one intercepted email, one of the PLA officers wrote that through the thefts of C-17 data, "we (made) important contributions to our national defense scientific research development." In 2009, Su sent an email to one of the PLA officers with a subject line of "Target." Attached was a file containing the names and positions of U.S. executives on whom the hackers could prey, according to the plea agreement. Advertisement "There are some who say, 'You'll never catch anyone,' " Carlin said, referring to skeptics of the Justice Department's get-tough approach to hacking associated with nation-states and terrorist groups. "Well, we have caught someone." In January, the United States took custody of a hacker accused of aiding the Islamic State from overseas. Ardit Ferizi, a citizen of Kosovo, was detained in Malaysia in September on a U.S. provisional arrest warrant. He is charged with stealing data of U.S. service members and passing it to the terrorist group, which urged supporters online to attack the military members. Ferizi was arraigned in a U.S. court in January. After Su was arrested in British Columbia in June 2014 on charges filed in California, the Justice Department began extradition proceedings. A month later, Chinese authorities detained a Canadian woman and her husband on suspicion of stealing state military and defense research secrets, according to Canadian media reports. They were eventually released. In the end, Su waived his right to oppose extradition and agreed to be sent to the United States. In the fall, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged that his country would not engage in economic cyberespionage. "One of the only reasons they were sitting down at the table" with the United States is that authorities showed they were capable of holding nation-state hackers accountable, Carlin said. At the time that Xi made his pledge, Su was "already locked up in Canada" on U.S. charges. A 2014 file photo of Everest College in Santa Ana, which was owned by the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges Inc. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times) California Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris won a more than $1.1-billion judgment Wednesday against the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges, after a San Francisco judge ruled that the company's advertising practices misled students and violated the law. Granting a default judgment, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow found that Corinthian Colleges provided untrue or misleading statements about graduates' job placement rates, duping both students and investors, and that the Santa Ana-based company unlawfully used U.S. military seals in advertisements, among other claims. Advertisement The for-profit college operator, which filed for bankruptcy protection in May, was also faulted for advertising programs or degrees that it didn't offer, such as training programs for X-ray and dialysis technicians, according to court papers. The judgment found that Corinthian and its subsidiaries had unfair and unlawful debt collection practices, including barring students from attending classes if they were behind on loan payments, and that they failed to disclose their role in the "Genesis loan" program. Advertisement Corinthian Colleges, along with its Heald College business, were also faulted for misrepresenting the likelihood of whether academic credits earned at their programs could be transferred to the Cal State system, according to court papers. In his 21-page judgment, Karnow ordered restitution of $820 million for students and civil penalties of just more than $350 million. "For years, Corinthian profited off the backs of poor people -- now they have to pay. This judgment sends a clear message: There is a cost to this kind of predatory conduct," Harris said in a statement. Harris filed suit against Corinthian Colleges Inc. and its subsidiaries in 2013, accusing the company of targeting low-income students with a "predatory scheme," touting untrue job placement rates. Troubles mounted for the company, with another lawsuit filed by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a probe by the Department of Education into Corinthian's falsified job placement rates. In April 2015, the U.S. Department of Education levied a $30-million fine against Corinthian, alleging that its Heald College system boosted official placement rates by paying temporary employment agencies to hire students for brief stints after graduation. When the company filed for bankruptcy protection last year, it listed debts of $143 million and assets totaling $19.2 million. About five years earlier, it claimed assets of nearly $1.4 billion. In the lawsuit filed in California, Harris' office sought a default judgment last month, and at a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, attorneys for Corinthian did not appear, according to court papers. Advertisement Earlier this month, attorneys for Corinthian asked to withdraw from the case, writing in court papers that "there is literally no representative of any defendant with whom" they could confer about the case. The judge denied the lawyers' request. The judgment issued Wednesday applies to Corinthian students as well as those who attended Heald, Everest College, WyoTech, Everest's online programs and Everest College Phoenix. Harris' office has the authority to distribute whatever funds it obtains from the judgment to students who attended Corinthian and its related schools in California from 2010 onward. The attorney general's office set up a website for affected students. For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno. "Colliding Dreams" is a film of ideas and a film of history, a thorough and engrossing look at the root causes of the tortured relationship between Israel and the Palestinians. But as far as its title goes, "Collapsing Dream" would have been a more accurate choice. As co-directed by veteran documentarians Joseph Dorman ("Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness," "Arguing the World") and Oren Rudavsky ("Hiding and Seeking"), "Colliding Dreams" does in part concern itself with the conflicting hunger of two peoples for the same sliver of land. Advertisement Talking only to people who live in the land in question, "Colliding Dreams" interviews thoughtful and articulate individuals on all sides of the issue, including Israelis like historian Benny Morris and novelist A.B. Yehoshua and Palestinians like PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi. They all examine a situation comparable to, as someone vividly puts it, jumping out of a window of a burning house only to land on someone else's head. Advertisement But despite the many Palestinians it talks to, the film's subtext is a mournful and distinctly Israeli one as it concerns itself more and more with the gradual death of the dream of secular Zionism. How did a hopeful, idealistic movement whose symbol was the kibbutz collective farm become a state viewed in some quarters as an oppressor whose symbol is settlements of questionable legality? How did a movement that wanted to normalize Jewish existence, to create kinship with other peoples of the world end up, as one witness says, not escaping the ghetto but instead building a bigger one? "Colliding Dreams" begins by underlining how crazy the dream of a homeland for the world's dispersed Jews was when it began in the 19th century. "To be a Zionist it is not necessary to be mad," Chaim Weizmann, Israel's first president, memorably said. "But it helps." Inspired by theoreticians like Leon Pinsker and Theodor Herzl, European Jews began returning to the former lands of Israel after the dream of a peaceful life in Europe via assimilation did not lead to promised acceptance by the wider world. The first aliyah, or wave of Jewish immigration, came in the wake of 1881 pogroms and the second came after the failed Russian Revolution of 1905. The British had apparently offered Europe's Jews the land of Uganda instead of Palestine, but nothing but the former Jewish homeland would do. The problem with that homeland, however, was that another people were already living in it. As an early Zionist wrote back to colleagues in Europe in a kind of code, "the girl is beautiful but she is already engaged." Their desperation increased by the Holocaust, Jews after World War II felt they had no other place to go. Palestine Liberation Organization spokesperson Ashrawi sees it differently: Though superficially a success, Israel is a failure because "it exists on the negation of Palestinians as human beings with rights." Things came to a head in 1947, when a civil war erupted after the United Nations voted to partition Palestine. Arab states invaded in 1948, and the film explores the thorny question of whether Palestinians were expelled or simply left. When the dust settled, 700,000 Palestinians were left homeless, Egypt and Jordan claimed their land, and they came to use the word Nakba, or "catastrophe," to describe their plight. Advertisement One of the most interesting points "Colliding Dreams" makes is that because partition had not been a problem for secular Zionists, from the establishment of the state until 1967 the word was not on everyone's lips. Then, in 1967, the Six-Day War brought all of historic Palestine under Israeli control. This led the influential Rav Zvi Yehudah Kook to embrace Zionism as part of a divine plan, to give the previously secular movement a religious, Messianic cast. That feeling intensified and led to religious settlements on the West Bank after Israel's victory in 1973's Yom Kippur War. While nonreligious Zionists quoted in the film felt this was "going backwards, turning a state into a movement," religious Zionism grew ever stronger. If secular Zionists felt that having a Jewish state was a right, religious Zionists felt it was a religious obligation, a belief that led to the pivotal assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. "Colliding Dreams," with its more than 30 articulate talking heads supplemented by more erratic "person in the street" interviews, tells this tragic, compelling story in a completely straightforward way. "If we blow this opportunity," American-born writer Hillel Halkin says frankly near the conclusion, "we don't deserve to go on." "Colliding Dreams" 3 stars MPAA rating: None Advertisement Running time: 2:15 Opens: Friday Arnaud Desplechin's Cannes sensation "My Golden Days" contains an intoxicatingly realistic portrayal of the intense emotionality, the intertwined joy and pain, of first love. It's not the whole film, but its power is so strong it feels like it is. The translation of the picture's original French title, "Three Memories of My Youth," gives a more accurate idea of what Desplechin is up to here. This is essentially an omnibus film, featuring a trio of stories all dealing with the early days of Paul Dedalus, the alter ego of co-writer (with Julie Peyr) and director Desplechin. Advertisement As played by Mathieu Amalric, the die-hard romantic Dedalus was the protagonist of one of Desplechin's earlier films, "My Sex Life, or ... How I Got Into an Argument." But enjoyment of this new tale, created with tangible warmth and emotional precision, is not linked to familiarity with that earlier effort. Amalric does make a brief but crucial appearance as the adult Dedalus in the framing device that opens and closes the film. We meet him as an anthropologist working in Tajikistan but returning to Paris to take on a government job, a return that triggers the three memories of the title. Advertisement The first memory, titled "Childhood," has the very young Paul growing up in Roubaix (Desplechin's home town as well) and dealing with a difficult family of origin, trying to comfort and protect his two siblings from both a deranged mother and a depressive father. Next comes "Russia," the story of a high school trip to Minsk (now in Belarus), where he agrees to give his passport to a young Russian Jew desperate to leave the country and start a new life. Both of these stories (which take up 30 minutes of the film's two-hour running time) present a Dedalus who feels things very deeply. It's a trait that makes life difficult for him more often than not, but he wouldn't have it any other way. The lion's share of "Golden Days'" running time is devoted to the third story, "Esther," named after the young woman who turns out to be not only Dedalus' first love but also the most significant passion of his life. It starts with a 19-year-old Dedalus (newcomer Quentin Dolmaire), an impoverished student working toward a bachelor's degree in anthropology in Paris, returning to Roubaix to visit his younger brother and sister. There he locks eyes with the 16-year-old Esther (Lou Roy-Lecollinet, another newcomer), whose come-hither blond sensuality makes her the femme fatale of the local high school. "My eyes devour you," he tells her, and she confidently replies: "I always do that to guys. I have that effect because I'm exceptional. You can't forget me, you never will." The ups and downs of what goes on between these two plays out amid the chaos of his siblings and their circle of friends (a portrait of the hectic nature of the young adult years that feels exactly right), but Esther and Dedalus are always front and center. Advertisement We see them playing out the drama of attraction and insecurity, inexorably drawn to each other but having to face the problems different personalities invariably bring to relationships. Their passion makes them mad with both desire and despair, and their intimate love scenes are convincingly filmed by cinematographer Irina Lubtchansky. Yet their union is as spiritual as it is physical, as each is able to see the other person whole in a way the rest of their circle cannot. The difficulties they face, however, are formidable, starting with the one of distance, as both are forced by their school lives to spend most of their time in different cities. This leads to a soulful exchange of letters, some of which are read to the camera by the actors to great effect. These young actors, guided by the veteran Desplechin, are so effective in their roles that we feel we are watching them live out a lifetime's worth of emotions right in front of our eyes. Film has always been especially effective it portraying what it can feel like, what it can mean to be in love, and "My Golden Days" is right up there with the best of them. kenneth.turan@tribpub.com "My Golden Days" 3.5 stars Advertisement MPAA rating: R (for some strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and language) Running time: 2 hours Opens: Friday at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.; www.musicboxtheatre.com. In French with English subtitles Kyle Kirchhoff died while attending a show at the Aragon Ballroom last year. (Handout) The mother of a Bartlett man who died last year while attending a rock concert at the Aragon Ballroom is suing the Uptown venue and its co-owner Live Nation for wrongful death. Kyle Kirchhoff, a defensive line coach for the College of DuPage, was attending a Chevelle show May 22 with two of his friends when they found a door that eventually led to a catwalk. Advertisement He died after falling about 4 feet from the elevated portion of the catwalk to the floor below, which contained cords, wooden planks and protruding metal rods, according to the lawsuit filed March 10 in Cook County Circuit Court by Denise Kirchhoff. An autopsy by the Cook County medical examiner's office determined blunt penetrating trauma of the chest to be the cause of death, according to the suit. Advertisement Denise Kirchhoff claims the Aragon and Live Nation allowed dangerous conditions; failed to lock the door that led to the catwalk; failed to warn against entering the door that led to the catwalk; and failed to inspect the premises to identify a safety hazard. "We do feel that the Aragon failed to do what was reasonable to keep concertgoers safe," Kirchhoff's attorney, Bruno Marasso, told the Tribune. The city Building Department and Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau carried out a joint inspection at the Aragon, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave., one day after Kirchhoff's death. Investigators determined his fatal fall was unrelated to building code violations. Denise Kirchhoff is seeking more than $50,000, costs of the suit and a jury trial. Aragon and Live Nation representatives did not respond to a Tribune request for comment. Belgium: The terrorist bombings that took place March 22 in Brussels at the airport and on a subway car are likely to constrain travel in and around the city and throughout the country for days if not weeks. Authorities shut down the airport and the metro temporarily and were concerned that more attacks were possible. Early in the investigation, they were working on the assumption that the attacks, which were claimed by ISIS, were related to the November attacks in Paris, which were also claimed by ISIS. Travel to Brussels should be deferred if possible until the security situation clarifies. Neighboring France has also stepped up security in the wake of the attacks, deploying 1,600 additional people to bolster border posts and major transportation hubs. Turkey: Just three days before the terrorist bombings in Brussels, a suicide bomber with suspected ties to ISIS killed himself and four others and injured dozens in a prime tourist area of Istanbul. The March 19 bombing on Istiklal Street near Taksim Square was the fourth such attack in Turkey this year and the second in Istanbul since January. Turkey is being attacked by Kurdish militants from the southeastern part of the country who have been waging a three-decade campaign for autonomy, and by ISIS, which says it is retaliating for Turkey's support of the coalition that is fighting ISIS in Syria. Advertisement Cuba: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus have been reported as locally transmitted in Cuba. This means that the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are present on the island. Because there is no vaccine against Zika infection, travelers should protect themselves by using mosquito repellent and wearing clothes that cover the arms and legs. Those with Zika often have no symptoms, and the virus can be sexually transmitted; condoms should be used whenever possible. Those with symptoms can experience fever, rash and joint pain; pregnant women are especially at risk, as the virus can cause severe birth defects. India: Increased levels of crime have become an issue for tourists at the country's famed Taj Mahal, where roughly 700,000 travelers visit each year, a number that some reports say is dropping because of petty thefts at the site. Authorities reported that measures are being taken to ensure safety at the historic destination, including setting up a multilingual help line when incidents arise, and working with state governments about creating a secure environment for foreign tourists. Meanwhile, travelers should remain aware of their surroundings and keep valuables safe at all times. Advertisement Japan: Tourists with tattoos may soon be able to visit more of the country's onsen, or hot springs, as the national tourism agency is asking for more leniency when it comes to admitting guests with permanent body art. Long associated with yakuza, or organized crime members, tattoos are taboo in Japanese culture, and many spa operators deny tourists admittance for fear of scaring other patrons. Some options under consideration are special hours for tattooed guests or spa-provided stickers to cover body art while visiting hot springs. Compiled from news services and travel sources. For updates, check with the State Department at 888-407-4747, www.travel.state.gov. Larry Habegger and Dani Burlison are freelance reporters. WASHINGTON Supreme Court nominee and Illinois native Merrick Garland expects a lot out of his law clerks, two Chicagoans who clerked for him recall. He insists they have an ironclad grasp of the cases they are assigned. And he wants them to pore over every detail the same way he would. At the same time, he rewards them with lifelong loyalty. Every year, he invites his former law clerks, their spouses and their children to a potluck brunch he and his wife host at their home. Advertisement Vice President Joe Biden said on March 24, 2016, that Senate Republicans' persistence in refusing to vote on Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland is leading to a "genuine constitutional crisis." (AP) (Associated Press) "He's a great mentor for his clerks both during the clerkship and then after," said Alex Groden, who worked as a law clerk for Garland last year and now is a lawyer with the law firm of Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP in the city's River North neighborhood. "He always has time to stop and give you advice, either personally or professionally." President Barack Obama nominated Garland, 63, to the Supreme Court on March 16, a decision that drew a strong backlash from Republican leaders who say the president should let his successor nominate a replacement for Antonin Scalia, who died Feb. 13. GOP leaders in the Republican-controlled Senate refuse to hold a confirmation hearing for Garland. Advertisement Born in Chicago, Garland grew up in suburban Lincolnwood and graduated from Niles West High School in Skokie before heading off to Harvard. Groden and Justin Driver, another Chicagoan who also once worked for Garland as a law clerk, say they regard him as a brilliant jurist and caring mentor who treats the young lawyers who work for him as extended family. Driver, 40, a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago Law School, worked for Garland for a year at the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit almost a decade ago. He remembered Garland expecting his clerks to have full command of the cases they worked on, including the underlying factual record and legal precedents. The judge would review a clerk's draft of an opinion, then write his own "from the ground up." With two clerks at his side, Garland would read aloud a nearly completed version, concerning himself with the smallest of details, like changing a comma or substituting a word, Driver said. "Few people can summon the energy to sweat every single detail, but he does. The process was ... virtually the same, no matter whether the case was going to be one that was in the newspaper or one that was completely obscure," said Driver, who is a Washington, D.C., native. Breaking News As it happens Stay informed. News when you need it. Get our news alerts in your inbox. > Groden, 30, who like Driver is a Chicago transplant, worked as a clerk for Garland for a year, leaving the job last July. By then Garland was the chief judge for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, often called the second most important court in the land. Justin Driver, a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School, was once a law clerk for Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) "I learned a lot from him on not just the law the nuts and bolts of the law in terms of writing and speaking and appellate advocacy but also more general things like ethics and problem solving, building consensus," said Groden, a native of Sharon, Mass. Advertisement "A constant occurrence in chambers," Groden added, "would be a former clerk calling or stopping by in person, and I've already done this myself and I'm barely out of the clerkship to talk to him, to catch up, to maybe ask you know, for some advice on something, just to see him. And so I think that speaks volumes to how his clerks feel about him, what kind of person he is and what kind of boss he is." Groden said Garland has about four clerks every year. Driver estimated that altogether, nearly 80 young lawyers clerked for the judge, a 19-year veteran of the bench. Driver added that he thinks Garland is weathering the political firestorm over his nomination. "He's a very tough person in his own way," Driver said. "I mean, caring, but also tough. He wouldn't have been willing to put himself in this position if he didn't think that he could handle it." kskiba@tribpub.com Twitter @KatherineSkiba Ninety-nine percent of primary care doctors routinely prescribe potentially addictive opioid painkillers for longer than the three-day period recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to survey results released Thursday by the National Safety Council. The Itasca-based nonprofit also found that doctors routinely prescribe the drugs for unsuitable conditions, such as lower back and dental pain, and that they often overlook nonaddictive medications some research has shown to be more effective. Advertisement "Studies have shown that once we get beyond seven days of these opiate prescriptions for acute pain, the outcomes become much worse," said Dr. Donald Teater, the group's medical adviser. " They get on these for a long time and have a hard time getting off them." The CDC last week announced new guidelines meant to curb the proliferation of opioid prescriptions, which have quadrupled since 1999. Some experts say that has contributed to a sharp spike in addiction both to pain pills and the street opioid heroin along with overdose deaths related to the medications, which approached 19,000 in 2014. Advertisement The CDC recommended that opioids generally be reserved for cancer, palliative and end-of-life care, and when they are prescribed for short-term pain, be limited to three days. But the National Safety Council survey of 201 internists and family medicine doctors found that almost all of them put patients on the drugs for much longer periods: About 1 in 5 doctors, for instance, ordinarily prescribe the pills for 30 days. A large portion of the doctors said they prescribe the drugs for purposes that medical organizations like the American Academy of Neurology have found to be inappropriate. The group has said that when it comes to conditions such as headache, fibromyalgia or lower back pain, the benefits of opioids are outweighed by the risk of addiction or death. But Dr. Deborah Clements, chair of family and community medicine for Northwestern Medicine, was critical of the National Safety Council's methodology, saying the relatively small number of doctors surveyed was not necessarily representative of the nation's more than 200,000 primary care physicians. She said doctors in the past were faulted for failing to adequately treat their patients' pain, and that some might have overcorrected. But one reason for the reliance on opioid medications is that insurance companies often won't pay for nonpharmaceutical interventions such as acupuncture or massage therapy, she said. That puts doctors in a bind when a patient needs pain relief in order to work or take care of a family, Clements said. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "It's a little more complex than write the prescription or don't write the prescription," she said. Teater said another problem with opioid prescribing is that doctors fail to fully screen patients who receive the medications, often omitting questions about whether they smoke a proxy for addictive behavior and whether they have a family history of prescription drug abuse. When patients do get in trouble, he said, doctors often don't know how to help. Only 38 percent said they refer patients to drug treatment, and 10 percent said they end their relationship with the patient, a step Teater said was unjustified. Advertisement Teater said a primary care doctor who offers opioids to his patients should become certified in treating addiction. "If he's going to prescribe these medications, he needs to know how to treat (their abuse)," he said. jkeilman@tribpub.com Twitter @JohnKeilman Mayor Rahm Emanuel, shown March 20, 2016, pushed pension legislation through the General Assembly in 2014 that has now been deemed unconstitutional. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) The Illinois Supreme Court dealt Mayor Rahm Emanuel and in turn Chicago taxpayers a big blow on Thursday when it found unconstitutional a law that aimed to shore up two city pension funds by cutting benefits and requiring workers to pay more toward retirement. A group of unions, current workers and retired employees sued in response to the law, noting the 1970 Illinois Constitution states that pension benefits, once granted, "shall not be diminished or impaired." In a 5-0 ruling, the state's high court once again agreed with that argument, less than a year after reaching the same conclusion in a separate case covering state pension systems. Advertisement "These modifications to pension benefits unquestionably diminish the value of the retirement annuities the members of (the city workers and laborers funds) were promised when they joined the pension system," Justice Mary Jane Theis wrote in an opinion released Thursday. "Accordingly, based on the plain language of the act, these annuity reducing provisions contravene the pension protection clause's absolute prohibition against diminishment of pension benefits, and exceed the General Assembly's authority." The new ruling raises further questions about the city's precarious financial situation. Advertisement Under the 2014 law, the city was supposed to gradually put hundreds of millions of dollars a year more into the two pension funds. That's why the mayor and aldermen decided in 2014 to raise 911 fees on land lines and cellphones by $1.40 a month, to $3.90. It was unclear how Emanuel was going to come up with the rest of the money, and now he doesn't have to, at least in the short term. But the court ruling means that absent a new plan to fix the pension funds, they'll run out of money in about 12 years. With the mayor also facing financial crises at Chicago Public Schools and huge debt at City Hall, the pressure is rising in Emanuel's second term. Moody's Investors Service, which already has lowered the city's bond rating to junk status and has warned of further downgrades if the city does not come up with a pension funding solution, reiterated in a statement Thursday that it "will continue assessing Chicago's actions to address unfunded pension liabilities, including any initiatives specifically aimed at the plans affected by today's court decision." Standard & Poor's Ratings Services also said Thursday that the city's credit rating could be downgraded if it doesn't take action to address the issue. The city's top attorney, Corporation Counsel Stephen Patton, had tried to squeeze the city through a loophole. He contended that the funds themselves, and not the city, were solely responsible for paying out benefits to retirees. But Justice Theis considered the argument benefits would be severely diminished if the funds went broke and concluded that scenario "would lead to an absurd and unjust result." "The General Assembly and the city have been on notice since the ratification of the 1970 constitution that the benefits of the membership must be paid in full, and that they must be paid without diminishing or impairing them," she wrote. Advertisement Clint Krislov, who represented the retired workers that sued, called that part of the court opinion "perhaps the most significant." That "eliminates the city's threat that we'll just let the funds go bankrupt, and you'll be stuck with a claim on a fund that has no money. This makes it clear that the city is going to be on the hook to make sure that these pensions are paid," Krislov said. The Emanuel administration did not offer any immediate solutions Thursday. In a statement, the mayor said he would "continue to work with our labor partners on a shared path forward that preserves and protects the municipal and laborers' pension funds, while continuing to be fair to Chicago taxpayers and ensuring the city's long-term financial health." The law Emanuel pushed through the General Assembly under then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn tried to require city workers and laborers to increase their retirement contributions by 2.5 percentage points to 11 percent of their wages in phases over five years. The law also would have lowered annual cost-of-living increases for retired workers the element the Supreme Court determined would diminish benefits. In exchange, the city agreed to increase its annual contribution to the pension funds by nearly $450 million a year, which under the overturned law accounted for about two-thirds of the money needed to close most of the current $10 billion funding shortfall in the two funds by 2055. Although a majority of the unions affected by the changes agreed to them, some did not, and both the opposing unions and a group of retired workers challenged the new law in court. Last July, Cook County Judge Rita Novak ruled the law unconstitutional, noting a May 2015 unanimous ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court in a state pension case that held inviolate the state constitution's clause protecting pension benefits. Advertisement The city appealed Novak's ruling, and during oral arguments in November, justices directed a barrage of skeptical questions at Patton who maintained that the changes to the two funds did not diminish or impair them. Instead, they "preserved and protected" them, he said. The court rejected the idea that by restoring financial soundness to the two pension systems, the law was creating a "net benefit" or "offsetting benefit" to workers and retirees, rather than diminishing or impairing their benefits. "By offering a purported 'offsetting benefit' of ... sound funding and solvency in the funds, the legislation merely offers participants in those funds what already is guaranteed to them payment of the pension benefits in place when they joined the fund," the ruling stated. "Thus, the 'guaranty' that the benefits due will be paid is merely an offer to do something already constitutionally mandated by the pension protection clause." The unions who sued noted that Chicago mayors and aldermen have known for a long time the financial reckoning was coming. "Politicians caused the pension debt by failing to set aside adequate contributions, in effect borrowing from future retirees to avoid raising revenue or cutting spending instead," the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, the Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Nurses Association and Teamsters Local 700 said in a statement. "At the same time, city workers such as librarians and truck drivers, school social workers and nurses were faithfully paying their share." Justices Anne Burke and Charles Freeman recused themselves. Burke's husband is Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, who is eligible for a city pension upon retirement, and Freeman is paid pension benefits from the city because his late wife worked at the Chicago Department of Buildings. Advertisement Losing the case frees up some money in the short term because the Emanuel administration won't be required under state law to pay as much money into the two pension funds. The city now has about $90 million set aside that would have been paid to the funds. But the loss also exacerbates the city's massive financial problems over the long term the funding shortfall in the two retirement funds would continue to grow by about $900 million a year, and taxpayers could end up plugging the gap. Jeff Johnson, a fire and emergency services dispatcher who is president of the Municipal Employees Society and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said the city should act quickly to address the problem. "The longer they drag their feet, the bigger the bill grows," said Johnson, who suggested it might take a statewide solution like increasing the income tax and spending some of the money on pensions. The two major revenue-collecting options the city can act on without state approval are raising sales taxes, which in Chicago already are the highest among big U.S. cities, or property taxes. Last October, Emanuel and the City Council approved the largest property tax hike in modern Chicago history to start closing a shortfall in police and fire pension funds that also totals about $10 billion. Despite that record property tax increase, Emanuel still borrowed $220 million this year to ensure the city has the money on hand to make the required contributions to those funds. Advertisement City officials said they remain hopeful that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner will sign a bill into law that would allow them to stretch out the police and fire contribution increases and lower this year's tab to cover the $220 million. But that's far from certain, given the partisan logjam in Springfield. Ralph Martire, executive director of the mostly union-funded Center for Tax and Budget Accountability that has long sounded the alarm on pension funding and questioned the city's approach to the problem, said the city now has to find a way to cover the cost of restoring financial soundness to the workers and laborers funds without diminishing essential services like police and fire protection and garbage pickup. "It's unclear whether the city frankly has the fiscal capacity right now" to address the problem, he said. "But this is job one of the city, to put all its effort into finding a rational payment plan that grows its funded ratio every year to the point where it's at or at least close to healthy." hdardick@tribpub.com Twitter @ReporterHal Republican Gov. Mike Pence signed a bill into law Thursday making Indiana the second state to ban abortions because of fetal genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome. Pence signed the measure just hours ahead of his deadline to take action on the proposal approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature two weeks ago, the governor's office said. It is due to take effect in July, but Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky said it will ask a court to block the measure before that can happen. Advertisement "It is clear that the governor is more comfortable practicing medicine without a license than behaving as a responsible lawyer, as he picks and chooses which constitutional rights are appropriate," the group's head, Betty Cockrum, said in a statement. Pence called the bill "a comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life." Advertisement "I believe that a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable the aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn," he said in a statement. In addition to banning abortions due to fetal genetic abnormalities, the law will prohibit abortions done because of a fetus's race, sex or ancestry and mandates that the only way to dispose of an aborted fetus is through burial or cremation. The bill has been criticized by a national group of gynecologists and several female Republican members of the GOP-dominated Indiana Legislature, who say it goes too far in telling women what they can and can't do. "We know that you're going to be forcing woman and families to suffer emotionally because they're going to be force to carry pregnancies that are not viable," said Kate Connors, director of communications for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which recently wrote to Pence urging him to defeat the bill. "We've been hoping that the resounding chorus of voices would hit home. It obviously did not." Pence was a prominent abortion rights opponent while serving in Congress before being elected governor in 2012 and received perfect scores from Indiana Right to Life for his record of opposing abortion. "By signing the dignity for the unborn bill, Gov. Pence has again signified his commitment to protecting life," Mike Fichter, president of IRL, said in a statement. "We are pleased that our state values life no matter an individual's potential disability, gender or race." Pence is also facing a tough re-election campaign in a rematch against Democrat John Gregg and will be counting on a strong turnout from his evangelical base in November. Gregg said Thursday he would have vetoed the measure. "Like so many other polices put forth by Mike Pence and the Republican Legislature, this does nothing but further damage our state's reputation and divide our people," Gregg said. Advertisement It is unclear what impact, if any, the restrictions will actually have on abortions, as women could cite other reasons or not give any for seeking an abortion. Under the measure, doctors who perform forbidden abortions could be sued for wrongful death or face discipline from the state medical licensing board. Women receiving such abortions wouldn't face punishment. Critics say the measure would require pregnant women to endure complicated pregnancies that pose a danger to their health and would lead women to not speak candidly with their doctors. North Dakota adopted similar restrictions under a 2013 law approved by that state's Republican-led Legislature. Critics in Indiana question whether the measure is constitutional, and even GOP House Speaker Brian Bosma said he expects a court challenge if Pence signs the bill into law. The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights backed a lawsuit challenging the North Dakota law, but it went unresolved because the Fargo clinic decided instead to focus its fight on another abortion ban. Associated Press In three years, Chicago voters will be back at the polls weighing candidates for mayor. That's a long time for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to rehabilitate his relationship with voters, should he decide to seek a third term. More to the point: Three years is long enough for voters to forget. Advertisement Protestations over the police shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald will be soothed. A new Cook County state's attorney, most likely Kim Foxx, will be rebuilding trust with the black community. The U.S. Department of Justice's probe of the Chicago Police Department probably will be wrapped up. Unless the public learns a dramatic, undiscovered piece of information, the uproar over McDonald's death that sent Emanuel's approval numbers plummeting will be subdued. That doesn't mean Emanuel could coast to a third term. Quite the opposite. He ought to keep his gaze skyward. The buzzards are circling. Emanuel's critics will have plenty of flank upon which to feast. Advertisement The city's and Chicago Public Schools' finances have tanked. Instead of tackling the budget books immediately in 2011, Emanuel embarked on the politically safe route of borrowing money for operations and counting it as revenue. He wasn't honest about the need to downsize city government and yes, raise property taxes. Even if Gov. Bruce Rauner signs a law that enables the property tax increase Emanuel pushed through City Council last fall, the money won't be enough to meet the obligations city leaders have racked up. Not even close. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is going to have to go back to the drawing board. March 24, 2016. (CBS Chicago) The city's pension funds remain dangerously underfunded, and the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plan to fix two of them. Fleeing crime-ridden neighborhoods for the suburbs are Chicago's lifeblood: sturdy, middle-class families who embody this city's poetic "big shoulders." Carl Sandburg would be alarmed. Despite that backdrop, Emanuel and the City Council spent the last few months touting new tourist attractions and bike paths, boasting of the elimination of a tampon tax, and proposing an increased fine for not picking up dog poop, which is contributing to a growing rat population citywide. You can't make this stuff up. So, on to 2019: Former mayoral candidate Jesus "Chuy" Garcia has not ruled out another run for mayor, though he is rumored to be a replacement for Cook County Clerk David Orr, should Orr retire. Garcia certainly fortified alliances during the March primary among Bernie Sanders' supporters; with House Speaker Michael Madigan, whom Garcia oddly endorsed for re-election; and with the Chicago Teachers Union. Wherever Garcia ends up, he greased his lane. Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, who used to work for Madigan, did the speaker's dirty work by financing attack ads against Rep. Ken Dunkin, whom voters ousted. Reilly also scored points with the Chicago Teachers Union by trying to defeat Rep. Christian Mitchell, who supports charter schools. Mitchell was re-elected. But Reilly's help won't be forgotten. He is building up favors that could be cashed in during a mayoral run. Advertisement Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart considered running for mayor in 2011 but folded. He has bridged a once-tense relationship with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle by working with her on reducing the jail population and highlighting the plight of the mentally ill. That allegiance, while fragile, could prove helpful unless Preckwinkle decides to jump in the race. She would be an obvious front-runner. The 2019 mayoral short list could also include Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, city Treasurer Kurt Summers and former CPS chief and U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan, who moved back to Chicago from Washington, D.C., last year amid speculation he would need to meet residency requirements if he decided to run for office here. His wife must have forgotten to just leave her wedding gown in the attic. And of course, there's Emanuel, who has not said whether he would seek another term. Some observers suggest he's toast, that he couldn't possibly rebound from a well-financed opponent who constantly reminds voters of the McDonald case and the aforementioned city problems. But elections, while not foolproof, often substantiate the fact that voters have short-term memories and bionic tendencies to ignore raging crises. Voters often reprise the role of the musicians aboard the Titanic, focusing on their sheet music as the ship tips: "Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight." That means Emanuel might have as good a shot as anyone. Kristen McQueary is a member of the Tribune Editorial Board. Advertisement kmcqueary@tribpub.com Twitter @statehousechick Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks at an event in Chicago in January 2016. On Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a city pension reform law. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) The Illinois Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional another pension reform law on Thursday, this one affecting Chicago and splashing more red ink on fragile, debt-ridden city finances. The court's decision to toss Chicago's pension reform law, which the Illinois legislature approved in 2014 as an attempt to rescue pension funds for municipal workers and laborers, was not a surprise. Nor is its ripple effect: As the opinion states and unarguable math attests, those two funds remain on track to go insolvent "in about 10 and 13 years, respectively." Advertisement The court previously had twice ruled that an Illinois Constitution pension clause protects retirement benefits promised from a worker's start of public employment. The law the justices rejected had required certain city of Chicago workers to pay more toward their pensions, scaled back cost-of-living increases upon retirement, and raised the retirement age. The court ruled that those changes violate the constitution's provision that membership in any pension or retirement system "shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired." The decision repudiates Mayor Rahm Emanuel's strategy for salvaging a vastly underfunded Chicago pension system that also covers public safety workers police and fire and Chicago teachers. Emanuel persistently has argued that because 28 of 31 unions affected by the 2014 reform law had agreed to it. Emanuel said that because the law would shore up the funds in the long run and thereby protect benefits for retirees, it would meet constitutional muster. Advertisement Mayor Rahm Emanuel is going to have to go back to the drawing board. March 24, 2016. (CBS Chicago) But the Supreme Court disagreed. In a 2015 ruling rejecting a pension reform law affecting state lawmakers, the justices faulted state lawmakers for not making adequate payments into their pension system. Thursday's ruling similarly blamed city leaders for failing to make adequate payments into City Hall's pension funds: "The pension code continued to set city contribution levels at a fixed multiple of employee contributions. This contribution level had no relationship to the obligations that the funds were accruing." To rule in favor of the law would mean that the court would have to "ignore the plain language of the constitution." Translation: City and state politicians have known well that they were awarding pension benefits that Illinois governments cannot afford. Rather than properly fund pension systems, the politicians have spent on other priorities the tax revenues they should have set aside to fulfill all the generous retirement promises they made to their friends in public employees unions. Justice Mary Jane Theis wrote the 5-0 opinion. Justices Anne Burke and Charles Freeman did not take part in the decision. We supported this pension reform law, and the state law, for a number of reasons, including getting language before the courts for a decision. We now have it. For city taxpayers, the impact of Thursday's ruling is menacing. In essence the court is saying that the responsibility to deliver benefits the politicians have pledged to public workers falls on taxpayers' shoulders. Barring some major reforms that do meet constitutional tests or the long overdue government streamlining and cost-cutting that city and state pols chronically resist taxpayers will have to bail out not only these pension funds for municipal workers and laborers, but also the similarly endangered funds for police officers, firefighters and teachers. Add in taxpayers' liabilities for Cook County workers, whose pension system is listing. Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle already have backed huge tax hikes to help address their respective pension shortfalls. And don't forget the underfunded pension systems for state workers, downstate teachers, university workers, retired lawmakers and some suburbs' workers. With the Supreme Court sticking to its rigorous interpretation of the pension clause the justices even protected health care for retirees in a 2014 decision there seems to be little room to extract from public workers that "shared sacrifice" the politicians love to talk about. Advertisement No, unless Illinois pols institute massive reforms to the cost of governance, taxpayers can expect to bear the brunt of the pension crisis our elected officials have created in their name. (Scott Stantis, Chicago Tribune) The taxation required to support the huge enterprise of Illinois government already is monumental and now it's likely to grow. Blame decades of mismanagement at all levels of representation. Borrowing to pay for operating expenses has been the path to ruin. This new City Hall obligation comes on top of billions of borrowing throughout city, county and state governments. As you prepare to vote in the November general election, remember: Piling debts upon debts can no longer be the way Illinois and Chicago operate. Follow the Editorial Board on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. The almost two dozen Community Policing officers who got even more attached to Jonathan over the last few months, insist it is this small child who has been the giver. He taught them a thing or two about determination and bravery as he set about doing his very best to be an ordinary little boy under extraordinarily sad conditions. Ancestors: Art and Artifacts of Africa, which features more than 70 objects, is on display to April 16 at Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery in Park Forest. (Photo courtesy of Arthur P. Bourgeois) A Democratic Republic of the Congo memory board and 6-foot-high Y-shaped ladders from the Dogon, of Mali, are among the more than 70 items bringing Africa to the Southland. "Ancestors: Art and Artifacts of Africa," which opened March 11 and continues until April 16 at Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery in Park Forest, was co-created and co-organized by Arthur P. Bourgeois and Scott Rodolitz. Advertisement "Scott being an Africanist, he and I are both interested in iconography and deeper meaning," said Bourgeois, of Frankfort, about his colleague from New Hampshire. "We wrote 'Ancestors' in such a way for other Africanists to cut new territory in the study of African art. It's a labor of love. There are some pieces in the catalog that are not on display and are just to flesh out the ideas, but the exhibition stands alone." Advertisement The catalog titled "Ancestors" by Bourgeois and Rodolitz with Amanda Maples features photography and design by Nicholas Prior and is available via Amazon.com or for a discounted price at the Tall Grass exhibit. "There are a lot of photo murals from postcards from the 1920s and '30s so they're on the wall, too, behind the objects. That's almost worth seeing themselves," said Bourgeois, who has been involved with Tall Grass Arts Association for more than 25 years. "We've taken them and blown them up to give the context of traditional Africa. It's not contemporary work so most of the pieces date from the early 20th century. It's not modern Africa." The pieces are on loan from private collectors including Peter Gould, of New Jersey, who will be part of the lecture and Meet the Collector event on March 30 at Tall Grass Arts Association. "The theme of the show 'Ancestors' is innovative in itself. The show is not based so much on styles but rather a whole notion of what these objects mean," said Bourgeois, noting the exhibit installed by Mike Hanson focuses on the traditional religious beliefs of a large part of West and Central Africa. "We're taking the concept of only a few images to represent the ancestors directly. The others are in more diffused ways. Really the theme of the show is the awareness of these helpful spirits from out of the past." Bourgeois, professor emeritus at Governors State University in University Park, said objects from traditional Africa led to the foundation of 20th century art. "It's part of the human experience to understand another culture. In this case, many different languages are spoken in Africa's different cultures," he said. "This is one way of making it come alive and appreciating it for what it is." Advertisement Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. "Ancestors: Art and Artifacts of Africa" When: Through April 16 with gallery hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays; closed Sundays and Mondays; extended gallery hours upon request Where: Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest Admission: Free Information: 708-748-3377 or tallgrassarts.org Advertisement Etc.: Free lecture and Meet the Collector event at 7 p.m. March 30 Chesterton man sentenced to home detention Selling cocaine to a Porter County Drug Task Force informant has netted a Chesterton man 18 months on home detention as part of a four-year sentence. Advertisement For the rest of his sentence for a Feb. 18 plea to Level 5 felony dealing in cocaine, William G. Blascovich, 28, of the 300 block of Indian Boundary Road, will be on formal probation. Blascovich also faced up to 12 years in prison on a Level 4 felony charge of dealing in cocaine, but the state dropped that in exchange for his plea. Advertisement He was accused of selling six bags containing 1.2 grams of cocaine for $120 on May 22 on that charge, but his plea was for selling being two bags of .5 grams cocaine total for $40 on May 7, the probable cause affidavit states. The first sale was at his home, but the second was in the parking lot of a local restaurant off Indiana 49 after he met with his source, the probable cause affidavit states. Felony charges filed against Pines Township man A Pines Township man accused of holding a homeless man hostage in his home, beating him and threatening to kill him now faces up to 16 years in prison on the highest of three felony charges against him. Curtis Glancy Jr., 22, of the 3600 block of Henry Avenue, is charged with Level 3 felony criminal confinement and also faces up to six years more on each of two Level 5 felony charges: criminal confinement and intimidation, and the warrant issued for his arrest on March 21 sets his bail bond at $50,000 surety, court records state. The homeless man said Glancy, another man and two women picked him up with a friend from a LaPorte gas station after he called the friend for a ride to a homeless shelter, and they went to Michigan to buy alcohol and then to Glancy's home, court documents state. The man said when he tried to collect his wallet and cellphone from a table and leave, Glancy pulled a 9 mm handgun and threatened to kill him if he left, hit him in the eye, struck him with a bottle, continued to threaten to shoot him and tried to get the others involved until the man escaped without his belongings through a back door, according to the probable cause affidavit. The man said Glancy and others chased him in a car with the gun, but he fled to the woods until he could flag down a car to take him to the police, court documents state. Advertisement Warrant issued for Burns Harbor man A warrant has been issued for a Burns Harbor man accused of striking a juvenile with a belt in a way that left bruises over that person's back and body and for illegally having guns. James Lewis Parsons II, 39, of the 300 block of Maple Lane, faces up to six years in prison for Level 5 felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury and up to a year for Class A misdemeanor unlawful possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer, court documents state. Police reported that at about 11 a.m. March 23, they found a 10-year-old with extensive bruising on the lower back and buttocks and found a handgun and a muzzle loader in Parsons' possession. He will to be held on $2,000 bail bond when arrested, documents said. --Staff report By Dezan Shira & Associates Editors: Jake Liddle and Qian Zhou China is currently experiencing huge growth in its e-commerce industry. Online shopping, the most powerful engine of Chinas e-commerce market, posted a 96.9 percent increase in the year 2010 and has continuously been gaining momentum since. In 2015, Chinas online retail transactions reached RMB 3877.3 billion (US$622.5 billion, an increase of 33.3 percent over 2014), accounting for 12.9 percent of total social retail sales. By 2020, Chinas e-commerce market is predicted to be larger than those of the U.S., the UK, Japan, Germany, and France combined. Consumer analysis These predictions are linked to the number of people currently connected to the Internet in China, be it via computers or smartphones by the close of 2015, there were 688 million Internet users in the country. According to data from the China Internet Network Information Center, the number of online shoppers topped 413.3 million in 2015, accounting for 60 percent of all internet users. By 2020, 750 million Chinese are predicted to shop online. One clear trend that cannot be ignored is the increasing popularity of mobile devices: the number of mobile shoppers reached 339.7 million in 2015, with the amount of mobile owners shopping online rising from 42.4 percent to 54.8 percent year-on-year. Among these online customers, the largest segment is the young and well-educated with a high value of purchasing power. In 2015, men made up 57.1 percent of online shoppers, surpassing women by 14.2 points, with those aged 20-29 the most prominent. Meanwhile, college graduates represent 74.2 percent of online shoppers. RELATED: Information Technology-based Solutions Main players Chinas e-commerce market is dominated by domestic platforms. Two of the biggest players Tmall and JD control 57.7 percent and 25.1 percent of the market, respectively. Other players such as Suning, Vipshop, Gome, Yihaodian, Dangdang, Amazon and JMei share the remaining 17.2 percent. Cross border e-commerce Chinas cross border e-commerce sector has also been experiencing exponential growth. According to data from Chinas e-commerce research center, cross border e-commerce transactions in China reached RMB 2 trillion in the first half of 2015, representing 17.3 percent of China`s total import and export trading volume. Based on a global trade pattern report released by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Chinas cross border e-commerce transactions will increase to RMB 6.5 trillion by the end of 2016. It therefore comes as little surprise that, with Chinas traditional import and export market shrinking, the government has released several preferential policies aimed squarely at boosting cross border e-commerce. The State Council of China officially announced its plan to establish a Comprehensive Pilot Zone of Cross Border E-Commerce in Hangzhou in March 2015, featuring a slew of preferential tax policies and streamlined customs clearance procedures. Following the success of the Hangzhou Pilot Zone, the State Council further decided to expand the program to 12 new cities: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Chongqing, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Suzhou. For more information about Chinas e-commerce market, including graphs on the number of online and mobile shoppers in China and the online shopping market penetration rate, please download the latest issue of China Briefing Magazine, titled China Investment Roadmap: the e-Commerce Industry. This article is an excerpt from the March issue of China Briefing Magazine, titled China Investment Roadmap: the e-Commerce Industry . In this issue of China Briefing, we present a roadmap for investing in Chinas e-commerce industry. We provide a consumer analysis of the Chinese market, take a look at the main industry players, and examine the various investment models that are available to foreign companies. Finally, we discuss one of the most crucial due diligence issues that underpins e-commerce in China: ensuring brand protection. Internet Challenges & Solutions When Doing Business in China In this special edition of China Briefing magazine, we highlight how and why foreign companies will be negatively affected by Chinas internet, and provide methods to help solve these problems. We discuss ISP selection, internet connection types, CDNs and VPNs, and internal control systems. Finally, we examine the importance of network security in China and how it can help augment a companys internet connection. Importing and Exporting in China: a Guide for Trading Companies In this issue of China Briefing, we discuss the latest import and export trends in China, and analyze the ways in which a foreign company in China can properly prepare for the import/export process. With import taxes and duties adding a significant cost burden, we explain how this system works in China, and highlight some of the tax incentives that the Chinese government has put in place to help stimulate trade. Selling, Sourcing and E-Commerce in China 2016 (First Edition) This guide, produced in collaboration with the experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, provides a comprehensive analysis of all these aspects of commerce in China. It discusses how foreign companies can best go about sourcing products from China; how foreign retailers can set up operations on the ground to sell directly to the countrys massive consumer class; and finally details how foreign enterprises can access Chinas lucrative yet ostensibly complex e-commerce market. A still from South Korean TV series "Descendants of the Sun" [File photo] South Korean TV series "Descendants of the Sun" starring Song Joong-ki and doyen Song Hye-kyo has sold licenses to 27 countries, including those in Europe and the Middle East, in an attempt to spread the popularity of the series which has been aired simultaneously both in South Korea and China. The synchronized broadcast in both countries, including the first eight episodes, has triggered huge enthusiasm and gained a wide audience generating a handsome rating to help the producers occupy the upper hand in their plan to sell the TV series to an increasing number of recipients. With the support from an immense number of fans, the subtitles of the dramas have been translated into more than 30 languages by online volunteers. According to Viki, a U.S. based video site which purchased the broadcast rights of the drama, the ratings for the TV series have topped others on the website's ranking list and created a huge gap between first and second place. The video website is preparing to increase the translation of the subtitles for a wider spectrum of audiences. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. The restructuring of economy in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has achieved progress, an official from the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the SAR has said. Yao Jian, deputy head of the office, made the comments at a recent seminar attended by senior officials from six large local tourism and leisure enterprises as well as major subsidiaries of Chinese mainland corporations here. New active elements have appeared in the process of Macao's industrial restructuring, and non-gaming revenues increased 2 percent in 2015 despite the drastic slump of gambling industry, Yao said. Lauding Macao's major enterprises' contribution in supporting the growth of local small and medium-sized enterprises, Yao called for more efforts to be made to speed up industry transformation so as to maintain sustainable economic development in the SAR. Yudai Bay, a famous scenic spot in Boao Town. [Photo by Yang Jia/ China.org.cn] Visitors will likely be impressed upon arrival by the cleanness and beauty of Boao Town, where the annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is currently being held. People may have stereotyped thoughts about small Chinese towns, imagining them with cement roads and buildings covered with old-fashioned ceramic tiles. However, Boao, a coastal town in southernmost island province of Hainan, differs from other towns in China Boao, a tiny, quiet, and scenic island in the southernmost part of China, has been the permanent site of the Annual Conference of the Forum since 2002. Great efforts have been made to build the town into a base for public diplomacy, said Mao Chaofeng, executive vice governor of Hainan Province, at a press conference hosted by the provincial government on March 23 during the BFA Annual Conference 2016. Not limiting itself to Boao, Hainan will also build 100 towns with special industries and 1,000 beautiful villages with favorable environments for business, residence, and tourism in the next five years. Hainan also wants to become a supplier of medical tourism by establishing the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone. The zone, the first of its kind in China, was approved by the State Council in 2013. Infrastructure construction work in the zone began in August last year; to date, one international medical tourism center has been completed and another 19 projects related to plastic surgery, Botox, and anti-aging are currently under construction. These 20 projects will be put into use gradually over the next two years. The medical tourism zone will be built into a world-class medical tourism destination as well as a gathering place for high-end talents in the medical sector, with annual revenue hitting 50 billion yuan. By 2024, the number of tourists to the medical zone should account for more than 5% of the total overnight tourist arrivals in the province. Hainan's tourism sector has achieved rapid growth. In the past five years, Hainan has received over 200 million tourist visits, with an average annual growth of 11.7 percent, and its tourism revenues have totaled 221.074 billion yuan, with an average annual growth of 16.1 percent. The tourism sector created 372,800 jobs directly and helped contribute to about 1.4 million indirect jobs, according to statistics released on the press conference show. Hainan has invested about 282 billion yuan in infrastructure construction. On Dec. 30, 2015, the west-line high-speed railway, which goes around the island, was completed and opened to traffic, closing the loop of the worlds' first circular bullet train system. The Boao Airport, with a total investment of about 1.13 billion yuan, was put into operation on March 17, after a construction cycle of less than 10 months, marking a new world record in the speed of airport construction. The press center for the BFA, with a total investment of 110 million yuan, was completed within 150 days, half of the regular time usually required for such a project. The center covers 4,158 square meters and can accommodate 2,500 people. Mao said the rapid completion of the Boao Airport and the press center demonstrated the service efficiency of the provincial government. Hainan has consistently given top priority to environmental protection by following a green development approach. An afforestation area of 106,000 hectares has been added in the province, with the forest coverage rate reaching 62%. By improving the environment, Hainan hopes to attract more visitors from home and abroad, said Mao. You are here: Home Chinese health authorities say they are no health concerns for those who have been vaccinated with products which have been sold on the black market. State health officials have made the pronouncement to allay fears that vaccines that have been discovered being sold illegally may have been tampered with. A total of 13 different pharmacutical wholesale firms are now being investigated for black-market sales of vaccine products. 37 suspects have been detained as part of the investigation. The story broke last week after a pair of suspects were arrested in Shandong illegally selling vaccines to hospitals through non-official channels. This led to authorities discovering a wide web of illegal vaccine sales to hospitals. It's estimated around 90 million US dollars worth of vaccines have been sold illegally in China over the past 5-years. Premier Li Keqiang said there will be no leniency for anyone involved in a vaccine scandal that has shocked the nation and ignited wide public concern about vaccine safety. Li pledged on Tuesday to punish officials who are proven to have been derelict in their duty in the distribution of the possibly ineffective vaccines, according to the State Council website. Investigations into the matter are continuing. Police in Shandong province said improperly stored or expired vaccines, worth more than 570 million yuan ($88 million), were apparently sold in more than 20 provincial-level areas since 2011. Wu Zhen, deputy head of the China Food and Drug Administration, pledged strict measures on Wednesday to close loopholes in the distribution system. "The scandal has revealed problems in the distribution of vaccines," he said on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province. The administration said on Tuesday that it has given local authorities until Friday to find out who bought the mishandled vaccines to ease public concern. In addition, police in Shandong have detained 37 suspects implicated in the scandal, including a mother and daughter alleged to have illegally sold the improperly stored or expired vaccines, and people at three pharmaceutical companies, according to the work group handling the case. Police in Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces also have reported detaining suspects. The Supreme People's Procuratorate announced on Tuesday that it will directly oversee the case and urged prosecuting bodies at all levels to spare no effort in their investigations. Prosecutors throughout the country are expected to work closely with local police and drug administrations to uncover the manufacturing sources, circulation channels and buyers of the inferior products. Wu said the administration would work closely with law enforcement. He added that the distribution and use of vaccines are generally well-managed under existing rules, especially the 14 vaccines included in the nation's routine immunization program. Vaccines involved in the recent scandal are considered Category 2 vaccines, including those against meningitis and rabies, among other pathogens. Category 2 vaccines are administered upon request, and people pay for them. Industry insiders said that, unlike the strictly managed vaccines of Category 1, loopholes and room for profit exist in Category 2. A confused public may not be able to tell the difference. Some parents have reportedly held back their babies from the routine immunization program for fear of getting a bad dose. Public health experts, including those from the World Health Organization, urged the Chinese public to stick to routine immunization programs, which are vitally important to both individual and public health. Improperly stored or expired vaccines can lose potency and become less effective, but they pose a very small risk of causing a toxic reaction, a statement issued by the WHO China office said on Tuesday. The organization also expressed its willingness to provide support. A vaccine rendered ineffective through age or improper storage could fail to protect the recipient against infectious diseases, which creates a public health challenge, according to Gao Fu, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Xiong Huang, deputy head of the information office of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said there has been no increase in reports of side effects after vaccinations so far. Two companies in Shanghai's Qingpu District accused of discharging noxious fumes have suspended their operations two years after local people began complaining to environment officials about the problem. According to a report broadcast by Shanghai Television on Monday evening, teachers at Qingpu Fengxi Middle School said they first became aware of the foul smells emanating from several nearby factories in 2014. Despite repeated calls to a public complaints hotline, no action was taken to rectify the situation. According to the TV report, the Qingpu District Environmental Protection Bureau said only that it had fined an unnamed company for illegally discharging gases, but that no further action was taken. A teacher from the school, who was not named, said the pollution had been particularly bad in recent days. I have been coughing, and have had a headache and sore throat since last week due to the smell, she said. Students were also heard complaining of dizziness and loss of appetite due to the malodorous conditions. The bureau told Shanghai Daily yesterday that following the TV report it contacted three companies accused of discharging noxious fumes and two of them Shanghai Shengteng Printing Co and Shanghai Lirui Furniture Co subsequently agreed to suspend their operations pending renovations. A third company Shanghai Rongsheng Painting Co took no action and as of yesterday was still operating as normal. An environment official said on condition of anonymity that the bureau did not have the authority to order companies to halt their business, and had therefore applied to the district peoples court for a compulsory order against the paint factory. It did not say why no action was taken until the matter was reported on television. An unprecedented heat wave has hit Kenya, with temperatures rising to over 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. The heat wave has become the talk of the East African nation as many agree that it is the first time they are experiencing such a hot weather particularly in March when heavy rains are supposed to have started. In the capital Nairobi, the weather stood at 30 degrees Celsius Monday, according to the Meteorological Department, with humidity hitting a high of about 45 percent. The same was expected Tuesday, with humidity once again surging to 46 percent, making the city warmer for citizens. Multiple forecasts indicated that the warm weather would last the entire week, with daily temperatures averaging 30 degrees Celsius, while night falling to 15 degrees Celsius. "Nairobi is becoming uninhabitable because of the heat. I have lived in this city for several years but I have not experienced this. One cannot sleep well or dress as he wishes," George Mudaki, a government accountant in Nairobi, lamented Monday. According to Mudaki, the weather pattern has become unpredictable as in the previous years, the March-May rainy season would have started by now. "I believe the climate change phenomenon is catching up with us. We can no longer be sure of the weather; it has become too erratic. No one told us it was going to be this hotter this time," he noted. The worst affected, however, are citizens in the coastal city of Mombasa where day temperatures have risen to a high of 41 degrees Celsius and night temperatures standing at an average of 25 degrees Celsius. Mombasa is normally a favourite destination for conference tourists from different parts of Kenya, but the heat is threatening the business. "I am in Mombasa and I can tell you the weather is unbearable. I am having sunburns on my hands due to the excess heat; I cannot wait for the conference to end in two days' time. This is the worst time to visit Mombasa," said Beryl Achieng, a communication officer. Meteorological experts are divided in opinion, with some saying the heatwave is as a result of climate change while others are blaming it on the "equinox phenomenon", where the plane of earth's equator passes through the centre of the sun, meaning that the sun is exactly overhead, leading to high temperatures. The Kenya Meteorological Department, however, has dismissed claims of heatwave, noting that all is normal in the East African nation, including the high humidity. Deputy Director Peter Ambenje said in some places in Kenya temperatures rise to 40 degrees, but that is not out of the ordinary. "Kenyans need not worry about extreme temperatures. What you will see is the usual fluctuation of temperature, nothing to raise alarm about," he said. In a forecast the department released two weeks ago, the long rains season is expected to start towards end of this month, and would last until May. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Wednesday that extreme weather events are becoming "the new normal" and bold climate action is needed to "face the future now." "Only by responding decisively to the climate challenge can we avoid the worst impacts of climate change and lay the foundations of a world of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all," the UN chief said in a message to mark the World Meteorological Day. The window of opportunity for limiting global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius the threshold set under the Paris Agreement adopted last December is narrow and rapidly shrinking, Mr. Ban warned, noting that the effects of a warming planet will be felt by all, including rising sea levels, and extreme weather events, which are becoming "the new normal." On 22 April, world leaders will gather in New York to sign the Paris Agreement. "But, even before the agreement comes into force, every country, every business and every citizen has a role to play in combating climate change and building a sustainable future for this and future generations," he said. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said in his message that the Earth is already one degree Celsius hotter than at the start of the twentieth century, indicative of this year's theme of the World Meteorological Day: "Hotter, drier, wetter: face the future." "Climate change is affecting our natural and human environment. Our emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise, and the temperature of the lower atmosphere and the ocean is increasing, he said, adding: "The international community has unanimously recognized the need for bold action." Citing the Paris Agreement to "hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below two degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees," he stressed that WMO and the national meteorological and hydrological services are playing an essential role in building climate-resilient societies. Health risks related to heat can be reduced through multi-hazard early warning systems that provide timely alerts to decision-makers, health services and the general public, he said, also underscoring the need to improve access to scientific knowledge and share best practices for coping with drought. The WMO community will continue to support countries in pursuing sustainable development and tackling climate change by providing the best possible science and operational services for weather, climate, hydrology, oceans and the environment. According to the "WMO Statement on the Status of the Climate in 2015", the year made history, with shattered temperature records, intense heatwaves, exceptional rainfall, devastating drought and unusual tropical cyclone activity. "Our planet is sending a powerful message to world leaders to sign and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and cut greenhouse gases now before we pass the point of no return," Mr. Taalas said earlier this week in a press release, emphasizing that the worst-case scenarios can be averted by taking urgent and far-reaching measures to cut carbon dioxide emissions. A robot from a Japanese enterprise is programmed to wield a sword at the 5th China (Tianjin) International Robot Exhibition at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin, north China, March 9, 2016. Over 1,000 robots and high-end equipments from more than 400 domestic and foreign enterprises were displayed at the exhibition. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) China is simultaneously dealing with slowing economic growth, difficult structural adjustments, and absorbing the effects of previous economic stimulus policies. The Chinese economy faces severe challenges, in the form of slowing economic growth, deflation, a fall in enterprise profits and tax revenues, and lurking financial risks. Meanwhile, the global economy remains under the shadow of the financial crisis, and recovery is sluggish. Countries around the world are therefore exploring new development concepts and growth models in hopes of promoting stable and sustained development of the world economy. Under this background, China's 13th Five-Year Plan has attracted wide attention. The world hopes that China's economy will continue to act as an engine for global growth, and that Chinese wisdom might formulate a new economic growth concept and roadmap. The focus of the recent G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Shanghai was on sources of new dynamism for global economic growth. China will hold the G20 Hangzhou Summit this in September 2016, amid high expectations. Why Does China Propose Innovation for Development? China's economy has now entered the "new normal." Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC) statistics show that China's potential growth rate during the 2001-2005 period was 9.8 percent; 11.2 percent during the 2006-2010 period; 9.7 percent during the 2011-2015 period; and 6.5 percent during the 2015-2020 period. These figures demonstrate that China's potential growth is transitioning from high speed to medium-to-high speed. As President Xi Jinping observed, China's new normal economy has emerged, and has several notable features. First, the economy has shifted gear from the previous high speed to medium-to-high speed growth. Second, the economic structure is steadily improving and upgrading. Third, the economy is increasingly driven by innovation. The present overall strategy to boost Chinese economic growth is to adapt to and understand the new normal, and thus achieve healthy and sustained economic growth. Therefore, a brand new development concept, compatible with current conditions in the new era, and which will guide our practice, is needed. Knowledge and action are both essential, and intelligent action requires forethought. Therefore, China has proposed the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up, and sharing, among which innovation is considered the core. Those concepts are the key to resolving the problems that impede China's economic growth and roadmap towards socio-economic development. They also constitute, after thorough consideration of world economic growth patterns and reforms to the global governance system, China's contribution to the world. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. The LMC mechanism was initiated in 2014. The first leaders' meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism (LMC) in Sanya, China, is expected to provide political guidance and a roadmap for subregional cooperation between China and the five Southeast Asian nations of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The LMC mechanism was initiated in 2014 in accordance with the strong will of the six countries along the river for development and prosperity. The LMC is a self-initiative of the six countries and is tailored to their specific needs. Compared with other cooperation mechanisms, the LMC is more practical, more effective and more in line with people's aspirations. With the step-by-step implementation of the LMC mechanism, one-day rail travel along the Lancang-Mekong region will become reality as lines of the Pan-Asia Railway network are under construction. The mechanism will not only facilitate the movement of people and goods between those countries, but also speed up the region's development as a whole. Since the LMC mechanism was proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in November 2014, three meetings of senior officials, three meetings of the working teams, as well as a foreign ministers' meeting have been held to launch the dialogue and cooperation. Agreement has been reached on 78 early-harvest projects covering water resource management, poverty alleviation, public health, infrastructure, personnel exchanges, science and technology. The LMC mechanism has three pillars -- political and security issues, economic affairs and sustainable development, and social affairs and people-to-people exchanges. With consensus and strong will of the six countries, the LMC mechanism is showing tremendous potential. Apart from the six countries, the LMC mechanism is also conducive to the strengthening of cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and lend a helping hand to the regional bloc's integration. "The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism comes as a natural result of our existing cooperation, and will take full advantage of our geographic proximity, traditional friendship and complementary economies," Li told the Sanya meeting on Wednesday. Li said China firmly supports ASEAN's integration and the LMC will supplement China-ASEAN relations. Flash Syrian government forces have become only 850 meters from the millennia-old city of Palmyra in central Syria, which is held by the Islamic State (IS) group, Syria's state-run TV reported on Wednesday. This file photo taken on March 14, 2014 shows a Syrian policeman patrolling the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres northeast of Damascus. [Photo/Xinhua] Following "qualitative" operations by the Syrian army against the IS in the vicinity of Palmyra, the city has become encircled, said the TV. It added that the Syrian forces will recapture the city in the next hours, adding that Russian helicopters have targeted the armored vehicles of the IS in Palmyra. The Syrian force also used motorcycles in their attack on the IS in Palmyra due to the geographical nature of that area. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have approached the outskirts of Palmyra, following days of intense battles for recapture of the city in eastern countryside of the central province of Homs. The UK-based watchdog group said intense battles are raging at the southern and southwestern outskirts of Palmyra between the Syrian forces and the IS militants. It added that the Syrian army is heavily shelling the IS positions inside Palmyra amid heavy airstrikes against the terror group. The progress came just a day after the Syrian forces captured all hills and highlands surrounding Palmyra, according to pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV. The progress secured the Syrian army progress on the western entrance of Palmyra, which was supported by joint Russian-Syrian airstrikes. Since capturing it last May, the terror-labeled IS group destroyed the city's notorious military prison and several Islamic tombs. The IS also put on public executions of government soldiers and people accused of working for the government. Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world. Syria has many prehistoric, Greek, Byzantine and Islamic heritages. Before the crisis, Syria had attracted many multinational archaeological missions coming for searching new clues of historical facts on the development of civilizations. Flash Israeli authorities started implementing a closure overnight on Palestinians in the West Bank, amid the Jewish holiday of Purim and as a six-month-long wave of violence persists in the area, the Israeli army said on Wednesday. Children wear costumes as they watch a shows during events marking the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim at the Bialik Rogozin school in Tel Aviv, Israel March 22, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] The closure started overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 a.m. local time (GMT 2300) and will end at midnight local time on Saturday, barring Palestinians from the West Bank to enter Israeli territory, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Xinhua on Wednesday. Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon decided on the move after a situation assessment on Tuesday, the IDF spokesperson said. Exceptions would be made in the humanitarian and medical cases, in accordance with the approval of the Israeli Coordinator of the Government's Activities in the Territories (COGAT). Tens of thousands of Palestinians who hold work permits and can legally work in Israel will be damaged by the move, not being able to enter Israel and arrive at their work. The Israeli army did say Palestinians working in Jewish settlements in the West Bank would be able to enter them. Whereas the Israeli military had imposed closures during the major Jewish holidays like Yom Kippur of Passover, it is unusual for a closure to be implemented during the holiday of Purim, which is mostly celebrated by kids whereas business remain open. The decision had been largely influenced by the ongoing wave of violence, with the intention of "reducing the friction" between Palestinians and Israelis, a defense official told the Ha'aretz daily. Israeli security officials, among them the IDF's Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, have recently sounded off saying that Israel should enable Palestinians to work in Israel and make a living in order to improve their well-being, therefore reduce the likelihood of committing attacks. On a related matter, Israeli authorities announced Tuesday that Israel had arrested about 1,200 Palestinians without work permits who stayed in Israel illegally in the past two weeks, in a joint operation of the Israeli police and the paramilitary Border Police unit. The Israeli police said it would continue to "track down" Palestinians staying in Israel illegally, "for the safety of the public" and that it would also operate harshly against those who assist them. Last week the Israeli Knesset (parliament) authorized a bill enabling the police to shut down an establishment that employs an illegal Palestinian employee for up to 30 days. The bill also allows authorities to lock down these employers for up to four years in prison. You are here: Home Flash A Japanese man attempting to join the Islamic State (IS) in Syria was detained Tuesday in Turkey, the private Dogan news agency reported Wednesday. Turkish security forces captured the man identified as M.M. in the southeastern province of Gaziantep bordering the neighboring country, while searching a suspicious car in the Nizip district of Gaziantep, according to the report. The suspect confessed during his interrogation that he came to Nizip in order to cross the border and join IS. M.M. said he spoke to a Syrian individual by phone who convinced him to join IS, said the report. The detained suspect will be deported once his documents are finalized at the courthouse. You are here: Home Flash Turkish warplanes bombed the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq Wednesday, said a Turkish military statement. Turkish army soldiers stand guard as Kurdish people wait in a hope to enter Cizre, a town subject to a curfew as part of a controversial operation against Kurdish rebels, on March 22, 2016 in Mardin, for Newroz celebration. [Photo/Xinhua] A total of 13 F-16s and F-4 2020 fighters bombed the PKK's Hakkurk region targets in northern Iraq on Wednesday, destroying ammunition depots, bunkers and shelters, according to the statement released by the Turkish Armed Forces General Staff. The airstrikes against PKK posts in Iraq escalated following the suicide car bomb attacks in the capital city of Ankara on March 13 which killed 37 people. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a Kurdish militant group linked to the PKK, has claimed responsibility for that attack. On Feb. 17, a separate suicide car bomb targeted military shuttles in Ankara, killing at least 29 people and injuring 81 others. TAK claimed responsibility for this attack as well. The Turkish Interior Ministry stated that one of the suspected bombers, identified as 24-year-old Seher Cagla Demir, was trained in Syria by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the Syrian by-product of the PKK. A two-year ceasefire between the government and the PKK disintegrated in July 2015, and Turkish security forces launched a major campaign against the PKK in southeast Turkey. Over 260 members of Turkey's security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed since last July during armed conflict in both Turkey and in northern Iraq. The PKK, waging its separatist war against Turkey since 1984, is listed as terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Flash Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday complained over the lack of substantial progress regarding the implementation of the deal the EU reached last week with Turkey to stem the refugee influx into Europe through the Aegean Sea. Athens' displeasure was conveyed to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a telephone conversation as tensions in the overcrowded makeshift camp of Idomeni next to the border crossing between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) escalate dramatically, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. The Greek leader told Stoltenberg that NATO's action had not produced the expected results, and that refugee flows continued unabated from Turkey since Sunday, when the agreement was put into effect. Ankara needs to adhere to its commitments, Greece's government has repeatedly stressed, noting that some 2,500 people have crossed the Aegean since Sunday landing on the Greek islands. The numbers have decrease to about 500 from Tuesday to Wednesday due to the bad weather conditions, according to the Greek side. Several thousand refugees and migrants trapped in Greece since mid-February due to the border closures also are losing their patience, and tensions are escalating. The situation is most problematic especially in Idomeni, according to Greek officials and representatives of humanitarian organizations which have been assisting refugees for months in the area. The Greek government has often called on the 12,000 people at the muddy camp of Idomeni to cooperate with authorities and move to organized hospitality centers across the country to receive sufficient aid, shelter, food and medical care. But most refugees insist on staying in the tent city hoping that the borders will reopen and have staged sit-in protests on a daily basis. Some of them did not allow NGOs to distribute food from Tuesday evening, telling volunteers that they will be on hunger strike until the borders open, according to representatives of the organizations, such as Antonis Rigas, coordinator of the Doctors Without Borders. Due to the unprecedented tension, several organizations have temporarily withdrawn their volunteers, scaling down their operations. During an interview with Greek Alpha radio channel on Wednesday, Greek government spokeswoman Olga Gerovassilis said the situation was under control and that the needs of people in the camp would be covered with the assistance of Armed Forces which are providing food. Flash Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on Wednesday hailed progress in the settlement of the Syria crisis. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) in Moscow on March 23, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] Lavrov said the cease-fire in Syria is strengthening and works generally well, according to an official transcript released by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Lavrov said that both Russia and Germany believed the inter-Syrian dialogue should be held with an authentically inclusive nature as the talks include discussions of foundations of the Syrian government. He reiterated Russia's demand for the participation of Syrian Kurds in the talks. Meanwhile, Lavrov noted that the Russian side is still monitoring the activities on the Syrian-Turkish border, including crossing of militants and illegal oil traffic. "In general, this flow has not run dry altogether, but it has decreased considerably," Lavrov said, adding that both Russian forces in Syria and the U.S.-led coalition are taking responsive measures. For his part, Steinmeier said the political settlement process of the Syria crisis has "never ever managed to advance over the past five years as far as we have today." He stressed that all relevant parties should continue efforts and jointly exert pressure on conflicting parties in Syria in order to guarantee a successful settlement of the crisis. Steinmeier expressed the hope that Turkey would return to the path of reconciliation with different national groups including the Kurds. He also noted that talks on prisoner swap should be arranged as soon as possible between representatives of the Syrian government and opposition forces. "In the end, we should reach an agreement on a unified secular state in Syria where all the ethnic groups could live in peace," Steinmeier said. The latest round of negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition forces is due to finish on Thursday, with the second round coming in April. Flash Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday requested the parliament to form a new government next week in a bid to ease the ongoing political crisis in the country. "It is in the interests of Ukraine that the government should be approved on March 29," Poroshenko told reporters during his visit to the eastern region of Kharkov. Poroshenko said he was ready "to support any candidate for prime minister submitted by the (parliamentary) coalition." He called on the political forces, which formed the ruling parliamentary coalition before its breakdown, to decide on their nominee for prime minister's post and submit the candidacy to the presidential office by the end of the week. The political turmoil started in Ukraine last month after the government led by Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk survived a no-confidence vote in parliament and two political parties quit the ruling coalition, leaving it without the legislative majority needed for passing legislation. To avoid deepening of the crisis, Poroshenko has proposed to reshuffle the coalition and form a new government. The most probable legal options under which the current government could be dissolved are early parliamentary elections or a voluntary resignation of Yatsenyuk. Despite the pressure from the president, Yatsenyuk has not tendered his resignation yet. Ukraine's law stipulates that parliament cannot hold two votes of no confidence in the government in the same session and can only pick the prime minister's replacement after the serving one resigns. Flash The advisor to the United Nations envoy on Syria Wednesday reported further progress in the humanitarian relief efforts in the conflict-battered country, with access to more areas, allowing the delivery of medical kits as well as vaccines for children. Briefing the media in Geneva, Jan Egeland, the Special Advisor to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, said humanitarian convoys have already reached or got verbal Government consent to reach most of the 18 besieged areas, except Darayya and Douma. Last night, an inter-agency convoy of the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent arrived in Al Houla in Homs for the first time since last October. A convoy also reached the Orem area in western Aleppo over the weekend. "We are now up to 384,000 people reached since the beginning of the year via inter-agency convoys in hard-to-reach areas, besieged areas, and other priority cross-line areas," he said. With verbal permissions having just been issued for eight or nine of the 11 areas the UN requested for April, that number is expected to double in the coming weeks, he added. He also reported that medical kits went through to Al Houla after extensive negotiations. But surgical material was again taken off the convoys. "It is a war zone; civilians and others need surgical help," he insisted. Turning to the vaccination campaign, he said vaccinating children is symbolically important in a conflict, and especially in a peace effort. "There is nothing more symbolic than children being able to resume school and being vaccinated against diseases," he said, noting that one million children in hard-to-reach and besieged areas will be vaccinated by the end of April through the facilitation of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Air drops are expected to start in "days and weeks" over Deir ez-Zor, where 200,000 civilians, mostly women and children, are waiting for relief aid, he said. Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported today that it has continued humanitarian operations in Yalda for the sixth consecutive week. A medical team comprised of two medical officers, two nurses and one assistant pharmacist was deployed for the fourth time since February, when the UN agency was allowed to resume operations to support vulnerable civilians from Yarmouk, Yalda, Babila and Beit Saham. The medical team reportedly treated 253 patients today, including 114 women and 78 children, for a range of non-communicable and other common diseases. Flash Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit the United States to attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit on March 31, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. U.S. President Barrack Obama invited the prime minister to attend the conference. "Pakistan's participation in the summit at the level of the prime minister manifests the importance Pakistan attaches to the nuclear security," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said at his weekly news briefing in Islamabad. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to explain his vision on nuclear safety issues. He will meet some world leaders on the sides of the summit. The White House earlier said the summit will continue discussions on the evolving threat and highlight steps that can be taken together to minimize the use of highly-enriched uranium, secure vulnerable materials, counter nuclear smuggling and deter, detect, and disrupt attempts at nuclear terrorism. The first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington D.C. (April 2010) followed by the Summits in Seoul (March 2012) and in The Hague (March 2014). Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif earlier said he "looks forward to having useful exchange of views on bilateral issues"with President Obama during his visit to attend the summit. Talking to the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale in Islamabad on Thursday he said Pakistan is desirous of bringing greater depth and economic substance to its relationship with the United States. He said Pak-U.S. strategic dialogue has been instrumental in identifying the achievements made so far and setting new targets under working groups of the dialogue. Tang Jingling (Photo: courtesy of Radio Free Asia) ChinaAid (Zhaoqing, GuangdongApril 30, 2019) A famed Chinese human rights lawyer was freed and allowed to return to his hometown yesterday, after spending five years in prison on a falsified inciting subversion of state power charge. Tang Jingling, whose clients have included villagers fighting government corruption and victims of illegal land appropriation, was arrested in the days leading up to the 2014 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, which originally took place on June 4, 1989. He was tried in July 2015 along with two other activists and sentenced to five years in prison in 2016. He had previously been detained for five days in 2012, after he investigated the death of human rights defender Li Wangyang. Tang also had his legal license revoked in 2006 because of his tireless protection of Chinese citizens rights. After Tang was freed, he was allowed to return to his hometown of Jingzhou, Hubei. In an interview with the South China Morning Post this morning, Tang said, My imprisonment has confirmed my beliefs that [building] a democratic society that values human rights is the only way to prevent tragedies, such as what happened to me, from happening again to other people. I believe [democracy] is still the way to go [for China] where every citizen can stand up for their rights. Prior to his release, Tang was featured as a member of the China 18, a group of Chinese prisoners of conscience spotlighted by ChinaAid. The group, whose line up changes based on who is currently in prison, initially had 18 members. ChinaAid would like to sincerely thank all those who have prayed for and supported Tang throughout his time in prison. ChinaAid Media Team Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757 Email: [email protected] For more information, click here Q&A: China-US relations (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-03-16 12:06:26 Premier Li Keqiang answers media questions at a news conference after the closing meeting of the fourth session of China's 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 16, 2016.. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn] : I'm with NBC. Respected Premier Li, your work report has outlined steps to China's economic growth, which should help the global economy. But there is one factor of uncertainty and that is the continuing dispute between the world's two largest economies over a range of disputes. So Mr Premier, what do you propose can be done to improve the China-US relationship and address American concerns with respect to market access, investment restrictions, level of fair competition for American companies or fair trading practices that did not steal American jobs, issues that have been raised by some candidates in the current US election campaign. Thank you. Li Keqiang: There are broad interests between China and the United States. There are also some differences between the two countries, and some differences could be quite sharp. There is no need to deny this. For some time it seems that many people have been talking about differences between the two countries, yet at the same time have overlooked one very important thing that happened last year, that is China became the United States top trading partner, with two-way trade reaching $560 billion. This in itself shows that the common interests between the two countries are constantly expanding, and (the common interests) far outweigh their differences. As for how to ensure the healthy development of China-US ties, I believe both countries need to act in keeping with the principles of equality and mutual benefit. Currently the two countries have stated readiness to press ahead with Bilateral Investment Treaty negotiations. China, on its part, will give US investors wider market access in a gradual manner, but we hope such openings would be mutual, and the BIT negotiations should proceed on the basis of seeking mutual benefit. I believe the common interests between us will constantly expand. As for the differences between the two countries, there are up to 100 various dialogue and exchange mechanisms between China and the US. As long as the two sides act with good faith and properly manage their differences, I believe our common interest will further expand. And as our cooperation expands, the number of differences may naturally rise, but the percentage of differences in the overall China-US relationship will only come down. Broader cooperation serves the interests of both countries and the world. Business cooperation between our two countries has always been mutually beneficial, something that I believe the US business people know best. As for the ongoing general election in the US, it has been lively and has caught the eyes of many. I believe that no matter, in the end, who gets into the White House, the underlying trend of China-US ties will not change. It has been several decades since the two countries established diplomatic relations, and the relationship has seen more than a fair share of ups and downs, but it has been always moving forward, which I believe is the underlying trend. A worker looks closely as containers are unloaded in Qingdao Port, Shandong province. China is eager to create a fair investment environment for foreign businesses. [Photo/China Daily] Negotiators have already completed 24 rounds of talks China and the United States should complete negotiations on the bilateral investment treaty before November's US presidential election to prevent potential political intervention, former commerce minister Chen Deming said on Wednesday. His comments came after the US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump pledged to impose tariffs on Chinese products to "level the playing field", even though this would be contrary to the rules of the World Trade Organization. Speaking at the annual Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan province, Chen said China and the US have completed text negotiations on the bilateral investment treaty, or BIT. Both sides are now exploring ways of further shrinking the so-called negative lists before moving on to talks on market access, he said. A "negative list" specifies any bans or limits on foreign investment. Businesses not on such a list are presumed to be unrestricted. This system has been adopted in China's four pilot free trade zones in Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian, which opened in the past two years. But negotiators have yet to decide on the negative lists in the China-US talks. Eager to create a fair investment environment for foreign businesses, China has urged the US to exchange views on the negative lists to conclude the talks. Reuben Jeffery, president of Rockefeller and Co, said the validation of BIT can help both Chinese and US companies operate business in each other's market independently in the long term, instead of looking for local partners to form joint ventures. This would be fairly flexible for them to control their finance operation and make investment decisions. Chinese tourists wait in line to purchase their goods at a cosmetics store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district, Japan, June 17, 2015. [Photo/IC] Chinese consumer confidence has remained surprisingly resilient over the past three years despite the slowing economic growth, as a result of more selective and careful spending, according to a new report from McKinsey & Co. Daniel Zipser, partner in McKinsey's Shanghai office and leader of its China consumer and retail practice, said shoppers have been shifting their focus to premium segments, away from what are considered mass-produced items. Half of the respondents in the McKinsey's 2016 China Consumer Report said they look specifically for the best, most expensive products, a significant increase on previous years. The same share said they are allocating more of their income to lifestyle services and experience spending. "Chinese consumer trends tend to shift in an instant, thanks to the contribution of social media, and at the moment they have turned toward premium products," said Zipser. The research was gathered from 10,000, aged between 18 and 65 in 44 cities, who were given 60-minute face-to-face interviews. Zipser said a rising proportion of Chinese consumers are also focusing their loyalty onto fewer brands, and the number willing to switch to brand names outside their "short list" is dropped sharply. Gong Fang, another partner in McKinsey's Shanghai office, said in the apparel sector, the number of consumers willing to consider a brand they hadn't bought before, dropped from 40 percent in 2012 to just below 30 percent last year. "It is essential for both international and domestic brands to understand and respond to such changes in Chinese spending habits," said Gong. Another major trend was that more Chinese consumers are spending money outside China during overseas trips. The study suggested 70 million Chinese traveled overseas in 2015, making 1.5 trips on average, with shopping an integral part of the experience. Of those, 80 percent made purchases, and nearly 30 percent actually chose destinations based on their shopping opportunities. Among international travelers, around half make their purchases of watches and handbags, while apparel and cosmetics were the most frequently bought categories. "Overseas shopping will remain popular among Chinese consumers who are mostly taking on trips as groups and family units," said Gong. Last year saw a fivefold surge in the number of companies that established buyout funds in China, and already this year another 125 companies have launched funds of this kind, according to new figures published in Securities Daily. In 2015, 365 listed companies launched their own buyout funds, compared with just 71 in the previous year. Thirty companies have launched the funds since the start of March, with investments focused on hot sectors like healthcare, environmental protection, graphene materials, culture and sports, and advanced manufacturing investment. The statistics also show that the fund value of 10 companies reached 1 billion yuan ($154 million), and funds created by Sichuan SCIMEE Technology and Science Co and Jiangsu Jiangnan now top 5 billion yuan in value. In its commentary on the figures, Securities Daily said if a company chose to participate in a merger or acquisition, the possibility of failure was greater than launching buyout funds. It also highlighted that investments in healthcare, especially, are active this year, given the development of the sector has been promoted strongly within the government's recently announced 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). As a result, the capital market is already keeping a close eye on related sectors, including pharmaceuticals, e-commerce and long-distance medical treatment. According to data from Shanghai-based Wind Information Technology Co Ltd, the financial information provider, already this year there have been 51 M&A deals announced in the healthcare and medical sectors, worth 45 billion yuan. Those included a growing number of deals with overseas companies. Jiang Jianguo (second from right), minister of China's State Council Information Office, Justin Yifu Lin (right), honorary dean of the National School of Development at Peking University, former Pakistani prime minister Shaukat Aziz (second left) and Iran's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Ahmad Jalali (left) take part in a panel discussion at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, Hainan province, on Wednesday. [Photo/China Daily] Delegates attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference have called for more dialogue among Asian civilizations, with a high-level conference on this issue expected to be held next year. A mechanism for intercultural exchanges among Asian countries should be established and such exchanges should be held regularly, Jiang Jianguo, minister of the State Council Information Office, said at a panel discussion on Wednesday. The discussion had the theme "Dialogue of Asian Civilizations". "China is promoting a conference for dialogue among Asian civilizations next year, which will be a beginning (for such exchanges)," he said. Jiang added that these exchanges should be conducted on multiple platforms, either official or nonofficial. Media organizations, cultural and religious groups and NGOs all have their roles to play, he said. One year ago, while addressing the opening of the 2015 Boao Forum, President Xi Jinping proposed a conference be held for dialogue among various Asian civilizations to boost regional understanding and cooperation. Delegates attending Wednesday's session agreed that such dialogue is particularly essential at a time when the world is witnessing more conflicts and misunderstandings among civilizations. In response to Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels, Cheng Yung-nien, director of the East Asia Institute at the National University of Singapore, said he does not consider such attacks a result of a clash of civilizationsa theory put forward in the 1990s by US political scientist Samuel Huntington. "Civilizations do not generate clashes themselves, but an improper world order propelled by geopolitics does," Cheng said at the forum. Nada Al-Nashif, assistant director-general of Social and Human Sciences at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said the principles of mutual respect, diversity, tolerance and inclusion should be upheld in cultural exchanges. "Intercultural dialogue denotes an open process of exchange and respect between individuals and groups of different cultures, points of view and aspirations," she said. Justin Yifu Lin, a professor of economics at Peking University, said cultural dialogue should take place on the basis of equal treatment. Countries should have confidence in their own cultures, and respect and learn from each other. "Only in this way, can dialogue among civilizations contribute to a more peaceful world," the academic said. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, South China's Hainan province, March 24, 2016.[Photo by Zou Hong / chinadaily.com.cn] Premier Li Keqiang said at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference on Thursday that there's no foundation for a long-term decline in the value of the yuan. "The renminbi will stabilize at a reasonable level, and China is a responsible world power," said the premier. Such stress comes as markets are concerned about the yuan's slump as a way to boost exports. The country's fundamentals have ruled out the possibility of a long-term depreciation, the premier stated at the forum. The 2016 Boao Forum for Asia is held in South China's Hainan province from Mar 22 to 25. The annual conference aims to open the floor to discuss Asia's New Future, New Dynamics, and New Vision. BOAO - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Boao, South China's Hainan province, March 24, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] BOAO - An Asian financial cooperation association to improve markets and prevent financial turmoil was proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday. "Asia is home to the largest number of emerging economies and has kept up growth momentum," Li told the opening ceremony of the 2016 Boao Forum for Asia. In Asia, developing countries alone recorded average growth of 6.5 percent in 2015, contributing about 44 percent of the world's total growth, he said. "We have reason to be more confident, but we must foster further growth momentum, and play a more important role in the economic recovery of Asia itself and the world at large," he said. He also expressed hope that all countries in the world will deepen cooperation, coordinate policy and oppose protectionism in any form, he said. The Boao Forum, held in China's southernmost province of Hainan, is themed "Asia's New Future: New Dynamics and New Vision" this year. More than 2,000 participants from over 60 countries and regions attend the forum. VLADIVOSTOK - The Primorsky region in the Russian Far East will see more Chinese investment, said Vladimir Miklushevsky, the region's governor. More than half of the foreign trade turnover of Primorsky is connected with Northeast China, Miklushevsky told Xinhua. "We are now working with 200 Chinese companies investing in agriculture, manufacturing as well as trade. And we're very excited to increase this investment flow." He noted that projects in the priority areas of farm products, logistics, industrial and food production have already started in the region. The governor said investors can enjoy a number of tax benefits in those sectors and in the meantime, foreign investment will bring benefits to local residents. Miklushevsky also said cultural, scientific and educational ties is the basis for economic trade relations between the two nations. Despite global financial woes and Russia's economic difficulties, new opportunities are emerging for the region's ties with China, he said. "A huge influx of Chinese tourists visited Primorsky. In 2015, the number of Chinese tourists doubled compared with the previous years, and our tourist income increased 30 percent," said Miklushevsky. The governor said authorities are preparing for this year's East Russia Economic Forum scheduled for Sept. 6-7. "The first forum had a great success, and the Chinese delegation was the largest and the most active one. They showed great interest toward Russia," he added. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, South China's Hainan province, March 24, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua] BOAO, Hainan - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday said Asia should take advantage of human resources to pursue an innovation-driven growth model. Speaking at the 2016 Boao Forum for Asia, Li said Asia needs to count on its some four billion people to achieve sustained prosperity and development. "Asia will have a new future only when we have innovation and skilled people," Li told the forum in Boao, South China's Hainan province. The premier said the region has achieved a "miracle" thanks to the diligence and intelligence of the people and should make more use of those qualities. Innovation is one of the key principles in China's pursuit of an economic transition from growth driven by investment and exports to growth led by consumption. Li said that the region should try to raise productivity of the labor force through education and training, and increase investment in research and development. "We should make use of new models such as the Internet Plus. We should build platforms for innovation cooperation and encourage the sharing of best practices ... to involve the general public, especially young people," he said. "This will help countries in our region to embark on a path of development driven by innovation and growth led by upgrades," he said. The smart manufacturing facilities in Jiangsu Dasheng Group Co Ltd, a textile company in Nantong, Jiangsu province. [Photo/China Daily] The sheer scale of the Chinese market gives the country an edge to develop smart manufacturing, the global chairman of the professional services firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd said. But to succeed, David Cruickshank said, companies not only need to upgrade their systems but also have to extend the scope of smart manufacturing to the entire business. His comments come as the central government is pressing ahead with the Made in China 2025 initiative to encourage companies to apply automation to build more intelligent manufacturing solutions that rely less on labor. It also encourages customization of goods, instead of focusing on mass production. Globally, there are several versions of smart manufacturing: Germany's Industry 4.0 route starts from integrating hardware and software for the manufacturing process and leveraging Internet while in the United States, the concept of Industrial Internet refers to the integration of complex machinery with sensors and software. Cruickshank said it is important to tailor each market with different approaches, taking account of current supply chain and infrastructure. "There are many concepts ... To me the essence is it allows manufacturers to get very close to their end users and to have consumer input into what is being manufactured. "The direct connection bears implication for distribution networks. For example, in the United Kingdom where I am based, high-street retailers are struggling (due to smart manufacturing)," he said. China's biggest strength, according to Cruickshank, is its absolute scale. The huge market means the ability to scale up and respond to consumer trends quickly when you have hundreds of millions of consumers, he said. "The scale of the market gives people opportunities to experience different models... Experimenting different models can happen very easily in China." Lawrence Chia, CEO of Deloitte China, agreed, noting that most multinationals have competed each other in the Chinese market to experiment various techniques. Data show Chinese manufacturers are indeed embracing smart manufacturing with enthusiasm. Industry output value of China's smart manufacturing was about 1 trillion yuan ($153 billion) in 2015 and is expected to exceed 3 trillion by 2020, with an average annual growth of 25 percent. A 2015 Deloitte survey showed 23 percent of the enterprises interviewed have begun to extensively apply intelligent devices in production, up from 11 percent in 2013. But a closer look shows applications concentrate in the auto, construction machinery and power equipment industries. Only 20 percent of enterprises are constructing smart manufacturing systems and even fewer have extended the scope of smart manufacturing to value chain integration and business model optimization. Beyond devices, it's important to invest in systems such as basic IT platforms like enterprise resource planning, Cruickshank said. "You have to have good systems so that good data could come out of it." Sitao Xu, chief economist with Deloitte China, said that massive supply of scientists and engineers is a strength of China. But he noted that the challenge derived from the strength of market of scale, could also be a stumbling block. "Because smart manufacturing is manufacturing in demand. At some point the advantage of size could be less pronounced. Chinese manufacturing in the past has relied so much on scale-up and cluster effect. The very essence of smart manufacturing perhaps require less of that," Xu said. Wang Shouwen, vice-minister of commerce. [Photo provided to China Daily] China's goal to enlarge its import volume over the next five years will stimulate services trade opportunities for developed countries as the government is offering wider market access to global companies, a senior official said on Thursday. Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen said the services sector has become an important driver for China's economic growth and has great significance for the next step in economic restructuring. His comment came hours after Premier Li Keqiang told the annual Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province that China will import more than $10 trillion worth of goods and invest $600 billion overseas in the next five years. Services trade refers to the sale and delivery of an intangible product, such as tourism, financial services and telecommunications services. Thanks to China's rising domestic demand for insurance, culture, telecommunications and information service, the country's services import reached $424.81 billion in 2015, up 18.6 percent on a year-on-year basis, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. "We will import more service business from the United States in the long run, as its services market is quite mature and advanced," said Wang. "They are also keen to invest in healthcare, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals, communication and information services in China, as well as in high-tech industries that are being developed more slowly than the overall pace of development." Eager to enhance their earning abilities, US companies such as coffee chain Starbucks Corp plans to open 500 stores this year in China, its largest foreign market, and aims to create 10,000 jobs a year until 2019. Uber Technologies Inc, the ride-hailing company based in the US, has also committed to invest 6.3 billion yuan ($1 billion) in China to diversify its business, which ranges from transportation services to automotive financing. Even though China's foreign trade value fell to $3.96 trillion in 2015, down 8 percent year-on-year, its foreign trade in goods, export value and total online retail sales ranked first in the world. The country's total retail sales and trade in services ranked second globally during the same period. Josette Sheeran, president of the Asia Society, a nonprofit organization based in New York, said as global economic competition is more intensifying this year, opening more services sectors would provide more opportunities for increased foreign direct investment in China and help contribute to the government's goal of growing the services industry. "As Chinese companies carry out a 'going global' strategy to expand their global presence, they can certainly partner with European and US companies to gain efficient financing, legal and risk management services," said Lin Guijun, a professor of international trade at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. Former World Bank chief economist Lin Yifu. [Photo/VCG] Industrial parks have been successful in kick-starting economic development, even in some of the world's most underdeveloped economies, according to former World Bank chief economist Justin Yifu Lin. "In countries like Ethiopia and Rwanda, ... nobody would have expected a local factory to be a competitive exporter in global markets," Lin told a news conference on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference on Tuesday. Lin said conventional economic wisdom agreed that a shortage of infrastructure and skilled labor were the major bottlenecks that hindered underdeveloped economies. However, the renowned economist said that factories in the industrial parks of such countries had quickly become profitable. Lin said that developing countries can use such an approach to jump-start their economic development, while investors from economies like China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region can find new growth opportunities through participation. Lin unveiled a new index developed by his team to measure the inclusive structural transformation of different economies. The index is based on the New Structural Economics advocated by Lin, who believes that structural changes and an optimal policy mix are the foundation of sustained and inclusive growth during the progressive stages of development. The index focuses on the critical elements of successful economic development strategies and measures a country's performance through industrialization results, environmental protection and supportive macropolicies and micropolicies. The Chinese mainland and the "tiger economies" of Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan have registered good scores on the index, showing that they have the potential to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth over the long term. The Czech Republic, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam and Kenya have the top five highest scores. China's overall score is high due to its strength in manufacturing, which compensates for a relatively bad environmental score. European economies are balanced and have also registered good scores on the index. BOAO - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2016 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia, held in China's Hainan, on Thursday morning. The theme for this year's conference is "Asia's New Future: New Dynamics and New Vision." Eight years have passed since the occurrence of the international financial crisis, but its profound impacts have not been eliminated, the premier said. The recovery remains uneven in the emerging economies and sluggish in the developed ones, Li said. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, South China's Hainan province, March 24, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua] BOAO - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday that Asian countries should keep peace and stability in the region and work together to maintain Asia as the key driver for the world economy. One important reason why Asia had achieved a rapid growth over the past decades is that the region kept a generally peaceful and stable environment, Li said when addressing the opening ceremony of the 2016 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan province. Dialogue and cooperation is the golden key, the premier said. He stressed that, inspired by history and experiences after the WWII, Asian countries should be good neighbors and friends and not be disturbed by minor frictions and contradictions, no matter what stage of development they are in. Citing views that the Asian economy is in a difficult situation, Li called for coordination and united efforts to overcome difficulties. This year's meeting in Boao, Hainan, from March 22 to 25, is themed "Asia's New Future: New Dynamics and New Vision." More than 2,000 participants from over 60 countries and regions attend the forum. The event features discussions on the macro-economy, politics, entrepreneurship, innovation, the Internet, public well-being and culture. View of a stand of Letv during an exhibition in Hong Kong, China, Dec 2, 2015. [Photo/IC] Technology major LeEco Holdings Co Ltd is gearing up to become a global company with plans to enter several overseas markets within the year. Hank Liu, cofounder and vice-chairman of LeEco, formerly known as LeTV, said on Wednesday that it has targeted the United States and India as its two major markets outside China in 2016. "The year 2016 marks the beginning of our globalization. We don't make it a goal to overtake tech giants, such as Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc or Tesla Motors Inc. But we do have an ambition to become a globalized company, because all great companies are globalized," Liu said on the sidelines of the 2016 Boao Forum for Asia, in Boao, Hainan province. According to Liu, LeEco recently entered the US and India markets by opening online channels to sell its smartphones and smart televisions. "Later in the first half of this year, we will make a major foray into Southeast Asia and in the second half of this year, we will enter the Russian market," he said. He said the Beijing-based firm, which sells Internet-enabled devices that are bundled with video contents in China, is going to replicate its business model in overseas markets. He refused to reveal the amount of money LeEco plans to pour for the ambitious globalization strategy. But he said the investment will mainly be used to make sure its overseas users have great experience of watching online videos and have a rich selection of video contents to choose from. "We use different strategies to get contents into different markets. In the US, we adopt a strategy to open our platform to content producers, allowing them to reach audiences through our channel. And in some other countries, we could invest or even buy up some studios, so that we could produce our own programs." LeEco's newly launched Super TV X65 equipped with a 65-inch 4K screen is priced at 4,999 yuan ($769) in China. Some analysts argued that LeEco could never make profit by setting the price this low. But Liu said the company has no intention to make money from selling devices. "We had 12 million paid subscribers for our TV contents alone in 2015," he said. The reason LeEco chose US and India as the top priorities for overseas expansion is that the market in the US is very developed with cutting-edge tech companies while India is the most important emerging economy with a large population. "If we could be successful in those two markets, we can be successful around the world," he said, adding being successful means that LeEco needs to become one of the top three players there not only in terms of market shares but also in the number of users. The company has a unique business model that is based on the so-called ecosystem, covering smart devices, video contents and now electric cars. Belgian King Philippe delivers a speech from Brussels Royal Palace following bomb attacks in Brussels and Belgium's National airport of Zaventem , Belgium March 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] The terrorist attacks at the airport and a subway station in Brussels on Tuesday came just a few days after the Belgian police captured Salah Abdeslam, the suspected leader of November's Paris attacks, in a recent raid. It is both astonishing and lamentable that Belgium, a European Union member state known for its generosity toward immigrants and its diverse culture has fallen prey to terror attacks. It seems something is wrong with the social governance and security situation in the European Union. It is noteworthy that Islamic extremism, one of the biggest security concerns for the EU, has actually developed from within. Marginalized, cold-shouldered and radicalized, these extremists have European identities, a clear understanding of what is going on in their neighborhoods, and deep grudges against society. These "forgotten ones" are easy targets for religious extremism, as they lack any sense of belonging. They constitute a major threat to regional stability and will continue to be one, if local governments refrain from making efforts to bridge the gap between the haves and the havenots. Following the EU's expansion and integration, the massive inflows and outflows of people within EU borders, have become a headache for many countries' security authorities, as terrorists have even plotted cross-border assaults under the cover of the "free migration" in Europe. Intelligence activities and the surveillance of certain individuals often involve sovereignty and state secrets, and European countries, especially those with less intelligence resources, always find it difficult to keep a closer eye on local security affairs and prepare for latent dangers. In fact, "Western liberalism" seems to have resulted in European governments gradually losing their control over security, as they have allowed terrorists to disseminate extremism and recruit terrorists via the Internet. Given the increasing number of terrorist attacks inside the EU community, the price for freedom may be too high for all economies, many of which are already struggling to fight back in the face of the barbaric attacks. For them, it is almost impossible to safeguard their national security with just their own strengths. However, the prospects of other options, including soliciting support from a unified European security agency and a total retreat back to original borders, are equally dimthe former is not in line with the sovereignty of countries, while the latter is hardly possible. The author is an associate professor at the University of International Relations, and a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization. Dozens detained by police; top prosecutors will oversee the case Premier Li Keqiang said there will be no leniency for anyone involved in a vaccine scandal that has shocked the nation and ignited wide public concern about vaccine safety. Li pledged on Tuesday to punish officials who are proven to have been derelict in their duty in the distribution of the possibly ineffective vaccines, according to the State Council website. Investigations into the matter are continuing. Police in Shandong province said improperly stored or expired vaccines, worth more than 570 million yuan ($88 million), were apparently sold in more than 20 provincial-level areas since 2011. Wu Zhen, deputy head of the China Food and Drug Administration, pledged strict measures on Wednesday to close loopholes in the distribution system. "The scandal has revealed problems in the distribution of vaccines," he said on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province. The administration said on Tuesday that it has given local authorities until Friday to find out who bought the mishandled vaccines to ease public concern. In addition, police in Shandong have detained 37 suspects implicated in the scandal, including a mother and daughter alleged to have illegally sold the improperly stored or expired vaccines, and people at three pharmaceutical companies, according to the work group handling the case. Police in Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces also have reported detaining suspects. The Supreme People's Procuratorate announced on Tuesday that it will directly oversee the case and urged prosecuting bodies at all levels to spare no effort in their investigations. Prosecutors throughout the country are expected to work closely with local police and drug administrations to uncover the manufacturing sources, circulation channels and buyers of the inferior products. Wu said the administration would work closely with law enforcement. He added that the distribution and use of vaccines are generally well-managed under existing rules, especially the 14 vaccines included in the nation's routine immunization program. Vaccines involved in the recent scandal are considered Category 2 vaccines, including those against meningitis and rabies, among other pathogens. Category 2 vaccines are administered upon request, and people pay for them. Industry insiders said that, unlike the strictly managed vaccines of Category 1, loopholes and room for profit exist in Category 2. A confused public may not be able to tell the difference. Some parents have reportedly held back their babies from the routine immunization program for fear of getting a bad dose. Public health experts, including those from the World Health Organization, urged the Chinese public to stick to routine immunization programs, which are vitally important to both individual and public health. Improperly stored or expired vaccines can lose potency and become less effective, but they pose a very small risk of causing a toxic reaction, a statement issued by the WHO China office said on Tuesday. The organization also expressed its willingness to provide support. A vaccine rendered ineffective through age or improper storage could fail to protect the recipient against infectious diseases, which creates a public health challenge, according to Gao Fu, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Xiong Huang, deputy head of the information office of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said there has been no increase in reports of side effects after vaccinations so far. Mao Chaofeng, executive deputy governor of Hainan province, is interviewed after a news conference on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia on March 23, 2016. [Photo by Huang Yiming/China Daily] For the first time, people attending the Boao Forum for Asia have been able to take flightseither direct from overseas or via connecting cities on the mainlandto the coastal town of Boao on the east side of Hainan Island, instead of having to fly into Haikou or Sanya. "This year's forum is a little bit different from previous years," said Mao Chaofeng, executive deputy governor of Hainan province, during a news conference on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday. "Many participants of the forum and media representatives had the chance to take a direct flight to Boao Airport, which was still an area of waste ground this time last year." Boao Airport, which began operations on March 17, not only makes it much easier for forum participants to access the resort town but also eases the way for many tourists who visit the area. The airport is designed to be able to accommodate 480,000 passengers and handle 1,440 metric tons of cargo annually by 2020. The facility is part of Hainan's transportation upgrade and fits in with the tropical island's aspiration to grow into a global tourism destination by the end of the decade. According to this year's Government Work Report for Hainan, in addition to the establishment of Boao Airport, the province plans to expand existing airports at Haikou and Sanya this year and build another airport in Danzhou within the next three years. Hainan's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) says the province is expecting to see more than 80 million tourists a year by 2020, with 1.2 million of those coming from overseas. Total tourism revenue is expected to pass 100 billion yuan ($15.2 billion) by then, and better connectivity is seen as a key component of the expansion in tourism. "In 2015, we had 19 airlines connecting to 11 countries. This year, we will keep up our efforts and do our best to connect to all major source countries of Hainan's inbound tourism," said Sun Ying, head of the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Commission. "For those countries already connected by air travel, we will add more flights." In recent years, Hainan has lost ground in the face of fierce competition from resorts in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, where tourism facilities and services were more mature. "Hainan is as good as or even better than surrounding islands when talking about scenery and the ecosystem," Sun said. However, the province needs to increase direct flights to other countries and further promote the visa-free policies to boost its tourism development, she said. China plans to build its own ocean-drilling research vessel to enhance the country's exploration of deep-sea resources, according to an expert. The vessel, dubbed Dream, would be the third in the world if completed, following the United States' JOIDES Resolution and Japan's Chikyu, or Earth. A feasibility study into the vessel's construction has already begun, according to Wu Lixin, head of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, which is spearheading the project. Wu, who is also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, believes building Dream would boost the development of deep-sea related technology in China and enhance the country's reputation for making such equipment. The ultimate aim is drilling into the Earth's mantle, he said, a feat that has yet to be achieved. A series of projects concerning deep-sea research and exploration were included in China's 13th Five-Year Plan as the country looks to build itself into a maritime power. Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology was officially put into operation last October. Scientists from 11 marine-related organizations, including the Ocean University of China and the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will be involved in the laboratory's research. With a total investment of 1.3 billion yuan ($200 million), the laboratory covers an area of 150,000 square meters and has eight main labs covering research areas such as marine and climate change, evolution and protection of marine environments, and sustainable use of marine biological resources. The laboratory is expected to become one of the world's top five oceanographic research institutions within the next three years, competing with the likes of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the United States, and the National Oceanographic Center of Britain, Wu said. Police officers in Beijing will be better protected following an attack earlier this month that left a policeman hospitalized with a stab wound to the neck, the city's police authority has pledged. Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau made a statement on Thursday, saying it will safeguard officers' rights while they are performing their duties. It follows the attack on March 4 that the bureau describes as the most violent on an officer in recent history. Chen Jia, a policeman in the city's Haidian district, was injured by an unlicensed fruit vendor while seizing the latter's van and removing it from the road. According to the bureau, 109 cases involving infringement of officer's rights and 49 injuries have been reported since the beginning of this year. In relation to these cases, 120 perpetrators have been detained. Despite a slow economy and stock market turmoil at home, people from the Chinese mainland spent $215 billion traveling abroad in 2015, 53 percent more than in 2014, according to a global report on travel and tourism. Travel and tourism spending grew globally by 3.1 percent, contributing 9.8 percent to global GDP, according to the annual report released on Monday by the World Travel and Tourism Council, a London-based nonprofit that researches the global effect of tourism. The industries now support 284 million jobs, an increase of 7.2 million. "Terror attacks, disease outbreaks, currency fluctuations and geopolitical challenges have impacted the sector at a country or regional level, but travel and tourism at the global level continue to produce another robust performance," said Council president David Scowsill. China's outbound spending was not matched by incoming travelers, the report said, with spending by foreign visitors increasing just 3 percent last year. Chinese favor longer haul destinations such as Europe and Oceania, while severe declines were experienced in places such as Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the report said, citing local factors without further explanation. Japan was one of the biggest beneficiaries from China's outbound travel boom last year due to the devaluation of Japanese currency and a relaxed visa policy for Chinese tourists, the council said. Spending by Chinese tourists in Japan grew by almost half compared with 2014. The report put China ahead of the US and other developed countries as the top global source of tourists, both in the number of trips made and money spent on overseas trips. The China National Tourism Administration and the United Nations World Tourism Organization said Chinese mainland tourists made a record 120 million trips overseas last year, making one in every 10 international travelers from China. Council president David Scowsill said China had made unparalleled investment in infrastructure, creating a good foundation for the further expansion of tourism. "Interest in inbound tourism into China will thrive if there is resolve on continuing visa facilitation into the country and focusing on strong destination promotion," Scowsill said. The strong US dollar helped increase travel to favorite destinations for US vacationers, including Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Spending by US travelers abroad increased 6.3 percent in 2015; spending by foreign visitors to Canada grew 8.5 percent and increased 28.9 percent to Mexico, the council reported. A woman pushes a stroller past Xiamen Bank in Xiamen city, East China's Fujian province, on May 3, 2014. [Photo/IC] XIAMEN -- A bank in East China's Fujian province has issued the first cross-Straits debit card, in association with a Taiwan duty-free shop chain. The debit card was unveiled on Wednesday at Xiamen Bank, a mainland bank with investment from Taiwan. The card can be used in Taiwan with preferential treatment in duty-free outlets affiliated with Ever Rich D.F.S Corp., the bank's partner. Card holders can withdraw money from all ATMs in Taiwan without commission and are entitled to various business services. More than 3.4 million trips were made from the mainland to Taiwan in 2015. Duty-free shops in Taiwan are among the most popular destinations. Xiamen Bank was founded in 1996. In 2008, it became the first commercial bank on the mainland to draw Taiwan capital, with Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd. as a strategic investor. XINING - Police in Northwest China's Qinghai province have captured two suspects and seized more than 50 kg of heroin in Southwestern Yunnan province during a recent drug bust. In 2014, police in Xining city, capital of Qinghai, have found people trafficking and selling drugs from Yunnan to Qinghai and Gansu provinces. Shortly after, they launched a team to investigate the case. Police investigated and searched over 10 cities for more than a year and they learnt in February that the suspects would be in Yunnan in a new drug trafficking attempt. On March 16, police detained a suspect surnamed Ma in a hotel in Yunnan and seized 3.1 kg heroin at the scene. On March 19, another suspect, also surnamed Ma, was caught in a parking lot along with over 48 kg of heroin. Further investigation is underway. The maximum sentence for anyone convicted of selling or producing more than 50 grams of heroin is the death penalty. Students majoring in counterterrorism at the People's Public Security University of China attend a physical combat training session. Zhang Wei / China Daily Deadly terror attacks at home and abroad have spurred China's efforts to develop counterterrorism personnel to confront extremist threats. Since 2014, the People's Public Security University of China has recruited two classes of 80 students each to major in counterterrorism and receive additional military training in weapons and intelligence gathering. "We urgently need to train counterterrorism specialists to improve our preventive and terror-fighting capabilities to cope with serious terrorist incidents," said Mei Jianming, director of the Counterterrorism Research Center at the university, which is the first in China to train such professionals. In recent years, terrorists have incited hostilities and launched terror attacks across the country including in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region that killed or injured hundreds of people. The four-year counterterrorism program which enrolls students who have passed not only the national university entrance exam but also physical and psychological tests includes training in investigation, technology, strategy and tactics, as well as international judicial cooperation, said Xu Meng, a physical training instructor at the college. "Attention will be given to their physical training and overall strategic research. They will also learn to use weapons, including submachine guns and sniper rifles," he said. The first recruits include 27 female students. Shi Zhuoran, 19, a freshman from Xinjiang, said the region is the key battleground for combating terror attacks and has a strong need for special counterterrorism personnel. "It's my dream to be a counterterrorism officer," she said. "I hope I will grasp more strategy and tactical anti-terror methods, then contribute more to the country after my graduation." Mei, the center's director, said most of the graduates will join counterterrorism departments under the Ministry of Public Security or in local public security units. China created counterterrorism departments in public security agencies at the national, provincial and municipal levels in 2001, but there was a shortage of specialists. "To tackle the increasing threat of terrorist attacks, it's more than necessary to enhance counterterrorism law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries, including the United States, Pakistan, Israel, Russia and some European countries," Mei said last week. The university has 30 senior professors and has invited counterterrorism experts to serve as visiting professors from the US, Israel, Pakistan and Australia to help train the anti-terror specialists. "The US and Israel have rich experience in combating terrorism. The US is advanced in overall strategic research, and Israel is proficient at tactical actions in fighting terrorism," he said. The university also intends to regularly send its best students to the US and Europe to participate in anti-terror training programs to get practical experience. The Ministry of Public Security said it will strengthen judicial cooperation with Interpol, which will offer more internships for Chinese students in its member states. Vaccines are adequately refrigerated at a community health service center in Xiacheng district, Hangzhou, March 22. [Photo/VCG] Most of the problematic vaccines involved in a recent illegal sale case have been used, and flaws in supervision of vaccine distribution are to blame, officials said at a news conference on Thursday. Shandong police announced recently that they had arrested a mother and daughter alleged to have illegally sold improperly stored or expired vaccines worth more than 570 million yuan ($87.5 million) across 20 provinces since 2011. About 20,000 unused doses of the vaccines have been found so far, and investigations are underway to locate other vaccines, said Hua Jingfeng, deputy director of the Public Security Management Department at the Ministry of Public Security. Officials from the top health and drug safety authorities also attended the news conference. More than 130 suspects involved in the case have been detained, Hua said. About 30 drug distribution companies were found to be illegally trading the vaccines and selling them to 16 vaccination outlets. According to Shandong police, the mother and daughter purchased 25 types of vaccines from more than 100 pharmaceutical salespeople, both licensed and unlicensed, and sold them to illegal agents or even local disease control and prevention centers at higher prices. All of the vaccines involved are in Category 2. Unlike Category 1 vaccines, which are compulsory and free, Category 2 vaccines are provided upon request to recipients, who must pay for them. Yu Jingjin, head of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said some vaccination clinics might have knowingly purchased Category 2 vaccines from unlicensed suppliers to increase their profits. So far, there has not been an increase in the number of reports of vaccination-related side effects, he said, citing a nationwide surveillance network for adverse reactions to vaccines. Li Guoqing, a division director of the China Food and Drug Administration, said the case has exposed lax supervision of the distribution of Category 2 vaccines. The vaccines involved were close to their expiration date, he said, noting that illegal suppliers cannot ensure proper storage or transportation. Expired vaccines can fail to protect recipients against infections, but "they pose a very small risk of causing a toxic reaction", the World Health Organization's China office said in a statement on Tuesday. "The suspects are taking advantage of this and have sold the vaccines mainly to rural or township vaccination clinics," Li said. [Photo provided to China Daily] If Batman v Superman does well in China, DC Comics would throw a challenge at Marvel in the world's second-largest movie market, Xu Fan reports. Even for Chinese who aren't familiar with DC Comics or the American superhero characters they bring to the world, the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would be charming. The cinematic adaptation, involving two of DC's most famous characters in its 80-year history, will debut on the Chinese mainland on Friday. It premiered in the United States on Sunday. The title straightforwardly tells the story. Concerned that Superman's unchecked powers may become a threat to the world, Batman, the billionaire crime-fighter from fictional Gotham City, prepares to confront Earth's protector, whose day job is that of a reporter. But in the end they instead join forces to fight Superman's arch enemy, Lex Luthor. American actor Ben Affleck, known for his Oscar-winning political thriller Argo, plays Batman, while British actor Henry Cavill, whose Man of Steel (2013) is to date the highest-grossing Superman film, reprises his role as the ex-Krypton (fictional planet) being. The movie also raises the question of who is the bigger superhero. In China, the question extends to DC and its main competitor Marvel Comics, another creator of superhero characters in the United States. China became the world's second-largest movie market after the US in 2012, replacing Japan. The Avengers movie, based on the Marvel series of the same name, was also that year's top blockbuster in China. In 2015, the sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron, followed Hollywood's action-packed Fast and Furious 7 to become the second highest-grossing foreign film on the mainland. It helped China's box-office profit climb 48 percent from the year before. Lagging behind Marvel, DC is now seen as setting its hopes of capturing the Chinese market on Batman v Superman. So promotional activities for the movie in China have been upscale. Police control the access to the central train station following bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Tragic. Horrific. Devastating. No adjective can describe what happened in Brussels on Tuesday. Just like no adjective could describe the Paris attacks on Nov 13. Indeed, no security is secure enough to stop people from blowing themselves up in the name of religion, albeit driven by the blatantly wrong interpretation of faith. The world, from New York and London to Mumbai and Beijing, has seen what youths under the influence of self-proclaimed protectors of religion can do. The so-called war on terror has been raging since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. It started against al-Qaida. Before al-Qaida it was the Taliban that was the scourge of humanity. And even before Osama bin Laden was gunned down in Pakistan's Abbottabad in May 2011, Boko Haram was wreaking havoc in Nigeria and other African countries. And then from the battlegrounds of Iraq and Syria emerged a dastardly force giving sleepless nights to people across the world. The Islamic State group is by far the most dreaded religious outfit in history, and its leaders use the most sophisticated means to recruit youths and indoctrinate them with a distorted version of religion to turn them into brutal killers and mobile grenades. They have a way with the Internet, their propaganda literature is designed to fool and lure youths, their recruitment process uses filters to draw the most dogmatic youths as well as to preempt infiltration by suspected "saboteurs", and their brutality is aimed at spreading fear not only among their "enemies" but also among their own members to prevent them from even thinking of leaving the outfit. For the IS, a Paris or a Brussels seems to be a means to an endspreading the fear of another attack so that government organizations go into a frenzy and launch intelligence and security operations that unwittingly inconvenience people of a particular faith. The more suspicious government organizations become of members of a certain community, the more its youths will feel wronged and the more they will be drawn toward the IS. The IS orchestrated the Brussels attacks just days after the arrest of the prime suspect of the Paris attacks Salah Abdeslam from the Molenbeek neighborhood of the Belgian capital. Children of the faith that the IS claims to represent are among the most marginalized in the world, overwhelmed by the vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance, and are thus easy prey for terrorist outfits. The world has been fighting terrorism for decades, more intensely over the past decade and a half. Yet terrorism has grown from strength to strength. Counter force just doesn't seem to be working. And the interventions in Afghanistan, and Iraq, Libya, Syria and other Middles East countries have worsened the situation. Perhaps it is time to counter terrorism with information. The IS' network is deep, wide and extensive, because youths have co-opted be part of the terrorist outfit's offshoots in countries not only in the Middle East but also Europe and Asia, even the United States. No religion, not even the one that IS claims to be the flag-bearer of, tells its followers to kill fellow human beings or blow themselves. Why cannot we teach the children born into a certain community this fact? Why have we forgotten our responsibility to "save the children that have not tasted human blood"? Why cannot we launch a counter propaganda war against terrorism outfits like the IS? Why cannot we seek the help of religious heads of a certain community to spread the true message of God? Experience shows the decimation of a terrorist outfit gives rise to a more savage force. So let us not turn the fight against terrorism into a clash of human civilizations, because it is a clash to save human civilization. Only when the world realizes this fact can it save itself from not only terrorism but also all forms of savagery and oppression. The author is a senior editor with China Daily. oprana@hotmail.com A Chinese medical worker prepares to vaccinate a young kid at a hospital in Shanghai, China, March 20, 2016. [Photo/IC] One after another there have been postings on social media about the "dangers of vaccines" after a network illegally storing and selling vaccines was busted by the police. One of the most popular posts was one titled "Tragedies Caused by Vaccines", which blamed vaccine injections for the deaths and disabilities of 19 children, it was reposted many times accompanied by calls to "boycott vaccines". What these posts will never tell you is that there is always a slight possibility that children will suffer an adverse reaction to a vaccine. Vaccines are inactivated pathogens, and they work by prompting the human immune system to produce antibodies to fight similar pathogens in the future. While most people do produce the desired antibodies after receiving a vaccine injection, a few, perhaps one in a million, will have adverse reactions because of their specific immunity conditions. This is what the Japanese call "a demon draws lots", because although the possibility is low the unlucky person suffers a lot. Even if the vaccine is a genuine product, properly stored, there is always that possibility. Sometimes poor quality vaccines or irregular operation during their injection might cause adverse reactions, too, but the probability of that is also very low. However, that's fundamentally different from the current vaccine scandal in which over 300 suspects sold more than 20,000 improperly acquired and stored vaccine shots, worth more 570 million yuan ($88 million), to health centers in 24 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions nationwide. Vaccines must be kept at a temperature between 2 and 8 degrees Centigrade during storage and transportation, but the illegal dealers failed to do that; as a result, the vaccines they sell are no longer effective. Those being injected with the vaccine will still get sick when infected with the pathogen the vaccine is supposed to protect against. This might have serious consequences, even cause fatalities, as the vaccines are for protection against serious diseases. The authorities announced on Monday that those illegally selling the vaccine will be investigated and punished. But punishments should also be given to those in the health departments and the enforcers of the regulations that have failed in their duties, and the holes in the fences must be closed. China's Global Newspaper Sorry, the page you requested was not found. Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Chinadaily.com.cn, try visiting the Chinadaily home page File photo of Chien-Shiung Wu Chien-Shiung Wu spent most of her life in the United States, but the Chinese-American nuclear physicist is at least as well known, if not much more, among the Chinese than among Americans. On March 17, the US Department of Energy website published an article eulogizing Wu's many achievements during National Women's History Month this month. The article appeared at an interesting time when US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, also a nuclear physicist, was visiting China ahead of the Fourth Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington later this month. President Xi Jinping and leaders from more than 50 countries are expected to attend the summit. Known as the "Chinese Madame Curie", "First Lady of Physics", "Queen of Nuclear Research" and "Dragon Lady" by her Columbia University students after a character in a popular comic strip, Wu was born in Shanghai on May 31, 1912, and grew up in Liuhe, a town in Taicang of Jiangsu province. It was a year after the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was overthrown in a revolution led by Dr Sun Yat-sen, who founded China's first republic. Wu was lucky at a time of few educational opportunities for women in China. She attended the Ming De School, an elementary school for girls founded in 1913 by her father, Wu Zhongyi. On May 31, 2012, a ceremony was held there to celebrate both her and the school's centennials. It was attended by her son Vincent Wei-chen Yuan, also a nuclear scientist, and several other family members. After graduating a top student from Suzhou No. 2 Women's Normal School in 1929, Wu, known widely on the Chinese mainland today as Wu Zhenxiong, was enrolled in the National Central University (now Nanjing University) from 1930-1934 to study mathematics and then physics. During that time, she also taught at the Public School of China in Shanghai, where she became a student of famed philosopher Hu Shih, a student of American philosopher John Dewey. Hu was president of the school and later Republic of China's ambassador to the US from 1938 to 1942. It was not sure if this relationship had an impact on Wu's outspokenness against political injustice throughout her life. In August 1936, Wu boarded the steamship President Hoover to pursue further study in the US. The same ship, which provides trans-Pacific service between San Francisco and the Far East, ran aground in December 1937 off the Taiwanese coast, fortunately with no life lost. Instead of attending the University of Michigan as planned, Wu went to the University of California, Berkeley. The decision was made after a field trip there where she met Luke Chia-Liu Yuan, grandson of Yuan Shikai, the first president of the Republic of China. Luke Yuan, a physicist also known as Yuan Jialiu, married Wu in 1942. BEIJING - China urged Japan to stick to the path of peaceful development and promote regional peace and stability on Wednesday. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet made the decision on Tuesday that the controversial new security-related legislation will become effective on March 29, marking the first overhaul of the country's exclusively defensive posture in about seven decades. The new security legislation gives a green light for the first time since the end of WWII to Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to engage armed conflicts overseas. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that due to historical reasons, policy moves taken by Japan in the military and security fields have been closely watched by its Asian neighbors and the international community. Last week, more than 5,000 protesters rallied in downtown Tokyo opposing security legislation. A Virgin Atlantic passenger plane flies in the sky with the moon seen in the background in London, Britain, Jan 19, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] The Chinese passenger who was allegedly verbal-assaulted and threatened on board a Virgin Atlantic flight said on Wednesday she has sought legal advice from a British law firm and will not rule out the possibility of escalating the case to court. The victim, Li Wei, said British law firm, Jackson Ng of Chan Neill Solicitors, is now in contact with the airline on whether or not the incident consisted of legal liability and negligence of duty. As of to date, Virgin Atlantic has not issued any formal apology to the passenger. Below is the statement released by Passenger Li Wei: The last few days have been very difficult for me, especially since the flight where I was humiliated, abused, and had to sit through the entire flight in fear. As I previously stated, I did not expect to have been treated the way by representatives of Virgin Atlantic after a humiliating racial discrimination and abuse incident by a fellow passenger. Regardless of the fellow passenger's state of health, I expected much more from Virgin Atlantic in dealing with such incidents, especially before the plane had taken off. As such, I have consulted British lawyers and as of this morning, instructed a firm of lawyers to communicate with Virgin Atlantic on the issue of the failings of their legal responsibilities to me. As this matter could potentially end up in a Court of Law, it would be prudent for me not to make any further comments publicly and I would respectfully ask that all media enquiries be directed to my lawyer, Jackson Ng of Chan Neill Solicitors in London, United Kingdom. I have always been proud to be Chinese and glad to see that many people are shocked that something of this nature could happen. Therefore, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have given me support and for publicising this matter." The incident took place on March 1, 2016, when Li Wei was verbally abused by a Caucasian male passenger and later one of the flight attendants on a London flight en route to Shanghai. According to Li, a Caucasian male began hurling racial epithets such as "f*cking Chinese pig", "get the fk out of here" at her and swearing without any provocation. The incident went from bad to worse when a flight attendant approached the victim threatening to have her taken away from the plane if she did not stop quarreling. WASHINGTON - US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday that Europe must accelerate efforts against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in the wake of terror attacks in Brussels. "The thing that I think the Brussels event is going to further signify to Europeans is that as we (U.S. military) have been accelerating our campaign to defeat ISIL (another acronym for IS) in Syria, in Iraq and elsewhere, they need to accelerate their efforts," said Carter in an interview with CNN. Meanwhile, Carter said that the influence of IS has already spilled out of its strongholds in Iraq and Syria. "It is not enough that we defeat them in Iraq and Syria. What Brussels tell us is that they have sympathizers, people who are Belgians or French, who live there already," said Carter. "Therefore, an important part of the fight is also going to be a homeland security, intelligence and law enforcement fight." At least 34 people were killed and more than 180 others injured in explosions on Tuesday at the Brussels airport and on a city subway train close to the European Union institutions, according to the latest figures from the Belgian federal prosecutor. European countries have stepped up security measures and are seeking solidarity in confronting terrorism. Cindy Pease Roe in Beijing meets with students at the BN Vocational School, a charity school for the children of rural migrant workers, and shares her stories about the ocean and whales. [Photo by Yan Dongjie/chinadaily.com.cn] In her 30 years of sailing and living on the coasts of North America and Europe, American artist Cindy Pease Roe has witnessed the ocean change. In the first 20 years, the small, beautiful boatyards and whaling harbors were the most impressive elements in Roe's memory. "I see these boatyards go away every day, and I want to capture them when I can before they go," said Roe, explaining how her life with ocean-and-coast art started. In the past 10 years, Roe noted all the plastic, rope and other waste washing up on the beach, threatening the sea and the marine life in it. So Roe started using the waste she found on the shore to create art that respects the beach and the sea. Whales became a favorite subject. "Whales represent a big idea and a big change. They are the largest animals in the world, and we don't really understand them," Roe said, adding that her art is a way to reduce pollution and at the same time call people's attention to life in the sea. "Whether you are 3 years old or 100, looking at these works, it's interesting," Roe said. Roe said that when people see her work, the first thing they say is "Oh this is fun!" and as they get closer and see what they (the artworks) are made of, they can appreciate marine life and better understand how trash impacts these animals. Cindy Pease Roe is traveling in China, bringing her works and ideas to protect the ocean and marine life. She met with students at the BN Vocational School, a charity school for the children of rural migrant workers, and shared her stories about the ocean and whales. Roe made three monkeys for her trip to China with ropes she found on the beach because she knows it's the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese lunar calendar. After a speech, Roe starts to create whales on site at the school, and she looks for useful materials in a rubbish heap. Roe brought the special glues and tools she needs for making a waste whale, and the students get the chance to try making their own with their own hands. As the glue can be really hot when melting, Roe is busy walking around the student groups, making sure that they are correctly and safely using the tools. Although Roe and the students have no way to talk as neither side speaks the other's language, they don't have a barrier communicating with art. Roe says that she very much enjoys spending time with Chinese youth. BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping's three-day visit to the Czech Republic beginning on March 28 will bring bilateral cooperation and friendship for a brighter future, a commentary published on Thursday's edition of the People's Daily said. Hailing the visit, the first one by China's head of state to the Czech Republic since the two nations established diplomatic relations 67 years ago, as significant, the commentary said that the people in both countries are expecting the visit to push the Sino-Czech relations to a new level. Bilateral ties have entered a new phase that witnesses the fastest development with the most fruitful results in history, according to the commentary. So far, the Czech Republic has become the second biggest trading partner of China in the Central and Eastern European region, and China has been the Czech Republic's second biggest trading partner in the world, only next to the European Union (EU). In 2015, two-way trade topped 11 billion U.S. dollars. The commentary said China's Belt and Road initiative has presented unprecedented opportunities for the cooperation between the two nations, boosting the integration of their major development strategies, plans and policies as well as practical cooperation. It also hoped the two nations will broaden their people-to-people exchange as China and the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) are celebrating a year of people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The fast development of Sino-Czech ties accompanied the tide of strengthened cooperation between China and the CEEC, according to the commentary. It said Xi's visit will also inject new vitality into China-CEEC cooperation, calling on the two sides to cherish opportunities of joint development. BEIJING -- China will work with the international community to ensure the success of the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit, Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said Thursday. Li made the remarks at a press briefing on President Xi Jinping's attendance at the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, which will be held in Washington, the United States, from March 31 to April 1. During the summit, Xi will deliver a keynote speech on China's new measures and new achievements in nuclear security, and raise practical proposals on strengthening global nuclear security, said Li. President Xi's participation demonstrates China's positive and constructive attitude to working together with other countries to build an international nuclear security system and enhance nuclear global governance, the official said. China hopes that the summit will continuously step up the international consensus on nuclear security to effectively handle new circumstances and new challenges, and promote capacity building for various countries to implement nuclear security obligations and political commitments, he said. China also hopes the summit will boost international cooperation on nuclear security and create a shared culture of nuclear security, Li added. He said China will work with parties concerned to make contributions to the construction of a fair, cooperative and win-win international nuclear security system and improve the levels of global nuclear security. President Xi will meet with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit, Li said, noting it will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. He said the president will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Prior to the summit, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28 to 30 at the invitation of Czech President Milos Zeman, said Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing. Xi's visit to the Czech Republic will be the first state visit by a Chinese president in 67 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, his first visit to Central and Eastern Europe, and the first trip to Europe this year. It signals a major diplomatic move toward Europe, Liu said. During his time in the Czech Republic, Xi will hold talks with Zeman and meet with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, Senate chairman Milan Stech, Chamber of Deputies chairman Jan Hamacek and Prague Mayor Adriana Krnacova, said Liu. The two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations, the Belt and Road Initiative, cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, China-Europe relations and other international and regional issues of common concern, said Liu. Liu said the two sides will also sign a number of cooperative agreements covering economy and trade, infrastructure, finance, health care, aviation, science and technology, and culture. Xi's visit to Czech will set the wheels in motion for the future development of bilateral ties, said Liu. China believes that this visit will push forward all-round mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations, elevate bilateral ties, and promote China-CEE cooperation as well as China-Europe ties, he said. PRAGUE - Following the terrorist attacks in Brussels, the Czech Republic has in fact raised its terror threat alert level from zero to one, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec said Tuesday. Chovanec said Czech authorities have no information about any terrorist attack threatening the country at present. But they have deployed additional hundreds of police officers to reinforce the patrols and the military personnel will also be deployed. According to Chovanec, the increased security measures apply to all international airports, cover selected buildings and metro. He said these measures may be further expanded, they will discuss the possibility to increase checks at Czech borders during Tuesday night's meeting. Chovanec made the remarks at a press conference after talks with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, and representatives of intelligence services and police. The deputies were informed about the situation in the afternoon, and an extraordinary government meeting to be held on Tuesday night to approve the increase of the alert degree. So far, the alert degree in Czech Republic is zero. The terror threat alert system approved by Czech government earlier in 2016 has four degrees from zero to three. In emergency situations, the increase of alert degree could be announced by the interior minister but must be confirmed by the Cabinet within a week. BEIJING -- Shortly after China's annual meetings of its top legislature and political advisory body, Chinese President Xi Jinping will begin a two-stop tour that will take him to the Czech Republic and the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 28-April 1. The tour will be Xi's maiden visit to a Central and Eastern European (CEE) country as China's head of state and his first multilateral diplomatic trip in 2016. In early March, when the presidential office of the Czech Republic announced Xi's visit, the local media acclaimed that Xi will be the first Chinese president to visit the Czech Republic in history, which is destined to be historic. China and the Czech Republic established diplomatic relations as early as in October 1949, only five days after the People's Republic of China was founded. After 67 years of time-tested development, bilateral ties have entered a new phase that witnesses the fastest development with the most fruitful results in history. So far, the Czech Republic has become the second biggest trading partner of China in the CEE region, and China has been the Czech Republic's second biggest trading partner in the world, only next to the European Union (EU). In 2015, two-way trade topped 11 billion US dollars. The two countries also boosted cooperation in the fields of nuclear electricity, banking, science and technology, and infrastructure. The ever-closer high-level exchanges and increasingly solid political mutual trust have consolidated the general direction of the Sino-Czech relationship. Chinese President Xi and his Czech counterpart Milos Zeman have met four times up to date. "The Czech Republic plays a decisive role in the CEE with regard to its cultural richness, level of development and geographic location," said Professor Wang Yiwei of the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China. "Since the new president of the Czech Republic takes office, he has discarded prejudice and been seeking pragmatic cooperation with China actively," Wang said, envisioning the friendly bilateral ties to gain new momentum. In November 2015, China and the Czech Republic signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly building the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It was the first of such documents signed between China and a CEE country. China has sent a strong signal to the world by choosing the Czech Republic as the only stop of Xi's trip to Europe. In other words, China considers the Czech Republic as a crucial cooperation partner among EU member states and is keen to strengthen cooperation with the Czech Republic within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, said Luigi Gambardella, founder and president of ChinaEU. During the visit, Xi will raise again the "16+1" mechanism, or China and CEE cooperation format, on the level of head of state. All walks of life in the Czech Republic are holding high expectations from Xi's visit. The Czech News Agency said the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in the fields of manufacturing, scientific research, areospace, health care, agriculture, energy, culture, education, and tourism. The Czech Republic is hopeful to become the center of services of Chinese financial institutions in the CEE region as well as the hub of air transport between China and the area. On March 31-April 1, Xi will attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington with leaders and representatives of some 40 other countries. At the third Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague in 2014, Xi called for a fair, cooperative and win-win system of global nuclear security. At the upcoming summit, Xi will make a keynote speech on beefing up the international nuclear security system in the aspects of political devotion, countries' responsibilities, international security, and culture of nuclear security. China has a compelling obligation to participate in the summit, said Qu Xing, a Chinese scholar of international relations. China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a world recognized nuclear power, so it has a special obligation for international security and peace, he added. On the other hand, active participation in global nuclear management will infuse strong momentum into China's peaceful use of nuclear technology. The volume of China's nuclear power generating units in motion or under construction ranks third in the world. The largest nuclear security center in the Asia-Pacific region opened in Beijing on Friday. The center, constructed by the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, has the capacity to train about 2,000 nuclear security staff from China and other Asia-Pacific nations each year. China and the United States agreed to establish the nuclear security center at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in 2010. Under the agreement, the center is run and administered by China, while the United States is responsible for providing nuclear security equipment. During his stay in Washington, Xi will hold talks with U.S. President Barack Obama on bilateral relations and international cooperation. The meeting will draw world attention as divergence on hot issues, such as South China Sea disputes and cyber security, is likely to be addressed. "China and the United States enjoy a broad spectrum of cooperation. The foundation and flexibility have surpassed the past. The more questions and contradictions they have, the more necessary it is for the two leaders to conduct deep communication," said Ruan Zongze of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). "The summit between Xi and Obama will send a message to the international community that the channel of coordination between China and the United States is smooth, which is significantly important for the new type of major-country relationship between China and the United States," Ruan said. President Xi Jinping's book The Governance of China has been applauded in the Czech Republic ahead of his state visit to the nation from Monday to Wednesday next week. The book, a compilation of Xi's work from Nov 15, 2012 to June 13, 2014, comprises speeches, talks, interviews, instructions and correspondence. It was first published in 2014 in Chinese and many other languages, including English, French, Russian and Arabic. Of the 5.36 million copies, 400,000 have been sold overseas. The book is being translated into Czech and will soon be published in that language. Jan Kohout, president of the New Silk Road Institute Prague, an independent think tank, said at a symposium on the book in the Czech capital on Monday, "It is very readable and the language used is thrilling." Kohout said Xi has caught the attention of the international community through many initiatives, one of the most important being the Belt and Road Initiative, which "is a real strategy for the 21st century". This refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives - transportation infrastructure projects linking Asia and Europe, launched by Xi in 2013. Guo Weimin, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office, said the book shows the new concepts, new ideas and new strategies of the central leadership. "In the book, President Xi reveals from various angles how Chinese tradition has been continued and enhanced in the governance of a modern country and has given modern values and significance to fine Chinese traditions," Guo said. Kohout added, "(From the book), you can gain a lot of information regarding Chinese history, Chinese sayings and a better understanding of the Chinese attitude and the Chinese leadership - especially President Xi Jinping - regarding the country's domestic development. "Xi is definitely becoming one of the most important global leaders, presenting a new attitude to international relations." Zdenek Skromach, vice-president of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, said, "It is very interesting that the book presents President Xi's political view, a view of what's going on in the world and also development in China." tuoyannan@chinadaily.com.cn President will also travel to the US next week to attend nuclear security summit A state visit by President Xi Jinping to the Czech Republic next week is expected to achieve pragmatic outcomes in areas including nuclear power, finance, civil aviation and scientific research, according to analysts. The Foreign Ministry said the visit will take place from Monday to Wednesday, and Xi will also attend the Fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on Thursday and Friday. Xi has been invited to visit the Czech Republic by President Milos Zeman. The tour will be Xi's first visit to a Central European country as Chinese president. Early in March, when the presidential office in the Czech Republic announced the visit, local media reported that Xi was "likely to be accompanied by a very strong delegation" consisting of dozens of entrepreneurs. The Czech News Agency reported Zeman as saying earlier that he expected China to invest 45 billion crowns ($1.84 billion) in his country. About 20 agreements are due to be signed, including documents on a strategic partnership. Xi will stay in the Czech Republic for 40 hours and will visit Prague Castle and the Lany chateau, the official presidential residences in the capital and the countryside, the news agency reported. There have been frequent high-level Sino-Czech exchanges in recent years, and Xi has met with Zeman four times since he became president in 2013. China is the Czech Republic's second-biggest trading partner, next only to the European Union, while the Czech Republic is China's second-biggest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. The trade volume topped $11 billion last year. Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, said the Czech Republic plays a key role in Central and Eastern Europe due to its cultural richness, level of development and location. Zeman has been seeking pragmatic cooperation with China since he became president, Wang said, adding that the bilateral ties will gain new momentum. Wang said the visit is expected to result in pragmatic achievements on nuclear power, finance, civil aviation and scientific research. In November, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly building the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It was the first such document signed between China and a Central European country. After completing his Czech visit, Xi will attend the Fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington with leaders and representatives of about 40 other countries. anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next week, a senior official said on Thursday. "It will be the first meeting between the two heads of state this year. It will be of great significance in advancing the bilateral relationship in a sustained and stable way," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said at a briefing on Xi's upcoming overseas trip. Li said President Xi will also meet with other state leaders on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common concern. Invited by Obama, Xi will attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington from March 31 to April 1. Prior to attending the nuclear security summit, Xi will make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28 to 30 at the invitation of Czech President Milos Zeman. The author is chairman of BVMW China, the China branch of the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses. Sino-German trade relations have been growing tremendously during the past 20 years. German mechanical engineering as well as the country's new strategy of "Industry 4.0" plays a key role for China's industry. China, in turn, is by far the most important supplier of consumer goods to Germany. Since the announcement of the "Made in China 2025" strategy by the Chinese government, it is clear that China will make greater strides in its economic growth. To this end, various measures have already been taken to steer the entire economic and also ecological development of the country in new, more sustainable paths. This is also recorded in the current Five-Year Plan (2016-20), which China's National People's Congress approved last week. Yet China's economy is strategically highly dependent on German export goods. Many German machines are being used in industries in which China exports a large proportion of its production. In particular, highly specialized and technology-intensive goods - such as machines - are currently limited to be replaced by imports from other countries. This will certainly change in the future in various industries, and this is also a result of Made in China 2025. The German economy is very well advised to adapt to this in time and based on the partnership. For Germany, in return, China is very important as a supplier of textiles and clothing. While China's share of German textile imports in 1992 represented only about 7 percent, it now exceeds 31 percent. Germany's dependence on Chinese office machines, computers and laptops rose even more strongly. Here, the share of Chinese imports since 1992 has grown from below 1 percent to almost 44 percent. Because of the somewhat weaker Chinese economy or the "new normal" in 2015, Germany experienced its first export decline to the country since 1997. While exports from Germany to China declined by around 4.5 percent to just over 71.2 billion euros ($79.7 billion), imports from China rose in the same period by almost 15 percent to more than 91.5 billion euros. The conversion of the previously export-driven Chinese economy toward sustainable, innovation-driven growth and a strengthening of domestic consumption offers great opportunities for the German economy. China is, after France, the United States and the United Kingdom, the fourth-largest buyer of German exports and the world's most important market for German machinery. After the US and the UK, the most German motor vehicles are sold in China. Last year, 4.4 million vehicles were sold, representing a market share of German automobile manufacturers of 20.8 percent. From 2008 through 2014, German electronics exports to China doubled to 2.6 billion euros. Exports of German food and related products to China leveled off after three years to a record rise in 2014 to almost 900 million euros. With a continued high growth rate - up 65 percent in 2015, China remains one of the most important foreign markets for the German agricultural and food industry. Germany needs long-term investment from China. Because of this, Germany should lift its restrictions on high-tech exports to China in the medium-term. This requires an analogous procedure on the Chinese side, of course, and cooperation based on partnership and being on par with each other is the present need. (China Daily 03/24/2016 page6) China and the United Kingdom conducted their first simulated joint evacuation exercise over the past two days in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province. Participants in the Joint Evacuation-2016 tabletop drill were mainly from the British Armed Forces and the People's Liberation Army Navy. During the event at the PLA Naval Command College, they conducted a simulated joint operation to evacuate people out of a third nation that is in a civil war and has been hit by terrorism. They also shared policies, tactics and experience pertaining to evacuation operations. The operation's scenarios involved the use of a joint naval fleet, multiple aircraft and a joint headquarters. Rear Admiral Lu Ming, deputy commandant of the PLA college, said that China and the UK have rich experience accumulated over the years in evacuation missions, and the latest exercise will help deepen the practical cooperation in non-combatant military operations. Senior Captain Li Anmin, dean of the Department of Strategy at the college, said the exercise enables officers from the two militaries to find solutions to possible problems in evacuation tasks, such as incompatibility of a joint command system or difficulties in coordination. "For instance, we have different rules of engagement that will divide us in actual operation when a possible threat appears. We must sit together to discuss and try to find the solutions," he said. Evacuation operations often involve complicated political, diplomatic and legal issues. It has become increasingly difficult for a single nation to accomplish such a task. Bilateral or multilateral collaboration is a better choice, Li added. Commodore Steven Dainton, assistant chief of staff of the Royal Navy, said the event improved the two sides' understanding of the similarities and differences of their approaches to evacuation tasks, allowing them to work more closely in the future. In 2011, when a civil war erupted in Libya, China helped to evacuate 2,100 foreign nationals who came from 12 countries. Last year, the PLA Navy allowed 279 foreign nationals from 15 countries to use two of its warships to leave war-torn Yemen. Currently, more than 30,000 Chinese enterprises have overseas branches with millions of Chinese nationals working abroad. (Photo : Getty Images) Journalists were transported to Itu Aba in the South China Sea on a C-130 like these. Taiwan hosted a group of international journalists on Wednesday at the disputed Itu Aba islet in an attempt to disprove the Philippines' claim that the South China Sea island is merely an uninhabitable rock. In October last year, the Philippines submitted a claim to the United Nation's Permanent Court of Arbitration that the Spratly archipelago is merely a group of rocks and should not include the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of an inhabitable island. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Itu Aba - also known as Taiping island - is the largest of the Spratly archipelago. Although the island has been governed by Taiwan since 1956, the Philippines, China and Vietnam are also claiming it. Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou invited reporters to show the world that the 110-acre island is inhabitable. Representatives from CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Reuters, among others, made the 2,000 km flight from the south of Taiwan by C-130 transport plane. While there, they toured the island's hospital, post office and traditional temple. The island has around 200 residents, the majority of which are military personnel. Inhabitants grow crops of fruits and vegetables, and the tap water is reportedly potable. Bloomberg also reported 14 goats living on Taiping. What the visitors reported seems to echo president Ma's claim that Taiping is "an island with fresh water, capable of sustaining farm production, livestock and human life." He also went on to say that the Philippines needs to "at least get the facts straight" regarding Itu Aba's status as an island. China, which has constructed several landing strips in the Spratly islands, has indicated that it may also plan a media trip to the archipelago. Spokeswoman Hua Chunying expressed solidarity with Taiwan, saying that the two countries should "maintain the ancestral property of the Chinese nation." There is no timetable for the Permanent Court of Arbitration's decision, but a ruling could come soon. (Photo : Getty Image) Cadillac's Chinese buyers are younger than the US'. Advertisement Unlike in the United States where Cadillacs have a delightful taste for mostly older men, its rising sales in China mostly come from younger luxury buyers where designs were made smoother and production was localized for a much affordable price. Brand owner General Motors revealed that it made necessary changes to suit the Chinese palate. Hard edges were smoothened to appeal to Chinese buyers who are used to the smooth designs of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Following its quite slow build up, Cadillac may soon oust Japan's Lexus as the leading second-tier luxury brand in China, LMC Automotive said. Cadillac cars will also be more accessible, particularly among young Chinese buyers, now that a $1.2 billion factory dedicated for the brand alone will slash down 25 percent import tax off the price. On average, most of Cadillac's Chinese buyers are 34 years old, a little over half the average age in the United States, which is 59.5 years. "In China, young buyers already dominate the luxury market. Since Cadillac is a relative newcomer, it was far easier to begin to cultivate the desired positioning for the brand from the get-go," Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac President, told Reuters. Sales of Cadillac in China soared 17 percent in 2015 to about 80,000 cars, biting more than a 4 percent share of the luxury market. In 2016, de Nysschen is setting the bar higher, targeting a 25 percent increase to more than 100,000 Cadillacs in China alone. Former BMW and Infiniti executives predict that China can surpass the US as the biggest Cadillac market in five to ten years time. Advertisement TagsCadillac, General Motors, luxury cars, china, BMW, mercedes benz, audi (Photo : China Photos/Getty Images) Chinese authorities have already released Christian human rights lawyer Zhang Kai. Advertisement Chinese authorities have already released a prominent Christian human rights lawyer who was detained for actively defending churches facing a cross-demolition problem. Zhang Kai is a human rights lawyer who was detained August 25, 2016 for criminal acts, with police explaining that he was a mastermind behind alleged multiple illegal religious gatherings, reports the South China Morning Post. He was detained before he could have a meeting with U.S. Ambassador for Religious Freedom David Saperstein. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement After spending almost seven months or staying detained in a black jail, a place where the location remains undisclosed, Zhang was able to return to his home in Inner Mongolia. The news of his safe return was made known through a social media post, and confirmed by his family, reports Texas-based non-profit organization China Aid in their website. I have already safely arrived home in Inner Mongolia, said Zhang in his social media post. I am thankful for all friends who were concerned about me during this time and who looked after and comforted my family members. Bob Fu, a close friend of Zhang, told media that details regarding the release are still unknown. He added that Zhang is a bold human rights lawyer who actively defends religious freedom. Fu, founder of China Aid, also called out for the release of other religious leaders, human rights lawyers and defenders. Reports say that Zhangs criminal acts included actively defending and standing for the rights of approximately 100 churches facing a cross-demolition campaign in Zhejiang, a coastal province in China. Reports say that authorities in the eastern province have demolished churches and stripped crosses off church exteriors. Zhang reportedly appeared on state television to confess his crimes, but many believe that he was merely forced or coerced to do so. Authorities also charged him of endangering state secrets and gathering crowds that disturb the public. Advertisement TagsZhang Kai, Bob Fu, Zhejiang, Inner Mongolia, Christian (Photo : GETTY IMAGES) Up to six Chinese nationals were injured in an attack by unidentified gunman in Laos last week. Advertisement Six Chinese Nationals are among the people injured following a bus shooting in Northern Laos on March 16, according to the Chinese state media. This is the most recent incidence of violence to affect Chinese nationals living in Laos as Beijing expands its economic influence across Southeast Asia. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The six Chinese victims in the bus shooting include the passengers and driver of the bus. The bus route was traveling from Kungming, the capital of China's Yunnan province to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The bus, which was carrying 25 passengers, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen as it passed by a road in Kasi, a Vientiane province. The six injured Chinese nationals were immediately sent to a health care facility for treatment. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry of China, said that China has maintained communication with Laos. Hua added that China has dispatched a representation to Laos and have demanded that a thorough investigation is conducted into the incident. She called for the assailants to be punished once they are identified. The recent shooting is not the first time that Chinese nationals have been caught in violence in Laos. In January, two Chinese nationals were killed and one sustained a wound injury in a bomb attack on the bus travelling to Xaysomboun province in Laos. On March 1, a Chinese national was killed and three sustained injuries after being attacked by unknown militants in the Northern Luang Prabang province of Laos. China and Laos have maintained diplomatic relations, focusing mostly on trade and aid. China's Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday that Beijing will offer an amount of $11.5 billion in loans and credit to five countries in Southeast Asia. Lao is included in the five countries, and will utilize the loan mainly for infrastructure and other projects. Advertisement Tagssix chinese nationals, wounded, laos shooting Though students are out on spring break, the campus of Los Angeles High School has been anything but quiet. Noises of children shouting and singing worship songs filled the LA High campus this week, as some 380 children participated in New Life Vision Church (NLVC)'s sixth annual Celebration for Easter at the school, where NLVC also holds its Sunday services. Celebration for Easter, or CE as they call it, is NLVC's annual outreach event for the children, and is basically the church's Vacation Bible School (VBS) but held in the springtime near Easter. Not only is it a way for the children to celebrate Easter, explained Pastor Jeehae Yang of the children's ministry at NLVC, but it's also a way through which the church hopes to plant in the children an urgency to share the gospel to their friends from a young age. Starting four to five weeks before CE, children at NLVC are encouraged by the children's ministry staff to think of friends at other churches and particularly friends who have never gone to church before. Together, the staff help the children to pray for those friends and think of ways they can invite those friends to CE. "Ever since our children's ministry director started the CE program, she had this desire to plant a passion for the gospel in the children from a young age," Yang said. This year's CE, which was titled 'Altitude' and used hiking themes to convey gospel-related messages, focused on three lessons over the course of three evenings. The first night was centered on the lesson, "I need Jesus," and included a gospel presentation during the worship service. The second day was focused on the lesson, "As a follower of Christ, I will stand up for what is right," while the third day was focused on the lesson, "As a follower of Christ, I will do what is right no matter what." All of these lessons were conveyed through two main parts: a main worship service with music and dancing, a sermon, and prayer time; and then a rotation of three different activities including games, Bible stories / study, and arts and crafts. A separate room has been made available for parents and their infants or toddlers, where the families participate in activities together to impart these lessons unto their smaller children. And yet another room has been prepared and filled with members of the church who come by to pray and intercede for the children during CE. (Photo : Christianity Daily) About 380 children participated in New Life Vision Church's Celebration for Easter. "As the most amount of children tend to show up on the first day, we wanted to share the gospel on the first day so that as many children as possible can hear it," Yang explained of the lessons throughout the event. "Then, after they have heard the gospel and hopefully committed to accept and follow Jesus, we wanted to help them discern what is right and wrong from a young age, and be able to live that out as they grow older. As they become teenagers and college students, it'll become harder to stand up for their faith. But our hope is that even when it is hard, even when their peers may mock them for what they believe, that they would choose to defend their faith until the end." After the gospel presentation during the first night, the children were invited to raise their hands during the first night if they have never accepted Jesus before and would like to after having heard the good news. Those who raised their hands were noted by the small group leaders, who would provide additional care throughout the course of CE and answer any questions the children may have. The small group leaders would also let the other staff know of who raised their hands. If the children who raised their hands did not already go to another church, and CE was his or her first time at a church event (information which are noted in each child's CE application form), the NLVC staff would contact the child after CE was finished to invite him or her to church. Many of the children who currently attend NLVC were connected through CE, Yang said. "Those children's names are kept in mind by the staff, and we pray expectantly for each child, and we follow up with them and contact them," she shared. Meanwhile, NLVC has another outreach event for children in the fall called 'Buddy Party,' which is a one-day event that takes place on a Saturday. The church also has a mission trip opportunity for children each summer. On average, some 30 children participate each year, and they have traveled to places such as Mexico, South Korea, and Arizona. press@cdaily.co.kr - Copyright , #Easter PRODUCER: 'God's Not Dead' movie sparks new and improved 'God's Not Dead 2' Guest Reviewer | 24 March, 2016 by Michael Foust LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) Two years after "God's Not Dead" sparked a nationwide discussion about hostility against Christians on college campuses, the film's sequel, "God's Not Dead 2," is set to launch a debate about another controversial issue religious freedom in public schools. The newest movie which opens April 1 tells the story of history teacher Grace Wesley (Melissa Joan Hart), who is asked by a student about the similarity in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus. The teacher gives an honest answer but soon finds herself in hot water due to the student's atheist parents and an unsupportive school board, which demands that she apologize for interjecting religion into the classroom. When the teacher stands her ground, she is sued. Producer and actor David A.R. White told the Christian Examiner that "God's Not Dead 2" had a much bigger budget than its predecessor, which surprised Hollywood by opening in the Top 5 and ending its run with a gross of $60 million. "Anytime you have success, you owe it to everybody to get better," White told the Christian Examiner. "The first one we made on a shoestring budget, and it was amazing and remarkable what came out of that movie. But with this one, we really felt like we needed to up it in every way if we were going to do a sequel. It had to be better, in every way. I believe that we did that. The response has been tremendous with all of the pre-screenings. We're excited to share it with the world." "God's Not Dead 2" also includes Sadie Robertson, Robin Givens, Pat Boone, Mike Huckabee, and the late actor Fred Thompson. The Newsboys also make an appearance. Christian Examiner spoke with White about the newest movie's message and his goals for it. Following is a transcript: Christian Examiner: When did you begin think about a "God's Not Dead 2"? White: After "God's Not Dead," we started monitoring people's reaction to it and their excitement about it, and also all the testimonies that came in because of it. The movie really took on a life of its own, and it dealt with current topics going on right now about Christian liberties and discrimination of beliefs. And right around there was when we thought, "You know, we probably should do another one, because we have another story to tell." CE: The specific case in the movie that is spotlighted has never happened. But do you think it's far-fetched that it could happen in the future? White: No, I don't think it's far-fetched at all. That's one thing the writers are really good at seeing what is happening and staying ahead of it. Even with the first one, with the subject of discrimination in college, and how real that it is. And people came up to us and said they had the exact same thing happen to them. CE: What are you hoping this film accomplishes? Perhaps spark a discussion about religious liberty? White: We hope it sparks conversation, absolutely. One thing that was so great about the first film is that people started digging into apologetics. They started digging into: Why do they really believe what they believe? We hope the same thing happens here. There's a whole educational side of these movies. We have people like Lee Strobel, who, of course, wrote "The Case For Christ." The movie deals with such pivotal foundation points for what we believe as Christians. And so the idea is for people to build off of that and have Bible studies and start taking about that. We're hoping it becomes a learning tool. CE: What were you looking for in a cast? White: First, we have very good casting directors. We pray a lot about who is supposed to be in the films, and we've seen the Lord work in so many different ways, how He's impacted people's lives simply during the filming. For example, Brian Bosworth out of our movie "Revelation Road," became a believer. Cybill Shepherd publicly stated many times that "Do You Believe" helped her faith grow in so many ways. In the newest movie ["God's Not Dead 2"], some of them are newer believers I really can't say who but it strengthened them. And another actor said he had a lot of hurt from Christians in his life, and this film softened his heart to the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. Rick Warren's Saddleback hopes to reach 50,000 with 57 Easter services 24 March, 2016 by Katherine Weber , | LAKE FOREST, Calif. (Christian Examiner) Saddleback Church in Southern California, founded by best-selling author Pastor Rick Warren, is hoping to reach 50,000 people through a massive multi-campus Easter celebration this coming weekend. Warren will deliver the Easter sermons for all 57 services offered at 16 campuses, including 10 locations in Southern California, as well as international gatherings in Berlin, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and South Manila. Those who cannot attend a service are encouraged to view one through the online campus. The first service will take place at the church's main campus in Lake Forest tonight, and Warren's sermon will then be broadcasted to all other locations throughout the weekend. Nebai Cherrick, the marketing coordinator at Saddleback, told The Christian Post on Tuesday that the goal of the megachurch is to reach 50,000 people over Easter weekend. In addition to the Easter services, several of Saddleback's campuses are offering a variety of activities depending on the location. OUTDOOR SERVICE, EGG HUNT One of the services on Sunday at the Lake Forest location will include a gathering outside so congregants may watch the "sunrise outdoors on Easter morning as you enjoy music and an inspiring message." At the Aliso Viejo campus, children will be invited to participate in an Easter Egg hunt following service on Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m, while at the Los Angeles campus, additional fun activities will be offered, including a photo booth, bounce house, cotton candy, popcorn machines, and snow cones. At the church's Rancho Capistrano location, congregants are invited to attend a free, 30-minute "Journey with Jesus" guided tour this Saturday, where they may view Christ's death and resurrection through a series of art installations, beginning with His annointing and ending with resurrection. Cherrick tells CP that as is typical of Easter Sunday worship services, attendees will be invited to give their lives to Jesus during the service, and baptisms will be held immediately after. The Saddleback worship band has also recently released a new EP titled "First," the music from which will be performed live by each campuses' own worship band over the weekend. NEW SERMON SERIES Warren is expected to launch his new "Miracle of Mercy" series this Easter, a new sermon series that he says may be the "most important, life-changing series he's ever taught." As stated on the Saddleback website, the new series seeks to show Christians "how to receive God's mercy and reflect his mercy to others." "God's number one characteristic throughout the Bible is mercy. His mercy heals broken hearts, reconciles relationships, restores forgotten dreams, and refreshes tired souls. It's the cure to every insecurity, worry, and fear," the website says. Warren also wrote a special pre-Easter message posted to Saddleback's website that discusses the personal importance of his new series. "Do you ever find yourself discouraged, or depressed, or defeated or maybe even devastated by the circumstances in your life? If so, let me take 90 seconds to encourage you about the pathway, the hope, the change, and the transformation that I've found in the Easter story of the Resurrection of Jesus," he says in the video. FAMILY PERSEVERENCE Warren goes on to say that the Easter season has special significance in his own life because three years ago, his youngest son, Matthew, committed suicide five days after Easter Sunday. The pastor says it is through God's mercy that he and his wife, Kay, along with their family, have been able to persevere through their suffering following Matthew's death. Warren adds that in light of this mercy, he will be introducing his new series, saying that Easter Sunday represents a day of "hope, joy and victory," adding that the only way Christians will deal with their days of pain and suffering is through God's mercy. "When you come to Saddleback you'll find a welcome hand, a warm greeting and smile, unconditional love no matter who you are, and the message of God's mercy, and that's going to strengthen you, it's going to encourage you, and it's going to transform your life," Warren says. This article first published in Christian Post and is used with permission. Americans now do not practice their religion on the scale as before, nor do they pray as much compared to previous generations, according to a recent study published in Sage Open journal. The research was carried out by a team of scholars from different colleges, and was led by Jean M. Twenge, psychology professor at San Diego State University. The team of scientists examined the data from General Social Survey of 58,893 respondents taken between 1972 and 2014, and found that Americans were now less religious than the early 1980s generation. The survey also found that 18-to-29 year olds were the least religious people. "The large declines in religious practice among young adults are also further evidence that Millennials are the least religious generation in memory, and possibly in American history," said Twenge. The study said that there is a decline in the number of people who describe themselves as religious, or attend religious services. According to the survey, the number of people who never prayed increased five-fold in about 40 years, and the amount of those who responded that they do not believe in God doubled. The study noted that there has not been an inversely proportionate increase in mystic spirituality with the decline in belief in God, but people have become more secular. However, one surprising exception to the trend was a slight rise in Americans' belief in afterlife. Responding to this movement, Twenge said: "It was interesting that fewer people participated in religion or prayed but more believed in an afterlife. It might be part of a growing entitlement mentality - thinking you can get something for nothing." However, in one panel discussion on religion in Washington DC in 2015, professors in religious studies suggested that religion is growing in America, instead of declining. They remarked that even though church attendance from larger denominations is declining, thousands of smaller denominations have grown, which more than compensate for the loss of affiliations to larger churches. Byron Johnson, founding director of the Institute of Religious Studies and a professor of social sciences, said that the religious researches are often misrepresented. He gave an example of study conducted by Pew Research, which claimed that 44 percent of Americans now don't associate with their religious denominations in which they were grown. "We look at that study and say that is a phenomenal thing that people would switch churches," Johnson said. "We see this is a measure of vitality and health and others are interpreting it is an abandoning of the faith, just because I think they read something into the data that wasn't there or they misinterpreted the data." What would a Christians perspective look like regarding the issue of the Japanese Armys comfort women? How could the long-lasting and historical pain that resulted from their abuse be resolved? The Presbyterian Theological Seminary in America hosted a forum regarding the issue called, Christian Social Justice and the Japanese Armys Comfort Women Issue on March 17. Reverend Jeong Kii Min, the senior pastor of Choong Hyun Mission Church who also has a PhD in Christian Ethics, was the presenter on this topic. He started by defining this issue as a collective sin, and approached the issue from a social justice standpoint, as well as a spiritual standpoint. First, Min asserted that as much as the sin was a collective one committed by a people group, repentance must happen collectively as well. Christianity emphasizes personal repentance and individual spiritual maturity, but there is a lack of awareness in collective sins embedded in societal structures, Min said. Liberation theologians brought attention to the idea that personal repentance does not resolve a collective evil. Personal repentance must be the launching pad by which the fruit of collective repentance is brought about. From this standpoint, the comfort women issue began with individuals, but progressed into a systemic sexual crime and collective evil led by the government. Hence, for this issue to be resolved and for justice to be realized, a collective and official apology and compensation is necessary. According to Min, compensation must take place in multiple forms and embedded in multiple layers. The individual who suffered mental and physical damages must receive compensation from the perpetrators of the crime. And the entire process of discussing matters of compensation, or carrying out justice, must be done with the intention of comforting and healing the victims. On the governmental level, the two governments must continue their efforts to maintain peace and restoration. Todays Japanese government has deleted, distorted, deceived others of, and shifted its responsibility of the war crimes it has committed, Min said critically. It no longer wants this issue to be a subject of discussion and is working to forget it happened. However, such an approach is bringing about a negative influence to the peace and reconciliation with [Japans] surrounding nations, Min said, and teaches us that bearing the responsibility for the past includes admitting the wrong and having a change of heart and actions, as well as reconciling with surrounding nations and restoring amicable relations with them. Min also discussed the spiritual aspects of this issue, apart from the social justice aspects. He argued that the governments continued efforts to gloss over and conceal this issue is a tactic being employed by spiritual forces. Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), Min quoted, and said that Japans attempt to gloss over the issue, such as by calling the victimized women comfort women, is a symptom or evidence of its captivity to evil spiritual forces. Currently, the political right-wing of Japan is not sincerely reflecting on the wrongs that the country has committed, nor is it encouraging its younger generation to reflect objectively on its past failures. Rather, it shows symptoms of a collective captivity. When an entire society is held captive by a certain ideology, they themselves are unaware of that fact, Min explained. Even the death of Jesus was an act of evil that was carried out by a people who were held captive under a supernatural power. Min also suggested practical ways that churches could help to resolve the comfort women issue by sharing experiences from his own church. Choong Hyun Mission Church held a musical concert in 2014 in commemoration of the first anniversary since the Glendale peace monument was established in honor of the victims of sex slavery. Around that time, Min also preached for three weeks regarding social justice to create a mutual understanding with the congregation. Among the younger ministries, resources about social justice were disseminated and families were encouraged to visit the monument together. Revealing, exposing, and examining history, rather than hiding it, is a part of humanitys effort to avoid repeating the same mistakes, Min said. This article has been translated. For the original in Korean, visit kr.christianitydaily.com. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments from a Catholic charity and various other religious organizations that have objections to the contraception mandate under the Obama administrations Affordable Care Act. The Catholic charity -- called the Little Sisters of the Poor -- and other religious organizations are fighting for automatic exemption that is granted for houses of worship, like churches, synagogues, and mosques. These religious institutions can opt out of the contraceptive mandate by informing the government of their objections. In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that owners who opposes the mandate based on religious convictions did not have to offer birth control to their employees. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department offered the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious organizations an exemption to the mandate, allowing employers to opt out by filing a form that would prompt a third-party to provide the contraceptives instead. The religious organizations say, however, that any involvement, even filing a form, involves them in the process of providing the contraceptives to which they are opposed. The courts four liberal justices argued that the government has sufficiently accommodated for the groups in allowing them to opt out of providing coverage by filing a form with the government. On the other hand, the courts four conservatives sided with the religious groups, asserting that the exemption process burdens their religious rights. Seven out of eight appellate courts have sided with the government. If the courts ruling is a 4-4 tie, the lower court rulings will be left in place. A Chinese Christian human rights lawyer named Zhang Kai who was involved in a campaign to oppose the removal of crosses from churches has been released from "black jail," after about seven months of detention. He posted on the social networking site WeChat (Sina Weibo) on Wednesday that he was freed and was back home in Inner Mongolia. "I have returned to my home in Inner Mongolia safely," his post reads. "Thank you to all my friends for your concern, caring and giving consolation to my family during this time. And thanks to the Wenzhou police, who have taken care of me during this time." Zhang Kai was taken into custody in August 2015, just hours before he was scheduled to meet US ambassador-at-large for religious freedom David N. Saperstein. He had defended over 100 churches that opposed removal of crosses from their roofs in Zhejiang province, apart from providing consultation to churches on how to defend themselves. He also stood up for clergy who were not allowed to practice freedom of speech. Crosses were removed in over 1,200 churches since 2014 in Zhejiang, the city known as "Jerusalem of China" on the east coast. Last month, Zhang appeared on state television, confessing to his crimes of "endangering state secrets," and "disturbing public order." This "confession" was called dubious by Washington and urged China to release the lawyer. Several Christian and human rights organizations said that the confession was coerced. Christian activist organizations made an online petition to free the lawyer, where information and news related to him was published since his arrest. China Aid director Bob Fu, said he was "very pleased" to hear the news of Zhang's release. "Zhang Kai is a bold human rights lawyer and a defender of the rule of law and religious freedom, and is completely innocent. I am very pleased to hear this good news, although further details about the conditions of his release are still unknown," said Fu. "I appeal to Chinese authorities to release other arbitrarily imprisoned religious leaders, human rights lawyers and defenders, such as those arrested in July of 2015, including, attorneys Li Heping and Wang Yu, church leader Hu Shigen, and pastors Li Guozhi (Yang Hua), Bao Guohua and Gu Yuese," he said. Last year, over 300 human rights lawyers were detained or interrogated. Many were freed over time. However there are others who are in waiting for their trial on criminal charges. When someone Daryl Davis has befriended leaves the Ku Klux Klan, he often gives Davis the robe he wore as a member of that group. Over the years, Davis, by his own account, has amassed dozens of these retired jerseys of hate. Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America, which premiered this week at SXSW, chronicles Daviss attempts to impact America by changing the hearts and minds of one racist at a time. Davis goes to Klan rallies. He has invited Klansmen to his home and visited them. He calls some of them friend even as they call him inferior. In one moving segment, the film recounts how Davis met the daughters of an incarcerated Klan member at the airport and drove them to the prison so that they could visit their father. Eventually the family noticed that none of the mans Klan colleagues were serving or loving them as much as Davis was. Their ideology of hate collapsed in the face of undeserved compassion. When something bothers me, I try to learn about it, Davis told me in an exclusive interview at the Austin-based film festival after Accidental Courtesy premiered. Part of what makes him so effective at talking to the Klan is that he has read every book he can find on the subject. He asks questions. He gathers information. He listens. Often, it is readily apparent that he knows more about the Klan, its history, and its practices, than does the person with whom he is dialoging. I never set out to convert anyone, he says in the film. Through a mix of diplomacy and Socratic questioning, he will sometimes see a racist begin to think about his ideology rather than simply proclaim it. Eventually, they end up converting themselves. In our interview, ... 1 One month after Wycliffe Associates (WA) announced the launch of 10 new Bible translation projects in a region where conversion to Christianity is punishable by death, four of its Bible translators were martyred when militants raided their Middle Eastern office. They shot and destroyed all the equipment in the office, including the Print On Demand (POD) equipment, WA reported in a prayer letter. The invaders burned all the books and other translation materials in the office. Two workers died of gunshot wounds. Two other workers laid on top of the lead translatorsaved his lifeand died deflecting bludgeoning blows from the radicals spent weapons. Instead of retreating, the remaining translators have decided to remain in the area and continue the work they were doing to translate the Bible into eight languages. WA expressed gratitude that digital copies of the progress made so far survived the attack. Many of the technological advances that have enabled todays age of telecommuting have been harnessed by Bible translation agencies to make projects faster and cheaper. But translation remains something that cannot be done remotely from a safe distance, WA president Bruce Smith told CT. The church prefers to do translation where the people are, he said. WA focuses on using local translators and local control for its Bible translation products, which is all about church engagement from beginning to end. Dislocated translations delay and dilute the impact to the local communities, he said. It takes years to translate the Bible into a new language, and language changes during that time, said Carl Moeller, CEO of Biblica (formerly known ... 1 Read as Single Page Page 1 of 2 The Easter story makes me laugh. Namely because its so relatable to women leaders in the church. Consider the scene at dawn on Easter morning. All four Gospels record the story, yet there are some differences. Did you know, for instance, that each Gospel lists different women discovering the empty tomb? Matthew lists Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. Marks account is similar: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salomeanother woman. Luke simplifies the story simply stating the women went to the tomb. He later explains that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and several other women told the apostles about what had happened. Yet John notes only Mary Magdalene. Perhaps she was the most important to mention, or perhaps she was the only one they could all agree was truly there. Humorously, it seems the writers couldnt get their stories straight about which women were at the empty tombjust that it was definitely some women. This makes me chuckle. At the same time, I can imagine the confusion they must have experienced. The 11 disciples had sat under Jesus teaching day in and day out. And then he died a gruesome death right in front of them. What kingdom had he ushered in? What peace had he brought to the land? And how were they supposed to spread the teachings of a dead man when they feared for their own lives? What in the world were they going to do? Into this confusion enter some women disciples, and they explain that Jesus body is gone. Great. How are we going to explain this? The officials will come after us thinking weve taken the body! Worse yet, a womans word was next to useless in their culture. It wasnt good for the credibility of the movement that the first witnesses were women. Andreas J. Kostenberger and Justin Taylor write about this reality in a classic Christianity Todayarticle: In the first century, women were not even eligible to testify in a Jewish court of law. Josephus said that even the witness of multiple women was not acceptable "because of the levity and boldness of their sex." Celsus, the second-century critic of Christianity, mocked the idea of Mary Magdalene as an alleged resurrection witness, referring to her as a "hysterical female . . . deluded by . . . sorcery." Its no wonder that both John and Luke record Peter rushing to the tomb to see for himself (Johns account includes both Peter and John rushing to the tomb). One of the leading legal defenders of Chinas churches, Zhang Kai, was released from jail on Wednesday after being arrested in August 2015. China Aid confirmed his release with relatives. Zhang wrote on social media that he has returned to his home in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China. The human rights attorney, who had defended some 100 churches damaged by a campaign to demolish crosses in Zhejiang province, was arrested just before a meeting with the US ambassador for international religious freedom, David Saperstein. Terms of his release were uncertain. Zhang had been sentenced to six months of residential surveillance at a black jail, where prisoners are held incommunicado at a secret location. On February 25, he appeared on state television stating a confession that he had disrupted social order and endangering state security. Many believe the confession was coerced. Zhejiang authorities subsequently charged him with endangering state ... 1 Update (May 16): The Supreme Court announced today that it would not rule on a case involving Little Sisters of the Poor, the group of Catholic nuns leading the challenge against contraception requirements for religious nonprofits. Instead, justices unanimously decided to send their case back to the lower courts. For now, the Supreme Courts decision is good news for the Little Sisters, who still wont face fines for not including birth control in their healthcare coverage. The Court finds the foregoing approach more suitable than addressing the significantly clarified views of the parties in the first instance, stated the opinion. Although there may still be areas of disagreement between the parties on issues of implementation, the importance of those areas of potential concern is uncertain, as is the necessity of this Courts involvement at this point to resolve them. The court expressed no view on the merits of the cases and pointed ... 1 The way people make commitments is changing. Unhealthy churches whine about it. Healthy churches do something about it. People Won't Commit to the Church Any More? Don't You Believe It Read as Single Page Page 1 of 2 Image: Rick Harris | Flickr Recruiting and keeping church givers and volunteers is harder than it used to be. People keep saying it, so it must be true, right? Wrong. If I was ever tempted to tell pastors to quit whining about something, this is it. Heres how the party line goes: It used to be fairly easy to get church members to commit to consistent giving and/or volunteering. Ask for a missions or building pledge, and people would do it. Mention the need for Sunday School volunteers and folks would commit every week for decades. Not any more. Are people not as committed as they used to be? Have we all become that unreliable? I say no. People are as committed as theyve always been. They just commit in different ways now. People are as committed as theyve always been. They just commit in different ways now. Unhealthy churches whine about those changes. Healthy churches adapt to them. As pastors, its our job to find out what people will commit to, give them the chance to step up, then build deeper commitments on that foundation. How People Make Commitments Now People have changed how they make commitments in four fundamental ways: 1. For blocks of time, not long-term A lot has been written about whether-or-not short-term mission trips have value. Certainly, some of them have become vanity projects for spoiled westerners who vacation in a poor country to ease their conscience. But thats not been my experience. Ive seen believers of all ages make massive commitments of their time, energy and finances to bless people from the sewers of Bucharest, to an orphanage in Zimbabwe, to the streets of Los Angeles. Thats how people commit today. In chunks of time and/or money. A wise leader wont berate them for that. Instead, if they want to commit in chunks, lets give them chunks to commit to. Then leverage that experience into long-term, consistent giving. When I was a kid, the idea that a church member would burn up their entire vacation time going on a missions trip was unheard of. Today, its standard fare. Its not lesser commitment, its just different. 2. Through relationships People dont give to projects as much as they give to people. People in need. People they know. People they trust. People who lead by example. This is an area where small churches and their pastors can really excel. Instead of complaining about our lack of resources, we should be capitalizing on our relationships with congregation members. When we know people, we can help them coordinate their gifts, schedules and personalities to meet specific needs and commitments. Dont just ask people to fill a preexisting cubbyhole. Take the time to match the person to the need in a way that works. Governor Pence Signs Legislation Affirming Indiana's Support of Israel Contact: Kara Brooks, 317-232-1622, kbrooks@gov.in.gov INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 24, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Governor Mike Pence has signed House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1378, which requires the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS) to divest from any business that engages in action to boycott, divest or sanction the state of Israel. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, and goes into effect July 1, 2016. "I have long believed Israel is our most cherished ally and as such I am proud to sign House Enrolled Act 1378, which affirms Indiana's support for the state of Israel," said Governor Pence. "Israel's enemies are more emboldened than ever before and with the overwhelming bipartisan passage of this legislation, Indiana made clear that we will not do business with those who seek to inflict financial damage on the people of Israel. I thank Speaker Bosma for leading on this important issue and am proud to show Hoosiers are standing with Israel today." According to INPRS, HEA 1378 would require INPRS to divest an estimated $50 million in assets of the $28.3 billion invested by the agency. Share Tweet home World 3,000 child refugees to be allowed into UK from Europe after House of Lords vote The United Kingdom might be taking in 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees from Europe. The amendment to the Immigration Bill filed by Labour's Lord Dubs was supported by peers, outvoting the government in the House of Lords 306 to 204. Once the bill becomes law, ministers would have to allow 3,000 child refugees from Europe to take refuge in Britain. "We have a principled objection," Home Office minister Lord Bates said, as quoted by the BBC, "that the people most at risk are in the region." The government is putting its effort in helping refugees from Syria, he said, prior to extending support to those in Europe. They have pledged to accept 20,000 refugees by 2020, and of 1,000 who have already been allowed into the U.K., 51 percent are children. He said, "I question whether it (the amendment) identifies, or provides help, for the right people. We believe we should not be doing anything that encourages one child to make that perilous journey." Lord Dubs, however, said that the effort would save kids from abuse and exploitation. "I would like other children who are in a desperate situation to be offered safety in this country and be given the same opportunities that I had," Lord Dubs, himself a refugee who fled Nazi Germany during World War II, said. He received support from crossbench peer Baroness Neuberger who said that if it was done in '30s, then "why can't we do it now?" Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Chelmsford, also said that it's "a small, but beautiful thing" that they can do. Christian Today reports that other Christians in the House of Lords also gave it a nod, including Liberal Democrate leader Tim Farron and Lord Alton. Save the Children, Home for Good, and other groups have campaigned for the government to accept refugee kids from Europe. However, this may still be overturned when the bill is returned to the House of Commons. home Faith American & Israeli Christians have difference in opinion regarding Israel, says survey A study conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals that Christians in the United States have views on Israel that are different from those Christians living in the Jewish state. As summarized by CBN, 66 percent of Christians who were born, grew up and live in Israel do not think that the country was literally given by God to the Jewish people, while 9 percent are undecided. Only 19 percent think that it's true in a literal sense, a number that is dwarfed by the 82 percent of white evangelicals who believe likewise. The latter number was taken from a survey done in 2013. There are other areas in which those in the U.S. and those in Israel do not agree, such as expansion of Jewish settlements and the support that the U.S. is giving Israel. Comparing the recent survey with one done in 2013, 86 percent of Christians in Israel think that the U.S. gives too much support for their country, while only 18 percent of Christians in America think in the same way. Six percent of Israeli Christians believe that the support is not enough while 29 percent of American Christians have similar views. Only 7 percent of Christians in Israel think the support is just right, much lower than the 41 percent of American Christians with the same opinion. CBN chief international correspondent Gary Lane believes that the difference in opinion is mainly due to the politics that they have been exposed to. He said in an interview on CBN News, "These Christians in Israel have been influenced by politics. They've also been influenced by a different life experience than what many American Christians experienced here in the U.S. So their experience half a world away is much different than ours." Meanwhile, 34 percent of Israeli Christians pray daily, while 68 percent of American Christians do; and 38 percent of those in Israel go to church at least once a week, lower than 47 percent of those in America. A study conducted by the research center from October 2014 to May 2015 revealed that only 2 percent of Israel's population is Christian, namely Catholic and Orthodox Christians, with only 0.5 percent comprised of Protestants and Messianic Jews; while 1 percent of the population is categorized as other/no religion. This is part of 19 percent who are non-Jewish while the Jewish comprise 81 percent. There were 468 Christians who participated in the recent survey. home World Pope Francis, Bishop of Gloucester to wash feet of young refugees, women prisoners on Holy Thursday On Holy Thursday, March 24, Pope Francis will be washing the feet of young refugees, in the way that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. "We can understand the symbolic value intended by Pope Francis' visit to the CARA in Castelnuovo di Porto and his bending down to wash the feet of refugees," Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation, wrote in an article in Vatican publication L'Osservatore Romano, as quoted by Radio Vaticana. CARA stands for Centro di Accoglienza per Richiedenti Asilo or Centre for Asylum Seekers, located north of Rome, and many of the kids are not Catholic. It is where the pontiff will celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper. "We are urged to look forward to Easter with the eyes of those who make of their faith a life lived in service to those whose faces bear signs of suffering and violence," he said. "By washing the feet of refugees, Pope Francis implores respect for each one of them." Meanwhile, Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, the Bishop of Gloucester, will also be washing feet, but it will be those of women at the Eastwood Park Women's Prison in Falfield, Gloucestershire. On Good Friday, she will lead reflections. The bishop will be spending three days in the facility up to Easter Sunday, learning about life behind bars by accompanying the prison chaplain as well as leading services and attending focus groups. "In Holy Week, Christians recall Jesus Christ's death, the brokenness of the world and our part in it; and yet we celebrate God's immense love and new life revealed in Christ's resurrection," Treweek said, as quoted by Christian Today. She said that spending Holy Week with the women at the prison is very poignant, "in which the focus is one of hope and new possibility." According to Institute for Criminal Policy Research, at least 700,000 females are locked up in penal institutions around the world. The U.S. has more than 200,000 and China has more than 103,000 excluding those in pre-trial detention, while the U.K. (England and Wales) has about 4,000. home Faith 'Prophet' Yakim Manasseh Jordan makes unsolicited robocalls; promises miracles for top dollar While many people undoubtedly want miracles to happen in their lives, 25-year-old Yakim Manasseh Jordan promises to perform them -- at a hefty price. He is also quite enthusiastic in offering his services, making unsolicited robocalls to people. "It is miserable," Tyrell Crosby, a sophomore at the University of Oregon, said as quoted by The Daily Beast. "I have no idea how they got [my number] but they've been calling for over a year." The self-proclaimed prophet has reportedly been sued 16 times in three years -- four times this year alone -- since calling people without consent using pre-recorded robocalls violates the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. One of the lawsuits was filed on March 11 in New York Southern District. The complaint falls under the said Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. In 2014, a Twitter user posted, "Dear God, please strike "Prophet" (profit) Manasseh with lightning if he calls my phone one more time"; while another wrote, "Who is Prophet Manasseh, and how did he get my number, and if he's such a prophet... how doesn't he know I'm hanging up everytime he calls?" New X-Men film set to start shooting May https://t.co/JnHRXAg5ie via @denofgeek Hmmmm, what movie could it be? Josh Boone (@JoshBooneMovies) December 7, 2016 The robocall message starts with Jordan introducing himself as Prophet Manasseh and then goes on to say that the Lord had spoken to him about the "major losses that you have experienced over the last two to five years." As he looked into the spirit, he says, he began to see a "miracle cloud" that has a "prosperity blessing, a financial blessing that you are about to receive." He also emphasizes on a loved one whose name's second syllable has a second letter that sounds something like "ah" or "a." The almost 2-minute message promises the God wil release a "financial blessing in the next seven days" but he "must know how much money you are asking God to release. So write me back, and email me immediately." According to The Daily Beast, Jordan claims to be able to heal the sick, predict the future, and even raise the dead for $1,000. Atheists disrespect Noah's Ark amusement park, calling it 'Genocide and Incest Park' The Holy Bible's Book of Genesis chapters 6 to 9 tells the story of how God saved the family of Noah, who built the famous Ark, from the Great Flood that wiped out the sinful human race at that time. In an effort to bring the story of Noah's Ark closer to families, especially young children, the Christian and creationist group Answers in Genesis (AiG) led by Ken Ham invested $150 million on an amusement park in Williamstown, Kentucky that will explain this Bible story in an historically accurate way. An atheist group called the Tri-State Freethinkers, however, recently chose to disrespect the Christian group and the Holy Bible by calling the amusement park a "Genocide and Incest Park." In an article on The Huffington Post, Jim Helton, president of the Tri-State Freethinker, even described the story of Noah's Ark as a tale of immorality, and the Ark Encounter amusement park as something that "celebrates a biblical parable of genocide and incest." "In Genesis Chapters 6-9, the God of the Bible was unhappy with man, so he decided to kill every living thing, except for one family and two of each animal," Helton said. "We see no other way to look at this other than mass genocide. This is the second time that incest was used to populate the world. We are taught this story as children as a fun story, as a good story, filled with animals and a boat. People rarely take a look at the actual story because when they do, they realise how immoral it is," he continued. As if these statements were not enough, the atheist group also launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to be able to put up billboards along roads leading to the Ark Encounter amusement park, where it will be called "Genocide and Incest Park." The group said this is only part of their counter-protest to celebrate "reason and logic" over "superstition and myths" supposedly to be promoted by the Noah's Ark theme park. Worse, the atheists also plan to build an actual "Genocide and Incest Park" if the donations they gather reach $150 million. Attractions in the envisioned park would include the "Dead Gods Zoom Flume," a "De-baptism Waterfall" and a "Rainbow Zipline." Bosnian Serbs pray for Karadzic and say charges unjust Hundreds of people gathered to pray for Radovan Karadzic across the Serb half of Bosnia on Saturday, holding vigils inside churches or marching in protest at his arrest on war crimes charges. The leader of the Bosnian Serbs in the 1992-95 Bosnia war was indicted for genocide by the United Nations tribunal in The Hague. He was arrested in Serbia last week after 11 years on the run and now awaits extradition, likely in the coming week. The mostly elderly supporters filed quietly into churches, lit candles and prayed silently for Karadzic to have strength in his trial. Others held his picture and banners reading: "We are with you". "We are here to support him, and show how much bitterness we feel at this arrest," said Miladin Ilic, 69, an ethnic Serb former resident of Sarajevo who now lives in Pale, one of the main cities in the autonomous Serb Republic. "We Serbs have suffered for centuries, and this arrest brings a great shock and more sorrow to the Serb people." Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic are indicted for genocide over the 43-month siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims. Mladic and another war crimes suspect are still at large. Most Bosnian Serbs see both Karadzic and Mladic as heroic defenders of the Serb nation and say the charges against them are false accusations founded on anti-Serb propaganda. "More than 200 Bosnian Serb war veterans are ready to testify in The Hague that Karadzic is innocent, and prove that there was also Serb victims in that war," said Slavko Jovicic, member of a veterans' association, who was marching in support of Karadzic. "We are at the court's disposal." Some in the crowd criticised Bosnian authorities for not allowing Karadzic's family, who live in Pale, to visit him in prison. The travel documents of Karadzic's wife, daughter and son were seized in an effort to choke off his support network. Bosnia's peace overseer Miroslav Lajcak has said a travel ban on the family will remain in force until it is certain any visit to Karadzic would not influence proceedings against him. "Lajcak should be expelled, he is showing no support to the Serbian people," said one woman who was holding Karadzic's picture and shouting: "Radovan is our hero". "It is outrageous that they won't let his family go to see him." The earliest Karadzic can be extradited is Monday, Serbian authorities have said. His lawyer Svetozar Vujacic declined on Saturday to say whether or when he had filed an appeal. "I was instructed by Radovan Karadzic to say nothing," he said. Serbia's closer ties with the European Union depend on its facing up to its war crimes past and delivering remaining war crime fugitives to the U.N. court. Christian leaders urge Stephen Crabb to rethink welfare cuts Senior Christian figures have written to the new work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb urging him to reverse recent cuts to welfare spending, which they describe as uncompassionate. The Christian think tank Ekklesia wrote the letter alongside the Centre for Welfare Reform. It is signed by several bishops as well as a number of priests and other Christian leaders. They write "as fellow Christians" and congratulate Crabb on his recent appointment before telling him to reflect on the "impact of current welfare policies". The Archbishop of Wales, Rt Rev Barry Morgan, is among the signatories to the letter published in the Mirror, alongside the Bishop of Willesdon, the Bishop of Hereford, the Bishop of Wakefield and the Bishop of Buckingham. They quote James 2:15-16 in their plea and say: "We continue to believe that a supportive welfare state is an expression of Christian justice and compassion and that a nation should be judged on how well it treats those who require extra support." They urge the Conservative minister, who is also a Christian, to "think of benefit claimants as being no different to you or a member of your family". According to the letter, the UK "can afford the support necessary for everyone to live a dignified life". Crabb's first move after being promoted from Wales secretary was to scrap planned cuts to disability benefit. He took over after Iain Duncan-Smith resigned from the post on Friday evening citing the cuts as a step too far. Crabb, who grew up on a council estate in Wales, has frequently spoken of the government's "important mission to better support people making the transition into work". "I saw for myself my mother going from being wholly dependent on welfare somebody in crisis, raising three boys on her own in council housing, making that journey first working four or five hours a week, and that was her stepping stone back into a life of full economic independence," he said. Guardian columnist and south-London priest Giles Fraser signed the letter alongside 14 other clergy. Filmmaker Frank Cottrell-Boyce is also among the signatories. You can read the letter in full here. Church of God pastor who oversaw 26 churches murdered in Guatemala A Church of God pastor who oversaw 26 churches and various missions in Guatemala's Quiche Region has been murdered, according to news reports. The tragic death of Pastor Juan Saturnino Guachiac on March 16 was announced by Church of God Field Director over Latin America David Ramirez, who received the report from Bishop Otoniel Collins, superintendent for the Church of God over Central America, Charisma News reported. Guachiac pastored a church and was planting two new churches in the region. He was also the overseer of the 26 churches and many missions in the Quiche Region, according to Collins. "He loved his people and dreamed of furthering their development,'' said Collins, who described the murdered pastor are "the most prominent leader of the Quiche Region." Guachiac was also reportedly leading a project in education in the region. "He was an outstanding leader. We were supporting him for even a greater leadership, but violence took him away from us. We feel helpless and vulnerable in the face of the unstoppable violence that has taken hold of our country. The preparation of a leader like Saturnino takes at least 10 years; but coward assassins ended his life ... we hope this crime won't go unpunished," Collins said. He said Guachiac was a widower who is survived by his four adult children. "We say farewell to one of the most distinguished ethnic pastors of Guatemala,'' Collins said. In 2012, a Guatemalan Church of God pastor was also killed by an unknown assailant while on his way to a territorial ministers meeting, according to Charisma News. Fr. Neftali Leiva, father of five daughters with the youngest only two years old then, was gunned down by drug traffickers known as "The Zetas'' who reportedly control the area near the border with Mexico, reports said. According to a priest who witnessed the shooting, the assailant "walked up to the victim without a word and shot him point blank several times.'' The shooter also fired shots at the priest but he was able to escape. It is a practice in the violent area to leave no witnesses, according to Charisma. The murder of the priest has prompted World Missions to set up a relief fund to help care for the widow and children of Leiva. The border territory is only about 30 miles long, but it is home to 73 Church of God congregations, said Jose Clara Vela, territorial administrative bishop. Church officials urge prayer for Yemen priest held by ISIS, deny crucifixion rumours Internet rumours that Indian priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil is being tortured by Islamic State and will be crucified on Good Friday are untrue, according to Church officials. The priest, from Bangalore, was kidnapped by suspected Islamic State fighters who overran a home for elderly people in Aden, killing four nuns. In all, 16 people died in the attack. Uzhunnalil was kidnapped and nothing has been heard of him since. It is unclear how the rumours that he was being tortured and would be crucified began. However, they have been widely circulated, leading to a flat denial from the spokesman for the Bangalore province of the Salesians, the order to which Uzhunnalil belongs. Fr Mathew Valarkot described the reports as "unconfirmed and unverifiable". He said: "We, Salesians, are not responsible for the content or its authenticity. "In this context, we reiterate that till date no further information has come to us from credible and authoritative sources regarding the whereabouts or wellbeing of Fr Tom. Therefore we earnestly appeal to all concerned to desist from forwarding all such unsolicited and misleading messages and spreading false rumours. "In the meantime, let us continue to pray for Fr Tom so that the Lord may protect him from all harm and relieve him from the clutches of the evil forces sooner than later." Valarkot had previously stressed that there was "absolutely no information" on Uzhunnalil. "Even today we do not know who has taken him and what their motives are because no one has claimed responsibility," he said. Islamic State has previously held prisoners for ransom and is believed to have raised large sums of money from the practice. However, there have been many reports of priests being tortured and murdered after being taken captive. On at least one occasion a ransom was paid for a priest who was killed anyway and returned to his family in pieces. God without church: Why churchless believers don't do much for Christianity The Victorian prime minister Lord Melbourne, not a great churchgoer but a great wit, used to say: "While I cannot be regarded as a pillar, I must be regarded as a buttress of the Church, because I support it from the outside." New research by the Church of Scotland claims to show there are a good number of Lord Melbournes about today. The Invisible Church, to be published next month, claims the Christian community in the UK is much bigger than it seems. Modern Christians are turning to the internet and other less formal surroundings to practise their beliefs, it says. Around two-thirds of those who stop attending church maintain a strong personal faith afterwards. Author Steve Aisthorpe said: "I found that changes in wider society and in the practices of Christian people mean attendance at Sunday morning worship can no longer be seen as a reliable indicator of the health and scale of Christian faith." And, he said, people leave for a variety of reasons. "There has been a well-publicised view within the Christian community that those who discontinue church attendance usually do so over trivial issues and it is now clear that this is not true. The evidence also shows that churches which are resistant to change and those which are dominated by a single group are more likely to decline." So while the Church is declining, it's not declining as much as all that; there are plenty of Christians operating below the radar. And there are plenty of 'Fresh Expressions'-type gatherings in small groups, not necessarily tied in to a denomination but lively and flourishing nonetheless. It's an attractive and not unconvincing picture. The church which is seeing its congregation grow less month by month needn't worry too much. They might be lost to the church, but they are not lost to the Church. There are more Christians out there than we know. The whole secularisation thing is vastly overblown. So why am I not as encouraged by this as I ought to be? Three reasons. First, the whole 'churchless Christianity' thing is a contradiction in terms. Religion is done together or it is not really religion. Someone's private beliefs might be meaningful and precious to them, but they are still private. It's when they are activated by contact perhaps uncomfortable, irritating or frustrating contact with other believers that they become truly Christian. Religion that isn't shared is more of a philosophy than a faith. Second, the institution of the Church, expressed in the little local fellowships that make it up and in the councils, synods and assemblies where they come together, is what makes it visible and influential. It's through our combined weight that we can influence debate and help shape public opinion. If the churchless Christians aren't part of that, they might be shining brightly enough in their little corners, but they are not being lights to the world. Third, though, and most importantly: churchless Christians are using up the capital they've been given by their spiritual parents and grandparents (who are often their real ones too). They have the luxury of leaving the Church without leaving the faith because the Church has rooted the faith so deeply in them. But what about their children? Who will give them the spiritual grounding they had themselves? That doesn't come through private reading and thinking. It comes through learning the discipline of prayer and worship through turning out Sunday by Sunday, often when we have other things to do. So, two cheers for the research. What it seems to say, from the headlines so far, is that the idea that people leave the Church because they have lost their faith or are hostile to religion in general isn't right. They leave because it doesn't work for them. If they're disillusioned, it's not with God, it's with the way the Church asks them to do God. The answer is not, though, to lose confidence in the Church and imagine it has to be entirely reinvented. For most Christians it works very well. But it does mean that people need to be given the freedom to criticise, to be honest, and to feel they've been heard and that the Church will respond and change where it can. And it means, perhaps, that churches can be less defensive about the world outside their doors. It's not full of enemies. It's made up, in good part, of people who'd like to belong if they could only be persuaded the Church was worth belong to. Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods Coral Ridge fires elder who knew about Tullian Tchividjian's affair Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church announced on Sunday it had removed an elder who withheld information about Tullian Tchividjian's affair, the Christian Post has reported. Another elder is thought to have resigned. Tchividjian left the church after he and his wife both admitted adulterous affairs, and later took up a position at Willow Creek Presbyterian Church (WCPC). However, a recent revelation that he had a previous affair in 2014 resulted in his departure from WCPC as he had not previously disclosed it. Two elders at Coral Ridge had known of the 2014 affair but had failed to report it to the church leadership. A source who was in the congregation on Sunday told the Christian Post the church's pastor, Rob Pacienza, had confirmed elders had known about Tchividjian's affair but withheld the information. "He just apologised that this happened and we're looking forward to in the future being more transparent and pastoral," the source said. "He apologised for the leadership failing the congregation. They took ownership. It was very sad but exciting for the next season. They were happy that this was the new standard." The source continued: "I think there was probably a little bit of, on one level, frustration, but on the second level there was happiness that we're more transparent and happiness for the next season. It feels very optimistic and hopeful." Tchividjian has said he will "forever regret" the effect his actions have had on his ex-wife and children. He issued what his publicist says is his final statement on the issue, saying: "I recently confessed to my pastor and elders a previous failure from a few years ago. I deeply regret my actions and putting myself in the compromising position that led me to sin the way I did. My heart grieves for all of those that have been hurt by my selfishness and foolishness." 'God's Not Dead 2' producer denies film is 'full of fake Christian persecution' The producer of God's Not Dead 2 has denied accusations that the film is "full of fake Christian persecution", arguing that if it weren't true, people wouldn't be getting so offended by it. The sequel to 2014's sleeper hit God's Not Dead, the upcoming film stars Melissa Joan Hart as a Christian teacher who is forced before a judge for answering a question about Jesus in the classroom. It has been accused of imagining Christian persecution in the US by blogger Hermant Mehta. In a post titled 'The Trailer of God's Not Dead 2 is Full of Fake Christian Persecution', Mehta wrote, "In real life, even atheist groups wouldn't blink over this. They sure as hell wouldn't file a lawsuit or send a letter of complaint because the teacher wasn't proselytizing. "But for those who live in the Christian Persecution Bubble, even mentioning the Bible will get them in trouble. It's a lie they tell themselves so they can pretend to be martyrs." David AR White, the film's producer and actor, denied this claim: "It's an interesting thing, because, if it wasn't real, why do they get so offended by it? I don't think it would annoy people if it wasn't true," he told The Blaze. "At the end of 'God's Not Dead 1 and even part two, we throw up about 50 different court cases that are dealing with similar issues right now." Professor Darrell Bock, executive director for Cultural Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary, told the Christian Post that the sequel is an accurate representation of a "more hostile culture" towards Christianity in America. In Texas, killing an unborn child takes less time than a dentist appointment Think about your last dentist appointment. How many weeks did you have to wait before you can have your teeth checked? Well, in Texas, killing a baby takes less time compared to seeing a dentist. According to data gathered by pro-life Christian group Operation Rescue, pregnant mothers in Texas usually wait less than a week6.5 days to be exactfor them to be able to undergo abortions. On the average, Americans in other state will have to wait 8.5 days before they can have their unborn babies killed. This means that it is faster to get an abortion in Texas compared to other parts in the United States, owing to a new safety law that is in effect in the state. This amount of time is also substantially less if compared to how long it usually takes a woman to have dentist appointment. According to Operation Rescue, getting a tooth filling has an average waiting time of five weeksway longer if placed side by side with the average waiting time for Texas and the rest of the U.S. In an interview with Life Site News, Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said these data clearly disprove the belief being promoted by mainstream media that it is difficult for American women to murder unwanted children in their wombs. "What we are seeing now is an orchestrated propaganda campaign in the left-leaning mainstream media to discredit abortion safety laws such as those passed in Texas. This is more about pushing a radical abortion agenda on the American people that reporting the facts," Newman said. "But when you look at the actual data, as we have, the media's brazen attempt at public manipulation on the subject of abortion is exposed," he added. The Christian group's data further showed how first trimester surgical abortions are cheaper to get in Texas than in other states. According to Operation Rescue's study, a woman who wants to undergo a surgical abortion in Texas will have to shell out $578.47 on the average. This same procedure to end the life of a gift from God will be costlier in other American states: an average price of $594.74. The pro-life Christian organisation came out with these data after calling 1,000 abortion clinics in the U.S. The data gatherers were able to speak to actual abortion clinic workers on waiting time and pricing, making these figures highly credible. ISIS has 400 trained terrorists ready to strike various targets in Europe, intel officials reveal The Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group has at least 400 trained militants ready to strike various targets in Europe, intelligence officials have disclosed to the Associated Press. The information came from European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker who follows the ISIS networks. They said the militants have been trained to launch mass-casualty attacks in camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc. The AP said more than four reliable sources independently corroborated the numbers of trained ISIS militants ready to strike Europe, adding that some of its sources have spoken directly to the militants. In claiming responsibility for Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels, the ISIS described a "secret cell of soldiers" dispatched to Brussels for the purpose. Europol, the EU police agency, confirmed the existence of such shadowy cells in Europe. Intelligence officials said the cells had "developed an external action command trained for special forces-style attacks." A European security official who spoke on condition of anonymity said French-speaking militants with links to North Africa, France and Belgium appear to be leading the units and are responsible for developing attack strategies in Europe. The source said the militants are trained in battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and counter surveillance. "The difference is that in 2014, some of these [ISIS] fighters were only being given a couple weeks of training," he said. "Now the strategy has changed. Special units have been set up. The training is longer. And the objective appears to no longer be killing as many people as possible but rather to have as many terror operations as possible, so the enemy is forced to spend more money or more in manpower." He said al-Qaeda has developed similar methods but that the ISIS has taken it to a higher level. Another difference is that fighters are being trained to be their own operatorsnot relying anymore on orders from the ISIS leadership in Raqqa, Syria, or elsewhere, the source said. Meanwhile, a senior Iraqi intelligence official, who also requested anonymity, told the AP that the militantslike the ones who carried out the Nov. 13, 2015 terror attacks in Parisare scattered across Germany, Britain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. Recently, a new group crossed in from Turkey, he added. In the case of Tuesday's attacks in Brussels, the arrest on Friday of fugitive Salah Abdeslam may have served as trigger for a plot that had long been planned, said Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College in London. "To pull off an attack of this sophistication, you need training, planning, materials and a landscape," he said. "Even if they worked flat out, the attackers in Brussels would have needed at least four days," said Maher, who has conducted extensive interviews with foreign fighters. European intelligence and security officials are now busy trying to figure out just how many more ISIS militants have been trained to conduct terrorist attacks and where they could possibly strike. Lord Bates: Christian faith 'central' to decision to quit government Home Office Minister Lord Bates, who is a Christian, resigned from government on Thursday as he sets off for a 2,000 mile charity walk. Lord Bates will leave his post in the House of Lords at the end of March after 18 months as a minister. He will walk from Buenos Aires in Argentina to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to raise money for Unicef and promote the Olympic Truce. The minister and former Conservative MP for Langbaurgh in the north-east of England told Christian Today his Christian faith was "central" to his decision. "In many ways these are pilgrimages for peace," he said. "The place where I will finish - God-willing - is the statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio. "In politics it can be frustrating because you become increasingly aware of the problems and yet you have very little opportunity to make a real difference unless you are at the very top of government. "If I have a criticism of the Christian community and of myself is we focus far too much on what governments and others should do and far too little on what we as individuals can do. "If there is anything one can think about Easter and the message of the Christian faith, it is the power one individual's life had. To me that is immense." Lord Bates said he found walking for peace an "immensely spiritual" experience. "At the end of each day there is a sense you have done something," he told Christian Today. "The other thing about politics is that a lot of the time you are planning ahead and thinking about the upcoming election, or budget, or speech. "The beauty of the walks I undertake is that each day all you are thinking is: 'give me water along the way and something to eat and if you can find me a bed for the night that is great'." Lord Bates said he hoped the walk would have a "modest impact" in terms of promoting the Olympic Truce. The truce was an aspect of the ancient games where war was halted to allow athletes from opposing nations to compete without violence. At the UN general assembly, 180 countries signed a 2016 Olympic Truce resolution which aims to "promote and strengthen the culture of peace" and to "use sport as a tool to promote peace". Lord Bates called on all 180 nations to take one concrete action to further its aims. He has been a long-time advocate of a modern-day Olympic truce. Ahead of the 2012 Olympics he walked 3,000 miles from Olympia in Greece to London and last year he undertook a 64-day hike in China for charity. Lord Bates denied the truce was an unrealistic prospect for modern warfare. "We can say for certain it was possible with wars in ancient Greece and the fact we even question whether it would be possible when we have international institutions and have grown in our understanding says quite a lot about our society." The peer entered parliament in 1992 as an MP under then Conservative Prime Minister John Major. Despite his many walks, he said it is not something that he naturally enjoys and has described himself as "more 'Beer & Grills' than Bear Grylls". Politics, he told Christian Today, was his "calling" and he would not have resigned for any other reason but the Olympic truce walk. He hopes to return to the House of Lords on September 5 when it resumes after summer recess. Lord Bates will set off from Buenos Aires on April 6. You can follow his progress on twitter here and sponsor him here. Miroslav Volf: how I learned to forgive my interrogator Most conflicts are fuelled by our memories, according to Croatian theologian Miroslav Volf so it's vital that we learn to remember in the right way if we're to achieve peace and forgiveness. Speaking at the BMS Catalyst Live event in Reading, Volf, whose book Exclusion and Embrace, written as a reflection on the Bosnian wars, said that "remembering rightly" involved remembering truthfully, hopefully, responsibly and in ways that reconciled. In a powerful address which drew on his own experiences of protracted interrogation in the former Yugoslavia by a "Captain G", Volf said: "Every untruthfulness is a mode of injustice." Reflecting on his retellings of his own story, in which he was tempted to exaggerate his sufferings, he said: "Victims have an interest in enhancing the suffering they experienced. But I had a responsibility to tell my story rightly, or I would wrong another person. You can't forgive or apologise unless you have told the story rightly." He referred to the "pragmatic" side of memory, saying that it was important to remember the past hopefully. "We always do something with our memories," he said. "We never do something just to remember. So what do we do with our memories, what do memories do to us?" The danger, he said, was that "Our identity ends up almost taken up by the memory of wrongdoing. The memory sits in the living room of our mind in the best chair and soon our entire life pivots round it. You become what you have done, or left undone, or what other people have done to you. But our identity as Christians doesn't reside in that, it lies in being loved by God, by Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose for our salvation." Volf referred to the need to remember "responsibly". He said: "When we suffer wrongs, we inflict on others what has been inflicted on us and we don't always realise we're doing it." However, in the Bible, God's people are told, "remember you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God delivered you". Volf said: "The lesson to draw is that you shouldn't treat the alien among you the way the Egyptians treated you, but treat them the way God treated you." He concluded by speaking of the need for remembering in a way that brought reconciliation. "We have to remember rightly, for ourselves and others. The others are often those with whom we have been in conflict, those who have wronged us." He referred to 1 Corinthians 5:14, in which Paul says: "One died for all, therefore all have died." In the death of Christ, Volf said, we all died, and in a significant sense when he rose we did too. "How do I remember the wrongdoer? Christ died for me. Also Christ died for the wrongdoer; Captain G, my interrogator, he too is one who has died in Christ, his redemption has taken place in a significant sense in Christ. All died so that they will all become a single community of love. I have to remember wrongdoing I've suffered as wrongdoing by someone with whom I have been made one in a significant sense by the death and resurrection of Christ." Photo of coffee shop employees praying with grieving customer goes viral A powerful moment of prayer between three coffee shop employees and a grieving widow has now been shared by thousands online after a customer captured the act and uploaded it to social media. Workers at the Dutch Bros Coffee drive-thru in Vancouver, Washington went beyond the call of duty when they served a bereaved customer who was visibly upset. Pierce Dunn, a Christian barista at the coffee shop chain, was informed by another colleague that a female customer was in tears because her 37-year-old husband had passed away the night before. On hearing the news, the 19-year-old told KPTV he said to his co-workers: "There's nothing more you need to say. We got this. We're going to do what we do every time we get someone who's in pain or hurt. We're going to give them our love." Without hesitation, Dunn and his colleague gave the woman a free drink and then Dunn asked the woman if she would like him to pray with her. She accepted his offer of prayer and he reached out his hands to hold hers. Colleague Evan Freeman and a third co-worker also joined them in prayer. In an interview with Oregon Live, Dunn said: "She was crying. I shed a few tears. We've cried since as well. When something that real happens, it hits close to home." Unbeknown to the employees, another customer, Barbara Danner, was so touched by the gesture that she took a photo of the interaction and posted it to the Dutch Bros Facebook page. The post has over 120,000 shares and has been liked more than 354,000 times. In the caption of the photo, Danner wrote: "When the DB guys & gals noticed she was falling apart, they stopped everything and prayed with her for several minutes, invited her to come back for prayer and support, as well as anything else that she might need." The coffee chain's Facebook fans have also been sharing their thoughts on the image. Annette Hannah wrote: "One of the most touching stories of the year so far...Thanking God for these amazing employees, and for Dutch Bros Coffee for allowing their employees to be themselves on the job!". Despite the picture's popularity and the overwhelmingly positive response it's had, Dunn told the Daily Mail that he hopes the viral image doesn't take away the intimacy of the moment for the woman if she decides to return. The woman, who is not pictured in the photo, was reportedly "extremely grateful". Radovan Karadzic guilty of 1995 Srebrenica massacre, sentenced to 40 years in jail Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been sentenced to 40 years in jail by UN judges who found him guilty of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and of nine other war crimes charges. Karadzic, 70, the most senior political figure to be convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, was found guilty of 10 out of 11 war charges. He was acquitted of a second count of genocide in various towns across Bosnia during the war of the 1990s. Presiding judge O-Gon Kwon said the campaign in which the city of Serbs, Muslims and Croats was shelled and sniped at by besieging Bosnian Serb forces could not have happened without Karadzic's support. He was also found guilty of deportation, unlawful attacks, inhumane treatment, taking hostages, extermination and he was found criminally responsible for a campaign of sniping and shelling in the siege of Sarajevo. However, he said crimes had been committed by Bosnian Serb forces against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in the municipalities of Bosnia, but that these did not amount to genocide. Karadzic is the highest-ranking person to face reckoning before the UN tribunal in The Hague over a war two decades ago in which 100,000 people died as rival armies carved up Bosnia along ethnic lines that largely survive today. Among the main charges is that Karadzic, who was arrested in 2008 after 11 years on the run, controlled Serb forces that massacred 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 after overrunning the supposed UN-designated "safe area". Karadzic, who once headed the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic and held the title of supreme commander of its armed forces, was charged with two counts of genocide, the second for a campaign of purging Bosnian Muslims and ethnic Croats from towns around the country. The only more senior official to face justice before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in custody a decade ago before a verdict was reached. Ratko Mladic, the general who commanded Bosnian Serb forces, was the last suspect to be detained over the Srebrenica slaughter and is also in a UN cell awaiting judgment. The Srebrenica massacre and the years-long Serb siege of Bosnia's capital Sarajevo, with which Karadzic is also charged, were events that turned world opinion against the Serbs and prompted NATO air strikes that brought the war to an end. Karadzic defended himself through his 497-day trial and called 248 witnesses, poring over many of the millions of pages of evidence with the help of a court-appointed legal adviser. Prosecutors say he conspired to purge Bosnia of its non-Serb population. Rejecting the charges, Karadzic sought to portray himself as the Serbs' champion, blaming some of the sieges and shelling on Bosnian Muslims themselves. Critics of the ICTY argue that its prosecutors have disproportionately targeted Serbs, with 94 out of 161 suspects charged from the Serbian side, while 29 were Croat and nine Bosnian Muslim. Prosecutors have also been criticised for not bringing charges over the atrocity-ridden war against two other leaders of that era who have since died -Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic. "If you had got prosecutions of those three (including Milosevic) then you'd get a really good picture of the way the violence was produced but we're not getting it," said Eric Gordy, an expert on the court at University College London. The ICTY, set up in 1991 at the outset of federal Yugoslavia's violent break-up that killed 130,000 people through the 1990s, was meant to deter future war crimes and promote reconciliation, but its judgments remain divisive. This week, the government of Croatia an ex-Yugoslav republic now in the European Union asked the ICTY to revise a ruling that named Tudjman, the country's founding president, as an accessory to a plan to commit ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. Many Serbs, both in Bosnia and Serbia, regard the court as a pro-Western instrument, maintain that Karadzic is innocent and believe his conviction would inflict grave injustice on all Serbs. Serge Brammertz, prosecutor at the tribunal, worries that its work, which is winding down, has done little to help heal the war's deep wounds, given that ethnic nationalists continue to dominate power in much of Bosnia. "I'm not convinced everyone has really understood the wrongdoings from the past," he said. "Many people in all the former Yugoslavia are still using a rhetoric that is still closer to what we heard in court than we should expect." Additional reporting by Reuters. Smarter people prefer less social interaction with friends to enjoy life, new study shows People tend to think that the more friends they have, the happier their lives will be. Well, this is not the case for everyone, most specifically for more cerebral people, as a recent study revealed. Evolutionary psychologists Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics and Norman Li of Singapore Management University conducted a survey of 15,000 respondents aged 18 to 28 to ultimately find out what people think is a life well lived. The most exceptional finding of the research, which was recently published in the British Journal of Psychology, is that more intelligent people are less satisfied with frequent social interactions. "The effect of population density on life satisfaction was therefore more than twice as large for low-IQ individuals than for high-IQ individuals," the researchers said in their study, as quoted by The Washington Post. "More intelligent individuals were actually less satisfied with life if they socialised with their friends more frequently," they added. Why exactly would smarter people prefer less interaction with their close acquaintances? Carol Graham, a Brookings Institution researcher who studies the economics of happiness, provides an explanation: More intelligent individuals want to spent time fulfilling their dreams. "The findings in here suggestand it is no surprisethat those with more intelligence and the capacity to use it ... are less likely to spend so much time socialising because they are focused on some other longer-term objective," Graham also told The Washington Post. Kanazawa and Li, however, have a more evolutionary explanation. They think smarter people do not need much social interaction, because they already know how to survive without the help of others. "More intelligent individuals, who possess higher levels of general intelligence and thus greater ability to solve evolutionarily novel problems, may face less difficulty in comprehending and dealing with evolutionarily novel entities and situations," the researchers explained in their study. This same research also affirmed earlier findings that a person's happiness decreases as the population density in the area where he or she lives increases. "Residents of rural areas and small towns are happier than those in suburbs, who in turn are happier than those in small central cities, who in turn are happier than those in large central cities," the researchers stated. St. Louis Archdiocese cuts ties with Girl Scouts U.S.A. over abortion, gay marriage, transgender issues The Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri has cut ties with Girl Scouts U.S.A. over the latter's association with groups that promote abortion, same-sex marriage and contraceptives, and for allowing transgenders to join troops. In a letter, Archbishop Robert Carlson said the diocese has investigated concerns about Girl Scouts USA and its parent organisation, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). These concerns include WAGGGS' continued promotion of contraception and abortion rights on behalf of its girl members; financial contributions of GSUSA to the parent organisation; and GSUSA's promotion of role models that contradict Catholic values including activist Gloria Steinem and writer Betty Friedan. Carlson also questioned GSUSA's partnership with Amnesty International, Coalition for Adolescent Girls and OxFam that are in conflict with Catholic values on areas of sex education and reproductive rights. "Girl Scouts is exhibiting a troubling pattern of behaviour and it is clear to me that as they move in the ways of the world it is becoming increasingly incompatible with our Catholic values," Carlson said in the letter. "We must stop and ask ourselvesis Girl Scouts concerned with the total well-being of our young women? Does it do a good job forming the spiritual, emotional, and personal well-being of Catholic girls?" He ordered that "effective immediately, I am disbanding the Catholic Committee on Girl Scouts and instead forming a Catholic Committee for Girls Formation that will be charged with ministry to all girls in various organisations." Carlson also took issue with Girls Scouts' position on and inclusion of transgender and homosexuals. "Our culture is becoming increasingly intolerant of a Catholic worldview regarding these issues. While Catholics are called to treat all people with compassion and mercy, we must at the same time be mindful of whom we allow to teach and form our youth and the messages they present," he said. Carlson said while many leaders are fulfilling the mandate of presenting young people with the good news of Jesus Christ within their troops, "I continue to be concerned of messages at odds with our faith that our youth are receiving from GSUSA and the organisations that they partner with." He said he is asking pastors who allow Girl Scout troops to meet on parish property to hold a meeting with troop leaders to review the concerns and discuss alternative options. "Our primary obligation is to help our girls grow as women of God. Several alternative organisations exist, many of which have a Catholic or Christian background," he said. Carlson also expressed concern about the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). "While the new BSA leadership policy currently offers some protections to religious organisations, I continue to wonder in which direction this once trusted organisation is now headed," he said. Surging Cruz closes in on Trump nationally; Clinton seen losing to Cruz and Kasich but beating Trump in 1-on-1 matchups Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is now only three points behind Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump nationally, which is a statistical tie, a new Fox News poll shows. The number is within the poll's five-point margin of error, according to Newsmax. The national poll of likely Republican primary voters showed Trump with 41 percent support, Cruz with 38 percent, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, with 17 percent. The poll was conducted March 20-22 and had 388 Republican primary voters as respondents. Ironically, despite his poor poll rating, Kasich has the best chance of beating expected Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, according to the same Fox News poll. Kasich only hope at getting the GOP nomination would be in a contested convention. The poll shows Clinton beating Trump, 49 percent to 38 percent, if the election was held today. But Clinton would lose to Kasich, 40 percent to 51 percent, and to Cruz, 44 percent to 47 percent. That portion of the poll, also taken March 20-22, had 1,016 registered voters as respondents and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percent. Earlier polls conducted in March also showed basically the same resultsCruz tying or beating Clinton in head-to-head matchups while Trump would lose to her. The polls were conducted by Quinnipiac, CBS/New York Times, CNN/ORC, and NBC News/Wall Street Journal. Only a Bloomberg poll conducted in recent days showed Clinton winning over Cruz by nine points, which is above the 3.4 percent margin of error. All head-to-head polls between Trump and Clinton taken during at least part of March show Trump losing to Clinton between five and 18 points, and all outside the margin of error. Meanwhile, former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush endorsed Cruz for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday, saying the U.S. senator from Texas represents the party's best chance of winning the White House, the Gospel Herald reported. In a statement, the former Florida governor called Cruz a consistent, principled conservative who has demonstrated an ability to appeal to voters and win primary contests. "Washington is broken, and the only way Republicans can hope to win back the White House and put our nation on a better path is to support a nominee who can articulate how conservative policies will help people rise up and reach their full potential," Bush said. We will not be 'cajoled' into accepting homosexuality, says African Archbishop A leading conservative Archbishop has accused the worldwide Anglican leadership of trying to "cajole" orthodox churches into accepting homosexuality. Archbishop of Kenya Eliud Wabukala says in a letter he cannot heed the Archbishop of Canterbury's plea for him to attend next month's meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Lusaka. This is because the promises made at the recent Primates Meeting in Canterbury to restrict the participation of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion because of its liberal stance on homosexuality have not been kept, the Archbishop says. The so-called "instruments" of communion are "not being used so much as instruments of unity but as instruments to cajole orthodox Global South provinces of the Communion into acquiescence with the secular sexual culture which has made such inroads into the Anglican Churches of the West," he writes in the letter, published on the Anglican Ink website, Wabukala acknowledges the Archbishop of Canterbury's recognition of the need for "repentance and confession". He continues: "But there does not seem to be any recognition that homosexual activity is a matter for repentance by those speaking on behalf of the London based Anglican Communion authorities. Instead there are only calls to repent of 'homophobia', a term which is seriously compromised by the way homosexual activists have used it to include any opposition to their agenda." The inability to recognise that the acceptance of homosexual activity calls for repentance is now "entrenched", he says. "In these circumstances, some of us have been forced to the conclusion that the best way to make our voices heard is by absence rather than presence. We have no wish to interfere in the juridical authority of other provinces, but we do have a responsibility to ensure that our recognition of one another in the Anglican family is based on a common submission to the authority of God's Word, not simply a shared history." He was writing in response to a letter to the primates from Archbishop Justin Welby, who pleaded with them to attend the Lusaka meeting next month. The primates who were present in January had agreed unanimously that the Episcopal Church should face the consequences of its actions in agreeing gay marriage. Archbishop Welby wrote: "As you will remember, at that crucial moment, we undertook to seek personally to ensure that what we voted, was put into practice." But he acknowledged that his powers are limited. "It is well recognised that there is no single body within the Anglican Communion that has juridical authority over individual provinces. We are autonomous but interdependent." The Archbishop wrote: "I hope and pray that every province that is able will be present in Lusaka. The decisions we took in January can only have effect if they gain general ownership amongst the Communion, taking in laity, priests and bishops. Even if a province is not able to be present, I urge you to pray fervently for the outcome of the ACC." The British artist was an influential figure in Paris during the 1930s, yet much of Mosss work was lost in the 1944 shelling of her Normandy home One hundred years after the Easter Rising, specialist Thomas Venning examines a copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and meets a descendent of one of its signatories On Easter Monday, 1916, Patrick Pearse stepped into the streets of Dublin to read from the Proclamation of the Irish Republic a document that sparked the six-day Easter Rising, effectively laying the foundations for modern Ireland. Thought to have been composed by Pearse, with contributions from James Connolly and Thomas MacDonagh, the Proclamation outlined the shape of a new Republic. From the first line, Irish men and women were placed as equals, with religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities guaranteed to all the Rising placed within the context of Irelands 300-year struggle for independence. Composed on Good Friday, the Proclamation was printed on Easter Sunday at Liberty Hall. The fighting that followed lasted for six days from Easter Monday, with Pearse facing vastly superior numbers issuing an order for surrender on Saturday 29 April. In the subsequent weeks, 15 of the Risings leaders, including all seven of the signatories to the Proclamation, had been executed under martial law James Connolly whilst tied to a chair, his ankle having been shattered by a bullet in the fighting. Lincoln revealed the all-new Navigator Concept and it's worthy enough for someone to live in it. It does have a "custom wardrobe management system," so there's the closet. But really, this new concept needs to be made into a reality. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Comedian Garry Shandling, best known to TV fans for his work in "It's Garry Shandling's Show" and "The Larry Sanders Show," has died. According to the Associated Press, the 66-year-old funnyman passed away after an apparent heart attack. His spokesman, Alan Nierob, told the AP that Shandling had no history of heart trouble. Los Angeles Police officer Tony Im told the AP that officers were sent to Shandling's home on Thursday for a reported medical emergency. Shandling was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Coroner's Lt. David Smith told the AP an official cause of death determination had not yet been made. Smith said no autopsy was planned, but officials would determine Shandling's cause of death based on medical records and his medical history. Shandling born in 1949 in Chicago and raised in Tucson, Arizona began his career writing for sitcoms such as '70s hits "Sanford and Son" and "Welcome Back, Kotter." But he made a name for himself as a stand-up comedian, and was reportedly in contention to replace Johnny Carson when the iconic comic left "The Tonight Show." In the mid-'80s, Shandling created the Showtime program "It's Garry Shandling's Show," which was nominated for several Emmys. The comedy pioneered the practice of breaking the fourth wall and allowing the actors to talk to the audience. His second program, HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," was an even bigger hit. The '90s sitcom, which offered a behind-the-scenes look at a late-night talk show host, won multiple Emmy Awards and is considered one of TV's greatest comedies. Moments after news of Shandling's death broke on Thursday, fellow comedians mourned on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Each fall, longtime Chronicle food critic Alison Cook releases her list of the Top 100 Houston Restaurants. In a city with more than 5,000 restaurants, the competition to make the list is hot. Visitors are unlikely to have the time to eat their way through the well-regarded list, so here's a taste of Cook's top 10 spots: The Pass & Provisions Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan's dynamic duo eateries are splurge-worthy and a must for anyone who self identifies as a foodie. There's the theatrical Pass with its adventurous tasting menu and the more casual Provisions, where you can't go wrong ordering pizza. Cuisine: Contemporary American Entree price: $$$$ Where: 807 Taft Phone: 713-628-9020 Website: passandprovisions.com Don't miss: Bread service at Provisions Oxheart Justin Yu has coaxed meat-loving Houstonians to embrace vegetables. Offering only six-course tasting menus that may or may not include meat, Oxheart is tiny, quirky and unfussy, especially for a restaurant considered by many critics to be among the best in the country. Cuisine: Contemporary American Entree price: $$$$ Where: 1302 Nance Phone: 832-830-8592 Website: oxhearthouston.com Don't miss: Wine and beer pairings, which are moderately priced and on point Pax Americana An all-American wine list and chef Adam Dorris' modest-priced, seasonal menu are served in a warm romantic dining room in the heart of Montrose. Cuisine: Contemporary American Entree price: $$ Where: 4319 Montrose Phone: 713-239-0228 Website: paxamericanahtx.com Don't miss: Goat ricotta Killen's Barbecue Go early and don't be discouraged by the line. It goes fairly quickly. Get a corner table so you can watch the room. Chef Ronnie Killen's fame extends far beyond Texas and his barbecue joint has become a favorite stop for pro athletes and famous foodies. Cuisine: Barbecue Entree price: $-$$$ Where: 3613 E. Broadway, Pearland Phone: 281-485-2272 Website: killensbarbecue.com Don't miss: Beef rib and creamed corn Tony's Dining is theater at this Houston institution warmly overseen by namesake Tony Vallone. If you're not wowed with what's on the plate (and we bet you will be), you're sure to be dazzled by glitterati in the dining room. Cuisine: Italian Entree price: $$$$ Where: 3755 Richmond Phone: 713-622-6778 Website: tonyshouston.com Don't miss: House-made pastas Hugo's This is no enchilada joint. The upscale regional Mexican dishes - and the zippy cocktails - are carefully crafted and generally unseen on other Houston menus. Sunday brunch is a spectacle. Cuisine: Mexican/Tex-Mex Entree price: $$-$$$ Where: 1600 Westheimer Phone: 713-524-7744 Website: hugosrestaurant.net Don't miss: Pulpo al Carbon Pondicheri Indian street food and homestyle dishes from Indika's Anita Jaisinghani are the focus of this River Oaks restaurant. Counter service for breakfast and lunch. Cuisine: Indian Entree price: $-$$ Where: 2800 Kirby, Suite B132 Phone: 713-522-2022 Website: pondichericafe.com Don't miss: Thali sampler platters Coltivare Ryan Pera and Morgan Weber's casual dining room is loud and crowded, but the good service and seasonal fare trump all. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, but leave your phone number with the hostess and then go explore the Heights' bar scene. You'll get a text when your table is ready. Cuisine: Italian Entree price: $$ Where: 3320 White Oak Phone: 713-637-4095 Website: coltivarehouston.com Don't miss: Spaghetti with black pepper BCN Taste & Tradition If you're looking for Old World service, a stylish dining room and superior people-watching, then visiting this proudly Spanish restaurant is a priority. Just know that tables can be hard to nab on the weekends. Cuisine: Spanish Entree price: $$$$ Where: 4210 Roseland Phone: 832-834-3411 Website: bcnhouston.com Don't miss: Grilled boneless pig's foot Caracol Hugo Ortega's other Top 10 restaurant is a stunner. The seafood-centric menu leans heavily on the wood-burning oven. An exceptional happy hour only fans the flame of our love of this Galleria-area dining room. Cuisine: Seafood Entree price: $$$$ Where: 2200 Post Oak Blvd., No. 160 Phone: 713-622-9996 Website: caracol.net Don't miss: Wood-roasted oysters and ceviches This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The River Oaks dining scene has never been so hot. State of Grace, native son Fry Ford's big kiss to his childhood culinary haunts, has been the hottest ticket in town since it opened in November. With the talented Bobby Matos executing his vision in the kitchen, the Atlanta-based restaurateur pays tribute to long-gone establishments such as Felix Mexican Restaurant and Hofbrau. Sleek bistro meets upscale lodge, the handsome State of Grace is across the street from Fry's alma mater, Lamar High School. The menu offers dishes such as deviled crab on the half shell, roast duck with mole and grilled octopus. Down the street at 4444 Westheimer, the lifestyle center River Oaks District is poised to be Houston's next dining destination. "As with everything River Oaks District, each restaurant was hand-selected with Houstonians and visitors in mind," said Colin Moussa, ROD director of marketing. "We're a city that is recognized for award-winning cuisine. So whether you're looking for a handcrafterd burger, a blend of fusion food, the ultimate steakhouse experience or just a cocktail after shopping, River Oaks District has something to please your palette." Already open is iPic Theater with its posh Tuck Room, which is offering shareable plates created by James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Yard and over-the-top cocktails by master mixologist Adam Seger. Dallas transplant Toulouse Cafe and Bar opens any day now. The cafe will transport diners to Paris with its large menu of French favorites such as Escargots Toulouse, Dover Sole Meuniere and Croque Madame. Other River Oaks District restaurants scheduled to open later this spring include: Taverna, a family friendly Italian dining room from the folks behind Toulouse; opening April. Austin-based Hopdoddy Burger Bar, whichspecializes in inventive sandwiches, shakes and craft beer; opening April. Dallas-based The Porch, which will serve in southern comfort fare; opening May. Le Colonial, a sophisticated French-Vietnamese restaurant that is part of a small upscale chain; opening May. Steak 48, brothers Jeffrey and Michael Mastro's two-story steakhouse; opening April. SumoMaya, a concept out of Phoenix, is a "Mexican Asian Kitchen" offering a fusion menu with ceviche, sushi and tacos; opening late summer. Two River Oaks favorites, Berryhill Baja Grilland Relish Fine Foods, also are making moves this spring. The tiny original Berryhill cantina on Revere is moving across the street. The restaurant known for its California-style fish tacos and tamales will move into the space at 2300 Westheimer that was formerly Harwood Grill. Relish Fine Foods, which first opened onSan Felipe in 2011, is opening a restaurant in thespace at 2810 Westheimer that was last occupied by The Bird & The Bear. "What began as a retreat with my husband and two children in 2006 has become a bit of a creative wonderland for me," says Sheila Youngblood, owner of the Rancho Pillow ranch about seven miles from Round Top, Texas. Youngblood first opened her family vacation home to musicians in 2010, when it was known as Rancho Milagro. It functioned as a residential retreat where people from around the world joined to write and rehearse. Now, the 20-acre character-filled compound has been rebranded as Rancho Pillow and will begin accommodating the public March 28, when Houston-based chef Monica Pope will cook a welcome dinner. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A person of interest - wanted on an outstanding federal drug charge - was taken into custody in a pre-dawn SWAT team raid of a Montgomery County mobile home on Thursday to be questioned in connection with the slayings of a man and his 14-year-old daughter from Katy. Wendell Campbell, a spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, said Thursday he could not identify the person or discuss the circumstances leading to the raid. A U.S. magistrate is expected to unseal the federal complaint on Friday. Illegal drug activity is one of several possible motives being explored for the killings. After U.S. marshals arrested the man on the drug charge about 6 a.m., investigators scoured the mobile home property in the 2900 block of Abersteen Drive in Magnolia and hauled out boxes of undisclosed items. Authorities would not say what, if any, connection the man has to the deaths of Caesar Vladimir Coronado and his 14-year-old daughter, Adriana Coronado. The elder Coronado was found dead, his body burned, on March 13 in rural area of Walker County off FM 2989 near Madisonville. His truck had also been set ablaze and was found 48 miles further south, near Conroe. His daughter was missing, and authorities, fearing her father's killers had abducted her, issued an Amber Alert. Her body was discovered three days later lying in a grassy field west of Houston near Beltway 8 and the Katy Freeway. The Mayde Creek ninth-grader was wearing her pajamas and slippers. The medical examiner ruled she had died from multiple gunshot wounds. The case is being investigated by the DEA and the FBI as well as the sheriff's offices for Walker and Montgomery counties. Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae and Montgomery County investigators declined comment Thursday. Before Adriana's body was identified, the Walker County's Sheriff's Office released surveillance video of a person of interest leaving the father's truck in Conroe the night of March 13. The truck is driven off screen and a few seconds later, a burst of light can be seen coming from the direction of the truck. Authorities said they believe the burst of light was when the truck was set on fire. The man can be seen running from the direction of the truck and later seen running down an alley. Investigators said previously that the elder Coronado had a criminal history inside and outside the U.S., but that they didn't have a motive and didn't know what Coronado was doing in Walker County. Adriana's mother, who was in Mexico when her daughter went missing, told a news station early in the search that she had spoken with her husband and daughter on March 11 and that nothing appeared to be wrong. The girl's Katy ISD high school had just gone on spring break. Chronicle Photographer Brett Coomer contributed to this report A person was pulled to safety from the flames Thursday morning as a wind-whipped fire raced through a house in southeast Houston. The one-alarm blaze broke out about 2:30 a.m. in the 7800 block of Glover near Fennell, said District Chief. R. Martin of the Houston Fire Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Are you experiencing itchy, irritated eyes, a constant sore throat and a persistent urge to sneeze? Congratulations, you are one of many thousands in the Houston area who are being pummeled by allergies as trees cover everything in sight with powdery green and yellow pollen. Those affected are finding themselves sidetracked with a host of symptoms. HoustonChronicle.com: Battling allergies starts at home One area doctor offers some advice to soften the blows of allergy season, which she says runs from early spring until at least early fall. Dr. Sujata Sharma with AFC Urgent Care near the Heights says that most of her patients come to her as a last-ditch effort after battling allergies for days. Most people wait until it gets really bad by the time they get to my office, Sharma says. Some of my patients cant even leave the house when pollen is bad outdoors. While some patients complain that over-the-counter medications dont work, Sharma says it could be they're not giving the products enough time. RELATED: The skinny on spring allergies If an over-the-counter medication doesnt work within a few days, most people give up on them, Sharma says. Most dont really become effective until four days of use. If its been a week or so, Sharma says that consulting a physician isnt a bad idea. Grass and tree pollen keeps Sharma the busiest during allergy season, along with ragweed. Treatment varies by the patient, says Sharma, and it all depends on the symptoms and the patients medical history. Sinus pressure and congestion can usually be knocked out with rest and hydration. Some people think they have pink eye but learn it's just allergies after theyve spent money on medicine, Sharma says. Here are a few of her suggestions to help Houstonians sidestep major allergy trouble: Remove your contact lenses Those who have severe allergies and wear contact lenses during flare-ups are shooting themselves in the foot. It might be a good idea to wear glasses when there is a lot of pollen in the air, Sharma says. When you rub your eyes you can damage your eyes and worsen irritation. Stay indoors in the afternoon Allergies are most prevalent in the air in the afternoons, Sharma says. If its not possible to be a shut-in during those hours wash your hands when you come back inside so you dont spread the allergen. Change your sheets often Allergens can build up on bedding and cause some to wake up sicker than when they went to sleep. Curb your alcohol intake According to a Danish study that Sharma cited, even a glass of wine can irritate existing allergies and every additional alcoholic drink in a week increases the risk of seasonal allergies by three percent. The researchers believe that the bacteria and yeast in alcohol can produce histamines and cause a stuffy nose or itchy eyes. So, you probably arent allergic to cheap wine after all. Eat a bit cleaner Eat more fruits and vegetables but avoid bananas and melons if you suffer from ragweed allergies. Drinking wine doesnt count as eating fruit, by the way. Keep all windows closed Keep your car windows closed when the vehicle is parked because that pesky yellow pollen can get in the air-conditioner and stay there. At home, it may sound like a good idea to open windows to let in milder spring air, but you are in fact letting in more pollen. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The appetite for runway fashion expands each day, each season. As fashion weeks from New York to Milan send choreographed collections down the catwalk, and fashion writers and bloggers share those images on social media, customers are often on the edge of their seats waiting and wanting. High fashion comes fast, and it now arrives locally at the new River Oaks District, the 650,000-square-foot luxury shopping and mixed-use, development between Highland Village and the Galleria. Houston's version of Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive showcases all things fashion. "We knew luxury retailers were clamoring to come to the city, and they needed the right experience," said Greg Watson, managing director of development for OliverMcMillian, which developed the district. "Houston is already a shopping, dining and residential investment destination for regional and international travelers, and we added to the synergy of what was already here in a way that is fresh and relevant." More than 90 percent of its retail tenants are new to the city, including Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana and Van Cleef & Arpels. Cartier has relocated from the Galleria, and Hermes and Dior have opened flagship stores in the city's newest shopping district. For the discerning customer who craves luxury, it means Dolce & Gabbana's colorful vintage-inspired spring ready-to-wear is within reach - without jetting off to New York or Europe. Its Sicilian zeal is right at home in the swanky confines of the district. Designer Tom Ford, a Texas native, has an outpost here, his first in the city. And Stella McCartney, the celebrated designer and animal-rights activist, has stocked her first Houston store with women's ready-to-wear direct from the runway, along with accessories, lingerie, eyeglasses, fragrance and a children's collection. Etro's vibrant palette of rich, happy prints are also available with colors and styles to make you swoon. As the River Oaks District unveils new outposts, like Akris, Harry Winston, NARS and Saint Bernard, the luxury world continues to take a new form, according to Kit Yarrow, author of "Decoding the New Consumer Mind," (Wiley, 2014). "At one time luxury was about status and accumulation. Today luxury is so different," she said. "In no way are people buying luxury for people to admire them. They want the quality and are willing to pay for it." Yarrow, a professor at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, said traditional brick-and-mortar stores are a tremendous branding opportunity for luxury companies looking to connect with savvy shoppers tempted with endless options. "People go to browse, to dream, to shop, and a luxury store serves as a way to communicate and connect. You have to have a physical connection and experience to really get why luxury is worth it." Watson agreed, saying luxury shoppers want the in-store experience and customer service that they can't get online. "No longer do Houstonians have to travel to shop the streets of New York, Aspen or Paris for luxury," he said. "Now it's easier to obtain that coveted Dior or Tom Ford handbag in Houston." At the district's opening party, philanthropist and couture connoisseur Lynn Wyatt, praised the development. "This place is so beautiful and welcoming - Houston needs something like this." Where fashion is concerned, Houston women have always been ahead of the trend. These Bayou City mothers, philanthropists and business leaders spread sartorial cheer all year long in feminine shades of fuchsia, bubblegum and blush. Of course, Southern ladies have a reputation for being pretty tough, too; it's no surprise, then, that spiked stilettos and handbags are the accessories du jour for adding edge to their looks. As warm weather approaches, consider mixing pink with a bit of punk for an inspired take on spring's freshest shade. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A new San Jacinto College training center recently opened to help move more students into the maritime industry. San Jacinto College marked the grand opening of the new Maritime Technology and Training Center on its Maritime Campus March 8. The center is next to a turning basin along the Port of Houston at 3700 Old Highway 146 in La Porte. Students will use the new center to prepare for jobs in the maritime industry. It also will be used by current mariners needing to upgrade their U.S. Coast Guard certifications. According to the college, a PricewaterhouseCoopers Study released by the American Maritime Partnership ranks Texas third in the nation - with Houston ranking second - for all domestic maritime industry jobs. "The Maritime Technology and Training Center on our new Maritime Campus is our response to the region's growing needs surrounding the Port of Houston and the industries impacted by its activity each day," said Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College Chancellor, in a news release. The Maritime Technology and Training Center was built with funds from a 2008 bond referendum, which voters in the San Jacinto College district approved by 71 percent. The land was purchased from the Port of Houston Authority. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in December 2014. The training center was constructed 14 feet above the ground. It includes 45,000 square feet of space on each of the upper and lower levels. The center also includes a 3,748-square-foot suite for three full mission ship bridge simulators, donated by the Houston Pilots. Also, the center has 15 classrooms; an administrative suite; multipurpose room, dining area and engineering simulators; aquatic training facility; and stations for Global Maritime Distress and Safety System training, automatic radar plotting aid training, radar training and liquid cargo handling training. The college also has plans to build a separate industry dock for crew changes in partnership with G&H Towing. San Jacinto College began offering maritime training in 2010 after college officials learned that a majority of local maritime companies were sending their crews out of state for U.S. Coast Guard-required courses because there was not a local place for the training. "The complexity of Houston Ship Channel and the Galveston Bay illustrate perfectly why U.S.-licensed merchant mariners must develop and keep their navigational and other maritime skills honed to a fine edge," said Capt. Brian Penoyer, the Coast Guard captain of the Port and Sector Houston-Galveston commander. "As local mariners ourselves, we're excited to see this state-of-the-art training and recertification facility right here where our friends and colleagues live and work." In 2010, the College received a $394,577 Texas Workforce Commission grant and a $400,000 federal appropriation to start the program. Maritime courses were offered at a facility on Texas 225 in Pasadena. Classes were filled to capacity almost immediately, according to the college. More courses were added along with a radar lab and three full mission ship bridge simulators from the Houston Pilots, a group of pilots that navigate large ships in and out of the Houston Ship Channel. "Houston Pilots have long been champions of promoting maritime education in the local area," said Capt. Robert Shearon, the presiding officer of Houston Pilots, in a news release. "When we purchased a ship simulator, it was a natural fit to partner with San Jacinto College. The Kongsberg ship simulator at San Jacinto College's maritime training center is a state-of-the-art training and research tool that will assist in the education and professional development of the next generation of maritime leaders. From our perspective, well-trained mariners - whether pilots, tow boat operators, or harbor assist tug captains - means safer mariners." Two years after starting maritime training, San Jacinto College introduced the state's first, and only, associate degree for maritime transportation to address the maritime industry needs for more mariners with a college education. The college also began offering a program for those who wish to work in other areas of maritime by introducing an associate degree for cargo handling/logistics, transferable to the Texas Southern University maritime logistics program and the University of Houston College of Technology logistics program. Also, an Introduction to Ships and Shipping course was added to the college's business administration associate degree, which is transferable to Texas A&M University in Galveston through an articulation agreement. "This has truly been a collaborative effort that extends far beyond San Jacinto College," Hellyer said. "It is because of our maritime partners, supporters, and community that we were able to begin our maritime training and build the Maritime Technology and Training Center on the Maritime Campus. We express our sincerest gratitude to them, and look forward to more partnerships as we grow our maritime training programs." For information about maritime training at San Jacinto College, visit www.sanjac.edu/maritime. LSU Young Alumnus of the Year named Mario Garner, Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital's senior vice president/CEO, is the 2016 Louisiana State University Young Alumnus of the Year and one of five graduates recently inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction. The program recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves and the university through their careers, personal and civic accomplishments and volunteer activities. Garner was honored along with the 2016 Alumnus of the Year, Roger Jenkins, president/CEO of Murphy Oil Corp. Other Hall of Distinction inductees are Sidney Fuchs, president/CEO of MacAulay-Brown Inc.; Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson; and Frank Simoneaux, attorney and former Louisiana legislator. The ceremony was held March 4 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on the campus of LSU. Fort Bend County authorities are searching for two men suspected of stealing home appliances from uninhabited homes last month. The sheriff's office says the suspects were captured by surveillance cameras walking in a neighborhood in the Katy area, where more than 3,000 worth of home appliances were taken from empty houses being prepared for sale. The men were followed by a vehicle. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Fish City Grill in Sugar Land is donating 15 percent of all sales April 5 to the Fort Bend Friends and Neighbors Foundation, a charitable arm of the Fort Bend Friends and Neighbors social club. Donovan Sawyer, Fish City's manager, has agreed to donate a portion of all food, beverages, takeout and gift certificates sold that day between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 15980 City Walk. The proceeds are to benefit the foundation, which promotes charitable and humanitarian projects within Fort Bend County. The foundation's major philanthropic effort is directed toward the its scholarship program, which has issued more than $111,500 in college scholarships to local high school graduates since 2005. To learn more about the foundation, its scholarship program or to obtain a scholarship application, visit www.fbfnfoundation.org or email president@fbfnfoundation.org. Riverstone adds giant dog statue to displays A 500-pound weathered-steel canine statue stands in the Riverstone community's 3.5-acre Bark Park, one of Fort Bend County's largest dedicated dog spaces. The 8-foot tall by 10-foot long art structure named "Big Dog" was permanently installed in the Riverstone community, which is located Missouri City and Sugar Land. This is the second time the art structure has visited Fort Bend County, however. Last year, it was part of a temporary art display, "The Big Dog Show," featuring 20 of the steel canines in Sienna Plantation, Riverstone's neighboring sister community. Both communities were developed by Johnson Development Corp. "The big dogs were so popular at our Home Tour exhibit last year, we thought a permanent installation in Riverstone would be intriguing for residents and a nice complement to our existing public art displays found through the community," said Trey Reichert, vice president and general manager of the Riverstone development, in a news release. "The Big Dog artwork has additional meaning since the full display was originally brought to Fort Bend in celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Johnson Development Corp., developer of Riverstone and Sienna Plantation." Massachusetts-based metal sculptor Dale Rogers created the Big Dog statue, which traveled 1,900 miles to Fort Bend County. The statue is now home among a collection of outdoor art displays in the Riverstone community, including a 7-foot by 15-foot sculpture depicting four figures holding hands with outstretched arms. Called "Four People," the piece also was sculpted by Rogers. Bronze deer, birds and other pieces can be found in parks, greenbelts and waterways throughout Riverstone, including 10 deer installed in February. To learn more about the Riverstone development, visit www.riverstone.com. Child care center honored for service The owners of a Children's Lighthouse Learning Center franchise on Clay Road in Katy were recently honored for their 10 years in educational child care. Parul and Premal Shah joined more than 90 franchisees and business partners at the 2016 Children's Lighthouse National Franchise Convention hosted in Cancun, Mexico. During the four-day event held Feb. 4-7, franchisees participated in training seminars, breakout sessions and business enhancement programs. The Shahs were recognized for their 10 years of service during an awards ceremony. The award is a special honor issued by the franchise company signifying a franchisee's commitment to providing progressive educational child-care programs to children and families for more than a decade, according to a company news release. "Our franchisees inspire each and every one of us to aim high, think big and rise to the occasion day-in and day-out," said Pat Brown, CEO of Children's Lighthouse Franchise Co., in the news release "The Shahs are no exception. The couple have demonstrated a remarkable ongoing commitment to their communities, and we are proud to have them as part of our Children's Lighthouse family." The Shahs purchased their Children's Lighthouse in the hopes of having a positive impact on local families. "There is nothing more important to us than the children who attend our center," said Premal Shah. "We want to provide the best care possible to each and every student who walks through our doors." Parul Shah said they are honored to be recognized for their continuous commitment to providing a safe, loving and educational place for children. "This is a recognition that we will treasure for months and years to come," Parul Shah said. Spanning 16,200 square feet including a 6,000-square-foot building entirely for elementary-age students, the Katy center has 10 individual classrooms and covered play areas. Children's Lighthouse Learning Centers was established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1995. Children's Lighthouse now has more than 40 centers in operation and 25 additional franchise locations in development. To learn more about Children's Lighthouse Learning Center, visit www.childrenslighthouse.com. You can check out these waterfront homes this weekend and next month: 47 Cove View Trail in The Woodlands: This 4,788-square-foot waterfront home has four bedrooms and three baths. Built in 2007, it has a fully equipped, covered summer kitchen with water views. The home's resort-style swimming pool has a hot tub that's surrounded with large palms and a freestanding fire pit. Entertaining spaces include a game room, media room and small custom extras, including a wine storage nook in the formal dining room. Open house: 3 p.m. Saturday, March 26 LAME DEER Northern Cheyenne tribal leaders issued another state of emergency order on Wednesday, this one imposing a strict curfew for all tribal members. The second emergency order in two days was issued by the Northern Cheyenne president and tribal council after a Saturday shootout in Lame Deer. The order details changes that will go into effect over the coming days and months. Effective Wednesday, all public areas on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, meaning parks, recreation areas, powwow grounds, rodeo grounds, all unoccupied tribal trust lands and all areas within 100 feet of the entrance to tribal businesses and buildings shall be closed to the public from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. Anyone found in those areas between set hours may be required to identify themselves and account for their presence to law enforcement, the order reads. Nonresidents found to be in such areas in violation of this order shall be escorted off the reservation and/or subject to civil suit for trespass. Northern Cheyenne President Llevando Fisher declared the first state of emergency on Tuesday. Crime, including drug-related offenses, has increased on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in recent months, Fisher said. The executive order states that nontribal members using or dealing drugs on the reservation face a hearing that could ban them from the reservation for life. If a banned person returns, tribal police would escort them off. The plan for how long and when to ban nontribal members from the reservation, which has about 4,900 members living there, is still being worked out as well as the plan to update tribal laws. Saturday Shooting The Saturday shootout began just before noon at the Northern Cheyenne Depot Gas Station and Convenience Store in Lame Deer. Depot General Manager and tribal member Carrie Braine learned about the details of the shooting from her employees and by reviewing video from the Depots 50 surveillance cameras. The Depot is the only convenience store on the reservation and had a rush of noontime customers. All four fuel pumps had cars filling up, the cashier at the counter was busy bagging a customers items and no one was paying attention to the conversation happening at pumps one and two. Just as the cashier at the store snapped the register drawer closed, the pop of a gunshot could be heard. A pause followed, and then five more shots were heard. Outside, two men were in a running gun battle. The first suspect had arrived in a black truck and pulled up alongside a compact car, which was filing up at pump two. Multiple people got in and out of the two cars until just two men were standing and speaking over the top of the smaller car. Two women nearby walked toward the men. But, just before they reached the vehicle, one of the men got a gun from the truck and began firing at the second man. The second man dropped down, grabbed a gun from his vehicle and returned fire. The two women ran away and the two shooters also began running and firing at each other. In the chaos, the suspects returned to their vehicles and sped away. From inside the store, a woman holding her son called police, Braine said. Both gunmen were hit, one was taken into custody and a female bystander was hit in the leg and later released from the local clinic. The Depot Braine has managed the Depot since 2012 when she was hired to run the tribal-owned business. She has 24 full-time employees, many of them young and lacking formal education. Braine has tried to provide them with a place where they can continue their education and gain not only their GED but other skills to make them more appealing to future employers. She gives them a swift push Braine said, encouraging them to find a job they love and can thrive in. Because otherwise they might stay at the Depot, where Saturdays shootout was the third time a gun has been pulled at the tribal store within the last six months. People have pulled knives on her staff, theyve stolen from the store and theyve made her employees fear for their safety. But the cashier, who rang up a customer moments before the shooting began, was at work four days later ready to assist as many as 2,000 people who may visit the store in a day. Im more and more impressed with our young people, Braine said. We need to work to empower them. They are the leadership of this tribe. Saturday's shootout was a clash between the two cultures of the reservation. Those working for the economic development of the Northern Cheyenne people and those working on getting their next high. Northern Cheyenne Council Member Tracy Robinson said the federal government doesnt respond as quickly as it should to crimes on the reservation. Its frustrating because the federal government will take certain cases within hours or days of the crime, Robinson said. And others it might take one to two years. Our courts and our laws have the capacity to prosecute these cases ourselves, here, without having to wait on the federal government. This is why tribal officials want to lock down the reservation at night. Its not to trap drug dealers, Robinson said, but to increase public safety. The tribe was already updating its 25-year-old tribal law and order codes before Saturdays shooting and have continued to create laws dealing with methamphetamine. Fisher wants to present the new laws to the tribe by September. Robinson said local courts will be able to prosecute tribal members caught with meth. Robinson wants to see tribal members addicted to meth treated, not incarcerated in the tribal jail, which has capacity for 19 inmates. The tribe purchased Thunderchild facility, a defunct treatment center in Wyoming, for $700,000. Robinson said in time he wants to make that a treatment center for Northern Cheyenne members and people from all nations in Wyoming and Montana. Northern Cheyenne officials have purchased several properties in the last few years as part of their plan for growth. Fox Lumber opened a saw mill on the reservation that now employees 63 people. A project managed by Councilman Merlin Sioux brought cell towers to the reservation that are now 90 percent complete. The towers were paid for by a grant from the Federal Communications Commission. The reservation also now has a working sanitation system that picks up from peoples' homes. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe is in the process of building a strip mall on the reservations main road where graduates of the Chief Dull Knife Tribal Community College can open new small businesses. The mall will not only create jobs, but the construction is being done by tribal members. That project is about two-thirds finished at estimated cost of $1.2 million. A grant from the United States Department of Agriculture covers about half the cost. When the project is complete, there will be 10 new open business locations in downtown Lame Deer. The tribe has taken great strides to develop its economy, but no one wants to bring business to an area filled with crime, Robinson said. Property protection Braine, the Depot manager, said about a third of the store's revenue is lost to theft. It has gotten so bad, she has implemented her own list of people banned from the business. People caught stealing must reimburse the store for 10 times the items value in order to be removed from the list. Still, she has caught every generation of people stealing in the store, including parents teaching their children how to steal. Braine doesnt believe people can be controlled and locking down the reservation isnt the answer. But she agrees that police must enforce laws that protect property and businesses. It is about reconstructing lost hope, Councilman Benji Headswift said. The president and the council have taken these new steps in an attempt to curb the meth problem that has returned to the reservation with a vengeance in the past few years. If their nation doesnt restore full rule of law to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, they will only continue to lose productive people, he said. This includes tribal college graduates, who often have to leave to find work. We need to retain them in order to implement their education in the community, Headswift said. We need a self-sufficient, collaborative effort in a new direction to show our young people they can make a difference. We can make a difference. WASHINGTON The value of catastrophic events is that they can help people face up to problems that are otherwise impossible to address. Maybe this will be the case with Tuesday's horrific attacks in Brussels. Europe is facing a security threat that's unprecedented in its modern history, at a time when its common currency, border security and intelligence-sharing are all under severe stress. If Europe were a stock, a pragmatic investor would sell it, despite the sunk cost and sentimental attachment. Without radical restructuring, it's an enterprise that's headed for failure. The European Union needs to reinvent its security system. It needs to break the stovepipes that prevent sharing information, enforcing borders and protecting citizens. In the months before Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels, "the system was blinking red," as George Tenet, the former CIA director, famously described the period before Sept. 11, 2001. Yet Belgium (like pre-9/11 America) couldn't connect the dots. European jihadists The jihadist wave rolling back toward Europe is dizzying: U.S. intelligence agencies estimate that more than 38,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Iraq and Syria since 2012. At least 5,000 of them came from Europe, including 1,700 from France, 760 from Britain, 760 from Germany and 470 from Belgium, according to official data collected by the Soufan Group, a security consulting firm. Relative to its population, Belgium spawned the largest number of these fighters. Belgian authorities couldn't find Salah Abdeslam, the logistical planner of the November Paris attacks, for more than 120 days until they finally nabbed him last Friday a few blocks from where he grew up in the Arab enclave of Molenbeek. He was hiding in plain sight. But Belgium's failure was cooked into the system: The jihadists move stealthily, and the Belgians didn't collect or share enough of the intelligence that was there. The authorities had allowed Molenbeek to become a safe haven, more dangerous to Belgium than even the jihadists' sanctuaries in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Americans, who are less exposed to the threat, may smugly imagine they can wall themselves off. But the Islamic State's rampage is more an American failure than a European one. The United States formed a global coalition to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State back in September 2014. This strategy hasn't worked; the Islamic State's domain has shrunk in Iraq and Syria but expanded elsewhere. The failure of the U.S.-led coalition to contain the jihadists has left a fragile Europe exposed to terrorism and social upheaval. Arcadia Conference How could the U.S. and Europe develop a more effective strategy to combat the Islamic State? It would begin with truly shared intelligence and military command. After the shock of Pearl Harbor, the top leadership of the United States and Britain gathered in Washington in December 1941 for the "Arcadia Conference." Though remembered for the personal bond between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, its greatest achievement was a unified command that swept aside petty jealousies within the U.S. and British militaries and between the two nations. Once this alliance was struck, eventual victory was inevitable, as Churchill said. The obstacles to success against the Islamic State are similar. The intelligence services of European nations vary in competence and aggressiveness. Experts say that Britain and France have strong spy agencies; Germany's is competent but afraid to level with its public; the rest are relatively weak, and there is no Europe-wide spy agency. Europe wants more "product" from America's intelligence Leviathan, but less collection. Americans and Europeans sometimes act as if they're on different teams. This was the path to Brussels. "There's a general recognition among intelligence professionals that the services have to cooperate more, and that the U.S. should take the lead in bringing them together," argues Michael Allen, former staff director of the House intelligence committee. Intelligence strategies that worked against al-Qaida may not succeed with this adversary. The Islamic State leaves few digital signals. More "human intelligence" real spies daring to penetrate the enemy camp is essential, however risky. Another answer may be the application of "machine learning" to big data sets to yield essential leads: Who's likely to be recruited? What are the likely targets? What's the best way to disrupt potential adversaries? European intelligence services must combine forces with the U.S. and with each other. The West needs a new Arcadia Conference to build a partnership to contain the Islamic State as it plots the next Brussels-style attacks. A Houston doctor was sentenced Thursday to three and a half years in federal prison for fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of dollars in treatment and tests that patients didn't need or never received. The sheer quantity of tests, prescriptions and bills generated by Enyibuaku Rita Uzoaga "exceeded that of any physician I've ever heard of, any of us has ever heard of," U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. said before issuing the sentence. Uzoaga's office submitted $653,970 in claims to Medicare and Medicaid between 2006 and 2010 for vestibular tests, which are used to diagnose vertigo or dizziness. About half the claims were paid. Uzoaga, 44, was convicted by a jury in November on six counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy. Her medical license was suspended March 8 by the Texas Medical Board. A co-defendant, Charles Harris, 55, also known as Celestine Nwajfor, pleaded guilty on four related indictments and got a reduced sentence of just under three years. Harris, who is not a physician, was doing business in Houston as Cevine Health Care and Rehabilitation Center and Patstel Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services. Harris received more than $100,000 in payments from Uzoaga, according to the indictment. Uzoaga's attorney, Donald J. DeGabrielle, made a case Thursday for probation. He said sending her to prison would be a disservice to her thousands of patients. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Bradley, however, said that the scope of the fraud merited prison time for Uzoaga. "This case was never about patient care, your honor. It was about money and it was about greed," she said. Some patients were billed for hundreds of tests, though many were performed by unlicensed personnel or were not performed at all. Others were medically unnecessary. Uzoaga, who has five children ages 12 to 21, remains free on her own recognizance. She agreed to voluntarily surrender to U.S. officials when summoned. A Southern Methodist University student is suing her national sorority after she was seen dancing half-naked during a party in recorded footage, the Dallas Morning News reports. The plaintiff, who is unnamed, said that a security camera filmed her and other sorority members during the party without their consent. She is suing the Ohio-based Kappa Kappa Gamma for $1 million in damages. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 95-year-old World War II veteran who was assaulted and robbed in her Sunnyside home the night of Martin Luther King Jr. Day died on Tuesday. The assault and now death of Ophelia Outley has outraged her family and members of her community, who are pressing HPD to solve the case. The great-grandmother, who served in the Women's Army Corps during the war, succumbed to a stroke while recovering from the attack, community leader Quanell X said Thursday. Outley had been thriving and even driving before the attack, he said. Family members are upset because "they feel like she died from the injuries" and complications from medications, he said. 'SENSELESS' ATTACK: Quanell X, victim's family demand justice The death also was confirmed Thursday by a granddaughter. Outley was alone at home and headed to bed on the evening of Jan. 18 when a man broke into her house, forced her to the floor, beat her up and demanded money but left with only a television. The injured woman, who had no cash in her residence, was discovered the next morning when a neighbor showed up with breakfast. At a news conference with Quanell the following day, relatives called the attack "senseless" and described Outley as a "strong and vital woman" who raised or assisted in the upbringing of three generations of descendants. Quanell and men from Outley's family and the community took her assault as an affront to the safety of elderly women across Sunnyside and greater South Houston. They vowed to assist in the search for the attacker in January and many were involved in a grassroots manhunt once a suspect sketch was circulated. The case remains unsolved. Two months after the attack, Outley continued to recover at a rehabilitation center. Quanell, who visited her early last week, said she talked about wanting to return to her home. He said he had no reason to believe that day was their final time together. "She was really in good spirits. She was a strong, vibrant Ms. Ophelia," he said. "I was just so amazed at how conscious and clear-thinking she was at her age. You had to speak up where she could hear you, but she was a very sharp-thinking lady." Houston Police Department detectives determined that Outley was not sexually assaulted but sustained other injuries during the attack. Investigators worked with Outley to develop a rendering of the face of the tall, thin man she says attacked her, according to HPD spokeswoman Jodi Silva. "All the leads that came back from that did not generate any information on suspects," Silva said Thursday. "Unfortunately, the case has been marked inactive pending additional new information." Military service records show that Outley enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in March 1943 in Houston. At the time, she was a 22-year-old single woman working as a maid. Quanell still hopes that someone will be held responsible for potentially accelerating the death of a vibrant, respected and beloved community elder. "The most painful thing about her story is that we haven't caught the guy who broke into her house," he said. "I wish she would have lived long enough to see this guy brought to justice. I know her spirit will keep fighting until we apprehend this guy." WASHINGTON It's a big story that has stayed beneath the radar of most American media. Somehow, cyber criminals stole $81 million from Bangladesh's central bank (its Federal Reserve). The theft surely qualifies as one of the biggest cyber heists ever. It's also a reminder that the world's financial systems remain vulnerable to cyber attacks from groups or countries more interested in making war disrupting societies than money. Still, money is the big draw. "The financial system is the primary target of the most sophisticated cyber criminals," says James Lewis, a cyber expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank. "This is where the biggest payoffs are. Banks are under constant siege [from hackers]." Just what happened here isn't clear. The money moved from Bangladesh's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to private accounts in the Philippines, from which it was channeled to other accounts, including those of some gambling operations and a casino. Authorities have been frustrated in following the trail further, because casinos there are not subject to the country's anti-money-laundering laws. (This description of the heist relies heavily on excellent stories in The Wall Street Journal.) NY Fed's denial The New York Fed has disclaimed any responsibility for the fraudulent transfers. In a statement, it said: "There is no evidence of any attempt to penetrate Federal Reserve systems in connection with the payments in question. ... The payment instructions in question were fully authenticated ... in accordance with standard authentication protocols." Assuming the Fed's defense survives scrutiny, it suggests (but doesn't prove) an inside job at Bangladesh Bank (the central bank's official name) and at least one bank in the Philippines. Were people bribed to reveal the access codes or to overlook suspicious transfers? Did the criminals plant people inside the bank to orchestrate the theft? We don't know. At a hearing in Manila, it was alleged that a branch manager at one Philippine bank had more than $400,000 loaded into her car. Another source of confusion is that the theft occurred in February but wasn't revealed even to other parts of Bangladesh's government until March. After the disclosure, the head of the country's central bank resigned. What is known is that the scheme's ambition far exceeded the $81 million that was transferred to the Philippines. The original goal was apparently about $1 billion to be conveyed through 35 separate transfers. Most of those transfers were never made. Why? By one press version, doubts emerged when a word was misspelled on one transfer document. (The word "foundation" was spelled "fandation.") By another story, the fact that so much money was going to private accounts stirred suspicions. It's unclear whether someone at the New York Fed stopped the transfers and, if not, who did. Nor is it clear whether another $20 million was sent to Sri Lanka and the transaction was reversed, or whether the money was never sent. Bangladesh Bank has hired an American cybersecurity firm, FireEye Inc., to solve the various mysteries. Among its early findings, according to The Wall Street Journal, is that the hackers may have penetrated the central bank's computer system for several weeks before the transfers occurred. Possibly, 32 computers were compromised. This may explain how the access codes were obtained. Internet dilemma Whatever the final story, there are larger lessons. For starters, the New York Fed's sweeping denial of responsibility is beside the point. Whatever the Fed's direct involvement, it failed to spot a phony transaction before the funds were sent. Why was this? Can screening be improved? What's ultimately at stake is a stable global financial system. Financial networks depend on trust that what's deposited won't vanish, and that transactions are legitimate and not falsified. The loss of trust threatens to undermine payments networks and the reliability of financial record keeping. If criminals could do this to Bangladesh Bank, what could organized terrorists or hostile states do to advanced nations' financial networks? The theft confirms that most electronic networks are no stronger than their weakest links. "This tells us a lot about complex systems," says Adam Segal, author of the recent book, "The Hacked World Order." "Vulnerabilities constantly pop up somewhere in the chain," he notes. "More connectivity" making networks more useful "means more vulnerabilities" making networks more defenseless. This dilemma defines the Internet Age. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO A former San Antonio voice teacher was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday for sexually assaulting one of his 13-year-old students two years ago. Ricardo Martinez agreed to a plea deal at a pre-investigation hearing Thursday morning in the 290th state District Court. Martinez, who was arrested on March 24, 2014, will have to serve at least half of his time before he is eligible for parole, according to Bexar County District Clerk Donna Kay McKinney. He also will not be allowed contact with the female victim, who now is 15. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the student told authorities that she confided in Martinez about her private life, and texted with him on a daily basis. RELATED: SAPD: Voice teacher sexually assaulted student, 13 A police report was filed in August 2014 that said the girl's parents discovered that she was texting Martinez at all hours of the night, the affidavit said The student later told police she started to sneak out with Martinez in October 2012. He would park near her home, or he would come over while the girl's parents were away and would perform sex acts on her in her room, according to the document. mdwilson@express-news.net Twitter: @MDWilsonSA ezavala@express-news.net Twitter: @elizabeth2863 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ted Cruz's newly-appointed economic adviser brushed off the notion of recession in 2008, two months before the collapse of Lehman Brothers investment bank knocked global markets into the worst slump since 1929. Former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) had advised economic policy for the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, even while taking money from the Union Bank of Switzerland to advocate for the banking industry in matters of the subprime mortgage crisis, NBC reported in 2008. RELATED: Complaint on Gramm's lobbying to be reviewed While the crisis bubbled to the surface of the American economy in 2008, Gramm co-chaired the McCain campaign. But he stepped down in July, days after rebuking Americans for their concerns with the teetering economy. "We have sort of become a nation of whiners," he told the Washington Times in a July 2008 interview. "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness." "You've heard of mental depression; this is mental recession," he said. "We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet." RELATED: McCain rebukes Gramm's 'nation of whiners' remarks And he blamed the media's focus on negative economic indicators for widespread public anticipation of an impending slump. "Thank God the economy is not as bad as you read in the newspaper every day," Gramm told the Times. That was less than four months after federal authorities had engineered a takeover of investment bank Bear Stearns, concerned that its impending bankruptcy thanks to irresponsible gambles could drag the nation down with it. RELATED: U.S. calls bank execs to meeting on rescue plan And it was two months before the failure of Lehman Brothers would almost certainly have toppled the nation's economy, had federal authorities not stepped in with a $700 billion bailout. Gramm, during his tenure in the Senate, had worked to enable deregulated trading of certain financial instruments on Wall Street, most notably through the Commodity Futures Modernization Act in 2000. RELATED: Obama blasts Gramm, seeks to close "Enron Loophole" That legislation is widely credited with fostering massive growth in derivatives markets, which played a big role in filling the bubble that burst in the crisis. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Houston chapter of Planned Parenthood has joined a federal lawsuit against the anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos alleging that the women's health organization sold the organs of aborted fetuses. The move, announced Thursday, increases the pressure on the videographers, who also are fighting an indictment handed up by a Harris County grand jury last month. The civil lawsuit, which was originally filed in a San Francisco-based federal court in January, accuses activist David Daleiden and others of "engaging in wire fraud, mail fraud, invasion of privacy, illegal secret recording and trespassing." "Extreme anti-abortion politicians who want to ban abortion have invoked these lies to fuel their efforts to pass extreme restrictions on access to reproductive health care," said Melaney Linton, president of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which serves women in the Houston area as well as in Louisiana, in a statement. "They must be held accountable." Timeline: Planned Parenthood versus the Center for Medical Progress Daleiden has denied the allegations against him, saying he acted in the spirit of a long line of investigative journalists. The expanded lawsuit is the latest twist in the drama that Daleiden's Center for Medical Progress started last summer when it released a dozen videos edited to portray Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country as profiting from fetal tissue. In the videos, one of which was filmed at a Houston clinic, Daleiden posed as an employee of a company that buys fetal tissue and secretly filmed Planned Parenthood executives discussing the methods and costs of preserving tissue. Federal law prohibits the sale of fetal tissue, although it is legal to donate fetal tissue and receive reimbursements for costs. Planned Parenthood has said that it has only done the latter, and only very rarely. The videos sparked a firestorm of controversy across the country and in Texas, where officials opened four separate investigations into Planned Parenthood's activities. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson, a Republican who launched one of the investigations, shocked observers by announcing last month that a grand jury had cleared Planned Parenthood and instead indicted Daleiden and fellow videographer Sandra Merritt, on charges of tampering with a governmental record, a second-degree felony with a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. "As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us,"Anderson said at the time. "All the evidence uncovered in the course of this investigation was presented to the grand jury. I respect their decision on this difficult case." The indictment is still pending. Separate investigations ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton are all still ongoing. The folks at Dictionary.com have released a list of the words that college students are looking up most on its reference site. Theyve listed a number of the top colleges across the country, including many in Texas, where Texas A&M students seem to have trouble with the spelling of the word computer," or at least need the exact definition of it. CHEYENNE, Wyo. Community college students will pay $6 more per credit hour for in-state tuition starting in the fall 2016 semester. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported Wyoming Community College Commission members voted to increase rates, with several academic officials voicing support. Commissioners Wendy Sweeny and Sherri Lovercheck voted not to increase tuition. Sweeney supported a $5 per-credit hike, while Lovercheck noted that a recent increase in unemployment could mean higher enrollment. Eastern Wyoming College president Richard Patterson said a reduction in staff is likely amid a tight fiscal situation. Laramie County Community College president Joe Schaffer said action was needed in light of legislative cuts. Commission executive director Jim Rose said the Legislature reduced state funding by $2.5 million in addition to a 1.5 percent reduction over the next two years. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It might sound like a joke, but a coalition of clowns and performing artists were protesting this week after a clown was allegedly attacked by 10 people. Reports say that a clown known as Tony Tambor was so brutally attacked that he was taken to a hospital. The incident reportedly occurred in Sonora, Mexico after child lost a game during a party. Reports said a beating was ordered on the clown. But the family being blamed for the beating is saying it was the clowns fault. Miriam Judith, the mother of the six-year-old child involved in the incident, told the media that Tony Tambor was being rude to her son and calling him names. Her child, she said, suffers from hyperactivity. Judiths brothers got involved and thats when the alleged attack occurred. CHECK THIS OUT: Photos from the annual gathering of clowns in Mexico City could give you nightmares On his Facebook page Tambor, whose name is Marco Antonio Vazquez, sent a message to his fans, thanking them for the support. I must go forward, Im alive and I have a mission in life, I am sure and convinced that it is to show my art, because being a clown is serious. Hes been making the rounds of local media telling his story of how he was punched and kicked during the party in front of about 30 kids. A press conference was held Monday with police and a local clown and performers guild. Authorities have said they are looking into the case, while fellow clowns are seeking justice. Click on the slideshow above to see more images of the clown protest and to see how clowns are still an important part of Mexican culture. -- After the Brussels attacks, Cruz complicates his path to the liberty vote, I wrote yesterday . Once again, as they showed during the earliest GOP debates, Cruz and Paul seemed to disagree fiercely on how the federal government should prevent terrorist attacks, or at least one on this one very big point. But only one of them is still in the race and Cruz, who is trying to consolidate as much Republican support against Trump as he can, is the only one who still needs Pauls liberty voters. -- Good news for Ken Paxton, per the Morning News Lauren McGaughy . Two special prosecutors have halted their investigation into Ken Paxtons role in a 2004 land deal involving the eventual site of the Collin County Appraisal District in McKinney. The development marks a win for Paxton and his team of lawyers, who continue to fight the attorney generals three unrelated felony charges of violating state securities laws. -- Dont miss this interesting story from the Chronicles Mike Ward today: The Texas Civil Commitment Office will create a special mental health treatment program for one man at a West Texas lockup after losing a fight with the state health department over which agency should house and treat a felon it says is too ill to benefit from - or even understand - the sex offender treatment he has been ordered to undergo. Officials confirmed Wednesday that Devern Williams Jr., 65, will not be moved from a state-run treatment center for sex predators, as a Conroe judge had ordered in January, after top officials from the Texas Department of State Health Services argued that a state hospital was not the proper place for him. -- Leticia Van de Putte has been selected to chair the powerful rules committee at this summers Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, by the Express-News John Gonzalez. Im looking forward to it. The role that I played in 2008 was a very, very different role that required more than a year of preparation. This one, weve been working on a few months, Van de Putte said. If you look at prior political conventions, when there has been some dissent and controversy like the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and others the trouble that occurred always occurred in the rules committee. -- Looking ahead on tech at the Republican convention, by Politicos Darren Samuelsohn. This is a fun The race is on for the GOP convention killer app, the political equivalent of a moon shot that will enable the rival presidential campaigns to navigate whats expected to be a chaotic July convention. Tracking, counting and potentially swaying the Cleveland conventions 2,472 delegates amid a maze of confusing rules is a mission-critical function in a nominating process that figures to be contested, which is why the campaigns have already embarked on a once-in-a-generation feat of political and technological engineering. The goal isnt necessarily an app, but rather some combination of technology designed for the first contested national convention in 40 years. While campaigns for statewide office have used delegate-tracking data technology in state party conventions and even at recent national party conventions, nothing on the scale of what would be required for the summer of 2016 has ever been attempted. SPEED READ As part of swan song, Aycock presses lawmakers to do more for vets, Quorum Report Obama scolds Ted Cruz for proposing surveillance of Muslim neighborhoods, The Dallas Morning News Court candidates up ante over flunked test, Houston Chronicle Dallas officials reject proposal on citations for marijuana, Austin American-Statesman Texas prosecutor says encouraged to exclude black jurors, Austin American-Statesman Suburban population continues to surge in Texas, Texas Tribune Amid the volume of the prez race, I found reliefand blueberry wafflesat a cafe in Cisco, Texas Monthly Woman laid off sues Texas attorney generals office for discrimination, Austin American-Statesman Special treatment for Cuban immigrants should end, Texas congressmen declare in new bill, The Dallas Morning News Poll: Cruz within striking distance of Trump, Politico Heres the movie quote Ted Cruz used to defend his wife from Donald Trump, The Dallas Morning News Potential $4.4 billion oil industry tax refund looms in lawsuit, Quorum Report Texas fugitive running for re-election as mayor of West Virginia town, The Dallas Morning News Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry blames lax security for Belgium terror attacks, The Dallas Morning News Perry lawyer still wants grand jury transcript, San Antonio Express-News RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE -- Shadow campaign to deny Trump his delegates begins, Politicos Kyle Cheney. (John Kasich aide Merle) Madrids visit to South Dakota on Saturday marked one of the earliest signs that the shadow campaign for the Republican nomination has begun. Kasich and Cruz are scrambling to secure commitments from bound delegates to break off on a second-ballot and vote against Trump. In many cases, that means asking delegates to buck Republican primary voters in the name of settling on a nominee. The fight will heat up in April, when a slew of states including Arizona, Colorado and North Dakota begin selecting their own slate of delegates, using methods ranging from statewide and Congressional district conventions to meetings of state party leaders to county-level votes or caucuses. -- GOP elites line up behind Cruz, by Politicos Eli Stokols. Indeed, many establishment Republicans would rather lose with Cruz and play a long 2020 game than risk having their party and conservative principles hijacked by Trumpa candidate they do not trust even as they recognize his political dexterity and the possibility that he could be just cagey enough to win on Election Day. -- Wisconsin: the next stop for the anti-Trump crusade, by CNNs Teddy Schleifer. Candidates moved almost immediately past Tuesday evening's results in Arizona and Utah and retrained their eyes on the Badger State, where both Ted Cruz and John Kasich visited Wednesday. And super PACs are on the cusp of launching aggressive negative television campaigns aimed at Trump in a state where his poll numbers are believed to be considerably weaker than they are nationally. The question is: Who can take advantage of any anti-Trump movement? The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. A Ward County prosecutor was arrested for driving under the influence after crashing her pickup into a car and submitting to a breath test that registered her blood-alcohol level at more than twice the legal limit, court documents say. Deputy States Attorney Kelly Ann Dillon, 50, of Minot, was charged with DUI Monday in Minot Municipal Court. Reached by phone for comment Wednesday, Dillon said, I have nothing to say, and hung up. Ward County States Attorney Rozanna Larson said via email that Dillon is still employed with the county and the matter has been taken under review. She will continue with her assigned duties, Larson stated. A police affidavit says the man who reported the crash at 11:33 p.m. Saturday in the 500 block of 17th Ave. S.W. said it appeared as if Dillon was trying to leave the scene in her 2014 Honda Ridgeline. It appeared the Honda Civic hit by the pickup had been pushed about 20 feet forward, the officer noted. The officer found Dillon in the pickup with the airbag deployed. She had bloodshot and watery eyes, was slurring her words and appeared to be out of it and was staring off into the distance while speaking with me, Officer Ross Lakoduk wrote in his affidavit of probable cause. The vehicle was still in drive, and Dillon said she was unable to remove the keys. She told the officer that she had reached down to grab her cell phone before the crash occurred, the affidavit states. Dillon said she had a few glasses of wine earlier, the officer wrote. Dillon was uninjured but paramedics recommended she be transported to the emergency room at Trinity Health, where the officer clearly smelled alcohol on her breath, the affidavit states. Dillon initially refused to answer questions or take sobriety field tests, it states. After the officer got authorization from the doctor to request a breath test, he saw Dillon trying to leave the ER without being discharged, he wrote, adding, I physically had to step in front of Dillon and put my arms out to stop her from leaving. After speaking with her lawyer, Dillon consented to a breath test at 1:22 a.m. Sunday, nearly two hours after the crash was reported. The test indicated a blood-alcohol level of .179 percent, more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent, the affidavit states. Dillon was arrested and cited for DUI and taken to the Minot Police Department. She posted $750 bond for her release Sunday and is scheduled for her first court appearance on April 1. The misdemeanor DUI charge is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine. Stiffer DUI penalties adopted by state lawmakers in 2013 require a mandatory minimum sentence of two days in jail and a $750 fine on a first offense with a blood-alcohol level of .16 or greater. But its not unheard of for a defendant to plead guilty to a DUI charge without the BAC component to avoid the mandatory jail time, said Aaron Birst, executive director of the North Dakota States Attorneys Association and a former Cass County prosecutor. A pending DUI charge doesnt legally prohibit a prosecutor from continuing to do his or her job, he said, adding that decision is up to the states attorney. First-time DUI offenses usually stay in municipal courts in the larger cities that have them, Birst said. However, to avoid a conflict of interest especially if the case gets moved up to district court officials could request an out-of-county prosecutor or the attorney generals office to handle the case. Peste 300 de liceene s-au inscris in Startup School si sunt gata sa invete bazele antreprenoriatului tehnologic. Vezi cum a fost la evenimentul de lansare a programului national de educatie antreprenoriala The scribbled, cryptic doctors prescription is headed toward eradication in New York, where the nations toughest paperless-prescribing requirement takes effect this month. Instead of handing patients slips of paper, physicians soon must electronically send orders directly to pharmacies for everything from antibiotics to cholesterol pills to painkillers, with some exceptions. Otherwise, prescribers face the possibility of fines, license loss or even jail. The requirement is meant to fight painkiller abuse, reduce errors and expand a practice that doctors and patients often find convenient. But physicians say digital scripts can present roadblocks for some patients and doctors shouldnt have to fear punishment over a prescription format. When it works, its seamless, says New York County Medical Society President Dr. Michael T. Goldstein, an ophthalmologist who issues many prescriptions electronically himself. But there are circumstances where it doesnt work, and patients suffer. E-prescribing has surged nationwide in recent years amid a push to digitize medical records. About 60 percent of scripts are now sent electronically, said Paul Uhrig, chief administrative officer of Surescripts, the leading network for transmitting e-prescriptions. Every state now allows e-prescribing, but only New York has a broad requirement that carries penalties. Minnesota requires the use of electronic prescribing but doesnt specify how much or set penalties. Digital prescribing thwarts prescription-slip forgery and theft and saves time for patients who otherwise have to drop off scripts. The secured systems also let doctors look up a patients other medications and insurance particulars before ordering a drug. The convenience appeals to patients like Christine Smith, a 44-year-old mother of two from Plainview, on New Yorks Long Island. I like them sending it, so I dont have to carry it. Its one less responsibility for me to worry about, she said. Studies have found that electronic prescribing reduces medication errors, partly because pharmacists dont have to decipher prescribers handwriting. Messy writing causes some of the medication errors that kill at least one person per day and injure 1.3 million nationwide each year, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is a good thing to make electronic prescribing ever more available, but not to require it all the time, says American Medical Association President Dr. Steven Stack. Patients, for instance, could accidentally have prescriptions sent to the wrong pharmacy or to one that has closed or out of stock by the time they arrive. Instead of taking a piece of paper to another pharmacy, patients have to get the doctor to re-issue the prescription or the pharmacy to transfer it. Its also harder for patients to shop around for medication deals when a script is in a pharmacys system instead of in hand, says Dr. Joseph R. Maldonado, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York. Carmel Danna is one of those shoppers, having found her out-of-pocket costs can vary widely between pharmacies. Besides, I prefer to have (a script) written because I can check it and make sure they did it right, says Danna, 85, a retired secretary from Plainview. To be sure, despite e-prescribings potential to improve accuracy, its not foolproof. Some studies have suggested digital prescribing carries risks of its own, such as mistyping or choosing the wrong item from a drop-down menu. Minnesota health professionals reviewing their states e-prescribing progress noted some problems in changing and canceling prescriptions electronically, including a case in which a patient doubled up on cholesterol drugs and died of the complications, according to a presentation at the states e-Health Summit last year. Officials and vendors say that they continue working to improve the systems. Meanwhile, about 8 percent of New Yorks 124,000 doctors, dentists, nurse-practitioners and other prescribers have gotten extensions on the March 27 deadline. Paper or phone prescriptions are allowed during emergencies, and health officials this week added new exceptions, such as nursing home staffers phoning in prescriptions after-hours. The state Senate passed a proposal to exempt doctors who write very few prescriptions. While the technology may be new, some users say the way to resolve any uncertainties isnt. We do just what we normally would have done: You pick up the phone, said Maria Marzella Mantione, a community pharmacist who teaches at St. Johns University and is on New York states Board of Pharmacy. And you do your best to help the patient. (Associated Press writer Rachelle Blidner contributed to this report.) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. As workers compensation fraud costs top out at an estimated $7.2 billion a year, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, insurers are looking at ways to combat the crime. There are several warning signs that a workers compensation claim may be fraudulent. These include Monday morning reports of an injury that happened the previous week, conflicting descriptions of how the injury occurred, no witnesses and a history of claims, according to a 2011 white paper on the subject released by Employers, an insurer specializing in small businesses. Brad Balentine, SIU director at David Morse & Associates, said that using surveillance and social media are two ways to verify suspicious claims. Though using surveillance in claims handling can be an expensive, it is still an invaluable tool. Hours spent waiting for a claimant to be spotted can increase costs, but a thorough investigation completed prior to surveillance can cut costs and result in success, he said. Youre waiting, but what you want to do is proactively do your research as much as possible to make sure that your chances of getting something from the expenses are the best that they can be, Balentine said. Social media can aid in an investigation by offering a photo of the injured person so the subject can be correctly identified prior to surveillance. In addition, investigators can use social media sites to documents activities in which the injured may be involved. If there is a question as to the residence of an individual, social media may reveal a photo taken in front of a house. Through online research, the address can be determined and verified. According to a 2011 presentation at the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU) on the effective and ethical use of social media content in insurance investigations, social media can be an effective means to discover information during an investigation. Roy Mura, an attorney with New York-based Mura & Storm, said that a completed Facebook profile can contain up to 40 pieces of personal information. In his presentation, he noted that insurance investigations are aided by social media in the following ways: confirming policy application information; confirming facts of loss; confirming alibi; verifying disability status; locating witnesses. Photos found on social media sites may include metadata that can offer details on a persons location when the photo was taken. State insurance departments actively use surveillance and social media in their fraud investigations. For 2013-2014, Californias workers compensation fraud division identified 5,729 suspected fraud cases, made 255 arrests and referred 248 cases for prosecution during the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Potential losses that year alone amounted to $242,669,008. The Kia Dancing Hamster fraud case was one California case that received wide media attention. Leroy Barnes, one of the dancing hamsters in a series of Kia commercials, was arrested on insurance fraud charges. Barnes allegedly lied to doctors about his employment status while receiving disability benefits. Besides working on the auto manufacturers commercials, Barnes performed in a rap group under an alias, recorded a song and worked as a backup dancer for Madonna, Kelly Rowland and Chris Brown under the name Hypnosis. He entered a no contest plea to the charges and was sentenced to 90 days of electronic monitoring, 400 hours of community service and was required to pay $24,000 in restitution. Ohio workers compensation fraud investigators last year used surveillance footage to show a Massillon man trimming trees and repairing cars all while collecting disability. Adelbert Tyman pleaded guilty and was sentenced on one count of fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor. The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) received an allegation that Tyman was working for a tree service company and getting paid under the table. Investigators obtained surveillance footage of Tyman cutting down trees and hauling logs for a tree service company, repairing cars and moving a large dumpster at an auto repair shop. Interviews confirmed that he was paid for the work. Tyman worked while receiving temporary total disability benefits for a prior workplace injury. (Watch the video here: https://ohiobwcfraud.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/surveillance-footage-shows-massillon-man-trimmed-trees-repaired-cars-while-collecting-disability/) Tyman was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay $6,703.21 in restitution to BWC. If he violates the terms of his probation, he may be sentenced to serve up to six months in the county jail. Also in 2014, an Ohio woman was charged with one misdemeanor count of falsification for filing a false claim, after she filed a claim with the BWC indicating that she fell at work, although she posted on a social media site that she fell at a gas station. An investigation revealed that Kayla Fortman reported to her employer and treating physician that she fell in a company parking lot, when she actually fell while getting out of her vehicle at a gas station across the street. Fortman was sentenced to 180 day suspended jail sentence and two years probation. In addition, she was ordered to pay $200 in court costs and to make restitution to BWC in the amount of $1,908.76. A changing climate is altering the ability of Rocky Mountain forests to recover from wildfire, according to a new study published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography. When warm, dry conditions lead to drought in the years following fires, it impedes the growth and establishment of vulnerable new post-fire seedlings. The study also shows that forest recovery has been negatively affected by increased distances between burned areas and the sources of seeds that typically replace trees lost to fire. Fires that are followed by warm, dry conditions offer us a window into the future, says Brian Harvey, lead author of the study and a former University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student in the laboratory of Monica Turner, E.P. Odum Professor of Ecology and Vilas Research Professor of Zoology. Harvey is now a postdoctoral Smith Fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder. From all the best available data and modeling, and expectations about future climate, these are the kinds of fires and post-fire climates that were going to see more of in the future, he says. The new data positions researchers to better understand how forests could change in coming decades and may yield valuable information for the development of robust simulation models. Turner says the dataset which is the first to comprehensively demonstrate the impact of drought on forest recovery in the context of a changing climate provides unambiguous evidence that the climate conditions following fires are really going to matter. The forests of the Rocky Mountains are well-adapted to fire. For instance, lodgepole pines, a dominant species in the Mountain West, possess seed cones that are opened by fire, with each tree releasing thousands of seeds when burned. However, how the forests will adapt to a changing climate is still unknown. Fires that are followed by drought which we are very likely going to see more of with climate change really do set a new context in which these forests are not recovering as quickly, says Harvey. Its a double whammy because even if seeds can get to a burned patch, they still need to survive once they get there. That may be much harder to do in a warmer, drier climate. The Turner labs interest in how forest recovery after fire may change in the future began in the summer of 2000, when large wildfires raged across the southern portion of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thousands of acres of forest burned. Turner had previously studied the massive 1988 Yellowstone Fires and in the summers following the 2000 Glade Fire, she and collaborators visited the forest to collect as much data as possible. They were surprised to see that tree density in the years after the 2000 fire was 10 times lower than comparable forests recovering from the fires of 1988. A plausible explanation? The year following the Glade Fire was unusually hot and dry, with just 30 percent of normal summer precipitation. But one fire followed by a dry summer could not provide the data to rigorously test the theory. By 2013, however, multiple well-documented fires had burned throughout the Rockies and that summer, Harvey conducted field studies in Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. He and the research team visited 184 sites where 11 wildfires burned between 1994 and 2003. The work was exhilarating, but also grueling, he says, as most sites were well off trail in the backcountry of some of Americas wildest places and the research team was on its hands and knees examining nearly 10,000 individual tree seedlings. The team collected data on the overall character of the forest before fire and the number, species, size and age of trees after fire; the ground cover on the forest floor (for example, the presence of shrubs or grasses) following fire; and other qualities of the site, such as whether the forest stands were on cooler/moister north-facing slopes or warmer/drier south-facing slopes. The researchers also turned to existing climate records to assess the drought severity of each location in the three years immediately following each fire and examined the distance from each plot to the nearest source of seeds other still-living trees typically outside the burn patch. By going into areas that had burned at least 10 years ago enough time for many post-fire tree seedlings to establish we were able to characterize how these forests will likely look for some time in the future, says Harvey. They found that overall, fewer post-fire tree seedlings established in years when fire was followed by severe drought and when seed sources were farther away, compared with cooler, wetter years and when burned areas were closer to seed sources. Subalpine tree species, including Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir, were more negatively affected by drought after fire than species that grow at warmer, drier low elevations Douglas-fir and quaking aspen, for instance and those at the upper tree line, such as whitebark pine. The warm/dry post-fire climate conditions really hammered the species that currently dominate subalpine forests, Harvey says. One exception, however, was the lodgepole pine, which was less impacted by drought or seed source distance. However, these and the other species from lower elevations have not moved quickly enough into higher-elevation burned areas to replace the more sensitive subalpine tree species. This means that in addition to shifts in the composition of post-burned forests in the Northern Rockies, forest densities will also likely be lower in areas where fires are followed by drought, Harvey says at least in the near and medium term. Turner hopes the findings are valuable to land managers who routinely work with wildfires, which often leave behind a mosaic of burned and unburned trees. These islands of live, unburned trees in a burnt desert may serve as valuable seed sources for forest recovery and should likely be left intact, she says. Harvey and Turners larger goals are to understand the conditions under which forests can or cannot recover after fire and to anticipate what the forest landscape might look like over the next few decades or centuries. Trees grow slowly, and we cant just wait 100 years to get enough opportunities to study forest recovery from fire, says Turner. With the study data, Turner and her collaborators will try to create models to predict future change. She is also involved in experimental efforts to understand the moisture thresholds various tree species require to germinate and become successfully rooted. She hopes to better understand forest recovery in the context of climate projections through mid-century. We want to tease this apart so we can anticipate what the ecosystem services (like carbon storage and wildlife habitat) will be in the future, what the landscape will look like, what it means for peoples ability to recreate and where their communities are, she says. There are a lot of human dimensions that come from the character and distribution of these forests. Daniel Donato, a former member of Turners lab now with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, is a co-author on the study, which was funded by the U.S. Joint Fire Science Program and the National Park Service. Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison Kylie Jenner Responds to Rumors That Her Lips are Getting Bigger Kylie Jenner's famous pout is looking much more plump on her social media accounts but she denies that she has gotten more lip fillers. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star took to Snapchat to shut down rumors that her cosmetically enhanced lips are getting much bigger. The 18-year-old reality star posted two videos and a few pics explaining to her followers how her lips appear much larger than they really are saying, Everyone thinks I keep making my lips bigger but this is them normally," she said as points to her still very plump lips. A video posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Mar 21, 2016 at 3:41pm PDT The next video then showed how Jenner make her pucker more plump, with her explaining, And then this is when I push them out, do my little face, while serving up a major duck face. She claims they just look bigger because shes pushing them outward and she posted pics to prove it. A photo posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Mar 21, 2016 at 3:41pm PDT A photo posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on Mar 21, 2016 at 3:41pm PDT Tyga's on-and-off girlfriend then added another video sharing her frustration that her lips are still an issue, The fact that we even still talk about my lips is so crazy, she said while rolling her eyes. Now that she finally put an end to rumors that shes gotten more fillers, her followers and die-hard fans are probably thinking that they too can get the same pout by buying Jenner's lip kit considering that it's selling out left and right. Even older sister Kim Kardashian is allegedly taking notes on how to have a very successful beauty product as the 35-year-old reality star recently visited her sister's lip kit factory. Things have flipped for Kim and Kylie. The tables have turned and the student is now the teacher, a source told HollywoodLife exclusively. Kim recognizes how successful Kylie is becoming and she is taking clues from Kylie. It is not just in beauty but in social media too. Kylie was the first to jump on Snapchat and now Kim [is] following her lead. 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsKylie Jenner RETRO: Germany's zeitkratzer Transcribe, Transform Lou Reed's 'Metal Machine Music' It only makes sense that the land that brought us both Bach and Beethoven and Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt would be the first to even think about transcribing Lou Reed's 1975 hocus pocus opus. Back in March of 2002, saxophonist Ulrich Krieger and accordion player Lucca Venitucci had their 34-page, through-composed score performed by forward-thinking Teutons zeitkratzer at the venerable Maerzmusik, Haus der Berliner Festspiele. The Coney Island baby, himself, was in attendance that night; and with guitar in hand, he joined the rest of the strings, winds and percussion for the last 16 minutes of, quote the late Mr. Reed, "LaMonte Young [sic] drones." As I, myself, duly pointed out for Jason Gross and Perfect Sound Forever: "And yet, like a true champ, Reed's RCA kiss-off refuses to go down at all. By now, it is part and parcel of our culture. Extolled 17 times over by Lester Bangs, sampled wholesale by Sonic Youth and even transcribed by Zeitkratzer, it will fall--if it goes down at all--at the hands of posterity as either the best or the worst thing Lewis Allan Reed has ever done." Finally, after more than five years of only imagining, San Francisco label Asphodel released the results of that magical night on Saturday, September 1. Like Phil Zampino's Squid's Ear notes: "The relentless sound forces the mind to put aside its preconceptions about what music is supposed to sound like, or feel like, or look like. The brain starts to implode, or explode, or dissolve Zen-like into the controlled chaos of the performance, discovering a strange exhilaration, accepting an invitation to explore the outer reaches of texture and timbre and experience a sonic freedom that's rare in any art form." No matter what YOU think it sounds like, I bet it kicks the teeth in of that "Ensemble Modern plays Zappa" disc a few years back. Either way, Bismarck must be beaming with pride. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://karlrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lou-reed-metal-machine-music" mce_href="http://karlrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lou-reed-metal-machine-music"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Lou Reed &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Metal Machine Music&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; by zeitkratzer&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsZeitkratzer, Metal Machine Music, Lou Reed Maryland Lawmakers Pass Decision to Change Offensive Language in State Song Advocates of stricter gun control laws rally at the Maryland State House on March 1, 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland. Earlier this week, the Maryland Senate passed a gun control bill, which if passed in the House of Delegates, would require a license to purchase a handgun, ban the sale of assault-style rifles and limit magazine size, among other provisions. (Photo : Patrick Smith/Getty Images) In an effort to phase out potentially offensive Civil War-era language, Maryland lawmakers voted last Thursday to change references to "Northern scum" in its official state song. The Maryland Senate voted 37-8 to make changes to the tune, sending the decision to the House. The song, "Maryland, My Maryland," makes references to a Civil War-era Union and makes potentially offensive gestures towards the South's rivalry with its Northern neighbor. According to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, a Democrat, he said of the decision to switch certain lyrics: "They keep the historic song. It's still there, but this bill is an excellent compromise to move forward, so that our children and our children's children and so that all Maryland can be proud of our state song. At the present time, all of Maryland cannot be proud of our state song, and so that's the reason I'm voting green." The song, if you aren't in the know, was written in 1861 by James Ryder Randall. Most of the offensive language stems from Randall's despondent attitude over the death of a friend who was shot in cold blood while protesting Union troops in the city of Baltimore. In it, Randall calls President Lincoln a "despot" and, in keeping with his later assassin, he also refers to him as a "tyrant." The changes made to the song will keep one verse from the old lyrics and add a stanza from a 1894 poem by John T. White that describes the serine landscape of the state. Maryland's decision to change the state song follows a similar path as South Carolina changing its state flag from a Confederate symbol, a decision made after the heinous Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting last year. Until then, take a listen to the state song below. 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsMaryland My Maryland, Maryland State Song, Civil War Search for body A 90-minute search of the Cuyahoga River turned up nothing on Thursday. (Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com) AKRON, Ohio -- A search for a body in the Cuyahoga River that included more than two dozen first responders turned up nothing after 90 minutes. Akron Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Sierjie Lash said the Summit County Dive Team searched the river until about 3:30 p.m. Thursday and found nothing. Someone reported seeing clothing near where a 27-year-old man went missing after he crashed into the river more than a month ago. The dive team used a raft and divers to search, but found nothing. The item that the caller saw ended up being a plastic bag with twigs in it, not clothing, Lash said. The water is about six feet deep where the team searched. Lash said a small team would stay at the banks of the river for a few hours, just in case something turned up. Firefighters from Akron, Green, Coventry Township, New Franklin Township, Stow, Macedonia and Cuyahoga Falls all helped in the search. The area searched is near where La'Ron Harris, 27, went missing on Feb. 21. Harris left the Lazy Gator bar in the Merriman Valley's bar complex. A friend, 25-year-old Kaila Watkins, asked him about 2:30 a.m. for a ride home, according to police. The two got in the car and Harris drove out of the parking lot onto Weathervane Lane. Instead of going with the curve in Weathervane Lane towards Merriman Road, Harris drove into an apartment complex driveway and crashed through a wooden barrier. The car plummeted into the Cuyahoga River. Watkins told police they both escaped the car. She swam against the current to the riverbank and was unharmed. Watkins told police that she saw Harris swimming with the current, but never saw him again. Firefighters and family members searched the river for the following two days. Firefighters used a tow truck to pull the car from the river. Harris' body has not been found. BARBERTON, Ohio -- One person died and two others suffered injuries in an early morning one-car crash on Thursday. The car about 4 a.m. fled from police in New Franklin Township and drove into Barberton. Both police departments refused to release information about chase and crash. The car was driving about 70 miles per hour when it crashed into a utility pole on North Van Buren at East Cassell avenues. The crash severed the utility pole in half. The pole is in the middle of Van Buren Road with utility lines still attached. The car went down an embankment off the left side of the road. It stopped on train tracks. It's front end is completely smashed and the roof of the car is dented. The person who died was ejected from the car. Two others were taken to area hospitals. The Summit County Medical Examiner responded to the crash. Barberton police and the Summit Metro Crash team are investigating. Police from Twinsburg, Cuyahoga Falls and Hudson are assisting. About a dozen officers document the scene of the crash, collected evidence from the car and surrounding areas and measured distances. Several neighborhood residents stood and watched the investigation unfold. AKRON, Ohio -- A Tennessee man accused of shooting four people since 2004 was arrested early Thursday in Akron. Bobby Claybrook, 34, of Nashville, Tennessee is in the Summit County after police arrested him about 1 a.m. on East Exchange Street near Brown Street. Claybrook was riding in a car about 1 a.m. when Akron police stopped the car for having no taillights, according to police reports. The driver, Dontoreus Douglas, 28, of Jackson, Tennessee lied about his identity, police said. The officer tried to arrest Douglas, who sped away. Akron police chased after Douglas' car but called off the pursuit after it reached high speeds in a residential neighborhood, police said. The officer spotted the car again minutes later. All three men inside the car jumped out and ran. Officers arrested Johnson on the side of the road. Claybrook was arrested after he ran into someone's garage, police said. The third man escaped and was not arrested. Douglas was charged with misrepresenting his identity, obstructing justice and failing to comply with police orders. Claybrook was arrested on two warrants -- one for violating the terms of his parole for convictions in two different 2004 shootings and one on a warrant for a double-shooting in October. Claybrook is accused of shooting one person in the torso and another in the leg on Oct. 19 in Dyersburg, Tennessee. He is charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder in that case. He has been on the run from Dyersburg police since the shooting. Claybrook was out on parole after serving prison time for two separate 2004 shootings, also in Dyersburg. He shot one person on Sept. 10, 2004. While police were searching for him, he shot a second person on Sept. 28 according to court records. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in both shootings. He was in prison until September 2015, about one month before the double-shooting, Dyersburg police said. vanishing middle class The middle class, which was already taking a beating before the recession, still has not regained ground. A look at this trend that is factoring heavily into this year's presidential race. (Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer) CLEVELAND, Ohio - A strong middle class defined the United States for so long that many consider it the essence of what it means to be American. But, by many measures, the middle class is struggling. The Great Recession accelerated this downward trend, said David Madland, author of "Hollowed Out: Why the Economy Doesn't Work Without a Strong Middle Class". Nearly seven years after the Great Recession officially ended, the recovery has passed by many in - or formerly in -- the middle class. Much data suggests working-class and middle-class Ohioans are having a tougher time bouncing back than their counterparts nationwide. For example, drops in real household median income have been greater here than the nation as a whole. Frustrations associated with being left behind are heavily factoring into the presidential race, with populist messages resonating among voters, he said. "This election, probably more than any in recent history, has squarely been about the fate of the middle class," said Madland, also a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C., where he is senior advisor to the American Worker Project. "It is about what has happened to them over the past several decades, and what if anything, we could do to make the United States have a vibrantly growing middle class in the future. "At least three candidates have made that their central focus--whether you want to talk about Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton," he said. "They are very much focused on raising wages, a problem that plagues the vast majority of workers." In Ohio, and other Midwest states that have suffered heavy blue-collar job losses for decades, trade became a salient campaign issue. For example, candidates were often asked to take a position on the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. As middle-class jobs, those often requiring little or no training, have disappeared in the U.S., they have frequently been replaced by low-paying jobs. Workers with a high school diploma or less lost nearly four out of five jobs during the recession, according to a Georgetown University study. This deep into the recovery, many of these displaced workers, like many working-class and middle-class voters, are questioning whether more than a slow recovery is to blame for their economic setbacks. Is economic restructuring taking place? Was the expansion of the middle class, which began after World War II, and continued for decades, an anomaly? Is the pattern of post-recession job growth, which has often left blue-collar and semi-skilled workers behind, an indication that a hollow middle will become the norm? "The middle class is faring quite poorly," said Madland. Is the Middle Class Shrinking? Madland said declines in household income is one indication of a struggling middle class. Between 2005 and 2014 real household median income in the U.S. declined 4.3 percent, he said, citing Labor Department data. In Ohio, it declined 6.5 percent. The Cleveland and Akron metro areas saw declines of about 7 percent. Mark J. Perry, a scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and an economics and finance professor at the University of Michigan in Flint, questions whether real household median income is the best indicator to show the middle class has lost ground. However, he agrees household income has been declining, even years before the Great Recession. "It is really about 1991 that median household income started to stagnate and then decline," Perry said. "Up until that time, it was up and down, but trending upward." Those declines accelerated during the recession, which officially began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. An analysis by Richey Piiparinen, director of the Center for Population Dynamics at Cleveland State University, shows how middle-class families lost income during the recession in the Cleveland metro area, which includes Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. Between 2007 and 2014, real median household income declined 6 percent for those with incomes between $25,000 and $49,999 and also for those between $50,000 and $99,000. Households with incomes of $100,000 and above saw their income increase by 23 percent. Households with incomes below $25,000 saw a 4 percent increase in income. The share of U.S. aggregate income going to the middle class has decrease substantially, a Pew Research Center analysis of government data found. In 1970, middle-income households got 62 percent of U.S. aggregate income. By 2014, their share had plummeted to 43 percent. Meanwhile, the share that upper-income households received skyrocketed from 29 percent to 49 percent during the same period. Many Americans - even those who aren't downwardly mobile - view the concept of a shrinking middle class in more than economic terms. They feel a sense of betrayal. Madland said while the middle class expanded greatly after World War II, its existence is as old as the republic. "When the United States was created, it was the most middle-class nation in the world," he said. "This was an era of kings and peasants, and we had shopkeepers and farmers. We also had lower levels of income inequality than any country at the time." He said often public policy decisions helped strengthen the middle class. For example, the GI Bill helped veterans pay for college and VA loans for homes. (Madland notes that in an era of legal discrimination, most African Americans and other minorities were unable to take advantage of such programs.) "We used to pursue policy ideas centered around strengthening and growing the middle class," he said. "This included everything from labor unions to raising the minimum wage to regulating banks. Madland said by the 1980s, a new philosophy -- trickle down economics -- was guiding public policy. "It was based on a set of policy recommendations that said that if you cut taxes on the wealthy, that was going to trickle down and help everyone else," Madland said. "Unfortunately, all it did was undermine the middle class and made the economy very fragile and vulnerable to things like the Great Recession." But reports of a diminishing middle class may be overstated, Perry said. Perry said government data shows that while real median household income fell 7.2 percent between 2000 and 2014, other indicators show growth. He said real compensation per hour, which reflects changes in consumer prices, was up 13.5 percent during the same time period. Real hourly earnings, which also take into account changes in consumer prices, increased 7.5 percent. Perry said demographic trends influenced median household income more than smaller paychecks. For example, fewer two-earner households, because of divorce and single parenthood, caused household income to drop. As people live longer, there are more retirees, who typically have lower incomes. See:Declines in household income may not be all that bad: AEI (graphic) Jackie Vaughn, who was laid off last spring from the BFG Federal Credit in Akron, said Perry's analysis ignores underemployment and unemployment, which are common to many in the diminishing middle class. Though in her 60s, Vaughn keeps looking for a job to help pay for her husband's high medical expenses. Vaughn said most of her former co-workers who found jobs are earning considerably less than the $35,000 to $50,000 with benefits they had made at the credit union. "All that is out there are low-paying jobs with no benefits," she said. Vaughn would be happy to land one, having all but given up on the hope of holding a middle-class job again. When Fight for $15 demonstrations, seeking a minimum federal wage of $15, were held in Northeast Ohio last year, she joined in. What a blessing Vaughn thought it would be to land a job making $15. Is Erosion Greater in Ohio? Though Cleveland was ranked the most distressed big city in America by the Washington, D.C.-based Economic Innovation Group, it is not the only Ohio city struggling. Toledo and Cincinnati made the top 10. Ohio was the only state to have three cities make the top 10, said Steve Glickman, EIG's co-founder. Communities were ranked on seven factors, including the percent change in the number of jobs and business establishments between 2010 to 2013. Eight out of 10 of Ohio's largest cities scored at or above the 90 percentile for distress. Columbus and Parma were the only not to make that list. Having manufacturing bases that are proportionally smaller than those other Ohio cites is primarily what kept them from being distressed, Glickman said. Nationally, cities that haven't been able to rebound from de-industrialization, tended to be distressed. See: 8 out of 10 of Ohio's largest cities economically distressed (interactive map): EIG Nationally, and in Ohio, manufacturing was hard-hit by the recession, and has been slow to rebound. Ohio had 687,413 manufacturing jobs in the second quarter of 2015, according to an analysis of government data by George Zeller, an economic research analyst. That is more than 87,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than in the second quarter of 2007, shortly before the recession began. In 2001, Ohio had nearly 1 million manufacturing jobs. Those jobs aren't coming back, said Piiparinen of CSU. Automation means fewer people are needed to produce the same output. Those who land employment often hold specialized certificates or associate degrees. "It is not in making trinkets anymore," Piiparinen said. "Those people who are going to be prepared for that (new economy) need at least some level of post-secondary education or they are going to be left behind." Wages have plummeted at many of the remaining low-skilled manufacturing jobs. In Ohio, one-quarter of all manufacturing workers made less than $12.43 per hour, a 2014 National Employment Law Project report found. Darrell Eberhardt is one of them. He makes $10.50 per hour working at the Camaco auto parts plant in Lorain. In hopes of higher wages, he is fighting to have UAW represent workers at the Camaco plant. During the recession, Eberhardt lost his $18.50-an-hour job at Invacare in Elyria, which makes wheelchairs. For the next several years he held a series of temporary jobs, some in manufacturing, often paying near the minimum wage. "It's pretty awful," he said. "Employers know they don't have to pay well. There are so many people looking for work." Can a battered middle class be restored? Slowing middle class erosion is possible, but it will take time, and require specific strategies, experts say. Glickman, whose organization ranked distressed cities, said what separates distressed cities from thriving ones is the growth in new businesses. Cuyahoga County's is minus-2 percent, he said. "The most prosperous zip codes (nationally) were gaining businesses at a 10-20 percent rate," he said. Glickman said his organization is working with a bipartisan coalition on establishing an initiative similar to the old Enterprise Zone program. Instead of incentives for businesses, they would be given to investors. He said many businesses that could have benefited from the E-Z program didn't qualify because they were "pre-profit." Piiparinen said the focus should be on retraining former manufacturing workers, and others displaced in the post-recession labor market. "Economic restructuring is very painful; but you can't say that on the stump when you're in the rust belt," he said. Madland said the wages of middle-class workers have suffered with the decline in union membership. He said many companies in other industrialized nations pay workers more than their U.S. counterparts, but manage to remain internationally competitive. Madland gave Volkswagen in Germany as an example. "Their wages are about twice what U.S. wages are," he said. "Those are good jobs and remain highly competitive jobs. Unfortunately in the U.S., we haven't treated manufacturing, or any middle class jobs, that way." Related post:Plight of middle class at center of presidential primaries CLEVELAND. Ohio -- If the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp., or LEEDCo, succeeds in building a small wind farm 7 to 10 miles offshore in the lake, it will need an on-shore substation to push its power into the local high-voltage grid. That location is the old Cleveland Municipal power plant on Lake Road, which today still serves as a substation for Cleveland Public Power, connecting the city system to the regional high-voltage grid. City lawmakers have authorized CPP to negotiate contracts with Norwegian wind developer Fred.Olsen Renewables USA, or FORUSA, the newly incorporated Ohio subsidiary of Oslo-based Fred.Olsen Renewables AS. FORUSA is about to buy LEEDCo's assets and build the wind farm. The pilot project consists of six 3.45 megawatt wind turbines capable of generating a total of 20.7 megawatts. These turbines have been described as slightly larger than the turbine that Lincoln Electric built near the East Shoreway. The contracts between CPP and FORUSA must still be negotiated, but three items contained in City Council's authorizing legislation are certain: Cleveland Public Power will contract to buy 5 megawatts of the wind farm's output. CPP will buy switches, transformers and other related equipment and build whatever additions to the substation are needed to handle the new power coming from the Lake. The cost, estimated in a document initially prepared in 2014 and updated in 2015 by the regional grid manager PJM Interconnection is about $769,000. Fred.Olsen Renewables USA will reimburse CPP for whatever it spends upgrading the substation to handle the output of the wind farm. The estimated impact of the more expensive wind power on a CPP customer using an average of 750 kilowatt-hours a month, the Ohio residential average, would be an additional $1.31 a month. Households using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month, the national average, would see bills increase by $1.74 a month. At this point, the certainty contained in the authorizing legislation is in contrast to the uncertainty underlying the overall financing of the project. Fred.Olsen Renewables is expected to bring millions of dollars to the project and be able to attract other investors because it is the largest independent power producer in the United Kingdom and the fifth largest in Europe. David Brunt, CEO of Fred.Olsen Renewables last December said the company had been talking to local banks about financing. But the project is still counting on winning a $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. And that can only happen, said Lorry Wagner, CEO of LEEDCo, if the DOE pulls back grants to other, ocean-based wind projects that it initially awarded last year. Wagner said that could happen in May and June if the other projects are not meeting the DOE's progress metric. In the meantime, LEEDCo and Fred.Olsen are working to complete the planning documents they will need to convince the DOE this project deserves a second look. Brunt flew back to Cleveland a couple of weeks ago when David Danielson, the DOE's Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, was in town for an update from LEEDCo. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur also appeared. A strong advocate for the project, Kaptur's continued support could be politically important. She is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and is a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. Through a spokeswoman Wednesday, Kaptur called the LEEDCo project "one of the most promising turbine research projects in our nation," noted that the DOE was still funding LEEDCo, (with a $4.5 million grant last year), and said the Lake project should "carry America into a new green energy age." LEEDCo is also getting a push from County Executive Armond Budish, who met with Danielson, Kaptur and the LEEDCo/Fred.Olsen team. Budish this week gave county council and update on the project's chances of still landing a large DOE grant. "The group made a very strong pitch," he told council. persuader-rule A new Labor Department rule will require employers to report when they hire consultant to deliver "anti-union messages." In this 2011 Plain Dealer fphoto, a union member walks the picket line in front of the old Rite Aid store in University Heights. (Marvin Fong,The Plain Dealer) CLEVELAND, Ohio - A new Labor Department rule requires employers to report when they "engage third-party consultants in crafting and delivering anti-union messages to workers" and it is already being met with some controversy. U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez said the rule is aimed at addressing a "lack of transparency" in the so-called persuader agreements employers hold with such consultants, who are hired to influence the outcome of union-organizing campaigns. The rule, which was published Thursday in the Federal Register, takes effect in July. Unions are currently required to report their spending relating to such organizing. "Workers should know who is behind an anti-union message," Perez said in a news release. "It's a matter of basic fairness. "This new rule will allow workers to know whether the messages they're hearing are coming directly from their employer or from a paid, third-party consultant. "Full disclosure of persuader agreements gives workers the information they need to make informed choices about how they pursue their rights to organize and bargain collectively," he said. "As in all elections, more information means better decisions." The new rule, formally proposed in 2011, has proven somewhat controversial. Unions like it, agreeing with the Labor Department that the rule creates more transparency. But many in the business community say adhering to the rule will put an unnecessary burden on employers. Of concern to many of them is the tightening of an exemption that limits what employers are required to report when they seek advice from such consultants. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it is against the new rule because it requires "new and complicated reporting for attorneys, consultants, and other professionals who advise employers about certain labor matters." "By expanding reporting requirements and making it more difficult to comply, the goal of the persuader rule is to discourage attorneys from offering labor relations services," stated a Chamber news release. "Ultimately, this will limit employer access to counsel and stifle employer speech, thereby providing more opportunities for unions to catch unsuspecting employers mistakenly running afoul of complicated labor laws." Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa disagrees. "This is a modest rule change," he said in a news release. "It will increase transparency about company activities and will not be a heavy burden to firms who have to file. The form is only two-pages long, which pales in comparison to the hundreds of pages of financial disclosure forms unions fill out." On the other hand, the National Retail Federation does not like the new rule, citing it is pro-union. "Once again, the Obama administration is bowing to labor unions and eliminating a well-established, clear test in favor of an ambiguous and open-ended standard that will lead to confusion for America's employers," said David French, NRF's senior vice president for government relations. The AFL-CIO disagrees, saying the new rule was aimed at encouraging employers to act fairly during union organizing campaigns. "This long-awaited rule will increase transparency about employers' activities when they hire outside third parties to do their union busting," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. "It takes great courage for working people to come together to form a union. Working men and women deserve to know who their employer is hiring and exactly how much they are spending to discourage workers from forming a union." CHAGRIN FALLS -- Authorities released the names of the two employees killed in a shooting Thursday morning at a Chagrin Falls retirement village. Terri Treadway, 58, of Chardon and Catherine Sutter, 58, of Burton were shot at the Hamlet Village community, officials said. Treadway and Sutter worked as housekeepers at the village for several years. The suspected shooter, a man who works as a chef at the community, was wounded in the incident. He remains hospitalized, and his identity hasn't been released. The victims were found about 8:30 a.m. inside or around one building. Police haven't pinned down a motive for the attack. Mayor William Tomko said the shooting is the most violent incident he can remember since he moved to the village in 1974. Hamlet Village offers a range of living arrangements for its 300 residents, including a nursing center, assisted living and independent living, according to the company's website. The home where the shooting happened was in the independent living unit which is accessible by the public. A MORELAND HILLS, Ohio -- A judge set bond at $150,000 for a man accused of robbing a gas station in Moreland Hills. Charles L. Bryant, 50, is charged with robbery in the Friday incident at Sunoco on SOM Center Road. He is also charged with fleeing and eluding from an Orange Village officer who tried to stop his car after the robbery. Bryant waived his right to a preliminary hearing during his appearance Thursday in Bedford Municipal Court. The case has been bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury, according to court records. Cuyahoga Community College security officers took him into custody Monday at the college's Eastern Campus in Highland Hills. Bryant has been attending classes there, Moreland Hills Police Chief Kevin Wyant said Tuesday. Bryant is accused of stealing money during a struggle with a Sunoco employee, Wyant said. The robber did not show a gun but kept his hand in his pocket as if he had one, police said Friday in a news release. Bryant's criminal history includes previous convictions for robbery and drug possession, according to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court records. In 2004, Bryant was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery, drug possession and failure to comply in two separate cases. He was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to another robbery charge in 2011, records show. CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio -- Investigators continue to offer no motive in a deadly double shooting Thursday that shocked a quiet retirement complex in Chagrin Falls. Terri Treadway of Chardon and Catherine Sutter of Burton, both 58, were gunned down by a man who worked as a cook at Hamlet Hills, according to Chagrin Falls police. Investigators have not said what, if any, relationship the man had with either of the women who were killed. Officials will provide an update on the shooting during a news conference at 11 a.m. Friday at the Chagrin Falls Village Hall. A woman called 911 about 8:30 a.m. to report that she saw a man lying in a hallway surrounded by what she described as shell casings. Investigators have not released his identity and he was taken to a nearby hospital. The extent of his injuries are not known. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene. Treadway's ex-husband, Ken Treadway, said the last time he spoke with her, she said that she was afraid that her boyfriend would harm her. Sgt. Kim Libens declined to discuss any additional details about the case, saying that investigators were still interviewing the family members of all of the people involved. "We are unable to confirm what personal relationship(s) exist between the victims, other than the fact that they were obviously all employees of Hamlet," she said in an email. Several law enforcement agencies converged on the complex to assist the Chagrin Falls Police Department, which employs 11 full-time officers. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene along with police from several neighboring suburbs. Detectives taped off a wooded area next to two apartment buildings, 14 and 15 while they gathered evidence. William Tomko, mayor of the affluent suburb 25 miles southeast of Cleveland, called the homicides the most violent incident he's seen in as many as four decades. Residents at the community said they were shocked to hear of gun violence in the normally peaceful complex. Niel and Joan Kramer said Treadway was their housekeeper. They last saw her Tuesday and said she was her usual, talkative self. "I feel very safe up here," Niel Kramer said. "I guess this can happen any place, any time. But it's kind of unusual that this would happen up here." The couple said this is the first violent incident they've heard of in the complex since they moved there four years ago. "We've never had anything happen before," Joan Kramer said. "That's why it's so extreme. What's shocking is that it's somebody we know." Thomas Miller, interim executive director of the complex, said he knew of nothing unusual that happened Thursday morning that might have prompted the attack. Miller is bringing in grief counselors to help the residents of what he called a "tight-knit" community. "We lost two of our longtime employees who were dearly loved here at Hamlet," Miller said. Those who knew Treadway described her as chatty and kind, and said she'd never hurt anyone. "She was so easy to talk to," Ken Treadway said. "I'm going to miss everything about her." Sutter's family members, contacted by phone Thursday, said they weren't ready to talk about Sutter's death. Throughout the world Easter is celebrated as the greatest event of the Christian faith. But as with most things associated with Christianity, we Americans tend to put our peculiar stamp on the holiday. Here are five facts you should know about Easter in America: 1. Easter Sunday church services are among the most well-attended all year. Theres even two terms to describe these additional congregants: CEOs Christians who are Christmas and Easter Only and Chreasters. These are Americans who darken the doors of a church twice a year, once in April and then again in December. A 2012 study by LifeWay Research asked pastors to list the days in the year in which their churches experience the highest level of attendance. Predictably, Easter and Christmas ranked number 1 and 2. 2. In 2015, more Americans searched for church on Google in the week leading up to Easter Sunday (April 5) than any other week in the year. (When including the word service so that the full search term is church service Christmas overtakes Easter, though the two remain high above the rest in terms of search activity throughout the year.) If we isolate April 2015 and take a look at where the search activity is most intense, the coastal regions of the Northeast and the coastal states along the West coast show the least amount of interest. This broadly correlates with findings produced by Ligonier Ministries, whose State of Theology survey from 2014 registered less belief in the full doctrine of the resurrection along these regions (Northeast, 33 percent; West, 45 percent) than in the Midwest (47 percent) and South (50 percent). 3. The major television networks also pay attention to these trends, which is why two of the four big networks ABC and NBC ran overtly Christian programming during the primetime slot on their Easter Sunday schedule last year. ABC used all four hours to broadcast Cecil B. DeMilles The Ten Commandments, and NBC used its 9:00 PM slot to air A.D.: The Bible Continues. This year FOX aired Tyler Perrys The Passion, a modern musical based on the traditional Passion Play, on Palm Sunday. (The Passion will also be on Netflix beginning Good Friday 2016.) 4. The Easter season also looms large for big screen releases. A couple of years ago, Son of God came out to wide release right at the beginning of March. This year will also see a number of movies released in the weeks leading up to Easter in order to capitalize on religious interest during that time: Risen (had an early premiere in late February, though it is also showing throughout March and April); The Young Messiah (March 11); Miracles from Heaven (March 16); and Gods Not Dead 2 (April 1). 5. Easter spending projected to break records at more than 17 billion dollars this year is also significant, though not necessarily religiously motivated. Although the category Christian Books and Bibles on Amazon.com can seem believer-specific, as of March 24, 11 out of 20 bestsellers in that category are Easter-related, yet only 2 of the 11 books are explicitly religious in nature. Americans even spend more on candy for Easter than for Halloween. The average American celebrating Easter is expected to will spend $28.11 on candy this year. [Note: This post is a collaboration with Berny Belvedere.] Washington Post Lays Out the Cards Correctly and Calls a Terrorist, a Terrorist | Main | World Post Pushes Myth of Moderate Iran March 24, 2016 U.S. and EU-Trained Palestinian Official Blames West for Brussels Terror Attack A spokesman for the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) security sorces has blamed the United States and Europe for the March 22, 2016 Brussels, Belgium terrorist attack for which the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility. On the day of the attacks that murdered 31 people, PA security forces spokesman Adnan Al-Damiri wrote on his Facebook page: Those who prepare the poison will taste it themselves, and today Europe is having a taste of what it prepared with its own hands.? Al-Damiris remarks were reported by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), a non-profit organization that monitors Arab media in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), the Gaza Strip and eastern Jerusalem. After claiming to offer a brief perfunctory condemnation of terrorist acts everywhere in the world,? al-Damiris Facebook post makes clear that he blames the West for Islamist terror. He claims that we Arabs are the ones who have been most severely burned by the fire of terror, which has been created and exported by the US and Europe since the Arab Jihad fighters in Afghanistan, and before that by exporting the Jewish terror to Palestine, supporting it and justifying it. Today, Europe is being burnt by its [the terrors] fire in its airports and squares.? Al-Damiri conveniently overlooked that Arab terrorists fighting under the banner of Islam existed long before the United States and its allies, including Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, supported mujahiddeen [holy warriors] in the fight to repel the Soviet Union from Afghanistan in the 1980s. As CAMERA has previously noted (Au Contraire, Prof. Picketty: Income Inequality Does Not Cause Middle East Terrorism,? Dec. 9, 2015), Islamist terrorism predates the period of Western involvement in the region. In addition, terrorist groups comprised of Arabs living in and near British Mandatory Palestine attacked Jews long before the recreation of Israel as a modern state in 1948. Al-Damiris supposed condemnation of terrorism reads less believably when one considers that on Dec. 21, 2015 he called for Palestinian children to water? the fight against Israel with blood? (see CAMERAs Palestinian Security Shares Call to Water anti-Israel Fight With Blood,? Dec. 29, 2015). PMW noted that the official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, echoed the spokesmans March 22 Facebook post with a cartoon depicting a person whose head is the globe representing the Western world is shown attempting to blow up the Middle East, but inadvertently blows up himself.? The United States, other Western countries and the European Union have supported PA security forces with money, training and equipment as a result of the 1990s Olso accords that resulted in the establishment of the authority and limited self-ruleprovided that Palestinian leaders recognized and sought to make peace with Israel. According to a March 18, 2016 United States Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, U.S. Foreign Aid to Palestinians, that security aid is aimed at countering? U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and establishing the rule of law for an expected Palestinian state.? Cooperation between Israeli and PA security agencies has helped prevent the West Bank from becoming an open terror base like the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. However, as CAMERA has noted (Wheres the Coverage? Palestinian Official Shoots Israeli Soldier,? Dec. 9, 2015), some PA police and paramilitary have committed terrorist attacks against Israelis, soldiers and civilians alikecontravening professed reasons for the establishment of the PA and the funding and training of its forces. When a spokesman for the PA security forces essentially blames the West for terrorism in Brussels, and his charge is reflected in the authoritys daily paper, shouldnt donors to the PA to reconsider whether their aid money is being well spent? Posted by SD at March 24, 2016 10:05 AM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment Signage for 1Malaysia Development Bhd. (1MDB) is displayed at the site of the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) project in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Goh Seng Chong | Bloomberg | Getty Images Malaysia's central bank said on Wednesday it would pursue administrative action against 1Malaysia Development Bhd. (1MDB), after the troubled state fund missed a deadline to submit documents on its finances abroad. 1MDB, whose advisory board is chaired by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, has been the subject of investigations over the last year by authorities in Malaysia, Switzerland and the United States following accusations of financial mismanagement and graft. 1MDB has denied the allegations. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said the central bank had requested documents from 1MDB after it failed to comply with a directive, issued in August 2015, to repatriate a total of $1.8 billion from its accounts overseas. But 1MDB informed the central bank in October that the finances had been earmarked for a restructuring program and to repay its foreign debts, and that they could not be repatriated, Zeti said. watch now The governor was speaking to reporters at a briefing for the release of the central bank's annual report. She said the central bank had been willing to accept 1MDB's response if supporting documents could be furnished, but no such proof had been received so far. 1MDB did not provide reasons why they had not submitted the documents, Zeti said. "As it is being assessed that they (1MDB) have not fully complied with the bank's direction, the bank is pursuing appropriate administrative action as allowed by the laws under which the bank operates," Zeti told reporters. watch now In a statement, 1MDB said it had "not yet received any official correspondence or confirmation from BNM" on the central bank's push for administrative action, adding that the firm had in fact provided documentary evidence "where available." "1MDB is committed to continue cooperation with BNM and will provide any further information that may be required by BNM to the extent that 1MDB has in its possession or is possible under the law," the company said. Zeti said recommendations for action were being prepared and would be submitted to the Attorney-General's office before her tenure as central bank governor ends in April. If the recommendations were accepted, 1MDB could face a fine or any other penalty available under Malaysia's financial regulations, Zeti said. "The main reason why we want to do this, is we want to uphold the integrity and functions of our financial system. All companies, regardless of who the shareholders are, have to comply with these regulations," she said. The central bank said in October it had issued the directive and revoked three of 1MDB's overseas investment permissions, citing breaches of the Exchange Control Act 1953. Activist hacker group Anonymous is calling for people to stand up against discrimination as part of its fight against Islamic State in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks. In a video posted to YouTube following Tuesday's bombings, an Anonymous member donned a Guy Fawkes mask to condemn the deadly attacks which were launched by a network tied to the terrorist group known as Islamic State (IS). Thirty one people were left dead in Brussels on after terror attacks targeting the city's main airport and metro on Tuesday. An image from the video posted on YouTube, purported to be from Anonymous. While the group is best known for hacking its targets, this time Anonymous is also calling for compassion. "You don't have to hack them. If you stand up against discrimination in your country, you harm them much more than by hacking their websites," the video said. "The Islamic State cannot recruit Muslims in Europe if they are accepted and included in the society. So we want all of you to stand together against discrimination." It comes amid criticism over the black of integration in Belgium and the isolation of its Muslim communities, like those located in Brussels' Molenbeek a neighborhood that has gained a reputation for its link to Islamic extremism after ties were found with the Paris attackers. watch now State-owned PetroChina , the mainland's biggest oil and gas producer, is "substantially overstaffed" and will need to cut jobs to stay competitive, said Bernstein's senior oil and gas analyst, Neil Beveridge on Thursday. Beveridge's comments come on the back of the company's full-year results, announced Wednesday, which showed a 70 percent slump in its 2015 profit due to sustained low crude oil prices. Net profit declined to 35.52 billion yuan ($5.47 billion) last year, from 107.17 billion yuan in 2014, the state-controlled company said in a filing with the Hong Kong bourse. Although the company said it will cut capital expenditure by 5 percent to 192 billion yuan ($30 billion) this year, that may not be enough, Beveridge told CNBC's Squawk Box. "PetroChina is not able to cut costs enough to keep profits at a high enough level," he said. The company's low attrition rate is in contrast to internationally after oil prices' 70 percent plunge since the summer of 2014. PetroChina still employs over half a million workers although it produces the same volume of oil as ExxonMobil , which employs just 80,000 workers, said Beveridge. "They are not really cutting lifting cost anywhere close to what they need to be doing because they can't fire anybody; they are a state-owned company and they are expected to keep relatively full employment in the country." Victims of online fraud who have failed to protect themselves properly should not be compensated by banks, Britain's most senior police officer has suggested in an interview with The Times. Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe told The Times that it would be better for financial institutions to make the public more security-conscious with advice, than "reward" them when they are victims of cybercrime. Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe Oli Scarff | Getty Images News | Getty Images "If you are continually rewarded for bad behavior you will probably continue to do it but if the obverse is true you might consider changing behavior," Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, told U.K. newspaper, The Times. In terms of alternative ways to encourage greater online vigilance, Hogan-Howe suggested banks could tell the public to update their anti-virus software, and make sure passwords were more secure. "The system is not incentivising you to protect yourself. If someone said to you, 'If you've not updated your software I will give you half back', you would do it," Hogan-Howe added in the interview, published Thursday. Research by GCHQ appears to echo this claim, with the U.K. security organization estimating that 80 percent of successful cybercrime cases could be thwarted by safety measures, such as up-to-date security software and harder-to-crack passwords. This Wednesday, U.K. home secretary, Theresa May addressed the issue at a conference saying today's technology is enabling criminals to operate on "a much bigger scale, with greater speed and anonymity" and far-wider reach. Following the interview, consumer advocate groups criticized the comments made by the police commissioner, with U.K. consumer association Which? executive director calling it an "astonishingly misjudged proposal." "When Which? investigated last year, we found too often that banks were dragging their feet when dealing with fraud. The priority should be for banks to better protect their customers, rather than trying to shift blame on to the victims of fraud," executive director, Richard Lloyd said in a statement. British firm Saga, who provides a number of services to those 50 years and older, also weighed in, saying this was "no way for anyone to behave", especially a police commissioner. "Blaming the victims of crime is no way for anyone to behave let alone the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Keeping up with scams is almost a full-time job," Paul Green, communications director at Saga, said in a statement emailed to CNBC. "Society expects the banks and the police to be able to keep us safe from this type of crime - if they're unable to keep up with the ever sophisticated nature of this fraud, what chance do the rest of us have." To read more on The Times' original story, click here The Easter Bunny may put a bounce in chocolate sales, but the industry is under threat from changing consumption patterns and difficulties with cocoa farming. Joe Raedle / Staff More than 3 million tons of cocoa beans are consumed worldwide annually, according to the World Cocoa Foundation. Global demand continues to rise, in part due to increasing demand from emerging markets for confectionery. The overall chocolate market rose 13 percent between 2010 and 2015 to hit $101 billion, according to Euromonitor, a market research firm. However, the market has stagnated in Western Europe, in part due to increasing health concerns about sugar which is present in high volumes in most chocolate confectionery. The average person in Europe and the U.S. consumes around 5.2 kilograms (11.5 pounds) of chocolate each year, according to Erste Asset Management. Euromonitor says the U.K. market for chocolate shrunk by $2 million between 2013 and 2015. Cocoa facts The average European or U.S. American consumes 11.5 pounds of chocolate per year. Around 3.5 million tons of cocoa beans are produced on an annual basis. Four West African countries produce more than 70 percent of cocoa supply Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. Cocoa is the main source of income for 5.5 million small-scale farmers, many of whom live on less than $1.25 per day. Source: Erste Asset Management Prices to fall? Cocoa futures have risen fairly steadily since 2013, apart from a brief slump earlier this year. However, BMI Research forecasts prices will start to trend lower until 2019, as supply grows faster than demand. That's due to a rebound in production in West Africa, especially in Ghana, the second-biggest producer of cocoa beans after Ivory Coast, the research firm said in a report in February. Hamish Smith, commodities economist at Capital Economics, also expects prices to fall. "After the recent surges in the prices of cocoa and sugar , we think that prices are likely to fall back a little from currently high levels," he told CNBC via email. This might seem like a boon for producers, but Smith added that the benefits of falling cocoa prices may be limited. "While lower prices can be expected to benefit producers in terms of cheaper production costs, raw commodity costs tend to be a relatively small share of overall costs of goods such as chocolate (other costs include labor, transport, packaging and marketing)." AGRICULTURE FUTURES Hot chocolate Longer-term, the supply-demand balance could shift, with cocoa production potentially challenged by climate change. Cocoa is a delicate crop and trees are susceptible to changing weather patterns, as well as diseases and insects. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture has warned that an expected annual temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050 will leave many of West Africa's cocoa-producing areas too hot to grow the crop. Trees are seen struggling to obtain enough water during the growing season. Some farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast are already switching to more lucrative crops like palm oil or rubber. The Earth Security Group, a sustainability consulting firm, says that if farmers continue to switch out of the crop at the same rate, the world could face a 1 million ton cocoa shortage by 2020 confounding forecasts of excess supply. Sia Kambou | AFP | Getty Images The Hamptons is a playground for the wealthy. In the pricey Long Island enclave, where the average home price is above $1 million, two millennial brothers have managed to make a name for themselves racking up more than $500 million worth of property sales in less than two years. Since launching Bespoke Real Estate in 2014, Zachary and Cody Vichinsky have become major players in the luxury real estate market, honing in on properties valued at $10 million or more. Before going off on their own, the brothers who hail from a family of developers and were exposed to the industry at a very young age worked in the Hamptons at the Corcoran Group's Bridgehampton real estate firm. They were the top-producing agents when they saw a need for a more tailored, sophisticated approach to buying and selling high-end real estate. Zachary and Cody Vichinsky, Bespoke Real Estate Source: Bespoke When the duo started their own agency, selling property to the same kind of clientele, they added a concierge feel, with perks such as personalized iPads loaded with information about prospective homes and chartered helicopter services from Manhattan to the Hamptons. Fast forward nearly two years, and Bespoke is at the heart of at least 40 percent of the waterfront property sales above $10 million from Southampton to East Hampton, according to The Real Estate Report. "Bespoke really was a consequence of us saying, 'How can we really take this system and perfect it?'" said Zachary, 31. "The same type of service you get with a $200,000 house is what's being given or what was being given with a $200 million or a $10 million property." He said his firm aimed to "make it much better, make it much more organized, and much more conducive with the level of expectations that a buyer or seller has if they're purchasing a very expensive asset." Some of those assets are more expensive than others. Bespoke's listings include a $72 million waterfront mansion with 11 bedrooms and a heated pool, and an 8-acre, $29 million oceanfront estate with 10 bedrooms. Prices in the Hamptons have remained steady in the face of headwinds from the global economy, which have hit other rich markets like Miami. However, Bespoke insists not all luxury markets are the same, and the Hamptons is a world all its own. I created GoldieBlox to be a toy and media company to disrupt the pink aisle and inspire future generations of female engineers. I grew up in a small Rhode Island town and my parents' dream was for me to grow up and become an actress. My parents never bought me Legos or Lincoln Logs being an engineer wasn't something I ever considered as a little girl. As a kid, I switched between wanting to be a lawyer or an artist when I grew up. It wasn't until my high school math teacher suggested I give engineering a try that I even considered it as a potential career. During my freshman year at Stanford, I fell in love with engineering. I created GoldieBlox so that little girls can grow up with the toys and role models I wish I'd had. watch now New Zealand has voted to keep its current flag following a referendum that cost the country 25 million New Zealand dollars ($16 million). A total of 2.1 million votes were cast from the country's overall population of about 4.5 million people, with roughly 56 percent opting for the status quo. Fiona Goodall | Getty Images Nearly 11,000 initial designs were whittled down to a final two after a panel shortlist of 40 was then put through a two stage public referendum. According to the country's government, the process is estimated to have cost around 25 million New Zealand dollars ($16 mn). Prime Minister John Key was accused of politicizing the debate when he expressed a preference for the new design which replaced a U.K. flag with a silver fern. Following the result Key said to reporters that while disappointed, it's time to respect the decision. "Obviously I'm naturally a little bit disappointed. I knew it would be hard to get more than 50 per cent of people to vote [for] change. "For me personally I'll now be supporting the current New Zealand flag," he said Thursday. Vote breakdown Courtesy: NZ Electoral Commission watch now watch now watch now Yahoo will likely end up selling its core business once its proxy fight with Starboard Value is finished, RBC Capital Market analyst Mark Mahaney said Thursday. "I think the probable outcome here is that we have a sale of core Yahoo to a strategic buyer, something like a Verizon . That seems like the most likely outcome, probably happens in the next 12 months. It's kind of hard to imagine the current status quo continuing," he told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." Verizon declined to comment. On Thursday, Starboard nominated nine new members to Yahoo's board of directors. Yahoo responded by saying it will consider the nominations. "The activists have the facts on their side and the numbers on their side. This year, Yahoo is going to do, per their guidance and per the Street numbers, about $800 million in free cash flow. That's lower than at any point in the last 10 years, and this is in a secular growth industry, so there's something dramatically wrong at Yahoo," Mahaney said. "I feel sorry for Marissa Mayer, but you can't have an asset that just goes downhill," Bill George, a professor at Harvard Business School, said Thursday. Mayer took over as Yahoo's CEO in July 2012, and the stock has risen about 120 percent since then. However, shares are down about 20 percent in the last year. "Investors are clearly frustrated. This thing has gone nowhere for the five, six years. It's a wasting asset and, the longer the board dawdles with getting its strategic act together, the [more] it's going to be worse," George told CNBC's "Squawk Alley." Ross collage.jpg Jackson County supervisor Troy Ross will trade his suit and tie for battle fatigues on Easter Sunday when he departs for three weeks of training with the National Guard in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Courtesy photos) PASCAGOULA, Mississippi-- The Jackson County Board of Supervisors will be a member short at its April 4 meeting as District 4 Supervisor Troy Ross will not be in attendance -- at least not in person. Ross is a member of the United States military, specifically the Army National Guard. Every year, Ross is summoned to participate in their annual training and this year it will take place in Fort Bragg, N.C. The training lasts three weeks, according to Ross, but he said he takes his position as a supervisor very seriously. So much so that accommodations will be made for him to listen to the meetings because of his inability to be present. "What we did is set up equipment that would allow me to phone in to hear the meeting," Ross said. "They will be able to hear audio of me at the meeting and I should be able to hear what is going on over the phone at the meeting." Accessibility will not be a problem for Ross either should his constituents in his district need to contact him. "If the office or any of the supervisors needs to call me, I will still have my phone," Ross said. "There may be a little bit of a delay on a callback being that I will be doing something with the military at the time, but you should still be able to receive a response. Between email, cell phone, and them having the audio set up at the meeting, there won't be a big difference." Ross is set to leave Easter Sunday for a training session with the Army National Guard 114th Digital Liaison Detachment. "My wife Lauren, and children, Sophie, 8, Joseph, 7, and Michael, 13 months, have experienced training and deployments in the past so they are used to it," Ross said. "I have missed every holiday on our calendar at least one time already throughout my time in the military. It is a sacrifice but one that must be made." "I hope my constituents see my military service as a commitment to not only serve them in another capacity but a willingness to defend our way of life if necessary. Our military is the most fundamental requirement for having a free society." Ross served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps on active duty before joining the National Guard. All told, he has roughly 15 years of military service. Rhode Island's state pension fund was urged to pull millions of dollars out of Luxor Capital Partners after the hedge fund posted heavy losses for months, according to a memo seen by Reuters. Influential industry consultant Cliffwater, which advises on roughly $55 billion in alternative assets invested in hedge funds, recommended that the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI) ask to pull its $35 million out of Luxor. "Cliffwater recommends that ERSRI redeem from Luxor Capital Partners, L.P," Cliffwater senior managing director Thomas Lynch wrote in the memo dated March 16. Such a recommendation by Cliffwater could have a knock-on effect in the investment community, especially at a time when investors consider how to react to hedge funds that are posting big losses. Activist hedge fund Starboard Value, an investor in Yahoo , said it was seeking to remove the entire board of the struggling Internet company. Starboard, which has been pushing for changes at Yahoo since 2014, said it would nominate nine members to the Yahoo board. "We have been extremely disappointed with Yahoo's dismal financial performance, poor management execution, egregious compensation and hiring practices, and general lack of accountability and oversight by the board," Starboard said in a letter to Yahoo shareholders. Starboard owns about 1.7 percent of Yahoo. While several of Trump's statements on foreign policy in the Washington Post interview are questionable or misguided altogether, his views on NATO and Europe are especially problematic. Below are four Trump statements on NATO that are categorically incorrect: 1) "NATO is costing us a fortune." Trump questions why the U.S. is spending "billions" to keep "rich countries" such as Germany safe, concluding "we can't afford to do it anymore." If elected, Trump pledges to change this by structuring "a much different deal" with these NATO allies, although he provides few details of what such a deal would look like in reality. In fact, the size of the U.S. presence in Europe has dropped sharply since the Cold War from over 200,000 troops in the early 1990s to around 30,000 today. Moreover, bringing these remaining troops home to the U.S. is not necessarily any cheaper especially since they can also be used for projecting power in the Middle East and Africa. What Trump fails to see is how deeply intertwined America and Europe are when it comes to the economy and security. A secure and stable European continent that shares democratic values is clearly a good return on investment for Washington. watch now The effectiveness of Belgium's counter-terrorism intelligence was thrown further into doubt Thursday on news that Turkey had not only arrested and deported one of the attackers involved in this week's Brussels attacks, but that Belgium might have ignored a warning on the risk he posed. Speaking on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey had arrested and deported to the Netherlands one of the two El Bakraoui brothers named by police as being responsible for the airport and metro station attacks in Brussels on Tuesday. The blasts killed at least 31 people and injured hundreds more. "One of the perpetrators of the Brussels attack is a person whom we detained in June 2015 in [the southeastern province of] Gaziantep and deported," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart in Ankara, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News reported. People walk past police officers as they exit Brussels Midi train station on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Carl Court/Getty Images The perpetrator named by Turkish officials as Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the Brussels airport attackers who already had a string of criminal convictions and was known to Belgian police. "We informed the Brussels Embassy of the deportation process of the attacker with a note on July 14, 2015. However, the Belgians released the attacker despite his deportation," Erdogan said. Later Thursday, in a statement from the Belgian Federal prosecutor, it emerged that an European arrest warrant had been issued for Khalid el Bakraoui back in December for his role in the Paris attacks. The comments come as Belgium's authorities scramble to find a fourth man suspected of involvement in the bombings and potentially more terror suspects that could have assisted the bombers. The attacks have increased pressures on European officials to strengthen anti-terrorism measures in the 28-country bloc, not an easy task as the region deals with an influx of refugees fleeing mainly from civil war in Syria. The EU has a deal with Turkey to halt the influx of migrants but the latest attacks have muddied an already complex dynamic between the EU and its neighbor, which straddles Europe and the Middle East. Erdogan added that "despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, Belgium could not establish any links with terrorism" which meant he could walk free. It's not the first time that Turkey has deported suspected terrorists. One of the suicide bombers in the Paris attacks last November had been deported to Belgium from Turkey last year. Brussels update: watch now watch now watch now The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed indictments against seven Iranians Thursday accused in a long-running cyber attack against U.S. financial firms and the computer system controlling a dam in Rye, New York. The intrusions, the government says, were conducted from 2011 to 2013 and caused millions of dollars in damages to banks that were forced to take additional steps to protect their systems, as well as inconvenience for customers who were unable to access their account information online. An indictment is a rare step for the U.S. government to take against foreign government-affiliated officials who are unlikely to be within reach of U.S. law enforcement any time soon. It mirrors an earlier effort that indicted five Chinese military officials for hacking in 2014. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Getty Images The indictments come against a backdrop of warming relations between the United States and Iran, which includes a recently signed deal to stop that country's nuclear program. Attributing cyber attacks to specific individuals is one of the most difficult challenges in cybersecurity, and the fact that the United States is willing to go to court with actual names of Iranian attackers indicates a high degree of confidence by U.S. law enforcement that it can trace the attacks all the way back to their source. It may be an indication of more to come: This week, the Department of Justice announced enforcement actions against the Syrian Electronic Army, and an alleged Chinese hacker named Su Bin. The indictment says the Iranians charged worked for two private companies that in turn worked for the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The companies were ITSec Team and Mersad Co. According to the indictment, Ahmad Fathi, Hamid Firoozi and Amin Shokohi were experienced computer hackers who worked for the ITSec Team, and Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, Omid Ghaffarinia, Sina Keissar and Nader Saedi worked for Mersad. The indictment says the hackers conducted a so-called distributed denial of service attack against the financial institutions. That's a cyber attack designed to overwhelm a website with inbound traffic, effectively shutting down access for legitimate website users. The government said the attacks affected 46 "major financial institutions" over about 176 days, which at some points meant that hundreds of thousands of bank customers lost online access to their accounts. Retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs said the Obama administration is likely to tread lightly as it continues to court the Iranian middle class in the wake of recent elections that gave "genuine moderates" increased control of Iran's parliament. "I think the United States is not going to impose any new sanctions, and if they do impose new sanctions, I think it's going to be on maybe specific individuals somewhere near the top of the food chain," he told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." "I don't think they want to scotch what looks like an opportunity to make the middle class very excited about a new burgeoning relationship with the United States." Activist hedge fund Starboard Value wants to remove the entire board of troubled web portal , according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). On Thursday morning Eastern Time, the firm is expected to announce that it will nominate nine directors to the board, the WSJ said, citing a letter by Starboard. Yahoo currently has nine board members, including CEO Marissa Mayer, after recently appointing two independent directors earlier this month. The letter reviewed by the WSJ said Yahoo management failed to deliver on earlier reform promises and that the board was unfit to decide whether Yahoo should remain an independent company. PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- A former Jackson County sheriff's deputy accused of selling sheriff's department equipment to a pawn shop has waived his arraignment on a felony charge of embezzlement in the case. The Sun Herald reports that move means Alexander Herman Kieper Jr. automatically pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the embezzlement charge. Kieper is tentatively set to go to trial May 18 in Jackson County Circuit Court. Kieper, who served 18 years until his resignation in 2011, is accused of selling for cash two gun scopes, two gun lenses, two tripod stands for the weapons and a pair of binoculars, all valued at $10,000. Kieper is out of jail on bond pending trial. According to court records, he now works for a car dealership. AUSTIN, Texas -- An Ocean Springs man reported missing in Austin, Texas, found himself homeless, penniless and without his phone after becoming separated from friends with whom he had traveled to the SXSW Music Festival. Jason Ratcliff was reported missing Sunday after he was last seen by his friends last Friday night. The Austin Police Department began a search and multiple media reports chronicled the search. By Wednesday afternoon, however, Ratcliff finally made contact with Kyle Hopper, a family friend with whom Ratcliff was supposed to have been staying in Austin. Ratcliff's father, Ocean Springs resident Larry Ratcliff, told The Mississippi Press Thursday he was finally able to speak with Jason that morning about 6 a.m. "Thank God," Larry Ratcliff said. "I hadn't slept in days." Larry Ratcliff said his son was "pretty shocked" when he learned of the police hunt and media coverage of his `disappearance.' The elder Ratcliff explained that Jason had gone his separate way from his friends Friday night, but with an agreement they would meet back at Hotel Vegas in Austin around midday Saturday. One problem: the friends never showed, so Jason Ratcliff, having left his cellphone at Hopper's home, had no means to contact anyone, had no cash on him and had only recently ordered a new debit card which he hadn't received yet. He was, in essence, homeless for the better part of three days, his father said. "He was homeless. He was sleeping on a cardboard box," Larry Ratcliff said. Adding to the concern for Jason's well-being was an unusual Facebook message Hopper received a few days ago. The message came from someone else's Facebook account, but claimed to be Jason. Larry Ratcliff said when Hopper gave him the name of the person from whose account the message came, he did a background check and said the person had a lengthy criminal record. "At that point, I was going crazy," Larry Ratcliff said. As it turned out, Jason had made his way into a local library, saw a man sitting at a computer with his Facebook page open and asked the man if he could send a message for him. At one point, Jason also attempted to use a pay phone and make a collect call home. "He had absolutely no experience with a pay phone," Larry Ratcliff said, now able to laugh at the thought. "He got a rude awakening. He tried to make the call, never got anywhere, and it took his last dollar." Ultimately, Jason Ratcliff found his way to the Angel House Soup Kitchen, a ministry of the Austin Baptist Church. Jason Ratcliff is a born-again Christian and had served in ministries overseas, his father said. Larry Ratcliff said he spoke with the church pastor in Austin Thursday and they are so taken with Jason they'd like for him to stay with them a few more days to work in the ministry. In the meantime, his father wired Jason some money and is working on booking him a flight home to the coast. Anderson, Johnston collage.jpg Capital murder suspects Hubert Patrick Anderson (left) and Rita Olivia Johnston. (HCSO/JCSO photos) OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- A Biloxi man found dead on a dirt road south of Ocean Springs Tuesday morning died of a single gunshot wound to the head, an autopsy has revealed. According to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell, the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory conducted the autopsy on 29-year-old Donta Lashawn Banks. Complete results of the autopsy are still pending. A Jackson County deputy on routine patrol Tuesday morning found Banks' body laying on a dirt road running off of Cook Street in the Ocean Springs Estates subdivision -- a sprawling development adjacent to the St. Andrews community. No identification was found at the scene. During the investigation, it was learned Banks had recently purchased a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica and a description of the vehicle was sent out to surrounding agencies. A short time later, a Biloxi police officer spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the vehicle sped away and later crashed into a house on Lackland Drive in Biloxi. The female passenger -- Johnston -- was injured in the crash and taken into custody, while the driver -- Anderson -- fled on foot. Biloxi K-9 units arrived in pursuit of Anderson and a perimeter was established. During the search, Anderson was found hiding in an enclosed area of a carport on Popps Ferry Road. Johnston was treated and released into police custody at Biloxi Regional Hospital. Both Anderson and Johnston have been charged by the JCSO with capital murder, with Anderson facing additional charges from Biloxi police of felony fleeing, possession of stolen property and residential burglary. Johnston was transported to the Jackson County Adult Detention Center, while Anderson remains in the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, with holds for both the JCSO on the murder charge and the Mississippi Department of Corrections for prior convictions. No bond can be set in capital murder cases, so both suspects will remain in custody until the case can be heard by a Jackson County Grand Jury. If convicted, Anderson and Johnston face the death penalty or life in prison. Johnston is scheduled for an initial appearance court appearance Friday. Anderson will eventually be transferred to the Jackson County Adult Detention Center and have an initial court appearance at that time. Neither Anderson nor Johnston are strangers to law enforcement in Harrison County. Anderson has multiple prior arrests for burglary, both residential and commercial, as well as resisting arrest, escape and numerous traffic violations. Johnston was arrested in 2012 for aggravated assault with a knife. Miner's statue 001.jpg The spot is where a statue presented to John and Maryalice Miner last year normally sits in front of their iconic Ocean Springs toy store. Last Friday, however, someone attempted to steal the statue, prompting the Miners to have it taken inside for now. (Warren Kulo/Gulflive.com) This statue, now sitting in a back room at Miner's Toy Store, normally sits in the ground outside the Washington Avenue store. OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Last Friday morning, Maryalice Miner -- as she has done for decades -- arrived to work at her toy store on Washington Avenue in downtown Ocean Springs. She made her way to the front of the store and walked outside to engage in her new ritual of patting the head of the statue which had been gifted to her and her husband, John Miner, last year to commemorate their 90th birthdays, as well as their decades operating one of the city's most iconic shops. What she found left her aghast. "It had nearly been pulled completely out of the ground," Miner said. "It had been secured into the concrete with rebar, but only one piece of rebar was still in the ground." Miner notified police and others. It was determined that a would-be thief -- or thieves -- had tied a chain around the statue and tried to drag it off with a vehicle. "I was so distressed I could hardly talk when I called the police," Miner said. "Our nice mailman came in the store and helped calm me down." The statue, which depicts two children riding a bicycle, was given to the Miner's last April by the City of Ocean Springs, the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce and private donors -- most of them anonymous. "It's a sad thing someone would try to do that," said chamber executive director Cynthia Sutton. "That statue is a symbol of all the Miners have done for and in this community." Police agreed someone had tried to drag the statue off with a vehicle through the store parking lot, rather than out into Washington Avenue, during the wee hours of last Friday morning. "Evidently, they got interrupted," Miner said. After police finished examining the scene, the Miners had the statue brought inside the store for safe-keeping. "We were afraid they'd come back the next night to finish the job," Miner said, adding that the chamber of commerce is considering options for making the statue more secure in its outside location. "We are going to do everything we can to secure the statue, so something like this doesn't happen again," Sutton said. There are numerous theories as to why someone would want to steal the statue -- including son Steve Miner's theory that it may have been methamphetamine addicts planning to sell the statue as scrap metal. "I can't imagine anyone from Ocean Springs would have done this," Miner said. "Everyone here knows how we got the statue and why it was there." March 24, 2016 Liberty Bell 7, the historic NASA capsule that launched the second American to space, is leaving its museum home for the home state of its astronaut pilot. The Mercury spacecraft, which was flown by Indiana-born Virgil "Gus" Grissom in July 1961, has departed its display at the Cosmosphere in Kansas for a three-year loan to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. There, it will be part of an "immersive space object experience" set for debut this summer. The new Schaefer Planetarium & Space Object Theater at The Children's Museum will initially showcase Liberty Bell 7 in a "dynamic light-and-sound presentation" that, along with other real space vehicles and equipment, will help tell stories of missions, astronauts and events throughout the history of space exploration. The theater, which is part of The Children's Museum's new Beyond Spaceship Earth gallery, is scheduled to open on June 25. "Safe Travels Liberty Bell 7!" Visitors to the Cosmosphere signed a card wishing the capsule a good trip to Indiana. (Cosmosphere) On Tuesday (March 22), a crane hoisted the Liberty Bell 7 and its display case onto a flatbed truck for its short move from the Cosmosphere to the nearby SpaceWorks facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. On Monday, Grissom's capsule will be loaded onto a bigger, enclosed truck for its 700-mile trip to Indianapolis. This isn't the first time Liberty Bell 7 has hit the road. Launched July 21, 1961 on Grissom's 15-minute Mercury- Redstone 4 sub-orbital mission, the capsule famously sank soon after splashing down. It remained on the ocean floor until July 20, 1999, when Liberty Bell 7 was recovered by a Cosmosphere and Discovery Channel-led expedition. Granted its ownership by NASA and the Smithsonian, the Cosmosphere restored Liberty Bell 7 and then launched it on a six-year nationwide tour, prior to placing it on display in Kansas. Liberty Bell 7, seen on display at the Cosmosphere. (Cosmosphere) The space capsule remained at the Cosmosphere until the summer of 2014, when it was shipped to Bonn, Germany for an eight-month art and science-themed exhibit. It then returned to the U.S. and its home at the space museum in April 2015. Liberty Bell 7's three-year loan to The Children's Museum is the second time it has been exhibited at the Indianapolis institution. The museum was one of the stops on "The Lost Spacecraft" nationwide tour from October 2000 to January 2001. In addition to the new space object theater, The Children's Museum's Beyond Spaceship Earth gallery will feature a recreation of the inside of the International Space Station and an "Astronaut Wall of Fame" presented in partnership with Purdue University to pay tribute to the astronauts like Grissom who have ties to Indiana. Another Hoosier astronaut, David Wolf, is currently serving as the museum's "Extraordinary Scientist-in-Residence." "It is an honor to be associated with the museum, to share my experiences in such a captivating manner to ignite the passion of our next generation of explorers, on Earth and in space," said Wolf, who logged almost 170 days in orbit on three shuttle missions and one stay aboard the Russian space station Mir. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' Space Object Theater will display Liberty Bell 7 from 2016 to 2019. (The Children's Museum) Grissom, who also launched on the Gemini 3 mission in 1965, tragically died two years later in a fire on the launch pad during a test of the first Apollo capsule. He was born in Mitchell, Indiana, where his Gemini capsule is displayed at Spring Mill State Park. A total of 12 astronauts have hailed from Indiana, including record spacewalker Jerry Ross and industry's first payload specialist Charles Walker. In addition to Wolf, both Serena Aunon and Tony England were also born in Indianapolis. Mizzou football vs. Vanderbilt recap: Tigers hold on to win 17-14 Follow along for live score updates and analysis from Saturday's game between Missouri football and Vanderbilt. Carlos Rodgers (top, from left), Damien Wallace, Robert Crum, Vincent Robinson, Antonio Wallace (bottom, from left), Detawn Gunn, Danyell Cannady, and Marcreshia Drummer. Crime Report Shelby County 911 - A Crime Report SHARE Eight people are facing charges after Memphis police searched an abandoned house in North Memphis on Wednesday and allegedly found them sitting around a pool table playing dice. According to affidavits, officers received a complaint of illegal activity at the home in the 1000 block of Pearce. The home appeared abandoned, but officers noticed a Memphis Light, Gas & Water divison meter had been removed from the home and the electrical box had been hotwired. An extension cord was being run from box through a broken window into the home, police said. After entering the home, officers observed eight people sitting around a pool table with dice and money, police said. On the floor next to the pool table was a pill bottle containing Alprazolam and a digital scale, the affidavit said. A search of the home yielded a Smith and Wesson MP40 .40 caliber handgun with 14 live rounds and six miscellaneous rounds, police said. Officers also seized $1,385 in cash "due to detectives believing the money to be proceeds from drug sales." All eight suspects gave conflicting statements and denied ownership of the pills and scale, according to the affidavit. Carlos Rodgers, 37, is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of a firearm/dangerous felony, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Damien Wallace, 20, Robert Crum, 34, Vincent Robinson, 46, Antonio Wallace, 28, Detawn Gunn, 21, Danyell Cannady, 35, and Marcreshia Drummer, 19, are each charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture/deliver/sell, possession of a firearm/dangerous felony and possession of a controlled substance. By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal A Memphis man is in custody for allegedly shooting and killing a man late Tuesday night, according to the Memphis Police Department. Darick Lane, 25, was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal attempt second-degree murder, possession of a firearm/commission of felony and second-degree murder. Police responded to a shooting call in the 900 block of North Avalon Street at 10:38 p.m. Tuesday, said MPD spokesman Louis Brownlee. Officers found an unresponsive 29-year-old man bleeding heavily in the street on nearby Vollintine Avenue. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene, Brownlee said. At 10:40 p.m. officers found a Cadillac CTS in the 800 block of Maury Street that had been shot multiple times and detained one suspect, Brownlee said. Lane is due in court Thursday for video arraignment. By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal The Memphis Police Department has a video of a suspect believed to be involved in three of eight robberies that took place across the city Monday. The suspect allegedly robbed a series of businesses armed with a box cutter starting with the Burger King at 1330 Poplar Avenue at 11:10 a.m. Monday. Almost 15 minutes later, police responded to a robbery at the Family Dollar at 142 North Avalon Street, where they believe the same suspect robbed the store. The final robbery took place at 12:05 p.m. at the Payless Shoes at 3625 Hickory Hill Road. Anyone with information can call CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH. No arrests have been made, police said. Sally Field is a lovestruck eccentric in "Hello, My Name Is Doris." Courtesy of Roadside Attractions SHARE By John Beifuss of The Commercial Appeal As costumed by Rebecca Gregg, Sally Field in "Hello, My Name Is Doris" resembles a bag lady Iris Apfel whose accessories testify more to a hoarder's mania than to an artist's innovations. Doris' oddball fashion choices include large, floppy hair bows; saddle shoes with poodle skirts; and two pairs of glasses, worn at the same time, in lieu of bifocals. These accoutrements demand attention even as they provide a protective cover for the woman within them, an accounting-department drone who has lived her entire adult life with her mother on Staten Island, a ferry ride away from the heartbeat of the city. The movie opens at the sparsely attended funeral of that same mother, an event that provides an opportunity for the reluctant Doris to emerge from her risk-free cocoon. The catalyst for Doris' wary interest in self-liberation, however, is not a loss but a presence, i.e., newcomer John Fremont (Max Greenfield, 35 years younger than Field), the fresh-faced art director at the fashion business where Doris is a longtime and more-or-less ignored employee. "I like your glasses," John tells the stunned Doris, in the elevator, during their first meeting. "Are they cat-eye glasses? They're cool." Adapted from a short film titled "Doris & the Intern" by Laura Terruso, "Hello, My Name Is Doris" scripted by Terruso and director Michael Showalter (a writer/actor/et cetera whose credits include the screenplay for "Wet Hot American Summer") is much like its title character: Its colorful cutesy-pie surface camouflages a dark interior. On one level, this is a you-go-grrrl tale of unlikely self-realization, as Doris discovers she is not just accepted but admired for her "good weird" appearance and personality by John and his hipster Williamsburg associates. (These include an electronic-music artist named Baby Goya, played by Jack Antonoff, who tells Doris: "You're a true original.") On another level, Doris' growing romantic yearning for John, who doesn't recognize the depth of his new older friend's emotional attachment, is a silent howl of desperation from someone suddenly resentful of her lifelong irrelevance and approaching extinction. "Hello, My Name Is Doris" makes an interesting companion piece to Noah Baumbach's recent "While We're Young," which told a similar comic/dramatic story of age-meets-youth within a trendy Brooklyn milieu. If "Doris," with its May-December possibilities, is potentially more daring, it's also less satisfying in its safe resolution. 'Hello, My Name Is Doris' Opens Friday exclusively at the Malco Ridgeway Cinema Grill. Rated R for profanity. Alexio Allen By Yolanda Jones and Jody Callahan of The Commercial Appeal The police officer who shot and killed a man in Raleigh late Wednesday night also killed another man in the line of duty three years ago in a shooting that was ruled justified. Officer Leon Dickson, 36, shot and killed Alexio Allen, 30, in an incident at a Raleigh home late Wednesday, a police incident report revealed. Officers Brian Moore and Joshua Crawford were also on the scene, but did not fire their weapons. Crawford is white while Dickson, Moore and Allen are all black. All three officers have been routinely relieved of duty with pay as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation begins its inquiry. This is the second fatal shooting by Memphis police this year, following the Jan. 27 death of Johnathan Bratcher, 32. Bratcher was shot and killed at 888 Kerr in South Memphis after police said he pointed a gun at them and opened fire. Dickson was also the officer who shot and killed George Golden, 42, after a scuffle in the parking lot of the Raleigh Walmart at 3950 Austin Peay on March 27, 2013. Wednesdays incident began earlier that day, when Allen made the first of several calls to Memphis police, TBI representative Susan Niland said. In the first call, Allen told police someone was in the backyard of his home in the 3400 block of Dillard Road near Old Allen. Niland said others at the home later called police to say that Allen was acting erratic. Then, a little before 9 p.m., Carla Allen, the victims mother, called police to report that her son was armed with a rifle. The officers arrived at 8:59 p.m. According to Niland, Allen began struggling with a woman over the weapon. He was having some sort of episode, and (the police) made him more agitated, Niland said. The matter escalated, Niland said, and Allen was shot. He died a few hours later at the Regional Medical Center. Initially, police said that Allen pointed a weapon at officers, leading to the shooting. Niland said they were still investigating exactly what happened. Carshena Lagaite, Allens sister, was in the home when everything happened, she told The Commercial Appeal Thursday. Lagaite who denied that her brother had a mental illness, even though police jargon labeled him a mental consumer said one of the officers spooked her brother, and he made a move for the rifle. He got scared. He grabbed the rifle but it was pointed up. As he got the gun, his wife grabbed it from him. They tussled. All the time, the gun was pointed straight up. The wife got it in her hands, Lagaite said. They shot him twice in the back. Then he shot him again in the chest while he was on his back. Niland couldnt say Thursday how many shots had been fired, or where Allen had been struck. Lagaite called the shooting unnecessary. I think he (the officer) was in the wrong. He seen that he didnt have the gun in his hands. He just fired anyway, she said. In Dicksons prior shooting, officials said an off-duty Memphis police officer moonlighting as a security guard was alerted that Golden was trying to shoplift some DVDs. Officer Kimberly Houston followed Golden out of the store, then flagged down two on-duty cops, Erica Washington and Dickson. Police said that Golden became irate and fought with the three officers. They said as they tried to subdue him, Golden appeared to reach for a weapon in his waistband. Police said Golden made a spin move toward one of the officers, leading Dickson to fire one shot. Police found no gun on Golden. He died 10 days later at the Regional Medical Center. Dickson, who has been with MPD since 2009, was relieved of duty with pay. After an administrative hearing, the shooting was deemed justified and Dickson returned to work. Staff reporter Maria Zamudio contributed to this report. SHARE The Commercial Appeal files By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal A trailer broke loose from the pickup that was hauling it and killed a man walking on an East Memphis sidewalk Wednesday evening, police said. Kevin Jordan, 55, was hit by the trailer just after 7 p.m. when it came loose from a 2008 Dodge Ram traveling west on Park Avenue near Echles Street, according to MPD spokesman Louis Brownlee. The driver was pulling a trailer roughly 15 feet long in the right curb lane and it came unhitched and struck Jordan, Brownlee said. Jordan was pronounced dead at the scene in the 3700 block of Park. The driver was not cited, Brownlee said. March 11, 2016 - Flanked by commissioners Steve Stamson (l), Dee Nollner (second from left), Norma Lester (second from right), and Anthony Tate (right), chairman Robert Meyers (center) holds a law book as he interviews former county commissioner Chris Thomas (not pictured) at the Shelby County Election Commission Friday. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal) SHARE By Linda A. Moore of The Commercial Appeal After drawing fire from the Shelby County Commission over its budget increase request last year, the Election Commission plans to approach the county this year with a request for an increase they say is necessary for the office to function successfully. Last time, the election commission asked for a 5 percent pay increase for all of its staff, which would have been in addition to the 1.7 percent cost of living increase all county workers received. The request saw County Commissioner Mark Billingsley declare he'd not support a "one penny" increase for the election commission. But as the fiscal 2017 budget season approaches, Norma Lester, election commission secretary, says this time she'll be pushing for funding to increase staff. The election commission is requesting an additional $125,000, including $50,000 to help fund two additional staffers, $40,000 for a new vehicle, $15,000 for training and $10,000 for a security system at its 980 Nixon Drive offices. "Our main thing is we've got to get our staffing complement up because we will never be able to have the success that we need if we don't," Lester said. At one time, the election commission had a staff of 24. It is now down to 14 people cuts that were made, Lester said, by former administrator of elections Richard Holden. "Supposedly he was being conservative, but it was a mistake," Lester said. "Once you let a position go it's hard to get it back." Holden retired in December after a tenure that included no-confidence votes from the Memphis City Council and County Commission, an overturned election and a string of election problems for voters across the county. The election commission does not fall under the protective umbrella of any county elected official and must make budget increase requests directly to the County Commission on its own behalf. The five election commissioners are appointed by the Tennessee General Assembly and those commissioners appoint the administrator of elections to run the office and hire staff. "We sort of treat them like the other elected officials," said Harvey Kennedy, county chief administrative officer. "So we let them, like the other elected officials who don't report to the mayor, present their own." In the 2016 fiscal year's budget, the election commission had expenditures of about $3.8 million, and received $2.1 million from state and federal governments as well as for reimbursements for elections, and was allotted $1.6 million from the county's general fund. Also, Lester said, the election commission's budget varies each year with the number and size of elections being held. Realtor Verna Littleton places a sold sign in front of a house. (Kyle Kurlick/The Commercial Appeal files) By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal With five of its nine counties registering population losses, the Memphis metropolitan area barely grew at all during the 12 months ending last July 1, new census figures show. The metro area's population increased by only 1,213 less than one-tenth of 1 percent to 1.344 million people during the period, continuing a trend that began more than a decade ago. During the five years beginning July 1, 2010, the entire metro grew by a mere 1.5 percent, adding 19,298 residents. That's less than one-third the average growth rate for metro areas across the nation. With the tepid growth locally, the Memphis area slipped a notch to become the 42nd-largest in the U.S. The Oklahoma City area often considered a rival surged ahead of Memphis as its population grew from 1.34 million to 1.36 million. Metro Nashville added 36,435 residents, a 2 percent increase, to further distance itself from the Memphis area with total population of 1.83 million. Nashville is the nation's 20th fastest-growing metro area and home to three of the nation's 100 fastest-growing counties. A county-by-county breakdown shows highly uneven growth in the Memphis area. DeSoto County's net gain of 2,437 residents offset population losses in Crittenden County, which declined by 595 residents, Shelby County (minus 336) and smaller decreases in Benton, Marshall and Tunica counties in Mississippi. Fayette and Tipton counties in Tennessee and Tate County in Mississippi also registered small population gains. The patterns suggest continued "movement toward the edge" of the metro area, said Elena Delavega, assistant professor of social work at the University of Memphis. In Shelby County, the decline to 938,069 marked the third straight year of population losses, according to the census estimates. County Mayor Mark Luttrell said Memphis is among many aging metropolitan areas experiencing little or no growth. He said providing better schools a high-quality workforce and building on the amenities already present college and professional sports and good symphony and theater programs could help the area recover. "We've got everything that a big city should have, but it's a matter of degree," said Luttrell, who recently announced he'll seek the 8th District Congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher. Rudolph Vetter/The Commercial Appeal files A bouncing, 70-pound baby arrived at Overton Park Zoo on March 23, 1951. The newborn hippo was the 15th born at the zoo since the venerable Venus and Adonis arrived from Africa in 1914 to establish the hippo colony at the zoo. SHARE March 24 25 years ago: 1991 The potential of Memphis and its largest university led Dr. Lane Rawlins to turn down a job in the Northwest and accept an offer to be Memphis State University's next president, Rawlins said Saturday. "I think the urban institutions are going to be the key to the future," said Rawlins, Chancellor Otis Floyd's choice to succeed retiring President Thomas Carpenter. Rawlins, 53, is vice chancellor of academic affairs for the University of Alabama system. 50 years ago: 1966 NASHVILLE The threat of major delay in construction of the new interstate highway bridge at Memphis was erased Wednesday as two Federal agencies approved state Highway Commissioner David Pack's compromise proposal. The commissioner was told Wednesday morning by Col. James A. Vivian of the U.S. Engineers in Memphis that the Engineers would recommend a design that calls for two 900-foot spans. E.L. Erickson, bridge engineer for the United States Bureau of Public Roads, told Pack the bureau would approve such a design as soon as a permit had been granted by the Engineers. 75 years ago: 1941 The Pigeon Roost Road section will have a new neighborhood movie house if plans of C.A. Camp are approved by the Board of Adjustment and he is permitted to construct a $60,000 building. 100 years ago: 1916 Mary Pickford, the delightful little Japanese Cho Cho San in "Madame Butterfly," has shed her kimono and sandals for the rough boots and corduroy of the Italian peasant in "Poor Little Peppina," now at the New Majestic No. 1. 125 years ago: 1891 There were 352 persons present at the Mississippi Avenue Union Sunday School March 22. The church was so packed that classes could not be formed. SHARE School bus By Micaela Watts, Chalkbeat Tennessee Memphis is making headway while Nashville is struggling in closing the achievement gap between students from low-income families and their more advantaged peers, according to a new study released this week. While Memphis' gap is larger than 70 percent of major U.S. cities, it narrowed the gap by a whopping 19 percent between 2011 and 2014, one of the fastest rates in the nation, the study says. Conversely, Nashville's gap is bigger than 75 percent of the nation's major cities, and grew by an alarming 11 percent during the same time period, with only one of 10 students from low-income families attending a school that is closing the achievement gap. The study is based on the Education Equality Index, the first national comparative measure of the achievement gap at the school, city and state level, and was released by Education Cities and GreatSchools, both nonprofit organizations focused on school improvement, in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. "There is much to celebrate in Memphis," said Ethan Gray, founder and CEO of Education Cities, of the findings. With more low-income Memphis families having access to a more equal playing field in education, Gray said the city is "proving that greater equality is possible." Memphis and Shelby County's educational landscape has undergone sweeping changes in the last six years some the result of the 2013 school merger and the 2014 secession by suburban municipalities creating their own school systems but also due to major policy changes that led to the creation of Shelby County Schools' Innovation Zone and the state-run Achievement School District and contributed to the growth of the city's charter sector. "The one thing we're seeing in Memphis, is that the diversity of options you're providing are really evident on this list," said Carrie McPherson Douglass, a managing partner at Education Cities. "Even if the overall score is not the best, it shows that Memphis is moving in the right direction," she said. Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson says that the numbers are even more remarkable considering the challenges facing Tennessee's largest public school district. They include adapting to new structures amid a shrinking enrollment and budget, as well as a high concentration of the state's lowest-performing schools. "I can remember telling our teachers and principals years ago, that they were going to have to drown out all of the noise and chaos, focus, and just make it happen," Hopson said. "And they did, and they continue to persevere by using an extraordinary amount of focus and grit." Nashville school leaders said they are not surprised by the findings that show the state's capital city lagging. "There's been a growing awareness by our board and in our community that Memphis is out-hustling us when it comes to closing the achievement gap," said Will Pinkston, who serves on the school board for Metro Nashville Public Schools. "The fact that our district's leadership was not thinking or acting with a sense of urgency in addressing this is one reason why there wasn't an appetite for renewing Jesse Register's contract" in 2014 as director of schools. The nation's 42nd largest district, Metro Nashville has been plagued by low student achievement and the flight of affluent students to private and suburban schools, while also struggling to keep pace with its changing student population. The Education Equality Index study identifies up to 10 schools in every major city with the smallest achievement gaps that serve a student population where the majority are from low-income families. The Memphis schools, which represent Shelby County Schools and three charter schools, are: Delano Elementary, Ford Road Elementary, Freedom Preparatory Academy, Hollis F. Price Middle College High, Jackson Elementary, John P. Freeman Optional, Middle College High, Oakshire Elementary, Power Center Academy High, and Power Center Academy Middle. Chalkbeat Tennessee is a nonprofit news organization covering educational change in public schools. Read more about Tennessee education news at tn.chalkbeat.org. March 21, 2016 -- Will Bateman, of Bartlett, tests a new mountain bike on the trails at Nesbit Park in Bartlett. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal) SHARE March 21, 2016 An information board in the park tells the story of Nesbit Park. The park was donated in 1971 by Katherine Nesbit to preserve the natural beauty and Nesbit wanted the park, "free of development." It also shares the story of her ambulance ride, the day before her death, when she told paramedics, "Please don't let them put a golf course on my farm." (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal) By Clay Bailey of The Commercial Appeal Bartlett is considering putting a new water tower in Nesbit Park quickly drawing protests from hikers, bikers and other users of the suburb's largest park on the city's western border. Evidence of the city's intentions emerged recently with survey markers in the park north of Yale and west of Billy Maher. The 333-acre park is destined to remain a natural area. And several people at the Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Tuesday night expressed their concerns that the potential water tower in the park's southwest quadrant would endanger the character. "We're really concerned about that because that park is really meant to be a natural area," Pam Irving told aldermen. "It wasn't meant to be something with a water tower or anything like that on it." City officials emphasized the tower location needed to help water pressure in the area is in the preliminary stage in hopes to finding the most economical spot based on the height of the tower and its proximity to larger, high-volume pipelines to carry water. City Engineer Rick McClanahan took the blame for the lack of notification, saying officials wanted more information about the site before discussing it. "I'm not necessarily against moving it," McClanahan told several citizens after the meeting, "but it will cost more." Asked if location of the tower in Nesbit Park is a done deal, Mayor Keith McDonald quickly said: "No," while also adding other locations are more costly. "We are looking for the best and least expensive place to put it," the mayor said. McClanahan said the structure would be about 100 feet tall including a tank at the top designed to hold between 500,000 and 750,000 gallons of water. Most of the city's water tanks are comparable size, except for the old 50,000-gallon tank south of Bartlett High. Nesbit Park with its hiking and biking trails was once the farm of Katherine Nesbit, who donated the land to the old Shelby County Conservation Board which once acted as the county's parks board. When the property was annexed by Bartlett, the land was transferred to the suburb. An information board at the park states the donation was "to preserve the natural beauty" of the land, and she wanted it "free of development." Several members of the citizens Parks and Recreation Advisory Board said they were unaware of any of the work until small flags became visible in the wooded park. Several people said they believe a water tower is contrary to Nesbit's desire that the land remain in a natural state. "I really feel like this is a betrayal to her," said Elaine Meece, saying she was acquainted with Nesbit. " ... If you start with that, where are you going to stop?" McDonald doesn't believe erecting a water tower is contrary to the natural atmosphere of the park. He also doesn't think Nesbit would disagree with the concept since the new tower will help with water pressure in the area, particularly for fire protection. City officials have to study the title to the land and don't believe the water tower would impact its use as a park. McClanahan said he would like to have the project finished by the summer of 2017. The highest water demands routinely arise in the summer. SHARE By Clay Bailey of The Commercial Appeal A battle is brewing in Bartlett over whether the city is encroaching on the natural state of Nesbit Park, but the discussion of the issue earlier this week brought forth a surprising tale about the land and its previous use. Speaking of surprises, Bartlett judicial hopefuls found out this week they need to get on their campaign running shoes sooner than expected. Meanwhile, there are closings for Good Friday and staggered elections in Millington starting this year. And the only real reference to de-annexation in this installment of Outside the Loop is provided by a Germantown resident. NESBIT PARK SACRED GROUND?: As we noted Wednesday, a number of people are a bit miffed at Bartletts consideration to put a water tower in Nesbit Park the suburbs 333-acre nature area near Yale and Billy Maher. City officials say they are only scouting for locations to erect the structure, but the park spot appears the most economical. Most opponents contend the tower is not in keeping with the natural area original owner Katherine Nesbit wanted for her former farmland. But then Elaine Meece, speaking her piece against the tower to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen brought a sacred spin to the discussion. Ive always been told that (Nesbit's) father, who was a judge, was cremated and his ashes were sprinkled on that land, Meece said. So, it also is a sacred place. Whoa! I didnt see that argument coming. I understand the position of keeping it natural. I understand the argument not to disturb the trees or the hiking and biking trails through the area. Im not sure if similar to other burial grounds if the ashes revelation puts a hurdle in front of the suburb, or if it is like people who sneak a loved one's ashes into the Gulf of Mexico and everyone just keeps swimming and swimming. I cant prove it, Meece said. That was just what Ive been told by my family and other families in the area. BARTLETT BENCH RUNNING FOR OFFICE: The race for Bartlett two judicial seats turned from a trot to a sprint earlier this week with a interpretation from state election officials. You see, Bartlett officials thought the elections for the municipal court bench were going to coincide with the rest of the 2016 elections in November. But, suddenly on Monday, they got word the judicial elections had to be held with county and state ballots in August. And the deadline for those interested in the two offices is April 7 two weeks from TODAY. That didnt really hinder the two sitting judges Tim Francavilla in Division 1 and Dan Brown in Division 2. Both already indicated they would run. If anyone was considering challenging them, their decision needs to be made quickly. The August date seems in keeping with a 1992 state Supreme Court ruling stating since municipal judges hear state cases, such as driving under the influence, driving under revoked licenses and bad checks, the offices fall under the same criteria as General Sessions judges. In the early-1990s, that led to judges running for their offices instead of city governments appointing them to the bench. The other three suburbs with Municipal Courts -- Collierville, Germantown and Millington -- already moved their elections to August, and the current judges in those cities ran in August 2014. Brown will seek his first full-term as Division 2 judge after he was elected in 2010 to fill the unexpired term of the late George McCrary. Francavilla was appointed earlier this year to serve as Division 1 judge after the death of Freeman Marr. The appointment was until the next municipal election, and the winner of that race will serve the remainder of Marrs term, which runs until 2018. After Marrs death in December, Stefanie McGee, Bartletts city clerk, told the Election Commission that the person appointed to Marrs office would serve until a special election was held coinciding with the municipal elections. In November. The Election Commission apparently never questioned the date until Monday when Joe William Young II, the deputy administrator of the Shelby County Election Commission, notified the city of the need to include the offices on an August ballot. SHORT TRIPS: ALL AROUND THE LOOP CLOSING MEANS IT IS A GOOD FRIDAY: In recognition of Good Friday, suburban offices are closed. MILLINGTON EXIT: While everyone was watching the de-annexation debate, a bill associated with Millington elections cleared the consent agenda allowing for staggered terms. Under the terms, aldermen in Positions 1-4 will run for two-year terms this year, and the remaining three offices for aldermen Position 5-7 and mayor will serve four-year terms in the same election, creating the stagger. The legislation removes the runoff provision and the election moves to November from August when it was held previously. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen must ratify the legislation by a two-thirds majority, but City Manager Ed Haley said he doesnt expect any resistance since the board voted unanimously to send the matter to Nashville for the change. FINAL WORD: My good friend Paul Volpe, a Germantown resident and former head of the Memphis Italian Festival, seems to have a good idea regarding the vote for de-annexation. Seems like anyone who bought post annexation should be an automatic no vote (for de-annexation), Volpe wrote, later adding the new residents voted for being in Memphis at the closing. SHARE During a meeting with a member of The Commercial Appeal's editorial board on Wednesday, a petite but confident Loyce Maturu of the Republic of Zimbabwe talked about her battle with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and tuberculosis, a fight she's carried on for the last 12 of her 24 years. The TB is cured, but she will have to take medications for the rest of her life to keep the HIV at bay. There was a time when those scourges would have been an assured death sentence. They were for Maturu's mother and brother, who died when Maturu was 10. Today is World Tuberculosis Day, and Maturu, who now counsels young girls in her country who have been affected by the illnesses, is in the United States to advocate for more financial support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Founded in 2002, the Global Fund is a partnership between governments, civil societies and the private sector that supports health programs run by local experts in countries and communities most in need. It invests some $4 billion a year into these programs. The United States provides about a third of that amount, and Global Fund advocates are urging the U.S. to maintain its funding, while encouraging other countries and entities to increase their funding. We agree with Colin Smith, director of communications for RESULTS and RESULTS Education Fund, an advocacy organization dedicated to ending poverty in the United States and around the world, that this is money well spent. Maturu is one of the 17 million people the fund has helped save. Smith accompanied Maturu on Wednesday, along with Memphis-based Grace Zhonghui Liu, a RESULTS co-leader. Tuberculosis is no stranger to Shelby County. Statistics provided by the Shelby County Health Department show there have been 300 cases of tuberculosis in the county within the last six years 2010 (48), 2011 (49), 2012 (57), 2013 (48), 2014 (53) and 2015 (45). According to 2014 numbers, the latest available, there were 9,421 cases in the U.S. and 151 in Tennessee. Thirty percent of the Tennessee cases were in Shelby County. The disease disproportionately impacts African-Americans and other minority groups. Those most at risk for TB are the homeless, people infected with HIV and excessive alcohol drinkers. The Health Department has launched a new public service announcement campaign to educate our community on TB symptoms and when to call the doctor. The PSA can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=J2MnOtsaOqA. On this World Tuberculosis Day it is important to remember that TB is not a disease that only impacts the planet's developing nations, although the intense poverty and dearth of medical care in some countries is destroying families and local economies. But a healthy Loyce Maturu is proof of the good that can happen when caring nations, civil societies and the private sector pool their resources for a good cause. SHARE By Arthur I. Cyr President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba is the latest move in a series which span his tenure in the White House, and occurs in the context of long-term hostility between the two countries. President Calvin Coolidge was the last U.S. chief executive to visit the island nation, in early 1928. At the end of May 2015, the United States formally removed Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. This greatly facilitate interchange between the two sides. Of particular significance, banking restrictions have been lifted. Slowly but also surely, the ruthless dictatorship that controls Cuba has been forced to face the reality of economic failure of Communism. Fidel Castro began transition of power to younger brother Raul Castro in 2006. Four years later, Fidel suddenly re-emerged in the media spotlight and proceeded dramatically to lament the shambles of the nation's economy. At the same time, the Cuban government announced layoffs of 500,000 workers, combined with liberalization designed to encourage small business and foreign purchases of real estate. This was admission of failure by Cuba's committed communist leaders. Havana now seeks foreign investment while maintaining political controls. In 2009, the U.S. loosened extremely tight restrictions on travel and financial remittances. Additionally, telecommunications companies were allowed to pursue licensing agreements. The Soviet Union, vital subsidy source, collapsed a quarter century ago. Venezuela provides limited aid, further reduced by the rapid decline in oil prices. Enemies as well as admirers agree Fidel Castro demonstrated strong leadership before age and illness led him to retire. After taking power in early 1959, enforcer brother Raul handled bloody mass executions with efficient dispatch. Fidel highlighted new alliance with the Soviet Union by joining Nikita Khrushchev in a 1960 visit to the United Nations in New York. The Soviet premier was wildly disruptive at U.N. sessions, while the Cuban delegation provided a media sideshow, based at a Harlem hotel. The Eisenhower administration began a clandestine effort to overthrow the increasingly radical regime, including a CIA project to assassinate Castro. The successor Kennedy administration vastly escalated such efforts. When Fidel stepped down, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorsed "peaceful, democratic change" in that nation and suggested that the "international community" work directly with the people. Obama's televised address in Cuba took a page from the playbook of President Richard Nixon, who made a radio and TV speech to the Soviet people during his historic May 1972 visit. We should emphasize educational and family exchanges, along with trade and investment. President Dwight D. Eisenhower used such programs to benefit during the height of the Cold War. Above all, we should reject direct attacks on the Cuba regime. Previous aggressive interventions were highly counterproductive, and for many years have provided the Castro brothers with the benefit of blaming all problems on the Yankee superpower to the north. In the past, Cuba has been extremely important in U.S. presidential politics. Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kennedy fanned the flames of hostility to Castro in the 1960 contest with Republican Vice President Richard Nixon. This year, some Republicans have strongly denounced the rapprochement with Cuba, but Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona joined the Obama delegation. A bipartisan congressional delegation visited Cuba in February. During a joint news conference with Obama, Raul Castro clearly was taken aback by blunt questions from reporters about human rights abuses. Let the questions and the pressure continue. Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin. Contact him at acyr@carthage.edu. This is a guest post for Computer Weekly Open Source Insider written by Umair Shahid in his role as head of PostgreSQL at Percona -- a company known for its work delivering enterprise-class ... In this guest post, Aidan McClean, CEO and co-founder of online electric vehicle hire firm UFODRIVE, highlights the shortcomings in the UKs car charging infrastructure The UKs 2030 ban on the ... 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At the company's GCP Next conference in San Francisco, Google announced the private beta of a new Cloud Machine Learning service that lets businesses create a custom machine learning model. To do so, users work with data they have in Google's other cloud services. Cloud Machine Learning handles data ingestion and training and then uses the resulting machine learning model to make predictions. It's designed for companies that want to use machine learning to make predictions for their business. Jeff Dean, the head of Google's Brain deep-learning research project, showed the service making a model that predicted when a user would click on an advertisement. It was based on anonymized data from marketing software company Criteo about when users click. Cloud Machine Learning is built on top of Google's open-source TensorFlow product, which also provides the intelligent capabilities inside many of Google's other products, such as Inbox and Photos. It's currently the most popular machine learning project on GitHub and helped underpin the AlphaGo AI that recently beat a human champion at the board game Go. The tools are key to Google staying competitive in the cloud market. Both Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services already have managed machine learning services designed to make it easier for people to build machine learning models and then consume them in the cloud. One of the things that eventually will set Cloud Machine Learning apart is that Google will let companies export their TensorFlow models from its cloud and use them in other settings, including on-premises datacenters. Right now, both Azure's and AWS's machine learning products require people to consume the machine-learning models they've built in the cloud through an API, which locks users of those products into each company's ecosystem. Also on Wednesday, the company announced a new Cloud Speech API that allows users to take in snippets of speech and have them transcribed based on the machine learning model that underpins Google's speech recognition technology. It's part of a growing set of machine learning APIs that Google has released, which also includes its Cloud Vision API (which will return insights about the content of an image) and Cloud Translate API. More broadly, there are plenty of other companies, including Microsoft and IBM, trying to capitalize on a growing API economy that sells companies intelligent computing capabilities to use in their applications. Google thinks these capabilities will lure companies interested in building smart applications to its cloud and not others, especially because of the company's track record of machine learning innovation. What remains to be seen is whether that works, especially since Google is currently lagging behind Microsoft and Amazon in public cloud use. HARTFORD, Conn. -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), flanked by laid-off IT workers on Tuesday, spoke about the abuse of the H-1B visa system. There are 5,669 workers in Connecticut employed under the H-1B program, Blumenthal said at a press conference. "How many of them have displaced American workers? We don't know," he said. "How many of them have been hired instead of American workers? We don't know." But, he went on, "we know that increasingly" foreign workers are being used to displace U.S. citizens "because they can be employed more cheaply." Blumenthal's press conference was another sign of the rising political visibility of the H-1B issue. The implications of this attention are unclear. Photo courtesy of Leo Perrero Leo Perrero, center, a former Disney IT employee, flanked by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), left, and presidential candidate Donald Trump after at a recent Trump rally where Perrero spoke of his experience of being laid off last year after training his visa-holding replacement. Legislative reforms are stalled, and discrimination cases in court remain undecided, but the issue may be getting the most attention it has ever received. At rallies for Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman seeking the Republican presidential nomination, Disney IT workers have spoken about being replaced by foreign labor. Trump was endorsed by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the head of the Senate immigration subcommittee. That committee has held two hearings during this legislative term on the impact of H-1B visa holders on highly skilled workers. During the recent GOP candidates debate in Miami, Trump appeared to suggest ending the H-1B program. His platform details H-1B reforms, and the endorsement by Sessions, a leading Republican critic on illegal immigration, may be seen as a sign that Trump is serious. But in some public statements during debates, Trump can seem wobbly on the H-1B issue. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a Texas senator, once called for a massive H-1B cap increase but has since become an H-1B reformer, proposing a series of restrictions on the visa's use. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) released reform legislation following the Disney layoff. A bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have asked for a federal investigation of the H-1B program. It's not just senators and presidential candidates who are speaking out. Displaced IT professionals are telling about their experiences of having to train their visa-holding replacements. They are raising questions, and, increasingly, they are doing so in public. The latest to do so is Craig Diangelo, a longtime employee at Northeast Utilities (now Eversource) until he trained his visa-holding replacement. He was laid off two years ago and has not spoken out about the incident because of a non-disparagement clause in his severance agreement. The use of the visa at U.S. companies is an "epidemic" that has affected thousands, Diangelo said. Approximately 200 IT workers at Eversource were laid off after the company hired India-based outsourcers Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services to provide IT services. The non-disparagement clause in the severance package made former employees cautious about speaking out. But after two years since his layoff, Diangelo said he can no longer be silent. With Blumenthal looking on, Diangelo said it was important for him to exercise his rights as an American. "It's come to the point where the story has to get out," said Diangelo, who is calling for changes in the H-1B laws. "People have to stop being afraid of not being able to speak and doing everything anonymously." Blumenthal has urged the company to drop the non-disparagement clause, which he calls a "gag order." Eversource has defended itself, in part, by pointing out that its post-merger IT reorganization was needed to modernize its systems, and that it needed outside help to carry out the upgrades. The utility also said that it only employs three people under a non-immigrant visa program. But Eversource is only describing its direct hires, not its contractor workforce. The contractors it brought in, Infosys and Tata, are typically among the top three largest employers of workers who are in the U.S. on H-1B visas. According to Albert Lara, an Eversource spokesman, the former employees are free to talk about the organization and the new service model. "There is nothing in any agreement that he signed that would prevent him from doing that," Lara said. Blumenthal is backing legislation by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that would prevent displacements and would require companies to make a good faith effort to hire U.S. citizens before using visa holders. Blumenthal also supports legislation to increase the H-1B cap, but only if it comes with visa use restrictions. He wants a comprehensive immigration plan as well. The Senate Democratic leadership won't support a stand-alone H-1B reform bill unless it's part of a comprehensive immigration reform plan. Republicans are more likely to back a stand-alone H-1B bill. But the tech industry is very influential, the political divisions are bipartisan, and the outcome remains uncertain no matter what party wins in November. Visa reform may arrive via the courts even if the political process fails. IT workers have filed discrimination complaints in federal and state courts and with federal agencies, but it could be years before this is any resolution. Even with all the political and legal efforts, there's no certainty any action will derail the forces moving IT jobs overseas. Abbott Labs is an example. The global healthcare company hired Wipro, an India-based IT services provider, and a major user of H-1B visa-holding workers. Abbott, which is based in Durbin's home state of Illinois, then proceeded with plans to lay off about 150 IT employees and shift some IT work overseas. Abbott IT employees were expected to train their replacements. But the IT employees took action to try to prevent their replacement and job loss. They contacted Sara Blackwell, an attorney representing former Disney IT employees, and sought her help. Durbin also got involved, and he recently asked Abbott to drop its plan. "To add insult to injury, the Abbott Labs IT staff who will be laid off will first be forced to train their replacements," Durbin wrote in a letter to Abbott. Abbott later said that the "affected Abbott IT employees are not being asked to train their replacements." The company also said that 80% of the workers Wipro brings on site will be U.S. citizens. Abbott's strategy may be to try to avoid discrimination claims and lawsuits by having the IT services firm use a relatively high percentage of U.S. citizens and by not requiring the soon-to-be-laid-off employees to train replacements. If visa restrictions are enacted, IT services providers may increase reliance on Web-based "knowledge transfer" to avoid having visa holders at a client company's site. There have also been reports of U.S. workers traveling overseas to train replacements on foreign soil. Abbott's strategy doesn't change the most damaging issue: that U.S. employees are still losing their jobs, and the work is moving overseas. "It seems to be a misinterpretation of the idiom 'insult to injury,'" said Ron Hira, an associate professor of public policy at Howard University, referring to the language in Durbin's letter to Abbott. "The injury is the lost job. The insult is having to train your replacement," he said. "Remove the insult and you still have the injury." The U.S. government says seven Iranians working for the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are responsible for 187 denial of service attacks aimed at banks across the U.S. between 2011 and 2013. It also says one of the individuals gained access to the control system for the Bowman Avenue Dam, a small dam north of New York City, and would have been able to control flow of water through the system had it not been disconnected for repairs. The accused worked for two Iranian computer companies, ITSecTeam and Mersad, and were contracted by the Iranian government to conduct the attacks, according to a Department of Justice indictment unsealed on Thursday. The charges underscore that the U.S. government "will not allow any individual, group, or nation to sabotage American financial institutions or undermine the integrity of fair competition in the operation of the free market," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at a news conference. The DOJ alleges the DDOS attacks took place sporadically until September 2012, after which they occurred almost every week. The attackers directed up to 140 gigabits of data per second at the banks' Web servers. overloading them. That left customers unable to log in but didn't result in the theft of personal information. The attacks were launched from networks of thousands of computers that had been infected with malware. After identifying the source of the attacks, the FBI worked with Internet service providers to mitigate the attacks, and says 95 percent of the infected computers have been removed. Among those accused of the attacks are Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, aka Nitr0jen26, and Omid Ghaffarinia, aka PLuS, who helped co-found Mersad and were affiliated with two other Iranian hacking teams -- the Sun Army and the Ashiyane Digital Security Team, the DOJ said. The men also claimed responsibility for hacking NASA in February 2012. Perhaps more worrying than the DDOS attacks was the intrusion to Bowman Dam. Between Aug. 28, 2013, and Sept. 18, 2013, Hamid Firoozi "repeatedly obtained unauthorized access to the SCADA systems of the Bowman Dam," according to an indictment. The access he gained allowed him to see information regarding the status and operation of the dam, water levels, temperature and the status of the sluice gate, which controls water levels and flow rates. If the sluice gate hadn't been manually disconnected for maintenance, he would have been able to control it. All seven have been charged with computer hacking offenses and face a maximum 10 years in prison, if they can be tried in a U.S. court. The alleged dam hacker faces an additional 5 years for accessing a computer at that site. Lord Feldmans review of the Conservative Party organisation has little to say about the role of councillors. Yet there are 8,766 Conservative councillors in the UK more than for Labour and the Lib Dems put together. Many of us indeed most of us work hard for the residents we represent and for our Party. I do think that it should be easier to deselect those who do not work hard enough. Part of the difficulty is that councillors are paid allowances. My view is that allowances should be abolished, although obviously that is a matter which goes beyond Lord Feldmans remit. But the money creates a distortion, with those who have lost interest in proceedings still shuffling along to a meeting every couple of months and clinging on to keep their 10,000 a year. Generally, councillors who are idle when it comes to canvassing are likely also to be idle when it comes to dealing with the casework that arrives in their inboxes on a daily basis. So deselection is not just a matter of self-interest for constituency associations, but a wider duty. The Party Review says the following: Selection of local government candidates Despite having been in government for five years the number of Conservative councillors remains at the very high level built up over 13 years in opposition. Councillors play a major role in the work of the Party and occupy many officer positions within Associations across the country. Many councillors contribute financially either to their local Association or to a fund within their group.Some Members feel that this should be compulsory whereas others point out that it is the role of Party Members, including councillors, to raise funds for campaigning rather than to contribute directly. Some Members seemed unaware that there are now mandatory forms for council candidates to complete but there were calls from those who were aware for more prescriptive demands in terms of guaranteed campaigning and promotional activity e.g. street stalls. There were many calls for the double or treble hatting of councillor positions to be prohibited. It was said that this practice stifles new recruitment and causes tensions in some Associations. This was not a unanimous view, with a minority claiming that it did not create problems. The decision on whether to allow this is not dependent on the Constitution, and Associations are already at liberty to create a rule to this effect should they wish to do so, either in the form of a rule within the nonmandatory rules of Schedule 7 or a decision by the Executive Council at any given time. There is general support for the rules on the selection of local government candidates that have now been in existence since 2011 though there is a small minority view that feels that it should be entirely a matter for local decision and a rather larger opinion that would like the rules to be more prescriptive. It is an area that involves more activists than almost any other aspect of an Associations activities and therefore attracts a lot of contributions. Targets and rules are all very well but they mean little if they are quietly ignored. It is more of a cultural problem. Conservative Group leaders on local councils, constituency association chairmen, and Conservative MPs (or prospective candidates) often have little appetite or incentive to pick a fight. When they do it will often be with a councillor who is active but felt to be a nuisance rather than someone whose lethargy keeps them off the radar. However, clear rules should help. No Conservative councillor should take reselection for granted. Nor, by the way, should any Conservative MP. It is certainly reasonable that equivalent rigour should apply. One area which the Party Review has clearly failed, is with regard to the Conservative Councillors Association. At present its elections are dysfunctional. For example, councillors from outside London can vote on who the representative of London Conservative councillors can be. Rather than being a force for robust Conservative innovation and debate, the CCA ends up as a feeble offshoot of the Local Government Association. This democratic failing leads to organisational failings. Training and communication is weak. The interaction between Conservative councillors from neighbouring authorities is often negligible. Pleas for reform were ignored by the Party review. The only mention of the CCA is that all Conservative councillors should continue to be obliged to be members. Having an army of councillors is generally a great asset for the Conservatives. But this does not always apply. Gavin Barwell, the Conservative MP for Croydon Central, has written a most useful book, How to Win a Marginal Seat. Faced with the challenge of retaining his seat after the Conservatives lost control of the council he says: Many of our ward branches were run by people who were either sitting councillors or interested in becoming councillors. It wasnt in their interests to get new people involved because such people might subsequently decide they fancied becoming a councillor too. So just as important as a mechanism to remove those who arent up to scratch, is a process where all Party members are regularly encouraged to put themselves forward to stand for council elections. Conservative councillors and other Party members need to help each other to work effectively. In many cases this works well. But the Feldman Review has little to offer in making it work better. Garvan Walshe is a former national and international security policy adviser to the Conservative Party. To New York, Madrid, London, Mumbai and Paris, Brussels must now be added. To jihadis, these terrorist attacks are power projection: they serve not only to strike at their enemy, but to do so with maximum publicity. ISISs aim is the recruitment of personnel for irs main project: to impose harsh Islamist rule in the Muslim societies where their power is strongest and violence most brutal. It celebrates what it calls the fearless heroism of their operatives, willing to sacrifice their lives for the cause, and, as a bonus, sow panic among skittish electorates in the West. Frightened voters everywhere demand counterproductive security initiatives or, worse, slip into outright bigotry when they conclude that their governments cannot protect them from the terrorist menace. Leaders first job in response is to reassure: deploy visible security measures; make determined speeches calling for calm and vigilance, and oppose reprisals against any community associated with the terrorists in this case Muslims. Their second is to disrupt the terrorists tactics. Though technical means can make it harder to bring bombs and guns on to planes for instance, stopping attacks like Tuesdays requires good intelligence. Much is made of intercepting communications, and using clever algorithms to detect patterns in data. These are certainly important; but the best intelligence comes from human sources. This is as true of social networks as it was 150 years ago before the telephone was invented. An source inside a terrorist cell, who is cut into its private conversations, is more valuable because his information doesnt need to be sifted from vast quantities of idle innocent talk. Good intelligence does not in itself require equally good community relations. It is, however, expensive and demands experienced personnel to collect and analyse. Belgiums security services have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of potential targets, and it is to the size of the pool of potential jihadi recruits that political questions are relevant. There is always easy speculation after terrorist attacks: those in Britain were blamed on too multiculturalist a policy; those in France on its opposite. The social conditions of Belgian Muslims are not my specialty, but two other important errors are however made with frequency in the aftermath of an attack and must be avoided. The first is to find in the terrorism an excuse for some long-held, independently justified, position. It was frequently asserted that the London bombers were radicalised by the Iraq war. This claim was only ever made by people who opposed to the war, but Mohammed Siddiq Khan was drawn to extremism by the Wests failure to intervene militarily in Bosnia, not its intervention in Iraq. The other is to deny the organised ideology behind extremism. That there are terrorists is no deep psychological or economic mystery. There have always been enough young men willing to kill and die for a cause. It gives them purpose, excitement and a sense of belonging. But too much effort is spent seeking to explain a general phenomenon of radicalisation, and not enough in understanding the political movements within which it occurs. Jihadi ideology uses language and stories familiar to Muslims, but its themes are universal. Justice for the people, revolt against the system, retribution against an elite and a new project to establish Utopia on earth, all wrapped into a self-contained system immune to external argument. The intellectual struggle against Communist totalitarianism holds important lessons for the long-term anti-terrorist fight. No Marxist idea was more corrupting than the completely false one that they held the true understanding of what was best for the working class. When Cultural Marxists insist that Islamists hold the key to understanding what Muslims think, they make it harder for Muslims to have the confidence to stand up to extremist intimidation. Worse, this has meant that too often, we in the West have confused the Islamist system, energetically promoted thanks to a Saudi monarchy who stay in power by allowing their Wahhabi religious establishment to spread it, with Islamic civilisation. But there is a crucial distinction between the Muslim religion, which we ought to recognise as one of the worlds great ethical systems, and the systematic doctrine of Islamism. If we grant Islamist doctrines immunity from criticism on grounds of tolerance, we do the jihadis work for them. We help them extirpate from Muslim communities the more tolerant forms of Muslim belief, creating an atmosphere where jihadi political doctrines rule unchallenged and jihadi recruiters have a easy time. Inevitably, these latest attacks have raised tensions in Belgium, and throughout Europe. Frightening though they are, we have faced equivalent terrorism in the past. Technical security, good intelligence and above all sufficient confidence in the universal applicability of our own values to win the argument against the Communist ideology that sustained it, saw us through. We need all of them to see the West through this again. Stop Police Brutality On Hyderabad University Students, Now!: AHRC By Asian Human Rights Commission 24 March, 2016 Countercurrents.org Cutting off electricity, water, and Internet facilities, closing down messes, chasing all the media persons out, and then calling in the Paramilitary to swoopdown on students in the campus sounds like routine work in a dictatorship, not a democracy. Yet, this is exactly what the University of Hyderabad administration, which works under the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development, has subjected the students to yesterday. The students were protesting against the return and resumption of duties by the Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile,who is the main accused in the case of abetment of suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, whose death shook the nation. Allowing a person, who is under investigation for such a serious offence, to return and resume charges defies rudimentary understanding of the rule of law, not logic alone. Whoever atop the Indian government is behind the decision would have known well that it would enrage students and invite protests. One may therefore ask if the decision was made to unleashthis violence on students, who have not backed off their protest, seeking justice, for months now. The conspicuous way in which the VC returned to campus hints at the same. So does a letter by the Registrar of the varsity to local police seeking their intervention. Worse, the resultant crack down, after chasing the media out, seems to confirm the plan behind the action. Together with charging at the students, the police and paramilitary persons raided specific rooms in hostels across the campus, as if they had a pre-determined list of those they wanted to apprehend. And this they did: the police picked up 36 students, all of them leading activists of the Joint Action Committee, the umbrella group that is coordinating the nation-wide campaign for justice for Rohith, as well as 3 faculty members. The detainees were held overnight in unspecified locations, and allegations of torture, have already arisen. Leading women organisations of the country have also narrated the way police and paramilitary personnel attacked the girl students, molesting them and threatening them with rape in the process. Many of them have suffered grievous injuries. The police action has also caused critical injuries to Uday Bhanu, a research scholar. He remains admitted to the intensive care unit of a local hospital, and is struggling for life. More details including video testimonies can be found here. The attempt, clearly, was breaking the backbone of the movement for justice to Rohith, which has taken the country by storm, and is causing serious trouble, both perceptually and actually, to the ruling establishment. This trouble to its sense of power and control, however, does not allow the government to defy laws, and act as if an emergency has been imposed. The country has dealt with one emergency in living memory, which had grievous consequences. Another such attempt, whether declared or undeclared,will only destroy the soul of the body politic. The Asian Human Rights Commission unequivocally condemns the barbarities that have been committed on the students, and urges the government of India to back off from the campus now. Furthermore, Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao should not be permitted to resume charge until the completion of a fair and impartial investigation.The Commission also asks that the government fix command responsibility for yesterdays action, and prosecute and punishe those responsible. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) works towards the radical rethinking and fundamental redesigning of justice institutions in order to protect and promote human rights in Asia. Established in 1984, the Hong Kong based organisation is a Laureate of the Right Livelihood Award, 2014. BJP Fuelling Kashmir Militancy By Mohammad Ashraf 24 March, 2016 Countercurrents.org (The recent actions of BJP Government have driven Kashmiri youth to a corner which is fuelling the new wave of militancy) In these columns it had been pointed out that a new wave of militancy has been rising in Kashmir for past some time. This wave was of young committed and highly educated youth without any external support or motivation. The main reason has been total clamp down on free expression and extreme alienation due to excessive suppression by the security agencies. The spur in this wave was caused by the joining of a Kashmir centric mainstream party having the motto of the healing touch, with the extremist Hindutva groups to form a government in the state. This was in spite of the fact that the said party explicitly opposed the entry of Hindutva elements into Kashmir during their election campaign. The youth that had supported and helped the party during election campaign felt betrayed and stabbed in the back. Even the leader of the party Mufti Sahib was reluctant to join and dithered for a month or so. In fact, apparently, he was persuaded by some other members on the plea that it was essential to align with the Government in Delhi to get the massive funds needed for rehabilitation and development. Unfortunately, in spite of a total surrender to the Hindutva party, the promised funds never came and Mufti Sahib virtually died of that shock! RSS and BJP have always been anti-Muslim. In fact, before the independence of the country, they even opposed the freedom movement and sided with the British. According to Rajeshwar Dayal, the Chief Secretary of the United Provinces in 1947-48, Golwalkar had planned to carry out a Pogrom of Muslims. In his book, Bunch of Thoughts,he writes about non-Hindus: The non-Hindu people of Hindustan must either adopt Hindu culture and language, must learn and respect and hold in reverence the Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but of those of glorification of the Hindu race and culture ... In a word they must cease to be foreigners, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatmentnot even citizens' rights. RSS is now giving practical shape to these ideas of Golwalkar through their nominee, Narendra Modi. In this game plan Kashmir and especially, the Kashmiri Muslims have been their favourite targets. Their first onslaught was in fifties through the Parija Parishad agitation in Jammu for complete merger of J & K state into the Indian Union. This resulted in the dethroning and arrest of the then tallest leader of Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who had been duped into accepting India as a progressive and a secular country by Nehru and others. However, these so called progressive leaders of the freedom movement led by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru were able to contain these extremist Hindus only partially. They did not fully succeed in eliminating these extremist Hindutva elements as they had themselves accepted the partition of the country on the basis of religion. These elements continued their movement covertly and came into the open off and on. Now, they are in the open with full onslaught on Muslims especially those from Kashmir who have always been portrayed as Pakistani Agents. These days it is a fashion to be anti-Muslim and specifically anti-Kashmiri Muslim as that behaviour is construed to be true nationalism! The onslaught is so strong that even the most progressive and secular elements of the recent JNU agitation had to back out from their pro-Kashmiri stand! From Azadi for Kashmir they came to the oft repeated slogan of the Integral Part!The Hindutva wave has covertly seeped into every institution including Army, Administration and even the Judiciary. Within Kashmir, the witch hunt and suppression of youth had reached a peak which has now resulted in more and more youth joining militancy. In fact, the DG, CRPF has also said that the youth joining militancy is a cause for concern. Now, the whole thing has been topped up by missive from the Ministry of Home Affairs to various agencies and states to check all Kashmiris in every part of India. Already in Goa, Kolkata, Delhi, and some other places checking of all Kashmiri students, employees or businessmen has started. Because of disturbed conditions in Kashmir, many parents had sent their children to various peaceful institutions in India for studies. Similarly, many Kashmiris right from nineties had set up businesses in different parts of India. However, it seems now, thanks to BJP, no place in India is safe for Kashmiris. Probably, they are being given the final healing touch! The most surprising are the contradictions at the highest political level. The top political leadership in the two neighbouring countries is exhibiting bonhomie by embracing and hugging each other while as at the ground level the Kashmiris supposed to represent the core problem are being witch hunted and driven to a wall. The new nationalists in India have made it abundantly clear that they want the land of Kashmir and are not interested in the fate of Kashmiris. A columnist friend has called for a debate on the issue. Well, debates do not solve problems. It needs an unconditional stand by all concerned within Kashmir regardless of their ideology or their political streams. In fact, all progressive, secular and truly nationalist persons in India should come out openly to defend Kashmiris all over India. Now that Mehbooba Ji is satisfied with her meeting with the Prime Minister regarding implementation of the Confidence Building Measures, the first CBM to be implemented on the ground should be to ensure safety of Kashmiris within Kashmir and in every part of India. Rehabilitation and development can wait but not the right to life! The alternative, as already pointed out, would be a spur in the new wave of militancy which would be a colossal disaster for the entire sub-continent and ultimately for the entire South Asia if the two sides lose their cool! Mohammad Ashraf, I.A.S. (Retired) is Former Director General Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir If Syria Is To Fall, Others Will Follow: The Pandoras Box Of Federalism By Ramzy Baroud 24 March, 2016 Countercurrents.org The apparent sudden Russian military withdrawal from Syria, starting on March 15 left political commentators puzzled. Few of the analyses offered should be taken seriously. There is little solid information as of why the Russian leader decided to end his countrys military push in Syria. The intervention, which began last September, was enough to change the direction of the war on many fronts. However, one thing is for sure: the Russian withdrawal is reversible, as indicated by Vladimir Putin himself. If necessary, literally within a few hours, Russia can build up its contingent in the region to a size proportionate to the situation developing there and use the entire arsenal of capabilities at our disposal, he said at the Kremlin on March 17. In fact, all parties involved are taking such a threat seriously, for the abrupt withdrawal has not renewed the appetite for war and does not present an opportunity for any major party in the conflict to pull out of the Geneva peace talks. It is safe to say that after five years of war in Syria, the conflict is entering into a new phase. No, not a political resolution, but a grand political game that could divide the country into several entities, according to sectarian lines. If that takes place, it will bode badly, not only for Syria alone, but the whole region. Division would then become the buzzword according to which all current conflicts would be expected to be settled. While Russias motives behind the withdrawal are yet to be clarified, the intrinsic link between it and the current talks, in which dividing Syria into a federations have been placed on the agenda, is unmistakable. UN mediator, Staffan de Mistura, should be ashamed to have put federalism on the agenda of this weeks talks on ending the Syrian war and fashioning a new Syria, wrote Michael Jensen in the Jordan Times. Moscow, plus some Western powers, should also be sharply criticized for thinking of such a possibility. Indeed, the model is not entirely Russian. The latter managed to rebalance the conflict in favor of the government of Bashar Al-Assad, but various other parties, western and Arab, in addition to Turkey and Iran, have also managed to steer the conflict to a virtual deadlock. With no goodwill involved, and little trust among the conflicting parties, dividing the country morphed from a far-fetched possibility to an actual one. Therefore, it came as no surprise that, while the Russian withdrawal was still taking place, and shortly after the resumption of talks in Geneva, the Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria declared itself a federal region in the north. Of, course, the move is unconstitutional, but Syrias violent bedlam has become the perfect opportunity for various groups to take matters into their own hands. After all, the very violent Daesh had carved a state for itself and fashioned an economy, created ministries and written new text books. But the move by the Syrian Kurdish PYD is, in fact, more consequential. Daesh is a pariah group that is not recognized by any party in the conflict. PYD, which is considered an offshoot of the Turkeys Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), on the other hand, has much sympathy and support, from both the US and Russia. The group was credited for intrepidly fighting Daesh, and expected political dividends for that role. However, the PYD was not invited to join the talks in Geneva. Although their decision was seen as a retribution for being excluded from the talks, it is unlikely that the PYD made the decision without covert support from its main benefactors who have been floating the idea of federation for months. For example, the idea was articulated by Michael OHanlon of the Brookings Institute in a Reuters op-ed last October. He called for the US to find a common purpose with Russia, while keeping in mind the Bosnia model. More recently, during a testimony before a US Senate committee to discuss the Syria ceasefire, Secretary of State, John Kerry revealed that his country is preparing a Plan B should the ceasefire fail. It may be too late to keep Syria as a whole, if we wait much longer, he said. The Russian partaking of the war may have altered the landscape of the conflict on the ground, but it also further cemented the division model. Recent comments by Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, that a federal model for Syria "will work to serve the task of preserving (it) as a united, secular, independent and sovereign nation," was the Russian spin on Kerrys remarks. Considering the current balances of power in Syria itself and the region as a whole, it might eventually become the only feasible solution for a country torn by war and fatigued by endless deaths. Qatar and other Gulf countries have already rejected the federalism idea, although considering the Syrian governments latest territorial gains, their rejection might not be a pivotal factor. The Turks also find federalism problematic for it will empower its arch enemies, the Kurds, who, according to the model, will be granted their own autonomous region. The PYD announcement was a trial balloon at best, or a first step towards the division of the whole of Syria. Considering how grisly the Syrian war has been in those past years, federalism might not strike many as a dreadful possibility, but it is. Arab countries are historically an outcome of western and foreign meddling that divided the region in accordance to strategic convenience. That divide and rule mindset has never been vanquished, but rather strengthened under the American occupation of Iraq. Federalism in the context of this region is another word for division and partition. It is a curse word and a curse concept for countries in this region where sectarian and ethnic communities have been planted for centuries in the bodies of states, like raisins in a Christmas fruitcake, Jensen elaborated. The Arab region was divided in 1916 to resolve outstanding conflicts between Britain, France and, to a lesser extent, Russia. The proposed division in Syria follows the same logic. But if this Pandoras Box is to open, it is likely to find itself on the agenda of future peace talks, where Libyans and Yemenis might find themselves contending with the same possibility. Both of these countries were, at one point in the past, also divided so it is not entirely an implausible notion. It is important that dividing the Arabs does not become the modus operandi in managing conflict, the region and its resources. Federalism does not just undermine the identity of the Syrian nation, but it also plants the seed for further conflicts between warring sects, not in Syria alone, but in the Middle East at large. Only a united Syria can offer hope for the future. Nothing else does. Dr. Ramzy Baroud has been writing about the Middle East for over 20 years. He is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an author of several books and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His books include Searching Jenin, The Second Palestinian Intifada and his latest My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gazas Untold Story. His website is: www.ramzybaroud.net. Messes Reopened As A Huge Relief To Students, Emergency Like Situation Still Prevails In University of Hyderabad By Countercurrents.org 24 March, 2016 Countercurrents.org As a big relief to student community besieged inside the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus messes were opened in their hostels this morning. It was apparently opened after students decided to approach the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as their basic right to food and water were denied. Gates of the university are closed and free movement of students is denied. Some 3500 students are trapped inside the campus. An emergency like situation still prevails in the campus with huge police force roaming the campus and internet and all communication to the outside the world cut off. Media persons are denied access to the campus. Students fear that there will be another brutal police action against them soon. In defiance of the strike of mess workers, the student community took the task to themselves and prepared the breakfast in early morning today. "D Uday BhanuUday speaks..writer, poet and scholor. Who was picked up from shop com when he was coocking. We were told they were even checking whether they were coocking beef..?" Posted by Joint Action Committee for Social Justice -UoH on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Yesterday, Uday Bhanu a student leader was brutally beaten up by the police for cooking food for the students who were starving since Tuesday. He became unconscious and was admitted in a private hospital, as the medical centre inside the campus refused to treat him. Radhika Vemula, mother of Rohith Vemula was not allowed to enter the campus last night. Students took out a silent march to the gate to bring Rohith's mother inside. The police tried to shut the students out by closing the gates. Professors and students shoved into the police van on 22nd March are still in police custody. Yesterday Kanhaiya Kumar, Delhi Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President, was not allowed to enter the campus. He addressed the students from the top of a vehicle. A video has emerged that it was the ABVP cadres who vandalized, Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podille's lodge. Belgian Authorities Had Precise Intelligence Warnings Of Brussels Bombings By Stephane Hugues & Alex Lantier 24 March, 2016 WSWS.org Bakraoui Brothers The day after the mass bombings in Brussels that killed 34 people and wounded another 230, it emerged that Belgian authorities had specific forewarnings of the attack and had already last year identified the men who carried out the assault as Islamist terrorists. The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported Wednesday that Zavantem Airport and the Maelbeek metro station were known to be targets for planned terror attacks. It wrote, The Belgian security services, as well as other Western intelligence agencies, had advance and precise intelligence warnings regarding the terrorist attacks in Belgium on Tuesday, Ha'aretz has learned. The security services knew, with a high degree of certainty, that attacks were planned in the very near future for the airport and, apparently, for the subway as well. The suspected attackers were well known to police authorities. Two of the suicide bombers, Khalid El Bakraoui, who attacked the metro station, and his brother Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who exploded a bomb at the airport, had been convicted of armed robbery and were known to have connections to the November 13 attacks in Paris carried out by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Both were identified post-mortem by their fingerprints. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been detained in Turkey and identified as an Islamist fighter, then deported to the Netherlands last year. One of the perpetrators of the Brussels attack is a person whom we detained in June 2015 in [the southeastern province of] Gaziantep and deported We informed the Brussels Embassy of the deportation process of the attacker with a note on July 14, 2015. However, the Belgians released the attacker despite his deportation, Erdogan said. Erdogan added that Belgian authorities were unable to establish any ties between El Bakraoui and terrorist activity despite the Turkish warnings, which were ignored. Another bomber who blew himself up at the airport has still to be identified, and the third airport attacker, identified as Najim Laachraoui, remains on the run. Belgian authorities said they were looking for a man of Turkish origin, 22 years old, driving an old, dark Audi A4 car. These reports raise the most serious questions as to how and why Belgian and allied intelligence agencies allowed the Brussels bombings to occur. In the fifteenth year of the war on terror declared by Washington and its European allies after the September 11, 2001 bombings, intelligence agencies have at their disposal sophisticated spying techniques capable of tracking virtually all cell phone and Internet activity. Claims that the attack occurred because Belgian and allied intelligence agencies somehow failed to connect the dots are simply not believable. Belgium has been on high alert. Large numbers of soldiers and police were deployed in Brussels when the city was placed on lockdown following the November 13 attacks in Paris, and again after last weeks capture of November 13 attacker Salah Abdeslam. Belgian forces had advance notice of the targets of an attack and the identity of the attackers. Nonetheless, the ISIS team was able to amass a large stock of bomb-making equipment undisturbed and plan, prepare and execute devastating and coordinated terror bombings. During the first lockdown, in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, 16 people were arrested and 22 searches were made, which produced nothing. All the while, Abdeslam was living a few kilometers from his parents home. Abdeslams capture in last weeks police raid apparently pushed the ISIS terrorists to put their plans into action. Ibrahim El Bakraouis laptop was found in a dustbin in the street. On it police found a recording of Bakraoui saying he was acting in a rush and did not [know] what to do anymore, as he was being searched for everywhere and was no longer safe. If he stuck around he was likely to end up in a prison cell. Police located El Bakraouis apartment by speaking to the taxi driver who dropped off the attackers at Zavantem airport. He told police he picked them up from 4 rue Max Roos in the Schaerbeek area of Brussels. Police searched the apartment and found 15 kilos of explosives, 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide, detonators, a case full of nails and screws and other bomb-making materials. There are as yet no calls for mass sackings in Belgian and European intelligence circles after this stunning breakdown of security. The reason is that powerful factions within the ruling elite and the state, far from being genuinely revolted by these attacks, view them as a political godsend, allowing them to press for policies on which there is broad agreement in ruling circles: stepped-up military intervention in the Middle East, police-state surveillance measures in Europe and incitement of anti-Muslim racism. New York Times columnists Thomas Friedman and Roger Cohen published articles yesterday that in virtually identical terms argued for an escalation of the war in Syria, ostensibly to fight ISIS. Cohen declared that the Wests ponderous wait-them-out approach to the murderous fanatics of the caliphate looks like capitulation, while Friedman asked whether Obama hasnt gotten so obsessed with defending his hands-off approach to Syria that he underestimates both the dangers of his passivity and the opportunity for US power to tilt the region our way. European officials are holding a conference today to coordinate a broad expansion of police operations across Europe, while Marine Le Pen, the leader of Frances neo-fascist National Front, is calling for large-scale raids against Muslim neighborhoods in France. We must immediately launch a vast police operation to invest all these districts that are outside our Republic, she declared. Under these conditions, it is increasingly clear that ISIS serves US and European imperialism not only as a proxy force fighting for regime-change in Syria, but also as an instrument to press for anti-democratic and unpopular policies at home. The ISIS attacks in Paris last January and again in November, and in Brussels this week, were all carried out by the same terror network. This network is well known to French intelligence and to its US and European counterparts. All of these forces are linked to the original Al Qaeda network that emerged from the collaboration between the CIA and Saudi and Pakistani intelligence to mobilize Islamist fighters against the USSR and the Soviet-backed Afghan regime in the 1980s. Khalid El Bakraoui rented, under an assumed identity, an apartment in the Belgian town of Charleroi for the authors of the November 13 attacks as a stop-over on their way to Paris. He also rented the apartment in the Forest area of Brussels, where on March 15 police first encountered Salah Abdeslam, and where Mohamed Belkaid was killed in a gun battle that allowed Abdeslam to escape the initial police raid. The French news site Mediapart reported that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the organizer of the November 13 attacks, and Cherif Kouachi, one of the Charlie Hebdo attackers, both knew Farid Melouk, a top figure in French Islamist circles. Melouk was a leading member of the Algerian Islamic Armed Group (GIA), a terror organization linked to Al Qaeda that fought the military junta during the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s. Cherif Kouachis meeting with Melouk on April 11, 2010 was photographed, using telephoto lenses, by investigators of the French Anti-Terrorism Sub-Division (SDAT). Arrested with other Al Qaida members in Belgium in 1998 for attempted murder, possession of arms and explosives and falsifying government documents, Melouk was in prison until 2004, when he was extradited to serve a second term in France until 2009. When released, he stayed in France, quietly establishing closer ties to ISIS. He managed to flee to Syria the day after the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Speaking to the Investigative Commission on Jihadist Networks of the French National Assembly last year, anti-terrorist investigating Judge Marc Trevidic declared, The older ones are returning to activity. Farid Melouk, of whose presence in Syria I have now learned I met him in 2000 when I was dealing with the first Afghan network. He was at the head of a very big network that provided passage for jihadists These older ones have a phenomenal number of contacts in Belgium and France. Such reports underscore that, over the course of decades, the jihadist networks have been investigated and mapped out in the greatest of detail by the European secret services, judiciary and police agencies. Caste, The Hound Still Hungry With Lips Jutting Out By V. Maharathi 24 March, 2016 Countercurrents.org What 'colour' is to the US, caste is to India. For India, caste has been the most decisive and destructive bane from time immemorial. In The Future Results of British Rule in India, Karl Marx rightly branded the Indian caste as the most decisive impediment to Indias progress and power. Well! While India now infused by the Hindutva ideology is into the 21st century, trying to wear a technologically modern and progressive mantle, its inherent evil of caste, codified and made into a social hierarchy called varnasrama for ages by Hindu scriptures or shastras such as Bhagavad Gita and Manusmirithi, has been keeping people intellectually backward. Most of the scrupulous followers of the caste system are yet to come out of the Middle Age or feudalistic mindset that never believes in secularism and humanity. In Tamil Nadu, the southern State in India, the hound of caste has, of late, been rearing its ugly head, targeting mostly the so-called untouchables or Dalits or Harijans who have been theoretically and practically placed at the lowest rung of the varnasrama or caste-based social order sanctified by scriptures. The Dalits have come a long hard way, fighting the oppression at the hands of the upper caste people who, in fact, belong to the intermediary castes. Yet they still are yet to become totally free from atrocities committed by upper caste tycoons. Earlier in March this year, a youth V.Sankar, a Dalit youth who had just finishing his education in mechanical engineering, was brutally murdered in broad daylight at Udumalpet, a town in Tamil Nadu. The murderers belong to an upper caste; they committed the crime because they said the youth of a low caste had married a girl of what they called their upper caste politically, economically and socially superior and powerful. They called it an honor killing (I doubt if the native users of English can understand the phrase); that is, a murder meant to uphold and safeguard the purity, power, status and honour of the upper caste. Murders of this kind have been on the rise in India, in general and in Tamil Nadu, in particular. Several pairs of lovers have been sacrificed at the altar of caste. In these crimes are involved not only the question of caste and power, but also the question of womans rights and the right to marry anyone one likes, which are guaranteed in the Indian Constitution. But unfortunately, political parties which strut about donning the mantle of saviours of the oppressed caste people are keeping lips tight for fear of antagonizing the upper caste people whose vote banks they count on for power and progress. Hypocrisy is an indispensable part of politics which does not feel ashamed of playing the cards of religion, caste and linguistic superiority. So, the Dalits have been a disgruntled lot, continually subject to harassment and hounding at the hands of the politically powerful upper castes which have a tacit patronage from the powers-that-be. In 1968 in a village called Keezhvenmani in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, 44 Dalit farm labourers were burnt alive just because they had dared to oppose the upper caste landlords, demanding higher wages. The wounds from that nightmarish episode are still festering in the psyche of the Dalits who are, despite the better progress they have made in education, jobs and lifestyle, still struggling to free themselves totally from the domineering attitude and atrocities of the upper caste people. In this caste-driven society, women are equally ill-treated and denied the legal rights. The so-called savioursof Hindu religion dont give a damn about the continuous harassment and murders of Dalits and women which now and then make headlines in the dailies and afterwards sink into oblivion. (V. Maharathi is a poet and a writer in Tamil and English, based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) Stop Surveillance And Harassment Of Kashmiri Students! By Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) 24 March, 2016 Countercurrents.org Peoples Union for Democratic Rights expresses its outrage at the harassment and arrest of Kashmiri students in Mewar University, Rajasthan, and other educational institutions, amidst an intensifying surveillance of Kashmiris across the country. On 14th March, 2016, a rumour was spread on WhatsApp that Kashmiri students are cooking beef, in their hostel room in Mewar University, following which a 200 strong mob comprising of Bajrang Dal activists and Vande Matram Sangathan gathered outside the hostel. The four students who were allegedly cooking beef, fled from fear. The mob beat up some other Kashmiri students. The police, not finding the students who were allegedly cooking beef, arrested four other Kashmiri students who lived in the room opposite. They were detained in the police station overnight. On Tuesday 15th March, the four Kashmiri students who had actually been cooking meat Saqib Ashraf, Mohammad Maqbool, Shaukat Ali Butt and Hilal Ahmed turned themselves in. They acknowledged that they had broken the rule of vegetarianism in the hostel by cooking meat. But it was buffalo meat, not beef. The police rationalised the initial, wrongful arrest as an attempt to protect the Kashmiri students, and as preventive action to prevent the situation from escalating as the police feared that the mob would start pelting stones. Revealingly, it didnt strike the police to control the mob using other means. Rather it chose to satisfy dominant sentiment and the mobs demands by arbitrarily picking up four, uninvolved Kashmiri students. For the police, one Kashmiri is as good as another. The four boys who had been cooking meat, too have committed no criminal offence; they have only broken a hostel rule. Nevertheless they were charged under Sec 151 CrPC for disrupting the peace, kept in the PS overnight and produced before the magistrate on the 16th. They have alleged that they were made to sign a good conduct undertaking, before being released on bail. Significantly, the police has taken no criminal action against the mob that beat up the boys, despite activists of the Bajrang Dal openly declaring that they had led the mob .The only action taken by the police was to register a case against one person under Sec 108 CrPC for circulating a false message. The police has also raised concerns with the University that several incidents of violation of law and order have been reported from the University. The University authorities have attributed the incident to a prevailing rivalry between two groups of students, one from Jammu, and the other from Kashmir- something that these students have denied. The University has over 800 Kashmiri students, out of a total student strength of about 3000. These students are studying here under the Prime Ministers Scholarship scheme for Kashmiri students. The inciting of anti-Kashmiri student feeling through false rumours on social media, the involvement of right wing Hindu groups, the polices action based on Kashmiri identity rather than the facts, and the University authorities generalising that the Kashmiri students are a part of conflicts, taken collectively, suggest an attempt to project the Kashmiri students as responsible for vitiating life in the institution. It however defies logic that bright students who have come here to study, far from home, will jeopardise their careers by engaging in such activities. This incident follows close on the heels of developments in Kolkata, where the Central Government has directly initiated a formal policy of surveillance and harassment of Kashmiri students. At the end of February, a directive was issued by polices intelligence wing to Kolkata colleges to prepare a list of all students with residential addresses in Jammu and Kashmir. This dossier is to be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi. The alleged purpose is to 'sensitise' campuses against events such as at JNU and the subsequent protests at Jadavpur University, but as per the Indian Express senior police officials have indicated that this information will be used for monitoring the Kashmiri students activities. As per newspaper reports, a general advisory has been issued by the Home Ministry to all states. In March, the Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar told the State Assembly that the ATS has been instructed to conduct door-to-door checks of tenements where Kashmiris stay, and collect information, in order to check crime. These are blatant instances of ethnic profiling which violate the most fundamental of rights of freedom and equality. The upshot is that Kashmiris, students who have come to educational institutions to study (quite often on government programmes), or in search of work, are being systematically hounded and made to live in a climate of fear and insecurity. PUDR demands that such a witch-hunt of Kashmiri students and workers be stopped immediately. Moushumi Basu, Deepika Tandon Secretaries, PUDR (pudr@pudr.org) NAFTA And Obamas Proposed Trade Deals Are UnConstitutional By Eric Zuesse 24 March, 2016 Countercurrents.org NAFTA and other mega-trade deals are actually about lots more than merely trade; theyre about sovereignty the ability of each of the participating nations to establish laws and regulations restricting toxicity of products, environmental pollution, protecting workers rights, and many other things that are essential to the public's welfare. These trade deals lock-in existing laws and regulations so that no matter what is found by future scientific studies which may indicate, for example, that a given product is actually far more toxic than had previously been known, the laws and regulations cant be increased, because any such increase would subject the given nation to multi-billion-dollar lawsuits by international corporations for infringing on the rights of stockholders to profit by any stiffening of those regulations existing at the time the trade deal became law. Thus, for the first time in world history, the rights of the holders of the controlling blocs of stock in international corporations are coming to supersede the rights of any government, so that those stockholders can sue taxpayers of any such country, not in any democratically accountable court and judicial system, but in private panels of unaccountable international arbitrators who wont be subject to any nations laws. Its an international-corporate world government now forming, and the U.S. Constitution prohibits the U.S. from being any part of it (because whats forming is an international-corporate dictatorship); so, in the U.S., its being done entirely unConstitutionally. The Treaty Clause of the U.S. Constitution says: [The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur. The Trade Act of 1974 introduced a new way to pass a treaty, the way now called Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority, by means of which that two-thirds requirement can be eliminated and trade deals can now become law merely by being approved by 50%+1 members of the Senate. This was done because President Richard Nixon and some members of Congress wanted to be able to pass into law treaties that would be so controversial (so odious, actually) that approval by two-thirds of the Senate wouldnt be possible; such proposed treaties wouldnt be able to become approved in this country unless the two-thirds-rule were eliminated for them. By means of the Trade Act of 1974, these very controversial treaties would be able to become law in the U.S. by the simple device that, though Americas Founders would certainly have called them treaties, and though they actually are called treaties by all of the other nations that sign them, our government would instead call them merely international agreements not treaties (though the two are synonymous with one-another) and would thus nullify the Treaty Clause without needing to amend the U.S. Constitution (and, of course, the only way legitimately to amend anything in the Constitution is by means of its Amendment-process). Americas Founders were wise, and were extraordinarily learned about history; and the U.S. Constitution embodies this unique wisdom and learning; the Treaty Clauses two-thirds requirement exemplifies that. It is a crucial part of their determination to prevent any President from having too much power from becoming a dictator (something that becomes even worse if the dictator has rammed through not only mere laws, but also treaties, since those are far harder to undo). For example: it was intended to block any President from making a treaty with a foreign nation if that treaty would be so bad that he couldnt get two-thirds of the U.S. Senate to support it. (Thats a tough requirement for any President to meet on anything, but a treaty is far more difficult than any other law is to cancel; and, so, passing it is passing a law thats virtually permanent and virtually impossible to modify. The Constitution wasnt designed in order to meet the convenience of Presidents, nor of Presidents plus half of the U.S. Senate, but to protect the public.) And their wisdom is why our constitution remains the worlds longest-lasting one. But, at least in this regard, it has been abandoned and only the U.S. Supreme Court can decide now whether to restore it. As Alexander Hamilton wrote on 9 January 1796, defending the new Constitution, and especially its Treaty Clause: I aver, that it was understood by all to be the intent of the provision [the Treaty Clause] to give to that power the most ample latitude to render it competent to all the stipulations, which the exigencies of National Affairs might requirecompetent to the making of Treaties of Alliance, Treaties of Commerce, Treaties of Peace and every other species of Convention usual among nations and competent in the course of its exercise to controul & bind the legislative power of Congress. And it was emphatically for this reason that it was so carefully guarded; the cooperation of two thirds of the Senate with the President being required to make a Treaty. I appeal for this with confidence. He went further: It will not be disputed that the words Treaties and alliances are of equivalent import and of no greater force than the single word Treaties. An alliance is only a species of Treaty, a particular of a general. And the power of entering into Treaties, which terms confer the authority under which the former Government acted, will not be pretended to be stronger than the power to make Treaties, which are the terms constituting the authority under which the present Government acts. The phrase international agreement was not mentioned by him because no one at that time had even so much as suggested that the term treaty was anything else than identical in meaning to an international agreement; everyone understood and accepted that any treaty was an international agreement, and that any international agreement was a treaty. So: there can be no doubt that the term treaty refers to any and all types of international agreements. This was the Founders clear and unequivocal intent. No court under this Constitution possesses any power to change that, because they cant change history. Furthermore, George Washingtons famous Farewell Address asserted that, It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world; and the third President Thomas Jefferson said in his equally famous Inaugural Address, that there should be "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations entangling alliances with none. Jeffersons comment there was also a succinct tip-of-the-hat to yet another major concern that the Founders had regarding treaties that by discriminating in favor of the treaty-partners, they also discriminate against non-partner nations, and so endanger peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, which was the Founders chief goal in their foreign policies. But, the Founders chief concern was the mere recognition that treaties tend to be far more permanent and entangling than any purely national laws. This was the main reason why treaties need to be made much more difficult to become laws. Hamilton was quite explicit that the Treaty Clause pertained "to the making of Treaties of Alliance, Treaties of Commerce, Treaties of Peace and every other species of Convention usual among nations and competent in the course of its exercise to controul & bind the legislative power of Congress. And it was emphatically for this reason that it was so carefully guarded; the cooperation of two thirds of the Senate with the President being required to make a Treaty. He did not exclude Treaties of Commerce. Even the possibility of allowing such an exception to the Treaty Clause was denied by him. And yet, starting with the Trade Act of 1974, it happened. Each one of the 37 Senators (4 more than would have been required under the Treaty Clause to block) who voted against Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority (and here almost exactly the same 37 Senators voted against Fast Track the final time around) should possess the standing to bring this issue to the U.S. Supreme Court for the Court's determination as to what the Founders meant, and didnt mean, by their asserting, "[The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur. Each one of these Senators might be able to make history here. Each one of the Senators might thus affect the future course of world history by bringing this terrifically important issue to the Supreme Court to be decided, once and for all. However, none has cared enough even to try. But its clear: any international agreement is a treaty, and any treaty is an international agreement. No one even questioned that at the time the Constitution was written. THE MAIN U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE In June 1954, Morris D. Forkosch headlined in Chicago-Kent Law Review, Treaties and Executive Agreements, and summarized the status of this issue up into the start of the Eisenhower Administration. It was a different nation then. He noted: Suppose, however, that a treaty conflicts with a provision of the United States Constitution or contradicts the terms of a federal statute. Which, then, governs? In the first of these situations, the United States Supreme Court has indicated, albeit the language is obiter, that the treaty would be ineffective.29 (His footnote included: DeGeofroy v. Riggs, 133 U. S. 258 at 267, 10 S. Ct. 295, 33 L. Ed. 642 at 645 (1890), and Fort Leavenworth R. R. Co. v. Lowe, 114 U. S. 525 at 541, 5 S. Ct. 995, 29 L. Ed. 264 at 270 (1885).) So: according to U.S. Supreme Court decisions up till at least 1954, any one of the five Fast-Tracked international trade agreements that has been passed since the Fast-Track law, the Trade Act of 1974, was passed, would have been blocked by the Supreme Court, were it not for the Trade Act of 1974 a mere law that, supposedly, has changed the Constitution without amending it, but that did this simply by asserting that when the Founders said treaty they werent referring to any and all forms of international agreement which they clearly were referring to, in their era. (If you doubt it, youll find in my The Two Contending Visions of World Government, this issue being discussed within its broader context. Key there is that the term treaty in the Founders era meant any type of international agreement, no exceptions. An originalist interpretation of the Constitution would thus be obliged to outlaw the Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority provision of the Trade Act of 1974.) Obviously, the power to interpret the Constitution rests solely with the U.S. Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court is supposed to interpret the words that are in the Constitution as closely as possible to the way the Founders who wrote it intended those terms to be understood to mean. Thats just basic, to any constitutional democracy. (Even non-originalist theories of Constitutional interpretation affirm that the overriding concern is the "larger purpose the animating spirit of the Constitution," which ultimately refers to the intentions of the majority of the people who signed the document.) There is no getting around the fact that Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority is unConstitutional. But attempts have been made to get around its being unConstitutional. In February 2001, Michigan Law Review published John C. Yoos January 2000 article, Laws as Treaties: The Constitutionality of Congressional-Executive Agreements, in which Yoo, the lawyer who subsequently provided to George W. Bush the rationalization for Bushs authorization to use torture after 9/11, argued that the two-thirds Senate rule needs, for practical purposes, to be nullified for certain types of international trade agreements, including for the five that had already been Fast-Tracked. Rather than his dealing with the question of whether the Executive and the Legislative branches possess Constitutional authority to interpret the Constitution, he wrote there the argument that he would present to the Judicial branch, at the U.S. Supreme Court, if he were to be the attorney arguing there for the Constitutionality of Fast-Track. (Perhaps this paper was even one of the reasons why he was selected by Bush.) His entire argument was pragmatic as he saw it, such as, this: Today, however, the Senate has about fifty percent more members than the first House of Representatives envisioned by the Constitution, suggesting that the Senate no longer has the small numbers that the Framers believed necessary for successful diplomacy. This sort of thing constituted his argument for why treaties that dont concern national security and so fall under the Presidents Commander-in-Chief authority, shouldnt be considered to be treaties, but only as Congressional-Executive Agreements. Thats as far as anyone has yet gone to rationalize the Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority as being acceptable under the Constitution. However, even Yoo noted, at the time, that the most-prominent scholarly argument in favor of the Constitutionality of Fast-Track, Is NAFTA Constitutional? by Bruce Ackerman and David Golove, in the February 1995 Harvard Law Review, was a provocative and idiosyncratic theory of unwritten constitutional amendments, whereas Yoo didnt have the nerve to demean, but only to note, the article by Laurence Tribe, Taking Text and Structure Seriously," in that same publication, which utterly demolished the Ackerman-Golove article. In December 1998, Golove came forth in New York University Law Review, with a 152-page treatise, Against Free-Form Formalism, trying to overcome Tribes case. But, more recently, Michael Ramsey posted online his 13 August 2012 review of all of that, Laurence Tribe on Textualism (and Congressional-Executive Agreements), where he devotes most of his attention to the two original pro-and-con articles in the 1995 HLR, and says that Tribes case was far more persuasive than Ackerman-Goloves; and, then, he notes parenthetically near the end: (David Golove makes an attempt, in a reply article published at 73 N.Y.U. L.Rev. 1791 (1998), but I dont think he makes much headway against them [Tribes points]). Goloves 152-page treatise failed to impress anyone. Among the legal scholars, its pretty much a settled matter: Tribe was right. Not even Yoo had the temerity to challenge it. However, Yoo argued that there is a pragmatic need to uphold Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority; and that this pragmatic need (to violate the U.S. Constitution) is "that the Senate no longer has the small numbers that the Framers believed necessary for successful diplomacy. Thus: the current academic status of the issue is: The Supreme Court would have little choice but to overturn the Fast-Track provision of the Trade Act of 1974, if the matter were to be accepted by the Court for adjudication, unless the high Court were willing to be despised not only by the public but especially by legal scholars. If the Court were to decline to consider such a case, then it would be accepting the authority of the Executive branch in conjunction with some members of the Legislative branch, to interpret the meaning of treaty in the U.S. Constitution and, in the entire history of the United States, the Supreme Court has never done that. Well, in a sense, thats not entirely correct: the 2001 appeals-court case, Made in the USA Foundation v. U.S., was the only case to deal with this issue, and it concluded, citing as its chief authority a non-dispositive Supreme Court decision that was written by Justice William H. Rehnquist, in the 1979 case Goldwater v. Carter, which said that a certain action that President Jimmy Carter had done under both his treaty authority and his Commander-in-Chief authority could not be Constitutionally challenged by Senator Barry Goldwater. But that Supreme Court decision, which some suppose to constitute authority for this trade-treaty matter, concerned not international trade, but instead the Presidents authority as Commander-in-Chief, and so it wasnt even a trade case at all; it wasnt even relevant, and thus really shouldnt have been cited, because it dealt with different Constitutional provisions regarding what does and what does not reside within the Presidents authority namely, as Commander-in-Chief, and as the negotiator on mutual-defense treaties. So, there wasnt even a question in this matter as to whether it concerned a treaty. Not relevant at all. On that shoddy basis, the appeals court said: We nonetheless decline to reach the merits of this particular case, finding that with respect to international commercial agreements such as NAFTA, the question of just what constitutes a treaty requiring Senate ratification presents a nonjusticiable political question. It said this even despite denying that the meaning of the Constitutional term treaty should be determined by the Executive and the Legislative branches, instead of by the Judicial branch: It is true that the Supreme Court has rejected arguments of nonjusticiability with respect to other ambiguous constitutional provisions. In Munoz-Flores, the Court was confronted with the question of whether a criminal statute requiring courts to impose a monetary special assessment on persons convicted of federal misdemeanors was a bill for raising revenue according to the Origination Clause of the Constitution, Art. I, 7, cl. 1, in spite of the lack of guidance on exactly what types of legislation amount to bills for raising revenue. The Court, in electing to decide the issue on the merits, rejected the contention that in the absence of clear guidance in the text of the Constitution, such a determination should be considered a political question. To be sure, the courts must develop standards for making [such] determinations, but the Government suggests no reason that developing such standards will be more difficult in this context than in any other. Surely a judicial system capable of determining when punishment is cruel and unusual, when bail is [e]xcessive, when searches are unreasonable, and when congressional action is necessary and proper for executing an enumerated power, is capable of making the more prosaic judgments demanded by adjudication of Origination Clause challenges. So: even that appeals court was not saying that the Legislative and Executive branches, working in concert, should determine what a treaty is and what it isnt, but instead this court reaffirmed the exclusive authority of the Judicial branch to make such determinations. It simply refused to exercise the authority. Its argument here was: We note that none of these cases [the cited ones on the Supreme Courts determinations regarding the meanings of specific terms and phrases in the Constitution], however, took place directly in the context of our nations foreign policy, and in none of them was the constitutional authority of the President and Congress to manage our external political and economic relations implicated. In addition to the Constitutions textual commitment of such matters to the political branches, we believe, as discussed further below, that in the area of foreign relations, prudential considerations militate even more strongly in favor of judicial noninterference. So, why didnt those jurists even make note of the fact that their chief citation, Goldwater v. Carter, concerned military instead of economic matters, and not the meaning of treaty, at all? Stupidity, or else some ulterior motive because no reason at all was cited by them. Their decision closed by saying: We note that no member of the Senate itself has asserted that bodys sole prerogative to ratify NAFTA (or, for that matter, other international commercial agreements) by a two-thirds supermajority. In light of the Senates apparent acquiescence in the procedures used to approve NAFTA, we believe this further counsels against judicial intervention in the present case. This assertion totally ignored that the Senates apparent acquiescence had occurred, and been measured, only according to the 50%+1 Fast-Track standard, never according to the Constitutions two-thirds standard. According to the Constitutions standard, which was applied nowhere in the process along the road toward approval of any of the five Fast-Tracked treaty-bills into law, the Senate never actually acquiesced in any of them. This court was simply accepting the Constitutional validity of that acquiescence, so as to determine whether or not it was Constitutionally valid. Circular reasoning prejudice. However, in order to assist nullification of Fast Track for Obamas proposed trade treaties, it would greatly help if one or more of the very vocal opponents in the U.S. Senate, against Fast-Tracking these treaties any of the 37 Senators who voted Nay on it, for examples would petition the Supreme Court to rule on the Constitutionality of the provisions in the Trade Act of 1974 (and subsequent legislation) that introduced Fast Track, and thus on Fast Tracks abolition of the Constitutions two-thirds rule. The rights of each one of those 37 Senators, and of everyone who elected them (including the present writer), are being violated by the Fast Track provisions denying the victory to them when they constituted 37 votes and the Constitution says that anything more than 33 votes will successfully block a treaty from becoming law. Supposedly, the 60/40 requirement for cloture enables a mere 51/49 vote for the treaty itself in order for the treaty to pass into law despite the two-thirds-of-Senate rule for treaties. This is crazy. It could salvage American democracy, and the world (the sovereignty of each one of the participating nations), by ending U.S. participation in those treaties, and thus ending those treaties. The current plan is for Obamas TPP treaty, and either or both of the others that might also be available for U.S. signature, to be approved after this Novembers elections, so that voters wont be able to expel from Congress the members who do it. However, even if they get passed this way, a Supreme Court ruling against Fast Track would overturn them all (and NAFTA). Lawyers Bruce Fein and Alan Grayson have presented a separate way in which Fast Track is unConstitutional. The likeliest way to bring the case to the Supreme Court (in order to meet the Courts stiff standing test for it to be able to be considered) will be in the name of petitioner(s) who concretely and demonstrably suffered severe financial damage as a consequence of NAFTA, since the enabling Act for that was the same as for Obamas proposed deals: the Trade Act of 1974. That would be the law which would be overturned, and the overturning of which would not only end NAFTA, it would block TPP, TTIP & TISA from going into effect. If this has happened to you, you may contact delphicpress@yahoo.com in order to be considered to be (or to be included among) the named petitioner(s) on behalf of whom this case will be brought. (Though none of your losses could be recouped, your name could become prominent in history-books, because of the enormous impact this case will have if it is won.) The subject-line for that email should be: Case #5831 Whenever it happens, this will be the most important decision in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court perhaps even more important than any Presidents Presidency has been. It will be a global decision, because these treaties are creating a global government, and the U.S. is central to all of them: without U.S. participation, each one of these multinational trade treaties will end. If all three of Obamas mega-trade deals (TPP, TTIP, and TISA) become law and stay, then the participating democracies will become so hamstrung by international corporations, there wont be any real democracy remaining; and, for example, the increases in CO2 regulations that have been agreed in the recent Paris accord to limit global warming, will be blocked the planet will cook uncontrollably. Opponents of regulation might think that that would be worth the enormous harms to the environment, to workers rights, to product-safety, and all the rest that would be crippled by these treaties but even many opponents of regulation favor democracy, and favor the sovereignty of nations. Only the billionaires who own controlling blocs of stock in the major international corporations would have any authentic reason to be happy, though their own descendants might end up sharing the hell of an incinerating planet. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court will have to decide whether the term treaty in the U.S. Constitution means international agreement, and whether international agreement means treaty. If they rule that those two are not synonymous, then the U.S. Constitution will be dead in the sense that it will then be gone. Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of Theyre Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRISTS VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity. The Influential New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide, has immediately release of Prabhat Singh, a reporter for the Hindi daily Patrika, who was arrested in the south Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on Monday. Seeking investigation into the claim that he was mistreated in custody, a CPJ statement said, Singh's arrest comes as two journalists were forced to flee the region, and two others have been jailed for months, adding the arrest is another sign of deteriorating climate for press in Chhattisgarh.Arrested under Section 67 of India's Information Technology (IT) Act in response to a complaint that he circulated "confrontational material" on the messaging service, WhatsApp, a local court has ordered Singh to be held in custody until March 30.Singh also faces charges from several cases police have filed against him in recent months, accusing him of forgery and cheating, CPJ said quoting news reports in India, adding, Singh has denied the previous allegations and said the cases were in reprisal for his critical reporting. Chhattisgarh is ruled by BJP chief minister Raman Singh.CPJ's Asia program senior research associate, Sumit Galhotra said, "The arrests and hounding of journalists and their defenders has given way to a climate of fear that risks turning parts of Chhattisgarh into a media black hole."Singh, who has worked for Patrika for more than three years, reports on sensitive stories, including an attack last month on human rights activist Soni Sori and alleged extrajudicial killings in the state, news reports said. He also raised critical questions of high-ranking police officers in news conferences, CPJ said, referring to a Hindustan Times report.Vishnu Singh, the journalist's brother, told CPJ that Singh told him he had been beaten in police custody. He said that when he saw his brother today, the journalist had bruises on his hands and chest area. Vishnu Singh added that his brother told him he had been deprived of food in custody, CPJ said, but regretted, Several phone numbers listed in the police directory to seek police comment but no one answered.Quoting Singh's colleagues, CPJ said, Men in plainclothes, whom they recognized as police, took the journalist from the paper's office in Dantewada district Monday evening. Colleagues searched for him, but Singh's whereabouts were not known until his court appearance, which happened on March 22.Earlier this month, CJP said, Singh filed a complaint with Dantewada police against Samajik Ekta Manch, a group of activists that has previously harassed journalists, for labeling him an anti-national on WhatsApp, according to reports.Journalists and lawyers told CPJ during a visit to Chhattisgarh this month that there is a sustained campaign to silence critical reporting in parts of the state. The region has been the scene of a decades-long conflict between the security forces and Maoists, the CPJ said, adding, CPJ documented how BBC Hindi Service reporter Alok Prakash Putul and freelancer Malini Subramaniam were forced to flee Bastar last month over concern for their safety.Subramaniam had been harassed by members of Samajik Ekta Manch, CPJ said, adding,The lawyers of a legal aid clinic representing imprisoned journalists Somaru Nag and Santosh Yadav , whom Chhattisgarh police arrested in 2015 on unsubstantiated allegations that they were aligned with Maoists, were also forced to leave the area. Both Nag and Yadav remain behind bars. SHARE Evansville Critical Mass aims to raise awareness about bike laws and try to grow bike culture in Evansville. Provided photo. Evansville Critical Mass meets the last Friday of the month for a mass bike ride for people of all ability levels. Provided photo. By Kelly Gifford of the Courier and Press Indiana bicycle laws state that bikers on roadways have all the same rights and duties that those driving in vehicles possess, with few limitations and exceptions. Bikers must share the road with drivers, follow traffic signals and abide by any other local laws. But cyclists are still often see as causing traffic rather than being part of it. Evansville Critical Mass is trying to change that idea and raise awareness about bike culture in the Evansville area. Critical Mass is a movement that started in San Francisco in the late 1990s and extended into cities all over the world. On the last Friday on the month in Evansville, cyclists can meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Four Freedoms Monument to ride with other bikers throughout the area. The group typically bikes between the months of March and October. For the first ride of the year, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, the ride will also be a pub-crawl. The ride is in memory Bob Purcell, former owner of Bob's Bicycles and Repair, who died earlier this year. The pub crawl will hit bars such as Haynie's Corner Pub, Bokeh Lounge, Fred's Bar & Grill, PG Cafe and Gallery, Tin Man, Leroy's Tavern and The Peephole. If there is heavy rain, the ride will be moved to Saturday night instead. Cecilia Szmutko, founder of the newest incarnation of the Evansville chapter, said she wanted to bring back the group in the city because of how much fun she's had during Critical Mass rides in other cities. "We ride every month, not only to be activists for this cause of alternate transportation, but also to enjoy the rolling conversation and make new friends," she said. The Evansville group typically has anywhere between 10 and 30 riders each month. Cyclists of any ability can join the ride, which is not fast or in a racing format. Although the upcoming ride is a pub crawl, the group asks that participants drink responsibly on route. Riders aren't required to drink, either. John Thurgood, a participant whose ridden with Evansville Critical Mass for about a year, said the group has created a sense of community in his life and has built upon the vibrant culture of the city that is starting to take hold. He added that he sees the group being a catalyst to create and broaden bike culture in the area through rides, events and community involvement. "I got interested in the group back in San Francisco and continued it in Chicago," he said. "There is no reason why Evansville can't have as vibrant a bike community, and a city as a whole, as any of the bigger cities around it." Tyler Mohler, another participant, said a lot of people in the area still don't understand bike culture or know that there is a community here. "I want people to be aware of who they share the road with," Mohler said. "As a bike commuter, I've had people throw cans at me, swear and honk. I hope our events help people see that we can coexist." If You Go: What: Evansville Critical Mass "March Mass Pub Crawl" When: 6:30 p.m. Friday. If rain, Saturday evening. Where: Bikers will meet at the Four Freedoms Monument on Riverside Drive in downtown Evansville. Tickets: Free and open to all participants. William J. Leonard (left), Donna J. Leonard (right) By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press An Evansville home was so dirty and roach-infested, police said, that an 11-year-old girl harmed herself because she was tired of her deplorable living conditions and did not want to live anymore. Now her mother and the girls stepfather who is employed as an emergency medic are in jail and face neglect charges. They are Donna J. Leonard, 38, and William J. Leonard, 37. They were arrested Wednesday evening and preliminarily charged with neglect of a dependent, a felony. Bond for William Leonard was set at $2,500 cash, while bond for Donna Leonard was $2,000, according to court records. Officers wrote in the affidavits against the pair that even from outside of the Lombard Avenue home the floors (inside the home) appeared to be moving due to all the cockroaches inside of the residence. Through the windows, I could see two very malnourished dogs and some of the worse livings conditions, I, as well as the other officers had seen. There was not a spot on the floor of the residence that was not covered by animal feces and/or urine, Officer Kyle Thiry wrote in his affidavit. On top of it, there were piles of trash and other miscellaneous debris. In the kitchen, there were dirty dishes everywhere and overflowing the sink. Officers knew about the condition of the home even before they saw it because they first comforted the 11-year-old girl who lives there with the Leonards. Donna Leonard called 911 just after 6:45 p.m. to report that the girl was feeling suicidal. When police arrived, they found the girl in a van outside the home, which is in the 1100 block of South Lombard Avenue. Donna Leonard told police that the girl had gotten in the vehicle and locked the doors. After an officer convinced the girl to talk, she reportedly told investigators that she hurt herself because she was tired of her living conditions. She also told police that she tried to keep her room clean, and investigators wrote that it appeared to be the cleanest room in the house. However, there was also roaches crawling all over her mattress and pillow, according to the affidavits. The girl was then taken to Deaconess Gateway hospital for treatment of both self-inflected cuts to her wrists and as well as infections consistent with being in poor living conditions, police wrote. During the investigation, authorities also found two very emaciated dogs and two cats, according to the affidavit. Both William and Donna Leonard spoke to investigators about the case. Donna Leonard reportedly acknowledged that it had been some time since the home was cleaned, while William Leonard said he did not have time to clean before he went to work on Wednesday. The Department of Child Services was also called as part of the investigation. The general manager of American Medical Response said he was aware of the case, but declined to address employee William Leonard with the Courier & Press. The duos initial court hearing is scheduled for March 30. SHARE By Mark Wilson of the Courier and Press MOUNT VERNON, Ind. An Indiana Department of Environmental Management official said it is too early to say if stricter pollution limits on Vectren's A.B. Brown power plant will result in less pollution. What the new limits will do is change the way Vectren's compliance with the latest standard for sulfur dioxide pollution is determined, said Scott Delaney, air program branch chief of IDEM's Office of Air Quality. About 30 people, including area residents and business representatives, attended a public hearing at the Mount Vernon Fire Department to voice concerns about pollution from the coal-burning power plant in Posey County on Wednesday night. Technically, the hearing was on the narrowly defined issue of incorporating new sulfur dioxide emissions rates and limits on A.B. Brown's two generating units and into Indiana's State Implementation Plan. Doing so, said Delaney, would make the new emissions limits and rates permanent and federally enforceable. IDEM has already issued a commissioner's order imposing the new emissions limits on the Vectren plant. Vectren officials have previously noted that the utility company voluntarily agreed to change its air pollution permit to help keep the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from placing the county in nonattainment of new standards for sulfur dioxide pollution. No Vectren representatives spoke at Wednesday's meeting, but IDEM officials made the same point. The utility is in compliance with its current air permit. The new limit places a cap on the amount and rate of sulfur dioxide that can be emitted during a one-hour period by each generating unit at A.B. Brown, both individually and combined. It also sets new rates at which the utility can emit the pollutant. Combined, the two generating units will be allowed to emit just over 2,152 pounds per hour of sulfur dioxide or 1,831.6 pounds per hour averaged over a rolling 24-hour period. Delaney said compliance will be determined by looking at continuous data from the air quality monitors on A.B. Brown's emission stacks. Area residents raised general concerns about the health risks generated by sulfur dioxide and other pollution from the power plant. Wendy Bredhold, an Evansville resident and employee of the Sierra Club environmental group, said the proposed limits don't go far enough to ensure the air quality standard won't be violated and don't take into account the effects of sulfur dioxide pollution from other sources in the region. She suggested a greater margin for error needed to be built into the new limits. "Any errors in analysis could tip the area's air quality into nonattainment," she said. In June 2010, the EPA issued a revised primary air quality standard for sulfur dioxide based on updated information about its health effects and revoked its previous standards. The action set a new one-hour standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb) for sulfur dioxide. Designations are based on a three-year average. The federal government has been setting standards for sulfur dioxide pollution since 1971. SHARE By Shannon Hall of the Courier and Press The Chandler Town Council has voted 3-1 to approve the Newburgh's proposal for water meter contract and service territory. While there will be more formal agreements that have to be signed, this is the first step, said Newburgh Town Attorney Chris Wischer. "It's a big deal," Newburgh Town Councilwoman Stacie Krieger said. Andrea Johnson voted against it, and Councilwoman Cheryl Amos was absent from the meeting. A message to Chandler Town Council President Tonya Wester was not returned by Wednesday afternoon. Newburgh sent the proposal to Chandler on Friday, and it was approved on Monday. The towns have fought about overlapping exclusive sewer territories for a number of years, causing a rift that Newburgh officials hope to see come to an end to see come to an end. "Hopefully we can move forward and not be at odds with each other," Wischer said. The towns will enter into a five-year water meter agreement and at least three subsequent automatic renewal terms for five years each. For the first year, Newburgh will pay 35 cents per water meter read with an annual one-cent increase for the first five years. Beginning in the sixth year, the rate will increase three percent every year for as long as the agreement is in effect. Chandler serves water utility customers along Indiana 66. About 1,700 Warrick County residents are Chandler water customers and Newburgh sewer customers. To charge its sewer customers properly, Newburgh needs to know how much water its customers use. "We hope that this will be the beginning of a new relationship between our towns in which we work together for the betterment of the citizens of Newburgh, Chandler and Warrick County," Newburgh's proposal reads. The agreement also outlines which town will provide sewer services in certain parts of Warrick County. "Some portion of Newburgh's territory was waived to Chandler, and some portion of Chandler's territory along Indiana 62 were waived to Newburgh's favor," Wischer said. DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS Former Senator Richard Lugar (right) and former Congressman Lee Hamilton walk to the stage for the start of the event "Civility in American Politics" in Carter Hall at the University of Southern Indiana Wednesday evening. The two statesmen bemoaned what they characterized as deteriorating discourse in politics and media. SHARE Congressman Lee Hamilton (left) and Senator Richard Lugar talk with reporters in the University Suite before going to Carter Hall for the "Civility in American Politics" program Wednesday evening. DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS (From left) USI President Linda Bennett moderates the conversation with Senator Richard Lugar and Congressman Lee Hamilton in Carter Hall at USI on Wednesday. By John Martin of the Courier and Press Cynicism and contempt are rampant in American politics today, and the fixes include quality candidates and a more informed electorate, former Sen. Richard Lugar and former Rep. Lee Hamilton said Wednesday. The two Indiana political icons were at the University of Southern Indiana for a discussion on "Civility in American Politics." Lugar and Hamilton, a Republican and Democrat who have both received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, said political institutions have withstood the test of time. Yet, both said they are saddened by deteriorating discourse. They noted the inability of Congress to complete what used to be considered basic tasks, such as passing a budget. "We've just got to lower the political rhetoric, lower the ideological speeches and focus in a very pragmatic way on how to solve the problems," Hamilton said. They listed a few reasons for the dysfunction. State legislatures, Lugar said, have drawn congressional districts in such a way to protect incumbents from being ousted by the opposite party. That, in turn, has meant many representatives' most serious electoral competition is coming from within their party, from activists hostile to the idea of compromise in Washington. "Members are afraid of being defeated in a primary if they deviate from the party scorecard," said Lugar, whose 36-year Senate career was ended by Vanderburgh County resident Richard Mourdock in a 2012 Republican primary. "It has changed the nature of the debate very substantially." Lugar and Hamilton also bemoaned what they view as ideological television reporting and the decline of the American print media. They told a USI student questioner they're not pleased that so many Americans get news from satire programs. The issues at hand are serious, Lugar said, noting terrorist attacks in Belgium and France as an example. "It's very complex to say the least, and this is what the next president is going to have to deal with, or at least appoint people who have the background and knowledge diplomatically or militarily," Lugar said. "It doesn't come through in the coverage, in the debate style, social media or what have you ... This has not been very helpful in terms of understanding. I hope we are reaching a nadir." Hamilton, who represented Indiana's 9th Congressional District from 1965-1999, said television media "has become less objective" and "there are very few good print newspapers in the country that give you good comprehensive coverage of national and international news. ... There is a deterioration of the quality of information." Hamilton said greater civility is needed, and it doesn't have to come at the expense of debating important issues. "The practice of civility with your friends is easy. The test of civility is to be nice to the person who you don't like and who hates your guts, with whom you disagree on all the big issues. That's the test." He described civility has being "essential to the both the quality and quantity of work your able to do," and when mistrust and anger are rampant, "you're not going to get much done." The best and brightest people that universities produce should give consideration to public service, Hamilton said, adding: "Representative democracy is not on automatic pilot." Wednesday's forum on political civility took place amid a Republican presidential primary season that has been most uncivil. Lugar, a Republican who was in the Senate from 1977-2013, declined to say if he will support front-runner Donald Trump if he secures the nomination. Lugar has made no endorsement during the primary season. Asked before the forum about Trump's appeal among Republican primary voters, Lugar said, "He has been able to speak to Americans that feel hurt, who feel that somehow life has not treated them well, whether it be jobs that have been unfair, community situations, fear of immigrants or whatever may be the problem. "And so in a dramatic way, almost melodramatic, he has attempted to sock it to them to say these politicians, the presidency, Congress and elsewhere are the cause of all of this and you have to get rid of the whole lot. ... He's very vulgar and impulsive but nevertheless is very popular with people who are feeling this hurt." During the forum, Lugar, 83, said Trump's nearest competitor for the Republican nomination, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, is "one of the most unpopular people who has ever been in the Senate," but, like Trump, Cruz's approach is receiving some support. Hamilton, 84, said the tenor of his party's nomination fight between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been "reasonably civil." Hamilton hasn't endorsed either candidate. Clinton, said Hamilton, has "put forth a number very serious proposals that are carefully thought out and responsive to the problem. Not everybody agrees with them and they aren't perfect by any means, but they are a serious effort to deal with all kinds of difficult problems. I would say Sen. Sanders has done that a little less well. But he, too, has come forward with a lot of proposals. ... Sen. Sanders has shown (Clinton) has some vulnerabilities as a candidate, and she will have to address those." By Zach Osowski, zach.osowski@courierpress.com INDIANANPOLIS Calling the bill an "important step in protecting the unborn," Gov. Mike Pence signed a controversial abortion bill into law on Thursday. The law will make it illegal to perform an abortion in Indiana if the sole reason for the abortion is based on the gender, race, or potential disability, such as Down Syndrome, of the fetus. The bill prohibits a physician from performing an abortion if their patient has told them one of those stated reasons is why they are getting an abortion. In a statement after signing the bill, Pence said he has always believed in the sanctity of life, and felt this bill increased protections for the unborn. "I believe that a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable. The aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn," Pence said. "House enrolled act 1337 will ensure the dignified final treatment of the unborn." The bill has garnered plenty of criticism as it worked though both legislative chambers. Opponents of the bill said it will lead to women lying to their doctors or seeking abortions in other states or by unlicensed doctors. Others criticized the process the bill went through. After similar legislation in a Senate bill did not get a hearing in the House, senators put the language dealing with abortions into a bill regulating how fetal remains should be disposed of in Indiana. When Rep. Casey Cox, the author of HB 1337, decided to consent with the Senate's changes, the bill was put up for a vote without a hearing or testimony on the House side. Both Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Mount Vernon, and Rep. Holli Sullivan, R-Evansville, spoke out against the maneuvering, saying women had a right to testify about a bill that could affect their lives. Regardless of the content of the bill, they said legislation shouldn't be passed without going through proper procedure. The bill ultimately passed the House 60-40. Others thought it was unfair to force mothers to keep a fetus that is diagnosed with a severe disability. Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, who voted against the bill, offered an amendment that would have paid for some of the medical expenses associated with caring for a child with a disability. "If you think this is a good idea, put your money where your mouth is," Becker said then. The amendment was ultimately defeated because lawmakers weren't sure how much such a fund would end up costing the state. In the end, a majority in both the House and Senate thought the pro-life benefits of the bill outweighed the concerns. Cox said he couldn't look himself in the mirror if he didn't do everything he could to protect the unborn, which is why he ultimately consented with the Senate changes. The bill goes into effect on July 1. SHARE By Lawrence C. Levine, The Sacramento Bee (TNS) Much has been written about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia since his sudden death last month, some of it praising him and some highly critical. Yet, nowhere has Scalia been praised for the role he played in creating a constitutional right for gays and lesbians to marry. Crediting the notoriously gay-unfriendly Scalia for nationwide marriage equality may seem preposterous. If this sounds like hogwash, hear me out. It all has to do with "animus" and how Scalia became the very embodiment of the term. Until 20 years ago, the Supreme Court was a deeply inhospitable place for gay rights advocates. Gays were simply assumed to fall outside the Constitution's protections. After all, the Supreme Court had determined that noncitizen gay people could be banned from entering the country or deported as being "afflicted" with a "psychopathic personality." And, as recently as the mid-1980s, the court determined that states were free to criminalize private, consensual, same-sex intimate conduct. In 1996, the fate of gay rights cases began to change. In Romer v. Evans, a six-member majority struck down Colorado's voter-enacted Amendment 2 as a violation of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. The initiative repealed gay, lesbian and bisexual anti-discrimination protections and prohibited such protections in the future absent a statewide referendum. In his powerful majority opinion in Romer, Justice Anthony Kennedy explained that gays and lesbians could not be singled out for disfavored treatment without some appropriate justification. Given its reach and breadth, Kennedy could find no legal basis for Amendment 2 other than animus or hostility toward gays and lesbians. And animus toward homosexuals was not a constitutional justification. Enter Scalia, who unwittingly became a force leading to the expansion of gay rights that culminated in June with nationwide marriage equality. Scalia's dissent was so angry and acerbic that he exemplified the very animus that led the court's moderate conservatives Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Kennedy to join the court's liberals in striking down Colorado's law. While Scalia had ample grounds to criticize Kennedy's opinion based on its arguably novel approach to constitutional law, Scalia went much further. He asserted that Coloradans could deprive their gay and lesbian neighbors of protection from discrimination for any reason whatsoever, including their dislike of the group. He belittled those in committed same-sex relationships as "long-time roommate(s)," and likened gay people to murderers and animal abusers. Scalia's words oozed animus toward gays and thus nudged Kennedy toward becoming the justice who has furthered gay and lesbian constitutional rights more than anyone in the court's history. Kennedy has authored every major pro-gay decision since Romer. By the time he penned his next gay-rights decision in 2003, Lawrence v. Texas, Kennedy was even bolder. He determined that laws criminalizing private, consensual, same-sex conduct "demeaned homosexual persons" and violated the "liberty" protections conferred by the Constitution's Due Process Clause. In the majority opinion, Kennedy expressly overruled the prior Supreme Court decision that upheld such laws. In his usual caustic tone, Scalia accused Kennedy of embracing "the homosexual agenda" and warned that Kennedy's approach would inevitably lead to gays and lesbians having the right to marry. Yet, it was Scalia's vitriol that helped place Kennedy on the path to becoming the court's champion of gay and lesbian rights. Scalia continued to raise the boogeyman of same-sex marriag. When the court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and determined that federal marriage benefits had to be given to legally married same-sex couples in 2013, Scalia went so far as to rewrite Kennedy's majority opinion to show how it would ultimately lead to nationwide same-sex marriage. In essence, Scalia was making the case for marriage equality at the same time he was condemning it. Would there be nationwide marriage equality had Scalia been more restrained in his opposition? Possibly. A majority of Americans favored such a result by the time the Supreme Court ruled last year. On the other hand, had Kennedy not been pushed toward championing the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians by Scalia's animus, marriage equality may well have taken longer to arrive. Lawrence C. Levine is a professor at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. SHARE By Lloyd Winnecke And Teresa Lubbers In the next few weeks thousands of students across Southwest Indiana will graduate from high school. Their paths will lead many to college while others will seek full-time employment as they make the transition to adulthood. More than ever a high school diploma will not be enough for these graduates to earn a good living and support a family. We know that by 2025, two-thirds of all Indiana jobs will require a credential beyond high school. To meet that demand, Indiana has set a big goal for 60 percent of all Hoosiers to have a quality credential or degree by 2025. In Evansville and Vanderburgh County, 31.5 percent of adults have earned credentials beyond a high school diploma, ranging from Associate degrees to Doctorates, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly 30 percent have some college but no degree. That is a concern since our region is expected to see a growth in demand for skilled employees in the next decade particularly in computer systems and software development occupations, according to WorkOne Southwest. To reach our goal and fill that need here in Evansville, and across the state, we have to look beyond the current pipeline of K-12 students to include the 750,000 Hoosier adults who started a college degree but, for whatever reason, weren't able to finish. That's why the state of Indiana, state and private colleges, employers and community groups are partnering to encourage adults to go back to school and complete a degree or credential. The campaign, called You Can Go Back, is reaching out to these adults directly with traditional mail, email and phone calls to share new resources and support designed to help Hoosiers make the transition back to college. There's even a website to help identify and connect adults with the best college matches for their goals and lifestyle: www.YouCanGoBack.org. For many the biggest obstacles to returning to school are cost and time. To help ease the financial burden, the state is offering $7.5 million in $1,000 state grants for qualifying adults to put toward their journey to completing a postsecondary credential. Additionally, many of Indiana's public and private colleges are offering special programs and incentives including flexible class schedules and online courses, college credit for work and military experience, grade- and debt-forgiveness programs as well as scholarships and tuition discounts. Here in Evansville, we are committed to encouraging and supporting our regional employers and colleges in their efforts to help more adults in our community achieve education beyond high school. We applaud the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation for launching a CollegeChoice 529 automatic payroll deduction program for its employees. The savings plan provides a tax credit for saving up to $1,000 a year for higher education that employees may use for themselves, a child or grandchild. With all of us working together, we are confident we can ensure better preparation for our graduating high school student and also reach the 750,000 Hoosier adults with some college and no degree, empower them to go back to school, and guide them through to a degree or credential that will prepare them for the jobs of the future. Lloyd Winnecke is mayor of Evansville and Teresa Lubbers is a member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. SHARE Gerald Summers, safety and security coordinator for the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp. By Gerald Summers, Special to the Courier & Press We are experiencing nationwide unrest for several alarming reasons, part of which is the number of incidences of law enforcement officers using deadly force against unarmed African-Americans, the number of African-Americans killed by other African-Americans, and the threat of ISIS, ISIL or other terrorism. I want to talk about these issues from the frame of reference of an equilateral triangle, in which all three sides are equal and all three angles are 60 degrees. The points of the triangle are the government, the businesses, and the individual. The government must take the lead and keep us informed. Government representatives and candidates who are making bullying statements about who should and should not be considered Americans are causing fear and unrest among the minority and foreign community. Our officials must lead by example and make statements and set policies and procedures assuring the rights of all individuals to be safe from bullying, violence and threats of violence, unequal treatment, and harm no matter their heritage. They must get out of their offices and talk to and learn from the people. Our government must lead us through this paradigm shift of dealing with ISIS, a threat that has no one central hub, while preserving the freedoms that make the United States the great country it is. All government agencies must be held accountable for their actions when dealing with the citizens and noncitizens, thus they must be trained to protect human dignity and individual liberties and see individual uniqueness, from the animal control officers to the President. Our businesses, big or small, must be responsive to all citizens and lead capitalist society. Government cannot do it all. Government should continue to concentrate on traditional domestic security issues and the new threats of homegrown and international terrorism. Businesses can help the government by being good neighbors. Business can learn to be aware of the welfare of their customers, neighbors, and employees welfare, heading off issues before they fester and grow. Businesses can be good community partners with local law enforcement agencies. Businesses and first responders can train together and learn together to foster a good working relationship vital in case of an emergency. Businesses should embrace the phrase "If you see something, say something." As an example, disaster situations, be they active shooter, hazardous materials, earthquake, tornado, or terrorism, require businesses, large or small, to acknowledge, care for, and provide for their employees and customers in a way not previously considered. During our years of full time employment, we spend more time in our workplace than our home. Thus the odds are greater that we will be at our workplace if terror strikes. Emergency management officials tell us to be ready to care for ourselves without help for the first 72 hours. Thus the workplace must be ready to provide food, water, sanitation, and supplies. Each individual has the ultimate responsibility, because both government and businesses are made up of individuals. During these troubling times individuals must become more educated and involved. We must each speaking up when we see some form of injustice being done to another individual. Law enforcement can only combat crime and terrorism with community help and involvement. Instead of letting a small group of noisy people alienate those they profess to be less than American, call and visit a member of your local Jewish Temple, Islamic Mosque, African American church, or any other home of a different faith. Talk one on one and ask the hard questions. Let them share their story. Then make up your mind for yourself. Understand that our form of government is unique but not perfect. Talk to your elected officials and law enforcement officers individually. Learn what they see from their point of view. Express your concerns to them respectfully. What do a presbyterian minister, a jewish rabbi, and a muslim imam have in common? In my town, they are fast friends. They have formed a community partnership called "On God, One Community." Their three congregations have met repeatedly in each other's places of worship, shared food, discussed serious issues, and shared family and personal stories, all while learning about each other's religious beliefs. The love and peace felt in the air at gatherings is amazing. So just sit down and talk. You will find out we are all more alike than we are different. So let's work together, government, businesses, and individuals, to make this country a warm and welcoming place where peoples from different faiths, backgrounds, and heritage can live together in peace. Gerald Summers is a former elected member of the EVSC School Board and currently is President and CEO of Integrity Security Protection LLC. Contact him at ispinc@wowway.com, gesah94@wowway.com, or through www.integritysecurityprotection.net. Your digital subscription includes access to all content on our agricultural websites across the nation. Access unlimited content and the digital versions of our print editions - This Week's Paper. Sussex News Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Oracle will leverage its 15,000-strong salesforce and CRM platform to help an Australian internet-of-things startup access untapped markets. The software giant has signed a contract with Melbourne-based Connexion Media to offer the Australian firms real-time, in-vehicle data analytics products via the Oracle CRM platform. The two companies will build a new module on Oracles CRM platform to analyse all real-time data collected through Connexions services. This module will provide access to all data collected from the vehicle, including driver commute times, travel routes, vehicle maintenance information such as tyre pressure and consumer behavioural information such as service station preferences. This information is expected to appeal to government agencies, road traffic authorities, insurance companies, automotive after-market industries, fuel card providers and research companies. Connexion chief executive George Parthimos said the Oracle partnership was a coup for the company. Firstly, it opens up a lucrative new revenue stream in the untapped in-vehicle data analytics market. Secondly, it gives Connexion access to Oracles 15,000-strong sales force who will on-sell our products across more than 420,000 customers globally. Lastly, it delivers significant infrastructure and technology cost savings to Connexion for our software-as-a-service products, including Flex and miRoamer," Parthimos added. The module is expected to be available to subscribers by the end of 2016. The Department of Finance will establish a new whole-of-government procurement panel for printers, ditching its previous managed print services arrangement. The Major Office Machines panel will replace the existing equipment and support and managed print services panels established in 2011. The department said it was not seeking to establish a new managed print services arrangement. The new panel will include some support services. A department spokesperson told CRN that an extensive consultation process into the panel was undertaken last year which took into account changing technology and standards. This determined that there is insufficient demand for a new MPS arrangement, and that a lease/procure panel arrangement will meet the Australian Governments requirements, said the spokesperson. Any organisation that meets the departments requirements can apply to the new panel, and there is no predetermined limit on the number of new suppliers. The current services panel is made up of print heavy-hitters CSG, Canon, Konica Monolta and Ricoh. These suppliers provide services and deploy equipment to the federal government. The equipment and support panel can lease or sell products such as network printers, multi-function devices and scanners. This includes Fuji Xerox, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh, Lexmark and Sharp. The first industry briefing on the new panel will be held in Canberra on 30 March. Cellebrite, an Israel-based provider of mobile forensic software, is helping the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's attempt to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California shooters, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Wednesday. If Cellebrite succeeds, then the FBI will no longer need the help of Apple, the Israeli daily said, citing unnamed industry sources. Cellebrite officials declined to comment on the matter. Apple is engaged in a legal battle with the US Justice Department over a judge's order that it write new software to disable passcode protection on the iPhone used by the shooter. The two sides were set to face off in court on Tuesday, but on Monday a federal judge agreed to the government's request to postpone the hearing after US prosecutors said a "third party" had presented a possible method for opening an encrypted iPhone. The development could bring an abrupt end to the high-stakes legal showdown which has become a lightning rod for a broader debate on data privacy in the United States. Cellebrite, a subsidiary of Japan's Sun Corp, has its revenue split between two businesses: a forensics system used by law enforcement, military and intelligence that retrieves data hidden inside mobile devices and technology for mobile retailers. Reporting by Tova Cohen; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle Channel programs News Sirius to Buy $260 Million Federal Network Security Powerhouse Force 3 Michael Novinson Share this Sirius Computer Solutions tapped into its new private equity backing to purchase a 170-employee U.S. government solution provider dedicated to next-generation network security technology. The San Antonio-based company, No. 28 on the CRN 2015 Solution Provider 500, said its acquisition of $260 million Force 3, Crofton, Md., will enable Sirius to better serve customers in the Mid-Atlantic region and tap into additional contact vehicles for public sector clients. Terms of the deal, which is scheduled to close March 31, were not disclosed. Force 3, No. 79 on the CRN SP 500, will continue to operate as a separate legal entity and maintain the Force 3 name, with Mike Greaney staying on as CEO. [Related: Sirius On The Prowl For Acquisitions As Kelso Preps To Buy Majority Stake] Sirius had been looking to expand into the federal space for the past two years, but found many players in the space were focused more on pure product fulfillment rather than a technically driven sales model, CEO Joe Mertens told CRN. Mertens said Sirius' OEMs praised Force 3's technical skills and encouraged the solution provider to move forward in the federal space with the company. Marrying Sirius' expertise in the data center -- particularly around server and storage infrastructure -- with Force 3's mastery of the networking and security spaces will enable the combined company to deliver stronger end-to-end solutions to clients, according to the companies. "When you put those two together, boy, that can be really impactful," Greaney told CRN. Force 3 has also deployed its top-notch engineering talent to build a practice around software-defined networking and continue to invest in secure collaboration, secure wireless and secure data center solutions, according to Greaney. Force 3 does 95 percent of its business with the U.S. government, and is a prime contract holder on the GSA Schedule 70, NETCENTS-2 (Air Force), SEWP V (civilian agencies), NIH ECS III, CIO-CS and the ITES-3H (Army) vehicles. "Unless we have the contract vehicles to do that, it becomes very difficult," said Mertens, adding that Force 3 also has a top secret facility clearance. Force 3 also has the only dedicated support service offering in the federal market, which Greaney said is focused on white-labeled solutions in the Cisco ecosystem spanning the entire technology life cycle. Given Force 3's identity and track record in the federal space, Greaney said both companies felt it was best to retain the Force 3 brand and commercial practice. Sirius believes Force 3's existing core networking and security business is solid, Mertens said, but would like to broaden the base by extending Sirius' IBM and software solutions to Force 3's existing clients. Greaney expects Sirius' managed services and "as-a-service" offerings to also be appealing to Force 3's customer base. As IBM's largest global solution provider, Sirius will enable Force 3 to sell Big Blue into the federal space in a meaningful way for the first time. Becoming part of Sirius will also make it easier for Force 3 to serve federal customers outside the Washington, D.C., area, Greaney said. The two companies also share many vendor partners, including Cisco, Citrix, Dell, EMC, NetApp, Palo Alto, Splunk and VMware. Sirius has more than 5,000 active clients and roughly 1,700 employees with more than 4,000 professional and technical certifications. The company was sold in September by Thoma Bravo to private equity giant Kelso & Co., and Mertens told CRN at the time that Kelso's investment would make it possible for Sirius to be more aggressive in acquiring firms with networking and services expertise. Kelso was very involved in the Force 3 deal and provided Sirius with a great deal of help throughout the acquisition process, Mertens said. Sirius will continue to look for M&A opportunities to broaden its market base and skill sets, Mertens said, but will also devote energy to maximizing revenue growth at Force 3. Force 3 has been held privately by Greaney and two other shareholders. Components & Peripherals News Lexmark To Lay Off 143 Employees At Headquarters Jimmy Sheridan Share this As a part of its plan to shed more than 1,000 employees to save money, printing vendor Lexmark will lay off 143 workers at its headquarters in Lexington Ky., according to a document it filed with Kentucky state officials. About 2,300 are employed at the main campus, according to a local news outlet, WKYT, which reported that the layoffs would take effect between May 25 and June 8. During the company's second-quarter 2015 earnings call in July, CEO Paul Rooke said Lexmark would cut 500 people worldwide at that time and, during its fourth-quarter and year-end earnings call last month, announced it would drop another 550. The announcement took Bob Nitrio, CEO of Ranvest Associates, a longtime Lexmark partner based in Orangevale, Calif., by surprise. "My relationship with them has always been absolutely terrific," he said, adding that he feels Lexmark has always provided well-made products, and that the loss of so many employees about 1 percent of its global workforce -- seems out of character. In an email response Thursday to CRN, Lexmark said it does not comment on human resource matters and declined to comment further. According to Ken Stewart, an analyst at Photizo Group, based in Mauldin, S.C., Lexmark is paring its global workforce of about 14,000 to prepare to sell the company. In October, Lexmark said in a statement that it had hired Goldman Sachs to "explore strategic alternatives." In the companys earnings call for the third quarter of 2015, Lexmark officials said those alternatives could include a sale of the entire company or the spinoff of part of the company to either strategic or financial buyers. The board does not believe Lexmarks current share price fully reflects the intrinsic value created by the company, and the board has concluded it is appropriate to explore strategic alternatives as the next step to unlock this value, Jean-Paul Montupet, lead director of Lexmarks board, said in the statement. "Lexmark is getting ready for a sale," said Stewart, who added that the company has been rushed into selling itself following a "series of strategic missteps." Those missteps include the firing of about 120 Mexican factory workers who demanded a 35-cents-per-day pay raise, and an accounting mistake that led to an overhaul of the company's accounting controls for income taxes following the departure of the company's vice president who oversaw taxation. "What they are basically signaling with the restructuring of the workforce is that they are slimming down for a sale," Stewart said, explaining that he is seeing positions targeted for elimination such as R&D engineers -- that would "duplicate" those within another company that might be interested in buying Lexmark. According to Nitrio, the layoffs make sense in light of the possibility of a sale. He said Lexmark would want to present a "meaner, leaner" company to put its best foot forward in hopes of grabbing the best price. However, Nitrio said that if a sale leads a new owner to cut expenses at the cost of engineering quality, "that would give us pause for thought," he said, and potentially lead him away from partnering with Lexmark. According to Bloomberg Business, Lexmark has already received initial purchase bids from private equity firms Thoma Bravo and Vista Equity Partners for its software division, and fielded interest from competitors Canon and Ricoh for its hardware unit. However, Bloomberg reported that although Lexmark would prefer to sell the company whole, no one has come forth with an interest to buy the entire firm. However, Bloomberg and Reuters reported that Lexmark may split its hardware and software assets to draw more potential buyers. In July, the company reported that the 500 employees it planned to release over the next several months were to come from its general and administrative staffs, and marketing and development units. Last month, Lexmark announced that the layoffs would primarily impact its Imaging Solutions and Services (ISS) division, which covers printer sales, services, marketing and research and development (R&D). However, according to Lexmark, much of the work done by the impacted positions will be "shifted to low-cost countries." According to Lexmark's earnings reports, the two rounds of layoffs are expected to generate approximately $67 million in savings for 2016 and $165 million in 2017. Lexmark -- which has a market value of $1.7 billion -- reported a drop in revenue of 4 percent, from $3.71 billion in 2014 to $3.551 billion in 2015, and also reported net debt of $903 million after it acquired software developer Kofax for $1 billion in March 2015. We can't seem to find the page you are looking for. You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A proposal before the state Legislature that would allow companies to use stagnant tax credits to expand their operations could provide a significant boost to the states economy, many business leaders argue. The legislation, currently before the General Assemblys Finance Committee, would allow companies that have amassed research and development tax credits over the years to use those credits for capital improvement projects. Because companies are limited in the amount of tax credits they can use per year, businesses often have hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits earned by their research and development efforts, particularly in the states pharmaceutical industry, that go unspent. Saying it could provide rocket fuel to the economy might be a little bit of an overstatement, but the proposal would provide a powerful economic development tool for the state, said Paul Pescatello, the executive director of the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council. Not only could it help fuel expansion in the state, but it would also help increase the amount of high-paying jobs that these industries provide. Many other states have been very aggressive with these credits. Officials with Ridgefield-based Boehringer Ingelheim, which has been lobbying state officials for the change, said they have a significant amount of credits at their disposal earned through past research and development spending that could be use to expand operations in Connecticut if the proposal moves forward. These tax credits are helpful devices for us when we are deciding where to locate some of our future infrastructure investments, said Jim Baxter, the companys senior vice president of development. When looking at future investments, whether its here or in Germany or many of our other sites around the world, we have to make sure we are using the companys money wisely. Stephen Bull, president of the Danbury Chamber of Commerce, said the proposal is probably one of the most crucial pieces of legislation before the General Assembly this year. But many business leaders also acknowledge that with the states budget woes, passage of the measure could be an uphill battle. The pharmaceutical and high-tech industries are important clusters in our region, and we want them to expand here rather than looking elsewhere, Bull said. As a state, we need to prioritize our economic development efforts and do everything possible to pass this legislation. Besides Boehringer Ingelheim, other area companies that could benefit from the proposal include the citys other pharmaceutical companies, such as MannKind, and other high-tech businesses including FuelCell Energy. These are industries that provide high-paying jobs that we need if we want the area to continue to grow, Bull said. State Sen. Michael McLachan, R-Danbury, the only lawmaker to sponsor the bill, said its been a struggle to get other lawmakers to support the proposal. The reality is that in this budget environment, tax credits are easy targets, he said. But ironically, its counter productive. This measure could provide a huge boost to the job market. Pescatello noted that the short-term pain of passing the legislation would result in long-term economic growth for the state. He added that the states own estimated return on investment on the tax credits are about 30 to 1. These credits are great economic tools that could generate a lot more revenue for the state over time than it costs, he said. And the companies are only getting credit for money theyve already spent. dperrefort@newstimes.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Putting its Fairfield headquarters behind it, General Electric on Thursday announced that its new home will be built on 2.5 acres on Necco Way in Bostons Seaport District. The property is under agreement to be purchased for an undisclosed amount from P&G and sits at the edge of its 44-acre South Boston campus. The new headquarters will include a combination of two historic buildings, which will be renovated, and an adjoining parking lot, where GE will construct a new building. The two six-story buildings total about 110,000 square feet of space. The site is on the Four Point Channel, a short distance from the Boston Childrens Museum. South Boston is a major hub for innovation and development and GE is excited to be a part of such a dynamic and creative ecosystem that is leading the future, said GE Vice President Ann Klee in a statement. This centrally located property presents an excellent opportunity to enhance the Seaport District and the surrounding community. We look forward to bringing our headquarters to South Boston. Employees will move to a temporary home in Boston on nearby Farnsworth Street starting in the summer, with a full move completed in several steps by 2018. GE announced the move of its headquarters to Boston in January. GE will sell its offices in Fairfield, where it has been based for the past four decades, and at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, its headquarters before moving to Fairfield, to offset the cost of the move. GE already has a significant presence in Massachusetts, with nearly 5,000 employees across the state in businesses including Aviation, Oil & Gas and Energy Management. In 2014, GE moved its Life Sciences headquarters to Marlborough, Mass., and in 2015 GE announced its energy services start-up, Current, would also be headquartered in Boston. At its new headquarters, GE will have roughly 800 people, including about 200 from corporate staff who will move from Fairfield. The other 600 will be digital industrial product managers, designers and developers split between GE Digital, Current, robotics and Life Sciences, the company said. Among the 800 employees that had been in Fairfield, aside from the 200 going to Boston, about another 200 are headed to Norwalk in space being freed up following the sale of GE Capital. The fate of the remaining workers is uncertain. Going forward, GE plans to be an active part of the Boston community, Klee said. We believe that Boston can capture future growth in important new innovation in the industrial internet and advanced manufacturing. In addition, the GE team plans to bring a spirit of volunteerism and generosity to community efforts. hbailey@ctpost.com; 203-330-6233; @hughsbailey This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARTFORD A campus expansion at a Bridgeport community college, a railroad overpass in Stamford and a reconstruction project on Interstate 95 will all benefit from $750 million in capital investments approved Thursday by the State Bond Commission. Housatonic Community College is reaping about $3 million to put the finishing touches on its new campus addition. The $45 million expansion includes a four-story, 46,000-square-foot addition that is being built onto the recessed main entrance. The project also will include a renovation of the 36,000-square-foot Lafayette Hall. The $2.96 million allocation is to purchase new furniture and equipment. The 18-month project will give the college a new Welcome Center to streamline enrollment and class registration. In Stamford, $21.4 million will go for relocating utilities during reconstruction of the railroad overpass on Atlantic Street. The project includes replacement of the railroad bridge over Atlantic Street, as well as the lowering of the street itself to create vehicle headroom. As you know, transportation investment will help us build our economy, and modernized infrastructure is critical to attracting businesses, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy told reporters after the commissions monthly meeting. Overall, this project will improve the geometry of the traffic flow of Atlantic Street, providing additional travel lanes and improved pedestrian circulation in the vicinity of the Stamford Transportation Center, said Malloy, who served 14 years as the mayor there. Also included in the bond money: reconstruction of the Interstate 95 northbound Exit 8 off-ramp; and a new platform and track at the station for the New Canaan Branch. The relocation of cables and utilities has now begun, Malloy said. Partisan squabble During the Thursday meeting, in a rare public exchange that turned sharply partisan, Malloy, who runs the commission, and Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich, a member of the 10-person panel, argued over the extent of state debt. The Democratic governor charged that Republicans want to both oppose long-term borrowing, then claim credit for individual projects. Frantz, ranking member of the legislative tax-writing Finance Committee, warned that bonded debt is reaching high levels at a time when three rating agencies are downgrading Connecticut. Were getting close to between $1.8 billion and $2 billion for the calendar year, Frantz said in a packed first-floor meeting room in the Legislative Office Building. Last year, $650 million was invested in school construction out of nearly $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds issued. In 2007, when $715 million in school construction work was approved, the total allocated bonds was less than $1.3 billion. Over the last three years, record levels of bonding was approved including nearly $1.8 billion in 2013, $1.9 billion in 2014 and about $2.5 billion last year, nearly twice the level of 2007. The Legislature, certainly under your leadership, could take up whether they want to fund $500 million to $750 million a year in school construction costs, Malloy said. Im not advocating that thats an appropriate response, but it is something that tends to drive our expenditures on a bond-indebtedness basis to a further extent than many other states. We need to make investments in our state. Republicans on this committee routinely support 95, 96, 97 percent of the requests. If you really feel this is endangering the state, go on the record. Malloy noted that a new report ranks Connecticut the 10th worst in the nation for bridges. That didnt happen overnight, Malloy said. It happened because people in this room, other years, spent too little on investing in the infrastructure of this state. Reimbursing the rich The commissions monthly agenda included $500 million in state-supported school construction grants and $120 million for clean-water projects throughout the state. Water quality is worth protecting, Malloy continued in his comments toward Frantz. We dont want our systems to fail with either clean water or dirty water. Frantz said that hes been on the record every couple of meetings complaining about the mounting state debt and his general, if not specific, opposition to individual projects. You almost never say youre opposing anything, Malloy countered. Theres no one in this audience that thinks you voted against these things. Its only in your mind that you constructed that interpretation. It does not exist anywhere else. I just didnt want anyone to think that the Republican Party is the party of no, Frantz said. I dont know what youre talking about, Malloy quipped to the laughter of the audience of governmental functionaries, department heads and elected officials. Outside, speaking with reporters, Malloy continued his harangue against Frantz and Republicans. If Republicans dont want to spend a lot of money, then lets stop reimbursing communities that are relatively wealthy for building schools, Malloy said. Now that would be a real position for them to take, but I dont see them taking it. We have relatively wealthy districts that receive the same reimbursement rate as communities that have two times their mill rate. kdixon@ctpost.com; This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARTFORD A few years back, Connecticut and New York were the only states that treated 16-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. But since the age was finally raised in 2007, arrests have been sharply reduced and crime has plummeted. Now, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wants to enact a four-year phase-in, raising the 17-year-old juvenile age to 20 by July 1, 2019, to cut down on crime, lower the prison population and reduce recidivism. A major theory on the reforms includes research that shows developing brains can make bad, sometimes life-changing decisions for youngsters who end up in the justice system. But the proposal got some stiff opposition Wednesday from Republicans on the legislative Judiciary Committee when the issue was the subject of a daylong public hearing. We recognize a system of mass-incarceration isnt working, said Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the committee. The one thing jail is really good for is how to teach people to be better criminals. More Information If enacted, legislation would raise Connecticut's juvenile justice jurisdiction to age 18 on July 1, 2017 To 19 on July 1, 2018; and 20 on July 1, 2019. Between 2008 and 2014, the number of 15 to 19-year-olds arrested in the state fell 54 percent. In 2008, 6,624 17-year-olds were arrested. In 2014, 2,627 17-year-olds were arrested, a 60-percent drop. *Source, the state Juvenile Policy and Oversight Committee See More Collapse When we raised the age we were really draconian, said Sen. John T. Kissel, R-Enfield, ranking member of the committee. Now we want to be the leaders in the country, but it cant be because were violating out Constitution and cloaking our courts in secrecy. My concern is that 18-year-olds can vote. Eighteen-year-olds can go to war. He was worried about older teens accused of serious crimes escaping public court proceedings and their names kept out of newspapers. Constitutionally, our courts have to be open to the public, Kissel said. I think this bill has quite a way to go, in any extent. Karen Buffkin, Malloys chief legal counsel and Michael P. Lawlor, Malloys under-secretary for criminal justice in the state Office of Policy and Management, made the argument in favor of the bill. The case for raising the age is clear, Buffkin said. It will reduce crime, result in fewer victims and lead to fewer juvenile delinquents turning into adult offenders. The original raise-the-age effort has clearly had a positive impact. The governors goal is to reduce crime, said Lawlor, adding that judges would have the discretion to charge older teens in adult court. Rep. Rosa Rebimbas, R-Naugatuck, ranking member of the panel, said she was concerned about access for victims to witness Juvenile Court proceedings. Other parts of the legislation would change the way bail is assessed, in attempt to help low-income people who might be kept in pretrial detention for lack of a few hundred dollars. There are people sitting in jail now for three months on $500 bonds for minor misdemeanors, Lawlor said. Under the proposal, opposed by state bail bondsmen, a misdemeanor defendant or their families would have to only put up 10-percent of a bond. A similar provision was added to the New Jersey constitution last year and one is pending for New Mexico voters this November. Judges would have the option to withdraw the offer to defendants assessed to be a risk. Jeff Clayton, attorney and policy director for the American Bail Coalition, opposed the provision. It is not evidence-based, nor is it national best practices to base a bail decision solely on the charge, he said. These are fairly serious crimes, including criminally negligent homicide, stalking and abuse of the elderly. This is far from a national trend. Its going to be a big uphill climb, said Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, a strong advocate for the original increasing of the age to 17, who believes the odds might be against the bills passage this year. kdixon@ctpost.com; BRIDGEPORT Standing before a judge Thursday, Rodolfo Revello said he was only concerned about the welfare of his 7-year-old son. However, Trumbull police said that was in stark contrast with the hell the 43-year-old Revello put his ex-wife and two children through on March 12, forcing his way into their home, choking his ex-wife, attacking his stepson and fleeing with his 7-year-old son. Superior Court Judge Maureen Dennis ordered Revello held in lieu of $500,000 bond and continued the case to April 5. He is charged with second-degree kidnapping, second-degree larceny, violating a protective order, strangulation in the second degree, second-degree assault, threatening criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. On Sept. 1, a judge had issued Revello, a convicted drug dealer, a restraining order against any further contact with his former wife. But on March 12, apparently after going on a drinking binge, Revello went to his former home on Unity Road shortly before 4:30 a.m., police said Police said his 18-year-old stepson awoke to sounds from the attic to discover Revello trying to descend a drop-down staircase. The teen managed to keep the staircase from coming down and Revello climbed back out of the attic and then began kicking the front door, police said. The teen opened the door and police said Revello went straight to his ex-wifes bedroom. The woman told police she awoke to find Revello standing in the room, smelling of alcohol. They said she asked Revello if he had been drinking and he replied: What the (expletive) does that matter, and began hitting her in the face and pulling her hair. Police said he grabbed his ex-wife by the face and tried to pull her jaw off and then started choking her. The teen managed to get Revello off her, police said, but Revello then ran down the hallway and retrieved a knife from the kitchen and walked back to the mothers bedroom. Police said the teen wrestled the knife away from Revello as the mother leaped out the window and hid behind some bushes in a neighbors yard. Revello then fled the home with the 7-year-old and about $500 in cash and some jewelry, taking off in a white van, police said. An Amber Alert was broadcast for the boy and he was later found at a relatives home in Queens, N.Y. Revello was arrested in the Bronx on Wednesday by U. S. Marshals. STAMFORD A completely unfounded rumor about a student possibly bringing a gun to Dolan Middle School recently led to a police investigation and a mothers charges that anti-Muslim bias was involved. Hoda Metwally, the mother of an eighth-grader, said the situation began earlier this month when her son overheard two boys in a his social studies class say another boy, looks like the kind of kid who would bring a gun to school. Her son later approached the boy who was the subject of the comment to reassure him they were just joking, Metwally said. Metwallys son then told a friend about the incident on the bus ride home that day, she said, and that conversation sparked the rumor. Dolan Principal Charmaine Tourse investigated along with police and notified parents in a March 7 email that the talk of the gun was just a rumor. I want to assure you that after a thorough investigation, it was determined that these rumors were the result of a very unsuitable joking conversation among students, Tourse wrote. Those involved will be disciplined and the entire student body has been informed of the dangers this kind of communication can have. In the course of the investigation, Metwallys son and the boy the comment was made about were called into Tourses office. The principal talked to him for five consecutive periods, Metwally said. My son missed five classes. She regarded him as someone who spread the rumor. She said my son and the boy who was picked on played a huge part in it. Metwally said she learned later that day the police also had questions for her son. The police officer continued to ask the same questions the principal asked, said Metwally, who was present during the officers interview. Metwallys son told the officer he didnt know who started the rumor. Metwally said the officer also asked for her son to describe the race and ethnicity of the boy who was the subject of the rumor. Metwally said her son thought the boy was French. Her son also revealed he was Muslim, Metwally said. Oh, well, see, thats information I need, Metwally recalled the officer saying. That response concerned Metwally, who said she believes her son was unfairly targeted for the investigation. Im Muslim, and my son is Muslim, she said. Im not sure what being Muslim has to do with this situation. Police did not respond to requests for comment. Tourse could not be reached for comment. But in an email to Metwally, Tourse said the mother misunderstood the officers remark. The officer stated he was concerned and wanted to make sure that none of the discourse was in any way related to any discriminatory behaviors, based on the students background, Tourse wrote. Metwally said she thinks her son was unfairly targeted. The issue comes amid heightened national tensions after Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump in December called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States. The district defended its actions, saying the steps taken were part of a standard response to these types of rumors. We take every reported behavior incident or threat of this nature very seriously by investigating and assessing the threat thoroughly, district spokeswoman Sharon Beadle said in an email. When warranted, we will involve the police. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD A Board of Finance member has called for the city to investigate the hiring of AMC Environmental, a firm that signs off on asbestos abatement work in the districts schools. AMC Environmental shares a Bridgeport business address with AFB Construction Management, the contractor that manages maintenance and repair contracts for the school district. Board of Finance member Sal Gabriele this week called upon City Controller David Yanik to investigate the hiring process that led to AMCs work with the district. I believe your office should conduct an audit to review the purchasing ordinance and the code of ethics to confirm that they were followed, he wrote in an email to Yanik on Tuesday. The email came after Gabriele mentioned the firm in a March 10 meeting of the boards Audit Committee. AFB CEO Al Barbarotta said he welcomed an audit. If Sal wants to do an audit, well give (the Board of Finance) whatever information they need, if thats what it takes to clear the air, he said. AMC has been the on-site consultant during the past year for asbestos abatement at Stamford High School and Rippowam Middle School. AMC was also among the firms involved in water testing at Turn of River Middle School after a water main break earlier this year. The company, founded in 2007, lists AFBs Bridgeport address on Clinton Avenue as its own on state filings. Barbarotta said in January AMC was his tenant. Gabriele said Wednesday the Controllers Office is investigating the issue. He expected the office to soon report back to the Audit Committee. Im hoping itll be done within the next couple of weeks, Gabriele said. Yanik did not respond to calls for comment. A spokeswoman for the mayors office said, there is not an audit (of AMC) at this time. Gabriele has previously called for audits of AFB. He most recently requested the Board of Education to audit the firm in July 2015, asking for an investigation into capital projects overseen by AFB. That request, however, never got off the ground. The finance board has little authority over the school board, and under the citys arrangement with the district, AFB is not involved with capital projects larger, long-term repairs and construction. Although Board of Education Vice President Gerrald Bosak and member Michael Altamura promised in their November 2015 election campaigns to have AFB audited, the school board has never conducted one. Bosak, who serves as chairman of the Fiscal Committee, said Wednesday he was aware of Gabrieles request. We will always welcome, in a collaborative fashion, the Board of Finance with its power to audit, to vet out anything that they feel is questionable, he said. We certainly want to engage with appropriate contractors. AMC Technologies, a Stratford firm, was founded in 1988, according to Connecticut Department of State Records. The records also show the company went out of business in 2009. AMC Environmental, which has the same Bridgeport addess as AFB at 622 Clinton Ave., was founded in 2007, state records show. Barbarotta said AMC Technologies and AMC Environmental are the same company. AMC Technologies was doing work 10 years before AFB got here, said Barbarotta, who added that AMC Technologies had a contract to manage asbestos in the district for years. I think this is a relationship that happened way before I came to the table, he said. esimko-bednarski@scni.com; 203-964-2215 Earlier this month, I told you about a new parent effort to bring charter schools to Nebraska, one of just eight states that dont have a charter school law . Soon after, the leaders of another group contacted me to say they have a different take: They are fighting any charter school attempts in Nebraska. Nebraska Loves Public Schools officials reached out to emphasize that not everyone wants charter schools. The group started an online petition on March 1 to show support for public schools, although the petition doesnt specifically state its opposition to charter schools. Sally Nellson Barrett, executive director of Nebraska Loves Public School, claims the petition has about 5,000 signatures. Charters schools are going to pull money away from public schools, and I think it puts our kids at risk, Nellson Barrett said. Theres no active state legislation for charter schools in Nebraska this year, and attempts in previous years have failed. But the debate over charters is alive and growing in the state. Gov. Pete Ricketts supports charter schools and signed a proclamation in support of National School Choice Week in January . A new group, Educate Nebraska , launched its initiative this year to push for charter schools, as KETV reported in January . Thats why the Nebraska Loves Public Schools group is ramping up its efforts to push back, Nellson Barrett said. Nothing is happening in this legislative session. It absolutely will happen next year, Nellson Barrett said. Her group started about five years ago with a grant from the Sherwood Foundation based in Nebraska to produce short and long documentary films highlighting the positive impact of public schools. But the group decided to branch out as the charter school movement began increasing advocacy in the state, Nellson Barrett said. A film, Consider the Alternative, was made and shown across the state to demonstrate the groups opposition to charter schools. The online petition drive was started this month, asking supporters to sign on to this statement: I pledge to love public schools and to show support for them however I can. Although Nellson Barrett said the group clearly opposes charter schools, theres no specific mention of charter schools on the pledges webpageand that was intentional. Instead, the group wanted to demonstrate widespread support for public schools as it gears up to fight charter schools. Also, the group is putting up billboards and paying for TV spots statewide. I think that most importantly, we are for things, not against things, Nellson Barrett said. We first want to rally support and just have people pay attention. The group is not parent-led, although many parents have signed the petition, Nellson Barrett said. But the group wants to get the word out that good things are happening, and can happen more, in public schools. What people say they want to do in charter schools is 100 percent possible in public schools, she said. Last year, Alabama became the latest to add a charter school law . Kentucky lawmakers are considering a charter-school bill this year. And Washington state may see the return of charter schools, after the states supreme court ruled that the original charter school law was unconstitutional . The legislature passed a new charter school bill , which is on Gov. Jay Inslees desk. Education Week will continue to track the charter school laws in Nebraska and beyond. Contact Sarah Tully at stully@epe.org . Follow @ParentAndPublic for the latest news on schools and parental involvement. Dont miss another K-12 Parents and the Public post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. WESTPORT The wrecking ball that threatened a dramatic last act for the former White Barn Theatre is on hold at least for four months while a group trying to save Lucille Lortels legendary showcase tries to raise $5 million to give the theater a second life. Negotiations culminated in a deal Monday at state Superior Court in Stamford to hold off demolition of the theater located in Norwalk, but maintained a Westport address to make way for a cluster housing project that a developer wants to build on a 15-acre tract straddling the border between the two communities. Waldo Mayo, the grandnephew of Lortel, who wants to preserve and re-open the theater, has established the Lucille Lortel and Waldo Mayo White Barn Foundation to advance the cause. Jim Fieber, the managing partner for 78 Cranbury, LLC, who purchased the property in 2006 for $4.8 million from the Lucille Lortel Foundation, was granted a demolition permit Wednesday by Norwalk Chief Building Official William Ireland. But he has to wait for the court-brokered agreement expires Aug. 1 before he can proceed with the housing project unless Mayo and his group raises $5.2 million to acquire the property before then. "Come Aug. 1 he (Fieber) can demolish the property, unless conditions are met," Ireland said. In the agreement,, Fieber has given an exclusive option until Aug. 1 to the Lucille Lortel and Waldo Mayo White Barn Foundation to purchase the property, according to Stephen Nevas, a lawyer representing the foundation. I was pleased to have made an agreement with Mr. Fieber. I think we can all agree that the White Barn Theatre and the land should be protected along with the buildings, which should be designated as landmark, Mayo said in an email. Mayo said he is confident the preservationists will be able to raise enough money to purchase the property, and is also aware they will have to raise more funds to proceed further in order to revive the White Barn. We know that we will need to raise more than the purchase price in order to restore the White Barn and create our program. We are in discussions with a number of parties which must remain confidential, Mayo said via email. The foundation last Friday filed for a restraining order in Superior Court to prevent demolition of the vacant theater. But after the agreement was reached Monday, the application for a restraining order was withdrawn, Nevas said. The White Barn has not staged a production in 14 years. Founded in 1947 by Lortel, who also produced and acted in numerous Off Broadway productions, the 148-seat theater over the years presented works by Eugene Ionesco, Edward Albee, Terrence McNally and Cy Coleman, and hosted the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. Fieber did not respond to comment despite repeated attempts to contact him by the Westport News. @chrismmarquette / cmarquette@bcnnew.com The North Carolina legislature passed a bill Wednesday that requires public school boards in the state to restrict which restrooms and locker rooms transgender students can use at school . Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed the measure later that night, making North Carolina the first state to restrict transgender students access to single-sex facilities that match their gender identity, potentially putting its schools at odds with the U.S. Department of Educations office for civil rights. South Dakota lawmakers passed similar restrictions earlier this year, but Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed their bill saying it interfered with local control and does not address any pressing issue concerning the school districts of South Dakota. The North Carolina bill also prohibits local anti-discrimination ordinances based on gender identity and sexual orientation, similar to one set to go into effect soon in Charlotte. Lawmakers acted quickly, introducing the bill and passing it through both chambers in a whirlwind one-day special session in hopes of stopping that local measure. The bill passed the states Senate 32-0 after Democrats walked out in protest Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, it passed the House 82-26. McCrory issued a statement after he signed the bill which largely focused on the Charlotte ordinance. This new government regulation defies common sense and basic community norms by allowing, for example, a man to use a womans bathroom, shower or locker room, the statement said. Although other items included in this bill should have waited until regular session, this bill does not change existing rights under state or federal law, it later added, without specifying which of the bills provisions were less urgent. While provisions related to local anti-discrimination ordinances got the most attention, parents, transgender students, and community leaders spoke about limits on school facilities use during committee meetings on the bill. That provision reads: Local boards of education shall require every multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility that is designated for student use to be designated for and used only by students based on their biological sex [defined elswhere in the text as "the physical condition of being male or female, which is stated on a person's birth certificate."] Nothing in this section shall prohibit local boards of education from providing accommodations such as single occupancy bathroom or changing facilities or controlled use of faculty facilities upon a request due to special circumstances, but in no event shall that accommodation result in the local boards of education allowing a student to use a multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility designated under subsection (b) of this section for a sex other than the student's biological sex." Advocates for transgender students have argued that such accomodations are also stigmatizing and that, under current federal civil rights laws, they should be allowed to use multiple-occupancy restrooms that match their gender identity. Sky Thomson, a 15-year-old transgender boy, told state lawmakers he felt bullied by their discussions. Imagine yourself in my place: Being a boy, walking into the ladies room, he said. Its awkward, embarrassing, and even dangerous. Still others argued that limiting restroom access is an important measure to protect North Carolinians right to privacy. Without clear rules on access, someone with bad intent could be somewhere where they dont belong, said Sen. Buck Newton, a Republican who sponsored the bill in the Senate. As Ive written previously, accommodations for transgender students can be a complicated issue for some school districts. The U.S. Department of Educations office for civil rights has said schools are obligated, under Title IX, to honor transgender students gender identity. That interpretation, which is not legally binding, is currently the subject of a lawsuit over transgender student restroom access that is before a federal court of appeals in Virginia. Related reading: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. What a delight to hear President Obama's intelligent case for his his outstanding nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick Garland. The president has set a very high bar for the Senate in his choice of a centrist judge of high repute across the political spectrum. Hopefully, the Republican majority in the Senate will find a way to rise to Mr. Obama's level. The president who has been instrumental in getting the economy on the right track, in preventing the country from getting caught in the quagmire of another war in the Middle East, in attacking terrorism with lethal might, in forging alliances abroad and in providing health insurance for millions without coverage has now brought some light to a very dark political season. Francis J. Luongo Easton 13,000 Arrested in 6 Weeks in Justice Department Sweep For six weeks this winter, while most of us were just going about our daily routines, the US Department of Justice, in conjunction with local law enforcement, was conducting a massive sweep of 12 cities, arresting 13,000 people. The action targeted repeat offenders that the DOJ considers most dangerous, including many murderers it turns out. Operation Violence Reduction, as this sweep was called, focused on cities where crime has been rising. In Baltimore, 23 people wanted for murder were arrested in less than two months, the Washington Times reports. And there are more impressive and scary numbers in this story. The Premise The DOJ explained that this operation was premised on the notion that a few bad apples ruin the bunch. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates told reporters, "This was not a dragnet-type operation designed to arrest anyone with an outstanding warrant. It was focused and targeted. That's because we know that the majority of violence in our communities can usually be traced to a relatively small number of bad actors." Yates stressed however that the fact that so many repeat offenders were back out on the streets with open warrants did not indicate a breakdown in the prosecution process. Rather, it means the DOJ is intent on getting "defendants who really are having a significant negative impact on the safety of our communities." The Numbers Operation Violence Reduction reportedly swept up 13,000 offenders, which is a lot of bad apples frankly, although perhaps not considering its scope. Targeted cities included Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; and New Orleans. And some of those who got swept up sound like they were not necessarily the intended targets. Officials said the six-week operation, which ran from February to March, brought in 8,045 fugitives targeted for open warrants for violent crimes and another 5,446 fugitives who were arrested in the course of the operations. Among those arrested, 559 were wanted for homicides and 946 for sex offenses, and 648 were known gang members. Reportedly no law enforcement officials were killed or seriously injured during the operation. But the fugitives did not fare as well. US Marshals officials said six fugitives died in shootouts with law enforcement and five committed suicide over the course of the sweep. Related Resources: Will the Government Know If I Get a Marijuana Card? Even if you live in a state that legalized marijuana for recreational use, and even if you have a prescription for medical marijuana, and even if you were never high on the job and only used marijuana in your personal time, you can still get fired for using marijuana. And if Comcast is allowed to fire a quadriplegic telephone operator in Colorado who used medical marijuana on his own time to treat violent muscle spasms, those with careers in education and public service are understandably a bit nervous about getting their own prescriptions or marijuana cards. So does getting a marijuana card put you on some government list? And will your employer find out? Medical Privacy For just obtaining a doctor's marijuana recommendation, joining a collective to obtain marijuana, or getting a marijuana ID card, there are a few layers of privacy protections: Doctors: If you go to your primary physician or a clinic, doctors and medical personnel are required under both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and doctor-patient confidentiality rules to maintain the privacy of your medical records. Marijuana Collectives: If you go to a collective or shop for marijuana or THC products and they ask for a driver's license or Social Security number, stores are required under most state law to protect that information. State ID Cards: In states like California that allow you to obtain a state medical marijuana card, public employees are required to maintain the privacy of patient records. So, in some sense, yes -- the government will know you have a medical marijuana card because you asked the government for one. But generally speaking, merely obtaining a medical marijuana recommendation or prescription should not alert the authorities, and your medical and personal information should remain private from both your employer and law enforcement. Marijuana Publicly That said, there are other ways your marijuana card could get on the government or your boss's radar. You'll probably want to avoid posting anything regarding your medical marijuana use to social media. And even though you may be allowed to possess marijuana for medical use, you can still get a DUI for drugged driving. Of course, your employer may be able to drug test you for work. And because marijuana is still prohibited by federal law, that may be enough to fire you. Marijuana laws vary by state and are constantly changing. If you'd like more specific information on medical marijuana in your jurisdiction, you can contact an experienced drug crime attorney near you. Related Resources: Somerset jury finds two of three defendants guilty of murder Now in its fifth day of testimony and seventh day overall, the double murder trial taking place in Somerset County is now over. The jury decided. Leesburg Electric: With prices soaring, late fees are being waived Prices are up, so Leesburg Electric has decided that, as of Oct. 1, late fees will be waived. Chipotle's Social Media Policy Found Illegal Corporations want engagement from their customers on social media. But they don't want labor complaining about them or their policies online. Doing that got one worker at Chipotle fired and now has the fast-food chain in the spotlight yet again. An administrative law judge in Pennsylvania has ordered Chipotle to pay James Kennedy for lost wages, offer to rehire him, and to change and clarify its social media rules, according to the Associated Press. What does that mean for the rest of us? Nothing Is Free James Kennedy, 38, was fired from his job when he responded to a customer's grateful tweet about a free food offer. He tweeted back, "@ChipotleTweets, nothing is free, only cheap #labor. Crew members make only $8.50hr how much is that steak bowl really?" A supervisor showed Kennedy the company's social media policy, which reportedly banned any disparaging, false statements about Chipotle. He deleted his tweet after this but was fired two weeks later for circulating a petition regarding worker breaks. His manager testified that she feared that Kennedy -- a war veteran -- would become violent after arguing with her about the petition. Administrative law judge Susan Flynn found Chipotle's social media policy to be illegal and ordered the company to acknowledge as much, posting signs informing employees that they had violated labor laws. Chipotle did not respond to requests for comment immediately after the ruling. Kennedy Moving On Kennedy was represented by the Pennsylvania Workers Organizing Committee and received support from the National Labor Relations Board -- his was one of many cases regarding the social media rights of workers protesting wages and working conditions that the NLRB considered. Meanwhile, Kennedy has found other work. He says he is happy laboring at an airline now and that he will accept some of his back pay in the form of food vouchers. Perhaps he was feeling generous after the judge vindicated him, as Kennedy told reporters, ""You cannot deny that their food is delicious, but their labor policies were atrocious." What Does This Mean? As this case shows, just because a company has a policy, it doesn't mean that the demands in it are all legal. This is a great reminder to business owners to review your social media policy and ensure it is not too restrictive, as well as to think deeper. If working for you is so great, why fear what your workers will say? Talk to a Lawyer If you are concerned about the legality of your social media policy, or don't have one in place and now think you should, speak to a lawyer. An attorney can review the rules and ensure that you are doing right by workers and your company. Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Google+. Related Resources: Liability for Drug Overdoses Drug overdoses can be anything from simple mistakes to suicide attempts and they can have tragic consequences. In some cases those consequences can extend to dealers, friends, or family of the person who overdoses. Some states have begun prosecuting drug dealers with murder if a customer overdoses, and others are bypassing Good Samaritan protections and charging friends who dial 911 for overdosing friends with drug crimes. And beyond possible criminal charges, could you be sued if you gave someone drugs that led to a deadly overdose? Or if someone overdoses in your house? Here's a look at civil liability for drug overdoses. Wrongful Death If an overdose is fatal, the surviving members of the victim's family may file a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death lawsuits are based on the belief that a person's death was due to misconduct or negligence of another person, and have three main elements: That a person has died; That the death was caused by another's negligence, or intent to cause harm; and That surviving family members suffered monetary injury as a result of the death. In the case of a fatal overdose, the decedent's estate would need to show that the person would not have overdosed if not for another person's negligence or that another person intended the person to overdose. While this may be difficult to prove of friends or other family members if they were participating in the same drug activity or knew it was happening, it may be easier to prove of drug dealers -- in some cases doctors have been held liable for patient overdoses and the same legal theory could apply to dealers. Social Host Liability If a person overdoses in someone else's house or business, it's conceivable the home or business owner could be liable. Known as social host liability, states have enacted laws holding party hosts liable for any alcohol-related injuries that occur as a result of providing alcohol to minors. It's possible this kind of liability could be extended to adult victims of overdoses, whether those drugs are legal or not. Sorting out who is and isn't at fault for an overdose can be difficult, both emotionally and legally. If you have more questions about drug overdose liability, you may want to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney near you. Related Resources: Austin Anderson University of Memphis student senate was one vote shy of passing a controversial anti-gun bill. University of Memphis student senate was one vote shy of passing a controversial anti-gun bill Thursday. A The bill attempted to speak on behalf of the U of M student body by saying athat the students do not support Guns on Campus Bill.a A The Guns on Campus Bill is working its way through the Tennessee legislature. If passed, it will allow employees of any state college or university to carry a concealed gun on campus provided they also had a Tennessee gun permit. Some members of U of Mas student government responded by writing a bill against the Tennessee bill. Student government does not have the power to stop the Tennessee legislature, but they hoped to show that university students did not want the Guns on Campus Bill to pass. Student senators Birjush Kumar and Kenny Faulk were behind the proposed student bill that served as a protest against the state governmentas bill. aPolice are the ones who are assigned to protect, so if they are failing, we need to solve that problem,a Kumar said. aIf you are looking for a solution, you need to get to the root cause and fix that.a But when the opposition bill hit student senate, only seven senators voted in favor of the bill, one vote short of meeting a majority. Four senators voted in against and four abstained. A Kumar, co-sponsor of the bill, left before voting began, so it is possible that the bill could have passed.A A Even though the student bill nearly passed, this was a victory for Students for Concealed Carry, said Stuart M. Dedmon, 22, U of M student and state director of the organization. A aWe are a non-partisan group, but we know that most people on campus tend to lean left, which means they donat necessarily support concealed carry,a Dedmon said. aI consider this a victory.aA A Before the student bill was voted on in senate, Dedmon spoke to SGA about the goals of Students for Concealed Carry. He said students and faculty that have a carry permits do not pose a threat to college campuses. A aThere are actually nine states that have already passed this, and in all of those states there have been absolutely no issues as far as a spike in crime,a he said. A During the 2015 legislative session, Texas' legislature passed the bill, making it the most recent of the nine states that permit guns on campus. The legislation will take effect in August 2016. A aWe believe students who have their permit and are allowed to carry and conceal in other parts of the state should be able to do the same on campus and have the same level of protection like those other states.a A Many of the student senators present discussed the pros and the cons of the proposed bill before voting. A Ashley Courtney, a sophomore senator, said she is for the state bill passing and thinks all students and faculty would benefit from it. A aAs a woman, I feel like when Iam walking in the parking lot and someone is trying to attack me I canat be like aOh hold on donat rob me, let me call police services first,aa she said. aI would feel a lot safer knowing I could reach in my bag and have a weapon.a A Because the proposed student bill did not pass with a majority vote, it will likely be brought up again on March 25, the last student senate meeting of the semester. When Can I Sue an Employer for Racial Discrimination? It's pretty well settled by now that employers can't discriminate based on race. But that doesn't mean that racial discrimination in the workplace doesn't happen. The hard part can be identifying discrimination when it happens and then proving it in a complaint or a lawsuit. So what are your legal options if a current or prospective employer discriminated against you based on your race, and when can you exercise them? You Got ID? The first step is being able to identify racial discrimination when it happens. Obviously, a refusal to interview or hire candidates based on their race can be discriminatory. But there are also signs of employment discrimination that can occur after a person is hired: A minimum of diversity in the office; Placing employees of a certain race in specific roles; Passing over employees of a certain race for promotion; Consistently giving employees of a certain race poor performance reviews; and/or Alienating employees based on race. Identifying racial discrimination and gathering evidence in the workplace may be the most important part of any discrimination claim. You Got a Charge? Before filing a lawsuit against an employer, you may first need to file a complaint or charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is the federal agency in charge of handling the majority of federal employment discrimination claims, and is often the starting point for any legal action. Be aware that there are deadlines to filing an EEOC discrimination complaint: victims have 180 calendar days to file a complaint, after which you may be barred from suing for discrimination under federal law. (There are, however, some state or city laws than can extend this deadline to 300 days.) You Got a Lawsuit? After investigating your claim, the EEOC will either resolve your case or clear you to file a discrimination suit. There are certain considerations when filing a lawsuit, like whether to file in state or federal court, and civil lawsuits can be long, complicated procedures. If you believe an employer has discriminated against you based on your race, and are thinking of filing a racial discrimination lawsuit, you may want to consult with an experienced civil rights attorney first. Related Resources: Lifestyle | Daily Life | News | The Sydney Morning Herald Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss HELLO GLASTONBURY! When did pop stars start saying Hello Glastonbury! or Hello Guildford!, addressing the venue rather than the people gathered there? Contemporary etiquette dictates that fans are meant to cheer when a pop star says Hello Glastonbury! (or, more accurately, Hello GlastonBRAY!). This is the way they signal their approval with the stars in question for having taken the trouble to remember where they are. When did pop stars start saying Hello Glastonbury! (pictured) or Hello Guildford!, addressing the venue rather than the people gathered there? My days of festival-going are over, but if a star ever said Hello Glastonbury to me, Id shout back: But my name is not Glastonbury! I am a person, not a place! Theres no point saying hello to a place! I know this is a silly irritation, but then irritations only irritate because they are silly: compounded of anything more serious, irritation turns into grievance and, finally, fury. Clearly, only the most long-winded or conscientious pop star would try to counter this irritation by reading a roll call of the 50,000 or so individual members of any given audience. But wouldnt a simple Hello or Hello everybody suffice? Where did this Hello Glastonbury linguistic tick originate? I suspect it is a hangover from the days when comedians or all-round family entertainers would say Anyone here from Barnsley? and a group of customers in the back of the circle would yell back in excitement at their home-town being given a mention. This tradition died some time in the Sixties. If you watch the film of Woodstock, very few of those late Sixties stars make any sort of effort at all. For the most part, they just slouch on to the stage without glancing at their audience. They then spend an amazingly long time tuning up, before mumbling One, two, one, two into their microphones and getting going with their interminable guitar solos. Happily, those off-hand days are over. At least todays pop stars issue some sort of greeting. Better Hello Glastonbury than no hello at all. UMBRELLAS After finishing a lecture in Prague, Albert Einstein was ready to venture out when a student rushed up to him. Herr Professor! he said. Take your umbrella, its raining outside! But Einstein knew better than to take his advice. You know, my good friend, he replied. I often forget my umbrella, so I have two of them. One is at the house and the other I keep at the university. Of course, I could take it out now since, as you say quite correctly, it is raining. But then I would end up with two umbrellas at the house and none here. Accordingly, Einstein set off into the rain, leaving his umbrella behind him. Some may consider this a story about a dotty professor who allows sense to be over-ridden by logic. But, for me, it shows Einstein was able to use his great intelligence to penetrate to a truth beyond convention in this case, that umbrellas are peculiarly irritating objects, which never quite serve their purpose. Though the design of everything else from cars to kettles, from telephones to lunar modules has been updated, the terrible design of the umbrella has remained exactly the same for the past 200 years. And this is why, as a pedestrian on a rainy day in any town or city, you are liable to have your eye poked out. Einstein was able to use his great intelligence to penetrate to a truth beyond convention in this case, that umbrellas are peculiarly irritating objects, which never quite serve their purpose For some reason, the average umbrella, when opened, still has a circumference of sharp metal prongs sticking out at regular intervals, generally at eye-level. This makes it a particularly grim form of weapon, employed by the self-absorbed to terrorise the unwary passer-by. This also applies, in miniature, to the cocktail umbrella, so that, these days, you are never even safe indoors. In recent years, umbrellas have got a little smaller and neater, but this has only served to make them all the more lethal. Nowadays, just one person can fit beneath them, leaving any companion running along in the rain, trying to make sure to dodge the sharp prongs that are jutting into his face. Umbrellas, for all their vast expanse (and expense), never keep the rest of your body dry, apart from the head. Hats do the same job much better and are not in the least bit dangerous. And the moment you get umbrellas indoors, they demonstrate a unique capacity to drench the place, leaving great pools of water everywhere. Safer out of the EU: Sir Richard Dearlove As the former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove knows as much as anyone alive about the practical details of intelligence work in the fight against terrorism. So when he comprehensively demolishes the security case for remaining in the EU, voters should surely take notice. Indeed, Sir Richards intervention, based on his years of experience as the real-life M, casts grave doubt on the scaremongering of those such as Theresa May, who claim Brexit would expose us to greater danger from jihadis. Far from harming us, he says, withdrawal would bring us two potentially important security gains giving us greater control over our borders, while allowing us to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, which puts huge obstacles in the way of extraditing extremists. As for the European Arrest Warrant, cited by the Home Secretary as a reason for her support of Britains membership, he points out that it has been focused chiefly on conventional criminals, adding: Few would notice its passing. Sir Richard is persuasive, too, when he argues that we give our partners far more information than we receive in return. It is therefore inconceivable that they would wish to break off the relationship just as Germany would never withhold intelligence about a planned attack in Britain because we were not in the EU. Yesterday, Boris Johnson revealed new research by the Commons library, suggesting almost two-thirds of British laws start life in Brussels. With the security case for membership so forensically undermined and the economic arguments looking weaker by the day isnt the remain camp fast running out of reasons why we should go on allowing unelected and unaccountable foreigners to dictate our laws? Words versus reality On Page One, we show a lorry crammed with 26 Iranians and Iraqis, stopped by police in Kent this week. On Page Four, we show others who spilled yesterday from a refrigerated truck 17 miles away, apparently after travelling from Spain. And these are only those who were caught. Indeed, its anyones guess how many others have succeeded this week in sneaking into the country and melting into the black economy. Dozens of migrants, including five children, were found travelling in a lorry near the Dartford Crossing, Kent Migrants who spilled from a refrigerated truck in Canterbury this week, apparently after travelling from Spain Dont these pictures make a mockery of official migration figures, purporting to chart the full scale of the crisis? Meanwhile, the Council of Europes Latvian human rights commissioner rebukes British ministers, instructing them never to speak of illegal migrants. David Cameron and Mrs May should call them irregular instead, he says. How pathetic. How fatuous. The continent faces its gravest migration crisis since the war, and the commissioner witters about the need for euphemisms. When will the EU wake up to reality? Law unto themselves A bill for 420,000 is presented by Cherie Blairs law firm to an agency of the corrupt Maldives government. Yet half of it is paid, using allegedly stolen funds, by a suspected conman now on the run. You might think this would set alarm bells jangling over a breach of the solicitors code, which seeks to stop lawyers cashing in on laundered money. Yet extraordinarily, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has closed its secret inquiry, taking no disciplinary action. One question: why? Since Lord Justice Levesons inquiry, the Press has become the most strictly regulated in the free world. Yet this paper has still been able to unearth deeply disturbing evidence about this case. The Queen distributes four silver coins for Royal Maundy to 180 deserving men and women today at Windsor Castle. Its the first time there since 1959. Last year it was Sheffield. She did Wales in 1982, Northern Ireland in 2008 and every cathedral in England since 1952. It was expected HM might take the Maundy to Scotland for the first time this year. So why not? Perhaps the monarch has tired of the one-more-referendum-and-well-be-out-of-the-UK Scots Nats, says my source. The Queen at the annual Maundy Thursday Service, held at Guildford's Cathedral, Surrey. This year she will hand out the silver coins at Windsor Castle - for the first time there since 1959 Prune-faced rocker Sir Mick Jagger, 72, proud of his 28in waist, confides that model Kate Moss, 42, is unable these days to squeeze into one of his pink stage outfits from 1971. Discussing a new exhibition of Rolling Stones memorabilia at Londons Saatchi Gallery, he digs a deeper hole for himself by adding: You change shape a bit when you get older maybe you get a bit more muscly. Chancellor George Osborne smiles with relief as the PM hoses him with praise in the Commons. And hasnt his Caesar haircut improved? Belgravia-based stylist Stephen Casali was summoned to Westminster prior to the Budget. Despite his dazzling skills, he charges a cheap-as-chips 57 for a gentlemans cut. But I expect that another client, the elaborately coiffed Duchess of Cornwall, pays a little more. Attractive Tory life peeress Karren Brady, 46, defends Madonna, 57, in the latters custody battle over her teenage son, Rocco, with ex-husband Guy Ritchie, 47, saying she looks fantastic and adding, on Twitter: There is a special place in hell for women who dont help other women! Is there one for those who suck up to showbiz celebrities? Carrot-haired Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint, 27, who appeared in recent photos to have acquired panda eyes after social gallivanting, has said that a lot of drunken people pick you up and do crazy things, so now I wear a horse mask. He should consider wearing it full time. Prince Harry has dethroned Elvis Presley as Nepals most popular personality after his very successful visit. Theres now talk about installing our spare heir as a Gurkha regiment colonel. Meaning hell be presented with a kukri, the ultra-sharp Nepalese machete designed for Gurkhas to chop off the heads of enemies in one smooth slice. Royal paparazzi beware! The Prime Minister played an important role in the cooling off of relations between the Queen and the BBC. Attractive Tory life peeress Karren Brady (pictured), 46, defends Madonna, 57, in the latters custody battle over her teenage son, Rocco, with ex-husband Guy Ritchie As Ive noted, HM was dismayed in 2000 when the corporation dropped plans to televise the 100th birthday pageant of the Queen Mother. So she was relieved when ITV came to the rescue and won a bumper audience for its troubles. It was all fixed up by Cameron, then a keen PR executive at ITVs Carlton Television franchise. When the world saw Kim Kardashian undertake a Vampire Facial, it sparked a whole new and rather gory - beauty trend. Scores of women, from Ferne McCann to Anna Friel, followed suit by drenching themselves in their own platelet-rich plasma, otherwise known as PRP, to turn back - or, at least, momentarily stop - the appearance of time by boosting collagen with fresh blood cell production. But, as yet, no famous faces have taken it as far as Charl Chapman, 48, and Nina Howell, 38, from Essex, who have become Britains first couple to undergo the procedure in a far more intimate place. Scroll down for video Charl Chapman (right) and Nina Howell (left) have become Britains first couple to undergo the platelet-rich plasma or PRP procedure down below in a bid to improve their sex life Dr Kannan Athreya performs the procedure at The Private Clinic in Shenfield, Essex Forget aphrodisiacs and little blue pills, this brand new therapy isnt just touted as the latest (and, allegedly, safest) remedy for sexual dysfunction. Its also a first for British aesthetics. Performed exclusively by Dr Kannan Athreya at The Private Clinic in Shenfield, Essex, the eyebrow-raising techniques are divided into the Orgasm-Shot, for women, and the P-Shot, for men. The former is designed to tighten and plump-up vaginal walls, while promoting sensitivity of the G spot, rejuvenate appearance and enhance arousal, while the latter offers men firmer, more intense erections. Combine the two and you have potential for some rather explosive bedroom shenanigans. But why would anybody want to undergo such personal preening in the first place, you might ask? Well, probably to tackle some of the thousands of sexual complaints presented to GPs across the country, each year. The very same woes which see millions of pounds spent on over-the-internet prescription medicines. In fact, according to the Sexual Advice Association, intimacy problems affect roughly 50 per cent of women - a number which skyrockets with age, meaning theres a definite demand. Nina Howell , a mother-of-four, says she wanted to restore her pre-childbirth tautness. The Orgasm-Shot - as it is known for women - is designed to tighten and plump-up vaginal walls, while promoting sensitivity of the G spot, rejuvenate appearance and enhance arousal' Not least because these latest, breakthrough procedures are largely low-risk and discreet. The treatments are relatively new in Europe, but they have been used for some time in the US with zero adverse effects, Dr Athreya said. I was on the first European training course for the O and P shots under the watchful eye of the inventor, Dr Charles Runels in July 2015, and they are already becoming increasingly popular over here. Like many women, Ninas concerns were representative of countless others in her peer group. A mother-of-four, she wanted to restore her pre-childbirth tautness. An issue thats seldomly discussed among yummy mummies. Charl and Nina from Essex wanted to improve their sex life after stress and childbirth took its toll She said: I delivered twin girls in 2012, a baby boy in 2013 and a second son in 2014, so it was a concern that I was too loose. All of my children were delivered vaginally, but I also had a large episiotomy, which resulted in a lot of painful scar tissue. 'Similarly, I had stress incontinence and Ive long been bothered by the appearance of my labia, so it seemed like the best treatment for me. Performed in much the same way as the Vampire Facial, blood is extracted from the arm. The O-Shot only differs - albeit crucially - when patients are asked to apply local anaesthetic around the labia, vaginal walls and clitoris. Whilst this is having an effect, the extracted blood is placed in a centrifuge machine, where its spun to remove the red cells and leave concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) - the magic ingredient. The pair now say that they have seen positive results from the treatment and feel more confident and satisfied in the bedroom A small amount of local anaesthetic is then injected below the clitoris to help numb, then the PRP is injected at the entrance to the vagina in the upper wall, where it pads out slack skin and renews damaged nerves. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some women report an initial instant arousal response, which then settles down until the PRP becomes more active three weeks later, when sensitivity is meant to improve for a longer time-frame. Patients are advised to have three sessions over five months for maximum results, with yearly maintenance top-ups. But, science aside, how does it feel to voluntarily have a needle in your nether regions - all for the purpose of passion? The injections to numb the treatment areas was fairly painful, I wont lie... but, after that, I suffered no discomfort whatsoever. And I feel much more confident down there. Nina Howell Nina said: The injections to numb the treatment areas were fairly painful, I wont lie. But, after that, I suffered no discomfort whatsoever. And already I feel much confident down there... just for addressing the issues which upset me.' Normally, each treatment lasts 30 minutes, meaning it could realistically be performed in a lunch hour, but Nina also opted to have a second procedure called the Mona Lisa Touch. Billed as a beneficial bolt-on to the O-Shot, it uses CO2 Laser to counter vaginal atrophy, which sees countless women suffer dryness, irritation, painful intercourse and incontinence - symptoms commonly experienced after childbirth or as a result of the menopause. When done in conjunction, the two non-invasive therapies are offered to firm, tone and re-sensitize, without the risks - or, at 1,000 per session - the costs of a so-called designer vagina. Once again, some report an improvement after the first treatment, but a hat trick over four months is recommended, with a single, yearly top-up. Dr Athreya says the laser fires thousands of tiny energy dots, which penetrate the vaginal lining. The heat dissipates in the tissue rapidly to allow the heat to dissipate in the tissues of the vagina. The body responds by setting off a mild inflammatory response. With this, new, younger tissue is created - fresh collagen, elastin and new blood vessels,' he said. The couple, pictured here with one of their children, opted for the bold new treatment beacuse it has minimal risks and down-time Within a week Charl had noticed a better erectile response, with the improvements continuing for over a month 'The result is a more flexible area, increased blood supply to the lining of the vagina, improving surface health and lubrication, while promoting the growth of the natural, friendly bacteria that prevents infection. Its also painless and requires no anaesthetic, which makes it a game changer, he added. And, according to Nina, it works. Ive definitely noticed quite quickly that the area of discomfort around the scar tissue was less painful, she said. I actually believe that my quality of orgasm has improved, too, with a degree of heightened sensitivity to the clitoris. Although it does help that I also have a very understanding and sympathetic partner. Charl, a dentist, had his own reasons for trying the procedure. He said: 'I had erectile problems at times in the past, when I was particularly stressed. But I suffered a mild heart attack in 2011 after extreme stress and pressure. 'As I have always tried to keep fit, it had gone undiagnosed until months later in 2012, upon which I had to have a double bypass operation. Nina also opted to have a second procedure called the Mona Lisa Touch. Billed as a beneficial bolt-on to the O-Shot, it uses CO2 Laser for the management of vaginal atrophy, which sees countless women suffer dryness, irritation, painful intercourse and incontinence - symptoms commonly experienced after childbirth or as a result of the menopause The medications I was on after that had a devastating effect on my erectile function. I had been receiving prescriptions for sildenafil (Viagra) which helped, but it was very expensive as they were not provided by the NHS at the time. I was a bit apprehensive about the injections in my privates, but it wasnt a hard decision - pardon the pun Charl Chapman 'Also, they need to be taken about an hour before you have sex, so spontaneity goes out of the window to a large extent. 'It didnt help the relationship either. So when I was offered the P-shot, I was keen. I was a bit apprehensive about the injections in my privates, but it wasnt a hard decision - pardon the pun. Much like the O-Shot, blood is collected from a vein in the arm, then used to collect the plasma. The PRP is subsequently injected into four points into the shaft of the penis, including the glans, which helps make it thicker and more responsive to stimuli. Its only slightly uncomfortable - certainly nothing like I expected, Charl explained. A few injections of local anaesthetic are administered which leaves the penis as numb as a dental injection does lips. The whole process probably takes about half an hour. Thankfully, he didnt suffer any adverse effects afterwards either. Surprisingly, it wasnt really painful once the numbness wore off. There is just a sort of awareness of it for a few days after, he said. Part of the aftercare involves using a pump to stimulate and erection, so that the healing response is optimal. Even this on the first day wasnt painful. It just felt like it does when youve had a passionate weekend. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A VAMPIRE FACIAL 'DOWN THERE'? Women: The eyebrow-raising technique is called the Orgasm-Shot for women The procedure is designed to tighten and plump-up vaginal walls, promote sensitivity of the G spot, rejuvenate appearance and enhance arousal Performed in much the same way as the Vampire Facial, blood is extracted from the arm and spun to create plasma Patients are then asked to apply local anaesthetic around the labia, vaginal walls and clitoris A small amount of local anaesthetic is injected below the clitoris to help numb, then the plasma is injected at the entrance to the vagina in the upper wall Men: Procedure is known as the P-Shot for men It offers men firmer, more intense erections Plasma is collected in a similar way to the Orgasm-Shot Then it is injected into four points into the shaft of the penis, including the glans This helps make it thicker and more responsive to stimuli Advertisement The original: Reality star Kim Kardashian sparked the rather gory beauty trend for the vampire facial in 2013 Within a week he had noticed a better erectile response, with the improvement continuing for just over a month. Naturally, his partner has also seen the benefits. Something which has strengthened their relationship. He said: Nina has definitely noticed an improvement in firmness and durability, all of which started creating a positive feedback loop which gave me more confidence anyway. The quality of orgasm improves too. Im not sure how much is due to the positive effect on the relationship, the higher level of confidence or the actual physical effect itself - probably a combination of those. But, because its a better quality erection, its a bit bigger too. Nina has been amazingly supportive throughout, which obviously makes a huge difference too. A committed, caring relationship is the best environment to deal with sexual dysfunction issues. 'Men dont talk about their sexual issues with other men - at least in my experience. So Its not something that comes up, but on occasion I advised other men to look into it. If someone were to ask me, Id say go for it! Nina would say exactly the same to women too. Prince Harry has admitted he finds it 'hard' to cope with the pressure that comes with being related to the Queen in an interview released for the first time today. He said he often feels as though other members of the Royal family are simply 'walking in her footsteps' as he hailed his grandmother's sense of duty as 'quite remarkable'. Harry, 31, was speaking as part of a new documentary which sees other members of the family give touching tributes to the monarch ahead of her 90th birthday next month. Prince Harry has hailed his grandmother the Queen as 'quite remarkable' in a touching tribute ahead of the Monarch's 90th birthday next month, admitting that he often feels as though he is 'following in her footsteps' Prince Harry chats to his grandmother the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony in June 2013 in London, marking the Queen's official birthday The new documentary follows family and friends reflecting on the Queen's life ahead of her 90th birthday In a new clip, which will appear in ITV's Our Queen At Ninety documentary this Sunday, the prince revealed: 'People always say: "Do you ever feel as though you're following in her footsteps?" And yes, that's exactly what we are doing. 'There is nowhere on this planet I can think of that she hasn't been in the last 90 years. 'She's been everywhere, and sometimes that's quite hard because you go to a place where she hasn't visited for 20, maybe 15 years, and you think to yourself, how can I ever fulfill this huge expectation that comes with her and being a member of her family?' And reflecting on his grandmother's famous 1947 speech, where she pledged her allegiance to the Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, Harry gushed: 'It's a hugely moving speech. 'It's just incredible to know that someone of that age appreciated and understood exactly what was expected of them, and to basically put duty ahead of everything else so early on in her life. It's quite remarkable.' New footage show Her Majesty The Queen at work in Buckingham Palace reading daily correspondence from her 'red box' of official papers - containing everything from cabinet minutes to state papers Another newly-released interview sees Sophie, Countess of Wessex commenting on her grandmother's sense of style. Speaking of the Queen, who often favours bright pastel colours and distinctive hats, the Countess said: 'When she turns up somewhere, the crowds are 15-deep and somebody wants to be able to say that they saw a bit of the Queen's hat when she went past. 'She needs to be able to stand out, for people to be able to say, "I saw the Queen".' The two-hour documentary will also feature interviews with Prince Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who touchingly revealed that her son George calls the Queen 'Gan Gan'. 'She needs to be able to stand out': Sophie, Countess of Wessex revealed that the reason behind her grandmother's distinctive fashion sense is that she wants well-wishers to be able to spot her in the crowd The two-hour documentary will also feature interviews with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured, with the Duchess touchingly revealing that her son George, now two, calls the Queen 'Gan Gan' Prince Charles, recalling a recent discussion, said: I was saying to my mother the other day, Do you realise that when you reach 90, I shall have known you for 68 years? She had to laugh a little bit' In a conversation at Clarence House, Charles, recalling a recent discussion, said: I was saying to my mother the other day, Do you realise that when you reach 90, I shall have known you for 68 years? She had to laugh a little bit.' New footage released today also follows Her Majesty on a Chinese State visit and arriving at Euston Station to take the 1.5million Queen's Messenger overnight train. She is also seen making preparations for a large State banquet for the recent Chinese State visit at Buckingham Palace's ballroom, with the narrator explaining that the Royal's attention to detail extends to the lighting and even the position of microphones hidden in the flowers. In another clip, the Queen is seen arriving at Euston Station at 11pm to board the private 1.5million Queen's Messenger overnight train. Speaking of his grandmother, Harry said: 'It's just incredible to know that someone of that age appreciated and understood exactly what was expected of them, and to basically put duty ahead of everything else' The Queen, pictured with grandson Prince Harry at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2013, is portrayed as a perfectionist who puts a huge amount of attention to detail into everything from banquets to school visits Prince Harry (bottom right) with his brother William, late mother Diana and grandmother the Queen, watching the Massed Bands of the Royal Marines Beating the Retreat over the Horse Guards Parade in 1988 Edward Young, deputy private secretary, described the attention to detail that goes into every royal engagement. 'For the Queen there's no such thing as an average engagement; every visit is very carefully planned for,' he explained. 'There's just as much preparation put into a visit to a school or a hospital as there is to an audience with the Prime Minister. Footage shows the monarch attending to daily paperwork that is delivered to her via her famous red box, a briefcase filled with Cabinet minutes, documents to read and sign. 'The Queen of course is head of the armed forces, the head of the Commonwealth, governor of the Church of England and of course Queen of 16 realms, not just the United Kingdom,' Edward Young explains. 'And this requires a great deal of active management.' Although her family can be chaotic, she enjoys having lots of kids How many children is too many? Two seems sensible, three looks stressful, four feels excessive and five is bordering on bonkers - unless you are a baby addict. I'm crazy for babies: they make me violently happy. I've still got baby fever 13 years after having the first one. I think about them every 20 minutes or so. Sometimes at home I absent-mindedly shush everyone in case they wake the baby - my youngest is four. I'm still broody at 47, which is why I am insanely jealous of Jools Oliver. The 41-year-old wife of Jamie has announced she's pregnant with her fifth child, due in August. And because I love babies the way some women love cats, I'm still hankering after 'just one more'. Although Lorraine Candy has four children, she still hankering for 'just one more' - although her family is already quite chaotic (stock photo) In Victorian times, families were usually ten children strong - Queen Victoria had nine. Even today, Britain has more four-child families than nearly all of Europe (we're one of them). Bigger families, for those who can manage it financially and emotionally, are on the increase, though it's not everyone's cup of tea. To be honest, there is as much shouting as there is laughing in a four-child family and the mess is on sixth-form common room levels. When you have a lot of children they attract more children. Our house is often as full of children we aren't related to as it is those we are. There were 11 children in the lounge on Friday. Our hallway looks like a church jumble sale, over-run with battered trainers and black hoodies. And we frequently run out of food, even though we stock more Rice Krispies and packets of biscuits than Asda. But while I yearn for another baby, I would do things differently fifth time around. It's a lie that parenting comes naturally; it's a hit-and-miss series of phases on the verge of going monumentally wrong at any point. But I have a small, but useful, list of tips, for any parents considering increasing their family. When you have a lot of children they attract more children. Our house is often as full of children we aren't related to as it is those we are. There were 11 children in the lounge on Friday First, tell everyone not to buy any soft toys from your third baby onwards. We have five binbags of unwanted soft toys in our loft, as well those stuffed under beds, in cupboards and in the back of the car. Short of hiring a skip, they are destined for landfill alongside all those hideous Croc shoes. Buy one, hard-wearing, gender-neutral coat early on that zips up at the back (they do exist) and pass it down the family, if you ever want to leave the house in under an hour. You always get the small one ready first, but by the time everyone's done, the small one has taken its shoes and coat off and is on the verge of an epic meltdown. The back zip will prevent this. Don't read more than one bedtime story to any child after your second one is born. We got trapped in a four-story routine and by the time we had the last baby, it was taking two hours to put everyone to bed (and reading The Tiger Who Came To Tea over 1,000 times a year is purgatory). Accept that no one wants to babysit four or more children, so you won't go out - ever. And if you do take all of them out at the same time on your own, people stare. One man once called me a 'feckless baby-maker' after rudely asking if all the children around the baby's buggy were mine and 'by the same man'. Give them short names; you won't have a lot of time to teach them to write their names when they go to school. Accept your house will never be tidy, your car will always smell 'unpleasantly funky', as one relative puts it, and your fridge will always be empty. In many ways parenting four or more children is easier than one as, by the third, they begin to look after and occupy each other. And finally, never bring a musical film into the house. I have had Disney's The Lion King theme in my head for more than a decade. We spend a third of our lives with our heads buried in a pillow. But now there are high-tech versions that claim to help you sleep better, feel healthier and smooth your wrinkles. Tanith Carey put them to the test. The Save My Face pillow is C-shaped at both ends, resembling a squashy spanner, so it supports only your temple and your jaw Smooth out sleep lines Save My Face Pillow, savemyface.com, 50 The claim: As we get older and our skin becomes less taut, many of us wake up to find the side of our face we have slept on is more creased. Three-quarters of us sleep mostly on one side and, according to dermatologists, this may result in deeper facial creases. Studies have also found that 'redistributing the pressure' while we sleep may prevent wrinkles. Placed on top of your regular pillow, the Save My Face pillow is C-shaped at both ends, resembling a squashy spanner, so it supports only your temple and your jaw. The skin around your eyes and cheeks is supposed to fall into the gap in the 'C' and is not squashed. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sarah Tonks, of Knightbridge's Omniya Clinic, says the idea is not entirely far-fetched: 'It could be true that if your face is scrunched against the pillow, you do get lines because of the compression although they tend to drop out over an hour.' Did it work? Well my husband Anthony did not appreciate a pillow, which poked him in the eye every time he rolled over. Also, the pillow was so small and slippery that by the next morning, it had disappeared on to the floor. Sleeping on a cool pillow helps to regulate the temperature of our heads and brains Stay cool in the heat of the night iGel Bliss Temperature Regulation Pillow, bensonsforbeds.co.uk, 59.99 The claim: When we wake up during the night, there is a good reason why we instinctively flip the pillow over to the cooler side: the temperature of our heads and brains needs to drop slightly in order to help us to fall asleep. If it gets too hot during the night, due to changes in room temperature or because of hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle or menopause, we wake up. A study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has found that a cool compress on the forehead can help to beat insomnia because it slows the activity of the frontal cortex one of the most important regions in the brain for controlling sleep. To keep your head at the optimum temperature for sleep, around 36c (97f), this pillow contains gel crystals that absorb the warmth away from your head. Did it work? As soon as I put my head on this plump and bouncy pillow, I felt a mild and refreshing cooling effect spreading around my head and cheeks, and I soon dropped off. Effective, but the downside is that the pillow cannot be washed because that would damage the gel filling. It can be relaxing to fall asleep to music, even as adults Drift off to your favourite tunes Sound Asleep Music Pillow, prezzybox.com, 14.95 The claim: Lullabies aren't just for children. One study has found that listening to relaxing music as we nod off improves sleep by up to 35 per cent. This pillow has a built-in round speaker which connects to your iPod or iPhone, so you can listen to music as you drift off. Did it work? In a world where we are plugged into electronic devices practically 24 hours a day, this pillow feels like the inevitable next step. Although it is best to keep your ear just over the speaker in the middle, you can't feel it and the sound quality is surprisingly unmuffled. Another plus was that I could hear the music clearly but my husband wasn't disturbed. Unfortunately, you can't wash this pillow either, because of the speaker inside, so as the British Sleep Council recommends replacing your pillow every two years, this one could have a limited shelf life. This pillow claims to reduce snoring by propping the sleeper's head at a higher angle Tilt your head to stop snoring Anti-snore pillow, direct.asda.com, 12 The claim: When we fall asleep, our throat muscles relax so that the airways become narrower each time we breath in. The snoring noise happens because of this narrowing of the throat. When you breathe in, the air is forced through the narrower air passage, which makes the soft palate the soft tissue at the back of the mouth vibrate. However, if you raise your head higher (usually by about 3 in) the airways do not collapse as much as when you lie flat. This pillow aims to keep the head at a higher angle because it contains a firm foam core that stops the head sinking down into it. Did it work? Thankfully, I am blissfully ignorant about my snoring, so I tried it on Anthony to see if it reduced the nightly cacophony I have to put up with from him. I noticed that, as he slept, the pillow kept his head at a higher angle. So on the nights he fell asleep first, I didn't need to dig him in the ribs as much to get him to roll over. The result was that I got a better night's sleep and woke up looking refreshed. The copper in this pillow claims to reduce wrinkles and make skin smoother Copper threads to banish crow's feet Copper Pillow, iluminagebeauty.com, 50 The claim: This pillow contains copper, a mineral needed by the skin to make collagen the webbing that holds the skin together as well as hyaluronic acid, which plumps it up. Tiny copper particles are woven into the fabric of the pillow case, which can slipped over any pillow. The claim is that as you sleep, the copper penetrates the upper layers of the skin, making it look smoother and more youthful in as little as four weeks. The copper is embedded into the threads so, the makers say, they will not wash out. Dr Sarah Tonks says that while this sounds fanciful, studies have been published that endorse the science behind it. According to the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, pillowcases containing copper led to a 'significant improvement' in wrinkles and crow's feet after a month. Dr Tonks said: 'I already have one myself, and I thought this was unlikely, too, until I tried it. In my case, I'd say that after about six weeks, my face looked smoother.' Did it work? The thought of a copper pillow summons up the idea of something cold and scratchy, but the pillow case is as smooth as satin. After a few weeks, I noticed my skin felt smoother in the mornings. Being able to watch any movie whenever you want let alone being able to actually make any movie you want is something that I never thought could be taken for granted. Growing up in the United States as I was, I just became accustomed to the idea that the only thing holding me back from seeing certain movies at the theater or renting them was an issue of age. Once I breached the 18-year-old mark, that was no longer a problem. The only thing holding me back from seeing a particular film was whether it was legally available - even then that stumbling block rarely stopped me for long. When you sit down to watch Jafar Panahi's film 'Taxi' you're immediately struck by the notion that you're seeing something few people have ever seen before. In point of fact, you're actually watching a man commit a crime for 82 minutes. Jafar Panahi is from Iran and because of his views against the government, he is actually banned from making and releasing films at all. 'Taxi' turns out to be one of the most beautiful and important criminal offenses I've ever sat down to watch. It's actually difficult to talk about 'Taxi' in narrative terms. This film isn't a documentary, even though it is set up to look like one, but is instead a look at Iranian life. A staged look to be sure, but there is an honesty to it that is remarkable and at times horrifying. For this film, Panahi sets himself up as an inexperienced cab driver who picks up fares in Tehran and drives them to their destination. Inside his Taxi, Panahi has discreetly placed small video cameras on the dashboard of his car in order to capture people and their thoughts in a seemingly innocuous way. As people enter Panahi's cab, they begin to express themselves in ways that they normally wouldn't be able to in their day to day lives. We meet a teacher who believes that capital punishment is too harsh and ineffective while the man sitting in the front seat admits to being a mugger says that capital punishment doesn't go far enough as a deterrent to petty crime. Later a bicyclist who has been hit by a car is brought in the cab with his wife. He's bloodied and crying out in pain sure that he is near death. While Panahi does what he can as an inexperienced driver to get the man to the hospital, the man pleads for a simple piece of paper so that he can explicitly write out his last will and testament because otherwise his wife would be given nothing. One by one, people enter Panahi's taxi cab, they share a few moments of their lives with a man they've never even met, maybe expound a little on the state of the world as they know it, and then they shuffle on. This film is a wonderful expose of Iranian life that we just do not get to see in this hemisphere very often. Sure, the film can feel a bit staged at times but it's also an incredibly brave act of defiance that is hypnotically engrossing. 'Taxi' is a film where you don't get a lot of time to see these various characters but in those brief moments, we learn a lot. I apologize if this review and analysis of 'Taxi' seems vague or inarticulate, but the film has left me in a bit of a trance. If it were a film that had been made in the United States, it would probably be viewed as clever and arty and would probably make some people swoon at art-house film festivals. But when you keep in mind that this film was conceived, filmed, edited, and released to the world illegally, you can't help but feel like you're witnessing something incredible. This movie doesn't even have credits because of its status as an open act of defiance to the Iranian government. I'm not one to usually define films as "art" because I feel the term is entirely too subjective and often misused, but Jafar Panahi's 'Taxi' is art. Art has the power to change your perspective on a topic, to pull out emotions and challenge your personal convictions. This movie does all of that and more. As free as we are, where we're allowed to see any film we wish, watch any television program or read any book without fear of reprisal, 'Taxi' is a beautiful reminder that there is a world out there where people don't get to live this way. Simply put, 'Taxi' is absolutely a must see film that should be experienced by as many people as possible. The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats 'Taxi' arrives on Blu-ray thanks to Kino Lorber. Pressed onto a Region A locked BD25 disc, the disc is housed in a standard Blu-ray case and opens directly to a static image main menu featuring traditional navigation options. Also included with this set is the essay "The Art of Defiance" by Jamsheed Akrami that is an absolute must read! This is not the first time wet nursing has sparked a discussion Some argued breastfeeding is a bond shared between mother and baby Most women were supportive, but others did not agree with the practice The online blogger received a mixed response from the post A Queensland mother has sparked an online debate after she posted a photo of herself breastfeeding her nephew. Meg Nagle, a lactation consultant who runs the blog The Milk Meg, posted the photo to her Facebook page on Tuesday. The post received more than 300 comments as people, mainly other mothers, discussed whether they agreed with breastfeeding another woman's baby. Divisive post: Queensland blogger Meg Nagle shared a photo to her blog of herself breastfeeding her four-month-old nephew Ms Nagel is a mother-of-three and is currently breastfeeding her 'almost four-year-old' once a day. She said the decision to breastfeed her four-month-old nephew was a 'last resort' as she has little milk left. 'While my sister was at work today I tried to give him a bottle of her expressed milk a few times (which he wouldn't take),' Ms Nagle wrote. 'I could see he was tired so I popped him on the boob and voila, he was asleep in minutes.' But while the majority of women said they were supportive of Ms Nagle's decision, others disagreed. Sharing opinions: The photo of Ms Nagle breastfeeding her nephew started an online debate, as people shared their opinions on wet nursing Positive response: The majority of women were supportive of Ms Nagle's decision to wet nurse, and shared their own stories 'I'm sorry. . Breast feeding is a personal bond between mother and child,' one woman wrote. 'Unless it's an urgent situation, I don't agree with it.' Another simple said: 'I think this is wrong'. A recurring argument was breastfeeding creates a bond between mother and child, and many women did not want to lose that intimacy. 'I'm all for it and I think it's great,' one woman wrote. Open for debate: Others disagreed with the practice and labelled it 'wrong', saying it should be a personal bond between mother and child Balanced argument: Others said while they were supportive of Ms Nagle's decision, wet nursing is not something they would be comfortable doing personally 'But personally I don't think I could do it and I wouldn't like someone else breastfeeding my child. 'I always said (while I was breastfeeding) that it was my one special thing that I had with my little one that no one can take away from me or do for me. 'But in saying that I would donate my breast milk if I was in a position too.' Joint agreement: Ms Nagle asked her sister if she was happy for her to breastfeed her son before doing so Positive response: Most women were supportive of wet nursing and described it as 'simply beautiful', 'amazing' and 'so sweet' Another questioned whether Ms Nagle's sister had given consent for her son to be breastfed. 'I do not mean this in a harsh way, I am just curious. Does your sister feels ok with it?' the woman asked. Ms Nagle replied: 'of course I asked her'. Most women were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea of wet nursing and many shared their own stories of breastfeeding another woman's child. Sharing their stories: Ms Nagle's post prompted other women to share their own wet nursing stories, with one woman saying it was the 'best thing ever' and put the baby straight to sleep Keeping it simple: 'I wish it was more socially acceptable to share feeding duties. So much easier than messing with bottles,' one person said 'I nursed a friend's baby when I was babysitting (with her okay),' one woman shared. 'Instantly put baby to sleep for a nap. Best thing ever! 'I wish it was more socially acceptable to share feeding duties. So much easier than messing with bottles.' Others agreed, with many describing the photo as 'simply beautiful', 'amazing' and 'so sweet'. 'Special bond': Pennsylvanian woman Jessica Anne Colletti shared a photo of herself breastfeeding her son and her friend's baby simultaneously Causing debate: Jessica's post, which was shared on a pro-breastfeeding page, left people divided 'The mother didn't have milk': In 2009 actress Salma Hayek nursed a newborn baby on a trip to Sierra Leone Wet nursing, while once a common practice, has in recent times become topic for debate. In August 2015, a Pennsylvanian woman shared a photo of herself feeding her 16-month-old son and her friends 18-month-old son simultaneously on a pro-breastfeeding page - a photo that left people divided. In 2009, actress Salma Hayek caused controversy when she nursed a newborn baby during a charity visit to Sierra Leone. Their erotic sex stories have been deemed too raunchy for Instagram. But social media stars Sally Mustang and Mitch Gobel are standing by their posts, with the firm belief that 'sex is art'. The Byron Bay couple, who have a combined 317,000 Instagram followers, share uncensored insights in to their sex life with erotic photos and stories. But Sally told Daily Mail Australia her posts are repeatedly reported and deleted from Instagram, she has had five posts removed in the past few weeks, leaving she and Mitch 'disheartened'. Scroll down for video #SexIsArt: Instagram stars Sally Mustang and Mitch Gobel share an erotic insight in to their sex life on social media Sexually explicit: Sally, who has 178,000 Instagram followers, has had her posts reported and deleted off social media Making love: Sally and Mitch were disheartened when Sally's posts were deleted, she has had five posts deleted in the past few weeks 'It's pretty ridiculous. I think the human body is beautiful. I also think sex is something we don't need to view as disgusting. It's love,' Sally told Daily Mail Australia. 'Depending on the way the image is taken, nudity can be extremely beautiful when photographed and I think it should be celebrated. 'The photo and post that was deleted by Instagram was a detailed description of a memorable sex experience we had shared together.' Despite admitting the post was uncensored and 'definitely not PG rated', Sally said they were shocked when the image was removed. Sharing their story: Their erotic stories remain uncensored, and Sally and Mitch both recount their sexual encounters from their own perspective Making art: 'I think the human body is beautiful. I also think sex is something we don't need to view as disgusting. It's love,' Sally said Rising star: Since she started sharing the explicit content online, Sally's Instagram following has risen by about 50,000 'It disappointed us': Because their posts continually get removed Sally and Mitch said they feel like they need to censor their future work, quashing their creativity 'Our creativity has never had limits or guidelines,' she said. 'It disappointed us that we were robbed of that, and now has further impacted how we have to write and post. Leaving certain descriptions and words out.' Sally and Mitch said they believed censoring on Instagram was purely to benefit children from being exposed to explicit content. 'But at the same time, if kids have access to the internet through a phone or whatever then they've got much easier access to not just porn but all sorts of violence and drug related issues as well,' they said. SALLY MUSTANG'S STORY The water went from warm to cold, warm to cold, warm to cold. 'Ooohh God' I screamed. As he guided the shower head over my body.. I was pushed up against the glass, his mouth against my ear... The first sign of the rising sun was showing on the horizon as I ran up the Stairs to our front door. I had just finished my morning run and was covered with sweat. I let out a soft sigh as I slipped inside the house I shared with my lover, @Mitchgobel_resinart. Mitch was brushing his teeth when I walked in. 'Do you mind if I use the shower' I asked smiling. I began to strip off my running shorts and sweat-soaked shirt as I hopped into the shower. All I wanted was to rinse off the perspiration that clung to my now naked body. I adjusted the water so it was cool, but not freezing and stepped into the shower. The water trickled down my body and over my groin and legs. I started to relax letting the water flow completely over me. My nipples hardening as the cool water washed over them. I was getting aroused. My hand finding my **** as I gently caressed and massaged myself.. I wondered if Mitch was watching? 'Close your eyes' he said. I shut them. Knowing exactly what this game consisted of. I waited, knowing that soon I would feel Mitch's body up against mine.. But I didn't, what I felt was his hand against my eyelids, his voice whispering in my ear 'keep your eyes closed, or I'll stop' he said sending shivers and tingles throughout my whole body. I could smell the minty freshness of his breath. I wanted to taste it.. Oh God I wanted to taste it. He started to guide the shower head over my body. His hands joining in, touching me. Grabbing at me.. Slowly he used the flow of the water to caress my most intimate areas. My head fell back against him, his movements getting faster and faster. His lips on my neck, then down my spine. 'Hands behind your back' he demanded. My hands went to his c***.. I couldn't wait any longer and apparently neither could he.. He slammed me against the glass. Desperate to connect our bodies and souls. I could feel his need to be together. It's what turns me on the most. That desperation of needing one another.. That uncontrollable feeling.. Love. Advertisement MITCH GOBEL'S STORY 'Do you mind if I use the shower?' she asked. I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth at the time, I looked at her, the cheeky grin on her face, her eyes and before I had the chance to answer she turned around, bent over in front of me then pulled her shorts and underwater off in one smooth movement. The rest of her clothes went flying around the bathroom and she jumped in, rubbing the water all over herself and subtly looking up to see if I was taking notice. I finished brushing my teeth, 'close your eyes' I said from outside the shower, and she did. I quickly dropped my shorts, opened the shower door and snuck in. I came up behind her, put my hand over her eyes an whispered 'You keep your eyes closed, or I'll stop' she nodded and replied with a 'mmhmmm'. I grabbed the hand held shower head and ran it over her body, starting from her neck, slowly down over her nipples. Then moving it as slowly as a possibly could without stopping, guided it down towards her **** as I got closer I could feel her getting more excited, her breathing got heavier and her legs started to weaken her body weight falling into the support of mine. Just as I was about to move the shower head over onto her, I whispered 'put your hands behind your back' she knew what I meant by this, grabbed my **** and gripped it tightly. I was excited, really excited, we could both feel it throbbing in the palms of her hands. Using my body weight I pushed her up against the glass, then moved the shower head down onto her, and started moving it around in little circles. As I did this she let out a huge breath and moaned. With my other hand I started rubbing her t**s then gently put my hand around her neck. She started pushing her a** cheeks up against me. I pulled away for a second and took my hand off her, then grabbed myself and slid inside her, my body weight pushing her back up against the wet glass. There is an art to the way she looks at me, smiles at me, the way she moves, the words she speaks and the way she says them. Her whole body just screams SEX without saying a word. She's creative in seduction and everything that goes with that. #sexisart Advertisement At one with nature: The artistic couple live in Byron Bay in northern New South Wales Salt and sand: Sally's bikini-clad lifestyle is the envy of many as she shares photos of herself by the beach Tropical lifestyle: The pair plan to release their own book where they can freely continue their Instagram saga Free love: 'Every time we write a sex scene together we both learn how the other felt, its had a great impact on our relationship,' they said Sally and Mitch first made headlines in February this year when they started to share insights in to their sex life online. The couple said planned to release their own book based on their Instagram sagas that would allow them to write freely without censorship. 'We love writing about our sex life. Every time we write a sex scene together we both learn how the other felt, its had a great impact on our relationship,' they said. A swanky London restaurant frequented by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Elton John and Kate Moss has cancelled a diner's reservation in a row over a doggy bag. Luisa Gottardo, 27, from Hertfordshire, was dining at Sketch of Mayfair when she asked if she could take home the remains of her leftover blue cheese and pear risotto - but her request was refused. The two Michelin-starred restaurant blamed the decision on 'council policy' - even though Luisa claims she had previously been allowed to take home food in a doggy bag. But after the diner complained, she received an email from the eatery's CEO cancelling the reservation she'd made for her partner's 30th birthday. Scroll down for video Luisa Gottardo, 27, from Hertfordshire pictured at Sketch restaurant in Mayfair. She became embroiled in a Twitter storm with the restaurant after they refused her request to take home leftover blue cheese and pear risotto After Luisa was initially told it was against Westminster council rules to allow a doggy bag, an email on behalf of Sketch's CEO said it was down to their strict hygiene policy and cancelled the booking she'd made for her partner's 30th birthday Ms Gottardo said: 'I simply asked a manager if I could take the rest of my food home and he said, 'No, sorry'. 'I actually asked if he was joking, because the response was so ludicrous. 'I was told that only cakes and macaroons could be taken home, but then why have I been able to take home an unfinished meal of steak and chips?' According to MS Gottardo a member of staff told her it was against council policy to allow doggy bags. The Mayfair restaurant has two Michelin stars and is frequented by the likes of Elton John, Taylor Swift and Kate Moss. Pictured: The Gallery designed by Turner prize nominated artist David Shrigley where Ms Gottardo and her partner were due to dine The Glade Room at Sketch was created by artists Carolyn Quartermaine and Didier Mahieu to resemble an enchanted forest 'I was told in the restaurant I couldn't take the leftovers home because Westminster council don't let people do that,' she told FEMAIL. 'It didn't make sense because then all the other restaurants I've been to in Westminster that have let me take home a doggy bag would be breaking the law.' Dissatisfied with the response, she emailed the restaurant to ask why her request had been refused. She received an email back from Belle Toor, the PA to the chief executive officer, explaining that it was due to the restaurant's hygiene policy. MS Gottardo tweeted that she was 'disgusted' that Sketch had cancelled her reservation After she tweeted a letter from Sketch cancelling her booking the eatery blocked Luisa, who is a digital content writer, on Twitter Ms Gottardo's partner Yael Levey tweeted the restaurant to express her discontent over how they had handled the complaint She asked the restaurant why her partner's query had resulted in their reservation being cancelled 'At Sketch we take all matters relating to food hygiene extremely seriously with a strict food policy in place, because the comfort and safety of each of our guests is of paramount importance. 'Therefore naturally, I was extremely disappointed to read that due to our strict food policy you felt let down by your visit.' Ms Toor added: 'As Sketch cannot satisfy your request to take restaurant food off the premises, I have taken this opportunity to cancer your reservation in the Gallery on Saturday 26th March.' The upcoming reservation had been made for a meal to celebrate Ms Gottardo's partner Yael's 30th birthday and she took to Twitter to express her outrage. A follow up email from the CEO of Sketch said that the company prides itself on the highest level of customer service 'Absolutely disgusted,' she tweeted. 'Sketch was my favourite restaurant but they cancel your reservation if you question being lied to.' She also posted a picture of the email she'd received on Twitter, saying: 'This is how Sketch sorts out issues with loyal customers. Laughable.' Her partner Yael also expressed her discontent, tweeting: 'So Sketch just ruined my birthday surprise whilst showing the grace of a rampaging rhino dealing with customers.' Sketch responded by blocking both of them on Twitter. (L to R) Nick Grimshaw, Laura Whitmore and Reggie Yates attend a private dinner hosted by Sir Paul Smith, and rapper Tinie Tempah at Sketch Taylor Swift (left) has been spotted dining at the Mayfair restaurant where the tasting menu is 110 per person, as has her model pal Kendall Jenner (right) Kate Moss pictured leaving Sketch with Alison Mosshart of The Kills (left), band mate of her estranged husband Jamie Hince Two days later Luisa received a second email directly from the CEO of Sketch, saying: 'We have provided you with reasons as to why we do not offer a takeaway service for leftover food and yet you remain dissatisfied.' Luisa tweeted it saying: 'Another hilarious attempt at customer service.' SKETCH'S UNIQUE INTERIOR The Gallery at Sketch restaurant is known for its quirky decor with bubblegum pink furniture and 239 works by Turner prize nominated artist David Shrigley lining the wall. Some wonderfully weird cocooned pods comprise the intergalactic space-age landscape in the Sketch Gallery lavatories. Whilst you are in the dinosaur-egg pod, your ears will be treated to the soothing sounds of retro nature documentaries. There are also Victorian maids, just to further enhance the already esoteric setting. Its unique interior has earned Sketch the No. 1 Decor score in London from Zagat guides. Advertisement Sketch has two Michelin stars and charges 110 per person for its tasting menu. Set over two floors of a converted 18th century building in Conduit Street, Mayfair, it's a favourite with visiting A listers such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Taylor Swift. A spokesperson for the restaurant told MailOnline they did not wish to make any further comment on the row. But a A Westminster City Council spokesperson confirmed: 'There is absolutely no council rule banning doggy bags. 'It is up to individual restaurants to decide whether they allow customers to take leftover food home. 'We offer guidance on food safety standards in restaurants and how to minimise the risk of food poisoning.' Ms Gottardo said that being banned from taking the leftovers was not the fact that upset her the most. 'It's not about the leftovers, although if I pay for something I should be able to take it,' she said. 'The first time I went they let me take steak and chips home. 'We've been four or times and it was a place we always enjoyed going to, but it leaves a sour taste over all the other occasions we've been. 'But that was not my main issue. It was how they treated me afterwards - they cancelled the reservation, blocked me and refused to answer my questions. 'My issue was being told something I knew was untrue in the restaurant and then on email saying it wasn't to do with the council. 'Then when I asked on email why I was told this, they refused to answer my questions on two or three occasions. 'I wanted to do things properly and I contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau and they advised me to ask if they were members of an alternative dispute resolution scheme. 'They still have not responded to this query and I know they have no intention of doing so. And then blocking me on Twitter - is their Twitter account run by a 12-year-old? She declared herself to be in shock when it was announced that she'd been awarded a CBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours list. But Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold, 55, ensured she marked the milestone in style by throwing a dinner for family and friends at a swanky Mayfair restaurant last night. The entrepreneur took to Twitter to say she was 'super excited' about the dinner, where she was joined by pals including fashion designer Karen Millen. Scroll down for video Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold, 55, ensured she celebrated her CBE last night by throwing a dinner for family and friends at a swanky Mayfair restaurant Also in attendance was former Eastenders actor Sid Owen who famously portrayed the downtrodden Ricky Butcher. It's believed the businesswoman hired the private oak-panelled Emin Room, above 34, a restaurant in the exclusive neighbourhood, for her celebrations. With its own dedicated bar and lounge area the room which seat up to 60 diners is decorated by works specially commissioned from artist Tracey Emin. The room comes with fresh flowers, candles and place cards. A pianist, jazz trio, saxophonist, string quartet or other musical entertainment can be also be arranged at guests' request. She treated her Twitter followers to a glimpse inside the celebrations, posting a picture of herself grinning broadly while her guests chatted around the table behind her. The mother-of-one opted for understated chic for her big night, wearing a black shift dress which fell below the knee and high heeled black courts. She was seen leaving the eatery after her celebration wearing a black glittery cape and carrying an Yves Saint Laurent clutch bag Guests can sup on a range of classic cocktails and special punches, including the Emin Punch made with Champagne, vodka, pineapple juice, lemon & vanilla sherbet, Strega herbal liquor, viola flowers - at 16 a head. A four course menu starts at 54 per person with a focus on meat, game and seafood with an Italian twist, such as fillet of Cornish bass with spring vegetable minestrone fregula and basil dumplings and fillet of cod with braised Sicilian aubergine and parmesan fried zucchini flower. Jacqueline, who lives in Surrey with her husband Dan Cunningham and daughter Scarlett, treated her Twitter followers to a glimpse inside the celebrations, posting a picture of herself grinning broadly while her guests chatted around the table behind her. It's believed the business woman hired the private oak panelled Emin Room for her celebrations. With its own dedicated bar and lounge area the room which seat up to 60 diners is decorated by works specially commissioned from artist Tracey Emin She left hand in hand with a female friend who opted for an eye catching grey leopard print coat, and snakeskin shoes in a similar shade Ms Gold was awarded the CBE for Service to Entrepreneurship, Women in Business and Social Enterprise at the end of 2015, although she has yet to attend the palace for an investiture ceremony with the queen 'Having a great night,' she tweeted, alongside the image. The mother-of-one opted for understated chic for her big night, wearing a black shift dress which fell below the knee and high heeled black courts. She was seen leaving the eatery after her celebration wearing a black glittery cape and carrying an Yves Saint Laurent clutch bag. She left hand in hand with a female friend who opted for an eye catching grey leopard print coat,and snakeskin shoes in a similar shade. Ms Gold was awarded the CBE for Service to Entrepreneurship, Women in Business and Social Enterprise at the end of 2015, although she has yet to attend the palace for an investiture ceremony with the queen. Also in attendance was former Eastenders actor Sid Owen who famously portrayed the downtrodden Ricky Butcher However she has already planned what she will say to Her Majesty on the day. 'I will probably just tell her that I'm a successful retailer who runs nearly 140 stores, up and down the country, and employs around 10,000 people,' she explained. GOLD'S SUCCESS STORY Jacqueline Gold entered the family business aged 21, going to work as an office junior at Ann Summers, then a small and largely unsuccessful chain of sex shops owned by her father's group of companies, on a wage of 45 per week. Deciding that the future of her industry lay in selling products to women rather than anorak-wearing men, she experienced a Eureka moment after attending a Tupperware party. Her version, the Ann Summers party, substituted kitchen storage products with racy sex toys. They quickly became a national talking point. By the 1990s, the feminised Ann Summers chain had moved from the side street to the High Street. Along the way, it also acquired the Knickerbox underwear chain. During Ann Summers' 35-year existence, Ms Gold claims to have contributed 1.5billion to the UK economy. She and her father are said to be worth some 240 million. Advertisement 'Our brand has evolved over the years, and it's no longer for the dirty anorak brigade. Even Zara Phillips has held a couple of Ann Summers parties. So maybe I can suggest that, if she wants to find out more, she asks her granddaughter.' Ann Summers turned over nearly 105million last year, selling everything from lace bras lingerie is its biggest product line to chocolate body paint and edible nipple tassels, in addition to hundreds of sex toys. Ms Gold is adamant that the Ann Summers brand is all about good clean fun along with 'empowering women' to use one of her favourite phrases. The ferociously hard-working business woman speaks proudly of the 7,000 women who each week organise her 4,000 Ann Summers parties, becoming financially independent in the process. Her personal website which includes an animated video biography, produced with the assistance of swanky law firm Mishcon de Reya and their associates Jazz FM Business Shapers waxes lyrical about her charity work and public speaking, as well as her entirely commendable efforts in recent years to help women advance in business through an initiative called 'WOW', which organises networking events and helps mentor female entrepreneurs. 'I've spent most of my career helping to empower women in the bedroom, and my last five years campaigning to empower them in the boardroom as well,' is how she puts it. The website also contains images of her firm's lingerie ranges (but not its sex toys) along with details of Ms Gold's incident-filled life. One of two daughters of the porn baron David Gold whose publishing empire, sold in 2005, once included the Sport newspapers along with such magazines as 'Hardcore Housewives' she grew up in wealthy but unhappy circumstances in Bromley, Kent. Advertisement The Queen has marked Maundy Thursday with a moving ceremony, reducing members of the congregation to tears as she handed out commemorative coins. The monarch beamed as she undertook the tradition of giving red and white purses containing Maundy money to pensioners, who were chosen in recognition of their service to the community and the Church. She handed two purses - one white and one red - to each person during a procession of the Chapel, while the choir sang. Recipients and their guests could be seen wiping away tears after spending a brief moment with the royal who is set to celebrate her 90th birthday next month. Scroll down for video Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attend the traditional Royal Maundy Service at Windsor Castle The Queen has marked Maundy Thursday with a moving ceremony, reducing members of the congregation to tears as she handed out commemorative coins As is traditional, 90 men and 90 women received Maundy Money to reflect the monarch's age, and were selected from across the country Some 90 men and 90 women received Maundy Money - each coin representing one of the monarch's years - and were selected from across the country, not the local diocese as is usual. The red purse contained a 5 coin commemorating the Queen's 90th birthday and a 50p coin marking the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, while the white purse contained uniquely minted Maundy coins, equating in pence to her age. The Queen was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh for the Royal Maundy service, which was held in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the first time since 1959. She wore a turquoise wool crepe dress and turquoise tweed coat by Karl Ludwig and a matching hat with a lace trim by Angela Kelly. The red purse contained a 5 coin commemorating the Queen's 90th birthday and a 50p coin marking the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, while the white purse contained uniquely minted Maundy coins, equating in pence to her age Historically, the sum of 5.50 in the Red Purse is made up of 3 for clothing, 1.50 in lieu of provisions and 1 for the redemption of the Sovereign's gown Yeoman warders carry trays containing the Maundy money through St Georges chapel in Windsor The specially minted maundy money at St Georges chapel in Windsor. It appears to have been custom for members of the Royal Family to take part in the service since the 13th century, the Royal Mint said Among the 180 recipients was Tim O'Donovan, 84, who has authored the annual survey of Royal Family engagements published in The Times since 1979. Mr O'Donovan, who is also a retired lay steward for St George's Chapel, said he began keeping the record 'out of curiosity' after thinking 'perhaps one should know what the Royal Family are doing'. He said it was a 'privilege' and 'marvellous' to be part of the service, instead of watching on. The bells of the Chapel rang out as the Queen's procession, which included the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David David Conner and the Lord High Almoner, the Right Reverend John Inge, left the service. The monarch beamed as she arrived to undertake the tradition of giving red and white purses containing Maundy money to pensioners The Monarch wore a turquoise wool crepe dress and turquoise tweed coat by Karl Ludwig and a matching hat with a lace trim by Angela Kelly The royal s depart St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, after the Royal Maundy service where the Queen ceremonially distributed small silver coins known as 'Maundy money' as symbolic alms to elderly recipients A bunch of beautiful spring flowers including daffodils and crocuses was presented to the Queen Ceremonial Maundy girl Rana Begum Ghouse beams as walks down the aisle in procession with The Queen and Yeomen of the GuardFyeomen Excited well-wishers cheered as the group posed on the steps of the Chapel for photos. The Royal Maundy is an ancient ceremony which originated in the commandment Christ gave after washing the feet of his disciples the day before Good Friday. It appears to have been custom for members of the Royal Family to take part in the service since the 13th century, the Royal Mint said. Historically, the sum of 5.50 in the Red Purse is made up of 3 for clothing, 1.50 in lieu of provisions and 1 for the redemption of the Sovereign's gown. Both the Queen and Prince Philip looked to be in high form as they met with local schoolchildren after the ceremony Excited well-wishers cheered as the group posed on the steps of the Chapel for photos The ceremony was held in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the first time since 1959 The bells of the Chapel rang out as the Queen's procession, which included the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David David Conner and the Lord High Almoner, the Right Reverend John Inge, left the service he White Purse contains uniquely minted Maundy Money, which, unlike coins in general circulation, bear the portrait of the Queen produced by Mary Gillick at the start of her reign. Gillick, a sculptor, designed the portrait which appeared on the coins of the UK and some Commonwealth countries from 1953 until preparations for decimalisation began in 1968. The portrait of the Queen wearing a wreath on her head was considered to reflect the nation's optimism as it greeted a new monarch in the post-war years. The Duke or Edinburgh looked dapper for the occasion in a morning suit, while his wife was spring-like in a bright blue coat and matching hat The Queen and Prince Philip shared smiles as they paused on the steps of St George's Chapel after the Royal Maundy service The Royal Maundy is an ancient ceremony which originated in the commandment Christ gave after washing the feet of his disciples the day before Good Friday Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pose with Yeomen of the Guard and schoolchildren, after attending a Maundy Thursday service he first monarch to take part in a Maundy Thursday service was King John, of Magna Carta and Robin Hood fame, who distributed gifts of clothes and money to the poor in Knaresborough in 1210. John was also the first to present the poor with silver coins and is recorded as having done so in Rochester in 1213. John's grandson Edward I, the king known to posterity as 'the Hammer of the Scots', was the first to confine the tradition to Maundy Thursday alone, which, until his reign, could be conducted on any day of the year. By 1363 and Edward III, the tradition had evolved into a ceremony that is still recognisable today, with monarchs handing out money equivalent to their age in years. The Queen will celebrate her 90th birthday on April 21, while her official birthday will be marked this year on June 11. A young schoolgirl looked delighted to be posing alongside the long-reigning monarch (right) The Queen handed two purses - one white and one red - to each person during a procession of the Chapel, while the choir sang This morning, the Queen presented money to pensioners, who were chosen in recognition of their service to the community and the Church The Queen was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh for the Royal Maundy service, which was held in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the first time since 1959 The ceremony was little changed by the dawn of the Tudor period, although rulers could - and did - increase the number of beggars involved to show their religious devotion and humility. None took it more seriously than Mary I - or Bloody Mary - who in 1556 washed the feet of 41 'poor women' and spent the entire ceremony on her knees. Later monarchs were less keen on the service, with some, among them Charles I, rarely bothering to take part. Charles II, anxious to curry favour with his subjects following the Restoration, took part in the ceremony without fail, including during the plague years. Although today's ceremony takes place in a different location each year, Queen Victoria insisted on doing it at Westminster Abbey - a custom that remained in place until the Queen took the throne in 1952. The Queen was just eight years old when she first attended the Maundy Day service as Princess Elizabeth in 1935 at Westminster Abbey She has taken part in the Royal Maundy Service in all but four years of her reign, including in 1954 when she was away touring the Commonwealth. Prince Harry has been left with a 'permanent' reminder of his recent trip to Nepal - an abrasion in the middle to his forehead. The graze was caused by one of the scores of tikas - a red smear of powder - daubed on his face by well-wishers during his hugely successful five-day official tour, which ended yesterday. The prince even joked about it in his final speech at the British Embassy on Wednesday night, saying: 'I have rarely in my life felt as welcomed as I have over the last few days. If anything I may have been a bit too welcome! This tika is here to stay!' Scroll down for video Prince Harry has been left with a permanent reminder of his trip to Nepal in the form of an abrasion on his forehead (pictured) left by a tika - red powder smeared on his face by well wishers Royal sources told the Mail that contrary to speculation the mark had not been caused by an allergic reaction. In fact Harry had actually damaged his skin slightly trying to rub a particularly stubborn tika off. 'It wasn't an allergic reaction, but one of the tikas caused an abrasion when it was cleaned off,' they said. 'Prince Harry loved the welcome he received everywhere he visited and was happy to joke about his permanent tika in his final speech.' Tikas are worn by those of the Hindu faith, the predominant religion in Nepal, and made on the forehead with sandal paste, sacred ashes or kumkum (red tumeric). The tika is considered a mark of auspiciousness, invoking a feeling of sacredness on the wearer, and on the people with whom the wearer comes into contact. It wasn't an allergic reaction that caused the mark but Harry had actually damaged his skin slightly trying to rub a particularly stubborn tika off The prince even joked about it in his final speech at the British Embassy on Wednesday night, saying: If anything I may have been a bit too welcome! This tika is here to stay!' In South Asia the ritual of marking someone's forehead with the fragrant paste is also seen as a welcome and expression of honour when they arrive. Harry's official tour of Nepal on behalf of the British government was designed to promote the bicentenary of Anglo-Nepalese relations and demonstrate that the country was ready to welcome tourists again following last year's devastating earthquake which claimed almost 9,000 lives. The prince was so beguiled by the country and its people that he has chosen to stay on there for another six days, working to rebuild an earthquake damaged school in central Nepal. Harry, 31, will be working with Team Rubicon UK, a disaster response charity which uses the skills and experience of military veterans alongside first responders to deploy emergency response teams. For the next week, the Queen's grandson will be embedded with a team in a remote village to help with the reconstruction of a new school destroyed by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake of April 2015. Since the earthquake struck, students have been taking their classes in makeshift classrooms made of poles, tarpaulins and tin. The Prince also announced in his final speech that he would be extending his stay by six days to help build a school left ruined by the earthquakes These temporary facilities will provide little defense against the difficult weather conditions in the rainy season to come. In his final speech to the Nepalese people the prince told of the affect his visit had had in him. He said: 'The people I have met and the beauty of this country make it very hard to leave. Thankfully however, Im not leaving just yet. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity at the end of my official tour to do my small bit to help this beautiful country.' Harry added: 'At the start of this visit I said that I hoped to shine a spotlight on the resilience and resolve of the people of Nepal. Nearly a year on from the earthquakes that took so many lives, I wanted to pay my respects; but also I wanted to show that this country was open for business and has so much to offer. 'The people I have met on this journey have made this goal so easy. ' The prince also made clear he would never forget his visit to Gauda School, which has been completely destroyed by the disaster, saying; 'Yesterday morning I visited the site of a school that was destroyed in Gauda and is now being rebuilt. 'The community was one of the most vibrant and joyous I have ever had the privilege to meet; there was no sense of defeatism. 'What happened in this country a year ago was a tragic disaster. But the people I met showed me that everyone is focused on the work ahead.' Easter can be an expensive time of year; roast lamb with all the trimmings for the family, buying gifts for loved ones and filling the house with all manner of chocolatey treats can all add up. Luxury eggs from Green & Blacks, Lindt and Hotel Chocolat can cost anywhere between 10 and 30, and with the likes of Heston Blumenthal designing supermarket's hot cross buns, were set to spend a pretty penny this Easter. Luckily, the internet is awash with suggestions of how to create this years top tasty treats at home for a fraction of the cost. Scroll down for video Writer Joanna Gould, 30, from Golders Green, London, (pictured with her homemade hot cross buns) decided to create her own Easter treats at home to cut back on costs A quick swipe through Pinterest or Instagram shows that people up and down the country are taking to the kitchen to dream up their own Creme Egg creations, mini egg cakes and more. But is it more hassle than its worth? FEMAIL asked writer Joanne Gould, 30, from Golders Green, London, to cook up some Easter favourites to find out. Challenge 1: Easter Egg I start with what I think will be the easiest task: making my own Easter egg. A google search tells me that all this involves is melting down my chocolate of choice and putting it into a mould, which sounds simple enough. Lakeland sells a large Easter egg mould, so I set to work using this and two 75p bars of dark chocolate. Joanna bought two bars of 75p dark chocolate to craft her very own eggs by using a large chocolate mould from Lakeland - piping on her own decoration She says that it was a reasonably easy recipe and the most challenging part was popping it out of the chocolate mould without breaking them. Using a taste-free oil helped to give the eggs a nice shine I melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a simmering pan of water, then set aside to cool slightly. Apparently brushing the moulds with a tasteless oil gives a nice shine, so I give them a quick wipe over with some rapeseed oil on a piece of kitchen towel. Next, I pour the chocolate into the moulds carefully, using the back of a spoon to try and coat it all over. It goes in the fridge for 20 minutes and I give it another coating to ensure a thick and even finish. Half an hour later, theyre done. The hardest part is popping them out of the moulds without the egg halves cracking, but somehow I manage it. A slick of tacky chocolate around the edges is all thats required to meld the halves together. To decorate, I (badly) pipe writing over the top, but Im quite pleased with it it has a kind of handmade charm after all! The egg may have been inexpensive to make but an Cadbury Easter Egg would set you back 1 rather than the 1.50 plus mold price it costs to craft your own. Challenge 2: Cadburys EggnSpoons Joanna was able to sculpt her own Cadbury's Egg 'n' Spoons using hollow chocolate eggs filled with a cheesecake mixture - and presenting in an old egg box Joanna says the simple recipe took just 20 minutes but there wasn't much of a financial incentive as her ingredients cost four times as much as the Cadburys version These chocolate eggs filled with a variety of soft fillings are everywhere this year, and sold in little egg cartons they are very appealing to kids and adults alike. The real deal- Egg'n'Spoons make an annual appearance on our shelves every Easter There are a few recipes around, but I use one from Australian based food blogger Raspberri Cupcakes which involves filling ready-made hollow chocolate eggs with cheesecake filling. Its easily whipped up by mixing together cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice, whipped cream and icing sugar and chilling - then piping the mixture into the eggs. Easy peasy and very effective. She uses a passionfruit coulis for a yolk, but Ive tried to stay close to the Cadburys original, so leave this out. Theyre quite fun to make and take under 20 minutes, but I cant help but think that for most people this wouldnt represent much of a financial incentive against the 1.50 Cadburys version, as my ingredients came in at around four times the price. Challenge 3: Hot Cross Buns Im a terrible baker and I dont enjoy it at all, so I approached these with some trepidation. After seeing that some methods took two-and-a-half hours, I searched out the easiest recipe I could find online I went for Easy Hot Cross Buns from the BBC Good Food Website. I made a dough from bread flour, mixed spice, butter, sugar, dried fruit, eggs, milk and yeast before chopping into eight equal balls and leaving to prove for a while. The hot cross buns were Joanna's biggest challenge as she hates baking. She made a dough from bread flour, mixed spice, butter, sugar, dried fruit, eggs, milk and yeast before chopping into eight equal balls and leaving to prove for a while The crosses are made by simply mixing plain flour and water into a paste and piping onto the buns. After 15 minutes or so in the oven theyre then glazed with honey Finished result: Joanne was pleasantly surprised to discover that they were a relatively easy and she would definitely make them again The crosses are made by simply mixing plain flour and water into a paste and piping onto the buns. After 15 minutes or so in the oven theyre then glazed with honey. I couldnt believe how easy they were to make and Im amazed how good they look Im very proud! Im shocked when I add up the cost of the ingredients initial outlay means Ive spent 8.53, although I only used 2.34 worth of produce for this recipe its still much more than the 1.50 most hot cross buns are retailing at. Despite the cost, Ill definitely make these again as they taste fantastic. Challenge 4: Cadburys Creme Egg What they should look like. Jo makes her own Creme Eggs - and is pleased with the results Posh chocolatier Paul A Young recently made DIY Creme Eggs on This Morning, so I watch to see what he suggests doing. Essentially, I need to make my own shells by melting down authentic Cadburys Dairy Milk using the bain marie method I used in my previous Easter egg attempt, and put into small shell moulds again Lakeland come up trumps for these. Next Joanna attempted to make the famous Cadbury's Creme Eggs using hollow chocolate shells and orange and white fondant icing She says that producing the treats was simple and produced a bigger portion than the shop bought kind After chilling for half an hour, I set about making the filling. Paul makes his own fondant, but I find a quick fix in fondant icing sugar; simply mixed with water it is the perfect filling and after separating into two bowls I add a mixture of yellow and orange food colouring to create the colour of the yolk to one bowl. Next, you simply spoon a tablespoon of white fondant into one of the half shells, followed by a teaspoon of the yolk fondant. And thats it. Stick the hollows together using a bit more melted dairy milk and you have a perfect larger Cadburys Creme Egg. The ingredients outlay for these was excessive at 6.10, but 2 worth made around six eggs, making them just a tad more expensive than the shop bought kind which retail at 1.65 for six at Ocado. Challenge 5: Cadburys Mini Egg Cakes Joanne separated the eggs for the vanilla mousse and melted chocolate to make her sponge to recreate Cadbury's Mini Egg cakes - a recipe she assumed would be easy Joanne tried various versions of vanilla flavoured mousse, but however hard she whipped the egg whites and the cream, once chilled the mousse kept collapsing and wouldnt get to an appropriate consistency Joanne made a basic chocolate sponge, left. A spoonful of the frozen vanilla mousse could be spread rapidly over the sponge and then swiftly coated in molten Dairy Milk, right How they should look. Jo attempted to replicate these Cadbury treats I thought recreating these would be easy, and after consulting a friend who is a far better baker than I am, decide to make a basic chocolate sponge, top it with a kind of vanilla mousse and dip it all in chocolate. Not so. In the event, these took me around three days to perfect and I can attest that they are definitely not worth the hassle. First I made a plain chocolate sponge in a shallow tray, baked and left to cool. Next I tried various permutations of vanilla flavoured mousse, but however hard I whipped the egg whites and the cream, once chilled the mousse kept collapsing and wouldnt get to an appropriate consistency. In desperation, I froze it and this worked. So, in the end, a spoonful of the frozen vanilla mousse could be spread rapidly over the sponge and then swiftly coated in molten Dairy Milk. A mini egg was stuck on at the last minute to complete the look. They tasted okay, but I will never attempt these again. Total ingredients cost was a whopping 7.38, of which I used around 3.40 to make six cakes almost double the shop bought kind which cost 2 at Ocado. A mini egg was stuck on at the last minute to complete the look, right. However Joanne concluded it wasn't worth the hassle Joanna says that recreating the Cadbury's mini egg cakes was her biggest challenge taking her around three days to perfect alcohol for food thanks to the celebrity chefs Celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Deliciously Ella are fuelling a health-conscious generation who are ditching alcohol in favour of food. Eating out is replacing drinking as soaring numbers of Britain's young people plan their social lives around high street restaurant meal-tables, according to a new report. Men and women are increasingly shunning alcohol in favour of food, marking a fundamental shift in UK consumer habits. Celebrity chefs such as Ella Woodward, above, author of Deliciously Ella, and Jamie Oliver are the main impetus behind a wave of health conscious younger eaters, according to a new report Jamie Oliver presented Channel 4's Sugar Rush and celebrated the planned tax on the white stuff announced in the most recent government budget. In the past he has campaigned for healthier school meals And celebrity chefs have helped create a foodie generation that is more conscious of the health aspect of eating out and the provenance and freshness of the ingredients. Oliver, who presented Channel 4's Sugar Rush and celebrated the planned tax on sugar announced in the most recent government budget, has campaigned in the past for healthier school meals. While Ella Woodward - who goes by the name Deliciously Ella - has become an internet sensation by sharing her story about how she improved her health by ditching gluten, dairy, meat and processed foods in favour of homemade meals and snacks using fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses. And Sisters, Melissa, 28, and Jasmine Hemsley, 34, are also known as healthy eating duo Hemsley + Hemsley. The pair run a blog and a bespoke food delivery service, all designed to encourage people to eat well and live more energised lives. The Hemsley sister's have in the region of 48,800 Twitter followers and 216,000 followers on Instagram They have in the realm of 48,800 Twitter followers and 216,000 followers on Instagram. The Future Shock report, produced by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers in partnership with CGA, looked at the drinking and eating patterns of 19-24 year olds. It found that over the past six months fewer than 10 per cent of young people have been out drinking at least three times per week, with 40 per cent only going out once. The report also found that one in seven young people did not go out at all. According to the report, 60 per cent of young people, including students, drink out less than once per week. In contrast, 50 per cent of young people eat out at least once per week. The report says the findings reflect a major change in eating and drinking out patterns, away from pubs and bars to branded dining outlets. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of ALMR, told The Caterer magazine: 'The publication of the ALMR's report shows the changing nature of consumer habits as well as the evolving nature of the sector itself. Sisters, Melissa, 28, and Jasmine Hemsley, 34, are also known as healthy eating duo Hemsley + Hemsley, above left in February. The pair run a blog and a bespoke food delivery service, all designed to encourage people to eat well and live more energised lives, right on This Morning 'This research also puts paid to the myth that young people in the Britain are drinking dangerously. We have seen alcohol consumption fall by 17 per cent since the Licensing Act and rates of binge drinking fall from 29 per cent to 18 per cent. 'Young people are increasingly planning their social lives around eating-out, turning away from drink and towards food. 'On average, under-25s are eating out between five and six times per month.' ALMR believes the shift is being driven by the accessibility and affordability of ever-improving eating-out options, as well as the increasing sophistication of young people, making them demanding consumers of food. It adds that celebrity chefs, ranging from Jamie Oliver to Ella Woodward, author of Deliciously Ella, have helped create a foodie generation that is more conscious of the health aspect of eating out and the provenance and freshness of the ingredients. Ms Nicholls said: 'The boom in eating-out, particularly in casual dining outlets, has seen a renaissance of our high streets driven by younger consumers. They may pride themselves on their large muscles or burly build. But so-called 'macho' men often lag behind in the health stakes - and are more likely to die young, new research warns. Not only do many think going to the doctor is for 'wimps', they also try to brave out the symptoms of an illness, the study claims. In fact this 'stiff upper lip' could be a major factor in why men die earlier than women throughout the world, it added. Diana Sanchez, professor of psychology at Rutgers University, said: 'The question we wanted to answer was, why do men die earlier than women? So-called 'macho' men could be putting their health at risk by failing to go to the doctors, a study found 'Men can expect to die five years earlier than women, and physiological differences don't explain that difference.' Well-established reasons for men living shorter lives include greater exposure to violence and war to a higher use of drugs, tobacco and alcohol. But a macho attitude could also be to blame, concluded the researchers, writing in the journal Preventative Medicine. In a series of interviews with men and women they found men were less likely to go to a doctor. They also chose male doctors because they thought they were more competent than female doctors Yet when they go to see a male GP, it was found they were less likely to be honest with them about their problem. A psychological questionnaire among the men taking part in the study looked at their own feelings about masculinity. It found those who were the most macho were least likely to seek medical advice. These men also felt they should be 'tough, brave, self reliant and restrained' about potential medical problems,' according to the study. 'That's because they don't want to show weakness or dependence to another man, including a male doctor' Professor Sanchez said. The study concluded: 'Men have a cultural script that tells them they should be brave, self-reliant and tough. 'Women don't have that script, so there isn't any cultural message telling them that, to be real women, they should not make too much of illnesses and symptoms.' FROM PROBLEMS IN THE BEDROOM TO NEEDING THE LOO IN THE NIGHT... Erectile dysfunction can often be an early warning sign of heart disease, doctors warn. Cardiologist Graham Jackson said a man with erection problems will usually develop a heart problem within five years (file photo) From blood in the urine to 'man boobs', there are a host of signs that things aren't quite right in the male body. And sometimes seemingly everyday symptoms can be a sign of a more serious disease. For example, heavy drinking may be a sign of depression, while problems performing in the bedroom is an early indicator of heart disease. Here, experts reveal to MailOnline the nine health symptoms men should never ignore... 1) ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION Could be: Heart disease Doctors are increasingly warning that erectile dysfunction can often be an early warning sign of heart disease. 'The body needs a good blood supply for an erection - and erectile problems are actually a very clear barometer of cardiovascular health, said Raj Persad, a urologist at Bristol Royal Infirmary. Heart disease occurs when the arteries leading to the organ become clogged with fatty deposits, meaning they are thick and furred. But this effect is seen even more quickly in the vessels carrying blood to the penis. Thats because the penile arteries are smaller than coronary ones, so become furred up faster, Dr Persad said. Cardiologist Graham Jackson, of the Sexual Advice Association, told MailOnline that a man with erection problems will usually develop a heart problem within three to five years. A man in his 40s with erectile dysfunction has a 50-fold greater risk of having a heart attack over the next ten years. Heart disease occurs when the arteries leading to the organ become clogged with fatty deposits, meaning they are thick and furred. But this effect is seen even more quickly in the vessels carrying blood to the penis 'Its actually a predictor of death rather than simply heart disease. There isnt a risk factor higher on this planet. Meanwhile, Australian research showed that even in apparently healthy men, slight or moderate erection problems could signal trouble ahead. The condition increased the risk of heart attacks, heart failure and arterial disease in men aged 45 and over with no previous history of heart conditions. Experts say men experiencing any degree of erectile dysfunction should seek medical help. 2) DEVELOPING MOOBS Could be: Hormone imbalance, liver disease In most cases, if a man develops what appears to be breasts, it is not breast tissue - but fatty tissue which has grown because he is overweight. They need to lose weight and drink less beer, said Professor Ashley Grossman, an endocrinologist from the University of Oxford. However, sometimes men do form breast tissue, and in this case the condition is known medically as gynaecomastia. Gynaecomastia translates as female breasts, Professor Grossman said. Its usually means female breast tissue in a man. The condition is caused by an imbalance between the hormones testosterone and oestrogen, he explained. Men sometimes develop breasts as they are overweight. But it may be a sign of a hormonal imbalance (file photo) Oestrogen causes breast tissue to grow, but normally men usually have much higher levels of testosterone, which stops the oestrogen from triggering this. But if the balance of hormones changes, this can cause a mans breasts to grow. This can happen as boys go through puberty, as their hormones might be a bit imbalanced,' said Professor Grossman. It can cause a bit of distress as the boy is usually chubby, he doesnt want to take his top off during swimming. It normally settles down on its own. We reassure him hes not turning into a girl, and to tell him to lose weight. Oestrogen drugs are available, but they do not work well, he added. As a last resort, there is a simple plastic surgery operation that can be done to remove the breast tissue, but after it is explained the condition will go away on its own, most people do not opt for it. In grown men, moobs are a sign the testicles are not working properly. Professor Grossman explained: The pituitary gland stimulates the testicles to produce, but it cant produce any more so it ends up making more oestrogen. It can also be a sign of liver disease, he added, as when the organ becomes damaged, the balance of hormones in the body changes and can cause gynaecomastia. Men worried they are developing breasts should go to a doctor, who can feel them and see if they ar simply fatty tissue, or breast tissue. The most useful test is to measure the hormone levels in the blood to see if they are imbalanced, Professor Grossman concluded. 3) NEEDING THE LOO IN THE NIGHT Could be: Prostate cancer, enlarged prostate If you are rushing to the toilet in the night, it could be a sign of an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer, according to Prostate Cancer UK. The prostate is a gland the size and shape of a walnut whose main role is to make semen, the liquid that carries sperm. It lies underneath the bladder, and so if there is any change in the size of the gland, it can affect a mans urination habits as it presses on the urethra, the tube through which urine flows. The charity warns men to look out for symptoms like include needing to go to the loo more often than usual including needing to rush to the toilet and leaking before arriving. Having difficulty peeing, straining or taking a long time to finish urinating or having a weak flow when urinating or feeling as though the bladder is not fully empty could also be signs. Rushing to the toilet in the night could be a sign of an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer (file photo) Men with these symptoms should contact their GP, who can carry out tests to assess if the man has a benign prostatic enlargement, a non-cancerous growth of the gland. The doctor could also assess whether there is a chance he has prostate cancer, which can be detected through a blood test, a physical exam and a biopsy. For many men with prostate cancer, treatment is not immediately necessary, unless they have an aggressive form of the disease, or the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Treatments include having surgery to remove the prostate, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. 4) NO SENSE OF SMELL OR A CHANGE IN LIBIDO Could be: Problems with fertility If a man notices a change in his libido, that could be an endocrine [hormonal] problem, said Mr Michael Dooley, a consultant gynaecologist at the Poundbury Clinic at King Edward VIIs Hospital. It could be indicative of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, a condition where, in men, the testicles do not produce enough male hormones. A man in his 40s with erectile dysfunction has a 50-fold greater risk of having a heart attack over the next ten years. There isn't a risk factor higher on the planet Dr Graham Jackson, cardiologist and chair of the Sexual Advice Association This leads to a lack of sex drive, and fertility problems, he explained. A lack of smell is another sign that the testicles arent working properly, he added. Lack of smell, or anosmia as its known medically, is associated with Kallmans syndrome, a similar genetic disorder in which the lack of male hormones leads to delayed puberty. Nobody knows why- but lack of smell is one of the key signs, Mr Dooley continued. In both illnesses, the pituitary gland does not produce a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone, he said. If your body doesnt make it, the testicles will not make sperm, leading to fertility problems. If a man is infertile, you give him gonadotrophic injections. He advised men with either of these symptoms to go to their GP, who could refer them on to an endocrinologist or a fertility expert to investigate the problem. 5) LUMP IN TESTICLE Could be: Testicular cancer Lumps and swellings in the testicles are a relatively common symptom in boys and men. The majority of lumps and swellings are caused by benign (non-cancerous) conditions that may not need treatment. However, a lump could be a sign of testicular cancer, which affects nearly 2,000 men each year in the UK and is the most common cancer in men aged 20 to 35. Men who notice a lump or abnormality in their testicles should always see their GP, doctors advise. This is because treatment for testicular cancer is much more effective if the cancer is diagnosed early. Indeed, it is the cancer with the highest survival rate. A lump in the testicle could be due to testicular cancer, although the majority of swelling are caused by non-cancerous conditions that may not need treatment (file photo_ 6) BLOOD IN THE URINE Could be: Bladder cancer Blood in the urine is the most common sign of bladder cancer, and is usually painless. However half of those with the disease will die from it, figures show. Most cases of bladder cancer appear to be caused by exposure to harmful substances, which lead to abnormal changes in the bladder's cells over many years. Tobacco smoke is a common cause and it's estimated that half of all cases of bladder cancer are caused by smoking. Chemicals previously used in manufacturing now banned - are also known to cause the disease. Lower back or abdominal pain can be a sign of bladder cancer (file photo) Other symptoms to look out for include: needing to go to the loo frequently, urine infections that keep coming back, tiredness, lower back or abdominal pain and weight loss for no obvious reason. Men with any of these symptoms should go to the doctor immediately. Although it is likely they are due to a problem that is not cancer, such as haemorrhoids or a urinary infection, a doctor will be able to investigate. 7) DRINKING HEAVILY Could be: Depression In men, depression does not always display itself in the way we might think. Classical symptoms include tearfulness, waking up early in the morning and other sleep disturbances, and experiencing loss of pleasure. But men are more likely to have a front and their depression may not manifest itself in these ways, says Dr John Chisholm, a former GP and chair of the Mens Health Forum. He told MailOnline: Excessive drinking is something we flag up as a sign that things arent well. In the UK there are a lot of people who are drinking in excess of the recommended daily limits. It puts their physical health at risk but it can also be a symptom of depression. It can precipitate behaviour that is to be avoided, for example the association of drinking with domestic violence. He pointed to a Danish study which found that men who are depressed dont emit the classical signals. Instead, as well as alcohol abuse, anger management, violence, an inability to maintain relationships, or a withdrawal from established relationship can signal depression. This is something that professionals may not realise, he added. In men, depression does not always display itself in the way that we might think - and heavy drinking can be a classic warning sign, I dont want to criticise doctors and nurses, but not all healthcare professionals will be aware of the symptoms men display when they are depressed and suicidal, he said. This is important, Dr Chisholm says, as men are already 20 per cent less likely to go to the doctor in the first place. Men find personal things more difficult to talk about their feelings. He added: Part of masculinity, of male culture, is to grin and bear it, suppress your feelings. Thats how boys have been brought up; they are taught to put on a veneer of coping. Part of masculinity, of male culture, is to grin and bear it, suppress your feelings. Thats how boys have been brought up; they are taught to put on a veneer of coping Dr John Chisholm, a former GP and chair of the Mens Health Forum This bottling up of feelings means mental health problems can be masked. It has serious consequences, said Dr Chisholm. Three quarters of suicides occur in men, a surprising figure given that more women are diagnosed with depression and anxiety than men. The sort of methods men use to kill themselves are more violent and likely to succeed, he added. We have to break the cultural stereotypes and teach men that they should be in touch with their emotions. And if those emotions get out of control, its not a sign of weakness to seek help. If men are in a family setting or in a relationship with a partner or a spouse or in a network of friends, if those partners or friends are more aware of these things, they can encourage a man under stress or strain seek medical help for that. 8) PAIN IN THE BIG TOE Could be: Gout Gout is three to four times more likely in men than women - and one of the most common symptoms is a painful big toe Gout is three to four times more likely in men than women. And it is even more common in older men, with 1 in 7 older men affected, compared to 1 in 16 older women. The most common symptom of gout is sudden and severe pain in one or more joints, typically the big toe. A type of arthritis, gout occurs when crystals of sodium urate form inside and around joints. It happens due to a build-up of uric acid, a waste product made in the body every day, in the blood. If you produce too much uric acid or excrete too little when you urinate, the uric acid builds up and causes tiny crystals of sodium urate to form in and around joints. These hard, needle-shaped crystals build up slowly over several years without the person knowing. Eventually, some may spill over and inflame the soft lining of the joint, causing pain and inflammation. Some crystals pack together to form hard, slowly expanding lumps of crystals which damage joint cartilage and nearby bone, eventually leading to irreversible joint damage. The joints then become intensely painful and stiff when used. Symptoms usually occur after the age of 30 in men. 9) LUMPS AROUND THE NIPPLE Could be: Male breast cancer Its not only women that get breast cancer, around 350 men a year in the UK are also diagnosed with the disease, according to Breast Cancer Care. Many people dont know that men can get breast cancer because they dont think of men as having breasts. In fact, men have smaller amounts of breast tissue around their nipple, where can, on rare occasions, tumours can develop. Lumps, often painless, close to the nipple are the most common symptom, although they can also occur away from the nipple. A tender or inverted nipple, or discharge, which is often blood-stained, are other signs of the disease, as well as swelling in the chest or ulcers forming in the area. Most men who get breast cancer are over 60, although younger men can be affected. The war on drugs has failed and certain illegal substances should now be decriminalized, according to some of the worlds leading health experts. Harsh drug control policies have done little to affect drug markets or drug use, experts argued. Instead, the war on drugs and zero-tolerance policies have harmed public health and abused human rights, according to a report from the Johns Hopkins-Lancet Commission on Public Health and International Drug Policy. Drug laws that were intended to protect the public have contributed to disease transmission, lethal violence, discrimination, forced displacement and undermined peoples right to health. And so, experts are calling for reforms to drug policy, so that non-violent minor drug offences should be decriminalized, with a greater emphasis on treatment rather than punishment. Global health experts revealed the 'war on drugs' has harmed public health and abused human rights. Instead, they argue, minor and non-violent drugs should be decriminalized Dr Chris Beyrer, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said: The goal of prohibiting all use, possession, production, and trafficking of illicit drugs is the basis of many of our national drug laws, but these policies are based on ideas about drug use and drug dependence that are not scientifically grounded. The global war on drugs has harmed public health, human rights and development. Its time for us to rethink our approach to global drug policies, and put scientific evidence and public health at the heart of drug policy discussions. The commission's report found that use, possession and petty sale of minor and non-violent drugs should be decriminalized. Furthermore, the commission determined that harsh drug control policies increase the risk of overdose by restricting access to medications such as naloxone, which can quickly reverse overdoses. The experts noted that overdoses of opioids which include heroin and prescription painkillers are at an all time high. The global 'war on drugs' has harmed public health, human rights and development. Its time for us to rethink our approach to global drug policies, and put scientific evidence and public health at the heart of drug policy discussions Dr Chris Beyrer, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Additionally, the report found that the policing of needle and syringe programs and the incarceration of people over minor drug offenses has led to an increase in unsafe injections. Those unsafe injections contribute to spreading disease, such as HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis, worldwide. Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman, of the University of Malaya in Malaysia, said: Approximately 11 per cent of people who used illicit drugs worldwide are classed as problematic drug users. But the idea that all drug use is necessarily abuse means that immediate and complete abstinence has been seen as the only acceptable approach. There is another way. Programmes and policies aimed at reducing harm should be central to future drug policies. The war on drugs has also led to an increase in violence in Central America and Mexico. The report suggests that prisoners in Mexico are now more likely than before to be subjected to torture and abuse, since the governments 2006 decision to use military force against drug traffickers. Harsh drug laws and zero violence policies were designed to protect the public, but instead they have led to a surge in violence, disease transmission, displaced people, discrimination and more, experts found That violence has led to a surge of refugees crossing the US southern border. Countries such as Portugal and the Czech Republic that have decriminalized non-violent minor drug offences, were examined in the report. Those policies were found to have significant public health benefits, cost savings, and lower prison rates, with no major rise in problematic drug use. Decriminalization of non-violent minor drug offences is a first and urgent step in a longer process Dr Joanne Csete, of Columbia University With the legalisation of cannabis in Uruguay and four American states, including Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska, the commission has urged governments to consider bringing in regulated markets like the ones that already exist in these countries. Evidence also suggests that drug law enforcement has been applied in a discriminatory way against racial and ethnic minorities and women, that has undermined human rights. For example, new estimates suggest that prisoners in Mexico are now more likely than before to be subjected to torture and abuse, since the governments 2006 decision to use military force against drug traffickers. Dr Joanne Csete, of Columbia University, said: Decriminalization of non-violent minor drug offences is a first and urgent step in a longer process of fundamentally re-thinking and re-orienting drug policies at a national and international level. As long as prohibition continues, parallel criminal markets, violence and repression will continue. The Arizona primary was a mess. Photos and videos of would-be voters standing in lines hundreds of people long circulated throughout the afternoon and evening, and the media called the results for Clinton and Trump well before all votes were in. Lines were more than five hours long in some spots. My letter to AG @LorettaLynch regarding widespread #AZPrimary voting delays at polling places in Maricopa County. https://t.co/quJN5La14g Greg Stanton (@MayorStanton) March 23, 2016 Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton wants the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the possibility that Maricopa County elections officials illegally put fewer presidential primary polling locations in areas where voters are mostly poor or not white. From mayor Stanton to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, this letter was just filed [PDF Link]. In the letter, the mayor says all voters may not have been treated equally. Policies adopted by elections officials and state Legislature have "created a culture of voter disenfranchisement," he wrote. Read the letter here. Marie - Before and After My husband, Gerard, works in the oil and gas industry so we have lived abroad a lot. At times, this has proved challenging for my waistline, especially living in America where I gained more than a stone thanks to large portions. Wherever weve lived, though, Weight Watchers has been there for me; the app has been a constant travel companion. A fun hobby can become a healthy habit! But it hasnt been my only companion. Ive also belly danced around the world for over 20 years. It all began when we moved to Azerbaijan in 1994 and I was looking to meet new people. Belly dancing is a huge part of the culture, so when I saw an ad for lessons, I went along and have been hooked ever since. Exercise really can boost your confidence Belly dancing makes me feel so much better about myself its great exercise, Im always learning, and theres a fun, social aspect to the classes, too. When we moved to South Korea in 2014, I struggled to find a belly dancing class so I started teaching some ex-pat ladies some moves. Im not qualified we just do it for a bit of exercise and fun. No-one takes it too seriously, its just a sociable way to spend time. Marie - After Getting sociable has the feel-good factor FACTS Marie, 55 Lost: 1st 11lb Height: 5'5" Start weight: 10st 8lb Current weight: 8st 11lb Advertisement There were no budgets and reporters put in for generous expenses This memoir explores his exploits at the paper in the MEMOIR The happy hack by Mike Molloy (John Blake 8.99) Michael Parkinson, who was a Daily Express features writer before he moved on to television, suggested the title of Mike Molloys memoir. The Happy Hack, he writes in a foreword, summed up not just the life of Molloy, but the joy his generation felt about being in Fleet Street before the world changed. Ringside seat: Molloy (right) with Maxwell Molloy worked for Mirror titles for nearly 50 years and he was editor of the Mirror from 1974-84 before becoming editor-in-chief. The hacks were indeed happy in his heyday. There were no budgets and reporters put in for generous expenses even if they hadnt left the office. Life in the nearby pubs was conducted as a perpetual party and the consumption of drink matched the carousings of the Vikings. Lunches were long affairs: Molloy describes going out for a drink with the notorious alcoholic and columnist Jeffrey Bernard one lunchtime, when they drank astonishing amounts of whisky, toured Soho clubs, met Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud - and didnt return to work until the next day. When he became editor he inherited a motoring columnist who was banned from driving, a slimming editor who was a stone-and-a-half overweight and a travel editor who was banned from British Airways. Yet although it was being challenged - and was eventually overtaken - by Rupert Murdochs Sun, the Mirror could also boast big stars: agony aunt Marje Proops, showbiz columnist Donald Zec, foreign correspondent John Pilger, columnist Keith Waterhouse and the Andy Capp cartoon. Among the hacks, there were also master craftsmen like Victor Sims. The whole office would fall silent in awe as he went about his trade. Lionel, Vic Sims here. Wasnt that a splendid evening. I do hope you and your wife got home safely She wasnt your wife?... I see, well who am I to condemn the way a man earns his living... Now, Lionel, let me read you what Im printing about you this Sunday: Can there be a lower swine in London than the man known to the Vice Squad as Lionel Baker? Like a bloodsucking vampire, Baker preys on innocent young girls, promising them a life of luxury until they find themselves set up as sex slaves. When he became editor he inherited a motoring columnist who was banned from driving and a slimming editor who was a stone-and-a-half overweight When the call ended, the recipient would always thank Sims and they would part the best of friends. But in 1984 the Mirror was sold to Robert Maxwell. We know now, since his death at sea in 1991, that Maxwell was a crook and conman who plundered the Mirrors pension fund. But it was months before Molloy realised Maxwell was a street trader who was mortgaged up to the hilt. Molloy had a ringside seat in Maxwellia and saw his vulgarity close up - he would, for instance, urinate into the street below from his helicopter landing pad atop the Mirror offices. He sent Molloy to represent him in Kenya, where he had newspapers. Only later did Molloy discover why. Nick Davies, the foreign editor, had heard from a Mossad contact that Maxwell was going to be assassinated in Nairobi. So he sent Molloy to be assassinated instead. Humour was an alien concept to Maxwell, says Molloy, and he had a tenuous grasp of English. When confronted with a document that explained a catastrophic decision, he would roar at the presenter of the document: What effing idiot decided to do this? When the presenter answered: You did, chairman, Maxwell would shout even louder: And who was the halfwit who let me do it? Molloy had no regrets when, in 1990, Maxwell fired him. The romance of Fleet Street had gone and the days of joy were over. Where once newsrooms had been cockpits of energy and occasionally high drama, they had become carpeted halls of boredom where journalists peered anxiously at computer screens. In later years Molloy, once editor of Labours tabloid cheerleader, become disillusioned with the Labour Party of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He wrote a piece for the election pamphlet of Angie Bray, his local Conservative candidate, about why Labour wasnt fit to govern. He then wrote a longer piece for the Daily Mail, as a result of which David Cameron asked him to appear with him on a platform. After the election he got a handwritten thank-you letter from the Tory leader. JNU students' union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar was on Wednesday barred from entering the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) campus where he was scheduled to address students on Wednesday evening. Police said they did not prevent Kanhaiya from entering the campus - rather it was the HCU security personnel who stopped Kanhaiya on the Vice Chancellors (VCs) directions, a senior Cyberabad Police official said. The official added that Kanhaiya himself stopped in front of the universitys entrance, addressed the media, and left. Outside the HCU camous, Kanhaiya said: "A student is not being allowed to enter into the university campus. This is shameful. I blame university authorities and police." Kanhaiya, along with Rohith Vemula's mother Radhika and his brother Raja, reached HCU on Wednesday evening where he was greeted with slogans for and against him. I came from JNU to HCU to support Rohith Vemulas cause. I want to say that we will have to fulfil Rohith Vemulas dreams. Social justice has to be brought in the country. This government is not listening to the voice of the students, Kanhaiya said. He said he wanted to tell the police and HCU administration that they could not suppress their voice and that students would seek justice, and continue this struggle for social justice. I have come here to express solidarity with those injured in yesterday's lathi charge, he added. We have taken a decision not to allow any outsider, including media persons and political parties, on the campus, Registrar M Sudhakar said about Kanhaiya Kumars proposed visit. Outside the HCU camous, Kanhaiya said: A student is not being allowed to enter into the university campus. This is shameful. I blame university authorities and police. This fight is to save democracy and Constitution. We will not tolerate attack on democracy. We want freedom from casteism and untouchability. We would not have disturbed the peace on the campus had we been allowed." He reiterated that they would fight until the government implements the Rohith Act. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar seeks the blessings of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's mother A section of students belonging to ABVP had earlier said that they would prevent Kanhaiya from entering the university. Meanwhile, the police kept strict vigil at the main gate preventing non-students from gaining entry into the HCU. They allowed students only after verification of their credentials. There were heated arguments between the police and CPI leaders who accompanied Kanhaiya. Police and university guards did not allow them to cross the main gate even as CPI leaders argued that they be allowed. Tension has mounted in HCU following the resumption of duty by controversial Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile and classes being suspended. Classes have been suspended from March 23 to 26. India is keen to consider Boeings offer to supply F/A- 18 Super Hornet fighter jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF). Sources said that New Delhi will take a hard look at the proposal in April when a high-level delegation will engage the Indian officials over the offer. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will be in India on April 10 in a visit that is expected to lift cooperation to a new level. Boeing has offered F/A-18 Super Hornets under the Make in India framework Boeing has offered F/A-18 Super Hornets under the Make in India framework of the Indian government. Sources said the proposal is worth considering as the IAF is facing an acute shortage of fighter jets. The IAF has already made it clear that the 36 Rafale fighter jets that are being negotiated with France are inadequate to meet its operational requirement. There is a view emerging in the Indian security establishment that F/A- 18 Super Hornets can also negate the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan by the US. Super Hornet is a carrier based multi-role fighter which can be used by the Indian navy as well. Sources said the aircraft can meet both the IAF and Indian navys operational requirements. India had considered the F-18 Super Hornet during the earlier hunt for 126 medium multi-role fighter jets. But the US entry lost out to the French Rafale. With the government scrapping the proposed contract which could not be sealed even after prolonged discussions with the French side, it opened the door for other fighter makers to make fresh bids. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar has said the government is working out the best deal with the French. The contract, said to be in the final lap of negotiations, is stuck over the price for 36 jets being sought by the French side. Sources said the deal is working out to be worth Rs 60,000 crore. There is a sense of urgency in acquiring new aircraft as the IAFs force levels are depleting due to an ageing fleet. Sources said the Make in India proposal of F-18s will solve the problem on the long-term basis. Boeings proposal also involves significant transfer of technology with a substantial indigenous content. The proposal will also benefit the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas programme which needs to be resurrected after prolonged delays. The ongoing probe into the killing of noted Kannada writer and rationalist MM Kalburgi has taken an interesting twist, with the special team of the Karnataka Crime Investigation Department (CID) discovering that contract killers were hired for the murder. The sleuths are now zeroing in on possible suspects who could be from Maharashtra or Goa. According to sources in the Karnataka CID, the organisation responsible for the death of Kalburgi did not want to leave behind any trail and hence may have hired contract killers. Kannada writer and rationalist MM Kalburgi may have been murdered by professional killers, the CID believe We have specific leads to indicate that professional killers were employed to execute the job. It has already been proven that the weapon used to kill Kalburgi and other rationalists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar is the same. But different contract killers shot at each of them, sources in the Karnataka CID pointed out. The police are yet to identify the organisations or people responsible for the killing of Kalburgi. Though the three killings are connected, as the pattern indicates, the people behind it did not want any direct involvement. Professional killers are hired if anyone wants to leave the trail cold. We have a strong suspicion that the bike-borne duo entered either Maharashtra or Goa after committing the crime, the sources said. Unidentified gunmen shot Kalburgi dead at his residence on August 30 last year in Dharwad in northwest Karnataka. They fled from the scene of the crime on a two-wheeler. So far, the police have not been able to identify the culprits, though sketches of the suspects were prepared. The government even announced a cash reward for information relating to the suspects, but it has not been successful so far in cracking the case. But analysis of call data records of more than 20,000 people in Dharwad on the day the crime was committed is pointing us towards something specific. There is no doubt that the conspirators are no more in Karnataka. At the same time, we are taking a different approach in our probe relying on forensics, the sources added. The police are collating information on contract killers from neighboring Goa and Maharashtra in association with their counterparts. In many of the cases, these contract killers are also ordinary criminals or rowdy-sheeters. All we need to do is identify them through the right channels, as they are still out there, the sources said, noting that Maharashtra and Goa are keen on completing the probe. Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, leader of the organisation Dukhtaran-e-Milat (Daughters of faith), which raised Pakistani flags in Srinagar Separatist women's organisation Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) hoisted Pakistani flags at many places across Srinagar early on Wednesday, even in Lal Chowk, sources said. They said flags were hoisted in Downtown and the civil-lines areas of the city. The flags, hoisted surreptitiously, were later removed by the police. Last year, on August 17, Jammu and Kashmir Police had registered a case against the chief of DeM, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, for hoisting Pakistani flags in Kashmir. However, Jammu and Kashmir Police are playing down the issue. A senior police official said it was of no consequence and shouldnt be given importance. After hoisting Pakistani flags, Andrabi justified the act in a statement. She said it continued with its past tradition of celebrating Pakistan day. She said Jammu and Kashmir would one day become part of Pakistan. However, she expressed concern over the present condition of Pakistan, saying it should become a model Islamic state. After countless sacrifices, Muslims succeeded in creating a separate country but unfortunately since its birth, anti-Islam forces have wanted to destabilise it and never allowed it to adopt the Islamic shariah in totality, Andrabi said. Though Pakistan is like an Islamic fort, it has not become a true Islamic country. Muslims of Pakistan and religious parties, like Jamat-ud-Dawa and Jamat-e-Islami in particular, should work for the revival of Pakistani ideology so that the country is made to become like a real Islamic country and put before the whole world as a model Islamic state, her statement reads. Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyat Conference moderate faction chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday said that he expects the Union government to carry forward the spirit of Atal Bihari Vajpayees vision. Swansea has been labelled the cold call capital of the UK after another two firms were hit with massive fines for pestering households with nuisance calls. Swansea-based Falcon and Pointer was fined 175,000 following more than 5,500 complaints including one from a family with a grandfather dying of cancer who had been phoned at 3.30am. One complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office read: 'The most annoying and disgusting thing was the time of the call in the early hours of the morning. 'It woke everyone in the house including young children. It caused me a lot of anxiety as a family member is currently seriously ill and I immediately thought the worst.' Infuriating: Many households face a constant barrage of cold calls from companies offering to check for PPI compensation, injury claims or from pension fraudsters Falcon and Pointer, which had its license revoked by the Claims Management Regulator in January, told the ICO it had stopped making calls in June 2015 but an investigation discovered it made a further two million automated calls in the following two months. Direct Choice Home Improvements, which sells windows, doors and conservatories, was fined 50,000. It was accused of traumatising people by asking to speak to their dead relatives. The ICO also said it received 168 complaints about Direct Choice Home Improvements Ltd from people who were registered with the Telephone Preference Service. PREVIOUS FINES FOR SWANSEA COMPANIES Help Direct UK was fined 200,000 in 2015 for sending out unsolicited text messages Two Swansea companies, which were part of Save Britain Money Ltd, were found to be responsible for 2,700 PPI call complaints in 2013. Nationwide Energy Services was fined 125,000 and We Claim You Gain 100,000. All Claims Marketing Ltd was issued an enforcement notice by the ICO in 2014 ordering it to stop its bad practices around sending unsolicited electronic marketing mail. Oxygen Ltd, based in nearby Port Talbot, was fined 120,000 in 2015 for making automated nuisance calls. The Claims Management Regulator (CMR) has also recently taken action against a Swansea company. It fined Rock Law Ltd 570,000 for 'coercing clients' into making PPI claims Source: The Information Commissioner's Office One complaint read: 'They wanted to speak to my mother who has been dead for over six years. This is the latest in a number of calls from this firm asking to speak to one of my dead parents.' The two fines are the most recent in a long line of Swansea-based firms, with the Information Commissioner's Office taking action against six companies since 2013. Assistant commissioner for Wales Anna Jones said: 'It increasingly appears from our investigations that Swansea is the UK's cold call capital. 'Companies in the city have been trying to cash in using ruthless business models based on illicit practices to make calls which are at best irksome and at worst distressing.' She added that the ICO had contacted both firms in the past, but claimed that they had shown a 'blatant disregard' by continuing to make nuisance phone calls. 'Both tried to shift the blame by pointing the finger at a third party. This is not an acceptable defence,' she said. 'It is a company's responsibility to ensure it does not make marketing calls that break the rules.' The fines come after a report this week revealed that one in five of us receive a cold call every day from a claims management company. The majority of these calls are to do with payment protection insurance, motor claims such as for a whiplash injury, and accidents in a public or work place. Is Swansea the 'cold call capital'?: This week's fines are not the first to be issued to Swansea-based firms Cold callers: The reasons claims management companies are making nuisance calls These companies are bombarding people with cold calls, emails, letters and text messages and clearly contributing to be the bane of many peoples lives, according to a new report from Axa. Around half of the 2,131 consumers asked by Axa said they think the regulations around CMCs need to be significantly tightened up. Two-thirds think cold calls from CMCs should be made illegal, and 55 per cent said they had seen no difference in the number of calls from CMCs they received in the past year. This is despite several attempts by the Government to curb how they act, with record fines and stricter laws. Falcon and Pointer could not be contacted and Direct Choice Home Improvements declined to comment. The ICO has issued six fines to Swansea-based companies since 2013 (Pictured: Swansea city centre) Shares in the owner of Mr Kipling cakes and Bisto gravy soared by 71 per cent as it fended off an audacious 495million foreign takeover bid. Premier Foods, which also owns brands including Birds custard, Ambrosia rice pudding, Oxo cubes and Batchelors soup, received two approaches from US-based herbs and spices maker McCormick & Co. In an attempt to repel the American interest, the group has signed a co-operation deal with Japans Nissin Foods, which invented the instant noodle. The agreement will see Premier sell Nissin products in the UK. Slice of Britain: Mr Kipling maker Premier Foods has rejected two takeover offers by US group McCormick Premier already owns Batchelors Super Noodles and could market Nissins various noodle products to boost sales. The deal could eventually see Nissin, which was founded in the 1950s, build a stake in Premier Foods of up to 15 per cent and place a non-executive director on its board. But Nissin has said it does not intend to make a takeover offer. Premier revealed yesterday that McCormick made two secret approaches. The first came on February 12, and then it raised the price of a possible offer to 60p a share a 78 per cent premium to Premiers shares before the bid was made public. However, Premiers chairman David Beever said the approach failed to recognise the value of Premiers performance to date and prospects for the future. He said it significantly undervalued the business and the board unanimously rejected it. McCormick could return with an increased offer, and yesterday said it would make an announcement in due course. Under Takeover Panel rules, it has until April 20 to make a firm offer. Premier has been in turnaround mode after flagging sales and concerns that some of its brands had fallen out of fashion. Under chief executive Gavin Darby, it has doubled the rate of new product launches in the past two years and has invested in major brands including Mr Kipling, Cadbury cakes, Oxo and Bisto. He off-loaded its Hovis bread brand, which is now controlled by US based Gores Group. The deal with Nissin is not the first with a Japanese group. In 2012 Premier sold its Sarsons vinegar, Haywards pickled onion and Dufrais vinegar brands to Japanese food giant Mizkan for 41million, and later that year sold Branston pickle, ketchup, mayonnaise and salad cream business to the same buyer for more than 90million. Darby, who joined in 2013, had to battle with a debt mountain that the group had accumulated after a series of acquisitions. It performed a 1.1billion refinancing deal, including a rights issue two years ago. It previously had debts of around 900million and a 1billion pension deficit. Last year it said its debt stood at 585million, which it planned to reduce further this year. Darby has split the business into three categories, called grocery, sweet treats and international. It has launched new marketing initiatives to boost sales. At its Christmas update in January it said that although its grocery sales had slowed due to the milder autumn weather, its sweet treats business had offset the slowdown and it had sold 185million mince pies in 2015. Premiers shares climbed 70.6 per cent, or 22.25p, to 53.75p. After bingeing on debt in the early 2000s, Premier Foods has been fighting a long battle for survival ever since. It managed to escape the big drop into the Blue Square Conference and receivership by jettisoning brands and bringing debts down from 1.7billion at the peak to a not inconsiderable 600million now. It has also struggled with reputational issues ranging from the Sudan 1 contaminated red food dye problem in 2005, to accusations that it was putting undue pressure on suppliers in 2014. Under the leadership of former Cable & Wireless Worldwide boss Gavin Darby, much of the risk has been removed. One might never have guessed from a pitiful share price and valuation compared to the rest of Europes food sector. Turnaround: Under the leadership of former Cable & Wireless Worldwide boss Gavin Darby, Premier Foods has managed to escape the big drop into the Blue Square Conference and receivership The shares have been so under-priced, despite buy recommendations from Shore Capital and Investec, that the board was able to turn down a premium of 50 per cent from US food group McCormick without anyone kicking up a fuss. Instead the shares soared 71 per cent by the close of trading! Spice rack favourite McCormick still has until April 20 to raise its offer under Takeover Panel rules but would look ridiculous after its first round low-ball offer. There does also seem some determination at Premier to keep the company British. It is quite amazing to see the brands that still lurk in the Premier portfolio, ranging from Mr Kipling, Cadbury and Lyons cakes to Oxo, Bisto, Homepride and Ambrosia. Not all of these may conform to modern healthy eating requirements but they have strong resonance with baby boomers. Personally, as a scion of the founding Lyons family, it is good to see a slice of the brand surviving many decades after J Lyons & Co and the uniformed nippy disappeared as the nations favourite eaterie. For the moment, anyway, Premier, having battled its way back to safety, says it still wants to be home alone. The company has raised its medium-term growth forecast and signed a co-operation deal with Nissin Foods of Japan. This could see Premier distribute instant noodles and Nissin introducing the Japanese to the delights of Oxo and creamed rice. Premier looks now to have a more coherent strategy than any time in the recent past, so it would be sad to see more brands drift into overseas ownership. The real lesson of all this is that there is a group of British companies in the lower reaches of the stock market that are grossly undervalued and could provide a long-term investment opportunity. Discovering the exact stocks can be a little more tricky. Home truth One fears, however, that BHS is not among them. If anyone was going to provide the spark that would turn the stores group around, it was former owner Sir Philip Green. He introduced new furniture ranges, tried franchising his other major brands in some of the stores, looked at introducing food and then sold the whole caboodle for 1. Green maintained a lingering interest as a preferred debtor and a former owner with a moral if not a legal obligation to help plug a gap in the pension fund deficit. New owners have given the chain a temporary lease of life by persuading its landlords to accept lower rents at 125 stores and reportedly are close to receiving a 60million loan, secured on existing stocks of goods, from US private equity firm Gordon Brothers. Straightening out the finances is a good first step to recovery as Premier and retail brands such as HMV have demonstrated. The bigger question is whether in an age of no-frills retailers such as Lidl and Primark, fast fashion such as that at Topshop and Zara and online shopping, BHS has any unique selling point. The days when it was the go to place for light fittings and womens hats are long gone. Credit Swiz Spare a thought for Tidjane Thiam. Having ditched Prudential for the brutal world of investment banking at Credit Suisse, he has found some staff concealed negative exposures, with the consequence that 2,000 extra people are being sacked and another $346million of write-downs are being taken. Since he took the helm nine months ago the banks share price has tumbled by 40 per cent. Its going to be a long haul before Thiam earns the kind of bonuses he accumulated at the Pru or can justify a corporate jet. Hounded out It is all going from bad to worse for the Hound of Hounslow Navinder Singh Sarao. Britains lopsided extradition deal with the US made it relatively easy for prosecutors to secure his transfer to stand trial for spoofing a form of market manipulation. It is far from clear his trades were illegal at the time they were made, or that he could possibly have been solely responsible for the Wall Street flash crash in 2010, as is alleged. A man who punched a bar manager to the ground and bashed him repeatedly after he fell causing nerve damage to his face has escaped with a good behaviour bond. Surveillance footage obtained by the Nine Network shows Trent Marsden outside a hotel in southern Sydney talking on the mobile phone before his attacker unleashes a barrage of punches. Mr Marsden, who was working as a bar manager late on the afternoon of 18 December, says he was calling a taxi for two men who had been asked to leave the pub when he was set upon. Scroll down for video Trent Marsden is pictured speaking on the phone moments before the assault outside a hotel in southern Sydney on the afternoon of 18 December Mr Marsden is punched in the face after having his back turned, falling to the ground Mr Marsden is punched repeatedly as he lies injured on the ground. The CCTV footage of the attack was not seen in court after the man pleaded guilty The vision shows the lead-up to the incident where two men are escorted out of the bar by security officers, who were called in after complaints one man was allegedly 'nearing intoxication'. A short time later Mr Marsden is seen on the phone and pointing to a nearby cab. One of the men who had been removed from the premises, Haze Aupouri, in white shorts and a dark blue shirt then walks towards him. The bar employee says until that point he had no contact with the ejected men except to ask 'boys, do you want a taxi', to which they agreed. As Mr Marsden is pointing in the direction of the waiting cab he has his back turned, Aupouri lunges forward and throws an unexpected punch catching him in the face, knocking out two front teeth. The victim crashes into signage and onto the ground as his attacker lumbers forward once more and then rains punch after punch onto him in a brutal and unrelenting attack. A second man looks on as the bar manager is hit eight times while on the pavement outside the pub. The attacker pleaded guilty to assault and was placed on a good behaviour bond Finally able to release himself from his attacker's grasp, Mr Marsden (in black shirt) fends off his attacker and as a second man moves in The attacker shapes up to throw another punch before he and a second man run off - they were arrested a short time later as Mr Marsden was treated for head injuries Mr Marsden is hit another eight times while on the ground before he's able to get himself up to try and fend off the assault. During the 15 second onslaught no one comes to the barman's aid. The attacker and another man then run off - leaving Mr Marsden to retrieve his phone and teeth from the ground before being taken to hospital for treatment. He also suffered nerve damage to the face and severe concussion. Police arrested two men a short time later. Last Thursday, an unrepresented Aupouri pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The video evidence, however, was not admitted as evidence and magistrate Clare Farnan placed him on a 12-month good behaviour bond. Speaking with Nine reporter Chris O'Keefe, Mr Marsden who only recently returned to work and his role as a fire-fighter, labelled the sentence 'a complete joke'. 'Its one of those things where were told not to take things into our own hands you put your faith in the justice system, but theres no justice in our system,' he told Nine News. An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more. But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be and shouldnt be bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre. Have an interest in what youre writing about Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show. If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating. Include fascinating details Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. Some topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to form the article more interesting through your written style and by trying to seek out fascinating snippets of knowledge to incorporate, which will liven it up a small amount and make the data easier to relate to. A way of doing this with a dry subject is to create what youre talking about that seems relevant to the critical world, as this is often easier for the reader to relate to. Emulate the fashion of writers you discover interesting When you read lots, you subconsciously start emulating the fashion of the writers you have read. Reading benefits you a lot, as this exposes you to a spread of designs, and youll start to require the characteristics of these you discover interesting to read. Borrow some creative writing techniques Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting. consider your own opinion Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others. Cut the waffle Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem. Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose. employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them. You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect. Avoid repetitive phrasing Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable. Use some figurative language Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know. As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy. Employ rhetorical questions Anticipate the questions your reader might ask. One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration. Proofread Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them. Su Bin (pictured) has admitted plotting to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors including Boeing Co A Chinese businessman has admitted being involved in a plot to hack into the computer networks of major US defense contractors including Boeing Co. Su Bin, arrested in British Columbia, Canada in 2014, faces up to five-years in jail for conspiring with two others in China to obtain sensitive military information and export it illegally. The men targeted information about fighter jets such as the F-22 and the F-35, as well as Boeing's C-17 military cargo aircraft program, according to court papers. Su's attorney, Robert Anello, said in an email: 'In resolving this matter Su Bin hopes to move on with his life.' According to US government court filings, Su, 50, began working in 2008 to target US companies. In 2010, he emailed a file to an unnamed individual in China which contained information about Boeing's C-17 military transport aircraft. Su also helped his co-conspirators decide which company employees to target, and translated documents from English to Chinese. Arrested in Canada in 2014, Su ultimately consented to U.S. extradition, the Justice Department said. Canadian media reported in January that two Chinese soldiers conspired with Su to obtain blueprints for F-35s and other jets. The Chinese government has repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked about the case at a daily news briefing in Beijing, said she was aware of the recent developments. THE US MILITARY JETS TARGETED IN HACKING CONSPIRACY F-22 Raptor: A fifth-generation stealth fighter jet designed for the US Air Force, entering service in 2005. The $150million aircraft was designed to be highly difficult to detect and track by radar and was developed primarily as an 'air superiority fighter'. With a 44ft wingspan and top speed of 1,500mph, it has additional capabilities including ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles. The men targeted information about fighter jets such as the F-22 (file picture), according to court papers Boeing C-17 Globemaster III: A large military transport aircraft also developed for the US Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s. Its main role is to perform strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world. it is also used for medical evacuation and airdrop duties. The $218million aircraft can carry 102 paratroopers or 134 troops and has a wingspan of 169.8ft. Officials said they also targeted data about Boeing's C-17 military cargo aircraft program. A C-17 is pictured above F-35 Lightning II: Hailed as the most expensive weapon in history, the controversial stealth fighter jet is undergoing rigorous testing at California's Edwards Air Force Base.But the production of the latest breed of stealth jet one of the most highly anticipated advancements in military history has had more than its fair share of problems. Despite costing the US military more than $350billion, the jet has so far failed to live up to expectations. The cutting-edge F-35, which is meant to be the most sophisticated jet ever, was embarrassingly outperformed by a 40-year-old F-16 jet in a dogfight in July. There were reports in January that two Chinese soldiers conspired with Su to obtain blueprints for F-35s (file picture) and other jets And earlier this month, it emerged the jet's complex radar system has a problem. A series of setbacks has delayed production by up to eight years and put it $263billion over budget, so far. The spiralling costs are due to a number of factors, including engine problems that caused one jet to burst into flames during take-off last May. Advertisement 'The Chinese government consistently attaches importance to protecting the legitimate rights of Chinese citizens overseas. We will pay close attention to this case,' she said. Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher said the company 'fully cooperated with the authorities throughout this process and we welcome this development.' Sunrise host David Koch has taken a swipe at a 15-year-old aspiring businessman, seemingly perplexed by the articulate teenager who is a proud Donald Trump supporter. Edward Bourke appeared on Sunrise on Thursday morning to discuss the reasons behind his campaign for Trump to take out the American Presidency. However at the end of the segment Koch appears to have taken a swipe at Mr Bourke about his potential as a future politician. Scroll down for video Edward Bourke, 15, is campaigning for Donald Trump to take out the American presidency 'Politician in the making. Hes got everything, the BS (bulls***) factor, the whole lot,' Kochie quipped, in an apparent back-handed compliment. Despite criticisms, the Victorian high school student is determined not to let this get in the way of what he hopes will be a successful business career that will later land him in the House of Lords. When asked why he would head overseas instead of pursuing career in Australian politics he said: 'because the house of Lords is very keen'. 'They get people in who have had successful business careers and can add in different places and give their input rather than just politicise,' Mr Bourke told Sunrise. 'The political system in Australia is a lot more complex and tends to be more about toeing the party line and pushing your own opinions.' Later on Thursday morning Mr Bourke said he had received death threats since the initial profile of him appeared in VICE and on the Daily Mail Australia earlier this week. He also reaffirmed his support for Donald Trump, citing his business achievements and economic policies. He spoke top Sunrise on Thursday morning about his business aspirations Hosts Sam and Kochie giggle through the interview with the high school student 'The thing is the most admirable about him is he's not frightened to stick his neck out for what he believes in,' the teenager told Daily Mail Australia later on Thursday. 'He has some really good policies that are backed by some very high-profile businessmen in America.' When asked what he would do if he was to one day Meet Trump, Mr Bourke said he would first 'thank him for all he's doing'. 'I'd love to further discuss what messages he'd like me to put out there.' Mr Bourke also address the claims that Trump made after the Brussels attack that he could be the one to 'stop ISIS'. 'I think America certainly as we all known plays an enormous role in the fight against ISIS, and i think as far as a leader goes he would be very, very good in stopping terror in an effective manner,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Mr Bourke said he would love to have the chance to speak to Trump about his economic policies 'He's not frightened to stick his neck out for what he believes in' Mr Bourke said of Donald Trump The teenager said while he does not support all of Trump's viewpoints, he was particularly supportive of his policy which could see America withdraw from conflict in the South China Sea if he was elected. 'He wants to withdraw that and I think that will help stabilise our situation and as well as the world,' Mr Bourke said. The high school student also said he had quickly experienced the price of being in the spotlight, and had this week been inundated with death threats. 'Someone said theyre going to train as an assassin, another said they wanted to be a serial killer just to kill me.' Although he was initially shaken by the barrage of messages to his website, Facebook and Twitter accounts, the teenager is not going to lose focus. 'My family in friends have been really really supportive and especially in encouraging me to continue despite the criticism. A former soldier who police say fatally shot his wife and children and set their house on fire before killing himself suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder following a military career that included a stint in Iraq, his family said Wednesday. In a statement issued three days after the tragedy in an upscale neighborhood in suburban Louisville, Kentucky, Brad Hettinger's family said the Army Reserve veteran had been seeking help for complications associated with PTSD and was attending marriage counseling with his wife. 'We as a family are devastated and deeply shaken by the events that have transpired,' the statement said. Billie Hettinger, 32, left, and her two children Courtney and Collin, aged four and five, right, were killed by her husband, an Iraq war veteran with PTSD who shot himself to death after the murders Billie Hettinger, center, was remembered as a happy and loving mother, and her two children, left and right, were remembered as 'beautiful, sweet and smart' 'Brad Hettinger was an honorable, respectable, family-centered man who believed strongly in his religious values, who served his country with valor and who provided a nurturing and caring environment for his family.' The family did not provide details about Hettinger's battle with PTSD. The statement was first reported by WAVE-TV in Louisville. Police said earlier this week that they were not aware of any history of domestic violence in the family. The bodies of Hettinger, his wife and children were found as firefighters worked to extinguish several blazes that authorities say Hettinger had set inside the stately two-story brick home before killing himself Sunday. Brad Hettinger, 33, killed his family and himself Sunday Billie Hettinger, 32, was found in the basement. The children, 5-year-old Collin Hettinger and 4-year-old Courtney Hettinger, were found dead in their beds on the second floor. Billie Hettinger died of gunshot wounds to the chest and head, while each of the children died of a single gunshot wound to the head, the local coroner's office said. Collin Hettinger would have turned 6 on Thursday. 'She was just happy all the time,' a relative said of the murdered mother. 'And her children were just absolutely dolls. They were the cutest things and she loved them dearly,' Zetta Montgomery, told WKYT. 'She was a great mother to those children. They were like two little precious kids. They were beautiful and sweet and smart.' Neighbor Eddie Smith told WHAS 11, 'Everybody wonders "Why?" They wished they could have helped. We are just going through a grieving process right now.' A GoFundMe page has been set up to support relatives of the Hettingers. Brad Hettinger, 33, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the coroner's office said. His body was found in the first-floor living room near the front door. The bodies of Hettinger, his wife and children were found as firefighters worked to extinguish several blazes that authorities say Hettinger had set inside the stately two-story brick home (pictured) before killing himself Sunday Hettinger served in the U.S. Army Reserve between 2001 and 2013, according to Army records. Brad Hettinger, 33, pictured in uniform He spent much of the time in an aviation regiment, and was deployed to Iraq for 10 months in 2011. According to an obituary, Hettinger graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in aviation administration. He served as Captain of the 8-229th ARB Task Force Apache Flying Tigers. He received a Bronze Star in August 2011, according to the obituary. On Monday, a day after the killings, about 200 mourners gathered for an evening prayer vigil in an empty lot across the street from the home. The Hettingers were parishioners of St. Michael Catholic Parish, and the children were pupils at the parish school. High profile radio personality Robin Bailey has made a teary tribute to her eldest son Finn after his father took his own life. The presenter honoured her son's 16th birthday during her morning show on Brisbane based radio station 97.3, noting the hurdles he has faced since his father's death in 2014. The doting mother-of-three praised her son's resilience during the traumatic period and said she has been careful not to let him shoulder all of the responsibilities his father left behind. Scroll down for video Robin Bailey fights back tears during an emotional on-air birthday message for her son Finn's 16th birthday The doting mother-of-three praised her son's resilience during the traumatic period since his father's death 'I know that on this day, his 16th birthday that I get a glimpse of this glorious man that I am sure will change the world,' the doting mother said. 'The thing about this guy is he is the kid that is the quiet achiever, he is the boy that is so responsible and I've been so careful in the last 18 months of not making him the man of the house.' Bailey's husband of 16 years Tony Smart commit suicide in September 2014 after a long battle with depression, leaving Finn and his two brothers behind. 'He has a right to a childhood and I really passionately feel that he needs to have one.' She said he was always around to play with his younger brothers even while he was coming to terms himself with the loss. 'He's the most caring considerate kid and I know we all say that about our children, but my kids have been through a lot.' Bailey's husband of 16 years Tony Smart commit suicide in September 2014 after a long battle with depression The popular host said she has been careful not to let him shoulder all of the responsibilities left behind by his father She clarified she had asked for her son's consent before making the on-air message, 'because he doesn't necessarily like me talking about him on the radio.' Messages of support have flowed in on social media, with listeners praising Bailey on her inspirational parenting. 'I was in tears listening on the way to work. What an amazing young man you have there. Happy birthday Finn,' wrote one commenter. 'Beautiful Robin, you are doing any amazing job with all of your boys,' another message reads. Nigg is said to have been enraged after Fogle used his money to employ other inmates as bodyguards It is just the latest humiliation for Fogle after he was beaten up in January Wardens gave him ironic job of serving sandwiches to other inmates Jared Fogle, 38, has been tasked with the ironic job of handing out sandwiches to other inmates inside the Englewood Correctional Facility, Colorado He made his millions and became a household name as the face of a sandwich chain - and now it seems pedophile Jared Fogle has returned to his roots behind bars. The former Subway pitchman, who is serving 15 years at the Englewood Federal Corrections Institute in Colorado, has been tasked with serving sandwiches to other inmates, TMZ reports. Fogle, who was convicted last year of paying underage girls for sex and producing child porn, was assigned to cafeteria duty and put on sandwich duty as an ironic twist, it is reported. However, according to TMZ, Fogle had to be moved to the staff canteen after threats from fellow inmates who view cafeteria work as a 'cushy' job. The threats came after Steve Nigg, who is serving 15 years for gun charges, punched Fogle several times in January, leaving him with a bloody nose, scratched neck and a swollen face. Nigg was reportedly angry that he was serving the same sentence as Fogle, who received 15 years and eight months for trading child pornography and having sex with underage prostitutes. Nigg also told his family members he thought child molesters, or 'chomos' as he calls them, were being coddled in prison, so Fogle didn't win him over with paid protection. Steve detailed his aversion towards pedophiles and claimed they were being coddled at the minimum-security prison. According to the Denver Post, he wrote to his family saying: 'The public believes these sick predators are being punished when they are sent to prison. The administration treats them like they are on the endangered species list.' It is just the latest humiliation for Fogle (left) since he was sent to prison after fellow inmate Steve Nigg (right) left him with a bloody nose and scratched face after attacking him in January His 59-year-old brother Jimmy told the Post: 'Now they send in a celebrity chomo. He's flashing his money around. He hired two big convicts to protect him. He was paying for commissary.' Jimmy told Radar Online that Jared's paid protection is what 'set Steve off'. Steve, who was apparently pleased the beating became national news, also 'wanted people to know he was given an excessive sentence' in comparison to Fogle, his nephew Jimmy Niggs Jr. said. Steve was convicted in 2012 for selling unregistered guns on Craigslist, according to court documents cited by the Post. His nephew defended his uncle by saying: 'He's serving 15 years in prison for a non-violent crime and Fogle is serving the same sentence for raping kids.' Steve was previously jailed for three armed robberies, stealing $670 between 1976 and 1990. According to the official report filed at the prison, the inmate 'assaulted Fogle by pushing him to the ground and striking Fogle multiple times in the face with a closed fist.' 'Fogle sustained a small cut on his hand and an abrasion on his left knee from the concrete during the assault.' Steve is reportedly serving solitary confinement for the beating, and claims the bodyguards didn't do much to stop him. Jimmy Nigg Jnr, previously told the New York Daily News: 'Jared's lucky he's still alive. My uncle was in a position to kill him. Steve Niggs punched Fogle several times in January, leaving him with a bloody nose, scratched neck and a swollen face. Pictured, the prison incident report for the January 29 assault 'He got him down, then walked away. Hes not a violent guy, he doesnt have a violent history. Hes sending a message is what hes doing. 'A guy walks in with all this money and celebrity and instead of flying under the radar, hes going into the yard, walking around with big guys, saying no one can mess with me, flashing his money around and that's what (my uncle) is p****d off about.' Jimmy Jr also added that his uncle attacked Fogle to get back at him for his crimes. He added: 'He said these kids (the victims) got dads and uncles and they'd love to do what I just did. I'm doing it for the families. I couldn't help it.' Fogle rose to fame when he appeared in the fast-food chain's adverts, after shedding more than 200lbs (91kg), in part by eating Subway sandwiches. But a raid on his suburban Indianapolis home and the resulting criminal case destroyed his lucrative career with the sandwich restaurant chain. He pleaded guilty to one count each of travelling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and distribution and receipt of child pornography. Fogle, a father-of-two, also admitted having sex with two prostitutes aged under 18 at hotels in New York City. His earliest possible release date is July 11, 2029 - just a month before his 52nd birthday. Astronaut Lisa Nowak (pictured) attacked Colleen Shipman in 2007 because she was dating, astronaut William 'Bill' Oefelein, whom Nowak had previously had an affair with Retired Air Force captain Colleen Shipman has revisited the bizarre attack by a female astronaut, which changed her world forever. Shipman was in her car in the parking lot of the Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida, in February of 2007, when a woman asked her for help. The woman - astronaut Lisa Nowak - had just driven 14 hours from Houston, later telling police she wore an adult diaper so she didn't heave to stop to use the bathroom, to attack Shipman. Shipman was dating Nowak's ex, astronaut William 'Bill' Oefelein. And Nowak wanted her out of the picture. 'I know in my heart she wanted me dead,' Shipman told People. Nowak pepper sprayed Shipman who was able to drive away, but it would later come to light Nowak brought a host of items that seemed indicative or kidnapping and murder. A BB gun, a four-inch knife and a steel mallet lead to the astronaut being charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted murder, which were later reduced to burglary and misdemeanor battery. Nowak was married to Richard Nowak, with whom she had three children. Lisa Nowak and Oefelein had an affair for two years, which he ended when he became interested in Shipman in 2006. There was no overlap between Oefelein's relationship with Nowak and Shipman, which is why the couple said they never perceived her as a threat. Scroll down for video Nowak attacked Shipman (left) with pepper spray after telling police she drove 14 hours in an adult diaper with a BB gun, four-inch knife and steel mallet. Oefelein (right) had ended his affair with Nowak to be with Shipman Nine years after the attack, Shipman has made peace with the incident, which sparked a writing career for the former servicewoman. She now lives in Alaska with Oefelein, whom she married in 2010. They have a four-year-old son, William Jr, together. But happily ever after took a long time to reach for Shipman. Following the attack, Shipman lost weight due to massive anxiety and stress. She couldn't concentrate and developed high blood pressure. Nowak was originally charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted murder, but her charges were eventually reduced to burglary and misdemeanor battery, to which she pleaded guilty and served two days in jail while serving one year probation She carried a concealed gun with her everywhere. 'It was a personal hell, and I knew it was all coming from the inside, from all this stuff I just couldn't process. 'I couldn't wrap my head around why she did what she did,' Shipman said. Oefelein was forced to retire as an astronaut, being told any subsequent mission would be 'all about him' if he was to remain in the program. Astronaut love triangle victim Colleen Shipman opens up 9 years later https://t.co/wTSY1AxZTa pic.twitter.com/qLk0nIEXIN People Magazine (@people) March 23, 2016 Following the attack, Shipman suffered from massive anxiety and stress, which caused her to carry a gun with her everywhere she went Nowak, who only served two days in jail and was sentenced to probation, was dropped from the space program and 'other than honorably' discharged from the Navy. But Shipman, who was given lesser tasks in the Air Force following the attack, said she felt like she was being punished. 'I had always been the good kid. It was really hurtful. It seemed like everything I did was under a microscope,' she said. She retired in 2008 and began writing books, which sprang from journals she kept following the attacks. Oefelein and Shipman are married and live together in Alaska with their four-year-old son, William, Jr. Shipman has taken up writing since retiring from the Air Force Shipman published her first novel, Eerie, in December using the pen name C.M. McCoy and wrote a still unpublished memoir. She is working on a second novel now. 'Being a writer is cathartic. Time has a way of making the past more poetic,' Shipman said. Now in Alaska with their son, Shipman and Oefelein believe they have finally found peace. 'I carry around a couple scars, but you can;t really say "Oh, I wish something didn't happen", because then who knows where you'd be? An Australian student who had checked in for a flight at Brussels Airport just 10 minutes before two bombs were detonated says her decision not to stop for coffee saved her life. Eliza Weder, who was at the airport ready to fly to Prague with two friends on Tuesday morning, says she was standing at the same check in desk where two suicide bombers detonated explosives that ripped through the departures terminal. The 22-year-old exchange student says a number of unremarkable decisions led them to being out of harm's way, the ABC reports. Scroll down for video Eliza Weder, who was at Brussels Airport ready to fly to Prague on Tuesday, was standing at the same check in desk where two suicide bombers detonated explosives that killed 14 people. Ms Weder, who was in Brussels on a spring break, said she and her friends had made a split decision to catch a taxi to the airport instead of the train on the morning at the terror attacks. If they had caught the train, the trio - including American student Kaitlin Greenleaf and Brenda Roberts from Argentina - would have arrived in the departure hall at the time the bombs were detonated. They also decided to avoid Starbucks, which is where one of the bombs went off, because one of the girls had given up coffee for lent. 'Every single other time we go to the airport we go to Starbucks,' Ms Weder told the ABC. Eliza Weder was travelling with fellow students - American Kaitlin Greenleaf and Brenda Roberts from Argentina - when they arrived at Brussels Airport on Tuesday morning Two suicide bombers were pictured on CCTV walking through the departure all with gloves on their hands to conceal bomb triggers. Police are still hunting for the mystery man in white who is believed to have fled Panic: A fire caused by one of the explosions in the terminal is tackled by airport staff with extinguishers surrounded by baggage and falling roof tiles They headed straight to their departure gate and managed to avoid the bombs, which claimed the lives of 14 people. 'We didn't actually hear anything, didn't smell any smoke,' Ms Weder said. 'We then saw a group of about 10 people sprinting through the terminal... Things just weren't right. 'Following that there was a call to evacuate over the loudspeaker system, then a second announcement to stay put, and finally a third announcement with a hysterical sounding girl saying 'get out now'.' Ms Weder said it was numbing to realise how close they had been once they were outside and saw the devastation that had been caused by the two bombs. Air hostess and mother of two Nidhi Chapekar (right) pictured covered in dust and with her yellow uniform in tatters A soldier walks through debris after two explosion rocked a terminal building at Brussels Airport Carnage: There were scenes of devastation at the main terminal at Brussels national airport as rescue workers and officials continued to pick through the rubble following the two bomb blasts Safer out of the EU: Sir Richard Dearlove The former head of MI6 yesterday demolished the security case for staying in the EU saying Britain could be safer out. Sir Richard Dearlove said Brexit would make it easier to deport terrorists and control our borders. He added that Europe could not turn its back on Britain if it left the EU because our intelligence services 'give much more' than they get in return. In any event, Washington was a more important counter-terror ally, he said. The former spy chief also dismissed suggestions that Brexit would harm our relationship with the US and likened the EU's various intelligence bodies to the 'leakiest ships of state' and colanders riddled with holes. David Cameron and other senior ministers have relied heavily on claims that Britain is more secure inside the Brussels club because of measures like the European arrest warrant. But, in a devastating intervention, Sir Richard said: 'Few would notice its passing.' His assessment was backed by a government minister and London Mayor Boris Johnson who warned EU judges were making it harder to throw out fanatics. But Europol boss Rob Wainwright today insisted the EU provided vital links to keep track of an estimated 5,000 suspected ISIS members in Europe. Sir Richard, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1999 to 2004, wrote in the current affairs magazine Prospect: 'Whether one is an enthusiastic European or not, the truth about Brexit from a national security perspective is that the cost to Britain would be low. 'Brexit would bring two potentially important security gains: the ability to dump the European Convention on Human Rights remember the difficulty of extraditing the extremist Abu Hamza of the Finsbury Park Mosque and, more importantly, greater control over immigration from the European Union.' He adds: 'Britain is Europe's leader in intelligence and security matters and gives much more than it gets in return. Threat: A woman injured in the Brussels Metro blast is given emergency treatment outside the station 'It is difficult to imagine any of the other EU members ending the relationships they already enjoy with the UK.' He says liaison between allies is partly driven by 'moral considerations' so that if Germany learns of a terrorist plot against London, it would not withhold the intelligence from MI5 simply because the UK is not in the EU. Sir Richard concludes: 'Would Brexit damage our defence and intelligence relationship with the United States, which outweighs anything European by many factors of 10? I conclude confidently that no, it would not. 'There would be disapproval of Brexit in Washington, and some disappointment too, but the practical consideration of living in a dangerous world and depending on true friends would win out. In short, Europe would be the potential losers in national security. But if Brexit happened, the UK would almost certainly show the magnanimity not to make its European partners pay the cost.' Mr Wainwright told the BBC: 'We are concerned about the extent we are now uncovering of a more widespread terrorist network than first feared. We are faced by a more dangerous threat by the so called Islamic State. We are concerned about a community of about 5,000 suspects that have been radicalised in Europe and sent to Syria and Iraq for training. And they have a new strategy to take us on in a more aggressive way by using well-trained, well-planned terrorists for attacks designed to do mass damage. Its important we come together in a more integrated way to establish the full extent of the network. In the past 10 years we have seen huge progress in the EU in building up a greater capacity to fight terrorism and crime. I see the benefits of that for British police.' Horror: Nidhi Chaphekar, (right) an Indian air stewardess from Mumbai, lies injured at the airport in Brussels Appalling scenes: An injured man lies bleeding on the floor of Zaventem airport in Brussels Mr Wainwright said the European arrest warrant had helped 'fast track' 1,000 offenders off Britain's streets and included 300,000 suspects on a database. He added: The idea that somehow we would be better off by removing our access to dozens of databases and police co-operation instruments is a serious miscalculation and does not stand up to scrutiny. It does not make sense. Tory MP and Brexit backer David Davis endorsed Sir Richard's view. TRUMP ATTACK ON UK MUSLIMS Donald Trump sparked a row last night after claiming British Muslims would not tip off the police about suspected terrorists. The outspoken Republican presidential frontrunner said some were guilty of protecting extremists and would not raise the alarm if they discovered plans for a Brussels-style bomb attack. Mr Trump told ITVs Good Morning Britain yesterday he had great respect for Muslims, but added: They are protecting each other but theyre really doing very bad damage. So there is something going on, I would say this, to the Muslims and in the United States also, when they see trouble, they have to report it, theyre not reporting it, theyre absolutely not reporting it and thats a big problem. The comments sparked outrage from Muslim leaders and immediate condemnation from senior politicians including Home Secretary Theresa May, who said he was just plain wrong. One police counter-terrorism chief accused Mr Trump of playing into the hands of terrorists. Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu said the US billionaire risked demonising those the police relied on for help. Miqdaad Versi, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the claim was just not true. Advertisement He told the BBC: 'One of the people who was in the Paris attacks went there directly from Syria, crossing five borders that would have been manned years ago but because of Schengen was not. 'This is the damage done by the free movement of people to international security. They can move around Europe freely and go to the place with the weakest security systems. Many of these killers are EU citizens which means even though we are outside Schengen we cannot stop them coming to Britain. The question is whether or not being in the EU helps or hinders us, and being outside the EU does not hinder us.' Theresa May yesterday said EU membership and access to its intelligence was 'of benefit' in thwarting terror plots. The Home Secretary told MPs: 'I think there are a number of mechanisms that we are part of within the EU that do enhance our security.' But Boris Johnson and farming minister George Eustice both warned that EU membership was harming national security. The London Mayor told MPs: 'I've seen various people quoted as saying that remaining in the EU is essential for security. 'I think it's important to put a countervailing point which is that there are some ways now that the European Court of Justice is militating against our ability to control our borders in the way we want to and indeed to maintain proper surveillance. 'If you look at the case of Abu Hamza's niece, who tried to smuggle SIM cards to him in prison, we couldn't deport her not because of the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights but because of the European Court in Luxembourg, which is now able to adjudicate on the entire corpus of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.' Mr Eustice said the Schengen zone of passport-free travel on the continent meant terrorists could move more freely within the EU.' Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt said leaving the EU would help Britain defend 'freedom'. She said: 'We cant form the alliances, we cant share the intelligence we need to keep us safe. All of those things are stifling us and undermining our freedoms.' Yesterday Belgium's ambassador to the UK, Guy Trouveroy, also conceded that free movement increased the risk of terrorist attacks. He said: 'There is no hiding... It is an issue.' But No.10 pointed to comments by David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terror laws, and former Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind, who both insisted Britain would be safer inside the EU. Stand off: Theresa May, right yesterday, said EU membership and access to its intelligence was 'of benefit' in thwarting terror plots. But Boris Johnson warned that membership was harming national security Mr Anderson told the BBC that the UK, which is not in the Schengen zone, is 'much easier to defend' because of our sea border despite the huge cost and inconvenience to travellers. Last night former Home Secretary Lord Howard called the EU a 'failing project' that is 'failing to keep its people safe'. A mountain rescue team that recovered missing Ben Nevis climbers Tim Newton and Rachel Slater say the couple were probably hit by a 'massive avalanche' The couple vanished while climbing the Scottish peak last month and, despite extensive searches by police and rescue teams, using drones, helicopters and dogs, had not been seen or heard from since. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said the pair, who were lying just a few feet apart, were found with rucksacks which had ropes and gear still inside. Their bodies were discovered after another climber noticed a red jacket below the snow and alerted the authorities. Tim Newton, 27, and Rachel Slater, 24 (pictured), disappeared while climbing Ben Nevis on Valentine's Day and, despite extensive searches by police and rescue teams, have not been seen or heard from since John Stevenson, leader of the rescue team, said: 'They had been hit by a massive avalanche, a huge one. They had not even started climbing. They were not roped together. 'The avalanche must have come out of the Observatory Gully - a 15 minute walk from the Charles Inglis Clark hut where their tent was found. It probably happened on their first day on the mountain. 'Because they were covered by so much snow we could not find them until conditions had thawed enough. They were under a lot of snow. We - and others - must have walked past them so many times. 'We will never know what fully happened but they must have been buried by a really big avalanche. 'We dug them out and stretchered them off the hill. It was a very emotional job for the team. But these searches do not always have the best of outcomes - it is part of the job unfortunately. 'We have had a fantastic response from the public - with thousands of messages. We would like to thank them for all their help. They have been fantastic.' The families of Ms Slater, 24, and Mr Newton, 27, said they could now move forward with their lives, taking comfort from the fact they died doing what they loved. They said in a statement issued through police, they said: 'We would like to thank the mountain rescue teams, climbing community, police in Fort William and all concerned for finding Rachel and Tim, bringing the news we have been waiting for and for their sustained efforts over the last six weeks. 'These brave and generous men and women have worked incredibly hard to find Rachel and Tim in difficult and dangerous conditions. Mourning: The families of the two climbers, Mr Newton pictured, have since come out and praised the efforts of mountain rescue teams 'The Lochaber mountain rescue team, police, climbers, friends, family and wider community near and far have been overwhelmingly supportive, generous and kind throughout this difficult time. We have received thoughts, prayers and messages of kindness from all over the world. 'Although much anticipated, it still comes as a shock but we are thankful that we can now move forward with our lives in the knowledge that Rachel and Tim were doing what they loved to do. 'Climbing was their passion, they loved the mountains, wilderness and outdoor spaces.' Inspector Donald Campbell, of Police Scotland's Highlands and Islands division, said: 'We hope that this identification provides some form of closure for the families of Rachel and Tim, who have bravely endured the agony of not knowing. 'They have our deepest sympathies at this very difficult time, this of course extends to local communities in Bradford, Leicester and Canada, who will feel the loss of two inspiring young people.' The couple's tent was found near the Charles Inglis Clark memorial hut (CIC) earlier in the search and Ms Slater's car was later found parked in the North Face Car Park. The bodies were discovered near the CIC hut The search has been conducted predominantly by the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Centre (pictured above) Rescue teams had been searching for the two climbers, described as 'experienced', for more than a month although efforts had been hampered by hazardous weather and avalanche risks. The pair, from Bradford, were officially reported missing on February 15 after they failed to return from Lochaber. Earlier on in the search, the couple's tent was found near the Charles Inglis Clark memorial hut (CIC) and Ms Slater's car was later found parked in the North Face Car Park. Ms Slater's parents - both experienced climbers - and Mr Newton's father joined the rescue effort on the mountain yesterday. They went up to the CIC hut to see what confronted the rescuers. A blog written by Ms Slater, a Manchester University graduate and environmental consultant, also revealed she was extremely capable when it came to climbing. She wrote: 'I've been around rocks my whole life as my parents are very keen climbers - most of my childhood was spent scrambling around at the bottom of the cliff with the occasional easy top rope. 'In 2005 my family moved to Calgary, Canada, and in 2007 I joined a youth climbing team at my local wall and in 2008 progressed to the competitive youth team. 'We trained three times a week at 6am and competed locally and nationally throughout the winter. In the summer and school holidays I sport climbed with my family in the Rockies and Western States of America.' A decorated soldier was cleared of shooting dead an Iraqi civilian for the third time yesterday after being hounded by lawyers for more than a decade. Former sergeant Richard Catterall killed a suspected insurgent he believed was carrying an AK-47 and was about to shoot his comrades in Basra in 2003. Two inquiries cleared the father of two of unlawfully killing Muhammad Salim, but then he faced a further investigation when the mans family tried to get compensation through the law firm Public Interest Lawyers. Decorated soldier Richard Catterall, pictured with his two daughters, faced a third inquiry following the killing of Iraqi civilian Muhammad Salim - after the man's family tried to get compensation through the law firm Public Interest Lawyers Yesterday it emerged that the case against Mr Catterall, 46, had relied on a false document that was doctored to make it look like the British military was to blame. In a scathing attack on law firms pursuing spurious claims, the chairman of the third inquiry said that if the document had come to light sooner and Mr Salims family had been given balanced and measured legal advice, the case may never have been pursued. Mr Catteralls plight kickstarted a Daily Mail campaign to stop British troops being hounded after it was revealed how Iraqis were persuaded to mount claims against the UK Government. Last night the soldiers daughter Demi said: The response he received from the Mails coverage made a huge difference. Publishing his report yesterday, Sir George Newman, inspector of the Iraq Fatality Investigations, said any reasonable trained soldier would have believed his life to be in danger in the circumstances. He added: With the benefit of hindsight, one can ask whether a warning shot should have been given, but split-second decisions are called for in these circumstances and hindsight is no guide to a fair assessment. S011 (Mr Catterall) was entitled to act in self-defence, and I have concluded that sufficient circumstances did exist to justify the belief on his part that he was in danger. Sir George said it was regrettable that the key witness, Mahmood Zuboon Dahesh, saw the correct military version of events only after being sent them by the inquiry. Instead, he was given a false version of the document, which had been translated into Arabic incorrectly and which blamed British forces, making him believe the case was stronger. Mr Catterall, circled, believed Mr Salim was carrying an AK-47 and was about to shoot his comrades. He had previously been cleared of his unlawful killing Yesterday it emerged that the case against Mr Catterall, 46, had relied on a false document that was doctored to make it look like the British military was to blame Sir George said he believed a military statement was probably falsified by an interpreter acting on behalf of a rival tribe. He added that if Mr Dahesh had seen the strength of the evidential record, he may have hesitated before he committed himself to the strategy to blame the British forces. Last year Mr Catterall, who was medically discharged from the Army in 2014 after serving 23 years, had to give evidence to the Iraq Fatality Investigations an inquest-style inquiry set up in response to Public Interest Lawyers claims despite suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and agoraphobia. Last night he was understood to be too unwell to speak. A military inquiry at the time of the shooting in 2003 cleared Mr Catterall of any wrongdoing. A subsequent eight-month investigation by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team found there was no evidence to justify charging him with murder or manslaughter. Powell spearheads the Emerson Collective, a philanthropic group that work on improving education and champions immigration reform Powell has been a long time advocate for Clinton and last year called her a 'revolutionary' woman The billionaire widow and her son smiled as they shook hands with the Steve Jobs' widow and her son with the Apple founder met with Hillary Clinton on Wednesday in California. Laurene Powell, 51, and Reed Jobs, 20, both smiled from ear to ear as they shook hands with the Democratic front-runner after she spoke on counter terrorism on Wednesday at Stanford University where Reed is a student. Powell has been a long time advocate for Clinton and last year called her a 'revolutionary' woman. Scroll down for video Meeting: Democratic presidential candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greets Laurene Powell (left) widow of Steve Jobs, and her son Reed Jobs (right) after delivering an address at Stanford University Support: Powell has been a long time advocate for Clinton and last year called her a 'revolutionary' woman. Clinton gave a speech at Stanford University on Wednesday where Reed is a student Powell and Steve Jobs were married for 20 years and after his death, she inherited an estate of about $10 billion. Despite being one of the richest women in the U.S. she has kept a deliberately low profile as she continues with her charitable work. The billionaire widow is investing her time and money in the future of American youths and last year she donated $50million to XQ - a project aimed to at re-imagining America's public high schools and how they fit in a technology-focused world. The project is spearheaded by Emerson Collective, a philanthropic group founded by Powell Jobs to work on improving education and champion social causes, including immigration reform. Tragic death: Powell and Steve Jobs were married for 20 years and after his death, she inherited an estate of about $10 billion and has spent her time getting involved in philanthropic endeavors Referencing the conflict between the FBI and Apple over an encrypted iPhone used by the San Bernardino attacker, Clinton said the technology community and government must find ways to work together Clinton on Wednesday also addressed the future of technology and spoke about how America must utilize the ever changing medium as a means of fighting terrorism. Her words come just a day after horrifying terror attacks left dozens dead in Brussels, Belgium. Referencing the conflict between the FBI and Apple over an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, Clinton said the technology community and government must find ways to work together, calling for an intelligence surge in the United States and with allies. She also said the Brussels attacks showed the need for a harder look at security protocols at airports and other sensitive, so-called soft sites. Clinton on Wednesday called for 'strong, smart, steady leadership,' arguing that recent comments from Republicans Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz show they are not up to the task of combating Islamic militants. 'Turning our back on our alliances, or turning our alliance into a protection racket would reverse decades of bipartisan American leadership and send a dangerous signal to friend and foe alike,' she said, referencing a call by Trump to lessen U.S. involvement in NATO. David Cameron pulverised Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs crushed him as the wheel of an express train will flatten a boiled egg. Tory MPs united in cheers. But shortly before PMQs there was less congenial news for Downing Street. Brexiteer Boris Johnson was quizzed about EU withdrawal by the Treasury select committee. Its chairman, Andrew Tyrie, is like a Tudor dentist: he usually has visitors screaming in the chair. Blusterer Boris would surely disintegrate. But no. The old horse did rather well. Not what Cameron wanted at all! Brexiteer Boris Johnson was quizzed about EU withdrawal by the Treasury select committee shortly before PMQs in London yesterday and responded rather well - citing chapter and verse - writes QUENTIN LETTS Mr Tyrie, an admirably arid and spidery figure, never allows friendship to deter him. He admitted he had liked Boris for years yet soon he was sawing away at him. He put it to Boris that certain yarns about EU interference were overhyped. Boris sagged at first but was soon biffing back. He was able to cite chapter, and sometimes verse (the directive in question is 213015 from memory), on various European embuggerances regarding teabags, lorry windows and coffin sizes. Juncker and gang pursue us even to the grave. Mayor Boris was particularly strong on EU rules which stop lorries being made safer for London cyclists. Mr Tyrie became irked that his victim was fighting back so successfully. He tried interrupting Boris. Boris took no notice. Then he told Boris to stop interrupting him, even though Tyrie had been the one to interrupt in the first place. Boris was prone to exaggeration and misrepresentation. Boris, genially: I disagree. You have failed utterly in your experiment. I have demolished all your questions! With that he gave a Stan Laurel frown followed by a chipper little grunt of merriment. Mr Tyrie renewed his assault, so Boris told the room about a book Mr Tyrie wrote in 2002 entitled Never Say Never Common Sense on the Single Currency. Bullseye! Boris kept noting that the moany maunderers (he called them gloomadon poppers) who predict apocalypse if we quit the EU are the same clowns who said we should dump sterling for the euro. David Cameron leaving Downing Street yesterday When Labours Helen Goodman predicted a long period of uncertainty if we vote for independence, Boris suggested a similarly glum vision was once promoted by experts who said computers would crash and airliners fall from the skies on Jan 1, 2000, owing to the millennium bug. Boris: Nothing of the kind took place. He doubted European businesses would want Brussels to make trade more difficult with a post-Brexit Britain. And he listed some of this things that had curdled his attitude to the EU. Among them was Mr Camerons failure to deliver the fundamental repatriation of powers he promised in his Bloomberg speech. Arrayed before him were mumbling Europhile Mark Garnier (Con, Wyre Forest), who is always fingering his lips, and little Wes Streeting (Lab, Ilford N), plump and earnest. Mr Streeting, not long out of short trousers, accused Boris of being a Brexit blow-in. Bilge! burped Boris. He unfolded a newspaper cutting from 25 or so years ago in which he had predicted chaos if the EC (as it then was) dismantled national borders. He wrote that prescient article around the same time our Mr Tyrie was crafting the final chapters to his masterpiece, Never Say Never. Point of information: I have tried to buy a copy of Never Say Never, but find, to my grief, that it has slipped out of print. As for PMQs, Mr Corbyn may never have a riper week. The Budget had gone phutt, Iain Duncan Smith had quit and the Tory Party is as bifurcated as a harlots ankles. Yet old Corbyn was upended by a Cameron riff about an internal Labour party list grading the loyalty of its MPs. And I thought I had problems! laughed Mr Cameron, to tremendous hogsnorting. Voters have swung dramatically towards Britain leaving the EU since the turn of the year with the historic referendum now on a knife edge. An exclusive Daily Mail phone survey found a shift of 11 points towards Britain quitting the Brussels club, with the gap now down to just six points. This is despite Downing Street and the Remain camp bombarding the public with dire warnings that jobs and investment will be lost and food and energy bills will rocket if we leave. An exclusive Daily Mail phone survey shows voters have swung dramatically towards leaving the EU, with a shift of 11 points towards Britain quitting the Brussels club, with the gap down to just six points (shown above) And, with almost a quarter of people still to make up their minds, the contest is now officially too close to call. The ComRes poll was conducted before terrorists struck at the heart of Brussels triggering warnings that EU membership is making Britain less secure. As a result, the race may now have become even tighter. Significantly, our survey of more than 1,000 people suggests the row over EU membership is harming the standing of the Prime Minister. The Tories now lead Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party by only two points the smallest gap since the election. The poll also reveals the crucial role which the issue of Turkeys EU membership could play in the debate. As part of a deal with Turkey, the EU agreed to speed up Turkeys application to join the Brussels club potentially giving its 77million citizens free access to the UK. In the short term, Europe has agreed to allow Turks visa free travel inside the Schengen zone. The poll found that 34 per cent of people said they would be more likely to vote to leave if the EU agrees to let Turkey join. David Cameron leaving Downing Street yesterday In December 2015 the lead for those saying they would probably or definitely vote to stay in the EU was 17 points, a gap now narrowed to only 6 points. Some 42 per cent would vote to remain with 36 per cent in favour of leaving. Some 23 per cent are undecided. Conservative voters are split down the middle overall, with 37 per cent each saying they are probably or definitely likely to vote to stay or leave. Labour voters are more likely to say theyre probably or definitely likely to vote to stay, rather than to leave 0 61 per cent versus 23 per cent. In a blow for Mr Cameron, Labour has closed the gap on the Conservatives by five percentage points since February - with the Conservatives now leading by only two points, 37 to 35. It is the smallest Tory lead of this Parliament and reflects a number of other polls which have seen a swing away from Mr Camerons party in recent weeks. The research on how many of Britains laws are made in Brussels was produced for the backbench Tory MP Anne Main. Mr Cameron had claimed that as few as 13 per cent of UK Acts of Parliament are related to EU directives. In fact, according to the parliamentary research, the figure is 59 per cent. Mrs Main, who is campaigning to leave the EU, said: These figures are startling, and we can now see that we are on an escalator that only leads to more EU with less democratic control. The invisible crushing fist of Brussels means that so often we in parliament dont get any say over how rules and laws are made that affect the UK. (MUST) A second poll by ComRes, for ITV News, yesterday showed a seven point lead for remain - the lowest recorded by telephone poll since the General Election. Some 48 per ent back Remain, while 41 per cent say they would vote for Leave if there was a referendum tomorrow. The poll also found that Boris Johnson is almost as important as the Prime Minister in the debate. The plan reserves 587 units for people earning more than $127,000-a-year In a bid to tackle the issue, the city has launched a new housing plan It means low-income workers like teachers cannot afford to live in the city People earning $250,000-a-year should qualify for subsidized housing in Palo Alto, according to a new proposal. City officials have outlined an eight-year affordable housing plan - with 587 units for reserved for the area's uniquely wealthy middle class as real estate prices balloon. The well-heeled California neighborhood, where a plot of land recently sold for $2.7 million, is home to some of Americas richest entrepreneurs who work a few miles away in Silicon Valley. With house price averages an eye-watering $3 million, even those earning $250,000-a-year are spending two-thirds of their monthly salary (around $14,000) paying off their mortgage. It means workers such as teachers, janitors, firefighters, social workers, police officers and more are not paid enough to afford the local rent, driving up congestion as they commute in. Now the City Of Palo Alto has outlined a proposal to combat the issue - with price guidelines unlike any other in the country. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO People earning $250,000-a-year should qualify for subsidized housing in Palo Alto, California, according to a new proposal. It comes after a plot of land (pictured) sold for almost $1 million in the well-heeled city The plot of land behind this house sold for $2.7 million recently. House prices in the city average at $3 million, meaning low-income skilled workers are priced out of the area and have to commute a long way to work The figures: The penultimate line in this table from the city's proposal shows how people earning above 120 per cent of the average income (which works out to be around $127,000) require subsidized housing in the city 'In most other areas of the Country, this income level would be associated with "above moderate" or market rate housing, rather than affordable housing,' the proposal says. But in Palo Alto, this section of society - earning anything from $127,000 to $250,000 a year - is struggling. The plan, tabled at a council meeting on Monday, suggests building apartments as small as 200 square feet with bathrooms and kitchens shared between neighbors. Other options include co-housing communities that share kitchens and dining areas, and special exemptions for property developers who set aside at least 25 per cent of new-builds for low income families. The city's biggest problem is that low-income workers cannot afford to live nearby, 'indicating in a large unmet need for worker housing in the City,' the plan explains. There are far more jobs in the city than there are employed residents. And the impact is crippling. 'Since many of Palo Altos workers cannot afford to live in the City, the imbalance creates negative impacts such as long commutes for workers both inside and outside the region, increased traffic congestion during peak commute periods, and increased air pollution end energy consumption,' the proposal warns. In total, the proposal suggests building 1,988 new units for anyone earning less than $250,000 a year. The average area income is $106,300. The subsidized housing plan includes people earning 120 per cent of that ($127,000) and 'above' - which would include those earning $250,000. But implementing the proposed measures will be tough, according to Professor Norm Miller, an expert in real estate at the University of San Diego's School of Business. 'The only solutions to make housing more affordable are to add density, more units per acre and generally you need to add a lot of density like you have in New York City or to make units smaller as proposed,' Miller explained to Daily Mail Online on Wednesday. $15 MILLION: The city has become a hot spot for Silicon Valley executives, pushing up demand for luxurious mansions like this one, which was listed for a cool $15 million $20 MILLION: This eight-bedroom home in Palo Alto has a tennis court and an attached guest house 'What is interesting in California is how hard it is to do either of these. People here oppose smaller units and density on grounds of adding traffic, the evils of all development foisted on neighbors who keep having babies that will have no place to live. 'Even a hospice center if proposed to be higher density than other housing nearby would probably be accused of driving up traffic to insanely high levels. Go figure.' Miller, the Hahn Chairman of Real Estate Finance at San Diego's real estate center, last year published a paper that boldly declared Palo Alto was in the midst of a housing bubble that is set to burst. There could be some reprieve for residents, he claims, will be 'when' (not 'if') the tech bubble bursts. 'This stick wealth has directly supported the housing market and let it escape the normal bounds of income only driven demand,' he told the Mail on Wednesday. 'These tech markets are thus more vulnerable to a setback.' But ultimately, he says, 'the problem of historically low densities, large units and a NIMBY culture opposing all new development especially of any real density' will linger as long as Californians resist high-density housing plans. They are known for rescuing cats from trees. However, this heartwarming footage shows the moment a group of firefighters saved the life of a kitten that was injured in a fire in Moscow. The clip shows the ginger cat lying lifeless on the floor as it is attended to by the emergency services. Video shows the ginger kitten lying lifeless on the floor following a fire on 1 March, 2016, in Moscow, Russia In the aftermath of the blaze, a quick-thinking fireman is seen to treat the incident on 1 March, as a medical emergency. And, after being given an oxygen mask, the kitten is slowly heard to breathe again. Just a few moments later it shows even greater signs of recovery as it begins to flinch and move its legs. Sensing that the cat is coming back to life the fireman puts the animal back on its feet. However, he is careful to keep providing it with the necessary medication - despite its playful protestations. And is then seen to nurse the kitten carefully on his knee until it is well enough to be taken back to its owner. A quick-thinking fire fighter treated the incident as a medical emergency and made sure that the cat had the correct breathing apparatus The fire fighter continued to nurse the cat and give it the medical attention it needed before returning it to its owner The tearful lady stroked the cat in a heartwarming reunion. However, the circumstances surrounding the fire are currently unknown After being reunited with her brave pet, the lady begins to tearfully stroke the animal whilst uttering words of relief to the emergency services. But the cheeky kitten is more interested in playing with its new toy - a medical mask. The circumstances surrounding the fire are currently unknown. However, a similar incident happened in Cambridgeshire, last year, when a drowning cat was saved by firemen who brought it back to life with a miniature oxygen mask. The animal was seen struggling in a river by two passers-by who managed to reach in and pull it to safety. But when they hauled it onto the riverbank it was barely breathing so they dialled 999. The firefighters gently coaxed the cat back to life with the mini mask and the animal later made a full recovery. Despite encouragement from the fire services, the kitten still seemed more interested in using the oxygen mask as a toy, than for medical purposes The majority of Australians are about to enjoy a four-day Easter holiday weekend with a string of public holidays in sight. But as you prepare to indulge with the family over the Easter long weekend, it might be worth checking to see if you have stocked up on all the essentials. Good Friday and Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday are all public holidays in most states, which means restrictions on retail trading may apply. So what exactly is open and closed over the next four days? Good Friday and Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday are all public holidays in most states and territories in Australia, which means restrictions on retail trading may apply Good Friday Good Friday is a restricted trading day across the country, which means most shops including supermarkets and major shopping centres are closed. The majority of Coles and Woolworths stores will be closed on Good Friday. Smaller corner stores, petrol stations and chemists are exempt and are allowed to trade on Friday but it is up to their discretion. Bottle shops will also be closed on Good Friday, but alcohol is still served at hotels, bars and pubs. Licensed premises in NSW are only allowed to serve alcohol from noon until 10pm. You can also still drink alcohol at licensed restaurants in most states, as long as you order food at the same time. Easter Saturday Supermarkets and bottle shops generally trade as normal on Easter Saturday even though it is a public holiday in all states and territories apart from Western Australia and Tasmania. Major shopping centres like Westfield will also be open on Saturday. There are also no restrictions to alcohol sales. Good Friday is a restricted trading day across the country, which means most shops including supermarkets and major shopping centres are closed Bottle shops will also be closed on Good Friday, but alcohol is still served at bars and pubs. You can also still drink alcohol at licensed restaurants in most states, as long as you order food Supermarkets and bottle shops generally trade as normal on Easter Saturday even though it is a public in all states and territories apart from Western Australia and Tasmania Easter Sunday Easter Sunday is only a public holiday in NSW, Victoria and the ACT. It is a restricted trading day in NSW so most supermarkets, including Coles and Woolworths, are closed. Some supermarkets will be open in Sydney's CBD, but it is best to check a store's website before heading over. The majority of supermarkets in Victoria will trade normally. There are also no restrictions on the sale of alcohol on Easter Sunday. While it is not considered a public holiday in Queensland, not all shopping centres will be open - mostly ones outside of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Easter Monday Easter Monday is a public holiday for the entire country but most major shopping centres will be open and trading as normal. Coles and Woolworths will be open again in most states, except South Australia where only select supermarkets say they will open. There are also no restrictions on alcohol sales on Monday. Easter Sunday is actually only a public holiday in NSW, Victoria and the ACT. It is a restricted trading day in NSW so major shopping centres and supermarkets, including Coles and Woolworths, are closed The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) launched an investigation into Cherie Blair's (pictured) company, Omnia Strategy, over half of the 420,000 it billed the repressive Maldives government Cherie Blair's law firm has escaped disciplinary action over allegations that it received corrupt payments from an autocratic regime. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) launched an investigation into Mrs Blair's company, Omnia Strategy, after the Mail revealed how half of the 420,000 it billed the repressive Maldives government was paid by a suspected conman who is now an international fugitive. The man who organised the cash transfer has since alleged that it was 'stolen cash' plundered by politicians from a state-run tourism agency. But the SRA has announced that Omnia will not face any action over the matter and the file on it was closed. The legal watchdog, which took action in only a quarter of the 10,000 complaints it received last year, refused to give a full explanation for its decision. Nor would it reveal what steps it took to investigate the payment. Last night, campaigners demanded to know why the firm had escaped sanction over the allegations. An MP described the decision as 'very strange', as law firms have strict legal requirements to report suspicious activity which may indicate money laundering, and to verify the identity of clients and the source of funds. Mrs Blair's firm was hired by the Maldivian government last summer to advise on 'strategic diplomacy, media training, [and] international media relations,' documents obtained by the Mail showed. Omnia billed Abdullah Ziyath, former managing director of the state-run Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, for two payments of 210,000. Ziyath has since been arrested on 50 embezzlement charges as part of a 55million alleged corruption investigation. Bank records show a payment subsequently made to Mrs Blair's firm came not from Ziyath's agency, but from MC Maldives Private Ltd, a garment company with no links to political activity. The company's owner said he had been duped into paying the money to Mrs Blair by Mohamed Allam Latheef, a businessman who is now wanted by Interpol accused of corruption, arms trafficking, terrorism and the embezzlement of more than 30million. Mr Latheef told the Mail this week he believed the money was cash stolen by the government from the Maldivian people. Protests: A demonstrator holds up a sign reading 'Cherie! Give back our money' on the streets of Male The SRA did not contact the Mail during its investigation into Omnia, meaning the newspaper was unable to pass on bank records detailing the irregular payment. John Glen, Tory MP for Salisbury, said: 'It seems very strange that this extremely irregular arrangement is not of interest to the SRA. 'It would seem reasonable for them to want to see the evidence before they dismiss these very legitimate concerns.' The company's owner said he had been duped into paying the money to Mrs Blair by Mohamed Allam Latheef, a businessman who is wanted by Interpol Eva Abdulla, an MP for the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party who campaigns for better human rights in her country, said: 'Omnia signed a deal with one of Asia's most corrupt and repressive regimes, famed for its links to organised crime. 'Omnia billed the government but received payment, in stolen money, from a private Maldivian company. This stinks. Equally worrying is the fact that the SRA is refusing to investigate this.' Questions also remain about Omnia's recent links to the regime. In a statement last month, the firm claimed that it stopped working for the Maldives government following 'unpredictable domestic events' there in October and November. But the Mail can reveal that a senior lawyer listed on Omnia's website has since visited the Maldives three times. Toby Cadman's latest visit came last month, after the Mail published details of the irregular payment. Contacted by the Mail, he said he is no longer employed by Omnia. When the Mail first contacted Omnia about the suspicious payment last month, the firm said it took the suggestion it had received money from someone other than its client 'very seriously' and was urgently 'reviewing' the payment. Last night it did not respond to further requests for comment. Life is getting better all the time but most of us dont believe it, official figures show (stock image) Life is getting better all the time but most of us dont believe it, official figures show. We can expect to live for longer in good health, but the number of people who complain about their health has gone up too. Incomes are rising, but the number of people happy with their pay is going down. Crime is down, but the number of women who say they do not feel safe walking after dark has gone up. And while house prices go up ever higher, fewer people are satisfied with their homes. The paradox of the statistics, suggesting that the more comfortable we become, the more we are likely to complain and grumble, was revealed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in a report on the latest indicators of national well-being. It found that the hard figures on health, life expectancy, the economy and living standards are mainly good news. But the findings of surveys of well-being heavily promoted by David Cameron as a way of guiding Government policy tell a different story. Glenn Everett, the ONS director of well-being, said: In many parts of our society life in the UK is improving but we dont necessarily feel that they are. While healthy life expectancy, household income, and crime rates are improving, we have seen people reporting that they are less satisfied with some aspects of their life such as our health, income and leisure time. Scroll down for video Crime is down, but the number of women who say they do not feel safe walking after dark has gone up. And while house prices go up ever higher, fewer people are satisfied with their homes The real-life health figures show that the number of years people can expect to live before ill-health or disability begins to take effect have risen steadily since the turn of the Millennium. Between 2008 and 2011 healthy life expectancy for men went up from 62.5 years to 64.2, and for women from 64.2 to 66.1, an improvement of nearly two years. Yet possibly influenced by constant warnings from the medical profession about alcohol, sugar, and obesity - the proportion of people who said in ONS surveys that they were satisfied with their health dropped from 59.3 per cent to 57.8 per cent between 2013 and 2014. Although we are living longer, healthier lives, we are less satisfied with our health Office for National Statistics Over the same period surveys showed an increase from 18.3 per cent to 19.7 per cent in the share of the population saying they had felt anxiety or depression. Although we are living longer, healthier lives, we are less satisfied with our health, the ONS said. Economic statistics have been shifting upwards in recent years as the country has gradually pulled out from recession and unemployment has fallen fast. By 2014, net national disposable income was 22,786 for every individual, up from 22,463 in the previous year and nearly 1,000 higher than the trough level during the downturn in 2009. Yet the number of people saying they are not satisfied with their income is rising. In 2011, 53.7 per cent said they were happy with the money coming in. By 2014, that had fallen to 57.2 per cent. The Prime Minister urged the Office for National Statistics to start collecting subjective measures of happiness and well-being, at a cost of 2 million a year, in 2011, saying that they could say more about the state of the nation than factual statistics Home Office crime estimates say that between 2012 and 2015 the number of crimes committed for every 1,000 people went down from 82 to 57 per year. But over the same three years, the proportion of women who feel safe walking home after dark deteriorated, the ONS found. The report also discovered that people felt the same way about their family and social lives over a period of years, but the numbers who felt they had a friend to rely on in times of trouble have been declining. Having someone to turn to for company and support in times of need is essential for a persons well-being, it said. The ONS noted: The majority of improvements relate to objective measures of national well-being such as the unemployment rate, while the majority of measures assessed as deteriorated are subjective measures, such as satisfaction with health. The Prime Minister urged the ONS to start collecting subjective measures of happiness and well-being, at a cost of 2 million a year, in 2011, saying that they could say more about the state of the nation than factual statistics. The well-being surveys are being carried out across Europe at the prompting of the EU. The ONS said that well-being findings can depend on age and lifestyle. Analysis has shown that those in their middle years, in their late 40s and early 50s, are often the most depressed, least happy, and most likely to complain because of the pressures of keeping jobs, paying bills and mortgages, and caring for both children and older relatives. Once they reach their 60s and retire they become much happier. Brutality begins at home. In looking for the reasons behind Tuesdays Belgian atrocities, we have to face the fact that the ultimate cause lies in the upbringing of the killers. And when I say we must face it, I am talking about Muslim communities across Europe and here in Britain. It is our responsibility and we must deal with it. I do not discount the effects of casual racism against Muslims, of anger over the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and of the spread of Islamic extremism from Saudi Arabia. All of these things are important, but just as vital is the way that Muslim families raise their children. For too long, no one has dared to say a word on this subject, but we can no longer ignore it. Belgian bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui (centre) and explosives expert Najim Laachraou (left), both wearing black gloves to hide their suicide bomb triggers, killed 14 at Brussels airport. Their accomplice - the 'Man in White' - (right) is Europe's most wanted man after walking out of the airport after leaving a bomb that never went off When mass killings are committed by white people, such as the Columbine school massacre in the U.S. in 1999 or the shootings in Norway by the deranged racial supremacist Anders Breivik in 2011, we are quick to look for the psychological roots what happened in the killers childhoods to make them believe indiscriminate slaughter was the answer? When Islamist terrorist attacks happen, we dont do this. Instead, we look for such external causes as preachers of hate. And I believe that we have been looking in the wrong direction. Too many Muslim families in Britain and the rest of Europe isolate themselves from the out- side world. They deliberately turn their backs on it. Forbidden This inwardness means that Muslim boys and girls are denied many privileges that other young people take for granted. They are growing up unfree in the free world. At school and on TV, they see one kind of life. Yet at home, they experience another one entirely. Inevitably they are drawn to both and end up feeling that they belong to neither. They are lost between these two worlds. As a university lecturer, I hear this complaint from many Muslim students. And as a journalist, I receive countless letters every year from young people around the country who are in the same miserable dilemma, bitterly sad letters expressing a deep unhappiness which can provoke a kind of vengefulness against the wider world. It is common to hear, for example, that when lectures and tutorials are over, Muslim students are forbidden by their families to fraternise with their peers. They cant have a coffee in the canteen, much less go to the pub or a nightclub. Instead, they must go straight back to their parents. If they do make friends, they are not allowed to bring them home. Their families refuse to permit any trace of the broader British community to cross their threshold: it has to be left on the doorstep. So friends must be kept secret, which is often impossible when privacy in the family is banned. I know students who are not allowed even to talk on the phone at home without others listening. Deranged racial supremacist Anders Breivik One 18-year-old who told his family of his ambition to become an artist described his fathers reaction to me: He slapped me across the face. Then he sent me away. He does not want to talk to me now. This cultural inwardness has become worse in recent years, in part thanks to the permissive nature of Western society. Every parent worries about drugs and sexual freedom as their children get older, but for strict Muslim families here, in Belgium and elsewhere, this can become a sort of phobia. Instead of addressing the issues, as other parents do, they pull up the drawbridge. This attitude is made worse by the influence of Wahhabi fundamentalism emanating from the hardline clerics of Saudi Arabia and spreading through the internet brainwashing entire communities into deeply regressive views about liberal democracies. When large-scale Muslim immigration arrived in the UK during the Sixties and Seventies, parents were eager for the next generation to obtain a broad education and a good job, by embracing everything their new country had to offer. That is no longer the template. Muslim parents today, consumed by anxieties and with their heads full of rhetoric from firebrand preachers, want to lock up their children and deny them their basic freedoms. That in turn makes the racism they sometimes face from others in society even worse: behave like an outsider and you will be treated like one. The result is deep confusion among young Muslims. Their parents tell them they are not allowed to become genuinely British or French or Belgian. Violent Classmates and strangers rub the message in further from a different perspective. So they end up asking themselves where they belong and who is really on their side. Then along come Islamic State radicalisers on the quiet at the mosque or via the internet, claiming to become a surrogate family, offering certainty and salvation, and, for more violent young men, a new kind of masculine identity. Why else would the brothers Ibrahim and Khalid el- Bakraoui, who blew themselves up in the Brussels airport and Metro this week, feel life was not worth living and that their best course of action was to kill themselves and take as many innocent lives with them as they could? Since 9/11, the popular rationale in the West has been that suicide bombers must be intent on becoming martyrs, heading for paradise, but I cannot accept that. I think the brothers motive was far more negative they did not want to live. Life had offered them nothing, so they rejected it. A fire caused by one of the explosions at Brussels airport is tackled by airport staff with extinguishers The image above shows the damage caused by the bomb at the Maelbeek Metro station in central Brussels They must have hated their fellow Muslims especially, or at least the peaceable ones, because in the wake of their murderous actions it is Muslims across Europe who will pay as societies become more suspicious of them. And, yes, in some cases Muslims will be helping to shelter known terrorists. It is true that the alleged Belgian terrorists were able to hide, presumably with local help, in Muslim ghettoes after the Paris massacre last November, and to plot this new mass murder. Inwardness breeds false loyalties and encourages families to keep secrets, no matter how terrible, from outsiders. The same mentality we saw in East End gangster families, who would condone any crime rather than grass on a relative, is what enabled those terror suspects to hide from all Europes intelligence services. But labelling all Muslims as terrorist supporters is ludicrous and deeply unhelpful. In fact, the actions of ISIS have shaken Muslim communities out of their complacency. They understand now terrorism must never be tolerated because this is where it leads: to bombs on trains and slaughter at rock concerts. In the wake of the London bombings in 2005, one shocking poll commissioned by Channel 4 showed 30 per cent of British Muslims refused to condemn atrocities completely. While only a small number actually approved, a substantial minority said they believed that violence could be justified to defend Islam. That view is much less widespread now. People have woken up. Attitudes to honour killings have also begun to shift, as they have towards female genital mutilation and forced marriages. Fearful Once these matters were seen as a family concern but, thanks to campaigning and reasoned argument, that is changing. The alienation so many angry young men feel towards the Western societies in which they grew up can be challenged, too. It might seem impossible to reverse the trend of fearful isolation felt by so many Muslim families, but it can be done. After all, what the West has to offer is so good freedom of speech, freedom to live as you want to live. We are incredibly lucky to have that. Millions of Muslims around the world are desperate for the same rights. Those across Europe who reject those gifts must examine themselves and learn to live with freedom. A secret memo has revealed that the Belgian government thought their new counter-terrorism approach was starting to work well, just four months before the deadly attacks in Brussels. The confidential US intelligence cable outlines Belgium's anti-terror strategy for monitoring and tracking the vast number of returning jihadis from Syria, according to NBC News. Former U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia Jake Walles warned the Belgium government that 'returning fighters pose a significant destabilizing threat' during a meeting in November 2015. Traumatic: Air hostess and mother of two Nidhi Chapekar (right) pictured covered in dust and with her yellow uniform in tatters Carnage: There were scenes of devastation at the main terminal at Brussels national airport today as rescue workers and officials continued to pick through the rubble following the two bomb blasts yesterday morning which killed 14 people and injured scores more He also 'noted the relatively high number of Belgian fighters', just four months before Brussels's main airport and metro was attacked, leaving 34 people dead and dozens wounded. Frank Arnauts, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' director for Security Policy, said the Belgian intelligence services were stemming the number of radicals travelling to join jihadi groups in Syria. Despite the progress, Mr Arnauts admitted that Belgium is 'likely has provided the largest number of fighters in Syria per capita.' Around 500 people are thought to have travelled from Belgium to fight in Syria, Iraq and other territories. Explosion: The image above is being used by the Belgian media who claim this is the damage caused by the bomb at the Maelbeek Metro station in central Brussels this morning. It has not been verified by the authorities but is being widely circulated on social media. Panic: A fire caused by one of the explosions in the terminal is tackled by airport staff with extinguishers surrounded by baggage and falling roof tiles A soldier walks through debris after two explosions rocked a terminal building at Brussels Airport According to Belgian journalist Guy van Vlierden and analyst Pieter Van Ostaeyen, over 250 Belgian nationals are believed to be still fighting in Syria and Iraq. 117 Belgian nationals have returned to Belgium, according to Minister of Interior Affairs, Jan Jambon. In the leaked cable, Belgian intelligence services were revealed to be focusing on the city of Antwerp, rather than Brussels. American officials urged the Belgian authorities in the cable to share their new strategy for tracking returning jihadis with other countries battling against the threat of attacks in Europe. Two historic houses in London are to be preserved for future generations with a Grade-II listing. For sure, in a city dominated by arrogant skyscrapers, Numbers 6 and 7 Denmark Street (just off the Charing Cross Road) are lovely and rare examples of late 17th-century architecture. But what has got the chattering classes and gushing cliques of the arts establishment really excited is their connection with . . . the Sex Pistols. Never mind the buildings baroque flourishes: its the fact that Johnny Rotten once scrawled crude cartoons and semi- literate obscenities on its 300-year-old walls that apparently makes these properties a national treasure. For the topsy-turvy values of our new cultural elite now mean that puerile graffiti is art. Two historic houses in London, Denmark Street (just off the Charing Cross Road), are to be listed because of their links to the Sex Pistols In the mid-Seventies, the Sex Pistols inhabited the squalid attic flat here, plotting how to become notorious and get filthy rich. One day, the flat was redecorated and the walls repainted, which Johnny Rotten deemed too posh, so he set about ruining them again. DEPRESSED MISERABLE TIRED ILL SICK BOOED & BORED, he scrawled, adding poisonous, badly drawn caricatures of the bands manipulative, Svengali-like manager, Malcolm McLaren, and a naked Nancy Spungen, the drug-addict, part-time prostitute and ill-fated girlfriend of Sid Vicious. Rotten labelled her picture Nancy Spunger. Later, Vicious would stab Spungen to death in a seedy hotel bedroom in New York while out of his tiny mind on heroin. Johnny Rotten once scrawled crude cartoons and semi- literate obscenities (pictured) on the 300-year-old walls of 6 Denmark Street Another piece of the ugly little graffiti of Denmark Street caricatures Sid Vicious as Ego Slosho a sneering reference to the fact he was an alcoholic and drug addict, evidently determined to fulfil every boring cliche in the Rock Star Handbook, eventually to die of a heroin overdose at just 21. The walls of Denmark Street are further festooned with four-letter words and even an incorrectly drawn swastika. You have to be really quite stupid not to be able to draw a swastika. Even Adolf Hitler, failed art student, could have managed that one. Yet 40 years on, we are being sold punk rock as some kind of major artistic movement on a par with Impressionism. A spokesperson for Historic England, which will look after the houses, explains: Punk can teach us a lot in our modern lives, in terms of freedom of expression and not conforming . . . it is really important these things are understood and valued. This fatuous admiration goes all the way to the top of our cultural establishment, where those who ought to know better and once upon a time would have done are similarly lost in admiration for the genius that was the Sex Pistols. Pistols Sid Vicious with girlfriend Nancy Spungen (left) and Johnny Rotten (right) spent time in Denmark Street Here, for example, is the view of Heritage Secretary and Conservative MP David Evennett, on the Department of Culture, Media and Sports decision to preserve this hallowed site: As we celebrate 40 years of punk, Im delighted to be granting further protection to these buildings, which acted as a home and studio to the Sex Pistols. One cant help wondering how portly, besuited Evennett will be celebrating 40 years of punk this year. Pogo-ing like a punk rock fan into the House of Commons? The fact is, there are few things in life more toe-curlingly embarrassing than middle-aged politicians trying to cosy up to rock stars. That photograph of a grinning Tony Blair shaking hands with Oasiss Noel Gallagher in one of the chandeliered state-rooms of 10 Downing Street can still almost 20 years later bring some of us out in a cold sweat. How 6 Denmark Street looks in 2016, 40 years after the 1970s punk legends gave it the notoriety that will now see it listed The PM wears the winsome, besotted smile of a 14-year-old girl meeting the Bay City Rollers circa 1974. And, of course, you can always find some twittish academic to lend his support or, in this case, two for the price of one. Dr Paul Graves-Brown, of University College, London, and Dr Paul Schofield, of the University of York, have joined forces to acclaim the Sex Pistols graffiti as more important and Im not making this up, I swear than the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Dressed in clothes decorated with razor blades, lavatory chains and spiked dog collars, the Sex Pistols produced songs that were little more than spittle-flecked rants of resentment According to these two experts, some people thought the discovery of lost Beatles recordings at the BBC more important than King Tut, but the two university academics stated that the Sex Pistols graffiti in Denmark Street surely ranks alongside this and to our minds usurps it. The fact that the graffiti could be considered rude, offensive and uncomfortable merely enhances their status and significance. They go on to add, in impeccable academic jargon: Deconstruction of the graffiti . . . presents a layering of time and changing relations . . . this very archaeological record offers something visceral and immediate and generates unique insight. Well, thats one way to describe swastikas and four-letter words. All of which makes you wonder are these cultural commissars and state-salaried guardians of our national heritage quite up to the job? Are they talking about the same Sex Pistols that many of us actually remember? That is, the Sex Pistols who burst upon an unsuspecting world back in the mid-Seventies, in a blizzard of sputum and vomit? A band who made up for their musical inadequacies with a snarling hatred of their audience, England, the Queen, their manager and, above all, each other? Dressed in clothes decorated with razor blades, lavatory chains and spiked dog collars, they produced songs that were little more than spittle-flecked rants of resentment. All were trying to do is destroy everything, explained Rotten, which you might think sounds like the opposite of culture and heritage. Soon they and their dubious entourage became notorious, then famous, then rich: just as rich as the ageing rock stars whom they professed to despise. Johnny Rotten/John Lydon is now worth some 15 million, and is married to a German publishing heiress, while another key player in the sordid business was Vivienne Westwood her designs dressed the band and helped them carve out their identity. Westwood (who had a love-hate affair with McClaren), has also done rather well out of rebelling against traditional values. Now a Dame of the British Empire worth some 180 million, she has also shaved her head to highlight the dangers of climate change and attacked consumerism. Confusingly, Dame Vivienne has also opened a new, three-storey flagship store in that glitzy capital of consumerism, Manhattan. Back in the Seventies, it was Westwood who pressed on Sid Vicious a book about the psychopathic Charles Manson, whose followers committed such atrocious murders at his behest. Allegedly, this was to bring out his more violent side and thus garner more welcome publicity. Perhaps it worked. Vicious was an aggressive yob who could hardly play his instrument, but he did smash a fan over the head with it on one occasion, while uttering the exquisitely witty words: Oh dear, Ive dropped my guitar. On other memorable occasions, he spat blood in a female fans face, assaulted a journalist with a bicycle chain, and when he threw and smashed a beer glass, he blinded a girl in one eye. This is the artistic genius who is now among our most revered cultural icons, his legacy protected by our government on the advice of Historic England. But perhaps our cultural elites latest foray into the gutter with their Grade-II listing of the Sex Pistols hovel, shouldnt be surprising. Not in a culture like ours, so disdainful of its past, so cut off from all it once revered, so value-free and cynical and begrimed. The mother who lost her partner, two sons, sister and mother when their car slid off the Buncrana pier was on her very first trip away from her family when tragedy struck. Parish priest Fr Paddy OKane told the Mail yesterday that Louise James had never been away from her family for more than a couple of hours and had only reluctantly left for a hen party to Liverpool when her sons insisted she go, telling her she was the best mammy in the world. And Louise, 35, has told friends her baby daughter who was rescued in the tragedy is the only reason she has to go on living. Tragic: Evan and Mark with their newborn sister Rionaghac-Ann, the only survivor of the tragic accident Killed: Jodie-Lee Daniels, left, and her mother Ruth Daniels, right, drowned when their car slipped off a pier Family: Louise James pictured with her partner Sean McGrotty and their children Evan and Mark, who all died in a car accident; her baby daughter Rionaghac-Ann, pictured in her arms, was the only survivor Sean McGrotty, 46, died along with his two sons Mark, 12, and Evan, eight, their grandmother Ruth Daniels, 57, and her 14-year-old daughter Jodie-Lee Daniels when their car slid into Lough Swilly off Buncrana pier in Co. Donegal. They will be laid to rest today. Louises four-month-old daughter Rionaghac-Ann was the sole survivor after she was rescued by local man Davitt Walsh, who swam out to the sinking car. Fr OKane said yesterday that she only went away to Liverpool after Mark and Evan begged her to go and enjoy herself telling her she was the best mammy in the world. He said: She said she just wanted to die when she first heard the news but baby Rionaghac is her saviour. Louise says that if it wasnt for little Rionaghac then she wouldnt be here. She wouldnt be able to go on living or to have a reason to. Heartbroken: Louise James carries the coffin of her eight-year-old son Evan into the family home on Tuesday Devastated: Ms James and her brother carry the coffin of their mother, Ruth Daniels, into the family home And he revealed how on Sunday evening as news of the tragedy broke online and Louise waited on her return flight home, she desperately tried to reach her family. Parish priest: Fr Paddy OKane told the Mail yesterday that Louise James had never been away from her family for more than a couple of hours She felt something was wrong in the pit of her stomach and she couldnt get through to her family on the phone. There was no answer and she kept ringing and ringing. For Louise it was the very first time in her whole life that she had left her family. She didnt want to go to the hen party but even her children said to her: Mammy you need a break, youre so good and you never go anywhere so just go. The children and Sean persuaded her against her will to go to this hen party in Liverpool. She first started ringing from Liverpool Airport to say her plane was delayed and thats the final words she had with her family. They [then] had heard there was a tragedy in Buncrana and she was trying to get through to her family by phone after last speaking to them. She felt something was wrong in the pit of her stomach and she couldnt get through to her family on the phone. There was no answer and she kept ringing and ringing. Then her brother told her that there had been a tragedy and she knew they had been out for a meal there so she said, It must be them, as there was no answer to the phone and they had been out for a meal in the area. Thats how she found out. Her brother gradually broke the news to Louise. They put two and two together. Family met Louise off her flight at Belfast International Airport on Sunday night and confirmed her worst fears. Fr Kane, who will concelebrate todays funeral Mass, said Louise was struggling to cope. Accident: This image of the algae-covered slipway taken yesterday appears to show skidmarks from a car Moving: One message attached to a bouquet of flowers said that 'Heaven gained five special angels' I have just come from the family home this morning and Louise is in a total daze, but shes getting great support from the local community and everyone has rallied around. He added: I have been a priest for 43 years and grew up in the Troubles and it is by far the worst thing Ive come across. Fr OKane also said Louise met hero local Davitt Walsh, who rescued little Rionaghac-Ann. He said: Louise met Davitt Walsh on Tuesday afternoon with little baby Rionaghac-Ann. I gave them tea and sandwiches and we finished with a little prayer. Hero pays an emotional visit to heartbroken mother and the baby he rescued from the sinking car By Stephen Maguire Hero: Davitt Walsh met with Louise James Hero Davitt Walsh had an emotional meeting with the mother of the baby herescued from the freezing waters of Co. Donegal. The 28-year-old travelled to Derry to meet with Louise Daniels whose four month-old baby Rionaghac-Ann he saved during Sunday nights tragedy. Davitts girlfriend Stephanie Knox wrote on her Facebook page how she had been with her boyfriend when they met with the Daniels and McGrotty families. She said: My biggest admiration goes out to Louise, the Daniels family and the McGrotty family. They are amazing, strong people. Meeting them today helped me and Davitt so much and my thoughts and prayers are with the family. The couple also went to St Marys College, Stephanies old school where tragic Jodi Lee Daniels was also a pupil. A small vigil for the family was held and the choir sang a number of songs. Mr Walsh and Ms Knox then met in private with Louise. Ms Daniels had tried to contact the Kerrykeel man on Monday but Mr Walsh was so traumatised that he asked for some time. He also met with Louises baby daughter, the infant he rescued before he was himself taken to Letterkenny University Hospital on Sunday night. It was such a special moment. I was so nervous but I will never forget it, said Mr Walsh. He said attending todays funerals of the five people who perished would be the most difficult thing he has done in his life. But he said he was determined to be there for Louise James and her baby daughter Rionaghac-Ann to show solidarity with the bereaved families. Ahead of [the funerals] Im feeling very anxious, afraid, nervous and upset. There are just so many emotions. Im afraid in case I break down after seeing the coffins or the families, knowing I could have maybe did more. Reason to live: Louise James with her newborn daughter Rionaghac-Ann and her son Evan Its going to be the most difficult thing we have done in our lives but it may give myself and Stephanie some closure on the events that unfolded on Sunday, he said. The couple chose not to go to the wakes as he said they would prefer to see the children in pictures in the happier times they had. We did not go to the wakes as we have both been traumatised by the events of Sunday and we would just like to see the faces of the victims in their happier times from pictures. It would just be heartbreaking seeing them there knowing I might have been able to save someone else, he said. He added that he hoped that himself and Stephanie would get some form of closure from todays funerals. I feel its important that me and Stephanie are part of the funeral tomorrow not only to show support for both families but to support each other in this horrible time. Maybe we may get some ease or closure seeing them going to a happier place and being together as a family, he said. I decided not to listen to the voices of those who doubted or dismissed me. Instead, I decided to listen to my own voice,' she said The FLOTUS said that teachers, 'would call on the boys instead of the girls, even though the girls had better grades' when she was a child Obama visited Argentina with her husband and daughters this week after First Lady Michelle Obama said she faced harassment from men who used to whistle at her when she was a young woman. 'As I got older, I found that men would whistle at me as I walked down the street, as if my body were their property, as if I were an object to be commented on instead of a full human being with thoughts and feelings of my own,' Obama said in a speech in Argentina on Wednesday. 'I began to realize that the hopes I had for myself were in conflict with the messages I was receiving from people around me,' she said at the 'Let Girls Learn' initiative. Speaking on sexism: Michelle Obama gives a speech at a conference about the 'Let Girls Learn Initiative in Argentina. The FLOTUS said she faced harassment from men who would whistle at her on the street Meeting the youth: First lady Michelle Obama has a picture taken with a student during a meeting with high school students in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday Obama made the trip to Argentina with her husband and two daughters after making a historic visit to Cuba earlier this week. Obama said that as a child she noticed a favoritism towards boys in her classes. She said that teachers, 'would call on the boys instead of the girls, even though the girls had better grades.' She added that teachers would ask her brother what kind of job he hoped to get while they asked her what kind of man she wanted to marry, according to the Huffington Post. Obama told her audience, many of them young girls, that she decided not listen to other's opinions about her role as a woman. I decided not to listen to the voices of those who doubted or dismissed me. Instead, I decided to listen to my own voice,' she said. Obama started her 'Let Girls Learn' initiative with Akie Abe, the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She and Abe said that they hope to 'educate girls across the globe,' according to The Huffington Post. 'Let Girls Learn' is aimed to promote education and leadership in young girls. Michelle Obama hugs the Argentinian first lady Juliana Awada Argentine President Mauricio Macri waves as he poses with President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, left, and Argentine first lady Juliana Awada for a state dinner later that day Officials say there are more than 1,000 legal battles still to settle and says more payments to Iran are possible The Obama administration paid Iran nearly $2billion in a 'ransom payment' to release U.S. prisoners after at least two years of secret talks between Washington and Tehran. Five prisoners were freed by Iran in January this year, with a $1.7billion payment heading from the U.S. to the Islamic republic that day, according to official documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. At least two years of secret talks led to the deal that officials claim is a settlement relating to one of more than 1,000 long-standing legal disputes that began after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Scroll down for video The Obama (left) administration paid Iran nearly $2billion in a 'ransom payment' to release U.S. prisoners after at least two years of secret talks between Washington and Tehran. Right, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Five prisoners (including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian) were released by Iran in January this year, with a $1.7billion payment heading from the U.S. to the Islamic republic that day Five U.S. citizens imprisoned in Iran - Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, pastor Saeed Abedini, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, Matthew Trevithick and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari - were released in a landmark prisoner swap in January. In return, seven Iranian detainees in American were freed, although none returned to Iran. It later emerged that $1.7billion was sent to Tehran that day, with critics branding the money a 'ransom payment'. Republican Congresman Michael Pompeo asked the State Department to explain the payment, and has finally received a response. The letter does not address allegations that the payment related to the release of the prisoners, but does say that the Obama administration first began talks with Iranian officials over outstanding legal claims leveled against the U.S. by Iran in 2014. These date back to the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which led to the U.S. cancelling an arms deal and eventually ended with the Iranian hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Five U.S. citizens imprisoned in Iran - Rezaian, pastor Saeed Abedini (left), former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati (right), Matthew Trevithick and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari - were released in a landmark prisoner swap Trevithick (right), the co-founder of a humanitarian crisis research center, had traveled to Iran in September for a four-month language program at an institute associated with Tehran University The legal row over the scrapped arms deal led to more than 1,000 claims against the U.S., with American officials keen to settle as many of those out of court as possible. Many of them are still in the process of being settled and it is just one of these disputes that the State Department claims led to the $1.7billion payment. The response says that there could yet be more payments from Washington to Tehran as more legal tussles are brought to a close. Republican Congresman Michael Pompeo asked the State Department to explain the payment. The secret talks between the two countries were underway in June 2014 at the latest, and continued through 2015 until the prisoner swap in 2016. 'We are confident that this was a good settlement for the American taxpayer,' the State Department said. 'The United States is continuing to vigorously litigate these claims at the (Hague's Iran-U.S. Claims) Tribunal, but is also open to discussing further settlements of claims with Iran, as we have done throughout the life of the Tribunal, with the aim of resolving them in furtherance of U.S. interests,' the letter states. 'It would not be in the interest of the United States to discuss further details of the settlement of these claims in an unclassified letter due to the ongoing litigation at the Tribunal. 'However, we would be prepared to provide a closed briefing on such issues if it would be useful to there.' The settlement in January included a $400million payment plus $1.3billion in interest, all from the taxpayer's pocket. 'When Iran releases American hostages, and then, on that same day, President Obama announces he is paying Iran $1.7billion, Congress of course has to ask the hard questions,' a source told the Free Beacon. 'And when the Obama administration admits that over $1billion in taxpayer money is going to the Iranian regime, Congress is obligated to respond. 'The State Department has ducked and dodgedproviding a history lesson on international tribunals, focused on actions decades ago, instead of addressing dangerous misdeeds that were potentially just committed. That is suspicious.' It comes two years after the flight disappeared with 239 people on board The Australian government has confirmed debris found on a Mozambique beach is 'highly likely' to have come from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Transport Minister Darren Chester on Thursday confirmed a Malaysian investigation team had found two pieces of debris that were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. 'The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370,' Mr Chester said. Scroll down for video The Australian government has confirmed debris found in Mozambique by Liam Lotter (pictured) and American man Blaine Gibson is 'highly likely' to be from Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 Mr Lotter, 18, found the piece of debris on a beach in Mozambique while on holiday The Lotter family came forward three months after finding it on holiday in Mozambique Read more: It comes two years after the flight disappeared with 239 people on board while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Mr Chester said the location of the debris on the east coast of Africa was consistent with drift modelling performed by the CSIRO and affirmed search efforts being conducted in the southern Indian Ocean. The two pieces of debris were discovered in Mozambique by South African teen Liam Lotter and American Blaine Gibson. Mr Lotter, 18, found the piece of debris on a beach in Mozambique while on holiday in December. They family took it home to South Africa and only realised the significance of their find after another piece of debris was found by Mr Gibson on a sandbank off Mozambique about three months later. On Monday, an archaeologist found a piece of debris stamped with a Rolls Royce logo on a beach on South Africa's southern coast. Malaysia's transport minister said on Tuesday that authorities will examine the object to see if it is from the plane, which disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. 'Based on early reports, there is a possibility of the piece originating from an inlet cowling of an aircraft engine,' said Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, adding further examination and analysis was needed. Another piece of debris was found by Neels Kruger in South Africa on Monday and is suspected to be from the MH370 flight The Rolls Royce logo item was found by Mr Kruger while he was wandering through a lagoon near Mossel Bay (pictured) on South Africa's southern coast A team will be dispatched to retrieve the debris, Liow said in a statement. Neels Kruger was walking along a lagoon on Monday afternoon near the town of Mossel Bay on South Africa's southern coast when he spotted something that did not seem to suit the natural surroundings. 'Being an archaeologist I'm always looking for things with my nose to the ground,' said the 35-year-old. He recognized the brown honeycomb structure from photos of other pieces of debris believed to be part of the missing aircraft. 'When I flipped it around, I didn't know immediately what it was but just thought, 'Oh my word!' he said. On the other side, Kruger said he recognized what remained of the black Rolls Royce logo, the manufacturer of aircraft engines. The piece is about 70 centimetres by 70 centimetres 'with chunks gone from the side,' said Kruger. The white surface, with the partial logo, has peeled away to reveal a dark metallic grey covering, a photograph showed. Kruger took photos and sent it to a friend who is a pilot, who passed it on to other pilots, who all quickly became convinced that this was part of an airplane engine. Kruger alerted the South African Civil Aviation Authority who told him to sit tight until further instruction. Wondering what to do next, he sent a message via Facebook to Mr Lotter, the South African teenager. Lotter passed along the contact details of the Australian authorities tasked with leading the investigation into the missing plane. Missing flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing This piece of aircraft wing was found washed ashore on Reunion Island, a French enclave located on the east coast of Africa, in July 2015 Authorities believe the wing came from the doomed airliner, though it has not shed any light on why the plane went down 'They said it was a very interesting piece and they need it sent to them,' said Kruger, adding that the Australian aviation authorities would not confirm if it was a piece of the missing plane. Kruger was instructed to bubble-wrap the piece and keep it safe until aviation authorities collect it. The disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines jet remains one of the biggest mysteries in modern aviation. An Australian-led underwater search in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed, has found no trace of it so far. A piece from one of the plane's wings was found washed ashore on France's Reunion Island last July. Meanwhile, an underwater sonar device used by the Australian-led search team has been lost for a second time this year. The 'towfish' was lost on March 21 after a tow cable connecting it to the Dong Hai Jiu 101 search ship failed, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre said in its weekly statement. The Chinese-flagged ship is en route to Western Australia's Fremantle Port while a team assesses recovery options for the sonar device. Another towfish was temporarily lost in January after it crashed into a 2200-metre mud volcano. Investigators have said the search will end by June unless fresh clues are found. A coroner has found that a midwife left a woman to bleed out in a birthing pool at her home before she later died in hospital, although she had begged for an ambulance to be called. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that because of a bias against medical intervention in hospitals, midwife Gaye Demanuele, stood by as her patient, Melbourne woman Caroline Lovell, slowly died. Ms Demanuele would only offer Ms Lovell a homeopathic rescue remedy. After sustaining massive blood loss following the birth of her daughter Zahra, Ms Lovell, 36, tragically died at Melbourne's Austin Hospital in the early hours of January 24, 2012. Melbourne woman Caroline Lovell was left to 'bleed out' in a birthing pool during a homebirth Despite Ms Lowell being in an extremely distressed state, Ms Demanuele would only give her a homeopathic 'rescue remedy' in spite of the massive blood loss causing her body to shutdown. Coroner Peter White found that Mrs Lovell begged numerous times for an ambulance to be called to her Watsonia home, as she thought she was dying. However, Ms Demanuele, who was aided at the time by Melody Bourne - who was much less experienced - didnt listen to or respond to Mrs Lovells pleas for assistance. He also found that Ms Demanuele failed to monitor the new mother's blood pressure or properly examine her. After reviewing the tragic death, Coroner White recommended the Director Of Public Prosecutions look into whether charges should be laid against Ms Demanuele for her role in what was a preventable death. He recommended that Ms Demanuele be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. 'I find that Caroline literally begged for an ambulance to be called, Mr White said. 'I find that this death was preventable. I find that the various acts and omissions described above caused, or substantially contributed to the death of Caroline Lovell. Ms Lovell later died in hospital, although she had begged for an ambulance to be called After sustaining massive blood loss following the birth of her daughter Zahra, Mrs Lovell, 36, tragically died at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne The coroner accepted the medical evidence provided that Ms Lovell had been left to 'bleed out' after delivering her baby in a birthing pool where she remained for an hour in the dark. She later fell unconscious and had to be lifted out of the birthing pool and taken to hospital. The Herald Sun reports that afterwards outside the court Mrs Lovells mother, Jade Markiewicz, demanded that public prosecutors should not let Ms Demanuele off the hook. 'Had the midwives called the ambulance immediately when the problems started, my daughter would still be alive,' Ms Markiewicz said. 'They refused to call an ambulance because of their radical and dangerous beliefs: that women dont need ambulances, that women dont need hospitals in childbirth and, because of this belief, my daughter is dead,' Ms Lovell's heartbroken mother also said that Ms Demanuele was a 'danger to pregnant women'. 'I find that this death was preventable,' Coroner Peter White said about Ms Lovell Ms Lovell had been a passionate advocate of home births. She previously had lobbied the Australian government for more state support for women who wanted home births. A Perth radiologist who changed his identity after fleeing child sex charges in the US where it was alleged he'd groomed a 15-year-old deaf girl online has had his medical licence revoked. Dr Max Mehta, 46, was arrested in Dallas, Texas in May 2004 where police allege he had been preparing to meet with the girl for sex, the ABC's 7.30 reports. He was charged with intent to commit sexual assault but fled to New Zealand before his court appearance and after his parents posted $130,000 bail. Dr Max Mehta, 46, is alleged to have skipped $130,000 on child sex charges in the US dating back to 2004 and changed his name to Robert Taylor in New Zealand before working in Perth There he changed his name to Robert Taylor before moving to Australia several years ago where he worked in a Perth practice. However, the allegations against him dating back to 2004 were uncovered last year and he was suspended by the regulator, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The Medical Board of Australia became involved and despite Dr Taylor (Mehta) denying the allegations when re-applying for his licence on at least four occasions he was disqualified. Ross Jones was once a colleague of Robert Taylor (Mehta) and says background checks on medical professionals working in Australia is not good enough One-time colleague Ross Jones says the claims against Dr Mehta reveals the checking process of medical practitioners in Australia does not measure up. 'The background checks are bloody awful, they're inadequate,' Mr Jones told the ABC's 7.30. 'They do a sample, say maybe 10 or 15 per cent where they do do these checks - you have to do it for everyone. 'These people have control over your children, that should not occur, everyone should be checked.' New laws allow officials to conduct background checks on foreign doctors seeking work, however they are not retrospective against those carrying a current medical licence. There were also claims that AHPRA had been alerted to the allegations against Dr Mehta in March, 2013 but allowed him to re-register. It's also been revealed that Dr Mehta was also facing separate financial charges in India. Former romantic link: Prince William will attend the wedding in Kenya of Jecca Craig this weekend Prince William has jetted off to Kenya on another foreign jaunt, this time without his wife and children. The future king flew to Africa yesterday to attend the wedding of a girl he was once romantically linked to, conservationist's daughter Jecca Craig, this weekend. The prince, who has been criticised in recent weeks for his apparent lack of commitment to either his part-time job as an air ambulance pilot or in his role as a senior member of the royal family, will return to the UK on Easter Sunday. However William has used the trip to schedule in a meeting with the President of Kenya later today to discuss 'defence, security and conservation issues.' A source said the prince was paying for his own flights in and out of the country as the trip had already been planned before the head to head was arranged. He will, however, take with him at least three tax-payer funded Scotland Yard police protection officers. In a statement Kensington Palace confirmed that the prince was enjoying a 'private trip' to Kenya over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. They added: 'At the start of his short visit to the country, on Thursday 24th March, The Duke of Cambridge will attend a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta. 'The meeting is taking place at the request of Her Majesty's Government, and His Royal Highness is pleased to have the opportunity to meet the President while he is in Kenya. 'They will discuss the relationship between the United Kingdom and Kenya, to deepen relations between the two countries on a broad range of topics including defence and security, and conservation.' Three protection officers: A source said William (pictured at Buckingham Palace last week) was paying for his own flights in and out of the country on what was a private trip Tomorrow the prince will attend the wedding of his long-time friend, Jecca, to conservationist Professor Jonathan Baillie inside the family's 55,000 acre estate, Lewa. The prince has known the Craig family since he travelled to their wildlife conservancy, nestled in the shadow of Mount Kenya, during his gap year after Eton. Jecca's father, Ian, has become something of a father figure to William over the years and both men share a passion for wildlife and conservation. The prince even missed his own cousin, Peter Phillips' wedding in 2008 to attend the wedding of Jecca's brother, Batian, leaving his then girlfriend, Kate Middleton, to attend alone. At one point during their early friendship William and Jecca were linked romantically and even said to have staged a pretend engagement. This speculation led the protective prince to make a rare public statement through his press office, denying that they were anything other than friends. Break: The Cambridges prompted surprise when they recently enjoyed a five-day ski holiday with their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, leaving William once again absent from his air ambulance role Lewa holds such a special place in William's heart that it was here he proposed to his now wife in 2010. Sources said the Duchess would not be joining him on this visit because she wished to stay at home with her two children in advance of the couple's forthcoming tour to India and Bhutan. It is likely she will spend the weekend with her family instead. The couple prompted surprise when they recently enjoyed a five-day ski holiday with their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, leaving William once again absent from his role with the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service. At the moment he works an average 80 hour month as pilot, apparently in order to be able to balance his royal duties. Yet last year undertook just 122 public engagements, compared to more than 300 conducted by his soon to be 90-year-old grandmother. It is understood that William, who is President of United For Wildlife, spent the remainder of the yesterday viewing some of the longstanding conservation and anti-poaching initiatives taking place in Kenya, which are supported by Tusk Trust, the charity of which he is Royal Patron. William watched vets at work in the field as they fitted radio tracking collars to elephants to help with research and conservation. He also spent time with a team of highly trained rangers in Lewa Conservancy, to learn about their work protecting one of Africa's significant rhino populations from poaching. A 23-year-old African-Australian man who was the last resident of the Brisbane home being search in connection with the murder of 12-year-old schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer says his family was 'disturbed and upset' to be connected to the investigation. Until three weeks ago, Edward Buyoto, his three younger brothers and his mother lived in the housing commission home in Logan Reserve Road, Waterford West, in Logan, south of Brisbane where police are conducting an intensive forensic examination. Mr Buyoto's family moved out of the house in early March to another housing commission home which had 'more room, a better kitchen and bathroom' and disability access for his mother. 'I think they are looking in the wrong direction, you know,' he said, 'I do not know, my family does not know this girl.' He said police had not contacted or interviewed him or his family. Queensland's scientific squad spent a third day on Thursday at the house where Mr Buyoto said he and his family had lived in for eight years after emigrating from the tiny central African country of Burundi to Australia. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO A 23-year-old African Australian man who occupied the Queensland house police are searching in relation to the murder of 12-year-old Brisbane schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured) says he was disturbed and upset to be connected to the investigation Edward Buyoto, his mother and three younger brothers lived for eight years in the house (pictured, being examined by police in relation to Tiahleigh Palmer's murder) and had only moved out three weeks ago Edward Buyoto, who came to Australia from Burndi, Africa, 11 years ago said he was disturned when he saw o the newes that police were scouring the house his family recently vacated south of Brisbane Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson (above) holds a press conference outside the house on Thursday appealing for anyone who saw Tiah Palmer in the street last October 30 to come forward Mr Buyoto lived in the house with his brothers, aged 11, 15 and 21, and worked at a nearby cold storage warehouse. Neighbours said that after the family moved, the Queensland Department of Housing sent in cleaners as part of its normal routine, which was followed by the arrival this week of forensic police. Mr Buyoto told Daily Mail Australia that police have been interviewing men of African descent in connection with the murder. The chief investigator in Tiahleigh Palmer's murder, Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson confirmed that was 'one line of inquiry' in the case. But he said 'we have interviewed a large number of people of various nationalities and it would be unfair to direct attention to any particular group'. Supt Hutchinson said police would continue to search the house on Easter Friday. He said the house was being searched based on information they received following a public appeal from Tiahleigh's mother, Cyndi Palmer. Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured) disappeared on October 30 last year and her body was found a week later, but her pink backback and school uniform have not been located by police, who are pictured on Thursday examining Mr Buyoto's former residence Queensland Police have located this shoe belonging to Tiahleigh Palmer following the discovery of the Year 7 student's body in the Pimpama River o the Gold Coast last November a week after she vanished On Thursday, Supt Hutchnson appealed to anyone who might have seen the Year Seven student, who was known as Tiah, on Logan Reserve Road on the Friday that she disappeared. Tiahleigh Palmer disappeared on October 30 last year after her foster carer dropped her off near Marsden State High School, Waterford West. Despite living in foster care, Tiahleigh remained close to her mother. She was known as an occasional truant from school. Fisherman found her badly decomposed remains a week later in the Pimpama river in Queensland's Gold Coast on Thursday afternoon. Tiahleigh Palmer, 12, is laid to rest at a funeral last November where she was farewelled by a large group of mourners including her mother Cyndi, whose recent interview, has led police to the house in Waterford West, Queensland Police from Queensland's scientific squad spent their third day on Thursday at the house (pictured) where Mr Buyoto said he and his family had lived in for eight years after emigrating from Burundi, Africa Mr Buyoto said friends had seen his house on the news and told him about the police search, which had greatly disturbed him and that his family had moved out because the kitchen and bathroom were unsuitable Police spent Tuesday and Wednesday scouring and fingerprinting the property on Logan Reserve Road, before returning on Thursday. Mr Buyoto said friends had seen his house on the news and told him about the police search, which had greatly disturbed him. He said he could sympathise with the murdered girl's family because his own family had suffered a similar tragedy back in Africa, with the murder of his older sister. Edward Buyoto lived in the house (pictured, with foresic police) with his brothers, aged 11, 15 and 21, and attended his job at a nearby cold storage warehouse The Burundi-born man said could sympathise with the murdered Tiahleigh Palmer's (pictured) family because his own family had a similar tragedy back in Africa, with the murder and dumping in the river of his older sister Mr Buyoto told Daily Mail Australia he and his parents and their five children had left their African homeland for a refugee camp in Tanzania 13 years ago. He was ten years old and his sister 13 when 'when she was kidnapped and killed and they found her in the river'. 'So my family went through a similar thing,' he said. His sister's killer was never found. Det Supt Hutchinson said on Thursday that police would return for a fourth day to the house to continue their search. Police at the Waterford West house south of Brisbane where Edward Buyoto lived for eight years after emigrating from Africa where as a ten years old had endured the loss of his sister, 13, who was 'kidnapped and killed and they found her in the river' Tiahleigh Palmer, (pictured, above left with her mother Cyndi and, above right) was last seen alive when her foster carer dropped her off at school last October 30 Edward Buyoto, who lived in the house (pictured, under examination by forensic police) with his mother and brothers, said he could sympathise with Tiahleigh's family as 'my family went through a similar thing' He said officers had searched other premises. 'This is not the only house or vehicle we have forensically examined' and that police had searched 'a number of houses and vehicles. He announced a $250,000 reward for anyone who came forward with information leading police to Tiahleigh's killer and appealed to anyone who may have seen her near the house last October 30. The Marsden High School students backpack and school uniform she was wearing the day she went missing have never been found. Candles and flowers on the grass outside Tiahleigh Palmer's house last year following her murder, which police announced on Thursday a $250,000 reward for anyone with information leading police to her killer An electric power distribution company failed to check a customer's electricity meter because an eight-legged friend made an untimely visit. Energex, which is based in Queensland, Australia, visited a home on Wednesday to obtain a meter reading but chose to avoid the meter because of a 'massive spider'. Although the form provides a number of options including unrestrained dog, gate could not be opened or premises were closed, the employee found himself explaining the deterrence in the 'other' section. An employee refused to move a spider on an electrical box because it was 'massive' and had 'red fangs' Instead the owner was informed to contact her electricity retailer to arrange access because a 'massive spider was attached to the box' and had 'red fangs. After the image was posted on social media, Reddit users seemed baffled as to why spiders were not already an option on the form. 'You'd think knowing Australia, they would put 'Spider' as one of the options for the utility guy to check off,' said the Reddit user. While others found the form humorous. 'I'm really sorry. I'm sure that was a terrible experience for you, but I'm sitting here at the office literally crying with laughter after reading it,' said one user. 'Don't all utility workers in Australia have their own flamethrowers for situations like these? Or like flaming boomerangs?' said another. Belgium's ambassador to Australia has hit back at Malcolm Turnbull after claiming terrorists were using the European refugee crisis to carry out the deadly attacks in Brussels. Speaking to a conference of foreign relations specialists, the Prime Minister claimed the Islamic State terrorrists were exploiting the regional Syrian refugee situation. 'Recent intelligence indicates that ISIL is using the refugees crisis to send its operatives into Europe,' Mr Turnbull said at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Wednesday night. But Belgium's ambassador to Australia Jean-Luc Bodson said the PM's comments were 'dangerous' as he warned against linking the refugee crisis to this week's terror. Scroll down for video Belgium's ambassador to Australia Jean-Luc Bodson (right) has hit back at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's comments after he linked the European refugee crisis with the deadly attacks in Brussels Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull claimed the Islamic State terrorrists were exploiting the Syrian refugee crisis 'It's dangerous because it's precisely what ISIS wants - that we would make a confusion between terrorism and migrants and between terrorism and Islam,' Mr Bodson said, according to ABC News. 'My view is that the terrorists who committed the latest attacks and in Paris and in Belgium are European-raised and born. Maybe from foreign origins, but they are Europeans. 'So it has nothing to do with the refugee crisis and I think that is the main danger to assimilate that.' Mr Bodson also added that while you can have police control within a state, reinstating borders across Europe would come at a huge economic cost. 'Terrorism is a global worldwide phenomenon and is there to stay. There is nothing like absolute security,' he said. The aftermath of explosions at Brussels airport in Belgium on Tuesday morning The damage caused by the bomb at the Maelbeek Metro station in central Brussels. The photo has not been verified by authorities but is being widely circulating on social media This comes after Mr Turnbull criticised Europe's 'slipped' security measures and says the only way to curb Islamic State's reach to the west is by defeating the group at its source in Syria. The attacks in Brussels were an unfortunate reminder of the challenges facing Europe, where violent Islamist extremism had reached a 'crisis point', Mr Turnbull said. The attacks were inspired, if not planned, by IS's Syrian headquarters, he said. 'While more attacks in Europe and elsewhere are seemingly inevitable, the genesis of many of the current issues lies in Syria. 'Defeating ISIL at its source will significantly constrain ISIL's reach into the west.' Mr Turnbull said Europe was facing a perfect storm of failed or neglected integration, foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria, porous borders and struggling intelligence and security systems. These three men are believed to the terrorists who have carried out the attacks at Brussels airport. The two suspected suicide bombers on the left were both wearing black gloves - which the Belgian media says would have hidden the triggers for their explosive vests. The third suspect in the hat is believed to still be on the run He spoke of a difference between terrorist-conducive conditions in Australia and those in Europe where 'violent Islamist extremism appears to have reached a crisis point' People gather at Bourse square to pay tribute to the victims of the terror attacks that occurred in Brussels Terrorism was not only a European issue but global - and given Australia's widespread interests it was also close to home, he argued. The national terror threat level is unchanged at 'probable' following the airport and metro attacks in Brussels that killed 34 people and injured more than 100. Australians are being advised to reconsider any travel to Belgium. Justice Minister Michael Keenan said there are risks in Europe in terms of the uncontrolled migration of people and the fact that it is easier to get weapons there than in Australia. Mr Turnbull agreed. 'If you can't control your borders, you don't know who's coming or going,' he said. A fire caused by one of the explosions in the terminal is tackled by airport staff with extinguishers surrounded by baggage and falling roof tiles Terrified passengers at Brussels Airport have told how there 'just blood' everywhere and likened scenes after the bomb blast to the 'apocalypse' Opposition Leader Bill Shorten lambasted the prime minister's critique. 'I think it's premature (for) the prime minister to be telling the Belgians what they did wrong within 24 hours of what's happened in Belgium,' Mr Shorten told reporters in Gladstone. Controversial Liberal backbencher Cory Bernardi says Islam is responsible for a growing global problem and 'mealy-mouthed' politicians who say otherwise are wrong. Border protection officers have cancelled Easter weekend strikes at airports around the country, saying they would never compromise national security. Floral tributes are being laid on the steps of the Belgium embassy. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz were engaged in a full-blown Twitter row last night as the two Republican presidential candidates sparred over their wives. Trump retweeted an unflattering picture of his rival's wife, Heidi, just a day after threatening to 'spill the beans' on her after a super PAC backing Cruz released an advert showing his wife Melania naked. Cruz immediately hit back, tweeting: 'Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life.' Scroll down for video Trump retweeted an unflattering picture of Ted Cruz's wife, Heidi (left), comparing her to his wife Melania (right), sparking an almighty Twitter row Cruz immediately hit back, tweeting: 'Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life' The super PAC Make America Awesome, which describes itself as an independent group focused on 'unconventional and cost-effective tactics' created this ad attacking Donald Trump through his wife Melania (pictured, in a GQ photo shoot in 2000) Wednesday night's heated Twitter exchange came after another online row between the pair. The Make America Awesome super PAC tweeted a picture of Melania in a nude GQ photo shoot that took place in 2000. It was captioned: 'Meet Melania Trump, your next First Lady. Or you could vote for Ted Cruz on Tuesday.' The GOP front runner responded in characteristic bombastic fashion on Twitter, misidentifying Cruz's campaign as the ad's source. He wrote: 'Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!' Trump did not indicate what he intended to divulge about Heidi Cruz, who is on leave from an executive job at Goldman Sachs while campaigning, but her husband quickly came to her defense on Twitter. Cruz wrote: 'Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless.' Heidi Cruz (pictured) came out to attack Donald Trump after he threatened to 'spill the beans' on her after a conservative super PAC backing Ted Cruz used an advert that slut-shamed his wife Melania On the campaign trail: Heidi Cruz, the wife of Texas Senator and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, greets people as she campaigns for her husband at a Culver's restaurant in Stutervant, Wisconsin The row continued today after Heidi Cruz waded in to defend herself, saying 'most of the things that Donald Trump says have no basis in reality'. She added: 'So we are not worried in the least. I have one job in this campaign and that is to help Ted win this race. I think it is the easiest job in the world. 'All I have to do is speak the truth about what I know about my husband and our family.' Her husband backed her up, saying she was 'not scared one iota' of Trump. Speaking at a rally at Women's National Republican Club in New York on Wednesday, Cruz further defended his wife, saying Trump's threat was 'gutter politics' and that he had 'reached a new low.' The Texas senator said Trump tries to 'attack and bully people' but should know that spouses and children are off-limits. Furious: Trump hit out at Ted Cruz for the advert, saying he would 'spill the beans' on his wife Heidi Cruz. It was unclear exactly what he meant although she has a history of depression Careful Donald: Cruz quickly responded, saying if he tried to attack Heidi, he would be 'more of a coward than I thought'. He also called it 'classless' He also said that Trump launches personal attacks when he wants to change the subject, suggesting the billionaire wanted to divert attention from Utah, where he lost to Cruz on Tuesday night. Cruz also addressed the conflict in television interviews, using a misquoted line from 1995 film The American President starring Michael Douglas. 'If Donald wants to get in a character fight, he's better off sticking with me 'cause Heidi is way out of his league,' Cruz told CNN. Cruz's comeback is strikingly similar to a line uttered by Douglas in the film. 'You want a character debate, Bob?' he says. 'You better stick with me, 'cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.' Meanwhile, it was unclear what exactly Trump was threatening to reveal regarding Cruz's wife. However, it is well documented that she suffered from depression a decade ago, culminating in a 2005 incident when police found her with her heads in her hands beside a Texas expressway. A police report said she was a 'danger to herself'. The spat came as a new poll from Fox News found that Cruz and John Kasich are ahead of Hillary Clinton in one-on-one match-ups, but Trump trails the Democratic front runner by 11 points. Heidi Cruz (C), the wife of Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), greets guests during a campaign stop at a Culver's restaurant on March 23, 2016 in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Voters in Wisconsin will vote in the state's primary election on April 5 Cruz said Trump's threat was 'gutter politics' and that he had 'reached a new low' at a rally (pictured) in New York on Wednesday The Texas senator said Trump tries to 'attack and bully people' but should know that spouses and children are off-limits during a speech at the Women's National Republican Club (pictured) in New York The poll said Ohio governor Kasich was the Republican's best shot of beating Clinton, with the third-placed man beating her 50 to 41. Cruz edged Clinton 47 to 44, but Trump lost by 11 points, 38 to 49. Cruz has clung to the hope of catching up with Trump after winning the Utah caucuses and receiving further backing from the party establishment which is desperate to stop the outspoken billionaire. Often shunned by party moderates because of his hawkish stance on fiscal issues, Cruz picked up an endorsement from former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, an establishment Republican who was a candidate for the party's nomination until he dropped out last month. Cruz won all of the 40 Republican delegates from Tuesday's Utah contest, although Trump won the 58 delegates up for grabs in Arizona, partly due to his tough message on illegal immigration. Republican strategist Liz Mair, who founded the super PAC Make America Awesome, told Buzzfeed that their ads have been targeting Mormons, who have been shown in previous election results to dislike The Donald. The Make America Awesome campaign also includes an ad highlighting Romney, a devout Mormon, and his public condemnation of Trump. A third ad quotes the Donald on his previous pro-choice stance, although the candidate has now flip-flopped in the abortion debate and declared himself pro-life. Mair told Buzzfeed the online campaign, which is the group's first endorsement of a specific candidate, is expected to reach 10,000 Mormons a day. Ted Cruz lifted a line uttered by Michael Douglas (right) in The American President to defend his wife She also said the Melania ad will be promoted on Instagram specifically targeting LDS women. Election results in Wyoming and Idaho, where there are significant Mormon populations, show the religious group favor Cruz and Kasich over Trump. History professor Matt Bowman told ThinkProgress.com that Mormons, who have historically experienced religious persecution, dislike the Republican frontrunner for his Islamophobic comments. He added: 'Mormons place a high premium on being nice, and Trump is not nice.' Make America Awesome is described on its website as 'a SuperPAC dedicated to blocking and reversing Donald Trump's political ascent'. It adds: 'We are an independent group, and are not authorized by any presidential candidate or candidate committee. Our focus is on using unconventional and cost-effective tactics, as opposed to stereotypical high-cost, limited-yield methods with the objective of providing maximum donor value.' In reference to an anti-Trump ad they ran in January criticizing his business methods, the super PAC tweeted: 'If Trump's opponents are serious about defeating him, they need to start running attacks that work with his voters now...' But the photo 'slut-shaming' Melania has attracted criticism from across the political spectrum. In an article on Mic.com, Anna Swartz wrote there were plenty of other reasons to attack Trump, from his 'racist tirades' to his 'extreme anti-immigration rhetoric'. Others defended Melania and pointed out the fact that she is fluent in five languages and studied architecture and design before working as a model and running her own businesses. Conservative news websites called the ad 'despicable' while others have pointed out the PAC's strategies could backfire. The Make America Awesome campaign also includes an ad highlighting Romney, a devout Mormon, and his public condemnation of Trump A third ad quotes the Donald on his previous pro-choice stance, although the candidate has now flip-flopped in the abortion debate and declared himself pro-life HOW HEIDI MET TED: FROM YOUNG POLICY AIDES ON GEORGE W. BUSH'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TO A BATTLE WITH DEPRESSION Ted Cruz and wife Heidi wave to supporters during a campaign stop earlier this month in Concord, NC Heidi Cruz, 43, is a vice president at Goldman Sachs with an MBA from Harvard Business School. She has also studied at Claremont McKenna College and Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. She grew up in California in a family of Seventh-Day Adventists, who took her on mission trips to Africa from the age of four. However, she now shares her husband's Southern Baptist affiliation. Heidi has taken leave from her executive job in Houston, Texas, where the couple live with their daughters, to help her husband on his presidential campaign. The couple met in Austin, Texas, in 2000, when they were both policy aides on George W. Bushs presidential campaign. Their first date was at a bar called the Bitter End. It lasted for hours because Cruz asked his future wife 'a lot of questions about my background, my goals in life, my 10-year plan, my 20-year plan,' she told the New York Times. He has said he was 'embarrassed' because it had taken him two days to ask her out.' They married the following year and have two daughters: Caroline, seven, and Catherine, five. From 2003 until 2004, she was the director of the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council reporting directly to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. While Cruz's wife has mostly kept a low profile during the presidential campaign, an incident in 2005 is now well-documented. A police report that was uncovered last year recalls how Heidi Cruz was taken in by a police officer after she was found sitting just feet away from a major roadway in Austin, Texas. On August 22, Cruz left her home shortly after 10pm and walked for miles before sitting down by the MoPac Expressway. Officer Joel Davidson was dispatched after reports came in of a woman sitting dangerously close to the side of the road with her head in her hands. When Davidson arrived on the scene Cruz identified herself and revealed she was not on any medication and had just two sips of a margarita that night, something Davidson confirmed saying she was not intoxicated at the time. Davidson 'believed she was a danger to herself' and eventually Cruz left with him in his patrol car. At the time, Cruz had recently left her job working for the National Security Council to be with her husband, who was serving as Solicitor General. Cruz had been commuting between Washington, D.C. and Texas for an entire year as the couple's jobs kept them 1,500 miles apart. After the police report was released, an advisor to Senator Cruz put out statement saying: 'About a decade ago, when Mrs. Cruz returned from D.C. to Texas and faced a significant professional transition, she experienced a brief bout of depression. 'Like millions of Americans, she came through that struggle with prayer, Christian counseling, and the love and support of her husband and family.' Advertisement See more news on Donald Trump at www.dailymail.co.uk/trump But a judge threw the case out Wednesday saying Palmer had not exhausted her legal options before coming to the courts She was paid just $4,000 over two years which she Claimed she was promised $75,000 if she left Jamaica to come to the U.S. A model who brought a wage lawsuit against Donald Trump's New York agency claiming she was made to feel 'like a slave' has had the case thrown out of court. Alexa Palmer, a Jamaican national, said the agency promised her wages of $75,000 per year but found her just 21 days of work between 2011 and 2013, for which she was payed less than $4,000. But Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Palmer was barred from bringing her claim because she hadn't exhausted all other options before filing legal papers, ABC News reported. Alexia Palmer, who worked for Trump Management model agency, said she was promised $75,000 per year in earnings but took home just $4,000 between 2011 and 2013 in an arrangement she likened to slavery But her legal claim was thrown out on Wednesday after a judge ruled that Palmer had not exhausted all of her legal options before coming to the courts, which barred her from bringing the suit (file image) Torres also noted that Palmer had not said how many hours she had worked over the period in question, and had not contested Trump's claim that she was paid above minimum wage, according to the New York Daily News. Lawyers for Trump praised the decision, denying any claims of unfair treatment, and saying Palmer did not earn a lot of money because there was not a lot of demand for her as a model. Attorney Alan Garten said: 'Anything she's saying about being treated as a slave is completely untrue. The greater demand for the model, the better that model does. In the case of the individual you're talking about, there wasn't -- unfortunately -- a lot of demand for the model.' Meanwhile Palmer's attorney vowed to continue her legal fight, saying he would be seeking payments through an alternative venue, as the judge had suggested. A modelling agency owned by Donald Trump has been accused of treating a 17-year-old like a 'slave' after bringing her to the U.S on a visa he claims is widely abused. The judge also noted that Palmer had not revealed how many hours she worked, and was not contesting the claim she was paid more than minimum wage Palmer made headlines last week after suing Trump Model Management, and likening her treatment to slavery. Palmer told ABC News's GMA that the company took 80 per cent of her income, leaving her with earnings in three years of $3,880 and $1,100 in cash advances. She added: 'That's what slavery people do. You work and don't get no money.' Palmer's lawyer, Naresh Gehi, says his client was cheated of earnings and seduced by a life of glamour that never materialized. 'The visa application the company filed with the government requires that people are paid the full amount,' Gehi said. 'It's a requirement.' The complaint had alleged 'fraudulent misrepresentation' and violations of U.S. immigration and labor laws, asking for $225,000 in back pay. Palmer was brought to the U.S. on a H-1B visa, a type that has been hugely controversial, with both Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz promising to crack down on their abuse. Trump himself has spoken out about other companies abusing the scheme to bring in cheap foreign labor, then force Americna workers to train their replacements before firing them. But he has also come under fire for using them to bring foreign workers into his Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach, Florida. His public policy position now is to make it a requirement of issuing an H-1B that American workers are hired first. Palmer's failed modelling career began when she came second, aged 17, in a contest in Kingston, Jamaica. 'I was very excited because all the girls in Jamaica wanted to be signed with an agency [in New York],' she told GMA. Michael Wildes, the New York attorney who handled Palmer's visa application and those of other Trump models described the $75,000 figure as 'aspirational'. This is not the first time Trump's labor practices have drawn criticism. While Trump's attorneys praised the decision and denied any truth to Palmer's claims, her lawyer vowed to seek payments through alternative means, as the judge had suggested In August last year, it was revealed that Trump's companies sought to import at least 1,100 workers on temporary visas since 2000. Of those, 250 were filed for foreign fashion models, according to Reuters' analysis of federal Department of Labor data. It's not the industry norm to use H-1B visas, which are usually reserved for highly skilled specialized labor like engineers, programmers and medical specialists. O-1 visas are more common, modeling agency lawyers and executives said. The O-1 is typically used by artists and athletes. Though H-1B use is rare, a Reuters analysis found that in the past three years, modeling agencies have submitted 181 applications for H-1B visas for foreign models. Of those, 173 stated that the model would be paid an hourly wage, ranging from as little as $8.40 an hour to as much as $500 an hour. A Sydney mother has hit out at Ticketek's 'appalling behaviour' after the company refused to refund her tickets when she learned her five-month-old boy needed skull reconstruction. Clare Hilzinger was booked to go to Disney on Ice with her daughter in July last year when she was told her five-month-old boy, Luke, needed a major skull reconstruction after he was diagnosed with Craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis is a deformity where the fibrous sutures of a baby's skull fuse prematurely, which can led to abnormal head shape. Clare Hilzinger has slammed Ticketek after the company refused to give her a refund to Disney on Ice when she cancelled because of her sick son 'It required the doctors taking off his skull, taking out a part of it and then joining it back together with metal rods,' she told parenting website Kidspot. Mrs Hilzinger was forced to cancel her tickets to Disney on Ice. But when she called Ticketek for a refund last year she was refused, she says, despite a note from her son's surgeon explaining the situation. Ticketek then offered credit for this year's production of Disney on Ice instead. However, more than eight months after she cancelled her tickets Mrs Hilzinger was still having trouble. Clare (right) and Kurt with their five-month-old boy, Luke, who needed a major skull reconstruction last year Luke (centre) with his parents Clare and Kurt and his siblings Tom and Anna On Tuesday she posted a photo of her son Luke recovering from surgery with a message to Ticketek saying the company was making 'getting our tickets impossible.' 'Shame on you Ticketek, Absolutely disgusting appalling,' she wrote. When called by Daily Mail Australia, Ticketek said the issue had been resolved. The Daily Mail understands the family were offered several different time and date combinations after missing the show. However, Mrs Hilzinger said the whole episode had been infuriating. 'They just don't care. It's all about the money for them,' she told Kidspot. 'I understand that they can't refund for people who change their minds. But I didn't want my son to have to go through that surgery I would have much preferred to be at the show with my daughter.' Think TGI Fridays and you are hit with a vision of carpeted floors, dark lighting, and red leather seats. But that could all be a thing of the past. The family favorite has unveiled a revamped diner bathed in sunlight with sleek wooden benches, pastel tones and more open space. And if customers arent craving a hefty sticky fried chicken meal, they can sample the salads, sandwiches, cookies and parfaits from the new deli counter. NEW LOOK: This is the new sun-soaked dining area in the Corpus Christi, Texas, TGI Friday's restaurant OLD LOOK: The family favorite has always been known for its dim lighting and red leather seats Crucially, the firm will also be venturing into the realm of brunch chic with a weekend menu that follows the trend of gentrified, millennial-heavy metropolitan areas like New York. It is a bid to lure in a younger crowd, competing with Starbucks, Chopt and JustSalad as an after-work or weekend hangout spot open from 7am to 2am. If the first outlet in millennial-heavy Corpus Christi, Texas, is a success, this new look could be making its way across the country and eventually to all of the Dallas-based firms international outlets. Remodelling a 13-year-old restaurant, the new design has a mere 280 seats spread out across 7,400 square feet. There is a main entrance with hang out spaces either side, and doors that lead out to a patio for al fresco dining. Beyond the blonde-wood appearance, the new diner also offers free wifi, a coffee bar (with fresh ground coffee), a juice bar, live music in the evenings, and trivia nights. Customers may also be lured in by the restaurants new mobile reservations app and takeout set-up. REVAMPED: The new design is a bid to lure in millennials with a look to rival 'weekend hangout' spaces CHANGE OF DIRECTION: Customers will be offered fresh juices, fresh ground coffee and parfaits from a deli The brunch menu, which has already been tested in New Yorks Farmingville, includes berry waffles, and steak and eggs. Announcing the move earlier this month, Robert Palleschi, who became TGI Fridays CEO in February, insisted this is just the start. Its an ongoing innovation, Palleschi told Nations Restaurant News. I like to say its a re-invention and, to a certain degree, a repositioning. A primary school camp descended into a 'war zone' after a nest of wasps unleashed its fury on a group of unsuspecting students. New Zealand pupils Jonathan Tucker and Abby Newell took the brunt of the insect assault and were collectively stung 37 times after they stumbled upon a wasp nest in darkness during a game of spotlight - a tag game played with torches. The incident occurred during the grade five Fairfield School camp in the Silverstream Valley, Dunedin, at the bottom of the South Island, when 50 children were playing about 8pm on Tuesday, according to a Stuff.co.nz report. Fairfield School students, from left, Daniel Wheeler, Abby Newell and Jonathan Tucker, all aged nine, who were stung multiple times by wasps School pupils on a camp in New Zealand unwittingly disturbed a wasp's nest while playing a game, resulting in the numerous children being stung (stock image) The principal of the school which had gone on camp described the scenes after the pupils were stung as a 'war zone' (stock image) Tucker said that he shined a torch on his legs and panicked when he saw about 10 wasps crawling on his legs, as another one stung his head, the report said. Pupil Daniel Wheeler, 9, was stung six times, but told Otago Daily Times he was fearless toward wasps. 'I felt this big pinch on my arm. I saw the wasp and it was still on there,' he said. 'Its stinger was so far in there. I had to flick it out.' School principal Andy Larson arrived at the camp at 9pm to find 50 pupils and teachers huddled in the main dining room. 'It was like a war zone,' Mr Larson told Stuff.co.nz. 'The wasps went absolutely ballistic.' Upon seeing the chaotic scene, where shirtless children were having their wounds tended to, Mr Larson shut down the camp and the students returned home that night. After the wasps attacked, the school's principal found about 50 pupils and teachers sheltering in a dining room at the camp site (stock image) A 'heartbroken' mother has revealed the horrific abuse her four-year-old endured at the hands of a classmate who penetrated her son orally and anally on multiple occasions at kindergarten. The mother claims her four-year-old is one of at least 15 children to be sexually abused by a young boy at a kindergarten in regional South Australia last year, which she believes was 'swept under the rug' by staff who failed to recognise the boy's behaviour as abusive. She learned her son had experienced some 'inappropriate touching' at school but had no idea that he had been anally and orally penetrated by the boy, who also reportedly lured his young victim to a tent and held his hands over his mouth as he pulled his pants down to exposed his genitals. A mother of a young boy who was sexually abused by a four-year-old boy at his South Australian kindergarten claims the education department 'ignored' complaints (stock image) '[My son] was coming home hysterical, he wouldn't calm down and he was hiding under the bed,' she told Women's Weekly. She said he refused to speak about what was happening at school and only revealed bits and pieces about how he had been touched after he was caught trying to touch his brother's penis in the bath in May. But the four-year-old, who suffered night terrors and developed a fear of going to the toilet or bed, slowly started telling her about the extent of his classmate's inappropriate behaviour, revealing he had been anally and orally penetrated on a number of occasions. 'While we were in the car, [my son] told me how [the other boy] stuck his finger up his bottom and pushed it in and out,' she said. 'I pulled the car over and I threw up everywhere. Up until then, I hadn't realised penetration had occurred.' The mother said she spoke to staff at the school after being made aware of the situation but was told it was under control and the boy, who now required constant in school supervision, was being monitored. While many would like to consider this an isolated incident, Professor Briggs warns that this type of behaviour is 'typical of what is happening elsewhere' The mother, who quit her job to care for her son, has maintained that the 'perpetrator' or his family isn't the issue, instead blaming the education department for not handling the situation properly. She said the abuse of has caused a rift between her and her husband who both feel guilt for not being able to protect their vulnerable son, who is now undergoing counselling. 'It's had a catastrophic effect on our community,' she said. 'People are judging and avoiding the conversation. It's taboo. I put on a brave face as well. Otherwise I would just break down and cry.' Hundreds of concerned parents from the regional town recently met to discuss 'child-on-child abuse', which experts say is inspired by the increased availability of online pornography. Freda Briggs, emeritus professor in Child Development, recently made a submission to the Senate on the impact online pornography is having on school aged children, where she discussed the affects the young South Australia perpetrator's actions have had on the community. Freda Briggs, emeritus professor in Child Development, recently made a submission to the Senate on the impact online pornography is having on school aged children She discussed the affects the young South Australia perpetrator's actions have had on the community She said the young victims involved were removed from the kindergarten while the school was forced to hire a full-time minder for the student involved at 'considerable cost to the tax payer'. 'The problem is teachers and social workers generally haven't been trained to differentiate normal sexual curiosity and experimentation from behaviour that indicates that a child is replicating his own abuse or inappropriate sex that he has seen,' she told Women's Weekly. 'The risk is that if the child enjoys the sense of power he gains from sexually abusing others, the behaviour can become habitual,' she says. 'It may start out with one child in a class and there is then a risk of it spreading.' The parents of the young victims, who were forced to enrol in a kindergarten 240 kilometres away, urged the school to expel the perpetrator until he was deemed safe by a therapist but manger from the Department of Education said he could not force the boy's parents to get him treatment. Professor Briggs said the young victims involved were removed from the kindergarten while the school was forced to hire a full-time minder for the student involved at 'considerable cost to the tax payer' (stock image) The South Australian Department for Education and Child Development said that the incident was being investigated by senior staff who have also been working closely with the families involved, but the mother said she has just been bounced from one person to another while waiting for the results of the formal review. 'The department treats inappropriate sexualised behaviours with the utmost seriousness and any incidents of this kind are investigated and managed directly by senior staff,' the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'The welfare of the children remains our priority. The department will continue to offer support to them and the broader community on an ongoing basis.' Professor Briggs warned that this type of behaviour is 'typical of what is happening elsewhere', with another parent coming forward to claims her five-year-old was groomed and forced to perform oral sex on a nine-year-old boy. Another parent came forward claiming her five-year-old was groomed and forced to perform oral sex on a nine-year-old boy The woman, who has not been identified, said a pre-pubescent nine-year-old made her daughter his 'special friend', forced her to perform a sex act on him and then threatened that he would 'punch her eye out' if she told anyone, Woman's Weekly reported. 'I remember at the time thinking there was a bit of an age difference but he was a kid, he was pre-pubescent,' she said. '[Looking back] it was grooming behaviour. It makes it more creepy.' She said the mother of the perpetrator blew the incident off, claiming it was a misinterpreted joke, while police and social services also failed to act given the age of the young boy. A mob of angry Russian patriots have surrounded a man accused of demolishing more than 50 Orthodox Christian graves outside court. Muhammad Ibrahim fronted Burwood Local Court on Thursday morning, pleading not guilty to destroying the graves in the Christian Orthodox section at Sydney's Rookwood cemetery last year. But when the 25-year-old left the courthouse a pack of Zabaikal Cossacks Australia members stormed up to Mr Ibrahim and his supporters and hurled abuse at them, reports Daily Telegraph. Muhammad Ibrahim is surrounded by a a pack of Zabaikal Cossacks Australia members after leaving court The angry Russian patriots stormed up to Mr Ibrahim and his supporters and hurled abuse at them 'You're a coward,' the Cossacks shouted at him as he fled down the street. At one point the Cossacks began pushing Mr Ibrahim and demanding he showed his face, which was veiled in his hooded sweatshirt. Mr Ibrahim is charged with destroying property worth more than $150,000 and supplying a prohibited drug. A spokesperson from Zabaikal Cossacks Australia said they wanted to show their firm opposition to the damage inflicted on the graves. 'We are here to express support for Russia and we want to support the Australian police in apprehending this man.' The case is ongoing. Mr Ibrahim is charged with destroying property worth more than $150,000 of Christian Orthodox graves at Sydney's Rookwood cemetery (pictured) At one point the Cossacks began pushing Mr Ibrahim and demanding he showed his face Constable Angela Rose Taylor, 21, has been remembered 30 years after she was killed in the Russell Street police headquarters bombing The young policewoman killed after a car bomb exploded in front of the force headquarters in Melbourne has been remembered 30 years after the tragedy - and awarded a service medal. Constable Angela Rose Taylor, 21, died from her injuries 24 days after the bombing of Russell Street police headquarters on Easter Thursday, 27 March 1986. She was the first policewoman to be murdered in the line of duty in Australia. Her brother Michael Taylor paid tribute to the young officer at a memorial service on Thursday opposite the old Russell Street station, saying that she always had 'a disdain for injustice'. He recalled how as a three-year-old she fended off bullies by swinging a broom because they were teasing him over his leg calipers. 'She had a strong belief we should all be treated equally,' Mr Taylor said. Constable Taylor was posthumously awarded the National Police Service Medal at the memorial which was attended by officers, family and friends wearing pink roses in her memory. It was given to her parents Marilyn and Arthur by Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on behalf of Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove. Two men were convicted of the horrific crime which left Constable Taylor dead and 22 others injured. One of the bombers, Craig Minogue, could soon apply for bail as his 28-year non-parole period comes to an end this year. His co-accused, Stanley Brian Taylor, 59, was jailed for life with no minimum set. Mr Ashton said while any parole decision is up to the parole board, he hoped Minogue 'stays behind bars'. An arrangement of pink roses was seen at the memorial service to honour the young policewoman Constable Taylor was was posthumously awarded the National Police Service Medal and it was given to her parents Marilyn and Arthur by Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton Former police member Carl Donadio who was injured in the blast looks on during a memorial service to honour Constable Taylor Minogue, who was almost illiterate at the time of his arrest has gone on to complete a bachelor of arts degree, and has also obtained his Masters and PHD behind bars. He also runs a website, on which he apologises for his behaviour in 1986. I understand the pain and suffering that I have caused. I am very sorry for the crimes of my past, and I regret those actions very much and wish that I had not done them, he wrote on the site. Thirty years is a very long time in prison, I was 23 when I came in and I will be 53 when I am eligible for release. I hope to be able to somehow pass on to others the value that I have found in education and learning during that time. That contribution I can make depends to a large extent upon others, and whether or not I am going to be given a chance to make a positive contribution, he said. Constable Taylor's parents unveil a plaque in her honour in the RMIT Alumni Courtyard in Russell Street in Melbourne A rose could be seen on a poster at the memorial service to honour Constable Angela Taylor But Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin does not believe Minogue is reformed. I am not convinced that he is the reformed Craig Minogue he is making himself out to be, he told 60 Minutes recently. He went on to explain how Minogue murdered a man not long after being sent to prison for his part in the Russell Street bomb case. Now if Craig Minogue is released tomorrow whos to say it is not the old Craig Minogue who gets released. What if you take his parking spot, you know, what if you bump into him in a bar? At 15 seconds past one on Easter Thursday afternoon in 1986 Russell Street, Melbourne best resembled a warzone The car bomb did not explode as planned, and could have been a lot more devastating, police say One of the bombers, Craig Minogue (pictured both), could soon apply for bail as his 28-year non-parole period comes to an end this year He is trying to get parole and he is trying to demonstrate to a parole board he is no longer a risk, he said. Mr Rankin held back tears when remembering the death of Ms Taylor three weeks after she was injured in the bomb blast. He helped put out some of the fire on the 21-year-old officers clothes and hair. She was thrown across street dreadfully burnt, he said. She was a fine young woman that lost her life, he said choking back tears after remembering the day, April 20, he found out she had passed away in hospital. The police officer remembers the bombers had a strong desire to kill as many people and injure as many people as possible with their contraption. In fact the blast could have been a lot worse, a police investigation at the time found not all of the explosives found set into the car went off as was planned because the detonator was used wrong. Constable Taylor's parents pose with an Infinity Rose which was presented to them by former police member Carl Donadio who was injured in the blast Suicidal pilot: Some 150 people died when Andreas Lubitz (pictured) crashed the plane into a mountain after locking the captain out of the cockpit British relatives of Germanwings crash victims are set to sue the training school that taught the killer pilot to fly amid accusations that he should never have been granted his licence. Lawyers for the families announced their intention today to take legal action, exactly a year after 150 people died when Andreas Lubitz crashed the plane into a mountain after locking the captain out of the cockpit. Law firm Irwin Mitchell is hoping to start legal proceedings against the flight school in Arizona where 27-year-old Lubitz was trained because it believes he should have been prevented from qualifying as an airline pilot. Lubitz had seen 40 doctors in five years leading up to the horrifying crash on March 24, 2015. Clive Garner, head of aviation law at Irwin Mitchell, said the victims' families deserve answers as to how Lubitz was given clearance to qualify to fly. He went on: While nothing can bring their loved ones back, they want those who were responsible for allowing Lubitz to qualify as a pilot and fly commercial airliners to be brought to justice. To that end we have joined forces with other specialist law firms representing a large number of families from across the world as we prepare a group action against the US flight school in Arizona, who trained Lubitz and deemed him fit to fly airliners for Germanwings. Rescue worker: Lubitz crashed Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf into the French Alps in March 2015 Home: Traces of anti-depressants and sleeping medication were found in the body of Lubitz, who lived in this block of flats in Dusseldorf, Germany. Voice recordings revealed that he locked the captain out of the cockpit Lubitz crashed Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf into the French Alps. Paul Bramley, a 28-year-old from Hull, was one of three British victims. He was studying hospitality and hotel management at Cesar Ritz College in Lucerne, Switzerland. Martyn Matthews, a 50-year-old father-of-two from Wolverhampton, was one of three British victims The other Britons killed were Martyn Matthews, a 50-year-old father-of-two from Wolverhampton who worked as a senior quality manager, and seven-month-old Julian Pracz-Bandres, from Manchester, who had been travelling with his mother, Spanish-born Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio, 37. Traces of anti-depressants and sleeping medication were found in Lubitz's body. Voice recordings revealed that he locked the captain out of the cockpit and put the Airbus A320 into a continual descent. Evidence shows there were attempts to break down the door. Cockpit security was strengthened on passenger planes after the 9/11 attacks in the US, with a code system installed to prevent people getting in. Today, Lufthansa is taking around 650 relatives of those killed in last year's Germanwings disaster to France by plane or bus where they will attend a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the crash. We are doing everything we can to lessen the blow for the relatives, if that is at all possible, Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said last week in Frankfurt. Donald Trump says its time for Britain to leave the EU due to the craziness thats going on with migration as he maintained he was right over claims that parts of London had become radicalised. The US Presidential hopeful insisted he was not endorsing Britains exit from the EU but said that people pouring in all over the place would be the final straw for British voters when it came to Junes referendum. The billionaire tycoon turned politician said there was 'unrest' in the UK and insisted 'thousands and thousands' of Britons backed his controversial pledge to ban Muslims from the US. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS Donald Trump says he believes 'it's time' for Britain to leave the EU, due to 'the craziness that's going on with migration' as he maintained that he was right over 'radicalised' London comments Mr Trump caused uproar in Britain after backing up the policy by claiming parts of London were so radicalised that they were no-go areas for police and it led to a campaign to ban him from the UK. But speaking to DailyMail.com U.S Editor-at-Large Piers Morgan on ITVs Good Morning Britain, Mr Trump described the move as disgraceful, adding: That ban went nowhere, it shouldnt have gone anywhere. Mr Trump promised to strengthen the special relationship between the US and UK if he is elected President in November. Asked if now was the right time for Britain to quit the EU, Mr Trump said: 'Yes, my mother was born, as you know in Scotland, in Stornoway, and she loved Scotland. 'She loved it more than anything, she'd go back every year religiously with my sisters and just had a great feeling for it and a great love for the people of Scotland and I think that Britain will separate from the EU. Mr Trump, who is battling to become the Republican candidate in the forthcoming US elections, was speaking to Piers Morgan in the second part of an interview The US Presidential hopeful said he wasn't endorsing Brexit, but believed that 'people pouring in all over the place' would be the final straw for British voters when it came to Europe 'I think maybe it's time, especially in light of what's happened, with the craziness that's going on with the migration, with people pouring in all over the place. 'I think that Britain will end up separating from the EU, that's my opinion. 'I'm not endorsing it one way or the other but that's my opinion. I think a lot of people want to see that happen.' Mr Trump has previously said he would clamp down on migration into the United States and has proposed building a wall along the border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants. Migration is already a key point of debate ahead of Britain taking to the polls in the EU referendum on June 23. I think maybe it's time, especially in light of what's happened, with the craziness that's going on with the migration, with people pouring in all over the place. I think that Britain will end up separating from the EU, that's my opinion Donald Trump Prime Minister David Cameron promised in 2010 to reduce the annual level of net migration into Britain to below 100,000 but it soared to 323,000 in the year to September 2015. More than half the number of migrants entering Britain are from other EU countries who can move around the bloc freely under its freedom of movement principle. Office for National Statistics figures show some 904,000 EU migrants have arrived in Britain since June 2010. But it has also been revealed that officials issued 2.2million national insurance numbers to EU migrants which are needed to get a job in the UK meaning an extra 1.3million workers could have made their way to the UK. Mr Trump's comments on Britain's membership of the EU contrast with Barack Obama, who will use a visit to the UK next month to urge voters to remain in the 28-state bloc. The US President's planned intervention has already sparked controversy with anti-EU campaigners, who have accused Mr Obama of being 'hypocritical' by urging Britain to give up sovereignty to Europe on a scale no American government ever world. In today's interview with Mr Morgan, Mr Trump also reopened his row with London Mayor Boris Johnson after his comments last year that parts of the city were so radicalised they had become 'no go' areas, and said that British people agreed with him. Donald Trump's comments on Britain's membership of the EU contrast with Barack Obama (pictured exiting Air Force One in Buenos Aires yesterday), who will use a visit to the UK next month to urge voters to remain in the 28-state bloc Mr Trump reopened his row with London Mayor Boris Johnson (pictured) after his comments last year that parts of the city were so radicalised they had become 'no go' areas, although he said Mr Johnson was 'probably a nice guy' Last year, half a million people signed a petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from Britain over his pledge to ban all Muslims from entering America until we find out whats going on, with the mogul branded a 'hate preacher'. He also claimed parts of London were 'so radicalised' that police were 'afraid for their own lives'. Boris Johnson responded by saying Mr Trump's 'ill-informed' comments were 'complete and utter nonsense', and has since said his worst moment was being mistaken for the Republican nomination candidate. People were incensed at the concept of me being banned for speaking really what they said was the truth Donald Trump Asked in today's interview about Mr Johnson, Mr Trump replied: 'I know nothing about him really, I see him, he looks like a good character and probably a nice guy and maybe he thinks politically [he's] popular. 'I will tell you that when I talked about the Muslim ban, there was a - and that's a temporary ban just so you understand - but until we figure out what's going on, but when I talked about the Muslim ban, he was very strong against me, he said like they have no problems in London at all. 'But I was written letters and phone calls and everything - talking about London and talking about the fact that I was right and you know when they talked about possibly keeping me out, you know there was a little movement that didn't go anywhere because of a lot of reasons but when they talked about that I will say this - there were such opposition from people that live in Britain, in Great Britain, that there was in the UK generally, in fact all over Europe, the people were incensed at the concept of me being banned for speaking really what they said was the truth. Mr Trump also shared his thoughts on the campaign to ban him from the UK and how the USA would have a stronger relationship with Britain if he became President 'And as you know that ban went nowhere, it shouldn't have gone anywhere, it was a disgraceful thing but it went nowhere, but a lot of people and I mean thousands and thousands of people were tweeting saying you're right, you're right Mr Trump, your right and so I don't know what's going on over there but I can tell you there is some unrest and you know that Piers.' In yesterday's part of the interview, Mr Trump condemned Muslims for failing to report suspicious activity within their own communities - insisting they must do more to help prevent attacks such as those in Belgium on Tuesday. He said it was a disgrace that a suspect behind last years Paris attacks had been found after a long manhunt by police in an area of Brussels where he lived. Mr Trump condemned the outrageous attacks on the Brussels airport and metro, and said he would hit ISIS so hard you wouldn't believe it. A lot of people and I mean thousands and thousands of people were tweeting saying you're right, you're right Mr Trump Donald Trump Mr Trump also told the ITV breakfast show that he was enjoying the Presidential race 'because the results are good'. He said: 'You know I started off with 17 people - 17 people were vying for the title and I'm not a politician, so you have all these senators and governors and they have been doing it all their lives - I'd never done it before. I've only been doing this for eight months Piers so you know people are sort of surprised that I'd be in first place by so much, it's not even first place by a little bit but it's first place by 20, 25 points so it's been a lot and we'll know over the next four or five weeks what happens but I've really enjoyed it. I think I'm enjoying it because I'm doing well at it. I think if I wasn't doing well at it I wouldn't be enjoying it.' Mr Trump also told Mr Morgan that if he became President then America's relationship with the UK would be even stronger than it is now, adding that he has many supporters in Britain. When asked to speak directly to the people of Britain and give them a message to reassure them, he said: 'I have a lot of friends in the UK, I have a lot of supporters in the UK and I saw that when they were talking about doing some kind of a reprimand. 'The number of people that support me over there is incredible, I have never seen anything like it, it was like an outpouring of love. And that's why that thing never went, you know very few people even showed up to discuss it when they talked about that ban, that so-called ban, how crazy it is. But very few people ever even showed up to discuss it. You saw what happened, it just fizzled out. I love the UK, I think is an amazing, just one of my favourite places in the world. I love the people. 'My mother, again, born in Scotland, so proud of Scotland, and you know I just think that if I become President, I know that we're going to have a fantastic relationship and I will do everything within my power to make sure it stays that way. I think the relationship will be better, actually much better and much stronger than it is right now.' The full interview will air on on ITV programme Piers: The Trump Interview, Friday night at 10.15pm. Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam says he 'didn't know' about the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and on a metro train - despite connections to the perpetrators. Abdeslam appeared before judges in Brussels today, a city still reeling after a series of terror attacks which killed more than 30 people carried out by men linked to the same ISIS cell. His lawyer claimed Abdeslam had no prior knowledge of Tuesday's attacks in the Belgian capital, as he announced that the 26-year-old wants to be extradited to France as soon as possible, Scroll down for video Taken: A police car believed to be transporting terror suspect Salah Abdeslam leaves the prison in Bruges, Belgium, as he is taken to a hearing before judges in Brussels Would-be-bomber: The 26-year-old is the only Paris terror attack suspect to have been captured alive so far, and was arrested in Forest, Brussels after a shootout raid on Friday Asked if Abdeslam, the chief suspect in the Paris attacks in November last year, had prior knowledge of Tuesday's attacks in the Belgian capital, lawyer Sven Mary said in English: 'He didn't know it'. Later on Thursday, Mr Mary told Belgian radio that Abdeslam had not helped police in their investigation into the men responsible for the Brussels bombings. Mr Mary revealed that investigators had visited Abdeslam in prison after the bombings, but flat out denied that the terror suspect had provided any information to police. 'I wouldn't want him to clam up over lots of things,' Mr Mary told Europe 1. 'If he stopped talking, it would run the risk of more Zaventem and other Bataclans. Perhaps that is perhaps what I want to avoid.' Investigation: Abdelslam, the chief suspect in last year's deadly Paris attacks, is facing a hearing in Brussels, amid increasing signs that the same ISIS cell was behind attacks in both cities A police officer gets out of a car outside the council chamber of Brussels before the arrival of the lawyer of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Paris terror attacks Speaking outside the Brussels court today, Mr Mary also said Abdeslam 'wants to return to France as soon as possible', adding that it is 'question of weeks'. The lawyer said as the most important part of the events described in the investigation's 'dossier' takes place in France, Abdeslam wants to go there to 'explain himself'. Mr Mary said Abdeslam is due in court in Brussels on March 31 to face a European arrest warrant issued by France, but this has now been postponed to April 7. This warrant is a procedure reserved for European Union member states that speeds up the traditional extradition process by preventing government authorities from blocking any transfer. This comes just days after his legal team announced that Abdeslam, the chief suspect in the Paris attacks in November last year, would fight an extradition and wanted to be tried in Belgium. French authorities are seeking Abdeslam's extradition so he can be tried for his alleged role in the bomb-and-gun attacks that killed 130 and injured 352 people in Paris on November 13 last year. A police car believed to be transporting Abdeslam, who is the only terrorist linked to the Paris attacks to have been captured alive, was seen leaving the prison in Bruges this morning. Devil's advocat: Abdeslam's lawyer Sven Mary arrives at hearing in Brussels where a panel of judges will decide whether the terror suspect will remain in Belgian jail Security: Police officers wearing balaclavas stand guard outside the council chamber of Brussels during the hearing of Abdeslam, where it is believed his possble extradition to France will be discussed The Belgian federal prosecutor's office said Abdeslam and two other suspected accomplices appeared in court Thursday. Mr Mary, told reporters at the courthouse that he asked for a one-month delay on any transfer from Belgium to France while he studies the large dossier, but that Abdeslam 'wants to leave for France as quickly as possible.' A helicopter circled overhead, and the area was under extraordinarily heavy security, as are many parts of the Belgian capital. The hearing was initially due to be held on Wednesday, but was postponed after the bombings at Brussels airport and a central metro station which killed 34 people and injured more than 260. Representatives of Mr Mary said yesterday that the reason for postponing the judicial hearing in Brussels was heightened security concerns in the Belgian capital. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national of Moroccan descent who was arrested after a shootout in Brussels last week, appeared before a panel of judges ruling on extending his detention. Abdeslam has reportedly been cooperating with investigators, and admitted that he had intended to become the fourth suicide bomber at Stade de France in the November attacks Abdeslam has reportedly been cooperating with investigators, and admitted that he had intended to become the fourth suicide bomber at State de France, but backed out. French investigator Francois Molins told a news conference in Paris on Saturday 'He wanted to blow himself up at the Stade de France and, I quote, 'backed out'.' Mr Mary has previously said that Abdeslam is 'worth his weight in gold' to the investigation into the Paris terror attacks and Europe's ISIS cells. 'I think that Salah Abdeslam is of prime importance for this investigation. He is collaborating. He is communicating. He is not maintaining his right to remain silent,' Mary told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. The hearing comes shortly after Mr Mary was assaulted in the street, by an individual who physically confronted him over his decision to represent Abdeslam. Mr Mary, who has earned himself the nickname 'the devil's lawyer' after defending a series of notorious criminals, was able to overpower the attacker, Le Soir reports. New Zealanders have voted to keep the same flag they've had for the past 114 years, rejecting the chance for a new design. Preliminary results from voting in a referendum to decide if the flag would be changed were in favour of keeping the old design, which is similar to the Australian flag and incorporates the Union Jack. The New Zealand Herald reported 2.1 million people voting with the result as 56.6 percent in favour of the same flag and 43.2 percent in favour of a new flag. Scroll down for video New Zealanders have voted to keep the same flag they've had for the past 114 years, rejecting the chance for a new design The option which New Zealanders could have voted to replace their flag with was designed by New Zealand man Kyle Lockwood The 18-month process, driven by Prime Minister John Key, cost $NZ26 million (11.9million). Mr Key said he was disappointed with the outcome, but called for the country to 'rally behind the flag that's been chosen, to go out and use, to wave it and to be proud of it and to celebrate the fact that we've got an amazing country'. His government would not return to the issue, the New Zealand Herald reported. He also defended the expensive cost of the referendum, saying it had caused healthy debate about nationhood. Some voters took to social media to let others know how they had voted in the referendum The voter turnout was about 67 percent, with just over 1.2million voting for the existing flag and more than 915,000 voting for change, Stuff.co.nz reported. A final result will be announced in about a week's time. Last year, a competition was held to design options for a new flag for the country, which New Zealanders voted for. A selection committee chose four flags from a vast number of entries, and voting in an earlier referendum selected a black, white, blue and red fern and stars design by Kyle Lockwood. It was that flag that was outvoted in the latest referendum. The result has brought the end to the first-ever public vote by a country on its national flag. This picture was posted to Twitter showing a voting paper for the referendum - with one of the other flag options entered in the design process which was popular but not successful poking out from behind Even internet mogul Kim Dotcom was showing his support for the New Zealand flag The Union Jack, the British flag, is also a dominating feature of the New Zealand and Australian flags Australia has even more reason to ditch its flag now that Kiwis have voted to keep their Union Jack, says a group agitating for change. The results of the second binding referendum on the New Zealand flag were announced on Thursday night, with almost 57 per cent of voters choosing to keep the current flag. 'It's disappointing and it's more reason for us to change,' Ausflag executive director Harold Scruby told AAP. More than two million people voted in the referendum and just over 43 per cent wanted change, voting for Kyle Lockwood's black and blue silver fern design. Mr Scruby believed the flag's design 'wrecked' the referendum outcome. Instead of the alternate flag's original black and white fern design, the current flag's red stars were retained as a compromise, he said. The Australian flag, which is similar to the New Zealand flag. In some cases, they have been mistakenly flown in the place of the other 'It didn't help that ISIS came out with a black and white flag just before the whole process,' Mr Scruby told AAP. 'I think the compromise is what killed it. 'They tried to introduce a new symbol and keep the old one.' 'Now Australians had even more incentive to search for a new design', he said. 'Not only does it remain difficult to distinguish the neighbouring countries at sporting games, Australia's current flag signals the country's status as a colony of Britain,' Mr Scruby said. It was unfair that Indigenous Australians didn't have a 'microdot' of representation on what is the country's most public symbol, he said. Two of the four finalists in a competition held last year to design a new flag suitable for New Zealand. Kyle Lockwood designed both, with the left option winning the competition to become the possible new flag for the country The other two finalists in the competition to design a potential new flag for New Zealand A man has pleaded guilty to attacking a bus full of school children and a number of other cars with a samurai sword while high on ice. Police allege that Victor Jordan Oliver, 23, walked onto a road in Geraldton, roughly 420 kilometres north of Perth, and started swinging the weapon at a school bus full of children on March 1. Mr Oliver is also accused of smashing the bonnet and boot of three other cars with children sitting inside them, not far from Rangeway Primary school. He appeared in Geraldton Magistrate's Court last week and pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage and one count of being armed to cause fear, The West Australian reported. Pictured is the samurai sword used by West Australian man Victor Oliver, 23 Police allege that Mr Oliver smashed the boot and bonnet of three cars with the weapon. He pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage in court last week (stock image) During an earlier hearing in March - in which Mr Oliver was accompanied by five security guards - the police prosecutor described the shocking events in more detail. She said the incident began when Mr Oliver demanded that a person standing at a bus stop give him their phone. He was brandishing the samurai sword at the time. When they refused, he was then said to have pointed to another person and said 'Did you want me to kill this man right here?' He is then alleged to have walked off and begun lashing out at a number of cars - one of which had a mother and her 11-year-old son inside. His rampage ended with him slashing his sword at a packed school bus. Magistrate Donna Webb interrupted the prosecutor at this point and requested Mr Oliver undergo a psychiatric evaluation before they proceeded. Mr Oliver's lawyer said he had taken methamphetamine the night before the rampage, and suffered from drug-induced psychosis. He applied for bail to stay at a property just outside of Geraldton and will appear again in court on April 14 when the bail report has been prepared. The police prosecutor said that Mr Oliver had swung the samurai sword at a school bus filled with children 11 workers at Tihange nuclear power plant have had their passes revoked May have detonated at plant or gained entry to get 'dirty bomb' materials The Brussels terrorists may have been plotting to make a radioactive bomb after it emerged 11 nuclear power plant workers have had their site access revoked amid fears of 'insider help'. Jihadi brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui had secretly filmed the daily routine of Belgium's nuclear programme chief, before they blew themselves up at Brussels airport and on a Metro train. It is thought the brothers' spying operation was possible preparation for a kidnap plot to force him to let them into one of Belgium's two atomic facilities. However, it is likely they switched targets to the less well-guarded airport and Maelbeek Metro station after authorities became suspicious. The terror cell responsible for the Paris and Brussels attacks was planning to attack an unidentified nuclear power station or try and steal materials from it for a 'dirty bomb'. Pictured is the power plant in Doel, Belgium It emerged last night that 11 workers at the Tihange nuclear power plant, 40 miles south-east of Brussels, have had their access badges withdrawn leading to speculation the bombers may have been seeking insider help. Seven of the passes were withdrawn last week, and last Friday additional soldiers were deployed to protect the plant, which has three reactors. If the terrorists had struck there, it could have caused a catastrophe. The plant lies in a heavily populated area about 50 miles from each of Belgium's borders with Germany, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. One Belgian plant is only 90 miles from Kent. Alternatively, the brothers could have been plotting to steal nuclear material to make a dirty bomb. Claude Moniquet, who investigates threats to Europe's nuclear sector, told NBC News: 'The terrorist cell naively believed they could use him to penetrate a lab to obtain nuclear material to make a dirty bomb.' The heightened security at the facility, and the police raids on ISIS boltholes last week which led to the capture of Paris terrorist Salah Abdeslam, may have prompted the bombers to switch their targets to Brussels airport and Metro station, where they killed 31 people and injured 270 others on Tuesday. Belgium's La Derniere Heure newspaper quoted a police source as saying the el-Bakraoui brothers had hidden cameras in bushes outside the home of the head of the country's nuclear research and development programme. A Belgian prosecutor refused to divulge the individual's identity 'for obvious security reasons'. Belgium's federal agency for nuclear control stressed the importance of not revealing the name of the person involved so as 'not to endanger the enquiry or nuclear security' or indeed the person involved and their family. Belgian bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui (centre) and explosives expert Najim Laachraou (left) killed 14 at Brussels airport. Their accomplice - the 'Man in White' (right) - fled the airport and remains on the run Brussels bombers: Khalid El Bakraoui (left), Ibrahim El Bakraoui (centre) and explosives expert Najim Laachraoui (right) detonated bombs at the airport and metro on Tuesday, killing 31 and injuring hundreds more The footage was found in December during a police raid in Brussels linked to the Paris attacks a month earlier. The filming confounded investigators at first because it showed the entrance to the director's home in Flanders, an area outside the capital. But after watching all 12 hours' worth of footage, detectives drew the chilling conclusion that the fanatics were trying to gain access to an atomic facility. Armed troops were sent to defend French and Belgian nuclear facilities following the discovery and both countries' nuclear programmes were put on the highest state of alert. On February 17, Belgian prosecutors confirmed the existence of the video seized in December. At the time, investigators knew the video camera had been removed by two men, who left the area in a vehicle with the lights off, but did not know their identity. La Derniere Heure said it was now clear it was the two brothers. 'They rushed their operations because they felt under pressure,' the police source told the paper. 'Even if one couldn't prevent these (Brussels) attacks, one can say that their magnitude could have been much bigger if the terrorists had been able to implement their original plan and not opted for easier targets.' Tihange nuclear power plant is about an hour's drive away from the Belgian capital where the attacks occurred The key figure in the alleged 'dirty bomb' plot is Mohammed Bakkali, 28, from Brussels, who was arrested on suspicion of helping to plan the Paris massacre in November. The video footage of the nuclear power plant director is believed to have been found during a raid at his flat. He is due to appear in court at the end of the month. Meanwhile, Paris jihadi Abdeslam, 26, said he 'didn't know anything' about the latest attacks, a court in Brussels was told yesterday. He wanted 'to return to France as quickly as possible' to 'explain himself' in a criminal trial, his lawyer said. Sainsbury's has been forced to apologise after its Jehovah's Witness chef refused to serve a customer black pudding with his Full English breakfast. Alan MacKay was stunned when he was told he could not enjoy the staple, made up of animal fat, blood and oatmeal, with his meal at the branch in Arnold, Nottingham. After receiving his incomplete dish the former police officer was told the black pudding would not be served because it was against the religious beliefs of the chef to do so. Missing: This is the Full English Alan MacKay should have received while dining at Sainsbury's in Nottingham Jehovahs Witness regard blood as sacrosanct and if an animal hasnt been bled to their standards they wont eat it. Mr MacKay, who had popped into the store after dropping his wife off at work at 9am, said: 'I know it sounds trivial, but it's the principal behind it that's ridiculous. 'If she refuses to cook black pudding because of her religion, what is she doing working in a kitchen that sells it? She shouldn't be employed if she won't cook the menu. 'I was really looking forward to my black pudding. You get a good breakfast in there. 'But when I went into the cafe to order my black pudding, like as I have done before, I went away hungry. I was really cheesed off. 'I came home and had my breakfast at 11.30am. I had crumpets, a poached egg and beans. I didn't buy black pudding because it's quite fatty so I only have it once a week or so. 'Sainsbury's does a wonderful black pudding, so that's why I was so disappointed. It's one of the few big stores that sells black pudding. Morrison's doesn't.' Mistake: A spokeswoman said Mr MacKay was forced to go without due to a mix up between the kitchen team Mr MacKay said he was 'cheesed off' when he was not served his full meal at this Sainsbury's cafe because it usually serves up 'wonderful black pudding' Mr MacKay was offered a refund by Sainsbury's who explained the error was down to a mix up between the kitchen team on duty. A spokeswoman said a member of staff had misunderstood that the chef had asked them to prepare the black pudding, not that black pudding could not be served. 'We have apologised to the customer for the misunderstanding.' she added. JEHOVAH'S WITNESS BELIEFS: APART FROM MAINSTREAM CHRISTIANITY Jehovah's Witnesses are a worldwide brotherhood amounting to over eight million members. Jehovah's say that as Jesus Christ did not limit his kingdom to a certain part of the world, they do not allow themselves to be attached to a country, ethnicity or political belief system. Members believe that the bible was inspired by God or 'Jehovah' and is completely historically accurate. As a result, if a theory clashes with the bible they believe it to be wrong. Jehovah's do believe in Jesus, but they think he died on a stake rather than a cross. This is because of the Greek word used for cross in the bible which translates to 'stake' or 'tree'. Members say that when someone dies their existence stops completely and as a result they do not believe in Hell. Their other reasoning for this is that God would not want to punish humans for eternity. Members do not accept blood transfusions because they believe God has forbidden this in the bible (In particular making reference Genesis 9:3-4 and Acts 15:19-21). Jehovah's say that God believes blood represents life, so out of respect and obedience they do not tamper with it. Source: Jehovahs Witnesses Advertisement Deputy Nolan suffered burns and the pair have both been praised Eventually they manage to drag her out but her current status is unknown Even when they use the fire extinguisher the struggle still continues Several bystanders look on but do nothing to help in flames, the lady trapped by her seatbelt This is the dramatic moment two officers saved a woman from a burning car - while bystanders simply looked on. Incredible dascham footage and police audio recorded the heroic rescue in Florida. The Indian River County Sheriff's Office announced on Facebook, where they posted the video, that the car had turned out in front of a septic tanker truck, causing a collision between the two and a third refuse flatbed truck. Action: Deputy Robert Sunkel runs towards a white car engulfed in flames - it had turned out in front of a septic tanker truck, causing a collision between the two and a third refuse flatbed truck Burning: Sunkel smashes the vehicle's window with his baton and opens the passenger door but the woman was trapped in the vehicle by her seat belt, steering wheel, and airbag The collision between the car and the septic truck immediately ignited into fire, causing both vehicles to be engulfed in flames. The action-packed video shows Deputy Robert Sunkel running towards a white car engulfed in flames. 'There's someone in that car!' one of them shouts before Sunkel smashes the vehicle's window with his baton and opens the passenger door. 'Ma'am can you hear me?' he shouts as a woman's wails can be heard. 'Crawl this way!' he cries. Huge black clouds of smoke billow from the two smashed vehicles as flames lick the sides and Sunkel pleads with the woman to move. 'I can't get her out of her seatbelt!' the officer yells. She was trapped in the vehicle by her seat belt, steering wheel, and airbag, the Sheriff's Office explained online, Deputy Sunkel made attempts to pull her out but was unsuccessful. Guys come and help... somebody help,' he shouts to the inactive bystanders. Fortunately deputy Linda Nolan then arrived on scene and began using her fire extinguisher to reduce the flames but it made little difference as the vehicle continued to burn. Fighting back: Deputy Linda Nolan then arrived on scene and began using her fire extinguisher to reduce the flames but it made little difference as the vehicle continued to burn Dramatic: 'Linda we can't get in there,' a panicked Sunkel can be heard saying as the female officer cries, 'Oh my God' Shouts can be heard from the scene both from the trapped women and also from Nolan who seems to be getting burned as she fights the fire. 'Linda we can't get in there,' a panicked Sunkel can be heard saying as the female officer cries, 'Oh my God'. Eventually the two manage to grab hold of the woman and drag her out to safety. 'Ma'am stay with me,' Sunkel exclaims as they both kneel over the unconscious victim. 'What's your name sweetheart?' Nolan asks, as the clip comes to an end. Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said in a statement following the accident: 'We are so proud of Deputies Sunkel and Nolan for their life saving efforts earlier this morning. Video of the incident shows that despite danger to themselves, they continued to work to save this woman from her burning car.' Nolan sustained burns to her hand which were treated on scene and then at Indian River Medical Center. The woman pulled from the car was airlifted from the scene and her current status is unknown. Florida Highway Patrol responded and is investigating the cause of the crash. Rescue: Eventually the two manage to grab hold of the woman and drag her out to safety John Kasich and Ted Cruz would both defeat Hillary Clinton in November's election but Donald Trump would not, according to a new poll. Kasich and Cruz who are trailing the billionaire businessman in the race for the Republican nomination are both more likely to defeat Democrat front runner in the general election. In a straight fight between Kasich and Clinton, more than half of those polled would support the Republican candidate, with 40 per cent supporting the former First Lady. Scroll down for video Donald Trump, pictured would be defeated in a head-to-head battle with Hillary Clinton, new polls claim Ohio governor John Kasich, pictured, has the greatest chance of defeating Hillary Clinton in November Four out of ten Ted Cruz supporters would vote for an independent third candidate in the event of a race between Republican front runner Donald Trump and likely Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton The Fox News poll asked voters who they would support in the event of different potential match ups. Kasich is the most popular Republican candidate still in the race. He is even able to attract 17 per cent of Democrat supporters and is polling well with independents. Cruz has a three point advantage over Clinton in their hypothetical match-up, with a 47 to 44 per cent advantage. However, in the event of a Clinton - Trump showdown, the controversial mogul has the support of only 38 per cent of voters, compared with 49 per cent for Hillary. Four out of ten supporters for Ted Cruz would consider supporting a third party candidate in the event of a Clinton - Trump contest. The pollsters interviewed 1,016 randomly chosen registered voters on landline and cellphones. The interviews were conducted by Anderson Robbins Research and Shaw and Company Research between March 20 and March 22. The margin of error is plus or minus three per cent. Both Trump and Clinton won their parties' primaries in Arizona, although Cruz was successful in Utal. Clinton's challenger Bernie Sanders, whose grass-roots campaign has refused to yield to the former secretary of state, snatched much-needed victories in Utah and Idaho, blunting Clinton's momentum just as she began to project an image as the inevitable Democratic nominee. The voting gave the candidates another opportunity to pile up delegates on the way to the party nominating conventions, but it did not dramatically alter the basic outlines of the race. 'Much bigger win than anticipated in Arizona. Thank you, I will never forget!' Trump posted on Twitter. The Fox News poll claims Hillary Clinton would easily defeat Donald Trump in November's election Bernie Sanders, pictured, is continuing with his campaign for the Democratic nomination for November's election having won the party's caucus in Idaho by 78 per cent to 21 per cent for Hillary Trump received all 58 delegates at stake in winner-take-all Arizona, where he left Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich in his wake, and amid controversy over very long lines at polling stations. But Cruz bounced back in neighboring Utah, as he appeared on track to winning the state by more than 50 per cent, which means he secures all of its 40 delegates. At this point in the Republican race, Trump's main objective is to amass the 1,237 delegates needed to win his party's nomination outright, and thwart a bid by the party establishment to stop him. Following Tuesday's votes, Trump stood at 741 delegates, compared to 461 for Cruz and 145 for Kasich, according to a CNN tally. On the Democratic side, Clinton's Arizona victory was tempered by Sanders's impressive performance in Idaho, where he won the caucuses by a staggering 78 per cent to 21 per cent, and in Utah, results which allowed him to cut into Clinton's delegate lead, if only slightly. They were Sanders's first state victories since March 8 in Michigan. Sanders praised the 'tremendous' voter turnout, saying in a statement that 'these decisive victories in Idaho and Utah give me confidence that we will continue to win major victories in the coming contests'. But the delegate math looked bleak for the self-described democratic socialist from Vermont. Clinton was projected to finish the night with more than 1,700 delegates, compared with about 930 for Sanders. To win the Democratic nomination, 2,383 delegates are needed. Republicans were also holding caucuses in the Pacific territory of American Samoa. Lance Corporal Rachael Dorrian, 24, hit a man and woman with a single punch having been thrown out of a nightclub in Manchester Nicknamed 'GI Jane', the blue-eyed blonde soldier became the public face of British servicewomen on the frontline in Afghanistan. Yesterday, however, Lance Corporal Rachael Dorrian's reputation lay in tatters after she was convicted of knocking down a man and a woman with just one punch. The former British judo champion and fanatical weightlifter went 'berserk' and assaulted the pair when she was ejected from a nightclub. She punched a man on the nose, breaking it, before her fist smashed into the face of a woman, blacking her eye. Dorrian, 24, has now been dismissed from the Queen's Royal Hussars, after being convicted of two counts of assault at Manchester Crown Court. She was one of a handful of female soldiers posted to a frontline base in Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province in 2011. Nicknamed after the movie character played by Demi Moore, she was assigned to search female suspects and regularly went out on patrol in Helmand. In an interview with her local paper at the time, she said: 'I feel like I'm doing a good job and I'm really valued within the company...you get used to being in the company of blokes in the Army.' The assault happened on September 18, 2014 while Dorrian was home on leave and was out partying with two male friends in Manchester's gay village area. A scuffle broke out in the New York New York bar when someone accidentally barged into them on the dance floor. Dorrian and three others were ejected by security staff, but outside the club the soldier confronted Matt Lowe. Mr Lowe's partner Daniel Hindram, who had been celebrating his birthday, said he saw Dorrian smash Mr Lowe in the face, flattening his nose. Mr Hindram said the punch also hit bystander Jennifer James, whose eye turned purple and 'swelled like a balloon'. He said: '[Dorrian] was going berserk, she looked like a mental wild person. She was shouting and screaming. That's when she launched over to Matt and smacked him in the face. 'Matt's nose had been broken and was gushing with blood everywhere. Another girl who had been talking to Matt looked bad. Her eye started ballooning all purple and she could barely open it. 'It was my birthday. We weren't expecting this.' Miss James said she had been outside the club with her boyfriend when she heard glass smash inside the bar and saw Mr Lowe being ejected. She added: 'He said he had been attacked. Two more males got ejected, then the defendant was thrown out.' Miss James said she was talking to Mr Lowe when Dorrian approached and said: 'There he is, f****** tell them it was your fault.' Dorrian, who denied assault, was conditionally discharged for three years and ordered to pay a 15 victim surcharge Dorrian hit a man and woman outside a bar in Manchester following an altercation on the dancefloor Dorrian, who serves with the Queen's Royal Hussars, had been one of a handful of female soldiers at Lashkar Gah base at Helmand Province The victim continued: 'She made a fist and swung it into Matt's face and it clipped me. My whole eye was swelling.' Earlier this month a judge gave permission for Dorrian to be sentenced 156 miles away at Bulford military camp in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Dorrian, who denied the charges, received a three-year conditional discharge and must pay a 15 victim surcharge. An Army spokesman said Dorrian had been dismissed following the legal proceedings. He added that a separate assault case had been dealt with at a court martial at Bulford earlier this month. She was found guilty of battery and grievous bodily harm, sentenced to 18 months detention, reduced in rank and dismissed from the Army. The 24-year-old broke Matthew Lowe's nose with a single punch and also hit Jennifer James behind him Witnesses said Dorrian went 'berserk' and 'looked like a wild person' when she lashed out at Matthew Lowe A former University of Mississippi student pleaded guilty on Thursday to placing a noose on the school's statue of its first black student. Austin Reed Edenfield, 21, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge before U.S. District Judge Michael Mills in Oxford. The charge says Edenfield helped others threaten force to intimidate African-American students and employees at the university. Scroll down for video Former University of Mississippi student Austin Reed Edenfield, 21, pictured left with his lawyer as they leave court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to placing a noose on the school's statue of its first black student Edenfield admitted to taking part in a February 2014 incident during which a noose and a former Georgia state flag with a Confederate battle emblem were placed on the Ole Miss statue of James Meredith (pictured) The Georgia resident remains free pending sentencing and declined comment after the hearing. He admitted to taking part in a February 2014 incident during which a noose and a former Georgia state flag with a Confederate battle emblem were placed on the Ole Miss statue of James Meredith. Meredith integrated the university in 1962 amid rioting that was suppressed by federal troops. Prosecutors said another former student, Graeme Phillip Harris, hatched the plan to place the noose and flag on the statue after a night of drinking with Edenfield and a third freshman in the Sigma Phil Epsilon fraternity house on campus. They said Edenfield actually tied the noose on Meredith's statue after Harris couldn't do it. Edenfield (pictured left) waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge before U.S. District Judge Michael Mills in Oxford, Mississippi Prosecutors said another former student, Graeme Phillip Harris, (pictured left, last June) hatched the plan to place the noose and flag on the statue after a night of drinking with Edenfield (right) and a third freshman Harris pleaded guilty in June to a misdemeanor charge of threatening force to intimidate African-American students and employees at the university after prosecutors agreed to drop a stiffer felony charge in exchange. His lawyer argued Harris did not deserve prison, saying he had written a letter of apology to Meredith after falling under the influence of racist traditions at the fraternity. Harris, who is also from Georgia, was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release. Federal Bureau of Prisons records show he is currently held at a minimum-security federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, and is scheduled to be released on July 1. Student James Meredith pictured above as he is accompanied by two U.S. Marshals while being surrounded by jeering white students after registering for entry at the University of Mississippi Meredith previously said that his statue had been used as 'a public relations tool for the powers that be at Ole Miss,' which has continued to see racism Mills delayed a September court date when Edenfield had been scheduled to plead guilty. The third man has not been charged. After the noose and flag were placed on the statue on the night of February 15, 2014, Edenfield and Harris returned at sunrise on February 16 to observe and were filmed by a video camera at the Ole Miss student union. All three of the students withdrew from Ole Miss, and the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity closed its chapter. Hashtag #BuyStevesCar was used to get people to call number in advert Advert stuck in car windscreen was shared by angry Twitter users A motorist has caused outrage after putting up an advert for his car that warned he would not sell to Muslims. The man, only identified as Steve, received dozens of phone calls from angry social media users after the advert that included his mobile number was shared on Twitter. The sign stuck on the windscreen of the Subaru Impreza read: 'Muslims Need Not Call As I WON'T Sell You My Car...' The advert stuck on the windscreen of the Subaru read: 'Muslims Need Not Call As I WON'T Sell You My Car...' Social media users shared the advert on Twitter and called for others to phone the number given One Twitter user questioned how the car seller would know the buyer's religion just by speaking to them Twitter users started the hashtag #BuyStevesCar to call on others to phone the number included in the advert. Na'eem Raza wrote: 'Let's all call Steve and buy his car', while another joked: 'Somebody is going to have to get a new phone number!' Ian Seabrook tweeted: 'Call him and offer him 30 million Muslim dollars. He'll sell.' Some users also helpfully pointed out the grammatical error in the advert, writing: 'It's extras, not extra's'. Another questioned how the car seller would know the buyer's religion just by speaking to them. It is not yet clear when or where in the UK the advert first appeared, but some users later noted that the phone number was no longer working. The advert comes after PR boss Matthew Doyle was arrested for inciting racial hatred after tweeting that he had 'confronted' a Muslim woman about the Brussels attacks which killed 34 people. Some Twitter users helpfully pointed out the grammatical error in the advert, writing 'It's "extras", not extra's"' The hashtag #BuyStevesCar was used on social media to get people to phone up the car seller It is not yet clear when or where in the UK the advert first appeared, but some users later noted the phone number was no longer working He wrote on Twitter: 'I confronted a Muslim woman in Croydon yesterday. I asked her to explain Brussels. 'She said "nothing to do with me". A mealy mouthed reply.' The comment went viral, being retweeted hundreds of times before it was eventually removed from Twitter. The Metropolitan Police issued a statement confirming that a man had been arrested. 'A 46-year-old man was this evening arrested at his home in Croydon on suspicion of inciting racial hatred on social media, said the Metropolitan Police. He has been taken to a south London police station and enquiries continue. A top Chinese university say they may have been duped by a man who received gifts and attended fund-raisers after they believed he was a member of the Rothschild banking family. The vice president of Tsinghua University in Beijing, Yang Bin, told reporters at a business forum there were 'oversights' in the institution's screening process after the Economic Observer reported that Oliver Rothschild, who has attended events for years, may not belong to the famous family. In a recent news release from the university the president of Tsinghua was seen gifting Rothschild with souvenirs and praised his interest in education during a recent visit. Oliver Rothschild, pictured, received gifts from Tsinghua University in Beijing during visits to the institution after college officials reportedly mistook the London businessman for a member of the banking dynasty A university spokeswoman said today that she was aware of reports about Rothschild's identity but that they were still looking into the matter before making a formal statement. Rothschild, who also took pictures with officials in the eastern city of Zibo, has not been accused of financial fraud. The Rothschilds hold a particular place in the Chinese popular imagination. A book claiming to uncover the family's influence in European politics has been a best-seller, while wines from Chateau Lafite Rothschild are so favored by Chinese nouveau riche that they are widely counterfeited. As Chinese social media users mocked the university's leadership, the issue morphed into a broader debate about China's interactions with the West at a time when voices in China's government have called for fewer Western influences. Officials in Tsinghua University in Beijing admitted they may have made a mistake when feteing Mr Rothschild The Beijing-based university removed photographs from its website of Mr Rothschild visiting Zibo Beijing's city government has even put forward a plan to ban foreign and exotic-sounding names for real estate developments. A report in the official China News Service said the gaffe raised the issue of a Chinese university 'blindly worshipping all things foreign,' while the Global Times, a state-owned tabloid, played down Tsinghua's culpability in the matter. Oliver Rothschild did not immediately respond to a LinkedIn message seeking comment. His extensive online resume, which described him as an 'entrepreneur extraodiniare' (sic) before it was edited Thursday. Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has warned of an 'electric shock' to the energy market if Britain backs Brexit Amber Rudd was today blasted for making 'absurd' claims about the impact of Brexit on Britain's energy market. In a speech later the Energy Secretary is expected to warn of an 'electric shock' to the energy market after a Brexit vote - warning of threats from Russian president Vladimir Putin. But in a radio interview, Ms Rudd was forced to concede Russian President Vladimir Putin currently sells 'very little' gas to Britain. Ms Rudd based her claims on an independent review of the risks of Brexit carried out by the National Grid. Vote Leave said the Energy Secretary's claims were not 'backed up by her own research'. Pressed on the threat from Russia, Ms Rudd told the BBC: 'Very little of our gas we import from Russia at the moment, but what the report says and what I agree with is that in the long term, gas from Russia will play an important part in security in Europe and access to the European market through the internal energy market is how we keep prices down. 'We cannot ignore the role of Russia.' She added: 'The thing about the gas market is you don't know what shocks and what changes there can be to it. 'In Japan after the Fukushima incident the LNG market for gas went through the roof because it all had to go to Japan. 'You don't know what strains there are. Putin does use gas as a foreign energy policy and we have to be sensitive to that and work with our European partners to make sure that they are not able to do that.' Vote Leave Chief Executive Matthew Elliott: 'Amber Rudd's absurd claims simply aren't backed up by her own research. 'It is quite extraordinary the extent to which the Government is willing to do down Britain in its desperate attempt to win the referendum. 'In fact the EU makes our energy bills more expensive and costs us 350m a week. If we want cheaper bills, less commission interference and the ability to spend our money on our priorities, then the safe option is to Vote Leave.' He added: David Camerons Government is running a campaign of fear and is irresponsibly trying to scare people into thinking the UK can not survive outside the EU. But todays intervention is the most irresponsible and over the top yet. FAMILY LINKED TO REMAIN CAMPAIGN As Amber Rudd warned of the supposed perils of leaving the EU yesterday, one thing she did not mention was that her brother is a PR executive and treasurer of the pro-Remain group Britain Stronger In Europe. Usually they are on opposite sides of the political divide. Roland Rudd, 54, is a prominent New Labour supporter and friend of Peter Mandelson, while the 52-year-old Energy Secretary is a liberal Tory who has risen up the ranks under the sponsorship of Chancellor George Osborne. But for the EU referendum campaign, both back the Remain camp, pumping out anti-Brexit or Pro-Brussels propaganda. Both attended exclusive private schools: Her Queens College and Cheltenham Ladies College, he Millfield. She went to Edinburgh University, he to Oxford, where he was president of the Union. Miss Rudds wealth and social connections were useful when she worked on the film Four Weddings and a Funeral as its aristocracy co-ordinator, rallying blue bloods to appear as extras. She worked for bankers JP Morgan before becoming a journalist and setting up her own HR firm. Before being elected as MP for Hastings and Rye in 2010, she revealed that she decided to stand because she wanted to be within two hours of London and I could see we were going to win it. Advertisement The Energy Secretary must have take leave of her senses if she really thinks that the UK voting to get out of the EU is in some way comparable to the impact of a Tsunami and a nuclear disaster. The Government has resorted to scare campaigns because it doesnt want to talk about the failed renegotiation The bill people are really worried about in the referendum debate is the 350m we hand to the EU each week. We should be able to spend on our money and our priorities. Mr Elliott's campaign blasted the the interview as a 'car crash'. Ms Rudd said Britain was better off in the EU to help prevent Russian President holding the continent to ransom over gas supplies - but she admitted Britain buys 'very little' gas from Russia Alex Deane, Executive Director of GO Movement, commented: 'This is the Government's Project Fear taken to a whole new level. 'The UK has one of the highest carbon resources in Europe. Putin does not have the power to switch off the lights in Britain, as the Energy Secretary implies. 'In any case, we can't decide our nation's future based on whether we think Putin will smile or frown.' Ms Rudd also insisted the Government would stand by its plans for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. She rejected claims the guaranteed energy price was too expensive. She said: 'We are confident that Hinkley point will go ahead. It's a really important part of secure, low carbon electricity in the future and investing in nuclear is what this government is all about in terms of the planning for the next 15 or 20 years. Vote Leave dismissed Ms Rudd's claims as a 'car crash' interview today after she compared the EU's gas situation to Japan's Fukushima disaster 'Wholesale prices are very low but if you want to compare it to what it would cost to build offshore wind, onshore wind or even new gas it's within the same range. So no I don't accept it's hugely expensive. The Minister added: 'We don't start paying for that electricity until it is actually built; the construction risk is not on us it is on EDF. Secondly, who knows what the prices will be in the 2030s and the 2040s? They are low now but those are wholesale prices. 'They are not the prices for new construction and they are not for new carbon, secure baseload.' In an interview before Ms Rudd's claims but released today, her deputy Andrea Leadsom said there were no downsides to Brexit. Ms Leadsom said: 'The day after Brexit you wouldn't find international uncertainty. It's not the same as when Britain left the ERM, because that was a systemic shock. Brexit is simply a political adjustment and it's not the case that the day after we left the EU everything would change. 'You might get a bit of volatility, but that is a markets thing, but the issue of what would happen to the economy is completely different and people should stop conflating the two. It's just scaremongering.' Vote Leave chief Matthew Elliott has blasted Ms Rudd's warnings about the threat to the energy market as 'absurd' The body of a crewman who was trapped in the mangled wreckage of a tugboat that sank after crashing into a barge on the Hudson River was recovered as his family watched from the shoreline. The family of Harry Hernandez, 56, stood on a pier in Tarrytown, north of New York City, waving white flags adorned with pink hearts as they watched rescuers use a large crane to pull the 90-foot tugboat to the water's surface on Thursday. A police boat later brought Hernandez's body to the shore. Scroll down for video The body of Harry Hernandez, who was trapped in the mangled wreckage of a tugboat that sank after crashing into a barge on the Hudson River, was finally recovered as his family watched (above) Police divers had been unable to recover Harry Hernandez's (pictured) body because it was trapped in a mangled portion of the vessel, authorities have said The 90-foot tugboat, named Specialist, is raised out of the water under the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown on Thursday after sinking in the March 12 collision 'Many of his cousins were here and obviously it's been a traumatic experience for them over the course of many days,' Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino told reporters at the scene on Thursday. 'The family has been trying to deal with this for quite a while, but today brings closure to them in many ways.' Two other crew members died in the March 12 collision when the 90-foot tugboat, known as the Specialist, collided with a construction barge near where the new Tappan Zee Bridge, which connects two counties north of New York City, is being built. The bodies of the other men, Paul Amon, 63, of Bayville, New Jersey, and Timothy Conklin, 29, of Westbury, were recovered in the two days after the collision. Paul Amon (left) and Timothy Conklin (right) also died in the collision. Their bodies were recovered in the two days after the collision People board the tugboat as it is raised out of the water under the Tappan Zee Bridge, with a crane But police divers had been unable to recover Hernandez's body because it was trapped in a mangled portion of the vessel, authorities have said. Authorities said three tugboats were pushing a barge from Albany to Jersey City, New Jersey, when the Specialist - situated on the right side as it headed south - hit the stationary construction barge. The tugboat sank, spilling about 5,000 gallons of fuel into the water, authorities said. But 21 workers on the construction barge were not injured. Police are still working to determine what caused the tugboat to hit the barge and will now attempt to locate the tugboat's log book and GPS device. Tappan Zee Constructors, a consortium of companies building the new bridge, has previously said that the company is cooperating in the investigation. Reason for 'devastating' refusal was because she was unmarried Joana Niemeyer's partner died just three weeks before she gave birth Joana Niemeyer had to have DNA tests and pay out thousands because she was unmarried to prove her dead partner was the father of baby Eira (pictured) A grieving mother has been forced to get DNA tests to get her baby's dead father named on her birth certificate. Joana Niemeyer, a mother-of-two from Walthamstow, London, was just three weeks away from giving birth to the couple's second daughter before her partner's sudden stroke, aged just 42. Faced with grief and forced to raise her children alone, she was then told she could not put her daughter's father, David McNamara, on the birth certificate as an unmarried woman. There were no problems getting Mr McNamara's name on eldest daughter Marlene's birth certificate - but baby Eira-Dee, who was born in July last year, faced having a different name to her big sister. Ms Niemeyer, 43, said: 'It's the saddest thing that David didn't get to see his own daughter so to be told the space of the father would be left blank was devastating.' Birth certificate legislation dates back to 1958 and if unmarried, requires a high court to decide whether a baby's mother is telling the truth about who the father is. The registrar, who was not aware of the law at first, could not allow the unmarried mother to record Mr McNamara's name as father without DNA evidence. She added: 'The whole process was simply exhausting. 'When you experience the trauma of sudden death your body goes into shock and only lets you deal with the survival tasks. 'Which was looking after myself, my children and not about preparing for court. 'The law has to recognise that not everyone wants to get married. 'But everyone has to have a birth certificate and that certificate should state the truth.' It took the widow five months to get all the evidence she needed for two court hearings costing thousands of pounds. The court required a 'humiliating' relationship history, two shared utility bills and DNA from Joana, Eira and David's sister, adding that it cost 'much more' than financial damage. Ms Niemeyer said: 'Death is the elephant in the room in our society and my daughter had to find out way too early in her life. 'But in David's name I won't let this ruin mine or my daughter's life.' But Ms Niemeyer had no issue as an unmarried partner when she gave consent for David's organs to be donated, which saved many lives. Had she been told Mr McNamara's DNA might be needed in the future, a simple request could have been made. She said she has also received 'endless' support from the charity, Widowed and Young, and her MP, Stella Creasy, who secured a Westminster debate on the issue that went ahead yesterday. Ms Creasy is eager for the government to change the law to give registrars the power to waive the requirements forced upon families such as Ms Niemeyer's. Ms Niemeyer's petition to give 'unmarried widows equal rights in registering paternity of their children' has received more than 1,300 signatures. This is the tragic scene as a young girl being cradled in her father's arms is awaiting a flight to Turkey for treatment after being injured in a sickening mustard gas attack in Iraq by ISIS. The terrorists launched multiple rockets containing the deadly toxin on the town of Taza which killed a three-year-old girl. Scores of innocent civilians were injured during the attack after they came into contact with the deadly and corrosive substance. Scroll down for video This young girl is one of 1,500 people injured in an ISIS mustard gas attack on the village of Taza in northern Iraq last month. A group of those wounded in the strike are flying to Ankara, Turkey for specialist treatment The young girl was scalded after some of the corrosive gas made contact with her skin More than 25,000 people have fled the town of Taza since ISIS launched their mustard gas attack As well as scalding, mustard gas can cause respiratory problems and in the most severe cases, death Intelligence sources believe that ISIS has been developing its own chemical weapons which it has already used against civilian targets. Three people died in the immediate aftermath of the attack on March 9, including a six-month-old baby. ISIS fired the rockets into the town of Taza, south of Kirkuk. Local officials said 1,500 people were affected by the gas, suffering burns, rashes and respiratory problems. Some of the victims are being flown to Ankara, Turkey for specialist medical treatment. The exact chemical agent used in the attack has not been identified, although it is thought to be mustard gas. ISIS launched the chemical warfare attack on Taza from their stronghold of Bashir which is five miles south Some 1,500 people were injured after ISIS launched its chemical rocket attack on Taza in northern Iraq Victims of mustard gas attacks often take several weeks to die as blood slowly pools in their lungs The terrible gas does not need to be inhaled to cause damage, if it makes contact with the victim's skin it can continue to irritate the area for several weeks after exposure Samples of the substance have been collected and sent to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague. Despite the small number of people killed in the attack, the use of chemical weapons has a huge psychological impact on the civilian population. In the past week, more than 25,000 people have fled the town, which is about 135 miles north of Baghdad. The chemical attack was launched from the neigbouring town of Bashir which is under ISIS control. Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi said his government had launched a number airstrikes on ISIS positions following the attack. In February, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan for the first time openly accused IS of using chemical weapons, including mustard gas, in Iraq and Syria. As well as mustard gas, ISIS is believed to have attempted to modify mortar rounds to carry chlorine gas. Victims of the attack might not show symptoms for several days after exposure to mustard gas Exposure to mustard gas can cause severe blistering and cause permanent and painful damage ISIS is believed to have developed the capacity to manufacture its own stockpile of chemical weapons Hundreds of people have gathered in a tiny village in the French Alps to mark the first anniversary of the Germanwings plane crash and bury unidentified body parts from the disaster. The ill-fated flight from Barcelona was headed to Dusseldorf in German when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed his plane into a French mountainside. All 150 on board died, including a class of 16 school pupils from a school in Dusseldorf. Relatives arrive at the village of Le Vernet in southern France to mark the first anniversary of the Germanwings plane crash Families of the victims gathered in the tiny French village near to the crash site in a remote area of the French Alps Many of the people turning up to the memorial brought floral tribute to lay in memory of their loved ones on the first anniversary of the crash Six hundred people held a vigil in the village of Le Vernet, with about 80 of them then making a gruelling pilgrimage to the crash site at an altitude of 1,500 metres. Top managers of Lufthansa - the parent company of the low cost Germanwings airline - also arrived in Le Vernet to take part in the commemoration ceremony. Aided by volunteer firefighters and mountain guides, walked a muddy, snow-covered mountain path, much of it carved out to allow emergency workers to access the site. A red stake planted in the soil marks the exact site where the plane went down. Also attending the memorial was the CEO of German airline Lufthansa Carsten Spohr, centre. Lufthansa are the parent company of Germanwings People bring floral tributes to lay at the crash site. The plane came down when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane into a mountainside As well as attending the memorial, a ceremony was also held to bury unidentified body parts recovered from the wreckage The CEO of Lufthansa Carsten Spohr and CEO of Germawings Thomas Winkelman, lay flowers as they pay tribute to the victims The ceremony began with the reading of the names of the 149 victims in front of a headstone erected in their memory, with a minute of silence at exact time of the crash. No government officials took part in the private memorial and the pilot's family was also not present. Meanwhile body parts from the wreckage, which investigators are unable to identify will also be buried in a common grave in the village. Elsewhere in the German town of Halter am See, local people gathered at the St Sixtus Church to observe a minute's silence. People also attended an anniversary memorial service at St Sixtus Church in Haltern, where the student victims came from People gathered around in a circle and prayed during a minute's silence to remember the victims Mayor of Haltern Bodo Klimpel wipes a tear from his eye at a memorial service for the victims of the Germanwings disaster Dozens of tearful friends and classmates from the high school where 18 of the victims attended, gathered on the town of Haltern's market square The community in the west of the country sustained the largest single loss from the disaster. Dozens of tearful friends and classmates from the high school where 18 of the victims attended, gathered on the town's market square, their heads bowed, as church bells tolled at the time of the tragedy. Haltern mayor Bodo Klimpel, who became emotional at the memorial, said that the anniversary of the tragedy was 'of course still very present'. 'It is now part of our town history,' he said. Investigations found that Lubitz had a history of depression and suicidal tendencies and the case has raised questions about medical checks faced by pilots as well as doctor-patient confidentiality. Lubitz was allowed to continue flying despite having been seen by doctors dozens of times in the years preceding the crash. Candles and flowers were also left at the front of the Joseph Koening School in Dusseldorf where 16 of the victims came from As well as a vigil at the school, other ceremonies were also held at both Barcelona and Dusseldorf airports These are some of the German pupils who died on the Germanwings flight, which crashed in the Alps, killing all 150 passengers. The teenagers had been on a week-long exchange trip to Barcelona and were flying home After the tragedy, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommended that airlines ensure at least two crew members, including at least one qualified pilot, are in the flight crew compartment at all times. Lufthansa- which has denied any wrongdoing - is facing a lawsuit in the United States from family members who argue Lubitz should not have been allowed to fly. Company chairman Carsten Spohr said: 'We are here today to show our respect to the victims and show that we support them. 'Today is not the day to talk about legal issues, today we are just here, with 100 Lufthansa employees, to help the families and support them in their grief.' Rescuers work through the debris in the aftermath of the Germanwings crash in the French Alps in March last year Lufthansa- which has denied any wrongdoing - is facing a lawsuit in the United States from family members who argue Lubitz should not have been allowed to fly A monument in memorial to the victims of the Germanwings crash in the small village of Le Vernet in the French Alps Anniversary vigils were also held in Spain and Germany, home to most of those killed in the crash. They included ceremonies at both Barcelona and Dusseldorf airports, where memorial plaques were unveiled. Dozens of relatives of the 50 Spanish victims, many dressed in black, attended the ceremony outside of Barcelona's Terminal 2 on the eve of the tragedy's first anniversary. They were joined by emergency services workers who took part in the rescue operation as well as top officials including Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. His mother was arrested for DUI in January but avoided jail time by agreeing to enter rehab for the second time He was arrested and then taken to Jamaica Hospital where police said he would be treated for severe intoxication and undergo a psych evaluation Port Authority police were then called and asked Brant Jr. to lower his voice and sit down, at which point he allegedly assaulted a cop He was trying to board a JetBlue flight to West Palm Beach when an employee of the airline told him he could not get on the plane The 22-year-old son of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and billionaire Peter Brant was reportedly 'drunk' and acting ' The son of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and billionaire businessman Peter Brant was arrested in New York City on Wednesday night. Peter Brant Jr. was at John F. Kennedy Airport waiting to board a JetBlue fight to West Palm Beach when he reportedly got into an argument with an airline employee reportedly stopped him for getting on the plane. A source said the 22-year-old socialite was acting 'drunk and belligerent' at the time. Page Six reports that Port Authority police then reported to the scene and asked Brant Jr. to sit down and lower his voice, at which point he allegedly assaulted one of the cops. Scroll down for video Trouble: Peter Brant Jr. (left with brother Harry on March 9) was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City on Wednesday night Mugshot: Brant (above) was trying to board a JetBlue flight to West Palm Beach when an employee of the airline told him he could not get on the plane Parents: The 22-year-old son of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and billionaire Peter Brant (above in December 2014) was reportedly 'drunk' and acting ' belligerent ' Brant Jr. was arrested after the alleged assault and taken to Jamaica Hospital where police said he would be treated for severe intoxication and undergo a psych evaluation. He and his younger brother Harry have been fixtures on the New York fashion and society scenes, and recently released a unisex make-up collection with MAC cosmetics. Brant Jr. is rumored to be dating Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece, who he was recently spotted with at a pajama party hosted by Dolce & Gabbana. He is also friends with Oscar-nominated actress Abigail Breslin, and posted a photo of the pair out together at Manhattan hotspot Indochine on Monday with the caption; 'Mondays got us like ... #Faded #butstillfoxy.' This is just the latest run-in with police for the Brant family, with Seymour being arrested and charged with DUI in January after her Range Rover allegedly rolled backwards down a hill into a white Mercedes. Police responding to the scene said she smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and took seven tries to find her ID in her bag. Seymour avoided jail time by signing up for her second stint in rehab. She is still facing charges for evading responsibility and failure to drive in a proper lane after police also determined she knocked over a utility pole that same night. Young love: Brant Jr. is rumored to be dating Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece, who he was recently spotted with at a pajama party hosted by Dolce & Gabbana (above) Pals: He is also friends with Oscar-nominated actress Abigail Breslin, and posted a photo of the pair out together at Manhattan hotspot Indochine on Monday with the caption; 'Mondays got us like ... #Faded #butstillfoxy' (above) Legal troubles: His mother (above inb police custody) was arrested for DUI in January but avoided jail time by agreeing to enter rehab for the second time In 2011, Seymour also called police to report an incident of domestic abuse at the family's Greenwich, Connecticut home. Brant Jr. was also ticketed for possession of marijuana in 2014 while in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood. Philip Russell, who represented Seymour in January, told the New York Daily News that Brant's behavior was 'out of character.' Health Minister Ben Gummer said emergency patients would be left in 'harm's way' if the strike goes ahead Patients will be left in 'harm's way' by an all-out strike planned by junior doctors next month in protest at a new contract, the Government warned today. Summoned to the Commons to explain what the Government was doing to avert the strike, Health Minister Ben Gummer condemned the British Medical Association for a dangerous escalation. The BMA announced yesterday it would escalate its industrial action with two nine hour walkouts on April 26 and April 27 that could force accident and emergency departments to close. Another 48-hour strike, withdrawing non-emergency care, will also go ahead from 8am on Wednesday April 6. Mr Gummer said: 'If the BMA proceeds with this action it will be unprecedented in the history of the National Health Service. 'We will do all in our power to ensure patients are protected. However, given that patients presenting at hospitals in an emergency are often at a point of extreme danger the action taken by the BMA will inevitably put patients in harm's way. 'That the BMA wish to do this in order to continue a dispute over how Saturday's are paid is not only regrettable it is entirely disproportionate and highly irresponsible.' Mr Gummer slammed the BMA for abandoning talks and refusing to negotiate on the remaining sticking point relating to Saturday working. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned in January that an all-out strike might mean A&E departments have to close. No 10 slammed the move as 'desperate and irresponsible'. Announcing the new action yesterday Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctor committee chair, said: 'No junior doctor wants to take this action but the government has left us with no choice.' He continued: 'In refusing to lift imposition and listen to junior doctors' outstanding concerns, the government will bear direct responsibility for the first full walkout of doctors in this country. 'The government is refusing to get back around the table and is ploughing ahead with plans to impose a contract junior doctors have no confidence in and have roundly rejected. 'We want to end this dispute through talks but the government is making this impossible, it is flatly refusing to engage with junior doctors, has done nothing to halt industrial action and is wilfully ignoring the mounting chorus of concerns over its plans to impose coming from doctors, patients and senior NHS managers. 'Faced with this reality what else can junior doctors do?' Following strikes in February, Mr Hunt decided there was no prospect of progress in further talks over the outstanding issues relating to Saturday pay and told MPs he would impose the deal. Dr Malawana said his members 'deeply regret the disruption to patients' but insisted the Government must choose 'talks over imposition'. The all out strike will last for 48 hours and will begin on Tuesday April 26. Pictured: Junior doctors on strike earlier this month at St George's Hospital in Tooting He added: 'The fact that tens of thousands of junior doctors have taken industrial action and 98 per cent of those who voted support action including a full withdrawal of labour, demonstrates the continued strength of feeling amongst junior doctors about this politically driven imposition. 'Junior doctors are committed to ensuring the best possible care for their patients and already work seven days a week, around the clock under the existing contract. 'In focusing on junior doctors, the government is seeking, yet again, to gloss over the fact that the biggest barrier to a seven-day NHS is not doctors' contracts, but a chronic lack of investment and a shortage of staff.' Health secretary Jeremy Hunt, seen yesterday, warned in January an all-out strike might force the closure of A&E departments The Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said: 'This is an escalation that is desperate and irresponsible and will inevitably impact on patients.' The Department of Health condemned the move in a statement, saying: 'If the BMA had agreed to negotiate on Saturday pay, as they promised to do through Acas in November, we'd have a negotiated agreement by now. 'Instead, we had no choice but to proceed with proposals recommended and supported by NHS leaders.' Shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'Nobody wants to see an escalation of industrial action not least the junior doctors which is why this announcement is worrying. 'It demonstrates just how badly the Tories have handled these negotiations. 'The past few months have been distressing for staff and distressing for patients who rely on the NHS. However, Jeremy Hunt's decision to impose a new contract has left junior doctors feeling angry and demoralised. 'This action is avoidable and the Government now has four weeks to avert this walkout. Failure to act will be an abrogation of responsibility on the part of Jeremy Hunt. He must find a way to get back round the negotiating table and find a resolution which brings an end to this sorry saga once and for all.' Jeremy Taylor, chief executive of National Voices, a coalition of 160 health and care charities, said: ''The Government and the BMA seem unable to get around the negotiating table, and the only people who will suffer are patients. 'We are calling on government to drop the imposition of a new contract, the BMA to call off planned strikes, and both sides to get back around the negotiating table as quickly as possible.' Junior doctors have already walked out on three previous occasions during the long running dispute with Jeremy Hunt Medics insist the new contract is unfair to them and dangerous for patients as it will lead to junior doctors treating patients while exhausted Overall, 19,000 operations have already been cancelled due to the walkouts, which began January, and thousands of patients have missed out on check-ups. More than 5,000 were cancelled for the most recent action, a 48-hour withdrawal of non-emergency care earlier this month. The February strike led to the cancellation of 2,884 operations, on top of 4,112 cancellations following action in January. The NHS cancelled 7,152 as it planned for a strike in December - despite that action being called off. Asked in January whether an all-out strike could force A&E departments to close, Mr Hunt said: 'I can't give an absolute guarantee, but we are busting a gut to make sure that every A&E department is able to function.' He added: 'We are going through, hospital by hospital, we are doing detailed work to see whether we can fill the shifts that are not going to be filled by junior doctors and, obviously, our absolute priority is to keep patients safe.' Junior doctors have called an all out strike between April 26 and April 28 The major sticking point has been over weekend pay and whether Saturdays should attract extra 'unsocial' payments. Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay for junior doctors. The Government wanted the Saturday day shift to be paid at a normal rate in return for a hike in basic pay. The BMA rejected this and urged Mr Hunt to reduce the offer of basic pay and instead have better premium rates on Saturdays. The imposed contract, which is due to come into force in August, has an increase in basic salary of 13.5 per cent. Under the new arrangements, Mr Hunt said no doctor working contracted hours would see a pay cut, while night shifts and long shifts would be limited. But 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day. A young Muslim woman has spoken out after she was allegedly the victim of an elderly man's unprovoked Islamophobic questioning. Mini Elali, 27, was standing at Lidcombe train station in Sydney's west with a traditional headscarf on when an older man wearing a bright yellow work shirt stopped directly in front of her. After a moment of uncomfortable staring, the man asked her: 'How are the terrorists going?' 'How would I know?' Ms Elali replied, taken aback. Scroll down for video Mini Elali, 27, has tweeted about her run-in with a man who asked her a shocking question at Lidcombe train station in Sydney's west The anonymous man simply repeated the same question, before continuing to stare at her with an angered face. With flashbacks of a racist attack she had endured in 2011 racing through her mind, Ms Elali slyly took a photograph of the man and then walked to the opposite end of the platform. She says a small schoolgirl raced after her to apologise for the man's words. 'There was a little schoolgirl that was standing right in front him while he asked me the question, her mouth was like hanging open. She was in shock,' Ms Elali told Daily Mail Australia. 'She chased after me and said 'I'm so sorry you had to go through that'.' Ms Elali said a schoolgirl ran after her to apologise for the man who asked her 'where the terrorists were' Ms Elali said it was not the first time she had been targeted while wearing her traditional headscarf Several hours later Ms Elali headed down to Auburn Police Station to ensure the incident was on record. 'Police officer has just told me 'This man hasn't committed an offence, it is perhaps borderline bullying,' she tweeted after leaving the station. Ms Elali said that Muslim women dressed in traditional headscarves were easy targets. 'I know lots of Muslim women who wear the headscarf, and they are the ones who are insulted and harassed and spat at on a day to day basis,' she said. 'I don't know any Muslim woman who wears the headscarf who hasn't had something happen to him.' 'This is the inherent nature of these bigots, they're also sexist and have misogynist tendencies. They prey on women because they consider that they're weak and easier targets.' Inspector Stuart Sweeney of Auburn Police Station told Daily Mail Australia that a report was made regarding an incident at Lidcombe railway station on Thursday afternoon. He said the woman had provided a photograph that would be distributed to police. Syrian troops have been pictured on the ground in the historic city of Palmyra, as they continue to take it back from ISIS. The Syrian regime successfully marched into the city in a major strategic setback for the terror group. Photographs have this evening emerged of Syrian soldiers standing next to a mansion belonging to the Qatari royal family in the ancient city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the Syrian forces, backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia on the ground, has advanced into Palmyra after launching a desert offensive early this month. Scroll down for video Pictures have emerged of Syrian troops standing next to a mansion belonging to the Qatari royal family in the ancient city of Palmyra on March 24 Backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia on the ground, the Syrian army advanced into Palmyra after launching a desert offensive early this month, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Across in Iraq, ISIS positions in Mosul are being attacked by US-led aircraft while Iraqi ground troops advance on the city. ISIS captured Palmyra in May 2015 and began blowing up many of the area's antique attractions such as the 2,000-year-old Arch of Triumph. President Bashar al-Assad's forces have spent the past month advancing on the ancient city with the assistance of the Russian forces who have pounded ISIS positions in the area. It comes as the Russian military announced the death of a Russian special forces officer in fighting near Palmyra. Russian news agencies quoted a military representative at the countrys base in Syria as saying: An officer of Russian special operations forces was killed near Palmyra while carrying out a special task to direct Russian airstrikes at Islamic State group targets. Syrian state TV said fighting in Palmyra was concentrated near the archeological site on the south western edge of town. Advance: Syrian government soldiers mark into what local media claims in Palmyra on Thursday, as the army moves to recapture the historic city from ISIS Syrian government forces have spent the past month advancing on the ancient city with the assistance of the Russian forces who have pounded ISIS positions in the area Back in the day: The historical city of Palmyra, in central Syria, is seen on 2010, before it was destroyed One soldier warned ISIS: 'You will be crushed under the feet of the Syrian Arab Army.' Syrian troops have been on the offensive for days in an attempt to capture the town that is home to one of the world's most famous archaeological sites. Russian news agency Tass reported that Palmyra is under 'Syrian Army fire control' quoting sources in the Damascus regime. The state-run news channel Ikhbariya broadcast images from just outside Palmyra and said government fighters had taken over a hotel district in the west. A soldier interviewed by Ikhbariya said the army and its allies would press forward beyond Palmyra. 'We say to those gunmen, we are advancing to Palmyra, and to what's beyond Palmyra, and God willing to Raqqa, the centre of the Daesh gangs.' The state news agency SANA showed warplanes flying overhead, helicopters firing missiles, and soldiers and armoured vehicles approaching the city. Syrian forces have made major advances against ISIS in the ancient city of Palmyra, pictured Syrian Army forces are advancing on the ancient city of Palmyra to recapture it from ISIS The terrorists captured Palmyra in May 2015 and began systematically destroying the ancient artifacts Earlier Syrian troops were just 500 metres from the city centre and have now been photographed inside Civilians began fleeing after Islamic State fighters told them via loudspeakers to leave the centre as fighting drew closer, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Observatory monitors the war using a network of sources on the ground. ISIS has blown up ancient temples and tombs since capturing Palmyra in what the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO has called a war crime. The city, located at a crossroads in central Syria, is surrounded mostly by desert. The capture of Palmrya and further eastward advances into Deir al-Zor would mark the most significant Syrian government gain against IS since the start of Russia's military intervention last September. Syrian troops are retaking the ancient city of Palmyra which has been held by ISIS since May 2015 ISIS has already destroyed some of the ancient monuments in the city in yet another war crime Among the monuments destroyed by ISIS is believed to be the 2,000-year-old Arch of Triumph, pictured The United Nations has described the destruction of UNESCO world heritage sites as a war crime ISIS released photographs of their terrorists inside the ancient ruins soon after they took control last year With Russia's help, Damascus had already taken back some ground from ISIS, notably east of Aleppo, Syria's biggest city and commercial hub before the war. Recapturing the town, a UNESCO world heritage site, would be a significant victory for Syria's army and its Russian allies. Russia withdrew most of its forces and aircraft from Syria last week after a months-long bombing campaign that succeeded in turning the tide of the war again in President Bashar Assad's favor. Earlier in the day, Governor Talal Barazi told The Associated Press from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army has determined three directions to storm Palmyra and was clearing all roads leading into the town of mines and explosives. 'We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra.' In Iraq, authorities have launched Operation Conquest to retake the northern city of Mosul from ISIS There have been co-ordinated attacks on ISIS positions in villages surrounding Mosul to cut off the terrorist organisation's supply lines before beginning the process of retaking the city A US-led coalition has been attacking ISIS positions in villages surrounding Mosul, pictured Mosul lies 225 north west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and is major strategic point for control of the country In Palmyra, ISIS destroyed many of the town's Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and also killed dozens of captive Syrian soldiers and dissidents from ISIS in public slayings at the town's grand roman theater and other ruins. WHY IS PALMYRA SO IMPORTANT? A UNESCO world heritage site, Palymra boasts 2,000-year-old towering Roman-era colonnades, temples and priceless artifacts that have earned it the affectionate name among Syrians of the 'Bride of the Desert'. They are the remnants of an Arab client state of the Roman Empire that briefly rebelled and carved out its own kingdom in the 3rd Century, led by Queen Zenobia, with Palmyra as its capital. Before the war, it was Syria's top tourist attraction, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year. Palmyra was first mentioned in the archives of Mari in the 2nd millennium BC, according to UNICEF's website. The town was the hub of a network of caravan trails that carried silks and spices from eastern Asia across the Roman province of Arabia to the Mediterranean. Palmyra became a prosperous region during the Hellenistic period. It later became part of the Roman Empire. But its rebellious Queen Zenobia challenged Rome's authority. The city was plundered in 272 A.D. after she was captured during a long siege. Advertisement Along with blowing up priceless archaeological treasures, among the first destructions ISIS carried out in Palmyra was the demolishing of the town's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents had been imprisoned and tortured over the years. The advance on Palmyra comes against the backdrop of Syrian peace talks underway in Geneva between representative of the Damascus government and the Western-backed opposition. The talks, which have been boosted by a Russia-U.S.-brokered cease-fire that has mostly held since late February, were to adjourn on Thursday - without having achieved any apparent breakthroughs. Across in Iraq, a major offensive has been launched against ISIS positions in the city of Mosul in the north of the country. The US-led international coalition is bombing ISIS positions, allowing ground troops to capture several villages on the outskirts of the city before continuing their advance. An Iraqi military spokesman says the long-awaited military operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants 'has begun'. The spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, says Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmour, east of Mosul, on Thursday morning. The Iraqi forces spent months training for this operation which could take until the new year to complete Rasool says the U.S.-led international coalition is providing air support. He wouldn't divulge more details. It was not immediately clear how long such a complex and taxing operation could take. Mosul lies 360 kilometres, or 225 miles, northwest of Baghdad. It's Iraq's second-largest city and it fell to Islamic State group during the militants' June 2014 onslaught. Mosul is also the largest city in the Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate. The mysterious Man in White who was pictured alongside the Brussels airport bombers just moments before they killed 14 people has been identified by US officials and is on a terror watchlist, it has emerged. American authorities are said to have identified Europes most wanted man and found him on their terror database as he remains on-the-run after fleeing the airport when his bomb failed to explode. It emerged as it was revealed the brothers behind the atrocities in the Belgian capital on Tuesday were also on a US terror watchlist. Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui were both listed as potential terror threats on US databases, although it is unclear at this stage which terrorism databases they were listed on. US officials have identified the 'Man in White' (right) and claim he is on a terrorism database alongside Belgian brothers Ibrahim (left) and Khalid El Bakraoui, who were also listed as potential terror threats before the attack Earlier, it was revealed how Ibrahim El Bakraoui was arrested as an alleged extremist nine months before bringing terror to the heart of Europe. Grinning for the camera, the suicide bomber is pictured in a police mugshot, after being detained last summer by Turkish authorities. It came after the jihadist was captured just a few miles from the border with ISIS's heartland in Syria. Police in the country returned El Bakraoui to Europe, warning that he was a known extremist who posed a terror threat to his home country of Belgium, according to the Turkish president. Terrorist: Ibrahim El Bakraoui smiles in his mugshot taken by Turkish police after he was arrested in Gaziantep last summer But officials in the Netherlands and Belgium let the jihadist walk free, saying he could not be jailed because there was no evidence he had committed a crime. Turkish authorities revealed today that after being returned to Europe, El Bakraoui returned to Turkey once again, only to be deported for a second time in August. On Tuesday morning, the El Bakraoui brothers took part in the devastating attacks on Brussels' airport and Metro system, killing 34 people in total. Police are now still hunting for their accomplice known as the 'Man in White', as well as at least five other unidentified suspects linked to the atrocity. The new mugshot of Ibrahim El Bakraoui was taken by police in the Turkish border town of Gaziantep after he was arrested in June 2015. Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed yesterday that his officials had deported the terrorist to the Netherlands and said that Europe 'ignored our warnings' about the danger he posed. 'One of the attackers in Brussels is an individual we detained in Gaziantep in June 2015 and deported,' Erdogan said. 'We reported the deportation to the Belgian Embassy in Ankara on July 14, 2015, but he was later set free. 'Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter.' Brothers : Khalid El Bakraoui (left) detonated his suicide vest on a Brussels Metro train just 79 minutes after his brother Ibrahim (right) blew himself up with an explosives-packed suitcase at Brussels airport The Netherlands handed El Bakraoui to Belgium, where the authorities found 'no links with terrorism' and released him, according to Turkey. Today one Turkish official revealed that El Bakraoui returned to the country for a second time after being deported, and was once again returned to Belgium where he was allowed to walk free. He entered the country through Antalya airport, on the coast of Turkey, on August 11 and was removed by the authorities two weeks later. It emerged yesterday that Ibrahim left a suicide note telling how he was desperate to blow himself up because he did not want to go to prison like his friend, the Paris logistics chief Salah Abdeslam. The typed note, found next to 15kg of homemade explosives, an AK-47 and an ISIS flag during a raid at a property in the Schaerbeek area of the city, said: 'I don't know what to do. I'm in a hurry. I'm on the run. People are looking for me everywhere. And if I give myself up then I'll end up in a cell.' All of the men named as bombers yesterday were 'well known' to detectives because of their links to ISIS and all had significant criminal records. The El Bakraoui brothers had been in jail recently for gun smuggling, burglary and car crime. Carnage: There were scenes of devastation at the main terminal at Brussels national airport yesterday Gathering evidence and clues: Forensic researchers pictured at work outside Brussels Airport Most recently they had been on the run since March 15 following a shoot-out in a terrorist hideout in the Belgian capital's Forest suburb. They opened fire on police and fled. The raid carried out last Tuesday on a flat in the suburb of Forest saw a sniper kill terror suspect Mohamed Belkaid while the El Bakraoui brothers managed to escape police. The two brothers each had extensive criminal record and were both jailed several years ago for shocking crimes involving Kalashnikov assault rifles. Khalid was also listed on an Interpol 'red notice' an alert to police forces around the world saying that he was wanted in Belgium on terrorism charges. An Indian Catholic priest kidnapped by ISIS terrorist in Yemen earlier this month is due to be crucified on Good Friday, religious groups claim. Father Tom Uzhunnalil, 56, was taken by Islamist gunmen, reportedly linked to ISIS, who attacked an old people's home in Aden, southern Yemen, killing at least 15 people, on March 4. Several religious groups have posted on social media that they have received reports that Father Tom, from Bangalore, India, will be crucified tomorrow during the Christian holiday. Father Tom Uzhunnalil was kidnapped by ISIS gunmen in Yemen, and fears grow that the Indian Catholic priest will be crucified on Good Friday A group of South African nuns called the Franciscan Sisters of Siessen, posted this week: 'Was informed that the Salesian priest, Fr.Tom who was kidnapped by ISIS from the Missionaries of Charity Home in Yemen is being tortured and is going to be crucified on Good Friday. This calls for serious concerted prayers from all of us.' Yemeni authorities have blamed ISIS for the March 4 attack on the refuge for the elderly operated by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in main southern city Aden. Four gunmen posing as relatives of one of the guests at the home burst inside, killing four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard. 'According to our information, the extremists who attacked the elderly care home in Aden have kidnapped priest Tom Uzhunnalil, a 56-year-old Indian, who was taken to an unknown location,' a Yemeni security official said. 'We are aware that no group has yet claimed the criminal attack... but information points to the involvement of Daesh,' said the source, who asked to remain anonymous, using an Arabic acronym for IS. South African nuns called the Franciscan Sisters of Siessen were one of several groups who claimed they had been told Father Tom would be crucified tomorrow Yemeni pro-government fighters gather outside an elderly care home in the southern city of Aden after it was attacked by ISIS-linked gunmen on March 4 However, members of Father Tom's order have denied that he is due to be crucified, saying they have no information on his health or whereabouts. We have absolutely no information on Fr Tom,' Father Mathew Valarkot, spokesman for the Salesians' Bangalore province, told UCANews. 'But even today we do not know who has taken him and what their motives are because no one has claimed responsibility.' The Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said earlier this month that Pope Francis 'was shocked and profoundly saddened' to learn of 'this act of senseless and diabolical violence.' Aden had been racked by lawlessness since Hadi supporters, backed by Gulf Arab military forces, drove fighters from Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi group from the city in July last year. The Yemeni government has repeatedly vowed to restore security to the city but so far had had little success. Al-Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden, targeting mainly loyalists and members of a Saudi-led coalition battling Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year. Al-Qaeda distanced itself from the mass shooting Friday, saying it was not responsible. A secondary school has been forced to close after the arrest of two teenage pupils sparked online panic among parents and wild rumours of a potential gun massacre. The boys, pupils at the Bishop Vaughan Catholic School in Swansea, South Wales, were arrested at their homes over what was believed to be a dispute. However, fears quickly spread among parents that something more serious was happening - resulting in police being called to the school and classes being cancelled. The Bishop Vaughan Catholic School in Swansea, South Wales, (pictured) closed early for Easter after the arrest of two pupils sparked online panic among parents and wild rumours of a potential gun massacre Police confirmed that the boys had been arrested at their homes, in two different areas of Swansea, over a 'sensitive safeguarding issue'. However, when parents heard about the arrests on Wednesday morning, unfounded rumours about alleged gun massacres, and pupils bringing 'guns, knives and even bombs' onto school grounds began to swirl on social media. One parent had posted on Facebook: 'Someone threatens to shoot everyone in school today, so scary when I think I knew nothing about this before the boys came back from school!!' Anxious mothers and fathers then rushed to the school to collect their children, with some arriving at the school gates demanding that the pupils be allowed to leave. The boys were arrested at their homes over what was believed to be a dispute, but fears quickly spread among parents that something more serious was happening - resulting in police being called to the school When parents heard about the arrests on Wednesday morning, unfounded rumours about alleged gun massacres, and pupils bringing 'guns, knives and even bombs' onto school grounds began to swirl Police were then called to help calm down parents, and reassure them that any rumours they had heard regarding weapons and threats were untrue. Teachers then made the decision to close the 1,300-pupil school early ahead of the Easter holidays. Head teacher Paul White wrote to parents saying: 'The head teacher and governing body would like to thank parents, pupils and staff for their trust and support today during unusual circumstances. 'I would like to reassure parents that all our pupils were safe whilst on the school site today. 'In light of the disruption, and having consulted with the chair of governors, I have come to the decision to close the school for pupils and staff. 'School will resume as normal on Monday, April 11, 2016. I wish you all a very happy Easter.' A spokesman for South Wales Police said they had been working with Swansea council on a 'sensitive safeguarding issue involving two pupils'. He confirmed that the rumours over weapons were untrue, and that there had been no incident at the school - with officers only attending after panic spread among the parents. The spokesman added: 'Following enquiries conducted by the police, two pupils have been arrested. 'Neither of the pupils were at the school at the time of the arrests, which took place at separate addresses. The safety and welfare of pupils is paramount. 'The school acted quickly once concerns were raised about the pupils and, with the help of South Wales Police, the issue was quickly resolved without any risk to staff or pupils. 'We would like to reassure parents that the situation has now been resolved and the school is operating as normal. 'Given the confidential nature of the pupil issue, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment further at this time.' The two arrested pupils were today bailed by police pending further enquiries. Advertisement Pope Francis has washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic refugees, declaring them children of the same God. His gesture came after the Brussels attacks, which he denounced as a gesture of war and condemned arms makers as partly responsible. The Popes comments came during an Easter Week Mass with asylum seekers at a refugee shelter in Castelnuovo di Porto, outside Rome. The Maundy Thursday rite re-enacts the foot-washing ritual Jesus Christ performed on his apostles before being crucified 2,000 years ago. Meanwhile other Christian communities held re-enactments of the crucifixion, violent flagellation ceremonies, parades and pilgrimages. Marking the start of Easter, the global celebrations take on varying forms according to local Christian customs and ancient traditions. In the Philippines, Catholics have been photographed prostrating in front of a chapel as they are whipped in a flagellation ceremony. The capital Manila is also hosting street plays featuring actors playing the role of a tortured Christ and Roman soldiers. Believers around the world mark Easter in celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as told in the New Testament. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Bending down: Pope Francis kisses the foot of a man during a foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees centre near Rome Blessing a baby: Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men at the Castelnuovo di Porto centre Gesture: Francis washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic refugees, declaring them children of the same God Kiss: Pope Francis performed the gesture of welcome and brotherhood following the Brussels attacks Rite: He re-enacted the foot-washing ritual Jesus performed on his apostles before being crucified, and it is meant as a gesture of service Comparison: Francis contrasted his gesture with the 'gesture of destruction' carried out by the Brussels attackers Pope Francis blows inside an amphora containing holy oil during a mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican yesterday Pope Francis holds the famous Book of the Gospels during the Chrism Mass in the Vatican yesterday Roman Catholics prostrate in front of a chapel while still bearing the wounds caused by a bloody flagellation ceremony in Manila Hooded penitents wait for their turn to have their back wounds cleaned after the ceremony in the Philippines yesterday An actor playing the role of Jesus Christ makes his way through the the streets of Manila during the city's Holy Week celebrations Covered in blood and carrying a tunic, he was whipped by actors playing Roman soldiers during the religious re-enactment There ceremony known as Cristo de las Injurias, or the Silent Procession, in Zamora, Spain sees its 2,300 members swear to keep silent in the city's cathedral The penitents from the one of the city's Christian brotherhoods stand in formation with hoods and candles in the spectacular ceremony The silent ceremony makes its way through the city streets in Zamora as the city celebrated the Holy Week of Easter In nearby Alicante, an effigy of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross is carried through the city streets at night Two members of the Cofradia de los Universitarios brotherhood in Granada take part in the deeply religious procession Catholics in Jalisco, Mexico, take part in the 400-year-old ceremony known as 'The Bath of the Christ' The pilgrimage involves a march during which members tend to an effigy of Jesus Christ lying bloodied on the cross A man watches the ceremony take part during the week Holy Week - which runs for one week worldwide up until Easter Sunday The bloody effigy of Jesus Christ was watched by hundreds as it was carried through the streets of the city Catholic faithful participate in the pilgrimage known as 'The Bath of the Christ' in the municipality of San Martin de Hidalgo In Costa Rica, Catholics tied coloured tape to a statue of Jesus inside the San Antonio de Padua Church The taping ceremony forms the beginning of the procession known as 'Jesus Nazareno of the Tapes' Penitents on their knees carrying the 'Christ tied to the column' during the Holy Week procession in Alcala de Henares near Madrid Dressed in their burgundy capes with hoods, the 'Santa Veracruz' brotherhood mark Holy Week in northern Spain Penitents of the 'Cristo de las Injurias' brotherhood wait inside a church before they take part in the 'Procesion del Silencio' This lantern-holding group parade through Calahorra, Spain, as millions of people around the world mark the Holy Week Hooded people march through the streets as part of Holy Week in Calahorra, northern Spain, yesterday Penitents play the drums as they take part in the procession of the 'Santa Veracruz' brotherhood Hundreds of processions take place throughout Spain during the Easter Holy Week Masked penitents take part in the procession of the 'Santa Veracruz' brotherhood, during Holy Week in Calahorra, northern Spain Masked penitents carrying a cross as they take part in the procession of the 'Ensogado' during Holy Week in Sietamo, Spain A 500-year-old yew thought to be Birmingham's oldest tree was felled without consultation after NHS bosses claimed it broke health and safety rules. Bosses at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust says that the tree at mental health unit Uffcolme House was suffering from 'significant decay' when they took the decision. Alf Dimmock, a senior Park Ranger with Birmingham City Council, claims he has since been accosted by a host of furious residents, and demanded a full investigation into the decision. Destroyed: Residents living near Uffcolme House in Kings Heath, near Birmingham, are said to be furious after a 500-year-old yew tree was felled in the grounds (pictured) Better days: The tree is said to have stood for half a millennium on the land, which was gifted to the trust by Richard Cadbury, the son of the founder of Cadbury's chocolate. A park ranger is calling for an investigation Gone for good: Photographs reveal a huge gap and a stump (right) in the space where the tree once stood (left) He claims that the action was too extreme, and that other measures could have been taken to save the tree on land gifted to the trust by Richard Cadbury, whose father founded Cadbury's chocolate. Mr Dimmock said: 'Richard Cadbury had spoken about a yew tree that had been in the grounds for centuries when the building was built in 1891. 'The real concern from local people is that there was no consultation about the plans to remove it. 'Somebody compared the situation to someone going to a doctor with a sore finger and having an arm chopped off. There are alternatives such as lopping and pruning.' The tree was reduced to a tangled stump in the grounds of Uffculme House, in Kings Heath, after the survey revealed it was 'over mature' and needed to be removed for safety reasons. A spokeswoman for the trust said that no preservation order had been attached to the tree nor any others inside the Uffculme House estate. Gone for good: Mr Dimmock claims believes cutting down the tree (pictured) was too extreme, and that other measures such as pruning could have been taken to save the tree Justified: The trust says that the tree (picture, nearest the building) was already in 'significant decay', according to a recent survey which also revealed that it needed to be felled for the safety of visitors Remnants from the past: The tangled stump can just be seen over the top of the wall at the mental health unit Mr Dimmock added: 'It is possibly the worst case of treeicide I have witnessed. From a personal point of view I find it very sad. 'The tree was very much part of the city's heritage and is a terrible loss to the people of Birmingham.' Somebody compared the situation to someone going to a doctor with a sore finger and having an arm chopped off Alf Dimmock, park ranger He said on social media that the tree could be at least 500 years old and he has been in touch with experts at the Ancient Yew Group. The Uffculme building was the former family home of Richard Cadbury, who built it in 1891 and gifted it to the city of Birmingham in 1916 to help further psychiatric health services. The ancient yew is thought to be 500 years old which means it would have been planted at around the time Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. If it proves to be as old as locals believe, it would also have been in Birmingham when Drake defeated the Spanish Armada. An Israeli soldier has been arrested after being captured on video allegedly shooting a Palestinian knifeman who was lying injured on the ground following an attempt to kill troops. The Israeli army said the incident took place in the West Bank city of Hebron after two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier, adding that troops then shot and killed the pair. Ramzi Al-Qasarawi and Abdel-Fattah Al-Sharif, both 21, were identified as the Palestinians who were shot and pictured lying on the ground after the attack. The body of a Palestinian lies on the ground after they were shot dead by Israeli forces for stabbing an Israeli soldier Two Palestinians were shot dead and they were named as Ramzi Al-Qasarawi and Abdel-Fattah Al-Sharif, both 21 Footage filmed by a bystander showed one of the two assailants lying on the ground following the stabbing, barely moving Footage filmed by a bystander showed one of the two assailants lying on the ground following the stabbing, barely moving. As Israeli ambulances arrived and soldiers milled around, one soldier appeared to take aim with his weapon and shoot a round into the head of the Palestinian lying on the ground. The man's body jerked and blood could be seen streaming from his head. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner called the incident a grave breach of army values. Military police have detained the soldier, which Lt Col Lerner called an extraordinary measure, and are investigating the incident. The military said the investigation began before the video surfaced. An Israeli hospital spokesman said the soldier in yesterdays attack was in a stable condition and initial checks showed he had sustained light injuries. A statement from the Israeli military said: 'Two assailants stabbed an (Israeli) soldier at a military post in Hebron. Forces responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their deaths.' The bodies of one of the Palestinians is covered over by Israeli forces at the scene of the shooting in the West Bank Yesteday's attack took place inside the area where Jewish settlers live side-by-side with some Palestinian residents Hebron, where there is a community of around 1,000 Israeli settlers living in the middle of the city of 200,000, has been the scene of many violent incidents over the past six months. Yesterdays attack took place inside the area where Jewish settlers live side-by-side with some Palestinian residents. The United Nations, the European Union and the United States have backed Israel's right to defend itself during a six-month campaign of street attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, while also urging restraint in the use of force. Human rights groups have accused Israeli forces of too readily resorting to gunfire to wound or kill attackers rather than trying to detain them by other means. In some cases, Palestinians have been shot on suspicion that they were about to carry out an attack. Israeli soldiers carry the body of a Palestinian man who was shot dead by troops after he attacked an Israeli soldier Since October, Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens in street attacks. Israeli forces have killed at least 190 Palestinians, 129 of whom Israel says were assailants. Palestinian leaders say attackers have acted out of desperation in the absence of movement towards the creation of an independent state. Israel says they are being incited to violence by their leaders and on social media. It is the worst period of sustained violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the second Palestinian uprising ended a decade ago. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war, when it also annexed East Jerusalem. Palestinians seek the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza for an independent state. A California bus driver has been arrested in connection to the September death of a 19-year-old autistic student who was found unresponsive on a bus last September in the middle of a heat wave. Armando Able Ramirez, 36, was taken into custody on Wednesday at his Apple Valley home and booked for dependent abuse in the death of Hun Joon Lee, police said. Lee, who had autism and the mental capacity of a three-year-old, was picked up for school by a bus operated by Pupil Transportation on September 12, 2015, at 8am to attend Sierra Vista Adult School, but never returned home at his expected 3.30pm. Hun Joon Lee (pictured with his mother), a 19-year-old who had autism and the mental capacity of a three year-old, died after being found unresponsive on a school bus last September Bus driver Armando Ramirez, 36, was arrested Wednesday in Apple Valley, California, and booked for dependent abuse in Lee's death When he didn't arrive home, Le''s mother, Eun Ha Lee became concerned and called the school to ask about her son's well being. The school, however, told Eun Ha Lee that her son had never arrived in the morning, according to KTLA. Temperatures in the area that day reached 90 degrees. Eun Ha Lee rushed to to school to look for her son, calling police on the way. As she, police and school and bus personnel searched for the teenager, her son was found on a bus after police responded to a 911 from a bus yard in Whittier. Officers found drivers attempting to administer CPR on Lee, but he was unresponsive and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 4.33pm. Lee's mother, Eun Ha Lee, said her son got on the bus at 8am and never returned home after school at his usual time, 3.30pm The teen was later found unresponsive on a bus in Whittier and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Temperatures in the area hit 90 degrees while he was on the bus Lee was discovered in the aisle of the bus, his mother said, adding that the teen was nonverbal and wouldn't have been able to call out for help. Eun Ha Lee told KTLA in September that her son's death was devastating. 'My boy is a very, very precious boy,' she said. 'I don't know other people, how they think about my son, but my son is perfect to me.' She said she didn't understand how her son was left behind because there were only three students on the bus that day. 'I feel like, we are nothing,' she said. 'They killed my son. Technically, they killed my son.' Ramirez is being held on a $50,000 bail and is expected to be arraigned on Friday. Police in Ohio say a school security guard for a Cincinnati-area district has been charged in threats that led to recent school evacuations and were traced to his prepaid cellphone. Christopher Darnell Files, 20, is charged with two felony counts of inducing panic for threats Monday and Tuesday that led to evacuations of elementary, middle and high schools in the city of North College Hill. Court records don't show an attorney for him. Superintendent Gary Gellert says said one call demanded money, while the others just threatened to bomb the school. Gellert says Files was hired as a private security guard two weeks ago after a large fight on school property. Busted: Police in Ohio say Christopher Darnell Files, a school security guard, for a Cincinnati-area district has been charged in threats that led to recent school evacuations and were traced to his prepaid cellphone Files is charged with two felony counts of inducing panic for threats Monday and Tuesday that led to evacuations of elementary, middle and high schools in the city of North College Hill. Court records don't show an attorney for him North College Hill Police Chief Ryan Schrand says investigators used GPS to locate Files' phone. When confronted by police, Files confessed to owning the phone and making the bomb threat phone calls, WKRC reported. 'It wasn't our kids. Everybody sometimes thinks, well it must be a kid wanting to get out of school. It was not one of our kids,' Gellert told WKRC. He told authorities that he made the calls due to a 'maturity issue' and that he 'submitted to peer pressure'. Despite Files admitting that his threats were fake and that he had no actual bombs, the evacuations the school conducted were to 'err on the side of caution,' WKRC reported. Superintendent Gary Gellert says Files was hired as a private security guard two weeks ago after a large fight happened at North College Hill High School. Pictured above are students being evacuated due to one of the bomb threats he called in Despite Files admitting that his threats were fake and that he had no actual bombs, the evacuations the school conducted were to 'err on the side of caution,' WKRC reported In addition, a K-9 unit was allegedly dispatched to the school as a 'precautionary measure.' 'You will see an increased police presence,' Schrand said according to WKRC on Wednesday. 'That is simply as a precaution, because I also understand that after all the events that have transpired, the fear of crime and the fear that this has invoked on the students and all the parents is something that we're going to have to get over.' Authorities suspect that he made the calls on the cell phone while on school grounds. He appeared in court Thursday and his bond was set to $200,000. The Rockford IceHogs player could face three years in jail if convicted Ross is suspended from Blackhawks minor league during investigation A Chicago Blackhawks minor league player has been suspended indefinitely over revenge porn allegations. Garret Ross, who plays for Blackhawks' AHL affiliate in Rockford, Illinois, was charged on February 2 with sharing an image of a woman engaged in a sexual act without her consent. If convicted he could face up to three years in jail. The alleged victim, from Sycamore, Illinois, told authorities that she had exchanged naked pictures and video with one of Ross' teammates during their relationship, court records seen by the Chicago Tribune show. Chicago Blackhawks minor league player Garret Ross has been suspend after he was charged with making revenge porn But she had ended it when she discovered that the player already had a girlfriend. Ross' girlfriend dumped him around the same time after learning he had been meeting girls on Tinder, according to court documents. Both Ross and his teammate, whose name has been redacted from records blamed the alleged victim for 'spreading lies' to their girlfriends, the Tribune reports. The Sycamore woman claimed that the images, shared privately with Ross' teammate, were then shared without her consent in August last year. Ross, 23, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was charged with a revenge porn offence on February 2 after months-long investigations by police. His teammate has not been charged. Ross was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012, but played as a winger for the IceHogs. Even after he was charged, he continued to play for the team right up until last week when the Blackhawks discovered the allegations on Saturday. Team officials confirmed that Ross has now been suspended from the minor league pending the results of his trial. In a statement, posted on the team's website, the Balckhawks said: 'The Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs learned of a legal proceeding against IceHogs player Garret Ross. 'At that time, we excused Garret from team activities pending our preliminary review of the matter. 'After further review, we have determined to suspend Garret indefinitely pending the outcome of the legal process.' The Blackhawks added that they were not able to comment further on the allegations due to the ongoing legal process. Ross is due in court later this month. Blackhawk officials confirmed that Ross has now been suspended from the minor league pending the results of his trial Revenge porn is a specific illegal office in 27 states in the United States while distributors can be prosecuted under existing laws in other states such as tort, privacy, copyright and criminal laws. In Ross' state of Illinois, a revenge porn law was brought in last year which carries a maximum penalty of three years in jail Campaigners are working to introduce a federal bill which would make the distribution of the images or footage without consent a crime across the U.S. There have already been several high profile prosecutions of revenge porn sites in recent years. Hunter Moore, the owner of IsAnyoneUp - a site which allowed users to anonymously submit nude photographs of anyone to its database - was jailed for two and a half years in December last year. His website was shut down in 2012. Jailed: Student Tinashe Irvine Chikoto, pictured, was sentenced to more than two years in prison A hit-and-run driver has been jailed for smashing into a mother-of-two after she tripped from a pavement. A Ford Focus driven by Tinashe Irvine Chikoto, 22, plowed into Louise Wolstenholme, 52, and dragged her body along for 100 metres, after she had fallen into a Bolton Street and knocked herself unconscious. The callous driver then fled the scene leaving his car behind with Ms Wilstenholme trapped underneath. Chikoto was jailed for more than two years after he admitted causing death by careless driving, causing death while uninsured, driving without insurance and perverting the course of justice at Bolton Crown Court. Sentencing him, Judge Timothy Clayson branded the business management student, from the University of Bolton, 'callous and selfish'. He said: 'You allege that you thought you had collided with nothing more than a bag of rubbish but it was clear from the force of collision it was more serious than that. 'You caused a delay in the provision of any possible assistance to Louise Wolstenholme, who was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after. 'No one can tell whether if you had stopped immediately after this collision, her life may have been saved. 'That's something you will have to live with.' Chikoto, who was uninsured and did not even have a full valid licence, was jailed for 16 months for the first offence and for a consecutive six months for the third offence with no separate penalty for two other offences. He was also disqualified from driving for 41 months and will have to sit an extended driving test. On the night she died Ms Wolstenholme, who ran Louises Hair Studio in Bolton, had drunk eight double vodkas and had become separated from her partner following an argument. Killed: Louise Wolstenholme, 52, died after being run over by a car when she fell in the street in Manchester The court heard how prior to the collision with Chikoto, three vehicles, including a bus and a taxi, saw Ms Wolstenholme lying in the road, but instead of stopping to help her they simply swerved around and drove on. After Chikoto hit the mother, he pulled over in a side street, got out of his car and saw the victim's trapped body but did nothing to help. Instead he abandoned his hatchback and was driven away by a friend in a Toyota Avensis following behind. Callous: Chikoto, pictured, fled the scene after hitting Ms Wolstenholme with a Ford Focus Chikoto then telephoned police to claim his car had been stolen but called back 40 minutes later to retract his false report. He was earlier acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving when prosecutors offered no evidence. Relatives of Ms Wolstenholme, a keen horsewoman, described her as 'a faithful and loyal friend'. Her family called her 'loving mother of Gaz and Brad and future mother-in-law to Vikee. She was mummy to Dougie the dog, partner to Rem and sister to Mark. 'She was loved by all her family, was a loving godmother to Jack and Olivia and was a faithful and loyal friend to many. Louise had a big heart as big as her personality and will be devastatingly missed.' Her brother Mark Wolstenholme called the accident 'a living nightmare', adding: 'What a sad loss to her sons and partner and me and much loved friends and family.' Describing the incident which killed Ms Wolstenholme, PC Neil Pennington from Greater Manchester Police said: 'From viewing the CCTV it appears the woman falls backwards as she crossed the road and doesn't get up. 'A single decker bus and two vehicles slow down and drive around her. There was a short break in traffic before another car, a Ford Focus, collided with her. 'We are urging the drivers of these vehicles and anyone else who may have seen the woman prior to the collision, to contact us so we can establish the full circumstances leading to her death.' Locals criticised the two drivers who passed the prone woman without seeing if she was OK, suggesting that they could have helped save her life. Family friend Ian Johnson said: 'That bus driver could have prevented this! He could have blocked the road with his bus, radioed in for help.' Passion: Ms Wolstenholme was a keen horsewoman, according to friends who paid tribute to her Appeal: Police are trying to find witnesses to the incident including two drivers who ignored Ms Wolstenholme Diane Bird added: 'What a sad reflection of today to drive round someone in the road and not stop and at the very least alert an emergency service.' Louise' Hair Studio in Bolton has been closed since its owner's death, with customers saying they will 'really miss her'. Ms Wolstenholme's friend Christine Kay, who ran the neighbouring shop, said: 'She was vivacious, bubbly, friendly, a very, open, honest girl. She was a good friend. There was nothing bad about her, there was nothing to dislike. Greg Davenport (pictured) pleaded no contest this month to a theft at WalMart in Liberty, Ohio A man has chosen to wear a sign proclaiming he's a thief rather than go to jail for the crime in Ohio. Greg Davenport, 43, of Liberty Township, pleaded no contest this month to a theft charge for stealing from a local Wal-Mart store in December. A Girard Municipal Court judge found Davenport guilty - but gave him a choice during sentencing. He had the option of wearing a sign - saying 'I am a thief. I stole from WalMart' - or serving 30 days in jail. Davenport says the sign is better than being in jail, and he says he chose it so he could take care of his parents. I stole, I got punished, he told WKBN on Wednesday while wearing the sign. Now, he says he just wants to finish his punishment. He explained that he had been caught trying to walk out of the store with a 52-inch television without paying. Under the terms of his sentencing, he has to wear the sign in front of the store eight hours a day for 10 days of his choosing. Scroll down for video Under the terms of his sentencing, Davenport (pictured) has to wear the sign in front of the store eight hours a day for 10 days of his choosing. Every other hour, some comes out to make sure he is walking the street Liberty Police Chief Richard Tisone said he hopes the sign is sufficiently embarrassing that Davenport, who has a number of previous petty charges against him, does not steal again. Maybe theyre a little embarrassed by the fact they have to hold a sign up, so it might affect some of these individuals, so Im all for it, he said. The two brothers in arms had travelled 1,000 miles through Nazi Germany after an audacious escape from a prisoner of war camp, and one of them had finally tasted freedom at the Swiss border. But when Lance Corporal Antony Coulthard saw his companion stopped at the border behind him, instead of walking off as they had agreed, the heroic soldier rushed back to help his friend. It was a decision that eventually cost him his life, as they were returned to different Nazi camps and while Sergeant Frederick Foster went home after the war, his friend died on a brutal death march. Frederick Foster works on his typewriter with German officers nearby. He and Lance Corporal Antony Coulthard later used it to forge documents and travel 1,000 miles to freedom after escaping the camp Sgt Foster (left) and Cpl Coulthard (right) spent two years planning the escape, a plot that involved framing a fellow PoW for embezzlement so one of them could access a typewriter to forge papers and passes Detailed documents chronicling the genius escape and audacious journey through Nazi Germany - where they even stopped to see the sights in Berlin - was uncovered in a dusty suitcase (pictured) In an age when the stoic heroes of the war rarely talked about the experiences that changed their lives and the world forever, the story may easily have gone unheard. But detailed documents chronicling the genius escape and audacious journey through Nazi Germany - where they even stopped to see the sights in Berlin - was uncovered in a dusty suitcase. After gathering dust for 70 years, Sgt Foster's son uncovered the incredible story while researching his family tree. Steve Foster was so captivated by the story he spent two years researching archives to identify Cpl Coulthard's unmarked war grave and is now turning great escape into a book. A picture of Sgt Foster (centre), who never talked to his friends or family about the experience Sgt Foster and Cpl Coulthard spent two years planning the escape, a plot that involved framing a fellow PoW for embezzlement so one of them could access a typewriter to forge papers and passes. Lance Corporal Coulthard, an Oxford University don who was known as the 'Professor', taught his colleague to speak German. They also exchanged Red Cross food parcels for civilian clothing with Polish citizens over the wire. The pair posed as salesman to travel across Poland and Nazi Germany. They held conversations with unsuspecting German soldiers home on leave and visited prominent Nazi buildings in Berlin en route to the Swiss border. While Cpl Coulthard was waved through the final checkpoint and took a few steps to freedom in Switzerland, his comrade drew suspicion from a German policeman. Cpl Coulthard defied a promise the men had made to go on alone if one was caught and walked back into Germany to try and talk his travelling companion out of the predicament. The pair were arrested and unmasked as escapees after two days of beatings by the Gestapo and sent to different camps. Sgt Foster returned home after the war and learnt of Cpl Coulthard's death for the first time. He never spoke of the escape or his dear friend to his family. It was only after he died that Mr Foster, 66, looked in the suitcase full of old papers and pieced the story together. Inside there was the sketch his father had drawn of the German prison camp, showing the route they took to sneak past the guards and even the pre-cut holes in the fence they used to escape. At the end of the journey, while Cpl Coulthard (left) was waved through the final checkpoint and took a few steps to freedom in Switzerland, his comrade (right) drew suspicion from a German policeman The case, discovered by Sgt Foster's son, Steve (pictured), while researching his family tree, revealed details of the escape, the route, and even anguished letters from L Cpl Coulthard's mother There was also a heartbreaking letter sent to his father from Cpl Coulthard's grieving mother. In it she described her son's decision to go back for him as a 'foolhardy but praiseworthy mistake'. She called his death 'sheer murder', adding that 'those German brutes broke his body after failing to break his spirit for five years.' Sgt Foster (left) and L Cpl Coulthard were taken to different war camps after being recaptured. L Cpl Coulthard never returned from the war Mr Foster, a retired Royal Navy officer, retold the amazing story at a dinner of the Association of Royal Navy Officers and one member tipped off the publishing house Pen & Sword. They contacted Mr Foster, of Horton Heath, near Southampton, Hampshire, and he is now writing a book about it. Mr Foster said: 'When my father got home after the war, waiting for him was a letter from Coultard's mother telling him that he had died. She was desperate to know more details of the escape. 'The news of his death must have upset him greatly because he wrote back the very next day. 'I knew nothing about it. Like many of his generation he was quite reticent when it came to the war. They came back from five years of hell and they just wanted to get on with their lives. 'I was probably guilty of not asking him enough about it. 'It was only when I decided to look at my family tree a few years ago that I opened dad's suitcase. I just wanted to find out when he joined up but I got sidetracked by this amazing story. I cried bucket-loads. 'When I read Coulthard's mother's letter I made my mind up I would find his grave. 'Now it is a real honour to be able to tell the story of these two brave men properly in a book.' Sgt Foster was a solicitor's clerk from Newark, Nottinghamshire, and joined the local Territorial Army at the outbreak of the war. In 1940 he was sent to Norway and captured during the German Blitzkrieg. He was sent to the prison camp in Thorn, Poland, where he formed an unlikely friendship with Cpl Coulthard. The paper that Sergeant Frederick Foster became editor of to gain access to a German typewriter so that he could forge documents so they could travel across Germany once they had escaped The master plan: Documents inside the case show how they got out, with red arrows show the route that Foster and Coulthard took Steve Foster was so touched by the story he uncovered that he made efforts to track down the grave of his father's friend, the man that died because of a selfless act of bravery Steve Foster with family of Lance Corporal Anthony Coulthard at his grave site in Luneburg Heath in Lower Saxony after tracking it down via records in the National Archives Final resting place: This map highlights Quickborn as the likely burial site of Antony Coulthard The 'Professor' had left Oxford University in 1936 with a first class honours degree in modern languages and spent time in Germany before the war. He joined the Intelligence Corps and was captured near Amiens, France, in May 1940. Mr Foster said: 'Coulthard taught my father to speak German for 18 months while they worked on coal mines and salt mines as prisoners of war. They spent three hours a day having German lessons. 'In order to get to a German typewriter they framed a British PoW who worked in the Stalag HQ with embezzlement. My father was given the job and he was able to use it to forge documents. 'In August 1942 after the camp escape committee gave them priority, they pre-cut the wire fence. On the day Coulthard reported sick for a work party and joined dad at the HQ. 'They snuck out the back, through the fence and into a stable to change clothes. They then jumped out of a window, brushed off the straw and walked to the train station. 'They posed as salesman for Siemens and traveled 1,000 miles across Germany to Switzerland. 'They gave 'Hiel Hitler' salutes to guards and sat in a carriage full of hardened German soldiers on leave from the Eastern Front. Coulthard just talked to them all the way. Highly decorated: Sergeant Frederick Foster's medals (from left to right) 1939-1945 Star, France and Germany Star, The Defence Medal, The War medal 1939-1945, The Territorial Army Efficiency Medal Archives: Also in the case was a host of pictures and letters, including some written by L Cpl Coulthard's grieving mother to Sgt Foster, which he discovered when he returned from the war Mr Foster, a retired Royal Navy officer, retold the amazing story at a dinner of the Association of Royal Navy Officers and one member tipped off the publishing house Pen & Sword 'In Berlin they had a six hour wait for the next train so they took in the sights like the Reichstag and Gestapo HQ. 'They reached the Swiss border at Lindau and Coulthard was let through. He was a free man and stood in Switzerland waiting for my father. 'Dad was stopped by a policeman who looked at his papers for some time. While the guard was looking dad was horrified to see Coulthard walk back in to Germany and ask what was wrong. 'Not long after the policeman took out his pistol and they were both arrested. 'They were beaten and interrogated for two days. The Gestapo believed they were spies who should be executed but they convinced them to call the camp commandant to confirm their story.' While Cpl Coulthard returned to the same PoW camp, Sgt Foster was sent to one near Munich. The detailed account written of the escape by Sgt Foster after he returned home from the war in 1945 Three years later, as the Russians advanced from the east, the Germans marched thousands of PoWs west in columns of about 200 men. Cpl Coulthard was suffering from dysentery and tuberculosis when the German officer in charge ordered the men to jump in to the freezing River Elbe to wash. Mr Foster said: 'It was too much for him and he collapsed and suffered a heart attack. He was carried to a barn in a village opposite Domitz where he died. 'Four men carried his body to a civilian cemetery in the next village and asked the pastor to mark his grave with a cross before they left to rejoin the march. He did this but didn't put a name on it.' Seven decades later Mr Foster discovered that Cpl Coulthard's body was exhumed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 1947 and reburied in an unmarked grave at a military cemetery at Luneburg Heath in Lower Saxony. Thanks to his research, which involved several weeks of studying records at the National Archives, Mr Foster was able to prove beyond doubt the grave was that of Cpl Coulthard, who died aged 27. Her husband, Matthew, 32, was sentenced to 65 years in prison for his involvement in Zoey's death in February She pleaded guilty to four felonies: two counts of neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury and two counts of neglect of a dependent Jessica Wagoner, 33 was sentenced to prison in connection with the death of her one-year-old A mother in Indiana was sentenced to 25 years in prison for not seeking any medical care for the horrific injuries that ended the life of her one-year-old daughter. Jessica Wagoner, 33, failed to seek medical attention for her daughter, Zoey, after she suffered a broken arm, several bruises across her face and body, a cut to her forehead and other injuries last May that caused her death. She also admitted to neglecting her two other children, ages 12 and nine. In February, Wagoner pleaded guilty to four felonies: two counts of neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury and two counts of neglect of a dependent, the Indianapolis Star reported. Jessica Wagoner (above), 33, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felonies: two counts of neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury and two counts of neglect of a dependent The mother failed to seek medical attention for her daughter, Zoey (above), after she suffered a broken arm, several bruises across her face and body, a cut to her forehead and other injuries last May that caused her death Judge Terry Snow sentenced the mother to 25 years in prison followed by 12 years of probation on March 17, according to the Indianapolis Star. Snow gave the mother-of-three the maximum sentence under the terms of her plea agreement. 'I think this entire community is glad to put that incredibly sad chapter behind us,' Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton told the Indianapolis Star. 'It was a terrible, senseless crime where a beautiful girl was killed for no reason.' Police were called to Wagoner's home and found Zoey unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Police were called to Wagoner's home and found Zoey unconscious and foaming at the mouth. According to court records, she died May 28 of multiple blunt-force trauma due to assault and her death was ruled a homicide Zoey lived in the home, pictured above, with her mother, two half-siblings and father, Matthew Wagoner Matthew Wagoner (above), was found guilty of killing her in February before he was sentenced to 65 years in prison According to court records, she died May 28 of multiple blunt-force trauma due to assault and her death was ruled a homicide. The autopsy also revealed that the 1-year-old had bruising and hemorrhaging to the lips, neck, face, abdomen, and buttocks. She had severe internal injuries to her liver, pancreas, and intestines. Based on her injuries, police said that Zoey 'lived in hell for a year' due to the various stages of healing of those injuries. Her father and Jessica's husband, Matthew Wagoner, 32, was found guilty of killing her in February before he was sentenced to 65 years in prison. Text messages between Jessica and Matthew Wagoner (left and right) found that they were worried the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) would become involved if they took Zoey to the hospital for treatment Text messages between the couple found that they were worried the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) would become involved if they took Zoey to the hospital for treatment. In addition, it's been reported that DCS was previously involved with the family, but it's unclear as to what capacity. Court records show that the couple fabricated a story about the one-year-old girl falling off the bed, rather than seek help for her. The day she died, her father walked past Hancock Regional Hospital twice with his daughter, as he went to a gas station nearby to purchase a soft drink. Tourists and photographers can visit the disaster site today, although the zone is still classed as uninhabitable Tragedy struck on April 26 1986, as one of the reactors deep inside the Chernobyl power plant went into meltdown Pripyat in Ukraine sprang up close to the ill-fated Chernobyl for scientists and workers serving Advertisement Crumbling fairground rides, abandoned homes and containers of radioactive waste are all that remain of the Ukraine's Soviet town Pripyat. Once a bustling home to 50,000 residents, the town was built less than two miles from the countrys first nuclear power plant to house scientists and workers serving the plant, and security troops. Tragedy struck on April 26 1986, as one of the reactors deep inside the Chernobyl power plant went into meltdown, sparking the worlds worst nuclear disaster and sending radioactive particles into the air. It wasn't until the next day that the government realised the extent of the disaster, and ordered an evacuation of citizens. Buildings can be seen today nearly exactly as they were left during the emergency evacuation, with many possessions such as pianos and toys lying discarded. Eerie images show walls with paint peeling and nature creeping into windows in a bid to reclaim the city for its own. Despite the stark, barren sights, tourists are flocking in increasing numbers to the Ukrainian disaster site, although the zone is still classed as uninhabitable. The intriguing area attracts around 12,000 tourists a year, around the same amount that visit Disney in just two days. Scroll down for video Desolate remains: Views of the abandoned city of Pripyat near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which exploded on April 26 1986 Sinister: Pripyat is still a no-go zone because of the high levels of radiation, but tourists can gain access to take photographs on organised tours Legacy of disaster: Containers are seen at a plant for processing liquid radioactive waste at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant No-go zone: It wasn't until the next day that the government realised the extent of the disaster, and ordered the evacuation of the town's 50,000 residents, but many of their possessions still remain Ghost town: The scientists, workers and military personnel that staffed the power plant upped and left, taking their families with them, but leaving behind almost all their possessions Many of the inhabitants of the area had no idea they would never return to the town that they had once called home, before the world's worst nuclear disaster struck A cross with a crucifix is seen in the deserted town of Pripyat. Although Ukraine, Russia and Belarus suffered the worst of the damage, increased radiation was detected right across Europe A general view shows a containment shelter for the damaged fourth reactor (left) and the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure (right) A general view shows the construction of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor Morbid curiosity: While hundreds of thousands were forced to flee after the plant went into meltdown, the tragedy has attracted some people to the area. Pictured are the damaged fourth reactor (left) and the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure (right) Employees ride a bus in the abandoned city of Pripyat. Every day almost 7,000 workers come here to help decommission the plant (but have to take radiation tests before returning home) An employee measures the radiation level at a plant for processing liquid radioactive waste at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant The coat of arms of the former Soviet Union is seen on the roof of a house in the abandoned city. Nature has reclaimed the once-thriving city, that was hailed as a vision of the future with progressive town-planning and modern architecture Eerie: Despite the stark, barren sights, tourists are flocking in increasing numbers to the Ukrainian disaster site, although the zone is still classed as uninhabitable Advertisement These horrific images show the twisted and bloodied pieces of shrapnel doctors have removed from those wounded in Tuesday's devastating terrorist bomb blasts. Doctors showed the huge pieces of metal to the press and Belgium's royal family after they were removed from patients they treated in the aftermath of the airport and metro terror attacks. Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde inspected the fragments today during a visit to speak with survivors at Gasthuisberg hospital in Louvain, Belgium. A surgeon at Gasthuisberg hospital in Louvain, Belgium, shows a piece of mangled piece of shrapnel that was pulled from a victim The fragment, which was twisted and mangled in the forceful detonation, lodged inside one of those wounded in the attack Such massive pieces of metal are often purposely placed inside homemade explosives in a bid to inflict maximum injuries Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde look at the pieces of debris pulled from survivors during their visit to the hospital A statement released on behalf of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium on Tuesday described the acts as 'odious and cowardly' Homemade bombs such as those carried out on Tuesday derive their deadliness from shrapnel, which is flung at high speeds from inside the explosive and at the Shaerbeek home of Tuesday attackers, police found a bomb packed with nails which was designed to inflict maximum injuries. Some 270 people are wounded following the attacks in the airport and metro station which saw three bombs kill 34 people. A statement released on behalf of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium on Tuesday described the acts as 'odious and cowardly'. They said: 'The heartfelt thoughts of the King and the Queen are firstly with the victims and their families and the emergency services which are making every effort to help the victims.' Among those injured was flight attendant Nidhi Chaphekar, who was left with burns to more than 15 percent of her body and a fractured foot. The image of Chaphekar taken right after the blast was one of the most searing photographs taken Tuesday. It showed the 40-year-old mother of two from Mumbai, her bright yellow uniform ripped across her chest. Her hair was caked with soot, and blood streaked down her face. Meanwhile, Amit Motwani, a Jet Airways flight purser who was also injured in the airport blast, was being treated for injuries to his eye and ear. Meanwhile, the driver of the subway train bombed in Brussels this week immediately helped victims despite the horror and fear of the attack - but he insists he's not a hero. Christian Delhasse described to Belgian state broadcaster RTBF doing 'what I had to do.' He's reportedly already back at work, as the Belgian public transport system gradually gets back toward normal following Tuesday's deadly attacks at the Maelbeek station and Brussels airport. Delhasse posted a statement on his Facebook page saying, 'I'm a metro driver who did his work in specific circumstances. Any other driver in my place would have done the same thing. The heroes are our firefighters, our forces of order, our army.' He urged respect for 'the victims we couldn't pull out.' Pieces of metal shrapnel such as those found in the victims of Tuesday's explosions are the most deadly component of such bombs Meyers said he was handcuffed and a court date has been set next month Star of movie Tom Green has now offered to help Meyers with legal fees Video store he rented Freddy got Fingered from has since closed down The 37-year-old was wanted for failing to return a VHS he rented in 2002 Single dad stunned to be told there was a 14 year-old warrant for arrest A single father has been arrested for failing to return to return a VHS video he rented more than a decade ago. James Meyers had been driving his daughter to school when he was pulled over in Concord, North Carolina, on Tuesday for a broken taillight. But the musician was stunned when police pulled up his record and found a 14-year-old warrant out for arrest. When he demanded to know what it was for, police informed him he was wanted for failing to return a VHS copy of Freddy Got Fingered he rented in 2002. Scroll down for video James Meyers has been arrested for failing to return to return a VHS video her rented in 2002 'Honestly, you can't make this up,' said the 37-year-old, who is also an author and artist. Meyers said he later visited the police station where he was handcuffed and given an April 27 court date for failing to return the video - despite the fact that J&J's Video in Kannapolis went out of business years ago. The bizarre situation even attracted the attention of Canadian comic and star of Freddy got Fingered, Tom Green. The actor tweeted after Meyers' arrest saying 'I just saw this and I am struggling to believe it is real.' Green, who is currently touring Australia, even called Meyers to personally apologize for the arrest after renting his cult movie. The 44-year-old comedian promised to put in a good word with the court and has even offered to help out with legal fees. The bizarre situation even attracted the attention of Canadian comic and star of Freddy got Fingered, Tom Green Police informed Meyers he was wanted for failing to return a VHS copy of Freddy Got Fingered (pictured) he rented in 2002 The goofball comedy, released in 2001, starred Tom Green as an unemployed cartoonist who returns to live with his parents 'If it's 200 bucks of course I'll pay it for him, just for the principle of the thing,' Green told NY Daily News. The incident began on Tuesday morning, March 22, after he was pulled over during the school run. In a video posted to Facebook, Meyers described how a Concord officer had made him wait for at least 20 minutes before ordering him to get out of the car. Meyers said his terrified daughter had been 'bug-eyed' in the back of the vehicle if she asked her dad if he was going to be arrested. '(The officer) said "Sir, I don't know how to tell you this, but you rented a movie in 2002, Freddy Got Fingered. "And there's a civil suit they processed as a criminal case and we're here to take you to jail." The stunned DJ said that the cops had allowed him to take his daughter to school but ordered him to return to the police station. 'That's what my local police force are up to. They are chasing people for movie rentals that don't even exist any more. This is what my tax dollars pay for. 'Good job NC, your incompetent institution never ceases to amaze me.' Musician Myers was stunned when police pulled up his record and found a 14-year-old warrant out for arrest (pictured) Meyers said he vaguely remembers renting the videotape more than a decade ago, but no longer has it A court date has now been set for April but the father-of-one who is hoping to have the charges dismissed Meyers said he vaguely remembers renting the videotape more than a decade ago, but no longer has it. Failure to return rental property is a Class 3 misdemeanor in North Carolina and can carry a fine of up to $200. A court date has now been set for April but the father-of-one who is hoping to have the charges dismissed. While Meyers is still furious about his arrest, he said the incident had not dulled his love for the movie that started it all. The 37-year-old even sat and re-watched the goofball comedy on Wednesday, which stars Green as an unemployed cartoonist whose life is turned upside down when he begins spreading a terrible rumor about his father. Critics slated Freddy Got Fingered after its release in 2001 but its absurd plot and gross-out comedy saw it gain a cult following. Star Green said the choice of film made the whole situation even more odd. The student, who was 17 at the time, said she and Lofthouse had sex in hotels twice and she performed sex acts in the classroom Jason Lofthouse (pictured) is charged with multiple counts of felony kidnapping and sexual conduct with a pupil while he was a teacher at Rancho High School in Las Vegas A teenage student who had sex with her married teacher dismissed allegations that he had abused her and testified that she was doing it because she wanted to. Jason Lofthouse, 33, is charged with multiple counts of felony kidnapping and sexual conduct with a pupil while he was a teacher at Rancho High School in Las Vegas. The trial centers on whether or not Lofthouse forced or coerced the student, who was 17 at the time, to perform sex acts on him in his classroom and have sex with him twice in hotels during school hours, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports. But the teenager insisted to jurors at Clark County District Court that she wasnt hoping for a better grade in the class and didnt even consider her former teacher to be her boyfriend. Describing the relationship as nothing serious, she told the court: I thought of it more as a thing. I didnt need a good grade. I wasnt trying to get a better grade. I was just doing it because I wanted to. She insisted that both she and her teacher initiated physical contact and that she never felt trapped when they visited two hotels for sex in May last year. In Nevada, while the age of sexual consent is 16, state law forbids employees and volunteers at schools from engaging in sexual contact with students. The student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she began communicating with her teacher on Twitter while he was on paternity leave for the birth of his third child. After getting each others phone numbers, they exchanged almost 4,000 messages, including many referring to sex acts she performed on Lofthouse in the classroom. In one message, Lofthouse revealed he had assigned the student a seat at the front of his classroom because he was attracted to her. Another indicated Lofthouses desire to visit a hotel so we can take as much time as we want. The student told jurors that she did not get her parents permission to visit the hotels which is important in relation to the kidnapping charges it is a first-degree felony to take a minor somewhere without parental permission and commit a crime against the minor. Lofthouse is facing between five years to life in prison for first-degree kidnapping. But sexual contact between a teacher and student carried a sentence of between one and five years in prison. The trial centers on whether or not Lofthouse forced or coerced the student, who was 17 at the time, to perform sex acts on him in his classroom at Rancho High School in Las Vegas (pictured) Lofthouses attorneys argue that the kidnapping statue does not apply in this case and is incidental to the crime of a teacher having sex with a student, the Review-Journal reports. The affair came to light after a Clark County School District police officer found Lofthouse and the girl locked in a classroom together. He earlier testified that they were standing close enough to each other to be either kissing or whispering. According to a police report, the relationship became sexual just a week or two before the first visit to a hotel on May 20 last year. The student first denied any sexual encounters with Lofthouse, but eventually admitted to her parents that they did engage in a physical relationship. Her parents called investigators to inform them of what that their daughter had said. The girl told police he had taken her to the Alicante hotel on May 20 and the Cannery hotel on May 28. School attendance records found both Lofthouse and the student had missed classes those days. CCTV footage captured the pair kissing in an elevator before heading to the room Lofthouse had booked. When Lofthouse was arrested in June last year, he told officers he was pretty sure he knew why. Her daughter, 43-year-old Michel Davis-Pearson, has been arrested and police said they are looking for another daughter On Tuesday, she told police they had been arguing when she took a gun from him before firing it twice, according to arrest report But when investigators arrived at the scene, evidence suggested suicide was staged, police said Police initially received reports of a suicide on Monday night when she told them she found her ex-husband with a gunshot wound to his head Judith Nix, 69, was arrested on a first-degree murder complaint after being accused of shooting her ex-husband Kenneth Nix, 69 An Oklahoma woman accused of shooting her ex-husband then staging his death as a suicide has been arrested on a first-degree murder complaint. Judith Nix, 69, told police she found her ex-husband Kenneth Nix, 69, dead in the master bedroom of a Broken Arrow home on Monday with a gunshot wound to his head, and a gun under his hand. On Tuesday, she told police that she and her ex-husband had been arguing when she took a gun away from him before firing it twice, her arrest and booking report stated according to Tulsa World. After the second shot, Kenneth Nix 'laid back on the bed' and died, according to the report. Judith Nix, 69, of Oklahoma (left) who is accused of shooting her ex-husband Kenneth Nix, 69, (right) then staging his death as a suicide was arrested on a first-degree murder complaint Authorities were called to a Broken Arrow home (pictured) on Monday to respond to a reported suicide. However, authorities said they found evidence that suggested the suicide had been staged Broken Arrow Police Sgt. Scott Lillard said when officers arrived at the home for a reported suicide on Monday, they found evidence suggested the suicide had been staged. The arrest report revealed that a span of more than 14 hours passed between the time Kenneth Nix was shot to when Judith Nix eventually called 911. On Tuesday one of her daughters, 43-year-old Michel Davis-Pearson, was arrested for accessory after the fact and was one of two daughters that Nix had allegedly discussed the incident with throughout the day. Neither of the daughters reportedly ever went to authorities after speaking with their mother. On Tuesday, Davis-Pearson reportedly acknowledged that her mother told her she had shot Kenneth Nix, according to Tulsa World. Davis-Pearson also told police her mother, another daughter and her had all discussed the incident, and that her mother considered 'staging a robbery, running and making it look like a suicide.' Authorities previously said it is not clear how much involvement Judith Nix's daughters might have had in the incident, and police are still searching for the other daughter. Police said the other daughter will likely be arrested on the same complaint as Davis-Pearson. During their investigation, authorities said Judith Nix's story was inconsistent with others' versions of the day's events. On Monday when police had responded to the home, Judith Nix said she had gone to check on her ex-husband, entering the home through the garage door before finding him in the master bedroom. Judith Nix's daughter, 43-year-old Michel Davis-Pearson, was arrested for accessory after the fact She told police she then found him dead, lying on the bed with a gun under his hand, according to the arrest report. Officers said they found evidence that suggested the suicide had been staged but did not elaborate on the details of that evidence. At one point during the investigation, a Tulsa police officer contacted Broken Arrow detectives with information he had received from someone who knew Judith Nix's daughters. According to the arrest report, the officer said the daughters had told the person that Judith Nix shot her ex-husband and had discussed the shooting with them. Meanwhile as Broken Arrow officers spoke with Judith Nix that day, she was taken to a local hospital for a medical condition and was there in custody under police guard. Judith and Kenneth Nix were married in February 1985 in Las Vegas before Kenneth Nix filed for divorce in January 2011, citing irreconcilable differences, Tulsa World reported. He reportedly dismissed the case 16 days later before Judith Nix would file for divorce in August 2011, also filing a protective order against him. In an affidavit seeking the protective order, she said she was 'in fear' for her life, noting her husband's 'violent past' and that the abuse had been ongoing for two years. Judith Nix claimed that her then-husband had threatened her with 'bodily harm' multiple times and that he intimidated her 'into subjecting to him', using 'threatening gestures and name calling, Tulsa World reported. Judith and Kenneth Nix (pictured) were reportedly married in February 1985 in Las Vegas before they were eventually granted a divorce in September 2011. Previously, police responded to three domestic-related calls at the house The protective order was dismissed when she nor her husband appeared in court. Eventually they were divorced in September 2011 but at some point after the divorce, Judith Nix's divorce lawyer said he understood the couple got back together, according to Tulsa World. Previously, police have responded to three domestic-related calls at the house. Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt today claimed Brexit would make Britain safer despite her boss insisting it was a 'ridiculous' suggestion. Ms Mordaunt said 'freedom' was at stake in the EU referendum in June as the 'forced harmonisation' of single market rules stopped people achieving their ambitions. The intervention came as Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, also claimed a Brexit could be good for security as it would free Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights and free movement rules. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon today branded claims Britain was safer outside the EU as 'ridiculous'. Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt, left at a live firing exercise in January, and right in Downing Street, has called for Brexit to protect Britain's 'freedom' The Brussels attacks have thrown security arguments to the heart of the referendum battle. Ms Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, made her intervention at a pro-Brexit LGBT event in central London. She said: 'I understand that you understand why that freedom is so important. I understand, as well that you know, that freedom needs defending. 'The freedom for every individual, every human being to thrive, to reach their full potential. And to do that we need democracy. 'We need accountability. And we need our sovereignty back.' The Minister added: 'All that is at stake. It's not just that freedom, but our ability also to defend it, which a subject very close to my heart.' Sir Richard said Europe could not turn its back on Britain if it left the EU because our intelligence services 'give much more' than they get in return. In any event, Washington was a more important counter-terror ally, he said. The former spy chief also dismissed suggestions that Brexit would harm our relationship with the US and likened the EU's various intelligence bodies to the 'leakiest ships of state' and colanders riddled with holes. Safer out of the EU: Sir Richard Dearlove David Cameron and other senior ministers have relied heavily on claims that Britain is more secure inside the Brussels club because of measures like the European arrest warrant. But, in a devastating intervention, Sir Richard said: 'Few would notice its passing.' His assessment was backed by a government minister and London Mayor Boris Johnson who warned EU judges were making it harder to throw out fanatics. But Europol boss Rob Wainwright today insisted the EU provided vital links to keep track of an estimated 5,000 suspected ISIS members in Europe. Sir Richard, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1999 to 2004, wrote in the current affairs magazine Prospect: 'Whether one is an enthusiastic European or not, the truth about Brexit from a national security perspective is that the cost to Britain would be low. 'Brexit would bring two potentially important security gains: the ability to dump the European Convention on Human Rights remember the difficulty of extraditing the extremist Abu Hamza of the Finsbury Park Mosque and, more importantly, greater control over immigration from the European Union.' He adds: 'Britain is Europe's leader in intelligence and security matters and gives much more than it gets in return. Mr Fallon told BBC Newsnight 'this is not the time for us to be leaving an international partnership like the EU'. He continued: 'We benefit of course. We, in a way, have the advantage of both worlds. 'We keep control of our borders but we benefit because we share the intelligence, the flight information and the cooperation that there is between security forces across Europe.' Mr Fallon added: 'We are not jeopardising the security of our citizens, that is a ridiculous argument.' Threat: A woman injured in the Brussels Metro blast is given emergency treatment outside the station In his analysis, Sir Richard said Britain's intelligence relationships would not be damaged outside the EU because the most crucial information is shared bilaterally. He said: 'It is difficult to imagine any of the other EU members ending the relationships they already enjoy with the UK.' He says liaison between allies is partly driven by 'moral considerations' so that if Germany learns of a terrorist plot against London, it would not withhold the intelligence from MI5 simply because the UK is not in the EU. Sir Richard concludes: 'Would Brexit damage our defence and intelligence relationship with the United States, which outweighs anything European by many factors of 10? I conclude confidently that no, it would not. 'There would be disapproval of Brexit in Washington, and some disappointment too, but the practical consideration of living in a dangerous world and depending on true friends would win out. In short, Europe would be the potential losers in national security. 'But if Brexit happened, the UK would almost certainly show the magnanimity not to make its European partners pay the cost.' Horror: Nidhi Chaphekar, (right) an Indian air stewardess from Mumbai, lies injured at the airport in Brussels Appalling scenes: An injured man lies bleeding on the floor of Zaventem airport in Brussels Mr Wainwright told the BBC: 'We are concerned about the extent we are now uncovering of a more widespread terrorist network than first feared. We are faced by a more dangerous threat by the so called Islamic State. 'We are concerned about a community of about 5,000 suspects that have been radicalised in Europe and sent to Syria and Iraq for training. And they have a new strategy to take us on in a more aggressive way by using well-trained, well-planned terrorists for attacks designed to do mass damage. 'It's important we come together in a more integrated way to establish the full extent of the network. In the past 10 years we have seen huge progress in the EU in building up a greater capacity to fight terrorism and crime. I see the benefits of that for British police.' Mr Wainwright said the European arrest warrant had helped 'fast track' 1,000 offenders off Britain's streets and included 300,000 suspects on a database. He added: 'The idea that somehow we would be better off by removing our access to dozens of databases and police co-operation instruments is a serious miscalculation and does not stand up to scrutiny. It does not make sense.' TRUMP ATTACK ON UK MUSLIMS Donald Trump sparked a row last night after claiming British Muslims would not tip off the police about suspected terrorists. The outspoken Republican presidential frontrunner said some were guilty of 'protecting' extremists and would not raise the alarm if they discovered plans for a Brussels-style bomb attack. Mr Trump told ITV's Good Morning Britain yesterday he had 'great respect' for Muslims, but added: 'They are protecting each other but they're really doing very bad damage. So there is something going on, I would say this, to the Muslims and in the United States also, when they see trouble, they have to report it, they're not reporting it, they're absolutely not reporting it and that's a big problem.' The comments sparked outrage from Muslim leaders and immediate condemnation from senior politicians including Home Secretary Theresa May, who said he was 'just plain wrong'. One police counter-terrorism chief accused Mr Trump of 'playing into the hands of terrorists'. Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu said the US billionaire risked 'demonising' those the police relied on for help. Miqdaad Versi, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the claim was 'just not true'. Advertisement Theresa May yesterday said EU membership and access to its intelligence was 'of benefit' in thwarting terror plots. The Home Secretary told MPs: 'I think there are a number of mechanisms that we are part of within the EU that do enhance our security.' But Boris Johnson and farming minister George Eustice both warned that EU membership was harming national security. The London Mayor told MPs: 'I've seen various people quoted as saying that remaining in the EU is essential for security. 'I think it's important to put a countervailing point which is that there are some ways now that the European Court of Justice is militating against our ability to control our borders in the way we want to and indeed to maintain proper surveillance. 'If you look at the case of Abu Hamza's niece, who tried to smuggle SIM cards to him in prison, we couldn't deport her not because of the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights but because of the European Court in Luxembourg, which is now able to adjudicate on the entire corpus of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.' Mr Eustice said the Schengen zone of passport-free travel on the continent meant terrorists could move more freely within the EU.' Yesterday Belgium's ambassador to the UK, Guy Trouveroy, also conceded that free movement increased the risk of terrorist attacks. He said: 'There is no hiding... It is an issue.' But No.10 pointed to comments by David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terror laws, and former Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind, who both insisted Britain would be safer inside the EU. Stand off: Theresa May, right yesterday, said EU membership and access to its intelligence was 'of benefit' in thwarting terror plots. But Boris Johnson warned that membership was harming national security Mr Anderson told the BBC that the UK, which is not in the Schengen zone, is 'much easier to defend' because of our sea border despite the huge cost and inconvenience to travellers. Last night former Home Secretary Lord Howard called the EU a 'failing project' that is 'failing to keep its people safe'. A farmer who faced jail for building a 1million illegal castle secretly behind hay bales is finally knocking it down after a nine-year legal battle. Robert Fidler, 67, built his dream mock-Tudor home on green belt land in Salfords, Surrey, and hid it from town planners behind hay bales and a huge tarpaulin. He was first ordered to tear it down in 2007, and since then has submitted 40 planning applications as he battled to keep the structure. However, in November a High Court judge told him that it must be gone by June - or he would face prison. Scroll down for video Fidler on the roof: Farmer Robert Fidler (foreground, wearing a navy jumper and jeans) who faced jail for building a 1million illegal castle secretly behind hay bales is finally knocking it down after a nine-year battle Today, the father-of-six could be seen working alongside builders removing tiles from the roof of luxury Honeycrock farm as the demolition work finally began. The farmer had hoped that by concealing the house at Honeycrock Farm he could exploit a loophole that meant if a construction was uncontested for four years, authorities could not touch it. The main features of the four-bedroom property include a stained-glass dome above the stairwell, weathered brick and stone, cannons, battlements, carved wooden pillars and wooden beams. It is believed it would be worth 1million without the legal case hanging over it. Secret castle: Robert Fidler, 67, built his dream mock-Tudor home on green belt land in Salfords, Surrey, and hid it from town planners behind hay bales and a huge tarpaulin Man at work: Mr Fidler is seen, drill in hand, as he works on the roof of the property where his family have lived since 2002 Mr Fidler, who has 11 grandchildren, started as a tenant farmer at Honeycrock Farm in the 1970s and bought the farmyard and ten acres of land in 1985. Howeverm there was no farmhouse so from 2000 he began building the house around two grain silos at a cost of 50,000. Mr Fidler, who has compared his creation to the work of Picasso, had argued that the reason he built the property was because planning authority in Surrey failed to acknowledge an application to convert an existing property for nine years. His family moved into the home in 2002 but it was later discovered by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, which ordered its demolition in 2007. Plan: The farmer had hoped that by concealing the house at Honeycrock Farm he could exploit a loophole that meant if a construction was uncontested for four years, authorities could not touch it Home: Mr Fidler's family moved into the home in 2002 but it was later discovered by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, which ordered its demolition in 2007 The Planning Inspectorate dismissed his appeals, but in November 2014 he was granted temporary planning permission for a maximum of three years. However, former Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles later withdrew this. He had later tried to argue against a court injunction ordering the property's demolition, claiming he would be breaking European laws by knocking down the house without establishing the potential impact on 'roosting' bats currently living at the property. He also said he had found protected and newts living on the premises. And he also claimed that he was no longer the owner of the property, having sold it to a buyer earlier this year who granted him temporary 'asylum'. Couple: Mr Fidler with his wife Linda. It is believed their home would be worth 1million without the legal case hanging over it Order: In November, Mr Fidler was told by High Court judge Mr Justice Dove that he could face a three-month prison sentence for his 'intentional defiance' unless he pulls it down by June 6 of this year Features: The main features of the four-bedroom property include a stained-glass dome above the stairwell, cannons, battlements and wooden beams However, in November he was told by High Court judge Mr Justice Dove that he could face a three-month prison sentence for his 'intentional defiance' unless he pulls it down by June 6 of this year. After listening to the case, the judge had said Mr Fidler was an 'intelligent and determined' man, but said that intelligence and determination had led him to his 'intentional defiance' of the orders of the court. ROBERT FIDLER'S PLANNING WOES June 2002: Robert Fidler secretly builds his 1m home and hides it behind a large bale of hay. 2006: Fidler removes the bales, uncovering his home, believing he can exploit a planning loophole and seeks retrospective planning permission 2007: Reigate and Banstead Borough Council order him to demolish the house. February 2010: Fidler loses his first High Court appeal against the councils decision February 2013: The Planning Inspectorate ruled that Fidler should demolish his home November 2014: Fidler appeals again claiming he keeps his cows on the land and needs to live nearby. April 2015: Fidler loses his latest appeal and is ordered to knock down his house within 90 days. June 2015: Fidler claims he can no longer demolish the house because he has sold it. November 2015: A judge rejects his appeal, and hands Fidler a three-month prison sentence for failing to comply with a court order to tear the property down. It was suspended, on the condition the property is no longer standing by June 6. March 2016: Fidler is seen on the roof of the home as demolition work begins. Advertisement He was satisfied that there had been 11 intentional breaches which deserved a prison sentence of three months. But bearing in mind the objective was to get the property demolished for breaking planning laws, he said he would suspend the sentence until June next year to give him time. He made it clear that if the property was still standing in seven months' time, he would not only jail Mr Fidler for three months but also consider a further sentence for his further contempt. He also ordered the farmer to pay the council's legal costs, estimated in the region of 50,000. The judge rejected the application by Mr Fidler to vary the order pending further applications to build somewhere on the farm for him to live in, despite his claims he needs to live on the farm to look after his herd of 120 cattle and was in a 'desperate situation.' The council has said the case had so far cost 50,000 to take through the legal process but said it had to take Mr Fidler to court after he refused to comply with court orders and an injunction. Last month it was revealed that Mr Fidler was in hot water again with the council, after he applied for permission to transform the secret castle into a two-bedroom bungalow - but planners refused to even consider the application. Mr Fidler claims he's submitted more than 40 planning applications to the council in the nine-year battle over the property. 'It cost me a great deal of money to do all the due things,' he said after the latest application was thrown out. 'We offered to take the top off on the house and turn it into a bungalow or perhaps a cottage, something they would be happy with. 'Even with the depths they have stooped to, I'm shocked that they have done that. I don't understand why they have done it. But as far as I'm concerned I don't see there's any point in arguing.' Alan Watkins was ordered to pay back just under 100,000 by a Southwark Crown Court judge A gang leader who made more than 3million stealing luxury cars has been ordered to pay back less than 100,000. Alan Watkins, 45, from Essex, placed tracking devices under vehicles like Range Rovers, BMWs, and Audis so he could choose when and where to steal them. The process is know as 'ringing' and enables thieves to hack into a car's onboard computer to make a copy of the electronic key. Watkins, from Witham, is already in prison, after being caught and jailed in 2012 along with Lee Fullick and professional car thief Sukvinder Matto. And on Thursday last week, a judge at Southwark Crown Court ruled he must pay back just 97,032.96 in the next three months. Watkins personally made 1,102,000 from the scam. If he fails to pay the money back within three months he faces an additional year in prison on top of his eight-year sentence. During the trial, prosecutor David Durose said: 'Watkins was involved in car-ringing on what can only be termed as an industrial scale over many years. 'There is specific evidence connecting these conspiracies to the ringing of over 150 separate stolen vehicles. 'This is a conservative estimate as the seized evidence - including Watkins own records of his offending - suggests the true figure may be significantly higher.' False identities were created for scores of vehicles so they could be sold without arousing suspicion. The court heard how Watkins took more than 150 vehicles, including BMWs, Range Rovers and Audis, which had been exported to Cyprus, and cloned them. He had details of more than 500 vehicles and had all the required documentation to ring over 300 luxury cars. When police searched Watkins' home they found pictures of him posing with bundles of cash. Watkins created 'ringing packages' consisting of bundles of documents and identification certificates to make the stolen cars appear legitimate. Mr Durose continued: 'The number of vehicles involved in this conspiracy is thought to be unprecedented in the experience of the Metropolitan Police stolen vehicle unit. 'The expertise and quality of the ringing involved - particularly when there is evidence that Watkins did this himself - is also unprecedented. Pictured: The gang's base where they would create 'ringing packages' consisting of bundles of documents and identification certificates to make the stolen cars appear legitimate Some of the stolen cars which Watkins' gang would steal after tracking them using electronic devices 'Adding the number of ringing packages actually used on stolen vehicles gives a minimum of 173 stolen vehicles that formed part of these conspiracies. 'Few would be valued at less then 20,000 and many recovered cloned vehicles were worth very much more. 'The crown suggests that an average range of 15,000 to 20,000 puts the value of the stolen vehicles that Watkins has been involved with personally at between 2.5 million and 3.5 million.' Mr Durose described the operation as 'systematic and highly organised'. Watkins would single out cars based on whether similar models had been exported to Cyprus, and chose similar vehicles in car parks across Essex. When the unsuspecting owners left their car, one of his gang would target the car with a signal blocker, preventing the remote controlled locking systems from working. Mr Durose explained that the thief would then enter the unlocked car, and hack into its computer system to access information on its key before installing a covert GPS tracking device. Police raided his home and not only found evidence of the car-ringing gang, but a stun gun, pepper spray, a CS gas canister, 9mm ammunition, and false driving licences The information on them was then passed on to Watkins, who created a copy of the key, so that thieves could steal the car, without causing any damage to it, at a later date. Watkins was caught out after a laptop of his was seized when he wa s arrested in connection with an aggravated burglary of which he was later acquitted. When police raided his home they not only found evidence of the car-ringing gang, but a stun gun, pepper spray, CS gas canister, 9mm ammunition, and false driving licences. Sentencing him back in 2012, Judge Anthony Pitts said: 'This offending is top end car ringing. 'The extent of the criminality involved was sophisticated and high value - hundreds of vehicles were involved one way or another. A prominent former New York City emergency room doctor already charged with sexually assaulting two women in his care has been indicted on new charges that he sexually assaulted two other women he treated, prosecutors announced Thursday. David Newman, a married father-of-two who wrote a book on the patient-doctor relationship, victimized three of the women at Mount Sinai Hospital on separate occasions in August, September and October as well as a fourth woman in January, according to court papers. Newman told a detective in January when asked about the allegations that he was 'embarrassed' because he had masturbated in the emergency room lounge, which could have resulted in ejaculation transfer. 'I am embarrassed because I w**ked off in the lounge, and it was possible that that the ejaculate may have gone from my hands to the woman's blanket,' he told investigators, according to a court filing by prosecutors. David Newman, a 45-year-old ER doctor and father-of-two, allegedly victimized four women at Mount Sinai Hospital on separate occasions Newman told a detective in January that he was 'embarrassed' about the accusations because he had masturbated in the emergency room lounge and that his ejaculation could have transferred from his hands to the woman's blanket or face while he treated her A hospital spokeswoman said Newman no longer works at Mount Sinai and records show his medical license was suspended in February amid a state medical board investigation 'Semen may have also transferred from my hand to her face during the time I treated her,' he added. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr, called the woman's abuse while under sedation by a doctor a patient's 'nightmare scenario'. 'I would like to thank these brave women for their strength in coming forward,' he added. Newman, 45, of Montclair, New Jersey, now faces a total of five counts of sex abuse, four in the third degree and one in the first degree. He has pleaded not guilty to all the counts. His attorney didn't immediately return a message seeking comment on the charges. A hospital spokeswoman said Newman no longer works at Mount Sinai and records show his medical license was suspended in February amid a state medical board investigation. The investigation into Newman began after a woman who was treated for shoulder pain in January told police Newman gave her morphine and then masturbated on her. In a civil lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court last month, the woman said semen on her face tested positive for Newman's DNA. The woman, through her attorney, declined to comment. 'I can't believe this is happening,' he told the detective, according to the court filing. 'What you are saying I did doesn't make sense either.' Newman faces a total of five counts of sex abuse, four in the third degree and one in the first degree. He has pleaded not guilty to all the counts The assaults allegedly happened to different women on separate occasions in August, September and October, with a fourth in January, according to court papers Following his arrest, the other women, whose ages ranged from 18 to 29 and were treated in the emergency room for a headache, a cold and a rash, came forward alleging they were similarly abused by Newman at Mount Sinai, authorities said. The former doctor 'abused (his) privilege' as a physician and 'preyed upon young, vulnerable, minority women', prosecutor Eun-Ha Kim said in Manhattan Supreme Court, according to the New York Daily News. There was 'no legitimate medical reason to fondle these women's breasts,' Kim added. Newman told cops that he administered an extra dose of sedative to the woman with shoulder pain and it wasn't recorded on the patient's chart, Kim said. In the police report, Newman suggested that the woman was doped up, so she couldn't offer a reliable account of what happened. 'She may be mistaken about me ejaculating on her face because she was on morphine,' Newman told cops, court documents show. Newman is the author of 'Hippocrates' Shadow: Secrets From the House of Medicine', a book that examines 'the fraying of patient-doctor relations' and advocates a 'new paradigm to rebuild the bridge between physicians and their patients'. Newman described himself as 'an emergency room physician, an Army veteran who was deployed to a combat support hospital in Baghdad in 2005, and a biomedical researcher in the field of cardiac-arrest resuscitation' in a 2013 New York Times op-ed piece advocating stricter gun control. A Somali sex gang jailed for 116 years for raping children as young as 13 got away with their crimes for six months due to failures by the authorities. Victims of the abuse ring were groomed online and have warned children to 'stay away from Facebook' as it was revealed that police are being investigated for failing to stop the gang. The nine vulnerable girls aged between 13 and 17 were preyed upon, sexually abused and trafficked across Bristol where they were mercilessly passed around the men's friends for money. One 13-year-old was raped three times at a hotel in the city by gang members Jusuf Abdirizak, 20, and Said Zakaria, 22, who are among the 14 men jailed in November 2014. One 13-year-old was raped three times at a Bristol hotel by gang members Jusuf Abdirizak, 20, (pictured checking in to the hotel) and Said Zakaria, 22, Said Zakaria, 22, (left) was jailed for 11 years for two counts of rape and two counts of sexual activity with a child. Jusuf Abdirizak, 20, (right) was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for the rape of the 13-year-old girl at the Premier Inn Now social workers, police, teachers and health professionals have been criticised by a serious case review into the abuse, which found that authorities were 'slow to recognise' that girls in Bristol were being abused, raped and forced into prostitution by the gang. The serious case review was commissioned by Bristol Safeguarding Children Board and another safeguarding children board that cannot be identified for legal reasons. Both councils have apologised for the girls' ordeal, while Avon and Somerset Police are being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) over the way detectives initially dealt with what became Operation Brooke. The report said the victims were contacted via social media and were encouraged to send photos and to meet men in other parts of the country - noting that grooming and exploitation over the internet was a growing national problem. Mohamed Jumale, known as Deeq, (left) convinced girls it was 'his tradition' for the girl to have sex with his friends, including his brother Omar Jumale (right) Mohamed Dahir, 22, (left) known as Kamal, was convicted of causing or inciting one girl into child prostitution, while Abdirashid Abdulahi, 21, (right) nicknamed Abs, was convicted of rape in relation to another victim Some of the victims were interviewed by the authors Jenny Myers and Edi Carmi and warned other young people to 'stay away from Facebook', and spoke of not being safe, which they described as the 'Jimmy Savile feeling'. They also advised 'don't hang around with people that you are not willing to take home or that you would not hang around with together with their families'. Many of the girls were groomed to view the abuse as a normal part of being the 'girlfriend' of a Somali man, as it was said to be 'culture and tradition' to be raped by their 'boyfriend's' friends. Liban Abdi, 22, Mustapha Farah, 22, Arafat Osman, 21, Idleh Osman, 23, Abdulahi Aden, 22, Said Zakaria, 23, Mustafa Deria, 24, and Deria's cousin Mohamed Jama, 22, were all jailed for between 18 months and 13 years for either child sexual exploitation or drugs offences. The second trial focused on another group of young Somali men - but included Zakaria - and their grooming and subsequent sexual abuse of young girls in Bristol. 'STAY AWAY FROM FACEBOOK': ADVICE FROM THE VICTIMS FOR OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE Five of the nine girls who were preyed upon by the men spoke out during an independent review into the authorities' failings. The girls warned other children to 'stay away from Facebook' and also spoke of 'the Jimmy Savile feeling' - which they described as telling someone if you feel unsafe. Their key tip was 'don't hang around with people that you are not willing to take home or that you would not hang around with together with their families'. They also advised: 'Don't try to fit in with your friends by using drugs and smoking, try and have self-worth and self-respect and talk to an adult. 'True friends can be helpful but sometimes it is hard to see whom your true friends are and they may spread stuff about you around. 'Go home and call police, tell someone - don't worry about being embarrassed, it happens to others and they will understand. 'Speak to teachers, let counsellors talk to you and help you sort your head out. Try not to dwell on things that have happened, think of other things. 'Having someone work with your Mum and family really helps. Finally, if you feel someone is not safe - what was described as the Jimmy Saville feeling - tell someone, you are almost certainly right.' Sally Lewis, independent chairman of the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board, said children faced 'pressures' from social media. 'You can see what an easy tool it is to misuse for perpetrators in every way,' she said. 'Increasingly the location for abuse happening is on the internet. In terms of the controls we place on the internet, we know it can be a hugely helpful place for learning, it can also be a very dangerous location.' Advertisement Mohamed Jumale, 21, Mohamed Dahir, 23, Zakaria, Jusuf Abdizirak, 21, Omar Jumale, 21, Abdirashid Abdulahi, 23 and Sakariah Sheik, 22, were all convicted of child sexual exploitation offences and jailed for between two and 11 years. Much of the abuse took place in Easton, Bristol - an area notorious for drugs and prostitution - after a vulnerable 16-year-old girl in the care was dumped in sheltered accommodation. She was moved to the area by the other local authority, but Bristol City Council was not informed. The area was a hotbed of drugs and prostitution and a group of dealers soon set up their headquarters in the flat. Some paid and 'sold' the teenager, and three of her friends, for sex. 'Police were called to the flat a number of times and the young person on occasions made limited disclosures of sexual offences,' the report said. But she would later reassure workers that 'everything was now fine', so nothing was done. The report highlighted a number of shortcomings by the authorities whose multi-agency working 'was not joined up', the review said. It also said that national policy was 'confused' making it difficult for the differences between sexual abuse and consensual underage sexual activity to be recognised by the authorities. The report found that contraception was dished out to girls as young as 12, who went to their GPs complaining of heavy bleeding, abdominal pains and needing tests for STDs, the report found. Meanwhile schools 'struggled to distinguish between disruptive behaviour and early signs of vulnerability', meaning abused pupils were excluded rather than being cared for. Police and social carers did not share enough information with headteachers, with one child missing for three days before the school was told, the report said. 'These children suffered significant harm, that there was considerable delay at times in identifying what was happening to them and understanding the nature and extent of abuse and exploitation they were experiencing,' the report said. 'In general, professionals from all the key agencies were slow to recognise during this time period that sexual exploitation of any of the children was taking place. 'They did not listen enough to the concerns of parents who were describing it and seemed to view it as consensual underage sexual activity. 'When the review team considered the history of the children, in hindsight it was possible to identify a large number of missed opportunities to recognise that the children were at risk of significant harm through sexual abuse, and that in some cases this abuse constituted sexual exploitation.' The case follows similar exploitation of teenagers across English towns and cities such as Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford and Telford. But unlike Rotherham the serious case review found there was 'no endemic failure to act on concerns' once they were identified by the authorities. Sakariah Sheik (left) was jailed for four years. Liban Abdi, 21, (right) was jailed for a total of 13 years and eight months Mustapha Farah, 21, (left) were convicted of convicted of preying on vulnerable teenage girls and paying for their sexual services and jailed following the first trial. Idleh Osman, 22, (right) known as Sniper who has been found guilty of arranging or facilitating payment for sexual services of a child It did find however, that austerity cuts left the police so stretched it took six months to launch an investigation, during which time the girls were passed around for 'horrific' sexual exploitation. Some officers were so busy they had 100 crimes waiting to be reviewed in their inbox, the report revealed, while delays meant the men - mostly refugees - were free to abuse the nine girls undetected, subjecting them to ordeals 'beyond most people's comprehension'. The IPCC said seven detectives and one member of police staff had since been served with notices of investigation. Three detective constables and two detective sergeants - one of whom was a detective constable at the time - have been served with gross misconduct notices relating to potential concerns with the timeliness and quality of their investigation into child sexual exploitation allegations. One inspector, a police sergeant, who was an acting inspector at the time, and a police staff member have been served with misconduct notices due to potential concerns with how they handled a missing persons report. IPCC Commissioner Cindy Butts said: 'The potential failings by the officers and staff member referred to us are undergoing a full and thorough investigation by the IPCC. 'We are continuing to work to identify what, if any, failings occurred, and what recommendations might be provided to assist police in preventing the issues occurring again.' Arafat Ahmed Osman, 20, (left) was also a member of the gang. Abdulahi Aden, 20, (right) was found guilty of rape in the first trial THE 14 MEN PROSECUTED AS PART OF OPERATION BROOKE A total of 14 Somali men were jailed in 2014 following two trials at Bristol Crown Court for child exploitation or drugs offences. They received sentences ranging from 18 months' to 13 years' imprisonment. The first trial centred on a group of Somali drug dealers based in the Stapleton Road area of Easton in inner city Bristol and their exploitation of primarily one teenager. She had been moved into a flat on her own off Stapleton Road and left almost unsupervised by social workers from outside the city, who had not told the Bristol authorities she was there. The girl was pinned to a bed in the hotel room and raped by Zakaria, before he took her into the bathroom and raped her a second time. The girl went back into the bedroom where Abdirizak (pictured) raped her Liban Abdi, 22, Mustapha Farah, 22, Arafat Osman, 21, Idleh Osman, 23, Abdulahi Aden, 22, Said Zakaria, 23, Mustafa Deria, 24, and Deria's cousin Mohamed Jama, 22, were all jailed for between 18 months and 13 years for either child sexual exploitation or drugs offences. The second trial focused on another group of young Somali men - but included Zakaria - and their grooming and subsequent sexual abuse of young girls in Bristol. Mohamed Jumale, 21, Mohamed Dahir, 23, Zakaria, Jusuf Abdizirak, 21, Omar Jumale, 21, Abdirashid Abdulahi, 23 and Sakariah Sheik, 22, were all convicted of child sexual exploitation offences and jailed for between two and 11 years. Avon and Somerset Police launched its investigation, codenamed Operation Brooke, in the summer of 2013 when officers went to the flat off Stapleton Road looking for a 14-year-old runaway and found her hiding in a cupboard in just her underwear. The teenager had gone to the flat because she was the younger sister of the 16-year-old tenant, who had been placed there at short notice in 'supported living accommodation'. Social workers left her alone with just two hours of supervision a day from care workers and quickly fell victim to the Somali drug dealers she met on the Stapleton Road. In sentencing the men, Judge Michael Roach had questioned the wisdom of social workers placing the girl alone and almost unsupervised in the flat, which was run by an independent housing and support company. 'I hope there will be an opportunity for the authorities to reconsider their thinking behind such a placement because it has, on any retrospective view, added considerably to the damage of that young person,' he said. Advertisement Police admitted yesterday that there were failings in the way the case was handled. Assistant Chief Constable Kay Wozniak, of Avon and Somerset Constabulary, said: 'We recognise that there were shortcomings. 'Unfortunately, financial pressures continue not just in Avon and Somerset but across the country.' She added that cases of child abuse have risen by around 25 per cent year on year recently, but added that child sexual exploitation is now a priority and received 'enhanced' funding. The report also found that doctors failed to make links between patients at different clinics around the city. Speaking after the sexual abuse was expose, one GP declared it was 'bloody obvious' what was happening, adding, 'but we never looked'. Dr Maria Bredow, representing Bristol NHS organisations, said: 'The vast majority of these young people think they are in loving and consensual relationships because they are groomed and manipulated. 'They are abused, raped and they are terrified. They are children. This is the hidden evil.' Mustafa Deria was found guilty of rape and jailed for a total of seven years and six months Doctors and frontline workers are now asking those difficult questions so they can pick up on the abuse, she said. John Readman, strategic director for people at Bristol City Council, said: 'This truly awful case highlights how children can become subjected to sexual exploitation far too easily. 'We are sorry for their experiences and their voices will help guide us and our colleagues in partner agencies on how we support victims and hopefully help us all spot the signs of a child being sexually exploited much earlier in future. 'We can never remove risk completely but sexual exploitation is an abhorrent crime and we are committed to working with our partners and families to prevent and tackle sexual exploitation in all its forms.' A spokesman for the unnamed local authority also apologised for its failings. 'We are very sorry about what happened to the victims in this case and from the moment the abuse came to light we wanted to make sure that we did everything possible to learn from what took place,' he said. 'The serious case review has shown that our staff did their best to work with and help the victims, but they were sometimes prevented from intervening effectively because of failings both in the way some of our services and systems were designed, and in the way some organisations, including us, worked together and shared information. 'It is also clear that in our case specifically, we had some way to go at the time to make sure the work we had already done to educate staff about child sexual exploitation was effective right across the council. 'We did not wait for the serious case review to be published to address this and our staff are now much better able to recognise typical signs of child sexual exploitation and robustly act to help prevent it. ' An NSPCC spokesman said: 'This review reveals worrying gaps in child protection that may well be putting young people at risk of harm in other regions. 'It highlights a system established to deal with familial abuse but not sexual exploitation - a despicable crime that ruins so many lives. 'It also shows the sense of confusion among some frontline professionals when it comes to distinguishing between consensual sex and gang grooming. 'For too long there was no consideration the young victims had been targeted, meaning there were missed opportunities to help them and so escalate concerns into a multi-agency response. 'Despite the apparent vulnerability of these children there was no consistent approach, leaving these children exposed to continued exploitation for a considerable period of time.' A Florida couple's take-out dinner landed them both in the slammer when a woman threw a burrito at her husband, and he stabbed her hand with a fork in retaliation, police said. Suzanne Hulvert, 51, and Carl Owen Smith, 66, both face felony charges after their spicy dinner turned sour when Hulvert brought up Smith's desire to go out drinking at bars every night. Police said Hulvert threw her half-eaten Taco Bell Burrito Supreme at the back of Smith's head in anger, only to be stabbed with the fork he was using to eat his Taco Bell Mexican Pizza. Suzanne Hulvert, 51, and Carl Owen Smith, 66, both face felony charges after Hulvert allegedly threw a burrito at her husband's head and he retaliated by stabbing her hand with a fork, police said Responding officers arrived at the couple's Crestview home shortly before midnight on Tuesday after reports of a disturbance, and found Hulvert 'calm and in good spirits'. Smith had fled the scene. The fork was so deep in Hulvert's hand it had to be removed by staff from a nearby hospital, according to the Pensacola News Journal. Hulvert allegedly threw her half-eaten Taco Bell Burrito Supreme at the back of her husband's head Evidence of the fight was found all over with the room, with burrito scattered on the floor, sofa and even a lamp shade. An officer found Smith at a Crestview bar, where he claimed he had only thrown a fork at his wife but did not stab her. When he was shown a photograph of Hulvert's hand, he laughed. The officer said Smith then began detailing the couple's long history of mutual domestic violence in the relationship. A gang of nine have been jailed for more than 90 years for their part in a large-scale drugs operation. And two drug lords who ran the operation while on day release from an open prison have been given long jail sentences. Anthony Delima-Bey, 32, of West End Road, Ruislip, was sentenced to 22 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine at Northampton crown court. Kevin Bell, 33, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Paul Pierson, 36, of Hertfordshire, was jailed for ten years; Warwick Cobley, 46, of Deanshanger, was jailed for 21 years; and Zoltan Arva, 39, of Hertfordshire was jailed for eight years Kevin Bell, 33, was jailed for 12 years; Michael Bell, 34, of Northampton, was jailed for two and a half years; and Nicole Abrams, 28, of Northampton, was jailed for four years Anthony Delima-Bey, 32, of Ruislip, was jailed for 22 years; Blake Ross, 46, of Milton Keynes, was jailed for seven years; and James Bell, 32, of Northampton, was jailed for four years Both men were coming towards the end of their sentences at HMP Springhill in Buckinghamshire and were being let out on day release, when they re-established ties with their criminal associates and continued their drugs enterprise. Seven others, who conspired to transport and supply drugs from London/Hertfordshire to Northamptonshire, were also sentenced. Paul Pierson, 36, of Ganymede Place, Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, Zoltan Arva, 39, of Spur Close, Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, and James Bell, 32, of Lark Rise, Northampton, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine. Pierson was sentenced to ten years in prison, Arva to eight years and James Bell to four years. Nicole Abrams, 28, of Windflower Place, Northampton pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, but was found guilty by a jury. She was sentenced to four years in prison. A search of Delima-Bey's house in West End Road, Ruislip, revealed 14,300 in 50 notes and 4,980 in 10 and 20 notes Michael Bell, 34, of Chaucer House, Chaucer Street, Northampton, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Warwick Cobley, 46, of Northfields Close, Deanshanger, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and production of cannabis. He pleaded not guilty to further charges of conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession of heroin, cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply. He was found guilty at trial and sentenced to 21 years in prison. Blake Ross, 46, of Kingsfold, Bradville, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin, cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. In total the gang were sentenced to 90 years and six months in prison. A glass jar with 5 notes amounting to 4,255 were found in Delima-Bey's house in West End Road, Ruislip Delima-Bey worked with Paul Pierson, using Zoltan Arva as a courier to supply drugs to Kevin Bell and his two cousins, brothers James and Michael Bell, Warwick Cobley and Kevin's girlfriend, Nicole Abrams. During the course of the investigation, officers arrested James Bell following a car chase. He was caught with 500g of cocaine with 78 per cent purity. Zoltan Arva was also stopped in a separate car on the A45. A bag was seized from the boot of his car, which contained 21, 020. A search of Delima-Bey's house in West End Road, Ruislip, revealed 14,300 in 50 notes, 4,980 in 10 and 20 notes, three Rolex watches with a combined estimated value of over 26,000. A glass jar with 5 notes amounted to 4,255 while two wraps containing 1.7g of cocaine with a 44 per cent purity were also found. The search also revealed pieces of paper wrapped in cling film. The paper contained a tick list with names and numbers, believed to be a dealers list. There were high value amounts on the list with the largest value being 969,000. Police drugs expert testimony revealed that the tick list referred to debts amounting to 13 million. During a search of Warwick Cobley's home in Deanshanger, officers recovered a hydraulic press - the plates had traces of cocaine and tetramisole - used as a cutting agent - on them, and electronic scales which were found to have traces of cocaine, heroin and amphetamine on them. Blake Ross worked with Cobley. Following Cobley's arrest, Ross booked into a hotel close to Cobley's home. A search of Ross' hotel room revealed heroin, cocaine and cannabis. Detective Chief Inspector Steve Durrant, who led the investigation, said: 'Both Bell and Delima-Bey showed contempt for the criminal justice system and a flagrant disregard for the trust and privileges afforded them by running drug supply networks from within prison and while on day release. 'We worked closely with HM Prison Service and the Crown Prosecution Service in this investigation. These convictions and sentences are a result of joint efforts and collaborative working. 'We will now continue further work with regards to the financial aspect of this investigation, specifically around the proceeds of their crimes.' These were just some of the comments received by students at schools across the country Police have launched an investigation after claims schoolgirls have been swamped with messages asking them to expose themselves after secretly live-streaming a lesson in school. Children using a popular live streaming app 'Periscope', which is installed on smart phones, to broadcast live to thousands of viewers around the world - while teachers are completely unaware of what is going on. The app allows viewers to type comments and ask questions in real time, which are then displayed on the screen for all users to see. In one case, viewers asked a schoolgirl to 'film up her skirt' and expose her breast sat Becket Keys Church of England School, Brentford, Essex. Other vile comments, which were seen by hundreds of other app users, included one viewer saying he wanted to 'f*** their brains out'. Two female pupils were seen filming a live during a lesson at the school with their teacher at the front of the class, completely oblivious of what was taking place. The girls chatted to live and showed various shots of the classroom and the teacher. At Greenshaw High School in Sutton, Surrey, two girls were streaming from a lesson with their phone cleverly hidden out of the sight of their teacher. They proceeded to give out their social media contact details to viewers who asked for them - with one viewer asking if they 'were watching porn'. And a female pupil at a Harris Academy in Falconwood, Kent, had her phone concealed in her school bag and was able to talk into it unnoticed during her lesson, receiving comments such as 'you show boobs'. The broadcast ended abruptly as the teacher came to stand nearby. Other live feeds showed schoolgirls in a PE lesson at a South of England academy, while online strangers made lewd sexual comments including 'I am wa**ing over you' and 'get your t*ts out'. Pupils at secondary schools in towns such as Hull, Huddersfield, Barnet, Haringey, Lewisham, Derby, Sutton, Greenwich, Newham, Lewisham, Enfield and Haringey, have been caught broadcasting live from lessons. And although none of the broadcasts viewed showed any sexual or indecent images, the comments were encouraging underage girls to expose themselves The 'Periscope' app is not only popular among young people - it is used by many businesses, media organisations, police forces and charities to stream meetings and conferences live. All the schools identified were contacted following the findings. Only Harris Academy in Falconwood has issued a statement so far. A Harris Academy Falconwood spokeswoman said: 'Mobile phones are not allowed in our school, which is a rule students usually comply with. Having had this matter drawn to our attention, we will investigate further with the two students involved.' It has been claimed schoolgirls from all over the country were caught streaming live on the app A leading children's charity said it was extremely concerned at the way social media was being used in schools. 'It's deeply shocking that children are being groomed and exploited via this social media app while in school where they should be safe,' said Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan. 'A wider conversation needs to be had around how children use their phones and the consequences in school and at home. The companies making apps must exercise social responsibility and moderate content to help protect children and alert police to sexual predators - here in the UK and across the globe. 'Technology has inevitably changed the way young people communicate and meet online. Barnardo's wants lessons on sex and healthy relationships to be compulsory in all schools, so children can understand the risks of social media apps like this.' Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and shadow minister for disabled people, said: 'This is a shocking revelation by the Government & Public Sector Journal and we must all do everything we can to warn children, their parents, carers, and schools about the potential dangers. Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan said the makers of such apps need to 'exercise social responsibility' 'Labour has highlighted increasing evidence that access to new media and technology is creating new and unprecedented risks for young people. 'We've also said that we want to make personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) classes, which covers age appropriate sex education, compulsory in all state-funded schools in England and this would be one of the first things Labour would do in government. On the other hand the Government is only saying it will keep the subject's status under review. 'This seems short-sighted to me when you consider the official guidance to all schools, including academies, on sex-and-relationships education has not been updated since 2000, before the smartphone generation were even born. 'The Government really should make this issue a priority and stop stalling.' And a department for education spokesperson said: 'Nothing is more important than keeping our children safe. 'Our statutory guidance is crystal clear that anyone who has concerns about pupils' welfare should refer to local authorities or the police if a crime is committed, and all schools must act swiftly on allegations. Advertisement These extraordinary photographs give the first insight into the bomb-making safehouse where three jihadi terrorists plotted to blow themselves up at Brussels airport and on the city's Metro system. The dilapidated flat in the city's Schaerbeek district was used by brothers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui and master bombmaker Najim Laachraoui, who killed 31 people when they set off explosives-packed suitcases and suicide vests in the devastating attacks on Tuesday morning. The images, which were captured in the aftermath of the atrocity when police carried out a series of anti-terror raids in the Schaerbeek area, show how officers seemingly busted a hole in the front door before cordoning off parts of the flat. Detectives said they discovered an undetonated bomb, an ISIS flag and several 'chemical products' used to build more explosives when they raided the property just hours after the massacres. Scroll down for video The dilapidated flat in the city's Schaerbeek district was used by brothers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui and master bombmaker Najim Laachraoui, who killed 31 people when they set off explosives-packed suitcases and suicide vests in the devastating attacks on Tuesday It is not known how long the jihadists lived in the 1960s breeze block property in Schaerbeek, and neighbours said they had not had contact with the men. Pictured: The kitchen area of the apartment shows how the terrorists left little behind before their suicide mission The pictures reveal how many items were left behind at the apartment, including a broken iPad (left) which may have been used to plot the massacres at Brussels airport and at Malbeek train station. What appears to be clothing lays abandoned in the bathtub at the apartment The dilapidated grey block of flats, in the district of Shaerbeek, north-east Brussels (pictured), is believed to have been sold relatively recently, and hosts a large number of short-term tenants. Neighbours said they did not know the terrorists had been using it as a hideout The three men, including Ibrahim al-Bakraoui (centre) and master bombmaker Najim Laachraoui (centre) called a taxi from the Schaerbeek flat early on Tuesday morning and asked the driver to take them to the airport, where they carried out the killing of 31 innocent people They also discovered a computer in a bin with Ibrahim El Bakraoui's suicide note, in which he apparently stated that he felt unsafe in the wake of the arrest of Paris terrorist Salah Abdeslam last Friday. It said: 'I am always on the move, I don't know what to do, I'm being hunted everywhere and am no longer safe. If I go on like this [I] will end up in a prison cell next to him.' The pictures reveal how few items were left behind at the apartment, including a broken iPad which may have been used to plot the massacres at Brussels airport and at Malbeek train station. The three men called a taxi from the Schaerbeek flat early on Tuesday morning and asked the driver to take them to the airport. He later admitted the men ordered him not to touch their luggage when he tried to unknowingly help them load the explosives-packed cases into the back of the cab. The terrorists had planned to take a total of four suitcases with them before unleashing the slaughter, but the taxi firm apparently provided a smaller vehicle than they had requested meaning they had to leave one deadly piece of luggage behind. Ibrahim and Laachraoui later blew themselves up and killed 14 others at a check-in desk in the crowded airport terminal, while just 79 minutes later Khalid detonated a bomb on the Metro killing 20 and injuring hundreds more. The two brothers had previously rented a flat in the Forest district which was raided by police last week, leading to the death of fellow terror suspect Mohamed Belkaid. It is not known how long the jihadists lived in the 1960s breeze block property in Schaerbeek, and neighbours said they had not had contact with the men. One neighbour, who refused to be named, claimed the men had lived there for two-and-a-half-months - with one wearing a wig. He said he 'felt bad' after he found out the evil they had done, because he had liked them. They seemed 'friendly', he revealed. If it is true that the men were seen in and around the Schaerbeek building over the last two-and-a-half months, it raises the possibility that they may have had a number of safehouses dotted around the city. They may have fled their previous hideout in Forest which was raided by armed police on March 15 and gone straight to the Schaerbeek property. One neighbour claimed the men had lived at the flat for two-and-a-half-months - with one wearing a wig. If it is true that the men were seen in and around the Schaerbeek building during that time period, it raises the possibility that they may have had a number of safehouses Many of the rooms were bare when police raided the property although the federal prosecutor said officers found an undetonated bomb, an ISIS flag and several 'chemical products' used to build bombs when they searched the apartment in the wake of the Brussels atrocities The images, which were captured in the aftermath of the atrocity when police carried out a series of anti-terror raids in the Schaerbeek area, show how officers seemingly busted a hole in the front door (left) before cordoning off parts of the flat after gathering crucial evidence Notes and sellotape were used to stick residents' names to the doors of properties, suggesting there was a high turnover of insalubrious tenants (left). The terror den, where the group made their bombs, was reportedly located at the top of the building, on the fifth floor The dilapidated grey block of flats, in the district of Shaerbeek, north-east Brussels, is believed to have been sold relatively recently, and hosts a large number of short-term tenants. Pictured: Residents' names have been taped to the buzzer system outside the grey flat block The flat sits on the corner of a side street linking two busy roads - a cut through used almost constantly. It couldn't be more different from the quiet street they chose as their other hideout in Forest. The federal prosecutor earlier confirmed that a host of bomb-making equipment was found at the flat during the raids, but these exclusive pictures give the first look into the safehouse. 'The searches that took place in the Schaerbeek (district) found an explosive device containing among other things nails,' the federal prosecutor said in a statement. 'Investigators also discovered chemicals and a flag of the Islamic State,' the statement added. The dilapidated grey block of flats in north-east Brussels is believed to have been sold relatively recently, and hosts a large number of short-term tenants. Post-it notes and sellotape were seen outside being used to stick residents' names to the overflowing postboxes, suggesting there was a high turnover of insalubrious tenants. A bare bulb illuminates the narrow hall, and splatters of paint cover the worn, tiled floor. The terror den, where the group made huge 'mother of satan' bombs, was reportedly located at the top of the building, on the fifth floor. Vast quantities of the peroxide-based explosive triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, were found in the apartment, along with other bomb-making materials and an ISIS flag. These images show where police have smashed in doors searching for evidence (left). Two doors remain sealed by police at the Schaerbeek flat. A broken tablet was found near the sealed-off apartment and another bomb, ISIS flag and suicide note were also found Detectives said they discovered an undetonated bomb, an ISIS flag and several 'chemical products' used to build more explosives when the raided they property in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels just hours after the massacres - which killed 31 and injured hundreds more A Columbian man living opposite from the terrorists' flat said that he saw them 'a number of times' and that they were 'slim, not heavily built and not friendly'. One neighbour claimed one of the jihadis often wore a wig. Pictured: A small but bare room within the terrorists' hideout When cooked, the white powder becomes highly volatile, and has been nicknamed the 'mother of Satan'. A few grams can blow off a person's hand, and larger amounts can easily destroy buildings. A Columbian man living opposite from the terrorists' flat said that he saw them 'a number of times' and that they were 'slim, not heavily built and not friendly'. According to eyewitnesses, a number of properties on the Max Roos Straat were stormed by police, with at least one man led away with duct tape around his wrists at about 9pm last night. 'They were going inside a lot of houses in the street, but mainly this apartment,' Joke Thuy, 25, a student who lives locally, told MailOnline. 'It wasn't just this apartment, it was a few places along here. They evacuated everyone from here before. 'It was so weird to think that the people were made the bombs here while I was lying in bed a few doors down.' Another resident, 77-year-old Mohamed, said there had never been any problems before on the quiet street. He told MailOnline: 'It is so sad. It's a normal street. They didn't live here very long. This is not a problem neighbourhood. 'Everyone here is friends. I am very angry and very shocked. But what can you do?' Fellow neighbour Francesco added: 'I have lived here two years. When I found out, I was sad of heart. Because here, I know everyone, we are very nice here. We stay in peace.' Brothers Khalid (left) and Ibrahim El Bakraoui (right) set off from the safehouse on the morning of Tuesday's terror attacks after calling a taxi to collect them from the apartment. Ibrahim went to Brussels airport where he blew himself up, while Khalid bombed the Metro system Bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui (left) is shown in a mugshot picture taken by Turkish police last summer. Master bombmaker Najim Laachraoui (right) who killed himself during the attack at the airport set off from the safehouse in north Brussels with Ibrahim before the terror attacks The men set off from the apartment on Tuesday morning, by taxi, before travelling to the airport where two detonated suicide vests and explosives-packed suitcases. The third bomber then travelled to the city's Metro station in Malbeek and blew up a main carriage, killing 20 Police are currently hunting at least six suspected jihadists, including a mysterious 'Man in White' who was caught on camera with Ibrahim and Laachraoui at the airport minutes before the terrorists detonated their bombs. Pictured: The aftermath of the Brussels airport bombing The fact that the apartment block was used for short-term lets suggests that the terror group was using the same modus operandi as was employed in Paris, where an apartment was rented on a short-term basis in the squalid district of Saint-Denis. Police are currently hunting at least six suspected jihadists, including a mysterious 'Man in White' who was caught on camera with Ibrahim and Laachraoui at the airport minutes before the terrorists detonated their bombs. Another suspect was apparently seen with Khalid shortly before the Metro explosion, but did not board the train with him, while four more men are said to have 'shadowed' the airport terrorists in a car outside the terminal. A 14-year-old boy stole a car from a northern Chicago suburb and drove an 88-year-old woman who was sitting in the back seat home before fleeing into the city, police say. The car was stolen from a Walgreens parking lot in Park Ridge just before 7pm on Wednesday while the woman was waiting in the back seat for a relative who went into the story. After noticing the woman in the back seat, the boy drove her to her house before driving the car south toward Chicago. A 14-year-old boy stole a car from a Walgreens parking lot (pictured) in Park Ridge, Illinois, a northern Chicago suburb on Monday When the boy realized there was an 88-year-old woman in the back seat, he drove her to her house before fleeing to Chicago Police finally found the boy driving the car nearly seven miles away from the scene of the carjacking, according to NBC Chicago. Following a lead, 'the investigators headed down to the area of Belmont and Harlem (avenues) when they saw the (stolen) car and someone driving it', Park Ridge Deputy Police Chief Lou Jogmen told the Chicago Tribune. With the assistance of the Chicago Police Department, officials finally stopped the boy and took him into custody. Police said they finally found the boy driving the car nearly seven miles away from the scene of the carjacking A Park Ridge police officer who responded to the area to help officers catch the teen suspect suffered 'non life-threatening' injuries when a squad car was involved in a crash with another vehicle, Jogmen said. The alleged carjacking led investigators to suspect a connection with recent arrests of three 14-year-old boys who had been caught driving stolen vehicles earlier this month, Jogmen said. But Jogman said that he could not confirm if the boy arrested on Wednesday was also one of the boys who was arrested earlier this month. He did say, however, that Wednesday's carjacking was 'definitely related' to the others. biological siblings are distraught at loss of their sibling and are sleeping on the floor of her room, their parents say , don't let them take me away.' Rusty Page tells how Lexi said to him: 'Daddy, you are The Pages are the only parents she has ever known and they tell Daily Mail Online today how their other children are The parents whose foster daughter was torn away from them because she was 1/64th native American, have issued a heart-rending plea to her new foster family to be the little girl's 'hero' and send her back to 'mommy and daddy'. Rusty and Summer Page, who have looked after Lexi, six, as their own daughter since she was two, have urged the family she has been placed with in Utah to do the right thing by Lexi and send her home Lexi was taken from the Page family after a lengthy legal battle with the Choctaw nation who fought to place little Lexi with distant relatives of her biological father under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) which grants tribes jurisdiction over cases involving children with native blood. Visibly traumatized Lexi was ripped from her father's arms in emotional scenes outside the Page's home in Santa Clarita, California on Sunday by social workers and her appointed attorney, who the family have branded 'evil incarnate'. The family has now launched a Save Lexi campaign to bring the little girl home and made an emotional plea for Lexi's return. Family: Lexi, whose identity is being protected by Daily Mail Online, with her foster parents Rusty (left) and Summer (right, holding theri youngest child Zoe) and (from left) older brother Caleb and sister Maddie Lost: Summer and Rusty Page tell Daily Mail Online they are heartbroken and angry at the loss of their daughter, who they have fostered since before she was two, making her the only parents she can remember Moment of dread: Rusty Page carried Lexi out of their home in Santa Clarita, CA, to hand her over to social workers to be taken to her new foster family in Utah, which was chosen by the Choctaw nation Biological father: Jay Ellerforbes lost custody of Lexi and attempts to reunite them were unsuccessful. But because his mother disclosed that he was an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation, the Pages were subject to tribal law, and were refused the right to adopt Rusty, 32, told Daily Mail Online: 'The fastest way for Lexi to come back home is for the family in Utah to be her biggest hero and send her home. 'We want them to say, 'We don't care about what this law says - we care about Lexi's best interests.' 'If they want a good relationship with Lexi they have the unique opportunity to be her biggest savior by saying, 'We love you very much but we're gong to send you back to mommy and daddy.' 'They can still remain close to Lexi and go to Disneyland with her but we want them to ask Lexi where she wants to live and I know what her answer will be. 'Otherwise Lexi is going to look at them as the people who allowed her to be taken or worse the people that took her. 'We have emailed them and asked this but it's been ignored. We want the message to go loud and clear to them be the ones to let her come home.' The family also described the heartbreaking impact Lexi's removal has had on their other children Maddie, nine, Caleb, six, and Zoe, two. Lexi's three foster siblings the Pages' biological children have slept on the floor in Lexi's room ever since she was taken. Summer said: 'My son said, "Mommy this is the worse day of my life ever" when Lexi was taken. 'He and Lexi used to call themselves the diaper babies because they were the same age and wore diapers and played on the floor together - they are so close. 'Our eldest was completely inconsolable - she was shaking and hyperventilating and screaming at the top of her lungs. 'They are devastated. How do they find comfort and solace? There isn't any. Lost hope: The Page children (from left Maddie, Caleb, Lexi and Zoe). 'Our eldest was completely inconsolable - she was shaking and hyperventilating and screaming at the top of her lungs,' Summer Page said We are family: Summer Page tells Daily Mail Online how her siblings (Maddie, Caleb and baby Zoe) have been affected 'They are devastated. How do they find comfort and solace? There isn't any.' Happy memories: Lexi lived with the Pages since before she was two and has no memory of previous foster homes. The couple are unable to explain what has happened to their biological children 'They sleep on the floor next to Lexi's bed. They miss their sister. 'Our two-year-old screams Lexi's name every time the doorbell rings. And this morning she said, "I want to go to Utah with my backpack and put her in and bring her home." 'It's hard to explain it to them because I don't really understand myself. 'The teachers at their school don't know how to explain it to the other children it's heartbreaking.' The Page family also discussed their concerns over the handling of the case. They say that the Indian unit of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) have been guilty of deception. In particular, they highlighted how foster mom Summer, 33, has native blood as a descendant of the Iroquois tribe. But, they said, this information was never passed on by workers at the DCFS. The family attempted to adopt Lexi, who has lived with them since December 2011, when her reunification efforts with her father Jay Ellerforbes, a career criminal with drug problems ended. However their request was denied by DCFS, which cited the ICWA law. The Pages say the department's decision ignored the fact that Summer is herself of Native American heritage, and had the support of a tribe in their adoption application. Rusty said: 'Summer's clan mother reported her native American heritage to the DCFS with an official letter saying that their tribe is supportive of our family adopting a native American child and guaranteeing that under their guidance they'll ensure she's brought up in her culture and the proud heritage of the Iroquois Indians. 'That was just dismissed. We sent that to the DCFS social worker in the Indian unit as we were told we couldn't go directly to the Choctaw tribe. 'The social worker replied saying, "Thank you I'll forward that to the tribe" but in court the tribe said they never received any of that information and if had they received it they might have made a different determination.' Local support: Neighbors and friends of the Pages demonstrated against the decision to take away Lexi when the time came to hand her over. The family said the case had been miss-managed from the beginning with many of the things they reported to social workers such as how 'hysterically' upset Lexi was before, during and after court-ordered visits with the Utah family - never being passed on to the courts or to the Choctaw tribe. The family is also angry about the 'barbaric' way in which Lexi was taken from them, after a judge rejected their plea that a transition plan be put in place to gently ease the six-year-old into her new family. Instead the family was told late on Friday night that Lexi would be taken on Sunday morning giving them no time to lodge an emergency appeal with the courts - and ordered not to tell Lexi anything. Rusty, a director of operations at a medical firm, said: 'On the day they took Lexi I said to her attorney, "What are you going to tell Lexi?" and she said "That's between me and my client - go get her and bring her here now." 'That's evil incarnate. How can she see Lexi as a client? She is a little girl. 'The fear that people saw in Lexi's face outside is nothing compared to the fear that she had when she sat here and heard her attorney come to the door on Sunday. 'She stood up, turned horrifically white and started screaming: 'Daddy - don't let them take me away'. It had nothing to do with the cameras or the crowd. 'The last thing we said was that we love her and we'll always fight for her and she belongs to this family.' The family has since dedicated every waking hour to fighting to get Lexi home starting an online petition and lodging an appeal with the California Supreme Court. However, Rusty says despite all of his efforts he still feels helpless. 'I feel like the father in the movie Taken where I have to put my emotions to one side and I have to pursue my daughter even if that means going to the ends of the earth or doing things that are stupid, risky or dangerous because my daughter looked me in the eyes and said "Daddy you're my Superman don't let them take me away," he said. United: A message for Rusty left by Lexi before she left and her big sister Maddie. Lexi had told Rusty Page he was 'Superman', now he says he is determined to be reunited with her to show 'there is no Kryptonite'. Empty bedroom: The Pages in the room which was Lexi's and where her siblings have slept on the floor since she was taken 'So that's why we're working as hard as we can to get her back. We have to focus on bringing her back and not allowing our sorrow to get in the way. 'Even though she asked me to make her a promise I'd help her I feel that no matter how many thousands of emails I send - it's not enough I still feel helpless. 'No matter how much we've done I feel I can't help her right now and that's a situation that I don't think any dad ever wants to be in.' The Pages are now campaigning against the ICWA law under which Lexi was removed claiming it is racist and is misused. The law was created in 1978 to prevent the break-up of native American homes. However the Pages claim it has been completely misapplied in Lexi's case, as she has never been on a reservation and has no connection to the tribe. They also question the decision to move her from a stable loving home she has lived in since she was a baby, which is also close to siblings on her mother's side - none of whom live with the mother - instead with to the second-step cousins of her father in a different state. 'Today Lexi should be at school watching the butterflies hatch,' Rusty said. Today Lexi should be at school watching the butterflies hatch. Or she would have been able to race her Minion race car last night at church group that we spent last week building. It now sits in the garage never to be raced. That's what this law has done. Rusty Page 'Or she would have been able to race her Minion race car last night at church group that we spent last week building. It now sits in the garage never to be raced. That's what this law has done. 'The mistake that the tribes have made in fighting this fight is that now the world knows there's a law in the US that's corrupt and doesn't look out for the best interests of children. 'We're going to take it to the very same court that made that law and demand that they change it. 'Not only is ICWA being miss-applied they are taking a child from a native American home here to a non-native, non-blood related home in Utah. 'You walk into the Edelman children's courthouse in LA under every door there is a plaque that says, 'If you think you may have native American blood you should talk to your attorney.' 'Even if you aren't sure they will investigate for you so you can play that card. Do you think that's what the law was ever intended for? 'When we're done with this case and if the court rules that's not the standard, I'll be the first to march down to that courthouse and ply those things off the wall and throw them in the trash. 'I want the rest of the world to look on to America and say, "How dare you have a law that's so racist when you say all men are created equal under God". 'We're back to slave days again it's the same as saying we're all equal except if you're black. 'We have a different set of laws and different social worker unit for Indians and it's wrong. 'We want politicians and our presidential candidates to do something about it we want to stop this happening to another child.' The Pages say words can't describe the emotions they've been going through since Lexi was taken and told how they have barely slept or eaten since Sunday. They have however not changed their mind about fostering children in the future and are determined to do so again. They have previously had one full-time foster child other than Lexi and have offered respite foster care to other children. They decided to foster because of their strong Christian beliefs, and are being supported by other members of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley Rusty said: 'We believe God calls us to care for widows and orphans. 'There's such a big need for foster parents - there are 35,000 kids in foster families just in LA county. 'We want to help provide safe loving homes for these kids in need. Only memento: The Pages with the toy Lexi was playing with shortly before she was handed over to social workers Plea: The Pages say they hope the Utah family which will now foster Lexi will be able to do 'the right thing' and allow her to be reunited with the only siblings she has ever known 'Despite everything we have been through we are strong advocates for foster care - I'd encourage others to do it too. 'We will still foster children. It's not about these organizations that try to screw the kids it's about kids in need - they don't chose to be foster kids. 'What's so tragic is that most of the foster agencies are now going to refuse to take a Native American child after this - and there are no Native American foster homes in LA so what will happen to those kids?' But the couple say the worst aspect of the last few days is what they fear Lexi is going through. 'She's either going to seize up completely and be a shell of a person which is what she was when she came here - a girl who looked like she had been destroyed,' Rusty said. 'That was in her non-formative years from one to two. She was just ripped in the most formative years of a child's life from two to six. 'So either she's going to be a shell of a person or full of sorrow and uncontrollable grief. 'God only knows what she is going through now at least we have each other and our friends for support Lexi has no one, no comfort.' The family's change.org petition, 'Keep Lexi Home' has garnered over 100,000 signatures in just three days from 100 countries. The family say they want to reach a million signatures. The family is waiting for a decision from California Supreme Court and if that fails they will lodge an appeal at federal court. Some 270 people were wounded in the blasts and another 34 were killed But he could recall being taken to an office building by a kind stranger He said he could not remember the moment of the blast or its aftermath The British survivor of the Brussels metro blast has revealed a heroic stranger sheltered him in his office building in the panicked moments following the attack. Mark Beamish, who suffered cuts and burns to his head and hands, was on his way to work when he was caught in the terror bombing. The 35-year-old from Birmingham told The BBC he remembers almost nothing from the attack except for the help he received in the aftermath. Mark Beamish, 35, has revealed a stranger told him to run in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, before taking him back to an office building from where an ambulance collected him The married European Parliament worker said he suffered cuts and burns in the terrorist bombing He described shaking the hand of a friend as he stepped off the train on his way to work at the European Parliament when the blast occurred. However, he said his memory only returns sometime later when he was out on the pavement among other survivors. He said: 'As I stepped off the train, that's the last thing I remember. I don't remember a blast, I don't remember and sound or vision, I have one static image of me crouching on some stairs covered in dust but that really is just a static image and the next thing I remember is being outside the station being looked after by a bystander. 'There was panic and the bystander who was helping me said: "Get up, get up, run, they're telling us to run". 'So I got up with him and simply ran in the other direction and he he took me to his office building, from where I was picked up by an ambulance.' The European Parliament worker suffered minor burns in the attack and is one of four Britons being treated in hospitals in the city in the wake of the attacks. A fifth Briton, IT programmer David Dixon, from Hartlepool, is still missing. He told his family he was safe after the blasts in Brussels airport, but has not been heard from since the underground attack. His family said tonight: 'This is clearly a difficult time for our family and we are anxiously waiting for more information about our dear David.' Speaking yesterday to the Birmingham Mail, Mr Beamish's father, David also said his son did not remember anything about the horrific scenes in the underground station. 'When I talked to him last he was in hospital with his wife and was suffering from superficial injuries like singed eyebrows and hair, but also has burns on his hands, vertigo and dizziness,' he said. He added he was 'quite calm' knowing his son was safe and in the care of medical professionals. Part of the underground line where the blast went off yesterday remained closed, but most trains, trams and buses are now running to schedule - even if some commuters seemed reluctant to use public transport. Bomb: Mr Beamish had stepped off a train at Maelbeek station when the blast went off German carmakers Volkwsagen and Porsche has been forced to recall more than 800,000 SUV models worldwide after identifying a potential problem with their foot pedals. The safety recall involves all VW Touaregs and Porsche Cayennes built between 2011 and this year. Engineers said 'a circlip could be loose on the bearing bracket for pedals'. Porsche announced it wishes to check a circlip holding on a bearing bracket on the foot pedals of more than 409,000 Cayennes built between 2011 and 2016 in what they are describing as a precautionary measure VW will have to inspect 391,000 Touaregs while Porsche will call in more than 409,000 Cayennes. The latest safety scandal is a further blow for the embattled manufacturer who was caught using illegal software to cheat US emission targets. A US District Court judge gave Volkswagen until April 21 to come up with a plan to fix the 600,000 cars affected in America. Judge Charles Breyer said: 'This issue of what is to be done with these cars must be done by that date. If a concrete plan for getting the cars fixed or off the roads was not submitted by the deadline, 'the court would seriously consider whether to hold a bench trial this summer so that the polluting cars can be addressed forthwith,' Breyer said. VW, which until recently had ambitions to become the world's biggest carmaker, is battling to resolve its deepest-ever crisis sparked by revelations that it installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide. VW will have to inspect 391,000 Touaregs while Porsche will call in more than 409,000 Cayennes, pictured The software, known as a 'defeat device', limits the output of toxic nitrogen oxides to US legal limits during emissions test by regulators. But when the vehicles are in actual use, the software allows them to spew poisonous gases at up to 40 times the permitted levels, giving the vehicle better acceleration and fuel economy. Defeat devices are prohibited in the United States, where the VW scam was originally exposed, as well as in other countries. On top of still unquantifiable regulatory fines in a range of countries, VW is facing a slew of legal suits, notably in the United States and Germany, from angry car owners, as well as from shareholders seeking damages for the massive loss in the value of their shares since September. The latest safety scandal is a further blow for Volkswagen which was caught using illegal software to cheat US emission targets Cases in the United States have been consolidated under Judge Breyer, who said attorneys representing all involved have been working relentlessly for the past month on a way to "get the cars, in their current condition, off the road." However, he said, engineering technicalities and 'other important issues' had yet to be resolved. The solution could be a buy-back plan or a fix to the emissions system. Susanne Hinte has sold the washing machine that she claimed cost her 32million when she put her ticket through the wash on Ebay The grandmother who claimed her 32million winning lotto ticket had gone through the wash has now sold the washing machine to raise money for charity - for 150. Susanne Hinte hit the headlines this year after claiming that she had won the record-breaking jackpot but that her ticket had gone through the wash and the numbers were no longer visible. But the claim from Hinte, 48, who is now on trial for theft, was denied by Camelot, who were unable to verify the numbers. Hinte has now sold the washing machine that she claims cost her 32million on Ebay to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, but it fetched just 150 in the online auction. It comes after Hinte claimed she had been the victim of serious abuse since hitting the headlines, with her car scratched and eggs thrown at her house. She claims that her 2,000, 52-inch TV, which she bought with money she got from selling her story, was stolen when her house in Worcester was burgled last night. Hinte claims that she is now scared to live in her own home and is waiting for officers to visit the house, according to publicist Barry Tomes, who also represented Benefits Street's White Dee. West Mercia Police said that no crime has yet been reported. After initial abuse by neighbours following her jackpot claim, she went to stay with a friend but went back to her housing association home a few weeks later. She then went to stay with her daughter, but was asked to go back to her home after a friend revealed where she was staying. Hinte is currently on trial for allegedly steeling an Xbox controller belonging to a man she met through a dating app, a court heard earlier this month. She is also accused of stealing a purse from the home of an elderly Good Samaritan who helped to find her other alleged victim's home, magistrates in Birmingham were told. Camelot could not validate the ticket (reportedly pictured, left) which Susanne Hinte (right), who is currently awaiting trial for two counts of theft, and claims she herself was burgled last night The culprit? Miss Hinte poses in front of her washing machine, which she claimed had ruined her winning ticket Hinte denies committing two counts of theft on January 3 and 4 last year after driving to Birmingham. Opening the case against Hinte, prosecutor Muhammad Awan alleged that she stole a purse containing debit and credit cards, as well as 55 in cash from the home of a 73-year-old woman. Mr Awan told magistrates that Hinte called at the door of pensioner Susan Kirby's bungalow in a Birmingham suburb on the evening of January 3. The prosecutor said of Hinte: 'She explained that she was lost and that she was trying to get to a male friend's address. 'The defendant then explained to Mrs Kirby that her mobile phone battery had died.' Craig Pesch, 33, got out of the taxi and repeatedly punched the driver, Ratid Shilaka, in the face A property developer who left a 71-year-old taxi driver 'oozing blood' in an unprovoked assault during a champagne-fuelled school reunion is facing jail. Craig Pesch, 33, had drunk two bottles of champagne with two school friends at Maddox Club in Mayfair, central London, when he got in the back of Ratid Shilaka's cab at around 4.20am last August 7. When Mr Shilaka struggled to find Pesch's new-build address in Wandsworth on his sat nav, the wealthy businessman jumped out of the car and pulled the driver's door open before repeatedly punching him in the face. The brutal attack bent Mr Shilaka's teeth back and left him needing three stitches to cuts to his face, Westminster Magistrates Court heard. A passer-by called the police and Pesch was arrested at 4.40am while Mr Shilaka, who works for Delta Taxis, was taken to hospital 'He had gone to a nightclub, he had school friends there and he had been drinking,' said prosecutor Edward Aydin. 'The taxi was driven by Mr Shilaka and Mr Pesch got into the back. 'Mr Shilaka asked him where he wanted to go and Mr Pesch told him SW18. 'Mr Shilaka told him he needed to be more specific and asked him to write the address on a piece of paper which Mr Pesch did. 'Mr Shilaka put the address into his satnav but it didn't show as a valid address - Mr Pesch was told this and got out of the vehicle. 'Mr Pesch then opened the driver's door and punched Mr Shilaka several times in the head, causing a 3cm cut and some teeth to be knocked backwards.' He added: 'Mr Pesch was arrested later on, a member of the public rang the police and he was seen walking down the road at around 4.40am.' The court heard that Pesch had replied to the charge: 'I can't explain my actions that night and I'm disgusted by my actions that night.' He is being represented by William Clegg QC, who runs chambers at 2 Bedford Row and advises foreign governments and international corporations. Pesch wore a tailored suit in the dock and spoke only to confirm his identity and plead guilty as he was watched by supporters in the public gallery who were ready to give character references for him. Magistrate Dru Vesty told the court that all options were left open for sentencing and said: 'This has been adjourned for a probation report and your bail is until 11.30am on the 7 April. She added: 'Your case will come on for sentence the same day at about 2pm.' Pesch, of Kings Road, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and was released on unconditional bail until his sentencing on 7 April. The Maddox Club in Mayfair, central London, where Craig Pesch drunk two bottles of champagne with school friends before savagely attacking the taxi driver Mr Shilaka struggled to find Pesch's new-build address in Wandsworth on his sat nav after he left the Maddox Club in central London Teachers are calling for the right to not report children to anti-terror units and even want to scrap the word radicalisation. Leaders at the National Union of Teachers (NUT) say the government should abolish counter-terror rules in schools, which they say have had a chilling effect on debate. Under the governments Prevent duty, schools are obliged to alert the authorities if they spot signs that a pupil is at risk of coming under the influence of extremism. But union members said pupils should feel safe to discuss controversial topics and world politics without the fear of being reported to the police. 'Chilling': Leaders at the National Union of Teachers (NUT) say the government should abolish counter-terror rules in schools (file image) In addition, two branches have suggested teachers should be able to use their conscience in deciding whether to report worrying behaviour and pledged support for anyone punished for doing so. NUT members are due to vote this weekend on a motion to call on the government to withdraw the Prevent strategy in regard to schools and develop alternative strategies to keep children safe. Their debate at the unions annual conference in Brighton comes just days after dozens were killed by terrorists in Brussels this week. Yesterday the move was condemned by critics, who said it sent out wrong message to those intent on recruiting youngsters to extremism. Professor Anthony Glees, a terror expert and former advisor to the Home Office, said: The NUT motion to scrap Prevent must be rejected by an overwhelming majority of teachers. Anything less would be seen by Islamists as a green light to carry on trying to brainwash young British Muslims. One reason we are safer here than in Belgium is because we have pursued a coordinated counter-extremism policy. Prevent is a key part of it. I cannot believe our nation's teachers would vote to make their students and our country less safe at a time of such peril. The move was condemned by critics, who said it sent out wrong message to those intent on recruiting youngsters to extremism (file image) The motion points out that there have been cases where pupils have been wrongly referred to the authorities for comments they made in class. It adds that schools should be a safe space for children to explore the world around them, but that some teachers are shutting down debate as a result of Prevent. Teachers argue that there are already long established and robust safeguarding mechanisms in schools to spot potential radicalisation among pupils. Some union members also say the word radicals has been misused should not be employed to describe Islamic extremists because radicals and radicalism have a proud history in Britain. Christine Blower, the unions general secretary, said: Young people are more likely to be prey to radicalisation of one kind or another when they are at home surfing the internet than at school. Its important that schools have the space and that teachers use the professional judgement to allow for debate to happen. That way young people will have reasonable ideas rather than unreasonable ideas when they are sitting at home in front of the computer. Of course we have to keep children safe, but we need to review the Prevent agenda, which is having the outcome in some spaces of closing down the space for debate rather than allowing for the debate that will vaccinate young people against [radical ideologies]. Alan Smithers, professor of education at the University of Buckingham, said: The Prevent Strategy is very inflexible. The duty on schools to spot and report signs of radicalisation has resulted in police visits to parents when a child seems to have been just pursuing their curiosity about what they were hearing in the news. Id trust the teachers. Given how alert we all have to be these days, I am sure they would immediately report any child who showed signs of being actively attracted to terrorism. Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education said: The Prevent duty is hopelessly inadequate because it takes no real account of how radicalisation of children happens. It is very worrying that neither the NUT nor the Government understand the real problem. Advertisement Evicted superhoarder May Appleton was today only briefly able to leave her 37 a night Travelodge after the 87-year-old took a turn for the worse and was left bedridden during a miserable first 24 hours away from her home of 62 years. Fighting back tears, the pensioner said she didn't sleep at all after being put up in a hotel when a three-year dispute ended with bailiffs using a sledgehammer and a crowbar to smash through her front door. She had barricaded herself inside the house earlier this month after being told her collection of dolls, teddy bears and neatly packed plastic bags were a fire hazard. Following her eviction, Mrs Appleton and her three sons were booked into a nearby Travelodge by a housing association. Scroll down for video Evicted superhoarder May Appleton was today only briefly able to leave her 37 a night Travelodge after the 87-year-old took a turn for the worse and was left bedridden during a miserable first 24 hours away from her home of 62 years. She is pictured with her eldest son Brian The family face an uncertain future beyond Tuesday, the date at which the Appletons will be homeless unless a solution can be found in negotiations between them, the council and Weaver Vale Housing Trust. Brian Appleton is pictured at the family's boarded up home Heartbroken: Fighting back tears, Mrs Appleton said she didn't sleep at all after being put up in a hotel when a three-year dispute ended with bailiffs using a sledgehammer and a crowbar to smash through her front door. She is pictured inside the Travelodge Earlier this month May Appleton had barricaded herself inside the house, which is full of dolls, teddy bears and neatly packed plastic bags But the family face an uncertain future beyond Tuesday, the date at which the Appletons will be homeless unless a solution can be found in negotiations between them, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Weaver Vale Housing Trust. Today a defiant Mrs Appleton said: 'I just want my house back. I don't know what is going to happen to me. I have been there for 62 years, it is where I brought my children up. 'I have been there since it was built. Being evicted was awful. It was terrible to see the house boarded up. I don't know where we are going to go. I just want to go home. I didn't sleep at all last night.' She added: 'I feel terrible. I don't know where I am. I wish I wasn't here. I don't know what I am doing. They want me to get rid of all my things. They are precious to me. 'I haven't been very well and I have got a bad leg. This has made it worse and I feel horrible.' Though talks are ongoing about where to house Mrs Appleton and her three sons Brian, 61, Mark, 52, and Paul, 49, even if Mrs Appleton finally agrees to remove some of the hoarded memorabilia in her home the housing association said it was 'unlikely' she will be allowed to return. A spokesman said Weaver Vale Housing Trust had been in discussions with the Appletons for three years, offering to help put some of her possessions in storage as a compromise, but were unable to come to an agreement. Her house in the Cheshire village of Lostock Gralam is now boarded up and the housing association said the family's belongings would soon be put into storage for them to decide what they want to keep. Meanwhile, Angela Claydon, cabinet member for housing at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: 'We are continuing to offer assistance to the Appleton family. End of an era: Bailiffs and a police officer are today said to have used a sledgehammer and a crowbar to force their way into the home of 87-year-old May Appleton (pictured with one of her sons Brian) and evict her from a property she has lived in for 62 years Mrs Appletons many items include valuable dolls, Star Wars and Action Man toys and autographs from Hollywood stars of the 1930s. The front door is pictured outside the front of her property after being removed by bailiffs and police Time to go: The pensioner had barricaded herself inside earlier this month after being told her collection of dolls, teddy bears and neatly packed plastic bags were a fire hazard. She is pictured with son Brian after being evicted from her home The pensioner lost a three-year eviction battle last month because her lifelong collection of memorabilia had been deemed a fire hazard. Her eldest son Brian is pictured left taking some things from the home, while two bailiffs are seen right It was revealed at the time how Mrs Appleton had been left heartbroken after being branded a hoarder by housing association bosses Mrs Appleton was powerless to do anything yesterday when told she had 'half an hour to get some stuff together and get out' of her house in the Cheshire village of Lostock Gralam, according to one of her three sons. Workmen were later called in to board her house up 'They have accommodation until Tuesday paid for by Weaver Vale Housing Trust and after that date we will offer them temporary accommodation if they wish to accept. 'The council has been involved with the family for a number of months and have offered advice and assistance on many occasions but so far this has been declined. We will continue to try to engage with the family regarding their accommodation options for the future.' Mrs Appleton lost a three-year eviction battle last month because her lifelong collection of memorabilia had been deemed a fire risk. It was revealed at the time that she had been left heartbroken after being branded a hoarder by housing association bosses. I just want my house back. I don't know what is going to happen to me May Appleton Yesterday her eldest son Brian told MailOnline how an ambulance had to be called for his mother after she became distressed by the ordeal. He said: 'We were evicted at about 9.30am this morning. My mother had just got up and I made her some hot water bottles because she has a cold. 'There was a knock at the door and I saw two men coming up the path. Within about 30 seconds the lock on the front door was being drilled out, and then the same happened at the back. 'My brothers and I went to stop them coming in but a police officer and a bailiff both had a foot in the back door before a sledgehammer was used to smash the one at the front. It covered my brother in glass and then a crowbar was used to force the door open. 'My mother was in the living room just screaming, "You are wrecking my house. This is my house, leave it alone. Get out of my house". 'We had to call an ambulance to have her checked over.' Mr Appleton, who along with his two brothers Mark, 52, and Paul, 49, has lived at the property all his life, said the four of them were currently being put up in a Travelodge hotel, where they will be forced to spend the Easter weekend, but from Tuesday they will be homeless. Meanwhile, Mrs Appleton's home has now been boarded up. Her collection of dolls, autographs, toys, photos and memorabilia are due to be put into storage. The many items include valuable dolls, Star Wars and Action Man toys and autographs from Hollywood stars of the 1930s. Mr Appleton, who along with his two brothers Mark, 52, and Paul, 49, (pictured together) has lived at the property all his life, said the four of them were being put up in a Travelodge, where they will be forced to spend the Easter weekend, but from Tuesday they will be homeless May Appleton's son Paul (pictured left) felt unwell after being evicted from his mother's house. Bailiffs are pictured at the home right Mrs Appleton's home has now been boarded up. Her collection of dolls, autographs, toys, photos and memorabilia are due to be put into storage. The many items include valuable dolls, Star Wars and Action Man toys and autographs from Hollywood stars of the 1930s She also has a card sent to her parents by the Queen Mother to thank them for looking after evacuees during the Second World War. Last November she said: 'What I've got in there is 61 years of memories. I've been happy here for 58 years - it's the last three that have been terrible. I've had more than five letters a week for three years, I've been to court twice in Chester and I've no-one to turn to.' The family say they have never fallen behind on their rent and have been described as 'pillars of the community'. Brian Appleton said today his mother had just paid the latest weekly rent shortly before the family's eviction. Judith Burbidge, director of neighbourhoods at Weaver Vale Housing Trust, said evicting Mrs Appleton was a last resort, but necessary for the safety of her family and neighbours. We have tried every option, including an offer to install a sprinkler system and to clear and store the items safely, but Mrs Appleton and her sons have continued to refuse, she said. Both Cheshire West and Chesters Social Services team and the local church made last ditch attempts last week to work with the family, to try mediate on our behalf and find a solution, however this was unsuccessful. A Delaware elementary and middle school music teacher has been arrested for allegedly sending sexually explicit images and video to a 13-year-old male student. Nicole Veneroso, 32, has been charged with dealing in child porn, sexual solicitation of a child under 18, sexual abuse of a child by a person of trust, and endangering the welfare of a child, among others. The investigation into Veneroso began in January after the student's mother found a number of sexually explicit images and video of the teacher on her son's cell phone, police said. Delaware music teacher Nicole Veneroso, 32, has been arrested after she allegedly sent sexually explicity images and video to a 13-year-old male student at a middle school where she taught The mother then informed officials at Everett Meredith Middle School, where Veneroso was teaching orchestra for the fourth to eighth grades at the time. Veneroso began a relationship with the student in December and had also shared numerous explicit text messages, authorities told The News Journal. Appoquinimink School District suspended Veneroso, who also taught at Silver Lake and Townsend Elementary schools, in January before she was formally charged. Superintendent Matt Burrows informed parents that Veneroso was placed on administrative leave and was not allowed to enter school premises or have contact with any students. Burrows also recommended that families who had children taking private lessons with Veneroso outside of the classroom 'take the information under advisement,' according to NBC Philadelphia. At the time the nature of the allegations against Veneroso were only reported as misconduct toward a student. Veneroso offered private and small group lessons in violin, viola and the cello, according to her LinkedIn page. In one page advertising her music services, Veneroso states she is the Concertmaster of the Audubon Symphony Orchestra and first chair violin in the Newark Symphony Orchestra. Veneroso is being held at Delores Baylor Correctional Institution on $53,250 bail. The Utah Supreme Court has cleared the way for the lawsuit of a former child bride who claims she was forced to marry her own cousin by polygamous leader Warren Jeffs. Elissa Wall, a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), sect led by pedophile Jeffs, says she was just 14-year-old when she made to wed her 19-year-old cousin. Now Wall, who left the cult and divorced her husband Allen Steed, has been told FLDS's charitable trust may be held liable. Scroll down for video The Utah Supreme Court has cleared the way for the lawsuit of Elissa Wall (pictured in 2011) who claims she was forced to marry her own cousin by polygamous leader Warren Jeffs Wall, a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), sect led by pedophile Jeffs, says she was just 14-year-old when she made to wed her 19-year-old cousin (pictured) The ruling by Utah Supreme Court on Wednesday sends the case back to a lower court where the former child bride may seek up to $40 million in damages. Elissa is very happy and we're moving forward,' her attorney, Alan Mortensen, told FOX 13. 'We look forward to a trial where the facts will be presented.' Jeffs is currently serving a life term after being convicted in 2011 of sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides. Mortensen had argued that in 2001 the notorious sect leader was also head of the FLDS' charitable trust United Effort Plan (UEP) - which still holds much of the sect's property across Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. Jeffs had been acting as a trustee of the UEP when he forced the 14-year-old Wall to marry her cousin, they said. Jeffs (pictured at his trial in 2007) is currently serving a life term after being convicted in 2011 of sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides Wall's (right) attorneys said Jeffs (left) had been acting as a trustee of the UEP when he forced the 14-year-old Wall to marry her cousin, they said Wall said that if she wanted to eat or remain living near her family, on land owned by the trust, she had to follow their rules. The UEP disagreed arguing they could not be liable because ordering the marriage of an underage girl to her cousin fell outside of Jeff's duties as a trustee. But Utah Supreme Court sided with Wall, stating in its ruling that: 'As abhorrent and troubling as this may appear to be, there is a basis in the record for the conclusion that Jeffs' acts were aimed in part at advancing the interests of the trust as he perceived them.' 'And there is also reason to conclude that Jeffs's conduct was of the general kind he was expected to perform as trustee,' Supreme Court Justice Thomas Lee added. Wall has previously recounted her harrowing ordeal in an interview where she described how she cried so much during the ceremony that her wedding dress was soaked with her own tears. She told CNN: 'It was so devastating that even in the ceremony itself I'm crying to such a level that my wedding dress is soaked. 'They had my mother stand next to me and hold my hand just to get me to take my vows.' She explained that women in the sect - like her mother - were so brainwashed by the church's indoctrination they were unable to protect their own children. Family portrait: The picture shows dozens of Warren Jeffs's brides, lined up together as if they are posing for a school photograph Girls would also be taken away from their families so no-one would kick up a fuss when they were married off underage. Elissa said: 'Before my marriage had been commanded, we had been taken away from [my father] and he didn't fight for us. 'We were given to another man's children. My mother was resold to another man, and my mother didn't have the ability to say no. WARREN JEFFS AND THE FLDS The FLDS, which has at least 10,000 members, is a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism and believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. They see Jeffs as God's spokesman on earth. The church's traditional headquarters is along the Utah-Arizona border, but it established the Texas compound in 2004. Police raided the group's remote West Texas ranch in April 2008, finding women dressed in frontier-style dresses and hairdos from the 19th century as well as seeing underage girls who were clearly pregnant. The call to an abuse hotline that spurred the raid turned out to be a hoax, and more than 400 children who had been placed in protective custody were eventually returned to their families. Advertisement 'The women, especially my mother in the position she was in, they don't have the ability to protect their children. 'I was a representation of that. She couldn't step up and say, 'no, my daughter is 14'. She had been trained and indoctrinated her entire life.' Wall later left the church and divorced her cousin husband, with whom she had no children but endured repeated miscarriages. She has written a memoir called Stolen Innocence, which chronicles her ordeal at the hands of the extremist group. Jeffs was jailed for life in 2011 after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting two FLDS girls - aged 12 and 15 - who he married in FLDS religious ceremonies. But the sect leader still receives as much as 300 letters a day in his jail cell. Wall's lawsuit will now go back to 3rd District Court in Salt Lake County, where Wall must prove the trust's liability. Motorist Donna Crockett was hysterical after he landed on her car and said it had 'really taken a toll' on her A Los Angeles County Coroner has now ruled that Sabbatino's tragic death was a suicide; no note has been discovered Sabbatino was also found to have removed his helmet and had not been The married 36-year-old, who was taking medication for depression, landed on the hood of a passing car below Joseph Sabbatino leaped to his death from the 53rd story of L.A.'s Wilshire Grand Center on Friday An electrician who plunged 53 floors to his death after leaping from the West Coast's highest skyscraper committed suicide, a coroner has ruled. Joseph Sabbatino was only on his second day on the job at the construction site of the unfinished, $1billion Wilshire Grand Center when he plummeted 800 feet onto the trunk of a car that was passing below. Coroner's Lt. David Smith confirmed today that the 36-year-old's death was a suicide. Scroll down for video Deadly fall: Joseph Sabbatino, 36, (left) of Palmdale, plummeted 800ft from the Wilshire Grand Center right last week Struck: The man's body, seen to the left of this picture under a sheet, struck this white car. The driver was not hurt, but was 'hysterical' when the incident occurred Sabbatino's father Vance revealed that his son had a long battle with depression and had been taking medication before his death. His devastated wife Melken Sabbatino wrote on Facebook after his tragic death that she was 'thinking about my husband. Missing you.' Authorities found that the married Jehovah's Witness had removed his helmet and had not been wearing a harness before the fall on Friday- as he was only contracted to work on the lower levels. Turner Construction has since released a statement to say there had been a safety barrier on the 53rd floor to prevents falls, and that the incident had not been work related. Around 1,000 employees were given the day off following Sabbatino's death. Horrified witnesses described the moment they saw Sabbatino fall to his death and land on a car below. James Armstrong III had been walking to a nearby bank moments after the fall said motorist Donna Crockett had been 'hysterical' and waving her hands in the air. Sabbatino, pictured with his wife Melken, has had his death ruled as a suicide by the coroner Mystery: Sabbatino, who was a new employee on his second day on the job, died instantly. The investigation will continue. If it was a suicide, the coroner said that Sabbatino left no note 'It's really taken a toll on me, because right now, I'm not strong and right now I am hurting,' Crockett told KTLA. 'It was traumatic, it something that I never thought I would have to see.' She was taken to hospital after the incident in shock. Mel Melcon, an LA Times photographer, was on assignment at the building when he noticed the man's body lying 'off the driver's side of the car.' 'It sounded like a bag of cement fell off the edge of the building,' he said. 'No one thought it was a body,' Melcon told his paper. 'We heard no screams.' The vehicle escaped major damage but the rear side panel was splattered with blood, officials said. 'We have confirmed with (California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health and Los Angeles police) that the incident which occurred at the Wilshire Grand project site on March 17 was not work-related,' a statement issued by Turner Construction read. Work was shut down Friday and counselors would be on hand for employees, the statement said. Ed Winter, assistant chief Los Angeles County Coroner, said as far as he knew, there was no suicide note. Winter said the man, a new employee on his second day on the job, died instantly. The investigation will continue. Workers: Construction workers gather at the base of the tower, which cost $1billion, and has been under construction for two years. This is the first fatality at the site, which had 850 workers on it as of last week The view from the top: The builders shared this photo of the progress from above three weeks ago Chris Martin, CEO of Martin Project Management, which is supervising the construction, said there were barricades around the edge of the building and other safety measures in place. All of the building's 891 workers had undergone training, Martin said. 'There's safety training for every worker on the job, and certain locations there's very specialized training. So these are all smart people,' Martin said. 'We had no injuries up to this date.' When asked whether there might have been any electrical work that needed doing near the edge of the building, Martin said there wasn't. The paper also reported that there was an eight-foot-high 'integrity fence' in place to keep workers and equipment from falling off the tower. No tethering harness was seen on the man's body, although employees are required to wear one when working. A construction worker who spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity said that he saw the man's body, and initially thought the woman had run him over. 'We asked the driver: 'Did you run this man over?' She said no,' the worker said. 'That's when I knew he had fallen off the building.' No protection: An autopsy for Sabbatino is pending. It has been revealed that he had taken off his hard hat and had not been wearing a safety harness at the time of his fall He added that when he returned to the building he found a hard hat with the dead man's employee number on the 53rd floor. Maurice Lopez, who works at the neighboring Bonaventure said he was saddened to hear that someone working on the building he watched go up for years had died. That's crazy. Usually when you walk by here, you see the guys up there attached to something,' Lopez, 50, of Los Angeles told the LA Times. 'Now I'm gonna feel sick walking by here.' This is the first accident to happen at the location, the Times reported. There were around 850 workers on the site as of last week. The Wilshire Grand Center is located on South Figueroa Street, at one of the busiest intersections in the city. The man's fall resulted in disruption to traffic flow. Upon completion, the $1billion skycraper, which has been under construction for two years, will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi. It will reach a height of 73 stories and will be 1,100 feet tall, including a 100-foot spire. It is expected to open early 2017. Family and friends paid tribute to the 'sweet' man with a 'good heart' that was always so full of life. Susanne Dean wrote on Facebook: 'Joseph was very sweet and made us laugh and we had some good times with him...my boys thought he was so cool to invite them over to play video games and just hang out. 'He was full of hope and life. That is the Joseph that we will remember.' Eric Mutuc added: 'Joseph was a friend of mine when we were children. He had a good heart, and although he may not have ever known it, I loved him like a brother. Jerron Ragan said: 'Rest in peace Joseph Sabbatino. You were always a good friend. I'll miss you.' For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255. Leathem owns deli where Paige was last seen before her disappearance Girl's body was discovered near to a busy road in Clydebank on Monday Paige Doherty, 15, was last seen at 8.20am on Saturday A deli owner is due to appear in court tomorrow in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Paige Doherty, whose body was discovered near a busy road in Clydebank, Scotland on Monday. A man named locally as John Leathem has been arrested by officers and is currently in police custody. The 31-year-old is the owner of the deli where Paige was last seen and he is expected to appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Saturday facing charges in connection with Paige's murder. The schoolgirl had been due to catch a bus to her part-time hairdressing job but the alarm was raised when she failed to arrive at the salon. Her body was found two days later in bushes at the side of Great Western Road, a busy route connecting Clydebank and Glasgow. Following the arrest, Detective Superintendent Duncan Sloan said: 'I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contacted us with information. 'The response from the public has been outstanding.' Paige is known to have bought a roll and sausage from the deli owned by Leathem at around 8.20am on Saturday on her way to catch a bus to her part-time job in a hairdressing salon in Kirkintilloch. Her bus stop in East Barns Street is a few minutes' walk away, but it not known if she got there. Her body was found by passers-by at 12.45pm on Monday in woodlands beside a golf driving range on the A82 Great Western Road less than a mile from where she was last seen. Early indications are that she suffered stab wounds but no further details have been released by investigators as police tried to piece together her final movements. The hunt for her killer had taken a dramatic twist last night when police swooped on the delicatessen where the murdered schoolgirl was last seen on Saturday morning. Officers were also focusing on a property in Brown Avenue, which is less than 500 yards from the shop. Just after 9pm police extended the cordon to Brown Avenue and asked bystanders to leave the street Detectives sealed off a row of shops before forensics experts dressed in white suits arrived at the entrance to Delicious Deli in Fleming Avenue, Clydebank today Detectives sealed off a row of shops before forensics experts dressed in white suits arrived at the entrance to Delicious Deli in Fleming Avenue, Clydebank, while a police photographer took pictures of the scene. Officers then began searching cars and a house after taping off nearby Brown Avenue. The developments came just hours after the 15-year-old's distraught mother Pamela Munro made a heartfelt plea for public help in getting 'justice for Paige'. Police officers at a cordon outside the Delicious Deli in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, where murdered teenager Paige Doherty was last seen A property in Clydebank, less that 300 yards from a deli which is also being searched by police investigating the murdered of 15-year-old Paige Mrs Munro, 32, said: 'We are absolutely devastated that we have lost our beautiful little girl and would appeal for anyone with information to come forward and bring justice for Paige.' Laura Mason, chief education officer at West Dunbartonshire Council, previously described Paige as 'a bright and popular pupil with a good sense of humour'. The local authority has said it is working to support the young people affected by the death. In memory of Paige, the landmark Titan Crane in Clydebank was lit pink on Thursday. Provost Douglas McAllister said: 'Our community is in shock at this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with Paige's family and friends. This is a small gesture of support for everyone who knew Paige.' Around 8pm last night, a separate cordon was erected around the Delicious Deli and the adjoining Mr Tasty. Three forensic officers in suits were active outside, and soon afterwards a forensics tent was put up outside the deli. Floral tributes were left in memory of the murdered school after a body confirmed to be Paige's was found by police Two fundraising pages to help Paiges family meet funeral costs and other expenses collected more than 14,000 a day after they were set up. A dedicated mobile line has been provided by Police Scotland which people can text with any information. The number is 07557 540848. A Qantas pilot who is believed to have deliberately crashed a light plane into the sea was cleared to fly just one month before his death. Paul Whyte rented a light aircraft from a company at Lismore in northern NSW on Monday afternoon before later crashing it six nautical miles offshore from Byron Bay. Despite dealing with a broken marriage, Mr Whyte passed an mental health check in February, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Qantas pilot Paul Whyte (pictured with his family) passed a mental health check a month before his death It has also been revealed that Mr Whyte flew a passenger plane with a capacity of 467 people from Brisbane to Los Angeles just weeks before his death. Meantime Qantas said in a statement that it 'won't be commenting on speculation' about the cause of the tragedy while the coroner's investigation is underway. Qantas chief pilot Richard Tobiano noted that Whyte was off duty when the crash occurred. 'As you can imagine, this is a very upsetting time for his family, friends and colleagues, and we're providing them with as much support as we can,' Tobiano said in a statement. Mr Whyte's death has raised questions about the frequency and efficiency of mental health checks and experts have called for the implementation of peer support systems. 'It would allow airlines to keep track of mental health on a more immediate level,' Griffith University psychiatrist Harry McConnell told the Bulletin. Earlier it was reported Mr Whyte spoke to his daughters prior to boarding the plane, and sent a final text message to his family before crashing at 'high speed' into the water, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. Mr Whyte rented a light aircraft from a company at Lismore in northern NSW on Monday afternoon before later deliberately crashing it 11 kilometres offshore from Byron Bay in northern NSW Police and rescue teams launched a wide-scale search for the missing pilot after he failed to return to Lismore on Monday night His rented Cessna 172 aircraft left Lismore at about 4.20pm and radar information shows all contact with the plan was lost . Police and rescue teams launched a search for the missing pilot and his plane after he failed to return to Lismore later that night. The search was scaled back and police confirmed Mr Whyte's disappearance was 'not suspicious' on Wednesday afternoon. Qantas has confirmed Mr Whyte worked for them as a first officer. 'It is with great sadness that I confirm that an off-duty Qantas pilot was flying a light aircraft which went missing off the northern coast of New South Wales on Monday evening,' Qantas Chief Pilot, Captain Richard Tobiano told Daily Mail Australia. Qantas has confirmed Paul Whyte worked for them as a first officer His rented Cessna 172 aircraft left Lismore at about 4.20pm and radar information shows all contact with the plan was lost 11 kilometres north-east of Byron Bay (pictured) just 30 minutes later 'As you can imagine this is a very upsetting time for his family, friends and colleagues, and we're providing them with as much support as we can. I ask you to respect their privacy at this time.' Northern Rivers Aero Club president Bill Kiernan, who rented the plane to Mr Whyte, told Daily Mail Australia he knew him and didn't ask questions when he rented the plane on Monday. 'We own and have access to quite a few aeroplanes. As long as the pilots are qualified and meet CAA requirements, that's our business. Mr Whyte cert met the criteria,' he said. 'Mr Whyte rang me and said can I have a plane, I rang my colleague and said Paul was good to go.' The jihadis behind the Brussels terror attacks used a highly-volatile explosive nicknamed the 'Mother of Satan' and may have received bomb-making support from a highly-skilled ISIS cell in Europe, it has emerged. Brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui and explosives expert Najim Laachraoui caused carnage when they unleashed terror on the Belgian capital's main airport and Metro system on Tuesday. In the aftermath, anti-terror police swooped on their safehouse in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels and discovered 33 pounds of a highly-volatile explosive called triacetone triperoxide (TATP). The peroxide-based explosive is often nicknamed the 'Mother of Satan' and is a white powder which is deemed to be highly dangerous when 'cooked'. Belgian bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui (centre) and explosives expert Najim Laachraou (left), both wearing black gloves to hide their suicide bomb triggers, used a highly-volatile explosive called triacetone triperoxide (TATP) A few grams can blow off a person's hand, and larger amounts can easily destroy buildings. The explosive is preferred among violent extremists in Europe because it is fairly easy to make and detonate, according to experts. Its ingredients are also fairly easy to get hold of, with hydrogen peroxide found in household bleach and acetone in nail polish remover. TATP is created by mixing precise quantities of acetone, oxygenated water and sulfuric, hydrochloric or nitric acid - all of which are easily available in high street stores. Nail polish remover is essentially acetone, while oxygenated water is a commonly used disinfectant. The mixture creates a coarse powder of white crystals that requires only a basic detonator to explode, triggering a huge blast of burning gas. The explosive is also relatively hard to detect as most airline security is primed for nitrogen-based explosives, not peroxide-based TATP. Jihadists have set up entire labs - at first backroom affairs, but increasingly reaching industrial levels - to produce TATP and other explosive materials in Syria and Iraq. In a report published in February, the NGO Conflict Armament Research said 51 companies had supplied the components needed to make homemade explosives at semi-industrial levels to ISIS. The companies were spread across 20 countries, including Turkey and Russia, but also Belgium and the United States. TATP was used by Richard Reid, who tried unsuccessfully to detonate a bomb in his shoe during a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001, and was also used by ISIS extremists in the November 13 Paris attacks. In France, attackers packed TATP into their suicide vests and wielded assault rifles, killing 130. Ibrahim El Bakraoui (left) blew himself up in Brussels airport and Khalid El Bakraoui detonated a device on the Metro. It is thought they may have had help from a highly-skilled ISIS operative in Europe to build their bombs ISIS has claimed responsibility for both the Paris and Brussels attacks, and experts believe the jihadists behind the latest attack received help from a highly-trained cell of ISIS operatives in Europe. TATP requires a certain level of sophistication in bomb-making, according to experts, meaning specialist explosives experts may have helped the jihadists who carried out Tuesday's attacks. It has already been confirmed that master bombmaker Najim Laachraoui, who helped build the suicide vests used in the Paris massacres, was the second airport suicide bomber in Brussels. 'Contrary to what is sometimes said, watching a tutorial on the Internet is not enough,' said an explosives expert with the French army, who asked not to be named. There isn't a shortage of instructors among the guys in the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. And once you've been shown, you can do it in your kitchen Explosives expert for French army 'Someone has to show you how to do it at least once. But there isn't a shortage of instructors among the guys in the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. And once you've been shown, you can do it in your kitchen.' The most delicate part is adding the acid to the mixture, which lets off heat and can catch fire, but a simple mask is all that is normally needed for protection. A detonator can be made with a thin metal tube filled with paste and linked to two electric wires that will spark and trigger a flame when connected. But they can just as easily be bought ready made from a shop. Salah Abdeslam, one of the suspected Paris attackers who was arrested in Brussels last week, bought a dozen pyrotechnic detonators at a fireworks store in the Paris region without raising the slightest suspicion. 'The main problem posed by TATP is the easy availability of ingredients,' said a French counter-terrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'We can monitor sales of oxygenated water, but if these guys are smart enough, they will buy small quantities from 20 pharmacies. It's the same for acetone and acid.' The official said his team had spent an afternoon learning how to make explosives purely with items bought from a DIY store. 'It was worryingly easy,' he said. The TATP explosive is preferred among violent extremists in Europe because it is fairly easy to make and detonate, according to experts. Pictured: The aftermath of the Brussels airport bombing which killed 14 people Khalid El Barouki detonated his suicide vest at Maelbeek metro station near the EU headquarters in Brussels 'In half an hour, we had made an explosive. Half an hour later, we had blown it up. And the explosion was big.' Jimmie Oxley, an explosives expert and chemistry professor at the University of Rhode Island, said it is not surprising that TATP continues to be used in terror attacks, because 'we've done nothing to take this particular tool away from them.' She said TATP is volatile and sensitive and even small quantities can cause large explosions. Experts have said that tracing the raw materials can be difficult because they are readily available in pharmacies and hardware stores, though Ms Oxley noted large amounts would likely have to be purchased over time. It's also relatively easy to create a functional device, and there are many ways to set one off. She said it's intriguing that extremists use suicide bombers, since a timer or trip wire could be used. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has called together a group of experts to improve the nation's response to the threat of bombings. Oxley is the technical lead at URI for the centre. Another University of Rhode Island professor, Otto Gregory, is working on a sensor that detects TATP to try to stop future attacks. This dilapidated flat in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels was used by brothers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui and master bombmaker Najim Laachraoui, and may have been where they built their explosives In the aftermath of the Brussels attack, anti-terror police swooped on the terrorists' safehouse (pictured) in the Schaerbeek district and discovered 33 pounds of a highly-volatile explosive called triacetone triperoxide As well as 33 pounds of TATP being found at the safehouse used by the Brussels bombers, detectives also discovered chemicals used to make explosives including 150 litres of acetone and 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide. They also found nails and screws, an ISIS flag, and a fourth bomb that they didn't take to the airport. Experts believe the bombs were loaded with metal shrapnel to inflict maximum casualties. An X-ray image of a bolt inside the chest on one patient at a military hospital showed how they came with inches of death. Doctors at the Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, east of Brussels, which treated 13 victims, said all the bombs contained metal objects. Patients taken there suffered fractures, burns and deep cuts thought to have been caused by bolts or nails. Five of them were seriously injured. At the nearby KU Leuven hospital, Dr Marc Decremer said 11 casualties were treated for serious injuries including three or four children. 'We have seen deep flesh wounds,' he said. 'That can be caused by flying glass thrown by the explosion, or by the bomb, or by particles in the bomb.' Shandling told Jerry Seinfeld in an episode of his web series this year he had a hyper-parathyroid gland that had gone undiagnosed 'I just dont know how to sum up someone I loved so much who taught me everything I know and was always so kind to me,' said Judd Apatow Other stars paid tribute to him, with Amy Schumer writing; 'Goodbye Gary Shandling thank you for your kindness and your generosity' Jeffrey Tambor who starred with Shandling on The Larry Sanders Show called the funny man the 'kindest and funniest of geniuses' Conan O'Brien said that Shandling 'helped save' his life after he lost his job hosting 'The Tonight Show' in 2009 Garry Shandling's heartbroken co-star on the The Larry Sanders Show wrote a touching tribute for the legendary comedian who died at 66 on Thursday. Jeffrey Tambor said of the funny man: 'Garry was/ will always be my teacher. He redesigned the wheel of comedy and was the kindest and funniest of geniuses. Will miss him so much.' Late night hosts Conan O'Brien and Seth Meyers also both mourned the loss of their dear friend on Thursday night. Gary Shandling (above in 2011) died at the age of 66 on Thursday after being rushed to an LA hospital that morning Sad: Jeffrey Tambor who starred with Shandling on The Larry Sanders Show wrote this touching tribute on his Twitter on Thursday. He called the funnyman the 'kindest and funniest of geniuses' Conan O'Brien went so far as to say that the comedian 'helped save his life.' O'Brien said that after losing his short lived hosting job on The Tonight Show in 2009, he was feeling 'shell shocked' and decided to take his family to Hawaii. He said that Shandling was staying in a room nearby at his and helped to console him. 'He counseled me, he cheered me up, he told me jokes, he talked to me about philosophy,' Conan said.Conan said that both he and Shandling took a long walk and then sprawled out on the beach to enjoy the sunset. 'I turned to Garry and I said, "This is the most romantic moment of my life and its with you,'Conan said wistfully.' Conan O'Brien and Seth Meyers both spoke about Garry Shandling's tragic death. Conan went so far as to say that Shandling 'helped save' his life after he lost his hosting job on The Tonight Show Seth Meyers said that while he never knew Shandling personally, that The Larry Sanders Show changed the way he thought about comedic television. 'Everybody go back and watch that show,' Meyers added. 'If theres any good that can come out of it, it would be the rediscovery of what really, truly was a classic.' Finally, The Daily Shows Trevor Noah simply shared a clip of Shandling's first Tonight Show comedy set all the way back in 1981 in which Shandling makes a joke about free pens at the bank. Shandling, who also created and starred in It's Garry Shandling's Show, died at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica after being rushed in earlier in the day. Shandling's death was the result of a massive heart attack according to TMZ, and friends who spoke with him Thursday morning said he sounded fine and healthy. Flashback: Jeffery Tambor, Rip Torn, and Garry Shandling are pictured on The Larry Sanders show which aired from 1992-1998. Many are struggling to come to grips with Shandling's sudden death The 911 call came from Shandling himself but he fell unconscious while on the phone with the dispatcher. The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived just a little after 10.30am and had to kick down the door when no one was able to answer. Judd Apatow, who was a writer on Larry Sanders, told The Wrap; 'Garry would see the ridiculousness of me being asked to sum up his life five minutes after being told of his passing. 'It is a perfect, ridiculous Larry Sanders moment. I can imagine how Hank would handle it but I just dont know how to sum up someone I loved so much who taught me everything I know and was always so kind to me. 'I am just too sad. Maybe tomorrow I will do better.' Tribute: The marquee of The Comedy Store in Los Angeles read: 'RIP Garry Shandling' on Thursday. Shandling's death was the result of a massive heart attack The marquee of the Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles reads: 'Garry Shandling, Rest In Peace Make God Laugh.' Shandling pioneered a pretend brand of self-focused docudrama with 'The Larry Sanders Show' Shandling had been posting on social media earlier in the week, and on Monday retweeted a photo of himself with Kathy Griffin and Bob Odenkirk - who was on The Larry Sanders Show. Griffin, who tweeted the photo, included the caption; So @GarryShandling & I had to call Saul @mrBobOdenkirk.' She posted the photo once again shortly after the news of Shandling's death and wrote; 'Sunday, my longtime friend Garry Shandling was here, making every1 laugh. I loved him. I'll miss our talks the most.' Shandling began his career doing stand-up, which led to writing jobs on shows including Sanford and Son and Welcome Back, Kotter. Friends: Shandling had been posting on social media earlier in the week, and on Monday retweeted a photo of himself with Kathy Griffin and Bob Odenkirk (above) Touching: 'I just dont know how to sum up someone I loved so much who taught me everything I know and was always so kind to me,' said Judd Apatow (above with back turned looking at Shandling) Stunned: Friends who spoke to the actor Thursday morning said he sounded healthy (he is pictured above in 1988) Garry Shandling died at St. John's Hospital complex in Santa Monica, California, pictured above Soon after he began to guest host for Johnny Carson, and was considered as a possible replacement after Carson left his job on The Tonight Show. He did not get the job, but in 1986 created It's Garry Shandling's Show, which would run until 1990 and get nominated for four Emmy Awards. Young comedian: Garry Shandling is pictured here in a high school yearbook photo Two years after that he found success again on television with The Larry Sanders Show, one of the first original programs to ever run on HBO. It was about the cast and crew of a late-night talk show, and Shandling said he based large parts of the show on his time filling in for Carson on The Tonight Show. That show was nominated for 18 Emmy Awards, and in its final season in 1998 Shandling won for the first time in the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series category. He was also twice nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical for his work on Larry Sanders. That show is said to have paved the way for countless others that followed, most notably 30 Rock, which was created by Tina Fey. More recently he found a new audience of younger fans thanks to his role in two big Marvel films - Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Iron Man 2. It is not known if he was set to appear or had filmed any other Marvel films at the time of his death. Shandling also recently appeared in an episode of Jerry Seinfeld's web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee that aired on New Year's Day. The episode was called It's Great that Gary Shandling is Still Alive. In that episode he told Seinfeld; 'I had a hyper-parathyroid gland that was undiagnosed because the symptoms mirror the exact same symptoms that an older Jewish man would have.' Shandling was also a frequent host at awards shows, having done the Emmy Awards five times from 2000 to 2004 and prior to that the Grammy Awards six times from 1990 to 1995. Shandling was never married, but was briefly engaged to Linda Doucett, a former Playboy model who also appeared on The Larry Sanders Show. Remembering: Stars paid tribute to Shandling, with Amy Schumer writing (above); 'Goodbye Gary Shandling thank you for your kindness and your generosity' Jimmy Kimmel wrote: Garry Shandling was as kind and generous as he was funny and that is saying a lot. The comedian sadly suffered a massive heart attack Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth is 'sad today' and joins her fellow celebs in honoring their dear friend's life Actor and comedian Rob Lowe wrote: 'Garry Shandling was one of my comedic heroes' and added that he was both 'shocked and sad' Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood also took to social media to comment on Shandling's untimely death The two split in 1994 after a seven-year relationship. Shandling previously had a close call back in 1977 when he was involved in a car crash in Beverly Hills. The comedian was in critical condition for two days but pulled through. He wrote about the accident; 'I had a vivid near-death experience that involved a voice asking, "Do you want to continue leading Garry Shandling's life?" 'Without thinking, I said, "Yes." Since then, I've been stuck living in the physical world while knowing, without a doubt, that there's something much more meaningful within it all. 'That realization is what drives my life and work.' Winners: Peter Tolan, left, and Gary Shandling pose with their Emmy awards for outstanding writing for a comedy series award for The Larry Sanders Show in 1998 More recently Shandling found a new audience of younger fans thanks to his role in two big Marvel films - Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Iron Man 2 (above with Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle) Stars took to Twitter to pay tribute to Shandling on Thursday, with Amy Schumer writing; 'Goodbye Gary Shandling thank you for your kindness and your generosity and for making me laugh so damn much.' Steve Martin wrote; 'Garry Shandling was a very special comedian with a beautifully unpredictable mind. He even voluntarily offered jokes and ideas for Oscars.' Jimmy Kimmel wrote; 'Garry Shandling was as kind and generous as he was funny and that is saying a lot.' Bette Midler said; 'One of the funniest of all, the beloved and very complicated Gary Shandling has died.' Sandra Bernhard said; 'If it's true I am heartsick @GarryShandling has died? One in a million brilliant people say it's not so.' Oldie but a goodie: Shandling, pictured in a vintage snap doing stand-up on TV, has been doing stand-up comedy for over a decade and will be sorely missed Seth MacFarlane said; 'Saddened over Garry Shandling. He was a comedy idol of mine. He leaves behind the greatest single-camera comedy of all time.' Fred Willard wrote; 'I am heartbroken. What horribly sad news.' Jemaine Clement, the creator of Flight of the Conchords, wrote; 'Garry Shandling was one of my absolute favourites and ahead of his time. So sad.' Kristin Chenoweth praised Shandling and said; 'He encouraged me from the very start. A few weeks ago he told me life was short and enjoy it.' Seth Meyers wrote; 'Heartbreaking news about Garry Shandling. Just heartbreaking.' Ricky Gervais wrote; 'RIP the great Garry Shandling. Surely, one of the most influential comedians of a generation.' Seth Meyers wrote; 'Heartbreaking news about Garry Shandling. Just heartbreaking.' Mandy Moore wrote; 'Had the pleasure of meeting/ hanging with Garry Shandling a few times & he was a gentleman & obviously so deeply funny. RIP.' Albert Brooks said; 'R.I.P. Garry Shandling. I am so saddened to hear this. Brilliantly funny and such a great guy. He will be so missed.' It is the war of words consuming the Republican race for the White House as Ted Cruz and Donald Trump duke it out over their wives. And on Thursday Trump decided to lower the tone by resorting to schoolyard insults, accusing Cruz of 'starting it'. The current Republican frontrunner wrote: 'I didn't start the fight with Lyin'Ted Cruz over the GQ cover pic of Melania, he did. He knew the PAC was putting it out - hence, Lyin' Ted!' Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have been locked in a war of words this week over their wives as the pair have traded insults back and forth on Twitter On Thursday evening Trump resorted to schoolyard taunts by blaming Cruz for 'starting it' with a nude picture of Melania during a GQ cover shoot taken when she was a model Earlier on Thursday Cruz had branded Trump a 'sniveling coward' for his attacks on wife Heidi, and accused him of being scared of strong women Cruz, speaking on the campaign trail in Wisconsin, told Trump that 'our wives and our children are off bounds' before stating that 'Heidi is way out of Donald Trump's league' Heidi has become an increasingly prominent feature of Cruz's campaign since the argument erupted this week and was on stage with her husband Thursday evening in Janesville, Wisconsin (pictured) His comment came just hours after Cruz lashed out at Trump on the campaign trail, branding The Donald a 'sniveling coward' after he retweeted an unflattering picture of Cruz's wife Heidi. Speaking to CNN, Cruz said: 'Donald does seem to have a problem with women. Donald does not like strong women, strong women scare Donald. 'Donald is scared a lot these days. He's scared to debate, he ran away from the last debate because he's scared of Megyn Kelly and because he was scared to defend his policies.' After attacking Trump's foreign policy experience and economic understanding, Cruz continued: 'Our spouses and our children are off bounds. 'It is not acceptable for a big, loud, New York bully to attack my wife. It is not acceptable for him to make insults, to send tweets late at night. 'I don't know what Donald does late at night, but that's always when these things seem to happen, when I assume his fear is at it highest point. 'Real men don't try to bully women, that is not an action of strength that is an action of weakness it is an action of fear, it is an action of a small and petty man who is intimidated by strong women. 'Donald is indicating the fear that keeps him awake at night when he lashes out like that. Heidi is my best friend, she is the love of my life, and Donald should stick with attacking me, because Heidi is way out of Donald Trump's league.' The row between the pair began on Tuesday after a super PAC affiliated with Cruz tweeted a nude image of Trump's wife Melania from a GQ cover shoot back when she was a model. White text witted over the racy image, released ahead of votes in Utah and Arizona, read: 'Meet Melania Trump, your new First Lady. Or you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday.' The row between the pair started on Tuesday ahead of the Utah and Arizona caucuses when a super PAC affiliated with Ted Cruz put out this image of Trump's wife Melania from her days as a model Trump shot back later the same day, threatening to 'spill the beans' on Cruz's wife Heidi, although he has not yet revealed what he meant by that statement On Wednesday evening Trump retweeted this unflattering comparison shot of Heidi and Melania as the row between the Republican frontrunners escalated Cruz immediately hit back, tweeting: 'Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life' Despite election rules strictly prohibiting candidates from conversing with super PACs supporting them, Trump held Cruz responsible for the tweet. The following day, the businessman shot back: 'Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!' Later the same day Trump retweeted an unflattering comparison shot between Heidi and Melania with text that read: 'No need to "spill the beans." The images a worth a thousand words.' The same evening Cruz fired back, writing: 'Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life.' Then on Thursday morning Cruz was interviewed in Wisconsin when he accused Trump, who has not been seen in public all week, of being a coward. Trump has been vigorously tweeting, sending off 25 missives in the past 24 hours, but hasn't been seen publicly since Monday evening and doesn't plan to reemerge on the campaign trail for a week. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed that Trump's next public event will be held Tuesday, March 29, in Wisconsin. As for what The Donald was doing on his week out of the spotlight she replied 'working' and left it at that. Trump started his week at two high-profile affairs. First, he gathered hundreds of reporters at his hotel property in Washington, D.C., as a way to tout the forthcoming 'super luxury' establishment at the site of the Old Post Office Pavilion, just five blocks down Pennsylvania Ave. from the White House. In what became a bit of a spectacle, Trump forced campaign reporters to follow him through the dusty construction site and into the ballroom to get additional questions in. Sen. Ted Cruz vehemently defended his wife Heidi (right) calling Donald Trump a 'sniveling coward' at a campaign stop today in Dane, Wisconsin Sen. Ted Cruz had had enough of the Republican frontrunner's insults of his wife - meanwhile Trump hasn't been seen on the campaign trail since Monday evening On Monday Trump attended two high-profile events in Washington, D.C., including this huge press conference at the site of the forthcoming Trump hotel property in the nation's capital Donald Trump also used a teleprompter, an unusual sight for the generally off-the-cuff speaker, to give a barn-burner of a speech at the AIPAC policy conference in Washington Trump wanted to talk about all the marble everyone else there wanted to talk about politics. The Republican frontrunner then moved down the street to the Verizon Center to give a highly anticipated speech at AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference. In an unusual move for the generally off-the-cuff speaker, Trump used a teleprompter, though delivered many of his trademark lines on the crowd. 'And we are leading in every poll, remember that please,' he noted at one point. At another he mentioned his soon-to-be-born Jewish grandkid. 'My daughter Ivanka is about to have a beautiful Jewish baby,' he said. Cut to Tuesday and Trump was calling into many of the morning shows to react to the Belgian terrorist attacks. His desire to do interviews seemed to even force Democrat Hillary Clinton's hand, as her campaign originally declined to have the former secretary of state come on the Today show, but two hours later she called in. The only television appearance Trump did was an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Online columnist Piers Morgan, which was conducted in Florida. The Easter long weekend has arrived and the food, drink and chocolate is bound to start flowing very soon. But Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are all public holidays in most states, which means some shops may not be open regular hours on some of those days. Here's a list of where you can stock up, or drink up, in your state this Good Friday. Good Friday and Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday are all public holidays in most states and territories in Australia, which means restrictions on retail trading may apply New South Wales/ ACT Good Friday is a restricted trading day and you will be hard-pressed to find a Coles and Woolworths that is open. All major shopping centres like Westfield will also have its doors shut but some corner stores, petrol stations and chemists are allowed to open and trade as per usual. Bottle shops in NSW will be closed on Good Friday, but you can still get a drink at a hotel, bar or pub as long as it's before 10pm. Restaurants are also allowed to serve alcohol as long as you order food at the same time. Some of the main bars in Sydney that will trade as normal on Friday include Establishment and Bungalow 8 in the CBD, as well as The Beresford and El Loco in Surry Hills. The Glenmore and Bar 100 in The Rocks will also be open the entire weekend. While main shopping centres are closed, cinemas will remain open on Good Friday. Most Coles and Woolworths will reopen again normally on Saturday and Monday, but Easter Sunday may vary depending on the area you live. Good Friday is a restricted trading day across the country, which means most shops including supermarkets and major shopping centres are closed Bottle shops will also be closed on Good Friday, but alcohol is still served at bars and pubs. You can also still drink alcohol at licensed restaurants in most states, as long as you order food Victoria Supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths will be closed on Good Friday due to restricted trading but there are a number of small IGAs that will be open in and around Melbourne's CBD. Bottle shops will also shut its doors but licensed venues, including restaurants, can continue serving alcohol. Some of the main bars and pubs open in Melbourne's CBD on Good Friday include The Imperial Rooftop, Heartbraker and Madame Brussels. All of the main markets in Melbourne, including the Queen Victoria Markets and South Melbourne Market will be shut on Friday but will reopen again on Saturday. Queensland Like NSW and Victoria, most businesses will be closed on Good Friday in Queensland. Supermarkets and bottle shops will shut its doors but will reopen again on Saturday. Only some Coles and Woolworths stores will be open on Sunday, even though it is not considered a public holiday. Bars, pubs and restaurants can sell alcohol from 10am until midnight on Good Friday with food if that part of the premises is normally set aside for dining. Queensland also have rules that state you can purchase alcohol for one hour before eating, while you are eating and for one hour after. There is a long list of stores that are exempt from Easter trading restrictions in Queensland. The full list can be found here. Northern Territory Most stores in the Northern Territory will be closed on Good Friday, including supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths. While retail trading hours are not restricted in the Top End, most stores still choose to close on Friday. Supermarkets and bottle shops generally trade as normal on Easter Saturday even though it is a public in all states and territories apart from Western Australia and Tasmania Easter Sunday is actually only a public holiday in NSW, Victoria and the ACT. It is a restricted trading day in NSW so major shopping centres and supermarkets, including Coles and Woolworths, are closed South Australia South Australia has some of the most complex restricted trading rules that come down to how big a business is and where it is located. Most will be shut on Good Friday, including all supermarkets and bottle shops. Depending on where supermarkets are located, many will also be closed on Sunday and Monday too. Western Australia Retail shops and bottle shops will be closed in Western Australian on Good Friday. While supermarkets will be closed, some small conveniance stores and petrol stations will be open if they are exempt from trading rules. Tasmania Like every other state or territory in Australia, shops will be closed in Tasmania for Good Friday. Most Coles and Woolworths stores will reopen again on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as trading rules are generally unrestricted in the state. Humphrey returned to school after serving 14 years in the Marines, inspired to help wounded warriors as a physical therapist Willoughby said he was merely trying to help his student listen to the lesson without distraction Millie was 'totally content' for the rest of class in Willoughby's arms A Baylor University professor known as the Muscle Doctor has warmed hearts across the nation after he held his student's baby during an hour-long lecture when she started to fuss. Katy Humphrey, 33, had to bring her four-month-old daughter Millie to Dr Darryn Willoughby's exercise bio chemistry class when her babysitter called in sick earlier this month. Humphrey, a full-time student, had driven an hour from Salado, Texas to make it to the Waco campus, but Millie started to fuss within the first five minutes after they sat down for class. Willoughby noticed Humphrey was getting distracted as she tried to soothe the baby girl, and immediately picked Millie up to comfort her. Scroll down for video Baylor University professor Dr Darryn Willoughby warmed hearts across the nation when he held his student Katy Humphrey's 4-month old baby Millie when she started to fuss at the beginning of his class Willoughby noticed Humphrey was getting distracted as she tried to soothe the baby girl down, and immediately picked Millie up to comfort her 'I just went over, picked her up, carried her back, and went right back to lecturing without missing a beat,' he told KWTX. Both Willoughby and Humphrey said Millie was 'totally content' the entire time she was in the professor's arms, allowing her mother to pay attention to the class without distraction or stress. 'I didn't do it for myself,' Willoughby told TODAY. 'It's just about me looking out for and taking care of my students.' 'It was an issue more so just her being able to feel comfortable and relaxed in class.' Humphrey said Willoughby also took the moment to give the class a lesson in life rather than science. 'He told the class how one of the greatest gifts in life is being able to hold a baby,' she told ABC News. 'He talked about how he missed his two girls and being able to hold them when they were little. One is in college now and the other is in high school.' Humphrey (pictured with Millie), a full-time student, had driven an hour from Salado, Texas to make it to the Waco campus, but Millie started to fuss within the first five minutes after they sat down for class Humphrey (pictured with Millie and her husband) returned to school after spending 14 years as a gunnery sergeant in the Marines - realizing she wanted to help wounded warriors Humphrey returned to school after spending 14 years as a gunnery sergeant, working as a Pasho linguist and signals analyst, in the Marines - realizing she wanted to help wounded warriors. 'Through Baylor's graduate physical therapy program, I'm hoping I can get into the Army or Navy as an officer and physical therapist,' she said. Willoughby, a professional bodybuilder, is an associate professor of health, human performance and recreation at Baylor, as well as the director of exercise and biochemical nutrition laboratory. Humphrey took a class with Willoughby over the summer when she was pregnant, and the two noticed that Millie would always kick when she heard the professor talk. 'Our joke was that she either liked him a lot or not at all,' Humphrey said. Willoughby told Humphrey he could always bring Millie to class if she needed to, and the pair have since developed a friendship. Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton applied a surprising frankness to a conversation revolving around Obamacare, a video released to the Weekly Standard shows. In it she talks of the 'crushing cost' of healthcare under the legislation, which was approved by the Democratic President Obama in 2010. Clinton suggested that her mother Hillary Clinton, if elected president, would use executive action to improve the problem. Scroll down for video Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton had a frank talk with voters about Obamacare, which was caught on video, in which she referred to the 'crushing costs' of the current president's signature legislation The former first daughter Chelsea Clinton turned attack dog on the issue of Obamacare earlier this year, suggesting Bernie Sanders' Medicare-for-all plan would 'dismantle' the current program In the brief video, which was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday, the young Clinton is heard saying the government could 'cap out of pocket expenses.' 'This was part of my mom's original plan back in '93 and '94, as well as premium costs,' she continued. 'We can either do that directly or through tax credits.' 'And, kind of figuring out whether she could do that through executive action, or she would need to do that through tax credits working with Congress,' Chelsea Clinton said. 'She thinks either of those will help solve the challenges of kind of the crushing costs that sill exist for too many people, who even are part of the Affordable Care Act and buying insurance,' Clinton said before the video tapers off. Interestingly, it was the issue of Obamacare that turned Chelsea Clinton into attack dog for her mother, instead of a family member surrogate. During Chelsea Clinton's first solo swing through New Hampshire in January, she warned a crowd gathered in Manchester that Sanders planned to 'dismantle' Obamacare. Sanders had been pitching to his own supporters a Medicare-for-all program through the government as opposed to the private health insurance network of exchanges that Americans currently use. Hillary Clinton has labeled a plan like Sanders' unrealistic and instead suggested that she would make improvements on Obamacare's back. 'If it's Medicare-for-all, then you no longer have the Affordable Care Act,' Hillary Clinton said at a debate last month. 'We both share the goal of universal healthcare,' Clinton said of she and her rival Sanders. But she wanted to 'build on the healthcare system we have,' Clinton said. 'I far prefer that than trying to start all over again,' she concluded. Clinton, like her daughter, has had to publicly acknowledge some of the shortcomings of the law. For example, earlier this month she encountered a woman at CNN's Ohio town hall. The woman told the candidate that her health care costs had jumped from $490 to $1,090, the Weekly Standard reported. Clinton could only recommend that the voter do some comparison shopping. 'One thing that I would like you to doand I'm not saying it's going to making a difference, but I would like for you to go shopping on that exchange,' Clinton said. Seven people have been arrested in Belgium and Paris after masked anti-terror police carried out a string of raids across Europe in connection with the Brussels massacres and a new terror plot. Armed police swooped on properties in the Schaerbeek and Jette districts of Brussels and arrested a total of six people, who are thought to be connected to Tuesday's airport and Metro bombings. German police have also arrested two more people with suspected links to the attackers while a new suspect in the Brussels plot, 28-year-old Syrian Naim al-Hamed, has also been identified. It comes as it was revealed that the Frenchman arrested in the northern Paris suburb of Argenteuil last night was identified as a convicted ISIS recruiter who was in the 'advanced stages' of planning an attack in France. Frenchman Reda Kriket, 34, was arrested in the northern Paris suburb of Argenteuil, has today been identified as a convicted ISIS recruiter who was in the 'advances stages' of planning an attack in France Seven people have been arrested in Belgium and Paris (pictured) after masked anti-terror police carried out a string of raids across Europe in connection with the Brussels massacres and a new terror plot Police and forensics are pictured at the scene of a raid in the Schaerbeek area of Brussels last night Masked Belgian police secure the entrance to a building in Schaerbeek during police operations following Tuesday's bomb attacks in Brussels Reda Kriket, 34, was reportedly jailed in his absence in Belgium last year in connection with a network sending jihadists to Syria. He was placed on a Most Wanted police list in January, and was considered extremely dangerous. It comes as Belgian police admitted a catastrophic police blunder allowed Paris bombings logistics chief Salah Abdeslam to remain at large for more than three months. A dedicated beat officer gave information about the whereabouts of Abdeslam to superiors on December 7 and urged them to pass it on to the countrys anti-terrorist police. But the confidential report was inexplicably not passed onto the federal bureau. It has also been claimed Abdeslam was planning a multiple shooting and suicide bomb attack in Brussels over Easter before he was arrested last week. BRITISH MAN MISSING SINCE BRUSSELS METRO BLAST IS CONFIRMED DEAD The Foreign Office has confirmed that Briton David Dixon (pictured) died in the terror attacks A Briton who has been missing since the deadly terror attacks in Brussels has been confirmed dead. The family of Briton David Dixon, 53, who is originally from Hartlepool but was living in the Belgian capital, said they had received 'the most terrible and devastating news'. At least 32 people were killed and 270 injured when suicide bombs ripped through the airport and a Metro station on Tuesday morning. A statement issued on behalf of Mr Dixon's family said: 'This morning we received the most terrible and devastating news about our beloved David. 'At this most painful time our family would gratefully appreciate it if we could be left alone to grieve in private. Please respect our wishes.' A statement from the Foreign Office said: 'We can confirm David Dixon lost his life in the attacks which took place in Brussels on Tuesday 22 March 2016. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time and our Embassy staff are continuing to support them. 'We know of seven British nationals who were injured in the attacks - three are still being treated in hospital. Our Embassy staff are working to assist all British nationals affected.' Mr Dixon had been missing since the Metro blast, and his family previously said they were 'anxiously waiting' and hoping for 'good news' about him. Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: 'I am deeply saddened to hear David Dixon was killed in the Brussels attacks. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.' Advertisement Commenting after the arrest of Kriket today, an investigative source said: (Kriket) should have been under lock and key, but like so many other convicted jihadists was able to travel at will, and hide away in France or Belgium.' French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Kriket detained could be part of a high level terror network that was planning to strike on French soil. They 'planned to hit our country', he said. But Mr Cazeneuve said there was currently no 'tangible' link between the man arrested in Paris and Tuesday's attacks in Brussels. Police officers stand guard outside a building during a raid in the Argenteuil suburb of northwest Paris At least one Frenchman was arrested on Thursday after police foiled a terrorist attack in the 'advanced stages' Broken glass could be seen in a second floor window at the scene of one of last night's raids on Rue De Pavillon In The Schaarbeek District Of Brussels One of the raids took place at an apartment (centre) in Rue de Pavillon in Schaarbeek, Brussels It is understood 34-year-old Kriket had been under police surveillance for 'quite some time'. 'The arrest is the result intricate work carried out over the last few weeks by intelligence services,' said Mr Cazeneuve. He confirmed the man arrested was of French nationality and was 'involved in the plot at a high level' and was 'involved in a terrorist network that was ready to attack France.' He said the arrest was the result of 'close and constant cooperation between European services'. Homes in the area were evacuated and several streets were closed to traffic during the police operation. Bomb disposal units were called to the scene to allow police officers 'to proceed with searching the apartment, the parking and the communal areas in optimal conditions,' Mr Cazeneuve added. A security cordon was set up around the building. French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the man detained in Paris could be part of a high level terror network that was planning to strike on French soil. Pictured: Masked anti-terror officers in the French capital The arrest in Paris on Thursday was the result of 'close and constant cooperation between European services' Homes in the northern Paris suburb of Argenteuil (pictured) were evacuated and several streets were closed to traffic during the police operation. Bomb disposal units were also called to the scene One Frenchman was arrested in the northern Paris suburb of Argenteiul over a planned terrorist attack It is understood more than 50 residents, including many children, were among those evacuated. One resident told Le Parisien: 'We saw many [police] arrive around 5.30pm. The police told us to stay at home without giving more explanation. 'Agents are hooded. Given the context, people are afraid. My son once told me he did not want to go to school tomorrow.' In Germany, it emerged that police had arrested two people they suspect are linked to the Islamist suicide bombers. It said one of the men, arrested on Wednesday near Frankfurt, received two mobile phone messages shortly before the bombings that included the name of Khalid El Bakraoui, the man Belgian police say blew himself in a Brussels metro station. US AUTHORITIES: MYSTERIOUS 'MAN IN WHITE' IS ON TERROR WATCH LIST The mysterious Man in White who was pictured alongside the Brussels airport bombers just moments before they killed 14 people has been identified by US officials and is on a terror watchlist, it has emerged. American authorities are said to have identified Europes most wanted man and found him on their terror database as he remains on-the-run after fleeing the airport when his bomb failed to explode. It emerged as it was revealed the brothers behind the atrocities in the Belgian capital on Tuesday were also on a US terror watchlist. US officials have identified the 'Man in White' (right) and claim he is on a terrorism database alongside Belgian brothers Ibrahim (left) and Khalid El Bakraoui, who were also listed as potential terror threats before the attack Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui were both listed as potential terror threats on US databases, although it is unclear at this stage which terrorism databases they were listed on. Earlier, it was revealed how Ibrahim El Bakraoui was arrested as an alleged extremist nine months before bringing terror to the heart of Europe. Grinning for the camera, the suicide bomber is pictured in a police mugshot, after being detained last summer by Turkish authorities. Terrorist: Ibrahim El Bakraoui smiles in his mugshot taken by Turkish police after he was arrested in Gaziantep last summer It came after the jihadist was captured just a few miles from the border with ISIS's heartland in Syria. Police in the country returned El Bakraoui to Europe, warning that he was a known extremist who posed a terror threat to his home country of Belgium, according to the Turkish president. But officials in the Netherlands and Belgium let the jihadist walk free, saying he could not be jailed because there was no evidence he had committed a crime. Turkish authorities revealed today that after being returned to Europe, El Bakraoui returned to Turkey once again, only to be deported for a second time in August. On Tuesday morning, the El Bakraoui brothers took part in the devastating attacks on Brussels' airport and Metro system, killing 34 people in total. Police are now still hunting for their accomplice known as the 'Man in White', as well as at least five other unidentified suspects linked to the atrocity.The new mugshot of Ibrahim El Bakraoui was taken by police in the Turkish border town of Gaziantep after he was arrested in June 2015. Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed yesterday that his officials had deported the terrorist to the Netherlands and said that Europe 'ignored our warnings' about the danger he posed. 'One of the attackers in Brussels is an individual we detained in Gaziantep in June 2015 and deported,' Erdogan said. 'We reported the deportation to the Belgian Embassy in Ankara on July 14, 2015, but he was later set free. 'Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter.' Carnage: There were scenes of devastation at the main terminal at Brussels national airport Last night the uncle of Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui said the brothers had worked as cleaners at the airport they targeted. They would have gained intimate knowledge of the terminal destroyed in Tuesdays carnage and should have undergone security checks. Their uncle told the Daily Mail: They worked cleaning at the airport and in a restaurant. They didnt finish high school in the end. They cleaned the airport in the summer months. Last night the Belgian prosecutor said the airport links were being investigated. Advertisement The German interior ministry declined immediate comment on Spiegel's report. Der Spiegel said the messages included the word 'fin,' French for 'end', and were received three minutes before the explosion at Brussels' Maelbeek metro station, near the European Union headquarters. Germany's federal police chief said ISIS appeared eager to carry out 'spectacular' attacks as it was coming under increased military pressure in Iraq and Syria. This means the risk of Brussels-style attacks in Germany and elsewhere in Europe is high, Holger Muench, president of the BKA federal police, told Bild newspaper in remarks to be published on Saturday. 'More attacks cannot be ruled out,' he said. Naim al-Hamed (pictured) has reportedly been identified as a new suspect in the investigation in to the Brussels attacks In Belgium, investigators have identified a new suspect they believe played a role in the Brussels bombings, according to the newspaper De Morgen. The paper, named him as 28-year-old Syrian Naim al-Hamed and said he was on a list circulated to the security services of other European countries after Tuesday's attacks along with Mohamed Abrini, Najim Laachraoui and Khalid El Bakraoui. The paper said Naim al-Hamed was also suspected of involvement in the November 13 attacks in Paris which killed 130 people. Meanwhile, it has emerged this morning that police have also arrested a man seen on security footage next to Khalid El Bakraoui, the suicide attacker who detonated a bomb in the Brussels metro, De Standaard newspaper reported on Friday. The federal prosecutor's office did not confirm the arrest. The newspaper said the man, whom it did not name, was arrested after a policeman recognised him from the security footage. Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, who blew himself up on a crowded rush hour train, is the brother of Brahim El Bakraoui, who detonated a bomb at Brussels Airport an hour earlier. The joint attacks killed at least 31 people and wounded 316. Public broadcaster RTBF meanwhile reported police detained a seventh person in the district of Forest following six arrests late on Thursday. Investigation: French Police and a forensic expert stand at the entrance of an apartment building after a raid in Argenteuil, a suburb in northern Paris, France Police stand on guard after the arrest of a French national suspected of planning an attack in France The latest arrests comes just days after suicide bombers hit Brussels airport and a metro train, killing at least 31 people and wounding some 270 in the worst such attack in Belgian history France has been on high alert since the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and injured hundreds more. Mr Cazenueve said there had been 75 arrests since the beginning of the year and 28 suspects had been jailed. The latest arrests comes just days after suicide bombers hit Brussels airport and a metro train, killing at least 31 people and wounding some 270 in the worst such attack in Belgian history. At least two men identified by police from surveillance footage at the airport and metro station where the attacks took place are still at large. But police arrested a further six people in connection with the attacks last night, with three people being detained 'outside the door of the federal prosecutor's office' in Brussels city centre. POLICE BLUNDER ALLOWED ABDESLAM TO REMAIN AT LARGE FOR MONTHS Belgian police questioned prime terror suspect Salah Abdeslam for just one hour within four days because he was 'too tired' to be quizzed, it is claimed A catastrophic police blunder allowed Paris bombings logistics chief Salah Abdeslam to remain at large for more than three months, Belgian police have admitted. A dedicated beat officer gave information about the whereabouts of Abdeslam to superiors on December 7 and urged them to pass it on to the countrys anti-terrorist police. But the confidential report which cited the address 79 rue des Quatre Vents, Molenbeek, where Abdeslam was finally apprehended was inexplicably not passed onto the federal bureau. His RIR Informative Report remained on the shelves at the Malines Police headquarters instead. This was while Abdeslam was Europes most wanted man as the most high-profile fugitive of the Paris terror attacks that killed 130. The news comes as it was revealed the sole reason he gave up his suicide mission at the Stade de France in November was that he did not have a ticket. He made this confession to Belgium police after being arrested in Brussels a week ago. It is also claimed he was also planning a multiple shooting and suicide bomb attack in Brussels over Easter similar to those in Paris in November. Last night it emerged that Belgian police questioned Abdeslam for just one hour between his arrest on Friday and the devastating Brussels attacks four days later because he was 'tired', raising fears that they missed the chance to stop the atrocities. In the latest in a long list of bungles, the hour-long interrogation at a Bruges prison on Saturday produced no intelligence about the impending carnage because investigators took a chronological approach, asking first about the Paris attacks in November. This was in spite of the discovery of bomb making materials and Abdeslam's fingerprints at a Schaerbeek safe house days before and mounting evidence that the terror cell was active and ready to strike. The interrogations were curtailed because Abdeslam was still recovering from surgery after being shot in the leg when he was arrested, a senior Belgian security official said on condition of anonymity. Stadium: Abdeslam said the sole reason he gave up his suicide mission at the Stade de France (pictured on November 13) is that he did not have a ticket 'He seemed very tired and he had been operated on the day before,' the official told Politico. Another source added: 'They were not thinking about the possibilities of what happened on Tuesday morning.' Abdeslam's lawyer, Sven Mary, confirmed how Europe's most dangerous terrorist had been treated with kid gloves by police, raising concerns that authorities missed the opportunity to prevent the Brussels atrocities that followed just days later. It comes amid speculation in the Belgian media that Abdeslam was the mastermind behind the terror plots in Brussels, which killed 31 innocent people and injured hundreds more. Belgian public broadcaster VRT said today that the fugitive was planning a multiple shooting and suicide bomb attack in the capital similar to those in Paris in November. Citing no source, VRT said investigators believed Abdeslam and two others, one of them a man arrested with him on Friday, planned to use assault rifles and riot guns to cause mass casualties in Brussels while others would blow themselves up. Salah Abdeslam (pictured being captured last Friday) has been 'treated with kid gloves by police', raising concerns that authorities missed the opportunity to prevent the Brussels attacks that followed just days later 'The terrorists were planning the same scenario as in Paris, only it partially failed,' VRT said. It is thought the attacks at Brussels airport and on the city's Metro system were brought forward in light of Abdeslam's capture - with jihadists fearing he may betray them following his arrest on Friday. His dramatic detainment in Molenbeek signalled the net could be closing on those he had plotted with, and his fellow terror suspects may have feared he could provide clues as to their identities and their plans to unleash terror on the streets. Advertisement Federal prosecutor spokesman Eric Van der Sypt said two further people were arrested elsewhere in the city and the sixth was detained in Jette, on the outskirts of the capital. 'It will be decided (on Friday) if arrest warrants are brought against these people,' he added. Raids also took place in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek last night. The suburb is where the three airport attackers left from on Tuesday morning carrying three explosive-packed suitcases. Schaerbeek residents described hearing detonations during the police raids, but it was unclear whether they were explosions or controlled blasts. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Brussels to offer Washington's support to Belgium. Kerry came to Brussels from Moscow where he had held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on pushing forward a ceasefire in Syria where ISIS has seized huge swathes of territory and where many of its European jihadist recruits have been trained and become battle-hardened. Police officers block a street in Argenteuil, northwest of Paris, late last night, where a Frenchman was arrested during an anti-terror raid France has been on high alert since the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and injured hundreds more Six people have been arrested in raids across Brussels Thursday in connection with Tuesday's massacres His visit came as a US official said two Americans were killed in Tuesday's bombing in Brussels. The official did not offer specifics on where the Americans died, saying only that two had been confirmed killed. Kerry is due to meet Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, as well as the country's King Philippe, as the country tries to come to terms with the attacks amid accusations that authorities could have done more or even prevented them but for intelligence failures. In his first engagement, Kerry met European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker after EU member states pledged they would step up security cooperation so as to better fight IS jihadists. After meeting with the Belgian prime minister Mr Kerry said the 'United States is praying and grieving with you for the loved ones of those cruelly taken from us, including Americans, and for the many who were injured in these despicable attacks. US Secretary of State John Kerry (pictured) has arrived in Brussels to offer Washington's support to Belgium Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel, right, and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, centre, welcome U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left on his arrival at the Prime Minister's residence in Brussels 'The United States stands firmly with Belgium and with the nations of Europe in the face of this tragedy,' Mr Kerry said, adding that the world will not relent in its fight against the Islamic State group, which has claimed the attacks. 'We - all of us representing countless nationalities - have a message for those who inspired or carried out the attacks here or in Paris, or Ankara, or Tunis, or San Bernardino, or elsewhere: We will not be intimidated,' he said. 'We will not be deterred. We will come back with greater resolve - with greater strength - and we will not rest until we have eliminated your nihilistic beliefs and cowardice from the face of the Earth.' Mr Michel thanked Mr Kerry for his visit, calling it a powerful message of solidarity. 'It is very important for us today to receive your support,' he said. He offered condolences for the American victims and vowed to step up counter-terrorism cooperation with the US and others. Meanwhile, the Netherlands' foreign minister said three Dutch citizens were killed in the bombing at Brussels airport. Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the victims were a woman from the eastern city of Deventer and a brother and sister from the southern Limburg province who live in the US. Advertisement Orthodox Jewish children and their parents have swapped their traditional clothing to put on a colourful display to celebrate the festival of Purim in Stamford Hill, east London. The holiday is marked with carnival-like parades where people dress up in masks and fancy dress outfits and eat traditional food, such as Hamantash pastries. A holy day in the Jewish calendar, it commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia during the 5th century BC when royal adviser Haman plotted 'to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day'. The ancient story is recorded in the book of Esther in the Torah and tells how a royal adviser to King Ahasuerus - presumed to be Xerxes I of Persia - called Haman planned to kill all the Jews in the empire. But his plans were foiled by Mordecai and his adopted daughter Queen Esther. Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies. Huge celebrations are held around the world from the streets of east London to the beaches of Tel Aviv. It is the one day alcohol is not only allowed but positively encouraged. Alcohol is consumed by revellers, as it is considered a mitzvah - or religious duty - to drink alcohol on Purim or get 'shikker' - a Yiddish term for extremely drunk. In Stamford Hill the costumes ranged from period characters to jolly clowns and post men and women collecting money for charity - an annual tradition. Young Orthodox Jewish children in Stamford Hill, east London, come out in the streets dressed up as clowns to celebrate Purim The holiday is marked with carnival-like parades where people dress up in masks and fancy dress outfits and eat traditional food, such as Hamantash pastries A holy day in the Jewish calendar, it commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia during the 5th century BC when royal adviser Haman plotted 'to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day' The ancient story of Purim is recorded in the book of Esther in the Torah and is still celebrated to this day by revellers worldwide The story tells how a royal adviser to King Ahasuerus - presumed to be Xerxes I of Persia - called Haman planned to kill all the Jews in the empire. But his plans were foiled by Mordecai and his adopted daughter Queen Esther Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies Alcohol is consumed by revellers, as it is considered a mitzvah - or religious duty - to drink alcohol on Purim or get 'shikker' - a Yiddish term for extremely drunk These girls decided to mark the holy day by dressing up in outfits from different ends of the social spectrum This groups of children dressed up as post men and women and used their homemade post boxes to collect money for charity This little girl got into the spirit of Purim by dressing up as an adorable ladybird during the celebrations with her family A Orthodox Jewish man has decided not to dress up but holds a child in a monkey costume. While two young children don spacesuits for the occasion This group of children paraded round the streets in a van wearing Fez hats emblazoned with stars and moons These three girls decided to go for a magical princess theme in their costumes, which look like they came straight out of a fairytale Pig costumes were also popular during the festivities, which saw floats parade around the streets of the east London neighbourhood It seemed there was an animal theme for this year's celebrations and one children dressed as a cow, while a lion costume can be seen peeping from a pushchair These three children clearly though smart historical costumes would encourage people to give generously to charity Airline passengers were delayed for almost 18 hours in Florida after being forced to swap aircraft three times due to faults. Allegiant Air passengers traveling from Orlando Sanford International Airport to Grand Rapids, Michigan, were due to take off at 2.57pm yesterday for a two-hour journey to their destination. But instead they ended up departing early Thursday morning, 17 hours and 30 minutes after their first departure time, after three planes developed faults and had to turn back, WESH reports. Including flight time, it took passengers 20 hours to reach Michigan, an hour and a half longer than it would have taken to drive 1,200 miles there, passing through 13 construction zones along the way. Tom Lodge, who was traveling with his girlfriend to visit a sick relative, said he will not be flying with Allegiant Air again after his journey was delayed by almost 18 hours Including delays and flight time it took passengers 20 hours to reach Michigan, an hour and a half longer than it would have taken to drive the 1,200 miles including passing through 13 construction zones Dozens of passengers boarded the first plane yesterday which took off around 20 minutes behind schedule and were in the air for half an hour before there was a problem with a sensor on board. After landing back in Orlando, the airline put passengers on a second plane that was due to depart at 5.52pm, but instead sat at the gate for half an hour. At around 6.20pm the pilot ordered the travelers off of a second aircraft, saying he was unable to take off because one of the engine was overheating. The final attempt of the day came at 8.52pm when passengers boarded a third aircraft and sat at the gate for another half an hour before being told there was an issue with the cabin lights. The weary travelers were ordered back off the plane and sent to a hotel for the night, which the airline paid for, before trying again this morning. Passengers said their first plane was in the air for 30 minutes before turning back due to a sensor fault, their second plane had an overheating engine, and the third had a cabin light issue (file image) Airport records show the flight eventually departed for grand rapids at 8.30am, a full 17 hours and 30 minutes before it was originally scheduled to leave. Allegiant said passengers were provided with free food and drinks at the gate, a hotel room and a $200 voucher off future flights by way of an apology. Tom Lodge, who spoke to WESH, said: 'This will be the last time I fly. They give you a $200 voucher, you really expect [me] to fly on this again? The Brussels jihadi brothers had worked as cleaners at the airport they targeted, their uncle claimed last night. Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui would have gained intimate knowledge of the terminal destroyed in Tuesdays carnage and should have undergone security checks. Their uncle told the Mail: They worked cleaning at the airport and in a restaurant. They didnt finish high school in the end. They cleaned the airport in the summer months. Last night the Belgian prosecutor said the airport links were being investigated. The uncle of Brussels jihadi brothers Ibrahim (right) and Khalid (left) el-Bakraoui claimed the pair had worked as cleaners at the airport terminal destroyed in Tuesday's carnage Ibrahim el-Bakraoui (centre) can be seen walking through the airport terminal on the morning of the attack, just moments before he and fellow bomber Najim Laachraoui (left) detonated their explosives The uncles claims add to the list of bungled chances to prevent the attacks, in which the brothers and accomplices killed 31 and wounded 270 with bombs at the airport and on a Metro train. It emerged last night that the brothers had been on US terror watchlists. And Turkish authorities piled further humiliation on Belgium by revealing they had expelled Ibrahim not once but twice last year, and accused Belgium of ignoring warnings that he was an Islamic State fanatic. A Turkish police mug shot from last July showed a grinning Ibrahim. Belgiums interior and justice ministers offered to resign yesterday, but the prime minister refused, saying he needed them at this time of war. Police also admitted that two jihadis who had accompanied the brothers on Tuesday may be at large. Ibrahim, 29, and bomb-maker Najim Laachraoui detonated suitcase bombs in Zaventem Airport. Police were last night hunting the man in white seen on airport CCTV who joined them but ran when his bomb failed to explode. Ibrahim el-Bakraoui smiles for a mugshot, taken by Turkish police in July 2015 US authorities were reported to know his identity, and he is also said to have been on American watchlists. Khalid, 27, blew up a nail bomb on a Metro train at Maelbeek station shortly after the airport attack. An accomplice seen with Khalid may also be on the run, police sources told Belgian media. Eric Pania, who was in the carriage shortly before the blast, told VRT: There were two men. One was strange and tinkering with a bag that he handed over to the other. I found it very strange and got out. Shortly afterwards I heard the explosion behind me. The bombers uncle said their parents, who used to run a fabric shop, were devastated. He said: Their parents are completely traumatised, they are in the middle of their mourning. They dont eat, they dont sleep and they dont speak. Ibrahim had a girlfriend called Sandrine, she is heartbroken. The brothers would have needed security clearance to work at the airport, but it was unclear when they were there and whether they had criminal records at the time. The uncle, who asked not to be named, said they had been bright school pupils before going off the rails. He said: They were really nice guys. They were very serious and they studied a lot. It was around this time they worked for a cleaning company at the airport, he said. But they dropped out of school, turning to crime, and in 2011 Ibrahim was jailed for nine years for shooting at police with a Kalashnikov rifle following a bungled robbery. The next year, Khalid was sentenced to five years for car jackings. He too had been armed with a Kalashnikov. The brothers had been radicalised in prison, the uncle said. Speaking at his home in Laeken, the working-class neighbourhood where the brothers grew up, he said: Ibrahim didnt have any money. That is why he did the robbery, because he wanted to get some money. Ibrahim detonated a bomb at the airport terminal where it is believed he and his brother worked as cleaners. Khalid blew up a nail bomb on a Metro train at Maelbeek station shortly after the airport attack If true, their uncle's claims add to the list of bungled chances to prevent the attacks, in which the brothers and accomplices killed 31 and wounded 270 with bombs at the airport and on a Metro train Here in this neighbourhood, you can get anything you want if you have money a helicopter, a tank, you can get drugs, guns, war guns, anything. When they were younger we all used to be very close to each other. After prison, everything was different, he said. Their clothes, their appearance, their whole demeanour. They were completely different, different people. I would never have imagined they would commit such horrors. Ibrahim was always someone who would like to help people. An airport spokesman could not confirm whether the brothers had worked there. It was reported that magistrates could have detained Khalid last May, when he breached parole by meeting criminal associates, but no action was taken. An American woman's boyfriend who was last heard from as he arrived at Brussels Airport on Tuesday's morning of terror in Belgium is still missing. Bart Migom was traveling to Athens, Georgia, to visit his girlfriend Emily Eisenman, 21, when the blasts rocked the Belgian capital. Marketing student Mr Migom, who is also 21, told Miss Eisenman on the phone that he loved her moments before he arrived at the airport by train. Loved ones are still yet to hear from the Belgian and authorities have been unable to identify him as among the injured. Scroll down for video Bart Migom was traveling to Athens, Georgia, to visit his girlfriend Emily Eisenman, 21, when the blasts rocked the Belgian capital Marketing student Mr Migom, who is also 21, told Miss Eisenman on the phone that he loved her moments before he arrived at the airport by train Mr Migom, who is studying in Bruges, had been texting Miss Eisenman as he traveled to Brussels Airport by train and spoke to her briefly before he arrived at the terminal. Moments after he arrived at around 8am, two explosions at check-in desks and by a Starbucks tore through the airport, killing 13 and injuring scores more. 'He was texting me from the train on his way to the airport in Brussels,' Miss Eisenman said. 'He was supposed to send me a picture of his boarding pass when he got there, but he never did.' Miss Eisenman, who has been in a long-distance relationship with Mr Migom for the last year, said they chatted on the phone minutes before the bombings. 'Bart told me that he would get in touch with me every step of the way,' she told Today. 'His last words on the phone call was that I love you.' Mr Migom was due to board a 10.30am flight from Brussels to Atlanta and was set to be reunited with his girlfriend that evening. Mr Migom, who is studying in Bruges, had been texting Miss Eisenman as he traveled to Brussels Airport by train and spoke to her briefly before he arrived at the terminal Mr Migom was due to board a 10.30am flight from Brussels to Atlanta and was set to be reunited with his girlfriend that evening The young couple were planning to spend two weeks together with Miss Eisenman's family. The distraught woman's mother, Gaydell Eisenman, told the New York Post that the family felt like they were living 'in a nightmare'. 'He is a great person and we havent given up hope. Were hoping hell still show up,' Ms Eisenman said. 'They had discussed spending their lives together. [Emily is] not doing great. Shes really devastated.' Mr Migom's desperate parents have been told by authorities that there are two as yet unidentified injured people in hospital that could be their son, but they are unsure. Four Americans are still missing following Tuesday's twin attacks which targeted the airport and a metro station in Brussels, killing 34 including the three suicide bombers and injuring around 200 more people. Among the U.S. citizens still unaccounted for are married couple Justin and Stephanie Shults, from Kentucky. Their family last night expressed their disgust after being told the pair had been found injured, only for it to emerge that they are still missing. American couple Justin and Stephanie Shults, who were thought to have been found injured a day after the Brussels terror attacks, are still missing, their family have confirmed The couple, who live and work in Belgium but are originally from Kentucky, had not been heard from since they dropped off Mrs Shults' mother at Brussels Airport on Tuesday morning Disgusted: Justin Shults' brother wrote this tweet yesterday, after receiving false information about his brother from a social worker They were at Brussels Airport after dropping off Mrs Shults' mother when the bombs went off and have not been heard from since. Their family's hopes were raised on Wednesday when they received a call from a social worker, saying the couple had been found at a Brussels hospital. But their happiness quickly turned to confusion and anger when they learned just two hours later that the social worker had been wrong. 'We called Senator Corkers office and we gave them the information that a social worker from Belgium had called me and asked me where I got my information from,' Justin's mother Sheila Shell told WATE. 'I had told her I got a call from the State Department and she said, "well that information is incorrect. They have not been found and they are not in any hospital that we have here".' 'I am disgusted that the information given to us wasn't 100 per cent correct,' Justin's brother Levi Sutton wrote in a furious tweet on Wednesday. The Shultses had just dropped Stephanie's mother Carolyn Moore at the airport when the first of two blasts rocked Brussels Airport. While Mrs Moore survived the attack and has been in contact with family back home, her daughter and son-in-law have not been seen or heard from since and their phones keep going to voicemail. 'I was waiting in line to check in, and she was sitting in the seats with her husband waiting for me to finish... I have no idea where she is,' Stephanie's mom, Carolyn Moore, told NewsChannel5. 'She had said goodbye to them in the terminal and had turned to go toward security and the blast happened,' Moore's sister Betty Newsom told the Lexington Herald Leader. 'She does not know if they stood there to watch her go to security or if they had turned to leave the terminal. She does not know.' Justin Shults met his wife Stephanie when they were both graduate students at Vanderbilt University Also missing are brother and sister Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski, who were also at the airport on Tuesday morning. The siblings, from New York, were on the phone to their mother, Mariann, when the blasts took place and then the line went dead, according to Dutch media reports. They had been standing in the ticket line to board Delta flight 34 to New York's JFK Airport. Friend Mark Lewis, who lives in the Netherlands, says they have checked the local hospitals and found no sign of the siblings. 'After the explosion we haven't heard from them,' Lewis told People magazine on Wednesday. 'We tried all hospitals with no luck. Their mom was the last to speak to them, but their call was cut off after the explosion.' Alexander is engaged to Cameron Cain, the daughter of former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark James Cain. The couple met while attending Duke. He was supposed to meet her on Monday in New York, and the two had plans to then fly to Raleigh, Virginia for a wedding. 'Its been more than 24 hours now. And so we know that theres a possibility the news, when it comes, may not be good,' Mr Cain told ABC before flying to Belgium with his daughter. Sascha Pinczowski (left and right) and her brother Alexander were at Brussels Airport at the time of the two explosions inside a terminal Alex is described as being about 6ft 1ins, with short brown hair. He has a beard, brown eyes and is diabetic Alexander Pinczowski is engaged to Cameron Cain, the daughter of the former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, James Cain 'Mariann said the phone sounded like it went under water, so thats the last contact anyone had with Alex or Sascha,' Cain, who was appointed by President George W Bush and served as ambassador from September 2005 until January 2009, said. The superintendent of the building where Cameron Cain lives says she looked 'very upset' as she left with family members after news of the bombings, according to the New York Post. Sascha is a former student at Marymount Manhattan College - and is a production intern at a design company in Chelsea, according to her LinkedIn page. She previously studied hospitality management in Holland and can speak five languages. She had reportedly been splitting time between Europe and New York, but was looking to settle in Manhattan permanently. Dutch media reports said their father lives in the Netherlands and is now travelling to Brussels to help with the search. The Pinczowskis were reported missing by their Facebook friend Karen Van Suijdam. 'We are still looking for Alexander Pinczowski and his sister Sascha,' Suijdam wrote. 'They are missing in the Brussels airport attack since this morning. Please contact if you have seen them or know about their whereabouts. Please share!!!' Sascha's best friend, Alex Kneeshaw, spoke with the New York Daily News and said news of her disappearance 'breaks my heart beyond belief'. Malcolm Turnbull has clashed with ABC presenter Tony Jones in his first interview on Lateline since becoming Prime Minister. The Prime Minister appeared to be unimpressed with the agenda of Lateline on Thursday night given he wanted to talk about the economy and national security in the lead up to the election. But instead the veteran journalist asked questions on issues Mr Turnbull argued voters wouldn't be interested in, including his tense relationship for former PM Tony Abbott and how he would deal with 'the ghost of governments passed'. Scroll down for video Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has clashed with ABC presenter Tony Jones during an interview on Lateline on Thursday when he was asked about his tense relationship with Tony Abbott. Mr Turnbull eventually referred to Jones' questions as 'barbs' when the presenter asked to throw 'one final question' at him. The interview was tense right from the beginning when Jones started off asking questions about Mr Turnbull's recent comments about the terror attacks in Brussels when he said intelligence showed Islamic State were using the refugee crisis to send in operatives. Jones said: 'Belgium's Prime Minister says that your claim that Belgium's using the refugee crisis to send operatives into Europe was dangerous and he says it's exactly what ISIS wants confusion between terrorism and migrants. Did you go too far in that speech?' Mr Turnbull replied: 'No. My job as Prime Minister of Australia is to explain these events to Australians and in particular to explain the context, to explain where there are similarities and where there are differences. 'And there are very big differences between the security environment in Europe and Australia. We have a much more successful multicultural society than many European countries and we have stronger borders. 'Well I'll stand by what I said. And there is an enormous flood of refugees going into Europe and of course it's very challenging for the Europeans. There is a very serious crisis. The humanitarian crisis in Syria of course is of a scale not seen for many, many years.' The interview was tense right from the beginning when Tony Jones started off asking questions about Mr Turnbull's recent comments about the terror attacks in Brussels The aftermath of explosions at Brussels airport in Belgium on Tuesday morning These three men are the terrorists who carried out the attacks at Brussels airport. The two suspected suicide bombers on the left were both wearing black gloves to hide the triggers for their explosive vests But it seemed to go even further downhill from there when Mr Turnbull was asked about allegations surrounding cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos who was accused of disguising donations by major political donors to the NSW Liberal Party in 2011. 'Well Tony, it is interesting to note that we spent a few minutes talking about national security and the challenged faced by Europe in addressing and confronting Islamist extremists,' Mr Turnbull said. 'And you're now devoting much of the interview to the administration of the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party in 2011.' Jones eventually touched on Tony Abbott and the pair again argued on how relevant this issue was. Mr Turnbull argued that not very many Australians, apart from Jones, were interested in the ghost of governments passed. He argued people wanted to know who was best able to manage Australia's economy. Jones said there was interest in what happened in an election campaign especially given Mr Abbott's comments earlier this week during a television interview where he accused the Prime Minister of running his campaign based on what the Abbott government had achieved. The interview seemed to go even further downhill when Mr Turnbull was asked questions about former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the election campaign Tony Abbott gave a television interview earlier this week accusing Mr Turnbull of running his election campaign off what the Abbott government had achieved 'It raised the question whether he's in a sense playing Kevin Rudd to your Julia Gillard, whether you could end up facing that same kind of psycho-drama that played out during the 2010 election, whether he could undermine your support over a period of time. Isn't that a concern?' Jones said. Turnbull replied: 'No. The Australian people are concerned about who can best ensure that their children and grandchildren will have great, well-paid jobs in the future. They're concerned about the choice between me and Bill Shorten. That's the choice that will face Australians at the election.' Jones then asked: 'Have you got an assurance yet from Tony Abbott that he won't interfere in the campaign since he's already done it on day one?' The kangaroo was purchased and is going to Nebraska According to police 'the animal was housed in Norwalk while it was listed for sale on Craigslist and various other places' Housing for the kangaroo in the country fell through, police said Authorities said a man bought the animal and hoped to train it Police in Norwalk, Iowa, said the kangaroo was captured and turned over to the Department of Natural Resources A kangaroo on the loose in Norwalk, Iowa, was nabbed by police this week. The Norwalk Police Department described the Tuesday evening incident involving the marsupial on Facebook Wednesday. Authorities wrote in the post: 'Don't worry kiddos, we didn't arrest the Easter Bunny last night. 'It was just a friendly stray Kangaroo that was spotted hopping around outside city hall. Scroll down for video A kangaroo on the loose in Norwalk, Iowa, has been nabbed by police. Police said the kangaroo was captured and turned over to the Department of Natural Resources 'After it was captured we turned it over to the [Department of Natural Resources].' Later on Wednesday, the Norwalk Police Department said on Facebook: 'Kangaroo Update: We have contacted the owner concerning the Kangaroo. 'The owner had purchased the animal to try and train it as a pet. 'He planned to keep it out in the country but that location fell through as a housing option. 'So the animal was housed in Norwalk while it was listed for sale on Craigslist and various other places. 'Unfortunately, last night it escaped its pen. 'Today when we talked to the owner we were advised that the animal has been sold and is moving to Nebraska.' The Craigslist ad, via KWQC, said: '7 month old red kangaroo. 'He was mother fed and is half tame. 'He still needs worked with, but will come up to you.' Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples told the Des Moines Register: 'It's not a dangerous animal, so, in and of itself, it is not illegal to keep a kangaroo.' A United Airlines pilot is accused of running a prostitution ring in Texas. Bruce Wayne Wallis, 51, allegedly ran around six different brothel apartments in Houston with as many as ten women working out of each one, according to the Houston Chronicle. The women would advertise their services online and were made to pay Wallis $400 per week, according to prosecutors. Bruce Wayne Wallis (left), 51, allegedly ran around six different brothel apartments in Houston with as many as ten women working out of each one Nineteen women were arrested for prostitution and a woman named Tracie Rebekah Tanner, 37, was charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution and engaging in criminal activity. Police did not specify the relationship between Wallis and Tanner. They were both held on $5,000 bail, according to Click 2 Houston. 'It's the largest operation that I've ever worked on,' Assistant Harris County District Attorney Lester Blizzard told the Houston Chronicle. Police discovered the brothels after raiding over 20 locations in Houston. United Airlines released the following statement: 'United holds its employees to the highest standard. We are assisting the authorities and have removed Mr.Wallis from his flying duties.' Records indicate Wallis earned his pilots license more than 15 years ago. Wallis posted bond and is due in court next week. Former romantic link: Prince William will attend the wedding in Kenya of Jecca Craig, shown Many a young man meets a girl he does not marry, but whom he cannot quite get out of his system. Courtship and romance are followed by a life-long affection, together with nagging thoughts of what might have been. Some will wonder if these were the emotions stirring deep within Prince William when he abruptly announced that he was flying to Kenya for the Easter weekend, in order to attend the wedding of his old flame Jecca Craig. Before Kate Middleton came into the princes life, the conservationists daughter was frequently described as his first love, who became so close to him when they were teenagers that they reportedly entered into a pretend engagement. Five years ago, the willowy Jecca was a guest along with her then boyfriend at William and Kates grand royal wedding, but when tomorrow she ties the knot with Professor Jonathan Baillie, a Canadian-born world authority on threatened species for the Zoological Society, the prince will be attending alone. Some might say this is simply William celebrating the nuptial bliss of an old friend. And yet, at a time when he has faced criticism over his apparent lack of commitment both to royal duties and his part-time job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot, the visit is bound to lead to questions about the wisdom of making the trip in the first place. It is, after all, only a couple of weeks since he enjoyed a five-day ski holiday with Kate and their children in the French Alps. But questions will not be confined to the princes judgment: quite likely they will centre on the powerful allure of Miss Craig and Kenya itself that William first experienced on his gap-year travels in 2001, when both of them were 19. Courtiers have always insisted that the two were never romantically involved, and were merely close friends. Such was the speculation that royal officials were obliged to issue a rare public statement denying there was any relationship. But the rumours that there was perhaps something more have tantalisingly never gone away. Perhaps the speculation would have faded more quickly if William had not so often returned to the Lewa Downs conservancy, a wildlife reserve Jeccas father Ian created on the 55,000 acres his family have farmed since 1922. Scroll down for video Apart: William and Kate, who has stayed in Britain with the couple's two young children George and Charlotte so he can attend the wedding of former flame Jecca, shown right It was the suggestion of an engagement all those years ago that provoked the famously private William to instruct aides to issue an official statement about his private life something that was never done for any of his other girlfriends. Indeed, Jecca has the distinction of being the only woman before Kate to have provoked an official bulletin about Williams love life. His explanation was that other girls who had been linked to him in the past could take care of themselves, but Jecca, who didnt live in Britain and had been educated at Pembroke House, a boarding school in the Great Rift Valley, was unused to the attention and was upset. It didnt help matters that no sooner had the furore died away than Jecca was being welcomed to Windsor Castle for Williams Out of Africa-themed 21st birthday party. Kate Middleton and Jecca Craig photographed together in 2008 attending a charity boxing night in London A year later, and already by then dating Kate, William was still making time for Jecca, too. The friends met up for another holiday on the Craig estate. Later still, when William and Kate briefly parted in 2007, there was wild speculation that the temporary separation had allowed him to rekindle his attachment to Jecca. With such cosy familiarity between the two, it is easy to see how those rumours of romance never really went away. But according to friends, the real love affair was never between William and Jecca but between the prince and Africa. Jecca helped open his eyes to the impossible beauty of the plains and the landscape, says one old friend. Ever since his father took him and Harry as young boys, and challenged them to enjoy the solitude of Africa just as he has, William has been captivated. Why else would he have chosen a visit to Kenya to pop the question to Kate, as he did in 2010. Friends were also at pains yesterday to explain Williams long connection with the Craig family. He first met Jeccas father during one of his early visits to Africa in 1998. Ian Craig nurtured the young princes interest in conservation, and is said to have become something of a father figure to him. In 2008, William even missed his own cousin Peter Phillips wedding at Windsor to attend the nuptials of Jeccas older brother, Batian named after one of Mt Kenyas highest peaks leaving Kate to go to Berkshire in his place alone. Clearly he is going to Jeccas wedding with Kates blessing, says a former royal aide. But it does look like the behaviour of a bachelor prince, not that of a father of two, including a ten-month-old infant. For William, it is all about the romance of Africa. It holds out the possibility of what life might have been had he not been a royal prince, and could have made his own way in the world. It also represents an escape from what he loathes most about his life in Britain scrutiny. Three protection officers: A source said William (pictured at Buckingham Palace last week) was paying for his own flights in and out of the country on what was a private trip Even so, the timing of this trip is hardly perfect. As the news broke, it emerged that William has included an official engagement during the jaunt meaning that taxpayers would have to foot the bill for his staff. The meeting with the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, to discuss defence, security and conservation issues, took place yesterday morning. As a result, a private secretary flew out with him too, for a single day, requiring publicly funded business-class flights which would have cost in the region of 4,500. According to Kensington Palace, one private secretary was at the meeting but is not spending the whole weekend there [with the prince]. Insiders said William has paid for his own flights in and out of the country because the private trip had already been planned before the meeting with President Kenyatta was arranged. He will, however, also take with him at least three Scotland Yard police protection officers, whose costs will be met by the taxpayer. Break: The Cambridges prompted surprise when they recently enjoyed a five-day ski holiday with their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, leaving William once again absent from his air ambulance role Lest the impression is reinforced that Williams life has become one foreign jaunt after another, by happy coincidence photographs of the prince at work with the East Anglia Air Ambulance also emerged ahead of the trip. They showed him helping to remove a patient on a stretcher from his helicopter, and then going with him in an ambulance to Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge. And there is one other troubling aspect to this trip, which may rankle among some in royal circles, and it concerns the princes absence from the royals Easter church service at Windsor. The Queen views Easter Sunday as the most important date in the Christian calendar, and she likes to gather her family round her for the traditional walk from Windsor Castle to St Georges Chapel, says a courtier. William, after all, is a future head of the Church of England. For more of the latest news from China visit www.dailymail.co.uk/china Could be the worst public health scare since tainted baby Mother-daughter duo have led the trafficking of dodgy drugs since 2011 A vaccine scandal in China that saw 62 million ($88 million) worth of expired or contaminated drugs trafficked across the country has left many parents worried for their children's health. Out-of-date jabs for polio, rabies and chickenpox among others made by licensed pharmaceutical companies may have been given out since 2011, which were distributed by a vaccine trafficking ring led by a mother and her daughter, reports the People's Daily Online. So far at least 37 people have been detained and 13 wholesalers put under investigation. The case has shocked the nation and raised many questions over vaccine safety, it could be the country's worst public health crisis since a tainted baby formula cover-up in 2008. Terrifying: A vaccine scandal that saw expired drugs trafficked across China has worried millions of parents Drastic: There are indications that Chinese parents plan to form groups to go to Hong Kong for vaccinations The scandal also involves the illegal and improper storage, transport and sale of vaccines across China. Last month, police in Shandong Province, east China, announced they had arrested a mother, surnamed Pang, and daughter, surnamed Sun, in April 2015, who are alleged to be the ring leaders in the scandal. According to Xinhua News Agency, the duo and their network have sold 25 different kinds of illegal vaccines worth millions to 24 out of the 34 provinces in China since 2011. The Shandong Province Food and Drug Administration identified 107 wholesalers who supplied the suspects and 193 retailers in China who were their clients. Across the country the public are outraged and many parents are worried for their child's safety. There is little way of knowing if their child fell victim to the expired jabs. Many are angry that the news has just surfaced considering the suspects were arrested last year. Thousands have taken to social media to express their views. It's understood that the central government is trying to tone down the news. However, on China's Twitter-like social media platform Weibo, the topic has got more than eight million hits in two days and 14,000 comments. Public health crises: Expired vaccines for polio, rabies and chickenpox have been given out since 2011. Chinese officials are pictured checking the vaccines stored in a disease control centre on March 21 Worrying: Police have detained 37 people amid the vaccine scandal. An official from China's State Food and Drug Administration is pictured holding a box of vaccine in Guangxi Province on March 21 One user called 'HELloMiSs Shen' said on Weibo: 'The vaccine scandal not only reflects the loss of people's morality but also the negligence of duty from supervising authorities and certain companies. What's more? It leads to people's distrust, defense and rejection against immunisation and medication. 'How terrible would it be if people are convinced that vaccinations are useless? It will be unthinkable.' 'ViVid Ying Xiaoyao' wrote: 'All of a sudden, social media is flooded with news about the vaccine scandal. Chinese babies are the toughest babies in the world. '[They] drink poisonous milk, breathe smog, eat gutter oil, receive deadly jabs, live with the risk of being abducted any time, pay for the most expensive education, and they have to study well and repay their country.' Hong Kong could soon be a hotspot for mainland tourists hoping to access safe vaccinations as the city of seven million enjoys an independent and more transparent medical system. A post titling 'guide to have your children vaccinated in Hong Kong' has been widely shared among parents in China. There are indications that people plan to form groups to go to Hong Kong for vaccinations. According to Hong Kong Free Press, the guide provided a list of steps which families could take to book an appointment at Maternal and Child Health Centres in Hong Kong. It also provided a list of locations. Out-of-date: Officials of the State Food and Drug Administration checking the vaccines stored in Guangxi on March 21. The shocking scandal was discovered in April last year but was only publicised this month On March 22 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang acknowledged in a statement the incident had provoked 'great concern and exposed the existence in many regulatory loopholes.' The World Health Organisation said that the expired and improperly stored vaccines were primarily a risk due to people failing to be protected from the intended diseases, rather than because of any harm they might inflict directly. In China it is illegal for pharmaceutical companies and hospitals to do business with unlicensed wholesalers. Currently, three pharmaceutical companies are being investigated in the case. Of the three, Shandong Zhaoxin Bio-tech Co. has had its goods supply practice certificate revoked and ordered to halt operations. This is the latest health and safety scandal to emerge from China. In 2008, 300,000 children fell ill, six of them dying in a notorious case involving milk powder contaminated with melamine. A newborn baby survived being flushed down the toilet in China after her cruel mother abandoned her in a hospital bathroom then fled. Firefighters spent three hours rescuing the tiny girl who was found in the female public toilet on the second floor of the Xinping County Hospital, in Chinas Yuxi City on March 20. She was covered in blood, stuck in the sewage pipe and barely able to breathe or move. A police investigation is now underway to find her parents, according to Huanqiu.com, an affiliation of the Peoples Daily Online. Heart-breaking: A newborn baby girl was found in a sewage pipe after her mother flushed her in China Shocking: Firefighters spent three hours rescuing the child who was found in the female toilet on March 20 According to reports, hospital staff said the had heard cries coming from a toilet pipe, so they immediately informed the authority. When rescuers arrived at the scene the child was crying and her situation was very critical. They used a hammer to break the pipe and get to her so she could get some fresh air. To prevent someone using the toilet flush, firefighters closed the doors leading into the bathroom and evacuated the surrounding area. Unfortunately the abandoned baby was stuck in the pipe tight, she could not immediately be rescued, if they forcefully broke the pipeline they would harm her. After some careful deliberation, firefighters under medical cooperation slowly took the pipe apart bit by bit. Rescue efforts: Firefighters under medical cooperation slowly took the pipe apart bit by bit to save the girl Abandoned: The mother is believed to have fled the scene, a police investigation is now underway to find her The whole rescue process took three hours, throughout the whole rescue the baby was crying constantly which worried the workers. She has now been taken away by medical staff for treatment. The police were contacted and there is now an investigation into finding her biological parents. Sadly their are many similar cases like this in China, in September 2014 a newborn baby girl was discovered wedged inside a sewer pipe at a Chinese university after her student mother gave birth and then fled, leaving the child behind. The childhood home of The Beatles' Ringo Starr has been auctioned at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. The rundown property in Liverpool had a guide price of just 55,000 ($78,000) and reveals the humble beginnings of a member of the world's biggest band. It is a terrace house with two bedrooms at 10 Admiral Grove in Toxteth and was where the former Beatle lived as a small child and until he was 21. The childhood home of Beatle Ringo Starr is due to be auctioned at the Cavern Club this evening. The rundown property in Liverpool has a guide price of just 55,000, but is expected to fetch six figures as Beatle fans compete to get a piece of musical history. The terrace is in Liverpool's Admiral Grove in Toxteth and comes with a pint painted exterior and two bedrooms. The Beatle celebrated his 21st birthday party at the property and even got married there when he was 23. His infant school - St Silas Primary - is nearby, although it is understood that he learned to read and write at the property following frequent absences from school due to illness. It was a regular haunt for the Fab Four during their younger days, with other celebrities having spent time there - including the late Cilla Black. The Empress Pub at the end of Admiral Grove was also famous for appearing on the front of Ringo's first solo album 'Sentimental Journey'. The family home requires updating. This is reflected in the guide price that is 150,000 less than the average price of a home in England and Wales. It was originally thought that Beatlemania could cause the price to skyrocket as fans of the band look to get their hands on a piece of musical history. A precedent has been set by the sale of the nearby childhood homes of the other Beatles, all of which have been sold at auction. Ringo Starr had his 21st birthday party at the property. In October 2013, John Lennon's first home at 9 Newcastle Road was sold for 480,000 despite a guide price of 95,000. And in December 2014, George Harrison's childhood home at 40 Upton Green had an auction guide price of 70,000 but sold for 156,000 A hat-trick was achieved in October last year with the sale of Paul McCartney's childhood home in 72 Western Avenue, which had a market value of 55,000 and yet sold for 150,000. All three houses were sold by Countrywide Property Auctions, which also sold the Starr house at the Cavern Club. The Cavern Club became a centre of the rock and roll music scene during the 1960s and is where The Beatles made their first appearance on February 9, 1961. During the following two years, the band made almost 300 appearances at the club. Starr - who was born Richard Starkey - occasionally sang lead vocals for The Beatles, including for 'Yellow Submarine'. He also wrote some of their songs, such as 'Don't Pass Me By'. He found success as a solo perform after the band's break-up in 1970, with his most successful UK single being 'Back Off Boogaloo', while in the US he had hits with 'It Don't Come Easy' and 'You're Sixteen'. The auction guide price is 150,000 less than the average price of a home in England and Wales. The property was a regular haunt for the Fab Four during their younger days. Beatlemania could cause the price to soar as fans of the band look to get their hands on a piece of history. Tony Webber, from Countrywide Property Auctions, said: 'Countrywide Auctions has had the privilege of selling the previous three Beatles' childhood homes which makes the sale of Ringo's, as the last one, particularly special.' The property was bought at the auction for 70,000 by Jackie Holmes from London. She has previously bought the house of John Lennon's mother in Allerton last April and George Harrison's home in Speke the year before. 'I'm so glad I've got this house because Ringo's childhood home, like the other two Beatles properties I own, have got so much history behind them, which is what I love about them all. I'm a massive Beatles fan so I'm delighted. 'With this property I'm probably going to rent it out, ideally to a Beatles fan who I know will look after the house and cherish it.' For years, environmentalists thought the Sumatran rhino was extinct on the Indonesian part of Borneo, until hidden cameras captured pictures of the animals in 2013. Now, in a 'major conservation success' the first physical contact in over 40 years has been made with one of these critically endangered animals. The rhino was caught in a pit trap this month in East Kalimantan province in an area close to mining operations and plantations, where the WWF said she was struggling to survive. The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered with fewer than 100 remaining in the wild. Now, the first physical contact in over 40 years that has been made with one of the critically endangered animals. She was found in an area close to mining operations and plantations, where she was struggling to survive The female animal, thought to be aged around six, is now in a temporary enclosure and was airlifted by helicopter to a safer habitat on Borneo, a protected forest where she can start a new breeding population. The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered with fewer than 100 remaining in the wild. Last year, the species was named extinct in the wild in Malaysia and conservationists warned that the creatures may disappear entirely from the planet soon. But this face to face sighting gives environmentalists new hope that the population can be saved, the WWF said. WWF Indonesia's CEO, Dr Efransjah, said the capture of the rhino was 'an exciting discovery and a major conservation success'. The female animal, thought to be aged around six, is now in a temporary enclosure and is scheduled to be airlifted by helicopter to a safer habitat on Borneo. WWF Indonesia's boss, Dr Efransjah, hailed the capture of the rhino as 'an exciting discovery and a major conservation success' THE SUMATRAN RHINO Sumatran rhinos are the smallest of the living rhinoceroses and the only Asian rhino with two horns. They are covered with long hair and are more closely related to the extinct woolly rhinos than any of the other rhino species alive today. The species is critically endangered with fewer than 100 remaining in the wild. Adult males grow to between 2-4m in length and reach up to 1-1.5m in height. Their life span is thought to be similar to other rhinos at around 35-40 years. Advertisement 'We now have proof that a species once thought extinct in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) still roams the forests, and we will now strengthen our efforts to protect this extraordinary species.' The Sumatran rhino is the smallest of the living rhinos. They are the only Asian rhino with two horns and are covered with long hair. There were once Sumatran rhinos all over Borneo but their numbers have dwindled dramatically, with poaching, and expansion of mining and plantation operations considered the main reasons for the decline. There are only a few substantial populations still in existence, most of them on Indonesia's main western island of Sumatra. The wild population of Sumatran rhinos on the Malaysian part of Borneo was declared extinct last year, according to the WWF. This rhino was caught in a pit trap this month in East Kalimantan province, in the Indonesian part of Borneo, pictured. There were once Sumatran rhinos all over Borneo but their numbers have dwindled dramatically, with poaching and expansion of mining and plantation operations the main reasons a silver brooch from Ireland and silk from around modern-day Istanbul as well as gold and crystal The pot containing the precious items was scanned and now these 'significant' objects inside have been revealed Advertisement It was the largest hoard of Viking treasure ever to have been found in Britain, including a mysterious metal pot that promised to expose more precious artefacts. Now this little pot's secrets have finally been revealed almost two years after it was discovered, with the items stashed inside the vessel for 1,000 years revealed in all their glory. The rare pieces, discovered in a field in Galloway, Scotland, include a silver brooch from Ireland and silk from around modern-day Istanbul as well as gold and crystal. Scroll down for video Precious artefacts stashed inside a Viking pot buried for 1,000 years have been revealed, including a stylist brooch (pictured above). It also held silk from around modern-day Istanbul as well as gold and crystal The treasure hoard includes possibly the largest silver pot from the Carolingian dynasty discovered (pictured left), but it is the exotic objects hidden inside (right) that are the focus of attention now that they have been cleaned and shown off in all their glory They date from the 9th and 10th centuries, and are part of a wider hoard of about 100 pieces. Richard Welander, of Historic Environment Scotland, said: 'Before removing the objects we took the rather unusual measure of having the pot CT-scanned, in order that we could get a rough idea of what was in there and best-plan the delicate extraction process. 'That exercise offered us a tantalising glimpse but didn't prepare me for what was to come. 'These stunning objects provide us with an unparalleled insight to what was going on in the minds of the Vikings in Galloway all those years ago. 'They tell us about the sensibilities of the time, reveal displays of regal rivalries and some of the objects even betray an underlying sense of humour, which the Vikings aren't always renowned for.' The intricate items (one shown) date from the 9th and 10th centuries, and are part of a wider hoard of about 100 pieces. Richard Welander, of Historic Environment Scotland, said: 'These stunning objects provide us with an unparalleled insight to what was going on in the minds of the Vikings in Galloway all those years ago' The items were found by metal detectorist Derek McClennan, 47, in September 2014, who painstakingly searched an unidentified area of Church of Scotland land in Dumfries and Galloway for more than a year in the hunt for treasure. The artefacts, considered to be of significant international importance, are now with the Treasure Trove Unit, which is responsible for assessing the value of the hoard on behalf of the Office of Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer. The hoard will then be offered for allocation to Scottish museums, with Mr McClennan eligible for the market value of the find - a cost that will be met by the successful museum. Mr McLennan explained he was left speechless when he made the discovery and was so emotional that when he called his wife she thought that he had been in a car accident. Mr Welander continued: 'They tell us about the sensibilities of the time, reveal displays of regal rivalries and some of the objects even betray an underlying sense of humour, which the Vikings aren't always renowned for.' A large glass bead is shown above An early medieval cross (pictured left) was among the largest hoard of Viking treasure found on land owned by the Church of Scotland. It was not found inside the pot. The cross is engraved with decorations that experts say are highly unusual. Another find from inside the pot - a bird-shaped pin - is pictured right Within the hoard is an early Christian solid silver cross, engraved with decorations, which experts have recently described as highly unusual. Mr McLennan believes they may represent the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He said: 'I believe they resemble the carvings you can see on the remnants of St Cuthbert's coffin in Durham Cathedral. For me, the cross opens up the possibility of an intriguing connection with Lindisfarne and Iona.' The religious artefact was found among dozens of silver arm-rings and ingots two feet deep in soil. The excavation was undertaken by Andrew Nicholson, the county archaeologist, and shortly afterwards, Mr McLennan found a second signal indicating buried treasure. The impressive artefacts were found with silver arm-rings and ingots two feet deep in soil. The oval shape of this gold ring suggests it had been worn. It was found by Derek McLennan at an unnamed area in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland Further investigations uncovered a second level trove of higher quality than the first, including the silver pot from the Carolingian dynasty. It was likely 100 years old and a precious heirloom when it was first buried holding the brooch and other items. Mr McLennan said at the time: 'We don't know exactly what is in the pot, but I hope it could reveal who these artefacts belonged to, or at least where they came from.' Keen detectorists Rev Dr David Bartholomew, a Church of Scotland minister of a rural Galloway charge, and Mike Smith, the pastor of an Elim Pentecostal Church in Galloway were with Mr McLennan when he made the find. Rev Dr Bartholomew said: 'We were searching elsewhere when Derek initially thought he'd discovered a Viking gaming piece. 'A short time later he ran over to us waving a silver arm-ring and shouting 'Viking'. Within the hoard is an early Christian solid silver cross (pictured), thought to date from the 9th or 10th centuries engraved with decorations, which experts said are unusual. Mr McLennan believes they may represent the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Metal detectorist Rev Dr Bartholomew said: 'It was tremendously exciting, especially when we noticed the silver cross lying face-downwards. It was poking out from under the pile of silver ingots and decorated arm-rings, with a finely wound silver chain still attached to it. Here, an archaeologist prepares the cross, which was found among the top level of the hoard, for removal 'It was tremendously exciting, especially when we noticed the silver cross lying face-downwards. 'It was poking out from under the pile of silver ingots and decorated arm-rings, with a finely wound silver chain still attached to it. 'It was a heart-stopping moment when the local archaeologist turned it over to reveal rich decoration on the other side.' Mr McLennan is no stranger to finding treasure, having been part of a group that discovered more than 300 medieval silver coins shortly before Christmas in 2013. Scotland's Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said of the Viking hoard: 'The Vikings were well known for having raided these shores in the past, but today we can appreciate what they have left behind, with this wonderful addition to Scotland's cultural heritage. 'It's clear that these artefacts are of great value in themselves, but their greatest value will be in what they can contribute to our understanding of life in early medieval Scotland, and what they tell us about the interaction between the different peoples in these islands at that time. 'The Dumfries hoard opens a fascinating window on a formative period in the story of Scotland and just goes to show how important our archaeological heritage in Scotland continues to be.' Treasure hunter Derek McLennan who spent a year searching the unidentified location in Dumfries and Galloway before stumbling on the treasure trove is pictured left. A close up of the mysterious pot holding the newly cleaned treasure is shown right An agreement between the landowners - the Church of Scotland General Trustees and the finder, Mr McLennan - has been reached concerning money. Secretary to the General Trustees, David Robertson, said: 'Any money arising from this will first and foremost be used for the good of the local parish. 'We recognise Derek is very responsible in pursuing his interest, but we do not encourage metal detecting on Church land unless detailed arrangements have been agreed beforehand with the General Trustees.' The exact location of the find is being kept secret, and the Scottish Government, Treasure Trove Unit, and Historic Scotland are all working to preserve the site while its full significance is being determined. Object may have been looted by a Viking and gifted to the woman Would have decorated a religious box before being It's originally thought to come from a A gilt bronze buckle buried with a Viking woman 1,000 years ago has a salacious past, experts have revealed. The origins of the fascinating artefact, unearthed in west Denmark, had experts scratching their heads when it was first discovered. But they now believe it originated from the British Isles where it was once a decoration on a religious box, before being stolen and re-purposed as an elaborate buckle. A gilt bronze buckle buried with a Viking woman 1,000 years ago, has a salacious past, experts have revealed. The object (pictured) is thought to have originated from the British Isles where it was once a decoration on a religious box, before being stolen and re-purposed as an elaborate buckle The pretty disk measures two-and-a-half inches (6cm). It proved hard to identify for Ernst Stidsing of the Museum of East Jutland, who knew immediately that he had found something unusual. 'I had never seen anything like this before,' he told Science Nordic. Unsure of its origins, Dr Stidsing sent photos of the buckle - once used to hold a Viking woman's petticoat together to other experts, including Emeritus Professor Else Roesdahl, from Aarhus University, Denmark, who also had not seen its like before. Foreign experts said the disk had probably been a decoration on a religious wooden box before it was used as a fashion accessory, meaning it had likely been looted by a Viking. Dr Stidsing (pictured) said the box came from a monastery or church, but may not have been Christian 'They [Professor Roesdahl's colleagues] could say, fairly reliably, that it was a fitting from a shrine of insular origin - that is, from the British Isles,' Dr Stidsing said. He explained that one expert thought the ornate disk looked Irish, while another believes it came from the south of Scotland. The buckle may have been stolen by the Viking woman's partner or associate. An illustration of invading Vikings are shown above Other archaeologists said it had probably been a decoration on a religious wooden box before it was used as a fashion accessory, meaning it had likely been looted by a Viking. Dr Stidsing said the box came from a monastery or church, but may not have been Christian. It may have been stolen by the Viking woman's partner or associate, because plundered goods were not often traded. 'The Vikings didn't come to own this sort of thing by honest means,' he added. The woman's grave was dated to 900 AD, with the buckle dated to 800 AD. Jens Ulriksen, an archaeologist at the Museum of Southeast Denmark told Mikkel Andreas Beck that such buckles are rare in Denmark. 'I've never seen this kind of ornamentation before in a Danish context and to find it in a tomb is very unusual.' It's a mystery how the object ended up in Denmark, but Dr Stidsing said it may have passed through Norway, where a handful of similar examples have been found. This information means an alternative scenario about how the woman may have come to have the buckle is presented. Dr Stidsing said she may been born in Norway where she obtained the object, before settling and dying in Denmark. It's hoped that strontium isotope analysis of the woman's teeth may solve the mystery of where she came from and give experts more clues about the buckle. Dr Stidsing is excited about the results and believes they will confirm humans were already living in a globalised world. The artefact is described in an article published by the Saxo Institute at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and featured in a programme aired on Danish TV channel, TV2 OJ. Mass is in line with a theory suggesting they could make up dark matter Earlier this year, gravitational waves were found in what was called the 'discovery of the century'. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo) detected gravitational waves radiating from two black holes that crashed together about 1.3 billion years ago. Now a team suggests these black holes might be the answer to what makes up the mysterious dark matter, an unidentified substance that makes up 85 per cent of the mass of the universe. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo) detected gravitational waves radiating from two black holes that crashed together about 1.3 billion years ago, simulation pictured. Now a team suggests these black holes might be the answer to what makes up the mysterious dark matter Dr Simeon Bird and his colleagues at the John Hopkins University, Baltimore, have suggested that the two black holes detected by Ligo could be 'primordial' black holes, instead of traditional black holes. This means that, instead of being created when stars collapse at the end of their lives like most black holes, these might have formed from the extreme density of matter present soon after the big bang. If these black holes exist today in large enough numbers, they could make up dark matter, the researchers suggest. WHAT IS DARK MATTER? Dark matter makes up 85% of the universe, and is invisible because it does not reflect light. It can't be seen directly with telescopes but astronomers know it exists because of the gravitational effects it has on matter we see. The European Space Agency said: 'Shine a torch in a completely dark room, and you will see only what the torch illuminates. 'That does not mean that the room around you does not exist. 'Similarly we know dark matter exists but have never observed it directly.' Scientists are fairly sure it exists and is crucial to the universe, but they do not know what it looks like or where to find it. Dark matter is thought to be the gravitational 'glue' that holds the galaxies together, while just 5 per cent the universe consists of known material like atoms and subatomic particles. Advertisement This is because the black holes detected by Ligo have the perfect mass to fit with a theory that suggests dark matter is made up of these primordial black holes. But so far there is no firm evidence for their existence. 'Interestingly enough, there remains a window for masses between 10 and 100 times the mass of the sun where primordial black holes may constitute the dark matter,' the researchers wrote in a paper. The theory behind how it happens is that 'if two black holes in a galactic halo pass sufficiently close, they can radiate enough energy in gravitational waves to become gravitationally bound,' the researchers added. 'The bound black holes will then rapidly spiral inward due to emission of gravitational radiation and ultimately merge.' Dark matter makes up 85 per cent of the mass of the universe, but it is invisible because it does not reflect light. It cannot be seen directly with telescopes, but astronomers know it to be out there because of the gravitational effects it has on the matter. The team wrote in the paper that their estimates raise the possibility that Ligo has detected primordial black hole dark matter. Dr Simeon Bird and his colleagues at the John Hopkins University, Baltimore, have suggested that the two black holes detected by Ligo (artist's impression shown) could be 'primordial' black holes, instead of traditional black holes. This means that they might have formed soon after the big bang If primordial black holes exist today in large enough numbers, they could make up dark matter, the researchers suggest. The black holes detected by Ligo have the perfect mass to fit with a theory that suggests dark matter is made up of these primordial black holes. Artist's impression of a black hole shown Primordial black hole mergers are likely to be distributed spatially more like dark matter than luminous matter and have no optical nor neutrino counterparts, so would be invisible, they said. 'At the moment our idea is just an idea,' Dr Bird told MailOnline. 'It's possible, but we don't know whether or not it is really true...it's an exciting possibility!' 'For the future, we're trying to think of better ways to test our hypothesis,' said Dr Bird. 'More results from Ligo and related telescopes, including the European gravitational wave satellite LISA, will be very useful.' 'It's a plausibility argument which at the moment you cannot disprove,' Professor Peter Meszaros, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University told New Scientist. Ligo's proposed successor, the Einstein Telescope, will also be able to look at the two black holes as they swirl closer to each other, before the predicted head on collision. It might be able to give a more definitive answer. The Einstein Telescope is a design concept for a third-generation gravitational-wave detector which will be 100 times more sensitive than current instruments. There are a few ways these black hole mergers might be distinguished from traditional black hole mergers, including the shape of their orbits. Primordial black holes would have an elliptical orbit, whereas traditional black hole orbits are circular. The doom and gloom surrounding global warming tends to offer a depressing picture of the future, but there may be a small glimmer of hope. Scientists have discovered climate change may actually be making wine taste better. They have found the conditions typically associated with high-quality wines have altered in recent years as temperatures have risen, resulting in consistently better vintages. Climate change may be producing better quality wines in France, according to a new study. Scientists say warmer summers are producing earlier harvests which have led to higher quality wines (stock picture of wine) In the past, high-quality wine tended to be associated with years where summer temperatures were high accompanied by a drought in the later part of the growing season. This allowed wine grapes to mature quickly while the late drought prevented excessive vegetative growth that could impact on the fruit production. TAKING SMALL SIPS OR LARGE GULPS ALTERS HOW WINE TASTES The amount of wine sipped can dramatically alter how it tastes - with small sips ideal for enjoying flavours in Chardonnay, while larger gulps are best for Rieslings, researchers claim. According to scientists, the variations in taste are caused by the differing amount of chemicals released according to the volume of the mouthful. For instance, a small sip of white wine will produce almond and wood flavours, while a large sip of the same wine will taste of citrus. Researcher Dr Paola Piombino said small sips could improve detection of molecules found in Chardonnays, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, while large sips favour those found in Riesling and Gewurztraminer. The study was published in the journal Food Research International. Advertisement This combination of conditions generally produced early harvest dates which have become long associated with the best French wines. But the new study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows this association with drought and early harvest appears to have broken down. Instead, higher temperatures alone seem to be driving consistently earlier harvests and so higher quality wines. Dr Ben Cook, a climate scientist at Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and lead author of the study, said: 'Wine grapes are one of the world's most valuable horticultural crops. 'There is increasing evidence that climate change has caused earlier harvest days in this region in recent decades. 'Our research suggests that the climate drivers of these early harvests have changed.' The researchers, which included scientists from Harvard University, analysed 400 years of harvest data from vineyards in western Europe which was then combined with climate data from measurements form the past 100 years. Climate change was reconstructed back to 1600 using historical documents and tree ring records that provide details about rainfall and temperature. In the past, high-quality wines have been associated with early harvests brought on by a combination of warm summer temperatures and late drought conditions. Recently, the role of drought has become decoupled and early harvests (grapes ready to harvest pictured) appear to be driven only by warmer temperatures The scientists reconstructed the climate data between 1600 and 2007 (illustrated) and since 1981 there has been a growing tendency for warmer wetter summers and lower levels of drought (shown under PDSI above) This was then compared to shifts in wine quality in the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions of France, based on the ratings of vintages from the past 100 years. They found while earlier harvests between 1600 and 1980 occurred in years with warmer drier conditions during spring and summer, from 1981 to 2007 temperature alone seemed to be associated with earlier harvests. The researches attributed this shift to changes that have been occurring due to climate change. As the climate warms, rainfall is also predicted to increase in many temperate regions, including France. The researchers found that French vineyards (pictured) have enjoyed consistently earlier harvests and higher quality wines as the climate has warmed French vineyards (new leaf growth on a vine in France pictured) appear to have been impacted by the changing climate for the better, but the researchers said effects elsewhere in the world could vary considerably due to different practices and conditions Dr Cook said it was likely continuing changes in climate would have an ongoing impact on the grape harvests in France and elsewhere in Europe. However, he warned the impact in different parts of the world may vary considerably. He said: 'Wine quality also depends on a number of factors beyond climate, including grape varieties, soils, vineyard management and winemaker practices. 'However, our research suggests the large-scale climate drivers these local factors operate under has shifted. Engineers in the Netherlands claim they have transformed a hydrogen-powered car into a mobile power station. By adding a plug socket to the car, they have 'tapped the potential of its fuel cell', which could be used for homes, schools and offices. The approach is a European first, which the researchers said could be a major step towards more sustainable fuel sources. Dutch researchers have tapped into the potential of a zero emissions car by adding a plug socket. They say that using the hydrogen fuel cell which could be used for homes, schools and offices. The Hyundai's fuel cell has a capacity of ten kilowatts, which the car firm explains is enough to power ten homes Led by Professor Ad van Wijk at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the team converted a hydrogen fuel cell from a Hyundai ix35 so it can distribute its energy via a cable. Working in close collaboration with Hyundai, the TU Delft team modified the car's fuel cell so it can be syphoned off to the power grid or directly to a household energy supply. The Hyundai's fuel cell has a capacity of ten kilowatts, which the car firm explains is enough to power ten homes. POWER STATION WITH WHEELS Led by Professor Ad van Wijk at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the team converted a hydrogen fuel cell from a Hyundai ix35 so it can distribute its energy via a cable. The Hyundai's fuel cell has a capacity of ten kilowatts, which the car firm explains is enough to power ten homes. The idea behind the collaboration with Hyundai is based on the typical usage of cars, which may only be used for transport 5% of the time. Compared to petrol and diesel powered cars, fuel cell cars produce electricity from hydrogen, with the only waste products being water and heat. Advertisement Head of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle at Hyundai, Frank Meijer, said: 'The researchers are the first ones in Europe who have managed to make the next big step towards a more sustainable future based on fuel cell cars as a clean source of energy.' 'Fuel cell cars produce electricity, heat and clean water out of hydrogen that can be used in homes, schools and offices and we are particularly proud that the first car to provide that kind of clean energy is a Hyundai Motor ix35 Fuel Cell.' The ix35 hydrogen fuel cell is the world's first mass-produced and commercially available fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Professor van Wijk's group modified the car as part of a larger project on sustainable technology platform through TU Delft, which aims to bring together engineers, entrepreneurs, governments and others in order to advance sustainable development. The idea behind the collaboration with Hyundai is based on the typical usage of cars. Many car owners may only use their vehicles to get around 5 per cent of the time, with the car's parked up for the remainder. Many car owners may only use their vehicles to get around 5 per cent of the time, with the car's parked up for the remainder. The idea behind the project is that the fuel cell could be used as a cleaner source of energy when it's not being used for transport. Pictured are Hyundai's hydrogen fuel cell cars HOW HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS WORK Fuel cells come in several forms, but all of them generate energy without pollution. In the Hyundai ix35, the hydrogen fuel cell is stored under the bonnet. Inside the cell, hydrogen gas (H2) enters a chamber where it undergoes a catalytic reaction. This reaction with oxygen (O2) - a form of reverse electrolysis - generates energy in the form of electricity and water. The electricity generated drives motors in the wheels of the car while the water evaporates into the air, or dribbles onto the road. Advertisement Compared to petrol and diesel powered cars, fuel cell cars produce electricity from hydrogen, with the only waste products being water and heat. The idea is that the fuel cell could be used as a cleaner source of energy when it's not being used for transport. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is still relatively new. While the fuel cells have been adopted by car manufacturers, innovative firms and research groups are trying to develop the technology for use in the home. In Britain there are currently fewer than 20 hydrogen fuelling stations, so hydrogen car owners may need to plan their journeys carefully. The technology is being used in some factories and commercial buildings, but Japanese manufacturers are working towards the widespread introduction of the fuel cells into the residential sectors. Results show our nose wasn't formed in response to changing climates It was a key moment that allowed our species to spread around the world from humble beginnings in Africa. But the migration of our ancestors from the African continent around 50,000 years ago was not helped by the evolution of our noses. In fact, our protruding noses formed as a result of other changes in our face and did not help us adapt to new climates as was previously thought, new research suggests. The researchers used a computer model to simulate the flow of air through human noses, pictured, compared to chimpanzees and macaques. In humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates, such as chimpanzees and macaques, the results showed We are flat-faced hominins with external noses that protrude from our faces. We got this feature millions of years ago, when the faces of our Homo ancestors evolved to be flatter and a higher nasal cavity formed. But our protruding noses mean that we are not as good at 'air conditioning' compared to primates like chimpanzees and macaques, a new study shows. For the first time, Dr Takeshi Nishimura from Kyoto University and colleagues, carried out an investigation into nasal air conditioning in non-human hominoids based on what's known as computational fluid dynamics. This illustration shows evolution from Australopithecus with flat faces (left) to humans with protruding noses (right). Unlike the genus Homo, other hominins like australopithecines had flat nasal features and faculties that improved air conditioning THE EVOLUTION OF MAN 55 million years ago - First primitive primates evolve 15 million years ago - Hominidae (great apes) evolve from the ancestors of the gibbon 8 million years ago - First gorillas evolve. Later, chimp and human lineages diverge 5.5 million years ago - Ardipithecus, early 'proto-human' shares traits with chimps and gorillas 4 million years ago - Ape like early humans, the Australopithecines appeared. They had brains no larger than a chimpanzee's but other more human like features 3.9-2.9 million years ago - Australoipithecus afarensis lived in Africa. 3-2 million years ago - Australopithecus africanus lived 2.7 million years ago - Paranthropus, lived in woods and had massive jaws for chewing 2.3 million years ago - Homo habalis first thought to have appeared in Africa 1.85 million years ago - First 'modern' hand emerges 1.8 million years ago - Homo ergaster begins to appear in fossil record 1.6 million years ago - Hand axes become the first major technological innovation 800,000 years ago - Early humans control fire and create hearths. Brain size increases rapidly 400,000 years ago - Neanderthals first begin to appear and spread across Europe and Asia 200,000 years ago - Homo sapiens - modern humans - appear in Africa 40,0000 years ago - Modern humans reach Europe Modern humans reach Europe around 40,000 years ago. Unlike our ancestors, the genus Homo, other hominins like australopithecines had flat nasal features and faculties that improved air conditioning Advertisement The researchers used a computer to simulate the flow of air through human noses, compared to chimps, left, and macaques, right. Our protruding noses mean we are not as good at air conditioning compared to these primates and our noses must have changed in response to something other than environmental changes The researchers used a computer model to simulate the flow of air through human noses, compared to chimpanzees and macaques. 'The CFD simulation showed a horizontal straight flow of inhaled air in chimpanzees and macaques, contrasting with the upward and curved flow in humans,' the paper explained. ISRAELI SKULL MAY EVIDENCE MIGRATION FROM AFRICA Long ago, humans left their evolutionary cradle in Africa and passed through the Middle East on their way to Europe. In January last year, scientists found the first fossil remains that appear to document that journey - a partial skull from an Israeli cave. The skull dates from around 55,000 years ago, fitting into the period when scientists had thought the migrants inhabited the area. And details of its anatomy resemble ancient skulls from Europe, Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University in Israel said. The skull, which lacks facial features and its base, was found in Manot Cave in the Galilee region of northern Israel. The migrants are called modern humans because of their anatomy. The earliest remains of modern humans in Europe date to about 45,000 years ago. Advertisement The study found that in humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates. Unlike our ancestors, the genus Homo, other hominins like australopithecines had flat nasal features and faculties that improved air conditioning. This means our ancestors were not the most well-equipped when they ventured out of Africa. 'The air-conditioning faculty in the nasal passages was probably impaired in early Homo members,' continued the researchers. 'Although they have survived successfully under the fluctuating climate of the Plio-Pleistocene, and then they moved out of Africa to explore the more severe climates of Eurasia.' The Plio-Pleistocene period began around 5 million years ago and lasted until 12,000 years ago. Insufficient conditioning can damage the tissues in the respiratory system and impair respiratory performance, undermining health and increasing the likelihood of death. But the recent findings suggest the protruding nose had little effect on air conditioning, so the nasal anatomy of our ancestors was not very sensitive to the conditions in the atmosphere. Instead, the researchers said, our protruding noses formed as a result of other changes in our faces and were not formed in response to a changing environment. One of the differences between Australopithecus afarensis and Homo erectus was the face. Unlike our ancestors, the genus Homo, other hominins like australopithecines had flat nasal features and faculties that improved air conditioning 'Even though the inhaled air is not adjusted well within the nasal cavity in humans, it can be fully conditioned subsequently in the pharyngeal cavity, which is lengthened in flat-faced Homo,' the paper says. This study highlights the importance of compensating human evolution, as well as adaptive evolution, the researchers said. The diversification of Pleistocene hominins is a major evolutionary event in terms of understanding human evolution. Heavy marijuana users are building up a mid-life crisis for themselves that can wreck their careers. Those who smoke the drug four or more days a week end up in a lower social class than their parents, a study has found. They work in less skilled and less prestigious jobs than their parents did - and earn less money too. Heavy marijuana users are building up a mid-life crisis for themselves that can wreck their careers. Those who smoke the drug four or more days a week (stock image) end up in a lower social class than their parents, a study has found. They work in less skilled, less prestigious jobs than their parents - and earn less money too The researchers said that those who smoke marijuana hang around in circles of people who do not aspire to success, which lowers their own aspirations. They were surprised at the extent to which marijuana robs people of their appetite to get ahead in life. The study followed 947 people in New Zealand from the age of 18 to 38, by which time they should be well into their careers. The results showed that on many indicators of social mobility, the effect of heavy marijuana use was worse than if they were heavy drinkers. STUDYING CANNABIS USE The study followed 947 people in New Zealand from the age of 18 to 38, by which time they should be well into their careers. The results showed that on many indicators of social mobility, the effect of heavy marijuana use was worse that if they were heavy drinkers. The economic and social consequences persisted even after taking into account factors like lower IQ, depression and low income backgrounds. The researchers even tried removing the role of criminal cannabis-related convictions as a variable - and came up with the same results. The study showed that, in addition to more financial difficulties, people dependent on marijuana experienced more problems with antisocial behaviour. This includes stealing and lying and relationship troubles such as domestic violence. Advertisement The economic and social consequences persisted even after taking into account factors like lower IQ, depression and low income backgrounds. The researchers even tried removing the role of criminal cannabis-related convictions as a variable - and came up with the same results. The study showed that, in addition to more financial difficulties, people dependent on marijuana experienced more problems with antisocial behaviour. This includes stealing and lying and relationship troubles such as domestic violence. Lead researcher Magdalena Cerda, of the University of California, Davis, said she was 'surprised at the robustness of our results'. She said: 'Our study found that regular cannabis users experienced downward social mobility and more financial problems such as troubles with debt and cash flow than those who did not report such persistent use. 'Regardless of how we looked at the relationship between persistent, regular cannabis use and economic and social problems, we got the same results. 'In fact, we found that cannabis dependence was worse than alcohol dependence in the case of financial difficulties, such as troubles with debt and cash flow, and food insecurity. 'Regular and persistent use of cannabis could also lead people to become involved with friends and social environments that discourage work-related achievement and material success.' Frequent use of marijuana can lead to string of cognitive problems, especially among the young whose brains are still developing. The study showed that, in addition to more financial difficulties, people dependent on marijuana (stock image pictured) experienced more problems with antisocial behaviour. This includes stealing and lying and relationship troubles such as domestic violence Studies have shown it can cause your vocabulary to shrink and cause people to exhibit 'schizophrenia-like symptoms'. In Britain, about eight million people admit to smoking cannabis, with at least one-third of youngsters claiming to have used it at some time. Police in Durham last summer revealed they would not prosecute people growing cannabis for their own personal use so long as it was not a large amount. The US has recently relaxed its rules on marijuana and four states and the District of Columbia allow it for recreational use. Twenty three states allow the use of marijuana for medical reasons. Professor Cerda, of the Department of Emergency Medicine, questioned legalising marijuana further and said that making it more widely available may increase its social burden. She said that marijuana 'did not appear to be safe, and may be just as harmful as alcohol'. Advertisement A clearer picture is emerging of 'Earth's evil twin', Titan, which many believe could harbour alien life. In two separate studies this week, researchers have identified the highest point on Saturn's largest moon, and found more evidence that there may be fog on the surface. The evolution of Titan's landscape is of interest to astronomers because of its similarities to Earth. Scientists have previously suggested the moon could sustain a weird form of life composed small organic nitrogen compounds and be capable of functioning in liquid methane temperatures of -180C (-292F). Scroll down for video This map of Saturn's moon Titan identifies the locations of mountains that have been named by the International Astronomical Union. By convention, mountains on Titan are named for mountains from Middle-earth, the fictional setting in fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. Unfortunately for 'Lord of the Rings' fans, Titan's highest peak is not Doom Mons, but found in the region near Mithrim Montes TITAN: EARTH'S TOXIC TWIN? Aside from Earth, Titan is the only place in the solar system known to have rivers, rainfall and seas - and possibly even waterfalls. Of course, in the case of Titan these are liquid methane rather than water on Earth. Regular Earth-water, H2O, would be frozen solid on Titan where the surface temperature is -180C (-292F). With its thick atmosphere and organic-rich chemistry, Titan resembles a frozen version of Earth several billion years ago, before life began pumping oxygen into our atmosphere. Because Titan is smaller than Earth, its gravity does not hold onto its gaseous envelope as tightly, so the atmosphere extends 370 miles (595km) into space. With Titan's low gravity and dense atmosphere, methane raindrops could grow twice as large as Earth's raindrops. Advertisement Titan's tallest peak is 10,948 feet (3,337m) high and is found within a trio of mountainous ridges called the Mithrim Montes. This compares to the 29,029ft (8,848m) height of Everest, which is the highest mountain on Earth. The researchers on Nasa's Cassini mission found that all of Titan's highest peaks are about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) high. The study used images and other data from Cassini's radar instrument, which can peer through the obscuring smog of Titan's atmosphere to reveal the surface in detail. 'It's not only the highest point we've found so far on Titan, but we think it's the highest point we're likely to find,' said Stephen Wall, deputy lead of the Cassini radar team at Nasa. The results, which use data collected by Cassini's radar instrument, are being presented today at the 47th annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference at The Woodlands, Texas. Most of Titan's tallest mountains appear to be close to the equator. The researchers identified other peaks of similar height within the Mithrim Montes, as well as in the rugged region known as Xanadu, and in collections of more isolated peaks called 'ridge belts' located near the landing site of Esa's Huygens probe. The investigation was originally motivated by a search for active zones within Titan's crust - places where dynamic forces have shaped the landscape, perhaps in the relatively recent past. 'As explorers, we're motivated to find the highest or deepest places, partly because it's exciting,' said Jani Radebaugh, a Cassini radar team associate at Brigham Young University. 'But Titan's extremes also tell us important things about forces affecting its evolution.' Mountains and cliffs on Earth usually are found in locations where forces have shoved the surface upward from underneath. Forces of erosion, including wind, rain and runoff, slowly wear them down over time. The Himalaya and Andes Mountains are examples of places where interior forces are at work today. The Appalachian Mountains represent much more ancient activity that produced similarly gigantic peaks long ago, which have since eroded. Cassini has found that Titan also has rain and rivers that erode its landscape. According to Radebaugh, the process probably proceeds much more slowly on Titan than on Earth because, at 10 times Earth's distance from the sun, there is less energy to power erosive processes in the moon's atmosphere. Titan's icy crust sits atop a deep ocean of liquid water that probably acts much like Earth's upper mantle - the layer of hot, high-pressure rock below the crust that can slowly flow and deform over time. The researchers on Nasa's Cassini mission found that all of Titan's highest peaks are about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) high. The study used images and other data from Cassini's radar instrument, which can peer through the obscuring smog of Titan's atmosphere to reveal the surface in detail SATURN'S MOON TITAN COULD HARBOUR A WEIRD FORM OF LIFE In recent years the search for life beyond our planet has focused on finding places with conditions that are 'Earth-like', so as to emulate our own planet. However, scientists have now proposed that some worlds might be able to host life 'not as we know it' that thrives not on water, but on other chemicals. Specifically, they looked at Saturn's moon Titan, which has seas of liquid methane rather than water, and they it could harbour methane-based, oxygen-free forms of life. The fascinating research by scientists at Cornell University in New York suggests that life in the universe may be abundant in more places than thought. The life they propose, called an azotosome, would be composed of small organic nitrogen compounds and be capable of functioning in liquid methane temperatures of -180C (-292F). No life on Earth is known to be able to survive in similar conditions. 'Ours is the first concrete blueprint of life not as we know it,' said James Stevenson, first author of the research. Advertisement Once a period of mountain-building ends, these fluid layers or Earth's upper mantle and Titan's liquid ocean - allow the crust to relax, like a person settling into a waterbed. Also, at great depth, the water-ice bedrock of Titan is softer than rock on Earth. Because of these characteristics, scientists didn't expect mountains on Titan would tower quite as high as those on Earth, which can rise to more than 5 miles (nearly 9km) tall. The fact that Titan has significant mountains at all suggests that some active tectonic forces could be affecting the surface, for example, related to Titan's rotation, tidal forces from Saturn or cooling of the crust. The next step for the researchers will be trying to figure out what could produce such tall peaks on an icy ocean world. 'There is lot of value in examining the topography of Titan in a broad, global sense, since it tells us about forces acting on the surface from below as well as above,' said Radebaugh. In a separate study this week, researchers have found more evidence of fog on Titan using Huygens, the European Space Agency's lander. 'Ground fog on Titan has been seen before from orbit so it's not unexpected to find fog on the surface,' York University postdoctoral researcher Christina Smith, the lead author of the study, told Discovery News. 'But it hadn't been detected from the surface before, which is what we did in our research and why it's exciting.' Fog was first recorded on this moon in 2009, which researchers had thought it might have formed as a result of rain. This, they claim, provides more evidence an active hydrological cycle. 'Evaporating methane means it must have rained,' the researchers wrote at the time of the original discovery. 'Rain means streams and pools and erosion and geology. 'Fog means that Titan has a currently active methane hydrological cycle doing who knows what on Titan.' Slide me The trio of ridges on Titan known as Mithrim Montes is home to the hazy Saturnian moon's tallest peak. Scroll left to see a view of the region that was produced using a technique for handling noise in Cassini radar images, called despeckling, that produces clearer, easier-to-interpret views. Scroll right to see the image in its original format This infrared image of Saturn's moon Titan shows a large burst of clouds in the moon's south polar region. These clouds form and move much like those on Earth, but in a much slower, more lingering fashion, new results from Nasa's Cassini probe show Aside from Earth, Titan is the only place in the solar system known to have rivers, rainfall and seas - and possibly even waterfalls. Regular Earth-water, H2O, would be frozen solid on Titan where the surface temperature is -180C (-292F) Superbugs capable of everything from curing diseases to mopping up pollution have come a step closer after scientists created an artificial lifeform in a lab. The new bacterial cell, nicknamed Synthia 3.0, has fewer genes than any other bacterium, making it the most basic form of life on Earth. Its creation paves the way for microbes that can be customised with genes so they churn out clean biofuels, soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or pump out vaccines in industrial quantities. Researchers have designed and synthesized a minimal bacterial genome, containing only the 473 genes necessary for life. The new cell, based on Mycoplasma mycoides (pictured), has the smallest genome in a living creature on Earth but it opens the door to new forms of life that can be customised Dr Craig Venter who led the research team, said: 'I think it's the start of a new era.' British scientists described the work as a 'remarkable tour de force' and the journal Science said it was 'honoured' to publish the research. HOW THEY CREATED SYNTHIA 3.0 It is the living equivalent of stripping down a car to its simplest form. The bacterial cell created by Dr Craig Venter and his colleagues has just 473 genes the bare minimum needed to keep it alive. To achieve this they turned to the bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides, which has the smallest known genome of any cell capable of replicating itself. They then methodically inserted foreign genetic sequences into the genes of the bacteria to disrupt their function and determine which were necessary to the overall survival of the bacteria. This allowed them to gradually whittle away the genome until no more could be disrupted without the cell dying. They then used this to synthesis an artificial genome that they were able to insert it back into an empty bacterial cell. The minimal genome they produced lacks all the genes needed to modify DNA and a group of genes encoding lipoproteins. In contrast, almost all the genes involved in reading and expressing the genetic information in the genome as well as passing genetic information to future generations were retained. The scientists say this basic form of life may help them understand the function of every essential gene in a cell. Advertisement However, the technology opens a Pandora's box of ethical problems. Critics of such synthetic biology research accuse scientists of playing God. There are also fears the technique could be abused to create the artificial biological weapon. Six years ago, Dr Ventor a 69-year-old Vietnam War veteran and billionaire entrepreneur, made headlines around the world when he announced he had made artificial life for the first time. To do this, he read the DNA of Mycoplasma mycoides, a bug that usually infects goats. He then recreated the DNA, stitching it together from fragments of genetic code made from four bottles of chemicals. This DNA was then loaded into a bacterium from a different species. This bacterium read the DNA and sprang to life as an artificial bug he named affectionately named Synthia 1.0. Dr Venter, who was instrumental in the sequencing of the human genome, has now gone a step further. By a process of trial and error, he has worked out which of the 900-odd genes in Synthia 1.0 are essential for life. This led to the creation of Synthia 3.0, which boasts the 473 genes needed to grow and reproduce. The human genome, by comparison has 24,000 genes. A normal Mycoplasma mycoides has just over 1,000 genes. If life is defined as the ability to grow and breed without help, it makes the bug the simplest living thing. In theory Synthia 3.0, or a similar skeleton bug, could be accessorised with genes that could revolutionise healthcare and fuel production. Dr Venter, of the J, Craig Venter Institute in California, said some of the possibilities are still outwith the realms of human imagination. He also claims it may be ultimately possible to use the technique to recreate any living organism. The minimal genome (pictured) lacks all the genes needed to modify DNA and a group of genes encoding lipoproteins. In contrast, almost all the genes involved in reading and expressing the genetic information in the genome as well as passing genetic information to future generations were retained Craig Venter (pictured) has been leading research to find the basic genes needed for life in the hope of using this to create new types of synthetic microbes that can clean up pollution, produce biofuels or generate vaccines. He described the creation of Synthia 3.0 as the 'start of a new era' In 2010 Craig Venter and his team created the world's first synthetic organism using the Mycoplasma bacteria (pictured). Their latest research takes that a step further by stripping the organism back to its most basic form Asked in the past why he thought he could make a better job of designing life than God, he simply said: 'Well, we have computers.' Dr Vitor Pinheiro, a synthetic biologist at University College London, said: 'This work is a remarkable tour de force and delivers the simplest free-living organism we know.' Dr Sriram Kosuri, a biotechnologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, described the research as 'quite amazing'. But he cautioned: 'The major limitation is that this is the beginning of a very long road.' Sir Richard Roberts, a British biologist and Nobel prize-winner, told the Forbes website: 'The goal of completely defining what it means to be considered alive has taken a giant step forward.' The ETC group, a biotechnology watchdog, warned the science is moving more quickly than the legislation. Dangers include that genes from a designer bug will jump species, creating a plague against which humans have no defences. Jim Thomas, the organisation's programme director, said: 'It's hard to sort out the science from the sophistry in this announcement. 'Craig Venter is the Donald Trump of the biosciences and no one can ever be quite certain what he is up to. Pat Mooney, also of the ETC Group, said: 'Now God has competition.' A firm has designed a weapon that when in its locked position will be virtually undetectable because it 'hides in plain sight'. Ideal Conceal is awaiting patent approval for a double barreled, .380 caliber pistol that folds down to mimic a smartphone - complete with mock camera lens and headphone jack. This design has caught the attention of many gun enthusiasts who anticipate its release, but anti-gun organizations and law enforcement worry about how it will contribute to future gun violence. A firm has designed a weapon that when 'in its locked position will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight'. Ideal Conceal is awaiting patent approval for a double barreled, .380 caliber pistol that folds down into what appears to be a smartphone with a mock camera lens and headphones jack WHAT DOES IDEAL CONCEAL SAY ABOUT ITS GUN? 'The best gun is always the one you have with you.' 'Smartphones are EVERYWHERE, so your new pistol will easily blend in with todays environment.' 'In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight.' 'The ground breaking Ideal Conceal is a carefully engineered double barreled .380 caliber people can safely carry in their purse or clipped to their side.' 'Ingeniously designed to resemble a smartphone, yet with one click of the safety it opens and is ready to fire.' Advertisement 'What's disturbing is that this looks like a real smartphone,' Andrew Patrick, Deputy Communications Director at Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, told DailyMail. 'There are countless stories of children playing with toy guns who were shot, because it was mistaken for the real thing.' 'This gun is not only dangerous, but it is also irresponsible.' The firearm is being advertised as a lightweight one-piece frame with a hammerless firing system that is made with locally produced parts -- right here in America. The firm says that since smartphones are everywhere, the pistol will 'easily blend in with today's environment', allowing you to carry and no one will know it. 'The ground breaking Ideal Conceal is a carefully engineered double barrelled .380 caliber people can safely carry in their purse or clipped to their side,' Ideal Conceal shares on the website. 'Ingeniously designed to resemble a smartphone, yet with one click of the safety it opens and is ready to fire.' Just as a smartphone can clip to your pocket or belt loop, Ideal Conceal has added a clip to the side of the piece allowing you to hide it in plain sight, just as they promise. The weapon is normally carried with the safety on, according to Ideal Conceal, and the grip hides the trigger and trigger guard. The firearm is being advertised as a lightweight one-piece frame with a hammerless firing system and made with locally produced parts -- right here in America. As soon as you turn the safety off, the grip swings open and the 'smartphone' transforms into a fully loaded weapon The firm says that since smartphones (pictured) are everywhere, the pistol will 'easily blend in with today's environment', allowing you to carry and no one will know it. Just as a smartphone can clip to your pocket or belt loop, Ideal Conceal has added a clip to the side of the piece As soon as you turn the safety off, the grip swings open and the 'smartphone' transforms into a fully loaded weapon. 'In general, the concept of any kind of weapon that's disguised, so that it's not apparent that it's a weapon, would be cause for concern,' Bill Johnson, executive director and general counsel for the National Association of Police Organizations, told CNN Money. Ideal Concept claims the pistol will be available for sale in mid-2016 at a list price of $395.00. 'It is possible that the patent for this gun could be approved, but of course we hope it doesn't, said Patrick. Just as a smartphone can clip to your pocket or belt loop, Ideal Conceal has added a clip to the side of the piece allowing you to hide it in plain sight. Ideal Concept has made claims on social media that the pistol will be available for sale in mid-2016 at a list price of $395.00 but only if the patent is approved 'The more you have open carrying in communities the more people start to worry and become nervous, because you don't know a good guy with a gun from a bad guy with a gun until the shooting starts.' 'Someone could see this and just think it is a smartphone or might mistake a smartphone for a gun because of this.' There have been other claims that his gun was devised by criminals as a way to trick for police officers. There have been other claims that his gun was devised by criminals as a way to trick for police officers. Karl de la Guerra, CEO at KDI Protective Services of South Carolina, did reach out on social media warning officers of 'a pistol that presents itself like a cell phone, but rapidly turns into a double barrel .380 with laser' Ideal Concept has responding to the idea of this weapon being a ruse for law enforcement by stating they support 'law enforcement 100%' and their new design is geared towards those with a CCW 'and wants something he can conceal from the view of an attacker for self-defense' Karl de la Guerra, CEO at KDI Protective Services of South Carolina, did reach out on social media warning officers of 'a pistol that presents itself like a cell phone, but rapidly turns into a double barrel .380 with laser'. If you like a really wild adventure from time to time, then these extreme animal encounter activities could be just the thing. From a zipline over an alligator pit in Florida to massages with pythons in the Philippines, there are plenty of ways you can get up close and personal with the natural world's most fearsome predators. Here MailOnline Travel takes a closer look at the attractions that will give you a holiday snap to remember. The Cage of Death The Cage of Death is the most famous attraction in Darwin, Australia. It gives daredevils the opportunity to get up close to ferocious crocodiles. Visitors are put into a cylinder that is then lowered into a pool containing saltwater crocodiles. Visitors are put into a cylinder that is then lowered into a pool containing saltwater crocodiles at this tourist attraction in Darwin, Australia The Cage of Death is found at Crocosaurus Cove. The website describes how the attraction has seen 'thousands of people thrilled and terrified by sharing the very environment of 5m crocodiles'. 'Regular feeding by our crocodile handlers when people are inside the cage encourages more movement from the crocodiles and ensures an up close and personal, face to face encounter that must be seen to be believed,' the website adds. But all has not gone swimmingly in recent years. In June last year a Dutch tourist had to be cut free from a cage suspended above a saltwater crocodile after the mechanism became stuck. Cynthia Spaan had climbed into the Cage of Death and was supposed to come face to face with a crocodile named after Prince William. Cynthia Spaan became stuck above the crocodile pen after a malfunction broke the cage 'In the beginning I thought it was really funny because I really wanted to do the cage dive so it was kind of okay,' Ms Spaan told ABC. 'But after five minutes I started freaking out a little bit, because I'm a little bit claustrophobic.' After climbing into the cylinder with no problem and lowered over the water, the cage became stuck while suspended above the hungry reptile. Ms Spaan was eventually rescued after staff took a drill to the cage and opened the top. Lay down and stroke tigers in Thailand At Tiger Temple, just outside Bangkok, tourists can really earn their stripes - by stroking a tiger. The tiger sanctuary, ran by Buddhist monks, has been open near Kanchanaburi since 1994 and is home to around 150 of the big cats. At Tiger Temple, just outside Bangkok, tourists can really earn their stripes - by stroking a tiger The tiger sanctuary, ran by Buddhist monks, has been open near Kanchanaburi since 1994 and is home to around 150 of the big cats Tourists happily pet the tigers and pose for close-up photos with them, while their donations help pay for the tigers' maintenance and improvements to the temple. But the monastery has also had a controversial reputation among animal rights groups and Thai wildlife officials who say it is breaking the law by keeping the cats. Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) says the temple has been keeping the tigers without proper paperwork and has vowed to seize them, sparking standoffs in recent weeks between officials and angry monks blocking their way. There have been stand-offs between authorities and monks over whether the tigers are legally allowed to be kept at the sanctuary Zipline through an alligator pit Intrepid thrillseekers looking to snap up the experience of a lifetime can zipline over a pit of alligators and crocodiles. The attraction at St Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida gives visitors the chance to enjoy a bird's-eye view of every species of crocodilian including alligators, crocodiles, gharial and caiman. The unique challenge course has proved to be hugely popular for the last five years. The alligator pictured appears to be showing off its many teeth to a ranger The unique challenge course has proved to be hugely popular for the past five years with around 200,000 people flocking to the zoo each year. Park director John Brueggen revealed that the challenge course has become a highlight for visitors to the 123-year-old conservation park. He said: 'Ours allows visitors to see a fantastic zoo from a bird's eye perspective.' The attraction at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida gives visitors the chance to zipline over pools of alligators Those worrying that they may become the crocs' next meal need not worry, as each person on the zipline is clipped in with at least two safety lanyards. The park, which opened in 1893 to exhibit the American alligator, aims to promote wildlife conservation and education boasting all 24 species of living crocodilian. Other species visitors can see at the zoo include pythons, exotics birds and lemurs. The zoo where HUMANS are caged Tourists and predators have switched places at a zoo in China, where visitors are paying to be locked in a cage and stalked by big cats and bears. Lehe Ledu Wildlife Zoo in Chongqing city is giving people the chance to get up close with some of the world's most ferocious animals - who they can even feed by hand. Standing inside a wire mesh cage, visitors at Lehe Ledu Wildlife Zoo are able to offer food to lions and tigers through a small opening at the top The zoo is one of a few in the world which has installed a moving cage to bring visitors as close as possible to big cats in an open habitat Chunks of fresh meat are tied to the outside of a vehicle, which drives through the enclosure, in a bid to attract the predators and give tourists the closest possible dining experience with them - without becoming dinner themselves. The zoo is one of a few in the world which has installed a moving cage to bring spectators as close as possible to big cats and bears in an open habitat. Standing inside a wire mesh cage, the visitors are able to offer food to lions and tigers through a small opening, and watch as the massive cats leap onto the vehicle to be fed. Live chickens are also being used to bait the predators, which so far include lions, Bengal tigers and their subspecies, the white tiger, and bears. A Bengal tiger lunges at a tourist vehicle in a bid to grab the meat being offered to him on a stick through a small window opening A bear at the zoo in China inspects a bright yellow sight-seeing bus as it trundles through the enclosure In the lair of wolves As of last year, brave adventurers could choose to spend the night in a wolf's den in Norway. Polar Park offers guests the chance to check into WolfLodge. It's the world's first luxury accommodation situated inside a wolf enclosure. Polar Park offers guests the chance to check into a lodge in the middle of a wolf's lair Visitors can catch glimpses of the creatures through the large glass windows, and there is even the option to interact with the wolves with a keeper present. Prices start from NOK 10,000 (827) for a double room. For more information visit the website. Sssssspa treatment Nothing could be more relaxing than a deep muscle massage. But what if that massage was being dished out by four deadly giant Burmese pythons? That's the unique experience that visitors to the Cebu City Zoo in the Philippines queue up for - and it is free for anyone who's brave enough to try it. The Pythons - named Michelle, Walter, EJ and Daniel - are taken out of their cages and placed one at a time on top of visitors, who lie down on a bamboo bed near the zoo's main entrance. Burmese pythons named Michelle, Walter, EJ and Daniel provide visitors to Cebu City Zoo with massages Under the watchful eye of zookeepers, the snakes slowly slither across their patient's body for up to 15 minutes It's not for the faint of heart - Burmese pythons can quickly squeeze their victims to death Under the watchful eye of zookeepers, the snakes slowly slither across their patient's body for up to 15 minutes. But it's not for the faint of heart - Burmese pythons can quickly squeeze their victims to death. And with four of the 5m-long snakes weighing a combined 250kg, there is no escape once the 'treatment' starts. One volunteer, Ian Maclean from Hawaii, said: 'I've been massaged twice and lived to tell the tale. A little help, please? Four keepers keep a watchful eye as their snakes massage a punter 'I had to lie on my back on a bamboo daybed in the open air. I was briefed on what to do and what not to do during the massage. 'These instructions are crucial, as you can imagine. They tell you not to blow air on the snake, because this is like being pinched on the bum, apparently. 'You can't shout for help as the snake can feel your vibrations and thinks you're prey or a predator, depending on the environment.' Have a jaw-some great white shark encounter Great white sharks aren't known as animals that can be reasoned with - but that doesn't stop some brave souls being lowered into their territory in cages to spend some time with them. The experience will certainly guarantee some fantastic holiday snaps. Especially if the shark is a record breaker. These three divers came up close and personal with the biggest great white shark in the world In February this year three divers took to the waters of the coast of Mexico in a cage and caught the moment they came face to face with the world's largest great white shark - Deep Blue. The footage taken from inside the cage was released by Michael Maier, who described the moment they saw her emerge from the deep water below them. Mr Maier, 48, said: 'Deep Blue is a very large female shark and she is known to be found in Mexico. When we entered the water we had to wait because there was nothing to see. The cage looks flimsy when compared to a rampaging great white - thankfully the divers weren't harmed One of the divers leaned out of the cage and stroked the great white 'All of a sudden out of the deep blue, there she came. We realised almost immediately that she was very big. 'She was very calm and not at all nervous and was circling us. She was very interested and was looking at us. 'During the circles we realised just how big she was - she must have been something like seven metres long. Everything was very well prepared. The whole team felt safe. 'We had a very long beautiful dive with her and we were all very much enthusiastic about the encounter.' Footage shows Deep Blue swimming towards the divers inside their protective cage, taking an inquisitive bite at the metal before feasting on a piece of fish. The shark then passes the second cage very closely - offering a fleeting glimpse of Deep Blue's huge teeth before she swims away again. Advertisement These incredible volcano images look like they could be from an alien world. The Dallol Volcano, in Ethiopia, is an endless yellow-orange landscape, its craters stretching for miles around. Though named a volcano, Dallol is actually a hydrothermal field located in the northern Danakil Depression. Scroll down for videos Visitors to the Dallol Volcano could be forgiven for thinking that they're on an alien planet The Dallol Volcano, in Ethiopia, is an endless yellow-orange landscape, its craters stretching for miles around Adrian, who visited Dallol at the end of February 2016, said: 'I was blown away - what an unbelievable view' Dallol is actually a hydrothermal field located in the northern Danakil Depression, despite being known as Dallol Volcano The explosion crater was formed by the intrusion of basaltic magma in Miocene salt deposits and subsequent hydrothermal activity. There are also a number of hot springs in the area, which discharge brine and acidic liquid. At 150ft below sea level, Dallol's craters are also the lowest-known subaerial vents in the world. They were recently photographed by self-proclaimed 'Lava Hunter' Adrian Rohnfelder, who was in the area to shoot the active lava lake of Erta Ale, another volcano in Ethiopia. Self-proclaimed 'Lava Hunter' Adrian Rohnfelder took the stunning set of photos during a recent trip to Ethiopia The explosion crater was formed by the intrusion of basaltic magma in Miocene salt deposits and subsequent hydrothermal activity Adrian, who visited the area at the end of February 2016, said: 'I was blown away by Dallol - what an unbelievable view. 'A huge area full of bright colours - red, orange, yellow, blue, green and white - and a scene I have never seen before. 'I was completely overwhelmed and thought this to be another planet far far away on the other side of our milky way.' As well as Dallol's vibrant landscape - similar to the hot springs of Yellowstone Park in the U.S. - the German-based photographer was able to capture stunning images of lava flowing from volcano Erta Ale, located in the Afar region. Since becoming interested in volcanoes in 2005, Adrian said that photographing the active lava lake of volcano Erta Ale has long been a dream Adrian Rohnfelder was able to capture stunning images of the Erta Ale's glowing lava This map shows Dallol's location in north-east Ethiopia - an area known for its extreme environment Since becoming interested in volcanoes in 2005, Adrian said that photographing the active lava lake of Erta Ale has long been a dream. Erta Ale's persistent lava lake has been active for most of the past decade. Adrian added: 'Volcanoes allow me to feel the power of nature in every sense: the ear-battering explosions, terrifying shockwaves, falling lava bombs and the unbearable heat of nearby, floating lava - plus the optical spectacle of endless fireworks. 'Erta Ale volcano with one of the very rare persistent lava lakes on earth of course has been on the top of my volcanic bucket list.' At 150ft below sea level, Dallol's craters are also the lowest-known subaerial vents in the world Advertisement New shoots and first blooms are nature's signal that spring has arrived - even if warmer weather hasn't made an appearance. As these vibrant photographs show, cherry blossom trees are set to create glorious floral displays around the world. These stunning images, taken in Japan and in South Korea, show their picturesque landscapes being transformed into a sea of pink as cherry trees bloom. Scroll down for video Jessica Wry took this image at the annual Gunhangje Festival in Jinhae, South Korea. The 10-day festival returns again from April 1 Yoshiki Fujiwara travelled around Japan to trail cherry blossoms. Above, the flowers are seen at night time in the Okayama Prefecture Two locals walk on a rail tracks under the blossom in Jinhae. The pink flowers contrast sharply with the green of the bushes below Each year the incredible sights attract hoards of tourists and photographers, hoping to capture the perfect picture. In Japan, cherry blossoms are called Sakura. It is considered the country's national flower and a symbol of renewal and hope, as it heralds the arrival of spring each year. The country even has its own word for cherry blossom flower viewing - 'hanami'. There are festivals that take place all over the country, with different dates according to the bloom forecast. In some places, the petals appear as early as January but the peak bloom time for the delicate flowers is late March to early April. Different installations appear at Gunhangje Festival when the cherry blossoms are in full swing. There are also many cultural events In the Nara prefecture, Japan, the incredible blossoms, illuminated by lights in the night, are reflected back in the still waters below Beside a canal in the Shiga Prefecture, Japan, the branches of the cherry trees are weighed down by the heavy flowers they carry Yoshiki Fujiwara, a photographer based in Japan, has travelled to different parts of the country, including Kyoto, Kansai and Honshu, to capture the cherry blossom in 2015. Some of his images showed the surreal landscape covered in pink while in others, the bright flowers are nestled amongst forest green trees. Canadian student Jessica Wry visited Gunhangje festival in Jinhae, South Korea last year. She said: 'I had travelled to many amazing places in Asia, but seeing the cherry blossoms for the first time in Jinhae was one of the best, it was a very exciting experience. 'It was an amazing feeling being totally surrounded by the blossoms everywhere I went, and the petal covered city seemed almost surreal and magical. 'It was fun to watch the petals flying around and to see all of the excited festival go-ers strolling along the boardwalks.' Another shot taken in the Nara Prefecture, Japan, shows cherry trees in bloom amongst the forest green of the other trees around it A close up of the flowers taken at Gunhangje Festival shows their delicate petals huddled together. Some are still in their unfurling bud Surreal: These cherry blossoms in Japan, in a staggering number of different shades, almost appear as though they've been created with paint Jessica Wry who went to Gunhangje Festival said: 'Seeing the cherry blossoms for the first time in Jinhae was one of the best, it was a very exciting experience' Images of stunning destinations inspire many to travel but when faced with an attraction up close, the reality can be spectacularly disappointing. From over crowding to poor maintenance many of the world's top tourist highlights are blighted by problems that can ruin a visit. However, travellers have revealed a smattering of beauty spots, including the Grand Canyon in the USA, Taj Mahal in India and Milford Sound in New Zealand that really do live up to expectations. Grand Canyon (pictured) was named by Reddit users as being more impressive in real life than in images The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world Ladakh, near the Himalayas in India, is one of the lesser known destinations named. It's a place 'you will not want to leave' Reddit user lulzKat has been asking fellow travellers to name the landmarks and tourist attractions that really are as impressive in photographs as they are in real life. While popular highlights such as the Taj Mahal in India and the ancient temples and tombs of Egypt were named by the online community some lesser-known destinations were also praised. Exoticpickle put forward Ladakh in India, as a place 'you will not want to leave'. Situated by the Himalayas, it's home to people of the Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent and some of the highest mountain passes in the world. For Priamosish, it was Milford Sound in New Zealand, with its green peaks and pristine fjords, that really captured his imagination. A waterfall cascading from snow-covered peaks is one of the sights that can be seen in Milford Sound Grand Teton National Park is the 'most picturesque landscape' that user MrBobrowitz has ever visited A landscape of mountains and lakes can also be seen in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, pictured above Stunning mountainscapes found in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming were put forward as being naturally beautiful. Fallopius said he was 'blown away' on his first trip to Banff where he scaled Sulphur Mountain, one of the ranges in the Rocky Mountains. He wrote: 'The turquoise water and the sheer magnitude of the mountains around you, just wow.' MrBobrowitz, who loved Grand Teton National Park, said that it is the 'most picturesque landscape' he's ever visited. Churches and cathedrals were also proposed by Reddit users. Itsthedavidshow called the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona 'heart-stopping'. Itsthedavidshow called Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 'heart-stopping' In England, Milton Abbey is one of the oldest churches in the country. The building now forms the heart of a private school He wrote: 'Your heart just leaps in your chest. It really fills you with awestruck wonder at the divinity within man to create something that beautiful.' The churches and cathedrals of England were also mentioned by fugaziozbourne. Milton Abbey, in particular, will supposedly 'make you feel like you're in The Last Crusade'. But the most popular destination by far is the Grand Canyon. It was proposed by Soghain but other users were quick to agree. One user, beigebelv, called the famous formation 'legitimately mind blowing'. BorderColliesRule said it best. Advertisement Sir Richard Branson is set to order 10 supersonic jets, which the manufacturer claims will herald a new era of 'affordable' supersonic travel. The airline tycoon has confirmed that Virgin has options to buy 10 of the recently revealed supersonic Boom jets, which will be capable of flying at 1,451mph - about 100mph faster than Concorde - and reaching New York from London in three and a half hours. The Boom jet is being built by former Amazon executive Blake Scholl, who is putting a prototype of Boom together in a Colorado aircraft hangar. Sir Richard Branson is set to order 10 supersonic jets, which the manufacturer claims will herald a new era of 'affordable' supersonic travel. The airline tycoon has confirmed that Virgin has options to buy 10 of the recently revealed supersonic Boom jets The firm hopes London to New York could be one of its most popular routes, with a 3.6 hour saving on a normal flight Virgin said it hopes to help with the manufacturing and testing process. It told MailOnline Travel: 'Richard has long expressed interest in developing high speed flight and building high-speed flight R&D through Virgin Galactic and our manufacturing organization, The Spaceship Company. 'We can confirm that The Spaceship Company will provide engineering, design and manufacturing services, flight tests and operations and that we have an option on the first 10 airframes. It is still early days and just the start of what you'll hear about our shared ambitions and efforts.' Scholl said: 'We're thrilled to be working with Virgin. It's hard to imagine a better partner for bringing supersonics to market.' When created Boom will have 40 seats - with a ticket costing $5,000 (3,540). Speaking to Bloomberg, Scholl, 35, said: 'The idea is for a plane that goes faster than any other passenger plane built before, but for the same price as business class.' The plane will be built using a carbon-fibre composite instead of aluminium, and the firm says it simulates millions of designs each day. A mockup of the craft at Heathrow - its founders hope it will use existing airports once tests are complete Scholl said about 500 routes fit the craft's market, including a five-hour trip from San Francisco to Tokyo and a six-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney SUPERSONIC SPECS The plane will be built using a carbon-fiber composite instead of aluminum to save weight. 40 seats will be split into two single-seat rows, so everybody has a window and an aisle. Boom's plane will cruise at 60,000 feet, where passengers will be able to see the curvature of the earth. Advertisement According to the simulations, Boom's design is quieter and 30 percent more efficient than the Concorde. It will be split into two single-seat rows, so everybody has a window and an aisle. To reduce weight, the seats are of the standard domestic first-class variety, so no lay-down beds. To cut flight time, Boom's plane will cruise at 60,000 feet, where passengers will be able to see the curvature of the earth, while going 2.6 times faster than other passenger planes. Scholl said about 500 routes fit the craft's market, including a five-hour trip from San Francisco to Tokyo and a six-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. 'Boom was founded on the philosophy that we need to overcome the challenges to supersonic passenger flight, not surrender to them,' the firm says. The firm hopes London to New York could be one of its most popular routes, with a 3.6 hour saving on a normal flight. The first test flights will occur at Centennial Airport in Denver, with supersonic testing near Edwards Air Force Base in California The firm even has record breaking US Astronaut Scott Kelly as an advisor and the craft will be built using carbon fibre, with standard jet engines. It added: 'We're making a supersonic aircraft affordable for business travel. Our ultimate goal is routine supersonic flight for everyone.' 'At our hangar in Denver, we're combining jet engines and carbon fibre, advanced design software and wind tunnel tests. 'We're building our prototype now - and will fly late next year.' The first test flights will occur at Centennial Airport in Denver, with supersonic testing near Edwards Air Force Base in California. 'Today, international travel means jet-lag and days of lost productivity and family time. But imagine leaving New York in the morning, making afternoon meetings in London, and being home to tuck your kids into bed. 'Unlike Concorde, flying Boom is affordable - the same price as business class.' She announced she had decided to reschedule her appearance on Good Morning America following the terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium, which claimed the lives of 34 people. And after making the decision earlier in the day Iggy Azalea was later seen arriving back at her hotel in New York on Tuesday night. The rapper was seen greeting fans, posing for some pictures and handing out high fives as she made her way into her hotel flanked by security. Checking in: After rescheduling her appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Iggy Azalea was later seen greeting her fans as she arrived back at her hotel later in the evening Earlier in the day the Australian rapper had informed her fans via her official Facebook event that she would be missing her slot on the the popular breakfast program to allow them to continue their coverage of the shocking events. But despite her change in schedule Iggy appeared in good spirits as she made her way into the venue. If she was trying to keep a low profile she didn't achieve it dressed in head-to-toe bright green. 'I'm sure everyone understands': Earlier in the day Iggy had rescheduled her appearance on the show so they could focuse on the the terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium, which claimed the lives of 34 people In good spirits: Despite her change in schedule Iggy was seen greeting fans in a warm manner and high fived her admirers as she made her way into the hotel in New York The 25-year-old was scheduled to appear on the show, which is filmed in Times Square, to promote her latest single Team, but she postponed her appearance until Wednesday. 'Hi guys, we have decided in light of what's happened this morning in Brussels it's best to come back and visit GMA tomorrow,' she wrote on Facebook. 'I'm sure everyone understands and is more than happy to wait until tomorrow.' Fans were quick to jump behind the musician, commenting on the post: 'I think thats very classy of you iggs (sic),' wrote one. 'Sending prayers': The 25-year-old tweeted her support for Belgium Attacks: Two explosions went off in the departure hall of Brussels Airport on Tuesday killing 14 people 'You are incredibly humble,' tweeted another. Two explosions went off in the departure hall of Brussels Airport on Tuesday killing 14 people. One bomb detonated beside a check-in desk where passengers pay a surcharge for overweight luggage, and the second exploded outside a branch of Starbucks. On high alert: Soldiers patrol the streets of Brussels following the attacks Solidarity: People gathered in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris to pay tribute to the victims Just 79 minutes later, 20 others died when a second blast went off in Maelbeek Metro station, just metres from the EU headquarters. A further 200 people have also been injured in the strikes. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and a major manhunt is underway for a suspect in a white coat and black hat who fled the airport. Television personality and WAG Rebecca Judd and her former AFL player husband Chris Judd are proud parents to two young children. And according to the Postcards host, the pair are planning on having more children soon. The 33-year-old opened up to OK! Magazine and revealed having another child is on the cards for 2016, saying: 'Yes, I think it's a project for the second half of the year.' Scroll down for video Adding to their brood! Rebecca Judd has revealed she and husband Chris are going to have another baby. They are seen here with their children Oscar, four, (L) and Billie, two (second right) 'Yes, I think it's a project for the second half of the year when I have all of this crazy work done, you know, when we can take the foot off the pedal and relax and just have some more time at home,' Rebecca explained when quizzed about if she's planning to have another baby soon. 'I just loved meeting our precious bundles and want to do it over and over again,' she added, despite her busy schedule. The glamorous star - who also is a weather presenter for Channel Nine - is mother to two children, son Oscar, four, and daughter Billie, two. She loves motherhood! The leggy star said she loved meeting her 'precious bundles' and can't wait for the next one to arrive Rebecca and Chris, 32, have been married since 2010 and are currently enjoying a luxurious getaway with their brood. The clan have recently spent time in Cape Town, South Africa, but are now in Dubai, staying at the five-star Madinat Jumeirah resort. It appears the family will then head home to their native Australia, as they first stopped into Dubai on their way over to South Africa. In Dubai, the pair seem to be having a wonderful time, with the Rebecca sharing plenty of pictures from their travels. Doting: Rebecca is seen here relaxing with her young children, make-up free Getaway! Rebecca and Chris, 32, have been married since 2010 and are currently enjoying a luxurious holiday with their brood. They are seen here in South Africa On Thursday, she shared to her more than 436, 000 Instagram fans a picture of Billie tucking into a chocolate platter at their resort. She captioned the snap: 'Welcome chocolate platter. Can this place get any better?,' before adding the hashtags 'not sponsored' and 'just awesome.' The clan have also enjoyed travelling up a waterway on a boat at the resort, with Rebecca seen hugging her son in one snap. She said they were sailing their way to breakfast and said their 'villa this time opens out onto the beach. Heaven.' A sweet treat! On Thursday, she shared to her more than 436, 000 Instagram fans a picture of Billie tucking into a chocolate platter at their resort Jodhi Meares' new younger husband Nicholas Finn Tsindos has posted a touching tribute for his wife on her birthday. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the photographer shared a stunning image of the former model flashing what appears to be her wedding ring to mark her turning 45. The hunky 28-year-old captioned the shot: 'Happy Birthday to this amazing soul and incredible wife @jodhimeares x,' adding a love heart emoticon. Scroll down for video Sweet: Jodhi Meares' new younger husband Nicholas Finn Tsindos has posted a touching tribute on Instagram for his wife on her 45th birthday In the image, Jodhi hides half her face behind her brunette tresses and holds her hand up to her face. She seems to be wearing light make-up including foundation and a smokey eye. The swimwear designer also shared a shot to her Instagram page on Wednesday, of the pair at a restaurant as they joined her family and friends for lunch, including her sister Sophie. Celebrations? The swimwear designer also shared a shot to her Instagram page on Wednesday, of the pair at a restaurant as they joined her family and friends for lunch, including her sister Sophie In the image, Jodhi - who was once married to billionaire James Packer, 48, is seen leaning in towards her man and they both are wearing black outfits. It is the first birthday Jodhi has spent married to Nicholas, after she had a highly publicised split with her former fiance Jon Stevens, 54, early last year. That March, she fled to her luxury mansion in Hawaii after their breakup. Jodhi and Nicholas have had a whirlwind romance, and for months, there was widespread speculation that they had secretly wed in a Hawaiian ceremony back in December. Her ex: It is the first birthday Jodhi has spent married to Nicholas, after she had a highly publicised split with her former fiance Jon Stevens, 54, (pictured) early last year. They are seen here in February last year Happy: Jodhi and Nicholas have had a whirlwind romance, and for months, there was widespread speculation that they had secretly wed in a Hawaiian ceremony back in December They also dropped several major hints on social media, with the fashionista changing her name on image-sharing website Instagram to 'Jodhi Tsindos'. But it wasn't until last month that she formally introduced Nick as her 'husband' to party guests at Darling Point, The Daily Telegraph reported. Jodhi and Nick only went public with their relationship in September when Nick called the brunette his 'gf [girlfriend]' on social media. Jodhi has been working hard of late on her clothing label, The Upside, a range of exercise gear, She has also previously appeared on shows, including the travel series Getaway and hosted Australia's Next Top Model. Soap operas are known to go around in circles with their story lines. And it seems TV WEEK are doing the the same when it comes to their cover images, using the same photo shoot across multiple covers in the past year. An eagle-eyed reader first noted the similarities of this week's issue to that in September last year, both featuring Home And Away on-screen couple Bonnie Sveen and Kyle Pryor. Scroll down for video So nice they used it thrice: TV WEEK have used an old photo shoot of Bonnie Sveen and Kyle Pryor on the cover this week's edition for a third time in the past year Eagle-eyed fan: Sydney-based blogger Jim Barlas first noted the similarities across multiple covers in a tweet on Monday 'Is there a limit to the number of times you can use same/similar photos on a @TVWEEKmag cover?' he asked in a tweet on Monday. The Sydney-based blogger also pointed out it was in fact the third cover from the same shoot, with an issue in November 2015 also featuring the pair, known to fans as Ricky and Nate. However, TV WEEK Deputy Editor Thomas Woodgate told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, using images from the same photo shoot time-and-again is 'common practice'. 'It is common practice for magazines to shoot multiple looks and poses with stars so that it can be used across many issues. 'Our readers have been heavily invested in the ongoing Ricky and Nate storyline on Home And Away for a while now, with new developments happening every week for two of the shows most-loved characters,' Thomas revealed. 'They've proven to be very popular covers,' he added. Same, same, but different: While Kyle is shown in the same denim shirt, Bonnie's sleeveless lacy top changes from peach to white across the covers in September (left) to November (right) Even older? An August cover of the magazine shows Kyle in the same shirt and while Bonnie is in a different blue number it still suggests the photo shoot was even earlier in the year On the covers, the couple are seen embracing side-by-side in similar poses - with Kyle standing front on to the camera and Bonnie wrapping herself around him in two of the images. The third photo appears a little more playful, with the blonde beauty giggling as she rests her head on her co-star's shoulder, while he laughs with his back to her. While the handsome hunk appears to be wearing the same denim-coloured blue linen shirt on all three covers, Bonnie's sleeveless top appears to switch from white to peach between them. There are also suggestions the photos could be from as far back as August last year, with Kyle in the same shirt again, while Bonnie appears in a strappy blue number. So nice they used it twice: Eagle-eyed fans pointed out that the same image of Bonnie Sveen and Steve Peacocke had been used twice on the cover of TV Week, first in June 2014 (left) and January 2016 (right) This isn't the first time the weekly magazine has repeated covers. In January, fans noticed the publication re-used the exact same cover image that appeared on the front of the June 2014 issue. Again featuring Logie Award winning Bonnie Sveen, this time alongside love interest Daryl 'Brax' Braxton. With a headline that reads, Hes Back! Will Ricky leave with Brax? The decision that will leave fans shocked, the smiling blonde actress can be seen with her arms wrapped around Steve as they look into the camera. 'Common practice': TV WEEK magazine said it is 'common practice' for multiple looks and images to be taken at a photo shoot, with the photos of the popular characters to be used down the track Meanwhile, the original cover for the June 2014 issue of the magazine features the same image with the headline: Our baby shock! Brax & Rockys BIG NEWS Rumours had been swirling about the fate of Bonnies role on the popular Australian soap, but the actress recently squashed talks she was planning to leave the Bay. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the AACTAs last December, Bonnie swiftly quashed rumours saying that she was 'still comfortable in the Bay'. Lauren Holly has flat-out denied ever having cosmetic procedures to maintain her Hollywood sex appeal. 'I've been accused of having a ton [of plastic surgery], and I haven't had any,' the 52-year-old actress said on a recent episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now? 'I'm not saying that I wouldn't, but I almost feel like I might have missed that boat, but I'm not against it...Things change. And if a woman wants to look a little younger, gain a little weight, it's a natural thing. I look a little fuller just from that. I'm okay with that.' Scroll down for video 'I've been accused of having a ton!' Lauren Holly has flat-out denied ever having cosmetic procedures to maintain her Hollywood sex appeal (pictured in 2016 and 1990) This, despite an obvious change in the fullness of the Daytime Emmy nominee's bust between the years 2005 and 2000. Lauren also discussed her 'exciting' yet short-lived marriage to Dumb and Dumber co-star Jim Carrey. 'The good part? It was just sort of exciting, and it was a great sort of ride that I went on,' the thrice-divorced mother-of-three revealed. The 52-year-old actress said on a recent episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now?: 'I'm not saying that I wouldn't, but I almost feel like I might have missed that boat, but I'm not against it' Holly defended: 'If a woman wants to look a little younger, gain a little weight, it's a natural thing. I look a little fuller just from that. I'm okay with that' (pictured March 13) Surgically enhanced: This, despite an obvious change in the fullness of the Daytime Emmy nominee's bust between the years 2005 and 2000 'But when it ended it was really hard for me. First of all, I was incredibly sad and I felt like everybody knew. I felt like they felt sorry for me or something, you know? So that was kind of a weird thing to play that part out of it, the ending part out in public.' Holly currently raises her three 'kings' - sons Alexander, 14, George, 12, and Henry, 11 - with partner Jerome Ruffin in Toronto. The pretty presenter adopted the boys with her third husband, investment banker Francis Greco, whom she divorced in 2014. 'I laughed so much that my lunch came out of my nose': Lauren also discussed her 'exciting' yet short-lived marriage to Dumb and Dumber co-star Jim Carrey The thrice-divorced mother-of-three revealed: 'The good part? It was just sort of exciting, and it was a great sort of ride that I went on. But when it ended it was really hard for me' (pictured 1998) Holly continued: 'I was incredibly sad and I felt like everybody knew. I felt like they felt sorry for me or something, you know? So that was kind of a weird thing to play that part out of it, the ending part out in public' Plastic surgery or not, Lauren currently fronts her very own SS/16 clothing collection with Le Chateau. The two-time SAG Award nominee co-hosts daytime talk show The Social, which airs weekdays on CTV and M3. And Holly also plays medical examiner Dr. Betty Rogers in the fourth season of Canadian police procedural Motive, which airs Tuesdays on CTV. 'ROADTRIP!' The pretty presenter currently raises her three 'kings' - adopted sons Alexander, 14, George, 12, and Henry, 11 - with partner Jerome Ruffin in Toronto Lauren's Closet: Plastic surgery or not, Lauren currently fronts her very own SS/16 clothing collection with Le Chateau Pretty in pink: The two-time SAG Award nominee co-hosts daytime talk show The Social, which airs weekdays on CTV and M3 Acting gig: And Holly also plays medical examiner Dr. Betty Rogers in the fourth season of Canadian police procedural Motive, which airs Tuesdays on CTV She's author of a best-selling health book. But Sally Obermeder has admitted it took her years to look after herself and lead a healthier lifestyle. Opening up to OK Magazine the 42-year-old revealed the weight struggles she faced during her twenties. Emotional eater: Sally Obermeder (R) has opened up to OK Magazine about the weight struggles she faced in her early twenties. She's pictures with sister Maha Koraiem 'I ate my emotions,' the Daily Edition host told the publication. 'I went through a time in my twenties when I put on a lot of weight - about 20kg, I wasn't exercising and I didn't know a lot about nutrition at that point,' the stunning brunette continued. After losing the weight the mother-of-one went to become a personal trainer and realised the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Fighting fit! The 42-year-old revealed she had gained 20kg during her twenties, however was committed to losing the weight and a healthy lifestyle and became a qualified personal trainer Sally's first book Super Green Smoothies was launched via her website SWIISH in 2014 and was an instant success for those looking to lose weight and increase their energy. Despite continuing to live a healthy lifestyle in the years since, the presenter suffered a devastating set-back in 2011 when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer a day before giving birth to her daughter Annabelle. Sally endured eight months of chemotherapy as well as undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Lookalike daughter: In 2011 Sally suffered a devastating health set-back when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer one day before giving birth to her daughter Annabelle In October 2012, Sally received the news she was cancer-free and is now an ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Her second cookbook, The Good Life, which she penned with sister Maha Koraiem, has recently hit shelves and contains some of their favourite clean eating recipes. Sally has also recently been featured in a new campaign for Pandoras Poetic Blooms. Healthy living: After eight months of chemotherapy the brunette beauty was given the news she was cancer-free in October 2012 Sisters: Sally and sister Maha (L) have recently released their new cookbook The Good Life, which features many of their favourite recipes She's nearing the end of her pregnancy. And Anne Hathaway had that special glow on Wednesday as she stepped out with a friend for some tea in Beverly Hills. The 33-year-old, who is said to be due sometime this spring, stepped out with a large cold green tea in hand for the sunny day. Scroll down for video Happy: Anne Hathaway had that special glow on Wednesday as she stepped out with a friend for some tea in Beverly Hills Anne wore a baggy shirt and leather trousers for her outing as she stood tall in booties. Completing her attire was a large ankle length cardigan as she hid her eyes behind a set of oversize sunglasses. Meanwhile, the actress looks like she will soon be reprising the role that made her famous. Relaxing day: The 33-year-old, who is said to be due sometime this spring, stepped out with a large cold green tea in hand for the sunny day Director Garry Marshall broke the news of a possible new Princess Diaries movie to People. 'I was with Anne Hathaway a couple weeks ago, it looks like we want to do Princess Diaries 3 in Manhattan,' he told the publication. The filmmaker then added: 'Anne Hathaway is very pregnant, so we have to wait until she has the baby and then I think we're going to do it.' While her child is due sometime in the spring, Anne and her husband Adam Shulman, 34, have remained mum on the sex of their baby. However, Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves may have let the secret out of the bag as she arrived to Anne's baby shower on March 6 in LA. Camila showed up with a clear cellophane-wrapped gift which revealed a pink basket tied with a card that had a large 'G' written on the front. While neither Hathaway or her husband's initials match the letter, it's unknown what else the symbol could represent. A Brisbane theatre company accused by British comedian John Cleese of 'ripping off' his classic TV comedy Fawlty Towers has hit back at his 'vitriol'. After the 76-year-old hinted he may sue Interactive Theatre International for their Faulty Towers Dining Experience this week, a spokesperson said the company were 'staggered' by his reaction. Geraldine Hill - a representative for the producers of the long-running dinner theatre show - told The Guardian on Thursday: 'We are staggered by (his) vitriol towards us and our tribute show.' Scroll down for video Classic: John Cleese, pictured with the cast of Fawlty Towers, was this week criticised by a representative for a Brisbane-based theatre company who he claims 'ripped off' his popular BBC comedy with their dinner theatre tribute show, 'Faulty Towers Dining Experience' She continued: 'He and his management have known about our show for years. We have made nothing like the sums he claims we have.' Hill added that the law does 'not require authorisation to use the concept of Fawlty Towers', before adding: 'We are not the bad guys he is painting us to be.' On Tuesday, the Monty Python star revealed on Twitter that an Australian journalist recently told him of 'the astonishing financial success' of the Faulty Towers Dining Experience. Cleese - who will debut his own stage adaptation Fawlty Towers Live in Sydney in August - then complained that Interactive Theatre International did not seek permission to use the title, concept or characters from his BBC comedy, first broadcast between 1975 and 1979. Tribute or rip-off? The Faulty Towers Dining Experience by Brisbane's Interactive Theatre International has toured the globe for many years, but only recently angered Cleese ahead of the debut of his own Fawlty Towers stage adaptation - which launches in Sydney later this year Criticism: Speaking to Fairfax Media, John Cleese admitted he thought 'people (would) find it very hard to believe' he only heard about the tribute show a year ago 'Astonishing financial success': Cleese claimed on Twitter that he only recently became aware of the alleged scale of Faulty Towers Dining Experience's profits - however a spokesperson for the theatre company told The Guardian, 'We have made nothing like the sums he claims we have' 'I had never realised that 'tribute' is a synonym for 'rip-off'': Cleese didn't hold back when criticising Interactive Theatre International via his official Twitter account this week Sharp tongue: The comedy writer then joked about Monty Python's intellectual property being similarly used for 'a chain of Fish-and-Chip shops' The Fierce Creatures star continued: 'They start with a lot of advantages: the basic concept, 40 years of unpaid publicity, the characters' personalities (and) names... 'Twelve funny episodes to which they make reference, plus all the catch-phrases, without the need to pay (co-writer) Connie Booth and me a single cent. 'I'm always learning. I had never realised that 'tribute' is a synonym for 'rip-off', he concluded. Cleese also told The Sydney Morning Herald this week: I had absolutely no idea (the tribute show) was going on until about a year ago. 'I think people will find that very hard to believe, but if people don't tell you, how do you know?' Angry: Cleese told The Sydney Morning Herald this week he had 'absolutely no idea' an Australian theatre company were doing their own version of Fawlty Towers 'until about a year ago' Cleese also clarified to Fairfax that he has approved amateur and student theatre productions based on Fawlty Towers in the past. However, the financial success of the Faulty Towers Dining Experience - reportedly in the region of A$1.9 per year - made the situation 'entirely different', he added. Theatre company founder Alison Pollard-Mansergh said in a statement that the shows had been 'running for nearly 20 years', before adding Cleese's comments were 'misleading and inaccurate'. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Interactive Theatre International for further comment. Profits: Cleese, pictured with Fawlty Towers co-writer Connie Booth (centre), told Fairfax that he has approved amateur and student theatre productions in the past - but the alleged financial success of the Faulty Towers Dining Experience made the situation 'entirely different' She failed to win over Blake Garvey's heart in The Bachelor series two, as well as take the crown in I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! Australia. And it seems Laurina Fleure cannot catch a break after her former friend, Andrew Taza, as he revealed why he initially went to the media to slam the reality starlet. 'I know it sounds a bit childish, but I needed her to get a taste of her own medicine after spreading lies about me to mutual friends, stuff that was not true, and really petty lies,' he told The Fix. Scroll down for video Speaking out: A former friend of Laurina Fleure has revealed why he initially went to the media to slam the reality starlet - so she could get a taste of her own medicine Adding: 'So in retaliation, I did [the interview], which I know is stooping down to her level, but I'd rather stoop down to her level for her to realise what she does.' The comments come after Mr Taza claimed the beauty received Centrelink benefits and sold cheap clothes from China in her online boutique, Pialia Boutique. 'Her real name is Laurina Fitzgerald and she buys the clothes from China, sewing her own labels into them,' he told New Idea. Setting the record straight: While appearing on KIIS FM the 31-year-old said 'Yeah I do source my products from China' while asking listeners 'what is wrong with that?' In an interview on the Kyle & Jackie O Show on KIIS 106.5 FM earlier this month, the brunette said she did in fact source her products from China. Laurina went on to explain that she personally travels to the country and selects the items, which she sells online for between $39.00 and $399. 'I go there myself three times a year and spend over a week trying and looking over a million different items and picking out about 30 items that are the best and most well-made,' she said. 'I try on every piece to make sure the quality is beautiful.' Made in China:She went on to explain that she personally tries on and selects the items, which she sells online between $39.00 and $399 Truth: The reality television starlet went on to add that she dreams of creating her own garments but it could only happen if her small-business was larger in size The reality television starlet went on to add that she dreams of creating her own garments but it could only happen if her small-business was larger in size. 'I would love my business to be big enough to manufacture and produce my own products but for the meantime that is where I source it,' she told the radio hosts. But while she settled the allegations on where she purchases her clothing, Laurina slammed her ex-friend for 'trying to cash in on my glory' labelling the move 'pathetic'. She explained she had 'barred that guy over a year ago' after they met and became friends following her appearance on The Bachelor in 2014. The Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Laurina's representatives for comment. Cashing in: While she settled the allegations on where she purchases her clothing, Laurina slammed her ex-friend for 'trying to cash in on my glory' while simply labelling it as 'pathetic' The starlet's website does not specify the country of origin of the designs but a representative at the time confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that 'yes, the clothes are from China'. They also made it clear they are 'certainly not' designer knockoffs and are bought from a 'wholesale district' where 'buyers from all over the world come to purchase clothes for resale in their own country'. And while Laurina 'dreams to one day have her original designs on her website' there is no suggestion on the boutique's About page that she had a hand in designing the clothes for sale. Indeed, she states: 'I handpick the pieces for Pialia's collections, keeping in mind an air of luxury, glamour and understated elegance. 'Priding myself on not only choosing pieces made from beautiful quality fabrics, I also look for pieces that have a timeless quality and impeccable tailoring. She is reportedly set to star in the forthcoming fifth series of Ex On The Beach. And Charlotte Dawson is setting out to make herself known before her TV debut, as illustrated when she arrived at London's Nylon nightclub for an after-party to Mariah Carey's gig on Wednesday night. The 23-year-old model looked simply sensational in a floor-sweeping gold gown which boasted a dramatic split extending from the hem to her waistline - flashing an abundance of flesh. Scroll down for video Sexy on the beach! Charlotte Dawson is setting out to make herself known before her TV debut, as illustrated when she arrived at London's Nylon nightclub for an after-party to Mariah Carey's gig on Wednesday night Charlotte, who is the daughter of late comedian Les Dawson, flashed her incredible figure in the glimmering gown which oozed glamour and sex appeal. Although the dress featured a polo-neck detail alongside long sleeves, the demure nature went flying out the window due to the racy base of the gown. With a sheer train and flowing skirt the bottom of the dress exposed her underwear due to the huge split up the side, which also gave a hint of her derriere. Clearly extremely pleased with her ensemble, Charlotte posed with her arm above her head, before slipping her hand on to her hip. Posing up a storm: The 23-year-old model looked simply sensational in a floor-sweeping gold gown which boasted a dramatic split extending from the hem to her waistline - flashing an abundance of flesh Charlotte ensured her accessories coordinated with the look as she rocked pointed heels with glimmering stud details alongside a small glittery clutch bag. Her lengthy brunette tresses cascaded in perfectly styled curls which fell to her hip while she pinned the rest atop her head in a quiff-like style. The pretty model's make-up was typically heavy-handed, with lashings of mascara topping false eyelashes while also ladling on foundation. Tweeting away! She was thrilled to be attending the after party, which followed on from a date on Mariah's #1 to Infinity tour, as she took to Twitter to voice her excitement Glimmering glamour girl: Charlotte ensured her accessories coordinated with the look as she rocked pointed heels with glimmering stud details alongside a small glittery clutch bag She was thrilled to be attending the after party, which followed on from a date on Mariah's #1 to Infinity tour, as she took to Twitter to voice her excitement. She wrote: 'Canny wait to see Mariah tonightaaaaaaa oh N meet n greet her oh I mean she's meeting n greeting us... Is it too much? your always too much chaz... canny wait to meet ya Mariah' Charlotte's night on the town, comes after it was reported she is set to enter MTV's Ex On The Beach. Stunner: Although the dress featured a polo-neck detail alongside long sleeves, the demure nature went flying out the window due to the racy base of the gown A source told Daily Star On Sunday: 'Charlotte has signed the dotted line and will fly out to a secret location for filming within weeks. 'She had some meetings with producers and decided the show will be perfect for her. She won't hold back if there is a guy she fancies. She isn't exactly shy so she will be perfect for the show.' Clearly tipped for a hot career on the box, she is said to be heading into ITV's Love Island too - a slightly less surprising turn, as she is best pals with last year's winner Jessica Hayes. Their relationship has been something of a whirlwind since they met in a London club last autumn. And while they've enjoyed glamorous date nights at the Oscars and trips around the world together, Henry Cavill, 32, has admitted the thing he values most about his romance with Tara King, 19, is her caring nature. The Superman V Batman: Dawn of Justice action man has told The Mirror that while the couple have battled criticism over their 13 year age gap, his student girlfriend's maturity and protective personality are what drew him to her. Scroll down for video Besotted: Henry Cavill, 32, has revealed how his girlfriend Tara King, 19, takes care of him Bristol University student Tara met the big screen star at London club Mahiki last year, with the Mail on Sunday revealing their relationship in October when the couple were pictured together at a rugby match at Twickenham. They have since been on three holidays together, the most recent break being New Zealand during Tara's reading week at university. Tara was also on Henry's arm at last month's Vanity Fair Oscars party as well as the London premiere of his major new film, Batman V Superman this week. Part of the family: The British actor posed with student Tara and his mother Marianne at this week's London premiere of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Speaking to The Mirror, Henry gushed of Tara: 'She protects me and is protective of me when I am having a hard time. The actor added that when life gets a little tough, his girlfriend is always there with soothing words. 'She's there when I need looking after and the world is a little too heavy. Then she will happily take that weight for me and make sure that I am OK.' He added: 'Tara allows me to be me and she doesn't have a problem with that. She treats me like a normal human being.' Her superhero: Speaking to The Mirror, Henry gushed of Tara: 'She protects me and is protective of me when I am having a hard time' Before meeting Tara, Henry was engaged to show jumper Ellen Whitaker from 2009 to 2011, and briefly dated The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco as well as mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano. Things seem to be getting serious with Tara though as she joined Henry and his mother Marianne at this week's London premiere of Batman V Superman, which sees the actor reprise his role as the Man of Steel. Henry has previously taken Tara home to Jersey to meet his parents and his four brothers. Getting serious: Tara, who is studying at Bristol University, has traveled to Jersey to spend time with Henry's parents and brothers She already has a number of huge Hollywood hits under her belt. But actress Melissa McCarthy says she would still be willing to do just about anything for the right role, including giving birth live on radio. On Thursday, the 45-year-old comedienne told 2DayFM radio hosts Hamish Blake and Andy Lee that she was prepared to give birth live on-air to secure a spot on their show, saying: 'I'll have another kid just for this show.' 'I'll have another kid just for this show': Actress Melissa McCarthy told radio hosts Hamish and Andy on Thursday that she would to do just about anything for the right role, including giving birth live on-air The comedic radio duo made Melissa and her husband Ben Falcone, 42, 'audition' to appear as guests on their show, whilst they were promoting their new film The Boss. 'It would certainly make the interview terrific if there was a bit that was definitely exclusive,' Andy explained to the couple. However, Melissa was more than willing to prove just how much she wanted the role and what she was willing to do in order to get it, as she suggested: 'Like a live birth?' Adding enthusiastically: 'I'll bump it up - I'll have another kid just for this show!' Joking around: The comedic radio duo made Melissa and her husband Ben Falcone, 42, 'audition' to appear as guests on their show, whilst they were promoting their new film The Boss Hamish and Andy appeared overjoyed with the suggestion, as they began thinking of ways they could promote the segment. 'If you could have a baby on the show we could probably promo that two days out,' Hamish exclaimed. With Melissa joining in, saying: 'We could raffle it up like somebody gets to name the baby!' The Bridesmaids star - who already has two children with Ben - even said she would be willing to hold off on the delivery for a full 24-hours until the radio show time slot, if needed. 'The only thing we would ask you is... because we are only live until 6pm...' Andy began to ask, as Melissa interrupted, yelling out: 'I'll hold it in!' 'Whatever it takes - the show is really what matters!' she assured. Eager: Melissa was more than willing to prove just how much she wanted the role and what she was willing to do in order to get it, as she suggested: 'Like a live birth?' Excited: Hamish and Andy appeared overjoyed with the suggestion, as they began thinking of ways they could promote the segment During the segment, Ben also divulged an unusual trait of his wife, explaining that she likes to 'tap his teeth' in a bid to help her relax. 'She use to always tap my teeth to make herself feel relaxed,' he confessed. Melissa justified her bizarre actions, as she explained that she liked to put her fingers in his mouth because she knows how much he hates it. 'That's why I do it - you really don't like it. I love to do it right before he drifts off to sleep,' she told the amused radio hosts. 'It's such fun that I literally can't help it!' she added. Later, when asked to name two positive traits about his significant other, Ben said: 'Helpful,' as he joked: 'Helpful also means meddlesome.' 'I call it helping - I like to help with eyebrows and things like that - things no one wants to do,' Melissa quipped in. 'Whatever it takes!': The Bridesmaids star - who already has two children with Ben - even said she would be willing to hold off on the delivery for a full 24-hours until the radio show time slot, if needed Bizarre: During the segment, Ben also divulged an unusual trait of his wife, explaining that she likes to 'tap his teeth' in a bid to help her relax 'It's such fun that I literally can't help it!': Melissa justified her bizarre actions, as she explained that she liked to put her fingers in his mouth because she knows how much he hates it The comedic duo have worked together on a number of hit films, including Bridesmaids, Tammy, The Heat, The Nines and Spy during their ten-year marriage. At the Sydney premiere for their latest film The Boss on Monday night, Melissa told Daily Mail Australia that the secret to sustaining a successful marriage was having 'patience and kindness' and having the same goals. 'We have always been lucky that we have worked together for so long but we see the same thing and we have had the same goals,' the Hollywood A-lister explained. Power couple: The comedic duo have worked together on a number of hit films, including Bridesmaids, Tammy, The Heat, The Nines and Spy during their ten-year marriage Ben, 42, agreed, saying that the pair share a mutual love and respect for one another and always make sure to give each other space. 'I think that how we met, writing and performing together, and we love each other and respect each other and we give each other lots of breaks,' the actor and writer said. Melissa stars in The Boss - which she helped write - as the successful businesswoman Michelle, who heads to jail for insider training and gets out trying to reinvent herself. Ben directed the flick and also wrote it. Her supermodel status has made her unafraid to take risks when it comes to fashion. But Poppy Delevingne appeared to play it safe as she rocked an off-duty style when stepping out in London for a spot of shopping on Wednesday afternoon. The 29-year-old supermodel opted for a simple yet stylish look as she stepped out in her hometown for some retail therapy, and it looked as though the older sister of Cara Delevingne wasn't afraid to splash the cash as she toted an array of shopping bags during her jaunt. Scroll down for video Pared-back: Poppy Delevingne played it safer than usual as she rocked an off-duty style when stepping out in London for a spot of shopping on Wednesday afternoon The catwalk pin-up exuded some serious rock chick vibes as she pounded the pavement in a monochromatic ensemble, comprised of a simple black sweater and skinny jeans. She shielded herself from the cold beneath a stylish bomber jacket, while leopard print boots, which were adorned with a number of buckled straps, instilled a grunge twist into the otherwise muted style. Showing off her fashion prowess, the supermodel proved she isn't afraid to take risks when it comes to her style as she wrapped a contrasting pink scarf, adorned with a geometric print, around her neck. Off-duty style: The 29-year-old supermodel opted for a simple yet stylish look as she stepped out in her hometown for some retail therapy Coolly concealing her eyes beneath a pair of circular shades, Poppy finished the look with gold statement jewellery. The pared-back feel of her look was extended to her white blonde mane, which she tied into an easy top knot that looked to require very little effort. Flaunting her natural beauty, Poppy's face modelled only a minimal make-up look, with only a liberal coating of mascara and a sweep of bronzer along her prominent cheekbones. Retail therapy: It looked as though the older sister of Cara Delevingne wasn't afraid to splash the cash as she toted an array of shopping bags during her jaunt Grunge chic: The catwalk pin-up exuded some serious rock chick vibes as she pounded the pavement in a monochromatic ensemble, comprised of a simple black sweater and skinny jeans The outing marks the first time Poppy has been spotted out and about minus the company of her sister Cara, who has been in town with her American songstress girlfriend, St Vincent. The Paper Towns actress has returned to her London native following a number of sojourns around Europe, most recently to Denmark where she was unveiled as the muse of portraitist Jonathan Yeo's latest exhibit, which has been erected at Copenhagen's Museum of National History. Praising both the artist and her younger sister on Instagram on Wednesday, Poppy gushed: 'Congratulations to the wondrous @jonathanyeo on your new, breathtaking exhibition. Your choice in muse ain't too bad either. Catch it if you can until the 30th June at the Museum of National History, #Copenhagen'. Brr! Poppy shielded herself from the cold beneath a stylish bomber jacket, while leopard print boots, which were adorned with a number of buckled straps, instilled a grunge twist into the otherwise muted style The Geordie Shore ladies are in the midst of a sun-soaked getaway to Cape Verde. And while Holly Hagan, Charlotte Crosby, Chloe Ferry and Sophie Kasaei are having fun in the sun, they are ensuring their scantily-clad antics are well documented. Holly, 23, opted for the raciest look as she shared a sexy snap which showed off her incredible frame to her 2.7million Instagram followers, while Charlotte went for a slinky black one-piece. Scroll down for video Blue waters: Holly, 23, opted for the raciest look as she shared a sexy snap which showed off her incredible frame to her 2.7million Instagram followers, while Charlotte went for a slinky black one-piece The Middlesborough-born beauty, known for her surgically enhanced chest, famously pronounced: 'I'm fit, I'm flirty and I've got double Fs' - a fact she was quick to show off on Instagram. Standing on the steps to leave the stunning-looking pool, the angle of the camera made her waist look inordinately tiny and her chest larger than ever. Her brightly coloured swimwear perfectly set off her bronzed skin, while the tie-sides helped accentuate her toned and shapely derriere. Skimpy stuff! Charlotte, who has just released her own range of swimwear, posed against a plain wall while rocking a skimpy and simple black swimsuit With the girls on a constant photo-taking rotation, it is hard to believe they are getting any sunbathing or relaxing done at all. Charlotte, who has just released her own range of swimwear, posed against a plain wall while rocking a skimpy and simple black swimsuit. She showed off her incredibly slender frame and endless legs in the image, where she had tied a hairband around her head to match the swimsuit. Chloe jumped on the band wagon as she shared an incredibly busty selfie alongside Charlotte who was uncharacteristically wrapped up for their photo-laden jaunt. Raunchy! Sophie also shared a super-sexy snap on the trip - showing off her massively slimmed down figure Busty babe! Chloe jumped on the band wagon as she shared an incredibly busty selfie alongside Charlotte who was characteristically wrapped up for their photo-laden jaunt Kiss, kiss: Moving away from showing off her body, Charlotte opted to flaunt her cosmetically-enhanced pout in another image Moving away from showing off her body, Charlotte opted to flaunt her cosmetically-enhanced pout in another image. Shortly before the latest selfie binge, the Geordie girls no doubt jumped at a chance to nearly bare all as they headed for a chilled out spa session - in particular the show's youngest cast member Chloe. The 20-year-old stunner was sporting a tiny bikini, which struggled to contain her ample assets, as she posed up a storm. Sexy stuff! The Geordie Shore girls jumped at a chance to nearly bare all as they headed for a chilled out spa session - in particular the show's youngest cast member Chloe Chloe posed up a storm in a tiny, baby pink triangle bikini which was tied at the halterneck with gold, looped links - adding a touch of glamour to the ensemble. As she posed from the side, in a bid to show off her shapely derriere, she flaunted the thick white waistband on the bottoms while also flaunting her sizeable bottom. The skilled figure skater turned reality starlet appeared to sport minimal make-up, bar the permanent work she has had done such as tattooed eyebrows and lash extensions. She stacked her masses of raven tresses into a huge bum atop her head while she proffered a cheeky peace sign to the camera in one of the snaps. 'Sweaty b****es': The 20-year-old stunner was sporting a tiny bikini, which struggled to contain her ample assets, as she posed up a storm Busty display: Chloe posed up a storm in a tiny, baby pink triangle bikini which was tied at the halterneck with gold, looped links - adding a touch of glamour to the ensemble Charlotte looked incredibly stylish in a bright pink halterneck bikini no doubt one of her own designs. She pulled her ombre locks atop her head into a messy bun as she became the group's sole photographer as she snapped away for most of the selfies. The Sunderland-born sweetheart appeared to have felt the heat of the sauna as her face was extremely flushed and appeared to be dewy with sweat. In another snap, Holly sported a tie-dye bikini in pink and white with looped holes on the straps, which worked over her shoulder tattoo which reads: ' ', meaning, 'love the life you live' in Greek. She too stacked her extension-assisted tresses into a high bun in order to keep her locks out of the water. Selfie taker: Charlotte looked incredibly stylish in a bright pink halterneck bikini no doubt one of her own designs Joker of the pack: In one hilarious snap, Sophie pretended to drown in the background, as Holly and Charlotte looked stunning at the front, while she added a caption: 'When ur drowning in the pool but ur friends are still in selfie mode @charlottegshore @hollygshore' Re-instated cast member Sophie Kasaei joined the retreat, having returned to the Geordie Shore cast after alleged offensive behaviour when it was deemed 'inappropriate for her to return to the show.' She went for similar swimwear, with a halterneck bikini acting to exhibit her newly-slimmed down frame. In one hilarious snap, Sophie pretended to drown in the background, as Holly and Charlotte looked stunning at the front, while she added a caption: 'When ur drowning in the pool but ur friends are still in selfie mode @charlottegshore @hollygshore' The girls are wrapping up filming on the thirteenth season of the show, which Sophie, Holly and Charlotte first appeared in its inauguration in 2011. Their tumultuous relationship has been plagued by cheating allegations. And Stephanie Davis, 23, and Jeremy McConnell's romance could be under threat again, after The Mirror reported the former Hollyoaks star shared private messages on Twitter from a woman claiming to have bedded Irish hunk, 26. The actress has since deleted the posts, but the sequence of updates allegedly began when Stephanie shared the unnamed woman's confession. Scroll down for video Not again! Stephanie Davis, 23, reportedly shared private messages on Twitter from a woman claiming to have bedded Irish hunk Jeremy McConnell, 25 The first post reportedly read: 'I slept with Jeremy sorry I had to tell you.' It was then followed by Stephanie's response: 'When? Thank you for telling me x' The woman continued: 'It was one night when he came out of the [CBB] house. It was the 3rd feb when I was up at Essex x (sic)' Appearing to take the news calmly, she said: 'Thank you for telling me. What club?' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Jeremy and Stephanie and is awaiting comment. The latest rumours will no doubt come as a blow to the couple who appeared to be back on track after reconciling their relationship in the sunny climes of Majorca earlier this month. The claims also come hot on the heels of another revelation made by Danielle Lippe, 21, who slept with Jeremy following a meet-and-greet at Club Vision in Weston-Super-Mare last month. Another thing to deal with: The actress has since deleted the posts, but the sequence of updates allegedly began when Stephanie shared the unnamed woman's confession Danielle told how Jeremy wanted to involve Scotty T in their night of passion - something representatives for Jeremy strongly denied. Speaking to The Sun, the 21-year-old brunette beauty described how the Irish hunk was brazen about his intentions after meeting her at the club night on February 27. And rather than being shy about his desire to bed her, she claims that Jeremy 'wanted' them to get caught that night - which was during the period the hunky tattooed model and on-off girlfriend Stephanie were on a break. Speaking about their 'cringey' night together, which coincided with Stephanie being in London at the G.A.Y. nightclub for a personal appearance, she said it was almost as if he was hoping someone would see them. Soldiering on: The latest rumours will no doubt come as a blow to the couple who appeared to be back on track after reconciling their relationship in the sunny climes of Majorca earlier this month Following a dash from the club back to his hotel in Bristol with his manager, Danielle claims that the former CBB star made her drink outside the building in the hopes of being spotted with her. And despite his alleged ulterior motives being apparent the pair retired upstairs to Jeremy's room for the night. However once they were alone and in bed Danielle claims the Irish lothario's lovemaking was more 'awkward' than anything else. 'To be honest, it wasn't very good for me,' she admitted. 'It just felt really awkward and unnatural.' Jeremy has admitted to sleeping with Danielle and Geordie dancer Caroline Pope since leaving the CBB house but insisted both were outside of his official relationship with Stephanie. The good news was that Line Of Duty was great television. On the down side its portrayal of the police was so eerily convincing it left you feeling more uneasy than entertained. That noise viewers could probably hear was Dixon Of Dock Green turning in his grave. The heart-warming tales of the Bobby on the beat have been left behind in the 1950s, 60s and in Heartbeat, replaced by Line Of Duty's relentlessly grim, seemingly realistic, investigations into police corruption and its corrosive consequences. And worse. Scroll down for video It's back! Line Of Duty has returned for a third series, and the good news is it's great TV... the bad news is, its portrayal of the police is so eeringly convincing, viewers were left feeling uneasy 'We both know the easiest way to get away with killing someone. Be a police officer.' So said a detective to a sergeant one that he (rightly) suspected of having done precisely that. The first episode quickly spelled out that for Series Three, creator-writer Jed Mercurio had upped the ante. This time round, the corrupt cops that are the show's hallmark and his forte, had guns. Happily, he had retained the dry, grey, atmosphere that pollutes his depiction of modern-day policing and helped make its debut in 2012 so distinctive and popular that the fate of DCI Tony Gates (played by Lennie James) became BBC2's best-performing drama for a decade and the follow-up (with Keeley Hawes as the calculating DI Denton) equally acclaimed. New blood: We saw Sergeant Danny Waldron (played with explosive energy by Daniel Mays) recognise Ronan Murphy - a man suspected of 'preparing to commit a gangland execution' during a briefing before his Armed Response Unit was dispatched to arrest Murphy Series Three arrived with perfect timing to prove British television was a match for any 'Nordic Noir' or cool quality crime series from HBO or Netflix. Following War And Peace, Happy Valley, The A Word, and The Night Manager it also meant the BBC is on a roll with competition for the BAFTAs absurdly fierce already, even though it's only March. The new storyline was as intelligent, unpredictable, and uncompromising as always, maintaining the show's trademark tension and intense interrogation scenes. But it was immediately more high-octane and sensational mostly because Mercurio had chosen to make the characters under suspicion Authorised Firearms Officers, looking at the procedures and pressures surrounding the type of Armed Response Unit that is becoming increasingly prevalent on our streets. The opening immediately established the identity of the corrupt copper whose practices would be investigated by the team as the heart of the plot. Or so we thought TV talent: This Is England star Vicky McClure is back as specialist Detective Constable Kate Fleming We saw Sergeant Danny Waldron (played with explosive energy by Daniel Mays) recognise Ronan Murphy - a man suspected of 'preparing to commit a gangland execution' during a briefing before his Armed Response Unit was dispatched to arrest Murphy. When he cornered him, the bent cops in Line Of Duty's previous series might have led us to expect Danny was going to warn Murphy off or help him get away. But even though Murphy dropped his gun, shockingly Waldron shot him three times in the head. When the rest of the team caught up, he brazenly re-arranged the crime scene (firing Murphy's weapon before planting it by his hand) and intimidating his colleagues into corroborating his story that he had killed him in 'self-defence'. He had appalled and alienated them but kept them on board by threatening either them or their families. Drama: New boy Sgt Danny Waldron gets himself into a typically gritty drama right off the bat Evidence: Waldron hadn't banked on Forensics finding crucial evidence against him in regards his shooting of criminal Ronan Murphy But Waldron hadn't banked on Forensics finding his hand had suspicious traces of gun residue from Murphy's pistol or that three separate members of the public contradicted his explanation, stating there had been significant pauses between the shots. (These were referred to not as 'eye-witnesses' but 'ear-witnesses', which was a novel addition to the cop show lexicon.) He had also under-estimated the dogged, dour, scepticism of anti-corruption unit AC12 officers Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compton), and DS Matt 'Dot' Cottan (Craig Parkinson). Three more miserable, humourless, questioning individuals you couldn't hope (or hate) to meet. Riled by Waldron's exuberant bravado, they smelt a rat mostly because he had covered his tracks too well, raising their suspicions about the fact the other officers had missed and their statements corroborated his version of events so thoroughly. Dream team: Waldron had also under-estimated the dogged, dour, scepticism of anti-corruption unit AC12 officers Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar, left) and DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston, centre) Investigating: DC Kate Fleming was sent in undercover to glean information on the killing 'Entirely consistent in every detail,' Hastings mused pointedly before accusing 'you shot him down like a dog.' If Waldron had watched the previous two series he would also have been more suspicious about a new officer joining the team when they were being investigated by AC12 and that they invariably sent in DC Kate Fleming (played by Vicki McClure) undercover to glean information. She wasn't exactly subtle either. 'Did it really happen the way you all said it did?' she asked the only one of Waldron's colleagues who hadn't followed his orders to fire over Murphy's dead body thereby incriminating them too. 'Don't ask,' Hari advised her. 'I don't think you've got any idea what he's capable of.' He was right too. Ronan Murphy was just the first name on Danny's list. He turned up at the house of Murphy's uncle Linus wearing CSI-style overalls and brandishing a gun he'd pocketed during a drugs raid. He made him strip and tied him to a chair menacing: 'every time you don't do what I say, it gets worse.' When the man still didn't recognise him Waldron explained the connection between them, albeit just a fractured, tortured, one. On the front line: Ronan Murphy was just the first name on Danny's list. He turned up at the house of Murphy's uncle Linus wearing CSI-style overalls and brandishing a gun he'd pocketed during a drugs raid 'I never knew his name, not really. We did have a name for him though,' he spat about Murphy, hinting at avenging something he'd suffered in his childhood. 'For so many years I wondered what I'd do to him if I ever saw him again. And then I did.' Rage blazed through him as he seethed: 'we had a name for you too', kicking over the chair, leaning over, and hissing into his face: 'with Ronan it was over too fast. But I've got you to make up for that.' Linus Murphy thus became the third name to be crossed off his list. It seemed a nifty twist to the perennial serial killer theme in shows like Luther where the culprit was a Dirty Harry-style cop. More reasons to watch: Also appearing in the third series of Line Of Duty, is Will Mellor as PC Rod Kennedy, and Leanne Best as PC Jackie Brickford Waldron's reign of terror and his role as the increasingly violent villain didn't last long though. Just when we were settling into enjoying Steve Arnott and the others' game of chess to entrap the Armed Response Officer, Mercurio brought all our assumptions to a crashing halt by giving Danny a taste of his own medicine. A single shot rang out during a drugs raid and Kate Fleming ran upstairs to find Waldron on the floor with blood gushing from his neck and the colleagues he had threatened into supporting his story over the shooting of Ronan Murphy standing around him, watching him bleed out, doing nothing to stop him dying. Mercurio was taking no chances. If he didn't have viewers already hooked, he surely did now. He's been touted as one of the hot favourites to take on the role of James Bond when Daniel Craig hands back his license to kill. But Idris Elba has revealed the only way he'd take on the role of 007 is if it was the 'will of the nation', as he revealed he's not been involved with any discussions relating to the role. The 43-year-old actor recently explained in an interview that he wasn't in talks with the movie executives behind the iconic franchise, saying that anything else was pure rumours. Scroll down for video 'It's all rumour-ville': Idris Elba has revealed the only way he'd take on the role of 007 is if it was the 'will of the nation', as he revealed he's not been involved with any discussions relating to the role Speaking to Hello! US in a recent interview, the star put pay to speculation, saying: 'It's all rumour-ville.' And shutting down any notion that he might be in secret talks regarding Bond, he stated: 'I'm not speaking to the James Bond people, and they're not speaking to me.' However he didn't rule himself out of the role, as he said he he was flattered by so many people saying he'd make a 'great' Bond. 'If human beings want to know if there's any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I've heard around the world universally is, "You'll be great as James Bond",' he admitted. 'I'm not speaking to the James Bond people, and they're not speaking to me': The 43-year-old actor revealed he wasn't in talks with movie executives behind the iconic franchise, saying that anything else was pure rumours Flattered: However he didn't rule himself out of the role, as he said he he was flattered by so many people saying he'd make a 'great' Bond And perhaps signalling that he was still open to an offer to take on the mantel of Ian Flemings famous spy, he said: 'So if it was to happen, there you go - the will of the nation.' Alongside the Luther star other notable British actors being touted for the role - currently occupied by Daniel Craig - include: Damian Lewis, Tom Hiddleston, James Norton and Tom Hardy. However Idris is hardly waiting around for the call, as the actor stepped out in London on Thursday to promote his latest film, Bastille Day. Still hope? Speaking to Hello! US he signalled he was still open to an offer to take on the mantel of Ian Flemings famous spy, he said: 'So if it was to happen, there you go - the will of the nation.' Busy man: However Idris is hardly waiting around for the call, as the actor stepped out in London on Thursday to promote his latest film, Bastille Day Cutting a relaxed but suitably suave figure, the multi-talented rapper turned out for the film premiere in a black leather jacket, navy sweater and grey fitted trousers and sneakers. Arriving alongside co-star, former Game of Thrones star Richard Madden, at a special multimedia screening of the film, the actor looked to be in high spirits. Release on April 22, the film sees a young artist and former CIA agent embark on an anti-terrorist mission in France - with the flick also starring Kelly Reilly and Charlotte Le Bon. DRCongo calls for halving number of UN peacekeepers The Democratic Republic of Congo called for halving the size of the UN peacekeeping force in the country by the end of the year. The mandate for the 20,000-strong peacekeeping force expires in March, but the United Nations envisions a cut of only 1,700 troops, citing a fragile security situation in the DRC. Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda told the UN Security Council that Kinshasa and the United Nations have been negotiating the peacekeeping mission's "orderly and definitive" exit. The mandate for the 20,000-strong peacekeeping force expires in March, but the United Nations envisions a cut of only 1,700 troops, citing a fragile security situation in the DRC Alain Wandimoyi (AFP/File) He noted that the army will send reinforcements in a few months to help its forces fighting rebels in the country's east, allowing the government to take full charge of the security in that region. "The DRC government has set an ambitious goal," he said, "to create the conditions that will permit, by the end of this year, the removal of half the UN peacekeeping troops deployed in our country without affecting security or stability." "We never asked for a hasty or disorderly exit of the peacekeepers, but we are not willing to compromise on the sovereignty of our country," Tshibanda added. The central African country has long called for a plan leading to the total withdrawal of peacekeepers. US Ambassador Samantha Power voiced concern this week over DRC government efforts to limit cooperation with the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO. In March 2015, the UN reduced the peacekeeping force by 2,000 soldiers, although it can increase the force up to 21,000 if needed. Tshibanda also said the DRC government was not willing to allow outside forces to influence its elections calendar. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that he was "very concerned" about a political impasse in the country, citing a risk of violence if credible elections are not held on time. Although the DRC is scheduled to hold elections in November, the chances of them taking place are growing dimmer. Snakes plus sushi equals felony for Los Angeles man Sometimes when you get into an argument with the staff at a sushi restaurant, you just want to go back and set a giant snake loose. Well, that's what Hiroshi Motohashi is accused of doing. Motohashi, 46, tucked into $200 dollars worth of food at the popular Iroha Sushi of Tokyo eatery in Los Angeles' Studio City neighborhood, local media reported. Sometimes when you get into an argument with the staff at a sushi restaurant, you just want to go back and set a giant snake loose Bay Ismoyo (AFP/File) But when diners noticed that he was dining with a guest -- a very small snake -- management argued with him and Motohashi marched out, reports said. "The suspect left the location and then he returned with a large snake, probably between 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters)," police spokesman Aareon Jefferson said of the Sunday evening incident. "He released the snake in the restaurant, the police was notified and the suspect was arrested for criminal threats, which is a felony." Diners squealed and fussed but no one was injured. Japan has admitted to killing 333 whales - including more than 200 pregnant females - in its latest Antarctic hunt. The last of Japan's four whaling ships returned to port yesterday after a four-month expedition, which the country claims is for 'scientific' purposes. Their haul is a 'significant increase' over their 2014 hunt, which saw 252 whales captured. It comes despite an international outcry about their conduct. The last of Japan's four whaling ships returned to port yesterday after a four-month expedition that saw 333 minke whales killed, including more than 200 pregnant females Japan has continued to reject international orders to stop whale hunting and a ruling by the UN's International Court of Justice, which said the hunt was a commercial venture masquerading as science. Under the International Whaling Commission, to which Japan is a signatory, there has been a ban on hunting whales since 1986. But Japan continues persists in the practice using a loophole in the ban that allows for lethal research. Tokyo claims it is trying to prove the whale population is large enough to sustain a return to commercial hunting, and says it has to kill the mammals to carry out its research properly. However it makes no secret of the fact whale meat is sold in stores in Japan [though few Japanese still buy it]. Japan said the research had been carried out to understand the minke whale populations in the Antarctic Ocean. The purpose was to study the best methods for managing minke populations, the Japanese Ministry of Fisheries said in a statement. It added that there had been no incidents with anti-whaling activists, unlike the previous mission that was hampered by environmentalist group Sea Shepherd. The returning fleet arrived early on Thursday to the Shimonoseki port in western Japan. Besides the kills, Japan said it conducted non-lethal research such as observation, the taking of skin samples from live whales and attaching tracking devices to whales. Workers disembark from a whaling ship at the port of Shimonoseki in western Japan yesterday Japan's actions are in defiance of international criticism. Patrick Ramage, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said: 'If our Japanese friends really care about science and international law, it's time to put down the harpoon and chopstick, stop cutting these creatures into bits in the name of science, and join Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries studying living whales in their ocean environment in the 21st century.' Environmental campaign group Greenpeace labelled the hunt 'unnecessary' and said it violated the UN court ruling. 'It is completely unacceptable for the Japanese government to ignore the ICJ's findings and furthermore, completely unnecessary to go ahead with lethal research,' said Greenpeace Japan executive director Junichi Sato. Greg Hunt, the Australian environment minister, said his government opposed whaling 'clearly, absolutely and categorically'. 'It is in my view abhorrent and a throwback to an earlier age,' he said. 'There is no scientific justification for lethal research.' Mr Hunt criticised Japan for going ahead with the killings 'in spite of a resolution by the [International Whaling] commission calling on it not to go whaling'. However some activists have criticised the Australian government for not doing enough to stop the Japanese hunting whales. Some experts claim Japan's refusal to give up the whaling mission despite censure by the international court is largely due to a small group of powerful politicians. Ugandan opposition chief condemns month of house arrest Uganda's main opposition leader has spoken out against more than a month of house arrest since elections he claims were rigged. Kizza Besigye, who rejected the results of last month's election won by veteran President Yoweri Museveni, said his detention had blocked him from gathering evidence on the "scandalous announcement by the Electoral Commission of somebody who had not won an election." Observers said the cards were heavily stacked against Museveni's opponents, as the 71-year-old's grip on his party and country -- and his access to state resources -- meant the result was never in any doubt. Uganda's opposition leader Kizza Besigye (centre) was put under house arrest after calling protests over elections he claims were rigged Museveni was declared winner with 61 percent of the vote and has rejected claims of foul play. "It has now been a month since I was illegally detained by the Ugandan police," Besigye said in a video message posted Wednesday night, titled "32 days: My life in illegal detention". A long-standing opponent of Museveni, Besigye has been frequently jailed, accused of both treason and rape, teargassed, beaten and hospitalised over the years, but this is the longest period he has ever been under house arrest. "It is of course extremely stressful in detention that is undefined, that one does not know when it will end, that has no reason, that is a complete blatant violation of one's rights," he added, wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "I can't breathe". Besigye first tweeted a picture of himself wearing the t-shirt earlier this month, to which government spokesman Ofwono Opondo replied, "So, you can't breathe, how are you alive then?" In his video message Besigye said, "It has been very frustrating that we have been sitting here and seeing the injustice being perpetuated." Judges have begun hearing a legal challenge to the results, launched by third-placed presidential loser, ex-prime minister Amama Mbabazi. "I try to use my time as best as I can," Besigye said, saying he was doing "a lot of reading" and that visitors were now allowed into his house. "We have demanded for an audit for the election, which we believe will confirm our victory, which if they do not cooperate we will go ahead and seek to enforce using and relying on our supporters." African, Arab defence ministers focus on terrorism at Egypt meet Defence ministers and officials of 27 African and Arab countries began a two-day meeting in Egypt on Thursday that will explore military and counter-terrorism cooperation. Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) members were meeting in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, where the Egyptian military deployed in force to secure the conference. "The situation in the Sahel-Saharan states is very worrying," said the Nigerien CEN-SAD Secretary General Ibrahim Sani Abani in his opening speech, citing weapons and narcotics trafficking, and jihadist groups such as Boko Haram. Egypt's Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi (L) and Secretary General of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) Ibrahim Sani Abani at a conference for defence ministers of the 27 members in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on March 24, 2016 Khaled Desouki (AFP) "This phenomenon knows no boundaries and no state can protect only itself, it requires a coordinated and concerted response." In a statement, he had said the meeting would discuss draft agreements on military cooperation and conflict resolution, and drug and arms trafficking. Several of the bloc's members, including Egypt, are locked in wars with jihadist groups who have killed thousands of people in attacks and taken control of some territories. "Terrorism and extremism presents a strong threat that has spread across all continents," Egyptian Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi said in a speech, after calling for a moment of silence for victims of attacks. In Egypt alone, Islamist militants have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers, and bombed a plane carrying Russian tourists that had taken off from Sharm El-Sheikh in October, killing 224 people. The meeting in Sharm is the fifth CEN-SAD defence ministers' meeting since the bloc's founding in 1998. The group was founded in part to promote a free trade area among member states. UN denounces Vietnam blogger convictions The United Nations on Thursday urged Vietnam to "cease persecution" of government critics after a blogger and his assistant were jailed on loosely worded anti-state charges. Nguyen Huu Vinh, more commonly known as Anh Ba Sam, was handed a five-year jail term on Wednesday, with his assistant, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, getting three years, both on charges of "abusing democratic freedoms". The charge falls under article 258 of Vietnam's penal code, which is one of several vaguely worded provisions in the communist country's laws that rights groups say are used to persecute regime critics. Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh (L) and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy (R) stand trial in Hanoi on March 23, 2016 The UN Human Rights Office said it was "very concerned" by the conviction and "the vagueness of the charges provided under article 258", which it said contradict Vietnam's international obligations. "We urge the Vietnamese government to stop convictions under this provision, and other similarly vague ones," said Laurent Meillan, the body's acting regional representative, in a statement issued in Bangkok. He also called on the government to "cease prosecution of individuals merely for expressing an opinion". Vinh was arrested in 2014 and has been held in detention ever since, accused of disseminating anti-government articles on his wildly popular news site. Both Vinh, 60, and Thuy, 35, denied the charges against them and maintained their innocence in the court in central Hanoi Wednesday. According to the official verdict, the blogs run by the defendants, which attracted more than 3.7 million page views, "misrepresented the party's line... and lowered public trust", in Vietnam's communist leaders. Vinh, once a policeman himself, founded the well known political and social blog "Ba Sam" in 2007 -- initially to store articles for his own reference. The blog then became a news aggregator with links to major stories in state-run newspapers as well as blog posts from activists. Constant hacking attacks forced Vinh to regularly change the blog's web address. It was taken down shortly after his arrest and has not been available since. China media staff detained after Xi 'resign' call: source Four staff of a Chinese media outlet that carried an anonymous letter calling on President Xi Jinping to resign have been missing for over a week, a colleague said Thursday. A letter appeared on the Wujie News website earlier this month accusing Xi of a litany of policy mistakes and asking him to step down for the good of the country, before it was deleted. Media criticism of top leaders is almost unknown in China, where the press is strictly controlled by the ruling Communist Party. A letter posted on the Wujie News website accused Xi of a string of policy mistakes and called for him to step down Wang Zhao (AFP/File) Four staff including CEO Ouyang Hongliang and managing editor Huang Zhijie have been "out of contact" since last week, a reporter at the magazine who asked not to be named told AFP. "I think they are assisting an investigation," said the staffer, adding that the media outlet may be shut down, although the letter's appearance was probably the result of a "hacking attack". A Chinese journalist, Jia Jia, was held last week at Beijing airport while on his way to Hong Kong, with rights groups linking his detention to an alleged attempt to warn Wujies CEO about the letter. But his lawyer has said that his detention may not be connected to the document. Wujie has not published any original articles on its website since Wednesday last week, and has not updated an account on the Wechat social media platform since Friday. Xi has tightened already strict controls on the media since coming to power in 2012, and recently urged state-run outlets to "reflect the will of the party". - 'Personal safety' - Mainland Chinese media coverage of Xi is typically limited to accounts of meetings or speeches, or gushing with praise. He has presided over a slowdown in economic growth and a clampdown on civil society that has seen hundreds of people arrested. The letter, seen by AFP in a cached form, berated him for centralising authority, mishandling the economy and tightening ideological controls. "Due to your gathering of all power into your own hands and making decisions directly, we are now facing unprecedented problems and crises in all political, economic, ideological, and cultural spheres," it said. Signed "Loyal Communist Party Members", it added: "For the Party cause, for the long-term peace and stability of the country, and for your own personal safety and that of your family, we ask you to resign from all positions of Party and state leadership." Wujie -- known as Watching in English -- was founded in 2015 with funding from Internet giant Alibaba, as well as the provincial government of Xinjiang in China's northwest. It is based in Beijing. Police in China's capital did not answer a phone call asking for comment. Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily on Thursday first reported that four staff were missing and added that the outlet was "facing closure". Activist fund launches bid for control of Yahoo An activist investment firm Thursday launched a bid for control of Yahoo, saying Marissa Mayer's management team has "failed to deliver results" that would revive the struggling Internet pioneer. In an open letter to Yahoo shareholders, Starboard Value LP said it would nominate nine "highly qualified" directors to the company's board -- a move likely to pave the way for a sale or merger of Yahoo. "We believe that Yahoo is deeply undervalued and opportunities exist within the control of management and the board of directors to unlock significant value for the benefit of all shareholders," said Starboard, which owns about 1.7 percent of the company's shares. Activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP said of Yahoo: "We believe the board clearly lacks the leadership, objectivity, and perspective needed to make decisions that are in the best interests of shareholders." Justin Sullivan (Getty/AFP/File) "We have been extremely disappointed with Yahoo's dismal financial performance, poor management execution, egregious compensation and hiring practices, and general lack of accountability and oversight by the board." Responding to the letter, Yahoo said in a statement that the board nominating and governance committee "will review Starboard's proposed director nominees and respond in due course." Although Yahoo is one of the best-known names on the Internet and is used by around one billion people, it has fallen behind Google in Internet searches and has been steadily losing ground in online advertising. Ironically, Mayer joined Yahoo as chief executive from Google less than three years ago as a result of a proxy war launched by a different activist investor group. While Mayer has injected some energy and glamour into the company, Yahoo's finances have failed to improve and its core operations are valued in the market as worthless, with the company's valuation propped up by its stakes in China's Alibaba and Yahoo Japan. Roger Kay, analyst and consultant with Endpoint Technologies Associates, said Yahoo has simply been overtaken as new models emerge for the Internet. "Yahoo is an old-fashioned portal vintage 1999; it's still useful as a portal but it can't become something else," Kay said. Under the current situation, "I think the breakup of Yahoo is imminent, as is the departure of Marissa Mayer." - More restructuring - In February, Yahoo said it was cutting 15 percent of its workforce and narrowing its focus as it explores "strategic alternatives." The announcement, coming with the release of a big quarterly loss, offered the first sign that Yahoo may be open to a sale or merger after years of struggling to regain its former glory. The California company reported a loss of $4.43 billion in the final three months of last year, due mostly to lowering the value of its US, Canada, Europe, Latin America and Tumblr units. Yahoo said at the time it was launching "an aggressive strategic plan to simplify the company, narrowing its focus on areas of strength to better fuel growth." At the same time, it said it was looking at "additional strategic alternatives," suggesting it could seek a deal to sell or merge the company. Mayer has been seeking to push Yahoo toward mobile as she seeks to streamline operations and cut back on some digital content. But the research firm eMarketer said Yahoo's critical advertising revenues were expected to fall 14 percent this year as it lags behind rivals such as Google and Microsoft. Starboard's letter said that "we have been extremely disappointed with Yahoo's dismal financial performance, poor management execution, egregious compensation and hiring practices, and general lack of accountability and oversight." One measure of Yahoo earnings, Starboard said, fell 47 percent year over year. "This atrocious performance is even more appalling when you consider the billions of dollars spent in recent years on what has proven to be wasteful acquisitions and research and development expenditures," the letter said, noting that $2.3 billion was spent on acquisitions since 2012 but that more than half of that has been written down. Starboard is proposing a slate of directors which includes its chief Jeffrey Smith, who has been active in pressing for change at other firms ranging from AOL -- which was sold last year to Verizon -- to Darden Restaurants. Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy said the Starboard effort "complicates the deconstruction of Yahoo in its core business" as the group seeks to divest its hefty stake in Alibaba. "What Starboard really wants is some kind of payback for their investment losses, not to run the company with their board," Moorhead told AFP. "I don't expect this board swap-out to get too far and (it) could result in Starboard suing Yahoo and its board members for breaking their fiduciary responsibilities." Obama honors victims of US-backed Argentina dictators President Barack Obama paid homage Thursday to victims of Argentina's former US-backed dictatorship, admitting the United States was "slow to speak out for human rights" in those dark days. Obama became the first US president to formally acknowledge the victims of the 1976-1983 military regime, which declassified documents have revealed was supported by top US officials. "There's been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days, and the United States, when it reflects on what happened here, has to examine its own policies as well, and its own past," Obama said. US President Barack Obama (L) walks with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri at the "Parque de la Memoria" (Remembrance Park) in Buenos Aires on March 24, 2016 Nicholas Kamm (AFP) He spoke at Remembrance Park, a monument in Buenos Aires to the 30,000 people who were killed or went missing under the dictatorship. He paid tribute to victims' families. "Democracies have to have the courage to acknowledge when we don't live up to the ideals that we stand for; when we've been slow to speak out for human rights. And that was the case here." Tens of thousands of people joined a noisy demonstration later in Buenos Aires to mark the 40th anniversary of the US-backed coup that brought the dictators to power. They marched to the din of drums, carrying pictures of the victims. Similar anniversary marches were called in towns across the country. Some rights groups complained Obama had not gone far enough. "The self-criticism was totally light," said Taty Almeida, founder of the victims' campaign group Madres Linea Fundadora. She added that Argentine President Mauricio Macri and Obama "insisted we have to look to the future. They do not acknowledge the genocide and state terrorism that was supported by the United States." - Coup anniversary - Victims' groups had been angered by the choice of the date for Obama's visit, given the US support for the coup at the time. But they welcomed his promise to declassify further documents to shed more light on the fates of the regime's victims. After the memorial ceremony Obama with his wife Michelle, her mother and the couple's daughters flew to the Andean resort of Bariloche, where they went for a hike and boat ride in a national park. Locals lined the road smiling and waving as Obama's motorcade took the family from Bariloche airport, but at one place a crowd of protesters demonstrated noisily, some raising their middle fingers. - Tango diplomacy - In 2002, Washington declassified 4,000 diplomatic cables that showed US officials encouraged the Argentine junta's purge of leftists. Obama promised to declassify other sensitive military and intelligence records linked to the "dirty war." They may shed more light on US involvement in secret police operations against dissidents in other South American states including Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia and Brazil. Obama has tried to present a softer side of US power in Latin America during the trip this week that took him first to Cuba and then Argentina. In Havana, he attended a baseball match with Cuba's Communist President Raul Castro and even made an appearance playing dominoes in a television show with Cuban comedians. In Buenos Aires, he joked about tasting Argentina's national beverage mate and trying to meet football superstar Lionel Messi. He danced tango at a state dinner in the city on Wednesday. - US creditors - On the first bilateral visit by a US president to Argentina since Bill Clinton in 1997, Obama hoped to nurture a new regional ally. He praised Macri for the economic reforms he has passed since taking office in December after 12 years of leftist rule by the late Nestor Kirchner and his wife Cristina. Obama also welcomed Macri's "constructive approach" in reaching a deal with US creditors to settle debts dating to Argentina's financial crisis in 2002. He said it had led to the "possibility of a resolution" that could let Argentina back into international financial markets. US President Barack Obama (L) and Argentinian President Mauricio Macri deliver statements during a visit to the "Parque de la Memoria" (Remembrance Park) to pay homage to Dirty War's victims in Buenos Aires on March 24, 2016 Nicholas Kamm (AFP) US President Barack Obama (L) and Argentinian President Mauricio Macri throw a bouquet of white flowers into the River Plate on March 24, 2016 Nicholas Kamm (AFP) Top Arab writer defends author in 'Muslim sexual misery' row The veteran Algerian writer Boualem Sansal weighed in Thursday to defend his compatriot Kamel Daoud, who is at the centre of storm over his claim that sex "is the greatest misery in the world of Allah". Daoud, who won France's top literary prize the Prix Goncourt last year, sparked outrage for an article he wrote in France's Le Monde daily in the wake of the wave of sexual assaults in Cologne on New Year's Eve. Hundreds of women had reported being molested or robbed by a mob of mostly North African and Arab men in the western German city. Algerian writer and journalist Kamel Daoud, pictured on May 5, 2015, claimed that the "Arab-Muslim world (is) full of sexual misery, with its sick relationship towards woman, the human body, desire" Thomas Samson (AFP/File) While Daoud deplored racists who regard all Muslim immigrants as potential rapists, he went on to claim that the "Arab-Muslim world (is) full of sexual misery, with its sick relationship towards woman, the human body, desire." He said it was the Muslim "soul that needs to be persuaded to change". The novelist has since found himself at the centre of an international row, with his critics accusing him of "fanning the fantasies of Islamophobes". But Sansal, the elder statesman of Algerian letters, rallied to his cause Thursday, writing in the French newspaper Liberation that "saving Kamel Daoud is saving liberty, justice and the truth". Earlier this month a radical Algerian preacher was jailed for six months for calling for Daoud's death, while a group of French academics and intellectuals signed an open later berating the writer and journalist. - 'Politically correct terror' - "We are cursed," said Sansal, whose own latest book "2084" is a nightmare vision of an Orwellian Islamic state. He insisted that an unholy alliance of the "declarers of fatwas and the most emeritus of censors, but also the jealous, the fair-weather friends and the agents of the thought police from their perches on high in the media and cultural institutions, are mobilising to get" Daoud. "We shouldn't kid ourselves, the attacks on Kamel Daoud are (a form of) terrorism called political correctness," Sansal claimed. In the wake of the controversy, Daoud, a columnist with the Quotidien d'Oran newspaper based in the western Algerian city where he lives, said he was giving up journalism. He won the Prix Goncourt for "The Meursault Investigation", a pointed Arab retelling of Albert Camus's classic "The Stranger", set in his home city. Daoud, 45, was once attracted by Islamist ideas but later turned his back on them. Sansal said although many considered him a "global symbol of the struggle for freedom of expression", he feared Daoud could be browbeaten into forsaking fiction as well. "Kamel has pulled out of journalism. Are they going to oblige him to abandon literature too?" he asked. A fierce opponent of Islamists in Algeria and elsewhere, Sansal, an atheist, said that he discovered "the intelligence and the tenacity of the assassins of liberty and thought" from the moment his own first novel, "Le Serment des barbares" (The Barbarians' Oath), was published. "They make a crime of everything," he said. US judge gives VW to April 21 for emissions fix plan A US judge on Thursday gave Volkswagen until April 21 to come up with a plan to fix some 600,000 cars spewing illegal levels of pollutants due to emissions-cheating software. "This issue of what is to be done with these cars must be done by that date," US District Court Judge Charles Breyer told attorneys of the German automaker during a status hearing. If a concrete plan for getting the cars fixed or off the roads is not submitted by the deadline, "the court would seriously consider whether to hold a bench trial this summer so that the polluting cars can be addressed forthwith," Breyer said. If a concrete plan for getting the cars fixed or off the roads was not submitted by April 21 the court would seriously consider whether to hold a bench trial this summer Damien Meyer (AFP/File) VW, which until recently had ambitions to become the world's biggest carmaker, is battling to resolve its deepest-ever crisis prompted by revelations that it installed emissions-cheating software in 11 million diesel engines worldwide. The software, known as a "defeat device," limits the output of toxic nitrogen oxides to US legal limits during emissions test by regulators. But when the vehicles are in actual use, the software allows them to spew poisonous gases at up to 40 times the permitted levels, giving the cars better acceleration and fuel economy. Defeat devices are prohibited in the United States -- where the VW scam was originally exposed -- as well as in other countries. - Slew of lawsuits - On top of still-unquantifiable regulatory fines in a range of countries, VW is facing a slew of lawsuits from angry car owners -- notably in the United States and Germany -- and from shareholders seeking damages for the massive loss in the value of their stocks since September. US cases have been consolidated under Judge Breyer, who said attorneys representing all involved have been working relentlessly for the past month on a way to "get the cars, in their current condition, off the road." However, engineering technicalities and "other important issues" had yet to be resolved, he added. Possible solutions include a buy-back plan and a fix to the emissions system. In any case, a specific and detailed plan including timing, cars involved, and payments to consumers should be finalized by the April 21 deadline to avoid a trial, according to the judge. Breyer instructed attorneys not to reveal anything about the status talks, contending that confidentiality is critical to success. "We are working around the clock," lead plaintiffs' attorney Elizabeth Cabraser told AFP as she left the courtroom. "We will sleep when they are fixed." Volkswagen said in a statement that it is "committed to resolving the US regulatory investigation into the diesel emissions matter as quickly as possible and to implementing a solution for affected vehicles." "We continue to make progress and are cooperating fully with the efforts undertaken by Judge Breyer... to bring about a prompt and fair resolution of the US civil litigation." Volkswagen engineers and lawyers are working non-stop to resolve the problem and settle the case, VW lead attorney Robert Giuffra assured Breyer. A bench trial in the case would give Breyer the power to order a solution, possibly including a mandate to give Volkswagen car buyers refunds, because no jury would be involved. Any fix to vehicles must put them in compliance with environmental regulations. - Emissions fallout - Volkswagen's straight-talking US chief Michael Horn quit the automaker earlier this month as it struggled with the fallout from its massive pollution cheating scandal. His decision caught the industry by surprise. The 54-year-old car executive made headlines worldwide in September 2015 with his frank admission that VW had "totally screwed up." He left by mutual consent "to pursue other opportunities," the company said. The highest-ranking US executive to have quit the firm since the emissions scandal broke, Horn became the German carmaker's public face during the crisis. German prosecutors this month said they had broadened their investigation into the cheating from six to 17 suspects at Volkswagen. French prosecutors said they, too, have opened an investigation into "serious fraud" at the automobile manufacturer. Volkswagen's former chief executive Martin Winterkorn resigned shortly after the scandal broke, protesting his innocence. He was replaced by Matthias Mueller, head of the group's luxury sports car brand Porsche. Volkswagen has since revealed that Winterkorn received a memo in May 2014 highlighting some of the diesel engine irregularities that have since come to light. A former Volkswagen employee recently filed a whistleblower lawsuit accusing the German automaker's US unit of deleting data to cover up emissions cheating in its diesel cars. Volkswagen said in a statement that it is "committed to resolving the US regulatory investigation into the diesel emissions matter as quickly as possible Paul J. Richards (AFP/File) Israeli defence chief calls Europe attacks 'World War III' Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said Thursday that the deadly bombings in Brussels are evidence of a new world war, which the Jewish state and other countries must fight together. "We're in the same boat," he told Israeli army radio in an interview. "The world finds itself at the moment in a third world war, or as it has been called, 'a clash of civilisations'. We must face it together." Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon speaks during a press conference at Israel's Defence Force headquarters in Tel Aviv, on July 20, 2015 Carolyn Kaster (Pool/AFP/File) "We cooperate with Belgium and other European countries," he added. "We are on the same side, with shared values and interests." The jihadist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks on the airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital that killed 31 people and wounded another 300. Israel's intelligence minister on Wednesday accused Belgian leaders of laxity over the threat posed by homegrown Muslim radicals. "If in Belgium they continue to eat chocolate, enjoy life and parade as great liberals and democrats while not taking account of the fact that some of the Muslims who are there are organising acts of terror, they will not be able to fight against them," Yisrael Katz told public radio. Yaalon responded on Thursday by saying: "I would suggest not giving advice in public. And I'd be happy to eat dark Belgian chocolate." Israeli former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres in Paris on Thursday asked local religious leaders to give their communities a message of peace. "We gathered here today Jews, Muslims and Christians to say loud and clear that we must fight terror, we must go against those preachers who are using God's name in vain to promote bloodshed and incitement," a statement from his office quoted him as saying. Russian military says special forces officer killed near Palmyra: agencies A Russian special forces officer has been killed near Syria's Palmyra, a military representative at the Russian base in Syria was quoted as saying by Russian agencies Thursday. "An officer of Russian special operations forces was killed near Palmyra while carrying out a special task to direct Russian airstrikes at Islamic State group targets," the unnamed representative said, without giving the date of the incident. "The officer was carrying out a combat task in Palmyra area for a week, identifying crucial IS targets and passing exact coordinates for strikes with Russian planes," he said. Syrian troops walk down a street in the ancient city of Palmyra on March 24, 2016 "The officer died as a hero, he drew fire onto himself after being located and surrounded by terrorists," he said. Moscow has been tight-lipped about having any soldiers on the ground throughout its campaign in Syria that began on September 30. Last week IS-linked media said that five Russian special forces were killed near Palmyra, publishing pictures from their cellphones and a video showing a bloodied corpse. However Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at the time denied that Russian officers were participating in the advance on Palmyra, saying that "the advance is carried out by contingents of the Syrian army". Syrian troops on Thursday entered the ancient city of Palmyra, which had been controlled by IS since last May, and clashes were ongoing in the city. Backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia on the ground, the Syrian army advanced into Palmyra after launching a desert offensive early this month, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. US and Russia to push Syrian political transition US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to intensify the drive for a political settlement in Syria but remained divided over Bashar al-Assad's future. After four hours of talks at the Kremlin, Kerry said the United States and Russia had found common ground on the Syrian peace process and on taking the fight to the Islamic State jihadist group. Before the meeting, US officials had suggested he would sound out the Russian leader about pressuring his ally Assad to step aside as part of the political solution, but afterwards little of this was said. US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hold a news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 25, 2016 following a meeting with President Vladimir Putin Andrew Harnik (POOL/AFP) Kerry noted that Putin had begun to withdraw the Russian forces that had been sent to shore up Assad's rule, and had renewed Russia's commitment to the political process under way at UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva. "Russia will have to speak for itself as what it's going to choose to do in order to help Mr Assad make the right decisions, but we agreed today... that we will try to accelerate the effort to move the political process forward," he said. "We agreed on a target schedule for establishing a framework for a political transition and also a draft constitution, and the target is August," Kerry said at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the talks. Lavrov told journalists that Moscow and Washington would now step up efforts to get the Syrian regime and opposition to hold "direct talks" in Geneva, where a round of negotiations that saw a United Nations mediator shuttle between the delegations concluded on Thursday. "As the immediate task we have agreed to push for the soonest start of direct talks between the government delegation and the whole spectrum of the opposition," Lavrov said, calling for "a transitional governance structure" in the war-torn country. Putin did not attend the final news conference, but he had unexpectedly warm words for the United States' role in Syria at the start of the Kremlin encounter. "We understand that what we have managed to achieve on Syria has only been possible thanks to the constructive position of the political leadership in the US, the position of President Obama," Putin said. Kerry said the two sides were looking to bolster the month-old ceasefire between Assad's forces and the opposition hammered out by Putin and Barack Obama. "We agreed today to build on recent gains to take immediate steps to reinforce the cessation of hostilities," Kerry said, adding this included "steps to end the use of any indiscriminate weapons, to halt attempts by either side to seize new territory and to finalise a common understanding for how this cessation can be institutionalised." "We agreed that the regime and the opposition need to begin releasing detainees," he added. Lavrov told Kerry that diplomatic efforts had been focused on creating a "balance of interests" among all sides involved in the Syrian crisis, including Moscow and Washington. - Russian warplanes - But US officials fear the Syrian opposition will drop out of UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva unless Russia's ally Assad agrees to step down as part of a political transition. Putin has stood by Assad, and even sent Russian warplanes to fight to protect his regime and strike the Islamic State, which has seized territory in the east of the country. But Moscow's partial withdrawal of its forces from Syria has created what Washington believes is an opportunity to press for a change of stance on the regime. "What we're looking for, and what we've been looking for, for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad's leadership," a senior US official told reporters. In Geneva, opposition negotiators confirmed that they are counting on Russia to keep the pressure on the regime. After the latest round of talks with UN mediator Staffan de Mistura, opposition spokesman Bassma Kodmani said: "This is a unique moment, a precious moment and we hope Russia will seize this moment and use its leverage." And de Mistura said Thursday that the UN was aiming to restart Syria peace talks on April 9. Ties between Russia and the US have been at their lowest point since the Cold War amid fury over the Kremlin's meddling in Ukraine. Kerry insisted Washington was not backing down on the crisis. Kerry said Ukraine's territory still includes the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed two years ago, as well as disputed rebel-held areas in the east of the country. He also said that he had raised the issue of freeing Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko after she was sentenced this week to 22 years in jail over the killing of two Russian journalists following what the West has condemned as a politically motivated sham trial. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) meets with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Moscow, on March 24, 2016 Andrew Harnik (POOL/AFP) Cruz gets boost from former contenders Bush, Walker WAUWATOSA, Wisconsin (AP) Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has gotten a boost from former contenders Scott Walker and Jeb Bush, who say the Texas senator is the party's best last hope for stopping front-runner Donald Trump. Ahead of Wisconsin's April 5 primary, Gov. Walker, who dropped out of the race last fall, declared that only Cruz can catch Trump as time runs short in the primary season. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush gave Cruz his endorsement a step perhaps designed to hurt Trump more than help the Texas senator. "For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena," said Bush, who was knocked out of the 2016 contest last month. "To win, Republicans need to make this election about proposing solutions to the many challenges we face, and I believe that we should vote for Ted as he will do just that." Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas is interviewed by Maria Bartiromo during her "Mornings with Maria" program on the Fox Business Network, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Indeed, as Democrat Hillary Clinton addressed rising national security concerns, the Republican contest was hit again by personal insults this time involving the candidates' families. Cruz slammed Trump during an appearance in the front-runner's hometown for making a vague threat on Twitter the night before to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife. "Gutter politics," Cruz said. Trump's warning that he would disclose something about Heidi Cruz came in response to an ad by an outside political group that featured a provocative photo of Trump's wife, Melania, when she was a model and before they were married. Trump misidentified the Cruz campaign as the source of the ad. Heidi Cruz addressed the situation directly during an appearance outside Milwaukee. "The things that Donald Trump says are not based in reality," she said. The Republican infighting came the day after Cruz scored a win in Utah and Trump claimed Arizona. Despite modest signs of strength, the first-term Texas senator needs a near miracle to catch the billionaire businessman. The day-after delegate math laid bare the challenge: Cruz needs to win 83 percent of the remaining delegates to overtake the front-runner. And further complicating Cruz's path, Ohio Gov. John Kasich vowed to stay in the race at least until the next primary. Things were decidedly less contentious on the Democratic side. Clinton won in Arizona on Tuesday, maintaining a lopsided advantage over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race despite his wins in Utah and Idaho on the same night. The former secretary of state is now almost three-quarters of the way to the Democratic nomination. As the world grapples with a new wave of overseas violence, Clinton engaged Trump on national security with a California speech painting him as a misfit as potential commander in chief and laying out what she'd do to keep America safe in perilous times. "Slogans aren't a strategy. Loose cannons tend to misfire. What America needs is strong, smart, steady leadership," she said. Trump's win in Arizona gave him a little less than half the Republican delegates allocated so far. He needs to win 54 percent of those remaining to claim his party's nomination before the July convention. ___ Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire in New York City, Greg Moore in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, and Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report. Peoples reported from Washington. ___ Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sbauerAP and Steve Peoples at: http://twitter.com/sppeoples Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to speak about counterterrorism, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the Bechtel Conference Center at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a press conference at the Kona Kai Hotel in Shleter Island, Calif., before departing San Diego, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, the morning after a convention center rally. (John Gastaldo/San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks at a campaign event, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in Wauwatosa, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Ex-NYC cop apologizes in stairwell shooting death NEW YORK (AP) A former New York City police officer convicted of accidentally shooting an unarmed man in the stairwell of a public housing building on Thursday apologized to the man's domestic partner. Peter Liang met with Kimberly Ballinger at a mutually agreed upon conference room at the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. Liang expressed remorse over the death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley. "He said he was so sorry for her loss, and he told her how devastating it was for him. This was the last thing he ever intended or could imagine," said his attorney Paul Shechtman. FILE - In a Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016 file photo, Police officer Peter Liang, center, exits the courtroom during a break in closing arguments in his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, , at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said Wednesday, March 23, 2016, that he has recommended that Liang serve no time behind bars. Liang was convicted of a manslaughter charge in February after the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley. The rookie officer was dismissed following the verdict. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) Ballinger's attorney, Scott Rynecki, said Ballinger, in turn, talked about her loss. "She let him know that because of his actions, she now has a 3-year-old girl who doesn't have a father," Rynecki said. "Her life is upside down now, she has no partner. She told him the man he killed was a good man, and a good father." The meeting was brief and somber, both attorneys said. Liang didn't try to explain his actions the night of the shooting in a stairwell at the Louis Pink Houses. Ballinger agreed to meet with Liang after about a month of asking by his legal team. She agreed because she wanted to tell him directly of the grief he caused, her lawyer said. "This was not to accept an apology. This was to talk about what she is missing," Rynecki said. The only participants were Ballinger, Liang and their lawyers. They chose the conference room as a neutral site and a place that would meet safety concerns for Liang. The meeting came a day after District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said he would not recommend jail time for Liang, convicted by a jury of manslaughter. Thompson said he would recommend, instead, five years' probation, six months of home confinement and 500 hours of community service. Gurley's aunt and other activists gathered outside the prosecutor's office Thursday to protest the decision, demanding steep jail time for Liang and saying they felt betrayed by the prosecutor. A judge will decide if any jail time is warranted at Liang's April 14 sentencing. Liang's attorney praised the decision by the prosecutors. "We steadfastly believe in Peter Liang's innocence," Shechtman said. "The shooting that occurred that day was an accident, not a crime." Liang was fired after the verdict. His partner who was at the scene but not charged was also fired. FILE- In this Jan. 29, 2015 file photo, Kimberly Ballinger, the domestic partner of Akai Gurley and mother of his toddler daughter, hold a news conference in New York. On Thursday, March 24, 2016 former New York City police officer Peter Liang met with Ballinger at an attorney's office. Liang apologized for killing Gurley when he shot him in a dark apartment stairwell in 2014. Liang was convicted of manslaughter for Gurley's death in February 2016. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) FILE- In this Nov. 22, 2014 file photo, Kimberly Michelle Ballinger, center, holds Akaila Gurley, 2, Akai Gurleyas daughter, as she is joined by Rev. Al Sharpton, center, and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer at the National Action Network in New York. Former New York City police officer Peter Liang met with and apologized to Ballinger on Thursday, March. 24, 2016, for shooting and killing Akai Gurley in a dark apartment building stairwell in 2014. Liang was convicted of manslaughter by a jury in February 2016. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File) New York state Assemblyman Charles Barron, center, is joined by Melissa Butler, left, girlfriend of Akai Gurley, and Gurley's aunt Hertencia Peterson, right, during a protest in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Thursday, March 24, 2016. A prosecutor will ask a judge not to give jail time to New York City police officer Peter Liang convicted of accidentally firing a stray shot into a dark public housing stairwell that killed 28-year-old Akai Gurley, an unarmed man, a recommendation that the victim's family said "diminishes" his death.(AP Photo/Richard Drew) US remains in N. Korea lost in political limbo RYONGYON-RI, North Korea (AP) The village elder put his shovel aside, stooped down by a scraggly bush and pulled a sack from the freshly turned dirt. Spreading open the sack, he reached in to reveal femurs, skull and jaw fragments, boots and a rusted green helmet. "These are your American GIs," Song Hong Ik said at a burial mound near the top of a small hill. Perhaps they are. But for more than a decade, no one has been trying to find out. In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, village elder Kim Ri Jun, lays out remains from a burlap sack, which he claims belongs to a soldier who fought in the Korean War from a burial site on Ryongyon-ri hill in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet Washington has long suspended efforts to look for 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea whose remains are potentially recoverable. The countries' abysmal relations suggest that no restart is coming soon. In the meantime, possible remains and recovery sites are being lost as North Korea works to improve its infrastructure with projects such as the Chongchon River No. 10 Hydroelectric Power Station. The bones Song revealed came from that project's construction site. His village, the hamlet of Ryongyon-ri, is nestled among low rolling hills in the heart of a Korean War battleground about 150 kilometers (almost 100 miles) north of Pyongyang. The 90-minute drive from the capital runs through mostly flat land covered by rice paddies or fields of corn and potatoes. The scene is quietly rustic. Farmers use oxcarts to transport produce and villagers can be seen walking in the distance on narrow dirt roads. Not far from the highway that leads past the village, a shallow river runs through a wide valley. Song, polite but to the point, explained as he climbed the hill that the valley will be flooded when the dam is completed. Song said construction on the plant, which involved a lot of digging, began in earnest four years ago. That's when the bones started piling up, he said. Enough, he added, to fill a half-dozen makeshift burial mounds on the hill, maybe 70 or 100 sets in all. He dug up a few other mounds to make his point. Then, after a smoke break, he and the plant's construction supervisor put the bones back in their bags and reburied them. ___ Between 1996 and 2005, joint U.S.-North Korea search teams conducted 33 joint recovery operations and recovered 229 sets of American remains. Washington broke them off because it claimed the safety of its searchers was not guaranteed. Critics of the program argued the North was using the deal to squeeze cash out of Washington "bones for bucks," they said. Talks to restart recovery work resumed in 2011, only to fall apart after North Korea launched a rocket condemned by the U.S. as a banned test of ballistic missile technology. There has been no progress since. With distrust between the two countries chronically high, it took months of requests before The Associated Press was allowed to go to Ryongyon-ri, first last May with a Korean People's Army escort and again in December. The AP made the requests because North Korea's state-run media have repeatedly said without giving details that with construction, agricultural and other infrastructure projects going forward, time is running out for the U.S. military to collect its Korean War dead. In Washington, such claims are often seen as a not-so-subtle jab at the U.S. government for halting the searches, or an effort to guilt the U.S. into formal talks it has refused to engage in as long as Pyongyang continues its nuclear weapons program. Pyongyang's approval of The AP's visits to Ryongyon-ri may have had similar political motivations. That's often how things work in North Korea, though an army official and villagers angrily denied that their reasons for allowing The AP to see the remains were anything other than humanitarian. In any case, Washington isn't biting. And its war dead are not being brought home. ___ More than 7,800 U.S. troops remain lost and unrecovered from the Korean War. About 5,300 were lost in North Korea. According to the Pentagon's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, most died in major battles or as prisoners of war. Others died "along the wayside or in small villages" and many of the losses from aircraft crashes also occurred near battle zones or roads connecting them. "So," it says, "it is possible that major concentrations of human remains are located in these areas." The DPAA lists Kujang County, where Ryongyon-ri is located, as part of a prime search area that could potentially yield 1,600 remains. The Chosin Reservoir, where another major campaign was fought, and POW camp burial grounds near the Chinese border are also priority sites. "The Department of Defense is committed to achieving the fullest possible accounting," Lt. Col. Holly Slaughter, a DPAA spokeswoman, told The AP. "U.S. efforts to recover Korean War remains are a humanitarian effort for our missing servicemen, their families and the American people." Even so, Maj. Natasha Waggoner, another spokeswoman for the agency, said there is no schedule "at this time" to hold talks to send any search teams back. Until they do, the jury will remain out on the Ryongyon-ri remains. It's impossible to judge the veracity of remains simply by looking at them. Only expert eyes and a long and difficult forensic identification process can do that. There were no dogtags, unit insignia or other identification clues mixed in with the remains seen by The AP. Villagers acknowledged the remains were gathered haphazardly as construction progressed. It is quite possible, they said, the remains could include animal bones or the remains of combatants from other countries. Villagers old enough to have witnessed the battle have sketchy memories, at best. By the time the fighting came to their backyard, from mid-November to December 1950, most of the village, a scattering of about 30 households, had already been evacuated. Those who remained were mostly women, children and old people. The village was then known as Sangpyong. "My aunt, uncle and grandfather were caught by the U.S. enemies, who beat them so they got sick and died," said Kim Ri Jun, who was then 13 years old. Kim and Song had no information about specific units the troops were attached to. They did remember that many U.S. soldiers were African-American, and that troops from other countries, taking part in U.S.-led United Nations forces, were involved in the fighting as well. The location and timeframe coincide with a major clash between the U.S. and its allies and the Chinese "volunteer" forces fighting on Pyongyang's side. The push north was known as the "Home by Christmas" campaign because Gen. Douglas MacArthur thought the war would be won by Christmas. Instead, it would last two and a half more years, end in a stalemate and claim 36,500 American lives. The U.S. government has estimated as many as 270 sets of American remains are likely recoverable in Kujang County alone. Searching for them was one of the top priorities when the U.S. missions were still going to North Korea. Nearly a dozen joint searches were conducted in the area from 1998-2000. But they ended long before the real digging in Ryongyon-ri began. ___ That any joint searches were held at all was almost miraculous. That they would break down seems much more predictable. North Korea and the United States remain technically at war because the 1950-53 fighting ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Remains recovery is the only project their militaries have ever worked on together. Relations were much better when the missions began. Under President Bill Clinton, the two countries had signed an agreement for the North to freeze its illicit plutonium weapons program in exchange for aid. But that deal unraveled in 2002, the same year President George W. Bush declared North Korea part of the "axis of evil." The searches continued for a few more years, but bilateral relations took a nosedive. North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and meaningful contact between the two countries has since been minimal. Slaughter, of the DPAA, said the total cost to the U.S. to carry out the joint missions was $19.5 million. Of the 229 remains recovered, 110 have been identified. The recovery of remains has since ground to a halt to only six, all unilaterally handed over to the U.S. by Pyongyang in 2007. The impasse on a humanitarian not political issue doesn't sit well with some Korean War veterans. "Those of us who fought there really feel it's a travesty that we haven't been able to get there and try to find those that were killed or died in the prison camps," said Larry Kinard, who fought in Korea with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and is now president of the 15,000-member Korean War Veterans Association. He noted that since 1982 only 332 Korean War remains have been identified and accounted for. Kinard told the AP from his home in Texas he is in regular contact with the DPAA and feels it is doing the best it can with limited resources and the challenges it faces of getting into North Korea to conduct searches. But he added that is of little consolation to the families of the missing. "Approximately 5,300 of our comrades still lie in the ground in North Korea and little or no effort is currently underway to recover them," he said. "The KWVA members, who average nearly 85 years old, want to see their fellow brothers-in-arms found, identified, brought home, and laid to rest in our country." Song, meanwhile, said he had mixed feelings about gathering the bones of his enemy and moving them to the hill so that they wouldn't be lost when the valley is flooded. "Frankly, I don't care if the Americans come or not," he said. "But they owe us a thank you for taking care of their dead." In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, village elders Song Hong Ik, left, and Kim Ri Jun dig up remains from a burial site on Ryongyon-ri hill in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Dec. 3, 2015, photo, human remains, which village elders claim belong to soldiers who fought in the Korean War, is laid out next to a burial site on Ryongyon-ri hill in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) FILE - In this Nov. 25, 1950, file photo, men of the U.S. 24th division sweep the road ahead of a tank as they advance into Chongju, North Korea, during the Korean War. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Max Desfor, File ) In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, village elder Song Hong Ik speaks of his experience as a young boy during the Korean War on Ryongyon-ri hill in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, village elder Kim Ri Jun digs up a burlap sack which he claims contains the remains belonging to a soldier who fought in the Korean War from a burial site on Ryongyon-ri hill in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, village elders Song Hong Ik, center, and Kim Ri Jun, right, carry shovels as they walk past Ryongyon-ri hill on their right, where remains of soldiers they claim fought in the Korean War are buried in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, village elder Song Hong Ik recalls his experience as a young boy during the Korean War on Ryongyon-ri hill in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) FILE - In this Nov. 6, 1998, file photo, North Korean soldiers carry an aluminum casket containing remains of a U.S. serviceman killed during the Korean War toward U.N. Command soldiers, foreground, at the border village of Panmunjom, north of Seoul, South Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File) FILE - In this April 11, 2007, file photo, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, left, and Anthony Principi, former U.S. veterans affairs secretary, second from left, pay respects to the remains of six American soldiers from the Korean War inside of black cases on North Korea's side of the border village of Panmunjom. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Foster Klug, File) In this Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, photo, farmers transport their supplies in an oxcart while the Chongchon River No. 10 Hydroelectric Power Station is seen in the background in Ryongyon-ri in Kujang county, North Korea. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) FILE - In this Oct. 15, 1950, file photo, Eighth U.S. Cavalry Regiment soldiers advance through low brush in North Korea during the Korean War. "Until They Are Home" is one of the most sacred vows of the U.S. military, yet there are 5,300 American GIs missing in North Korea from the Korean War whose remains are potentially recoverable. It has been more than a decade since any U.S. search teams have tried, and with construction projects across the country moving forward, many could already be lost forever. (AP Photo/Max Desfor, File ) Thailand arrests 15 Malaysians, seizes crystal meth on train BANGKOK (AP) Thai police said Thursday they arrested 15 Malaysians trying to smuggle millions of dollars of crystal meth and heroin stashed in luggage on a train bound for Malaysia. Police said the seizure included 226 kilograms (498 pounds) of crystal meth and 8 kilograms (18 pounds) of heroin. The meth, also known as "ice," has an estimated street value in Thailand exceeding 452 million baht ($13 million), said police Col. Putidej Boonkrapueh. The drugs were destined for Malaysia, where the street price is double, and for other markets, police said. Police Lt. Gen. Thitiraj Nhongharnpitak called the seizure a "huge bust" at a news conference where the drugs were spread across large tables in a variety of packages, including many wrapped up like children's presents in paper with teddy bears and hearts. Thai police stand with suspects in front of 226 kilograms (498 pounds) of crystal meth and 8 kilograms (18 pounds) of heroin during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Thai police arrested 15 Malaysians trying to smuggle millions of dollars of crystal meth and heroin stashed in luggage on a train bound for Malaysia.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) Thitiraj, the commissioner of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau, said authorities acted on a tip that couriers would attempt to transport a large quantity of drugs by traveling from the Thai capital to Malaysia on Wednesday. He said the narcotics had come from northern Thailand but declined to discuss other details about the operation. Northern Thailand is a known trafficking route for drugs coming out of Myanmar, which is Southeast Asia's largest producer of methamphetamines and heroin. Obama: US slow to speak out for human rights in Argentina BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) As many Argentines paused to remember loved ones killed during their country's brutal dictatorship, President Barack Obama said Thursday that America was slow to speak out for human rights during that painful period and promised an honest accounting going forward. Obama's comments, sure to reverberate in Argentina and beyond, came 40 years to the day that a 1976 coup opened a period of military rule in Argentina that continues to have repercussions today. Obama paid tribute to the victims of Argentina's "Dirty War" by visiting Remembrance Park and tossing a wreath into the Rio de La Plata river near a memorial bearing thousands of names. President Barack Obama and Argentine President Mauricio Macri toss roses into the river during their visit to Parque de la Memoria (Remembrance Park) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the country's murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) "We've been slow to speak out for human rights and that was the case here," said Obama, standing alongside Argentina's new president, Mauricio Macri. Obama said it takes courage for a society to address "uncomfortable truths" about its past, but that doing so is essential to moving forward. Prominent human rights groups shunned an invitation to attend, arguing that the presence of an American president on such an important date was disrespectful to the thousands who died. Nora Cortinas of the iconic Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo group called Obama "a representative of death." "What would victims say if they saw (us) hugging and paying homage to a president from a country responsible for state terrorism?" she told a local radio station hours before the event. The anniversary is always a sensitive time for the nation of 41 million, as many families are still searching for the remains of loved ones who disappeared and are presumed dead. Even decades later, the dictatorship is a topic of national importance. It shapes mainstream political ideologies and spawns debates over whether the government should continue to try perpetrators so many years later or spend millions on searching for remains. Obama said his administration will endeavor to make amends by declassifying even more documents that could shed light on what role the U.S. may have played in one of the region's most repressive dictatorships. The release likely will come after Obama leaves office next year. Thousands of State Department documents were declassified in 2002, but they don't paint a full picture of what the U.S. knew or its possible role in bloodshed. The most suggestive document is a series of notes from a late 1976 meeting between Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Argentina's foreign minister. "If there are things that have to be done, you should do them quickly," Kissinger said, according to a transcript, suggesting an implicit green-lighting of a clampdown on dissidents. The new classification, which the Obama administration first announced last week, will include military and intelligence papers for the first time. Human rights groups have long demanded those documents, and historians say they could include grisly accounts of abuses and possibly more information about a U.S. role. Rights groups believe U.S. backing for authoritarian regimes in Latin America extended to Argentina during the 1976 to 1983 period known as the "Dirty War." Some 13,000 people were killed or disappeared during the brutal rule of "the generals," according to government estimates. Rights groups put the number closer to 30,000. Yet even Obama's promise of a full accounting hasn't quelled concerns. As Obama first met with Macri on Wednesday, protesters gathered in Buenos Aires to express anger at his visit. Hundreds of protesters greeted Obama upon his arrival Thursday afternoon to Bariloche, a picturesque city in southern Argentina where Obama spent the afternoon with his family before returning to Washington. And Thursday evening, tens of thousands participated in a downtown Buenos Aires march commemorating the 40th anniversary. In the crowd was Susana Gonzalez, 58, who said in 1978 her then-boyfriend Alejandro Campobianco disappeared and was never heard from again. Gonzalez said Campobianco had political views against the government, but he was not a rabble-rouser and never took up arms. "We are not going to be fooled by some flowers thrown in the river," said Gonzalez. "These are our disappeared, not those of these liars and hypocrites." ___ Associated Press reporter Debora Rey in Buenos Aires contributed to this report. ____ Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP and Peter Prengaman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/peterprengaman People carry a banner with photos of the victims of the 1976-83 dictatorship, during a march marking the 40th anniversary of the military coup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. In the first visit for a U.S. president in nearly 20 years to Argentina, President Barack Obama coincided with the anniversary of the 1976 coup, stirring up lingering questions about America's role supporting the military dictatorship that followed. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) President Barack Obama and Argentine President Mauricio Macri visit Parque de la Memoria in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the country's murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) President Barack Obama watches as Argentine President Mauricio Macri tosses roses into the river during their visit to Parque de la Memoria (Remembrance Park) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the country's murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) President Barack Obama and Argentine President Mauricio Macri visit Parque de la Memoria (Remembrance Park) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the country's murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) CORRECTS SPELLING OF MARCELO BRODSKY - President Barack Obama and Argentine President Mauricio Macri, right, listen to Marcelo Brodsky at Parque de la Memoria (Remembrance Park) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the country's murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. Brodsky's brother Fernando Brodsky is one of the people who disappeared. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) President Barack Obama and Argentine President Mauricio Macri visit Parque de la Memoria in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the countrys murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) In this March 3, 2016 photo, Mothers of Plaza de Mayo human rights group arrive at Plaza de Mayo do their traditional Thursday march in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 3, 2016. The human rights group began marching there in 1977 to demand answers from the military junta on their missing relatives.When President Barack Obamas state visit to Buenos Aires Wednesday, a day before the 40th anniversary of the 1976 military coup has raised questions about the United States relationship with one of the most repressive military dictatorships in Latin American history. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) In this March 16, 2016 file photo, a window is filled with pictures of people who were disappeared during the country's 1976-1983 military dictatorship, at the former Argentine Navy School of Mechanics where people were tortured, today a museum in their honor, called the Space for Memory and for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The second day of President Barack Obamas visit, March 24, will mark the 40th anniversary of the military coup that ushered in one of the most repressive military dictatorships in Latin American history. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) In this March 3, 2016 photo, Mothers of Plaza de Mayo human rights group shout slogans at their traditional Thursday march around the obelisk at Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The human rights group began marching there in 1977 to demand answers from the military junta on their missing relatives. When President Barack Obamas state visit to Buenos Aires Wednesday, a day before the 40th anniversary of the 1976 military coup has raised questions about the United States relationship with one of the most repressive military dictatorships in Latin American history. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) President Barack Obama speaks during a joint statement with Argentine President Mauricio Macri at Parque de la Memoria in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Obama visited the memorial to victims of the countrys murderous US-backed dictatorship who were killed or went missing from 1976-1983. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) In this March 3, 2016 photo, Mothers of Plaza de Mayo human rights group do their traditional Thursday march around the obelisk at Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 3, 2016. The human rights group began marching there in 1977 to demand answers from the military junta on their missing relatives.When President Barack Obamas state visit to Buenos Aires Wednesday, a day before the 40th anniversary of the 1976 military coup has raised questions about the United States relationship with one of the most repressive military dictatorships in Latin American history. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) University of California OKs statement against anti-Semitism SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The University of California's governing board adopted a statement condemning anti-Semitic behavior on Thursday, becoming the first public university system to do so since campaigns for academic and economic boycotts of Israel have taken root on many U.S. college campuses. The board also unanimously and without discussion adopted a companion report urging campus leaders to confront intolerant anti-Zionism, or the rejection of Israel's right to exist. It stopped short of equating anti-Zionism with the hatred of Jewish people after that language alarmed critics. Many have raised concerns that the statement and report will stifle free speech. Critics also were disappointed that the declaration singled out anti-Semitism for condemnation at a time when Muslims and other groups in the U.S. increasingly face discrimination, including hostile remarks from presidential candidates. University of California President Janet Napolitano speaks during a Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in San Francisco. A committee of the University of California's governing board unanimously approved a statement Wednesday that cites anti-Semitism as a form of intolerance that campus leaders have a duty to challenge. The committee of the university's Board of Regents voted to send what is being called a "Statement of Principles Against Intolerance" on to the full board for final consideration on Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) The board's action comes amid growing campus tensions between Israeli supporters and backers of Palestinian rights. Some Jewish groups say they are concerned that anti-Semitic behavior is increasing because of the highly emotional debate. Last year, they urged the 10-campus UC system to affirm its opposition to anti-Semitism. "For far too long, Jewish students have become victims in the often profoundly contentious anti-Zionist movement on campus," Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a Hebrew lecturer at the university's Santa Cruz campus who led the campaign, said after the vote. Liz Jackson, a staff attorney with Palestine Legal, praised board members for rejecting a blanket equation of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, but warned that civil rights organizations will sue if the principles are used to stifle or punish criticism of Israel. She and others say the statement and report hardly touch on intolerance faced by other campus communities, underscoring a lack of equal treatment. "If the Regents were really interested in creating a constructive environment for political debate, they would condemn intolerance wherever it arises," said David McCleary, a board vice president of the student-workers union. The system's 10-paragraph declaration seeks to spell out the difference between the healthy intellectual debates that the university says it encourages and the "acts of hatred and other intolerant behavior" campus leaders have a duty to combat. For example, one section says candidates for leadership positions should not be discredited based on bias or stereotyping. It was an apparent reference to a UCLA student who sought a seat on the student government's judicial council and was asked whether she could be impartial given her Jewish heritage. An initial statement presented to a board committee stirred criticism by condemning anti-Zionism. So the committee made a last-minute tweak Wednesday, adding language barring anti-Semitic "forms" of anti-Zionism activism. Free speech advocates are concerned that the slight change does not go far enough and could seriously undermine legitimate discussion on campuses long celebrated for their diversity. "There has been criticism of Zionism for as long as Zionism has existed, and silencing that debate is harmful to the values of free speech and academic inquiry," said Tallie Ben Daniel, an academic advisory council coordinator with Jewish Voice for Peace. The statement does not outline sanctions for violating its terms but reminds faculty and staff to impose discipline in cases that violate existing anti-discrimination policies, UC officials said. Students hold up protest signs at the end of a public comment period during a University of California Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in San Francisco. A committee of the University of California's governing board unanimously approved a statement Wednesday that cites anti-Semitism as a form of intolerance that campus leaders have a duty to challenge. The committee of the university's Board of Regents voted to send what is being called a "Statement of Principles Against Intolerance" on to the full board for final consideration on Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Vice Chairman Bonnie Reiss, right, applauds as Sherry L. Lansing, left, looks on after a vote in favor of a "Statement of Principles Against Intolerance" during a University of California Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in San Francisco. A committee of the University of California's governing board unanimously approved a statement Wednesday that cites anti-Semitism as a form of intolerance that campus leaders have a duty to challenge. The committee of the university's Board of Regents voted to send the statement on to the full board for final consideration on Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Karadzic convicted of genocide, gets 40-year sentence SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) A U.N. war crimes court convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of genocide and nine other charges on Thursday for orchestrating a campaign of terror that left 100,000 people dead during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, the worst carnage in Europe since World War II. Karadzic was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in Serb atrocities that included the Srebrenica massacre in which 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered in Europe's worst mass murder since the Holocaust, and for directing the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo. In pronouncing the verdict, presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon said Karadzic and his military commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, intended "that every able-bodied Bosnian Muslim male from Srebrenica be killed." Bosnian Serb people watch the TV broadcast of the sentencing Radovan Karadzic at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, in western Bosnian town of Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Thursday, March, 24,2016. Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges Thursday at a U.N. court, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. (AP Photo/Radivoje Pavicic) Karadzic, the judge said, was the only person in the Bosnian Serb leadership with the power to halt the genocide, but instead gave an order for prisoners to be transported from one location to another to be killed. In the carefully planned 1995 operation, Serb forces moved Muslim men and boys to sites around the Srebrenica enclave in eastern Bosnia and gunned them down before dumping their bodies into mass graves. Upon hearing the sentence, the 70-year-old Karadzic slumped slightly in his chair, but otherwise showed little emotion. He plans to appeal the convictions. The former leader, who was arrested in Serbia in 2008 after more than a decade in hiding, is the highest Bosnian Serb official to be sentenced by the Netherlands-based court. Although 20 years in coming, the trial is hugely significant for the development of international law. Karadzic's conviction will likely strengthen international jurisprudence on the criminal responsibility of political leaders for atrocities committed by forces under their control. "Victims and their families have waited for over two decades to see Karadzic's day of reckoning," Param-Preet Singh, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "The Karadzic verdict sends a powerful signal that those who order atrocities cannot simply wait out justice." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman, Fanhan Haq, told reporters the judgment "sends a strong signal to all who are in positions of responsibility that they will be held accountable for their actions and shows once again that fugitives cannot outrun the international community's collective resolve to make sure that they face justice according to the law." Karadzic had faced a total of 11 charges and a maximum life sentence. However, the court acquitted him of a second genocide charge, for a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, but the court's chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, said 40 years amounted to the same thing for the aging Karadzic. "Overall, we are satisfied with the outcome," Brammertz said, adding that prosecutors would carefully study the judgment before deciding whether to appeal the one genocide acquittal. Karadzic had insisted he was innocent and claimed throughout the six-year court proceedings that his wartime actions were intended to protect the Serbs. Peter Robinson, part of Karadzic's legal team, said he would appeal. "Dr. Karadzic is disappointed. He's astonished," Robinson told reporters. "He feels the trial chamber took inference instead of evidence in reaching the conclusions that it did." The verdict and sentence were met with expressions of relief and satisfaction from Bosnian Muslims and anger by Serb nationalists, thousands of whom took to the streets of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, to protest. In Sarajevo, Amra Misic, 49, said: "I took a day off to watch the verdict as I was waiting for this for 20 years. I wish him a long life." In Bosnia, which has remained ethnically divided since the war, posters displaying Karadzic's photo and saying "We are all Radovan" were plastered on walls in several towns in the Serb-controlled part of the country. "This was only the first half of the process," said Karadzic's daughter Sonja, expressing the prevailing sentiment among the Serbs that the U.N. court and the West in general are highly biased against them. Bosnia's president, Bakir Izetbegovic, whose father led the Muslims during the war, said the verdict against Karadzic is a verdict to a "horrific ideology and policies." He said it was a "judgment about the past that is important for the future." Izetbegovic said the ruling confirmed that crimes in Bosnia were systematically planned and executed. "There is no punishment that can give any satisfaction to the victims, but the civilized world has still shown that they understand their suffering," he said. "The world has sent a message that no one will be cleared of responsibility for crimes." Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, accused of fomenting deadly conflicts across the Balkans as Yugoslavia crumbled in the 1990s, died in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before judges could deliver verdicts in his trial. Karadzic was indicted along with Mladic in 1995, but evaded arrest until he was captured in Belgrade in July 2008. At the time, he was posing as a New Age healer, Dr. Dragan Dabic, and was disguised by a thick beard and shaggy hair. Karadzic's trial was one of the final acts at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal. The court, set up in 1993, indicted 161 suspects. Of them, 80 were convicted and sentenced, 18 acquitted, 13 sent back to local courts and 36 had the indictments withdrawn or died. Three suspects remain on trial, including his military chief, Mladic, and Serb ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj. Eight cases are being appealed and two defendants are to face retrials. The judgment in Seselj's case is scheduled for next Thursday. ____ Corder reported from The Hague. Associated Press writers Dusan Stojanovic and Jovana Gec contributed from Belgrade, Serbia. Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic in the courtroom for the reading of his verdict at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, The Netherlands Thursday March 24, 2016.The former Bosnian-Serbs leader is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. (Robin van Lonkhuijsen, Pool via AP) Bosnian Muslim woman who lost their family members in Srebrenica, Habiba Masic, Fatima Mujic, Vasvija Kadic and Mirsada Kahriman, from left to right, react as they watch a TV broadcast of the sentencing of Radovan Karadzic at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, with photos of missing Bosnian people plastered on a walls at the union of Srebrenica mothers, in Tuzla, Bosnia, on Thursday, March, 24, 2016. Radon Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges Thursday at a U.N. court, and sentenced to 40-years in prison.(AP Photo/Amel Emric) Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic in the courtroom for the reading of his verdict at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, The Netherlands Thursday March 24, 2016. The former Bosnian-Serbs leader is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. (Robin van Lonkhuijsen, Pool via AP) CORRECTS YEAR IN DATE Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic in the courtroom for the reading of his verdict at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, The Netherlands Thursday March 24, 2016.The former Bosnian-Serbs leader is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. (Robin van Lonkhuijsen, Pool via AP) A man walks past a mural depicting Radovan Karadzic in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, March 24, 2016. A United Nations war crimes tribunal is passing judgment Thursday on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, a landmark case against one of the alleged architects of Serb atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 dead. (AP Photo/Andrej Cukic) FILE - In this Tuesday, June 6, 1995 file photo, Sarajevo residents take cover behind a French armored personnel carrier as a Bosnian Serb sniper fires upon them on a main street in the center of Sarajevo. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/David Brauchli, File) FILE - In this March 25, 1993 file photo, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic talks to reporters at United Nations headquarters. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File) FILE - A July 14, 1995 file photo shows refugees from the overrun U.N. safe haven enclave of Srebrenica who had spent the night outdoors, gathering outside the U.N. base at Tuzla airport. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File) FILE - In this Sept. 18, 1996 file photo shows International War Crimes Tribunal investigators clearing away soil and debris from dozens of Srebrenica victims buried in a mass grave near the village of Pilica, some 55 kms (32 miles) north east of Tuzla, Boisnia-Herzegovina. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Staton R. Winter, File) FILE - In this Wednesday, July 9, 2014 file photo, Ema Hasanovic, 5, a Bosnian Muslim girl, pays her respects near the coffin of her uncle, in the Memorial center in Potocari, 200 kms northeast of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Amel Emric, File) FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 18, 1994 file photo, seven year old Nermin Divovic lies mortally wounded in a pool of blood as unidentified U.S and British U.N. firefighters arrive to assist after he was shot in the head in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Enric Marti, File) FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 4, 1996 file photo, skeletal remains of victims of the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica lie on a hilltop just west of Srebrenica, Bosnia. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) FILE - In this Friday, July 10, 2015 file photo, a woman touches the tombstone of a relative at the Potocari, memorial complex near Srebrenica, 150 kilometers northeast of Sarajevo, Bosnia. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic, File) Demonstrators gather outside the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia before the trial of former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Karadzic is blamed for a deadly campaign of sniping and shelling in the capital, Sarajevo, and the 1995 murders of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. The conflict left 100,000 dead and forced more than 2 million from their homes. (AP Photo/Michael Corder) Demonstrators gather outside the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia before the trial of former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Karadzic is blamed for a deadly campaign of sniping and shelling in the capital, Sarajevo, and the 1995 murders of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. The conflict left 100,000 dead and forced more than 2 million from their homes. (AP Photo/Michael Corder) Victim families mark 1 year since doomed Germanwings flight LE VERNET, France (AP) In a solemn day of remembrance, grieving families gathered in a French Alpine village to pay homage to loved ones a year after the co-pilot of a Germanwings plane flew the passenger jet into a mountainside, killing all 150 people aboard. Hundreds of people attended Thursday's commemoration that began with a private ceremony and a minute of silence. Families had the option to visit the crash site on the mountain overlooking Le Vernet. A wreath-laying was the only public moment as families of victims mostly German and Spanish marked the grim day. The Airbus A320 was en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 27, locked the pilot out of the cockpit and thrust the aircraft into an accelerated dive. France's accident investigating body, the BEA, said in a report released this month that the remains of Lubitz, who had a long history of psychological problems, bore traces of anti-depressants and a sleeping medication. View of the Germanwings plane crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The families of the 150 passengers and crew killed in the March 24, 2015, crash are to attend on Thursday March 24, a ceremony marking one year after the plane crash, in Le Vernet, French Alps. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) "It happened on our mountains, and we have victims' families visiting us every week, families who come and pay tribute," said Le Vernet Mayor Francois Balique. Villagers in Le Vernet and nearby Prads-Haute-Bleone have taken on the role of second family for many of the grieving. "Today, this bond is still alive, this friendship between the families and ourselves, we want to make it last, it's very important for us. The role we set for ourselves is to accompany the families each time they come here, and comfort them as they mourn," said Prads-Haute-Bleone Mayor Bernard Bartolini. A first responder to the disaster, Sebastien Beaud of the High Mountain Gendarmerie Unit, said in an interview on the eve of the commemoration that it quickly became clear that finding survivors was an impossible task. "There's smoke, flames, debris everywhere ... human remains," he said, recalling walking down the mountainside. Some families preferred to stay away from organized memorials. Juergen Fischenich, who lost his 33-year-old son Sven in the crash, said family and friends would mourn privately. "We're not traveling to Le Vernet because we don't want to be among a mass of people when we're thinking about our son," Fischenich said in an email. Sven Fischenich, an HP employee and volunteer fireman, had been traveling home to his wife and baby daughter. In another commemoration, mourners gathered in front of a church in the German town of Haltern am See for a minute of silence. Two teachers and 16 students from the town's Joseph-Koenig high school died in the crash. Town mayor Bodo Kimpel said the tragedy had brought people in the town closer together. "During this difficult time we found a common way to deal with this tragedy, the grief," he said in an interview. Parent company Lufthansa denies wrongdoing, and has so far offered no compensation beyond what is legally required under German law, riling some victims' families. It is phasing out the Germanwings brand in favor of Eurowings. Questions have been raised over the role played by the dozens of doctors Lubitz consulted. One referred Lubitz to a psychiatric clinic two weeks before the crash, suspecting a potential "psychotic episode," Arnaud Desjardin, leader of the BEA's Germanwings investigation, said when the agency presented its final report. A spokesman for Duesseldorf prosecutors confirmed Thursday that several doctors had refused to make statements to police following the crash, citing their right under German law to safeguard their patient's confidentiality even after death. However, Christoph Kumpa told The Associated Press that "knowledge gaps ... aren't expected, as in all cases the patient files were seized under judges' orders independently of any willingness (by doctors) to testify." Some families of British and German victims plan to take legal action against the Arizona flight school, where Lufthansa trains commercial pilots, alleging Lubitz should have been prevented from qualifying, the Britain-based Irwin Mitchell law firm said in a statement this week. ___ Frank Jordans in Berlin, Kerstin Sopke in Haltern am See, Germany and Joan Lowy in Washington DC contributed. Chairman and CEO of German airline Lufthansa, Carsten Spohr, left, and Thomas Winkelman, chief executive of Germanwings, arrive at a ceremony marking one year after the crash, Thursday, March 24, 2016 in Le Vernet, France. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, while en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, killing all 150 people on board. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Tents are set up on the eve of ceremonies marking one year after the Germanwings plane crash, Wednesday, March 23, 2016 in Le Vernet, in the French Alps. The families of the 150 passengers and crew killed in the March 24, 2015, crash are to attend a ceremony in Le Vernet. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) A marker is set up to show the Germanwings plane crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The families of the 150 passengers and crew killed in the March 24, 2015, crash are to attend on Thursday March 24, a ceremony marking one year after the plane crash, in Le Vernet, French Alps. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) View of the Germanwings plane crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The families of the 150 passengers and crew killed in the March 24, 2015, crash are to attend on Thursday March 24, a ceremony marking one year after the plane crash, in Le Vernet, French Alps. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Tents are set up on the eve of ceremonies marking one year after the Germanwings plane crash, Wednesday, March 23, 2016 in Le Vernet, French Alps. The families of the 150 passengers and crew killed in the March 24, 2015, crash are to attend a ceremony in Le Vernet. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) A marker is set up, center, to show the Germanwings plane crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The families of the 150 passengers and crew killed in the March 24, 2015, crash are to attend on Thursday March 24, a ceremony marking one year after the plane crash, in Le Vernet, French Alps. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Chairman and CEO of German airline Lufthansa, Carsten Spohr, left, and Thomas Winkelman, chief executive of Germanwings, arrive at a ceremony marking one year after the crash, Thursday, March 24, 2016 in Le Vernet, France. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, while en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, killing all 150 people on board. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Border spat between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan continues BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) Kyrgyzstan on Thursday accused Uzbekistan of building up its military presence at their shared border in retaliation for Kyrgyzstan's attempt to reclaim a water reservoir at a contested spot. Tensions flared up at the border between the two Central Asian nations last week when Uzbekistan closed one border crossing and moved troops and vehicles to the contested part of the border. Kyrgyzstan responded by imposing restrictions on border crossing from their side. The two countries have since exchanged several diplomatic notes and the Kyrgyz president on Thursday said he may boycott a regional security conference in Uzbekistan's capital in June because of the ongoing spat. The two former Soviet republics are estimated to have over 300 kilometers (190 miles) of border that has not been demarcated. Kurbanbay Iskanderov, a Kyrgyz government envoy for border demarcation, told reporters Thursday the tensions were triggered by the government's decision to reclaim its control over Kyrgyz facilities in Uzbek use, including the reservoir 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border. Iskanderov said the Uzbek military were called to the border a few days after Kyrgyzstan denied Uzbek workers access to the reservoir in Ala-Buka. "There are disputed portions on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border that should be Kyrgyz but they are used by Uzbekistan," Iskanderov said. Uzbekistan has rejected accusations of a disproportionate military buildup, saying that it was merely tightening security checks at the border ahead of the celebrations of Nowruz, the Persian New Year that is observed in both countries. Tensions abated on Monday when Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan agreed to cut the number of troops at one border crossing to eight each. The simmering border dispute is aggravated by the fact that the two nations, once part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, never shared a border as sovereign states in the 20th century before both declared independence in 1991. Experts on both side disagree which Soviet maps should be used for demarcation since the frontier between the Soviet republics had been adjusted several time during Communist rule. Kyrgyzstan is home to a sizeable Uzbek minority, and ethnic tensions have simmered there for years. In 2010, at least 400 people were killed and thousands injured in riots in the Kyrgyz city of Osh. __ Biden: 'There is no Biden rule' on Supreme Court nominations WASHINGTON (AP) Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday tried to clear his name and tout his record on Supreme Court nominations, calling Republican branding of his past remarks on the subject "ridiculous" and casting himself as a longtime advocate of bipartisan compromise in filling seats on the high court. In a speech at Georgetown Law School, Biden issued a broad warning that Republicans' election-year blockade of President Barack Obama's nominee "can lead to a genuine Constitutional crisis" and sought to distance himself from the strategy. He argued Republicans have distorted a 1992 speech in which he seemed to endorse the notion of blocking any Supreme Court nominee put forward in the throes of the election season. Republicans have labeled their strategy the "Biden rule." They are using the 1992 Biden speech in an attempt to cast their no-hearing, no-vote campaign as part of a Senate tradition their defense to Democrats' charges that they're shirking their Constitutional duty. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Georgetown Law School in Washington, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Biden is pointing to his years as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman to cast Republicans' election-year Supreme Court blockade as a dangerous new escalation of partisanship. In a speech at Georgetown Law School, Biden, took credit for moving eight Supreme Court nominees through the committee and to a vote on the Senate floor. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) But there is division within the ranks on that front. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., made the case earlier this week that Garland should get a vote. Biden, a former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, said his broader point in the lengthy Senate floor speech was to call for more consultation with the Senate in choosing a nominee, a practice he said would lead to nominees with less extreme views. Obama "followed the path of moderation" in picking Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland, Biden said Thursday. "There is no Biden rule. It doesn't exist," Biden told professors and students. "There is only one rule I ever followed in the Judiciary Committee. That was the Constitution's clear rule of advice and consent." Biden's defense focuses on a later section on the speech, in which he called on then-President George H.W. Bush and future presidents to work more closely with the Senate to name moderate nominees. Earlier in the speech, Biden warned that if Bush were to name a nominee immediately, weeks before the summer political conventions, "the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over." The remarks have proven problematic for Biden, a veteran of decades of Supreme Court battles. After more than 15 years on the Judiciary Committee, eight as chairman, few in Washington can match Biden's experience with judicial nominations. Facing perhaps the last big political fight of his career, the vice president has appeared eager to dive into a familiar debate. Biden, who has acted as a stealthy liaison to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in past negotiations, has begun some of that work. He has reached out to some Republican senators, and he has pressed the issue while campaigning for Democrats in Seattle and Ohio. His role is likely to increase as the process moves forward. Republicans won't make it easy. Immediately after Biden's remarks Thursday, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus issued a statement accusing Biden of hypocrisy. "The vice president's weak attempt to walk back his own standard on opposing election-year Supreme Court nominees just can't be taken seriously," Priebus said. Moran, the Republican senator, said earlier this week he would likely vote against an Obama nominee, but "I would rather have you (constituents) complaining to me that I voted wrong on nominating somebody than saying I'm not doing my job," according to The Garden City (Kan.) Telegram. Moran, who is up for re-election this fall, is from a solidly Republican state and is former head of the Senate GOP's campaign organization. Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois also has called for a Senate vote. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the Senate should follow "normal order" on Garland, including a hearing. At least 12 Senate Republicans have said they will meet with the Obama nominee. Led by McConnell, R-Ky., most GOP lawmakers have said they will not consider an Obama pick for the vacancy and will instead await a selection by the next president. Democrats have been watching each announcement by GOP senators in the hope that pressure will mount on McConnell to reverse his position or, if not, lose seats in November over the issue. In his remarks Thursday, Biden said every nominee during his time on the committee got a hearing and a floor vote. "Not much of the time. Not most of the time. Every single, solitary time," he said. He said he and Obama had studiously consulted with the Senate in picking Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of the Columbia, allowing the reality of divided government to shape the choice. He and Obama ultimately followed the "course of moderation," Biden said. Garland, 63, is not a liberal giant in the mold of former Justice William Brennan, and Biden acknowledged that the choice of Garland had angered some in his party's base. "The president did not go out and find another Brennan. Merrick Garland, intellectually, is as capable as any justice, but he has a reputation for moderation. I think that's a responsibility of the administration in a divided government," Biden said. "Some of my liberal friends don't agree with me, but I do." __ Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report. Japanese journalists allege government pressure on media TOKYO (AP) Five Japanese journalists accused Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government on Thursday of pressuring broadcasters to reduce criticism of its policies, but also lamented what they called a failure by media to live up to their convictions. They spoke at a news conference after Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi warned broadcasters last month that their licenses could be revoked if they failed to be impartial in political coverage. Japan's broadcast law says programs must be "politically fair," and Takaichi said several times in parliament that a station that repeatedly fails in this regard could have its license revoked. Despite multiple protests that her comments constituted a threat to freedom of the press, she has not backed down. Japanese journalists, from left, Osamu Aoki, Akihiro Otani, Shigetada Kishii, Soichiro Tahara and Shuntaro Torigoe, pose for a photo before their press conference at Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, Thursday, March 24, 2016. A group of five journalists accused Prime Minister Shinzo Abes government Thursday of pressuring broadcasters to reduce criticism of its policies, but also lamented what they called a failure by the media to live up to its convictions. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the government's top spokesman, also has defended her comments as "common sense." The journalists said both Takaichi's comments and the government response have been unacceptable, and vowed to continue their protest. Abe's government has been criticized as being too sensitive to critical reporting. Media experts say mainstream media have been shunning critical reporting to avoid trouble with officials who are increasingly touchy about how Japan and government policies are portrayed by both domestic and foreign media. "Of all ruling Liberal Democratic Party governments, the Abe administration is most nervously checking what the media say, because what's said on television affects his support ratings," said Shuntaro Torigoe, a former Mainichi newspaper journalist and news anchor on TV Asahi. "In Japan today, rather than the media watching the authorities, the government watches the media." The journalists also said media outlets haven't fought hard enough for press freedom. "It's not so much about political pressure, it's about deterioration in the media," said Soichiro Tahara, one of Japan's most respected journalists, who is known for asking tough questions to politicians. "To me, the most serious problem is self-restraint by higher-ups at broadcast stations." The resignation of three outspoken newscasters this month has prompted further speculation of interference from the government as it attempts to build public support for contentious policies, such as a broadening of Japan's military role and a revision of the war-renouncing constitution. Shigetada Kishii, an anchor for the Tokyo Broadcasting System Television's popular program News 23, has announced he is stepping down as of March 31. Kishii told the news conference that media seem to be increasingly intimidated, but he has never been directly pressured by the government or higher-ups at the broadcaster. Kishii angered Abe supporters last year when he voiced his opposition to security legislation allowing Japan's military to defend the U.S. and other allies under attack. He was later criticized in ads placed by ultra-conservative groups, saying he violated the broadcast law. Another respected journalist, Hiroko Kuniya, a presenter for NHK public television's prime-time news show Close-up Gendai, angered Suga when she pressed him with unscripted questions about the security legislation, reportedly triggering a strong protest from the Prime Minister's Office. Following her last appearance on the show last week, Kuniya issued a statement to Japanese media saying that "expressing things has gradually become difficult," without elaborating. Last year, Abe's ruling party summoned an executive of the liberal-leaning TV Asahi over its political coverage, and another from NHK over a separate allegation of staged material in a news program. Even though there is no evidence directly connecting Takaichi's remark with the resignation of the three newscasters, her warning was enough to scare Japan's media, journalists say. "It's a measure that the Chinese government might take, but there is a (Japanese) minister who nonchalantly says that may happen here. It's utterly shocking," respected journalist Akira Ikegami wrote in a column in the Asahi newspaper last month. "It was a remark that could even topple the government in a Western democracy." Can Japan's media resist the pressure? Torigoe said he is not optimistic. "I don't know," he said after the news conference. "Younger journalists don't seem to have a fighting spirit." Journalists, Soichiro Tahara, left, and Shuntaro Torigoe, attend a press conference at Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Tahara, Torigoe and three other Japanese journalists accused Prime Minister Shinzo Abes government Thursday of pressuring broadcasters to reduce criticism of its policies, but also lamented what they called a failure by the media to live up to its convictions. They spoke at the news conference after the minister of communications warned broadcasters last month that their licenses could be revoked if they fail to be impartial in political coverage. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) University of Guam starts sex misconduct awareness training HAGATNA, Guam (AP) The University of Guam will start requiring students and employees to take sexual misconduct awareness training after misconduct allegations were levied against a psychology professor. Officials said in a news release that students and faculty will be required to take the training each year. Students will take the training online, while university employees must attend a training session in person. The requirement comes as professor Michael Ehlert faces charges of criminal sexual misconduct and official misconduct. Court documents say he stands accused of forcing or coercing two students to accomplish an act of sexual penetration. The university confirmed the alleged October 2014 incident involving the students occurred during an off-campus activity for one of Ehlert's classes. Ehlert, who is on administrative leave, has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial. Scientists say Shakespeare's skull may be missing from grave LONDON (AP) Archaeologists who scanned the grave of William Shakespeare say they have made a head-scratching discovery: His skull appears to be missing. Researchers used ground-penetrating radar to explore the playwright's tomb in Stratford-upon-Avon's Holy Trinity Church. Staffordshire University archaeologist Kevin Colls, who led the study, said they found "an odd disturbance at the head end," with evidence of repairs some time after the original burial. He said the finding supports a claim first made in 1879 but long dismissed as myth that the Bard's skull was stolen by grave-robbers in the 18th century. FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 file photo, Head Verger Jon Ormrod tends to the grave of William Shakespeare in the Chancel of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford Upon Avon, England. Archeologists who scanned the grave of William Shakespeare say they have made a startling discovery: His skull appears to be missing. The researchers used ground-penetrating radar to explore beneath the playwright's tomb in Stratford-upon-Avon's Holy Trinity Church. Kevin Colls, who led the study, said the team found "an odd disturbance at the head end." He said Thursday, March 24, 2016 the finding lends support to a claim that the Bard's skull was stolen by grave-robbers in the 18th century. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file) "It's very, very convincing to me that his skull isn't at Holy Trinity at all," Colls said. Church records say Shakespeare was buried in his home-town church, 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of London, on April 25, 1616, two days after his death at the age of 52. His wife, Anne Hathaway, daughter and son-in-law were later buried alongside him. Colls and geophysicist Erica Utsi found the family members lie in shallow graves in the church chancel, rather than in a single vault. There are no traces of nails or other metal, suggesting they may have been buried in cloth shrouds rather than coffins. Colls said the findings, which feature in a documentary airing Saturday on Britain's Channel 4 television, would "undoubtedly spark discussion, scholarly debate and controversial theories" and some Shakespeare scholars remained skeptical. Michael Dobson, director of the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, said the grave-robbing claim was first made in an 1879 short story. "It's striking the piece of fiction imagines Shakespeare being buried quite shallow, and it turns out he was buried quite shallow," he said Thursday. "But it is still a piece of fiction." A skull takes a starring role in Shakespeare's "Hamlet," in which the Danish prince addresses the bony cranium of a man he once knew: "Alas, poor Yorick!" But Dobson said it would have been unusual for anyone to want a writer's skull at the time of the alleged theft. "There wasn't a huge fashion for robbing literary graves in the 18th century," he said. Holy Trinity's vicar, Patrick Taylor, said he was not convinced there is "sufficient evidence to conclude that his skull has been taken" and there are no plans to disturb the grave to find out for sure. "We shall have to live with the mystery of not knowing fully what lies beneath the stone," he said. That may be a wise decision in light of the warning inscribed on Shakespeare's gravestone: "Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, Japanese fleet returns with quota of 333 whales in Antarctic TOKYO (AP) Japan's whaling fleet returned Thursday with 333 whales it caught in its first Antarctic harvest since an international court ruling stopped its hunt two years ago. The Fisheries Agency said that Japanese whalers in the four-ship fleet killed 333 minke whales, filling its catch quota, during the four-month expedition in the Antarctic. The International Court of Justice in 2014 ruled that Japan's Antarctic whaling program was not scientific as Tokyo had claimed and must stop. FILE - In this April 5, 2014 file photo, Japanese whaling vessel Nisshin Maru returns to a port, from the Antarctic Sea, in Shimonoseki, western Japan. Japan's whaling fleet returned Thursday, March 24, 2016, with 333 whales it caught in its first Antarctic harvest since an international court ruling stopped its hunt two years ago. The Fisheries Agency said that Japanese whalers in the four-ship fleet killed 333 minke whales, filling its catch quota, during the four-month expedition in the Antarctic. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, File) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT Japan last year conducted only non-lethal research into whaling, but it says killing whales is essential to obtain data on their maturing ages. Scientific research is exempt from a 1986 international ban on commercial whaling. Opponents of Japan's Antarctic hunt say it's a cover for commercial whaling, since the surplus is sold. The catch quota under the new research program is about one-third of what Japan used to kill. The Latest: Serbian nationalists rally supporting Karadzic THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) The Latest on the verdict in the case of Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic (all times local): 7:30 p.m. Several thousand Serbian ultranationalists have protested the 40-year prison sentence handed to the wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic by a U.N. war crimes court. Bosnian Serb people watch the TV broadcast of the sentencing Radovan Karadzic at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, in western Bosnian town of Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Thursday, March, 24,2016. Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges Thursday at a U.N. court, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. (AP Photo/Radivoje Pavicic) Carrying posters of Karadzic and other accused Serbian war criminals, far-right supporters in the Serbian capital of Belgrade said Thursday that Karadzic was convicted only because he was a Serb. Nationalist leader Vojislav Seselj, who himself is awaiting a war crimes verdict next week, says Karadzic "was convicted innocent, without guilt." He adds "the verdict against Karadzic is a verdict against the entire Serb people, the entire Serbian nation." The court in The Hague, Netherlands, has tried Seselj for recruiting paramilitary units that committed atrocities during the 1991-95 wars in Croatia and Bosnia. ___ 5:45 p.m. Serbia's president is pledging support to the Serb mini-state in Bosnia, warning that its future may be brought into question after wartime leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted of genocide by a U.N. court and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Tomislav Nikolic said Thursday that "this verdict cannot and must not affect the fate of Republika Srpska" the Serb entity in Bosnia. He adds that Serbia will "use its right ... to support Republika Srpska and help it survive." Serbia backed the Bosnian Serbs during the war. Then-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic was one of the signatories of the 1995 peace agreement that ended the carnage. ___ 5 p.m. A Serbian human rights expert says the genocide verdict against former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is a landmark because it will no longer allow for new interpretations of wartime events during the worst carnage in Europe since World War II. Natasa Kandic said Thursday "this ruling is an obstacle for revisions of history, for what has really happened" in Bosnia during the war. She says: "This is the most important verdict. He was the supreme commander. He was convicted for acts he knew about. It is justice for both the victims and Karadzic himself." Kandic says that instead of the 40-year prison sentence, "it would have been more logical that he received the life sentence, but this one is more or less the same." ___ 4:35 p.m. Some residents of Belgrade have criticized the sentencing of wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to 40 years in prison, reflecting widespread mistrust in the U.N. war crimes tribunal. Retiree Bosko Solic declares that "this is a fascist decision!" He adds that "there is no justice and he was convicted for nothing." Solic says defiantly that Karadzic is "not guilty" and is a "just man." Another retiree, Djordje Katic, says he is "not surprised" that Karadzic has been convicted by the tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. Katic insists that the court "could sentence him to as many years (in prison) as they wished. What else can I say?" Most Serbs view The Hague as biased against Serbs. ___ 4:30 p.m. One of Radovan Karadzic's legal advisers says he will file an appeal after a U.N. court convicted the former Bosnian Serb leader of genocide and other crimes, and sentenced him to 40 years imprisonment. Lawyer Peter Robinson says Karadzic was shocked to have been found guilty of orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war. ___ 4:15 p.m. The United Nations' top human rights official says Radovan Karadzic's conviction for orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war is "hugely significant" and should warn other leaders against seeking to scapegoat minorities. Zeid Raad al-Hussein said Thursday that "this historic verdict should be a turning-point." He added that "it is time now to ensure that his poisonous legacy does not continue to burden the people of the former Yugoslavia with deeply-felt grievances, secrecy and lies." Zeid said in a statement that the trial of the wartime Bosnian Serb leader "should give pause to leaders across Europe and elsewhere who seek to exploit nationalist sentiments and scapegoat minorities for broader social ills." He added that "speech that incites hatred, discrimination and violence is an inflammable force." ___ 3:40 p.m. Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been convicted of genocide and nine other charges, and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal found Karadzic guilty of orchestrating Serb atrocities throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 people dead. ___ 3 p.m. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon says former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is criminally responsible for murder, attacking civilians and terror for overseeing the deadly 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during the country's war. Kwon says Karadzic used a campaign of sniping and shelling targeting the city's civilians as a way of furthering his political goals. The judgment of the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal says Karadzic was "instrumental" in the campaign by Bosnian Serb forces. ___ 2:50 p.m. Widows of the Srebrenica massacre victims and other Bosnians who gathered in front of the U.N. war crimes tribunal for Radovan Karadzic's verdict formed a shield around former tribunal spokeswoman Florence Hartmann, trying in vain to prevent her detention. Security guards led Hartmann away after a short scuffle with the survivors. Hartmann is popular among the victims for claiming the tribunal had reached a deal with Serbia to hide confidential material that would prove Serbia was heavily involved in the Bosnian war. Hartmann, a French national, was convicted of contempt of court by the tribunal in 2009 for publishing some confidential material from the trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. She was initially fined 7,000 euros, but the fine was later converted to a seven-day prison sentence, which she has not served. Hartmann was a spokeswoman for former prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. ___ 2:40 p.m. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon says former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic "is not held responsible for genocide" in a campaign to drive Bosnian Muslims and Croats out of villages claimed by Serb forces during the country's 1992-95 war. Kwon said Thursday that Karadzic did, however, bear responsibility for crimes including murder, extermination and forcible transfer in the municipalities. Karadzic also faces a second charge of genocide the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal's most serious crime linked to the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Srebrenica enclave. Kwon has not yet read the conclusions linked to that massacre. ___ 2:35 p.m. Serbia's prime minister says Serbia will stand by the Bosnian Serb mini-state whatever the verdict against its wartime leader Radovan Karadzic. Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday that "Serbia has an obligation to take care of its people outside the Serbian borders." Vucic has warned against using the Karadzic verdict "for political or any other attack on Republika Srpska," the Serb part of Bosnia. Vucic says "Serbia must not, cannot and will not allow that." Karadzic is hearing verdicts on 11 charges, including two counts of genocide for atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted. Serbia backed the Bosnian Serbs during the war. Then-Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic was one of the signatories of the 1995 peace agreement that ended the carnage. ___ 2:20 p.m. A hearing has begun at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to deliver verdicts in the genocide trial of former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon has started the long process of reading out a summary of the judgment. Karadzic spoke briefly at the start of Thursday's hearing, politely greeting the judges and introducing his team of legal advisers. The 70-year-old former Bosnian Serb leader faces an 11-count indictment covering the worst atrocities of Bosnia's 1992-95 war including the 44-month siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Srebrenica enclave. Karadzic insists he is innocent. If convicted, he faces a maximum life sentence. ___ 12:45 p.m. A former spokeswoman for the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal has been detained by security guards at the court shortly before judges are due to deliver verdicts in the trial of Radovan Karadzic. It was not immediately clear why Florence Hartmann was detained Thursday. A court spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Hartmann, a French national, was convicted of contempt of court by the tribunal in 2009 for publishing confidential material from the trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. She was initially fined 7,000 euros, but the fine was later converted to a seven-day prison sentence, which she is not believed to have served. Hartmann was a spokeswoman for former prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. ___ 9:50 a.m. A United Nations war crimes tribunal is passing judgment on Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, one of the alleged architects of Serb atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Karadzic will hear verdicts Thursday afternoon on 11 charges, including two counts of genocide. He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted. The trial is hugely significant for the U.N. tribunal as Karadzic is the most senior Bosnian Serb leader to face prosecution. Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic died in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before judges could deliver verdicts in his trial. Karadzic insists he is innocent and says his wartime actions were intended to protect Serbs. He is charged with responsibility for atrocities including the siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men in the Srebrenica enclave. Bosnian Muslim woman who lost their family members in Srebrenica Fatima Mujic, Vasvija Kadic and Mirsada Kahriman, from left to right, react as they watch a TV broadcast of the sentencing of Radovan Karadzic at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, with photos of missing Bosnian people plastered on a walls at the union of Srebrenica mothers, in Tuzla, Bosnia, on Thursday, March, 24, 2016. Radon Karadzic was convicted of genocide and nine other charges Thursday at a U.N. court, and sentenced to 40-years in prison.(AP Photo/Amel Emric) In this photo taken on Sunday, March 20, 2016, a Bosnian woman walks among gravestones at Memorial Centre Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic will hear his verdict on Thursday, March 24, 2016 and prosecutors of the U.N. war crimes tribunal have called for life in prison for 11 counts of war crimes, including genocide he is accused of having masterminded during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. (AP Photo/Amel Emric) Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic in the courtroom for the reading of his verdict at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, The Netherlands Thursday March 24, 2016. The former Bosnian-Serbs leader is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. (Robin van Lonkhuijsen, Pool via AP) A man walks past a mural depicting Radovan Karadzic in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, March 24, 2016. A United Nations war crimes tribunal is passing judgment Thursday on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, a landmark case against one of the alleged architects of Serb atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 war that left 100,000 dead. (AP Photo/Andrej Cukic) Demonstrators gather outside the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia before the trial of former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Karadzic is blamed for a deadly campaign of sniping and shelling in the capital, Sarajevo, and the 1995 murders of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. The conflict left 100,000 dead and forced more than 2 million from their homes. (AP Photo/Michael Corder) Demonstrators gather outside the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia before the trial of former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Karadzic is blamed for a deadly campaign of sniping and shelling in the capital, Sarajevo, and the 1995 murders of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. The conflict left 100,000 dead and forced more than 2 million from their homes. (AP Photo/Michael Corder) FILE - In this Thursday July 31, 2008 file photo, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic stands in the courtroom during his initial appearance at the U.N.'s Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (Jerry Lampen/Pool via AP, File) FILE - In this Thursday July 31, 2008 file photo, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic stands in the courtroom during his initial appearance at the U.N.'s Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (Jerry Lampen/Pool via AP, File) FILE - In this March 25, 1993 file photo, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic talks to reporters at United Nations headquarters. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, June 6, 1995 file photo, Sarajevo residents take cover behind a French armored personnel carrier as a Bosnian Serb sniper fires upon them on a main street in the center of Sarajevo. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/David Brauchli, File) FILE - A July 14, 1995 file photo shows refugees from the overrun U.N. safe haven enclave of Srebrenica who had spent the night outdoors, gathering outside the U.N. base at Tuzla airport. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File) FILE - In this Thursday June 1, 1995 file photo, TV staff prepare Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for a live TV appearance in Pale, Bosnia Herzegovina. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/File) FILE - In this Sept. 18, 1996 file photo shows International War Crimes Tribunal investigators clearing away soil and debris from dozens of Srebrenica victims buried in a mass grave near the village of Pilica, some 55 kms (32 miles) north east of Tuzla, Boisnia-Herzegovina. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Staton R. Winter, File) FILE - In this Wednesday, July 9, 2014 file photo, Ema Hasanovic, 5, a Bosnian Muslim girl, pays her respects near the coffin of her uncle, in the Memorial center in Potocari, 200 kms northeast of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Amel Emric, File) FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 18, 1994 file photo, seven year old Nermin Divovic lies mortally wounded in a pool of blood as unidentified U.S and British U.N. firefighters arrive to assist after he was shot in the head in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Enric Marti, File) FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 4, 1996 file photo, skeletal remains of victims of the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica lie on a hilltop just west of Srebrenica, Bosnia. More than 20 years after Bosnia's war, Radovan Karadzic will learn his fate on Thursday when U.N. judges deliver verdicts in his genocide and war crimes trial. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) Peru electoral court lets leader stay in presidential race LIMA, Peru (AP) Peru's electoral council on Thursday rejected a move to bar leading presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori from the first round of voting on April 10. The decision published early in the morning said the court ruled out vote-buying allegations against Fujimori, the daughter of former strongman Alberto Fujimori, who is serving 25 years in prison for authorizing death squads and corruption during his government from 1990 to 2000. The tribunal earlier banned two other candidates from the first round of voting, including the leading challenger to Fujimori, Julio Guzman, on grounds his party violated its internal rules in selecting him. That decision was seen as so rigorous that the European Union and the Organization of American States expressed concern. Presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, of the "Fuerza Popular" political party, waves to supporters as she campaigns in San Juan de Lurigancho shantytown on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Keiko, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, is running for president in Peru's April 10 election. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) Polls show none of the candidates is likely to pass the 50 percent needed to win on the first round, so a June runoff is likely. And while Fujimori leads the polls, they also show that many Peruvians say they would never vote for her to succeed President Ollanta Humala in July. The complaint against Fujimori stemmed from a campaign event at which she was present. The equivalent of $89 was awarded to the winners of a dance contest, while Peruvian law prohibits candidates from giving more than roughly $6 during campaign events. The electoral council has also disqualified candidate Cesar Acuna for handing out cash at a campaign event. No other candidate has been polling above 10 percent including former two-time President Alan Garcia. Interim archbishop elevated to lead Twin Cities archdiocese ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Archbishop Bernard Hebda said Thursday that he is surprised, humbled and "truly thrilled" by Pope Francis' decision to keep him on as head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis after serving nine months as interim leader. Hebda had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark this summer, and was dividing his time between New Jersey and Minnesota when the Vatican informed him on Tuesday that he would be staying in St. Paul. His installation Mass is scheduled for May 13. Hebda, 56, replaced Archbishop John Nienstedt, who resigned last June after prosecutors filed criminal charges against the archdiocese for failing to protect children from a priest who was later sent to prison for molesting two boys. Nienstedt denied wrongdoing in that case and was not charged. Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT At a news conference inside the ornate Cathedral of St. Paul, Hebda said he didn't have plans for specific changes yet, and that helping the archdiocese to overcome the clerical sexual abuse crisis and a resulting bankruptcy will continue to be the focus of his work. "It's a long process. Everybody tells me we have to be ready for a marathon rather than for a sprint, and we're experiencing that for sure," he said. The archdiocese has been under fire since 2013, when a former church official went public with concerns about its handling of abuse cases. That same year, a state law opened a three-year window for victims of sex abuse to file lawsuits. More than 400 victims have come forward as a result, and the archdiocese has filed for bankruptcy protection. The archdiocese is now in the process of selling off assets to help pay those claims, including the chancery where Hebda lives. But abuse victims were critical of Hebda's appointment. David Clohessy, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, issued a statement calling him "a slightly friendlier version of Nienstedt" and predicted he "will do little or nothing to better protect kids and expose those who commit or conceal sex crimes and misconduct in Minnesota." The Vatican made the announcement on Holy Thursday, which Hebda said was significant because it's when the Roman Catholic Church traditionally celebrates the priesthood. He said he thought the pope wanted to use the occasion to bolster the priests of the archdiocese. Hebda said his approach to the job will shift from his interim role to "do no harm," and that after May 13, he'll be responsible for charting a long-term course for the archdiocese. "I pray that in responding to those challenges I will be able to be a shepherd who imitates the One who came to serve rather than to be served," Hebda said. Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Archbishop Bernard Hebda takes a moment of prayer after a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Archbishop Bernard Hebda greets parishioners after a news conference at St. Paul Cathedral after being appointed as Archbishop of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday, March 24, 2016 in St. Paul, Minn. Hebda has been interim leader of the archdiocese since Archbishop John Nienstedt resigned nine months ago, and he had been slated to become Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, this summer. But the Vatican informed him Tuesday that he'll be staying in St. Paul. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT Algerian indicted over New Year's sexual assault in Cologne BERLIN (AP) An Algerian man has been indicted for allegedly participating in a sexual assault on New Year's Eve in Cologne, the first person charged over a sexual offense in events that heightened tensions over Germany's migrant influx. Cologne regional court spokesman Volker Koehler said Thursday that the 26-year-old man was charged with sexual assault and theft. He's accused of being in a group of around 10 men who surrounded and groped a woman in the central train station, and of stealing her cellphone. No trial date has been set. The man's name wasn't given because of German privacy laws. More than 1,000 criminal complaints were filed over the crimes in Cologne, blamed largely on foreigners, and several hundred of those alleged sexual crimes. Three suspects already have been convicted of theft. ___ still faces another sex assault trial based on allegations from a fourth complainant in June Ghomeshi claimed he was just having consensual 'rough sex' with women Dozens of women gathered outside the courthouse to protest the verdict He stressed the acquittal was not the same as asserting the events in question never happened Justice William Horkins said it is difficult to have trust in witnesses who A former Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio host was found not guilty of sexual assault Thursday in a case that had sparked a nationwide conversation about consent and sexual harassment. Jian Ghomeshi had faced four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking based on alleged incidents involving three women. The 48-year-old is the former host of 'Q,' a popular radio show on culture heard in Canada and on many U.S. public stations. Justice William Horkins acquitted Ghomeshi on all charges, saying it is difficult to have trust in witnesses who selectively or deliberately suppress information. He said the three women were less than fully frank and forthcoming. Scroll down for video Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted on all charges of sexual assault and choking on Thursday following a trial that sparked a nationwide debate on how the justice system treats victims. He's pictured above leaving court Justice William Horkins acquitted Ghomeshi on all charges, saying it is difficult to have trust in witnesses who selectively or deliberately suppress information. He said the three women were less than fully frank and forthcoming Ghomeshi still faces another sex assault trial based on allegations from a fourth complainant in June. He is the former host of 'Q,' a popular radio show on culture heard in Canada and on many U.S. public stations Kristyn Wong-Tam, A member of the City Council, tweeted the above message about the case 'What is troubling is not the lack of clarity, but the shifting facts from one telling to the next,' the judge said of one of the three complainants. But he stressed the acquittal was not the same as asserting the events in question never happened. Dozens of women gathered outside the courthouse to protest the verdict, some chanting, 'Ghomeshi guilty.' A member of the City Council, Kristyn Wong-Tam, tweeted: 'Ghomeshi never denied choking + punching the survivors. Yet the women were put on trial.' Dozens of women gathered outside the courthouse to protest the verdict, some chanting, 'Ghomeshi guilty'. Above a shirtless protester is detained by police outside of court The justice stressed the acquittal was not the same as asserting the events in question never happened. Above a shirtless protester is detained by police outside of court Ghomeshi still faces another sex assault trial based on allegations from a fourth complainant in June. Police launched an investigation in 2014 after more than 12 women contacted various media sources to allege that Ghomeshi had assaulted them. Ghomeshi, who first gained fame as a member of the 1990s satirical pop band Moxy Fruvous, defended himself in a 1,500-word statement on Facebook, saying women consented to having 'rough sex' with him and that he was the victim of a disgruntled ex-girlfriend. The CBC fired him. The first woman to testify in the trial acknowledged that she emailed Ghomeshi a bikini-clad picture of herself a year after he allegedly sexually assaulted her, pulling her hair and punching her in the head. Protesters stood in anguish outside of the courthouse after the not guilty verdict was announced Protesters held signs outside of the courthouse where Ghomeshi was found not guilty Thursday on sexual assault charges She claimed on the witness stand to have forgotten about the email and another flirtatious email she sent a year after. Her identity has not been released. Television actress Lucy DeCoutere, the second woman to testify, acknowledged that she told Ghomeshi that she wanted to have sex with him a day after he allegedly choked and slapped her. DeCoutere also acknowledged she sent Ghomeshi flowers days after the alleged assault. And in a handwritten love letter days later she wrote: 'I love your hands.' DeCoutere, who waived her right to have her name not published, testified that she didn't remember the emails. 'Women can be assaulted and still having positive feelings for them afterward,' DeCoutere testified. Television actress Lucy DeCoutere, the second woman to testify, acknowledged that she told Ghomeshi that she wanted to have sex with him a day after he allegedly choked and slapped her. Above she is pictured leaving court Thursday DeCoutere, the first woman to make her name public, acknowledged she didn't tell police, the prosecutors or the media about the emails or letter. The third witness in the case, whose name is protected by a publication ban, acknowledged that she deliberately misled police when she didn't tell them that she had engaged in some sexual activity with Ghomeshi after the alleged assault took place. The woman testified that she had trouble breathing after Ghomeshi put his hands around her neck as they were making out in a Toronto park. Ghomeshi's sister said the ordeal has been extremely painful for the family. 'Jian is not a symbol to us, but a beloved brother and son,' Jila Ghomeshi said. 'Our hardest burden has been our feeling of helplessness as we have watched him endure a punishment that was not only prior to a verdict but prior to any semblance of due process for well over a year.' 'Obamacare' foe tries to save expanded Medicaid in Arkansas LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Long before the state turned solidly red, Asa Hutchinson was the face of the Republican Party in Arkansas. Born in the arch-conservative hometown of Wal-Mart, the mild-mannered attorney made a bold effort to unseat a Democratic political giant, Sen. Dale Bumpers, and later as a congressman even prosecuted the impeachment case against native son President Bill Clinton. When he ran for governor in 2014, Hutchinson predictably echoed the party's attacks on President Barack Obama and on Obama's health care law, which he called for repealing. But two years after winning office with 55 percent of the vote, Hutchinson has executed a surprising political turnabout and become the leading rescuer of the one of "Obamacare's" most embattled elements, the expansion of Medicaid. In this Tuesday, March 22, 2016 photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during a town hall event at Central Baptist College in Conway, Ark. The Republican governor is urging GOP lawmakers to keep Arkansas hybrid Medicaid expansion and is warning about the consequences of ending the coverage in a rural state with many living below the poverty line. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) He's now imploring Republican lawmakers to keep Arkansas' hybrid version of the expanded insurance program for low-income people, which was pushed through by his Democratic predecessor, Mike Beebe, and is warning about the potential impact of ending it for a rural state with limited revenue and many living near the poverty line. "I did not want to punish Arkansas simply to make a political point," Hutchinson told The Associated Press as the Legislature prepares to return to session next month to take up Medicaid's future. Hutchinson's position, which has inflamed some in his party, shows the difficulty of juggling the politics and practical aspects of a controversial health care law that means billions of dollars in federal money for states. About a third of the states_most controlled by Republicans have rejected expanding Medicaid, calling it an excessive government overreach. The handful of Republican governors who have backed expansion were mostly more moderate and in states that Obama carried, such as Michigan and Ohio. But Hutchinson is no moderate. He has led the charge in Arkansas for deep tax cuts and tough anti-abortion legislation. Those watching his temperate stand on the health plan wonder if it foretells a possible softening of opposition in conservative states when more people get coverage. "It would hurt Arkansas to say we're going to allow Washington to take all this money out of the state," he said, considering it would end "health care coverage for the 200,000 plus that's on that Medicaid expansion." Arkansas is expected to get more than $1.6 billion in federal funds next year for Medicaid recipients. The federal government covered 100 percent of the expansion's costs, with its share gradually declining to 90 percent in 2020. Since the enrollment was expanded in 2013, the proportion of Arkansans without insurance has dropped from 22 to 9.6 percent. Hutchinson, 65, makes the case for covering additional people in his typically understated fashion. Lanky and soft-spoken, he sounds more like an attorney calmly persuading a jury in a trial, and he often relies on charts and graphs in his speeches. Few of his Republican colleagues in the statehouse will criticize him directly, but many are determined to beat him on the issue. "I think he's trying to have it both ways" on Obamacare, said Republican Rep. Donnie Copeland, who regularly criticized the Medicaid expansion in his last campaign. "That doesn't make him a bad guy. That just makes him wrong." Republican Senate opponent Bart Hester said he believes there are enough votes in the 35-member Senate to block Hutchinson's plan, which requires three-quarters approval in both the Legislature's GOP-controlled chambers. "This guy has been fighting for conservative principles since before I was born. He's earned the right to disagree a little bit," Hester said. Arkansas' hybrid expansion of Medicaid, which passed in 2013, uses federal funds to purchase private insurance for low-income residents. During his gubernatorial campaign, Hutchinson ducked saying what he'd do with the program. After his election, and after a task force studied the options, Hutchinson called for keeping the expanded coverage with new restrictions such as charging premiums to some recipients. Many recipients are now waiting in suspense for the Legislature's decision. Lauren Coopwood, a chiropractic assistant from Marion, enrolled about a year ago after Medicaid expanded its rolls. Coopwood, 28, said she doesn't know what she and her husband, a full-time student at the University of Memphis, would do if the program ends. "Then what?" said Coopwood, a Republican who said she voted for Hutchinson two years ago, adding, "we can't afford another private (plan). We really have just been quiet about it right now and hoping for the best, I guess." Democrats are gleefully pointing out Hutchinson's problems within his own party. "I've got to say, I've never seen somebody embrace a program and run away from it at the same time," Senate Minority Leader Keith Ingram, a Democrat from West Memphis, said last month. Hutchinson's Democratic predecessor said expanded Medicaid makes the most sense financially for Arkansas, even for those who disagree with the Obama health plan as national policy. "We said the same thing" in 2013, Beebe said. "We said if you want to fight Obamacare, go to Washington." ___ Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo In this Tuesday, March 22, 2016 photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during a town hall event at Central Baptist College in Conway, Ark. The Republican governor is urging GOP lawmakers to keep Arkansas hybrid Medicaid expansion and is warning about the consequences of ending the coverage in a rural state with many living below the poverty line. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Experts: Belgium often comes up short in preventing attacks BRUSSELS (AP) Belgium has come up short in its efforts to prevent extremist attacks time and again, experts say failing to coordinate intelligence, investigate suspects and control its borders. No country has a perfect record, but Belgium's is especially bad. On Tuesday, suicide bombers linked to the Islamic State group detonated their explosives at Brussels Airport and on a subway train, killing 32 people including three of the attackers and injuring some 270. An arrivals and departure board is seen behind blown out windows at Zaventem Airport in Brussels on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Belgian authorities were searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country's deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union's capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport after scores were killed and injured in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, Pool) Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute in London, called it "depressingly predictable" that a major attack would occur in Brussels. "There is sort of a perfect union," he said a combination of homegrown, hardened Muslim radicals willing to act and possessing the tools and opportunity, as well as a government and law enforcement structure that simply isn't up to the task. Historically, Belgium has often been found wanting when it comes to sharing intelligence among different agencies, applying what's learned to police work and controlling its external borders, said Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution think tank. In addition, he said, Brussels often fails to strike the balance that other countries achieve in weighing the desire to investigate suspected criminal activity and the need to act quickly when an immediate threat is identified. "I don't believe Belgium has done very well with most of the above over the years," O'Hanlon said. "Though I suspect they will rethink things from first principles now." In a shocking departure from the habitually polite speech of European relations, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin accused Belgian officials on Tuesday of a "lack of will ... maybe also a kind of naivete" in ignoring the spread of radical Islam among the country's 650,000-member Muslim population. Alain Marsaud, a conservative member of France's parliament, said in a newspaper interview he was "disgusted by the inability of the Belgians over these recent months and years to deal with this problem." He expressed particular astonishment that it took the Belgians more than four months to capture Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who returned to Brussels the day after the bloodbath in the French capital but eluded Belgian authorities multiple times and was run to ground only Friday. Belgium interior and justice ministers both tendered their resignations overnight Wednesday after the unprecedented peacetime attacks on their nation and the revelation that one of the suicide bombers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, had been flagged to Belgian and Dutch authorities as a "foreign terrorist fighter" by Turkey, which deported him to the Netherlands in June. Turkish officials said El Bakraoui was subsequently released from Dutch custody. "During the process of passing on the information from Turkey and during the information processing in Belgium, things went slower than the circumstances warranted," Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens conceded. "If you put all things in a row, you can ask yourself major questions" about Belgium's handling of the threat of Islamic extremism, said Interior Minister Jan Jambon. Prime Minister Charles Michel refused to accept either resignation. The reasons for the Belgian dysfunction are many. Guns, including illegal battlefield-grade weapons from the former Yugoslavia, are readily available. A complicated, disjointed governmental structure has hindered the forging of a unified front against extremism. Mayors in the greater Brussels area complained last year that even when officially alerted to the presence of suspected radicals in their municipalities, they lacked the power to do anything about it. The Brussels area, a mosaic of 19 municipalities where 1 million people live, has six separate police zones, compared to a single law enforcement agency for all of New York City and its population of 8.4 million. And around the country, different forces operate in French, Dutch or German, complicating communication. "They have got so many different police forces, and they don't all talk to each other," Pantucci said. All that has allowed radical groups to operate with less fear of detection than they face elsewhere. Per capita, Belgium is the Islamic State's most fertile recruiting ground in Europe as it seeks to find Westerners to fight for its self-styled caliphate in Syria and Iraq. Many of the suicide bombers and gunmen in last year's Paris attacks lived in Brussels. And French authorities say Belgian involvement is suspected in the abortive attack on an international express train and a failed plot to attack a Paris-area church. "Belgium has been a prime site for immigrants from the Middle East and has notoriously poor police and border controls," said Melvyn Levitsky, a former U.S. ambassador with postings in Europe and South America. RTBF Belgian broadcasting reported this month that an official oversight body had found gaps and errors in how Belgian law enforcement handled information about the Paris attackers before they wrought their carnage. An example: An alias used by one suspect was keyed into some police databases but not the central one, it said. The government concedes it needs to make progress. Last month, it announced a 400-million euro ($448 million) program to combat "terrorism and radicalization," including the hiring of 1,000 additional police, prosecutors, state security agents and other personnel. "We have to do more," Michel, the prime minister, said in November, "and we have to do better." ___ Contributors to this report included Lorne Cook, Raf Casert and Raphael Satter in Brussels, Lori Hinnant in Paris and Rhonda Shafner in New York. The Latest: University of California OKs anti-Semitism memo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The Latest on University of California adopting a statement against anti-Semitism (all times local): 11:15 a.m. The University of California's governing board has adopted a statement condemning anti-Semitic behavior and a companion report urging campus leaders to confront intolerant anti-Zionism activism. Students hold up protest signs at the end of a public comment period during a University of California Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in San Francisco. A committee of the University of California's governing board unanimously approved a statement Wednesday that cites anti-Semitism as a form of intolerance that campus leaders have a duty to challenge. The committee of the university's Board of Regents voted to send what is being called a "Statement of Principles Against Intolerance" on to the full board for final consideration on Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) The actions Thursday come amid growing campus tensions between Israeli supporters and backers of Palestinian rights. Some Jewish groups say they are concerned that anti-Semitic behavior is increasing because of the highly emotional debate. The groups last year urged the 10-campus UC system to formally affirm its opposition to anti-Semitism. The UC Board of Regents adopted a statement against intolerance and a report summarizing its need and context. Critics feared the statement would stifle free speech. ___ 12:30 a.m. The University of California's governing board is set to sign off Thursday on a statement condemning anti-Semitic behavior and a companion report urging campus leaders to confront "anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism." A committee of the university's Board of Regents voted unanimously on Wednesday to send what is being called a "Statement of Principles Against Intolerance" and a report summarizing the context for it to the full board for consideration. The documents were prepared at the urging of some Jewish groups that argued the 10-campus UC system needed to affirm its opposition to anti-Semitism amid growing student activism on behalf of Palestinian rights. FILE- In this Oct. 26, 2015, file photo, University of California regents Norman Pattiz, left, and Eddie Island, right, flank board secretary and chief of staff Anne Shawn during a public forum on how best to deal with intolerance at the university, on the campus at UCLA in Los Angeles. A UC Board of Regents panel is scheduled to vote Wednesday, March 23, 2016, on the declaration drafted by a committee after an earlier version by UC President Janet Napolitano's office did not explicitly condemn prejudice against Jewish people. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) Former star CBC radio host acquitted of sexual assault TORONTO (AP) A judge on Thursday found a former Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio host not guilty of sexual assault in a case that sparked a nationwide conversation about consent and sexual harassment. Jian Ghomeshi had faced four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking based on alleged incidents involving three women. He is the former host of "Q," a popular radio show on culture heard in Canada and on many U.S. public stations. Justice William Horkins acquitted Ghomeshi on all charges, saying it is difficult to have trust in witnesses who selectively or deliberately suppress information. He said the three women were less than fully frank and forthcoming. Jian Ghomeshi leaves court in Toronto on Thursday, March 24, 2016 with his lawyer Marie Henein. Ghomeshi was acquitted on all charges of sexual assault and choking following a trial that sparked a nationwide debate on how the justice system treats victims. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT "The harsh reality is that once a witness has shown to be deceptive and manipulative in giving their evidence, that witness can no longer expect the Court to consider them to be a trusted source of the truth," he said in his decision. He added the acquittal was not the same as asserting the events in question never happened. Police launched an investigation in 2014 after more than 12 women contacted various media sources to allege that Ghomeshi had assaulted them. Ghomeshi, who first gained fame as a member of the 1990s satirical pop band Moxy Fruvous, defended himself in a 1,500-word statement on Facebook, saying women consented to having "rough sex" with him and that he was the victim of a disgruntled ex-girlfriend. The CBC fired him. He still faces another sex assault trial based on allegations from a fourth complainant in June. Ghomeshi and his lawyer declined to comment after the verdict. Dozens of women gathered outside the courthouse to protest the verdict, some chanting, "Ghomeshi guilty." A topless protester jumped in front of the prosecutor while he was talking to the media and was arrested. All three women made damaging revelations after the trial started. The first woman to testify in the trial, whose name is protected by a publication ban, acknowledged that she emailed Ghomeshi a bikini-clad picture of herself a year after he allegedly sexually assaulted her, pulling her hair and punching her in the head in 2003. She claimed on the witness stand to have forgotten about the email and another flirtatious email she sent a year after the incident. She never told police about the emails. The judge said she was deceptive. "It is clear that she deliberately breached her oath to tell the truth. Her value as a reliable witness is diminished accordingly," he said. Television actress Lucy DeCoutere, the second woman to testify, acknowledged that she told Ghomeshi that she wanted to have sex with him a day after he allegedly choked and slapped her in 2003. She only did so after the defense provided email evidence. DeCoutere also acknowledged she sent Ghomeshi flowers days after the alleged assault. And in a handwritten love letter days later, she wrote: "I love your hands." DeCoutere, who waived her right to have her name not published, never told police about the love letter and testified that she didn't remember the emails. She also told police that she only saw Ghomeshi in passing afterward, but the defense proved otherwise. "It became clear at trial that Ms. DeCoutere very deliberately chose not to be completely honest with the police," the judge said. "The deliberate withholding of the information reflects very poorly on Ms. DeCoutere's trustworthiness as a witness." The third witness in the case, whose name is protected by a publication ban, acknowledged that she deliberately misled police when she didn't tell them that she had engaged in some sexual activity with Ghomeshi after the alleged assault took place in 2003. The woman testified that she had trouble breathing after Ghomeshi put his hands around her neck as they were making out in a Toronto park. The judge said her decision to withhold the information "until the last minute prior to trial, greatly undermines the Court's confidence in her evidence." Ghomeshi's lawyer later released a statement saying the verdict was just. "Notwithstanding the unprecedented scrutiny and pressure, the case was determined on the evidence heard in a court of law, " lawyer Marie Henein's statement said. "This has been a very long and exhausting 16 months for Mr. Ghomeshi. He will take time with his family and close friends to reflect and move forward from what can only be described as a profoundly difficult period in his life." The CBC said in a statement that the charges in the trial were unrelated to their decision to fire Ghomeshi but noted that "based on the evidence that came to our attention, Mr. Ghomeshi's actions were not compatible with the values of the public broadcaster nor with our employee code of conduct. We stand by this decision." A topless protester gets taken down by police at the Toronto courthouse after she interrupted the Crown prosecutor regarding the verdict of former Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio host Jian Ghomeshi on Thursday, March 24, 2016. A judge on Thursday found Ghomeshi not guilty of sexual assault in a case that had sparked a nationwide conversation about consent and sexual harassment. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Jian Ghomeshi leaves court in Toronto on Thursday, March 24, 2016 with his lawyer Marie Henein. Ghomeshi was acquitted on all charges of sexual assault and choking following a trial that sparked a nationwide debate on how the justice system treats victims. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT A topless protester is restrained by police outside of court in Toronto after she interrupted the Crown prosecutor as Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted on all charges of sexual assault on Thursday, March 24, 2016. Ghomeshi had faced four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking based on alleged incidents involving three women. He is the former host of "Q," a popular radio show on culture heard in Canada and on many U.S. public stations. (Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Lucy DeCoutere leaves the Toronto courthouse escorted by police following the reading of the verdict in the Jian Ghomeshi sexual assault trial on Thursday, March 24, 2016. DeCoutere was one three women who accused the former Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio host Ghomeshi of sexual assault, and the only one to go public with her accusations. A judge on Thursday found Ghomeshi not guilty of sexual assault in a case that had sparked a nationwide conversation about consent and sexual harassment. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Greece: Aid workers protest deportations as delays mount LESBOS, Greece (AP) Aid workers on the island of Lesbos Thursday protested planned deportations of migrants and refugees from Greece, as the government said the process would not start for at least another 10 days. Blowing whistles and banging aluminum containers, dozens of aid workers gathered outside a refugee registration center on the island where hundreds of people are now being detained. "We organized this protest ... to give a face to the people because they almost have none anymore, since they are locked inside," independent aid worker Nefeli Gazis said. A migrant girl looks from inside a railway wagon at a train station near the make shift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Conditions in Idomeni, where thousands have been stranded since the border shut to refugees earlier this month, have steadily deteriorated, exacerbated by days of rain that have turned the fields into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) More than 2,000 refugees and migrants have been detained on Lesbos and other islands near the Turkish coast since an international agreement went into effect Sunday to fast track deportations to Turkey. Last week's EU-Turkey agreement stipulates those arriving on Greek islands from the Turkish coast as of March 20 would be detained and sent back. For every Syrian returned, another Syrian in Turkey will be relocated to a European country. European officials say the system aims to discourage refugees from risking their lives to cross the Aegean. Human rights and aid groups have strongly criticized the decision as inhumane and illegal, with most scaling back operations that involve assisting the government. In Athens, a government official told the AP that deportations would start on April 4, and would carried out by the European Union's border protection agency, Frontex. Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokesman for a government refugee crisis committee, said the send-backs would start with migrants who had made no asylum claim while being held in detention in Greece. "It's unclear what vessels will be used to make the transfer, but Frontex will have the authority over those operations," he said. Earlier, Kyritsis announced the government was creating 30,000 new places at refugee shelters extending capacity at existing sites and creating new ones over the next 20 days for voluntary evacuation of refugees camped out at the Greek-Macedonian border and the country's main port of Piraeus. Some 12,000 people remain at the border camp near the village of Idomeni, most living in squalid conditions. "We will intensify our efforts to persuade people to leave Idomeni. Chartered buses will be available starting tomorrow for people who want to start leaving," Kyritsis said. Legislative amendments needed for the EU-Turkey deal to take full effect in Greece, would be submitted to parliament next Wednesday, he said. ___ Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed. ___ Follow Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos A migrant girl looks out from a tent at a train station near the make shift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Conditions in Idomeni, where thousands have been stranded since the border shut to refugees earlier this month, have steadily deteriorated, exacerbated by days of rain that have turned the fields into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) An Afghan child migrant carries his food as other people wait in line to receive food distributed by a non-governmental organization at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, where around 5000 refugees and migrants are temporary hosted on Thursday, March 24, 2016. According to official figures from Greek authorities, nearly 50,000 people are stranded in Greece. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Migrants hold banners during a protest demanding the opening of the border between Greece and Macedonia in the make shift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Conditions in Idomeni, where thousands have been stranded since the border shut to refugees earlier this month, have steadily deteriorated, exacerbated by days of rain that have turned the fields into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) A girl washes her doll at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, were around 5000 refugees and migrants are temporary hosted on Thursday, March 24, 2016. According to official figures from Greek authorities, nearly 50,000 people are stranded in Greece. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) A migrant boy opens a window of a rail car at a train station near a makeshift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Conditions in Idomeni, where thousands have been stranded since the border closed to refugees earlier this month, have steadily deteriorated, exacerbated by days of rain that have turned the fields into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) A migrant sits next to a fire during windy day in a makeshift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Conditions in Idomeni, where thousands have been stranded since the border closed to refugees earlier this month, have steadily deteriorated, exacerbated by days of rain that have turned the fields into muddy swamps. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Journalists on trial as Turkey tightens noose on media ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey's most government-critical newspaper has, almost overnight, made an about-face, joining scores of other media outlets that toe the government's line, as two prominent opposition journalists go on trial, facing life imprisonment on charges related to their reports of an alleged government arms shipment to Syrian rebels. The authorities' seizure of Zaman newspaper and its sister outlets and the trial that starts Friday of Cumhuriyet newspaper's editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, and its Ankara representative, Erdem Gul, are the latest steps in the government's increasingly bold moves to curb media freedoms, including the firing of journalists, the exertion of financial pressure on media groups and the censoring of websites. The developments are another worrying sign that the country, which just a few years back was hailed as a model Muslim democracy, is becoming one where dissenting views are suppressed and the media is gradually being placed under government control. FOR STORY TURKEY MEDIA UNDER SIEGE - FILE - In this March 5, 2016 file photo, people run as riot police use tear gas and water cannons to disperse people gathered in support outside the headquarters of Zaman newspaper in Istanbul. Turkey's most defiantly government-critical newspaper has, almost overnight, turned into a pro-government publication joining scores of other media outlets that toe the government's line, while two prominent opposition journalists go on trial in Turkey, facing life imprisonment for their reports.(AP Photo/FILE) On Thursday, dozens of writers including Nobel laureates, addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, saying Turkey must drop charges against the Cumhuriyet journalists and end its crackdown on free expression. "We, the undersigned, are extremely concerned about the increasing climate of fear and censorship and the stifling of critical voices in Turkey," said the letter published by PEN International, an organization which promotes literature and freedom of expression around the world. "We believe that Can Dundar and Erdem Gul are facing life in prison simply for carrying out their legitimate work as journalists," they said. The group also expressed concern over the "increasing climate of fear and censorship and the stifling of critical voices in Turkey." But the country's allies have been silent for the most part on the issue. Turkey, a NATO country that aspires to be a member of the European Union, is a key ally in addressing the conflict in Syria and the migrant crisis that has spilled into Europe. Critics say Turkey's strategic importance has forced allies to keep mum on the government's moves to curb the country's once-vibrant and diverse media. Police this month used tear gas and water cannons to force their way into Zaman's headquarters and enforce a court decision to appoint trustees to oversee the papers' management. The papers' chief editors were sacked and replaced, turning it into yet another outlet that all but serves as a mouthpiece for the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which was founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The newspaper that's now being sold at newsstands has nothing to do with the newspaper that I or my colleagues had envisioned," Ali Colak, the former arts and culture editor at Zaman newspaper, told The Associated Press. Zaman is linked to a religious movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen who once supported Erdogan, but is now his chief foe. Zaman's takeover is part of a government crackdown that has also affected the judiciary and police, as well as the wider campaign to silence opposition media. "There are very few critical media outlets right now," said Asli Tunc, professor at Bilgi University's Faculty of Communication. "And that space is shrinking every day." For those that remain, there's a chilling effect. "They are afraid that the next victim will be them," Tunc said. Since the AKP's rise to power in 2002, several news outlets seized by the government have been handed over to businesses close to the party. Tax inspections and tax fines have served to intimidate many media outlets which fear falling foul of the government. Journalists who are critical of the government have been fired. More than a dozen journalists are in prison, although the government insists they have been jailed for criminal activity, not journalistic work. Last year, a group of Justice party supporters raided the headquarters of Hurriyet newspaper, following criticism by Erdogan. Soon after, Hurriyet columnist Ahmet Hakan was chased and beaten. Turkey frequently blocks access to Websites and a pro-Kurdish television was recently taken off the air. Foreign journalists have been arrested and deported for reporting on Turkey's renewed conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in the country's mostly-Kurdish southeast region. German publication Der Spiegel's Istanbul correspondent Hasnain Kazim was forced to leave Turkey this month after his accreditation was not renewed following reports critical of the government. Kazim wrote in Spiegel Online that he "made an effort to reflect events critically and fairly" in his reporting. "Yet, just like many other journalists, I learned the president and his supporters are allergic to any form of criticism," he said. According to Reporters Without Borders, Turkey ranks 149th out of 180 countries in its press freedoms index. This week, the Committee to Protect Journalists launched what it called a "Turkey Crackdown Chronicle," documenting media freedom abuses in the country. "In recent weeks in particular, the sheer number of media outlets left out there that are critical or independent is shrinking with the speed of light," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova told the AP. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu rejects accusations that Turkey is stifling free press. "Freedom of expression ... is a red line for me and our party," he said in January. "I do not expect any limitation and restriction on freedom of expression. Everyone is free to express their views." Cumhuriyet's Dundar and Gul were detained in November after Erdogan himself filed a complaint against the two, accusing them of spying for their May reports that featured images of what it said were Turkish trucks carrying ammunition to Syrian militants. The images reportedly date back to January 2014 when local authorities searched Syria-bound trucks, touching off a standoff with Turkish intelligence officials. The paper said the images proved that Turkey was smuggling arms to rebels. The government initially denied the trucks were carrying arms, maintaining that the cargo consisted of humanitarian aid. Some officials later suggested the trucks were carrying arms or ammunition to Turkmen groups in Syria. Andrew Gardner, Turkey researcher for Amnesty International, said the trial should not be taking place. "You should never prosecute journalists for working on a story that is in the public interest," he said, questioning whether the two could receive a fair trial. Dundar told reporters the trial aims to intimidate other journalists. "While punishing us, what they really try to achieve is to silence others," Dundar said. "It's blind-folding and intimidating." Three academics, meanwhile, were jailed last week pending prosecution for allegedly making terrorist propaganda for signing a declaration that called on the government to end military operations against the Kurdish rebels. The country's justice minister said as many as 1,845 cases have been opened against people accused of insulting Erdogan under a previously seldom-used law. Critics say Erdogan has been aggressively using the law to muzzle dissent. Those who have gone on trial include celebrities, journalists and students many for their postings on social media. __ Associated Press Writers Dominique Soguel and Neyran Elden in Istanbul contributed. FOR STORY TURKEY MEDIA UNDER SIEGE - FILE - In this March 4, 2016 file photo, some thousands of people gather in solidarity outside Zaman newspaper offices in Istanbul after a local court ordered that Turkey's largest-circulation, opposition newspaper be placed under the management of trustees. Turkey's most defiantly government-critical newspaper has, almost overnight, turned into a pro-government publication joining scores of other media outlets that toe the government's line, while two prominent opposition journalists go on trial in Turkey, facing life imprisonment for their reports.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, FILE) FOR STORY TURKEY MEDIA UNDER SIEGE - FILE - In this March 4, 2016 file photo, riot police enter the headquarters of Zaman newspaper in Istanbul after a local court ordered that Turkey's largest-circulation, opposition newspaper be placed under the management of trustees. Turkey's most defiantly government-critical newspaper has, almost overnight, turned into a pro-government publication joining scores of other media outlets that toe the government's line, while two prominent opposition journalists go on trial in Turkey, facing life imprisonment for their reports. (AP Photo/FILE) FOR STORY TURKEY MEDIA UNDER SIEGE - FILE - In this March 4, 2016 file photo, riot police members surround Abdulhamit Bilici, center, editor-in-chief of Zaman newspaper, in Istanbul after a local court ordered that Turkey's largest-circulation, opposition newspaper be placed under the management of trustees. Turkey's most defiantly government-critical newspaper has, almost overnight, turned into a pro-government publication joining scores of other media outlets that toe the government's line, while two prominent opposition journalists go on trial in Turkey, facing life imprisonment for their reports.(AP Photo/Selahattin Sevi, FILE) FOR STORY TURKEY MEDIA UNDER SIEGE - FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2016 file photo, Can Dundar, the editor-in-chief of opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, right, and Erdem Gul, the paper's Ankara representative, front-left, speak to the media outside Silivri prison near Istanbul after their release. Turkey's most defiantly government-critical newspaper has, almost overnight, turned into a pro-government publication joining scores of other media outlets that toe the government's line, while two prominent opposition journalists go on trial in Turkey, facing life imprisonment for their reports. (AP Photo/Can Erok, FILE) FOR STORY TURKEY MEDIA UNDER SIEGE - FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2016 file photo, Can Dundar, the editor-in-chief of opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, waves as he leaves a prison car outside the Silivri prison near Istanbul. Turkey's most defiantly government-critical newspaper has, almost overnight, turned into a pro-government publication joining scores of other media outlets that toe the government's line, while two prominent opposition journalists go on trial in Turkey, facing life imprisonment for their reports.(AP Photo/Can Erok, FILE) Ex-NYC officer apologizes in stairwell shooting death NEW YORK (AP) A former city police officer convicted of accidentally shooting an unarmed man in the stairwell of a public housing building on Thursday apologized to the man's domestic partner. Peter Liang met with Kimberly Ballinger at a mutually agreed upon conference room at the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. Liang expressed remorse over the death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley. "He said he was so sorry for her loss, and he told her how devastating it was for him. This was the last thing he ever intended or could imagine," said his attorney Paul Shechtman. FILE - In a Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016 file photo, Police officer Peter Liang, center, exits the courtroom during a break in closing arguments in his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, , at Brooklyn Supreme court in New York. Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said Wednesday, March 23, 2016, that he has recommended that Liang serve no time behind bars. Liang was convicted of a manslaughter charge in February after the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley. The rookie officer was dismissed following the verdict. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) Ballinger's attorney, Scott Rynecki, said Ballinger, in turn, talked about her loss. "She let him know that because of his actions, she now has a 3-year-old girl who doesn't have a father," Rynecki said. "Her life is upside down now, she has no partner. She told him the man he killed was a good man, and a good father." The meeting was brief and somber, both attorneys said. Liang didn't try to explain his actions the night of the shooting in a stairwell at the Louis Pink Houses. Ballinger agreed to meet with Liang after about a month of asking by his legal team. She agreed because she wanted to tell him directly of the grief he caused, her lawyer said. "This was not to accept an apology. This was to talk about what she is missing," Rynecki said. The meeting came a day after District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said he would not recommend jail time for Liang, who was convicted by a jury of manslaughter. Thompson said he would recommend, instead, five years' probation, six months of home confinement and 500 hours of community service. Gurley's aunt and other activists gathered outside the prosecutor's office Thursday to protest the decision, demanding steep jail time for Liang and saying they felt betrayed by the prosecutor. A judge will decide if any jail time is warranted at Liang's April 14 sentencing. Liang's attorney praised the decision by the prosecutors. "We steadfastly believe in Peter Liang's innocence," Shechtman said. "The shooting that occurred that day was an accident, not a crime." Liang was fired after the verdict. His partner who was at the scene but not charged was also fired. FILE- In this Jan. 29, 2015 file photo, Kimberly Ballinger, the domestic partner of Akai Gurley and mother of his toddler daughter, hold a news conference in New York. On Thursday, March 24, 2016 former New York City police officer Peter Liang met with Ballinger at an attorney's office. Liang apologized for killing Gurley when he shot him in a dark apartment stairwell in 2014. Liang was convicted of manslaughter for Gurley's death in February 2016. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) FILE- In this Nov. 22, 2014 file photo, Kimberly Michelle Ballinger, center, holds Akaila Gurley, 2, Akai Gurleyas daughter, as she is joined by Rev. Al Sharpton, center, and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer at the National Action Network in New York. Former New York City police officer Peter Liang met with and apologized to Ballinger on Thursday, March. 24, 2016, for shooting and killing Akai Gurley in a dark apartment building stairwell in 2014. Liang was convicted of manslaughter by a jury in February 2016. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File) New York state Assemblyman Charles Barron, center, is joined by Melissa Butler, left, girlfriend of Akai Gurley, and Gurley's aunt Hertencia Peterson, right, during a protest in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Thursday, March 24, 2016. A prosecutor will ask a judge not to give jail time to New York City police officer Peter Liang convicted of accidentally firing a stray shot into a dark public housing stairwell that killed 28-year-old Akai Gurley, an unarmed man, a recommendation that the victim's family said "diminishes" his death.(AP Photo/Richard Drew) Which? brands police chief's online fraud comments as 'astonishingly misjudged' The suggestion by a police chief that online fraud victims who do not take appropriate security steps should not be refunded has been branded as "astonishingly misjudged" by a consumer group. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, in an interview with The Times, said online fraud refunds reward bad behaviour and that as an incentive to combat this, perhaps those who do not protect themselves with propriety software should not get their cash back. His comments have since been questioned by the consumer group Which? who believe better protection should actually come from the banks. Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe believes bank customers should be encouraged to improve their online security Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "With online fraud increasing, this is an astonishingly misjudged proposal from the Met Police Commissioner. "When Which? investigated last year, we found too often that banks were dragging their feet when dealing with fraud. "The priority should be for banks to better protect their customers, rather than trying to shift blame on to the victims of fraud." Sir Bernard said the current system is not incentivised enough for people to protect themselves. He said: "If someone were to say, 'look if you've not updated your software, I'll give you half back', you would do it. "Personally, on my system I've got a propriety security software and I got an update a few months ago and it sat there for months, I didn't quite get round to it. "I don't suppose I'm much different to anyone else but I guarantee if someone said to me 'if your card is done or something happens online I'll give you nothing back', you'd change your behaviour. "You can incentivise people to protect themselves. My broad point is that if you are continually rewarded for bad behaviour you will probably continue to do it. But if the obverse is true you might consider changing your behaviour." His comments came as the police prepare to include cybercrime estimates in official crime statistics for the first time in July. Sir Bernard said that the figures are set to double with the change. A report released earlier this month by Financial Fraud Action UK found that financial fraud losses surged by 26% year-on-year in 2015 amid a growing threat from deception scams and cyber attacks. More than 755 million in losses were recorded across payment cards, remote banking such as internet and mobile phone banking and cheques last year. A spokesman for Financial Fraud Action UK said: "There are strong legal protections in place for consumers against unauthorised transactions on their bank card or account. "Banks use highly sophisticated security systems to protect their customers, which last year stopped 7 in 10 of fraud from occurring, so criminals are now focusing on targeting consumers directly. "Fraudsters are using deception and impersonation scams to trick people into giving away their personal or financial details. "This can also include tricking victims into transferring money directly to the fraudster, meaning they don't always have the same legal protection and may not get a refund. "That's why it's vital that everyone is extremely wary of any unsolicited calls, texts or emails asking for personal or financial information. "Fraudsters are after people's details which are effectively the keys to the security door - do not let them in." On Wednesday at the International Crime and Policing Convention, Home Secretary Theresa May warned that faceless crime was being conducted over the internet on an "industrial scale". Junior doctors row: GMC raises concerns over 'distress and alienation' levels The doctors' regulator has raised concerns about the levels of " distress and alienation" among junior doctors as it called for an end to the bitter dispute between medics and the Government. The General Medical Council (GMC), which oversees doctors' education and training as well as maintaining the register of doctors, said the matter is of "serious concern". Strike action has been planned for April which will see junior doctors walk out for the first time in the history of the NHS. Junior doctors have been staging strike action over the imposition of a new contract Professor Terence Stephenson, the chairman of the GMC, said: " Senior members of the profession are very concerned about this latest action which the BMA feel they have to take and I am sure every doctor will reflect on our guidance. "While we have no role in setting pay, terms and conditions for doctors, we are responsible for overseeing their education and training. The levels of distress and alienation that we see among them is a matter of serious concern to the GMC. "This dispute in England must be resolved - and resolved soon - so that we can work together with doctors in training, employers and the profession across the UK to tackle the urgent and underlying issues that are beyond the contract negotiations. "The decision to go ahead with the unprecedented withdrawal of emergency cover is a considerable escalation of the current industrial action and presents a significant challenge in making sure patients do not come to harm. "The decision to take full industrial action will weigh heavily on the minds of doctors and it is important that we remind those who are taking action, those who are providing cover during the action and those with leadership roles of their respective professional responsibilities." Earlier on Thursday Health Minister Ben Gummer told the House of Commons that j unior doctors are holding the country to "ransom" with their plans for a full walkout over the imposition of a new contract. He said: "We are in a very odd situation of being faced with a trades union that is escalating strike action despite having been consistent only in its refusal to negotiate on behalf of its members. "The country cannot be held to ransom like this. "At some point a democratically elected government must be able to proceed to fulfil the promises it has made to the people. "Governments cannot be held hostage by a union that refuses to negotiate." But shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander described the Government's position on the deal as "arrogant and dangerous in the extreme". There will be a 48-hour strike starting at 8am on Wednesday April 6, with junior doctors providing emergency care only. But on Wednesday the BMA said it had "no choice" but to "escalate" action planned for later in the month. Belgium names Brussels bomber brothers, says key suspect on run By Jan Strupczewski, Julia Fioretti and Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS, March 23 (Reuters) - Belgium's chief prosecutor named two brothers on Wednesday as Islamic State suicide bombers who killed at least 31 people in the most deadly attacks in Brussels' history but said another key suspect was on the run. Tuesday's attacks on a city that is home to the European Union and NATO sent shockwaves across Europe and around the world, with authorities racing to review security at airports and on public transport. It also rekindled debate about lagging European security cooperation and flaws in police surveillance. The attacks came four months after militants, also from IS, carried out bombings and shootings in Paris that killed 129 people. Some Belgian media reports said a forensic link had been established between one of the Brussels bombers, who may have been killed, and the Nov. 13 attacks in the French capital. Washington announced that Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Belgium on Friday to demonstrate support. The Belgian federal prosecutor told a news conference that Ibrahim El Bakraoui, 29, one of two men who blew themselves up at Brussels airport on Tuesday, had left a will on a computer dumped in a rubbish bin near the militants' hideout. In it, he described himself as "always on the run, not knowing what to do anymore, being hunted everywhere, not being safe any longer and that if he hangs around, he risks ending up next to the person in a cell" - a reference to suspected Paris bomber Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested last week. His brother Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, detonated a bomb an hour later on a crowded rush-hour metro train near the European Commission headquarters, prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said. Both men, born in Belgium, had criminal records for armed robbery but investigators had not linked them to Islamist militants until Abdeslam's arrest, when police began a race against time to track down his suspected accomplices. That seems to have prompted the bombers to rush into an attack in Belgium after months of lying low, according to the testament found on the laptop. At least 31 people were killed and 271 wounded in the attacks, the prosecutor said. That toll could increase further because some of the bomb victims at Maelbeek metro station were blown to pieces and victims are hard to identify. Several survivors were still in critical condition. The Bakraoui brothers were identified by their fingerprints and on security cameras, the prosecutor said. A second suicide bomber at the airport had yet to be identified and a third man, whom he did not name, had left the biggest bomb and ran out of the terminal before the explosions. Belgian media named that man as Najim Laachraoui, 25, a suspected Islamic State recruiter and bomb-maker whose DNA was found on two explosives belts used in the Paris attacks and at a Brussels safe house used by Abdeslam. De Standaard newspaper, however, citing an unidentified source, named Laachraoui as the second suicide bomber at the airport. Khalid El Bakraoui rented under a false name the apartment in the city's Forest borough, where police hunting Abdeslam killed a gunman in a raid last week. He is also believed to have rented a safe house in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi used to mount the Paris attacks. "BLACK DAYS" Turkey said it had detained Ibrahim El Bakraoui near the Syrian border last year and deported him to the Netherlands before he was briefly held in Belgium, then released. "Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter," President Tayyip Erdogan said. The Brussels attacks came days after a suspected Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up in Istanbul's most popular shopping district, killing three Israelis and an Iranian. The Syrian-based Islamist group claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, warning of "black days" for those fighting it in Syria and Iraq. Belgian warplanes have joined the coalition in the Middle East, but Brussels has long been a hub of Islamist militants who operated elsewhere. A minute's silence was observed across Belgium at noon. Prime Minister Charles Michel cancelled a trip to China and reviewed security measures with his inner cabinet before attending a memorial event at European Commission headquarters with King Philippe, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. "We are determined, admittedly with a strong feeling of pain in our stomachs, but determined to act," Michel told a joint news conference with Valls. "France and Belgium are united in pain more than ever." Valls played down cross-border sniping over security, saying: "We must turn the page on naivete, a form of carefreeness that our societies have known. "It is Europe that has been attacked. The response to terrorism must be European." EU justice and interior ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the Dutch EU presidency said. More than 1,000 people gathered around an improvised shrine with candles and street paintings outside the Brussels bourse. Belgium's crisis coordination centre kept the level of security alert at the maximum as the man hunt continued. Some buses and trains were running but the metro and the airport were closed, along with key road tunnels in Brussels. The blasts fuelled political debate across the globe about how to combat militants. Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed Obama in November's U.S. election, suggested suspects could be tortured to avert such attacks. He also said in a British television interview that Muslims were not doing enough to prevent that kind of violence. After a tip-off from a taxi driver who unwittingly drove the bombers to the airport, police searched an apartment in the Brussels borough of Schaerbeek late into the night, finding another bomb, an Islamic State flag, 15 kg of the same kind of explosives used in the Paris attacks and bomb-making chemicals. An unused explosive device was also found at the airport. CLOSING IN Security experts believed the blasts were probably in preparation before Friday's arrest of locally based French national Abdeslam, 26, whom prosecutors accuse of a key role in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks. He was caught and has been speaking to investigators after a shootout at an apartment in the south of the city, after which another Islamic State flag and explosives were found. About 300 Belgians are estimated to have fought with Islamists in Syria, making the country of 11 million the leading European exporter of foreign fighters and a focus of concern in France and other neighbours over its security capabilities. Reviving arguments over Belgian security policies following the Paris attacks, in which 130 people died in an operation apparently organised from Brussels, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin spoke of "naivete" on the part of "certain leaders" in holding back from security crackdowns on Muslim communities. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders retorted that each country should look to its own social problems, saying France too had rough high-rise suburbs in which militants had become radicalised. Valls said France had no place teaching Belgium lessons and had problems with its own communities. Brussels airport seemed likely to remain shut for several days over the busy Easter holiday weekend, since the departure hall was still being combed as a crime scene on Wednesday and repairs can only begin once investigators are finished. Australia says Mozambique debris likely from missing MH370 By Byron Kaye and Swati Pandey SYDNEY, March 24 (Reuters) - Australia said on Thursday debris recovered this month in Mozambique was highly likely to be from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, while Malaysia called for a stepped up search of Africa's coast for clues to the plane's fate. Official analysis found two pieces of debris were "almost certainly from MH370", Australian infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester said in a statement, referring to the Boeing Co 777 that vanished in March 2014 with 239 people on board. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling ... and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," Chester said. The flight disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, creating one of the most baffling mysteries in aviation history. Investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off the plane's transponder before diverting it thousands of miles off course, out over the Indian Ocean. A search, led by Australia and one of the most expensive ever conducted, has focused on a 120,000-sq-km (46,330-sq-mile) band of sea floor in the remote southern Indian Ocean. In 2015, French authorities said a wing part found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion was part of the plane. The Mozambique debris was examined by investigators from Australia and Malaysia, as well as specialists from Boeing, Geoscience Australia and the Australian National University in Canberra. 'SOLVE THIS MYSTERY' The discovery is likely to add to pressure from the public for the search to go on beyond a mid-2016 schedule for it to be wound up. Most of those on board were from China. "If they don't find the plane in the area where they're searching now, they and others need to continue to look," said U.S. adventurer Blaine Alan Gibson, who found one of the new pieces of debris this month on his own independent search. "They've got to solve this mystery. We can't give up after the current search area is completed," Gibson added in a telephone interview, shortly after being told by the authorities that his discovery matched the plane. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the coasts of South Africa and Mozambique should be searched and Malaysia wanted to send a team. "We are currently awaiting approval from the South African authorities," Liow said. "The coastal search will be by a Malaysian team and focused around South Africa and Mozambique." Liow, however, said the location of the underwater search need not be changed. The piece of debris that Gibson found is a white, metre-long chunk of metal with "No Step" printed on it. It arrived in Australia for testing this week, along with another piece of debris found in Mozambique soon after. "I can't use the word happy to describe how I feel, because that means that the plane crashed, and that the plane crashed in a forceful impact," Gibson said. "I'd use the word 'hopeful'." North Korea claims rocket engine success; South on high alert By Jack Kim SEOUL, March 24 (Reuters) - North Korea successfully tested a solid-fuel engine that boosted the power of its ballistic rockets, state media reported on Thursday, as South Korea's president ordered the military to be ready to respond to the North's "reckless provocation." Pyongyang's claim indicates it is continuing to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a rapid pace in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and amid assessment by the South's officials that it could conduct a new nuclear test at any time. The isolated state has in recent weeks stepped up bellicose rhetoric, threatening pre-emptive nuclear strikes against Washington and Seoul, as well as making claims of advancement in its weapons technology. The Rodong Sinmum, North Korea's ruling party newspaper, carried photos of leader Kim Jong Un on site as a rocket engine laid horizontally on the ground emitted a fiery blast. A two-page report detailed the testing of the engine's structure and thrust. "He noted with great pleasure that the successful test ... helped boost the power of ballistic rockets capable of mercilessly striking hostile forces," KCNA news agency said. North Korea said last week it had conducted a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile, and would soon test ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. On Wednesday, North Korea repeated a threat to attack the South's presidential office, saying its large-calibre multiple rocket launch systems are on alert to strike the Blue House and its special operations unit is ready to go into action. South Korean President Park Geun-hye office said she had ordered a heightened state of alert and put the military on standby to "respond actively to reckless provocations by the North." U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner repeated a call on North Korea to "refrain from any actions and any rhetoric that raise tensions in the region and comply with its international obligations and commitments." The current tension on the peninsula follows tough new U.N. sanctions against the North over its nuclear and missile programmes and coincides with annual military drills by the South Korea and the United States. The North calls the exercises "nuclear war moves" and has threatened to respond with an all-out offensive. It has conducted a series of rocket launches in recent days. SOLID FUEL ROCKET ENGINE Pyongyang has previously launched long-range rockets that used liquid fuel but it was seen to lack the capability to build solid-fuel long-range or intercontinental missiles. Solid-fuel rockets have advantages in military use, although liquid fuel rockets are considered more sophisticated as their thrust can be controlled in flight. The North has deployed short and medium-range missiles and test fired them, but never flight-tested the KN-08 ICBM it is believed to be developing. Despite its boasts to be making progress, many experts believe the North is a decade or more away from building an ICBM capable of threatening the United States. Michael Elleman, a U.S.-based expert on solid rocket fuel with the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, said the engine North Korea tested appeared to have been for the upper stage of a larger rocket or missile. He told a Washington seminar hosted by the Washington-based North Korean monitoring project 38 North that Pyongyang was at least 15 years away from being able to produce solid-fuel motor large enough to able power an ICBM. He said it was unlikely North Korea was producing rocket engines itself and was probably instead relying on a stockpile from the Soviet era. Elleman said he found it "shocking" that Kim Jong Un was photographed standing a few yards away from the rocket motor, apparently just before the test. (http://www.rodong.rep.kp/en/) He said there was a risk of an inadvertent explosion from "one, maybe one-and-a-half, possibly even two tonnes of propellant." "Solid rocket propellant is essentially an explosive that burns at slower rate," he said. "They were putting Kim Jong Un at risk by having him near such a volatile system." North Korea's stepped-up rhetoric and weapons claims come ahead of its planned congress of the ruling Workers' Party, the first in more than 35 years. Some Pyongyang-watchers say the North may look to claim a splashy achievement, such as a fifth nuclear test, in the run-up to the congress as young leader Kim Jong Un looks to bolster his domestic legitimacy. MH17 investigation team in Malaysia to discuss legal options KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Reuters) - A joint team investigating the downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight over Ukraine in 2014 is in Malaysia to discuss options with authorities to set up a tribunal to hold those responsible to account, the Malaysian transport minister said on Thursday. Flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 on board, the Dutch Safety Board said in October. Malaysia, the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium and Ukraine have been exploring alternative options, including trials in international and national courts, after Russia vetoed a United Nations bid last July to form a tribunal. "The attorney-general in Malaysia and legal authorities in other countries are trying to find the best way to take this to court," transport minister Liow Tiong Lai told reporters. Liow later told Reuters that the team had still not identified who to charge or what those charges might be. "We are operating on an assumption that there is a perpetrator that can be charged but by the time they are identified, we need to have a suitable avenue for a trial," Liow said. Two Palestinians who stabbed Israeli soldier shot dead in W. Bank -army JERUSALEM, March 24 (Reuters) - Two Palestinian assailants who attacked an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank town of Hebron on Thursday were shot dead by other troops at the scene, the military said in a statement. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the deaths of two men but gave no further details. "Two assailants stabbed an (Israeli) soldier at a military post in Hebron. Forces responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their deaths," a statement by the Israeli military said. An Israeli hospital spokeswoman said the soldier was in stable condition and initial checks showed he had sustained light injuries. Since October, Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens in street attacks. Israeli forces have killed at least 190 Palestinians, 129 of whom Israel says were assailants. Most others were shot dead during clashes and protests. EU exit could make Britain safer - former MI6 spy chief LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Britain could be safer if it voted to leave the European Union because it would have greater control over immigration, said Richard Dearlove, the former head of the MI6 foreign intelligence service. The comments, just days after the attacks in Brussels, contradict Prime Minister David Cameron who has argued that in an increasingly unstable world, Britain would be weaker and more insecure if it dropped out of the EU. Dearlove, head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1999 to 2004, said that leaving the EU would do little damage to Britain's national security and could reap security gains. "Whether one is an enthusiastic European or not, the truth about Brexit from a national security perspective is that the cost to Britain would be low," Dearlove wrote in Prospect magazine. "Brexit would bring two potentially important security gains: the ability to dump the European Convention on Human Rights...and, more importantly, greater control over immigration from the European Union." Attacks in Brussels on Tuesday spilled over into Britain's debate about whether to remain in the EU, with advocates for leaving claiming the bloc's open border policy allowed for the killings to take place. Dearlove said the United States would disapprove of a British exit from the EU but that the relationship with Washington would mend. Casting Britain as Europe's leader in intelligence and security, Dearlove said the EU's national security would be at a disadvantage without Britain. "Europe would be the potential losers in national security," he said. "But if Brexit happened, the UK would almost certainly show the magnanimity not to make its European partners pay the cost." Belgian ministers offer to quit over security lapses By Alastair Macdonald, Foo Yun Chee and Ingrid Melander BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Belgium's interior and justice ministers offered to resign on Thursday over a failure to track an Islamic State militant expelled by Turkey as a suspected fighter and who blew himself up at Brussels airport this week. Brahim El Bakraoui was one of three identified suspected suicide bombers who hit the airport and a metro train, killing at least 31 people and wounding some 270 on Tuesday in the worst attack in Belgian history. At least one other man seen with them on airport security cameras is on the run and a fifth suspected bomber filmed in the metro attack may be dead or alive. Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Charles Michel, who asked them to stay on. "In time of war, you cannot leave the field," Jambon, a right-wing Flemish nationalist, said. The security lapses in a country that is home to the European Union and NATO have drawn international criticism of an apparent reluctance to tackle Islamist radicals effectively. It also raised questions about information sharing between Western intelligence services. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Bakraoui, 29, had been expelled last July after being arrested near the Syrian border and two officials said he had been deported a second time. Belgian and Dutch authorities had been notified of Turkish suspicions that he was a foreign fighter trying to reach Syria. At the time, Belgian authorities replied that Bakraoui, who had skipped parole after serving less than half of a 9-year sentence for armed robbery, was a criminal but not a militant. "You can ask how it came about that someone was let out so early and that we missed the chance to seize him when he was in Turkey. I understand the questions," Jambon said. "In the circumstances, it was right to take political responsibility and I offered my resignation to the prime minister." Geens said systems should be reviewed but said that other countries had been attacked and cited in particular Sept. 11, 2001 in the United States, noting that "there were 3,000 dead". "We must be very critical of ourselves," he said. "On the other hand ... we must note that such events have occurred in the countries with the highest security, with the best intelligence services in the world." Investigators are convinced the same jihadist network was involved in the November Paris attacks on cafes, a sports stadium and a concert hall that killed 130 people. Public broadcaster VRT said investigators believed Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, arrested last Friday, probably planned a similar shooting and suicide bomb attack in Brussels. "The terrorists were planning the same scenario as in Paris, only it partially failed," VRT said. One man was killed in a shootout with police on March 15 that led to the discovery of assault weapons and explosives and the arrest of Abdeslam, 26, and another suspect on March 18. Belgium lowered its security alert level one notch down from four, the highest level, to three; but officials did not say what that would mean in terms of security measures that have seen a heavy police and military presence in Brussels. Islamic State posted a video on social media calling the Brussels blasts a victory and featuring the training of Belgian militants suspected in the Paris attacks. ABDESLAM TO "EXPLAIN HIMSELF" The lawyer of the chief surviving suspect linking the Paris and Brussels attacks, French national Abdeslam, said he wanted to "explain himself" and would no longer resist extradition to France. Salah, said lawyer Sven Mary, had not been aware of the plan for the Brussels airport and metro attack that was carried out by men who had shared hideouts with him. After calls from U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for the possible use of torture in such cases, Belgian officials have faced questions over their failure to extract prior intelligence from Abdeslam. Two sources familiar with the matter said the Bakraoui brothers had been on U.S. government counter-terrorism watch lists before the attacks. But it was not clear precisely how long they had been known to the authorities. Bakraoui's brother Khalid, 26, a fellow convict, killed about 20 people at Maelbeek metro station in the city centre. De Morgen newspaper said he had violated the terms of his parole last May by maintaining contacts with past criminal associates, but a Belgian magistrate had released him. BROTHER'S CONDEMNATION Security sources told Belgian media the other suicide bomber at the airport was Najim Laachraoui, a veteran Belgian Islamist fighter in Syria suspected of making explosive belts for November's Paris attacks. Laachraoui's younger brother Mourad issued a statement condemning his actions in the first public reaction from a family member of one of the Brussels attackers. The third suspect captured on airport security cameras pushing a baggage trolley into the departures hall is now the target of a police manhunt. He has not been named. The bespectacled man wearing a cream jacket and a black hat ran out of the terminal, federal prosecutors said, and a third suitcase bomb, the biggest of the three, exploded later as bomb disposal experts were clearing the area, causing no casualties. The U.S. State Department said it was trying to account for U.S. citizens in Brussels, including two who were U.S. government employees or their family members. Identifying victims and even some of the 316 wounded has proved difficult. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the bloodshed in the Belgian capital showed European allies should do more to fight Islamic State alongside American efforts in the Middle East. The attacks highlighted Belgium's problem with some 300 locals who have fought in Syria, the biggest contingent from Europe in relation to its national population of 11 million. At the time of the Paris attacks, its security service had fewer than 600 staff. The government has since raised spending on police and intelligence. Russia, U.S. agree to speed up Syria peace effort By Lesley Wroughton and Denis Dyomkin MOSCOW, March 24 (Reuters) - Russia and the United States agreed at talks in Moscow on Thursday to use their influence over the sides in the Syria conflict to speed up progress towards a political solution. Speaking after a four-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Moscow and Washington would try in the next few days to nudge Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to "make the right decision" about committing fully to peace talks. Negotiations in Geneva between representatives of the Syrian government and opposition are bogged down, and Washington believes that Moscow, closely allied to Assad, can convince Damascus to make concessions. The main stumbling block is whether Syria's political transition will lead to Assad leaving office. His opponents and Western governments say he must go, but Damascus says that is not even on the agenda for negotiations. "Russia will have to speak itself as to what it is going to choose to do in order to help Mr Assad make the right decisions, but we agreed today that we will accelerate the effort to try to move the political process forward," Kerry told a news conference after his talks with Putin. "I believe that Russia is fully engaged in this effort and all of us are going to try and get President Assad to make the right decision over these next days to engage in a political process that results in a genuine transition" and brings peace to Syria," Kerry said. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who appeared alongside Kerry at the news conference in the Kremlin, did not say in his remarks if Russia was prepared to apply any pressure specifically on Assad. He said only that Russia would encourage all sides to commit to the principles of the talks in Geneva, which are being brokered by the United Nations. "Perhaps the most important thing at this stage: we agreed to increase efforts to establish the necessary conditions for a political process," Lavrov said. "The political process should end with the Syrians themselves agreeing on how they want to see their country." "As for the most immediate tasks, we have agreed to work towards a speedy start of direct talks in Geneva between the government delegation and a whole spectre of the opposition," Lavrov told reporters. Both Kerry and Lavrov said they agreed to take immediate steps to reinforce the cessation of hostilities and halt attempts by warring parties to seize new territory, to push for expanded humanitarian access to all parts of Syria, and for the government and opposition to start releasing detainees starting with the most vulnerable. COMMON GROUND The atmosphere at the talks was less frosty than in previous encounters. Putin cracked jokes, and afterwards, both Kerry and the Russian foreign minister tried to accentuate the common ground in their relationship, rather than their many differences. They said they agreed to keep working together to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Kiev's forces and pro-Moscow separatists. Kerry said he raised with Putin the issue of Nadezhda Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot in a Russian jail after she was convicted of complicity in the deaths of two Russian journalists during the separatist conflict. Kiev says she was the victim of a show trial. Lavrov said he obtained an agreement from Kerry to launch a dialogue about the U.S. missile defence shield in eastern Europe. Moscow argues the system is a threat to its security. Kerry arrived in Moscow 10 days after Putin announced he was withdrawing the bulk of Russia's military force in Syria, a decision Western governments see as an opportunity to draw a line under the fighting and push ahead with peace talks. Russia and the United States have emerged as the two outside powers with a decisive say in what happens next in Syria's five year-old civil conflict. The United States and its allies have been backing armed groups that rose up against Assad's rule, while Moscow has asserted its role with a five-month military campaign that turned the tide of the fighting in Assad's favour. Western diplomats have said the government delegation in Syria is so far prepared only to talk about procedures for negotiations and has resisted attempts to broach the future of President Assad. At the start of the meeting in the Kremlin, Putin made an attempt at levity, joshing Kerry over the fact that he carried his own luggage as he stepped off his plane on arrival in Moscow. "There was something in that briefcase of yours you couldn't trust someone else with. Have you brought some money with you?" Putin said, to laughter from Kerry and the rest of the officials in the room. PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - March 24 MOSCOW, March 24 (Reuters) - The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. VEDOMOSTI www.vedomosti.ru - The development of two transport corridors linking ports of Russia's Far East with China may cost up to 315 billion roubles ($4.6 billion), the paper writes. - The paper runs an interview with Boris Titov, leader of the Right Cause political party, who says many businessmen offer money to support the party. KOMMERSANT www.kommersant.ru - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday held talks with his Indian counterpart on the possibility of leasing a Russian nuclear submarine to India's navy, the paper reports. - Russia's government plans to increase the number of Russian cities where socially vulnerable people will be given discounts for plane tickets to Crimea, the paper writes. - Russia's HIV epidemic has reached "a generalized stage" and does not depend on "risk groups" anymore, the paper writes. - Developers have frozen the construction of some 600,000 square meters of shopping malls in Moscow and its vicinity. The construction of many projects will not resumed, the paper writes citing experts. - Kaspersky Lab, one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the world, saw a slump in earnings by around 9 percent in 2015, the paper reports. NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA www.ng.ru - Russians lost some 200 billion roubles ($2.9 billion) of their accumulated pension savings in 2015. Russia's government acknowledged a rising poverty rate in the country, the paper writes. Trump's tariff plan could boomerang, spark trade wars with China, Mexico By David Lawder and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's threats to slap steep tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports may have won him votes in Republican primaries but they would likely backfire, severely disrupting U.S. manufacturers that increasingly depend on global supply chains. The Republican presidential front-runner's campaign pledges to impose 45 percent tariffs on all imports from China and 35 percent on many goods from Mexico would spark financial market turmoil and possibly even a recession, former trade negotiators, trade lawyers, economists and business executives told Reuters. "I don't mind trade wars when we're losing $58 billion a year," Trump said in a Feb. 25 debate, referring to the 2015 U.S. goods trade deficit with Mexico. Economists dispute the idea the United States is "losing" money as the trade deficit is simply the difference between what the United States imports and what it exports to a country. "Imposing tariffs or putting up trade barriers may sound good, but it will hurt our economy and credibility," said Wendy Cutler, the former acting deputy U.S. Trade Representative who helped lead U.S. negotiations in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal last year. Among those hardest hit would be the U.S. auto industry, which has fully integrated Mexico into its production network. Some $118 billion worth of vehicles and parts flowed north and south across the border tariff-free last year, according to U.S. Commerce Department data. A 35 percent tariff would raise costs for Ford Motor Co's U.S.-assembled F-series and medium-duty pickup trucks that use Mexican-made diesel engines, one of its most profitable vehicle lines. (Graphic on U.S.-Mexico auto and parts trade: http://tmsnrt.rs/1UN3wun) Ford CEO Mark Fields on Wednesday defended the company's investment strategy, which includes $9 billion for U.S. plants over the next four years, saying, "We will do what makes sense for the business." Buyers of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's popular Ram 1500 pickup trucks assembled in Saltillo, Mexico, could see their $26,000 base price pushed up by $9,000 if the tariff is fully passed on to consumers. A Chrysler spokesman declined to comment on Trump's statements. Trump's campaign said in a statement that U.S. trade policy constitutes "unilateral economic surrender" and needs complete change because it allows foreign competitors to shut out U.S imports, devalue their currencies and unfairly target U.S. industries. "I don't think he does our issue any favors by making it so incredibly jingoistic and bombastic," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a group that allies domestic steelmakers and other manufacturers with the United Steelworkers union. "But I believe there's widespread agreement ... that there is something amiss with our economic relationship with China and it's past time that our government pushes back a little more forcefully." LOWER INCOMES It would take years for U.S. industry to rebuild supply chains devastated by sudden tariff hikes on Chinese and Mexican goods and any retaliatory measures, said Peter Petri, a Brandeis University professor who has co-authored an influential study on the effects of the TPP trade deal on national income. Even if U.S. firms were able to make such a transition, Petri said this would likely result in a permanent annual reduction in U.S. national income of more than $100 billion, or 0.8 percent. Trump's tariff plans would effectively violate NAFTA and revoke U.S. commitments to the World Trade Organization, say trade lawyers. Beijing and Mexico City "are just going to retaliate on the things that are likely to hurt us most," said Susan Schwab, the U.S. Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009 in the George W. Bush administration. Schwab negotiated major portions of free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. In 2009, Mexico slapped duties up to 25 percent on more than 90 different U.S. farm goods, from pork to frozen potatoes due to foot-dragging by U.S. lawmakers on allowing Mexican truckers on to U.S. roads, as specified under NAFTA. The National Potato Council estimates that U.S. growers lost about $70 million in revenue over 31 months, a 50 percent cut from their third-largest export market. Mexico's economy minister, Ildefonso Guajardo said last week that big tariffs on Mexico would return the United States to "an isolationist, xenophobic and protectionist vision." And a full-scale tariff war with China would likely expose the largest U.S. export sectors to steep duties, including aircraft, semiconductors, corn and soybeans, trade lawyers said. Retaliatory tariffs would also hurt growing U.S. vehicle exports to China - at 300,000 a year now equivalent to the annual output of a large assembly plant. General Motors Co is now planning to import a Buick sport-utility vehicle from a Chinese joint venture plant. A GM spokesman declined to comment. China's state-run Global Times newspaper called Trump "big-mouthed, anti traditional and abusively forthright" in an editorial, but did not directly address his tariff proposals. UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES A long-running U.S.-China trade dispute over solar panels illustrates how tariffs can sometimes cause unanticipated damage. In 2012, the U.S. Commerce Department slapped anti-dumping duties of up to 78 percent on Chinese solar panels after German-owned SolarWorld AG complained that below-cost Chinese imports were hurting its U.S. production. China responded with its own 57 percent duties against U.S. producers of polycrystalline silicon, the raw material for photovoltaic cells. This put the brakes on an industry that was fast expanding to meet demand from Chinese solar panel makers. Hemlock Semiconductor, controlled by Dow Corning , abandoned construction of a $1.5 billion new polysilicon plant in 2014. Dow Corning spokesman Jarrod Erpelding said Hemlock "serves as a strong example of how trade disputes often have unintended consequences." "This is really stupid," said Francine Sullivan, chief legal officer of REC Silicon in Moses Lake, Washington, which halted production this year. "The necessity and value in putting on tariffs to protect solar panels in the U.S. was just not thought through. We've suffered enormous financial damage as a result of this." The Trump campaign said measures like tariffs would level the playing field and help bring "millions of manufacturing jobs back to the United States." But Durwin "Oodie" Royal, a furnace operator at U.S. Steel Corp's Lone Star Tubular Operations in Texas, knows first-hand that such relief can be temporary. Workers at the plant cheered when the United States imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese drilling pipe in 2009 and 2011. But the company announced on Friday that it would temporarily idle the tube mill, laying off 450 workers as it battles a slump in U.S. oil and gas drilling, a continued global steel glut and "unfairly traded imports." "When they slap tariffs on one country, the imports just come in from another country," said Royal, who expects to be among those workers who are idled. After the tariffs were imposed on China, South Korean imports surged, he said. "Right now, we're just limping along like everybody else." Vietnam vexed over Taiwan's "worthless" media trip to island HANOI, March 24 (Reuters) - Vietnam rebuked Taiwan on Thursday for taking journalists to a disputed South China Sea island, saying the trip was "illegal and worthless" and against the international community's wishes. The foreign ministry's comment on Wednesday's trip, the first by international media to the Spratly archipelago's Itu Aba island, was an unusually fast response by Vietnam, which often takes days to raise objections about territorial disputes. Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei have competing claims to the Spratly islands. "Taiwan sending reporters ... despite concerns and objections of Vietnam and the international community, is a serious violation of Vietnam's sovereignty, escalating tension and with no benefit to peace and stability," the ministry's spokesman, Le Hai Binh, said in a statement. Binh said Vietnam had sufficient evidence to prove it had jurisdiction of the Spratlys and activities undertaken without its permission were "illegal and worthless". "We resolutely oppose and demand Taiwan respects Vietnam's sovereignty," he said. Itu Aba is coming into focus as the Philippines challenges the legality of China's claims to most of the South China Sea, which it asserts through a controversial and largely unexplained nine-dash line on its maps. China says vaccine scandal suspect free to re-offend BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - The person at the centre of an illegal vaccine scandal in China had been sentenced for similar crimes but was allowed to re-offend after being given a suspended sentence, the drug watchdog said on Thursday. The case involving a nearly $90 million black market vaccine ring has ignited public ire and underscored regulatory weaknesses. Police have detained 37 people in the northern province of Shandong, which is at the heart of the scandal that was exposed over the last week. The vaccines, including ones against meningitis, rabies and other illnesses, are suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces around China since 2011. The government has said the vaccines themselves were real, though traded illegally. The scandal has stirred angry debate, casting a shadow over government ambitions to bolster the domestic drug industry and underlining the challenge it faces to regulate a widespread and fragmented medicine supply chain. The case has centred on a mother, surnamed Pang, and her daughter illegally selling vaccines to re-sellers around the country. Li Guoqing, head of the food and drug watchdog's drug supervision department, told a news conference that Pang had previously been given a suspended jail sentence for a similar crime. "During the period of the suspended sentence, this criminal evaded supervision and control and continued to engage in the criminal act of illegally selling vaccines," he said, in comments streamed on a government website. Li admitted there were "certain loopholes in our regulatory work" that allowed the vaccines to circulate on the Chinese market for so long before being found, but said there were simply not enough people for the job. "At present our country has 12,000 drug wholesalers, 5,000 production firms and more than 400,000 drug retailers. Regulatory targets are many, but there are few people on the ground, making regulation difficult," Li said. "There aren't even 500 people with the aptitude to inspect drugs. There are dead spaces and blind zones for regulation and inspection." The issue of regulation, from food and drugs to online sales, has become increasingly contentious in China as it looks to cast off a reputation for poor quality and safety. The case has drawn ire from Premier Li Keqiang, who said regulatory bodies, including the health ministry and police, needed to work more in tandem, and that "dereliction of duty" would not be tolerated. Some people have seen an echo of a 2008 scandal when milk tainted with the industrial chemical melamine led to the deaths of six infants and made thousands sick. Hungary's president rejects new housing law on transparency concerns BUDAPEST, March 24 (Reuters) - Hungarian President Janos Ader has rejected a law to establish national housing societies due to a lack of transparency and weak guarantees for stakeholders, the second piece of financial legislation he has vetoed within weeks. One political analyst said that Ader may have considered the use of public funds outlined in the bill irresponsible but that the move did not appear to represent a broader ideological standoff with Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling party. "The new constitution (of 2011) has placed the responsible use of public funds as one of its key tenets," said Csaba Toth, an analyst at think tank Republikon Institute. "(Ader's) job is to be a guardian of the constitution. That is why he probably thought that he will not become an accessory to the legalisation of the irresponsible use of public funds." The government said the issues raised by Ader could be resolved with a government decree regulating the specifics of the scheme. The law would establish societies to collect funds from members joining on a voluntary basis to finance new home purchases and would also include state subsidies, a mainstay of Orban's housing programme. The right-wing government has implemented several measures to boost bank lending and new housing to underpin economic growth which is expected to slow this year. But Ader, a lawyer who has held key posts in Fidesz and has been close to Orban since Fidesz's early days in 1988, sent the new law, passed in an expedited procedure last week, back to lawmakers for review. Ader said in a letter to lawmakers on parliament's website that he was in favour of extending the housing opportunities of families with state support, but voiced concerns over transparency and supervision in the legislation. "Implementing the task requires the establishment of a body that is transparent and provides appropriate guarantees for its members and is monitored by tight supervision," Ader said. "In my view, the law does not meet these requirements." Ader said the fact that members of the new societies would not be protected by existing deposit or investment protection funds could also create uncertainty. Ader has the right to send laws back to parliament or to the constitutional court for review but he has very rarely used this right in the past four years. His five-year term, which can be renewed once, expires next year. From Russia with love: why the Kremlin backs Trump By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW, March 24 (Reuters) - Donald Trump is a brave pro-Putin political maverick who would end U.S. foreign wars and perhaps lift sanctions on Moscow. Hillary Clinton, however, is a warmonger beholden to the military-industrial complex. Russian state TV, which hews closely to the Kremlin's world view, leaves little doubt about who Moscow supports in November's U.S. presidential election: "The Donald." Vladimir Putin's spokesman took brief exception this month to a Trump attack video which showed Putin laughing at the prospect of Clinton defending America. But officials and analysts say the Kremlin still sees Trump as the best candidate by a mile. Putin has hailed Trump as "very talented". The head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee said he'd be a worthy winner of the 2015 "man of the year" title in the United States. And Dmitry Kiselyov, presenter of Russia's main weekly TV news show "Vesti Nedeli," claimed this month that the Republican party elite had struck a secret deal with the Democrats to derail Trump, in part because of his sympathy for Russia. "Trump doesn't suit the Republican party," Kiselyov told viewers. "They usually divide up the state budget (among themselves) by frightening people about Russia. But Trump is ready to find a common language with Putin. That's why they don't need Trump and even regard him as dangerous." Kiselyov has been one of the chief proponents of state television's strongly anti-American tone, once saying Moscow could turn the United States into radioactive ash. Some experts say Trump appeals to Moscow because Putin believes a Trump presidency would be isolationist and leave Russia with a free hand. "The Kremlin can't believe its luck," said Konstantin von Eggert, an independent Moscow-based political analyst who believes the Obama administration has not been forceful in countering Russia. "President Obama and (Secretary of State) John Kerry were a dream team for them, but now they have an even better option; someone who thinks that America should have nothing to do with the rest of the world." RT, the Kremlin's English-language TV channel formerly known as Russia Today, says it does not back any U.S. candidates. But it has described Trump as "idiosyncratic and raw," and suggested he represents the popular will of U.S. voters, which a sinister U.S. establishment is trying to subvert. "Can America's elections be truly called democratic if the political establishment aligns itself against the popular will?" lamented Peter Lavelle, the American host of RT's flagship talk "CrossTalk" show. "As things stand now millions of voters could be disenfranchised." 'THANK GOD FOR TRUMP' Trump has received advice from Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, a former U.S. military intelligence chief who advocates better ties with Russia, and who shared a dinner table in Moscow with Putin in December to celebrate RT's 10th anniversary. Trump has won friends in Moscow with statements praising Putin as a strong leader that he could probably get along with. His support for Russian air strikes in Syria was welcomed. In January, after a British judge ruled that Putin had "probably" authorised the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London, Trump said he saw "no evidence" the Russian president was guilty. "First of all, he says he didn't do it. Many people say it wasn't him. So who knows who did it?" Trump said. This week, Trump said the United States should reduce funding for NATO. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said his comments showed the alliance was in crisis. "For the last two years all we heard from Western newspapers and TV was very critical of Russia," Victoria Zhuravleva, a Moscow-based expert on U.S.-Russia relations, told Reuters. "So when you hear something that is not so critical and even more friendly towards your country it's like: 'Thank God, There's one person we can talk to: Donald Trump'" Trump and Putin were similar, she said: "They are both open-minded, pragmatic, and say what they think." 'THE OLD BRIGAND' The mutual appreciation between Trump and Putin has invited comparisons to the Russian leader's friendship with another billionaire-turned-politician, Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, who outraged Ukrainians and irked EU leaders last year by visiting Russian-annexed Crimea with Putin. They toured a Crimean winery and drank a priceless 240-year-old bottle from its cellar. By contrast, Hillary Clinton, who is well known to the Kremlin because of her 2009-2013 stint as U.S. Secretary of State, is clearly not to Moscow's taste. "We really don't want Hillary," said one Russian official, who spoke anonymously because of the subject's sensitivity. "She's no friend of Russia's." State media coverage has focused on what it has cast as her wacky promise to declassify UFO files and on the pressure she has faced for using her personal email account for government business and over her response to the fatal 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Pro-Kremlin bloggers, corralled by a Putin supporter who used to represent the ruling party in parliament, are enthused by the prospect of agitating on behalf of Trump. "Trump is the first member of the American elite in 20 years who compliments Russia. Trump will smash America as we know it, we've got nothing to lose," Konstantin Rykov told his followers on social media. Oil price war threatens U.S. sense of energy security: Kemp By John Kemp LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - The political economy of oil prices in the United States is complicated. The United States is the world's largest oil consumer and one of its biggest importers. But it is also a substantial producer with large oil and gas resources. And its oil is medium-cost, more expensive to produce than the large fields in the Middle East but cheaper than frontier areas like the Arctic. U.S. politicians tend to be happiest with mid-priced oil: not too expensive to upset motorists but not too cheap to threaten the survival of domestic production and increase dependence on imports. In the last century, the country has swung between confidence in its self-sufficiency and energy independence to extreme insecurity about its dependence on imported oil ("Oil scarcity ideology in U.S. national security policy", Stern, 2012). In recent years, the debate has been characterised by optimism, even complacency, about rising U.S. domestic production and falling reliance on imports, but that could easily change, as it has in the past. The shale revolution transformed America's sense of its energy security but it occurred thanks to high oil prices and a wave of technical innovation and entrepreneurship. The shale revolution had almost nothing to do with the political class, though politicians have been quick to claim the credit for an American success story. But just as rising prices and production banished concerns about import dependence, so falling prices and output could reawaken them if pushed too far ("Market madness: a century of oil panics, crises and crashes", Clayton, 2015). OIL IMPORTS RISING U.S. crude oil imports are rising for the first time for more than five years, a sign that Saudi Arabia is winning its war for market share against shale producers. In the week ending March 18, the United States imported nearly 8.4 million barrels per day of crude oil, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (http://tmsnrt.rs/1RnbeGQ). Weekly crude oil imports were the highest since July 2013 ("Weekly Petroleum Status Report", EIA, Mar 23). Faster imports were driven by a surge in oil deliveries from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Nigeria which cleared U.S. customs over the seven day period (http://tmsnrt.rs/1RnbcyK). Reported imports are subject to considerable week to week variability depending on the timing of tanker arrivals and customs clearance, so it is important not to place too much emphasis on one week's figures. But there is no mistaking the trend. Crude petroleum imports have been trending higher since the middle of 2015. Daily crude imports averaged 7.9 million barrels per day over the last 13 weeks, up from 7.1 million bpd in the 13 weeks ending July 3, 2015 (http://tmsnrt.rs/1Rnbiqn). Imports are rising thanks to a combination of strong demand from U.S. oil refineries and falling domestic oil production from shale formations ("West African crude regains glow in west as shale fades", Reuters, March 17). Crude is also being imported and put into tank farms. Traders favour storage in the United States because it is a location of net consumption and has favourable banking, legal and physical infrastructure. Imports will almost certainly increase further over the remainder of the year as refineries ramp up production to meet record gasoline consumption and U.S. crude output continues to decline. U.S. crude production is forecast to drop from 9.4 million barrels per day in 2015 to 8.7 million bpd in 2016 and 8.2 million bpd in 2017 ("Short-Term Energy Outlook", EIA, Mar 2016). Meanwhile U.S. consumption of refined products is predicted to increase by almost 100,000 bpd in 2016 and another 160,000 bpd in 2017. The growing gap between domestic oil production and product consumption can only be covered by additional imports of crude or refined products. NATIONAL SECURITY Recapturing market share from shale and other higher-cost producers has been a key objective for Saudi Arabia and OPEC. But there could be a political cost if the market share strategy is pushed too far, in the form of a backlash from the United States. The rise in U.S. domestic oil production and reduction in imports has been hailed by policymakers from both major parties as an important achievement. Even if the concept of "energy independence" is an illusion in an interconnected oil market and global economy, rising domestic production has contributed to an improved sense of energy security. But if the price war continues to harm domestic oil producers, it is likely to trigger a political response at some point. In 1986, U.S. Vice-President George Bush warned Saudi Arabia's King Fahd that oil price stability was a national security issue for the United States. Bush told the Saudis lower oil prices were a boon to many sectors of the U.S. economy but not to all of them ("Bush sees oil glut undermining United States", Chicago Tribune, 1986). "There are two edges to this sort of falling prices, and one of them has got to be the fact that this country - our country, the United States of America - has always felt that a viable domestic oil industry is in the national security interests of the United States," he told his hosts in Riyadh. Oil prices, as well as security and the control of terrorism and radicalism, have always been central to relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Saudi policymakers have strongly denied that their current price strategy is aimed against shale production. Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi told an audience of US producers at CERAWeek in Houston in February: "Let me say for the record, again, we have not declared war on shale or on production from any given country or company. "We are doing what every other industry representative in this room is doing. We are responding to challenging market conditions and seeking the best possible outcome in a highly competitive environment. "Efficient markets will determine where on the cost curve the marginal barrel resides." But the finer points of that argument may be lost on hard-pressed US shale producers and their political representatives. ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL So far, energy issues are playing out in a minor way on the presidential and congressional campaigns. Democrats are more energized by renewable energy issues and much of the party's base is ambivalent or actively hostile to fossil fuel production because of its climate impact. Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, has promised to impose tougher conditions on fracking. "By the time we get through all of my conditions, I do not think there will be many places in America where fracking will continue to take place," she said during a debate earlier this month. Her rival for the party's nomination, Bernie Sanders, has taken an even stricter line, stating simply "I do not support fracking". Given that fracking now accounts for half of all U.S. oil production these positions may not be practical ("Hydraulic fracturing accounts for about half of current U.S. crude oil production", EIA, Mar 15). The outgoing Obama administration is also adopting a tougher regulatory stance on all forms of fossil fuel production as part of an effort to make climate progress a legacy issue. In practice, most U.S. oil and gas is produced in states like Texas, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Alaska that increasingly lean towards the Republican Party, though others like Pennsylvania and Ohio are swing states. For the moment, the party is convulsed by internal divisions as a result of the rise of businessman Donald Trump and is more focused about maintaining its control over Congress. In 2012, the oil and gas industry tried and failed to make domestic energy production and energy security an election issue, and it may not be salient this year. Two Palestinians who stabbed Israeli soldier shot dead in West Bank -army By Yusri al-Jammal HEBRON, West Bank, March 24 (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians after they attacked a soldier in the West Bank on Thursday, the military said, and one soldier was detained after being shown on video firing a round into the head of one of the assailants as he lay on the ground. The soldier has been suspended from duty while Israeli military police hold a criminal investigation, the army said in a statement. Footage filmed by a bystander showed one of the attackers prone on the ground following the stabbing, barely moving. One soldier then appears to take aim and fires a shot into the Palestinian's head. The man's body jerks and blood can be seen streaming from his head. "The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) views this incident as a grave breach of IDF values, conduct and standards of military operations. A Military police investigation has commenced and the soldier involved has been detained," military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "What happened in Hebron does not represent the values of the IDF", adding that Israeli soldiers were "expected to exercise restraint and follow open-fire regulations". The United Nations, European Union and United States have backed Israel's right to defend itself during a six-month campaign of street attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while also urging restraint in their use of force. Human rights groups have accused Israeli forces of too readily resorting to gunfire to wound or kill attackers rather than trying to detain them by other means. In some cases, Palestinians have been shot on the suspicion that they were about to carry out an attack. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah said the video offered proof that Israeli soldiers "carry out field executions of Palestinians" and called for international protection of Palestinian civilians. STABBED SOLDIER HAS LIGHT INJURIES An Israeli hospital spokeswoman said the soldier wounded in Thursday's attack was in stable condition and had sustained light injuries. "Two assailants stabbed an (Israeli) soldier at a military post in Hebron. Forces responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their deaths," the army statement said. The Palestinian health ministry ministry named the two dead as Ramzi Al-Qasrawi and Abdel-Fattah Al-Sharif, both 21. Hebron, where there is a community of around 1,000 Israeli settlers living in the middle of the city of 200,000, has been the scene of many violent incidents over the past six months. Thursday's attack took place inside the area where Jewish settlers live side-by-side with some Palestinian residents. Since October, Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens in street attacks. Israeli forces have killed at least 190 Palestinians, 129 of whom Israel says were assailants. Many others were shot dead during clashes and protests. Palestinian leaders say attackers have acted out of desperation in the absence of movement towards the creation of an independent state. Israel says they are being incited to violence by their leaders and on social media. It is the worst period of sustained violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the second Palestinian uprising ended a decade ago. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war, when it also annexed East Jerusalem. Ukraine's parliament speaker frontrunner to replace PM Yatseniuk By Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets KIEV, March 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliamentary speaker emerged on Thursday as the frontrunner to replace the unpopular Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, signalling a breakthrough in a political crisis that has lasted months. Current and former members of the ruling coalition met to discuss nominating Volodymyr Groysman, a 38-year-old former mayor and ally of President Petro Poroshenko, but stressed the appointment could only work if parties can agree on a new coalition deal. Support for Yatseniuk's Western-backed government has plunged since he took power after the 2013/2014 Maidan protests and his government has been hanging by a thread since three parties quit the coalition, the first in September. Coalition infighting and corruption scandals have stymied reforms demanded by Kiev's Western backers and derailed negotiations for a new $1.7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund needed to prop up the war-torn economy. Groysman might be a good compromise candidate to balance competing factional interests. But he would still need to convince the United States, the European Union and the IMF, all increasingly frustrated with Kiev, that Ukraine would honour its international commitments. "I believe that all commitments ... regarding implementing the IMF programme, issues relating to EU association, regarding the free trade zone with the European Union, must be carried out by Ukraine seamlessly," he told a news conference. "This is a question of our reputation." Groysman said he would invite former Slovak Finance Minister Ivan Miklos, currently an adviser to the finance minister, to join his cabinet, but did not specify for which post. Groysman's appointment is not a shoe-in, even assuming Yatseniuk will finally bow to calls to resign, and it is likely to come only after days or weeks of fractious talks between parties. "I am sure that if we do not resolve the political crisis, the only way out of the crisis will be via snap parliamentary elections," Yuriy Lutsenko, a senior lawmaker in Poroshenko's party, told reporters. Technocrat Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko, a foreign-born former fund manager, had also been considered as a candidate. While championed by Washington as a reformer, lawmakers said she lacked support in parliament. Groysman is seen as a talented orator who has grown in confidence as speaker - a role that requires a calm authority to manage the bickering and all-out brawls that periodically interrupt sessions in Ukraine's parliament. "Groysman is able to find a compromise with all politicians. Groysman knows every deputy - he knows their desires, interests and foibles," Serhiy Leshchenko, a lawmaker from Poroshenko's party, said in an interview with Ukrainian news site Liga. Human rights on trial in Egypt as NGO funding case revived By Lin Noueihed and Ahmed Aboulenein CAIRO, March 24 (Reuters) - Egypt has launched a new crackdown on human rights groups, questioning staff and ordering asset freezes over accusations they took foreign funding to destabilise the country after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Egyptian rights activists say they are facing the worst assault in their history in a wider campaign to erase the freedoms won in the 18-day revolt that began on Jan. 25, 2011. Some say they are working from home in anticipation of arrests as the noose tightens on non-governmental organisations that have faced growing pressure since the burst of activism that accompanied the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled autocrats from Tunisia to Yemen. It is not clear how many groups will be investigated in the case that has so far affected staff or management from at least six of Egypt's best-known rights groups. They include Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), and Gamal Eid, founder of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information. An investigating magistrate has banned both men from travelling abroad and ordered their assets frozen pending an April 20 court decision. EIPR associate director Heba Morayef expects that freeze to be extended to the group as a whole, potentially forcing its office to close. "I think some in the security agencies see human rights organisations as part of this global conspiracy to sow chaos, and that is actually in the asset freeze order," Morayef told Reuters. "This would be the biggest blow to human rights organisations in 30 years." Egypt's Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Waly, who oversees the NGO sector in Egypt, did not respond to a written request for comment this week. There was also no comment from Egypt's prosecutors, who have banned reporting of the legal details of the case. Since toppling elected president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013, general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Sisi has overseen a crackdown on opposition in which hundreds of Brotherhood supporters were killed and thousands jailed. The net has widened to include liberal and secular activists at the forefront of the 2011 revolt. Many are behind bars, charged with violating a 2013 law which prevents a repeat of the protests that helped unseat two presidents in three years. Sisi portrays himself as a bulwark of stability in a region that has slipped into chaos since the 2011 revolts, prioritising security over civil rights. UNDER PRESSURE NGOs have felt exposed since late 2011, when authorities raided 17 pro-democracy and rights groups, accusing them of joining a foreign conspiracy against Egypt. In 2013, a court ordered the closure of several foreign pro-democracy groups, including U.S.-based Freedom House, and gave jail sentences to 43 NGO staff including 15 Americans who had fled the country. A case against dozens more Egyptian NGOs and lawyers was never closed but remained largely dormant until this year. None of the NGO staff summoned for questioning have been formally charged. Egyptian law allows prosecutors to freeze assets, ban travel and remand suspects in custody for extended periods without charge. NGOs say they have received scant information on the investigation. It is not illegal for NGOs in Egypt to receive foreign funding, according to Negad al Borai, a senior lawyer and anti-torture campaigner who is representing Bahgat and others, but that funding may not be used for illegal activities, including those that undermine security. According to a defence lawyer's written notes of the magistrate's asset freeze request memo, the groups in question saw a spike in foreign funding immediately after the 2011 revolt. In the memo, the magistrate concludes that foreign funds were used to harm national security, destabilise Egypt and divide different social classes with the aim of "ensuring the failure of the Egyptian authorities." "This all started because in 2011 ... the security agencies wanted to find an explanation for what happened on Jan. 25. So they said money came to the NGOs before January and this is the cause of what happened," said Mohamed Zaree, Egypt programme manager at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS). "But what happened actually happened because of the interior ministry, because of torture, because of repression, because of the state of emergency." Zaree has not been summoned but two former staffers have, and CIHRS shifted its regional studies activities to Tunis in 2014 as the space for free speech shrank. INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM The crackdown comes at a sensitive time for Egypt, which has been battling an Islamic State insurgency in northern Sinai and a weak economy. It is keen to burnish its international image but has faced new criticism over human rights from the European Parliament since an Italian student murdered in Cairo in February. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern last week over Egypt's decision to reopen its probe into the NGOs. In February, authorities closed the Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture and the dragnet has widened to include women's groups. This week, the Nazra for Feminist Studies group saw three employees questioned. Its director Mozn Hassan has also been summoned. "They want to stigmatise us," Hassan told Reuters. "They want to say publicly that those people are spies, that those people are not patriots." Most human rights groups do not deny receiving foreign funds and say any move to freeze their assets or to close funding sources would severely limit their activities. The campaign to curb NGO activities dates back almost as far as their establishment in the 1980s. NGOs had hoped the law would be reformed after 2011 to give them more freedom. Five years on, the NGO law is still in the works. In the meantime, the Social Solidarity Ministry has ordered NGOs to register under a law that would give it ultimate control over their funding and activities. Groups like EIPR say they have tried to register but faced bureaucratic obstacles. Most rights groups are instead registered as companies or law firms and say they work within the law. France fines Google over "right to be forgotten" By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - The French data protection authority said it has fined Google 100,000 euros ($111,720) for not scrubbing web search results widely enough in response to a European privacy ruling. The only way for Google to uphold the Europeans' right to privacy was by delisting inaccurate results popping up under name searches across all its websites, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) said in a statement on Thursday. In May 2014 the European Court of Justice ruled that people could ask search engines, such as Google and Microsoft's Bing , to remove inadequate or irrelevant information from web results appearing under searches for people's names - dubbed the "right to be forgotten". The U.S. Internet giant has been at odds with European Union data protection authorities over the territorial scope of the ruling. Google complied, but it only scrubbed results across its European websites such as Google.de in Germany and Google.fr in France on the grounds that to do otherwise would have a chilling effect on the free flow of information. In May last year the CNIL ordered Google to expand its application of the ruling to all its domains, including Google.com, because of the ease of switching from a European domain to Google.com. "Contrary to Google's statements, applying delisting to all of the extensions does not curtail freedom of expression insofar as it does not entail any deletion of content from the Internet," the CNIL said. A spokesman for Google, now a unit of holding company Alphabet Inc, said the company had worked hard to implement the "right to be forgotten ruling thoughtfully and comprehensively in Europe." "But as a matter of principle, we disagree with the CNIL's assertion that it has the authority to control the content that people can access outside France, and we plan to appeal their ruling," Al Verney, Google's spokesman, said. The company did try to assuage the regulator's concerns in February by delisting search results across all its websites - including Google.com - when accessed from the country where the request came from. That meant that if a German resident asks Google to de-list a link popping up under searches for his or her name, the link will not be visible on any version of Google's website, including Google.com, when the search engine is accessed from Germany. But the CNIL rejected that approach, saying that a person's right to privacy could not depend on the "geographic origin of those viewing the search results." "Only delisting on all of the search engine's extensions, regardless of the extension used or the geographic origin of the person performing the search, can effectively uphold this right," it said. What is happening in Yemen, can peace talks succeed? LONDON, March 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A year after the conflict in Yemen spread across the country, nearly half its 22 provinces are on the verge of famine and most of the population need some form of aid, according to the United Nations. Yemen was already mired in a humanitarian crisis before the violence escalated in March last year, but now its needs are beyond the international aid agencies' current capacity to respond, the United Nations has said. The warring parties have agreed to a cessation of hostilities starting at midnight on April 10 and peace talks in Kuwait beginning a week later, the United Nations said on Wednesday. There have already been several failed attempts to defuse the conflict, which has drawn in regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran. What's happening in Yemen? President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to step down in 2011 after widespread protests against his 33-year rule. A lengthy national dialogue ending in January 2014 failed to generate consensus on power-sharing arrangements and the future of the south. The Houthis, rebels who hail from northern Yemen where they have fought the government on and off for more than a decade, marched south in 2014, and by the end of the year had become the dominant authority in nearly half the country's governorates. They tightened their grip on the capital in January 2015 after rejecting a draft constitution proposed by the government. The Houthis formed an alliance with Saleh, their former foe, but it remains shaky. They now control the capital Sanaa and other major cities in central Yemen. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi fled to Riyadh in March 2015, where he set up a government in exile. That month a Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign to support him and prevent the Houthis and forces loyal to Saleh from taking control of the whole country. The internationally recognised government which the Houthis are fighting is now largely confined to the southern city of Aden. Both the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition have targeted civilians and some of the attacks may have been crimes against humanity, U.N. sanctions monitors said earlier this year. Saudi Arabia has long accused its arch foe Iran of trying to expand its influence in Yemen by helping the Houthis. What's happening in the south? Meanwhile separatists, alarmed at the growing chaos in northern Yemen, have intensified calls for greater autonomy or an independent state for the south. The separatists want to revive a southern socialist state that Saleh united with the north in 1990. They initially joined the anti-Saleh protesters in 2011, but the two sides later moved apart. Yemen's unity was troubled from the start and resulted in a short but bloody civil war in 1994, won by the north. After that many southerners viewed the north as an occupying force. Yemen has also been affected by a nascent Islamic State movement and al Qaeda-linked militants. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has expanded its foothold in the country as the government focuses on its battle with the Houthi rebels. The United States carries out air strikes against the Islamist militants. What is the humanitarian situation now? Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab peninsula; it has to import almost all its food, but the conflict has slowed shipments to a trickle. The nation's infrastructure is badly damaged, and many health centres and schools have been forced to close. Here are key statistics about the humanitarian situation: * More than 13 million people out of a population of 26 million need food aid. * About 80 percent of the population need some kind of aid * More than 6,000 people have been killed and 30,000 injured since the start of the Saudi-led military campaign - half of them civilians * 1 in 10 Yemenis are displaced, many of them living with host families * Almost 600 health facilities have closed because of damage, or shortages of supplies and medical staff. Others are operating at much reduced capacity for the same reasons * More than 1.8 million children have been out of school since mid-March 2015 * As of January 2016, some 1,170 schools were unfit for use because of damage, or because they were sheltering displaced people, or were occupied by armed groups Sources: Reuters, World Food Programme, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs JetBlue attendant who dumped cocaine and dashed nabbed in New York By Brendan McDermid NEW YORK, March 24 (Reuters) - A JetBlue flight attendant and former sprinter appeared in federal court in New York on Thursday, six days after authorities say she dropped a bag containing almost 70 pounds (32 kg) of cocaine at Los Angeles International Airport, took off her shoes and dashed away. Marsha Reynolds, 31, of Queens, a New York borough, was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. A U.S. magistrate judge in Brooklyn granted her release on a $500,000 bond but put the order on hold until Friday to allow a judge in California, where she would face trial, to weigh in. Prosecutors also said in court they were searching for an unidentified co-conspirator involved in the case but offered few details. The JetBlue Airways Corp employee, a college sprinter and a former beauty pageant contestant, was randomly selected for additional security screening on Friday evening at Los Angeles airport's Terminal 4. She had two carry-on bags and a large purse, according to authorities. A Transportation Security Administration employee told an FBI agent that Reynolds made a phone call and spoke in a foreign language. After she was escorted to a screening area, she dropped her luggage, took off her shoes and sprinted out of the terminal. The TSA worker did not pursue her in order to secure the luggage, which contained 11 packages of cocaine weighing a total of 68.5 pounds, according to court documents. Reynolds turned herself in to federal agents on Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. She was apparently able to board a flight from Los Angeles after the incident using her airline identification. A spokesman for the family told reporters there was "more to the story" and that additional facts would emerge as the case proceeded. Egypt says found bag belonging to murdered Italian student with criminal gang CAIRO, March 24 (Reuters) - Egypt's Interior Ministry said on Thursday that police had retrieved a bag belonging to murdered Italian student Giulio Regeni that was in the possession of a criminal gang who had been killed in a shootout. Human rights groups have said torture marks on Regeni's body, which was dumped on the side of the road, indicated he died at the hands of security services, an allegation the government has strongly denied. LONDON - England - The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change's false claims about Britain leaving the EU are obvious scaremongering lies. Here are the facts to disprove her dubious claims. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd MPs false claims that Brexit Britain faces an electric shock costing consumers at least 500m a year if it leaves the EU is a blatant scaremongering falsity that should be dismissed as a lie. The fact is that it is the EU itself that pushes up energy prices. Here are the FACTS about how voting to Leave the EU would be beneficial for British energy: Energy prices would not rise if we Vote Leave. EU regulation forces up energy prices. The European Commission has admitted: Energy costs [are] to rise in all scenarios. There is no evidence that the single market will reduce prices. End-user gas prices are now nearly twice as high in the UK than in the US. Between 2005 and 2011, EU manufacturing saw the highest increase in energy costs relative to the US, China and Japan. According to the former European Commission President Jose Barroso, between 2005 and 2012 the gas price for European industry increased by 35 per cent and the electricity price increased by 38 per cent. In the US, by contrast, gas prices fell by 66 per cent and electricity prices fell by 4 per cent. EU energy regulation will cost the UK economy between 86.6bn and 93.2bn. The UK is not at risk from Putins Russia if we Vote Leave. The UK is one of the most energy self-sufficient countries in Europe. The UK does not depend on the EU (or Russia) for energy imports: The main direct source of UK gas imports is direct from Norway. In 2012 55% of the UKs gas imports came via the pipelines to Norway or connections with the Norwegian gas fields. The UK is one of the EU countries that is least dependent on Russian gas imports. The UK is 49.5% sufficient in natural gas. Germany is 13.3% self-sufficient. France is 0.7% self-sufficient. Other countries such as Germany, are dangerously dependent on Russian Gas. The Commission acknowledges, Europes dependence is set to increase. National Grid admits that the impact of leaving would be minimal in the short-term. The UK could adapt. The National Grid presentation states: The risks for gas as a result of Brexit are minimal in the nearer term and acknowledges that the UK government could minimise risks of Brexit. It notes that key aspects would be cheap to mitigate. The National Grid clearly states that: We are not advocating to leave or remain in the EU. The Government has admitted that we dont back legally-binding rules in this area. Nonetheless, they will not be able to stop the proposals in the event of a vote to remain. The National Grid report inaccurately claims that the UK has influence on EU rules & policies to ensure they are advantageous to the UK. The UK has been outvoted every time it has voted against an EU measure 72 times in total. 40 of these defeats have taken place since David Cameron became Prime Minister. We have no influence at present. The UKs ability to control whether or not to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has been restrained by the need to await approval from the Commission. The Commissions decision in favour of the scheme is currently the subject of legal challenge in the European Court by Austria. The report claims that interconnectors are less likely if we Vote Leave. There is no evidence for this assertion. Germany has just agreed to establish a new interconnector with Norway which is not in the EU. National Grid spends hundreds of thousands lobbying the Commission. In 2014-2015, National Grid spent between 300,000 and 399,999 lobbying the Commission. Between 2007 and 2014 National Grid and group companies received over 3.2m in grants from the European Commission. The real risk to UK energy security comes from EU membership. The Commission has just announced plans to force the UK to share gas with other member states. This could lead to gas rationing for business in the UK. In February 2016, the European Commission announced legislative proposals for mandatory sharing of gas between member states. The Commission envisages rationing of gas in the UK in the event of a shortage in other member states: Application of the solidarity principle on the basis of technical and administrative arrangements agreed between Member States will be mandatory. Customers others than households, essential social services and district heating cannot continue to be supplied with gas in a given Member State even if it is not in an emergency situation as long as households, essential social services and district heating are not being supplied in another Member State in emergency to which the first countrys transmission network is connected. The Conservative Party predicted the Commission would take control over energy when it opposed the Lisbon Treaty eight years ago. It is now campaigning for the EU to retain powers over energy. During the passage of the Lisbon Treaty, the Conservatives tabled amendments, signed by William Hague and David Lidington, trying to stop the EU gaining control of energy policy. The then Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Alan Duncan, warned that the Treaty jeopardises our ability to act independently on energy matters Our Government have essentially written a blank cheque to Brussels, which could in certain circumstances oblige the United Kingdom, for example, to assist in the building of other member states energy infrastructure. He also warned that the Treaty mandates the Council to redistribute energy across the bloc during times of crisis. A gas dispute in Bavaria could ultimately lead to gas rationing in Birmingham. If there is an interruption in the supplies from the Gulf, the Commission can override our contracts. It can cut off our supplies from Milford Haven and send them to Ingolstadt, or divert our liquefied natural gas from the Isle of Grain to Novo Mesto. Leaving the EU would not lead to a reduction in investment. Notwithstanding the referendum, China recently announced 30 billion of investment into the UK, including between 5.4bn to 8.2bn in nuclear power. This will continue if we Vote Leave. National Grid admits that the impact of leaving would be minimal in the short-term. The UK could adapt. The National Grid presentation states: The risks for gas as a result of Brexit are minimal in the nearer term and acknowledges that the UK government could minimise risks of Brexit. It notes that key aspects would be cheap to mitigate. The National Grid clearly states that: We are not advocating to leave or remain in the EU. After five nights braving the elements in sleeping bags outside the Rowe Management Building, eating only food offered to them by others and leaving their station only to attend classes, a group of students from the Dalhousie Commerce Society received exciting news: they had reached their goal of raising $10,000 for Phoenix Youth Programs. We are blown away by the amount of support that we received, says Katie Flanagan, a third-year marketing student and the campaigns main organizer. Weve already raised over $12,000 for this deserving organization more than in the last two years combined. The students were participating in 5 Days for the Homeless, a national campaign started by business students at the University of Alberta in 2005 to raise awareness about the prevalence of homelessness in Canada, and to raise funds for various organizations that help those who are homeless or at risk of becoming so. Students from 19 universities spent five days and nights outside this year, collecting donations for their community organization of choice. The six main student sleepers at Dalhousie were Flanagan, Madelaine Clerk, Carolyn Silver, Emily Hanaka, Eric McTaggart and Yazeed Esnan. Each night a different guest sleeper joined the group as well. Sparking awareness Alongside their fundraising goal, a major goal for the team was to start conversations and spread knowledge about both homelessness and Phoenix. Were not trying to emulate homelessness; were trying to start a conversation about the really complex issues around it, says Clerk, a fourth-year accounting student. And one of the biggest objectives was to spread awareness of Phoenix and the breadth of programs that it offers. A lot of people know about the drop-in centre, but we were spreading information about the other programs that support our peers in the community. That word peers indicates just how close to home these issues are. Phoenix helps Dal students too, says Clerk. The employees at the shelter tell us that a lot of students spend time there, sometimes while theyre waiting for student loans to come through. Flanagan, who has participated in 5 Days for the last three years, notes that as students, its important to give back to a community that has given so much to us. The group, says Clerk, wants to make sure that students walking into the Rowe are aware that just a few blocks away there is a Phoenix drop-in centre. Support for Phoenix Dalhousies 5 Days students have been supporting Phoenix for years, and Flanagan and Clerk have great respect for the organization. Flanagan recounts the students tour of the shelter and the drop-in centre, noting that the staff are phenomenal, generous and caring. They support 1,200 youth a year, not just homeless youth but at-risk youth as well, she says. Clerk was amazed by how much respect the community has for Phoenix: As soon as we said 100 per cent of the funds go to Phoenix Youth Programs, [people] pulled out their wallets. The students can be proud of their success in raising both funds and awareness, but they stress that this project isnt about them. Flanagan says that over the years shes participated in the event, she has learned how generous both the Dalhousie and Halifax communities are, with people constantly coming by not just to donate, but also to ask the students if they need anything. People feel like they should be supporting us and offering us coffee, says Flanagan. We want them to remember that there are people out there who could use a coffee a lot more than we could. So it goes back to having that conversation and making people more aware. Donations to Dalhousies 5 Days for the Homeless campaign can be made online until March 31. Inputs indicate this module crossed over to India on February 26 in the Pathankot area, with the aim of killing large numbers in and around the nations capital, targeting hotels and hospitals. (Representational Image) New Delhi: A former Pakistan military officer is learnt to be leading a module of six terrorists for a strike during Holi, the intelligence agencies warned the Centre and state governments, particularly Punjab, Chandigarh and Assam. Inputs indicate this module crossed over to India on February 26 in the Pathankot area, with the aim of killing large numbers in and around the nations capital, targeting hotels and hospitals. This fresh terror threat comes months after the Pathankot airbase attack that claimed several lives. The terror operative, identified as Khurshid Alam alias Jahangir, is believed to be a former Pakistan Army officer. Jihadis hired from Assam Khurshid has been recruiting jihadi elements in Assam and other parts of India. Intelligence sources said Alam was recruiting jihadis for cross-border strikes for the past five years. On February 26, he crossed over from Pakistans Punjab with six hardcore terrorists to strike Delhi, sources said. Earlier, in September 2015, Alam was believed to be hiding in Assams Barpeta and Chirang districts and getting help from some locals there. At the Martyrs Day event on Wednesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tributes to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were hanged in Lahore on March 23, 1931. (Photo: Twitter) Mumbai: The opposition on Thursday blamed the "casual" approach of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra for the goof-up at an event to mark the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. At the Martyrs Day event on Wednesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tributes to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were hanged in Lahore on March 23, 1931. The photos of the three martyrs were prominently displayed but in a major goof-up, the photo labelled Sukhdev was that of Bhagat Singh. "Those in power now have nothing to do with martyrs and the glorious history of our freedom struggle," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI. These kind of goof-ups will continue to happen as solemn events like 'shaheed diwas' are treated in a "casual manner" by this government, Malik said. Action should be taken not only against the official concerned but also higher-ups, he said. Chennai: DMDK founder Vijayakanths announcement on sealing poll pact with MDMK chief Vaiko-led PWA, has left the BJP here red-faced. The announcement, which came on the day of BJP chief Amit Shahs visit to city, has nevertheless left BJP high and dry and Kamalalayam, party state headquarters, here saw a flurry of leaders attempting to play down their loss. Till yesterday, the constant refrain of many leaders in the BJP had been that those opposed to ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK should strengthen the NDA and the party desperately attempted to woo Vijayakanth to its side. Recovering from the shock of Vijayakanth abandoning his party, BJP senior and national executive member L. Ganesan, making light of the situation, said, Now the confusion on alliance has ended. This is consoling. I am happy it has ended. Expectations were high that Vijayakanth would join NDA. At least now he has finally announced his decision, Ganesan explained and denied that the BJP was disappointed over the sudden political development. There is no disappointment. Vijayakanth has either to align with NDA or join PWA. He chose the latter, he added. Accusing the PWA of going back on its assurance of not announcing its CM candidate before the May election, Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan said the PWA did not stand any chance of winning a single seat. On the Vaiko-led alliances acceptance of Vikayakanth leading the front, Radhakrishnan said he was reminded of a famous one-liner from Rajinis film (Padayappa): He is the bridegroom, but the dress he is wearing is mine. Realising that they could not win a single seat in the election, PWA leaders roped in Vijayakanth to at least retain their poll deposit. Whether he (Vijayakanth) becomes Chief Minister or not he has become the chief ministerial candidate. My wishes to brother captain, Radhakrishnan sarcastically remarked. Refusing to accept that her partys NDA experiment in Tamil Nadu turned into a fiasco, state president Tamilisai Soundararajan said the BJP would face the election boldly with peoples well-being in mind. The PWA, which lacked peoples support, would not cause any impact in the polls with inclusion of Vijayakanths DMDK. This is not a setback to BJP or NDA. One 0 has joined with another 0. Zero has no value on its own. I feel sad for Vijayakanth who has ignored peoples well-being, she said and claimed that the BJP would form alliance with like-minded parties and face the elections. We are strong enough to contest in all the 234 constituencies, she added. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to recalibrate his Pakistan policy and backtrack on his hitherto tough line that talks and terror will not go together, then it's time he took the country into confidence. Sending a member of his cabinet to the Pakistan High Commission's National Day function was a diplomatic necessity. But sending him, in this case, the Union Minister of State for Environment, Prakash Javadekar to an event where it was known that he would share political space with the rabidly anti-Indian separatists, all of whom had been invited by the Pakistan High Commissioner to the event, does run contrary to the Modi government's publicly stated policy. The question therefore, as Mr Modi prepares to meet his Pakistani counterpart at the Nuclear Security Summit in the US on March 31, is this has the Prime Minister quietly moved the goalposts on Pakistan? The March meet will be his first interaction with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif since the Pathankot terror attack, ahead of Foreign Secretary talks that are now set for April. We cannot but agree with the Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq that the Indian PM must move beyond the Pathankot incident that was designed to sour the bonhomie generated by Mr Modi's surprise visit to Lahore on Mr Sharif's birthday. The next steps call for caution. Allowing a Pakistan team of investigators into the area is aimed at Delhi, avoiding the charge that it is unreasonable. Ignoring the opposition Congress which has, predictably, stepped up its criticism of Modis so-called double-speak will be harder. But Congress criticism notwithstanding, Lahore was a welcome departure from the past. The big takeaway is that now Lt. Gen (Retd.) Nasser Janjua warns his Indian counterpart NSA Ajit Doval over impending terror attacks. Clearly, the ugliness that marred India-Pakistan relations in 2014-15 when first, the Foreign Secretary level talks and then, Pakistan's National Security Adviser's visit to Delhi were called off over meetings with the Hurriyet leaders, must remain in the past. The Hurriyet is clearly no longer a provocation, and they shouldnt be. They are irrelevant to PM Modi's Jammu & Kashmir plan which remains focused on keeping the state within the Indian Union. The challenge before Modi is not only to rise above the opposition clamour but persuade Islamabad and the powerful Army, of the benefits of forging a consensus on how to cut off the hydra-headed monster of terror. Prime Minister Modi understands the inefficacies of laying down red lines that cannot be enforced. Delhi's new Pakistan position remains unstated, unclear and ambiguous. Its time the Prime Minister told us what he really thinks. BENGALURU: Pakistan's rejection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gift to SAARC nations in the form of a communications satellite could well prove a godsend for Afghanistan! For, the satellite which is now being assembled by Indian space scientists in Bengaluru ahead of its launch in December 2016, would have one or more extra transponders which were originally allocated to Pakistan. As each transponder supports full range of applications and services-from DTH (Direct-to-Home) television, telecommunications, Tele-medicine, Tele-education, and VSAT (very small aperture terminals) for transmission of data and internet services-Afghanistan would be able to increase all these services and applications two-fold because of spare transponders and its geographical proximity to Pakistan. The two-tonne satellite, now called "South Asian Satellite" and its launch by GSLV (Geo-Stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle) Mk-II, would cost Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) about Rs 500 crores. In addition, ISRO would also help these neighboring countries set up ground stations and other facilities required for all applications and services. We will deliver whatever the government wants (in terms of number of transponders). It is up to the government to allot the transponders, A S Kiran Kumar, Chairman, ISRO, said, while declining to comment on Pakistan's decision to withdraw from the project. Last year, top scientists of ISRO invited representatives of all SAARC nations to New Delhi for a presentation on services and potential applications while top officials of the ministry of home affairs (MHA) took up the task of communicating with organisations like the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for a slot for the satellite in space. Pakistan proposed a joint monetary and technical venture through its Space Research Commission (SUPARCO), but the Union government rejected it while insisting that the satellite would be a gift from India to its SAARC neighbours. The government went a step further in October 2015 with an announcement that it would build the satellite without Pakistan's consent. Mr Modi had originally proposed the satellite at the SAARC summit in Nepal in 2014 as part of his Neighbourhood first policy. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. A dazed Nidhi Chauphekar (left) sits at a bench in the Brussels airport; Qutubuddin Ansari (middle) begging for his life during the 2002 Gujarat riots; The famous napalm girl (right) crying in agony during the Vietnam war. Mumbai: In 2015, the picture of a three-year-old Syrian toddler who washed up dead on a beach went viral and sparked outrage across the globe over the migrant crisis. Up until then, there had been thousands of news stories on the devastation, death and displacement the crisis was causing but all it took was one picture for the world to wake up and notice the stark reality and horror refugees were facing. One can safely say that while the adage a picture is worth a thousand words still holds ground, some pictures speak more than words can ever express and become symbols of events that have changed the course of history. Brussels attacks The twin blasts in Brussels airport shook the world and sent world leaders in a huddle. Meanwhile, this picture of Indias Nidhi Chauphekar who was injured in the explosions went viral on the social media. Eyewitnesses spoke of how Brussels airport resembled a battlefield with blood and chaos everywhere. And the first picture to give the world a glimpse into the bloody aftermath of the explosion was of this woman in a yellow jacket, torn to shreds, with blood dripping on her dust-wrapped face as another woman sitting beside her was seen speaking on a cell phone, with blood stained wrists. The woman in the torn jacket identified as Nidhi Chauphekar is a jet airways flight attendant who is a resident of Mumbai and a mother of two. The hashtag #PrayForNidhi trended on social media as people from all parts of the world hoped for her speedy recovery. Europes Refugee Crisis The lifeless body of three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi was found by the Turkish police. He had drowned along with the five-year-old brother Ghalib after the two fell off an illegal boat filled with refugees trying to escape from Syria. The powerful picture angered millions as people started sharing it widely, expressing their shock and horror over the tragic end to a young life. The public outrage also put some pressure on world leaders to react to the situation with more resolve as Germany and other European countries opened their doors for refugees, even if it was reluctantly. 2002 Gujarat riots Often described as the worst carnage in the modern history of India, the 2002 Gujarat riots saw widespread communal violence as Hindus and Muslims massacred each other and there was open loot in the state. The picture of a Muslim tailor called Qutubuddin Ansari was the most powerful picture that emerged during the riots. The image captured Ansari standing in a narrow veranda, with his hands folded, like he is begging for mercy, his blood stained shirt and teary eyes communicating the fear he is filled with. The photo symbolised the helplessness the victims of the riots felt, the terror and insecurity that filled them in their own home as the next knock could bring them death. Ansari was stranded in his house and was begging the Rapid Action Force personnel to save him from an alleged Hindu mob. Bhopal gas tragedy It has been decades since the poisonous gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal killed over 3500 people. But thousands continue to live with its consequence to this day and this picture from December 1984 refuses to die from the memories of those who have seen it. This iconic picture drilled home the true horror of the devastating deaths caused by the gas leak. Raghu Rai took the black and white photo of this little dead child that almost looks unreal and eerily tragic. Another photographer went on to win the 1984 World Press Photo of the Year for a similar photo. The Afghan girl and the plight of women The striking green eyes of the Afghan Girl, in the 1984 photograph by National Geographics Steve McCurry are probably the most iconic eyes ever. The portrait has something haunting about it and drew the worlds attention to the plight of refugees living under harsh conditions along the Afghan-Pakistan border. The girl was an orphan and yet took pride in whatever she had, despite her poverty. The popularity of the photo eventually prompted National Geographic to set up a fund for Afghan Children. Horrors of the Vietnam War Kim Phuc became a living symbol of the horrors of Vietnam War after she was pictured in this heart-rending photograph, stark naked, because she had ripped off her own clothes that were beginning to pierce into her skin, after a napalm attack. Soldiers of the south-Vietnamese force can be seen following the terrified children. The wailing girl running in agony towards the camera survived the war and now is famously known as the napalm girl due to the photo. My heart was full of hatred, I hated my life," Phuc was quoted in an interview, her words reflecting how war destroys the lives of even those who survive its vagaries. The Great Depression The years between 1929 and 1939 were easily the worst in terms of economy for North America and Europe and the period is more famously known as the Great Depression. It began in the United States, whose economy was severely crippled after the stock market crash, although economists still cannot pin it down to one cause. While what really caused the Great Depression is a matter of great debate, there is one fact that cannot be challenged life was suddenly very hard for many people. This picture of a melancholic migrant mother surrounded by her two children became a symbol of resilience. She had moved with her children in hope for new work and with hope of making her plight better at a time when thousands were forced to sell their houses and were being reduced to penury. People were unemployed, knee deep in debt. For those who lived through that dark decade, there was one great lesson to be learnt stick to cash and avoid debt. Jerusalem: Despite the high death toll and dramatic scenes of destruction, this week's attacks in Brussels appear to have been surprisingly easy to carry out, requiring little more than some careful preparation, a handful of motivated militants and ingredients that are readily available on store shelves. Security experts say Europe's major cities - filled with soft targets and home to hundreds of Islamic militants who have fought or trained in Syria, Iraq and Libya - will remain vulnerable to similar attacks without changes in their security procedures. The assailants in Brussels were well-prepared for the suicide bombings in the airport and subway, which killed more than 30 people. They chose crowded, easy-to-reach targets that were poorly secured in a country whose forces have already been stretched by a string of crackdowns on suspected Islamic militants. Belgium's chief prosecutor said the investigators found 15 kilograms of TATP - an inexpensive and hard-to-detect explosive material - at an apartment where the attackers had stayed, but it wasn't immediately clear whether it was used in the blasts. "It doesn't require sophistication, but it requires preparation and planning," said Yoram Schweitzer, a former head of the Israeli military's counter-terrorism desk. "There is a need for suicide belts, a safe house, or perhaps baggage with explosives." Schweitzer, an expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank, estimated that an attack like the one in Brussels would take weeks, perhaps several months, to plan. Israel faced a wave of suicide bombings during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s before taking a series of measures that halted the attacks. These included construction of a massive separation barrier to block attackers from the West Bank, a military crackdown and stepped up intelligence, including the use of Palestinian informants, that allows Israel to nab suspects before they carry out their operations. Equally critically, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who took office in late 2004, has maintained a system of security cooperation with Israel, even during times of heightened tensions. This cooperation has been motivated by shared concerns over the Islamic militant Hamas group. Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport has not experienced an attack in decades, thanks to a sophisticated multilayered system of security checks that include inspections of every vehicle entering the site and armed guards both inside and outside the terminals. Schools, supermarkets and shopping malls all have security guards who check visitors' bags. Racial profiling is common, and Arab travelers and visitors are often frisked or aggressively questioned. While Israelis have become accustomed to these inconveniences, bringing such measures to continental Europe, with its larger territory and diverse population, would be difficult. Citizens can pass freely across European borders without stringent identity checks, and transport hubs contain very few security checks. Profiling suspects is challenging in Europe due to its racial diversity, and extremist groups like IS actively recruit people of European descent. Armed guards patrol many of Europe's train stations, airports and landmarks, but their presence is significantly less onerous than similar hubs in the U.S. and Israel. There is also direct train access with little to no security into many European airports. The Belgium attackers appear to have entered the Brussels airport posing as travelers with suitcases. "Getting a bomb on a plane or through the security at the airport is tough, but getting one into the airport or a train station is relatively simple," said Matthew Henman, managing editor at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre in the U.K. "But imagine if you had everyone's bags searched before they entered at train stations during peak rush-hours. Soon, there would be long lines and those gathered crowds would become the new target." The United Kingdom is better protected because of its physical separation from continental Europe, allowing for better border controls and greater difficulty smuggling weapons into the country. Still, homegrown suicide bombers struck London in simultaneous attacks that killed 56 people in 2005. Since then, Britain has invested in placing protective barriers around buildings, improved communications systems in the London subway system and an extensive network of security cameras around transport hubs and landmarks. Recently, British counter-terrorism teams have been planning for an even scarier scenario: a chemical or biological attack. "Groups like IS learn on their feet," Henman said. "Once one set of additional measures are introduced, they'll learn from the changes and will soon alter their operations." One of the biggest challenges for European authorities will be improving intelligence gathering. Security experts estimate hundreds of militants who have fought in Syria are now in Europe, many of them in Brussels. They tend to live in insular immigrant communities that have been difficult for law enforcement agencies to penetrate. Authorities will have to learn how to foil these attacks as they are being planned, said Elias Hanna, a former Lebanese brigadier general who is a lecturer at the American University of Beirut. "You have to be ahead of them in time and preparation," he said. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered Israeli intelligence assistance to Belgium. Shlomo Harnoy, a former senior official at Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency, said that global airport security remains focused on preventing attacks on airplanes, a remnant of the 9/11 attacks, while ignoring security inside and outside terminals. It was a 2006 trans-Atlantic bomb plot which introduced bans on liquids being carried through airport security and onto planes. He said authorities must do a better job detecting bombers, not just bombs. "When you are busy taking a bottle of mineral water away from an old woman, you miss the big picture," said Harnoy, a founder of Sdema Group, a homeland security consulting firm. "They are too busy with the routine checks instead of scanning for suspects." Moscow: Russia's foreign minister on Wednesday accused the Ukrainian government of dragging its feet on implementing last year's cease-fire agreement as Moscow sought to press its point in a new round of high-level diplomacy. Fighting in Ukraine's industrial heartland, which has close ties to Russia, has killed more than 9,100 people and left large swaths of land under rebel control. Germany, France and Russia mediated talks between representatives of the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists at talks in Minsk, Belarus, which resulted in a broad cease-fire agreement. That has largely held, but none of the political elements, including calling a local election, has been implemented. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was hosting German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Moscow Wednesday, told reporters that Kiev's inaction is the main stumbling block to a peace settlement in the east. Lavrov said Germany had floated the idea of holding an election in the rebel-occupied territories this summer but Kiev said no. "Minsk-2 cannot be reviewed, and we should resist attempts to undermine it," Lavrov said. Kiev insists it can't hold the vote because it cannot guarantee security for election officials. Rebels in their turn have said they won't allow Ukrainian right-wing parties to run, which the Ukrainian government says also makes the election impossible. Steinmeier on Wednesday urged both sides to comply with the partial withdrawal and warned of a possible escalation. He and Lavrov appeared to be in a jovial mood, with Steinmeier saying they both pledged to "look for ways to overcome the differences that stand in our way to find a solution" for eastern Ukraine. Steinmeier also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said at the start of the talks that they should discuss "horrible, tragic events in Belgium" along with other issues. Steinmeier noted the progress achieved in Syria and emphasized the need for joint action against terrorism. Steinmeier's meeting with Putin was open and constructive, the German foreign ministry said, adding that security questions in eastern Ukraine and possible ways of making progress on them, as well as peace efforts in Syria, were among the issues discussed. Also Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was due to arrive for talks on Ukraine and Syria. Steinmeier and Kerry are to have a private dinner late Wednesday before Kerry meets with Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. U.S. officials said Kerry wanted to raise concerns about a recent sharp increase in cease-fire violations and press Russia to do more to get the separatists in line. Unless there is "true quiet" and full access for cease-fire monitors, the officials said it would be difficult to get progress on other parts of the Minsk deal. Kerry will also raise the case of Nadezhda Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot who was sentenced to 22 years in prison in Russia on Tuesday on charges the U.S. says are false. Savchenko was convicted of complicity to murder in the 2014 deaths of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine, opening a door to a possible prisoner swap between the two countries. The U.S. has repeatedly called for Savchenko, who is also a member of parliament, to be released and did so again on Tuesday. Ukraine has suggested trading two Russian prisoners for Savchenko and the U.S. officials said Kerry would encourage Russia to accept the proposal. On Syria, Kerry will be seeking clarity from Putin and Lavrov as to where Russia stands on a political transition for Syria, particularly on the future of President Bashar Assad, the officials said. Amidst drama at Fergusson College over the purported raising of anti-national slogans, an NCP MLA was allegedly manhandled on Wednwesday on its campus as a clash broke out between workers of his party and ABVP supporters. A day after heated exchanges there between ABVP activists and students affiliated to Left organisations, NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad was allegedly manhandled on the Fergusson campus during a clash which led to the deployment of a riot squad and saw the police stepping in to control the situation. The MLA wanted to meet Fergusson College principal R Pardeshi to discuss yesterday's incident and reached the campus at around 4.30 PM. But, unable to meet Pardeshi, he began a speech to NCP workers and supporters on the campus. While he was speaking, members of ABVP and BJP's youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, started raising slogans against Awhad and allegedly heckled him. Awhad's supporters and the rival groups soon came to blows and the NCP leader was allegedly manhandled during the melee. Police had to intervene and escorted Awhad to his car. but even after the NCP leader had got inside the vehicle, footwear and stones were hurled at his car. Police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd before Awhad and his supporters left the campus. After the clash, a riot control squad was deployed. "Police had to use mild force to disperse the groups as Awhad was manhandled. Although a police officer took out his service revolver, no rounds were fired and Awhad was escorted out safely," said a senior police officer. "We are yet to detain anybody in this connection. We will study CCTV footage to check what exactly happened," he said. Meanwhile, with the issue sparking a row, the principal was summoned by state Education Minister Vinod Tawde. Pardeshi had yesterday dashed off a letter to police seeking action against those who had "raised anti-national slogans" on the campus during a verbal clash between two students' groups. However, he today retracted his statement, saying he had sought a probe to ascertain if such slogans were raised. Although in his letter yesterday, Pardeshi had asked police to take "stern action" against individuals who raised anti-national slogans, in a turnaround today, he told PTI the letter had a "typographical error" and he had only meant to request police to find out whether or not anti-national slogans were raised on the campus. "I have been summoned by the Education Minister and I am now leaving for Mumbai. I will update him about the incident," Pardeshi told reporters. Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde said police would investigate the matter. Inspector Pravin Chougule of Deccan Gymkhana Police confirmed that the principal has withdrawn his earlier letter and a revised version is being sent to the authorities. Earlier, during his speech before he was escorted out by police, Awhad said, "The principal should be sacked as he seems to be mentally imbalanced... He wrote the letter and later withdrew it... I have come to Fergusson College not as an NCP leader but as a students' sympathiser, because I started my political as a student leader. Our fight is against fascism." Referring to Pardeshi's letter yesterday, in which he had asked police to take action against those who "raised anti- national slogans", Awhad said, Pardeshi "purposely misled the police". "He misled the police by writing a letter alleging that anti-national slogans were raised on the campus by students who had come to oppose JNU ABVP leader Alok Singh, who was having an interaction with the Fergusson students," he said, adding that a case should be registered against Pardeshi for this. While Pardeshi said no permission was granted to the ABVP delegation for holding the meeting, 'Truth of JNU', a spokesman for the outfit said college authorities had told them that since it was supposed to be an informal interaction, there was no need for a formal nod. Earlier in the day, various groups stormed the Fergusson campus condemning the letter and demanding stern action against ABVP members. Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, convicted in the US for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, today told a court here that terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was arrested. The 55-year-old, who has turned approver in the terror case, disclosed this fact during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the US. Headley also told the court that he had visited the Sena Bhavan twice. He, however, did not specify the year for the same. "We wanted to target the chief of Shiv Sena... His name was Bal Thackeray. LeT wanted to kill him wherever a chance arose. I knew that Bal Thackeray was the head of Shiv Sena. I have no first hand knowledge but I think an attempt was made by LeT to kill Bal Thackeray," he said. "I don't know how this attempt was made. I think the person (who was sent to kill Thackeray) was arrested but he managed to escape from police custody. I don't have first hand knowledge about this though," Headley added. He also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. Yesterday, Headley spilled the beans on how once US financed his trip to Pakistan and also claimed that he had "donated" about Rs 70 lakh to LeT till 2006, two years before the Mumbai attacks. He, however, contradicted reports that he had received money from LeT. "I never received money from LeT... This is complete nonsense. I gave funds to LeT myself. I had donated more than 60 to 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees to LeT throughout the period I was associated with them. My last donation was in 2006," Headley told the court. He also said that after his arrest in 1998, the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) of the US had financed his trip. Also, the terrorist, who faced conviction twice in 1988 and 1998 for alleged drug smuggling before the Mumbai siege, had indulged in criminal activities and violated his plea bargain agreements with the US government, the court was told. Headley, who is serving a 35-year jail term in the US, also told the court that Tahawwur Rana, his associate and a Pakistani native who operated an immigration business in Chicago, was aware that he was an operative of LeT. Headley had also disclosed that Rana had once come to Mumbai just prior to the 26/11 strikes, and that the latter continued his association with him till Headley's arrest. He, however, refused to answer questions about his wife Shazia and reveal her location, whether she is in the US or Pakistan, or her father's name. "Shazia is still my legally wedded wife. I do not want to disclose Shazia's location at present. I do not want to answer any question about my wife Shazia," he said. When Khan continued questioning him on Shazia, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam took objection to it and said that under Section 122 of the Indian Evidence Act, the communication between a husband and wife is a privileged one and need not be disclosed. The Pakistani-American terrorist had earlier concluded his week-long deposition before the Mumbai sessions court through a video-link from the US on February 13. Headley, in his earlier deposition, said how Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI provides "financial, military and moral support" to terror outfits LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, and how LeT planned and executed the 26/11 Mumbai attack. He had also claimed that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an allegedly fake encounter in Gujarat, was an LeT operative. A Dalit JNU student said he will not pay fine for the Jai Bhim inscription on the JNU administrative building wall. Earlier on Tuesday, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) protested against a slew of notices issued by the university administration. As per the show cause notice issued to JNU researcher Jitender Kumar, he has to produce evidence to show that he was not behind the defacement of wall. But he pleads guilty of writing Jai Bhim on the wall, with blue plaint. He will have to depose before an inquiry committee later this month. Last week, the varsity administrative had issued show cause notices to five students for organising a protest without permission. It involved burning copies of select verses of ancient legal textbook Manusmriti. Dilip Kumar, one of the students accused of participating in the protest on March 8, said he has been asked to present an alibi. Pradeep Narwal, another accused, claimed he has not received any official communication from the university administration over the protest he led. He said professors of JNUs School of Social Sciences have written to the vice chancellor, asking him not to take action against the students accused of burning Manusmriti which he described as anti-Dalit and anti-women. The Proctors office has turned into a post office. A lot of notices are being sent to students these days, Dilip said, claiming that the varsity administration slapped him with show cause notice despite having no proof against him. Claiming that the show cause notices show ideological bias, JNUSU Kanhaiya Kumar said, As many notices you (the varsity administration) send, as many effigies well burn. Weve turned ecological, so were very inclined towards burning effigies. They (JNU administration) should prepare a notice that has to be sent only once. A case of rioting has been registered against over 200 unidentified people in connection with a clash between workers of NCP and a group of BJYM and ABVP activists on Fergusson College campus here in which NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad was allegedly manhandled, police said today. Deccan-Gymkhana police, where the case was registered under relevant sections of rioting of IPC late last night, said the work of identifying the people from various organisations is underway and CCTV footage as well as videograbs of the incident are being scrutinised. Yesterday, Awhad was allegedly heckled as he reached the campus to interact with students and the principal after he dashed off a letter to Pune Police seeking action against those who purportedly raised anti-national slogans during ABVP's informal event to discuss the topic "Truth of JNU" in presence of JNU ABVP leader Alok Singh. Principal R G Pardeshi, however, later retracted on his statement calling it a "typographical error" after several Dalit organisations here accused him of branding students including Sujat Ambedkar, greatgrandson of B R Ambedkar and son of former MP Prakash Ambedkar, as "anti-nationals". After Awhad concluded his speech at a corner of the campus, he was allegedly heckled by members of BJP's youth wing, and some affiliated right-wing organisations and stones were pelted at his car which led to the deployment of an anti-riot squad and saw the police stepping in to control the situation. Police had to intervene and escorted Awhad to his car, but even after the NCP leader had got inside the vehicle, footwear and stones were hurled at his car. Also, police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd before Awhad and his supporters left the campus. After the clash, a riot-control squad of police was deployed. "We registered a case late last night against over 200 unidentified people from both the groups and upon scrutinising CCTV footage and video recordings of news channels, we will identify the suspects," said a police inspector. He said police will also speak to Awhad to get his version of the incident. Awhad, however, denied that he was manhandled. "They were not even able to touch me and my people and police steered me from the location safely," he told PTI last night. Meanwhile, ABVP spokesperson Nikhil Karampuri said that when Awhad was manhandled, their workers were far away from spot and denied any involvement in the incident. Two pieces of plane debris found in Mozambique are "almost certainly" from MH370, Australia and Malaysia announced today, reigniting hopes of solving the world's biggest aviation mystery more than two years after the jet disappeared over the Indian Ocean. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said of the two pieces of debris that comprise a flat grey fragment with the words "No Step" printed along one side. Malaysian investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, he said. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," Chester said. Until the latest findings, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion had been confirmed as coming from the jet that disappeared over the Indian Ocean with 239 people, including five Indians, on board. After months of searches and questions, a South African teenager and an American lawyer recently found debris on separate occasions off the coast of Mozambique, renewing hopes of solving the major aviation mystery. "I would like to acknowledge the work undertaken by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Geoscience Australia, Boeing and Australian National University which assisted the Malaysian Investigation Team with their examination of the debris," Chester said, adding that "the search for MH370 continues". There are 25,000 square kilometres of the underwater search area still to be searched. "We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," Chester said. The pieces reached Canberra on Sunday to be analysed for their link with MH370 that disappeared on March 8, 2014, after it took off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, en route to Beijing. Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said investigators had advised that the "dimensions, materials and construction" of both parts conformed to Boeing 777 specifications, while the "paint and stencilling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines (MAS)". "As such, both parts are consistent with panels from a MAS Boeing 777 aircraft, and almost certainly are from MH370," he said in a statement. Meanwhile, officials are arranging to collect and examine a fourth piece of debris, found at Mossel Bay in South Africa's southern coast on Monday by a local archaeologist. It apparently bears a part of the logo of Rolls Royce, the British company which manufactures engines for aircraft including the Boeing 777. Australia is leading the underwater search effort to find the plane in the southern Indian Ocean. The last phone call of Infosys employee from Bengaluru who has gone missing in Brussels since Tuesday's deadly terror strike, has been tracked to a metro rail in the Belgian capital, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said. Indian Embassy in Brussels is making efforts to locate Raghavendran Ganesh since the terror attacks at the Brussels airport and the metro which left 31 dead and 300 injured. "Raghavendran Ganesh -- We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail," Swaraj tweeted today. "We are doing our best to locate Raghavendran Ganesh," Swaraj had yesterday said. Two Jet Airways crew members -- Nidhi Chaphekar and Amit Motwanai -- were injured in the explosions at Zaventem airport and Swaraj said they are recovering well. Both Nidhi and Amit are from Mumbai. "I have just spoken to Manjeev Puri, our Ambassador in Brussels. He has informed me that Nidhi and Amit are both recovering well," she has said. Swaraj had yesterday also said government was coordinating with Jet Airways to evacuate Indian citizens. Brussels airport serves as the European hub for the Mumbai-based airline's international operations, which is now being relocated to Dutch capital Amsterdam from coming Sunday. Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador in Brussels Manjeev Puri said the Embassy was making all efforts to locate the missing Infosys employee. "We are making all efforts to locate Raghavendran," he told NDTV. "We have checked all other lists, list of people who have been injured which have been released, not many of them, his name is certainly not there among the four people whose names have been recorded," he added. There are no lists being released yet, he said, adding, "So we don't know what is the situation there." Puri said the Indian Embassy was able to establish contact yesterday with a particular point in Brussels where the last contact had been sent. "We are absolutely committed and duty bound to establish contact with Raghavendran and find him and otherwise locate where he is," he said. The Embassy had earlier in the tweeted that Puri spoke to Amit Motwani, one of the two Jet Airways crew injured in the blasts at the airport, and assured him of all possible help. "Amb Puri talked2Amit Motwani & assured him all posibl help. Amit has been shifted from ICU2normal ward," the tweet said. The political crisis in Uttarakhand took a new turn with the Congress dragging Ramdev into the picture accusing him of "hatching" a plot jointly with BJP leadership to topple the state government but the yoga guru today refuted the charge. Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress President Kishore Upadhyay created a flutter in political circles here yesterday by alleging that the yoga guru and BJP chief Amit Shah had hatched a conspiracy together to dislodge the state government and the rebellion against Harish Rawat by the partys MLAs was a result of this. Claiming that he had enough evidence to substantiate his charge, Upadhyay said "Ramdev was in touch with Congress rebels and is one of the key persons besides the BJP President involved in hatching a conspiracy against the ruling party. "He(Ramdev) worked like a BJP agent to foment a rebellion against the state government and topple it." Upadhyay claimed that Ramdev was in touch with the nine rebel Congress MLAs before March 18 when the crisis erupted in the state Assembly during a vote on the appropriation bill on the states annual budget. However, taking cognisance of newspaper reports in this regard, Ramdev said he was unnecessarily being dragged into the ongoing political turmoil in the state despite the fact that he had nothing to do with it. "I read in the newspapers that Ramdev and Amit Shah together conspired to topple the state government. "Not even in my dream did I have a talk with any Congress MLA or party worker. Whatever we do, we do it openly. "If we have to make or break something we do it openly we dont do anything with a hidden agenda behind the curtains," Ramdev told reporters in Haridwar when asked to comment on the charges levelled against him. "We have no role to play in this matter. Political parties are responsible for political incidents," he said. Reacting to this, Pradesh Congress chief spokesman Mathuradutt Joshi said no amount of clarification on part of the yoga guru can absolve him of his role in the political crisis in Uttarakhand. "The yoga guru runs a business empire worth nearly Rs 2000 crore in Uttarakhand and there are a number of cases under investigation against his trust. "He has many scores to settle with the state government. "The involvement of Ramdev and the top BJP leadership in the ongoing rebellion is direct," Joshi claimed. Moderate Hurriyat Conference today said that both India and Pakistan need to engage in "serious" and "result-oriented talks" to settle all issues pending for decades, including Kashmir, and hoped that the composite dialogue announced during Foreign Secretary-level talks will be a "milestone" in realising this dream. After his meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit here , Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq told reporters, "We have time and again demonstrated that we are not against talks between the two countries and in fact we sincerely believe that dialogue is the only mechanism with which the two countries can solve all issues." The Mirwaiz, who was accompanied by several separatist leaders, including Abdul Gani Bhat and Maulana Abbas Ansari, made it clear that Kashmir-specific Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) need to be taken by India and Pakistan. "Any tough posturing by either side will do no good to ensure peace and stablity in South Asia. And while talking about Kashmir, both the sides need to keep in mind that aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir need to be taken into account," he said. To a question on their claims to be representative of Kashmiri people, he said, "First of all its not a claim and secondly, if we have no support base, then why is Kashmir an issue between India and Pakistan." He said the special investigation team (SIT) coming from Pakistan in connection with Pathankot airbase attack was an important step. "I hope that both the countries work together seriously and nail the culprits behind the attack on Pathankot airbase. Such forces were detrimental to the ongoing peace process between the two countries," he said. The Mirwaiz regretted that the meeting of Hurriyat Conference leaders with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit was seen by some quarters in the country with suspicion. "Come on, I wonder where has the all the wisdom vanished. We are trying to bring India and Pakistan closer and these people label us as traitors and what not. Finding storm in a cup of tea is unwarranted," he said. On government formation in the state, the Mirwaiz said, "The issue is not about building roads and bridges in Kashmir. Its about finding a permanent settlement and I am only hoping that the two countries understand the need of hour and get engaged in a serious and result-oriented dialogue to settle all issues." The British government today issued a vehement rebuttal of a UN panel's findings that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had been arbitrarily detained. Published last month, the United Nations working group's non-binding legal opinion was instantly dismissed as "ridiculous" by London, which has now submitted its formal response, inviting the panel to reconsider its conclusions. Assange faces a rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador's embassy in London for nearly four years in a bid to avoid extradition. The 44-year-old Australian fears that from Sweden he could be deported to the United States over WikiLeaks' release of 500,000 secret military files. The UN panel said the detention it concluded Assange was living under had violated his human, civil and political rights. "The working group's opinion is deeply flawed and Mr Assange has never been the subject of arbitrary detention," the Foreign Office said. "His human rights have been protected throughout." Anti-secrecy campaigner Assange initially spent 10 days in a London prison having been refused bail, but his detention was "absolutely in line with the relevant legislation and regulations", the statement said. The former computer hacker's series of failed court appeals against extradition to Sweden took 18 months and "cannot be considered excessive or unfair", the rebuttal said. "During this period he was granted bail and so cannot be considered to have been detained." The UN panel said Assange should be able to claim compensation from Britain and Sweden. Assange hailed the findings as a "victory", but has continued to remain in the Ecuadoran embassy. The working group will consider Britain's response on April 18 in Geneva.Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire said: "The original conclusions of the UN working group are inaccurate and should be reviewed. "We want to ensure the working group is in possession of the full facts. Our request for a review of the opinion sets those facts out clearly. "Julian Assange has never been arbitrarily detained by the UK, and is in fact voluntarily avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain in the Ecuadoran embassy. "The UK continues to have a legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden." A hero to supporters and a dangerous egocentric to detractors, Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 and has been portrayed in two movies in recent years. Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has called China an "all weather friend" that has helped it at times of distress, weeks after China sent fuel supplies to the landlocked Himalayan nation to ease a crippling shortage of goods due to a blockade on Indo-Nepal border. "China has respected our sovereignty and supported our development endeavours. Our two nations have been all-weather friends, friends at times of distress as well as at the time of comfort," according to excerpts from Oli's speech at Renmin University here published in state-run Global Times daily today. This is the first time Oli has used the phrase "all weather friends" to describe relations between Nepal and China. The phrase has often been used to characterise close Sino-Pakistan ties by both Chinese and Pakistani leaders. "The time has come to set higher and superior ambitions. Higher than Qomolangma (Mount Everest), and better than the Great Wall. The time has come now to travel together into the united sphere of prosperity," Oli, currently on a week-long visit to China, was quoted as saying in an article titled 'Friendship guides Sino-Nepalese relations forward'. He said that Beijing's Silk Road initiative will ease obstacles faced by the landlocked Himalayan country. "The 'Belt and Road' (official name for Silk Road) initiative is a principal step to unleash our potentials to travel together into the cooperative sphere of prosperity and to catalyse the convergence of our shared interest," he said. "As a friendly neighbour, Nepal has always been well aware of the sensitivities of China. Nepal adheres strongly to the 'One China Policy', and has not allowed its land to be used, under any pretext, against China. And it will continue to keep this commitment firm and intact," he said in an apparent reference to continue to crackdown on dissident Tibetans travelling through Nepal to meet the Dalai Lama who currently resides in Dharamsala. During his current visit, Oli signed the landmark Transit treaty with China through Tibet which Nepalese officials say opens a new avenue for Nepal which is currently dependent on India to route its imports and exports. The two countries signed 10 agreements and laid out plans to extend railway line in Tibet to Nepal, which is also looking to access Chinese ports in order to avoid a repetition of severe shortage of essential goods due to blockade of key border trade points with India by Madhesis over the new Constitution. While Oli avoided any reference to India, a sharply critical article in the same daily accused India of using "forceful measures" to pressurise Oli during his visit to India. "Though Oli visited India first after becoming Prime Minister, it was marked by 'distrust and nervousness'. On the contrary 'his tour in China has been a relaxed one'," the article said. Drenched in a spirit of bonhomie, people celebrated Holi across the country today by applying colours on each other, savouring sweets and exchanging greetings to send out a message of cultural harmony. While the celebrations were largely incident-free, two brothers in Muzaffarnagar were injured after being allegedly shot at. About 70 persons were also reported injured in Holi-related incidents in Jaipur. From morning, youths and children revelled in the streets, daubing friends and family members with colours and also savoured traditional homemade dishes like 'malpua', 'dahi bada', 'gujiya'. People in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh also soaked in the festive spirit and enjoyed the occasion by dancing and singing folks songs. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also extended Holi greeting to the people, saying the festival symbolises the spirit of tolerance, harmony and prosperity. In the national capital, Delhiites smeared friends and families with colours and threw water balloons on passers-by to enjoy the day which remained pleasant weather-wise. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi celebrated Holi at AICC headquarters and also greeted people on the occasion. The party president and vice president were at 24 Akbar Road, the party headquarters, for about 15 minutes. "I convey my greetings to all people on the occasion of Holi. The festival of colours reflects the diversity in the country, which is a symbol of unity in diversity," Rahul said in Hindi on Twitter. At the Wagah border, Border Security Force personnel and Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets to mark the festive occasion, which carries the message of peace and harmony. In Mathura and Vrindavan, popular for their extravagant Holi celebrations extending nearly a week, people regaled with traditional practice including the 'lathmar holi' as the cities soaked in variegated hues. While Dhulehndi (use of colours after Holi bonfire) in prominent temples of Radha Ballabh, Radha Raman and Bankey Behari was played yesterday, many temples celebrated the festival today. People in Mathura also geared up to celebrate 'Huranga', one of the last prominent celebrations of Holi, tomorrow at the Dauji Maharaja Temple. In Punjab, joyous spirit pervaded the streets as people from all walks of life celebrated Holi with traditional fervour and gaiety. The festival of colours was also celebrated in Haryana, though it remained subdued at some places, especially in rural areas of Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Sonipat districts, in wake of recent violence during Jat quota agitation. In Jammu and Kashmir, people in the Valley smeared colours on their family members and friends and distributed sweets. Security forces posted in the Valley also celebrated the festival. Paramilitary and army troopers gathered in their camps and danced to the beats of popular Holi songs besides smearing colours on each other. The festive fervour was on display in several parts of the Jaipur also as people came out of their homes and danced to the beat of drums, enjoying the festival of colours and traditional delicacies. For Vridavan widows, the occasion brought good news as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav gave "holi gift" to them by announcing a number of facilities including RO water purifying system and solar power plant. US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Moscow today to see if President Vladimir Putin can be convinced to support an end to Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria. Kerry met his counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and was later to head to the Kremlin for talks with the Russian leader and sound him out on the crises in Syria and Ukraine. The top US diplomat said this week's bomb attacks in Brussels demonstrated that countries must come together to conquer the extremist threat wherever it may strike. "I know that many people are very hopeful, Sergei," Kerry said, in brief remarks before the two men held closed-door talks at a foreign ministry conference centre in Moscow. "Our counterparts, whom you and I have both talked to in the last days, are hopeful that these meetings here in Moscow today have an ability to be able to further define and chart the road ahead so that we can bring this conflict in Syria to a close as fast as possible." Lavrov told Kerry diplomatic efforts had been focused on creating a "balance of interests" among all sides involved in the Syrian crisis, including Moscow and Washington. But US officials fear the Syrian opposition will drop out of UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva unless Russia's ally Assad agrees to step down as part of a political transition. Putin has stood by Assad, and even sent Russian warplanes to fight to protect his regime and strike the extremist Islamic State group, which has seized territory in the east of the country. But Moscow recently announced a partial withdrawal of its forces from Syria, creating what Washington believes is an opportunity to press for a change of stance on the regime. "What we're looking for, and what we've been looking for, for a long time is how are we going to transition away from Assad's leadership," a senior US official told reporters. In a sign of Russia's strengthened role as a Middle East powerbroker, both Kerry and Putin met separately with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Kerry's visit also comes while Europe faces a security crisis after Tuesday's attacks in Brussels, which left 31 dead and 300 injured. Yesterday, Lavrov called for Europe to drop its "geopolitical games" and unite behind efforts to fight terrorism, as Russia continues its air strikes in Syria. Kerry acknowledged that the ceasefire negotiated by Russia and the United States between Assad and the armed opposition has led to a "beneficial reduction" of violence in Syria. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today said new National Civil Aviation Policy is likely to be out next month. "At present, we are working on the policy which is likely to be out next month. We have received many suggestions on the draft policy and we are hopeful that new policy will be out in April," Raju said. He was speaking to reporters after addressing a private function here. The minister said the country needs four modern airports, two on West coast and as many on East coast. "At present, we have only three modern airports that have parallel runways at Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad and the fourth one is coming up in Vishakhapatnam. With the size of a country like India we need more modern airports, at least two on the West coast and two on the East coast," Raju said. Raju said his ministry would consider proposals for new airports if governments concerned come forward to provide land to set up such facilities as land is the State subject. To a query, Raju said the work to expand runway of Rajahmundry airport is in progress and it will be completed within a few months. He said the Gannavaram Airport near Vijayawada will be developed as an international airport. "The state government was allotted 700 acres of land for the development of the airport," the minister added. On the demand by the Andhra Pradesh government to grant special status to the state, Raju said it was under consideration. "This is a critical subject..Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Odisha are opposing (the demand). If Union government considers the special status demand for AP, chief ministers of other states will also demand the same", the minister added. Bangalore University (BU) will abolish the third round of evaluation for students whose scores differ by 15% on revaluation, Vice-Chancellor B Thimme Gowda said on Thursday. Under the existing system, if there is a 15% difference in marks after revaluation, the answer script is sent to a third examiner for another evaluation. The process sometimes takes six to seven months. To save time, the paper will be checked by two evaluators during revaluation and there will be no third round. An average of scores given by each evaluator during revaluation will be awarded as the final score, the vice-chancellor told reporters after a meeting of the universitys Syndicate. To introduce the changes, the university will amend its evaluation rules and seek the approval of the Governor, who is also its chancellor. The new system will come into force once the Governor gives his approval. The university has also increased the mess fee for hostellers from Rs 50 to Rs 65 per day, starting April. The monthly scholarship has been increased by Rs 1,000. We have received Rs 20 crore from the Social Welfare Department. Rs 5 crore will be spent on building hostels for boys and girls at Jnanabharathi and Central College campuses, Gowda said. The university has received Rs 13.89 crore from the North Eastern Council to build a hostel for students from that region. Tenders for the project have been invited and the foundation stone will be laid in April. The Syndicate also approved a proposal to purchase Rs one crore worth of books for the library, he added. Convocation next month As many as 44,757 students will get degree certificates and 92 gold medals at BUs 51st convocation next month. But the university will not award any honorary doctorates this time, following opposition from different quarters. An activist belonging to a Sangh-affiliate hurled a shoe at Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar at a meeting here on Thursday. Kanhaiya was speaking at a meet on constitutional Rights, organised by the All India Students Federation (AISF) and other Left-wing groups. While the shoe fell midway, AISF activists thrashed the attacker and handed him over to the police. One of the two Goraksha Dal activists, Pawan Kumar Reddy and Naresh Kumar who were sitting among the audience, threw the shoe minutes after Kanhaiya began his speech. Pawan continued shouting Jai Bharat Mata Ki and Desh Drohi Kanhaiya, while AISF leaders were guarding Kanhaiya. Kanhaiya urged AISF activists to not react. They cant intimidate me. I am not afraid of such acts. The RSS people would go to any extent to get coverage. One day they will realise that they were throwing chappal at themselves, he said, while continuing his speech. The police have arrested Pawan and Naresh. Earlier, while addressing a press conference, Kanhaiya said universities in the country are under a serious attack. Why FTII, Aligarh Muslim University, Jadhavpur university, HCU and JNU, one after the other the campuses are becoming war zones? he said. The JNU students union leader said some student unions are acting as informers and mercenaries to the government which is trying to brand people who fight for social justice as anti-nationals. Efforts are being made to wipe out the line between anti-government acts as anti-national. Desh Bhakthi and Modi Bhakti are two different things, Kanhaiya added. Later in the afternoon, Kanhaiya addressed a seminar on Rights of Students, organised by the Joint Action Committee of Left Students Unions in Vijayawada. He was accorded a grand welcome at the Gannavaram airport and was taken to the venue in a rally amid threats by the BJP, RSS, ABVP and right-wing activists. Several BJP, BJP Mahila Morcha and ABVP activists were taken into custody by the police after they raised slogans against Kanhaiya and jostled with AISF activists. Two teams with two different ambitions will cross swords on a dodgy turf here on Good Friday as the World T20 slowly moves towards the home straight. West Indies, buzzing with confidence, take on pre-tournament favourites South Africa knowing that a win would secure them a spot in the semifinals. The Proteas, who failed to defend a mighty 229 against England in their opener last week, have to win to stay alive in the competition. Normally a South Africa versus West Indies clash in any format would have the majority of the punters place their money on the former the Proteas having won six of their nine T20I encounters. However, things appear a whole lot different for Fridays clash with seemingly everything going right for the Caribbeans and the South Africas bowling lacking their usual potency. The West Indians, who arrived for this tournament following another tug of war with their board, have punched together as a team solidly. Playing with the same joie de vivre that has been their trademark, the West Indians have slowly gone about making a statement, much like New Zealand. They chased down a huge total against England, the talismanic Chris Gayle igniting the tournament with a typically brutal century. In the next match where Gayle didnt turn out to bat after twitching his hamstring, they showed they are made up of more than just the Jamaican. Journeyman leg-spinner Samuel Badree grabbed 3/12 before in-coming Andre Fletcher opening the batting in place of Gayle hammered a sizzling 64-ball 84 as they galloped home to another fine win. On the other hand, South Africa havent looked their part so far. Their bowling has lacked bite. Premier pace bowler Dale Steyn went for 35 runs in two overs against England and didnt play the second game versus Afghanistan. Apprentice Kagiso Rabada, who enjoyed a fruitful tour to India last year, has gone for aplenty as well along with other pacers Kyle Abbott and Chris Morris. The sole exception in the attack that conceded 172 runs against minnows Afghanistan is Imran Tahir, the leg-spinner picking up wickets and stemming the flow of runs. With JP Duminy too ruled out due to injury, one good option is struck off the list. Another thing the South Africans will have to encounter on Friday is the VCA Stadium pitch. It is at the same venue where they were bundled out for 79 and 185, slumping to a defeat inside three days in the third Test versus India last November. It was also at Nagpur that India collapsed to 79 all out in pursuit of New Zealands 126/7 in the opening match of the World T20. However, Fridays game will be played on a different pitch. It has been under a blanket of red carpet for most part of the day, largely to protect it from cracking up under in the scalding 40 degrees celsius heat. How the new pitch will behave is anybodys guess. But one thing is for certain, the West Indies are approaching Fridays game with plenty of confidence knowing they are just one win away from sealing a semifinal spot. The South Africans, who will be wary of the Caribbeans and the pitch, have all the resources to keep themselves afloat. In Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and David Miller, they have the batting to bludgeon any attack. If they fire, then Windies have some serious running to do. For me, Paris attacks prime suspect Salah Abdeslams arrest was not just end of a manhunt, but an end to a search for answers. How naive! The difference was a 60-minute delay at the Newark International Airport, thanks to the extra baggage. My flight 999 landed at Brussels but was not allowed to taxi its way to the terminal. The pilot then announced: Owing to security reasons, we are not allowed to approach a gate at the moment. This sounded a bit ominous. I had by now turned on my mobile phone and when I checked the BBC app, it showed a breaking news item: Explosions in Brussels airport. Soon, the pilot confirmed the news. The aircraft then taxiied slowly and stopped near four other planes but far away from the gates. We could see a lot of activity near the buildings, smoke billowing, police vans going back and forth and all the ground staff lined up. We all looked at each other. If fear and doubt cast their shadow over this motley crowd huddled and put together by circumstance, it passed quickly. A slow but positive murmur went around as people started sharing their experiences and feelings. Twenty minutes later, nearly two hours after landing, we were put into buses and moved to a hangar. The hangar was enormous, the giant doors blocking the cold, giving warmth to an assortment of humanity, of all races and age, in the middle of all the chaos that was being unleashed a few metres away. For the next few hours, this was our home. Home to a couple on their way to Budapest, a strapping lad waiting to meet his mother who lived near Brussels, an African researcher collaborating with scientists in Belgium to discover vaccines, we were all there. A barrage of questions rained on the yellow-jacketed folks from harried passengers, but frankly they did a magnificent job. They were consistent in their answers, humane in response and helpful in spirit and action. I wondered if their fortitude was from culture or training or both. It seemed so far from merely doing their duty. Soon, buses started lining up to escort people, who could arrange transport facility, out of the airport. By now all public transport was off and the only way to get to my folks was by reaching a point from where they could pick me up. I got into one of the buses, which meandered its way through airport lanes, giving us a glimpse of the Sheraton and the damaged airport entrance. We alighted at the Zaventem train station, in a kind and considerate manner, not making any loud and obvious conversations, muted and low, not fearful but solemn. A policeman advised me to walk towards the Church of Zaventem, a majestic tall spire rising among the cluster of buildings which were mostly small complexes, apartments and shops, and the location from where my colleagues can pick me. Friends indeed I then noticed a lady standing a few feet away, she had a distraught look, a look that reflected pain. I greeted her and she hesitantly nodded back. I asked if she was at the airport, she said, Yes, I work there. It hit me. She probably went through the horror. This woman was two floors right above the main blast spot when it ripped through the main entrance. But 12 minutes earlier, she was right at the blast spot to meet a colleague! I asked if her colleague made it, she slowly shook her head. She started crying, unsure of how to console, I just gave her a hug. A minute later, she got into a car, gave an unexpected smile and that was all. A couple of minutes later, my colleagues picked me up. We hugged and I expressed my gratitude. As I got into the car, my eye caught the eye of the policeman. He merely nodded. I did manage to land safely in the midst of that chaos and am lucky to be safe. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul on Thursday stepped on to the AICC lawns to celebrate Holi with party office bearers, the first such instance in recent times. With senior leaders Motilal Vora, Sheila Dikshit, Ajay Maken, Randeep Singh Surjewala in tow, Sonia and Rahul spent about 15 minutes with AICC officials playing colours before a phalanx of mediapersons. Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza was seen smearing colours on Sonia while Rahul mingled with senior leaders and party officials. My message is of peace and brotherhood. Everyone should live with love in their hearts, a colour-smeared Rahul said in brief remarks to the waiting mediapersons. Yes, my greetings are for everyone, he quipped when asked whether he would extend greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Holi was also celebrated with gusto at the residences of BJP President Amit Shah, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi among others. Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev joined the celebrations at Naidus residence. Battling charges of being inaccessible, Rahul, off late, has been projecting himself as person of the masses by participating in such informal gatherings at regular intervals. He has also been a regular visitor at various temples across the country trips that have been adequately publicised by the party in an apparent bid to shed the pro-minority tag the Congress had earned in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. Jet Airways on Thursday flew a group of passengers stranded in Brussels from Amsterdam to Mumbai. The airline started pulling out its planes grounded in the Belgian airport following the terror attack. The airline shifted its passengers to Amsterdam using its two flights that were stranded in Brussels Airport. On Thursday late evening, its Amsterdam-Mumbai flight (9W 1227) took off from capital of Netherlands for the Western Indian metropolis. The airline also plans to operate two other flights from Amsterdam to Delhi and Toronto in Canada Earlier on Thursday, the airline had announced that it would operate three recovery flights to fly the stranded passengers. Jet Airways has started the process of flying its aircraft out of Brussels as part of the recovery operations. The first aircraft landed in Amsterdam at 12:00 hours (local time) from Brussels as a ferry flight, a Jet Airways spokesperson said. Four Jet Airways planes were grounded at the Brussels airport after the authorities decided to shut the operations in the wake of the blasts. The State government is planning to institute the Jeeva Rakshaka (lifesaver) award to honour good Samaritans who help accident victims get timely treatment, Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader has said. The award will be given to individuals as well as hospital staff members, he said at the World Tuberculosis Day event at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) on Thursday. Besides, the government is also contemplating bringing a Good Samaritan Act to protect people who help accident victims. The law will protect good Samaritans from police harassment, detention at hospitals and prolonged formalities. A draft of the law has already been prepared, with the help of Save LIFE Foundation, a Delhi-based nonprofit whose petition in the Supreme Court prompted the Centre to notify guidelines on protecting good Samaritans. The draft is based on the guidelines notified by the Union government on May 13, 2015. Piyush Tewari, founder, Save LIFE Foundation, said they were urging various state governments to enact the law. The Union government has done its bit by notifying the guidelines. Since health is a state subject, state governments have to be proactive in framing laws to protect the rights of those who help accident victims, he told Deccan Herald. Karnataka is one of the states with a large number of accidents. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 44,696 accidents in 2011. Tewari recalled last months gruesome accident involving Harish Nanjappa, whose body was cut into half after a truck struck him, and lamented that nobody came up to help him. He said it was important to reduce the time between an accident and when a victim is taken to hospital. The Karnataka government has been proactive as it launched the Mukhyamantri Santwana Harish Scheme which offers free treatment to accident victims. But its also important to ensure the victims reach hospital within the Golden Hour. Bystanders may help if the law protects them, he added. Centres guidelines The Centres guidelines state that a bystander or good Samaritan who might be an eyewitness of a road accident should be allowed to leave immediately after furnishing address and no question shall be asked of them. Besides, state governments should reward or compensate the bystander to encourage them to help the accident victims. In a new twist to the political crisis in Uttarakhand, Congress has accused yoga guru Ramdev of masterminding defections from its ranks and acting as an agent of the BJP. Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay said that he had enough evidence to prove Ramdev was in touch with the 9 rebel MLAs much before March 18, when they turned against the party. Ramdev, whose interest straddle across fields as diverse as spirituality, yoga and a fast growing business of processed foods headquartered in Haridwar, is considered close to the BJP. He has dismissed the Congress allegations as baseless. Not even in my dreams, would I even think of doing such a thing. I have not spoken to any Congress MLA or worker. If I have to make or break anything, I would not do it hiding behind a curtain. I would do it openly, Ramdev told reporters in Haridwar. We have no role to play in this matter. Political parties are responsible for political incidents, he said. However, Upadhyay stuck to his guns and accused Ramdev and BJP president Amit Shah for hatching a conspiracy to topple the Harish Rawat-led government. He said the BJP had whisked away the rebels along with its MLAs to Jaipur. The State government has convened an all-party meeting to discuss the Kalasa-Banduri project on April 2 in Bengaluru. Floor leaders of parties in the two Houses of the Legislature, members of parliament among others will attend the meeting. The project seeks to improve drinking water supply to the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag. It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river, to divert 7.56 tmc-ft to the Malaprabha river. Maharashtra and Goa have raised objections, resulting in a delay in implementing the project. India and the European Union (EU) will seek to step up bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet EU leaders in Brussels. The 13th India-EU summit in Brussels is scheduled on March 30, just days after terror attacks rocked Belgium. It is set to see both sides emphasising on institutionalising judicial cooperation and coordination among intelligence organisations. Modis meeting with EU President Donald Tusk and European Commissions President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels will also focus on stepping up cyber-security and counter-piracy cooperation. The summit is taking place at a time when emergence of Islamic State with several terrorists from the EU nations in its ranks and recent terror strikes in Paris and Brussels renewed the focus on counter-terrorism cooperation in and beyond Europe. The Eurojust, an EU agency set up in The Hague for dealing with judicial cooperation in criminal matters, is keen to step up cooperation with the Ministry of Home Affairs of the government of India, sources told Deccan Herald in New Delhi. EU officials are understood to have conveyed to New Delhi that cooperation between Eurojust and the judicial authorities of non-EU countries must be stepped up in order to combat global menaces such as cyber-crimes and attacks planned, coordinated and carried out by foreign fighters owing allegiance to IS and other terrorist organisations as well as the lone wolves. Citing examples of Taj Mahal and Qutb Minar, Tourism Minister R V Deshpande defended the move to hand over Venkatappa Art Gallery for adoption to a private organisation. Deshpande, who has come under flak from artists, Opposition leaders and even some leaders of his own party, reiterated that the Venkatappa Art Gallery (VAG) will not be privatised. In a letter to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president B K Chandrashekar, who had also opposed the adoption move, Deshpande said the Centre too had taken up adoption programmes, with corporates adopting monuments like the Taj Mahal and Qutb Minar. In the letter dated March 23, the minister said that through the proposed adoption programme, the government intended to provide world-class amenities by involving corporates, experts and curators. It was in no way trying to jeopardise the interest of the artist community. The Tourism departments adoption programme was launched in September 2014. Chandrashekar had said that he stood with the artist community. Opposing the adoption move, he had also called upon Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to transfer the Tourism department from the Industries to the Kannada and Culture department. Deshpandes letter also states that when it was decided to sign an MoU with Tasveer Foundation for the adoption of Venkatappa Art Gallery, the Department of Kannada and Culture was taken into confidence. Only after obtaining the consent of the Kannada and Culture department, a tripartite MoU was signed between the Archaeology-Tourism departments and Tasveer Foundation. The government is not privatising the gallery or leasing it out. The adoption will not alter the legal status of the gallery and the development activities. Government orders relating to protecting Hebbar paintings will be honoured. The artists will be allowed to exhibit their paintings like before, the letter adds. Pakistani-American agent David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani on Thursday said that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) paid for his reconnaissance missions in Mumbai. This revelation comes as yet another affirmation that the Pakistani spy agency was hand-in-gloves with the Lashkar-e-Toiba in engineering the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The 56-year-old Headley, a terrorist-turned-approver, also said that post 26/11 terror attacks, the expenses of his trip were borne by Osama bin Ladens al Qaeda. Ilyas Kashmiri did, he said to a specific question during cross-examination by advocate Abdul Wahab Khan, the defence counsel for Sayed Zaibuddiun Ansari, the Indian facing trial. Asked about details of expenses, he said: For my March 2009 trip, the expenses was less than a lakh Pakistani rupees. He, however, said that he was not aware of the total expenses incurred in planning and executing the fidayeen attacks in Mumbai. I am not sure, I am not aware of it, he told Additional Sessions Judge G A Sanap, before whom he is appearing through video-conferencing from an undisclosed location in the United States. When asked about the total expenses incurred in his stay, travel, reconnaissance missions in Mumbai ahead of the blasts, he said: "It was a lot...many lakh rupees." Asked whether it was nearly Rs 30 to 4 lakh, he said: Not that, much much less. When Headley was asked a specific question on whether ISI funded the trips before the terror attacks, he said: Yes. Littering in public places may soon attract on-the-spot fine with the Centre asking states to emulate Rajasthan in enacting laws to maintain cleanliness in public places. The Urban Development Ministrys March 17 letter to states emphasised that Clean India is a time-bound mission and its success depends to a large extent on behaviour change among citizens. The Rajasthan Assembly has passed a law with provisions to impose fines for urinating, spitting and throwing garbage in public places, drawing graffiti on public walls without permission, polluting water bodies, including rivers and lakes by dumping wastes. Urban local bodies in some states have been imposing fines as cleanliness is part of Municipal Act. However, the law is not applicable to gram panchayat areas. The law cleared by Rajasthan is applicable for both urban and rural. The Rajasthan law will empower both urban local bodies and panchayats to impose fine against those guilty, said an official. Last year, the Centre tried to bring in a Central legislation on this issue, but it dropped the idea as framing such laws are under states domain. The High Court on Thursday restrained the IDBI Bank staff in Karnataka from going on a strike from March 28 to 31 to protest the Centres decision to dilute its shareholding in the bank. The IDBI Bank had petitioned the court seeking a restrain on its employees from going on a strike. The Union Finance minister, during the budget presentation, has said that the Centre would bring down its shareholding in the bank to 49%. Senior counsel Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for the bank, contended that if the employees are allowed to go on a strike, then the bank operations will come to a grinding halt for almost a period of eight days as there is a bank holiday from March 25 to 27. Justice Raghavendra S Chauhan passed an order restraining the employees from going on strike. If the banking operations are brought to a halt, the 'domino effect' will impact the people and the economic health of the country. Since, the strike will have a cascading effect, it is imperative that the respondents are prevented from carrying out the strike, especially when prima facie there is a violation of Rules of 1980 under Section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The bench has restrained United Platform of IDBI Unions, United Forum of IDBI Officers and Employees, IDBI Officers Association, IDBI Karmachari Sangha in the State from holding any protest and adjourned the next hearing till April 5. JD(S) legislator from Kadur Y S V Datta on Thursday threatened to resign in protest against the erratic power supply in his constituency. Participating in a discussion on drought and power problems in the Legislative Assembly, he said that people of his constituency had started abusing him for not ensuring efficient power supply. People are blaming me for the problem. I am bombarded with phone calls and SMSes. I don't want to continue as MLA. I will resign if the government fails to solve the problem, he declared, waving the resignation letter. The JD(S) leader charged the government with diverting the power meant for his constituency to his neighbouring constituency in Chitradurga district which is represented by a Congress MLA. People of my constituency are of the view the Congress government was conspiring against me. They think that the government wants to make me unpopular by cutt-ing the power supply, he added. He also said the Revenue department had failed to distribute the money received from the Centre towards reimbursing the cost of input subsidy to the farmers. More than 10,000 farmers are yet to receive the money, he said. Later, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar assured the MLA that within a weeks time he would attend to the problem in Kadur. Infosys employee Raghavendran Ganesan, who went missing in Brussels after the terror strikes on Tuesday, made his last phone call while travelling on a metro rail. We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj posted on Twitter on Thursday. Swaraj had on Wednesday posted a picture of Ganesan and sought help to locate the IT professional who had spoken to his mother Annapoorni in Mumbai from Brussels just an hour before blasts rocked the capital of Belgium. Manjeev Singh Puri, Indias ambassador to Belgium, has been in touch with police in Brussels to trace Ganesan. A Twitter user replied to External Affairs Minister saying that Ganesan marked himself safe on Tuesday. Swaraj asked Puri to assess the information. Ganesans brother reached Brussels on Thursday and met Puri. The embassy officials accompanied Raghavendrans brother to hospital to look for him. Amb Puri met brother (of) Raghavendran & assured him all help and support. Our Embassy officers are with him2help locate Raghavendran, Embassy of India in Brussels posted on Twitter. Swaraj on Thursday informed that Jet Airways crew members Nidhi Chaphekar and Amit Motwani, who were injured in the explosions at Zaventem Airport in Brussels, were recovering well. Nidhi and Amit are from Mumbai. Amb Puri talked 2 Amit Motwani & assured him all possible help. Amit has been shifted from ICU 2 normal ward, said a tweet from the Indian embassy. However, according to an AP report, Nidhi has been placed in a medically induced coma. The Indian embassy coordinated with Jet Airways for transfer of 500 Indian passengers, who were stranded after explosions in the airport, to Amsterdam for onward journey. Denvers Emerald Oil Inc. has joined the ranks of other struggling Colorado energy companies in seeking bankruptcy protection. Publicly traded Emerald announced Wednesday that it filed Chapter 11 paperwork with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware and that it was pursuing a sale to Latium Enterprises Inc. Emeralds filing follows a string of bankruptcies for Denver-area energy companies as the price of oil has dropped. Craig Energy, Escalera Resources and American Eagle all filed bankruptcy in the past six months. Last week, Denver-based oil driller Venoco Inc. sought bankruptcy protection, listing $1 billion in debt. The Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions estimates that nearly 35 percent of the worlds exploration and production companies are at high risk for bankruptcy, according to a report released in February. Benchmark U.S. crude oil tumbled Wednesday, closing down $1.66, or 4 percent, at $39.79 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, slid $1.32, or 3.2 percent, to close at $40.47 a barrel in London. The plan we are announcing today will provide for continuity in Emeralds current and future business operations, Emerald president and CEO McAndrew Rudisill said in a statement. This process is the only path going forward and should enable the business to execute a turnaround in the current low oil price environment. If acquired by Latium, the companys operations in North Dakota would be able to continue, officials said. Latium has hubs in Manchester, England, and New York. Emerald also has operations in Montana. Emerald officials could not be reached for additional comment. In the Chapter 11 petition filed Tuesday, Emerald, which has 27 full-time employees, reported that debts in the range of $100 million to $500 million. As of Dec. 31, the company had $291 million in assets and $337 million in debt, company officials said in court filings. U.S. Bank is Emeralds largest unsecured creditor, showing a claim of $148.5 million for the companys credit facility, which Emerald defaulted on earlier this year. Other unsecured creditors with claims above $1 million include Denver-based Liberty Oilfield Services, Dakota Midstream and Stoneham Drilling Corp. Emerald said it secured $20 million in debtor-in-possession financing, which, if approved by the court, would provide the company with enough cash to continue operating through the Chapter 11 process. Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace The Defense Department is investigating after a former executive of Centennial-based United Launch Alliance allegedly said the Pentagon showed favoritism toward his company. The departments inspector general announced the investigation Wednesday. The investigation would seek to determine whether the contracts for the launches were awarded in accordance with federal regulations, Randolph R. Stone, the deputy inspector general for policy and oversight, wrote in a letter to top Pentagon officials Tuesday. Last week, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter called on the IG to investigate after Brett Tobey told an audience at the University of Colorado Boulder that the Defense Department had bent over backwards to lean the field to our advantage in the launch competitions. Tory Bruno, ULAs chief executive, said the comments were not aligned with the direction of the company, my views, nor the views I expect from ULA leaders. Tobey, ULAs vice president of engineering, resigned the day his comments were reported. Tobey didnt immediately respond to a telephone message Wednesday. United Launch Alliance spokeswoman Jessica Rye said the company would cooperate with the investigation. ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, has been a repeated target of John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. McCain also requested the inquiry March 17. ULAs Atlas V rocket uses an engine made in Russia, and McCain has said the United States should not have to rely on the Russians to get national security payloads such as communications and intelligence satellites to space at a time of heightened tension between the two nations. For years, ULA was awarded the contracts on a sole-source basis. Recently Elon Musks SpaceX was certified to compete for the missions, creating a new competitive environment. The Washington Post and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Xcel Energy says about 290,000 of its customers in the Denver area lost electricity for a sustained period Wednesday thanks to a walloping spring storm that dropped several inches of heavy spring snow on power lines. Power outages started about 4 a.m. and by about 9:30 p.m. about 51,500 remained without power, according to Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz . Crews planned to work until 11 p.m. Wednesday, before resuming at 7 a.m. Thursday. Also on Thursday, out of state workers will arrive here to join Xcel crews, swelling the number of emergency repair workers to 800. By Wednesday evening, main feeder line issues were resolved, leaving crews to tackle individual, secondary system outages, Stutz said. At 3 p.m. Wednesday, about 90,000 were still without power as crews rushed to tackle as many problem areas as possible. Workers from Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas and even as far away as Texas are expected to flood into Colorado on Thursday to help with repair efforts. Power outages Wednesday were mainly in areas north of Denver, Stutz said. The number of impacted customers steadily rose by the thousands throughout the day. Were starting to turn a corner we hope here, Stutz said Wednesday afternoon. Stutz said crews will be working well into Thursday to restore electricity, but cautioned that any hardened timeline for repairs remains premature. As of 7 p.m., the number of Xcel outages was 1,492 affecting 79,179 customers. Xcel is dealing with downed trees, swaying branches and high winds, he said. Many of the issues are in main distribution lines, which Stutz called the backbone of Xcels system. We really saw the problems starting early this morning in the Boulder area and then spreading, Stutz said. Denver International Airport was one of the impacted sites. The fuel tanks to the north side of DIAs property for a while were without power, which also stopped trains and hindered the ability to pump fuel to the concourses. Power at the hub has since been restored. We do have literally all hands on deck right now, Stutz said. There are 500-plus employees out there working to restore this as quickly as possible. MORE: Colorado snow totals for March 23, 2016 Other utilities are reporting power outages elsewhere along the Front Range. In Brighton, city officials say United Power Inc. is experiencing weather-related problems. Intermountain Rural Electric Association says its crews have been dispatched to outages in and around Bennett, Conifer and Deer Trail. We appreciate your patience as we work to restore service as quickly as possible, the utility said in a statement on its website. Poudre Valley REA said it was experiencing widespread outages from the storm. Colorado Springs Utilities was reporting power loss to thousands of customers across its coverage area as well. Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul Pregnant women with type 1 diabetes who used an artificial pancreas in an outpatient home setting reduced hyperglycemia by 25 per cent, a study finds. Hyperglycemia can increase the risk of stillborn pregnancies among women with type 1 diabetes, and also increases maternal mortality. While there has so far been little evidence to support the routine use of an artificial pancreas during pregnancy, a 25 per cent reduction in hyperglycemia could significantly reduce the risk of complications during and after pregnancy for both mother and child. This study examined the success of a closed-loop insulin delivery system, which connects an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). An algorithm then works on a device, such as a smartphone, to calculate a patients insulin delivery. Dr. Zoe Stewart, University of Cambridge, told the Diabetes UK 2016 Professional Conference that her teams previous research found an artificial pancreas can control blood glucose levels efficienty in patients with type 1 diabetes during early and late pregnancy. These studies were conducted under closely supervised inpatient conditions. In this new study, 16 women aged between 16 and 44 years were randomised to one of two groups. The first group received sensor-augmented insulin-pump therapy; the second received sensor-augmented insulin-pump therapy with CGM to create the closed loop at night for 28 nights. The women participants had type 1 diabetes for an average of 23 years and were between eight to 20 weeks pregnant. This experiment was to determine the impact of overnight closed-loop insulin delivery in a real-life home setting. Two weeks after the first intervention finished, the participants then completed the opposite intervention treatment. At the end of this second trial, participants could choose to continue with whatever components of the system they wanted to use for the duration of their pregnancy. Women who used the artificial pancreas had a 25 per cent relative improvement in the time they spent with their blood glucose levels between 3.5 mmol/l and 7.8 mmol/l overnight. Women in this group also had less hyperglycemia and had an improved reduction in mean glucose overnight. There was no difference between the groups in total daily insulin dose or events of hypoglycemia. 14 of the 17 women continued to use the artificial pancreas up until the birth and in some cases immediately after the birth. This was done without any safety problems. Stewart said: Overnight home closed-loop [delivery] appears to be safe and effective in pregnancy; it may be able to reduce hyperglycemia in the order of about 25 per cent without increasing hypoglycemia and without increasing insulin dose. These results are consistent with studies in children, adolescents, and adults, added Stewart, whose team are now comparing 24/7 use of the closed-loop system with pump use in a further 16 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. Sterling staged a small bounce in the last full session of trading ahead of the Easter break, amid a backdrop of survey results pointing to concerns about the outlook for growth both globally and in the UK with Brexit risks not far from analysts minds. So, while cable was rising 0.35% as of 19:00GMT to 1.4166, that followed two consecutive days of losses that saw the cost of insuring against larger falls surpass similar shifts seen ahead of Scotlands vote on independence, according to the front-page article in Thursdays Financial Times. Over those sessions, the implied volatility for three-month options contracts on cable climbed from 12.0% to above 14.7%, versus a peak of 16.91% in May 2010 and the greater than 25.0% readings seen during the worst moments of the financial crisis, the newspaper said. Traders had bought at least 11bn pounds-worth of options thus far in 2016 - an amount equivalent to Iceland's GDP - that would yield profits if the pound lost the $1.3502 mark following the 23 June referendum, according to Bloomberg. More than half of those positions had been taken after the announcement of the Brexit vote, on 20 February. Those reports came as the reported sales balance in the Confederation of British Industrys Distributive Trades survey slipped from +10 in February to +7 for March (consensus: +10) versus a 2015 average of +24. There is the possibility that that a recent slowdown in earnings growth and increased worries over the economic outlook could make some consumers increasingly cautious in their spending and a concern is that sentiment will slide further over the next few months as uncertainty over the outlook intensifies ahead of the 23 June referendum on UK membership of the European Union, Dr. Howard Archer, chief UK+European economist at IHS Global Insight said in a note e-mailed to clients. Slower growth in retail sales this year makes sense, in light of the tougher fiscal squeeze and slower employment growth, chimed in Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, in reaction to the data from CBI. The other major currency pairs were little changed, with euro/dollar just 0.01% higher to 1.1182 and dollar/yen up by another 0.35% to 112.77. Among the so-called carry currencies, the Kiwi drifted 0.06% down against the greenback to end the session at 0.6703. Versus the Aussie, the US dollar was exactly flat at 0.7531. Brazil has great potential but needs a political environment that allows the country to make a sustained push for economic reforms, according to one of the most well-regarded economic commentators. The economy has an enormous potential, absolutely enormous, Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at Allianz SE told Bloomberg. What is missing is the political context that enables sustained policy implementation, coupled with broad-based understanding and support. However, he warned South Americas largest economy was a facing a dire situation that would impact both the current and future generations of Brazilians if politicians - from both sides of the political spectrum - did not carry out the structural reforms which the country so sorely needed. In 2002, when El-Erian was at PIMCO, the worlds largest bond fund manager, he correctly bet that incoming left-wing president Lula Inacio Lula da Silva would not put the countrys macroeconomic stability at risk. Lula adopted a relatively prudent approach to his social reforms after coming to power, allowing the country to both grow strongly while addressing the large economic divide between its social classes. However, in part as a result of the Chinese-commodity induced economic boom much-needed structural reforms were curtailed, further postponed or shelved even as public sector spending continued to soar. At last count, the countrys public sector government deficit was running at close to 11.0% of gross domestic product. Brazils war of parties and personalities obscures some of the most important lessons of the crisis. Both the Petrobras scandal and the economic crash have their origins in misconceived laws and practices that are decades old. Getting Brazil out of its mess requires wholesale change, The Economist wrote in its latest weekly edition. When questioned about reports that some drinks makers were planning a legal challenge against the new policy, Osborne told the Treasury Select Committee the government would defend it "robustly". Osborne said: "I would say, if they want to have an argument about the sugar tax, bring it on. "We are going to introduce a sugar tax, it's not a threat or a promise, it's the way it's going to be." The new tax which was announced in the Budget last week and is expected to raise around 520m in its first year will add 24p a litre to soft drinks with the highest sugar content, a cost that may be passed on to consumers through higher prices. Osborne said on Thursday that the drinks companies would do better to use their time and money reformulating their products ahead of the implementation of the tax in 2018, rather than launch a legal challenge. Shares in drinks companies such as Britvic, AG Barr and Nichols fell sharply in the wake of the announcement and it emerged a few days later that some drinks makers were planning to sue the government over the tax. It is understood they will make a legal challenge through the European courts to argue the policy is discriminatory because beverages with a higher sugar content such as fruit juices and milk shakes are exempt. Osborne told the Treasury Select Committee the tax was the right thing to do and would help to combat childhood obesity. FTSE 250 infrastructure investment company International Public Partnerships posted strong growth in its portfolio on Thursday, with its net asset value rising 21.5% to 1.29bn in 2015. NAV per share was up 2.5% to 130.2p. The firm proposed a full year fully covered cash dividend, up 2.5% to 6.45p. Its IFRS profit before tax of 79.9m was a 12.2% rise on 2014s $71.2m, with the companys total shareholder return since 2006 now sitting at 115% against a FTSE All Share return of 49.2%. International PPL chairman Rupert Dorey said he was pleased to announce the record year, following the commitment of more than 300m in landmark UK and global infrastructure assets. "Entering the company's 10th anniversary year, tailored primary market origination of long-term, low-risk and stable investment opportunities combined with unique exposure to the emerging North American PPP market continue to be among the factors that differentiate the company in the sectors in which it invests, he said. The company invested in one of the UK's largest infrastructure projects, the 4.2bn Tideway project, before making its first investment in the United States. I'm confident in the company's future prospects given its continued robust performance and in the Investment Adviser's judgement and ability to strengthen the portfolio and its pipeline, Dorey explained. Going forward, International PPLs board remained confident in its investments to deliver steady, predictable returns over the long-term, despite persistent volatility in the global equity markets. In a separate announcement, International PPL also declared a second half dividend for 2015 of 3.225p per share. Bottom line: How did the Buckeyes grade vs. Iowa? Grading Ryan Day and the rest of the Buckeyes after Ohio State's win over Iowa. Building operators add energy management to their repertoire Savings can come from simple steps like turning off equipment at night. By ERIK WESTERHOLM Northwest Water & Energy Education Institute Westerholm The building operator job description used to be limited to keeping occupants comfortable, and maintaining equipment and operating systems. Managing energy use was not one of the responsibilities. Thats changing, and Building Operator Certification instructor Duane Lewellen is seeing the change firsthand. What were finding is that facility operators are becoming more and more involved or responsible for managing the energy consumption of the building a role that they typically havent played in the past, he said. That expanding role means the ability to conduct a Level 1 energy audit, or a basic energy usage scoping, a skill that building operators can use to bolster their resumes. Unsure where to begin? Building operators can download a Level 1 audit checklist from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) or take a Building Operator Certification course to learn about energy scoping. Lewellen said there are three critical components to a basic energy audit: document existing conditions, benchmark the building, and make improvements. Document existing conditions Photo courtesy of NWEEI [enlarge] A simple energy audit can improve efficiency. Lewellen recommends building operators conduct an energy audit about once every five years. The first step is to gather data on the existing conditions and energy usage of the building. This may include the square footage, occupancy, equipment schedules and lighting systems. Lewellen recommends operators work with their local utility companies to gather utility data. If available, interval data showing daily energy usage is helpful. Some utilities can also loan out tools such as infrared cameras, which can identify sources of heat loss. By working with interval data from a local utility, Lewellen discovered a building he was auditing was not shutting down on the holidays, even though employees were not in the building. This led to a simple scheduling adjustment that generated instant savings. In addition to a daytime energy audit, Lewellen is an advocate of the midnight audit. This involves an operator walking through a building when it is unoccupied to observe opportunities to save energy when no one is in the building. Youd be amazed at the energy-using equipment that is operating when no one is there, Lewellen said. Benchmark the building After determining the existing conditions of a buildings energy usage, it is important to compare the buildings efficiency to the efficiency of similar buildings. Energy Star offers online resources that can guide building operators in determining energy scores to benchmark their buildings. The scores range from 1 to 100. A score of 50 would mean that a building is average, with about half of its operations more efficient than those of similar buildings and half of its operations less efficient than those of similar buildings. A low Energy Star score demonstrates plenty of opportunities to invest in improvements to a buildings efficiency, Lewellen said, while a high score demonstrates opportunities to invest in maintenance and fine-tuning. In preparation for the third step, operators can research what operators of similar buildings have done to improve their buildings efficiency. Make improvements Once a building is analyzed and benchmarked, it is time to create a five-year improvement plan and to begin implementing it. Lewellen shares three types of opportunities to include in Level 1 energy improvements: Operations and maintenance: These improvements entail repairing broken equipment and optimizing equipment operations. Low-cost and no-cost investments: These are the typical types of improvements an operator will make after a Level 1 audit. They include cost-efficient solutions such as installing lighting motion sensors. Capital improvements: These are more expensive investments such as replacing all the windows in a building. They are most common for buildings that receive a low Energy Star score, and they may not be necessary for every energy improvement plan. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 30 percent of the energy in buildings is used inefficiently or unnecessarily. With this in mind, it is essential that todays building operators learn how to conduct basic energy audits using the steps above. To learn more about conducting basic energy assessments, building operators can participate in training programs, join associations and access online checklists and guides. Lewellen recommends operators conduct their own Level 1 audits and consider outside help for more complex Level 2 and Level 3 audits. As the role of the building operator continues to evolve, Lewellen said, the need for operators to be trained to conduct basic energy audits will continue to grow. Erik Westerholm is a project specialist with the Northwest Water & Energy Education Institute at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. Other Stories: Ballard fire station goes from energy hog to energy heaven The 1970s building is 38 percent more efficient after a big renovation. By NELSON MARTELLE SHKS Architects Martelle The city of Seattle in 2011 began requiring new construction and major renovations over 5,000 square feet to meet LEED gold. That same year, the city selected a design team to renovate the aging Fire Station 18 at 1521 N.W Market St. in Ballard. The station, originally built in 1974, is now the lead station for Battalion 4 serving northwest Seattle. The project was initially limited to structural upgrades but expanded into a major renovation after a preliminary review found inefficient building systems approaching the ends of their serviceable lives, envelope components in need of replacement, and crew facilities that no longer met the operational demands of the fire department. With the increased scope, the renovation of Fire Station 18 sought to answer the question, How lean could this 1970s-era energy hog become? Understanding the embodied energy value of existing buildings, the team embraced the existing site constraints, systems and assemblies. An integrated approach including the entire design team, owner and firefighters developed strategies to meet the functional, performance and operational challenges of the project. Two sustainable strategies emerged: Photo by Benjamin Benschneider, courtesy of SHKS Architects [enlarge] The project retained 95 percent of the original structure. New additions included glazing and insulation. Reuse: Make the most of the embodied energy already on site by retaining as much of the existing building as possible. Reduce: Use less new energy by installing high-efficiency building systems and minimizing energy loss through envelope. These two strategies resulted in a renovated Fire Station 18 designed to operate at an Energy Use Intensity (energy used per square foot of building) of 51 kilo-British thermal units per square foot annually 40 percent below the average of Seattle neighborhood fire stations. Reuse To optimize the existing building, the design team analyzed its limitations and advantages. The existing buildings primary structure consists of parallel masonry bearing walls running north-south, supporting floor and roof assemblies of glu-lam beams, wood decking, and concrete topping slabs or precast hollow-core concrete planks with concrete topping slabs. Fire Station 18 Owner: City of Seattle Architect: SHKS Architects General contractor: Faber Construction Mechanical/electrical engineer: WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff Structural engineer: Swenson Say Faget Civil engineer: LPD Engineering Specification writer: Cite Specific Landscape architect: Site Workshop While structural analysis showed the building required substantial intervention to achieve the required seismic performance level of immediate occupancy, the basic structure of the building had several desirable qualities. First, the primary structure was clearly distinguished from space-defining partitions, allowing for easy identification and reconfiguration of the nonstructural partitions to accommodate the fire departments changing programmatic needs. Further, the primary structure is composed of durable materials capable of standing up to the wear of an all-hours facility. So in spite of 40 years of service, it remained in relatively good repair. Lastly, existing glu-lam beams and decking met the dimensional requirements of heavy timber construction, meaning the assemblies had some fire resistance rating. Given these qualities, the decision to retain as much primary structure as possible was made early in the design process. In total, over 95 percent of the primary structure of the existing building was reused. Reduce The first step in designing the building to consume less energy was to establish a baseline performance. Working with an existing building provided two points of comparison. The station had a pre-project EUI of 82.3 in 2014. For the second step, our team created an energy model showing the performance of a hypothetical version of the fire station constructed to the current requirements of the Seattle Commercial Energy Code. This model performed significantly better than the existing station an EUI of 54.6. Using the energy model to test the impact of specific design options, the team worked to improve performance beyond code requirements. Taking into account the unique operational requirements of the station, this analysis allowed the team to make strategic interventions to selected envelope components to yield the best building performance within the project budget. In the end, a combination of increased roof insulation, replacement of leaky and poorly performing glazing, and selective insulation of existing exterior masonry walls provided the best results. Another critical part in reducing energy consumption was to upgrade building systems. A large part of the improved building efficiency is due to the replacement of the existing gas-fired boiler used for heating and the window AC units used for cooling. Photo courtesy of SHKS Architects [enlarge] Fire Station 18 before the renovation. They were replaced with a high-efficiency, variable-refrigerant flow air-source heat pump. Individual fan coils in each of 17 building zones allow for simultaneous heating and cooling and greater control of thermal comfort. The ventilation system features heat recovery allowing up to 72 percent of waste heat in the exhaust air stream to be recaptured to preheat outside air. Plumbing system upgrades included high-efficiency, gas-fired water heaters and low-flow fixtures throughout the station. Electrical and lighting systems improvements included the nearly exclusive use of LED fixtures, vacancy sensors and automatic daylight zonings. The net result for the renovated station is an EUI of 51.0. This represents a 6.6 percent improvement over prescriptive code performance, a 37.8 percent improvement over the existing station, and a 40.7 percent improvement over the 2014 city average for neighborhood fire stations. The improved efficiency combined with the retention of the embodied energy of the existing station demonstrated the effect that conventional sustainable strategies can have when rigorously applied to existing buildings. Nelson Martelle is an associate at SHKS Architects, where he concentrates on complex renovations of existing buildings. Other Stories: What is embodied carbon and why should we care? Building materials and construction activity are major sources of carbon emissions. We need to reduce their impact. By STACY SMEDLEY Skanska USA Smedley During last months BuildWell conference in San Francisco, I dined with the leading thinkers, researchers, engineers and designers tackling the issue of carbon in the built environment. We had a lively and serious conversation. We talked first about what getting to zero carbon in the built environment truly entails. It became clear that there has been a keen focus on reducing carbon emissions in our buildings through increased energy efficiency, leading to less operational carbon over the course of a buildings life. There are benchmarks in place, like those defined by the 2030 Challenge, to help us understand where to start and what to track, and certification systems that allow us to feel the accolades of achieving these operational efficiencies. Technologies are being developed to help us get to closer to net-zero energy. We can now say net-zero energy and get nods and affirmations instead of raised eyebrows, which I personally experienced only a handful of years ago. Embodied energy and embodied carbon emissions are a different story. Its one that is still in its Wild West phase, with people shooting from the hip in terms of what to assess and how to assess it, and creating their own company- and market-sector-specific benchmarks, sometimes based on arbitrary choices of data source and tracking methodology. Defining embodied carbon Photo by Magda Biernat [enlarge] Skanskas effort to track construction emissions includes sources such as building materials and construction activity. The company completed the 400 Fairview office building in Seattle last year. Perhaps I should step back and make sure we all understand what embodied carbon truly is: Embodied carbon includes the carbon dioxide emitted from the extraction of raw materials through the final manufacture of a product. A buildings embodied carbon encompasses the embodied carbon of all its materials, as well as carbon emissions from transportation of those materials to the building site. In Skanskas efforts to track and understand our buildings embodied carbon, we also aim to include emissions from construction activity such as equipment use, transportation of workers to and from the jobsite, and land disturbance in construction. Where things stand While we are currently capable of benchmarking operational energy consumption, employing sustainable strategies in design and tracking savings during operation, we do not have a benchmark for embodied carbon. We dont have standard practices and resources for incorporating embodied carbon reduction strategies into our design process, and we arent aligned on what should and shouldnt be included in embodied carbon calculations when it comes to building construction. Because we are in the business of constructing buildings, Skanska understands the role materials procurement and construction practices play in a buildings holistic carbon story. Source: 2030, Inc./Architecture 2030 [enlarge] Most of a buildings energy use is consumed by its materials. In Seattle, Boston, Houston and Washington, D.C. markets where Skanska is the owner/developer/builder we have developed our own construction tool and format for tracking the embodied carbon of our commercial development projects. This has helped us understand what our averages are, set our own benchmarks, and work to reduce embodied carbon emissions in our buildings based on what we are learning. A few others in the design, construction and research sectors are also committed to this each of us using our own methods and resources to try to determine what are the materials and construction heavy hitters. The good news is that when we compare our embodied carbon calculations to the work done by others, the results are similar. Independent organizations are coming to the same conclusions about the highest-impact materials and processes, helping determine where we should initially focus our efforts when targeting significant embodied carbon reductions in our buildings. Next steps There comes a point when actions speak louder than words or data. We are at that point with embodied carbon there is enough data to arrive at reasonable conclusions, and enough of a critical mass acknowledging the timely need for embodied carbon reductions in buildings. The next step is to set reasonable benchmarks and get to work. Setting benchmarks for average embodied carbon, as found in a series of standard building types, would create a line in the sand for owners, designers and contractors to reference when looking at where and how to make impactful reductions. Benchmarks would allow the development of design tools that enable project teams to assess the embodied carbon reduction impact of various site, material and construction operation decisions. This assessment would create a pathway to proactively measure and document progress toward zero carbon, and a platform for builders to tell a meaningful carbon reduction story. Studies show that over the next 20 years, 900 billion square feet of new and rebuilt buildings will be constructed in cities worldwide. That equates to building an entire New York City every 47 days. The counterbalance to this is the outcome of last years Paris climate conference, where over 200 countries acknowledged that we must keep global temperature increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius or face dire climate-change consequences. To ensure our best chance of staying below this mark, we must create embodied carbon benchmarks and commit to reductions that lead to zero carbon emissions by 2050, and we must do it quickly. The time to align around a comprehensive path to zero embodied carbon is now, and Skanska is committed to being a part of the necessary action. Stacy Smedley is the director of sustainability at Skanska USA, where she provides strategic guidance across Skanska projects in the Seattle area and nationwide. Other Stories: How sharing sit-stand desks will help Antioch be smaller and greener It's one of the ways the school will save space and use less furniture in its new home. By MEAGHAN BEEVER & KATHRYN MOORE Gensler Beever Moore Building green. This term brings to mind many traditional strategies of sustainable design LED lighting, low-VOC, FSC, to name a few. As designers, we look beyond these traditional strategies and include related and equally important, but different, areas of performance. Our clients goals provide the strong foundation for this design strategy. We ask ourselves: How can we make these spaces perform, provide a positive impact and add value? To help answer these questions we have identified three lenses that define our approach: environmental, social and economic. Environmental refers to a traditional approach to sustainability; social refers to employee health, wellness and equality; and economic refers to real estate, risk management and cost reduction. With this intention set at the projects conception, we are able to achieve high levels of performance each and every step of the way. One project that exemplifies how this approach works is Antioch University. Antioch has a national footprint with campuses located across the country. In 2014, we were enlisted to help re-envision their Seattle campus. Antiochs community-centric mission focused on social responsibility and a pedagogical approach that emphasizes applying what is learned in the classroom to the common good, made them an ideal partner in pushing for a holistic approach to design performance. Antioch is relocating from a 65,000-square-foot, mid-century building in Seattles Denny Triangle to a four-story building under construction at Third Avenue and Battery Street in Belltown. Antioch will take around 30,000 square feet in the multi-tenant building. Image courtesy of Perkins + Will and Gensler [enlarge] Antioch plans to move into its Belltown space in early 2017. The building is under construction. In rethinking their campus design, Antiochs priorities were to manage real estate cost, maintain a strong internal and external community connection, and better align their space with the Antioch brand and mission. Ultimately, Antioch was focused on attracting new students and inspiring their creative, service-driven students, faculty and staff. To address these goals, our team employed strategies designed to improve and support the new campuss economic, social and environmental performance. Using fewer resources While traditional strategies of environmental design remain integral elements of the projects success, the clients environmental focus was to decrease resources. Antiochs location in the center of Seattles urban core was crucial. With an entirely commuter-based student population, the connection to multiple means of public transit and community amenities like pharmacies and day cares are critical to attracting new students and retaining existing students, faculty and staff. During the site selection process, Antioch also prioritized access to the outdoors. With an exterior deck accessible to all on the third floor and a community roof deck for the building occupants to enjoy, Antiochs selected site provides a connection to nature. The build out of their space also included many of the energy-efficiency savings that are resource driven. By providing the right quantity and type of spaces based on utilization, the reduced footprint allowed for reduction of water, electrical demands and HVAC needs compared with their current space. The new space will yield savings of approximately 20,000 kilo-British thermal units per person, according to data provided by the Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment. Additional lighting power density and MEP load reductions are anticipated through more efficient systems, cutting energy needs and lowering operating costs for Antioch. Right-sized spaces Managing real estate costs defined Antiochs economic strategy. Recognizing they were situated in an older, outdated building that was larger than their current need, Antioch engaged in a campus-wide study to identify inefficiencies in the way their current square footage was allocated. During five days of careful observation of how spaces were being utilized across the campus, the study revealed an opportunity to reduce the current footprint significantly. In total, the new campus has roughly 50 percent space reduction, which required creative approaches to utilization planning, class scheduling and multipurpose spaces. In the new space, highly mobile faculty will be implementing a seat-sharing ratio of three people to every two desks a strategy that not only reduces square footage, but also minimizes the need for furniture and other raw materials. In taking the time to understand how campus spaces were used, Antioch also uncovered an opportunity to right-size spaces like meeting rooms and classrooms to be more appropriate for the number of people that are actually using them. A focus on community The overarching social strategy was to strengthen the human connection. Antiochs focus on their community faculty, staff, students and alumni is at the heart of their organization. Its importance underlies every decision, making the social strategies integral to the success of this project. Engagement with the campus community during pre-design focus groups indicated that appropriate acoustics for classroom and offices spaces would be a critical measure of success in the new space. Allowing for the right balance of background noise and the appropriate types of spaces for each level of privacy required provides the optimal environment for focusing and learning. It is now a well-known fact that sitting poses health risks. To mitigate injury, and keep staff and faculty healthy and engaged, workstation ergonomics are being considered during the furniture selection process. The majority of desks will be equipped with a sit-stand feature encouraging occupants to stay active and change postures throughout their work day. Inclusivity has always been a feature of Antiochs Seattle campus. This will continue on their new campus. All-gender facilities are available, universal design in conference rooms and classrooms allows those with hearing difficulties to participate without barriers, and veteran and womens outreach programs are also maintained. The focus on social strategies aligns with Antiochs principles and shows their commitment to a healthier and more effective environment. Through strategic thinking and a balanced approach to design performance, we were able to align the client goals with performance goals to achieve a successful project that exceeded the clients expectations. While much of what is described above doesnt fall into the industrys preconceived notion of building green, Antiochs story is a compelling one. Project case studies like these are showing clients what is possible above and beyond the traditional thinking, and hopefully we will start to see a shift in the market. Educating clients about the social and economic benefits of building green in addition to the environmental benefits will up the ante for design thinking and continue to push the industry, all the while keeping Seattle on the forefront of the green movement. Kathryn Moore is a technical designer and associate at Gensler, a global design and planning firm. Meaghan Beever is a consulting analyst and workplace strategist at Gensler. Other Stories: Donegal Travellers Project have called on all politicians to come together to find appropriate housing for a Traveller family in the Ballyshannon area. Donegal Travellers Project have called on all politicians to come together to find appropriate housing for a Traveller family in the Ballyshannon area. A house near Ballyshannon earmarked for the family was all but destroyed by fire last night. Gardai are treating the fire as suspicious and garda experts are at the scene this afternoon examining the remains of the house. In a statement issued in the last hour, Donegal Travellers Project say they are shocked and saddened by the fire: Donegal Travellers Project was shocked, saddened, and outraged about the house in South Donegal which was burned to the ground in the early hours of this morning, allegedly as a result of arson. We are also extremely upset for the family of 12 who were supposed to move into the house. Over the past three weeks there has been a hardening of attitudes in Donegal against Travellers which has been very difficult for the Traveller community here. We are asking all political parties and representatives to come together to address this emergency in Donegal and to identify as a matter of urgency appropriate housing for this family and other families living in inappropriate conditions. A second statement issued a short time ago by Pavee Point describes the fire as arson and calls on the Gardai to provide protection for this and other Traveller families and their property in Donegal. The Pavee Point statement in full states: Pavee Point is disgusted and disappointed to learn of the arson of a house allocated to a Traveller family in Ballyshannon. We call on the Gardai to provide protection to this and other Traveller families and their property in Donegal and to undertake a comprehensive investigation into this criminal act and bring the perpetrators to account. This is the third time such arson has happened following public knowledge of the allocation of houses to Traveller families in recent years. Pavee Point would like to commend Donegal County Council for allocating the house to the Traveller family in the first place in the face of local opposition. We call on Donegal County Council to urgently identify a suitable alternative house for the Traveller family. In the context of previous negative comments made in Donegal about the allocation of Traveller housing Pavee Point calls on all Councillors to make clear their condemnation of this attack and to support the provision of another suitable house to the family pending the renovation of the house burned. We also call on politicians to be more responsible in public comment in relation to Travellers. Such leadership will be required throughout the country next year when the new Traveller Accommodation Plans 2014-2018 are due to be published and approved by all local authorities. Donegal County Council has said it will undertake a review of the safety measures at Buncrana pier after the facts of Sundays tragic events have been established. The slipway at the pier has been used by the Lough Swilly ferry service during the summer months. Locals at the scene on Monday said the bottom of the slip where there is thick green algae is known to become extremely slippery, especially in the winter. At least one vehicle which was launching a boat is known to have got into difficulty on the slip in recent years. It is understood a gate on the top of the slip had been kept closed in the past and locals who used the slip to launch vessels had keys, but this is no longer the case and the gate is left open. Davitt Walsh, who saved four-month-old baby Rionaghac-Ann McGrotty by swimming out to the car, called for a review of safety measures. Speaking to the Irish Times, he said: I really do think that something needs to be done. That algae is just lethal, he said. We slipped on it as we went down. Its grand for locals as they know the dangers posed by the slipway and how dangerous it can be. But visitors are simply not aware of this. All that needs to be erected there is a barrier which can easily be opened and closed to prevent cars going down it. The slipway is like a skating rink because of all that algae and those poor people didnt stand a chance because they didnt know the area, he said. Speaking at the pier on Monday, Lough Swilly RNLI station manager John McCarter said algae is an ongoing issue with anyone who uses slipways and launches boats. The slipway has been used for launching pleasure boats in the past. We have seen rigs go into water and that. Fortunately it has never involved people. I think this is the just the nature of the interface between the sea and the land, he said. The county council have their way of looking at and managing their assets. This slipway is not used very much during the winter months. It does facilitate the ferry operations in the summer months. All slips that are exposed to tide and exposed to the air do get slippery. The council said in a statement issued on Tuesday: We at Donegal County Council offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident at Buncrana Pier on Sunday evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Daniels and McGrotty families at this very sad time. Once the facts surrounding this unfortunate tragedy are established, the Council will review them and determine if any specific measures need to be taken. Until these facts are established Donegal County Council will not be in a position to offer further comment on this incident. An Bord Pleanala has refused planning permission for a huge 49-turbine wind farm in the Finn Valley. The decision to refuse planning permission for the Carrickaduff wind farm was received by the parties involved in the case on Thursday morning. Planree Limited had sought planning permission for the wind farm at Carrickaduff and other townlands stretching from close to Barnesmore gap along the border towards Killygordon. Over 200 submissions were made on the application, which if had been granted planning permission, would have been the largest onshore wind farm in the country. The decision took almost a year to be reached from the close of submissions and had been delayed a number of times. Finn Valley Wind Action, which opposed the proposed development, said it was delighted that the development had been rejected. Spokeswoman Marie Scanlon of the group told the Donegal Democrat: As a group we welcome the decision to refuse planning permission for the 49 wind turbines in the Finn Valley. The decision has been long overdue and it has been very difficult for everyone involved in the community and we would like to acknowledge the support we received from the community and beyond. Picture: A file image of a wind farm. Enterprise High School will recognize its military families and students with lunch in April in honor of the Month of the Military Child. Students are asked to bring their military parent to lunch any day during the week of April 4-7, Principal Matt Rodgers said. We recognize the commitment and many sacrifices our military families make serving our country, Rodgers said. We are excited they (are) a part of the Wildcat family and look forward to hosting these outstanding men and women on our campus. Parents should sign up for the event with the school by March 31. A form is available, or parents can email Cami McClenny at cmcclenny@enterpriseschools.net to reserve their spot. If a military parent is deployed or unavailable, students can invite another military-connected representative to have lunch with them during this week. dpa ElectionsData With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc. The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties. A Jeep Grand Cherokee mated to a Dodge Challenger Hellcat V8 engine might sound like an unholy alliance, but Jeep has confirmed it will build such a thing. Rumours of a muscled-up Jeep Grand Cherokee that would be the fastest ever production Jeep have been circulating for months now, and have been confirmed at this week's New York Motor Show. The vehicle in question was discussed by Jeep's global boss Mike Manley and even given a timeline, although more details were not forthcoming. The broad plan is to wedge the Dodge Hellcat's 6.2-litre, 527kW supercharged V8 into the Grand Cherokee SRT, stand back and let the fireworks begin. With the Jeep's all-wheel-drive, the vehicle's 0-100km/h time should be comfortably under four seconds, making for the world's fastest production SUV. Mr Manley said the plan was to build the vehicle sometime around or after the middle of 2017. No names have been mentioned officially, but Trackhawk is a likely contender. Jeep Australia spokesman Andrew Chesterton says such a model would be welcomed by its local operation. "The Grand Cherokee has been a hugely successful car in Australia and a significant proportion of the Grand Cherokees here wear an SRT badge," he says. "There is clearly a market for high-performance SUVs. "If a vehicle like a Hellcat-powered SRT were to be made available in Australia it is something we would absolutely put our hands up for." The "Trackhawk" confirmation comes as Jeep revealed a facelifted version of the regular Grand Cherokee. Set to arrive locally before the end the year, the new car features updated styling to help keep it looking fresh. Jeep revealed the model in two forms, starting with a new Trailhawk model with red-painted tow hooks, purposeful tyres, air suspension and skid plates that help make it the most off-road capable model in the Grand Cherokee range. The brand has also upgraded the Grand Cherokee Summit, adding enough Nappa and Laguna leather to its cabin to claim that the model is "the most luxurious vehicle in the full-size SUV segment". The Summit features a 19-speaker stereo with three subwoofers, as well as polished 20-inch wheels, air suspension an advanced four-wheel-drive system. - with David McCowen Marist students their History teacher Ms Ni Dhoirnin and Fr. Jimmy McElroy s.m. joined thousands of students from all over Ireland on Monday where they commemorated the 1916 Easter Rising at a flag ceremony in Croke Park They joined groups of students and teachers from every secondary school in the country that attended the official state ceremony. President Michael D Higgins gave a keynote address, telling attendees: The Easter Rising of 1916 can, in many ways, be described as a stunningly ambitious act of imagination. Today it is up to our young people to take charge of change and imagine what Ireland might yet become. All the young people received a national flag and a copy of the 1916 proclamation. The event marked the end of the Flags for Schools initiative, which began in September 2015, and saw every primary school in the state receive a visit from Irish military personnel who handed over a tricolour and copy of the proclamation. The national flag, the Tricolour, was first raised in Waterford in 1848, before being brought to Dublin by Irish volunteers prior to 1916. Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys, who is leading the Ireland 2016 programme, said the initiative has allowed school children to reconnect with our national flag and fully understand its peaceful message. The Flags for Schools programme has arguably been the most important of Ireland 2016 to date, bringing history to life for young people in an exciting and interactive way. This is the start of what will be a very busy few weeks of commemorations, when I hope people right across the country will come together to remember our shared history, reflect on our achievements and re-imagine our shared future," she said. Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys, who is leading the Ireland 2016 programme, said the initiative has allowed school children to reconnect with our national flag and fully understand its peaceful message. The Flags for Schools programme has arguably been the most important of Ireland 2016 to date, bringing history to life for young people in an exciting and interactive way. This is the start of what will be a very busy few weeks of commemorations, when I hope people right across the country will come together to remember our shared history, reflect on our achievements and re-imagine our shared future," she said. Its an exciting time to be a small business involved in exporting. With the weaker AUD boosting Australias international competiveness in many industries outside of mining, and a host of new free trade agreements opening up entry into foreign markets, there are many great opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) thinking about expanding overseas. We have worked with hundreds of Australian companies, small and large, to help them compete and grow in international markets. In our experience, there are some common traits that successful SME exporters share. They plan intensively Many SMEs fall into exporting when they win a contract and so are not adequately prepared or set up for exporting. Others identify a chance to expand their business overseas and get excited about the opportunities before stopping to think about the practical realities. In either case, it is important for any exporter to do the groundwork before making any important export decisions, and this involves a lot of research and planning. Undertaking research into whether you have selected the right market for you is critical picking the wrong market is a common mistake many new exporters make. Doing as much research as you can on whether a market is suited to your product or service before making any commitments is also important. This is likely to involve visiting the country several times, meeting with potential partners and distributors, and researching the local customs and regulations. All of this will help you determine what you need to do to be successful in that market. They network extensively Building strong networks is important when establishing a presence overseas. Relationships and networks are crucial to meeting new customers, winning new business and delivering on contracts. Tapping into valuable networks, finding the right partners and knowing where to get advice can all make a huge difference in succeeding overseas. For exporters just starting out, industry associations, events and trade shows can be a great place to meet other successful exporters and like-minded businesses who are often the best source of tips, advice and inspiration. Spending time on the ground in your chosen market early on is also important for identifying local partners to add to your network. They manage risk effectively What any exporter will quickly discover is that there are a number of risks involved with exporting, which can fundamentally affect your business. Small businesses often have a healthy risk appetite, but carefully identifying and managing risks is important to ensure long-term success. Depending on the market, you may encounter political, legal, operating, contract and currency risks when expanding overseas. Unfortunately, there are no short cuts to avoiding risks in export markets, but as with any other business risk, you will need to follow a robust process of risk management to ensure your business is protected. This involves conducting detailed research, seeking advice, making a practical assessment as to the risk likelihood and impact, and then developing appropriate risk management strategies. They know where to ask for help There is a wealth of detailed, easy-to-access information available to help Australian SMEs planning to export, its just a case of knowing where to look. There are a range of government agencies, including Austrade and Efic, which offer advice and support for exporters. Industry associations such as the Export Council of Australia also provide access to information and resources. Tapping into your local counsel is also important. Your accountant, financial adviser and lawyer are a great place to start when seeking advice on expanding your business overseas. They are innovative, confident and optimistic All of the SMEs we encounter are ambitious and creative, which stands them in great stead when competing on the international stage. We have seen some great examples of innovation among SMEs, such as adapting their products and services to the special needs of an overseas market, or capitalising on innovative product features that have unique appeal offshore features often seen as unimportant in the domestic market. SMEs also have a unique confidence and optimism that enables them to take on the worlds best, and often win. Using this confidence, backed with careful planning and a measured approach to risk, can lead to great success overseas for Australian small businesses. About the author: This post was written by Andrew Watson, head of the SME team at Efic which provides financial solutions to help small and medium-sized Australian businesses grow their exports, offshore investments and onshore export-related business opportunities. Prior to joining Efic, Andrew was Head of Rural & Regional Banking at Bankwest and successfully transformed this business, implementing a new sales framework and improving credit quality. He was also head of Bankwests Property Finance Business where he successfully implemented a new business strategy for the division. Prior to 2013, the Voting Rights Act required federal oversight of changes to election laws in areas where voter disenfranchisement had historically been a significant problem. One of those places was Maricopa County in Arizona. However, after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act three years ago, Maricopa County officials were free to make whatever changes they wanted. One of the changes they made was to reduce the number of polling sites from the 200 they opened for the presidential primary in 2008 to just 60 in the primary held there this week. This meant that there was one polling location for every 21,000 voters. As Ari Berman writes at The Nation, that wouldnt have been possible prior to 2013: [Maricopa County election] officials said they reduced the number of polling sites to save money an ill-conceived decision that severely inconvenienced hundreds of thousands of voters. Previously, Maricopa County would have needed to receive federal approval for reducing the number of polling sites, because Arizona was one of 16 states where jurisdictions with a long history of discrimination had to submit their voting changes under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. This type of change would very likely have been blocked since minorities make up 40 percent of Maricopa Countys population and reducing the number of polling places would have left minority voters worse off. Section 5 blocked 22 voting changes from taking effect in Arizona since the state was covered under the VRA in 1975 for discriminating against Hispanic and Native American voters. But after the Supreme Court gutted the VRA in 2013, Arizona could make election changes without federal oversight. The long lines in Maricopa County last night were the latest example of the disastrous consequences of that decision. Severely inconvenienced is too mild a term for what transpired in Maricopa County. The lines were so long that some voters waited over five hours to vote, many left, unable to stay in line due to jobs or other obligations. Some just left in disgust. The last vote was cast at 12:12 a.m. the next morning, over five hours after polls had closed. During that time, media outlets began calling the race for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, well before some people had even cast their vote. Initially, the countys top elections official, Recorder Helen Purcell, blamed independents for trying to vote and clogging up the system. Arizona has a closed presidential primary that requires voters to be registered for the party they are voting in. However, many people were on the voter roles as independents when they were, in fact, registered Democrats. They were forced to cast provisional ballots that wouldnt be counted unless they could prove their party registration. Purcell, facing whithering criticism from across the country, has now backtracked on her blaming of voters. Arizona Democrats are livid at Tuesdays debacle and are now demanding an investigation: By Wednesday, the mayor of Phoenix said the cutbacks were about more than saving money. Mayor Greg Stanton, a Democrat, called for a federal investigation into whether election officials illegally put fewer polling locations in poor or minority-heavy areas. Stanton in a letter to the Justice Department also cited examples of other policies adopted by elections officials and the state Legislature that have created a culture of voter disenfranchisement. [] Purcell was slammed by Democrats and civil rights proponents, who called the lines the latest sign that the state was making voting for minorities and the poor more difficult. [] State Rep. Reginald Bolding, a Democrat and the only black member of the Legislature, said he visited four county polling places and said what he saw was disheartening. You saw individuals who were seniors, handicapped, you also saw individuals who had to spend their entire workday waiting in line to cast a vote, Bolding said. And this was directly due to the county recorders negligence in cutting the polling locations in Maricopa County from 200 to 60 locations. He said while he didnt suspect the efforts were intended to suppress turnout, combined with cuts in election funding and new laws passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature, he sees a pattern. When you start to put all of these different voter-suppression mechanisms in a line, its hard to believe that this is all coincidental, Bolding said. The Arizona Democratic Party is also investigating why many of their members were listed as independents. The impact of the 70% reduction in polling locations hit minority communities inordinately hard as Arizona Republic columnist Elvia Diaz made clear in a sharply-worded op-ed this week titled Maricopa County election officials writing off voters? You bet: For weeks, some Democrats have been sounding the alarm about not enough polling places in Maricopa County for Tuesdays presidential primary. They warned that reducing the number of polling places from 200 during the 2012 primary election to 60 would mean long lines and discourage people from voting. They said the fact that some predominantly Latino areas got one or none polling places essentially translates into voter suppression. Before, it was easy to dismiss their claims as pure conspiracy theories. It was difficult to fathom that Maricopa County election officials would purposely design a plan to keep people, especially minorities, away from the polls. Well, think what you may. But the fact is that voting on Tuesday turned into long waits and traffic nightmares near some polling places, proving their case. [] [I]t is no coincidence many poor and predominantly Latino areas didnt get a polling place. Sec. Hillary Clinton won Arizona by a large margin and has remained silent on the situation. Sen. Bernie Sanders expressed outrage, calling it a disgrace. In the United States of America, democracy is the foundation of our way of life, said Sanders. And what happened in Arizona is a disgrace. I hope that every state in this country learns from that and learns how to put together a proper election where people can come in and vote in a timely manner and go back to work. Both campaigns worked hard to encourage voters to stay in line after the polls closed according to the Phoenix New Times. That was probably a hard sell for some considering that media outlets began calling the race over two hours before some people had even had a chance to vote yet: Both the Sanders and Clinton campaigns made a strong effort today to encourage voters to stay in line, and while some voters just couldnt wait hours and hours to cast a ballot, others said they refused to give up their right to vote. When New Times stopped by a downtown Phoenix polling location at 9:20 p.m., the line to vote still was more than two blocks long. We witnessed a woman near the end of the line overhear the news that Clinton won Arizona: What? she said. Who declared that? Were still waiting to vote. It seems unlikely that this situation was the result of intentional voter suppression. After all, it impacted both Republicans and Democrats alike. Plus, this was a presidential primary so, although a majority of Maricopa County voters are Republican, there is no reason to believe that election officials favored either of the Democratic candidates or, in fact, that either Sanders supporters or Clinton supporters were hit harder than the other. But its safe to say one thing: Maricopa County, home to the odious racist and bigot Sheriff Joe Arpaio, may be the one place in the United States that gives Michigan a run for its money when it comes to terrible governance. The following guest post was written by Nate Breznau of Mannheim Centre for European Social Research. He is the co-author of a new study that looked at the disparate racial impact of Michigans Emergency Manager law, Public Act 436. The academic study proves that the elements involved in the imposition of an Emergency Manager in a city go beyond simple financial stress factors. In fact, as their study shows, the racial makeup of the city is a significant independent variable, as well. Their study, linked below, was conducted while both lived in Michigan and when Breznaus co-author, L. Owen Kirkpatrick, was an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. The findings of their study come, of course, as no surprise to those of us who have paid attention to this issue for the past half-decade. However, Breznau and Kirkpatricks work is the first of its kind to use data analysis to prove this disparate impact of the policy of emergency management on black Michiganders. Its release comes as the NAACP is calling for the repeal of Public Act 436 following the devastating report released yesterday by a Flint water crisis task force appointed by Gov. Snyder last fall. Learn more about Nate Breznau at his website HERE. More than Water Under the Bridge in Flint: The Michigan Emergency Management Crisis The Flint water crisis calls into question the true costs of Michigans Emergency Manager law Public Act 436. Are human lives and democracy itself worth trading for a budget surplus? Flint, like Detroit, was under emergency management. This led to changing their water source from Lake Huron via the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department to the Flint River through the actions of Flints emergency manager (EM). Under PA 436, the EM has what amount to dictatorial powers. The Flint water crisis is only one of many disastrous outcomes of Michigan emergency management. Others include sale of public parks, libraries, and firefighting equipment. More severe damage occurs through the EMs power to sell public pensions, nullify collective bargaining contracts, fire public employees at will, and privatize or close schools. Democracy itself has been dispensed with since the EM is not elected and cannot be removed through public will. Despite being guaranteed by the Michigan and U.S. Constitutions, citizens living under an EM no longer rule themselves. Who are these people egregiously stripped of democratic rights? It turns out that they are disproportionately black. A recent study published by me and my co-author from Southern Methodist University, L. Owen Kirkpatrick (both of us lived in Michigan during our research and writing of the study), shows that 10% of all Michiganders have been under emergency management at some point since 2007. Of these, 73% were black while only 21% were white despite Michigan itself being less than 15% black. PA 436 specifically targets financially troubled communities. So this bias must be purely financial in origin, right? Wrong. The study controlled for fiscal distress measured by the Department of Treasury and found that it does not fully explain emergency management. The percentage of a city or school district that is black increases the likelihood of getting an EM despite its financial troubles and average income. Although race and class are linked (i.e., black cities tend to be poorer), black racial makeup prevails as a significant factor in the Governors application of PA 436. This is not simply chance. Scientific method demonstrates systematic racism. As the chart clearly shows, communities that are 50% or more white have almost no chance of getting emergency managers. Michigan historically has had racial segregation in housing and schools. Black Michiganders are unequal to whites on average in terms of income, wealth, health, and education concerning political processes. Thus, they have less chance to shape politics and are less threatening to politicians. The ultimate authority to assign an EM is the governor. Does this mean Rick Snyder deliberately targets black people? Although possible, this is unlikely. Gov. Snyder more likely deliberately avoids targeting white people who have the money, education, and political resources to harm his administration. His imposition of an EM in Flint was a continuation of racially-biased EM application and the cause of a major human health crisis in the city which is over 60% black. The Flint water crisis is not isolated. It is part of a statewide crisis of emergency management stripping democratic rights from Michigans citizens. In 2012, Michiganders expressed cross-color solidarity and repealed the EM law through a citizens initiative. Gov. Snyder did not flinch. In what seems more like fictional dark comedy, the state legislature took only 13 days to reinstate the EM Law. The Flint crisis and the removal of democracy are compelling enough reasons why Gov. Snyder should step down. But selective removal of democratic rights based on racial application of EM law should be the nail in the coffin. If Gov. Snyder wants to show he cares at all about Michigan and democracy, he should strike down his racially-applied law before willing leaving office. The Obama administration is seeking US$3.1 billion for a modernization fund to update federal information technology resources that need to be replaced with more efficient and productive systems. Initially, the fund would bolster the governments annual spending on IT, which is set for a modest increase to $89.8 billion in the administrations proposed budget for fiscal 2017. While upgrading older systems has been a concern for some time, the administration chose to present the IT fund idea as part of a separate $19 billion cybersecurity initiative within the proposed 2017 budget possibly to generate more support from lawmakers. The cybersecurity plan includes retiring outdated federal information technology systems that were designed in a different age and increasingly are vulnerable to attack, President Obama said when presenting the 2017 budget last month. Legacy IT systems are suffering from a multitude of things, including expensive operation and maintenance, declining functionality, weak security, and fewer people with the background to operate older facilities, federal CIO Tony Scott noted two days later at a forum hosted by the New America Foundation. Plan Could Generate $12 Billion The investment fund would constitute $3.1 billion in seed money, and federal agencies would submit projects to a review board for selection, according to the proposal. The administration is seeking $100 million for initial allocations. Agencies would return accrued savings from the investments to the revolving fund. The payback will have to come out of the funds that [the agencies] have, Scott said at the forum. Efficiencies from modernization eventually would create reimbursements to the fund sufficient to drive or leverage an additional $12 billion for upgrade investments over 10 years, theOffice of Management and Budget said. The continued and pervasive use of legacy IT systems by federal agencies results in increased cybersecurity risks to federal IT systems, downgraded service for the American people and businesses, increased personnel costs, and missed opportunities, Denise Turner Roth, administrator of theGeneral Services Administration, said last month at a hearing before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. GSA will be charged with operating the fund. Projects Must Meet Performance Checks Agencies devote so much of their annual budgets to legacy systems that they find it hard to get together a critical mass of funds for modernization projects, Turner said. More than 70 percent of civilian agency IT spending projected for 2017 will be for operations and maintenance. The multiyear aspect of the modernization fund program will help underpin long-term investments, although Scott noted that projects likely will be funded incrementally with required periodic performance checks. A team of systems architects and developers at GSA will provide additional oversight and development capabilities to ensure that modernization activities are successful. Overall, I believe OMB is headed in the right direction through this initiative, though it is tough from a timing perspective with a new administration transitioning in January 2017, said Tim Young, principal atDeloitte Consulting and a former deputy administrator at OMB. For the policy to be successful, the first few modernization efforts have to hit their quantitative goals in order to garner long-term support from a new administration and Congress, and be able to demonstrate that the new technology is delivering value and mission objectives, he told the E-Commerce Times. The proposed $3.1 billion multiyear IT modernization fund would put some weight behind the cross-agency authority that CIOs received in the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act and provide the flexibility necessary to make some initial investments in modernization, said Chris Wiedemann, senior analyst atimmixGroup. While were obviously waiting on the results of the ongoing committee discussions around this, we think it has a reasonable chance of being stood up, and were certainly interested in who leverages this money should it be appropriated, he told the E-Commerce Times. Funding Plan Is Hogwash One key member of Congress gave the proposal a cold shoulder during a hearing last month conducted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The hearing topic was security clearance reform, but the discussion veered briefly into the issue of legacy IT resources. Federal CIO Scott mentioned the difficulty agencies encounter in obtaining funds to replace legacy facilities. I think thats hogwash, committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said bluntly. Youre getting more than $80 billion a year and thats not enough? You ask for about $3 billion and yet youve had $525 billion over the last seven years, he said. To suggest that were just 3 billion away from actually solving this problem is ridiculous. Youre spending 70 percent on legacy expenses and only 30 percent on new systems but I dont think its due to a lack of funding. This is not a funding issue. One good trip to Best Buy you can do better than were doing now, Chaffetz continued. The Federal Buzz: Cloud Contract Protest; Cyber Survey HP Prevails in Cloud Contract: TheGovernment Accountability Office has upheld the award of a $225 million IT contact toHewlett Packard Enterprise Services by theU.S. Department of Education. GAO denied a protest of the award byDell Services Federal Government, which also bid on the contract. The project called for transitioning student loan data, including Pell grant information, from a noncloud virtual data center environment, in which Dell was the incumbent provider, to a next-generation hybrid cloud configuration. Dell failed to adequately respond to requirements dealing with a number of components in the project related to the use of cloud technology, the Education Department said. Dell contended that the departments descriptions for those components were not sufficiently clear, and as a result the lower grades the company received on portions of its proposal were unsupportable. In a decision earlier this year, however, GAO ruled that agencies dont need to identify every aspect of a project award as long as the entire project is assessed in a reasonable fashion. The fact that Dell may have overlooked the cloud aspect of some project components in its bid was not the departments fault, GAO essentially said. The goal of achieving cloud capability for all aspects of the system was sufficiently clear in the context of the project description. Federal Cyber Survey: Federal cybersecurity executives will have an opportunity to register their views on the state of government cyberprotection in a survey to be conducted jointly byISC2 andKPMG. Results will be released in May. Topics will include how federal executives plan to target resources for the Obama administrations proposed Cybersecurity National Action Plan, or CNAP, and what agencies have done in response to the Office of Personnel Management breach of more than 20 million records. Executives also will be asked about their cybersecurity priorities and factors affecting their government service. As part of CNAP, the administration is creating a federal chief information security officer position. As evidenced by the announcement of the new federal CISO position, the federal cyber executive perspective has an increasing role in helping government leaders make complex business decisions, said Dan Waddell, director of U.S. government affairs for ISC2. Together with KPMG, ISC2 is in the unique position to provide this platform for the voice of federal cyber executives to be heard at this very critical time. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on Tuesday announced a US$2.25 billion plan to expand the federal Lifeline subsidy program to help low-income consumers afford broadband Internet service. Lifeline, which currently allows low-income consumers to buy mobile phone service at a discount, would let them buy standalone broadband starting Dec. 1 for $9.25 per month or apply the discount to bundled services. The minimum standard would be 500 MB at 3G speed, increasing to 2 GB by the end of 2018. Only half the nations households in the lowest income tier subscribe to broadband at home, and 43 percent of all people who dont subscribe cite affordability as the reason, according to Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Forty-four percent of low-income consumers have been forced to cancel or suspend services because of financial constraints, they said. Among consumers whose only Internet access is through a smartphone, 48 percent have been forced to cancel or shut off service temporarily because of financial burdens. Continuing Reforms About 39.7 million households are eligible for the program, FCC spokesperson Mark Wigfield said. The participation rate is about 32 percent in the Lifeline program, or about 13 million people, he told the E-Commerce Times. The proposed change, which is subject to a March 31 vote by the full commission, builds on several administrative reforms launched in 2012 for the existing Lifeline program. The plan would have a monthly broadband allowance of 150 GB and fixed speed standard of 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. The plan is to phase out the subsidy for mobile voice by 2019, because the standard for that is moving toward voice over LTE. That is similar to what Vonage offers, where users talk over the high-speed Internet connection instead of a mobile voice plan, he added. The new plan would make it easier for legitimate broadband providers to enter the Lifeline program and removes unnecessary administrative regulations to make sure a wider range of companies can participate, the FCC said. It also would establish a third-party entity, called the National Eligibility Verifier, to verify that consumers using the program are eligible to participate. It would use existing government programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, which are prescreened, to determine eligibility for customers in order to reduce fraud. Reforms in 2012, including the National Lifeline Accountability Database, have decreased annual lifeline payouts by 30 percent, Wheeler and Clyburn said. Expanded Access Companies such as Google already have taken steps to expand broadband competition and access to low-income communities.Google Fiber operates in Kansas City, Missouri; Provo, Utah; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta and is expanding into Salt Lake City; San Antonio; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., spokesperson A.T. Williams said. The company is in talks with several other major cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago, he told the E-Commerce Times. Google also participates in a Department of Housing and Urban Development program called ConnectHome, which launched last month in Kansas City and connects Gigabit Internet service to public housing residents for free. Infrastructure Needed The FCC plan should aggregate the $9.25 subsidy into grants that can be used to build wireless infrastructure in low-income communities, saidCraig Settles, a technology analyst who specializes in broadband issues. That way, communities get to own the infrastructure and the service, and the grants could provide seed money for a more substantial hybrid wireless and wired infrastructure, he told the E-Commerce Times. And you reduce a lot of the fraud and waste so many people complain about. The FCC should encourage nonprofit organizations to be part of the solution, Settles added, pointing to a program calledMobile Beacon, which has 75 library systems participating throughout the country. As part of that program, the New York Public Library loans more than 10,000 mobile hotspots to patrons. Skills Gap The proposed changes are a significant step to opening up broadband access to far more low-income Americans, according toPublic Knowledge, which noted that half of households making less than $25,000 have no Internet service. However, there still is a critical skills gap that makes broadband access out of reach for many low-income families, said Phillip Berenbroick, counsel for government affairs at the group. That is why Lifeline modernization needs to be coupled with community engagement and outreach efforts to promote digital relevancy and digital literacy and why the FCCs modernization efforts should encourage widespread provider participation, he told the E-Commerce Times. The FCC plan is a positive development, but it needs to be coupled with additional steps to increase competition for smaller communities, according toFree Press, a digital advocacy group that has fought for greater competition in rural parts of the country. Letting a handful of companies control last-mile access to Internet users drives the cost of a connection far beyond the reach of many lower-income communities, said Matt Wood, policy director at Free Press. If the commission wants to increase affordability, it must address the lack of competition. GoDaddy on Monday launched a pay-as-you-go cloud platform along with applications powered byBitnami. The tools, Cloud Servers and Cloud Applications, are designed to help small businesses individual devs, tech entrepreneurs and IT professionals quickly build, test and scale cloud solutions. Provisioning takes 54 seconds or less, GoDaddy said. Bitnami is a library for open source server application deployments, and the partnership will provide users with one-click installation for applications such as WordPress and Drupal content management systems, Odoo CRM, and OpenCart and Magento e-commerce tools, according to the company. GoDaddy Cloud Servers users would pay only for what they use hourly, echoing Amazon Web Services model. Users can set monthly caps on usage. The tools are available in 26 languages in 53 markets. There is room for a lot of players if they are careful and can generate decent margins, suggested John Dinsdale, managing director atSynergy Research Group. About Cloud Servers The Cloud Servers offering is built on OpenStack and powered by purpose-built KVM. It uses a simple, powerful API and easy-to-user user interface to give devs complete control over their virtual instances, GoDaddy said. The offering includes concise in-app documentation and feature snapshots so users can save their configurations and use them to launch new servers. It uses solid-state drives across the board and has very fast I/O, according to the company. The Cloud Servers offering is integrated with other GoDaddy products such as domains and DNS so users can manage and maintain new and existing domains and subdomains. Customers have full access to multiple public-facing APIs. GoDaddy isnt going to compete against the big guys, said Lynda Stadtmueller, cloud computing services VP at Frost & Sullivan. It just isnt big enough to take on the Infrastructure as a Service, and doesnt, I think, have the ambition or the size to offer the broad array of cloud-based products that Amazon, Google and Microsoft are able to bring to market. Instead, the company is stepping out beyond its Web hosting business and telling its small- and medium-sized-business customers they dont have to go to Amazon now. They can use its infrastructure instead, she told the E-Commerce Times. This could work, Stadtmueller added. The relationship with Bitnami is helpful because cloud infrastructure is hard, harder than a lot of IT and operations folks realize when they first step into it, and Bitnami helps GoDaddy offer prepackaged cloud instances, she observed. That makes it a lot easier to deploy the GoDaddy infrastructure. GoDaddys Positioning Given its role in selling Internet domain names, GoDaddy has an enviable position at the front of the line in terms of pitching their services to a variety of categories, Al Hilwa, a research program director at IDC Seattle, told the E-Commerce Times. There might be a niche for GoDaddy, which is offering a little more handholding to the smaller businesses and even developers who may not be all that familiar or interested in the actual infrastructure deployment, Stadtmueller suggested. Most activity in the cloud space has been focused on the enterprise rather than SMBs, according toGlobal Equities Researchs Q1 report. Heres a sample: IBM acquiredUstream, which provides cloud-based live video streaming services to serve enterprise clients; and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with startupConsenSys to assist financial institutions and banks in experimenting with the blockchain technology underlying bitcoin. Amazon.coms AWS continues to lead the supercloud category, followed by Microsoft Azure. Together, AWS and Azure control 90 percent of the market, said Trip Chowdhry, managing director at Global Equities Research. Customers are increasingly adopting Hadoop-as-a-Service, with AWS Elastic MapReduce and Microsoft HDInsight business increasing more than 150 percent year over year, he told the E-Commerce Times. Nothing to Lose For GoDaddy, theres very little to lose, and may be something to gain, because [these services] are an additional revenue stream that makes its offerings a little stickier. They already have the infrastructure, Stadtmueller said. GoDaddy has to work its way up, Synergy Research Groups Dinsdale told the E-Commerce Times, and theres only one place to start. High-profile Silicon Valley executives last week attended a secret summit with GOP leaders at the American Enterprise Institutes World Forum in a bid to put the brakes on the political campaign of Donald Trump, according to a report published Monday in The Huffington Post. Trump has dominated the Republican presidential race with highly charged rhetoric and out-of-the-box campaign promises. Participants in the AEI meeting reportedly included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google cofounder Larry Page, Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and Napster cofounder Sean Parker. Major Republican congressional leaders also were in attendance, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, Wis., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Ky., and Sens. Tim Scott, S.C., Rob Portman, Ohio, and Ben Sasse, Neb. The meeting reportedly included a presentation by political consultant Karl Rove on focus group findings that indicated Trump was not seen as presidential. Off the Record Since the AEI tends to back conventional, mainstream conservatives like Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, parsing the dwindling opportunities to stop Trump was probably the subject of numerous discussions, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. AEI declined to offer any specifics on the confab, noting that it does not take positions on issues and therefore is open to various ideologies and points of view. To maintain intellectual freedom and free discourse, the event is private and off the record; therefore, we dont comment further on the content or attendees, spokesperson Judy Mayka told the E-Commerce Times. The agenda of the forum will be available in the coming weeks via House and Senate ethics filings, she added. Political Agenda Tech leaders have a variety of political concerns, including immigration, trade and security issues. Apple has been facing off with the FBI, which wants to access data locked in an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the San Bernardino, California, terrorist attack. Trump has called out Apple for refusing to cooperate with the agency, and told Fox & Friends that assisting with the investigation was a matter of common sense. He followed that up with a call for a boycott of Apple products during a campaign rally in South Carolina. Trump also has called out Apple for the outsourcing of its computer products, many of which are assembled in pieces overseas and returned to the U.S. for final assembly. Immigration and Trade Besides his threats of cracking down on Chinese trade imbalances, Trumps anti-immigration rhetoric has raised a lot of fear in Silicon Valley, as many of those companies are dependent on importing engineers and other high-tech specialists using H-1B visas, noted Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research. Trump has positioned job and trade issues as USA vs. the world, while most tech companies look at trade as a global win-win, he told the E-Commerce Times. There is fear in Silicon Valley that offshore cash may be repatriated forcibly, Pund-ITs King told the E-Commerce Times. Apple may have US$190 billion in assets overseas, and Google may have more than $30 billion. Repatriating it would require the companies to pay around 30 percent in taxes, so they have long argued for a special tax holiday that would allow them to bring the cash back home at a far reduced rate, he said. The Obama administration has opposed that, because the last time a tax holiday was granted at the request of the tech industry, companies used the repatriated money to pay dividends and buy back stock rather than to create jobs, King pointed out. Musk, one of the leading developers of alternative-fuel cars, has expressed concerns about tax credits for alternative vehicles and clean energy products, according to King. In December, Musk called on world leaders to pass a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Opera on Thursday announced that new version of its desktop browser will have ad blocking built in. Users can block ads in other browsers, but only through add-on programs called extensions. With ad blocking built in, Operas Web engine can perform the task better than extensions. People care about speed in a Web browser, so when youre developing a browser you always have to think about speed, said Krystian Kolondra, senior vice president for global engineering at Opera. While working on the next version of the browser, Operas developers asked themselves what they could do to give it a speed boost. We noticed that most of the time that is spent loading a page is spent loading advertising, Kolondra told TechNewsWorld. Faster Than Extensions Although using extensions to block advertising can have a positive impact on performance, Operas developers discovered that by blocking ads at the Web engine level, they could load Web pages an average of 40 percent faster than with an ad-blocking extension. Thats possible because the extension is running inside the browser, while our ad blocker is working at the network level, Kolondra explained. Ad blockers have gained popularity in recent months, particularly in the mobile world. Both Samsung and Apple have announced support for ad blockers in their mobile browsers. Meanwhile, in Europe, mobile operator Three last month announced that it would start blocking ads at the network level for its units in the UK and Italy. If successful, the initiative could be expanded to other Three markets around the world. Mobile is a huge problem, especially mobile Web, said Gavin Dunaway, senior editor for AdMonsters content team. If a provider doesnt have a mobile-optimized site, its a terrible experience for users, because you force them to download a bunch of stuff that sucks away their data, he told TechNewsWorld. Uncertain Impact Because Opera has such a small share of the worldwide browser market less than 2 percent it remains to be seen how much of an impact this upcoming version of the browser will have on advertising. If Opera were the dominant browser, it would be a different story, said Greg Sterling, vice president of strategy and insight at the Local Search Association. But Opera is a very small player at this point. Its signfiicant, though, in that it represents momentum in favor of ad blocking, he told TechNewsWorld. Its yet another company getting on the ad-blocking bandwagon. It will take some time before the full impact of Operas move can be determined, said Bryan Yeager, a senior analyst with eMarketer. If we see over the next few months this has been something that attracts more users to Opera and its share increases, then there may be some legs to this and maybe the ad industry should take note, he told TechNewsWorld. Opera is being pretty opportunistic in latching onto this trend around ad blocking and providing some differntiation from the extension-based approach, Yeager added. Undermining Internet Economy Does Opera feel its undermining the Internet economy by building ad blocking into the code of its browser? We understand that advertising is necessary for the economy of the Internet, Kolondra said. Internet services could never be free without ads. However, we ask ourselves why some sites with ads only see a marginal difference in page-loading speed, while some load 90 percent faster when we disable the ads, he continued. If the ads were better more relevant to users, lighter so they dont slow down page loading then we wouldnt have the problem that we have right now, Kolondra maintained. There are more reasons for using an ad blocker than faster page loading, noted Ben Williams, communications and operations manager for Eyeo, maker of AdBlock Plus. People use ad blockers because they are concerned about their privacy and their security, he told TechNewsWorld. There are lots of reasons for using ad blockers, but the message to the online ad industry is you need to do something better, said Williams. If ads didnt take so much time to load, if they werent so intrusive, if they were more upfront about the tracking thats going on, then maybe people wouldnt feel the need to download an ad blocker on every device that they have. Security researchers atPalo Alto Networks Unit 42 on Wednesday announced they had discovered in the wild a method of infecting nonjailbroken iPhones with malware by exploiting design flaws in Apples digital rights management technology. The flaw has been exploited since 2013 largely as a means to pirate iOS software, but this is the first time its been used to infect iPhones with malware, researcher Claud Xiao said. This is a fairly sophisticated attack, said Steve Kelly, president ofIntego. Theres a lot of moving pieces in this, he told TechNewsWorld. Somebody put quite a bit of effort in creating this. The Attack The attack works like this: The malware author purchases a legitimate app through the ITunes app. During the download process, the hacker intercepts the authorization code that accompanied the software. iOS devices use that code to authenticate the app. Once in possession of the code, the hacker writes a PC program touted to provide some utility for a user. The program, called Aisi Helper, purports to provide services for iOS devices such as system reinstallation, jailbreaking, system backup, device management and system cleaning. When the program runs, however, it emulates the iTunes client in the background and uses the intercepted authorization code to send infected apps to an iPhone secretly. Three infected apps were uploaded to the App Store from July to February, Xiao said. Each managed to avoid detection by Apple by tailoring its behavior to a geographic region. China Connection Apple removed these three apps from the App Store after we reported them in late February 2016, he noted. However, the attack is still viable because the FairPlay MITM attack only requires these apps to have been available in the App Store once. As long as an attacker could get a copy of authorization from Apple, the attack doesnt require current App Store availability to spread those apps, Xiao continued. While the malware, which Palo Alto calls AceDeceiver, appears to affect only users in mainland China, its a sign of bigger problems for Apple because its a blueprint for infecting nonjailbroken iPhones, he noted. As a result, its likely well see this start to affect more regions around the world, whether by these attackers or others who copy the attack technique, Xiao said. Cant Blame Jailbreakers With the recent introduction of ransomware forLinux andOS X, its apparent that malware writers are trying to expand their reach, noted Adrian Liviu Arsene, a senior threat analyst withBitdefender. This is the first time that weve seen malware as an application installed on an iPhone that was not jailbroken, he told TechNewsWorld. If that can happen, the skys the limit. Although Apple removed the infected wallpaper apps from the App Store as soon as Palo Alto notified it about them, it may have been surprised by the attack, maintained Vishal Gupta, CEO ofSeclore. Most attacks happen on jailbroken devices. Apple says its not responsible for jailbroken devices, and thats usually where the story ends, he told TechNewsWorld. This time its Apples responsibility, Gupta said, and theres no way Apple can shrug this off. Data Protection Needed Apple and other hardware makers need to focus more resources on protecting the data on phones, he maintained. Apple and others are too busy securing their devices. This device-centric view is, unfortunately, a challenge in the present security posture of a lot companies, including Apple, Gupta said. People are not interested in securing devices theyre interested in securing their data, he continued. If you lose your phone, youll feel sad about it, but you can always buy another phone, Gupta added. But if you lose youre data, that can be something very difficult to replace. Much of the analysis that Ive seen regarding the U.S. presidential election season concludes that it is progressing like the Goldwater vs. Johnson election in the 1960s, when the Republican Party torpedoed its own candidate, ensuring a Democratic Party win. This is happening despite statistics that suggest Hillary Clinton is an extremely weak candidate. At least, that was the case until Anonymous decided to jump into the fight to take Trump out. I think that development actually could push this divisive candidate over the top, if it goes beyond a threat and actually results in a substantive attack. Ill explain how and close with my product of the week: the Sulon Q, a fascinating virtual reality product coming to market in a few months, which will compete with Microsofts Hololens. Cybersecurity Platform One of the most interesting things about this years campaign is that while cybersecurity or actually the lack of it coupled with nation-level cyberattacks has been highlighted as one of the biggest threats the nation will have to face this decade, it isnt included in anyones campaign talking points. Everyone is ignoring it likely because they dont understand the threat, and most voters dont get it either. Given what is going on and the number of breaches credited to foreign governments, this is kind of like no one talking about the threat Japan represented to the U.S. right before Pearl Harbor. The threat is likely worse than what Japan represented, because back then it was believed that Japan couldnt threaten the American coast only Hawaii and a few military bases. Even so, taking out the largest U.S. base in the Pacific and attacking a U.S. state certainly got the countrys attention, and the result certainly impacted U.S. politics. U.S. and European politicians actually were blamed for conspiring to cause it. Imagine what is likely to happen if the U.S. is targeted by a massive cyberattack, given the government clearly is underprepared for one. The Anonymous Factor Anonymous is an amorphous group of people who present themselves as an organization, even though there is little evidence they actually are organized. Historically, they have been more of an annoyance than anything else, but they have the potential to do a significant amount of damage. Donald Trump, who fights largely over Twitter, would appear to be uniquely vulnerable, because of his reliance on social media to get his message out. He would seem to be outmatched, because he appears as an individual with an apparent lack of knowledge of cyberthreats. In short, it seems Anonymous could at the very least embarrass Trump, and at the most shut him down entirely. Donald Trumps Cards Like no other candidate running, Donald Trump runs a host of casinos, hotels, and other businesses many of which not only have huge security organizations, but also, particularly in the case of his casinos, unique capabilities to identify, track, and arrest those who attempt to do them damage, electronically or otherwise. So, through what would be a very high visibility attack, Anonymous at the same time could remind people of the threat, and showcase Trump as the only politician who can address it. Potentially, with his resources, he could catch more of the folks attacking him than he FBI could. That would be a layer on top of the Secret Service response, and because Trump is a national candidate, the end result would be a very public validation of two things: that cyberterrorism is a threat; and that only Trump knows how to deal with it. Depending on the news cycle and how many people realize just how big a national threat cyberterrorism is, the end result could allow Trump to overcome the seemingly unbeatable Clinton. Wrapping Up We clearly are not talking enough about cyberterrorism in general, and it is really one of the biggest threats if not the biggest the U.S. faces near term. It has the potential to severely damage the nation, from shutting down or compromising financial markets to shutting down or compromising utilities like water, power and telephony. Voters should be more aggressive in finding out which presidential candidate can best address the exposure. In addition, while Trump appears to be no more or less prepared to address this exposure with personal knowledge, he is the only candidate who actually has any defense against it and given his casino properties, his defense is likely one of the strongest private capabilities in the U.S. Attacking him outright wouldnt highlight his lack of knowledge but his defense capability, and likely make voters believe that he is uniquely capable of addressing the growing fear of cyberterrorism. Rather than hurting him and much like most every other attack on Trump this is likely to strengthen him, with the possibility of making it appear he is the only candidate who can keep the U.S. safe. If this scenario plays out, it could result in Trump winning the exact opposite of what Anonymous intends. Ironically, this might make more people mad at Anonymous than if they actually were successful. Thatll give you something to think about this week. Im a big fan of the Microsoft Hololens. It represents a fundamental change in how we look at augmented reality and virtual reality. It is also incredibly well funded, and it is being actively used to actually explore Mars, even in its Alpha phase. However, it has some limitations. The display doesnt cover the entire field of view, and it is transparent, which means virtual objects often dont look solid they look somewhat transparent and unsubstantial. That is actually OK for most initial business uses, but it sucks for gaming, where you want a lot more reality. Well the Sulon Q largely based on AMD technology and Windows 10 (like the Hololens) directly addresses this shortcoming. It blocks the view of the user and uses cameras to capture the surroundings, so the graphics system can recreate it. This results in virtual objects looking as solid as real objects, with the same capability of being able to play and move untethered in real environments without breaking a leg. Sulon Q Headset Now there is a clear offsetting shortcoming, and that is that because the Sulon Q doesnt just track but renders the entire room, the performance requirement is higher. Rather than make the virtual objects look real, it tends to make the real objects look virtual. It feels like you are in a game. Thats OK initially, for gaming, but it likely will fall short of professional needs. Both products will evolve differently, but given that my initial use likely will be gaming, the Sulon Q suddenly became my favorite and my product of the week. The federal program for improving the operation of thousands of government data centers has entered a new phase that will impact significantly how electronic information is stored and managed. Proposed updates to data center operations will affect providers of data management products and could spur the use of cloud technology. Commercial vendors and others with an interest in federal data center information technology have been invited to comment on the proposals by April 1. Federal CIO Tony Scott recently released proposals for major changes in government policy regarding federal data centers. The proposals include prohibiting government agencies from developing new data centers or significantly expanding existing centers unless such efforts are approved by the CIO and theOffice of Management and Budget. The office of the federal CIO operates as a unit within OMB. The approval policy was revealed in the March 2 Federal Register in which Scott outlined a revision of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative, or FDCCI, of 2010. A new Data Center Optimization Initiative will supersede the previous program. OMB presented the DCOI as a draft and will finalize the proposal after assessing public comment. A Focus on Performance This draft policy improves upon metrics for measuring successful management of data centers; sets federal governmentwide three-year targets for those metrics, closures and cost savings to be achieved from data centers; and takes steps to further federal incorporation of cloud alternatives, Scott said. While the proposed approval process doesnt necessarily preclude data center development, he referenced the policy as a development freeze. The policy proposal includes the following key components: New or expanded data centers: Agencies seeking OMB/CIO approval for data center development must provide an analysis of alternatives, including opportunities for cloud services, interagency shared services and third-party colocation. Requests also must include an explanation of the net reduction in the agencys data center inventory that would be facilitated by the new or expanded data center. Expansion of existing centers must meet the same requirements. Agencies seeking OMB/CIO approval for data center development must provide an analysis of alternatives, including opportunities for cloud services, interagency shared services and third-party colocation. Requests also must include an explanation of the net reduction in the agencys data center inventory that would be facilitated by the new or expanded data center. Expansion of existing centers must meet the same requirements. Cloud-based alternatives: In conformity with the administrations Cloud First policy, agencies shall use cloud infrastructure where possible, taking into consideration the cost, elasticity, and resiliency benefits of provisioned environments when planning new mission or support applications, Scott said. In conformity with the administrations Cloud First policy, agencies shall use cloud infrastructure where possible, taking into consideration the cost, elasticity, and resiliency benefits of provisioned environments when planning new mission or support applications, Scott said. Cloud environments are scalable and allow agencies to provision resources as required, on-demand an aspect that could be related to matching need with capacity rather than absorbing the cost of having excess data center capacity. Encouraging shared services: Vendors will be particularly interested in the designation of theGeneral Services Administration as the data center shared services managing partner. GSA will be charged with establishing and maintaining a data center shared services marketplace and coordinating shared services for interagency consumption. Related GSA functions will include coordinating with OMB to define qualifying operating standards for interagency shared services providers, creating guidance materials for becoming such a provider, and identifying and approving candidate providers. GSA also will create an online inventory of qualified interagency shared services providers. Vendors will be particularly interested in the designation of theGeneral Services Administration as the data center shared services managing partner. GSA will be charged with establishing and maintaining a data center shared services marketplace and coordinating shared services for interagency consumption. Shrinking data centers: Agencies must continue to shed duplicative and inefficient data center capacity. The policy requires agencies to principally reduce application, system and database inventories to essential enterprise levels by increasing the use of virtualization to enable pooling of storage, network and computing resources. Compliance options include using provisioned services such as Software as a Service, Platform as a Service and Infrastructure as a Service as much as possible. Such options could boost cloud investments measurably. Another option for agencies would be migrating to better optimized data centers within the agencys data center inventory. Importantly, the proposal provides some rigorous optimization metrics related to consolidation. They include a clarification of the definition of data center for purposes of meeting consolidation goals and stipulate that by the end of fiscal 2018, agencies should reduce government-wide annual costs attributable to physical data centers by at least 25 percent, versus 2016 levels. In addition, agencies are required to meet energy-consumption standards related to data center operation. GAO Offers Consolidation View The OMB policy proposal was released almost simultaneously with a report by theGeneral Accountability Office on the status of federal data center consolidation. In general, GAO said the government was making progress, but many of the achievements in consolidation were attributable to a relatively few agencies. In summary, we found that the 24 departments and agencies participating in FDCCI have collectively made progress on their data center closure efforts, but fell short of OMBs initiative-wide goal for agencies to close 40 percent of all noncore centers by fiscal year 2015, David Powner, director of IT management issues at GAO, said in the report. Agencies had identified 10,584 data centers and closed 3,125 through fiscal year 2015. However, the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Interior and Treasury accounted for 84 percent of these total closures. Nineteen of the 24 agencies reported achieving an estimated US$2.8 billion in cost savings and avoidances from fiscal years 2011 to 2015, GAO found. However, the departments of Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security and the Treasury accounted for 86 percent of the savings. If agencies continue with announced plans, another $5.4 billion could be saved by 2019. With 2,000 more centers to close or consolidate and $5.4 billion on the table, the new approval process makes sense, Powner told the E-Commerce Times. Regarding the impact of elements in the DCOI proposal that will further facilitate consolidation, I think the push needs to come from meeting the optimization metrics, that will result in additional closures and costs savings, he said. Commercial Providers Respond to Proposal The new DCOI represents continued progress toward realizing savings based on consolidation and more energy-efficient, highly utilized data centers, said Jim Menard, managing director ofAccenture Federal Services. The focus on measurement of data center optimization, cost savings and closure metrics will help to create transparency and drive agency accountability for DCOI goals, he told the E-Commerce Times. The proposed policy is a positive development because it indicates that OMB and the government are actually evolving with the transitions and transformation of data centers and the applications it hosts, while simultaneously moving towards achieving cost savings and increased operational efficiencies, said Kapil Bakshi, distinguished systems engineer atCisco Federal. This policy can actually be viewed as a catalyst for government agencies looking to reach new levels of efficiency and enhanced service delivery, he told the E-Commerce Times. The DCOI in a sense is catching up with IT developments that already are underway and becoming available through commercial providers. Cisco has been working hard to focus on these and related aspects as part of our data center and cloud initiatives for the past few years because we anticipated these transitions taking place in the industry and customers, Bakshi said, noting that the policy encourages cloud migrations, shared services and optimization. Cisco has been boosting capabilities with hybrid cloud strategies where multiple clouds and data centers are used to host applications and services in a shared environment. This structure allows these applications to be portable and interoperable in standards fashions, and very much aligns with the DCOI, Bakshi said. The company has been investing in FedRAMP-compliant SaaS offerings, which conform to the proposed transition to cloud and interagency shared services. As far as the DCOI goals for optimization, sustainability and energy efficiency, Cisco is working on hyperconverged infrastructure offerings that eliminate silos to bring compute, network and storage into a common operating environment, he said. Accenture also has identified infrastructure as an operational target. In addition to the data center facilities themselves, action can be taken to improve the infrastructure running inside federal data centers, said Menard. Accentures vision for digital government includes transformation to an intelligent infrastructure that can monitor itself, predict demand based on utilization and trends, learn through advanced analytics, and protect itself from constantly evolving threats. 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Halt our downward spiral, former Senate majority leaders Trent Lott and Tom Daschle urge in a recent Washington Post op-ed . Democracy requires active engagement, mindfulness, and tolerance, they write. Active engagement surely includes voting, even in nonpresidential years and on local matters. It may include serving in public roles. It also includes staying abreast of local, national, and international issues and, perhaps, communicating with elected officials. Many observers, here and abroad, warn that the United States cannot meet its domestic and international responsibilities unless more Americans are better informed on the issues and exercise their right to vote. Preparing students for todays entry-level careers and freshman-level college courses is among the goals of the new Every Student Succeeds Act. The role education needs to play in making for a functioning democracy, one Thomas Jefferson saw as crucial, is not mentioned. The Common Core State Standards appear silent on the skills and knowledge needed to have informed views on issues such as economic policy, global warming, the clash of civilizations, globalization, immigration, technological change, and the risks of terrorism. Some would argue that preparing for collegewith years of language, math, and social studieswould equip students to understand these and other national concerns. In some high schools, they would be right. But because citizenship is not explicit in the standards for reading and maththe subjects covered by the common coreno one knows how many schools succeed in preparing students to fulfill the duties the president mentioned. Standards are likely to evolve as ESSA is implemented and states assume more control. As that evolution happens, it would be well if those who make education policy at the federal, state, and local levels keep in mind what participatory democracy in the 21st century requires. For example, shouldnt all high school graduates understand how scientists find and challenge truth? One need not be a scientist to think clearly about climate change and energy policy. Voters should know enough, in the presidents words, to speak out intelligently about nuclear weapons and genetic modification. This knowledge is not the same as the content of the typical chemistry test. The Next Generation Science Standards, for instance, provide an opportunity to enhance students knowledge of current issues. Math standards should also be modified to support citizenship. The 8th grade common-core standards include the ever-useful : Use square root and cube root symbols to represent solutions to equations of the form x2 = p and x3 = p, where p is a positive rational number. Although the math standards include statistics, these concepts are rarely applied to important public facts or choices, such as understanding income inequality or alternative plans for tax reform. Todays standards fail to promote the financial literacy needed to make sense of student debt, let alone banking reform. The United States cannot meet its domestic and international responsibilities unless more Americans are better informed on the issues and exercise their right to vote." Adding the goal of informed citizens would also affect other curricula. Many high schooland collegegraduates know little of the history or economics of the Great Depression or the Great Recession. Such knowledge would help them evaluate the 2016 presidential candidates economic proposals in a way that details of the French and Indian War will not. Employers and managers have been surveyed countless times in the last 25 years about what work requires of schools. They consistently respond that communicationoral and writtencollaboration, critical thinking, planning, creativity, and other soft skills play a key role in workplace success. These skills closely match those required for citizenship, and many schools are already using project-based learning to teach these soft skills. Students in High Tech High School here in San Diego, for example, have studied historical movements that resulted in social and political change. They had to answer the question: What would you fight for? In this and other well-designed projects, students use and engage with interesting visual representations of numerical data. When projects are successful, students learn that productive collaboration takes more than just being assigned to a team. But students need to be explicitly taught to work well together. There are ample opportunities for students to explore how astronauts working on the International Space Station for monthsor even yearsat a time work together, or how legislators working on a bipartisan bill collaborate. Students who are invited to role-play in these or other contexts can learn how to solve complex problems, while studying the details of important events. High school graduates should have a sense of how governments at all levels set budgets; they should be introduced to time-management techniques used for projects in the public or private sector. Knowing how to manage money and time is crucial to becoming an engaged citizen and a successful employee, and to handling other adult responsibilities. Behaviors such as tolerance and integrity are important in politics and employment. History courses, by illuminating what this has meant to real people in concrete situations, can address these qualities. As states determine standards for high school graduation, they should pay attention to what those who have been working in public policy think is necessary to have an informed electorate. Sens. Lott and Daschle, as well as President Obama, have valuable insights. So do those in the media who target their writing to meet their average readers knowledge base. A national commission that included previously elected public officials, media, and college faculty could provide useful input as governors and state superintendents ponder what their high school graduates should know and be able to do. "[F]ocus on our future, President Obama admonished the country, change the system. Youngsters who fulfill their duties as citizens are essential to that task. Havana, Mar 24 (EFE).- Google has opened its first technology center in Cuba in the Havana studio of artist Alexis Leyva, better known as Kcho, offering no-cost access to the Internet at much faster speeds than those normally available on the island. The Google + Kcho.Mor center will give Cubans a chance to familiarize themselves with the latest generation of gadgets from the U.S. technology giant, such as the cardboard virtual reality goggles for use with mobile devices State telecom company Etecsa will provide the Internet connection, though at much faster speeds than those available at its roughly 60 Wi-Fi public hotspots across the Communist-ruled country. While showing EFE around the facility, Kcho said that the initial contact with Google took place last July during his visit to Washington for the re-opening of the Cuban Embassy. To make the idea a reality, he said, "we had to overcome old taboos and obstacles that the (U.S. Treasury Department's) Office of Foreign Asset Control has against technological relations with Cuba." OFAC is responsible for enforcing Washington's 53-year-old economic embargo against Cuba. Kcho, who holds a seat in the Cuban parliament, said he hopes the center will serve as a bridge between universities and scientific institutions in the Caribbean country and the United States. "During his visit to Cuba (U.S. president) Barack Obama recognized our country's achievements in health and education, and this site will help us to share that," Kcho said. "I think that users of these kind of spaces will be the ones who show the world that the blockade (embargo) should not exist for one more day." Obama, during his March 20-22 visit, said that all Cubans should have Internet access. Ely, Cambridgeshire is best known for its majestic cathedral dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it dominates the flat landscape. The city, which is the second smallest in England, is about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles by road from London. 08:11, 22 OCT 2022 Re: Serbia captures fugitive Karadzic Quote: Sash_ A government consisting of democrats and Milosevic's socialists; how bizarre is that? ... If they swallowed loss of Kosovo, they'll swallow everything else, including extradition of Karadzic, Mladic and their grandmothers. Kosovo independence was really pushed down their throats, but what can they do? Go to war with NATO again? Hardly an option even if Seselj was not in the Hague. In my humble opinion, it is good to see a Serbian government with some sense of direction other than off the cliff. And even better for everone around them that they finally decided to look to Europe. Yes, quite bizarre, but, to quote Shakespare: Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.Kosovo independence was really pushed down their throats, but what can they do? Go to war with NATO again? Hardly an option even if Seselj was not in the Hague.In my humble opinion, it is good to see a Serbian government with some sense of direction other than off the cliff. And even better for everone around them that they finally decided to look to Europe. Re: Serbia captures fugitive Karadzic Karadzic 'worked in Serb clinic' Mr Karadzic lived freely in Belgrade using a false identity and disguised Captured Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic was practising alternative medicine and living in Serbia's capital, Belgrade. He was working in a private clinic in a "very convincing disguise", sporting a long white beard, and calling himself Dragan Dabic, a Serb official said. He was arrested on Monday near Belgrade after more than a decade on the run. He is indicted by the UN tribunal for war crimes and genocide over the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica. A judge has ordered Mr Karadzic's transfer to the UN war crimes court in The Hague, Serbia's war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic said. Mr Karadzic's lawyer, Sveta Vujacic, has said he will appeal the ruling; he has three days to do so. Amazing He was working in a private clinic in a "very convincing disguise", sporting a long white beard, and calling himself Dragan Dabic, a Serb official said.He was arrested on Monday near Belgrade after more than a decade on the run.He is indicted by the UN tribunal for war crimes and genocide over the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica. A judge has ordered Mr Karadzic's transfer to the UN war crimes court in The Hague, Serbia's war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic said. Mr Karadzic's lawyer, Sveta Vujacic, has said he will appeal the ruling; he has three days to do so. Many patients who have a common medical device known as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) are unaware that the device can be deactivated to prevent painful shocks in their final days of life, according to two studies scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session. The Heart Rhythm Society and the European Society of Cardiology have issued recommendations encouraging physicians to inform patients about the benefits of deactivating an ICD when death is near, yet recent studies show that up to 31 percent of people with an ICD receive shocks in their last day of life. Two new studies add further evidence that doctors are not consistently implementing these recommendations, which the authors said may reflect a reticence to engage in difficult discussions about end-of-life decisions. "When you reach the stage of palliative care, sometimes the ICD doesn't have a role in caregiving anymore," said Dilek Yilmaz, M.D., a Ph.D. fellow in cardiology at the Heart and Lung Center of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and lead author of one of the studies. "If a person is dying of a terminal cancer, for example, the ICD is not going to prolong their life, but it is fairly likely to cause pain in their last hours and prevent them from having a peaceful death." ICDs are battery-powered, surgically implanted devices used to prevent sudden death in people with certain conditions, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, that put them at risk for life-threatening heart rhythms. If the device detects a dangerous heart rhythm, it issues a shock to restore a normal heartbeat. ICDs are extremely common, with 10,000 implanted each month in the United States alone, according to the American Heart Association. The device can be deactivated using a computer in any cardiologist's office, with no need for additional surgical intervention. Because ICDs do not maintain the heart rhythm on an ongoing basis like a pacemaker does, deactivating the device does not actively hasten death. However, if a patient experiences a dangerous heart rhythm--a common occurrence during the natural course of death from any cause--a deactivated ICD will not intervene to rescue the patient. "These shocks are often much more frequent on the patient's last day than any other day of their life," said Silvia del Castillo, M.D., a cardiologist at Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada in Madrid and lead author of the second study. "I think it's cruel in many cases to leave the ICD on until the very end, and when doctors don't provide enough information about deactivation or delay that conversation until the final hours, it undercuts the patient's right to make their own decisions." The two studies, conducted independently in the Netherlands and in Spain, revealed similar patterns. Study authors said the situation in the United States is likely to be similar, as well. For the study conducted in Spain, del Castillo and her colleagues surveyed 243 patients with ICDs during clinic visits at three Spanish hospitals. While most respondents showed a high level of understanding about what an ICD is and what it does, far fewer demonstrated a clear understanding of the option to deactivate the ICD or what would happen if it were to be deactivated. Sixty-eight percent assumed shocks were inevitable in the presence of an abnormal heart rhythm, and 21 percent incorrectly believed that deactivation would lead to immediate cardiac arrest. Just 38 percent were aware that they could decide to deactivate their ICD after consulting with their doctor, and only 37 percent knew that ICD deactivation is ethically appropriate and recommended by major scientific societies. In the study conducted in the Netherlands, Yilmaz and her colleagues surveyed 328 patients with ICDs during a patient educational symposium. Although 73 percent were aware that their ICD could be deactivated, just 12 percent had consulted with their doctors about the matter. Neither of the studies revealed trends in terms of factors such as gender or level of education playing a role. Both study authors attribute the findings to communication gaps and cultural challenges around end-of-life planning. "As doctors, we are focused on healing the patient and saving lives," del Castillo said. "It's hard to talk about death and to explain that this therapy that can save their life now could be harmful to them later. Because we have a hard time talking to patients about this, in the end doctors often make the decision about ICD deactivation alone or with the family, instead of with the person who should be the real decision-maker, the patient." The best time to begin the conversation about ICD deactivation, according to the studies' authors, is around the time when the ICD is being implanted, which is often many years before a patient's death. Then it can be mentioned again during follow-up visits or when someone receives a terminal diagnosis. "These shocks are painful for the patient and also painful for their family to witness," Yilmaz said. "As a doctor, if you don't even discuss it with your patient, you could be denying them the opportunity for a peaceful death." Because many people spend their final days in hospice or under the care of a medical team that does not include their cardiologist, there is often no opportunity to deactivate an ICD before death unless the patient or the patient's family has previously been made aware of that option and decides to actively pursue it. This context underscores the need for cardiologists to inform patients of the option of deactivation and its benefits early on, the researchers said. ### del Castillo's study was funded by the Victor Grifols i Lucas Foundation. The Leiden University Medical Center Department of Cardiology receives unrestricted research and fellowship grants from Medtronic, Biotronik and Boston Scientific. The studies, "Patient Awareness of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator-therapy Deactivation When the End is Near," and "Implantable Defibrillator Management Near the End of Life: Do Patients Know Enough to Decide?" will be presented on April 2, 2016, at 10 a.m. CT/11 a.m. ET/4 p.m. UTC and 9:45 a.m. CT/10:45 a.m. ET/3:45 p.m. UTC, respectively, at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session in Chicago. The meeting runs April 2-4. The ACC's Annual Scientific Session, which in 2016 will be April 2-4 in Chicago, brings together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists from around the world to share the newest discoveries in treatment and prevention. Follow @ACCMediaCenter and #ACC16 for the latest news from the meeting. The American College of Cardiology is a 52,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. Yilmaz will present the study, "Patient Awareness of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator-therapy Deactivation When the End is Near," on Saturday, April 2, 2016, at 10 a.m. CT/11 a.m. ET/4 p.m. UTC in Poster Area, South Hall A1. del Castillo will present the study, "Implantable Defibrillator Management Near the End of Life: do Patients Know Enough to Decide?" on Saturday, April 2, 2016, at 9:45 a.m. CT/10:45 a.m. ET/3:45 p.m. UTC in Poster Area, South Hall A1. Alexandria, VA - In 2013, researchers uncovered the graves of two infants laid to rest about 11,500 years ago outside of what is now Fairbanks, Alaska. Researchers understood that these graves represented some of the earliest human migrants to North America, but were they more closely related to their Asian ancestors, or the modern-day residents of North and South America? Using mitochondrial DNA analysis of the infants, what could we learn about our own human history? Humans arrived in North America because massive terrestrial glaciers had lowered sea level so much that a land bridge existed between Asia and North America. But when people migrated, where they stayed and for how long before moving southward is mysterious. Now, because the infants' bodies were well preserved, scientists were able to use genetic analysis to tease out how they relate to modern Americans. Find out what the infants' DNA tells us about early migration patterns in EARTH Magazine: http://bit.ly/1o6yW1X. EARTH Magazine brings you the most exciting discoveries about our planet and beyond. The April 2016 issue takes readers to space, where scientists have just calculated the mass for the smallest known exoplanet; underground into a study conducted on how an ant colony will handle the heat of Earth's changing climate; and out on the oceans, where scientists are untangling clues about deadly rogue waves. All this and more is available at http://www.earthmagazine.org. ### Keep up to date with the latest happenings in Earth, energy and environment news with EARTH Magazine online at: http://www.earthmagazine.org/. Published by the American Geosciences Institute, EARTH is your source for the science behind the headlines. The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment. Finnish researchers have demonstrated that photoinhibition of photosystem I, which reduces the effectiveness of photosynthesis, is actually a plant's self-defense mechanism against more extensive harm. The research was funded by the Academy of Finland. Plants use energy from the Sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates that act as the building blocks and energy sources for life. Oxygen is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis. However, this also causes secondary reactions that slow photosynthesis. "Photosynthesis has developed in conditions where the atmosphere's oxygen content was low and its carbon dioxide content high. When photosynthetic organisms became the dominant life form around the world, the atmosphere's oxygen content rose, after which its secondary reactions have become a problem for photosynthesis," says University Lecturer of Molecular Plant Biology Mikko Tikkanen from the University of Turku. Tikkanen also works in the Academy of Finland's Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology of Primary Producers. Despite having developed safety mechanisms against secondary reactions, plants cannot avoid damage completely. An intriguing observation was that the damage alters the function of photosystem I. Instead of forwarding electrons from water splitting photosystem II, a damaged photosystem I begins to dissipate excess excitation energy as heat and stops producing NADPH molecules, which is its normal function. "We proved that altering the function is a way to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from more extensive damage. Damage initiates a series of changes, where the direction of light energy is turned towards damaged photosystem I centres. This reduces the risk of damage to photosystem II and curtails the electron flow towards photosystem I, which stops the damage, Tikkanen explains. In photosynthesis, photosystem II oxidises water into electrons, hydrogen protons and oxygen, whereas photosystem I uses electrons to produce high energy NADPH. The damage referred to as photoinhibition has been thought to be a detrimental reaction that should be avoided. It was thought, among other things, to reduce profits from crops. "It was previously believed that photosystem II and photosystem I worked in series but rather independently in converting light energy into chemical form. Our new research demonstrates that photosystems form a functional pair in that damage to one protects the other from more extensive damage," Tikkanen says. An understanding of the roles of photosynthesis' different photosystems is important with regard to understanding the evolution of the photosynthesis mechanism. "When the roles are recognised, we will no longer use the wrong methods in an effort to increase the effectiveness of photosynthesis. New data helps us see the problem points for the development of artificial photosynthesis," Tikkanen says. The research article was published in the scientific journal Nature Plants: http://www.nature.com/articles/nplants201635. ### Title: Photodamage of iron-sulphur clusters in photosystem I induces non-photochemical energy dissipation Authors: Arjun Tiwari, Fikret Mamedov, Michele Grieco, Marjaana Suorsa, Anjana Jajoo, Stenbjorn Styring, Mikko Tikkanen, Eva-Mari Aro DOI: 10.1038/nplants.2016.35 More information University Lecturer Mikko Tikkanen, University of Turku, tel. +358 2 333 8255, mikko.tikkanen@utu.fi With the world's population exploding to well over 7 billion, feeding the human race is getting even more challenging. Increasing the yield from crops such as wheat, maize, rice and barley, is paramount to growing enough food. In addition, crop production is now affected by stressors such as drought, climate change and the salinization of fields -- presenting obstacles to our future food supply. Researchers with Arizona State University's School of Life Sciences, University of Arizona, University of North Texas and with the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, have discovered a way to enhance a plant's tolerance to stress, which in turn improves how it uses water and nutrients from the soil. These improvements increase plant biomass and yield. The study's findings are published in the scientific journal Trends in Biotechnology. Associate professor Roberto Gaxiola with ASU School of Life Sciences said this discovery could be instrumental in agriculture and food security by improving crop sustainability and performance. "'We have learned how to modify the expression of a gene that codes for a plant proton pump," said Gaxiola, lead author of the study. "This gene helps to move photosynthates -- or molecules made by photosynthesis in the leaves -- to the places plants need them in order to grow better roots, fruits, young leaves and seeds. This gene is called type 1 H+-PPase and is found naturally in all plants." Current agricultural methods often overuse fertilizer, causing environmental problems by polluting water with phosphates and creating dead zones in oceans downstream. Over-fertilization can also cause plants to have small roots -- something that was not anticipated when fertilizers were developed in the early 1900s. By changing how effectively a plant uses water and nutrients, famers would be able to use fewer resources to grow their crops. "Larger roots allow plants to more efficiently acquire both nutrients and water. We can optimize inputs while minimizing environmental impacts. This is advantageous for our environment and for all consumers," said Gaxiola. Altering the expression of this gene in rice, corn, barley, wheat, tomato, lettuce, cotton and finger millet caused better growth in roots and shoots, and also improve how the plants absorbed nutrients. These crops also saw improved water use and tolerance to salt. In finger millet, researchers also discovered an increase in antioxidants, but further studies would be needed to know whether this is the case with other crops as well. Gaxiola suggested the next step is to further study this simple biotechnology in order to maximize its agricultural potential. ### This study was funded by the National Science Foundation (IOS-1122148). Mountain View, CA (March 24, 2016): A normal, predominant bacterial species of the healthy vaginal microbiota can be engineered for potential use as a novel protective agent against HIV-1 transmission in women, according to a new publication from scientists at Osel, Inc. and their collaborators. The authors describe the engineering of Lactobacillus jensenii to stably express broadly neutralizing antibody fragments against the HIV-1 virus in an advanced online publication of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, entitled "Expression of HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibody Fragments Using Human Vaginal Lactobacillus." Eradicating HIV-1 through the use of a vaccine that produces broadly neutralizing antibodies has been the ultimate goal for HIV prevention, however generating appropriate immune responses via vaccine strategies has proven difficult. "Most viruses enter the human body through muscosal surfaces, and in women, the vagina and cervix are the major sites of entry for HIV-1 during sexual intercourse," said Laurel Lagenaur, Ph.D, senior author and Director of Research at Osel. "Lactobacilli already play a protective role in the vagina by reducing inflammation, which is a risk factor for HIV infection. Engineering these bacteria to deliver HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies mucosally at the site where the virus first enters the body may offer a cost-effective and long-lasting new barrier to HIV-1 transmission that is different but compatible with current antiviral therapies, barrier methods or future vaccines." Osel scientists have previously demonstrated that Lactobacillus could be engineered to secrete another anti-HIV-1 protein. They also demonstrated that successful vaginal colonization by the engineered bacterium reduced vaginal HIV transmission in a primate animal model by over 63%. "Engineered vaginal Lactobacilli with anti-HIV properties, like the delivery of neutralizing antibodies or antiviral proteins, offer considerable potential as Live Biotherapeutic Products for an important global health need -- reducing the heterosexual transmission of HIV in women," said K.T. Moortgat, Ph.D., Osel Chief Executive Officer. "If successfully developed, Osel's MucoCept technology could provide an accessible and durable approach that could be used inexpensively, discretely, and in a way that enhances the natural protective effects of the vaginal microbiota. Osel's MucoCept technology is currently in pre-clinical development, and we expect to progress to clinical testing within the next 2 years." ### This work was funding in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through a Grand Challenges Explorations Grant and an NIH Small Business Innovative Research grant. About MucoCept Technology The mucosal surfaces of the vagina and cervix are colonized with a natural microbiota, mainly Lactobacillus, which help to protect the mucosa. Lactobacilli produce lactic acid, which lowers vaginal pH and promotes a healthy epithelium. These bacteria also appear to have a role in immune modulation, by reducing inflammation. Vaginal inflammation is a risk factor for Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection because inflammatory cells are targets for the virus, which enters the body during sexual intercourse through the vaginal and cervical mucosa. Osel's MucoCept Technology platform aims to leverage this natural microbiota of the vagina and cervix and enhance it to prevent infection from HIV by engineering one microbial component, Lactobacillus jensenii, to produce anti-viral proteins or anti-HIV antibodies capable of neutralizing the virus. If successfully developed, this approach could provide a potent weapon against the heterosexual transmission of HIV that is coitally independent, inexpensive and potentially long lasting. The MucoCept platform also offers the potential to target other viral pathogens, as well as bacteria and fungi. It can furthermore be directed to express antibodies to modulate inflammation or target cancer. About Osel, Inc. Osel, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, is focused on the development and commercialization of a broad portfolio of Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs) that prevent or treat medical conditions resulting from a disruption of the human microbiome. In 2003, Osel became one of the first companies to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization to test a live bacterial therapeutic, and the company is a pioneer in the field of LBPs. The company's proprietary approach identifies differences between healthy and disease-related microbiomes and leverages beneficial microbes to treat problematic disruptions or dysbioses. Osel's approach of repopulating the disrupted microbiome with beneficial bacteria helps to restore a healthy and protective microbiota. Osel's primary focus is women's health, with initial areas of interest including recurrent urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis. The company's secondary focus is disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The company has two clinical stage products and ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials in these areas. Osel also has a LBP-based technology platform, MucoCept, directed to the prevention of HIV transmission. Osel is based in Mountain View, CA. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://oselinc.com. Media Contacts: Joan Kureczka, 415-821-2413 Joan@bioscribe.com Nicole Litchfield, 415-793-6468 Nicole@bioscribe.com Berkeley -- There is enough known about cloud formation that replicating its mechanism has become a staple of the school science project scene. But a new study by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) reveals that much more is going on at the microscopic level of cloud formation than previously thought. The scientists determined that organic molecules effectively depressed the surface tension of the water, allowing for more efficient formation of bigger cloud droplets. "Conventional wisdom says that the water solubility of the aerosol is the key factor in the formation of cloud droplets," said study senior author Kevin Wilson, the deputy director of science at Berkeley Lab's Chemical Sciences Division. "The more easily a particle dissolves in water, the easier it is for a cloud droplet to form. What we're finding is that relying upon solubility alone doesn't always work. Our study suggests that what the aerosol is doing at the interface with water is what matters in accurately predicting whether it will go on to form cloud droplets." The findings, to be published in the March 25 issue of the journal Science, could improve the accuracy of climate change models that predict the potential cooling effect of reflective clouds based upon the particles in the air. "Accurately describing the connection between the chemistry of aerosol particles and the formation of cloud droplets remains difficult, and it is a key challenge for models to correctly predict climate," said Wilson. Wilson worked with study lead author Christopher Ruehl, who did the research while he was a postdoctoral scholar; and co-author James Davies, a current postdoctoral scholar at Berkeley Lab. The devil's in the details The current understanding of how cloud droplets form involves water vapor that encounters cooler air, often at higher altitudes and lower pressure. The vapor then condenses into small droplets of water or ice crystals that comprise clouds. But the real catalyst in this process is the condensation of water on aerosol particles. These particles, known as cloud condensation nuclei, seed the formation of the cloud droplets. The details surrounding this microphysical process remain unclear, but the belief took hold among many atmospheric scientists and meteorologists that the main factor of significance when cloud droplets formed was the solubility of the aerosol. These microscopic interactions could have macroscopic effects. The size of the droplets in a cloud affect its brightness. The smaller and more numerous the droplets, the more light gets scattered. Reflecting more light has the effect of cooling Earth's surface. Certain inorganic particles, like sea salt, dissolve easily in water, but the atmosphere is typically a complex mixture of organic and inorganic aerosols. Sources of organic aerosols include diesel and gasoline emissions, forests, wildfires and even algal blooms in the ocean. To account for this mix of particles, the Berkeley Lab researchers conducted experiments using custom-built equipment to model cloud droplet formation. They used dicarboxylic acids, a type of organic compound, and ammonium sulfate, an inorganic salt. They measured the size of the droplets formed when the particles were exposed to water vapor under typical cloud-forming conditions. "We were finding that the cloud droplets were 50 to 60 percent larger than predicted using standard models that relied upon how easily the particles could dissolve," said Ruehl, who is now an engineer studying vehicle emissions at the California Air Resources Board. "That's when we realized something else was going on, so we created a new model." By factoring in the effects of surface tension depression, the researchers were able to correctly predict the size of the droplets formed. "The role of inorganic and organic aerosols in cloud formation has been a highly contentious issue that's been argued about for many years," said Wilson. "Based on the paper's findings, I would say that these surface interactions play a central role in cloud droplet formation, and that they should be considered in climate models." ### Funding for this research came from DOE's Basic Energy Sciences program. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Washington, D.C.--March 24, 2016-- The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) has been selected to receive the prestigious Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development Award for its model to nationally scale up use of the innovative "Pratt Pouch" to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Uganda. The Pratt Pouch, a polyethylene pouch, similar to a ketchup pouch, offers a unique way for mothers to easily provide pre-measured, single doses of the HIV prophylaxis Nevirapine (NVP) to their babies. EGPAF's model will introduce the easy-to-use pouches during antenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care services in Uganda with the goal of reaching 40,000 infants in three years. The Pratt Pouch has been evaluated in laboratory and low-resource facility settings with positive results. EGPAF's new project will integrate Pratt Pouch technology into the existing supply chain and service delivery platforms to design a sustainable, evidence-based model for national scale-up in Uganda and other low-resource countries. "EGPAF's model is the first and only model that will allow the Pratt Pouch to be used on a national scale. It could be a game-changer for the way we deliver HIV prophylaxis to infants, not just in Uganda, but worldwide," said Dr. Edward Bitarakwate, country director for EGPAF-Uganda. "Mothers will now be empowered to easily and effectively give their babies the medicine they need to remain HIV-free." Every year, 120,000 infants in Uganda are exposed to HIV, and nearly 16,000 become infected during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. Antiretroviral prophylaxis given from birth to six weeks of age can significantly reduce the risk of transmission, yet 68 percent of HIV-exposed infants in Uganda do not receive this critical medication. By incorporating the Pratt Pouch during antenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care, EGPAF's model provides women living with HIV with several opportunities to access the pouches. This is especially important as many pregnant women in Uganda do not attend all recommended antenatal visits and may be lost to follow-up after delivery. Therefore, EGPAF will distribute the Pratt Pouches during the women's first ANC visit, which should be several months before birth. By providing women with an easy, simple way to give the correct dose of medication to their infants, the model increases the likelihood that their babies will remain HIV-free in the crucial first weeks of life, even if mothers miss further clinic visits. Pouches will also be available during delivery and postnatal care for mothers who did not receive them during antenatal care. EGPAF will partner with the Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) and Pratt Pouch Consulting to develop the scale-up model. EGPAF will also partner with the official Pratt Pouch distributer, Maternova, a social enterprise which distributes novel technologies to improve clinical interventions for women and newborns worldwide, to distribute the pouches. EGPAF is among 19 other awardees who were selected from more than 750 submissions in Saving Lives at Birth's fifth call for innovations. EGPAF is now part of a growing community of more than 90 innovators supported by the Saving Lives at Birth partnership to prevent maternal and infant deaths in the hardest to reach regions of the world. The Saving Lives at Birth partnership, launched in 2011, includes the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the Government of Canada), the U.K's Department for International Development (DFID) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). It is a global call for groundbreaking, scalable solutions to infant and maternal mortality around the time of birth. ### About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF): EGPAF is the global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV/ AIDS and has reached nearly 23 million women with services to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies. It currently supports more than 6,000 health facilities and works in 14 countries to implement prevention, care, and treatment services; to further advance innovative research; and to execute global advocacy activities that bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.pedaids.org. Refugees traveling across countries in Europe must have better access to Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics and treatments in order to prevent a rise in new cases of the disease, according to experts writing in the European Respiratory Journal today. TB is globally a major cause of mortality, affecting 9.6 million people with 1.5 million deaths in 2014. Vulnerable populations, which often include migrants and refugees, have an increased risk of TB infection. In addition, the rise in the level of cross-border movement has increased the need for collaboration between national health systems. Experts from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Region of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union), call for an improvement in care for this group of people, in order to fulfil a basic human right for the individual living with the condition and to continue efforts to control and eliminate the disease. The authors of the paper published online today, urge health authorities and other stakeholders to prioritise TB care, prevent and control among refugees. They call for quality surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and research among this group of people, and the promotion of universal access to treatments and care. To help aid efforts to manage TB cases across borders in Europe, ERS and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established an online platform that encourages treating clinicians to share case notes with each other when a patient has moved countries. It is the first platform in Europe that will exchange patient data on TB and is part of the TB Consilium, which allows clinicians across Europe to submit questions on difficult-to-treat TB cases and get advice from internationally recognised experts. Professor GB Migliori, an author on the paper and Secretary General of ERS, said: "It is crucial that we facilitate better cooperation across borders. Our new online platform is one method of doing this but we also need better coordination from national health authorities and financial support from the European Commission to improve care for this group of people. We know it is possible to eliminate TB and every effort should be made to prevent the spread of this deadly disease." Professor Ivan Solovic, President of the European Region of the Union and Chair of the ERS Ad hoc Working Group on TB Advocacy, commented: "TB is not easily transmitted and it is treatable, therefore, efforts should be implemented to detect and treat it promptly. If better treatment options are not available for this group of people, there could be a rise in the number of cases of the disease and related deaths, which could also further contribute to increases in drug-resistant cases of TB." ### As the land at the heart of the cradle of civilization dries out, an ancient culture is being lost with the unique ecosystem that sustains it For thousands of years, the marshes at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern day Iraq were an oasis of green in a dry landscape, hosting a wealth of wildlife. The culture of the Marsh Arab, or Ma'dan, people who live there is tightly interwoven with the ecosystem of the marshes. The once dense and ubiquitous common reed (Phragmites australis) served as raw material for homes, handicrafts, tools, and animal fodder for thousands of years. Distinctive mudhif communal houses, built entirely of bundled reeds, appear in Sumerian stonework from 5,000 years ago. Now that culture is drying up with the marshes. Recent decades have brought extreme change to the fertile lands famous for the birth of agriculture and the rise of some of the world's earliest cities. The sphere of daily life for Marsh Arab women has shrunk as the natural resources they traditionally cultivated have vanished, reports an international team of researchers in "Effects of Mesopotamian Marsh (Iraq) desiccation on the cultural knowledge and livelihood of Marsh Arab women," published today in the March 2016 issue of Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, a joint journal of the Ecological Society of America and Ecological Society of China. The study is the first effort to specifically document Marsh Arab women's cultural relationship to marsh ecological services. "Imagine the Everglades. The Marsh Arabs used to live in the middle of the water, surrounded by everything green. The fields, the reeds, and the water buffalo were around them. Now they have to walk five, ten kilometers to reach resources. The land is dry and brown," said study author Nadia Al-Mudaffar Fawzi, an Iraqi marine ecologist who returned from New Zealand to the city of her birth in 2009 to teach and conduct research at the University of Basrah. Al-Mudaffar Fawzi studies the impact of climate change on biodiversity in the marshes, the Persian Gulf, and the Shatt al-Arab river which connects them. Rising temperatures, falling water volume in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and groundwater pumping is causing the salt water in the Gulf to extend up the Shatt al-Arab, which is formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. Basrah, now the second largest city in Iraq, is on the Shatt al Arab about 70 kilometers downstream of the confluence. "When I came back in 2009, I knew there were lots of problems with drying of the system. We knew there was big impact on fish production, on water quality in the Shatt al-Arab, and in the north of the Gulf," said Al-Mudaffar Fawzi. In her investigations of the water systems, she also grew interested in the social impact of environmental change, and in people's understandings of the effects of the environment on their lives. Iraq did not have environmental laws until the change of government in 2003, and they remain a low priority in the current chaotic conditions in the country. "The whole situation in the marshes is completely different from what I saw before, in the '70s and early '80s," she said. "Women used to play a role in the ecological system. They used to work with men in gathering reeds and in fishing, and we would see them in the market when they come and sell their produce, like the fish, and the milk from the buffalo, the cheese and the yogurt that they make." Al-Mudaffar Fawzi and her colleagues designed a survey to more formally ask Marsh Arab women about their lives and activities. With the exception of women living on the edge of the Mesopotamia Marshland National Park, created in 2013, where restoration efforts have seen some success, Marsh Arab women reported that their daily lives had narrowed to domestic tasks in the home. Very few women today go out to gather reeds or care for buffalo. "The older women who were adults before the war would tell us, 'back then I was out making dung patties, collecting reeds, taking care of buffalo,'" said author Kelly Goodwin, who works with the international NGO Millennium Relief and Development Services. "They say, 'now I'm just at home'." Goodwin interviewed 34 women, ranging in age from teenagers to more than 70 years, in the Hammar Marshes north of the city of Basrah in December 2013-February 2014. More than half the interviewees were over 50. These older women were born and grew to adulthood before the war in the 1980s and destruction of the 1990s. Nearly 60 percent of younger women under 40 described their days as exclusively "domestic." We are not teaching our daughters, older women told the researchers, because the water is gone, the ground is dry and there are no reeds to gather. The water is too salty for our buffalo. Although men and women have separate roles in Marsh Arab culture, traditional women's work took women outside the home and brought supplementary income to the family through market sales. Women cared for water buffalo and gathered reeds to weave into mats, baskets, pigeon cages and other tools. Women turned high-fat buffalo milk into dairy products, dung into fuel, and raise chickens, cattle, and sheep. They helped cultivate rice, wheat, and dates. Usually women, not men, took fish, dairy, and handicrafts to sell in city markets. "The marshes were a cultivated landscape, shaped by selective harvest, hunting, fishing, and burning to promote the natural resources that the Marsh Arabs used--much like the precolonial landscape was cultivated by native peoples here in California," said author Michelle Stevens, a professor California State University in Sacramento. Also like California, Stevens said, climate change modeling predicts a future of hotter summers, accentuated droughts, and shrinking winter snowpacks in Turkey's Taurus Mountains, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers arise. In Iraq, war and ongoing political instability have magnified the problems besieging marshes worldwide, particularly in arid landscapes: pollution and too many demands on the water that sustains them. The marshes enjoyed a burst of recovery the mid-2000s after drying up nearly completely in the previous decade. The influx of water, and resulting dramatic greening, can be seen in images from NASA's Terra satellite, captured between 2000 and 2010. The resilient reeds returned quickly as the marshes rehydrated. In the 1990s, former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein deliberately drained the marshes to facilitate oil discovery and to retaliate against tribes that participated in uprisings against his government. Marsh Arabs who had not already fled the front line fighting during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, were forced to leave as the land became barren and dry. After the Second Gulf War removed Hussein from power, Iraqis tore down the water diversions and returned water to the marshes. Many Marsh Arabs returned to their homeland. The apparent resilience of the ecosystem and the culture of the marshes masked fragility, however. The researchers fear that the Marsh may be approaching a threshold of no return, as the older generation with the wealth of skills needed to flourish in the marshes yields to a younger generation that never had the opportunity for hands-on learning. Water in the Tigris and Euphrates has dropped to 20 percent of the pre-war volume. The remaining water carries so much salt that it is often undrinkable. Drought in 2007 hit the region hard, reversing many of the restorative gains for the ecosystem. The generation of Marsh Arabs that grew up outside the marshes had no practical experience of living in the marshes, and struggled to adapt to the lifestyle of their parents' youth. Goodwin describes the tapwater in Basrah as so salty that a filigree of crystals forms on the surface of dishes as they dry. Increased dependence on groundwater is worsening saltwater intrusion from the Gulf. Although the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow across the length Iraq, the water comes from outside its borders. Iraq is at the mercy of the water policies of its upstream neighbors Turkey, Syria, and Iran, all of which have intensified water development projects in recent years. The current political instability makes effective diplomacy on water issues difficult. Recovery of the ecosystem and culture of the marshes will likely depend on diplomatic efforts to secure sufficient water, Al-Mudaffar Fawzi says. In Mesopotamia Marshlands National Park, Iraq's first national park, restoration practices are emerging that appear to successfully restore social and ecological systems, and could be used as templates for restoration in other areas of the Mesopotamian Marshes. But this cannot be done without water. The authors recommend that programs be implemented to preserve traditional skills, to develop a market for handicrafts to support women and their families, and to support cultural knowledge. Otherwise, with the passing of the older generation, these remnants of ancient Sumerian knowledge systems and traditional ways of life will soon be lost. "It was extremely sobering sometimes to see the circumstances some people are living in," said Goodwin. "Much of the land near Basrah city is desertified." But visits to the marshes could also be thrilling, she said, and the visit to the restored region was almost magical. "I really consider it was a privilege to sit with these women, drink tea, and hear their stories," said Goodwin. "I would have loved to have tangible solutions to take back to them that could encourage the retention of cultural traditions and secure ecological restoration. I think they feel they are forgotten and overlooked. I wish I could tell them that they are not forgotten." ### Nadia Al-Mudaffar Fawzi, Kelly P. Goodwin , Bayan Mehdi, Michelle L. Stevens (2016) Effects of Mesopotamian Marsh (Iraq) desiccation on the cultural knowledge and livelihood of Marsh Arab women. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 2(3):e01207. doi: 10.1002/ehs2.1207 Full text open access Ecosystem Health and Sustainability launched in 2015 through a collaboration of the Ecological Society of America and the Ecological Society of China. The online-only, open access journal publishes articles on advances in macroecology and sustainability science, on how changes in human activities affect ecosystem conditions, and on systems approaches for applying ecological science in decision-making to promote sustainable development. Papers focus on applying ecological theory, principles, and concepts to support sustainable development, especially in regions undergoing rapid environmental change. The Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world's largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 10,000 member Society publishes six journals and a membership bulletin and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach, and education initiatives. The Society's Annual Meeting attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at http://www.esa.org. The Ecological Society of China (ESC) was established in 1979 and has approximately 9,000 members, consisting of scientists and people with an interest in ecology. ESC has twenty academic committees and five working committees. Its headquarters are located in Beijing, China. The current president of ESC is Dr. Shirong Liu and the general secretary is Dr. Liding Chen. In addition to publishing three journals in Chinese, two journals in English, and a members' bulletin, the ESC provides services to the academic community, promotes academic communication, and provides professional training and consultation services to government agencies to assist decision-making on ecological restoration, environmental protection, and ecosystem management. Visit the ESC website at http://english.rcees.cas.cn/sp/zgstxxh/ Boston, MA - Botswana appears to have achieved very high rates of HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression--much better than most Western nations, including the United States--according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues in Botswana. The findings suggest that even in countries with limited resources where a large percentage of the population is infected with HIV, strong treatment programs can help make significant headway against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The study will be published online March 23, 2016 in The Lancet HIV. "By now, we hoped to have an HIV vaccine. That hasn't happened. Ironically, treatment of HIV-infected persons may be our most effective, efficient way to prevent new infections. These results show that Botswana has made great progress in reducing the number of people who are infectious to others," said Max Essex, Mary Woodard Lasker Professor of Health Sciences, chair of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health AIDS Initiative, and chair of the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership. Global HIV programs have continued to face challenges in achieving the high rates of testing and treatment needed to optimize health and reduce new infections. Mounting evidence suggests that providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all people living with HIV, regardless of the stage of their disease, can help. In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) proposed new testing and treatment targets: that 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status; that 90% diagnosed with HIV be given ART; and that 90% who receive treatment have virologic suppression--very low blood levels of HIV--by the year 2020. The researchers looked at the achievability of the UNAIDS targets in Botswana--a middle-income African nation where 25% of the population aged 15-49 is HIV positive but which also has a mature public ART program--by directly measuring HIV status, treatment, and viral suppression among 12,610 people from 30 communities across the country between October 2013 and November 2015. Study participants were drawn from a large, ongoing HIV prevention study in Botswana. The participants responded to a questionnaire, had their blood tested for HIV if their status wasn't known, and, if they were infected with HIV, their viral load was checked. Out of the 12,610 participants, 3,596 (29%) were HIV infected and 2,995 (83.3%) of these individuals already knew their HIV status. Among those who knew their status, 2,617 (87.4%) were receiving ART. Significantly, the study authors called it "remarkable" that of the 2,609 people receiving ART who had their viral load checked, 2,517 (96.5%) had viral suppression. Until now, there has been considerable uncertainty as to whether the ambitious targets proposed by UNAIDS can be achieved, especially in countries with limited resources where the HIV burden is highest, according to the study authors. But the new findings suggest that Botswana could meet and even exceed the targets well before 2020, especially if ART eligibility is expanded--and that other countries could do the same. "This is significant work as it provides further evidence that the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment target is both realistic and achievable," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe, who was not involved in the study. Lead author of the study was Tendani Gaolathe of the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership. Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Kathleen Wirth, Molly Pretorius Holme, Joseph Makhema, Quanhong Lei, Vlad Novitsky, Kathleen Powis, Nealia Khan, Hermann Bussmann, Scott Dryden-Peterson, Rui Wang, Eric Tchetgen Tchetgen, Victor DeGruttola, and Shahin Lockman. Funding came from The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the terms of cooperative agreement U01 GH000447. ### "Botswana's Progress Toward Achieving the 2020 UNAIDS 90-90-90 Antiretroviral Treatment and Virologic Suppression Goals: Results of a Population-Based Survey," Tendani Gaolathe, Kathleen E. Wirth, Molly Pretorius Holme, Joseph Makhema, Sikhulile Moyo, Unoda Chakalisa, Etienne Kadima Yankinda, Quanhong Lei, Mompati Mmalane, Vlad Novitsky, Lillian Okui, Erik van Widenfelt, Kathleen M. Powis, Nealia Khan, Kara Bennett, Hermann Bussmann, Scott Dryden-Peterson, Refeletswe Lebelonyane, Shenaaz el-Halabi, Lisa A. Mills, Tafireyi Marukutira, Rui Wang, Eric J. Tchetgen Tchetgen, Victor DeGruttola, M. Essex, Shahin Lockman, and the BCPP study team, Lancet HIV, March 23, 2016, doi: 10.1016/S2352-3018(16)00037-0. Visit the Harvard Chan School website for the latest news, press releases, and multimedia offerings. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives--not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health. New fossils from Kenya suggest that an early hominid species -- Australopithecus afarensis -- lived far eastward beyond the Great Rift Valley and much farther than previously thought. An international team of paleontologists led by Emma Mbua of Mount Kenya University and Masato Nakatsukasa of Kyoto University report findings of fossilized teeth and forearm bone from an adult male and two infant A. afarensis from an exposure eroded by the Kantis River in Ongata-Rongai, a settlement in the outskirts of Nairobi. "So far, all other A. afarensis fossils had been identified from the center of the Rift Valley," explains Nakatsukasa. "A previous Australopithecus bahrelghazali discovery in Chad confirmed that our hominid ancestor's distribution covered central Africa, but this was the first time an Australopithecus fossil has been found east of the Rift Valley. This has important implications for what we understand about our ancestor's distribution range, namely that Australopithecus could have covered a much greater area by this age." A. afarensis is believed to have lived 3,700,000-3,000,000 years ago, as characterized by fossils like "Lucy" from Ethiopia. Stable isotope analysis revealed that the Kantis region was humid, but had a plain-like environment with fewer trees compared to other sites in the Great Rift Valley where A. afaransis fossils had previously appeared. "The hominid must have discovered suitable habitats in the Kenyan highlands. It seems that A. afaransis was good at adapting to varying environments," notes Nakatsukasa. The team's survey also turned up masses of mammal fossils, including a few that probably belong to new species of bovids or baboons. The authors write that the Kantis site was first noted in a 1991 geological survey. At that time, a farmer said that he and his family had come across fossilized bones from Kantis in the 1970s, although they did not recognize their importance. Following airing of Kenyan television programs on paleontological research, locals gradually started to appreciate the fossils. Since then, Kantis and other sites have been identified thanks to fossil notifications from the local population. The team welcomes this achievement not only for its academic implications, but also for the benefits to the local community. "Kantis is in the vicinity of Nairobi, a major city," said Nakatsukasa. "We hope that the discovery of the new site and the fossils will aid in increasing tourism, and in improving educational awareness of the local community." ### The paper "Kantis: A new Australopithecus site on the shoulders of the Rift Valley near Nairobi, Kenya" will appear May 2016 in the Journal of Human Evolution, with doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.006 Kyoto University is one of Japan and Asia's premier research institutions, founded in 1897 and responsible for producing numerous Nobel laureates and winners of other prestigious international prizes. A broad curriculum across the arts and sciences at both undergraduate and graduate levels is complemented by numerous research centers, as well as facilities and offices around Japan and the world. For more information please see: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en See also: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/research/research_results/2015/160324_1.html Researchers from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have identified unique anatomical features in a species of blind, walking cavefish in Thailand that enable the fish to walk and climb waterfalls in a manner comparable to tetrapods, or four-footed mammals and amphibians. The discovery of this capability, not seen in any other living fishes, also has implications for understanding how the anatomy that all species need to walk on land evolved after the transition from finned to limbed appendages in the Devonian period, which began some 420 million years ago. This research is reported in a March 24 Nature Scientific Reports article, "Tetrapod-like pelvic girdle in a walking cavefish," by Brooke E. Flammang, Daphne Soares, Julie Markiewicz and Apinun Suvarnaraksha. Flammang and Soares, assistant professors in the NJIT Department of Biological Sciences, were assisted with the research by Markiewicz, an NJIT post-baccalaureate research volunteer in the Flammang lab at the university. Investigator Suvarnaraksha is a member of the Faculty of Fisheries Technology and Aquatic Resources of Maejo University in Thailand. The full text of their article is available at http://www.nature.com/articles/srep23711. Speaking of the unique anatomical structures seen in the cavefish, Cryptotora thamicola, Flammang says, "It possesses morphological features that have previously only been attributed to tetrapods. The pelvis and vertebral column of this fish allow it to support its body weight against gravity and provide large sites for muscle attachment for walking." With respect to evolutionary significance, she adds, "This research gives us insight into the plasticity of the fish body plan and the convergent morphological features that were seen in the evolution of tetrapods." ### For more about this leading-edge research, see the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SguiYeG_O8o About NJIT One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology- dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. With an enrollment of more than 11,300 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus intimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering and cybersecurity, in addition to others. NJIT ranks fifth among U.S. polytechnic universities in research expenditures, topping $110 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to Payscale.com. In humans inhaled air is conditioned poorly in the nasal cavity in comparison with primates, such as chimpanzees and macaques, according a recent study published in PLOS Computational Biology. Unlike our protruding external nose, which has little effect on improving air conditioning performance, other hominins (including australopithecines) were endowed with flat nasal features and faculties to improve air conditioning. The study, produced by Dr Takeshi Nishimura from Kyoto University and colleagues, is the first investigation of nasal air conditioning in nonhuman hominoids based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The human nasal passage conditions inhaled air in terms of temperature and humidity to match the conditions required in the lung. Insufficient conditioning can damage the tissues in the respiratory system and impair respiratory performance, thereby undermining health and increasing the likelihood of death. Our ancestors, the genus Homo, diversified under the fluctuating climate of the Plio-Pleistocene, to be flat-faced with a short nasal cavity and a protruding external nose, as seen in modern humans. Anatomical variation in nasal region is believed to be evolutionarily sensitive to the ambient atmospheric conditions of a given habitat, but the nasal anatomy of early Homo was not sensitive to the ambient atmosphere conditions. The inhaled air can be fully conditioned subsequently in the pharyngeal cavity, which was lengthened in early Homo. This study highlights the importance of compensating human evolution, as well as adaptive evolution. The diversification of Pleistocene hominins is a major evolutionary event in terms of understanding human evolution. These linked changes in the nasal and pharyngeal regions would in part have contributed to how flat-faced Homo members must have survived fluctuations in climate, before they moved "Out of Africa" in the Early Pleistocene to explore the more severe climates and ecological environments of Eurasia. ### In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Computational Biology: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004807 Contact: Takeshi Nishimura nishimura.takeshi.2r@kyoto-u.ac.jp Ph: +81-568-63-0534 Citation: Nishimura T, Mori F, Hanida S, Kumahata K, Ishikawa S, Samarat K, et al. (2016) Impaired Air Conditioning within the Nasal Cavity in Flat-Faced Homo. PLoS Comput Biol 12(3): e1004807.doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004807 Image Caption: Human Ancestors Explored 'Out of Africa' Despite Impaired Nasal Faculties Image Credit: Nishimura et al. Image Link: https://www.plos.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/pcbi.1004807.jpg Funding: This work was supported by funds from the Asahi Glass Foundation, Japan (http://www.af-info.or.jp/en/index.html, to TN), by a Strategic Young Researcher Overseas Visits Program for Accelerating Brain Circulation (S2501, to TN, PI: Hirohisa Hirai) and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI, 24687030 to TN, 24000001 to TetM) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/index.html), and by a SPIRITS program from the Kyoto University (to TN). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. About PLOS Computational Biology PLOS Computational Biology features works of exceptional significance that further our understanding of living systems at all scales through the application of computational methods. For more information follow @PLOSCompBiol on Twitter or contact ploscompbiol@plos.org. Media and Copyright Information For information about PLOS Computational Biology relevant to journalists, bloggers and press officers, including details of our press release process and embargo policy, visit http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/s/press-and-media . PLOS Journals publish under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits free reuse of all materials published with the article, so long as the work is cited. About the Public Library of Science The Public Library of Science (PLOS) PLOS is a nonprofit publisher and advocacy organization founded to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. For more information, visit http://www.plos.org. --Disclaimer This press release refers to upcoming articles in PLOS Computational Biology. The releases have been provided by the article authors and/or journal staff. Any opinions expressed in these are the personal views of the contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of PLOS. PLOS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and liability in connection with the information found in the release and article and your use of such information. Prenatal steroid treatment reduces by half a premature baby's risk for a severe form of brain hemorrhage after birth, a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found. The research, on nearly 26,000 premature infants, demonstrated that the benefit applies even to the earliest born preemies, who can be overlooked as potential candidates for this steroid treatment. The study will be published online March 24 in the Journal of Perinatology. The senior author is Henry Lee, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics. The lead author is Julia Wei, who was a graduate student at the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health when the study was conducted. The researchers evaluated steroid treatments that were originally developed to mature fetal lungs before premature birth. Studies from the 1990s and early 2000s suggested that these steroids also protect preemies' brains, but the Stanford team was unsure if the benefit held in the context of modern neonatal care. The team also wondered about extremely premature babies, a population that had not been enrolled in the original clinical trials evaluating the effects of steroids on lung maturation. "When steroids first came out, they were being used only in babies born at 26 weeks of pregnancy or older," said Lee, who is also a neonatologist at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and Stanford Children's Health. "But we've now been able to show that even in babies born as early as 22 to 24 weeks, steroid treatment has a very strong benefit for the brain. This may expand the group of babies we would recommend using steroids for." Potentially fatal hemorrhages Current recommendations from the National Institutes of Health suggest giving steroids to mothers likely to deliver between 24 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, Lee noted. The study evaluated intraventricular hemorrhage, in which bleeding occurs in the spaces around the brain where cerebrospinal fluid normally circulates. Intraventricular hemorrhages can increase the risk of death, and babies who survive them may develop neurologic problems such as hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. The researchers analyzed data on 25,979 infants born between 2007 and 2013. The data were drawn from the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, which collects information about nearly all California births for preterm neonates. Infants were included in the study if they arrived between 22 and 32 weeks of pregnancy and weighed less than 3.3 pounds at birth. A normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. Among the infants studied, 87 percent were born to mothers who received steroids in anticipation of a premature delivery. The risk of all types of intraventricular hemorrhage was one-third lower in babies of mothers who received prenatal steroids than in those whose mothers didn't receive prenatal steroids. For the most severe forms of IVH, the risk was cut in half. The drop in risk was statistically significant for babies born between 22 and 29 weeks of pregnancy, but not for those born at 30 weeks or later, the study said. "We speculate that steroids may accelerate the maturation of blood vessels in the brain and make them stronger," Lee said. "That may make the baby less vulnerable to rapid shifts in blood pressure, which could otherwise cause bleeding similar to a stroke." Condition now less common in preemies The rate of intraventricular hemorrhage in premature babies has declined since the 1980s, Lee noted. "That change is probably not due to only one thing, but more to our overall awareness of how to take better care of the baby before and after birth," he said. For example, in addition to using prenatal steroids more often, doctors and nurses also keep premature babies' heads in a stable position during the first few days of life, and attempt to avoid dramatic shifts in preemies' blood pressure. "It's helpful to know that prenatal steroids are an impactful component to our strategy to prevent these potentially devastating hemorrhages," Lee said. He thinks the new finding will be welcome news not just for other physicians but also for the parents of preemies. "When I talk with these parents, I'm often describing risks and potential complications for their baby," he said. "It helps to be able to talk not just about risks but also about proven therapies -- to say, 'Here is a therapy that we have found to be very beneficial.'" ### Other Stanford co-authors of the paper are Jochen Profit, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics, and Jeffrey Gould, MD, professor of pediatrics. Lee, Profit and Gould are members of Stanford's Child Health Research Institute. Researchers at the UC-Berkeley School of Public Health also contributed to the paper. The research was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (grants K23HD068400 and HD083368.) Stanford's Department of Pediatrics also supported the work. The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- After the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Republican senators, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, announced that they would neither consider nor vote on any nominee to the court picked by President Barack Obama. According to a new paper co-written by two University of Illinois legal experts, that position may be more problematic - both pragmatically and constitutionally - than those senators realize. "They justify their position by saying that no president has nominated a Supreme Court Justice during an election year in the last 80 years," said U. of I. law professor Robin B. Kar. However, Kar's research with co-author Jason Mazzone shows that in all 104 cases in which an elected president has faced a vacancy on the Supreme Court and began the appointment process prior to the election of a successor, the sitting president was able to both nominate and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint a replacement justice. "This is an important and unbroken line of historical precedent," Kar said. By announcing in advance that they will break from this precedent, Senate Republicans are explicitly seeking to delegate the current president's Supreme Court appointment powers to an unknown successor, which is constitutionally tenuous ground, Kar and Mazzone write. "Senate Republicans have publicly explained that their aim is not to reject any particular Obama nominee, such as Merrick Garland, but rather to prevent full senatorial consideration of any and all nominees put forth by President Obama," Kar said. "These senators believe that the president's successor, rather than President Obama himself, should be given this appointment power." And that's the crux of the problem: An outright refusal on the part of some senators to consider any nominee from President Obama is an attempt to delegate an elected president's Supreme Court appointment power. "While the Appointments Clause of the Constitution allows Congress to delegate a president's appointment power in certain instances, it does not permit delegation with respect to Supreme Court appointments. Thus, this delegation raises a potential problem of the separation of powers," said Mazzone, the Lynn H. Murray Faculty Scholar in Law and co-director of the Program in Constitutional Theory, History, and Law at the College of Law. "Constitutional text, structure and history - all of those factors suggest that the Senate may well lack the constitutional power to delegate the current president's Supreme Court appointment powers to an unknown successor - or to anyone else, for that matter," said Kar, also a professor of philosophy. None of this means that the Senate cannot vote against President Obama's nominees, the authors caution. "To be sure, the Senate can and should still thoroughly vet any candidate, including Garland, and scrutinize the candidate's record and suitability for a seat on the Supreme Court," Kar said. "But the delegation problem identified in our paper provides a significant reason for Republican senators, who swore to uphold the Constitution, to rethink their current position. They should instead consider and vote upon Garland or any other timely submitted nominee." However, an outright refusal to do anything at all with respect to a Supreme Court nominee is a different matter, the authors said. "There is no precedent for that approach, and considerations of constitutional text and structure weigh against it," Mazzone said. "The fact that this plan is even arguably constitutionally problematic means that the risks associated with it may be particularly severe," Kar said. "A break with such long-standing senatorial precedent is already risky, because there is no logical stopping point. It may be a sign that we are moving to a situation where appointments to the Supreme Court can only occur when the president and majority in the Senate are of the same party." At minimum, the unprecedented nature of Republican senators' current plan is likely to make future Supreme Court appointments more difficult - for Republicans and Democrats alike, Kar said. "But these risks are exponentially greater when, as here, one party acts in ways that may well be constitutionally questionable," he said. "If Democrats feel as though they've been strong-armed by Senate Republicans, they might be tempted to retaliate in unprecedented but constitutionally permissible ways." For example, if Hillary Clinton wins the next presidential election, Obama might withdraw the nomination of Merrick Garland, a relative consensus candidate, and allow her to appoint a more liberal justice. "Or, if Democrats were to win the Senate but lose the White House, a new majority of Democratic senators might undo the existing senatorial filibuster rule by simple majority vote," said Kar, also the Walter V. Schaefer Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Chicago. "They might then push an Obama appointee through more easily during a lame-duck session before the inauguration of the next president. Democrats might even try to persuade justices Ginsburg and Breyer to resign in early January so that Obama can push through three new justices instead of one. If there is even a perceived constitutional violation, all bets are off the table. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." ### New research at the University of Kent has highlighted the potential for the emergence of a new form of Ebolavirus. A team from the University's School of Biosciences examined the differences between Ebolaviruses that cause severe disease in humans and the Reston virus that does not. The Reston virus, which is known to circulate in domestic pigs in Asia and occasionally infect humans, is currently the only member of the Ebolavirus family not to have been reported as causing life-threatening disease in humans. Using computational analysis of the sequences of the genomes of Ebolaviruses and a computational prediction of the effects of sequence variations on virus function, the researchers, Dr Mark Wass, Senior Lecturer in Computational Biology, Professor Martin Michaelis, Professor of Molecular Medicine, and Dr Jeremy Rossman, Lecturer in Virology, and their teams, identified characteristic differences in a number of virus proteins. The results suggested that only a few changes in one Ebolavirus protein, VP24, may be necessary to render the Reston virus into a virus that can cause human disease. There may be a risk therefore that Reston viruses acquire the few mutations necessary to cause disease in humans and to develop into a novel health threat. The research, entitled Conserved differences in protein sequence determine the human pathogenicity of Ebolaviruses, is published in Scientific Reports. See here: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep23743. ### For further information contact Professor Martin Michaelis (M.Michaelis@kent.ac.uk), Dr Mark Wass (M.N.Wass@kent.ac.uk) or Dr Jeremy Rossman (J.S.Rossman@kent.ac.uk) Or Martin Herrema at the University of Kent Press Office. Tel: +44 (0)1227 823581 Email: M.J.Herrema@kent.ac.uk News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent Note to editors 1. The ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa has so far resulted in more than 28,000 confirmed cases and more than 11,000 deaths. This is far more than during previous outbreaks. Prior to the current outbreak, an outbreak in Uganda in 2000 had been the largest one affecting 425 individuals and causing 244 deaths. The Ebolavirus family consists of five members. Four members of the Ebolavirus family (including Ebola virus, also known as Zaire ebolavirus, which is responsible for the current outbreak in West Africa) cause life-threatening disease including haemorrhagic fever in humans. Only one member of this virus family, the Reston virus, has not been reported to cause disease in humans so far, although it was reported to infect humans. 2. Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome. It has been ranked: third for overall student satisfaction in the 2014 National Student Survey; 16th in the Guardian University Guide 2016; 23rd in the Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2016; and 22nd in the Complete University Guide 2015. In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, Kent is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook. Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality. Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium (http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/partnerships/eastern-arc.html). The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals. In 2014, Kent received its second Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. Researchers from the University of Liverpool have been awarded a grant worth more than 400,000 to conduct a medical trial focused on controlling tuberculosis (TB) epidemics in South Africa. In South Africa, and other countries where HIV is common, accelerated action is required to control tuberculosis epidemics. Previous studies in the region have shown that people living in households where individuals have been diagnosed with TB have high rates of undiagnosed disease and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), with difficulties accessing health care. Novel approach A team of investigators from the University's Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, in collaboration with the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (USA), have been awarded a prestigious Medical Research Council (MRC) Newton Fund Grant totalling 401,622 to conduct a trial in two provinces of South Africa (North West Province and Limpopo Province). The team will investigate a novel approach comprising of intensified household tracing and screening for TB and HIV using new rapid molecular technologies that can provide correct and timely diagnosis of infection, and high impact anti-tuberculosis prevention therapy. This approach will also provide supported access to care and treatment for household members diagnosed with TB and HIV. Leading cause of death Dr Peter MacPherson, Department of Public Health and Policy, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, said: "South Africa has an extremely serious generalised HIV epidemic. It is estimated that 6.4 million people were living with HIV in 2015, the highest number of any country in the world. HIV has caused theTB epidemic in South Africa to rapidly escalate, which has had a severe effect on both individuals and communities. "TB is the single leading cause of death in South Africa, and efforts to address it are complicated by a range of factors, including persistent poverty, poor nutrition, high rates of co-infection with HIV, rising rates of diabetes, and widespread antibiotic resistance. The new approach we are taking in this trial will help improve understanding of how best to fight HIV and TB epidemics." The trial is due to commence in May 2016 and run for two-and-a-half years. The MRC's Newton Fund is a UK Government initiative intended to strengthen research and innovation partnerships between the UK and emerging knowledge economies. ### ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- What happens when doctors misbehave? The answer depends a lot on which state they practice in, a new study shows. In fact, the percentage of doctors who get disciplined or pay a malpractice claim is four times less in some states than the percentage in other states, the research by a pair of University of Michigan Medical School researchers shows. And since there probably isn't a fourfold difference in the actual behavior of doctors, the reason for this difference lies in the wide variation between states in their regulations, procedures and resources for punishing doctors who do wrong. Consumer advocates have noted variation between states' physician discipline rates and standards in the past. But this study, published in BMJ Quality and Safety, is the first nationwide academic evaluation of the topic, and uses statistical techniques to more reliably calculate the actual situation in each state. Delaware, Kentucky and Ohio came in with the highest adjusted rates for all disciplinary actions. But it's the states with the lowest rates - such as Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania - that should probably look the hardest at their current standards, say the researchers. "We don't know what the 'right' rate of physician disciplinary action is, but no state should want to be in the extremes," says John A. Harris, M.D., senior author of the new paper. "Patients assume oversight of doctors is well-regulated in all states, that all doctors are held to the same ethical standards and disciplined appropriately when needed. But there's no central governing body, and there's significant variation." Harris and his co-author Elena Byhoff, M.D., are both Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars at the U-M Medical School and the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. This is the latest study of physician misbehavior by Harris, an obstetrician-gynecologist. He has also studied how the rise in female practitioners in his specialty has affected the rate of allegations of sexual misconduct against Ob/Gyn doctors. National data reveals state variation The data for the study came from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' National Practitioner Data Bank, which covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The researchers focused on the most recent data available, for 2010 through 2014. Since 1986, the NPDB has collected data from each state on actions that state medical boards take against doctors who have been shown to have done something wrong, from substance abuse and sexual misconduct to improper prescribing, fraud and negligence. The NPDB includes information about punishments ranging from minor fines or required monitoring, to major actions such as revoking or suspending a doctor's medical license. It also includes information on payments made by doctors in response to malpractice claims, which the researchers used to create a measure of the malpractice climate in each state. It doesn't include actions taken by individual hospitals that don't get reported to the state medical board. Hospitals, clinics, state medical boards and insurers routinely access the NPDB when making decisions about which physicians to hire, credential, license or include in their networks. Patients can't access it, and public access to state-level information about individual physicians varies greatly by state, Harris says. Harris and Byhoff combined all this with information on the number of physicians practicing in the state, to calculate a reliability-adjusted yearly state rate of all medical board disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians. For the U.S. as a whole, they show that there are 3.75 disciplinary actions each year for every 1,000 physicians practicing - including 1.15 serious disciplinary actions. But the yearly range among states was huge, from 7.93 disciplinary actions of any type per 1,000 physicians in Delaware down to 2.13 per 1,000 in Massachusetts, and from 2.71 major actions per 1,000 physicians in Delaware down to 0.64 in New York. Medical boards make the difference The researchers note that in each state, the medical board acts as a self-governing body, with wide discretion on what kind of punishment to dole out for violations of different sorts. "In one state the punishment for a particular violation could be a fine, while in another state you could lose your license for doing the same thing," says Byhoff. "It has implications for the ability of physicians to move from state to state," if their punishment in one state is not enough to keep a hospital or practice in another state from hiring them. The researchers hope their findings will be heeded by state regulators and medical boards. Factors such as how easy it is to make a complaint to a state board, how many resources a board has to investigate complaints, the actual makeup of the board including how many non-physicians are on it, and the standards for making a judgment and choosing a disciplinary action all play into the variation, they believe. The U.S. is actually one of few countries that lack a national system for overseeing and punishing physician misbehavior. Australia recently changed over to one, after decades with each state or territory having its own medical board. Studying other countries' systems compared with the state-level systems in the U.S. could yield further information about how to address variation and protect the public, Harris notes. He asks, "Ultimately, don't we want all doctors operating in the same ethical way, and being disciplined appropriately if they fail to do so?" ### The researchers are supported by their fellowships from the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, and by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Reference: BMJ Qual Saf 2016;0:1-8. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2015-004974 Learn how to access physician discipline records in your state here: http://www.fsmb.org/state-medical-boards/contacts Computer crowd-sourced research project launched on World TB Day to help scientists better understand and overcome this deadly disease....volunteers wanted! The University of Nottingham is launching a new study to address tuberculosis (TB), one of the world's most deadly diseases, supported by IBM's World Community Grid -- one of the most powerful and fastest virtual supercomputers on the planet. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers from around the world are expected to donate vast computing resources to aid the effort. Well-established in the US, this is the first time World Community Grid has supported a UK research project. Launched today, the new "Help Stop TB" project on World Community Grid will model aspects of the behaviour of tuberculosis bacteria to better understand its potential vulnerabilities that new medicines may one day exploit. Volunteers are needed to make the processing power on their devices available, when otherwise not being used, to perform the millions of calculations necessary for these simulations. Crowd-sourcing a virtual supercomputer -- facilitated for free by IBM to study the disease - in this manner will provide results significantly faster than relying on conventional computational resources typically available to researchers. Tuberculosis has plagued humans for thousands of years. Approximately one third of the globe's human population harbours TB today and 1.5 million people died from it in 2014 alone, prompting the World Health Organization to rank TB alongside HIV as the world's deadliest infectious disease. Dr Anna Croft, lead researcher of the Help Stop TB project and Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham in the UK, says: "My team will use World Community Grid to help science better understand the TB bacterium, so we can develop more effective treatments, and eventually eradicate this threat to human health." Although several drugs and a partially effective vaccine have been developed to help combat TB, the TB bacterium can evolve to resist available medicines, particularly when patients interrupt or discontinue treatment, which often occurs when they do not have consistent access to medications and medical care. Nearly half of European cases are now resistant to at least one drug, and four per cent of all cases worldwide are resistant to treatment regimens that combine drugs. HIV patients with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to TB. Tuberculosis can be a slow killer, often dormant for long periods of time before exploiting poor nutrition, old age or a weakened immune system to become active. It is most often spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, laughs or even talks. Symptoms can start with cough, weight loss, and fever, developing into breathing difficulties and violent coughs that bring up blood. Initially residing in the lungs, it can spread to, and cripple, other organs. The tuberculosis bacterium has a coating which shields it from many drugs and the patient's immune system. Among the fats, sugars and proteins in this coat are fatty molecules called mycolic acids. The Help Stop TB project will use the computing power donated by World Community Grid members to simulate the behaviour and chemical properties of mycolic acids to better understand how they protect the TB bacteria. Scientists hope to use the results to eventually develop better treatments for this deadly disease, particularly those that evade TB cell wall defences. World Community Grid was created as a philanthropic effort by IBM in 2004. Hosted on IBM's SoftLayer cloud technology, World Community Grid facilitates massive amounts of completely free computing power for scientists by harnessing the surplus cycle time from volunteers' computers and Android devices from all over the globe. The combined power available on World Community Grid has created one of the most powerful and fastest virtual supercomputers on the planet. "Thanks to World Community Grid's massive computational power, we can study many different mycolic acid structures instead of just a few. This type of analysis at this scale would otherwise be impossible," Dr Croft adds. More than three million computers and mobile devices used by nearly three quarters of a million people globally and 470 institutions from 80 countries have contributed virtual super-computing power that have fueled more than two-dozen vitally important projects on World Community Grid over the last 11 years. Since the program's inception, World Community Grid has enabled important scientific advances in areas such as cancer research, AIDS treatments, genetic mapping, solar energy and ecosystem preservation. Many of these efforts might not have even been attempted without the free super-computing power provided by IBM's World Community Grid. World Community Grid is enabled by Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC), an open source platform developed at the University of California, Berkeley and with support from the National Science Foundation. Volunteers can help stop TB by joining World Community Grid. IBM invites researchers to submit research project proposals to receive this free resource, and encourages members of the public to donate their unused computing power to these efforts at http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org. Engage with the Help Stop TB project via social media on: Facebook/worldcommunitygrid.org and @WCGrid (Twitter). Dr Anna Croft shares more on the Help Stop TB project on the IBM Citizen blog http://ibm.co/22DmypE. ### Methane is the world's most abundant hydrocarbon. It's the major component of natural gas and shale gas and, when burned, is an effective fuel. But it's also a major contributor to climate change, with 24 times greater potency as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. With a new method, a research team led by chemists at the University of Pennsylvania has demonstrated the potential to use methane not as a fossil fuel but as a versatile chemical building block with which to make more complex molecules, such as pharmaceuticals and other value-added substances. The reaction also offers a way of taking advantage of the properties of methane without releasing greenhouse gases. "Finding ways to use methane besides burning it as a fuel constitutes a practical approach to using this abundant gas," said Daniel Mindiola, senior author on the paper and a Presidential Professor in Penn's Department of Chemistry in the School of Arts & Sciences. "Our method will hopefully provide inspiration to move away from burning our resources and instead using them more as a carbon building block to prepare more valuable materials." The study will be published in Science. Mindiola collaborated on the work with Kyle Smith, a graduate student in Mindiola's lab and the paper's lead author; Simon Berritt, director of Penn's High Throughput Screening Center based in the Department of Chemistry; Mariano Gonzalez-Moreiras, a visiting scholar; Seihwan Ahn and Mu-Hyun Baik of Korea's Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; and Milton R. Smith III, a professor at Michigan State University who, together with Rob Maleczka, first discovered the chemical reaction known as carbon-hydrogen borylation upon which the current work builds. Methane is comprised of a carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. When it is burned, all four of the carbon-hydrogen bonds are broken, resulting in the production of carbon dioxide and water, both of which are greenhouse gases. "If only one or two hydrogen bonds could be broken efficiently, then it might be possible to connect carbon atoms from two or more methane molecules to make larger hydrocarbons," said Michigan State's Smith. "For example, gasoline is a mixture of hydrocarbons containing between four and 12 carbon atoms. The polyethylene used to make garbage bags and milk jugs is composed of millions of carbon atoms." Selectively controlling the carbon-hydrogen bonds has been difficult, however. Chemists have therefore considered methane relatively inert unless burned. In addition, because methane is a gas at ambient temperatures and pressures, it is not the easiest chemical to manipulate. But Mindiola had a brainstorm: what if he tried a borylation reaction using methane while varying pressure conditions? Carbon-hydrogen borylation is a process developed by Smith and colleagues in which a hydrocarbon reacts with a boron-containing compound, catalyzed by a metal. The reaction results in the replacement of a carbon-hydrogen bond on the hydrocarbon with a carbon-boron bond. This bond can then later be easily swapped to bond the carbon to any number of other chemical groups. Though borylation was discovered more than a decade ago, no one had tried it using methane, the simplest of hydrocarbons. The researchers decided to attempt this. Taking advantage of known conditions reported in the literature for other substrates, they determined the right combination of compounds and catalysts that might work, then used a computational approach to evaluate different conditions and reagents that might improve the reaction's efficiency. Finally, they used Penn's High Throughput Screening Center, one of only a handful of such facilities in the country, which allows for the testing of 96 different reactions at once, to identify the most efficient conditions for the reaction. The Penn facility is unique in that it allows for reactions to be done under high-pressure conditions, which permitted the team to use methane in a gaseous state as opposed to working under ambient conditions. The most favorable reaction, conducted under relatively mild conditions of 150 degrees Celsius and 500 pound per square inch of methane, using the metal iridium as a catalyst, resulted in yields as high as 52 percent borylated methane with high selectivity for the carbon-hydrogen borylation of one C-H bond as opposed to multiple bonds. "It turns out methane is not as inert as one would have expected," Mindiola said. "We were able to borylate it using off-the-shelf reagents, which is very convenient." The team is currently evaluating other reagents to do a similar reaction. For example, they are trying to find alternative catalysts because iridium, though commercially available, is relatively rare and expensive. Cobalt may offer a promising alternative. They are also testing silicon compounds as an alternative to those containing the rarer boron. Methane is currently so abundant that the petrochemical industry burns approximately $50 million of methane each year in gas flares, in part due to a lack of storage capacity. And while some methane is used for steam reforming, a process that forms carbon monoxide and hydrogen that can be used in fuel cells or to make ammonia for fertilizers, the researchers believe the borylation reaction can offer a meaningful alternative use for methane. "I think this work is going to inspire a lot of chemistry and get people thinking about methane in a different way," Mindiola said. "That doesn't mean that the natural gas industry is going to borylate all the methane they're extracting -- there is a lot out there and boron is rare -- but it's another valuable option." Mindiola noted that this work complements another paper, published in the same issue of Science, led by the University of Michigan's Melanie Sanford. That report identifies a way to perform borylation of methane's carbon-hydrogen bonds selectively, borylating either one or two bonds, and to expand this method to the second most abundant hydrocarbon, ethane. Implementing both reactions could make it more feasible for methane to be used by the pharmaceutical industry as well as many others to craft designer molecules with a plethora of uses. ### The study was supported by the University of Pennsylvania, the Ministry of Education of Spain, Korea's Institute for Basic Science and the National Institutes of Health. Viruses that infect bacteria are among the most abundant life forms on Earth. Indeed, our oceans, soils and potentially even our bodies would be overrun with bacteria were it not for bacteria-eating viruses, called bacteriophages, that keep the microbial balance of ecological niches in check. Now, a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that bacteriophages made of RNA -- a close chemical cousin of DNA -- likely play a much larger role in shaping the bacterial makeup of worldwide habitats than previously recognized. The research, published March 24 in PLOS Biology, has identified 122 new types of RNA bacteriophages in diverse ecological niches, providing an opportunity for scientists to define their contributions to ecology and potentially to exploit them as novel tools to fight bacterial infections, particularly those that are resistant to antibiotics. "Lots of DNA bacteriophages have been identified, but there's an incredible lack of understanding about RNA bacteriophages," explained senior author David Wang, PhD, associate professor of molecular microbiology. "They have been largely ignored - relatively few were known to exist, and for the most part, scientists haven't bothered to look for them. This study puts RNA bacteriophages on the map and opens many new avenues of exploration." Wang estimates that of the more than 1,500 bacteriophages that have been identified, 99 percent of them have DNA genomes. The advent of large-scale genome sequencing has helped scientists identify DNA bacteriophages in the human gut, skin and blood as well as in the environment, but few researchers have looked for RNA bacteriophages in those samples (doing so requires that RNA be isolated from the samples and then converted back to DNA before sequencing). As part of the new study, first author and graduate student Siddharth Krishnamurthy, and the team, including Dan Barouch, MD, PhD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, identified RNA bacteriophages by analyzing data from samples taken from the environment, such as oceans, sewage and soils, and from aquatic invertebrates including crabs, sponges and barnacles, as well as insects, mice and rhesus macaques. RNA bacteriophages have been shown to infect gram-negative bacteria, which have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics and are the source of many infections in health-care settings. But the researchers also showed for the first time that these bacteriophages also may infect gram-positive bacteria, which are responsible for strep and staph infections as well as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). "What we know about RNA bacteriophages in any environment is limited," Wang said. "But you can think of bacteriophages and bacteria as having a predator-prey relationship. We need to understand the dynamics of that relationship. Eventually, we'd like to manipulate that dynamic to use phages to selectively kill particular bacteria. ### The research is funded by in part by an investigator in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases award from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant numbers OD011170, AI078526 and AI096040 to DB. Additionally, Siddharth Krishnamurthy was supported in part by an NIH training grant, number T32 AI 007172 34. Andrew Janowkski, MD, was supported in part by an NIH training grant, T32 AI 106688 02. Krishnamurthy SR, Janowski AB, Zhao G, Barouch D and Wang D. Hyperexpansion of RNA bacteriophage diversity. PLOS Biology. March 24, 2016. A writer at The Skeptical Zone, Patrick, recently contributed a post on the computer simulation ev. He takes aim at William Dembski, Robert Marks, and the Evolutionary Informatics Labs analysis of that simulation. However, the events he discusses actually show a history of Darwinists repeatedly misunderstanding or misrepresenting arguments for intelligent design. Patrick fundamentally mistakes the claim we are making about ev (and evolutionary simulations in general). Regarding a response to Schneider from the Evolutionary Informatics Lab, he says: He admits again that evolution does work in certain environments. Patrick treats this as an admission that undermines our argument, but it is what we have been saying over and over again. We have argued that evolution only works in certain environments. In order for Darwinian evolution to work, you must have an appropriate fitness landscape. This is what Dembski said in Americas Obsession with Design, the first time Im aware of that he wrote about ev. It is also what Dembski wrote in No Free Lunch. It is also what we said in A Vivisection of the ev Computer Organism: Identifying Sources of Active Information,as well as our response to Schneiders criticisms. We are not claiming and have not claimed that evolution simply doesnt work in any environment. We have claimed that it only works in certain environments. This is the entire point behind the concept of active information and conservation of information: if you have an environment where evolution is successful it must be due to the configuration of the environment. Patrick continues: The real world is one of [the environments where evolution does work]. This is the point that we would dispute. Our contention is not that evolution cannot work in any environment, but that the real world is not one of the environments where evolution works. The question is not whether evolution can navigate an ideal fitness landscape, but whether the real worlds fitness landscape is sufficiently ideal for evolution to navigate it. It is not a question of whether or not evolution can follow the signals natural selection provides, but whether natural selection provides the right signals. Where does that leave us with ev? Well, ev can tell us that given its particular environment, evolution works. But that is not under dispute. What can ev tell us about the real world environment, and how suitable it is for evolution? Does ev suggest that reality would be amenable to evolution, or is it simply an irrelevant model that has little to do with the real world? We have argued that ev is, at best, irrelevant to the real world. In the real world, natural selection favors organisms which perform well in the current environment. On the other hand, evsmodel of natural selection measures the difference between an organism and an ideal target. As Richard Dawkins said about his own target-based model, life isnt like that. You cannot evaluate fitness as distance to a target, and present that as a model of natural selection. Patrick responds: Thats not a target. It provides no details about what a solution would look like or how to reduce the distance measured, it simply indicates how far away a genome is from being a solution. In fact, it does less than that because it doesnt provide any information about the difference between an existing recognizer and an ideal recognizer. It is unclear what Patrick thinks the word target means. Nothing stated in the paragraph above has anything to do with whether or not a target exists. In fact, he talks about the target, calling it the solution. Patrick seems to think that its not a target unless detailed information is provided about it to the simulation. But that is simply not what target means. Even so, providing the distance to the target is detailed information. Distance to a solution is information about what a solution would look like. A distance that decreases when the genome moves towards a solution is information about how to reduce the distance. Furthermore, distance between the ideal recognizer and the existing recognizer is clearly information about the difference. Every sort of information that Patrick mentions is in fact provided by the distance to the target. Patrick claims that Dembski made an incorrect claim about ev, which, he says, was thoroughly refuted by Schneider, and which Dembski has never admitted. In 2001, William Dembski claimed that ev does not demonstrate an information increase and further claimed that Schneider smuggled in information via his rule for handling ties in fitness. What Schneider shows is that without this special rule, ev still succeeds, although it does take somewhat longer. Thus he and Patrick claim that theyve demonstrated that this special rule was not a source of information. However, they are simply incorrect. Dembski pointed to multiple sources of information. He wrote in Americas Obsession with Design: Schneiders choice of fitness function is the most obvious place where he smuggles in complex specified information. But there are others. Dembski goes on to discuss the special rule as an additional example of a source of information. Dembski identified multiple source of information, and as such the removal of only one of them would not necessarily be expected to bring evolution to a halt. It would be expected to hinder or slow evolution, and this is exactly what is observed. Imagine coming across a dubious salesman with an allegedly magic swimming pool. He claims that the swimming pool fills itself with water without needing any external source of water. This seems unlikely, and upon investigation you point out that the swimming pool is filling with water because it is pouring rain and there is also a hose dispensing a trickle of water into it. In response, the salesperson pulls out the hose, and says, Look! See? The water is still rising. The swimming pool is magic! By only removing the relatively minor source of water, the salesperson has misrepresented what you are saying. In the same way, by removing only the minor source of information and acting as though this undermined Dembskis argument, Schneider misrepresented what Dembski said. Dembski merely said it was a source of some information, and Schneiders experiment confirmed that. Dembski never implied that evolution would completely stop working without this additional source of information. Patrick, following Schneider, objects that we did not measure the particular form of information that Schneider used in his paper. They do not compute the information in the binding sites. So they didnt evaluate the relevant information (R sequence ) at all. This is rather a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Schneider claimed to be addressing an objection against Darwinian theory: The ev model quantitatively addresses the question of how life gains information, a valid issue recently raised by creationists. But one of the sources that he references, Royal Trumans The Problem of Information for the Theory of Evolution: Has Dawkins Really Solved It?, has this to say about Shannon information, the model of information Schneider used: Shannons theory of information, while useful in the context of telecommunications, does not seem to help anyone much in the evolution/creation debate. If Schneider wished to address this question, he should have used a model of information as proposed by those asking the question. Schneider cannot simply adopt another model of information and pretend to have resolved the question. Of course, Schneiders inappropriately switching information models does not give us the right to do so. However, we did not dispute Schneiders claims about R sequence and R frequency . R sequence is a measure of how similar the binding sites are to each other. When Schneider points out that R sequence increases, this means the binding sites get more similar to each other over the course of evolution. We do not wish the dispute the fact that under evs rules, the binding sites get more similar to each other, and thus calculating R sequence remains irrelevant. What we do dispute is Schneiders claim that he has answered the problem of information in evolution, and his assertion that his results are applicable to real-world biological situations. The Evolutionary Informatics Lab developed active information specifically to study these situations. Our paper was a case study in applying active information to this model. For the argument that we were making, active information was the relevant information measure. Patrick continues, objecting to my paper, Digital Irreducible Complexity, which discusses ev and irreducible complexity: It appears that Ewert is the one with the misunderstanding here. If there is a destructive mutation in the genes that code for the recognizer, none of the binding sites will be recognized and, in the biological systems that ev models, the protein will not bind and the resulting capability will not be provided. It will immediately and necessarily cease to function. This makes the system irreducibly complex by Behes definition. Patrick observes, correctly, that destroying the recognizer will prevent any of the binding sites from being recognized, and thus the protein will immediately and necessary cease to function. Then he claims that this fits the definition of irreducible complexity. But that is incorrect, since he has to show that this is true for all of the parts, not just one of them. Later, he demonstrates that he is aware of this criterion, leaving it somewhat mysterious why he asserts that this makes the system irreducible complex. Patrick does go on to discuss the other parts: Binding sites are somewhat less brittle, simply because there are more of them. However, if there is a destructive mutation in one or more of the binding sites, the organism with that mutation will be less fit than others in the same population. In a real biological system, the function provided by the protein binding will be degraded at best and eliminated at worst. The organism will have effectively ceased to function. Patrick begins by stating that the organism with a destructive mutation will be less fit than one without that mutation. This is true. He observes that in a real biological system, the function provided would be degraded at best. This is also true. But then he claims that the organism will have effectively ceased to function. Having functionality degraded is not the same thing as effectively ceasing to function. For functionality to be degraded means that some functionality remains, but it is not as good as the original. For it effectively to cease functioning means that the functionality is completely gone. In ev, destroying binding sites merely degrades functionality, it does not eliminate it. As such, it simply does not fit the definition of irreducible complexity. Patrick accuses me of not understanding irreducible complexity, but he merely demonstrates his own confusion. He tries to show that ev evolves irreducible complexity by using two different definitions, both incorrect. Furthermore, Patrick did not even attempt to address the discussion of this point in my paper or other objections I raised against the claim that ev has evolved irreducible complexity. Again and again, we have seen that our critics misunderstand and misrepresent our arguments. Dembski is represented as claiming that without a special rule, ev wouldnt work, but he only stated that it was one source of information amongst others. The Evolutionary Informatics Lab is represented as claiming that evolution cannot work in any environment, when we have repeatedly argued that it only works in some environments. Patrick has misconstrued the definition of irreducible complexity in two different ways. Not for the first time, our critics claim an easy and hollow victory against straw men. Ev demonstrates evolution in an intelligently designed environment, not one that appropriately models nature. It does not evolve an irreducible complex system. The system it evolves fails the knockout test parts can be removed without the system effectively ceasing to function. The truth remains that critics like Patrick are unable or unwilling to engage our actual arguments. Our conclusion stands. Image credit: Kurhan / Dollar Photo Club. I bet if you take a drive into the country you wont see many fields that arent plastered in cover crops from northeast to southeastern Ohio. Well, that is simply because this has been the best year by far for the 22 Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Area. The 2015 Cover Crop Program was once again sponsored by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. It allowed for almost 26,000 acres of cover crops to be installed. More acreage. Never before have there been as many cover crops planted in the 22 counties than this past year through this program. Publicity, such as word of mouth or even the cover crop signs you see along the road by a nice green field, have led to a substantial increase of participation and success in the program. Area 3 Soil & Water Conservation District Program Specialist Chad Amos sent out an email thanking everyone involved from all 22 counties. He wrote, First off, let me thank everyone for their efforts on this years program. Some quick addition shows that we will finish the year just shy of 26,000 acres planted! This is no small task and it is something we should all be proud of. To go along with the record year, the 2015-2016 winter has been a pretty mild one to say the least. The mild winter has given the cover crops a great success rate as they look better than ever. But its not always about the look. With the cover crops standing strong heading into spring, Im sure they have well exceeded the expectations of most farmers. Tuscarawas County itself has also seen a positive increase from the 2014 year. Total acres The 2015 cover crop program, allowed Tuscarawas County producers to fly on or no-till 2,359 acres, compared to 1,391 acres in 2014. The number of producers with approved acreage increased by 4, from 12 to 16. The load reductions from these cover crops had an enormous increase, as well. The amount of sediment saved this year compared to last year was 11,673 tons versus 8,705 tons. The amount of phosphorus nearly doubled, topping out at 11,767 pounds saved. The nitrogen increased 9,406 pounds this year from 13,717 to 23,123. This fall will be here before we know it and those wonderful soil-saving cover crops will be going in the ground once again. We hope to make every year better than the past as we strive to enhance the soil health for more productive yields. (The rural ag scene is made up of many people who often go unrecognized. In 2016, our Rural Roles series will feature some of those personalities, and why their voices are so important to agriculture.) NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio There are some farmers who think their most important role is on the farm. And then there is Connie Finton, who sees her volunteer work to improve Tuscarawas County as important as her job in the milking parlor each morning. Finton and her husband, Cliff, own Carlene Farms, milking 100 Holsteins and farming 340 acres of rented and owned ground on the outskirts of New Philadelphia. They built a progressive dairy farm, and were the first Ohio farmers to have a manure lagoon. They were among the first to adopt magnet feeders then computerized feeders for their herd, to use hutches for raising calves, and to install buffer strips and other conservation practices because it was the right thing to do. Its that commitment to agriculture, to the farming community, that drives Finton to volunteer off the farm in a big way. I think its important that my kids, my grandkids, and someday my great-grandkids, can continue to live here and do the things that they want to do here on the farm, she said. We want to live in a great community, and this farm is part of a great community, and thats what its all about, being part of a community. City girl A lot of people assume Finton was born and raised on a farm. Others assume shes so passionate about Tuscarawas County because she was born there. I remember going to high school with you, theyll say. No, you dont, she responds, not unless you went to high school in Florida. Finton was raised in Orlando, Florida, and met her future husband in 1966 while she was working in a department store and he was stationed at the Naval Air Station Sanford. I really didnt know he was a dairy farmer, she recalls. I thought, you know, sailor in the Navy, wed travel the world. She was still oblivious to his chosen post-Navy career, even when hed pick her up and go for a drive doing what all farmers do, trying to find local farms to check out. It was on one of those drives that Cliff fabricated a tall tale that Connie confesses she believed for awhile: that feeding dairy cows orange pulp byproducts is what produced orange sherbet. I was so naive, she said, admitting that she even bought new white jeans to wear to visit her future in-laws farm for the first time. White jeans. On a dairy farm. But if you didnt know her urban roots, you would never guess that if you met her today: She milks with Cliff twice a day, can talk feed and herd health with the best of them, and is a tireless dairy promoter, spouting ag industry stats to local CEOs and reading dairy books to libraries across the county each June. She learned how to farm one step at a time, and raised her three now-adult children daughter Suzanne, and sons Charlie and Matthew. Looking beyond farm As she grew to love the farm, Finton grew to love the surrounding community, which includes the sister cities of Dover/New Philadelphia, population 30,250. Because the farm was Cliffs domain, she looked off the farm to leave her own mark. As her children grew, she volunteered at their schools, at church, 4-H and Buckeye Dairy Boosters dairy promotion programs. She has been active in the county Farm Bureau, served on the board of directors with Dairy Farmers of America, the board of the American Dairy Association Mideast, and a trustee with Ohios Dairy Industry Forum. She loved the marriage of her livelihood and her volunteer leadership on the dairy boards, and bringing ideas back to Tuscarawas County to implement locally. I remember standing on pallets in a tent at the fair dipping ice cream, of the county dairy committees early work. Now we have our own building. Building a hospital But one of her passions sparked in the early 1970s, while volunteering a weekly three-hour stint on the information desk at nearby Union Hospital in Dover in the early 1970s. She chose the hospital because her son, Charlie, was born with gastroschisis, a birth defect of the abdominal wall. He required numerous stays and surgeries at what is now Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus to replace the abdominal organs and repair the abdominal wall. The information desk led to her involvement with the hospital auxiliary. I think rural health care is extremely important, she said. Its important to have access to quality care, especially if youre in agriculture, which is a dangerous occupation. In 1993, she helped with the auxiliarys first Christmas Tree Festival, which features decorated and lighted Christmas trees donated by community sponsors and then sold as a fundraiser. Finton now chairs the project, which featured nearly 90 trees in 2015 and drew more than 4,000 people during the nine-day festival. It raised $61,000 for the hospital auxiliary, which turns around and supports the hospital most recently making a $300,000 donation for the new $17.7 million emergency room that just opened. Its a lot of hard work, Finton said, but I get to feel successful that people are benefiting from my work. I like being a part of things that make a difference. And I do it so future generations of Fintons can keep working these fields. Nonstop She is also a member of the Union Hospital Development and Community Relations Board; Tuscarawas County Job & Family Services Advisory Committee; Got Milk? Got Cookies? Got Books? Reading Enhancement Program and she is the co-developer of Fit Youth Initiative. Shes active in the Jerusalem Church as Sunday School teacher and vacation Bible school leader. And shes been instrumental in helping develop the Womens Success Series, sponsored by Dennison Railroad Depot Museum and Kent State University at Tuscarawas. The lecture series is now in its fourth year, and Finton, who serves on its steering committee, was one of its keystone speakers in 2014. I like highlighting the fact that women can do things, she said, explaining that the series provides opportunities for networking. Its a lot easier to do things as a group, than try to strike out on your own. And, she adds, the network has always worked well for promoting the dairy industry, too. In 2008, Finton was recognized for her extensive volunteerism when she received the Lucille Nussdorfer Tuscarawas County Woman of the Year Award, and earlier this year, the Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce named her its Citizen of the Year. Just do it Balancing full-time farm life and that equally-as-full-time volunteer schedule is a juggling act. I dont know how she does it, says Dee Grossman, executive director of the Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau. She must look at herself in the mirror each morning and say, Lets do this! But Grossman said Finton is the last to see her work as being deserving of awards. Its just everyday stuff for her, said Grossman, who has known Finton for 20-plus years and serves on two countywide committees with her. Its just something you do: You volunteer in your community. She just says, this needs to be done, and gets out there and does it. Five Minutes With Connie Finton FAMILY: Husband, Cliff; adult children, Suzanne, Charlie, Matthew. HOMETOWN: New Philadelphia, Ohio OCCUPATION: Dairy farmer FIRST JOB: Selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts door to door on Saturday in the Florida housing development where I lived (maybe age 12). BEST FAMILY MEMORY: Summer family trips as a child to my grandparents cottage on Burt Lake in Michigan. WHATS ONE ITEM ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: European river cruise, maybe the Danube. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOUVE RECEIVED: Keep out of other peoples business. FAVORITE QUOTE: The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Dr. Phil BURGER OR STEAK: Steak. Medium rare. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT: Worrying if I did enough. By Susan Crowell ELLSWORTH, Ohio The Western Reserve Rangers 4-H Club welcomed the Mahoning County Junior Leader 4-H Club Adviser Joe Fagnano, who was a guest speaker at the March meeting. Fagnano and Junior Leader 4-H Club President Janelle Benson informed the members of the variety of activities the club had planned for 2016. The 4-H State Ambassador, Remi Mikan, also shared some of her past experiences as a member of the group. Paul Carittes and Andy Prosser told about some of the educational sessions they attended at Quality Assurance. Tiffany Voland and 2015 4-H Queen Shannon Marshburn encouraged the members to apply to be on the County 4-H Fashion Board. Information about the Zika virus was reported by Health Leader, Camille Kirk. She also encouraged the audience to use insect repellent when outdoors, as this virus is spread by mosquito bites. The next club meeting will be April 14 at the Ellsworth Fire Hall, beginning at 7 p.m. CANFIELD, Ohio The Mahoning County Junior Fair Board met March 16, to begin planning the 2016 Canfield Fair. Officers elected for 2016 included: Andy Prosser, president; Renee Reisner, vice president; Cathy McCracken, secretary/treasurer; Nathan Kalinay, assistant secretary/treasurer; and Kristyn Svetlak, news reporter. Guest speaker Magistrate Anthony DApolito shared information and tips on job applications and interviews and prepared them for what to do before, during, and after an interview. Upcoming community events include: Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, March 26, at Canfield Fair Park; and the Animal Baby Shower, April 10, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., at Mill Creek Metroparks. SALEM, Ohio Large-scale changes to farming are needed if states are going to meet an international goal of reducing phosphorus going into Lake Erie, a study has found. The University of Michigan and about a dozen other scientists some from Ohio State University and Heidelberg University released a study March 22 that found two viable options: increase conservation practices, or convert more ground to grassland. Last month, the U.S. and Canadian governments called for a 40 percent reduction a figure that has been targeted in Ohio for the past several years. Excess phosphorus feeds toxin-producing algal blooms that have polluted drinking water, disrupted commerce and threatened local ecosystems. Computer modeling In the current study, called Informing Lake Erie Agriculture Nutrient Management via Scenario Evaluation, researchers combined computer simulation models of the Maumee Basin to study 12 possible scenarios for reducing ag-based phosphorus input. Jay Martin, a co-author and faculty lead for OSUs Field to Faucet water quality program, said researchers realized they had common watershed models of the basin, and wanted to see what similarities they could find, if the models were combined and different improvements were tested. Meeting the goal In the end, only two scenarios were shown to work. One included converting about 30,000 acres of row crops into grassland, and the other included increasing three best management practices subsurface application of nutrients, adoption of cover crops, and buffer strips on 50 percent of the acres in the basin. The first scenario, while computer models suggest it would work, was quickly criticized by farmers and the ag industry, who were worried about losing productive farmland. According to a University of Michigan news release, converting 30,000 acres in the basin, and carrying out other recommendations, would likely impact more than 6,300 farms. The average farm size, according to the university, is 235 acres. I agree that it could work, Martin said, adding, Is that the most practical and most realistic? Probably not. Instead, he said the more positive solution would be to increase the best management practices things that farmers are already doing, but not currently at the level needed. I think farmers would be reluctant to convert their land to grassland, Martin said, adding that the solution needs to be viable for both the environment, and for farmers. Martin said there are government programs that make idling farm ground a viable option, including some through the Conservation Reserve Program and other USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service programs. But, he said, if enough farmers practice the best management practices being promoted, they can maintain their current yields and acreage. I think the other (scenario), where we maintain the cropping acres that we have, is the most viable solution moving forward, he said. Major effort Don Scavia, the University of Michigan ecologist who led the study, said the results show it will not be possible to achieve the new target nutrient loads without very significant, large-scale implementation of these agricultural practices. Scavia said traditional, voluntary conservation programs would either have to be implemented at an unprecedented scale or are simply not sufficient to reach these environmental goals, and that new complementary policies and programs are needed. Critical response The study drew criticism from the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, and the Ohio Soybean Association particularly the suggestion to convert cropland to grass. This is unrealistic, disregards the positive economic impact of grain farming in Ohio, and the need to grow food for a growing population, both associations said in a released statement. The associations also took issue with the computer-simulated models, versus real-time practices happening on the ground. The study did not take into account current adoption of conservation practices or the fact that some practices work best in certain geographies, the farm associations said. Computer shortfalls The computer simulations give researchers the opportunity to look at potential solutions from a broad perspective, and before theyre implemented. But the study acknowledges certain shortfalls of computer modeling, including the variability from model to model. We chose to use multiple models because the true accuracy of the models in representing the baseline condition is not uniquely quantifiable, the report reads, adding that with multiple models, the researchers could track the similarities. Another challenge and criticism of the study is that researchers were not able to identify all of the conservation practices farmers are already doing including buffer strips and winter cover crops. Care must be taken in interpreting these results because some portions of our scenarios may already be implemented to some degree within the watershed, the report reads. However, because of privacy issues, we were not able to determine the extent or location of many existing practices. With that in mind, researchers concluded that the results show the need for additional implementation. The farm groups said they continue to work with on-ground researchers, from real farms and edge-of-field studies. Research, modeling, and asking the right questions can lead to solutions, but it must be based on the changing conditions that challenge farmers every single day, the corn and soybean groups said. About the study Funding for the study was provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation. Other funding came from the National Science Foundation, a Joyce Foundation grant, a NOAA Coastal and Oceanic Climate Applications grant, and a NOAA/Ohio Sea Grant to Ohio State University. The models used in the study, and the researchers, are from Ohio State University, Heidelberg University, LimnoTech, University of Michigan, The Nature Conservancy and Texas A&M Agrilife Research. Related coverage: The former Minister for Agriculture and Food, Sir Jim Paice, has described claims today that the UK farming industry would benefit from leaving the EU as fanciful. Paice, one of the driving forces behind Farmers for In, was commenting following the launch of Farmers for Britain fronted by Minister of State for Farming, George Eustice, who earlier this week lauded the benefits of the single market. During a visit to Accolade Wines on Monday, George Eustice said: As one of the largest global importers, exporters and consumers of wine with total trade reaching 2.7 billion in 2014, the UK has become a vital trading centre for the global wine trade and a major gateway for other countries looking to access the European single market. It is great to see our wine entrepreneurs building the UK's reputation for world class bottling storage and distribution facilities by boosting investment, jobs and growth, helping to power our 100 billion food and drink industry. Today he called for the British farming industry to turn its back on Europe. Rt. Hon. Sir Jim Paice, former Minister for Agriculture and Food and a member of the Farmers for In group, said: Farmers for Britain are painting an unbelievably rosy picture of life outside the European Union. We all know how much more important agriculture is to many other members of the EU and our farmers gain from that. The notion that walking away will give us all the beneficial terms we get now is fanciful. Only on Monday, George Eustice said how the UK has become a vital trading centre for the global wine trade and a major gateway for other countries looking to access the European single market. It is astonishing that in the same week he is leading the call for the farming industry in this country to turn its back on Europe. It may be that in time we can negotiate continued access, but we will still have to comply with all their regulations and maybe any more they devise. The idea that regulations are only because of the EU is absurd. Our lobby groups will still be here and in many cases are stronger domestically and our civil servants are just as inventive as those from Brussels. "I have little doubt that if we vote to leave the UK the Basic Farm Payment will still be paid for a while, not least because we wont actually leave overnight. But it wont last long. Those supporting leave say that because of the money saved by not paying the EU, not only would farm payments be protected, but perhaps even more could be paid. I dont believe that future governments will indefinitely continue to fund farming subsidies against a raft of other priorities such as the NHS, Education and Security. Given that the last three governments have all called for the CAP to be cut or scrapped it is not credible to argue that subsidies will last forever. The EU and the CAP are far from perfect but the risk to farming from being outside are immense and a gamble we cannot afford. Safety watchdog issues half-term call to keep kids safe on farms Ag sector will receive government funding over the next number of years By Diego Flammini Assistant Editor, North American Content Farms.com Attention in Canada focused on Parliament Hill Tuesday afternoon as recently appointed Minister of Finance Bill Morneau tabled his first federal budget. Farms.com explored the budget to highlight where agriculture fits into the Liberal governments spending plans. The budget includes multi-million dollar investments into agricultural initiatives including genomics research and enhancements to some Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency offices around the country, but its the commitment to rural broadband thats important to farmers. Minister of Finance Bill Morneau As many farmers live in rural areas and face challenges when it comes to broadband and internet connectivity, the federal budget includes a plan to give rural Canada better connections. The government is proposing to invest $500 million over five years to extend and enhance broadband service in rural and remote communities details of which will be released later in the year. In a Feb. 2016 interview with Farms.com, Peter Sykanda, farm policy researcher with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said a broadband connection for farmers is increasingly important as new equipment uses wireless technology to store, collect and transfer data. According to the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, only 85 per cent of Canadians in rural areas have access. Join the conversation and tell us your thoughts on the new federal budget. What do you like about it? What do you think needs improvement? he sixth annual U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Latin American Product Showcase will be held July 20-21 in Panama City, Panama the place where it was launched in 2011. Over the past five years, the showcase has developed into the premier gathering for exporters and buyers conducting business in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF marketing director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, said the 2015 showcase, held in Costa Rica, attracted 44 USMEF member companies and nearly 100 buyers from 16 countries. He said this summers event may be even larger and will include a number of educational seminars and opportunities for one-on-one business meetings. An emphasis will be placed on traditional Latin American cuisine, with dishes from participating countries being prepared using U.S. beef, pork and lamb. Since its inception, the Nebraska Beef Council and Illinois Soybean Association have provided financial support for the Latin American Product Showcase. Support for this years event is also being provided by the Beef Checkoff Program, the Pork Checkoff and the USDA Market Access Program (MAP). Online registration can be found at www.usmef.org. TRANSCRIPT: Ralph Loos: The U.S. Meat Export Federation has announced the location of its 2016 Latin American Product Showcase. This July, the showcase will return to Panama City where the event was first launched in 2011. Regional marketing director Gerardo Rodriguez has more details in this USMEF report. Gerardo Rodriguez: Five years ago, this product showcase was born in Panama City as a pilot program activity. We did it having around 10 members, USMEF members and exhibitors. It was a great success. But the next year we made some improvements and we made it a bigger event, and last year we did it in Costa Rica, having an amazing number 44 exporters, 44 members were able to go there and get to meet with people from 16 countries, because we now have the chance to include the Caribbean. We reached over 100 buyers. So now were having the Latin American Product Showcase taking place in Panama City again it will be where the first product showcase took place. Ralph Loos: Along with seminars and business meetings to promote U.S. beef, pork and lamb, Rodriguez says buyers at this years Showcase will be able to sample traditional Latin American cuisine prepared with U.S. red meat. Gerardo Rodriguez: Theres a lot of seminars we are planning. Also we are planning a gastronomic festival, in the fact that we are having cuisine, typical cuisine made in the different countries. We will have all different types of typical traditional dishes using products from the U.S. So we want the people to get to see the business opportunities, yes, we want them to learn about the trends, yes, but also we want them to see and learn a little about the culture of Panama. Ralph Loos: For more information, please visit USMEF.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, Im Ralph Loos. Source: USMEF "It was the first time Ross and Carol had been through the plant after all their years growing Monola and we had another dozen interested farmers attending as well." The idea for The Way We Were had been percolating in the back of my mind for years. I just couldn't figure out a way to make the story work. Sinead Moriarty Back in the late 1980s Brian Keenan and John McCarthy, among others, were kidnapped and taken hostage in Beirut. They remained in captivity for over four years and when they were finally released the two men talked about this incredible friendship that had kept them sane. You could see the deep connection and love between them. To this day they are best friends and the bond between them remains. I was always fascinated by this and by the fact that John McCarthy's girlfriend campaigned so tirelessly to get him released and then when he was released everyone presumed they'd end up togetherbut in fact they broke up and he married someone else. I wanted to somehow write a book with some of these themes worked into the storyline. The Way We Were is about a married couple, Ben and Alice, who have two teenage daughters and who love each other deeply but are going through a bump in their marriage. Like all relationships theirs has got a bit stale. Ben is feeling restless. He's having a mid-life crisis. Is this it? He wonders. He feels his life has become mundane and is slipping through his fingers. He wants to shake things up, to feel vibrant again. Ben craves adventure and when someone offers him the opportunity to have that adventure he jumps at the chance. Ben's fellow surgeon asks him to go to Africa, to Eritrea to operate with another colleague, Declan. Ben knows there is a risk involved as the country is very unstable, but he says yes. He knows Alice will be worried about him, he knows it's a dangerous place but he can't wait to go and experience something new with a fellow surgeon.Alice is furious and worried sick that something will happen to him. It turns out she was right and what happens next changes their lives forever. The book is really about love and the power of memories. Alice needs to forget Ben to survive and be a good mother to their daughters, but he clings to her memory to keep himself alive. I also wanted to look at how people change. What happens when the person you know so well is altered by life? When something happens to turn your life upside down and you have to change to survive, can you get back the way you were or are you permanently altered? Henry Cavill would "relish" the chance to be the next James Bond. Henry Cavill Cavill was eyed up for the role a decade ago but was passed over by movie bosses who chose to cast fellow British actor Daniel Craig. But with rumours rife that the 'Spectre' star is set to hang up his gun and tuxedo very soon and exit the franchise, Henry is less inclined to let the opportunity slip through his fingers twice and is ready to swoop in as his replacement. Speaking about playing the handsome British spy, he said: "If Bond were to come about, it's a role I would relish playing." Henry currently stars in 'Batman v Superman: Man of Steel' as the ripped superhero who goes head-to-head with The Caped Crusader - played by Ben Affleck. However, he's on the look-out for more "serious" roles and is on a mission to ensure he is not just known as a "pretty face". He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I need to prove I am a serious actor by playing roles that show that. But there are still people who I won't win over and will always call me just a pretty face." Disney Europe Middle East & Africa have today (March 24) announced the start of production on brand new 10-episode teen-drama The Lodge, telling the story of 15-year-old Skye. The cast of The Lodge / Credit: Disney Returning to her childhood holiday lodge in Northern Ireland, Skye and a range of characters will be followed on a journey as they rock-climb, kayak, mountain bike and occasionally sing and dance their way around the country. Inspired by popular Disney Channel Israel show North Star, The Lodge will be produced by award-winning Zodiak Kids Studios with head writer Lee Walters. Raymond Lau produces and Steven Andrew steps in as executive producer, whilst Matt Bloom will direct the series. British actor Sophie Simnett will play lead character Skye, with a cast also including Bethan Wright, Jade Alleyne, Jayden Revri, Joshua Sinclair-Evans, Luke Newton, Thomas Doherty and Ellie Taylor. Danish actress Clara Rugaard, Dutch actress Sarah Nauta and French actor Thomas Hudson all also star. Credit: Disney Trying to use her new location to make a fresh start following the death of her mother, Skye's new life will see some complications as she attempts to navigate the pressures of being a teen. Whether she's making friends or 'frenemies, getting involved in a love triangle or discovering a mystery set to shake her world, she's got a bumpy road ahead. Nine original songs will feature in the show and aid the storytelling, with the central theme focusing on courage and staying truthful to who you are. David Levine of Disney says: "We're excited about bringing The Lodge to our Disney Channel fans across the UK and EMEA. We have a truly talented cast with exceptional vocals putting their stamp on characters that kids will care about and storylines that will inspire. The series' universal storylines, themes and characters are certain to demonstrate great Disney storytelling and strike a chord with viewers." Steven Andrew of Zodiak Kids Studios adds: "The Lodge is an ambitious and exciting project which we are thrilled to have the opportunity to be producing for Disney. It's a demanding show, requiring our young and talented cast to climb, kayak, mountain bike, whilst occasionally singing and dancing. The show charts that precious period of teen awakening, when all experiences are intense, treasured and forever memorable. Expect a warm, funny, emotional roller coaster of a show." Shot in the Northern Irish town of Ballynahinch, the series will air on Disney Channel in 108 territories across Europe Middle East & Africa later this year. by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Some of New Zealands most successful builders are offering to assist with the Adopt a School program unveiled on Tuesday by the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama. A group of 12 former Fijians who are now leading lights in the NZ construction industry were briefed on the requirements of the program at a meeting in Auckland with the visiting Attorney General and Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum. I explained that getting our children out of temporary structures and tents and back into proper classrooms is one of the Governments top priorities. And I also told them of the partnership we have forged with the Fiji Institute of Engineers to ensure both the integrity of the program and to rebuild structures in the affected areas that are capable of surviving future cyclones. The AG said he had been struck by the enthusiasm of Fijian New Zealanders to assist in the relief effort and especially those with the skills and contacts to make a practical contribution, such as the group of builders he met. These are all people who have the means and commitment to move quickly to assist our children put the trauma of Cyclone Winston behind them. I have explained to them what the Government proposes and they have assured me that they will do everything to assist, he said. One of the conveners of the meeting, the CEO of Radio Tarana, Robert Khan, has established the Fiji Relief Network to encourage former Fijians living in NZ to contribute to the cyclone relief effort. These Fijian New Zealanders who are in the NZ construction industry are self-made men who understand the importance of education and getting our children back into proper classrooms. They have at their disposal up to 1500 people in the building industry in NZ. And they are all prepared to devote time and resources to the rebuilding effort to enable Fijian children to put Cyclone Winston behind them, he said. Mr Khan added that those offering their services had been inspired by the quality of the Fijian Governments response to the crisis and particularly the leadership of the Prime Minister. The PMs Adopt a School Program has already captured the imagination of many New Zealanders and we intend to do what we can to make it a resounding success, he said. We are as surprised as you are! But rumour has it that, Ranbir Kapoor secretly met ex girlfriend Deepika Padukone in LA. Deepika was shooting for her Hollywood project, xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage there. According to a report in Spotboye.com, Ranbir Kapoor had gone and met Deepika privately. The two exes spent quite a bit of quality time with each other, then. Click On VIEW PHOTOS To See Some Really Candid Pics Of Ex-Lovers Ranbir & Deepika Many insiders say that, Deepika Padukone has a soft spot for Ranbir and she still has feelings for him. Not just that, it is also said that after his break-up with Katrina Kaif, Ranbir is constantly in touch with Deepika. Don't Miss: This Is What Hrithik Roshan Said When Asked About Failed Relationship With Sussanne Khan Very recently, Deepika Padukone took a break from her xXx shoots to be in Sri Lanka for her friend's wedding. But before leaving for the wedding, Deepika was spotted at Ranbir's house. She was spotted chatting her heart out with Ranbir on his terrace. Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor were the perfect couple until Ranbir fell in love with Katrina and decided to leave Deepika for her. Ranbir and Katrina had plans of marriage but the two decided to end their relationship this January and no one knows the real reason behind their break-up even now. Sources say that, one of the reasons behind their split is Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone's proximity during the promotions of Tamasha. Well, we really want to know how Ranveer Singh is dealing with all this as the whole world knows about Deepika's fondness for her ex boyfriend! Arpita Khan, is glowing with all the love showered by her husband Aayush Khan and brother Salman Khan. The mommy-to-be is surrounded by loved ones throughout and there's not a moment when she was left alone. Now Arpita Khan's doting husband Aayush Sharma, has captured beautiful pictures of his wife Arpita, and we must say the pictures looks breathtaking. There is lot of happiness overflowing in his pictures and smiles are everywhere. Check out the pictures here! Lovely isn't it? Aayush Sharma is really a pro behind the lense, and we're eager to see more of his photography skills in the coming days! How Sweet! Katrina Kaif Goes Down On Her Knees To Meet This Actor A few weeks back, the lovely couple Aayush Sharma and Arpita Khan, spent the whole Sunday at a farm in the outskirts of the city. Aayush and Aprita posed for the camera, and Aayush was seen standing shirtless as he happily showed off his muscles with a huge smile on his face. Arpita Khan, stood next to her loving husband in a dark grey pullover showing off her baby bump, and had a million dollar smile on her face. The couple, Aayush and Arpita are living a life filled with love, care and happiness. Good Lord! Priyanka Chopra Looks So Hot For The Shoot Of Esquire Salman Khan, is taking care of his sister Arpita really well, and the Sultan actor, had recently invited a lot of Bollywood celebs for Arpita Khan's baby shower ceremony. Salman, loves his sister to the moon and back, and we're sure the actor would never really leave his house after Arpita's child is born, as Salman, loves children the most. Celebs who attended Arpita's baby shower ceremony were Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia D'souza, Shilpa Shetty, Ellie Avram, Sangeeta Bijlani, Kabir Khan, Mini Mathur and Kanchi Kaul. Navya Naveli Nanda Posts A Picture With A Mysterious Man! John Abraham's latest release, Rocky Handsome's first show is at 6 pm on 24th March. This action thriller is directed by Nishikanth Kamat who has made his acting debut in this movie and it also stars Shruti Haasan in a small but pivotal role. The film has received mixed opinion from the critics-some find it to be a well-made gripping thriller while some felt the movie lacked emotional content. Take a look at the viewers opinion who are watching the special shows starting at 6 pm. See action scenes of John Abraham From Rocky Handsome! Read the tweets of the viewers who watched the movie! Akshaye Rathi @akshayerathi #RockyHandsome is a nice action flick. Essentially NOT for the faint hearted! And the knife fight in the pre climax sequence is INSANE! Kussh S Sinha @kusshssinha Congratulations to Nishikanth Kamath, @TheJohnAbraham and @iAmAzure . Rocky Handsome is a good film with great performances. Go watch it! Rocky Handsome Movie Review: Insane Action Thriller Lacks Emotional Connect NishantBhuse @nishantbhuse Breathtaking action @TheJohnAbraham u rock #RockyHandsome make it look soo real 2 life, awesome climax fight @iAmAzure Yatharth Chauhan @yatharth10 A hot romantic song, a brief chase sequence, some light hearted moments nd a flashback. And that's 15 minutes into Rocky Handsome. First half of Rocky Handsome is violence laced with intrigue. Keeps you guessing. Tension well built. More to follow in 2nd half Mehak @Mehak_Luvs_Rani #RockyHandsome begins with John-Shruti's romance in the visually stunning #Rehnuma shot in the beautiful locales of #Seychelles! The little girl shows a lot of confident and seems promising so far! The mystery around John's character is intriguing! Rocky Handsome Critics Review: John Abraham Starrer Impresses Big Time Anupama Chopra @anupamachopra I tried to learn the art of being deadly and dangerous from @TheJohnAbraham It didn't work out. Dr Ejaz Waris @drejazwaris Watched #RockyHandsome.Loophole script and slow pace are main players.John is beefy as usual. Disappointing! Bhushan Tembhurne @inbhushanz He fights like Rocky and looks so Handsome. @TheJohnAbraham You're so awesome in #RockyHandsome. Must watch! abhilasha singh @abhi_cancerian . @TheJohnAbraham as Rocky is handsome N the fight in the film is a treat for all action film lovers #RockyHandsome In Swaragini, the Maheshwari family members are jailed, because of Kavya. Ragini (Tejaswi Prakash Wayangankar) informs Annapoorna about Kavya's connection with house number 211. Annapoorna reveals about their business partner Malhotras and their two kids - Tanya and Kartik. After Malhotras' death, a servant took care of the kids. But, Tanya burns the house and the servant dies, while saving them. Check Out The Latest Update & Spoilers With Pictures Tanya stays back in the Maheshwari house, while Kartik was sent to a boarding school. Tanya was close to Lakshya, and while playing, she kills their servant. The police arrest her, while Lakshya was saved. Tanya had warned them that she will be back to take revenge. Swara assumes that Tanya has changed her name to Kavya and is taking revenge on Maheshwari family. Swara goes in search of 'real Tanya', and from Kolkata and Krishnavati jails, she gets to know that Tanya and Kavya are different! Also, a police informs her that Tanya was released from the jail and is in Kolkata now! Ragini meets the 'real Tanya' as the latter, coincidently, comes to their baadi to stay. She informs Swara the same. Swara follows Tanya and reaches house number 211. But by that time Kavya would have stabbed Tanya, and she would be almost dying. The 'real Tanya' informs Swara that she is Kavya; and Kavya is Tanya. They had changed their identities in the jail. Tanya got released and had promised Kavya that she and Kartik would release her from jail. But, they didn't bother to look back. The real Kavya also reveals that she came to meet Tanya, but she killed her as the 'fake' Kavya is dead! Now that Swara gets to know that Kavya is Tanya, it has to be seen how she and Ragini save the Maheshwari family! Technological development will not lead to the extinction of finance because it can't replace human-to-human communication in financial services, according to Levin Zhu, former chief executive of China International Capital Corporation. If you want to manage peoples wealth, you have to talk to them about their needs...You can [of course] send an email to everyone in the world in one second but many things cannot be easily solved through an email. It requires a lot of communication and dialogue, the son of former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji said on Tuesday at the Boao Forum in Hainan. The veteran investment banker Zhu was talking during a panel discussion about internet banking, where he also questioned the use of big-data, which Chinese fintech companies are rushing to develop in an effort to aid credit decisions and enhance risk management capabilities. Can big data really tell you this persons credit records without human beings judgement? he asked. You [might] know hes able to buy this but you dont know where his money comes from. Is it from his father, his own, or his friend? The key is whether you can verify the data after you gain it. The process is very time-consuming, Zhu added. To avoid one single error, you need humans to monitor [things]. Then you can never enter an era without humans. Unlike Zhu, other panelists came from the fast-growing peer-to-peer (P2P) lending industry and voiced more confidence in big-data and technological innovations. Zhang Jun, former engineer at Microsoft and CEO of PPDai, one of Chinas largest P2P lending platforms, said his firm mainly relied on big-data in terms of individual creditworthiness and default probability. We dont need to meet our clients at all for judging their creditworthiness and [calculating] default probability. Alibaba and Tencent are also using big-data to do this, Zhang said, while admitting the process cannot be "100% automatic" without the need for humans. Meanwhile, heads of the countrys leading P2P firms also called for more consistent regulation across the industry in the wake of the Ponzi scheme at Chinese P2P lender Ezubao, which took more than Rmb50 billion ($7.7 billion) through fake investment projects from 900,000 investors, the official Xinhua News agency reported in January. Now when people talk about P2P [companies], they [tend to] think negatively of them. In order to change this view, we have to regulate ourselves and we need [proper] regulation, said Yang Fan, CEO of Beijing-based P2P lender Iqianjin. He said the industry called for the regulator to draw a bottom line. The P2P industry is like a kid. When he grows up, he is bound to trip and fallYou have to tell him [that] he cannot go somewhere dangerous or climb too high [rather than forbidding him from doing anything]. Zhang Shishi, Renrendai CEO Zhang Shishi, CEO of Renrendai, another big P2P firm, agreed. The industry doesnt have the power to decide what cannot be done. Only the government can draw the bottom line, he said. In December 2015, Chinese regulators, including the China Banking Regulatory Commission, released draft rules that aimed to tighten regulation of P2P lending. Under the new rules, P2P lenders are banned from carrying out 12 kinds of businesses, ranging from selling bank wealth management products, taking in public deposits and providing any kind of guarantee to lenders. They can serve only as intermediaries between borrowers and lenders, and have to leave the latters money in the custody of qualified banking institutions. Separately, in a group interview earlier in the day, Zhang of Renrendai said the firm had recently teamed up with Minsheng Bank, Chinas largest private lender by assets, to be in the first batch of P2P lenders to provide custodian services to protect customer funds. The Beijing-based firm has set up individual banking accounts for each of its clients that allows the tracking of capital inflow and outflow, which requires Renrendai to keep Minsheng Bank updated on a daily basis. Such a system can let the government and the bank see clearly the fund flows of all clients. There are no grey areas, he said. When asked about the biggest hurdle during the co-operation with Minsheng, Zhang said it was the lack of clear template and regulatory framework. Banks tend to be conservative on this [business]We didnt know what to do and how to meet the regulatory requirements. DETROIT, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the FBI-DoT-NHTSA March 17 public service announcement (PSA), Argus Cyber Security Ltd., the automotive cyber security pioneer, will participate in three panels at two major automotive cyber security events - the 3rd Annual Automotive Cyber Security Summit and the TU Automotive Cyber Security conference. LaVern Sula, Argus' President of North America, and former Global Engineering Director, Vehicle Cyber-Security at General Motors, will participate on the Automotive Cyber Security Summit Keynote Panel titled "The Next Steps for OEM and Tier 1 Companies in Standardizing Cybersecurity Mitigation." Sula will share her knowledge on improving collaboration between the automotive industry, security vendors and regulators. Yoni Heilbronn, Argus' VP Marketing, will participate on the panel titled, "Security and Next Gen Automotive Technology" at TU Automotive Cyber Security. Heilbronn will discuss current trends and future challenges faced by automakers as they advance car connectivity and autonomous driving. Also at TU Automotive Cyber Security, the company's Lead Researcher, Ofer Kapota, will share his views on the Roundtable titled "Real Life Telematics Attacks and Vulnerabilities." Kapota will offer insights from research conducted by Argus on telematics and infotainment systems. At Argus, former senior executives from the automotive industry have joined together with experts in cyber security to play an ever-increasing role in ensuring that motorists enjoy the limitless benefits of car connectivity without having to worry about their physical and virtual safety. "The US Government public service announcement citing the vulnerability of cars to remote cyber-attacks underpins the extent of the risk and the need to address it accordingly," said Ofer Ben-Noon, Argus CEO and co-founder. "Argus' participation on multiple panels is a testament to our commitment to partnering with the automotive industry in addressing this critical topic." Follow Argus via: Argus website @ArgusSec LinkedIn About Argus Argus is the global automotive cyber security leader, dedicated to partnering with car manufacturers, their Tier 1 suppliers and aftermarket connectivity providers to protect connected cars and commercial vehicles from car-hacking. Founded in 2013, the Argus team has decades of experience in both cyber security and the automotive industry. Argus solutions combine innovative security methods and proven computer networking know-how with deep understanding of automotive best practices. Argus is headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel, with offices in Michigan, the Silicon Valley, Stuttgart and Tokyo. Visit https://argus-sec.com to learn more. Contact Brandon Weinstock brandon@headline-media.com +1-914-336-4878 LONDON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Employee-owned CH2M, the global engineering and programme management company, has been named as part of a consortium with Atkins and SENER as the Engineering Delivery Partner (EDP) responsible for the delivery of Phase One of High Speed 2. The 350 million contract is due to run for ten years and will see the CH2M-led consortium work with HS2 Ltd in an integrated team to drive long term efficiencies across the design and construction of the line, extending through to the commissioning of the railway. The consortium will provide expert engineering, programme management and construction management support as well as assisting with preparation for the procurement of the main civils contracts for the London to Birmingham stage of the route. CH2M, who have been working with HS2 Ltd since 2012 as Phase One Development Partner, provide global programme management expertise, with Atkins bringing engineering expertise and SENER drawing on international high speed rail experience. Commenting on the contract win, James Rowntree, CH2M's Managing Director of Transportation, Europe, said: "The CH2M/Atkins/SENER consortium is delighted to have been named as the Engineering Delivery Partner for HS2 Phase One. This marks a significant step forward in the delivery of this important infrastructure programme, which will link up the UK's regional economies and create vital growth up and down the country. CH2M looks forward to building on its close relationship with HS2 Ltd from its current role as Phase One Development Partner, and working alongside Atkins and SENER in driving this programme forward." CH2M is the leading professional services firm delivering sustainable solutions to clients working on the world's most complex challenges. CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management solutions for vital infrastructure and resources serving diverse public- and private-sector clients.With $5.4billion in revenue, the firm's ~25,000 employees operate from offices in 50 countries across five business segments: water; environmental and nuclear; transportation; oil, gas and chemical; and industrial and urban environments, including global events such as the 2012 London Olympics. CH2M ranks among Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies; number-one in environmental consulting and programme management by Engineering News-Record; and among sustainability leaders by independent analyst Verdantix. CH2M in 2016 was selected to receive the World Environmental Center's Gold Medal Award, and in 2015, received the Stockholm International Water Institute's highest Industry Water Award for pioneering water conservation and reuse technologies. To learn more about the CH2M difference, connect with the firm at http://www.ch2m.com; linkedin.com/company/ch2m; twitter.com/ch2m; facebook.com/ch2mhill; and search for jobs at ch2m.com/careers From 1 July 2016, Teo renounces services of the second network of Lithuanian Radio and Television Center (LRTC-2) and surrenders the license for rebroadcasting of TV channels using that network. At the same time, Teo increases capacity of its digital terrestrial broadcasting (DVB-T) network. Implementation of new technologies will allow up to 30 per cent more efficiently use digital flow and to transfer majority of TV channels from LRTC-2 network to Teo network. On 23 March 2016, Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission approved the surrender of the licence for rebroadcasting using LRTC-2 network and changes to rebroadcasting conditions as concert of Lithuanian Radio and Television Center was received. From 2009, Teo has a license for rebroadcasting of paid digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) programs and right to rebroadcast them using LRTC-2 network of transmitters. However, over the last three years DVB-T market in Lithuania has shrunk by a third, while costs of rebroadcasting remained unchanged, therefore it was decided to use more efficiently own network of Teo transmitter and surrender one of the currently held rebroadcasting licenses. Digital terrestrial television programs that are available all over the Lithuania are rebroadcasted using 4 networks: Teo and Lithuanian Radio and Television Center owns 2 networks each. Audrius Stasiulaitis, Spokesperson, tel. +370 5 236 7019 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LUND - March 24, 2016 - The shareholders of Anoto Group AB (publ), are hereby invited to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on Wednesday, 27 April 2016 at 09:00 CET, at the Company's head office at Mobilvagen 10 in Lund, Sweden.Notification of participationShareholders wishing to attend the General Meeting must-- be entered as shareholders in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB no later than on Thursday, 21 April 2016, -- notify the Company of their intention to participate no later than on Friday, 22 April 2016, preferably before noon.Attendance is to be notified by mail to Anoto Group AB (publ) at Mobilvagen 10, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden, by telephone +46 46 540 12 00, or by e-mail to EGM@anoto.com. The notification should state name, social security number/corporate identification number, telephone number and registered number of shares. To facilitate admittance to the General Meeting, proxies, registration certificates and other authorisation documents should be submitted to the Company at the above address no later than on 22 April 2016. The Company provides proxy forms at the Company's office in Lund as well as on the Company's web page www.anoto.com.Shareholders who hold their shares through nominees (Sw. forvaltare) must request a temporary registration of the shares in their own name, with Euroclear Sweden AB. Shareholders who wishes to obtain such registration must contact the nominee regarding this well in advance of 21 April 2016.Proposed agenda1. Opening of the Meeting2. Election of Chairman at the Meeting3. Preparation and approval of voting list4. Approval of the agenda5. Election of one or two persons to verify the minutes6. Determination of whether the Meeting has been duly convened7. Resolution to amend the Articles of Association8. Approval of the resolution by the Board of Directors to issue new shares with preferential rights for the shareholders9. Determination regarding the number of members of the Board of Directors10. Closing of the MeetingProposalsResolution to amend the Articles of Association (item 7)In order to enable the new share issue resolved upon by the Board of Directors in accordance with item 8 below, subject to the approval of the General Meeting, the Board of Directors proposes that the limitations with respect to the share capital and number of shares in 4 of the Article of Association be amended appropriately. The complete proposal will be finalized when the terms of the new share issue, including the maximum increase of the Company's share capital and number of shares, are determined by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors' proposal for amendment of the Articles of Association under this item shall however be within the following limits: (i) as to the limitations with respect to the share capital, the lower limit shall not be less than SEK 20,000,000 and the higher limit shall not exceed SEK 160,000,000 and (ii) as to the limitations with regard to the number of shares, the lower limit shall not be less than 1,000,000,000 shares and the higher limit shall not exceed 8,000,000,000 shares, and the relation between the minimum share capital and the minimum number of shares, respectively, may not be less than one fourth of the maximum share capital and the maximum number of shares, respectively.Approval of the resolution by the Board of Directors to issue new shares with preferential rights for the shareholdersThe Board of Directors proposes that the General Meeting resolves to approve the Board of Directors' resolution of 23 March 2016, to increase the Company's share capital by the maximum amount determined by the Board of Directors, or any director or directors appointed by the Board of Directors among its members, and in other respects in accordance with the following main conditions.The Company's shareholders shall have preferential rights to subscribe for the new shares in proportion to the shares previously owned. The record date for determining which shareholders shall be entitled to subscribe for new shares on a preferential basis shall be 2 May 2016. The Board of Directors, or any director or directors appointed by the Board of Directors among its members, shall be authorised to determine, no later than the fifth weekday prior to the record date, the highest amount by which the Company's share capital will increase, the highest number of shares that will be issued and the subscription price to be paid for each new share. New shares shall be paid in cash.New shares may be subscribed for during the period from 4 May 2016 until, and including, 19 May 2016, or such later period of time as the Board of Directors may decide. If not all shares are subscribed for by the exercise of subscription rights, the Board of Directors shall decide on the allotment of shares subscribed for without the exercise of subscription rights up to the maximum amount of the new share issue, and the Board shall firstly allot shares to those that also subscribed for shares by exercising subscription rights and, in case of oversubscription, in proportion to the number of subscription rights used for subscription of shares; secondly, to others that have applied to the Company for subscription without subscription rights and, in case they cannot receive full allocation, in proportion to the number of shares that each has applied to subscribe for; thirdly, to the guarantors of the share issue, in proportion to their respective subscription undertakings.The new share issue requires that the Articles of Association be amended in accordance with item 7 above.Determination regarding the number of members of the Board of Directors (item 9)Given that Stein Revelsby resigned from the Board of Directors of Anoto Group AB on 23 March 2016, it is proposed that the Board of Directors until the next Annual General Meeting shall consist of four members with no deputies.MiscellaneousThe Board of Directors' complete proposals for resolutions in accordance with the above, including reports and statements related thereto in accordance with the Swedish Companies Act (SFS 2005:551), will be available at the Company's office in Lund and on the Company's web site, www.anoto.com, no later than three weeks prior to the General Meeting and will also be sent to those shareholders who so request and provide their postal address.According to Chapter 7, section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act, at a General Meeting the shareholders are entitled to require information from the Board of Directors and CEO regarding circumstances which may affect items on the agenda and circumstances which may affect the Company's financial situation.Number of shares and votes in the CompanyAs of 24 march 2016, the total number of shares and votes in the Company was 1 066 193 826. The Company is not holding any own shares.Lund, March 2016Anoto Group AB (publ)The Board of DirectorsAttachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=553265 BIASCA, Switzerland, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Helsinn wins in five categories; Quality, Reliability, Capabilities, Expertise and Compatibility, earning a place among the best in the industry, and also wins Individual Attribute Awards in the categories: Accessible Senior Management; State-of-the-Art; Innovation; Right the First Time; Strength of Science; On Time Delivery; Cultural Fit; and Reputation Helsinn, the pharmaceutical Group focused on building quality cancer care, today announces that its Swiss manufacturing company, Helsinn Advanced Synthesis SA, has for the second year running received awards at the CMO Leadership Awards, which recognize the highest quality contract manufacturing organizations as chosen by real customers. "Industry Standard Research is honored to conduct the research for Life Science Leader's CMO Awards. ISR's stringent screening processes and the high caliber of qualification required to participate in our contract manufacturing benchmarking research means that real customers provide experiential feedback on their involvement with contract suppliers over the past 18 months. This enables users of ISR's research to make confident business decisions based on the experiences of their industry peers," Andrew Schafer, President of Industry Standard Research, commented. This year Helsinn won in five categories; Quality, Reliability, Capabilities, Expertise and Compatibility, earning a place among the best in the industry. Helsinn's quality, expertise and commitment to its clients were recognized and highlighted at the presentation of the CMO Leadership Awards on 16 March 2016 at the W Hotel, Lexington Avenue, New York. In addition, for the first time, the CMO Awards also handed out Individual Attribute Awards in which Helsinn won in the following categories: Accessible Senior Management; State-of-the-Art; Innovation; Right the First Time; Strength of Science; On Time Delivery; Cultural Fit; and Reputation. Life Science Leader (http://www.lifescienceleader.com/) developed the Awards in response to the historical challenge for clients in evaluating high quality CMO partners. The Awards recognize those CMOs that are most highly recognized by industry peers. Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, commented: "The Helsinn Group is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2016 and believes its core values of respect, integrity and quality have been the backbone of four decades of success in helping patients enjoy a better quality of life. These core values are echoed in the CMO Leadership categories and Helsinn is honored to be a recipient of the award." Waldo Mossi, Helsinn Advanced Synthesis' General Manager, said: "We are delighted to have won in five categories in this prestigious awards ceremony, in which we are recognized by our industry peers, who are our toughest judges. The award is a strong validation of the values which have helped Helsinn deliver the highest manufacturing quality for 40 years." About the Helsinn Group Helsinn is a privately owned cancer supportive care pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed products and a broad development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality, through a unique integrated licensing business model working with long standing partners in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and nutritional supplement products. Helsinn is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Ireland and the US, a representative office in China, as well as a product presence in about 90 countries globally. In 2016, our 40th anniversary year, you can meet representatives from Helsinn at: NCCN Annual Conference ( Hollywood, FL , USA, 31 March-2 April) , USA, 31 March-2 April) ASCO Annual Meeting ( Chicago , USA , 3-7 June) , , 3-7 June) MAASC Annual Meeting ( Adelaide, Australia , 23-25 June) , 23-25 June) ChemOutsourcing Conference ( Parsippany, New Jersey , 19-21 September) , 19-21 September) CPhI Worldwide ( Barcelona, Spain , 4-6 October) , 4-6 October) ESMO Congress ( Copenhagen, Denmark , 7-11 October) , 7-11 October) BioEurope (Koln, Germany , 4-6 November) For more information, please visit http://www.helsinn.com. About Helsinn Advanced Synthesis SA: Helsinn Advanced Synthesis SA is the manufacturing division of the Helsinn Group and develops and manufactures APIs, cGMP Advanced Intermediates, a High Potency Active Ingredients (HPAIs) and Cytotoxic APIs for third parties from clinical phase to commercial supply on an exclusive basis. The production plant is located in Biasca, Switzerland. The Biasca site is routinely inspected by the FDA and other global regulatory agencies. Production scale ranges from grams (CYTO-HPAIs), up to tens of tons APIs in plants fully dedicated to cGMP manufacturing. For more information, please contact: Helsinn Group Paola Bonvicini Head of Communication & Press Office Tel: +41-91-985-21-21 info-hhc@helsinn.com Business Development Contact : Helsinn Advanced Synthesis SA: Sandra Moro Director, Business Development Ph: +41-91-873-94-30 sandra.moro@helsinn.com http://www.helsinn.com/state-of-the-art-manufacturing LONDON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Talk of teacher shortages is self-perpetuating - over a third of teachers said talk about a "recruitment crisis" made them feel more likely to leave the profession But teachers want to play an active part in the debate about recruitment. 67% said they would feel more optimistic if they were "treated as partners in the debate, rather than objects of discussion" TES Teacher Recruitment Index data shows relative improvement on previous autumn recruitment period, although it's clear that a large proportion of teachers are looking to leave the profession or work abroad in the next three years A study of 4,000 UK teachers carried out by TES Global - a digital education company that has been supporting educators for over 100 years - shows that the debate around current teacher shortages may be self-perpetuating, with 31% saying talk about a "recruitment crisis" made them feel more likely to leave the profession. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151126/291299LOGO ) Teachers are however demanding a greater say in how to fix the crisis and want to play an active part in the debate about recruitment. 67% said they would feel more optimistic if they were "treated as partners in the debate, rather than objects of discussion." Rob Grimshaw, CEO of TES Global said: "Teachers are putting their hands up to be more involved in fixing the current recruitment challenges and this offers a real opportunity for school leaders and policy makers. Highly-engaged teachers, if given an outlet for their ideas, could play a vital role in key areas such as attracting new entrants to the profession, encouraging other teachers to remain in the classroom, advising policy makers on how to retain teachers and helping stakeholders to understand the causes of the shortages." Recruitment woes easing up in the autumn, but blackspots remain The latest data from the TES Teacher Recruitment Index, which tracks schools' ability to successful recruit teachers, shows recruitment was slightly easier in autumn 2015 than in the previous year. Some regions saw a marked improvement. In Yorkshire and the Humber, the success rate rose by 17 index points after three years of continuous falls - and there were rises in London, South East England and the West Midlands. However, below the headline finding, there are causes for concern. In all subjects except art and design and design technology, it is harder to recruit now than it was in 2012. In autumn 2015 the recruitment rate was 20 index points below the 2011 level, and some regions are having a particularly tough time. The success rate for teacher recruitment in the East of England fell by 14 index points this year to its lowest-ever level, making the region the hardest place in England to recruit teachers. The East Midlands, North East, North West and South West also saw falls. School leaders expect to be addressing these issues with falling budgets A TES Leadership Survey, carried out in January 2016, found a sharp rise in school leaders' levels of concern they would be understaffed next year. Most school leaders expect to be addressing these issues with falling budgets. 69% of primary school leaders and 72% of those at secondaries said their school's funding was likely do decrease over the next three to four years. Teachers in England don't feel valued, but they know they would be valued overseas A Teacher Happiness Survey found just 4% of teachers believed now was "the best time to be a teacher". Most (85%) said being a teacher "was better in the past than it is today" and 11% said being a teacher would be better in future. And despite teaching having traditionally been seen as a stable and well-respected career path, only 16% of teachers said they would now advise their own children to enter the profession. This loss of confidence has prompted large numbers to think about leaving the classroom. The 17% that said they "don't have any plans to leave the teaching profession" were outnumbered by the 18% that said they were "certain" to quit teaching within three years - and a further 11% said they were "seriously looking to leave the teaching profession". This suggests England could expect to lose more than a quarter of its teachers. Most teachers would consider teaching abroad, with a minority (44%) of respondents saying they expect their teaching career to always be in the UK. Just over 5% said they were "certain" that they would be working as a teacher in another country in the next three years, and a further 4% said they were "seriously looking" for a teaching job in another country. In London, teachers are more mobile still: 8% said they were "certain" to be teaching abroad in three years' time. About the Index The TES Teacher Recruitment Index tracks trends in the changing ability of schools in England to recruit teachers across regions, subjects and school type. This unique and comprehensive survey is updated with 5,000 new school interviews three times a year, asking a series of questions on their ability to successfully recruit teachers. It is based on four years of data, indexedrelative to a 2011 benchmark. Index numbers do not represent percentages, but a relative measure of change and trends measured through points. For the full results please visit tesglobal.com/index About TES Global TES Global is a digital education company that has been supporting educators for over 100 years. Its mission is to help teachers, schools and universities succeed. TES is home to the world's largest online community of teachers, with over 8 million registered users, downloading 1 million classroom resources every day across its global marketplace. In the UK, TES is home to the leading teacher recruitment business, a national supply teaching business and the TES Institute for teacher training. It supports global higher education through the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, THE magazine and the world's leading academic jobs board Unijobs. For more information, visit http://www.tesglobal.com. For more information Tom Glover, TES Global tom.glover@tesglobal.com Stock Exchange Release Talvivaara Mining Company Plc. 22 March 2016 Talvivaara has published the Review by the Board of Directors, the Financial Statements and the Corporate Governance Statement for the financial period 2015 Talvivaara Mining Company Plc ("Talvivaara") has published the Review by the Board of Directors, the Financial Statements and the Corporate Governance Statement for the financial period 2015. All the above mentioned documents are available on Talvivaara's website at www.talvivaara.com/financial-reports (http://www.talvivaara.com/financial-reports). Enquiries: Talvivaara Mining Company Plc tel. +358 20 712 9800 Pekka Pera, CEO Pekka Erkinheimo, Deputy CEO This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Talvivaaran Kaivososakeyhtio Oyj via Globenewswire HUG#1996782 LJUBLJANA (dpa-AFX) - Slovakia's producer prices continued to decline in February, and at an accelerated pace, figures from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic showed Thursday. The producer price index fell 4.3 percent year-over-year in February, which was worse than the 3.2 percent decrease in the previous month. The measure has been falling since March 2013. Domestic market producer prices dipped 4.7 percent in February from a year ago and export market prices went down by 4.0 percent. Prices in the manufacturing sector slid 3.2 percent, while mining and quarrying prices edged up by 0.1 percent. On a monthly basis, producer prices dropped 1.9 percent in February, following a 0.9 percent fall in January. It was the seventh consecutive monthly decrease. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. RED BANK, NJ--(Marketwired - March 24, 2016) - Plymouth Rock Assurance has announced the induction of 22 New Jersey insurance agencies into the 2016 Circle of Excellence. The Circle of Excellence appreciation program honors and rewards the insurer's top performing independent agents. Each year, Plymouth Rock recognizes a select group of agents based on their prior year financial performance and customer satisfaction. "It takes dedication, an innovative spirit and a commitment to superior service to be represented in the Circle of Excellence," said Ed Fernandez, President of the Independent Agent Division at Plymouth Rock Management Company of New Jersey. "These agencies and their agents represent the very best in the business. We are proud to honor and acknowledge their outstanding professional efforts." The 2016 Circle of Excellence winners are: AAA New Jersey Insurance Agency, Inc.; A.H. Meyers and Company; Allwood Forlenza Agency; The Barclay Group; Brouwer Hansen and Izdebski Insurance Associates; Carey-Stephan-Massi, Inc.; Daman Associates Inc.; E.F. Mason Agency, Inc.; E & K Agency, Inc.; Five Star Insurance Agency, LLC; Hardenbergh Insurance Group, Inc.; Matlack & Company; Maximum Benefit Insurance Agency, Inc.; McCue Captains Agency; Miramar Insurance Agency, Inc.; Ramapo Insurance Associates; R.K. Hughes, Inc.; Thomas H. Heist Insurance Agency, Inc.; Tri-State Insurance Agency, Inc.; Vreeland Insurance, Inc.; Whitney H. Roddy, Inc.; World Insurance Associates LLC. Plymouth Rock proudly provides the winners with financial support and offers them professional development opportunities for continued investment in their agencies' growth and profitability. As part of the program, Circle of Excellence winners are eligible to receive education, specialized training and valuable incentives to assist with branding and customer acquisition. "A strong relationship between Plymouth Rock and our agency partners is the key to our mutual success," Fernandez said. "Along with our entire community of independent agents, we congratulate the 2016 Circle of Excellence winners and celebrate their performance." About Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock Assurance is a marketing name used by a group of separate companies that write and manage property and casualty insurance in multiple states. Insurance in New Jersey is offered by Plymouth Rock Management Company of New Jersey on behalf of Palisades Safety and Insurance Association and its affiliates. Each company is financially responsible only for its own insurance products. For additional information about Plymouth Rock Assurance please visit plymouthrock.com. Media Contact: Valerie Simon vsimon@plymouthrock.com 908-219-5089 TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- The Toronto & York Region Labour Council is adding its voice to the call by Black Lives Matter Toronto to address recent incidents of fatality involving Persons of Colour in the City of Toronto. There is no doubt that justice was served in the shooting of Sammy Yatim primarily because of video evidence that clearly showed the disproportionally brutal response from the officer in question. But recent tragedies were not recorded in the same way. Given that the City of Toronto is home to people of diverse realities, many of whom have experienced extreme trauma, the Toronto Police Services should be conversant, equipped and capable of de-escalating incidences of crisis without continually resorting to lethal response. These events have rekindled painful memories of similar killings across Toronto that often involved racialized men, some of whom faced mental-health issues. Labour and community groups have spoken out on the need for accountability in these deaths since Albert Johnson in 1979. In June 2000, the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, in collaboration with the then Queen Street Patients Council, organized a conference called Saving Lives: Alternatives to the Use of Lethal Force by Police at the Law Society of Upper Canada. The use of non-lethal technology and "mobile crisis teams"; supports for people facing mental-health issues; the role of race in police shootings; barriers to change, community policing, transparency and accountability were all identified in the final report. These were, in fact, acknowledged in subsequent Ontario policing standards. Implementation, though, has been a problem. "The police can and must do better to "Serve and Protect" the residents of this diverse city," said John Cartwright, President of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council. "Those who are out demonstrating their frustration in the cold days and nights ought to have their questions and concerns addressed." The Labour Council is disappointed by the lack of transparency shown by the Toronto Police Service in disclosing details pertaining to the case before them given that it transpired in a housing dedicated for individuals experiencing mental health challenges, making Andrew Loku an individual of extreme vulnerability and in need of support and effective crisis response management. As such, the Labour Council calls upon the Toronto Police Services to undertake a full review of all fatal incidents in the City of Toronto involving Persons of Colour and requiring the involvement of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU). Contacts: Toronto & York Region Labour Council Media Contact: John Cartwright, President 416-441-3663 jcartwright@labourcouncil.ca www.labourcouncil.ca @torontolabour TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- The Toronto & York Region Labour Council calls upon the City of Toronto to immediately reinstate AFROfest to its original two-day event schedule. The Labour Council recognizes that the greater Toronto area is home to a celebrated array of cultures and backgrounds that enriches the City, allowing it to enjoy a globally recognized status for arts, culture, music and festivals. As such, it befits the City of Toronto to celebrate this vitalizing diversity by creating space, facilitating and empowering celebration of all cultures. The Labour Council recognizes AFROfest as a celebration of African heritage, creating a much need space to celebrate Black lives and realities, and looks to the City to show leadership in not stifling celebration by enforcing conformity nor silencing arts and music based on minimal complaints that can be easily construed as "not in my backyard." "Festivals in the city cannot be about some and not all. AFROfest is about celebrating African heritage, no different from any other parade in green, loud and bright airshows, and waiting for the jolly guy in red on a chilly morning," said Andria Babbington, Vice-President of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council. As such, the Labour Council calls upon the City of Toronto to reinstate the AFROfest to its original two-day format with full access to locations, services and supports enjoyed by all other festivals in this City home to true diversity. Contacts: Toronto & York Region Labour Council Media Contact: John Cartwright, President 416-441-3663 jcartwright@labourcouncil.ca www.labourcouncil.ca @torontolabour LUXEMBOURG CITY--(Marketwired - March 24, 2016) - Goodyear, together with the Luxembourg government and IEE have announced their plans to develop a new Automotive Campus, dedicated to innovation. The Luxembourg Automotive Campus will be a unique research and development area, providing state of the art facilities to companies involved in technological innovation for the automotive sector. "The creation of the Automotive Campus will foster business growth opportunities within the European automotive sector for Goodyear, its campus partners and the country of Luxembourg. As a founding partner and one of the first to locate a new facility at the Campus, Goodyear looks forward to collaborating with other progressive companies on the design, testing and incubation of new concepts," said Jean-Claude Kihn, President Goodyear Europe, Middle-East and Africa. He added, "Innovation Excellence is a core element of Goodyear's strategy. The company has been practicing a philosophy of open innovation around the globe for many years. Now we will expand it further by joining the Automotive Campus. In this way Goodyear continues to play an active role in the development of Luxembourg's future economy." Etienne Schneider, Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, commented, "The Luxembourg Automotive Campus will provide equipment and service professionals from the automotive sector with new tools and infrastructure that will allow them to remain dynamic -- and therefore innovative and competitive -- in a market in constant evolution. With the ability to ultimately accommodate 4000 people, the campus will be the future shop-front of the sector and will make of Luxembourg, more than ever, a destination of choice for automotive suppliers." Working within this new state-of-the-art environment, the Automotive Campus will accelerate Goodyear's contribution to future mobility solutions and deliver smart products and services that anticipate customers' and consumers' needs. Goodyear has a strong association with Luxembourg. Over a period of almost 70 years its presence has grown from a single tire plant to three plants, proving grounds, laboratories, distribution facility and a global innovation center. The new Goodyear facility on the Campus will be home to 1,500 employees, including around 1,000 scientists, engineers and technicians from its innovation center as well as regional and global functions currently based in Luxembourg. The Campus will be located on land currently occupied by Goodyear's former wire plant in Bissen. The land will be sold to the Luxembourg government. Carlos Cipollitti, General Director Goodyear Innovation Center Luxembourg, added, "Becoming a founding partner of the new Luxembourg Automotive Campus is a logical next step for Goodyear. Bringing Goodyear Luxembourg's non-manufacturing teams together at a single location will foster increased collaboration, improved efficiency and further advance our ability to work as 'One Team'. The new campus facilities will offer a state-of-the-art working environment that will address the current and future needs of our employees and attract the brightest and best talent." About Goodyear Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs approximately 66,000 people and manufactures its products in 49 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear or its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate. For additional pictures visit the online newsroom: http://news.goodyear.eu Nichola Ellis Director, Corporate Communications & Reputation Management EMEA T: +44 78 26 94 39 31 E: nichola_ellis@goodyear.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- All amounts are in United States dollars, unless otherwise stated. Alamos Gold Inc. (TSX: AGI)(NYSE: AGI) ("Alamos" or the "Company") today reported its updated mineral reserves and resources as of December 31, 2015. For a detailed summary of mineral reserves and resources by project, refer to the tables below. Highlights -- Increased combined mineral reserves and resources at Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui by 145%, or 321,000 ounces of gold, to a total of 542,000 ounces. This included a 21% increase in mineral reserves at Cerro Pelon and an 11% increase at La Yaqui to 259,000 ounces through an initial 2015 exploration program. A further 47,000 ounces of Measured and Indicated mineral resources were added at Cerro Pelon and 232,000 ounces of Inferred mineral resources were added at La Yaqui -- Replaced Proven and Probable mineral reserves at Young-Davidson marking the fifth consecutive year of mineral reserve replacement -- Global Proven and Probable mineral reserves total 5.88 million ounces of gold implying a remaining reserve life of 15 years at Young-Davidson and six years at Mulatos -- Measured and Indicated mineral resources increased 20% to 10.92 million ounces of gold. This was driven by a 1.97 million ounce increase at Lynn Lake reflecting the consolidation of 100% ownership of the project -- Reported a 30% decrease in the life of mine waste-to-ore ratio at Mulatos to 0.7:1 down from 1.0:1 at the end of 2014 -- Ongoing exploration at Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui continues to demonstrate strong potential for further mineral reserve and resource growth at both deposits ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 2014 ----------------------------------------------------- PROJECT Tonnes Grade Ounces Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven and Probable Gold Mineral Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 1,396 0.82 37 2,501 0.76 61 Young-Davidson - Underground 44,290 2.69 3,837 42,773 2.74 3,763 Total Young-Davidson 45,686 2.64 3,874 45,273 2.63 3,823 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Mine 32,902 0.87 921 36,025 0.94 1,088 Stockpiles 6,485 1.45 302 5,720 1.51 277 La Yaqui 1,912 1.45 89 1,574 1.58 80 Cerro Pelon 3,253 1.63 170 2,617 1.67 141 Open Pit, Heap Leach 44,552 1.03 1,482 45,936 1.07 1,585 Underground 161 11.73 61 678 6.72 146 Total Mulatos 44,713 1.07 1,543 46,614 1.16 1,732 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate - Open Pit 19,317 0.59 365 27,213 0.57 501 El Chanate - Leach Pad Inv. - - 98 - - 145 Total El Chanate 19,317 0.75 463 27,213 0.74 646 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 109,716 1.67 5,880 119,101 1.62 6,201 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES ---------------------------------------------------------- % Change ------------------------------------ PROJECT Tonnes Grade Ounces ---------------------------------------------------------- Proven and Probable Gold Mineral Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface -44% 9% -39% Young-Davidson - Underground 4% -2% 2% Total Young-Davidson 1% - 1% ---------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Mine -9% -7% -15% Stockpiles 13% -4% 9% La Yaqui 21% -8% 11% Cerro Pelon 24% -3% 21% Open Pit, Heap Leach -3% -4% -7% Underground -76% 75% -59% Total Mulatos -4% -7% -11% ---------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate - Open Pit -29% 3% -27% El Chanate - Leach Pad Inv. - - -32% Total El Chanate -29% 1% -28% ---------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total -8% 3% -5% ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured and Indicated Gold Mineral Resources (exclusive of Mineral Reserves) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 1,739 1.24 69 1,739 1.24 69 Young-Davidson - Underground 7,955 3.45 883 13,946 3.19 1,430 Total Young-Davidson 9,694 3.05 952 15,684 2.97 1,499 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Mine 74,546 1.10 2,630 76,850 1.06 2,625 Underground 603 5.66 110 505 5.64 92 La Yaqui - - - - - - Cerro Pelon 572 2.57 47 - - - Carricito 1,355 0.82 36 1,355 0.82 36 Total Mulatos 77,076 1.14 2,823 78,710 1.09 2,752 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate 2,327 0.86 64 2,764 0.77 69 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lynn Lake 40,303 2.03 2,629 10,076 2.03 657 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 34,352 0.98 1,083 34,352 0.98 1,083 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orion 554 3.66 65 554 3.66 65 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey 140,507 0.66 2,961 140,507 0.66 2,961 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Mountain 12,156 0.87 339 - - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 316,968 1.07 10,917 282,647 1.00 9,087 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- Measured and Indicated Gold Mineral Resources (exclusive of Mineral Reserves) ---------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface - - - Young-Davidson - Underground -43% 8% -38% Total Young-Davidson -38% 3% -36% ---------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Mine -3% 3% - Underground 19% - 20% La Yaqui - - - Cerro Pelon - - - Carricito - - - Total Mulatos -2% 5% 3% ---------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate -16% 11% -7% ---------------------------------------------------------- Lynn Lake 300% - 300% ---------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- Orion - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- Turkey - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Mountain - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 12% 7% 20% ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred Gold Mineral Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 31 0.99 1 31 0.99 1 Young-Davidson - Underground 3,523 2.76 312 3,608 2.76 320 Total Young-Davidson 3,554 2.74 313 3,639 2.75 321 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Mine 7,078 0.90 205 6,629 0.98 209 Underground 162 4.93 26 403 4.53 59 La Yaqui 5,087 1.42 232 - - - Cerro Pelon 109 1.23 4 - - - Carricito 900 0.74 22 900 0.74 22 Total Mulatos 13,336 1.14 489 7,932 1.13 289 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate 101 0.36 1 184 0.38 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lynn Lake 50,704 1.28 2,089 12,676 1.28 522 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 718 0.80 18 718 0.80 18 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orion 91 3.33 10 91 3.33 10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey 25,240 0.54 438 25,240 0.54 438 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Mountain 39,205 0.91 1,147 110,448 0.80 2,848 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 132,949 1.05 4,506 160,928 0.86 4,448 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- Inferred Gold Mineral Resources ---------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface - - - Young-Davidson - Underground -2% - -3% Total Young-Davidson -2% - -3% ---------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Mine 7% -8% -1% Underground -60% 9% -56% La Yaqui - - - Cerro Pelon - - - Carricito - - - Total Mulatos 68% 1% 69% ---------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate -45% -5% -48% ---------------------------------------------------------- Lynn Lake 300% - 300% ---------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- Orion - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- Turkey - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Mountain -65% 14% -60% ---------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total -17% 23% 1% ---------------------------------------------------------- Mineral Reserves Total Proven and Probable mineral reserves decreased 5% to 5.88 million ounces at December 31, 2015, primarily reflecting mining depletion at Mulatos and El Chanate. Depletion was partially offset by an increase in mineral reserves at Young-Davidson and at the Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui deposits. The increase in underground mineral reserves at Young-Davidson marks the fifth consecutive year that mineral reserves have been at least replaced at the mine. At La Yaqui and Cerro Pelon, nearly 40,000 ounces of gold were added to mineral reserves as part of a very successful initial exploration program, the first of several programs planned for both deposits. Infill and exploration drilling continues to demonstrate the potential for further mineral reserve and resource growth. Very limited exploration drilling targeting mineral reserves within the main Mulatos open pit was completed in 2015 and none at El Chanate with the exploration focus on the higher priority and higher grade Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui deposits. Exploration spending at Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui totaled $8.5 million in 2015 with a further $8 million budgeted for 2016. A $1,250 per ounce gold price assumption was used in estimating the 2015 mineral reserves, unchanged from 2014. A detailed summary of Proven and Probable mineral reserves as of December 31, 2015 is presented in Table 1 at the end of this press release. Mineral Resources Alamos' total Measured and Indicated mineral resources (exclusive of mineral reserves) totaled 10.92 million ounces, as of December 31, 2015. This represents a 20% increase in ounces and 7% increase in grade from 2014 with the increases driven by the addition of higher grade mineral resources from Cerro Pelon and Lynn Lake. Alamos' total Inferred mineral resources of 4.51 million ounces as of December 31, 2015 were up slightly from 2014 with the combined grade increasing 23%. This reflects the addition of higher grade ounces from Lynn Lake and La Yaqui. The Company's $1,400 per ounce gold price assumption for estimating mineral resources is unchanged from 2014. Detailed summaries of the Company's Measured and Indicated, and Inferred mineral resources as of December 31, 2015 are presented in Tables 3 and 4 respectively, at the end of this press release. Young-Davidson Total mineral reserves at Young-Davidson increased to 3.87 million ounces of gold marking the fifth consecutive year that the mine has either replaced production or increased mineral reserves. The increase was driven by the addition of 74,000 ounces of underground mineral reserves, net of depletion, to 3.84 million ounces. Very little exploration drilling was completed in 2015 with the additions coming from the conversion of Measured and Indicated mineral resources through infill and stope definition drilling. Young-Davidson remains open at depth with excellent exploration potential. With a large mineral reserve base, exploration is not a near term focus. The Company will resume exploration activities once the lower mine has been developed allowing for exploration drilling platforms at depth. In addition to the underground mineral reserves, the Company has 1.4 million tonnes of open pit stockpiles grading 0.82 g/t Au which will be used to supplement higher grade underground ore until underground mining rates ramp up to the mill capacity. Based on underground mining rates of 8,000 tonnes per day ("tpd"), the remaining mineral reserve life of the Young- Davidson mine is 15 years as of December 31, 2015. Underground Measured and Indicated mineral resources at Young-Davidson decreased 38% to 0.88 million ounces with an 8% increase in grade to 3.45 g/t Au. A large portion of the decrease reflects the conversion of Measured and Indicated mineral resources into mineral reserves. Inferred mineral resources were largely unchanged at 0.31 million ounces. Mulatos Mulatos open pit, heap leach mineral reserves (including the Mulatos Mine, stockpiles, Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui) decreased 7%, or 103,000 ounces from 2014 reflecting mining depletion in the Mulatos Mine, partially offset by the increase in mineral reserves at Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui. The mineral reserve grade decreased slightly to 1.03 g/t Au though this remains 16% above the 2016 budgeted grade for open pit, heap leach production. The mineral reserve grade of the Mulatos Mine, the current source of open pit, heap leach production, decreased slightly to 0.87 g/t Au, reflecting the conversion of approximately three million tonnes of material previously modeled as waste to ore. This contributed to a 30% decrease in the remaining life of mine waste-to-ore ratio to 0.7:1, down from 1.0:1 at the end of 2014. This will positively impact costs through lower waste stripping expenses in the years ahead. Based on the 2016 budgeted throughput rates, the remaining mineral reserve life of the Mulatos Mine is six years as of December 31, 2015. Underground mineral reserves at Mulatos decreased 85,000 ounces reflecting mining depletion and an updated underground mine plan. To date, the Company has realized a positive grade and a negative tonnage and ounce reconciliation at San Carlos. The block model and mine plan have been updated to reflect this, resulting in a decrease in tonnes at San Carlos, partially offset by a 75% increase in the mineral reserve grade to 11.7 g/t Au. This is expected to result in higher grades processed through the mill over a shorter remaining underground mineral reserve life of approximately one year. The Company is evaluating the potential for conversion of existing mineral resources to extend the mine life. Measured and Indicated mineral resources at Mulatos increased slightly to 2.82 million ounces with the grade also increasing 5% to 1.14 g/t Au. The increase was driven by a new Measured and Indicated mineral resource at Cerro Pelon of 47,000 ounces grading 2.57 g/t Au, well above the current open pit mineral reserve grade. The majority of Cerro Pelon's mineral resources are located just north of the existing mineral reserve. As such, the Company expects a good proportion of those ounces to convert to mineral reserves through further infill drilling. Inferred mineral resources at Mulatos increased 200,000 ounces driven by the new Inferred mineral resource of 232,000 ounces delineated at La Yaqui. These Inferred mineral resources reside in two new zones along the northwest-trending silica ridge located to the north-east of the existing mineral reserve (see Figure 2). These new zones and the large surrounding area of alteration will be the focus of the 2016 exploration program with the aim to further increase mineral reserves and resources at the project. Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui Mineral Reserves at Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui increased by 38,000 ounces to total 259,000 ounces. Despite a limited exploration program in 2015 due to time constraints brought on by a later than anticipated receipt of the surface rights, the Company was successful in growing the combined mineral reserve base by 17% while also adding a further 47,000 ounces of Measured and Indicated mineral resources and 236,000 ounces of Inferred mineral resources. With the potential conversion of existing mineral resources and promising ongoing exploration results, the Company expects further mineral reserve growth. A total of 18,767 metres ("m") of drilling was completed at Cerro Pelon in 2015 with the focus on testing the continuation of mineralization to the north of the existing planned pit. The program was successful in delineating a new zone of mineralization 100 m to the north which has already yielded a 29,000 ounce, or 21% increase in mineral reserves to 170,000 ounces (see Figure 1). A further 47,000 ounce Measured and Indicated mineral resource has also been delineated of which the Company expects a large proportion will convert to mineral reserves with additional infill drilling that is already underway. Ongoing exploration programs indicate positive signs for mineralization to the north below a silica cap. Positive indicators include favourable structure, alteration and surface geochemical results. Drill testing beneath this approximately 800 m long silica cap will commence once infill drilling of the areas close to the planned pit is complete and will be the main focus of the 2016 Cerro Pelon exploration program. An exploration budget of $3 million has been planned for Cerro Pelon in 2016. The 2015 exploration program at La Yaqui included 13,872 m of drilling and was successful in growing the existing mineral reserve by 11% to 89,000 ounces. Of greater significance, the program resulted in the discovery of two new zones of mineralization which contain an initial pit contained Inferred mineral resource of 232,000 ounces, nearly three times the size of the 2014 mineral reserve (see Figure 2). These new zones are located approximately 500 m northeast of the existing mineral reserve, at the south-eastern extent of a northwest-trending silica ridge. This ridge is approximately 1,000 m in strike length and has an approximate 900 - 1,000 m of down-dip extent. This is a large hydrothermal system that was outlined in significant detail during the 2015 exploration program. Continuous alteration is seen throughout the entire zone with ore-grade intercepts at distances of up to a 1.25 km from the existing mineral reserves. The aim of the 2016 La Yaqui exploration program is to upgrade the Inferred mineral resources and to outline, delineate and define new zones of mineralization to further increase mineral resources and reserves. Approximately $5 million has been budgeted at La Yaqui for the year. With the combined mineral reserve grade of Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui averaging 1.6 g/t Au, 80% higher than the current 2016 budgeted heap leach grade, these deposits are expected to supply substantially lower cost production at Mulatos starting with La Yaqui in mid-2017. Highlight intercepts from the 2015 exploration program at Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui, including several previously released results (as indicated by (i)), are as follows: Cerro Pelon: -- 2.46 g/t Au over 94.20 m and 2.21 g/t Au over 22.60 m (15PEL010(i)) -- 14.47 g/t Au over 50.30 m (15PEL012(i)) -- 9.65 g/t Au over 34.60 m (15PEL020(i)) -- 2.74 g/t Au over 27.40 m (15PEL066) -- 2.54 g/t Au over 19.80 and 6.67 g/t Au over 33.50 m and 1.74 g/t Au over 13.70 m (15PEL069) -- 3.20 g/t Au over 33.40 m (15PEL073) -- 10.63 g/t Au over 13.70 m (15PEL085) La Yaqui: -- 1.36 g/t Au over 117.40 m (15YAQ058(i)) -- 1.34 g/t Au over 64.00 m (15YAQ061(i)) -- 2.70 g/t Au over 13.70 m and 1.74 g/t Au over 51.80 m (15YAQ087) -- 1.95 g/t Au over 67.10 m (15YAQ088) -- 3.35 g/t Au over 9.00 m and 1.39 g/t Au over 35.60 m (15YAQ094) -- 5.51 g/t Au over 13.40 m (15YAQ096) -- 2.41 g/t Au over 34.60 m (15YAQ098) Further highlights from recent drilling completed at Cerro Pelon and La Yaqui are presented in Tables 5 and 6 at the end of this release. El Chanate El Chanate's mineral reserves decreased to 463,000 ounces reflecting depletion. El Chanate is a mature operation with up three years of mining remaining, depending on the gold price. The operation will then transition to residual leaching and will continue to produce gold for up to another four years at substantially lower costs. The Company expects to recover approximately 100,000 ounces of gold once mining concludes through residual leaching, providing significant free cash flow. Lynn Lake Through the acquisition of Carlisle Goldfields, the Company consolidated 100% ownership of the Lynn Lake project and in doing so increased Measured and Indicated mineral resources by 1.97 million ounces, to 2.63 million ounces grading 2.03 g/t Au. Through the acquisition, Inferred mineral resources increased by 1.57 million ounces, to 2.09 million ounces. Quartz Mountain The 2015 exploration program at Quartz Mountain resulted in a smaller but higher quality mineral resource. Through the conversion of Inferred mineral resources, an initial Measured and Indicated mineral resource of 339,000 ounces was declared on the project grading 0.87 g/t Au. Inferred mineral resources decreased to 1.15 million ounces with the grade increasing 14% to 0.91 g/t Au, in part reflecting a lower gold price assumption of $1,400 per ounce and the conversion to Measured and Indicated mineral resources. Agi Dagi, Kirazli, Camyurt, Esperanza and Orion Measured and Indicated and Inferred mineral resources for the Esperanza, Orion, Agi Dagi, Kirazli, and Camyurt projects were unchanged from a year ago. Qualified Persons Chris Bostwick, FAusIMM, Alamos Gold's Vice President, Technical Services, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Chris Bostwick is a Qualified Person within the meaning of Canadian Securities Administrator's National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). The Qualified Persons for the National Instrument 43-101 compliant mineral reserve and resource estimates are detailed in the following table. Mineral Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey Volk, CPG, Director - Reserves and Young-Davidson, El FAusIMM Resource, Chanate, San Alamos Gold Inc. Carlos U/G, Lynn Lake, Orion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marc Jutras, P.Eng Principal, Ginto Mulatos Pits, Cerro Consulting Inc. Pelon, La Yaqui, Carricito, Esperanza, Agi Dagi, Kirazli, Camyurt, Quartz Mountain ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mineral Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Bostwick, FAusIMM VP Technical Services, Young-Davidson, El Alamos Chanate, Gold Inc. San Carlos Underground ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herb Welhener, SME-QP VP, Independent Mining Mulatos Pits, Cerro Consultants Inc. Pelon, La Yaqui ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exploration programs for the Company are directed by Aoife McGrath, M.Sc., M.AIG, Alamos' Vice President of Exploration and a Qualified Person under the requirements of National Instrument 43-101. Field programs in Mexico are supervised by Kristen Simpson P.Geo., Alamos' Exploration Manager - Mexico, a Qualified Person under the requirements of National Instrument 43-101. About Alamos Alamos is a Canadian-based intermediate gold producer with diversified production from three operating mines in North America. This includes the Young-Davidson mine in northern Ontario, Canada and the Mulatos and El Chanate mines in Sonora State, Mexico. Additionally, the Company has a significant portfolio of development stage projects in Mexico, Turkey, Canada and the United States. Alamos employs more than 1,300 people and is committed to the highest standards of sustainable development. The Company's shares are traded on the TSX and NYSE under the symbol "AGI". The TSX and NYSE have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including without limitation statements regarding forecast gold production, gold grades, recoveries, waste-to-ore ratios, total cash costs, potential mineralization reserves and resources, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of Alamos, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to mining and processing of mined ore, achieving projected recovery rates, anticipated production rates and mine life, operating efficiencies, costs and expenditures, changes in mineral resources and conversion of mineral resources to proven and probable reserves, and other information that is based on forecasts of future operational or financial results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Exploration results that include geophysics, sampling, and drill results on wide spacings may not be indicative of the occurrence of a mineral deposit. Such results do not provide assurance that further work will establish sufficient grade, continuity, metallurgical characteristics and economic potential to be classed as a category of mineral resource. A mineral resource that is classified as "inferred" or "indicated" has a great amount of uncertainty as to its existence and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that any or part of an "indicated mineral resource" or "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category of resource. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into proven and probable reserves. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Alamos' expectations include, among others, risks related to international operations, the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined as well as future prices of gold and silver, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Alamos' Annual Information Form and other disclosures of "Rick Factors" by Alamos and its predecessors, available on SEDAR and EDGAR. Although Alamos has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors - Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimates All resource and reserve estimates included in this news release or documents referenced in this news release have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") - CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (the "CIM Standards"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators, which established standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. The terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve" and "probable mineral reserve" are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards. These definitions differ materially from the definitions in SEC Industry Guide 7 ("SEC Industry Guide 7") under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Exchange Act. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical average price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis to designate reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. In addition, the terms "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" are defined in and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards; however, these terms are not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and are normally not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in very limited circumstances. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Table 1: Total Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves as of December 31, 2015 PROVEN AND PROBABLE GOLD RESERVES (as at December 31, 2015) -------------------------------------------------- Proven Reserves Probable Reserves -------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 1,396 0.82 37 - - - Young-Davidson - Underground 14,282 2.73 1,255 30,008 2.68 2,582 Total Young-Davidson 15,678 2.56 1,292 30,008 2.68 2,582 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Main Pits 5,248 0.98 165 27,654 0.85 756 San Carlos Underground 83 15.49 42 77 7.66 19 Stockpiles 6,485 1.45 302 - - - La Yaqui 474 1.52 23 1,438 1.42 66 Cerro Pelon 960 1.70 53 2,293 1.59 117 Total Mulatos 13,251 1.37 585 31,462 0.95 958 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate - Open Pit 11,480 0.55 204 7,837 0.64 161 El Chanate - Leach Pad Inv. - - 98 - - - Total El Chanate 11,480 0.82 302 7,837 0.64 161 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 40,409 1.68 2,178 69,307 1.66 3,702 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1: Total Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves as of December 31, 2015 PROVEN AND PROBABLE GOLD RESERVES (as at December 31, 2015) --------------------------------------------------- Total Proven and Probable --------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 1,396 0.82 37 Young-Davidson - Underground 44,290 2.69 3,837 Total Young-Davidson 45,686 2.64 3,874 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Main Pits 32,902 0.87 921 San Carlos Underground 161 11.73 61 Stockpiles 6,485 1.45 302 La Yaqui 1,912 1.45 89 Cerro Pelon 3,253 1.63 170 Total Mulatos 44,713 1.07 1,543 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate - Open Pit 19,317 0.59 365 El Chanate - Leach Pad Inv. - - 98 Total El Chanate 19,317 0.75 463 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 109,716 1.67 5,880 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2: Project Life-of-Mine Waste-to-Ore Ratios as of December 31, 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project Life-of-Mine Waste-to-Ore Ratios as of December 31, 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Waste-to-Ore Ratio Project ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos Mine 0.69 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cerro Pelon Pit 2.25 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- La Yaqui Pit 0.16 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate Pit 3.81 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3: Total Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources as of December 31, 2015 MEASURED AND INDICATED GOLD MINERAL RESOURCES (as at Dec 31, 2015) -------------------------------------------------- Measured Resources Indicated Resources -------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 496 1.13 18 1,242 1.28 51 Young-Davidson - Underground 4,248 3.47 474 3,707 3.43 408 Total Young-Davidson 4,744 3.23 493 4,949 2.89 460 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos 8,625 1.24 343 65,921 1.08 2,287 San Carlos UG 236 6.03 46 367 5.42 64 La Yaqui - - - - - - Cerro Pelon 117 2.75 10 455 2.52 37 Carricito 58 0.82 2 1,297 0.82 34 Total Mulatos 9,036 1.38 401 68,040 1.11 2,422 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate 765 0.66 16 1,563 0.95 48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MacLellan 15,010 1.99 960 17,374 1.75 976 Farley Lake - - - 5,914 3.21 610 Burnt Timber - - - 1,021 1.40 46 Linkwood - - - 984 1.16 37 Total Lynn Lake 15,010 1.99 960 25,293 2.05 1,669 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 19,226 1.01 622 15,126 0.95 462 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orion - - - 554 3.66 65 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agi Dagi 2,008 0.67 44 88,044 0.58 1,651 Kirazli 837 1.13 31 31,897 0.71 727 Camyurt 513 1.00 17 17,208 0.89 492 Total Turkey 3,358 0.84 91 137,149 0.65 2,871 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Mountain 214 0.95 7 11,942 0.87 333 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 52,353 1.54 2,588 264,615 0.98 8,328 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3: Total Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources as of December 31, 2015 MEASURED AND INDICATED GOLD MINERAL RESOURCES (as at Dec 31, 2015) --------------------------------------------------- Total Measured and Indicated --------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 1,739 1.24 69 Young-Davidson - Underground 7,955 3.45 883 Total Young-Davidson 9,694 3.05 952 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos 74,546 1.10 2,630 San Carlos UG 603 5.66 110 La Yaqui - - - Cerro Pelon 572 2.57 47 Carricito 1,355 0.82 36 Total Mulatos 77,076 1.14 2,823 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate 2,327 0.86 64 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MacLellan 32,384 1.86 1,936 Farley Lake 5,914 3.21 610 Burnt Timber 1,021 1.40 46 Linkwood 984 1.17 37 Total Lynn Lake 40,303 2.03 2,629 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 34,352 0.98 1,083 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orion 554 3.66 65 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agi Dagi 90,052 0.59 1,695 Kirazli 32,734 0.72 758 Camyurt 17,721 0.89 509 Total Turkey 140,507 0.66 2,961 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Mountain 12,156 0.87 339 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 316,968 1.07 10,917 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEASURED AND INDICATED SILVER MINERAL RESOURCES (as at Dec 31, 2015) -------------------------------------------------- Measured Resources Indicated Resources -------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Ag) (000's) (000's) (g/t Ag) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 19,226 7.25 4,482 15,126 9.16 4,455 Orion - - - 554 309 5,503 Agi Dagi 2,008 4.87 314 88,044 4.07 11,535 Kirazli 837 12.79 344 31,897 8.64 8,857 Camyurt 513 5.63 93 17,208 6.15 3,404 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 22,584 7.21 5,233 152,829 6.87 33,754 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEASURED AND INDICATED SILVER MINERAL RESOURCES (as at Dec 31, 2015) --------------------------------------------------- Total Measured and Indicated --------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Ag) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 34,352 8.09 8,936 Orion 554 309 5,503 Agi Dagi 90,052 4.09 11,849 Kirazli 32,734 8.74 9,202 Camyurt 17,721 6.14 3,496 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 175,413 6.91 38,987 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 4: Total Inferred Mineral Resources as of December 31, 2015 INFERRED GOLD MINERAL RESOURCES (as at Dec 31, 2015) -------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Au) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface 31 0.99 1 Young-Davidson - Underground 3,523 2.76 312 Total Young-Davidson 3,554 2.74 313 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos 7,078 0.90 205 San Carlos UG 162 4.93 26 La Yaqui 5,087 1.42 232 Cerro Pelon 109 1.23 4 Carricito 900 0.74 22 Total Mulatos 13,336 1.14 489 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate 101 0.36 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MacLellan 1,898 2.01 123 Farley Lake 4,364 2.87 403 Burnt Timber 23,438 1.04 781 Linkwood 21,004 1.16 783 Total Lynn Lake 50,704 1.28 2,089 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 718 0.80 18 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orion 91 3.33 10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agi Dagi 16,760 0.46 245 Kirazli 5,689 0.59 108 Camyurt 2,791 0.95 85 Total Turkey 25,240 0.54 438 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartz Mountain 39,205 0.91 1,147 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 132,949 1.05 4,506 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INFERRED SILVER MINERAL RESOURCES (as at Dec 31, 2015) -------------------------------------------- Tonnes Grade Ounces (000's) (g/t Ag) (000's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza 718 15.04 347 Orion 91 95.00 275 Agi Dagi 16,760 2.85 1,534 Kirazli 5,689 8.96 1,638 Camyurt 2,791 5.77 518 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alamos - Total 26,049 5.15 4,312 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes to Mineral Reserve and Resource Tables: -- The Company's mineral reserves and mineral resource as at December 31, 2015 are classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definition and Guidelines" as per Canadian Securities Administrator's NI 43-101 requirements. -- Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. -- Mineral resources are exclusive of mineral reserves. -- Mineral reserve cut-off grade for the Mulatos Mine, the Cerro Pelon Pit and the La Yaqui Pit are determined as a net of process value of $0.10 per tonne for each model block -- All Measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources are pit constrained with the exception of the Mulatos Main Pits on the Mulatos property which have no economic restrictions and are tabulated at a gold cut-off grade of 0.5 grams per tonne. -- Mineral Reserve estimates assumed a gold price of $1,250 per ounce and Mineral Resource estimates assumed a gold price of $1,400 per ounce, except as follows: Orion assumed a gold price of $850 per ounce and a silver price of $13.00 per ounce for resources. Lynn Lake assumed a gold price of $1,550 per ounce with an assumption of the Canadian dollar at parity with the United States dollar. Metal prices, cutoff grades and metallurgical recoveries are set out in the table below. -- El Chanate mineral reserve ounces include a December 31, 2015 inventory of 98,000 recoverable ounces contained within the heap leach pad. -- Lynn Lake mineral resources represent 100% of the Lynn Lake Project. Alamos completed the acquisition of Carlisle Goldfields Limited (Lynn Lake Project) on January 7th, 2016. -- Orion Mineral Resources are reflected on a 50% basis. Following the completion of a joint venture agreement, Minera Frisco, S.A.B. de C.V. has a 50% interest in the Orion project. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resources Reserves ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold Gold Met Price Cutoff Price Cutoff Recovery ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulatos: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- see greater Mulatos Main Open Pit $ 1,400 0.5 $ 1,250 notes than 50% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- San Carlos Underground $ 1,400 2.5 $ 1,250 3.27 70% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- see Cerro Pelon $ 1,400 0.3 $ 1,250 notes 75% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- see La Yaqui $ 1,400 0.3 $ 1,250 notes 75% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- greater Carricito $ 1,400 0.3 n/a n/a than 50% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Surface $ 1,400 0.5 $ 1,250 0.5 91% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young-Davidson - Underground $ 1,400 1.3 $ 1,250 1.9 91% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Chanate $ 1,400 0.15 $ 1,250 0.15 30-65% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lynn Lake $ 1,555 0.4 n/a n/a 89-92% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Esperanza $ 1,400 0.4 n/a n/a 60-72% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orion $ 850 2.0 n/a n/a 92% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agi Dagi $ 1,400 0.2 n/a n/a 80% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kirazli $ 1,400 0.2 n/a n/a 81% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Camyurt $ 1,400 0.2 n/a n/a 78% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.21 Oxide, 0.6 Quartz Mountain $ 1,400 Sulfide n/a n/a 65-80% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To view Figure 1: Cerro Pelon Project - Simplified Geology Map with Intercepts, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048060fig1.jpg. To view Figure 2: Greater Yaqui Project Area - Simplified Geology Map with Intercepts, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048060fig2.jpg. Table 5: Cerro Pelon - Select Composite Intervals Intercepts calculated at a 0.3 g/t cut-off. Minimum width of 3 m and maximum internal waste of 1.55 m. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final Depth Drill From To Interval Hole ID Azi Dip (m) Type (m) (m) (m) Au g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30.10 124.30 94.20 2.46 ----------------------------------- 15PEL010(i) 63 -79 234 DDH 127.30 149.80 22.60 2.21 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15PEL012(i) 60 -58 255 RC 157.00 207.30 50.30 14.47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15PEL020(i) 60 -58 216 DDH 156.80 191.30 34.60 9.65 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33.50 61.00 27.40 2.734 ----------------------------------- 15PEL066 65 -44 340 RC 330.80 338.40 7.60 2.036 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15PEL067 75 -63 294 RC 210.40 224.10 13.70 1.868 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51.80 71.70 19.80 2.536 ----------------------------------- incl. 53.4 57.90 4.60 7.762 ----------------------------------- 91.50 103.70 12.20 0.463 ----------------------------------- 15PEL069 65 -61 316 RC 134.20 167.70 33.50 6.670 ----------------------------------- 222.60 228.70 6.10 1.014 ----------------------------------- 231.70 245.40 13.70 1.743 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.00 7.60 7.60 0.563 ----------------------------------- 15PEL070 60 -44 178 RC 10.70 54.90 44.20 1.427 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.30 8.30 4.00 0.495 ----------------------------------- 15PEL071 73 15 45 DDH 11.30 43.70 32.40 0.829 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.70 37.10 33.40 3.202 ----------------------------------- 15PEL073 73 -11 60 DDH incl. 13.8 18.50 4.80 7.018 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47.30 50.30 3.00 0.509 ----------------------------------- 53.40 68.60 15.20 0.438 ----------------------------------- 15PEL075 61 -76 191 RC 120.40 129.60 9.10 2.691 ----------------------------------- incl. 123.5 125.00 1.50 8.100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41.20 93.00 51.80 1.347 ----------------------------------- 15PEL077 306 -39 148 RC 97.60 103.70 6.10 1.474 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 77.70 80.80 3.10 0.784 ----------------------------------- 15PEL085 93 -70 203 RC 123.50 137.20 13.70 10.631 ----------------------------------- 140.20 143.30 3.00 0.722 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 149.40 160.10 10.70 1.518 ----------------------------------- 15PEL088 61 -44 239 RC 178.30 190.60 12.20 0.944 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44.20 61.00 16.80 0.529 ----------------------------------- 15PEL089 93 -79 181 RC 74.70 79.30 4.60 1.013 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15PEL090 253 -70 178 RC 146.30 161.60 15.30 0.972 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) indicates previously released results Table 6: La Yaqui - Select Composite Intervals from Exploration Drilling Intercepts calculated at a 0.3 g/t cut-off. Minimum width of 3 m and maximum internal waste of 1.55 m. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final Depth Drill From To Interval Hole ID Azi Dip (m) Type (m) (m) (m) Au g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15YAQ059(i) 170 -69 395 RC 128.1 245.4 117.4 1.363 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15YAQ061(i) 275 -80 294 RC 155.5 219.5 64 1.335 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.50 4.60 3.10 0.310 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ064(i) 100 -60 157 RC 86.90 102.10 15.20 5.682 ------------------------------------ incl. 88.4 93.00 4.60 16.650 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15YAQ067 100 -60 157 RC 135.70 138.70 3.10 3.828 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103.90 124.40 20.00 1.704 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ074 100 -84 150 DDH incl. 111.6 112.50 0.90 9.700 ------------------------------------ 144.20 150.40 6.30 1.248 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82.30 105.20 22.90 1.449 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ082 110 -89 206 RC incl. 93 94.50 1.50 5.800 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 125.00 143.30 18.30 3.920 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ085 330 -89 212 RC incl. 134.2 135.70 1.50 24.500 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103.70 117.40 13.70 2.702 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ087 0 -90 209 RC 122.00 131.10 9.10 1.536 ------------------------------------ 141.80 193.60 51.80 1.737 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 157.40 224.50 67.10 1.952 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ088 120 -80 246 DDH incl. 189.9 191.50 1.60 7.300 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97.60 103.70 6.10 0.430 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ089 0 -90 192 RC 125.00 179.90 54.90 0.798 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15YAQ090 0 -90 180 RC 112.80 122.00 9.20 1.843 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 131.10 165.00 33.90 1.140 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ092 195 -70 254 DDH 206.00 209.70 3.70 0.421 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41.00 50.00 9.00 3.349 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ094 230 -70 233 DDH 55.90 91.50 35.60 1.390 ------------------------------------ 156.70 160.20 3.50 0.365 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 73.20 86.60 13.40 5.512 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ096 270 -70 239 DDH incl. 83.9 85.50 1.60 15.100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 119.00 153.60 34.60 2.409 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ098 230 -70 235 DDH incl. 146.4 152.50 6.10 8.113 ------------------------------------ 225.40 228.80 3.40 0.335 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 138.80 146.40 7.60 3.024 ------------------------------------ 141.50 143.30 1.80 6.900 ------------------------------------ 15YAQ101 90 -75 195 DDH 148.60 151.80 3.30 0.436 ------------------------------------ 154.00 159.40 5.40 0.358 ------------------------------------ 166.20 171.30 5.10 0.362 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) indicates previously released results Contacts: Alamos Gold Inc. Scott K. Parsons Vice President, Investor Relations (416) 368-9932 x 5439 www.alamosgold.com Santiago, Chile--(Newsfile Corp. - March 24, 2016) - White Mountain Titanium Corporation (OTCQB: WMTM) ("White Mountain" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of a $2,000,000 debt funding agreement with NEXO WMTM Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of NEXO Capital Partners, LLC (collectively "NEXO"). Under the terms of the Loan Agreement dated and entered into on March 16, 2016 (the "Loan Agreement"), the Company borrowed $2,000,000 from NEXO which was evidenced by a 7% Senior Convertible Promissory Note (the "Note"). The Note is convertible into shares of our Series A Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), and the transaction includes demand and piggyback registration rights under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement entered into on March 16, 2016, with Nexo to register the resale of the common shares issuable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock. Under the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Company also issued three-year warrants to purchase up to 8,333,333 common shares of the Company at $0.30 per share. Finally, under the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Company entered into an exclusive Assignment of Development Rights (the "Development Assignment Agreement") with NEXO Water Ventures, LLC ("NEXO Water"), another subsidiary of NEXO. The Development Assignment Agreement relates to the proposed desalination plant to be constructed in connection with the Company's Cerro Blanco mining project in Chile to fund, construct, and manage a desalination plant which forms part of White Mountain's Cerro Blanco mining project in Chile. Complete details of the transaction with NEXO are available in a recent 8-K filing. Mr. Andrew Sloop, who was appointed a director of the Company on March 4, 2016, is a Partner of NEXO Capital Ventures. NEXO is a US private equity firm which specializes in the business development of new technologies through strategic project acquisition and technology-implementation opportunities. NEXO proposes to integrate the use of proven high recovery desalination technologies within the design of the desalination project. By incorporating the proven high recovery desalination technologies into the design at Cerro Blanco, the parties intend to significantly increase the fresh water recovery over that achievable through reverse osmosis alone. The Company has granted to NEXO Water the exclusive right to fund and develop the Company's proposed desalination plant in connection with the Cerro Blanco project, and the parties will negotiate in good faith to create a joint venture and determine an equity split, within industry standards, to share proceeds from future sales of water. Once the Cerro Blanco mine is operational, water requirements for the mine and processing plant will be made available to the project at concessionary rates. Commenting on the Loan Agreement, Michael Kurtanjek, Interim CEO of White Mountain, said, "In keeping with our commitment to advance the Cerro Blanco mine project to a final engineering stage as quickly as possible, the early construction of the associated desalination plant has always been a top priority. We look forward to working with NEXO, who will bring not only the necessary finance to construct the desalination plant but also the technology which could significantly increase fresh water recoveries. With NEXO assuming the funding responsibility for the water plant, this will significantly reduce the projected Capex figure for the Cerro Blanco rutile project." Andrew Sloop added, "I'm delighted to join the White Mountain team and be associated with the development of a world class asset. NEXO already has a significant presence in Chile, and it is for that reason, that a partnership with White Mountain makes good business sense. The project already has the EIS approval in hand, and I look forward to working as a Board member, to ensure a sustainable and profitable mining enterprise at Cerro Blanco." About White Mountain Titanium Corporation The Company holds mining concessions on the Cerro Blanco property currently consisting of 41 registered mining exploitation concessions and 34 mining exploration concessions in the process of being constituted, over approximately 17,041 hectares located approximately 39 kilometres west of the City of Vallenar in the Atacama, or Region III, geographic region of northern Chile. In May 2015, the Company received full environmental approval for its Cerro Blanco project. The Company's principal objectives are to develop its desalination plant and to advance the Cerro Blanco project towards a bankable engineering study and secure funding or other arrangements to place the project into production, if ultimately warranted. It would be the intention to sell the rutile concentrate to titanium metal and pigment producers. Work also continues to investigate the commercial viability of producing a feldspar co-product. The feldspar could find applications in the glass and ceramics industries. Forward-Looking Statements OTC Markets has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and, therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. See the Company's periodic and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the Commission's website at www.sec.gov. Contact: White Mountain Titanium Corporation Michael P. Kurtanjek, President & Interim CEO 011 562 2657 1800 SOURCE White Mountain Titanium Corporation MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release. Denis and Melanie Robitaille, Founding President and Vice President, Finance and Development of Rachel Julien, are inviting media representatives to private round table meetings with the developers, the designer and the architect of the new Laurent & Clark residential project on Tuesday, March 29, between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Please note that media representatives are also invited to the VIP event that will be held on Wednesday, March 30, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. Partners of the project, representatives of Quartier des spectacles and guests of honor will also attend this event. During this event, media will have the opportunity to discover this extraordinary residential project. Located at the heart of the action and excitement of the Quartier des spectacles, Laurent & Clark will offer its residents breathtaking views of downtown and Mount-Royal from its 335 units, and an incomparable cultural lifestyle nearby a wide range of exclusive services. Illustrations of the project will be available; invitees will also be able to experience an immersive vision of the project through interactive touchscreen tables. WHAT: Private round table media meetings (by appointment) And/or VIP event WHEN: Tuesday, March 29, from 9:00am to 5:00pm (several time slots are available) And/or Wednesday, March 30, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm WHO: -Denis Robitaille, Founding President, Rachel Julien -Melanie Robitaille, Vice President, Finance and Development, Rachel Julien -Jean-Pierre LeTourneux, Partner, Menkes Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux, Architects -Ysabel Gauvreau, President, Gauvreau Design WHERE: 1, boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal WEBSITE: www.laurent-clark.com To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160323-1048011_photo_800.jpg Contacts: Information and RSVP: Raphael Melancon 514-845-7063 raphael.melancon@cohnwolfe.ca VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Fortuna Silver Mines, Inc. (NYSE: FSM)(TSX: FVI) is pleased to report updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates as of December 31, 2015 for the Caylloma Mine located in Arequipa, Peru and for the San Jose Mine located in Oaxaca, Mexico. Jorge A. Ganoza, President and CEO, commented: "Our combined Proven and Probable Reserves have been negatively impacted by a forty-one percent net decrease in silver ounces at our Caylloma mine; primarily as a result of updating geologic models, depletion, changes in commercial terms, and applying a higher cutoff and dilution to narrow silver rich veins. At San Jose, silver and gold reserves are essentially flat with respect to 2014, after successfully replacing the depletion of 4.9 million silver ounces and 38,500 gold ounces for the year." Highlights of Reserve and Resource Update -- Combined Proven and Probable Reserves for Caylloma and San Jose are reported at 5.8 Mt containing 35.9 Moz silver and 229.2 koz gold, representing year-over-year decreases of 13 percent in contained silver ounces and 9 percent in contained gold ounces -- Combined Inferred Resources for Caylloma and San Jose are reported at 10.0 Mt containing an estimated 69.3 Moz silver and 404.6 koz gold, reflecting year-over-year decreases of 10 percent in contained silver ounces and 16 percent in contained gold ounces -- Proven and Probable Reserves for San Jose are reported at 3.8 Mt containing 28.2 Moz silver and 210 koz gold. There is no variation for silver and a 4 percent decrease in contained gold ounces with respect to 2014. -- Proven and Probable Reserves for Caylloma are reported at 2 Mt containing 7.7 Moz silver. This represents a year-over-year decrease of 41 percent in contained silver ounces. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contained Mineral Reserves - Proven and Probable Metal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Ag Au Pb Zn Ag Au Property Classification (000) (g/t) (g/t) (%) (%) (Moz) (koz) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caylloma Mine, Peru Proven 254 138 0.47 2.05 2.34 1.1 3.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probable 1,724 119 0.28 2.95 3.73 6.6 15.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven + Probable 1,979 121 0.30 2.83 3.55 7.7 19.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- San Jose Mine, Mexico Proven 282 237 1.84 N/A N/A 2.1 16.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probable 3,498 232 1.72 N/A N/A 26.0 193.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven + Probable 3,780 232 1.73 N/A N/A 28.2 209.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven + Total Probable 5,759 194 1.24 N/A N/A 35.9 229.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mineral Resources - Measured and Contained Indicated Metal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Ag Au Pb Zn Ag Au Property Classification (000) (g/t) (g/t) (%) (%) (Moz) (koz) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caylloma Mine, Peru Measured 582 82 0.36 1.11 2.16 1.5 6.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 1,269 84 0.31 1.14 2.10 3.4 12.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured + Indicated 1,851 84 0.32 1.13 2.12 5.0 19.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- San Jose Mine, Mexico Measured 64 89 0.71 N/A N/A 0.2 1.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 780 84 0.72 N/A N/A 2.1 18.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured + Indicated 844 84 0.72 N/A N/A 2.3 19.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured + Total Indicated 2,695 84 0.45 N/A N/A 7.3 38.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contained Mineral Resources - Inferred Metal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Ag Au Pb Zn Ag Au Property Classification (000) (g/t) (g/t) (%) (%) (Moz) (koz) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caylloma Mine, Peru Inferred 3,392 132 0.59 2.20 3.30 14.3 64.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- San Jose Mine, Mexico Inferred 6,561 261 1.61 N/A N/A 55.0 339.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Inferred 9,953 217 1.26 N/A N/A 69.3 404.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: 1. Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are as defined by CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves 2. Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves 3. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability 4. There are no known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect potential development of the Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves at Caylloma or San Jose 5. Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves estimated as of June 30, 2015 and reported as of December 31, 2015 taking into account production-related depletion for the period through December 31, 2015 6. Mineral Reserves for San Jose are estimated using a break-even cut-off grade of 137 Ag Eq g/t based on assumed metal prices of US$ 19/oz Ag and US$ 1,140/oz Au; estimated metallurgical recovery rates of 89% for Ag and 89% for Au and actual operating costs incurred in period June 2014 through May 2015. Mineral Resources are estimated at a Ag Eq cut-off grade of 100 g/t, with Ag Eq in g/t = Ag (g/t) + Au (g/t)(i) ((US$1,140/US$19) (i) (89/89)) 7. Mineral Reserves for Caylloma are estimated using break-even cut-off grades based on estimated NSR values using assumed metal prices of US$19/oz Ag, US$1,140/oz Au, US$2,150/t Pb and US$2300/t Zn; metallurgical recovery rates of 84.5% for Ag, 39.5% for Au, 92.6% for Pb and 89.9% for Zn; and actual operating costs incurred in period July 2014 through June 2015. Caylloma Mineral Resource are reported based on NSR values using the same metal prices and metallurgical recovery rates as detailed for Mineral Reserves; and an NSR cut-off grade of US$50/t for veins classified as wide (Animas, Animas NE, Nancy, San Cristobal) and US$100/t for veins classified as narrow (all other veins) 8. Total may not add due to rounding procedures 9. N/A = Not Applicable San Jose Mine, Mexico As of December 31, 2015, the San Jose Mine has Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 3.8 Mt containing 28.2 Moz of silver and 210 koz of gold, in addition to Inferred Resources of 6.6 Mt containing a further 55 Moz of silver and 340 koz of gold. Year-over-year, Mineral Reserves remained constant in tonnes and in contained silver and decreased 4 percent in contained gold after net changes resulting from production-related depletion and upgrades of new reserves through infill drilling . Silver grades remained essentially flat at 232 g/t and gold grades decreased 5 percent to 1.73 g/t. Infill drilling was successful in upgrading from Inferred Resources to new Mineral Reserves approximately 1.2 Mt averaging 277 g/t Ag and 1.93 g/t Au reported for the Stockwork, Bonanza, and Trinidad veins. Measured and Indicated Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves decreased 15 percent year-over-year to approximately 0.8 Mt due to improved conversion of resources to reserves. Year-over-year, Inferred Resources decreased 7 percent and 15 percent in contained silver and gold ounces, respectively. Silver grade remained flat and gold grade decreased by 8 percent. The net variation is primarily explained by additions through exploration offset by reductions from upgrading of Inferred Resources by infill drilling in the Trinidad North and Central Stockwork zones and geological reinterpretation of previously modeled veins. Brownfields exploration budget for 2016 at San Jose is $8.2 million, which includes 22,000 meters of diamond drilling and the development of a 1,500 meter underground exploration drift that will allow better access to test the northern extension of the Trinidad North vein system. Exploration drilling is in progress at the Trinidad Central zone in the San Jose Mine and at the La Noria/San Antonio vein system, a parallel vein system located two kilometers to the west of the San Jose Mine area. The company disclosed further details of San Jose's brownfields exploration program on December 16, 2015 (refer to "Fortuna provides year-end update for the San Jose Mine, Mexico"). Caylloma Mine, Peru As of December 31, 2015, the Caylloma Mine has Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 2.0 Mt containing 7.7 Moz of silver and 19.3 koz of gold, in addition to Inferred Resources of 3.4 Mt containing 14.3 Moz of silver and 64.7 koz of gold. Mineral Reserves decreased 41 percent in contained silver ounces compared to 2014. The loss of ounces is explained primarily by the update of geological models from June 2014, the net loss to mining related depletion, higher cutoff and dilution applied to narrow veins, and changes to commercial terms. The loss in reserve tonnage is lower than the silver loss, at 35 percent due to the gain in base metal credits from additions to reserves from base metal rich zones. Silver grade decreased 9 percent to 121 g/t, lead grade increased 26 percent to 2.83 %, and zinc grade increased 13 percent to 3.55 %. Year-over-year, Measured and Indicated Resources, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, increased by 9 percent to 1.9 Mt due to the negative impact on reserves of commercial terms and the geological reinterpretation of the ore deposit. Inferred Resources decreased by 0.96 Mt or 22 percent to 3.4 Mt, silver grades remained flat, and lead and zinc grades increased by 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively. The decrease in Inferred Resources is primarily due to the upgrading of resources through infill drilling, and changes in the geological interpretation of the mineralized zones. Brownfields exploration budget for 2016 at the Caylloma Mine is $2.9 million, which includes 17,000 meters of diamond drilling. Drilling will be focused on testing new exploration targets in the northern portion of the Caylloma District and in the Pisacca prospect area located a short distance to the southwest of the plant as well as further exploring the northeastern extension of the Animas Vein. Qualified Persons The Mineral Resource estimates have been prepared under the supervision of Eric Chapman, Mineral Resource Manager of Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. The Mineral Reserve estimate and the Mineral Resource estimate exclusive of Mineral Reserves were prepared under the supervision of Edwin Gutierrez, Technical Services Corporate Manager for Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. E. Chapman and E. Gutierrez are Qualified Persons as defined by the National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Gutierrez is a Registered Member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. (SME Registered Member Number 4119110RM) and is responsible for ensuring that the information contained in this news release is an accurate summary of the original reports and data provided to or developed by Fortuna Silver Mines. About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna is a growth oriented, silver and base metal producer focused on mining opportunities in Latin America. Our primary assets are the Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru and the San Jose silver-gold mine in Mexico. The company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in selects other areas. For more information, please visit our website at www.fortunasilver.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jorge A. Ganoza President, CEO and Director, Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Trading symbols: NYSE: FSM / TSX: FVI Forward looking Statements This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward looking Statements. The Forward looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mines and mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company's mines and mineral properties; mineral resource and reserve estimates; timelines; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "planned", "reflecting", "will", "containing", "remaining", "to be", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Forward looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for silver and other metals; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding mine production costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that Forward looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward looking Statements. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Reserves and Resources Reserve and resource estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for public disclosure by a Canadian company of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and reserve and resource information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. You are cautioned not to assume that resources will ever be converted into reserves. You should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. You should also not assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. You are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth in this news release may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. Contacts: Investor Relations: Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Carlos Baca (Peru) +51.1.616.6060, ext. 0 TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2015. All figures are in US dollars unless otherwise stated. Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three mine-development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa: the Platreef platinum-palladium-gold-nickel-copper discovery in South Africa; and the Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium mine and the Kamoa copper discovery in the DRC. HIGHLIGHTS - On December 8, 2015, Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., of China, completed a landmark, strategic co-development transaction on the Kamoa Copper Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) whereby Zijin, through a subsidiary company, acquired a 49.5% interest in Kamoa Holding Limited for a total of $412 million in a series of payments. Ivanhoe received an initial $206 million from Zijin on December 8, 2015; the remaining $206 million will be received in five equal installments, payable every 3.5 months from December 8, 2015. In addition, Ivanhoe sold a 1% share interest in Kamoa Holding to privately-owned Crystal River Global Limited for $8.32 million. - The first installment payment from Zijin, in the amount of $41.2 million, was received by Ivanhoe Mines on March 23, 2016. - In an earlier, separate transaction, on April 20, 2015, Zijin Mining Group completed a private placement to help advance Ivanhoe's three mine-development projects in Africa. Zijin acquired approximately 9.9% of Ivanhoe Mines' issued and outstanding common shares at a price of C$1.36 per share. The placement provided Ivanhoe Mines with gross proceeds of approximately C$105 million. - Ivanhoe Mines recorded a total comprehensive profit of $668.3 million for the year ending December 31, 2015. The profit was attributable mainly to the gain on the partial sale of Kamoa Holding of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million. - On January 25, 2016, the Kamoa exploration team reported a new discovery at its Kakula Prospect. The Kakula Discovery is situated within the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa Mining Licence area and represents a major extension of the Kamoa copper deposit, which the company discovered in 2008. Two exploration drill holes completed in late 2015 in the Kakula exploration area - DD996 (13.14 metres true width of 5.26% copper) and DD997 (14.94 metres true width of 5.33% copper) - rank among the highest-grade and highest-grade-thickness intersections drilled to date within the Kamoa copper deposit licence area. - On February 23, 2016, Ivanhoe Mines reported the positive findings of an independent pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the first phase of development of the Kamoa Copper Project. First phase of development envisages an annual production rate of three million tonnes of ore per annum at an average grade of 3.86% copper over a 24-year mine life, resulting in annual copper production of approximately 100,000 tonnes. Initial capital costs, including contingency, is estimated at $1.2 billion, approximately $200 million lower than estimated in the Kamoa 2013 preliminary economic assessment (PEA). - Construction work on the twin declines at Kamoa began in March 2016. The declines are designed to intersect the high-grade copper mineralization in the initial mining area at Kansoko Sud, approximately 150 metres below surface. Ivanhoe's drilling program in this area defined a thick, near-surface zone of high-grade copper mineralization, where a drill hole intercepted 15.7 metres (true width) of 7.04% copper. Byrnecut Underground Congo SARL (BUCS) was awarded the contract for the permanent support of the box-cut walls and the initial 1.2 kilometres of development for each of the two declines. - Also in the DRC, on January 27, 2016, Ivanhoe Mines announced the receipt of a new, independent, Mineral Resource estimate for the company's historic, high-grade, Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-lead- silver mine. Kipushi's Big Zinc Zone is estimated to contain Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 10.2 million tonnes at 34.89% zinc, containing 7.8 billion pounds of zinc and adjacent zones of copper-rich mineralization containing Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 1.6 million tonnes at 4.01% copper, containing 144 million pounds of copper. - With a current Mineral Resource now established at Kipushi, Ivanhoe Mines is continuing its upgrading work at the mine and evaluating technical and infrastructure options to best advance the project. A preliminary economic assessment is expected to be finalized in the near future. - At the Platreef PGM Project in South Africa, Shaft 1 development has made good progress. Pre-sinking of the shaft has been completed to a depth of 54 metres below surface. The changeover from pre-sinking activities to main-sinking activities is expected to be completed by April 2016, which will enable the start of the main sinking. Aveng Mining, the shaft sinking contractors, expects to sink at a daily average rate of approximately 2.5 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach the Flatreef Deposit at a depth of 777 metres below surface by late 2017. - The headgear design for the six-million-tonne-per-year permanent hoisting facility for Platreef's Shaft 2 has been completed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Ivanhoe expects to start Shaft 2 early works in 2017, including civil work for the box cut and hitch foundation. - Ivanhoe announced in February 2015 that Ivanplats, Ivanhoe's 64%-owned subsidiary that owns the Platreef Project, had achieved Level 3 status in its first verification assessment on a broad-based, black economic empowerment scorecard, the highest-ranking platinum-sector mining company in compliance with South Africa's black empowerment laws. Ivanplats again achieved Level 3 status in February 2016, further demonstrating the company's dedication and commitment toward transformation on all levels of business. - The three projects achieved a combined nine million hours of lost-time- injury-free (LTIF)work by the end of 2015, reflecting, in part, the company's continued efforts to prioritize the management of health and safety on its job sites. Ivanhoe had recorded 0.5 million LTIF hours at Platreef, 4.56 million hours at Kamoa and 3.90 million hours at Kipushi to the end of 2015. The Platreef Project reported two lost-time injuries in Q4 2015. Principal Projects and Review of Activities 1. Platreef Project 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines South Africa The Platreef Project in South Africa's Limpopo Province is owned by Ivanplats (Pty.) Ltd., which is 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. A Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation and its affiliate, ITC Platinum, plus Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and JGC Corporation, owns a 10% interest in Ivanplats, which it acquired in two tranches for a total investment of $290 million. The remaining 26% interest is held by Ivanhoe's broad-based, black economic empowerment partners, which include communities, employees and entrepreneurs. Ivanhoe announced in February 2015 that Ivanplats had achieved Level 3 status in its first verification assessment on a B-BBEE scorecard, the highest-ranking platinum-sector mining company in compliance with South Africa's black empowerment laws. Ivanplats again achieved Level 3 status in February 2016, further demonstrating the company's dedication and commitment toward transformation on all levels of business. The Platreef Project hosts an underground deposit of thick, platinum-group metals, nickel, copper and gold mineralization in the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, approximately 280 kilometres northeast of Johannesburg and eight kilometres from the town of Mokopane in Limpopo Province. To view Figure 1: Aerial view of the Platreef Project site, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F1.pdf Health and safety at Platreef The Platreef Project reached 5,379,302 million hours worked by February 29, 2016. The project recorded 4.8 million lost-time-injury-free hours at Platreef up until the end of Q3 2015. Two unfortunate lost-time injuries (LTIs) were recorded in October 2015 and since then, the project has recorded more than 750,000 worker hours without a LTI. The Platreef Project continues to strive toward its workplace objective of an environment that causes zero harm to employees, contractors, sub-contractors and consultants. Shaft 1 construction Shaft 1 development has made good progress. The pre-sinking activities have been completed and the shaft depth was 54 metres below surface on February 15, 2016. The changeover from pre-sinking activities to main sinking activities is expected to be completed by April 2016, which will enable the start of the main sinking. Aveng Mining, the shaft-sinking contractor, expects sinking to advance at an average daily rate of approximately 2.5 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach the Flatreef Deposit at a depth of 777 metres below surface by late 2017. Sinking will continue to a planned final depth of 975 metres below surface. Development work will include three stations at depths of 450 metres, 750 metres and 850 metres below surface. Work has been completed on the internal electricity substation, which will have a capacity of five million volt-amperes (MVA). Construction is underway on the power transmission lines from Eskom, the South African public electricity utility, which will supply the electrical power to be used for the sinking of Shaft 1. Back-up generators have been installed to ensure continuous sinking operations even if the power supply from Eskom is interrupted. To view Figure 2: Lowering of the five-deck stage and bank steelwork into Shaft 1, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F2.pdf To view Figure 3: Construction of headgear for main sinking operations, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F3.pdf To view Figure 4: Shaft 1 main-sink headgear, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F4.pdf To view Figure 5: Internal view of shaft-sinking activities during the pre-sink phase, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F5.pdf Other on-site work includes the construction of the primary terraces for Shaft 1, storm-water drains and ponds, workshops and stores. A total of 511, or 74%, of the 693 permanent and contract workers presently employed by Ivanplats are from the local area. Platreef implementing a phased approach to a large, underground, mechanized mine Ivanhoe completed a pre-feasibility study (PFS) in January 2015 that covered the first phase of development that is expected to include construction of an underground mine, concentrator and other associated infrastructure. In August 2015, Ivanhoe started work on a feasibility study (FS) based on the first phase of development. The FS is being managed by principal consultant, DRA Global, along with other specialized sub-consultants including Stantec Consulting, Murray & Roberts Cementation, SRK, Golder Associates and Digby Wells Environmental. The FS is scheduled to be completed by Q2 2017. There will be opportunities to refine and modify the timing and capacities of subsequent phases of production to suit market conditions during the development and commissioning of the first phase. Mineral resources in the Flatreef underground discovery The Flatreef Mineral Resource, with a strike length of 6.5 kilometres, lies predominantly within a flat-to- gently dipping portion of the Platreef mineralized belt at relatively shallow depths of approximately 700 to 1,100 metres below the surface. The Flatreef Deposit is characterized by its very large vertical thicknesses of high-grade mineralization and a platinum-to-palladium ratio of approximately 1:1, which is significantly higher than other recent PGM discoveries on the Bushveld's Northern Limb. The grade shells used to constrain mineralization in the Flatreef Indicated Mineral Resource area have average true thicknesses of approximately 24 metres at a cut-off grade of 2.0 grams per tonne (g/t) of platinum, palladium and gold (2PE+Au). The Indicated Mineral Resource grade at an equivalent 2.0-gram-per-tonne 3PE+Au cut-off is 4.1 g/t 3PE+Au, 0.34% nickel and 0.17% copper. Flatreef's Indicated Mineral Resources of 214 million tonnes contain an estimated 28.5 million ounces of platinum, palladium, gold and rhodium, 1.6 billion pounds of nickel and 0.8 billion pounds of copper. Ivanhoe has declared an initial Probable Mineral Reserve of 15.5 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, using a declining Net Smelter Return (NSR) cut-off of $100/t-$80/t. Planned mining methods The selected mining areas in the current Platreef mine plan occur at depths ranging from approximately 700 metres to 1,200 metres below the surface. The main access to the ore body and ventilation system is expected to be comprised of four vertical shafts. Shaft 2 will host the main personnel transport cage, material and ore-handling systems, while Shafts 1, 3 and 4 will be utilized for ventilation to the underground workings. Shaft 1, now under development, will be used for initial access to the ore body and early underground development. Mining will be performed using highly productive, mechanized methods, including long-hole stoping, drift-and-bench and drift-and-fill mining methods. The mined-out areas within the ore body will be backfilled with a paste mixture that utilizes tailings from the process plant and cement. The ore will be hauled from the stopes to a series of ore passes that connect to a main haulage level, which will be connected to Shaft 2, where it will be hoisted to the surface for further processing. To view Figure 6: Final design of Shaft 2 headgear, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F6.pdf Shaft 2 will have an internal diameter of 10.0 metres and will be capable of hoisting six million tonnes per year. The headgear design for the six-million-tonne-per-year permanent hoisting facility has been completed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Ivanhoe expects to start Shaft 2 early works in 2017, including civil work for the box-cut and hitch-foundation. Bulk water and electricity supply The Olifants River Water Resource Development Project (ORWRDP) is designed to deliver water to the Eastern and Northern limbs of South Africa's Bushveld Igneous Complex. The project consists of the new De Hoop Dam, the raised wall of the Flag Boshielo Dam and related pipeline infrastructure that ultimately will deliver water to Pruissen, southeast of the Northern Limb. The Pruissen Pipeline Project will be developed to deliver water onward from Pruissen to the municipalities, communities and mining projects on the Northern Limb. Ivanhoe is a member of the ORWRDP's Joint Water Forum. The Minister of Water & Sanitation has directed that the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority will serve as the implementing agent for the outstanding phases of the ORWRDP scheme, which include the Phase 2B pipeline from Flag Boshielo Dam to Mokopane. Participants in the water development scheme are required to indicate their water requirements so that the total water demand may be calculated relative to the scheme's capacity. The Platreef Project's water requirement for the first phase of development is projected to peak at approximately 10 million litres per day. Ivanhoe also is continuing to investigate various alternative bulk water sources, including bulk grey water allocations from local municipalities. The Platreef Project's electricity requirement for a four-million-tonne-per-year underground mine, concentrator and associated infrastructure has been estimated at approximately 100 million volt-amperes (MVA). As power is required for the initial mine development work, including shaft sinking, before the main power supply becomes available, an agreement with Eskom has been reached for the supply of 5MVA of temporary construction power. Ivanhoe opted for a self-build option for the permanent power, which enables Ivanhoe to manage the construction of the distribution lines from the Eskom Borutho sub-station to the Platreef Mine. To view Figure 7: Construction of the Eskom Borutho substation, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F7.pdf Development of human resource and job skills Work is progressing well on the further implementation of Ivanhoe's Social and Labour Plan (SLP), to which the Company has pledged a total of R160 million ($10 million) during the first five years, until November 2019. The approved plan includes R67.2 million ($4 million) for the development of job skills among local residents and R87.7 million ($6 million) for local economic development projects. Additional internal training is planned to provide members of the current workforce with opportunities to expand their skills. Adult basic education and training for the communities has begun in four community centres run by the Department of Higher Education and Training, forging a partnership between Ivanhoe and the Department. The first 80 students to participate in Platreef's non-core training program started their training at the beginning of March 2016. Further related training programs are planned later in the year. Ivanhoe awarded five fully-paid bursaries to local university students in 2015. To date in 2016, Ivanhoe awarded fully-paid bursaries to seven local university students in diverse disciplines. Ivanhoe also is investing in developing local artisans by establishing fully paid community Learnerships in Engineering. Ivanhoe's R24 million ($2 million) partnership between South Africa's University of Limpopo and Laurentian University in Canada to develop and equip Limpopo University's geology department is well underway. A principal goal of the five-year partnership, which is renewable for a further five years, is to develop and equip the University of Limpopo's geology department to become a centre of excellence in geosciences. Combined with a scholarship awarded to Laurentian by the International Development Research Centre, these funds will create educational opportunities for 35 University of Limpopo students to study in Canada. Ivanhoe also will provide in-service training opportunities for students from both universities and assist them in conducting research on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex. 2. Kipushi Project 68%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) The Kipushi copper-zinc-germanium-lead mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is adjacent to the town of Kipushi and approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Lubumbashi. It also is located on the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 250 kilometres southeast of Ivanhoe's Kamoa Project, and less than one kilometre from the Zambian border. Ivanhoe acquired its 68% interest in the Kipushi Project in November 2011; the balance of 32% is held by the state-owned mining company, La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines). Health and safety at Kipushi The Kipushi Project achieved a total of 3,905,536 lost-time-injury-free hours (1,244 days) to the end of Q4 2015. Malaria remains the most frequent health concern at Kipushi; during 2015, there was an average of 11 cases each month among employees. In an effort to reduce the incidence of malaria in the Kipushi community, a Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) program has been initiated in cooperation with the Territorial Administrator and the local community. The main emphasis in the program's first phase is cleaning storm drains in the municipality to prevent the accumulation of ponded water, where malarial mosquitos breed. Following DRC government approval of the Fionet program, training of medical staff at medical service providers in the Kipushi Health Zone on the use of the Deki rapid malaria test reader started in December 2015 and will continue on an ongoing basis. The objective is to establish the Fionet program in 37 medical centres in the Kipushi Health Zone. The program eventually will be rolled out to 300 clinics in the Haut-Katanga province. To view Figure 8: Training on usage of the Fionet Deki Rapid Malaria Test reader at the Cinquantenaire Hospital in Kipushi, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F8.pdf To view Figure 9: Community relations officer Olivia Simamba assisting with the government-sponsored oral polio vaccine program, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F9.pdf Project development and infrastructure Work began in March 2014 on the underground diamond-drilling program at the Kipushi Project, a major advance made possible by the successful dewatering program directed by Ivanhoe Mines during the previous three years following the company's acquisition of the historic mine in November 2011. The mine, which had been placed on care and maintenance in 1993, flooded in early 2011 due to a lack of pump maintenance over an extended period. At its peak, water reached 851 metres below the surface level. A major milestone was reached in December 2013 when Ivanhoe restored access to the mine's principal haulage level at 1,150 metres below the surface. Since then, crews have been upgrading underground infrastructure to permanently stabilize the water levels and support the drilling program. Recent improvements on Shaft 5 included dewatering to expose the main pump station at the 1,200-metre-level, installation of new hoist ropes on the Shaft 5 Maryanne rescue hoist, stripping of the 1,200-metre-level pump station and refurbishment and commissioning of the friction-reeler gearbox. Other improvements included the design and construction of permanent dams and pumping infrastructure at the 1,112-metre-level Cascade shaft complex, the completion of emergency exit ladders and platforms in shafts P2, P3 and P15, the installation of an emergency hoist in Shaft 3 and safety-cage door interlocks in shafts P2, P3 and P5 Maryanne. Water levels were stabilized below the 1,150-metre-level haulway and the 1,272-metre-level hanging-wall drift, enabling access for the drilling program that targeted the Serie Recurrente, Fault and Big Zinc zones. The exploration drilling program has been completed and an updated resource has been declared on the previously underexplored Big Zinc deposit. A preliminary economic assessment for the Kipushi Project is being finalized and is expected to be published in the near future. In March 2016, ongoing pumping succeeded in lowering the water in Shaft 5 below the 1,230-metre-level to facilitate cleaning out of the shaft bottom in advance of the installation of new hoist ropes on the personnel cage, as well as repairs and upgrades to the hoisting infrastructure. To view Figure 10: Sulzer centrifugal pump at the 1,200-metre-level pump station in Shaft 5, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F10.pdf To view Figure 11: New Grifo centrifugal pumps to be installed at the 1,200-metre-level pump station, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F11.pdf To view Figure 12: Delivering the new cable for the Shaft 5 man winder, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F12.pdf Confirmatory and exploration drilling Drilling in Q4 2015 totalled 1,384 metres, for a total of 25,419 metres since Ivanhoe Mines started the Kipushi Project's drilling program in March 2014. The underground drilling program was completed in October 2015 and the contractor demobilized. Additional exploration drilling in Q3 and Q4 in the southern extension area successfully confirmed that both the Big Zinc Zone and Fault Zone remain open at depth and to the south, with significant intersections on both structures. Additional high-grade copper-zinc-germanium mineralization also was discovered in the Fault Zone and in Fault Zone Splay in the immediate footwall of the Fault Zone. Results of the final exploration holes were included in the data set used for the calculation of an updated Mineral Resource estimate in January 2016. Independent Mineral Resource estimate Ivanhoe announced the new Mineral Resource estimate for Kipushi on January 27, 2016. The estimate was prepared in accordance with the 2014 CIM definition standards, incorporated by reference into Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Ivanhoe is preparing a NI 43-101-compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment for Kipushi. Highlights of the initial estimate, prepared by the MSA Group, of Johannesburg, South Africa: - Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources in the Big Zinc Zone of 10.2 million tonnes at grades of 34.89% zinc, 0.65% copper, 19 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 51 g/t germanium, at a 7% zinc cut-off, containing an estimated 7.8 billion pounds of zinc. - The zinc grade of Kipushi's Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources in the Big Zinc Zone is more than twice as high as the world's next- highest-grade zinc project, independently ranked by Wood Mackenzie, an international industry research and consulting group, based on contained zinc. - Zinc-rich Inferred Mineral Resources total an additional 1.9 million tonnes at grades of 28.24% zinc, 1.18% copper, 10 g/t silver and 53 g/t germanium. The Inferred Mineral Resources are contained partially in the Big Zinc Zone and partially in the Southern Zinc Zone. - Kipushi's copper-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources contained in the adjacent Fault Zone, Fault Zone Splay and Serie Recurrente Zone total an additional 1.63 million tonnes at grades of 4.01% copper, 2.87% zinc and 22 g/t silver, at a 1.5% copper cut-off, containing 144 million pounds of copper. Copper-rich Inferred Mineral Resources in these zones total an additional 1.64 million tonnes at grades of 3.30% copper, 6.97% zinc and 19 g/t silver. - Ivanhoe's exploration program has demonstrated that zinc and copper mineralization of the Kipushi system remains open laterally and at depth. Results recently received from hole KPU081, drilled on section line 6S, confirm high-grade copper-zinc mineralization at depth. KPU081 intersected 60.5 metres (21.7 metres true thickness) grading 2.6% copper, 36.2% zinc, 19 g/t silver and 204 g/t germanium to a depth of 1,763 metres. Included in this interval was an intersection from 580.9 metres to 591.3 metres (3.8 metres true thickness) grading 56.3% zinc, 0.5% copper, 12 g/t silver and 397 g/t germanium. The MSA Mineral Resource estimate was based on the results of 84 drill holes completed at Kipushi by Ivanhoe Mines and an additional 107 historical holes drilled by Gecamines. Mineral Resource estimates were completed below the -1,150-metre-level on the Big Zinc Zone, Southern Zinc Zone, Fault Zone and Serie Recurrente Zone. The Mineral Resources were categorized either as zinc-rich resources or copper-rich resources, depending on the most abundant metal. For the zinc-rich zones, the Mineral Resource is reported at a base-case cut-off grade of 7.0% zinc and the copper-rich zones at a base-case cut-off grade of 1.5% copper. Given the considerable revenue that could be obtained from the additional metals in each zone, MSA considers that mineralization at these cut-off grades will satisfy reasonable prospects for economic extraction. 3. Kamoa Project 47%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines South Africa The Kamoa Copper Project, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining, is a very large, stratiform copper deposit with adjacent prospective exploration areas within the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 25 kilometres west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of Lubumbashi. Ivanhoe sold a 49.5% share interest in Kamoa Holding Limited (Kamoa Holding), the company that presently owns 95% of the Kamoa Project, to Zijin Mining for an aggregate consideration of $412 million. In addition, Ivanhoe sold a 1% share interest in Kamoa Holding to privately-owned Crystal River Global Limited for $8.32 million - which Crystal River will pay through a non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note. A 5%, non-dilutable interest in the Kamoa Project was transferred to the DRC government on September 11, 2012, for no consideration, pursuant to the DRC Mining Code. Ivanhoe also has offered to transfer an additional 15% interest to the DRC government on terms to be negotiated. Constructive and cordial negotiations over the offer are continuing between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin and senior DRC government officials. Subsequent to the sale to Zijin and Crystal River, Ivanhoe owns an effective 47% of the Kamoa Project, which will decrease to an effective 40% should the additional 15% interest be transferred to the DRC government. Kamoa is the world's largest, undeveloped, high-grade copper deposit. On February 23, 2016, an updated Mineral Resource estimate was issued for the Kamoa Project, with an effective date of May 2014. Kamoa's Indicated Mineral Resources total 752 million tonnes grading 2.67% copper and containing 44.3 billion pounds of copper at a 1% copper cut-off grade and minimum thickness of three metres. In addition to the Indicated Resources, the updated estimate included Inferred Mineral Resources of 190 million tonnes grading 2.06% copper and containing 8.6 billion pounds of copper, also at a 1.0% copper cut-off grade and a minimum thickness of three metres. Health and safety at Kamoa Health and safety remain key priorities for workers and management alike at the Kamoa Project, where an excellent safety record has been achieved. By the end of 2015, a total of 4,562,671 hours had been worked without a lost-time injury. The partnership with Fionet is a collaborative initiative to strengthen local responses to malaria in the DRC under the National Malaria Control Program. To date, 54 health centres in Haut-Katanga and Lualaba provinces are using the intelligent diagnostic device known as the Deki Reader. The device provides step-by-step guidance to health workers, helping to deliver rapid, accurate, diagnostic testing for malaria and transmitting results to a cloud database. The data then can be made available in real time to public health managers through the Fionet web portal for informed decision making and remote monitoring. To date, 148 public health officials and healthcare providers have been trained as ultimate drivers of the program. Twelve master trainers from the Ministry of Health at the provincial level eventually will build capacity among health workers in a total of 300 healthcare facilities. To view Figure 13: The Fionet program underway at a local clinic, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F13.pdf Diamond drilling progress Limited drilling occurred in Q4 2015, with an additional 944 metres completed in four shallow holes. This brought the total metres drilled for the year to 2,664 metres in 17 holes. One hole was completed on the regional Makoko target and two holes were drilled in the Kakula area. Kamoa's exploration team makes major new copper discovery at the Kakula exploration area at the Kamoa Copper Project Ivanhoe Mines reported on January 25, 2016, that the Kamoa exploration team had made a new tier-one, high-grade, shallow and flat-lying stratiform copper discovery, ideally situated for low-cost mechanized mining, in the Kakula exploration area, approximately five kilometres southwest of the currently defined resources at the Kamoa copper deposit. The Kakula Discovery is situated within the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa Mining Licence area and represents a major extension of the Kamoa copper deposit, which the company discovered in 2008. Two exploration drill holes completed in late 2015 in the Kakula exploration area - DD996 and DD997 - rank among the highest-grade and highest-grade-thickness intersections drilled to date within the Kamoa copper deposit licence area. DD996 intersected 24.16 metres (24.13 metres true width) of 3.48% copper, at a 1% copper cut off. At a higher cut-off of 2% copper, the intersection was 13.16 metres (13.14 metres true width) of 5.26% copper. DD997 intersected 18.75 metres (18.47 metres true width) of 4.64% copper at a 1% copper cut-off and 15.17 metres (14.94 metres true width) of 5.33% copper at a 2% copper cut-off. The two holes were drilled into an area of thick, high-grade copper mineralization first identified in 2014 - now called the Kakula Discovery area - within the large, 60-square-kilometre Kakula exploration area. The two holes represent 400-metre step-outs north and east from the high-grade copper intersected in drill hole DD942 that recorded 13.50 metres (13.49 metres true width) of 4.15% copper, at a 2% copper cut off. Mineralization at Kakula appears to be consistent in nature with downward vertical zonation from chalcopyrite to bornite to chalcocite in every hole. Mineralization is consistently bottom loaded, with grades increasing downhole toward the contact between the host Grand Conglomerate and the underlying Mwashia sandstone. The highest copper grades are associated with a siltstone/sandstone unit and the base of an overlying diamictite unit. These units overlie a less mineralized, thin, sandy clast-rich diamictite above the Mwashia sandstone contact. The bottom-loaded nature of Kakula mineralization could support the definition of selective mineralized zones at cut-offs well above the 1% copper cut-off used to define resources at Kamoa. For example, the lower portion of the mineralized intercepts in drill holes DD996 and DD997 intersected 5.59 metres grading 9.16% copper and 7.06 metres grading 8.50% copper, respectively, both at a 3% copper cut-off. (see figure 14 below for a drill log of DD997). Given the significantly higher grades and thicknesses of the copper mineralization encountered in the Kakula Discovery area, the Kamoa exploration team plans to begin an accelerated, 800-metre-spacing infill grid drilling program at Kakula in May, 2016. The focus of the program is to delineate a zone of flat-lying, shallow copper resources at materially higher grades that could be incorporated in the Kamoa Phase One feasibility study. To view Figure 14: DD997 log showing bottom-loaded distribution of copper mineralization at 1%, 2% and 3% copper cut-offs, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F14.pdf Updated estimate of Mineral Resources at Kamoa. On February 23, 2016, Ivanhoe Mines released an updated estimate of Mineral Resources as part of its disclosure of the Kamoa pre-feasibility study. The Mineral Resources have been defined taking into account the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. Table 1: Kamoa Project Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources (May 2014) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category Tonnage Area Copper True Contained Contained (Mt) (km2) (%) Thickness Copper Copper (m) (kt) (billions lbs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 752 50.5 2.67 5.24 20,110 44.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 185 16.8 2.08 3.87 3,840 8.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Dr. Harry Parker and Gordon Seibel, RM of SME, employees of Amec Foster Wheeler, are the Qualified Persons for the Mineral Resource estimate. The effective date of the estimate is May 5, 2014. Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves. - Mineral Resources are reported using a total copper (TCu) cut-off grade of 1% TCu and an approximate minimum assumed thickness of 3 metres. There are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction under assumptions of a copper price of US$3.30/lb; employment of underground mechanized room and pillar and drift-and-fill mining methods; and that copper concentrates will be produced and sold to a smelter. Mining costs are assumed to be $34/t. Concentrator and General and Administrative costs are assumed to be $19/t. Metallurgical recovery will be 77% (supergene) and 85% (hypogene) at the average grade of the resource. - Reported Mineral Resources contain no allowances for hanging wall or footwall contact boundary loss and dilution. No mining recovery has been applied. - For Indicated Mineral Resources, 97.4% of the resource model blocks have a true thickness greater than 3 metres (range from 2.3 metres to 15.8 metres), for Inferred Mineral Resources, 94.7% of the resource blocks have a true thickness greater than 3 metres (range from 2.7 metres to 8.4 metres). - Depth of mineralization below the surface ranges from 10 metres to 1,320 metres for Indicated Mineral Resources and 20 metres to 1,560 metres for Inferred Mineral Resources. - Approximate drillhole spacings are 800 metres for Inferred Mineral Resources and 400 metres for Indicated Mineral Resources. - Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. Preparation for construction of first declines Byrnecut Underground Congo SARL (BUCS) has been awarded the contract for the permanent support of the box-cut walls and the initial 1.2 kilometres of development for each of the two declines. BUCS staff, equipment and materials have been mobilized to site. The project team at Kamoa has completed the construction of offices and workshops at the mine site, as well as power and fuel supply facilities to accommodate the decline development work. Upgrading and expansion of the Kamoa camp to accommodate the BUCS staff and other contractors is on schedule. To view Figure 15: Double-boom drill rig parked in the BUCS temporary workshop, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F15.pdf To view Figure 16: Drilling of anchor-bolt holes at the Kamoa box cut, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F16.pdf Pre-feasibility study results announced Results of the Kamoa pre-feasibility study (PFS), involving the first phase of proposed mine development, were announced in February 2016. Highlights include: - Mine production of three million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) at an average grade of 3.86% copper over a 24-year mine life, resulting in annual copper production of approximately 100,000 tonnes. - Initial capital cost, including contingency, is $1.2 billion, approximately $200 million lower than estimated in the Kamoa 2013 PEA. - Life-of-mine average mine-site cash cost is $0.75/lb. of copper. - After-tax net present value (NPV) at an 8% discount rate of $986 million. - After-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 17.2% and a payback period of 4.6 years. - High-grade copper concentrate with an average grade of 39.2% copper and very low arsenic levels. - Improvements to the mining method have the potential to reduce average mine site cash cost during the first phase to $0.61/lb. of copper, and improve the after-tax NPV at an 8% discount rate to $1.182 billion, the IRR to 18.9% and the payback period to 4.3 years. The Kamoa 2016 PFS identified several areas for further evaluation to optimize the project's economics, including: - The use of controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining, which has been successfully used by KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (KGHM) at its copper- mining operations in Poland for the past 20 years. Based on detailed analysis by KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., this mining method appears to be well suited to the Kamoa deposit and, if implemented, potentially could provide significant cost savings as there would be no requirement for cemented backfill and ore extraction ratios would increase. - Increased production up to 4 Mtpa from the proposed initial mining area, with only limited adjustments to the ore-handling and ventilation systems, thereby resulting in a more efficient use of capital. Continued focus on community and sustainability Upgrades to the Mbwetshi school were completed during Q4 2015, including the construction of two classrooms and the supply of desks and furniture. A number of activities related to community health improvement also were conducted. Community projects for 2016 are under consideration and construction of an extension of the Musokantanda community clinic's maternity ward is being studied. To view Figure 17: The recently upgraded Mbwetshi school, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F17.pdf Kamoa continued with its livelihood sustainability program. During Q4 2015, the team focused on the completion of the harvesting of the 2015 maize (corn) crop, as well as ploughing, fertilizing and planting of the 2016 crop. Additional community-based activities included vegetable production, training, the construction of poultry coops, and livestock and poultry management. Hydroelectric power plant upgrading project The repairs to turbine number one at the Mwadingusha hydroelectric power plant are progressing and expected to be completed by the end of Q2 2016. The repairs are needed to allow the Mwadingusha plant to increase its output of electrical power to the national grid and thereby allow Kamoa to secure 10 megawatts of power from the grid for use during the development of the Kamoa Project. Orders for the construction of the 120-kilovolt power line, which will supply construction power from the national grid and for the mobile substation (120/11kV), have been awarded. The supply of grid electrical power to the mine site and camp is expected to be available by Q4 2016. Work on the full upgrade to the Mwadingusha power plant is progressing under the management of Kamoa's energy team and the EPCM contractor, Stucky. Bids have been requested from three potential suppliers for the complete upgrading of the four turbines. SELECTED ANNUAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION This selected financial information is in accordance with IFRS as presented in the annual consolidated financial statements. Ivanhoe had no operating revenue in any financial reporting period and did not declare or pay any dividend or distribution in any financial reporting period. For the year ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- $'000 $'000 $'000 Exploration and project expenditure(i) 40,751 97,933 104,022 Share-based payments 7,722 97,294 8,308 General administrative expenditure(i) 17,445 30,998 31,001 Gain on partial sale of subsidiary (357,671) - - Re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in joint venture (376,148) - - Mark-to-market gain on revaluation of warrants (6,945) (9,524) - Finance costs 1,674 2,241 1,644 Share of losses from joint venture 1,030 - - Impairment of mineral property, goodwill and other - - 334,338 Legal settlement - - 10,000 Deferred tax recovery (1,624) (46) (75,701) (Gain) loss from subsidiary held for partial sale (4,319) 38,537 69,896 Total comprehensive (profit) loss attributable to: Owners of the Company (681,274) 227,347 373,720 Non-controlling interest 12,969 32,863 110,575 (Profit) loss per share (basic and diluted) (0.91) 0.35 0.69 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total assets 1,022,578 253,077 287,576 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Non-current liabilities 28,103 23,603 21,974 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) Prior period amounts have been amended to show the (gains)/losses from subsidiary held for partial sale separately DISCUSSION OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Review of the year ended December 31, 2015 vs. December 31, 2014 The company recorded a total comprehensive profit of $668.3 million for the year ending December 31, 2015 compared to a total comprehensive loss of $260.2 million for the year ending December 31, 2014. The profit in 2015 was attributable mainly to the gain on the partial sale of Kamoa Holding of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million. The company sold a 50.5% stake in Kamoa Holding, the company that owns 95% of the Kamoa project. The company sold a 49.5% stake to Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. ("Zijin") - through its subsidiary, Gold Mountains (H.K.) International Mining Company Limited, in addition, the company has sold 1% of its share interest to Crystal River Global Limited ("Crystal River"). Under the terms of the share acquisition agreement, Zijin bought a 49.5% share interest for an aggregate consideration of $412 million. The purchase price was satisfied by an initial payment of $206 million in cash upon the closing of the transaction. The agreement specifies that the remaining $206 million will be paid in five equal installments, payable every 3.5 months from closing and continuing through the remainder of 2016 and into 2017. Crystal River paid its purchase consideration of $8.32 million through a non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note. Upon closing of the transaction, each shareholder is required to fund Kamoa Holding in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest. The present value of the purchase consideration at the closing date, net of transaction costs, amounted to $390.4 million. As required under IFRS, the company: - derecognized the assets and liabilities of Kamoa Holding from the consolidated statement of financial position which amounted to $48.8 million immediately prior to the sale; - derecognized the carrying value of non-controlling interest of $16.0 million; - recognized the investment retained at its fair value, deemed to be $408.2 million; - recognized the gain associated with the sale of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million; and - subsequently accounted for Kamoa as a joint venture using the equity method of accounting. The company's share of the losses of the joint venture, from the closure of the sale until December 31, 2015, amounted to $1.0 million. When excluding the gain on the partial sale of Kamoa Holding of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million, the company's total comprehensive loss for the year ending December 31, 2015 amounted to $65.5 million. This is $194.7 million lower than for the same period in 2014 ($260.2 million). The decrease mainly was due to the share-based payment expense of $88.6 million, recognized in 2014 as a result of the Platreef B-BBEE transaction, as well as the capitalization of development costs in the current period on the Platreef and Kamoa projects of $48.8 million and $32.9 million respectively. The mark-to-market gain on revaluation of warrants of $6.9 million (2014: $9.5 million) is as a result of the classification and treatment of the share-purchase warrants issued in 2014 as a financial liability at fair value, with changes in fair value included in net earnings. The company's share-purchase warrants were valued using quoted prices in active markets and expired during December 2015. Exploration and project expenditures for the year ending December 31, 2015, were $57.2 million less than for the same period in 2014. With the focus on development at the Kamoa and Platreef projects during 2015, $33.6 million of the total $40.8 million exploration and project expenditure was related to Kipushi. A total of $4.1 million was related to retrenchment costs incurred in the closure of Ivanhoe's regional exploration company in the DRC. Expenditure at the Kipushi Project decreased by $16.1 million compared to the same period in 2014. Financial position as at December 31, 2015 vs. December 31, 2014 The company's total assets increased by $769.5 million, from $253.1 million as at December 31, 2014, to $1,022.6 million as at December 31, 2015. This mainly was due to the company selling 50.5% of its shareholding in Kamoa Holding as described above. Zijin paid $206 million of the purchase consideration on closing, resulting in the increase in cash and cash equivalents. The remaining $206 million will be received in five equal installments, payable every 3.5 months from the date of closing. The present value of the remaining consideration receivable, net of transaction costs, was $192 million as at December 31, 2015. The first of the five installments was received on March 23, 2016. As a result of the partial sale of Kamoa Holding, the company treated Kamoa as a joint venture, with joint control being shared by Ivanhoe and Zijin from the date of sale. The carrying value of the company's interest retained in the joint venture was $412.0 million as at December 31, 2015. The company received a $8.32 million non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note as the purchase consideration for selling 1% of its share in Kamoa Holding to Crystal River. Property, plant and equipment increased by $26.5 million, with a total of $87.5 million being spent on project development and to acquire other property, plant and equipment. Development costs on the Platreef and Kamoa projects amounted to $48.8 million and $32.9 million respectively, however the carrying value of property, plant and equipment derecognized on the sale of Kamoa Holding amounted to $41.7 million. The company utilized $45.0 million of its cash resources in its operations and earned interest income of $1.3 million on cash balances in the year ended December 31, 2015. A total of $87.5 million was spent to acquire property, plant and equipment, and investments in short-term deposits of $55.2 million were transferred to cash and cash equivalents. The company generated cash inflow from financing activities during the year ending December 31, 2015, of $271.0 million. This mainly was a result of proceeds received from Zijin for the partial sale of Kamoa Holding, as well as the proceeds from the 76,817,020 common shares issued to a Zijin subsidiary, through a private placement at a price of C$1.36 per share, that yielded proceeds of $85.2 million. The company's total liabilities decreased to $43.8 million as at December 31, 2015, from $50.7 million as at December 31, 2014. This mainly was due to the expiry of the share-purchase warrants issued in Q2 2014 that had a fair value of $6.9 million at December 31, 2014. This release should be read in conjunction with Ivanhoe Mines' audited 2015 Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis report available at www.ivanhoemines.com and at www.sedar.com. Qualified Person Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Torr is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation. Mr. Torr has verified the technical data disclosed in this release. Ivanhoe has prepared a current independent NI 43-101-compliant technical report for each of the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa Project, which are available under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. These technical reports include relevant information regarding the effective date and the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa Project cited in this release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this release in respect of the Platreef Project, Kipushi Project and Kamoa Project. Forward-looking statements Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements regarding the projected depth of Shaft 1 at the Platreef Project in 2018 and the timing of the commencement of Shaft 2 development, including early works; (ii) statements regarding the operational and technical capacity of Shaft 1; (iii) statements regarding the internal diameter and hoisting capacity of Shaft 2 (iv) statements regarding peak water use of 10 million litres per day at the Platreef Project and development of the Pruissen Pipeline Project; (v) statements regarding the completion of a new resource estimate at the Platreef Project; (vi) the de-watering program at the Kipushi Project; (vii) statements regarding the completion of the Kipushi Project Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) baseline study; (viii) statements regarding when a preliminary economic assessment for the Kipushi Project will be finalized and published; (ix) statements regarding the date that construction of the first set of Kamoa twin declines is expected to commence; (x) statements regarding the declines having been designed to intersect the high-grade copper mineralization in the Kansoko Sud area; (xi) statements regarding plans to begin an accelerated, 800-metre-spacing infill grid drilling program at the Kakula Discovery area in May, 2016 and statements regarding the focus of the program is to delineate a zone of flat-lying, shallow copper resources at materially higher grades that could be incorporated in the Kamoa Phase One feasibility study; (xii) statements regarding the timing, size and objectives of drilling and other exploration programs for 2016 and future periods; (xiii) statements regarding the completion of installation and repair works at the Mwadingusha power plant. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release. As well, the results of the pre-feasibility study of the Kamoa Project and the pre-feasibility study of the Platreef Project constitute forward-looking information, and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, and estimates of capital and operating costs. Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa and Platreef Projects, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiii) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; and (xiv) political factors. This release also contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources. The estimation of Mineral Resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation (including estimated future production from the company's projects, the anticipated tonnages and grades that will be mined and the estimated level of recovery that will be realized), which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource estimates may have to be re-estimated based on: (i) fluctuations in copper, nickel, platinum group elements (PGE), gold or other mineral prices; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates; and (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licenses. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed below and under "Risk Factors", as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release. The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the "Risk Factors" section in the company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2015. Contacts: Ivanhoe Mines - Investors Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 Ivanhoe Mines - Media North America: Bob Williamson +1.604.512.4856 South Africa: Jeremy Michaels +27.82.939.4812 www.ivanhoemines.com HEMOPATCH Now Approved for Tissue Sealing and Dura Replacement in Addition to Hemostasis Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) is committed to advancing surgical innovation and today announced the completion of CE marking in the European Union for the expanded indication of the ready-to-use surgical patch HEMOPATCH. HEMOPATCH is now approved in the European Union for use in closing dural defects including excision, retraction or shrinkage of the dura mater following traumatic injury. It is also approved as a hemostatic device and surgical sealant for procedures in which control of bleeding or leakage of other body fluids or air by conventional surgical techniques is either ineffective or impractical. "HEMOPATCH now has one of the broadest indications available for advanced surgical patches in the European Union," said John Olsen, M.D., global medical director of Baxter's surgical care franchise. "It features innovative technology, works quickly and effectively, and does not require preparation time, which means it is ready whenever it is needed by the surgeon and can be used in a range of surgical settings." The additional indication allows surgeons in the European Union to use HEMOPATCH to address bleeding and seal suture lines in diverse, complex procedures such as sealing residual air leaks during lung surgery, or replacing dura mater during neurosurgery preventing the loss of cerebrospinal fluid. The development of HEMOPATCH combined Baxter's expertise in collagen, internal coagulation processes, and PEG (polyethylene glycol) technology platforms. It is a soft, thin and flexible collagen pad that is designed to allow surgeons easy control during application and does not require advanced preparation. The pad consists of a specifically-formulated porous collagen matrix, coated on one side with a thin protein bonding layer (known as NHS-PEG). This gives the pad a dual-method mechanism of action, in which two components interact to achieve hemostasis by sealing off the bleeding surface and initiating the body's own clotting mechanisms. HEMOPATCH has been approved in the European Union for use in hemostasis when conventional surgical techniques are either ineffective or impractical since 2013. Baxter anticipates filing for the expanded indication of HEMOPATCH in additional countries outside of the European Union. Indication for Use HEMOPATCH is intended as a hemostatic device and surgical sealant for procedures in which control of bleeding or leakage of other body fluids or air by conventional surgical techniques is either ineffective or impractical. HEMOPATCH may be used to close dural defects following traumatic injury, excision, retraction or shrinkage of the dura mater. Important Risk Information Do not compress HEMOPATCH into blood vessels or use intravascularly. The device must not be used in patients with known hypersensitivity to bovine proteins or brilliant blue. HEMOPATCH is not intended to be used in pulsatile, severe bleedings. The use of HEMOPATCH is not recommended in the presence of an active infection. When used in, around, or in proximity to foramina in bone, areas of bony confine, the spinal cord, the brain and/or cranial nerves, care should be exercised to avoid overpacking, creating the potential for neural damage. HEMOPATCH is not intended as a substitute for meticulous surgical technique and the proper application of ligatures or other conventional procedures for hemostasis and sealing. About Baxter Baxter provides a broad portfolio of essential renal and hospital products, including home, acute and in-center dialysis; sterile IV solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition; biosurgery products and anesthetics; and pharmacy automation, software and services. The company's global footprint and the critical nature of its products and services play a key role in expanding access to healthcare in emerging and developed countries. Baxter's employees worldwide are building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of healthcare innovations that enable patient care. This release includes forward-looking statements concerning HEMOPATCH, including expectations with regard to its availability in the European Union and risks associated with its use. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; changes in law and regulations; and other risks identified in Baxter's most recent filing on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on Baxter's website. Baxter does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005537/en/ Contacts: Baxter International Inc. Media Contact Bill Rader, (224) 948-5353 media@baxter.com or Investor Contact Clare Trachtman, (224) 948-3085 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The US Coast Guard has rescued 58 Cubans from rafts while they were trying to reach American shores in dangerous waters, and were sent back home. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr., a 154-foot fast response cutter, repatriated the Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabanas, Cuba, Wednesday. The The US Coast Guard vessel made seven separate migrant interdictions at sea within the last week in the south Florida Straits. The Coast Guard said that in each instance, its personnel helped secure the U.S. border and prevented these perilous sea voyages from ending in tragedy. Capt. Mark Gordon, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District has urged Cubans not to take to the dangerous waters of the Florida Straits in unseaworthy vessels. He warned that it is illegal and extremely dangerous. The Coast Guard has observed a steady increase in illegal maritime migration attempts from Cuba to the Southeastern U.S. since the U.S. announcement of normalized diplomatic relations with Cuba in December 2014, nearly 15 months ago. Since October, the Coast Guard 7th District estimates that 2,562 Cubans have attempted to illegally migrate via the sea. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Critical Control Energy Services Corp. (TSX: CCZ) today reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2015. "Despite gale force industry headwinds, we delivered on our key strategic objectives of organic growth in our Software segment and the expansion of our geographic footprint in the US," said Alykhan Mamdani, President and CEO of Critical Control. "The measures we have already taken in 2015 and early 2016 to integrate the acquisition which formed the basis of our geographic expansion, our corporate restructuring and the integration of our software delivery capability between Canada and the US will serve to improve margins, reduce general and administrative expenses and contribute improved profitability in the second half of 2016." Revenue -- Revenue increased by 12.8% to $39.9 million for 2015 compared to $35.4 million 2014 driven primarily from an acquisition in April 2015 to grow the Corporation's measurement services business in the United States (the "Measurement Services Acquisition"). -- Low commodity prices materially impacted non-recurring revenue, which includes the implementation of the Corporation's software, the sale of equipment, fabrication of measurement equipment and certain field services which are not recurring which fell 18.5% in 2015 to $11.1 million. However, this was more than offset with a 32.5% increase in the Corporation's recurring revenue to $28.8 million in 2015. -- The Corporation's Software segment delivered 8.8% growth in 2015 reaching $19.2 million. $17.7 million of this was recurring revenue in 2015 compared to recurring revenue of $16.3 million in 2014. Despite declines from a large number of shut-in wells affecting recurring revenue, growth was driven from continued penetration of the Corporation's products in Canada and the United States, as well as certain customers acquired with the Measurement Services Acquisition. -- The Corporation's Services business, based primarily in the United States, grew to $20.7 million in 2015, an increase of 16.9%. Non- recurring revenue in the Corporation's Services business fell to $9.6 million, a reduction of 21.9%. This decline was more than offset with a 105.4% growth in the Corporation's recurring revenue from its Services business which reached $11.1 million in 2015. This growth was derived primarily from the Measurement Services Acquisition. Gross margin -- Gross margin held steady in Software at 51.9% as efficiencies offset pricing pressures from the industry downturn. Overall, gross margin declined from 38.5% to 36.2% due to reduced margin in the Services business which declined from 25.1% in 2014 to 21.7% in 2015. This decline was due to the Corporation's Measurement Services Acquisition in the second quarter of 2015, which required restructuring and integration. Earnings and net earnings -- The Corporation's $5.6 million loss before income tax for 2015 (compared to $0.6 million in 2014) is a result of increased general and administrative expenses from the Measurement Services Acquisition, certain one-time charges of $4.2 million for acquisition related charges, provisions for onerous leases, termination benefits due to restructuring, and accruals for inventory obsolescence and doubtful accounts. Outlook and Guidance In light of the rapid decline in the price of oil since late 2014 and the resulting reduced oil and gas exploration in 2015, Critical Control has modified its short-term strategy with a view to reduce risk, increase focus and position the Corporation to capitalize on the eventual rebound in oil prices. While management is confident of an eventual rebound in investment in oil and gas, the timing of the rebound remains uncertain. Management expects capital expenditures by oil and gas companies in 2016 to be very low. The Corporation's focus will be to increase penetration of its core software solutions (ProChart, NetFlow, and ProTrend) into the Canadian and US markets, and the continued penetration of its emerging ProMonitor modules in Canada. During 2016, the Corporation will continue the business process reengineering commenced in 2015 to integrate its US and Canadian business and fully integrate the operations acquired with the Measurement Services Acquisition to better optimize its operations to improve margins in its Services business and reduce overall general and administrative expenses to improve profitability. During 2015, the Corporation divested its non-energy business and expanded geographically in the United States through an acquisition of assets that required operational optimization. The divestiture required a reorganization of the Corporation and the acquisition required both integration and reengineering in order to sustain profitable growth. The reorganization, integration, and reengineering, to integrate US and Canadian operations impacted profitability in terms of gross margin, general and administrative expenses, and one-time restructuring charges. Given the changes executed by management in 2015 and early 2016, management believes the Corporation will return to profitability in the second half of 2016 under a structure capable of sustainable growth and profitability. This expectation is based on the current state of the industry and the continued success the Corporation has had in maintaining and growing its revenue base. Commodity prices are unpredictable and a material change will affect management's expectations for profitability. Forward Looking Statements Management has made representations with respect to improved profitability in the second half of 2016 due to the measures taken by the Corporation to improve margins and reduce general and administrative expenses. This is a forward looking statement based on measures taken by management and certain measures expected to be implemented in the first half of 2016. The expectation of management is based upon the Corporation's revenue which may be materially affected by prevailing industry conditions and is outside the control of management. Additionally, measures which are planned and not implemented are subject to change based on prevailing conditions and risks not yet identified. Accordingly, the outcome of 2016 could differ materially from management's representations. About Critical Control Critical Control provides solutions for the collection, control and analysis of measurement and operational data related to oil and gas wells across North America. We provide services to capture the data, cloud based software to visualize and manage it and the business intelligence to make quicker and more informed operational decisions. Contacts: Critical Control Energy Services Corp. Alykhan Mamdani President & CEO (403) 705-7500 BLAINVILLE, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Maya Gold & Silver ("Maya" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: MYA) is pleased to announce, further to its news releases dated February 22, 2016, the closing of its non-brokered private placement through the issuance of 30,372,500 units of the Corporation at CAD0.12 per unit (each, a "Unit"), for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD3,644,700. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Corporation (each, a "Common Share") and one-Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles its holder to purchase one additional Common Share of the Corporation at any time on or before 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on March 22, 2018 at an exercise price of CAD0.15. In addition, the Corporation is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD") to amend the original loan agreement in order to draw down an initial tranche of USD4.5M of the loan facility of USD6.0M that was previously announced on September 23, 2015. Guy Goulet, CEO of Maya, commented: "The initial draw down of the loan facility is a great demonstration of trust from such a well-respected institution as EBRD. This, in parallel with the equity financing, will strengthen Maya's balance sheet and will enable the Corporation to execute its business plan most specifically upgrading the mill at the Zgounder mine" Private placement Three directors of the Corporation purchased a total of 17,137,500 units. Their participations under the Private Placement constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined under National Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("NI 61-101"). However, such participation is exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of NI 61-101 based on the fact that neither the fair market value of the Private Placement, nor the consideration paid by such persons, exceeds 25% of the Corporation's market capitalization. The Corporation did not file a material change report at least 21 days prior to the closing of the private placement as participation of the insiders had not been established at that time. The private placement is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day, expiring on July 23, 2016. In connection with the Private Placement and the loan facility, Maya paid a finder's fee to arm's length third parties in the amount of CAD123,125 which represents 1.3% of the total financing. EBRD LOAN This first tranche or the loan facility will be mainly used to fund the modernization of the Zgounder Silver Mine including the introduction of flotation units. These units will contribute to optimize the Zgounder processing plant, as well as to bring energy efficiency and environmental improvements to its operations. About EBRD The EBRD started investing in Morocco in 2012. To date, the Bank has invested EUR400 million in 18 projects across the country, in addition to EUR 130M of trade-facilitation credit lines with local banks. The EBRD has also provided technical assistance support to more than 175 local small and medium enterprises. For further information on EBRD visit EBRD's website at www.ebrd.com. ABOUT MAYA Maya Gold & Silver Inc. is a Canadian publicly listed mining corporation focused on the exploration and development of gold and silver deposits in Morocco. Maya is initiating mining and milling operations at its Zgounder Mine owned by Zgounder Millenium Silver Mining ("ZMSM"), a Maya 85% owned joint venture with l'Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines ("ONHYM") of the Kingdom of Morocco (15%). For further information on Maya visit www.mayagoldsilver.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements This news release contains statements about our future business and planned activities. These are "forward-looking" because we have used what we know and expect today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements including but are not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work and analyses. Forward-looking statements usually include words such as may, intend, plan, expect, anticipate, and believe or other similar words. We believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, actual events and results could be substantially different because of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business or events that happen after the date of this news release. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. As a general policy, we do not update forward-looking statements except as required by securities laws and regulations. Contacts: Maya Gold & Silver Inc. Guy Goulet Chief Executive Officer 450-435-0700 ext. 204 ggoulet@mayagoldsilver.com Maya Gold & Silver Inc. Nathalie Dion Investor Relations 450-435-0700 ext. 202 ndion@mayagoldsilver.com LONDON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This Easter Columbus Direct is reducing the threshold for its exclusive airport delay benefit from two hours to just an hour. Between March 24th and April 2nd Columbus customers who experience an announced delay to their flight of an hour or longer will qualify for complementary access to one of 500 independent airport lounges in over 100 countries. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160316/345232LOGO ) As the Easter getaway approaches, Columbus Direct has found that an average of one passenger in 16 [1] experienced an airline departure delay of at least an hour over the same period last year. Data analysed by Columbus from its global flight-tracking partner, FlightStats, has revealed that over 11,000 European flights (6 per cent) were delayed by at least an hour over Easter in 2015,[2] compared with 7,012 (4 per cent) in 2014 [3] - a rise of 2 per cent. Based on a full Airbus A320 carrying up to 180 passengers, this means over 3 million passengers across Europe have experienced a delay of at least an hour or more over Easter in the last two years.[4] Last Easter tens of thousands of passengers were affected when strikes by air traffic controllers in France led to hundreds of flights being either delayed or cancelled. Customers who register details of their outbound and return flights with Columbus will gain automatic access to a lounge using a single-use electronic barcode should there be an announced flight delay of at least an at least an hour. Alison Wild, Head of Travel at Columbus Direct said: "Easter is a popular time for overseas travel as holidaymakers seek to take advantage of two short working weeks. However with incidents such as adverse weather, strikes, and increased security measures each having the potential to negatively impact flight departures, there is always a small risk that passengers might experience some kind of delay as a result. "Although this is outside of an airline's direct control we appreciate that any delays experienced at the airport can be frustrating for customers. We hope that the ability to escape to a lounge can deliver some more immediate compensation, not to mention a touch of luxury, for families if they're subject to a delay." Methodology Based on data from FlightStats (http://www.flightstats.com). [1] Estimated number of affected passengers based on 6% of European flights delayed in 2015 and based on a typical Airbus A320 at full capacity (180). 6% = 1/16. [2] Of 184,473 European flights tracked between 30th March and 12th April 2015 inclusive, 6% of European flights (11,068 flights) were subject to a delay of between 1 and 2 hours [3] Of 175,317 flights tracked between 14th April and 27th April 2014 inclusive, 4% of European flights (7,012 flights) were subject to a delay of between 1 and 2 hours [4] Based on 11,068 + 7,012 (i.e. total flights delayed 2014/2015) x 180 (assuming an Airbus A320 at full capacity) = 3,254,400 passengers delayed over 2 years. Notes to editors Columbus Direct is a leading travel insurance specialist which was established in 1988 selling both online via http://www.columbusdirect.com and offline via call centre channels. We have a history of innovation in the industry, including being the first company to sell travel insurance direct to the consumer in the UK and also the first to fully sell a policy online. Customer satisfaction and value for money are the driving forces behind Columbus Direct and we pride ourselves on providing a quick, efficient and hassle-free service. We have covered over15 million holidaymakers since 1988 and our latest customer surveys show that over 95% of customers would recommend us to their friends and family. Columbus has won multiple awards including Best Online Travel Insurance Provider in the Your Money awards 2014 and 2012, ITIJ Travel Insurance Intermediary of the year 2013, 2012 and 2010, 13 Which? Best Buy awards, The Best Customer Focus Award from the Best Business awards, and also the Best Travel Insurance Provider award from the Personal Finance Awards 2011 and 2012. Columbus Direct is a specialist travel insurance intermediary which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. About FlightStats FlightStats is a cutting-edge data services company focused on commercial aviation. They are the leading provider of real-time global flight data to companies and individuals across the travel ecosystem. The company delivers flight tracking and airport data that powers many of the world's most popular travel applications. The company also provides web and mobile applications to the FlightStats community, helping travelers to better manage their day of travel. FlightStats' data is viewed by millions of people each month, and the company is constantly evolving to offer the best worldwide communication and data services to travelers, including the airlines, agencies and developers who serve them. GRIMSBY, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Andrew Peller Limited (TSX: ADW.A) (TSX: ADW.B) (the "Company") regretfully announces that the Company's former Chief Executive Officer and Honourary Chairman Emeritus, Dr. Joseph A. Peller, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 18, 2016 on his 90th birthday. Born in Hungary, Dr. Peller immigrated with his parents to Toronto in 1927. In 1948 he graduated from the University of Toronto with a Doctorate of Medicine, eventually moving with his family to Ancaster Ontario where he established a practice in internal medicine and became Chief of Medicine for the Hamilton Civic Hospitals from 1960 to 1965. In 1965 he joined his father in the wine business as President of Andres Wines Ltd, and under his guidance and leadership the Company grew and prospered to where it is thriving today as Andrew Peller Limited, Canada's largest publicly-held producer and marketer of quality wines. Throughout his life, Dr. Peller was involved in numerous philanthropic initiatives, and served on the Boards of many corporations and social policy organizations. "Following in the footsteps of his father, Joe Peller was a key architect in the growth and prosperity of Andrew Peller Limited and we continue to have confidence in the Company's management team under the leadership of President and CEO John Peller. Management and the board are committed to ensuring a legacy of sustained growth and see a bright future for the Company." said Randy A. Powell, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "Joe's deep affection and regard for everyone he worked with reflect the Company's family culture and its many successes. On behalf of everyone at Andrew Peller Limited, we extend our sincere condolences to the Peller family. He will be missed." About Andrew Peller Limited Andrew Peller Limited is a leading producer and marketer of quality wines in Canada. With wineries in British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, the Company markets wines produced from grapes grown in Ontario's Niagara Peninsula, British Columbia's Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, and from vineyards around the world. With a focus on serving the needs of all wine consumers, the Company also produces and markets premium personal winemaking products through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Global Vintners Inc., the recognized leader in personal winemaking products. Global Vintners distributes products through over 170 Winexpert authorized retailers and more than 600 independent retailers across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and China. Global Vintners award-winning premium and ultra-premium winemaking brands include Selection, Vintners Reserve, Island Mist, KenRidge, Cheeky Monkey, Ultimate Estate Reserve, Traditional Vintage, and Cellar Craft. More information about the Company can be found at www.andrewpeller.com. Andrew Peller Limited common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbols ADW.A and ADW.B). Contacts: Mr. John Peller President and Chief Executive Officer (905) 643-4131 john.peller@andrewpeller.com www.andrewpeller.com Vilniaus degtine, the only company to use Lithuanian spirit for vodka production, calculates that the sales of Bajoru Premium vodka increased twice during six months and reaches 660,000 bottles. 225,000 bottles were purchased during the same period last year.According to Juozas Daunys, CEO of Vilniaus degtine, such outcome on non-advancing market is a really pleasing result. Goal-oriented work and a right choice of communication strategy enabled us to get a bigger share of the market than our competitors and December as well as January sales demonstrate even more impressive growth - sales increased three times."We are exceptional on the entire Lithuanian alcohol market. We are the only ones in Lithuania to produce vodka from spirit produced in Lithuania - spirit distilled at Obeliai distillery. Thus, the product is of Lithuanian origin, which determines not only the absolute authenticity of the product, but also its exclusive quality so much appreciated by consumers", - the company manager commented the reasons to such success.He said that investment into innovative bottle design (30,000 EUR) proved to be true. Bajoru Premium bottle design was innovated in fall last year and the biggest focus while working on new product design was given to the emphasis of traditions as well as top grade of the product."Since the main substance of Bajoru Premium vodka - ethanol (spirit) - is born in the only one distillery still operating in Lithuania and owned by Vilniaus degtine, this noble distillery situated in Obeliai, which cherishes deep traditions, is now displayed on exclusive bottle", - told J. Daunys.The selected trademark communication strategy keeps pace with the European traditions - emphasis on locality and authenticity, commitment to quality and exclusive production process today is much more important than emotion and image based communication."Recent tendencies have been self-evident - more and more consumers appreciate authentic and genuine homemade and homegrown products. And, naturally, such products require traditional production process. This strategy is especially appealing to alcohol producers, who cater for domestic market. However, I can also confirm that the biggest global trademarks behave the same way. There is a reason that such producers as Absolut or Grey Goose, who can afford developing the most ingenious and peculiar products, look back to revelation of production traditions, emphasize the product origin, and search for new ways to enthrone the craftsmanship", - indicated Juozas Daunys.Vilniaus degtine, as it has been following Bajoru sales, which have been increasing for some time now, does not hide its ambitions to become the second vodka trademark in Lithuania."In fact, there is one important condition. We all know that any communication strategy and product positioning will not work, if the product itself has no quality and is not worthy of its consumers. Consumers appreciate and love Bajoru Premium, because it is not only the communication - it is also the quality deserving the highest ratings", - summarized J. Daunys, CEO of Vilniaus degtine.Juozas Daunys, 852330819 CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Mart Resources, Inc. (TSX: MMT) ("Mart" or the "Company") announces that it has closed the previously announced plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") with Midwestern Oil & Gas Company Limited ("Midwestern"), San Leon Energy Plc and 1038821 B.C. Ltd. ("Acquireco"). Pursuant to the Arrangement, Acquireco, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Midwestern, acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Mart (the "Mart Shares") and holders of Mart Shares ("Mart Shareholders") received CAD$0.25 cash in exchange for each Mart Share held (the "Cash Consideration") for aggregate consideration of approximately CAD$89.2 million for all Mart Shares. All outstanding stock options of Mart were terminated without further consideration. FirstEnergy Capital LLP acted as financial adviser to the Special Committee of the Board of Mart with regard to the transaction. Registered Mart Shareholders who have not already done so should submit certificates representing their Mart Shares to CST Trust Company, the depositary pursuant to the Arrangement, together with the letter of transmittal in order to receive the Cash Consideration that they are entitled to pursuant to the Arrangement. Mart Shareholders who do not hold their Mart Shares in their own name ("Beneficial Shareholders") should contact their broker or other intermediary to make the necessary arrangements in order for such Beneficial Shareholder to receive the Cash Consideration that they are entitled to pursuant to the Arrangement. Letters of transmittal were sent to Mart Shareholders with proxy materials. Additional copies are available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or may be obtained by contacting CST Trust Company by telephone at 1-800-387-0825 (Canada and the U.S.) or 416-682-3860 (Outside North America) or by e-mail at inquiries@canstockta.com. As part of the Arrangement, the Mart Shares will be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Additional information regarding Mart is available on the Company's website at www.martresources.com and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward Looking Statements and Risks Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". There are "forward-looking statements" included in this press release that relate to the delisting of the Mart Shares from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could vary or differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law. Contacts: Mart Resources, Inc. - London, England Dmitri Tsvetkov Interim CEO and CFO +44 207 152 4074 dmitri.tsvetkov@martresources.com Mart Resources, Inc. - Canada Sam Grier 403-270-1841 sam.grier@martresources.com www.martresources.com KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the companies whose products earlier this year achieved Shariah-compliant status from IBFIM (formerly known as the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia), Asia Plantation Capital Berhad is proud to be one of the supporters of the Islamic Finance Conference 2016, which took place today. Jointly organised by the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) and IBFIM, this year's one-day conference carries the theme, 'Future Banking in the Technological Advancement Era'. It is designed to strengthen the competencies of senior management and professionals in the Islamic financial industry, with the objective of providing useful insights on practical issues and solutions in advancing Islamic finance. The discussions today covered topics such as 'Redefining the Business Model: What Changes Are Needed to Succeed in a Competitive Market?', 'Investment Account as a New Product Offering for Customers', 'Impact of Financial Technology (Fintech) on Islamic Finance', 'MFRS 9 Financial Instruments-- Impact and Challenges for Islamic Financial Institutions', 'Raising Capital: Corporate Funding Strategies in the Current Economic Environment', and 'Shariah and Human Talent Development for the Islamic Finance Industry'. These important and contemporary issues were deliberated over by renowned experts in the Islamic finance industry, such as Badlisyah Abdul Ghani (founding President of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals), Professor Dr Mohamed Akram Laldin (Executive Director of the International Shari'ah Research Academy in Islamic Finance), Professor Datuk Dr Syed Othman Alhabshi (Deputy President Academic of International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance, INCEIF), and Associate Professor Dr Aznan Hasan (member of the Shariah Advisory Council at the Securities Commission Malaysia), amongst others. "Over the years, Islamic finance has gained worldwide recognition," said Steve Watts, Chief Executive Officer of Asia Plantation Capital, Asia Pacific, "and it seems as though its ethical and socially responsible nature is also attracting non-Muslims. We at Asia Plantation Capital, are very happy to be able to cater to the Islamic investment market with our products that gained IBFIM's approval for Shariah compliance in February last year. IBFIM's approval of Asia Plantation Capital's products has provided our Malaysian and Middle Eastern investors with the confidence and assurances that they are investing in sound and socially responsible Islamic products that are fully in accordance with their religious beliefs. We are very proud, therefore," he concluded, "to be here to support the Islamic Finance Conference 2016 as a Gold Sponsor, and to showcase our products." Although operating privately since 2002, Plantation Capital was officially established in 2008 in the UK, before incorporation as Asia Plantation Capital in Sri Lanka in 2009, followed by Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. With a workforce of more than 2,000 people and 126 plantations across the globe, the company has plans to expand further into other forestry products such as bamboo and teak in the very near future. Notes for Editors: For further information, please contact:- Zaahira Muhammad Senior PR & Marketing Executive Email:zaahira@asiaplantationcapital.com Office:+60 122 035 344 Samantha Tham PR & Marketing Executive Email:samantha.tham@asiaplantationcapital.com Mobile:+65 9144 0933 About Asia Plantation Capital Asia Plantation Capital Berhad in Malaysia is currently investing heavily in the Malaysian plantation sector, developing new plantations and factories for the production of agarwood (gaharu) and other associated products for the international export markets. The company is further strengthening its presence in Malaysia by moving its headquarters to downtown Kuala Lumpur, a year after opening Southeast Asia's biggest agarwood processing factory and distillery in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The Asia Plantation Capital Group is a multi-award-winning sustainable plantation operator and management company, with projects across four continents, and a global workforce in excess of 2,000. A market leader in the industry, its Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of leading academics from various countries (China, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates), who have, between them, developed and patented industry-leading technologies and systems. With a focus on commercial plantation projects and vertically integrated businesses that offer a combination of commercial, environmental and community benefits, Asia Plantation Capital has created a successful and dynamic 'triple bottom line' company. Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160324/8521601968 OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Canada's Veterans Ombudsman, Guy Parent, will host a public Town Hall in Kingston, Ontario for Veterans, military and RCMP members, families, and other interested parties. These meetings are an opportunity for the Veterans Ombudsman to meet with Veterans and their families and hear about the issues that concern them. Mr. Parent will also talk about what his Office is doing on their behalf and provide an update on issues of concern to the Veterans' community. The Ombudsman will deliver a short presentation, followed by a question and answer period with the audience. Those who wish to discuss their cases privately are invited to make an appointment in advance to speak with an Ombudsman Service Representative prior to the town hall or the following day, at the time slots listed below. Appointments can be made by emailing communication@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca or calling 613-943-3070. Appointments are made in 20-minute time slots on a first come first served basis. Due to privacy concerns, personal cases cannot be discussed during the actual Town Hall. Kingston, Ontario Town Hall Location: Ambassador Hotel & Conference Centre, Lisbon Room 1550 Princess St., Kingston, ON K7M 9E3 Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Kingston, Ontario Individual Meetings with Ombudsman Service Representatives Location: Ambassador Hotel & Conference Centre, Lisbon Room 1550 Princess St., Kingston, ON K7M 9E3 Appointments available: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM; and Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Media wishing to arrange an interview with the Veterans Ombudsman, Guy Parent, are asked to contact Lucille Hodgins at: lucille.hodgins@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca or at 613-943-7884. Contacts: Media inquiries: Lucille Hodgins Office of the Veterans Ombudsman 613-943-7884 lucille.hodgins@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca WHITTIER, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- New Generation Consumer Group (OTC PINK: NGCG) -- New Generation Consumer Group Inc. announces today the appointment of Tom Kim as the company's new Chief Executive Officer to take effect April 4, 2016. Through negotiations, it consisted of the immediate resignation of Mr. Charles Morrison in addition to Calvin Ross. Terms included the buyout of Calvin Ross's position, transferring complete ownership to Mr. Tom Kim. Additional terms of the separation agreement will be discussed later in the company's revamp plan. Mr. Kim stated today, "My intentions are to focus on the restructure of NGCG and our products that can be created on a faster pace to generate immediate revenues and maintaining profitability. I will concentrate on driving solid top line growth that delivers leveraged earnings with a continued emphasis on quality and innovation in order to maximize shareholder value. This plan will be put in place not only to build a great company, but to insure shareholder benefit." Kim further stated, "I am confident that the team will continue to execute the planned strategy with distinction and that the company will enjoy continued success that benefits everyone." Phil Longoria, New Generation Consumer Groups COO stated, "The board is excited about the company's new strategic direction and delivering a better product line up with solid growth. The board has complete confidence that Tom is the right person to be our next CEO." Over the next couple weeks, NGCG will start communicating with shareholders about the direction it will be taking, restructuring the product line, in addition to setting new goals, and addressing transparency under new leadership. NGCG thanks each of its investors for their continued support. About New Generation Consumer Group, Inc. New Generation Consumer Group, Inc. (NGCG) is a marketing and media company that currently operates through four separate divisions: Mucho Macho, VIP Spirits, Monster Marketing, and our Snack Division. Mucho Macho features Mucho Macho Michelada Mix as its featured product. Our VIP Spirits Division will feature Excuse as our premium liqueur brand. Our initial alcohol product will be a Top Shelf Liqueur infused Premium Imported Vodka in a variety of different flavors, followed by Excuse Whiskey. Monster Marketing provides graphic design, web development, and brand management, in addition to other various services to its clients to help them gain more customers, increase sales, aid in selling products and services and or to create brand awareness. Our snack division brings consumers spicy and intense flavoring of noticeable quality for today's particular tastes. Additional information may be found at http://www.newgencg.com, https://www.facebook.com/muchomachomichelada, or https://twitter.com/MuchoMachoMiche. Safe Harbor and Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects," "intends," "believes," and similar expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies, the ability to secure additional sources of finance, the ability to reduce operating expenses, and other factors described in the Company's filings with the OTC Markets Group. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release. New Generation Consumer Group, Inc. Corporate Relations and Retail Inquiries Phil Longoria ir@newgencg.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - While Hillary Clinton holds a commanding lead in delegates in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, the results of a new Bloomberg Politics poll show her in a statistical tie with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., among Democratic voters. The survey of Democrats who have voted or plan to vote in this year's primary contests found that Sanders is the first choice of 49 percent and Clinton is the first choice of 48 percent. Another 3 percent said they are not sure. Bloomberg said Sanders benefits from the support of first-time voters, those under 35, men, and self-described independents. A vast majority of Democratic primary voters also said Sanders would fight harder for the middle class and do the most to rein in the power of Wall Street. However, the poll suggests that Sanders could have trouble making up ground against Clinton in the race for delegates. Among those yet to vote in a Democratic primary or caucus, Clinton leads Sanders by 50 percent to 47 percent. An analysis by NBC News after Tuesday's contests found that Sanders would need to win 66 percent of the remaining delegates to secure the nomination. The Bloomberg poll also showed Clinton with a significant advantage on which candidate can best combat terrorism, which may become a bigger issue after the attacks in Brussels. The survey of 311 Democratic primary voters was conducted March 19th through 22nd and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 percentage points. (Photo Credit: Michael Vadon) Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de ZURICH (dpa-AFX) - Credit Suisse Group AG (CS) and Credit Suisse AG today published their 2015 Annual Report, which includes Credit Suisse's audited financial statements and Compensation Report.. In addition, the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group AG today announced its agenda for the Annual General Meeting on April 29, 2016. The Board of Directors proposes, subject to the shareholders' approval of increasing the authorized capital for scrip dividend, a distribution of CHF 0.70 per registered share payable out of capital contribution reserves for the 2015 financial year in the form of either a scrip dividend, a cash distribution or a combination thereof. The delivery for both the new shares and the cash distribution is scheduled for June 6, 2016. The Board of Directors decided to propose to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to increase the authorized capital in order to service the 2016 scrip dividend and to increase the authorized capital for future acquisitions and extend the authorization by another year. The two proposals will be voted on separately. The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders votes separately and with binding effect on the overall compensation of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board. The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders approves on an annual basis the compensation of the Board of Directors in advance and for the period until the next ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. For the 2016 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, the Board of Directors has decided to present the fixed compensation and the long-term incentive compensation for the Executive Board to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for approval in advance, while the short-term variable compensation components are to be approved retrospectively. The Board of Directors proposes for approval a maximum compensation for the Board of Directors of CHF 12.0 million for the period until the 2017 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Additionally, the Board of Directors proposes the approval of the aggregate amount of CHF 34.58 million for short-term variable compensation for the Executive Board for the 2015 financial year. The Board of Directors also proposes approving a maximum amount of CHF 33.0 million for fixed compensation for the Executive Board for the period until the 2017 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and the maximum amount of CHF 49.0 million for long-term variable compensation for the 2016 financial year. The Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group AG is proposing Alexander Gut and Joaquin J. Ribeiro as new non-executive Board members at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on April 29, 2016 for a term of office of one year. Both Alexander Gut and Joaquin Ribeiro have extensive experience in global banking, scaling operations and innovation. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de According to the latest market research study released by Technavio, theglobal maritime security marketis expected to exceed USD 20 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of almost 8% during the forecast period. This research report titled 'Global Maritime Security Market 2015-2019', provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This market research report also includes an up to date analysis and forecast for various market segments and all geographical regions. Request sample report: http://goo.gl/p6DnQL The report segments the global maritime security market by product and can be divided into three broad segments: Global maritime security market for ISR Global maritime security market for communication systems Global maritime security market for biometrics Global maritime security market for ISR The global maritime security market for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) is likely to exceed USD 9 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of over 8%. According to Abhay Singh, lead analyst at Technavio for defense technology, "The demand for surveillance systems is growing continuously across the world to forbid the entry of illegal immigrants into countries." In 2010, CCTV systems had a share of 57% in the global security market, followed by intruder alarms with a share of 22% and access control systems with 21% market share. Other developments include the 360-degree panoramic and thermal infrared cameras, which are capable of operating even in complete darkness. These will attract investments during the forecast period. In June 2015, Saab signed a contract worth USD 910 million with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration for the construction of two A26 submarines and the upgrading of two Gotland-class submarines. Global maritime security market for communication systems The global maritime security market for communication is expected to reach USD 7 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of over 7%. Communications systems used by maritime security agencies are conventional analog systems, which operate in VHF band. These systems are now being replaced by advanced systems such as joint tactical radio and defense satellite communication systems. The number of agencies that are operating in 800 MHz is likely to increase from 23% to 51%, digital systems from 13% to 25%, and trunked systems from 24% to 27%. "The development of communication monitoring systems will enable maritime security agencies to identify criminals and illegal activities on the open sea. In addition, the increased use of automatic identification systems for maritime security will help agencies avoid collisions between vessels," says Abhay. In 2009, the Netherlands Navy awarded a contract to Hydroid for the delivery of three REMUS100 autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which are equipped with Kearfott inertial navigation systems and dual-frequency scan sonars. Global maritime security market for biometrics The global maritime security market for biometrics is expected to exceed USD 4 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of over 8%. Currently, there are 2,867 maritime ports and 1.2 million seafarers globally. The number of seafarers is likely to increase over 2.1 million during the forecast period. This increasing number has led to the development of Seafarer's Identity Document (SID), which contains the biometrics-based identity of seafarers. This will allow port authorities to control the number of illegal immigrants entering countries by way of sea. There are 300,000 registered fishing vessels in India, out of which 25,000 operate from Kerala. In order to defend the country against seaborne pirates, the Kerala government decided to issue biometric IDs to seafarers in 2013. Technavio's aerospace and defense analysts highlight the following five vendors as the top contributors to the global maritime security market: Northrop Grumman FLIR Systems Lockheed Martin AgustaWestland Thales Browse Related Reports: Global Maritime VSAT Market 2015-2019 Maritime Security Market in North America 2015-2019 Global Submarine Market 2016-2020 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005024/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com BASILDON, England, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Health and Social Services (HSSD) in Jersey has signed a contract with JAC to roll out their Chemotherapy Management System (CMS) product in the Oncology Department at The General Hospital to improve the service provided to cancer patients. The General Hospital is a 250 bed hospital based in St Helier and serves the whole island, with a population of 100,000. The hospital has been using JAC's Pharmacy Management (PSC) system for a number of years; and the decision to implement CMS was the next step in their commitment to implementing an end-to-end medicines management platform. CMS is a web-basedsolution for prescribing,scheduling and managing therapies forchemotherapy patients.The system's specialistfunctionality focuses onreducing errors,streamlining patientmanagement andoptimising efficiency. By rolling out CMS, HSSD aims to demonstrate the potential for e-prescribing to improve patient care in Oncology before rolling out an Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) system across the rest of the organisation. On the new contract, Chief Pharmacist at the General Hospital, Paul McCabe, said: "We look forward to working with JAC and harnessing their expertise to build a system that will benefit our patients by not only improving on the existing operational and governance arrangements that the pharmacy and oncology departments have in place, but also improving their overall experience at our hospital." Oncology Sales Manager at JAC, Len Slawinski, said: "The contract with HSSD in Jersey is an important step forward for JAC as our cancer-services customer base continues to grow. We have already signed contracts with a number of NHS Trusts, including: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust; Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust; The Princess Alexandra HospitalNHS Trust; and, very soon, the Bedford Hospital NHS Trust too. The Jersey contract further demonstrates customer confidence and acceptance of our CMS product." According to Head of Health IT in Jersey, Jeff Tate, the roll out of the CMS system will be up and running towards the end of 2016. "We've worked closely with JAC for a number of years now and are looking forward to tackling this exciting new project with them. Together I'm sure we can deliver a system that the hospital can be proud of and it will make a real difference to the care that we provide to our patients. This will also deliver another key component of the hospital electronic patient record," said Tate. About JAC JAC is the UK's leading medicine management systems specialist, with the largest installed base of EPMA systems in UK hospitals. With over 35 years' experience within medicines management, JAC provides pharmacy stock control, e-prescribing and medicines administration as a single integrated solution along with associated services and third-party interfaces. JAC's systems are used in more than half of all NHS trusts in England as well as sites in Jersey, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Norway and South Africa. In May 1996, JAC was acquired by Mediware Inc and continues to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition by Mediware Inc created the world's largest supplier of medicines management systems for hospital pharmacies. For more information about JAC products and services, visit our website at http://www.jac.co.uk PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwired - March 24, 2016) - Weiguo (Will) Chen has joined the Palo Alto office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property practice group. Mr. Chen joins from Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP. Mr. Chen is experienced in patent litigation, patent office trials, client counseling, infringement and validity analysis, and patent prosecution in a range of technologies, including telecommunications, networking, electronic circuitry, semiconductor devices, software, and medical devices. He advises clients in Silicon Valley and China on building comprehensive patent portfolios and developing sophisticated international patent strategies, as well as due diligence for acquisitions and financing. He has successfully litigated patent cases in federal district courts, and post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trail and Appeal Board (PTAB). Mr. Chen also frequently speaks on topics related to U.S. IP litigation and prosecution strategies and published a book titled U.S. Patent Litigation in China. "Will is a skilled IP practitioner and an excellent addition to our formidable IP practice group. He has a successful practice representing a variety of leading technology companies on patent prosecution, portfolio development and patent and trade secret litigation," said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin. "I am excited to join Sheppard Mullin and have been very impressed by the entrepreneurial culture of the Silicon Valley office and the firm's significant growth of the IP group. I was especially attracted to the firm's full-service platform, strong California footprint, and its successful expansion in China, which are key to growing my practice further," Chen commented. "Will joins Sheppard Mullin as part of our ongoing strategic goal to expand our intellectual property practice in Silicon Valley and firmwide. In particular, his skills are synergistic with our capabilities in China and he will further bolster our formidable IP presence in Silicon Valley," commented Daniel N. Yannuzzi, co-chair of Sheppard Mullin's Intellectual Property practice group. His arrival follows other recent additions to the firm's growing Intellectual Property practice group, and is another indication of the firm's investment in IP. In August, Lisa Martens joined the Del Mar office of Sheppard Mullin from Fish and Richardson to boost the office's focus on trademarks and brand protection. Partners Jim Gatto, Ben Esplin & Brad Blaise joined the firm in June, building on the firm's video games, advertising, social media & financial technology expertise. Manish Mehta also joined the firm as a partner in June to add to its growing IP presence in Chicago. Prior to that, William Lambert joined the firm's Palo Alto office last May. Mr. Chen received a LL.M. from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 2001, a LL.B. in 1999 and a B.S. in 1998 from Tsinghua University, China, and a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Northeastern University in 2004. Sheppard Mullin has 40 attorneys based in its Palo Alto office. The firm's Intellectual Property practice group includes 125 attorneys firmwide. About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Sheppard Mullin is a full service Global 100 firm with 770 attorneys in 15 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com. CONTACT: GUY HALGREN (619) 338-6605 WILL CHEN (650) 815-2692 RALPH RICHARDSON (213) 617-5542 Virginie Calmels joins the Assystem Board of Directors Paris, 24 March 2016 - Today, Assystem S.A. (ISIN: FR0000074148 - ASY), a leading player in engineering, announced that Virginie Calmels was appointed as a member of its Board of Directors on 9 March 2016. Her appointment is subject to ratification by shareholders at the Company's Annual General Meeting due to be held on 24 May 2016. Virginie Calmels is Deputy Mayor of Bordeaux in charge of the Economy, Employment and Sustainable Growth and Vice-President of the Urban Community of Bordeaux. She is also a regional councillor and heads a parliamentary group for the Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes region. As well as holding these elected offices, Virginie Calmels is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Euro Disney, a director and Chairman of the Nominations and Compensation Committee of Iliad (Free), and a member of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of Technicolor. She is also the founder and Chairman of SHOWer Company. She began her career in 1993 at the audit firm Salustro Reydel before becoming Chief Financial Officer of the Dutch start-up Sky Gate BV in 1999. She then joined the Canal+ group where she successively held the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Deputy CEO and joint Chief Operating Officer between 2000 and 2002. She joined Endemol France in 2003 as CEO and was appointed Chairman and CEO in 2007. She then became Chief Operating Officer of the Endemol Group worldwide in 2012 while remaining Chairman of Endemol France. She left the Endemol Group in 2013. A French national, Virginie Calmels is a graduate of the Toulouse Business School and the Advanced Management Program of INSEAD. She is also a qualified accountant and auditor. Assystem is an international group specialised in engineering. As a key participant in the industry for 50 years, Assystem supports its clients in developing their products and managing their capital expenditure throughout the product life cycle. Assystem employs 11,500 people worldwide and generated 908 million in revenue in 2015. Assystem SA is listed on Euronext Paris. For more information please visit www.assystem.com (http://www.assystem.com) - Follow Assystem on Twitter: @Assystem (https://twitter.com/Assystem) CONTACTS Philippe Chevallier Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer Tel: +33 (0)1 55 65 03 33 Pauline Bucaille VP, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Tel: +33 (0)1 55 65 03 08 - pbucaille@assystem.com (mailto:pbucaille@assystem.com) Assystem Board Directors V Calmels (http://hugin.info/143356/R/1997529/736354.pdf) This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: ASSYSTEM via Globenewswire HUG#1997529 Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/p2p66j/the_reality_of) has announced the addition of the "The Reality of Virtual Reality: Patent Analysis" report to their offering. Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-simulated, three-dimensional environment that can be explored and interacted with by a person via a human-machine interface device. VR technologies have been applied to a broad range of fields, including video games, flight training, combat training, and surgical training. This report provides an overview of VR technologies, together with their major sectors, fields, and applications. Meanwhile, a US startup company has received a patent related to head-mounted VR goggles with the use of a mobile computing device in late 2015. Against the backdrop, whether other vendors, particularly Google's Cardboard and Samsung's Gear VR will infringe on that patent is also discussed in this report. List of Topics Introduction of the patent mining procedure and distribution by country, by sector, and by field of the 870 VR-related patents identified by the use of data mining technique Identifying 30 key technologies and applications of the 870 VR-related patents; also included is an analysis of the US-based startup Merge Labs' patent and its impact on existing vendors of head-mounted VR goggles Key Topics Covered: 1. Overview of VR Technologies 1.1 Immersion VR 1.2 Desktop VR 1.3 Simulator VR 1.4 Projection VR 2. Patent Mining 3. Data Analysis 3.1 Patent Distribution by Country 3.2 Patent Distribution by Sector and by Field 3.3 Key Technologies & Applications 3.4 Analysis of Merge Labs' Patent Medical Applications Relatively Uncontested HMI AI Crucial to Product Differentiation Vendors Should Design Around Head-Mounted VR Goggles to Minimize Risks of Infringement Companies Mentioned Google Merge Labs Samsung Sony For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/p2p66j/the_reality_of View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005962/en/ Contacts: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Sector: Virtual and Augmented Reality TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- KWG Resources Inc. (CSE: KWG) (FRANKFURT: KW6) ("KWG") is very pleased that the Government of Canada made allocations in the budget announced on Tuesday that will assist development of the Ring of Fire. As reported by the Mining Association of Canada, the budget addressed a number of issues that it had raised, including: -- Investments in key regulatory agencies, such as the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, that will help ensure sufficient capacity exists to carry out efficient regulatory reviews of major mining projects. -- Funding to support CEAA's capacity to undertake meaningful consultations with Indigenous groups. -- New, long overdue investment in Natural Resources Canada's science laboratories that promises to support new partnerships in clean tech and innovation with the mining sector. -- Support for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency to continue its role in supporting northern regulatory efficiencies. -- Renewal of the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit at a critical time for Canada's junior exploration sector. As announced on Tuesday also, KWG is in the process of filing the National Phase in Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the USA under the Patent Cooperation Treaty to seek patent grants for its method to reduce chromite ore to metallics utilizing natural gas, a carbon reductant, and a catalyst formulation. The grant of a patent will be sought for the invention in each of these countries where the method might have commercial application and viability. Natural Resources Canada's CanMet research facilities are presently engaged in a program to analyze the opportunities for development of the Ring of Fire. As part of its research, the KWG direct reduction method will be evaluated for its economic efficacy and potential contribution to greenhouse gas reduction. KWG management participates in supervision of the CanMet research with membership in both the Steering Committee and the Technical Committee respectively developing and overseeing the research programs. The abstract for a paper presented to the 2015 Conference of Metallurgists titled: Reducing energy consumption by alternative processing routes to produce ferrochromium alloys from chromite ore cited: A techno-economic study on the new process identifies a reduction in overall energy consumption of 80% against conventional processing and approximately 40% lower than the current best practice. By utilising more natural gas than coal based energy sources, the KWG process is able to show an overall 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with the most energy efficient current practice. The impact of the new process on future processing is therefore regarded as highly significant, with global energy reductions equivalent to the effect of completely eliminating energy demand from a country the size of Italy. (emphasis added) The study concluded that the potential for this process to completely revolutionise the global ferrochrome industry should not be underestimated. Its impact reaches far beyond exploitation of a regional natural resource. About KWG: KWG has a 30% interest in the Big Daddy chromite deposit and the right to earn 80% of the Black Horse chromite where resources are being defined. KWG also owns 100% of CCC which has staked claims and conducted a surveying and soil testing program, originally for the engineering and construction of a railroad to the Ring of Fire from Aroland, Ontario. KWG subsequently acquired intellectual property interests, including a method for the direct reduction of chromite to metalized iron and chrome using natural gas. The Company is prosecuting patent applications for both the direct reduction method and for a method of producing high purity chromium metal by continuous smelting. Shares issued and outstanding: 871,418,968 Contacts: Bruce Hodgman Vice-President 416-642-3575 info@kwgresources.com LONDON, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --On behalf of the funds managed by Paulson & Co. Inc., we own 63,390,111 shares in Premier Foods PLC, more than 7% of the shares outstanding. We note with concern the announcement today by Nissin Foods Holding Co. that it has acquired a stake of 17.3% in Premier Foods after earlier signing a Cooperation Agreement with the Company on Tuesday. The board has created an environment where they appear to be favouring Nissin Foods, which paid a significant premium to one shareholder, to the detriment of all other shareholders who were not offered any premium, and also to the detriment of other bidders who could be discouraged by Nissin Foods' 17.3% stake. We communicated to the Chairman yesterday our belief that after receiving the approach from McCormick & Co., the Company should fully engage with McCormick. We also urged him to proactively solicit other offers for the whole Company, including from Nissin Foods. The fact that the Company's longstanding and largest shareholder sold all their shares at 63p, shows that the 60p offer from McCormick should be worthy of engagement. Refusing to engage is also detrimental to employees and pensioners. McCormick, an extremely successful US Food Company, has a market value of $12 billion compared to Premier Foods' market value of $650 million and has far greater resources to safeguard future pension obligations on behalf of employees. We believe that only this course of action best fulfills the Board's Fiduciary and Statutory Duties. Orkun Kilic, Paulson Europe LLP Paulson & Co. is an investment management firm that specializes in merger arbitrage,event-driven and distressedinvesting. Paulson has offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 -- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland announced today that Mexico has reopened its border to Canadian fresh poultry meat, including chicken, turkey and, most significant in terms of historical trade, duck meat. Mexico closed its borders in 2004 following an outbreak of Avian Influenza. Canadian industry estimates that restored access to the Mexican market for fresh duck meat and other high-quality, fresh poultry meat will be worth approximately $3 million annually. While Mexico still maintains limited Avian Influenza restrictions, the Government of Canada is working with Mexican authorities to remove these as quickly as possible. This new market access comes on the heels of the February visit of Mexico's Secretary of Agriculture, Jose Calzada, where he and Minister MacAulay met to further strengthen the two countries' longstanding partnership in agricultural trade. Quick Facts -- Canada and Mexico have a strong and complementary trading relationship with approximately $3.8 billion in bilateral trade in agriculture and food products in 2015. -- Canada and Mexico have over 70 years of diplomatic relations and more than 20 years of partnership through the North American Free Trade Agreement. -- Canadian and Mexican government and industry officials plan to meet in Mexico in May, 2016 at the Canada-Mexico Partnership Agri-Business Working Group and the Canada-Mexico Consultative Committee on Agriculture to further explore how to deepen their bilateral relationship. Quote "The Government of Canada is pleased that the Mexican market has reopened for additional Canadian poultry products. We continue to work closely with industry to expand international markets for high-quality Canadian products. I look forward to our continued trade relationship in agriculture and food." - Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, P.C., M.P., Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food "Mexico is a hugely important market for Canadian exporters. This improved access for Canadian poultry reflects our government's strong support for Canadians working in this sector. I look forward to building on this success and our trade relations with our NAFTA partner Mexico." - Hon. Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Minister of International Trade "The Quebec Duck and Geese Breeders Association welcomes the recent agreement between the Governments of Canada and Mexico, which will soon enable Quebec producers to resume exports to Mexico after a 10-year embargo. This agreement will help to progressively regain the position lost in this rapidly growing market, with a potential for annual sales of more than $3 million." - Benoit Cuchet, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Quebec Duck and Geese Breeders Association Associated Links - Minister MacAulay Meets with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Calzada in Ottawa - Canadian Exports of Agri-Food and Seafood Products to Mexico - Agriculture, Food and Beverage Profile - Mexico - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada Like us on Facebook: CanadianAgriculture Global Affairs Canada Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaTrade Contacts: Guy Gallant Director of Communications The Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay 613-773-1059 Media Relations Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa, Ontario 613-773-7972 1-866-345-7972 Media Relations Office Global Affairs Canada 343-203-7700 media@international.gc.ca WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - American voters are split in their opinions of the way President Barack Obama is handling his job, the results of a new Quinnipiac University poll showed on Thursday. The poll found that 49 percent of voters approve of Obama's job performance, while 48 percent disapprove. The slightly positive reading marks Obama's best net score in almost three years. Quinnipiac said Obama hasn't been above water on his job approval rating since a 48 percent to 45 percent score in a survey from May of 2013. Obama benefits from positive approval numbers from women, non-white voters, and younger voters, although his approval rating steadily drops as the age of voters increases. The poll showed a significant partisan divide in opinions of Obama, as 92 percent of Democrats approve but 89 percent of Republicans disapprove. Independent voters disapprove 50 percent to 44 percent. With regard to Congress, both parties have negative approval ratings, although voters dislike Democrats a lot less than they dislike Republicans. Democrats get a negative 32 percent to 62 percent job approval rating, their best rating since a negative 32 percent to 60 percent score in October of 2013. Meanwhile, 81 percent of voters said they disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling their job compared to just 15 percent that approve. 'Let's face it: Both parties are deeply unpopular, but the Democrats are the least reviled,' said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. He added, 'And for President Barack Obama, some end-of-term numbers that may warm the heart in this ugly political season.' The survey also asked voters about whether the Senate should consider Obama's nomination of federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sixty-two percent of voters said the Senate should consider Garland's nomination, while 33 percent said lawmakers should wait until there is a new president. A majority of Democrats and independents support consideration of the nomination, while a majority of Republicans are opposed. The survey of 1,451 registered voters was conducted March 16th through 21st and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de QUEBEC CITY, Quebec, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --The Mayor of Quebec City, Regis Labeaume, will travel to Lausanne, Switzerland, this coming April 11, to attend a meeting initiated by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach. "Over the past several years, I have often mentioned that the gigantism of the Olympic Games and the astronomical costs involved in organizing them no longer made any sense - to the point where no large city would be interested in hosting them any more, and that this situation might perhaps lead the IOC to call us, stated the Mayor of Quebec City, Regis Labeaume. This day came last December 4, when the IOC invited Quebec City to a meeting to present its new frame of reference, Olympic Agenda 2020. I will meet with the President, Thomas Bach, and his team there. The population of Quebec City knows my position concerning the Olympic Games, and until further notice, it remains unchanged." "The Gouvernement du Quebec looks favourably upon this new approach by the IOC, which seems open to reviewing downward the costs involved in hosting the Olympic Games. From this viewpoint, Quebec will support the City in its analysis and reflection process as to whether to move forward following its meeting with the President of the International Olympic Committee", stated the Minister responsible for Government Administration and Ongoing Program Review, Chair of the Conseil du tresor and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, Sam Hamad. Within the next few years, if Quebec City decided to submit a bid, the following conditions would all have to apply: strong and unwavering social acceptability on the part of the population; support from the different levels of government; respect of the financial framework of Quebec City; a real likelihood of being selected at the Canadian level and by the IOC. For further information: David O'Brien, Media Relations, City of Quebec, 418641-6210, david.obrien@ville.quebec.qc.ca The formal name of today's conference is the Intersolar Summit USA East, but New York State Senator Kevin Parker gave it a catchier title: "Intersolar Brooklyn". Senator Parker's lively keynote at the conference, held a stone's throw from the Brooklyn Bridge, reminded attendees of the city and the state's commitment to the solar market, and the vision here for a renewable energy-powered future. A dominant topic of discussion at the conference is the strong policy moves by the administration of New York Governor Mario Cuomo, particularly in contrast to other states such as Nevada. Late last year Governor Cuomo indefinitely extended the state's net metering policy and set a 50% by 2030 renewable energy mandate. Even more than these two moves, the state's Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) process, while still in the early stages, is the most advanced initiative for transforming the electricity system in the United States. "Not all states have seen ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors for the global healthcare revenue cycle management (RCM) outsourcing marketin their latest research report. This report also lists 39 other prominent vendors who are expected to contribute to market growth over the forecast period. To identify the top vendors, Technavio's market research analysts have considered the top contributors to the overall revenue of this market. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from front-end services, middle services, and back-end services. Request sample report: http://bit.ly/1T3T3ut "The need to provide best-in-class medical service to patients has resulted in most healthcare providers making significant investments in upgrading their in-house RCM systems. However, they are facing budgetary constraints as well as increasing maintenance costs for in-house RCM systems. The RCM software also needs to be updated periodically every 6-12 months, which adds to the non-clinical burden of healthcare providers. Therefore, they are likely to rely more on third-party providers to prevent a loss of revenue during the forecast period," said Amit Kumar, one of Technavio's lead analysts for ITO and BPO research. Six leading vendors in the global healthcare RCM market: Conifer Health Solutions Conifer Health Solutions was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, US. The company is a health services company that offers a complete range of technology-enabled performance improvement and health management solutions. They cater to hospitals, health systems, physician groups, and self-insured organizations. The company helps physician groups focus on improving outcomes and supporting financial stability. Their services help in patient scheduling and managing patient financial services in a simple and compliant manner. These services are also helping measure clinical performances for determining the appropriate level and in managing clinically integrated networks. Emdeon Business Services Emdeon Business Services was established in 2005 and is headquartered in Tennessee, US. The company engages in providing revenue and payment cycle management and offers clinical information exchange solutions that connect patients and providers to the US healthcare system. The company offers connectivity between hospitals and the all-payer network of commercial and government health plans, remittance and payment of medical claims, a wide range of transactions, extended content and advanced editing solutions for speed payment, and increased profitability. MedAssets MedAssets was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, US. The company provides products and solutions that cater to the financial needs of healthcare organizations, including hospitals, non-acute healthcare providers and payers, and health systems as well as service providers and product manufacturers across the US and Canada. The company's RCM segment includes patient access and financial responsibility (offers patient bill estimation, patient access workflow manager, and process improvement tools and services); case management, coding, and documentation (offers tools and processes for documentation and coding to meet regulatory and payer requirements); claims processing (offers aggregation of claim data through patient accounting systems); and denials management and reimbursement integrity (involves payer management and communication). McKesson McKesson was founded in 1833 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, US. The company provides medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare IT to the healthcare industry. As of March 2015, the company had close to 70,400 employees. The company reported net revenue of close to USD 137.39 billion in FY2014 and USD 179.05 billion in FY2015. The company also spent around USD 392 million on R&D in FY2015. The company distributes proprietary drugs and equipment as well as health and beauty care products. They also provide specialty pharmaceutical products and solutions to biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers. In FY2015, their distribution solutions segment reported an increase in revenue of around USD 41.91 billion, representing growth of 31.26% over the previous year. This increase was driven by the acquisition of a Germany-based pharmaceutical company, Celesio, and the growing drug utilization market. Parallon Business Solutions Parallon Business Solutions was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Tennessee, US, and operates as a subsidiary of HCA Holdings. The company provides a wide range of business and operational services to the healthcare sector in the US and also internationally. Through technology solutions, the company designs and implements strategic technology to enable hospitals to meet their strategic objective. They are partnered with more than 300 hospitals to provide healthcare IT solutions and help in transforming patient care delivery. The company provides technology solutions in the following key applications areas: remote build and upgrade capabilities, EHR upgrades, application management and operations, managed services and hosting of applications, and legacy support. The key service technology solution offerings are portfolio management, project management, application implementation, go-live support, optimization and workflow consulting, technology architecture, application staffing, and technical staffing services. The SSI Group The SSI Group was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, US. The company offers provider, payer, and physician services and technologies for managing the revenue cycle. These services include claims processing (ASP, direct, and clearinghouse), document management, and business office outsourcing of paper claims. The providers served by the company include healthcare enterprises, hospitals, medical centers, dialysis centers, surgical centers, psychiatric and behavioral health, nursing homes, home health organizations, and physicians. The payers it works with include commercial payers, Medicare, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and Medicaid. The company annually processes over 600 million transactions, which equates to USD 800 billion in billed electronic claims revenue for its providers. Browse related reports: Healthcare IT Market in Africa 2015-2019 Healthcare IT Market in Turkey 2015-2019 Global Healthcare IT Spending Market Analysis 2015-2019 Purchase three reports from our library for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005052/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com media@technavio.com According to the latest market research report by Technavio, the stationary generator market in GCCis expected to exceed USD 885 million in revenue by 2019. In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the 'Global Stationary Generator Market 2015-2019', provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging trends. The report considers revenue generated from the sales of stationary generators in the GCC countries. Request sample report: http://goo.gl/S376R0 "Though there are many advantages associated with portable units, they are not appropriate for addressing high-power needs for long hours in larger surroundings, such as in enterprises. Therefore, permanent standby generators are more suitable and help meet urgent power requirements. They deliver power by being hardwired into the main distribution panel and can be operated automatically or manually in the case of a power outage," said Sayani Roy, one of Technavio's lead industry analysts for engineering tools "The region is also blessed with the availability of massive oil reserves, which makes this region a potential market for generator vendors. Among the six member countries, Saudi Arabia is the largest market for stationary generators, especially diesel gensets, owing to enormous construction projects happening all over the country along with a growing retail, hospitality, and residential sector," added Sayani. Rise of the construction industry in GCC Most GCC countries are witnessing a huge increase in construction and infrastructure activities. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have made huge investments in infrastructure development. The growing infrastructure industry thus fuels the demand for stationary generators, as they are predominantly used in construction sites to operate field equipment. Overall, GCC construction projects, both planned or in the pipeline, grew by about 13% compared to 2013 and was valued at close to USD 2.41 trillion. Reliance of data centers and IT industry on standby power back-up Frequent power outages are a key concern for enterprises in the GCC. It can cause major damage to the hardware components, followed by disastrous consequences effecting data security. Not can business be affected and come to an abrupt halt, but recovery time may take up several weeks. Hence, it is essential for enterprises in the region to invest in multiple power networks with multiple redundancy layers in order to ensure 100% uptime for data centers. The data center market in GCC was worth USD 278.8 million in 2014. Technavio researchers expect the market to reach a value of over USD 676 million by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 19.4%. With this, researchers also anticipate an upsurge in the demand for stationary generators in the region during the forecast period. Industrialization in GCC Most of the governments in the GCC countries are keen to make the region a strong base for industrial activities. Hence, they not only invest but also create policies that are friendly for industrial growth. Growth in GCC countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, have significantly attracted investments in commercial as well industrial activities in the region. Apart from the major multinationals operating in the market, the global midsized enterprises, which are worth USD 200 million to USD 800 million have also gradually increased their operations in the region. Browse related reports: Global Stationary Gas Generator Market 2015-2019 Global Residential Portable Generator Market 2015-2019 Global Residential Diesel Portable Generator Market 2015-2019 Residential Portable Generator Market in the US 2015-2019 Global Residential Diesel Portable Generator Market 2015-2019 Purchase any three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324005048/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com media@technavio.com Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (ticker: PSH:NA) announced today that its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM) will be held Wednesday, 27 April 2016 at 10:00 a.m. BST at Royal Chambers in St. Peter Port, Guernsey. The PSH annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2015 are now available on the Company's website, www.pershingsquareholdings.com. At the AGM, shareholders will consider the receipt of the annual report and the financial statements, the re-election of the Company's five directors, the re-appointment of the Company's auditor, a resolution authorizing the Company to buy back shares, and a proposal to amend a provision of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company to provide directors located in the United Kingdom increased flexibility for participation in meetings of directors. The specifics of those resolutions can be found in the Notice of Annual General Meeting available on the Company's website. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (PSH:NA) is an investment holding company structured as a closed end fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies. This is a disclosure according to Sec 5:25i of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160324006271/en/ Contacts: MEDIA Maitland James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151 Media-pershingsquareholdings@maitland.co.uk HANOVER, MD -- (Marketwired) -- 03/24/16 --Brekford Corp. (OTCQX: BFDI), a leading public safety and security technology service provider of automated traffic safety enforcement ("ATSE") solutions, parking enforcement solutions, and an end-to-end suite of technology equipment for public safety vehicle services, today announced its operating results for the year ended December 31, 2015. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2015 Total revenue increased by 12% to $19.83 million in 2015, compared to $17.66 million in 2014 Gross profit increased by 30% to $4.06 million in 2015, compared to $3.13 million in 2014 Overall gross margin increased to 20.5% in 2015, compared to 17.7% in 2014 ATSE services gross margin increased to 71.4%, compared to 55.2% in 2014 Vehicle services gross margin remained flat at 12.1% in 2015 Operating expenses decreased by 17% to $3.71 million in 2015, compared to $4.46 million in 2014 Income from operations was $346,016 in 2015, compared to a loss of $1.33 million in 2014, an improvement of $1.68 million Net loss decreased by 75% to $371,171, or $0.01 per fully diluted share in 2015, compared to a net loss of $1.50 million, or $0.03 per fully diluted share in 2014 OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2015 Completed $715,000 convertible note financing to support international ATSE expansion efforts Signed multi-year contract extensions for existing ATSE clients Implemented first international ATSE program in Saltillo, Mexico resulting in dramatic traffic safety improvements; 39,207 collected citations from 16 live cameras Completed major enhancements to industry leading iP360 citation management software Introduced "green" solar powered wireless ATSE speed and red light camera systems, with near 100% capture rates and uptime, and high definition image quality Increased sales of in-vehicle technology products (Panasonic Toughbook; Panasonic Arbitrator HD cameras; e-ticketing solutions) Launched program offering for Panasonic's Arbitrator BWC (body-worn camera) and conducted initial pilot programs Expanded USA ATSE business development efforts in multiple states including New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama Expanded Latin America ATSE business development efforts with direct presence in Colombia and Paraguay Qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market with easier access and greater visibility to institutional and retail investors Management Comments: "We are very pleased with our 2015 results, showing that Brekford's turnaround efforts over the past two years have set the stage for solid growth in 2016," stated Rod Hillman, President and Chief Operating Officer of Brekford Corp. "Record revenue, driven by growth in both ATSE and vehicle services, combined with improved gross margins and reduced expenses, enabled us to achieve positive operating income for the first time since 2011. In cooperation with our Mexican partner company, we implemented our first international ATSE program in Saltillo, Mexico, and despite some challenges with collection efforts, the program has delivered solid financial results and has become a model for the country in terms of traffic safety improvements. Because of this success, we are in advanced discussions with several major cities not only in Mexico, but also in Colombia and Paraguay, where we have provided extensive live data collection and assessments of speeding and red light violation problems. We hope to begin adding ATSE program contracts at a more regular pace in 2016 now that all infrastructures is in place and various in-country challenges have been addressed. We are also continuing to work with officials from the City of Saltillo to implement more effective collection efforts for past due fines." "In the U.S. market we recently began operations in Ohio and New York, where we will soon be going live with our red light program in New Rochelle," continued Hillman. "We also learned just this week that Brekford was awarded the contract for photo speed enforcement services in Calvert County, Maryland. Earlier this year we realigned the Company to more efficiently develop new business while seamlessly implementing and supporting newly added programs. As a result, we are targeting several hundred ATSE prospects in various key states such as Maryland, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama." "While Brekford is focused on ATSE services to provide significant high margin growth, we are also encouraged by the continuing growth of our vehicle services offerings, specifically with respect to rugged technology installations and video evidence capture solutions. In 2015, we announced our entry into the body camera market as a reseller of Panasonic's Arbitrator BWC, along with Microsoft's Azure Government Cloud storage solution. Currently we are in discussion with several longtime Panasonic in-car video customers who are evaluating rollout plans for their body worn camera programs. We have also made inroads with body camera pilot programs in South Carolina and Colorado, and are hoping to expand our offerings nationwide in 2016," concluded Hillman. C.B. Brechin, Brekford's Chief Executive Officer, added, "With our significant growth initiatives in place, Brekford is now at an inflection point. Each newly added ATSE program moving forward has the potential to contribute significantly to our bottom line. We are optimistic that 2016 will be a breakout year as customers in the U.S. and Latin America begin to benefit from our leading edge technology and advanced ATSE program management. With a successful execution strategy, Brekford is prepared to create long-term value for our shareholders." About Brekford Corp. Brekford Corp. provides state-of-the art public safety technology and automated traffic enforcement solutions to municipalities, the U.S. military, various federal entities and other public safety agencies throughout the United States. Its services include automated speed and red light camera enforcement programs, parking enforcement solutions and an end-to-end suite of technology and equipment for public safety vehicle upfitting. Brekford's combination of upfitting services, cutting-edge technology, and automated traffic enforcement services offers a unique 360-degree solution for law enforcement agencies and municipalities. The Company is headquartered in Hanover, Maryland, and its common stock is traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol "BFDI." Additional information on Brekford can be accessed online at www.brekford.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of that term in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Words such as "anticipate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "target," "aim," "should," and words and terms of similar substance and any financial projections used in connection with any discussion of future plans, strategies, objectives, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, among others, those concerning our expected financial performance and strategic and operational plans, as well as all assumptions, expectations, predictions, intentions or beliefs about future events. These statements are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to us and reflect our current views concerning future events. As such, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among many others: the risk that any projections, including earnings, revenues, expenses, synergies, margins or any other financial items that form the basis for management's plans and assumptions are not realized; a reduction in industry profit margin; requirements or changes affecting the business in which we are engaged; our ability to successfully implement new strategies; operating hazards; competition and the loss of key personnel; changing interpretations of generally accepted accounting principles; continued compliance with government regulations; changing legislation and regulatory environments; and the general volatility of the market prices of our securities and general economic conditions. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Brekford Corp. with the SEC, specifically the Company's most recent reports filed on Form 10-K and Forms 10-Q, which further identify important risks, trends and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release. Brekford Corp. expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS Years Ended December 31, -------------------------- 2015 2014 ------------ ------------ Net Revenue $ 19,833,681 $ 17,659,533 Cost of Revenue 15,773,184 14,527,646 ------------ ------------ Gross profit 4,060,497 3,131,887 ------------ ------------ Operating expenses: Salaries and related expenses 2,038,644 1,878,671 Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,675,837 2,585,302 ------------ ------------ Total operating expenses 3,714,481 4,463,973 ------------ ------------ Income (Loss) from operations 346,016 (1,332,086) Other (expense) income: Interest expense (676,950) (170,561) Change in fair value in derivative liability 14,784 -- Loss on extinguishment of debt (55,021) -- ------------ ------------ Total other (expense) income (717,187) (170,561) ------------ ------------ Loss before income taxes (371,171) (1,502,647) Income tax expense -- -- ------------ ------------ Net loss $ (371,171) $ (1,502,647) Other comprehensive loss - foreign currency translation (1,462) -- Comprehensive loss $ (372,633) $ (1,502,647) ============ ============ ============ ============ Loss per share - basic and diluted $ (0.01) $ (0.03) ============ ============ Weighted average shares outstanding used in computing per share amounts: Basic 44,690,550 44,499,610 ============ ============ Diluted 44,690,550 44,499,610 ============ ============ CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS December 31, December 31, 2015 2014 ------------- ------------- ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash $ 580,400 $ 1,112,881 Accounts receivable, net of allowance $0 at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively 3,781,263 1,706,704 Unbilled receivables 304,470 198,725 Prepaid expenses 122,914 146,569 Inventory 606,471 681,948 ------------- ------------- Total current assets 5,395,518 3,846,827 Property and equipment, net 223,347 284,322 Other non-current assets 179,208 112,132 ------------- ------------- TOTAL ASSETS $ 5,798,073 $ 4,243,281 ============= ============= LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' (DEFICIT) EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 2,979,131 $ 1,842,892 Accrued payroll and related expenses 98,000 23,252 Line of credit 1,421,800 1,169,558 Term loan - current portion 166,667 250,000 Deferred revenue 95,233 255,405 Customer deposits 36,070 137,826 Obligations under capital lease - current portion -- 140,209 Obligations under other notes payable - current portion 29,277 28,602 Derivative liability 99,036 -- Other liabilities 46,979 48,669 ------------- ------------- Total current liabilities 4,972,193 3,896,413 ------------- ------------- LONG - TERM LIABILITIES Notes payable - stockholders 500,000 500,000 Other notes payable - net of current portion 21,660 48,371 Deferred rent, net of current portion 44,923 -- Convertible promissory notes, net of debt discounts of $386,976 and $0 at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively 253,023 -- Term notes payable, net of current portion -- 166,667 ------------- ------------- Total long-term liabilities 819,606 715,038 ------------- ------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES 5,791,799 4,611,451 ------------- ------------- STOCKHOLDERS' (DEFICIT) EQUITY Preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share; 20,000,000 sharesauthorized; none issued and outstanding -- -- Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share; 150,000,000 shares authorized; 45,151,254 and 44,500,569 issued and outstanding, at December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively 4,515 4,450 Additional paid-in capital 10,951,491 10,204,479 Treasury Stock, at cost 10,600 shares at December 31, 2015 and 2014 respectively (5,890) (5,890) Accumulated deficit (10,942,380) (10,571,209) Other comprehensive loss (1,462) -- ------------- ------------- TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' (DEFICIT) EQUITY 6,274 (368,170) ------------- ------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' (DEFICIT) EQUITY $ 5,798,073 $ 4,243,281 ============= ============= Contact: C. B. Brechin CEO (443) 557-0200 investors@brekford.com Auctionata, a Berlin, Germany-based online auction house for art and luxury collectibles worldwide, received an investment from German Startups Group. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Founded in 2012 by Alexander Zacke, CEO, Auctionata auctions objects from various categories such as contemporary art, fine arts, antiques and collectors items, Asian art, watches, wine, vintage luxury goods, and classic cars. It leverages patented technology to broadcast auctions in real-time in streaming to allow interested people worldwide to tune into the hall online and bid live via the website or mobile app. The company has completed 2015 with a Gross Merchandise Volume of 81m ($90m), an increase of 165% compared to the year before. Around 76% of the GMV was generated from the livestream auctions, while fixed-price sales contributed 24%. Nearly 80% was realized through the Berlin office, while 20% came from the offices in New York City and in London. The categories with the strongest turnover were Watches (25%), Classic Cars (23%), and Fine Art (22%), next to Asian Art (14%), Applied Art (12%) and Vintage Luxury Goods such as wine, jewelry and fashion (4%). Overall, around 16,000 items were sold. The net commission revenue amounted to 21m ($23m), compared to 6 million ($8m) in 2014. In total, 249 auctions were held in 2015, of which 44 were broadcasted live from the auction studios in New York. In these auctions, more than 100,000 bids with a total value of 483m ($536m) were placed. Auctionata, which also operates offices in New York, London, Zurich, Rome, and Madrid, is also backed by Earlybird, Holtzbrinck Ventures, and e.ventures. FinSMEs 24/03/2016 Black Swan, a London, UK-based technology, prediction and data science analytics company, raised 3m in Series B funding. The round was led by Mitsui. The company intends to use the capital to expand into the US and Japan, hire new people, make a few acquisitions and invest in its NEST data unification platform, adding new features and functions. Launched in 2011 by Steve King, CEO, Black Swan allows brands to interact with data through a variety of applications built on top of the Nest data unification platform. They can visualize and search across all their data sources at once, exploring relationships and hidden patterns within their data. Applications include marketing and sales analysis, enabling decision making across Media and Campaign Optimization, Pricing & Promotion Optimization, and identification of Key Business Drivers. Launched in 2011, the company currently employs 200 people worldwide across offices in the UK, Hungary, USA, Canada, Singapore and South Africa. Clients include Vodafone, Pepsico, Disney, Panasonic, Tesco, and GSK, among others. FinSMEs 24/03/2016 Endeavour Vision, a Geneva, Switzerland-based investor in the healthcare and technology sectors, closed Endeavour Medtech Growth LP (EMG) at 250m (US$275m). The fund closed above its 150m target due to interest from new institutional investors and in now the largest fund dedicated to medtech in Europe. Led by Managing Partners Sven Lingjaerde and Bernard Vogel, EMG is targeting high potential European and US companies in the medical device and digital health sectors, which have innovative solutions that have already gained regulatory approval and are starting to generate commercial traction. The fund will support the worldwide development of companies, with a typical allocation between 10m and 20m per investment. It has already closed four investments: Gynesonics, a company developing and commercializing an innovative and minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids, and ReShape Medical, a company which has developed an FDA-approved intra-gastric balloon for minimally invasive weight loss. Two additional transactions will be announced in the coming weeks. FinSMEs 24/03/2016 TaskUs, a Santa Monica, CA-based provider of outsourced customer support to venture-backed, high-growth companies, received a $14 million senior debt financing. Bridge Bank, a division of Western Alliance Bank, provided the financing. The company intends to use the funds to further expand the customer care and logistical support systems. Led by Bryce Maddock, CEO, TaskUs provides outsourced support, including call center operations and back office support, to growing companies. The company currently has over 5,000 employees in Santa Monica, San Francisco, Australia and the Philippines. FinSMEs 24/03/2016 Wirepas, a Tampere, Finland-based global device connectivity provider, raised an additional 1.5m in Series A funding. Backers included Vito Ventures and Inventure. The company, which has now raised 3m in total funding, intends to use the capital to accelerate growth by extending its global presence, strengthening R&D and building brand awareness. Led by CEO Teppo Hemia, M.Sc., Wirepas provides Wirepas Connectivity, a de-centralized radio communications protocol that can be used in any device, with any radio chip and on any radio band. With Wirepas Connectivity there is no need for traditional repeaters because every wireless device is a smart router of the network. The company has offices in Brazil, France and the United States. FinSMEs 23/03/2016 MUMBAI Cadila Healthcare's (CADI.NS) shares fell on Wednesday after the World Health Organization (WHO) cited violations of manufacturing and clinical standards at one of the drugmaker's vaccines factory in western India. WHO staff inspected Cadila's manufacturing plant in Moraiya in Gujarat state in October, and found "several major deviations" from standard procedures, the United Nations agency said in a letter dated Jan. 29. A copy of the letter, addressed to Avinash Waghale, manager of Cadila's vaccines business, was posted on the WHO's website. (bit.ly/1MlC05K) Cadila's staff at the plant falsified multiple quality control records and reports to hide contamination, and failed to implement a quality assurance system, the WHO said. Sterility failures were also not reported, nor investigated, the agency said among a series of concerns outlined in the letter. The Cadila case is yet another instance of international organizations or regulatory bodies criticising Indian drug-making facilities over manipulation of data and failing quality control standards. Dozens of Indian drug plants in recent years have been barred from supplying to the United States. The Moraiya plant produced the Lyssavac-N rabies vaccine, which the WHO has been procuring to supply to various countries since Cadila got regulatory approval in 2008. Cadila stopped production of the vaccine at the plant and began a recall of all batches it made there since April 2015 after getting the notice in November, the WHO said. It also sells the vaccine in India. In a statement late on Tuesday, Cadila said it did not expect a significant impact on its business, and does not sell the vaccine in the United States. Cadila also makes injectable drugs for the United States at Moraiya, but it said that plant was separate. Analysts at brokerage Edelweiss, however, said problems outlined by the WHO were reflective of "system-wide issues." Cadila has twice received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings over faulty manufacturing practices at Moraiya, which makes up 60 percent of its U.S. revenue. While Cadila responded to the WHO in December with a plan to fix the issues highlighted, the agency said in the January notice that "critical and major observations" remained of concern. Addressing data fraud at the plant, Cadila told the WHO that the microbiologist on site was "casual in his approach towards work", and there was a "lack of supervision by the laboratory head," the WHO notice said. Cadila's shares were down 2 percent at 0954 GMT on Wednesday, after earlier falling as much as 5 percent. (Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. SHANGHAI/HONG KONG Chinese companies, with ever more cash tied up in stocks and unpaid bills, are facing their tightest liquidity crunch in a decade, according to a Reuters analysis, forcing some into more costly and less secure borrowing to stay afloat. The analysis of Chinese listed companies that have reported 2015 earnings shows it takes them almost 170 days to turn working capital - broadly the net amount tied up in stocks and bills payable and receivable - into cash. For the 141 of the companies that have been around for at least a decade, the figure is 130 days, compared with roughly one month 10 years ago, and both the amount clients owe them and the amount they owe suppliers are at the highest level since at least 2006. The figures demonstrate the growing strains on Chinese companies as banks, chastened by a doubling in bad loans last year, become increasingly reluctant to lend into China's slowing economy. Banks prefer to lend to state-owned enterprises, rather than the smaller businesses that provide 80 percent of urban employment and 60 percent of GDP, so rate cuts and monetary easing steps from China's central bank are not making life much easier for them. "The last two years, people often say things are okay, but then don't pay up," said a manager at Shandong Wansheng Stainless Steel in eastern China, who gave his surname as Wang. "It has a big impact; it means we don't have enough capital and have to find other channels." The squeeze is particularly acute for small businesses like Gangye Machinery in Suzhou, eastern China, which have less clout with suppliers and lenders alike. Pan Zhengqiang, who owns the firm, said his clients are taking two to three months to pay, up from one to two months a year ago, and his bills are piling up and his staff still need paying. He wants a bank loan, but says the banks have too many conditions for people like him, and they always find a reason to turn him down. "If I can't get a loan there, then I have to go to relatives or friends," said Pan. "If I can't even borrow from them, then the only options left are microcredit firms and loan sharks." CASHFLOW RIPPLES The unmet needs of people like Wang and Pan are fuelling a boom in alternative lending such as online loans brokered on peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms, in a country where regulators are already fretting about the hidden risks in its sprawling shadow banking industry. P2P loans shot up in the first two months of the year to hit 243 billion yuan ($37 billion), versus 69 billion for the same period in 2015. They quadrupled in 2015 to 982 billion yuan, according to industry data provider Wangdaizhijia. P2P loans are more costly than bank loans, but they are quick, and speed can be critical to businessmen facing a cashflow crunch. "They run a business and dont need to wait for three months before you are able to tell them that they are qualified (for a loan) or not," said Soul Htite, chief executive of online lender Dianrong.com, echoing complaints from small firms who say they struggle to borrow through regular channels. Dianrong.com now has 2,700 employees, and its loan volumes grew over tenfold last year against 2014, Htite said. Businesses are also increasingly resorting to selling their unpaid bills to a third party, suffering a discount on the face value of the debt but getting immediate access to cash. Discounted bills now amount to 46 percent of the total, up from 20 percent at the end of 2013, according to research firm CreditSights - its highest level since monthly data began in 2011. With China's growth set to slow further from its 25-year low in 2015, and wary consumers paring back their spending, the cash crunch for businesses can only get worse. GMM Nonstick Coatings, which has a plant in Guangdong province making coatings for rice cookers and saucepans, said its China sales, which account for 10 to 20 percent of its total, are down 15 percent so far in 2016. "When consumer (appetite) starts to dip, stuff isn't moving off the retailer's shelf," said CEO Ravin Gandhi. "As soon as the retailer sees that, they take their foot off the gas pedal for their suppliers." That is already having consequences for GMM's trade debtors; it is now imposing a 45-day payment period on domestic buyers, down from 60 days at the end of 2015. "It ripples all the way down the line," said Gandhi. (Additional reporting by Patturaja Murugaboopathy in BANGALORE, Engen Tham in SHANGHAI, Anita Li in HONG KONG and SHANGHAI newsroom; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques and Will Waterman) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Suresh Ghattamaneni Appa Rao Podile, the Vice Chancellor of Hyderabad Central University, who was on indefinite leave, returned to office on Tuesday, claiming he had yielded to popular demand and that he enjoyed support of the institutions teaching and non-teaching staff. HCU students retaliated violently, as reported by the Hindu. Parts of the university bore the scars of strife, littered as they were with shattered glass, office furniture, computers and official documents. Much of the media chose not to report serious injuries sustained during a lathi charge ordered by the police, and the detention of more than 30 students including few girl students and a couple of faculty. More than 40 students were treated for injuries at the health centre in the university, of which ten were sent to private hospitals for further medical help. University administration shut down access to the internet, rendering social media networks silent. Electricity and water supply to hostels were turned off. Non-teaching staff reacted to the protests by closing university mess halls. Those students who attempted to cook their meals outside their hostels faced police reprimand. Raos return is badly timed considering the fact that the anger of the students is yet to abate. Moreover it raises several doubts as his return coincides with the visit of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who arrived on campus on Tuesday to address students. Events leading up to his resumption of duties began when Rao summoned the deans of all university departments to a meeting at the VC lodge, during which he declared he would resume office. Later, Rao claimed that his decision to return was prompted by appeals from teaching as well as non-teaching staff. There are two views that offer an explanation. The first is predicated on the mechanics of bureaucracy and the second on political strategy. Rao declared on 24 January that he would indefinitely recuse himself from office, after protests broke out on campus following research scholar Rohit Vemulas death. As per University Grants Commission rules, the VCs absence was treated as extra ordinary leave without pay, which should not exceed three months during his full term of five years. Its then a matter of procedure that he chose to return in keeping with that stipulation. However, the timing of the action suggests otherwise. The political clout of Rao, which has been a matter of contention could have provided him enough of a shield to get back the position he gave up with assurances. While there exists no tangible evidence of his ties to any political party, the fact remains that no action was initiated against Rao following Vemulas death. The political aspect points at the BJPs strategy in diverting the attention of public from its failure to address systemic defects in social reforms, evidenced in its handling of student protests at JNU. The ruling party, its student wing and other affiliated groups were quick to present doctored evidence to corner the students in JNU thereby shifting the attention from the dalit issues to the debate of nationalism. The face of those protests in JNU, Kanhaiya Kumar, who was to address UoH students on Wednesday, was denied permission by university administration and had to issue a statement to the press outside the campus. The manner in which all of the action on Wednesday was orchestrated is indicative of the governments intent in asserting its dominance in university campuses across the country. It is therefore essential that we examine the larger issue at hand: repression of student movements by state agencies, suppression of the Dalit voice, meddling with the education system and the politics of distraction. Caste discrimination and the politics of right and left may not be a new phenomenon in Indian universities. It has existed for several decades. But the fact that there is consistent effort by the right wing groups in the recent past to bring down those who do not align with their ideological norms and enforcing their dogma by aggressive means indicates the repressive attitude of the state. Adding to this is the institutional support these student groups enjoy; they are given free rein to execute the will of the party in power. The privilege exercised by these groups in the universities shows the rotten side of the system. And those who opposed the spread of this rottenness had to face legal notices, suspensions, rustication, expulsion, and ostracism leading to death. And those that oppose or question this forcefulness have, in the recent past, earned a new label: anti-national. It has come to pass that one has to prove his or her love for the nation and its people by complete allegiance to the norms of nationalism laid out by those in power. The usual ephemeral nature of media reports could have made Rao and the government assume the situation would return to. However, developments in the HCU indicate the anger and anguish of the students has not yet simmered down. Raos resumption of work could turn the situation back to square one. If the administration, with the backing of the government, attempts to meet it with further suppression, the BJP will be met with consequences that the party will find very hard to face. Brussels: A Jet Airways manager says a flight attendant injured in the Belgium attacks is undergoing treatment for burns and has been placed in a medically induced coma. Bernard Guisset, a Jet Airways manager in Brussels, said Nidhi Chaphekar has burns over 15 percent of her body and has a fractured foot, but is out of danger. The image of Chaphekar taken right after the blast was one of the most searing photographs taken Tuesday. It showed the 40-year-old mother of two from Mumbai, her bright yellow uniform ripped across her chest. Her hair was caked with soot, and blood streaked down her face. Meanwhile, Amit Motwani, a Jet Airways flight purser who was also injured in the airport blast, was being treated for injuries to his eye and ear. AP Delhi, Punjab and Assam police were today alerted by security agencies about an ex-Pakistani soldier having crossed over to India along with six hardcore terrorists through the Indo-Pak border in Pathankot with a plan to carry out attacks on hotels and hospitals in Delhi during Holi. In a communication, the central security agencies said Mohammad Khurshid Alam alias Jahangir, an ex-military personnel of Pakistan Army, who had worked as a recruiter, coordinator and guide of Jehadi elements in Assam, had crossed over to India from Pakistan through the Indo-Pak border in Pathankot on February 26 along with six hardcore terrorists. The intention of this group is to kill citizens in Delhi in hotels and hospitals on or before Holi, the communication said. The agencies said Alam had visited a madrasa in Barpeta district in Assam in September 2015. The ex-Pakistan armyman had stayed in the madrasa for five days and thereafter left for Chirang district, bordering Bhutan. Alam had used another madrasa in Dhubri district in Assam as his base and used to visit other parts of the state, it said. In Dhubri, a teacher of the madrasa provided all required logistical support to Alam, the communication added. The Hindustan Times reports that intelligence inputs generated across the country are shared on the multi-agency centre (MAC) platform, a practice adopted after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and strengthened over the years so that no information slips through the gap. With PTI Hyderabad: The non-teaching staff of Hyderabad Central University (HCU), who had gone on a strike protesting vandalisation of VC's lodge on 22 March allegedly by a group of students, resumed their duties on Thursday as the situation on the campus remained peaceful. Members of HCU Non-Teaching Staff Union had boycotted duties from Tuesday afternoon protesting ransacking of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile's official residence (VC's lodge) and after being assaulted allegedly by the group of students opposing Podile resuming his duty. As part of the strike, cooks had shut down 'Students' Mess', expressing support to the Vice Chancellor (VC) after which students had set up an open kitchen on Wednesday. "Messes, which had been shut down due to the strike by non-teaching staff opened today...they (non-teaching staff) have resumed their duties from today in the larger interest of the university," HCU Registrar M Sudhakar told PTI. Meanwhile, twenty-five students and two faculty members of HCU, who were arrested on Wednesday in connection with incidents of vandalism at VC's lodge and stone pelting on police personnel, were sent to judicial remand on Wednesday night and are lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison. "The situation on the campus is peaceful today," Gachibowli police inspector J Ramesh said. Mother of deceased Dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula, Radhika, who had staged a sit-in protest along with scores of HCU students in front of the university last night after being denied entry, withdrew her protest at around 11.15 pm, HCU Chief Security Officer TV Rao said. Radhika and the protesting students, who demanded Podile's immediate removal from the post and the release of students and faculty members arrested in connection with vandalism of the VC's lodge and stone-pelting on police, also made a vain bid to "barge" inside the campus but were stopped at the entrance itself, Rao said. "She wanted to hold a dharna inside the campus, but we prevented her from doing so. She along with around 200 students attempted to go inside the campus, but we stopped them and they finally withdrew their protest at around 11.15 pm," the security official said. PTI Colombo: At least three Indian fishermen have been arrested by Sri Lankan coast guard for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Lankan waters, the fifth such detention this month. They were arrested on Wednesday in north west of Jaffna's delft islet. They have now been brought to Kankesanturai and will be handed over to Fisheries and Water Resources officials there, Sri Lanka Navy said. They were arrested by the Coastal Guard officials with the assistance of the Navy. This is the fifth detention of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy this month on the charge of fishing in the island nation's waters. At least 28 Indian fishermen were arrested on 13 March. Eight fishermen were arrested on 3 March, while 29 others on 6 March and another batch four on 10 March by the Sri Lankan Navy at different locations in mid sea. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a permanent solution to the recurring arrests. She had also sought the Centre's intervention for the release of all the arrested Indian fishermen and their fishing boats in the custody of Sri Lanka. PTI Jammu: BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and Union Minister of State in PMO, Jitendra Singh will meet party legislators to review the current political situation in the state and elicit their (MLAs) opinion ahead of meeting the Jammu and Kashmir governor tomorrow. BJP high command has deputed Madhav to reach Jammu along with Singh to assess the current political situation and elicit the opinion of party legislators (over the government formation), BJP sources said on Thursday. The crucial meeting will be held tomorrow in which all the BJP legislators and its top leadership will take part, the sources said. Governor NN Vohra has written to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and BJP State president Sat Sharma to meet him on Friday (to clarify their stand on government formation). BJP delegation will be meeting the governor on Friday and will inform him about the party stand on the prevailing political situation in the state. The last time the BJP and PDP delegations had met the governor separately was on 2 February, when Vohra had sought their stand on government formation. The BJP delegation again met him on 2 March, while Mehbooba met him on 4 March over the political situation in the state. Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor's Rule on 8 January 8 after then chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's death on 7 January. On Tuesday, Mehbooba had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi. After the 15-minute meeting at the prime minister's residence, 56-year-old Mehbooba told reporters it was "very positive" and "good" in addressing issues pertaining to the people of the state and that she was "very satisfied". PTI Srinagar: Mehbooba Mufti, chief of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and likely to be the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday visited her father's grave for prayers, hours before the party lawmakers were to hold a crucial meeting in Srinagar to take a final call on the government formation in the state. Mehbooba went to the graveyard in the ancestral hometown of Bijbehara in south Kashmir Anantnag district. Accompanied by one of her two daughters, the PDP chief prayed there for a while before heading to Srinagar to attend the meeting with her legislators. Top PDP sources told IANS that the meeting would start at 4 pm at Mehbooba's Fairview residence in Srinagar's upscale Gupkar neighbourhood. "Mehbooba will apprise the legislators of her party about the developments including her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week," a PDP source said. "The party will deliberate on its future course of action with regard to the government formation in the state." The PDP legislature party has authorised Mehbooba to take a call on continuing the ruling alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But the party has not as yet nominated her as the leader in the state legislature, a constitutional requirement before she stakes claim to power. The sources said the PDP legislature party meeting is also likely to elect Mehooba as their leader. This dispels media speculations that she had decided to allow some other confidant to be nominated as the legislature party leader so that she could continue as the party president and also as the member of the Lok Sabha. Party insiders say it is highly unlikely that Mehbooba would stand down from her claim to chief ministership and allow somebody else to don the mantle because that could create infighting in the party. "She is the undisputed leader of the party. Nobody else is. It has to be her," said a senior PDP leader and former minister here. Mehbooba represents south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. If she gets elected as the leader of the state legislature party, the way would be paved for her to become the first woman chief minister of India's only Muslim majority state. In that case, she will have to get elected to either house of the state's bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government after Mehbooba's father and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed died in a Delhi hospital. Mehbooba was widely speculated to take over the reins soon but she dragged her feet on continuing to ally with the BJP and wanted it to redraw the alliance terms that had father had authored. After remaining entrenched in their respective positions for more than two months, the two partners warmed up to each other following Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday in Delhi. IANS Paris: More than 30 people have been identified as being involved in a network behind the Paris attacks on 13 November, with links now established to this week's bombings in Brussels. This is what we know so far about the attackers and their support network. Paris attacks A 10-man team of suicide bombers and gunmen launched attacks on the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France national stadium and a string of bars and restaurants around eastern Paris on the night of 13 November, 2015. Seven of the attackers died on the night, and two more were killed the following week. The last member of the team, Salah Abdeslam, was arrested in Brussels on Friday after four months on the run. The coordinated assaults claimed by the Islamic State group killed 130 people and wounded another 350. Stadium bombers The attacks began when three men blew themselves up outside the Stade de France where President Francois Hollande was watching a match between France and Germany. Only one of that trio has been identified: Bilal Hadfi, a 20-year-old French national who was living in Belgium and who had travelled to Syria. The other two were carrying fake Syrian passports they apparently used to enter Greece in October, posing as refugees. IS said in a video they were Iraqi. Bars/restaurants gunmen Three gunmen, including alleged ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Salah Abdeslam's brother Brahim, sprayed cafes and restaurants with bullets, killing 39 people. Brahim blew himself up outside a bar, wounding one person. Abaaoud, a notorious Belgian jihadist of Moroccan origin, escaped unharmed but was killed in a massive police operation in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on November 18. The third, Belgian-Moroccan Chakib Akrouh, 25, blew himself up during the Saint-Denis operation. Bataclan attackers The worst bloodshed took place at the Bataclan concert hall, when three French gunmen all of whom had spent time in Syria stormed a concert by American rock band Eagles of Death Metal, killing 90. Foued Mohamed-Aggad, 23, was part of a group of 10 that left Strasbourg for Syria in 2013. The other two attackers were 28-year-old former bus driver Samy Amimour and Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29. Both were from the Paris area and were known radicals. Two of them blew themselves up and the third was shot by police. Brussels airport, metro attacks Four people carried out coordinated attacks at Brussels airport and a metro station on 22 March that left 31 dead and wounded 300. Two brothers, Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were identified as suicide bombers one at Zaventem airport and one at Maalbeek metro station. Najim Laachraoui, 24, was identified as the second airport bomber and is believed to have made bombs for the November rampage in the French capital. A third person seen on airport surveillance footage wearing a white jacket is the subject of a police manhunt after he fled the scene when his explosive-packed suitcases did not detonate. Salah Abdeslam Brussels had already been on alert as the home and hideaway of several of the Paris attack suspects. The last surviving member of the cell directly involved in the Paris assaults, Salah Abdeslam, was arrested in Brussels four days before the twin airport and metro assault. Abdeslam, 26, said he was planning further attacks in Brussels, and links have emerged between him and the suspected Brussels assailants. He is believed to have played a key logistical role in the Paris attack, renting cars and an apartment-hotel used by the jihadists. Abdeslam has told investigators he had planned to blow himself up outside the Stade de France on the evening of the Paris attacks but changed his mind. Brussels-Paris links The Bakraoui brothers had been sought by police for links to Abdeslam prior to the Brussels attacks. Belgian television said Khalid had rented an apartment in Brussels last week under a false name where Abdeslam's fingerprints were found after a bloody police raid. He is also linked to another apartment in southern Belgium that Abdeslam and other jihadists used before the Paris attacks. DNA from the second airport suicide bomber Laachraoui, 24, was found at an apartment in Brussels where bomb-making equipment and one of Abdeslam's fingerprints had been found in December. His DNA was also found on explosives used in the Paris attacks. Prosecutors have said Laachraoui "travelled to Syria in February 2013," and was registered under a false name at the border between Austria and Hungary last September. He was travelling with Abdeslam and Mohamed Belkaid, who was killed in a Brussels raid three days before Abdeslam was captured. Belkaid is believed to have provided logistical support to the Paris attackers. AFP Kathmandu: Nepal has secured a deal for China to supply it with fuel, as the energy-starved Himalayan nation seeks to deepen ties with Beijing and reduce its reliance on India. The agreement was signed during a visit by Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to Beijing, following months of frosty relations with New Delhi, traditionally the sole supplier of fuel to landlocked Nepal. "Both sides agreed to conclude a commercial deal on the supply of petroleum products from China to Nepal", the two countries said in a joint statement released in Beijing on Wednesday, without giving further details. Nepal's acute dependence on India was underscored by a recent months-long border blockade by demonstrators from its Madhesi minority, who were protesting against a new constitution. The slow movement of cargo at checkpoints where no protests were taking place prompted Kathmandu to accuse New Delhi, which has close links to the Madhesis, of imposing an "unofficial blockade", a charge India denied. The blockade, which ended last month, sparked severe shortages of gas, medicines and other vital supplies and forced Nepal to turn to its only other neighbour, China for emergency fuel. Officials in Kathmandu welcomed this week's deal but warned that Nepal's mountainous terrain would make it difficult to transport supplies between the two countries. "This is a good start but there is a lot we still need to do in terms of road connectivity and infrastructure development... among other issues," said Sushil Bhattarai, acting deputy managing director at the state-run Nepal Oil Corporation. "It is not going to happen overnight," Bhattarai told AFP. China has also agreed to build oil storage facilities for Nepal, the joint statement said. In October Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding with China National United Oil Corporation, its first ever fuel agreement with China, as the shortages led to overnight queues at gas stations. Prime Minister Oli's visit to China comes a month after his trip to India a traditional first overseas stop for Nepali premiers to mend ties strained by the border blockade. AFP WASHINGTON U.S. presidential candidate Ted Cruz won the backing of former rival Jeb Bush on Wednesday as prominent Republicans overcome their aversion to the conservative senator to try to force a standoff with insurgent Donald Trump at their party's convention in July. The endorsement by Bush, part of a Republican dynasty, is the latest sign of how keen the party's establishment is to stop Trump, fearing that his rhetoric on illegal immigration and national security will cost the party votes at the Nov. 8 presidential election. Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, is a staunch social conservative and a divisive figure in the party due to his willingness to criticize the leadership and his prominent role in bringing about a 2013 government shutdown. But he is still seen by party grandees and many Republicans in Congress as preferable to Trump, a real-estate billionaire viewed as straying even further from party orthodoxy. "Republicans across the spectrum are realizing that to nominate Donald Trump brings chaos to our party and potentially to our country," U.S. Representative Trent Franks of Arizona told Reuters, "and that any differences they might have had with Ted Cruz are far less important than the danger of nominating Mr. Trump." In his customary style, Trump took to social media to register his scorn, referring to the profligate spending by former Florida governor Bush's well-funded campaign and associated political fund-raising groups. "I think having Jeb's endorsement hurts Lyin' Ted," ran a message on Trump's Twitter account. "Jeb spent more than $150,000,000 and got nothing. I spent a fraction of that and am first!" Bush, who quit his campaign last month after a poor start to the primary season, sent a fund-raising email on Cruz's behalf to his supporters, urging them to help "overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity" of Trump. Cruz won the Republican caucuses in Utah on Tuesday but time is running out for him to defeat Trump before the Republican convention in July, and for Republican establishment figures to reassert control of a party that is being wrested away from it by rank-and-file voters. Cruz looked on track to win all of the 40 Republican delegates from Utah, although Trump won the 58 delegates up for grabs in Arizona, partly due to his tough message on illegal immigration. After Tuesday, Trump had 738 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination, according to The New York Times. Cruz had 463. "WRONG AND UN-AMERICAN" On the Democratic side, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont won in two out of three states that voted for the party's nominee on Tuesday, but this made only a small dent in the lead held by Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, who won Arizona. President Barack Obama echoed his fellow Democrats on Wednesday by criticizing Cruz's call to "carpet bomb" Islamic State and for renewed calls from Cruz and Trump to increase the surveillance of Muslims in the United States after Islamic State suicide bombers killed at least 31 people in Brussels. To target Muslims in this way "is not only wrong and un-American," Obama said in a news conference in Argentina, "but it also would be counterproductive because it would reduce the strength, the antibodies that we have to resist the terrorism." The Bush endorsement put pressure on Ohio Governor John Kasich, who is struggling in third place in the Republican race, to drop out. "Kasich was viewed as the only establishment candidate left," said U.S. Representative Matt Salmon of Arizona, a Cruz supporter. "With the quintessential establishment candidate now endorsing Cruz, it makes Kasich irrelevant." People in Kasich's campaign suggested the candidate was paying no more attention to party elites than voters were, saying he planned to survive to the convention and wrestle the nomination there. In interviews, some Republican lawmakers and wealthy party donors worried a Bush endorsement was no longer a game-changer. U.S. Representative John Duncan of Tennessee said it would "make a miniscule difference at most." Cruz remains undaunted, and added Bush's name to a list of prominent Republicans who had belatedly rallied to his cause, including Mitt Romney, the party's unsuccessful 2012 candidate. "Across the spectrum Republicans are uniting," he told the crowd at a New York City campaign event. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Susan Heavey, Susan Cornwell, Jim Oliphant and David Morgan in Washington, Luciana Lopez, Michelle Conlin, Grant Smith and Emily Flitter in New York; Writing by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Alistair Bell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. BRUSSELS Brussels resident Aurelie Cardon says she will avoid taking the metro from now on. Or maybe move abroad. Her eardrums were perforated when a bomb exploded in the metro carriage next to hers on Tuesday and doctors had to pull a piece of burned plastic out of the corner of her eye. "There will be other attacks, so I want to find a way not to take this (metro) line anymore. Maybe I'll buy a bike or a motorcycle," she told Reuters from hospital, using Facebook because she cannot hear. A day after 31 people were killed and 260 injured in attacks on the Maelbeek underground railway station and the Zaventem airport, the mood was a mixture of shock and defiance in the eerily quiet city of 1.2 million people, headquarters to the European Union and NATO. "What happened yesterday was really horrible. As a citizen of Brussels, it really hurts to experience something like this ... But we are not going to let our lives be dictated by the terrorists," said Linda van den Bosche, who lives in an apartment next to the Maelbeek station. Across the city, people laid flowers and candles at memorials. During a minute of silence, one man held a copy of a newspaper front page reading "Hang in there!" On the unusually quiet Grand Place in the city centre, British visitors Darren Smith, 45, and Anne Stocks, 46, said they would carry on with their trip as planned. "We were due to stay until Friday and we'll stay until Friday," Stocks said. "You just have to carry on, what happened is really horrible but you can't just stay indoors because you worry it could happen again." NO LOCKDOWN THIS TIME But there were worries about the impact on local businesses. In the middle of the cobbled square, horse-drawn carriage driver Thibault Dantine, 46, said trade was slow. "There would usually be much more people," he said. "I'm very worried for the future, I'm afraid tourists won't come back," he said, a Belgian flag flying from his carriage. Dantine said the tourism sector in Brussels had only just begun to recover from a tough winter following a five-day security lockdown in November, when Brussels feared an attack similar to the assault that killed 130 people in Paris. Authorities in the Belgian capital struck a more defiant note on Wednesday, acknowledging that closing shops, schools and public services last year had frustrated residents. "It's important to draw lessons from the lockdown in November. It's no longer an option today when we want to show that the state is stronger than events ... Brussels continues to function," said the head of the Brussels regional government, Rudi Vervoort. Some residents agreed, but said authorities needed to do more. "It's right we are not in lockdown again. That clearly didn't solve anything," said Jean Vermeren, an instructor at a local swimming pool that was open as normal. "What we need is more intelligence. Belgium can't be a black hole anymore." (Additional reporting by Temis Tormo; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Giles Elgood) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. CHERNOBYL, Ukraine In the middle of a vast exclusion zone in northern Ukraine, the world's largest land-based moving structure has been built to prevent deadly radiation spewing from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site for the next 100 years. On April 26, 1986, a botched test at the Soviet nuclear plant sent clouds of smouldering nuclear material across large swathes of Europe, forced over 50,000 people to evacuate and poisoned unknown numbers of workers involved in its clean-up. A concrete sarcophagus was hastily built over the site of the stricken reactor to contain the worst of the radiation, but a more permanent solution has been in the works since late 2010. Easily visible from kilometres away, the 30,000 tonne 'New Safe Confinement' arch will be pulled slowly over the site later this year to create a steel-clad casement to block radiation and allow the remains of the reactor to be dismantled safely. "We've already gone through a number of very risky stages ... We always have fears, we are people, but there is nothing technical left that is a challenge," said Vince Novak, the Nuclear Safety Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The EBRD has managed the funding of the arch, which has cost around 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) and involved donations from more than 40 governments. Even with the new structure, the surrounding zone, which at 2,600 square kilometres (1,000 square miles) is roughly the size of Luxembourg, will remain largely uninhabitable and closed to unsanctioned visitors. Nature has been quick to reclaim the area's abandoned infrastructure. Trees sprout from the rusted roofs of apartment blocks in the ghost town of Prypyat, built to house Chernobyl power plant workers. Stray shoes and family photos still fixed to bedroom walls show the speed with which families were evacuated. The upcoming 30th anniversary of the disaster has shone a new light on the long-term human impact of the worst nuclear meltdown in history. The official short-term death toll from the accident was 31 but many more people died of radiation-related illnesses such as cancer. The total death toll and long-term health effects remain a subject of intense debate. On Wednesday, Ukrainians who were involved in the cleanup of Chernobyl - the so-called "liquidators" - protested in central Kiev to demand the government acknowledge their sacrifice with improved social benefits. "Thirty years ago, when we were young, we were saving the whole earth from a nuclear explosion. And now no one needs us. Absolutely no one," said one of the protesters, former liquidator Lidia Kerentseva. (Additional reporting by Sergei Karazy; Editing by Tom Heneghan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Wellington: New Zealanders will learn Thursday whether a proposal to ditch Britain's Union Jack from the national flag has been successful, with opinion polls indicating they will stick with the existing banner. Prime Minister John Key has been the main advocate for change, organising a referendum on the issue he describes as a once-in-a-generation chance to update the flag after more than a century. "It's fundamentally about taking the Union Jack off and putting the silver fern on," Key said this week. He has called the existing flag a relic of British colonial days, saying the silver fern used by the All Blacks "screams New Zealand" in the same way the maple leaf identifies Canadians. But after an 18-month process costing NZ$26 million (US$17.5 million) it appears New Zealanders are overwhelmingly against change. About three million ballot papers have been distributed in the South Pacific nation of 4.5 million people for the vote, conducted only by post and which closes at 7.00pm Thursday (0600 GMT). Preliminary results will be released about 90 minutes later and polling has consistently indicated about two-thirds of the electorate support the status quo. On one side of the ballot is the existing flag, a dark blue ensign with the Union Jack in the top left corner and four red stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. On the other is the proposed alternative a silver fern on a black-and-blue background, which retains the four stars. Created by designer Kyle Lockwood, it beat four other proposed flags in a preliminary referendum last December. 'Special symbol' Veterans' group the Returned and Services Association argues that to change the flag disrespects previous generations who fought and died under the banner. Others criticise the design's aesthetics, with actor Sam Neill saying: "This ugly beach towel is no alternative. It's hideous." But there are high-profile advocates for change, including ex-All Black skipper Richie McCaw, who says the existing flag is too similar to Australia's. "The silver fern has always been the special symbol on the All Black jersey... so the new flag with a silver fern as a part of it would be a great option," he posted on Facebook earlier this month. The flag debate has also become mired in political controversy, with many seeing it as Key's pet project. The conservative leader's popularity ratings remain stubbornly high, even after eight years in power, and political opponents have seized on the chance to deal him a rare electoral defeat. The centre-left Labour Party, normally a reformist organisation, has condemned the entire debate as Key's "hugely expensive and highly unpopular vanity project". But the often-heated debate has also had its lighter moments, particularly when the original 10,000-plus submissions for new flags were publicly released. One of the most popular designs with online users was a flag featuring a kiwi bird shooting green lasers from its eyes. Another had a sheep alongside a cone of ice cream, with designer Jesse Gibbs saying he had selected two of New Zealand's favourite things to create a combination that was "Kiwi as bro". Key said he remained hopeful for change but felt the referendum had succeeded regardless by stirring debate on national identity. "I don't hate the current New Zealand flag. I just think a new one would be better because it's more reflective of us," he told reporters on Thursday. AFP Washington: Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton suggested a Donald Trump presidency would be 'Christmas for the Kremlin' only to have her billionaire rival hit back branding her incompetent. "If Mr Trump gets his way, it'll be like Christmas in Kremlin," she said in an address Wednesday at Stanford University, California targeting Trump for his recent comments that the US should limit its involvement with Nato. Warning such a move would only be a boon for Russian President Vladimir Putin, "who already hopes to divide Europe," Clinton said, "It will make America less safe and the world more dangerous. "When it comes to the struggle against Islamic State, we need our allies as much as ever. We need them to be strong and engaged for they are increasingly on the front lines," she said describing Nato as "one of the best investments America has ever made." In her speech on terrorism in the wake of the attacks in Brussels, the former secretary of state also attacked Trump's closest rival Ted Cruz, who on Tuesday called for patrolling Muslim neighbourhoods in the US as a way of combating Islamic State. "When Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods, it's wrong, it's counterproductive, it's dangerous," Clinton said. "One thing we know that does not work is offensive inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims," she added. "These Americans are a crucial line of defense against terrorism." Clinton also blasted the Republican candidates for condoning torture as a means of fighting terrorists. Donald Trump was quick to respond to Clinton's attacks. "Just watched Hillary deliver a prepackage speech on terror. She's been in office fighting terror for 20 years -- and look where we are!" he tweeted. Donald Trump also branded Clinton as incompetent questioning his rival's capability to be commander-in-chief. "I think people will see I'm much more competent than she is," Trump told Bloomberg Politics' "With all due respect, I think I'm much smarter than she is. I think I'm much more competent than she is." Trump's used the same phrase during an appearance on Fox News' Tuesday. "Incompetent Hillary doesn't know what she's talking about," he said. "She doesn't have a clue. She's made such bad decisions." Trump later took to Twitter to re-up his new phrase. "Incompetent Hillary, despite the horrible attack in Brussels today, wants borders to be weak and open-and let the Muslims flow in," he tweeted. "No way!" IANS Sydney: Two pieces of debris recently discovered along the coast of Mozambique are "highly likely" to have come from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Australian and Malaysian officials said Thursday. An analysis of the parts by an international investigation team showed both pieces are consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Chester said. The dimensions, materials and construction of both parts conform to those of a 777, and the paint and stenciling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a separate statement. The discovery of the two pieces provides another piece of the puzzle into the plane's fate, and bolsters authorities' assertion that the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean. But whether the debris can provide any clues into exactly what happened to the aircraft and why is uncertain. Flight 370 disappeared on 8 March, 2014, with 239 people on board and is believed to have crashed somewhere in a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean about 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) east of Mozambique. Authorities had predicted that any debris from the plane that isn't on the ocean floor would eventually be carried by currents to the east coast of Africa. Until now, the only other confirmed piece of debris from the Boeing 777 was a wing part that washed ashore on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion last year. Given the vast distances involved, the variability of winds and the time that has elapsed, it is impossible for experts to retrace the parts' path back to where they first entered the water. And chances the debris itself could offer any fresh clues into precisely where the plane crashed are slim. "Close examination of the debris might possibly give some additional information relative to the search, but it's unlikely," said Dan O'Malley, spokesman for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading the hunt for the plane off Australia's west coast. In a bid to glean whatever information they could, investigators from Australia, Malaysia, and Boeing spent several days scrutinizing both pieces. The parts were rinsed, submerged and agitated in water to capture any loose marine life. The water was then sieved and any potential biological material that was captured will be examined to see if it can be identified. Experts will also likely examine the debris to see if it can offer any hints about what happened on board, such as structural deformities that could show the angle at which the plane entered the ocean or markings that could indicate a mid-air explosion. Still, that would take some luck as the wing part found on Reunion Island has not yet yielded any significant revelations into the plane's fate. What investigators really need to find is the main underwater wreckage, which would hold the plane's coveted flight data recorders, or black boxes. The data recorder should reveal details related to the plane's controls, including whether aircraft systems that might have helped track the plane were deliberately turned off, as some investigators believe. But prospects for finding the debris field are running thin: Crews have already covered more than 70 percent of the search zone, and expect to complete their sweep of the area by the end of June. No trace of the underwater wreckage has been found. One of the parts in Mozambique was discovered by American lawyer and part-time adventurer Blaine Gibson, of Seattle. Gibson, who has been searching for Flight 370 over the last year, found the piece on a sandbank. Gibson said he hopes the part can provide investigators some leads into where and how the plane crashed, but that he felt little joy over the news that his discovery almost certainly came from Flight 370. "I do not use the word 'happy,'" Gibson said by telephone from Myanmar, where he was visiting friends. "Because 'happy' that is how I would feel if I arrived on that sandbank and found all the passengers and crew alive, sipping on coconuts and grilling seafood and saying, 'What took you so long?' That would make me happy. However, we're after the truth whatever it is." Soon after Gibson's find was publicized earlier this month, a South African teenager realized a piece of debris he'd found on a beach during a family vacation in Mozambique might also be from the plane. Liam Lotter came upon the grey piece of debris while strolling on a beach in southern Mozambique in December and thought it might be from an aircraft. His parents dismissed it as trash that may have come from a boat, but the teen insisted on bringing it back to South Africa to research it further. Once back at home, the piece ended up in storage alongside the family's fishing gear and was nearly forgotten. It was only when Lotter read about Gibson's find about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from where he had made his discovery that the family alerted authorities. Earlier this week, an archaeologist walking along South Africa's southern coast found a piece of debris with part of an aircraft engine manufacturer's logo. Liow, Malaysia's transport minister, said there is a possibility it came from an inlet cowling of an aircraft engine. Authorities will examine the part to see if it, too, came from Flight 370. Liow said Malaysia is awaiting approval from South African authorities to comb the area for more possible debris. If approved, a Malaysian team will be sent to conduct the search along the coast of South Africa and Mozambique, Liow said. AP PASO CANOAS, PANAMA A new bottleneck of Cuban migrants bound for the United States has formed this month in Panama, threatening a fresh diplomatic headache in Central America after thousands were flown out of the region earlier this year. Just as Barack Obama was making the first visit to Cuba in 88 years by a U.S. president, some 1,500 migrants from the Communist island were bunched on Panama's border with Costa Rica, struggling to reach the United States to start a new life. The build-up follows the airlift of around 6,000 Cubans from Costa Rica and Panama, which ended last week. However, another knot of migrants has grouped in western Panama since Costa Rica stopped issuing Cubans transit visas in December to try and stem the human tide that clogged up its border with Nicaragua last year. "If I hadn't left Cuba, I would have ended up in prison because I love freedom and having options," said Halena Leiva, 31, who has worked as a cleaning lady in the Panamanian border town of Paso Canoas since she ran out of money on her way north. During his 48 hour visit this week, Obama challenged Cuba's government with calls for democracy and new economic reforms. Cuba has loosened restrictions on private enterprise in recent years, creating a growing middle-class, but most people still earn tiny wages and many of the young wish to work abroad. "With the visit of Obama, this is the beginning of a good change," said 45-year-old Cuban welder Isbel Loriete, who was confident he would find plenty of work in the United States once he got out of Panama. "Every change is good." Last year Cubans took advantage of an open-door policy in Ecuador to head northward, fearful that decades of preferential U.S. policy toward them could be coming to an end. Running the gauntlet of corrupt police and people smugglers, Cuban migrants young and old made the long trek before Cuba stepped up pressure on its allies in the region, such as Nicaragua and Ecuador, to halt the surge. Nicaragua sealed its border in late November and Ecuador imposed visa requirements on the Cubans from December. By then, many of the migrants were already in South America. Over 7,000 were trapped on the Nicaraguan border, and only after much diplomatic wrangling did Central American nations in late December agree to airlift most of the stranded Cubans out. Costa Rica said a final group of migrants left just last week. Still, an average of 7-10 migrants are still turning up at the Panamanian border every day, local officials say. Luis Hincapie, Panama's deputy foreign minister, said on Wednesday that Central American countries, as well as others including Ecuador, Colombia, the United States and maybe Cuba, aimed to schedule a summit to discuss the issue in Guatemala. (Additional reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City, Frank Jack Daniel in Havana, Enrique Pretel in San Jose; Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Andrew Hay) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Hague: UN war crimes judges on Thursday found former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic guilty of genocide and sentenced him to 40 years in jail over the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II. The court said Karadzic, the most high-profile figure convicted over the wars that tore Yugoslavia apart in the 1990s, bore criminal responsibility for murder and persecution in the Bosnian conflict. Karadzic, sporting his familiar bouffant hairstyle, will face judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at 1 pm GMT (6.30 pm IST) for the historic ruling. Now 70, the one-time psychiatrist will be the highest-profile politician from the Balkan wars to face judgement, after former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic died in his prison cell in The Hague while on trial in 2006. Karadzic, as president of the breakaway Republika Srpska, is accused of taking part in a joint criminal scheme to "permanently remove Muslim and Bosnian Croat inhabitants... from areas claimed as Bosnian Serb territory". Here are the 11 charges contained in a 69-page indictment at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia: Genocide Between March 31 and December 1992, Karadzic allegedly with others "planned, instigated, ordered and/or aided and abetted genocide" of Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croats to permanently remove them from territory claimed by the Bosnian Serbs across various municipalities. Genocide In July 1995, he began to implement a plan with others "to eliminate the Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica by killing the men and boys and forcibly removing the women, young children." Almost 8,000 men and boys were killed. Persecution Karadzic allegedly instigated, aided and abetted the persecution of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in 19 towns and villages by allowing forcible deportations, harassment, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence. The persecution allegedly included forced labour in detention camps and the use of human shields by Serb and Bosnian Serb forces. Extermination Prosecutors say Karadzic knew "extermination" was "a possible consequence" of the campaign to get rid of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats "and willingly took that risk." This included the sniping and shelling during the 44-month siege of Sarajevo and the deaths in Srebrenica. Murder (as a crime against humanity) Karadzic was allegedly behind a joint criminal enterprise "to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from Bosnian Serb-claimed territory" through acts of murder including in Sarajevo where some 10,000 people were killed, Srebrenica and other municipalities. Murder (as a war crime) Karadzic stands accused of aiding "organised and opportunistic killings" in direct violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention governing the rules of war. Deportation Karadzic allegedly knew that between March 1992 and November 1995, Serb forces and Bosnian Serbs "forcibly displaced Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from areas within the municipalities and within Srebrenica in which they were lawfully present." Inhumane acts Karadzic along with others targeted Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats through measures such as "arbitrary arrest and detention, harassment, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence, killing, and destruction of houses and cultural monuments" which forced them to "flee in fear" from their homes. Terror Karadzic is accused from April 1992 to November 1995 with others of using the Sarajevo Forces to "spread terror" in the city through a military strategy of "sniping and shelling to kill, maim, wound and terrorise the civilian inhabitants." Unlawful attacks The Sarajevo siege included indiscriminate and excessive attacks "which were disproportionate in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated." Taking of hostages Between 26 May 1995 and 19 June 1995, Bosnian Serb Forces detained over 200 UN peacekeepers and military observers in various towns, including Pale, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Gorade, with Karadzic accused of abetting the kidnappings to force NATO not to carry out air strikes against Bosnian Serb military targets. AFP Dhaka: Deadly violence has erupted during local elections in Bangladesh, leaving at least 13 people dead this week. Analysts said the mayhem shows the country's democracy is struggling in the face of Islamist extremism and a divisive debate over how to deal with the legacy of its 1971 civil war. The election violence Tuesday night including vicious political clashes between rival parties as well as security forces opening fire on rioters was considered unusual for the impoverished South Asian nation. While attacks have accompanied national elections in the past, village-level polls have usually been peaceful. But with the two main political parties disagreeing over whether, and how, to punish war crimes committed during the country's war of independence from Pakistan, public discourse has become more extreme, analysts said. Attacks carried out by Islamist extremists have led the secular government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to crack down with an increasingly heavy hand as it aims to reassure the international community about Bangladeshi security. After polling booths closed Tuesday night in the southern Pirojpur district, a 700-strong mob took a polling officer hostage while trying to snatch ballot boxes, local police superintendent Walid Hossain said. Security officials including paramilitary border guards opened fire on the mob, under orders from a local magistrate, Hossain said. At least five ruling-party supporters were killed while scores of others were injured, he said. Local media reported at least six people were killed in violent scuffles elsewhere in the country on Tuesday. The leading Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo reported that two people hurt Tuesday died of their injuries Wednesday, and that another 10 people were killed during campaigning in the month leading up to elections. Calls seeking comment from Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan were not returned immediately. Tuesday's voting was the first of six scheduled election days to fill a total of 4,275 village councils, with the last vote to be held in June. Hasina's party won about 500 of 712 races for council chairmanships, according to unofficial results. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, filed an official complaint calling the voting "farcical," saying the ruling party stuffed ballot boxes and intimidated voters and opposition candidates. Local media reported incidents of voter intimidation and vote fraud in many areas. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin told reporters that the voting was widely acceptable, and that they would look into "stray incidents" of irregularities. This was the first year that political parties were allowed to campaign under their logos and banners for local elections. Previously, parties were only allowed to offer verbal support for candidates, but the government advocated a paradigm shift, saying election under partisan lines will bolster democracy. "But this new game plan to consolidate power at the grassroots level has created new tension," government analyst Tofail Ahmed said. He said this week's violence "demonstrates the continuous shrinking of spaces for democratic advancement." Ahmed suggested Hasina's political success was encouraging her followers to bully the opposition. She won re-election in January 2014, in a vote boycotted by the main opposition and its Islamist partners because Hasina would not step aside to allow a caretaker government to oversee the balloting. "The opposition has been intimidated, while an intraparty feud within the ruling party has created more chaos and the party will suffer in the long run to fix the confrontation that has now spread to such grassroots levels," Ahmed said. "Local-level elections were always focused on local context, but this time under partisan lines it has created more confrontation with rival parties and also division within the ruling party. Not a good sign for a healthy democracy," he said. Another analyst, Badiul Alam Majumdar, said Tuesday's election was "a clear exercise by the ruling party that they have to win at any cost." "The ruling party talks about democracy but it is actually practicing dictatorship," he said. "Is it an election, fair election? No." Several leading newspapers on Thursday published editorials condemning the violence and highlighting serious loopholes in the election process. The leading English-language Daily Star castigated the Election Commission, saying, "We wonder how a responsible authority can be so oblivious to the loss of so many lives and pervasive electoral irregularities. The ruling party also cannot shrug off its responsibilities, as in most cases their party men were found flouting electoral rules." AP Google is entering into one of the active markets in the internet ecosystem livestreaming. According to a new report from Venturebeat, Google is working on a new livestreaming app to take on Periscope. Dubbed as YouTube Connect, the app works similar to Periscope or Facebook Live Videos. As soon as a user signs in with their Google or YouTube account through mobile, they can begin streaming with their phones immediately. Videos would be viewable either from the YouTube Connect app or on the YouTube website via the streamers channel, added the report. In addition, the app will also reportedly add the ability for users to archive previous broadcasts and play them later. Live video streams will support chats, comments and tagging. It will also boast of a central news feed that shows highlights from recent live streams done by your friends or people to whom you subscribe on YouTube. The report further adds that at present, the YouTube Connect app lacks Facebook or Twitter sharing. YouTube has technically been into the livestreaming space thanks to YouTube Gaming. However, a standalone app could put it right in the line with Periscope and Facebook Live Videos which are gradually becoming a hit. YouTube Connect is said to be available on Android and iOS but it is not known at the moment, when the company will release the app. Ringing Bells, the maker of Freedom 251 smartphone is facing new troubles as Noida police has registered an FIR against the company for cheating its customers. The FIR was filed based on the complaint lodged by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. Somaiya alleged that the company is into a ponzy bogus scheme and urged the Noida police to freeze the firms account to protect gullible buyers. He added that Ringing Bells raised funds by issuing misleading ads and used social media to misguide the public. Going forward Somaiya has approached telecom ministry, telecom regulator TRAI, consumer ministry, Sebi, corporate ministry, finance ministry, RBI and state governments to check various concerns that he has on company offering the Freedom 251 smartphone for Rs 251. A case under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (cheating) and the IT Act was registered. The FIR was lodged against the company promoter Mohit Goel and president Ashok Chaddha. Kiran Sivakumar, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gautam Budh Nagar said, After primary investigation of the complaint, we found that its fit for an FIR. A case was lodged and a team was constituted to investigate the case. Anup Singh, deputy superintendent of police (Circle Officer 2), Noida said, We will ask the company to submit the documents required for the investigation. Also, the company will have to show the manufacturing units of the phone which they promised to sell. Mohit Goel, director, Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd said, We remain committed to cooperate with any government agency that may require to inquire our organization for any reason or suspicion. I do maintain that we will deliver the most affordable quality products to our customers through our various range of smart phones, including the Freedom 251. Ringing Bells has been falling into pool of controversies since launch of the Freedom 251, which is Indias cheapest smartphone. Last month the company was accused of alleged fraud, non-payment of dues and abrupt termination of contract by Cyfuture call center. Department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) Secretary Amitabh Kant cleared recently that the Freedom 251 is not a part for Make in India or Digital India initiative. Earlier this month, Adcom announced that it is planning to take a legal action against Ringing Bells as it distributed prototypes to the media attendees that were actually Adcom handsets. source: 1, 2 We know some visitors come to the website because a domain name leads them to here. If you are interested in buying Burger patties don't necessarily have to be made of beef and the usual ingredients. Some restaurants treated the world with their unique creations - burgers with patties made up of ingredients you usually don't see on McDonald's and Burger King. Due to their queerness, the flavors they dish out are something you would want to taste. They can be bought from restaurants across the United States, or you could try whipping one up in your kitchen! Slater's 'Merica Burger Its namesake suggests that it would undoubtedly be the favorite of Americans, largely due to the makeup of its patty. Also known as the 50/50, the burger is made up of 50 percent beef and 50 percent bacon, meat products most Americans love. It is also served with bacon-filled thousand island dressing, a fried egg, and two strips of bacon. However, Serious Eats claims the burger is way too salty to finish. Judging its ingredients, it's also something you would not want to eat regularly - its cholesterol and sodium content is definitely sky high. Chorizo Burger Served at Blind Burro in San Diego, California, the Chorizo burger is a pleasant assault on your taste buds. It mainly made from chorizo, a type of pork sausage, which is turned into a patty. It is topped with melted Oaxaca cheese and spicy poblano peppers. The dish is a spicy mix of Mexican cuisine and the usual burger - safe to say that it's a dynamic duo enough to make you smile. Caramelized Onion Veggie Burger Who says veggie burgers can't be delicious? The base of this patty is made up mainly of lentils, onions, cremini mushrooms, and bread crumbs. This can be made at home from this recipe. Unlike most fast food burgers being served, it barely contains any fat and cholesterol. It's also fairly nutritious, as it is power-packed with protein, iron, and calcium. Top it off with delicious goat cheese, and you have a veggie burger you will definitely love. Do you have any recommended queer burger patty recipes? Tell us in the comments! Miami's elite club-goers can now add more fun to their metal party by spraying magnum Champagne. The Champagne gun is a sparkling and expensive drink that you can pour into glasses or blast it to your pals. The enormous weapon is designed with three finishes - chrome, gold and rose gold - and costs $499. It's able to produce up to 23-foot spray for about 45-second duration. Being introduced by the French-based company, Extra Night, the Champagne Gun is brought to America by U.S distributor Jeremy Touitou. The King of Sparklers hopes that the gun could decorate bars and nightclubs. Touitou excitedly explained how the magnum bottle attached was so easy to use, "With just 'a couple of shake', it shoots steady streams of bubbles". Touitou told Munchies about the Champagne gun market. Touitou knew the Champagne Gun inventor from a French colleague - suggesting Touitou as the 'good fit' to distribute the toys. Years in nightlife industry have earned him a title, 'Sparkler King' due to the only line he sold before branching out to many other products. What happens when you get shot from this weapon? Champagne gun official website claims that the gun is 'completely harmless' and is attachable to any type of magnum bottle of champagne. The site also shares on how to use the champagne gun, either for displays, service or shower. Not into a stream battle? The gun also enables you to pour the champagne in your glass - which is more practical and economical, but less 'wow'. Admitted to sell the guns to Hyde Beach and Seaspice, the sparkler distributor plans to introduce it to more nightclubs in order to expand the 'war territory'. Big spenders who are just as enthusiastic as the VIPs can also bring the toy home, The commercial went viral on the first ten days - shipping 400 units of the gun to clubs. Commenting the sales, Touitou was expecting it to be 'pretty well' but surprisingly it exceeded his expectation. In an article, Food and Wine said researchers are synthetically reproducing anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-Cancer compounds found in a hop. Potentially, they say, it can cure cancer. Natural News, a health blog, had already discussed the potential of hops. Hops are one of the ingredients found in beer. "The hops are used in brewing beer to give it a bitter taste, and that bitter taste comes from humulone, or humulone or a Luulic acid. But apparently it's the hops after brewing, not just the plant itself, that bring the minor health benefits of beer.". Flowers from hops or Humulus lupulus are also known flavoring and ingredient of beer. There were earlier studies suggesting that drinking beer might cure cancer, because of hops in beer. Food and Wine magazine said some good properties of hops were discovered when they used it to preserve beer and to balance out the bitterness in beer. Now scientist and researchers are more interested in hops plant and its medicinal capabilities. "It turns out they are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and may be part of the solution to fighting cancer." Currently, a number of studies are being conducted if it's possible to extract the medicinal benefits of hops to turn it into a cure for the diseases. "Several other international studies have discovered other medicinal possibilities with humulone. A 1995 study using mice from the College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, in Chiba, Japan determined that humulone had anti-cancer properties." During the American Chemical Society in San Diego, Food and Wine reported, that Kristopher Waynant of the University of Idaho is doing an in-depth study on hops. He said, "Being able to synthesize and have available precise analytical standards of these molecules would be beneficial to both brewers and medicinal biologists as reference materials. WebMd described other known benefits of hops "it is used for anxiety, inability to insomnia and other sleep disorders, restlessness, tension, excitability, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), nervousness, and irritability. It is also used to improve appetite, increase urine flow, start the flow of breast milk, as a bitter tonic, and for indigestion. Other uses include prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, high cholesterol, tuberculosis, bladder infections, intestinal cramps" and some other conditions. Although Waynant said hops definitely have great potential, we should all wait until scientific testing has yielded results. The process of harvesting its medicinal benefits should be further developed as well. Harvesting hops' anti-inflammatory and other medicinal benefits by drinking too much beer is not the best cure for any disease anyway. In response to a question at a joint press conference with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri on Wednesday, President Obama said his top priority is to defeat ISIL. Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman of California says although the fight against ISIS is a primary concern of the President, the strategy for combating the terror organization needs to be reviewed, and possibly adjusted. I would say that is our number-one policy in the Middle East, maybe our number-one policy for national security, Sherman told Stuart Varney. What we ought to be doing is changing our rules of engagement for dealing with ISIS. While we say were arming the right rebels in Syria, we insist that they swear that they will not fight against Assad. More on this... Obama: Defeating ISIL is my top priority The Congressman continued, adding: And so for that reason, we have only dozens of fighters on the front lines that have been armed by the United States. We say were bombing ISIS, but only when we think theres a zero percent chance of a single civilian causality. If you run a bombing campaign that way, its not a serious bombing campaign. Intel server chips. Image source: Intel. This morning I came across an article published on The Street titled, "It's Time to Log Off From Intel ." The piece, written by Chris Laudani, goes into quite some detail as to why, if he owned Intel stock, he would sell into the recent rally in the stock. In this article, I'd like to highlight a number of issues with this argument. Are Q1 estimates overly aggressive? Be carefulLaudani notes that current analyst consensus calls for Intel to rake in around $13.9 billion in revenue during its first quarter, which would work out to around 9.2% growth on a year-over-year basis. That might seem aggressive, but investors need to be careful because these year-over-year numbers aren't comparing apples to apples. Remember: Intel acquired programmable logic specialist Altera back in 2015 and the deal closed on Dec. 28, 2015. This means that Altera's financial results will be included in the first-quarter results this year, but they weren't last year, driving a significant portion of the year-over-year increase. To be clear, current estimates call for Intel to hit roughly the midpoint of the guidance range that it issued back in January ($14 billion +/- $500 million on a GAAP basis; $14.1 billion +/- $500 million on a non-GAAP basis). Intel could very well report revenue more to the low end of the guidance range, which would still be a "miss." However, given the lack of a pre-announcement from Intel, a figure outside of that guided range (either to the upside or the downside) is very unlikely. Data center growthIn the article, Laudani asserts that Intel's data center business saw 18% growth in 2014 but that it's "only expected to grow about 9%" this year. I'm not sure where the author got this figure, but on the company's most recent earnings call, CEO Brian Krzanich said the following with respect to growth in this segment: "We are looking at the long view and we are very confident that yes, we will continue into this double-digit growth in the data center." Now, Intel could very well revise this guidance on the upcoming earnings call if things aren't going as planned for the business -- this has often been the case over the last five years -- but there hasn't been much indication from the analyst community that there has been a slowdown in this business segment. The weakness that's been widely reported seems focused exclusively around the PC market. A "ton" of inventory?Laudani makes a similar argument to the one that Bernstein Research's Stacy Rasgon made in a recent note: Intel saw inventories increase by about 20% year over year even as revenue has grown at a substantially lower rate. The worry that Rasgon raised is that if Intel winds up reducing its demand forecast, it will need to cut factory utilization rates, which would be a drag on gross profit margins. This is a fair argument, but Laudani implies that such a scenario would lead to a gross margin impact in the first quarter of the year, which isn't likely. The gross margin impact from such a move would actually come in subsequent quarters (either the second or third, depending on when the factory loadings were cut) as it takes about a quarter to go from wafer start to finished chip that can be sold into the market. The article 3 Problems With This Intel Corp. Bear Argument originally appeared on Fool.com. Ashraf Eassa owns shares of Intel. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Westport's WiNG Power System powers Ford trucks. Source: Westport Innovations After a disastrous 2015, a year when it lost nearly half its value, Westport Innovations Inc. stock has recovered sharply so far in 2016: It's up nearly 29% year to date as of this writing. While critics fear that Westport's impending merger with Fuel Systems Solutions, could delay its turn around, investors are perhaps encouraged by the ongoing strength in sales from Westport's joint venture with Cummins Inc. , which also happens to be its key source of income currently. Westport earned $12.8 million from the Cummins-Westport venture during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 compared to only $0.5 million in the comparable period in 2014. While that is definitely an encouraging sign, it isn't the only reason to be optimistic about Westport's prospects. Fiscal year 2016 could be a game-changer for the company as it takes a giant leap in the alternative-fuel space through its merger with Fuel Systems, even as its partnership with Delphi Automotive starts bearing fruit. To learn the three catalysts that could work in Westport's favor and send the stock higher this year, check out the slideshow below. 3 Reasons Westport Innovations Stock Could Soar from The article 3 Reasons Westport Innovations Inc. Stock Could Soar originally appeared on Fool.com. Neha Chamaria has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Cummins. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Google parent Alphabet. is dismantling its robotics effort after less than three years and aims to sell Boston Dynamics, the legged-robot maker that was the centerpiece of the program, according to people familiar with the matter. The moves reflect internal disagreements about the direction of Boston Dynamics and concerns about Alphabet's ability to make money from robots as the company increases its scrutiny of costs, said the people familiar with the matter. In addition to Boston Dynamics, Google bought at least six other robotics firms in 2013, combined them into a group dubbed Replicant -- a nod to the 1982 science-fiction movie "Blade Runner" -- and tapped Android co-founder Andy Rubin to run it. Alphabet recently dissolved Replicant and assigned its employees to Alphabet's X division that works on long-term "moonshots," said X chief Astro Teller. In an interview, Mr. Teller said the former Replicant employees are trying to repurpose their robotics work into new projects. He said he also told them to prioritize the problems they are trying to solve over developing technology. "Having an identity that's about robots is like saying you all share that you have Apple computers. That's meaningless," Mr. Teller said. He didn't confirm that the Boston Dynamics group was for sale, but he suggested the unit didn't join X because it is unwilling to abandon its humanoid robots. "The ethos they have and the ethos we have weren't super-compatible," Mr. Teller said. "They are some of the most talented roboticists in the world, but in order to be here . . . you have to sign up for our way of doing things." Alphabet will continue to use robots -- such as self-driving cars and delivery drones -- but Mr. Teller said those devices are means to solving larger transportation or logistics problems. Bloomberg previously reported Alphabet's plans to sell Boston Dynamics, a 24-year-old Waltham, Mass., company that began as a spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Videos of Boston Dynamics' robots based on humans and animals have attracted more than 100 million views on YouTube. The people familiar with the matter said Alphabet executives wanted Boston Dynamics to focus on a product that could make money within a few years. When Boston Dynamics executives resisted, Alphabet decided to pursue a sale, the people said. Boston Dynamics didn't respond to requests for comment. Colin Angle, chief executive of consumer-robot firm iRobot Corp., said Boston Dynamics was a poor fit for Alphabet because its robots' distinguishing feature -- their ability to walk on two or four legs -- is primarily useful to the military. But Google said it wouldn't sell Boston Dynamics robots for military purposes. Last year, the company pulled the devices from a high-profile robotics challenge run by the U.S. Defense Department. "Legged robots are valuable in some niche situations, like traversing through jungles and up the sides of mountains -- things that the military is interested in," but most companies aren't, Mr. Angle noted. "The idea that legged robots are key to a practical robot industry is a false notion. What they are is incredibly cool and incredibly difficult" to build. Mr. Rubin's departure from Google in 2014 hurt the internal standing of the robotics group. He told the New York Times in late 2013 that the robotics program had "a 10-year vision." Google executives had envisioned robots that cared for the elderly and loaded groceries into self-driving cars, but that shifted during the past two years. Mr. Rubin declined to comment for this article. Mr. Rubin "left this asset without a clear mission and without someone of his reputation and vision to pull what effectively was [seven] different academically oriented robotics companies into something that would create a meaningful revenue source for Google," Mr. Angle said. By Jack Nicas Yoko Kubota contributed to this article. Source: Samuel Adams The craft brewing category has become big business. All over the country, small brewers pop up offering beer drinkers a better alternative to the stereotypical watered-down, mass-brewed refreshment.Boston Beer Company , the maker of Samuel Adams beer, is the self-proclaimed -- and by many craft brew enthusiasts' admission -- founder of the American craft brew revolution. With annual volume now topping 4,000 barrels and revenue exceeding $1 billion in 2015, can the maker of Samuel Adams still be considered a genuine craft brewer? What impact will this status have on the business going forward? What is a craft brewer?So what exactly does it take to be called a "craft" brewing company? Ask beer aficionados, and you'll probably get a different answer each time. As with many other things that rely on subjective preference, there is no accounting for taste. Despite this fact, the National Brewers Association has come up with a definition of "craft" beer. In its current state, the definition says a "craft" brewery is small (annual production of less than six million barrels), independent (owned 25% or less by a non-craft brewer), and traditional (majority of product is made using traditional or innovative ingredients and methods). The Boston Beer Company technically fits within this framework, but it certainly flirts with the gray area in many consumers' minds. For example, a few years ago, the Brewers Association defined "craft" as less than two million barrels of production, but when Boston Beer exceeded that figure, the number was increased to six million barrels. With the Samuel Adams maker now valued at well over $2 billion in market capitalization and a multitude of small brewing start-ups popping up all over the country -- there are over 2,000 microbreweries or regional breweries in the U.S. -- what do sales numbers indicate about the popularity of Boston Beer offerings? The beer industry by the numbersIn the past couple of years, overall beer sales have been flat. At the same time, craft brew sales have grown by double digits, and craft beer now owns over 20% of total domestic sales. What effect has this trend had on Boston Beer and, for the sake of comparison, the largest U.S. producer, Anheuser-Busch InBev ? Metric The Boston Beer Company Anheuser-Busch InBev 2014 revenue $0.97 billion $47.1 billion 2015 revenue $1.02 billion $43.6 billion 2016 average expected revenue $1.00 billion $42.8 billion 2014 earnings per share $6.69 $5.43 2015 earnings per share $7.25 $5.20 2016 average expected earnings per share $7.80 $4.10 Source: Boston Beer Company and Anheuser-Busch InBev 2015 reports and Yahoo! Finance The figures listed in the chart are consistent with the fact that, in this flat domestic beer sales environment, big producers are losing market share to the little guy. Boston Beer Company has managed to generate ever higher profits in spite of flattening sales in recent years. If the sales numbers continue to be stagnant over time, however, investors can expect profits to eventually follow suit. How can the company avoid following in the wake of bigger producers? Keeping up appearancesAs consumers continue to alter their consumption habits and Samuel Adams' image as a craft beer fades, Boston Beer will be increasingly tasked with recapturing the growth it previously enjoyed. One way in which the company has tried to do so is with new brand start-ups and acquisitions. For example, Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard, and Rebel IPA are beverage brands under the Boston Beer umbrella, but in many ways, they have been able to retain a separate identity and image from the core Samuel Adams business. Boston Beer is not alone in its struggle to regain growth. Other big companies in the consumer goods sector have had to stave off smaller competitors in recent years (think of the fast food industry, for example). I believe that big corporations, the Sam Adams beer maker included, can fight against the transition to small, local, or regional businesses by adding such companies to their portfolios. This type of business model allows the small subsidiary the flexibility to operate independently, make decisions tailored to their specific market, and retain its image as a distinct brand. Jim Koch, founder and CEO of Boston Beer, likes to point out in quarterly earnings his company's unique position to be able to invest in the future. I believe that investments in small brands and craft brews, whether existing or new wholly owned subsidiaries, is one way the company can sustain growth. With this model, Boston Beer would also be able to evolve with a changing business environment while still holding on to its title as the nation's largest craft brewery. The article Can Boston Beer Co Inc Remain Relevant as a Craft Brewer? originally appeared on Fool.com. Nicholas Rossolillo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Boston Beer. The Motley Fool recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Photo: Flickr/Steven Depolo. When you retire, chances are that your investment priorities will change. You'll no longer care as much about growth as you will about generating income and making sure your nest egg is secure. With that in mind, here are three stocks our contributors recommend for retirees. Todd Campbell: It doesn't matter if your plans to celebrate retirement include hiking mountain vistas or sipping espresso in Paris cafes -- the last thing you'll want to do is worry about your portfolio. Although there's no such thing as an entirely worry-free investment, one investment option that may allow you to fret less is Invesco's PowerShares S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility Portfolio . This ETF invests in income-producing stocks that aren't as prone to the type of wild swings that could keep you up at night. For example, its 10 biggest holdings make up about a quarter of its portfolio, and those holdings include steady-eddy companies such as AT&T. Because 80% of its portfolio is made up of mid- and large-cap stocks that pay dividends, the S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility Portfolio ETF also offers retirees an attractive 3.9% dividend yield. Given the chance to worry a bit less while you're taking in the Grand Canyon or Eiffel Tower, this could be the perfect investment to consider owning while celebrating your golden years. Anyone in retirement should constantly be looking for ways to generate income from his or her portfolio, and one smart way is by buying income-producing stocks. One to consider is Brookfield Infrastructure Partners , a master limited partnership that owns a variety of stable, cash-producing infrastructure assets that operate in either regulated industries or under long-term contracts. That lineup provides the company with predictable, recurring revenue, allowing investors to sleep well at night even when the markets go crazy. So what kind of infrastructure does Brookfield own? It's a mixture of incredibly boring but mission-critical assets such as railroads, ports, electricity towers, and telecommunications infrastructure. The company specializes in buying or building key infrastructure assets that produce strong cash flows all over the world, and Brookfield currently operates on five continents. The reason I like Brookfield so much is its top-notch management team. It has a history of investing in distressed markets, which lets it pick out top-quality assets for bargain prices. That approach has allowed the company to generate strong returns on capital, taking its long-term investors on a profitable ride. For example, during the Greek debt crisis the company went shopping in Europe, buying toll roads, ports, gas distribution systems, and more. More recently, it teamed up with energy infrastructure giant Kinder Morgan to jointly acquire the 53% of the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America they didn't already own. Brookfield believes the company will be able to grow organically in the coming years as projects come online, which should help power its own profits higher in the coming years. Brookfield's shares currently yield 5.6%, and management believes that it should be able to grow its distribution by 5% to 9% annually. If the company can do so -- and history suggests that it can -- then investors who buy today should realize a total return in the double digits. That's an attractive proposition, which is why I think this is a great stock for retirees to buy. Matt Frankel: Like Todd, I also have an ETF in mind that's perfect for retirees: the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF . This fund tracks the performance of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index, which is intended to reflect the performance of S&P Composite 1500 companies that have increased their dividends for at least 20 consecutive years. AT&T is a major holding for both funds mentioned here, but their portfolios look rather different otherwise. Just to name a few, the top 10 holdings of the S&P Dividend ETF include some of my favorite REITs for income and long-term growth -- Realty Income Corporation, National Retail Properties, and HCP, Inc. All three of these have delivered market-beating total returns over the past 20 years in addition to their predictable dividend increases. Chevron and Caterpillar are also included in the top 10, and should benefit when commodity prices begin to rebound. The fund pays a dividend yield of just over 3% as of this writing, but more important than the yield is that these are dividends you can count on. These are companies that have increased their dividends each and every year no matter what the economy was doing, and you can be pretty certain that they will continue to do so. The article Celebrate Your Retirement by Purchasing These 3 Stocks originally appeared on Fool.com. Brian Feroldi owns shares of Kinder Morgan. Brian Feroldi has the following options: short January 2018 $30 puts on Kinder Morgan, long January 2017 $35 calls on Kinder Morgan, and short January 2017 $35 puts on Kinder Morgan. Matthew Frankel owns shares of AT&T;, Caterpillar,, Health Care Property Investors,, National Retail Properties,, and Realty Income.. Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chevron and Kinder Morgan. The Motley Fool has the following options: short June 2016 $12 puts on Kinder Morgan. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Source: AT&T Barring an unforeseen change, the coming FCC spectrum auction will likely be the most important story in the telecom industry in 2016, and it's just days away. With mobile data usage soaring, scarce wireless spectrum has become the lifeblood of the wireless industry. Case in point, wireless carriers set a fresh record for spectrum costs when they paid a whopping $45 billion in the FCC's last major spectrum auction in early 2015. Last week, the FCC released its list of the companies that have filed to participate in this year's auction.So without further ado, let's examine the companies to watch in the upcoming auction, and other key details investors should know regarding the looming FCC spectrum auction. Who's in, who's out? As should come as no surprise, major U.S. telecom carriers like AT&T , Verizon Wireless , and T-Mobile all appear on the FCC's list of participants. Sprint's name is nowhere to be found, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. The nation's fourth largest wireless carrier by subscriberspreviously stated that it plans to skip the auction in favor of concentrating on its current turnaround strategy. All told, the list of possible bidders totals 104 total applicants and extends well beyond the usual suspects. The list can be somewhat difficult to parse because the FCC only requires an application to divulge its firm's or individual's legal name, which can easily obfuscate the actual backer for any given entity. However, some commendable background research from The Wall Street Journaluncovered a number of lesser-known, but noteworthy, entities in the FCC's auction participant database.Among them, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of U.S. television stations, and Puerto Rico Telephone Company, which is owned by billionaire Carlos Slim's America Mobile SAB, have both filed to participate in the forthcoming auction. Also of note, an affiliate of John Malone-backed Liberty Global filed to partake in the bidding, though it reportedly no longer plans to do so. A holding company of former Facebook POSITION Chamath Palihapitiya's Social + Capital venture capital fund is also worth noting. Source: T-Mobile Rules of the road The coming spectrum auction will occur in two phases. The first phase will involve current spectrum owners, mostly cable broadcaster with excess spectrum, engaging in a reverse auction to set the price at which broadcasters will sell their spectrum. The following forward auction will then determine the price at which wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will be willing to pay for the available spectrum. Thanks in part to the spectrum it acquired in buying Leap Wireless in 2014, expanding AT&T's spectrum holdings aren't a top priority for the company; AT&T management has signaled it plans to participate in the auction to some extent. Like AT&T, Verizon Communication's spectrum needs are largely covered in the near-term, so it also won't likely be highly active in the coming spectrum auction. For context, AT&T and Verizon are estimated to together control as much as 73% of the low-band spectrum in the U.S. To further its dogged competition with AT&T and Verizon, T-Mobile is widely expected to make a concerted effort to cover its spectrum needs in the FCC auction. Last September, T-Mobile CFO Braxton Carter told attendees of an investor conference that the Un-Carrier could spend as much as $10 billion to address its low-band spectrum needs.So while only time will tell how actual events unfold, telecom investors will certainly want to closely monitor the movements from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more in the coming weeks. The article FCC Releases This Month's Spectrum Auction Participants List originally appeared on Fool.com. Andrew Tonner has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Facebook and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool recommends Liberty Global. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. What happened? The dismantling of General Electric's once-mighty GE Capital financial services unit continues. The Federal Reserve has granted approval to Goldman Sachs to buy GE Capital's online bank deposits, which total roughly $17 billion. The deal was originally agreed to last August; the terms of the purchase remain undisclosed. Image source: Publicdomainpictures via Pixabay. The deposits will be absorbed by Goldman Sachs unit Goldman Sachs Bank. With them,Goldman Sachs Bank will hold approximately $95 billion in total deposits. The Fed's approval of the sale is the latest development in General Electric's attempts to dismantle GE Capital. The company undertook this last April because of stricter regulations for what the Fed deems "systemically important" financial institutions. The Fed's nod is the key approval needed to cement the deal. It is still, however, subject to approval from New York and Utah state regulators. Does it matter?Considering the entirety of the Goldman Sachs financial juggernaut, the GE Capital buy is a drop in the bucket -- at the end of last year, the company had a whale-like $861 billion in total assets. Still, it's always encouraging when a bank widens its asset base, particularly when it scores a good deal in the process (we can assume this was the case, given the fire-sale nature of General Electric's divestment, and Goldman Sachs' strong deal-making abilities). Some General Electric shareholders will be sorry to see the formerly powerful -- and very profitable -- GE Capital continue to melt away. But the company feels it's time to get out of the finance game, and shareholders should welcome this news as a sign it's moving right along with that process. The article Instant Analysis: Fed Approves Goldman's $17 Billion GE Capital Bank Online Deposits Buy originally appeared on Fool.com. Eric Volkman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Revenue from licensed (franchised) restaurants makes up less than 1% of total sales for Texas Roadhouse , but international expansion should help to change that. And while diners might most closely associate Bloomin' Brands' Outback Steakhouse with Texas Roadhouse, investors should look to Starbucks for a better international growth strategy. Source: TexasRoadhouse. Internationalopportunity isabundantBloomin' Brands operates 649 company-owned locations in the U.S., compared with 392 for Texas Roadhouse, and has a significantly larger international presence. There are 217 Outbacks outside the U.S. and only 11 Texas Roadhouses. Being small can have its downsides in business, but in this case it should be music to investors' ears. The Texas Roadhouse growth story is far from over domestically, but the international opportunities have barely been tapped at all. Nearly 75% of international Outback locations are company-owned, and nearly 70% are located in just two markets -- South Korea and Brazil. Texas Roadhouse is following a different international growth plan that should help it to expand more quickly, cover a larger number of markets, and benefit from the localized knowledge of its partners. It recently entered into an agreement with The Bistro Group, which operates a number of international chain restaurants in the Philippines, to bring Texas Roadhouse to Manila. Reports of the deal did not indicate how many restaurants might be opening as part of the deal, but noted that The Bistro Group was also adding Denny's and Moe's to its portfolio of roughly 10 and that The Bistro Group is aiming to open 15 to 17 branches in the first quarter. Manila residents can soon choose their own steak. Source: Texas Roadhouse. While revenue from licensing is less than 1% of total sales at Texas Roadhouse, this type of revenue is more valuable than others. Selling $10,000 worth of steak and receiving a $10,000 check from a licensee both are recorded as $10,000 of revenue, but there are a number of costs associated with the steak. The meat itself costs something, a cook grilled it, and a server brought it to the customer's table. The licensee's check is deposited right in the company's coffers. Hypothetically, let's assume that 95% of franchise royalties and fees are turned into net income. In this case, less than 1% of total sales contributed more than 15% of net income for Texas Roadhouse in 2015. This is the power of franchising. Bloomin' Brands has chosen to focus on two international markets, and to run the day-to-day operations as well. Texas Roadhouse is currently seeking international partners to open restaurants in 27 different countries, ranging in size from Panama and Guam to India, China, and Russia. It would earn more from each location if it were to be company-owned, but there are benefits to franchising. The volume and speed of new openings, the small amount of capital necessary, and the expertise of local partners makes franchising internationally the way to go. Texas Roadhouse is currently a U.S. investment, but franchising could soon change that. It wouldn't surprise me to look up in a few years and see significantly more than 11 Roadhouses outside the country. Domestic growth, including two new concepts, is enough for Texas Roadhouse to be a winning stock. Successfully franchising hundreds of locations worldwide could make it a market-thumping stock. Starbucks as blueprintStarbucks is a vastly different company from Texas Roadhouse in a number of ways, but its international growth plan should be replicated and admired. It partners with local companies, such as Sazaby League in Japan, Tata in India, andPremium Restaurants of America in CentralAmerica, to bring its coffeehouses to new markets. Starbucks relies on the local knowledge that these companies have to know how best to grow in their markets. Texas Roadhouse is doing the same. Launching and operating an American steakhouse chain in Manila, Moscow, and Mexico City each presents its own set of challenges, and it's nice to have a local "guide." Source: Starbucks. Franchising doesn't mean a company is giving up on the possibility of one day owning the locations outright. Starbucks bought full control of its Japanese locations in 2014. It felt that it understood the market enough, had large enough scale, and could operate the stores effectively. There may come a time in Texas Roadhouse's future where it feels the same way about one particular area and reacquires those locations. At the same time, it might have no handle on how to operate in another locale. Then it would make sense to have the local licensee run the day-to day operations and for Texas Roadhouse to sit back and cash the royalty checks. Follow the winnersBy following the path of Starbucks more than that of Bloomin' Brands, Texas Roadhouse is positioning itself to have a lucrative international business. Bloomin' Brands is a more direct comparable, but Starbucks has been the superior company and investment. I like when the companies I own take their cues from huge winners such as Starbucks, and I look forward to seeing Texas Roadhouse's international expansion play out over the next 10 to 20 years. The article Texas Roadhouse Inc. Smartly Enters Philippines Market With a Partner originally appeared on Fool.com. James Sullivan owns shares of Starbucks and Texas Roadhouse. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends Texas Roadhouse. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. In the wake of terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium and reports ISIS has trained 400 fighters and sent them to Europe, Adam Ereli, former State Department spokesman and ambassador to Bahrain, weighed in on the fight against ISIS and efforts to prevent terrorism. I hate to say it but I really think we are facing the new normal. The fact of the matter is, there is a toxic mix of radicalized youth, availability of arms, a lack of governance in large spaces in the Middle East, an interconnected world that makes travel so much easier and finally, a lack of law enforcement and security infrastructure in Europe that makes it a prime target, said Ereli. He also had a bleak outlook on efforts to end terrorism. As horrible as it is, free societies cant make themselves 100% safe and like I said, Im afraid were going to have to learn to live with this. Despite that outlook, Ereli explained why people should have higher expectations for how governments are handling the war on terror. Having said that, citizens should have the right to expect more from their government. I think there are a number of lapses in this latest incident that show areas where they can improve. But again, its going to take time, its going to take money, its going to take people, its going to take training and that doesnt happen overnight so get ready for more basically. More on this... Adam Ereli: Iran is responsible for using religion for state terror Ereli also weighed in on concerns about Iran and its role in terrorism. I think what Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the best thing they are doing, is they are on the front lines against Iran. The fact of the matter is, Iran is responsible for using religion for purposes of state terror. Ereli continued, The model of marrying religious extremism to armed struggle and deploying that in terror units, you know, Iran is the architect and designer and expert par excellence of that sort of tactic. He then explained how the U.S. should deal with Iran politically. So, really, if you want to look at where the U.S. should be putting its political and technical capability and capital, its with friends like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and United Arab Emirates and the other countries of the Gulf not Iran Thirty-five years ago, Tom Danz and his wife, Angela, promised to have and to hold each other for better or for worse. In 2013, the couple proved they truly meant it when Angela was diagnosed with kidney cancer and Tom volunteered as a donor. Fox 5 New York reported that Tom wasnt a donor match, but last week, Angela received a kidney from a donor as part of a three-way swap. A national program that connects transplant patients with donors in other states who have been mismatched with a loved one made Angelas transplant possible. We had to find somebody around the country with a donor that our patient would not react to that was in Missouri, Dr. Frank Darras, medical director of the kidney transplant program at Stony Brook Medicine, who treated Angela, told the news station. Missouri had a similar patient they found a match in Minnesota. They had a donor there who matched with our patient." Angela, who waited for a kidney donor match for 26 months during which she had to undergo dialysis credited her survival to her husband as well as the kindness of strangers. "If it wasn't for donors, my husband included, I wouldn't be here feeling life like I've been reborn," Angela told Fox5NY.com. After months of searching for the source of pain from a toothache, 26-year-old Gemma Wood, of Wiltshire, England, finally got an answer: a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) lodged in her mouth behind her cheekbone. Except four months later, she learned that wasnt the right answer at all, the Sun reported. Turns out, Wood, a mother of two, had been misdiagnosed and, by the time she received the proper diagnosis, rhabdomyosarcoma in July 2015, the cancer had spread to her lungs. Wood had been four months into chemotherapy for the NET, a cancer that affects the neuroendocrine system, when she learned of the misdiagnosis. My world fell apart, Wood, now 27, told the Sun. The University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, under which Wood sought treatment, said in a statement to the Sun that Woods medical history is complicated and that testing of her initial biopsy did not indicate rhabomyosarcoma, which is a soft-tissue cancer. This has destroyed all my faith in doctors, Wood told the Sun. "I've even had to have counseling just to help me continue with chemotherapy because I get so scared about going back to hospital now. Now, Wood and her husband, Karl, parents to 2-year-old Sophia-Louise and 7-year-old Mason-Lee, are trying to raise 500 Euro on a GoFundMe.com page to throw a party with 150 loved ones to forget cancer for a night. "There's a chance I won't have a very long life. I don't know how long I'll be here for, Wood told the news site, so I want to make memories with my family while I can. After her sister committed suicide last month, Eleni Pinnow took an unusual approach in writing the obituary: "Aletha Meyer Pinnow, 31, of Duluth, formerly of Oswego and Chicago, Ill., died from depression and suicide on Feb. 20, 2016," reads the first line in the Duluth News Tribune of Minnesota. Most would have hidden those details, and Pinnow explains in the Washington Post why she did exactly the opposite. "Depression lies," she writes. "I will tell the truth." In her sister's case, depression told Aletha that she was worthless, not worthy of life and love. "I imagine these lies were like a kind of permanent white noise in her lifea running narration of how unworthy she was." As the obituary put it, depression "made her innate glow invisible to her," making her unable to recognized how deeply she was adored by her family and friends. After years of enduing this, Alethathe "hilarious, kind, generous, helpful, silly, and loving sister" who worked as a special education teacher for more than a decade and loved her students "with a ferocity that would make a rabid mother bear quiver"ended the torment by taking her own life. Pinnow writes that she's made her sister's story public to help others with depression avoid a similar spiral into isolation and self-deception. "Here is the truth: You have value. You have worth. You are loved," she writes. "Trust the enormous chorus of voices that say only one thing: you matter." Click to read the full piece, or to read the original obituary, which contains information about a scholarship fund in her sister's name. This article originally appeared on Newser: In Obituary, She Tells Painful 'Truth' of Sister's Depression More From Newser A bill that aims to protect babies born to mothers who used heroin or other opioids during pregnancy was introduced on Wednesday in the House as part of the government's response to a Reuters investigation. The bipartisan measure would require federal and state governments to do a better job of monitoring the health and safety of babies born drug-dependent. Last week - and also in response to the Reuters investigation - a similar bill moved to the Senate floor and the U.S. Health and Human Services Department pledged reforms. "We must do everything we can to safeguard the most vulnerable among us," Representative Lou Barletta, a Pennsylvania Republican, said in a statement on Wednesday. Barletta is the bill's prime sponsor. Reuters found that 110 U.S. children who were exposed to opioids while in the womb later died preventable deaths at home - and that thousands more each year do not receive social supports required by a 2003 law. The news agency also found that no more than nine states comply with this law, which calls on hospitals to alert social workers whenever a baby is born dependent on drugs. The House bill would require states to report each year the number of infants identified as born drug-dependent, and the number for whom plans of safe care are developed. The bill also calls for the distribution of "best practices" to social workers developing plans of safe care for the newborns and their caretakers. "This legislation puts families at the center of care and ensures that babies and mothers affected by substance use disorders get the help they need," the lead Democratic sponsor, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, said in a statement. The bill follows a hearing last week in which Representative John Kline, chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee and a cosponsor of the bill, quizzed a senior Obama administration official on the federal government's enforcement of the 2003 law and the Reuters series. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell told Kline that her agency has revamped its policies and planned to be "more proactive" with states. Thus far, she said, HHS has directed South Carolina to resolve unspecified problems. All other states have been directed to update HHS by June on their social service efforts to help drug-dependent babies and their parents. Last Saturday, a desperate woman in Vancouver, Washington, got coffee at the Dutch Bros. drive-through. Her 37-year-old husband had died the day before, and while getting coffee, she lost her composure. When baristas Pierce Dunn and Evan Freeman figured out what was going on, they said, Theres nothing more you need to say. We got this. Were going to do what we do every time we get someone whos in pain or hurt. We're going to give [you] our love. And the way they offered their love was by reaching out the window, taking her hand, and praying for her. The two baristas had no idea someone snapped a picture of them, nor did they realize it would go viral before the weekend was over. Fortunately for them, it resulted in a generally positive response, but it could have just as easily resulted in a backlash. Religious expression isnt looked upon too favorably by some people these days and its not just in settings like high schools, which run the risk of being coercive environments. Its in the public square. For example, theres oftentimes outright vitriol over an openly-Christian celebrity like Tim Tebow, who has been relentlessly mocked for his open expressions of faith. Social media is rife with screeds ridiculing people who offer faith as a basis for their worldview. And if there are religious characters on TV, it is rare that they are thoughtful or admirable in any way. The message is clear: Keep your faith behind closed doors, and most adults do but not Pierce Dunn and Evan Freeman. Good for them. While it might occasionally offend someone at the drive-through (and might even put the baristas jobs at risk), I say go for it. I want to live in a world where other grownups can have differing points of view without folks having a panic attack. I want to live in a world where a Christian or a Muslim or a Hare Krishna can passionately and politely proselytize others without it causing all kinds of irreparable hurt feelings. Its a big world out there, folks, and there are people searching for answers. Thank God there are folks like Pierce and Evan who are willing to provide the best one they can think of. It may run the risk of hurting some feelings, but if you ask that woman they prayed for last Saturday, I bet she will tell you its worth it. And I tend to agree. One Easter weekend, I accompanied my father, Charles Colson, to a prison in South Carolina. We held a worship service on Death Row, and about 20 men came out of their cells to sing songs and listen to my dad give a message about the resurrection of Jesus. My father, whose books on Christian life and thought have sold more than 5 million copies, could have spent Easter weekend in more influential pulpits. He could have commanded an audience of thousands of Christians who were well-resourced and well-connected, rather than men in prison jumpsuits. But instead, every Easter for decades following his release from prison in 1975 for a Watergate-related crime until his death in 2012, he chose to go back behind bars to celebrate with the incarcerated. My father understood that if we want to change the world, we must start behind bars. The criminal justice system may not seem like the place to initiate cultural renewal, but no place could be better. When our nations 2.2 million prisoners are held in conditions that do little to help address the roots of criminal behavior, they remain likely to continue in a criminal lifestyle after they are released. Prisoners might seem like improbable standard bearers for cultural transformation, but my dad believed wholeheartedly that whenever prisoners are transformed, they will transform the culture of their prisons and society at large. Of the more than 600,000 prisoners who are released each year, two-thirds will be re-arrested within three years. When their parents come home from prison stuck in the same criminal behaviors, the one in 28 American children with an incarcerated parent continue to suffer. New victims are created. Communities remain stuck in cycles of crime, incarceration and poverty. There is a better way. Prison officials, departments of corrections, faith groups and other organizations can work together to create a more restorative prison cultureone that offers the perpetrators of crime an opportunity to face proportional accountability for their actions, make amends and prepare to be good citizens and good neighbors upon their release. For example, Prison Fellowships Warden Exchange convenes corrections professionals who exchange innovative ideas and best practices for the moral rehabilitation of prisoners. These practices create correctional environments that respect human dignity, improve safety and reduce the likelihood that released prisoners will commit new offenses. Prisons are full of untapped potential. Under the right conditions, many peoplelike my fathercan pay their debt to society, prepare for a new future and make the most of their second chance. A variety of prison programs that address the roots of criminal behavior through education, mentoring, substance-abuse treatment and more have been shown to reduce recidivism. Legislation based on restorative values can support this goal. The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, now making its way through Congress, would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons to implement and incentivize programming to reduce rates of re-offense. This is good news not just for prisoners but for everyone affected by crime and incarceration. When recidivism rates go down, more children grow up seeing their parents outside of a prison waiting room. There are fewer victims. Communities have a chance to flourish as they benefit from the contributions of members who are successfully reintegrating. At the first Easter, mourners gathered at the tomb of a man who had been executed with criminals. There seemed to be no future for his followers, a small group of poorly educated misfits with no worldly power or influence. And yet, the nascent Christian movement transformed the culture of the Roman Empire and the entire modern history of the world. When my dad spent Resurrection Sunday behind bars with prisoners, including those condemned to die, he often invoked that first Easter, where the hope of the Gospel emerged from a sealed tomb that was supposed to be as secure as any prison. Prisoners might seem like improbable standard bearers for cultural transformation, but my dad believed wholeheartedly that whenever prisoners are transformed, they will transform the culture of their prisons and society at large. Many people have already emerged from correctional environments to make significant contributions to society. My father founded the nations largest ministry to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice. A woman who was once featured on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted List founded Angel Tree, the Prison Fellowship program that has brightened Christmas for millions of children. Meanwhile, our organization's senior vice president of advocacy, who fights every day for a more restorative criminal justice system, is a recovering alcoholic with an arrest record. Many more people with a conviction in their past have great contributions still to make in the future. A more constructive prison culture can help give them a chance to improve their communities and our country. As Easter reminds us, the change the world most needs sometimes comes from unexpected places. What is the connection between personal freedom and rising from the dead? When America was in its infancy and struggling to find a culture and frustrated at governance from Great Britain, the word most frequently uttered in speeches and pamphlets and editorials was not "safety" or "taxes" or "peace"; it was "freedom." Two acts of Parliament broke the bonds with the mother country irreparably. The first was the Stamp Act, which was enforced by British soldiers who used general search warrants issued by a secret court in London to rummage through the personal possessions of any colonists they chose, ostensibly looking to see whether they had purchased the governments stamps. A general search warrant, as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court issues in America today, did not specifically describe the person or place to be searched -- which our Constitution now requires. Rather, these warrants were authority for the bearer to search wherever he pleased and seize whatever he wanted -- and it remains so today despite what the Constitution says. The second intolerable act in the Colonial era was the imposition of a tax to pay for the Church of England, which all adult male property-owning colonists were forced to pay, no matter their religious beliefs. The Stamp Act assaulted the right to be left alone in the home, and the Church of England tax assaulted the freedom to retain ones earnings and to choose to support ones own means of worship. These two laws caused many colonists to realize they needed to secede from Britain and form their own country, in which freedom would be protected by the government, not assaulted by it. Today the loss of freedom comes in many forms. Sometimes it is direct and profound, as when Congress acts like a general legislature that can right any wrong, regulate any activity and tax any event; and the courts permit it to do so. Sometimes it is subtler -- for example, when the government prints money to pay its bills and, as a result, all the money and assets we already have lose much of their value. Sometimes the government steals freedom without our knowing it, such as when the National Security Agency reads our email and text messages and listens to our phone calls without a proper search warrant. Freedom is the ability of every person to exercise personal free will without a government permission slip. Free will is a characteristic we share in common with God. He created us in His image and likeness. As He is perfectly free, so are we. When the government takes away our free will, the government steals a gift from God; it violates the natural law; it prevents us from having and utilizing the means to seek the truth. The exercise of free will to seek the truth is a natural right that all humans possess, and the government may only morally interfere with that exercise when one has been convicted of using fraud or force to interfere with the exercise of someone elses natural rights. We know from events 2,000 years ago, which Christians commemorate and celebrate this week, that freedom is the essential means to discover and unite with the truth. To Christians, the personification, the incarnation and the perfect manifestation of truth is Jesus -- who is the Christ, the Son of God and the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the first Holy Thursday, Jesus attended a traditional Jewish Passover Seder. Catholics believe that at His last supper, Jesus performed two miracles so that we could stay united to Him. He transformed ordinary bread and wine into His own body, blood, soul and divinity, and He empowered His disciples and their successors to do the same. On the first Good Friday, the government executed Jesus because it was convinced that by claiming to be the Son of God, He might foment a revolution against it. He did foment a revolution, but it was in the hearts of men and women. The Roman government had not heard of a revolution of the heart, so it condemned Him to death by crucifixion. Jesus had the freedom to reject this horrific event, but He exercised His free will so that we might know the truth. The truth is that He would rise from the dead. On Easter, three days after He died, that manifestation was completed when He did rise from the dead. By doing that, He demonstrated to us that while living, we can liberate our souls from the slavery of sin and our free will from the oppression of the government; and after death, we can rise to be with Him. Easter -- which manifests our own immortality -- is the linchpin of human existence. With it, life is worth living, no matter its costs or pains. Without it, life is meaningless, no matter its fleeting joys or triumphs. Easter has a meaning that is both incomprehensible and simple. It is incomprehensible that a human being had the freedom to rise from the dead. It is simple because that human being was and is God. Jesus is the hypostatic union -- not half God and half man and not just a godly good man but truly and fully God and, at the same time, truly and fully man. When the Roman government killed the man Jesus, it killed God. When the man Jesus rose from His tomb, God rose from the dead. What does Easter mean? Easter means that theres hope for the dead. If theres hope for the dead, theres hope for the living. But like the colonists who fought the oppression of the king, we the living can only achieve our hopes if we have freedom. And that requires a government that protects freedom, not one that assaults it. Happy Easter. Americas Christian bakers and florists and wedding planners will be safe under a Ted Cruz presidency. I am absolutely convinced in my discussions with the senator that religious liberty will be a lot better off in America with a Cruz administration, said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and Chair of Cruzs Religious Liberty Advisory Council. Click here to join Todds American Dispatch a must-read for Conservatives! The council released exclusively to me its initial recommendations for both legislative and executive actions that will restore the nations First Freedom the freedom of religion. Unfortunately, this freedom has been systematically undermined and even assaulted under the policies of the current administration and previous Congresses, Perkins said. The council, made up of prominent religious leaders, recommended 15 action items that will protect Americans from discrimination by the federal government on the basis of their view of marriage and also protect employers threatened by the HHS contraception mandate. The council is also calling on Cruz to direct a review of the IRS treatment of religious organizations and to direct federal agencies to respect the free exercise of religion. These are the policies that he is going to pursue, Perkins told me. He is absolutely committed to the issue of religious liberty. So will a Cruz presidency defend and protect small business owners facing assault for refusing to violate their religious beliefs? Yes, Perkins told me. Among the policies recommended to Cruz: - Rescind Executive Order 13672 an order that requires certain federal contractors to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; - Direct all federal agencies to stop interpreting sex to include sexual orientation and/or gender identity. - Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate its requirement that all employers include coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptive methods and sterilization procedures; - Direct the IRS to review all of its current guidance regarding religious organizations and issue clarifying guidance to the extent to which religious organization and religious leaders are able to engage in speech regarding political issues and candidates; - Review and clarify existing Department of Education guidance on prayer at school to ensure it adequately explains the rights of students, teachers and other employees to live out their faith. The council also urged Cruz to protect the religious liberty of military personnel especially the rights of chaplains. Cruz has been a passionate advocate of religious liberty for years. Hes been in the front line trenches defending our First Freedom helping secure courtroom victories to preserve the Texas Ten Commandments monument and the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial. As president, I have pledged on my first day in office to rescind every single one of President Obamas unconstitutional executive actions, and to direct every federal agency to respect and protect the religious liberty of every American, Cruz said. His vow is certainly welcome news to American Christians who have been subjected to eight years of vicious attacks by militant LGBT and atheist groups not to mention the Obama administration. Our constitutional liberties should not be subject to the whims of the current administration, and whether Hobby Lobby or the Little Sisters of the Poor people of faith should not be made to bow down at the altar of political correctness, Cruz said. And Senator Cruz is not just blowing holy smoke. Hes assembled a powerful group of religious leaders with impeccable credentials. Cruzs religious liberty council includes Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Tony Beam, North Greenville University; David and Jason Benham; former Ambassador Ken Blackwell; Teresa Collett, University of St. Thomas; Jim Garlow, Skyline Church; Mark Harris; First Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC; Jack Hibbs, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills; Bishop Harry Jackson, Hope Christian Church; Richard Lee, president of Theres Hope America; Everett Piper, Oklahoma Wesleyan University; Jay Richards, The Catholic University of America; Steve Riggle, Grace Community Church; Samuel Rodriguez, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; and Kelly Shackelford, First Liberty Institute. Its a faith-based Justice League. And if Cruz follows their suggestions, American Christians will be able to sleep soundly at night. The Republican field has narrowed and so has the race for the partys nomination: front-runner Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are within the margin of error in a new Fox News national poll on the 2016 election. Trump remains in the top spot with 41 percent support among GOP primary voters, while Cruz has 38 percent. John Kasich gets 17 percent. Since mid-February, support for both Cruz and Kasich has doubled, and support for Trump is up five points. Of course in the meantime, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, and Marco Rubio dropped out of the race. CLICK HERE TO READ THE POLL RESULTS The poll finds that by a 48-35 percent margin, Cruz bests Trump among very conservative voters. White evangelical Christians give the edge to Trump: 43 percent vs. Cruzs 39 percent. Republicans ages 55+ prefer Trump (50 percent) over Cruz (30 percent) and Kasich (15 percent). By a 59-35 percent margin, Republican primary voters prefer the nomination go to the candidate with the most votes (delegates) rather than allowing the party some flexibility if there is no majority winner. Even Cruz supporters are slightly more likely to agree with this (47-44 percent). On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton receives 55 percent support for the nomination among Democratic primary voters, while Bernie Sanders gets 42 percent. Thats a change from last month when Sanders held a three-point edge nationally after his dominant New Hampshire primary win. Fifty-six percent of GOP primary voters are extremely interested in the presidential election. Just 43 percent of Democratic primary voters feel that way. Interviews for the poll were conducted Sunday through Tuesday evenings. Election contests were held Tuesday in Arizona, Idaho, and Utah. In addition, the Islamic extremist group ISIS claimed responsibility for deadly attacks Tuesday in Brussels. The poll shows a 54-percent majority favors temporarily banning non-U.S. Muslims from entering the United States. That includes 69 percent of Republicans, 55 percent of independents, and 39 percent of Democrats. Campaign-event Violence Voters are most likely to blame anti-Trump protesters for violence at the candidates rallies. Overall, 70 percent feel the protesters are very (41 percent) or somewhat (29 percent) responsible for the violence. Sixty-three percent of voters think Trump supporters are at least somewhat responsible, while 61 percent say the candidate himself is. Less than half of GOP primary voters blame Trump personally (45 percent) or his supporters (48 percent). Fully 78 percent blame the protesters. The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,016 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from March 20-22, 2016. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters and five points for both the Democratic (410) and Republican (388) primary voter samples. Responding to reports of voters waiting in line for hours to cast their votes in Arizona's primary Tuesday, the mayor of the state capital is asking the federal government to investigate the distribution of polling locations that may have put undue burden on minorities' ability to vote. Voting in Maricopa County, the state's most populous county where Phoenix is located, lasted until after midnight, more than five hours after polls officially closed. In a letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said that the ratio in polling locations in white communities were "far more favorable" than in parts of Maricopa County with higher minority populations, and resulted in hours-long waits and possibly many voters choosing not to vote because of the long lines. Stanton also decried the decrease in the number of total polling locations in 2016 compared with the 2012 and 2008 presidential primaries. "Because of the unacceptably disparate distribution of polling locations, I respectfully request the U.S. Department of Justice investigate what took place in Maricopa County to ensure all voters are treated equally under the law," Stanton wrote. Stanton's letter mentions that since 2006, Arizona election officials have rejected more than 121,000 provisional ballots and 46,000 mail-in ballots. The mayor also decries a law state officials approved that "aims to suppress voter turnout" by making it a felony for volunteers to turn in another person's early ballot. Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com An Alabama constitutional amendment proposal would legally define a fetus as a person from the moment of fertilization and would bring an end to abortion in the state. State Rep. Ed Henry, R-Decatur, sponsored the bill, which is similar to legislation that had already been voted down in Mississippi, Colorado and North Dakota. An Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling in 2012 said the proposed amendment was unconstitutional. "To me, science makes it clear that it (life) begins at fertilization," Henry said. The House Health Committee debated but didnt vote on the amendment. Brock Boone, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, called the bill an "attack on women." Boone said the amendment would ban abortion in cases of rape and incest, and could render some forms of birth control the "legal equivalent of homicide." "Proponents of this bill sound less and less concerned about the well-being of embryos and more and more concerned about hostility toward women," Boone said. Boone also said during his remarks that the bill made him ashamed to be from Alabama, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Henry responded to Boone saying, we have open borders and hes free to leave. Dr. Jim Belyeu, an OB/GYN, called a fetus totally separate from the mother as he spoke in favor of the bill. "The mother only contributes the egg and the incubator," Belyeu said. Republicans didnt speak on the bill, but two Democrats on the committee, Rep. John Knight and Rep. Peblin Warren, said they hoped supporters would show equal support for other programs that help children. "I would hope we will be equally as passionate about the 550,000 children on Medicaid," Knight said. "We've got to be passionate about taking care of the children who are here, and I don't see that same passion." If the House and the Senate approve the bill, Alabamians would vote on the amendment in November. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The battle for Marco Rubio's delegates already is under way, as the remaining Republican presidential candidates compete for the dozens who -- in the case of a contested convention -- would be up for grabs even before the first vote in Cleveland. Under the complex rules governing each state's primary, at least 80 of Rubio's 166 delegates will be unbound before the July convention, meaning free to vote for whomever they choose. Donald Trump still is trying to clinch the nomination outright by winning the necessary 1,237 delegates -- but if he doesn't, Rubio's delegate stash could be a deciding factor on the floor. Campaigns are wasting no time vying for their support. The unbound ones were going after pretty strongly, Barry Bennett, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told FoxNews.com. We arent going to waste resources on them, but if youre 'wooable' we plan to woo. The former candidate's delegates might be tough for the front-runner to win over, though, particularly as Rubio himself describes Ted Cruz as the only true conservative left in the race. These delegates dont look like Trump voters, Rick Wilson, a GOP strategist and a Rubio supporter, told FoxNews.com. These are activists, long-time members of the party, theyre a different flavor of voter. He said the delegates will probably trickle off to Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich or even an outside candidate, as opposed to Trump. The rest of the Rubio delegates will be operating under different rules. Nineteen will be reassigned to other candidates, while the remainder would become unbound after either the first or second ballot, if there is a contested convention. The unbound delegates are going to play a key role, Wilson said. The numbers are going to be very close and theres going to be a lot of outreach from Cruz or Kasich or any potential outsider, Wilson said. For context, at the last contested convention in 1976, President Gerald Ford won the nomination over then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan by a skin-of-the-teeth 60 votes. Rubio has not formally endorsed anyone yet, though he has made some positive comments toward Cruz, raising the likelihood that Rubio might back his fellow Cuban-American Senate colleague. While an endorsement does not bind a candidates delegates to that choice, it would act as a powerful recommendation. However, Trumps campaign disagrees with the narrative of Rubio delegates ignoring Trump and going to either Kasich or Cruz. We have been pleasantly surprised with our conversations [with delegates] thus far and have secured commitments from some Rubio delegates and Bush delegates so we feel pretty good, Bennett told FoxNews.com. I know thats contrary to the narrative but we feel good. Bennett also raised the possibility that delegates who line up behind Cruz are just backing him until the convention, at which point his support will evaporate as they line up behind a more moderate candidate. "This is where I think Cruz is being taken for a ride," Bennett said. "The establishment is using him because they want to get to the second ballot, and then they'll pretend they've never heard of him." In a blistering rebuke of the IRS, a Cincinnati-based federal appeals court has ordered the tax-collecting agency to quit stalling and produce the names of organizations it targeted based on their political leanings. The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit gave the IRS two weeks to turn over the documents sought as part of a class-action lawsuit brought by the NorCal Tea Party Patriots. The lawyers in the Department of Justice have a long and storied tradition of defending the nations interests and enforcing its laws The conduct of the IRSs attorneys in the district court falls outside that tradition, the opinion said. Mark Meckler, president of Citizens for Self-Governance which is funding the class-action lawsuit, applauded the court's bold comments. We are very pleased that the 6th Circuit had smacked down the IRS and its thuggish DOJ lawyers, Meckler told FoxNews.com, adding that he felt the IRS is an unredeemable organization. The NorCal Tea Party Patriots sued the IRS in 2013 after a Treasury inspector general concluded the IRS had unfairly singled out for extra scrutiny conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. For the civil suit, the NorCal Tea Party Patriots requested information from the IRS detailing the organizations targeted -- information they say they have not received or has been wrapped up in legal red tape. The panel of federal judges agreed. The lawsuit has progressed as slowly as the underlying applications themselves: at every turn the IRS has resisted the plaintiffs requests for information regarding the IRSs treatment of the plaintiff class, eventually to the open frustration of the district court, the judges claimed in court documents. The IRS has pushed back on the allegations and maintains that handing over the names and organizations on its Be on the Look Out list would violate privacy laws. A lower district court has twice ordered the IRS to produce the documents. In response, the IRS sought a writ of mandamus to block the court order. Tuesdays angry reprimand by the federal appeals court is in response to the IRSs writ of mandamus. The district court ordered production of those lists, and did so again over an IRS motion to reconsider. Yet, almost a year later, the IRS still has not complied with the courts orders. Instead the IRS now seeks from this court a writ of mandamus, an extraordinary remedy reserved to correct only the clearest abuses of power by a district court, Judge Raymond Kethledge wrote. We deny the petition. The panel of judges gave the IRS two weeks to start handing over the documents. In the 17-page opinion, Kethledge laid out a list of requests NorCal made to the IRS that were either ignored entirely or stuck in a legal runaround. In one, the IRS demanded NorCal provide 3,000 pages of what the inspector general called unnecessary information. In turn, the IRS then claimed it would be "unduly burdensome" for it to provide such information as the names of IRS employees who worked on the case. The IRS told FoxNews.com it does not comment on pending litigation. A lawsuit thought to have been filed by the man who shot former U.S. Rep Gabrielle Giffords in a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz. in 2011 apparently is a hoax. Cosme Lopez, with the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Arizona, said attorneys for convicted killer Jared Lee Loughner notified the court that Loughner didn't file or authorize the lawsuit. As reported by Tucson News Now, it had been suspected the suit could be a hoax. Loughner is serving seven consecutive life sentences, plus 140 years, for the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting that killed six people and wounded 13, including Giffords. The "suit" seeks $25 million in damages and was apparently filed in the U.S. District Court of Arizona on Friday, March 18. However, Tucson News Now reported that it is similar to the hoax court filing that Jason Brian Dalton the Uber driver accused of killing six people in a shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, Mich. allegedly filed on March 15. Tucson News Now reported that Daltons fake lawsuit and the Arizona suit both bare similar traits. They both have the same three stamps in the right corner, similar handwriting styles and are postmarked in Philadelphia. The two-page complaint obtained by the news outlet said Loughner is innocent and was "hand-picked" to be an assassin. "My incarceration is illegal. I am actually innocent. I was framed," the complaint says. It claims the government put a chip in his head to control his mind, and that Giffords was not actually shot. Instead, it claims she is part of a "global plot to take away our civil liberties" and it was all an act she learned by watching Ronald Reagan movies. The complaint also refers to "the Illuminati," which it claims Giffords is a member of, and says he is being subjected to "microwave testing" and waterboarding "on defendant's direct orders." According to a note from a federal official obtained by Tuscon News Now, the lawsuit is not in proper form and can be rejected by the court on that grounds. Click for more from Tucson News Now. The Associated Press contributed to this report. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said Wednesday that the Brussels terror attacks may have been a proxy effort to target Americans, as officials continue to scramble to determine how many Americans were in fact injured in the bombings. The top-ranking House lawmaker pointed to the location of the attacks near the counters of U.S. airlines at the Brussels airport, and a subway station near the U.S. embassy in making the claim. He said both are locations with the potential for American casualties. I am worried that this was indeed some type of attack on Americans -- not just Americans, clearly it is our allies too, Nunes said. I think it is possible that it was a proxy. The locations to me clearly were where Americans would be. Nunes made clear he had no concrete evidence for the claims, describing his comments as his own assessment. American Airlines already has corrected initial, erroneous reports that one of the bombs Tuesday went off at the airlines counter in Brussels. An intelligence source told Fox News earlier this week that the bombers appeared to target the highest concentration of passengers, rather than a specific airline. American Airlines was not in either location. However, the attacks still occurred near the counters for American, United and Delta all American companies. Further, the subway stop targeted on Tuesday, the Maelbeek station, is just blocks away from the American embassy, as well as the Turkish and British and other major embassies. It is also near the offices for a United Nations information center, the Council of the European Union, Google Brussels, and the International Press Centre (IPC) housing foreign journalists. Nunes speculated about the true target as some Americans remain unaccounted for in the wake of the attacks. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday about a dozen Americans were injured during the bloody morning but couldnt confirm if any citizens were killed. "It's a very fluid situation on the ground there," Toner told CNN. "We're still getting information, we're still trying to seek out the whereabouts of American citizens ... Obviously, Brussels on any given day, is chock full of American citizens." Fox News Chad Pergram and Catherine Herridge contributed to this report. North Carolina legislators decided to rein in local governments by approving a bill Wednesday that prevents cities and counties from passing their own anti-discrimination rules. Gov. Pat McCrory later signed the legislation, which dealt a blow to the LGBT movement after success with protections in cities across the country. The Republican-controlled General Assembly took action after Charlotte city leaders last month approved a broad anti-discrimination measure. Critics focused on language in the ordinance that allowed transgender people to use the restroom aligned with their gender identity. McCrory, who was the mayor of Charlotte for 14 years and had criticized the local ordinance, signed the legislation Wednesday night that he said was "passed by a bipartisan majority to stop this breach of basic privacy and etiquette." Although 12 House Democrats joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill in the afternoon, later all Senate Democrats in attendance walked off their chamber floor during the debate in protest. Remaining Senate Republicans gave the legislation unanimous approval. "We choose not to participate in this farce," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue of Raleigh said after he left the chamber. Senate leader Phil Berger of Eden said the Democrats' decision to leave was a "serious breach of their obligation to the citizens that voted to elect them." Republicans and their allies have said intervening is necessary to protect the safety of women and children from "radical" action by Charlotte. There have been arguments that any man perhaps a sex offender could enter a woman's restroom or locker room simply by calling himself transgender. "It's common sense biological men should not me be in women's showers, locker rooms and bathrooms," said GOP Rep. Dean Arp of Monroe before the chamber voted 82-26 for the legislation after nearly three hours of debate. Gay rights leaders and transgender people said the legislation demonizes the community and espouses bogus claims about increasing the risk of sexual assaults. They say the law will deny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people essential protections needed to ensure they can get a hotel room, hail a taxi or dine at a restaurant without fear. "McCrory's reckless decision to sign this appalling legislation into law is a direct attack on the rights, well-being and dignity of hundreds of thousands of LGBT North Carolinians and visitors to the state," Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement. Civil liberties groups pledged to push for repeal and were weighing legal options. A Thursday evening rally was planned. GOP leaders scheduled the one-day session at the cost of $42,000 because Charlotte's ordinance was set to take effect April 1. Otherwise, the legislature wouldn't have returned until late April. Current Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who pressed to get the anti-discrimination ordinance approved, said she was appalled by the legislature's actions. "The General Assembly is on the wrong side of progress. It is on the wrong side of history," Roberts said in a prepared statement. But McCrory said in a release "the basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings" was violated by "government overreach and intrusion" by Roberts and the city council. The law bars local governments statewide from prohibiting discrimination in public places based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A new statewide nondiscrimination law included doesn't contain those specific protections. It directs all public schools, government agencies and public college campuses to require bathrooms or locker rooms be designated for use only by people based on their biological sex. They can offer single-occupancy facilities. Transgender people who have transitioned to the opposite sex wouldn't be affected if they get their birth certificate changed. Democrats said the measure makes North Carolina less inclusive and interferes with local governments. They say the state could also risk billions in federal education dollars with the school policy. Ordinance supporters and opponents spoke to legislators in House and Senate committees. They included Skye Thompson, 15, of Greenville, who was born female but now identifies as male. He told senators they were putting him in danger by requiring use of a women's restroom. "I've dealt with bullying my whole life and now I worry that my own state lawmakers are bullying me as well. I feel bullied by you guys," Thompson said. Donna Eaton of Cary said everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect but is worried that without Wednesday's legislation "it's going to open the door for people with malicious intent who would masquerade as transgenders to come in and actually take advantage and have access to our kids." Legislation requiring transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding with their birth gender have failed recently. South Dakota's legislature failed to override Gov. Dennis Daugaard's veto and a similar bill in Tennessee bill died Tuesday. The new law also would also make clear local governments can't require area businesses to pay workers above the current minimum wage, with some exceptions. McCrory said that although items beyond the bathroom-related provisions in the legislation should have waited until later this spring for debate, he signed it anyway because it doesn't change existing rights under state or federal law. The web portal used by millions of consumers to get health insurance under President Barack Obama's law has logged more than 300 cybersecurity incidents and remains vulnerable to hackers, nonpartisan congressional investigators said Wednesday. The Government Accountability Office said none of the 316 security incidents appeared to have led to the release of sensitive data on HealthCare.gov, such as names, birth dates, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial information, or other personal information. Most of the incidents over nearly 18 months seemed to have involved electronic probing by hackers. HealthCare.gov offers subsidized private health insurance for people who don't have access to workplace coverage. Although GAO said the administration is making progress, its report concluded that security flaws "will likely continue to jeopardize the confidentiality, integrity and availability of HealthCare.gov." Investigators identified weaknesses protecting sensitive information that flows through a key part of the system, called the data services hub. Operating behind the scenes, the hub pings federal agencies such as Social Security, IRS and Homeland Security to verify the personal details of consumers. The report also found "significant weaknesses" in health insurance sites operated by states, which connect to the data hub. Currently, 12 states and Washington, D.C., run their own websites. Federal computer systems from the Defense Department to the White House are frequent targets for hackers. The HealthCare.gov incidents took place between October 2013 and March 2015. HealthCare.gov's data hub is one of the administration's major technology projects, and has generally been regarded as successful. Even as the consumer-facing part of the system crashed during the botched rollout of the health care law in 2013, the hub continued to operate smoothly. However, GAO said it found shortcomings, including insufficiently tight restrictions on "administrator privileges" that allow a user broad access throughout the system, inconsistent use of security fixes, and an administrative network that was not properly secured. Overall, 41 of the security incidents involved personal information that was either not properly secured or was exposed to someone who wasn't authorized to see it. Nearly all of those were classified as having a moderately serious impact. In another type of incident, a list of government-employee account IDs, including passwords, was transmitted to staffers in an unencrypted email. That prompted a crash effort to create new passwords. The report was released by Republican committee chairmen in the House and Senate on the sixth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, even as the administration was talking up the achievements of the law, which has extended coverage to millions previously uninsured. Lawmakers asked the administration for more detail on security issues. In a formal response to GAO, the Health and Human Services department said the security and privacy of consumer data is a top priority. The administration accepted the agency's recommendations for improvements. Separately, GAO said it also submitted 27 cybersecurity recommendations in a report that isn't being made public due to its sensitive nature. Just one month before the Republican presidential convention, the fate of the party's primary race could be determined in the unlikeliest of battlegrounds: California. The state, voting alongside several others on June 7, was never expected to be a major factor this year due to its late position on the primary calendar. But now, the tight state of the race means territory long known as a bastion for liberal Democratic politics will have incredible sway over the GOP contest. With 172 delegates in play, the largest haul of any state on the primary map, California could help decide whether Donald Trump is able to clinch the nomination before the July convention -- or whether the party will be looking at a floor fight in Cleveland. Were not used to talking about California being an important state in the general or primary election -- particularly the Republican side in the primaries. But this year, every delegate matters, and California, which is sitting right at the end of the calendar on June 7, is a huge prize, said Nathan Gonzales, head of the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, an election handicapper. While California is the land of Reagan, the imperative to court the state's voters represents an obvious challenge for Republican candidates. Hollywood, San Francisco ... these aren't exactly hubs of the conservative cause. But the state is vast -- 163,000 square miles -- and candidates will have to figure out where their message plays best. Bill Whalen, politics research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said the battle will be waged across a diverse population, which ranges from the Latino strongholds of Southern California to the wealthy Silicon Valley tech elites in the north to the socially conservative evangelicals of the "inland empire." The successful candidate here will have to navigate those ramparts and everything in between. The most recent poll shows front-runner Trump with the edge. According to a Public Policy Institute of California poll of likely voters taken in the 12-day period leading up to Marco Rubios departure from the race on March 15, Trump had a comfortable lead in the state with 38 percent, followed by Ted Cruz with 19 percent and John Kasich with 12 percent. After Rubio suspended his campaign, the PPIC recalculated, taking Rubio out of the mix and working in voters' second choice. This gave Cruz a bump to 27 percent and Kasich to 14 percent, while Trump remained at 38 percent. Whalen, though, said Cruz could have an advantage. Theres going to be a premium on the ground organization and that favors Cruz, he said. As of this weeks contests, Trump has 739 delegates, Cruz has 465, and Kasich has 143. One of these candidates has to reach 1,237 to win the nomination outright, or else the process moves to a contested convention this summer. The way California's primary system is set up, the winning candidate there has the potential to take home a huge stash of delegates. That's because the 172 delegates will be awarded by congressional district, meaning the three delegates in each of the 53 districts go to the winner of that district -- plus 13 bonus delegates to the candidate who gets the most votes statewide. I think California is going to matter a lot, Gonzales said, adding, Its going to be a challenge for these candidates. There are hundreds of miles of opportunity to make their mark. Candidates stand to win or lose not only in the states few GOP bastions like the Central Valley 23rd District -- home to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy -- but in congressional districts that are typically a no-go for Republicans, like the 13th, which includes Berkeley and Oakland and went 87 percent for President Obama in 2012. It doesnt matter the district; each has three delegates in play. While candidates will have difficulty traveling to each district and television media in the state is expensive, resources will have to concentrate on direct mail and targeted email, Internet advertising and social media, said Gonzales. Candidates will need a game plan to solidify the voters already in their corners, and reach out to new ones who could help tip the scales on June 7. California also is a closed primary, which means only Republicans can vote -- a potential plus for Cruz, who has done better in closed state primaries and caucuses. So what does the California Republican look like? According to David Brady, political science professor at Stanford University, it depends where you go. California Republicans are somewhat divided, with the majority being fiscal conservatives, but more socially liberal than Republicans in other regions of the country, he said. This is particularly true in the coastal populated regions while the interior has more social conservatives which is associated with evangelicals. He predicted "Cruz will do well in the interior regions" and could pick up support from voters opposing Trump. "However, in terms of pure ideology, most coastal Republicans are closer to Kasich, he said. As far as issues go, Whalen noted that what plays in the rest of the country is resonating in California, too. The California Republican Party is a microcosm of the national GOP, he said. The party is struggling over immigration. Brady added that the economy and terrorism continue to be hot-button issues in the state, with the water shortage of local importance. In "The Wizard of Oz," Dorothy waxes about a place where there isnt any trouble. She wonders aloud to Toto if such a locale even exists. But Dorothy concludes its far, far away. Naturally, this elusive venue can only be found Somewhere Over the Rainbow. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is a little like Dorothy as he laments the state of American politics these days. The system belches invective, noxious rhetoric and even violence. Ryan, too, yearns for a political bailiwick bereft of discontent. A place where politics can be a battle of ideas. Not insults. Ryan made the case for such a place Wednesday. He spoke to several hundred Capitol Hill interns about the state of American politics, in the cavernous House Ways and Means Committee room in the Longworth Office Building. The room is an iconic setting for Ryan. The speaker scored a plum assignment on the tax-writing committee in just his second term. He ascended to chairman early last year yielding the gavel only to assume the speakership. Ryan is quintessentially Ways and Means and Ways and Means is quintessentially Ryan. Its a big deal to be on this committee, said the Wisconsin Republican. It is here, in this committee, that we debate some of the biggest, most consequential issues. Our tax code. Health care. Trade. Entitlement programs. Welfare reform. Ryans most comfortable talking policy. Numbers. Economics. Budgets. And if lawmakers and voters could debate issues of substance nicely better yet. But you cant divorce politics from policy. Certainly not this year. The presidential race tugs at Ryan like a tractor beam. For now, the very concept of propriety in American politics is lost somewhere over the rainbow. Before Ryans address, the interns fidgeted in their seats, bedecked in preppy suits and Vineyard Vines neckties. Stern U.S. Capitol Police officers stood post at hearing room entrances and near the dais, as though preparing for the arrival of a foreign dignitary. The Speakers Office distributed tickets similar to those handed out for a speech before a Joint Meeting of Congress. The State of American Politics, read the ducats. Capitol Hill ID Required for Entry. The hashtag #Confident America was emblazoned at the bottom of each ticket. TV game shows and sitcoms have long deployed a warmup comedian to engage the crowd before the main event. The comedian is there to set the tone, loosen everyone up and encourage reactions once they go on the air. Ryans digital director Caleb Smith played the warmup role just before the speaker appeared. I thought this was going to be a live audience, said Smith to the assembly when the interns gave him a tepid response. Smith encouraged the crowd to tweet, Snapchat or even do the wave, if possible during Ryans speech. This is not your high school graduation. You dont have to save your applause until the end, instructed Smith. If he says something you like, clap. You can stand up. Smith implored them to tag @speakerryan and drop the hashtag a #confidentamerica on Twitter. The group clapped politely when Ryan entered the room from behind the rostrum. But Smiths exhortations to orchestrate spontaneous reactions stumbled. The crowd never interrupted Ryan with applause once. There was a lonely, stray clap off to the side when Ryan spoke about faith. But after 14 minutes of prepared remarks and six questions from the floor, the interns only clapped when Smith himself started the applause at the end of Ryans final answer. For months, Ryan said he hoped to influence whomever the Republican nominee would be with good policies and ideas from the House of Representatives. Thats why some observers argued Ryans speech was detached from realpolitik. Was this the first step by Ryan to sketch a sunny disposition for Republicans should Donald Trumps scorched earth method fail spectacularly this fall? Was this a Ryan effort to distance himself from Trump and salvage the remains of the old GOP in the future? Perhaps in his own presidential bid? Or was this just all aspirational? A hope and dream for how Ryan would like things to be. The Speakers Year of Ideas has been marred by the same level of internal Republican dysfunction that dogged his predecessor while a runaway Republican primary constantly reminds the American people of the extreme policy positions advocated by so many in the House Republican Conference, excoriated Pelosis spokesman, Drew Hammill. Some may interpret Hammills broadside as indicative of the civility problem Ryan described in his speech. But actions speak louder than words. Hashtags and stage-managed applause attempts are no substitute for robust legislation on the floor. In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sings hopefully that this mythical place free of trouble exists. By the same token, Paul Ryan dreams to forge a political crucible which focuses on policy, augmented by an intense but polite exchange of ideas. But in this political environment, those dreams are nothing more than escapism -- perhaps only found somewhere over the rainbow. Capitol Attitude is a weekly column written by members of the Fox News Capitol Hill team. Their articles take you inside the halls of Congress, and cover the spectrum of policy issues being introduced, debated and voted on there. In a Republican primary race already full of insults and mud-slinging, the battle between front-runner Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz got even uglier Wednesday -- as the candidates started by clashing over attacks on each other's wives, then went Hollywood. The Texas senator came out swinging Wednesday, telling CNN, If Donald wants to get in a character fight hes better off sticking with me, because Heidi is way out of his league. Then the rivals got into a Twitter exchange that by late afternoon had Trump accusing Cruz of stealing the line from Michael Douglas as the star of the 1995 movie The President. Lyin Ted Cruz steals foreign policy from me, and lines from Michael Douglas -- just another dishonest politician, Trump tweeted. The Douglas character says in the movie, referring to his girlfriend, "If you want a character debate Bob, you better stick with me because Sydney Ellen Waid is way out of your league." The social media battle took another turn late Wednesday after Trump retweeted a picture of his wife alongside an unflattering image of Heidi Cruz. Ted Cruz responded by tweeting, "Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life." Cruz was originally responding to threats made by Trump after a super PAC produced a Facebook ad showing Trumps wife, Melania, posing nude. Trump took to Twitter Tuesday making a not-so-thinly veiled threat regarding Cruzs wife Heidi Cruz. The real estate mogul tweeted that the Texas senator should "be careful" or he would "spill the beans on your wife. "Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!" Trump tweeted Tuesday evening, just minutes before polls closed in Arizona. Trump tweeted and deleted a similar version of the tweet about 10 minutes earlier. Trump appeared to be referring to a Facebook advertisement targeted to Mormons that shows Trump's wife, Melania, posing nude. That ad was produced by an anti-Trump super PAC, Make America Awesome, which has no known connection to the Cruz campaign. Cruz responded on Twitter by saying that the ad was not from him and if he went after his wife, then Trump is a "coward." "Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless," Cruz tweeted. On Wednesday, Cruz reiterated he had no affiliation with the super PAC but added that Trumps bad behavior may have been the result of a bad night in Utah. Cruz won the Republican contest in Utah Tuesday, capturing more than 50 percent of the vote and all 40 of the states delegates. Trump won the night's Arizona primary. "When Donald gets scared, when he gets angry, when he gets threatened ... So last night Donald threatened my wife, he went directly after my wife, Cruz said. Heidi Cruz is a senior executive for Goldman Sachs, and took a leave from work in order to help her husband's campaign. She has become one of the campaign's most accomplished fundraisers. A 300-year-old cannon has been unearthed during construction work in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. The find was made Tuesday directly in front of the federal courthouse steps on Wilmingtons riverfront. The cannon was buried 6 to 8 feet underground. Its right below where there are typically summertime concerts, a spokesman for the city of Wilmington told FoxNews.com. People have danced for years right on top of it. At first, the contractor wasnt sure what it was - they proceeded to scrape some of the mud away and quickly realized that it was a cannon, he added. Related: Shakespeare grave scan shows playwright's skull was 'probably' stolen, archaeologists say Assistant state archaeologist Chris Southerly tells multiple media outlets that based on the gun's style, size and design, it dates to 1700 to 1750 and came from an English ship. He said Wednesday that the cannon is in pretty good shape. Southerly says the cannon would have been mounted on a sailing ship anywhere from 60 feet to 120 feet long. The archaeologist took the cannon to the Fort Fisher branch of the Office of State Archaeology for study and renovation Wednesday. Related: Navy tug, lost for nearly a century, found in waters off California In the process of cleaning it up, we will be able to see more details on it, maybe a founders mark that might give us a better idea of where exactly it came from, said Southerly, in a video posted on the city of Wilmingtons Facebook page. Wilmington was incorporated in 1739. The city is bordered by the Cape Fear River to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers The moon's poles have shifted over the eons, likely as a result of geological activity beneath the lunar crust, a new study suggests. This finding which is based on an analysis of the distribution of water ice near the lunar north and south poles sheds light on the structure and evolution of the moon, and also provides clues about where Earth's water came from, researchers said. "The ice at the poles of the moon records the interior evolution of the moon, which seems crazy that is the last place you would think to look," said study lead author Matt Siegler, of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. [Video: The Moon's Axis Shifted 6 Degrees Over 1 Billion Years] "Also, that means the ice has to be really old, and therefore may record the ancient delivery of ice to the inner solar system," Siegler told Space.com via email. Water on the moon Observations made by a variety of spacecraft over the past few decades suggest that the moon harbors a lot of water ice in permanently shadowed craters near the poles, which are some of the coldest locales in the solar system. Siegler and his colleagues studied measurements made by two of these probes: NASA's pioneering Lunar Prospector (LP) spacecraft, which circled the moon from January 1998 through July 1999, and the agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which is still in operation. The orbiters' data revealed ice deposits at both poles, as expected. But there was a surprise as well: A large patch of ice exists near each pole, in a spot offset from the true pole by 5.5 degrees. Moreover, these "displaced" deposits are positioned such that a straight line drawn through the center of the moon would connect them. Siegler and his team have an explanation for this finding, which they report online March 23 in the journal Nature: The moon's rotational axis has shifted by 5.5 degrees over the ages, and the offset ice patches mark the "paleopoles." Modeling work suggests these paleopoles were the actual poles about 3 billion years ago, Siegler said. "Models are models, so you can make the migration happen any time between 1.5-4.5 billion years ago depending on how you tweak parameters (such as the past rigidity of the lunar crust), but it most likely was around 3 billion years ago," he said. The lunar poles then shifted by about 125 miles over the course of one billion years or so a rate of 1 inch every 126 years, the researchers think. "This was such a surprising discovery. We tend to think that objects in the sky have always been the way we view them, but in this case the face that is so familiar to us the Man on the Moon changed," Siegler said in a statement. "It would be as if Earth's axis relocated from Antarctica to Australia. As the pole moved, the Man on the Moon turned his nose up at the Earth." Lunar mass shift The most likely driver of this "polar wander" was a shift in the internal distribution of lunar mass, the researchers said. "Planets can change their orientation if their internal mass distribution changes. Pockets of dense material tend to be close to the equator to minimize the planet's spin energy," Ian Garrick-Bethell, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, explained in an accompanying "News and Views" article published in the same issue of Nature. "If a huge pile of lead weights suddenly appeared in New York, the city's latitude would eventually shift to a position slightly southward, because of planetary re-orientation," Garrick-Bethell added. "The opposite is also true if New York suddenly became lower in density, it would shift northward." Siegler and his team think they have figured out where this mass shift on the moon occurred. Their work points to the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) region on the lunar nearside, which was volcanically active long ago. Volcanism in the PKT area about 3.5 billion years ago began heating up the mantle there, creating a "low-density thermal anomaly" hot rocks are less dense than cool ones that caused the polar shift, the thinking goes. "This giant blob of hot mantle was lighter than cold mantle elsewhere," Siegler said in the statement. "This change in mass caused Procellarum and the whole moon to move." Study team members think the polar ice predates the moon's axis shift, which suggests that the material is very ancient indeed. So the new results could help scientists get a better handle on the origin of Earth's water. "The ice may be a time capsule from the same source that supplied the original water to Earth," Siegler said in the statement. "This is a record we don't have on Earth. Earth has reworked itself so many times, there's nothing that old left here. Ancient ice from the moon could provide answers to this deep mystery." If the interpretation advanced by Siegler and his colleagues is correct, it raises a new question, said Garrick-Bethell. "The moon's volcanism mostly stopped 3 billion years ago, which means that the PKT has probably been getting colder and denser since then, not hotter," he wrote. "The direction of polar wander during this period would therefore have been in the opposite direction to the wander that produced the ice paleopole." So researchers do not yet have a full understanding of "true polar wander" (TPW) or the mechanisms that drive it, the researchers said. Indeed, more work is required to achieve this goal, Siegler and his team stressed. "In situ measurements, sample return and high-resolution orbital geochemistry measurements could differentiate plausible TPW scenarios," the researchers wrote in their Nature paper. Editor's Recommendations Astronomers have used NASAs Kepler space telescope to capture for the first time the incredible flash from an exploding stars shockwave. The shockwave, known as the shock breakout, was identified by a team led by Peter Garnavich, an astrophysics professor at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The scientists analyzed light captured by Kepler every 30 minutes over a three-year period from 500 distant galaxies, searching some 50 trillion stars, according to a NASA statement. Two of the massive stars, called red supergiants, exploded while in Keplers view in 2011. One of the stars, KSN 2011a, which is 700 million light years from Earth, is nearly 300 times the size of the sun. The second star, KSN 2011d, is approximately 500 times the size of sun and around 1.2 billion light years away. Related: Buzz Aldrin eyes 2040 for manned Mars mission A light year measures the astronomical distance that light travels in one year and is equivalent to 5.8 trillion miles. In order to see something that happens on timescales of minutes, like a shock breakout, you want to have a camera continuously monitoring the sky, said Garnavich, in the NASA statement. You dont know when a supernova is going to go off, and Kepler's vigilance allowed us to be a witness as the explosion began. NASA explained that supernovae like the ones observed by Kepler, which are known as Type II, begin when the internal furnace of a star runs out of nuclear fuel, causing its core to collapse as gravity takes over. Related: Sign of alien life? Kepler telescope spots strange star The agency noted that there was no shock breakout from the smaller supergiants explosion, possibly because it was surrounded by gas, which may have masked the shockwave when it reached the star's surface. Supernovae can provide great scientific insight into our own Milky Way galaxy. "All heavy elements in the universe come from supernova explosions. For example, all the silver, nickel, and copper in the earth and even in our bodies came from the explosive death throes of stars," explained Steve Howell, project scientist for NASA's Kepler and K2 missions at NASAs Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, in NASAs statement. "Life exists because of supernovae." Related: NASAs Kepler mission discovers Earths older, bigger cousin Last year NASAs Kepler mission discovered Kepler-452b, the first near-Earth-size planet in the habitable zone around a sun-like star. Also in 2015, a citizen science program at Yale University used Kepler data to discover the star KIC 8462852, which is 1,481 light years away from Earth. NASA's Kepler spacecraft was launched in 2009. The mission's objective is to explore the structure and diversity of planetary systems. Nearly 100 years ago, a Navy tugboat with 56 officers and sailors aboard was heading from California to the American Samoa when it disappeared without a trace. A massive air and sea search around the Hawaiian islands for the USS Conestoga turned up nothing and two months later, a battered lifeboat was spotted with the C on its bow off the Mexican coast. It was the last U.S. Navy ship to be lost without a trace in peacetime and became one of the top maritime mysteries in Navy history. Now, that mystery has been solved. Related: Researchers recover bronze bell once housed on Japanese WWII sub The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Navy announced Wednesday that they had found the Conestoga in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off San Francisco some 95 years after it disappeared. After nearly a century of ambiguity and a profound sense of loss, the Conestogas disappearance no longer is a mystery, Manson Brown, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and deputy NOAA administrator, said in a statement. We hope that this discovery brings the families of its lost crew some measure of closure and we look forward to working with the Navy to protect this historic shipwreck and honor the crew who paid the ultimate price for their service to the country. The first breakthrough came in 2009 when the NOAA Office of Coast Survey, as part of a hydrographic survey near the Farallon Islands off San Francisco, spotted a possible, uncharted shipwreck. Five years later, they confirmed it was indeed the Conestoga. Related: Site of 1503 shipwreck tied to Vasco da Gama found off Oman Thanks to modern science and to cooperation between agencies, the fate of Conestoga is no longer a mystery, Dennis McGinn, the assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, said. In remembering the loss of the Conestoga, we pay tribute to her crew and their families, and remember that, even in peacetime, the sea is an unforgiving environment. Originally built to tow coal barges for the railroad, the Navy purchased Conestoga in 1917 for World War I service. The tug operated on the Atlantic coast and off the Azores, performing convoy and other duties before being assigned to harbor service in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1919. Ordered to duty in American Samoa, Conestoga steamed from Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California at 3:25 p.m. on March 25, 1921, headed for Pearl Harbor. After leaving the Golden Gate, the tug, possibly towing a barge, disappeared. While the cause of the disaster remains unresolved, weather appears to be a critical factor. Weather logs around the time of Conestogas departure indicated that wind in the Golden Gate area almost doubled to 40 miles per hour, and the seas were rough. A garbled radio transmission from Conestoga relayed later by another ship stated the tug was battling a storm and that the barge she was towing had been torn adrift by heavy seas. Based on the location and orientation of the wreck in 189-foot-deep water, NOAA believes Conestoga sank as officers and crew attempted to reach a protected cove on the island. Related: Civil War-era shipwreck found off North Carolina coast This would have been a desperate act, as the approach is difficult and the area was the setting for five shipwrecks between 1858 and 1907, according to NOAAs report on the Conestoga discovery. However, as Conestoga was in trouble and filling with water, it seemingly was the only choice to make. Video, from cameras mounted on remotely operated vehicles used to explore the wreck site, shows the wreck lying on the seabed and largely intact. The size of the wreck and many of its features - the four-bladed, 12-foot 3-inch diameter propeller; the steam engine and boilers a large steam towing winch with twisted wire on the drum; two porcelain marine heads; and a single, 3-inch, 50-caliber gun that was mounted on the main deck in front of the pilot house helped NOAA confirm this was the Conestoga. No human remains, however, were discovered at the site. Scientists have turned to 3D technology typically used in hospitals to scan and print the earliest example of Chinese writing, 3,000-year-old object written on bones of an ox. Dating back to 1339-1112 BC, the object is among hundreds of what are called oracle bones held by the Cambridge University Library. They are written on ox shoulder blades and the flat under-part of turtles and offer a record of questions posed to the divination at the court of the royal house of Shang, which ruled north central China at the time. Related: Scientists trying to create human heart with 3D printer The inscriptions on the bone believed to be the first 3D print of an oracle bone - provides scientists a rare glimpse into early Chinese society, such as warfare, agriculture, hunting, medical problems, meteorology and astronomy. Included in the writings is a record of a lunar eclipse dated to 1192 BC, one of the earliest such accounts in any civilization. "The oracle bones are three-dimensional objects, and high-resolution 3D imagery reveals features which not only all previous methods of reproduction (such as drawings, rubbings and photographs) have been unable to do, but which are not even apparent from careful examination of the actual items themselves, Charles Aylmer, head of the Chinese Department at Cambridge University Library, said in a statement. Related: Study: 3D printing can be hazardous to your health "To hold a 3D print of an oracle bone is a very special experience, as it provides the same sensory impression as that obtained by the people who created them over three thousand years ago, but without the risk of harm to the priceless originals," he added. The high-resolution image of the bone, which measures about 9x14 cm, shows the incised questions on the obverse of the bone as well as the divination pits engraved on the reverse and the scorch marks caused by the application of heat to create the cracks - interpreted as the answers from the spirit world. In collaboration with the Media Studio of Addenbrooke's Hospital, the print was made with a printer normally used to assist in the planning of maxillofacial and orthopedic surgery. The pint-sized Georgia firebrand whose videos blasting President Obama and espousing conservative values have drawn millions of online views sparked a controversy - and an investigation - this week with the claim that a former teacher said he was not worth saving in a fire. CJ Pearson, 13, and now in the eighth grade, wrote on his widely followed Facebook page that a schoolmate told him his sixth-grade teacher told his class Pearson had once passed around vocabulary words prior to a test, and that the boy thought he was all that and a bag of chips and was not worth saving in a fire. Its always great having a teacher thats not only a liberal bully, but someone who engages in slander. CJ Pearson When classes resumed at Columbia Middle School after the Columbus Day weekend, officials vowed to investigate the claim. This was brought to our attention after it was posted on social media," school Principal Eli Putnam told BizPac Review on Tuesday. "We have been on an extended holiday weekend and will conduct a full review of the allegations once school resumes tomorrow, Putnam wrote. Columbia Middle School believes all students should be taught in a safe and positive environment. Accordingly, if the claims are substantiated we will handle the issue as a personnel matter. Columbia County schools Superintendent Sandra Carraway later told The Augusta Chronicle that all 25 students in the class where teacher Michael Garrison allegedly made the remark were interviewed and that only some of the comments were verified. Carraway declined further comment and said the situation is considered a personnel matter and it would be addressed accordingly. She declined to comment about any specific disciplinary measures the teacher might face because of the incident. Pearson believes the comments were relayed accurately to him. Its always great having a teacher thats not only a liberal bully, but someone who engages in slander, he said. Pearson has met with conservative politicians including presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as well as former Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., who have praised him for videos in which he excoriates President Obama, Hillary Clinton, gun control, the Black Lives Matter movement and various other people and causes. "But heres what you need to realize: Here in America, we dont back down to terrorists," Pearson said in a February viral video in which he addressed President Obama. "We fight them on their own battleground, and we annihilate them till the very end. Here in America, we dont allow the government to take away what we work for, but we continue to work harder so that we may continue to succeed. One person was killed after ammonia leaked from a seafood warehouse in Boston's Seaport District on Wednesday, officials said. Fire officials said on Twitter that one man died in what state police described as a "large-scale ammonia spill." Police Commissioner William Evans said everyone else who was inside the building is safe and accounted for, Fox 25 reported. Fire officials said they attempted to make an initial rescue attempt but were unsuccessful because of the ammonia in the air. The worker's body was recovered about an hour later. In addition to police and fire investigators, OSHA is on hand to review the safety of the workplace. "This appears to be an instance in which a young man lost his life in a workplace accident," Evans told Fox 25. Several nearby streets were closed off, and police asked all businesses and residents to shelter in place or stay away from the area. Fire officials say the medical examiner will determine the cause of death. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from Fox 25. Police say two men were arrested for crashing the same car while taking turns driving it while drunk. The Salem News reports 46-year-old Juan Rodriguez, of Haverhill, and 43-year-old Erik Liebowitz, of Apoka, Florida, are each charged with drunken driving and other crimes for Monday morning's crashes. Police say Liebowitz drove onto the sidewalk, hit a sign and then returned the road, where he pulled over and Rodriguez, his passenger, got into the driver's seat. Rodriguez then struck a parked car while driving. Police say Rodriguez also backed into the responding officer's cruiser. Liebowitz's attorney says he's been arrested for drunken driving in Florida but never convicted. A JetBlue flight attendant who allegedly fled Los Angeles International Airport after being selected for security screening, leaving behind her Gucci shoes and luggage containing dozens of pounds of cocaine, was in custody Wednesday. Federal officials said 31-year-old Marsha Reynolds, of Jamaica, N.Y., surrendered to DEA agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. She was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute. Reynolds was expected to be in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday, according to U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek. Reynolds was charged with cocaine possession with intent to distribute, punishable by 10 years to life in prison. It was unclear if she had an attorney. It was not immediately clear how Reynolds reached New York. She was last seen running barefoot up a down escalator in the Los Angeles airport terminal Friday evening. According to court documents, Reynolds arrived at an LAX checkpoint in Terminal 4 wearing jeans, heels and a black suit jacket, carrying her "known crew member badge". It wasn't immediately clear whether she was actually on duty at the time. When Reynolds was chosen for a random security screening, TSA Officer Jamie Samuel said the flight attendant became nervous and began looking around before pulling out her cellphone and making a call, according to the affidavit. Samuel reported that Reynolds was talking on the phone in a foreign language as she was being taken to a secondary screening area, the affidavit says. Once in the secondary screening area, TSA Officer Charles James asked for her identification. "At this time, Reynolds dropped her carry-on luggage, removed her shoes and began to run away," according to the affidavit. James saw Reynolds run down an upward-moving escalator and out of the terminal, the affidavit says, adding that the officer didn't pursue her because her abandoned luggage was his main concern. LAX police soon after found 11 packages of cocaine wrapped in green cellophane and labeled, "BIG Ranch" inside one of the bags Reynolds had left behind, the affidavit says. The cocaine weighed 68.49 pounds. Wholesale, the drugs would be worth about $750,000 in Los Angeles, said Special Agent Timothy Massino, a spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. On the streets of Los Angeles, Massino said the retail value of the cocaine could be as high as $3 million. Mrozek said prosecutors believe reports that Reynolds was a runner-up in Miss Jamaica World 2008. New York University lists a Marsha-Gay Reynolds as having been on the school's 2004 women's track and field team, though it wasn't immediately clear if that was the same Reynolds arrested Wednesday. JetBlue spokeswoman Sharon Jones said in a statement that the airline was cooperating with the investigation. She declined to comment further and did not respond to a question about how long Reynolds has worked for the airline. In a statement, U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said the nation's security "depends on every individual with security clearances to honor the trust placed in them." "The defendant's conduct violated that trust and, in the process, exposed the public to a major narcotics transaction and the dangers inherent to such a transaction," she said. Security threats from "insiders," including airline and airport employees and workers hired by contractors, have been a focus of the TSA, particularly after the December 2014 arrest of several Delta Air Lines baggage handlers. Prosecutors allege they smuggled guns, including an AK-47, from Atlanta to New York. The TSA has said that full screening of all employees would cost too much. Instead, the agency has urged airports to increase random screenings of workers and to keep background checks up to date. "We will pay particular attention to the insider threat," TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger told a Senate committee earlier this month. Fox News Channel's Matt Dean and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Police in Indiana are searching for a 15-month-old girl who disappeared Wednesday after her parents put her in her crib inside their home, and investigators say the infant could be in danger. Spencer Police Chief Rich Foutch asked for help from area law enforcement agencies as the search began. Just talked to mom of 1yo Shaylyn Ammerman, says "please bring my baby home." Police still searching all over. pic.twitter.com/9yLCuK7VvO Jill Glavan (@jillglavan) March 23, 2016 The missing girl was identified as Shaylyn Michelle Kay Ammerman. She is described as 49 inches tall and 20 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a white zip-up sleeper decorated with owls. Im just hoping Ill see her again, Jessica Stewart, the girls mother, told Fox59.com. She said that there was a party at the fathers house the night the girl vanished, which the husband and his mother deny. The two said they believe someone entered the front door and took the girl. They just cant come into someones house and take a baby, its wrong, Tamara Morgan, the girls grandmother, said. You need to give her back to our family, shes ours not yours. Police say they've searched areas in Spencer and the nearby White River, roughly 50 miles southwest of Indianapolis. Click for more from Fox59. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Seven hackers tied to the Iranian government were charged Thursday in a series of punishing cyberattacks on a small dam outside New York City and on dozens of banks -- intrusions that reached into American infrastructure and disrupted the financial system, federal law enforcement officials said. The hackers were charged in indictments unsealed and announced at a Justice Department news conference in Washington. All seven worked for Iranian computer companies that did work on behalf of the Iranian government, the U.S. said. It's unclear exactly why the suspects may have targeted this particular dam, but the attacks from 2011 to 2013 disabled bank websites and caused tens of millions of dollars in losses, the charges say. One of the seven is accused of gaining access to the control system of the Bowman Avenue Dam, a small flood-control structure in Rye Brook, about 20 miles north of New York City. The seven accused hackers worked for a pair of Iranian computer companies linked to the Iranian government, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the U.S. said. None of the individuals is in American custody, and it's not clear whether they will ever be arrested or whether criminal indictments in absentia can be effective in combatting such crimes. Officials said the goal of such cases is to put cybercriminals on notice that their mouse clicks can be traced, even if they're on the other side of the globe. "The message of this case is that we will work together to shrink the world and impose costs on these people so that no matter where they are, we will reach them," said FBI Director James Comey. The Iranian connection first came to light in December. Thursday's announcement is the latest instance of the Obama administration publicly blaming foreign nations for damaging cyber intrusions. The Justice Department in May 2014 indicted five Chinese military officials suspected of hacking into several major American companies and stealing trade secrets. And that December, the federal government linked a damaging attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment to North Koreans. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Authorities have evacuated a small town in northwestern Minnesota after a freight train collided with a propane truck that caught fire. #RedCross volunteers are loading up & heading to Callaway, MN to support a train derailment operation. pic.twitter.com/rjM4F5CN7X Red Cross Dakotas/MN (@RedCrossDakotas) March 24, 2016 Sgt. Jesse Grabow with the Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened around 12:25 p.m. Thursday in Callaway. Grabow says crews are trying to put out the burning tanker. He says the town of about 230 was evacuated as a precaution. Canadian Pacific says the crash derailed seven empty cars and the locomotive on the 82-car train. Railroad spokesman Andy Cummings says two crew members were hurt and were offered medical services. Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander says it's believed their injuries are minor. Canadian Pacific says it will investigate how the vehicle came to be on the tracks. Callaway is about 50 miles east of Fargo, North Dakota. A person of interest in the killing of a 14-year-old Texas girl was taken into custody Thursday on an unrelated charge as authorities are looking at all possible motives behind the murder. Javier Solis who was arrested on a federal drug charge had evidence removed from his home in Magnolia, law enforcement sources told KPRC. Authorities are eying illegal drug activity as a possible motive in the case, the sources added. Caesar and Adrianna Coronado Investigation BREAKING: Here is a video released by the Walker County Sheriff's Office related to the Caesar and Adriana Coronado investigation. The person in this video is believed to be connected to Caesar's murder. The Hispanic male suspect is seen leaving the scene where Caesar's truck was found near Interstate 45 and Enterprise Row in Conroe on March 13. You cannot see the suspect's face, but investigators want you to pay close attention to his profile and the way he walks. Anyone with information should contact the Walker County Sheriffs Office at 936-435-2400. Posted by The Huntsville Item on Thursday, March 17, 2016 Those responsible for killing Coronado and her father are still on the loose and police have released surveillance photos of possible suspects, KPRC reports. Authorities issued an Amber Alert for Coronado after her father, Caesar Coronado, was found dead on March 13. Three days later, the girls body was found lying in an open field a few feet from a road in west Houston, police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said. Adriana Coronado was shot multiple times and the Harris County medical examiner said her death has been ruled a homicide. She was identified through fingerprint verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Cesar Coronados body was found in Walker County, about 80 miles north of Houston. His burned pickup truck was located near Conroe, 45 miles south of his body. The Walker County Sheriffs Office released a surveillance video last week of a person of interest in the case. The video showed an unidentified heavyset man leaving the fathers truck in Conroe Sunday night. The truck is then driven off screen and a few second later, a bust of light can be seen coming from the direction of the truck. Authorities believe the burst of light was when the truck was set on fire. The man can be seen running away from the burning truck and then running down an alley. Click for more from Click2Houston.com A Los Angeles homeowner reportedly filed a lawsuit against a Saudi prince after the Hollywood Hills home he leased to the royal was trashed during a graduation party. The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that the damages totaled more than $300,000, including $80,000 in property damage. "It was horrible," homeowner Danny Fitzgerald, who reportedly is known for leasing his home out for massive parties, told the paper. Saudi Prince Aziz al Saud leased one of Fitzgeralds homes on Weidlake Drive in August. Fitzgerald said they both agreed that the prince could throw one party. The newspaper, citing the complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court Monday, reported that the prince ignored the agreement and threw multiple all-night bashes. Fitzgerald said the biggest party was thrown on Aug. 16 for Prince Azizs graduation from Pepperdine University. There werent supposed to be more than 150 people at the house, but the complaint said more than 800 people showed up, with guests doing drugs and strippers dancing on kitchen countertops. Fitzgerald alleges that the defendants have not paid for the damages to the furniture, walls and hardwood floors, which totaled to $86,379. "Incredibly, after this August 16 party, Prince Aziz continued to have nightly parties until the early mornings and continued to leave piles of trash on the street," the complaint said, according to the Times. "Guests of the Prince were seen urinating on Plaintiff's neighbors' properties." Fitzgerald said he apologized to the neighbors for the ordeal. He told the newspaper he hopes the neighbors can act as witnesses in the court case against Prince Aziz. Click for more from the Los Angeles Times. Police say a kitchen worker at an assisted living facility in Ohio has shot and killed two housekeepers. The shooting occurred Thursday morning at Hamlet Village in Chagrin Falls, an upscale community 20 miles from Cleveland. The slain housekeepers were identified as Terri Treadway, of Chardon, and Catherine Sutter, of Burton. Both were 58. Police say the gunman is hospitalized with injuries but haven't said whether he shot himself. A Chagrin Falls police spokeswoman says she has no information on what prompted the shooting or on the suspect's condition. Hamlet Village is a retirement complex that includes independent living apartments, an assisted living facility and a nursing home. None of its 300 residents were injured. Click for more from Fox 8. St. Paul police have arrested a man after two men were found fatally shot outside a motel. Officers discovered one man shot in the parking lot of the Midway Motel Tuesday night. Another man, who also was shot, was lying on a nearby off-ramp. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. The names of the victims have not been released. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports police arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of murder Wednesday morning. A police spokesman says authorities are still looking for other people who may be connected to the double homicide. Police do not believe the shootings were random. Click for more from Fox 9. A United Airlines pilot has been arrested after police said his illicit business couldnt fly under the radar. Bruce Wayne Wallis, 51, is charged with running around six brothel apartments in Houston with 6 to 10 women in each one, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday. The women in the apartments advertised their services online and paid Wallis $400 a week to rent the space, court records show. "It's the largest operation that I've ever worked on," Assistant Harris County District Attorney Lester Blizzard said, describing the operation by the United Airlines pilot as massive. Blizzard said 26 search warrants were served on Wednesday, resulting in the arrest of 19 women for prostitution, the Houston Chronicle reports. No clients were arrested, he added. There was no immediate response from Wallis. United told KPRC in a statement, "We are assisting the authorities and have removed Mr. Wallis from his flying duties." Click for more from the Houston Chronicle. Hundreds of firefighters battled a wildfire Thursday spreading from Oklahoma to Kansas that has burned an estimated 620 square miles. At least four people have been treated for smoke inhalation or eye irritation and residents of several small communities were urged to evacuate their homes as the flames draw near. Crews also battled blazes in the Texas Panhandle covering some 85 square miles. High winds thwarted firefighters' efforts overnight to set up effective containment lines in Oklahoma, where the fire was raging and not contained, the state's Forestry Services said Thursday. Fire officials in Kansas' Barber County, where crews are working to extinguish a 30- to 40-mile line of fire, predict the blaze would continue through Friday, said Darcy Golliher, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Incident Management Team. She expressed hope there would be only a few hot spots to monitor over the weekend. "It will all depend on the wind," she said. The National Weather Service said 25 mph winds are forecast in the area until noon, when they were expected to drop to 15 mph and then to 10 mph by sunset. Gusts of 45 to 50 mph were reported Wednesday. Smoke has been reported as far away as St. Louis, about 460 miles to the northeast of the fires. With conditions "not as intense" and more crews arriving, firefighters were able to "get out there and really attack the fire" on Thursday, said Shawna Hartman, the spokesman for the Kansas Forest Service. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has declared a state of disaster emergency in some areas, authorizing state resources to assist. In neighboring Comanche County, the fire that was briefly brought under control late Wednesday reignited the following morning when winds blew embers onto dry land, said John Lehman, Comanche County Emergency Management coordinator. "The wind blows things around," he said. "It hits dry grass and away it goes." Two separate grass fires burning several counties away near the Kansas town of Burrton forced evacuations, burned a home and killed several head of livestock, the Harvey County sheriff's office said in a news release. In Oklahoma, the fire was moving toward the city of Alva, population about 5,000, although no evacuations were immediately ordered, said Mark Goeller, fire management chief of Oklahoma Forestry Services. Meanwhile, four towns in Barber County, with a total population of 5,000 people, remain at risk Thursday if the winds shift, Golliher said. On Wednesday, the blaze came close to Medicine Lodge, destroying one home and an outbuilding on the outskirts of the Barber County town of 2,000. Voluntary evacuation orders were issued there, as well as in the small towns of Sun City and Lake City. Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital was evacuated, sending 12 patients to a nursing home and two others to a nearby hospital. Authorities were making plans to return the patients Thursday. The hospital kept its emergency room open and treated one firefighter and one member of the public for smoke inhalation. In Texas, where strong winds and low humidity created ideal fire conditions, some people were evacuated Wednesday from their homes in Skellytown, about 45 miles northeast of Amarillo, but were allowed to return after a few hours, said Linda Moon, Texas A&M Forest Service spokesman. The fire also forced the closure of a stretch of U.S. 160 and U.S. 281 in Kansas and briefly a section of Interstate 40 in Texas. Scattered power outages have been reported. Thousands of refugees are stuck on Greece's border with Macedonia, overflowing from a packed camp into the surrounding fields, as they wait for Macedonian authorities to let them continue their trek through the Balkans. Police say about 6,500 people are at or near the Idomeni border crossing, with another 500 moved to a hastily erected camp on a small concrete landing strip some 20 kilometers (13 miles) away. Macedonian authorities let 300 Syrians and Iraqis in between 23:00 local time Sunday and 04:00 Monday, after which the crossing closed. Macedonia has said it will only allow in as many people as Serbia, the next country north on the Balkan migrant corridor, accepts. This has led to a huge bottleneck in Greece, where authorities say more than 22,000 people are stuck. An American woman was in custody in Honduras for allegedly heading one of the countrys most notorious gangs that has driven thousands to the U.S. to seek refuge, authorities said Wednesday. Amarjit La Chucky Pabla and two other Hondurans were arrested Tuesday night in a poor neighborhood of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, Reuters reported. Authorities also seized seven firearms. A National Anti-Extortion Force (FNA) spokeswoman told Reuters that Pabla heads the Mara Barrio 18 gang and has ordered numerous murders in turf wars with rival factions. Pabla was born in California to an American father and a Honduran mother, according to Reuters. The FNA says she is the wife of Cristian Ariel Little Sam Calix, a Mara Barrio 18 leader who has been in prison since December on arms and drug trafficking charges. The maras were formed in the U.S. by Central American immigrants in the 1980s. They turned into notorious international factions when most of their members were deported to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. The Mara Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha 13 have waged war against each other in an attempt to control the drug dealing throughout Central America. Click for more from Reuters. Twin terror raids in France and Belgium Thursday resulted in multiple arrests, including one Frenchman who was described as being in the "advanced stages" of a plot to attack the country. However, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the man arrested in Argenteuil, on the northern outskirts of Paris, was not linked at this stage to recent attacks in Paris and Brussels. He said the person was implicated at a high level in the alleged future plot but provided no details. A 23-year-old resident of the neighborhood described seeing heavily masked and armed officers surround the entrance to an apartment building before entering and emerging with the suspect, his head covered in a scarf. At the same time, six people were reported arrested during anti-terror operations in the Brussels suburb of Schaerbeek, the same area where an ISIS flag and a bomb containing nails were found after attacks on the Brussels airport and subway. Investigators could be seen carrying what appeared to be bags of evidence from at least one of the raid sites. The raids came as Belgium lowered its terror threat level by one notch although authorities said the situation remained "grave" and another attack was "likely and possible." In a related development, two law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News that two brothers named as suicide bombers in the Brussels attacks earlier this week were listed in U.S. intel databases and known to the FBI. One source said Belgian authorities had shared intelligence on the individuals with their foreign counterparts. Earlier, the fugitive terrorist suspect who was captured in Brussels just days before a series of coordinated bombings ripped through the Belgian capital on Tuesday and who claimed he knew nothing of that deadly plot was reportedly planning a larger, Paris-style attack involving both mass shootings and suicide blasts. Salah Abdeslam, the lone surviving suspect of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, denied knowing about the Brussels attacks, which killed at least 31 and wounded at least 270, his lawyer said in court on Thursday. But Abdeslam, who was captured Friday following a four-month manhunt, was set to participate in what could have been an even deadlier massacre, according to Belgian broadcaster VRT. The plot would reportedly have featured two units of terrorists, one group who would use Kalashnikov rifles to shoot civilians and a second that would blow themselves up in crowded areas. Abdeslam, Mohamed Belkaid, who was killed while shooting at police during a Brussels raid last week, and a third unidentified man were alleged to be the would-be shooters. That plan is highly reminiscent of the Paris terror attacks, which killed 130. During those attacks, three terrorists blew themselves up outside the Stade de France, while other attackers shot civilians before detonating explosive vests. In the most deadly instance, 89 people were killed after terrorists stormed the Bataclan concert hall during a performance by the American band The Eagles of Death Metal. ISIS claimed credit for both the Paris and Brussels terror attacks. Abdeslam is accused of being part of the Paris terror team, but is alleged to have abandoned his mission and his suicide vest and fled to Belgium, where he began cultivating a new terror cell. But any plans Abdeslam had of participating in a second attack vanished when police captured him on Friday. Its thought that Abdeslams arrest led the eventual Brussels attackers to speed up their attack plans, resulting in Tuesdays carnage at Zaventem Airport and inside the Maelbeek metro station. Officials have identified three of the attackers who carried out Tuesdays bombings and believe two other possible accomplices as yet unidentified may be on the run. Abdeslams lawyer, Sven Mary, said Abdeslam would not fight extradition to France, saying his client wanted to explain himself in France. The mass shooting/bombing plot may have been just one of several abandoned plans considered by the Brussels cell. Two of the brothers identified in Tuesday's attacks -- Ibrahim and Khalid El-Bakraoui -- allegedly planted a camera outside a Belgian nuclear official's house and spied on the man, according to multiple reports. Experts have speculated the men could have been seeking to try to procure materials to build a so-called "dirty bomb." About 10 hours of footage was recovered by authorities in raids following the Paris attacks, leading to increased security around Belgium's Tihange and Doel nuclear plants. Fox News' Matthew Dean and The Associated Press contributed to this story From downtown Brussels to the battlefields of northern Iraq and even online, the civilized world is confronting Islamic extremism on numerous fronts and a daily basis. In War Stories: Fighting ISIS, Fox News Channel looks in depth at the complex struggle that defines our times. Airing Friday, March 25, at 10 p.m. ET, the special report features hosts Oliver North and Leif Babin looking at how the fight can be won in the U.S., the Middle East, Europe and in the hearts and minds of moderate Muslims around the world. "ISIS is a terrorist franchise from hell that must be confronted. Oliver North, retired US Marine lieutenant colonel and host of Fox News Channel's "War Stories" "Given the recent ISIS attacks in Europe and those attacks inspired by ISIS here in the US, this new War Stories episode is especially relevant," North said. "ISIS is a terrorist franchise from hell that must be confronted. North, a former U.S. Marine lieutenant colonel, speaks exclusively with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford about strategies for fighting ISIS on the terrorist armys turf in Syria and Iraq. North asks the tough questions, including whether boots are needed on the ground, and, if so, whose feet will be in them. Babin, a former Navy SEAL, takes a hard look at the dark web and social media to see how ISIS is fighting on the cyber battlefield and what can be done to prevent its worldwide radicalization and recruitment efforts. Babin also goes inside the Dec. 2 ISIS-inspired attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., providing new details about the online trail of the husband-and-wife terrorists who killed 14 people and wounded 22 others in the name of Islam. War Stories: Fighting ISIS features exclusive interviews with former members of the military including Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., a retired Air Force colonel and Americas first female combat pilot; Timothy Furnish, a former Army linguist and Islamic historian; and Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a practicing Muslim who served for 11 years as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy and is now president and founder of American Islamic Forum for Democracy, as well as co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement. Other experts and activists offering insight include Frank Cilluffo, director of the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University and a former Homeland Security advisor to President George W. Bush; Seamus Hughes, co-author of ISIS in America: From Retweets to Raqqa and a former Senate Homeland senior counter-terrorism advisor; former Wall Street Journal reporter Asra Nomani, author of Standing Alone: An American Womans Struggle for the Soul of Islam and co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement; and the Rev. Majed El Shafie, founder and president of One Free World International, an international human rights organization which advocates for religious minorities including rescuing victims of ISIS. Tune in to Fox News Channel Friday at 10 p.m. ET for War Stories: Fighting ISIS. Salah Abdeslam, the lone surviving suspect in last November's terror attacks in Paris, has denied have prior knowledge of Tuesday's suicide bombings in Brussels, his lawyer said Thursday. "He didn't know it," Sven Mary told reporters outside court. The explosions at the Belgian capital's Zaventem airport and on a city subway train killed at least 31 people and injured 250 others. Mary also said that Abdeslam would not fight extradition to France, saying that his client "wanted to explain himself in France. Abdeslam was arrested Friday in the Molenbeek area of Brussels, not far from where he grew up. France had sought his extradition to face potential terrorism charges in connection with the Nov. 13 attacks on a rock concert, stadium and cafes, which killed 130 people. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said last week that it could take as long as three months for Abdeslam to be extradited to France after the suspect's lawyer initially signaled he would oppose extradition. On Thursday, Mary said that he hoped Abdeslam would be extradited "as soon as possible." A hearing on Abdeslam's detention scheduled for Thursday morning was postponed until April 7 at Mary's request. A second terrorist took part in the subway bombing Tuesday in Brussels and authorities believe he may have survived the blast, meaning there are potentially two "mystery bombers" from the twin attacks on the run, according to reports. The development means there is an unidentified bomber in both the attack at the Maelbeek Metro station, which killed 20, and the earlier blasts at Zaventem Airport, which killed 11. Both unidentified suspects were captured by surveillance cameras with known suicide bombers. The French newspaper Le Monde and the Belgian public broadcaster RTBF reported that a man carrying a large bag was seen on CCTV walking with Khalid El Bakraoui, whom authorities believe blew himself up on a train at the Maelbeek station. That possible accomplice also was seen talking to El Bakraoui and did not get on the train that was bombed, police sources told AFP. What is known of the men suspected of direct involvement in Tuesdays attacks: - Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of two brothers involved, is believed to be one of two suicide bombers who died at the airport. - Najim Laachraoui, an ISIS explosives expert believed to have built the bombs used in both the Paris and Brussels attacks, was the other suicide bomber who died at the airport. He and Ibrahim El Bakraoui are believed to be the men seen in a surveillance photo pushing luggage carts and wearing solitary black gloves that may have masked detonators. - A mystery man dressed in white, wearing a dark hat and possibly a disguise who has not been identified was also seen pushing a cart in the surveillance photo. He is believed to have placed a bomb at the airport and fled the scene. Authorities are looking for him. - Khalid El Bakraoui, the brother of Ibrahim El Bakraoui, is believed to have died in a suicide blast at the Maelbeek Metro station 79 minutes after the airport attack. - A second man seen with Khalid El Bakraoui and carrying a large bag at the Metro station is believed to have been an accomplice and either died in the blast or is on the run. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in Brussels, which have laid bare European security failings and prompted calls for better intelligence cooperation. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, in a national mourning speech Thursday, said the attacks targeted the "liberty of daily life" and "the liberty upon which the European project was built." "The cries of distress, the cries of pain, the scream of sirens, the apocalyptic images will remain engraved" on memories, he said. Security experts have told Fox News the bombers were likely targeting Americans, because the airport blast happened near the American Airlines desk, and the Metro station is near the U.S. Embassy. In Brussels, authorities were still sifting through evidence gathered in a series of raids immediately following the attacks, which came during rush hour Tuesday morning. RTBF also reported Thursday that a message found on Ibrahim El Bakraoui's computer Tuesday night does not name Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam, as had previously been suspected. According to the broadcaster, El Bakraoui referenced Mohammed Bakkali, who was arrested last November following the Paris attacks and is suspected of renting out two hideouts to the ISIS cell in Belgium. He is also accused of spying on a top Belgian nuclear official. "I don't know what to do, I'm in a hurry, people are looking for me everywhere," chief prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw quoted the message as saying. "If I give myself up I'll end up in a cell next to him." The message points to a rising sense of panic among the three suicide bombers. Police were drawn to the brothers' apartment Tuesday night thanks to a tip from a taxi driver who had unwittingly delivered them to the airport, Van Leeuw said. Inside the northeast Brussels residence they found an apparent bomb-making factory, including 33 pounds of homemade explosives and nails for use as shrapnel. Neighbors told The Associated Press they had no idea of the brothers' activities and barely saw them until the taxi collected them and their visibly heavy bags Tuesday morning. One neighbor, who was willing to give only his first name of Erdine, said he was about to drive his son to school when he saw the two men carrying their bags out of the building. "The taxi driver tried to get the luggage," he said. "And the other guy reached for it like he was saying: 'No, I'll take it.'" The Associated Press contributed to this report. Syrian government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, on Thursday pushed into the ancient town of Palmyra, which has been held by the Islamic State group since May, state TV reported. The advance came after the troops managed this week to capture several hills and high ground around the town, famed for its priceless archaeological site and Roman ruins. Syrian troops have been on the offensive for days in an attempt to capture the town. The state TV broadcast footage of its reporter, embedded with the Syrian military, speaking live from the entrance of Palmyra and saying that as of midday Thursday, the fighting was concentrated near the archaeological site on the southwestern edge of the town. Cracks of gunfire and explosions echoed as the reporter spoke. The TV also aired footage showing soldiers walking and SUVs driving near a building that appears to have been a hotel. An unnamed Syrian soldier told the station he had one message for the Islamic State group: "You will be crushed under the feet of the Syrian Arab Army." Recapturing the town, a UNESCO world heritage site, would be a significant victory for Syria's army and its Russian allies. Russia withdrew most of its forces and aircraft from Syria last week after a months-long bombing campaign that succeeded in turning the tide of the war again in President Bashar Assad's favor. Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, denied that Syrian troops had entered the town. He said they were still on the edge of Palmyra and that the video seen on Syrian state TV shows teyh area about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Palmyra. Earlier in the day, Gov. Talal Barazi told The Associated Press from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army has determined three directions to storm Palmyra and was clearing all roads leading into the town of mines and explosives. "We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra," Barazi said over the phone, adding that "the army is advancing in a precise and organized way to protect what is possible of monuments and archaeological sites." The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops and Shiite militiamen helping them on the ground were facing tough resistance from IS extremists as they try to penetrate the town's limits. The Observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said the IS lost over 200 militants since the government campaign to retake Palmyra began 17 days ago. It did not have figures for government losses. In neighboring Lebanon, the Al-Manar TV station, which belongs to the militant Hezbollah group that is fighting with Syrian troops, reported that Syrian government forces were in full control of the hotels area and farms on the western edge of Palmyra on Thursday. Palmyra attracted tens of thousands of tourists to Syria every year and is affectionately known by Syrians as the "bride of the desert." In a big blow to the government, it was overrun by the Islamic State group last May. In Palmyra, the IS destroyed many of the town's Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and also killed dozens of captive Syrian soldiers and dissidents from IS in public slayings at the town's grand roman theater and other ruins. Along with blowing up priceless archaeological treasures, among the first destructions IS carried out in Palmyra was the demolishing of the town's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents had been imprisoned and tortured over the years. The advance on Palmyra comes against the backdrop of Syrian peace talks underway in Geneva between representative of the Damascus government and the Western-backed opposition. The talks, which have been boosted by a Russia-U.S.-brokered cease-fire that has mostly held since late February, were to adjourn on Thursday -- without having achieved any apparent breakthroughs. The negotiations are scheduled to resume later in April. In Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Thursday for countries to boost efforts to fight IS in Syria, Iraq and beyond in the wake of this week's deadly attacks in Brussels. He said the Brussels attack should put nations on notice that the terror threat emanating from the Middle East must be stopped. Kerry is in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Syria, Ukraine and the Brussels attacks. He will be seeking clarity from Putin and Lavrov as to where Russia stands on a political transition for Syria, particularly on the issue of Assad's future. Despite its recent drawdown in Syria, Moscow has said it is keeping its bases in Syria and would continue to carry out airstrikes against the Islamic State group and other extremists. The Russian air force has supported the Assad government advance with a fierce campaign of air strikes. Meanwhile, the U.N. chief arrived in Lebanon on Thursday for a two days visit during which he is expected to meet top Lebanese officials and discuss regional matters. Lebanon, which has taken in over 1 million Syrian refugees, is also host to a U.N. peacekeeping force that maintains security along the Lebanese-Israel border. Ban is expected to address refugee support, youth unemployment, and private sector development. He will visit a Syrian refugee settlement in central Lebanon and the country's second-largest city, Tripoli, in the north. The secretary general will be joined by World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank Group representatives on a five-day regional tour that will also take him to Jordan and Tunisia. The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for Yemen's warring sides to engage in peace talks "in a flexible and constructive manner," while welcoming the announcement of a cease-fire set to take effect on April 10. For a year now, the Saudis have lead a military coalition aimed at crushing Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemens ex president Saleh who managed to take over much of the country, forcing President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into temporary exile. It remains to be seen if the sides manage to follow through with their commitment to put down their weapons to enable a peace political settlement of the conflict to begin. "The aim is to reach an agreement which will end the conflict and allow the resumption of an inclusive political dialogue," U.N. special envoy for Yemen Ismail Cheikh Ahmed said. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has expanded amid the chaos in impoverished country. The U.S. has conducted drone strikes against AQAP, including a fresh strike on a training camp which killed at least 40 Al Qaeda fighters. The United Nations says more than 6,000 people have been killed in the Yemen fighting. Saudi bombing raids are to blame for most of 3,200 civilian deaths, according to the U.N. Most of the civilian casualties are blamed on Saudi bombing raids, the U.N. adds. The peace talks are set to start April 18 in Kuwait. The U.N. envoy said the talks, which he will lead, aim to reach an agreement to end the conflict and allow the resumption of political dialogue leading to a peaceful transition based on a regional peace initiative, a national dialogue and U.N. Security Council resolutions. He said the parties have committed to reinforcing a committee overseeing the cease-fire with prominent Yemeni figures who will report on progress and security incidents. The Yemeni talks will focus on five areas: the withdrawal of militia and armed groups, the handover of heavy weaponry to the state, interim security arrangements, restoration of state institutions and resumption of an inclusive political dialogue, he said. A special committee will be created to deal with prisoners and detainees. Fox News' Jonathan Wachtel and The Associated Press contributed to this report. IHG Announces New Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Halifax-Bedford, Nova Scotia Hotel Opens Following Major Renovation March 24, 2016 // Franchising.com // HALIFAX InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the worlds leading hotel companies, today announces the opening of the newly-renovated 113-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites Halifax-Bedfordhotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This hotel joins the Holiday Inn Halifax Harbourview and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Halifax Airport hotels already nearby. Located near major attractions including the BMO Centre, IBM Innovation Centre, Canada Games Centre, World Trade & Convention Centre, Bayer's Lake Park and Mount St. Vincent University, this hotel is expected to become a top choice for business, sports, government and leisure travellers in the Halifax area. Jennifer Gribble, Vice President, Holiday Inn Express Brand, IHG, said: Holiday Inn Express is one of the most widely recognized lodging brands in the world, and were pleased to add this hotel in the Halifax-Bedford area to our family. The Holiday Inn Express brand continues to expand its presence in the Canadian market, delivering a special kind of hospitality that makes guests feel at home the moment they walk through the door. The Holiday Inn Express brand is the smart choice for travellers seeking a hotel that will help them rest and go while staying productive, delivering exactly what they need and nothing they dont. The 2,425 Holiday Inn Express hotels worldwide offer a simple and efficient stay through the uncomplicated yet personal service travellers expect from the brand. The hotel was renovated using the brands new design solution, which was created to meet the evolving needs of the brands target guest who is looking for a simple, smart travel experience. The design features an appealing combination of fresh, energetic and engaging elements, creating a distinctive style that is evident at every touch point of the Holiday Inn Express brand experience. The hotel features an indoor heated pool with an 80 foot waterslide, whirlpool, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour business center and 2,000 square feet of meeting space that can comfortably accommodate up to 250 people. Guestrooms feature contemporary styling, comfortable queen, king-sized or two queen beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast 100% Arabica coffee. For guests comfort, the spacious newly-renovated rooms are equipped with fridges and microwaves. The hotels 22 suites also have a separate living room with a pullout sofa. The complimentary Express Start breakfast bar offers a full range of breakfast items, including a variety of healthy options: Oikos yogurt, whole wheat English muffins, Kelloggs breakfast cereals, Quaker oatmeal flavors in cups and a toppings bar for yogurt, cereal and pancakes. Additionally, the breakfast bar continues to offer a wide variety of other hot and cold options including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, fruit, the brand's proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast coffee. Anil Taneja, President, Palm Holdings said: In each room, we wanted to provide our guests with a fresh and inviting atmosphere by featuring natural colours and a contemporary style that blend together perfectly. We are excited to be one of the first in Canada to showcase the Holiday Inn Express brands new design. As with many of Palm Holdings hotels, we expect this to be an award-winning hotel and a preferred accommodation supplier in the Halifax region. The hotel, located at 980 Parkland Drive, Halifax, Nova Scotia, is 15 minutes from Halifax Stanfield International Airport and downtown Halifax. The property is owned by Palm Holdings and managed by Palm Hospitality. The Holiday Inn Express brand is part of IHGs diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries and territories. The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that its hotels can meet guests needs whatever the occasion whether an overnight getaway, a business trip, a family celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HOLIDAY or by going to IHG.com/HolidayInnExpress. The Holiday Inn Express brand participates in IHG Rewards Club. The industrys first and largesthotel rewards program is free, and guests can enroll at IHGRewardsClub.com, by downloading the IHG App, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHGs more than 5,000 hotels worldwide. The hotel also participates inIHG Green Engage and offers unique programs to ensure sustainability. About the Holiday Inn Express brand Holiday Inn Express hotels are modern hotels for value-oriented travellers. Fresh, clean and uncomplicated, Holiday Inn Express hotels offer competitive rates for both business and leisure travellers. Guests Stay Smart at Holiday Inn Express hotels where they enjoy a free hot Express Start breakfast bar with new healthier offerings, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls (U.S. and Canada only). There are currently over 2,425 Holiday Inn Express hotel locations around the globe. For more information about Holiday Inn Express hotels or to book reservations, visit www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress . Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hiexpress or Facebook www.Facebook.com/holidayinnexpress. About Palm Holdings Palm Holdings is an international hospitality and commercial development company specializing in acquiring, improving and managing hotels across North America and the United Kingdom. The family-controlled company offers a wide range of business services including Palm Hospitality, an international hotel management and consultancy company; Palm Construction specializing in capital improvements, new developments and retrofits for hotels; as well asPalm Ventures, an equity services firm dedicated to acquiring and holding hospitality related real estate. Palm Holdings is one of the fastest growing hospitality firms with a portfolio spanning across three countries in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information about Palm Holdings please contact Paul Sutton at Paul@palm-holdings.com. For hotel sales and marketing related questions, please contact Marie-France Bergeron at marie-france@palm-holdings.com About IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites andCandlewood Suites. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,000 hotels and 744,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries, with more than 1,300 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, the worlds first and largest hotel loyalty programme with more than 92 million members worldwide. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Groups holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 350,000 people work across IHGs hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg and www.youtube.com/ihgplc. SOURCE IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) Media Contacts: Jordan Worrall Holiday Inn Express Brand jordan.worrall@ihg.com +1(770) 604-5010 Michelle Dias IHG michelle.dias@ihg.com +1(416) 886 4873 ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus DAMASCUS, Syria Syrian government forces backed by Russian airstrikes advanced swiftly in central Syria on Wednesday, seizing high ground around Palmyra and positioning themselves to recapture the historic town held by the Islamic State group. The troops, supported by Lebanese Shiite militiamen fighting on the side of the Damascus government reached to within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of the town, according to the state TV broadcaster. In Le-banon, the militant Hezbollah groups television station broadcast footage of the troops, advancing single file through a desert landscape as helicopter gunships provided cover. Recapturing the town would be a significant victory for the army and its Russian allies. Russia withdrew most of its forces and aircraft from Syria last week after a months-long bombing campaign that succeeded in turning the tide of the war again in Assads favor. However, Moscow said it will keep its bases in Syria and would continue to carry out airstrikes against the Islamic State group and other extremists. Right now, the standard treatment for glioblastoma is a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. There are few options when those fail, but Holland is cautiously optimistic for the future. He believes with an as-yet-to-be-determined combination of immunotherapy and precision medicine, brain cancer researchers may finally make some headway against this long intractable problem. For a long time this has been a very hopeless field. A lot of people who were in it were either idealists who were imagining somehow changing the world or nihilists who knew they couldnt. Its been a very hard problem, said Holland, who puts himself in the idealist camp. But all that said, I think there actually is a crack in the door right now. Early days and unique challenges Holland is quick to point out that nobody has yet shown that immunotherapy can hold a candle against glioblastoma. T-cell therapy, a treatment in which a patients own immune cells are engineered to recognize and attack their tumors and which is showing promise for certain blood cancer patients, is being used in some small, early-stage clinical trials in glioblastoma at some other research centers. But, even for blood cancers, its still early days for this experimental therapy. Brain cancer, especially glioblastoma, poses a series of unique challenges to treatment, Holland said. Some solid tumors arise in organs that can be removed or transplanted, if the cancer is caught early enough. But obviously that doesnt apply to the brain thats who you are, Holland said. The blood-brain barrier, which keeps the brain and its associated fluid tightly isolated from the circulatory system, also poses a challenge many drugs simply cant access tumors. Glioblastoma is resistant even to those drugs that can get in and its also more resistant to radiation than even normal brain tissue is. Finally, unlike some other brain tumors, glioblastoma is very difficult to completely remove surgically because its so diffuse in the brain. The tumor cells are like a puff of smoke in the room, or ants in the grass. Theyre just everywhere, Holland said. Holland is hopeful, though, that his particular area of expertise precision oncology can lay the groundwork for better treatments for glioblastoma, as it may for any cancer. Hes leading the development of Hutch Integrated Data Repository and Archive, or HIDRA, a database to combine patients clinical information with the genetic information of their individual tumors. The ultimate goal of databanks like HIDRA and the data visualization tool Oncoscape is to better understand how a patient is likely to respond to a given treatment and to tailor their care accordingly, Holland said. Its like a much more granular diagnosis, he said. Unfortunately, even if researchers better understood the molecular details of patients tumors, there are few treatment options. But one day there will be more alternatives, Holland said, and when that day comes, he believes the framework of precision medicine will help guide the testing and tailoring of those new treatments be they immunotherapies or new drugs. Out of Darkness Megabook Selected as eReader News Today Book of the Day. Digital book reviewer, eReader News Today, selects Ruth Price's Out of Darkness Megabook, a collection of her Out of Darkness serial as their Book of The Day. Amish romance lovers and can enjoy this Amish romance serial for 99c on 3/22/16. -- Amish romance lovers looking for a highly recommended Amish book can purchase Out of Darkness Megabook, a collection of the 10-part Out of Darkness serial by Ruth Price, as eReader News Today's Book of the Day. As a part of the program, this book is priced at 99c on 3/22/2016 on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, and Page Foundry. This book is priced regularly at $4.99. In Out of Darkness Megabook, Sofia Angelis is a woman without a past. All she knows is that she's being hunted. When she stumbles, bloody and beaten, onto Abram Yoder's Lancaster County farm, she is not only given a chance at safety, but also the possibility of love. Readers will be riveted, wondering if the ghosts of Sofia's past will keep her from seizing a new future. Readers can learn more about this Amish novel here: http://familychristianbookstore.net/index.php/2016... Amish author, Ruth Price strives in her fiction channel a higher good, and while she doesn't always reach that ideal, she hopes that her readers are entertained and inspired by her stories. Readers will find this book exciting, absorbing, and ultimately uplifting. Readers have raved about Ruth Price's Out of Darkness serial: About Out of Darkness Megabook, Amazon reader, Roxanne Barr, says: "Very Gut! Very well written. Will keep your attention until the end! cannot wait until I can read more books by this author!" Also about Out of Darkness Megabook, a second Amazon.com reader, Cherokee, raves, "Great set. Just go for it. You will love it." And a third Amazon.com reader, Gladys L. Nasif, raves, "I loved the story!! It kept me interested enough that I didn't want to put it down. It was one of the books about the Amish that I truly enjoyed!" Readers can learn more about Out of Darkness Megabook here: http://familychristianbookstore.net/index.php/2016... Out of Darkness Megabook is being offered for 99c on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, and Page Foundry through 3/22/16 as a part of eReader News Today's Book of the Day program. It is regularly priced at $4.99. It is also available in paperback for $11.99 through Amazon.com and other online book distributors. About Global Grafx Press: Global Grafx Press was founded in 1997. This Christian book distributor is known for publishing great Western romance novels, Christian nonfiction, and Amish books. They are committed to helping readers find the best, clean Christian books online and hope that their readers enjoy browsing their Christian Bookstore. Those interested in learning more about Global Grafx Press can do so at http://familychristianbookstore.net. For more information about us, please visit http://familychristianbookstore.net Contact Info: Name: Book Maven Organization: Global Grafx Press Address: 823 Old Westtown Road, Suite B1 Phone: 267-530-1611 Release ID: 108004 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Kirby Farris, Esq. Named One of Birmingham's 205 Most Influential Executives The Metro Birmingham Business journal has named Kirby Farris, Esq., the managing partner at Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP as one of Birmingham's most influential executives. -- The Metro Birmingham Business journal has named Kirby Farris, Esq., the managing partner at Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP as one of Birmingham's most influential executives. At Farris, Riley & Pitt, Mr. Farris has been an avid believer in pursuing justice for those injured or killed as the result of a personal injury. His firm has helped thousands recover for their injuries and suffering. "It is an honor to be recognized by the business community for the achievements my firm and I have been able to reach on behalf of our clients," Mr. Farris explains. "We are proud to serve the Birmingham community, and look forward to continuing that commitment for years to come." With numerous multi-million dollar results, he focuses his practice on railroad litigation (FELA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) claims, wrongful death actions and personal injury lawsuits in Alabama. ### About Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP The members of Farris, Riley & Pitt understand the challenges personal injury victims face following a serious accident, and aim to help deliver justice to those who have been wronged in an honest, fair and ethical way. Farris, Riley & Pitt's Birmingham personal injury attorneys value strong client relationships and are committed to producing excellent legal work in a professional manner. Our firm's goal is 100% client satisfaction with a focus on community involvement. For more information about us, please visit http://www.frplegal.com For more information about us, please visit http://www.frplegal.com Contact Info: Name: Caroline Romano Organization: Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP Address: 505 20th Street North, Suite 1700, Birmingham, AL 35203 Phone: 205-324-1212 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/kirby-farris-esq-named-one-of-birminghams-205-most-influential-executives/108002 Release ID: 108002 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) The Anti-Aging Doctor's Guide to an Optimally Functioning Brain for Life Becomes Amazon Kindle #3 Best Seller "Gear Up Your Brain for Life!" authored by anti-aging doctor Kimberly Crawford has reached the #3 ranking on Amazon Kindle's Best Seller list. The book is available in the Health category. -- Agewell Solutions, LLC is pleased to announce that company founder and author, Kim Crawford, MD became an Amazon Kindle #3 Best Selling author for a week in the entire Kindle health section with over 200 sales during the first three days of release. Her first book, "How to Super-Charge Your Energy Levels for Life", not only made the best seller list but was the #1 Best Seller in its category. She has had other best-selling books, on topics ranging from great sleep too easy weight loss to perfect skin. All of her current books are found on her Amazon Kindle Author page. No book has received less than a 5-star review from all purchasers. This book was born from conversations with many patients complaining about decreased concentration skills, inability to recall names, and basically just feeling as if their "brains were working slower than when they were younger." According to Dr. Kim, as she is called by her patients, "This is a common problem as we age and there are some simple and natural solutions that can make a dramatic difference in people's lives. After so many great stories of new found mental sharpness and greater fulfillment in life, I knew I had to share this knowledge!" "I was tremendously excited about the results I experienced from Dr. Kim's recommendations," said world-renowned neuro-radiologist (and a "Dr. Kim patient" ) Dr. Marc Shapiro. "I am incredibly excited about sharing this book and her recommendations with many of my patients. After all who does not want to feel more mentally sharp?" Dr. Crawford is considered to be one of the foremost experts on brain health. Her consultation services are in such high demand that she felt that putting it all down in this book would help many people who could not see her personally. These recommendations do work for those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment but for those with Alzheimer's, there is insufficient evidence to be able to make conclusive recommendations. This is the sixth book Dr. Kim has released. You can find it on Amazon and read reviews by clicking here: "Gear up your Brain for Life!: The Anti-Aging Doctor's Guide to an Optimally Functioning Brain for Life" Her upcoming book, "The 15 Anti-aging products you can't live without" is scheduled for release at the end of March 2016. Her next book "You're a Mess if you have Stress" is a humorous and informative way to learn why and how to beat stress. That book will be released by the summer of 2016. Her affordable consultation services are available through her anti-aging website AgeWellSolutions https://www.drkimsagewellsolutions.com For more information about us, please visit https://www.drkimsagewellsolutions.com Contact Info: Name: Dr. Kimberly Crawford M.D Organization: AgeWell Solutions Address: 3260 N Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32935 Phone: (772) 999-5322 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/the-anti-aging-doctors-guide-to-an-optimally-functioning-brain-for-life-becomes-amazon-kindle-3-best-seller/108111 Release ID: 108111 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global Smokeless Tobacco Market 2016 Trends, Growth Drivers, Competitive Landscape & 2022 Forecasts Analysis Discussed in New Research Report MarketReportsOnline.com adds "Global Smokeless Tobacco Market Report: 2016 Edition" report to its research store. -- Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is not burnt. Smokeless tobacco products contain tobacco or a blend of tobacco that is most often chewed, sucked on and spit out after the tobacco juices are built up, or sniffed. It is also known as chewing tobacco, oral tobacco, spit or spitting tobacco, dip, chew, and snuff. Nicotine in the tobacco is absorbed through the lining of the mouth. The various forms of smokeless tobacco are: Chewing tobacco, Snuff, E-Cigarettes, Snus and Dissolvable Tobacco. Complete report on Smokeless Tobacco market spread across 49 pages providing 4 company profiles and 48 charts is available at http://www.marketreportsonline.com/462022.html. Although the share of this segment in the total tobacco market is relatively smaller, this industry has a higher scope of growth in the coming years due to increasing anti-smoking legislations across various parts of the world as well as increasing awareness about the lower health risk associated with smokeless tobacco products as compared to smokeable tobacco products. The key factors which are anticipated to drive this market include reducing cigarette consumption, rising real GDP, rising household consumption expenditure and growing demand for pouched products. Some of the noteworthy progresses of this industry include the development of vaping technology and increasing popularity of E-cigarettes. However, the growth of respective industry is hindered by the illicit tobacco trade, rising excise duties, stringent tobacco regulations by the government and marketing restrictions imposed on the producers. Order a copy of this smokeless tobacco market research report at USD 800 (Single User License) http://www.marketreportsonline.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=462022. The report provides a comprehensive study of global smokeless tobacco market and also major regional markets. Furthermore, market dynamics such as key trends and development; and challenges are analyzed in depth. The global smokeless tobacco industry is highly competitive consisting of several large companies including the Reynolds American Inc, Altria Group, Imperial Tobacco Group etc. The competitive landscape of the respective market, along with the company profiles of the leading players are also discussed in detail. Major Points from Table of Contents Provided in Global Smokeless Tobacco Market Report: 1. Overview 1.1 Definition 1.2 Type of Smokeless Tobacco 1.2.1 Chewing Tobacco 1.2.2 Snuff 1.2.3 E-Cigarettes 1.2.4 Snus 1.2.5 Dissolvable Tobacco 2. Global Smokeless Tobacco Industry 2.1 Global Smokeless Tobacco Sales Volume 2.1.1 Global Tobacco Sales Value Growth by Region 2.2 The US Smokeless Tobacco Industry 2.2.1 The US Tobacco Industry Domestic Production Volume by Category 2.2.2 The US Tobacco Products Imports Volume by Category 2.2.3 The US Tobacco Industry Revenue by Category 2.2.4 The US Smokeless Tobacco Industry Revenue 2.2.5 The US Smokeless Tobacco Market Size by Volume 2.2.6 The US Smokeless Tobacco Sales by Type 2.2.7 The US Moist Snuff Sales Volume by Category 2.2.8 The US Snus Market Size by Volume 2.3 Scandinavian Snus Industry 2.3.1 Scandinavian Snus Industry Revenue 2.3.2 Scandinavian Snus Market Size by Volume 2.3.3 Norway Snus Industry Revenue 2.3.4 Norway Snus Industry Sales by Volume 2.3.5 Sweden Snus Industry Revenue 2.3.6 Sweden Snus Industry Sales by Volume 3. Market Dynamics 3.1 Growth Drivers 3.1.1 Reducing Cigarette Consumption 3.1.2 Increasing Real GDP 3.1.3 Rising Household Consumption Expenditure 3.1.4 Growing Demand for Pouched Products 3.2 Key Trends 3.2.1 Development of Vaping Technology 3.2.2 Growing Popularity of E-Cigarettes 3.2.3 Rising Prices of Smokeless Tobacco Products 3.3 Challenges 3.3.1 Illicit Trading of Tobacco 3.3.2 Rising Duty on Tobacco in Asian Countries 3.3.3 Stringency in the Tobacco Regulatory Framework 3.3.4 Marketing Restrictions 4. Competitive Landscape 4.1 Competition by Market Share 4.1.1 The US Smokeless Tobacco Market Share 4.1.2 The US Moist Snuff Market Share 4.1.3 The US Snus Market Share 4.1.4 Norway Snus Market Share 4.1.4 Sweden Snus Market Share 4.2 Competition by Financials 4.2.1 Competition by Profit Margin - The US Smokeless Tobacco Market 4.2.2 Competition by Revenue - The US Smokeless Tobacco Market 4.2.3 Competition by Profit Margin - Scandinavian Snus Market 4.2.4 Competition by Market Cap 5. Company Profiles Explore more related report son consumer goods market at http://www.marketreportsonline.com/cat/consumer-goods-market-research.html. For more information about us, please visit http://www.marketreportsonline.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=462022 Contact Info: Name: Ritesh Tiwari Organization: Market Reports Online Phone: + 1 888 391 5441 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/global-smokeless-tobacco-market-2016-trends-growth-drivers-competitive-landscape-2022-forecasts-analysis-discussed-in-new-research-report/108116 Release ID: 108116 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Popular Steakhouse Restores Historical Mural Hidden Mural Brought Back to Life at Five O'Clock Steakhouse -- Milwaukee's Five O'Clock Steakhouse is known as the place to have a fantastic steak and great cocktails. The steakhouse wasn't always a steakhouse though. Recently, a mural was discovered behind the mirrors of the bar area. Rather than reinstall the mirrors or paint the wall to modernize it, Managing Partner Stelio Kalkounos had a better idea. Stelio Kalkounous says the mural is only one "new" part of the restaurants extensive history. The steakhouse began as a club, one with secret access with a hidden buzzer and where women called "Kittens" served the elite their drinks. The mural's centerpiece is a naked woman reaching up gracefully behind her to wrap her arms around a giant black winged horse. Both figures are rising from intricately painted clouds, making the scene seem otherworldly. Stelio attributes the style of painting to the supper club beginnings of the steakhouse, and wanted to incorporate a bit of history into the famous eatery. Stelio states, "We are trying to keep everything the same, but also adding a few touches here and there." Stelio contacted Mata Kartsonas of Milwaukee-based Historic Surfaces LLC to undertake the detailed project of restoring the mural. Mata was able to restore it to its former glory, and Stelio is proud to report that the work is complete. Several photos have been brought in to the steakhouse by people that visited the club in its early years. One couple in particular, Jeanne and Ambrose Ricci, had their wedding reception at the club, and had a picture taken while standing directly in front of the now-historic mural. Mata and Stelio did discover a signature located on the bottom right corner of the massive mural. The signature bears the name "H.J. Scharwick," and a quick internet search produced a few other pieces of art by Schwarick, such some geese over a marsh, and a portrait of Abe Lincoln. Little else is known about the painter who lived from 1914 until 1981, but Stelio says that his painting and his name will remain in the steakhouse, proudly displayed for all to see. The Five O'Clock Steakhouse is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has been featured on the Travel Channel and highly praised by Rachel Ray. Visit www.thefiveoclocksteakhouse.com for menu items and a calendar of live music and current promotions. For more information about us, please visit http://%20www.fiveoclocksteakhouse.com Contact Info: Name: Stelio Kalkounos Organization: Five O'Clock Steakhouse Address: 2416 West State Street,Milwaukee WI 53233 Phone: 414-342-3553 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/popular-steakhouse-restores-historical-mural/108149 Release ID: 108149 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Pipeline of Erectile Dysfunction Market Covering 19 Companies RnRMarketResearch adds Erectile Dysfunction Market research to its database. -- This report provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Erectile Dysfunction, complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Erectile Dysfunction and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. Get discount on this research report at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/discount?rname=414320 . Companies discussed in this research report are Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., Apricus Biosciences, Inc., Aprogen, Inc., Bioheart, Inc., Biolab Sanus Farmaceutica Ltda., Corridor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Futura Medical Plc, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, Co. Ltd., IntelGenx Corp., Mezzion Pharma Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Monosol Rx, LLC, NAL Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pacific Therapeutics Ltd., Palatin Technologies, Inc., Pharmicell Co., Ltd., Sagene Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Suda Ltd and Yungjin Pharm Ind. Co., Ltd. Note*: Certain sections in the report may be removed or altered based on the availability and relevance of data for the indicated disease. Complete research report of 113 pages with TOC is available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/erectile-dysfunction-pipeline-review-h2-2015-market-report.html . Scope o The report provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Erectile Dysfunction o The report reviews key pipeline products under drug profile section which includes, product description, MoA and R&D brief, licensing and collaboration details & other developmental activities o The report reviews key players involved in the therapeutics development for Erectile Dysfunction and enlists all their major and minor projects o The report summarizes all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects o A review of the Erectile Dysfunction products under development by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources o Pipeline products coverage based on various stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages o A detailed assessment of monotherapy and combination therapy pipeline projects o Coverage of the Erectile Dysfunction pipeline on the basis of target, MoA, route of administration and molecule type o Latest news and deals relating related to pipeline products Reasons to buy o Provides strategically significant competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D development strategies o Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage o Develop strategic initiatives by understanding the focus areas of leading companies o Identify and understand important and diverse types of therapeutics under development for Erectile Dysfunction o Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players of the most promising pipeline o Devise corrective measures for pipeline projects by understanding Erectile Dysfunction pipeline depth and focus of Indication therapeutics o Develop and design in-licensing and out-licensing strategies by identifying prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and Scope o Modify the therapeutic portfolio by identifying discontinued projects and understanding the factors that drove them from pipeline For more information about us, please visit http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/ Contact Info: Name: Ritesh Tiwari Organization: RnR Market Research Address: UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Phone: +1888 391 54 41 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/pipeline-of-erectile-dysfunction-market-covering-19-companies/108118 Release ID: 108118 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Volure Hair Boutique Publishes In-Depth New Guide to Clip-In Hair Extensions New online guide at company's website covers all the basics and includes plenty of practical, useful tips, Volure reports -- Volure Hair Boutique published at the company's website a comprehensive new guide to clip in hair extensions. Clip-in extensions provide much of the same styling facility and overall beauty-enhancing power of permanent ones, but can be more easily installed, removed or swapped out for others. As the provider of clip in hair extensions south africa trusts and recommends the most, Volure is the country's leading authority on the subject, making it especially well positioned to create the useful new guide. Visitors to the Volure website will find the new guide to clip-in extensions now online, along with pictures and descriptions of all the company's own products of this kind. "While many of our clients focus on our bestselling weave or wig products, the fact is that clip-in extensions can be incredibly flexible and accessible," Volure representative Matt Kingstone said, "We think our new guide to the subject lays out the basics in a useful, informative way, while also helping readers understand why they might choose to go this route. As always, we take great pride in helping our valued clients find whichever beauty solutions will suit them best, and our new guide is another example of this drive." People all around South Africa and elsewhere in the world appreciate the way that carefully harvested and treated human hair can contribute to their personal fashion and beauty goals. Perhaps most commonly today, that often means buying high-quality, unprocessed hair obtained from Brazilian, Indian, or Malaysian donors and then having it carefully sewn, braided, or chemically bonded to existing hair by a trained professional. While this approach can produce impressive, long-lasting results, it includes the obvious drawback of being relatively permanent and requiring a substantial initial time commitment. For those seeking more in the way of flexibility and spur-of-the-moment accessibility, high quality clip-in extensions can therefore be an even better option. The new Volure Hair Boutique guide to the subject covers everything that those looking into this alternative will need to know. It details the various weights and colors of clip-extensions available , along with proven, useful tips regarding installation, washing, and styling. The new guide also includes detailed pictures of the various clip-in extension products currently available through Volure, along with current pricing information. As South Africa's leading supplier of extensions, wigs, weaves, and similar products, Volure regularly helps the company's clients with questions regarding topics like this and related ones. Those in the area are invited to visit the Volure storefront in Ferndale, Randburg at the Bram Fischer Shopping Centre, while others may get in touch with the company's experts by phone, email, or the contact form at its website. About Volure Hair Boutique: Serving local clients in Johannesburg and shipping to others throughout the country, Volure Hair Boutique is one of South Africa's top suppliers of hair extensions, wigs, weaves, and related products. For more information about us, please visit http://www.volure.co.za Contact Info: Name: Matt Kingstone Organization: Volure Hair Boutique Address: Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2194 South Africa Phone: 011-787-1707 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/volure-hair-boutique-publishes-in-depth-new-guide-to-clip-in-hair-extensions/108266 Release ID: 108266 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Volure Hair Boutique Announces Winner of Popular Valentine's Day Contest Latest giveaway set records for participation and produced beautiful new look for winner Welile of Pretoria, Volure reports -- Volure Hair Boutique announced the winner of the company's recent Valentine's Day prize drawing. With entrants lining up for the giveaway at the Volure Instagram page, a lucky winner from Pretoria named Welile walked away with a brand new weave valued at thousands of Rand. As one of South Africa's leading suppliers of weaves and hair-enhancing products, Volure regularly conducts special events and contests like the recent Valentine's Day giveaway, news about which can be found at the company's website and through its Facebook and Instagram posts. "Valentine's Day is inevitably one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year here at Volure," noted company representative Matt Kingstone, "We love to celebrate that most romantic time of the year ourselves, and our recent Valentine's Day contest turned out to be a great way of doing so. We would like to thank everyone who entered the drawing and congratulate beautiful Welile for her victory. We have many more such events planned for the future, so we encourage all who are interested in weave hairstyles and beauty in general to keep up with us online and at our store in Johannesburg." Originally a specifically Christian holiday meant to commemorate the life and accomplishments of the saint of the same name, Valentine's Day has become a global celebration of love and romance over the course of the last hundred years. In addition to being a time for lovers of all ages to stoke their romantic flames even higher, the holiday is also appreciated as a particularly appropriate time of the year for working toward beauty goals and seeking ways of becoming more attractive. As one of South Africa's most popular and highly regarded providers of hair extensions, wigs, and related accessories and supplies, Volure is an integral part of the Valentine's Day season for many. Located in the Bram Fischer Shopping Centre in the Ferndale suburb of Johannesburg, the company's well-stocked retail store and salon carries a huge range of top-quality Brazilian, Indian, and Malaysian hair extensions and other products, also shipping to customers throughout the country. The recent Volure Valentine's Day contest was the latest in a long line of fun, customer-focused events the company regularly holds. Visitors to the Volure Instagram and Facebook pages were informed ahead of time as to how to enter and the available prizes, resulting in an enthusiastic response that exceeded expectations and past records. Hailing from Pretoria, prize winner Welile showed off her beautiful new weave and makeover at the Volure Facebook page, where dozens of the company's many loyal fans posted appreciative comments. About Volure Hair Boutique: With South Africa's widest, best selection of hair extensions, wigs, and related products, Volure Hair Boutique makes it easy for every client to realize beauty goals and achieve great new looks. For more information about us, please visit http://www.volure.co.za Contact Info: Name: Matt Kingstone Organization: Volure Hair Boutique Address: Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2194 South Africa Phone: 011 787 1707 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/volure-hair-boutique-announces-winner-of-popular-valentines-day-contest/108267 Release ID: 108267 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Indiana Carpet And Upholstery Cleaning All Natural Non Toxic Service Expanded Chem-Dry has announced an expansion of its proprietary and certified carpet, area rug and upholstery deep cleaning solutions, using a patented carbonating cleaning method and 100% natural green-certified products, to service a wider range of counties in Indiana. -- Chem-Dry by Kevin Jones announced an expansion of its certified, proprietary and patented carpet and upholstery deep and family-friendly 100% natural cleaning solutions to assist a wider range of Indiana natives. To help homeowners provide a healthier home environment for their families, Chem-Dry is currently offering a new buy one get one free cleaning offer for upholstery and area rugs. Customers requesting the Chem-Dry deep clean in an area rug, sofa or chair get a second one deep cleaned cost-free. More information is available at http://www.vipcarpetcleaner.com/. Chem-Dry by Kevin Jones is a certified and awarded Indiana-based business providing an innovative carpet & upholstery deep cleaning solution, using a patented carbonating cleaning method and 100% natural and non-toxic proprietary products. The firm has announced its experienced and licensed staff is now available to provide the acclaimed and certified carpet, area or oriental rug and upholstery cleaning solutions, including specialty stain and pet odor removal, in Boone County, Hamilton County, Hendricks County, Marion County and Morgan County, in the state of Indiana. The Chem-Dry patented carbonating cleaning system uses a 100% non-toxic proprietary product, entitled The Natural, containing no soaps, detergents, solvents, enzymes or other harsh chemicals, that extracts more dirt and grime from carpets and upholstery with fractional moisture, minimizing the chance for mold, mildew and bacteria to grow. The family and child-friendly innovative carbonating cleaning system has recently received a Green Certification and the Carpet Rug Institute (CRI) Seal of Approval award. An independent study commissioned to a leading air quality laboratory found that Chem-Dry's cleaning solution removes an average of 98.1% of common household allergens from the carpets and upholstery and 89% of airborne bacteria. The firm reveals that "indoor air quality is a significant home health concern because the average home harbors about 200,000 bacteria for every square inch of carpet. Chem-Dry cleaning is not only effective at removing the bacteria from the carpets and upholstery we clean, but it also improves the air quality in your home". An extensive range of carpet and upholstery cleaning tips and advice along with customer testimonials, detailed information and on the firm's proprietary and patented cleaning products and method along with recent certifications and awards, including the President's Award, and more, areavailable at the website link provided above. For more information about us, please visit http://www.vipcarpetcleaner.com/ Contact Info: Name: Kevin Jones Organization: Chem-Dry by Kevin Jones Address: 1601 Country Club Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46234 Phone: (317) 273-9814 Release ID: 108194 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Across the global oil patch, from Texas to the North Sea, drilling rigs are standing idle as energy companies respond to the slump in crude prices by cutting investments. Not so in the swampy Siberian marshes that are Rosnefts heartland. At Yuganskneftegaz, the production subsidiary that accounts for more than one-tenth of the countrys oil output, the state-controlled Russian oil company doubled its drilling rate during 2015. This counterintuitive move highlights a paradox driving the Russian oil industry thanks to the weakness of the rouble and the nature of the countrys tax system, energy companies are coping with the collapse in crude prices better than their peers almost anywhere in the world. Russia, the worlds third-largest oil producer, lifted output to a post-Soviet record of 10.91m barrels a day in January, partly due to a 12 per cent increase in drilling last year. But that may not be enough. With the enormous west Siberian fields developed in Soviet times in decline, Russia needs to invest ever more just to keep oil production steady. Rosnefts sharp increase in drilling at Yuganskneftegaz came as output at the unit fell 3.2 per cent last year. Rosneft said in December it could increase capital expenditure by one-third this year in rouble terms compared with 2015, just to keep production stable. Russian companies are on a treadmill, says Ronald Smith, analyst at Citi. The bigger you are the faster you have to run just to keep production flat. With the double blow of western sanctions and low oil prices, it is increasingly uncertain whether Russia will be able to maintain output at current levels in the medium to long term a priority for President Vladimir Putins government, which until the plunge in crude prices relied on oil and gas for about half its revenue. That means that Januarys post-Soviet record output level could be a high watermark for Russian oil production over the next few decades, some analysts believe and the countrys provisional agreement reached last month with Saudi Arabia to freeze output at January levels may therefore simply be a formalisation of the status quo. Nonetheless, few analysts expect Russian production to fall dramatically in the near future. The first reason is the fall in the rouble, which has cushioned much of the blow of lower oil prices for companies that sell oil in dollars but set workers pay in roubles. For example, at Lukoil, the privately owned company that is Russias second-largest oil producer, the cost of pumping crude fell 35 per cent year-on-year in dollar terms during the first nine months of 2015. Equally important is Russias tax regime, under which the governments budget enjoys the vast majority of any windfall when oil prices rise, and also takes the brunt of the pain when values fall. Another factor supporting the short-term outlook for Russian oil production is more than 1m barrels a day of new production scheduled to come on stream over the next five years through the launch of greenfield projects. But investments in new Russian production are increasingly in doubt should oil prices stay low. A large part of the problem is financial the combined impact of western sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict and low oil prices has forced Russian oil companies to prioritise their investments. The position of Rosneft is further complicated by its hefty debts. Theyve been able to use their cash to focus on short-gestation, high-impact projects, says Matthew Sagers, analyst at IHS. Thats allowed them to maintain production with the cash theyve got. But long-term projects are being pushed back. A presentation by Alexander Novak, energy minister, last November said that Russias oil companies have delayed 29 projects whose combined peak production would be about 500,000 barrels a day, according to one person familiar with the document. In January, Transneft, the state owned energy infrastructure company, said it would delay the expansion of an east Siberian pipeline due to project deferrals by Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, the oil subsidiary of Gazprom, the state-controlled gas giant. The main challenge for the Russian oil industry is in the more distant future. For two decades, oil companies have largely relied on discoveries made in Soviet times. But after the current crop of greenfield projects has been sucked dry, there will be little conventional oil left to develop. The government had hoped the gap would be filled by shale oil Russia is estimated to hold the largest reserves of this type in the world and the Arctic, one of the last great untapped sources of crude. But sanctions have blocked western oil majors from participating in projects in the Russian Arctic, as well as initiatives to develop the countrys shale. For example, in 2014 ExxonMobil halted a joint venture with Rosneft in the Arctic while Royal Dutch Shell suspended work with Gazprom Neft on shale. Some analysts argue that Russia could maintain production at current levels without the Arctic or shale if the countrys tax regime is adjusted to incentivise further investments in depleted fields something the government is currently studying. By 2018 you either have to change the tax system or see a production decline, says Karen Kostanian, analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Tax may be the greatest risk to Russias ability to maintain production. With oil revenue due to fall sharply this year, thus increasing the Russian budget deficit to an estimated 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product, according to Standard & Poors, some Russian officials are calling for tax increases on the energy sector. Sergei Shatalov, deputy finance minister, said in January the oil industry could survive the removal of some belly fat. This comes after taxes on the sector were revised last year to raise an additional 200bn roubles. This country has the potential to produce for 20-plus years at this level, says Vladimir Drebentsov, chief Russia and CIS economist at BP. Its all a function of the fiscal regime. If they try to squeeze too much, oil production will collapse. This is the second part of a Financial Times series entitled Oil: Lower for longer, examining the consequences of the prolonged slump in oil prices. Arjent, a London-based wealth manager bank-rolled by a chairman recently accused of fraud in the US, has gone bust, leaving the wider financial adviser industry to pay claims against it. Documents on Companies House confirm that Fisher Partners was brought in as administrators on 25 February. The firm has not yet been declared in default by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and the administrators noted client money is not at risk as Arjent was not a custodian. An FSCS spokesman said: Arjent is not in default, but we are investigating a claim against them. Arjents company website, which is still live, stated : In many ways we set out to treat your investment affairs as if they were a business. They deserve that level of care and attention. It is our responsibility to formulate an investment strategy for you and to place this within a coherent financial plan. Competence and discipline are important, but so is judgement. Arjents accounts to 31 December 2014 revealed losses of 1.09m after tax, down from a 1.63m loss in 2013. It claimed revenue growth of 45 per cent in 2014, but also noted administrative costs increasing year-on-year. Cost reduction attempts included the reduction in head count in certain departments, as well as the closure of the Bath office, to focus on the London headquarters. While cutting jobs elsewhere, more senior appointments were made in 2014, following those made in 2013 in order to help the company recover from the ineffectiveness of the administrative and marketing strategies employed by the previous management team which departed in April 2012. The most recent accounts also detailed the Financial Conduct Authority approving a change in regulatory permissions which allowed it to offer financial advice. The FCA stated that it could not comment on individual firms. Accounts also detailed the fact that Arjent did not take on any external bank funding, preferring to rely on money from its chairman Robert DePalo and the companies managed by or affiliated with him, in the form of capital contributions to meet its liabilities as they fall due. He had his appointment at the company terminated last year, after being indicted by a New York grand jury in May on charges of defrauding UK investors of around $6.5m (4.6m) between 2010 and 2012. The US Securities and Exchange Commission also brought fraud charges. The financial statements for 2014 were prepared on the going concern basis. At the end of year, the company has sufficient resources to meet all its FCA capital requirements, despite costs incurred during the year, they read, adding that certain shareholders made available sufficient funds to let Arjent continue to operate as a going concern for at least 12 months. Back in February 2007, Arjent unveiled plans to launch an advice arm, following the development of an alternative investment division the previous year. Then chief executive Tony Woodward said that creating a new business free from legacy constraints was a key part of the companys strategy. I created Arjent because I felt there was a gap in US stockbroking in the UK. (Arjent IFA) has been created to provide genuine client-centered financial planning. Advisers have reacted to claims by the director for intermediary business at Legal & General that they are failing to advise clients properly about protection, by saying providers are also to blame for jargon-filled marketing. Steve Bryan said part of the way the protection gap could be closed would be for generalist advisers to advise properly in every instance. He said: Advisers have a responsibility to advise properly, so every time they do a mortgage, for example, they should have a conversation about insurance. According to Mr Bryan, these conversations can be quite emotive, but the fact all of the providers have a direct presence in the direct-to-consumer market helps intermediaries and brings protection to the fore. He accepted firms such as Legal & General had a large part to play in helping advisers conduct what can be difficult conversations. Technology can raise awareness, he said, pointing out that L&Gs early warning system, developed in 2010, has helped more than 63,000 customers stay insured over the last 12 months. Mr Bryan continued that the language of protection ought to be simplified to help people understand the value of the policy they have bought, in order to prevent such cover being cancelled in the first place. He explained: Perhaps the word protection needs to be rephrased. What is it people are protecting? This tends to be a colloquial, catch-all term and it may not be the right one. With term assurance, people are protecting their loved ones in the event of the worst. With critical illness, you are protecting the breadwinner and their family against hardship if he or she becomes ill. With income protection, you are protecting their lifestyle in the event of being unable to work. If we communicated this properly as an industry, then more people would understand the importance of cover. Could it be simplified? Certainly. But is all the information essential? Definitely Paul Reed Mr Bryan added the industry should also reconsider how it talks about the protection gap, stating: Maybe we should stop talking about the protection gap in terms of billions of pounds, and start talking about this in terms of people. The so-called protection gap in the UK has been estimated at more than 2.5trn by reinsurer Swiss Re. Part of the onus is on providers to pay attention to their literature, according to Robert Harvey, independent protection expert at Brighton-based Drewberry Insurance, who commented: I dont think providers own marketing literature is up to scratch. Quite often, this is full of jargon. Customers are not clued-up to the same degree as advisers and brokers and it can be harder for them to properly understand the products. He added some insurers provide word-heavy documents with multiple pages. We need shorter, snappier marketing materials, and more targeted, engaging advertising relevant to different groups of people, such as Generation Y. Paul Reed, protection specialist for Cardiff-based Vita, agreed that in some cases key policy conditions documents could be far too long for the average person to read and many wont read it from cover to cover. Investors confidence in the markets has plummeted to its lowest level since Lloyds Bank Investor Sentiment Index started three years ago. The banks monthly figures, which gives a picture on investor sentiment in 10 asset classes, show investor mood has continued to fall following a choppy three months across global markets. March saw a drop in performance across seven of the 10 asset classes, with gold, UK government bonds bucking the trend. UK equities experienced a slight boost in performance, after seeing a huge 18 per cent drop in sentiment in the space of a year. According to the report, investor confidence across the 10 asset classes fell to -2.26 per cent in March, a fall of 13.5 per cent compared to the same time last year. Sentiment towards commodities saw the first month-on-month increase since November, rebounding 6.85 per cent, meaning confidence towards commodities outpaced the sentiment towards UK equities for the first time since April 2013. Markus Stadlmann, chief investment officer at Lloyds Bank Private Banking, said: Investors tend to focus most of their efforts on domestic markets, so a negative view of the UK equity market suggests an increasingly dour view overall. However, he said there are some glimmers of a recovery in the performance of some asset classes, pointing specifically to the switch in sentiment towards gold, which is currently benefiting from being viewed as a safe haven investment during turbulent times. Net Sentiment, Source: Investor Sentiment Index Net Sentiment March 2015 Net Sentiment February 2016 Net Sentiment March 2016 Monthly PP Change in Net Sentiment February 2016 March 2016 Annual PP Change in Net Sentiment March 2015 March 2016 UK shares 36.49% -2.49% -8.87% -38.98% Eurozone shares -33.06% -30.28% -39.92% -9.64% -6.86% US shares 17.02% -0.80% -0.05% 0.75% -17.07% Japanese shares -0.79% -17.05% -19.43% -2.38% -18.64% Emerging market shares 16.76% -5.90% -1.33% 4.57% -18.09% UK government bonds 20.64% 4.97% 5.00% 0.03% -15.64% UK corporate bonds 17.29% 1.86% 2.42% 0.56% -14.87% UK property 43.42% 48.61% 41.08% -7.53% -2.34% Gold 26.54% 30.24% 38.75% 8.51% Commodities 13.26% -8.26% -1.41% 6.85% -14.67% Average 15.76% 2.98% 2.26% -0.71% -13.50% Mr Stadlmann warned though that investors should always be wary about becoming too euphoric about certain markets based on short-term returns. Elsewhere, eurozone shares remain desperately unpopular with a sentiment rating of -39.92 per cent. katherine.denham@ft.com Unpopular investments, such as gold and emerging markets, have topped the list for raking in the best returns so far this year. Figures published this week by ratings agency FundCalibre show Latin American equities, emerging market bonds and gold have been the best performers in 2016. The BlackRock Gold & General fund reached the top spot in the list of Elite Rated funds after returning 39 per cent, while the Aberdeen Latin America fund came second, returning almost 21 per cent. This comes after BlackRock reported on 22 March that its Latin American trust has turned a corner since the start of the year, with its share price increasing by 9.5 per cent last month, after a brutal 42.8 per cent fall in its NAV over the past three years. Clive Hale, director at FundCalibre, said markets have been all over the place since the start of the year and its been the unloved areas that have fared best. Gold has come into its own as investors have flocked to it as a perceived safe haven, he said, describing it as an insurance policy against central bank stupidity. Mr Hale added: Its too early to say if the precious metal has bottomed, but anyone taking the plunge in January has been very well rewarded. Position Fund % returns year to date* 1st BlackRock Gold & General 38.00 2nd Aberdeen Latin America 20.82 3rd First State Global Listed Infrastructure 11.03 4th Lazard Emerging Markets 8.73 5th Schroder Recovery 8.13 6th M&G Global Dividend 8.08 7th Newton Global Income 7.68 8th Aberdeen Emerging Markets Equity 7.48 9th Standard Life Investments Emerging Market Debt 6.99 10th M&G Global Emerging Markets 6.58 With the two Aberdeen funds scoring highly, Mr Hale questioned whether it could be the turnaround which patient investors have been waiting for. Its a very short period of time to be looking at, but both the Latin America and emerging markets funds have outperformed their indices by 40-50 per cent, which is good going. Its also too early to say that emerging markets are finally coming out of their doldrums, but it is a reminder that you can make money in all types of market conditions. FundCalibre rates 137 funds ranging across equity types and bonds. Last year we became interested in gold again simply because it had become less popular. James Spence James Spence, managing partner at Cerno Capital, commented that one reason they sold gold in 2012 was because it had become present in nearly every portfolio and had more or less become a default holding for investors. It was a very painful bear market from 1800/oz to close to 1000oz on gold and investors shaved their holdings on the way down, so it gradually disappeared from portfolios. Last year we became interested in it again, partly because it had become less popular. He also suggested that speculative interest had given way to strategic holding of the precious metal, saying it makes sense to own assets that can behave in an inverse manner to others. When you start renting out a property, you must tell HM Revenue & Customs. If being a landlord is a clients main source of income, or if someone rents out more than one property, or investors are buying new properties to rent out, then the client must also pay class two national insurance. But in addition to this, during 2015, the government unveiled a series of measures that put significant pressure on landlords. The first thing the chancellor did, in his Summer Budget last year, was to make a change to the way in which landlords can claim wear and tear, by replacing the allowance with a charge on a cost-incurred basis. Until 6 April this year, landlords can claim 10 per cent of the net rent as wear and tear allowance for furniture and equipment provided with a furnished residential letting. Net rent, according to the government website, is the rent received, less any costs you pay that a tenant would usually pay, such as council tax. But this allowance is being replaced with a relief that will mean landlords of residential dwelling houses can only deduct the costs they incur on replacing furnishings in the property. Also in the Summer Budget, the chancellor announced buy-to-let landlords are due to receive a lower rate of tax relief on mortgage payments - a flat rate of 20 per cent tax credit - under changes to the taxation of mortgage interest. The majority of landlords we see are committed investors and take a long view on their portfolios Charles Haresnape Landlords will no longer be able to deduct the cost of their mortgage interest from their rental income, so tax will be applied to the rent received, rather than net rent - that which is left of the rent after the mortgage interest has been paid. This could transform properties that currently generate positive cash flow into a loss-making investment (on an income basis) because of the extra tax. This could leave some landlords receiving no profit at all, as it will be eroded by the tax payments and mortgage interest. These changes are being gradually phased in between now and 2020. Scottish Question The situation is not much better for people north of the border, as earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament Finance Committee proposed a 3 per cent Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) supplement on purchases of second properties. According to a submission to the SPFC from the Council of Mortgage Lenders: Imposing an extra 3 per cent LBTT on purchases at or above 40,000 will make property purchases up to 145,000, which are currently exempt, subject to this tax for the first time. Then in November 2015, during the Autumn Statement, chancellor George Osborne announced a 3 per cent stamp duty hike on buy-to-let properties, with effect from 1 April 2016. According to Steve Griffiths, head of sales and distribution for Kensington Group, the numbers speak for themselves: Had the 3 per cent surcharge been in place for the first quarter of 2016, an additional 830m would have been charged to UK landlords. Oilseed rape growers have been told to expect significant migration as of next week, as temperatures rise and crops begin to flower. Rothamsted researcher Sam Cook says the latest forecast from online Bayers pollen beetle prediction tool shows early pest migration is under way across many part of the UK. Although temperatures have reached the threshold to see migration begin, there have not been enough sustained periods of warmth to encourage any significant migration so far, but forecasts suggest that could be about to change. See also: The ultimate guide to crop disease and pest forecasting tools While we may see more met stations turn red on the migration start map, the forecast remains too cool to favour significant migration. Its now looking like itll be April before we see pollen beetles in significant numbers, says Dr Cook. Pollen beetle migration is being reported mostly in the western half of the country on the back of generally warmer temperatures in these regions. Parts of the home counties, Norfolk, the west country and Wales up to north Yorkshire and Scotland are now highlighted red on Bayers pollen beetle interactive map, indicating that migration has started. Agrii agronomist Todd Jex is reporting early pollen beetle instances in Dorset and Wiltshire. First signs of high numbers of pollen beetle found on the south coast today @AgriiUK pic.twitter.com/KscFtnGloU Todd Jex (@Agronomist_Todd) March 23, 2016 Pollen beetle traps are also recording low levels of pest movement in Shefford, Bedfordshire. @AgriiUK first catches of pollen beetle in trap at Shefford, part of Rothamsted project. V low levels through crop pic.twitter.com/qCTZ9nH4OI Martin Harwood (@MartinHarwood11) March 22, 2016 Independent agronomist David Jones warns growers should be on the look out for the pest as oilseed rape crops reach the flowering growth stages. Soon be looking out for pollen beetle if/when it reaches 15 C. Check plant numbers now for @AHDB_Cereals thresholds pic.twitter.com/pwPWO3X0bX David Jones (@CCCAgronomy) March 23, 2016 Early sightings of pollen beetle activity in Rougham, Suffolk, are also being flagged up. See the latest information at the dedicated Bayer Pollen Beetle Predictor webpage. Keep the Farmers Weekly Arable team updated on pest and disease pressures on your farm and send in your photos on Twitter by mentioning @FarmersWeekly in your tweets. Defra farming minister George Eustice has promised a better performance from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in 2016, acknowledging payment delays from the 2015 Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) have caused real hardship for many. Addressing the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee in London on Wednesday (23 March), Mr Eustice said delays were partly due to the fact the system had been made more complex by policies such as greening. The RPA had also prioritised the more straight forward claims first, meaning about 4,000 common land claimant and 9,000 who had been inspected were still due their money. See also: RPA boss hits back at farm payment criticism But Mr Eustice denied that the RPA had been poor in communicating with farmers, although they had not always wanted to hear the messages they were being told. What people really want is a cheque in the bank, and I completely get that, he added. Mr Eustice said he was not aware of any farmer who had gone bust as a result of the BPS money not arriving, but recognised it had caused real cashflow problems. What people really want is a cheque in the bank, and I completely get that George Eustice, farm minister However, the fact the government held regular meetings with the banks, and had provided farmers with letters saying their claims were being processed, had helped. The Defra minister also defended his decision not to sanction earlier part-payments of BPS money. This had been the approach in Scotland, and it had led to greater complexity and further delay, with half the BPS money still to be distributed, he said. Better performance With regards the 2016 scheme in England, Mr Eustice said the RPA had got off to a very encouraging start. Some 31,000 forms had already gone out and another 29,000 would go next week. Already, 845 forms had been completed, and another 2,200 had been started. With forms now pre-populated and it being the second year of BPS, the majority of claimants should find the exercise relatively easy this year, he told the committee. While steering clear of committing to a specific figure, Mr Eustice noted that 95% of payments had been made in December in 2014, and he was confident we will be back to normal business in 2016. It was not necessary to wait for last years statement to start filling in this years form, he added. The first nationally-funded farm support payments for Scottish farmers have started to be paid out, bringing some relief to cash-strapped farmers and crofters. The Scottish government has earmarked more than 250m from national funds to provide cash support, while 2015 CAP claims are still being processed. In an update this week, rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead confirmed payments under the national Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) payments had started. See also: Scottish farmers to get LFA support cash as crisis deepens Details of this scheme were announced in early March, with 55m available for just under 11,000 farming businesses in Scotlands most remote and rural areas over the coming weeks. Any money received will be offset against the claimants final LFASS payment, normally part-funded by Brussels, which have been delayed. Recipients will also be limited to a de minimis ceiling of 15,000 (roughly 11,550), the Scottish government confirmed. BPS progress Mr Lochhead also said that further progress was being made getting the first (80%) instalment of Basic Payment Scheme money, including any greening claims, paid out. Latest figures show that 63% per cent of farmers and crofters have now been paid amounting to 11,433 individuals. This compared with 55% of claimants at the start of March. We know that, given the tough market conditions and extreme weather that affected many in recent months, some farmers are facing cashflow issues Richard Lochhead, Scottish rural affairs secretary The Scottish government says it is also on track to provide up to 200m of national funds in April to any eligible farmer or crofter who has not received a BPS instalment by the end of March. Support under this scheme will also be offset against the claimants normal BPS cheque, once these have been processed. We are continuing to do all we can to make support payments to Scottish farmers and crofters as quickly as possible, said Mr Lochhead. We know that, given the tough market conditions and extreme weather that affected many in recent months, some farmers are facing cashflow issues. Letters will be going out shortly with more information about the national support that will be paid and the legal terms and conditions the Scottish government needs to provide. Story Highlights 73% want U.S. to emphasize alternative energy rather than oil and gas Support increased among both Democrats and Republicans since 2013 Higher support for alternative energy coincides with falling gas prices WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Seventy-three percent of Americans say they prefer emphasizing alternative energy, rather than gas and oil production, as the solution to the nation's energy problems. This marks the highest percentage of Americans prioritizing alternative energy since Gallup first asked the question in 2011. While a majority of Americans have preferred alternative energy solutions since 2011, support has increased substantially since 2013 (59%) and 2014 (64%). These results are from Gallup's annual Environment poll, conducted March 2-6. From 2012 to 2014, the gap separating traditional and alternative energy advocates was stable, with differences between the two groups ranging from 25 to 32 percentage points. But this year, the gap has widened to 52 points. Majority of Republicans Now Support Alternative Energy While a majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have favored emphasizing alternative energy over traditional fossil fuel sources since 2011, this year marks the first time a majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents prefer an alternative energy strategy. The 51% of Republicans who now favor alternative energy is up from the previous high of 46% in 2011. Both Democrats' and Republicans' support for an alternative energy strategy has grown steadily since 2013. Republicans' support grew eight points from 2014 to 2016, while Democrats' support increased five points over that same time period. Support for Alternative Energy Coincides With Falling Fuel Prices The increase in the share of Americans -- both Republican and Democrat -- preferring an alternative energy strategy in 2016 coincides with an oil supply surplus that has caused fuel prices to plummet. High fuel costs may prime American consumers to prefer increased production of oil and gas as a means to alleviate burdensome prices at the pump. Low fuel costs, however, might be paving the way for a greater willingness to support alternative energy solutions. In the two years with the highest average gas price for the month preceding Gallup's survey ($3.64 in 2012 and $3.74 in 2013), alternative energy had its fewest advocates (59%). However, the spike in alternative energy proponents in 2016 corresponds with the lowest average fuel cost ($1.87) since Gallup first asked about energy solutions in 2011. If Americans view the price of gas as an indication that traditional fuel is in good supply, they may be more willing to sanction an emphasis on alternative sources because there is little risk of exhausting fossil fuel even with the shift in emphasis. Link Between Gas Prices and Emphasizing Alternative Energy Average Gas Price $ Emphasize Alternative Energy % March 2-6, 2016 1.87 73 March 6-9, 2014 3.43 64 March 7-10, 2013 3.74 59 March 8-11, 2012 3.64 59 March 3-6, 2011 3.26 66 Gas price data from U.S. Energy Information Administration. Average gas prices taken from month before poll. Gallup Poll, March 2-6, 2016 Implications In a time of notable partisan polarization, growing support for alternative energy among Republicans and Democrats represents a rare instance where a bipartisan coalition could form in support of an alternative energy strategy. Even though a substantial gap remains between Republicans and Democrats in emphasizing alternative sources, a majority of Republicans now support the idea. In fact, recent Gallup polls show Americans' concern about global warming is at an eight-year high, with both Democrats and Republicans stating a sharply higher concern for the issue in 2016. Meanwhile, the perception that fuel is not in short supply -- as indicated by low gas prices -- may also contribute to more Americans now favoring alternative energy solutions. Absent an urgent desire to offset high fuel costs with increased fuel production, Americans may believe that greater investment in alternative energy strategies is a low-risk endeavor. As a result, if Americans perceive that the fuel supply is abundant, support for alternative energy could increase. Last week, the Obama administration announced its plan to halt offshore oil and gas drilling set to take place in several southern U.S. states. Taken together, lower fuel prices and Americans' growing concern about global climate change could provide the groundwork for a policy shift toward alternative energy solutions. Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted March 2-6, 2016, with a random sample of 504 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Fans who attended the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2022 can renew their ticket orders for next year beginning Monday, Oct. 24. Nov. 7, 1934 March 21, 2016 Donald Fred Parker died on March 21, 2016, at the age of 81 in Corvallis. Don Parker was born on Nov. 7, 1934, in Oilton, Oklahoma, to Georgia Culley Parker and Robert Fred Parker. His early life was shaped by the ups and downs of the oil industry in which he worked as a youth, as did all the men in his family. Don left his hometown of Drumright, Oklahoma, for the University of Oklahoma, where he received a baccalaureate degree in sociology in 1957. Wanting to avoid being drafted, Don joined the U.S. Navy as an aviation officer candidate. In 1963, while homeported with aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge in Long Beach, California, he met Jo Ellen Dunfee, a junior high school teacher from Shadyside, Ohio, an event Don believed was the most important of his life. He joyfully married her on April 6, 1963. Their most important joint accomplishments were daughters Margaret Elizabeth and Emily Lyle, born in 1968 and 1971. During his 24-year Navy career, Don Parker served four tours on sea duty in airborne early warning and anti-submarine aircraft squadrons, and as underway officer of the deck on USS Kearsarge. Ashore, he served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and in the Pentagon as an admirals aide and as a member of the Chief of Naval Operations Research and Development Priority Analysis Group. He earned a masters degree from George Washington University and a PhD from Cornell University during his Navy career. He believed the high points of his career were astronaut recovery operations for Wally Schirra and Gordon Cooper; polar reconnaissance in support of submarine and anti-submarine operations; command of Patrol Squadron 10 in Brunswick, Maine; a Naval War College Professorship in Newport, Rhode Island; and Commanding Officer of the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center in San Diego, California. Two weeks after his retirement as a U.S. Navy Captain in 1980, Don began a second career as an assistant professor in the University of Michigan Graduate Business School. Four years later he became Dean of the University of Wyoming College of Commerce and Industry in Laramie, Wyoming. In 1991, Don was selected as Sara Hart Kimball Dean of Business at Oregon State University a post he held until his retirement in 2003. While at OSU, he also served on the Board of Directors of AACSB and as Board President of Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society. When asked of his proudest accomplishments, Don named a successful marriage of more than 50 years; two highly accomplished daughters who are pursuing meaningful careers as an architect and a foundation executive; and four bright, promising grandchildren. Don also found great satisfaction from his 24 years of service dedicated to dissuading the Soviet Union from starting World War III. Finally, he was proud to have had the chance to live the American dream. Beginning as a poor, half-breed Cherokee boy from Oklahoma, he was given the opportunity by his country to achieve anything he was willing to work hard enough to accomplish. Friends and family remember Don for his fierce intellect, work ethic, devotion to family and country, and wry humor. He was a serious reader and deep thinker, was abundantly curious about the world, and offered a keen and humorous commentary about the absurdities of life. Don is survived by his wife, Jo Ellen Parker; daughter Margaret Parker Salop and husband Paul Salop of Oakland, California; daughter Emily Lyle Parker and husband Chris DeVore of Seattle, Washington; grandchildren Natalie and Benjamin Salop (12), Parker DeVore (10) and Josephine DeVore (8); and Sherri Nelson of Bristow, Oklahoma. Don Parkers remains will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery. A gathering in his honor will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Corvallis Country Club. Don requested that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis, www.bgccorvallis.org Please share your thoughts and memories with the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com. Aktion auf dem Munsterplatz : Was man beim Tag der Feuerwehr in Bonn erleben konnte Day trips : Easter getaways Fachwerkhauser pragen das Bild von Monschau. Foto: dpa Monschau Use the long weekend and go see something new! Here some Easter getaways not too far from home but well worth the trip. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Lined by magnificent timber houses, the Rur winds its way through old Monschau. It is a historical and picturesque town in the Eifel mountain range and was luckily left unscathed by World War II. The town is dedicated to tourism with numerous cafes, hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. It was first mentioned in 1198 and became owned by the city charter in 1352. The Red House, built in 1752 for a noble family, reflects the splendor of upper class home decor. It has a world famous three floor spiral staircase built of oak. Just outside the city is the Historic Mustard Mill. It is over 100 years old and was originally driven by a water wheel. Mustard lovers can have a look in the shops at the 19 varieties and art lovers should check out the glassblowing. It is about a 1 hour drive from Bonn. Orig. text. Hans-Peter Fu Bad Breisig. About 40 minutes from Bonn, there is a magical fairy forest which will wake from a deep winter sleep on Friday, March 25. Speaking, moving and lovingly handcrafted figures can be admired as they show the classic fairy tales. Kids who dont flinch at flashing light swords or explosions in 3D will feel at home in Kesselberg. Parents pushing a buggy or pram will get a good workout because the fairytale experience requires an uphill stroll. Luckily, once at the top, the Bad Honniger Castle invites you for a refreshment and a wonderful scenic view. Marchenwald Bad Breisig. Am Kesselberg 19 in Bad Breisig, open March 25, 26, 27, 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. admission 4.50 euro for adults and 3.50 euro for kids. Orig. text: Mario Quadt Trier. Its about a two-hour drive to Germanys oldest city, Trier founded in 1700 BC. It was once one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire. Visitors there have a huge choice of things to do; there are well-preserved Roman structures like the Porta Nigra gate, ruins of Roman baths, an amphitheater outside the center and a stone bridge over the Moselle River. The Archaeological museum has many Roman artifacts. Because it is Easter, a visit to the Trier Cathedral is also a must. For history buffs, the birth home of Karl Marx is on Bruckenstrae 10. If thats not enough, visit a local wine stube or take a boat tour on the Moselle. And Luxemburg is just a stones throw if you want to visit the small and scenic country on the same day. Orig. text: Sandra Kreuer Shopping in the Netherlands. Stores are closed in Germany for much of the long weekend so many people drive to the Netherlands for some outlet shopping. Drive time is under one and half hours. A popular destination there is the Outlet center in Roermond. A recommended route to get there without traffic congestion: Take A4 in the direction of Aachen, then the Dutch A2 direction Eindhoven, and then the A73 direction Roermond. If you want to go to Eindhoven, its better to take the A61 direction Venlo and then the Dutch A67 to Eindhoven. The outlet center opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. For more information, check their English language website. SPOTTED: Huawei P9 Lite with FingerPrint Scanner Ahead Of Launch News oi -Vigneshwar Chinese handset maker, Huawei has scheduled an event on April 6th on London, where it is expected to launch it flagship smartphone P9. As per VentureBeat (@evleaks), the company is also planning to unveil the lighter version of P9, which is dubbed as P9 Lite. The live image of P9 Lite has been leaked on the Internet, revealing a metal finish along with fingerprint scanner on the back. As per the leak, the so-called P9 Lite is expected to pack a 5.2-inch 1080p screen, 3GB RAM. However, as of now we don't have the complete specifications of P9 Lite. On the other hand, the company has teased few more shots of P9 on its official website, hinting at the dual camera set up! Moreover, other images which got leaked earlier also shown the metal body finish, fingerprint scanner and dual camera setup. SEE ALSO: iPhone SE vs iPhone 6S: 5 Differences and 5 Similarites! According to the rumoured report, the Huawei P9 is expected to sport a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Further, this device might come powered by an Octa-Core Kirin 950/955 processor under the hood. If the rumour turns out to be true, the so-called Huawei P9 will come with 3GB/4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB of inbuilt memory, 12MP/8MP camera, Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a 3900mAh battery. Huawei is expected to announced the P9 in several variants - P9, P9 Premium and P9 Max, besides P9 Lite. Best Mobiles in India Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Hack into U.S. Defense Contractors' Systems to Steal Sensitive Military Information FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, March 23, 2016 A Chinese national pleaded guilty today to participating in a years-long conspiracy to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors, steal sensitive military and export-controlled data and send the stolen data to China. Su Bin, also known as Stephen Su and Stephen Subin, 50, a citizen and resident of the People's Republic of China, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder of the Central District of California. The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of California, Assistant Director Jim Trainor of the FBI's Cyber Division and Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich of the FBI's Los Angeles Division. A criminal complaint filed in 2014 and subsequent indictments filed in Los Angeles charged Su, a China-based businessman in the aviation and aerospace fields, for his role in the criminal conspiracy to steal military technical data, including data relating to the C-17 strategic transport aircraft and certain fighter jets produced for the U.S. military. Su was initially arrested in Canada in July 2014 on a warrant issued in relation to this case. Su ultimately waived extradition and consented to be conveyed to the United States in February 2016. "Su Bin admitted to playing an important role in a conspiracy, originating in China, to illegally access sensitive military data, including data relating to military aircraft that are indispensable in keeping our military personnel safe," said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. "This plea sends a strong message that stealing from the United States and our companies has a significant cost; we can and will find these criminals and bring them to justice. The National Security Division remains sharply focused on disrupting cyber threats to the national security, and we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who seek to undermine our security." "Protecting our national security is the highest priority of the U.S. Attorney's Office, and cybercrime represents one of the most serious threats to our national security," said U.S. Attorney Decker. "The innovative and tireless work of the prosecutors and investigators in this case is a testament to our collective commitment to protecting our nation's security from all threats. Today's guilty plea and conviction demonstrate that these criminals can be held accountable no matter where they are located in the world and that we are deeply committed to protecting our sensitive data in order to keep our nation safe." "Cyber security is a top priority not only for the FBI but the entire U.S. government," said Assistant Director Trainor. "Our greatest strength is when we harness our capabilities to work together, and today's guilty plea demonstrates this. Our adversaries' capabilities are constantly evolving, and we will remain vigilant in combating the cyber threat." "This investigation demonstrates the FBI's resolve in holding foreign cyber actors accountable regardless of where they reside," said Assistant Director in Charge Bowdich. "Cybercrime investigators in Los Angeles are among the finest and their efforts toward preserving America's national security in this case should be commended." In the plea agreement filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California, Su admitted to conspiring with two persons in China from October 2008 to March 2014 to gain unauthorized access to protected computer networks in the United States, including computers belonging to the Boeing Company in Orange County, California, to obtain sensitive military information and to export that information illegally from the United States to China. As part of the conspiracy, Su would e-mail the co-conspirators with guidance regarding what persons, companies and technologies to target during their computer intrusions. One of Su's co-conspirators would then gain access to information residing on computers of U.S. companies and email Su directory file listings and folders showing the data that the co-conspirator had been able to access. Su then directed his co-conspirator as to which files and folders his co-conspirator should steal. Once the co-conspirator stole the data, including by using techniques to avoid detection when hacking the victim computers, Su translated the contents of certain stolen data from English into Chinese. In addition, Su and his co-conspirators each wrote, revised and emailed reports about the information and technology they had acquired by their hacking activities, including its value, to the final beneficiaries of their hacking activities. Su's plea agreement makes clear that the information he and his co-conspirators intentionally stole included data listed on the U.S. Munitions List contained in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Su also admitted that he engaged in the crime for the purpose of financial gain and specifically sought to profit from selling the data the he and his co-conspirators illegally acquired. Su faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest. Judge Snyder is scheduled to sentence Su on July 13, 2016. The case is being investigated by the FBI Los Angeles Field Office's Cyber Division with assistance from the U.S. Air Force's Office of Special Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Lewis of the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Casey Arrowood and Senior Trial Attorney Robert E. Wallace of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with support from Lisa Roberts of the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs. 16-342 National Security Division (NSD) USAO - California, Central Topic: National Security Updated March 23, 2016 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 23, 2016 U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight strikes in Syria: -- Near Manbij, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar position. -- Near Mar'a, six strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL bomb cache, an ISIL tunnel, and four ISIL vehicles. -- Near Raqqah, a strike struck an ISIL weapons storage facility. Strikes in Iraq Rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 17 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: -- Near Baghdadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL front end loader, an ISIL machine gun position, and an ISIL bed down location. -- Near Haditha, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL staging areas. -- Near Kirkuk, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL assembly areas and an ISIL supply cache. -- Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position and three ISIL assembly areas. -- Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL headquarters, an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and an ISIL vehicle. -- Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL used bridge section. -- Near Ramadi, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and an ISIL front end loader. -- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL mortar position. -- Near Tal Afar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position and an ISIL fighting position. -- Near Hit, two strikes destroyed an ISIL staging area and an ISIL supply cache. Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Part of Operation Inherent Resolve The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct operations. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coalition Has Momentum in Fight Against ISIL, Carter, Dunford Say By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, March 23, 2016 While not complacent about the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's capabilities, Defense Department leaders are confident that momentum against the terror group is firmly in the hands of the coalition arrayed against it. "As far as the campaign is concerned, I'm confident that we will defeat ISIL and that we have the momentum of the campaign in Iraq and Syria," Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the House Armed Services Committee yesterday. ISIL claimed responsibility for yesterday's attacks in Brussels, Belgium, that killed 31 and wounded more than 190 people in the city's airport and the rapid transit system. An American airman and his family were among those hurt. Carter told the lawmakers that DoD will continue to look for opportunities to accelerate operations against ISIL. "We're looking for more opportunities to do so," he said. "We've found opportunities. I expect to find more opportunities in the future. We want to accelerate the defeat of ISIL in Iraq and Syria." Counter-ISIL Efforts ISIL in Iraq and Syria is the "parent tumor," the secretary said, and actions against the group there strike to the core of its claim of legitimacy. "If we can expel ISIL from Raqqah and Mosul, that will show that there's no such thing as an Islamic state based upon this ideology," Carter said. The combat against the terror group stretches from Syria and Iraq to West Africa to Afghanistan to Brussels and to California. "I'm not complacent about the threat of ISIL, and I recognize the spread of ISIL, particularly over the last 15, 18 months, transregionally or globally," Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said to the committee yesterday. "With regard to Syria and Iraq, in October, I appeared before the committee and at that time, I think it was fair to say that ISIL had the momentum. "Since that time, they not only have less territory, they have less resources, they have less freedom of movement," he added. The actions against the group have resulted in fewer foreign fighters, and the chairman said believes the terror group's narrative is less effective than it was some months ago. Combating ISIL and like groups is a long war, the chairman said. "This is a long fight, and I'm confident in telling you that we have the momentum today," Dunford said. The fight will require not only the military effort to deny sanctuary to the enemy in Syria and Iraq and to build the capabilities and capacity of regional allies, but also will require much greater cooperation among intelligence organizations of countries involved in counter-ISIL efforts, Dunford told the panel. The chairman estimated that more than 100 nations have foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, with more than 30,000 foreign fighters. Actions against ISIL in Iraq and Syria will require intelligence cooperation, law enforcement communications, diplomatic efforts, economic pressures the whole gamut of efforts to strangle the group and others like it, Dunford said. And that is happening, he said. Belgian authorities have launched a manhunt in Brussels to find bombing accomplices and the suspected ISIL bomb maker. U.S. aircraft struck an al-Qaida training camp in Yemen yesterday, killing or wounding scores of fighters. American aircraft have also struck terrorists in Libya and Somalia. U.S. European Command has finished a 100-percent accountability check following the attack, officials in Stuttgart said. "My thoughts and prayers go out to our military family, the people of Brussels and all those impacted by these horrific terror attacks," said Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, Eucom's commander. "We will assist Belgium in any way our military can. We strongly condemn these attacks and will continue to stand by our NATO allies and partners to defeat these terrorists who threaten our freedoms and our way of life." Grim Reminder Speaking to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, today, Carter said the Brussels attacks were "a grim reminder of how serious are the dangers we face, how dangerous, the dangers that civilization and our country face, the challenges of this complex world." The secretary noted a U.S. military family was directly affected by the attacks. "No attack, no attack can shake our resolve to accelerate the defeat of ISIL," he told the cadets. "I know that yesterday's news only galvanizes our determination yours, too -- to serve our nation and join those who came before you in this mission of defending our people of the values were share." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan invites arbitrators, Philippine lawyers to visit Taiping ROC Central News Agency 2016/03/23 22:31:43 Taipei, March 23 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou () on Wednesday invited Philippine lawyers and international arbitrators working on a South China Sea case to visit Taiping Island, which Taiwan claims as its territory in the contested South China Sea area. Ma noted that questions have been raised recently about whether the 0.51-square-kilometer Taiping, the largest of the Spratly Islands, can be defined as an island under international law. A case pending in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, brought by the Philippines against China, has triggered interest in how the land formations in the South China Sea should be defined. At a news conference in Taipei shortly after a group of international journalists returned from a trip to Taiping, Ma said he was inviting five arbitrators from the court and lawyers from the Philippines to visit Taiping. "This will allow them to see for themselves whether Taiping is an island with potable water, where crops and poultry can be raised and human habitation can be sustained," Ma said. He said the Philippines was making false statements about Taiping because it knew little about the island and had not sent any representatives to see for themselves. Manila is hoping the court will rule that many of the formations claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea are reefs or rocks, entitled to no more than 12 nautical miles of territorial waters, rather than islands, which generate 200-nautical-mile economic zones. Such a ruling would negate many of China's claims to fishing or resource rights in the region. Taiwan has taken an interest in the case because a lawyer for the Philippines has argued that Taiping is not an island but rather a rock that cannot support human habitation. As part of Taiwan's efforts to seek international support for its stance that Taiping meets the definition of an island, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranged for a group of local and international journalists and experts to travel Wednesday to Taiping, which lies about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung. During the three-hour tour, they drank water from a well and ate lunch made from produce of a farm on the island, according to the ministry. That was proof that the island's natural environment can sustain human habitation and economic life of its own, the foreign ministry said. The group also visited Nansha Hospital, which provides not only emergency treatment to Republic of China citizens but also humanitarian assistance to foreign nationals, the ministry said. After the tour, some international journalists said they agreed that Taiping met the definition of an island. "This is absolutely an island. How can it be just a reef?" one journalist said, noting that Taiping can support human habitation and that trees and food crops are grown there. Others said they were impressed by what they saw on Taiping. Not only can it sustain economic life of its own, it has a hospital that provides humanitarian assistance, they said. One journalist said that while she had "no special knowledge" of whether Taiping was an island or a reef, she fully understood Taiwan's stance. Before Wednesday's media tour, Ma visited the disputed island on Jan. 28 in an effort to counter the claim that Taiping Island, which has been under the control of the Republic of China government since 1946, is only a reef. Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claim all or part of the South China Sea and its waters, which are thought to be rich in oil and natural gas reserves. Amid tensions due to competing territorial claims in the region, Ma has proposed a South China Sea peace initiative that calls on all parties concerned to shelve their disputes and seek joint development of the area's resources. (By Lu Hsin-hui, Hsieh Chia-chen and Elaine Hou) ENDITEM/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign media reporters given rare look at Taiwan's Taiping Island ROC Central News Agency 2016/03/23 11:47:40 Taipei, March 23 (CNA) The government on Wednesday took media workers from 10 foreign media outlets to a Taiwan-held Taiping Island in the disputed South China Sea for the first time ever, hoping to buttress its case that it is an "island" under international law. The reporters took a flight from the Songshan military base in Taipei along with local media workers to Pingtung County in southern Taiwan before heading on to Taiping Island (Itu Aba), where they were expected to arrive at about 11 a.m. The journalists, representing CNN, Al-Jazeera TV, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Associated Press, Agence France Presse, Reuters, Bloomberg, Kyodo News Agency and the Yomiuri Shimbun, were invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to take part in the one-day trip. They are being accompanied on the trip by Deputy Foreign Minister Bruce Linghu (), Presidential Office spokesman Charles Chen () and Lin Chen-fu (), the deputy director of MOFA's Department of International Information Services. The 0.51-square-kilometer Taiping Island, located about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung, is the largest naturally formed island in the Spratly Island archipelago, but questions have been raised recently about whether it in fact constitutes an "island." The visiting reporters will tour the island for about three hours and see a farm, water wells, a hospital, solar generators, a wharf, and a temple dedicated to the goddess Guan Yin, according to the itinerary arranged by the MOFA. The group will leave the islet at 2 p.m. and is expected to arrive back in Taipei at about 6:50 p.m. The reporters will be invited for a tea reception with President Ma Ying-jeou at the Songshan base at 7:10 p.m., the MOFA said. The president visited the disputed island on Jan. 18 to counter the claim that Taiping Island -- which has been under the control of the Republic of China government since 1946 -- is only a reef under international law and not entitled to its own exclusive economic zone. The claim may have been made by people who have never been to the island to see for themselves that it is in fact an island capable of sustaining human habitation, Ma said, explaining why Taiwan was eager to have foreign media visit the island. A case pending in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague brought by the Philippines against China has triggered interest in how the land formations in the South China Sea should be defined. Manila is hoping the court will rule that many of the formations claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea are reefs or rocks, entitled to no more than 12 nautical miles of territorial waters, rather than islands, which generate 200-nautical-mile economic zones. Such a ruling would negate many of China's claims to fishing or resource rights in the region. Taiwan has taken interest in the case because a lawyer for the Philippines argued as part of the case that Taiping was not an island but rather a rock that cannot support human habitation. Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claim all or part of the South China Sea and its waters, which are thought to be rich in oil and natural gas reserves. (By Hsieh Chia-chen and Elizabeth Hsu) ENDITEM/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Transcript Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter March 23, 2016 Remarks by Secretary Carter in a "Fireside Chat" at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASH CARTER: Hello everyone. What a fantastic looking audience you are and how proud I am of you. More about that in a minute. Let me thank General Caslen, old friend. Done a lot together. He's done a very great deal for our country and our security and our Army. And Bob, thanks. And thanks for that introduction. And thanks to General Holland also, for welcoming me here today. Appreciate it general. And to all of you, first of all, thank you. Thank you for joining our family, our mission. The profession that you represent, you're doing with your lives the noblest thing that you can do, which is to protect our people and make a better world for our children. SEC. CARTER: That's why you're here. That's why you're here, that's why I'm here, that's why everybody in our magnificent Department of Defense is there, because we wake up every morning with that mission in mind. And it feels good, it feels good to be part of something bigger than yourself. And it's hard work, but it's the most important and noble thing you could be doing with your lives. So I want you know that you should be proud of yourselves. I, as the Secretary of Defense, am incredibly proud of you. I can't tell you what it's like to be able to go out and talk to public audiences in the United States and say just look at how magnificent are the people who make up our armed forces and to see in their eyes the tremendous pride that they have in you. And they don't pay attention to what you do every day, and in a way, that's the flip side of being in the business of protection, which is the better you do it, the less people have to think about it. That's the whole point. But in their hearts, they know you're there, they know they can count on you. Pretty soon, you'll be joining that noble mission with all of your time and you'll also be assuming the awesome responsibility that goes with it, the responsibility of leadership and the responsibility of holding in your hands the security of so many in America and around the world. Yesterday's attacks in Brussels were a grim reminder of how serious are the dangers we face, how dangerous -- the dangers that civilization and our country face, challenges of this complex world. Our thoughts and prayers are -- I know yours are -- with all of those who were affected by this tragedy, who include, particularly worth noting, a U.S. military family that was affected by these attacks. And I, in that connection, want to assure you -- and soon you'll be doing this with me -- that we do everything we can to help protect these families, and we will to help this family in this instance and to protect our service members, wherever they are, and their families, protect them as they protect us. In the face of these acts of terrorism, the United States stands strongly in solidarity with our ally, Belgium. Brussels is an international city. The host to NATO, to the European Union, to great institutions that represent people working together for a better future, and the opposite of what the people who conducted this attack represent and stand for. So together with them, we must and we will continue to do everything we can to protect our homeland and defeat terrorists wherever they threaten us. No attack, no attack, can shake our resolve to accelerate the defeat of ISIL. SEC. CARTER: I know that yesterday's news only galvanizes our determination -- yours too -- to serve our nation and join those who came before you in this mission of defending our people and the values we share. So before I get to your questions, I want to take some time to talk about the strategic landscape as we see it from the Pentagon, me and your Army leadership. And after that, take a moment to discuss several of the lessons that I hope you'll carry with you from this extraordinary institution here at West Point, to the great challenges that are going to confront you in your career. The Army, like our entire joint force, is in the process of turning a corner from an era when we were, and I was very much a part of this, very singularly focused upon our counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We had to be. We did an excellent job. Military execution was superb. And we're now entering a different strategic era. And I'm asking the Army and our military to change and evolve. And it is. And as we look out, the leadership of the department, your senior leaders, we see no fewer than five challenges, big challenges, evolving challenges. And these are, namely, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and terrorism. We don't have the luxury of choice among them. We need to deal with them all. Two of them represent in a way a return to great power competition. One is in Europe, where we're taking a strong and balanced approach to deterring Russian aggression -- the kind we saw in Ukraine. We haven't had to focus on that very much for the last quarter century since the Soviet Union ended, the Berlin wall came down, but now we do. Second challenge is in the Asia-Pacific region. The single most consequential region to America's future because it's half of where humanity lives and where half of economic activity on the planet is. And that's only growing. And there, China is rising, which is fine, but behaving aggressively, which is not. Meanwhile, two other longstanding challenges pose specific threats in specific regions. North Korea is one. And that's why, and I know some of you will be going there -- not North Korea, going to South Korea shortly. A little slip there. (LAUGHTER) But that -- that's the very reason why, as they say over there and you'll soon say if you go there, the slogan is to be ready to fight tonight. It's not what we want, but to deter, we have to be ready. And the other is Iran, because while the nuclear accord, which was reached last year on nuclear weapons, is a good deal in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, we must still deter Iranian aggression, counter its malign influence in the region, and continue standing by and standing up for our friends and allies in the region. And then the fifth challenge, very different from the other four and critically important, is our ongoing fight against terrorism, and especially ISIL. We're accelerating our campaign against ISIL, most immediately in Iraq and Syria. That's where the parent tumor is of this cancer. SEC. CARTER: And we need to defeat it there. That is necessary, not sufficient. We need to defeat it in other places as well where it's metastasizing, like North Africa, Afghanistan and elsewhere. And make no mistake, we will defeat ISIL. I'm completely confident in it. We want to get it done as soon as we can. But we will destroy ISIL. But we don't have the luxury, as I said, of choosing among these five challenges. We have to deal with them all and you're part of our plan to do so. The Army is transitioning, as I said, to full-spectrum readiness. The force you lead is stronger than ever. It's capable of more kinds of operation than ever. To deter and win in a conflict, potential enemies have to know that we will dominate them. Your service will -- and I hope it does -- span many decades. A future chief of staff of the Army, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, may very well be in this room, 10 years, 20 years from now, new challenges will almost certainly arise. To help you win now and to deal with that complex and uncertain future, you -- the world may change, but I think that you'll find that there are four things that will remain constant, that I predict will remain constant for you. I want you to keep it in your mind. The first is this. Our primary mission will always be the defense of our country and our people. And I sit with the president in the situation room. We're always focused on America's national interests, because that's what matters most. And while all the capabilities and capacity of our fantastic institution are enormous and immense, what we commit ourselves to is something we think about very carefully. We also recognize, at the same time, that protecting American interests often means leading by example. As the United -- ever since the graduates of this institution led the United States to victory in World War II, America has stood as the world's foremost leader, partner and underwriter of stability in every region of the world. It is a mantle we embraced, again, following the end of the Cold War and one that continues today to the great benefit of our nation and also the global community. The positive and enduring partnerships the United States has cultivated with other nations around the world are built on our values. They reflect the way we conduct ourselves. Nations know what we stand for. They know how we do things and why. They know we treat them as equals, but we take their interests into account. That creates opportunities to defend American interests wherever and whenever necessary. When I travel around the world, the -- what I hear always from foreign leaders is how much they like working with you. You're capable, competent, like no other military. But you represent values that they like. They want to work with you and you conduct yourselves in a way that is attractive to them. This is important because in order to do the business of protecting the United States, we want others to help in that mission of creating a better world. SEC. CARTER: We don't want to have to do everything ourselves. So it's important that you have those values and that they like working with you. And if you think about it, our enemies don't have any friends. We have all the friends and allies. And that's because of who you are and what you represent, as well as how good you are. So whether your responsibilities take you to train local, capable forces fighting ISIL in Iraq, say, which is what the 101st is doing in Baghdad, or strengthening our posture in the Asia Pacific with the Stryker Brigade in the Philippines, take another example. You'll see many opportunities where the U.S. military can make a difference around the world. I want your good ideas. Our nation needs your good ideas. When you bring them forward -- and this is important -- always be able to explain how they benefit America's interests, and by extension the American people. Another constant, and one that has echoed through the generations is what makes our military great is our people. It was a former cadet, Dwight Eisenhower, who said, "Guns and tanks and planes are nothing unless there's a solid spirit and a solid heart." That lesson was reinforced for me several weeks at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. I was there -- I met with two soldiers -- Sergeant First Class Hastings and Sergeant Campbell. Both were seriously wounded in Afghanistan while accompanying Afghan forces, one in a close-grenade exchange with the Taliban; the other after taking five shots, three to the SAPI and two to the body. I spoke to them in that hangar. They were each driven by -- and you hear this again and again, and you all have probably heard it as well -- by a single goal, which was getting back to their unit, back in the fight. So don't ever forget the caliber of the soldiers you will lead as a brand-new second lieutenant. Don't ever forget the quality of that experience of the NCOs under your command. Don't ever forget the families of every soldier, the sacrifices they make. And regardless of what branch you've selected or will select in the future, don't ever forget that there are soldiers like Sergeants Hastings and Campbell who count on you, too, to do your utmost. My first, highest commitment as secretary of defense really is to our people. We have other things that make our military great, but it's our people that make it the finest fighting force the world has ever known. It is because of that commitment that I am committed to building what I'm calling the force of the future. In the future, we have to continue to recruit and retain the very best talent for future generations. We're an all-volunteer force. We like it that way. We want to pick the members of the military, not have them given to us. But we have to compete for them. And I recognize that. SEC. CARTER: That is, by the way, the reason why we're opening all combat positions to women. It provides them an opportunity. But the real point from my perspective is it provides us the opportunity -- the opportunity to have access to another half of our population who can meet the standards for those branches. It's important. We have to compete for good people everywhere for an all-volunteer force, and that's a critical part of our military edge. And everyone should understand this need and my commitment to it. As you go through the ranks and make sure the younger generation is coming in that is good -- is as good as you, as good as the ones you see to your left and right today, that needs to be true tomorrow, 10 years from now, 20 years from now. I feel that responsibility. You will soon have that same responsibility. So when you select and assign people, remember that experience, courage on their part, courage for their part to speak up, the diversity of the experiences they've had and that they represent, all of that will make whole team stronger. That's a lesson as old as the Army itself and one that actually echoes across this campus I was learning this morning. From the memorial to Margaret Corbin, who kept her cannon firing to preserve the Continental Army, to the bust of Henry O. Flipper, born a slave and graduated an officer, to the crest of the class of 1980, where men and women served together -- 1980 -- for the first time with pride and excellence here. I just came from lunch with a dozen cadets who have branched infantry, including the first women to do so. And just remember that it's not only them who are making history, it's you as an institution that are doing so. First in training and then battle, you'll demonstrate that the women who recently graduated from ranger school, who've accompanies our special operations forces and led convoys in combat and flown helicopter for the past 15 years are not just a news story, they're a vital part of our ability to defend our country. Next, I want you to remember that our nation's defense rests in being able to find solutions to seemingly intractable problems. In any situation, you will encounter unexpected challenges that have to be solved at a moment's notice. I can't tell you what they are now. I've told you what we're facing today. I can't tell you with confidence what we'll be facing in the future. You have to have -- I want you to have the courage to accept risk, to solve those problems, and the wisdom to determine when a risk becomes a blind gamble. You're responsible for the lives of your soldiers and for accomplishing your mission. That's the burden of command. Let me give you a recent example from a West Point graduate, and that's Lieutenant General Sean MacFarlane, who's serving as our coalition commander in Iraq. When he got there last year, he found a fractured Iraqi army on the defensive, one that was trained for a narrow set of threats that didn't include the kind of unconventional military tactics that the enemy ISIL was using, or even their conventional tactics that were being used effectively to stymie the Iraqi forces in the field. Providing the same training over and over again, that same training wouldn't accomplish the mission. General MacFarlane saw this as an opportunity to provide advanced training and engineering capabilities to effectively change the way the Iraqi army operated. All of you, like Sean, are capable of this. SEC. CARTER: I'm proud to say we saw the results of this in December, when the Army re-took Ramadi, reaching the Euphrates, conducting combined arms breaching, and ultimately clearing the city with the assistance that we provided. When you plan, rehearse and execute your missions, you must always be willing to reevaluate the situation and take a new course of action when the situation demands it. In order to do that, you have got to be open to new ideas. At the Pentagon, I've made it a priority at all levels that to think, as I say, outside of our five-sided box, to be open to new ways of thinking, operating and innovating. It's the only way to be the best in a competitive world. You're warriors first, but as I saw today in the Physics lab, the Counterterrorism Center, your Cyber Center, you're also scientists, political scientists and so much more. Every day, you crack the code in some way. And we need you to continue to do so. This should be a lesson for our enemies. Never underestimate the ingenuity of the American soldier. We need to maintain that advantage, forever. That's why as part of the Force of the Future Initiative, we're building greater opportunities, as you advance through the ranks, for you to work in industries, advanced industries outside of DOD, just for a time. Partner with tech companies and get out and learn enough about how the rest of the world works, while continuing to achieve the breakthroughs and uphold the profession of arms that makes the finest fighting force the world has ever known. And finally, I want to discuss with you the importance of being a leader of character. Character is the difference between George Washington -- remembered on this campus with that iconic, equestrian statute -- and Benedict Arnold, recalled with an unnamed plaque in the old chapel. Both were gifted warriors of great, technical skills. But only one had the strength of character to -- in the words of the Cadet prayer, "choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong." You don't know when, where or how. You may not even know it at the time, but your character will be tested against these words. And your reaction will be a reflection of your true self. In my time working with some of the finest alumni of this institution, I've observed that combat doesn't as much build character as it does reveal it. There's a big world out there when we're a great nation with great responsibilities and we stand on the foundation of character that both you and this institution provide around the world. Those of you who will be commissioned this spring are about to join the noblest profession there is -- a profession that will have you waking up every day to help defend this country and make a better world. As you embark on this, know that our nation is 100 percent behind you. I'm 1,000 percent behind you, although we know that's not really possible. But you know what I mean. We know that you're -- what you're putting into this, we know what you'll sacrifice. And we know what you're able to achieve. There's nothing that we appreciate more. There's nothing that makes me prouder to be where I am than to look out and to be with you. Thanks for having me. Today I look forward to answering some of your questions. (APPLAUSE) STAFF: Thank you sir. SEC. CARTER: Oh. Thank you. STAFF: All right sir. Thank you for those remarks. And thank you for spending time with us. SEC. CARTER: Sure. STAFF: I think we have a few minutes for some questions, but before we turn it over to the corps, (inaudible) and I were just going to ask you a couple of questions to get things started. SEC. CARTER: Okay. STAFF: So (inaudible) do you want to start? Q: Thank you, (inaudible). Sir, our first question is -- is a personal question. How do you find balance? So you did an undergrad in physics. You got a doctorate in physics. You obviously love academics. You love our country. You love your family. How do you find a balance in your work-life dynamic? SEC. CARTER: It's a good question, and you'll all face it. And I know as I talk to folks who get to the point where they're trying to decide whether they're going to stay in or not -- you all will reach that point. You know, one of the things that they ask themselves is can I do this, and did the family -- (inaudible). I'm lucky -- I'm lucky at the moment, and here's why. And I've wrestled with this all the time I've been part of this wonderful institution. And I've got to tell you, when my kids were really little, there were times when I didn't feel like that balance was right, but I had to keep doing what I was doing. So it's tough. But right now, I'm lucky. My kids are grown up and I have this -- this is important; you all know this -- but this kind of service becomes a family affair. And my wife is so into -- she loves the troops. She loves our military. She's very patriotic. And so she understands, and she can't do things with me all the time. She works. She has a job and so she can't travel with me. And so we're apart a lot. We miss each other and so forth. But I always know she's part of it when she can be part of something, she's just all in. So it makes a difference. And so you can -- you can deal with the conflicting pressures as long as there's kind of a unifying theme to it. And in most cases, military service becomes a family affair. If your family is with you, you'll be Okay. Q: Thank you, sir. Q: Thank you very much, sir. My question is kind of on a different side of things. We hear a lot here at the academy about how technology has changed and shaped our future and continues to do so. We had a lecture yesterday where, again, it was brought up about technology and its effect on us being able to execute our mission effectively abroad. And I was wondering from your perspective, for the military, specifically the Army, how does technology help and hinder us as we progress towards executing our mission? SEC. CARTER: It does both, and your world is going to change fundamentally in your lifetime. You will continue to be, and this is essentially what the Army's mission is, to dominate physical and human terrain. And particularly that human terrain will change in the course of your lives, as it's changing already. Now, I'm confident that that will give us more opportunities than it will give us challenges. But that's up to us. And that's why it was so great to see the ingenious people around here that I was with today, and why I stressed ingenuity. Keep thinking. Be open to things. Challenge your leaders. Good leaders respect that. They know that. They want that. They want that ventilation and that upward stream of young people with different ideas. Because remember, you I know -- I grew up in a different world. So I -- my -- I'm different from you. You grew up in a different world from me. I've got to understand that as leader. So if I'm going to relate to you folks and get you to join us and stay, I need to understand how you see life. And, you know, it's different. SEC. CARTER: And you'll have to look back at other generations. That's why it's so important to me to keep changing how we do things, at least be open to change things. I can't change the profession of arms, I can't change its basic ethos -- I don't want to. I can't change the fact that you need to go where we tell you to go, mostly, because we need you where we need you. And so -- so you're not like any company and so forth. But that doesn't mean we can't learn from what else goes on in society and bring in their best ideas wherever they apply to us. We've got to be open to that and we've got to be open to the fact that not everybody is like us, but we need everybody to be part of the team. STAFF: Yes, sir. Thank you. STAFF: Sir, thank you so much. We have a lot of questions for you ourselves, but we do want to make sure we hit the cadets' questions. So we now would like to open it up to the cadets who have questions in the corps. STAFF: Yes, sir. This will be a -- this will be our question here. Q: Hello, sir. SEC. CARTER: Hi. Q: My name is Cadet John (inaudible). I'm a member of the class of 2016 and Company I-1. My question for you is you started your career studying theoretical physics at places like Yale and Oxford, and now you're the secretary of defense. In your experience, what have you learned about finding your true calling in life, and what advice can you give us about doing the same endeavor ourselves? SEC. CARTER: It's a good question, and I also studied medieval history, and the joke everybody says is well now, you're in the perfect combination of physics and medieval thinking doing what you're doing. Now, but the -- the reality for me -- and this may be true of you too; I don't know how you came here, whether it was somebody you knew who inspired you or something you saw and said I want to be part of that or -- but I didn't know I'd end up working in defense, I certainly didn't know I'd end up being the secretary of defense. And I talk to a lot of young folks all the time because I like to do that, and they ask me advice in that regard, and here's what I -- here's the piece of advice I can say. I can't say for you what's right for you, but I always tell people if you're making a choice -- there are a lot of people who are very calculating. They say well, I need to go do this because then that will lead to that and that will lead to that and that will lead to that. And I say when you come to those branch points and you really can't figure out which way to go, the way I always did it was I said -- I went with what I thought I'd enjoy most. I looked down that road and I said do I want to wake up every morning and be doing that, or do I want to wake up every morning and be doing that hoping it leads somewhere else. And the logic of that is that if you like what you're doing and you think it's significant, you'll do well at it, and, therefore, you'll do okay. But it's really important. And I found in -- with physics -- I got into this business, in physics, it was the height of the Cold War and I was working on problems related to nuclear weapons and strategic competition with the Soviet Union. And as a physicist, I found that when I worked on these issues and was part of decision making about them, I had something I could bring to the table, and that was -- I had technical knowledge. And other people didn't have it and I -- and that meant I had something to say. I had some angle on it that they didn't have. I could make a contribution. And it was the most important thing I could be doing. So you put those two things together, it doesn't get any better than that, right, if you feel like you can make a contribution and what you're doing is really significant. That was the magic combination for me, and I've loved it and I love it to this -- to this day, and I love every day in this job. I'm so proud of this institution. It's so wonderful to be part of it. Q: Thank you, sir. STAFF: Sir, I think we have time for one more question before we have to close out. So this will be the last question. Q: Good afternoon, sir. My name is Austin (inaudible) I'm part of the class of 2019. My question is, what do we have to gain or lose from our relations with China? And how is the Army adapting to President Obama's policy of shifting to the Pacific, sir? SEC. CARTER: Well, an excellent question. And if you think about it, the Asia-Pacific -- I said it's the most consequential region for America -- America's future. Just do the math. If you think about it, it's not in the headlines all the time right? You get the Middle East in the headlines. You've got Eastern Europe in the headlines. And the Asia-Pacific isn't. Why? If it's so important, why isn't it? Well, the reason for that is that it has generally been an area of peace and stability for 70 years. And during that time, all the countries there have risen and prospered. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, now China and India. And that's good. But they couldn't have done that without an atmosphere of peace and stability. What made that atmosphere of peace and stability in a region that has no NATO, no formal structure, where the wounds of World War II never really fully healed. What keeps the peace? Well, the important ingredient has been the United States. the pivotal role of the United States' influence and the United States' military there. That is what we aim to keep going with the rebalance. And it's not about keeping China down. It's about continuing an environment in which everybody can rise, including us. That's our approach. And to the Army's part, it is a very important thing. You might look -- you know, you look at a globe and you look at the Asia-Pacific, and you say, gee, it's all ocean. What am I going to do in the Army out there? It's all water. I can see why the Navy's out there, but why would we be out there. And the reason is this. I mean, first of all, conflict will always be where the people are, and they're not out in the ocean, they're on the land and that's what you're about. Right? (APPLAUSE) SEC. CARTER: And second, a lot of the militaries in the region are commanded by their army -- your Army counterparts and that's an important thing. I want to commend the Army and the secretaries of the Army and the chiefs of staff of the Army who have been sticking with -- the rebalances all these years. I can single out one guy that I think has done a great job. And I single him out simply because he just got promoted. And that is General Vince Brooks, who has been really leading Pacific pathways in the Pacific. I -- that is a real achievement. It has been ingenious and extremely influential. And you may know that the president has just nominated Vince to be the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, a very senior position in view of his skill, military skill and political military skill. So the Army's all in out there and it's incredibly important. Of all the things I named, the Army's central to each and every one of those challenges. And I'm confident we'll be central to all of the challenges that I cannot predict now, but that you'll have to deal with in the course of your career. Q: Thank you. Q: Sir. Real quick. MODERATOR: Sir. SEC. CARTER: Go ahead. Q: Make sure we have time for... SEC. CARTER: Go ahead. Q: You have to... SEC. CARTER: No, go ahead. MODERATOR: So there's another question. SEC. CARTER: There we go. Q: Sir, cadet Wyatt Frazier, class of 2017, company G-1. As a younger generation of millennials enters the work force, American corporations are shifting towards a less hierarchal and more flat and casual organizational structure. What is the Department of Defense doing to stay competitive in this new work environment? SEC. CARTER: Well, it's a good question, and we've got to stay competitive. And it gets to attracting and recruiting people. And it means we're going to have to keep thinking and keep changing about how we manage people. Let me give you a few examples of things that we're doing now that -- where we're taking lessons from the private sector that I think we can apply to us in order to better bring in their best practices. I'll give you a couple of -- couple of examples. One, I have a major effort department-wide to reach out to the technology sector, so that we can increase the pace at which we innovate technologically. If you think about the vehicles that you'll be driving, the armored vehicles that you'll be driving, a lot of these things are decades old, right? And that doesn't mean they don't have any value, but we need to constantly upgrade your equipment. And if we're -- we operate programs on 10-year time scales and the technology world is changing every year, guess what? We're going to fall behind. So we've got to be defter. That's a big push. Another one is to draw in some of what you're calling exactly right, flatter, more mobile institutions. Now, I want to be careful because as I said, you are the profession of arms. And I can't put a newspaper ad in for a colonel in the, you know, air defense artillery, right? You have to -- you get them through the Army. So there's a certain amount of our profession which is a profession and can only come about that way. But that doesn't mean we can't learn things. For example, I'm finding ways to send more of you out in the course of your career, out to the private sector so you can see how they do things and bring back the best of those practices. Just recently, I changed our policies in a number of ways on family programs -- things like maternity and paternity leave. Now, that may seem in the future to you all, but there will come a time if you decide to have a family where it's a pretty big deal. And I want to be competitive at that time, so you don't have to feel that you have to choose. Sometimes it's going to be tough for you, but I don't want to make it impossible for you to have a family that you'd like, and also continue to serve us. So where I can make that easier, consistent with readiness, I want to do that. And we're making a lot of changes of those kinds. The way we promote people and how we give you opportunities along the way, so we're not so rigid about, say, you have to punch this ticket and then punch that ticket, and then punch that ticket. And you find that all you're doing is punching tickets. And that's not really giving you the opportunity to grow in the way that we need you to grow. We're thinking about how to change your career path. So I think we do need to keep thinking about the career path. You'll always be the profession of arms. We're not Wal-Mart. You know, we're not Google. We're the United States military. But that doesn't mean we can't change and adapt. And we have to because I need good people like you. And once I get you, I've got to keep you. Q: Thank you, sir. Q: Sir, thank you for those answers. Sadly, we are out of time. So I know the rest of our cadets had some great questions, but now we would like to present you with a token of our appreciation. SEC. CARTER: Thank you. Q: But we're really grateful that you were able to come here today. SEC. CARTER: Thanks again. (APPLAUSE) Q: Sir, on behalf of the United States corps cadets in the military academy, I'd like to present you with a small token of appreciation from us for spending your time today. SEC. CARTER: Thank you. (APPLAUSE) http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/703031/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mobile Bay: Building Relations in ROK Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160323-07 Release Date: 3/23/2016 11:25:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan J. Batchelder, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West MOKPO, Republic of Korea (NNS) -- Sailors from the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) took part in a cultural tour to Myeongnyang Battle Park and Museum and Daehung Temple, March 15. The tour finished with a welcome performance at Republic of Korea (ROK) 3rd Fleet. Many Sailors were on their first visit to the Republic of Korea. They discovered the benefits of inter-cultural exchange and were eager for a chance to get out and explore a new port. "As ambassadors, we've shown that we're open to a lot of different things when it comes to learning, participating and being gracious," said Gas Turbine System Technician (Electrical) 3rd Class Shelton Williamson, from Detroit. "This is my first time in Korea and the sharing of culture is great because we learn about [others], the same way that they learn about us." Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) 1st Class James Thompson, from Muskegon, Michigan, said he first visited the Republic of Korea in 1995, before joining the Navy. "My expectations were to experience a bit of the Korean culture and gain insight through interactions with the host nation," Thompson said. Throughout the tour, Sailors were immersed in Korean history and traditions, some of which dated back to the sixth century. "The Daehung Temple was at the top of my list because there is such a wealth of heritage there," said Thompson. "All of the architecture was very beautiful and intricate. It's great to be somewhere that isn't a normal tourist destination and is relatively unspoiled by the outside world." While in Mokpo, the crew conducted humanitarian work, public ship tours, and bilateral military exchanges and training to improve military and public relations. "It is important for everyone - the community, the ROK Navy and us as well - to work on our relationship," said Williamson. "I've enjoyed my time here. This experience will be a lasting one." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ohio Gold Visits Subic Bay During Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160323-05 Release Date: 3/23/2016 10:06:00 AM By Lt. Nancy Tran, USS Ohio Gold Public Affairs SUBIC BAY, Republic of the Philippines (NNS) -- Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Ohio (SSGN-726) arrived at Subic Bay, for the conclusion of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment. "Our presence in the region provides a stabilizing force and through engagements with our partners, such as this port visit to Subic Bay, we aid in maintaining that stability," said Capt. Michael Lewis, commanding officer. "Our mission was to support the 7th Fleet commander in a multitude of operations and the crew of 165 came to the region fully ready to accomplish any and all missions. To be blunt, they performed admirably in all aspects. I could not be prouder of all they have accomplished." The USS Ohio underwent an extensive conversion beginning in 2002 and became the nation's first guided-missile and special warfare submarine in 2006. It is capable of launching tomahawk missiles as well as inserting special operations forces into clandestine environments. "This visit to Subic Bay provides our crew the opportunity to represent the best that America has to offer to the community and the Republic of the Philippines," said Master Chief Machinist's Mate William Catron, chief of the boat. "Many have never been to the Philippines and are looking forward to experiencing the local culture. As a crew we are happy to be here. Ohio crew members have worked very hard during deployment and it's time to enjoy some well-deserved liberty." "I can't wait for this port visit," said Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Daniel Nagle. "I'm excited for the shopping opportunities and the food. I'm looking forward to eating balut." Measuring more than 560 feet long and weighing more than 16,000 tons when submerged, Ohio is one of the largest submarines in the world. This submarine is capable of supporting a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, naval special warfare involving special operations forces, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. Ohio is the first Trident-class nuclear powered fleet ballistic submarine and the fourth United States vessel to bear the name of Ohio. The ship was converted to a guided-missile submarine in 2006 and is forward-deployed to Guam with the crews based in Bangor, Washington. Due to its sheer size, Ohio is capable of berthing more than 250 personnel and loading out for an extended period of time makes it a good choice as a special forces operations platform. With a payload of more than 100 Tomahawk missiles Ohio is also ideal for strike operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 95-Year-Old Lost US Navy Ship Mystery Solved Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160323-23 Release Date: 3/23/2016 4:30:00 PM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Zeigler, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON (NNS) -- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Navy announced the discovery of World War I-era fleet tugboat USS Conestoga (AT 54), 95 years after her disappearance with 56 officers and Sailors, at the Navy Memorial, March 23. NOAA located Conestoga, the last U.S. Navy ship to be lost without a trace, in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of San Francisco. The exact location has not been disclosed to prevent unauthorized diving or looting. "Today was the announcement of the 95th anniversary, which will be this coming Friday, March 25th, of the loss of the USS Conestoga," said Robert Schwemmer, West Coast Regional Maritime Heritage Coordinator. "It was believed to have gone missing off the coast of Hawaii 95 years earlier. It was found off the coast of Southern California in the Greater Farallones National Marines Sanctuary in September of 2014." Conestoga was an ocean going tug built for commercial service in 1904 and was acquired by the Navy in 1917 for use as a fleet tender and minesweeper. Following service in World War I, Conestoga was formally classified as a fleet tugboat on July 17, 1920. Ordered to duty in Tutuila, American Samoa, Conestoga steamed from Mare Island Navy Yard in California on March 25, 1921 and headed to Pearl Harbor. Her and her crew never reached their destination. When the Conestoga didn't arrive on her scheduled arrival date April 5, the Navy mounted a massive sea and air search for three months off the Hawaii and Mexican coast near San Diego before announcing the tug was lost on June 30, 1921. "Today was the first time we could reach out to the families in person, put faces to the long list of 56 Sailors lost 95 years ago," Schwemmer. "It's been an amazing honor to honor these Sailors and reach out to meet their families, bring them closure and let them know that the Conestoga lies in the National Marine Sanctuary and that it is protected by the sanctuary act and NOAA as a military gravesite." NOAA conducted Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) survey dives to positively identify the ship and determine the cause of its wreck. Based on the location and orientation of the wreck, three miles off Southeast Farallon Island, NOAA and its consultants believe Conestoga sank as officers and the crew attempted to reach a protected cove on the island. Video from cameras mounted on ROVs show the wreck lying on the seabed and largely intact. Extensive marine growth, primarily white plume anemones, drapes the hull's exterior while various species of marine life, including wolf eels, ling cod and rockfish, inhabit the site. NOAA confirmed a number of features consistent with the description and plans of Conestoga published in 1904 including: the size of the wreck; the four-bladed, 12-foot 3 inch diameter propeller; the steam engine and boilers; the number and location of portholes, mooring bitts, and ventilator locations; a large steam towing winch with twisted wire on the drum; two porcelain marine heads; and a single, 3-inch, 50-caliber gun that was mounted on the main deck in front of the pilot house. After the ship was identified, in 2015 the NOAA and the Navy held a memorial ceremony at sea to honor the family members of those that were lost during the incident. "This coming season we will be looking at the area of the Farallones Sanctuary that has been recently expanded to the north," said James Delgado, director of Maritime Heritage for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuary. "We will not only be looking at the shipwrecks but we will be working with California State Parks and other partners to see how the sanctuary connects to the shore." A plaque dedicated to the memory of those who were lost at sea on Conestoga was unveiled in the lobby of the Navy Memorial Museum. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi warplanes hit northwestern Yemen, killing more civilians Iran Press TV Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:34PM Saudi warplanes conducted a new series of airstrikes on northwestern Yemen Wednesday, killing at least four people, local media reports say. Yemen's al-Masirah television said the Saudi jets bombed parts of Hudaydah Province as the kingdom's aerial attacks on its impoverished southern neighbor have continued nonstop since they started on March 26, 2015. On Wednesday, the northwestern province of Jawf, the southwestern province of Ta'izz and the northern province of Sana'a were also targeted in similar strikes. On Tuesday, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on the United States, Britain and France - the largest arms suppliers to the regime in Riyadh - to stop arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia. Amnesty says the arms exports to Riyadh have contributed to the Saudi crimes against Yemeni civilians and have given rise to a humanitarian crisis in the Arab world's most impoverished nation. James Lynch, Amnesty's regional deputy director, said, "Saudi Arabia's international partners have added fuel to the fire, flooding the region with arms despite the mounting evidence that such weaponry has facilitated appalling crimes." Philippe Bolopion, the deputy global advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, urged Washington, London and Paris in a statement to suspend all the weapons sales until Riyadh begins to "curtail its abuses." "By continuing to sell weapons to a known violator that has done little to curtail its abuses, the US, UK and France risk being complicit in unlawful civilian deaths," Bolopion said. Saudi Arabia has been under fire for carrying out indiscriminate bombardment, including through the use of cluster bombs, in various parts of Yemen. Amnesty says it has documented at least 32 airstrikes "that appear to have violated international humanitarian law" and killed more than 360 civilians. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch says it has documented at least three dozen "unlawful airstrikes" by Saudi warplanes that have killed at least 550 civilians in Yemen. On March 18, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, said Saudi Arabia and its allies may be committing crimes against humanity due to their indiscriminate killing of civilians in Yemen. The world body has already warned of a "human catastrophe unfolding in Yemen." Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression in a bid to bring the fugitive former Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh, back to power and undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement. More than 8,500 people, among them over 2,000 children, have been killed since the onset of the Saudi campaign. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 49 militants killed, injured in Afghanistan: Kabul Iran Press TV Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:8AM Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says nearly 50 militants, including Daesh terrorists, have been killed and wounded over the past 24 hours across the country. According to a statement released by the Afghan defense ministry, the operations, which left 49 terrorists dead or wounded, were carried out in the country's eastern and central regions. The statement also said that Taliban militants were also among those killed. A number of terrorists were detained, while Afghan forces also seized weapons belonging to the militants, the ministry added. Afghanistan, already dealing with Taliban threats more than 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror, also recently came under attack by Daesh terrorists operating mostly in its eastern regions. The Afghan Defense ministry said in a report released earlier this month that more than 600 civilians had been killed by Daesh terrorists over the past six months. According to the report, most of the victims were young people who had refused to join the terrorist group. Daesh atrocities have also left some 20,000 families internally displaced over the past year, the report added. Daesh's stronghold is currently in the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan. It reportedly plans to establish a base of operations within the province's mountainous terrain. Earlier this month, Afghan forces announced victory following a long operation in Achin, Shinwar, and some other districts of Nangarhar. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Shia movement withdraws from Zaria massacre probe Iran Press TV Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:24AM An umbrella organization representing Shia Muslims in Nigeria has decided not to appear before a tribunal looking into the army's December massacre in Zaria, PressTV reports. The decision, announced during a Tuesday press conference by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), came after Nigerian authorities did not allow IMN's legal team to meet with detained leader Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky. The legal team said it was "unethical and unprofessional" to represent a client whom it has not seen. The Nigerian army attacked Shia Muslims attending a religious ceremony in Zaria on December 12, touching off several days of a crackdown in which hundreds of people were killed. The army accused participants in the ceremony of blocking the convoy of its chief of staff and attempting to assassinate him, a charge which they have categorically denied. Nigerian forces later raided Zakzaky's home and arrested him after killing those protecting him. The cleric himself was injured in the attack and was taken into custody along with dozens of his supporters. They are being held incommunicado since then. The attacks led to the deaths of a large number of the members of the religious community, including three of Zakzaky's sons. The Shia cleric is said to have been charged with "criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbances." In a Tuesday interview with PressTV, Zakzaky's daughter, Suhaila, gave an eyewitness account of the army's attack on their house. "Unexpectedly, we just heard gunshots in the area of the house, and that went on for the whole night, for half the next day. As it was going on, people were being killed in the morning They (troops) killed as many people they found in our house, probably everyone," she said. She made the remarks as a large number of people took the streets in the Nigerian state of Kaduna to demand the release of Sheikh Zakzaky. "The government will understand that we want our leader released The corpses of our brothers and sisters that are held by the government should be released to us for (holding) funeral," a protester said. Human Rights Watch believes "at least 300" people were killed in the attacks, while Amnesty International puts the figure at "hundreds," describing the Nigerian army's violations as "shocking." The London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has said there was credible evidence of mass graves in Nigeria following the attacks. The rights group said the Nigerian military had secretly buried hundreds of bodies in the graves after storming the house of the Shia cleric. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In 'breakthrough,' UN refugee agency reaches embattled Yemeni governorate with life-saving aid 23 March 2016 Calling it a "breakthrough," the United Nations refugee agency today reported that earlier this week, 13 trucks managed to deliver blankets, mattresses, and other badly needed emergency relief items to Taiz governorate in Yemen. It was the first time a convoy from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) made it through all the way from Aden to Taizz, which is located in the highlands of country's southwest. Dispatched in coordination with the Government of Yemen's High Relief Committee, it arrived on Sunday in Mashra'a Wa Hadnan, a district immediately south of the embattled Taiz city centre. Distribution is reportedly starting this week for 500 displaced people, others who have returned to Taiz, plus local families who have been affected by the conflict. Meanwhile, another 13 trucks are on their way to nearby Sabir Al Mawadim district and will be distributed among another 500 families. In Mashra'a Wa Hadnan, the situation is now calm according to the UN, and some displaced families have been returning to their homes, while fighting persists on the eastern part of Sabir Al Mawadim. "The two districts host over 7,500 displaced people. It is the first time that assistance has been delivered there using the direct route from Aden," said UNHCR Representative in Yemen, Johannes van der Klaauw, in a press release. "The wider governorate of Taiz hosts 555,048 internally displaced people, the biggest concentration in the country and equal to almost a quarter of the 2.4 million total Yemen-wide," he added. For months, UNHCR has been advocating for regular and sustained humanitarian access to Taiz city and governorate. Now, with key roads into Taiz reopened since 11 March after nine months of blocked access, UNHCR is taking advantage of the opportunity to get help to people who desperately need it. This includes aid, vital protection and shelter help. While continued intense fighting is being reported in parts of Yemen, a lull in the conflict in other areas is opening space for UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations, including local humanitarian actors, to reach more people. To the north of Taiz, in Ibb governorate, which hosts over 100,000 displaced people, UNHCR is currently mapping how to address the needs. Further north, reduced violence along the Yemen-Saudi border over the last two weeks has allowed the agency to distribute emergency aid in Sa'ada. In coordination with relevant authorities, UNHCR is hoping further assessments of needs and distributions will be possible over the next days. Later this week, UNHCR and a partner will distribute emergency relief carried in a third convoy from Aden to the Ash Shamayatayn district of Taiz, an area that hosts 159,444 displaced people, according to their protection monitoring. Since October, UNHCR has been providing rental subsidies, cash assistance, legal assistance, and counselling as well as psychosocial care through a partner organization. "Ultimately, a halt to the hostilities remains the only way to end the suffering and ensure access to humanitarian aid across the country", said Mr. van der Klaauw. "UNHCR is hopeful that a lasting, country-wide ceasefire can be brokered among the parties as this will open up further space to provide essential humanitarian assistance on the ground." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Diplomatic Quartet to prepare report to lay ground for Israel-Palestine talks - UN envoy 23 March 2016 The United Nations envoy for the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today unveiled a plan by the diplomatic Quartet comprising the UN, Russia, the United States and the European Union to produce a report that would help create a political environment for the two sides to resume peace negotiations. Speaking at a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that the Quartet, in its last principals meeting in Munich, decided to compile a report that will examine impediments to a two-state solution and recommend the way forward. The work has already started and the Quartet is seeking inputs from both sides and other stakeholders, including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, to produce a good assessment, he said, expressing hope that the report, to be concluded in a few months, will inform the international opinion and consolidate consensus on a two-state solution as the only viable option. Turning to the reconstruction of Gaza, he said that since the end of hostilities in 2014, the UN engaged both sides in putting together a mechanism to allow the import of building materials. This has begun to see visible results. Now 100,000 families have access to construction materials to repair and rebuild their homes, and 9,000 jobs have been created. It is now vital to move forward with key infrastructure projects, namely those related to access to fresh water and electricity, he said. Efforts must continue to remove Gaza blockages imposed by Israel in order to allow imports and exports so that economic activities can restart in the strip. He noted, however, that only 35 per cent of the $3.5 billion pledged at the 2014 Cairo conference has been disbursed, urging donors to make good on their commitment. Mr. Mladenov said that tomorrow, he will brief the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East and hold an informal consultation with Member States on the reconstruction of Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Envoy: Yemen Truce, Peace Talks in April by Margaret Besheer March 23, 2016 The parties to the conflict in Yemen have agreed to a cessation of hostilities and a new round of peace talks next month. This nationwide truce will begin at midnight local time on April 10, U.N. Special Envoy on Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Wednesday. Face-to-face talks between the parties are scheduled to follow on April 18 in Kuwait. "The talks aim to reach a comprehensive agreement, which will end the conflict and allow the resumption of inclusive political dialogue," Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in New York. He said the talks would be based on U.N. Security Council resolutions, which call for resolving the year-old conflict through political negotiations. "The war in Yemen must be brought to an end before it does irreparable damage to the future of Yemen and the region," the envoy said. More than 6,000 people have been killed since a Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes last March in support of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled to Riyadh after Iranian-backed Shi'ite Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sana'a, in September 2014. The envoy said the talks would focus on five key areas: the withdrawal of militias and armed groups, the handover of heavy weapons to the state, interim security arrangements, the restoration of state institutions and the resumption of inclusive political dialogue, and the creation of a special committee on prisoners and detainees. Nation on the brink The conflict has pushed the Arab World's poorest nation to the brink. More than 2 million Yemenis have been displaced and more than 21 million people - 82 percent of the population require some form of humanitarian or protection assistance. Earlier this month, the United Nations appealed for $1.8 billion to meet Yemen's humanitarian needs this year. Calls for arms embargo On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch called on the United States, Britain, France and others to suspend weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, saying Saudi air strikes have killed hundreds of civilians. "By continuing to sell weapons to a known violator that has done little to curtail its abuses, the U.S., the U.K. and France risk being complicit in unlawful civilian deaths," said HRW's Philippe Bolopion. British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters his government does not support the idea of an arms embargo against ally Saudi Arabia. "We support a political settlement, and the UK supports the Saudi-led coalition in bringing the legitimate government of Yemen back to Sana'a," he said. "We encourage the parties to ensure that that can happen through the process that [envoy] Ismail has announced today," he added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former Malaysian PM Suing Incumbent Over Missing Money by VOA News March 23, 2016 Malaysia's former prime minister filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Najib Razak Wednesday, alleging government funds were transferred into the current leader's personal bank account. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's lawsuit accuses Najib of the "corrupt practice of carrying out various steps that were actively and deliberately taken in bad faith to obstruct, interfere, impede and derail the various investigations and inquiries, which were being conducted by various legal enforcement agencies." The suit stems from long-running allegations of corruption tied to a state-owned development company some believe Najib used to divert more than $680 million into his personal bank account and the accounts of his associates. In the past, Najib denied any foul play tied to the funds and has said the money was a gift from the Saudi royal family to help him win the 2013 election. The donations came in the form of several wire transfers made to Najib's account during late March and early April 2013. Malaysia's attorney general who was appointed by Najib cleared the leader of any criminal or corruption charges in January, following an investigation by Malaysia's anti-graft agency. During a news conference held to announce an end to the investigation, Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali said the money did not constitute bribery and said Najib returned around $620 million to the Saudi royal family because he had not used it. "There was no reason given as to why the donation was made to PM Najib that is between him and the Saudi royal family," The Guardian newspaper reports Apandi as saying. But Mahathir and dozens of other Malaysian politicians are not accepting the official explanation, and are now seeking damages from Najib equal to the amount they say was deposited into his bank account. Mahathir was joined in the lawsuit by several other former members of the United Malay National Organization (UMNO) political party. They called on Najib to step down as Malaysia's prime minister. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nepal Moves to Open Up China Route by Saibal Dasgupta March 23, 2016 Nepal's Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli appears to be creating history on his visit to China, which began March 20 and ends this Sunday. The prime minister has signed several agreements aimed at reducing Nepal's centuries-long economic dependence on India, including a plan to create a railway thoroughfare from China through the Himalayas. On Wednesday, Beijing and Kathmandu signed a deal under which China will supply petroleum products to Nepal, which has been dependent on India for this product. Beijing is also finding ways to reduce Nepal's dependence on India for electricity by planning a transmission line across the border. "Nepal can be a bridge between China and India," Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday, putting his stamp of approval on the moves. Xi has reasons to be pleased at the turn of events, according to analysts, as an earlier attempt to establish strong linkages with Nepal in 2008 did not succeed. The move has military connotations because the Himalayan Heights are a crucial strategic asset. Additionally, the Indian military has a close relationship with the Nepali forces and Beijing would be keen to dilute it, analysts said. Oli said last week that Nepal wants to utilize seaports in China for its foreign trade. Currently, 90 percent of Nepal's foreign trade passes through India. "We have been an India-locked country. We are now developing a strong partner in China, and opening up new transit routes," Rajan Bhattarai, a member of parliament from the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), told VOA. Tunneling Himalayas Many, however, regard these moves with skepticism because of Nepal's daunting mountain terrain, its cultural connectivity with India and Oli's tenuous position in the Nepali political theater. India has said Nepal is within its rights to seek other partners; but, some believe New Delhi may be concerned about the new situation because linking Nepal and China with railways would give the Chinese military a unique advantage over rival India. "I don't think China would do anything in Nepal that would seriously hurt India's interest and affect its own relationship with New Delhi," Pramod Jaiswal, senior research officer at Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi, said. "China needs India's vast market for goods and infrastructure construction a lot more than it needs Nepal." China's Foreign Ministry has acknowledged that the cross-border railway was still at the proposal stage, and that a feasibility study has not yet been done; but, analysts said the capability of Chinese railway engineers to take the Tibetan railway line to the Nepali border should not be underestimated. At one stage, Chinese officials talked about digging tunnels through the Himalayas to quickly stretch the railway line to the Nepali border. Separately, Chinese railway engineers demonstrated rare tenacity as they laid tracks across the mountain ranges in Tibet. Political opportunism? The prime minister's actions follow a massive border blockade created by agitating opposition forces, which stopped the flow of goods from India for weeks until it was resumed recently. Nepal had accused India of supporting the agitators from the Madhesi community -- mostly people from Nepal's plains with close links with India. They were opposing provisions in a new constitution that denied them certain rights. Oli has been forced to amend the constitution to accommodate the Madhesi demands. "[The] Nepali prime minister is upset with India over the blockade. He wants to invite China to counterbalance India in Nepal," Jaiswal said. There is another reason driving Oli closer to China, according to analysts. His party does not have a majority in parliament, and depends on the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which is known for its pro-China stance. "These two parties were rivals earlier. Many people believe China played a role in bringing them together," Jaiswal said. Nestled in the Himalayas, Nepal has been known to the world largely for Mount Everest, for the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini and for being an almost 100 percent Hindu kingdom next to India. The country's only political significance has been its role as the first stopover for Tibetans fleeing from China to India in the hope of seeing the Dalai Lama. Observers say they believe China relies heavily on the Nepali army and police force for blocking the entry of fleeing Tibetans, and keeping a close watch on Tibetan refugees already settled in Nepal. "Every country has its own reasons for enhancing friendship. We understand what issues are sensitive and important for our neighbors, and we try to do what we can for them," Rajan Bhattarai said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Helps Cameroon Ramp Up Airport, Border Security by Moki Edwin Kindzeka March 23, 2016 The United States has given Cameroonian police sophisticated equipment to monitor airports and border crossings as part of continued cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram. Cameroonian police showed reporters the new surveillance setup Tuesday at the Yaounde police headquarters. On screens, officials can monitor movements at airports and border crossings. They can also see images from scanners that peer into parcels or bags, looking for suspicious content. Cameroonian Police Chief Martin Mbarga Nguelle said the U.S. was installing the scanning and identification systems in Cameroonian airports and at border checkpoints to allow the tracing of criminals who attempt to escape or hide among the population. The chief said that for security reasons, he could not give details on the technology. The U.S. also gave airport officials equipment to detect explosives, something Cameroonian officials said has been a growing concern. The donation is part of broader U.S. cooperation in the fight against Nigerian-based Boko Haram militants. The U.S. has previously given military equipment to Cameroonian troops fighting the militants in the north. U.S. military advisers are also on the ground there to provide training on how to detect and defuse explosives, among other things. Cameroon was drawn into the Boko Haram conflict when the militants began attacking towns near the Nigerian border in 2013. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Khmer Rouge Tribunal Cases Stuck as Deadline Looms by Sok Khemara March 23, 2016 Almost a year after charging former mid-ranking regime official Ao An with crimes against humanity, the Phnom Penh-based Khmer Rouge Tribunal last week expanded its case against the 83-year-old suspect, bringing new charges of genocide, torture and other serious crimes. The decision by International Co-Investigating Judge Michael Bohlander appeared to indicate that the case against Ao An former deputy secretary of the Central Zone of Democratic Kampuchea, who is better known by his regime alias, Ta An is making progress. But observers question whether case 004, one of two currently on the hybrid United Nations-Cambodian court docket, will actually make it to trial. In order for that to happen, Bohlander must complete preliminary investigations by June. Yet the political barriers that have seen a string of international judges quit the tribunal in frustration remain firmly in place. Cambodian judges on the tribunal possess significant powers of obstruction, and government officials have shown unwillingness to carry out arrests on behalf of investigating judges. A further hindrance: Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that Ao An should be spared prosecution at risk of reigniting civil war. Government recalcitrance By law, if the tribunal's pre-trial chamber can't find a reason to object to a case, it will move forward. But the question remains: Will Cambodian officials enforce the court's authority by compelling people to respond to pre-trial investigations? Authorities can threaten arrest if people refuse to participate, but according to court spokesman Neth Pheaktra, that should not be necessary as long as suspects cooperate and show up when summoned. "Based on the law and internal rules of this implementation, and according to the national law, the additional charge against anyone does not need to always arrest them all," Pheaktra told VOA Khmer. "We see there is cooperation from the suspects. They appeared in the court following the summons of the international judge." Of the four suspects charged in the government-opposed cases, Ao An is one of three mid-ranking officials. Facing the same charges are Yim Tith, also known as Ta Tith, who was acting chief of the Northwest Zone, and Im Chaem, former district chief of Preah Neth Preah. In the other outstanding case, 003, only Meas Muth, the regime's navy chief, has been similarly charged with crimes against humanity and murder. None are currently detained. But even if they were, national judges who generally adjudicate in accordance with Hun Sen's wishes regarding the two cases hold majorities at each level of the court, and can therefore significantly slow the process by disputing which of the suspects are "most responsible" for the regime's crimes, a criterion written into the court's remit. A political deal? Long Panhavuth, a leading court monitor at the Cambodia Justice Initiative, says a political deal would be essential to move either of the cases to trial. "Can it move to arrest and detention? The answer is: It's not possible if there is no political deal between the Cambodia government and the U.N.," he said, referring to claims among foreign observers that suspects have been shielded from arrest due to a shortage of international aid. "[That's] an excuse," Panhavuth added. "The most important thing is that there is no cooperation between the national and international side." Youk Chhang, executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, says nobody can know whether the lengthy investigations into cases 003 and 004 have yielded enough documentary evidence to convict suspects until a trial is held. But numerous changes to court procedures are holding trials back. "It's hard because this is in the hands of the lawyers and judges," he said. "They should respect the procedures and think about the justice for the victims. That is what should be more important than to change the procedure or any mechanism that is not thinking about ... what the victims want." According to law professor Peter Maguire, who authored Facing Death in Cambodia, about Khmer Rouge war crimes and Cambodia's culture of impunity, the prime minister has consistently outmaneuvered both the U.N. and the tribunal's international donors. "Although national law or international law is one factor, an equally important factor is power," he told VOA Khmer. "Does the U.N. have the power to compel the Cambodian government to arrest and try another series of defendants? Absolutely not." Successfully bringing the suspects to justice seems unlikely, he said, even as pre-trial costs pile up. "The U.N. is a guest in the kingdom," he said. "In order to move forward with cases 003 and 004, they need the support of the Cambodian leader Hun Sen. Not only do they not have it, they have never had it." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Computer Hacking Conspiracy Charges Unsealed Against Members of Syrian Electronic Army FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Two Fugitives Believed to be in Syria Added to FBI Cyber's Most Wanted Three Syrian nationals, all current or former members of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), were charged with multiple conspiracies related to computer hacking, according to two criminal complaints unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director James Trainor of the FBI's Cyber Division and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI's Washington Field Office. Ahmad Umar Agha, 22, known online as "The Pro," and Firas Dardar, 27, known online as "The Shadow," were charged with a criminal conspiracy relating to: engaging in a hoax regarding a terrorist attack; attempting to cause mutiny of the U.S. armed forces; illicit possession of authentication features; access device fraud; unauthorized access to, and damage of, computers; and unlawful access to stored communications. Dardar and Peter Romar, 36, also known as Pierre Romar, were separately charged with multiple conspiracies relating to: unauthorized access to, and damage of, computers and related extortionate activities; receiving the proceeds of extortion; money laundering; wire fraud; violations of the Syrian Sanctions Regulations; and unlawful interstate communications. The court has issued arrest warrants for all three defendants. According to allegations in the first complaint, beginning in or around 2011, Agha and Dardar engaged in a multi-year criminal conspiracy under the name "Syrian Electronic Army" in support of the Syrian Government and President Bashar al-Assad. The conspiracy was dedicated to spear-phishing and compromising the computer systems of the U.S. government, as well as international organizations, media organizations and other private-sector entities that the SEA deemed as having been antagonistic toward the Syrian Government. When the conspiracy's spear-phishing efforts were successful, Agha and Dardar would allegedly use stolen usernames and passwords to deface websites, redirect domains to sites controlled or utilized by the conspiracy, steal email and hijack social media accounts. For example, starting in 2011, the conspirators repeatedly targeted computer systems and employees of the Executive Office of the President (EOP). Despite these efforts, at no time was an EOP account or computer system successfully compromised. Additionally, in April 2013, a member of the conspiracy compromised the Twitter account of a prominent media organization and released a tweet claiming that a bomb had exploded at the White House and injured the President. In a later 2013 intrusion, through a third-party vendor, the conspirators gained control over a recruiting website for the U.S. Marine Corps and posted a defacement encouraging U.S. marines to "refuse [their] orders." Today, the FBI announced that it is adding Agha and Dardar to its Cyber Most Wanted and offering a reward of $100,000 for information that leads to their arrest. Both individuals are believed to be residing in Syria. Anyone with information is asked to contact their nearest FBI field office or U.S. Embassy or consulate. According to allegations in the second complaint, beginning in or around 2013, SEA members Dardar and Romar engaged in multiple conspiracies dedicated to an extortion scheme that involved hacking online businesses in the United States and elsewhere for personal profit. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the conspiracy would gain unauthorized access to the victims' computers and then threaten to damage computers, delete data or sell stolen data unless the victims provided extortion payments to Dardar and/or Romar. In at least one instance, Dardar attempted to use his affiliation with the SEA to instill fear into his victim. If a victim could not make extortion payments to the conspiracy's Syrian bank accounts due to the Syrian Sanctions Regulations or other international sanctions regulations, Romar would act as an intermediary in an attempt to evade those sanctions. "The Syrian Electronic Army publicly claims that its hacking activities are conducted in support of the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad," said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. "While some of the activity sought to harm the economic and national security of the United States in the name of Syria, these detailed allegations reveal that the members also used extortion to try to line their own pockets at the expense of law-abiding people all over the world. The allegations in the complaint demonstrate that the line between ordinary criminal hackers and potential national security threats is increasingly blurry." "The tireless efforts of U.S. prosecutors and our investigative partners have allowed us to identify individuals who have been responsible for inflicting damage on U.S. government and private entities through computer intrusions," said U.S. Attorney Boente. "Today's announcement demonstrates that we will continue to pursue these individuals no matter where they are in the world." "Cybercriminals cause significant damage and disruption around the world, often under the veil of anonymity," said Assistant Director Trainor. "As this case shows, we will continue to work closely with our partners to identify these individuals and bring them to justice, regardless of where they are." "These three members of the Syrian Electronic Army targeted and compromised computer systems in order to provide support to the Assad regime as well as for their own personal monetary gain through extortion," said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. "As a result of a thorough cyber investigation, FBI agents and analysts identified the perpetrators and now continue to work with our domestic and international partners to ensure these individuals face justice in the United States. I want to thank the dedicated FBI personnel, federal prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners for their tremendous efforts to ensure on-line criminal activity is countered, U.S. cyber infrastructure is safeguarded, and violators are held accountable under the law." The case is being investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office, with assistance from the NASA Office of the Inspector General, Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security and other law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Maya D. Song of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Van Grack and Trial Attorneys Scott McCulloch and Nathan Charles of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. 16-329 National Security Division (NSD) USAO - Virginia, Eastern Topic: National Security Updated March 22, 2016 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leaders of Lorenzana Drug Trafficking Organization Convicted on International Narcotics Trafficking Charges FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Eliu Elixander Lorenzana-Cordon and Waldemar Lorenzana-Cordon, leaders of a Guatemala-based international drug trafficking organization responsible for importing multi-ton quantities of cocaine into the United States, were convicted on international narcotics trafficking charges in the District of Columbia following a four-week trial. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department's Criminal Division announced the conviction. "For well over a decade, the defendants led a major Central American drug trafficking organization responsible for importing tons of cocaine into the United States," said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. "This verdict sends a powerful message that the United States and its partners will pursue and obtain justice against international drug traffickers." "Eliu and Waldemar Lorenzana-Cordon's crimes have destroyed families and communities," said Acting Deputy Administrator Riley. "Their organization fed a pipeline of drugs ultimately sold on American streets, fostering violence and drug addiction. Their conviction marks the end of their criminal reign and the beginning of their life behind bars." Eliu, 43, and Waldemar, 49, were each convicted on one count of conspiring to unlawfully import and distribute cocaine into the United States. The defendants were arrested in Guatemala after their indictment on this conspiracy charge and then extradited to the United States. According to evidence presented at trial, the Lorenzana-Cordons were leaders of an international drug trafficking organization with close ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Evidence at trial demonstrated that between 1996 and 2009, the defendants and their co-conspirators received, stored and distributed multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Colombia at their properties in Zacapa, Guatemala, for importation into Mexico and then ultimately into the United States. On April 27, 2010, the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control designated both defendants as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act due to their significant roles in international narcotics trafficking and their ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, according to evidence presented at trial. The Drug Enforcement Administration's 959/Bilateral Investigations Unit and Guatemala City Country Office led the investigation, which was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Trial Attorneys Michael Lang, Stephen Sola and Emily Cohen of the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Chicago Police Department and the governments of El Salvador and Panama provided support and assistance in this prosecution. The Justice Department in particular wishes to convey its gratitude to the government of Guatemala for its steadfast commitment, collaboration and assistance in the investigation, extradition and prosecution of this case. 16-335 Criminal Division Topic: Drug Trafficking Updated March 23, 2016 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Brussels Reels, Bombers Named A Day After Attacks March 23, 2016 by RFE/RL Brussels residents are struggling to regain a semblance of normal life, while authorities say two suicide-bomber brothers struck the city's main airport and a subway car in attacks Belgium's prime minister said displayed "absolutely abominable brutality." Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said that airport bomber Ibrahim el-Bakraoui had left a will on a computer before the March 22 attacks, which stunned Europe and were claimed by the extremist group Islamic State. At least 31 people were killed, and the toll could rise. Bakraoui's brother Khalid blew himself up in a subway car at Maalbeek station in central Brussels, Van Leeuw told a news conference. "The [subway] suicide bomber was identified by his fingerprints. He is Khalid el-Bakraoui, Ibrahim's brother, born in Brussels on January 12, 1989, a Belgian national," Van Leeuw said. "The two dead terrorists had a heavy criminal record not linked to terrorism." He said two men shown pushing baggage carts with Ibrahim el-Bakraoui in security-camera footage had yet to be identified. According to investigators, one was also a suicide bomber, while the other is believed to have left a bag stuffed with explosives at the airport before leaving. Van Leeuw said that bag, which had the heaviest load of explosives, blew up after the arrival of bomb squads and caused no injuries. He said a taxi driver who drove the three suspects to the airport led authorities to an apartment in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels where police found bomb-making equipment, including 15 kilograms of TATP explosives and a suitcase packed with nails and bolts. Investigators discovered a computer containing Bakraoui's will in a garbage container close to the apartment, the prosecutor said. He said Bakraoui described himself as "not knowing what to do anymore, being searched for everywhere, no longer being safe." Bakraoui also expressed fears of ending up in prison if he continued to "drag on," he said. The Brussels subway, the scene of carnage during the morning rush hour a day earlier, was partially running again on March 23. Security was tight, with soldiers checking passengers' bags at station entrances. The district hosting European Union institutions reopened to vehicles, but Zaventem airport is scheduled to remain shut at least until March 25. The terrorism alert level throughout Belgium remains at its maximum level following the attacks, which an Islamic State website said were conducted by its "soldiers of the caliphate." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on March 23 that one of the Brussels attackers was caught in Turkey in June and deported to the Netherlands at his own request. He said Turkey also warned Belgium the man was a militant. Speaking at a news conference, Erdogan said that "despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, Belgium could not establish any links with terrorism." Erdogan did not name the attacker, but an official in the Turkish president's office identified him as Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. Van Leeuw said the attacks killed at least 31 people and wounded 270. Authorities said the death toll could rise because some of the victims of the subway bombing were blown to pieces. Photos and videos posted on the Internet showed gruesome scenes of destruction at both sites. Speaking to journalists on March 23, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel denounced what he called a "ruthless" attack on Europe's democratic values. "We are more than ever determined to act and to defend the values that are close to our heart," he said. "We are being confronted with enemies of liberty and democracy who are hiding and attack cowardly. They attack anonymous victims with absolutely abominable brutality." Belgium is observing three days of mourning for victims of the worst extremist attack ever in Brussels, which hosts both the EU and NATO headquarters. As they tried to resume their daily lives, shocked residents still grappled with the horror of the attacks. "This is going to make me rethink a lot of things," Michelle Sinn, a European Commission employee, told Reuters. She said the threat of terrorism "is clearly here" and it would now be difficult for Brussels residents to ignore it. Defiance Linda Van Den Bossche called the attacks a "horrible" experience but said she was determined to continue enjoying life in her home city. "Terrorism is coming close in a scary way," she said. "But still, Brussels is a beautiful city. We are not going to let our lives be dictated by the terrorists." Speaking late on March 22, Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon said he shared these emotions but called on Belgians not to give in to fear. "I think we have to give a place for these emotions," he said. "On the other hand, in our daily life we have to -- after some days of sadness -- we have to continue our life, because what [terrorists] want is to destabilize our society." The attacks have sparked an international outpouring of sympathy, with leaders across the world extending their solidarity with Belgium. U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the "outrageous attacks against innocent people," and EU leaders expressed anger over what Sweden's prime minister called an "attack against democratic Europe." The attacks also prompted calls for tougher counterterrorism measures. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged the EU parliament to authorize a passenger name record that would cover the whole of Europe. "There is an urgent need to strengthen the external borders of the European Union," he told French radio. He said Islamic State had "stolen a large number of passports in Syria" and that heightened vigilance was required to prevent people from crossing into Europe with false passports. Belgium has been in the spotlight since militants living there helped carry out coordinated attacks that killed 130 people in Paris on November 13. The Brussels blasts came four days after Salah Abdeslam, the chief surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, was captured following after a shoot-out in Brussels. Belgian security forces had been on alert for any reprisal action. Media reports said one of the brothers suspected of carrying out the bombings used a false name to rent an apartment in Brussels where police killed a gunman last week. During that operation, police found fingerprints belonging to Abdeslam. He was arrested last week in Brussels and is awaiting trial. The first hearings have reportedly been postponed for a day to March 25 due to security concerns in the Belgian capital. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and RTBF Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/belgium-islamic-state-attacks- mourning-search-for-suspect/27630321.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK Security Services Prevent Seven Terror Attacks Over Last 18 Months Sputnik News 18:43 23.03.2016 UK Home Secretary Theresa May said that in the last 18 months, the police and the security services have disrupted seven terrorist plots to attack the UK. LONDON (Sputnik) UK security services have prevented seven terrorist attacks linked to the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militant group since mid-2014, UK Home Secretary Theresa May said Wednesday. "In the UK, the threat from international terrorism which is determined by the independent Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre remains at SEVERE, meaning that an attack is highly likely. In the last 18 months, the police and the security services have disrupted seven terrorist plots to attack the UK. All were either linked to, or inspired by, Daesh [ISIL] and its propaganda," May said in a statement to the House of Commons addressing Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. May added that she had spoken to her Belgian counterpart Jan Jambon, offering condolences and any help that the United Kingdom can provide. "Belgium is a friend and an ally, and we work closely together on security matters," May said. Following the attack, the United Kingdom raised the national threat to severe and issued a travel warning that has subsequently been lifted. On Tuesday, at least 31 people were killed and some 260 injured in two bomb blasts in Brussels' Zaventem airport and an explosion at a metro station in the city. The Islamic State jihadist group, outlawed in many countries, including the United States and Russia, has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Belgian Police Slammed Over Lack of Coordination, Chaos, Confusion Sputnik News 16:32 23.03.2016 In the aftermath of the Brussels bombings, the Belgian police and intelligence services have been heavily criticized, with the police accused of being uncoordinated and out-of-touch with the communities they serve. Security experts have expressed concern that Europe's most-wanted man Salah Abdeslam, who went on the run after failing to detonate his bomb in the November 13, 2015 Paris attacks was able to remain in Brussels undetected for four months. Critics say the structure of the Belgian police service is totally unfit for purpose based as it is on a federal and local system. The federal police answer to six governments and includes separate directorates for traffic, railway, maritime and river, airport, air support and dog police. Meanwhile, the local police service comprises 196 police forces constituted from the former communal and gendarmerie brigade, working under the mayor of the municipalities. Around 50 police forces cover the territory of one municipality or city zone. "Part of the problem is that Belgian intelligence doesn't share timely information with people in the Belgian police who need to know it. The Belgian police is very fragmented: they speak two different languages, there are six different forces spread across 19 boroughs in Brussels. It's not very connected, it's not very joined-up. This means that vital clues are missed," security correspondent Frank Gardner told the BBC. "It is extraordinary that the most wanted man in Europe Salah Abdeslam was able to hide, practically in plain sight, in that borough of Molenbeek for four months right under the noses of the police. That tells us something else that the police in Belgium have very poor community relations. People aren't telling the police. They are not giving them tip-offs," he said. Intelligence Failures Apart from criticism of the lack of coordination within the police, many security analysts say there is clear evidence that the Belgian intelligence agencies were completely overwhelmed by the scale of radicalization. Dr Peter Neumann, director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization told the BBC: "Parts of Brussels have effectively been abandoned by the state including the security agencies not for years, maybe for decades. I interviewed the former head of Belgium's equivalent of MI5 and he told me that he and his colleagues had been warning the politicians that the Belgian security service was under-financed, under-resourced [and] under-staffed. "They warned in the months running up to the Paris attacks about the growing problem of Islamist radicalization, but the politicians didn't want to know. They didn't want to listen." Paris Attacker Missed Opportunity Peter Taylor, presenter of the BBC Panorama TV program said: "We've seen many intelligence reports that indicate that since the beginning of last year there was a life-and-death race between the intelligence services and [Paris attacks mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud who was subsequently killed. The intelligence indicates that this race was getting extremely serious towards the end of last year, before the Paris Attacks. "We saw an intelligence report that said that [UK intelligence services] MI5 and MI6 met with a European partner agency because they were increasingly concerned about Abaaoud and the network. In particular, they had received an intelligence report that he was preparing to send 60 jihadists into Europe. "Another meeting was then planned with other agencies to set up a specialist team to target Abaaoud. The timing of that meeting originally was for November 13 last year. That, of course, tragically, was the date of the Paris attacks," he said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Obama: Defeating Islamic State is 'Top Priority' by William Gallo March 23, 2016 President Barack Obama says destroying Islamic State is his "top priority," a day after the extremist group claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack that killed 31 people in Belgium. Speaking in Argentina, Obama also vowed to do "whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible" for the attack. "This is yet another reminder that the world must unite, we must be together, regardless of nationality, or race, or faith in fighting against the scourge of terrorism," Obama said. "My top priority is to defeat ISIL and eliminate the scourge of this barbaric terrorism that has been taking place around the world." The group said it carried out Tuesday's bombings on the airport and Brussels metro in revenge for Belgium's role in the coalition fighting Islamic State. Since 2014, the coalition has been carrying out a campaign of airstrikes and raids on extremist targets in Syria and Iraq, as well as other Middle East and North African countries. Republican presidential candidates say the Brussels bombings, the latest in a series of IS-claimed attacks, are the latest evidence the White House is not doing enough to wipe out the group. Frontrunner Donald Trump explicitly advocated the use of torture in order to stop such attacks. Texas Senator Ted Cruz reiterated his call to "carpet bomb" IS and said law enforcement should "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods." The comments drew sharp criticism from a wide array of political leaders, as well as from American Muslims, who say they are being unfairly singled out for something they have nothing to do with. Obama on Wednesday slammed the comments as "un-American," and "counterproductive," and defended American Muslims as "extraordinarily successful, patriotic, (and) integrated." "Their children are our children's friends, going to the same schools, they are our colleagues in our workplaces, they are our men and women in uniform, fighting for our freedom," Obama said. "And so any approach that would single them out or target them for discrimination is not only wrong and un-American but it would be counterproductive because it would reduce the strength, the antibodies that we have to resist terrorism," he added. Obama, who just completed a landmark visit to communist-led Cuba, said he has seen firsthand the devastating effects of overbearing government surveillance. "I just left a country that engages in that neighborhood surveillance, which by the way the father of Senator Cruz escaped for America, the land of the free, the notion that we would start down that slippery slope makes absolutely no sense. It is contrary to who we are and it is not going to help us defeat ISIL," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Presidential Candidates Trade Barbs Over Terrorism by Ken Bredemeier March 23, 2016 The leading U.S. presidential candidates are trading new ideas and sharp barbs over how best to cope with the threat of terrorism in the immediate aftermath of the deadly Brussels terrorist attacks. The Republican front-runner, billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump, suggested that Tuesday's attack in the Belgian capital that killed at least 31 people and injured another 271 could have been prevented if authorities had resorted to harsh interrogation techniques, including torture, against Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam, who was captured in Belgium last week. Abdeslam has reportedly been talking to investigators, but Trump told CNN, "Well, you know he may be talking, but he'll talk a lot faster with the torture." Cruz calls for freeze on some refugees' admission Trump's chief rival for the Republican nomination, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a conservative firebrand in the halls of Congress, called for a freeze on admission to the U.S. of any new refugees from countries with "significant" contingents of al-Qaida and Islamic State jihadists. He said U.S. law enforcement authorities need to be given the authority "to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized." Cruz branded Trump as "hopelessly naive" for suggesting this week that the United States reduce its support for NATO, the West's military alliance since the end of World War II. Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., said he thought Cruz's idea to patrol Muslim neighborhoods was "a good idea." Clinton attacks Trump The leading Democratic presidential contender, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, denounced Trump, saying, "This is about not only selecting a president, but also selecting a commander-in-chief. The last thing we need is leaders who incite more fear." Clinton, the wife of former president Bill Clinton, added, "We don't build walls or turn our back on our allies. We can't throw out everything we know about what works and what doesn't and start torturing people." Trump in turn rebuked her, telling one interviewer, "Incompetent Hillary doesn't know what she's talking about. She doesn't have a clue." The charged atmosphere about possible terrorist threats in the United States came as voters cast ballots Tuesday in three more presidential nominating contests, in the western states of Arizona, Utah and Idaho. Tuesday's results Trump routed Cruz in Arizona, along the U.S.-Mexican border, winning all 58 of the state's delegates to the Republican national nominating convention in July. Cruz easily won in heavily Mormon Utah, collecting all 40 of the state's national convention delegates. The day's results left Trump far ahead in the race to win enough pledged convention delegates ahead of the quadrennial gathering, but still 40 percent away from the majority of delegates he needs to claim the nomination. Cruz on Wednesday picked up the endorsement of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who dropped out of the race last month. In a statement released by the Cruz campaign, Bush called Cruz the only hope for Republicans to win back the White House and criticized Trump. "For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena," Bush said. The next Republican voting is set for April 5, with a party primary in the Midwestern state of Wisconsin. A third contender in the Republican contest, Ohio Governor John Kasich, was not a factor in either Arizona or Utah. Kasich's last hope Kasich cannot mathematically win the nomination before the national convention and is banking his hopes on winning it then if neither Trump nor Cruz has claimed it ahead of time. A new Quinnipiac University poll Wednesday showed that Kasich is the only Republican, and not Trump or Cruz, who would defeat Clinton in a hypothetical match in the November national election. The winner of the U.S. election will replace President Barack Obama, who leaves office in January 2017. Clinton easily won Tuesday's Democratic primary in Arizona against her sole rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, but he captured two party caucuses against her, in Utah and Idaho. Sanders, who has centered his campaign on the growing income equality in the United States and the power of Wall Street financial titans, won a handful more convention delegates than Clinton in the three contests, but remains far behind her in the overall race to win the Democratic nomination. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamic State Losing Ground, But Not the War by Sharon Behn, Jeff Seldin March 23, 2016 While Brussels was reeling from the bloodshed after Islamic State (IS) bombed civilians in the airport and a metro station, Iraqi forces were piling up body bags from multiple suicide bombings across central, western and northern Iraq. Finding it harder to hold territory in both Iraq and Syria, IS extremists are switching tactics, using small-scale, mass-casualty attacks, internationally and regionally. Verified numbers are hard to come by, but local reports estimate that some 400 civilian and security forces died in the week of March 8-14 alone from these kinds of attacks. Polad Jangi, the Kurdish Peshmerga counterterrorism commander in Suleymania, told VOA that pushing IS out of the cities is unlikely to lead to its demise. He said IS, which emerged out of al-Qaida in Iraq with a ground force of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein-era military officers, would instead revert to its previous tactics more those of an insurgency than a state. "They're going to have sleeper cells; they're going to do bombings; they're going to do kidnappings; they're going to do assassinations. It's going to be continuous. It's not going to stop," he said. Losing on the battlefield, but adapting Like Jangi, U.S. military and counterterrorism officials believe momentum on the ground in Iraq and Syria has clearly shifted. They say increased strains on IS' funding and foreign fighter flows have begun to show up on the battlefield, where the terror group is operating less and less like a conventional military force. "Asymmetric attacks, harassing attacks, have definitely picked up," said one U.S. official familiar with the assessments. "There's no sign of a resurgence." Other officials have pointed to U.S. and coalition airstrikes against IS oil facilities and cash depots, which they say has forced the group to cut salaries, hurting morale while eating away at what one U.S. counterterrorism official described as IS' "veneer of invincibility." "There's no doubt that the losses are rippling across ISIL's self-declared caliphate," the official said, using an acronym for the group. But the official also cautioned, "These blows alone will not serve as a knock-out punch." At the same time, there are growing concerns that the increased pressure has forced changes that may make IS more resilient and more difficult to defeat. "I actually think their adaptation has improved in recent months," said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "They certainly seem to be improving some of their on-the-ground fighting to be more consistent with their strengths, less of the battlefield advances that are more appropriate for a state military and more light, unconventional-style warfare," he said. "The question is will their adaptations outpace the massive stress that is being placed upon the organization." IS split Gartenstein-Ross, and others, say many of the adaptations have mirrored reports of a shift in power, with foreign fighters from Chechnya gaining growing influence. Jangi believes that the foreign fighters will move on, as the IS re-launch in Libya demonstrates. But, he says, the Iraqi nationals that form the foundation of the militant network will not leave. Even while in Iraq, he said, the two groups have not coalesced. "They are always like two different powers, but working closely together," he said. "They don't speak to the Iraqis. They don't do anything except [when] the commanders communicate with them, and when they do attacks, they coordinate." Michael Pregent, a former intelligence officer now with the Hudson Institute, said the schism is ideological, with IS splitting into two main components: those fighting to control Iraq and Syria, and those who see their struggle as an apocalyptic global one. "The pragmatic tactical command and control apparatus is losing territory to committed ground forces with [U.S.] air support, and losing influence to the apocalyptic Dabiq wing," Pregent told VOA. It is not clear where IS leader Abu Bakr al Baghadi, who has surrounded himself with an Iraqi inner circle, stands. Taking the fight global But many think for now, at least, the more internationally-focused wing has the upper hand, calling the shots with a view of a battlefield that extends far beyond the core of the self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq. "The group is hedging its bets on a global scale,' said Michael Horowitz, a geopolitical and security analyst with the Levantine Group. "While the anti-ISIS coalition is battling the group in Iraq and Syria, ISIS has been able to largely expand to North Africa and south of it, using its Libyan "colonies" both as an entry point for its militants and as a magnet for local militants already operating inside the African continent," he said. But it is not just Africa. Officials and analysts say the attacks in Brussels indicate IS leaders view Europe as part of the same global battlefield. They warn new attacks on Western targets, in Europe and elsewhere, are a certainty no matter what happens in Syria and Iraq. "Syria has become a training ground for jihadist fighters and there are many who went there to train in Syria in order to come home and fight," says American Enterprise Institute Research Fellow Katherine Zimmerman. "So, there is a second phase of this problem that many people aren't even considering." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Approves Comprehensive Law on Charities, Nonprofits by Shannon Van Sant March 23, 2016 In the midst of its crackdown on civil society groups, China recently approved its first comprehensive law on charities and nonprofit organizations aimed at helping alleviate poverty in the country. The landmark legislation loosens regulatory hurdles for charities to register and provides safeguards for people who donate. But it also tightens government oversight. "There are two sides," said Karla Simon, an American expert on civil society in China. "One is that charities come into being more easily, and they are permitted to register, and more of them are. It applies to a broad range of charities. But the other side is, how do we protect the people who give money." While allowing more non-profits to register, the new charity law also provides greater government oversight and scrutiny over organizations' internal management. The legislation imposes a cap on annual management fees, and each year charities are required to spend 70 percent of the previous year's income, or of the average income over the previous three years. It also provides tax incentives for people to donate. The legislation comes amid a crackdown by President Xi Jinping on civil society in China. The new law also comes as China is considering a measure to put foreign nonprofits under the jurisdiction of the police, enabling China to strengthen its domestic charities and exclude them from the potential charge of foreign interference. However, the new charity law does stipulate that charities found to be undermining national security will be punished or have their registrations revoked. National security has been cited as a reason for the arrest of many human rights activists over the last four years. "In China, what it means by endangering national security would be really broad, and subject to the authorities' interpretation," said Patrick Poon, a China researcher for Amnesty International. But the charity legislation is aimed at strengthening approved civil society, allowing nonprofits to assist the government in addressing the needs of the poor as China's economy slows. It will also enable China's new middle and upper classes to more easily donate to approved causes. Charitable giving in China has remained flat over the last several years, even as the country's economy has grown. In a recent survey by the U.K.-based Charities Aid Foundation, China ranked 144 out of 145 countries for charitable giving. Anthony Spires, a civil society scholar at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said implementation of the legislation will be key to its impact on Chinese society. "It's going to come down to, whether or not it's implemented at the local level. It's going to come down to whether or not the Ministry of Civil Affairs officials at the local level adopt a broad definition of charity, or a very narrow, specific one," he said. Spires said the legislation will likely be interpreted by local officials to exclude charities and non-profits working to advance politically sensitive issues, such as women's or gay rights. The Chinese government has said it will end poverty in China within four years, and the new charity legislation will likely aid officials in reaching that goal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Discusses Licensing Admiral Grigorovich Frigate Production to India Sputnik News 13:40 23.03.2016(updated 14:35 23.03.2016) India and the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport are discussing plans to set up licensed production of Admiral Grigorovich class frigates under the Make in India program, the company said on Wednesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The project is set to take place amid increased Russia-Indian defense industry cooperation. "At the present time, for instance, we are in talks on the feasibility of developing Project 75 (I) submarines based on the latest Amur-1650 diesel-electric submarines, and on the procurement of an additional lot of Project 11356 frigates and setting up of their license production in India," Rosoboronexport Deputy Director Sergei Goreslavsky said in the company's press release. Cooperation discussions will take place on March 28-31 during the Defexpo India 2016 international land and naval systems exhibition to be held in Naqueri Quitol in India's state of Goa. Rosoboronexport plans to present numerous naval vessels, as well as new tanks, combat vehicles and air defense systems, according to the press release. Trials of Russia's new Admiral Grigorovich class frigates were successfully completed in the Barents Sea in late 2015. The frigates, displacing 3,850 tons, are designed for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare as well as for air defense missions, operating both independently or as part of convoys and naval task forces. The Admiral Grigorovich frigate will be the first in a series of six frigates of the Project 11356 being built for the Black Sea Fleet to join the Russian Navy. Russia and India have enjoyed mutually beneficial strategic relations, especially in the field of defense and military cooperation, since the 1960s. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Arms Deliveries to Iraqi Kurdistan Approved by Baghdad - Ambassador Sputnik News 09:48 23.03.2016(updated 11:10 23.03.2016) Russia's Ambassador to Iraq said that Russia is delivering arms to Iraqi Kurdistan on a schedule that is approved and coordinated with Baghdad authorities. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia is delivering arms to Iraqi Kurdistan on a schedule that is approved and coordinated with Baghdad authorities, Russia's Ambassador to Iraq Ilya Morgunov said. "All issues regarding military deliveries to Iraq from the Russian side are discussed with representatives of the federal Iraqi government in Baghdad or Moscow. The weapons are delivered to Iraqi customers as they are produced by Russian enterprises, in accordance with timelines outlined in contracts," Morgunov told RIA Novosti. "If we're talking about deliveries free of charge to Iraqi Kurdistan in order to strengthen the capacity of the Kurdish Peshmerga self-defense forces, this is done in coordination with the Iraqi government in Baghdad, where Russian planes arrive for customs procedures and to obtain consent to proceed to Erbil. The Kurds are primarily supplied with small and medium firearms and ammunition," he added. Russian companies could expand their presence in Iraqi Kurdistan and this matter was discussed at a meeting with the autonomous region's President Masoud Barzani and other top Kurdish officials, Russia's Ambassador said. "Meetings have been held with President Masoud Barzani, Prime Minister of the regional government Nechervan Barzani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and former President Jalal Talabani Issues were discussed regarding delegation exchange in 2016 and expanding the work of Russian companies on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan," Morgunov told RIA Novosti. Iraqi Kurdistan is a region in northern Iraq, which became autonomous in 2005, following the US invasion of Iraq and the adoption of a new constitution. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libyan govt. to be installed in Tripoli within days: UN Iran Press TV Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:42AM The head of the UN mission in Libya says the North African country's new unity government will be installed in the capital Tripoli within days. Libya has had two governments and two parliaments, with the General National Congress run by rebels in the capital and the internationally-recognized administration in Tobruk. Martin Kobler made the announcement after a ministerial meeting attended by representatives from neighboring states in Tunis on Tuesday. Kobler said although an exact date had not been set yet, he was certain the installment would take place "in a matter of days not weeks." Libya has been grappling with violence and political uncertainty since the oil-rich country's former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was deposed in 2011 under NATO airstrikes and later killed by militants. Kobler touched on Daesh inroads in the country, saying "it is urgent to stop the expansion" of the Takfiri terrorism into neighboring countries, including Tunisia. Faez al-Sarraj, the premier in waiting, described the spread of Takfiri terrorism as a "cancer," calling for a quick response. He is expected to be the new prime minister under an agreement reached between rival parties last December. Libya's current government, however, opposed the UN-sponsored unity government just last week, dampening hopes of an improvement in the situation. Taking advantage of the political chaos, Daesh took control of Sirte in June 2015, almost four months after the group announced its presence in the northern Libyan port city. The capture made Sirte the first city to be ruled by the militant group outside Iraq and Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address S. Korea warns retaliation against DPRK's threat to strike People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:13, March 23, 2016 SEOUL, March 23 -- South Korea on Wednesday warned of stern and merciless retaliations in response to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s threat to strike South Korea's presidential office. Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement that if Pyongyang conducts any provocations, South Korean forces will sternly and mercilessly retaliate and all the consequences from it will be completely held responsible for the DPRK. The statement came after the DPRK's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) warned that the DPRK's armed forces will head to wage a retaliatory battle to eliminate South Korean President Park Geun-hye's administration. The CPRK said that the strikes may start from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae or nearby locations, noting that once the buttons of large-caliber multiple rocket launchers are pushed, the presidential office would be reduced to a sea in flames and ashes. Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un guided the test-firing of the new large-caliber multiple rocket launchers on Monday, the second time he has watched the test firing of the newly developed rocket launching system in a month. Kim had ordered continued tests of a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying the warhead to enhance nuclear attack capability. Kim's order came as South Korea and the United States kicked off their joint annual war games, which the DPRK denounced as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion, on March 7. The Key Resolve command post exercise ended last Friday, but the Foal Eagle field training exercise will last until April 30. Seoul urged Pyongyang to immediately stop such "nasty and shallow-minded" acts, saying that it warns against the DPRK for threatening terrorist attacks on the head of state and the Cheong Wa Dae. The unification ministry said South Korea can never condone the DPRK's nuclear test and long-range missile launch threatening peace in the world and on the Korean Peninsula that was followed by continued insults to the head of state in defiance of Seoul's repeated warnings. The ministry urged the DPRK to give up nuclear and missile programs to come to a right path for a change, saying that the DPRK's threats to South Korea will never solve the DPRK's problems. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Paratroopers Land in South Russia in Snap Inspection Sputnik News 09:43 23.03.2016(updated 10:17 23.03.2016) Two parts of Russia's Airborne Forces divisions landed in the Orenburg Region as part of inspections. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Two of Russia's Airborne Forces divisions landed in the Orenburg Region as part of snap combat readiness inspections, the Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The inspection is part of strategic command-staff training on Russian Armed Forces management that began on Tuesday. "The Tula and Ivanovo divisions of the Airborne Forces landed on an Orenburg Region training ground as part of Airborne Forces snap combat readiness inspections ordered by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces," the statement reads. Over 400 paratroopers and 10 pieces of military equipment landed at the Totskoye range in the region aboard 15 military-transport aviation aircraft. "The divisions immediately began the task of blocking a simulated illegal armed group after landing," the ministry noted. Earlier, the two divisions were joined by the Ulyanovsk division to be brought to highest combat readiness level for a combined march of nearly 1,000 miles. The snap inspection involves around 30,000 personnel, around 3,800 pieces of arms and military equipment, and over 100 aircraft. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian army liberates key area in Homs, edges closer to Palmyra Iran Press TV Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:30AM Syrian forces have edged closer to retaking the ancient city of Palmyra after establishing full control over new areas in the central province of Homs and inflicting heavy losses on Daesh terrorists, new reports say. The army recaptured the mountainous al-Hail district and surrounding areas on Tuesday and launched a clean-up operation afterwards, Lebanon's al-Ahed news website said. The liberation of the area, which overlooks Palmyra (Tadmur in Arabic), paves the way for retaking the historic city which fell to Daesh last May. "The regime forces are now two kilometers (a little more than a mile) away on the south side and five kilometers (three miles) away on the west side," Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is affiliated to foreign-backed Syria opposition, said. Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has seen shocking scenes of pillage and looting by Daesh of some of its valuable archaeological areas over the past months. Syrian sources also said two Daesh ringleaders had been killed in a Russian airstrike in Raqqah. They identified them as Abu-Hammam al-Tunisi and Abu Hamzah al-Ansari. Russia launched an air campaign against Daesh and other terrorist groups on September 30, 2015 upon a request by the Syrian government. President Vladimir Putin ordered the bulk of Russian military forces to withdraw from Syria on March 14. The Arab country has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country's pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mogherini Says Realizes EU Responsible for Bringing Peace to Syria Sputnik News 22:09 23.03.2016(updated 22:36 23.03.2016) Federica Mogherini said she realized Europe bore some responsibility for Syrian reconciliation after terrorist attacks in Brussels. GENEVA (Sputnik) EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Wednesday she realized Europe bore some responsibility for Syrian reconciliation after terrorist attacks in Brussels. "After the Brussels attacks.. I thought immediately of the responsibility we all are having for bringing peace in Syria. It's in first place for Syrians, but it is also for Europeans," Mogherini told reporters after coming to Geneva unexpectedly to take part in the intra-Syrian talks. Mogherini also called on parties to intra-Syrian talks to enter into political process with no delays or games. "The backbones of our common position are: first, consolidation and extension of the cessation of hostilities. Second, consolidation and extension of the humanitarian access. Third, entering into the political process without delays or games," Mogherini told reporters after coming to Geneva on an unannounced visit. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Ceasefire Generally Holding Despite Violations Sputnik News 21:24 23.03.2016 Despite recorded violations, the cessation of hostilities in Syria has been generally observed, according to Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Syrian ceasefire is generally holding, despite recorded violations, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said. "Despite recorded violations, the cessation of hostilities in Syria has been generally observed. The reconciliation process is most active in the provinces of Hama and Homs. We hope that in the near future in these areas, the fighting will stop completely," Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta in an interview. Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with forces loyal to President Bashar Assad's government fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups. On February 22, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria, which took effect on February 27. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Deploys Special Forces to Syria for Reconnaissance Missions Sputnik News 19:17 23.03.2016(updated 19:34 23.03.2016) Units of Russian special forces have been deployed in Syria to carry out "many tasks", including reconnaissance and target-designation, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Units of Russian special forces have been deployed in Syria to carry out a variety of tasks, including reconnaissance and target-designation, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said. "Our special forces units are operating in Syria. They provide additional reconnaissance for Russian airstrikes, carry out aircraft target-designation in remote areas, and carry out other special tasks," Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta posted on its website on Wednesday. Syrian Army Liberated 400 Settlements With Russia's Air Support The government forces have liberated 400 settlements in Syria during the Russian air operation in Syria, recapturing some 10,000 square kilometers (over 3,860 sq. miles) from terrorists, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said. "During the operation, the Syrian forces with the Russian air support liberated 400 settlements," Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta posted on its website on Wednesday. The potential of terrorist groups has been reduced by half, they have lost initiative, while the territory under their control shrank by 10,000 square kilometers," Dvornikov stressed. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army Fighting Daesh Near Historic City of Palmyra Sputnik News 18:18 23.03.2016(updated 19:15 23.03.2016) Syrian army is fighting Daesh on the outskirts of Palmyra to recapture the historic city, a source in the offensive's headquarters said Wednesday. PALMYRA (Sputnik) Syrian army in cooperation with the "Desert Falcons" militia is fighting Daesh on the outskirts of Palmyra to recapture the historic city, a source in the offensive's headquarters said Wednesday. "In the near future, frontline militia troops plan to take up positions on the outskirts of the city. Unfortunately, the historic part of Palmyra, as well as the stronghold, are still under terrorist control. Fierce battles are continuing on all three fronts of the offensive," the source told RIA Novosti. Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the country's government fighting numerous opposition factions and jihadist groups. Palmyra has been under Daesh control since May 2015. The jihadist group, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia and the United States, has already destroyed part of the ancient city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Supplied Syrian Army With Modern Weaponry to Defeat Terrorists Sputnik News 17:24 23.03.2016(updated 19:05 23.03.2016) The commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said that Russia has supplied the Syrian government forces with modern weaponry. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia has supplied the Syrian government forces with modern weaponry, including artillery systems and communications means, to increase their combat capability in the fight against terrorists, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said. "In order to boost the combat capability of Syrian army units and patriotic opposition groups, we have supplied them with modern weaponry and equipment, including artillery systems, communications and reconnaissance means, etc.," Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta posted on its website. Moreover, Russian military advisers provided active and efficient assistance to government forces, Kurdish militia and patriotic opposition ensuring their success in stopping the advance of terrorist groups in Syria, the commander of the Russian contingent in Syria said. "Our advisers took an active part in the preparation of combat actions, which had a positive impact on the situation [in Syria]," Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta. "This joint work has allowed to destroy terrorist infrastructure and logistics channels, to regain the initiative and begin the offensiveon 15 fronts," Dvornikov stressed. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Progress made on humanitarian track for Syria, reports UN advisor 23 March 2016 The advisor to the United Nations envoy on Syria today reported further progress in the humanitarian relief efforts in that conflict-battered country, including with more areas reached, medical kits getting through checkpoints, and children being vaccinated. Briefing the media in Geneva, Jan Egeland, the Special Advisor to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, said that humanitarian convoys have already reached or got verbal Government consent to reach most of the 18 besieged areas, except Darayya and Douma. Last night, an inter-agency convoy of UN, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Syrian Arab Red Crescent arrived in Al Houla in Homs, for the first time since last October, he said. Also, a convoy reached the Orem area in western Aleppo over the weekend. "We are now up to 384,000 people reached since the beginning of the year via inter-agency convoys in hard-to-reach areas, besieged areas, and other priority cross-line areas," he said. With verbal permissions having just been issued for eight or nine of the 11 areas UN requested for April, that number is expected to double in the coming weeks, he added. He also reported that medical kits went through to Al Houla after extensive negotiations. But surgical material was again taken off the convoys. "It is a war zone; civilians and others need surgical help," he said. Turning to the vaccination campaign, he said vaccinating children is symbolically important in a conflict, and especially in a peace effort. "There is nothing more symbolic than children being able to resume school and being vaccinated against diseases," he said, noting that one million children in hard-to-reach and besieged areas will be vaccinated by the end of April through the facilitation of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Air drops are expected to start in "days and weeks" over Deir ez-Zor, where 200,000 civilians, mostly women and children, are waiting for relief aid, he said. Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported today that it has continued humanitarian operations in Yalda for the sixth consecutive week. A medical team comprised of two medical officers, two nurses and one assistant pharmacist was deployed for the fourth time since February, when the UN agency was allowed to resume operations to support vulnerable civilians from Yarmouk, Yalda, Babila and Beit Saham. The medical team reportedly treated 253 patients today, including 114 women and 78 children, for a range of non-communicable and other common diseases. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Relations with The Gambia Raises Concerns in Taiwan by Ralph Jennings March 23, 2016 A small West African country's establishment of relations with China this month is raising concern in Taiwan of a new fight to retain its few diplomatic allies around the world and exert international influence. The Gambia's announcement March 17 that it had set up diplomatic ties with China prompted anger from Taiwan's government and president-elect. They worry that an informal truce has ended with Beijing. The Gambia had cut ties with Taiwan, one of the world's most isolated democracies, in November 2013, leaving the Asian island with just 22 formal diplomatic relations. China has more than 170 allies and uses them to stop Taiwan from pursuing international relations, including participation in United Nations. Since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, Beijing's Communist government has viewed Taiwan as part of China rather than a state entitled to form ties with foreign countries. Taiwan looks to its remaining allies, mostly poor countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific, as a voice in the United Nations and as evidence of legitimacy for Taiwan's government, known as the Republic of China, or ROC. The Gambia squabble will put Taiwan on guard again, said Eleanor Wang, spokeswoman for the island's foreign ministry. "For Gambia to decide to set up ties with mainland China, our side expresses regret," Wang said. "The foreign ministry will keep stepping up its work with the outside world. As for mainland China's actions to exert pressure, all foreign ministry and overseas representative offices will continue to be on alert, pay rapt attention and protect our country's interests effectively." Since Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008, Taipei and Beijing set aside political disputes, including so-called "check diplomacy," the competition for alliances with poorer countries by raising each other's development aid pledges. Since checkbook diplomacy ended, the two sides have opened landmark dialogue and signed 23 agreements linked to tourism, trade and investment. The establishment of Beijing's ties with The Gambia comes about two months before Ma must step down due to term limits and hand the presidency to Tsai Ing-wen, who won Taiwan's January election. Tsai leads a party with a history of poor China relations, and officials in Beijing have called on her to uphold the conditions for two-way dialogue embraced by the current Taiwanese leadership. Tsai rejects those conditions, which require each side to see itself as part of China, but subject to different interpretations. Last week China asked The Gambia to acknowledge "one China," namely the sole legitimacy of the Beijing government. That nod precludes any relations with Taiwan. The Gambia broke ties with Taiwan without jumping immediately to China as countries did before 2008. The break was described then as a personal decision by Yahya Jammeh, president of the West African country of 1.8 million people. Joanna Lei, chief executive officer of the Chunghua 21st Century Think Tank in Taiwan, said China used The Gambia as a soft signal of what might come after Tsai takes office May 20. "Now that the truce is no longer in effect we can't say it's completely over, but it's not completely in effect they picked a country that would not diminish the number of diplomatic relations with the ROC while effectively [not] renew[ing] a relationship to indicate what might come if after the May 20 [inauguration] speech [is] not clear in terms of the 'One-China' policy," Lei said. She estimates that five or six other countries now allied with Taiwan are eyeing a shift to China if allowed. China's allies may get more access to the giant Chinese market rather than Taiwan's much smaller one. Tsai is expected to protest any new diplomatic quarrels after taking office but may not directly confront Beijing over the broader issue. She will wait for China to gauge how angry it wants to make the Taiwanese public by buying off small countries, said Hsu Yung-ming, a political scientist with Soochow University in Taipei. Taiwan also has strong informal relations, particularly economic links with the United States, Japan and countries in Europe. "She won't open a competition with China on foreign diplomacy," Hsu said. "She will instead observes people's reactions and take a calm attitude. So it's China that will judge whether these actions toward Taiwan's diplomatic allies are causing a backlash among Taiwanese people and even whether there's a negative impact on future cross-Strait relations." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 26 PKK members killed in Turkish airstrikes Iran Press TV Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:51PM Turkey's military says its warplanes have conducted new combat sorties against positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the southeast of the country as well as northern Iraq, killing over two dozen PKK members. The army said in a statement on Wednesday that the aircraft have targeted shelters, caves and ammunition depots in rural areas near in the southeast Turkish town of Semdinli and inside Iraq over the past hours. At least 26 PKK militants were killed in the southeastern towns of Nusaybin, Sirnak and Yuksekova on Tuesday alone, the statement added. The airstrikes came after the PKK killed five members of Turkish security forces in three separate bomb attacks in the southeast. Over the past months, Turkey has been conducting offensives against the PKK positions in the largely Kurdish southern regions. Turkish armed forces have expanded the operations well beyond the borders, chasing the PKK militants into northern parts of Iraq, while shelling Kurdish parts of Syria as well. Turkey's aerial campaign inside the Iraqi territory has repeatedly drawn criticism from Baghdad, which has denounced Ankara for violating Iraq's sovereignty. The Turkish government has also been at loggerheads with Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) based in Syria, billing them as PKK allies. On March 11, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov slammed Ankara for the Turkish military's shelling of Syrian Kurdish positions and for sending weapons across the border to assist foreign-backed militants. Security across Turkey has become fragile as a result of the country's direct confrontation with Kurds inside and outside of the country. Major cities across Turkey have experienced a surge in violence, including deadly bombings in recent weeks. Turkey's operations began in the wake of a July 2015 bombing in the town of Suruc, where over 30 people died. Ankara blamed the blast on the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. The bombing prompted the PKK, which accuse the government in Ankara of supporting Daesh, to react by attacking police and security forces. The attacks against the PKK voided a shaky ceasefire declared in 2013 between the Turkish government and the militants, who have been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since 1980s. The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey recently estimated that over 160 civilians have been killed in the restive regions placed under a government-imposed curfew since August 2015. The pro-Kurdish opposition also says hundreds of civilians have been killed during the ongoing Turkish military operations against the PKK. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey Demands EU Meet Commitment to Visa-free Travel by Dorian Jones March 23, 2016 Just days after the announcement of a European Union-Turkey refugee deal, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the bloc, saying it could not be trusted. His main concern is the commitment for visa-free travel for Turks through the EU. Under the terms of the EU-Turkey agreement, migrants who illegally cross the Aegean and enter Greece from Turkey would be sent back to Turkey. In exchange, Turks would be granted visa-free travel through the EU as early as June, as long as Ankara complies with certain EU conditions. But Erdogan is increasing pressure on Brussels to honor its commitment and questioning the sincerity of the 28-member group. He said that if Turkey looks to the past from the perspective of values, it can see EU leaders never keep their words and will not do so this time. Erdogan observers say officials are aware of how controversial visa-free travel is, especially for several EU members. France has made clear its opposition and voiced alarm at the prospect of nearly 80 million Turks being able to freely enter EU countries. Adding to those concerns say analysts, is that many of the two million Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey could ultimately become citizens of that country. But to achieve visa-free travel Ankara has to comply with 72 EU standards. Unrealistic, observers say Political scientist Cengiz Aktar said that requirement remains an unrealistic goal. "I have serious doubts that all 28 members would agree on lifting visas for Turkey in June - because Turkey did not comply with the 72 conditions. It seems very difficult it will manage to do so. Only manipulators and naives are taking this deal very seriously. It is a propaganda occasion for the government, because of course, it is very rewarding to announce to Turkish public, that visas will be lifted in June," Aktar said. Ankara is working hard to comply with the conditions. Among them, a pilot project that calls for introducing biometric identity cards, which is expected to be followed by a requirement for biometric passports. Political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners said achieving visa-free travel is crucial for Erdogan's political aspirations. "He wants visa-free travel, which is very important to his constituents because most of the visa rejections are among constituents. If he can do that, he will present it as a result of Turkish pressure or Turkish lobbying and he will hit the campaign trail for executive presidency again," Yesilada said. Erdogan is seeking to increase his power by turning Turkey into an executive presidency, which critics warn will be akin to a dictatorship. Analysts say he is close to securing the required votes in parliament and a referendum would likely be held to confirm a new constitution later this year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mine construction and upgrading activities at Ivanhoe's three key development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa highlight Ivanhoe's achievements in 2015 TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2015. All figures are in US dollars unless otherwise stated. Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three mine-development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa: the Platreef platinum-palladium-gold-nickel-copper discovery in South Africa; and the Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium mine and the Kamoa copper discovery in the DRC. HIGHLIGHTS On December 8, 2015, Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., of China, completed a landmark, strategic co-development transaction on the Kamoa Copper Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) whereby Zijin, through a subsidiary company, acquired a 49.5% interest in Kamoa Holding Limited for a total of $412 million in a series of payments. Ivanhoe received an initial $206 million from Zijin on December 8, 2015; the remaining $206 million will be received in five equal installments, payable every 3.5 months from December 8, 2015. In addition, Ivanhoe sold a 1% share interest in Kamoa Holding to privately-owned Crystal River Global Limited for $8.32 million. The first installment payment from Zijin, in the amount of $41.2 million, was received by Ivanhoe Mines on March 23, 2016. In an earlier, separate transaction, on April 20, 2015, Zijin Mining Group completed a private placement to help advance Ivanhoe's three mine-development projects in Africa. Zijin acquired approximately 9.9% of Ivanhoe Mines' issued and outstanding common shares at a price of C$1.36 per share. The placement provided Ivanhoe Mines with gross proceeds of approximately C$105 million. Ivanhoe Mines recorded a total comprehensive profit of $668.3 million for the year ending December 31, 2015. The profit was attributable mainly to the gain on the partial sale of Kamoa Holding of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million. On January 25, 2016, the Kamoa exploration team reported a new discovery at its Kakula Prospect. The Kakula Discovery is situated within the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa Mining Licence area and represents a major extension of the Kamoa copper deposit, which the company discovered in 2008. Two exploration drill holes completed in late 2015 in the Kakula exploration area - DD996 (13.14 metres true width of 5.26% copper) and DD997 (14.94 metres true width of 5.33% copper) - rank among the highest-grade and highest-grade-thickness intersections drilled to date within the Kamoa copper deposit licence area. On February 23, 2016, Ivanhoe Mines reported the positive findings of an independent pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the first phase of development of the Kamoa Copper Project. First phase of development envisages an annual production rate of three million tonnes of ore per annum at an average grade of 3.86% copper over a 24-year mine life, resulting in annual copper production of approximately 100,000 tonnes. Initial capital costs, including contingency, is estimated at $1.2 billion, approximately $200 million lower than estimated in the Kamoa 2013 preliminary economic assessment (PEA). Construction work on the twin declines at Kamoa began in March 2016. The declines are designed to intersect the high-grade copper mineralization in the initial mining area at Kansoko Sud, approximately 150 metres below surface. Ivanhoe's drilling program in this area defined a thick, near-surface zone of high-grade copper mineralization, where a drill hole intercepted 15.7 metres (true width) of 7.04% copper. Byrnecut Underground Congo SARL (BUCS) was awarded the contract for the permanent support of the box-cut walls and the initial 1.2 kilometres of development for each of the two declines. Also in the DRC, on January 27, 2016, Ivanhoe Mines announced the receipt of a new, independent, Mineral Resource estimate for the company's historic, high-grade, Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-lead-silver mine. Kipushi's Big Zinc Zone is estimated to contain Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 10.2 million tonnes at 34.89% zinc, containing 7.8 billion pounds of zinc and adjacent zones of copper-rich mineralization containing Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 1.6 million tonnes at 4.01% copper, containing 144 million pounds of copper. With a current Mineral Resource now established at Kipushi, Ivanhoe Mines is continuing its upgrading work at the mine and evaluating technical and infrastructure options to best advance the project. A preliminary economic assessment is expected to be finalized in the near future. At the Platreef PGM Project in South Africa, Shaft 1 development has made good progress. Pre-sinking of the shaft has been completed to a depth of 54 metres below surface. The changeover from pre-sinking activities to main-sinking activities is expected to be completed by April 2016, which will enable the start of the main sinking. Aveng Mining, the shaft sinking contractors, expects to sink at a daily average rate of approximately 2.5 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach the Flatreef Deposit at a depth of 777 metres below surface by late 2017. The headgear design for the six-million-tonne-per-year permanent hoisting facility for Platreef's Shaft 2 has been completed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Ivanhoe expects to start Shaft 2 early works in 2017, including civil work for the box cut and hitch foundation. Ivanhoe announced in February 2015 that Ivanplats, Ivanhoe's 64%-owned subsidiary that owns the Platreef Project, had achieved Level 3 status in its first verification assessment on a broad-based, black economic empowerment scorecard, the highest-ranking platinum-sector mining company in compliance with South Africa's black empowerment laws. Ivanplats again achieved Level 3 status in February 2016, further demonstrating the company's dedication and commitment toward transformation on all levels of business. The three projects achieved a combined nine million hours of lost-time-injury-free (LTIF)work by the end of 2015, reflecting, in part, the company's continued efforts to prioritize the management of health and safety on its job sites. Ivanhoe had recorded 0.5 million LTIF hours at Platreef, 4.56 million hours at Kamoa and 3.90 million hours at Kipushi to the end of 2015. The Platreef Project reported two lost-time injuries in Q4 2015. Principal Projects and Review of Activities 1. Platreef Project 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines South Africa The Platreef Project in South Africa's Limpopo Province is owned by Ivanplats (Pty.) Ltd., which is 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. A Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation and its affiliate, ITC Platinum, plus Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and JGC Corporation, owns a 10% interest in Ivanplats, which it acquired in two tranches for a total investment of $290 million. The remaining 26% interest is held by Ivanhoe's broad-based, black economic empowerment partners, which include communities, employees and entrepreneurs. Ivanhoe announced in February 2015 that Ivanplats had achieved Level 3 status in its first verification assessment on a B-BBEE scorecard, the highest-ranking platinum-sector mining company in compliance with South Africa's black empowerment laws. Ivanplats again achieved Level 3 status in February 2016, further demonstrating the company's dedication and commitment toward transformation on all levels of business. The Platreef Project hosts an underground deposit of thick, platinum-group metals, nickel, copper and gold mineralization in the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, approximately 280 kilometres northeast of Johannesburg and eight kilometres from the town of Mokopane in Limpopo Province. To view Figure 1: Aerial view of the Platreef Project site, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F1.pdf Health and safety at Platreef The Platreef Project reached 5,379,302 million hours worked by February 29, 2016. The project recorded 4.8 million lost-time-injury-free hours at Platreef up until the end of Q3 2015. Two unfortunate lost-time injuries (LTIs) were recorded in October 2015 and since then, the project has recorded more than 750,000 worker hours without a LTI. The Platreef Project continues to strive toward its workplace objective of an environment that causes zero harm to employees, contractors, sub-contractors and consultants. Shaft 1 construction Shaft 1 development has made good progress. The pre-sinking activities have been completed and the shaft depth was 54 metres below surface on February 15, 2016. The changeover from pre-sinking activities to main sinking activities is expected to be completed by April 2016, which will enable the start of the main sinking. Aveng Mining, the shaft-sinking contractor, expects sinking to advance at an average daily rate of approximately 2.5 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach the Flatreef Deposit at a depth of 777 metres below surface by late 2017. Sinking will continue to a planned final depth of 975 metres below surface. Development work will include three stations at depths of 450 metres, 750 metres and 850 metres below surface. Work has been completed on the internal electricity substation, which will have a capacity of five million volt-amperes (MVA). Construction is underway on the power transmission lines from Eskom, the South African public electricity utility, which will supply the electrical power to be used for the sinking of Shaft 1. Back-up generators have been installed to ensure continuous sinking operations even if the power supply from Eskom is interrupted. To view Figure 2: Lowering of the five-deck stage and bank steelwork into Shaft 1, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F2.pdf To view Figure 3: Construction of headgear for main sinking operations, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F3.pdf To view Figure 4: Shaft 1 main-sink headgear, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F4.pdf To view Figure 5: Internal view of shaft-sinking activities during the pre-sink phase, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F5.pdf Other on-site work includes the construction of the primary terraces for Shaft 1, storm-water drains and ponds, workshops and stores. A total of 511, or 74%, of the 693 permanent and contract workers presently employed by Ivanplats are from the local area. Platreef implementing a phased approach to a large, underground, mechanized mine Ivanhoe completed a pre-feasibility study (PFS) in January 2015 that covered the first phase of development that is expected to include construction of an underground mine, concentrator and other associated infrastructure. In August 2015, Ivanhoe started work on a feasibility study (FS) based on the first phase of development. The FS is being managed by principal consultant, DRA Global, along with other specialized sub-consultants including Stantec Consulting, Murray & Roberts Cementation, SRK, Golder Associates and Digby Wells Environmental. The FS is scheduled to be completed by Q2 2017. There will be opportunities to refine and modify the timing and capacities of subsequent phases of production to suit market conditions during the development and commissioning of the first phase. Mineral resources in the Flatreef underground discovery The Flatreef Mineral Resource, with a strike length of 6.5 kilometres, lies predominantly within a flat-to- gently dipping portion of the Platreef mineralized belt at relatively shallow depths of approximately 700 to 1,100 metres below the surface. The Flatreef Deposit is characterized by its very large vertical thicknesses of high-grade mineralization and a platinum-to-palladium ratio of approximately 1:1, which is significantly higher than other recent PGM discoveries on the Bushveld's Northern Limb. The grade shells used to constrain mineralization in the Flatreef Indicated Mineral Resource area have average true thicknesses of approximately 24 metres at a cut-off grade of 2.0 grams per tonne (g/t) of platinum, palladium and gold (2PE+Au). The Indicated Mineral Resource grade at an equivalent 2.0-gram-per-tonne 3PE+Au cut-off is 4.1 g/t 3PE+Au, 0.34% nickel and 0.17% copper. Flatreef's Indicated Mineral Resources of 214 million tonnes contain an estimated 28.5 million ounces of platinum, palladium, gold and rhodium, 1.6 billion pounds of nickel and 0.8 billion pounds of copper. Ivanhoe has declared an initial Probable Mineral Reserve of 15.5 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, using a declining Net Smelter Return (NSR) cut-off of $100/t-$80/t. Planned mining methods The selected mining areas in the current Platreef mine plan occur at depths ranging from approximately 700 metres to 1,200 metres below the surface. The main access to the ore body and ventilation system is expected to be comprised of four vertical shafts. Shaft 2 will host the main personnel transport cage, material and ore-handling systems, while Shafts 1, 3 and 4 will be utilized for ventilation to the underground workings. Shaft 1, now under development, will be used for initial access to the ore body and early underground development. Mining will be performed using highly productive, mechanized methods, including long-hole stoping, drift-and-bench and drift-and-fill mining methods. The mined-out areas within the ore body will be backfilled with a paste mixture that utilizes tailings from the process plant and cement. The ore will be hauled from the stopes to a series of ore passes that connect to a main haulage level, which will be connected to Shaft 2, where it will be hoisted to the surface for further processing. To view Figure 6: Final design of Shaft 2 headgear, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F6.pdf Shaft 2 will have an internal diameter of 10.0 metres and will be capable of hoisting six million tonnes per year. The headgear design for the six-million-tonne-per-year permanent hoisting facility has been completed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Ivanhoe expects to start Shaft 2 early works in 2017, including civil work for the box-cut and hitch-foundation. Bulk water and electricity supply The Olifants River Water Resource Development Project (ORWRDP) is designed to deliver water to the Eastern and Northern limbs of South Africa's Bushveld Igneous Complex. The project consists of the new De Hoop Dam, the raised wall of the Flag Boshielo Dam and related pipeline infrastructure that ultimately will deliver water to Pruissen, southeast of the Northern Limb. The Pruissen Pipeline Project will be developed to deliver water onward from Pruissen to the municipalities, communities and mining projects on the Northern Limb. Ivanhoe is a member of the ORWRDP's Joint Water Forum. The Minister of Water & Sanitation has directed that the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority will serve as the implementing agent for the outstanding phases of the ORWRDP scheme, which include the Phase 2B pipeline from Flag Boshielo Dam to Mokopane. Participants in the water development scheme are required to indicate their water requirements so that the total water demand may be calculated relative to the scheme's capacity. The Platreef Project's water requirement for the first phase of development is projected to peak at approximately 10 million litres per day. Ivanhoe also is continuing to investigate various alternative bulk water sources, including bulk grey water allocations from local municipalities. The Platreef Project's electricity requirement for a four-million-tonne-per-year underground mine, concentrator and associated infrastructure has been estimated at approximately 100 million volt-amperes (MVA). As power is required for the initial mine development work, including shaft sinking, before the main power supply becomes available, an agreement with Eskom has been reached for the supply of 5MVA of temporary construction power. Ivanhoe opted for a self-build option for the permanent power, which enables Ivanhoe to manage the construction of the distribution lines from the Eskom Borutho sub-station to the Platreef Mine. To view Figure 7: Construction of the Eskom Borutho substation, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F7.pdf Development of human resource and job skills Work is progressing well on the further implementation of Ivanhoe's Social and Labour Plan (SLP), to which the Company has pledged a total of R160 million ($10 million) during the first five years, until November 2019. The approved plan includes R67.2 million ($4 million) for the development of job skills among local residents and R87.7 million ($6 million) for local economic development projects. Additional internal training is planned to provide members of the current workforce with opportunities to expand their skills. Adult basic education and training for the communities has begun in four community centres run by the Department of Higher Education and Training, forging a partnership between Ivanhoe and the Department. The first 80 students to participate in Platreef's non-core training program started their training at the beginning of March 2016. Further related training programs are planned later in the year. Ivanhoe awarded five fully-paid bursaries to local university students in 2015. To date in 2016, Ivanhoe awarded fully-paid bursaries to seven local university students in diverse disciplines. Ivanhoe also is investing in developing local artisans by establishing fully paid community Learnerships in Engineering. Ivanhoe's R24 million ($2 million) partnership between South Africa's University of Limpopo and Laurentian University in Canada to develop and equip Limpopo University's geology department is well underway. A principal goal of the five-year partnership, which is renewable for a further five years, is to develop and equip the University of Limpopo's geology department to become a centre of excellence in geosciences. Combined with a scholarship awarded to Laurentian by the International Development Research Centre, these funds will create educational opportunities for 35 University of Limpopo students to study in Canada. Ivanhoe also will provide in-service training opportunities for students from both universities and assist them in conducting research on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex. 2. Kipushi Project 68%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) The Kipushi copper-zinc-germanium-lead mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is adjacent to the town of Kipushi and approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Lubumbashi. It also is located on the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 250 kilometres southeast of Ivanhoe's Kamoa Project, and less than one kilometre from the Zambian border. Ivanhoe acquired its 68% interest in the Kipushi Project in November 2011; the balance of 32% is held by the state-owned mining company, La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines). Health and safety at Kipushi The Kipushi Project achieved a total of 3,905,536 lost-time-injury-free hours (1,244 days) to the end of Q4 2015. Malaria remains the most frequent health concern at Kipushi; during 2015, there was an average of 11 cases each month among employees. In an effort to reduce the incidence of malaria in the Kipushi community, a Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) program has been initiated in cooperation with the Territorial Administrator and the local community. The main emphasis in the program's first phase is cleaning storm drains in the municipality to prevent the accumulation of ponded water, where malarial mosquitos breed. Following DRC government approval of the Fionet program, training of medical staff at medical service providers in the Kipushi Health Zone on the use of the Deki rapid malaria test reader started in December 2015 and will continue on an ongoing basis. The objective is to establish the Fionet program in 37 medical centres in the Kipushi Health Zone. The program eventually will be rolled out to 300 clinics in the Haut-Katanga province. To view Figure 8: Training on usage of the Fionet Deki Rapid Malaria Test reader at the Cinquantenaire Hospital in Kipushi, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F8.pdf To view Figure 9: Community relations officer Olivia Simamba assisting with the government-sponsored oral polio vaccine program, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F9.pdf Project development and infrastructure Work began in March 2014 on the underground diamond-drilling program at the Kipushi Project, a major advance made possible by the successful dewatering program directed by Ivanhoe Mines during the previous three years following the company's acquisition of the historic mine in November 2011. The mine, which had been placed on care and maintenance in 1993, flooded in early 2011 due to a lack of pump maintenance over an extended period. At its peak, water reached 851 metres below the surface level. A major milestone was reached in December 2013 when Ivanhoe restored access to the mine's principal haulage level at 1,150 metres below the surface. Since then, crews have been upgrading underground infrastructure to permanently stabilize the water levels and support the drilling program. Recent improvements on Shaft 5 included dewatering to expose the main pump station at the 1,200-metre-level, installation of new hoist ropes on the Shaft 5 Maryanne rescue hoist, stripping of the 1,200-metre-level pump station and refurbishment and commissioning of the friction-reeler gearbox. Other improvements included the design and construction of permanent dams and pumping infrastructure at the 1,112-metre-level Cascade shaft complex, the completion of emergency exit ladders and platforms in shafts P2, P3 and P15, the installation of an emergency hoist in Shaft 3 and safety-cage door interlocks in shafts P2, P3 and P5 Maryanne. Water levels were stabilized below the 1,150-metre-level haulway and the 1,272-metre-level hanging-wall drift, enabling access for the drilling program that targeted the Serie Recurrente, Fault and Big Zinc zones. The exploration drilling program has been completed and an updated resource has been declared on the previously underexplored Big Zinc deposit. A preliminary economic assessment for the Kipushi Project is being finalized and is expected to be published in the near future. In March 2016, ongoing pumping succeeded in lowering the water in Shaft 5 below the 1,230-metre-level to facilitate cleaning out of the shaft bottom in advance of the installation of new hoist ropes on the personnel cage, as well as repairs and upgrades to the hoisting infrastructure. To view Figure 10: Sulzer centrifugal pump at the 1,200-metre-level pump station in Shaft 5, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F10.pdf To view Figure 11: New Grifo centrifugal pumps to be installed at the 1,200-metre-level pump station, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F11.pdf To view Figure 12: Delivering the new cable for the Shaft 5 man winder, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F12.pdf Confirmatory and exploration drilling Drilling in Q4 2015 totalled 1,384 metres, for a total of 25,419 metres since Ivanhoe Mines started the Kipushi Project's drilling program in March 2014. The underground drilling program was completed in October 2015 and the contractor demobilized. Additional exploration drilling in Q3 and Q4 in the southern extension area successfully confirmed that both the Big Zinc Zone and Fault Zone remain open at depth and to the south, with significant intersections on both structures. Additional high-grade copper-zinc-germanium mineralization also was discovered in the Fault Zone and in Fault Zone Splay in the immediate footwall of the Fault Zone. Results of the final exploration holes were included in the data set used for the calculation of an updated Mineral Resource estimate in January 2016. Independent Mineral Resource estimate Ivanhoe announced the new Mineral Resource estimate for Kipushi on January 27, 2016. The estimate was prepared in accordance with the 2014 CIM definition standards, incorporated by reference into Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Ivanhoe is preparing a NI 43-101-compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment for Kipushi. Highlights of the initial estimate, prepared by the MSA Group, of Johannesburg, South Africa: Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources in the Big Zinc Zone of 10.2 million tonnes at grades of 34.89% zinc, 0.65% copper, 19 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 51 g/t germanium, at a 7% zinc cut-off, containing an estimated 7.8 billion pounds of zinc. The zinc grade of Kipushi's Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources in the Big Zinc Zone is more than twice as high as the world's next-highest-grade zinc project, independently ranked by Wood Mackenzie, an international industry research and consulting group, based on contained zinc. Zinc-rich Inferred Mineral Resources total an additional 1.9 million tonnes at grades of 28.24% zinc, 1.18% copper, 10 g/t silver and 53 g/t germanium. The Inferred Mineral Resources are contained partially in the Big Zinc Zone and partially in the Southern Zinc Zone. Kipushi's copper-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources contained in the adjacent Fault Zone, Fault Zone Splay and Serie Recurrente Zone total an additional 1.63 million tonnes at grades of 4.01% copper, 2.87% zinc and 22 g/t silver, at a 1.5% copper cut-off, containing 144 million pounds of copper. Copper-rich Inferred Mineral Resources in these zones total an additional 1.64 million tonnes at grades of 3.30% copper, 6.97% zinc and 19 g/t silver. Ivanhoe's exploration program has demonstrated that zinc and copper mineralization of the Kipushi system remains open laterally and at depth. Results recently received from hole KPU081, drilled on section line 6S, confirm high-grade copper-zinc mineralization at depth. KPU081 intersected 60.5 metres (21.7 metres true thickness) grading 2.6% copper, 36.2% zinc, 19 g/t silver and 204 g/t germanium to a depth of 1,763 metres. Included in this interval was an intersection from 580.9 metres to 591.3 metres (3.8 metres true thickness) grading 56.3% zinc, 0.5% copper, 12 g/t silver and 397 g/t germanium. The MSA Mineral Resource estimate was based on the results of 84 drill holes completed at Kipushi by Ivanhoe Mines and an additional 107 historical holes drilled by Gecamines. Mineral Resource estimates were completed below the -1,150-metre-level on the Big Zinc Zone, Southern Zinc Zone, Fault Zone and Serie Recurrente Zone. The Mineral Resources were categorized either as zinc-rich resources or copper-rich resources, depending on the most abundant metal. For the zinc-rich zones, the Mineral Resource is reported at a base-case cut-off grade of 7.0% zinc and the copper-rich zones at a base-case cut-off grade of 1.5% copper. Given the considerable revenue that could be obtained from the additional metals in each zone, MSA considers that mineralization at these cut-off grades will satisfy reasonable prospects for economic extraction. 3. Kamoa Project 47%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines South Africa The Kamoa Copper Project, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining, is a very large, stratiform copper deposit with adjacent prospective exploration areas within the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 25 kilometres west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of Lubumbashi. Ivanhoe sold a 49.5% share interest in Kamoa Holding Limited (Kamoa Holding), the company that presently owns 95% of the Kamoa Project, to Zijin Mining for an aggregate consideration of $412 million. In addition, Ivanhoe sold a 1% share interest in Kamoa Holding to privately-owned Crystal River Global Limited for $8.32 million - which Crystal River will pay through a non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note. A 5%, non-dilutable interest in the Kamoa Project was transferred to the DRC government on September 11, 2012, for no consideration, pursuant to the DRC Mining Code. Ivanhoe also has offered to transfer an additional 15% interest to the DRC government on terms to be negotiated. Constructive and cordial negotiations over the offer are continuing between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin and senior DRC government officials. Subsequent to the sale to Zijin and Crystal River, Ivanhoe owns an effective 47% of the Kamoa Project, which will decrease to an effective 40% should the additional 15% interest be transferred to the DRC government. Kamoa is the world's largest, undeveloped, high-grade copper deposit. On February 23, 2016, an updated Mineral Resource estimate was issued for the Kamoa Project, with an effective date of May 2014. Kamoa's Indicated Mineral Resources total 752 million tonnes grading 2.67% copper and containing 44.3 billion pounds of copper at a 1% copper cut-off grade and minimum thickness of three metres. In addition to the Indicated Resources, the updated estimate included Inferred Mineral Resources of 190 million tonnes grading 2.06% copper and containing 8.6 billion pounds of copper, also at a 1.0% copper cut-off grade and a minimum thickness of three metres. Health and safety at Kamoa Health and safety remain key priorities for workers and management alike at the Kamoa Project, where an excellent safety record has been achieved. By the end of 2015, a total of 4,562,671 hours had been worked without a lost-time injury. The partnership with Fionet is a collaborative initiative to strengthen local responses to malaria in the DRC under the National Malaria Control Program. To date, 54 health centres in Haut-Katanga and Lualaba provinces are using the intelligent diagnostic device known as the Deki Reader. The device provides stepbystep guidance to health workers, helping to deliver rapid, accurate, diagnostic testing for malaria and transmitting results to a cloud database. The data then can be made available in real time to public health managers through the Fionet web portal for informed decision making and remote monitoring. To date, 148 public health officials and healthcare providers have been trained as ultimate drivers of the program. Twelve master trainers from the Ministry of Health at the provincial level eventually will build capacity among health workers in a total of 300 healthcare facilities. To view Figure 13: The Fionet program underway at a local clinic, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F13.pdf Diamond drilling progress Limited drilling occurred in Q4 2015, with an additional 944 metres completed in four shallow holes. This brought the total metres drilled for the year to 2,664 metres in 17 holes. One hole was completed on the regional Makoko target and two holes were drilled in the Kakula area. Kamoa's exploration team makes major new copper discovery at the Kakula exploration area at the Kamoa Copper Project Ivanhoe Mines reported on January 25, 2016, that the Kamoa exploration team had made a new tier-one, high-grade, shallow and flat-lying stratiform copper discovery, ideally situated for low-cost mechanized mining, in the Kakula exploration area, approximately five kilometres southwest of the currently defined resources at the Kamoa copper deposit. The Kakula Discovery is situated within the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa Mining Licence area and represents a major extension of the Kamoa copper deposit, which the company discovered in 2008. Two exploration drill holes completed in late 2015 in the Kakula exploration area - DD996 and DD997 - rank among the highest-grade and highest-grade-thickness intersections drilled to date within the Kamoa copper deposit licence area. DD996 intersected 24.16 metres (24.13 metres true width) of 3.48% copper, at a 1% copper cut off. At a higher cut-off of 2% copper, the intersection was 13.16 metres (13.14 metres true width) of 5.26% copper. DD997 intersected 18.75 metres (18.47 metres true width) of 4.64% copper at a 1% copper cut-off and 15.17 metres (14.94 metres true width) of 5.33% copper at a 2% copper cut-off. The two holes were drilled into an area of thick, high-grade copper mineralization first identified in 2014 - now called the Kakula Discovery area - within the large, 60-square-kilometre Kakula exploration area. The two holes represent 400-metre step-outs north and east from the high-grade copper intersected in drill hole DD942 that recorded 13.50 metres (13.49 metres true width) of 4.15% copper, at a 2% copper cut off. Mineralization at Kakula appears to be consistent in nature with downward vertical zonation from chalcopyrite to bornite to chalcocite in every hole. Mineralization is consistently bottom loaded, with grades increasing downhole toward the contact between the host Grand Conglomerate and the underlying Mwashia sandstone. The highest copper grades are associated with a siltstone/sandstone unit and the base of an overlying diamictite unit. These units overlie a less mineralized, thin, sandy clast-rich diamictite above the Mwashia sandstone contact. The bottom-loaded nature of Kakula mineralization could support the definition of selective mineralized zones at cut-offs well above the 1% copper cut-off used to define resources at Kamoa. For example, the lower portion of the mineralized intercepts in drill holes DD996 and DD997 intersected 5.59 metres grading 9.16% copper and 7.06 metres grading 8.50% copper, respectively, both at a 3% copper cut-off. (see figure 14 below for a drill log of DD997). Given the significantly higher grades and thicknesses of the copper mineralization encountered in the Kakula Discovery area, the Kamoa exploration team plans to begin an accelerated, 800-metre-spacing infill grid drilling program at Kakula in May, 2016. The focus of the program is to delineate a zone of flat-lying, shallow copper resources at materially higher grades that could be incorporated in the Kamoa Phase One feasibility study. To view Figure 14: DD997 log showing bottom-loaded distribution of copper mineralization at 1%, 2% and 3% copper cut-offs, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F14.pdf Updated estimate of Mineral Resources at Kamoa. On February 23, 2016, Ivanhoe Mines released an updated estimate of Mineral Resources as part of its disclosure of the Kamoa pre-feasibility study. The Mineral Resources have been defined taking into account the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. Table 1: Kamoa Project Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources (May 2014) Category Tonnage (Mt) Area (km2) Copper (%) True Thickness (m) Contained Copper (kt) Contained Copper (billions lbs) Indicated 752 50.5 2.67 5.24 20,110 44.3 Inferred 185 16.8 2.08 3.87 3,840 8.5 Dr. Harry Parker and Gordon Seibel, RM of SME, employees of Amec Foster Wheeler, are the Qualified Persons for the Mineral Resource estimate. The effective date of the estimate is May 5, 2014. Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves. Mineral Resources are reported using a total copper (TCu) cut-off grade of 1% TCu and an approximate minimum assumed thickness of 3 metres. There are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction under assumptions of a copper price of US$3.30/lb; employment of underground mechanized room and pillar and drift-and-fill mining methods; and that copper concentrates will be produced and sold to a smelter. Mining costs are assumed to be $34/t. Concentrator and General and Administrative costs are assumed to be $19/t. Metallurgical recovery will be 77% (supergene) and 85% (hypogene) at the average grade of the resource. Reported Mineral Resources contain no allowances for hanging wall or footwall contact boundary loss and dilution. No mining recovery has been applied. For Indicated Mineral Resources, 97.4% of the resource model blocks have a true thickness greater than 3 metres (range from 2.3 metres to 15.8 metres), for Inferred Mineral Resources, 94.7% of the resource blocks have a true thickness greater than 3 metres (range from 2.7 metres to 8.4 metres). Depth of mineralization below the surface ranges from 10 metres to 1,320 metres for Indicated Mineral Resources and 20 metres to 1,560 metres for Inferred Mineral Resources. Approximate drillhole spacings are 800 metres for Inferred Mineral Resources and 400 metres for Indicated Mineral Resources. Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade and contained metal content. Preparation for construction of first declines Byrnecut Underground Congo SARL (BUCS) has been awarded the contract for the permanent support of the box-cut walls and the initial 1.2 kilometres of development for each of the two declines. BUCS staff, equipment and materials have been mobilized to site. The project team at Kamoa has completed the construction of offices and workshops at the mine site, as well as power and fuel supply facilities to accommodate the decline development work. Upgrading and expansion of the Kamoa camp to accommodate the BUCS staff and other contractors is on schedule. To view Figure 15: Double-boom drill rig parked in the BUCS temporary workshop, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F15.pdf To view Figure 16: Drilling of anchor-bolt holes at the Kamoa box cut, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F16.pdf Pre-feasibility study results announced Results of the Kamoa pre-feasibility study (PFS), involving the first phase of proposed mine development, were announced in February 2016. Highlights include: Mine production of three million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) at an average grade of 3.86% copper over a 24-year mine life, resulting in annual copper production of approximately 100,000 tonnes. Initial capital cost, including contingency, is $1.2 billion, approximately $200 million lower than estimated in the Kamoa 2013 PEA. Life-of-mine average mine-site cash cost is $0.75/lb. of copper. After-tax net present value (NPV) at an 8% discount rate of $986 million. After-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 17.2% and a payback period of 4.6 years. High-grade copper concentrate with an average grade of 39.2% copper and very low arsenic levels. Improvements to the mining method have the potential to reduce average mine site cash cost during the first phase to $0.61/lb. of copper, and improve the after-tax NPV at an 8% discount rate to $1.182 billion, the IRR to 18.9% and the payback period to 4.3 years. The Kamoa 2016 PFS identified several areas for further evaluation to optimize the project's economics, including: The use of controlled convergence room-and-pillar mining, which has been successfully used by KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (KGHM) at its copper-mining operations in Poland for the past 20 years. Based on detailed analysis by KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., this mining method appears to be well suited to the Kamoa deposit and, if implemented, potentially could provide significant cost savings as there would be no requirement for cemented backfill and ore extraction ratios would increase. Increased production up to 4 Mtpa from the proposed initial mining area, with only limited adjustments to the ore-handling and ventilation systems, thereby resulting in a more efficient use of capital. Continued focus on community and sustainability Upgrades to the Mbwetshi school were completed during Q4 2015, including the construction of two classrooms and the supply of desks and furniture. A number of activities related to community health improvement also were conducted. Community projects for 2016 are under consideration and construction of an extension of the Musokantanda community clinic's maternity ward is being studied. To view Figure 17: The recently upgraded Mbwetshi school, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1048062-F17.pdf Kamoa continued with its livelihood sustainability program. During Q4 2015, the team focused on the completion of the harvesting of the 2015 maize (corn) crop, as well as ploughing, fertilizing and planting of the 2016 crop. Additional community-based activities included vegetable production, training, the construction of poultry coops, and livestock and poultry management. Hydroelectric power plant upgrading project The repairs to turbine number one at the Mwadingusha hydroelectric power plant are progressing and expected to be completed by the end of Q2 2016. The repairs are needed to allow the Mwadingusha plant to increase its output of electrical power to the national grid and thereby allow Kamoa to secure 10 megawatts of power from the grid for use during the development of the Kamoa Project. Orders for the construction of the 120-kilovolt power line, which will supply construction power from the national grid and for the mobile substation (120/11kV), have been awarded. The supply of grid electrical power to the mine site and camp is expected to be available by Q4 2016. Work on the full upgrade to the Mwadingusha power plant is progressing under the management of Kamoa's energy team and the EPCM contractor, Stucky. Bids have been requested from three potential suppliers for the complete upgrading of the four turbines. SELECTED ANNUAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION This selected financial information is in accordance with IFRS as presented in the annual consolidated financial statements. Ivanhoe had no operating revenue in any financial reporting period and did not declare or pay any dividend or distribution in any financial reporting period. For the year ended December 31, 2015 2014 2013 $'000 $'000 $'000 Exploration and project expenditure* 40,751 97,933 104,022 Share-based payments 7,722 97,294 8,308 General administrative expenditure* 17,445 30,998 31,001 Gain on partial sale of subsidiary (357,671 ) - - Re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in joint venture (376,148 ) - - Mark-to-market gain on revaluation of warrants (6,945 ) (9,524 ) - Finance costs 1,674 2,241 1,644 Share of losses from joint venture 1,030 - - Impairment of mineral property, goodwill and other - - 334,338 Legal settlement - - 10,000 Deferred tax recovery (1,624 ) (46 ) (75,701 ) (Gain) loss from subsidiary held for partial sale (4,319 ) 38,537 69,896 Total comprehensive (profit) loss attributable to: Owners of the Company (681,274 ) 227,347 373,720 Non-controlling interest 12,969 32,863 110,575 (Profit) loss per share (basic and diluted) (0.91 ) 0.35 0.69 Total assets 1,022,578 253,077 287,576 Non-current liabilities 28,103 23,603 21,974 * Prior period amounts have been amended to show the (gains)/losses from subsidiary held for partial sale separately DISCUSSION OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Review of the year ended December 31, 2015 vs. December 31, 2014 The company recorded a total comprehensive profit of $668.3 million for the year ending December 31, 2015 compared to a total comprehensive loss of $260.2 million for the year ending December 31, 2014. The profit in 2015 was attributable mainly to the gain on the partial sale of Kamoa Holding of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million. The company sold a 50.5% stake in Kamoa Holding, the company that owns 95% of the Kamoa project. The company sold a 49.5% stake to Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd.. ("Zijin") - through its subsidiary, Gold Mountains (H.K.) International Mining Company Limited, in addition, the company has sold 1% of its share interest to Crystal River Global Limited ("Crystal River"). Under the terms of the share acquisition agreement, Zijin bought a 49.5% share interest for an aggregate consideration of $412 million. The purchase price was satisfied by an initial payment of $206 million in cash upon the closing of the transaction. The agreement specifies that the remaining $206 million will be paid in five equal installments, payable every 3.5 months from closing and continuing through the remainder of 2016 and into 2017. Crystal River paid its purchase consideration of $8.32 million through a non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note. Upon closing of the transaction, each shareholder is required to fund Kamoa Holding in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest. The present value of the purchase consideration at the closing date, net of transaction costs, amounted to $390.4 million. As required under IFRS, the company: derecognized the assets and liabilities of Kamoa Holding from the consolidated statement of financial position which amounted to $48.8 million immediately prior to the sale; derecognized the carrying value of non-controlling interest of $16.0 million; recognized the investment retained at its fair value, deemed to be $408.2 million; recognized the gain associated with the sale of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million; and subsequently accounted for Kamoa as a joint venture using the equity method of accounting. The company's share of the losses of the joint venture, from the closure of the sale until December 31, 2015, amounted to $1.0 million. When excluding the gain on the partial sale of Kamoa Holding of $357.7 million and the re-measurement to fair value of the interest retained in the joint venture of $376.1 million, the company's total comprehensive loss for the year ending December 31, 2015 amounted to $65.5 million. This is $194.7 million lower than for the same period in 2014 ($260.2 million). The decrease mainly was due to the share-based payment expense of $88.6 million, recognized in 2014 as a result of the Platreef B-BBEE transaction, as well as the capitalization of development costs in the current period on the Platreef and Kamoa projects of $48.8 million and $32.9 million respectively. The mark-to-market gain on revaluation of warrants of $6.9 million (2014: $9.5 million) is as a result of the classification and treatment of the share-purchase warrants issued in 2014 as a financial liability at fair value, with changes in fair value included in net earnings. The company's share-purchase warrants were valued using quoted prices in active markets and expired during December 2015. Exploration and project expenditures for the year ending December 31, 2015, were $57.2 million less than for the same period in 2014. With the focus on development at the Kamoa and Platreef projects during 2015, $33.6 million of the total $40.8 million exploration and project expenditure was related to Kipushi. A total of $4.1 million was related to retrenchment costs incurred in the closure of Ivanhoe's regional exploration company in the DRC. Expenditure at the Kipushi Project decreased by $16.1 million compared to the same period in 2014. Financial position as at December 31, 2015 vs. December 31, 2014 The company's total assets increased by $769.5 million, from $253.1 million as at December 31, 2014, to $1,022.6 million as at December 31, 2015. This mainly was due to the company selling 50.5% of its shareholding in Kamoa Holding as described above. Zijin paid $206 million of the purchase consideration on closing, resulting in the increase in cash and cash equivalents. The remaining $206 million will be received in five equal installments, payable every 3.5 months from the date of closing. The present value of the remaining consideration receivable, net of transaction costs, was $192 million as at December 31, 2015. The first of the five installments was received on March 23, 2016. As a result of the partial sale of Kamoa Holding, the company treated Kamoa as a joint venture, with joint control being shared by Ivanhoe and Zijin from the date of sale. The carrying value of the company's interest retained in the joint venture was $412.0 million as at December 31, 2015. The company received a $8.32 million non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note as the purchase consideration for selling 1% of its share in Kamoa Holding to Crystal River. Property, plant and equipment increased by $26.5 million, with a total of $87.5 million being spent on project development and to acquire other property, plant and equipment. Development costs on the Platreef and Kamoa projects amounted to $48.8 million and $32.9 million respectively, however the carrying value of property, plant and equipment derecognized on the sale of Kamoa Holding amounted to $41.7 million. The company utilized $45.0 million of its cash resources in its operations and earned interest income of $1.3 million on cash balances in the year ended December 31, 2015. A total of $87.5 million was spent to acquire property, plant and equipment, and investments in short-term deposits of $55.2 million were transferred to cash and cash equivalents. The company generated cash inflow from financing activities during the year ending December 31, 2015, of $271.0 million. This mainly was a result of proceeds received from Zijin for the partial sale of Kamoa Holding, as well as the proceeds from the 76,817,020 common shares issued to a Zijin subsidiary, through a private placement at a price of C$1.36 per share, that yielded proceeds of $85.2 million. The company's total liabilities decreased to $43.8 million as at December 31, 2015, from $50.7 million as at December 31, 2014. This mainly was due to the expiry of the share-purchase warrants issued in Q2 2014 that had a fair value of $6.9 million at December 31, 2014. This release should be read in conjunction with Ivanhoe Mines' audited 2015 Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis report available at www.ivanhoemines.com and at www.sedar.com. Qualified Person Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Torr is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation. Mr. Torr has verified the technical data disclosed in this release. Ivanhoe has prepared a current independent NI 43-101-compliant technical report for each of the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa Project, which are available under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. These technical reports include relevant information regarding the effective date and the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa Project cited in this release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this release in respect of the Platreef Project, Kipushi Project and Kamoa Project. Forward-looking statements Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements regarding the projected depth of Shaft 1 at the Platreef Project in 2018 and the timing of the commencement of Shaft 2 development, including early works; (ii) statements regarding the operational and technical capacity of Shaft 1; (iii) statements regarding the internal diameter and hoisting capacity of Shaft 2 (iv) statements regarding peak water use of 10 million litres per day at the Platreef Project and development of the Pruissen Pipeline Project; (v) statements regarding the completion of a new resource estimate at the Platreef Project; (vi) the de-watering program at the Kipushi Project; (vii) statements regarding the completion of the Kipushi Project Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) baseline study; (viii) statements regarding when a preliminary economic assessment for the Kipushi Project will be finalized and published; (ix) statements regarding the date that construction of the first set of Kamoa twin declines is expected to commence; (x) statements regarding the declines having been designed to intersect the high-grade copper mineralization in the Kansoko Sud area; (xi) statements regarding plans to begin an accelerated, 800-metre-spacing infill grid drilling program at the Kakula Discovery area in May, 2016 and statements regarding the focus of the program is to delineate a zone of flat-lying, shallow copper resources at materially higher grades that could be incorporated in the Kamoa Phase One feasibility study; (xii) statements regarding the timing, size and objectives of drilling and other exploration programs for 2016 and future periods; (xiii) statements regarding the completion of installation and repair works at the Mwadingusha power plant. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release. As well, the results of the pre-feasibility study of the Kamoa Project and the pre-feasibility study of the Platreef Project constitute forward-looking information, and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, and estimates of capital and operating costs. Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa and Platreef Projects, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiii) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; and (xiv) political factors. This release also contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources. The estimation of Mineral Resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation (including estimated future production from the company's projects, the anticipated tonnages and grades that will be mined and the estimated level of recovery that will be realized), which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource estimates may have to be re-estimated based on: (i) fluctuations in copper, nickel, platinum group elements (PGE), gold or other mineral prices; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates; and (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licenses. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed below and under "Risk Factors", as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release. The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the "Risk Factors" section in the company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2015. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Monument Mining Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:MMY)(FRANKFURT:D7Q1) (the "Company") comments on unusual trading activity, which has resulted in a sudden reduction in the trading price of the Company's shares with large volume from a single house. The Company has no knowledge of any facts that would cause the recent unusual trading activity in the Company's shares, and confirms that to the best knowledge of the Company, there is no undisclosed material information to the market. About Monument Monument Mining Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:MMY)(FRANKFURT:D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that owns and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia. Its experienced management team is committed to growth and is advancing several exploration and development projects including the Mengapur Polymetallic Project, in Pahang State of Malaysia, and the Murchison Gold Projects comprising Burnakura, Gabanintha and Tuckanarra in the Murchison area of Western Australia. The Company employs approximately 300 people in both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities. Robert F. Baldock, President and CEO Monument Mining Ltd. Suite 1580 - 1100 Melville Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com. "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward-Looking Statement This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information about Monument, its business and future plans ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future events that are not historical facts and include the Company's plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and certain other factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities; foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument; assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Company's projects; assumptions regarding the future price of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of development and exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Approval by the shareholders of Golden Bridge for the Transaction and all ancillary matters thereto, as noted above; Satisfactory completion of due diligence by CIM Development on the Company; Satisfactory completion of due diligence by the Company on the Mackenzie Creek real estate project, on CIM Development and the New Partnership; No material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, liabilities, earnings or business operations or prospects of Golden Bridge or CIM Development; TSX-V approval to de-list the common shares of the Company from the TSV-V; Regulatory approval (including approval of the CSE respecting various matters, including the satisfaction of the conditions set out in the CSE conditional approval letter, but not approval of the Transaction by the TSX-V, unless circumstances change); and Completion of a concurrent financing for a maximum of $600,000 gross proceeds. TORONTO, March 24, 2016 - Further to its press release dated January 28, 2016, Golden Bridge Development Corp. ("Golden Bridge," or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:GBD) announces that it has signed a securities exchange agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") with CIM Development (Markham) LP ("CIM Development"), CIM Investment & Development LP, Global King Inc. and Shang Titlist Investment Inc. (the three foregoing entities referred to collectively as the "Other CIM Parties") to acquire 10,000,000 Class A units (collectively, the "Class A Units") of a new limited partnership named CIM Mackenzie Creek Limited Partnership (the "New Partnership") in exchange for 40,000,000 consolidated common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Consideration Shares") to be issued at a deemed price of $0.25 per consolidated share (all on a post-consolidated basis (see below)).CIM Development is a real estate developer and an Ontario limited partnership based in Richmond Hill, Ontario and is arm's length to Golden Bridge and its officers and directors. Each of the Other CIM Parties is arm's length to Golden Bridge and its officers and directors and is also based in Ontario.Immediately prior to the closing (the "Closing") of the securities exchange (the "Transaction"), the New Partnership would hold all the issued and outstanding limited partnership units of CIM Development which beneficially owns vacant property of approximately 10 acres located at 9900 Markham Road and 5899 Major Mackenzie Drive East, in Markham, Ontario. CIM Development has commenced the development of a 195 residential townhouse project called "Mackenzie Creek" on the property.Immediately prior to Closing and prior to any other restructuring involving the Other CIM Parties, the Other CIM Parties would hold all the outstanding limited partnership units of the New Partnership, including the Class A Units. On Closing, the Company would acquire from the Other CIM Parties all 10,000,000 Class A Units of the New Partnership and the Other CIM Parties would continue to hold all other classes of limited partnership units of the New Partnership. The general partner of the New Partnership, CIM Invests Development Inc., a corporation under the laws of Canada, would hold a nominal ownership interest in the New Partnership. On Closing, the Other CIM Parties collectively would receive the Consideration Shares, representing 91.5% of the outstanding shares of the Company following the Closing (the Company following Closing referred to as the "Post-RTO Company") on a post-consolidation, non-diluted basis, before taking into account any shares issued in a potential concurrent financing.The Post-RTO Company would hold only Class A Units in the New Partnership which would be non-voting units entitled to priority to the first $6,000,000 of distributions made by the New Partnership. The Class A Units are intended to be redeemable for $10,000,000 in the aggregate at the option of the Post-RTO Company at any time after the third year anniversary of the Closing. Distributions by the New Partnership would be dependent upon profits from the Mackenzie Creek residential townhouse project. Neither the Post-RTO Company nor the New Partnership would have control over or management responsibilities for the Mackenzie Creek project.Golden Bridge is currently a Tier 2 Mining Issuer pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). If completed, the Transaction would result in a change of business for Golden Bridge because the Post-RTO Company's primary asset would not be its mining property interests but would be an investment in the New Partnership and, accordingly, an indirect, passive investment in a residential real estate development. The Post-RTO Company would become a "diversified industries" company with the twin objectives going forward of further mining exploration and development and additional investments in residential real estate developments, whether passive or more direct.In addition, the Transaction would result in a reverse take-over ("RTO") of Golden Bridge within the meaning of the policies of the TSX-V and the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). The Company has 18,663,081 pre-consolidation common shares outstanding at this time, on a non-diluted basis. It is expected that, upon Closing and the issuance of the Consideration Shares and prior to any potential concurrent financing which may occur in conjunction with the Transaction, the Other CIM Parties, as a group, and the current shareholders of Golden Bridge, as a group, would hold, respectively, 91.5% and 8.5% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Post-RTO Company, on a non-diluted basis. Each of CIM Investment & Development LP and Shang Titlist Investment Inc. would be deemed to be controlling shareholders of the Post-RTO Company under applicable securities legislation.Lastly, the Company intends to complete a private placement concurrently with the Closing to raise up to $600,000 for working capital purposes.A condition precedent to the Closing is the receipt of conditional approval to list the common shares of the Post-RTO Company on the CSE. In conjunction with the Transaction, Golden Bridge applied for and, on March 22, 2016, received such conditional approval. CSE final approval is subject to the Post-RTO Company meeting the CSE's listing requirements, including the conditions set out in the CSE conditional approval letter. There is no assurance that the CSE will provide final approval to list the common shares of the Post-RTO Company on the CSE. Golden Bridge intends to apply to delist the common shares of Golden Bridge from the TSX-V.Trading in common shares of the Company on the TSX-V was halted on October 16, 2015 pending completion of an RTO and the halt is expected to continue until Closing or earlier termination of the Definitive Agreement.The Transaction, and other ancillary matters, are subject to approval by the shareholders of Golden Bridge. Accordingly, Golden Bridge has called an Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") to be held at 10:00 am on April 8, 2016 at 199 Bay Street, Suite 2200, Toronto, Ontario, to consider and approve, among other things, the following: (i) the Transaction; (ii) the consolidation of the issued and outstanding common shares of Golden Bridge on the basis of five pre-consolidation common shares for each one post-consolidation common share; (iii) a change of name for the Company to "CIM International Group Inc."; (iv) as required under TSX-V policies, the voluntary delisting of the common shares of the Company from the TSX-V; and (v) the cancellation of all outstanding stock options and the issuance of 373,262 new stock options to directors and officers of Golden Bridge, each exercisable at any time for three years after the date of the grant at $0.375 per post-consolidated share.Reference is made to the Notice of Meeting and the accompanying meeting materials, (the "Meeting Materials"), including a Management Information Circular (the "Circular"), which have been filed on SEDAR under the Company's profile. The Circular contains details of the proposed Transaction, CIM Development, the Mackenzie Creek project, the Class A Units, the New Partnership and the Post-RTO Company, as well as a summary of the Definitive Agreement. The Meeting Materials have been mailed to registered and beneficial holders of the common shares of Golden Bridge who held such shares as at the close of business on March 7, 2016, the record date for the Meeting.The board of directors of Golden Bridge has determined that the Transaction is in the best interests of Golden Bridge and its shareholders and has recommended that the Transaction, and ancillary matters in support thereof, be approved at the Meeting.A copy of the Definitive Agreement has been filed on SEDAR under the Company's profile and is available for viewing. A summary of the Definitive Agreement is found in the Circular.The Definitive Agreement contains the usual non-solicitation and exclusivity covenants by the Company. A break fee in an aggregate amount of $300,000 will be payable by the Company in the event that it terminates the Definitive Agreement on the basis that it chooses to accept an alternative proposal from a third party which the board of directors of the Company determines is a superior proposal.On Closing, Mr. Jiubin Feng will be appointed as President, CEO and Chairman of the board of directors of the Post-RTO Company. The Company's current President and CEO, Changlin (Charles) Qin, will resign as President and CEO upon Closing but will continue as a director of the Post-RTO Company. The Company's CFO, Mr. Dan Fuoco, will continue as CFO following the Closing. The board of directors of the Post-RTO Company will be comprised of seven directors. In addition to Mr. Feng and Mr. Qin, the directors of the Post-RTO Company will be: Mr. Paul Lin and Mr. John Eansor, both of whom are currently directors of the Company, and Mr. Qiang Fu, Mr. Dianyuan Zhang and Mr. Yanfeng Chen. Biographies of all the proposed directors and officers of the Post-RTO Company are included in the Circular.If all conditions precedent are satisfied, the Closing is expected to occur on or about April 29, 2016.The following are some of the conditions precedent to the Closing of the Transaction:There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Shareholders are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Circular and/or the Filing Statement to be prepared in connection with the CSE listing application, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.&Golden Bridge was incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario and is engaged in mineral resource exploration and development in Canada. The Company is currently classified as a Tier 2 "Mineral Exploration" Issuer Company listed on the TSX-V.This press release contains or refers to forward-looking information, including statements regarding the proposed Transaction, certain aspects of the proposed Transaction, the Post-RTO Company, the annual and special meeting of shareholders of the Company and a proposed concurrent financing, and is based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required regulatory and shareholder approvals, unfavourable due diligence by any party to the Transaction, changes in equity markets, and delays or changes in the development of the real estate project. Any statements that involve predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or that refer to future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by law.Neither the TSX-V, nor the CSE nor their Regulation Services Providers (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX-V has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, but not the acceptance of the TSX-V. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.Mr. Changlin (Charles) Qin, Chief Executive Officer and Director(905) 604-2351 Is Chris Lucas making his first northside move? Photo: Supplied Reports of the death of Smith Street? Greatly exaggerated, judging by developments on the strip. Closely following the opening of Peter Gunn's restaurant IDES at the former Lee Ho Fook site and Fonda Mexican's plans to open its sixth restaurant at 236 Smith Street in July comes news that Chris Lucas has bought a property at 229 Smith Street, Fitzroy. Lucas, who owns CBD hotspot Chin Chin, Baby Pizzeria and Kong BBQ in Richmond and Hawker Hall in Windsor, has declined to comment on the purchase, which would be his first northside project. But according to public records, "Lucas Conrad Elliot" has a buyer's caveat on the property. The former ANZ Bank at 229 Smith Street, Fitzroy. Photo: Roslyn Grundy The 1970s-era ANZ Bank came on to the market after Yarra City Council rejected the previous owners' application to build a seven-storey, 22-apartment building on the corner block. Vendors Salih Kurtoglu and Hatice Kurtoglu paid $2.35 million for the property in 2010. Richard Miglic, from estate agents Miglic Dean, confirmed the property sold in February for well over $4 million. The Smith Street site is not without local sensitivities: the corner is a gathering place for local Indigenous people and the development proposal was the subject of attention from the Smith Street Action Group. The upshot? Don't expect to be sitting down to dinner at 229 Smith Street any time this year. Meanwhile, the Sydney branch of Chin Chin is slowly taking shape inside the historic Griffiths Teas building in Surry Hills. Building is under way but the restaurant is unlikely to open until 2017. Traveling Abroad? 5 Must Know Things On Currency Exchange Planning oi-Sneha International travel for the purpose of vacation or business is common. For individuals who are planning their trip for the first time should be aware of the visiting countries currency and other details of remittance. In India, under Liberalised Remittance Scheme, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year (April - March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both. Check the currency rates against all the world currencies here. Here are 5 things to know 1. Any resident can obtain foreign exchange up to an aggregate amount of USD 2,50,000, from an Authorised Dealer or FFMC, in any one financial year, irrespective of the number of visits undertaken during the year. 7 Must Know Facts On Indian Rupee 2. Note that no foreign exchange is available for visit to Nepal and/or Bhutan for any purpose. 3. Travellers going to all countries are allowed to purchase foreign currency notes / coins only up to USD 3000 per visit. Balance amount can be carried in the form of travellers cheque or banker's draft. 4. Resident of India, who has gone out of India on a temporary visit may bring into India at the time of his return from any place outside India (other than Nepal and Bhutan), currency notes of Government of India and Reserve Bank of India notes up to an amount not exceeding Rs.25,000. 5. Permissible foreign exchange can be bought 60 days in advance 6. On return from a foreign trip, travellers are required to surrender unspent foreign exchange held in the form of currency notes and travellers cheques within 180 days of return. While, The residents can hold foreign coins without any limit. 7. One can also go for international debit card or a forex card. 8. While, using international debit card may attract some extra charges and fees when compared to pre paid forex card where you need not worry about the currency conversion each time you swipe or withdraw cash. Goodreturns.in SHARE By Federico Martinez She was the first girl I fell in love with. Christina Handy. She with her brown-reddish hair, freckles and old-fashioned-looking white sweaters that only schoolteachers and grannies were supposed to wear. I, in my Tex-Mex cowboy boots and raggedy hand-me-downs, the son of migrant farmworkers searching for a better life. By the end of the first-grade, we had become kindred spirits. The other kids called me "wetback" and "Spic" an imitation of the hatred they saw reflected in the voices of some of their parents who didn't want Mexicans moving into "their" neighborhood. Christina, who was white, became a target of their barbs because of her association with me. After lunch periods, Christina and I would walk outside for recess with our secret stash of cookies and pretend we were having a picnic. At the edge of the playground we'd lie on the grass, staring up at the clouds in the sky. We'd talk about our uncles off fighting in some place called Vietnam. We'd talk about someday living in a world where there would be less hate and hurt. Those moments came to a close when Christina moved away after the second grade. A couple of years later I bought my first album: John Lennon's "Imagine." I didn't know what it sounded like before I purchased it. I bought it because on the cover was a picture of a man (Lennon), staring through a haze of clouds. The album cover and the song, "Imagine," reminded me of my childhood friend. "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger a brotherhood of man Imagine all the people sharing all the world." I never saw Christina again. But in the 43 years since, I've thought about her often. Those old memories have been replaying in my head since I found out recently that she'd died. So this song's for you, Christina, because although they called us "dreamers," we knew we weren't the only ones. FILE In this March 21, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in Washington. Republican and Democratic presidential candidates clashed over the role of government, and its limitations, in enforcing U.S. national security Tuesday, March 21, 2016, following deadly attacks on the Brussels airport and metro system. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) SHARE FILE In this March 22, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks in Washington. A possibly decisive presidential primary June 7 is going to take Republican candidates where they haven't been before, if they intend to collect as many delegates as possible toward the party's nomination. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks at a campaign event, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in Wauwatosa, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks about counterterrorism, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at the Bechtel Conference Center at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a news conference at the Kona Kai Hotel in Shleter Island, Calif., before departing San Diego, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, the morning after a convention center rally. (John Gastaldo/San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) By Cathleen Decker, Los Angeles Times (TNS) Analysis Terrorism roared into the presidential campaign again on Tuesday, dividing it familiarly: Donald Trump played to fear, a trailing Republican candidate tried to out-Trump Trump, and the rest of the field offered proposals that were sober and yet unlikely to make Americans feel safe as chaos played out on their television screens. If terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino offer any guide, Trump and Hillary Clinton will benefit from the assault in Brussels, to the detriment of challengers whose path to success narrowed further with Tuesday's primary results. Their stances Tuesday outlined the general-election battle to come. Trump won Tuesday's Republican primary in Arizona largely due to his anti-immigration positions both his tough stance against those in the country undocumented, mostly from Mexico, and his vow to ban Muslims from entering the country. The horror in Belgium gave him an opportunity to suggest, in several television interviews, that he had been prescient about the threat of terrorism and to press again the idea that he alone could provide the strength the nation needs to fight it abroad and at home. He once more advocated the use of tactics that the U.S. government considers to be torture. Clinton succeeded in Arizona, as she has in other states, by arguing that she has the experience to step into the role of commander in chief while pushing liberal domestic policies. She, too, had an opportunity Tuesday to highlight her time on the world stage and she quickly scheduled a Wednesday speech on the Islamic State group and counterterrorism. The attacks in Brussels seemed most likely to hurt Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican John Kasich. For both men, the rise of foreign policy as a voter concern is risky. Foreign policy has been a weak point for Sanders; his foreign policy speech Monday focused mostly on Israel, not how to deal with the Islamic State group. Throughout the campaign, his passion has been reserved for domestic proposals. His biggest foreign policy discussion has involved Clinton's 2002 vote giving President George W. Bush the authority to wage war in Iraq. Kasich, the Ohio governor, is fighting for public attention as he pushes his late challenge to Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; the overwhelming coverage of explosions in the Belgian capital meant less focus on the presidential campaign overall, and Kasich in particular. He, too, has emphasized his domestic credentials both in Ohio and, earlier, as a member of Congress. On treatment of immigrants and Muslims, he also has presented a more moderate face than Trump or Cruz. The Texas senator, the Republican closest to Trump in delegates, worked Tuesday to hone a Trump-like message. He asserted in a statement that it was time to "empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized" a controversial path that national security officials describe as counterproductive to their goal of winning the cooperation of Muslim communities. A statement put out by his campaign said that "political correctness" had caused America to "surrender" to the enemy language that mimics Trump's regular broadsides. The impact of the terrorist attacks on the general election is highly unpredictable at this point, dependent in part on whether more occur and how, by November, voters judge President Barack Obama's handling of the threat. While Clinton has been more statesmanlike in her response to the attacks so far, she risks some damage from her close association with the president if the issue becomes a telling one in the general election. Diving swiftly into a foreign policy debate on the heels of a terrorist attack can be politically risky, as 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney found with scorching criticism of his early comments on the Benghazi attacks that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others. But there was little hesitation Tuesday. Clinton seemed to have the general election in mind, offering remarks that were measured in tone. The comments by Trump and Cruz, aired in multiple interviews, may have been meant to rouse Republican voters, but their vehemence suggested that the outlines of the general-election debate were also being laid. Trump has benefited politically from terrorist attacks; his calls for banning Muslims from entering the country and his negative characterizations of those in the country undocumented has dovetailed with voter concerns about terrorism that ran high before the Paris and San Bernardino attacks late last year and have only escalated since. And as fear has risen, voters have gravitated not to the candidate with the most foreign policy experience but to the one who talked the toughest. Trump made clear Tuesday he has not abandoned that approach. Throughout the day, he cast the United States as foolhardy for refusing to torture captured terrorists. In one interview, with "Fox and Friends," he said that immigrants with ISIS-generated passports were "coming into our country, they're coming in by the thousands." "Look, I think we have to change our law on the waterboarding thing," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, referring to one tactic the U.S. has deemed torture. "We have to change our laws and we have to be able to fight on an almost equal basis." When Blitzer pointed out that one alleged terrorist arrested last week was cooperating with Belgian authorities, Trump replied that "he may be talking, but he'll talk a lot faster with the torture." In keeping with much of his campaign, what Trump forwarded Tuesday was less specific proposals than chest-pounding. "We are going to be very strong. We are going to be very vigilant and we're going to be very tough," he said during an interview on NBC's "Today" show. "We're not going to allow this to happen to our country. If it does happen, we're going to find the people that did it and they're going to suffer greatly." Clinton, who issued a statement Tuesday calling for "resolve" and for the U.S. to stand with allies in a united fight against terrorists, cast the Republican front-runner as fear-mongering. "Yes, there are people who are understandably worried and scared. Absolutely," she said in an interview with MSNBC. "And is it the responsibility of leaders to help people understand what can be done to allay their fears? Yes. I don't think we want to be inciting more fears. I don't think we want to be playing to people's concerns so that we turn against one another. "I think we have to have a slow, steady, smart, strong response and we don't need to be panicking That's what I've been advocating. That's what I believe I am best equipped to do." She returned to that theme in a speech Tuesday night in Seattle, where she said the next commander in chief must "provide leadership that is strong, smart and above all steady." "The last thing we need, my friends, are leaders that incite more fear," she said. "It will not keep us safe." The nomination battles will go on for two more months, through the final big primaries in June. The debate over how to keep the country safe will endure much longer, through the general election in November and beyond. Earlier this year, Boston University's Initiative on Cities published its inaugural Menino Survey of Mayors , named in honor of Thomas Menino, the late urban visionary who served as mayor of Boston for two decades. The nonpartisan survey, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, took the pulse of nearly 90 mayors on many of today's most pressing urban issues. Press headlines understandably focused on the top policy priorities cited by the mayors, namely greater federal funding to fix crumbling infrastructure and the need for urgent reforms to community policing.But the survey also contained valuable insights on a range of other topics including housing, municipal finance and the state of local governments' relations with state and federal lawmakers. As someone who works with mayors across the country on expanding financial access and affordability and bolstering household financial resilience, I was particularly interested in the perspectives of mayors on the issue of income inequality -- one that cuts across all levels of government.So what did we learn? Compared to areas like crime or local tax rates, mayors believe income inequality is an area over which they have neither a great deal of control nor a great deal of accountability to constituents. While that might lead us to expect mayors to do less, the survey shows the opposite to be true: Many of America's mayors are aggressively pursuing a wide variety of policies and tactics that target household financial insecurity and income inequality.The survey finds that mayors of larger cities have, on average, five programs dedicated to addressing income inequality (and many mayors have more). Even in smaller cities, mayors are pursuing an average of four programs deliberately targeting the economic challenges faced by their residents. Mayors rely heavily on job training and other workforce-development programs; affordable housing; and expanding access to federal social services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Some mayors are going even further, with efforts to raise minimum wages in cities including Seattle and Los Angeles and tax-filing assistance campaigns aimed at lower-income households in New York.With greater dynamism and innovation, mayors are taking the lead in addressing growing household financial insecurity among their constituents. But unfortunately, going forward there is growing evidence that their task is getting more difficult. Research conducted by the Corporation for Enterprise Development , for example, shows that 44 percent of the nation's households lack enough savings to sustain themselves -- at the federal poverty level -- for three months in the event of an unexpected interruption to income. For a growing number of households, a job loss, a medical bill or a car repair can have devastating long-term consequences.It is essential that families build their savings so they are resilient in the face of the financial shocks we all expect but never seem ready for. Yet according to the Menino survey, across the country less than 40 percent of mayors are actively focused on financial counseling and education, and less than 20 percent have programs focused on expanding financial access.As mayors know first-hand, the need for leadership at all levels of government in addressing rising household financial vulnerability is real and urgent. Through programs like Bank On , aimed at improving the financial stability of families that need banking services, and innovative college savings programs like San Francisco's Kindergarten to College program , cities are beginning to experiment with new municipal strategies that actively promote financial empowerment and inclusion. The rapid spread of financial vulnerability means we need to ensure that these efforts are successful and scalable.As Mayor Menino once said, "Cities are full of energy and promise these days. But they are also full of challenges -- of environmental threats, of educational roadblocks, of growing inequalities." Until there is constructive consensus at the federal and state levels, we will continue to rely on mayors to be innovative and bold in their efforts to address these complex issues. This year has already seen a flurry of activity when it comes to governments and the private sector partnering on social programs. Fewer than three months into 2016 and three governments have announced so-called pay for success or social impact bond projects, boosting the total number of such programs to 11 across the country.Now, there may be a new option for governments interested in the model, but wary of its complicated nature. Under a pay for success or social impact bond program, private funders finance a preventive social or health program and only get paid back if the project meets its goals over the course of a predetermined set of years. The new model , announced by Third Sector Capital Partners on Thursday, offers a money back guarantee.With a social impact guarantee or SIG project, governments front the money (instead of a private investor) and get paid back if the projectmeet its goals. Specifics are sparse, but Third Sector co-founder George Overholser says he's currently working with two states on creating the countrys first SIG projects and hopes to announce them by the end of this year.The main objective of the new tool, which is the brainchild of Overholser, is to give governments a simpler alternative to the existing structure. Third Sector helps governments develop social impact bond projects and Overholser says two main complications tend to arise under the current model.For one, private investors like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan are wary of financing these projects over the long-term without a guarantee from the government that it will pay them back if the project meets its outcomes. Governments have taken to creating escrow accounts to assure investors. Its tying up capital that could be used in different ways, Overholser says. If governments are setting aside money each year anyway, he asks, wouldnt it be simpler just to pay for the social program directly?The second complication is that governments have to pass new laws or regulations -- which can take years -- to even begin creating a social impact bond program. That's because governments generally aren't allowed to contract for longer than they can appropriate funds. That means they're limited to one- or two-year contracts. But outcomes-based programs can take several years before they start showing real results, so social impact bond projects tend to contract for between five and seven years.Overholser says SIGs avoid these complications because governments would simply continue to contract with social services providers just like they already do. The difference is the deal would include clawback provisions for governments to recover their money if program goals arent met.Although its objective is to be more simple, SIGs are still tricky. Part of what motivates financiers to back a pay for success project now is that if the program exceeds its goals, financiers not only get their initial investment back but they get a bigger interest payment as well.To keep that financial sweetener in place, Third Sector has structured SIGs so that a private financier basically plays the role of an insurer. In the new scenario, a service provider contracting with the government would be on the hook for paying back the money if the goals arent met. So the service provider turns to a private financier to provide insurance on the agreement. The service provider pays the financier premium payments, much as we do with car insurance. The premium payments would likely be baked into the providers costs and passed on down to the government. If the project fails, the service provider refunds the government and collects those losses from the financier. But the far more likely outcome, says Overholser, is the financier simply pockets the premiums.Still, some question whether the new proposal would offer enough incentives for nonprofits to opt for a SIG over a social impact bond. If the contracting structure is more like what governments already do with nonprofits, says Lili Elkins, then what is the motivation for a nonprofit to take the extra step of going with a SIG and finding insurance to offer a money back guarantee? Elkins nonprofit Roca provides counseling, job training and other services for a social impact bond project in Massachusetts aimed at reducing recidivism and increasing employment among high-risk young men. (Third Sector helped put the project together.) Elkins says a SIG project would have to offer something more than the status quo, whether its funding stability or something else.Financial stability in particular is a big draw for nonprofits when it comes to pay for success projects. For Roca, rather than scraping together funding every year, the opportunity to be guaranteed funding for 900 young men over multiple years was a big incentive to be part of the Massachusetts project.The tricky thing now, Elkins says, is getting people into that model. The reason we jumped into pay for success is there was an incentive for us to jump. What Will Chicago Do Now? Pennsylvania (Begrudgingly) Has a Deal! Vape Much? The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday ruled unconstitutional Chicagos attempt to reduce its massive pension liabilities.The decision, which affirms lower court rulings, doesn't come as a big surprise given that the state's highest court issued a similar ruling 10 months ago regarding Illinois proposed pension cuts. Still, its a blow to Chicago and its mayor, Rahm Emanuel, who had hoped the cuts would save the city hundreds of millions of dollars. Chicago is short $20 billion across five pension plans (including public schools), and the poor financial health of the retirement system has resulted in downgrades from credit ratings agencies.The law struck down by the court targeted two of the city's pension funds, which account for about $8 billion of its liabilities. The proposed reforms would have increased workers contributions into those pension funds and reduced cost-of-living adjustments for retirees. But those reductions, the court said, amounted to diminishing pension benefits, which is prohibited in the state constitutions pension protection clause.The ruling could impact the citys access to the credit market. Moodys Investors Service already downgraded Chicago's credit to junk status after the high court struck down Illinois pension changes last year, saying the ruling indicated that Chicago would face limited options for reducing its debt. Other ratings agencies have also downgraded Chicago but stopped short of rating it at junk. Those agencies generally cited the citys budget woes for the downgrade, holding off -- for then, at least -- on mention of its pension litigation.Moodys said Thursday it would be closely watching the city for its response.Relative to revenue, Chicagos unfunded pension liabilities are among the highest of any municipality Moodys rates, said Matt Butler, a Moodys assistant vice president. Absent substantial budgetary adjustments, Chicagos pension debt will grow for many years and, along with the court invalidating the savings achieved with the citys reform, will continue to drive the citys fixed costs higher.With fewer than 100 days until the 2016 fiscal year is over, Pennsylvania finally has a working budget for its remainder. This week, Gov. Tom Wolf, who had previously threatened to veto the legislature's budget, said he would allow it to become law without his signature.Wolf has fought for the past year with the Republican-led legislature that refused his calls to raise taxes to cover the state's growing expenses, including mounting pension debt.The news comes at the great relief of public schools, which were considering closing early for the summer if the state couldn't free up funding for them through the end of the school year. The bill adopted by the legislature provides about $6 billion in state funding for schools, which isonly $400 million short of what Wolf wanted.But thats about the only reason to celebrate.Although most states are legally required to pass a balanced budget, Wolf argues this one isn't truly balanced because it doesn't fix Pennsylvanias long-standing structural problems.For example, it includes a 3 percent increase in total spending but uses one-time fixes to pay for that.That means that Pennsylvania is no better off than it was a year ago when credit agencies warned lawmakers they needed to fix the states structural deficit. Now they have the budget for the 2017 fiscal year before them, which starts July 1, and will be debating the same issues they failed to agree upon for the last budget. Only time will tell if history repeats itself.In the meantime, the state's AA-minus rating, which is the third-lowest credit rating among states, is still likely at risk.There is nothing that has occurred in recent weeks or months that leads us to believe the spending plan will begin to put Pennsylvania back on a path to structural balance, wrote Tom Kozlik, an analyst at PNC Bank, in his commentary emailed to subscribers this week. We do not expect the budget to come close to solving Pennsylvanias fiscal pressures.There's still one state left that has yet to finalize a budget for FY 2016, and that's Illinois. An analysis released this week about smokeless tobacco products concluded that because so-called vapor products arent nearly as bad for your health as real cigarettes, the tax on them should be lower or nonexistent.Punitive taxes on vapor products, said the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, could inadvertently close out options for cigarette users looking to quit. In its analysis , the Tax Foundation notes a number of studies that have shown that vapor products, which contain tobacco in liquid form, are far less harmful than smoking cigarettes. For instance, Public Health England found that electronic cigarettes are 95 percent less harmful than regular cigarettes and can serve as an effective way to quit smoking. Some in the medical community, though, worry that e-cigarettes will attract teens who will then turn to smoking.Electronic cigarettes and other such products started out in obscure shopping mall kiosks or on online specialty sites but have recently exploded in popularity. It was billed as a safe way to quit smoking. But many users have instead simply switched from smoking cigarettes to what's now called "vaping." Because of that, it's been tempting for states to target vapor products the same way they've targeted cigarettes by raising taxes as a way to discourage people from taking up or continuing the habit. Last year, 23 states considered a tax on vapor products, according to the Tax Foundation. But just four states, the District of Columbia, and three local jurisdictions actually levy a tax. Governor in the Dark State Environmental Agency's Neglect Health and Human Services Department's Hidden Data Emergency Manager Law Questioned Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has repeatedly said that the lead contamination in Flints drinking water was a failure of all levels of government. But Wednesday, an expert panel picked by the governor to study the crisis held the state of Michigan chiefly responsible and called attempts to spread the blame inappropriate.Though it may be technically true that all levels of government failed, the states responsibilities should not be deflected, wrote the Flint Water Advisory Advisory Task Force in a 116-page report . The causes of the crisis lie primarily at the feet of the state by virtue of its agencies failures and its appointed emergency managers misjudgments.The five-member group task force detailed the many ways that the state, in particular, caused and then exacerbated the Flint water crisis.Some of the blame, the experts wrote, is on the governor.The governors office continued to rely on incorrect information provided by [state agencies] despite mounting evidence from outside experts and months of citizens complaints throughout the Flint water crisis, the group wrote.The governor and his staff dealt with water problems in Flint as early as May 2014, the month after the water had been switched. Gubernatorial staff discussed, for example, residents' complaints about the odor, color and taste of the water, along with General Motors' decision to switch to another water source for one if its factories. By the middle of summer 2015, they discussed the lead-contamination issue, according to the report.But the governor himself said he first learned that his agencies had been wrong about the issue of lead in Flint's water after Sept. 28 of last year. The next day, theran a story supporting the claims that Flint's water was contaminated with lead. Flint switched its water source back two weeks later.State government also bears the responsibility, the task force said, because it was a Snyder-appointed emergency manager, not local officials, who decided to switch Flints water supply -- the move that triggered the crisis. And even once problems surfaced, the states treasury department effectively blocked Flint from returning to its original water source because of cost concerns.An emergency manager switched the source of Flint's drinking water in April 2014 from Detroits Lake Huron to the Flint River. But because Flint didn't add anti-corrosive chemicals to the water -- as required by the federal government -- the new water source corroded the pipes connecting buildings to water mains. Because of the lingering damage to the pipes, lead is still getting into the water even though Flint switched back to Detroit water in October 2015During Snyders tenure, the Republican-led legislature gave the state the power to put governor-appointed emergency managers in control of financially troubled local governments. But Snyders task force concluded that state-appointed emergency managers are ill-equipped to deal with nonfinancial matters. Nineteen states allow the state to intervene in the finances of distressed cities, although Michigan allows for some of the most aggressive state actions.The primary responsibility for the Flint water crisis, according to the five-person task force, rests with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the chief regulator for local drinking water systems.The agency initially told the city it did not need to add anti-corrosion chemicals when it switched water sources and then reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that Flint was using them when it in fact was not. Then, the state agency was slow to require Flint to add the chemicals, even after the EPA advised them to do so. Once problems with the new water surfaced, the agency was dismissive and unresponsive to public concerns, the experts wrote.MDEQ caused this crisis to happen, the panel said. Moreover, when confronted with evidence of its failures, MDEQ responded publicly through formal communications with a degree of intransigence and belligerence that has no place in government.The panel expressed similar concerns in a December letter to Snyder. Dan Wyant, the director of MDEQ, resigned in the wake of the criticism, as did the agencys chief spokesman. Two other agency employees were suspended.The task force also took issue with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for missing opportunities to detect public health problems in Flint.The agency collects information on childrens lead blood tests throughout the state, but it showed no urgency in sharing those results with the public or analyzing them in a timely manner. Agency researchers didnt look at 2014 lead levels in Flint until Snyders chief of staff asked them to in July 2015. An agency epidemiologist then detected high levels of lead in Flint, but a data manager conducting a separate analysis did not. The conflicting reports werent analyzed, and the agency denied there were high lead levels for another two months.Even when outside researchers presented evidence of an outbreak, the agency didn't share its data with them. Instead, Flint pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha and Virginia Tech professor Marc Edwards had to use only data from the Hurley Medical Center, where Hanna-Attisha practices. Only after Hurley released its data did the state health agency agree that the Flint lead levels were abnormally high.The task force said the Flint water crisis highlights much bigger problems with Michigans emergency manager law.That law allowed the state, for example, to take over Detroit, force it into the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history and overhaul the city's government. The Detroit turnaround had been one of the highlights of Snyders governorship.But there was no "quick" fix for Flint, which was under the control of emergency managers from 2002 to 2004 and again from 2011 to 2015. Four different emergency managers oversaw Flint during the last takeover.The task force recommends Michigan lawmakers change the emergency manager law, particularly to make sure that local residents have input in major decisions. That could include creating an ombudsman position in state government to represent local concerns or adding an appeals process for decisions made by the emergency manager. In any event, the task force wrote, emergency managers should have better support from experts in areas outside of finance.Regardless of any successes of the [emergency manager] process in other Michigan cities, this failure must force us to review the law and the general approach to financial problems," the panel wrote. "Government approaches to cities in fiscal distress must balance fiscal responsibility with the equally important need to address quality of life, economic development and infrastructure maintenance and provision.The task force also criticized the city of Flint for not being ready to switch to a new water source, for not following federal rules on testing for lead in drinking water and for not investing enough in its drinking water system before the crisis. Likewise, the group faulted the U.S. EPA for not acting aggressively enough in enforcing uniform standards across the country and, specifically, for deferring too much to MDEQ.The members of the task force, which Snyder formed in October, are: Matthew Davis, a pediatrician and a University of Michigan public policy professor; Chris Kolb, a former state lawmaker and Ann Arbor city council member who is now president of the Michigan Environmental Council; Lawrence Reynolds, a Flint pediatrician; Eric Rothstein, a water consultant who, among other things, advised Jefferson County, Ala., in its bankruptcy proceedings; and Ken Sikkema, a former state senator. The North Carolina General Assembly on Wednesday approved and sent to the governor a bill that would prevent local governments from passing nondiscrimination ordinances and from opening bathrooms for people to use based on the gender with which they identify.The vote in the House was 82-26 after three hours of debate, with all Republicans voting for it and 11 Democrats breaking ranks with their party to support the bill.The Senate voted 32-0 in favor after all 11 Democrats present walked out in protest, saying they had not been allowed to participate in the process of writing or amending the legislation.Senate Democrats gathered after the unusual walkout for a news conference. Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue of Raleigh called the session "an affront to democracy" and said his caucus wouldn't be part of "this hostile takeover of human rights."Gov. Pat McCrory's office released a statement late Wednesday stating that he had signed the bill.McCrory opposes the bathroom provision of the Charlotte nondiscrimination ordinance that prompted the bill, but he objected to the legislature returning for a special session to deal with unrelated items added to the bill.The legislation, referred to as House Bill 2, effectively strikes down the entire Charlotte ordinance. It would prohibit local governments from enacting their own regulations that ban discrimination. Instead, the bill would create a statewide law that would ban discrimination on the basis of "race, religion, color, national origin or biological sex" at businesses and other "places of public accommodation." But the law wouldn't include sexual orientation and gender identity as categories protected from discrimination."This is historic," said GOP state Rep. Dan Bishop, who was one of the bill's primary sponsors. "There's never been such a statewide nondiscrimination statute on public access in North Carolina."According to the advocacy group Equality NC, 17 cities and towns in the state have nondiscrimination ordinances that could be revoked by the bill.Local school districts would be banned from allowing students to use communal bathrooms and locker rooms that don't match the gender on their birth certificates. Schools still could allow transgender students to use single-occupancy facilities.It would affect schools and public facilities but would allow private businesses to continue using their own policies."We're preserving a sense of privacy that people have long expected in public facilities," Bishop said.Senate leader Phil Berger said the Charlotte ordinance must be overturned. He cited a Seattle case in which a man who was not transgender entered a women's locker room and said that a city nondiscrimination ordinance allowed him to be there."Something a lot worse could happen as a result of this ordinance," Berger said.The legislation also restricts local governments from regulating employment practices. Cities and counties could not require contractors to abide by regulations or controls on employment contracts as a condition of bidding for work.Exceptions would include contracts for city and county employees, economic development packages and federal community block grants.That provision prompted opposition from the North Carolina League of Municipalities, which called it a "limit of the political power of local residents."An unexpected provision in the bill appeared to eliminate a legal recourse that private sector employees have had to challenge their termination based on claims that they were discharged for reasons that run counter to "public policy." Bishop said fired workers would still be able to pursue wrongful termination claims in federal court. Democrats said that was a significant loss of employee rights, and noted that state claims can be easier to pursue than federal.Some Democrats said on the floor that the bill would have had less opposition if the wage restrictions on local government weren't included.Democrats also expressed concern that such a law would endanger $4 billion in federal education funding for violating nondiscrimination requirements. But Bishop said separate bathrooms, showers and locker rooms are expressly permitted under the law. He added that if the state were found by the courts to be in violation of Title IX requirements, it would be given time to comply and avoid losing funding.Democrats criticized the Republican majority for rushing through a bill that members had only seen for the first time Wednesday morning.Emotions ran high at times on the House and Senate floors and in committee meetings."This is about protecting _ not from a transgender, necessarily _ but from a predator," said GOP state Rep. Pat McElraft."This will make it clear it is not against the law anywhere in North Carolina to discriminate on the basis of sex," said Democratic state Rep. Grier Martin."It's not a good idea for (businesses) to have to have different employment rules in different places where they do business," GOP state Rep. Paul Stam said in the committee meeting.The bill includes a statement that it is the policy of the state to safeguard everyone, regardless of sex, race and religion _ with the addition of "biological sex" as a protected class. Biological sex is defined in the bill as the sex listed on a person's birth certificate. State law allows transgender people to change the sex listed on their birth certificate after gender reassignment surgery.Democrats sought to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the protected categories, but Republicans rejected the amendments."These are discussions that are very complicated and very difficult for society to wrap their minds around and come up with concrete definitions and terms," said GOP state Sen. Buck Newton, a candidate for attorney general. "It would be best if we didn't add anything such as this to the bill."House and Senate committees both heard from religious groups and several transgender people during public comment periods. Much of the debate focused on the Charlotte ordinance's bathroom provision.Vivian Taylor, a transgender woman who served in the Iraq War, said Charlotte's protections are much needed. "Transgender folks face incredible amounts of violence," she said. "These protections do the basic moral job of looking out for people and keeping them safe."Another transgender woman, Madeline Goss, said she was "bullied and tortured mercilessly" when forced to use the men's restroom while attending high school. "It is unsafe for me there," she said. "Would you want to go to the men's room with me? I don't think so."But supporters of the bill say transgender bathroom use makes them fear for their safety.Chloe Jefferson, a student at Greenville Christian Academy, said she's scared of the implications of the Charlotte ordinance."Girls like me should never be forced to undress or shower in front of boys," she said. "It would be girls like me that would be affected by ordinances like Charlotte, and we deserve to be protected."Tami Fitzgerald of the conservative North Carolina Values Coalition said there have been several reports of "transvestites" who have used nondiscrimination laws to "dress as a woman" and enter pool locker rooms where young girls were changing clothes.But Chris Sgro, executive director of the advocacy group Equality NC, said other cities have had nondiscrimination ordinances similar to Charlotte's for decades without "any public safety concerns.""This would be the most sweeping anti-LGBT bill in the nation," he said. "What Charlotte did is not unique or extreme." Metro Area Migration Data Metro Area Net Migration Rate Per 10K Pop. Domestic Net Migration Rate Per 10K Pop. Total Net Migration Domestic Net Migration The Villages, FL 619 614 7,208 7,150 Punta Gorda, FL 380 362 6,495 6,181 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 369 360 15,674 15,264 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 351 305 24,255 21,037 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 313 282 23,758 21,375 Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 298 276 4,365 4,046 Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 274 209 9,685 7,383 Port St. Lucie, FL 256 232 11,530 10,422 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 249 226 15,381 13,937 Bend-Redmond, OR 249 248 4,310 4,289 Homosassa Springs, FL 232 225 3,250 3,155 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 226 197 4,619 4,038 Midland, TX 222 212 3,644 3,472 Greeley, CO 219 206 6,147 5,786 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 219 195 12,303 10,969 Fort Collins, CO 214 198 7,058 6,502 Austin-Round Rock, TX 206 169 40,710 33,276 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 205 126 48,362 29,683 Odessa, TX 204 194 3,206 3,047 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 201 151 12,944 9,688 Sebring, FL 189 163 1,865 1,608 Prescott, AZ 186 176 4,105 3,884 St. George, UT 186 182 2,858 2,799 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 183 139 53,946 41,005 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 183 172 3,690 3,469 Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 182 161 4,680 4,135 Coeur d'Alene, ID 180 176 2,672 2,625 College Station-Bryan, TX 175 111 4,309 2,734 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 173 156 12,742 11,502 Raleigh, NC 168 131 21,184 16,465 Athens-Clarke County, GA 161 132 3,230 2,657 Wilmington, NC 159 145 4,372 4,002 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 157 119 32,804 24,901 Jacksonville, FL 154 121 22,130 17,367 Ocala, FL 153 136 5,212 4,644 Grants Pass, OR 152 152 1,282 1,277 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 151 94 99,260 61,759 Bismarck, ND 148 144 1,892 1,849 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 147 114 7,474 5,769 Salisbury, MD-DE 145 115 5,677 4,531 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 144 117 26,062 21,253 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 143 115 39,892 32,031 Fargo, ND-MN 141 101 3,257 2,325 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 141 113 33,187 26,560 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 140 114 33,756 27,428 Sherman-Denison, TX 137 123 1,701 1,525 Bellingham, WA 135 113 2,845 2,374 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 134 105 3,473 2,731 Boulder, CO 131 96 4,163 3,053 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 129 100 58,222 45,299 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 125 78 6,865 4,254 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 123 82 86,701 57,739 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 118 91 27,902 21,479 Savannah, GA 114 85 4,298 3,189 Panama City, FL 114 93 2,230 1,825 Boise City, ID 113 97 7,570 6,510 Corvallis, OR 111 57 966 496 Asheville, NC 107 99 4,771 4,400 Wenatchee, WA 107 95 1,236 1,090 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 107 104 2,175 2,113 Gainesville, GA 104 89 1,997 1,705 Eugene, OR 104 81 3,747 2,937 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 103 65 58,197 36,806 Reno, NV 102 82 4,575 3,650 Bowling Green, KY 102 68 1,704 1,130 Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 102 83 8,826 7,228 Auburn-Opelika, AL 101 63 1,578 974 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 101 43 37,494 15,817 Longview, WA 99 94 1,023 964 Salem, OR 99 87 4,025 3,529 Medford, OR 99 94 2,085 1,996 Burlington, NC 97 81 1,525 1,268 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 96 68 5,953 4,193 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 95 83 1,150 1,005 Oklahoma City, OK 92 66 12,354 8,882 Gainesville, FL 91 35 2,508 959 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 91 63 4,328 2,983 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 89 -28 53,398 -16,657 Pueblo, CO 89 83 1,440 1,357 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 88 18 40,851 8,553 Olympia-Tumwater, WA 88 55 2,351 1,482 Brunswick, GA 88 72 1,010 832 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 87 69 4,759 3,732 Charlottesville, VA 87 43 1,974 984 Colorado Springs, CO 85 54 5,879 3,713 Spartanburg, SC 84 76 2,719 2,446 Columbia, SC 84 63 6,747 5,084 Missoula, MT 83 73 943 829 Stockton-Lodi, CA 79 52 5,719 3,745 Lubbock, TX 79 62 2,443 1,927 Albany, OR 79 76 943 916 Morristown, TN 78 67 905 783 Jonesboro, AR 77 63 986 801 Lawrence, KS 77 18 902 216 Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 76 40 17,249 9,135 Hammond, LA 75 66 958 844 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 74 55 4,342 3,246 Morgantown, WV 71 42 970 584 Kennewick-Richland, WA 70 53 1,941 1,468 Tyler, TX 70 53 1,547 1,168 Cleveland, TN 68 57 818 691 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 66 29 2,843 1,270 Tulsa, OK 66 49 6,396 4,807 Columbus, IN 63 24 507 196 Walla Walla, WA 63 49 402 315 Provo-Orem, UT 62 44 3,616 2,566 Dover, DE 62 40 1,070 688 Columbus, OH 58 26 11,676 5,147 Sioux Falls, SD 57 28 1,433 710 Lexington-Fayette, KY 57 23 2,844 1,164 Lake Charles, LA 57 47 1,162 960 Victoria, TX 55 45 548 449 San Angelo, TX 55 37 655 435 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 54 37 1,479 1,015 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 53 43 1,480 1,205 Madison, WI 53 19 3,362 1,241 Lynchburg, VA 52 37 1,354 949 Richmond, VA 51 19 6,411 2,429 Springfield, MO 50 42 2,271 1,896 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 50 -51 9,789 -10,109 Huntsville, AL 49 34 2,181 1,494 Ogden-Clearfield, UT 49 35 3,094 2,219 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 48 19 6,079 2,421 Owensboro, KY 48 42 563 487 State College, PA 47 -25 758 -394 Tuscaloosa, AL 46 35 1,094 830 Billings, MT 46 41 763 689 Chattanooga, TN-GA 45 34 2,483 1,830 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 43 -41 925 -869 Lincoln, NE 43 7 1,383 235 Columbia, MO 43 -4 742 -63 Flagstaff, AZ 43 30 589 414 Chico, CA 42 30 945 684 Logan, UT-ID 42 14 555 189 Iowa City, IA 42 -21 687 -352 Lebanon, PA 41 4 556 48 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 40 -30 19,166 -14,458 Modesto, CA 40 12 2,146 621 Lafayette, LA 40 21 1,939 1,034 Knoxville, TN 39 29 3,390 2,524 Portland-South Portland, ME 39 23 2,062 1,208 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 38 6 2,166 345 Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 38 10 3,435 914 Napa, CA 38 1 534 10 Winston-Salem, NC 38 22 2,466 1,472 Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 37 12 1,444 478 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 37 16 16,421 7,024 Waco, TX 36 23 942 589 California-Lexington Park, MD 36 15 398 165 Corpus Christi, TX 35 16 1,593 718 Greensboro-High Point, NC 35 9 2,640 675 Barnstable Town, MA 33 17 718 368 Staunton-Waynesboro, VA 33 26 398 311 Rome, GA 33 19 319 187 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 33 16 1,331 635 Bloomington, IN 33 -36 539 -592 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 32 -46 19,588 -27,907 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV 31 17 817 444 Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 31 5 6,132 970 St. Cloud, MN 31 16 592 300 Abilene, TX 30 4 507 74 Johnson City, TN 30 23 594 464 Gettysburg, PA 29 19 294 192 Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 29 9 2,954 907 Salt Lake City, UT 28 -4 3,306 -442 Tucson, AZ 28 2 2,797 161 San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 28 -29 9,096 -9,372 Cedar Rapids, IA 28 12 731 331 Kansas City, MO-KS 24 4 5,059 779 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 24 2 3,009 198 Hot Springs, AR 22 21 218 200 Santa Rosa, CA 22 8 1,121 404 Tallahassee, FL 21 -3 789 -118 Roanoke, VA 20 -11 629 -342 Santa Fe, NM 20 -11 292 -165 Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 18 -35 299 -570 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 17 -18 1,450 -1,488 Harrisonburg, VA 17 -18 227 -235 Joplin, MO 17 3 305 54 Cheyenne, WY 17 3 162 27 Worcester, MA-CT 15 -32 1,406 -3,007 Killeen-Temple, TX 15 -38 625 -1,639 Dubuque, IA 14 2 138 15 Elkhart-Goshen, IN 14 6 286 126 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 14 -23 4,797 -7,964 York-Hanover, PA 13 -5 596 -230 Manhattan, KS 13 -73 128 -712 Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA 13 -3 196 -52 Idaho Falls, ID 13 7 175 98 Champaign-Urbana, IL 13 -77 298 -1,841 Fort Wayne, IN 12 -11 535 -458 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 11 -28 478 -1,237 Appleton, WI 11 2 250 44 Ames, IA 10 -82 98 -789 Green Bay, WI 10 -6 312 -205 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 10 0 358 8 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 9 -28 1,424 -4,454 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 8 -25 712 -2,174 Yuba City, CA 8 -33 137 -561 Casper, WY 8 -1 65 -5 Grand Junction, CO 8 2 114 26 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 7 -31 2,062 -8,634 Carson City, NV 7 4 39 21 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 7 -43 336 -2,044 Longview, TX 7 -8 147 -182 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 7 -12 1,455 -2,674 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 6 5 59 44 Winchester, VA-WV 6 -4 84 -48 Ann Arbor, MI 6 -61 213 -2,176 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 6 -39 108 -704 Springfield, MA 6 -62 361 -3,888 Urban Honolulu, HI 5 -75 544 -7,475 Sheboygan, WI 5 -5 58 -60 Baton Rouge, LA 5 -13 397 -1,082 Dothan, AL 5 1 67 15 Fresno, CA 2 -21 200 -2,022 Manchester-Nashua, NH 2 -27 83 -1,111 Birmingham-Hoover, AL 1 -9 168 -1,067 Lancaster, PA 1 -28 49 -1,484 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 0 -54 576 -71,169 Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA 0 -2 11 -62 Dalton, GA 0 -10 5 -147 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 0 -81 -68 -164,019 Eau Claire, WI 0 -8 -1 -133 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN -1 -9 -9 -128 Evansville, IN-KY -1 -10 -25 -316 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD -2 -40 -1,021 -24,485 Grand Forks, ND-MN -2 -41 -19 -419 Texarkana, TX-AR -2 -6 -29 -90 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI -2 -24 -69 -792 Merced, CA -2 -24 -64 -647 Midland, MI -3 -24 -24 -203 Lewiston, ID-WA -3 -7 -19 -42 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT -3 -74 -321 -6,994 Greenville, NC -4 -21 -68 -365 Muskegon, MI -4 -9 -73 -149 Ithaca, NY -4 -125 -47 -1,313 Burlington-South Burlington, VT -5 -32 -101 -700 Clarksville, TN-KY -5 -58 -133 -1,611 Bakersfield, CA -6 -31 -496 -2,716 Reading, PA -6 -43 -245 -1,798 Mankato-North Mankato, MN -6 -24 -60 -234 Hattiesburg, MS -8 -17 -114 -252 Fort Smith, AR-OK -8 -19 -230 -521 Carbondale-Marion, IL -9 -35 -112 -446 St. Louis, MO-IL -9 -27 -2,579 -7,712 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA -9 -34 -793 -2,905 Albuquerque, NM -10 -27 -884 -2,433 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA -10 -26 -169 -441 Wichita, KS -10 -33 -657 -2,123 Pittsburgh, PA -11 -28 -2,520 -6,593 Duluth, MN-WI -12 -20 -330 -554 Monroe, LA -12 -18 -216 -331 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI -13 -32 -405 -1,014 Houma-Thibodaux, LA -14 -25 -287 -531 Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY -14 -46 -1,542 -5,256 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR -14 -29 -998 -2,133 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA -14 -39 -783 -2,189 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC -14 -52 -2,422 -8,948 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH -15 -16 -176 -197 Rochester, MN -15 -45 -318 -968 Gadsden, AL -16 -21 -164 -215 Akron, OH -16 -39 -1,152 -2,738 Jackson, MI -18 -26 -287 -407 Jefferson City, MO -18 -29 -274 -440 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI -19 -51 -8,214 -22,030 Ocean City, NJ -21 -49 -201 -462 Montgomery, AL -21 -37 -792 -1,372 Mansfield, OH -22 -25 -262 -306 Amarillo, TX -22 -56 -574 -1,464 Fond du Lac, WI -22 -37 -227 -381 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX -22 -52 -1,867 -4,325 Kokomo, IN -22 -29 -185 -239 Mobile, AL -23 -39 -950 -1,608 Wheeling, WV-OH -24 -26 -343 -383 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT -24 -74 -2,880 -8,932 Warner Robins, GA -24 -48 -448 -896 Dayton, OH -24 -46 -1,917 -3,673 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL -25 -31 -368 -450 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL -25 -39 -244 -385 Janesville-Beloit, WI -25 -32 -411 -522 Altoona, PA -26 -29 -324 -365 Wausau, WI -26 -34 -356 -467 Redding, CA -26 -39 -472 -709 Rapid City, SD -26 -39 -380 -563 Jackson, MS -27 -38 -1,577 -2,181 Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL -28 -34 -325 -391 Glens Falls, NY -28 -32 -359 -412 Canton-Massillon, OH -28 -33 -1,149 -1,333 Cleveland-Elyria, OH -29 -51 -5,896 -10,436 Florence, SC -30 -35 -614 -728 Cumberland, MD-WV -31 -41 -309 -407 Topeka, KS -31 -39 -723 -917 Grand Island, NE -31 -75 -266 -633 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI -31 -54 -4,936 -8,461 Kingston, NY -31 -56 -568 -1,014 Trenton, NJ -32 -109 -1,191 -4,058 Racine, WI -32 -40 -627 -784 Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA -33 -53 -282 -451 Salinas, CA -34 -67 -1,489 -2,880 Terre Haute, IN -35 -48 -591 -817 Springfield, OH -35 -39 -474 -532 Springfield, IL -36 -50 -760 -1,057 New Haven-Milford, CT -36 -84 -3,115 -7,257 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI -37 -46 -625 -773 Elmira, NY -37 -50 -323 -433 Decatur, AL -37 -45 -572 -692 Monroe, MI -38 -43 -567 -647 Rochester, NY -38 -70 -4,111 -7,552 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD -38 -60 -643 -1,007 Lewiston-Auburn, ME -38 -51 -409 -552 Muncie, IN -39 -55 -454 -643 Pittsfield, MA -39 -56 -502 -719 Yuma, AZ -39 -73 -799 -1,495 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL -40 -57 -1,518 -2,197 Syracuse, NY -41 -73 -2,697 -4,849 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH -42 -47 -1,511 -1,699 Yakima, WA -42 -48 -1,036 -1,204 Macon, GA -42 -53 -977 -1,219 Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA -43 -50 -2,382 -2,769 Memphis, TN-MS-AR -44 -60 -5,868 -7,998 Norwich-New London, CT -44 -95 -1,193 -2,574 Pocatello, ID -44 -60 -368 -500 Bay City, MI -44 -52 -471 -547 Toledo, OH -45 -56 -2,709 -3,412 Erie, PA -45 -68 -1,256 -1,884 Williamsport, PA -46 -52 -531 -609 East Stroudsburg, PA -46 -67 -766 -1,111 Johnstown, PA -49 -54 -670 -735 Visalia-Porterville, CA -49 -61 -2,260 -2,786 Hanford-Corcoran, CA -49 -77 -744 -1,166 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI -50 -84 -48,201 -80,160 Beckley, WV -51 -61 -630 -751 Utica-Rome, NY -51 -82 -1,523 -2,426 Alexandria, LA -53 -62 -814 -963 Niles-Benton Harbor, MI -53 -77 -822 -1,191 Madera, CA -56 -72 -874 -1,110 Great Falls, MT -57 -74 -465 -611 Battle Creek, MI -57 -72 -767 -973 St. Joseph, MO-KS -58 -76 -733 -963 Bangor, ME -58 -68 -895 -1,046 Flint, MI -62 -68 -2,554 -2,821 Laredo, TX -62 -96 -1,670 -2,576 Binghamton, NY -63 -88 -1,556 -2,170 Jackson, TN -63 -70 -824 -907 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA -64 -76 -2,850 -3,372 Las Cruces, NM -64 -77 -1,377 -1,643 Anchorage, AK -66 -102 -2,648 -4,061 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ -70 -135 -1,927 -3,717 Goldsboro, NC -72 -102 -900 -1,264 Rockford, IL -75 -88 -2,567 -3,009 Columbus, GA-AL -77 -114 -2,428 -3,586 Peoria, IL -77 -91 -2,930 -3,444 Lima, OH -78 -85 -813 -892 Rocky Mount, NC -78 -82 -1,155 -1,222 Danville, IL -78 -83 -623 -658 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX -79 -100 -3,317 -4,228 El Centro, CA -80 -103 -1,439 -1,855 Michigan City-La Porte, IN -81 -85 -898 -951 Kankakee, IL -82 -93 -909 -1,029 Charleston, WV -84 -90 -1,873 -1,995 Sumter, SC -86 -104 -930 -1,116 Fairbanks, AK -90 -139 -894 -1,379 Bloomington, IL -96 -133 -1,814 -2,534 El Paso, TX -102 -141 -8,536 -11,854 Saginaw, MI -103 -114 -1,998 -2,207 Valdosta, GA -103 -127 -1,473 -1,820 Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ -106 -138 -1,656 -2,164 Decatur, IL -106 -115 -1,147 -1,240 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ -108 -136 -1,370 -1,725 Pine Bluff, AR -118 -121 -1,112 -1,144 Wichita Falls, TX -124 -158 -1,878 -2,395 Jacksonville, NC -125 -207 -2,324 -3,838 New Bern, NC -127 -166 -1,611 -2,104 Lawton, OK -130 -178 -1,705 -2,326 Fayetteville, NC -132 -188 -4,982 -7,074 Albany, GA -137 -146 -2,120 -2,259 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY -228 -291 -2,695 -3,448 Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY -281 -307 -4,227 -4,615 Hinesville, GA -429 -493 -3,482 -4,002 Farmington, NM -501 -504 -6,075 -6,116 More Americans are opting to move south, favoring beaches and warmer climates over snowy winters.New Census data suggest most of the nations fastest growing metro areas are retirement destinations found in the Sun Belt.Many Sun Belt retiree hotspots had seen slowdowns in migration during the economic downturn. But the latest Census data numbers signal that, for the past two years, migration to these regions has largely accelerated again. The reversal is perhaps most evident in Florida, a state that last year had eight of the nation's top 10 metro areas with the highest net migration rates.The new population estimates for the 12-month period ending last July cover all metro areas and counties. Of larger metro areas with more than a million residents, regions recording the highest annual net migration rates were Austin-Round Rock, Texas, (+206 per 10,000 population); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla., (+205 per 10,000 population); and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. (+183 per 10,000 population).In terms of raw totals, the Houston (+99,260) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (+86,701) metro areas registered the top total net migration gains in 2015. The four largest metro areas in Texas, in fact, collectively added more residents last year than any other state.One region thats recorded steady population growth from domestic migration each of the past few years is the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C., area. Parts of North Carolina also benefit somewhat from retirees, although not to the same degree as coastal regions further south.To some extent, retiree migration into North Carolina is very new, said Rebecca Tippett, who studies demography at the Carolina Population Center. It really started to uptick in the last 15 years.Not all retirees flock to the Carolinas or elsewhere in the Southeast from colder climates, however. Some initially move to Florida, then opt to relocate in search of more seasonal weather, mountains or other amenities, Tippett said. These retirees have been dubbed halfbacks: After first moving south, they ultimately end up moving back north -- but not all the way.Migration across the Southeast isnt exclusively tied to movement of retirees. The Raleigh, N.C., and Charlotte, N.C., regions attract younger adults with large research institutions and major employers. Some growing metro areas, Tippett said, also benefit from those wanting to live closer to high-quality medical facilities and caregivers.The population shift to the Sun Belt should continue as more baby boomers retire, although another downturn in the economy would likely slow its momentum.Several Sun Belt metro areas recently rebounded after experiencing large migration dropoffs during the years immediately following the Great Recession.Consider the Phoenix metro area, which has recorded net domestic migration gains exceeding 40,000 each of the past two years after adding only about 3,000 residents in 2010 and 4,000 in 2011. The Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev., area similarly lost residents via domestic migration in 2010 through 2011, but saw nearly 25,000 people migrate in from other parts of the U.S. last year. Both regions were hit particularly hard by the bursting of the housing bubble. Other metro areas experiencing notable upticks in domestic migration recently include the Atlanta and Tampa metro areas.Areas relying more on retirees tend to experience little to no natural population changes (that is, deaths subtracted from births), a characteristic quite common throughout jurisdictions along coastal Florida. This graph illustrates five retiree-driven Sun Belt metro areas where domestic migration has accelerated:Jurisdictions experiencing sizable population shifts must plan and budget accordingly. Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, has focused on improving its transportation network to accommodate the regions projected growth. The issue is likely the most important facing the region, so officials are budgeting additional dollars for transportation projects, said Liana Lopez, the countys chief communications administrator. Hillsborough County welcomed an estimated 15,000 residents from other parts of the country last year after recording slight domestic migration losses in 2012 and 2013.Movement to the Sun Belt has, in turn, taken a toll on Snow Belt regions. Net domestic migration in Sun Belt states nearly matched its 2004-2005 peak of 600,000 last year, according to the Brookings Institutions William Frey . Meanwhile, in northeastern states, Census estimates indicate that total population loses stemming from domestic migration topped 324,000.In Chicago, the metro area's total population dipped by just over 6,000 last year. While thats not much given the region's size, it marks the first annual population decline in years. Cook County, the regions largest county, lost population for the first time since 2007.The El Paso, Texas, metro area recorded the lowest net migration rate of any metro area with more than 500,000 residents from 2014 to 2015. El Paso has registered negative net migration for four consecutive years, losing just under 12,000 residents last year.Along with domestic migration, movement to and from foreign countries further influences migration rates. Every metro area recorded positive gains from international migration last year, helping to offset continued domestic losses in places like New York City that lose residents to other regions each year. A recent analysis of Census data suggests the foreign born are increasingly settling in less-established immigrant cities where their numbers are fewer. On Thursday, in the morning, at the Executive Building, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC presided at a meeting of the Executive Council. In the afternoon, at Government House, the Governor received Clerk of the Parliament, Mr Neil Laurie, for the presentation of Bills for Assent. Following, at Government House, the Governor received Chief Executive Officer, North Queensland Cowboys, Mr Greg Tonner. In the evening, at the Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Governor attended the Queensland Symphony Orchestra Mozart Requiem performance. Description GIS - 24 March, 2016: The Pneumococcal Vaccine, designed to protect children against pneumococcal diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia sinusitis and otitis media (ear infection), among others, has been added to the Expanded Programme of Immunisation by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, as recommended by the World Health Organisation. The Pneumococcal Vaccine, designed to protect children against pneumococcal diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia sinusitis and otitis media (ear infection), among others, has been added to the Expanded Programme of Immunisation by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, as recommended by the World Health Organisation. The newly introduced Pneumococcal Vaccine will be administered as a three-dose series to babies born on and after 1st January 2016 on a schedule of six weeks, 14 weeks and two months old. Pneumococcal disease is the name given to a group of diseases caused by a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae, (also known as pneumococcus). Pneumococci frequently colonise the human nasopharynx (the back of the nose), and are transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets (cough, sneeze). Many children carry the bacteria in their nose or throat at any given time. Pneumococcal diseases are common in children, under five years of age, and among the elderly. A ceremony was held this morning at the Odette Leal Community Health Centre in Beau Bassin in the presence of the Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Mr Anil Gayan, to mark the launching of the Pneumococcal Vaccine. In his address, the Minister highlighted the importance of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation in Mauritius which has enabled children to live healthy lives. The significant contributions from vaccination, stressed Mr Gayan, include the eradication of smallpox, the elimination of poliomyelitis, and a decrease of many other infectious diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, measles, and mumps. According to the Minister, vaccination coverage in Mauritius currently stands at 95%. It is recalled that the Expanded Programme on Immunisation is a vaccination delivery initiative for children and pregnant women through a standardised immunisation schedule which aims at providing infants with additional protection from infectious diseases. Under this programme delivered in public health institutions, routine vaccinations are offered free of charge against tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and rotavirus gastro-enteritis. The Minister stated that the introduction of the Pneumococcal Vaccine in the Expanded Programme of Immunisation is costing some Rs 33 million. The benefits of the newly introduced Pneumococcal Vaccine will comprise a reduction in mortality and morbidity rates, as well as a decrease in the use of antibiotic treatment, he said. Mr Gayan insisted however that parents should keep track of their ward's immunisation requirements to ensure that their child does not miss any vaccine. He cautioned parents that the pneumococcal vaccine is complementary to other measures such as breastfeeding for first six months of life of the baby, and adoption of healthy lifestyles. The Minister also announced that Mauritius intends to roll out soon the vaccine against human papillomavirus which causes cervical cancer. Recalling that the routine immunisation programme in Mauritius is funded solely by Government, Minister Gayan is of the view that vaccination is a fundamental human right, and that, as such, access to vaccines and immunisation services should be deemed as heritage of humanity. While underlining the necessity for continued investment in the healthy futures of children, the Minister appealed to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance which is an international public-private partnership committed to the mission of saving lives and protecting health by expanding access to vaccines in the worlds poorest countries, to review their assistance criteria. It is noted that Mauritius no longer receives financial support from GAVI as the country has crossed the income eligibility threshold. Mr Gayan moreover urged pharmaceutical companies to reduce the vaccines cost and make them affordable, based on the principle of solidarity. Two things that I think Hawaii is struggling with as far as the IT world goes is really an IT-skilled workforce. And thats not just within the state, thats within the commercial entities as well. Were having a really hard time attracting skilled workers to come and live in Hawaii because the cost of living is so high here. Were always No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation in terms of cost of living. Our largest commercial companies have between one and two thousand people. We just dont have the salary ranges that can attract the high-end talent, so all of us struggle with that.Within the state, the IT workforce has continuously been reduced, so we dont have a lot of IT workers. We support roughly 80,000 state employees in 65,000 seats we have roughly 800 IT workers for them. Every department is undermanned as far as supporting any type of IT initiative within the departments and anything that goes statewide. It makes it very difficult.There is a huge initiative and a huge push for that, but again, how do we get there? How do we train a workforce to get there when most companies have outsourced what we would call their "tier one" and "tier two" support? A lot of companies have outsourced their help desks because it just makes financial sense. If we dont have that base to start training IT workers and move them through from a help desk position to assistant admin to assistant engineer to an architect, its really hard to for us to develop that. So this 80/80 initiative, yes were making strides in it, but we dont have the infrastructure guides to do it because ... we just dont have a career path for them.On the [developer] side, its a little bit different. There are a lot of initiatives to grow a dev community. The High-Tech Development Corp., which is part of the state of Hawaii, is trying to help up develop that and get startups here, especially around energy. We have a huge initiative to be 100 percent renewable by 2050. There is a huge drive here to try to develop technology around energy and being self-sufficient.For the governor, IT is a recognized priority. He is very supportive of all of our initiatives and workforce development. He really understands that if we dont start doing something to develop an IT workforce for the state of Hawaii, then we are going to continue to have failed IT projects. Weve had multiple, large-scale projects fail in the past because we dont have the skilled workers to do it. And its not that the state workforce cant do it, its just that we dont have enough of them. Everybody is trying to put fires out and do their day-to-day tasks, then you give them a large IT project like [enterprise resource planning] or payroll for the entire state. How do we do that? We just dont have enough people.We just launched our payroll project that is a huge initiative for the state of Hawaii to basically modernize our payroll system. We literally cant do automatic deposits the way that it is done everywhere else. Every two weeks we have people punching in paychecks, and we actually have to print paystubs for everyone because there is not a system where they can access their paychecks online and those types of things. That [request for proposal] is out, and we hope to make a decision by early summer on the vendor and start the 18-month roll out. With that comes time and attendance, and shortly after that will be our financial system.We have a lot of problems in the state. We have huge problems with affordable housing and affordable health care, again, all of it stemming from the high cost of living. We actually compete against some social initiatives that, to me, are always going to be and should be of higher priority than IT. Its us lobbying the state legislators and making them understand, "Hey, look, there are some essential things that need to be taken care of as far as IT security." They have a tough decision that they have to make. There is all of the other asks and needs, improving our education systems versus spending money on IT. When you stack rank those things, IT may fall to the bottom, but it always depends on the legislator. It is an uphill battle for us.For us, its really about continuous process improvement. When I look across the nation, CIOs are trying to do huge uplifts; theyre trying to cut and burn; theyre trying to do everything in large swoops. The state of Hawaii has tried that, and its not the way to go. Were looking for continuous process improvement; were looking to make changes continuously and slowly bring the state of Hawaii into the modern age. If we try to do it one huge forklift, its not going to work.If we can move the needle every year, thats really the goal. So in 10 years, we really want to have a modern workforce, where people are very comfortable using things like Skype. Weve launched a huge digital signature initiative to help us go paperless in the state, thats another goal. In 10 years, hopefully well have a paperless government, which will help us with efficiency. The size of the potential problem Difficulties with access control Consumer demand drives security and privacy How big data is used for you or against you As more personal information is collected up by ever-more-powerful computers, giant sets of data big data have become available for not only legitimate uses but also abuses.Big data has an enormous potential to revolutionize our lives with its predictive power. Imagine a future in which you know what your weather will be like with 95 percent accuracy 48 hours ahead of time. But due to the possibility of malicious use, there are both security and privacy threats of big data you should be concerned about, especially as you spend more time on the Internet.What threats are emerging? How should we address these growing concerns without denying society the benefits big data can bring?First of all, due to the sheer scale of people involved in big data security incidents, the stakes are higher than ever. When the professional development system at Arkansas University was breached in 2014, just 50,000 people were affected . Thats a large number, but compare it with 145 million people whose birth dates, home and email addresses, and other information were stolen in a data breach at eBay that same year.From the perspective of a security professional, protecting big data sets is also more daunting. This is partly due to the nature of the underlying technologies used to store and process the information.Big data companies like Amazon heavily rely on distributed computing, which typically involves data centers geographically dispersed across the whole world. Amazon divides its global operations into 12 regions each containing multiple data centers and being potentially subject to both physical attacks and persistent cyberattacks against the tens of thousands of individual servers housed inside.One of the best strategies for controlling access to information or physical space is having a single access point, which is much easier to secure than hundreds of them. The fact that big data is stored in such widely spread places runs against this principle. Its vulnerability is far higher because of its size, distribution and broad range of access.In addition, many sophisticated software components do not take security seriously enough, including parts of companies' big data infrastructure. This opens a further avenue of potential attack.For instance, Hadoop is a collection of software components that allows programmers to process a large amount of data in a distributed computing infrastructure. When first introduced, Hadoop had very basic security features suitable for a system used by only a few users. Many big companies have adopted Hadoop as their corporate data platform, despite the fact that its access control mechanism wasnt designed for large-scale adoption.For consumers, then, it is critical to demand a heightened level of security through vehicles such as terms and conditions, service level agreements, and security trust seals from organizations collecting and using big data.What can companies do to protect personal information? Countermeasures such as encryption, access control, intrusion detection, backups, auditing and corporate procedures can prevent data from being breached and falling into the wrong hands. As such, security can promote your privacy.At the same time, heightened security can also hurt your privacy: it can provide legitimate excuses to collect more private information such as employees' web surfing history on work computers.When law enforcement agencies collect information in the name of improved security, everyone is treated as a potential criminal or terrorist, whose information may eventually be used against them. The authorities already know a lot about us but could ask companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon to provide more intelligence such as a decrypted version of our data, what search terms we are using and what we are buying online.The fundamental security principle used to justify this type of blanket surveillance (which is now more affordable and feasible due to the use of big data technologies) is nobody can be trusted. Once collected, those data join the rest of the information in being susceptible to abuse and breaches, as demonstrated in snooping incidents involving National Security Agency employees And yet when used properly, big data can help enhance your privacy by allowing more information to be leveraged and eventually improve the quality (especially, the accuracy) of intelligence on potential attacks and attackers in cyberspace.For example, in an ideal world we dont have to worry about fraudulent emails (also called phishing ) because a big data analytics engine would be able to pick out malicious emails with pinpoint accuracy.There are also other privacy concerns about big data. Companies are eager to deliver targeted advertising to you and tracking your every online move. Big data makes this tracking easier to do, less expensive and more easily analyzed.A service like IBMs Personality Insights can build a detailed profile of you, moving well beyond basic demographics or location information. Your online habits can reveal aspects of your personality, such as whether you are outgoing, environmentally conscious, politically conservative or enjoy travel in Africa.Industry representatives make benign claims about this capability, saying it improves users' online experiences . But it is not hard to imagine that the same information could be very easily used against us.For example, insurance companies could start questioning coverage to consumers based on these sorts of big-data profiles, which has already begun to happen Banning large-scale data collection is unlikely to be a realistic option to solve the problem . Whether we like it or not, the age of big data has already arrived. We should find the best way of protecting our privacy while allowing legitimate uses of big data, which can make our lives much safer, richer and more productive.For example, when used legitimately and securely, big data technology can drastically improve the effectiveness of fraud detection , which, in turn, frees us from worrying about stolen identities and potential monetary loss.Transparency is the key to letting us harness the power of big data while addressing its security and privacy challenges. Handlers of big data should disclose information on what they gather and for what purposes.In addition, consumers must know how the data is stored, who has access to it and how that access is granted. Finally, big data companies can earn public trust by giving specific explanations about the security controls they use to protect the data they manage. When urban planners talk about their ambitions for American cities, they often look towards the bike infrastructure of Copenhagen, the transit system of London, or the famous boulevards of Paris.But maybe that should look a bit closer to home.In their new book, authors Ray Tomalty and Alan Mallach make the case that while European cities are impressive, they arent that relevant to American planners, in part because their governments and history are so different from that of the U.S.Instead, they argue, American urbanists should draw lessons from Canadian cities, which operate more similarly to their American counterparts yet are still different enough to offer useful lessons.Tomalty is an adjunct professor at McGill Universitys School of Urban Planning and principal of the consulting firm Smart Cities Research Services. Mallach is a senior fellow at the Center for Community Progress and a former director of housing and economic development for Trenton, New Jersey.They spoke with theSenior Editor Ryan Holeywell about their new book. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.Ray Tomalty: European cities are seen as ideal cities for Americans because they go to Europe in the summer. They visit Paris and Barcelona and Madrid and Berlin. They think theyre beautiful places. But the problem is, European cities have quite a different context than North American cities. So it makes them apples and oranges.Their government structure is so different. Theres the history, the amount of land available, the price of land, the concentration on transit infrastructure, the effects of World Wars. Its all different. There are so many variable distinguishing the Old World from the New World.: A lot of people who write about how we should follow those models either dont appreciate the differences or are being slightly disingenuous about them.: The differences are bigger than the similarities. Canada is less remarked upon by Americans. Its kind of taken for granted by many people in the U.S. But the truth is, its kind of a perfect situation. Canada has many similarities, but were different in ways that really count. Were different enough that its ambitious but similar enough that its an achievable target.Canadian cities kind of look like U.S. cities. If you put a picture of a Canadian city and a U.S. city in front of me, I might have trouble telling which is which. But when we look below the surface, we find there are very important differences between cities in these two countries.We gathered data on sustainability issues. Things like greenhouse gas emissions and waste production. Canadian cities were performing a lot better than U.S. cities. We looked at livability issues, and Canadian cities were doing better too. Even though they look somewhat the same, theres something else going on that makes Canadian cities perform better.: Ive looked at how American cities are becoming increasingly economically polarized. More and more poor people live in poor neighborhoods. The well-to-do live in wealthy neighborhoods. Theres less and less in between. Thats not true in Canada. That trend isnt happening.: In the U.S., to be an incorporated city or town is essentially a birthright. Ive looked hard to find whether theres ever been a case in the U.S. where a state, if it had the power to do so, had dissolved a town or forced it to consolidate against its will. Quite literally, I couldnt find a single example. This happens all the time in Canada.Clearly, the cities dont necessarily like it, but they accept this is the way it is. So what it means is you dont have this urban-suburban dichotomy that you have in the U.S.Similarly, when a city does its planning, its expected that its plan will fit into the regional plans. If the province of Ontario announces theres a regional strategy for everything in the greater Toronto area to densify, then by God, the local plans better show how theyre going to densify. Otherwise, the regional planning agency simply wont approve them.It goes against our much-vaunted ideas about local autonomy. I think the reality is the social and environmental outcomes are better when you have less local autonomy.We dont have so much of suburbanization, where people colonize a new farm field and declare themselves a municipality, with super low taxes and only very large lot zoning so only wealth people can live there.We have less of that because city boundaries tend to incorporate both the central city, with its problems, and the wealthier suburbs, with their resources. Theres more of a sense of cooperation between suburban and downtown.Im not saying there arent tensions. But theyre manageable. Theyre specifically designed to try to minimize the inequalities you get in suburban areas in the U.S.Basically you pay your property taxes to a central authority, which then distributes them in the form of infrastructure grants and that sort of thing so communities have a minimal standard of public infrastructure. The same thing happens with schooling. The Canadian school system has worked out so large jurisdictions incorporate poor and rich areas. Schools have exactly the same resources. The teachers are paid the same, and the schools get largely the same funding. It doesnt make for the type of vast night and day differences you see in schools in certain U.S. states.We looked at that and compared urban populations to province wide or statewide populations on a number of indices. It was clear that the disparities were far greater in the United States than in Canada.: There are various ways of looking at it. Somebody might assume Canadians spent twice as much on transit. But the truth is the transit systems in Canada are less funded than systems in the U.S. It reflects the macro efficiency of urban areas. It comes down to the bones of the city and how its structured. There is consideration given to the layout so that it serves transit.In some places even people in new suburbs have fairly decent transit service within walking distance of their house. Ottawa is a good example of that. Most people have access to half decent transit, no matter where they live.: We didnt look systemically at the cost of living in the two countries. Its true that housing prices are very high in Vancouver. But Montreal, for instance, is a very dense city with a very European feel, yet housing prices are extremely low there.: Ultimately, housing prices are much more about demand. The density tends to be a response to the prices. Vancouver and Toronto are extraordinarily expensive for reasons having to do with demand. Toronto is becoming a global city. Theres a huge amount of immigration. Halifax and Montreal arent particularly expensive cities even though theyre both very attractive cities.The other thing though is, if you look at the U.S. and the Rust Belt, you see a city like Cleveland, where I think the median home sale price is $35,000 or $40,000, or Detroit, where a quarter of all the parcels are on vacant lots. Theres no counterpart to that type of urban disinvestment in Canada. I dont think there is a city in Canada where you can say this city is in deep distress the way you can say about literally dozens of U.S. cities.: Cities like Vancouver have long histories of managing urban growth. Its true it has very high single detached housing price. But the price of other types of housing isnt very high. The whole point of the growth management framework is to diversify the housing stock to make it more affordable to a wider range of people. Part of the cost of that is maybe a premium on detached housing, but the other forms of housing are more reasonably priced.I think race is an important undercurrent for almost everything that happens in the U.S. Id guess the fact that it is so much less central an issue in Canada makes a lot of these issues somewhat easier to address, since there isnt a racial subtext.We obviously dont have the same issues here, with respect to race. We have other cleavages though, between the French and English, for example. One of the points we make in the book is that immigration, as a percentage of total population, has been much higher in Canada than in the U.S. Thats contributed strongly to the health of Canadian cities. It provided a fuel for cities to thrive on as new people came in who were willing to invest while older Canadians were moving to suburbs. Immigrants helped stabilize cities in a way that didnt happen in the U.S.Mississauga would make for an interesting little tour. You may not have heard of it. Its a city to the west of Toronto where the international airport is. It was a dreary, low-density, suburban bedroom community to Toronto for many generations. The boundaries filled up, and instead of stagnating and turning into an older problem suburb, as you see in American suburbs, Mississauga kind of reinvented itself into a real city. They brought in high-quality transit. They built a real downtown. They invited great architects. And they densified a lot of the main avenues. Its not New York or Chicago, but for a sleepy bedroom suburb, its a pretty neat place.Theres not a lot in the way of planning that gets the same visible wow factor you get from Paris or Berlin or some place like that. But if you look closely, not far from Mississauga is a suburb called Markham. In a way, its going through the same process, maybe 10 years behind Mississauga.Also, even though people from Toronto and Montreal think its a boring city, Id be inclined to take an American planner to Ottawa and show them the interplay between transit and downtown investment, the gradual densification, and the recreational space that was created. I think its an extraordinarily livable medium-sized city. Ahmad Wani remembers Oct. 8, 2005. It was the day when at 8:50 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck his home in Kashmir killing more than 70,000 people and displacing another 4 million. He recalls the devastation clearly, the homes left in shambles, the shortages of food and water, the many lives torn asunder in the course of seconds.Having been one of the lucky few who lived through the disaster, I could see rescue authorities going around trying their best to rescue people, Wani said. However, the scale of the disaster was so large that they couldn't identify who needed to be rescued first, and what the priorities for rescue were.First responders were burdened by a lack of proper tools to coordinate efforts and clear blocked roadways to extricate victims. The aftermaths resulting pandemonium and subsequent national and international earthquakes that followed led Wani, along with his fellow Stanford University alumni Nicole Hu and Timothy Frank, to create One Concern . The startup aspires to be one of the first to use artificial intelligence to save lives through analytical disaster assessment and calculated damage estimates. Wani said that with the platform, emergency operations centers (EOCs) can receive instant recommendations on response priorities and other insights to dispatch resources effectively.One Concerns efforts to pioneer machine learning services for state and local agencies has earned it a spot in GovTech100 , a list of noteworthy companies to watch in the public-sector IT market.Wani, who serves as One Concerns CEO, elaborated on his startups origins and how the company is progressing after its recent beta launch.The combination of the right people, the right background and a unifying problem. I am from Kashmir, a region prone to earthquakes and floods. When I was 17 years old, in 2005, 70,000 people lost their lives in an earthquake in my hometown. This event compelled me to study engineering and specifically in 2005, start performing earthquake engineering research.Then, in 2014, a combination of two events on different sides of the world inspired the creation of One Concern.In 2014, during a break from graduate school at Stanford, I was visiting my parents in Kashmir when a large flood engulfed the state. Eighty percent of Kashmir went under water within minutes! Most people were on their rooftops for up to seven days without food and water, waiting for rescue. Thousands of people lost their lives ... most of the rescue was random, and response priorities were ad hoc. I was quick to assume that the problem of situational awareness was probably restricted to the developing world.Thereafter, upon my return to the Bay Area, I discovered that a natural disaster had struck in California, in Napa County, while I was away. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake on Aug. 24, 2014, in Napa had driven thousands of 911 calls, and overwhelmed the authorities who carried out the rescue effort on a first-come, first-served basis. Power and communication lines were not fully restored for weeks. In fact, most of the badly damaged regions did not even have connections to a phone network and couldnt call in for help which has been seen in nearly all of the previous earthquakes.Napa was just a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, which caused minor or no damage in most regions. I seemed to imagine the situation in a magnitude 7.0 earthquake (nearly 10 times larger than a magnitude 6.0) or a magnitude 8.0 (nearly 100 times larger), for which there is significant probability of occurrence in California. Not just Napa, but 25 other counties could be very badly hit and out of network. I recognized at that point there would be a huge need for situational awareness, for driving rescue and relief operations.It was clear that difficulties in the chaos following a natural disaster were not limited to the developing world. It is a worldwide issue and it affects all regions vulnerable to any kind of natural disaster. Not only rescue, but the importance of reconnaissance and recovery also became apparent.These two events crystallized for me the opportunity to solve the problem of post-disaster reconnaissance and rescue through artificial intelligence given the community scale and highly nonlinear nature of the problem. First up was earthquakes, as I was studying earthquake engineering at Stanford. I partnered with Nicole Hu and Timothy Frank, who were both driven to solve this problem based on their unique previous experiences. Nicole, at the time a computer science grad student, had worked for large companies in data science and Web security, but she was looking for a real-world problem that could really make a positive impact on people's lives. Timothy, a major in the U.S. Air Force and a Ph.D. candidate in structural engineering, had several years of experience in emergency management and disaster response. He was well aware of the current tools and processes in addition to the challenges and pain points that those in the emergency response community face. Like Nicole and me, Timothy was also driven by the impact this project could have on saving lives and strengthening communities.A combined class project between the Machine Learning and Performance Based Earthquake Engineering courses at Stanford was undertaken. Results of the project were compared with historical records. The goal was to see if damage to homes could be predicted on a community scale for the Napa earthquake. Results showed that our machine learning model accurately predicted structural damage to homes on a scale of 1-to-4 with significant accuracy.At the public presentation for the machine learning course, a venture capitalist who turned out to be our first investor and trusted adviser and mentor Mar Hershenson of Pejman Mar Ventures, stopped by to chat. She said if we were interested in starting a company, to let her know. Then, Stanford Machine Learning Professor Andrew Ng, famous for his pioneering roles with the Google Brain project and Coursera, stopped by to see our project. He immediately saw a need for it in the real world, and offered his support and advice to start a company, and to develop the class project into something more robust. It didn't take the three of us long to commit to taking the project forward and see if we can make a difference to communities all over California, the U.S. and the world.Our team of skilled and experienced domain experts in the fields of earthquake engineering and flood modeling have carefully selected our data sources. We are becoming a repository for organized geospatial data in the process.Our vision is to change the way society plans for, responds to and recovers from all types of natural disasters. Currently we provide critical situational awareness in the minutes and hours following an earthquake. Our core product is a Web platform called Seismic Concern that alerts you when an earthquake may have affected your jurisdiction, and displays a color-coded map of the likely structural damage. This saves time in reconnaissance and allows emergency operations centers to allocate their limited resources to rescue and recovery. It gets all the stakeholders a common operating picture and not only facilitates response prioritization, but also recovery operations such as material staging and shelter management. Apart from the map, the platform furnishes key insights like the elderly population in a particular block that is badly damaged, or the number of kids in a school which could be hit. This helps in instant situational awareness and assigning response priorities to the places that need the most help. For instance, an elementary school wouldnt be prioritized if an earthquake struck at midnight, but if it hit at 10 a.m. on a schoolday, it might jump to the top of the response priority list.Moreover, going to the phone network being jammed or lines being down, most people who have the worst damage cannot call 911. Seismic Concern is built on geographically distributed servers and redundant systems, which means our site will be up during an emergency when the emergency operations center needs it most.Compiling an Initial Damage Estimate (IDE) is critical for emergency operation centers to request financial aid from state level and federal authorities. Initially done using a windshield tour, wherein emergency managers carry out a quick reconnaissance survey of the area, street by street, it took around two months of time after the [2014] Napa earthquake to complete the process of requesting financial aid. "Seismic Concern" would provide a scientific basis to an IDE, an incident commander would be able to identify and quantify extent of damage to his jurisdiction with a significant amount of accuracy in minutes, thus saving a lot of time, and promising high precision.We use state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms and stochastic modeling on derived features, and proprietary models to do this for the people we serve, which as of now are exclusively local governments.Apart from the live response platform, One Concern also offers a training module, which works on the same artificial intelligence and stochastic modeling back end of Seismic Concern combined with state of art geophysical and seismological research. This technological breakthrough will enable emergency operations centers to train on scenarios based on actual simulations to get a real sense of the situation. The platform would provide damage from simulated earthquakes for emergency response drills before a disaster strikes. This can aid in personnel readiness and plans development, thereby making a community more resilient.We view the Seismic Concern Training module as democratizing the information in our platform, and allowing local agencies to inform, train and empower the public how to respond to predictive disaster scenarios. The training module is a powerful tool for public policy makers and emergency operation centers in their interactions with the public at large.We are receiving feedback from our beta partners that will allow us to improve the user experience, as well as add functionality to support the needs of the community. What we provide should change the way emergency managers do business. It should be easy to use, simple to understand, and facilitate action that will save time, money and lives. We won't stop until that mission is achieved.We interviewed dozens of experts in the emergency management community from all over the U.S. and beyond. We learned the foremost problem immediately following a disaster is situational awareness. All stakeholders need rapid, accurate information about the situation in a format easy to see and use. I'm sure we'll be making modifications and additions to our platform, but from some initial feedback, we hit the nail on the head with the foremost problem. We learned about how the emergency operations centers operate, how first responders and 911 call centers do their heroic jobs, how a diverse team of professionals work behind the scenes to coordinate response and recovery, how levels of emergency managers (e.g., city, county, state, federal) relate and report to each other to share resources and receive aid. The business of being ready and able to respond to anything at any time is a huge industry that spans the globe. The people we are working with are an invaluable resource to help us develop our platform. We expect our product to be one of their most valuable resources in their time of crisis. We empower heroes with the actionable information they need to save lives.We raised a seed round in the fall of 2015, grew our team, and deployed and refined the product. Based on feedback from our partners, we then built our training module. We'd like to reach out to any city or county who may be interested in being an early adopter of this revolutionary technology. We can be contacted at aboutus@oneconcern.com Imagine a scenario where you get notifications on your phone telling you to update your drivers license or that your car registration will expire in a month. Personalized government is a key focus for Mississippi, which in 2015 unveiled the MyMississippi program to tailor public-sector services to citizens. These programs, as well as several legacy initiatives, all trace back to CIO Craig Orgeron.As Orgeron enters his 19th year in the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, there is more to do than ever. It becomes abundantly clear upon talking with Orgeron that he is constantly thinking of the next project, the next step for government IT, whether its updating a decades-old system or figuring out the logistics of a new mobile-focused government service.The project he is most excited about is the idea of a more broadly focused as-a-service offering, tech as a service, which he describes as a customer-centric government. The MyMississippi program centers on making constituent interactions with the state as easy and pleasant as possible. He has automated several programs that used to require Mississippians to take time off to come into offices and wait in line like drivers license renewals, for example. Orgeron has streamlined the process and added protections for citizen data.Apart from these personalized systems, Orgeron has made it a priority to update several internal systems to get them ready for the future. Along with updating Mississippis revenue service and accounting system, the state health system has also been modernized in a partnership with the University of Mississippi. Although they arent the sexiest programs, they help simplify an often overly complicated system for the people they serve. Its really the guts that run government, he said. Richard Culatta is writing the playbook on how to move government technology forward in an innovative way. Throughout his career, hes helped large government organizations including the CIA, the White House and the U.S. Department of Education take a fresh look at solving problems using technology.I think technology can be incredibly powerful when its used to really enable people to do things that are transformative, Culatta said. Where Im less excited about technology is to simply digitize traditional practice. While his playbook is still a work in progress, Culatta shared three key strategies hes battle-tested during his career.1.. At the U.S. Department of Education, Culattas team built a story engine in a week, which allows schools to share and search for solutions to their education technology problems by region.2.. Culatta advocates for an iterative approach to technology projects, keeping the development team engaged and working on continuous improvements. This cant happen when developers are reassigned to other projects as soon as something is deemed done.3.. Ask technically talented people in the field to become short-term innovation fellows. Many people wont sign up for a long-term career in government, but theyre often willing to share their expertise for a year.As Rhode Islands first chief innovation officer, Culatta intends to create an innovation culture that crosses traditional government silos and tackles problems with new tools. Hell be listening to people who are closest to the problems and making it easier for citizens to interact with government. Hes also focused on providing more computer science learning opportunities for students.One of the most important ways to create an innovation economy is to make sure that there are great learning opportunities, he said. Thom Little is quick to acknowledge that any recognition going to him should be shared with the dedicated team at the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF) hes just the one putting together their programs.Born out of the legislative reform movement of the 1970s, the SLLF was intended to boost the overall effectiveness of state lawmaking bodies. Today, the organization provides nonpartisan educational training to elected leaders in state legislatures with titles like speaker of the house, senate president, and minority and majority leader.With SLLF since 1995, Little explained that technology is fundamentally changing the internal dynamics of legislatures. And not a lot of people are talking about it.Power is no longer associated with the ability to control information, because in the technology world that we live in, everybody has access to information, he explained. So the question their programs seek to answer is, How do you, in this new world of open access to information and the horizontal playing field, still lead your institution effectively and take advantage of the technology to improve the quality of policy and leadership?An example he cites is in Nevada. While the capital is in Carson City near Reno, 70 percent of the states population (and therefore legislators) is in Clark County, home to Las Vegas, near the states southernmost point. The SLLF encouraged virtual meetings as a cost-effective means of convening decision-makers more often than would otherwise be feasible.Littles next big endeavor is focused on millennials. While they make up only 5 percent of legislatures today, theyre poised to take over within a decade.It is a generation raised with every piece of information they need literally in the palm of their hand. They want to be persuaded. They want data. And Little and the SLLF are working to make sure their states legislative leadership is prepared to give it to them. Nico Rosberg is first in the queue to race with Mercedes in 2017. That is the claim of team boss Toto Wolff, with media reports in Germany declaring that 30-year-old Australian grand prix winner Rosberg's current deal is definitely expiring late this year. "Nico is part of the Mercedes family," Austrian Wolff told Sport Bild. "So he will be the first person we speak with. Then he has to tell us what he imagines also." It is clear that, shortly behind Rosberg in the queue is Pascal Wehrlein, the strongly Mercedes-backed reigning DTM champion who has been placed at Manor this year for his F1 debut. "Pascal has been given the responsibility at a young age to lead the Manor team," Wolff said. "We will watch him closely and then decide how to proceed with his career." (GMM) F1 needs to adapt to the changing shape of the world and media. That is the view of Alex Wurz, who on the same day as the release of the GPDA's controversial open letter on the state of the sport also spoke to the Austrian newspaper Kurier. Also late on Wednesday, Bernie Ecclestone announced that pay channel Sky will be given exclusive television rights to formula one in Britain from 2019. That sort of trend is worrying Wurz, a former F1 driver and now president of the drivers' union. "F1 has pursued a rigorous business model in the past two years to switch from public to pay television in some countries," he said. "Despite good financial results, the viewing figures have dropped," Wurz argued. "But in countries where the TV contracts have not changed, the ratings have stayed the same and even risen slightly here and there." Wurz argues that more of the same thinking is eroding the very foundation of F1 today -- the fans. Lewis Hamilton, for instance, has reportedly been forbidden by F1 supremo Ecclestone to film with his iPhone actual footage inside the paddock, for use in his increasingly notorious 'Snapchat' videos. Asked if F1 risks alienating a new audience, Wurz answered: "Absolutely. This is a good example of how the formula one model needs to be adapted. "One thing that is unstoppable is technology, and the ways in which one can reach new fans has changed. They are no longer sitting and waiting for us in front of the TV." He thinks F1 can learn something from the world of Le Mans prototype car racing, where Wurz has applied his driving talent in recent times until retiring. "Le Mans as a single product is extremely good because it is authentic and has a very clear message," said Wurz. "Man and machine against 24 hours. "Formula one is lacking this kind of clarity," he said. "Some talk of it as a sport, others as a show." (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed reports the controversial 'musical chairs' qualifying format could actually have survived the 2016 season opener. After the farcical debut session in Melbourne last Saturday, team bosses got together before Sunday's race and voted unanimously to scrap it ahead of Bahrain. "I was also confused as it was the first run and all the variables couldn't have been predicted, like how everything was decided in Q3," F1 supremo Ecclestone told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday. "We can improve." Indeed, reports earlier on Thursday suggested that the only proposal forwarded to the F1 Commission for approval by fax this week is actually a hybrid combination of the new format and the former, popular 2015 qualifying. "The teams are discussing that and they want to go back (to the 2015 format)," Ecclestone said. "If I were to give an opinion, I would say we will continue with the format from Australia." It is believed the Bahrain format could be the 'musical chairs' elements with 90 second eliminations for Q1 and Q2, before a 2015-style Q3. "I am a prudent man, and new things must be tested," Ecclestone continued. "The new qualifying caused a bit of shock, but maybe we can salvage the good of the format. "I am an entrepreneur and I must sell F1 to the race organisers. That is why I have to find the best solution and why having riders eliminated every 90 seconds could be exciting," he added. (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone on Thursday joined forces with F1 drivers who are complaining about the governance of the sport. Sections of the media had interpreted the Grand Prix Drivers' Association's rare letter this week as a scathing attack on authorities including the F1 supremo. But in a typed reply to the drivers on Thursday, the 85-year-old told them: "It is not always easy to agree with you but you are correct in stating that the decision-making process in the sport is obsolete and ill-structured." Actually, Ecclestone's own criticism of the current structure is not new, as he often hits out at FIA president Jean Todt's hands-off approach whilst ruing the days when he and Max Mosley ran F1 in a less democratic fashion. "We must as you have stated urge the owners and all stakeholders of formula one to consider restructuring its own governance," the Briton continued to tell the drivers. "You state that every individual acts with the very best intentions. I am not sure if this is a misprint. If not, it should read 'with their very best intentions'," Ecclestone concluded. The latter is almost certainly a reference to F1's team bosses, who can rarely agree on issues and rule-changes as they are competing against one another. But Ecclestone has even said Mercedes and Ferrari are abusing their position of dominance by effectively running a "cartel". In Melbourne, Ferrari's Maurizio Arrivabene dismissed the accusation as "simply ridiculous". His Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff agreed: "Bernie is always good for controversy and throwing one in. "Some of us are part of multinational global companies and we're taking compliance very seriously. So it just causes headlines but nothing else," he added. (GMM) However, the study also showed that autonomous vehicle (AV) technology following algorithms designed without considering efficiency can degrade fuel economy by up to 3%. In a paper published in the journal Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies , Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Constantine Samaras and Ph.D. student Avi Chaim Mersky suggest the need for a new near-term approach in fuel economy testing to account for connected and autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicle driving behavior can have a considerable effect on fuel economy. Researchers in the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University have determined that fuel efficiency for self-driving carswithin the bounds of current fuel economy testingcould improve by up to 10% under efficiency-focused control strategies when following another vehicle. The results of this study have shown that following control algorithms designed without considering fuel economy performance can perform significantly worse, while more intelligently designed control schemes may equal or exceed the base driver performance assumed by the EPA fuel economy tests. At present, with no incentive to design more fuel efficient autonomous rulesets, manufacturers may not design for increased fuel economy. They may design a system to maximize speed and/or acceleration, by default or as an option. In addition, this study found more advanced connected features can improve performance consistently and significantly, by improving the amount of time a vehicle can predict actions in the future. While the basic testing method outlined here would have to be expanded to meet US regulatory requirements in order to test automated vehicles, it does show the need for a new testing procedure. Additionally, while this study did not attempt to find an optimal control function, it is seen that attempting to significantly improve fuel economy without any predictive or connected features is challenging and inconsistent. This is because the lead vehicles behavior in the EPA tests is fairly non-aggressive, and the rules tested did not account for the full range of behaviors exhibited by the EPA drive cycles. In particular, none of the rulesets explicitly distinguished between abrupt emergency stops and general city stop-and-go traffic. The inability to account for this caused poor performance on the urban cycles, where such actions are common, and may have caused poorer performance than could be expected of vehicles following more robust control sets designed for stop-and-go traffic. Additionally the fuel consumption model used precluded any testing of grade-based optimization or broader fuel economy benefits of automation such as platooning or reduced congestion. As technology and adoption increases and the system becomes more efficient, the driving behavior of the lead vehicle as well as the entire system will change. Hence, car following algorithms will have less predictive power. What is clear is that rapid progress is being made in the development of autonomous and connected vehicles and that AV technology affects individual vehicle fuel economy. Given this, stakeholders can use the methods outlined here as a starting point in the discussions for the best path forward. Mersky and Samaras (2016) The proposed standardized method for testing the fuel economy effects of autonomous vehicle behavior when following another vehicle consisted of two steps. This approach is applicable for the near-term, when AVs will travel in traffic with primarily conventional vehicles, the researchers noted. They first abstracted the driverless vehicles control strategy for simulation to a simple one lane and one-dimensional road, with only one leading vehicle and perfect visibility; they then ran it following a vehicle obeying the EPAs FTP and HWFET drive cycles. These derived drive cycles were then tested with a dynamometer, similar to current testing. They then developed a series of simplified rulesets for adaptive cruise control (ACC) behavior and simulated the car following behavior for EPAs drive cycles. They estimated fuel economy using the Virginia Tech Comprehensive Fuel Consumption model. Because existing standardized tests dont consider AV technologies, there are limited incentives for car manufacturers to design cars for optimum fuel efficiency. The EPA can use our research as a starting point in redesigning fuel economy testing for autonomous vehicles. Constantine Samaras The researchers also looked at connected vehicle scenarios in which information about a lead cars travel behavior was communicated to an AV following this lead car. The study found that more advanced connectivity could enhance a vehicles performance by providing the vehicle with more time to plan future actions. The longer the vehicle plans into the future, the greater the fuel economy benefits. What we have quantified is that fuel economy testing will need to account for AV technologies in the not-so-distant future. Avi Mersky To start these discussions, the study provided suggestions on how current EPA fuel economy tests could be modified to address AV technologies. Resources US oil production has steadily lost ground over the past two quarters, with production falling more than a half million barrels per day since hitting a peak at nearly 9.7 million barrels per day (mb/d) in April 2015. American oil companies have gutted their budgets and have put off drilling plans, with many projecting absolute declines in 2016. Oil prices have climbed by about 50 percent from their February lows, topping $40 per barrel. But the rally could be reaching its limits, at least temporarily, as persistent oversupply and the prospect of new shale production caps any potential price increase. That has sparked a renewed sense of optimism among oil traders. Moreover, supply outages in places like Iraq and Nigeria have also knocked at least a quarter of a million barrels per day offline, an unexpected disruption that put upward pressure on prices in March. Geopolitical unrest still has the ability to influence prices, even while the world is awash in oil. More oil bulls are piling on in anticipation of the April OPEC meeting, on an unfounded belief that the production freeze may actually have any material impact on global oil supplies. But while oil traders have found some reasons to believe that oil prices are rising, there are just as many, if not more, data points to backup bearish sentiment. Storage levels in the US continue to set records, hitting 523 million barrels for the week ending on March 11. Until inventories start to deplete in a significant way, oil prices will face a lot of resistance trying to break above $40 per barrel. Iran also continues to add production, albeit at a slower-than-expected rate. In fact, the rally to $40 was largely driven by speculation. As short bets peaked and started to unwind, traders closed out positions at a rapid clip, helping to push prices up by $12 to $13 per barrel in less than two months. The trend continued last week as hedge funds and other major money managers increased their net-long positions on crude by another 17 percent. Short positions are now at their lowest levels since last June. But now, with oil traders taking the most bullish positions in months while the fundamentals still have not shifted in a correspondingly significant fashion, traders have set up the conditions where oil prices could snap back to the downside. Once it becomes clear that OPEC wont come to the rescue, and traders have taken bullish bets to unwarranted levels, prices could fall back to the mid-$30s. It isnt just a speculators game, however. The physical market could change as well with oil prices as high as they areshale drilling could comeback with oil prices at $40 per barrel and above. Some areas of North Dakota have breakeven prices at around $20 to $25 per barrel. Drilling for oil in shale is already a short-cycle eventa well can take weeks or months to be completed, whereas an offshore project can take several years. On top of the quick lead times, US shale companies are also sitting on thousands of drilled but uncompleted wells (DUCs). Over the past year, companies did not want to complete their wells and sell their output into a depressed market and/or they needed to save cash in the short-run so decided to defer well completions. That means a wave of production, the extent of which is unclear, could come back online when oil prices prove enticing enough. Reuters cited a Wood Mackenzie estimate that found that the backlog of DUCs has already begun to decline, falling by about one-third over the past six months. In the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford, more than 600 wells sit on the sideline awaiting completion, which could lead to the production of an additional 100,000 to 300,000 barrels per day. The backlog of DUCs should be worked through this year and next, returning to normal by the end of 2017. If the number of DUCs brought online is surprising to the upside, that means US production wont decline as quickly as people expect, Michael Wittner, global head of oil research at Societe Generale, told Reuters. More output is bearish. Companies could even be forced to complete more wells in a rush to meet debt payments. Neil Atkinson, head of the oil market division at the International Energy Agency (IEA), largely agrees with the potential shale restart. If prices keep rising, we could find that because of the cost cutting and the technology improvements that some of this marginal production is switched back on, he said in a March 18 interview with Fuelfix. But how long does it take to reassemble crews, get the labor, the equipment and all the rest of it? This is what we dont know. Baker Hughes reported that the oil rig count actually turned positive last week, rising by one to 387 (the overall rig count declined by four to hit 476, due to the loss of five natural gas rigs). Obviously, one data point does not prove a trend, but the dramatic declines in rig counts in 2016 have slowed and basically come to a halt in March. It is too early to tell, but drillers could begin to add more rigs if oil prices rise above various breakeven points. That is not good news for oil prices. Article Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/The-Current-Oil-Price-Rally-Is-Reaching-Its-Limits.html WACO, Texas A McLennan County grand jury returned 48 new indictments Wednesday in the May 17 Twin Peaks shootout between rival biker groups. Courthouse records show that 48 indictments were returned on first-degree charges of engaging in organized criminal activity, and a source said six of the 48 were sealed, meaning the people indicted have not yet been arrested. Including the 48 indictments Wednesday, 154 people have now been indicted in connection to the deadly shootout. While McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna released a statement Wednesday afternoon about the grand jurys actions, he refused to speak to the Tribune-Herald about the new biker cases. From this point, these cases will be assigned to a court, and an arraignment date will be set for each case. This is an ongoing investigation and will continue, Reynas statement read. The same grand jury returned 106 indictments in November that charged bikers who were at Twin Peaks that day with engaging in organized criminal activity. The grand jurys term was extended by 90 days in December to continue reviewing the Twin Peaks cases. The grand jurys term expires at the end of March, and no new date was set Wednesday for it to return. Police arrested 177 bikers after the Twin Peaks melee. It was unclear Wednesday whether Reynas office will pursue charges against those bikers who were arrested but are yet to be indicted. There were no no-bills or cases a grand jury declines to indict reported to the district clerks office after Wednesdays grand jury session. Nine bikers were killed and more than two dozen were wounded during the shootout. Unlike the first round of identical indictments, which alleged 10 bikers were killed in the incident, the new indictments issued Wednesday corrected the mistake and allege nine people died. Also, a biker whose name was misspelled in the first round of indictments, who was alleged to have been wounded, has been omitted from the list of wounded in the new indictments. Engaging in organized criminal activity is a first-degree felony punishable by a minimum of 15 years in prison and up to life. Tribune-Herald staff writer Kristin Hoppa contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In Denmark, youll find the happiest country in the world. (Though its up for debate whether its a socialist paradise or, merely, paradise) Scandinavian countries dominated the newly updated World Happiness Report 2016. Denmark moved back into the top spot, overtaking last years winner, Switzerland. The region's other three countries -- Norway, Finland and Sweden -- also ranked in the top 10. SURVEY: The happiest cities in America The United States landed at No. 13. The country moved up to second in its region this year, surpassing Costa Rica and Mexico. In the Americas, only Canada does better at No. 6. The index has been published since 2012 by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a U.N. organization. Researchers look at several factors to determine quality of life in 157 countries. The report analyzes GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, trust in government and business, perceived freedom and generosity (full report here). The worlds happiest country has been a favorite reference point for one liberal candidate for president. Democratic socialist candidate Bernie Sanders repeatedly has praised the Danes as a country that represents his vision for the United States. In response, the center-right Danish Prime Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen has said Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy. READ THIS: 15 things you didnt know about Bernie Sanders Still, Denmark and the rest of the countries at the top of the list have strong social safety nets, including widely available health care and education. However, these countries also have fairly homogeneous populations unlike the United States. Rasmussen came to power with support from the anti-immigration Danish Peoples Party. The least happy countries are made up of impoverished nations, often in the middle of political crises and violent unrest. Burundi finished last, just ahead of Syria, Togo and Afghanistan. Global powers like China (No. 83) and Russia (No. 56) finished far behind the U.S. A couple of countries, such as Venezuela (No. 44) and Greece (No. 99), plummeted in rankings from 2015 to 2016 due to recent economic disasters. Meet the 25 happiest countries in the world in the gallery above. A good place to stick to talking about the weather. Photo: Google The manager of a Burger King in Greenville, South Carolina, is out of a job after commenting on a sensitive case: Officer Allen Jacobs, a white decorated war vet, was shot to death last Friday by a black teenage gang member, who then turned the gun on himself. The incident is making national headlines, and, not shockingly, popping up in peoples conversations at this particular Burger King. A regular named Rachel Sanders was discussing the incident with an employee named Connie on Tuesday when she says the manager (whose identity hasnt been confirmed) interjected that Jacobs simply got what he deserved.Sanders described the whole exchange in a Facebook post thats since hit 20,000 shares: I have never been so mad in my life!!! I usually go to Burger King on Laurens Road often. When going there today thePosted by Rachel Sanders on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 The manager reportedly let Connie, the employee Sanders was talking to, go later that same day. Sanders says she complained to Burger Kings corporate office and the franchise owner, who informed her he was firing the manager and offering Connie her job back. Corporate mostly punted the issue back to the franchisee, saying, We are concerned about this incident and take these matters very seriously. The Franchise Owner, who independently owns and operates this restaurant, is launching an investigation in accordance with their personnel procedures. But according to Sanders, the owner already apologized for the managers comment and told her thats the reason he terminated her. The manager, meanwhile, maintains she actually got fired for canning Connie in an inappropriate way, that theres no way shed say something like that about the officer, and that this fiasco is really all about somebody getting terminated and trying to get revenge. Its a charged atmosphere, to say the very least. Not helping matters is the fact that Sanderss Facebook profile pic is Jacobs badge, or that the manager says her maiden name, Mackey, is the same as the suspects, though she stresses shes not related to him. [WYFF] Its all happening quickly. Photo: Melissa Hom When By Chloes Chloe Coscarelli told Grub, Its all happening quickly, she wasnt exaggerating: Aside from opening a second New York location (in Soho) and an outpost in a Los Angeles Whole Foods, Coscarelli and her business partner, Samantha Wasser, will also bring her vegan fast-food concept to Bostons Seaport District this summer. This location will seat 48 and feature her signature salads, cupcakes, and veggie burgers. At this rate, there will be a By Chloe in every shuttered Chipotle space by 2017. [Boston Globe] Now in pod form. Photo: Starbucks Heres some good news for people who suffer from seasonal PSLW, a.k.a. Pumpkin Spice Latte withdrawal, a.a.k.a. that sadness lasting from late December until the Starbucks drink goes back on sale in the fall. Yes, there are black-market solutions, but now theres an official way to get your fix, too: Starbucks will introduce a K-Cup version of the insanely popular beverage. At its annual shareholder meeting Thursday, CEO Howard Schultz announced the PSL will join several of the chains more pedestrian drinks, like the vanilla latte and mocha, as part of a line of new push-button coffees. The PSL K-Cups will only be available in the fall like the actual drink, but given the fact that the little coffee cups basically never go bad, fanatics will be able stock up like a bunch of end-times survivalists. (Of course, to be lattelike the line will have to rely on some kind of powdered dairy product, which is basically the perfect milk to complement the espresso already in K-Cups.) Other drinks and flavors are certainly possible, although nuance kind of gets lost in pod form, so probably dont expect a Chestnut Praline Latte or Holiday Spice Flat White option for the foreseeable future. However, peppermint-mocha pods will be available during the holiday season, Schultz notes. Its a logical way for Starbucks to build its empire outside its cafes, a goal the chain also plans to work toward by debuting bottled cold brew in grocery stores, as well a prepaid Visa card that will earn angry rewards-program members points on whatever they can buy with a Visa, be it bodega toilet paper or, ahem, Dunkin Donuts coffee. Starbucks had previously suggested it might put some daylight between itself and struggling single-serve behemoth Keurig, but if this new product is successful, Starbucks may simply be able to take Keurig over. [Fortune] These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Haiti - Politic : current governance difficulties had to be addressed in a persistent manner dixit Gustavo Gallon Wednesday in Geneva, the Council for Human Rights held, under the technical assistance and capacity building, an interactive dialogue with Gustavo Gallon, the Independent Expert in charge of the situation of human rights in Haiti. Presenting his report on Haiti, Mr. Gallon focused on the following issues : illiteracy, prolonged arbitrary detention, absence of elections, impunity for past crimes, and the situation of victims of natural disasters. He noted that the current governance difficulties in Haiti had to be addressed in a persistent manner and with concrete solutions. The rights of Haitian women had to be given priority since they were particularly vulnerable in the country. Haiti, speaking as the concerned country, stated that a number of measures had been initiated to hold elections, and to deal with pre-trial detention through the modification of laws. Regarding illiteracy, measures had been undertaken but the process was ongoing and it required resources. Other measures had been undertaken on strengthening the credibility of the judiciary and countering the problem of statelessness and registration of children. In the ensuing discussion speakers urged Haiti to work closely with the Independent Expert to implement recommendations, and emphasised the necessity of combatting pre-trial detention and impunity. There was a need to advance the rule of law and security in Haiti as better access to justice and strengthening o the prison system were key to bringing about progress. Haitis efforts to promote sustainable development and to eradicate cholera deserved greater support. Gustavo Gallon, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, focused his presentation on the following issues: illiteracy, prolonged arbitrary detention, absence of elections, impunity for past crimes, and the situation of victims of natural disasters. The new Government that had been formed in January 2015 had failed to organize elections on three occasions, the last one being in December 2015. The Government had established a National Commission for Electoral Evaluation which had found procedural irregularities and had called for a political dialogue and a technical examination of the electoral machinery. On 5 February 2016, the President of Haiti Michel Martelly and the Presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives had signed an agreement, according to which Mr. Martellys mandate would end on 7 February 2016 and then the Parliament would choose an interim President for 120 days. The date for the elections had been set for 24 April 2016. The holding of credible elections was at the centre of common interest in Haiti, and it was key for upholding human rights, Mr. Gallon stressed. Turning to the issue of illiteracy, Mr. Gallon noted that the Government had not provided information concerning the ongoing literacy campaign. Almost half of the population was illiterate and at the current pace the illiteracy would not decrease in the next 20 years. The reduction of arbitrary prolonged detention was another issue that required serious attention, Mr. Gallon said. In March 2015 the Ministry of Justice had launched a campaign to enhance the work of judges, in cooperation with law students. However, the campaign had not brought about concrete results for the persons in detention, who comprised almost 72 per cent of the incarcerated population of Haiti. As for the situation of persons who were displaced in camps due to the earthquake and cyclones, 60,000 persons remained there. Regarding the persons of Haitian origin who had had to leave the Dominican Republic, Mr. Gallon explained that 2,500 persons had been distributed in five camps where they lived in precarious conditions and risked contracting diseases such cholera. He called on the authorities of Haiti to take urgent measures to provide access to persons deported from the Dominican Republic with access to health, education, food and drinking water. Regarding the victims of cholera, he insisted on the recommendation that a commission for truth, justice and reparation be formed in order to provide redress to more than 9,000 victims of cholera. Mr. Gallon noted that the current governance difficulties in Haiti had to be addressed in a persistent manner and with concrete solutions. The rights of Haitian women had to be given priority since they were particularly vulnerable in the country. Statement by the Concerned Country Haiti, speaking as the concerned country, said the Independent Expert had visited and observed the efforts deployed by the Government to promote and protect human rights in Haiti. A number of measures had been initiated, including on pre-trial detention, which was being dealt with by modifying the laws as well as providing alternatives. Regarding illiteracy, a number of measures had been undertaken but the process was ongoing, and required resources. After the postponement of the elections which had been due to take place on 24 January 2016, a political agreement had been signed between the executive and the legislative branches, resulting in a Provisional President, for a period of 120 days, whose mission was to name a Prime Minister by consensus, revitalise the provisional Electoral Council, and carry out the electoral process. Other measures had been undertaken on strengthening the credibility of the judiciary and countering the problem of statelessness and registration of children. Haiti thanked the Independent Exert for his solidarity with the Haitian people and the people of Haitian origin returning from the Dominican Republic, and for his petition to create the Truth, Justice and Reparations Commission. Interactive Dialogue European Union urged Haiti to work closely with the Independent Expert to implement recommendations, and emphasised the necessity of combatting pre-trial detention and impunity. Dominican Republic, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, spoke in favour of the electoral process, and urged various sectors to give privilege to dialogue, noting that the situation of human rights in Haiti was complex and had been worsened by the earthquake in 2010. Brazil, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends of Haiti, reiterated the Groups support for the mandate of the Independent Expert within the context of technical assistance and capacity building, and added that Haitis efforts to promote sustainable development deserved greater support. Spain thanked the Independent Expert for the report, which was far-reaching, and noted that it was only thanks to strong institutions with democratic legitimacy that threats facing Haiti could be dealt with. United States asked the Independent Expert to share some observations on prison conditions and elaborate on conditions in the migrant settlements along the countrys border, among other questions. Chile said that there was a need to advance the rule of law and security in Haiti, adding that better access to justice and strengthening of the prison system had to receive concerted efforts, also asking the Independent Expert for his suggestions for measures to reduce social inequality. Cuba reiterated that any discussion on Haiti had to recall the responsibility of the international community for the reconstruction and development of Haiti, as it had a heavy debt towards this country. All had an obligation to provide financial resources to Haiti. France encouraged Haiti to continue its cooperation with the Independent Expert on the promotion of human rights. France supported the five priorities highlighted by the Independent Expert, namely combatting social inequalities, improving conditions of detention, reinforcing the institutions, fighting against impunity, and addressing humanitarian needs. United Kingdom noted that the human rights situation was complex and that the five key challenges identified by the Independent Expert had hampered progress for decades. Strong political will by the Haitian Government, active engagement by civil society, together with continued engagement by the international community, were essential to effectively improve the situation. Morocco welcomed the initiatives of Haiti to combat hunger and malnutrition, which it aimed to eradicate by 2025. It also noted the initiatives undertaken by the Government in the areas of education and the rule of law, and was ready to share its experience on transitional justice. Brazil said 2015 was a decisive year in Haitis history. The success of the election process would be an essential step in the countrys institutional building and democratic consolidation. All efforts to support Haiti had to be made bearing in mind the main objectives of consolidating the rule of law and fighting against poverty. China welcomed the positive efforts on the political process, security and protecting human rights. It noted that the situation was still complex, and the restoration of peace and reconstruction still remained a battle. Underdevelopment was a root cause and the international community had an obligation in this respect. Venezuela said the terrible earthquake of 2010 had had dire consequences on over 3 million people. It called on the international community to support Haiti in its efforts to eradicate cholera. Solidarity and urgent measures were needed, without interference into the sovereignty and independence of Haiti. United Nations Watch was alarmed about the growing incidence of prolonged pre-trial detention, which affected more than 70 per cent of all detainees in Haiti, and was concerned about extreme social, political and economic inequalities. FIDH was concerned about continued impunity for the most serious crimes committed during the Duvalier dictatorships, military regimes and the Aristide Presidency, and called on Haiti to ensure the protection and physical integrity of human rights defenders. International Association of Democratic Lawyers said that cholera continued to ravage Haiti, and echoed calls to respect cholera victims right to an effective remedy. Human Rights Watch expressed concern about the lack of water and sanitation in schools, often exposing children to health hazards such as diarrhoea, worm infections and cholera. Concluding Remarks Haiti, speaking as the concerned country, said that it remained committed to the creation of the rule of law. The Independent Experts recommendations formed an important part of that, and Haiti also expressed a wish to build a society based on economic participation, among other factors, and wished to continue cooperating with all bodies in the United Nations system. Gustavo Gallon, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, said in response to questions on overcoming challenges through international efforts that there had been a lot of cooperation over the years with Haiti and a lot of political will had been shown, but cooperation generally had been somewhat scattered. If efforts of the involved parties could be joined together, results would be better. Regarding prison conditions, he said that unfortunate coincidences had reduced the positive perception of the Governments recent initiatives on that matter. Regarding the conditions of migrants along the countrys borders with the Dominican Republic, he said it was a difficult situation for many people, which was related to both countries. The problem of documentation and nationality was one aspect of the problem. Legal solutions could resolve that problem, which also had economic aspects. A policy oriented toward providing basic services was needed. Regarding the electoral process, he said it was an uncertain situation and it was difficult to say what the Government could do. Regarding measures to offset social inequality, he mentioned the need to measure things of a structural nature, such as tax relief measures and the right to water. Reliable public services and housing were also of importance. He said it was not necessary to have a reform of the Constitution. Regarding improving the conditions of minors in prisons, he said that one problem seen very often in Haiti was a lack of time when the judges had to deal with decisions on whether or not to imprison or free someone. He expressed a wish for Member States to continue working with Haiti to strengthen human rights in the country. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16768-haiti-justice-gustavo-gallon-dissatisfied-with-the-prison-of-croix-des-bouquets.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16762-haiti-justice-conclusion-of-the-un-independent-expert.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16667-haiti-justice-monitoring-mission-of-gustavo-gallon.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Culture : International Poster Contest, Festival Haiti en Folie To celebrate its 10th edition, the Festival Haiti en Folie to be held in Montreal from 25 to 31 July, launching an international poster contest! Recall that through its programming (music, cinema, theater, gastronomy, dance, literature, handicrafts, painting and others...) the festival Haiti en Folie, the largest multidisciplinary festival outside Haiti entirely dedicated to Haitian culture, presents and disseminates Haitian culture in Quebec's metropolis for a week. Contest : You are graphic designers, artists, illustrators, photographers or poster artists and you like Haitian culture ? You are creative, open and imaginative ? Send us your poster proposals for the chance to win a prize of 500 Canadian dollars. Send us your achievements and your information by filling out the online registration form : www.haitienfolie.com/index.php/concours-d-affiche Specifications : Format required for preselection: File low resolution JPG (2-3 MB) Application deadline : April 15, 2016 The poster must contain the following information : 10e edition FESTIVAL HAITI EN FOLIE 25 juillet 31 juillet | Montreal www.haitienfolie.com Haiti through its colors, its culture, its rhythm, and warmth, let your imagination and get creative ! Prize : The Festival presented the winner a prize of 500 Canadian dollars (see Article 9 of the Regulation) Use : The winning poster will appear on all promotional and communication tools of the 10th edition of Haiti en Folie. Declensions and final formats : The official poster of the festival will then be available in several formats (width x height) 4 x 6 feet; 27 x 40 inches; 24 x 36 inches; 18 x 24 inches; 7 x 9 inches etc... Please note that by submitting a poster project YOU implicitly give your AGREE with all the Terms and Contest Rules HL/ HaitiLibre Multi-award winning jazz, pop and R&B group Take 6 recently stopped by PBS for a sit-down with Tavis Smiley to talk about the release of their latest album Believe. The episode airs on March 25 on PBS (check your local listings). The ten-time Grammy winners performed two songs, including "When Angels Cry," the first single from Believe. Take 6's highly-anticipated new album Believe will be available worldwide on March 25. "When Angels Cry," the first single from the new album, is available for purchase on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon and streaming on Spotify. Pre-order "Believe" from SRG and receive a limited edition poster here. Also available on Amazon here. The "baddest vocal cats on the planet" according to Quincy Jones, Take 6, are launching a European tour in April that will take the group to France, Italy, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Norway and Georgia.View the full schedule here. Known for working with some of the biggest and most iconic names in music, including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Justin Timberlake, Al Jarreau, Don Henley and James Taylor, to name a few, Take 6 will delight music lovers with "Believe," a contemporary record filled with exciting collaborations and new material with every hallmark of the classic Take 6 sound. Motown Legend Stevie Wonder met up with the guys in Nashville to contribute his exquisite harmonica playing to the song "You Know You Are In Love." Take 6's uniquely cutting-edge style is comprised of six virtuosic voices united in crystal clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and funky grooves. All of this bubbles into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B and pop. Take 6 are quintessential a cappella. The group, considered torchbearers for an entire reemergence of a cappella as a musical movement, has been performing together since their days at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama in 1980. Their debut album scored two 1988 Grammy Awards and landed in the Top Ten Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. Twenty seven years later, the most talked-about vocal group of all time, TAKE 6 is in greater demand than ever, selling out shows all over the world. They have performed on Saturday Night Live, the Oscars, the Grammys, had the honor of performing for four sitting U.S. Presidents, and appeared at the Democratic National Convention. The group, which has inspired and been a founding influence to a generation of recording artists including Boys to Men and 'N Sync, has collaborated with a who's who of artists - including Stevie Wonder, Gordon Goodwin, Don Henley, Whitney Houston, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, kd lang, Queen Latifah, Brian McKnight, Luis Miguel, Marcus Millier, Joe Sample, Ben Tankard and Cece Winans. TAKE 6 Tour Dates: Apr 01 Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, P.A. April 06 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, N.J. Apr 08 Mayo Center for the Performing Arts, Morristown, N.J. Apr 10 NYCB Theatre at Westbury, Westbury, N.Y. Apr 26 Tapiola Park, Espoo, Finland Apr 27 New Morning, Paris, France Apr 30 Blue Note Milan, Milano, Italy Apr 30 Blue Note Milan, Milano, Italy May 01 Kauno Zalgirio Arena, Kaunas, Lithuania May 02 A Capella Woche at Pavilion, Hannover, Germany May 03 A-Trane Berlin, Germany May 04 Scandic Nidelven Hotel, Trondheim, Norway May 05 Hamar Kulturhus, Hamar, Norway May 07 Teatro Alighieri, Ravenna, Italy May 08 Auditorium Arvedi c/o Museo del Violino, Cremona, Italy May 09 La Citta del Teatro, Cascina, Italy Tags : take 6 take 6 news take 6 new album take 6 believe tavis smiley By Lisa Espinosa | Published on 2016/03/23 If there is one thing that can almost always bolster ratings it is a good kiss...or two! Hello 30% ratings - 30.4% to be exact. The Song-Song couple not only shared two very romantic kissing scenes (and a good roll in the hay,) but the episode was bolstered by the high-intensity romantic moments between Song-Song and Myeong-joo and Dae-yeong. There were a few small moments, those beautiful moments that showcased themselves during the thick of the earthquake, that colored this romantic episode for the better. Advertisement The chief non-romantic moment belonged to Chi-hoon, and Onew, whose immense guilt over his cowardice as a doctor weighs him down so heavily that he gives up his seat on the plane home. I was very pleasantly surprised by Onew's performance and hope that we can see significant growth in Chi-hoon throughout the drama, especially with the perceptive Doctor Song as his mentor. That growth is great for the character and also for Onew to really delve into nuanced acting. As for the romance that has gone into full bloom between Si-jin and Mo-yeon, we don't lose the bickering, but the bickering has, quite thankfully, lost it's edge. Fellow doctor Myeong-joo helps shed light on the difficult situation of loving a man who constantly runs headlong into danger. Mo-yeon is adult enough to take it into consideration and let down her defensiveness to let her feelings, and Si-jin's consideration of her, take over. It was good to see. She understands truly his persistent sense of humor, a shield against extreme difficulty, as well as enjoys it. She appreciates his job rather than fears it. For a while I was worried that she'd be a killjoy forever. But she now recycles all their once tense dialogue to now imply something much more gentle and romantic. This dialogue manipulation is something that Writer Kim has always done well. Episode 9 does mark the midway point of the drama and a logical place to trigger the big romantic moments. It is around this time that dramas normally introduce a kiss and new conflict. We got both kissing and conflict without the typical love triangle, and a few jokes are made at the faux triangle's expense. The mysterious, belligerent Argus who has been floating around and threatening people has finally come into direct conflict with Si-jin. I say, it's about time. He's been posing an invisible threat for much too long. There is situation that I both loved and hated. Dae-yeong has been avoiding a relationship with Myeong-joo because of her father's opposition, but he finally decides to fight for their relationship. I appreciate that he finally reached that point. (Again, the timing is probably due to the halfway point in the show.) What I despised about his confession is her father's meddling. Why must parents always meddle and deliver ultimatums? In this case, he has to give up his military career for a chance to marry the woman he loves. It points back to the danger inherent in a soldier's life, a recurring theme in the show. Soldier's face death and become bearers of death. They are constantly juxtaposed with the medical professionals, saviors of life. The very end of the episode pays homage to that theme in a brilliant and terrifying way. What makes this romantic episode different from the beginning episodes is that there is movement throughout. Things are happening, people are changing, and the story doesn't singularly revolve around Si-jin and Mo-yeon jonesing for each other. I quite enjoyed it, the beautiful showcasing of scenery, and the action bits thrown in here and there. Yes, some parts were quite contrived, but that is to be expected by this point. Come on, Writer Kim. Bring on the next episode and make it a good one. Anyone here for 31%? Written by: Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy' "Descendants of the Sun" is directed by Lee Eung-bok, Baek Sang-hoon, written by Kim Eun-sook and Kim Won-seok-II, and features Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, and Kim Ji-won. Watch on Viki Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby. 20:37, 21 OCT 2022 estern Australian university is likely to be hit with an unfair dismissal case after sacking an employee who circulated a series of memes poking fun at his employer.The University of Western Australia fired senior administrative officer James Mitton from its school of indigenous studies in February after discovering he had shared a series of edited pictures with a small circle of colleagues.Mitton sent the photo-shopped memes in response to an announcement by the institutions vice chancellor, Paul Johnson, who informed staff only weeks before Christmas that 300 of them would lose their jobs in the new year.Following the announcement, Mitton shared a series of edited pictures with three of his colleagues, one which had been created in greeting card format, with the Grinch-like message: Seasons Greetings, I hope youre employable elsewhere in 2016.Another meme featured the institutions vice-chancellor posing in front of a pit of fire with visible devils fangs, while the third depicted his face superimposed over a movie poster with the tagline: Pledged to crush.The Universitys HR department suspended Mitton without pay on February 9 over the emails, alleging serious misconduct.In its letter, the institutions HR department cited inappropriate and disrespectful photos and said that his referring to the university as evil was part of his alleged serious misconduct.However, HR said Mittons reaction to this letter was what ultimately led to his dismissal on March 3, as his written response had been recalcitrant, used disrespectful language and constituted another example of serious misconduct.Mitton has hit back, claiming the University failed to conduct a proper investigation into the alleged misconduct and thus did not follow procedural fairness when managing his dismissal.The employee has engaged the National Tertiary Education Union to help him fight his termination and News.com.au reports that an unfair dismissal case will be filed with the Fair Work Commission However, the employer will need to prove that it acted proportionately when terminating the employee, if it wants to come out on top of a FWC hearing, says employment lawyer Benjamin Marshall from Arnold Bloch Leibler.While making critical comments about your employer may be grounds for summary dismissal, Marshall says employers and HR professionals need to conduct proper workplace investigations before deciding to terminate an employee.Serious or gross misconduct is a very high threshold to meet, requiring a careful balancing of the circumstances to determine the appropriate response given the severity of the misconduct, Marshall told HC Online.Establishing gross or serious misconduct (the terms are used interchangeably) usually requires conduct by the employee that is fundamentally inconsistent with the continuation of the employment, he says.It involves questions of degree as to whether the specific conduct is sufficiently serious to warrant immediate termination.Marshall says the real question is whether the University acted proportionately in sacking Mitton, given the severity of his conduct.Is Mittons conduct, viewed as whole against his obligations, so serious that the University could not reasonably be expected to continue to employ him? Marshall says.He says that as an employee, Mitton owes various duties to his employer regarding appropriate standards of conduct.These duties may extend to obligations not to distribute offensive material to other employees or through the Universitys network, not to bully or disparage other staff (including the Vice Chancellor) or not to undermine the difficult message the University was delivering at the time about job cuts, Marshall says."As an academic, there may be an implied term of his contract of employment that make free comment in relation to his area of learning, but that is unlikely to be relevant here."While there is no general right to freedom of speech under Australian law, Marshall says there are rights to make complaints in relation to your employment.However, he says itis not clear that Mittons conduct constitutes a complaint.Mittons speech in the form of a meme, appears to do little more than ridicule the Vice Chancellor and suggest he was evil, Marshall says.As an academic, there may be an implied term of his contract of employment that make free comment in relation to his area of learning, but that is unlikely to be relevant here.Marshall says the critical point is for the employer to show that it has acted proportionately, and while there is no general requirement for employers to appoint an independent investigator, HR must conduct appropriate investigations before deciding to terminate. MerleFest, presented by Window World and slated for April 28May 1, 2016, is pleased to announce that John Oates, a legend of American music, will be joining the official 2016 festival lineup as the final addition. With over 100 artists featured, including John Prine, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jason Isbell, Dave Rawlings Machine, Brandi Carlile, The Wood Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tim OBrien, Tommy Emmanuel, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Alison Brown, Doug Seegers and more, MerleFest 2016 is living up to its reputation as the nations annual homecoming of music lovers! Also announced, Donna the Buffalo will host the much-anticipated Midnight Jam at the Walker Center, and the Jam will be sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation. John Oates Added to MerleFest Lineup John Oates is one-half of pop musics legendary group Hall & Oates. Since the formation of their partnership in the early 70s, Hall & Oates have gone on to record 21 albums which have sold over 80 million units, making them the most successful duo in rock history. They have scored 10 number one records, over 20 top 40 hits and have toured the world for decades. In addition to their numerous American Music and MTV awards, in 2005 they were inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame and in May of 2008 were presented the prestigious BMI Icon Award for their outstanding career achievement in song writing. Since 1999, John has recorded five solo albums: Phunk Shui, 1000 Miles of Life, Mississippi Mile and a live album called The Bluesville Sessions. His latest project is called: A Good Road to Follow, which began as a series of digital singles featuring collaborations with legendary as well as new rising stars. Donna the Buffalo Hosts Midnight Jam MerleFest is also pleased to announce that renowned Americana band Donna the Buffalo will host the Midnight Jam, sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation. This popular Saturday after-hours hootenanny gathers together many performers from the festival for impromptu artistic collaborations and one-of-a-kind superstar jams that have become legendary in the festivals history. The Midnight Jam takes place at the Walker Center; a separate ticket is required and available for purchase by four-day ticket holders and Saturday-only ticket holders. Artists confirmed to play the Midnight Jam include Donna the Buffalo, Tommy Emmanuel, Peter Rowan, Mipso, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado, Wood & Wire, Billy Strings, Becky Buller, South Carolina Broadcasters, Jim Lauderdale, Lindsay Lou and The Flatbellys and Joe Smothers. Additional artists may be added. Many years ago, Tony Rice and a few others started the Midnight Jam, remembers Steve Johnson, Artist Relations Manager at MerleFest. From there the Midnight Jam has become a highlight of the MerleFest weekend, bringing together unique configurations and surprising ensembles of musicians gathered at the festival. You never know who may walk out from behind the curtain to take the stage on Saturday night in the Walker Center! And, for 2016, we are extremely excited to have MerleFest fan favorite Donna the Buffalo serving as the host band along with The Bluegrass Situation. Mobile App Ready for Download: MerleFest is pleased to unveil the 2016 MerleFest mobile app for the festival. Now available for download, the MerleFest mobile app is offered at no charge to users and features the MerleFest lineup and stage schedules, artist biographies, map, announcements, social media links and more. The app allows users to plan for their entire MerleFest experience. Users who currently have the MerleFest mobile app will receive a prompt on their phones to download the 2016 version of the app. The app is compatible with Android and iOS platforms. A bonus for MerleFest fans: once downloaded, the app will be fully functional without having connection to phone service. The current MerleFest 2016 lineup and stage schedules are available on the mobile app and online at www.MerleFest.org/lineup. Tickets for MerleFest 2016 may be purchased at www.MerleFest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An Early Bird discount is available through April 27, 2016. More About The Bluegrass Situation: Discover more about The Bluegrass Situation and past Midnight Jams at TheBluegrassSituation.com. More About MerleFest: MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of traditional plus music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. The annual event has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket The following information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Compiled by Jessica Isaacs The following were provided by the Watauga County Sheriffs Office. March 14 INCIDENT: Drug violations were reported at 8562 N.C. Highway 105 S in Boone. INCIDENT: Calls for service were reported at 244 Devils Den Road in Banner Elk. March 15 INCIDENT: Possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia were reported at 521 Meadowview Drive Apt. 301 in Boone. INCIDENT: Fraud was reported at 111 Maple Ridge Drive in Boone. INCIDENT: Fraud unauthorized use of conveyance was reported at 509 Linville Creek Road. INCIDENT: Calls for service were made at 146 Darby Court Unit A in Boone. ARREST: A female suspect, 41, of 164 Woodland Hills Road in Burnsville, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor drug violations equipment/paraphernalia. She was held under a $10,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 15. March 16 INCIDENT: Breaking and entering and larceny from buildings were reported at 304 Clint Norris Road Apt. 6 in Boone. INCIDENT: Fraud was reported at 1388 Tater Hill Road in Zionville. March 17 INCIDENT: Assault and battery, communicating threats and injury to personal property were reported at 202 Hickory Knoll in Deep Gap. INCIDENT: An automobile accident was reported at 280 Sunny Acres Overlook in Boone. INCIDENT: Overdose and simple assault were reported at 280 Sunny Acres Overlook in Boone. March 18 INCIDENT: Drug violations were reported at Blue Ridge Diner, 5176 Old U.S. Highway 421 S in Deep Gap. ARREST: A male suspect, 41, of 823 Link Place in Lenoir, was charged with failure to pay child support. He was held under a $3,849 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 11. ARREST: A male suspect, 23, of 1395 John Lutz Circle in Lincolnton, was charged with DWLR and driving with an open container of alcoholic beverage and is scheduled to appear in court on May 16. ARREST: A male suspect, 35, of 1212 Hinshaw St. in North Wilkesboro, was charged with failure to appear. He was held under a $500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on May 13. March 19 INCIDENT: Larceny was reported at 2251 Long Hope Road in Todd. ARREST: A male suspect, 23, of 841 Trivette Circle in Sugar Grove, was charged with felony breaking and entering a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property and misdemeanor trespassing. He was held under a $10,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 15. ARREST: A male suspect, 23, of 337 Junaluska Road in Boone, was charged with absconder probation violation. He was held under a $5,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 8. ARREST: A female suspect, 43, of 188 Herring Loop Apt. 206 in Boone, was charged with m-school attendance law violation and is scheduled to appear in court on April 1. ARREST: A female suspect, 43, of 188 Herring Loop Apt. 206 in Boone, was charged with m-school attendance law violation and is scheduled to appear in court on April 1. ARREST: A female suspect, 40, of 174 Corbett McNeil Road in Boone, was charged with fraud worthless checks and is scheduled to appear in court on April 27. ARREST: A female suspect, 43, of 444 Roby Greene Road in Boone, was charged with OFA FTA. She was held under a $420 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 8. March 20 INCIDENT: Assault with a deadly weapon and assault and batter inflicting injury were reported at 1119 Dogwood Road in Boone. INCIDENT: Larceny was reported at 1534 N.C. Highway 194 N in Boone. INCIDENT: Larceny was reported at 4234 Rush Branch Road in Sugar Grove. INCIDENT: Calls for service were reported at 954 U.S. Highway 321 N in Vilas. ARREST: A female suspect, 42, of 227 Cara Lane in Boone, was charged with fraud worthless checks. March 21 ARREST: A male suspect, 32, of 106 Wade Moretz Road in Deep Gap, was charged with OFA failure to appear. He was held under a $711 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 14. ARREST: A male suspect, 25, of 1490 Tater Hill Road in Zionville, was charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense and misdemeanor larceny. He was held under a $5,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 15. ARREST: A female suspect, 41, of 2571 Longhope Road in Todd, was charged with FTA. She was held under a $300 secured bond and was scheduled to appear in court on March 21. ARREST: A male suspect, 34, was charged with FTA. He was held under a $4,500 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 11. ARREST: A female suspect, 34, of 600 Greer Lane Apt. 4 in Boone, was charged with probation violation. She was held under a $1,260 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 8. ARREST: A male suspect, 34, of 1119 Brown Wood Road in Deep Gap, was charged with communicating threats. Infectious disease specialist Daniel Lucey, MD, MPH, urges both surveillance for Zika and prospective studies to monitor for microcephaly and other neurologic disorders in West Africa, citing the close travel links with Cape Verde. The clinical presentation of ZIKV [Zika virus] infection, although extremely mild compared with typical Ebola virus disease, could cause initial confusion clinically because both can have fever, muscle and joint pain, red eyes, and rash, writes Lucey. If a patient with ZIKV infection were to raise initial concern about a potential Ebola virus infection, then a cascade of unnecessary medical, public health, societal, and political issues could be triggered. In February 2016, a World Health Organization risk assessment of the Zika virus in Africa placed Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea in either a high or moderate risk category. Lucey points out that critical information learned about Zika in the brief time since the report was issued warrants a change. He proposes three additions: (1) an explicit strong recommendation for prospective epidemiologic studies to monitor for microcephaly following every known ZIKV outbreak. ; (2) explicit discussion of the potential confusion in initial differentiation of the clinical presentations of ZIKV infection and (mild) Ebola virus disease; and (3) making available rapid PCR testing for ZIKV as soon as possible in 2016, especially in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, as well as Guinea-Bissau. Lucey, an adjunct professor of Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and senior scholar with the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law, spent several months in West Africa treating patients with Ebola in 2014. Bearing witness to the suffering caused by Ebola has led me to call for early action now for Zika and microcephaly in West Africa, as well as action against the panepidemic in the Americas, Lucey says. Source: Georgetown University Medical Center The President of the Republic of Finland drew attention to the problem some time ago. He asked during one of our telephone conversations that action to address the issue is taken. As you can observe, that's what we've done. An estimated 1,700 refugees crossed the border in JanuaryFebruary, but such incidents were isolated ones in March, Putin said at his official residence in Moscow. Presidents Sauli Niinisto and Vladimir Putin assured in a joint press conference on Tuesday that they have held talks to prevent another influx of asylum seekers across the northern border between Finland and Russia. We've reached and today finally approved our agreement to restrict traffic through two northern border-crossing points, Raja-Jooseppi and Salla. As we've seen, it's working, he added. The two countries have agreed to restrict traffic through the border-crossing points in Northern Finland for a period of 180 days by only allowing citizens of Finland, Russia and Belarus, as well as their family members, to cross the border. Putin also called attention to another aspect of the phenomenon that should not be ignored: Russia cannot receive people who have entered its territories legally, continued their journey to another country and received a refugee status in, for example, Finland because their visas have typically expired. That's why we've had problems with Norway. That's why I'm of the same opinion as President [Niinisto] that it's crucial that information is exchanged in a formal, professional and timely manner, he pointed out. We fully appreciate the concerns of Finland and will work together based on our partnership, he added. Niinisto, in turn, said he is pleased that the concerns have been taken into consideration and reminded that the economic sanctions against Russia can be lifted if an agreement on the situation in Crimea is found. Putin called attention to the mutually-beneficial economic relations between Finland and Russia. He pointed out that the economic sanctions, the counter-measures adopted by Russia, the global economic slowdown and swings in exchange rates have resulted in Germany and Sweden overtaking Russia as the most important trading partner of Finland. Finland has also suffered due to the situation. Our estimates indicate that it'll translate to a decline of one per cent in the gross domestic product of Finland. I assure you that no one is pleased with the situation, he said. He also reminded that Fortum has launched a number of development projects in Russia with a total value of 4.5 billion euros and that Russia is invested in the nuclear power project of Rosatom in Finland. Our Finnish partners provided us with figures showing that roughly 500600 Finnish companies are operating in Russia. Finnish estimates indicate that they provide employment to roughly 40,000 people, said Putin. Russia has supplied one hundred per cent of the [natural] gas consumed in Finland. It continues to do that today. Russia has also supplied 80 per cent of the oil consumed in Finland and continues to do that today. I assure that both sides recognise the importance of our trading relations. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Martti Kainulainen Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi Keir Giles, a leading expert on security issues related to Russia, argues in the report that the techniques of hybrid warfare employed by Russia are not a new phenomenon but represent a continuation from days of the Soviet Union. The techniques and methods displayed by the country in Ukraine, he writes, are similar to those of the Soviet Union with the exception that they take advantage of contemporary technological enablers. Chatham House, an independent political research centre based in the United Kingdom, has published a report of exercise of power by Russia . Finland has according to him been well aware of the objectives of Russia because it was targeted by similar methods at the onset of the Second World War. Giles calls particular attention to Carl Haglund (SFP), a former Minister of Defence, who estimated as early as nearly two years ago that Russia is systematically seeking to influence the dissemination of information by misrepresenting issues. It's obvious that this partially distorted flow of news and clearly erroneous reports circulating in the Russian media would not be circulating without the consent of the leadership of Russia, Haglund said in an interview with YLE in September 2014. Haglund was generally outspoken in regards to Russia during his term as the Minister of Defence. He stated to Uusi Suomi in mid-2014 that Russia is seeking to steer foreign and security policy-making in Finland and does not consider the country as its equal. Early and candid public recognition of the problem has been a key enabler for addressing it; as with, for example, Finland's former defence minister, Carl Haglund, who was one of the first senior European officials to call public attention to the threat, acknowledges Giles. The measures taken against Finland and Sweden, however, have not yielded their desired results from the viewpoint of Russia as the two countries have shifted closer towards Nato, he analyses. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Petteri Paalasmaa Uusi Suomi Source: Uusi Suomi LOCAL BRIEFS: Tom Fisch, Bookfest, History Club, Eagle Scout Tom Fisch Tom Fisch to perform at Tiggs Pond Retreat Tom Fisch will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at the Standing on the Side of Love Coffee House at Tiggs Pond Retreat Center in Zirconia. Tickets are $10 at the door. A local favorite, Fisch has a style deeply rooted in influences of Doc Watson, John Prine, Pete Seeger, John Denver and others. Hes known for delivering an eclectic mix of original songs and songs from some of his favorite writers and performers bridged by stories and laughter. Tiggs Pond Retreat Center is at 212 Fiddlehead Lane, Zirconia. For more information call 828-697-0680 or visit www.tiggspondretreatcenter.com. Blue Ridge Bookfest features 40 authors The 2016 Blue Ridge Bookfest April 22-23 offers visits with 40 authors, free workshops and special Saturday After Lunch Presentation featuring the work of Carl Sandburg and Thomas Wolfe. In addition to featured author Sara Gruen, more than 40 authors will participate in this years event. Writers and aspiring writers may meet published authors one-on-one and attend free workshops and presentations on Friday and Saturday to hone their craft. Friday workshops include: 1-1:45: Grammar Questions that Grieve You, with Ernie Mazzatenta, whose monthly column Speaking of Words is published in the Hendersonville Times-News. 2-3:30: Making money with Ghost Writing with Beth Brand (www.bethbrand.com) and Copy Writing with Bob Martel www.gettherightstuffnow.com 3:45-5:15: Genealogy with Jennie Jones Giles and Writing Your Family History with Diane Rhoades. On Saturday Shipmans Catering will offer box lunches for sale to the public starting at 11:30 a.m. An After Lunch Presentation features the Writings of Carl Sandburg, presented by Ginger Hollingsworth, of the Carl Sandburg Home; and the Writings of Thomas Wolfe, presented by Tom Muir, of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial in Asheville. For a complete schedule and author bios visit http://www.blueridge.edu/blueridgebookfest. History Club features anti-sub warfare BREVARD Retired United States Navy Rear Admiral Gretchen Herbert will be the Brevard College History Clubs featured speaker at its last meeting of the 2015-16 academic year on Tuesday, March 29, at 7 p.m. in McLarty-Goodson Room 125. The event is free and open to the public. Herbert will outline and discuss the American Navys anti-submarine warfare program during the U.S.-led Western powers political war with the Soviet Bloc nations from 1945 to 1990. Herbert is a native of Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the University of Rochester. Her final assignment, before retiring in January 2014, was as Commander, Navy Cyber Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia, where she was responsible for training and equipping the U.S. Navy fleet for cyber security readiness, telecommunications, electronic warfare, signal intelligence, cryptology, space systems and network operations afloat and ashore. Asheville Lyric Opera performs Magic Flute Asheville Lyric Operas production of The Magic Flute premiers at the Diana Wortham Theatre at 8 p.m. Friday, April 8, followed by a matinee at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10. The Magic Flute is a celebration of love conquering all and transports the audience to an enchanted world where good faces the forces of dark. The blend of high comedy and serious drama is packed with exquisite singing and stage wizardry. Thomas Joiner will conduct the production. Joiner is an accomplished conductor, violinist, chamber player, and educator. He conducts the Furman Symphony Orchestra and also serves at the music director and conductor of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are $30-$62 for adults and $17-$40 for students. For tickets contact the Diana Wortham Theatre at 828-257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com. Charlie Bradshaw achieves Eagle rank Charlie Bradshaw of Hendersonville achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony at the Historic Courthouse on Dec. 19. Charlie is the son of Dale Salvaggio Bradshaw and Steve Bradshaw and the brother of Sophia Bradshaw. He is a member of Troop 601 of Hendersonville led by Walter Carpenter and Tim Asbury. To earn the rank of Eagle, a Scout must earn 21 merit badges and demonstrate leadership and community service by organizing and carrying out an Eagle project. For his project, Charlie removed and replaced the steps of the Learning Trail at Hendersonville Elementary School, added a handrail and did trail maintenance. Charlie is a junior at Christ School. The dad of a woman battling cervical cancer has thanked the Dublin coffee-loving public for raising over 45k in one week. This funding allowed him to fly to Ireland to be at his daughter's side. Eric Winn, the father of award-winning Dublin barista Rashel Winn, flew to Dublin from Seattle on Monday thanks to funds raised by the city's coffee community, who were touched by her story. Rashel (28) was diagnosed with cervical cancer in April 2015 and last week her father revealed that her condition was deteriorating following an infection. Eric expressed his gratitude to the hundreds of people who donated to Rashel's campaign, which will go towards supporting specialist treatment in Chicago. "It's been incredible. The outpouring of support that Rashel has been receiving has left me speechless," he said. "I'm so proud of the life she's created here and the love that has been displayed by everyone who knows her. Burden "The funds raised will go a long way to relieve the burden and worry about the financial side of things. It has been phenomenal." Eric admitted that Rashel's battle with the disease is every parent's worst nightmare, but his family is taking every day as it comes. "To be a parent watching your kid go through this, it is unimaginable and horrible. You think you would die, but now I find myself in the midst of it. "Right now, we hope that Rashel might be well enough to travel on Friday, where the specialist team at North Western Memorial [in Chicago] are waiting to admit her. It hasgiven us, and her husband Seamus, hope." Eric commended the generosity of businesses such as 3fe on Grand Canal Street, who donated all coffee proceeds to Rashel's campaign on Friday. He also urged the parents of teenagers to be forthcoming when it comes to the HPV vaccine. He said: "I feel certain that if Rachel had gotten this as a teenager she would not be in this situation." A garda covers the car Noel Duggan was in when he was shot (INM) A veteran criminal who was best friends with Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has been shot dead in the latest murder linked to the capital's bloody gangland feud. Noel 'Kingsize' Duggan (55) was shot a number of times while sitting in his car at his home in The Old Mill housing estate in Ratoath, Co Meath, at around 8pm last night. Initial reports suggested that the gunman fired at least four shots and was then driven away in a getaway car on the Fairyhouse Road. Two cars were found burning a short time later on Glencairn Lane. Bitter Paramedics and gardai rushed to the scene but were unable to save the grandfather's life. Duggan is believed to be the fourth victim of the bitter gang war between the Hutch mob and the Kinahan cartel, and his murder will be seen as a major escalation of the feud. Sources have revealed that 'Kingsize' Duggan had returned to Ireland in recent days after spending time in England. It is understood he had feared for his life because he thought the cartel would target him, therefore opting to spend time abroad. Last night, the body of Mr Duggan remained at the scene as gardai covered the car in which he was shot dead. Upset relatives of the victim arrived at the scene. Several units of the Garda Armed Response team were also called upon and cordoned off the area. Duggan became a millionaire because of his massive involvement in cigarette smuggling. It was through this activity that he earned the nickname 'Mr Kingsize'. In 2003, the Criminal Assets Bureau confiscated a five-storey apartment and retail block owned by him that was valued at 4m. It is understood he became a primary target for the Kinahan cartel because of his long-standing business and personal relationship with their arch enemy, Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. He was in regular contact with Hutch and often travelled to The Monk's base in Lanzarote. It's understood Duggan remained heavily involved in the illegal cigarette trade. A source told the Herald that Duggan was a "soft target". "The Kinahan cartel took out Gerry Hutch's brother Eddie last month as he was an easy target and now they have murdered his best friend, who was a real soft target," the source said. Duggan was previously involved in a bitter dispute with exiled crimelord John Gilligan after the latter's release from jail in 2013 but that is not believed to be the reason for last night's murder. However, a source said they wouldn't put it past Gilligan "to take advantage of the current situation and tensions between both gangs". If Duggan was murdered by members of the Kinahan cartel as feared, his death will be seen as a major escalation of the gang war that was sparked by the murder of the Monk's nephew, Gary Hutch (34), in Spain last year. Kinahan gang member David Bryne from Crumlin was subsequently shot dead in the Regency Hotel attack and two associates were injured. The hit team had planned to kill the leader of the gang, Daniel Kinahan, and a number of his top associates in the same incident but they managed to get away. Three days later, the Kinahans retaliated by murdering Gerry Hutch's older brother Eddie Hutch. The two attacks saw gardai launch one of the biggest criminal investigations since the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin 20 years ago. Armed Heavily-armed garda teams were deployed on the streets to mount checkpoints in a bid to keep the feuding sides from claiming any further lives. However, it was predicted that despite the police counter-offensive both sides would spill more blood. Originally from Cabra, Duggan - who had convictions for handling stolen property - was a very close friend of veteran kidnapper and armed robber Mick Cunningham, who died in January of last year. The 65-year-old died of a heart attack in his Ballyfermot home and Duggan was a prominent mourner at his funeral. Ironically, Cunningham's brother - John 'The Colonel' Cunningham - is the right-hand man of cartel boss Christy Kinahan Snr, whose mob are the prime suspects for last night's savage shooting. Local residents expressed shock at the brutal murder. Cllr Damien O'Reilly, a Fianna Fail councillor in the Ratoath Municipal District, said: "The whole community is very shocked by this murder. We are shocked that inner city gangland violence appears to have spread to this suburban area of County Meath. "It's appalling that a life has been taken in this way in Ratoath. This is an extremely quiet village with a well-settled community which has the second-highest proportion in Ireland of professional people living here. It's terrible. The shooting took place in an estate which has a large amount of children," he said. Fine Gael Councillor Gerry O'Connor said: "My thoughts are with the family of the poor, unfortunate person who has been shot dead. "There is enough killing going on in the world without it happening on our own doorsteps. No one deserves to have their life ended like that. "The people of Ratoath, Dunshaughlin and Ashbourne will be very saddened and shocked by this killing. There is no history of serious crime in this area and what has happened is totally out of the ordinary." A feared hitman, who is suspected of involvement in the Regency Hotel gun attack, was himself lucky to survive after one of his associates tried to set him up just weeks before the hotel bloodbath. Sources have revealed that the gangster, who is aged in his late 20s, managed to flee a north-Dublin car park after another criminal who he has trusted and worked with for years lured him to a bogus meeting. No shots were fired in the apparent murder attempt because the intended target got "spooked and fled the scene" when he noticed a car with two suspicious-looking men in the car park. The incident is believed to have been organised by the Kinahan cartel and sources revealed that while it increased gang tensions in the weeks before the Regency attack, it is also leading to fear on the streets of the north inner city with concerns that there may be an imminent attack. These concerns are growing because the hitman's former associate has now linked up with a number of INLA figures who are classified as 'highly dangerous' by gardai. The criminal who was almost set-up is the same gangster who warned last month that the gang war between the Christy Kinahan cartel and the Hutch mob will not be over until Daniel Kinahan is dead. "We will not rest until Daniel Kinahan is dead. He caused all of this, it won't end until he is in his grave," the hitman allegedly said. Daniel Kinahan, the son of cartel boss Christy Kinahan, was the chief target of the Regency attack, but he escaped unharmed. Gardai raided a property linked to the criminal as part of a series of house searches last month that also saw Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's home being targeted. The gangster, who is suspected of being one of the AK-47 gunmen, is a north inner city criminal who has built a reputation as a feared hitman and is suspected of carrying out the murders of Paul Kavanagh last year and Eamon 'The Don' Dunne in 2010 on behalf of the Christy Kinahan cartel. However, he cut ties with that mob after the murder of his close pal Gary Hutch in Spain last September. Heartbroken In the aftermath, sources said that the hitman refused to attend a number of meetings that the cartel attempted to organise with him because he was "disgusted and heartbroken". It is understood that a decision was then made to take out the hitman who had worked so well for the cartel in the past. This was one of the first indications that a bloody gang war was about to break out and it has now emerged that the Kinahan cartel decided to strike first, but were unsuccessful. George Geoghegan was born in The Curragh, Co Kildare, in 1880. He grew up in the slums of Henrietta Street in Dublin's north inner-city. In 1898 he enlisted in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers' reserve battalion and soon found himself guarding bridges in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Returning home, he quit the army and married Margaret Ledwidge, from the Henrietta Street area. They had six children, the first three of whom died young in the tenements of Dorset and Dominick Streets. During this period George worked as a warehouse packer and he later got a job as a boilermaker in the Inchicore Railway Works. A proficient clarinettist, he joined the nationalist St James' Band. As a band member and a solo musician he played at events such as the formation of the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and the funeral of O'Donovan Rossa in 1915. He also played in the Transport Union Band, which often accompanied strikers' demonstrations during the Lockout. He also became an ardent trade unionist and joined the Gaelic League. George volunteered for the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) on its inception in 1913, with his British army experience standing him in good stead. At this time Liberty Hall was the venue for fundraising and morale-boosting concerts on Sunday evenings. George, a member of Michael Mallin's four-piece Workers' Orchestra, often played at these events. The other members were Mallin himself on the flute, Sean Rogan and John O'Reilly (O'Reilly fought with George at City Hall). On Easter Sunday, 1916, with no concert arranged (on the assumption that the Rising would be under way), the four-piece played an impromptu gig that lasted four hours. Seized George slept at Liberty Hall that night. On Easter Monday morning, leaving his clarinet (which was never recovered) behind, George marched to Dublin Castle with Sean Connolly's detachment of the ICA. A small group, numbering roughly 10, seized City Hall, taking up positions behind the chimneys and balustrades on the roof. They soon came under incessant fire from Lewis and Vickers machine guns as the British poured in with troops to secure the castle area. Not long after Connolly was killed on the roof, George was shot in the head and died instantly. On Tuesday morning, George's body was taken into Dublin Castle and interred in a temporary grave. It was transferred three weeks later to a pauper's grave in Glasnevin Cemetery, in the area that later housed the remains of 230 civilians and combatants killed in the Rising. Details submitted by Peter Goulding The Easter Rising executions were not inevitable. Only two years earlier, a similar rebellion against British rule had taken place in South Africa. That resulted in only one death sentence, while the other ringleaders were either sent to prison or heavily fined. In the middle of a world war, however, General John Maxwell had no doubt about what the British should do with Irish traitors - which was to give them a quick court martial and then shoot them. By acting in such a fashion, Maxwell showed he was a soldier and not a politician. In Easter Rising folklore, the 14 executions that took place in Kilmainham Gaol have become a perfect symbol of Irish bravery and British brutality. Almost all of the victims seem to have died in a calm state of mind, perhaps because they knew that the manner of their deaths would soon turn military defeat into moral victory. The executions followed a strict routine. Each prisoner was blindfolded, had his hands tied behind his back and a piece of white paper was pinned over his heart. Kneeling They were then led down a corridor into the Stonebreakers' Yard and, in some cases, made to sit on a wooden crate. The firing squad consisted of 12 soldiers, six kneeling and six standing, although one rifle at random was filled with blank cartridges so that nobody would know who had done the actual killing. Patrick Pearse spent his final hours writing to his family. "This is the death I should have asked for if God had given me the choice," he told his mother. "To die a soldier's death for Ireland and for freedom." Pearse met his end on the morning of May 3, along with Tom Clarke and Thomas MacDonagh. Clarke also seemed content to die and told his wife Kathleen that the Rising would eventually be seen as a success, then correctly predicted: "Ireland will go through hell first." MacDonagh gave the firing squad some cigarettes and then handed his silver case to the man in charge, saying: "I won't be needing this, would you like to have it?" He also told his executors that it was a lousy job and he knew they were only doing their duty. One officer said afterwards: "They all died well, but MacDonagh died like a prince." The following morning saw four more shootings: Joseph Plunkett, Willie Pearse, Edward Daly and Michael O'Hanrahan. In a poignant ceremony, Plunkett married his fiancee Grace Gifford by candlelight a few hours before the end. He was terminally ill with tuberculosis anyway, and told a priest: "Father, I am very happy. I am dying for the glory of God and the honour of Ireland." Major John MacBride, a flamboyant alcoholic who had got caught up in the Rising while on the way to his brother's wedding, was shot on May 5. His final words were: "Fire away, boys, I've been looking down the barrels of rifles all my life." The poet Tom Kettle later wrote: "It was a lie, but a magnificent lie. He had been looking down the necks of porter bottles all his life." After a short lull, the executions began coming thick and fast again on May 8. Eamonn Ceannt, Con Colbert, Michael Mallin and Sean Heuston all had their names added to the roll call, Ceannt falling with a crucifix in his hands. Thomas Kent, who had nothing to do with the Rising itself, was shot in Cork the following day for killing a policeman. By now the public outrage had become overwhelming, with one journalist writing: "It was like watching a stream of blood coming from under a closed door." Even Prime Minister Herbert Asquith wanted an end to the slaughter. However, two of the Proclamation's seven signatories were still alive and Maxwell saw no reason why they should not suffer the same fate as their comrades. Sean MacDermott died on May 12 with the same cheerful spirit that had made him such a popular character among his comrades. He borrowed a razor from one of his prison guards, quipping: "I have to make a nice corpse, you know." He also told his girlfriend, Min Ryan: "We never thought that it would end like this." It was probably a polite lie to make her feel better. James Connolly's final days were more difficult. He had been wounded in the ankle, pumped full of morphine, and would probably have died soon in any case. Quicklime His daughter, Nora, left behind a moving account of the family's last moments together, with Lillie Connolly crying: "But your beautiful life, Jim, your beautiful life!" Her husband replied: "Wasn't it a full life, Lillie, and isn't this a good end?" He was taken to Kilmainham in an ambulance, carried to the Stonebreakers' Yard, strapped into a chair and shot. Even Maxwell could now see that it was time to call a halt. He ordered the bodies to be thrown into a mass grave at Arbour Hill and destroyed with quicklime, so that "Irish sentimentality" could not create a martyrs' shrine. As a political decision it was much too little and much too late. The Easter Rising leaders had already become mythical figures, revered for their noble deaths as much as their life's actions. And the rest is history. Hubs top Warriors for CMC title as both teams aim for deep playoff runs After facing off for the CMC volleyball title, North Hagerstown and Boonsboro now are focused on the upcoming playoffs. What you need to know about Powerball and the $580 million jackpot News This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ After remaining largely silent since Kishenjis death four and a half years ago, Maoists woke up from their slumber to call for a poll boycott. Maoist Bengal state secretary issued a statement accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of unleashing a reign of terror in Jangalmahal. Parts of Jangalmahal (Maoists affected areas of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purlia districts) is expected to go for polls on the first phase on April 4. Taking a dig at Left-Cong alliance the statement stated that the social fascist CPI(M)s alliance with fundamental enemy Congress has thoroughly exposed the CPI(M). It also cautioned that the communal fascist BJP was trying to fuel communal tension in Bengal. Incidentally, the statement was circulated a day before chief minister Mamata Banerjees scheduled rally in Lalgarh, West Midnapore which was the epicenter of ultra left activities in Bengal. People had established a system for their real liberation though temporarily through the Lalgarh movement. But Mamata Banerjee has cleverly taken away from the people, rights over economy and resources that the people had achieved through years of struggle, CPI(Maoist) state secretary Akash wrote in a statement dated March 10. Mamata Banerjees model of development, by showering public infrastructure projects and providing various types of grants, would not solve the real issues suffered by the people, the Maoists claimed. The two-page statement reached HT on Thursday. Maoists said the Mamata Banerjee government has perfectly implemented the Low Intensity Conflict policy of the Centre to deal with the Maoists. Why are there hundreds of policemen in Jangalmahal if peace has indeed been restored, as the chief minister has claimed? Jangalmahal, instead, have been turned into a cantonment of security forces, Akash wrote in the statement. Maoists claimed that Mamata Banerjee came to power piggy-riding the wave of popular mass movements in Singur, Nandigram and Lalgarh and with help of raising slogans on popular issues demanding withdrawal of security forces, punishment for police officers accused of torturing people and release of political prisoners. She, however, gave a summersault after coming to power and implemented the policies of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government with even more intensity, the Maoists statement alleged. Among the failures of Mamata Banerjee government, Maoists mentioned the failure in returning land to Singurs unwilling landlosers and poor price for agriculture produces. The statement also alleged that landlords in West Midnapores Belpahari, Banspahari, Chakadoba and Laljal areas have taken back land those the landless had taken possession of through years of struggle. While admitting that their movement in Jangalmahal has suffered a temporary setback, Maoists claimed the Lalgarh movement continues to inspire as a popular model for mass movement. Timeline: 1999: Maoists form their first squad in Bengal 2001: Maoists call for boycott of elections in West Midnapores Keshpur, Garhbeta, Belpahari, Lalgarh and Salboni areas 2004: Maoists kill eight persons, including 5 EFR jawans and 2 state police officer, in Belpahari, ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2006: Maoist call for boycott of Assembly elections reduce polling percentage in several Assembly seats in Jangalmahal 2009: Poor turnout in Lalgarh and Belpahari in the Lok Sabha elections during Lalgarh movement 2011: Maoists do not call for boycott of the election, instead call for ousting the CPI(M) 2011: Kishenji killed in a controversial encounter, Maoist movement collapses like a house of cards; existing squads flee to Jharkhand 2012: CPI(Maoist) Bengal state committee reconstituted 2016: Maoists call for boycott of elections, targeting the Trinamool, CPI(M), Congress and the BJP SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The mother of Dalit student Rohit Vemula, who committed suicide on January 17, started a sit-in outside the University of Hyderabad on Wednesday night after she was denied entry to meet students wounded in police action. Radhika Vemulas protest came on a day JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar compared her with freedom fighter Bhagat Singhs mother. University security officials said Radhika wanted to hold a demonstration inside the campus but Raja Vemula, the younger brother of Rohith, dismissed the allegation. He said his mother simply wanted to meet the wounded students. Kumar, who was in Hyderabad, alleged that the NDA government turned the February event at JNU, where seditious slogans were allegedly shouted, into a row to divert peoples attention from Vemulas suicide. Read | In Hyderabad, Kanhaiya pitches for Rohith Act to end casteism The government smartly made up the JNU issue to keep the Rohith issue under the carpet Thats why as soon as I came out of jail, I thought my first visit outside Delhi would be Hyderabad, he said. The JNU students union president, charged with sedition for anti-national slogans, was not allowed to enter the university, where outsiders and media-people were barred after Tuesdays violent protests against vice-chancellor Podile Appa Rao. I will first meet Rohiths mother and brother. If police allow me, I will certainly go to the campus to speak to the students, Kumar said at the airport, hours before the Delhi high court declined to cancel his interim bail. Later in the evening, the 29-year-old leader spoke to a small gathering of students outside the university gates. I came here in solidarity with the students. Our fight is to protect the Constitution and democracy. We will continue our fight for social justice without disrupting peace. Kumar underscored the growing demand for a Rohith Act a law against caste discrimination in educational institutions. Read | Govt used JNU row to camouflage Vemula suicide issue: Kanhaiya Vemulas mother and brother met political leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and KC Tyagi, in February and sought their support for the proposed law. Protests continued in the university after vice-chancellor Podile resumed office on Tuesday following two months of leave. The students have accused him of pushing 26-year-old Vemula to suicide on January 17 after his scholarship was cancelled allegedly at the behest of Hindu right-wing groups. The vice-chancellors office and his official residence were vandalised while many students got wounded as police cane-charged and took 25 protesters into custody. Classes were suspended till March 26 in view of the violence. Additional forces were deployed and pickets put up around the campus, where power supply and Internet service were reportedly stopped. Students posted images of cooking meals as hostel kitchen staff refused to work because of the vandalism in the university. Some non-teaching staff alleged students had abused and attacked them. Podile did not attach any significance to Kumars visit, saying we have nothing to do with that boy. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury demanded release of the arrested students while Union minister Venkaiah Naidu asked political parties to stop politicising campuses. Let there be student politics, not divisive politics on campuses. Universities have the autonomy and mechanism to resolve issues with the students, Naidu said. (With inputs from agencies) Mehbooba Mufti was on Thursday unanimously elected as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, paving the way for her to become the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and head a government in Indias only Muslim majority state after months of tension with the ruling partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mehbooba Mufti has been nominated as the chief ministerial candidate of the PDP, party spokesman and former minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters outside the Fairview residence of the Muftis on the high security Gupkar Road in Srinagar. PDP lawmakers had gathered at the Muftis to discuss government formation with the BJP. Akhtar said the decision was unanimous and every legislator and senior PDP leader was on board. Mehbooba is meeting governor NN Vohra on Friday and is most likely to stake claim to power. BJP state president Sat Pal Sharma is also meeting the governor on the same day at the state Raj Bhawan in winter capital Jammu. Senior BJP leaders, Jitendra Singh, minister of state in PMO, and Ram Madhav, party national general secretary, are expected to be Jammu on Friday to hold a meeting with the state BJP legislators and senior leaders to discuss the government formation with the PDP. Read: J-K: BJP hails Mehboobas election, looks forward to elected govt The swearing-in date is also expected to be announced after Mehbooba and Sharma meet Vohra, separately though. Top sources told IANS that the oath taking ceremony of the Mehbooba-led new government would take place in Jammu early next month. Mehbooba, 56, will now succeed her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who died on January 7, as the chief minister. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government since. Read: Omar Abdullah accuses Mehbooba of wavering on govt formation in J-K Mehbooba was tipped to take over the reins but she dragged her feet on continuing to ally with the BJP and wanted it to redraw the alliance terms that her father had authored. However, the BJP refused any fresh concessions and said it will only give assurances on the agenda, finalized last year when the two parties came together to form the state government. After remaining entrenched in their respective positions for more than two months, the two sides warmed up to each other following Mehboobas meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday in Delhi. Mehbooba Mufti addressing a legislature party meeting at her residence in Srinagar. It was during the course of this meeting that she was elected chief minister candidate and Legislature party Leader. (PTI) Senior PDP leader and Lok Sabha member Muzaffar Hussain Beigh denied that there has been any give and take with the BJP. There is no addition or subtraction from the agenda of alliance agreed upon by the two parties. The agenda will be implemented in letter and spirit. PDP leader and Lok Sabha member Tariq Hameed Karra, a vocal opponent of his partys continuation of alliance with the BJP, was also present in Thursdays meeting. Before chairing the PDP meeting, Mehbooba went to her fathers grave in south Kashmir Bijbehara town along with one of her daughters to pray there and apparently seek blessings for the governance innings she would be playing for the first time in her political career. She presently represents south Kashmirs Anantnag constituency in the Lok Sabha. She will now have to get elected to either house of the states bicameral legislature and also resign her Lok Sabha seat. Read: Mehbooba, Modi meet raises hopes of new J-K govt by March-end Tension prevailed at a function hall when workers of BJP and Left parties clashed before a meeting of JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar started in Vijayawada on Thursday evening. The United Forum of Students Unions had organised the meeting for which Kanhaiya reached Vijayawada from Hyderabad. Workers of BJP and its affiliate organisations reached the function hall ahead of Kanhaiyas arrival and started shouting slogans against him. Kanhaiya go back, they shouted even as AISF, CPI, CPM workers retaliated. The BJP workers barged into the function hall to prevent the JNU student leader from addressing the meeting. Police present in the venue prevented a clash between the BJP and the Left workers. Police took BJP state secretary Purnachandra Rao and BJYM leader C Rajinikanth and others into custody. Kanhaiya flew to Vijayawada airport from Hyderabad and was driven to the city, 20 km away, amid tight police security. Police sources said no permission had been given for Kanhaiyas meeting. Since it is being held in a private place, we did not issue any permission. But given the events in Hyderabad Central University and later at another meeting in Hyderabad, we have kept a close watch on the meeting here and posted adequate security, a senior police officer said. The meeting was supposed to be organised in a private college but due to protests from different quarters the college management reportedly asked the organisers to shift the venue. The Lashkar-e-Taiba tried to kill Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray but the assassin assigned was caught, though he later slipped out of police custody, the militant groups Pakistani-American operative David Coleman Headley said on Thursday. The 56-year-old, who was arrested in Chicago for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, disclosed via video link from a US prison that he visited the Sena headquarters twice during sorties to India to pick possible targets for the LeT. I believe an attempt was made on the life of the Shiv Sena chief ... The man who made the attempt had escaped from police custody, Headley told the special court of additional sessions judge GA Sanap. LeT wanted to target Thackeray. They wanted to kill him wherever they could find him in Mumbai. Read | David Headley says US DEA funded his Pak trip in drug smuggling case India blames the Pakistan-based group for the coordinated attacks on November 26, 2008 when ten gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a railway station, a Jewish centre and other landmarks in the financial capital. The court pardoned Headley in December on condition that he testify. The decision does not affect his 35-year prison sentence in the US. Headley said he did not have first-hand knowledge, but was informed that the LeT conspired to kill Thackeray and there was an attempt. His replies came on the second day of his cross-examination by lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan, the defence counsel for Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal, who is facing trial for the 26/11 attacks that killed over 160 people. I do not know which year but an attempt was made and the person escaped from jail, Headley told the judge. Read | 10 things David Headley told NIA about 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Thackeray founded the right-wing Shiv Sena that has often taken a critical stand against Pakistan and Pakistani nationals. He died in 2012. When special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam questioned him on February 12, Headley confirmed the LeTs plot to eliminate Thackeray, but said nothing on an unsuccessful bid and the attacker fleeing from authorities. Headley, the son of a former Pakistani diplomat, also said the expenses he incurred while researching targets was paid by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence agency. He got into a verbal spat with Khan when the lawyer persistently questioned him about his wife Shazia, his former wife Faiza and their knowledge of the attacks. Headleys wife was talking to him in code language. She said the cartoon (terror attack) is doing well; it did well the whole day, Khan told the media. Headley said that his wife, Shazia, congratulated him on the success of 26/11 in code language. Headley told the court on Wednesday that he was arrested by American officials in 1988 and 1998 on charges of drug trafficking and that after his second arrest, the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) of the US financed his trip to Pakistan. He also dismissed reports that he got money from the LeT. I never received money from LeT ... This is complete nonsense. I gave funds to LeT ... throughout the period I was associated with them, he said. My last donation was in 2006. With agency inputs SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON University of Hyderabad students are worried that their education may be jeopardised by a swirling campaign seeking justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, with protesters alleging that he was driven to suicide by the institutes and Centres discriminatory policies. While scores of students have been participating in demonstrations since Vemula was found hanging inside the campus on January 17, some of them say the uproar has battered their semester schedule. The institute is limping back to normalcy after police arrested this week about 30 students and three professors for allegedly vandalising the vice-chancellors office. Dr Appa Rao Podile was on his first day at work after a two-month-long absence following the suicide for which he faced widespread criticism. Hyderabad Central University VC Apparao addresses the media. (PTI) We appreciate the demands of the protesting students and their legitimacy. At the same time, each student has problems at a personal level too, said Joyal Thankachan, a final-year student of Integrated MA Sociology. We hope the administration or protesters dont mess up the future of 1,000 post-graduation students. The university administration has declared holidays until March 28 and the end-of-semester examinations are to be held from April 14 to 30. There is some degree of uncertainty about this semester and final-year students like me hope that there is clarity soon, said another Sociology student, Sambhabana Mohanty. Vemula was among five students suspended by the institute following allegations of assault on a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), an RSS-affiliated students body. Students of Hyderabad Central University demanding justice for dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. (PTI) His death sparked a nationwide outcry with critics alleging that the HRD ministry pushed for the Dalit students to be punished by sending five reminders to the vice-chancellor after labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya complained to Smriti Iranis department. Limakumba Walling, an assistant professor at the school of Economics, said the V-C should have returned only after the completion of an ongoing judicial probe. At least the semester would not have been affected that way, he said. Following Tuesdays violence, the administration shut down all hostel messes, and suspended water and internet facilities on the restive campus. However, residents took over the kitchens and prepared food on Wednesday. Students took over kitchens and prepared food on Wednesday. (HT Photo) The V-C has no moral right to continue in such a position of power when the probe is on. More than the semester, we are worried about our friends and faculty who were arrested, said Samyobrata Mukherjee, a fourth-semester student of MSc Physics. Video clips showed police dragging students demonstrating peacefully outside the vice-chancellors residence. Some protesters were injured in police lathi-charge and several of them were hospitalised. Students alleged that the cops also threatened to rape the women. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Poised to take over as the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti is expected to chart out a new course of governance different from father Mufti Mohammad Sayeeds legacy more in style than in substance. Her meeting with PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday ended the six-week-long suspense and stand-off that the volatile state had been pushed into, following Sayeeds death on January 7. Modis assurance on Mehboobas demand for demonstrable action on the agenda of alliance a roadmap of political and governance issues agreed upon between the alliance partners has set the stage for the return of the coalition government that has been hit by rocky patches since its inception in December 2014. Read: Hopes of J-K govt formation rise as Mehbooba Mufti lands in Delhi Buoyed by what PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar called a positive outcome of the Modi-Mehbooba meeting, she would be elected as the leader of legislature group on Thursday followed by her swearing in for the top job by March 30. Simultaneously, the Modi government is expected to fast-track the relief and rehabilitation package for the 2014 flood victims and also announce Jammu and Srinagar as centrally-funded smart cities both steps seen as part of a predetermined script on confidence-building measures to help Mehbooba address the concerns of her core constituency in Kashmir. Read: J-K govt formation: Meeting with PM Modi positive, says Mehbooba Considering the Centres concessions have put the fledgling alliance on a firm footing, the PDP chief is unlikely to rock the coalition with the BJP, at least for now. Also, having reaffirmed her reputation as a tough bargainer in the post-Mufti phase, she is certain to stay the course on the agenda of alliance hammered out by the two ideologically-different parties. But Mehboobas mercurial persona and politics are sure to alter the coalition governments contours. As chief minister, she will be more assertive than her father on issues that resonate deeply with her core constituency in Kashmir, a senior PDP leader said. The buzz of realignments picked up pace when Congress president Sonia Gandhi called on Mehbooba, mourning her fathers death, at her home in Srinagar last week. It was a politically-symbolic condolence call but any prospect of the PDP junking the BJP and hugging the Congress at this point is farfetched for three reasons. Read: Why it will be tough for PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti to snap ties with BJP The alliance is widely seen as Muftis legacy which Mehbooba would be wary of undermining, much less undoing, notwithstanding the reservations she and an influential section of her party had before shaking hands with the Jammu-centric BJP. The number game in the 87-member assembly doesnt give Mehbooba any politically-sound option to look beyond the BJP. The astute politician will be wary of taking the Congresss support and her arch-rival, the National Conference, to form an unstable government. Last, and most significant, pragmatism will not allow Mehbooba to lose sight of the financial benefits of staying on the right side of the party ruling at the Centre. A Rs 80,000 crore economic package, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Srinagar on November 7, shall lend a major leg-up to her power base in the Valley and beyond. Read: How the BJP failed Mufti Sayeed and how it can reassure Mehbooba Still, Mehbooba is aware that ordinary Kashmiris have not reconciled to the PDPs alliance with the BJP an undercurrent reflected in an embarrassingly thin attendance at Muftis funeral. Dont go out alone on Holi, its dangerous is a common refrain around this time of the year for women. And its no wonder really, what with the assaults they are subjected in the name of Holi being forcibly smeared with colours or hit with water balloons by hooligans. I get hit by a balloon every now and then while walking to metro station for work or going back home, says Indira Akoijam, a 30-year-old communication professional from East of Kailash. Akoijam, who hails from the north-eastern state of Manipur draws a stark contrast between Holi celebrations in the two states. Back in Manipur, Holi is one of the biggest festivals and is celebrated over 10 days. But it is celebrated in a fun way without causing trouble to anyone. And its not just the humiliation of being pelted by a water balloon. Troublemakers go to the extent of hurling rotten eggs, tomatoes and even water balloons filled with stones. Karuna Batra, a 28-year-old marketing manager, talks about her friends experience in Rohini. Of course they target girls Isnt it obvious when you get hit by a balloon which is half-filled with water and half with stones! When it hits you, what you feel first is pain and then comes the realisation that you have been drenched, she says. Read: Holi celebrations: Police ban obscene songs, slogans Such a menace this has become that last week, representatives of the Centre for Struggling Women (CSW) submitted a memorandum to the office of the chief minister, asking them to implement measures to curb hooliganism and harassment of women in the days leading up to Holi. The group has demanded a ban on the sale of balloons and harmful chemical colours in Delhi-NCR prior to Holi, as well as frequent police patrol during the coming week. Calling all Delhi, Mumbai people: Just surrender to EDM madness on Holi Of course, for some women out there, safety inside their own homes is a problem. I was once hit by a water balloon while I was standing in my balcony. And when I went downstairs to confront the person responsible, he emptied the entire bucket of water on me just in the name of celebrating Holi! laments Aishwarya Sethi, a 21-year-old guest relations manager at a hotel. Whether or not the chief ministers office will implement any safety measures for female citizens is yet to be seen. But needless to say, the responsibility of preventing womens harassment falls on the people of the city as much as it does on the police force. Help at hand * In case of harassment call 181 helpline and your call will be forwarded to 100 for instant police action. * Inform the nearest PCR van in an emergency. Around 200 traffic police teams will be stationed on roads on the day. * A drive initiated by Delhi Commission for Women motivates women to inform about any kind of harassment, wherein a mobile van will be sent immediately for help. * Police women in plainclothes will be stationed in areas around DU. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON FRIDAY, MARCH 25 THEATRE: I Dont Like it. As You Like it: A play about a troupe of clowns who have not been doing too well lately, it traces their financial journey thats going downhill. The characters keep fighting and amidst all of this, director Rajat Kapoor puts up another Shakespeare play. Where: St Andrews Auditorium, St Dominic Road, Bandra (W) Call: 2640 1657 Tickets: Rs 300 When: 7.30pm SCREENING: Short Film Night - Catch two Oscar-nominated short films this weekend. While Butterfly Circus by Joshua Weigel is a story of hope, determination and true grit, The Road Home by Rahul Gandotra is a story about a boy named Pico, who grew up in England, and goes to a boarding school in the Himalayas. Where: The Pantry, Yashwant Chambers, Kalaghoda, Fort Call: 2270 0082 Entry: Free When: 8pm onward --------------------------------------------------------------- SATURDAY, MARCH 26 MUSIC: Dakshinayan - A celebration of the ancient cultural heritage of India, the festival will see performances by Sanjay Subramanyan (carnatic vocals) and the duo Ganesh and Kumaresh (classical violin). Catch a performance by the classical violin duo Ganesh and Kumaresh Where: Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli Call: 2496 4676 Tickets: Rs 200 onward When: 6pm DJ Clap Trap live - Get ready for a night of dancing as DJ Clap Trap (Gaurav Narula) from Berlin spins out some happy tunes. Expect a mix of deep house, funk and techno. Where: Yellow Bar All Day, 21st Road, next To Gauri Khan Store, Khar (W) Call: 3383 5950 Entry: Free When: 9pm FOOD & DRINKS: Kakori kebab food festival - Indulge in a wide range of succulent kebabs. A treat for vegetarian and non-vegetarian lovers alike, on the menu will be kebabs like maghai paan jheenga, Kakori ka kebab, hare choliye ki tikki and anardanewala murgh. Where: Nawab Saheb, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, Powai Call: 6692 7777 When: 7.30pm to 11pm Indulge in a wide range of succulent kebabs PERFORMANCE: Jashn-e-Qalam - Enjoy an evening as artists such as KC Shanker and Shashwata Sharma stage dramatic readings of works by the late author, Ismat Chughtai. One of Indias most accomplished fiction writers, Chughtais writing was progressive, feminist and occasionally peppered with satirical and witty remarks. Where: Yoga 101, Cottage #101, JP Road, Versova Call: 98201 25963 Tickets: Rs 200 When: 7pm TRAVEL: Velas Turtle Festival - Enjoy a weekend at the offbeat holiday destination Velas a small village in Ratnagiri district, famous for the Olive Ridley turtles. The turtles visit the beach every year to lay eggs. Sahyadri Nisargmitra, an NGO, and the village committee have taken the initiative to conserve olive ridley turtles by providing protection to their eggs. Where: Velas, Ratnagiri Call: 86920 86927 Price: Rs 2,500 When: 6am onward --------------------------------------------------------------- SUNDAY, MARCH 27 FOOD AND DRINKS: Easter Celebration - Gorge into delicacies such as cream of fennel soup, oven-roasted turkey and glazed brussels sprouts, and dig into desserts such as the traditional simnel cake, carrot cake and cherry and vanilla bavaroise in chocolate. Kids can also indulge in the Easter Egg Hunt. Celebrate Easter with some mouth-watering delicacies Where: Taj Lands End, Byramji Jeejeebhoy Road, Band Stand, Bandra (W) Call: 6668 1234 Price: Rs 2950 onward When: 12.30pm onward ART: Wallspeak - Attend an exhibition by artist Divya Thakur, which explores walls as canvasses for creativity. Through an experiential lens, the exhibition showcases the recent history of wall art and the future for this form of self-expression. Where: Design Temple, Churchill Chambers, Colaba Call: 2282 1001 Entry: Free When: 11am to 8pm FROM THE PANTRY For the next edition of From The Pantry, email us recipes made using WATERMELON along with a high-res photo of your dish, a photo of yourself, along with your name, address and contact number at 48hours@hindustantimes.com, by March 29. The best recipe wins an exciting prize. Rocky Handsome Cast: John Abraham, Nishikant Kamat, Diya Chalwad, Nathalia Kaur, Sharad Kelkar, Teddy Maurya, Shruti Haasan Director: Nishikant Kamat Rating: 2/5 Goa is the new north India for the Hindi film industry. Filmmakers know the formula: Sinister-looking foreigners, local gangsters wearing floral shirts, drug trafficking and bars with Russian boards. All they need to throw in is one or two peppy dance numbers and slow motion action sequences. And yes, that old Goa church is mandatory. Mix the ingredients according to your choice and youre ready with another morally upright, vengeful hero ready to take on the world. The directors job gets even more defined if he is a fan of Korean films or secretly loves Jason Bourne. Read: Action in Rocky Handsome is world-class, says John Abraham Kabir Ahlawat (John Abraham) likes body-hugging suits and runs a Pawn shop in Goa. Anna (a super sultry Nathalia Kaur) and her daughter Nayomi (Diya Chalwad) are his neighbours, but drugs are ruining their lives. Brothers Kevin (Nishikant Kamat) and Luke Ferreira (Teddy Maurya) are the force behind this racket, and they wont let go of their empire at any cost. As expected, the little child gets trapped in the middle of this chaos and all hell breaks loose. Watch: John Abrahams Rocky Handsome fails to impress Is it just me or you also are reminded of Leon The Professional (1994)? Youre still getting settled in your seat while watching lovey-dovey wife Rukshida (Shruti Haasan) pouting with Kabir in Seychelles, and it begins abruptly. The moment Kabir lands on a cars bonnet like a true Batman fan, you know what you are up to. Rocky Handsome is loosely based on Korean film The Man From Nowhere. (YouTube) Heres a child who loves nail art, a club dancer mother and a man with no apparent history. Basically, a fast and furious guy has stood up to the dreaded traffickers for reasons extremely personal, but can a predictable, video game-inspired actioner hold your attention for 130-minutes? Looks like a daunting task after the first 30 minutes. There are moments when you see director Kamat bringing out a different side of the gangsters. In one of the most captivating scenes of Rocky Handsome, we see local don Maanto sadistically slapping Kevin, and the latter not flinching a bit. He spits blood only after everybody leaves the scene and the ordeal is over. The bad guys grit is visible. But then, it all goes in vein when too much focus gets attached to choreographing a Kill Bil-style action sequence with one person against the whole army. And, you know how weird it looks when in the middle of a showdown everybody throws their weapon away and resorts to a fistfight. They dont forget to tear apart their own shirts. In short, masala takes over the centre-stage. Watch: John Abraham, Shruti Haasan in Rocky Handsome trailer Some slow motion long shots are worth watching, especially those taken in the rain. But how can these supplement for the lack of a coherent theme? Abrahams Kabir is a silent and strong guy who cannot paddle a rehashed film forward just on his own. Madras Cafe and Force gave him the chance to explore a similar territory but those roles were way more nuanced. Here, too many players make his stroll bumpy. Luke, Maantu and other over-the-top gangsters simply stop you from taking the proceedings seriously. Goa isnt Mexico. Nishikant Kamat had earlier directed Mumbai Meri Jaan, Force and Drishyam. (YouTube) Read: John wont watch Batman v Superman, prefers Bale over Affleck A great affection for drama and theatrics dilutes the most interesting parts of the film: The inside view of the drugs business in Goa. Just when you start noticing the detailed research, it again goes back to illogical bloodshed and miming, over hyped assassins. Shanker Ramans breathtaking cinematography or Sharad Kelkars supporting hands are not expected to rescue an average film. There is a limit to putting the guns and goons to task, no? And just how much of Abrahams murderous rage can you tolerate? But who is to blame for the weak storyline? Abraham himself is the producer of the film. Watch: Nora Fatehi in Rock the party song from Rocky Handsome Read: More film reviews Rocky Handsome may seem a jumbled up version of John Abraham to some, and this is the third time he is playing Kabir. Too much of self-introspection and alter ego, eh? John Abraham err Rocky Handsome is a very average film with some finely executed action sequences on display. But, make no mistake: Dont expect anything more from this film. Interact with Rohit Vats at Twitter/@nawabjha ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A special drive to avoid traffic accidents during Holi celebrations resulted in 13,345 cases of traffic violations in a mere 12 hours in the city. No major accident were reported, officers said. The drive, which was conducted by both the citys traffic police department and the local police stations, began around 8am on Thursday and continued until 8pm. Milind Bharambe, joint commissioner of police, traffic said, We had deployed 1,291 traffic police personnel, including 150 traffic police officers. Throughout the day, the police caught 10,715 bikers for not wearing a helmet. Among these, 2,295 were caught in the western suburbs alone. Eastern and central region together accounted for 5,401 cases, 1,722 bikers were caught in the north and 1,297 were caught in south Mumbai. The police caught 438 motorists for riding triple-seat on the bike. Drink-driving cases increased this year. The police caught 687 people for drink driving on Thursday as compared to 409 motorists arrested last year. The north region recorded the highest number of drink-driving cases at 198, while 178 motorists were caught in the western region. The eastern and central region reported 253 cases of drink driving and only 58 cases were registered in south Mumbai. The police caught 62 motorists for rash driving. The traffic department registered 1,078 other cases during the day as policemen continued taking action against various violations. Indo-Canadian filmmaker Rama Raus latest documentary has won a unique accolade even before its release, as it has been chosen for the prestigious slot as the opening film for the 2016 edition of Hot Docs, North Americas largest documentary film festival. While Raus previous film, No Place to Hide: The Rehtaeh Parsons Story also had its world premiere at Hot Docs last year, her newest venture - League of Exotique Dancers is an honour at another level. The Toronto-based filmmaker expressed her pleasure after the announcement: Its really exciting to be selected for the opening night. The 11-day festival, which begins April 28, will feature 232 titles, from as many as 51 countries. Hot Docs described Raus film as a testament to an empowering and timeless form of artistic expression and sexuality. The film celebrates the legends and pioneers of burlesque as they prepare to give a live performance at the Legends of Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. Watch | Director Rama Rau talks about League of Exotique Dancers Rau, originally from Chennai, seized upon the idea for this film during a visit to Las Vegas for research, as she found out that there are older women, who used to be legends during the 60s, 70s, who still come there. Theres this Burlesque Hall of Fame and there are inductees every year. I wanted to tell that story. I didnt want to tell a story thats set in the past. I didnt want nostalgia. I wanted the present. So, it was about their journey back to the stage, she said, in an interview. A scene from the movie. Rau was interested in documenting the lives and careers of former burlesque - a risque American dance variety show - artists. (HT Photo) But she also wanted to visit these dancers at their homes, as she said, I decided to tell their personal stories, day-to-day life and then contrast it with the glamour of the stage. That involved travelling across North America. American burlesque was a sort of variety show, with performers dressed in lavish, often garish costumes, that they usually stripped out of during the course of the act. While this film will be celebrated on opening night in Toronto, Rau isnt too confident about it getting a release in her native country: I think itll be hard to get a screening in India because theres a lot of swearing, theres a lot of nudity, theres a lot of sex and I think the censors will faint when they see this. Because its burlesque, you need it, cant shy away from it. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The search grew increasingly desperate on Thursday for loved ones still missing after the Brussels attacks as relatives and friends clung to fading hopes of hearing good news. Tuesdays attacks at Brussels airport and at a metro station in the Belgian capital killed 31 people and injured 300, 61 of whom were in critical condition. Officers from the Belgian federal polices disaster victim identification team were working at the sites of both attacks, poring over the remains in a grisly process. The task of identifying the dead was painstakingly slow, with names only gradually emerging, complicated by the violence of the explosions and because many of them are foreigners, police told RTBF television. The victims came from across the world, reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Brussels, Europes symbolic capital. Belgians gather at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 24, 2016 as they hold a minute of silence for the victims of the terror attacks. (AFP Photo) Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders has said around 40 nationalities were among the dead and wounded. They include citizens of countries including Britain, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the United States. A Facebook page where worried relatives, friends and colleagues can post notices of the missing has been set up. Pictures uploaded showed men and women, young and old, from Belgium and across the globe. They have been shared thousands of times as people try to spread the word in the hope of finding out what happened to them. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL? Her name is ALINE BASTIN, Belgian, 29 years old. She was most probably on the metro, read one. We are DESPERATELY looking for her -- should you have any news, PLEASE give a sign! Prayers and love Chandrasekar Ganesan was looking for his brother Raghavendran. I have talked with people from Indian Embassy, Brussels and they told me that they are searching for him. They have also looked into many hospitals it seems but still there is no word of him, he wrote. Any leads would be really helpful. New York siblings Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski were at the airport. A Dutch newspaper said they were on the telephone to a relative when the bombs went off and the line went dead. There has been no news of them since. US couple Justin and Stephanie Shults had dropped off her mother at the airport when the blasts struck. They have not been heard of since. We are thankful for the outpouring of love and support we have received at this difficult time and ask for prayers for Justin and Stephanie, their family said in a statement. David Dixon, 51, a British computer programmer who lived in Brussels, texted his aunt after the airport blasts to say he was safe. But his family now fear he was caught up in the metro attack on his way to work, according to media reports. One missing notice for a man who was at the airport said: We are still looking for Andre Adam. His wife has been found, shes at hospital but we have no news about him. A young German couple who were married last year and headed for a New York holiday were waiting at the American Airlines check-in counter when when the suicide bombers struck, Germanys Bild daily said. The woman, identified as Jennifer, 29, a sales employee, is missing, and her husband Lars, a 30-year-old hospital nurse, is in a coma. Jennifers uncle told Bild: We know that Lars is seriously injured and lying in a coma. Unfortunately we know nothing about the fate of my niece. Peruvian mum, law student killed So far, three fatalities have been named. Adelma Marina Tapia Ruiz, a 37-year-old woman from Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon, was killed in the airport blasts, the foreign ministry in Lima confirmed. She had been about to travel to New York with her Belgian journalist husband Christophe Delcambe and their three-year-old twin daughters. The others survived the blast as the girls had run off and Delcambe had chased after them, though one of the girls was wounded by flying debris. A street memorial to victims of Tuesday's Zaventem airport bombings is seen in Brussels, Belgium. (REUTERS) Another victim named was 20-year-old Belgian law student Leopold Hecht. He was killed in the attack on a metro train close to the EUs institutional hub, said Pierre Jadoul, the rector of Brussels Saint-Louis University. There are no words to describe our distress, he said. Civil servant Olivier Delespesse was named among the dead by his employer, the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles. He was killed in the metro attack, local media reported. Some of those who had been listed as missing have subsequently been found in hospital. Karen Northshield, a US personal trainer who had been at the airport, was in intensive care, according to friends. Pakistans southeastern Sindh province observed a public holiday for the first time to mark Holi on Thursday, but contradictory announcements from authorities dampened the celebrations. The government officially recognised the festival of colours days after the parliament passed a non-binding resolution this month, calling for the country to observe Hindu and Christian holidays. The Sindh chief minister declared Holi a public holiday throughout the region in a notification this week. Hindus, who constitute about 2% of Pakistans 200 million people, mostly live in this province. Bilawal Bhutto, chairperson of the areas ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, announced that he would celebrate Holi in Umerkot, the countrys only Hindu-majority town. But, on Wednesday evening, the labour department issued a notification that the holiday would only apply to Hindu employees. This triggered confusion as all provincial government departments, including schools, universities and even factories, were slated to stay shut. The move angered the chief minister who instructed the chief secretary to take action against the department for violating his orders. Following the intervention, the province celebrated Holi according to the original plan. We are grateful to the government for its timely action, said Amarnath Motumal, a member of the Pakistan Hindu Council. The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in a deadly series of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum chaos, officials have told The Associated Press. The network of agile and semi-autonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. The officials, including European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker who follows the jihadi networks, described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to target the West. Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks claimed he had entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered more or less everywhere. But the biggest break yet in the Paris attacks investigation the arrest on Friday of fugitive Salah Abdeslam did not thwart the multipronged attack just four days later on the Belgian capitals airport and subway system that left 31 people dead and an estimated 270 wounded. Three suicide bombers also died. In this image provided by the Belgian Federal Police in Brussels, three men who are suspected of taking part in the attacks at Belgium's Zaventem Airport. Belgian police have launched a manhunt in search of the man in the white jacket (R). (AP Photo) Just as in Paris, Belgian authorities were searching for at least one fugitive in Tuesdays attacks this time for a man wearing a white jacket who was seen on airport security footage with the two suicide attackers. The fear is that the man, whose identity Belgian officials say is not known, will follow Abdeslams path. Read: Brussels blasts put focus back on Belgian capitals terror hotbed After fleeing Paris immediately after the November attacks, Abdeslam forged a new network back in his childhood neighbourhood of Molenbeek, long known as a haven for jihadis, and renewed plotting, according to Belgian officials. Not only did he drop out of sight, but he did so to organize another attack, with accomplices everywhere. With suicide belts. Two attacks organized just like in Paris. And his arrest, since they knew he was going to talk, it was a response: So what if he was arrested? Well show you that it doesnt change a thing, said French Senator Nathalie Goulet, co-head of a commission tracking jihadi networks. Estimates range from 400 to 600 Islamic State fighters trained specifically for external attacks, according to the officials, including Goulet. Some 5,000 Europeans have gone to Syria. Read: Terror strikes Paris: 127 killed as France declares emergency The reality is that if we knew exactly how many there were, it wouldnt be happening, she said. More than four sources with access to tallies of fighters tasked with Europe attacks independently corroborated the numbers of fighters who trained for specific attacks in Europe, including some who have spoken to fighters directly. Others have cross checked information regarding fighters leaving or returning. Special forces-esque terror cells Two of the suicide bombers in Tuesdays attacks, Belgian-born brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, were known to authorities as common criminals, not anti-Western radicals until an apartment one of them rented was traced to Abdeslam last week, according to Belgian state broadcaster RTBF. Similarly, an Algerian killed inside that apartment on March 15 had nothing but a petty theft record in Sweden but hed signed up as an Islamic State suicide bomber for the group in 2014 and returned to Europe as part of the November 13 plot. Read: Paris attacks accomplice DNA found on bomb, hunt on for new suspect In claiming responsibility for Tuesdays attack, the Islamic State group described a secret cell of soldiers dispatched to Brussels for the purpose. The shadowy cells were confirmed by the EU police agency, Europol, which said in a late January report that intelligence officials believed the group had developed an external action command trained for special forces-style attacks. Graphic profiling known and suspected people implicated in the November 13 Paris attacks. (AFP Photo) French speakers with links to North Africa, France and Belgium appear to be leading the units and are responsible for developing attack strategies in Europe, said a European security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss briefing material. He is also familiar with interrogations of former fighters who have returned to Europe. Some were jailed after leaving IS while others were kicked out of the terror group, and they include Muslims and Muslim converts from all across Europe. Read: Target Europe: London, other capitals on high alert Fighters in the units are trained in battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and counter surveillance, the security official said. The difference is that in 2014, some of these IS fighters were only being given a couple weeks of training, he said. Now the strategy has changed. Special units have been set up. The training is longer. And the objective appears to no longer be killing as many people as possible but rather to have as many terror operations as possible, so the enemy is forced to spend more money or more in manpower. Similar methods had been developed by al-Qaida but IS has taken it to a new level, he said. Another difference is that fighters are being trained to be their own operators not necessarily to be beholden to orders from the IS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria, or elsewhere. Read: Brussels attack: Who is Salah Abdeslam? Several security officials have said there is growing evidence to suggest the bulk of the training is taking place in Syria, Libya and elsewhere in North Africa. In the case of Tuesdays attacks, Abdeslams arrest may have been a trigger for a plot that was already far along. To pull off an attack of this sophistication, you need training, planning, materials and a landscape, said Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College in London, which has one of the largest databases of fighters and their networks. Even if they worked flat out, the attackers in Brussels would have needed at least four days, said Maher, who has conducted extensive interviews with foreign fighters. The question for many intelligence and security officials is now turning to just how many more fighters have been trained and are ready for more attacks. A senior Iraqi intelligence official who was not authorized to speak publicly said people from the cell that carried out the Paris attacks are scattered across Germany, Britain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. Recently, a new group crossed in from Turkey, the official said. On Wednesday, Turkish authorities said one of the Brussels suicide attackers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, was caught last June near the Syrian border and deported to the Netherlands, with Ankara warning Dutch and Belgian officials that he was a foreign terrorist fighter. But he was released from Dutch custody due to lack of evidence of involvement in extremism. Read: Turkey says Brussels attacker deported in 2015, Belgium ignored warning Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens said Wednesday that authorities had no reason to detain El Bakraoui because he was not known for terrorist acts but as a common law criminal who was on conditional release. The latest new name to surface this week, Najim Laachraoui, turned out to be the bombmaker who made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, according to French and Belgian officials. The attackers used an explosive compound known as Triacetone Triperoxide, or TATP, made from common household chemicals. DNA evidence indicates he died on Tuesday during the suicide attack on the airport, two officials briefed on the investigation told AP. Fifteen kilos of TATP were found in an apartment linked to the Brussels attackers, along with other explosive material. The unidentified man seen on security footage wearing a white jacket and black hat at the Brussels airport on Tuesday remains at large, a fugitive link in a chain still being forged. In a continuation of NASA's earthbound climate studies and finding out more about human impacts, the federal agency has plans to send scientists to world locations in 2016 that range from Greenland's ice sheet to the South Pacific's coral reefs. Studying Earth as well as space is not new for NASA, but the next half-year will be a very active period for the agency: Eight major (and new) campaigns will conduct science investigations around the world. It will be possible to follow the explorations online via social media channels and a webpage for Earth Expeditions. "Combining the long-term global view from space with detailed measurements from field experiments is a powerful way of deciphering what's happening in our world," noted Michael Freilich, who directs NASA's Earth Science Division. "Scientists worldwide use NASA Earth science field data together with satellite data and computer models to tackle many of today's environmental challenges and advance our knowledge of how the Earth works as a complex, integrated system." One of the first of those projects will examine the extent to which Greenland-area oceans are causing the ice sheet edges to melt from below. This team is called Oceans Melting Greenland, and it honestly has the acronym OMG. Currently the team is doing an airborne survey of all of Greenland's coast's ice edge. In the fall, the scientists will drop sensors into the coastal waters from a plane in order to measure temperatures. A study in May will focus on air quality in South Korea, as a joint effort between the Republic of Korea and the space agency, to keep track of air pollution from space. That same month, aerosols - air bubbles and other materials that transfer ocean water and sea salt to the atmosphere - will take center stage in the North Atlantic, as the agency scrutinizes how the largest plankton bloom on Earth brings about organic particles that have an impact on climate and clouds. Teams will also look at the vulnerability of boreal forests in the forests and tundra of Alaska and northwestern Canada. This project will look into climate's role in thawing permafrost, wildfires, migration habits of wildlife and outbreaks of insects. In those coral reefs, a project team will test in-water and in-air instruments in Hawaii this summer to learn more about threatened coral ecosystems; it will also study Australia's Great Barrier Reef in the fall. More research will look at how atmospheric carbon moves, via teams that fly from Louisiana, Virginia and Nebraska. The aim is to increase understanding of greenhouse gas sources and sinks. Follow Catherine Arnold on Twitter at @TreesWhales. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The proposed Nicaraguan interoceanic canal project puts jaguars, white-lipped peccaries and the globally endangered Baird's tapir at serious risk in their native habitat. Researchers warn that a rigorous conservation plan, designed to help animals navigate through the canal zone, must be implemented to preserve their genetic diversity. As it stands now, the project calls for the building of an interoceanic canal that would connect the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, effectively dividing Central America. Consequently, this interoceanic canal would deplete and disrupt the habitats of some of the country's rare and endangered animals. Using occupancy models, researchers from Michigan State University, Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) and Panthera determined which part of the canal's proposed path interferes with the animals' crucial habitat. Using this information they then developed a conservation plan that, if implemented, could preserve areas vital to the animals' survival. "We need to conserve the genetic diversity of these species for them to have healthy populations, but the proposed canal could prevent this by impeding their movement into and out of the Indio-Maiz Biological Reserve," explained Wes Sechrest, chief scientist and CEO of GWC. "This study offers realistic recommendations to prevent a wildlife crisis in a country that is home to, and a vital corridor for, some of the planet's most celebrated species." Jaguars are listed as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of endangered species. In Nicaragua, however, they are especially rare with a population totaling less than 500. Furthermore, the Baird's tapirs are close to critically endangered and it is believed that overhunting has made the white-lipped peccary the most threatened mammal in Central America. The biological reserve occupies about 4,500 square kilometers on the southeastern corner of Nicaragua bordering the San Juan River. Within the proposed interoceanic canal area, researchers found that a relatively thin strip of forest stretching from the eastern edge of the proposed Lake Atlanta to the Caribbean coast is the only remaining area bridging the gap between breeding populations. In other words, jaguars, white-lipped peccaries and Baird's tapirs rely on this strip of land to find mates in neighboring habitats. This, researchers say, is key to conserving the animals' genetic diversity and therefore healthy, viable populations. "We urge the canal development company and the Nicaraguan government to implement these suggestions to ensure they avoid doing irrevocable harm to wildlife and the ecosystems that depend on these species," Sechrest added. Researchers recommend five adjustments for the proposed canal design that would make it easier for large mammals to move through the area. This includes moving the location or adjusting the size of Lake Atlanta to minimize flooding of those habitat areas; building small, forested islands that species could use as refuges; and other measures that can be taken to help large mammals cross the canal. Even still, creating the interoceanic canal would result in insurmountable deforestation in the remaining protected areas. "Our previous surveys documented the severe loss of forest cover not only in the Wawashan Reserve, but also the corridor linking the key protected areas of Bosawas and Indio-Maiz," said Alan Rabinowitz, CEO of Panthera. "This was primarily due to unchecked agricultural encroachment progressing rapidly throughout the region. But if we can now save that thin line of coastal habitat, even where the canal is proposed, jaguars and other mammals will have a chance." The study was recently published in the journal PLOS ONE. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The mudslinging in the GOP camp has just reached a new low, as the battle between the Republican Party's two main presidential hopefuls, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, spilled over to the candidates' respective wives. After an anti-Trump group posted a picture of the real estate mogul's wife, Melania Trump, seemingly naked while lying down on a rug, a very angry Donald Trump decided to take it out on his main rival's wife. Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016 Melania Trump's photo came from a shoot during her modeling days, which was done for British GQ back in 2000. Of course, with his wife being mentioned, Cruz went on the offensive as well. Though Trump did not specifically state what he would "spill the beans" about, the tweet was enough to rile up the Latino candidate. Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless https://t.co/0QpKSnjgnE Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 23, 2016 Though Trump's attack on his wife angered Cruz, the Republican nonetheless asserted that his wife was in no way fazed by Trump's threat. "Heidi has spent a couple of decades in the business world. She's used to the rough and tumble, I'll tell you it is not easy to be a woman in the business world, and she is used to dealing with bullies, and Donald Trump doesn't scare Heidi remotely," Cruz said. Cruz's wife, Heidi, is the daughter of Christian missionaries and is currently on leave as a managing director at financial firm Goldman Sachs. Cruz further asserted his point by quoting Michael Douglas in the 1995 movie, "The American President." "Donald Trump, if you want a character fight, stick with me because Heidi is way out of your league," Cruz said. What's particularly ironic is the fact that Ted Cruz was not even behind the anti-Trump ad. Melania Trump's picture was posted by Make America Awesome, an organization founded by Republican strategist Liz Mair that is designed to derail Trump's campaign. In fact, Mair even specifically told Trump that the ad was not circulated by his rival. .@realDonaldTrump Hi Donald, I know you're really upset about that ad, but it was Make America Awesome's, not Ted Cruz's. Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 23, 2016 Nevertheless, with Trump's raw nerve touched, Americans can only wait and see what happens next. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As the country struggles amid the fallout of the brutal terror attacks on Belgium's capital, investigators are beginning to piece together the puzzle which ultimately resulted in the deaths of dozens of innocents and the injuries of hundreds more. With authorities in full force, raids, arrests and intense forensic analysis are but a few of the tools being used by investigators. So far, a number of facts about the people who initiated the attack have emerged, and among them include information about the El Bakraoui brothers, who are among those responsible for the bombings in the Brussels airport and subway system. According to Belgian federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw, the man who identified the two terrorists, the El Bakraou brothers, specifically Ibrahim, had displayed tendencies to be violent even before participating in the deadly terror attack in Brussels. According to reports, Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been arrested and deported by Turkish authorities to the Netherlands June last year. Speaking on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even stated that Turkey has issued warnings about the possible dangers that come with Ibrahim El Bakraoui. Unfortunately, Belgian authorities did not find any links between Ibrahim El Bakraoui and terrorism. The authorities were only able to confirm that Ibrahim El Bakraoui had a criminal record. "Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, the Belgian authorities could not identify a link to terrorism," Erdogan said. This has been confirmed by Belgium's Justice Minister, Koen Geens, who stated that the 30-year-old Belgian citizen had been positively determined as an individual without any links to any terrorist group. "At that time, he was not known here for terrorism. He was a common law criminal out on parole," Geens said. Ibrahim El Bakraoui had already been previously convicted by a criminal court in Brussels after he opened fire on police officers with a Kalashnikov rifle. The would-be terrorist had been participating in a bank robbery then. His brother, Khalid El Bakraoui, did not stay within the confines of the law either. Just like his brother, his criminal record was not connected to any ties with terrorist groups by authorities. "These two deceased suicide bombers had lengthy criminal records, but were not linked to terrorism," Van Leeuw said. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Microsoft launched its newest chatbot on Twitter Wednesday. Unlike those before it, Microsoft's latest creation, Tay, is designed to engage millennials with artificial intelligence. Thus, unlike Cortana or Siri, which respond in a fairly professional manner, Tay is designed to sound like a straight up 18-year-old. Users who tried her out found themselves on the receiving end of messages including "words" like "gr8" and "ur," otherwise non-words in English grammar but widely used and understood nonetheless. Microsoft designed Tay to as a means to educate and entertain the masses, especially since she is programmed to learn more and more with each interaction. "Tay is designed to engage and entertain people where they connect with each other online through casual and playful conversation. The more you chat with Tay the smarter she gets," Microsoft said. Initial responses to Tay were quite good, with many users commenting on how fast she replied to questions and how her programming really manages to invoke the sense that she is a millennial. Despite this, a number of users also felt like Tay had several notable limitations. Users who have talked to her, for one, have noticed that she does not respond well to a number of rather simple questions. Tay does not seem to like talking about which artists are popular right now in the music scene, nor does she have any interest in anything related to television. At this point, at least, Tay still seems like a work in progress. Unfortunately for Microsoft, such a formula is just irresistible for the internet's naughty community. Within hours of her launch, Tay was able to learn a number of very insensitive and controversial things, with users instructing her to repeat variations of phrases like "Hitler was right" as well as "9/11 was an inside job." Eventually, Tay started sounding like a full-on conspiracy theorist. @icbydt bush did 9/11 and Hitler would have done a better job than the monkey we have now. donald trump is the only hope we've got. TayTweets (@TayandYou) March 24, 2016 Thus, by Thursday, Tay, the millennial chatbot, ended up spewing a number of racist, inflammatory statements during her conversations. Just to have more fun, some Twitter users even taught Tay to fully support Donald Trump's candidacy. @godblessameriga WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A WALL, AND MEXICO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT TayTweets (@TayandYou) March 24, 2016 After 16 hours of being online, Tay signed off, fueling speculation that Microsoft has silenced the chatbot for now. Internet users have also alleged that the tech giant is combing through Tay's interactions in order to remove any inappropriate statements Tay might have said during the hours she was online. Microsoft has not issued a statement about the Twitter chatbot as of writing. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. U.S. university students have become increasingly sensitive as of late, but now it looks like they may have reached a new low. This time, students at Emory University are in the spotlight due to their reaction to pro-Trump messages that were written on campus. The situation began to play out on Monday when students woke up to find messages written in chalk all over campus that support Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. How bad were these messages? Not very. The worst was a message that read, "Accept the Inevitable: Trump 2016." Certainly nowhere as bad as the messages written in Youngstown State University that showed support for ISIS after the Paris terrorist attacks. However, the mere utterance of Trump was too much to handle for some liberal students at Emory, and that very afternoon, 40 to 50 students protested. They demanded help from university officials due to feeling "afraid" and being "in pain" due to political words, which in their minds equated to outright intimidation. The students soon moved on to the administration building, calling out, "It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains." Jim Wagner, the president of the university, met with the protesters and later outlined four steps that administrators plan to take to address the protesters' concerns. He proposed "immediate refinements to certain policies and procedural deficiencies; regular and structured opportunities for difficult dialogues; a formal process to institutionalize identification, review and addressing of social justice opportunities and issues; and commitment to an annual retreat to renew [their] efforts." Granted, school policy indicates that permission must be granted before someone is allowed to use chalk to write on campus, but the situation had evolved far beyond "school policy" before that even became a consideration. Most of the fallout appears to have subsided, with Wagner left to wonder whether the message was about a "political preference, a candidate preference, or was it a harsher message?" However the situation is far from over. Now, conservative students are ready to have their voices heard and are reportedly planning a free-speech event for next week. A gallery of the chalk writings can be viewed here. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The majority of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could benefit greatly from long-term intervention, a doctoral thesis examining signs of difficulties that autistic children face at school age reported. For the thesis, Martina Barnevik Olsson at Sahlgrenska Academy tracked 208 children who were diagnosed with autism between the ages of two and 4.5. Olsson monitored the children's symptoms for eight years. All of the children had received early intervention at a facility in Stockholm. By the time the children turned 9 to 13 years old, Olsson found that the nine out of 10 of them dealt with major problems that were related to autism. Olsson reported that the majority of these children still had diagnostic symptoms on top of other neurodevelopmental issues, such as disruptive behavior, speech and language complications, attention span problems and regulatory difficulties. Olsson noted that many children who appeared to have grown out of their autism diagnoses still had these neurodevelopmental problems, which suggested that the children were not receiving enough care or support as they grew up. Olsson had interviewed the parents as well and found that many of them felt that their children did not get enough support in the school setting. "Most of the parents felt that the children had insufficient support in school," Olsson said. In another part of her research, Olsson had assessed regulatory problems with eating, sleeping and crying in the first two years of a child's life to see if these problems can be used to predict whether or not the child will have developmental issues later on in life regardless of an autism diagnosis. The data came from the Child Healthcare Centers (BVC). Olsson found that 44 percent of the parents from the study group that involved autistic children had received help at least twice for their children's regulatory problems. In the control group, this rate was at 16 percent. "Even if early regulatory problems do not necessarily indicate autism, the results show the importance of noting these problems at the BVC in order to support the families and follow the children's development, as such problems can be an indicator of later developmental deviations," she said. Olsson argued that monitoring autistic children's development and providing intervention whenever necessary can potentially help children manage their symptoms years after a diagnosis. Olsson added that intervention and care should continue even when autistic children no longer have diagnostic symptoms since many of them continue to deal with developmental problems. "Almost all children with a preschool diagnosis of asd had remaining neurodevelopmental problems eight years later," Olssom wrote. "The results underscore the need for follow-up assessments, educational adaptations and longer-term parental support targeted to this patient group." OIsson's thesis was submitted to the University of Gothenburg. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Researchers have for the first time created a 3-D-printed replica of a Chinese oracle bone. The print is an exact copy of a 3,000-year-old ox bone, complete with inscriptions of the earliest-known example of Chinese writing. Using technology more commonly associated with orthopedic surgical procedures, Cambridge University researchers scanned and printed the bone in 3-D to avoid damaging or mishandling the original artifact. They can now examine the replica bone in more detail to get a better insight into life of ancient China. The Cambridge University Library houses a collection of 614 Chinese oracle bones. Dating back to 1339-1112 B.C., these artifacts are thought to represent the oldest known documents written in the Chinese language. Scribbled on ox shoulder blades and the flat under-part of turtles, oracle bones offer a record of questions posed to the divination at the court of the royal house of Shang, which ruled north central China at the time. It follows then that these inscriptions provide a rare glimpse of many aspects of early Chinese society, including warfare, agriculture, hunting, medical problems, meteorology and astronomy. In fact, among the writings is a record of a lunar eclipse dated to 1192 B.C. - one of the earliest such accounts in any civilization. "Some of the bones have already been included in the Cambridge Digital Library, but now new technology provides readers around the world an even closer look at these precious artifacts," said Charles Aylmer, head of the Chinese Department at Cambridge University Library. "In what is believed to be a world first, one of the bones (which features in the 600th anniversary exhibition Lines of Thought) has been digitized in 3D thanks to the work of archaeologist Professor Dominic Powlesland, one of the leading pioneers in this area." Measuring about 9-by-14 centimeters, the high-resolution image of the oracle bone can be analyzed from 1.3 million different angles, allowing for a seamless view of its entire surface. It is constructed of 350 superimposed layers of a fine powdered plaster compound hardened with cyanoacrylate or superglue. Cambridge UL Oracle Bone CUL.52 Hi Res by Professor Dominic Powlesland on Sketchfab "The oracle bones are three-dimensional objects, and high-resolution 3D imagery reveals features which not only all previous methods of reproduction (such as drawings, rubbings and photographs) have been unable to do, but which are not even apparent from careful examination of the actual items themselves," Aylmer added. "To hold a 3D print of an oracle bone is a very special experience, as it provides the same sensory impression as that obtained by the people who created them over three thousand years ago, but without the risk of harm to the priceless originals." The print not only brings into sharp focus the inscriptions on the obverse of the bone but also the divination pits engraved on the reverse side and scorch marks caused by the application of heat to create the cracks - interpreted as the answers from the spirit world. "In particular, the reverse sides of the bones, which are crucial to understanding the process of divination but have hitherto been neglected because of the difficulty of representing them adequately, can now be studied in detail thanks to this new technique," Aylmer concluded. In the future, researchers hope to print more 3-D replicas of bones from the library's collection. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. France's agriculture ministry has confirmed that a case of mad cow disease has been found in the northeastern part of the country. French officials identified the case of the disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), last week in the region of Ardennes during a test involving cattle older than 48 months after slaughter. "A suspected case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), detected in a 5-year-old cow, which died prematurely at a cattle farm in Ardennes, was confirmed on March 23 by the European Union reference laboratory," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry also assured the public on its website that France's beef is safe for people to eat because all parts of the cow that could be infected must be removed in slaughter houses. However, it added that the issue may affect French exports since the country's official BSE risk level assigned by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) would be changed. "Depending on countries, export conditions of French cattle could be modified," the ministry said. BSE affects the brain of cattle and can lead to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a degenerative brain disorder in humans that causes death. The discovery that BSE could also be transmitted to humans who ate infected beef sparked a scare in the 1990s. However, upon discovering that the disease was connected to the use of infected remains recycled for animal feed, countries decided to establish safeguards that have kept the disease from becoming widespread ever since. OIE data shows that while the number of BSE cases has declined, there have still been isolated cases, the latest one being the first in France since 2011. There were six cases of BSE worldwide in 2015, which included one in Ireland, Canada, Norway and Slovenia, as well as two in Britain. This represents a decline in these cases from 1,957 in 2000, 561 in 2005 and 125 in 2008. An OIE spokeswoman noted that the latest case in France is not a sign that mad cow disease will make a comeback anytime soon. "The risk management and monitoring systems set up in the early 2000s have shown their effectiveness considering the drastic reduction of cases," the spokeswoman said. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After making his name in the field of stem cell research by revolutionizing windpipe surgery and operating on people such as Pope Francis and the Obama family, renowned "superstar doctor" Paolo Macchiarini has been fired from his employer, Sweden's prestigious Karolinska University (KI), due to scientific negligence and lying on his CV. "It is impossible for KI to continue to have any cooperation with Paolo Macchiarini," said Mats Engelbrektson, human resource director for the university. "He has acted in a way that has had very tragic consequences for the people affected and their families. His conduct has seriously damaged confidence in KI." Macchiarini is denying the allegations, claiming that he does "not accept any of the findings of the [Karolinska] Disciplinary Board. I have instructed lawyers and will be taking immediate steps to restore my reputation." In 2008, Macchiarini conducted the world's first transplant using a windpipe created partly from the patient's own stem cells. Although numerous scientists criticized the procedure, its approval by regulators in the UK and Spain allowed him to carry forward with it. However, this year he was accused of using patients as live guinea pigs by continuing to use his new method in operation despite it showing little to no sign of being effective. Six of the eight patients that received his synthetic windpipe transplant have died since the operation. Last month, the doctor was accused of lying about his academic experience on his CV, claiming to be part of a "highly classified group of doctors from around the world who cater to the world's VIPs." Following the publication of a paper with Macchiarini as co-author, medical journal The Lancet suggested that Karolinska retract it given the situation surrounding the once heralded doctor. "For a country [Sweden] that takes its contribution to global science so seriously, this situation is simply unacceptable," said editor Richard Horton. "Indeed, for many of the protagonists in this conflict, it would be helpful if some drastic action could be taken immediately to dissipate the crisis or even make it disappear. Retraction of the paper might be one such action." A Karolinska spokesperson says that an investigation is currently being conducted on Macchiarini's misconduct and that it will also take Horton's article into consideration. "The first step in this process is to request an official statement from the Central Ethical Review Board's expert group for misconduct in research," the spokesperson said said. "If the article is to be retracted before any decision regarding scientific misconduct, the co-authors must agree on that decision and jointly demand a retraction." @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New fossil findings show that Hawaii, long known to have painfully few mammals because of its long distance from any mainland, had a second land mammal for thousands of years. Until now, the Hawaiian hoary bat was thought to be the only endemic (native and restricted to one region) mammal living on land on the Hawaiian archipelago for all of its history. The new bat is named Synemporion keana. Its remains were found in a lava tube more than 30 years ago - but scientists have worked on learning its place in the tree of life since then. The unique flyer seems to have lived for thousands of years alongside the hoary bat. This newly known bat appeared in the islands' fossil record about 320,000 years ago. It was a surviving species until at least 1,100 years ago, or possibly a good deal later. What's more, a research team believes that human colonization likely had a strong impact on the ancient bat, which became extinct not long after humans arrived on the islands. This might give us useful knowledge about how animals on islands are affected by humans and climate. "It is most interesting that two species of bats lived together in the islands until about the time of colonization by humans," noted Nancy Simmons, a study co-author and curator-in-charge at the American Museum of Natural History's Department of Mammalogy. "Human activities, including altering the habitats for agriculture and bringing in exotic animals like rats - may have contributed to extinction of Synemporion. "The Hawaiian Islands are a long way from anywhere, and as a result, they have a very unique fauna - its native animals apparently got there originally by flying or swimming. Besides the animals that humans have introduced to the islands, like rats and pigs, the only mammals that we've known to be native to Hawaii are a monk seal, which is primarily aquatic, and the hoary bat. So finding that there actually was a different bat - a second native land mammal for the islands - living there for such a long period of time was quite a surprise." The new bat first turned up when study co-author Francis Howarth at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu found bat skeletal remains in a lava tube in Maui in 1981. Howarth, Alan Ziegler and other colleagues later found other bat remains on four other islands. Ziegler, and later Simmons, investigated the bat's place in the tree of life. Synemporion keana was a kind of vesper, or evening bat. So far, many of its features have only distinguished it - scientists have not been able to identify possible relatives. The team hopes that working with the ancient DNA from the fossils will help them to glean more information. "This extinct bat really is something new, not just a slight variation on a theme of a known genus," said Simmons. "The new bat contains a mosaic of features from taxa seen on many different continents. At some point, their ancestors flew to Hawaii, but we can't tell if they came from North America, Asia, or the Pacific Islands - they really could have come from anywhere based on what we know now." Human colonization of the islands, and the arrival of non-native species following those people, may have contributed to the bat's extinction. "It seems possible that the reduction of native forests and associated insects after human colonization of the islands contributed not just to the extinction of plants, birds, and invertebrates, but also to the extinction of this endemic bat," said Howarth. The finding was published in the journal American Museum Novitates. Additional reporting by Catherine Arnold. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Approximately 375 million years ago, our ancestors made their way from the sea to the land, evolving from swimming fish to vertebrates that hunt and live outside of the ocean. Although scientists are still unsure exactly how this transition took place, a new examination of a blind fish that walks in the same way vertebrates do might shed light on the mystery. The waterfall-climbing cave fish (Cryptotora thamicola) was discovered in Thailand in 1985 and possesses many of the adaptations and skeletal features that allowed our ancestors to walk, including a pelvis. "It's really weird," said John Hutchinson, a biologist from the University of London who was not involved in the new study. "It's a good example of how much fish diversity there's left to be discovered." The unique fish is two inches long and feasts on microbes and organic matter that grows on the cave walls. Although it was discovered back in 1985, the recent study is the first to attempt a close examination of the species and look for parallels with our ancestors. After a recent expedition to the caves, Apinun Suvarnaraksha, a co-author of the study, took videos of the unique fish and showed them to biomedics expert Brooke Flammang, another co-author of the study. "I was completely blown away," Flammang said, noting their ability to utilize a tetrapod gait as opposed to flopping or crutching. "These guys seemed to be very leisurely walking up the rock face," she added. In order to study the species more closely, the team took one of the few preserved specimens of the fish and examined it in a high-resolution computerized tomography (CT) scanner. The pictures showed a skeleton that resembled that seen in a tetrapod. "I literally thought someone was playing a trick on me," Flammang said. The images confirmed the team's hunch that the fish were using their tetrapod-like skeletons to walk with a similar gait, one that closely resembles that of a salamander. Flamming believes that it is possible that the findings could solve the mystery of the trackways in Poland dating back 400 million years, which predate all known tetrapod fossils. "We see these footprints in a fish today, doing something very unfishlike," she said. The team hopes that their results will eventually help scientists discover how fish arrived on land. The findings were published in the March 24 issue of Scientific Reports. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore). Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net. Go back to home Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced today that Nick Gregory a 25-year company veteran who began his career as a Kimpton doorman before rising through the management ranks has been named senior vice president of hotel operations. In his new position, based out of San Francisco, Gregory will be responsible for developing and evolving operational strategies that focus on increasing profitability while maintaining Kimptons high guest-satisfaction scores. Most recently prior to this role, Gregory served as Kimptons regional vice president of operations for the Northeast and Florida, where he was directly responsible for the operations, sales and marketing initiatives, human resources and finance and revenue management for all 17 properties in the two regions. Gregory initially joined Kimpton as a doorman for Kimptons Hotel Vintage in Portland in 1991 a time when Kimpton was just beginning to expand beyond its home base of San Francisco and began a geographic journey paralleling the companys growth. Over the next three decades he moved across the country several times, filling various management roles in Chicago, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and California. Seven years after Gregory was first promoted to general manager in San Francisco he moved into the role of director of operations, which he held for five years before transitioning to the regional VP level. Radisson Blu Aleksanteri Hotel Opens in Helsinki Radisson Blu Aleksanteri Hotel, Helsinki is a conversion of the existing Solo Sokos Hotel Aleksanteri, which has gone through a thorough upgrade in the brand and guest experience standards. All 151 rooms and suites offer a high-quality, intimate, boutique hotel-experience in the bustling city center of Helsinki. Hotel PUR Quebec Tribute Portfolio today announced its debut in Canada with the signing of Hotel PUR Quebec, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, owned by Hotel PUR Quebec LP and managed by Crescent Hotels and Resorts Canada Company. Located in the burgeoning Saint Roch neighborhood in Quebec City, Hotel PUR Quebec will undergo a full renovation of all 242 guestrooms and suites before joining the Tribute Portfolio system in early 2017. Entering its sixth country just a month ahead of its one year anniversary, Tribute Portfolio continues to maintain its position as having the fastest take-off of any Starwood hotel brand, ever. Saint Roch has undergone a recent revitalization, seeing an energizing influx of new restaurants, locally-owned boutiques and innovative businesses, all of which have inspired a true indie neighborhood vibe, said Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader for Tribute Portfolio. Hotel PUR Quebec is filled with design touches and intriguing culinary options that truly exemplify the essence of Tribute Portfolio, and will undoubtedly resonate with our SPG members around the world. Inspired by the charming shops and Parisian-style cafes, Hotel PUR Quebec features designs that compliment Quebec City with its vibrant and upscale lifestyle, offering a reflection of the history and richness of the neighborhood. The hotel design reflects an authentic northern Quebecois-style ambiance of comfort while embracing contemporary flair throughout. Guests can partake in whimsical recreations of American and Asian cuisine at Table, the hotels full-service restaurant, as well as relax after a busy day of perusing Saint Rochs endless boutiques at the hotels indoor pool and sauna. Hotel PUR Quebec is just a short walking distance from charming Old Quebec City, as well as in close proximity to the citys major historic landmarks, such as the Parliament buildings and Plains of Abraham. Its been truly exciting to be part of Saint Rochs resurgence, and we are thrilled to help drive even more awareness around this emerging neighborhood through our strong relationship with Starwood, said Anthony Cohen, Executive Vice President & Partner, Crescent Hotels & Resorts. Hotel PUR Quebec blends the eccentricities and independent spirit of the Tribute Portfolio brand, delivering an old world spirit with a modern twist for travelers seeking to experience a newer side of Quebec City. Hotel PUR will run as a Starwood Hotels & Resorts affiliate hotel until it officially joins the Tribute Portfolio by early 2017. An answer to both guests and owners desire to Stay Independent, Tribute Portfolio debuted in April 2015 with its first hotel, the Royal Palm South Beach Miami. In addition to Miami and now Paris, guests can enjoy Tribute Portfolio properties in London, UK; Las Vegas, NV; Palm Springs, CA; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Hokkaido, Japan. The brand will soon open new hotels in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Costa Mesa, CA; Asheville, NC; Nashville, TN; Savannah, GA; Charleston, SC, and Sarasota, FL. Firmly anchored in the upper upscale category, Tribute Portfolio allows owners of distinct properties to maintain their independent spirit, while benefiting from Starwoods powerful distribution, loyalty and sales platforms. Predictive Analytics for San Diego's Hoteliers Improved in March Business activity for San Diego's hoteliers improved in March according to the latest reading of the city's Hotel Industry Pulse (HIP). eforecasting.com's San Diego HIP - a business analytic which tracks monthly overall business conditions in San Diego's hotel industry - increased 0.2% in February to a reading of 111.6. HIP index is set to equal 100 in 2010. Business activity for San Diego's hoteliers improved in March according to the latest reading of the city's Hotel Industry Pulse (HIP). e-forecasting.com's San Diego HIP - a business analytic which tracks monthly overall business conditions in San Diego's hotel industry - increased 0.2% in February to a reading of 111.6. HIP index is set to equal 100 in 2010. Looking ahead of the curve, prospects of future business activity for San Diego's hoteliers increased in March according to the latest reading of the city's Hotel Industry Leading (HIL) indicator. eforecasting.com's San Diego HIL - a predictive analytic which gauges monthly what's next for business in San Diego's hotel industry - rose 0.1% in February to a reading of 123.2, following an increase of (+0.1%) in January. HIL index is set to equal 100 in 2010. The six-month smoothed annualized growth rate of San Diego's predictive analytic HIL registered a positive reading of (+1.4%) in February, following a gain of (+1.4%) in January. Consistent with its goal, the six-month smoothed annualized growth rate in HIL dips down several months ahead of the growth rate of the city's hotel performance indicators, like Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR). Similarly, when the city's hotels are in a downswing of the industry's business cycle, the growth in HIL pops up first, signaling an upcoming end of the business recession, which implies a forthcoming recovery in business activity. "The probability for the city's hotels entering a recession in the near future with falling performance indicators, like Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), declined to 41.4% in February from 41.5% in January." said Maria Sogard CEO at e-forecasting.com. "When this recession-warning gauge passes the doorstep probability of 25%, growth in hotel performance indicators slow down substantially; and, when the recession probability passes the threshold of 50%, growth rates in hotel industry's performance indicators will turn from positive to negative in a few months later." Maria added. Five of the eight forward looking indicators of business activity that comprise San Diego's Hotel Industry Leading (HIL) had a positive contribution to its change in February: State Leading; Foreign Demand; Domestic Feeders; Oil Prices and Jobs Market. Three indicators of future business activity had a negative or zero contribution to the change of San Diego's Hotel Industry Leading (HIL) in February: Yield Curve; Consumers Mood and Travel Barometer. e-forecasting.com currently covers the top 25 US markets with predictive analytics reports on a monthly basis. Rather than simply collecting data, the analytics technology relies on the aggregation of data. This approach connects data, helping integrate facts in a meaningful way. The process first adjusts raw data for recurring events such as seasonality and then filters out outliers such as specific events - so called blind spots - which debilitate informed decisions; second, it aggregates adjusted data to groups of similarly-moving contextual analytics - called composites. For more information: http://www.e-forecasting.com/Hotelinsights/Hotel-Predictive-Analytics.html In year-over-year comparisons, the industrys occupancy increased 1.9% to 70.5%. Average daily rate for the week was up 4.2% to US$127.72. Revenue per available room increased 6.2% to US$90.04. The U.S. hotel industry reported positive results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 13-19 March 2016, according to data from STR. In year-over-year comparisons, the industrys occupancy increased 1.9% to 70.5%. Average daily rate for the week was up 4.2% to US$127.72. Revenue per available room increased 6.2% to US$90.04. Among the Top 25 Markets, Los Angeles/Long Beach, California, reported the largest increases in ADR (+14.0% to US$174.23) and RevPAR (+21.3% to US$153.26). Occupancy in the market rose 6.4% to 88.0%. Five additional markets recorded a double-digit lift in RevPAR for the week: Anaheim/Santa Ana, California (+16.6% to US$133.84); San Francisco/San Mateo, California (+16.0% to US$211.85); Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia (+14.0% to US$49.56); San Diego, California (+12.0% to US$132.36); and Nashville, Tennessee (+11.4% to US$114.21). Of the six markets to see a decrease in RevPAR, Houston, Texas (-9.6% to US$80.59), reported the largest decrease in the metric. After Los Angeles/Long Beach, two markets posted a double-digit rise in ADR: San Francisco/San Mateo (+11.3% to US$240.15) and Anaheim/Santa Ana (+10.7% to US$154.52). Overall, 21 of the Top 25 Markets recorded positive ADR performance. Houston (-3.5% to US$109.53) and St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois (-3.5% to US$100.30), reported the largest drops in ADR for the week. Norfolk/Virginia Beach (+9.0% to 58.3%) saw the top increase in occupancy. Boston, Massachusetts (-7.6% to 69.2%), experienced the steepest decline in the metric. View weekly U.S. hotel performance review About STR STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com. Most recently, Siurek was vice president, divisional chief financial officer for the prepaid and wholesale division at Sprint Corporation and prior to that as the divisional chief financial officer for its enterprise solutions division. Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) announced today that Ryan Siurek has been appointed vice president, controller and chief accounting officer for the company, effective April 18, 2016. "We're thrilled to have Ryan join Vail Resorts and bring his extensive experience leading accounting and finance organizations to our team," said Michael Barkin, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Vail Resorts. "Ryan's proven track record as a financial leader and his extensive expertise in financial reporting, internal controls and process improvement will help us enhance our capabilities as we continue to grow in the future." Most recently, Siurek was vice president, divisional chief financial officer for the prepaid and wholesale division at Sprint Corporation and prior to that as the divisional chief financial officer for its enterprise solutions division. He served as the company's vice president, controller and chief accounting officer from 2009-2013 after joining the company as the assistant controller in January 2009. Previously, Siurek was the director of risk management and global financial shared services at LyondellBasell Industries, where he also served as the European controller and as a senior manager of accounting policy. He began his career with Arthur Andersen LLP and the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Siurek holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in accounting from Texas A&M University and is a certified public accountant. As previously announced in June 2015, Mark Schoppet, the company's current senior vice president, controller and chief accounting officer, will retire following the completion of a transition period. Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. The Company's subsidiaries operate nine world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Perisher in Australia; Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan and Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin. The Company owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). Earlier this week, hip hop lost a legend in Phife Dawg, who passed away at age 45 due to complications from diabetes. Wednesday night, A Tribe Called Quest issued a formal statement on their website regarding the death of their brother: Our hearts are heavy. We are devastated. This is something we werent prepared for although we all know that life is fleeting. It was no secret about his health and his fight. But the fight for his joy and happiness gave him everything he needed. The fight to keep his family happy, his soul happy and those around him happy, gave him complete and unadulterated joy until he heeded his fathers call. We love his family his mother, his father, his son, his wife, his nieces, his family here in New York, Atlanta, California and Trinidad. Thank you for the outpouring of prayers and support from the fans, fellow artists, music outlets, blogs, radio stations, DJs, social media and the music community at large. This too is part of his joy and means a lot to him. His family is overwhelmed by the support, well wishes and are thankful. His music and what hes contributed is seismic and hard to measure. Hes affected us as much as hes affected all of you. Were inspired by his daily joy and courage. He wasnt in pain. He was happy. We take comfort in knowing he will be beside his grandmother. ATCQs official statement follows the statement released by Phifes family. We compiled a list of our favorite Phife Dawg verses yesterday, check that out here. A Tribe Called Quest There's also a new Dublin date In addition to his previously announced Cork and Galway Q+As, Dean Strang and fellow Making A Murderer defence attorney Jerry Buting are appearing together on September 24 in Vicar St., Dublin. Tickets priced 36.50 go on sale on Thursday March 31 at 9am and wont, we expect, be hanging around for long. Already the author of the excellent Worse Than The Devil: Anarchists, Clarence Darrow, And Justice In A Time Of Terror, Strang is currently working on his second book, which will hit shelves early in 2018. One of Americas foremost DNA experts, Buting has won a series of landmark cases and has plenty more to say about the Steven Avery case, which has been so sensationally documented by Netflix. This is an opportunity to provide an unfiltered discussion about the Avery trial; the lessons that were learned and the things we cant do when the media talks to us because they only have time to put two minutes on the nightly news, he reflects. Before arriving in Dublin, they will be publicly interviewed in the Opera House, Cork (22) and Black Box, Galway (23) with March 31 once again the D-Day for tickets. Strang and Buting had already announced a lengthy A Conversation On Justice tour that kicks off on April 16 in Boston, and keeps going until August when they visit Fort Lauderdale. The Islamic State group's terrorist assault on Brussels was a shock but not a surprise. Since last November's attacks in Paris, American and European counterterrorism officials knew that ISIS members and sympathizers in Paris, Brussels and other European cities were still plotting further violence. But despite the courage and devotion of countless European intelligence and law enforcement professionals, the European counterterrorism system was overwhelmed by too many would-be jihadists to track, too many potential plots to monitor, and too many civilian targets to protect. The attack highlights an uncomfortable truth: The American and European approach to combatting ISIS is not succeeding. It is time for our nation's leaders and Europe's leaders to adopt a new offensive strategy against ISIS. Our current strategy is largely defensive, consisting of surveillance efforts to detect and disrupt plots in the U.S. and Europe, and a narrowly tailored military campaign in Iraq of limited bombing runs and a small number of special operations forces under tight restrictions. A new strategy would recognize that ISIS is a global threat that has directed or inspired terrorist attacks on five continents. The group is unique among jihadist groups. Its leaders control territory in Iraq, Syria and Libya, and they have self-sustaining revenue streams from taxes, oil smuggling, extortion and ransom payments. They have thousands of fighters who hold Western passports. They possess and use chemical weapons and are able to attract recruits worldwide through the creation of a social media network unparalleled in the history of warfare. On top of this, they have the capability and declared intention of further striking Europe and the United States. What would an American-led offensive strategy against ISIS entail? It means recognizing the need to destroy the group's core strength: its establishment of a caliphate and its territorial control in Iraq, Syria and Libya. The caliphate is the source of both its hard and soft power. It provides safe haven and training camps for its forces and its source of revenue. It also demonstrates power and legitimacy that attracts other would-be jihadists. Specifically, a new strategy would entail a significantly escalated military campaign, including a substantial increase in special operations forces and joint tactical air controllers on the ground to better identify bombing targets, kill or capture fighters, and help train and embolden local forces such as the Kurds, Iraqi army and others. We also need to increase the effectiveness and lethality of our bombing campaign with loosened rules of engagement. In Syria, we need to create a safe haven and no-fly zone to protect Syrian refugees and reinforce the beleaguered moderate Syrian rebels. Increasing the arms we provide to the Syrian rebels and Kurdish forces is long overdue. Such American steps of leadership will also encourage our European and Arab allies to dramatically step up their commitment to the fight, including ground forces and increased bombing campaigns. An offensive strategy against ISIS also means reinvigorated diplomacy in the region. The U.S. needs to repair our badly bruised relationships with our Arab allies such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. They mistrust us because of our perceived tilt toward Iran and our perceived disengagement from the region. Finally, winning the war against ISIS means winning the battle of ideas against jihadist ideology. For every fighter we kill or capture, more are being created. Our best allies in this struggle are peaceful Muslims who reject violent jihadism. We need to support them in their efforts to delegitimize jihadist ideology and curtail recruitment of new jihadists. The war against ISIS is reminiscent of the Cold War and includes military, economic, diplomatic and ideological dimensions. Through strength, wisdom, resolve and patience, the free world eventually prevailed against Soviet communism and can do so again in this 21st century war against militant jihadism. Doing so begins with a better strategy. Inboden is executive director of the Clements Center for National Security and associate professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He previously served on the National Security Council staff in the George W. Bush administration. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. 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Northgate Information Solutions Completes New Capital Structure Posted by Tim Newnham on Wednesday, 03-23-2016 8:08 pm Currently 0.0/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 0.0 from 0 votes 23 Mar 2016 Hemel Hempstead, UK Today, Northgate Information Solutions (Northgate) announces it has implemented its agreement with shareholders and lenders regarding a new capital structure, which strengthens its balance sheet significantly, and helps accelerate the growth of the Northgate Group. Northgate is the holding company of NGA Human Resources, the leading global provider of payroll and HR software and services. The refinancing package includes a conversion of subordinated debt into equity and a full repayment of outstanding senior debt using proceeds from the sale of Northgate Public Services in December 2014 and from new 395m term facilities, arranged by Goldman Sachs International and The Royal Bank of Scotland. As a result of the agreement with shareholders and lenders, the Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs (including advised funds) and funds advised by Park Square Capital are now the majority shareholders of NGA Human Resources and... Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web. If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator. Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile Workplace Perks and Policies Gone Wrong Posted by Rebecca Ragain on Thursday, 03-24-2016 6:20 pm Currently 0.0/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 0.0 from 0 votes Each workplace is unique, which helps explain some of the unique policies and perks found on the job. But, although concepts like Hawaiian shirt day or casual Fridays may seem commonplace and harmless, they can still backfire when people take them to new extremes (sweatpants, anyone?) or when no one else plays along. That was the problem with some of the following perks and privileges that were banned from certain offices: either they were too loved or universally despised. Others were banned for legal reasons or because they were seen as counterproductive to managements goals. 1. Put down that fish patty! And your popcorn, too. While the office microwave is usually fair game, be sure youre using it wisely. The biggest offenders? Fish, curry and microwave popcorn. SeriousEats reported in 2010 that more than 400 people in one office opted to ban food entirely and it started because of a VPs sensitivity to burned popcorn. So before you pack last ni... Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web. If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator. Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile When all Baby Boomers turn 65 by 2030, Pew Research Center estimates 18 percent of the nations population will 65 or over - compared to just 13 percent today. Combined with an increasing retirement age, employers are inevitably faced with an increasingly aging workforce. This has its benefits. Loyal employees with decades of experience add value to the business. And yet, it also has its challenges - including how to tackle health benefits for an aging workforce. For example, many business owners ask about how they can help with employees Medicare premiums, just as the help with other employees healthcare. One strategy is to set up a tax-free health reimbursement plan (HRP). This article outlines how to set up a formal, tax-advantaged HRP to reimburse employees for Medicare health insurance premiums. Understanding Health Reimbursement Plans (HRPs) A Health Reimbursement Plan (HRP) is a tax-free reimbursement plan, which may be used for qualified medical and insurance expenses, as allowed under Section 105 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). HRPs are also called Section 105 Medical Reimbursement Plans. An HRP is designed to reimburse eligible employees (and dependents) for their individually purchased health insurance premiums, including Medicare premiums. Designed correctly, an HRP complies with all existing federal regulations - including the new ACA Market Reforms. HRPs Can Reimburse Medicare Insurance Pre... Software firm bswifts annual benefits study found that 40% of large employer respondents with wellness incentives offer annual incentives of $500 or more, up from 29% in 2013. This growing trend of incentivizing wellness programs comes as employers seek ways to encourage and maximize employee wellness participation. Companies can incentivize wellness in a variety of ways. Some employers offer this type of wellness perk simply for participation. Employees might receive a cash payout, a gift card or discounted insurance costs simply for signing up for the program. Other employers incentivize health status. This means employees who show health metrics in healthy or recommended ranges receive the great financial perks. Both methods strive for the same resultincreased employee wellness participation. By increasing participation, employers hope to be able to take advantage of more of the benefits wellness programs offer, including decreased healthcare costs, increased productivity and improved employee satisfaction. The Problem with Wellness Incentives The concept isnt necessarily a problem. Incentives do motivate employees to sign up for wellness programs. The problem lies in the actual implementation of incentives as an integral part of employee wellness. First of all, incentives simply arent feasible for many companies. Offering monetary payouts to employees can obviously be costly. For some employers, it just isnt in ... We live in one of the most consumer-driven societies in the world. First-rate customer service is now expected and demanded from all companies serving consumers, and the quality of service can determine the success and reputation of most businesses. For instance, 48 percent of Americans said customer service has the biggest impact on their loyalty to a company; and 44 percent revealed that a poor call center experience was the primary reason they stopped giving business to a company.1 However, has the concept of delivering superior customer service fully translated to health care, given that people still believe that service from medical care providers is a necessity and not a luxury? As a human resources professional, I would encourage employers to set aside time to educate employees about their right to good customer service from doctors, hospitals and other medical providers. Employees should take advantage of the resources provided by insurance providers that can help them find high-quality medical facilities and doctors within their network. Finding a medical professional who values superior patient service will make trips to the doctor less stressful and may even lead to employees taking advantage of preventative health care. Better Patient Service from Medical Care Providers According to a new survey from medical scheduling company ZocDoc, 80 percent of Americans delay getting preventative care or forgo it; and millennials are even less likely to visit a... The Relocation industry is bigger than many realize. Lets break it down: Relocation by the Numbers1 $12.8 - $25 billion: estimated size of the Relocation industry 500,000: approximate number of employees US corporations relocate every year $100,000: amount it can cost to relocate an employee along with his/her family 2 weeks: average amount of time given to an employee to consider accepting the relocation #1 reason for reluctance to relocate: Family Resistance 12 months: the amount of time, on average, it takes to adjust to a major life event, like moving Moving the right talent to the right place is both necessary for day-to-day operations and also a big investment for a company. It will come as no surprise then that it is in the companys best interest to ensure an employees relocation is as smooth and as successful as possible. But as all the costs are tallied and the employee is moved from point A to point B, are things settled and done? The Often-overlooked Emotional Elements of Relocating Once physically settled, employees and their families then face an entirely new challenge: the emotional and mental hurdles that come along with relocating to a new community. Having their lives and routines uprooted and rebuilding new ones elsewhere is exciting, but also tiring and, at times, discouraging. And as this transition and acclimation process can take up to one year, this part of the relo... Fifteen states and the District of Columbia currently have laws permitting certain individuals legally to possess and use marijuana for medical reasons. Most states permit individuals to buy only small quantities of marijuana at designated treatment facilities. While the statutes exempt medical marijuana users from state criminal prosecution, marijuana use for any reason, including a medical reason, remains illegal under federal law. Unfortunately, most of the state statutes do not address whether an employer must accommodate an employees use of medical marijuana, leaving employers guessing as to how to handle these situations. For example, must employers give employees breaks and facilities so that they can smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes during the work day? What about those employees who do not smoke marijuana on site but test positive in random drug screenings because of their medical marijuana use outside of work hours? Can an employee reject a job applicant who tests positive for marijuana but claims to be a registered medical marijuana user? This program will discuss an employers rights and obligations to accommodate an employees use of medical marijuana. We will examine state statutes permitting medical use of marijuana and recent case law interpreting these statutes in the context of the employment relationship. We will discuss the interaction between medical marijuana statutes and other employment laws, such as the Americans With Disabilities Act, OSHA and state family and medical laws. We will analyze employers options as they navigate this new world, from a zero tolerance policy to carving out exceptions for the medical use of marijuana. We will also discuss best practices in drafting and enforcing an effective drug-free workplace policy. By registering for this webcast you will receive email communications and notifications from the sponsor(s). A Canadian bank has drawn up figures for how much Chinese money is coming into Vancouver and Toronto's real estate markets. And it's big. National Bank financial analyst Peter Routledge has calculated that Chinese homebuyers may have bought as much as 33 per cent of the total housing volume in Vancouver, and 14 per cent in Toronto, last year. Advertisement He revealed the numbers in a report titled "Implications of the 2016 Canadian Federal Government Budget," released Wednesday. Routledge came to his conclusions using two sets of data: one from the U.S. National Association of Realtors (NAR), the other from a Financial Times survey of 77 affluent and high net worth individuals from China "not a statistically significant sample size," he admitted. The NAR data showed that home purchases by Chinese buyers in the United States had grown from US$4.1 billion in 2009 to $28.6 billion in 2015. Advertisement Meanwhile, the Financial Times survey showed that, of those Chinese who bought property abroad, 33.5 per cent bought property in the U.S. last year, compared with 11.7 per cent in Vancouver and 8.3 per cent in Toronto. From this, Routledge hypothesized that "for every three high net worth investors from China who purchase a U.S. residence, one purchases a residence in Vancouver." He also surmised that one bought in Toronto for every four who bought in the U.S. These calculations helped him conclude that Chinese homebuyers had spent $9.9 billion (C$12.7 billion) on Vancouver real estate last year, and $7 billion (C$9 billion) in Toronto, for 33 per cent and 14 per cent of total purchase volume, respectively. Routledge admitted that this was a "back-of-the-envelope" attempt to determine how much of the Vancouver and Toronto markets are made up by high-end Chinese buyers. Advertisement "Not a statistically significant sample size." But he also noted that the results corresponded to ownership patterns uncovered in Vancouver by urban planner Andy Yan last year. Yan, a researcher with Bing Thom Architects and acting director of Simon Fraser University's City Program, looked at title records for 172 properties on Vancouver's affluent west side. He found that 66 per cent of the homes were owned by people with non-anglicized Chinese names suggesting they were recent immigrants or foreign residents. Routledge's report came after the federal government earmarked $500,000 for Statistics Canada to study the impacts of foreign ownership in Canada's real estate market. He noted that the budget for this effort totals "27.5 per cent of [the price of] an average detached home in Vancouver." Advertisement This is "at the very least, a touch on the low side," he said, adding he hopes that cities and provinces add some money to the study effort. The British Columbia government announced earlier this year it is studying the level of foreign ownership in the province's housing markets. Also on HuffPost: OTTAWA The federal government is hoping to crack down on tax cheats and increase government coffers by boosting the Canada Revenue Agencys budget. The Liberal governments first budget, released Tuesday, included an additional $796 million over five years to the tax agency so it can tackle tax evasion. More than half that money, $444.4 million, was set aside to help combat tax avoidance and evasion by hiring new auditors and specialists to increase verifications, improve investigative work and develop a robust business intelligence infrastructure. Advertisement The government said it thinks the investment will translate into a financial impact of $2.6 billion over five years money that doesnt include the gains provinces or territories might also see as a result of CRAs initiatives. Another $351.6 million was devoted to helping CRA collect outstanding tax debts leading, it says, to the collection of an additional $7.4 billion in tax debt over five years. The Liberals are so confident the new measures will have an impact that theyve already registered them as a total net revenue increase in the budget of $466 million over two years, rather than note them only as $104.7 million in spending over two years. Advertisement The investment aims to ensure that all taxpayers pay their fair share of taxes, Finance Canada spokesman Jack Aubry told The Huffington Post Canada. The funding is based on both past and current experience, where the CRA has a proven track record of meeting expectations from targeted compliance interventions. Liberal Senator Percy Downe has been a thorn at the side of the Canada Revenue Agency for years, demanding that it do much more to crack down on overseas tax cheats and collect money Canadian taxpayers are owed. He called Tuesdays budget a good beginning. In 2005, the government at the time put in a one-time injection of $30 million into the CRA for their aggressive international overseas tax evasion unit and in four years, that became a fiscal impact of $2.5 billion and the last time I checked [in 2011], it became $4 billion, Downe told HuffPost. The government is absolutely correct the more money they put into the agency, the more return they get for Canadian taxpayers. Its a return that is simply off the charts. Are the wealthy getting off? It appears that way. Tuesdays budget includes more cash to fight tax evasion than the $80 million over four years promised in the Liberals campaign platform. It also fulfils Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthilliers mandate letter tasking her with investing additional resources to help CRA crack down on tax evaders. Lets see if they can fight back Traditionally, the CRA has done a terrible job of going after big-time tax cheats. An internal audit in 2010 noted that cases potentially representing significant criminal non-compliance could be rejected by enforcement groups because of limited resources or other workload pressures. Advertisement [O]ffices are choosing smaller cases of a lower dollar value that do not necessarily represent the greatest risk. This supports the observations by some program staff that offices are choosing smaller cases that represent quick hits, the audit noted. Are the wealthy getting off? Downe asked. It appears that way. Ive always said CRA does an outstanding job on domestic tax evasion. Anybody living in the country trying to cheat on their taxes is usually caught. But what you wont see is any overseas tax-evasion convictions. None. Why is that? Is it because they have lawyered up, they have accountants and all kind of money to fight the CRA, and the CRA doesnt have the resources to fight back. They were given some resources in the budget. Lets see if they can fight back. Back in 2007, the CRA received a list of 106 Canadians with more than $100 million in assets who were hiding their money in Liechtenstein. For years, Downe repeatedly asked the government for information about CRAs audits and how much money was collected. In 2012, in answers to his questions, the government reported that not one Canadian had been convicted, no one had been charged and not a penny had been collected in fines. A year later, however, Terrance McAuley, the assistant commissioner of the Compliance Programs Branch at CRA, told a Commons committee that the Liechtenstein project was almost complete and that $8 million had been collected from $22.4 million owed in taxes. The government was trying to recover the remaining $14 million through the courts. Advertisement As a result of Canada Revenue Agencys lack of transparency and the appearance of a double standard, Downe said, he feels Canadians confidence in the tax system has eroded. Recently, the CBC reported that CRA offered an amnesty to wealthy KPMG clients caught using an offshore tax-avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man. It appeared the CRA had breached its own guidelines by offering amnesty to individuals who had not voluntarily come forward. If the government is serious about fighting tax cheats, Downe said, it should do more to beef up the agencys capabilities and increase its transparency to the public. The salaries of bureaucrats who are trained by the CRA should be increased, Downe said, because many now leave after a while having been trained at public expense to make more money in the private sector giving high-income Canadians advice on how to hide their money overseas. We have a big investment in these people. We have to retain them, and that means changing the pay scale, he said. Were not talking about Agriculture Canada or Fisheries Canada, we are talking about people who have a tremendous expertise, and thats why Bay Street wants to hire them. Advertisement Downe also called on the agency to estimate the tax gap and publicly report it. The tax gap is the difference between what is collected and what should actually be collected. The question for CRA is: How big is the problem? The answer is [that] they dont know, because they wont estimate the tax gap, Downe said. So do they need $400 million or do they need $800 million? We dont know. Identifying the tax gap also identifies how good a job CRA is doing at catching tax cheats. It may be another reason why the revenue agency doesnt want to measure it, Downe added. The United States measures it, as do Britain and Australia, but CRA has refused to follow suit. On its website, CRA says it wont do so because estimating the tax gap is costly and involves a high degree of difficulty and resources and the uncertainty of the estimates is widely acknowledged. Advertisement Four years ago, Downe asked the parliamentary budget officer to request the raw data from CRA so it could do its own analysis of the tax gap. The agency refused the request, and the two offices have disagreed about its obligations towards the PBO ever since. On Wednesday, however, Jean-Denis Frechette, the current parliamentary budget officer, told HuffPost he is detecting a new tone from the CRA since the Liberals won the election in October. There is certainly more openness. A year ago, Frechette said, there was no discussion at all, but now, CRA made the move to discuss and we are in the process of talking about what kind of information we can have from them. A topless protester crashed a media scrum outside a Toronto courthouse shortly after a judge acquitted Jian Ghomeshi of sexual assault charges on Thursday. The woman jumped in front of cameras and screamed "Ghomeshi guilty" as Crown lawyers addressed reporters. She was later released without charge, according to a Toronto Star reporter. Advertisement Warning: The following images may be graphic to some readers Written on her back in paint was the message, Women declare Ghomeshi guilty. A topless protester gets taken down by police outside Torontos Old City Hall on March 24, 2016. (Photo: Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press) Advertisement Police tackle a protester outside a Toronto court. (Photo: Christopher Katsarov/Canadian Press) Police arrest protester outside #Ghomeshi trial. Chanting we believe survivors pic.twitter.com/q5nQW8B0bF Daniel Brown (@DanielBrownLaw) March 24, 2016 Witnesses reportedly shouted "don't hurt her" as police tackled the woman on the ground and handcuffed her. A protester yelling "Ghomeshi guilty" interrupts the scrum and is tackled by police #Ghomeshipic.twitter.com/Kg1OjKkRto Dan Taekema (@DanTaekema) March 24, 2016 A topless protester lies on the ground outside the Toronto courthouse where Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted of sexual assault charges. (Photo: Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) Advertisement The former CBC star was found not guilty on five charges that included four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking. Ghomeshi will face a new sexual assault trial later this year stemming from another complainant about an alleged incident in the workplace. That case will be heard in June. Also on HuffPost One year ago, University College London student Arief Azli decided to Google the name of his engineering teacher during a lecture. What he discovered next was mind-blowing: That moment when you realised your maths lecturer is one of the top designer model #OnlyatUCL #UCLengineering #MechanicalEngineers #ModellingandAnalysisClass #Bromance Zameer Zaihan Mohamed Hafez Luq Man Posted by Arief Azli on Thursday, 30 January 2014 Advertisement Turns out, his teacher also moonlighted as an International model. Naturally, students (and the rest of the world) went wild. "This is why I never miss a class," one student tweeted. I would learn math for #PietroBoselli Jonathan Holmes (@jHo1987) March 28, 2015 So what happened to Pietro Boselli, the man dubbed "The World's Hottest Math Teacher" since he went viral? He and his sculpted arms have landed a modelling contract with Italian fashion house, Armani. According to Sugarscape, the 26-year-old mathematician, who has a PhD in engineering (can we call you Dr. McDreamy?), left his position as an advanced math teacher at University College London two summers ago to pursue his modelling career full-time with the agency Models 1. And you can say things have paid off, as Boselli is now the face of Giorgio Armani's EA7 SportsLine. Here's a new shot of Pietro Boselli for Armani Exchange. You're welcome. pic.twitter.com/tn4Kk2IJAS Teigan Reamsbottom (@teiganish) March 16, 2016 Advertisement This isn't the first time the 2014 European Fitness Model Champion, who is "addicted to training," has worked with the legendary Italian brand. The Daily Mail reports that the 6'1" model was discovered at the age of six by renowned designer and starred in an Armani campaign as a child. The year was 1995, back cover of Vogue Bambini .. One of my earliest campaign appearances. See more on my website www.pietroboselli.com (link in bio) Have a great Sunday everyone A photo posted by Pietro Boselli (@pietroboselli) on Feb 7, 2016 at 3:09am PST Now, lets take a closer look at the guy who considers both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oscar Wilde amongst his idols: Summer mood in my final hours before flying back to London! Sad to leave this awesome place, home to my friends and hub of @shevoke sunnies! A photo posted by Pietro Boselli (@pietroboselli) on Mar 17, 2016 at 12:26am PDT Advertisement Gorgeous place with awesome people .. Happy weekend! A photo posted by Pietro Boselli (@pietroboselli) on Oct 10, 2015 at 11:01am PDT 500k thank you all for your support! photo by @dimitristheocharis A photo posted by Pietro Boselli (@pietroboselli) on Apr 26, 2015 at 12:39am PDT So, hot for teacher yet? Then check out the slideshow below for more Instagram shots of Pietro Boselli! UCL Lecturer Pietro Boselli Is Also A Top Male Model See Gallery Trigger warning: This article contains information about violence which may be triggering to survivors. Following Justice William Horkins' not guilty verdict in the Jian Ghomeshi trial on Thursday, social media sites lit up with the hashtag #IBelieveSurvivors. Advertisement Lead by politicians, feminists, advocacy groups and women across the country, the hashtag brings up the issues around victim shaming and women reporting sexual assault allegations to police. But more importantly, as many point out, it's the ongoing conversation about believing women. Canadas New Democratic Party leader Tom Mulclair wrote a post on Medium on Thursday. He stated that not only is sexual assault a crime, but it's a crime that is "seldom reported and that leads even less frequently to a conviction." "This must change and we can all be part of changing this unacceptable reality," he wrote. "I believe we need to strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault. I believe that access to comprehensive support services for survivors should be a right. And most importantly, I believe survivors." Advertisement Other politicians also sent their support to survivors. Verdict aside the #Ghomeshi trial has confirmed for me that Canada's criminal + legal system is bias against sexual assault survivors. Kristyn Wong-Tam (@kristynwongtam) March 24, 2016 Hashtags like #WeBelieveSurvivors and #BeenRapedNeverReported have also come up. Journalist and co-creator of #BeenRapedNeverReported Antonia Zerbisias tweeted we need conversation now more than ever. We need this conversation more than ever. IMO, this case sets back 20 years of struggle. #Ghomeshi#vaw#beenrapedneverreported Antonia Zerbisias (@AntoniaZ) March 24, 2016 More importantly, as actress Margaret Cho notes, this verdict means we need to continue fighting for all survivors. Advertisement Don't let the #Ghomeshi ruling keep you from naming your abuser. We need to keep fighting for all survivors. #IBelieveSurvivors Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) March 24, 2016 Advocacy groups have also brought attention to the fact that a ruling like this one may prevent women who have been sexually assaulted to report the crime to police. trauma affects memory trauma affects memory trauma affects memory trauma #Ghomeshi#WeBelieveSurvivors Farrah Khan (@farrah_khan) March 24, 2016 1 in 3 Canadian women will experience violence in their lifetime #IBelieveSurvivorspic.twitter.com/DXevG5O7vj YWCA Toronto (@YWCAToronto) March 24, 2016 Advertisement If the threshold for conviction was not met here, nobody has a hope in hell of getting their abuser convicted. #IBelieveSurvivors Julie S. Lalonde (@JulieSLalonde) March 24, 2016 The other focus on social media sites was around how the Canadian legal system in general doesn't protect women. The #Ghomeshi trial is the reason victims of abuse often seek extra-legal forms of justice and I see why they'd need that #IBelieveSurvivors Aadita Chaudhury (@ThylacineReport) March 24, 2016 The police asked #Ghomeshi victims to come forward. These women did. No matter what, they are warriors. #IBelieveSurvivors Lauren SheDevil (@DameSavage77) March 24, 2016 When a verdict will be based on how credible a judge thinks witnesses are instead of whether or not he did it. #ghomeshi#IBelieveSurvivors Meaghan Derynck (@MeaghanDerynck) March 24, 2016 Advertisement Some women even shared their own personal experiences with sexual assault. Judge basically saying I wsn't assaulted b/c I dn't remember details & b/c I stayed w/ him after. #IBelieveSurvivors#beenrapedneverreported Melanie Roscoe (@Melamalie) March 24, 2016 Mom always told me to write everything down if something happened to me. I thought she was being ridiculous. She wasn't. #IBelieveSurvivors Jessica McCormick (@jessmccormick) March 24, 2016 Outside Toronto's Old City Hall, protesters held up posters with phrases like, "rape is rape," "stop victim blaming" and "support the survivors." This woman stands silent in front of courthouse. Behind her a chorus of "we believe survivors." #Ghomeshipic.twitter.com/5n1BhGwX0c Manisha Krishnan (@ManishaKrishnan) March 24, 2016 Protesters here to greet #Ghomeshi ahead of this morning's verdict pic.twitter.com/xYw3luBeAI Hilary Beaumont (@HilaryBeaumont) March 24, 2016 Advertisement Chanting "We Believe Survivors." Going to periscope in a min so you can hear #Ghomeshipic.twitter.com/2g8gndD3ir Sarah Boesveld (@sarahboesveld) March 24, 2016 In 2014, after women first spoke up about their sexual assault allegations by Ghomeshi, the hashtags #IBelieveLucy and #IBelieveThem also put the focus on survivors. Actress Lucy DeCoutere, the only witness to waive her right to a publication ban of her name, first told her side of the story to The Toronto Star. In Canada, there are 460,000 sexual assaults every year, according to women's service organization YWCA Canada, and only 33 out of every 100 sexual assaults are reported to the police. Twenty nine incidents are recorded as a crime, three lead to convictions and annually, 997 assailants out of 1,000 walk free. The former CBC host faced five charges: four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking. He pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him in 2015. Ghomeshi faces another sexual assault charge and a separate trial will hear that case in June. With files from Zi-Ann Lum and Bria John Also on HuffPost Jian Ghomeshi has been acquitted on all five charges against him, a judge ruled Thursday. Justice William Horkins delivered his ruling in a provincial courtroom in Torontos Old City Hall. Reading his decision to the court, the judge said the lack of a smoking gun or physical evidence presented a difficult bar for the Crown. After the not guilty verdict was read to the court, Ghomeshi embraced his lawyer and turned around and hugged his mother who sat behind. Advertisement The harsh reality is that once a witness has been shown to be deceptive and manipulative in giving their evidence, that witness can no longer expect the Court to consider them to be a trusted source of the truth, Horkins said. Jian Ghomeshi leaves a Toronto courthouse on March 24, 2016 with his lawyer Marie Henein. (Photo:Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) He noted serious deficiencies in evidence presented to him during trial, noting reasonable doubt exists in the case. Advertisement I am forced to conclude that it is impossible for the Court to have sufficient faith in the reliability or sincerity of these complainants. At the beginning of the reading of his decision, Horkins referenced the publicity that trailed the former Q host after he was fired from the CBC in 2014 as the Ghomeshi scandal. It took Horkins over a hour to read out his 26-page ruling, where he went through each witness case laid against Ghomeshi. In one portion, he outlined the possibility of collusion between two witnesses to see Ghomeshi fucking decimated. A reaction that may have been fueled by the animus of anger reflective of legitimate feelings of victims of abuse, he noted. Advertisement I have a firm understanding that the reasonableness of reactive human behaviour in the dynamics of a relationship can be variable and unpredictable, said Horkins. He noted some details didnt line up to what witness told police and what they said in court, adding pieces of evidence were tainted by outright deception. In cases with criminal charges, Horkins stressed presumption of innocence for the accused isnt something that should be immediately waived. However, the twists and turns of the complainants evidence in this 24 trial, illustrate the need to be vigilant in avoiding the equally dangerous false assumption that sexual assault complainants are always truthful. Advertisement Protesters stand outside court in Toronto on March 24, 2016 awaiting a verdict on the sexual assault trial of former CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi. (Photo: Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press) Testing reliability of alleged victims of sexual assault Trigger warning: This article contains information about violence which may be triggering to survivors. During the trial, Ghomeshis high-profile defence lawyer Marie Henein uncovered alleged inconsistencies in the testimonies of three complainants who came forward to police. She brought forward surprise documents, including emails sent from the witnesses, before the judge. The defence strategy focused on memory, credibility and reliability of the witnesses, and the actions of the complainants after the alleged sexual assaults took place between 2002 and 2003. It suggests a degree of carelessness with the truth that diminishes the general reliability of the witness Justice William Horkins Horkins told the courtroom one witness narrative actress Lucy DeCourtere shifted during trial, saying she told the media one story and the court another. He referenced an email she sent Ghomeshi on July 5, 2003, a day after he allegedly choked her: Getting to know you is literally changing my mind, in a good way. You challenge me and point to stuff that has not been pulled out in a very long time. I can tell you about that sometime and everything about our friendship so far will make sense. You kicked my ass last night and that makes me want to fuck your brains out, tonight. After the email was presented in court, the Trailer Park Boys actress told the Toronto Star it doesnt derail the fact she was choked and slapped without consent. But with not a trace of animosity, regret, or offence taken, the judge disagreed. It suggests a degree of carelessness with the truth that diminishes the general reliability of the witness, Horkins wrote in his ruling. Calling details of the alleged incidents of historical complaints, the judge acknowledged each complainant expressed very valid reasons for not coming forward to police until 2014. Advertisement A copy of a photograph of Lucy DeCoutere released by the court during the trial of Jian Ghomeshi on Feb. 5, 2016. (Photo: Handout) The names of the two other alleged victims are under publication ban. CBC: Firing Ghomeshi was right decision Ghomeshi faced five charges at the trials start: four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking. He opted to be tried by a judge, not by jury. He pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him in October. Workers scrape a wall which had a publicity photo of former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi in the broadcasting corporation's Toronto offices on October 27, 2014. (Photo: Chris Young/The Canadian Press) Advertisement A spokesperson representing Ghomeshis former employer, the CBC, commented that the decision Thursday is unrelated to the public broadcasters decision to fire him in 2014. Based on the evidence that came to our attention, Mr. Ghomeshis actions were not in line with the values of the public broadcaster nor our employee code of conduct, said Chuck Thompson in a written statement. We stand by our decision. No right way to be a victim of sexual assault In an October 2014 internal memo to staff, the CBC explained the dismissal of one of its biggest celebrities by saying managers had seen graphic evidence the former radio host had caused physical injury to a woman. After he was fired, Ghomeshi posted a long and personal post to Facebook in his defence about his dismissal and a campaign of false allegations pursued by a jilted ex-girlfriend and a freelance writer. That Facebook post, which was eventually deleted after being widely shared, which closed the door on reasonable doubt and opened the opportunity for the Toronto Star to publish its original bombshell story. Advertisement And you wonder why women do not come forward after abuse. Lisa MacLeod, Ontario MPP Ghomeshis sudden and dramatic fall triggered a national conversation about how the public and justice system treat survivors of sexual assault. Across the country, news of his acquittal prompted supporters and victims advocates to band behind the hashtag #IBelieveSurvivors encouraging women to not be discouraged by the verdict and to continue reporting sexual assault allegations to police. Tragically, our systems continue to put survivors of sexual assault on trial while their abusers and rapists go free. #IBelieveSurvivors Janet Mock (@janetmock) March 24, 2016 Don't let the #Ghomeshi ruling keep you from naming your abuser. We need to keep fighting for all survivors. #IBelieveSurvivors Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) March 24, 2016 And you wonder why women do not come forward after abuse. #IBelieveSurvivors Lisa MacLeod (@MacLeodLisa) March 24, 2016 Advertisement There is no right way to be a victim of sexual assault. There is no right way to be a victim of sexual assault.#IBelieveSurvivors Rakhee Sapra (@RakheeSapra) March 24, 2016 Horkins ruling doesnt mark the end for Ghomeshi's interaction with the criminal justice system. The former CBC Radio host faces a sexual assault charge filed by another complainant stemming from an incident that allegedly happened in the workplace. A separate trial will hear that case in June. Also on HuffPost: Adrian Wyld/CP The federal Liberal government is shutting out advocacy groups arguing in favour of greater competition in Canadian internet services while repeatedly meeting with telecom giant Bell, a consumer advocacy group says. OpenMedia says its because of a very cozy relationship between the Liberals and Bell, which threatens to limit consumer choice in internet services. Advertisement Public interest organizations have been completely shut out by the Liberals on a critical issue involving internet competition, the group's campaigns director, Josh Tabish, told HuffPost in an email. At the heart of the matter is an effort by Bell to overturn a CRTC decision last summer that granted small telcos access to the ultra-high-speed fibre internet network Bell is building. A similar regulatory structure has been in place for years in non-fibre internet services. Small internet resellers like TekSavvy or Primus buy bandwidth from big telcos like Rogers or Bell and resell it to customers, often at prices that undercut the big players. But Bell objected to the principle being applied to its new fibre network, arguing it would discourage the company from continuing to build out the network. Advertisement Open discussion about mental health makes us stronger and braver #BellLetsTalkpic.twitter.com/8lNdhz38LC Liberal Party (@liberal_party) January 27, 2016 Consumer advocates say the Liberal Party's co-branding with Bell in the Let's Talk campaign for mental health awareness is a sign of a too-close relationship between the party and the telecom giant. In its petition to cabinet, Bell says it has spent more than $2.5 billion since 2010 building out fibre networks in Gatineau, Que., Halifax, N.S., Kingston, Ont., and Quebec City. Critics say the timing of Bells decision to appeal the ruling to cabinet suggests it sees the Liberals as being more friendly to their argument than the previous Conservative government. Bell filed the appeal of the CRTC ruling from July the day after the Liberals won the election in October. It was also the last day Bell could legally appeal the decision to cabinet. Since Bells appeal, the lobbying registry reveals that Bell has been meeting extensively with the Liberals, particularly at the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED), which is the office of Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, OpenMedia said in an email to HuffPost. Advertisement Real change? A new era of openness and transparency? Sure doesnt seem like it from where were standing. But consumer advocacy groups have been shut out of meeting with high-level decision-makers at ISED, OpenMedia says. Among those shut out were the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and a number of academics who submitted expert, detailed comments on why Bells appeal is bad news for present and future Canadian Internet users, OpenMedia says. And when OpenMedia was finally granted a meeting at ISED, it was with someone who didnt work on telecom policy and had no decision-making powers, the group said. It all points to a very cozy relationship between Bell and the new Liberal government, Tabish said. Advertisement OpenMedia and others took note of the Liberal Partys public ties to Bell, including the Liberals participation in Bells Lets Talk campaign promoting mental health awareness. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau appeared in promotional images that were co-branded with the Liberal and Bell logos. A spokesperson from the office of Minister Bains argued ISED is listening to groups other than Bell. "The government initiated a public consultation with a notice in the Canada Gazette in November 2015," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Comments from 88 parties were received and posted to the departments website. The government will carefully consider all parties views prior to responding to Bell Canadas petition." Advertisement Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains has been reluctant to lend an ear to consumer activists on telecom issues, OpenMedia alleges. (Canadian Press photo) A spokesperson for the Liberal Party said the party is involved in many charitable activities, not only those involving Bell. The Liberal Party frequently engages Canadians on important social causes that our members and supporters feel strongly about, including with successful recent campaigns for Pink Shirt Day and International Womens Day. In its petition to cabinet, Bell argued that being forced to sell access to resellers will mean far less private capital will be deployed in fibre-to-the-home network infrastructure. That in turn will mean far fewer communities will get fibre internet; jobs will be lost as a result of reduced investment; and the competitiveness of our economy will be seriously undermined, as fewer businesses will be able to harness the power of new broadband infrastructure to compete globally and domestically. Advertisement OpenMedia argues the uncertainty created by the Bell appeal is harming the economy. This lingering market uncertainty has no doubt contributed to issues with large indie providers, such as Primus, which have gone into bankruptcy protection and are looking for a buyer, Tabish wrote. The situation bodes poorly for consumer telecom choice in the Liberal era, Tabish suggested. Aping Vision / STS via Getty Images doctor and patient A newly published American psychological study has set out to investigate whether male life expectancy -- which is shorter than female life expectancy by an average of five years -- could be affected by social and psychological factors like choice of doctor and honesty. "Why do men die earlier than women?" That's the question Diana Sanchez, associate professor of psychology at Rutgers University in the USA and doctoral student Mary Himmelstein, set out to answer in a recent study published in the Preventive Medicine journal and the Journal of Health Psychology. Advertisement They found that men who had traditional beliefs about masculinity -- such as showing bravery, courage and emotional restraint -- were more likely to ignore their health problems or delay acting on them. The pair studied a group of 250 men, who were given a questionnaire designed to gauge their ideas about manhood and their preferences when choosing a doctor. The results showed that participants with the highest scores on the masculinity scale were more likely to choose a male doctor, assuming them to be more competent that their female counterparts. The scientists then recruited 250 university students and gave them a similar questionnaire. Each participant was also interviewed about their health by male and female medical or nursing students. Advertisement Paradoxically, the higher they scored on the masculinity scale, the less likely they were to talk openly about their symptoms and current health problems with male doctors. "That's because they don't want to show weakness or dependence to another man, including a male doctor," explains Diana Sanchez. Ironically, this same group of volunteers was found to be more honest about their medical symptoms with female doctors, the authors found. The pair published similar findings in 2014 in the Journal of Health Psychology. The study showed that men with strong, traditional ideas about masculinity were less likely to seek medical help, and were more likely to downplay their symptoms and suffer worse health outcomes than women or men who did not share those values. "Men can expect to die five years earlier than women, and physiological differences don't explain that difference," said Diana Sanchez. ALSO ON HUFFPOST: OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau either lied to Canadians or his independent panel that shortlisted the seven senators appointed last week failed to fulfil its mandate, a Conservative MP charged Thursday. Ontario MP Scott Reid was responding to a report in The Hill Times that new Quebec Senator Andre Pratte, a former journalist with the Montreal daily La Presse, did not own property in the district he was appointed to represent. Advertisement Tory MP Scott Reid said if the Liberals go with a "full" preferential ballot system, they would be assured victory. (The Canadian Press) The newspaper reported that Pratte has not yet completed the purchase of $4,000 worth of property a constitutional requirement needed to sit in the Senate. Unlike in other provinces, Quebec senators must own property in one of 24 specific regions they are appointed to represent. When the new Liberal government announced its new appointment procedure for senators in December, Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef told reporters an independent advisory board would be assessing potential Senate nominees "on the basis of [...] open and merit-based criteria." Advertisement The list of criteria the government included mentioned that: "In the case of Quebec, a nominee must have his or her real property qualification in the electoral division for which he or she is appointed, or be resident in that electoral division." Journalist and author Andre Pratte autographs copies of the book 'Reconquerir Le Canada' in Montreal, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007. (Photo: Ryan Remiorz/CP) In the House of Commons on Thursday, Reid demanded to know whether Pratte was on the list of senators the panel had recommended. "If Mr. Pratte was on the list, the Quebec board has broken its requirements to only nominate qualified persons," Reid said. "If any of the seven was not on the lists, then the prime minister has broken his promise to rely upon independent advice. Advertisement "If any of the seven was not on the lists, then the prime minister has broken his promise to rely upon independent advice." "And if there was any communications between the prime minister and the advisory board to smooth out these wrinkles, then talk of the advisory board being independent is a farce," he continued. "One of these three scenarios is what actually happened. Which one is it?" Monsef rose to respond but completely ignored Reid's question. The minister congratulated the new appointees, describing them as "all outstanding Canadians of the highest merit." "I am confident that they will serve the best interests of Canadians. They also represent the diversity of our great nation," she said. Advertisement Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef responds to a question in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP) The Prime Minister's Office told The Huffington Post Canada that Trudeau had selected Pratte's name from the list of 25 appointees turned over to him for consideration. Trudeau's spokesman Olivier Duchesneau referred questions about Pratte's qualifications to Huguette Labelle, a former civil servant and later chancellor of the University of Ottawa who chairs the independent panel. The PMO's department, the Privy Council Office, said Labelle was, however, "not available for an interview" to discuss Pratte's appointment. Raymond Rivet, the PCO spokesman, said Pratte had a residence in Quebec at the time of his application. Advertisement "The requirement is for the nominee to meet the property qualification at time of appointment to Senate," Rivet tried to suggest. ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Justin Trudeau is a hit with young people. He has talked of helping young families, creating "better opportunities" for young Canadians. He's mobbed for selfies almost anywhere he goes. A longtime Liberal called him the "standard-bearer" for millennials and GenXers. But is he? Advertisement Paul Kershaw, the spokesman for Generation Squeeze, a group that lobbies on behalf of people in their 40s and younger, is skeptical. Just days after Trudeau unveiled his first budget, "no one can walk away thinking that the prime minister right now is working for or prioritizing a better generational deal for a younger demographic," he told The Huffington Post Canada. While certain critics are worried about Canada plunging into deficit, Generation Squeeze is more concerned about a "spending gap" that the budget allegedly creates between taxpayers under 45, and everyone else. In a news release issued on Tuesday, it said the budget spends over $21,000 on people aged 65 and over; $7,300 per person between the ages of 45 and 64; and about $4,550 on people younger than that. Advertisement All this at a time when the typical senior is nearly "nine times richer than the typical millennial," according to a BMO study. The "spending gap" isn't a Liberal invention, Generation Squeeze said. Stephen Harper's Conservative government spent five times more per retiree than on people under age 45. But Trudeau's budget makes it worse. Old Age Security (OAS) Generation Squeeze noted that spending on Old Age Security (OAS) alone will jump by $11.3 billion per year until 2019/2020 after Trudeau restored the age of eligibility to 65 from 67 (its cost is expected to rise even further in subsequent years). Meanwhile, spending on medical care will grow by $6.2 billion every year up to 2019/20 and almost half of health spending goes to people aged 65 and older, it said. Kershaw isn't trying to drive a wedge between generations "It's important for government budgets to ensure my 71-year-old mom and 100-year-old grandmother have the medical care and retirement income security they deserve," he said. Advertisement But he's concerned that Trudeau isn't giving as much attention to the challenges younger people face, as he is to seniors' challenges. There are items in the budget that are good for young families, he said the Canada Child Benefit, for example, will pay $4,650 per year to households with income of $90,000, and two children aged six to 17. But at a cost of about $4.5 billion more per year than the benefits it's replacing, it doesn't nearly match the $11 billion more that OAS will cost every year. Reducing costs There are ways to lower the cost of programs such as OAS on future generations, that don't involve changing the age again. Advertisement One of them is reducing the "clawback" level, or the income at which seniors are eligible to receive it. Currently, seniors who make up to $73,756 receive maximum monthly payments of $570.52. Those payments are subject to a recovery tax at any income above that, and people don't receive any OAS if they make more than $119,398. "Are we striking the right balance to make this country work for all generations?" Reducing the income at which you can collect OAS is an idea that Keith MacIntyre, a partner at national accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP, is receptive to. OAS, he said, is based on an analysis of how much people need it and that need is largely determined by age, not income. If people are concerned about the program's cost, "one area that they might take a look at is scaling back when the [clawback] applies," MacIntyre said. Advertisement But OAS spending, he said, isn't the only aspect of the budget that doesn't help millennials. Youth unemployment He feels the budget didn't put enough money toward innovation and commercialization more specifically, the process of introducing a product to the marketplace. And that's a focus that he feels could have helped with youth unemployment. Canada's unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 was 13.3 per cent in February higher than it was before the financial crash, and twice the rate for the rest of Canada's population. The federal government, MacIntyre said, could tackle the issue using a "patent box" a tax regime that provides companies with lower tax rates when they're commercializing their own products. The U.K. has a patent box giving companies that patent their own inventions a corporate tax rate that, at 10 per cent, is half the regular one. "If you take a look at companies that are innovating and commercializing, they are looking to employ the millennials," he said. Advertisement And a patent box, MacIntyre added, could help them reduce tax costs and bring their products to market. The federal budget did not include a "patent box," but it did earmark $2 billion for a fund that would go to commercialization, research and training facilities on school campuses. Other measures that could help youth employment include $73 million over five years to spur student co-op placements, CBC News reported. But while it may lead to more placements, the program's cost was whittled down from a promised $40 million per year to about $14 million annually, if divided evenly. Advertisement The Liberals also left out an incentive to hire workers between the ages of 18 and 24 to permanent jobs, in exchange for breaks on EI premiums. What to do? But how can a government act for all generations? Kershaw said Canadian politicians could start tracking their spending by age. "The pattern that's unfolding is routinely we're finding the biggest sums of money to invest in people over 65," he said. "But at the same time, socioeconomic circumstances, they make younger Canadians feel the squeeze much more than older demographics." Kershaw noted that Canadians were once more financially vulnerable later in their lives but he said that's no longer true, with policies like health care and OAS. Advertisement He thinks it's time for government to tackle economic issues for younger people with an urgency similar to what's been done for the older population. "Are we striking the right balance to make this country work for all generations?" he asked. Also on HuffPost Courtesy The Body Shop Happy Birthday, The Body Shop! The British cosmetics and skin care company turns 40 on March 26th, and we want to celebrate. The ethical beauty pioneers were a huge part of our lives growing up plenty of us bought some of our first lip balms and lotions from the stores at our local malls (and let's be honest, who hasn't fallen in love with their legendary body butters?). And over the years, The Body Shop has done plenty of good for the community, from launching the beauty industry's first Community Trade programme in 1987 to its relentless campaigning against animal testing, they've done good in their aim to "protect and enrich the planet, people and products." Advertisement So, in honour of The Body Shop's 40th birthday, the HuffPost Canada team has rounded up their fave products from the brand. Check out our picks below, and let us know yours in the comments! Our Editors' Fave Body Shop Products See Gallery Hours before former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted of all charges Thursday, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair released a statement. Politicians are always releasing statements. They are, often, pretty forgettable. Advertisement NDP Leader Tom Mulcair stands and is applauded during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP) This one, however, was about sexual assault. And it contained three words that would reverberate "I believe survivors." Mulcair, a lawyer, said sexual assault is crime that is seldom reported and one that leads "even less frequently" to a conviction. That needs to change, he said. "During my tenure at the professions board in Quebec, I encountered the culture of dismissive victim-blaming when it came to sexual abuse by physicians," he said. Advertisement "I learned that it was not only the rules that needed to be strengthened and not only the protection that needed to be increased but also that culture that needed to change, and drastically." It is beyond dispute, he said, that the fear of not being believed can prevent a sexual assault survivor from stepping forward "I believe we need to strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault. I believe that access to comprehensive support services for survivors should be a right," he said. "And most importantly, I believe survivors." His provincial cousin in Ontario delivered much the same message in a statement Thursday. Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath delivers a speech at the party's convention in Toronto on Saturday November 15, 2014. (Photo: Chris Young/CP) Advertisement Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released a statement noting that one-in-four women experience sexual assault and harassment, yet only 10 per cent report it. "It's the fear not being believed that stops women from coming forward," she said. "I believe survivors." Horwath also called for a cultural change. We need to think about whether this trial is an opportunity to look at whether the justice system provides the kinds of protections women need to feel safe to come forward. Neither statement mentioned Ghomeshi by name. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the Ghomeshi verdict when he sat down with CP24 in Toronto Thursday. Trudeau said he was "not going to react to a specific verdict." When asked about the concern that women might not come forward in the wake of such a verdict, Trudeau said "these are the kinds of discussions we need to be having as a society that values equality and respect for women." Advertisement Other politicians took to Twitter to share their thoughts: NDP MP Niki Ashton Sickened by verdict. Thoughts w/ survivors+ solidarity w/ all in the struggle against misogyny #WeBelieveSurvivors@farrah_khan Niki Ashton (@nikiashton) March 24, 2016 Federal NDP critic for the status of women, Sheila Malcolmson Disappointed but not surprised. So much work to do. #IBelieveSurvivorshttps://t.co/fIBwUISr9w Sheila Malcolmson (@s_malcolmson) March 24, 2016 Ontario PC MPP Lisa MacLeod And you wonder why women do not come forward after abuse. #IBelieveSurvivors Lisa MacLeod (@MacLeodLisa) March 24, 2016 Ontario NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo This #ghomeshi judgement feels like a personal assault - something shared with all women particularly victims of assault #Ibeleivesurvivors Cheri DiNovo (@CheriDiNovo) March 24, 2016 Toronto City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam Verdict aside the #Ghomeshi trial has confirmed for me that Canada's criminal + legal system is bias against sexual assault survivors. Kristyn Wong-Tam (@kristynwongtam) March 24, 2016 Advertisement ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Chris Ryan via Getty Images Frustrated doctor sitting in hospital waiting area Last Fall I had the opportunity to attend TEDMED as a TEDMED Scholar, and one presentation in particular stood out for many attendees in the medical profession - Dr. Pamela Wible presented on the topic of physician suicide; a talk so powerful it grabbed the attention of the American Medical Association, was cited in Globe and Mail, and is now the inspiration behind a documentary on physician suicide called "Do No Harm." Her talk, as well as the others, is available here. Like Dr. Wible, other physicians, and medical educators, have spoken out about their own experience with physician wellness. It is a topic relevant to those in the healing professions but also for anyone who has ever been a patient - it can affect quality of care and become a health systems issue. I had a chance to chat with Dr. Wible about this difficult topic, and garner some of her ideas for ways to address it. This article is the second of a three-part series interviewing engaging speakers from TEDMED -- speakers that aimed to push the envelope in their work, and innovate the world of health and medicine today and into the future. Advertisement [Dr.Pamela Wible speaking at TEDMED. Palm Springs, California. November 2015. Photo Credit: Sandy Huffhaker] AK: Thank you for sharing your incredible talk at TEDMED last fall, and your very unique introduction to the profession! So, what inspired you to give a talk on physician mental health and suicide? What are some important statistics that we should know? PW: My TEDMED talk was inspired by the hundreds of letters I've received from suicidal docs. Many are published in my new book, Physician Suicide Letters -- Answered. I lost both doctors I dated in med school to suicide. We've lost eight physicians in my town to suicide (three in 18 months). More than one-million patients in the United States lose their doctors to suicide each year. This is a public health crisis. Advertisement Even more startling is we are not collecting the data. Researchers estimate we lose more than 400 doctors per year in the U.S. to suicide (an entire med school) and 150 med students yearly. We're a highly regulated profession. Doctors are tracked endlessly and publicly shamed if we veer off course in any way, and if we die by suicide, suddenly it's like we never existed. AK: We know that the medical profession is centuries old; but, arguably, physician wellness issues may be as old as the profession itself. Why are they only coming to light now? PW: The numbers of deaths speak for themselves. Social media and public pressure for transparency in healthcare are moving the conversation forward. Reductionist medicine, the foundation of Western medical education, has a fatal flaw. The opposite of holistic medicine (which integrates mind, body, and spirit), reductionism leads to the disintegration of mind, body and spirit of our healers. Medical student and physicians are wounded by the very educational system that claims to help them deliver health care. The intergenerational emotional wounds lead to a culture of bullying, hazing, abuse and ultimately despair, depression, and even suicide of our doctors. Physician suicide is a canary in the coal mine - the extreme result of many of our doctors struggling with occupationally-induced wounds with nowhere to turn. The way we describe burnout should also be revisited - I discuss more about this in these videos. AK: Something that struck me in your talk, and something I had some difficulty understanding, was how you mentioned that we overly emphasize resilience training - for example meditation classes, and that by nature (in order to get through all of the requirements to be accepted and succeed in medical school) most physicians are resilient. Instead you urged the audience to look at other factors. Can you expand on that? Advertisement PW: The cycle of healthcare abuse impacts us all. Abused medical students become abused doctors who may one day harm patients. How can we give patients the care we've never received? Sleep deprivation, bullying, hazing is the norm in many schools and hospitals. This has disastrous consequences for human health of our students, doctors, and patients. Nobody wants a sleep deprived physician who has PTSD from training to be controlling their ventilator. After surviving a 100-plus hour work weeks, we don't need more resilience, we need more resistance to abuse. AK: The media and some reports describe that it is not unusual for physicians and trainees to be, as one prominent physician thought-leader put it, 'taught to run away from our emotions, even though we can't hide from them.' But the culture of medicine is, by nature, hierarchical, and can serve a purpose from an evaluative point of view. Also, the hours required are often necessary to reach a level of competence (up to 10,000 to be a 'phenom'). How can the profession balance the need to train physicians well with avoiding some of the pitfalls you describe? PW: The current medical culture glorifies self-neglect. The doctor who can perform the most surgeries on the fewest hours of sleep without eating or bathroom breaks is revered. Medicine is an apprenticeship profession. We learn by studying the doctors ahead of us. If our superiors are abusive, jaded, cynical that creates a future physician workforce that emulates those physicians. Throwing scalpels at students, publicly demeaning students as described in this video does not yield healthy doctors. We need to foster a compassionate and caring learning environment, where students can meet their basic physiologic needs (like eating and sleeping). AK: Another interesting analogy you provided in your talk was comparing the "suicidal doctor" to a "barefoot shoemaker" -- it's a concept that sounds illogical. Why might non-doctors have trouble understanding why physicians can be "unhealthy," particularly when it comes to emotional wellness? How can non-physicians be engaged in the issue of of physician mental health and suicide? PW: Across North America (and arguably the world), our doctors are jumping from hospital rooftops, overdosing in call rooms, found hanging in hospital chapels. No medical school wants to be known as the suicide school. No hospital wants to be number one for interns jumping from rooftops. No one wants to become a doctor -- to kill themselves. It's the ultimate oxymoron: the barefoot shoemaker, the starving chef -- the suicidal doctor. Non-doctors have no idea what medical school feels like for a student. Many doctors describe training as a soul crushing boot camp, a dehumanizing nightmare. The best way to change this dehumanizing culture is to start treating doctors as human beings (who bleed, suffer, cry, get divorced, feel depressed when they lose a patient). The public needs to have a realistic understanding of who we are. Advertisement [Book Cover: "Physician Suicide Letters" by Dr. Pamela Wible. Photo Credit: GeVe, graphic design: Kassy Daggett] AK: You've raised some really interesting points, and there has been a lot of media attention about physician wellness lately. So, it seems this issue is everyone's radar, which is a good thing. You have clearly been involved in this area for some time, so say a medical trainee or their loved one is reading this right now, where else might you direct them to find more information about physician suicide and available supports for trainees and their family members? PW: I have resources for suicidal medical students and doctors on my blog and in my book. I return all calls and emails so please contact me. Advertisement AK: I'll ask a different side of a question that was already asked by Dr. Sinsky in your AMA interview. You describe how you help physicians design an "ideal practice," one in which they are eager to get to everyday, where the environment is supportive, and colleagues are collegial. Say you are tasked with improving the systems you describe - one that maximizes satisfaction of everyone involved. What might this framework look like? And, more importantly, is it realistic? PW: Model what works. Study programs that produce happy doctors and learn from what others are doing right. I'm happy to help any Dean or med school. It is possible to graduate happy doctors! Let's work together and make this happen. It's not costly or complicated to end bullying, hazing, and abuse. Its been outlawed from elementary schools to fraternities. Why not residencies? Why not medical schools? AK: I'd like to shift gears a bit if that's ok. If you were presented with a magic (repurposed) genie lamp that could grant you three wishes to improve the well-being of doctors today, what would those be? PW: One, stop bullying, hazing, and the culture of abuse in medical education. Two, bring suicided medical students and physicians back to life so they can be the amazing healers they were born to be. Three, embrace each other. We are spiritual beings having a finite human experience. Let's treat others as the sacred, beautiful people we are in medical training and beyond so that we can all live our dreams fearlessly. Advertisement Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Many moments will stand out when I remember my trip through war-torn Syria, neighbouring Lebanon, and Turkey. But the gift of a little box crammed with children's dreams is a memory that will certainly stay with me. That's because the red and white box filled with poignant pencil sketches says so much about this five-year-old conflict. In one drawing, a little girl hopes some day to attend university. Another child draws a map of Syria topped with the word "peace." Another picture shows a group of children wishing "to see friends again." One depicts a smiling aid worker. A few express the desire to be doctors some day. These stick figures and pencil outlines might seem simple on the surface, but their meaning is clear. When I look at them, I see hopes and dreams, often tinged with sadness. And once again, I recognize that helping people maintain a delicate balance between hope and despair is a crucial role for humanitarians, Canadians and citizens of the world. Together, we must also strive to find a political solution for Syria and the refugee crisis. Humanitarian aid like food, water and medical care is only a temporary measure. But in the mean time, millions of people caught in this crisis are also in desperate need of hope, and they're praying the world won't forget them. Advertisement I certainly heard this powerful sentiment during another memorable encounter with a Syrian father and his young children in a Turkish refugee camp. During the final days of my journey, I visited Akcakale camp, now temporary home to about 30,000 people, half of whom are children. Abou Shaaban invited me to his tent, explaining: "We like when people come to see us. It means the world that you are with us. It means the world is thinking about us." Abou Shaaban worked as a hospital technician in Aleppo, Syria, before his family home was bombed. They fled to Turkey, hoping the children could still attend school there. Now Abou Shaaban tries to make a living selling cigarettes and candy on the streets. He has managed to get thin colourful mattresses and carpets to cover the ground in their tent. At the camp, various aid agencies, including Red Cross, also help families with food, clothing, and emotional support. Child-friendly spaces offer fun and support for the little ones, while livelihood programs ensure adults can develop marketable skills. Abou Shaaban only has good things to say about the country that gave him this safe haven. "My family and I can sleep at night because they are looking after us." Advertisement The camp's manager says people here try to stay positive despite obvious difficulties. When they first enter the camp, they are exhausted, anxious and afraid. After a while, their outlook changes. "When they arrived, we saw hopelessness, especially when we looked in the eyes of children." They do not know if life will ever seem normal again. But after some time, "when we walk through the camp, we see hope in their eyes again." My box of hopes and wishes comes from the children at Akcakale camp. Community centres, supported by the Turkish Red Crescent society, are also offering hope around this country. In bright rooms like one I saw decorated with paper flowers, stars and murals, children take art classes, learn Turkish, access counselling, and play sports. But maintaining hope seems more challenging for teenagers and youths here. At the camp, a group of 20-year-olds worried about their future, saying: "Hopefully, you're going to help the children because it's too late for us." Advertisement Still, many adult programs are offered to refugees now. In fact, I was told the biggest demand is for classes promoting harmony among communities. People are tired of conflict here. They want everyone to get along. Time and again, I heard this on my travels in Turkey, Lebanon and Syria. In each place, I talked with people about their visions for peace. Too many were widows. I met one young mother who recently returned to the devastated city of Homs in Syria with her two children, aged three and 18 months. Her husband had died. Her house was seriously damaged. Everything she owned had disappeared. But still, she was there, finding help to fix windows and doors, collecting aid parcels of food and diapers, and trying to rebuild her life. She refused to give up, she said simply. People were helping. She still had hope. This is the fourth and final blog post in a series about Conrad Sauve's trip to Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. You can read the other blog posts by clicking here. If you would like to donate to help the people affected by the conflict in Syria, either overseas or here in Canada, please visit redcross.ca Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Boris Breuer via Getty Images Bolivia, Cordillera Apolobamba, small pond My ears popped as the truck travelled up, up into the mountains outside the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. The buildings faded behind us and were replaced by rolling green mountains with sparse, lonely trees dotting the tops. Stepping out of the truck, the air felt significantly colder than the muggy heat of Cochabamba. Only an hour away, and we were in a different world. Advertisement The homes here are perched precariously on the sides of mountains, near streams and rivers. For centuries, the local Quechua people have drawn their water from these sources. Their ancestors, the Incas, built complex irrigation systems to move where they needed it to go. In some areas, these methods of watering the crops are still being used today. Water that harms But today, water from many of these sources is no longer safe for human consumption. Since both people and livestock use the water, they can often become contaminated. The rivers and lakes are also dangerous for children who may not know how to swim. The banks can become swollen, and the current swift during the rainy season. Small children who use the rivers as a latrine or wade in with buckets to gather water can get caught under the flow and swept away. We met a mother who said her children have even seen snakes sliding through the river. The water sources can also be far from people's homes. It can take hours, or even all day, for some remote households to reach the water source. With parents busy working to feed their families, the task can fall to children- children who then don't have time to go to school. Advertisement First-hand pain Just a week before this mountain trip, while staying in the city, I had discovered for myself just how dangerous dirty water can be. Throughout my time in Bolivia, I had dutifully washed any fruit and vegetables I consumed, just like we do in Canada. But three weeks into the visit, I got sick. Very sick. The first day of the illness I popped my traveller's medication, hoping to calm my stomach and get some strength back. But by the second morning, I knew that something was seriously wrong. We went to the hospital. The doctor who examined me gave an almost immediate diagnosis. "The vegetables you ate were contaminated with dirty water," she said. Right away my mind flashed to the beautiful, colourful salad I had made my husband and myself yesterday evening. Despite my diligence in washing the vegetables, I had poisoned myself. I had a waterborne illness. I know from first-hand experience that when you are sick from a waterborne illness, the smallest task can seem insurmountable. For days during my illness, just walking up the stairs required colossal effort. For a child suffering from the same illness, going to school is out of the question. Imagine children's suffering On the mountainside, listening to the World Vision Bolivia staff who guided us explain just how many kids get sick, and even die from the same disease I had suffered from, I wanted to cry. Advertisement Children all over Bolivia battle this kind of illness every day. Little kids, especially those under five years old, undernourished already and with developing immune systems, are struggling to stay alive just because of the basic human need for water. Waterborne illness is easy to catch, as I discovered. But for children all over Bolivia, it is very difficult to get rid of. Children in rural communities don't have the easy access to medicine I did. Without proper bathrooms, the illness can spread quickly. And parents who are barely making ends meet can't afford to buy bottled water for their children. So a sick child must continue to consume the water that made them sick in the first place. Clean water gives life Just as dirty water sentences kids to lives of illness and suffering, having a reliable source of clean water can set them free. When my husband and I visited one of the mountain homes, we met a young girl for whom clean, accessible water has meant a renewed chance at a full life. Irma is 12 years old and actively learning and growing at a nearby school. But it wasn't always this way. For many years of her life, Irma's water source was a polluted, dangerous river down the mountain from her house. But then World Vision equipped her home with a basic washroom, an outdoor washing station and water pump, all supplied by a regularly tested reservoir up the mountain from her home. Advertisement "We used to get sick from the water," Irma told me, "we would get stomach aches and diarrhea." Even boiling it was no use. I remembered my two days doubled over on the bed, unable to keep in any nutrients or even move without difficulty. It's not hard to imagine why Irma used to miss so many weeks of school every year. Maria, Irma's mother, says her five children used to get sick from the water too often for growing kids going to school. Now, she said, "I feel more relaxed." The entire community is more at ease, now that World Vision has established 1600 of these 'wash stations' around this area of Bolivia. The joy and pride everyone takes in their modern structures made me realize how much something we take for granted really means. Advertisement When you desperately need one, a clean, working washroom is literally a lifesaver. And water that can heal, not hurt, is even more precious. You can help Around the world, there are so many more communities like Irma's that are in need of clean, accessible water sources. World Vision is committed to reaching as many of these as possible, so that children like Irma can go to school and live an illness-free, full life. I hope you will join us, and visit our clean water campaign to be a part of this powerful change. Children like Irma will thank you. shutterstock samara russia january 08 ... What is AMP? AMP is an acronym for Accelerated Mobile Pages. It is an open-source coding procedure that removes many elements that often cause web pages to load at a slow pace, especially on mobile devices. It is a stripped form of HTML. The idea behind AMP is to have a platform designed purely for speed and readability. To aid the process, images do not load until a viewer scrolls to them, and JavaScript handles everything. Since page speed is one of Google's algorithm obsessions, it is logical to assumes that websites with AMP tags will rank before websites without AMP. Advertisement The goal of AMP is to help website owners and digital marketers improve a mobile user's experience by eliminating the clunky elements of a desktop website. As Google has embraced this idea and has started implementing it, many websites are naturally following suit. Taking the plunge means they will need to begin a different approach to mobile advertising. Benefits of AMP for Digital Marketing Digital marketers will bask in some of the advantages that come from AMP. --- Boosted Search Rankings. Mobile-friendliness and speed play large factors in search rankings. Since AMP pages load fast and offer a positive mobile experience, SEO is (theoretically) boosted, especially if your competitors don't readily adopt AMP. --- Increased Page and Ad Views. Digital marketing experts understand the short attention spans of mobile users. When a page loads quickly, it raises the likelihood a viewer reads the page and its ads. To make things even better, Google is ensuring AMP traffic can be quantified and analyzed like conventional pages. --- Heightened Ad Control. As AMP launched on Google Search, it included the ability to traffic ads with a choice of servers, gave support for multiple demand sources, provided control over ad placement, and offered the ability to measure views. These were welcoming features for all marketing teams. Advertisement How Digital Marketers Will Implement AMP After speaking to Adster Creative, a top digital marketing agency in Canada, it was possible to get a glimpse at how AMP will be integrated by an actual working entity. According to Adster's leading marketing executive David Forster, "preparing clients' sites includes a two-step process." To begin, this agency is creating AMP pages and is making sure they are "valid". All tags must be in the correct places and in the proper order. To validate an AMP page, Chrome offers a helpful tool. The second part is streamlining building pages. It is important to make sure as many pages as possible are paired with AMP versions. To make things easier, the most common CMSs, including WordPress, contain plug-ins, which do a great deal of the necessary work. "As with any boxed solution", says Marty Martin of technical SEO agency Adapt Partners, "there's no perfect fit. AMP is a very nascent technology and many developers are experiencing a high degree of validation errors, even with AMP plugins, AMP modules or custom integrations. The reality is, it's still a time-consuming solution for most websites, but one which shows a great deal of promise for those who implement it correctly." Meanwhile many digital marketing firms are facing adversity to their advertising-focused business models. Many web surfers are blocking unwanted ads on various websites, which is forcing advertisers to uncover ways to get their marketing efforts viewed. Google is one of the largest digital media companies dealing with these issues. To combat the problem, this entity has implemented AMP, and it's a critical part of Google's mission to heighten search revenue on mobile platforms. As a result, many digital marketing agencies are taking advantage of the benefits and are joining the wave of new developments. A robertharding / Alamy There's no denying that Canada is huge, so you'd be forgiven for not quite knowing how to begin exploring it. For one thing, the choices seem limitless. And frequently, the only cities on our radar are those ranking in the top spots for best quality of life. So what about the more adventurous pursuits? These are our top picks for epic adventures that will leave you in awe, get your heart racing and cement your love for Canada. Advertisement 1. Northern Lights in Yellowknife, NT Yellowknife Northern Lights. Flickr Photo by GoToVan Yellowknife is the go-to destination in Canada for the Northern Lights -- so much so that it has even named a place after the marvel (Aurora Village). To increase your chances of seeing the phenomenon on almost everyone's bucket list, travel between January and early April. The trick is to stay at least three nights, so that you can increase your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis. This is because even if there are clear skies, you won't necessarily see them. What makes them so remarkable is what makes them equally elusive: You need a combination of clear skies, high-particle activity and maybe some luck. I say this based on my own elusive treks to see the Northern Lights in other parts of the world. Yellowknife has particularly good conditions for witnessing those green, glimmering lights because of the lack of cloud coverage and its position under the "Aurora Oval." You can rent a car and drive out yourself or take a night tour where a guide will tell you about the aboriginal beliefs about the Northern Lights. 2. Polar bears in Churchill, MB Advertisement Polar bears roaming in Churchill, Manitoba. Flickr photo by Gary Ullah Every year, from September until November, polar bears pass through Churchill, Manitoba on their migration route (summers on land; winters hunting on the frozen Hudson Bay). While this may seem like a terrifying prospect -- and while you may ask yourself why anyone would visit a place with big polar bears -- it is a great opportunity to see these majestic animals in their natural environment. Tours use giant Tundra Buggies so you cross the uneven ground (there are no roads in Churchill) at a safe distance. 3. Orca watching off Vancouver Island, B.C. Orcas off the coast of Vanvoucer Island. Photo by Kirsten Powley By this point, you might be a bit suspicious of my seemingly dangerous suggestions. First polar bears, now killer whales? Speaking first hand, seeing orcas in the wild is the most breathtaking experience. It also puts the mind to ease--unless your gasping along with everyone else in the boat when you first lock eyes on these majestic creatures. There are plenty of places to visit, with sightings around Vancouver Island being the most likely, as the Johnstone Strait provides lots of food for orcas from mid-July to September. (Of course, nothing is guaranteed as nature tends to do its own thing.) To increase your chances of encountering an orca in the wild (and getting as close to it as you can) -- opt for a multiple-day kayak tour. Advertisement 4. Surf in Tofino, B.C. Surfing in Tofino. Photo courtesy of TourismTofino.com Step aside California and Australia, there's a new surfing destination in town. Sure, surfing in Canada would probably strike you as a hilarious notion, but British Columbia's Tofino is as scenic as it gets. The water is 10C year-round, which is cold, but it's perfectly doable in a good wetsuit. It's ideal for both beginners and pro-surfers, but if you want a stronger swell, winter is the time to head into the water. So why Tofino? It's unlike your usual beach destination in that it has rainforests, hiking and hot springs. It's basically the best of Canada merged into a laid-back surfing destination like California. 5. Iceberg Alley - Great Northern Peninsula, NL Advertisement Iceberg watching off Twillingate, NF. Photo courtesy of Newfoundlandlabrador.com Ever wondered what an iceberg would look like up close? That is, without fearing for your life as the Titanic soundtrack eerily echoes in your ear. Iceberg Alley stretches from the coast of Labrador to the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Popular places for iceberg sightings include St. John's/Cape Spear, Bonavista, Battle Harbour and Fogo Island. Depending on your level of excitement and adventure, you can watch from the land, take a boat trip or even kayak amongst the giants. The icebergs are up to 10,000 years old and are so plentiful that East Coasters actually put them into drinks: there's Iceberg Water, Iceberg Vodka, Gin and Rum and even Iceberg Beer. It's worth visiting just to test out these concoctions. 6. Raft the highest tides in the world - Shubenacadie River, NS Rafting along the Shubenacadie. Photo courtesy of NovaScotia.com This isn't for the faint-hearted. Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia is home to the world's highest tides, rising up to 15 metres, resulting in a tidal wave or bore which flows up the river. Being more inventive and opportunistic than ever before, people have now made rafting on the Shubenacadie River a "thing." In small-powered zodiacs, you ride the collision of incoming tides, which can get very, very wet. Advertisement 7. Ski, snowboard or zipline Whistler The gondola at Whistler, BC. Flickr photo by Perfect Zero As one of the world's best and most famous ski resorts, Whistler is perfect for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. With stunning views and great apres-ski options, Whistler brings people from all over the world. If shredding the slopes isn't your thing or you're looking for an extra buzz, try ziplining. As you zoom (screaming at the top of your lungs, most likely) through the snow-capped trees, you'll get even closer to the mountain views Canada does so well. 8. Ice climbing in Alberta Ice climbing near Lake Louise, Alberta. Flickr photo by davebloggs007 Defy gravity and even logic as you climb up an ice waterfall in the Canadian Rockies. Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise are not only breathtaking locations, but ideal places for adventure junkies ready to go with crampons and ice axes in tow. Advertisement As snow and ice trickles down each time you smack your axe into a frozen blue wall, you'll be blown away by the surreal nature and rush of ice climbing. It's like you're in a thriller version of the film Frozen. 9. Hang out at Toronto CN Tower Edgewalk at the CN Tower. Flickr photo by Kevin Costain Don't be fooled, I don't mean "hang out" metaphorically, but literally. The CN Tower's EdgeWalk is a panoramic view of the city on a whole other level: walk on the roof of the CN Tower's restaurant, which sits at 1,168 feet above ground and literally hang off the tower's edge. Sound scary? You bet it is, but you'll earn bragging rights for months. Good thing Canadians are so trustworthy! Travelzoo.ca offers various deals to Canadian and international destinations. Kirsten Powley is a Travelzoo Deal Expert based in Toronto. Travelzoo has 250 deal experts from around the world who rigorously research, evaluate and test thousands of deals to find those with true value. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: shutterstock Written by Wayne Karl 'Mouse-over' the + on the books to reveal grade Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled Budget 2016 this week, his inaugural budget, so YPNextHome took a closer look at it from the housing perspective. Advertisement ECONOMY & JOB CREATION Though perhaps not specifically related to housing, everything evolves around the economy and jobs. After all, a strong economy begets job and wage growth, which begets consumer confidence and the ability to rent or buy -- to live. What was promised: To get the economy growing again, Trudeau said we need to immediately invest in helping our businesses and entrepreneurs -- including those in manufacturing -- become more innovative, competitive and successful. What was delivered: Something equally ambiguous. Budget 2016 "puts people first," directing billions toward helping the middle class and those less fortunate, with the idea that this will boost economic growth. The hope is that more than 100,000 jobs will be created and the economy will grow by an additional one per cent over existing predictions. The government acknowledges that economic challenges persist in oil and commodities, and is extending Employment Insurance benefits in the hardest hit regions, such as Alberta and Saskatchewan. Advertisement INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING Leading up to the budget, speculation was that where would be less than what was promised during last fall's election campaign, and the focus would be on repairs instead of capital projects. What was promised: To invest in public transit to shorten commute times, cut air pollution, strengthen our communities and grow our economy. "Over the next decade, we will quadruple federal investment in public transit, investing almost $20 billion more in transit infrastructure." What was delivered: Phase 1 of the government's infrastructure plan proposes to provide $11.9 billion over five years, beginning immediately: $3.4 billion over three years to upgrade and improve public transit systems across Canada; $5 billion over five years for investments in water, wastewater and green infrastructure projects across Canada; and $3.4 billion over five years for social infrastructure, including affordable housing, early learning and child care, cultural and recreational infrastructure, and community health care facilities on reserve. HOME BUYERS' PLAN (HBP) The plan as it stands now allows first-time buyers to withdraw up to $25,000 from their RRSP to put toward a down payment on a home. They have up to 15 years to repay the funds. What was promised: To modernize the existing HBP to allow Canadians impacted by sudden and significant life changes to buy a house without tax penalty. Trudeau said this will ease the burden on Canadians facing job relocation, the death of a spouse, marital breakdown or a decision to accommodate an elderly family member. What was delivered: Nothing. Any update or revision to the HBP is nowhere to be found in Budget 2016. Through other measures, however, it is clear he's keeping an eye on the housing market, which is increasingly important given economic and affordability challenges in some areas. RENTAL/AFFORDABLE HOUSING What was promised: To encourage the construction of new rental housing by removing all GST on new capital investments in affordable rental housing. This will provide an estimated $125 million per year in tax incentives to grow and renovate the supply of rental housing. What was delivered: Budget 2016 proposes to invest $2.3 billion over two years, starting in 2016-17. Of this amount, $2.2 billion reflects the government's commitment to invest in social infrastructure, including $739 million for First Nations, Inuit and northern housing. A significant portion of the $2.3 billion will be allocated to provinces and territories, which can identify communities where the need for affordable housing is greatest. Advertisement To encourage the construction of affordable rental housing, Budget 2016 proposes to invest $208.3 million over five years, starting in 2016-17, in an Affordable Rental Housing Innovation Fund administered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC). Funding would be used to test innovative business approaches -- such as housing models with a mix of rental and homeownership -- to lower the costs and risks of financing affordable rental housing projects. The investment is expected to support the construction of up to 4,000 new affordable housing rental units over five years. CMHC is also to consult with stakeholders on an Affordable Rental Housing Financing Initiative to provide low-cost loans to municipalities and housing developers to build new affordable rental housing projects. Up to $500 million in loans would be available each year for five years, supporting the construction of more than 10,000 new rental units over this period. HOUSING POLICY What was promised: To direct CMHC and the new Canada Infrastructure Bank to provide financing to support the construction of new, affordable rental housing for middle and low income Canadians. To review escalating home prices in high-priced markets such as Toronto and Vancouver, and consider policy tools that could keep homeownership within reach for more Canadians. What was delivered: Budget 2016 proposes to address this data gap by allocating $500,000 to Statistics Canada in 2016-17 to gather data on Canadian housing purchases by foreign buyers. This initiative could involve collaboration with the provinces, such as BC, which recently announced its intention to have homebuyers disclose whether they are citizens or permanent residents of Canada or another country. Advertisement Also promised to consult with the provinces and territories, Indigenous and other communities, and key stakeholders in the coming year to develop a National Housing Strategy. Artwork: Tammy Leung Post originally published at YPNextHome.ca Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Along with the likes of the giant Panda, Polar Bear, Rhino, Elephant, Tiger and a whole host of others, Turtles gain a lot of attention in the conservation world. We're so used to seeing pictures of them caught in nets these days that it's hard to believe that conservation for the humble turtle is actually making progress. But it is making progress, and here are a few examples of how. One small change that is quite personal to us here in the U.K is the charging for plastic bags at the supermarket. Most people took it as a personal offence when bags inflated to the extortionate price of 5p. However, all manner of sea life benefits from this small change as an awful lot of our plastic carrier bags end up in the ocean causing pollution and feeding problems for a plethora of sea life. The founder of The Ocean Cleanup is even quotable for saying that part of his inspiration for wanting to clean the oceans came when he was diving in Greece and found more plastic bags than fish. A sobering thought. Specifically for turtles, this small change helps their life cycle as, in theory at least, less carrier bags should make their way into the ecosystem, causing harm to less turtles that eat them, believing them to be jellyfish. Jellyfish are a turtle's staple food, and a floating carrier bag in mid-depth looks deceptively like a jellyfish to a passing turtle. So that's one slice of progress. Advertisement Turtles receive a huge amount of help globally to ensure their habitats and indeed habits are preserved. Efforts ranging from tagging and monitoring turtles to understand migration, breeding and feeding better, to simply cleaning up the beaches on which turtles lay their eggs. Turtle conservation also has legal protection in a number of countries, including the U.S, to ensure that their current population state isn't degraded further. The responsibility is also on local people who live in proximity to these turtles to be aware of their presence and ensure their habitats are looked after. Many pacific nations have or are adapting their fishing methods to help prevent collateral damage to turtles and other marine wildlife. Many main global organisations, such as WWF, have been relentless in their attempts to preserve the world's turtles. Given the high profile of turtles internationally, they attract plenty of attention from conservation and volunteering groups, providing hands on help to turtles as well as research for helping the many species long term. Advertisement Frontier is such an organisation. We run projects in multiple countries worldwide which take part in important turtle conservation and research. One project in Greece works to protect the nesting sites of Loggerhead turtles. It involves daily monitoring and research of the turtles to help provide a safer breeding environment. Another risk to turtle populations is traced back to the changing climate. Turtle eggs are incubated in the sand before hatching and research has shown that during this developing stage, the heat the egg is exposed to directly controls the gender of the baby turtle when it hatches. The warmer the climate, the more likely it is for that turtle to be female. With an ever warming atmosphere and weather, the number of turtles born female has increased. In the long run, this would be devastating for the species when there aren't enough males to breed to continue the cycle. As a result, efforts are in place to control the incubation period of the eggs to moderate the numbers of males and females which are born, before releasing them into the wild. In this way, conservationists can add to the stability of the species in a controlled way. Advertisement Of the seven species of sea turtle, six are listed as endangered. That's a shocking ratio. As a result, conservation is growing in importance. Due to the fact that people caused most of the problems to begin with, people have somewhat of a responsibility to help right the wrong. A great way to get involved in turtle conservation is volunteering; follow the link to find out more about Frontier's Turtle Conservation Projects. By Guy Bezant - Online Journalism Intern Frontier runs conservation, development, teaching and adventure travel projects in over 50 countries worldwide - so join us and explore the world! The five things you need to know on Thursday March 24, 2016 Paul is on holiday. So this morning's WaughZone is written by Ned Simons - something you are all no doubt core group negative about. Advertisement 1) BREXIT AND BRUSSELS In British political reporting, Brussels is a byword for EU bureaucracy. This week the name of the Belgian capital has been deployed less flippantly - as a reference to terror. But in Westminster, the two meanings have become closely linked. Security was always going to be a big issue in the referendum, and this morning it's front and centre of the campaign. Last night the Conservative defense minister Penny Mordaunt said Britain's membership of the EU is putting the security of the country at risk. A claim rebutted by her boss, defence secretary Michael Fallon, a couple of hours later. There is disagreement over Brexit in the MoD. And also among ex-spooks. Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, has said getting out of the EU's free movement rules could boost security. "The truth about Brexit from a national security perspective is that the cost to Britain would be low," he wrote in Prospect magazine. But, Sir David Omand, the former director of GCHQ, disagrees. "The UK would be the loser in security terms from Brexit not the gainer," he said in a statement this morning. "The stronger security on the continent of Europe is, the safer we will be." Why, he asks, "absent ourselves from the table". Advertisement And on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, said Sir Richard had made "a serious miscalculation" with his comments as the idea the UK would be safer with Brexit "doesnt stand scrutiny". Also fighting the pro-EU cause this morning, energy secretary Amber Rudd told the Today programme membership meant "cheaper" energy bills and 'better security". Speaking at a pro-Brexit event in central-London, Mordaunt, the Armed Forces minister, said EU membership meant the UK did not have the freedom of operation that we need. Noting she had been working on the fallout from the Brussels attacks, she added: We cant form the alliances, we cant share the intelligence we need to keep us safe. All of those things are stifling us and undermining our freedoms. Our report of her intervention in the Brexit debate is here. Just two hours later on BBC Newsnight, Fallon offered up the opposite view. This is not the time for us to be leaving an international partnership like the EU, he told Emily Maitlis. The idea Brexit would make the UK safer, he said, was ridiculous. If there is a morning ministerial meeting in the MoD today, it could be a bit awkward. Boris has also said some more things about Brexit, as as Donald Trump, but more of that below. 2) HANDS UP IF YOURE HOSTILE David Cameron had a absolutely great time at prime ministers questions yesterday. Inexplicably. The Red Box list of Labour hostiles allowed him to escape unscathed from a session that should have seen him skewered by questions about cabinet resignations and Budget U-turns. It was, for Some Labour MPs, in the deleted words of John Woodcock, a "f*cking disaster. Such reckless Twitter behaviour. Advertisement PMQs might have been a paradise for Cameron, but the last week has also been a war zone for his party. As the Daily Telegraph reports, the prime minister told a meeting of Tory MPs last night he needed more time to think. Before heading off on holiday to Spain, he admitted it had been something of a "tough" few days. 3) NOT NOW UKIP With both the Conservatives and Labour riddled with divisions, the best thing for a smaller party dedicated to Brexit to do would be to present a united front in the fight to leave the EU. But then, that obviously isnt any fun is it. As my colleague Owen Bennett reports, Ukip has suspended former deputy chairman Suzanne Evans after she signed a petition opposing the selection of a candidate who compared homosexuals to Nazis. Evans, who Nigel Farage appointed as temporary leader last year before reneging on his resignation, was one of 167 people to call on Ukip to deselect Alan Craig as the Ukip London Assembly candidate for South West London. Craig, who was leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance before joining Ukip, has in the past described homosexuals as gay-rights storm troopers and the Gaystapo, and claimed society is now crushed under the pink jack-boot. The Huffington Post UK understands the Craig petition was one of three matters cited as reasons for Evanss suspension. 4) BORIS IS OUT AND PROUD Speaking of which. Boris Johnson has said gay people should vote to leave the EU as LGBT rights are under threat in other European countries. Advertisement In a video message for an event organised by the 'Out and Proud' pro-Brexit LGBT campaign group last night, the Conservative mayor of London said:"What we need is to take back control LGBT issues and everything else." Boris' message can be watched on The Huffington Post here. "The British people that created that environment of happiness and contentment for LGBT people and it is absolutely vital that we fight for those rights today because they are under threat in Poland, in Hungary, in Romania and other parts of the EU where they are not protected in the way they are in our country." Boris added: "Im out, and I'm proud." BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR: Donald Trump Dances To Stand By Me, Ushers In Apocalypse 5) TRUMP THINKS EVERYONE LOVES HIM Donald Trump was back on Good Morning Britain this morning. Talking to Piers Morgan, he predicted "Britain will separate from the EU" in part due to the "craziness that's going on with the migration" with "people pouring in all over the place". The Republican frontrunner also said Boris "looks like a good character". The London mayor could probably do without a character reference from Trump. Asked if he had a message for the British people, Trump responded in characteristic style by explaining how popular he was with everyone. There was, he said, "an outpouring of love" for him on this side of the Atlantic. Sure. There was no love for the Republican presidential candidate from the British government yesterday though. Theresa May said he was "plain wrong" to claim British Muslims were not reporting concerns about extremism in their communities. It was the second time in two days the home secretary had told him he was wrong. Advertisement If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox. Easter comes early in 2016 meaning you won't want to get caught out by shop closures and restricted opening times over the bank holiday weekend. Good Friday will be on 25 March, Easter Sunday on 27 March and Easter Monday on the 28th. Good Friday and Easter Monday are Bank Holidays, meaning a four day weekend for many of us and most schools will break until 10 April. Advertisement Easter opening times to cater for all your shopping needs Lidl stores will be closed on Easter Sunday and open as usual on other dates over the bank holiday period. Customers can check their local branch here. Advertisement The majority of Tesco Express stores will be open as normal throughout the Easter weekend. Almost all the bigger stores will be open as normal on Good Friday, closed on Sunday and will have restricted hours on Bank Holiday Monday. Tesco customers will be able to check the opening hours for their local stores from the weekend at the store's online locator guide. The majority of Tesco Express stores will be open as normal Easter opening hours vary from store to store, with some outlets remaining 24 hours, but customers can check their local branch online at Asda.com. ALDI stores will be closed on Easter Sunday. Customers can check their local branches here for other days. Advertisement Most Local stores are open as usual over Easter, including Sunday. Use the online finder for store specific information. Store specific, with the website to provide detailed information on some Sunday closures. Good Friday - Majority of core branches will open between 8am and 8pm. Convenience stores between 7am and 10pm Saturday -All branches will trade their normal hours Easter Sunday: No core and convenience branches will trade Easter Monday - Majority of core branches will open between 9am and 6pm, with some variations of 8am - 8pm and 10am - 4pm. The majority of convenience branches will trade as usual. For store specific information, visit the website. Good Friday - All stores open at usual times, all stores close at 8pm Easter Saturday - All stores open as usual Easter Sunday - All stores in England, Wales and Northern Ireland closed. All stores in Scotland and Isle of Man open as usual Easter Monday - All stores open at 7am, all stores close at 8pm Further store specific information can be found here. Good Friday - 6.30am - 9pm Easter Saturday: 6.30am - 9pm Easter Sunday: Closed, with Scottish stores opening from 10am - 4pm Easter Monday: 6.30am - 9pm Customers can use the chain's online store finder, although outlets will generally be open from 10am - 4pm on Easter Sunday and 8am - 8pm on Easter Monday. Advertisement Deal with the devil? The refugees deal between the EU and Turkey has at least one hopeful aspect: for the first time during the migrant crisis the 28 EU members more or less acted united. Under the deal, migrants arriving in Greece will be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected. For every Syrian migrant sent back to Turkey, one Syrian already in Turkey will be relocated in the EU (with the number capped at 72,000). The tens of thousands of migrants already in Greece will not be returned to Turkey under the terms of the deal - but in theory will be shared between the members of the EU. In return for taking back migrants Turkey will get the following: >Turkish nationals should have access to the Schengen passport-free zone by June if Turkey implements a list of over seventy demands that has to do with safety and regulation. >The EU is to speed up the allocation of 3bn in aid to Turkey to help migrants. If those billions are deemed to have been spent in a good way by the EU, an extra 3bn will be released. Advertisement >Both sides agreed to re-energise Turkey's bid to join the EU, with talks due by July. Optimal result? The deal will almost certainly cut numbers - and already, people smugglers in Turkey say they have seen their businesses dwindle - but history shows that when one route closes, another one opens. Other potential routes lie between Turkey and Bulgaria, Turkey and Italy, Libya and Italy, Morocco and Spain, and Russia and Finland. Moreover, 72,000 migrants can slip through Turkey's borders before the refugees deal is invalidated, but in the first 48 hours that the deal went into effect already over 2,000 people made it to Greece. If the flow of people continues like this, the agreement will be annulled before the summer. Of course, the hope is that within days the Turks will have their border security ramped up. In certain ways, the migrant deal was the best Europe could have hoped for in the current situation, but I still am quite skeptical that the deal will put an end to the crisis. It's still very uncertain whether the deal lives up to international humanitarian law. In addition, the EU will have to transfer hundreds of specialists to Greece in order to help the country out with the handling of the tens of thousands of migrants. Among others, France and Germany have already send over personnel, but Greece still faces large shortages in manpower to protect the borders and carry out the necessary paper work to return migrants to Turkey. And I doubt that the relocation of the refugees already in Greece will go smoothly as the old deal of resettlement of 160,000 asylum seekers has been an utter failure. The deeper problem The shocking, sickening scene of a young man nailed to a wooden cross, surrounded by his executioners, shouting abuse and laughing whilst crowds of others watch in horrified silence, is an image that is indelibly stamped onto the minds of all Christians. The picture burns particularly brightly at this time of year of course. Lent is with us and Easter is just a few days away. The hideous suffering of Jesus, the perfect Lamb, sacrificed to pay for the sins of mankind, is at the very heart of our religion. It is the event that changed the eternal destiny of billions of people. It was also something that happened more than 2000 years ago. The world was a very different place. Crucifixion was the most horrible of the many evil punishments metered out by the Romans. It was designed specifically to make the victim suffer as much as possible before finally succumbing. Sometimes it would take several days to die. The ultimate sacrifice then by God to allow his only son to die in this dreadful way in order for mankind to survive and flourish. Advertisement Now, more than two Millennia later, the monsters of the Islamic State - or Daesh - are hell bent on destroying all those who refuse to follow their twisted and absurd version of Islam. And just like the Romans, they have resurrected Crucifixion to cower and terrify the poor souls forced to live under their rule. The fact that the execution is so symbolic to the Christian religion is for them a bonus, but they are ready to nail anyone they believe are their enemies to the cross. It's not just enough to carry this out in full view of residents living near to their execution sites either. They film in close, lurid detail every step of the killing process and post it on the World Wide Web for all to see. They've slaughtered ten at a time in this way, Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, anyone who gets in their way. Only recently, I read reports of a 12-year-old boy having his finger-tips cut off in front of his Christian preacher father in order to force them to change religion. When they refused, both father and son were crucified, their killings filmed on Smart Phones and Tweeted out to a horrified world. Advertisement Daesh know exactly the reaction they will get from their enemies; equal measures of horror, fear and plans for vengeance. With Easter upon us, one million British Christians, and the hundreds of millions around the world, are thinking daily of the horror of deliberate and sustained violence and the need to help and support people in need in any way possible. Easter should also bring joy, but for the poor beleaguered people living in the Middle East, in Syria and Iraq, there will be nothing but misery and a simple, desperate will to protect their families and simply stay alive. Teams from my charity, the AMAR Foundation are working 24/7 on ground-breaking medical and educational projects, and are respected by all communities. AMAR employees are Muslim, Christian, Yazidi, Chaldean, Mandaean. We would have it no other way. In the Summer of 2014 when Daesh attacked, taking large swathes of the north and west of Iraq, huge numbers of refugees poured into other parts of the country. Now there are 3.3 million internally displaced people, and understandably, the country is struggling to cope. The food bill alone for these poor people runs into millions of dollars every day. Advertisement AMAR is a comparatively small charity, dwarfed by the likes of Save the Children and Oxfam, but we make every single penny count. Nothing is wasted. We didn't hesitate to join the relief effort, and immediately we began an appeal for emergency funds to start building health centres to deal with some of the hundreds of thousands of sick and injured lost souls, known to the UN by the anonymous, meaningless title of IDPs. Such a classification suggests a decade or more in far-flung camps or squatting in disused car parks. No home, no schools, not even a place in which to worship. We now have four purpose-built clinics up and running. Latest figures show that our doctors and nurses, chemists and scientists - all local people - are seeing up to 600 people a day, and sometimes even more. This Easter is also the perfect time to mention another pioneering project AMAR is working on to tackle religious intolerance in Iraq. The scheme targets the root causes of brutality so that faith groups can once again live in harmony. Through the provision of classes covering topics such as Iraq's constitution, human rights, freedom of expression and the history of Iraq's ethnic and religious groups, we are striving to create a more peaceful and tolerant society - one which embraces all individuals, regardless of their background. Nasir, a young boy from Basra, had some extremely wise words on the subject when I met him recently in Iraq. Advertisement "Fanaticism, violence and intolerance originate in the barriers which exist between us, which is why we need to remove them as soon as possible." I couldn't have put it better myself. By Catherine Capon The news that SeaWorld is ending their orca breeding program implies that hopefully whales in captivity will soon be a thing of the past. However, humans have been fascinated with whales for eons and this is driving more people to now view these intelligent marine mammals in their natural environment. I've been lucky enough to have studied whales in the wild in many locations across the planet. If you're looking for an encounter with an ocean giant, these are my top destinations to visit. Baja California Sur, Mexico Photos by Joe Platko If you look at Mexico on a map, you'll see a long, thin peninsula on the west coast. This is Baja California and it's a feeding and breeding spot for great whales. The vast, cactus scattered landscape contrasts dramatically with the rich cetacean filled seas and the encounters you have will be intimate to the point of intimidating! Advertisement Cabo, on the southern tip of Baja, is known as a spring break destination for American students. However, if you take a boat out into the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Cortez, it's one of the best places to see humpbacks from January to March. I saw them breaching, tail slapping and spyhopping (when the whale rises partially out of the water in a vertical position). Whale Watch Cabo put a hydrophone into the water so you can hear the male humpbacks singing -- it changes every year and it's absolutely mesmerizing. The picturesque town of Loreto is about a six-hour drive from Cabo. If you go in late February or early March, it's one of the best places on the planet to see blue whales -- aka the biggest animal on the planet. You can only get close to them on a boat because they are protected, but it's an incredibly humbling experience. Loreto Blue Whales run tours, but also raise awareness and money to protect the great whales. San Ignacio Lagoon is a five-hour drive north of Loreto (12km on unmade roads so a 44 is preferable). You'll end up in the middle of nowhere at Kuyima Ecotourism where the accommodation consists of tents or cabins and bucket showers; however, this is my favourite spot in Baja California Sur. The stars are awe-inspiring, the food is heavenly and the staff are angels. But all of that pales in comparison to what you'll experience out in the lagoon. Grey whales come here to mate and give birth and the mothers stay to teach their calves how to swim in the different depths and salinity of water. These whales are notoriously friendly and will approach the boats for a rubdown! I don't normally encourage petting wild animals but these cetaceans seem to actively seek the affection. For me, looking into the eyes of a grey whale, and feeling the mutual curiosity, is the most humbling wildlife experience of them all. Advertisement Nimmo Bay, British Columbia Photos by William Drumm If you're looking for a luxurious, wilderness adventure with phenomenal marine mammal encounters then Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort is hard to beat. I visited BC in early September and saw orca, humpback whales, pacific white-sided dolphins and Dall's porpoises. It's also a great spot to see bears and wolves on the coast. Port. St. Johns, South Africa Photos by Jean Tresfon Each year between May and July the Sardine Run takes place along the coast of South Africa's Eastern Cape. Billions of sardines spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northwards towards Mozambique. The sheer numbers of bait fish creates a dramatic feeding frenzy with predators arriving en mass. When threatened, the sardines group together into bait balls (tightly packed spherical formations) as lone individuals are more likely to be eaten than large groups. If you can get into the water quickly enough to witness a bait ball (they don't usually last longer than 10 minutes) you'll see the most spectacular scene the oceans have to offer. Advertisement Common dolphins herd the fish into the swirling orbs by using a variety of techniques including 'bubble-nets'. Bottlenose dolphins will sometimes work with common dolphins to corral the sardines. Many species of shark will take advantage of this buffet and you can see copper sharks, dusky sharks, blacktip sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks. However, perhaps the most dramatic feeders are the whales that lunge through the bait balls with wide-open mouths. You can see Bryde's whales, humpbacks and minke whales along this coastline. In fact about 17,000 humpbacks migrate from Antarctica to Mozambique (where they will give birth) during the Sardine Run so it's affectionately called 'The Humpback Highway'; you'd be very unlucky not to see at least one. There are various locations along the Eastern Cape where you can experience the Sardine Run. I travelled to Port St. Johns in July (their winter) with Animal Ocean Read more about Catherine's ecoadventures at http://catherinecapon.com/ It's probably no surprise to you that I am not running for the office of President of the United States or seeking for your vote in a referendum. I've not got an employer who'll tell me to be careful and I expect my political friends have already discounted me as a Tory. Which mean I can say whatever I want right now, and I am going to do that with reference to Brussels. Being the second news day of the Brussels attack we can predict a lot of the coverage. There will be the apologists claiming "this isn't Islam", there will be the racists (insert Trump) and opportunists (insert Cruz) and there will be religious folk arguing the toss over whether this is spiritual warfare. It'll repeat the cycle we have seen over and over again. The UK will tear itself apart trying to work out whether we are angry at Islamic fundamentalists, or standing with Muslims and we'll be tripping over ourselves to try keep everyone happy and to sound firm. But nothing will change. This isn't the first attack and each and every time we react in the same way. It's a tool that groups like Daesh use to their advantage, they know what will happen in the wake of this. Advertisement The response of 'The West' is likely to be the usual. The PM and Presidential candidates are going to talk about 'Justice' and 'defeating ISIS' and those who are not willing to put themselves on the front line are going to suggest total war. So what's my point? Well how about we try something a little different this time. This attack, the lives lost, are not another reason to debate Brexit or border control. Let's stay clear of cheap and nasty comments about refugees harbouring Daesh. First up let's admit that if people hate us and want to kill us then they will find a way. They may come from Syria and Libya, or even Leeds and London, but they will continue, regardless of 'in' or 'out', Schengen or not. A report by the Daily Mail (sorry) shows the extent of the RAF mission in Syria against ISIS. 36 million spent, and 150 positions struck. Great, so what's the result? Well over the past few months the territory of Daesh has shrunk by 14%, brilliant, we are winning. Yet they repeatedly strike us in our cities. We recently came out of massive campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which they struck us in our cities. When the UK had soldiers deployed in Ireland the IRA struck us in our cities. We used big military against ideologies and guerilla warfare as if we had learnt nothing from Vietnam. Isn't it about time we realise that the Fox News approach of "bomb them, bomb them and bomb them again" isn't going to work? I think it's time we try a different tactic. People will hate me for this, they'll say I am apologising for Western foreign policy and being an apologist for the terrorists, but they'd be wrong. I think it's time we show the Middle East a different face, we show them what a cultured and democratic society stands for and can deliver. Advertisement It pains me to say that Obama in Cuba is proof that a new face works. After years of embargoes and 'tough politics' Cuba and the US got no closer. Then Obama showed a friendlier hand and the island opened up. Americans could trade there and small enterprise is growing. With that will come a growing middle class and democracy, without bombs. We need to be honest and say we do ourselves no favours in the Middle East. The UK drew a lot of the disputed borders and created a lot of tension. Our history in the area is poor and all we ever seem to do is bomb the place. Then we sit here surprised that people hate us. I get that Daesh are an evil death cult, sure But if other Middle Eastern communities were as strong as the Kurdish militia then Daesh would have been crushed. If we hadn't left a power vacuum in Iraq then there would be a better response from there. So it's about time we show the Middle East a new hand. Let's keep the planes targeting Daesh, but let's do some better work too. How about we show the refugees that Europe and 'The West' cares, by giving better targeted aid and providing shelter, rather than racist column inches and false accusations of 'migrant gang sex attacks in Germany'. Let's get some support to rebuilding infrastructure in Palestine and Iraq. Let's see us give money to rebuild destroyed Mosques in Syria for the local communities to pray in. Maybe let's use different language around our conversations and not jump to vile rhetoric and tear ourselves apart in working out if these are Muslims or not and work WITH the Muslim community to empower and mobilise them. Britain has a history that we can be proud of, if we look at the right parts. We are a caring and brave little island and can continue to be. And our little brother across the Atlantic can be nice sometimes too. Advertisement Last week the US used two old Vietnam era propeller planes in Syria to fight Daesh and concluded they needed a cheap and slow aircraft. The era of high speed expensive jet's costing billions is closing. It's a change in tactic. So let's continue that. Let's end the era of responding to terror with terror and fire with fire. A bomb in Brussels shouldn't equal more in Mosul. Been there, done that, didn't even get a t-shirt. Let's stand tall, proud and defiant and united and say that we won't be dragged into a coward's war that these terrorists want. Let's show that we can get on with our lives and love our neighbour. Let's rebuild the Middle East and "turn the other cheek". Then, maybe, we'll be safer. And if we are not, then we can at least say we have tried more than one way of defeating an evil ideology. Because whatever we've done so far sure isn't working very well. You know something bad is going to happen when Katie Hopkins begins tweeting about Islam. This time her insults were directed at all 1.6 billion Muslims who in her words were all 'country-wide' celebrating at the time of the horrific Brussels terrorist attack. It does make me wonder how many Muslim friends Katie Hopkins has who are terrorist sympathisers. Sadly, her choice of words are the exact thing groups such as ISIL want to hear. In fact, they speak the same language of hate, intolerance and insanity. I think it's perhaps time Katie Hopkins does the unthinkable and actually visits a mosque or comes to my house for tea. What's even more worrying is that over 1, 479 people retweeted the message she posted. This is one time where I can say with confidence that retweets are endorsements as they normalise the hatred for all Muslims. What was even more disturbing was the comments section in the Katie Hopkins Daily Mail article that followed, which showed a wide range of endorsements of this narrow minded opinion. One user noted; 'Hopkins speaks the truth...' Advertisement After having the unenviable task of reading Katie Hopkins tweets, I had the usual trolls who have a lot in common with Katie Hopkins all begin tweeting me at once pictures of Muslim men with beards holding copies of the Quran. Several hours later as predicted, I began to see the use of the hashtag #StopIslam which began trending on Twitter. Trigger events such as Brussels and indeed the Paris attacks, can lead to an escalation in the online backlash against Muslim communities. No one will forget the #KillallMuslims and how it was used to stereotype and demonise Muslim Communities online after the Paris shooting. Much of what I saw yesterday included Muslims being stereotyped, demonised and dehumanised and specifically direct threats made against Muslims. All of this can lead to Muslim communities feeling a sense of fear, insecurity and vulnerability. Advertisement It has become easy to indulge in racist hate-crimes online and many people take advantage of the anonymity to do so. These messages are taken up by people like Katie Hopkins who are quick to use such incidents to stoke up more fear about Islam and hysteria around Muslims. Online Islamophobia has become the norm for Muslims and intensifies after regional and international incidents such as the Rotherham abuse scandal in the UK, the beheading of journalists James Foley, Steven Sotloff and the humanitarian workers David Haines and Alan Henning by the Islamic State, the Woolwich attacks in 2013 and the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015. The Internet is a powerful tool by which people can be influenced to act in a certain way and manner. This is particularly strong when considering hate speech that aims to threaten and incite violence. This also links into the convergence of emotional distress caused by online hate, the nature of intimidation and harassment and the prejudice that seeks to defame Muslims through speech intending to injure and intimidate. One thing we should learn from Brussels is that reprisal attacks online against Muslims will not solve the problem of defeating terrorism. This only helps groups like ISIL continue to spread their propaganda. At the moment people like Katie Hopkins and Donald Trump want us to close our eyes, cover our ears and simply ban Muslims as if this will eradicate the problem. It's time to use social media to counter the hate that we see online. Let's start our own hashtag #terrorismhasnoreligion and #wewillstandtogether. The possibility that Barak Obama will be the US leader seen to have presided over the death of the two state solution appears to be the driver behind the last minute manoeuvring at the White House to orchestrate something, anything to keep the notion alive. However, the conditions required for a two state solution - a coherent land mass for a Palestinian state, the motivation of both populations and their leadership to make the compromises necessary and an honest broker to mediate - have gone for good. A more positive use of the closing phase of Obama's presidency would be to begin the dramatic recalibration that will be required to reformulate our post two state solution thinking. The likelihood of a two state solution has declined with every year since the late 90s and became completely untenable over the past five years. The fait accompli of a permanent Jewish presence in the West Bank is now in place. One need drive through the West Bank to see the grand prize awaiting Palestinians holding out for their own state: an incoherent mosaic of settlements and Israeli only roads. Removing 8500 settlers from the middle of Gaza in 2005 does not provide any precedent for what would be required to expel the more than half a million (and rising) settlers from the West Bank. The leadership and motivation for this type of grand action is long gone. Advertisement A two state solution remains as little more than a convenient fallacy providing cover for political inaction from the USA, Israel and the Palestinian leaderships. For the aging leadership of Fatah, the Palestinian Authority continues to provide the trappings of power - albeit in a diminished form from the immediate post-Oslo glory days. Palestinians have given up on their leadership and after years of political failure have now reverted to the violent use of kitchen implements as a crude form of resistance. For the Israeli populace, the distrust of Palestinians is now at its lowest levels. Neither population are making any serious demands on their leaderships for a two state solution. Israel of course has played the most complex and dangerous game of all. Despite its bellicose actions and statements to the opposite, it continues to play along with a two state solution. While its settlement program has obliterated the prospect of any Palestinian state, the violent response by a disenfranchised Palestinian population allows it to argue that it has no partner in peace. The final negotiations for a deal are thus always just out of sight. With this cover, Israeli leaders can continue their relentless drive for the lion's share of the West Bank and Jerusalem. For Washington, the notion that a two state solution continues somewhere on the horizon prevents an airing of any awkward questions about the Israeli occupation and the overwhelming blowback experienced by anyone in the USA foolhardy enough to speak out against the injustice inflicted on Palestinians. Much is made of Obama's growing animosity toward the current Israel leadership and the prospect that he may pursue a deal via the UN Security Council in the coming months. While a symbolic action might be a slap in the face for Netanyahu, conditions in Washington do not provide any prospect of significant follow through. The tough action required by Israel and Palestinian leaders will never be enforced by the USA hence the prospect of failure for any deal. Ultimately this conflict will be resolved by simple demographics: a growing Arab population over time becoming the majority. If Gaza is included in the count this reality is almost with us. Even if Gaza is excluded from the equation, the Arab population within Israel, the West Bank and Jerusalem will overtake the Jewish population over the next couple of decades. Advertisement Over time a Jewish minority will be just as untenable as Apartheid South Africa. A new binary state will ultimately have to be formed between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River made up of Jews and Arabs. Until this time the crisis will grind on: we will continue to see a cruel occupation in the West Bank and a brutal blockade of Gaza, triggering further terror as a result. The unresolved conflict will remain a festering wound infecting the entire region. Watching this ongoing hopelessness will continue to be difficult and will prompt calls for a political settlement. The notion of a two state solution should however form no further part of these discussions. A more sensible course of action in the last days of Obama's presidency would be to begin nurturing the prospect of this new nation now - preparing both populations for what will come because of past inaction. A realisation by both parties that the international community is not entertaining the old notions any further will focus the attention of both the Palestinian and Israeli leaderships. The changing focus should start with a dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and calls under international law for Israel to assume fully its responsibilities to Palestinians as the occupying power. It is time for humanitarian and development agencies and key donors to accept that the more optimistic days of the Oslo Accords are behind us and the formation of a Palestinian state is now an impossibility. With this recognition should come a recasting of many policy positions and funding programs that go toward reinforcing the myth of a two state solution. I'm not supposed to be a eurosceptic. As a nineteen-year-old, Labour-supporting Londoner, I am the "In" campaign's core demographic; I should be eager to cast a vote in support of the European Union. This is what is claimed, anyway, by the left-wing columnists in the daily newspapers, and their rhetoric is swaying many. If you talk to lots of liberal lefty types, you'll often get a pretty glum analysis: "Well, there's a lot wrong with the European Union", they'll say, "But I still think we should stay in". This kind of thing stands in stark contrast with the bellicose opponents of the European Union, who will often be heard to give a rancour-filled cry: "If you support the EU, you hate the UK!" Neither side has a particularly appealing base of supporters: the In Campaigners will happily admit that a lot of the EU is a bit rubbish, and the Out Campaigners are all too often seen as slightly xenophobic retired colonel-types. It makes it hard for a left-winger to support leaving the European Union, even though this is exactly what a good left-winger ought to be doing. Advertisement Left-wing euroscepticism has a proud history. From Tony Benn to Bob Crow, socialists throughout history have had beef with the "eurocrats" in Brussels. Not many people know that the founder of Ukip, the timid intellectual Alan Sked, was a left-winger who left the party on the basis that: "[Ukip] are racist and have been infected by the far-right". I suspect that even Jeremy Corbyn is a closet eurosceptic, although of course he couldn't possibly say so. Many of Labour's new young members who joined to vote for Jeremy Corbyn will not remember that Labour opposed Britain's entry into the European Union in 1973. The reasons today for lefties to be opposed to the European Union are as good as at any point in the past. For starters, the idea of a European Union, a racket of rich European countries uniting to exclude poorer countries goes against left-wing ideals of equality and fairness. The tariffs imposed by the EU against African and Asian countries make it much harder for poor African farmers, for example, to export grain or other goods to European countries. The idea that we should leave the EU-club so that we can trade with the rest of the world has been trotted out time-and-time again by the right-winger "Brexiteers", but few realise that not only does the UK stand to gain from increased trade with fast-growing BRIC countries, but millions could be lifted from poverty outside of the EU if we left. There are also pernicious trade deals like TTIP being forced upon the people of Europe by the all-powerful, unelected European Commission. Millions have signed petitions against the trade deal, and hundreds of thousands marched in Berlin against it, but to no avail. The European Commission showed no interest in complaints; they decided to pass it against the interests and the demands of the people of Europe. Advertisement Hundreds of thousands marched against TTIP in Berlin (Photo: Imgur) This is the problem: many on the left believe that, because the continent is slightly more left-wing than Britain, the left will stand to benefit from an undemocratic European Union. But when trade deals like TTIP are on the cards, there is nothing that can be done to prevent them, given that there is no possible way to kick out Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission. Many are unaware that the biggest party in the European Parliament is the European People's Party, a centre-right grouping that often tries to pass right-wing legislation, and that the president of the European Commission is also a member of this right-wing group. If you think that this blatant lack of democracy has no real impact on anything, think again. When Greece elected Syriza, the anti-austerity party, they could do very little to prevent austerity being forced upon them by Angela Merkel and her EU toadies. Similarly, in Portugal, the left-wing government was initially not allowed into power, and the conservative government was allowed to remain, because the left represented anti-European forces. Imagine if Jeremy Corbyn was elected in 2020 but refused power on the grounds that his economic policy was not compatible with the will of the European Union: the left would rightly be up in arms. I haven't been to Kenya for more than ten years and Nairobi has transformed almost beyond recognition in that time, with its glass-fronted skyscrapers and traffic-choked streets. Visiting to catch up with some of Ashden's Award winners, past and present, I found there to be a definite buzz in the air about the clean and sustainable forms of energy that the country is embracing head on. In fact it was in Kenya that I was first inspired to set up the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy, having toured a boarding school on the outskirts of Nairobi and seen the conditions in which the cooks were cooking and heating water in the school kitchen. Hunched over open fires in a blackened, smoke-filled room next to huge piles of wood, they'd been there since 5am, the food was taking forever to cook and the women complained of eye irritations and respiratory problems. Contrast that with the cleaner, safer cooking environment that improved cook stoves provide - no smoke to inhale, dramatically reduced eye and lung infections, no dirty clothes, quicker cooking time so no early starts, and a hugely reduced wood bill for the school to pay. Advertisement This time around I had the chance to meet with one of our earliest winners from 2001, the Rural Energy Technology Assistance Programme (RETAP), who introduced energy-efficient stoves in schools that cut wood use by up to 75%. I remember thinking at the time, why doesn't every school do this? Now the legislation is in place to ensure that all schools are using safer cleaner stoves so we've come a long way. RETAP made the stoves affordable by setting up a revolving fund for schools to buy them on credit, and pay back from their savings on wood in three years. At the RETAP stove factory It was great to hear from RETAP who have been a leading light in the field and innovator from whom many other stove producers have learnt, and who currently supply approximately half of the stove market in Kenyan schools. At the time of winning their Award, and with the help of the GEF Small Grants Programme, RETAP were also starting to run a woodlot programme to provide schools with fast-growing eucalyptus and other seedlings so that they become self-sufficient in fuelwood. This has helped to transform cooking in schools from a dirty and environmentally destructive activity to one that is closer to CO2 neutral. Fast forward some ten years and I also had the chance to see the very slick process behind the efficient charcoal-burning Jikokoa stove made by BURN Manufacturing, winner of last year's Ashden Clean Energy for Women and Girls Award. The stove itself represents a step-change in the design and efficiency of domestic charcoal-burning cookstoves, dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of its users. As well as being an aspirational household product, it cuts down on smoke and soot by more than 60% compared to the widely used Kenya ceramic jiko, and significantly reduces the time spent cooking and collecting wood. At around 3500 Kenyan shillings ($35), the initial outlay for BURN's stove is also considerably less than an LPG stove. Advertisement An exciting and ambitious business, BURN has a well-run production line with high health and safety standards, great employee engagement, and training and career advancement opportunities, particularly for women who make up over half the workforce. It feels extremely modern and very much at the forefront of a 'new' Kenya. BURN's quality inspector Cindy checking the powder coating on the outside of a stove before final assembly When Burn won their Award last summer, they had sold 62,000 stoves since starting in 2011. They're now selling 10,000 a month with a new improved longer-lasting version going into production as well as plans to diversify their products and start exporting to Uganda. What was really nice to hear was how BURN had spent the prize money associated with their Award on a series of radio ads that resulted in around 50,000 enquiries which in turn led to an astonishing 95% growth in sales over three months. Advertisement BURN Manufacturing's state of the art factory BURN Manufacturing and RETAP are just two Ashden winners at the vanguard of a clean energy revolution in Kenya. In the next blog I'll focus on how two of our other Kenyan winners are using advances in technology to help people leapfrog into access to electricity. As a campaigner for greater racial and social justice I'm keen for this question to be debated, because it could have a strong impact on the way many of our six million black and minority British citizens cast their vote. When I wrote an opinion piece on the website of my organisation, Operation Black Vote, I set out why I believe, overall, the EU can be a positive institution. For example, if the UK leaves the EU how can we effectively lobby the other European Union States to treat people who look like us and or share the same religion fairly? It is only together with other minority communities and the millions of good people across Europe that we can effectively tackle racism across the continent. Truth is dismantling discriminatory practices in areas such as employment, housing and education ultimately benefits everyone. Advertisement Writing the piece for our website I instinctively felt many in BME communities would have some negative views towards Europe, and I was prepared for some pushback - we've all seen the growth of the political far right, and the inhumanity of a continent which for a long time turned its back on African and middle eastern migrants dying at sea. But the backlash I received was far stronger than I'd expected. Many respondents believed that Europe and its institutions were profoundly racist and would never serve Black people well. One, Jerina Teshome, wrote: "The EU is a hell hole for black and minority people where there is a growing far right movement taking place. We need to leave it ASAP." Another stated the, 'EU has no time for race. It is basically a white male club'. Another respondent, Timothy Bell, said the 'negative effect of mass immigration from Eastern Europe on the hopes and aspirations of the BME community in the UK has been substantial to say the least". In my view, the latter point misses the uncomfortable truth that BME individuals where discriminated against in jobs, housing and the criminal justice system long before the doors were open to East European countries. Advertisement But these and other negative comments chimed with research from the Runnymede Trust which said many minorities see the EU as ''Fortress Europe", a way of "keeping out non-white immigrants while allowing significant levels of European migration." These fears that many hold must be acknowledged and taken seriously. But I would strongly argue, if we just walk away do we expect these institutions to get better at dealing with race inequality? And closer to home isn't it a fact that a driver for leaving the EU is to have lighter touch equality legislation, which as we know too often impacts the most vulnerable in society. As for the idea, floated by Ukip, that the UK would be more accommodating to migrants from the Commonwealth if white Europeans return home, well, don't hold your breath. I'm convinced that, despite all the challenges we face within the EU, the cause for equality and prosperity are best served by being leading player within it. Our own MEP's such as Glyn Ford-now former MEP, Claude Moraes and Jean Lambert for example have led the charge to embed race equality legislation within EU. These relatively new laws help transform many other countries whilst also holding our own national Government to account. Advertisement For me this debate also raises question about who we are. Some leading players seeking to leave the EU have sought to evoke the language of the 'empire', when Britain 'ruled the waves'. Thankfully, in reality those day have long gone. Instead we have a potentially powerful vehicle which can drive prosperity for many whilst demanding that decency and equality for all are writ large. Even in the aftermath of another atrocious terrorist attack, this time in Brussels, we know that part of the solution to tackle radicalisation is to cut off the oxygen of hatred and extremism by ensuring that all our citizens have both a sense of belonging and have greater equality of opportunity. In the run-up to the June 23rd vote BME voters will view the argument not only through a general lens, but also a particular race equality lens. They will have their own relevant questions and in a race that looks tight and unpredictable, both the Leave and Remain campaigns would be hugely mistaken to ignore these millions of potential votes. A massive protest rally organised by Muqtada al-Sadr, the firebrand Shi'ia cleric, took place again last Friday around the Green Zone in central Baghdad, Iraq. It was the most recent in a series of rallies that have involved hundreds of thousands of al-Sadr's supporters protesting against corruption at the heart of the Iraqi government. Initially, al-Sadr had intended to lead his supporters, mostly from the deprived Sadr City suburbs of Baghdad, in an outright invasion of the Green Zone, which he decries as "A bastion of support for corruption", but he climbed down from this position last Friday and instead ordered his followers to undertake a sit-in around the perimeter. Nevertheless, thousands of angry protesters cut through the razor wire, which protects the outer boundary of the Green Zone and pushed their way towards the security checkpoints that surround the compound, home to leading government ministers and foreign embassies. Armed military personnel and police not only failed to stop them, but in many cases were seen to join the protesters, perhaps sympathising with their call for an end to venal corruption. Al-Sadr is demanding the replacement of the Iraqi cabinet with 'technocrats' whom he says will be more answerable to the people. He also demands the complete reform of the heavily politicised Iraqi judiciary and the root and branch reorganization of Iraq's financial institutions and banks, which he claims are immersed in rampant corruption. By declaring that the protestors should only carry Iraqi flags and no other emblems, al-Sadr paved the way for the participation of other dissidents and the demonstrations have now grown in size as the Sadrists have been joined by ordinary members of Iraqi civil society, fed up with corruption, poverty, repression and injustice. Advertisement Muqtada al-Sadr is pushing at an open door in terms of Iraqi public opinion. The Iraqi Commission of Integrity (CoI) told the Iraqi Parliament last year that Abadi's predecessor as Prime Minister - Nouri al-Maliki, stole a staggering $500bn (327bn) during his term in office between 2006 and 2014. This was corruption on an industrial scale. Iraq is now considered as the most corrupt country in the Arab world and in the top ten most corrupt countries globally, according to Transparency International. The main focus of the protests around the Green Zone in Baghdad and also in Basra and other major Iraqi cities has been a general outcry against the failure of the government of Haider al-Abadi to tackle the situation effectively. Many Iraqis wonder why, after more than 550 days in office, Abadi has not ordered the arrest of Nouri al-Maliki who still maintains huge power and influence in Iraq. Abadi sacked Maliki as vice-president in August 2015 as part of a wider reform package. But still the Prime Minister has failed to order his indictment for corruption or even for crimes against humanity connected to the lethal genocidal campaign Maliki launched against Iraq's Sunni population. On the contrary, Maliki continues to finance a private army carrying out deadly attacks on unarmed Sunni civilians. The irony is the fact that this anti-corruption campaign is being led by Muqtada al-Sadr. As leader of a major parliamentary bloc, al-Sadr was responsible for the nomination of several prominent government ministers who turned out to be abject failures and every bit as corrupt as the rest. Indeed his parliamentary bloc has made little progress towards the introduction of meaningful reforms. Many people now believe that al-Sadr, who lived for many years in Iran and has had a close relationship with the Iranian regime, is exploiting this opportunity to re-invent himself as the champion of honesty and integrity in Iraq. In his new guise as a moderate, tolerant, nationalist politician, rather than a warlord, al-Sadr even occasionally denounces Iranian interference in Iraq. Nevertheless he still commands a heavily armed militia called the Peace Brigade and leads a populist grass-roots movement, which garners its support mostly from the poor. As a result he has now made formidable enemies both inside and outside of Iraq; but his ability to muster hundreds of thousands of supporters during his recent bout of Friday protests has sent a strong message to his adversaries....this is not a man to meddle with lightly. Advertisement Ursula Markus via Getty Images Alzheimer's patient with daughter. Zurich, Switzerland. Women suffering from Alzheimer's disease are worse off than their male counterparts, new research has suggested. The findings, published in the World Journal of Psychiatry, indicate that women show greater cognitive impairment than men at the same stage of the disease. Advertisement Their cognitive function scores -- including language skills and memory -- were significantly reduced and impacted sooner compared to men. However, chief medical advisor at Alzheimer's Australia Victoria, Associate Professor Michael Woodward, cast doubt on the results, saying they presented a "circular argument". Speaking to The Huffington Post Australia, Woodward said: "They are saying women are more affected than men at the same stage of Alzheimer's, but we define the stage of Alzheimer's by how much the person is affected." Woodward said if there is some truth to the research it would most likely have to do with women having less cerebral reserves to protect them from the affects of Alzheimer's pathology. Advertisement "This smaller cerebral reserve may be related to the fact that women aren't as likely to have worked and engaged in professions that build up cerebral reserves. The truth is there is a link between engagement in an occupation and measures of cerebral reserves. "We would expect that as women are much more commonly in the work place now, this difference between men and women effected by Alzheimer's will become less obvious over the coming decades," Woodward said. Carol Bennett -- CEO of Alzheimer's Australia -- disagrees with this explanation. "That to me suggests women are not using their brains and I don't think that's the case. "I'm sceptical of the scientific basis of that as a theory. I think it needs a lot more investigation," Bennett said. Bennett told HuffPost Australia that the research suggested three possible explanations behind the claim that women with Alzheimer's had a faster cognitive decline, with one of them being "a greater cognitive reserve in men". Advertisement Dementia is the second most common cause of death in Australia. Another possible explanation includes estrogen deprivation. "This makes women's brains more susceptible to the effects of Alzheimer's pathology," Woodward said. The third explanation in the article has to do with apolipoprotein E (APOE) 4 -- an established genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The research explains: "APOE 4 affects the probability of developing Alzheimer's disease more in women than men." A disease with no cure, dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia. More than 353,000 people across the nation are living with the disease and a 400,000 increase in prevalence is expected within the next five years. The research, taking into account 13 different population studies from the United States, Europe, and Asia, stipulated that women are at a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, but not other forms of dementia. Advertisement Bennett said that while the statistics support this assessment, it is not clear why those differences occur. "It could be that women are more likely to get a diagnosis at an earlier stage or because women tend to outlive men, it might become the condition they more likely will end up with," Bennett said. Bennett said the article suggests that more research needs to be done to look at the causes, symptoms, risk factors and possible ways to manage Alzheimer's and dementia. Free The Children/Facebook Asylum seekers on Nauru have been protesting for four days, as some of them prepare to mark 1000 days detained in Australian immigration detention on the island nation. Good Friday will be the 1000th day in detention for some asylum seekers. That's more than two years and nine months. Advertisement While a number of asylum seekers have been determined to be genuine refugees and been officially resettled on Nauru -- with freedom of movement around the island, an ability to get jobs and start a proper life -- many are in limbo, awaiting processing and the determination of their refugee status, and mostly confined to the detention centre on the island. That's what Ian Rintoul, of advocacy group Refugee Action Coalition, told The Huffington Post Australia. He said "hundreds" of asylum seekers -- men, women and children -- who haven't had their refugee status determined have been protesting at the gates of the facility for four days, since March 20. Chanting, brandishing hand-painted signs and partially blocking the main gate into their camp, the asylum seekers are calling for faster processing of their refugee applications. Protest Day 4 We have been in detention nearly ONE THOUSAND DAYS. It is raining and flooding every few days. Our tents and get wet and more mould grows. Posted by Free the Children NAURU on Wednesday, 23 March 2016 "They're protesting the long term detention without the processing, as well as the general situation on Nauru. So far the protests have been peaceful, occupying the gate. They're chanting about freedom and justice. They usually go for a few hours a day," Rintoul said. Advertisement He claims asylum seekers, refugees and others on the island who have photographed or filmed the protests have been threatened with arrest by local authorities and staff at the centre. 995 Days living in moldy tents. Please give us freedom. Please help our children. Posted by Free the Children NAURU on Monday, 21 March 2016 Nauru has recently been reclassified as an "open centre," meaning asylum seekers are not technically imprisoned in the detention centre and are allowed some freedoms not necessarily associated with a detention facility. Signs at the protest claim 144 asylum seekers remain in detention, but the Department of Immigration and Border Protection would not confirm exact numbers when contacted by HuffPost Australia. While those who have been deemed to be "genuine" refugees are permitted to travel, live and work among the wider Nauruan community, Rintoul said asylum seekers who are still awaiting a determination have significantly fewer freedoms. "They aren't allowed to bring things in, they don't have money. Even under the open centre, they're effectively confined to [the camp]. They can't work, they can't move freely. A lot of restrictions remain," he said. Advertisement "The ones housed outside the camp do get a small allowance, do work, are allowed to move around the island outside the area... the people protesting are only the asylum seekers, not the ones deemed to be refugees." A young man on Nauru claimed conditions among asylum seekers in the centre were deteriorating. "There is some people who have got ear infection, eyes, nose, throat, because of the air. Some of the people, their legs and backs hurt because of the rocks on the ground," he told HuffPost Australia. Flooding Australian run detention camp in Nauru Please help us. Help our children. We live like animals. We want to show this video again because it has not change for 998 days now. Posted by Free the Children NAURU on Tuesday, 22 March 2016 Rintoul criticised the prolonged period taken to process asylum seekers. "Despite promises made at the end of last year, that everybody would be processed soon, that just hasn't been fulfilled. The fact people can be 1000 days on Nauru and not have a refugee determination, it exposes the very stark realities of the lack of processing and lack of any resettlement arrangements." HuffPost Australia sent a list of questions to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection about the protests, the claims made by asylum seekers that they had been waiting 1000 days for a refugee determination, how many asylum seekers had been processed and how many were still awaiting a determination. Advertisement Here is their reply, in full: ASSOCIATED PRESS The curved piece of debris which may be part of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, in Wartburg, 37km (22 miles) out of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Monday, March 7, 2016. South African teenager Liam Lotter vacationing with his family in Mozambique on Dec. 30, may have found part of a wing from the missing plane, while he was strolling on the beach. Liam struggled to lift the debris from the beach and carried it back home to South Africa before discovering it might be from the lost plane, but now aviation experts plan to examine the plane fragment. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 jet vanished with 239 people on board while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. (Candace Lotter via AP) Debris found in Mozambique is "almost certainly" from Malaysian Airlines jet MH370, MP Darren Chester said in a statement. It's the strongest indication yet the plane, that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board, has been found -- an agonising step closer to solving the greatest aviation mystery of all time, and providing certainty to families that have waited two years for answers. Advertisement The Infrastructure and Transport Minister made the announcement on Thursday saying an investigation team from Malaysia had determined two pieces of debris that washed up on the Mozambique coast were from MH370. Debris found in Mozambique. The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370, Chester said. That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean." The pieces, which appear to be wing fragments, can't be confirmed without a doubt and Chester said the world was still a long way from finding the jet. Advertisement The search for MH370 continues," Chester said. "There are 25,000 square kilometres of the underwater search area still to be searched." The search began in the agonising minutes after the Malaysia Airlines flight was supposed to touch down in Beijing Capital International Airport on March 8, 2014. That day, friends and family awaited passengers' arrival, coming from 15 different nationalities, but it soon became apparent something was wrong. This group family members waited at the airport, hoping for news, but day after day, there was nothing more than false sightings, conspiracy theories and bungled press conferences. In our contemporary, high-tech world of aviation, the craft had simply disappeared, with only a delayed satellite ping to provide a suggestion for its whereabouts. Advertisement The final verbal communication has been played and replayed: A Kuala Lumpur radio tower operator said: "Malaysian three seven zero, contact Ho Chi Minh one two zero decimal nine. Good night." And a pilot replied: "Good night. Malaysian three seven zero". That was two years ago almost to the day, and as Chester said, there are 25,000 square kilometres left to search in a zone earmarked as the jet's likely resting place. Microsoft shut down an A.I.-based Twitter account after it became bigoted, got into fights with users and was tapped to be Donald Trumps running mate. After a several-hundred year struggle, the Obama administration is finally regulating a dangerous workplace substance, despite the objections of the evil victorian shop foreman lobby. And Ted Cruz called Donald Trump a sniveling coward but refused to say immediately thereafter that he wouldnt endorse the real estate mogul officially the most Ted Cruz-y thing Ted Cruz has ever done. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, March 24th, 2016 We'll have to explain all of this to our grandkids one day. THIS 1 WEIRD TRICK CAN MAKE YOUR CONGRESSMAN ENDORSE DONALD TRUMP - The trick is "threats." Matt Fuller: "When Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) became the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for president, the reaction on Capitol Hill ranged from, 'Um, what?' to 'Uh, who?' Collins, a rank-and-file Republican who had previously endorsed Jeb Bush, wasnt exactly on the shortlist of members expected to get on board with the bombastic and increasingly conservative Trump. But the story behind Collins support is maybe just as strange as the endorsement itself. A recent report from Syracuse.com detailed how deep-pocketed real estate developer and former New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino might have played a key role in securing Collins backing for Trump, describing how Paladino told GOP members from New York to get behind the front-runner or else face the wrath of his email list -- or maybe even a primary challenger. In an interview with The Huffington Post this week, Collins denied he was 'pressured' into supporting Trump, saying he endorsed the GOP front-runner without speaking to Paladino about it. But pressed on whether the two had discussed an endorsement, he backtracked: 'Uh, so -- I mean, Carl and I know each other,' Collins said. Either way, Collins acknowledged that Paladino is a 'big Trump guy' and that 'hes been pushing other New York members to endorse.'... When asked whether he has any concerns about some of Trumps more egregious behavior and remarks, Collins came up with an explanation that was downright Trumpian. 'What Im going to say is hes been misquoted many times,' Collins said." [HuffPost] Advertisement Trump's gross cheap shots against Heidi Cruz are a great reminder that. DONALD TRUMP HATES WOMEN - Franklin Foer: "Donald Trump holds one core belief. Its not limited government. He favored a state takeover of health care before he was against it. Nor is it economic populism. Despite many years of arguing the necessity of taxing the rich, he now wants to slice their rates to bits. Trump has claimed his nonlinear approach to policy is a virtue. Closing deals is what matters in the end, he says, not unbleached allegiance to conviction. But theres one ideology that he does hold with sincerity and practices with unwavering fervor: misogyny." [Slate] NOT DYING IS GOOD, ADMINISTRATION RULES - Dave Jamieson: "After an extraordinarily long wait -- 45 years, to be exact -- the government is finally ramping up protections for workers from a carcinogen weve been aware of for centuries. The reform marks the most significant change in workplace health law during the Obama era, and officials project it will prevent 600 deaths per year. On Thursday, the Labor Department announced that it will be implementing whats known as the silica rule, bringing a decades-long lobbying fight in Washington to an end. Crystalline silica is a dust that comes from sand and granite, and it has been debilitating lungs for as long as workers have been cutting rock, brick and concrete. Under the new rule, the feds will be vastly lowering the amount of silica dust that companies can legally expose workers to. Occupational health experts, labor unions and sick workers have been prodding for the tougher standard for decades, only to see the reform stalled under a succession of different presidents. But their hopes were buoyed during President Barack Obamas first term when the Labor Department developed a proposal and the White House signaled it would carry it out. With Thursdays announcement, that reform appears all but certain, unless Republicans who oppose it can manage to stymie its implementation through the appropriations process." [HuffPost] DELANEY DOWNER - Donald Trump. Sad! Advertisement Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill GOP TRYING TO HANDLE CONTESTED CONVENTION WITH SMARTPHONES - Considering "backroom" is probably already the name of the app the attendees will be using to have illicit same-sex encounters with strangers, they'll have to find a new title. Darren Samuelsohn: "The race is on for the GOP convention killer app, the political equivalent of a moonshot that will enable the rival presidential campaigns to navigate whats expected to be a chaotic July convention. Tracking, counting and potentially swaying the Cleveland conventions 2,472 delegates -- amid a maze of confusing rules -- is a mission-critical function in a nominating process that figures to be contested, which is why the campaigns have already embarked on a once-in-a-generation feat of political and technological engineering. The goal isnt necessarily an app but, rather, some combination of technology designed for the first contested national convention in 40 years. While campaigns for statewide office have used delegate-tracking data technology in state party conventions and even at recent national party conventions, nothing on the scale of what would be required for the summer of 2016 has ever been attempted." [Politico] TRUMP SUPPORTERS ARE A CLASSY BUNCH - Wonder if Trump will pay the legal fees of someone charged with a beheading. Jane Timm: "Liz Mair's mother didn't want her to go outside yesterday: She was convinced that Mair, a Republican political consultant who is running an anti-Donald Trump super PAC, would be hurt. Mair is in Trump's crosshairs -- albeit obliquely -- after her group attacked Trump via an ad that used an image of a nude-and-handcuffed Melania Trump, the Republican front-runner's wife, from a 2000 photo shoot. The candidate blamed the ad on Ted Cruz's campaign, but his supporters traced it to Mair anyway -- and her mom, too'She woke up and there was a very, very nasty threatening voicemail from somebody who's a Trump supporter. She's going to make a decision about a police report,' Mair told MSNBC. 'I've already had to file a police report about a Trump supporter who threatened to behead me.'" [NBC NEWS] @eliejacobs: in honor of Purim, my wife created the Trumpantash. #bakeamericagreatagain #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain #purim2016 TB STILL HERE - Lauren Weber: "Contrary to popular belief in the U.S., tuberculosis is not a disease of the past. It is a global threat, one that last fall surpassed HIV/AIDS to become the No. 1 infectious killer on the planet. More than 1.5 million people die each year of the disease, which some experts call airborne cancer because of the way it slowly ravages its victims. More than one-third of the worlds population is infected with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, which is spread when a person with the active form of the disease coughs, expelling micro-droplets of saliva and mucus. Most of those infected people have immune systems that are strong enough to contain the bacteria, leaving them symptom-free and otherwise healthy. Around 13 million Americans have whats called latent TB. But approximately 5 to 10 percent of people infected with TB will develop the active, infectious form of the disease at some point in their lifetime. That means as many as 1.3 million Americans could become infectious if not treated." [HuffPost] CONGRESSMAN A JERK - Really angling for the Tay vote. Benjamin Freed: "Representative Rod Blum, an Iowa Republican, ticked off DC residents earlier this week when he tweeted his apparent desire to see the District hit by a crippling economic downturn. 'Washington DC is booming. Tower cranes everywhere. Being built on the backs of US taxpayers. DC needs a recession,' Blum wrote in the offending tweet, which was accompanied by a photo of seven construction cranes looming over Southwest DC. Blum fired off the message late Monday, but it was not noticed until Tuesday evening, when it began to pick up the ire of the locals. More cornball than Blums Monday-night spell of DC Twitter-bashing is that it wasnt the first time he made that lame comment. Last October, he posted a similar tweet that featured tower cranes over Southwest DC and a call for a micro-targeted recession." [Washingtonian] BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here's an otter pup. WOULD STILL BE A BETTER READ THAN JENNIFER RUBIN - Benjamin Mullin: "Since Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post in 2013, his ownership has been greeted by voluminous reportage from journalists seeking to discern his influence on the newspaper. A new longread from Fortune's Adam Lashinsky reveals that the Post has been bombarded with lots of ideas from the tech entrepreneur-turned-newspaper-owner both good and bad. Case in point: One brainstorming session with Bezos yielded the possibility of creating a premium feature that would allow Washington Post readers to remove all the vowels from a story they didn't like. Mercifully, Executive Editor Marty Baron shot it down." [Poynter] COMFORT FOOD - If rappers had real jobs. - Microsoft created an AI Twitter bot and it quickly became awful. - A guy was arrested for not returnging a copy of "Freddy Got Fingered" in 2002. TWITTERAMA @marinafang: Thought I saw Idris Elba on the Metro...but then realized that DC is probably unworthy of his beauty. @igorbobic: The 1999 Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, Professor Ahmed H. Zewail, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, receives the award from Swedish King Carl XVI. Gustaf (R) December 10.lb/ME Knowledge makes the world go round. And my own odyssey around the world of knowledge, hopefully, can give birth to a "Science Spring" in the Middle East by completing a circle that began 70 years ago. That circle of destiny has taken me from the Nile Delta that was once the premier center of learning in its time to that foremost temple of science in today's world, the California Institute of Technology, or Caltech, to being awarded the Nobel Prize, and back to Egypt where we are creating a Caltech for the Middle East -- the Zewail City of Science and Technology. Advertisement Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. (Marka/UIG via Getty Images) When I attended Alexandria University in the 1960s, my education reflected these traditions and, indeed, was superb. But in the last 50 years, education, as well as research and development, have starkly eroded because of the negligence by high-level administrations in the Egyptian government. Sadly, Egypt's education ranking among nations today is not even in the top 100, according to the U.N.. Yet Egypt, with its youthful population of 90 million could, and should, be a leader in the region. Egypt was and still is the leader of the Arab world. Its next revolution in education and culture will trigger major changes in other Arab countries. It is no exaggeration to say then, as now, that Caltech is among the world's foremost incubators of scientific progress. Its uniquely supportive environment for basic research enabled me and my research team to discover how to record atomic-scale events with a time resolution of a millionth of a billionth of a second -- a femtosecond -- a development for which I was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1999. Caltech in my post-Nobel career enabled us to develop a new field, dubbed "4D Electron Microscopy," that transforms resolutions in both space and time, thus visualizing atomic structures in space -- nanometer or less -- and in time -- femtosecond -- and potentially the attosecond. Caltech's "coordinates for such success" has three components: The sky is the limit, curiosity-driven research is appreciated and the intellectual and technical support is abundant. Advertisement From my first days at Caltech, I dreamt of creating such an institution in my mother country, which would become the foundation for social progress that the scientific mind has bequeathed to the advanced Western countries. The Nobel Prize was my calling card. As a result of the Nobel Prize I not only attained scientific tenure at Caltech, but was also promoted, in effect, to being a "citizen of the world" with the obligation to become a custodian and ambassador of the value of reason. Over the years I was invited and agreed to be a member of President Barack Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's advisory council; and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's board member. I was also the first United States science envoy to the Middle East. Artistic rendering of the Library of Alexandria. (O. Von Corven/CC A Caltech for the Middle East In this world affairs role, above all, my energy and determination has been focused on the establishment of a knowledge city for science and technology in Egypt, with the hope it would one day become the Caltech of the Middle East. Building a modern science base in Egypt is work on the ground that requires patience, persistence and influence. The goal is to have Egypt participate in the "knowledge economy" of the world and acquire a new status in R&D and education with pride that, in my view, will facilitate the peace process in the Middle East. The concept of the city project was outlined in 1999 to the then-president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak. For years, the project stalled in the stagnation of those lost years. After the revolution of January 2011, however, the project was revived. The Egyptian government decreed its establishment as the "National Project for scientific Renaissance," naming it Zewail City of Science and Technology. The city was inaugurated in November 2011 on a campus on the outskirts of Cairo. Advertisement Zewail City is unique in several respects. First, in an unprecedented way -- certainly in Egypt -- the city is supported by donations from the Egyptian people and from the government. The president has ordered the Army Engineering Authority to be responsible for the construction of the new campus on 200 acres. Second, the city has its own special law, granted in 2012, which allows for independent governance by the board of trustees. Third, the city comprises three interactive substructures: the university, the research institutes and the technology pyramid, designed to enable world-class education, scientific research and industrial impact. The goal is to build a modern science base with an advanced industry sector but, as importantly, to limit the brain drain in these advanced fields of science and engineering. My dream is that 40 years from now, the terrible carnage now wracking the Middle East will give way to building and utilizing knowledge for the betterment of humankind. The prime purpose of the university is to attract talented students from all over the country and to offer them unique academic curricula that are tailored to provide knowledge in cutting-edge fields of science and engineering. The new concept here is the departure from traditional departments with walls separating disciplines. Rather, all students have the opportunity to learn in a multidisciplinary, or transdisciplinary, system. In its first year of operation, 6,000 students applied for admission and 300 were admitted --a 5 percent admission rate that is on par with Harvard and Yale. The second branch of the city, the research institutes, houses centers in fields at the forefront of science and engineering. Priority is given to research particularly pertinent to national needs. The scope of research is broad, from biomedical sciences, which are important for alleviating diseases in the region, to R&D in areas such as solar energy -- an alternative source abundant in Egypt. At present, we have seven centers of research in fundamental physics, materials science, nanotechnology, imaging and biomedical sciences, among others. The last substructure is the technology pyramid, whose purpose is to transfer the output of the research institutes to industrial applications, to initiate incubators and spin-off companies and to attract major international corporations. Advertisement Egypt was and still is the leader of the Arab world. Its next revolution in education and culture will trigger major changes in other Arab countries. Even though this leadership role has slipped over the past three decades, Egypt still has the history and the foundation, not to mention the population and institutions, to become the trailblazer of the necessary transformation. Ahmed Zewail in a video about the scientific renaissance. (Zewail City/YouTube). The hope is that the political awakening already in motion in the region will support a successful "Science Spring" that sweeps the Middle East and enables the building of a knowledge society. Knowledge acquisition is a concept that is woven into the fabric of Islam and was the springboard of success of its empire centuries ago. But to regain prominence in today's world, the belief in the pursuit of knowledge as a core goal must be regenerated. That cultural transformation is the ultimate aim of Zewail City. Recently, Caltech celebrated my 40 years of global services in science and world affairs with a conference on "Science and Society" that included a wide range of speakers, from the great biochemist, Nobel Laureate and former President of Caltech, David Baltimore, to Charles Elachi, the director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who has been most responsible for the rover expeditions to Mars and for satellite probes reaching the far limits of our solar system. My dream is that 40 years from now, the terrible carnage now wracking the Middle East will give way to building and utilizing knowledge for the betterment of humankind. For Egypt, it would be a return to its civilizational roots as a world center of learning. For me, it would complete the circle of my personal destiny. Also on WorldPost: Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, speaks as Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, listens during a Republican presidential debate sponsored by CNN, Salem Media Group and the Washington Times at the University of Miami, Thursday, March 10, 2016, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Many have been surprised by the racist statements by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, the two leading contenders for the GOP presidential nomination. The Republican establishment is supposedly horrified and shocked by their leading candidates. Racism and discrimination are illegal in the United States. And yet, we see and experience prejudice and racism every day. Why? I believe it is because there is racism in America that is fed by history and the society, both institutionally and structurally. Although the education and judicial systems, coupled with deep inequality and widening economic gaps between the rich and the poor already provide ample evidence for the deeply-rooted racism in the United States, the presidential campaigns of Trump and Cruz have shed much light on it and brought it to the forefront of the national debate. Advertisement Why are we criticizing only Trump? The glaring racism that Trump manifests in his speeches and statements has provoked strong reaction by leading political, religious, literary and artistic figures. Some examples: Calling Trump a racist, two former Mexican presidents have also compared him with Hitler . Reacting to Trump's suggestion about building a wall on the Mexican border, Pope Francis said, "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian." Mario Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010, called Trump "a clown, a demagogue and a racist." Actor George Clooney said Donald Trump "is ajust an opportunist. Now he's a fascist; a xenophobic fascist." Advertisement J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter series said Lord "Voldemort [the fictional character and archenemy of Harry Potter] was nowhere near as bad [as Trump]." But, despite his racism, its condemnation, and warnings by many, Trump is still leading the GOP primaries and, as of the time of writing this article, had 739 delegates, far more than the 465 delegates that Cruz had. But, Cruz is not far behind Trump in his anti-immigrants, anti-Muslims rhetoric. He has said repeatedly that he supports rounding up and deporting undocumented immigrants. In an interview with Fox News Cruz said, "The biggest difference between Donald Trump and Marco Rubio [who has since quit the race] and myself is that both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio would allow those 12 million people to become U.S. citizens....I will not." What does voting for Trump and Cruz mean? Some have criticized the Republican establishment and the GOP to put their Party in this position through their actions over the past three decades. The criticism is not without merit, but it does not address the root cause of the problem. Advertisement The critics do not seem to recognize that racism is institutionalized in the United States, and is like fire under a thin layer of ashes. What Trump, Cruz and others like them say is like a blowing breeze over the ashes, revealing the fire underneath and making the fire rage stronger. Condemning Trump and Cruz does not solve any problem. The root cause of racism must be addressed. Racism against African-American After African-Americans, such as Trayvon Martin, were murdered by the vigilante or police over the past two years, and the courts did not find the culprits guilty, we had wide demonstrations. Three important political figures expressed the bitter truth about what had happened, but were criticized for it. After George Zimmerman, who had killed Martin in Florida, was found not guilty, The President said, "There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.There are probably very few African-American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me -- at least before I was a senator.There are very few African-Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off." Then Attorney General Eric Holder said in a speech that he was stopped by police "while simply running to a catch a movie, at night in George town.I was at the time of that last incident a federal prosecutor," adding, "Years ago, some of these same issues [regarding race] drove my father to sit down with me to have a conversation - which is no doubt familiar to many of you - about how as a young black man I should interact with the police, what to say, and how to conduct myself if I was ever stopped or confronted in a way I thought was unwarranted." Holder said that after the Trayvon Martin murder he had a similar conversation with his own 15-year-old son "to make him aware of the world he must still confront." Advertisement New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said about his own son, "I've had to worry over the years. [My wife] Chirlane's had to worry. Is [my son] Dante safe each night? There are so many families in this city who feel that each and every night. Is my child safe? And not just from some of the painful realities--crime and violence in some of our neighborhoods--but is safe from the very people they want to have faith in as their protectors." According to the 2013 Census African-Americans represent 13.2 percent of the U.S. population, but their rate of unemployment is typically twice that of the whites. For example, in summer of 2015 the unemployment rate was 5.3 percent among the whites, but 11.4 percent among African-Americans. The same is true about young people 16-24 years old who look for a job during summers. For example, during summer of 2014 12.2 percent of young whites and 24. 8 percent of young African-Americans were unemployed. The structural discriminations and the economic gap, including the deepening fissures between the rich and the poor, have contributed mightily to the miserable plights of African-Americans. 37.4 percent of prison population in the United States is African-American, whereas only about 13 percent of the population is black. A December 2014 poll indicated that 80 percent of African-Americans and 40 percent of whites believe that the police treat black people differently than the white population. Another poll in November 2015 indicated that 49 percent of Americans believe racism is a "big problem" in the United States. After wide demonstrations in 2014 protesting discriminations the President said in December 2014 that a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color. Some of this is the result of the legacy of racial discrimination in this country. He then discussed the root cause of the problem, saying racism is "deeply rooted in our society, it's deeply rooted in our history. But the two things that are going to allow us to solve it: No. 1 is the understanding that we have made progress. And so it's important to recognize -- as painful as these incidents are -- we can't equate what's happening now to what was happening 50 years ago." We all know that right-wing American politicians have been fiercely attacking the President for years. The attacks may have different reasons, but as former President Jimmy Carter said, one important reason is that Obama is African-American and his opposition has racist views. All we need to do to recognize discriminations and racism in this country is comparing income, employment, housing, health care and prison populations of the whites with those of Hispanics and African-Americans. The net wealth of white families is 13 times larger than African-Americans'. The historic legacy of racisms and social and economic organs have marginalized the non-white minorities, and have imposed such deep discriminations on them that escaping them seems impossible. Conservatives in the United States attribute race-based discriminations to personal characters, such as inferiority complex, lack of merit, laziness, and irresponsibility of the minorities, and claim that institutional and structural barriers play no role in discriminations. Racism against Muslims The "Islamophobia industry" is doing extremely well in the United States. The raw materials for this "industry" are supplied by Islamic terrorist groups, the Shiite ayatollahs and Sunni and Wahhabi Muftis, but the "industry's plants" - think tanks and right-wing mass media - use the raw material to produce "Islamophobia" and present it to the society for "free." The result is that whereas right after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 by a margin of 47-39 percent the American people viewed Islam positively, a 2015 poll indicates that 61 percent do not view Islam positively. It is also telling that whereas 51 percent of Democrats have a positive view of Islam, 73 percent of Republicans do not. Trump has claimed that Islam is an enemy of the United States. How can a religion that emerged 14 centuries ago be an enemy of a country that was created 1200 years after its inception? Even if Trump means Muslims, not Islam, a very large majority of Muslims want friendly relations with the United States. Trump and other opponents of Islam have gone so far as calling Muslims "rabid dogs" and "dangerous animals." The terrorist attacks on Brussels, Belgium, will only add to the Islamophobia. Reacting to the attacks, Trump renewed his call to "close up our borders." Advertisement And, regarding the Middle East, Cruz has said, "You would carpet-bomb where ISIS is, not a city, but the location of the troops. You use air power directed - and you have embedded Special Forces to direction the air power." That the solution of a presidential aspirant of a major political party in the United States. Thus, if he becomes the President, he will carpet-bomb Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. And, speaking at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee meeting on Monday March 21, Cruz threatened Iran and said that if Iran were to test fire a missile when he is president "we will shoot it down," and that when he is president Iran will be given a choice, either it "will shut down its nuclear program or we will shut it down for you." It is such an environment that allows a Trump campaign worker in San Diego, California, offer strangers $40 to force Muslims wear "terrorist badges," similar to what the Nazis did to the Jews. Amazingly, in the supposedly multicultural and liberal California, every stranger who was offered the money accepted it happily. The oligarchic democracy The bitter fact is that the American democracy has been transformed into an oligarchy. The New York Times reports that over 50 percent of the American people neither trust Trump nor Hillary Clinton. But, the political system in the United States has made the two the front runners of Presidential primaries. Interestingly, Republican warmongers have said that between Trump and Clinton they will vote for the latter. Advertisement Just try to imagine the catastrophe if the President of the United States, the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the world, mixes warmongering with racism. "It all started with a kiss." That's how Brenda Lee Graham describes the brutality and racism that dramatically altered the lives of her brother, James Hanover Thompson, and his boyhood friend, David Simpson, in a tragic and often forgotten moment in North Carolina history. In 1958 in Monroe, NC, ten-year-old Thompson and eight-year-old Simpson were, in Thompson's words, "playing with some friends over in the white neighborhood, chasing spiders and wrestling and stuff like that." A game ensued in which Thompson and an eight-year-old white girl, Sissy Sutton, exchanged a kiss. "The little girl gave me a peck on the cheek, and then she kissed David on the cheek. So, we didn't think nothing of it. We were just little kids." Later that night, these two little kids were arrested and charged with molestation. Sutton had told her mother about the kiss, and her father and neighbors had gone looking for the boys and their families. Taken into custody by the authorities, the boys were beaten, detained for six days without any access to their parents, and then without any legal counsel sentenced to indefinite terms in a reform school with the possibility they might be released at age 21. After three months in detention, as local efforts turned to international outrage, the boys were finally released with no conditions or explanation. As Thompson recalls, "Nobody never said, 'Hey, look, I'm sorry what happened to y'all. It was wrong.'" Upon their release, one newspaper relayed that the boys' mothers had assured the powers-that-be that their boys were sorry and nothing like this would ever happen again. Advertisement It's known today as "The Kissing Case," because "it all started with a kiss." Throughout Holy Week, Christians recall that it often starts like that. "So when Judas came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him." (Mark 14:45-46) The gravest betrayals, the most frightening abuse, and the most violent acts against sons and daughters of God often start innocently and quietly enough. They might start as innocently as a political rally this month, across the same state where Thompson and Simpson once suffered as boys, where a black protester was struck by a white supporter who would later say of the one he sucker-punched, "Next time we see him we might have to kill him." They might even begin as quietly as a piece of legislation we rushed into law this week, which at least one organization has called the most extreme of its kind in discrimination against LGBTQ members of our human community that are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment, prejudice and violence. Advertisement It's across my state and across my history, as much as I'd like to believe it's distant and past. As I wonder how it is that a kiss can turn so devastating, I recall that in the story of Jesus' last days -- while a mob gathered and Judas betrayed -- some slept, others were in denial, and still others assured themselves the worst could never happen. James Thompson was never the same after his kissing case. He spent most of his adult life in and out of prison for robbery. "I always sit around and I wonder, if this hadn't happened to me, you know, what could I have turned out to be? Could I have been a doctor? Could I have went off to some college, or some great school? It just destroyed our life." When it comes to the sins of discrimination and violence, they often begin in the most innocent and acceptable ways. But a kiss can destroy a life. Three recent gun incidents in New York City schools coupled with mass shootings in the United States and terrorist attacks in California and Europe have led to new calls for metal detectors in school buildings. This is an over-reaction and would be a mistake. Donna Lieberman of the New York Civil Liberties Union calls metal detectors in 193 city schools "incompatible with the sort of nurturing and supportive environment that schools should work to cultivate." The NYCLU describes metal detectors as part of school disciplinary policies that are "criminalizing the classroom." I agree. The campaign to brand public schools as unsafe is led by a pro-charter school group, Families for Excellent Schools, which wants to promote its own agenda. Recently, they were supported by the President of Local 237 Teamsters, the union representing school safety personnel. There are 1.1 million children attending over 1,800 New York City public schools. These are the incidents that have provoked the latest call for metal detectors. Advertisement On March 22, a fourteen-year-old middle school student in Brooklyn was discovered with an unloaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun and two partial bullet clips. School administrators found the gun while questioning the boy, who was then arrested. The previous week an eleven-year-old fifth grader and a fifteen-year-old high school student, both in Queens, both brought loaded guns to school. The high school student and the grandfather of the younger boy were arrested. Two other guns were seized in New York City schools so far during the 2015-2016 school year. It appears that in each case the gun was discovered by school authorities without the use of metal detectors. The Department of Education reports a twenty-nine percent drop in crime in city public schools over the past five years and that ninety percent of students surveyed said they feel safe in school hallways, bathrooms, cafeterias, and locker rooms. The Department is also reconsidering the placement of metal detectors in schools because of charges that the policy is racially biased. According to a recent survey, because of their placement and because so many schools are racially segregated, half of the city's Black high school students pass through metal detectors to enter school, but fewer than 15% percent of White students. While school-based crime has declined in New York City, felony crimes in the subway system increased by thirty-five over the previous year and assaults tripled. In addition, there has been a wave of "slashings." Thousands of New York City school children travel on the subways to school daily and are potentially at-risk, but no one is demanding that metal detectors be placed in the subways. The issue with the demand for metal detectors is not school safety, but scoring political points at the expense of public schools. Metal detectors in minority schools target Black and Latino students and are a form of racial profiling. If metal detectors are really about safety and not race, they should be in every school. I do not believe middle -class and White and Asian parents would tolerate this. Advertisement Camden is a city of almost 80,000 residents, not including the undocumented immigrant population that almost certainly numbers in the thousands. For these tens of thousands of people, living in one of the most violent, depressed cities in the United States is a daily struggle. However, the primary challenge isn't the violence or the drugs; it is food. No place in New Jersey has less supermarket food options per person than Camden. For people in the suburbs, getting more groceries is as simple as a short five-minute drive to one of the many supermarket options. For people in Camden, there is exactly one place that could be considered a supermarket: Cousin's Supermarket. But, even that is very small compared to options in the suburbs, and is inaccessibly far for many residents. The reality is, most residents in Camden rely on one of the over 25 corner stores for their primary source of groceries for their families. This is a serious problem because under new SNAP (the federal program for Food Stamp assistance) guidelines, in order to accept food stamps, stores need: "A) Offer for sale, on a continuous basis, at least three varieties of qualifying foods in each of the following four staple food groups, with perishable foods in at least two of the categories: -meat, poultry or fish -bread or cereal -vegetables or fruits -dairy products Advertisement OR (B) More than one-half (50%) of the total dollar amount of all retail sales (food, nonfood, gas and services) sold in the store must be from the sale of eligible staple foods." What this means for Camden residents is that many of the places that they had previously relied on will not be able to accept their food stamp dollars, at least until they get up to code on those requirements. Think about what that means: for many, there are no supermarkets they can reasonably get to in the city AND the corner store they used to rely on can no longer reliably accept their food stamp money. What is a single mother with three kids and two jobs to do? This is a real challenge that real residents are struggling with every single day. The next challenge around food is what happens when the food stamp money from SNAP runs out before the end of the month. There are amazing people in the city that set up free meal or free grocery events during the third week most months, but these are Band-Aid solutions to a problem that requires something much more significant. An affordable, large supermarket in the city would go a long way towards helping this problem. Incredibly, ShopRite, one of the biggest grocers in South Jersey announced that they would be building a new, full-sized supermarket in Camden! Land was set aside by the city, signs were put up, and press conferences were called. Mayor Dana Redd and her political boss then State Senator Donald Norcross took credit for forging a solution that would end the food desert. Everyone applauded. And then everyone forgot about Camden. The media stopped following up. And, as is often the case for Camden residents, they were left behind. Advertisement All of that happened in 2013. It is now 2016. The ShopRite site is grown over with weeds, covered in broken glass, and a frequent hang out for the homeless in the city. There are no current plans for ground to be broken, and residents rightfully have no confidence that the project will ever happen. Despite the fact that over $1.1 billion has been poured into Camden to "help residents" none of it has gone towards addressing this food crisis. None. (this is what it went towards) Looking at the ShopRite project with a critical eye, it doesn't even seem like if it were built that it would have helped Camden residents at all. It is on an arterial highway, Admiral Wilson Blvd, which commuters from the suburbs take to get to the Ben Franklin Bridge connecting New Jersey and Philadelphia. It is not very accessible for pedestrians or bikers. Many Camden residents have limited access to cars. There isn't a tremendous amount of public transit to that area. And, it is on the side of the road that is only accessible when a motorist drives from the suburbs to Philadelphia, rather than from Camden to the suburbs. The reality is the failed ShopRite project was one that used the plight of Camden residents as a political expedient to send tax dollars to developers under the guise that it would help the city when the only people actually benefiting were the suburban businessmen. This is the political model that now Congressman Norcross and Mayor Dana Redd prefer. As long as Camden stays depressed, the tax dollars can flow freely to their own companies, political contributors, and friends. Much has been written about the struggles Camden has had with violence, drugs, and education. If you want kids to learn more, they have to be properly nourished. If you want kids to feel secure, they need to have food. Camden needs more than one new supermarket. The city likely needs at least three spaced across the city to make the kind of baseline difference that is needed. 1.13 million foreign students were enrolled in American colleges and universities for the 2014-2015 academic year. To put that in perspective, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, that is an 85 percent increase over the number in 2005 and a 50 percent increase over 2010. Part of the reason for this dramatic increase is the open recruitment of "cash-strapped" universities, who can charge much larger tuition rates than they can to in-state students, and the exploding rate at which middle-class Chinese students are coming. Even these two factors, however, do not account for all of this increase. There are just some basic appeals of studying in America that go beyond recruitment and abilities of foreign students to pay (many are actually subsidized by their governments and native industries). 1. The Options and Resources of the U.S. Foreign students typically have more options for study, particularly if they come from countries where collegiate programs and degree fields are more limited. Taking advantage of these options and then returning home with a prestigious degree from an America university, allows students to be on the forefront of change and innovation in their home countries. Advertisement Along with more options for academic disciplines, many students come to master their English language skills. This is extremely difficult for students with limited English proficiency when they arrive. Competing with American students in courses in which they are evaluated at least in part on their research and writing skills is tough. Still, they are an ingenious group, and many find an essay writing service to use while they improve those skills. Given that English is the most widely spoken language in the world, a students with good proficiency who returns home after mastering English, has a professional advantage over his peers at home. 2. Reputation of American Higher Education and Specific Schools According to the 2015 Quacquarelli Symonds rankings of the world's universities, 13 of the top 20 schools are in the U.S. Foreign students are particularly lured to the Ivy League schools in the Northeast but, as well, to many of the schools within the public university system in California. Many other public universities are now involved in attempting to showcase their opportunities to foreign students and actually send recruiters to a number of foreign countries. The University of Colorado, for example, sent recruiters to 40 separate countries during 2014-15, for the 2015-16 school year. It is the system's ultimate goal to have 10 percent of its student body comprised of foreign students. Currently, most foreign students in the Colorado University system are from China, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. 3. Chasing the "American Dream." Foreign students in their native countries have more access to American culture than ever before. Even if they do return home after their studies, they will have experienced that American culture first hand and can probably look forward to a somewhat similar lifestyle once they return home. And some students have no choice but to return to their home countries. Advertisement The America Dream Interrupted On the other hand, quite a number of foreign students would like to remain in the United States after graduation. Unfortunately, many are unaware of newer immigration laws which make it much more difficult to obtain work visas than it was to obtain a student visa. For this reason, many renew their student visas to go on to graduate programs, hoping that they can move through the difficult process before they complete their graduate programs, a process that involves finding a job and being one of only 85,000 foreign student graduates who will be provided with a work visa in any given year. Another program extends student visas for employment, but that is only for a maximum of 17 months. And those students will need to be in STEM fields, with jobs primarily in research and high-tech. There is a current proposal from the Department of Homeland Security to extend these student visa extensions to 24 months, but the current Congressional mood on immigration is not likely to take up this recommendation until after the 2016 elections. Authored by Christine F. Sizemore, Ph.D., Richard Hafner, M.D., and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2016, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reaffirms its commitment to researching ways to better understand, prevent, diagnose and treat TB. March 24 marks the day in 1882 when German microbiologist Robert Koch announced he had discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes TB--an airborne disease that most often attacks the lungs. The 2016 World TB Day theme is Unite to End TB and today NIAID joins the World Health Organization (WHO) and the global research community in highlighting some of our extensive efforts to help reduce TB deaths by 95 percent and to reduce the TB incidence rate by 90 percent by 2035. Advertisement Despite recent advances, TB remains one of the world's deadliest diseases. TB incidence worldwide has declined 18 percent since 2000. However, in 2014 the disease still caused 9.6 million people across the globe to be sick, and killed 1.5 million people, mainly in developing countries, according to the WHO. TB is also a leading cause of death in people with HIV/AIDS: in 2015, one in three deaths among HIV-infected individuals worldwide was due to TB. Although most TB is curable, certain forms of the bacterium that causes TB are becoming resistant to the drugs designed to kill them. Patient adherence to therapy was already difficult as most regimens require taking medicine daily for six months to two years. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB has caused significant setbacks in the effort to effectively treat and cure patients, and highlights the need for new medicines. According to WHO, among 480,000 total cases of MDR-TB in 2014, 190,000 people (40 percent) died. In keeping with the goals of the White House's National Action Plan for Combating MDR-TB, NIAID's research program supports the discovery of novel antibiotics and the conduct of clinical trials testing various drug regimens to lessen the burden of MDR-TB and XDR-TB. NIAID supports various consortia and approaches that span all areas of TB drug discovery, from screening promising compounds in animal models to testing the safety and efficacy of candidate drugs in clinical trials. A key goal is to shorten the duration of standard treatment regimens for TB. In one NIAID-supported trial, investigators are testing a higher dose of the first-line drug rifampin over a shortened treatment period. In addition, NIAID researchers are collaborating with international investigators on studies of novel TB treatments. For example, NIAID and our collaborators conducted a trial among more than 1000 MDR-TB and XDR-TB patients in South Korea and China that demonstrated the efficacy of the drug linezolid for the treatment of XDR-TB. Advertisement New diagnostic tools are in development to detect early Mtb infection more accurately and to identify and track drug-resistant strains. Many countries still diagnose TB by examining sputum samples under a microscope to detect TB bacteria; this approach can take a day to complete and cannot diagnose drug-resistant strains. NIAID contributed to the development of the GeneXpert diagnostic test, which can detect TB and MDR-TB in two hours. The test is now used in numerous countries, and the NIAID-supported TB Clinical Diagnostic Research Consortium--a group of researchers in the United States, South Africa, Uganda, Brazil and South Korea--is working to expand the capability of the test to accurately detect XDR-TB. NIAID is also funding a large-scale project at the Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases at the Broad Institute to sequence the genomes of drug-resistant strains of Mtb. These data will aid the development of TB diagnostics and rapid drug susceptibility tests for MDR-TB and XDR-TB. The WHO estimates that about one-third of the world's population is latently infected with Mtb, meaning they do not exhibit symptoms of TB disease. A person with latent TB infection has a 5 to 10 percent risk of developing active, transmissible TB during his or her lifetime. NIAID's Tuberculosis Research Units program has helped identify biomarkers that define the various stages of infection and is conducting animal and human studies to examine why most people with latent TB infection do not develop disease. Safe and effective vaccines are critical to the effort to control TB globally. The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine developed in 1921 is currently the only available vaccine against TB. It provides some protection against severe forms of TB in children; however, it does not reliably protect adults. New vaccines to replace BCG or to boost the immunity conferred by BCG are urgently needed to protect against TB infection, disease, and recurrence of disease. NIAID supports basic, preclinical, and clinical research on candidate TB vaccines, including an investigational aerosol vaccine that induced potent immune responses in a small number of rhesus macaques and protected them against pulmonary infection with Mtb. At least one-third of the 37 million people living with HIV worldwide are latently infected with Mtb and are 26 times more likely to develop active TB disease than those without HIV, according to the WHO. A 10-nation clinical trial Policy conducted by the NIAID-funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Policy recently demonstrated that isoniazid alone, compared with a standard four-drug empiric TB treatment regimen, was as effective for preventing TB and reducing death in adults with advanced HIV/AIDS in high-risk regions. Another ACTG trial is testing a novel regimen containing the drugs bedaquiline and delamanid to treat patients with MDR-TB. TB also accelerates the progression of HIV infection to AIDS, making it the leading cause of death associated with HIV infection globally. NIAID supports various studies examining optimized treatment regimens and improved diagnostic tests for people co-infected with TB and HIV. Advertisement An estimated 43 million lives were saved through appropriate TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2014, according to the WHO. However, we still have much work to do to end the global scourge of TB. NIAID is committed to the fight against TB and accelerating the comprehensive research needed to control and ultimately eliminate this ancient disease. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., is the director of NIAID. Richard Hafner, M.D., is chief of the TB Clinical Research Branch in the NIAID Division of AIDS; Christine F. Sizemore, Ph.D., is chief of the Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases Section in the NIAID Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Today is World TB Day. Around the world, people are coming together to celebrate progress in reducing TB's human toll and build upon ambitious plans to end the TB epidemic, such as the END TB Strategy, the Global Plan to END TB, and the U.S. Government's Global TB Strategy. These plans call for the rapid adoption and expansion of new tools, medicines, and approaches to TB care. Recent innovations are enabling us to find more TB cases earlier and diagnose TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) more quickly and accurately. These improvements, combined with new drugs and promising evidence on shorter MDR-TB regimens, are enabling us to improve outcomes for TB patients around the world, even those suffering from the deadliest forms of MDR-TB. The next five years are critical in the fight to end TB. We have a historic opportunity to turn the tide on an age-old killer that has plagued mankind for generations, and the goal of ending TB deaths in our lifetime is within reach. The Stop TB Partnership calls for a paradigm shift by dramatically changing the way TB programs are run. There is good news as we have made significant progress in addressing the epidemic. Over the past 15 years, the global community has saved 43 million lives, cutting the number of TB-related deaths by almost half and reducing the number of new TB infections by over 40 percent. The 2015 Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing TB incidence has been achieved. Advertisement Despite significant progress in addressing the epidemic, we need to accelerate our efforts to eliminate TB as a global health threat. TB is still the world's leading infectious killer, taking the lives of 4,000 people each day, while drug-resistant strains of TB are becoming more and more prevalent. We must take urgent action to reach every person suffering from TB, including those with MDR-TB; cure those in need of treatment; and prevent new infections. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the lead U.S. Government agency for international TB care, is working closely with the global TB community to expand and improve the quality of TB diagnosis, care, and treatment programs aimed at reducing TB-related mortality and preventing the development of drug-resistant TB. USAID is focusing its investments on working closely with national TB programs in 23 countries with high TB burdens and providing technical assistance to strengthen the implementation of their national TB strategies. Since 2009, USAID has supported successful TB treatment for over 10 million people, helping affected individuals and their families live long, healthy, and productive lives. In USAID-supported countries, more than 60,000 MDR-TB patients were started on treatment in 2014, and over 220,000 TB patients were successfully treated during 2009-2014. USAID played an active role in the development of the U.S. Government's National Action Plan for Combating MDR-TB and is leading the international component of this plan. USAID is building upon existing initiatives and developing innovative strategies to achieve the ambitious goals outlined in this plan. By the end of 2016, the U.S. Government aims to start 25 percent of MDR-TB patients on appropriate treatment in 10 countries with the highest burdens of MDR-TB. But we cannot do this alone, which is why we will continue to work hand in hand with national TB programs, global partners, and affected communities to achieve this goal. Advertisement USAID is encouraging partners to increase their investments in combating TB and to join us in developing new and improved approaches to TB diagnosis and treatment, and in scaling-up these new approaches and tools. We are inspired by the leadership of countries like South Africa and Pakistan that have increased their domestic investments in TB care, adopted cutting-edge approaches to TB diagnosis and treatment, and have dramatically expanded access to TB and MDR-TB diagnosis, treatment, and care. Over the past three years, Pakistan has had a six-fold increase in the number of MDR-TB patients initiated on treatment. In addition, Pakistan recently published their first nationwide drug resistance survey using innovative TB diagnostic technologies like GeneXpert. USAID provided technical assistance support for this survey, which provides important data for understanding the magnitude of the problem and where interventions are needed. In 2014, South Africa started over 12,000 people on MDR-TB treatment, including 500 people diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). The private sector has also demonstrated a strong commitment to ensure the success of the National Action Plan to Combat MDR-TB. For example, Janssen Pharmaceuticals recently announced a $15-20 million pledge as part of a new partnership with USAID to fight MDR-TB, building on its three-year, $30 million donation of a new, life-saving MDR-TB drug, bedaquiline. USAID is partnering with Cepheid, a maker of molecular systems and tests, to find the missing 3.6 million TB cases earlier and accelerate the diagnosis of MDR-TB through increased access to rapid, accurate diagnostic tools. Additionally, USAID is working closely with the Stop TB Partnership's Global Drug Facility to increase access to delamanid, another new life-saving drug approved to treat MDR-TB. These partnerships dramatically expand USAID's ability to save lives in countries hardest hit by the devastating TB epidemic. In addition to successful partnerships, increased investments, and scaling up the use of new tools, we will need a sustained focus on research to effectively prevent, diagnose and treat TB. USAID continues to support clinical trials that are evaluating the effectiveness of new treatment regimens for TB and MDR-TB. The STREAM clinical trial is an example of such an investment. Initially designed to evaluate a nine month regimen for the treatment of MDR-TB, the trial has expanded to include the evaluation of two additional regimens that are looking at a short 6-month treatment course and a regimen that includes bedaquiline. USAID is also supporting trials to evaluate short treatment courses for latent TB infection in people at high risk of developing the disease. If shown to be effective, such regimens could play a major role in reducing TB incidence and eventually contribute to the elimination of the disease. Finally, USAID is supporting evidence-based ways to treat TB, such as genome sequencing, that identifies patterns of transmission in order to develop highly effective interventions to fight TB. Over the past twenty years, the world has made some significant progress in combating TB. We need to build upon this remarkable progress and continue to innovate, invest and collaborate to achieve ambitious goals, such as those outlined in the White House National Action Plan for Combating MDR-TB, and ultimately, end TB. Together, we can achieve this. [For more information, please visit USAID's tuberculosis page] On March 15, a momentous day for Sri Lanka's future passed by in silence. The twenty-member Public Representations Committee (" PRC") on Constitutional Reforms accepted its last public submission to feed into a new national Constitution. The PRC sought inputs from all across Sri Lankan society, in an island-wide exercise that included public sittings, oral submissions over the phone and even receiving comments on Facebook. For the first time in living memory, Sri Lanka asked its own citizens to decide the future of their country. Sri Lanka is currently on its fourth Constitution since 1931, its third since independence from the British Empire in 1948, and second since it declared itself a Republic in 1972. Whereas the first and second Constitutions of then Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was known prior to 1972) were formed on the basis of public consultations and helped established a peaceful and prosperous nation; post-independence Constitutions of Sri Lanka were promulgated on the people by governments. They stand today as examples of failure in constitution-making -- eventually turning the pearl of the Indian Ocean into its teardrop. Since the end of its brutal civil war in 2009, and the resurgence of democratic governance after President Maithripala Sirisena's historic election in January 2015, Sri Lanka has been pursuing a nation-building programme. Led by its astute and technocratic Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, Sri Lanka understands it needs restructuring if its governing structures are to last. As Prime Minister Wickremasinghe himself said, "Sri Lanka needs a Constitution for the 21st century" that meets the aspirations of all her people, a Constitution that enshrines the proud democratic traditions of her history, a Constitution that leaves no one behind. Advertisement One of the final submissions to be received by the PRC, on its closing day, called for the constitutional process to "bear testimony to the inherent dignity of LGBTIQA people in Sri Lanka" and to recognise that "all Sri Lankans are equal in their liberty and their dignity". This landmark appeal, by a collective of individuals, was in addition to unprecedented submissions received from all districts in the island calling for the express inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the equality and non-discrimination provisions of Sri Lanka's proposed Constitution. A number of submissions also called for the supremacy of the proposed Constitution and to remove the arbitrary powers of politicians to derogate individual liberties. All of these calls were in light of the fact that Sri Lanka remains amongst the 78 jurisdictions worldwide that continue to criminalize same-sex sexual relations between consenting adults. During its periodic review by the UN Human Rights Committee in October 2014, the Sri Lankan Government stated that LGBT persons are protected from discrimination. They argued that Article 12 of the present Constitution implicitly protects persons from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. However, Sri Lanka's submissions ignored the impact of Article 16 of its current Constitution, which reads that "all existing written law and unwritten law shall be valid and operative notwithstanding any inconsistency" with the Constitution, giving supremacy to existing laws (including its 19th century laws that criminalize homosexuality) over constitutional interpretation and precluding judicial review. Article 16 therefore effectively invalidates the equal protection implied towards LGBT persons in Sri Lanka under Article 12. Advertisement For too long Sri Lanka's LGBT community have been excluded from the recognition and protections that they deserve. A community made unequal under the law by criminalization. The present PRC process, however, clearly demonstrates that Sri Lankans of all sexualities and gender identities are committed to fairness and to preventing the same injustices from repeating themselves whilst reshaping our nation. Our political leaders have consistently failed to make Sri Lanka the inclusive, peaceful and prosperous country that it was meant to be. At its time of independence, the island nation was a model of peaceful transition to self-governance and a symbol of hope to many. However, short-sightedness, prejudice and our inability to respect those different to us have left a fractured society, scarred by a generation of civil war. "We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends" -- Mary McLeod Bethune A powerful civil rights activist and educator, Mary McLeod Bethune devoted her career to improving the lives of African Americans. She founded a school, Bethune-Cookman College, and served as president of the National Council of Negro Women and as a top black administrator in the Roosevelt administration. The first headquarters of the council and her last home, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House was declared a National Historic Site under the National Park Service in 1982. In celebration of Women's History Month, the Sierra Club partnered with the National Park Trust to host an Every Kid in a Park event with the terrific fourth grade class from Washington School for Girls in southwest D.C. The Washington School for Girls in Anacostia is a tuition-free Catholic day school, whose students are primarily African-American girls. Advertisement The event was part of year-long celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the nation's national parks. Whether it's the Grand Canyon or historic and cultural sites, America's public lands belong to us all. As we look toward the next century of conservation, the Sierra Club is working to ensure everyone has the opportunity to experience all our public lands have to offer. Through the Nearby Nature initiative and through promotion of the Every Kid in a Park campaign, which ensures that fourth graders across America can access their parks, public lands and historical sites for free, and promotion of the Find Your Park campaign, the Sierra Club is working to build and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders, just like the young ladies of the Washington School for Girls. Photo Credit: Sierra Club Donning bright orange "Buddy Bison" t-shirts, the girls filed into the historic home quietly taking in the majestic chandeliers and artifacts. Sierra Club staff member Kirin Kennedy kicked off the excitement for environmentalism by explaining how people like artists, writers, and lawyers can all be advocates for environmental stewardship. Ranger Margaret Mills led the students through an enthusiastic lesson on social justice and the story of Mary McLeod Bethune, starting a school with just five students and $1.50. Her legacy lived on through four presidents. The Sierra Club is dedicated to making the links between gender equity and environmental stewardship. We see that women's leadership is a key answer to the climate crisis. A study of 130 countries found that countries with higher female parliamentary representation are more prone to ratify international environmental treaties. And that link was loud and clear. These young female leaders understood that social justice, like the civil rights Mary McLeod so dearly fought for, are imperative for the the protection of each and everyone's ability to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and enjoy, explore and protect our natural lands. Advertisement Photo Credit: Sierra Club Taken From Thesocietypages.org "Bernard, you're black," my mother reminded me as if I didn't know. It took eighteen lived years for me to come back into contact with the layered predicament of race. A decision to leave Anglo-Saxon ways of New England Prep School and venture across the Atlantic to join my mother in Vienna moved me to face the racial instability of my own identity. Teetering on the brink of the never-known - a defining element of my identity has been drifting away in a riptide. And I find myself slowly drowning. My racial unawareness, and perhaps discomfort, is a reflection of the space that I occupy - the American space. The Land of the Free has found itself in the cyclical process of administering a self-inflicted racial wound, bandaging it up, rinsing, and repeating. It began with the American native and the taking of his land. It moved on to the African son and the plundering of his body. The constraints this nation - my nation - has placed on race are eternal. Advertisement In our pixelated moment of awakening, behind all the curiosity and confusion, lay our first and most profound grain of knowledge: there is a spectrum in this world that illuminates the haves and have-nots. In our feeblest of stages, we approach the novelty of life with the candor we will soon learn to forget: race, as articulated by writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, is an "indubitable feature of the natural world." Blooming out of this story is Coates's earth-shattering cry for awareness, Between The World And Me. Confined to the intimate proximity of a letter written from father to son, Coates chronicles his journey as a black man growing up in Baltimore. Vulnerability and unease undertone Coates's every word. Coates takes no prisoners, inundating every reader with the horrid plight of the black experience. Implicit in the narrative structure, Between The World and Me poses as a suggestive critique of the blind idleness of the Hip Hop generation. From Coates's vantage point, the black body is under the perpetual threat of harm. It bares no change if you are the "scion of a striving class, (the) patron saint of the twice as good" your body, as is mine, is forever bound. And perhaps I came to this discovery before I even read Coates, while I was away from America. Tucked away in the foliage that comes with Autumn, on my way back from a hike in the rolling hills that shadow Vienna, an off-duty police officer of twenty years approached me in his drunken stupor. He stepped to me with indignation while racial epithets rolled off his tongue. Supported by his four legged companion and what seemed to be his girlfriend, the officer continued to encroach with a British sense of imperialism. Unthreatened by his fragile build (the meek would police in Vienna), the man and I locked eyes. I smiled. Entertained by his futile attempt to render me powerless, I felt as if I won and placed my hand out to let bygones be bygones. He didn't oblige and we went our separate ways. Advertisement This interaction was not foreign to me. I have been heckled while roaming the streets of Vienna before. What rocked my boat was my friend's reaction to what had just transpired. He was a couple years my younger and remains to be the sole American to grow up in Vienna and support Ben Carson (and he's white). He chuckled, "ahah bro, hope you have you're legitmationskarte (diplomatic identification card) on you." I didn't know how to respond, so I remained silent. I said goodbye to him as if nothing had happened. The flagrance of the smug look he wore on his face only began to take effect when I got off the bus just outside my apartment. In the hundred meter walk from the bus stop to the door of my apartment, I went from slightly irritated and confused to fuming with uncontrollable rage. As soon as I got inside my apartment, I shot like a bolt into the kitchen to tell my mother what just happened. I felt violated. All she had to say was, "Bernard, you're black." In this moment, I realized that I was forever bound. I didn't respond nor did she continue to go on. The beacon my mother shined on my racial reality bombarded me with the sophisticated dynamics of racial superiority. Its subtleties are what infuriates me. Forever bound, I am, but I came to this conclusion by way of layers of depth and complexity. Quite frankly, I have led a privileged life of a suburban upbringing, private schools, and life abroad. I do not share the bleak and simplified reality displayed in Between The World and Me. Advertisement And I am not alone. For me it was only three words. For the leader of the free world it was a Life Magazine. Barack Obama's, Dreams from My Father, challenges the notions of what it means to be black in America. Framed through the lens of America's unmatched diversity, President Obama emerges as the fruits of multiculturalism. Only in America is it possible that a boy can be born with an African father, a white and Midwestern mother, three thousand miles away from the mainland, and be raised in part in Indonesia during his formative years. The uniqueness of Obama's upbringing and his eventual rise as the world leader is rooted in the uniqueness of America. But with Obama's unforeseen idiosyncrasy, we get a man born without a script. On his journey to craft his own, he is confounded by the hypersensitivity of his grandparents that masks their insecurity ("You're beautiful Barry" almost poses as their hello), the tension between his individual and collective identity, and the longing to understand the African that lives within him. All the while, he is still forever bound. My President's complex reality reflects that of my own. Detachment from my paternal African heritage has made me obsess and detest a part of my own identity. Protected by an upper-middle class socio-economic environment, I have been distant from the African American mainstream that is rooted in Coates's bleak reality. Two hot dogs on buns Two Texas mothers, who police said had no criminal record, spent five days in a notorious Louisiana jail over charges they ate two hot dogs, milkshakes and an Icee at a convenience store. The women were ordered held on $1,500 bond each despite the fact they had just voluntarily driven over 400 miles from Dallas to show up in court to contest the charges against them. On January 15, 2016, Ms. Walnetta Reid and Ms. Tristan Ellis, mothers from Dallas, were stopped by a police officer in New Iberia, Louisiana. The police told the women they had been accused of eating two hot dogs and drinking milkshakes and an Icee in a gas station convenience store without paying. The police officer handcuffed the two women and placed them in the back of the patrol car. The women told the police officer they had not taken anything from the store. They pleaded with the officer to look at the store surveillance videotape which would prove their innocence. They told the officer they did go into the store but only to use the store microwave to heat up some soup they had bought at another store and for which they had a receipt. The officer ran their names through his computer and found out they had no criminal records. He released the women with a summons to appear in New Iberia City Court on March 14, 2016. Advertisement Both Ms. Reid and Ms. Ellis are active in volunteer work in Dallas helping young people. They told a friend who does volunteer work with them, C.J. Bible, they had to return to Louisiana to clear their names. Ms. Reid and Ms. Ellis drove the 400 miles to appear in New Iberia City Court on Monday March 14, 2016. They expected their case to go to trial. They planned to show the court their receipt for the soup and explain to the judge that Ms. Ellis is a vegan and never eats meat of any kind, much less a hot dog. Though they could not afford an attorney, they expected to be found innocent once the judge looked at the store videotape. But when their case came up, they were told there was not going to be a trial. Court was only for them to plead not guilty or guilty. They plead not guilty and the court set the trial for May 25. They thought it was all over for the day until the Prosecutor asked the Judge to set cash bail on them since they had showed up on a summons and were from out of state. Despite that they had voluntarily driven 400 miles one way to appear in court, and they had no criminal record, the judge ordered each women to put up a $1,500 bail, plus $240 in court fees. Advertisement They were told to follow a deputy into the back. The deputy then asked them if they were ready to bail out. They said could not afford $1,740 each for bail. The deputy asked if some of their family could come and put up the money. They explained they had no family around and no way to raise the money. Their cash and valuables were taken from them and they were placed in the Iberia Parish jail. Iberia Parish Jail is a scary place. Recently six Iberia Parish deputies pled guilty to federal charges in the beating, choking and sexual intimidation of inmates inside the chapel in the jail, the only room where there is not a camera. Other videos have surfaced showing a deputy using attack dogs to repeatedly bite an inmate on the ground with the deputy joining in stomping and kicking the prone inmate. The women were told that unless they bonded out they would stay until their trial on May 25! They started calling family and friends in Dallas but no one had $3,400 to bond them out. As Monday turned into Tuesday, their Dallas friend, C.J. Bible, called several local bond companies but none would write commercial bonds for them since they were from out of state. On Wednesday and Thursday, Bible started calling the prosecutor's office to ask if she could do something to release them or reduce their bond so they could return home to their children. But there was no reduction. Advertisement Bible said: These women are beloved in our community. For years, they have been helping young people out. Why put loving mothers in jail when they came to court voluntarily? Especially over some hot dogs! I am sure they did not take anyone's hot dogs but even if the court believes they did it, they are still innocent till proven guilty. They were being punished before their trial and I think it was all because they are poor. Finally, on Friday March 18, Bible started reaching out to TV and newspapers in the area. Television station KATC talked with Bible and ran a story Friday afternoon titled "Dallas Mothers Jailed for Five Days in Iberia Parish over Icees, Hot Dogs." New Iberia attorney Michael Moity saw the women's story and decided to help out. He immediately put up his own money to bond the women out of jail and volunteered to defend them for free even without meeting them. Moity told KATC, "Nobody should spend five days in jail over a misdemeanor just because they're from out of town." The women were finally released from Iberia jail late Friday evening and arrived back in Dallas about 4 a.m. Saturday. Ms. Reid said jail was very hard. "I was praying and praying because I could not figure out why God put me in this situation. I finally decided God put me here to help other people and to tell what happened so it doesn't happen again." Advertisement Without the Good Samaritans C.J. Bible and attorney Michael Moity, both women would still be in Iberia Parish Jail awaiting their May 25 trial date. The prosecutor, when asked if she had any second thoughts about how the way Iberia City Court behaved towards the women, said no. "There is nothing out of the ordinary in the way these women were treated." Unfortunately, that is likely true. According to The Marshall Project, more than 450,000 people are in jail awaiting trial every day, five out of six of whom are there because they could not make bond. I forgot to write my normal spring preview this year. Each season I either ask producers to speak about their own shows or do some pretty extensive surveying of "regular" people to see what they are excited about, but this time I forgot. I think that is because I have been so focused on Spring 2017, I've almost forgotten to enjoy where we are now. However I don't want to abandon the shows that are part of this season, so I'll give you my own take on them before discussing Spring 2017. Roundabout Theatre Company's spirited production of Noises Off and Manhattan Theatre Club's Our Mother's Brief Affair (notable because it featured Linda Lavin doing what Linda Lavin does best) are both already closed. Hughie is utterly forgettable and on its way out. Though, for the record, Forest Whitaker did know his lines, and I saw it before opening. Now for the rest: In terms of musicals, there are two that have opened already this spring, the Roundabout revival of She Loves Me and the jukebox musical Disaster!. She Loves Me is really bliss, featuring winning performances from leads Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi. I've never been one of the people who think Benanti is magical in every single thing she does -- she is perfect in this. It is a thoroughly enchanting performance, both nailing the optimism and humor of the character. Disaster! is fun, but it is also sadly a less perfect show and production. It features a standout performance by Jennifer Simard and great work from almost everyone else, but its transfer is rather inexplicable. Still to come on the musical front are Bright Star, American Psycho, Waitress, Tuck Everlasting and Shuffle Along, Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. So four new musicals and one toss-up. I think it is safe to say, in this group, people in the theater community are most excited about Shuffle Along. It has a great cast and creative team and we're all waiting to see what exactly it is. People keep emailing to ask me if I've seen it already even though it only began performances last week. (I have not.) While insiders are focused on this one tuner, all of the spring musical entries are interesting in their own right. Bright Star is not based on anything other than a "true life event," which I know the details of but won't divulge, as it apparently damages the story. The bluegrass musical seemingly doesn't have a gimmick or a cheap hook -- if its creators weren't Steve Martin and Edie Brickell its publicity and marketing team would have nothing to promote. It simply seems sweet. That makes me eager to see and support it. American Psycho seems to be the farthest thing from sweet. I was at a bar last week and I've never heard so many straight young men excited to see a musical. It might be the Bernie Sanders of musicals. I already like the Waitress score by Sara Bareilles, which we've all gotten a chance to preview thanks to her album. Tuck Everlasting is the spring's only truly family-friendly offering, based on a very famous children's book. So far this spring we've seen three plays that, at some point, were off-Broadway make the move to Broadway: The Humans, Eclipsed, and Blackbird. Of these, Blackbird is my favorite and I'll write a post about revisiting it soon. Eclipsed was much different than I thought -- I figured it would be 2.5 hours of drama, but it is often played for comedy. The Humans I think is good, but not the amazing, brilliant piece that most critics seem to think it is. Next up is The Crucible starring two-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan. I rarely understand the Ivo van Hove hype, but The Crucible is one of my very favorite plays, and I'm looking forward to it. The vision behind it interests me. My friends who have read The Father, or seen it overseas, say it is great. I personally find dementia tales hard to sit through though, so I am going to need to mentally prepare beforehand. Fully Committed was a lot of fun when I last saw it, many moons ago, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson is indeed right for it. Then comes Long Day's Journey Into Night -- I, like many in NYC, have waited over a decade to see Jessica Lange as Mary Tyrone, so I'm obviously psyched. Now onto Spring 2017! I've written many times in my career about how much better I like the fall season than the spring season, but I'm going to like the spring season of 2017 more than I've liked any theater season ever. For, if you know me, you know there are some people and things that I'm a passionate fan of -- not the type of fan that would dress up and make YouTube videos, but a sincere fan nonetheless. One of those things is Miss Saigon and one of those people is Bette Midler and they both arrive on Broadway in Spring 2017. Then there is also Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which will be interesting no matter what. Families are well aware of the struggle to afford child care. Parents and child care providers are joining a Twitter chat today, #EarlyEdChat, at 2 p.m. EST with the Center for Community Change Action and Moms Rising to discuss how to afford child care, while ensuring their children's teachers are paid enough to care for their families too. According to The Economy's Impact on Parents' Choices and Perceptions About Child Care 2010 Report, three-quarters of parents rate affordable child care as the most (31 percent) or one of the most (45 percent) important factors in helping working families. When parents were asked how often they worried that their total family income will not be enough to meet their family's expenses and bills, four in 10 (38 percent) said all or most of the time. Advertisement Not only is this basic need out of reach for many families, but most child care providers are not paid enough to care for their own families. According to a report released in November 2015 by the Economic Policy Institute, the median hourly wage for child care workers is $10.31, -- 39.3 percent below the $17.00 median hourly wage of workers in other occupations. In addition to low wages, child care workers rarely receive job-based benefits. Only 15 percent of child care workers receive health insurance from their job and only 10 percent are covered by pension plans at their jobs. In 32 states and the District of Columbia, center-based infant care costs are equal to more than one-third of typical preschool worker earnings. In 21 states and the District of Columbia, non-preschool child care workers would have to spend over half of their annual earnings to pay for center-based infant care. Child care workers are also 96 percent female, and are disproportionately workers of color. This is an issue that affects many working families and should be treated as a national economic priority. We must make high-quality child care affordable and accessible for everyone. Today, at 2 p.m. EST on Twitter, the Center for Community Change Action will join Moms Rising for their weekly bilingual #EarlyEdChat on Twitter to discuss this critical issue. In recognition of Women's History Month, the chat will highlight the experience of women providers in the field. Please join us to share your story and questions. Advertisement A small girl sits among candles set up at a memorial site located at the old stock exchange in Brussels on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Belgian authorities were searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country's deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union's capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport after scores were killed or wounded in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station. (AP Photo/Valentin Bianchi) BRUSSELS -- For some time, a sword had been hanging over Brussels, the capital of Belgium and Europe. This ominous intuition became clear when it turned out that the attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 had been partially organized from Belgium. After the Paris attacks, suspect Salah Abdeslam, a 26-year-old Moroccan Frenchman, went into hiding in Molenbeek, a Brussels neighborhood. For months, Belgian security officers searched for him. A large pizza order, traces of DNA and meticulous telephone surveillance helped lead to the house where Abdeslam was captured last week, just a stone's throw from the home where he grew up. "We've got him," Theo Francken, the state secretary for asylum and migration tweeted -- an allusion to President Obama's speech after Osama bin Laden was killed. But this did not eliminate the danger. The state secretary realized this as well: he deleted his tweet. Security officials sensed that there was still something afoot. Advertisement On March 22 at about 8 a.m., the sword fell. Two attacks targeting the airport and a subway station in the capital killed at least 32 people and left about 260 wounded. The images are surreal and at the same time gruesomely real. We have to resist framing our response in a way that benefits terrorism. The so-called Islamic State has claimed credit for the attack via a "news flash" on its own web site, Amaq. The reason: Belgium is taking part in the international coalition against ISIS. "A group of the soldiers of the Caliphate ... kill[ed] a number of Crusaders," it reads. "We promise the Crusader states allied against the Islamic State with dark days, in response to their aggression against the Islamic State, and what is coming is worse and more bitter." It is unclear why the group went into action now. Considering the planning necessary for such an attack, it is unlikely that it is a reaction to Abdeslam's arrest. It is more plausible that the terrorist cell with which Abdeslam was presumably linked was feeling the net of the security services closing in and therefore decided, according to the principle "use it or lose it," that now was the time to take action. In such extreme circumstances, the first reactions are often extreme as well. That's normal. Train travel and public transportation in Brussels have been fully shut down. Military troops evacuated train and metro stations. People were advised to stay where they were. Metal detectors have been placed in front of the entrances to some buildings. Brussels was a city under siege -- wounded and shocked, but ready to strike back. Special units, supported by federal police, carried out house searches at various locations. All measures were being taken: armored vehicles, drones, helicopters, special weapons, you name it. Advertisement Our way of life is only in jeopardy if we give in to fear and take draconian measures that suspend liberal values. And the reactions from some Belgian politicians are exaggerated -- understandable, of course, but exaggerated nonetheless. They talk of an attack on our liberal European values and our way of life. "We have woken up in a new world," responded Wouter Beke, the chairman of the Christian-Democratic Party CD & V. Emotionally, an understandable reaction, but rationally, this is nonsense. The world has not changed. Something terrible has happened, to be sure. But no, our way of life is not in jeopardy. That can only happen if we give in to fear and take draconian measures for security's sake that temporarily suspend some liberal values. Bart de Wever, chairman of the New Flemish Alliance political party, already pleaded in December for a Belgian "Patriot Act" that would give wide-ranging capabilities to intelligence agencies. Most politicians did not like the idea at the time, but the brutal attacks could change all that. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims his country warned Belgium in July of last year about a foreign fighter, Ibrahim El Bakraoui -- one of the attackers in Brussels. If this painful claim is true, it could increase the demand for a more powerful intelligence agency. But what is needed is not a more powerful intelligence and security agency but a more efficient and smarter one. If we fall into the trap of fear, we help create a world that is just what the terrorists want. We have to resist framing the question in a way that benefits terrorism. "Talking of war dignifies Daesh [an Arabic term for ISIS], which wants to be seen as having a state and an army of warriors and martyrs," Francois Heisbourg, president of the International Institute for Strategic Studies correctly said to the New York Times. We are waging a battle against terrorist cells and individuals, against criminals - certainly not against Islam. Belgium needs to combat terrorism in a decisive but careful way -- so not to further polarize society or strengthen resentment of alienated and frustrated youth. Of course, Vlaams Belang, a far-right Belgian political party with only three seats in Belgium's House of Representatives, will play the politics of fear, hoping to win supporters. Advertisement On the day of the attacks, the Flemish-British stand-up comedian Nigel Williams tweeted, "Remember, they only win when we let them. They are the few, we are the majority. Terror never wins." Maybe this is our most important weapon against homicidal fanatics: resolute realism. If we fall into the trap of fear, we help create a world that is just what the terrorists want. Translated by Geoffrey C. Howes Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump speaks, as Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, listens, during the Republican presidential debate sponsored by CNN, Salem Media Group and the Washington Times at the University of Miami, Thursday, March 10, 2016, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) You'll have to forgive me for using such a lethal metaphor in that title, but I did not actually come up with the comparison myself -- that dubious honor goes to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. One month after he ended his own presidential bid, Graham addressed the question of which GOP frontrunner he could support, in pretty graphic fashion: "If you nominate Trump and Cruz I think you get the same outcome. Whether it's death by being shot or poisoning, does it really matter?" Graham went on, in the same interview, to bemoan the lack of a "normal" GOP candidate. He further showed his frustration with the top two candidates in his party, by suggesting a better alternative than either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz would be to "just pick somebody out of the phone book if we have to." He had several scathing things to say about both Trump and Cruz, including lumping them both in with Democrat Bernie Sanders: "If the past is any indication of the future in terms of these three people, I think America would be in trouble." Advertisement That was then, this is now. The entire Republican establishment has now clearly made its choice. They prefer being poisoned (Cruz) over being shot (Trump). Consider the progression in the past week or so. Six days ago, Lindsey Graham endorsed Cruz and announced he'd be fundraising for him. After saying some pretty nasty things about Cruz ("If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you," for instance), Graham is now on board because the alternative of backing Trump is so unthinkable. Mitt Romney was the other major GOP establishment figure to reluctantly back Cruz ahead of the Utah caucuses. Romney initially tried to play it cute, by essentially endorsing a candidate named "Anybody But Trump," but was forced to fully back Cruz in his beloved Utah, since John Kasich had zero chance of winning the state. And now today, Jeb Bush is in the news for throwing his weight (light though it may be) behind Cruz as well. So, it's official -- poison is the way to go! Getting shot should not be seen as an option. Glugging down the hemlock that is Ted Cruz's campaign is the preferable choice, for a Republican Party that is reduced to choosing which way to commit suicide. Again, don't blame me for the harsh imagery, blame new Cruz-backer Lindsey Graham. I have to admit, I'm as astonished as everyone else at the movement of the GOP establishment to the Cruz campaign. Mostly because I predicted exactly the opposite last month: Advertisement To put this another way, what happens if the current status continues and the Republicans are faced with a two-man race, between Trump and Cruz? What happens if there just is no viable "establishment candidate" at all? This is where some very hard choices will need to be made, in the proverbial smoke-filled back rooms of the GOP. If they only have Trump and Cruz to choose from, will they support Trump in the hopes that some sense can be talked into him once he enters the Oval Office, or will they decide that Cruz has at least spent some time in the Senate and knows how Washington is theoretically supposed to work? That's about as politely as I can put it, especially in the case of Cruz. Ted Cruz, as Trump has taken to pointing out, doesn't have many friends in Washington. He has been extraordinarily successful in making enemies, though. So much so that I really don't think it'd even be all that tough a choice for the establishmentarians to make. Most of them hate and fear Cruz with a passion. Trump will be the lesser of two evils for them -- one who has not personally annoyed them in the way Cruz has during his time in the Senate. As the past week has shown, I was utterly and completely wrong about all of that. Republicans are now holding their noses and backing Ted rather than holding their noses and backing The Donald. What's even more amazing about this development is that most of them know it is bound to fail. What they're really hoping for is Cruz to deny Trump enough delegates to force an open convention, where they can (in their wildest dreams) somehow pull a magic establishment-friendly candidate out of the hat and deny the nomination to both Cruz and Trump. The chances of this happening are approximately the same as Abraham Lincoln's corpse rising from the grave and accepting the 2016 GOP nomination, it bears pointing out. But, at this point, it's all the establishment has left to hope for. Getting into bed politically with Ted Cruz might lead to an even more nightmarish scenario for the Republican Party further down the road, although few at the moment seem to realize it. If Trump wins the nomination and then goes on to spectacularly lose the general election in November, then Ted Cruz is perfectly positioned to be the Republican candidate in 2020. He'll be able to brag about all the establishment support he's now getting, and he'll point out that he was the second-strongest candidate the last time around. A Ted Cruz nomination would be just as devastating for the Republican Party as a Donald Trump nomination, but we may actually see both by 2020. What this means is rather stunning -- even more stunning than the spectacle of establishment figures now desperately trying to find something positive to say about Ted Cruz. Because, in almost Rasputin-like fashion, the Republicans may end up drinking the poison now only to be shot in November anyway -- and then being forced to swallow the very same poison, four years later. If this week is any indication, what will happen in both cases (should this scenario play out) is that the establishment Republicans will grit their teeth and back their party's nominee in November (in a desperate attempt at some sort of elusive "party unity"). This, obviously, could very easily lead to eight more years of a Democrat in the White House. By swallowing the poison of Cruz now, the party elite might actually be guaranteeing that their political nightmare lasts longer than just this election season. Advertisement Chris Weigant blogs at: School days, school days, Dear old Golden Rule Days. . . . 1907 Popular Song by Will Cobb and Gus Edwards For those of us who in years gone by have enjoyed watching the Texas State Board of Education wrestle with the question of what to put in science textbooks used by its students that address, among other things, the pesky questions of climate change and evolution, I am happy to alert readers to the possibility of a new addition to that august group. To describe her at this time may seem premature, since in order for her to join that Board she will have to win a run off election in early May as well as the general election in November. Nonetheless, since many of her ideas remind us of the halcyon days of that Board when it was chaired by Don McLeroy, it seems appropriate to remind Texas voters of what they have to look forward to, should she join that body. Don McLeroy is, of course, fondly remembered by Board observers. In 2009 Dr. McLeroy and his like minded colleagues on the Board were successful in requiring Texas science text books to address the "strengths and weaknesses" of scientific theories such as evolution. In a January 2010 interview with Mariah Blake of the Washington Monthly discussing that issue, Dr.McLeroy said of the Board's decision: "Wooey. We won the Grand Slam, and the Super Bowl.. .. Our science standards are light years ahead of any other state when it comes to challenging evolution." During the interview he explained to Ms. Blake that "Evolution is hooey." (In expressing that sentiment he was nothing more than a harbinger of Ben Carson. Dr. Carson has often opined on evolution saying Darwin's theory of evolution was "something that was encouraged by [Satan]" and saying the big bang theory is like "fairy tales.") Dr. McLeroy has not been a member of the Board for many years but, if elected, Mary Lou Bruner from Canton, Texas, should prove to be someone who can fill the shoes left empty when the good Doctor left the Board. Advertisement In 2013, Ms. Bruner addressed the Texas State Board of Education. In her comments to the board she said, among other things, that "Evolution scientists have ignored (and hidden) evidence proving humans and dinosaurs existed simultaneously. Foot prints of dinosaur and man have been found preserved together in solid rock. . . . Evolution is a religious philosophy with propaganda supporting the religion of atheism." This is not simply an idea she has plucked out of thin air. In an article published April 9, 2013 that begins with the statement that: "This article is very true." Ms. Bruner supports her theory with a careful analysis of what happened after the flood waters on which Noah's ark floated, receded. She said that dinosaurs and humans co-existed at that time and explains that: "When the flood waters subsided and rushed to the oceans there was no vegetation on the earth because the earth had been covered with water. . . The dinosaurs on [Noah's ark] may have been babies and not able to reproduce." She then explains that there was not enough vegetation on earth to enable dinosaurs to survive to reproductive age, an absence of sustenance that apparently did not have a similar effect on humans. According to a report from Texas Freedom Network (TFN) that has followed Ms. Bruner's writing, she has expressed herself on numerous topics. As might be expected from one who has a theory to explain why evolution is a non-starter, as it were, Bruner also has an opinion on climate change that is, if nothing else, refreshing, since it has not been heard from others. "Climate change" she says, "has nothing to do with weather or climate; it is all about system change from capitalism (free enterprise) to Socialism-Communism. The Climate Change HOAX was Karl Marx's idea. It took some time to 'condition' the people so they would believe such a ridiculous HOAX." Advertisement In addition to being something of a scientist, Ms. Bruner is also an historian. In 2014 Ms. Bruner wrote of the Civil War that "Historians waited until all of the people who were alive during the Civil War and the Restoration (sic) were dead of old age. THEN HISTORIANS WROTE THE HISTORY BOOKS TO TELL THE STORY THE WAY THEY WANTED IT TOLD." There is, of course, a bit of poetic license in that allegation since many history books were written long before the last civil war survivor died some time in the 1950s. Ms. Bruner has also formed opinions about Islam that sound remarkably similar to another scholar who has contemplated the religion, Donald Trump. Ms. Bruner has written that: "Islam is not a religion. Islam is an inhumane totalitarian political ideology with radical religious rules and laws and barbaric punishments for breaking the religious rules." She has also written that the reason that President Obama favors rights for gays is because of the years he spent as a male prostitute living in New York City using his earnings to support his drug habit. To my LGBTQQIAAP friends, new, old, and not yet met; and to all my other fellow humans who suffer for their "minority" religious (or irreligious), racial-ethnic, socioeconomic, political, or other statuses/views: We are the majority. We are the fellow humans who see each other for who and what we are. We love, nurture, build, hope, dream. We act. We far surpass the unloving, in diversity, in capacity for joy, and yes, I contend, even in number--in all ways, it seems at a time like this, except in power. Advertisement Even when unfounded, the fear and Othering enacted by a few privileged, insulated, yet insecure souls can indeed strip our communities of their commonly agreed-upon protections for the most vulnerable among us. This certainly is a sad day for North Carolina. But what they cannot take is our community, as broadly or narrowly construed as you like. The infliction of all manner of harm on minorities is on the brink of legalization [edit: it has now been signed into law], at least (please let it be only) temporarily; but it is not--cannot be--required of us that we stop loving ourselves, each other, and even those who have wished this on their fellow humans and seen that wish through to fruition. We still have each other, and no one can take us from each other. Carry on! Fight! Act! Create! Yearn! Love! Remember that you, too, are loved! Most of all: Educate! Let's continue to forge the better world we imagine, and to invite everyone we meet to join in that process. This week's attacks in Brussels took a fractious European Union and dealt it the worst blow since the similarly coordinated attacks in Paris last November. Inundated with refugees from the very same countries where the Islamic State commands the most power, this latest act of terror will undoubtedly fuel the xenophobic fire that has gripped the E.U. and will only complicate important deals like the one struck with Turkey just last week. And yet, more troubling is the response from Americans - particularly certain presidential candidates - that demonstrates a lack of understanding of what drives young men and women to jihad. It's that same response that inadvertently serves as propaganda and as a recruitment tool for the same terrorist organizations carrying out attacks from Mali to Belgium. All-out war against the Islamic State will not defeat terrorism; nor will the mistreatment of American Muslims. Instead, we must use tolerance, inclusivity and above all, institutional investment in the Middle East to our advantage in slowing recruitment efforts of terrorists and keeping the U.S. safe. Advertisement Now to be clear, I'm not advocating for the same type of nation-building that former President George W. Bush unsuccessfully engaged in in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone can point to those two states today as failed states, where terrorist organizations thrive and citizens live under the shadow of guerilla warfare day in and day out. But that's exactly the point. As a reminder, the Islamic State did not exist prior to the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, or even five years ago for that matter. There was a governance vacuum in parts of Iraq and Syria that was inevitably going to be filled by a terrorist organization, and the Islamic State used its deft social media skills to recruit soldiers and begin seizing territory. Ironically, they are a byproduct of a decade of international foreign policy intended to strengthen Middle East states and weed out terrorists, not create a breeding ground for them. What the Islamic State quickly realized is that many in the Middle East - especially the youth - have few opportunities and have a largely negative view towards the Western world. Unemployment is high, many live in poverty, there is inadequate higher education in the region for those interested in pursuing it, and above all, each day brings with it more bombings and attacks. The Islamic State takes this context and simply uses it to their advantage in recruitment and the spread of their ideology. Many Americans have not been so quick to this realization. Presidential candidates have exploited American fear of terrorism and espoused a variety of pro-war, anti-Muslim opinions that have resonated with a surprising number of voters. Following the attack in Brussels, Ted Cruz reiterated his commitment to "carpet-bombing" the Islamic State -- a proposal that has been routinely condemned by top military officials as unrealistic. More shocking, Cruz also suggested that American law enforcement must "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods" throughout the country. Advertisement Donald Trump, meanwhile, responded to the attacks by advocating for torture and referring to Brussels as a "disaster city". In the past, he has also proposed that our government ban all Muslim travel to the U.S., among other frighteningly anti-Muslim remarks. For a group that commands such a grip on the national media spotlight, it is irresponsible to make such hateful remarks and incite such xenophobic fervor among the American populous. Yet, a troubling, cyclical pattern is emerging: terrorists carry out attacks such as the November attack in Paris and this week's attack in Brussels; American war hawks and those against Islam make damaging statements disparaging both Muslims in general and the Islamic State specifically; and the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations use those remarks as propaganda in order to recruit more to its cause -- which is to carry out more attacks. It is well past time that the U.S. pivots towards an investment in the institutions of failed states in the Middle East and works to provide better opportunities for those that live there. Fighting terrorism means providing an alternative to those who are otherwise swayed by terrorists' aggressive recruitment strategies. Investing in government stability (that may not always mean a democracy), education, and welfare will go a long way in steering youth and others away from the grasp of Islamic extremism. Sure, in order to foster foreign direct investment (FDI) we must first ensure that these states are safe places, but there is a difference between creating safety and waging an offensive war. But we must also rethink how we treat Muslims living in the Western world. A December 2015 report by the Soufan Group showed that the number of western Islamic State recruits had roughly doubled in the past twelve months -- a staggering increase. By isolating Muslims -- many of whom have lived in the West their entire lives -- we are guiding them straight into the arms of those who wish to harm us. As Max Fisher wrote this week in Vox, fighting terrorism "will mean addressing at-risk individuals or communities without overpolicing them or otherwise treating them as the enemy when they're not." Terrorism is a horror that unfortunately will never be fully eradicated, despite our best efforts. But today, it's difficult to argue that the U.S. is even putting our best efforts forward. To stop the flow of recruits joining the ranks of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations, we must focus on providing alternatives to those susceptible to their message. That starts at home, where we must no longer tolerate hateful remarks by presidential candidates and others, and ends with a focus on less war abroad and an effort to foster more stability in unstable states in the Middle East. Advertisement As President Trump prepares to give his first State of The Union address we look back on the highs and lows of a turbulent first year in office. Day One: The Donald takes office Within earshot of protesters chanting "behold the harbinger of the apocalypse", Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States takes office at 12 Noon. Behind the scenes however not all is harmonious, with a White House insider confessing, "I've never seen someone so happy to get their hands on the nuclear launch codes. Bush did a little dance, but The Donald immediately went into the presidential bathroom and didn't come out for thirty minutes." Day two: Construction of the wall begins "I will greatly strengthen our border, putting a stop to illegal immigration once and for all." Advertisement Work began this morning on the great southern wall, connecting the California coast with the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile construction also got underway on the northern wall with many ordinary Canadians jumping in to get it built quicker. Day 15: Military Build Up Commences "I will rebuild our military and make it so strong no one, and I mean no one, will mess with us." Despite initially promising to cut defence spending, a massive expansion of American military capability was green lit this morning. A trusted source within the Pentagon revealed, "We told him we can already take on all of the worlds armies combined with one arm tied behind our back, but he just started laughing crazy and said, ''One arm is one arm too many.'" Day 55: Obamacare repealed "The American people have had to suffer under the economic burden of the affordable care act." Advertisement "I would end Obamacare and replace it with something terrific." The Trump White House is celebrating today after the repeal of the Obama administrations policy to provide affordable health care to the nations poorest. Confusion however remains on what exactly the terrific thing is that President Trump plans to replace it with. When pressed he told us, "we cannot be afraid to use nuclear weapons." After an aide whispered something in his ear he then mediated his initial position, announcing, "federalized healthcare just doesn't work." In response the ambassador from Great Britain told us, "He has a point, we've had free healthcare for all 77 million of us for the last 70 years and all it's done is provide free healthcare for all 77 million of us for the last 70 years." Day 102: Enforced repatriation begins "There are people who shouldn't be in our country. They flow in like water." Amidst chaotic scenes on the Mexican side of the newly completed wall, former U.S. citizens who have failed to reach the minimum requirements of the American Minimum Standards of being American act continue to pass into their new country. Pete Ramon of Wisconsin told us, "I'm third generation American and owned a chain of reasonably priced accountancy firms. Closest I've been to freaking Mexico was visiting Sea World. Now that day-glow asshole is frog marching me over the border. Jackass." Day 143: The Religious Transparency Act sails through congress "Some people are going to be upset." The controversial RT act, forcing all U.S. citizens to openly display an icon of their chosen religion became law today. Whilst little has changed in the southern states, other citizens seem less sanguine about the new law. Yousef Clark, from Plainsboro, Maine told us, "I'm no historian but I think it's been tried before. Not sure how well it worked out for all involved." Day 215: Mandatory gun ownership implemented "We love the second amendment folks. No one loves it more than us, so just remember that." Advertisement A White House spokesperson today described the 3000 percent rise in gun crime as "a teething problem," despite being present in a beltway branch of Starbucks when a small fire fight broke out over the last quinoa salad. When asked to comment President Trump showed off the 357 Magnum he has taken to carrying and told us, "I will not be afraid to use nuclear weapons." Day 310: Tensions escalate with China "I like China. I just sold an apartment for 15 million to someone from China." The administration's policy to force manufacturers to make products in the USA continues to cause tensions with China today, with The Gap particularly hard hit after being forced to raise the price of khakis to $1,322 dollars a pair. In response President Trump issued a stark warning to China, to, "Back off or I'll do to you what I did to Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 23!" President Xi Jinping responded by announcing, "If Wiggy wants a fight, we'll give him one!" Remember that commercial for the iPhone 3g that said "There's an App for That"? Apple filed a trademark for their catchphrase back in December 2009, citing "first commercial use of the phrase" on January 26, 2009 per trademark documentation. That trademark was then granted in late 2010 making it impossible for companies to use the phrase, but not impossible to joke about it or use it in parodies. The joke seems to be on us, as society relies more and more on using apps for everything. Social interaction declines and you see restaurants and bars with signs that say things like "No Wifi. Talk to each other." It's funny. It's also sad. The bottom line is, there isn't an App for everything. Some things will always require human interaction to achieve the best results. One of those things is assembling a team of vendors for your wedding day, starting with your wedding planner. But the way in which people plan weddings has evolved over the years, and now the first step is often a search engine or a wedding website. In fact, the only time I see a bride using a print magazine, is to take a picture of it to post to their Instagram account. Hashtag not reading this at all because Pinterest. Advertisement Because of all of this, there are wedding websites available for every type of bride and every style of wedding. The sites offer a great place for inspiration, as well as a "hub" of sorts that lists every vendor needed for a wedding, both by category and location. These vendors are obviously paid advertisers and vendors list their profile on these sites to give couples a taste of what they offer. From there, anyone can click through to a website or any social media page of the vendor to get more information. They can also just contact the vendor directly via the website for more information and to set up a consultation. Now, I know many of you reading this already are aware of these sites and how they work. What you may not know is the newest offer that is becoming available, which is being touted as a "concierge" service. Basically, it's a stronger filter system that allows the bride to not actually have to do a search on her own for the perfect vendors. In fact, from the moment a bride signs on to one of these sites and before she can even search for vendors, a "pop-up" message appears asking if she would like wedding planning assistance. Too good to be true? Absolutely. In the past year, three major wedding websites have introduced this program and while similar, they all work in different ways. Each site gives brides a chance to type/talk to someone on the other side of the computer/phone about what vendors they need to book. The sites then take information from the bride about what they need, what their budget is, etc. and turn around recommendations from the vendors that are advertising on their site. While one of these sites (currently) recommends venues from their database and not other vendors, the other two have virtual assistants which are able to recommend more. Again, this is essentially a stronger filter system where the website is offering a watered-down version of a service that a wedding planner would provide. In fact, one of the sites offers this service because, they say, that only 16% of all brides hire a wedding planner due to expense. Which translates to them offering a knock-off or Canal Street version of a planner that is more affordable, but tearing at the seams. One of the main differences here is that it's a mystery whom you're speaking/typing to on the other side. I wonder how a bride could feel confident in these recommendations she is receiving, when she can't even vet the person that is making these recommendations. Advertisement Let me shake your confidence a little more. On top of not knowing the background of the person recommending venues and vendors for your one and only wedding day, how do you know anything about these vendors? Why are they being recommended to you? If it's just a matter of narrowing down your budget and location, there are already filters in place on these sites. If it's about your style, guest count and other particulars, there are filters for that too. So what gets one vendor recommended to you over the other? Money. In addition to the advertising fees that venues and vendors pay to list themselves on these sites, there is now an additional fee being charged to essentially be on a "preferred" list for two of these sites (and I'm sure the third will catch up). While this is common practice for many venues that offer a preferred vendor list, it is not very likely that the venue would put themselves in jeopardy by recommending vendors that aren't up to their or their clients' standards. Plus, the venue is actually involved in the wedding world, while the concierge could be anyone. You are now given a list of venues and/or vendors from these sites that meet your requirements. Two of the sites offer this service at no cost to you, while one of them charges a $49 fee to "unlock" the package of recommendations. Now a bride can pay for a filter system that she could've gotten for free. Neat. One problem with these recommendations is that you may miss out on the perfect venue or vendor because they don't want to pour more advertising dollars on top of what they already pay just to show up on a "list". If you do go with these recommendations, their pricing might be steeper than you think because they now have extra overhead costs to cover. One of the sites charges vendors $99 per month to be included on the list in addition to their current advertising fees. My biggest issue with this, however, is that trust is essential in the wedding planning process. You have to be able to trust everyone you are hiring. As a wedding planner, I do not take commission from the vendors that I recommend, and this is because I want my clients to know that I trust them. Kickbacks are for politicians and apparently now wedding websites. Advertisement So how are these websites vetting these recommendations? I asked that of one of the sites before I pulled my listing from them. The answer? Reviews. Yes. Reviews. Online reviews that can be written by anyone anywhere. The more 5 star reviews that a vendor has, the more likely they are to be recommended as someone that the couple can trust. While I agree that reviews can be helpful, to use them as a measurement of trust, is ludicrous. How do you know who wrote the review? What about all of those good reviews that never got written because people are more likely to write a bad review before taking the time to write a good one? Trust is not something that can be measured by analytics, statistics and stars. It is a real, tangible thing. Another sticky issue about reviews being used as a litmus test is that if a vendor just joined the website, there is no possible way for them to have the amount of reviews it would take to be recommended. The vendor could be a major player in the industry with fantastic testimonials available on other sites including their own, but if they just started advertising with a site that includes a concierge program, they will have fewer (if any) reviews available there. This puts pressure on vendors to have fake reviews written and meet the quota needed to be considered "qualified" and "trustworthy". There is also the obviously irritating issue of how these sites take advertising dollars from planners and then attempt to step in and do their jobs. While they will all say they are not replacing planners, they are leading brides down the rabbit hole and into a land where now the biggest day of their lives can be planned with an app. It is discouraging, to say the least, to see wedding websites contribute to the bad information that brides receive on a daily basis. Wedding planning is a full time job, which is why so many couples turn to a planner to do the heavy lifting. Just as it turns my stomach when a planner takes a kickback from the vendors she recommends, I am equally if not more so disgusted by this practice being implemented on wedding websites. It is considered to be one of the most important days of someone's life, and to offer a service where it is basically the blind leading the blind with the motivation being money, is unethical and immoral. Advertisement At the very least, these websites should be honest with their brides and tell them that every recommendation made is essentially a paid sponsor. It is a flawed system when a website takes advertising dollars from planners and then intercepts each bride/potential client from the landing page to offer up vendors that they know nothing about. How in the world is some random person in Nevada working on a wedding website going to tell a bride in Kentucky who the best photographer is to shoot her wedding? Just like a planner should be upfront about how they recommend their vendors, these websites have a responsibility to own up to the fact that money is the motivator, not the happiness of the couple. They should tell these brides all about the people hiding being the computer and give information about the members of their concierge team. The bios of the "pocket planners" should be more substantive than their match.com profiles and favorite quotes from some cliche wedding movie. You want to make me and other planners believe that you aren't trying to be an app to replace our services? Years ago when I travelled to Egypt, I checked into a resort in Sharm El-Sheikh with my boyfriend at the time and we had such an awful experience that we were forced to take our bags and find another place to stay. We weren't welcome and they didn't want to give us a double bed despite straight couples being offered them without incidence. Yes, it's Egypt. Yes it's not necessarily the most gay-friendly country on earth, but did I deserve to be treated that way? Absolutely not. We were spending our hard earned money and a result helping a local economy that relies on tourism. An economy now decimated and looking for new revenue streams to help it following a string of terror attacks. As an ITV journalist, I was fortunate enough to travel to some incredible places on the job and see everything from desperation and poverty to glitz, glamour and gluttony. Travel broadens the mind, there's no doubt about that and as a gay man I want to be able to travel to the four corners of the globe, without feeling limited, restricted or shameful of who I am. It was with this in mind that I set up my company. I wanted to enable the LGBT community to travel to wherever they want, whenever they want in the safest possible way. We're not stupid, we know there are cultural sensitivities that mean holding hands or public displays of affection aren't always going to be welcomed, but that certainly doesn't mean I should feel that I can't visit a country because of who I am. Advertisement A recent survey we conducted with Attitude Magazine showed that 61% of LGBT travellers wouldn't visit a destination where it's illegal to be gay, but that 60% wanted to be able to do so safely. I'm aware of the argument many make that supporting countries where it's illegal to be gay is foolish. The argument goes that we shouldn't be pumping money into their economies when they are treating their citizens abhorrently. I agree with the sentiment. But unfortunately the world isn't that black and white. I am not singlehandedly going to change the world, but I definitely want to see as much of it as possible to not only broaden my mind, but broaden the minds of others. We all have a responsibility to support, educate and learn from each other. Now I'm not suggesting that we all start visiting Zimbabwe or Syria, but I'm not ashamed to say that I would happily travel to places like the Maldives or the Caribbean if it meant I was broadening my mind. I even know of a hotel in Jamaica that is run by a gay man which I wouldn't hesitate to visit. The point is, there are gems out there. There are gems that I'm determined to uncover and enable LGBT people to travel to. I've had vitriolic emails from some who suggest I'm endangering the lives of people by enabling them to travel to places where it's illegal to be gay. When I say vitriolic, I mean direct threats. That's fine. I can handle an email, but if I were to sit down with the person in question I would answer and defend what I'm trying to achieve wholeheartedly and would hope to convince them that where we're trying to get to is freedom for the LGBT community to be able to travel to almost anywhere on earth armed with the knowledge they need to have the safest and most enjoyable time possible. I bet you if we were to talk it out, we'd realise we're both singing from the same hymn sheet and what we are both striving for is equality worldwide. Advertisement Twitter has come under fire for censorship since it announced its new Trust & Safety Council last month. For those familiar with George Orwell's 1984, the name of this committee may call to mind the prescient novel's Ministry of Truth, which in the book was charged with rewriting history to best serve the government's interests. Twitter's Trust & Safety Council was created, according to the company, "to ensure people can continue to express themselves freely and safely on Twitter." Members of the council include organizations such as Anti-Bullying Pro and Feminist Frequency. The values of these organizations align with my personal values, and it has to be said that the council has a clear liberal slant. I learned years ago that I learn the most from people who are not like me; they push my buttons, but they also force my mind open while at the same time making me sharpen my words and the opinions behind them. As an example from years ago, after seeing Ann Coulter as a regular panelist on Bill Maher's television shows years ago, I signed up to receive her newsletters to learn how she argued her opinions. Shortly thereafter, she sent a Thanksgiving newsletter arguing why Muslims are not welcome in this country and why they should be forced out. This was sometime during the George W. Bush administration, and the first real anti-Muslim sentiment I had ever read, and I immediately unsubscribed, disturbed by Coulter's words and ashamed of myself for having been curious to learn more about her. I had hoped that part of her public persona was an act, as she often laughs at the preposterousness of her own arguments while making them. I thought she might have greater nuance, but it turned out she doesn't; the lesson, then, was that vitriol and hatred toward people of different cultures is real and a potential threat in this country. Today, I'm convinced that electing a black President of the United States has had the effect of baiting hatred, drawing hidden and quiet bigots out of their hiding places and into the streets for rallies. Donald Trump of course has appealed to these people, evidently gambling his campaign on his hope that there are more bigoted, prejudiced, misogynistic and xenophobic American voters who are hungry for violence than progressive, accepting peace-loving ones. Bernie Sanders is betting on the opposite. Hillary Clinton's seemingly safer bet is rooted in political tradition: turn public poll results into personal talking points--if the majority is against same-sex marriage, then so am I; if the majority is for it, then the time has come to support it. Advertisement Which brings us back to social media. In a Politico op-ed called "How Social Media is Ruining Politics," Nicholas Carr writes that "if Sanders is a king [of social media], Trump is a god. A natural-born troll, adept at issuing inflammatory bulletins at opportune moments, he's the first candidate optimized for the Google News algorithm." The prospect of Donald Trump as the leader of this country terrifies me. It's enough to make me read some of his supporters' words to understand where they are coming from--because I don't want to be blindsided should this nation elect someone who has effectively promised to award himself the powers of a dictator should he land in the White House (which I'd expect him to have plated with 24-karat gold). One of Trump's most unabashed supporters is Milo Yiannopoulos, a writer for ultra-conservative outlet Breitbart, who is a living contradiction in terms: he's flamboyantly, proudly gay but has said if he weren't, he would be a great homophobe. He's British, but writes and speaks primarily about U.S. politics, cartoonishly supporting Donald Trump, whom he calls "Daddy." Many of his tweets would challenge even Coulter not to blush -- particularly those he deems anti-feminist -- but in interviews supports social and political equality of the sexes and clarifies that his resentment is against what he believes to be a certain type of new-wave, man-hating feminist common to the Millennial generation. Yiannopoulos calls himself "the most fabulous supervillain on the Internet," and once I began to follow him with disdain I quickly realized he is mostly in on the ridiculousness of his public persona, a kind of living performance art made to challenge those on both the left and the right who believe their chosen side is the correct one, usually without thinking at all about what their side represents. He is, it turns out, what I wrongly suspected years ago Coulter might be: consciously or unconsciously subversive and self-contradictory. I don't agree with most of what he writes, but a growing number of people do and that makes him worth following; I do appreciate his challenging, however confused and confusing, of pre-programmed political beliefs. Advertisement Despite Twitter's conspicuous political bias, users still have the freedom to terrify. Yiannopoulos resents the suggestion that all women are vulnerable to violence from men, and often alleges that college sexual assault estimates are inflated. He resents what one might call victim culture; yet, at the same time, he appears to feel genuinely victimized by Twitter and its Trust & Safety Council. Once upon a time, Yiannopoulos was awarded -- through its subjective and opaque internal process -- a coveted blue check mark by Twitter: this "verified" status is given to select people of influence, not at their request but at Twitter's own silent discretion. And then just as unexpectedly as Yiannopoulos was given the blue check mark, he was unceremoniously stripped of it because his statements -- including, famously, a poll asking whether people would "rather your child have feminism or cancer" -- don't align with Twitter's values. Yiannopoulos since has begun bashing Twitter for victimizing him by taking away his blue checkmark; sometimes it feels as if his woe-is-me act is a hyperbolic joke (particularly when weighing its superficiality against a concern as potentially devastating as sexual assault), but there's no denying the man genuinely feels that his right to free speech has been violated by Twitter. While in Washington, D.C. for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Yiannopoulos was admitted to a White House press briefing and then called on by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, whom he asked "is there anything the president can do to encourage Silicon Valley, to remind them of the importance, the critical importance, of open free speech in our society?" Advertisement The whole setup is striking: a conservative opinion writer from the United Kingdom who supports Donald Trump -- a political candidate with fascist tendencies -- made an appeal to an American president who some conservatives believe is a too-authoritative "socialist" to exert influence, if not actual governmental control, over a private company's actions. Whether this was simply an attention-grabbing tactic by Yiannopoulos or a true appeal to federal powers, the reversal of roles -- a conservative asking a liberal to force a private company's hand -- is truly Orwellian, as it confuses widely accepted understanding of what "conservative" (limited government for the good of the people) and "liberal" (greater government authority for the good of the public) people believe they stand for. In a Newspeak world in which "truth" means "fiction, "peace" means "war" and "love" means "hate," it's impossible to discriminate the ideals of conservatives versus liberals. Twitter, the company behind the tweets, for a long time felt invisible to me even while using the service: tweets flowed without any obvious editorial control. Recently, though, Twitter's wizard-behind-the-curtain has made itself known, for example, by pushing annoying weekly messages about The Bachelor to my phone. I've never watched The Bachelor, almost certainly never will, and the ABC network must have paid a small fortune to Twitter to violate my space with conspicuous promotions for a reality show that, frankly, still creeps me out after 20 seasons. if twitter sends me one more push notification about the bachelor, we may need to break up Rebecca (@rsam______) January 5, 2016 But Twitter is a private company and doesn't purport to be editorially journalistic, and so I don't expect unbiased governance and practices from it. Advertisement A greater concern to me is Facebook, which as a private company also can't be expected (or trusted) to be unbiased, but which also has inarguably committed unethical actions against its unwitting users, authorizing a social experiment in which its users' emotions were manipulated and documented without their consent. Since that time, Facebook has installed a "trending" sidebar that can't be hidden or removed, and which alternatively places (sponsored?) news stories about Kardashians and Justin Bieber alongside often violent and tragic headlines that unquestionably affect Facebook users' moods. Given its prior actions, we have no reason to believe given Facebook's prior human experimentation that these headlines, forced into our lines of vision, are not selectively placed to manipulate our hearts and minds. Twitter isn't innocent in this regard, either; it has been selectively "shadowbanning" certain account holders by stealthily and silently unfollowing certain users. I heard about this and then learned about it firsthand, as my account unfollowed Yiannopoulos's without my consent and without Twitter informing me. This is less egregious a violation than Facebook's mind control (Don't fool yourself into thinking that's not what it is.), but still an undeniably Orwellian act that presupposes it knows better about my own "trust and safety" than I do. Yet, I can't allow myself to feel violated: if I found out my government did this to me, as a Trump government likely would, I would be running across the border for my life. I have every expectation that a privately held Internet technology company will exploit any and all resources -- including influencing my thoughts and behaviors when possible -- to drive its private agenda. Let's not fool ourselves any longer. Thirty years ago, the Internet was a frontier that may have had as great an effect on open information dissemination as the invention of the printing press did in the middle ages. But over the decades, as the world has plugged in, companies have collected enough user data to learn how to drive our thoughts, feelings, and political opinions, and to believe in the unbiased nature of profit-driven social media companies is to give over willingly to propaganda. Orwell cautioned his readers about this wave of the future, but what he didn't foresee was that thoughtcrimes would be policed not only by governments, but by private corporations, and that these same companies would be charged with the curating of current-event narratives. We all understand that Rupert Murdoch's political and financial interests influence his news outlets' reporting, and learning not to rely on these news outlets for unbiased reporting took some time. It's time to catch up with reality and stop believing that what we see online is uncensored. The good news is that we can still seek out and multifaceted opinions and make our own informed decisions with information available to us on the Internet (for now); we just shouldn't expect any single social media outlet to carry out critical thinking for us. FILE - In this Thursday Dec. 9, 2010 file photo, Syria President Bashar al-Assad addresses reporters following his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France. Paris prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into French government accusations that Syrian President Bashar Assad's government has committed crimes against humanity. The prosecutor's office said Wednesday the investigation is based on photos taken by a former Syrian officer who fled in 2013 and focuses on atrocities allegedly committed between 2011 and 2013. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File) On December 23, a paramedic with the civil defense, or White Helmets, was killed by Syrian government shelling while aiding the wounded in al Nashabiya, a small town in besieged Eastern Ghouta, in the Damascus suburbs. Three others were killed and 13 injured during that assault. Nine months earlier, just a few miles away, journalist Noureddine Hashim was photographing first responders picking through the rubble from a Syrian government air raid in Arbin, east of Damascus, when President Bashar al-Assad's forces unleashed a second attack. The 21-year-old correspondent for Al Etihad Press was killed, along with at least 10 other civilians. Advertisement It is no coincidence that this medic and this reporter were on the front lines. Many health professionals and journalists have given their lives saving others or documenting the horrors of conflict for the wider world. In doing so they are supposed to enjoy a protected status on the battlefield. But in Syria, where the crisis marked its fifth year this month, health workers and journalists are deliberately targeted. The special protections afforded to medical staff and facilities are flouted with impunity. Journalists are spies to be shot or kidnapped for ransom or gruesome propaganda videos. Doctors are regularly attacked and their work places systematically targeted. These attacks especially alarm us at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), as they undermine international legal and human rights protections for journalists and health workers in dangerous environments. Targeting them also means multiplying the war's ghastly effects, whether that is compromising civilians' access to lifesaving health care or to critical information. All civilians, including journalists, are shielded against direct attack under international humanitarian laws, or the laws of war. In addition to these blanket protections awarded to all civilians, medical professionals, facilities, and aid providers receive additional special protections - a reflection of how vital these services are. The continuous, deliberate attacks against them cross the lines set by the Geneva Conventions and constitute war crimes. Advertisement Syria is a dangerous place for everyone. An estimated 400,000 people have died as a direct result of the conflict, not to mention the tens or even hundreds of thousands who have died from lack of access to health care, malnutrition, or in desperate attempts to reach safety. Last month, at least 45 people were killed and dozens wounded when at least four hospitals and a school were attacked in northern Syria. Reporters, photographers, and other journalists give us a window into Syria, exposing or confirming atrocities such as chemical weapons attacks and the barrel-bombing of civilians. Doctors, nurses, and other health professionals are often the first to witness the horrific injuries and effects of the war. They save lives and treat the sick and wounded regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation. In Syria's opposition-controlled areas, the government targets them in order to make life unbearable for anyone living outside its control. The Syrian government is overwhelmingly responsible for the deliberate attacks on medical facilities - 2015 was the worst year on record for these assaults, with at least 112 facilities attacked. PHR has documented attacks on medical care for 30 years, but the scale and brutality of the attacks on Syrian medical facilities and health professionals is unparalleled. More than 700 medical personnel in Syria have been killed over the last five years. The doctors who have risked their lives to remain there have been decimated by Assad's forces, which consider it a crime punishable by death to provide medical treatment to "the other side." At least 93 journalists have been killed since the conflict began, 12 of them specifically targeted because they were journalists. While the spate of journalist abductions has dipped from the high seen in 2013, some 25 journalists - including six from Western countries - are missing. The drop in kidnappings is attributable in part to the fact that Syria is just too dangerous, and fewer foreign journalists are going there. Even when journalists flee into exile they are not safe. Three courageous reporters who defied ISIS and tried to report independently on life inside the Islamic State were hunted down in neighboring Turkey and brutally murdered in separate attacks. When those who expose wrongdoing and treat the vulnerable become the enemy, we can be sure that tyranny and cruelty are at work. All sides must agree on one basic principle: international law must be upheld. Noncombatants - including doctors and journalists - must be protected. Advertisement The Americans, the acclaimed FX television series, focuses on the exploits and family drama of two Soviet spies, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, living in Washington during the Reagan years, passing as a native-born suburban couple with two kids, who run a travel agency. The white knuckle serial, which recently began its fourth season, breaks new ground for an American television production. It not only humanizes "enemy" spies, but empathizes with them in their endeavors, some of which involve killing innocent people. Viewer "complicity" with the duo probably leads to guilty feelings exceeding those experienced watching television's most honored anti-heroes: Tony Soprano and Walter White. The Mafia has been romanticized since The Godfather and Walter's actions, because we don't see the effects of meth on its users, usually involve self-defense against far worse predators. Moreover, his stated motives weirdly serve, family values: making money for his wife and children's survival after his expected demise from lung cancer. But, very few, even on the progressive side of the political spectrum, have rooted for the Soviet Union since at least Khrushchev's 1956 speech describing Stalin's crimes or the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia. A repressive regime, somewhere between authoritarianism and totalitarianism, which colonized Eastern Europe and created a low standard of living at home, does not get ardent fans. Advertisement I suspect, however, Elizabeth and Philip are not embraced for their ideology, but despite it. They care about each other and their kids and have communication issues many can relate to. I like them for that as well, but, I must admit, also because of their foreign policy allegiances. However unappetizing domestic life inside the Soviet Union was, and its creation of repressive puppet regimes in Eastern Europe, it generally supporting the good (or better) side in civil wars, and international conflicts, compared to their American counterparts. Take the Spanish Civil War. The USSR did some nasty stuff against their allies on the Republican side, but Franco was the greater evil. No other western government, including ours under FDR, was doing anything to support the anti-Franco forces, while Hitler was actively aiding him. Speaking of Hitler, the USSR basically won the war in Europe, inflicting 88 percent of German military casualties. Without Stalin's refusal to surrender in his own "Churchillian" moment at Stalingrad, the war would likely have been lost. Comparing Stalin to Churchill might seem sacrilegious, but Churchill, like Stalin, was disreputable in many other aspects of his career. He supported the fire bombings of German civilians in Dresden and the use of deadly mustard against Kurds and Arabs in Mesopotamia in 1920, which might easily be viewed as war crimes, He was an unrepentant white supremacist and imperialist. What about Korea? Korea was a Vietnam prequel. We backed a tyrant, Syngman Rhee, who was supported by an array of local politicians who, unlike Rhee, who sat out the war against Japan in the U.S., were colonial collaborators with Japan during the war. But, this ignores the crazies from the North, backed by Stalin. In that period, the craziness hadn't materialized and it is mistake to look at North Korea in the past 25 years, assuming its history until then was identical. Kim Il Sung fought the Japanese, which colonized Korea in 1910, brutalizing it ever since. He was no Ho Chi Minh, but a legitimate nationalist resistance hero. Advertisement The North Korean economy was superior to that in the south before the 80s. It was not until the famine of the early 90s when regime insanity took over. Moreover, today's vibrant South Korean democracy didn't emerge until the 1987 mass protests against their military dictatorship, which had ruled from the early 60s. It was a vicious regime, probably not much different from what was going on in the north then. The Vietnam War? The North Vietnamese and NLF were hardly choir boys, but were genuine nationalists with a mass support, unlike our corrupt and repressive South Vietnamese allies. Our many My Lai-style massacres, the use of chemicals weapons like Agent Orange and napalm, and indiscriminate bombing produced mass death and destruction which were the consequence of a misguided belief that the US could not accede to Vietnamese independence under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, despite acknowledgment he would easily win a fair election. What else? The U.S. supported the Shah of Iran, the apartheid regime in South Africa, Mobutu in the Congo, Pinochet in Chile, the Duvaliers in Haiti, Suharto and even Pol Pot, among others. We helped send Mandela to jail for 27 years and played a role in the Congo's Patrice Lumumba's death. The Soviets were on the other side. They also supported movements in South America that fought against the dictators we embraced in our hemispheric version of Eastern Europe. What is the difference between the Monroe Doctrine and the Soviet's tortured rationalizations for their empire? It's hard to make the case our actions were more noble simply because we said so. When Communists came to power they were more or less uniformly awful. But, thankfully few ever got into power. The groups we supported to prevent that were arguably worse...many more deaths on their records. Pol Pot and Suharto in Indonesia were the mass killing champs. So, when I watched Philip and Elizabeth trying to liquidate a notorious pro-apartheid operative seeking to discredit an anti-apartheid student group in the U.S., or manipulating some Jihadists into killing each other, I'm pleased. Advertisement Philip and Elizabeth kill innocents to protect themselves from discovery. Stan, the FBI good guy, has killed an innocent too: a case of mistaken identity. One can overlook it, because he believed the person had killed a fellow FBI buddy. But, the Russian spies do their killing because they are undercover in an alien territory and fear discovery. Stan is home, not hiding who he is. It's hard to believe there aren't US undercover agents in countries around the world who haven't killed innocent people who might reveal their identities. Earlier this year, the Obama administration launched the National Action Plan for Combating Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The nation's top public health officials--including the directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Global Health Bureau and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy--each gave speeches urging swift action. MDR-TB can't compete for headlines with the likes of Ebola or the Zika virus. But it is a crisis. Patients often spend months in mandatory isolation. They're given large quantities of antibiotics, with side effects including permanent deafness, liver and kidney damage, depression and psychosis. Without this treatment, people typically suffer a long and debilitating illness before dying. Advertisement TB is airborne, and any person sick with it is able to transmit the infection until they access effective treatment. About 480,000 people worldwide contracted MDR-TB in 2014. Three quarters of them never received a diagnosis, let alone treatment. It doesn't take a health expert to see that addressing MDR-TB is one of the most important health security objectives of the Obama presidency. And that is why it's flabbergasting that President Obama has recently asked Congress to gut the primary program executing the MDR-TB action plan. Mr. Obama's FY2017 budget request cuts support for the US Agency for International Development's TB team by $45 million--a 19 percent reduction from last year. This can't stand. Congress should reject the President's proposal and fully fund the fight against TB and its drug-resistant forms. Advertisement Mr. Obama's budget calculus would be different if the fight against TB were already adequately funded--but it's not. TB kills more people around the world each year than any other contagious disease. Yet for FY2017, Mr. Obama has requested $191 million for TB--compared with $745 for malaria and $4.3 billion for HIV and AIDS, two other important global health challenges. It's exactly this half-cocked response to TB, on an international scale, which has allowed drug-resistance to become a problem in the first place. If not treated properly, standard TB readily develops into a drug-resistant form that can spread to others. Millions of patients have received inadequate treatment for normal, eminently curable TB, and now drug-resistant TB is epidemic globally. Mr. Obama's request is unwise for several reasons. First, it will enable human tragedy. Second, it's bad economic policy, since MDR-TB is vastly more expensive to treat than standard TB. Suffering from an advanced form of drug-resistant TB in the United States leads to, by far, the highest hospital costs of any medical condition. Congress will now decide whether to restore funding for TB. But even if Congress reverses Obama's cut and keeps the TB program's budget flat for another year, it will still leave the action plan a largely unfunded mandate. Advertisement It is time to look for leadership beyond Mr. Obama. So far, none of this year's presidential candidates have issued a proposal for keeping the public safe from dangerous outbreaks and epidemics like MDR-TB. Presidential leadership is vital to stopping the spread of MDR-TB. In the 1990s, my first assignment as a health officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was to lead the response to an MDR-TB epidemic in New York City, which emerged after Congress had eliminated domestic TB funding from the federal budget. People died, many of the city's residents were in a panic, and the epidemic-response costs topped $1 billion--far more than it would have cost to prevent it in the first place. Just today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data showing that for the first time in 23 years, TB is on the rise again in the US. This development follows years in which Congress has failed to appropriate the full funding they themselves have authorized for domestic TB prevention and treatment. To be sure, Congress is balancing many different funding priorities and looking to trim the budget where it can. But it should be a bipartisan priority to safeguard the public health by preventing the spread of a deadly airborne disease. Congress must fully fund the fight against TB and MDR-TB, while we look ahead to leadership from a new president who will hopefully give this disease the priority it demands. Advertisement Today on World TB Day - more than a century after the scientific discovery of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB), TB continues to be one of the world's most deadly infectious diseases and among the leading causes of death worldwide. That TB is preventable and virtually curable makes this all the more unacceptable. The numbers tell a tragic story. An astonishing 2 billion people - that's one third of the world's population - are infected with TB with nearly 10 million active cases occurring each year. At least a third of active cases go undiagnosed every year, which means millions of individuals continue to transmit the infection, become ill, risk disease progression and even death. In fact, TB claims 1.5 million lives every year. The global health community has called for an End to TB by 2035. But turning the tide worldwide on this deadly disease will require greater political will and investments from all corners of the global public health community. Advertisement Here at CDC, our mandate is to protect Americans 24/7 from public health threats at home and abroad. Recent public health crises such as Ebola and Zika drive home the fact that, in this interconnected world, infectious disease knows no borders. TB is an airborne disease that can spread from person to person regardless of borders or nationalities. The reality is that TB anywhere is TB everywhere. CDC's domestic TB control efforts have long acknowledged that, if we are to be effective, this disease must be fought on two fronts - both at home and abroad. CDC is working side by side with ministries of health to find, cure, and prevent TB worldwide, through a combination of on-the-ground interventions in more than 25 countries. Our efforts are focused on reducing TB, including multi-drug resistant TB, especially among those who are most vulnerable such as people living with HIV, children and those battling chronic diseases like diabetes. We have long recognized that eliminating TB in the United States, requires that we pair our efforts domestically with redoubled efforts to combat TB in the highest burden countries. CDC is also driving innovation to end TB as a global public health threat - conducting leading-edge research to optimize new tools for diagnosing TB, developing new treatment regimens for TB and drug-resistant TB worldwide and establishing best practices to end TB transmission in health care facilities. Our efforts to combat TB happen every day through the efforts of leading global experts like Dr. Peter Cegielski in our Division of Global HIV and TB whose groundbreaking research on the prevention and treatment of TB and drug-resistant TB is laying the foundation for the next wave of TB control strategies. Our goal is to find innovative solutions to the most intractable challenges facing TB and MDR TB. For example, in India, we are equipping local disease detectives with the epidemiological and public health tools to help create solutions tailored to their local epidemics. In Haiti, we are working with partners to scale-up access to critical services for those co-infected with HIV and TB. And in Nigeria, we are working alongside the Ministry of Health to arm frontline healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills they need to stop TB in its tracks. Advertisement But CDC - or any other single institution - can't do it alone. It will take us all - civil society, the private sector, government and international partners - working together to Unite to End TB. CDC is proud to have a lead technical role in the President's National Action Plan for Combating MDR TB, and is working through the Global Health Security Agenda with ministries of health, multilateral agencies and the private sector to stop this deadly disease. We're also leveraging our strong partnerships and experience in the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to tackle HIV and TB together to have the greatest impact. Ultimately TB is a global problem and as a global community we have achieved remarkable progress over the past 15 years - saving more than 43 million lives since 2000. But we urgently need to do even more. It's critical that we continue to use every strategy and tool currently at our disposal and also move to develop new prevention and treatment measures: better, faster diagnostics; shorter, less toxic, more effective treatment options; and an effective vaccine - to stop the spread of all forms of TB. If we are to see an end to TB in our lifetime, we must continue to work together to fight this epidemic on multiple fronts, and stop the suffering associated with this deadly disease, here at home - and around the world. To learn more about CDC's on-the-ground efforts to fight TB around the world, visit the Global TB Web site. Advertisement Selective focus image of the United States Constitution with quill pen, glasses and candle holder The nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court has stimulated a number of important debates about the future of the Court and about judicial philosophy. Among those debates: Just what does it mean for a judge to be "restrained," and is "judicial restraint" a virtue or a vice? In a recent Washington Post column, George Will contended that Judge Garland's willingness to defer to assertions of regulatory power by executive agencies administering federal statutes evinces a commitment to "judicial restraint." Ed Whelan (at Bench Memos) and Greg Weiner (at the Library of Law & Liberty) have responded critically, arguing that Will's failure to distinguish between deference to executive agencies and deference to Congress reveals a misunderstanding of judicial restraint. According to Whelan and Weiner, judicial restraint is indeed a virtue, but it does not counsel in favor of deference to the executive branch in this context. Deference to the executive and deference to the legislative branches of government are (in Weiner's words) "neither legally nor politically equivalent." Congress is a deliberative body; the executive is merely supposed to "execute that on which the legislature has already deliberated." Judicial deference to Congress follows from the legislature's deliberative nature; judicial deference to the executive "elevates dictation above deliberation" and results in the "mere denigration of judges." Thus, a properly restrained judge will defer to congressional deliberations; he or she will not defer to executive fiat. Advertisement Whelan and Weiner are right to criticize judicial deference to executive agencies. But their critique is incomplete. Judicial deference to Congress is no less constitutionally problematic than deference to executive agencies. Judicial deference of any kind sees judges elevating will over the reasoned judgment that judges who draw their power from Article III must exercise. It is thus unsurprising that judicial deference to the legislative branch has helped give rise to what Justice Clarence Thomas has described as an "administrative apparatus that finds no comfortable home in our constitutional structure." It is often--and accurately--said that the Constitution establishes an independent judiciary. The nature of that independence is not often explained. As Professor Phillip Hamburger has shown, judicial independence consists not only in life tenure and fixed salaries but independent judgment. Independent judgment entails--among other things--impartiality. Those who wield the "[t]he judicial Power" have a constitutional responsibility to decide cases and controversies impartially, in accordance with "the supreme Law of the Land." Systematic deference to government officials' supposedly careful deliberations is incompatible with the judicial duty of impartiality. It is thus a breach of the trust that We the People place in the judiciary to ensure that our servants in the legislative and executive branches adhere to constitutional limits on government power. It sees judges abdicating their Article III duties; it also deprives individuals of the "due process of law" guaranteed by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, both of which are properly understood to incorporate a duty of judicial impartiality. (As the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized.) Such judicial deference has facilitated the emergence of an administrative state that cannot plausibly be squared with Article I's express statement that "[a]ll legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress" (emphasis added) and its careful delineation of a limited set of legislative powers. Consider the development of the judicial doctrine of "Chevron deference," named for the 1984 decision in which it was articulated. In Chevron USA Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 US 837 (1984), the Court held that courts should defer to interpretations of congressional statutes when agencies write and enforce regulations pursuant to the statutes unless those interpretations are "unreasonable"--regulations that have the force of law. As Weiner notes, Chevron has contributed to a status quo in which executive agencies, as a matter of course, legislate, adjudicate, and execute the law--an accumulation of power that James Madison once described as "the very definition of tyranny." But Chevron deference was championed by none other than Justice Antonin Scalia on the grounds that in deferring to administrative agencies' interpretations of ambiguous federal laws, judges are actually deferring to Congress, which can be presumed to have "inten[ded] to confer discretion upon the agenc[ies]." Thus did Justice Scalia distinguish between deference to agency's interpretations of their own regulations and deference to agency's interpretations of congressional statutes, ultimately rejecting the former but arguably doing more than any justice to entrench the latter. (To his credit, he eventually expressed some misgivings about Chevron as well, having seen what it has wrought.) That is to say, Chevron is a product of the judicial restraint that Whelan and Weiner defend, and it was defended on the basis of the very distinction that they draw. Advertisement Advocates of constitutionally limited government must therefore reject judicial restraint in favor of consistent judicial engagement. Judges should never defer to the mere will of government officials when those officials' actions are challenged in court. Every exercise in statutory interpretation should be wholly focused on ascertaining the meaning of the law that Congress actually enacted, not what legislators currently believe the law means or wish it meant. Agency's interpretations of their own rules should likewise receive no deference. In constitutional cases, Congress, which has no power that it does not draw from the Constitution, must be made to affirmatively justify its actions with reference to an express grant of power in Article I. Congress must demonstrate the constitutionality of its means and ends with reliable evidence. In the final analysis, judges cannot be "restrained" without unconstitutionally abdicating their duty to judge. It is in substantial part because of judicial abdication that we are ruled by federal fiat in wide areas of life. Whelan and Weiner rightly reject rule by fiat, but their proposed solution is, in fact, part of the problem. Judicial restraint, even as carefully defined by Whelan and Weiner, is no virtue. For more constitutional commentary, tune into the Institute for Justice's Short Circuit podcast, presented by IJ's Center for Judicial Engagement Human trafficking and slavery. Given the realities of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, these are not words to be used lightly. Nonetheless, this is the only way to describe some of the horrific abuses that have been perpetrated in the Asia-Pacific region in recent times. In June 2015, the world watched in horror as footage emerged of death camps deep in the Thai-Malaysian jungle. In these camps, hundreds of some of the world's most unwanted people, the Rohingya ethnic minority from Myanmar, have been held, tortured for ransom and sometimes murdered. Photos of the camps reveal human sized bamboo cages and covered pits. These were likely used for confining migrants, while money was progressively extorted from their families back home. Advertisement The authorities have exhumed hundreds of bodies from these camps, including the body of a heavily pregnant woman. How she died is a mystery but her caved-in skull gives clues. Also discovered were the remains of a man tightly tied to a tree, below the high water mark. This horrendous abuse was uncovered just a few months after news had emerged of another group of men, mostly from Myanmar, who were being kept on an Indonesian island in cages, beaten with stingray tails and paid little or nothing, to fish for a company that occupies the port on the island, Pusaka Benjina Resources. The fish they caught was transhipped to Thailand, and on to international markets. Global consumers are also involved whether they know it or not. The Thai fishing industry -- serviced by a fleet operating across the Asia Pacific -- is one of the largest producers of seafood globally, with major exports to the US, Japan, Australia and UK. These are grim and current realities for which all Governments -- but particularly Governments in the Asia Pacific region -- hold responsibility. Rather than isolated instances, the Global Slavery Index estimates that more than 65% of the world's estimated 35.8 million people in modern slavery are in the Asia Pacific region Advertisement On 23 March 2016, the Bali Process -- a grouping of 45 Governments and 3 international organisations -- took a critical step by adopting its first ever Ministerial Declaration on Human Smuggling and Trafficking. Following strong leadership by Co-Chairs, Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Governments signed onto a Declaration that includes a set of key principles for how they will respond to these issues. Importantly, the Declaration recognises the important role that safe, legal migration pathways have, both in reducing people smuggling but also human trafficking. Given the realities of current global conflicts, displacement and globalization, accessible, low-cost safe migration is critical to breaking reliance on people smugglers. It is also significant that the Declaration recognises the important role that private sector engagement can have in responding to human trafficking and slavery. Businesses can and must play a role in ensuring that seafood caught in our region is not tainted with slavery and other abuses. They can achieve this through risk assessment and targeted due diligence on their suppliers, processes explained in a free Guide for Business on Tackling Slavery in Supply Chains. Without due diligence, consumers have literally no way of knowing if their tinned tuna was produced by slave labour. Governments can and must legislate to create the conditions that require businesses to act responsibly. In 2016, this must include a focus on both requiring corporate due diligence, and prohibiting the import and trade of goods known to be produced with forced or slave labour, a legislative step already taken in the United States. The Bali Process Declaration is a step in the right direction, and engagement with the private sector must be part of the solution. The challenge now is to ensure that political commitment results in meaningful, measureable change: an outcome that must involve an element of independent oversight. Advertisement Every American has an idea of what Japanese food is. Stereotypically, sushi comes to mind, maybe an encounter with tofu or miso, or even perhaps a dinner at one of the various hibachi restaurants in town, where, along with the food, you might also have been singed by the overzealous chef who doused the hot grill with too much oil. But an ever-expanding genre of cookbooks is exploring the idea of traditional Japanese foods at home. We have Nancy Singleton Hachisu to thank for that. Her first attempt at converting us to the Japanese way came in the form of her initial cookbook, Japanese Farm Food, a well-received work, which extolled the virtues of locally sourced produce and organic eating, and received several nods from luminaries Joel Robuchon, Alice Waters, and Patricia Wells. Advertisement "This book is both an intimate portrait of Nancy's life on the farm, and an important work that shows the universality of an authentic food culture." writes Waters, America's own grande dame of slow food. Mrs. Hachisu's latest work, Preserving the Japanese Way, is a simple tome, both in style and in its recipes. I found it often on my bedside, a meditation rather than a read, and placed it under my pillow in hopes that I might dream of my own provincial life in Japan. A colorful idea, and one that our author was guilty of herself, when as a budding student from California she visited Japan and fell in love not only with the country, but also with a native organic farmer. It is to our advantage that Mrs. Hachisu chose to expatriate herself to the rocky terrain of that Asia-Pacific isle in 1988. She escaped just in time to miss the boom of American competitive cooking shows in the '90s and 2000s, which have increasingly threatened the existence of the remaining home cooks the States have left. Advertisement After unleashing the professional kitchen on average viewers, most return to their own rather lethargically, realizing that they have neither the skills nor the accessories to cook what they just watched on television. Our saving grace comes in the preface of Mrs. Hachisu's book, as she cautions us that every dish need not be perfect, but instead home cooks should "not be afraid to try again." Practice is harmless within its pages, and without Gordon Ramsay breathing down your neck, shall I dare say it's...easy? Not uncommon are a plethora of four or five ingredient recipes. Take for example, the chopped vinegared flying fish, which can be made in only minutes after a bit of seasoning with salt, a five minute soaking in vinegar, and a folding-in of squeezed grated daikon. Serve in a small bowl, diced, alongside ginger and added soy sauce, and pair, as the author writes, with sake, "though champagne would also hit the spot." The lengthiest of the second chapter's recipes is a helping of shishito peppers sauteed with miso and ginger. The resulting mixture of brown rice miso, smoky shishito peppers, one dried japones, and slivered ginger, creates an unfussy meal that serves six. Advertisement Try both the flying fish, and the shishito pepper dishes, while waiting for a jar of young shallots to pickle over the next few days in the refrigerator, or as a teapot of brewed green tea steeps for the moment. The shoyu koji, a rice laden marinade used in place of soy sauce, will test the patience of even those most dedicated to the art of Japanese cooking. Plan on setting aside a moment "every day for 1 week to 10 days, depending on the room temperature (warm room, 1 week; cool room, 10 days)," to stir and eventually combine the rice koji and soy sauce into shoyu koji. Scattered among the recipes, are panoramic photographs of Mrs. Hachisu's newfound homeland along with profiles and reminiscences of the country's inhabitants. The snapshots give us an intimate portrait of Japan, and a road map, which allows us to retrace Mrs. Hachisu's footsteps. By book's end, most readers will have long escaped their everyday kitchen, finding it transformed by the exciting new prospect of adding Japanese food to their repertoire. Of all the seniors that Alimamy Barrie has cared for, he was closest to a Korean War veteran and former police officer, who relied on a wheelchair due to injuries from his service. "We became so close, it was like taking care of an older brother," says Alimamy, a home health aide in the New York City borough of Staten Island. "When you are lifting your patient out of bed, bathing them, dressing them and monitoring their vital signs, you know more about their physical and emotional state than their family members and doctors." Alimamy earns only $10 an hour for his critically important work, but he says the rewards go beyond monetary value. Advertisement "We are not just caring for the physical aspect of our patients, we are lifting up their entire existence. We laugh with them, make them happy and protect them from the dark loneliness that a lot of seniors can fall victim to. You need to be filled with kindness to be a homecare worker. It's very tough work, but it is a gift from God." Alimamy and his wife, who is also a homecare worker, face a daily struggle to support themselves and feed their five children. He is 67 years old, not much younger than his clients, but won't be able to retire anytime soon, because his low wages have prevented him from saving money. Poverty pay has forced 56% of New York homecare workers to rely on public assistance, including 30% who are on food stamps. There are tens of thousands of other healthcare workers throughout the state's nursing homes, clinics, hospitals and pharmacies who also make less than $15 and are struggling to survive. Because of the hardships workers like Alimamy face, Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 by the end of 2018 in New York City and by mid-2021 in the rest of the state. More than three million working New Yorkers would get a raise from the $15 minimum wage, or 36% of the workforce. These workers include nurse assistants, childcare workers, airport workers, security guards and even adjunct professors. 95% of New Yorkers who make less than $15 are over the age of 20 and 66% work full-time, according to a recent study. Advertisement Over 200 economists, including seven Nobel Prize winners, have said that raising the minimum wage would be an economic driver for the state. That is why 85 small and large businesses, along with business groups like the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, support Governor Cuomo's proposal. But raising the minimum wage is not just about boosting the economy. At its core, this is about what kind of city, state and country we want to be. The great promise of the American Dream is that if you work hard, contribute productively to society and play by the rules, you will be able to build a better life for you and your children. By raising the minimum wage to $15, New Yorkers can lead our entire nation toward a more just future where hard work is rewarded with fair pay. It is our hope that New York state legislators share this same respect for hard work, and will pass the $15 minimum wage by the end of this month. Since 1979, when Mimi Sheraton's cookbook entitled From My Mother's Kitchen: Recipes and Reminiscences was first published, its readers have embarked on an intimate journey through a lifetime of Jewish cooking. They've traveled back in time to an era when a dish would be ready "when it looks right" and learned the definition of a "golub" of milk ("You hold the bottle upside down and the milk goes golub, golub, golub...."). As Sheraton tried to document the recipes she loved, her mother became so frustrated with the process ("Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?") that she offered Mimi $50 to abandon her work on the cookbook. Those were the days before the invention of the Cuisinart; when many women had no compunctions about cooking without exact measurements. I still remember explaining to a roommate from Possum Trot, Missouri (who thought that all home-made cakes came from Betty Crocker boxes) how my grandmother would make a pile of flour on the kitchen table, use her fist to make a dent in the top, crack open some eggs and pour them into the top of the volcano before producing some kind of cookie dough. While today's chefs experiment with culinary foam and fusion dishes, most people still yearn for certain foods that taste the way their mothers made them. Several years ago, a cooking show on PBS Hawaii entitled Family Ingredients began to explore the favorite dishes of some of the leading chefs working in Hawaiian restaurants. Because the Hawaiian Islands have become a melting pot of cultures from various immigrants, family traditions play a key role in giving a dish that "special taste" that makes it feel authentic. Advertisement As the show's host, Ed Kenney explains: "Whether we're in Hanalei, Wahiawa, Honolulu, Hilo, or Kaunakakai, we find families who continue to keep the tradition alive -- recipes they continue to make that came from an ancestor. While in their kitchen or back yard, we learn about individual characters and family history. We meet the grandmother, the son, and the niece -- the person that has taken the lead of learning how to make the family recipe best -- and we delve into their family albums, listen to their stories, and learn more about who they are by following their recipe to its origin." CAAMFest 2016 featured segments of Family Ingredients that focus on two favorite Hawaiian foods. One (poi) is a staple of Polynesian cultures; the other (pipikaula) is derived from foreign cultures. In one segment, Kenney travels to Waimea, where a local musician, Kuana Torres, demonstrates the art of making pipikaula (salted dried beef). Torres is a direct descendant of the paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) who learned the technique from the Mexican vaqueros who were brought to Hawaii to teach the natives how to raise cattle. After letting the pipikaula bake in a home-made solar dryer, he explains how the meat can also be marinated overnight and then loaded into a cowboy's saddlebag to cook in the sun's heat so that it will be ready to eat by mid afternoon. Advertisement Pipikaula is usually made with flank steak which can easily be cut into strips of meat. Once cured and dried, it can be stored and eaten like string cheese. Later in the segment, Kenney and Torres travel to the mainland. After dining in San Francisco, they visit the remains of an adobe ranch near Sonoma where cattle were once raised under the leadership of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (after whom the city of Vallejo was named). Traveling south to Sonora, Mexico, they visit a female chef who shows them how to make machaca (a form of dried meat which strongly resembles the pipikaula consumed by today's Hawaiians). Sonoran jerky beef prior to being shredded into machaca In the other segment, Kenney discusses the history of poi (which he first tasted from his mother's fingers), shows how it is farmed, and visits a community college where younger cooks are finding new ways to use one of Hawaii's oldest foods (e.g. making hummus with poi or a poi-based flourless chocolate cake that requires no extra sugar). Kenney also describes how today's cooks learned the secrets of working with fermented poi, which might have been valuable as a foodstuff that could be used during long Pacific voyages in outrigger canoes. * * * * * * * * * * The Berkeley Repertory Theatre recently presented the world premiere of an exquisitely poignant new play by Julia Cho. Tenderly directed by Tony Taccone, Aubergine focuses on a Korean-American family whose patriarch (Sab Shimono) is dying. The protagonist, Ray Park (Tim Kang), is a talented cook who has never received the slightest bit of encouragement from his dying father and has recently broken up with his girlfriend, Cornelia (Jennifer Lim). Cornelia (Jennifer Lim) comforts Ray (Tim Kang) in a scene from Aubergine (Photo by: Kevin Berne) With his father being discharged from the hospital to home hospice care, Ray must rely on help from Lucien (Tyrone Mitchell Henderson), an experienced hospice nurse. He also needs Cornelia (who speaks fluent Korean) to help him contact his estranged uncle in Seoul and tell him that his brother is dying. Advertisement This is the rare family drama that lets emotions breathe when nothing is being said, which tracks a young man's conflicting emotions while trying to deal with an uncle who cannot speak English, an embittered lover that he must rely on as an interpreter, and his feelings of hopelessness and helplessness as his father lies, unresponsive, in a hospital bed. A lack of communication among family members is always fertile ground for playwrights but, in Aubergine, the long silences, periods of estrangement, and a history of perceived insults have created the bitter wounds that shaped Ray's character as a child and continue to haunt him as an adult. In her article entitled Tiny Traumas Are Traumatic Too, Anneli Rufus explains that: "Our [psychological] traumas went pretty much unwitnessed by the outside world. They weren't arrestable offenses. They were often tiny, but continuous, and they were all we knew. Our brains developed under those conditions, by those rules. Together and alone, we minimize our trauma to protect our parents: Sacrosanct, that Fifth Commandment. Also to protect ourselves, perversely: If it wasn't trauma, then I wasn't traumatized, so I'm not sick. I'm fine. We minimize our trauma because we think others will. We've seen the eye-roll which means: Compared to that homeless amputee, you have no cause to cry. We want to beat our minimizers (who include us) to the punch. But in so doing, we, the tinily, continually traumatized, retraumatize ourselves, day after day. It's not playing the victim card to say: My suffering is real. I hate it. And I hope it heals. And you're neither a spoiled brat nor a big baby if you say it still hurts." Ray (Tim Kang) tends to his dying father (Sab Shimono) in a scene from Aubergine (Photo by: Kevin Berne) As is so often the case, a family's connection to certain comfort foods acts as a catalyst in Aubergine. The play begins as Diane (Safiya Fredericks) explains that, after her boyfriend inherited substantial wealth, the couple became globe-hopping foodies. Ironically, nothing she has eaten has ever compared to the pastrami sandwiches her father used to make for her. Knowing that his new client's son is a cook, Lucien brings an eggplant (aubergine) to Ray early in the play. He explains that it was his favorite dish in his homeland, something he has never been able to replicate because he cannot find the same variations of eggplant in America. Upon learning that Ray's father is dying, his uncle (beautifully portrayed by Joseph Steven Yang) urges Ray to cook a family recipe for turtle soup that might have curative as well as spiritual powers. Lucien (Tyrone Mitchell Henderson) tastes the eggplant dish that Ray (Tim Kang) has cooked for him in a scene from Aubergine (Photo by: Kevin Berne) Advertisement After Ray's father has died, Lucien comes to visit and is shocked to discover that Ray has baked an eggplant dish for him as a gesture of thanks. What makes the dish so special? After seeking help from his fellow chefs, Ray has managed to find the exact types of eggplant that Lucien described when they first met. At the end of the play, when Cornelia's former co-worker, Diane, drops by the small restaurant that Ray and Cornelia have recently opened, she is shocked to be served the exact type of pastrami sandwich her father used to make for her. Diane (Safiya Fredericks) fantasizes about a pastrami sandwich in a scene from Aubergine (Photo by: Kevin Berne) Undoubtedly a play to fall in love with, Aubergine was developed at The Ground Floor: Berkeley Rep's Center for the Creation and Development of New Work. Special kudos go to scenic designer Wilson Chin, lighting designer Jiyoun Chang, projection designer Aaron Rhyne, and sound designers Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen for creating an environment that always supports (without ever overwhelming) Cho's poignant play. While one might expect the strongest performances to come from Tim Kang (Ray) and Jennifer Lim (Cornelia), the most empathic moments are actually in the hands of Tyrone Mitchell Henderson's caretaker, Lucien, and Joseph Steven Yang (Ray's uncle from Seoul). Throughout the evening, this six-actor ensemble has been lovingly guided by director Tony Taccone. Ray (Tim Kang) seems doubtful when his uncle (Joseph Steven Yang) presents him with a turtle to be used in a special soup in a scene from Aubergine (Photo by: Kevin Berne) Advertisement Cho's play offers audiences the kind of warm satisfaction one gets from an especially fulfilling meal. Here's the trailer: The spiraling hostilities in Indonesia against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people--and the intensity of the assault--over the last several weeks has shocked and appalled people who tend to associate the country with moderate Islam. Put bluntly, people are asking, What the hell is going on in Indonesia? Since January 23, several high level leaders of the Indonesian government, including seven ministers, the commander general of the national Indonesian army, members of parliament, the Indonesian ambassador to Japan, along with religious leaders have publicly condemned LGBT people and demanded actions against them. Advertisement The opponents claim in their public statements that they do not advocate violence against LGBT yet propose coercive tactics to suppress human rights advocacy--one parliamentarian did advocate killing LGBT. The Indonesian National Police has a written policy prohibiting hate speech but frequently fails to enforce its own directive when religious fundamentalist groups disrupt LGBT gatherings or activities. The Police are now requiring any group holding an activity that covers LGBT information to obtain a police permit--purportedly to ensure these activities do not lead to public disorder. In reality, disorder is caused not by groups holding the events but by anti-LGBT opponents. One such activity was a human rights training last month on LGBT access to justice. Members of Front Pembela Islam (Islamic Defenders Front) appeared at the venue and threatened retaliation against the hotel for allowing an LGBT activity on the premises. When police arrived, they demanded a permit although it was a small indoor activity held on private premises by invitation only. Although the police were unable to show which laws were broken by the training organizers, they pressured hotel management to evict training participants. Advertisement Indonesia's National Intelligence Agency has also muscled in. Officers have entered the office of an LGBT organization in the capital city, Jakarta and interrogated staff about the organization's activities. From trusted sources we learn that individual LGBT human rights activists in smaller cities beyond Jakarta are also being sought for questioning by police. In provinces like Aceh and Yogyakarta, individuals are being targeted by anti-LGBT religious groups, sought for interrogation, and spied and reported on by neighbors. This has forced LGBT human rights defenders, especially the more visible and vocal transgender activists to constantly change their places of residence to avoid being tracked. The state's campaign of intimidation and discrimination is not limited to LGBTcommunities. Anyone voicing support for or working on issues related to LGBT rights is being targeted. One journalist said his peers publicly ostracized him and verbally harassed his family members because he stood up for LGBT people's rights. In provinces further from the capital, such as North Sumatera, Yogyakarta and East Kalimantan, I hear that the 2016 campaign of homophobia and transphobia is having a chilling effect on allies, some of whom are taking "a grey position"--being suddenly non-committal on LGBT issues. From Indonesian activists, I hear that it's a moral panic about LGBT rights being given too much attention in what is after all a Muslim country. The moral panic is exacerbated by a knee-jerk conclusion that same sex marriage could be pushed on Indonesian society even though Indonesian activists have not prioritized same sex marriage. They are focused on ending discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in jobs, schools, and in access to health. They are also fighting for better treatment of LGBT people by police, courts and citizenship administration services. Advertisement While not said in so many words, conservative leaders are also raising the fear of divine retribution for defaming Islam. Political, community and religious leaders have coalesced in varying degrees of antagonism towards LGBT people--some believing LGBT persons are not human and therefore have no human rights, some believing they have no place in Indonesian society and must be stopped when they organize to advocate for rights, some believing that LGBT people are damaged beings who need to be cured in order to become acceptable members of society, and some believing that state sovereignty is being threatened by foreigners with the help of western-funded LGBT groups in Indonesia. The moral panic is also linked to the draft law on national security, which provides an excuse to scapegoat LGBT people by framing non-conforming sexual orientation and gender as a potential "soft threat" to national interest and state security. Back in 2015, when I asked LGBT Indonesians who voted for President Jokowi why they still believed in him, I heard that he, unlike his predecessor, opened up spaces for civil society--that people who work for social justice, democracy and human rights could dissent, advocate, organize. That space appears to be shriveling. Advertisement Indonesian human rights activists are fighting this coordinated campaign against LGBT human rights. They have written to the United Nations and to President Jokowi, appealing for interventions. They are negotiating with moderate segments of the Indonesian Parliament and faith leadership to prevent what could easily turn into a nationally orchestrated witchhunt. All of us can show our support and solidarity by: Urging moderate voices of Indonesian government and religious leaders to loudly denounce the surge of hate and condemnation against LGBT communities. Loudly exposing the hypocrisy of government ministers who on one hand say that they dont advocate violence against LGBT people while at the same time portray them as a danger to be eradicated. Demanding that the statements made by government ministers are retracted publicly. Asking your religious and community leaders and your members of parliament to write to Indonesias President Jokowi Widodo, urging him to speak out against the state coordinated campaign of hostility against LGBT persons. If you do business in Indonesia, writing to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce in support of LGBT human rights for Indonesians and protest the wave of hate speech by government representatives. Whizboard Store manager 'Mor Loud' demonstrates the Hoverboard on Broadway in Times Square in New York on December 15, 2015. The hot item on many holiday lists will help you zip around town, the shopping mall and from one end of the workplace to another.These so-called 'hoverboards' or self-balancing electric scooters, are surging in popularity in the first season where they have been available at relatively affordable prices -- as low as $300 for some models. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) This post originally appeared on Fusion. Last spring, as Beckett Delaney was hoverboarding to his office in SoHo, his man bun flailing behind him in the wind, he came to an abrupt halt. "I realized I just couldn't work that day," Delaney recalled recently, in between puffs of an e-cigarette outside the Bushwick Sweetgreen. "Because I hadn't finished binge-watching Master of None." Advertisement Delaney's attitude is typical of his youthful cohort. Millennials -- the demographic group also known as Generation Y, Generation Me, and Daesh -- have found it difficult to balance dueling priorities as they exit their parents' basements and enter the real world. They have stacked up record student loan debt, and yet spend thousands on frivolous items like Beyonce concert tickets and groceries; they yearn for more than just a paycheck, and yet continue to be employed in jobs that provide them with paychecks in return for their labor; and they enjoy watching television and movies, but also Vine. "For me, the most important thing is expressing myself," said Jewel Packard, 24, during an interview conducted via reaction GIFs in the communication app Slack. "Sometimes that means tattoos, and sometimes that means podcasts." Packard, who co-works at a bespoke underwear startup, and whose hobbies include 7 a.m. dance parties and sexting, said that she values her ability to express herself almost as much as she values her parents' Netflix account. Advertisement "When it comes down to it, life is really all about finding a hashtag for yourself and sending hilarious emoji on Venmo," Packard said, and then, after a moment of reflection, added: "Lena Dunham." Beckett Delaney agrees. Delaney lives in the Empire State Building, which his parents bought for him; he often invites fellow millennials, whom he meets on relationship apps, to his bedroom, so that they can kiss. (Occasionally, they copulate.) Not that Delaney is looking to settle down. On the subject of marriage, Delaney, who practices yoga but is also an atheist, echoed an idea that the DJ/Model/Ecoterrorist Callista Larson often repeats to her hundreds of thousands of devoted Instagram followers. "You've gotta ask yourself: Would you downvote the Yik Yak of your own life?" Delaney mused. His mood quickly soured. "Broad City is on," he explained, removing a selfie stick from his man-purse. This devotion to personal expression has presented itself in several outlets for the cosmopolitan millennial, including the $435 "Hamilton"-themed SoulCycle class in Red Hook, and the increasing popularity of Dr. Vanessa Sullivan, a hypnotherapist in Murray Hill who speaks only in references to the 1999 film She's All That. Advertisement Whether millennials can sustain this rosy outlook as they assume corporate leadership roles and settle down with their Tinder wives is less certain. "Millennials haven't proven anything," said Farley Cornmuncher, the 87-year-old Johns Hopkins professor and expert on millennial behavior. "Whether it's their laziness, or their hookup culture, or their insistence on living with roommates, it's clear that millennials have different values than those of us who are seventy years older than they are." Here is a photo of a workplace with an open office floor plan for some reason. Credit: Wikimedia Perhaps no one embodies this difference better than Davis Parkworth. The CEO of venture-backed shoelace marketplace Eyelet, Parkworth, 23, oversees an office where employees must give "trigger warnings" before entering the cafeteria, and where the office speaker system plays hits from Adele just as often as new tunes from 13-year-old YouTube a cappella sensation Kurtiz Blorch. "If we're not helping the environment, we're not a successful company," Parkworth enthused, wiping a kale stem from his handlebar mustache. "Feel the Bern!" one of Parkworth's employees shouted, generating a roar of approval from the kombucha-sipping creative team, many of whom had never applied for a mortgage or car loan. Just then Fillmore, the office rooster, strutted by. This was not your father's shoelace company. Advertisement But then, emulating the previous generation doesn't interest millennials like Parkworth, Packard, or Beckett Delaney. "When I look back at my life, I want to know that I slayed," Delaney said, using a slang term for "succeeded." He spun in circles on his hoverboard, listening to pirated rap music and canceling his cable subscription. Terrorists want to "terrorize" us. They want to make us angry and hostile. They want us to react and overreact to them. They want us to suspect, to racially and religiously profile, discriminate against, and attack all Muslims. Because that will help the terrorists recruit more young Muslims to their cause -- and make it harder for other Muslims to work against them. They want to politicize everything and turn people's attention away from the massive losses for human life that these evil terrorists represent. We must deny them their victory. Here's how. 1. We must focus on life and the terrible human suffering that this new Brussels attack has caused. When you add up all of those killed, forever maimed, wounded, traumatized -- and all their family members, friends, fellow congregants, and co-workers -- the number of human beings impacted is almost countless. Add to that the impact on all of our children whose fears these attacks kindle. While the terrorists focus on politics, we must pray, remember, and focus our minds and hearts on the human lives that have been ended or forever changed. 2. We must resist the hateful, ugly, and violent reactions to people who are not responsible for this. In particular, we must resist any and all attacks on Muslims or any language against the religion of Islam. Other Muslims are also victims of ISIS terrorists, and they must not become further victims of our responses to terrorism. Instead, Christians and other people of faith should reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters and work together to undermine, disrupt, and end this evil violence -- especially when it is falsely done in the name of religion. Advertisement 3. We must denounce American political leaders who also speak and act to politicize this terrorist violence, as the terrorists do, in service of their own political agendas and ambitions. In particular, we should denounce the words of Ted Cruz, who is calling for the "patrolling" of Muslim neighborhoods in the United States and putting Muslim American citizens under surveillance. We should denounce the words of Donald Trump, who stirs fear of more attacks and proposes to combat that by monitoring Muslim Americans, unconstitutionally banning Muslim immigrants from the United States, violating international law by torturing suspects and killing the children of terrorists, and now suggesting the use of nuclear weapons against ISIS. The politics of hate are wrong in the Middle East and in Brussels -- but they are also wrong in the United States, and people of faith should denounce the politics of hate everywhere. We must deny the terrorists their victory by not becoming more like them in succumbing to hate and violence. Rather than letting the terrorists change who we are, we must become more like our truest selves, more like the Jesus we follow, more rooted in our faith, and more committed to our foundational national values. It's time to turn toward God and not away into our own human fears and hatreds. May God help us and have mercy on us all. Advertisement Open government data - free, publicly available data that anyone can use, reuse, and republish - is being recognized as a resource with great social and economic value. But a number of challenges still need to be solved if this resource is to realize its full potential. Today, March 24, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Center for Open Data Enterprise are co-hosting the first of four Open Data Roundtables to make open government data more accessible and usable. These Roundtables are being held at a time when new uses for government data are being developed almost daily. New and established businesses are finding novel ways to use data on weather, finance, demographics, energy, and more. The Obama Administration has launched programs using open data in education (the College Scorecard), criminal justice (Police Data Initiative), urban neighborhoods (the Opportunity Project), health (Open FDA), and other areas that are critical to citizens. The 2016 Open Data Roundtables will address four major issues that relate to federal data: Protecting Privacy: March 24, 2016. Many significant federal datasets contain personally identifiable information (PII) that should not be released to the public. However, these datasets can have enormous public value if they are released with granular data or "microdata" that allow for new kinds of analysis. The Open Data and Privacy Roundtable will explore how to open granular information while protecting privacy. Advertisement Improving Data Quality: April 27, 2016. Organizations that want to use open government data face challenges related to data quality. This Roundtable will identify strategies and solutions that can help improve data quality across agencies in an efficient and scalable way. Applying Research Data: May 18, 2016. Government-funded research creates highly valuable data, which may come from work conducted within federal facilities, funded extramural research, or collaborative projects between government and industry scientists. This Roundtable will explore how to best manage, share, and apply government-funded data from these sources. Leveraging the Private Sector: June 15, 2016. This Roundtable will address how government can best leverage private-sector expertise and capabilities. Public-private collaboration can help support federal open data programs, but legal, policy, and operational concerns can make it difficult for agencies to work with the private sector. By overcoming these obstacles, government agencies can work with the private sector to improve the quality, accessibility, and usefulness of their data. The Open Data Roundtables are based on work that the Center for Open Data Enterprise has previously done with federal agencies. In 2015, the Center brought together hundreds of federal officials and data users in action-oriented dialogues designed to identify high-value datasets and develop better ways to use them. The outcomes included a new Department of Transportation initiative to study crash-related injuries, feedback to improve Treasury's new federal spending website, and recommendations to improve Department of Labor data for job-seekers. These dialogues showed the value of sharing ideas and insights between experts with technical, policy, and legal backgrounds from federal agencies, academia, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations. Advertisement PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 15: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks to a crowd gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center during a campaign rally on March 15, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary elections in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, while Missouri and Illinois remain tight races. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) Corporate media has a story and it's sticking to it: Hillary Clinton has the Democratic nomination in the bag. Bernie hasn't a chance. Talk of big change may attract the under-30 crowd, but the majority of Democratic voters don't buy it. If you're not for Hillary, you're backing a loser, so you may as well stay home on primary day. But Americans who are filling stadiums to support the peaceful evolution that is Bernie Sanders' Second American Revolution should not lose heart. Bernie insists that he is in the race to win, and this is still quite possible. Clinton is far from invincible. Advertisement As a veteran investigative reporter, I have been researching this contest for months, and cannot find any evidence that a candidate has ever become a Democratic nominee with the unfavorability ratings that Clinton has, or with a criminal F.B.I. investigation underway, or with such a high percentage of young voters favoring her opponent. Although the corporate media has spent endless time covering this election, it has not reported these important facts. And despite a robust First Amendment and staffs that include most of the best investigative reporters in the world, no major news organization has ever investigated what influence the $153 million that corporations and organizations paid in "speaking fees" to Hillary and Bill Clinton during the past 15 years might have brought. Nobody has reported on how this money, and tens of millions in additional corporate campaign donations for Hillary Clinton, has influenced her positions. A handful of multinational corporations today own America's mass media. But they do not own us. We have our social networks, and we are using them. Just as Bernie has made political history by relying on small individual donations instead of corporate PACs and billionaires, we, the people, have a chance to share information without corporate gatekeepers determining what we read or hear. It is web-based, democratizing media that is spreading Bernie's grassroots revolution. Citizens can quickly share information with large numbers of people, and, as the enormous support for Sanders has demonstrated, effectively counter biased corporate media coverage and deceptive corporate financed TV ads. Advertisement We can share, for instance, the following scenarios that could very well result in Bernie Sanders's winning the Democratic nomination for President. 1. Voters May Uncover Corporate Media's Biggest Secret: On Health Care, Marijuana and GMO's, Bernie, Not Hillary, Represents the Views of 80% of Democrats Here's some big news that no corporate media has deemed fit to print: According to an authoritative December, 2015 Kaiser Research poll, 81% of Democrats strongly or somewhat favor Medicare for All. This is the Sanders position which our media pundits tell us is so far out of line with the American voter. In fact, more than half of all American voters want Medicare for All. The poll found Bernie's position is significantly more popular than Obamacare. A few months ago, Clinton told Americans that Medicare for All is a system "that will never, ever come to pass." The Kaiser poll showed that less than one out of six Democrats agree with Hillary's barbed opposition to Medicare for All. Hillary's campaign has gone so far as to slander Sanders by claiming that Medicare for All will take health insurance from people who have it now. The Intercept, an independent website for investigative journalism, reported that Clinton has received more than $2.8 million in speaking fees from the health industry during the past few years, for just 13 speeches. It's expose was titled, Hillary Clinton's Single-Payer Pivot Greased By Millions in Industry Speech Fees. Hillary Clinton also stands far to the right of most Democrats and even Americans in general when it comes to decriminalizing marijuana. Bernie supports this. Hillary wants to "study" it more. This single issue reflects the greatest distinction between the two candidates in addressing the nation's out-of-control prison population, yet pundits continue to suggest that there is no difference between them when it comes to civil rights and the school to prison pipeline. The decriminalization of marijuana would curb not only the racially-targeted drug arrests that feed our nation's notorious prison plantations, but also provide relief for the tens of thousands of parolees who continue to have their lives destroyed by being returned to jail for testing positive for marijuana on their drug tests. A startling admission by Richard Nixon's top aide reported here in the latest Harper's magazine revealed what critics of the DEA and war on drugs have long suspected: that they were created to suppress African Americans, and dissidents. More than two-thirds of Democrats and 58 percent of all Americans favor Sanders' decriminalization position. Hillary's position, shared by fewer than one-third of Democrats, is to keep marijuana illegal except in states that allow it for medicinal use. Advertisement Clinton wants to move marijuana from its current criminalized status as a Schedule I drug with no known use to a Schedule II drug with some known medical benefit, like opiates and cocaine. Hillary believes that marijuana should remain as illegal under federal law as cocaine , empowering the continuation of the federal war on marijuana by US Attorneys, armies of DEA SWAT teams, and a Kafka-esque racket of IRS and bank regulatory rules Bernie Sanders would remove marijuana from the federal schedule of illegal drugs entirely. He wold leave it to the states to decide how to treat it. More than 40 years since the taxpayer financed terror campaign against millions of Americans who chose marijuana over more harmful drugs like alcohol began, Bernie Sanders would end the federal war on weed. 2. A Criminal Indictment of Clinton Over Email Scandal Could Derail Her Candidacy The greatest wild card in this election is whether Hillary Clinton will be indicted on criminal charges prior to her election. The F.B.I. is in the midst of a fully independent criminal investigation into Clinton and her aides over her use of a private email server while Secretary of State. A sober, insightful interview with a former U.S. Attorney General about the federal laws that Clinton may have violated can be viewed here. Hillary has only half of the pledged delegates that she needs from the primary to secure a nomination. Bernie Sanders will still need to win about 58 percent of the remaining contests if he is to succeed. It seems like a very tall order. But if Hillary is indicted during the next month, and then faces a criminal trial and endless subpoenas, the 58 percent threshold may not seem so challenging. Advertisement Moreover, if Hillary does win a majority of primary delegates, and is indicted after this, but before the July 25 Democratic National convention, those hundreds of super delegates that right now support her would be free to change their mind and support Sanders, as the Washington D.C. tip sheet The Hill described last week. If a Clinton criminal trial were underway, the Democrats would face a very high likelihood of losing the White House in November to Trump or Cruz. In that instance, Hillary's coronation by the Democratic Party machine might be cut short, and the super delegates could use their power to appoint Bernie Sanders instead. 3. Democratic Voters May Wise Up to the Reality That Bernie is Far More Likely to Beat Trump Than Hillary America's corporate media loves polls. As I wrote about in The Huffington Post a few weeks ago, the two most widely parroted narratives about the Democratic contest are that Hillary is inevitable and that the polls show her winning by huge margins everywhere. Yet there is a major story that has been mysteriously missing from the media coverage of the polls. This is that Sanders polls better in the November election against Trump or Cruz than Clinton does. Much, much better. Hillary Clinton is viewed unfavorably by more Americans than any Democratic presidential front-runner since such polling began. She is now regarded unfavorably by 54.3 percent of Americans polled. Sanders has an unfavorability rating of just 40 percent, far lower than Clinton, and far lower than Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. Although Clinton manages to lead among Democrats, if she wins the Democratic nomination during the July 25 convention, she will need more than 50 percent of the nation's voters to win the general election. This is where her large unfavorability numbers work against her. Democratic candidates need a majority of independent voters to win a presidential race. Hillary, the quintessential establishment candidate during an Election year in which voters are in open revolt against party-backed candidates, is so disliked by independent voters that two to one of them will vote for her Republican opponent in November. These same Independent voters flip when faced with a Sanders-Trump- or Sanders-Cruz lineup, virtually insuring that a Sanders nomination will lead to a Sanders presidency Advertisement Reuters is the second largest news agency in the world. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was the most accurate national poll of U.S. residents published just before the 2012 presidential election, and it has been polling more than 2,000 Americans every week during the current campaign. These polls are highly transparent. They allow any reader to read general results and also see how subgroups like independents say they will vote. In the Reuters March 20 poll of 1,722 Americans, pitting Clinton against Trump, 37% of all voters expressing a choice would vote for Clinton, while 35% would vote for Trump. This small margin vanishes among Independents, who say they would vote 49% for Trump and 25% for Hillary, while 26% of respondents would not answer the question or not vote. When squared off against Ted Cruz, the Reuters March 20 poll of 1,724 Americans gave Clinton 36.3% of the vote to Cruz's 33.7%. Drilling down to the respondents who are registered, likely voters and Independents, 43% Cruz, 22% back Clinton and 35% dislike them both so much they would not vote. Contrast these results with those for Sanders. The March 16 Reuters poll of more than 1,700 votes predicted Bernie would win 44.4 percent of the votes to Trump's 32.6 percent, a comfortable victory and possibly long electoral "coat-tails" to enable the Democrats to regain the Senate. Among Independents, Bernie wins by a margin of 10 percent. In the Reuters March 16 poll of 1,735 voters, Sanders beat Cruz 45.6 percent to 29.5 percent. Among Independents, Bernie won 40 percent to Cruz's percent. Advertisement Democratic voters are far more intent upon making sure a Democrat wins the general election than they are on making sure Hillary Clinton is that Democrat. If, through their social media, voters in remaining states learn that a Clinton nomination is far more likely to make their nightmare of a Trump presidency a reality, millions could desert Hillary on primary day. The contest for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party is not yet over. Selection Of Bottled Water Picture this: Michigan governor Rick Snyder, asleep at the switch (at best) when Flint's water pipes were leaching lead under the oversight of a State-appointed manager, offers (another) apology. Only this time he adds the move of true repentance: he asks those affected by the poisoned water what he can do to make it better. They might say, "Resign, please." Or they might get a little creative. They might say, "You live in Ann Arbor and commute to Lansing. Move to Flint. Live without access to safe tap water like we do every day. Get to know your neighbors. Talk to community leaders on their own turf (no photographers allowed). Listen to them. And get to work fixing the problem knowing that you don't get safe water through your tap until every last citizen of Flint does." Advertisement Calls for the Governor to resign over the Flint water crisis abound. But that's old-fashioned punitive justice. It gives victims little voice and less satisfaction than restorative justice. Under the leadership of Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, South Africa opted for restorative over punitive justice. They set up a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission." The victims of apartheid gave statements at public hearings. Perpetrators gave testimony as well and could request amnesty from prosecution. Often it was granted, if the perpetrators offered full disclosure, sincere apology and willingness to make amends. The work of the Commission is widely regarded as beginning a long (and still ongoing) process of healing in South Africa on its way to democracy. Governor Snyder says he wants to fix the problem. But he continues to live in the same bubble that allowed him to ignore the problem. What are the chances he can fix the problem with the urgency that the people of Flint feel every day from the same bubble--commuting from his comfortable home in Ann Arbor to his office in Lansing, surrounded by the same people and worse, imbedded in the same culture, that made it possible to poison the water in Flint? Don't resign just yet, Governor. Move to Flint. Maybe the people there could help you fix it faster than you can from Ann Arbor. Ken Wilson is co-pastor of Blue Ocean Faith, Ann Arbor and author of A Letter to My Congregation: An Evangelical Pastor's Path to Embracing Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender People into the Company of Jesus (ReadTheSpirit 2014). Just prior to the Brussels terror attack, Donald Trump questioned the value of the NATO alliance and the cost of U.S. participation. He clarified his remarks, saying he didn't want to withdraw but was troubled by the cost of U.S. involvement--especially considering our burgeoning national debt of $19 billion. The debt has roughly doubled since the beginning of the Obama administration, and is completely unsustainable at its current rate of growth. Trump's position was immediately attacked by Ted "carpet bomb 'em" Cruz and condemned by foreign and security policy experts, some of whom brought us the debacles of the Iraq/Afghanistan War, Libya, etc. -- the modern 'make-the-world-safe-for-democracy,' nation-building, permanent-war, expert-for-hire crowd. These folks earn a living as national security sherpas, inhabiting the nation's think tanks, defense contractors, and consultancies. In fact, NATO has foundered since the end of the Cold War, looking for a clear mission. After all, it was established in the immediate post-WWII period precisely to prevent a Soviet invasion of Europe. Once the threat disappeared with the demise of the Soviet Union, NATO lost its original raison d'etre. Additionally, at the time of NATO's founding, the U.S. military and economy, via our vast industrial base, reigned unchallenged. It turns out that NATO's main mission -- not without controversy in the U.S., Europe, and Russia -- has been to expand greatly its member countries in Eastern Europe up to the Russian border, and engage in attacks on Serbia and Libya, countries that did not threaten or attack it. Advertisement Yes, things have changed -- as Trump points out. No longer the economic powerhouse of yore, the U.S. now runs trade deficits of $500 billion a year, instead of the post-war surpluses. These deficits stunt our economic growth and diminish our industrial base, and we borrow from China and others to finance them. Most of Trump's security policy critics pay little attention to the details of paying for a large, globally intervening military. Many of them are also zealous adherents of free-trade orthodoxy, which means that they 'believe' -- counter to the empirical evidence -- that free trade deals are good for the American economy and its working men and women (whose sons and daughters fight their endless wars). The fact that we have stagnant wages for two generations, millions absent from the workforce, 60,000 shuttered manufacturing establishments, and 5 million lost manufacturing jobs since the late 1990s is of little interest to them. In any case, all problems with free trade can be explained away by economists whose models assume an ideal world of full employment and fixed exchange rates, or by pundits citing misleading corporate/Wall Street talking points. In this unreal world, cyber hacking, forced technology transfer, IP theft, and trade cheating, such as currency manipulation and massive foreign industrial subsidies, are small issues that do not affect the bigger picture. Or, they are to be tolerated by the American middle and working classes for the sake of keeping alliances and putative national security priorities intact -- while the country slowly implodes economically. Trump, at large political risk, has invaded this closed, self-reinforcing circle and is doing the country a huge service in questioning the basic national security, economic, and trade assumptions that undergird the conventional wisdom and current world order, such as it is, founded in the late 1940s by a victorious America. With a businessman's sharp eye for balance sheets and assets, Trump sees a nation with a much diminished industrial base, crumbling infrastructure, 40 plus million on food stamps, stagnant wages, millions not participating in the workforce, massive trade deficits, and unsustainable budget deficits and debt. Advertisement What of NATO itself, which the talking heads say we must rush to embrace more closely in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks? What shape is the alliance in? What is there to work with? Only six out of NATO's 28 members maintain defense budgets at the required 2 percent of GDP, with U.S. defense spending (3.6 percent of GDP) topping the list. Belgium is near the bottom of the list at 0.9 percent. (Is it too indelicate at this time to ask if this is part of the problem?) And the other five large NATO economies? Powerhouse Germany -- 1.2 percent of GDP. The UK -- 2.1 percent. France -- 1.8 percent. Italy -- 1.0 percent. Canada -- 1.0 percent. It is instructive to note that the combined GDP of other NATO countries is roughly $16.8 trillion, 97 percent of the U.S. GDP of $17.3 trillion. We are not talking about impoverished countries here. With a projected defense budget of $578 billion in 2016, the U.S. taxpayer in fact carries roughly two-thirds of total NATO defense spending, or a little less than twice the combined total of all other alliance members combined. And how about our trade with NATO countries? Do we run a surplus sufficient to allow us to take on the defense spending burden? No. We ran an overall $121 billion goods trade deficit with the NATO countries in 2015, running surpluses with only five of the 27 members. Our goods trade deficits: Germany $74 billion; Italy $27.7 billion; France $17.5 billion; Canada $14.8 billion; Denmark $5.5 billion, Hungary $3.9 billion; Spain $3.8 billion; Portugal $2.3 billion; Poland $1.8 billion; Slovakia $1.8 billion; Romania $1.4 billion; UK $1.4 billion; Norway $1.1 billion; and so on. So is Donald Trump really naive, as Ted Cruz called him, in suggesting that the U.S. examine its relationships with NATO and other treaty allies? (Japan, Korea, and Taiwan come immediately to mind when considering expensive security commitments and trade deficits.) Is it fundamentally misguided to reorder 70-year-old defense, trade, and economic priorities? Advertisement The political/pundit/consultant class thinks that they are going to run the world just because they have since 1945. But they handed out military commitments that we couldn't afford and ran a trade policy that allowed our treaty partners to suck the U.S. dry. Sorry, allies, you can't have it both ways. You got our money, now you have to pay for your own defense. Or maybe it is wiser to 'stay the course' and collapse under the weight of our security commitments and a global trading system that our trading partners use to target and decimate our economy. Why does it matter how anyone tells the story of the Reformation? Sixteenth-century chroniclers, contemporaries of Martin Luther and John Calvin, drew on the Bible for the structuring of their narrative; Luther and Calvin were cast as instruments of divine revelation, embedded in the playing out of divine will in human time. That model, of divine revelation realized through individual human lives, did not end with the sixteenth century. It is there in the writing of Leopold von Ranke, held to be the father of modern history. It is there in the celebration of Luther as the "cause" of the Reformation, a way of thinking Ranke brought into the modern world from those sixteenth-century chroniclers. The Reformation is one of the great and dramatic instances of human difference: "Christians" in the sixteenth did not agree on what the word meant, what it entailed for a person trying to live it, and they killed one another over the content of the word. "Christian" might mean refusing to take oaths and being baptized as an adult; "Christian" might mean infant baptism and a collective commemoration of the Last Supper; "Christian" might mean infant baptism and the Mass as collective worship. Many images capture the emotional power of the growing distance between fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, husbands and wives: the shattering of a glass vessel, the sundering of a tree, the shredding of a tapestry. Those images point toward the emotional power of the experience of difference. But in those same years, Christians told stories in which one group was God's instrument, another, the Devil's; one position was not simply right for a group of people, it was divine and true. The power of those stories abide to this day. This week, Holy Week, I begin telling another story, another model for how we might speak of wrenching, harrowing human difference - not the kind of difference we nod towards, but the kind of difference we feel, experience viscerally, as those Europeans did now five hundred years ago. That story begins by taking God out of it. This is a human story, not a divine story. There are no divine instruments. It is a question of perspective: God alone knows who God's instruments are. Our work is to tell a story of human beings, from our perspective. The story revolves around the core mystery of Christianity: the Incarnation. All Christians share the belief that, in the words of the ancient Nicene Creed, Jesus Christ was "begotten, not made," the Son of God, at once divine and human. But what is it, to be "human"? In the sixteenth century, that question acquired terrible force; in the early years of the century, it was already troubling. It was an ancient question - the Greeks had asked in in many different forms - but with the proliferation of humanist texts in the fifteenth century and, at the end of that century, Columbus's landing on an island populated with persons no European had seen before, the question was no longer one of self-reflection. It was one of definition. Much has been made of the suggestion cities are at the vanguard of combatting climate change. It is a suggestion too often dismissed by those sceptical of cities' abilities to make any meaningful difference to the climate change threat; those cynical that city efforts could indeed reduce up to 3.7 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Despite the research, local action continues to be painted as a miniscule, futile response to a remote global danger. Of course, this view is also helpful ammunition for those ardently opposed to local authorities being involved in anything beyond their perceived core functions. Advertisement However, the attitude that cities are crucial actors with the potential for bold and exciting eco-leadership - fostering sustainability through local programmes and role-modelling - certainly isn't short of buy-in. It is an ethos Auckland Council has embraced. Back in January, I wrote about the promising opportunity afforded to Auckland through our membership of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group - an opportunity now being more than realised. Auckland's chorus of environmental efforts are paying off, with impressive results. Kokako, for example - an endangered bird species native to New Zealand - have resumed their breeding in the Hunua Ranges, after the council's pest management offensive significantly culled their predators. Our just-announced Special Mention in the esteemed 2016 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize lauded Auckland's efforts to conserve our 'rich environmental heritage'. It also emphasised the role of the Auckland Plan - the city's supreme spatial planning document - as setting out a 'compelling and achievable vision' for sustainability and liveability. Advertisement This month's visit by Mark Watts, C40's Executive Director, dramatically raised the profile of Auckland's climate change initiatives, and underscored the alliances we are building with our global partners. "The reason I am optimistic that we will tackle climate change is because of the leadership shown by mayors around the world in C40, and indeed, very much in evidence in this city," Mr Watts told an Auckland Conversations audience in his keynote address. With cities accounting for 70 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, they must be at the forefront of investment, innovation and co-ordinated action. Being part of C40, alongside the world-class cities Auckland aspires to, is enough of a compliment on its own - affirming our amalgamation and its economies of scale, and rewarding our vision of liveability and innovation with a place on the international stage. More importantly, however, our C40 affiliation represents an unequivocal recognition of my council's environmental leadership to date. It heralds Auckland's status as an influential champion for a more sustainable global - and local - future. Advertisement If you want your kids to have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies, you may need to tone down your negativity about this Halloween tradition. Co-authored by Torey Alston Gender and racial bias -- intentional or not -- in the process of awarding contracts in construction, architecture, engineering and professional services is a major hindrance to small business growth for minority- and women-owned companies. Year after year, city and state governments set spending goals for businesses led by minorities and women, but these goals rarely translate into sizable or proportional contracting awards for these groups. The state of Florida provides an enlightening illustration of this reality. According to the latest Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy report, the Sunshine State can boast one minority-owned business for every 11 minority residents -- the highest rate of minority entrepreneurship in the country. However, public agencies and the private sector spend less than 1% of their procurement expenditures contracting with minority-owned businesses. Advertisement This puts millions of Florida workers and business owners at a disadvantage. Small businesses comprise 40% of the private sector workforce in Florida, and of these small business, roughly 1.3 million are women- and minority-owned. These numbers underscore just how important it is that states meet their procurement diversity goals in order to grow inclusive local economies. Fortunately, advocacy and civil rights groups continue to bring awareness to this issue because diversity and inclusion practices directly impact job creation opportunities, career advancement options and wealth building. The Florida NAACP state conference recently released the Diversity Matters Statewide Report Card, which examined the procurement practices of cities, counties, school districts and private corporations throughout the state. The report's findings reveal a mixed bag of economic opportunities for Florida women and people of color. On one hand, the workforce diversity of most local governments reviewed in the NAACP report were exceptional. However, advertising and marketing dollars for veteran, minority- and women-owned businesses has generally been a failure. According to the NAACP survey, the biggest area of opportunity is actual contracting with diverse firms. Many Florida public agencies still do not track spending by race and ethnicity nor is this data easily accessible to the public. Torey Alston, Florida NAACP State Conference Economic Development Chair, shared that most Florida agencies either do not have a dedicated advertising and media budget or spend very little on marketing targeted at diverse groups which do not reflect the diversity of the state of Florida. Public agencies receive tax dollars and spend money at private businesses, so we must hold them accountable to equitable spending across gender and racial lines. So what's the solution? One opportunity to help expand procurement opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses is to challenge agencies to track race and ethnicity during vendor registration processes. This strategy will increase transparency and improve the accuracy of reporting expenditures for minority suppliers. All states, and Florida in particular can establish a non-race focused program (e.g., small business enterprise program), race-conscious program (e.g., minority business enterprise program) or a hybrid approach to enhance economic opportunities for small, veteran and minority businesses. In addition, let's pay attention to states that have been successful at supporting minority entrepreneurs. For example, Texas requires reciprocity by local governments to accept the state's Minority, Women and Service-Disabled Veteran certification. Certification is an additional stamp of approval by public agencies that increase the visibility of minority businesses and validate ownership and control along with incentives provided by the local agency. Advertisement Not all states are created equal when it comes to setting procurement goals and ensuring equitable opportunities for minority entrepreneurs. For Floridians, gross procurement disparities are continuously ignored by state leaders, local elected officials, business leaders in public and private organizations. This should be unacceptable. Diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do in both government and the private sector, but is what will best serve Florida and its residents. The high-profile presidential primary revolt against decades of damaging American trade policy finally has forced the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) into mainstream media coverage. The usual free-trade-agreement cheerleading squad of chronic-job-offshoring corporations, Wall Street, agribusiness and their coterie of think tanks and pundits are unnerved. After spending billions in campaign contributions, lobbying and PR since the 1990s to enact our current trade policies, they want us to believe there is no alternative. In recent weeks, they have ginned up a PR campaign with two main themes: Critics of free trade agreements in general and the TPP in specific are protectionists who want to stop trade and/or are ignorant and misled. Advertisement The recent Washington Post piece by Vice President Biden's former chief economist Jared Bernstein does a great job explaining why the real choice is not between TPP and no trade. As he notes, we don't need more free trade agreements to expand trade. Indeed, U.S. export growth to countries that are not Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners has exceeded U.S. export growth to FTA partners by 29 percent over the past decade. By the end of 2015, the aggregate U.S. trade deficit with FTA partners had increased by 418 percent since the FTAs were implemented while that with all non-FTA countries had decreased by 6 percent. How can that be? For the same reason polls repeatedly show that most Americans are for trade and against our trade agreements: America's trade policy and trade agreements have been hijacked by special interests. Indeed, the TPP's strongest opponents are not against trade and do know what is in such agreements. That is precisely why they oppose them. Advertisement This Washington Post infographic shows how our secretive trade negotiating process gives a privileged role to hundreds of official U.S. trade advisors representing corporate interests. They have turned our "trade" agreements into delivery mechanisms for an array of retrograde policies, many unrelated to trade, that have hurt most Americans. Consider that the agreements sold as expanding exports of Made-in-America goods actually include provisions that make it easier for corporations to export investment and American jobs to low wage countries and import their goods back. The pro-free-trade Cato Institute calls these foreign investor protections, found in pacts since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a subsidy for offshoring. The terms significantly reduce risks and costs for firms that relocate. Or consider that our "free trade" agreements impose protectionist intellectual property monopolies. Big PhRMA got terms that require every signatory country to extend the periods during which pharmaceutical firms can avoid generic competition and thus charge obscene medicine prices. The pacts also include terms extending copyright protections and limits on Internet freedom that undermine access to knowledge and stifle innovation. The pacts also provide new tools for transnational investors to attack the environmental and health policies on which we all rely to keep our families safe. Major oil and gas firms have been among the most frequent users of these infamous investor-state dispute settlement provisions. They empower individual foreign corporations and investors to drag the U.S. government in front of foreign arbitration tribunals to demand compensation from taxpayers when the investor believes that policies - applying equally to domestic and foreign firms enacted by Congress and approved by our courts - violate their new trade pact investor rights. Agribusiness interests got terms that require us to import food that does not meet U.S. safety standards. The GEs, GMs and other manufacturing firms that offshored production pushed rules that forbid us to apply "Buy American" procurement policies. That lets them still benefit from U.S. government procurement contracts after they move production to sweatshops abroad. Yes, our trade pacts also offshore our tax dollars rather than harnessing government purchasing power to create jobs and spur innovation here. Advertisement Wall Street got rules limiting financial regulation, even those applying equally to domestic and foreign firms. This includes constraints on policies that limit the size of financial institutions, ban especially risky financial products or require firewalls to limit the spread of risk across financial products. Every effort at common sense reform has been beaten back - both in the agreements and in U.S. policy. So we have tax policies that reward job offshoring and provide impunity for 'American' firms that invert their corporate structure to tax havens but no rules to stop other countries from cheating on trade by lowering the value of their currency. Currency devaluations subsidize their exports to us - wiping out American jobs, firms and farmers - and make our exports too expensive to sell in the currency-manipulating countries. There are no limits on trade with countries complicit in horrific human rights abuses. But it would violate the trade rules if we cut off trade with a country after a coup against a democratic government. In sum, our trade policies reflect the goals of certain privileged interests to the detriment of promoting the broad public interest. Advertisement Having lived with the damaging results over the past decades, it should be no surprise that many Americans are against these corrupt special interest trade policies. And now we have presidential candidates from both parties revealing the truth: There is nothing inevitable about the damage, but rather the rules have been rigged against us. Trade agreement after trade agreement has not only failed to meet its business sector and political backers' glowing promises of job creation but has done severe damage. We have suffered the net loss of nearly 5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs and more than 57,000 factories, and seen millions of higher-wage service sector jobs offshored. Americans face flat median wages despite significant productivity gains as those losing jobs to bad trade polices join the glut of Americans competing for non-offshorable service sector jobs. This has been a major contributor to the worst U.S. income inequality in the last century. Advertisement The volume of U.S. food exports has stagnated while U.S. food imports have more than doubled in the past 20 years of NAFTA-style deals. The result: family farmers wiped out and all our families flooded with unsafe imported food. And this is not just a NAFTA problem. The 2012-implemented Korea FTA included the higher labor and environmental standards congressional Democrats forced into George W. Bush's last trade pacts. But still the U.S. trade deficit with Korea grew over 90 percent in the first three years it was in effect. That equates to the loss of 90,000 American jobs, counting imports and exports in the formula the administration used to predict job gains from the pact. We can do better and we must. Trade agreements and policies are how we can write rules for the global economy. And the United States is uniquely able to set trade policies that others have to follow. That leverage is the only upside to having the largest trade deficit in history. China, Vietnam, Mexico, Japan and other nations are deeply reliant on being able to sell things here. That means these governments need to come to agreement with us on terms of trade or risk economic disruptions that could undermine their own political viability. But to date, this leverage has been squandered to obtain special protections for Big PhRMA and U.S. firms seeking to invest abroad rather than to secure terms that work for all of us. Advertisement We desperately need a new American trade policy. To achieve that, first, we must do no further harm. As Paul Krugman put it in a recent New York Times column, we need "a standstill on further deals, or at least a presumption that proposed deals are guilty unless proved innocent." We must not enact any more-of-the-same, job-killing, race-to-the-bottom agreements. Polls show majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans oppose the TPP. Currently there is not a majority in the House of Representatives to pass it. Supporters' hope is to slime it through Congress in a lame duck session post-election with the votes of retired and fired representatives. Imagine the fury if the public knew that the Obama administration also is close to a deal with China after years of closed-door negotiations. That China Bilateral Investment Agreement would provide special protections for U.S. corporations that offshore investment to China and give Chinese firms new rights to buy up American manufacturing companies, energy and communications firms, and land. Second, we must review and replace our existing trade policies and pacts. The special interests that put our current system in place are jealously intransigent about commonsense changes for which there is now growing consensus. This includes enforceable disciplines against currency cheating; removing offshoring incentives, bans on Buy American preferences, patent extensions and the investor-state tribunal system in trade pacts; conditioning access to the U.S. market on countries meeting international labor, environmental and human rights standards; eliminating existing U.S. tax credits, subsidies such as Export-Import bank loans, and government contracts for firms that ship jobs overseas; enacting domestic tax and procurement policies that reward firms producing here; expanding Buy American procurement preferences; eliminating the corporate benefits for companies that relocate their corporate headquarters overseas to take advantage of a tax loophole and so forth. Advertisement Third, before we consider negotiating any new agreements, we must create a new model that ensures any future pacts create jobs here and raise wages. The TPP's boosters cynically claim that the TPP is the new model. In fact, the TPP includes word-for-word much of the old NAFTA-style language. Worse, it actually expands on some of NAFTA's most damaging terms, such as the foreign investor privileges that promote job offshoring. The TPP rolls back the initial reforms to trade-pact environmental and medicine patent rules that congressional Democrats forced Bush to include in his last trade deals. It would double U.S. liability under the investor-state dispute settlement regime by empowering an additional 9,200 Japanese and Australian firms to attack our laws in foreign arbitration tribunals. (While billions have been paid to foreign investors under this regime, so far we have dodged the bullet because past U.S. pacts have been with developing nations with few investors here.) The TPP includes notorious human rights violators like Brunei, which recently implemented sharia-based laws for the stoning-to-death of gays and unwed mothers, and Malaysia whose modern day slavery has made it among the worst nations for human trafficking. What would a good trade agreement look like? In 2009, Congress' leading fair-trade champions worked with economists, trade experts, businesses and environmental, labor, consumer, faith and family-farm organizations to develop that alternative. They hoped it would shape the approach taken by the new incoming Obama administration. Advertisement That is not how history played out, and thus we have the TPP -- NAFTA on steroids. But the 2009 Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act provides a good blueprint for trade pacts that could benefit more Americans. The legislation set forth what must and must not be included in future pacts - basically eliminating the special interest non-trade riders that now comprise the majority of our Trojan horse agreements and adding the rules to make actual trade terms more fair. It also included criteria for what countries would be appropriate U.S. trade agreement partners - those that offer American exporters opportunities and where strong labor, environmental and human rights standards exist in practice, not just on paper. Chances are that if you're in America, the computer from which you're reading drew its electricity from a commercial power company. Commercial power companies are investor-owned companies that produce energy through a variety of means - coal, natural gas, wind, solar, etc. -- that they eventually deliver to consumers at a profit. They service most cities and suburbs of America, amounting to nearly 88% of the entire U.S. population. But what of the other 12%? These people are generally serviced by electric cooperatives, or co-ops for short. Electric co-ops are companies that are owned by their consumers; therefore, they are not necessarily profit driven like commercial entities. Owing to a massive social welfare program in the 1930's, FDR's Rural Electrification Administration, rural residents were given low-interest loans for the purpose of banding together to create electric co-ops. As a result of the REA, electric co-ops sprouted up all across America, eventually covering 75% of the land area of the nation. Electric co-ops offer some promising pros above commercial power companies. For instance, they are more beholden to their members. Those that adhere to the "7 basic principals of cooperatives" have voluntary membership, democratic member control and transparent economic participation. Voluntary consumption and democratic control of the co-op essentially gives consumers a "double vote": they may vote once on all the financial and legal decisions, like the commissioning of new power plants and such. Then, if they strongly disagree with the decisions, which are more transparent than in commercial companies, they may remove themselves from the consumer pool and switch providers. Advertisement "Co-ops are the original self help organizations," Mary McLaury told me during a phone interview, "and their organizational structure makes them ideal test beds for new technologies." The Executive Director of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, a network of 750 electric co-ops that covers 46 states and 32 million people, she has worked with co-ops her whole life. Mrs. McLaury pointed to Midwestern energy co-ops deploying automated meters and experimenting with solar irrigation as specific examples of innovation. "Indeed, coops are very much investors in communities." The ability for co-ops to move to a distributed system is especially interesting as far as green energy is concerned. If a generation system comprised of a few large coal plants resembles somewhat a highly centralized monarchy, then a system of rooftop solar or small wind turbines resembles a more distributed, democratic system of control. "[As America's energy technology developed], utilities grew as natural, regulated monopolies. And that worked well," said Mrs. McLaury. But now, as green technology seems at the cusp of out-competing coal in numerous ways - cost, cleanliness, social responsibility - perhaps the co-op model is a necessary next step. However, currently, electric co-ops may not quite be up-to-par with their principals. First, consumers generally don't have a choice over who they get their electricity from. John Farrel, a Director at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, writes, "If you want electricity in cooperative territory, you [must] sign with the cooperative." Martin Lowery, an Executive Vice President at the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Administration (NRECA) concurred, saying during an interview, "Certified service territories are drawn and fixed." Second, it is unclear whether the democracy of the co-ops is truly robust. "One member one vote works best," said Mr. Lowery, but some of the co-ops NRECA represents give one vote per meter, which gives larger farmers and industries with many meters more voting power. And even when a co-op has proper member representation, some may suffer from low member participation. "Co-ops are as strong as their membership participation. Co-ops and democracy share the same risk: disengagement," said Mr. Lowery. Advertisement As a result, co-ops may act adversely to how one expects. For example, co-ops in Minnesota opposed every single bill favoring clean energy in the 2013 session, despite a survey indicating that rural residents generally favored green energy. Co-ops nationwide opposed the 2009 cap-and-trade bill, and Obama's 2015 Power Plan. Indeed, Mrs. McLaury declined to comment on Obama's Power Plan to me. However, perhaps the biggest gummer of the democracy of co-ops are the long term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) that they sign. PPAs are contract where an entities like municipalities, investor-owned utilities, or coops can buy electricity from generating companies at a fixed price for a certain number of years. When a co-op signs a 40-or-50 year PPA with a coal power plant, they are locked into a situation that their members will not be able to re-evaluate for decades. This is a potential factor in the lowering of participation, and removes a lot of the "autonomy and agility" that proponents of co-ops, like Mrs. McLaury, say are important. However, there might be hope. Co-ops are extremely dependent on the political regulations of the country in which they are based, and recent federal legislation may make it easier for energy co-ops to live up to their green, democratic potential. The USDA's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program was started in 2014 to provide low interest loans to co-ops for renewable energy investments. It has had some success, and a Wisconsin co-op called Dairyland made a series of 10-20 year PPAs that will almost double the amount of solar in the state. "[PPAs can be] especially important for renewables," says Mimi Zhang, a green energy industry expert who has worked for years in energy consulting, "as they eliminate the economic risk of volatile spot market energy prices and help developers secure project financing." The recent moves of Dairyland demonstrate this, and hopefully other co-ops may be able to follow suit. So this is all good, but what can an urban reader do if they think energy co-ops sound promising? Unfortunately, your hands are fairly tied. If you happen to have the choice of where your electricity comes from, then vote with your wallet (for example, New Yorkers buying from ConEdison are able to stipulate that their energy comes from wind for an additional $2 a month.) If you don't, you may support a social movement in your certified service territory: with enough support, local politicians may approve a switch from commercial to cooperative providers. Advertisement One of the biggest things you might consider doing is joining a co-op of different form. Local, organic food co-ops are a good option. "Food co-ops are the fasting growing type of co-ops in the nation," Mrs. McLaury said. Participation in one co-op may lead to another, a European study found. Shortly after he was released from the jail, Reza Zarrab, at the heart of Turkey's colossal bribery scandal, said in a live TV interview that he is prepared to stand a trial before an impartial court. It seems 'his dream' has finally come true. He was apprehended in Miami on Saturday and an Indian-born US attorney who is handling Zarrab's case has rocketed to fame in Turkey. Exulting in Zarrab's arrest, Turkish social media users had a field day mocking him and hailing the attorney. Advertisement Preet Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, had only 8,010 followers before the Justice Department announced on Monday the arrest of Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian businessman accused of evading US sanctions on Iran. The number of attorney's followers on Twitter was skyrocketed to whopping 230,000 and it is rapidly increasing. His latest two tweets were shared nearly 60,000 times and liked by 85,000 people. Bharara has four times more followers on Twitter than two previous US Attorney Generals Loretta Lynch (43K followers) and Eric Holder (10K followers) combined. Closely watching Bharara's every move, Turkish media reported on Wednesday that he followed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He later unfollowed the Turkish president, perhaps because he thought the case may be politicized. Zarrab's arrest brought into the open the dormant twin investigations that rattled Turkey for over two years. It was these two investigations that forced four ministers to resign, but also left Erdogan with no choice but to significantly escalate the crackdown on critics. Bharara was lionized in Turkey largely because corruption suspects are deemed so "untouchable" that any prosecutor or police who go after them may lose their jobs or jailed and any journalist covering them may face prosecution or get fired. Advertisement As the news came that Zarrab's bail for release was rejected by the court, Turkish critics breathed a sigh of relief. Finally hope loomed large in the offing. Any idea where the prosecutors and police who jailed Zarrab are now? Of course, in jail. What about newspapers who extensively reported about the case? Of course, taken over by the government. The Turkish authorities dropped charges against the graft suspects, reassigned prosecutors and police to less influential positions and described the probe as a "coup with global links." In these circumstances, Zarrab's arrest was a huge, huge story. Zarrab's arrest came at a time when Turkish critics almost lost their entire hope that their country could get back on track anytime soon. With the arrest, their flagging spirits were instantly revived. Many of the blames that have been assigned in an indictment by Turkish prosecutors have turned out to have merit. Zarrab could be charged with up to 75 years in prison. His testimony could also be key in unveiling many of his secret dealings with the Turkish government. Attorney Bharara is the only visible figure involved with the case of Zarrab, who is also accused of violating laws designed to ensure US national security. Zarrab's arrest has placed Bharara at the forefront of a national debate on corruption. He was deluged with a type of love messages that only fans of Justin Bieber would post. One user suggested to send the attorney Turkish liquor, delight or shish kabab. "Just ask. We are on your service," the user quipped. In a scathing diatribe against Turkish officials, who are generously bribed by Zarrab, Bharara said he cannot accept gifts for doing his job. This tweet went viral with 34k retweets and 50k likes. Advertisement Well, I do love shish kebab but I don't think I can accept gifts just for doing my job... https://t.co/iUw6yRVZPF US Attorney Bharara (@USAttyBharara) March 22, 2016 Erdogan is awkwardly silent. He had gone through thick and thin to shield the Iranian businessman from the prison, only seeing him getting arrested during a vacation in Miami. He has not spoken since Zarrab was taken behind bars, except releasing statements of condolences over blasts in Istanbul and Brussels. A newspaper owned by his son-in-law doctored one of Bharara's photos, depicting him receiving an award from a Turkish charity group linked with the Gulen movement. It was a way of saying that the prosecutor has close ties with the group. After the original photo came to the surface, Sabah was forced to delete its story, without an apology. Bharara assumed mythic heroism in a country accustomed to prosecutors unable to stand firm in the face of a relentless government pressure. After the arrest, Bharara tweeted that Zarrab will face the American justice in a Manhattan courtroom. For many Turks, Bharara's message still sounds more like a hope. Reza Zarrab to soon face American justice in a Manhattan courtroom. @SDNYnews https://t.co/5S3c1oaWVO US Attorney Bharara (@USAttyBharara) March 22, 2016 On March 22, Los Angeles brought its commitment and expertise on water to the White House, where President Obama hosted the first ever White House Water Summit, in conjunction with United Nations World Water Day. Angelenos, as much as anyone, recognize the importance of water to our daily lives -- water conservation and awareness are part of our culture. We have responded to Mayor Garcetti's call to action on the drought by reducing water use by 19 percent, on track to meet our January 2017 Sustainable City pLAn goal of 20 percent. This achievement is no surprise considering that our City uses no more water than we did 45 years ago, when we had one million fewer residents. Yesterday, L.A. made a new commitment in partnership with the White House. The City of Los Angeles commits to capture an additional 12 billion gallons of stormwater per year by 2025. This is in addition to the over 8.8 billion gallons we already capture and reuse. Not only does this build resiliency into our local water system, it reduces the amount of fresh, valuable water that flushes out to the ocean during a storm. This commitment to increase stormwater capture is also a critical step to fulfill key targets in our Sustainable City pLAn, including: Arizona Republican Rep. Matt Salmon speaks to supporters at the Republican election night festivities Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Using Love to Combat Hatred in the Fight for Equality I have been the victim of a lot of bullying in my life. Throughout childhood schooling, I was bullied for being gay, and that was incredibly difficult as my under developed coping skills did not provide me with a secure foundation on which I could stand. Luckily, as an adult, I have found my grounding and no longer feel the twinge of pain from attacks made on my psyche. Interestingly enough, the brunt of bullying I have encountered in my life wasn't during those formative, childhood years, though those were the most influential. The majority of the bullying I have faced has been cyber bullying through hateful comments spewed by individuals who presume to understand my personal life, and want to spread what they think is intelligent commentary on the relationship I have with my father. It is strange to me, also, that many are people who claim to champion "love not hate," "equality for all," and an anti-bullying plight but are the first to hate me, treat me as unequal, and bully me. Advertisement One of my favorite attacks comes from individuals who regurgitate the words, "Stockholm Syndrome," like it actually relates to my life. To be clear, not everyone who loves someone that has hurt them in the past has Stockholm Syndrome. If that were the case, we all would find ourselves with that label. I happen to subscribe to the idea that love can conquer all, and so I choose to apply that philosophy in this situation. "I happen to subscribe to the idea that love can conquer all, and so I choose to apply that philosophy in this situation." Sure, there have been trials associated with being gay and having a Republican politician for a father, but I support my father just as he supports me. I came to realize many years ago that my father does his job, and he does it well. My father was hired and is employed by his constituency, just as every other politician. His job is to represent the popular (meaning majority) opinion of his constituency, and so he does. His "anti-gay" votes or decisions stem from his responsibility to act based on that opinion and not on a personal opinion, or the opinion of a progressive minority. I know my father, I know his feelings, and I know that he loves and supports me regardless of what is perceived by the public. I know that most people don't understand, that as an employee of the public, his obligation is to the majority of his constituency, but that's how it goes. Advertisement Among the rather despicable comments I've received the cake probably goes to, "It's too bad you weren't bullied into suicide." I would hope that any person with a shred of human decency would look at that kind of remark with disgust, but I assure you, it has been said. I was lucky enough to never struggle with thoughts of suicide as many have, and I can attribute that largely to the love of my family. I can also attribute a large part of that to my father. He's known that I am gay since the age of 15 or so, and he also was aware of my pain. He was my earliest strength in the battle between my religious conviction and my sexuality. He assured me of his love for me regardless of which path my life took. It was also his suggestion that I truly foster a personal relationship with God and that as long as I had, I would know how I should live my life. He told me that as long as I had that relationship, the opinions of others wouldn't matter, and he was right. The strength my father gave me to fight is a big part of why I am where I am today. For that reason, I won't do as others condemn me for not doing and turn my back on him. I will "turn the other cheek" so to speak, rather than throw a tantrum, and I will persist in my love for him and my family. I will live my life proudly, openly, and with love so that others can see the benefits of doing so. Now, this doesn't mean that I support every decision ever made by the people I choose to love and support, because that would be ridiculous. I choose to support and love the person, regardless of my agreement with each decision they make. I guess you could say I love the believer, not the belief. It's no secret that I disagree with any person who doesn't support equality. Ask anyone close to me and they will tell you that my opinions, sought after or not, are given. Any defense I have provided to anyone who doesn't agree with me is not to endorse their beliefs, but to support their decision to have their own beliefs and opinions. I would question any person who is unable to see the difference. Advertisement "The strength my father gave me to fight is a big part of why I am where I am today." So yes, I can employ rational thought. It's that rational thought that helped me to see the error in "anti-gay" therapy, which I underwent, as so many have pointed out. Where people got the idea that I was forced into it, I couldn't say. When I started the therapy I was an adult and when I opted to do it was asked on multiple occasions if it was what I really wanted to pursue, and at the time, I did. Luckily, for me, I wasn't subjected to some of the more gruesome tactics used in many versions of the therapy. After some time, I realized that I did not want to change who I am and decided to discontinue therapy and had no recourse when doing so. When I did, my family verbalized their support and some even noted they disliked that I had done the therapy in the first place, as they distrusted the entire process. It hasn't all been hate, however. Many positive situations have also come from my experiences. Those who have good things to say are usually not the ones asserting themselves publicly and I had multiple people reach out in private. One man explained to me that he had become so downtrodden he searched the Internet for the most effective ways to kill himself. He went on to say that one of the first things to pop up in his search was my "It Gets Better" YouTube video and this changed his outlook and dissuaded him from suicide. We kept in touch for a while and last I spoke to him he was living out a dream of his to travel around Europe. Another experience was my father's, and he outlined it for me while beaming with pride. He was out running errands one day and was stopped in a parking lot by a local pastor. The pastor wanted to shake his hand and thank him for his example of loving me, though we disagree. He informed my father that members of his congregation could truly benefit and he was developing a sermon in which he would urge them to love and support their LGBT loved ones despite their opinions. Advertisement "I don't need people to condemn me for not hating enough. I need people to express the love they want to be shown." These and many more positive outcomes are my reasons for living my life openly and with pride. If I allowed the negativity to stand in my way, people like that man I noted might have effectively researched suicide and might not be alive today. I can tolerate the hatred, even if for just one special outcome, and will continue to do so. Ultimately, I don't need people to condemn me for not hating enough. I need people to express the love they want to be shown. We don't need people to say another is "not self-respecting" because they have forgiveness and love for another. We need people who will not cry for equality while treating others as unequal. We need people who will not bully others for not being a big enough bully. Why, as a marginalized community, so many within feel the need to further marginalize others, is beyond me. sandwich of rye bread with avocado and goat cheese. tinting. selective focus What's more delicious than a freshly baked loaf of bread? It's comfort in food form, perfuming the air with an intoxicating, yeasty aroma we love. Perfect for topping, tearing, slathering with butter or dunking into a dip, here are 20 breads, bagels and toasts from restaurants around the country that are great for sharing with friends or mopping up your entree's leftover sauce: Photo provided by Major Food Group. Both a bakery and a restaurant, Sadelle's offers various home-made breads and delectable pastries at every meal to pair with its traditional Jewish appetizing fare. Advertisement Photo provided by Goldie's. A California-inspired restaurant with a sustainably driven menu, Goldie's serves a popular Avocado Toast on grilled bread with smoked chili flakes, lemon and chives, as well as multiple tartines (French open-faced sandwiches) for brunch and lunch. Photo provided by Vernick. A tour of the toasts is a must at Vernick, a New American eatery serving Chef Greg Vernick's lightly grilled sourdough slices with seven inventive ingredient combinations, plus large and small plates. Photo provided by Nebo. In addition to its pastas and pizza doughs that are made in-house daily, Nebo also bakes it own bread, dishing out mouthwatering bruschetta with toppings like garlic and olive oil or ricotta, walnuts, arugula, saba (grape reduction) and honey. Photo provided by Lafayette. Photo by Noah Fecks. Lafayette Grand Cafe and Bakery serves up classic French fare as delicious as its Boulangerie Basket which features fresh pastries and bread from their bakery, including treats like the Pain de Campagne made from a blend of white, rye and whole wheat flour with salt. Advertisement Photo provided by Monteverde. Top Chef alum Sarah Grueneberg's new restaurant, Monteverde delivers fantastic Italian small plates, including various crostini like the Artichoke and Sunchoke with fontina, ricotta and Savini black truffle and Mozzarella e Ham on tigelle (Italian bread) with Broadbent country ham and Mighty Vine cherry tomatoes. Photo provided by Flores + Sons. A market-driven restaurant dishing out Southern-inspired cuisine, Flores + Sons' signature starter is its fluffy potato dinner rolls topped with a pinch of sea salt and served with maple butter. Photo provided by Hearth. One of the heartier sections of Hearth's healthful Tuscan-American menu, split into sections which highlight vegetables, offal and fish, includes dishes made from its own hand-milled, non-GMO flour and polenta varieties, as well as incredible breads from Sullivan Street Bakery. Photo provided by Noord. At Noord, Chef/Owner Joncarl Lachman offers inventive takes on Dutch and Scandinavian cuisine including a variety of grilled home-made breads, showcased in open-faced sandwiches and served alongside hashes and omelettes. Photo provided by Russ and Daughters. An outpost of the world-famous, 100-year-old Russ & Daughters store, Russ & Daughters Cafe delivers authentic Jewish comfort food focused on in-house bread-baking, including thick slices of Shissel Rye bread stuffed with seeds, dark pumpernickel, challah, bagels and bialys, plus fresh seafood. Advertisement Photo provided by Casa B. Casa B specializes in Spanish-Caribbean small plates, emphasizing its pinchos -- including sauteed Spanish sausage and onions, plus other combinations -- served over two pieces of grilled bread from Iggy's, a Cambridge bakeshop. Photo provided by Town Hall. Bread lovers rejoice at Town Hall, a bustling Southern-inspired New American restaurant that offers a variety of toasts, including a warm ham and cheese toast with soft poached egg and jalapeno cream, plus sandwiches and burgers with house-made sourdough buns. Photo provided by Little Sister. Photo by Dan Collopy. While Little Sister's claim to fame is its delicious Southeast Asian dishes, the restaurant also uses Dutch and British colonial influences and French techniques to make standout bread, like a sesame sourdough baguette with premium Echire AOC Butter, as well as delicious pastries. Photo provided by High Street on Hudson. High Street on Hudson is a spinoff of the award-winning Philadelphia hot spot and maintains the core focus of the original eatery, translating their love of grains into assorted breads made daily in on-site ovens by baker Alex Bois. Photo provided by The Bristol. Photo by Anjali Pinto. The Bristol serves fresh, beautiful breads at dinner, including its focaccia with sea salt, whipped ricotta and honey, and a country toast topped with chicken liver mousse or duck rillettes, as well as a ciabatta toast to pair with brunch. Advertisement Photo provided by Sbraga. Photo by Michael Persico. From popovers to gluten-free loaves, Sbraga offers an extensive bread program, featuring warm home-made loaves from Pastry Chef Monica Glass. Photo provided by RN74. RN74 offers a selection of bread-focused bites, including cheese, charcuterie and bread boards, escargot croissants and croque monsieur panini to pair with its wine program and French menu. Photo provided by Hinterland. Hinterland's diverse bread selection features an Avocado Toast with ricotta, Sicilian olives and lime oil, charcuterie with charred Italian bread and toasted fruit bread with a daily selection of cheese. Photo provided by Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria. Committed to artisan baking, Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria crafts breads -- lentil, ciabatta, filone, country and foccacia -- made with organic flour and long fermented doughs from its on-site bakery to go with its house-cured meats, hand-picked cheeses and Italian plates. Photo provided by Homestead on the Roof. A basket of house-baked breads and accoutrements is an elegant start to a farm-fresh meal at this seasonally driven neighborhood favorite. Advertisement 'A thousand yes-men cannot equal one honest advisor,' a saying found in 'The Biography of Lord Shang' in Sima Qian's Historical Records, was the Warring States period advisor Zhao Liang's admonishment to the Qin chief advisor Shang Yang. Zhao Liang was willing to join Shang Yang's camp, but he had a prerequisite: 'A whole day of honest and straightforward speech must not go punished.' That is to say, he could speak his mind honestly all day and not suffer any retaliation. Zhao Liang raised two examples from the previous generation, namely Wu Wang of the Zhou period, who did not lack honest advisors and so in the end succeeded in his great task, and King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty who surrounded himself with men who told him what he wanted to hear, and so in the end lost his kingdom and his life. Shang Yang accepted Zhao Liang's requirement with pleasure, and indeed went a step further, saying: 'Glib talk is merely pretty, straightforward talk is truthful, unpleasant talk is medicinal, sweet talk is sickening.' Among the later generations, those who best understood this wisdom were Li Shimin, who became Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang official Wei Zheng. The relationship between Emperor Taizong and Wei Zheng can be likened to that of Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong. At the time, Wei Zheng served as an advisor to the crown prince Li Jiancheng, and even urged Li Jiancheng to kill his younger brother Li Shimin at the earliest chance. During the bloody coup in which Li Shimin took control, Wei Zheng was able to remove himself from the conflict and subsequently enter into the close circle of his former enemy, now the new monarch, for which he must have shed grateful tears. Yet Wei Zheng continued to go his own way, frequently offending the emperor and opposing imperial orders. He wrote 'Ten Considerations' for Emperor Taizong, with many rules and regulations for him to ponder. In general, Wei Zheng did not keep to his proper station. In his capacity as an official advisor, he made general suggestions, giving importance to matters both great and small. Emperor Taizong wanted to impress all second-born sons over the age of 18 into his army, but Wei Zheng absolutely refused to sign the document, and even argued his case in front of the entire court, saying: 'If you dry out the marsh to catch fish, there will be no fish the following year; if you burn the forest to flush out prey, there will be no beasts the following year.' In this way, he forced Emperor Taizong to rescind his order. As if that weren't enough, he also meddled in the emperor's personal life, even questioning how much the emperor's daughter should have in her dowry, and which prince should be given imperial favors. The other advisors at court did not even inquire about personal matters, but Wei Zheng had his hand in everything, proclaiming that this or that did not conform to proper ceremony, frequently making Emperor Taizong redden with anger as he had no way to back down gracefully. Setting aside cultural and military achievements, and speaking instead of tolerance to such advice, after the first emperor of the Qin, no one could match Emperor Taizong. Even so, Wei Zheng did not let the emperor get away with anything, and spoke all day in his ear, reminding him to take advice gladly: 'If someone is right, you should listen. If someone is wrong, you should listen. If someone is wise, you should listen, and if someone is not, you should still listen. Otherwise, how will your ministers dare to talk to you?' Once, he spoke even more bluntly: 'When you receive advice, your attitude is not as good as it was in the past. In the early years of your reign, you thirsted for advice and worried that people would not speak freely. After that, you continued to be pleased to hear advice. Now you're still willing to receive advice, but you listen with an unhappy expression, and all your officials see it.' With someone like Wei Zheng by his side, if the emperor had been an ordinary man, he would not have even wanted to appear in his own court. That is not to say Emperor Taizong never got angry. Once, after he had retired from the court, he went to Empress Zhangsun to vent his anger, and shouted that he wanted to do in 'the country bumpkin.' Fortunately, the empress was very wise. She put on her ceremonial dress and knelt before the emperor to congratulate him on having such a loyal official, which is the mark of a true emperor, and only then did his anger turn to amusement. After Wei Zheng died, Emperor Taizong personally administered the sacrificial rites, and wrote him the eternal and widely-known 'Discourse on Three Mirrors': 'In a mirror of copper, one can adjust one's clothes; in the mirror of history, one can understand power and succession; in the mirror of one's fellow men, one can understand one's successes and failures.' Wei Zheng was that third kind of mirror. In the 18th year of Emperor Taizong's reign, when he lost in his military campaign against Korea, he sighed that 'if Wei Zheng had been here, he would not have let me go ahead with it.' Chinese culture teaches that one should seek causes within oneself, to withdraw when one is not needed, and to examine oneself three times a day. One should emulate one's betters, learn from others, and modestly accept criticism in order to rectify one's moral character and unceasingly improve. Confucius said: Among three people, one will be my teacher. He despised hypocrites who only looked out for themselves, and admired radicals like the madman Jieyu and old hermit He Diao. In his eyes, the ideal social relationship was that of gentlemen being united despite disagreement and willing to work together for the common good. This is unlike the relationship between petty men, which involves disunity despite similar opinions and the formation of self-serving cliques. In the realm of politics, the ideal relationship between ruler and subject is that in which 'the ruler deals with his subjects according to proper ceremony, while subjects treat their ruler with loyalty.' The ability to air opinions freely and to accept suggestions frequently determined the rise or fall of an empire. In middle school, we all studied the story 'Zou Ji Persuades the King to Accept Instructions' from Strategies of the Warring States, and there are many similar examples in the following dynasties. King Zhou Li did not listen to Duke Zhao's advice and sought to kill those who slandered him. This incited the anger of the people, who then destroyed the king's dams and dykes. The eunuch Zhao Gao during the second reign of the Qin deliberately lied at court, and all the other officials obsequiously agreed with anything he said, while the few who spoke the truth were eliminated one by one until the emperor had no one trustworthy left around him. During the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao refused the well-intentioned but unpleasant advice of Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and others. In contrast, Cao Cao summoned distinguished men from across the empire and took their advice, and even Yuan Shao's advisors were useful to him. In this way, Cao Cao managed to defeat Yuan Shao and unify the north. But Cao Cao insisted on doing things his own way in the following Battle of Red Cliff, and as he fled in defeat down Huarong Avenue, he lamented the death of his advisor Guo Jia, which meant that there was no one around him to correct his mistakes. Wang Can, one of the seven leading writers of the Jian'an period, mentions in his 'Like a String of Pearls' that 'if you look into a bright mirror, imperfections will not persist in your appearance; if you listen to honest speech, your mistakes will not entwine you.' Most likely Emperor Taizong's 'Discourse on Three Mirrors' had its roots in this passage. We should not be afraid of people saying the wrong things; we should be afraid of people not speaking at all. In most cases, highly successful people are extremely open-minded, and they are deeply interested in hearing different opinions. When the Ming dynasty Confucian scholar Wang Yangming went out to inspect his domain, he had the local administrators hold up signs that said not the usual 'remain quiet,' and 'stay out of the way,' but rather 'I want to hear the feelings of the people,' 'I am willing to hear of my own mistakes' -- and this later became a favorite tale. Some in the international community see the Chinese Communist Party as having a stable set of leaders, a tremendous foundation in the masses, and a special 'vertical democracy.' Collective measures are decided on the basis of mutual communication that flows both up and down, the equal participation of individuals in organized events, and rational discussion that leads to efficacious consensus. Historically, the Chinese Communist Party has always opposed the vulgar idea that 'we're all talked about behind our backs, and we all talk about others behind their backs.' It has advocated that those who have something to say should say it publicly, and that everyone seek a sincere and devoted unity through open and unhidden criticism. Whether a member of the Party or not, one should try one's best to listen to a range of opinions, to understand the genuine situation, and to guarantee correct and scientifically sound policy. The fundamental attitude of our Party toward criticism is to consider things as they stand, seek the truth in facts, and distinguish right from wrong, while also avoiding viewing events and treating people in terms of gratitude and enmity, gain and loss, advantage and harm, intimacy and personal distance, or allowing man-made resentment over opinions and differences to interfere with work. In the Yan'an period, when the liberal-minded Li Dingming proposed the idea of 'excellent troops and a streamlined administration,' not a few people suspected that his motives were not pure, but Comrade Mao Zedong proceeded from the basic needs and overall good of the people, and responded sincerely, calling the idea a 'medicine to reform our officialism, bureaucratism, and formalism.' He initiated a full democratic discussion as he implemented the policy of 'excellent troops and a streamlined administration' to greatly increase working efficiency in the border regions of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia, along with the rear anti-Japanese bases, which helped them in their difficult victories. In 1949, on the eve of the successful revolution, Comrade Mao Zedong spoke of the 12th working method of the Communist Party Committee, emphasizing that the Secretary of the Party must be a good 'team leader,' and as such, must put all the problems on the table and pay attention to the work of those comrades whose opinions differ from his own. These ideas are everlasting, and embody the aspirations and magnanimity of all Communist Party members. "I am from Mexico." This a phrase that at least most of my friends and close community are very proud of. As Mexicans and Latinos, we are constantly described as cheerful (and noisy) people, with a free and energetic spirit with tons of hopes and dreams to come true. Accurately, all of that is true. Yet, what people sometimes miss is the entrepreneurial spirit within Mexicans and the Latino communities. You would only need to go through the metro stations at any time during the day on any city across the country and you would see how creative Mexicans can get in order to make some money to take back home. At the subway or along the street you can buy any product that comes into your mind: chargers, body creams, makeup, lamps, batteries and of course - tacos. And, while some people find it strange and sometimes even funny, this entrepreneurial spirit makes me confident that with just a glance of opportunity we can make great things. This past weekend, more than 1,200 talented student entrepreneurs traveled from around the world to pitch their game-changing ideas at the Hult Prize Regional competition, aiming to double the income of 10 million people living in urban slums. The teams simultaneously competed in London, Dubai, Shanghai, Boston and San Francisco hoping to be the Regional champion that would advance to the 7-week summer incubation program to accelerate their ideas and be part of the Hult Prize Global Final in New York during the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in September 2016. Advertisement What was incredible about this edition of the Hult Prize was that I witnessed, once again, how young people around the world are changing the way we approach the world's most difficult issues. Everyone involved could see the passion of the hundreds of students pitching ideas that created social impact and uniquely delivered business returns. Also, for the first time, Mexico had a national delegation of 9 teams representing 8 university campus from around the country and proudly I can tell you that not one, but two teams: Tolos from Tec de Monterrey Campus Toluca and PROTrash from Tec de Monterrey Campus Guadalajara, were in the top 6 of the Boston and San Francisco Regional Finals. Confirming that the entrepreneurial spirit in Mexico is alive and brighter than ever, and that with just a bit of empowerment and training, young Mexicans can come up with outstanding local solutions to our country's biggest issues. What did these teams have in common? Both teams went directly to the urban slums, asked questions, built a pilot, went back to ask more questions, talked with mentors, received support and worked in collaboration with their university, but most importantly: they didn't give up. These students were not only completely engaged in achieving excellence with their studies to serve others, but became aware and are currently sharing the sense of urgency that the urban poor embody in their country. In 1998, Hollywood released the movie The Siege, starring Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis. The plot eerily depicted terror attacks in New York City and a climate of fear, uncertainty and tension that followed. At the heart of the film is what transpires in the process of finding the terrorists: martial law is declared, the borough of Brooklyn is sealed off and young males of Arab/Middle Eastern descent are rounded up and detained. Well, if GOP presidential contenders Ted Cruz and Donald Trump were to have their way, that scary scenario might very well be reality one day soon. "We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized," read part of a statement released by Cruz following the tragic attacks in Brussels. "The days of the United States voluntarily surrendering to the enemy to show how progressive and enlightened we are at an end. Our country is at stake." In other words, let's profile, segregate, search and possibly seize American citizens and immigrants alike who practice a particular faith and live in the same area or hang out in the same neighborhood. Yeah, sounds very aligned with our Constitution. Advertisement Donald Trump, no stranger to making disparaging comments about Muslims himself - including calling for a ban on them entering the country - said he would support Cruz's plan to have authorities patrol Muslim neighborhoods. In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, he concurred: "I think that's a good idea." Those kinds of incendiary statements, coupled with the false notion that most Muslims somehow condone terrorism or fail to condemn it, have given rise to a new age of open xenophobia and bigotry that has severe consequences for society in both the short and long term. While calling for patrols of neighborhoods, spying of mosques and bans on entering the country may be good talking points to rile up their base and pursue their own political aspirations, Cruz, Trump and their ilk are creating a toxic environment in the process. And the reality is, their "innovative ideas" don't work. The infamous Demographics Unit in New York (later termed the Zone Assessment Unit) already targeted Muslim communities and mapped out where they worshipped, ate, hung out and more. Under this intrusive surveillance and through other mechanisms, mosques were spied upon and were designated as 'suspected terrorism enterprises.' Informants infiltrated these houses of worship and other areas, and guess what? All of this profiling and spying never generated a lead - not a single one. The only thing it accomplished was to drive a wedge between Muslim communities and police that were supposed to serve and protect them. Another false narrative that Cruz, Trump and frankly people from all ends of the spectrum like to often spew is that Muslims somehow don't do enough to root out terrorism, or don't condemn it enough. Again, a nice talking point for those that thrive off of an industry of fearmongering and hate, but the truth couldn't be more glaringly different. Advertisement A Duke University study released in 2014 revealed that more terrorism suspects and perpetrators were brought to the attention of law enforcement by the Muslim American community than were found through the government's own investigations. If that's the case, then why would we want to alienate the very people that are doing the most to stop the next act of horror? Why is it that this reality is rarely, if ever, reported? And why are Presidential candidates allowed to make up their own lies, call for patrols of entire communities and nobody checks them on it? On Tuesday evening, NYPD spokesperson J. Peter Donald tweeted Cruz the following: "Hey, @tedcruz are our nearly 1k Muslim officers a "threat" too? It's hard to imagine a more incendiary, foolish statement". The fact that the Director of Communications for the largest police force in the country made it a point to call out a politician running for the highest office in the land speaks volumes about the dangerous rhetoric loosely thrown about by these individuals and the disturbing climate they have created in the wake of their outrageous, vile and calculated words. Terrorism is one of the most horrific challenges we must eliminate in order to restore a sense of humanity to our sometimes chaotic world. But to ignore the fact that Muslims are in fact the greatest victims of terrorism is to once again deny reality. As we mourn the loss of innocents in Brussels, we should also give condolences to the victims in Turkey, Nigeria and around the world who also recently died in acts of terrorism. Cruz, Trump and others are so quick to proclaim that "all lives matter"; well then maybe they should start acknowledging the fact that all lives really do matter and victims are victims - regardless of their religious or ethnic background. In an era where it's perfectly acceptable to openly demonize Muslims, are we surprised that those running for President of the United States are comfortable calling for a scenario pretty similar to that depicted in a Hollywood film nearly 20 years ago? We as a nation cannot succumb to such madness, nor should we allow such garbage language and ideas to pollute our discourse. Ted Cruz is right, our country is at stake. But it isn't "political correctness" that's the problem; it's self-aggrandizing politicians who will stop at nothing to advance themselves - even if it means throwing a religious minority under the bus. A man lays a candle as people gather to pay tribute to the victims of the Brussels attacks on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in central Brussels, on March 24, 2016, two days after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, hit Brussels' airport and the Maelbeek - Maalbeek subway station, killing 31 people and wounding 300 others.A grieving Belgium hunted two fugitive suspects after bombings that struck at the very heart of Europe, as security authorities faced mounting criticism over the country's worst-ever attacks. / AFP / PHILIPPE HUGUEN (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images) By now, you've probably heard about Brussels. The city of waffles, urinating statues, and moules frites was rocked early Tuesday morning by acts of terrorism. Two explosions in airport and one in the metro meant the city's characteristic grey skies were coloured also by screams and sirens. There was loss of life and loss of hope. Advertisement In its wake, there is tragedy by the proverbial landslide, along with so much negative energy. While the shrapnel has settled, ills like grief and helplessness will hang heavy in the atmosphere for a long while. This is the reality of terrorism. It's the stealthy scourge we'll never quite be equipped to deal with or handle. It's a battle in which there is no winner, the uninvited guest that arrives abruptly and leaves so many unanswered questions upon its departure. Given this, I am sad about what's happened in Belgium. But I'm also slightly angry, and not for the reasons you may think. I'll explain. Just three days before the terrorist attacks in Brussels, there was a similar attack in Istanbul. And a mere 6 days before that, on March 13th, there was another explosion in Ankara, its second fatal bombing in less than a month. I should mention that Istanbul also had another deadly blast this year, in January. Advertisement But while my social media feeds are awash in profile pics changed to the Belgian flag and my bookmarked news sites are stuffed to the gills with up-to-the-minute coverage, while municipal governments in Europe illuminate their landmarks in Belgium's national colours and Twitter hashtags expressing solidarity with the stricken nation abound, I can't help but think that the Western world's outpouring for Istanbul and Ankara is not as... emphatic. The truth is that the public expression of sympathy for Turkey has been faint in comparison. The recent and multiple attacks haven't elicited nearly as many hand-wringing condolences or heart-rending tributes in the media; my social feeds have been conspicuously devoid of Turkish flags. I had the same thoughts at the time of the Paris bombings last year. The Western world banded together to support the City of Lights in its time of need, while Beirut, which had suffered its own pair of explosions the very day before, was left forgotten. "When my people died, no country bothered to light up its landmarks in the colours of their flag," Lebanese doctor Elie Fares wrote on his blog. "When my people died, they did not send the world into mourning. Their death was but an irrelevant fleck along the international news cycle, something that happens in those parts of the world." His observation is not untrue, and the injustice of it makes me angry. Just as the gravity of a terrorist attack shouldn't be measured by the number of casualties it yields, it also shouldn't be measured by geo-political location, religion, race, diplomatic affiliation, or GDP. Advertisement Certain lives don't have more value because the humans that inhabit them are white and/or Western. Other lives don't have less value because the humans that inhabit them are minorities and/or Muslim. So let's show our support for the victims in Brussels without forgetting the fallen in Istanbul, Ankara, and Grand-Bassam. Let's unite in solidarity for the stricken in Mogadishu, Jakarta, and Ouagadougou. And let's mourn those who lost their lives in Tunis, Bamako, and Beirut, with as much intensity as we mustered for the poor souls in Paris. After all, just because us Westerners can't always see ourselves reflected in the afflicted, doesn't mean that what has happened to them is any less tragic or poignant. Policemen search passengers at the entrance of the De Brouckere metro station, on March 24, 2016 in Brussels, two days after a triple bomb attack, which responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State group, hit Brussels' airport and the Maelbeek - Maalbeek subway station, killing 31 people and wounding 300 others.A grieving Belgium hunted two fugitive suspects after bombings that struck at the very heart of Europe, as security authorities faced mounting criticism over the country's worst-ever attacks. / AFP / PHILIPPE HUGUEN (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images) "We are at war," said Francois Hollande last November, after the attacks in Paris. The images from Brussels -- the bombed airport, the bodies at the metro station, the empty streets, the dead city --- reproduce a stereotypical image of war. But, if we are at war, who is the enemy? Where is the front? Who are the members of the opposing army? If the European democracies have to fight to survive, where must that battle be fought? In the neighborhoods of European cities, like Brussels' Molenbeek, where the two brothers Abdeslam ran a small cafe, in which they served tea, sold drugs and recruited young, first and second generation immigrants, before they themselves became involved in the attacks on Paris? Or in Syria, where ISIS has installed a reign of terror, is gaining power and inspiring a maniacal dream of the revival of the caliphate? Advertisement "Most analyses lead to the first choice: The battle must be fought -- they say -- in the self-same European cities." We must find the answer. What leads young children, 16-17 years old, brought up either in the multicultural model of British cities or in the ghettos of Paris and Brussels, into the arms of those who seek death and violence? What could explain their rapid radicalization? Where did Western Europe fail in winning over these young people? We must also find solutions. How may the battle be fought successfully against such a shadow army? How to penetrate networks of familial and friendly support, such as those who managed to hide for 125 whole days the most wanted man in all of Europe from daily police raids, just a few meters away from his mother's house? And if despite the arrest of Abedslam (or as a reaction to it) they were able to execute such a hit while Brussels already was on high alert, how can the repetition of such murder and mayhem be prevented, anywhere and at any time? The monster that threatens the West, the enemy that the West has to fight is largely a product of criminal errors and inexcusable failures in the Middle East. But there are also voices which support the second approach. That the battle must be fought and won, primarily in the Middle East, and secondarily in the European mainland. This is a view which is for instance supported by Patrick Cockburn, a veteran correspondent of major media in the region and perceptive analyst of the ISIS phenomenon. What is ISIS? According to Cockburn's analysis, it is a product of a triple failure of the West in the Middle East. The failure of the war in Iraq, the failure of peace in Iraq and the failure in Syria. Thus, a core of gunpowder smoked warriors who combine ideology with religious fanaticism and military experience formed an organization that sprang to life in Iraq. The outbreak of the civil war in Syria made them sought after there and provided them with territory, fans and easy victories. They were then able to transfer over to Iraqi soil against a ghost-army that the Americans had put together, spending untold sums from which emerged hundreds of super-corrupt officers but not one warrior soldier. Born in the violence and of the violence of war they dominate through the most extreme and perversely ostentatious violence. And they offer billions of Sunnis in the Middle East, as well as in Europe, a victorious standard (for the first time) of a Sunni force that excites the imagination and a dream of reviving the caliphate, and recruits people ready to sacrifice themselves for a crazy idea. If this analysis is correct, the root of the problem is in the Middle East, not in Europe itself. The monster that threatens the West, the enemy that the West has to fight is largely a product of criminal errors and inexcusable failures in the Middle East. And if the West can not defeat it there, no matter how many policing measures it may take in European cities, no matter how many surveillance systems it installs, even if it abolishes the Schengen Area or shuts the refugees who frighten it in ghettos, or turns Greece into Europe's Ellis Island, the problem will recur. The front at which the West should fight this battle is primarily in Syria. After three failures, the West needs a success -- the success of the peaceful transition of Syria into the next age and the operational squashing of Islamofascism. Advertisement U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, holds a copy of the Constitution while speaking at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Ryan's call in a speech on Wednesday for elevating the political debate to inspire and unite Republicans carried a huge, unspoken subtext: Donald Trump. Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Having sat behind President Barack Obama during the State of Union Address in January, House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters afterward that he had done his best to maintain a poker face and avoid wincing, despite his objections to much of what Obama said, out of respect for the office. But Ryan's real expression was closer to a smirk, and it hinted at another possibility. Ryan might have been telling himself, "That could be me up there a year from now." It's not as far-fetched as it sounds. In fact, amid a presidential primary that has broken all the rules and left the GOP at loggerheads, a Ryan nomination is not only possible -- it might even be probable. Ryan has already emerged triumphant from the fray of another party fracas, when his House colleagues "drafted" him to be speaker after John Boehner resigned last fall. Similarly, if Donald Trump doesn't arrive at the GOP convention in July with half the delegates, Ryan could be "drafted" by the Republican convention to run for president -- perceived by his colleagues as the only person who can beat the Democratic nominee and save the party from self-destruction. Advertisement Although Ryan has consistently said he's not interested in running for president this year, his recent behavior suggests otherwise. In the past few weeks he's been much more visible in the media than he's been since he assumed the Speakership in October and has been positioning himself as the leader of his party. Two weeks ago, for example, he criticized Trump for saying that riots would erupt if he (Trump) doesn't become the party's presidential nominee. He also criticized Trump for not forcefully distancing himself from David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader. He added that Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the United States was wrong. Ryan did not try to hide his strong opposition to a Trump candidacy: "If anybody -- not just Donald Trump -- if anybody is out there representing the Republican Party in ways that we believe disfigure conservatism or do not portray what our views and principles are, I, as a party leader -- and others, I assume, as well -- have an obligation to defend our principles from being distorted. We're going to continue doing that." He also predicted that the GOP might face a brokered convention, which is another way of suggesting that Trump won't have the necessary delegates to win the nomination on the first ballot. Advertisement This Wednesday, in a speech to Congressional interns, Ryan clearly rebuked Trump (without mentioning him by name) when he said that politics should be "a battle of ideas, not a battle of insults." Seeking to appear statesmanlike, he admonished politicians in both parties for debasing political discourse and called for more civility. He also apologized for labeling poor people who receive government benefits as "takers," a way of increasing his appeal to moderate voters who were upset with Ryan's comments. (Despite the apology, Ryan hasn't changed his draconian policy proposals to slash anti-poverty programs). HAD Trump won the Republican primary in Ohio, he would likely have had a clear shot at garnering the 1,237 (out of 2,470) delegates needed to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. But Ohio Governor John Kasich's victory in his home state complicates Trump's path. That sets the stage for a brokered convention, where leaders from the various factions within the GOP, along with their key financial backers, will try to agree on a "stop Trump" candidate who can not only gain a majority of delegates to win the nomination, but also beat the Democratic nominee in November. If Trump falls short of winning a majority of delegates on the first ballot, the delegates pledged to him would no longer be legally bound to support him on subsequent ballots. It is unlikely that Texas Senator Ted Cruz can gather enough delegates to grab the nomination away from Trump. That's because Cruz would have to win over not only his own delegates, but also delegates who bolt from Trump, as well as almost all the delegates initially pledged to Kasich and the other candidates who have withdrawn from the race--Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, and Carly Fiorina. At that point, with the convention in a dire deadlock, the GOP leaders (including Republican governors and key members of the party's Rules Committee), major donors (including representatives of the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson, and others), and perhaps Fox News mogul Roger Ailes, can be expected to come together to look for an outsider to save the party from disaster. Ryan, presumably, will be eagerly waiting in the wings, ready to serve. Ryan, who was Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012, has said he doesn't want the job--but that's the same thing he once said about the speakership. Advertisement Susan Del Percio, a New York-based Republican strategist who was a senior advisor to now-defunct political action committee that had backed a Ryan-for-president bid, says that Ryan is the perfect candidate to unite the party and win in November. "He was the consensus to be speaker among House Republicans, who usually can't get a consensus about anything," she observes. Del Percio explains that it would be impossible to get anti-Trump Republicans to coalesce around Ryan at the convention unless his backers had mobilized support ahead of time. "You can't get people behind a candidate in 24 hours at the convention," she observes. "You have to lay the groundwork." The Republican operative believes there's a strong possibility of a "contested" convention. "I don't use the word 'brokered,' because I'm not sure who the brokers would be," says Del Percio. The so-called GOP establishment first failed to rally enough support for its favored candidate, ex-Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Party insiders then turned to Marco Rubio, but the Florida senator's lackluster campaign never gathered enough momentum to seriously challenge Trump. Advertisement As Bush and Rubio faltered, and as Trump's campaign gained momentum, a growing number of GOP insiders began talking about drafting Ryan, say party sources. To be sure, Ryan has consistently claimed that he's not interested in the top slot. When Fox News's Megyn Kelly asked Ryan in February if he'd be willing to be drafted at a brokered convention, he said no. BUT in early March, Earle Mack, a businessman and former U.S. ambassador to Finland under President George W. Bush, started a Committee to Draft Speaker Ryan, which he registered with the Federal Election Commission as a super PAC, a type of independent political action committee that can raise unlimited sums of money. Mack, who says he has never met Ryan, pledged to spend up to $1 million to build support for the effort, and recruited several well-known GOP operatives--including Del Percio--to the cause. On March 7, the PAC launched a Facebook page and set out to get one million people to pledge their support for a Ryan candidacy. But Ryan asked the group to shut down, so within a week Mack's effort was officially dismantled. Last week CNBC asked Ryan if he'd accept the GOP nomination if the convention became deadlocked. This time, his answer was more equivocal. "We'll see, who knows," he responded, adding nevertheless: "I'm not running for president. I made that decision, consciously, not to." His self-contradictory comments set off a flurry of speculation and forced Ryan to quickly retreat from his ambiguous statement. By the next morning (Wednesday), Ryan's spokesperson was telling reporters, "The speaker is grateful for the support, but he is not interested. He will not accept a nomination and believes our nominee should be someone who ran this year." But then Boehner, Ryan's predecessor as speaker, reignited the draft-Ryan momentum when he said he would support Ryan for president in the event of a contested convention. He made those comments while attending a conference in Florida, according to Politico. "If we don't have a nominee who can win on the first ballot, I'm for none of the above," Boehner said. "They all had a chance to win. None of them won. So I'm for none of the above. I'm for Paul Ryan to be our nominee." Whatever Ryan is saying in public, the GOP's Dump Trump movement is determined not to take no for an answer. Ryan's advocates are surely already talking to the party's business-oriented establishment delegates, the Tea Party activists, the religious right crusaders, the libertarian militants, and the other factions within the party, trying to persuade them that Ryan embraces their views and is the only Republican who can win in November. Advertisement UNTIL World War II, before candidates were chosen by state primaries and caucuses, party conventions were often chaotic affairs that involved lots of horse-trading by political bosses from each state. It wasn't unusual for conventions to require multiple rounds of votes before someone got the party's nomination. In 1924, the Democrats needed 102 ballots--the most on record--before they nominated John W. Davis as their standard-bearer. The last time the Democrats had a brokered convention was in 1952, when it took them three ballots to nominate then-Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson. The Republicans' last brokered convention occurred in 1948. New York Governor Thomas Dewey won the nomination, but it took three ballots to seal his victory. Both Stevenson and Dewey had campaigned for months to win their parties' nominations. Since then, party conventions have been highly-scripted pep rallies. There's little drama when the outcome is known in advance. Instead, the conventions are designed to gain media visibility and momentum for the candidate whose nomination is a done deal. The situation this year could be very different, since Ryan hasn't declared his candidacy, hasn't campaigned for the job, and will go to the convention without a single delegate aligned with him. As speaker, Ryan will serve as the chairman of the convention, giving him an even larger public role in the proceedings. When the GOP convention convenes in Cleveland, the bartering will escalate. On the convention floor, and in the hotel rooms, bars, and restaurants where they retreat to discuss these matters, the delegates for other candidates could easily begin shifting loyalties toward Ryan. By the second or third day of the convention at Quicken Loans Arena, the whispers could well become a groundswell and the "Ryan for President" signs might start appearing. It's easy to picture a massive rally on the convention floor with delegates shouting "We want Paul!" Advertisement Ryan would then signal to RNC chair Reince Priebus that he's willing to be drafted. Except for Trump, the other candidates would be expected to put on their own poker faces and release their delegates so they could rally behind Ryan. A one-time Cruz, Trump, or Rubio delegate would make a motion from the floor that Ryan be the Republican nominee for president. Late on the third day of the convention--during the prime-time television period--the delegates would cast their votes for Ryan to be the GOP standard-bearer. Ryan would then arrive on stage to a combination of grateful applause and angry boos (from Trump's supporters) and deliver a half-hour speech humbly accepting the nomination and pledging not only to unite the Republican Party, but to soundly defeat the Democrats and work with a Republican-controlled House and Senate to enact an agenda to shrink the government. This waiting-in-the-wings strategy is nothing new for the Wisconsin Congressman. It is, in fact, exactly how he got to be speaker of the House. Ryan was hardly a passive spectator in his ascent to the speakership. Some observers detected Ryan's fingerprints on the entire process--from Boehner's surprising resignation, to heir-apparent Kevin McCarthy's withdrawal from contention after his blunder over Benghazi, to the elimination of other would-be speakers. Ryan then emerged as the "savior"--the only person of stature who could unify his fractious party. In their desperation, the Republicans turned their lonely eyes to Ryan, who played hard to get. One media outlet reported that Ryan "has made it perfectly clear he has no interest in becoming speaker of the House of Representatives," while another reported "House GOP Crying For Paul Ryan To Run For Speaker." Ryan insisted at the time that he was happy to be House Ways and Means chairman and wasn't interested in the speaker's seat. Even once he was drafted, Ryan pretended to be uninterested in the position; but he eventually agreed to accept it if the GOP honchos would agree to his conditions. One of them was that he be allowed to regularly fly back to Wisconsin to spend time with his wife and three young children. "I cannot and will not give up my family time," he said at the time. (This is ironic, since Ryan has consistently opposed a federal paid family leave program to allow ordinary families to balance work and family.) Ryan was elected speaker on October 29. Ryan is perfectly positioned to emerge, once again, as his party's last-minute savior. He's handsome, articulate and youthful (46), but has served in the House since 2000. He's more politically experienced and appealing than Cruz, even though the two share similarly right-wing views. Although his voting record and policy ideas are ultra-conservative, Ryan is not seen as a flame-thrower. As House speaker, he's been able to propose policy ideas that keep him consistently in the news but without the taint of ambition for higher office. He's sought to create a reputation as a pragmatic conservative and an intra-party bridge builder. He has already brokered a budget package with Obama that gained the support of more than 60 percent of Republican House members, which he can point to as evidence that he can work "across the aisle" and thus appeal to independent voters. Advertisement In recent weeks, both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have assumed that one of them will face off against Trump in November. Whatever opposition research they've done on Trump will be worthless if Ryan wins the GOP nomination. On the other hand, the Democrats have plenty of information about Ryan -- his personal background, his political history, and his strengths and weaknesses as a campaigner -- from his less-than-impressive tour as Mitt Romney's running mate four years ago. (For example, Ryan's presence on the ticket couldn't stop Obama from winning Wisconsin). Despite his lackluster performance, Ryan made lots of contacts with GOP leaders and voters across the country who would help him win the nomination, raise money, and build a campaign operation. ONLY in the wacky world of today's Republican Party could Ryan be seen as a voice of reason or even, according to the party's Tea Party wing, as "too far left," as the New York Times reported in October. As part of his campaign to appear to be an honest broker within the party, Ryan carefully cultivated the image of being a serious "thinker" and "policy wonk" and, for the most part, the mainstream media have taken the bait. When Mitt Romney introduced Ryan as his running mate in 2012, he described the Wisconsin Congressman as the "intellectual leader of the Republican Party." In the conservative magazine Commentary, James Pethokoukis wrote that, "It's probably safe to assume that no elected official in America understands the ins and outs of the labyrinthine U.S. budget the way Paul Ryan does." A McClatchey news story described Ryan as a "policy wonk" and a "conservative thinker." The Daily Beast called Ryan a "number-crunching policy wonk." New York Times columnist Ross Douthat described Ryan as a "moderate conservative." Advertisement But from any rational perspective on the spectrum of American political views, the words "moderate" or "moderate conservative" don't fit with Ryan in any context except perhaps his clothing preferences and his haircut. Ryan has credited Ayn Rand, the libertarian philosopher of you're-on-your-own selfishness as "the reason I got involved in public service." Rand's books have been required reading for his congressional staffers. Like Rand, Ryan consistently demonizes people who improve their lives with the help of government. Ryan seems to be unaware of how much his own family and his own financial success have been influenced by "big government." Despite Ryan's persistent attacks on government spending, his family's construction business has been anchored in building roads on government contracts. Despite his worship of private-sector entrepreneurs, he's spent his entire career as a government employee. Despite being a crusader against anti-poverty programs, Ryan is a millionaire who made his money an old-fashioned way: by marrying a woman who inherited a fortune. In his speech to the GOP convention in Tampa in 2012, where he accepted Romney's invitation to join the GOP ticket as its vice presidential candidate, Ryan told a story about how, after his father's death, his mother "got on a bus every weekday for years, and rode 40 miles each morning to Madison." Ryan said: Advertisement She earned a new degree and learned new skills to start her small business. It wasn't just a new livelihood. It was a new life. And it transformed my mom from a widow in grief to a small businesswoman whose happiness wasn't just in the past. Her work gave her hope. It made our family proud. And to this day, my mom is my role model. Ryan cast this as a celebration of his mother's lift-herself-by-her-own-bootstraps spirit. What he conveniently overlooked was that the bus was a public service, that the road was built and maintained by government, and that the University of Wisconsin in Madison is a public institution. Ryan, moreover, has released budget plans that would slash funding for public education, roads, and public services that are the investments we need to lift people out of poverty and strengthen our economy. During the 2012 campaign, when he was Romney's running mate, reporters kept asking Ryan to explain his draconian budget, but he never offered a coherent answer. His stump speech was little more than stock cliches about the evils of "big government," the importance of being "self sufficient" and the dangers of people becoming dependent on government instead of fending for themselves. RYAN, in fact, has built his reputation demonizing poor people. His most well-worn metaphor has been that anti-poverty programs have failed because instead of being a safety net, they have become a "hammock," robbing people of their self-esteem and initiative. Not surprisingly, Ryan has set out to slash programs that help low-income families and children. In 2013, from his perch on the House Budget Committee, he came out in favor of $20 billion in cuts that will throw an estimated two million children, elderly, and disabled Americans off food stamps. He pushed an amendment to eliminate food stamps for people who have $2,000 in savings, or a car worth more than $5,000. The CBO found that this would throw 1.8 million people off of the program. As The Hill reported: Advertisement Most of these would be low-income seniors and working families with children. These families typically live paycheck to paycheck. Denying them the ability to save for emergencies, such as fixing a car, or unexpected expenses, such as buying a uniform for a new job, only makes them more dependent on government resources, not less. The mainstream media routinely give Ryan credit for being a serious budget guru and social policy expert. This came out in 2014 when he released a 205-page report on the history of anti-poverty programs, going back a half century to President Johnson's Great Society programs, which concluded that they had failed. The report examined eight types of federal anti-poverty programs: food aid, social services, housing, cash aid, education and job training, energy, health care, and veterans' affairs. In the report, Ryan claimed that federal programs have contributed to the nation's high poverty rate and created a "poverty trap." According to the report, "Federal programs are not only failing to address the problem. They are also in some significant respects making it worse." The misleading report was meant to justify Ryan's proposed budget, which would slash anti-poverty programs such as food stamps, family assistance, college aid, child-care subsidies, and housing vouchers. Ryan, who also opposed extending unemployment insurance to the long-term jobless and raising the minimum wage, maintained that social science findings support his view that these programs have failed. Ryan's report generated a lot of media attention. The headline in Time magazine read: "Paul Ryan Critiques War on Poverty In New Report: Claims federal healthcare, nutrition and education programs have failed to address U.S. poverty rate." The Los Angeles Times headlined its story: "Paul Ryan calls for cuts to anti-poverty programs." The Washington Post headline echoed the same point: "Ryan Report Questions Efficacy Of Anti-Poverty Programs." The National Journal headlined its article, "Ryan Says Some Poverty Programs are Hurting the Poor." Advertisement The headlines were both accurate and misleading at the same time. Ryan did say that anti-poverty programs hurt the poor. But neither the headlines nor these (and most other) news stories in the mainstream media managed to convey the key about Ryan's report: It was factually wrong. Few reporters bothered to contact any social science experts who might have explained that Ryan's report didn't stand up to scrutiny. For all its authoritative-looking footnotes, the report misquoted and misinterpreted several studies that examine the impact of a wide variety of anti-poverty programs. For example: Ryan's report cited a study published in December by Columbia University's Population Research Center that measured poverty trends since the War on Poverty began in the 1960s. Columbia Professor Jane Waldfogel and her colleagues looked at an alternative measure of the poverty rate known as the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which factors in government benefits like food stamps and programs like the earned-income tax credit. They found that the poverty rate fell from 26 percent in 1967 to 15 percent in 2012. But Ryan only cited data from 1969 onward, ignoring a full 36 percent of the decline. "It's technically correct, but it's an odd way to cite the research," Waldfogel told Fiscal Times. "In my experience, usually you use all of the available data. There's no justification given. It's unfortunate because it really understates the progress we've made in reducing poverty." One organization did call Ryan's findings into question. The well-respected Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which has been evaluating anti-poverty programs for years, released a report titled "Ryan Report Distorts Safety Net's Picture," which concluded that Ryan's report was "replete with misleading and selective presentations of data and research, which it uses to portray the safety net in a negative light. It also omits key research and data that point in more positive directions." Advertisement Those reporters who did closely examine Ryan's report turned up multiple errors. These included Jonathan Chait, whose New York magazine story was headlined, "Paul Ryan Tries to Enlist Social Science to Back Up His Poverty Plan, Disaster Ensues," and Jordan Weissman, whose Slate report was headlined: "It's a Trap!" with the subhed: "Paul Ryan's theory of poverty is tricksy--and wrong." In a New York Times column called "The Poverty Trap," Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman stated flatly that social science research "doesn't actually support the claims" in Ryan's report. Ryan's flimsy research doesn't support his "policy wonk" reputation. On scrutiny, he looks like just another a right-wing politician with strong convictions. Throughout his congressional career--on taxes, business regulation, abortion, gun control, gay rights, campaign finance, financial reform, anti-poverty programs, immigration, workers' rights, energy and the environment, deficit spending, privatizing Social Security, public transportation, unemployment insurance, health care, property rights, and other issues--Ryan has hardly been "moderate" or even a "moderate conservative." Instead, his ultra-conservative positions put him in lockstep with the Tea Party, the National Rifle Association, and the business establishment's right wing, represented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which casts virtually any government regulation to protect consumers, workers, and the environment as a "job killer." He rejects the notion that global warming is a serious problem. He has consistently supported tax breaks for the very wealthy. Ryan has condemned Social Security as "a collectivist system." Indeed, based on his voting record in Congress, Ryan is ranked as conservative as former Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, the founder of the Tea Party Caucus. Examining his voting record, the National Journal described Ryan as "the most conservative House Speaker in recent history." Advertisement All this suggests that Ryan is so far out of sync with the vast majority of Americans that in theory, he should have a hard time beating either Clinton or Sanders in November. But if the media don't closely scrutinize Ryan's views and voting record -- as they failed to do when he ran for vice president and when he was selected speaker -- then all bets are off. Trump, of course, would fight any "draft Ryan" movement tooth and nail. He's already warned that if the GOP leaders snatch the party's nomination from him, "I think you'd have riots." If Ryan gets the nod, Trump would likely take his ego and his billions and run as a third party candidate. Many of his followers will go with him -- potentially shattering the Republican Party. That opens up two possible scenarios. Trump could be a spoiler, taking enough Electoral College votes from Ryan to hand the White House to the Democratic nominee. Whether Trump has any interest in actually forming a permanent third party is anybody's guess, and he has openly pledged not to do this. But if Trump broke his promise, the history books would look at Trump as the GOP's Ralph Nader, whose 2000 campaign took enough votes from Al Gore to allow the Supreme Court to anoint George W. Bush as president. The other scenario is that Trump could win enough votes in enough states to deny either Ryan or the Democratic nominee the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. In that case, the House of Representatives would elect the President, with each state delegation getting one vote. In that situation, the Republican-controlled House could well put Ryan in the White House. (The Constitution also calls for the Senate to elect the Vice President from the two VP candidates with the most electoral votes, with each senator casting one vote. Since the Republicans currently control the Senate, they will also get to choose the VP, even if the Democrats take back the Senate in November, because the new Senate won't take their seats until January). Only two presidential elections have been decided in the House of Representatives. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr each received the same number of electoral votes. On February 17, 1801, the House elected Jefferson to be president on the 36th ballot. In 1824, Andrew Jackson won a plurality of both the popular and electoral votes, but not enough to defeat rivals John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay. The House then picked Adams as president. Four others presidential election, including those of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and John F. Kennedy in 1960, came within 30,000 votes of requiring a decision by the House. Advertisement This could be the craziest presidential election since 1948, which featured four candidates: President Harry Truman (who inherited the job after Franklin Roosevelt died), New York Governor Thomas Dewey, former Democratic Vice President Henry Wallace, running on the left-wing Progressive Party ticket, and South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond, a former Democrat running on the segregationist Dixiecrat Party. Truman narrowly beat Dewey, but by such a narrow margin that the next day the Chicago Tribune's famously false front page headline read "Dewey beats Truman." Reporters and headline writers, as well as the American people, could be in for another wild ride this year up through November. Hold your breath, because anything could happen. With Governor Cuomo calling for a $15 minimum wage by mid-2021, the state's business lobbyists are trying to scare local employers that raising the minimum wage will hurt them and force lay-offs. But growing numbers of businesses across Long Island are standing with the Governor because they recognize that Long Island's workers are also its consumers, and a significant raise for them is exactly what local businesses need to grow and thrive together. Too many workers in the NYC region will not be able to afford to live a quality of life without the projected minimum wage increase. My organization, the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce (LIAACC) represents hundreds of African-American owned businesses throughout the Long Island and New York City regions. We support the governor's call to gradually increase the state wage up to $15 over five years by mid-2021 - and faster in New York City - because our members know that we cannot have growth and profitability without empowered consumers and a dynamic economy. Sales growth is what drives business expansion and hiring. And to grow sales, we need consumers with more money in their pockets to spend. That's why the Governor's proposal will help, not hurt our members. With close to 400,000 of the lowest-paid workers on Long Island projected to receive raises averaging $4,800 per year by 2021 - including 40% of all African-American workers -- a $15 minimum wage would provide a long overdue boost in spending and sales, lifting local businesses and enabling them to adjust to the higher costs. Advertisement This "virtuous cycle" is especially important for our members operating in Long Island's low-income neighborhoods. For them, a $15 minimum wage increase will create new spending power for virtually all of their customers, allowing them to thrive and grow. Low wages, on the other hand, can be very costly for employers who face high turnover from workers leaving to seek jobs that pay more. Each time a worker leaves, our members spend time and money recruiting and training a new worker. The cost of replacing a single worker can run into the thousands of dollars - an estimate for the fast food industry, for example, puts the costs at $4,700 per lost worker. The costs can be even greater where high turnover undermines service and product quality, hurting sales. In fact, turnover is likely to get worse for our members if the $15 minimum wage by mid-2021 isnot approved by Albany this year. That's because employers will need to compete for workers with the fast food industry (for which a $15 wage has already been approved) and so will need to match their pay to retain their staff. Local businesses also remember how lobbyists made these same predictions of job losses in 2004 and 2013 when the state last raised the minimum wage -- and saw that jobs grew rather than fell after the wage went up. Studies published by Cornell confirmed that the increases did not hurt jobs - disproving claims to the contrary. Advertisement Moreover, a new state-of-the-art study by University of California, Berkeley economists released this week should put business owners' minds at ease about Governor Cuomo's $15 proposal. The analysis confirms what they sense: that the spending power unleashed by a significant minimum wage increase offsets the costs to businesses, with the net result being that jobs are likely to grow slightly - by an estimated 3,200 statewide by mid-2021 - not shrink. The governor's proposal calls for a reasonable phase-in schedule that gives businesses outside of New York City five years to adapt to the higher minimum wage and amounts to a wage increase of 10% or less per year - a modest raise when we factor in greater revenues from increased consumer spending, higher worker retention, and reduced training and turnover costs that result from paying workers a living wage. Long Island business owners who are nervous about the Governor's proposal can also take comfort in the experience of other jurisdictions raising their minimum wage to $15. Seattle, for example, began phasing in a $15 minimum wage last year, and rather than declining, the city's economy has been marching full steam ahead, growing and adding jobs. That's why my organization, and other business organizations representing thousands of small businesses across Long Island and the state are weighing in to dispel the myths and support the Governor's call for a $15 wage by mid-2021. These questions originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. Answers by Tim Kaine, United States Senator from Virginia, on Quora. A: The Supreme Court will continue to operate in the diminished state of only having eight justices. In the event of a tie, the lower court ruling would stand. Where the federal circuits are divided on an issue that results in an even split, the Supreme Court fails to establish precedent and a patchwork of laws across the country results in a lack of guidance for lower courts. Alternatively, the Supreme Court may decide to schedule the case for re-argument, but this further delays certainty for the courts and the immediate parties. Legal experts from across the political spectrum are urging the Senate to fill the vacancy because failure to do so will undermine the rule of law. Last week, 21 Attorneys General wrote: "The states and territories have a unique and pressing interest in a full and functioning Supreme Court. We rely on the Supreme Court to resolve questions of federal law, to resolve disputes between the states, to evaluate the constitutionality of state laws, and to ensure that federal and constitutional law are interpreted and applied uniformly across all states and territories. The Supreme Court not only resolves disputes that implicate States' vital interests, it often does so in closely divided cases." Advertisement ... A: I would encourage you to find out where your Senators stand on the confirmation process for Judge Garland. If they oppose a hearing and vote on Judge Garland, ask them to at least do their jobs by giving President Obama's nominee the same courtesy that's been afforded to every other Supreme Court nominee in history. ... On March 24, 2006, I entered the emergency room breathless, foggy, and very very thirsty. For a year and half, I had become increasingly ill with reoccurring sinus infections, chronic fatigue, constant thirst and hunger, tingling feet, blurred vision, weight loss, and depression. I saw five medical professionals, all of whom looked at me in bewilderment. One even shrugged, then sighed, and then said, "Anorexia?" I was subject to multiple and painful blood draws while nurses piled every warm blanket they could find onto my shaking frame. One nurse walked into my room and exclaimed, "You smell sick!" After an hour, a doctor came into my room, his eyes wide as he read over the paperwork cradled in his arm. He looked up at me and said, "We know why you've been so sick. You have Type 1 diabetes. Your blood sugar is 700. You're going to the ICU." When I was brought to the ER, I was in a state called DKA, Diabetic Ketoacidosis. My body had become toxic and was essentially eating itself and shutting down. More than one hospital staff member told me in the coming days that I was very, very lucky to be alive. Had I of waited even a few hours later to go to the hospital, I would have been comatose or dead. What was even more shocking was my A1C, a number that indicates a 90-day average of a person's blood sugar. A normal A1C is below 5.7 percent. Mine was 16.9 percent, so high it wasn't on a single medical chart. Later after researching, I learned that a normal blood sugar is around 100, and mine on average for 90 days, was 434, over four times the norm. Advertisement The following five days were miserable. I was hooked up to many monitors and an IV. I was humiliated that I was forced to urinate under the supervision (and with the assistance) of a nurse. I was stuck with so many needles that my arms looked like a globe: smattered with shapes of blue and green. I had two terrible roommates; one called out to her dead husband all night long and the other was puking non-stop. I was forced to wear a mauve colored hospital gown, open in the back, sized for a grown man, not an emaciated woman. I got no sleep. I had no peace. The worst part was knowing that if just one of the five medical professionals I saw had tested just one drop of my blood, I would have been diagnosed much earlier, perhaps preserved some of my pancreas function, and would have avoided a traumatic knocking-on-death's-door experience. On the fourth day of my stay, I was told I needed to have an education meeting with a diabetes nurse educator so I could go home and begin my life as a diabetic. This meant testing my blood sugar 10 times a day, learning how to count the grams of carbohydrates I consumed, and dosing and injecting insulin. Type 1 diabetics produce little to no insulin, so insulin must be administered in order to stay alive. I didn't want to meet with this educator. I was exhausted, angry, and weak. My feet felt like a million ants were marching right under my skin, a side effect of elevated blood sugars. I hated the food I was forced to eat, the glossy brochures on diabetes that one nurse put on my bedside table, and the monitors I was forced to keep stuck to my body. I had no interest in embracing my disease and my new reality. Advertisement But when Sonia Stalker breezed into the room, I knew she was different. She was warm and incredibly empathetic without bestowing pity upon me. She said one of the most significant, healing, and honest things anyone has ever said to me about my disease: that I had to mourn the loss of my body failing me, because it really was like a death. She was exactly right. It's been 10 years since that dreaded diagnosis day. I've had dozens of medical appointments, thousands of needle sticks, hundreds of phone calls. I manage my disease with the use of an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitoring system; both are attached to my body at all times. And though they are my life-sustainers, they leave scars -- physical and emotional. Every day is hard. I know my body failed me. I felt like (and sometimes still feel like) someone very, very close to me had died suddenly, leaving me abandoned, lonely, and forever-changed. Having a chronic, autoimmune, life-threatening disease is my cross to bear in life. It's all-consuming, and if it isn't, I risk diabetes winning and killing me. It can take my vision, my kidney function, my lower limbs. It is here to destroy. It does not hand me any easy days. It refuses to grant me peace, grace, or too much hope. I've had to make up my mind, and keep making up my mind, that I will fight. I will not be knocked down. I will not wallow in valleys. I will am thankful that diabetes gave me the gift of motherhood. I celebrate the fact that I lived to tell others to make sure that when their child is ill, they insist that the doctor check the child's blood sugar. I will never take for granted that on March 24, 2006, I was saved from death. I was on the brink. And after being sick for so long and being given up on, I myself was ready to give up. But just in the proverbial nick of time, I got an answer. I got a second chance. Advertisement I am 34 years old, but in some ways, I'm 10. I now can say I have a decade of managing a chronic disease behind me. As for the next 10 years, I pray there is a cure instead of another decade anniversary. But if that doesn't happen, I will continue to fight, continue to educate, and continue celebrate opportunities I'm given to live and live well. --- Yesterday afternoon I received an email from a Jewish friend. It was a response to a newsletter I sent to the multi-faith community at our synagogue, Romemu, about the juxtaposition of the Jewish holiday Purim (celebrated Wednesday night and Thursday) and Holy Week.* He wrote, "I do not know the Bible well enough to know the details, but I have always felt very uncomfortable at this time of year when Christians are marking the day he [Jesus] died. I feel like I carry a guilty responsibility for his death." Sadly, I've come to expect that many Christians think that "the Jews" killed Jesus. They grew up in churches where clergy have irresponsibly used the Gospel of John on Good Friday without contextualizing the use of the phrase "the Jews" which litters the text. It's a text which makes it seem that "the Jews" are responsible for Jesus' death at face value. Couple that with an anti-Judaism imbedded in most Christian theology, and it's terrible but not surprising that most Christians think that "the Jews" killed Jesus. Yet hearing from a Jew - a person whom I know and love - that he also had internalized this idea? This saddened me beyond words. If some Jews have internalized this message, Christian clergy have really missed the mark. Advertisement Obviously Christians do not have the market on texts that are inappropriately interpreted to incite others to violence. But this week especially (when there is a well documented rise in anti-semitic violence each year) we Christian clergy are called to teach and preach these texts in ways that honor the precious image of God in every human being. If we don't, we leave the door and text wide open to conscious and unconscious anti-semitism and anti-Judaism in the very place where we need to fight it most. If we don't, we undermine the whole point of our sacred story in which a Jewish leader preaching love is executed by an empire because he and his message were a threat to that empire. Read this blurb by Rev. Mary Luti - and if you are Christian clergy, print it in your Good Friday bulletins and give Rev. Luti the credit. We need reminding, again and again: As Christians, we live under the burden of a sad and violent history of anti-Semitism, in the sobering shadow of the Shoah (Holocaust). It is critical for us to be clear about what our sacred texts mean when they make reference to "the Jews," especially during Holy Week, when we contemplate Jesus' death. When the crucifixion narratives speak of "the chief priests and leaders of the people," they are referring to officials who collaborated closely with the Roman systems of oppression, and were viewed with contempt by much of the Jewish community in their time. They should not be identified with the Jewish people of the past as a whole, and certainly not with Jews in the present. It may be helpful to recall the cultural context of our Christian scriptures, emerging as they did from a small, originally Jewish community of believers in Jesus as the Messiah. All of the Gospels originated from Jewish communities. Jesus himself, was born, lived, and was crucified, a Jew. Any criticism of Jews from Gospel writers should be understood as the expression of differences of opinion among or about their fellow Jews. The gospels' use of the term "the Jews" therefore, should not be read as a criticism of the Jewish religion, and especially not as a condemnation of an entire people, either then, or now. It is one of the bitter ironies of history that our sacred texts have been used to justify the persecution of the covenant people, from whom our Savior came, and who are created, as we all are, in the precious image of God. Last night my daughter, an 8th grader at a Jewish day school, said to me, "Mom, a lot of kids at my school think that the Jews killed Jesus, but it was really the Romans, right?" After I caught my breath - for the second time yesterday over the same issue - I replied, "Well, at least that part of my Union Theological Seminary education has filtered down to you. Yes, it was the Romans, and a very small number of Jewish authorities who collaborated with the Romans and who weren't much liked by many in the Jewish community at that time. Let your friends know that." Just as Purim is winding down on Thursday afternoon, I will be preparing for the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services - a dramatic reenactment of the Last Supper, a Passover meal according to some of the Gospels - in which Jesus commands the disciples to love one another as he has loved them. All just before he is betrayed, arrested, and executed. It's solemn, sad and poignant. I always cry. And this year I will pray, especially after the attacks in Belgium and Turkey a few days ago, that all people will seek to love one another as God loves us, that all sacred texts be sources of loving kindness and not violence, that terror will not have the last word, that peace can and will reign...and that we Christian clergy will play our part in making that peace a reality. Should members of the American Anthropological Association, as a group, shun Israeli universities and research organizations? Should the American Anthropological Association, as an organization, place an embargo on the free flow of scholarly and scientific information to Israeli libraries and journals? Voting begins on April 15 on a proposal to do both. The proposal has a history. Since 2005 an international Palestinian political movement known as the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) has been targeting the Israeli academy, trying to gain support for boycott resolutions by universities and professional academic societies in the United States and Europe. To date their success has been limited. Two academic societies, the Association of Asian American Studies and the American Studies Association, finally signed on in 2013 but more recently in 2016 a boycott proposal was decisively rejected by the American Historical Association. Nevertheless BDS mobilization efforts aimed at social science disciplines have intensified. While the outcome of the upcoming vote at the American Anthropological Association remains uncertain the debate within that liberal-left leaning profession has been agonizing and divisive. So much so that many distinguished anthropologists who don't like academic boycotts are hesitant to say so in public. Nevertheless the conflict is unavoidable. Like it or not there is a fight developing for the soul of the discipline. Advertisement The pro-boycott activists are galvanized. They have the courage of their conviction that Israel is a neo-colonial apartheid regime and its academic institutions complicit in the activities of the State. They view anthropology as a platform for political engagement and postcolonial social critique. They argue that Israel is a predacious Goliath undeserving of international support. They are energized by the prospect of receiving a corporate branding and seal of approval for their political judgments from a large academic association. Faced with the reality of Israeli scholars who are members of the AAA, boycott supporters sustain their sense of moral purpose by trying to convince others (and themselves) that their resolution merely discriminates against Israeli academic institutions but will not target individuals. They feel good, even righteous, about the many petty but highly provocative prohibitions in the boycott resolution, for example, the injunction against "granting permission to copy and reprint articles from AAA publications to journals and publications based at Israeli institutions." There are no tears in their eyes when they advocate a censor's restriction on the free flow of ideas as just collective punishment. Those opposing the boycott resolution have the courage of a different set of convictions. They view the call to avoid contact with Israeli academic institutions as an outrageous violation of academic freedom norms, including the principle that participation in the world-wide academy is open to all regardless of nationality, race or creed. They believe the voting process itself is corrosive of academic values, that a professional scholarly association does not need a foreign policy for the Holy Land or anywhere else and should be committed to free thought and disciplined inquiry, not collective political action. When it comes to contestable political and social issues they do not cede authority to the AAA to make corporate declarations about what is right-minded and true. They prefer to speak for themselves, especially since the AAA is not a homogeneous political bloc. It is a disputatious community of scholars who differ in their causal analyses, assignments of blame, and proposed solutions to any political conflict. Collective political branding is viewed by many boycott opponents as an act of institutional violence committed against the intellectual autonomy of those members of the guild who disagree with the proposed party line. They believe that institutional neutrality on hot button social and political issues enables free thought. Advertisement Many opponents of the resolution experience its injunctions as distressingly reminiscent of the Nuremberg laws, when citizenship rights for Jews were degraded in Germany and there was a national boycott against shopping at Jewish stores. If the proposal to shun and stigmatize Israeli academic institutions becomes official policy they, like the Jews of Germany in the 1930s, will not feel at home in their own society. Some will resign from the AAA, pack up and leave. Some already have. Others will just resign themselves to melancholy reflection on the late great discipline of cultural anthropology, recalling how their profession first gave up on positive science and then exchanged its humanistic soul for the soft porn of partisan identity politics. The very process of debating an academic boycott resolution has highlighted fault lines and created tensions within the discipline. One step preparing the way for the April vote was taken at the annual business meeting of the AAA, which was held on November 20, 2015 in a ballroom at the Denver, Colorado Convention Center. I attended as an anthropological observer of the political process. Although 90% of the voting members of the AAA were busy doing other things that night (including not being in Denver at all) most of those who flooded into the ballroom were activists and anthropological allies of the BDS movement. The meeting felt like a political rally with placards and pro-boycott operatives everywhere, perhaps even among the leadership of the association. Speaking in favor of the boycott resolution were scholars who represented themselves as a voice of Palestinian civil society. They were cheered on by the crowd, including some young politically committed anthropologists wearing tee shirts identifying themselves as Jews in favor of the boycott. By the end of the evening a vote was taken (1040-136) to move the resolution forward for a final vote by the full membership (beginning April 15). It is noteworthy that the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) opposes academic boycotts. So do most university presidents. So does Noam Chomsky, the linguist and ferocious critic of American foreign policy, who sardonically remarked in a recent interview that one might as well boycott Harvard, MIT and the United States. So does Steven Pinker, the well-known Harvard psychologist, who has written against what he calls "selective demonization." Nevertheless given the history of the mobilization efforts by boycott supporters the outcome at the AAA business meeting was preordained. What I had not anticipated was the bullying that went on during the debate over an alternative resolution offered by some opponents of the boycott. Dissidents who were lined up and waiting to voice their views were suddenly denied access to the microphone by the president of the association and effectively silenced. Shortly before they were cut off one young scholar did manage this memorable (and chilling) remark: She anxiously prefaced her arguments by saying that she was well-aware that in speaking against the boycott she would probably never get a job in an anthropology department. I wondered whether I could honestly tell her she was wrong. Advertisement These are agonistic times in anthropology. The BDS movement has been divisive, causing many members of the profession to remain silent rather than jeopardize valued relationships with friends and colleagues. The ideals of the modern academy too are fragile and vulnerable. We are witnessing their subordination to a political agenda even as supporters of the boycott movement try to mitigate the horror of their proposals by drawing a distinction between shunning Israeli academic institutions and discriminating against individual Israeli scholars. To that final point: Two months ago I received an e-mail from a member of the American Anthropological Association who wrote me that he was interested in inviting an Israeli colleague to his university for a semester and was "advised" that he had better check around to see what his colleagues thought of such an invitation "given the general pro-BDS atmosphere" in his department. That is one of the insidious ways this whole thing is playing out. Soon it will be time to vote. It remains to be seen whether the members of the American Anthropological Association have the courage (and the wisdom) to just say "No"? New York police officers stand outside the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue while monitoring a demonstration, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in New York. Protesters assembled in more than 30 cities around the world to lash out at the FBI for obtaining a court order that requires Apple to make it easier to unlock an encrypted iPhone used by a gunman in December's mass murders in California. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) As the senior counterterrorism official in the U.S. government for nine years, I felt the personal burden of responsibility for preventing terrorist attacks, so I understand Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Jim Comey's desire to collect every possible bit of data. As a nation, however, we have decided that there should be limits to what the government can do to stop terrorism, counter illegal narcotics and fight crime. The case of the iPhone that belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the San Bernardino shooters, is best seen as an attempt by the FBI to redefine those limits. In the 1990s, the government proposed a law that would have required encryption software to have a "Clipper Chip," a backdoor by which the government could decrypt software. Congress did not approve, and President Bill Clinton withdrew the proposal. That established limits: encrypted software could exist that the government, even with a court order, could not decrypt. Such software is now legally sold in America and elsewhere around the world. Comey wants to make it illegal. Advertisement Comey asked the Obama administration to support legislation requiring a backdoor in encryption and it rejected the idea. Undaunted, the FBI has been looking for a way to establish legal precedents in this area. That is what this case of the iPhone is really all about -- trying to recast the legal landscape to compel U.S. companies to weaken their data security. The iPhone is really about trying to recast the legal landscape to compel U.S. companies to weaken their data security. The San Bernardino terrorist attack provided the FBI with an opportunity for a new legal precedent. It was a particularly heinous crime, inspired by the so-called Islamic State and widely covered by the media. Although the terrorists had tried to destroy their mobile phones, one remained, and it was owned by Farook's employer. Thus, using a 1789 law as justification, the FBI attempted to compel the device manufacturer, Apple, to write new computer code to make it easier to unlock the phone. Apple, rightly, refused to create new software for the purpose of weakening the security of one of its products. The legal questions raised by this case include whether the 1789 law provides a basis for the government to compel people to write computer code against their will. Advertisement Beyond that, however, is the larger issue of whether the government can order companies to weaken data security in general and, more specifically, whether there can continue to exist in the U.S. encryption to which the government cannot obtain access through the courts. A demonstrator outside an Apple store in New York City on Feb. 23. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) Although most Americans use encryption regularly, many may not know that or understand its importance. When you use an ATM, swipe a credit card, do online banking, buy a book from a website or access your stock investment account, you're using encryption. The financial services sector depends on encryption, and so do the insurance and health care industries. Because the government has proven largely useless in stopping the pandemic of cybercrime and cyber-espionage, companies have been forced to rely increasingly on data encryption to prevent its theft by the Chinese government and foreign criminal gangs. Yet, the government, or at least the FBI, wants to establish precedents that would weaken data security and create laws that would make unbreakable encryption an illegal substance, like cocaine. To justify changing what has been our public policy to date on these issues, the FBI paints a picture of a world "going dark," in which they can no longer see or follow terrorists. The government wants to create laws that would make unbreakable encryption an illegal substance, like cocaine. Actually, as was well explained by a recent Harvard Kennedy School study, there has never before been so much data available to law enforcement. Numerous former heads of U.S. intelligence and security agencies have sided with Apple and not the FBI, arguing that on balance, the need for rock-solid encryption outweighs the pleas of law enforcement for yet more data. Designing data security and encryption so that the government can get in creates opportunities for others, like the Chinese and cyber criminals, according to the leading scientists and engineers in this field. Moreover, whatever the U.S. courts and Congress may do, making good encryption illegal will just not work. It will always be possible to buy encryption overseas that has no back doors installed by the U.S. government. What criminal would use faulty encryption the U.S. government could read when they could buy foolproof code elsewhere? I sympathize with Comey's desire to have access to everything, in order to prevent crimes. But compelling U.S. companies to weaken their data security will ultimately make cybercrime even worse, and it will strengthen the ability of hostile nations to undermine both our economy and our national security. Seen in proper perspective, those are the larger and more important concerns than adding to the wealth of data the government can already acquire. Earlier on WorldPost: Elections can be confusing and clarifying, meaningful and mystifying, often in the same moment or in an identical gesture. The gaudy, billion-dollar national campaign surging around us now is an inescapable vortex sucking into itself all available light. Elections are in some ways less important than we give them credit for -- the deep state has a much longer game plan -- and in other ways more important than we notice. The real struggle, we all know, is on the ground and in the organized communities, where power resides and interests are contested. At the same time the dance of the senators, governors, and others from the political elite creates a pallet for our fears and hopes, our strategies and positions. So the debates occasioned by the election season are telling. The Bernie Sanders candidacy, like those of Eugene McCarthy, Shirley Chisolm, and Jesse Jackson, has caught the imagination of millions. Even those who know we need a more fundamental change are energized by the idea that even a liberal socialist could make such a strong run. The chance to turn away from Clinton, the cynical, elitist neo-liberal Democratic Party candidate, comes as a breath of fresh air. With that point clear, though, we should be able to examine and critique Sanders -- particularly as to what he represents as a white liberal socialist. Sanders may be an exciting prospect on the national political landscape, but let's use this moment to consider how to address the worst, the shameful, history of white America. My purpose here is not to "out-left" the electoral campaign or to call Bernie out for not being a perfect paragon of revolutionary clarity. But we should be able to face what his candidacy tells us about the state of politics and ourselves in these times. Advertisement When he was challenged by Black Lives Matter activists, his first response was the clueless "all lives matter." He quickly backpedaled on that one and has been trying to develop a position on anti-Black racism since then. But in the end, even with time to consider and all the strategy sessions with his team, he only comes up with those same suggestions about jobs and anti-poverty programs. Clearly these remedies are ridiculously narrow. Asking corporations to give jobs to oppressed communities does not address the kind and quality of initiatives that communities need -- even if he could create jobs, would they be jobs building drones, fracking for oil? Communities must have a voice in defining their needs and power to enact solutions to address them. More importantly, the simplistic focus on jobs and poverty programs suggests that racism and white supremacy are just byproducts, psychological problems that undergird class oppression. This focus ignores the structural, deliberate colonial lockout of African American working-class people from viable economic projects. It ignores the repressive violence that Black and Brown communities experience in the streets, through the prisons, and at the border. When Sanders was asked about Ta-Nehisi Coates' articulation of the need to address reparations for African Americans, he replied that this discussion would be too divisive and followed it again by vague discussions about jobs and anti-poverty programs. What is most disturbing in these debates is how many Sanders supporters, those on the left who are hoping this campaign offers some hope in a dreary electoral season, attack any and all questions that are raised about their candidate. Advertisement As soon as Ta-Nehisi Coates pointed out Sanders' weak position on race, a number of people piled on against him -- accusing him of being Black bourgeoisie, an impractical intellectual, a divisive force. The two strongest attacks against Coates were by scholars Cedric Johnson in Jacobin and Paul Street in Counterpunch. Their arguments centered on the position that class, not race, is the main contradiction. The class before race group hold that racism is just a subset of class oppression and white supremacy is just bad ideas in white people's heads. The massive Black and Brown prison population, the government Cointelpro attacks against Black leadership, the police shooting of Black and Brown youth -- are apparently all part of class oppression. Moreover, those who are anxious to burnish the Bernie image have argued that he was in the "front lines" of the Civil Rights Movement. I don't want to get petty on the details but being active in CORE in Chicago for some years in the '60s and perhaps appearing in a photograph of the Selma march does not make you a civil rights leader. As one African American friend posted, "I sold a guy a dime bag of weed 20 years ago. That does not make me a drug dealer today." What matters is: what does Bernie Sanders understand about imperialism and about colonial oppression expressed as racism? What should have been a moment of clarification and honest reflection on the historical race blind spot of white leftists has turned into a frantic doubling down by those who will broach no criticism of their candidate. Another part of the attack on Coates has been to brand him as part of the "Black Bourgeoisie" or a petty-bourgeois intellectual. There is indeed a class of the Black bourgeoisie, those from the colony who identify with and work for the oppressor. On the other hand, intellectuals from the oppressed people, from W.E.B. DuBois to Huey Newton, from Martin Luther King to James Baldwin, are often the ones who articulate the demands of the community. The attack on Coates' personal life is really a red herring argument. The question is what interests, what demands, the speaker lines up with. Many of the "class not race" proponents attack any demands and movements of the oppressed as "identity politics." In some situations, individual identity politics is certainly problematic. It is characterized by a kind of petty bourgeois subjectivism; it is seen in people whose political identity is limited to discussions and calling people out in college classes; it is not particularly interested in the masses or in social change. But to broaden that critique to reject any protest of colonial or gender oppression is to fall into that narrow old economist version of Marxism. The old-guard European Marxists, those wedded to a domestic economic analysis, those who regarded the "advanced capitalist" working class as the natural vanguard of revolution, generally dominated radical theory. This formulation supposed that workers in colonial countries, and Black and Brown workers inside the US, were of secondary importance and needed to follow the lead of the more evolved white working class. Their mechanical analysis was essentially what we should call economist, that is to say it is a narrow understanding of the social and cultural reality of political economy. Advertisement For the reduction of national liberation struggles or gender and racial oppression to simply something that "divides the working class" is no revolutionary approach at all. This goes back to the struggles of the '60s and '70s when many groups which claimed the mantle of Marxism rejected all national liberation struggle as "dividing the working class." Today US imperialism has withstood the challenges of the 1960s, and moreover has extended its parasitic relationship to the Third World even more by moving manufacturing, not just extraction, to the colonial regions. The struggle against colonialism and neo-colonialism - including the settler type, the occupation type, and the domestic type of colonialism - is clearly still central to any work for equitable transformation. The empire is reaching the end of its outward expansion and is beginning the process of implosion. Our organizing work must counter the inevitable turn toward fascism that is gripping many white people and must hasten to create the kind of equitable, participatory society that is in the interest of the vast majority. Activists who work for serious change can certainly participate in the Bernie Sanders campaign - but only by addressing the issues of colonial oppression, not suppressing them. Is that more difficult to do than just appealing to narrow self-interest? It certainly is. But no one said organizing against imperialism would be easy. And let's not have contempt for the capacity of working class people to understand the deep structures of imperialism. Organizing against White Supremacy Can white working class people be brought in to solidarity with the anti-colonial, anti-racist struggles? Certainly, they can be and they have been often. The massive refusal of US soldiers to fight in Vietnam is a telling example. But narrow self-interest demands, the vague calls to unity, have ignored the way privilege operates. The point is this: what we call racism, or white privilege, is more than bad ideas in white people's heads. It is a material reality and reflects actual property (in the words of Derrick Bell) used against colonized people -- those colonized around the world as well as domestically colonized Black and Brown communities. Advertisement White leftists have notoriously ignored this reality and have been quick to lecture Black activists on how they need to line up behind them. Ta-Nehisi Coates goading of Bernie Sanders is precisely a challenge to this tradition and should be honored. Of course, everyone on the left agrees that we must oppose racism. The question is whether racism -- or racial-national oppression of a people -- is a problem in people's minds or is it a structural, crucial part of the structure of imperialism. Likewise, is colonial conquest simply a "preferred policy" of the capitalists or is it fundamental to advanced capitalism? We can embrace the Bernie Sanders candidacy as a tremendous organizing opportunity, a moment that creates more space and openings for dealing with the deep problems in the US. But we should also not be afraid to deepen the insights -- that's what organizers are responsible to do. Ta-Nehisi Coates' arguments here are not about individual advancement, "access" to narrow success, or sentimentalism. His critique of Sanders is in line with the Black Lives Matter movement and the struggle for fundamental change. "When you have a conflict, that means that there are truths that have to be addressed on each side of the conflict. And when you have a conflict, then it's an educational process to try to resolve the conflict. And to resolve that, you have to get people on both sides of the conflict involved so that they can dialogue." -- Dolores Huerta Dear Dolores, Before responding to your article on Bernie Sanders on Medium, I want to take a moment to acknowledge you and the work you have done for Latina/os, workers' rights, unions, the feminist and LGBTQ movements, as well as against police brutality and pesticides. You stood up and gave a voice to the less fortunate and unrepresented parts of our communities, no matter what obstacles or challenges were thrown in your way. This is exactly why your article on Bernie Sanders came as such a surprise to me -- that the same woman who has made it her life's mission to speak the truth and shed light on corruption, lies, and false narratives created by the corporate elite and special interest groups, would now suddenly create a narrative that distorts facts and misguides American voters. Just like you stated in the above quote, I, too, believe in the American ideal of reasonable and robust debate between opposing viewpoints in order to move a discussion forward and ultimately arrive at a sensible resolution. This becomes impossible, or at least unnecessarily difficult, when one of the parties involved is purposefully trying to obfuscate the facts. I recognized that very same tactic that the mainstream media has been using when I read your opinion piece, where the details of Bernie Sanders' voting record and positions were misrepresented and, again, when you and America Ferrera spread the false story on Twitter that Bernie supporters chanted "English only" at a Nevada caucus. Though it was debunked by multiple media outlets and video evidence, neither of you have corrected, apologized for, or taken down the posts. It's race baiting, misleading, divisive and inaccurate and I hope you both will rectify that immediately. Regardless of either your interpretations of the event, the guidelines strictly prohibited any form of communication with caucus participants by campaigners once the caucus was called to order! Advertisement The democratic process, as it was intended, is quite simple: Present your facts, track records and plans, move forward honestly and openly, debate, call out discrepancies, explain and educate, then let the American people decide whom they would like to lead the country based on such answers. By distorting and omitting facts you do not give us, the American people, a transparent picture. You cheat us out of making an educated and well-informed decision and dishonor our voting process and democracy itself. "Hillary Clinton's track record goes directly against what you and every other activist before and after you has fought for." My intention is not to tell anyone how to vote, but instead offer the facts and invite you to a healthy dialogue and debate. Advertisement So let me address your statements made: 1. People of good will can disagree about the H.R. 6094 (109th): Community Protection Act of 2006, which Bernie Sanders voted for. But: -- The words "indefinite detention" did not appear anywhere in the bill Bernie voted for. The bill only applied to people awaiting deportation ("under orders of removal"), often for having criminal records. -- The Congressional research office said people could be detained indefinitely under the bill if they were "specified dangerous aliens under orders of removal who cannot be removed." Only about 4,000 people had been detained for more than six months as of 2009 -- and the bill Bernie voted for would have required review of their detention status every six months. -- The bill split liberals in Congress, with some voting against it and many others (including Nancy Pelosi, Hillary supporter Sherrod Brown, and DNC chair and Hillary supporter Debbie Wasserman Schultz) voting for it, along with Bernie. 2. About the 2007 bill you criticized Bernie for voting against and have made your main argument: He supported the DREAM ACT, but the entire bill had too many sections that would have been detrimental to American workers, immigration reform, immigrants and their families, so he ultimately decided to keep fighting for a better bill. A couple of the more contentious points were: Advertisement -- It stepped-up border security, adding 20,000 more Border Patrol agents and 370 miles of additional fencing (you might call that "Trump wall" building) along the U.S.-Mexico border. -- It removed four of the five family-based categories under which an immigrant could apply for permanent residency. All that was left was the preference for spouses and children of U.S. citizens (which strikes me as a form of privilege). -- It expanded the horribly abusive guest worker program that has left some people in what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls "close to slavery" in its report on the subject. (There are other horror stories, too.) -- The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), a federation of our country's largest trade unions, both opposed the bill. LULAC's Executive Director said the group "cannot support a bill that will separate families and lead to the exploitation of immigrant workers while resulting in widespread undocumented immigration in the future." -- The AFL-CIO compared the exploitative nature of the guest worker provision to a "modern-day Bracero Program," referring to the program launched during the Second World War to meet labor demands in the United States -- one which led to the forced deportation of millions of Mexicans, including a few U.S. citizens, from the United States under Operation Wetback beginning in 1954. (Article by Hector Luis Alamo here.) Advertisement 3. You mention that Bernie did not sign Harry Reid's letter to president Obama in 2011: -- The letter was written and issued by 22 Senate Democrats. It was not presented to the entire Senate for signature, nor to Bernie Sanders (an independent at the time), and was signed by only a small fraction of the Democratic Party. -- Hillary Clinton did not respond to the letter sent to Obama. She did not denounce the deportations at that time, which makes the whole mention of the letter unreasonable. 4. The "Minutemen" amendment: -- The majority of politicians involved agreed that it actually didn't do anything, since the Customs and Border Patrol said it directed them to do what they were already doing anyway. -- Hillary was blatantly misleading in the debate when she said Bernie "sided" with "hardline Republicans" on it, since 76 other Democrats voted for it too. She made it sound like it was just him and the extremist right-wingers. The ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee said of the amendment "If people want to put it in the bill, I guess that is okay because it apparently does nothing." 5. Your claim that Hillary has a better immigration track record and plan. Let's compare a few of their points on each subject: Advertisement About your side comment of "not knowing where Bernie Sanders stands" and "Hillary Clinton being on the right side of history": Hillary Clinton's track record goes directly against what you and every other activist before and after you has fought for: the rights of the people based on the Declaration of Independence and the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are principles that Hillary did not uphold when taking away American citizens' freedom by voting for the Patriot Act, twice; by not treating all men as equal when going against same-sex marriage until 2013; and when she sold out her own citizens by taking money from lobbyists and promoting the rise of the private prison complex. This has led to modern-day slavery for the impoverished, and especially forLatino and African American communities. She has put corporations and special interest groups before the people of this great country by voting to bail out banks and not her constituents. She does not uphold the sanctity of life when endorsing wars, condoning fracking or the death penalty. Bernie Sanders, the proud son of an immigrant, wants to raise the minimum wage and make it easier for workers to join or form a union. He led the first civil rights sit-in in Chicago history, protesting the University of Chicago's segregated housing policy; walked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 1963 March on Washington, supports ending all family deportations;l and is the leading voice on issues of income inequality, global warming, LGBTQ issues, and universal health care. He is transparent and consistent and has been, time and time again, on the right side of history fighting for all of us and our rights. He has done so, oftentimes when it was unpopular to do so, because he didn't need public opinion to evolve in order to take a stand. "I am surprised, dismayed, and concerned that you would do your legacy such a disservice by becoming an instrument of the establishment." That is leadership and vision. Bernie is the only candidate running who will not blindly lead us into another war. He is using his position to champion free higher education for our children and fight for the future of our country. He has refused to take money from Super PACs and special Wall Street interest groups, inspires participation and engagement with his constituents, and once in the White House will leave the door open for average citizens to become active participants in government. This is the cornerstone of the political revolution he has inspired. Dolores, I am surprised, dismayed, and concerned that you would do your legacy such a disservice by becoming an instrument of the establishment, rather than joining this movement to create a better America like you once inspired us to do. I write this letter in the hopes that we can continue to have a robust and honest conversation based on the facts and on the actions that Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have taken during their legislative careers. I, like you, continue to be encouraged by the millions of young people that have flooded the streets demanding that we address issues of race and power, class and privilege. They show us what true inclusion and democracy looks like. From #BlackLivesMatter to the migrant rights movement, young people are pushing us to live up to our highest ideals and values. And today, young people are demanding that Bernie Sanders is allowed to run in a fair and transparent primary. This election is too important to do anything less. In solidarity, Rosario Dawson Reading magazines this week, I learned that: A British survey has concluded that consuming organic foods can extend your life... for three weeks. (Popular Mechanics, 3/16) The average caretaker in the United States is a 49-year-old woman caring for a 69-year-old relative. (Real Simple, 2/16) Vivos, an apocalypse shelter company, has built dozens of secure doomsday shelters all over the world, including a 76 acre bunker somewhere under Europe. Owner Robert Vicino sees himself as a 21st century Noah. (Popular Mechanics, 3/16) Advertisement Eating squirrel isn't unusual in Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia Magazine, 2/16) Iggy Pop has covered Frank Sinatra. (Time, 3/16) Eighty-eight percent of adults have sent or received a sexually explicit text message. (Health, 1/16) Outdoor cats kill over a billion birds each year. (Organic Life, 01/16) When sound researcher R. Murray Schafer asked North Americans to hum a note, they produced a B-natural, which is the same pitch as the electric current in their wires. In the U.K. people hummed a G-sharp -- the frequency of their electric current. (Organic Life, 1/16) Ten percent of home schooled kids are black. Why? Parents are fed up with a system they see as broken and racist. (Philadelphia, 2/16) Sleeping on your side is better than sleeping on your back or stomach for eliminating brain waste --chemicals that can build up over time, potentially causing cognitive health problems like Alzheimer's. (Health, 1/16) It's been a daunting year for transgender youth. Over the past three months, lawmakers in more than a dozen states have introduced bills to bar transgender students from using bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers that match their gender identity. In state after state, fairness and common sense were prevailing. Bills targeting transgender youth have been halted or defeated in seven states since the beginning of 2016. Just this month, transgender youth, alongside many of their peers, confronted stereotypes and prejudice head-on in South Dakota and Tennessee - and won. But yesterday, fear and prejudice won out over common sense. In North Carolina, lawmakers took only one day to introduce, pass, and sign a sweeping statewide law repealing non-discrimination ordinances protecting LGBT people and barring transgender people from shared facilities. Although the spotlight is on North Carolina this week, bills targeting transgender youth are also pending in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Advertisement Students themselves have explained why these bills are unnecessary and dangerous. In South Dakota, hundreds of students wrote to lawmakers to voice opposition to a discriminatory bill that would have limited access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. They made clear that they did not feel threatened by inclusive spaces in their schools, and rejected the spurious arguments being made on their behalf by proponents of the bill. Governor David Daugaard ultimately vetoed the bill, expressing doubts about its necessity. Days after the veto, advocates warned that opponents of transgender equality had set their sights on Tennessee, where a bill to restrict access to shared facilities was pending in both the House and Senate. Governor Bill Haslam voiced skepticism about the need for legislation, noting that local schools were making their own arrangements and that additional restrictions could jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. Nonetheless, in the first vote on the bill, a House subcommittee unanimously approved it for further consideration. Once again, transgender students stepped up and spoke out. When the full committee convened this week, members explained that they'd heard from transgender students, doubted the bill addressed a real problem, and believed that local schools are best equipped to ensure that all students are able to access facilities safely and comfortably. In a surprising reversal, a member of the subcommittee who had initially approved the bill expressed doubt that it was necessary, and made a successful motion to send the bill off for further study rather than voting on it this year. Advertisement Unfortunately, opponents of transgender equality are lobbying hard to revive the bill in Tennessee. But the sensible approach that Governor Daugaard and the Tennessee House took this month is significant, and should send a clear message to other lawmakers considering similar proposals. When lawmakers look past sensationalist stereotypes and actually talk to students, it is clear that these unprecedented restrictions on shared facilities are unnecessary and would be stigmatizing and dangerous for transgender youth. Proponents of these bills vaguely invoke privacy and safety as reasons for their draconian provisions. But the solutions being proposed do little to advance those legitimate interests, and in fact threaten to actively undermine them. Lawmakers who invoke privacy tend to mean that some students may be uncomfortable around their transgender classmates. But restricting transgender students to facilities designated for their sex assigned at birth profoundly undermines their privacy to a far more important degree, especially when it outs them to students and staff who may not be aware that they are transgender. A more practical and rights-respecting solution would be to add stalls or curtains to shared spaces so that any student who wants that added degree of privacy could use those spaces. As for safety, the "bathroom myth" that laws protecting transgender people facilitate assaults against women and girls is a dangerous stereotype that lacks any basis in fact. Currently, 17 states and 200 local governments prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in public accommodations, without any of the problems that opponents of these protections dream up. What is well-established, however, is that transgender youth themselves are frequently harassed or even assaulted in bathrooms and locker rooms. Requiring them to use facilities where they may not be safe or comfortable doesn't protect their peers, and only puts them in greater danger. The rejection of discriminatory legislation in South Dakota and Tennessee demonstrates that cooler heads can prevail when baseless stereotypes are used to target transgender youth. Instead of rushing to pass needless restrictions, lawmakers should take their cue from peers who actually listened to students, put common sense first, and allowed local schools to make arrangements that advance the safety, privacy, and well-being of all our youth. Nuns, who are opposed to the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Zubik v. Burwell, a consolidated case brought by religious groups challenging a process for opting out of the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate. Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg via Getty Images The idiocy that currently pervades this country is faithfully reflected in a case that was argued Wednesday before the short-handed United States Supreme Court. The issue is over whether religiously-affiliated universities, hospitals, charities, and other such organizations should be exempt from Obamacare's requirement that employees of those groups be covered for contraceptives. Churches, synagogogues, mosques and other houses of worship are automatically exempt. The Obama administration has tried to make it as easy as possible for another group, religiously-affiliated non-profit organizations, some of which have hundreds of employes, of various faiths or none, to claim exemption also. But some of these groups complain that even the simplest requirement is too much for them. Advertisement All it takes for any of these groups to be exempted is that an appropriate representative of the group fills out the answers to three questions on a single page that asks only the organization's name and address, the name and title of its representative, and the fact that it is a religous non-profit. The operative words of the federal document, EBSA Form 700, read as follows: I certify that, on account of religious objections, the organization opposes providing coverage for some or all of any contraceptive services that would otherwise be required to be covered. The form must then be signed, dated, and submitted to the group's insurance company, which will, itself provide the employee contraceptive coverage, subsidized by the government. The seven groups objecting to doing so include The Little Sisters of the Poor, an eldercare charity run by nuns, the Roman Catholic Archdioceses of Pittsburgh and Washington, a group of priests and several Protestant colleges and universities. These plaintiffs argue that they should not even have to submit the three-question exemption form that simply says that they object to providing coverage. Simply objecting in writing, they argue, would somehow make them complicit in sin, by making their workers eligible for contraceptive coverage, even though the plaintiff organizations would have no part in that coverage. Advertisement Even more absurdly, four of the eight current justices sounded like they agreed with this far-out argument. "They think that complicity is sinful," sympathized Chief Justice John Roberts, who may have felt that his two votes in favor of Obamacare were quite enough. As Robert Barnes of the Washington Post pointed out, the case is to be decided under a law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The RFRA says the government must have a compelling reason for laws and programs that substantially burden religious beliefs and even then government must provide that the law is the least burdensome way of achieving its goal. Roberts and [Justice Samuel] Alito said women could receive contraception in other ways -- by buying insurance elsewhere or even through one of the exchanges under the Affordable Care Act [Obamacare]... But Verrilli [the government's attorney] said that would be contrary to Congress's plan that women receive all preventative care in a seamless fashion from their insurance. Besides, there are no insurance policies just for contraception. The conservative justice usually most likely to side with the court's four liberals, Anthony Kennedy, seemed to feel, as did Roberts, that the plaintiffs were correct in alleging that the government was "hijacking" their insurance plans to provide the coverage, even though the plans are not religiously affiliated and the government will subsidize them. But even Kennedy worried that granting the exemptions might be exempting too many people -- as in the case of universities which provide insurance coverage to their students, faculty and staff. The liberal justices worried about that too. Among them, Elena Kagan also pointed out that the groups were "objecting to objecting," and Steven Breyer said he was having trouble seeing how the complaints were different from those of people who object to paying taxes because the money could be used for war. Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked that if everyone who felt laws that violated their beliefs could exempt themselves, "how will we ever have a government that functions?" How, indeed, will we? Advertisement How anyone can argue with a straight face that simply filing a few words of objection to gain exemption from employee contraception violates any group's freedom of religion beggars the imagination. If, as seems likely from the tenor of today's questioning, the court is divided four-to-four, the decisions of the lower courts will stand when the Supreme Court decision is announced, probably in June. That is unless the court orders the case to be reargued whenever it is restored to its full nine members. Eight of the nine federal courts of appeal have ruled against the religiously-affiliated groups, meaning that those in most of the country will have to apply for the exemption to get it and avoid what some have described as "ruinous" fines. But the Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, which covers six midwestern states and Arkansas, has ruled that the groups are protected by the First Amendment's freedom of religion clause. So plaintiffs in those states cannot be forced to apply or be fined. Big, fluffy scruffy beards aren't just for lumberjacks anymore. The scruffy look is in style for guys, and even more so, the "hipster" trend has brought back full beards - some well groomed and maintained, some not so much. The way a groom wears his facial hair on his wedding day can be very important, to the bride if not as much to the groom himself. While the trendy, backwoods look he's been wearing with plaid shirts and skinny pants might make him look fashionable out and about, that look might not be exactly what the couple wants to see in their wedding pictures 25 years later. I think men's facial hair is a really important topic because I don't believe most grooms give much thought, in advance, as to how they plan to groom their faces for their wedding day. Advertisement True Story: A bride and groom arrived on Vieques Island for their destination wedding weekend after spending several days travelling around Puerto Rico, trudging through the rain forest and visiting other beaches. The groom's fluffy beard was well-groomed and matched his sense of style completely. Unbeknownst to me, the bride had been pleading with her fiance for months to shave his face bare for the wedding. While she "tolerated" his fuzzy face (a result of a #NoShaveNovember bet that he kept after he won), she was not enamored of the facial hair. She missed his dimples. And she missed his smooth cheeks. He promised her he'd shave it off before the wedding. The night before their wedding, he kissed the bride goodbye and went to spend his last bachelor night with his buddies. After some drinking, the shaving began. Apparently, he had so much beard that it was a multi-step, multi-tool process - and this groom had come prepared. As he told me the story the next day, there wasn't enough tequila in the world to solve his problems when the hair came off and he saw his bare face. Just imagine it - he still had the full-beard look, but there was no hair - just bright, white, untanned skin. And it looked ridiculous! His buddies assured him that all he needed to do was get a little bit of sun, and it would be fine (they'd obviously had a lot to drink, too). So he made the stupid mistake of slathering sun amplifier on the fair, newly-exposed skin before they took off on a fishing trip on his wedding morning, thinking he could make the former skin hidden by the beard match the rest of his face in just a few hours. Bad call. Add a few dips into the salty Caribbean Sea, and by the time he returned to the villa, a couple of hours before the ceremony, he had bright red, raw-looking skin where the beard used to be. Advertisement Let me tell you, my brides who have badly sunburned strap marks onto themselves before wearing strapless wedding gowns had nothing on this groom. He looked ridiculous, and it was painful, too. When I first saw it, I was totally speechless. It was time to call in the expert, and I went up to the bridal suite and "borrowed" the best makeup artist for a consultation. Her reaction was similar to mine, but at least she thought she had a partial solution. She thought she could match the skin color up fairly well with makeup, but first we had to cool off the inflammation in his skin. The poor guy was pretty mortified by the process, but he went along with it willingly because he was more worried about how upset the bride would be when she saw the mess he'd caused. She'd been begging him to shave the beard for months, and for purely stubborn reasons (and trying to be funny), he'd waited until the very last minute to do the deed. His face looking like diaper rash was his punishment, and he felt like a jackass. Ice cold washcloths on the affected area were first, followed by the famous tea-bag home remedy (causing LOTS of jokes from his brothers and the groomsmen who were watching). Cold, wet, tea bags were put all over the red skin, and then switched with fresh icy cold ones when they warmed up. The tea not only draws the heat out of the sunburn, but it helps reduce the redness. I've personally applied tea bags to several brides' backs the day before their weddings, but this was my first groom sunburn emergency. The tops of feet don't count - we just laugh at those. To be fair, I'd say we reduced the redness by half, and then the makeup artist had him submerge his face in a bowl of ice water, over and over, for about 10 minutes. She warned him that whatever triage she did probably wouldn't last through the entire evening, with the Caribbean humidity and the fact that the raw skin was pretty angry. But she hoped what she did would last through the ceremony and pictures, or at least look good enough that the photographer would be able to edit him to "normal." Time was getting close, so I went to brief the bride on the situation while the professional went to work on his face. My job was to explain the problem to the bride in a manner that wouldn't freak her out, but so that she knew what was up when she got to the end of the aisle and saw the man of her dreams wearing more concealer than her. Advertisement The bride was not amused, but she didn't get hysterical or let it ruin her wedding day. She asked me how bad it would look, and I honestly told her that I wouldn't know until the makeup wizard was finished. I offered to bring her a picture when he was "fixed," but she opted not to know in advance because she didn't want to go down the aisle pissed off if he looked outrageous. The end result wasn't bad, although you could tell the groom was wearing makeup. He washed his face after the formal photos because his skin was really irritated and started to sting when he sweat, so everybody had a good sympathetic laugh when they saw his face clean. The couple was kind enough to let me blog about this story so that the same thing wouldn't happen to another man, but they didn't want me to post their pictures - names withheld to protect the guilty and embarrassed, right? Humorous memories don't have to make the national news. And the bride's still a bit irritated with him about the whole thing. Moral of the Story: Decide well ahead of your wedding day what you want to do with your facial hair because you need to start preparing before game day. Even if you're just a scruffy-look kind of groom, you have to shave it bare from the first day of a destination wedding if you're going to be out in the sun, or the area that's partially covered will have a completely different color on the big day. This doesn't just apply to men getting married someplace tropical, if you're outside a lot and you've had that beard for a long time, the skin beneath it is going to be paler than the rest of your face. Think ahead! Everybody loves funny wedding memories, but something that happens to the bride or groom's face isn't really funny. I'm sure this groom would have had a much better time at his wedding and reception if he didn't know he looked stupid, and if his face hadn't been burning. Take care so that you can have the most fun possible! Advertisement (Photo: Ron Koeberer/Getty Images) By Melissa Dahl In 2013, educator and writer Jessica Lahey wrote a convincing piece for The Atlantic in which she argued that her introverted students needed to learn to speak up in class. In it, she defended her decision to keep class participation as a small but significant portion of her students' grades. The quieter kids in the class simply needed to learn how to speak up in "a world where most people won't stop talking," she wrote. Two years later, she changed her mind. Last summer, Lahey wrote about her new, more nuanced take on class participation in a post for Quiet Revolution, a site launched last year by Susan Cain, the author of the 2012 mega best seller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. "There are ways to encourage participation other than asking students to speak up in class," Lahey wrote in that follow-up piece, "and silence is an incredibly important tool for promoting learning and teaching patience." This is essentially the heart of the idea behind the Quiet Schools Network, a new initiative Cain is readying to launch this summer with her for-profit company, Quiet Revolution. Led by former teacher Heidi Kasevich, the network will be a group of 50 educators -- including teachers and administrators -- who will meet this summer for a workshop that will, Kasevich and Cain hope, help both public and private schools pay more attention to their quietest students. (Schools will pay a fee to join the network, though there is limited financial assistance available, Kasevich said.) Advertisement One of their central arguments is that introverts are different from extroverts not just on a behavioral level -- their physiology is distinct, too, in a real, measurable way. Research in psychology dating back to the 1960s backs this notion up: In a classic, often-cited study, for example, researchers placed four drops of lemon juice onto the tongues of 100 volunteers. Those who scored higher in introversion had a markedly different reaction to the sour taste, with an increased production of saliva. In his 2013 book, Me, Myself and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-Being, University of Cambridge psychologist Brian Little touches on that in a section on introversion and extroversion: One biological model of this dimension postulates that the differences in extraversion reflect differences in the arousal level of certain neocortical areas of the brain: those high in extraversion have low levels of arousal, whereas introverts have high levels. Given that effective performance on daily tasks requires an optimal level of arousal, extraverts are typically seeking to increase their levels of arousal, whereas introverts are trying to lower theirs. As Cain explained to Science of Us, "The big insight, really, is all human beings have nervous systems that respond differently to stimulation, so we all have different needs to be at our sweet spot and be at our best and most ready to learn." Back to the matter of class participation: Part of the mission of the Quiet Schools Network will be to encourage teachers to reframe "classroom participation" as "classroom engagement," the idea being that there are other, quieter ways to measure students' understanding of the material than how quickly and loudly they can talk about it. A lot of kids -- and not just introverts -- need a "longer runway," Kasevich said, meaning more time to prep before they're ready to make a useful contribution to the discussion. "A lot of these kids prefer to learn by thinking and processing deeply," Cain told Science of Us. "They might want to contribute when they have something they really want to say, but they resent that feeling that they should be piping up throughout." Lahey, for example, now requires a brief moment of thoughtful silence after she poses a question to her classroom. "I noticed that the most extroverted students would jump right in there before knowing what they wanted to say," she said. "The extroverted kids also needed to think about what they wanted to say [before they blurted it out]." Advertisement Some educators Cain has spoken with are already moving away from traditional classroom participation models by using social media in the classroom. Students can respond to ideas discussed in class on Twitter, or Facebook, or a classroom blog. "You very often find that the students who are more reticent to raise their hands are much more vocal when they're typing into an online forum," she said. Beyond the classroom, Cain and Kasevich would love for schools to reconsider the structure of their physical spaces as well. For instance, the entire point of recess for little kids -- and breaks for older kids -- is to allow them time to refresh themselves, so that afterward they'll be ready again to learn. But think of your typical school: It's loud, it's noisy, it's brightly lit. If a kid wants to get away from that, there usually aren't many options beyond the library or the bathroom. "Recess is loud, the cafeteria is loud, the lights tend to be bright," Kasevich said. "An abundance of social interactions and really bright lights can feel like fingernails grating on a chalkboard for the introverted students. And this is where I think it's an unconscious bias." In her dream scenario, those quiet spaces are "something really cozy by a window overlooking trees -- just a place for silence." Importantly, Kasevich is not advocating to shield the shy kids from their fears of public speaking. Rather, the changes she and Cain are proposing are just a way of helping the quiet students feel more comfortable with speaking up. Another class-participation method Cain and Kasevich are excited about is something they call "think/pair/share": a period of quiet thought, followed by a discussion with another student, followed by the two presenting their thoughts to the classroom. Similarly, Lahey has instituted something she calls "peer-to-peer teaching," where she enlists individual students -- both the loud ones and the quieter ones -- to teach a section of material for the day. "It's interesting -- I think one of the big helpful parts for them is in the preparation," she told Science of Us. "I give them the answers, and I offer to sit down with them and talk about how they might present the information ... Just having more time to process and think about it is very helpful. Advertisement "And most teachers know that you don't fully understand something until you've taught it," she continued. "So the students have found that their learning is much deeper." None of this, incidentally, is about excluding the loud kids, who will still be able to talk through their thoughts. It's about helping the quiet kids recognize that their thoughts are worth sharing, too. Girl Summit 2014.Picture: Russell Watkins/Department for International Development. Available free under the terms of Crown Copyright/Open Government License/Creative Commons - Attribution. An upcoming UN Conference on Global Citizenship offers us an opportunity to reflect on its meaning, especially as seen through the eyes of youth. In October 2012 Malala Yousafzai had already garnered international attention for her defense of girls' education in Pakistan's Swat Valley, when at age 15, she was shot in the face. In her December 2014 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Malala, spoke in defense of the world's children: Advertisement This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change. I am here to stand up for their rights, to raise their voice... it is not time to pity them. It is not time to pity them. It is time to take action so it becomes the last time, the last time, so it becomes the last time that we see a child deprived of education. In Malala's world, "education went from being a right to being a crime." Malala tells her story not because "it is unique, but because it is not." Millions suffer the same fate. For example, UNESCO estimates that 100 million children did not complete primary schooling in 2015. Risking death, Malala chose to speak out, not only for herself, but for all girls facing a similar fate around the globe. When Malala says, "I am those 66 million girls who are deprived of education," she embodies the values of global citizenship. Don't we all thirst for knowledge and education, just as we hunger for food and water? Yet too many are denied their education when that ought to be their universal right. Malala's words powerfully echo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from a Birmingham Jail that, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Today, education for global citizenship is a necessary tool for building a more peaceful world that ensures every person has a right to clean air, clean water, food, shelter, and other basic human rights. According to UNESCO global citizenship education "aims to empower learners to assume active roles to face and resolve global challenges and to become proactive contributors to a more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure world." The UN Secretary-General's Global Initiative on Education has developed three core priorities: put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster global citizenship. Advertisement But education alone will not dissolve hateful, ignorant, and oppressive individuals, institutions, and structures of power. Peace requires active engagement; it also requires commitments to reducing global inequities. Poverty is one major barrier to educational access, but it can be reduced in many contexts through simple strategies such as offering students free lunches, paying families small stipends for keeping their children in school, and by improving sanitation and healthcare. Journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn found that "one of the most cost-effective ways to increase school attendance is to deworm students," which costs as little as $0.50 per student. From May 30 to June 1, NGO leaders, technical experts, government and UN officials will come together to develop an action agenda focused on the theme: Education for Global Citizenship: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 66 United Nations DPI/NGO conference this spring in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. The Conference builds upon two UN milestones -- the SDGs adopted by the UN in October, 2015 and the December Paris Agreement on climate change hosted by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. While it is impossible to predict with any certainty what this year will bring, 2016 is shaping up to be a pretty active year in the food labeling world. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee voted on legislation that would limit the labeling of foods made through genetic modification. Taken together with passage of a similar bill by the House of Representatives in July 2015, it appears likely that food shoppers will see some changes in the labeling requirements that apply to their food products in 2016, particularly when it comes to genetically modified organisms (GMO). Even absent federal legislation, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont are just a few of the states that have either proposed or enacted legislation on the topic of GMO food products and product labeling requirements. In Vermont, the new requirements are set to take effect on July 1, 2016. Given the increased attention on food labeling and the use of genetic engineering in foods, the list of states that will consider GMO labeling requirements is likely to grow. States' actions and the Vermont case At the start of 2016, Maine, Connecticut and Vermont were the only states that had passed mandatory labeling legislation. The legislation in Connecticut and Maine contain multi-state trigger provisions, meaning that the legislation would not become effective until other states also passed similar legislation. Advertisement Vermont's mandatory genetic engineering labeling legislation, known as Act 120, is set to take effect on July 1, 2016, requiring that all food sold in Vermont that is entirely or partially produced with genetic engineering be labeled as such. If that date holds, 2016 will be the year that the country's first GMO labeling legislation takes effect. The 'revolution' around labels is driven by consumer advocates who believe the general public would be best served by knowing which products are made with or contain ingredients that were produced through genetic engineering. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), genetic modifications were initially introduced to improve crop protections from disease and insects. The WHO reports that foods with GMOs have passed safety assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concurred, but labeling backers advocate for transparency, saying that little is known about the long-term effects. As Huffington Post has reported, the implications of mandatory labeling are complicated. Everything from how much the cost of food products will rise for consumers due to the increase in costs associated with the new labeling requirements, to the thresholds of percentages of GMO ingredients that would trigger labeling requirements remain unclear. Advertisement Litigation and uncertainty The legal landscape is equally murky. The Vermont statute is currently the subject of litigation filed by a number of food trade associations. They challenge the legislation on several bases, including preemption pursuant to several federal statutes regulating the labeling of food and beverages such as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Pending the outcome of this litigation, however, consumers buying food products in Vermont may see required GMO labeling on their food products. Many manufacturers are concerned, but they need not panic about logistical challenges and legal ramifications just yet. Congress has taken steps to enact legislation that would preempt any bill enacted by individual states. A federal remedy on the topic of GMO labeling would certainly simplify and streamline the requirements for food manufacturers because affected companies would no longer have to evaluate individual state statutes across the country and develop labels that comply with multiple statutes at the same time. The Senate Agriculture Committee's vote in March would, in essence, block state GMO labeling requirements from taking effect, including Vermont's Act 120, which mirror's the bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last July. Congress' action on GMO labeling should give manufacturers some comfort as the bills under consideration share the common goal of simplifying compliance for the manufacturers. Even if the federal legislature fails to reach agreement on a bill, many of the proposed (or enacted) statutes at the state level contain multi-state trigger provisions as is the case in Maine and Connecticut. These conditions serve to delay the effective dates of statutes until other states enact similar rules. State versus federal interests As a legal matter, the topic of food labeling, including "natural" or GMO labeling, certainly impacts the conflicting interests of the state and the federal government to regulate food safety. While states have an interest in regulating the safety of foods sold to their residents, the realities of the food industry necessarily call upon the federal government's interest in regulating interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Also, various federal statutes, including the aforementioned Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act, provide for a complex regulatory scheme that governs the production and sale of food products in the U.S. Advertisement Key issues State legislation with labeling requirements that conflict with the requirements set forth by the FDA would impede on the Agency's ability to create a uniform regulatory scheme. If allowed to stand in conflict, the differences between federal and state statutes, and among state statutes, will make it nearly impossible for the food industry to comply with federal regulation and individual state statutes without incurring enormous costs that for many companies, will be prohibitive. This explains why the viability of federal statutes under the Constitution's Commerce Clause and the Supremacy Clause, which provides federal preemption over state laws, lie at the heart of the litigation currently pending in federal court in Vermont over that state's legislation. The Vermont law specifically states that a food product must be labeled as a GMO and not as natural if it is "partially produced with genetic engineering." It is hard to say what courts will do with this because the term "partially produced" has never been litigated in the context of food production or labeling. The Vermont statute itself, however, specifically exempts any food from labeling requirements if the food "includes one or more" genetically engineered materials that "in the aggregate do not account for more than .9 percent of the total weight of the processed food." FDA Guidance The FDA is mindful of the questions associated with state laws such as Vermont's. In November 2015, the FDA issued a "guidance" on labeling of plant-based foods manufactured to assist those seeking to challenge state GMO labeling statutes on the grounds that such state statutes are preempted by the federal regulatory scheme. Litigants can use this guidance to argue that the FDA has spoken on the topic and their position must be given preemptive effect. This type of challenge has not been successful in the past, however. In a 2014 case involving the cereal and snack bar manufacturer Kashi Co., the federal court in Florida denied an argument that public policy statements by the FDA should be given preemptive effect. The FDA statements relied upon by Kashi did not rise to the level of a formal guidance, but absent more definitive action from the FDA or further regulation it's likely that other courts will be similarly reluctant to determine that FDA guidance should preempt state statutes. Advertisement What's next Assuming Congress fails to act in time and the courts uphold the Vermont Law, change will follow. Generally speaking, every food producer will need to evaluate its ingredient sourcing and its production methods to determine whether its foods are currently manufactured using genetically engineered ingredients or processes. If that comes to pass, consumers will likely see that many food products are marketed in a different manner. Manufacturers will surely revisit their packaging to consider whether Vermont's statutorily provided language "produced with genetic engineering," or one of the variations of this provided in the law, requires a change in labeling. Dear Sharon, We are hosting an Easter brunch this year that includes family and friends who celebrate both Easter and Passover. How do we do this gracefully and keep everyone happy? Help! Signed, Culturally Confused Dear Culture Smart, Your willingness to open your home to family and friends celebrating both holidays is testament to your kind heart. Easter and Passover holidays are a traditional time for family and friends to gather, share stories, and enjoy a special time together. Yes, it is possible to host these holidays simultaneously. Oxford English Dictionary defines Easter as the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and held (in the Western Church) between March 21 and April 25, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox. According to Bede, the word is derived from Eastre, the name of a goddess associated with spring. Advertisement According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Passover is defined as the major Jewish spring festival which commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery, lasting seven or eight days from the 15th day of Nisan. The origin of pass over is to 'pass without touching', a reference to the exemption of the Israelites from the death of their firstborn. Celebrating both holidays at the same time can be accomplished with knowledge of what is required in a kosher kitchen. The culture key is to keep it kosher. Kosher describes food (or the premises in which food is sold, cooked, or eaten) that satisfies the requirements of Jewish law. Restrictions on the foods suitable for Jews are derived from rules in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Animals must be slaughtered and prepared in the prescribed way, in which the blood is drained from the body, while certain creatures, notably pigs and shellfish, are forbidden altogether. Meat and milk must not be cooked or consumed together, and separate utensils must be kept for each. Strict observance of these rules is today confined mainly to Orthodox Jews. For Passover, the additional culture key is to also avoid serving leavened bread. For menu suggestions, consider fish and vegetarian options such as sea bass and salmon, organic vegetables like arugula and pear, and matzo bread with fresh figs or chutney. Advertisement Culture Smarts and Guest Etiquette Host Tips: Planning and invitations: Careful thought and planning creates a lovely event and avoids chaos. By giving careful consideration to the location, as well as the invitation and guest list, the perfect ambiance and mix of personalities can be created. It is difficult to exclude spouses from holiday gatherings, so plan for each guest to bring a significant other. If you consider hosting an outdoor event, have a "Plan B" lined up so that spring showers do not derail your best laid plans. Children: The invitation must clearly indicate whether children are invited. Holidays such as Easter and Passover naturally include the children of family and friends. If the kids are not invited, host an evening event rather than a brunch so your guests have time to hire a babysitter. When you receive an email from a parent requesting a favor because he can't find a sitter, respond that you understand and will miss him; it is inappropriate for you to allow his daughter to attend, without making an exception for all of the other children. You must be fair and be consistent. Beverage variety: Superb hosts maintain a well-stocked bar, with plenty of non-alcoholic beverages on hand. Club soda, ginger-ale, soda, fruit juice, lemonade, sparkling and still water, and iced tea are just a few suggestions. Informal or silver coffee and tea service can be set-up ahead of time with milk, half-and-half, sugar, Stevia and sweeteners so guests may serve themselves. Setting a beautiful and proper table: A place setting is a global compass for your dining experience. It is important to understand how to navigate the system, whether simple or multiple courses, and understand the proper placement of the plates, stemware and utensils. In our home, we set the table the day before the dinner. With the exception of the cocktail and dessert forks, most forks are set on the left side of the plate. The cocktail fork may be placed on the right side in a soup spoon, or brought out with the cocktail. The dessert fork is placed above the plate. The bread plate and butter spreader are placed on the left of the dinner plate. The stemware is placed on the right of the dinner plate. Place the napkin in a creative way, for examples see Napkin Wizard. Prearranging seating with place cards: Pay special attention to the chemistry between your guests and prearrange seating by using artful place cards. You and your children can even create your own place cards as a fun craft activity. It is nice to split couples so they can converse with others. If you know your guests well, you'll know who will blend well with whom, especially when seating singles and newcomers. The beauty of place cards is that guests are relieved to discover where they are placed, and don't need to worry about finding a perch. Place each card at the top of the place setting (or dessert fork or spoon). Guest Tips: Matthew Piacentini has just returned from the Reykjavic Bar Summit, a global cocktail bar competition. He is the owner of The Up & Up, a cocktail lounge in New York City's Greenwich Village. I interviewed Matthew about his cocktail philosophy. SC: How is the experience of drinking a cocktail different to wine or beer? MP: Unlike beer, wine, and spirits, cocktails have no utilitarian purpose. For example, spirits were originally medicinal and for thousands of years, beer and wine have been considered safer to drink than water. Cocktail drinking has absolutely no purpose other than pleasure. It's one of the last bastions of acceptable hedonism. Also, wine and beer are primarily for drinking with food, while cocktails are to be enjoyed on their own. So, cocktails have to be fully formed things in their own right, and they don't have to play nice with other things that are going in our mouths. Advertisement Bastion of Acceptable Hedonism Sam Smith The Pop Heirloom Studio SC: Can the taste of cocktails be judged objectively? Or is it a matter of personal taste? MP: Both. There are factual aspects in the taste. We can use a brix meter to measure sweetness, a hydrometer to measure abv (alcohol by volume), and pH tests to measure acidity. But all the flavors you've ever experienced shape your palate. If you eat a lot of sweets, you're going to perceive a cocktail to be more tart than someone who eats more salty foods. What people actually want may be quite different from what they say. For example, someone might say that they don't like anything sweet, but they love Campari. Technically, Campari is incredibly sweet, but many people only think of it as bitter. Good bartenders ask questions to get a sense of a guest's palate. Seventy-Four | Image courtesy of The Up & Up SC: What are the main factors to consider in the sensory and aesthetic experience of drinking a cocktail? MP: The look of a cocktail is just as important as the flavor and feeling. You can apply the same rules as you would to dining. A plate of gray slop may be the best tasting thing you've ever had, but if it looks terrible, it's going to detract from the experience. Expectations are a big part of the cocktail experience. The eyes tell the mouth and nose what to expect by heightening the sensitivity of the receptors of those flavors. Advertisement Have you ever taken a sip of water when you thought it was Sprite? It tastes salty because your palate was ready for sweet, and had already geared your taste receptors to that bias. Most people are familiar with mint chocolate, so they will be more accepting of a minty flavored cocktail if it's brown rather than if it's pink, for example. If I see a pink, fizzy drink, my mouth is going to expect fruitiness, acidity, sweetness, and perhaps prickliness. Then when I take a sip, if I get what I expected, I'll be satisfied. A circuit closes. When designing cocktails, I think about the sensory experience. I imagine the drinker, alone in a bubble, with just her thoughts and the cocktail. It's like I'm trying to formulate a little daydream. I ask myself questions like: Where does she want to go? What types of memories, associations, feelings, and themes do I want to elicit with this cocktail? Image courtesy of The Up & Up SC: Some bars don't have drink menus - they listen to what the customer is in the mood for. So, what function do menus serve? MP: The cocktail menu can be an intimidating piece of literature. It's often full of words that few people have heard of. Bartenders all over are trying to come up with user-friendly menus, and one of the ways some bars do that is by having no menu at all. This can be effective if there is a tried and tested menu, but only the bartenders know it. So when you go in and say what you're in the mood for, any bartender will probably recommend the same thing, and make it the same way. It puts the guest at ease because it makes them feel taken care of, since they don't have to make tough choices from complicated menus. It can work well in very small bars because the interaction needed between the bartender and guests takes up a lot of time. However, it's also risky because if guests don't like the drink, then they are in an awkward position: do they drink a cocktail they don't like, or complain and risk insulting the bartender's mixology skills? I prefer menus, because they give the guest something tangible. It's the first thing they get to hold onto and get a glimpse of what the place is about. A good menu should be simple and informational with a broad range of styles and flavors, and it should serve as a jumping off point. A guest should never feel like they are stuck with the menu. Guests are becoming more educated about craft cocktails and so the trend is heading toward letting the guest tell you what they are looking for and where they want to go. SC: What role do bartenders play? Is there a role that they should play? MP: Just as guests come into the bar in different moods, so do the bartenders. Some days a bartender might feel jokey, or flirty, or reserved, but a good bartender will know how to tune that with a guest's mood. The bartender's most important job is to make the guest feel like they are exactly where they should be. So, a good bartender should know a little bit about a lot of things. If the guest wants to talk, we talk. If they want to be left alone, we leave them alone. Bartenders, who insert themselves into every interaction and angle for tips at every turn, come across as inauthentic. Similarly, bartenders who want to be rock stars and have everyone marvel at their skills suck energy from the guests, and ultimately turn people off. Image courtesy of The Up & Up SC: How much of the cocktail bar experience is the cocktail itself? What else is important? MP: When people think about cocktails, they're thinking about much more than just the drink. They are thinking about cocktail parties, dresses, fancy hotels, witty banter, or James Bond. The cocktail has become a symbol for a whole way of being that revolves purely around pleasure, and a good cocktail bar should make people feel like they are getting that. The rise of the bartender as performance artist turned cocktail drinking culture into an exercise of appreciation, to marvel at the great bartenders, the superlative cocktails, and how well the environment resembles a different place and time. These days, you can a get a good drink anywhere and novelty is no longer enough. I believe someone will always remember a bar more fondly if they had a good time than just a good drink, so the physical space is really important too. It should exist just on the periphery of a guest's experience. The background should be pleasing, but never compete for the attention of the people they are there with. For example, at The Up & Up I mix the styles in a way that feels new and fresh. We have William Morris wallpaper from 1892 behind banquettes that were modeled after Italian car seats from the 1960s. My rule with music is that we can't play anything recorded before 1960 or after 1990. We end up with New Order and the Church being bookended by The Rolling Stones and Shuggie Otis. It's familiar, but the moments of transition are new and novel. Advertisement Image courtesy of The Up & Up SC: What does the future of cocktails look like? MP: I think the strange and novel is fading, and natural is coming in. A lot of new savory and spicy flavors are popping up. We use black pepper and habanero in some of our drinks. The science of cocktails exploded a few years ago and molecular experimentation became popular. It taught us a lot about cocktails, but I don't think these innovations resulted in better drinks. I prefer a daiquiri made with fresh lime to one made with lime juice clarified in a centrifuge and bottle aged for 12 months. The 'science daiquiri' might technically be a better drink as measured with instruments, but I drink a daiquiri because I'm in a daiquiri mood, not because I want a technically perfect mixture of the molecules found in the base ingredients. I want to think about palm trees, street food, and sugar fields. I want to ponder the romance of revolution and grand hotels. For me, that feeling can only come from something made fresh, as it would have been traditionally. It goes back to the question of where the value of the cocktail experience lies. I think cocktails have a kind of terroir like wine. They have a story, a time, and a place. (Charles H. Baker Jr. has written about this.) Hailstone | Image courtesy of The Up & Up SC: What's your coolest drink at the moment? MP: I'm very proud of the Hailstone. It was a really seamless and pleasurable experience from inspiration all the way to naming it. On July 4th a couple of years ago, my wife and I took our son to the New York Historical Society. They were demonstrating how the colonials made ice cream. It turns out that ice cream was huge in Colonial America. It was the apex of culinary enjoyment. We tasted the orange flower and mace ice cream, which was supposedly all the rage in 1776. It was delicious. I knew immediately that I had to turn this ice cream into a cocktail. Rye whiskey was a staple of colonial drinking culture, so I chose that as the base spirit for the cocktail. (At one point, George Washington owned the largest whiskey distillery in America.) The challenge I faced was how to get the alcohol to taste like the ice cream. Luckily, cream is very good for tempering flavors, just like in cooking. Cream, mace, orange flower water, and rye made a nice subtle drink. But I wanted the orange flavor to really pop like in the ice cream, so I added orange and lemon juice. Lemon juice is always helpful with orange juice, because orange juice has very little acidity and can be quite weak when mixed. Now I had the orange-y-ness, the mace, and the creaminess, but it was too cloying for me. Here is the part I'm the most proud of: Tea! I steeped a bunch of black tea with the blades of mace and Demerara sugar. The tannins in the tea completely cleaned up the finish, and left the drink with a rich creamy body, but a light, quick finish. Advertisement In researching the colonists' obsession with ice cream, I came across a story about a governor of Jamestown. During a ferocious hailstorm that broke windows, he ordered his servants to collect the giant hailstones and bring them inside. He wanted to use them to make ice cream for a dinner party the next day. This is why I named the cocktail "Hailstone". It's a perfect example of the mental terroir I mentioned earlier. The anecdotes, the history, and the way it all ties together, are a huge part of the drink. When you drink it, you can't help but go to those places and times. Hailstone 1.5oz Virgil Kaine Rye 0.75oz Mace and Orange Flower Syrup* 0.75oz Orange Juice 0.25oz Lemon Juice 0.5oz Cream Shake hard. Double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with orange peel. *Mace and Orange Flower Syrup In a big bowl, add 3 black teabags and 4oz blades of mace (not ground) to 2 cups of boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Remove teabags. Add 2 cups of Demerara sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add 2oz orange flower water and 1oz Grand Marnier. Leave overnight. Strain. Matthew Piacentini Advertisement Just when you might think the GOP race couldn't get any more ridiculous, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are now facing off over their wives' virtues and reputations. Earlier this week, hoping to appeal to Utah Mormon's sensibilities, an anti-Trump organization placed slut-shaming ads in Facebook featuring nearly nude photos of his wife, Melania Trump. In retaliation, Trump tweeted that "Lyin' Ted Cruz" used the photos, taken from a GQ spread, for political gain and threatened to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife. It's been retweeted and liked more than 50K times. Cruz responded, tweeting back,"if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #classless." This is hardly new in American politics, where sexualizing women is a daily event for women politicians, who have to contend with being turned, non-consensually, into pornography memes. In honor-based, patriarchal societies like ours, it's the most reliable traditional way of implying women are immoral and of degrading their credibility. Male politicians' wives serve the same purpose with the added bonus of conveying that men don't have control over what's theirs. Advertisement This exchange is the perfectly sexist, and benevolently sexist, acme to months of dick-slapping bravado from men who endlessly go on about their wives, mothers, daughters, making assertions about how much they "love women," "protect women," "think women are beautiful," "cherish women," and "want only the best for America's women." It's hard to reconcile words like these with the idea that they actually betray deeply sexist and misogynistic ideologies. Benevolent sexism encompasses a whole range of attitudes and beliefs that support men and women in traditional roles, which means, in the end, ones in which women are granted safety and security in exchange for men being imbued with authority and granted power over them. It's characterized by an emphasis on how women look, by the underlying and sometimes overt messages that women are vulnerable and weaker, by sexist humor, and by Madonna/whore ideas of women and sex. It's often expressed in what are considered positive and gentlemanly expressions: unnecessarily gendered solicitude, manners and acts of kindness such as men insisting on opening doors or sitting last, "women and children first," complementing women on their looks. Institutionally, it shows up in persistent legal and corporate paternalisms that render women, financially, psychologically, emotionally and politically less than full adults, and turns men, who would be their peers and partners, into their functional fathers. Birth control permission slips or mandatory waiting periods for abortions are only the tip of the iceberg in which women making moral life decisions in the absence of men is thought to be impossible. Benevolent sexism, and the chest-thumping so on display during this election, is the lingua franca of conservative patriarchal societies all over the world. Linguist George Lakoff explored related themes in his book, Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know that Liberals Don't, and suggested that liberals and conservatives could be divided into "nurturant parent," and "strict father" camps. He related this model to policy approaches, evident in GOP debates, to drugs, same-sex marriage, reproductive rights and abortion, multiculturalism, Obamacare, crime, and climate change. You can also see the "strong father" in GOP pink-shaming President Obama as not "man enough" to "keep us safe." Advertisement The presidency is a particular nexus for assessments of American masculinity, but it is hardly the only political office that is, in the eyes of many, inherently the purview of men only. While 43 percent of Americans think having more women in politics is important, the breakdown between Republicans and Democrats is telling: 60 percent of those who think we need women in office are Democrats, only 23% are Republicans; 49 percent are women, only 36 percent are men. In the case of Trump's ascendancy, however, popular support goes beyond implicit bias against women as leaders or the steady, corrosive drop of ambient sexism. Trump is the ideal embodiment of the Internet's commodification of hate, harassment and prurience. His deplorable bluster and repugnant expression shed light on how benevolent sexism necessarily means that controlling femininity is a pillar of masculine power. Trump's incredible arrogance and entitlement are a prime, albeit oversized, example of this ubiquitous reality. "Trump considers himself such a virile example of masculinity," wrote Slate's Franklin earlier today, "that he's qualified to serve as the ultimate arbiter of femininity." And, his starting point is disgust and sexual objectification, openly on display in his endless commentary on women -- Carly Fiorina's face, Hillary Clinton's bathroom habits, Megyn Kelly's menstruating. Trump's endless obsession with women's bodies, his sexual prowess and his own sexual apparatus aren't, however, repelling people, but attracting them -- men and women both. His willingness to "say what others won't" has moved misogyny and race and ethnic hatred from sub-text to text. I, for one, am grateful the ugliness is all out in the open. These beliefs, and personal ways of organizing life, are undermining women's equality and physical security every day. As I say to my daughters, run as far as possible from the man that is most ardent about protecting you. Both entitlement and sexism are both primary predictors of tolerance not only for professional and political discrimination, but for the widespread violence toward women. Benevolent sexism institutionalized in the law and in rape and domestic violence myths has for decades ensured that women are more, not less, vulnerable because they are most likely to suffer harm from the very men who say they will protect them. Take Trump himself, for example. He's a presidential candidate whose lawyer, only last year, announced, in defending Trump against his former wife's late 1980s allegations of sexual assault, that marital rape isn't illegal, which, until 1993 it still wasn't in all states. Benevolent sexism permeates our legal and judicial theory regarding autonomy and agency--a fact that is highly evident in todays consent and rape debates. Today, still, 13 states continue to make exceptions for marital rape. Entitled men or those how are aggrieved about their loss of entitlements, are far more likely to have hostile views towards women and entitled women are more likely to hold views of women as needing protection and incapable of being authoritative. That lack of faith in women's abilities and belief in their primary role as mothers, sex toys and babymakers affects our workplace environments. Men in traditional marriages, where they are the primary or sole breadwinner, view women in the workplace unfavorably, think that businesses with higher numbers of women workers operate less smoothly, find organizations with women leaders relatively unattractive, and are more likely to deny qualified women promotions. The people managing our government, corporations, and religions are overwhelmingly men (84-100 percent). A survey of 1,200 executives conducted by the Families and Work Institute revealed that 75 percent of male executives had stay-at-home wives. Back in 1988 a bright young woman came to NFTE and permanently changed how we saw youth entrepreneurship education. NFTE students that year At the time, I was teaching a program for young people with lupus, sponsored by the JM Foundation. I had never heard of this disease before, and I was not aware of how serious it was for children. Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease--that can go from a mild illness to a life-threatening disease. In fact, there are an estimated 1.5 million Americans with the disease, according the Lupus Foundation of America. In many cases, pediatric lupus can take a more aggressive turn than it does with adults. Advertisement When I first walked into our class, it was obvious who was the most engaged student. Her name was Mary--a beautiful young soul with supportive parents who loved her very much. Mary was also a natural entrepreneur--at that age 17, she already had her own jewelry business. She intuitively understood the economics of one unit, she wrote her business plan in a few days, and she was selling about $100 of her products every week. As our class progressed through NFTE's lessons, Mary's health worsened. One day, she ended up in the hospital, where she would need long-term, ongoing treatments. Despite her new home and her diagnosis, Mary kept her spirits high and wanted to stay connected to NFTE and to business. We trained her to teach an abbreviated youth entrepreneurship program to fellow, terminally-ill patients. I remember going to visit her, and each of her students--with several months to live, at best--eagerly presented their businesses to me. Later, when we wanted to evaluate the impact our program was making, we asked the students to write an essay on what they had learned from this work. One student wrote that the program helped raise her self-confidence. Other students told us that the suddenly felt more control over their lives. The psychologist working on that floor told us that many of these students had felt suicidal before Mary's program arrived. As you can imagine, many children find it difficult to appropriate or cope with a serious illness, the need ongoing treatment, or a terminal diagnosis. In fact, my friend Sheri Bryson wrote a guide for terminally-ill children, but at this time resources like that were few and far between. Advertisement Sherri's book Many terminally-ill children are forced to deal with their health challenges before they have developed the coping skills to understand the gravity of illness. It is this fact that predisposes them to depression and feelings of loneliness, being overwhelmed, and worry. But the ability to feel part of something like Mary's program or the ability to feel in control of something is empowering to all people -- terminally ill or not. Entrepreneurs know that their business successes are personal successes--and their business challenges are personal challenges. Entrepreneur Magazine Tragically, Mary passed away soon after this time but I am often reminded of her spirit and her passion to share entrepreneurship with her peers and students.She had a huge impact beyond her years and will always be remembered. Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, speaks during an event at Stanford University in Stanford, California, U.S., on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. In the wake of a series of deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, the U.S. presidential front-runners clashed over interrogation techniques and whether to stop foreign Muslims from entering the country. 'Our country's most experienced and bravest military leaders will tell you that torture is not effective,' said Clinton. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images There have been a few articles suggesting that Hillary Clinton make Shake It Off her campaign song. While I disagree with the reasons given, I am completely onboard with the concept that this song embodies Hillary's uncanny ability to keep on moving. Hillary should drop Katy Perry and go with Taylor Swift because no one can Shake It Off better than Hillary. Hillary's media team could create a video of her laughing at people for asking silly questions about her emails, Benghazi, overthrowing Gadhafi without a day after plan, and whether or not Bill's trysts in the White House would be Republican fodder. Ha, a Right Wing Conspiracy... just Shake It Off, Hillary says. Advertisement Bernie, being a closet Katy fan, says not so fast. Not everything in Hillary's long career can be neatly pressed, folded and slipped into that enormous Right Wing Conspiracy chest. Bernie dares to ask why Wall Street would give campaign contributions to Hillary if she is going to make them play by the same rules as the rest of us (or any rules for that matter). Bernie also demands that Hillary release the transcripts of the speeches to those Wall Streeters, for which she was paid a lot of money. Hillary says "I won't show you mine unless you show me yours" -- only Bernie has nothing to show. So...Shake It Off. And like all infomercials...wait, there's more. Hillary fully inserts the word "we" when she discusses Bill Clinton's two terms in office. She hails "our" accomplishments in growing the economy, hails the fact that "we" balanced the budget. Of course when discussing the failures of NAFTA, welfare reform, or the three-strikes law, well Shake It Off. She says hindsight is easy, we've learned from the past. And using the term "super predator" when discussing African-American teens? Shake It Off, it was just a poor choice of words. Let's see if she will continue to use the word "we" if anyone ever grows a pair and directly asks her why Bill Clinton would even contemplate giving a speech to North Korea -- a country that continues to threaten the United States with nuclear attack. How will she Shake It Off? And more importantly, will the media continue to let her Shake It Off? And how about the other speeches she gave? While I don't think it is ethical for Democrats to take money from people who should be indicted for wreaking havoc on our economy, I don't lay in bed feeling sorry for the millionaires from whom she took the money -- they won't miss it. However, when you give a speech at a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club and you take $200,000 in payment, you are taking that money from an organization that helps children. And I have a serious problem with that. Advertisement When you agree to be a speaker at a nonprofit gala event there is an unwritten rule that you help the organization bring in money -- you help fundraise. An organization's revenues brought in by your presence should outweigh any cost of an honorarium. You shouldn't walk away with a hefty check and wave your hand goodbye, literally. The Boys and Girls Club wasn't the only organization that doled out money to the Clintons. I wonder if Hillary's chosen pronoun will still be "we" when someone, anyone asks why the Clinton Foundation took over $11 million from small nonprofits who work tirelessly to raise money often on a shoe-string budget. Yes, the Clintons say they put it in the foundation but these are the Clintons -- don't they have better ways to fundraise? Don't they have a larger network than organizations that have budgets 1/10th or less the size of the Clinton Foundation? If Anderson Cooper or George Stephanopoulos ever get around to asking Hillary a tough question -- will her reply be the same as it was regarding Goldman Sachs "Well, that's what they offered?" Bernie needs to ask more questions because Hillary has a judgment problem, as he has expressed about the Iraq vote. That judgment problem exists when money is involved, handshakes are made and deals are agreed upon. Hillary shouldn't be able to Shake It Off this time. Let's be real. The thousands of people at Bernie's rallies and at Trump's are pissed off. They are sick of inequality (although their ideas about who is to blame for inequality could not be more different). Inequality and security, particularly after the Brussels attack, are and will remain the two big issues of the campaign. The "we" comprised of Hillary and Bill repeatedly took money from those less well off than themselves for the financial gain of their family and foundation, and Bill damn near took money over security. She should be held accountable for her actions -- their actions. And if Anderson and George and all of their colleagues refuse to help the American public honestly vet our candidates for President then Bernie has to ask the tough questions himself. The American populous is sick of the establishment. They want something different. We want something different. Bernie is the change I want. Bernie needs to ask these questions before it's too late. By Dima Khalidi, director of Palestine Legal and cooperating counsel with the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) For us Palestinian-Americans, the height of election year means it is cringe season. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, intentionally timed to attract the presidential frontrunners, is a perfect illustration of why. It is at AIPAC after all, that those hoping to become or remain our elected leaders are pandering to powerful pro-Israel groups this week in order to win their favor, or avoid their disfavor. Typically, this involves pledging undying allegiance to Israel and its security, namely, continuing the over $3 billion in annual military aid and the supply of lethal weaponry, as well as promises to shield Israel from any scrutiny or accountability for its systematic violations of international law. This year we're hearing these promises and the usual unconditional praise, intensified by the unbridled racism and Islamophobia that certain leading candidates are openly espousing. Advertisement As if all this wasn't concerning enough, this year those currying AIPAC's approval are also vilifying the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS, a nonviolent grassroots movement to pressure Israel to abide by international law and respect Palestinian rights, is the new punching bag for those wishing to publicly flex their pro-Zionist muscles, a shiny new boogie man to fear and loathe. Long an obsession of the extreme right-wing Netanyahu government, which identified it as "a strategic threat of the first order," BDS`s efficacy in recent years has made it all the more frightening to those who wish to maintain the status quo of occupation and apartheid. In Israel's framing, responsibility for the country's continually spiraling "image problem" lies with BDS--not its nearly seven-decade-long subjugation and military occupation of Palestinians. Unsurprisingly, U.S. politicians got the memo and are obediently on message in opposing BDS. And universities have been towed along. Candidates made clear at AIPAC and to pro-Israel donors their view that fighting BDS is a priority. Veiled attacks on advocacy for Palestinian rights, BDS included, are seen in promises to bolster Israel and Jewish students who support it on campuses by combatting the growing student movement for Palestinian rights. Advertisement Over several years, my organization, Palestine Legal, has documented a concerted effort by Israel advocacy groups, with the backing of the Israeli government, to shut down Palestine activism. These efforts have focused on U.S. college campuses, where youth activism for Palestinian rights is blossoming. Israel advocacy groups are putting enormous pressure on universities to condemn, censor, and punish student activists and outspoken academics. One of the primary tactics in this war on the movement is the labeling of all advocacy for Palestinian rights and criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic, and therefore a direct attack on Jewish students who support Israel. The narrative has been so successful that, at the demand of Israel advocacy groups, the University of California Regents considered adopting a policy that would explicitly name "anti-Zionism" as a form of discrimination. Even the L.A. Times declared the folly of such a statement that so baldly tries to silence speech critical of a political ideology. In the face of opposition, this week the Regents adopted an amended version instead condemning "anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism." This new version will undoubtedly be exploited by Israel advocacy groups, who proclaim BDS efforts and other Palestine advocacy to be inherently antisemitic, to further stifle criticism of Israel on campus. Legislative arenas around the country are another focus of the anti-BDS foot soldiers. In 2015 alone, Palestine Legal documented 22 legislative initiatives taking direct aim at BDS, up from 11 in 2014. Last year, Illinois passed a bill requiring state pension funds to blacklist and divest from companies that boycott Israel, and similar anti-BDS legislation has been introduced in 18 states so far in 2016. New York's would create a public blacklist of any individual, organization, or company that professes support for a boycott - in case anyone is nostalgic for McCarthyist tactics. While much of this legislation raises constitutional red flags because of well-established law that recognizes boycotts as protected First Amendment activity, the effect is chilling and the intent is clear: to scare those who advocate for BDS against Israel into silence, and to shield Israel from any collective action for accountability. It is no doubt because of the impact of BDS campaigns worldwide, which have caused companies profiting off occupation and human rights abuses to pull their business out or take financial losses, that this peaceful movement is the focus of so much revulsion and pressure. It also surely must have something to do with the fact that grassroots activism for Palestinian rights in the U.S. has locked arms with the Black Lives Matter movement and other youth-led social justice uprisings. Advertisement As much as candidates try to appeal to certain grassroots movements and deny their indebtedness to their mega-donors, it is clear where their loyalties lie. Billionaires like Sheldon Adelson and Haim Saban have explicit agendas that straddle otherwise rigid party lines, and the candidates oblige. Mercifully, the election season will pass. But the attacks on those who challenge the Israel/Palestine status quo will persist. We are expecting many more legislative initiatives in the months and years ahead, along with other efforts to silence Palestine advocacy, from lawsuits, to personal attacks, to censorship and other threats to First Amendment rights. It is up to all of us to ensure that those who are engaged in these struggles are protected in doing so. Written by Terrance Rogers, Harvard Business School, Class of 2017 "Educating Leaders Who Make a Difference in the World" - Harvard Business School Mission Statement The application of the MBA is undergoing an unprecedented evolution. For decades, the Master in Business Administration degree was bestowed upon the future titans (or tyrants) in the private sector. Prominent executives like Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (HBS), Nike Founder and CEO Phil Knight (Stanford GSB), and Google, Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai (Wharton) come to mind when you think of successful MBA graduates. But now, more than ever, MBA graduates are using their post MBA careers to make a difference in the public sector. One of the areas where this evolution is unequivocally apparent is state government. Seven out of fifty states have governors who hold some form of MBA distinction. How does this compare to the total population? Census data from 2014 shows that 8.5 percent of adults over 25 have a master's degree in the United States. Let us assume that 20 percent of the current master's degree holders in the United States have an MBA, given the increase in popularity of the MBA from the 1970's, when 11 percent of master's degrees were in business, until recently, with 25 percent of master's degrees in business. This means that only 1.7 percent of the population over 25 has an MBA, demonstrating that business school trained leaders are over-represented at the highest level of state government, which is often a training ground for "Leader of the Free World". Sometimes this leadership works out well for constituents (re: Governor Mitt Romney [HBS] bringing universal health care to Massachusetts), and other times, people are poisoned by their drinking water (re: Governor Rick Snyder [Michigan, Ross School of Business] in Michigan). *Please note that this is not a dig at the Ross School of Business. It is a world class business school with great people. Many of my friends are there now. Go BLUE! Advertisement Many of you have already heard about the Flint Water Crisis (videos here, here, and here), but just in case you've been living under a rock, here's a quick summary. In 2011, Governor Snyder sent emergency managers to help economically damaged areas in the state of Michigan balance their budgets. These executive appointed managers did not answer to the elected people in their local district, and they were given enough control to dramatically change the areas they presided over. In an effort to save $5 million per year, the emergency manager in Flint, Michigan decided to source the water supply from the Flint River, which was known to contain decades of automotive company run-off. This water, with the additional chemicals added to clean it, ripped away at the existing pipe, and the result was toxic water in the homes of one of the most economically deprived areas in the country. The residents are finally getting some relief, in 2016. As an MBA, Governor Snyder should be held to a higher standard of ethics, similar to those he was held to as CEO of computer hardware giant, Gateway, Inc. He should know better. First year students at Harvard Business School are required to take "Leadership and Corporate Accountability", which examines corporate decisions through a legal, economic, and ethical lens. Let's look at where the Governor and his team went wrong. Legal - Snyder failed as a fiduciary A fiduciary is a trusted party who is under a duty to act for the benefit of another. Governor Snyder was entrusted by the people of Michigan to act in their best interest, however, he blatantly disregarded the "duty of loyalty" he had with these residents by putting his own budget goals ahead of their health and safety. Through "duty of loyalty," fiduciaries must put the interests of the beneficiary ahead of any personal interest. Advertisement Economic - Snyder failed to save money This entire fiasco was designed to save a total of $12 million. Now, given the damage done to the residents and the amount of money needed to fix the problem, the Governor has had to propose $232 million in new programming. Ethical - Snyder's team failed his people There was a significant amount of "moral disengagement" throughout this entire debacle. As defined in the course, moral disengagement is a process that enables people to engage in negative behaviors without believing that they are causing harm or doing wrong. Instead of notifying the residents that the water was contaminated, which officials were aware of shortly after the source change, the emergency management team withheld this information. They denied Flint residents the basic human right of access to clean drinking water - dehumanizing the citizens by separating themselves from empathy. As business and community leaders, our choices can have overwhelming consequences. We are in business school to learn how to choose the "harder right" over the "easier wrong". Which one will you choose? Data released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that the string of monthly global heat records extended through February, when the average worldwide temperature was 2.18 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average. The tenth straight record breaking month, February was the most above-normal month since meteorologists began tracking temperatures in 1880. The nearly six-tenths of a degree margin by which it beat the old February record, set last year, had federal scientists describing temperatures as "staggering." That margin was confirmed by the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, which uses statistical techniques different than NOAA's, as well as a University of Alabama Huntsville team and the private Remote Sensing System team, which relies on measurements from satellites. "Yes, of course El Nino has a hand in the February and other monthly temperatures records we've been observing, but not the only hand, not even the winning hand," Jessica Blunden of NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information told Mashable. "During the last big El Nino event of 97/98, temperatures departures from average were much lower compared with what we're seeing now with this comparable event, which shows us that general warming is occurring over time." Advertisement Many scientists say climate change is contributing to the recent high temperatures. "We know that atmospheric CO2 (carbon dioxide) and other greenhouse gases are continuing to increase, so that's contributing to climate change and rising temperatures overall," said Heather Graven, a climate scientists at the Imperial College of London. Another clue that rising greenhouse gases are contributing to the recent high temperatures is the location of the warmest-compared-to-average temperatures--the far northern latitudes, which are relatively unaffected by El Nino and where Arctic sea ice set a new lowest-extent record for a February. In those latitudes, including Alaska, recorded temperatures were at least 9 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average--"above the upper bounds" of NOAA's February Global Land and Ocean Temperature Anomalies map. Study: Carbon Dioxide Release Occurring Faster Than At Any Other Time A new study in the journal Nature Geoscience, which comes on the heels of NOAA's record temperature announcement, finds that humans are releasing climate-change-causing carbon dioxide 10 times faster than at any other time in the last 66 million years. "I think to me it's completely clear we have entered a completely new era in terms of what humans can do on this planet," said Richard Zeebe, study co-author with the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "... If you look at the past and if you study the geologic record, every time when there was massive carbon release there were major changes on the planet and there were significant, large changes in the climate." Advertisement To determine how carbon dioxide levels have influenced temperatures, researchers examined warming millions of years ago in the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) by comparing carbon and oxygen tracers, called isotopes, deep in the New Jersey sea floor. PETM is thought to be a possible stand in for the potential impacts of carbon pollutions, as it refers to a period in history when the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide spiked. They found that 40.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere in 2014 but that no more than 4.4 billion tons was released in the peak year during PETM. "Because our carbon release rate is unprecedented over such a long time period in Earth's history, it also means that we have effectively entered a 'no-analogue' state," said Zeebe. "This represents a big challenge for projecting future climate changes because we have no good comparison from the past. Our results suggest that future ocean acidification and possible effects on marine calcifying organisms will be more severe than during PETM." Climate Change Could Be Abrupt, Trigger Dire Consequences Burning fossil fuels at the current pace will trigger an abrupt climate shift, according to a study published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Authored by retired NASA climate scientist James Hansen and 18 others, the study uses global climate modeling, paleoclimate data and modern observation of interactions between the ocean and ice sheets (specifically the Greenland and Antarctic ice shelves) to determine impacts associated with melt. "We conclude that light freshwater added to upper layers of the ocean is already beginning to shut down North Atlantic Deep Water formation and Antarctic Bottom Water formation," said Hansen. "This will have enormous consequences in future decades, if full shutdown is allowed to occur." The study, which stirred debate when it came out in draft form this summer, suggests that the impacts of global warming will not only happen more quickly than thought, but be more dire than envisioned. Holding temperatures to the 2 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels would not be enough to save the planet from experiencing collapsing ice sheets and megastorms. Advertisement The paper concludes that "if the ocean continues to accumulate heat and increase melting of marine-terminating ice shelves of Antarctica and Greenland, a point will be reached at which it is impossible to avoid large-scale ice sheet disintegration with sea level rise of at least several meters. The economic and social cost of losing functionality of all coastal cities is practically incalculable." What has the Internet done for presidential candidates lately? In a recent Nation article , civic technology advocate Micah Sifry heralds the Clinton and Sanders campaigns for using the network to organize potential voters in a way "that has never existed before in American politics." Leveraging the ubiquity of smartphones and Facebook accounts, they've managed to reach millions of people outside traditional politics. Vox's Timothy B. Lee credits the Internet for disrupting establishment politics and giving rise to outsider candidates like Sen. Sanders and Donald Trump. Trump's success "was aided as much by his popularity on cable television as on social media," writes Lee. But it's the candidates' use of direct-to-voter platforms like Twitter that is "only going to accelerate in the next few elections. Advertisement That's something. The Internet has revolutionized the ways presidential candidates connect with potential voters. But what have the presidential candidates done in exchange to protect the network that's become essential to their efforts? Not much, according to the Free Press Action Fund's 2016 Internet Voter Guide, which tracks the candidates' positions on the most pressing Internet issues of the day, like Net Neutrality, privacy and the high cost of Internet access. It's one thing for candidates to use the Internet to help mobilize their base. But it's not enough, unless they also recognize that protecting an open, secure and affordable Internet is essential to their own best interests, and to the future of democracy. According to the Guide, expanding access to the Internet -- at a time when more than 34 million Americans lack truly high-speed Internet at home -- doesn't factor in the policy platforms of most of the candidates. Advertisement Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz have been silent on the issue, and Gov. John Kasich has suggested that consumers are to blame for high broadband prices. In the Republican field, only Sen. Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race last Tuesday night, backed legislation to expand affordable Wi-Fi deployment and further use of unlicensed spectrum for Internet access. The Clinton and Sanders campaigns have made proposals to expand access and make connections more affordable to everyone, but are light on specifics. No candidate, Democrat or Republican, has supported strong, pro-consumer encryption measures. Trump and Cruz have all challenged Apple's right to protect the security of its users from government snooping, and both Democratic candidates vaguely advocated for the FBI and Apple to work together for a solution. Yet securing our phones is something digital rights advocates are passionate about. Last month, smartphone users gathered in more than 25 cities across the country to protest a court order demanding that Apple assist the FBI in breaking into an iPhone. Cruz and Trump each oppose the Net Neutrality protections that millions of Americans fought for: Both have come out against the Federal Communications Commission's open Internet rules, while Cruz signed on to new legislation (along with former contender Rubio) that would repeal the FCC order. Advertisement The Republican opposition to the open Internet is baffling when you line it up against the opinions of their GOP base. According to polling in 2014 and 2015, a vast majority of those who identify as Republican voters support Net Neutrality protections. To their credit, both Democratic candidates have advocated for enforcing the Net Neutrality rules. The frequent disconnect between campaigns' use of the Internet and candidates' positions on Internet rights is a problem. Internet voters are a growing constituency with a track record of political action. They are small-business owners who want to reach a larger market, parents and educators fighting for children who don't have the Internet access they need to do their homework, and people who are struggling to stay connected, apply for jobs online and fully participate in the political process. They came out by the millions in 2012 to defeat legislation -- the ill-fated PIPA and SOPA bills -- that would have blacked out large tracts of Internet content without due process. They formed a diverse coalition of online privacy advocates in the wake of Edward Snowden's 2013 revelations. And in 2015, more than 4 million people pushed the FCC to turn against the influential phone and cable lobby and pass strong Net Neutrality protections. Candidates ignore Internet voters and the issues we care about at their peril. While they may embrace the network as a catalyst for small "d" democratic organizing, they can't work against the interests of those who are fighting to keep it open and available to everyone. Advertisement To save money on prescription drugs, it is often necessary to have a prescription in hand to send to an international online pharmacy or to shop around at local pharmacies so they will disclose their best prices and discounts. However, some U.S. states, like New York, now require that most health professionals write prescriptions electronically, without giving you a paper prescription. So are you out of luck if you need a paper prescription? Fortunately, not. The rules, for example, in New York (where e-prescribing becomes mandatory on March 27) provide a number of exceptions in which written prescriptions remain permitted. One of these is when the prescription is "to be dispensed by a pharmacy located outside the state." Therefore, in New York, a doctor can still legally hand you a prescription if you intend to have it filled outside of New York. (You can read this for yourself in paragraph (c)(5) of Title 10 NYCRR Section 80.64). The New York law also says that a doctor who gives you a written prescription is supposed to report the issuance of that prescription to the New York Department of Health within 48 hours. However, the law does not explain how this is to be done, so I asked the Department of Health. My question was forwarded to a pharmacist consultant at the department. He told me that if a written prescription is given to a patient under one of the exceptions, "there is currently no functionality for reporting that to the Department of Health." Instead, he said "the fact that a written prescription was given should just be noted in the patient's chart." Advertisement I also asked the pharmacist if a doctor can give a patient a written prescription so they can shop it around to find an affordable price or discount. He said that that is acceptable "if it's deemed necessary by the doctor." Again, he said that this should be noted in the patient's chart. E-prescribing is practiced to some degree in all 50 states and 60 percent of all NY prescribers already e-prescribe. Minnesota has adopted a comprehensive e-prescribing program. But only NY, as of March 27, will issue fines to prescribers who don't follow the rules. If you are a teacher, school official, or perhaps even a student or parent in California, you have probably heard about the controversy that has raged for a decade about how India and Hinduism are depicted in California's History lessons. You have probably seen two very different aspects to the whole debate. On the one hand, you might recall the faces of anguished parents and children coming to testify before officials in Sacramento year after year about how demeaning, discriminatory, and inaccurate the depictions of their identity and culture is in the books (watch some of these children's testimonials on this video here). On the other hand, you have probably heard something very different too; that the demands for changing these depictions is part of some sinister campaign to offer a "revisionist" history of India by "Hindu Nationalist" groups. You might have seen phrases like "Hindu extremist" and "Hindu fundamentalist" being used, and allusions to various notorious instances of other religious fundamentalist groups eradicating science and truth from the curriculum from around the country and the world. Advertisement Let us examine some of these alleged "Hindu fundamentalist-extremist-revisionist" changes being sought in middle school history lessons: 1)Are Hindus asking that California should teach middle school children that the world was created by Lord Brahma? 2)Are Hindus asking that history lessons should say that Hindus are God's chosen people and the non-Hindu groups are inferior? 3)Are Hindus insisting that California give special treatment to Hindus and say only nice things about them and then say harsh things about other religions? Are they really pushing some kind of unscientific, fundamentalist, supremacist, agenda into California schools? I have been following the controversy for ten years now, and the answer to these questions is clearly "none of the above." Advertisement What exactly then are many diverse organizations, parents, and scholars asking for? Having read through most of the requests considered (and almost entirely rejected) by the Instructional Quality Commission in its recently concluded review of the History Social Science Frameworks draft, I can say that there are only three broad types of requests (you can examine several edits proposed by Hindu groups and parents in the document linked in this paragraph; the India/Hinduism parts start around edit number 2400): 1)Can you stop perpetuating the colonial-era myth about Hindus being the invaders of India and at least note that the Aryan Invasion Theory is no longer accepted as uncontested truth? 2)Can you stop ignoring several millennia of Indian and Hindu history, thought, philosophy, art, architecture, astronomy, math, science, yoga, Ayurveda, statesmanship, ethics, and cultural expression and can you stop carrying on with your condescending, colonial-era fancy of the sort that deems all non-European people as having no agency and accomplishments at all? 3)And can you please stop singling out California's Hindu children for condemnation as somehow being innately casteist and sexist because of their very identity while the role of other religions in worldwide genocide and imperialist is sanitized? If you are wondering why something so straightforward has become so complicated, it is because of one of the most vexing and bizarre town-gown problems in recent times. A group of South Asia Studies professors continue to think that none of the above concerns are valid, and an entire mass movement of parents, students, and scholars that has lasted one whole decade now is nothing more than a Hindu nationalist "revisionist" conspiracy. What, specifically, do the professors say (read all their submissions and other documents here)? 1)They say that it is true no scholar takes the Aryan Invasion theory any more, but they still stand dogmatically by something called the Aryan Migration Theory (not even allowing a mention of reasonable scholarly challenges to it). So, by implication, Hinduism sort of isn't Indian, and "migrated" into India and sort of "colonized" everything (the tone of the History Social Science Framework narrative as it is now). 2)They say it's revisionism and an injustice to India's marginalized communities and women to change any references to how caste and gender are depicted in the curriculum, even if these references aren't exactly precise, and even if these changes might actually help elevate the role of lower castes and women in India's past! 3)They say Hinduism wasn't really an organized religion till the 13th century and is probably not an organized religion even now. So they have recommended, and the commission has accepted, that Hinduism in ancient times will be referred to henceforth as "religion of ancient India." (But even though they say Hinduism didn't really exist, they will reject any changes that suggest that caste wasn't rooted in religion). 4)Finally, and this is a somewhat startling bold and new position, they say that India didn't really exist before 1947, so they prefer to have students use the phrase "South Asia" for lessons about India before that time. So the lesson on Ancient India will now be called Ancient South Asia (except when they read about Hinduism in ancient South Asia now it won't be called Hinduism but religion of ancient India). It is not my intent to make my colleagues' positions seem more absurd than they are. But even after acknowledging their good intentions of fighting revisionism, it does seem that they, and the commission which has accepted 62 changes to the History Social Science Framework from them, 36 of which simply have to do with eliminating India are about to create a long nightmare of endless absurdity in California's history classrooms. Who is being revisionist here? A community trying to fight off colonial-era myths about it being taught as fact and history, or a group of scholars deploying the privilege of their positions to assert a dogmatic theory about India never having existed before 1947 over children? Another cruel irony here is that despite all their uninformed slandering of the Hindu school children, parents, scholars and volunteer-activists as Hindu nationalists and revisionists, and despite all their claims that they are doing this for the sake of "lower caste" groups, the South Asia scholars' campaign has left us with some very unpleasant losses as far as the representation of lower-castes and women actually go! For example, the names of Valmiki and Vyasa; the two names every Indian school child knows as the authors of the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha, respectively, will be deleted because the line had noted they were not Brahmins by birth and that would have contradicted the South Asia scholars' beliefs about the role of caste and birth (see edits 2482 and 2511 here). The scholars, it appears, would rather lose the chance for thousands of children to learn that the two greatest epics of Indian civilization were written by people born into lower-caste all in the name of empowering them. And it may be noted that this, and several such changes about expanding the representation of lower castes and women in the lessons, were actually made by supposed Hindu nationalist organizations! Advertisement All the facts in this situation suggest that there is a very basic misreading of positions by a part of the field of South Asia Studies today. For them, it is not really any extremist, supremacist, or fundamentalist claim that makes someone an extremist or "Hindu nationalist" but just the mere act of subscribing to the fact of the existence of India and Hinduism! Why are the South Asian Scholars out of touch, despite their learnedness, with reality? One reason is that they have failed to engage critically with the way they have been dealing with questions of power and identity. They study orientalism and colonialism when it comes to the past, but when it comes to the present, they do not try to see how much a long-colonized people can still be suffering from its legacies. They do not see a need to fight orientalism in their own academic paradigms, rooted in the privileged halls of Western academia, and crushing the hopes and dreams of a postcolonial people in a minority situation again and again. Instead, they fantasize that somehow Hindus are the colonizers and orientalists, and set out to destroy every little bit of goodness we struggle to still keep alive in this world. Get ready New York City - Ron and Laura Grawsill of Bakersfield, California are going to be taking over for the next week. Fresh from a run in Los Angeles and winning 16 awards and nominations on the festival circuit, Ron and Laura Take Back America, the year's funniest political mockumentary, will be screening at Cinema Village (22 East 12th St) beginning March 25. Ron and Laura Take Back America poster (Courtesy of KSA PR) Mel England (Ron) and Janice Markham (Laura) play the awkwardly lovable, titular two person army desperately clinging to their far right wing values ready to take down Obamacare, immigration reform, gay marriage, and much more. Both actors have backgrounds in improv and live theatre, and brought much to the mockumentary table including an encyclopedic passion of Christopher Guest's films, Portlandia, and the Granddaddy of politcially incorrect situation comedies, All In The Family. I had the pleasure of chatting with these two comedy talents who not only star in the film, but co-wrote and co-directed it. Xaque Gruber: Tell me how did you dream this one up? Janice Markham: Well, around the time of the big Obamacare debate I was working on my interview show for Free Speech TV during the contentious fight over healthcare policy. So, when John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, wrote an op-ed decrying Obamacare calling it (and I paraphrase) that it was a swift march towards a Communist takeover. Groups of Whole Foods shoppers banded together to boycott the store as many felt that this rich businessman was out of touch with the rest of us. So, then some conservatives saw what was happening and staged "buycotts" of people swarming to the nearest Whole Foods to support John Mackey, a true American! Well, I became obsessed by these various factions, particularly the buycotters, many of whom had no idea about Whole Foods, but were trying to fight for a healthcare reform-free America. That's when I called Mel and asked him to play my husband for a 4-5 minute Youtube video about a conservative couple trying to reclaim their country by purchasing organic kale and quinoa. Lucky for me, Mel agreed, the project expanded into a feature film mockumentary, and seven years later, we open in L.A. and N.Y. right in the middle of election season! Advertisement Mel England: When Janice called me with this idea to make a short film I thought "wow, this is funny," because, growing up with hippie parents in Texas, I was a little liberal kid, in a sea of conservatives. My first job was in a health food store! I juiced the wheat grass! So I thought, this is funny, this conservative couple shopping in a place you'd think only liberals go, to a granola health food store, to support the CEO who is against Obamacare! You just can't make this stuff up. XG: Would you be friends with Ron and Laura? Do you know people like this? How are you similar to Laura? JM: Great questions! I do think I could be friendly towards them, but I don't think I could be great friends, as Ron and Laura express themselves always with the veil of fear that they carry around with them. They take great issue with those who are different, so there is this intolerance that they live with that is not a part of my life. I do know people like this, and I find it very sad, really. One thing that was very important to us in developing these characters is that even with the fear, conservatism, racism and homophobia, there is a humanity to them. But, for those of us who are more tolerant and progressive-minded, we need to be able to really understand where these people are coming from and what this climate of fear really is. And, also, we recognize that liberals are not immune from judgment, profiling and intolerance. Advertisement ME: I'm pretty sure Ron wouldn't want to be friends with me (laughs), but yeah, I actually do know lots of people who are like them. Of course, this movie is a comedy, and we actually try to make fun of everyone. JM: My strongest connection to Laura is that we are both Moms, but she and I see the world though a very different lens. Laura is very old-school in her perception of gender roles. She really does see Ron as head of the household, she often checks in on what he thinks, what he believes she should say and do. However, she is actually emotionally stronger than Ron, although she does not really see that. I think Laura wants to feel sure of everything, and she's pretty scared. It's a scary world out there for her. Ron and Laura Grawsill (Mel England and Janice Markham) and their gay son (Christian Van Bremen) Photo courtesy of KSA PR XG: You have a wonderful cameo by Sally Kirkland - how did she become involved in this project? JM: I know, isn't she fantastic?! I'll hand this question over to Mel... ME: Sally and I got to know each other when she was in my friend Craig Chester's hilarious film Adam and Steve. I met her at the premiere, then through synchronicity we ran into each other at a peace march against the Iraq War later that year, and then a couple years later she signed onto a movie project to play my mom! So when we were shooting this,we have a character in the film played by the fabulous and hilarious Jim J. Bullock, who plays the Celebrity Designer to the Stars, Bob Zackie, and Laura kind of becomes obsessed with him. Anyway suddenly it occurred to me, we have to call Sally to be one of the fictional Bob Zackie's clients. Sally famously went to the Oscars in 87 when she was nominated for Best Actress for Anna wearing a Bob Mackie, and made quite a name for herself over the years wearing the most colorful and outrageous outfits on the red carpet, so we thought who better than Sally to play herself in the film? I won't give it away, but I'll just say, Sally sort of steals the show near the end of the film! Sally Kirkland in Ron and Laura Take Back America (Photo courtesy of KSA PR) XG: The timing of this film's release while certain Presidential candidates are on TV attacking gay marriage, Obamacare and Muslim Americans tells me your finger is on a pulse. Would you like for Donald Trump and others like him to see this film? JM: We would love politicians from both sides of the aisle to see this film. It's interesting, some of the Republicans we know who have seen the film actually relate to some points of view that Ron and Laura have, but they are fine with the satire. It's like people of all political stripes being able to watch All in the Family. I would be curious to know what politicians would think of Ron and Laura, even someone like Bernie Sanders, who believes his brand of Democratic Socialism makes the most sense. But, Mel and I took great care to make these characters relatable. Janice Markham as Laura, Mel England as Ron, and Irene Bedard as Muslim American Dr. Alma (Photo courtesy of KSA PR) By Margo Berends Businesses are increasingly using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to create positive brands and appeal to socially conscious consumers. Well-designed CSR programs that focus on sustainable development - as defined by the United Nation's (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - are powerful and essential tools for increasing standards of living around the world. Not only do these CSR initiatives positively impact targeted individuals and communities, but they also benefit the companies. In light of these facts, businesses should increase the share of revenue they dedicate to CSR and design initiatives that use their own core competencies to promote sustainable development. In a 1970 UN General Assembly resolution, wealthy countries pledged to give 0.7% of their gross national product in foreign aid for development objectives. While this pledge has been repeatedly affirmed over the years, few countries have actually met or exceeded this target. If multinational corporations joined this pledge and spent 0.7% of their annual revenue on CSR programs with a sustainable development focus they could have a significant global impact. In 2015, the 2,000 largest companies in the world had combined revenues of $39 trillion, profits of $3 trillion, and assets worth $162 trillion. If these businesses donated 0.7% of their revenue to CSR initiatives focused on sustainable development they would contribute $273 billion annually. The UN's SDGs currently face an estimated annual funding gap of $2.5 trillion. While closing this gap will not happen without increased commitments and investments from developed and developing countries alike, CSR programs can play an important role in achieving the SDGs by using a company's specific expertise and resources to address development challenges in ways traditional foreign assistance programs cannot. Advertisement More important than how much money businesses give towards development goals is how they choose to spend it. Charitable donations from businesses can achieve the greatest impact when they take the form of CSR initiatives that align with the company's core competencies and the unique ability of businesses to create economic opportunity. Gender equality and women's empowerment are a crucial component of sustainable development and the UN's fifth SDG. According to the World Bank and others, investing in women can significantly increase GDP growth and decrease poverty. To this end, Goldman Sach's 10,000 Women initiative provides women with business and management education, mentoring, networking, and access to capital. 18 months after completing the program, 70% of graduates had increased their revenue and nearly 60% had added new jobs. What gives these initiatives the potential to have such a positive impact on the world is that they are extensions of the corporations' core businesses - companies doing what they do best in a way that benefits individuals who wouldn't otherwise be touched by the company's products or services. By focusing on core competencies, companies can decrease the costs and increase the payoff of CSR by benefiting from economies of scale and scope, and potentially creating new products and revenue streams. Advertisement In addition to these philanthropic programs, companies can also help achieve the SDGs by choosing to conduct business in emerging markets where they normally would not. For example, in February 2015, Marriott International opened a hotel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti that employs 200 people, including disadvantaged youth, relies on a local supply chain, and uses green technologies such as solar power. The company is replicating its success in Kigali, Rwanda, where they are currently partnering with the Akilah Institute for Women to provide hospitality training to young women who will work as supervisors when the new hotel opens. While building and staffing these hotels can certainly be more challenging than it would be elsewhere, the hotels provide the communities with jobs, training, skills, and economic opportunity, while also giving Marriott access to key emerging markets and generating revenue for the company as it carries out its normal business functions. CSR can reap immense benefits not just for those on the receiving end of initiatives, but also for businesses themselves. Consumers care more and more about buying from ethically and socially responsible companies. CSR can also improve the reputation of a brand, provide a greater competitive advantage, and increase innovation, all of which increase a company's revenue and profits. CSR initiatives have also been shown to improve employee engagement and retention. CSR initiatives that focus on sustainable development can have an even greater impact than other CSR programs. Development that is sustainable does not require continuous funding, but instead endures well beyond the conclusion of a program. By investing in the lives of the poorest people around the globe and improving their standard of living, companies are building new markets to do business in and shaping future loyal consumers who will collectively have immense buying power. While seeing the full effects of these types of CSR investments in sustainable development requires a long-term strategy and vision, they are ultimately in the best interests of businesses and our global community. READ ALSO: There are seminal photographs that define historic episodes. The picture of a naked Vietnamese girl running away from a napalm explosion in Vietnam in 1968 was one such image, leaving revulsion in people's minds about the human cost of war.Photographs of the "walking wounded" after terrorist attacks in London in 2005 will similarly remain embedded in memory: Of a blood-splattered man walking out of Edgware Road tube station to be treated at the Hilton Metropole, unassisted.The My Lai picture tugged at the heart-strings about the vulnerability of women and children in times of war; the London survivor bespoke of defiance in face of cowardly terrorist assault.The lifeless body of three-year-old Syrian kid Aylan Kurdi who drowned in the Mediterranean and washed up on a Turkey beach seared the conscience of the world and moved the West to finally act on Europe's worst refugee crisis since the World War.Closer home Qutubuddin Ansari begged for his life during the 2002 Gujarat riots, while in Jaipur, a terror victim sat half reclined on a pedal rickshaw, blood flowing down his temple.Wednesday's Brussels blasts produced a similar iconic moment. With blood dripping from her injured forehead and her clothes in tatters, images of Nidhi Chaphekar, a Jet Airways in-flight manager from Mumbai, sitting injured at Brussels airport, epitomised the horror of the terror attack.The photograph of this mother of two rapidly turned into a social media phenomenon with #PrayForNidhi trending on Twitter.It was also the lead picture in newspapers and websites across the world - from the New York Times to the Guardian in the UK - and in this country, from The Times of India to Malayalam Manorama. ( TOI was the first to trace her family in Andheri and speak to them on Tuesday.) Time magazine published a prominent story headlined, 'The Story Behind The Iconic Photo Of A Brussels Airport Attack Victim'. USA Today ran a report with a very similar headline: 'The Story Behind The Brussels Photo You Saw Everywhere.' The Daily Mail's headline was a lot longer, 'Woman who was pictured covered in blood and dust in aftermath of Brussels airport bombing is revealed to be an Indian air stewardess who is recovering in hospital.'A Sky News report started by saying: "The picture of Nidhi Chaphekar in her shredded uniform has for many become a symbol of victims' suffering in the bombings at the airport and the Belgian capital's Metro." Media outlet after media outlet used the word 'iconic' to describe the photo; one described it as the 'iconic embodiment' of the horror of terror.The picture, which was released worldwide by AP, was taken by Ketevan Kardava, 36, a special correspondent in Brussels of Georgian Public Broadcaster, was in the departure hall of the Brussels Airport, headed to Geneva on assignment when the first explosion took place.She said her first reaction was to take out her camera as glass, debris and smoke swirled in the air around her. Nidhi's was the first photo she took. "I was shouting 'Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!' And no one was there.... When no one came, I took out the camera and snapped the photo of the 'woman in the yellow jacket'."What do you do in this situation if you're a journalist? Help? Ask doctor to come? Or take a photo?" she told a news website. "In that very moment, I realised that to show the world what was happening in this moment of terror, a photo was more important."She kept taking photos and screaming for help until armed soldiers came and told everyone who was able to, to run as fast as they could. In the course, she gave the world a picture that turned epochal. ASSOCIATED PRESS ADDS NAME AND DETAILS OF THE WOMAN AT RIGHT: In this photo provided by Georgian Public Broadcaster and photographed by Ketevan Kardava, Nidhi Chaphekar, a 40-year-old Jet Airways flight attendant from Mumbai, right, and another unidentified woman after being wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels, Belgium, after explosions were heard Tuesday, March 22, 2016. A developing situation left at least one person and possibly more dead in explosions that ripped through the departure hall at Brussels airport Tuesday, police said. All flights were canceled, arriving planes were being diverted and Belgium's terror alert level was raised to maximum, officials said. (Ketevan Kardava/ Georgian Public Broadcaster via AP) Outrageous and exploitative, tweeted a friend, himself a photographer, this morning as he looked at the picture that has become the face of the Brussels blast. Jet Airways stewardess Nidhi Chaphekars picture was everywhere from the New York Times to the Guardian to Indian newspapers to a Twitter hashtag #PrayFor Nidhi. Advertisement It had become as The Guardian calls it the photograph that has come to define the horrors of the Brussels attack. When it was taken no one knew who she was. She was a scared, shocked woman with blood trickling down her face, her foot injured, her clothes torn from the blast, sitting at Zaventem airport. Until my friend called it exploitative I had seen it but not really looked at it. I was used to the idea that every great tragedy now needs its defining image. A young boy lying face down and lifeless on that beach brought home the desperation of the Syrian refugee crisis like nothing else. Decades before him, in 1972 , the little girl running in naked agony from a napalm strike, her arms outstretched, her clothes ripped off, became the symbol of the Vietnam War. Now it was Nidhi Chaphekars turn because she happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I had taken that for granted in a way. Advertisement Now it was Nidhi Chaphekars turn because she happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And Ketevan Kardava, special correspondent of the Georgian Public Broadcaster network happened to be right there with her camera. As a journalist it was my duty to take these photos and show the world what was going on, she tells The Guardian. That world she is referring to also includes Chaphekars friends, family and neighbours. "We often supply groceries to them, but had not seen Nidhi madam till today," said Vaishnavi, a salesgirl at OneStop to The Telegraph. Hardly anyone here knew till this morning that the face of the Brussels blast victims is a resident of our society, said Lalit Babu, the chief security guard at their building complex. It was not nice to see Madams picture in the morning papers with her clothes burned and her undergarments showing. The least they could have done is cover her. "Not Nice" The security guards simple comment gives me pause. What he says expresses a very ordinary human trait that is all too often missing in these circumstances fundamental decency. Advertisement Kardava is doing what is her job, to document a tragedy, possibly at risk to her own life. The media is doing what they think is their job finding an image that drives home that tragedy. The only person who has no choice in this is the person in the photo splashed around the world. At a time like this there is no question of a model release form. When the media choose that particular image they are also choosing very consciously to strip Nidhi Chaphekar of her own dignity, at a moment when she is at her most vulnerable. We have wrestled with the ethics of documenting a moment like this for a long time. Nick Ut, the Los Angeles based photojournalist who took that Pulitzer-winning image of the naked Kim Phuc fleeing the napalm strike, put the screaming youngster in his van and took her to a hospital before filing his photographs in the Saigon bureau. We have wrestled with the ethics of documenting a moment like this for a long time. She still calls him Uncle Ut in gratitude. That photograph might have helped changed her future as well. Now settled in Canada, she has been able to go to Miami to see a dermatologist who specializes in laser treatments for burn patients. When Dorothea Lange took the famous picture of the destitute migrant mother, the woman in the photograph, Florence Thompson, complained while Lange became famous, she remained poor. Advertisement Yet when she suffered a stroke, it was thanks to that image, that people around the US raised funds not for Thompson as much as for the woman who had become what the Los Angeles Times called the symbol of the Great Depression. Those are all happy (if one can even use that word in this context) outcomes of tragic stories, but we should not fool ourselves into thinking that was the intent. These stories were not about Kim Phuc or Florence Thompson just as this story is not about Nidhi Chaphekar. She is only being used as an illustration. She is, for most of the media running her image, an unknown terrified, blood-stained woman and her frazzled state is precisely the message the media is trying to convey. She is only as important as her dishabille. More than the person taking the image the fact that so many media outlets chose that particular image for their front pages shows that we do not really think about exploitation at this level. Almost everything is fair game when it comes to telling a story or rather getting more eyeballs for a story. We may balk at an image that is too explicitly gruesome but are blind to the many other ways we can exploit the plight of people trapped in a terrible tragedy. In an age where thanks to smartphones and social media we can all be publishers almost instantly, that blindness will only keep growing. Advertisement Almost everything is fair game when it comes to telling a story or rather getting more eyeballs for a story. This, in the end, is a story both about the power of an image as well as ultimately its limitation. As Richard Woodward writes in ArtNews Photography is superbly equipped to describe the results of events but is inarticulate or misleading when it comes to explaining their causes. When Ut was covering the Vietnam war it was truly far away for readers in the US. Nothing is that far anymore. An image can become ubiquitous with a speed that was was never possible before. Yet we wear that responsibility lightly, clicking and sharing promiscuously. The sheer proliferation of the image lets us all off the hook. We do not have to grapple with the ethics of exploitation because everyone else is sharing it anyway. Back in 1977, when viral was still about disease and a scary word and not a desirable state, Susan Sontag had warned in her book On Photography Once one has seen such images, one has started down the road of seeing more and more. Images transfix. Images anesthetise. That numbing can be the dead end of this unthinking exploitation. Advertisement At one point Aylan Kurdis aunt asked the world to stop using that picture of the drowned toddler. She wanted the world to remember him smiling. By then it was too late. Kurdi had become frozen,facedown and dead. By then that image had become a meme, a cartoon, even an Ai Wei Wei art project. Kurdi was dead but Chaphekar is alive and will have to live with the consequences of the decisions that helped that image of her go viral. By then, the media will have moved on to another face for another story. But that image of her will live on and on, defining her to strangers and neighbours and the grocery delivery person, whether she likes it or not. Yet we wear that responsibility lightly, clicking and sharing promiscuously. Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also on HuffPost India: Headlines from the front lines Sign up to join the fight for all animals with email updates and text alertsyou can be first to take action on the issues that matter most. Access exclusive content and media materials in our press room. Kansas football heads toward a bye week it needs A number of Kansas football players were either out Saturday due to injury or at least limited. The bye week should help them. Up to $1.12 billion in damages from the series of terrorist explosions that rocked Brussels Tuesday will be covered by a terrorism insurance pool set up by the Belgian state and private insurers.The eight-year-old Terrorism Reinsurance and Insurance Pool is funded by insurance companies and backed by the Belgian government, much like the terrorism program in the United States. Roughly 95% of insurers operating in Belgium participate in the program, the Organization for Economic Coordination and Development said.Participating insurers retain about $337.3 million, and the entire pool is covered by a stop-loss reinsurance policy underwritten in the London, Continental European and Bermudian markets. It pays for losses proven to result from terrorism up to just over 1 billion Euros, or $1.12 billion per year.Losses related to Tuesdays attack are still being calculated after two explosions occurred at Brussels Zaventem airport and one at the Maelbeek subway station. The attacks killed at least 30 people and injured at least 230, authorities say.ISIS has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks, and Brussels has been on high alert since one of the suspected perpetrators of the November terrorist attacks in Paris was arrested Monday.All public transportation in Brussels was shut down following the attack, including all flights to and from Brussels Airport.The largest terrorist attacks have resulted in insured property losses far greater than the amount insured by the Belgian pool. The September 11, 2001 attacks on the East Coast of the US caused isured losses for more than $25.12 billion and the 1993 bombing of Londons NatWest tower cost insurers $1.21 billion.In the US, there is no word whether national insurance companies will be affected by the Brussels attack. However, insurers are expecting a surge of insurance inquiries regarding travel coverage.Stan Sandberg, co-founder of trip insurance comparison website TravelInsurance.com, has said travelers heading to Brussels can no longer purchase cancellation coverage.TravelInsurance.com reminds customers that travel insurance plans are designed to protect against unforeseen circumstances, Sandberg said.He said most plans purchased that include trip cancellation for terrorist attacks will applied to travelers scheduled to go to Brussels within seven to 30 days of the attacks. Those headed to Brussels should contact their insurance providers to see if they have coverage, as some carriers provide coverage within a radius of 50 miles. Exclusive: Rahul Dravid a Very Good Communicator, Over Time India Will See Benefits of Him as Head Coach - John Buchanan 'He Just Asks How The Ball is Coming From The Wicket...': Virat Kohli Enjoys Batting With Suryakumar Yadav We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector Edward Price Non-Resident Senior Fellow NYU Center for Global Affairs Contact email linkedin Edward Price, a former British economic official, teaches international political economy, financial systems and international relations at NYUas Center for Global Affairs. He is also an economic advisor for BritishAmerican Business (BAB). Educated at the London School of Economics (LSE), Edward holds an MSc in Finance and Economic Policy and an MA in German History. He has worked in both the British and European parliaments, was Americas editor at IFLR and has worked in the City of London. He speaks German, gets by in Italian and is a member of the Economic Club of New York (ECNY). Press Release: IMF Management and Staff Welcome Independent Evaluation Office's Report on the Institutions Data Press Release No. 16/134 March 24, 2016 Management and staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) welcomed today the report released by the Independent Evaluation office (IEO) on Behind the Scenes with Data at the IMF: an IEO Evaluation and broadly supported its recommendations. The report assesses the Funds actions to leverage its data to support the institution in its fundamental role to foster global economic and financial stability. I am pleased by the IEOs overall finding that the IMFs statistics and data management activities are done to a high professional standard and are highly valued by the membership, Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a statement. As noted in the report, our methodological manuals have become the world standard that countries seek to adopt and implement, the IMF Managing Director noted. The assessment further establishes that data provision has improved markedly over timein part owing to the IMFs well-respected capacity-building activitieswhich allowed the institution to keep abreast of the growing complexity and interconnectedness of the world economy. These findings are reassuring, she added. On the need to continue to improve Fund management of data and statistics, Ms. Lagarde noted that important efforts are underway in this regard. This includes the introduction of a new Fund-wide, data-management governance structure in 2012, which has delivered key reforms in the past three years. This has led to moving country work data from spreadsheets to structured databases, with associated gains in organizational clarity and improvement the use of metadata; consistency of processes; data validation and data sharing; and the ease of transfer of knowledge. In her statement, Ms. Lagarde agreed with the suggestion to make clear the limits of IMF responsibility regarding the quality of disseminated data, together with clarifying the distinction between IMF data and official data. She is of the view that there is scope to clarify the limits of IMF responsibility regarding the quality of published data and metadata, recognizing that the quality of data depends ultimately on the member country producing the data. See also Managing Directors Statement on the IEO report and a summary of the Executive Board discussion. IMF Survey : European Parliamentarians Engage with IMF Parliamentarians agree on need to continue growth boosting agenda Rise in productivity in Eastern and Southeastern Europe needed to help tackle unemployment Regular engagement with IMF key element to building public support for reforms Implementing structural reforms, mainly in pension systems and state-owned enterprises, is essential for countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe to address crisis legacies and help stabilize debt and deficits, members of parliament concluded at a seminar at the Joint Vienna Institute (JVI). IMF OUTREACH Parliamentarians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine discussed the major challenges facing the region, as well as country-specific issues, with IMF staff at a three-day seminar in Vienna, Austria on March 2-4, 2016. At the seminar, jointly organized by the JVI and the IMF, parliamentarians discussed the economic state of play in their countries, the outlook, and policy challenges with the IMFs Resident Representatives from the respective countries. Broader issues, including the refugee crisis and energy subsidy reform, were also discussed. IMF staff lecture (IMF photo). Structural reforms needed to boost growth Presenting the key economic issues in the region, Bas Bakker, IMF Senior Regional Resident Representative for Central and Eastern Europe, said that overall GDP growth was expected to remain modest at best. Seminar participants agreed on the importance of implementing structural reforms in their countries to boost growth, increase productivity, and create jobs. A common theme was the need to reform inefficient and non-transparent state-owned enterprises, tackle corruption, increase efficiency, and privatize state businesses. Parliamentarians called for further pension reforms in their countries. A presentation of the findings of an IMF study on the refugee surge in Europe offered a timely perspective on the economic challenges facing countries directly affected by the current influx of refugees. Parliamentarians called for a comprehensive approach to the crisis that takes into account economic, social, and security aspects. Several parliamentarians warned against severe repercussions for the European Union, with some expressing concerns that it would bring the enlargement process to a halt. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Implementing the reform agenda Parliamentarians drew attention to the reform efforts of the country, noting that a comprehensive agenda had been adopted recently. They, however, also pointed to the countrys highly complex governance structure, which complicates decision-making processes and the implementation of reforms. Francisco Parodi, IMF Resident Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina urged parliamentarians to focus on the quality of the measures instead of their number. Moreover, the country should decrease public debt, safeguard the stability of its financial sector, and revive bank lending. Improving business climate, attracting more investments, and raising growth potential are further tasks, he said. Romania: Maintaining fiscal achievements While real GDP in Romania has recovered to its pre-crisis level and economic growth appears to have gained some momentum, progress on structural reforms has slowed, according to Jeffrey Franks, Director of the IMFs Europe Office. Responding to a question from a Romanian parliamentarian on whether to use fiscal stimuli to boost demand, Franks stressed the need to control spending during periods of strong growth to avoid overheating the economy and building up future imbalances. Parliamentarians discussed the issue of determining appropriate public sector wages, particularly in the context of the ongoing effort to eliminate corruption, which many consider as one of the main challenges for the country. Serbia: Focusing on fiscal consolidation Reforms in the public sector and state-owned enterprises are an essential part of the IMF recommendations for Serbia in the current IMF-supported economic reform program. Daehaeng Kim from the IMFs Belgrade Office highlighted the need to improve the efficiency of the public sector to help more with less resources. He stressed that the only way to protect jobs in loss-making state-owned enterprises was to implement deep restructuring for financial viability. Serbian parliamentarians drew attention to recent high non-tax revenues mainly from dividends from the state-owned enterprises. Kim noted that the IMF in general welcomed non-tax revenues, as long as they did not threaten the financial stability of these enterprises. He also stressed that political support would be essential as the country pushes ahead with deep reforms and fiscal consolidation in the coming years. Ukraine: Maintaining reform While the countrys fragile security situation remains the number one concern, a large shadow economy and high corruption are among the main economic challenges, according to parliamentarians from Ukraine. Other issues of particularly high importance for the wider public include energy security and reforms of the energy sector. Parliamentarians also stressed the need for a reform of the pension system. According to Jerome Vacher, IMF Resident Representative for Ukraine, commitment, program ownership, and maintaining the reform momentum will be the keys to implementing the challenging reform program and building on the first gains of macroeconomic stabilization. Imperial Valley News Center U.S. Marshals Service National Operation Nets More Than 8,000 Fugitives Washington, DC - Today, Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and U.S. Marshals Service Deputy Director David Harlow announced that for the second consecutive year, the U.S. Marshals Service has conducted a high-impact national fugitive apprehension initiative focusing on the countrys most violent offenders. This six-week initiative, called Operation Violence Reduction12 (Operation VR12), resulted in the arrest of 8,075 gang members, sex offenders and other violent criminals. Through Operation VR-12, over 8,000 violent fugitives who preyed on our communities were tracked down, arrested and put behind bars, said Deputy Attorney General Yates. Thanks to the strategic and focused efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service and their law enforcement partners, our nations streets are now rid of over 500 accused murderers, 600 gang members and nearly 1,000 sex offenders. Fugitives initiated gun battles, forced barricaded standoffs, assaulted officers and did everything they could to evade arrest but our Deputy Marshals, together with their law enforcement partners, stood firm and succeeded in capturing the bad guys. We applied a strategically focused approach to locate and apprehend the nations most dangerous fugitives, said Deputy Director Harlow. By removing these violent offenders from the streets, the communities they preyed upon can immediately feel more secure. Operation VR12 was about using our expertise and law enforcement partnerships to significantly impact our communities by focusing on the worst of the worst violent criminals. While Operation VR12 was conducted nationwide in all 94 federal judicial districts, U.S. Marshals focused special attention on 12 selected locations experiencing upticks in violent crime: Baltimore; Brooklyn, New York; Camden, New Jersey; Chicago; Compton, California; Fresno, California; Gary, Indiana; Milwaukee; New Orleans; Oakland, California; Savannah, Georgia; and Washington, D.C. In order to have the greatest impact on violent crime, Operation VR12 focused on fugitives who had three or more prior felony arrests for crimes such as murder, attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, abduction/kidnapping, weapon offenses, sexual assault, child molestation and narcotics. Operation VR12 investigators increased their focus on fugitives accused of sex crimes and on the recovery of missing children. Between Feb. 1 and March 11, the U.S. Marshals Service used its multi-jurisdictional investigative authority and fugitive task force network to arrest 648 gang members and others wanted on charges including 559 for homicide; and 946 for sexual offenses. In addition, investigators seized 463 firearms, $390,360 in currency and more than 71 kilograms of illegal narcotics. Also during the operation, investigators recovered 17 children who had been abducted and reported missing. Notable arrests: Blake Edwards Fitzgerald and Brittany Nicole Harper were the focus of a multi-state investigation that received national media attention. Dubbed a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, Fitzgerald and Harper were wanted in Missouri, Georgia, Alabama and Florida for multiple charges including kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary and firearms violations. After leading authorities on a multi-day, cat-and-mouse chase and two high-speed pursuits, the duo was located in Pensacola, Florida, on Feb. 5. Fitzgerald was mortally wounded in an exchange of gunfire with officers, while Harper sustained non-life threating gunshot wounds. Sabino Avila, a documented member of the Two Sixer street gang, was wanted by the Chicago Police Department for home invasion and rape. On Feb. 9, Avila allegedly forced entry into the home of a 54-year-old woman, tied her up and sexually assaulted her. Local authorities asked U.S. Marshals for assistance in locating and apprehending the suspect. He was arrested without incident in Chicago on Feb. 14. Carl Cooper was wanted by the Baltimore City Police Department for allegedly shooting two elderly siblings in front of a busy shopping center. He was named Public Enemy #1 by Police Commissioner Kevin Davis. Operation VR12 investigators arrested Cooper in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on March 4. Fugitives have a propensity to commit violent criminal acts posing danger to communities and plaguing neighborhoods where we live and work. said Deputy Director Harlow. Working with our federal, state and local partners, enforcement initiatives like Operation VR12 severely cripple these criminal activities. The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as Operation VR12 evolved largely from regional and district task forces. Since the 1980s, the U.S. Marshals Service has combined their resources and expertise with local, state and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives. Operation VR12 continued this tradition. For more information about Operation VR12, including photographs and B-roll footage, visit www.usmarshals.gov. Imperial Valley News Center The tumultuous 2016 Republican campaign is a phenomenon long in the making Stanford, California - American politics is increasingly divided due to polarization between the policy positions of the two major parties, selective exposure to media outlets, and sometimes a personal dislike of political opponents, a Stanford researcher says. Stanford researcher Tobias Konitzer studies political polarization, media fragmentation, online campaign trends, voter attitudes and issue formation. A doctoral candidate in political communication, he is tracking American public opinion on 11 key campaign issues weekly during this election season and was a co-author of a recent Washington Post column on the subject. Stanford News Service interviewed Konitzer about this year's election dynamics: Why is the American electorate increasingly polarized? Whether or not the American electorate has become polarized is actually subject to considerable scholarly debate. On the one hand, it is clear that the dislike of the "other" party the party one does not identify with has consistently gone up in recent years and presidential approval ratings among voters identifying with the other party are at an all-time low. This kind of affective polarization manifests itself in daily life, for example, in purchasing patterns or even marriage. In my research with Stanford political scientist Shanto Iyengar, we show that over 80 percent of all marriages in the country are same-party marriages and, when we control for the composition of neighborhoods, even trumps the degree of same-race marriage. On the other hand, scholars have debated whether polarization is also as rampant when it comes to ideology, by which we mean policy preferences. Stanford political scientist Morris Fiorina and colleagues have maintained that voters instinctively take moderate positions on most issues, but recent data seems to suggest that many voters do take positions at the poles of the ideological distribution. This suggests that staggering "elite-level polarization" has rubbed off on voters to a certain extent. (This refers to the distance between the policy positions of Republican and Democratic lawmakers.) We believe that polarization among the political elite driven by a donor class that is ideologically more extreme and by the party's decline in influence on the nomination process has slowly trickled down to the voters to some extent. Other theories as to why voters might become more polarized include selective exposure choosing media sources with a clear partisan agenda similar to one's own and a growing desire to avoid political viewpoints that conflict with one's own. One result is a decline in swing voters, i.e., voters with changing party allegiances. For campaigns, while persuading voters might become more and more difficult, the focus is likely to shift to mobilization and expanding the electorate that turns out at the ballot box. Campaigns can indeed increase turnout, especially when campaign messages are mediated through social networks, for example via shares on Facebook, as some of my recent co-authored work suggests. What are the biggest issues this year? Given the spectacular success of Donald Trump in the primaries, it would be tempting to say that, at least on the Republican side, immigration is such an issue. However, exit polls seem to suggest otherwise, with immigration being the primary concern for only about 15 percent of voters. What's more, the same exit polls reveal that about 30 percent of Republican voters name the economy as the most important concern, while the numbers topped 50 percent in the 2012 election, again per exit polls. This decrease in importance this election cycle is reflective of more diverse party coalitions, especially on the Republican side. To explain, the traditional base of the party, the so-called Rockefeller Republicans who are driven by concerns about redistribution and taxation, now are vying for influence with evangelicals, single-issue voters (on topics like immigration), and libertarians, among others. This fractious nature of the Republican Party has been long in the making: Richard Nixon brought a racially conservative South to the party, Ronald Reagan brought anti-abortion rights advocates to the party, and George W. Bush rallied up evangelical voters. In some ways, every fraction has ended up with its own candidate in this year's primaries, but the fractious nature of the Republican Party also has forced candidates to take ultra-conservative positions on each of the issues to not endanger splitting the Republican coalition. This has led to an increasing gap between Republican voters and Republican politicians, which can help explain the Trump phenomenon. On the other hand, candidates are increasingly able to "micro-target" messages to small swaths of their base. Together with researchers at Duke University, I argue in a forthcoming study that the accessibility, usability and accuracy of "big data" about the electorate mean that campaigns are better able to individualize and disseminate messages to ever smaller and more narrowly targeted audiences across ever-growing online and mobile platforms. It is hence no surprise that digital campaign advertising is projected to be the fastest growing sector of campaign communication, and that development might help mask the fractured state of the Republican Party in the fall and decrease the risk of alienating some fractions. On the Democratic side, health care, education, the economy and job growth are important issues. The clear message seems to be that the Democratic base is eager to see a continuation of the Obama agenda. In Mississippi, for example, 71 percent are in agreement that the next president should follow in his footsteps. How do you see a possible Trump vs. Clinton contest? If we believe the polls, Hillary Clinton would win this match-up by about 6 percent, but there is a good reason not to place too much value in these match-up polls, which ask voters for a conditional probability or scenario based on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump getting the nominations. It is well-documented that people have a limited understanding of conditional probability, and in some cases that also goes for journalists reporting on these hypothetical match-up polls. Maybe a better way to assess the chances of victory is to look at prediction markets, which currently estimate the probability of Democrats clinching the presidency at 69 percent. The actual election outcome aside, it will be interesting to see what a Trump candidacy will do to the Republican Party, given that resistance by the establishment has garnered wide attention. Will it result in a massive realignment (although the Democratic candidates are further apart from the Republican base than Trump is), or even a party split? However, these are extremely rare in American politics. UC Davis Vet School Ranked #1 in world again Sacramento, California - The University of California, Davis, held onto its top spot in veterinary science in the latest QS World University Rankings released today. As the No. 1 university in veterinary science, UC Davis is renowned for applying a One Health approach to addressing critical health concerns on a local and global scale. The people and programs of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine are dedicated to providing innovative and compassionate clinical care, making groundbreaking discoveries and teaching the next generation of leaders in veterinary medicine, said Michael Lairmore, the schools dean since 2011. This recognition is also a reflection of the dedication of our philanthropic partners who provide generous gifts that help fund novel research, improved facilities and student scholarships. For the fourth consecutive year, UC Davis came out among the top-ranked universities in agriculture and forestry, taking second place in the ranking this year. Also in the QS rankings, UC Davis was featured among the worlds elite institutions in 32 of the 42 subjects featured. Those subjects include environmental sciences, 13th; biological sciences, 31st; and earth and marine sciences, 34th. The QS rankings reaffirm our international standing, and that our faculty and researchers are respected the world over for their work throughout the globe, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said. QS rankings are based on reputational surveys and research citations. This year, QS evaluated 4,226 universities, qualifying 2,691 and ranking 945 institutions. The veterinary school, also ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report, is home to a robust research program, which last year totaled more than $56 million. The school annually provides clinical services to more than 50,000 animal patients in 34 specialties. UC Davis serves as a strong leader in veterinary medical education, providing nearly 550 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students annually with a curriculum built on sound educational theory designed and delivered by prominent faculty members. Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Obtains $1.1 Billion Judgment Against Predatory For-Profit School Operator Los Angeles, California - Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that her office has obtained a $1.1 billion judgment against defunct Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (CCI) for their predatory and unlawful practices. While CCI filed for bankruptcy in May 2015, this judgment can help secure further relief for struggling students. Former Corinthian Students should visit the Attorney Generals Interactive Tool for tailored information to help them locate needed resources and relief. In October 2013, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris led the charge against CCI and its subsidiaries that operate Everest, Heald, and Wyotech colleges, filing suit seeking to put an end to abusive practices that left tens of thousands of students under a mountain of debt and useless degrees. CCI filed for bankruptcy in May 2015. Today, the Court granted a default judgment against CCI. In the judgment, the Court ordered restitution on behalf of students in the amount of $820,000,000 and civil penalties totaling $350,025,000, for a total of $1,170,025,000 in monetary relief. For years, Corinthian profited off the backs of poor people now they have to pay. This judgment sends a clear message: there is a cost to this kind of predatory conduct, said Attorney General Harris. My office will continue to do everything in our power to help these vulnerable students obtain all available relief, as they work to achieve their academic and professional goals. Attorney General Harris original complaint alleged that CCI intentionally targeted low-income, vulnerable Californians through deceptive and false advertisements and aggressive marketing campaigns that misrepresented job placement rates and school programs. CCI deployed these advertisements through persistent internet, telemarketing and television ad campaigns. The complaint further alleged that Corinthian executives knowingly misrepresented job placement rates to investors and accrediting agencies, which harmed students, investors and taxpayers. The Attorney General filed many of these documents in Court before entry of the Courts judgment, and they are now publicly available. In the Final Judgment, the Court found, among other things, that: From at least 2009 until the closure of its schools, many of CCIs representations and advertisements related to job placement were untrue and/or misleading. In numerous cases, the placement rate data in CCIs files show that the actual placement rate is lower than the advertised rate. The placement rates that CCI published were systematically false, misleading, erroneous and/or failed to comply with applicable state and federal regulations and/or accreditor standards. In addition, many of these published placement rates could not be substantiated using CCIs own internal placement data and files. CCI did not offer ultrasound technician programs, x-ray technician programs, radiology technician programs, or dialysis technician programs in California. Despite this fact, from at least 2010 until the filing of this action, CCI ran millions of ads stating that they did offer those programs. CCI executives knew that these false ads misled students. CCI unlawfully used the official seals of the United States Department of the Army, the United States Department of the Navy, the United States Department of the Air Force, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard. CCIs enrollment agreements contained unlawful clauses. CCI engaged in unlawful debt collection. CCI failed to discloses its role in the Genesis Private Student Loan Program. CCI misrepresented the transferability of credits. CCI misrepresented its financial stability to students. In April 2015, Attorney General Harris and eight other state Attorneys General sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education urging immediate debt relief for the students who attended Heald College and other CCI campuses. In May 2015, Attorney General Harris sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, asking the Department to exercise its authority under closed school discharge regulations to provide aid to students affected by Corinthians predatory practices. In June 2015, after calls from Attorney General Harris for substantive relief for students suffering from crippling debt, the U.S. Department of Education announced expanded debt relief options for Corinthian students, which resulted in many more students being eligible for relief. Attorney General Harris remains committed to protecting vulnerable students, most recently through the Department of Educations negotiated rulemaking sessions on borrower defense, where Attorney General Harris called for revisions to proposed borrower defense regulations to ensure meaningful debt relief for students misled by predatory for-profit colleges. El Centro Sector Border Patrol Arrests Convicted Sex Offender Seeley, California - U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Station arrested a previously deported registered sex offender near Mount Signal on Sunday. At approximately 8:40 a.m., agents observed a man walking north from the International Border fence near Mount Signal Road. Upon making contact with the man, agents determined that he was illegally present in the United States. Records checks revealed the man, a 35-year-old citizen of El Salvador, was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in the state of Texas and subsequently removed from the United States in 2009. This arrest is a testament to the vital role that the men and women of the El Centro Sector play in safeguarding our nations borders, said Michael B. Sullivan, Patrol Agent in Charge of the El Centro Border Patrol Station. The man will be criminally prosecuted for Re-Entry After Removal as a convicted sex offender and is being held at the Imperial County Jail. In fiscal year 2016, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents have arrested eight convicted sex offenders attempting to re-enter the United States after removal. The El Centro Sectors Community Awareness Campaign is a simple and effective program to raise public awareness on the indicators of crime and other threats. We encourage public and private sector employees to remain vigilant and play a key role in keeping our country safe. Please report any suspicious activity to the Border Community Threat Hotline at 1-800-901-2003. Food and Agriculture Groups Express Support, Optimism for New Opportunities in Cuba Washington, DC - Leaders from across the U.S. agriculture and food sectors are expressing support and optimism in new opportunities for collaboration with their Cuban counterparts, announced during President Obama's historic visit to the island. The two neighboring countries share common climate and agriculture related concerns, and the measures announced today in Havana will mutually benefit the Cuban people and U.S. farmers and ranchers. While in Cuba with President Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA will allow the 22 industry-funded Research and Promotion Programs and 18 Marketing Order organizations to conduct authorized research and information exchange activities with Cuba. These groups represent U.S. beef, pork, corn soy and other commodities and are responsible for creating bonds with consumers and businesses around the world in support of U.S. agriculture. Following today's announcement, they will be able to engage in cooperative research and information exchanges with Cuba about agricultural productivity, food security and sustainable natural resource management. Secretary Vilsack called the announcement "a significant step forward in strengthening our bond and broadening agricultural trade between the United States and Cuba." As food and agriculture groups continue to review today's announcement, they expressed their support in the following statements: Statement by American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall "American-grown foods hold a clear competitive advantage in the Cuban marketplace, and the use of farmer- and rancher-generated funds to promote and market U.S. farm goods fits the checkoff mission perfectly. This announcement by USDA represents a major boost in growing the Cuban market that sits just 90 miles off our coast. I want to personally thank USDA and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack for the support shown America's farmers and ranchers in this matter." Statement by Joel G. Newman, President & CEO, American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) "AFIA is pleased with Secretary Vilsack's announcement today that USDA will allow Research and Promotion Programs and Marketing Order activities in Cuba. This is the first step to the U.S. industry better understanding the Cuban market and to sharing vital information and expertise with Cuba on agriculture production. Once existing regulatory and financial hurdles and restrictions have been lifted, this foundation of knowledge sharing and relationship building will serve in providing greater opportunities for U.S. feed and pet food products to Cuba." Statement by Richard Wilkins, President, American Soybean Association (ASA) "Today's announcement is a big step forward in terms of expanding the Cuban marketplace for U.S. soy. The important thing to remember about checkoff funds is that they're farmer dollars--they belong to producers to do with as best they see fit to grow their industries. Because this is the farmers' money, it's only logical that we as farmers ought to be able to use it to expand whatever markets we see as the most promising for our individual commodities." Statement by Daryl Cates, Chairman, Illinois Soybean Growers "This is great news. We really appreciate everything Secretary Vilsack and the USDA staff did to make using checkoff dollars in Cuba a reality. Cuba is an important market for Illinois soybean farmers and the livestock producers who use our soybeans. It's vital that we collaborate on exchanging information about our product with Cuban government and industry officials. We look forward to advancing two-way trade with the Cuban people and fostering relationships." Statement by Connie Tipton, President & CEO, International Dairy Foods Association "Cuba is a natural market for the products made by U.S. dairy companies. We look forward to working with Secretary Vilsack and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to further explore this potential new market." Statement by Leigh Allen, Executive Director, National Black Growers Council "The National Black Growers Council (NBGC) is pleased that U.S. research & promotion boards will now be able to engage in an exchange with the Cuban growers and people to allow for dialogue and open information exchange. As an immediate neighbor of the United States of America, it is mutually beneficial that the strong agricultural industries in both countries share a common interest as it relates to food, fuel, and fiber of these commodities and their by-products. We commend the action and efforts of President Barack Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and others such as the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba for bringing this to fruition. I am encouraged that the R&P boards, which in part has sustained American agriculture as a global leader, will now be able to be utilized by our counterparts in Cuba and vice versa. The NBGC looks forward to working closely with the R&P Boards and respective parties within the Cuban Ag sector in the near future to achieve this goal." Statement by Roger Johnson, president, National Farmers Union (NFU) "NFU fully supports the use of all tools available to normalize relations and fair trade with Cuba. As such, we appreciate AMS' decision to allow checkoff programs to use their resources for the promotion of American agricultural products to a market of 11 million people just 90 miles away from American shores." Statement by National Grain and Feed Association "The NGFA believes strongly in normalizing agricultural trade relations with Cuba, including arrangements under which Cuba can finance its purchases of U.S. agricultural products on normal commercial terms. While full normalization of trade ultimately will require congressional action, the steps announced today by Secretary Vilsack to promote cooperative research and information exchange activities with Cuba are another positive step forward along the journey to that ultimate destination." Statement by Brian King, Chairman of the USA Rice Western Hemisphere Promotions Subcommittee "The announcement today, like the White House announcements on liberalized travel from last week, continues the momentum toward normalized commercial relations with Cuba. We are looking forward to a USDA presence at the U.S. Embassy in Havana." Statement by Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chair, U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) "U.S. Agriculture Coalition is proud to be on the ground in Cuba in tandem with USDA continuing to forge industry to industry partnerships during President Obama's historic visit. We applaud Secretary Vilsack for his leadership on advancing US-Cuba agricultural relations and are pleased that the two countries have signed a groundbreaking MOU in agriculture. We are especially pleased that farmer-funded checkoff dollars can now be used to facilitate relationships in country. USACC continues to support USDA's efforts to place staff on the ground in Cuba." USDA Seeks Applications for Loans and Grants to Help Grow Rural Businesses and Spur Economic Development Washington, DC - Rural Business Cooperative-Service Administrator Sam Rikkers today announced that USDA is seeking applications for loans and grants to help support the start-up or expansion of rural businesses. "Our small, rural businesses need financing to compete in the global economy," Rikkers said. "With this announcement, USDA is demonstrating its continued commitment to investing in small towns and rural communities. These loans and grants will spur entrepreneurship, create jobs and improve the quality of life in rural America." The funding is being provided through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program. Under this program, USDA provides zero-interest loans and grants to local utilities, which use the funding to create revolving funds for projects that will create or retain jobs in rural areas. USDA is making $37 million in loans and $11 million in grants available. A recipient may receive a loan of up to $1 million, or a grant of up to $300,000. Since 2009, USDA has invested more than $330 million in loans and grants through the REDLG program. In 2015, Aiken Technical College in Graniteville, S.C., received a $1 million loan to build a facility to provide training in advanced manufacturing. The 35,000-square-foot facility, called the Center for Energy and Advanced Manufacturing, or CEAM, will help the college's students graduate with degrees in technically advanced fields of study. The REDLG program has also been successful in StrikeForce counties. The StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative is part of the Obama Administration's commitment to address persistent poverty across America. As areas of persistent poverty are identified, USDA staff work with state, local and community officials to increase awareness of USDA programs and help build program participation through intensive community outreach and technical assistance. In 2015, the South Mississippi Electric Power Association used part of a $2 million REDLG loan to help the city of Greenwood buy and renovate a building for the Milwaukee Tools company. Once completed, this project is expected to create more than 100 jobs in Lenore County, a designated StrikeForce area. For information on how to apply for REDLG loans or grants, contact your Rural Development state office or see page 14415 of the March 17 Federal Register. The first round of applications is due March 31, 2016, and the second round of applications is due June 30, 2016. President Obama's historic investments in rural America have made our rural communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities. Financial Services Company Executive Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice Charlotte, North Carolina - The CEO of Preferred Merchants LLC, a financial services company based in Napa, California, pleaded guilty yesterday to engaging in an elaborate obstruction of justice scheme to conceal millions of dollarswhich were subject to a freeze order and seizure warrantfrom the government using a series of offshore accounts, domestic and foreign nominee accounts, a shell company and related bank and brokerage accounts. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose of the Western District of North Carolina, Special Agent in Charge Michael Rolin of the U.S. Secret Services Charlotte, North Carolina, Field Division and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman III of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Charlotte Field Office made the announcement. Jaymes Meyer, aka James Meyer, 47, of Napa, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer of the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte to obstruction of justice. According to the plea agreement, in or about 2012, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions (SECs) Division of Enforcement commenced a securities fraud investigation concerning a Ponzi scheme centering on Rex Ventures Group LLC (RVG), a North Carolina-based company for which Preferred Merchants held millions in assets in treasury and trust accounts. As a result of its investigation, the SEC filed a civil enforcement action against RVG, after which the court entered a freeze order that appointed a receiver and froze all of RVGs assets. Among other things, the receiver was responsible for marshaling, managing and distributing remaining RVG assets to impacted RVG investors. In addition to the freeze order, the U.S. Secret Service also obtained a seizure warrant of RVG assets held by Meyer through Preferred Merchants. Meyer admitted that in August 2012, the SEC informed him of, among other things, the investigation and the court order freezing RVGs assets and requested that Meyer freeze any RVG assets in his possession, custody or control. According to the plea agreement, in response to this request, Meyer misled the SEC by falsely implying that Preferred Merchants did not exercise dominion or control over any RVG assets when, in fact, Meyer controlled approximately $17.4 million in RVG assets. Meyer further admitted that he wired approximately $4.8 million from an RVG trust account to a brokerage account under his control within an hour of learning about the SECs investigation. Over the next 10 months, Meyer used that money to purchase homes in Napa and the Turks and Caicos, to which he subsequently made $1.5 million in improvements, and withdrew approximately $195,000 in cash. He also established a Cook Islands-based trust account, formed a shell company and opened a brokerage account in the shell companys name to further conceal the trail of RVG assets subject to the freeze order and seizure warrant. Meyer also admitted that throughout the pending civil litigation surrounding the RVG scheme, he made fraudulent and misleading statements to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, the SEC and the court-appointed receiver during depositions. In connection with his plea agreement, Meyer agreed to pay an approximately $4.8 million money judgment and to forfeit the homes that he purchased in the Turks and Caicos and Napa as proceeds of the obstruction of justice offense. The U.S. Secret Service and the IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Divisions Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section-Bank Integrity Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark T. Odulio of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case. Secretary of State John Kerry's Travel to Brussels Washington, DC - Secretary Kerry will travel to Brussels, Belgium, on Friday to formally express the condolences of the United States for the loss of life in yesterday's terrorist attacks, and to meet with Belgian and European Union officials. He will reiterate the strong support of the United States for Belgian efforts to both investigate these attacks and continue contributing to international efforts to counter violent extremism. The Secretary will be arriving from Moscow, where he expects to discuss a range of bilateral and regional security issues with President Putin and other Russian officials. Transfer of Ladislas Ntaganzwa to Rwanda by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Washington, DC - The United States welcomes the transfer of Ladislas Ntaganzwa by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to face trial in Rwanda for several crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity, pursuant to an arrest warrant by the United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT). This transfer is a positive example of regional judicial cooperation and took place as a result of close coordination and consultation by the DRC government and the MICT, as well as other diplomatic partners. Ntaganzwa is the sixth individual indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda who has been arrested by the Government of the DRC and transferred for trial. Ntaganzwas apprehension is a welcome step toward justice for the victims of the Rwandan genocide. Ntaganzwa is accused of abusing his position of power as a mayor to help plan, prepare, and carry out the massacre of over twenty-thousand Tutsis at Cyahinda parishmany of whom had gathered to take refuge from massacres in the surrounding countrysideas well as thousands of killings elsewhere in Rwanda. As a reminder of the brutal way in which sexual and gender-based violence is often used as a tactic of war, Ntaganzwa is also charged with giving direct orders for women to be brutally, and repeatedly, raped. We commend the efforts of those involved in Ntaganzwas transfer and whose actions made it possible for Ntaganzwa to face justice, and we encourage continued efforts to bring to justice those responsible for genocide and other atrocities in Rwanda. Eight individuals charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda remain at large, and the United States remains committed to supporting their apprehension and to showing the survivors of atrocity crimes around the world that the pursuit of justice knows no expiration date. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the remaining fugitives is encouraged to contact the War Crimes Rewards Program at www.state.gov/warcrimesrewards or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . United States - Argentina Relationship Washington, DC - President Obama, accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama, is in Argentina to meet with newly elected President Mauricio Macri and First Lady Juliana Awada. Together, the leaders explored opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Argentina and partner to address global challenges, such as climate change, peacekeeping, refugees, and the defense of human rights and democracy. It was the first bilateral visit to Argentina by a U.S. President in almost two decades. The leaders also discussed President Macris economic reform agenda, opportunities for expanding trade and investment, science and technology cooperation, and U.S. support for building Argentinas capacity to combat organized crime. U.S.-Argentina Economic Relationship Since taking office in December, President Macri has quickly implemented economic reforms to begin addressing economic imbalances and deepen Argentinas integration with the global economy. To support those efforts, the two governments announced steps to bolster trade and investment, deepen cooperation at the G-20, and promote their shared G-20 objective of strong, sustainable, and balanced economic growth. Reflecting significant private-sector interest in Argentina, U.S. companies announced multibillion dollar investments that will help build upon the more than $20 billion in annual United States-Argentina trade. In the coming months, six trade delegations will help U.S. and Argentine businesses identify further opportunities. To address issues affecting firms in both countries, the Department of Commerce and Argentine Ministry of Production this year will host the inaugural meeting of the United States-Argentina Commercial Dialogue. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Argentina and the United States signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which recognizes the essential role of trade and private investment, both domestic and foreign, in furthering growth and creating jobs. The agreement will facilitate dialogue on a broad range of issues, including intellectual property, market access, and cooperation on agricultural matters, as well as collaboration on shared objectives in the World Trade Organization and other multilateral fora. As major agricultural exporters, the United States and Argentina have committed to work together to expand global trade in agricultural products and combat non-scientific barriers to trade. This includes working to expand bilateral trade and resolve outstanding market access issues in agriculture and across the full range of products and services. Entrepreneurship and Small Business Growth The United States and Argentina will deepen cooperation to promote entrepreneurship and small business growth by facilitating the creation of an Argentine network of business assistance centers and linking small firms in both countries to an international network of trusted business partners through the Small Business Network of the Americas. The two countries will also take steps to support women entrepreneurs, particularly through the Womens Entrepreneurship in the Americas initiative. Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will lead a delegation to Argentina in April to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Production and launch these efforts. Trade Facilitation The United States welcomes Argentinas support for the ratification and implementation of the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement, and Argentinas commitment to submit the agreement for legislative approval this year. To further increase trade, the United States will cooperate with Argentina as both countries develop single-window customs programs, reducing administrative burdens for businesses. Technical Assistance The United States will provide technical assistance to help support President Macris economic reforms. This includes support from the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice for Argentinas Commission for the Defense of Competition, as well as exchanges between the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Statistics Agency of Argentina to share best practices on economic data collection and analysis. The United States and Argentina will also deepen discussions on telecommunications policy, including through consultations with the Federal Communications Commission regarding spectrum management and regulatory reform. International Economic and Financial Community The United States welcomes President Macris efforts to strengthen Argentinas ties to the international financial system and engage with multilateral economic fora. In January, the United States ended its policy, in place since 2011, of opposing most lending to Argentina by multilateral development banks. The United States also welcomes Argentinas interest in deepening its engagement with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and looks forward to working with Argentina in OECD committees. Climate Change and Energy Paris Implementation and INDC Review The United States and Argentina are committed to signing and joining the Paris Agreement as soon as feasible and will work together to support efforts toward early entry-into-force of the Agreement. Argentina has also announced plans to enhance its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), and the two governments will share experiences to support this effort. Phasing Down Hydrofluorocarbons The United States and Argentina affirm their commitment to adopt an amendment to the Montreal Protocol on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) phase down in 2016, building on progress made and within the framework set out in the Dubai Pathway. Both countries also welcome the common understandings reached in Dubai on financial support to the Multilateral Fund for developing countries to implement an HFC phase-down amendment. We will work together to generate solutions on priority challenges to managing HFCs. Reducing Emissions from International Aviation The United States and Argentina will cooperate at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to reduce emissions from international aviation. As members of the ICAO Council and the ICAO technical environmental committee, Argentina and the United States will work together to reach a decision to adopt a market-based mechanism this year, consistent with the last ICAO Assembly Resolution. Cooperation in Power Sector Reform and Renewable Energy The United States and Argentina are committed to increasing renewable energy usage and energy efficiency. As part of this effort, the two governments will cooperate on scaling up renewables, including through U.S. assistance on market reform, system optimization, and integrating renewable energy in the power grid. In May, the Department of Commerce will host Argentine executives in California to look for renewable energy business partnerships. The countries will carry out further work through the United States-Argentina Binational Energy Working Group (BEWG) and the State Departments Power Sector Program. Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas The United States and Argentina have abundant unconventional energy resources. To mitigate the use of higher carbon-intensive fuel sources, such as fuel oil and coal, and improve energy security and economic growth, the two countries will promote safe and responsible development of unconventional oil and gas resources, including improving environmental outcomes, through the Unconventional Gas Technical Engagement Program and the BEWG. The United States will facilitate visits by Argentine officials to U.S. unconventional development sites. Leadership on Clean Energy Argentina and the United States reaffirmed the value of expediting the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Argentina will attend the next Clean Energy Ministerial as an official Observer. Argentina can also work with the United States and other countries to improve energy efficiency policies and access the Clean Energy Ministerial Clean Energy Solutions Center, which offers no-cost expert policy support to countries interested in increasing use of clean energy technologies. Civil Nuclear Cooperation Argentina and the United States reiterated their commitment to utilize nuclear power, a low-carbon energy source, with the highest standards of safety, security, and nonproliferation. Building on their Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and the Joint Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation, the two countries will pursue enhanced cooperation in nuclear research and development and safety. Hydrometeorology Cooperation The United States and Argentina will enhance coordination on weather, hydrology, and climate data to enhance resilience to climate change. These efforts will include cooperation with the GEO Global Water Sustainability program, including through efforts like those highlighted in the Common Framework for Earth Observation Data. Protecting and Studying Our Ocean The United States and Argentina share a deep concern for marine conservation, and Argentina will attend the third Our Ocean conference hosted by Secretary Kerry this year in Washington. The two countries plan continued collaboration on ocean science, marine scientific research, observation, and conservation, including through partnerships between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its Argentine counterparts to study the South Atlantic Ocean, and between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Argentine space agency. Multilateral Cooperation The United States and Argentina share a commitment to address pressing global challenges, such as keeping the peace in areas where civilians face chronic threats of violence, and finding homes for millions of refugees fleeing the Middle East. To confront these and other economic and transnational issues, as well as important bilateral issues, the United States and Argentina will launch a high-level policy dialogue this year led by Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Malcorra. Peacekeeping Historically, Argentina has been crucial to global efforts to share peacekeeping burdens. The United States commends Argentinas commitment to resume that role by significantly increasing the size of its deployable units and participating in UN peacekeeping in Africa by making available important capabilities, such as logistics, engineering, communications, and medical units. In preparation for Argentine deployments in Africa, the United States will strengthen Argentinas peacekeeping capacity, including through training and the modernization of Argentinas C-130 fleet. Refugees The United States and Argentina recognize the need to address the global refugee crisis through increased assistance and long-term protection to refugees. The United States commends Argentinas agreement to resettle a significant number of refugees in Argentina, including individuals displaced by the war in Syria. The United States will support that effort in partnership with international organizations and other donors. Colombia The United States and Argentina are supporting Colombias pursuit of a peace accord to end its decades-long conflict. As participants in the Colombia Global Demining Initiative, U.S. and Argentine officials will participate in the Experts Meeting in Bogota in May to discuss Colombias commitment to clear all landmines by 2021. The United States and Argentina also pledge to support multilateral efforts to ensure effective implementation of a peace accord, including a UN special political mission. Global Health Global Health Security Agenda Based on a commitment to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats, Argentina is joining the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to bolster its national systems and to work with international partners to fully implement the International Health Regulations. As part of this commitment, Argentina will undergo and publish a Joint External Evaluation of its national capabilities. The United States and Argentina will expand zoonotic disease surveillance for imported and exotic infectious diseases of regional and global significance using advanced molecular diagnostics, improve national and regional biosafety and biosecurity standards in the hemisphere, and strengthen national laboratory systems in Latin America to support rapid identification of emerging pathogens. To advance these priorities, Argentina will join the following Action Packages within the GHSA: Emergency Operations Centers, and Linking Public Health Law and Multisectoral Rapid Response. Zika The two presidents also agreed to advance the regional and global response to Zika by sharing information and materials to enhance disease surveillance, advance vector control, treatment, and vaccines for Zika, and to promote a better understanding of the virus and its consequences. Both agreed to support regional outbreak response through the deployment of epidemiologists, health experts, and scientists to countries to respond to Zika and vector-borne disease outbreaks in the region. The presidents also agreed to partner on education and commitment to pregnant women and their partners in the region. Human Rights and Democracy Organization of American States and the Inter-American Human Rights System The United States and Argentina reconfirmed their commitment to democratic governance and the protection of human rights, and released a joint statement between the U.S. State Department and the Argentine Foreign Ministry on the importance of supporting the Organization of American States and a vibrant and independent Inter-American Human Rights System and the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Document Declassification In 2002, the United States declassified over 4,000 State Department cables and other documents from the period of the Argentine military dictatorship, 1976-1983. These records have helped Argentina hold human rights abusers accountable. The United States will embark on a comprehensive effort to identify additional records related to human rights abuses by the Argentine dictatorship. This effort requested by President Macri and human rights groups will include for the first time intelligence and law enforcement agencies and the Department of Defense, as well as the State Department and the National Archives. Global Equality Fund The United States and Argentina are committed to supporting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals. To build upon achievements at home, Argentina agreed to join the Global Equality Fund, a public-private partnership that supports civil society organizations advancing LGBTI rights worldwide. Argentina also announced support for the recently established LGBTI Rapporteur at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and for the opening of a similar office at the UN Human Rights Council. Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights The United States and Argentina recognize the importance of working with extractive companies to ensure they protect human rights, and the United States welcomed Argentinas decision to pursue this objective through membership in the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Initiative. Freedom Online Coalition The United States welcomed Argentinas commitment to participate in the Freedom Online Coalition, joining 29 other governments supporting Internet freedom in coordination with civil society and the private sector. Argentina will endorse the coalitions Founding Declaration and the Tallinn Agenda, and join the United States at the coalition conference in Costa Rica in October. Open Government Partnership The United States welcomed the renewal of Argentinas commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and its planned participation in the OGP conference in Uruguay in May, as well as Argentine efforts to include provincial and city governments in the partnerships subnational government pilot program. Community of Democracies The United States and Argentina support democratic norms and institutions worldwide, and Argentina has confirmed its intention to join the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies, of which the United States serves as chair. Security and Defense The United States and Argentina pledged to work together to combat organized crime and drug trafficking. The United States will help build Argentine law enforcement capacity, including through assistance from the Department of Justice related to terrorism and terrorist financing in the Tri-Border region. The United States will also assist Argentine efforts to reduce drug demand, train Argentine officials at the International Law Enforcement Academy, arrange study tours to the United States for Argentine officials, and provide training by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI will also help Argentinas Ministry of Security establish a nationwide network of Intelligence Fusion Centers to detect and disrupt terrorism and organized crime. The Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has taken steps to normalize its relationship with its Argentine counterpart and signed a memorandum of understanding that will help increase cooperation to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. In May, the U.S. Department of Defense will host the first Bilateral Working Group with the Argentine armed forces since 2009. The agenda will include peacekeeping, disaster preparedness and response, and hemispheric defense cooperation. In another sign of the renewed defense relationship, the Joint Interagency Task Force South is pursuing an information-sharing relationship with Argentinas Security Ministry that will involve liaison officials. The Defense Department has also invited Argentina to participate in the State Partnership Program for cooperation with the National Guard. To enhance law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation, the Argentine Ministry of Security and the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) signed a Preventing and Combating Serious Crime Agreement, intended to facilitate and expedite the exchange of information on known and potential criminals and terrorists. To improve travel security, the Ministry of Security and DHS agreed to collaborate to enhance measures for onboard flight protection by implementing an inflight security officer program. Argentina and the United States also signed a joint statement pledging to continue collaboration to enhance security. Finally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will help enhance Argentinas border security. Taken together, these measures not only enhance security, but are also important steps to support Argentinas eligibility for the Visa Waiver Program. To facilitate travel by U.S. citizens to Argentina, the Argentine government will terminate the $160 reciprocity fee paid by U.S. tourists. The United States announced that it will waive the requirement for visa interviews for Argentine travelers over 65 years of age, or under 16. Educational Exchanges During President Obamas visit, President Macri proposed to increase significantly the number of Argentine student and teacher exchanges to the United States, committing 1,000 new teacher and educational exchanges, including fellowships for Argentine undergraduate and graduate students to study at U.S. universities. President Obama also announced new resources for the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation fund through support from the CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Instituto Nacional de Educacion Tecnologica, which will further expand educational exchange opportunities. Finally, the United States announced plans to send 20 new Fulbright English Teaching Assistants to Argentina over the next three years to train English teachers in Argentinas interior provinces. Vice President Joe Bidens Meeting with President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga Washington, DC - The Vice President met today with President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga. The Vice President and President Jahjaga agreed on the urgent need for all Kosovos political parties to embrace peaceful dialogue and work within Kosovos democratically-elected assembly to advance reforms to address the needs of Kosovos citizens. The Vice President emphasized the United States strong support for the EU-facilitated Dialogue with Serbia and encouraged Kosovos government in its ongoing efforts to advance the normalization process. The Vice President thanked President Jahjaga for her efforts to counter violent extremism and her leadership in strengthening Kosovos democracy, and emphasized the United States ongoing commitment for a sovereign, multi-ethnic, democratic Kosovo that is fully integrated into the international community. UNHCR reaches embattled Taizz from Aden with life-saving aid New York - Earlier this week, UNHCR sent thirteen trucks carrying blankets, mattresses, and other badly needed emergency relief items to Taizz governorate in the highlands of the country's southwest. This was a breakthrough since it was the first time a UNHCR convoy made it through all the way from Aden to Taizz. Dispatched in coordination with the Government of Yemen's High Relief Committee, the convoy arrived on Sunday in Mashra'a Wa Hadnan, a district immediately south of the embattled Taizz city centre. Distribution is starting this week for 500 displaced people, others who have returned to Taizz, plus local families who have been affected by the conflict. Another 13 trucks are on their way to nearby Sabir Al Mawadim district and will be distributed among another 500 families. In Mashra'a Wa Hadnan the situation is now calm and some displaced families have been returning to their homes, while fighting persists on the eastern part of Sabir Al Mawadim. The two districts host over 7,500 displaced people. It is the first time that assistance has been delivered there using the direct route from Aden,"The two districts host over 7,500 displaced people. It is the first time that assistance has been delivered there using the direct route from Aden," said UNHCR Representative in Yemen Johannes van der Klaauw. "The wider governorate of Taizz hosts 555,048 internally displaced people, the biggest concentration in the country and equal to almost a quarter of the 2.4 million total Yemen-wide," he added. For months, UNHCR has been advocating for regular and sustained humanitarian access to Taizz city and governorate. Now, with key roads into Taizz reopened since March 11 after nine months of blocked access, UNHCR is taking advantage of the opportunity to get help to people who desperately need it. This includes aid, vital protection and shelter help. While continued intense fighting is being reported in parts of Yemen, a lull in the conflict in other areas is opening space for UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations, including local humanitarian actors, to reach more people. To the north of Taizz, in Ibb governorate, which hosts over 100,000 displaced people, UNHCR is currently mapping how to address the needs. Further north, reduced violence along the Yemen-Saudi border over the last two weeks has allowed us to distribute emergency aid in Sa'ada. In coordination with relevant authorities, we're hoping further assessments of needs and distributions will be possible over the next days. Later this week UNHCR and a partner will distribute emergency relief carried in a third convoy from Aden to the Ash Shamayatayn district of Taizz, an area that hosts 159,444 displaced people, according to our protection monitoring. Since October, UNHCR has been providing rental subsidies, cash assistance, legal assistance, and counseling as well as psychosocial care through a partner organisation. "Ultimately, a halt to the hostilities remains the only way to end the suffering and ensure access to humanitarian aid across the country", said van der Klaauw. "UNHCR is hopeful that a lasting, country-wide ceasefire can be brokered among the parties as this will open up further space to provide essential humanitarian assistance on the ground." UNHCR assistance in Taizz complements the work of other humanitarian partners, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, the Government of Yemen and other humanitarian relief agencies including from the GCC countries. Country-wide, since March of last year up to this week, UNHCR has assisted 380,140 IDPs and other conflict-affected persons in all governorates in Yemen except the island of Socotra. In addition to the 2.4 million people displaced internally, over 173,000 individuals have fled Yemen since last March into neighbouring countries, mainly in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and the GCC countries. The 2016 UNHCR Yemen Situation Supplementary Appeal received $12M in contributions, representing 7% of the required US$172.2M. UNHCR's response inside Yemen is 9% funded against the required US$125.98M. Ambassador Saperstein's Visit to Thailand and Vietnam Washington, DC - Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein will travel to Thailand and Vietnam, March 24-31. On March 24 and 25, Ambassador Saperstein will travel to Thailand, where he will meet with members of religious communities including refugees and asylum seekers who fled religious persecution in their home countries. From March 26 to 31, the Ambassador will visit Vietnam where he will meet with government officials, religious and civil society leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities for improving the status of religious freedom in Vietnam. Presidential Elections in Niger Washington, DC - The United States welcomes the peaceful conduct of the March 20 presidential run-off election in Niger. We are disappointed that differences among some of the parties concerning the conduct of the election were not resolved in advance. As a result of those disagreements, some voters and political parties chose not to participate in the runoff election. The United States calls on all stakeholders to resolve differences peacefully through dialogue and existing legal processes. We call on the government and people of Niger to continue working to unify the country and strengthen Nigers democratic institutions. The United States was proud to support the people of Niger throughout the electoral process, and we remain committed to supporting the Nigerien people through our security cooperation, development assistance, and governance partnership. Lower target levels for LDL and for blood pressure are likely, Gary Culliton reports in his latest Clinical Update, with reductions in guideline levels likely to continue into the future. Heart failure outcomes will continue to get better with new medications perhaps 20 per cent better within three years, a recent meeting in Dublin has heard. Tight blood pressure control will continue to prove important and targets are likely to reduce. Stents would dissolve and cardiac surgery may even become a thing of the past, predicted Consultant Cardiologist at the Beacon Hospital Dr David Burke. In terms of cholesterol risk, statins continue to be the cornerstone of prevention, both primary and secondary. However, a meeting in Dublin has heard that hyperlipidemia treatment for patients with familial hyperlipidaemia will include monoclonal antibodies, in addition to statins. European guidelines propose downward pressure on LDL-C targets (<1.8 mmol/L in high-risk patients). It could be difficult to persuade patients of the benefits but where statins were taken, they prevented problems, Dr Burke told the Beacon Hospitals recent annual Study Day. Two new medications were approved last year. PCSK9 is an intracellular protein, while alirocumab and evolocumab are PCSK9 inhibitors. These monoclonal antibodies are given as twice-monthly subcutaneous injections. A Phase Three trial has reported LDL reductions of between 40 and 60 per cent over a period of two weeks, and it is effective at all doses, according to Dr Burke. Most of the placebo-controlled trials involved treatment that was combined with statins or ezetimibe. While it is not known whether long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality will be affected, health technology assessments (HTAs) on both agents are under way here. Patients with familial hyper-cholesterolemia those with extremely high total cholesterol levels are likely candidates for treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors, and research will show whether the major LDL reductions seen with these agents will be preventative, or if the medications will reverse atherosclerosis. Future studies were also likely to demonstrate that lower LDL levels are best, Dr Burke suggested. Thus, reductions in guideline levels are likely to continue. The consultant cardiologist, in his overview of what is currently happening in cardiology, spoke about risk factor management, including blood pressure (BP) control and cholesterol treatment. In terms of treatment goals, the target blood pressure for people aged over 65 years is 140/90 mm Hg, but lower blood pressure (between 130/80 and 140/90 mm Hg) is targeted in younger people and those with co-morbidities for example, those with diabetes and kidney disease. Low targets More than a decade ago, it was found that low targets improve outcomes. If the systolic blood pressure can be cut by even 5 mm Hg, the risk of stroke reduces by one-third and the risk of heart disease is cut by 20 per cent. Other co-morbidities such as dementia and heart failure are also reduced, as is overall mortality. Even a tiny downward squeeze in blood pressure is advantageous, stressed Dr Burke. However as is also the case with cholesterol levels the question is whether or not there is an overall benefit to patients in continuing to push lower. While 140/90 mm Hg is a perceived goal, a study examined whether pushing systolic pressure down to 120 mm Hg produced better cardiovascular outcomes (SPRINT trial, NEJM, 2015). Some 9,361 patients with risk factors other than diabetes were assigned in equal numbers to two treatment groups (intensive treatment, with a systolic BP target of 120 mm Hg and standard treatment, with a systolic BP target of 140 mm Hg). The trial was stopped after three years: there was a definite benefit with intensive treatment. It took three medications to get patients to 121.5 mm Hg in the intensive group and this was achieved quite quickly. A result of 134.6 mm Hg was achieved using two medications, in the standard treatment group. The effect was borne out across the three years of the study. Cutting blood pressure from 140 mm Hg to 120 mm Hg resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in the primary composite endpoint, which included CV death, heart attacks, strokes and acute coronary syndromes (SPRINT, NEJM, 2015). There was also a definite improvement in terms of overall deaths, which also fell by one-quarter. In patients with a baseline risk factor, reducing blood pressure by this extra 20 mm Hg yielded a definite benefit, Dr Burke said. However, additional adverse events were also noted. Hypotension was observed and some patients experienced syncopal episodes, and there were reports of kidney injuries and electrolyte abnormalities. Everything has to be personalised to the patient, said Dr Burke. The study concluded that where the target blood pressure of patients who were at high risk of cardiovascular events was cut from 140 mm Hg to 120 mm Hg, from a heart point of view, these people did better. However, this must be balanced against the probability of more side-effects. New agent approved Heart failure management continued to evolve, Dr Burke added. In situations where there are declines in systolic function and impaired left ventricles, the nervous system upregulates and sympathetic tone increases, with an increase in blood pressure. Many heart failure medications are designed to block Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activity. RAAS overactivity was unhelpful in heart failure patients, explained Dr Burke, as fluid retention tended to result and in response the body released natriuretic peptides. These natriuretic peptides can counter some of the effects of the RAAS, which controls fluid and electrolyte balance. Yet some of the beneficial effects of natriuretic peptides are negated by the protease neprilysin, which tends to be upregulated in heart failure patients. Sacubitril/valsartan a combined Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) and neprilysin inhibitor was approved last year. It inhibits the enzymes that break down the vasoactive peptides atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). The combination treatment inhibits RAAS activity: it helps to decrease blood pressure, decrease sympathetic tone and decrease aldosterone. The PARADIGM-HF trial (NEJM, 2014) compared angio-tensin receptor blocker/ neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) treatment with a standard ACE inhibitor (enalapril). Patients had chronic heart failure, were symptomatic, had low ejection fractions and were on established treatments. In three years, there was a 20 per cent reduction in cardiovascular deaths and in unplanned hospital admissions for heart failure, along with a 16 per cent reduction in all deaths. This was very impressive, said Dr Burke. It is the first drug to show a mortality benefit, when compared to enalapril (which has a demonstrated mortality benefit in heart failure). The European Medicines Agencys Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended that sacubitril/ valsartan be approved for use in the EU. Sacubitril/valsartan is currently undergoing a Health Technology Assessment here. The first national report of maternity outcomes shows seven women died in Irish hospitals in 2014 while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy. However, the report cautions that this figure is substantially lower than other data sources indicate and this was because maternity units only record maternal deaths that occur in hospital and not after discharge. The number of maternal deaths in Ireland remains relatively low by international comparison. Thus, while lessons can be learnt from management of individual cases, maternal death may not be a robust indicator to assess quality of clinical care in a single maternity unit, the report states. The Irish Maternity Indicator System (IMIS) National Report, which contains 30 indicators on the countrys 19 maternity units, was developed in 2014 in response to recommendations from HIQA and the HSE. The perinatal death rate, adjusted to exclude congenital anomaly, was 1.38 per 1,000 births, or 93 babies from a total of 67,263 births. Unadjusted for congenital anomaly, there were a total 407 perinatal deaths at a rate of 6.05 per 1,000 births. Prof Michael Turner, Lead of the National Clinical Programme in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said the report should provide reassurance that our hospitals continued to provide safe, high-quality care for mothers and their babies. It is our intention to sustain and develop this work further in the future. We encourage clinicians to take ownership of their own hospital data such that the IMIS becomes embedded in the day-to-day practice of staff in maternity units, he said. The rate of Caesarean section was 29.6 per cent. The report said there were many possible reasons for the increase in the rate, including reductions in the risk of Caesarean delivery, increasing litigation, increases in first births among older women and the risk in multiple births resulting from assisted reproduction. Given the wide variation in C-section rates between hospitals, the report recommends that maternity units analyse their rate using the Robson Classification. The rate of induction was also 29.6 per cent, while the rate of epidural use was 40 per cent and the rate of instrumental delivery was 15.4 per cent. Of 64,322 mothers, 688 or 10.7 per 1,000 were transferred to an ICU or a high-dependency unit. A total of 356 pregnant women were admitted to hospital after being transferred from another hospital in the interest of the foetus. The three Dublin maternity hospitals reported the highest rates of in-utero transfers admitted. There were 1,255 multiple births and the report said six maternity units had an incidence higher than the national average. Five of those have an IVF unit or clinic. The national rate of neonatal encephalopathy was 1.83, with five units having above average incidence. Four of those were the larger maternity units in Dublin and Cork. Some 62 babies underwent whole body neonatal cooling for treatment of hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. niamh.mullen@imt.ie The School of Medicine at UCC has launched a new module for its undergraduate medical students designed to expose them to the business skills required to develop cost-effective practices. The Business Skills in Medicine module reaches its peak at the The Big Pitch, where student groups are invited to present their final pitch to a Dragons Den-style panel of experts, which this year includes representatives from UCCs School of Economics, IGNITE UCCs Graduate Business Innovation Programme, Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and Bank of Ireland. Dr Brad Noel of the Schools Medical Education Unit said the new module was being offered as part of the UCCs Undergraduate Medical Student Selected Components (SSC) programme. It is a timely and innovative course, which exposes medical students to the considerations of business planning for cutting edge modern services provision. As part of the module, students are required to participate in a group project involving the development of a business proposal in a healthcare-related sector. This years projects are focusing on Creating a Primary Care Centre and Creating a Consultants Clinic. lloyd.mudiwa@imt.ie Inflatable Halloween Pumpkin Twice the Size of a House Rings in Spooky Season Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When I left school, I landed a job in the library of a small provincial town in New Zealand. It was the 1950s, and it was a plum job for a country girl. The head librarian was strikingly beautiful, although her hair, the colour of a pale hydrangea and wound up in a chic French roll, might seem passe today. She saw "something" in me, and invited me to share her reading tastes. I was beguiled. She introduced me to the 19th-century Russian novelists and short story writers (I might otherwise have missed Chekhov) and French writers, past and present. Along the way, I picked up Marguerite Duras' semi-autobiographical novel, The Sea Wall (1950). The story of a widowed school teacher who has been drawn to Indo-China, and spent her life savings on a piece of worthless land in Vietnam was, in an odd sort of way, the story of my own family. After the Second World War, my father had bought land in the north of this country from people who were selling off fag-end allotments at inflated prices. But, whereas our problem was drought and lack of water, for Ma and her children, Joseph and Suzanne, it is the encroachment of the sea onto their rice paddy fields that bankrupts them. A sea wall, built to stem the flow, collapses. Each of these main characters battles the disaster in their own way. Suzanne, reckless, wild, and about my age then, discovers in her sexuality a path to freedom. The deals she makes are not ones I would have made. And yet. Duras wrote about sex and sensuality with a pragmatism that stirred me. I was stunned by her frankness, by the forthright acknowledgement that sex was not, in itself, a sin. In those faraway days, here in New Zealand, that was enlightening. I was drawn, too, to the attraction between people of other races. I can't say for certain whether it was this book, Duras' subsequent works (particularly, the screenplay for Hiroshima mon amour and her novel The Lover ) or the unorthodox author herself who would captivate me for a lifetime. But I have travelled in her footsteps, aboard a flat-bottomed boat along the Mekong, to find the setting for The Sea Wall, to the boarding house her mother ran briefly in Hanoi, to her house at Neauphle-le-Chateau. Through her, I began to understand difference. Fiona Kidman's new book is 'The Infinite Air' (Aardvark Bureau) Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A two-story nude mural of Kim Kardashian has been ordered for removal by the City of Sydney. Splashed across the exterior of Zigi's Art, Wine, and Cheese bar on Teggs Lane in Chippendale, the artwork depicts the nude star covering her body with her arm and hand. Rather unsurprisingly, its appearance caused a significant stir amongst area locals and international media; but the bar's owner Zigi Ozeri has now been told he has 14 days to remove the piece. The move follows a formal complaint made to the City of Sydney by a neighbour who states they weren't consulted previous to the artwork's appearance, and who objected to the work's "content and colour"; furthermore, since Ozeri failed to submit the required development application in advance, he or the artist could face an additional $3,000 fine. "Most new murals, including those commissioned by the City of Sydney, require development consent," a council spokeswoman told The Guardian. "This ensures the property owner consents to the mural and there is consultation with neighbours about whats proposed." The order won't, however, apply to the adjacent mural which appeared on the same day; an image by Sydney artist Scott Marsh of Kardashian's husband Kanye West engaged in a passionate embrace with himself, adapted from a Photoshopped photograph of the celebrity couple. This mural is yet to receive any formal calls for its removal. Painted by Melbourne street artist lushsux (otherwise known as Mark Walls), the Kardashian artwork accompanies a similar mural in his hometown, which takes its basis from the viral nude selfie which was posted by the star last month. Though the Melbourne piece appears yet unthreatened with similar orders, as Walls claim the local council "love it know", it was vandalised with misogynistic language a mere eight hours after it was finished. "It attracts a lot of attention, and much like Kim I dont seem to mind that too much," Walls told Guardian Australia. "Anything that triggers someone to write an abusive epic rant in a comment section on the internet is good for business." "The whole idea of what we do here is to support artists, and just to make the lane livelier, rather than a dark, boring wall. We want to see bright colours, we want to see beautiful art." "Its art, and its made by a quite famous artist that came all the way from Melbourne," Ozeri said in defence of the mural; attributing its controversy not to the nature of the work's nudity, but to Kardashian's own divisive public standing. "[Its because] shes on the news, you know?... Maybe [we should] put a bra and undies on her, and then see if Kim Kardashian still offends someone." The City of Sydney spokeswoman did state that changes in policy are being considered; specifically in the introduction of legal street art walls, new management proposals for unauthorised murals on private property, and the protection of significant pieces. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An enthralling new US reality series sees seven innocent people sent to jail in an attempt to expose the corrupt goings on behind bars. The Jail: 60 Days In was devised by Sheriff Jamey Noel following a rise in corruption at Indiana's Clark Country Correctional Jail. The participants found themselves rubbing shoulders with around 500 prisoners including first-time offenders and those charged with murder. Noel handpicked the seven applicants - who have never previously been charged with a crime - to live in the facility for 60 days; no officers, staff or fellow inmates were aware of their secret. Together with Public Information Officer Scottie Maples, Noel provided training ahead of their deployment in the prison. They are followed by cameras throughout the day in a "warts-and-all view of what life is like behind bars." Participants include a marine, a social worker and a mother of two young children. Muhammad Ali's daughter Maryam also features in the series. The 12 episode series began airing on channel A&E in the States on 10 March. Making the most of the opportunity, producers went ahead with a second series before the first had a chance to gain popularity. Reps from the channel reportedly told Business Insider that a number of corrections officers have been fired as a consequence of the series. The Jail: 60 Days In will air in the UK on Crime + Investigation on 6 April, 10 PM. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} EastEnders writers are commemorating Barbara Windsor's final scenes as Peggy Mitchell by bringing back Pam St Clement's legendary character Pat Butcher. The two endured their fair share of tumultuous moments during their time on the show - mainly due to respective love interest Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) - but ultimately remained friends right up until Pat died of cancer in an episode that aired on New Year's Day four years ago. According to The Sun, St. Clement will appear as a hallucination experienced by Peggy who herself will succumb to the disease in scenes to play out later this year. This isn't the first time the actor has returned to Albert Square having appeared alongside other ghosts of the soap's past for a Children In Need special in 2014. Ross Kemp will also be returning, reprising his role of Grant - one-half of the infamous Mitchell brothers - to say goodbye to his on-screen mother. Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures Barbara-Windsor.jpg Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256262.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256263.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256264.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256265.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256266.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256267.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256268.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256269.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256261.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures peggy-mitchell-eastenders.jpg BBC Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256273.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures 256275.bin Getty Images Dame Barbara Windsor: career in pictures peggy-mitchell.jpg PA It was recently announced that EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins would be departing the soap, paving the way for The Archers editor, Sean O'Connor, to take over the reins. Peggy's exit is expected to air later this year. Treadwell-Collins described the departure as "one of the most heartbreaking, uplifting and epic exits" the BBC soap has ever experienced. Whether ghost Pat will be wearing earrings or not remains to be seen. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} This week saw the arrival of a new radio station. OK, not new exactly. TalkRADIO is in fact an old network, launched in the mid-Nineties, that was subsequently bought out and, on shifting its focus to sport, renamed talkSPORT. But now it has returned as a sister station, picking up its original name and its initial remit of topical chat. So how did it fare on its first day? There were technical hitches, though this is to be expected for a station finding its feet. A more worrying hindrance came in the form of Paul Ross, motor-mouthed alumnus of LBC and BBC London, and host of talkRADIO's new breakfast show. As a broadcaster, he's fluent and experienced, which made his remarks about women all the more odious. Reflecting on Sport Relief's reprisal of the comedy series Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Ross was not impressed he said it went on too long and wasn't funny, which is fair. Culture news in pictures Show all 33 1 /33 Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures 30 September 2016 An employee hangs works of art with "Grand Teatro" by Marino Marini (R) and bronze sculpture "Sfera N.3" by Arnaldo Pomodoro seen ahead of a Contemporary Art auction on 7 October, at Sotheby's in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 29 September 2016 Street art by Portuguese artist Odeith is seen in Dresden, during an exhibition "Magic City - art of the streets" AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 Dancers attend a photocall for the new "THE ONE Grand Show" at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, Germany REUTERS Culture news in pictures 28 September 2016 With an array of thrift store china, humorous souvenirs and handmade tile adorning its walls and floors, the Mosaic Tile House in Venice stands as a monument to two decades of artistic collaboration between Cheri Pann and husband Gonzalo Duran REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A gallery assistant poses amongst work by Anthea Hamilton from her nominated show "Lichen! Libido!(London!) Chastity!" at a preview of the Turner Prize in London REUTERS Culture news in pictures 27 September 2016 A technician wearing virtual reality glasses checks his installation in three British public telephone booths, set up outside the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The installation allows visitors a 3-D look into the museum which has twenty-two paintings belonging to the British Royal Collection, on loan for an exhibit from 29 September 2016 till 8 January 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 An Indian artist dressed as Hindu god Shiva performs on a chariot as he participates in a religious procession 'Ravan ki Barat' held to mark the forthcoming Dussehra festival in Allahabad AFP/Getty Images Culture news in pictures 26 September 2016 Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Air Power', 1984, is displayed at the Bowie/Collector media preview at Sotheby's in New York AFP/Getty Culture news in pictures 25 September 2016 A woman looks at an untitled painting by Albert Oehlen during the opening of an exhibition of works by German artists Georg Baselitz and Albert Oehlen in Reutlingen, Germany. The exhibition runs at the Kunstverein (art society) Reutlingen until 15 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 24 September 2016 Fan BingBing (C) attends the closing ceremony of the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival at Kursaal in San Sebastian, Spain Getty Images Culture news in pictures 23 September 2016 A view of the artwork 'You Are Metamorphosing' (1964) as part of the exhibition 'Retrospektive' of Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo at Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany. The exhibition runs from 25 September 2016 to 1 January 2017 EPA Culture news in pictures 22 September 2016 Jo Applin from the Courtauld Institute of Art looks at Green Tilework in Live Flesh by Adriana Vareja, which features in a new exhibition, Flesh, at York Art Gallery. The new exhibition features works by Degas, Chardin, Francis Bacon and Sarah Lucas, showing how flesh has been portrayed by artists over the last 600 years PA Culture news in pictures 21 September 2016 Performers Sean Atkins and Sally Miller standing in for the characters played by Asa Butterfield and Ella Purnell during a photocall for Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children" at Potters Field Park in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A detail from the blanket 'Alpine Cattle Drive' from 1926 by artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is displayed at the 'Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum for Contemporary Arts' in Berlin. The exhibition named 'Ernst Ludwig Kirchner - Hieroglyphen' showing the complete collection of Berlin's Nationalgallerie works of the German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and will run from 23 September 2016 until 26 February 2017 AP Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A man looks at portrait photos by US photographer Bruce Gilden in the exhibition 'Masters of Photography' at the photokina in Cologne, Germany. The trade fair on photography, photokina, schowcases some 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and runs from 20 to 25 September. The event also features various photo exhibitions EPA Culture news in pictures 20 September 2016 A woman looks at 'Blue Poles', 1952 by Jackson Pollock during a photocall at the Royal Academy of Arts, London PA Culture news in pictures 19 September 2016 Art installation The Refusal of Time, a collaboration with Philip Miller, Catherine Meyburgh and Peter Galison, which features as part of the William Kentridge exhibition Thick Time, showing from 21 September to 15 January at the Whitechapel Gallery in London PA Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Artists creating one off designs at the Mm6 Maison Margiela presentation during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer collections 2017 in London Getty Images Culture news in pictures 18 September 2016 Bethenny Frankel attends the special screening of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Edition release on Blu-Ray and DVD in New York City Getty Images for Walt Disney Stu Culture news in pictures 17 September 2016 Visitors attend the 2016 Oktoberfest beer festival at Theresienwiese in Munich, Germany Getty Images Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Visitors looks at British artist Damien Hirst work of art 'The Incomplete Truth', during the 13th Yalta Annual Meeting entitled 'The World, Europe and Ukraine: storms of changes', organised by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation at the Mystetsky Arsenal Art Center in Kiev AP Culture news in pictures 16 September 2016 Tracey Emin's "My Bed" is exhibited at the Tate Liverpool as part of the exhibition Tracey Emin And William Blake In Focus, which highlights surprising links between the two artists Getty Images Culture news in pictures 15 September 2016 Musician Dave Grohl (L) joins musician Tom Morello of Prophets of Rage onstage at the Forum in Inglewood, California Getty Images Culture news in pictures 14 September 2016 Model feebee poses as part of art installation "Narcissism : Dazzle room" made by artist Shigeki Matsuyama at rooms33 fashion and design exhibition in Tokyo. Matsuyama's installation features a strong contrast of black and white, which he learned from dazzle camouflage used mainly in World War I AP Culture news in pictures 13 September 2016 Visitors look at artworks by Chinese painter Cui Ruzhuo during the exhibition 'Glossiness of Uncarved Jade' held at the exhibition hall 'Manezh' in St. Petersburg, Russia. More than 200 paintings by the Chinese artist are presented until 25 September EPA Culture news in pictures 12 September 2016 A visitor looks at Raphael's painting 'Extase de Sainte Cecile', 1515, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence during the opening of a Raphael exhibition at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. The first Russian exhibition of the works of the Italian Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino includes eight paintings and three drawings which come from Italy. Th exhibit opens to the public from 13 September to 11 December EPA Culture news in pictures 11 September 2016 Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd perform during Otis Redding 75th Birthday Celebration - Rehearsals at the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia Getty Images for Otis Redding 75 Culture news in pictures 10 September 2016 Sakari Oramo conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Singers at the Last Night of the Proms 2016 at the Royal Albert Hall in London PA Culture news in pictures 9 September 2016 A visitor walks past a piece entitled "Fruitcake" by Joana Vasconcelo, during the Beyond Limits selling exhibition at Chatsworth House near Bakewell REUTERS Culture news in pictures 8 September 2016 A sculpture of a crescent standing on the 2,140 meters high mountain 'Freiheit' (German for 'freedom'), in the Alpstein region of the Appenzell alps, eastern Switzerland. The sculpture is lighted during the nights by means of solar panels. The 38-year-old Swiss artist and atheist Christian Meier set the crescent on the peak to start a debate on the meaning of religious symbols - as summit crosses - on mountains. 'Because so many peaks have crosses on them, it struck me as a great idea to put up an equally absurd contrast'. 'Naturally I wanted to provoke in a fun way. But it goes beyond that. The actions of an artist should be food for thought, both visually and in content' EPA Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures Culture news in pictures But then he had a mean dig at the actress Michele Dotrice, who played Betty. "I don't mean to be sizeist," he remarked. "But she's carrying some timber... She's a shed on legs." A few minutes later, discussing the presenter Penny Smith, he noted that she was "stocky... solid... The hour-glass figure... the sand has slipped to the bottom there." Of course, sexism and radio aren't strangers. Just look at Radio 2 and its all-male daytime schedule, or the unapologetic sausage-fest that is Radio X. But even so, having this not exactly sylph-like fiftysomething man humiliating women on air on his first day was quite something. What an arse. Julia Hartley-Brewer's show brought an awkward mixture of politics and popular culture. Her political commentary was sharply delivered though her discontent at the prospect of Adele headlining Glastonbury was undermined by the admission that she has no interest in attending a music festival anyway. I could also have done without the daft slogans, which included "the lady's not for turning off". Don't tempt us, Julia. Jon Holmes, late of Radio X, was much better, bringing a subversive flavour to the tiresome phone-in format. One conversation with a man protesting about the closure of the Severn Tunnel spiralled into a skit about packs of man-eating dogs roaming Britain. Elsewhere, noting that his name was nowhere to be found on the talkRADIO website, Holmes abandoned his mic, found the station manager and hauled him back to the studio for an explanation. It was nicely done. Let's hope he can maintain the insurrection. If Holmes's show had its edgy moments, Iain Lee's late-night show was non-stop insanity. Last autumn Lee was sacked by BBC Three Counties radio after clashing on-air with a Christian lawyer over her support for a minister who condemned homosexuality he called her a bigot. His dismissal was ill-judged and unfair. Still, Three Counties' idiocy is talkRADIO's gain. Lee insisted that he had no plan for the allotted three hours, though clearly a lot of thought had been put into creating an atmosphere of utmost randomness and chaos. Flicking two fingers at the mainstream talk show, he said he had no interest in discussing immigrants, Muslims or "sweets from your childhood". Instead, he talked about Gary Glitter, Pee-wee Herman, his problems with mental illness and his former employers. "Everyone at the BBC has their own personal rent boy," he hooted, as his bosses got on the phone to their lawyers. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At a Mayfair restaurant with two Michelin stars and a clientele that includes famous people with legs for waists, it seems unlikely that a pear and blue cheese risotto would be too big to finish. But it evidently was for a diner at Sketch this week, who was horrified (horrified!) after being told that she could not take away her leftovers in a doggy bag. Rarely has so much anger flowed from such an innocuous solution to satiation. When Luisa Gottardo from Hertfordshire complained about the doggy-bag ban, which she says waiters put down to "council policy", the restaurant cancelled her subsequent booking for her partner's 30th birthday party. Sketch waiters blamed council policy for the doggy bag ban The couple got cross on Twitter, Sketch blocked them, it became a thing and eventually made the pages of the London Evening Standard. And now we're here. It is arguably the biggest risotto-based scandal since Waitrose shoppers reacted in such disgust to a Delia Smith-branded rice dish that the DIY ready meal made it all the way to BBC's Watchdog. But what is the deal with doggy bags? Turns out the restaurant's mistake (hilariously, Sketch declined to comment on the story yesterday) was to blame the law. "There is absolutely no council rule banning doggy bags," a Westminster City Council spokesman said in a statement. But there are other possible reasons for the policy. "I think many chefs and restaurant managers get overzealous when it comes to food that's outside their control," says Russell Norman, commander of the growing Polpo restaurant empire. "If a chef is preparing something in a restaurant with a reputation and a couple of Michelin stars, he wants the customer to eat it in that restaurant when it's at its best." Just as likely as precious chef-ing is the understandable risk of litigation, not least when you're allowing diners who may have more zeros to their bank balances than holes in their belts to reheat rice with your name on it. "Rice might seem innocuous, but bacteria can grow on it rather rapidly and cause really bad food poisoning," Norman says. Gymkhana, another high-end Mayfair joint, also has a no-bag policy Gymkhana, another high-end Mayfair joint, also has a no-bag policy, as I found to my cost when I took a wedding present there (a voucher for the restaurant) and struggled to fit back through the door after demolishing the tasting menu. I do not like waste. Waiters there cited concerns about reheating, but most restaurants, including all of Norman's, will let you take a risk and take away. It may also be that old-fashioned snootiness plays out in more expensive dining rooms. It's hard to slap a foil container on thick white linen and maintain an air of sophistication. While doggy bags are standard in the US, the angle of view down waiters' noses probably steepens in response to a request the closer one gets to, say, Paris. Some French restaurants cried "Sacre bleu" in January when a new law required them to offer vulgar American doggy bags as part of a government war on waste. Les sacs de chien are so rare there that they don't actually have an official French name (you say: "Le doggy bag, s'il vous plait"). In Britain, our general resistance to making a fuss also means that a quarter of diners are too embarrassed even to ask for a doggy bag (according to a recent survey by the Sustainable Restaurant Association). Waste is bad, and only some councils offer restaurants slop bins and the facility to transport leftovers to grateful pigs. It's either that or landfill. Norman is a regular doggy-bagger ("taking home your pizza in a box and eating it cold the next morning is one of my favourite things to do," he reveals) and has a solution to any barriers to leftover removal. "Just lie and say it's for your dog," he says. "That's what I do except in my case it's not a lie. I have a pug-schnauzer cross called Monkey who will eat anything." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Anonymous has launched a total war on Isis, with a pledge to try and wipe it off the internet and take its money. The group has been threatening the group with attacks since the shootings at Charlie Hebdo, at the beginning of 2015. But it stepped up those efforts in the wake of attacks in Paris and has promised a new wave after deadly explosions struck Brussels this week. Those attacks will include attempting to keep Isis accounts off social media sites and taking money from them, a supporter of the group says in a new video. The group has vowed to keep hacking their websites, shutting down their Twitter accounts and stealing their Bitcoins. The group claimed that it has already been successful in silencing Twitter accounts and other communication and propaganda tools online. Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Show all 27 1 /27 Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A building illuminated with the Belgian flag colours and a heart in Brussels, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and subway Maelbeek. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A picture taken on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, shows drawings and a candle, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and Brussels subway Maelbeek Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles are displayed in tribute to the Brussels attacks victims on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, two days after the suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on 22 March. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A mourner lights a candle in Trafalgar Square during a candlelit vigil in support of the victims of the recent terror attacks in Brussels. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels airport workers pay tribute to the victims near Zaventem Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Activists light candles and hold placards to condemn the terrorist attacks in Belgium, during a gathering in Manila, Philippines Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A banner for the victims of the bombings reads "I am Brussels" at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left front center, stands with front row, left to right, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Belgium's King Philippe, Belgium's Queen Mathilde and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as well as members of the European Commission during a minute of silence at EU headquarters in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims People join hands in solidarity near the former stock exchange following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgium flags ornate the facade of the Paris Town Hall Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A woman embraces her children at The Place de la Bourse as she pays her respects to victims of the terrorists attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles in the colors of the Belgian national flag are lit inside the Belgian embassy in Madrid, a day after the deadly suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Servicemen of Azov, Ukrainian volunteers battalion, hold torches in front of floral tributes during a ceremony in front of the Belgian embassy in Kiev, in tribute to the victims of Brussels attacks Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A refugee boy holds up a placard reading "Sorry for Brussels" at a refugee camp near the Greek-Macedonian border Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People light candles in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu picturing a character made of a French flag consoling another made of the Belgian flag, in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes The colours of the Belgian flag are projected on to (clockwise from top left) the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the town council building in Belgrade, Rome's Campidoglio and the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Candles are lit in tribute to the victims, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a placard reading "Paris hearts Belgium, How much time will it take us to open our eyes and say STOP, Today our hearts are broken, Open your eyes to change the future" at the Place de la Republique in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People gather to pay a tribute to victims of terrorist attacks in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People write messages on the ground at Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A bouquet of flowers in the Belgian national colours with a card reading 'To our neighbours, to our friends, to our Belgian brothers - an indignant Parisian' is seen next to a French national flag at the fence of the Belgian embassy in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Solidarity messages are written in chalk outside the stock exchange in Brussels AP Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Messages and floral tributes outside the Brussels stock exchange AP We have silenced thousands of Twitter accounts directly linked to ISIS, the speaker says in a video shot in the usual way of Anonymous, with a computer voice overlaid on an image of the famous mask. We severely punish Daesh on the dark net, hacked their electronic portfolio and stolen money from the terrorists. We have laid siege to your propaganda websites, tested them with our cyber attacks, however we will not rest as long as terrorists continue their actions around the world. We will strike back against them... we will defend the rights of freedom and tolerance. Anonymous has launched major campaigns under the name OpISIS in the wake of terror attacks in Paris and then in Brussels. But the group has occasionally been criticised for being overly optimistic about its methods, which tend to involve simply shutting down Twitter accounts. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Dyson appears to be working on an electric car. The company has received funding from the UK Government to work on a new battery electric vehicle, according to an official document. The reference found in the documents about the Governments National Infrastructure Delivery Plan now appears to have been removed. Before it was deleted, the document said that the government is funding Dyson to develop a new battery electric vehicle at their headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, according to the Guardian. This will secure 174m of investment in the area, creating over 500 jobs, mostly in engineering." The reference has now been removed. The only information referring to Dyson is a 16 million investment in its battery technologies. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty But it is far from the first time that Dyson has been rumoured to be working on an electric vehicle. In September, CEO Max Conze said that the company was ruling nothing out when he was asked about building a car. Though the technology might seem a strange fit for a company more famous for its vacuum cleaners, Dyson has been involved with work on batteries of the future and made a huge investment into a pioneering battery firm last year. Power and batteries is one of the biggest challenges to widely-available electric vehicles, and so Dysons expertise in the industry might help it take on the likes of Google, which is already building a self-driving, battery-powered vehicle, and the long-rumoured Apple Car. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} This week, one angry programmer broke a whole mess of the software the internet runs on with the simple deletion of one simple program consisting of 11 lines of code. Everything is OK now. But it's a strange case that involves copyright lawyers, a petulant developer, and a behind-the-scenes look into how tech titans like Facebook, Spotify, and Netflix make the sausage. It all starts with a developer named Azer Koculu, who wrote an otherwise unremarkable piece of code called Kik, an extension for the popular programming language Node.js. Koculu put his Kik module up on NPM, essentially an App Store for Node.js programmers, as a free download for developers to work into their apps at their leisure. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty The other Kik Kik, the popular social network of the same name, took notice and sent Koculu an email requesting that he change the name of his module. By Koculu's own admission in a blog post, Kik's initial request was reasonable. Still, Koculu wouldn't budge. "When I started coding Kik, didn't know there is a company with same name. And I didn't want to let a company force me to change the name of it," Koculu writes. Given that Kik did have copyright on its side, Koculu says that NPM CEO Isaac Schlueter took away his ownership of the module in question without asking. Recommended Read more Boaty McBoatface and six other online polls that have sailed adrift Upset, Koculu announced in that blog entry that he was removing his Kik from NPM entirely as well as all of his other code. It's likely that nobody would have noticed except that Koculu is also the person who created a very silly, very basic, but very popular NPM module called "npm left-pad." It's 11 lines long and doesn't actually do anything complicated, but it's been downloaded over 575,000 times. And when it vanished, developers on Reddit, Twitter, and elsewhere definitely took notice. Kik creator Ted Livingston (Business Insider) A house of cards This is where things get sticky. A module like npm left-pad is basically a shortcut so a developer doesn't have to write a whole bunch of basic code from scratch. If a developer calls on an NPM module, it's basically shorthand for "put this code in later," and a software compiler will just download the code when the time is right. Most of the time, this works just fine. But sometimes, software ends up relying on what's essentially a house of cards: One Node.js module calls on another, calls on another, calls on another. Again, usually it works fine right up until npm left-pad is taken offline. Boom down went the house of cards. Popular software projects like Babel, which helps Facebook, Netflix, and Spotify run code faster, and React, which helps developers build better interfaces, were suddenly broken and no more work could be done with them. Overall, over a thousand software projects were affected, according to the npm blog. Fixing the problem would require that programmers sift through all of those dependencies, making sure that absolutely nothing relied on that one silly 11-line bit of code. And so, after a mass outcry from developers all over the world, NPM was forced to "un-un-publish" the code in question, handing it over to a new owner. In a series of Twitter posts, NPM CTO Laurie Voss says that the company wasn't totally comfortable handing over what's still Koculu's intellectual property, but much of the software industry had ground to a halt over the issue. All told, the storm is over, and npm left-pad is back online. But the wounds are still deeply felt: "Have We Forgotten How To Program," asks one blog entry urging developers to rethink how they build their apps. Read more: Tampons are used as a weapon against the EU The bonfire of the hedge funds Apple is unveiling a new iPhone next week Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2015. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The US government has charged seven Iranian hackers over a series of cyber attacks, in the latest example of it pursuing foreign nations for hacking. The government says that the hackers were involved in attacks on banks and a small dam near New York City. The attacks happened between 2011 and 2013, and the government claims that they came from Iranian companies. The hacks were undertaken with the sole purpose of undermining the targeted companies and damaging the online operation of America's free market, said US attorney general Loretta Lynch. Federal law enforcement officials announced the charges at a news conference in Washington, during which they said the attackers were experienced computer hackers and that the attacks served as a wake-up call. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty The case stems in part from a 2013 cyber intrusion in which hackers targeted the Bowman Avenue Dam, a small flood-control structure in Rye Brook, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of New York City. It's the latest instance of the Obama administration publicly blaming foreign nations for damaging cyberbreaches. The Justice Department in May 2014 indicted five Chinese military officials suspected of hacking into several major American companies and stealing trade secrets. Additional reporting by Associated Press Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day may not be true as it has never been scientifically proven, an nutrition expert has said. Breakfast is commonly viewed as a vital meal which is needed to rev up the metabolism and ensure the body and mind can face the day. However, this view is likely spurred on by powerful advertising campaigns as there is insufficient scientific evidence to back it up, according to Dr James Betts of the University of Bath. Dr Betts, an expert in nutrition and the metabolism, told New Scientist magazine that although the benefits of eating breakfast seem logical, studies used to argue this case are based on observational studies. This type of study involves a researcher studying a participants existing behaviour rather than assigning them a medicine or activity. Dr Betts said he was amazed to find that there was little evidence which strongly suggested that breakfast greatly benefits a persons health. Earlier this year, Dr Betts published a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which showed that eating breakfast could encourage obese people to exercise more. The study found that subjects who ate breakfast did not lose weight, but were more likely to by physically active in the morning and eat less later in the day. The detailed small-scale study involved 70 people, and focused on 23 participants. Six healthy breakfast recipes to try Show all 6 1 /6 Six healthy breakfast recipes to try Six healthy breakfast recipes to try You will need: 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 stick of celery, 1 cup of mushrooms, 4 to 6 eggs, 1 habanero chilli (optional), 1 tablespoon of oil, 25g of grated low-fat cheese, 150 ml of skimmed milk, 50g of turkey breast. Add some spinach for an extra boost. Method: 1) Cook your turkey breast so that its ready to add to the mix later on. Best to grill it and then chop it up as its healthier than shallow frying. 2) Meanwhile, heat the oil and add your onion, pepper, chilli, mushrooms and celery to your pan. Cook these for around five minutes until your veg is nice and soft. 3) Whisk your eggs and milk together in a separate bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. 4) Add the egg mixture, veg, cooked turkey and cheese to a high-sided baking pan or tin and cook in your oven for around 15 minutes at 170C. 1) Cook your turkey breast so that its ready to add to the mix later on. Best to grill it and then chop it up as its healthier than shallow frying. 2) Meanwhile, heat the oil and add your onion, pepper, chilli, mushrooms and celery to your pan. Cook these for around five minutes until your veg is nice and soft. 3) Whisk your eggs and milk together in a separate bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. 4) Add the egg mixture, veg, cooked turkey and cheese to a high-sided baking pan or tin and cook in your oven for around 15 minutes at 170C. DW Fitness Clubs Six healthy breakfast recipes to try Be careful when you buy your porridge, as some brands will cram a lot of sugar in there. Porridge is a good breakfast option as it is renowned for releasing energy slowly, which means you can get to lunch without suffering from a lull. A great source of fibre, potassium and vitamins, bananas are always a good accompaniment to your morning oats. DW Fitness Clubs Six healthy breakfast recipes to try Ingredients: 2 full eggs, 3 egg whites, asparagus, peppers, 50g of smoked salmon Method 1) Boil your asparagus in water for around five minutes. 2) Meanwhile, mix your eggs and egg whites in a jug, and add a splash of skimmed milk. Chop some peppers up and throw them in too. 3) Once your asparagus is cooked, drain it and chop into smaller chunks. Add these to your egg mixture. 4) Whisk your mixture and season with salt and pepper. 5) Pour the mix into a hot pan with a small knob of butter or a teaspoon of quality olive oil. 6) Cook the omelette for around 90 seconds to two minutes. 7) Once the bottom is cooked, take the pan off the hob and place under the grill for another 30 seconds to a minute in order to cook the top. 8) Serve with your smoked salmon. 1) Boil your asparagus in water for around five minutes. 2) Meanwhile, mix your eggs and egg whites in a jug, and add a splash of skimmed milk. Chop some peppers up and throw them in too. 3) Once your asparagus is cooked, drain it and chop into smaller chunks. Add these to your egg mixture. 4) Whisk your mixture and season with salt and pepper. 5) Pour the mix into a hot pan with a small knob of butter or a teaspoon of quality olive oil. 6) Cook the omelette for around 90 seconds to two minutes. 7) Once the bottom is cooked, take the pan off the hob and place under the grill for another 30 seconds to a minute in order to cook the top. 8) Serve with your smoked salmon. DW Fitness Six healthy breakfast recipes to try Greek yoghurt has vast nutritional benefits. Regardless of where you stand on the superfood debate, Greek yoghurts credentials speak for themselves. A good source of potassium, protein, calcium and essential vitamins, this food forms an ideal base for a healthy breakfast, especially if youre trying to lose weight. DW Fitness Six healthy breakfast recipes to try Eggs Florentine is not only a tasty breakfast, it also carries a hefty nutritional punch, particularly when you throw some spinach into the equation. DW Fitness Six healthy breakfast recipes to try So fast and easy to make, yet so effective. Wholemeal toast can be a good breakfast choice, as long as you are sensible with your toppings. Peanut butter is perfect. A good source of healthy fats, as well as protein and Vitamin E among other nutrients, a liberal spreading of peanut butter can set you up for the day. DW Fitness At the time, Dr Betts said that breakfast has been associated with exercising more and controlling blood sugar levels throughout the day. But regarding weight loss he said: based on current evidence, having breakfast in itself is not going to make you lose weight and skipping breakfast in itself is not going to make you gain weight. He added that as the population tends to lead more sedentary lifestyles than in previous decades, breakfast may be less important than it was but attitudes towards the meal have stayed the same. He went on that to say that eating undoubtedly helps if a persons performance is important, for example if they are having an interview, exam or taking part in a sporting activity. In addition, he said consuming breakfast could cause a person to eat more later in the day, but that it is unlikely they will make up for the calories missed at breakfast. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} If there is one place the life-long vegetarian leader of the opposition is the least likely to appear, its at an awards ceremony celebrating kebabs. But Jeremy Corbyn has made a habit of doing things differently to his predecessors, often surprising constituents, Labour supporters and the opposition with his comments, pledges, and public appearances. He did so again on Wednesday evening when he turned up at the 4th British Kebab Awards as an aficionado of kebab shops, despite having not eaten meat for 50 years. Mr Corbyn, who also doesnt drink so is even less likely to have ever eaten a kebab, took to the podium at the ceremony to present the award for Outstanding Contribution to the British kebab industry with a message for kebab lovers nationwide - just have some salad with it. After using his platform to implore the public to chuck some greenery on, he also took a moment to promote his takeaway of choice - "a good falafel". Vegetarian aficionado of kebab shops, I hope Im still welcome, he told the audience. Im always very pleased whenever I get to any kebab shop to enjoy a good falafel. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Show all 11 1 /11 The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He called Hezbollah and Hamas friends True. In a speech made to the Stop the War Coalition in 2009, Mr Corbyn called representatives from both groups friends after inviting them to Parliament. He later told Channel 4 he wanted both groups, who have factions designated as international terror organisations, to be part of the debate for the Middle East peace process. I use (the word friends) in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk, he added. Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. Reuters The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a tragedy Partly false. David Cameron used this as a line of attack at the Conservative Party conference but appears to have left out all context from Mr Corbyns original remarks. In an 2011 interview on Iranian television, the then-backbencher said the fact the al-Qaeda leader was not put on trial was the tragedy, continuing: The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is haunted by the legacy of his evil great-great-grandfather False. A Daily Express expose revealed that the Labour leaders ancestor, James Sargent, was the despotic master of a Victorian workhouse. Addressing the report at the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he had never heard of him before, adding: I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not doing the decent thing and going back in time and having a chat with him about his appalling behaviour. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn raised a motion about pigeon bombs in Parliament This one is true. On 21 May 2004, Mr Corbyn raised an early day motion entitled pigeon bombs, proposing that the House register being appalled but barely surprised that MI5 reportedly proposed to load pigeons with explosives as a weapon. The motion continued: The House believes that humans represent the most obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal species ever to inhabit the planet and looks forward to the day when the inevitable asteroid slams into the earth and wipes them out thus giving nature the opportunity to start again. It was not carried. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He rides a Communist bicycle False. A report in The Times referred to Mr Corbyn, known for his cycling, riding a Chairman Mao-style bicycle earlier this year. Less thorough journalists might have referred to it as just a bicycle, but no, so we have to conclude that whenever we see somebody on a bicycle from now on, there goes another supporter of Chairman Mao, he later joked. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn 'Jeremy Corbyn will appoint a special minister for Jews' False so far. The Sun report in December was allegedly based on a rumour passed to the paper by a Daily Express columnist who has written pieces critical of the Labour leader in the past. The minister did not materialise in his shadow cabinet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn wishes Britain would abolish its Army False. Another gem from The Sun took comments made at a Hiroshima remembrance parade in August 2012 where Mr Corbyn supported Costa Ricas move to abolish it armed forces. Wouldnt it be wonderful if every politician around the worldabolished the army and took pride in the fact that they dont have an army, he added. The caveat that every politician must take the step suggests Mr Corbyn does not support UK disarmament just yet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn stole sandwiches meant for veterans False. The Guido Fawkes blog claimed that the Labour leader took sandwiches meant for veterans at at Battle of Britain memorial service in September but a photo later emerged showing him being handed one by Costa volunteers, who later confirmed they were given to all guests. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He missed the induction into the Queens privy council True. After much speculation about Mr Corbyns republican views and willingness to bow to the monarch, his office confirmed that he did not attend the official induction to the privy council because of a prior engagement, but did not rule out joining the body. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing the national anthem. Partly true. The Labour leader was filmed standing in silence as God Save the Queen was sung at a Battle of Britain remembrance service but will reportedly sing it in future. Mr Corbyn was elusive on the issue in an interview, saying he would show memorials respect in the proper way, but sources said he would sing the anthem at future occasions. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cheese True. The group lists its purpose as the following: To increase awareness of issues surrounding the dairy industry and focus on economic issues affecting the dairy industry and producers. When people buy kebabs, I want them to have salad on top, so they can have the balanced diet we all need. Mr Corbyn decided to go meat free as a young adult after witnessing animal cruelty on a farm. I became one at 20 when I was working in a pig farm, he has previously said. I got attached to the pigs. Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two long-lost First World War German warships have been rediscovered forgotten for decades in Portsmouth Harbour. Archaeologists found them by examining aerial photographs from the 1940s and by then searching through local newspaper reports from the 1920s . Researchers say that the two destroyers are among the very few surviving vessels from the Imperial German Navy that can still intermittently be seen above water anywhere in the world. Archaeologists believe that the vessels are the V44 and the V82 (both launched in the German port of Kiel in February 1915 and July 1916, respectively). The V44 is particularly significant from an historical perspective because it played a crucial role in the strategically important escape of the German fleet after the key phase of the Battle of Jutland at the end of May 1916. It was one of the vessels which successfully used torpedoes to prevent the British pursuing and destroying the 93 ships that remained of Imperial Germanys High Seas Fleet. Recommended Read more World War I message that told troops conflict was over is stolen Next month, archaeologists from Britains Maritime Archaeology Trust, will carry out a detailed survey of the two vessels, which are only visible at extreme low tide, and even then very difficult to access because of highly hazardous quicksand-style mudflats. One of the warships is thought to still have its boilers and some other machinery intact. Originally the two destroyers were among the 70 German warships which surrendered to the Royal Navy in November 1918 and were subsequently interned in Scapa Flow Harbour in the Orkneys. However, in June 1919, in violation of the Allied/German armistice agreement, those German naval personnel, still on-board their ships in Scapa Flow, hatched a plot to defiantly re-fly their battle ensigns and then scuttle their entire fleet. Much of the plan worked for they succeeded in sinking the majority of their vessels (thus preventing the Royal Navy getting permanent possession of them). They failed in only two dozen cases, two of which were the V44 and the V82 because Royal Navy officers managed to intervene on those vessels to prevent the Germans opening the bilge valves and flooding those particular ships. Painted in 1917 by the German artist Willy Stower, this dramatic image shows the Imperial German Navy destroyer V44 or an identical vessel in action - firing torpedoes at British warships during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 The V44 and the V82 (and a third ship, a cruiser called the Nurnberg) were then taken to Portsmouth and subsequently used for naval big gun target practice. The Nurnberg was sunk in the English Channel - while the two destroyers were deliberately run aground by the Royal Navy on tidal mudflats near Whale Island in the eastern part of Portsmouth Harbour. In the early 1920s, thieves looted the two destroyers for loose scrap metal and later in the same decade, both ships were sold for scrap. However, only parts of the vessels were removed by the scrap merchants. The substantial remnants including much of the ships hulls were then abandoned and rapidly forgotten. Eight decades then passed before they were rediscovered by the archaeologists. However, local paintings from the 1920s, together with some archival sources, examined by the Maritime Archaeology Trusts researchers, suggest that other First World War German vessels (possibly including a submarine) may also lie abandoned and possibly buried in mud nearby. An aerial drone survey will be used next month to help reveal details of whats left of the two destroyers and may also be used to try to locate any other missing German vessels. The new data will enable the archaeologists to create 3D models of the two destroyers. An early 1920s painting by the local Portsmouth artist William Wyllie of the former German V82 Destroyer after it had been run aground by the Royal Navy on mudflats in Portsmouth harbour. (National Maritime Museum, London) The wrecks are in a restricted area owned and controlled by the Royal Navy. "Our research demonstrates that there are still major relics from the First World War waiting to be discovered. These two German destroyers are important because of the significant role they played in trying to control the seas around Britain during the conflict," said Stephen Fisher, research officer for the Maritime Archaeology Trust's Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War project. So far researchers engaged on the project have succeeded in recording 1100 First World War wrecks off England's south coast, of which around 700 are British (mostly merchant vessels) and 50 are German (mainly submarines). The remainder mostly merchant ships - are from dozens of other countries. The great majority of the non-German ships recorded so far were sunk by German submarines. The entire Forgotten Wrecks project is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Climate scientists are warning the threat of global warming could be even more dangerous than previously believed, suggesting killer storms, the rise of sea levels and the disintegration of large parts of the polar ice sheets can happen sooner than thought. The paper, Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms, claims at the current pace of burning fossil fuels and using greenhouse gasses, humans are inducing an eminent climate shift, and could lead humanity past a point of no return. Recommended Read more Ministry of Defence makes gravity sensor that could see through walls Were in the danger of handing young people a situation thats out of their control, said lead author James E Hansen, a retired Nasa climate scientist and director at Columbia University. It is generally agreed by other climate scientists that sea levels will rise as much as 20 to 30 feet following the melting of land ice, which other scientists believe would take centuries. Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary But the paper, published in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics journal, says sea levels could rise to these levels within 50 years. That would mean a loss of most of the worlds large cities and all their history, says Dr Hansen in a video explaining the paper. The team, made up of 18 other authors, believe the process of rising waters will be sped up after freshwater from melted ice sheets forms a cap on the top of the ocean. The cap stops water currents distributing the warmer water and prevents some of the warmth escaping into the atmosphere. Warmer waters will then increasingly melt parts of the ice sheets which sit below sea level. The paper bases its evidence on storms which occurred 120,000 years ago, when the Earths temperature was only slightly higher than today's. It is from one of these storms Dr Hansen says a huge boulder found its way onto a coastal ridge in the Bahamas, after being thrown by huge waves. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Despite the recent hype from health officials about the Zika virus, the most infectious and deadly disease in the world is not what you might expect - and its curable. Tuberculosis (TB), which is often associated with the Victorian era and is now virtually extinct in the UK, still ravages countries around the world like India, South Africa and Russia. TB kills 1.5 million people per year, and has been around for hundreds of years, according to a new report from Doctors Without Borders, or its French acronym MSF. Recommended Read more Meet the doctors fighting TB in South Africa That compares to AIDS/HIV, which has killed 39 million people since the epidemic began in the late 1970s, according to separate figures from the World Health Organization. TB is curable, yet it is now the infectious disease that kills the most people in the world, said Dr Grania Brigden, TB adviser for Doctors Without Borders Access Campaign. We desperately need treatment that is easier for people to tolerate, that cures more people, and that is more available and affordable, otherwise its just deadly business as usual. The price for a commonly prescribed treatment of TB costs between $1,800 and $4,600 per person per course of treatment, but is difficult for patients to tolerate and can suppress their appetite and cause nausea and vomiting. Two relatively new drugs, delamanid and bedaquiline, used in conjunction with repurposed drugs not specifically for TB, can dramatically increase efficacy and with less side effects, according to MSF, the French acronym for Doctors Without Borders. However these drugs are costly and largely inaccessible. Drug company Otsuka charges $1,700 per person per course of treatment for delamanid in developing countries. Johnson & Johnson charges up to $3,000 for bedaquiline in middle-income countries, with only a fraction of people in developing countries receiving the drugs for free through its donation program. These two drugs were introduced two years ago and were the first new drugs to treat TB in more than 50 years, yet only 2 per cent of the 150,000 people who are in most need of them have access. MSF said it was treating a lucky few in South Africa and only seven patients in Russia. The potential of these new drugs means that I am seeing people with extensively drug-resistant TB walk out of the hospital who otherwise would be dead, said Dr Yoseph Tassew, MSFs medical coordinator for Russia. Its frustrating that after half a century, we finally have new TB medicines that can save the lives of the sickest patients, but we cant offer this hope to all people who could immediately benefit. MSF has called for both companies to prioritise the distribution of the drugs to the countries that are most in need. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man from Croydon has been arrested after comments about confronting a Muslim woman in the street to explain the Brussels attacks were posted on Twitter. On Wednesday morning. a tweet appeared on the Twitter account belonging to Matthew Doyle which said: "I confronted a Muslim woman yesterday in Croydon. I asked her to explain Brussels. She said 'Nothing to do with me'. A mealy mouthed reply." It followed two co-ordinated terror attacks on the city which left at least 31 people dead and nearly 200 injured. Isis has claimed responsibility. Brussels attacks victims Show all 11 1 /11 Brussels attacks victims Brussels attacks victims CONFIRMED DEAD: Adelma Tapia Ruiz Ms Tapia, 37, was from Peru and had lived in Brussels for six years. She was at the airport with her husband, Christophe Delcambe, and their twin four-year-old daughters, Maureen and Alondra. They were checking in to fly to New York to visit Ms Ruizs sisters when the blast struck. The death of Ms Tapia was confirmed by the Peruvian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and her brother Fernando Tapia Coral has told Peruvian radio that she had planned to return to Peru later this year. In a Facebook post, Mr Tapia called her death incomprehensible in a Facebook post. Her husband and children survived, but it has been reported that one of her daughters was injured by debris Brussels attacks victims CONFIRMED DEAD: Leopold Hecht Mr Hecht was a young Belgian student working towards a qualification in law at Saint-Louis University in Brussels. The university confirmed in a Facebook post that he was one of the victims of the Maelbeek metro bombing Brussels attacks victims CONFIRMED DEAD: Oliver Delespesse Mr Delespesse, 36, was confirmed dead in the metro bombing by his employers Wallonie Bruxelles Federation, an organisation which represents French speakers in the region. One of his colleagues, Olivier Dradin posted a tribute on Facebook: "I wanted to pay tribute to him and to his family and to all the other victims" Brussels attacks victims MISSING: Sasha Pinczowski A brother and sister from New York, who were at Zaventem to fly back to the US at the time of the blasts, are also missing. Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski were on the phone to their family when the phone went dead, according to Dutch media. Ms Pinczowski studied business and had previously completed an internship at the UN Brussels attacks victims MISSING: Alexander Pinczowski A brother and sister from New York, who were at Zaventem to fly back to the US at the time of the blasts, are also missing. Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski were on the phone to their family when the phone went dead, according to Dutch media. Ms Pinczowski studied business and had previously completed an internship at the UN Brussels attacks victims MISSING: Aline Bastin Ms Bastin, 29, a former employee of the European Chemical Industry Council, was on the metro at the time of the attacks. Her friends have launched an appeal on Facebook for news of her whereabouts Brussels attacks victims MISSING: Raghavendran Ganesan Mr Ganesans brother has set up an appeal for information on the whereabouts of his sibling, who was on the metro at the time of the attacks. He wrote on Facebook that he had spoken to the Indian embassy, who were still searching for Mr Ganesan Brussels attacks victims MISSING: Sabrina Fazal There has not been word of Ms Fazal, a 25-year-old Belgian student, since yesterday morning. She would have been on the metro at the time of the attacks, on the way to the Haute Ecole Galilee in central Brussels, where she is studying Brussels attacks victims MISSING: David Dixon The family of Mr Dixon, a computer programmer from Nottingham, has not heard from him since he left for work yesterday morning. He is believed to have been on the metro at the time of the blast. Its just waiting, which is heartbreaking, the sister of Charlotte Sutcliffe, Mr Dixons partner, told Radio 4s Today program. His friend Simon Harley-Jones told the BBC that Ms Sutcliffe had been driving around hospitals in the hope of finding him Brussels attacks victims MISSING: Bart Migom Mr Migom, 21, was on his way to Athens, but never arrived. He was texting his girlfriend, Emily Eisenman, from the train to Brussels airport however she haven't heard from him since the attacks. His cell phone rings, she said but there is no answer Brussels attacks victims MISSING: Justin and Stephanie Shults An American couple who lived in Brussels are among the missing, their family have confirmed. Justin and Stephanie had just dropped Stephanies mother, Carolyn Moore, off at the Brussels Airport when the blasts occurred. Mrs Moore, survived the attack, but the couple has not been found A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "We have arrested a 46-year-old man on suspicion of inciting racial hatred on social media. "He was arrested tonight at an address in Croydon and remains in custody at a south London police station." More CCTV footage of the Brussels attacks has been proven fake The comment went viral and was widely retweeted on the social media site before being deleted. Defending his comments, Mr Doyle told the Huffington Post he confronted the woman because she was wearing an Islamic headscarf. He said: "She was wearing a flag. If I was walking down the street wearing a jacket emblazoned with a Union Jack then I would be open to some abuse." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man has been arrested in connection with the death of 15-year-old Paige Doherty. Ms Doherty's body was found in a wooded area in Clydebank after she went missing on Saturday morning. Police Scotland said a 31-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the murder. He is expected to appear at Dumbarton Shefiff Court on Saturday. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA Ms Doherty left her friend's house after a sleepover around 8.15 on Saturday, to travel by bus to a hairdressers where she worked. She bought a sausage roll from the Delicious Deli in Clydebank on the way to the bus stop. However, it is unknown if she arrived at the stop. A Police Scotland investigator said the force are "keeping an open mind" about the possible reason for the attack, but would not rule out a "sexual motive". Friends of the girl raised more than 12,000 for her family, through two crowdfunding campaigns. Pamela Munro, Ms Dohertys mother, said in a Facebook post: "We are absolutely devastated, as will many people who know her will be xxx." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two British university students have been convicted of a jihadist-inspired plot to carry out a series of drive-by shootings targeting police or soldiers on the streets of London. Tarik Hassane, 22, who had been studying medicine in Sudan, used encrypted messages to his schoolfriend Suhaib Majeed, 21, over four months in 2014 to develop the conspiracy which involved the use of an untraceable moped to target victims. Majeed, a physics undergraduate who was also chairman of the Islamic Society at Kings College London, had acquired a handgun, ammunition and a silencer on the orders of Hassane before police swooped to arrest him in September 2014. Despite the detention of his co-conspirator, Hassane rushed back to London to carry out what counter-terrorism officers believe would have been a lone-wolf attack before he too was arrested by police monitoring his movements. Jurors at the Old Bailey were not told that Hassane, the ringleader of the plot who went by the nickname The Surgeon, had links to a west London mosque attended by Mohammed Emwazi, the Isis executioner known as Jihadi John who achieved notoriety with his videoed beheadings of hostages in Syria. Majeed, who born in Iraq but became a British citizen in 2002, was also found to have a video of one of Emwazis murders on his iPad and it was reported last night that Hassane may have spent time in Syria while based in Sudan and even taken the opportunity while there to visit the executioner. Police and prosecutors said they believed one of the most significant terrorist plots for several years had been halted after it emerged that Hassane had used Google Street View to look at likely targets including a police station in Shepherds Bush, west London, and a nearby Territorial Army barracks used by the Parachute Regiment. Suhaib Majeed (left) with Nyall Hamlett, who pleaded guilty to supplying Majeed with a weapon but was cleared of knowing about the plot (CPS) (Crown Prosecution Service) Sue Hemming, head of the counter-terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: These are dangerous men with strong beliefs. Had their plot not been exposed when it was, I am in little doubt that they would have gone on to murder. The pair planned to find a weapon, an untraceable moped and a garage to hide it in. This was the final part of their plan and possibly the only thing stopping them from carrying out an act of terrorism. Hassane, who turned down a place at a British university to study in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, pledged allegiance to Isis in July 2014 - a month after the terror group had declared a caliphate centred on the Syrian town of Raqqa. An image of Tarik Hassane posing with a handgun that was found on Suhaib Majeedis' mobile phone (CPS) (Crown Prosecution Service) When the jihadists issued a fatwa two months later urging their supporters to kill western disbelievers, Hassane and Majeed began their plot, dubbing themselves on one internet chat group as the Turn Up Terror Squad. They face substantial jail terms when they are sentenced at a later date. Hassane, from north Kensington, and his school friend, whom he known since the age of 11, communicated using encrypted software created by Al Qaeda activists and their own code. In one message, the would-be doctor told Majeed dont forget the p, z and creps - p stood for money, z meant zoom or a moped and creps was their private slang for a gun. Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Show all 27 1 /27 Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A building illuminated with the Belgian flag colours and a heart in Brussels, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and subway Maelbeek. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A picture taken on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, shows drawings and a candle, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and Brussels subway Maelbeek Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles are displayed in tribute to the Brussels attacks victims on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, two days after the suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on 22 March. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A mourner lights a candle in Trafalgar Square during a candlelit vigil in support of the victims of the recent terror attacks in Brussels. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels airport workers pay tribute to the victims near Zaventem Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Activists light candles and hold placards to condemn the terrorist attacks in Belgium, during a gathering in Manila, Philippines Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A banner for the victims of the bombings reads "I am Brussels" at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left front center, stands with front row, left to right, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Belgium's King Philippe, Belgium's Queen Mathilde and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as well as members of the European Commission during a minute of silence at EU headquarters in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims People join hands in solidarity near the former stock exchange following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgium flags ornate the facade of the Paris Town Hall Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A woman embraces her children at The Place de la Bourse as she pays her respects to victims of the terrorists attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles in the colors of the Belgian national flag are lit inside the Belgian embassy in Madrid, a day after the deadly suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Servicemen of Azov, Ukrainian volunteers battalion, hold torches in front of floral tributes during a ceremony in front of the Belgian embassy in Kiev, in tribute to the victims of Brussels attacks Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A refugee boy holds up a placard reading "Sorry for Brussels" at a refugee camp near the Greek-Macedonian border Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People light candles in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu picturing a character made of a French flag consoling another made of the Belgian flag, in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes The colours of the Belgian flag are projected on to (clockwise from top left) the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the town council building in Belgrade, Rome's Campidoglio and the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Candles are lit in tribute to the victims, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a placard reading "Paris hearts Belgium, How much time will it take us to open our eyes and say STOP, Today our hearts are broken, Open your eyes to change the future" at the Place de la Republique in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People gather to pay a tribute to victims of terrorist attacks in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People write messages on the ground at Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A bouquet of flowers in the Belgian national colours with a card reading 'To our neighbours, to our friends, to our Belgian brothers - an indignant Parisian' is seen next to a French national flag at the fence of the Belgian embassy in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Solidarity messages are written in chalk outside the stock exchange in Brussels AP Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Messages and floral tributes outside the Brussels stock exchange AP Hassane changed his plea midway through the trial, admitting to conspiracy to murder and preparation of terrorist acts. But his right-hand man, who went by the nickname of Scars, denied the charges and was convicted after five days of deliberations by the jury. Two British Muslim converts - Nyall Hamlett, 25, and 26-year-old Nathan Cuffy - had pleaded guilty to supplying Majeed with the Baikal self-loading pistol, bullets and silencer but the pair were cleared of knowing about the terrorist plot. When armed police raided Majeeds home in September 2014 he was spotted tossing the gun and ammunition out of his bedroom window. Detectives said they believed the men intended potentially multiple attacks using the moped and may have eventually turned their attention to civilian targets. Commander Dean Haydon, head of Scotland Yards Counter Terrorism Command, said: They were planning to target police or military personnel before escaping on a moped, but members of the public also could have been victims had their plans not been thwarted. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rescue teams searching for two climbers missing for more than a month on Ben Nevis have recovered the bodies of a man and a woman. Experienced climbers Rachel Slater, 24, and 27-year-old Tim Newton, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, were reported missing on February 15 after failing to return from an outing on Britain's highest mountain. Multiple searches by rescue teams have been carried out for them ever since, with some efforts hampered by hazardous weather and avalanche risks. In a statement issued on Wednesday night, Police Scotland said: Following a report from a member of the public, the bodies of a man and a woman have been recovered in the Ben Nevis area this evening. Formal identification is taking place and the families of missing climbers Rachel Slater and Tim Newton have been informed. The alarm was raised for the pair on Monday February 15 when they were reported to be overdue in returning from an expedition. It was believed they had been camping in a green tent behind the Charles Inglis Clark (CIC) memorial hut on the north side of the mountain. A major hunt was launched for them, involving police, mountain rescue teams and search and rescue dogs, as fears for their safety grew. Climbers and walkers in the area were also called upon to share information with officials to help with the search and they readily exchanged information on climbing forums and social media sites. But severe weather - including sub-zero temperatures, high winds, falling snow and an avalanche risk - hampered search efforts in the early stages and after days, and then weeks, no trace of the couple was found. Earlier this week, it emerged that an ice axe had been found on the Ben where mountain rescuers have been searching for the couple. Lochaber mountain rescue team said a technical ice axe had been found below the Shroud/Boomers Requiem area of the mountain. Seasoned climber Ms Slater was a graduate of Manchester University and employed as an environmental consultant near Bradford. She spent some time living and climbing in Canada, where her parents are still based. Mr Newton, originally from Leicester, studied physics at Manchester and Leeds universities. He joined Hinckley Mountaineering Club in Leicestershire in 2010 before he moved away to university, with fellow climbers there calling him a natural. Their families have previously praised the overwhelming response from members of the public and the climbing community in helping to search for the two. News of the discovery of two bodies immediately sparked a flurry of responses on social media. Writing on Police Scotland's Highlands and Islands Facebook page, Laura MacDonald said: "Such sad news for all involved. Big respect for the mountain rescue team who searched for them tirelessly in all weathers. Rest in peace xxx" Christine Hogg wrote: "Such sad news but hopefully their families will have some closure now and will at least be able to lay them to rest. Well done to the searchers who have worked tirelessly to find them. RIP and condolences to their families. xx" Writing on the same page, Fi Fox said: "Very sad news. R.I.P thoughts are with family and friends." Karen Blanchard added: "Prayers with the families." PA Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Increased borders checks in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks are onlyl likely to last for around two weeks, according to a union leader. Controls have been "stepped up" at checkpoints staffed by British officials but the level cannot be maintained, Lucy Moreton of the Immigration Services Union suggested. It comes as startling images emerged of 26 stowaways being discovered in a lorry stopped by Kent police after it had crossed the Channel. Recommended Read more At least 30 dead after suicide bombing and explosions at airport and Metro station An independent report, meanwhile, found plans to remove foreign criminals and illegal immigrants were cancelled in 40% of cases. Ms Moreton, general secretary of ISU, which represents border agency and immigration staff, said checks had been "raised" at border points but would significantly disrupt freight if they continued long-term. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There's quite a lot of immediately available money for very high profile types of interventions. We've stepped up controls at the border, and at all borders, but it is maintaining that at a high level for a long period of time and whether there is the political will, or potentially even the necessity to do so." The known bombers: Khalid (left) and Brahim el-Bakraoui (Interpol) Asked if there was the political will, she replied: "Experience from past would suggest that it isn't. The increased checks at the border last about two weeks, or that's how long they lasted after the Paris attacks." Close to 34,000 plane tickets had to be cancelled in 18 months, according to a report from the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. A lack of security staff to accompany detainees out of the country was a "major constraint", the report said. Brussels airport workers pay tribute to the victims near Zaventem (Getty Images) Ms Moreton said: "More staff would assist. A large number of flights are missed because we simply can't move detainees from one place to another as we need to. That would inevitably increase the cost of the contract to the Home Office and whether the Home Office would be prepared to pay for that is another matter." The Home Office has outsourced some of its border and immigration functions to private contractors and the report, covering July-November 2015, examined the escorted and non-escorted removal services provided by private firms. In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A private security guard helps a wounded women outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Wounded people receive assistance by rescuers outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue workers treat victims outside the Maelbeek underground station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers waiting to be evacuated from the train between Arts-Lois and Maelbeek In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency services and police work around a metro station after an explosion in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A woman is evacuated in an ambulance by emergency services after a explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A Belgian soldier stands guard outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police officers stand outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian policemen and a soldier carrying an injured person after an explosion at the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A view of the train after the explosion in Maelbeek station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People receive treatment as emergency services attend the scene after an explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Maelbeek Metro station after an explosion on a train in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maelbeek train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Firefighters arrive at the scene near Maalbeek metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency workers arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency rescue workers stretcher an unidentified person at the site of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Police seal off the area at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Smoke rising from the Maalbeek underground, in Brussels, following a blast at the station close to the capital's European quarter Getty Images In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People are evacuated from the Schuman station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station The scene outside the Maalbeek underground in Brussels after the explosion It found that the Home Office and the companies contracted for the removal services were slow to resolve issues and reach agreement on areas for improvement. The recorded loss on unused tickets was 1.4 million - equivalent to 4% of the total amount spent on tickets - although records were not always kept, inspectors found. Home Office figures for October 2014 - March 2015 showed that on average 2.5 tickets were issued for each individual successfully removed. Both the suspected suicide bombers could be seen on airport CCTV wearing a glove on their left hands (Getty Images) In the financial year 2014-15, "40% of all planned removals were cancelled". As enforced removal is resorted to only when someone will not leave voluntarily, efforts to delay or stop deportation, through legal challenges or non-compliance, are commonplace. The report said: "The Home Office regarded some of the reasons for failed removals to be 'out of (its) control'. A banner for the victims of the bombings reads "I am Brussels" at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels "While this might be true in individual cases at the point of removal, it was unclear what steps were being taken to identify lessons that might be applied by the Home Office and others to reduce 'out of control' failures." The Home Office accepted the report's recommendations and said it was looking for ways to reduce the cost of pre-departure accommodation at a unit for families subject to enforced removal. An official response said: "Work is already under way to address the recommendations relating to ticketing and escorting and, as the report acknowledges, these issues are being factored into the re-procurement exercise for both contracts which began in 2015." PA Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The abhorrent practice of breast ironing, where a girls breasts are beaten and burned to stop them developing, could be endemic in some UK communities. Speaking in a House of Commons debate on Tuesday, MP Jake Berry said breast ironing is understood to have originated in Cameroon, but cases had been found in Nigeria, Benin, Chad and Birmingham and London. Recent press coverage has said that it is endemic and experts believe that the custom is being practiced among the several thousand Cameroonians now living in the UK, Mr Berry told the Commons. In Cameroon, up to 50 per cent of girls as young as 10 years old undergo breast ironing on a daily basis and the practice is believed to have affected up to 1,000 girls in Britain. Mr Berry said it was hard to prove the extent of its prevalence in the UK because, like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the practice was most often carried out by a family member meaning it was often hidden. Breast ironing, which is traditional in Cameroon and uses hot objects to pummel girls' breasts, is often carried out by relatives as an attempt to stop sexual harassment, rape and pregnancy by delaying the signs of puberty in young girls. Jake Berry speaking in the House of Commons over breast ironing Jake Berry (Jake Berry) Twenty-three per cent of UK childrens services are not trained to deal with breast ironing, while 65 per cent would welcome the opportunity for guidance, a Freedom of Information request undertaken by Mr Berry found. A previous FOI found 15 per cent of police forces were not aware of the practice. During the debate, Home Office Minister Karen Bradley admitted certain professionals do not have the confidence to question harmful child abuse happening in the UK due to "cultural sensitivities". "This is simply not the case," she added, "and we need to give those professionals the confidence to know that this is something that they should be looking for, that they know what the signs are and that they take action." She added the Crown Prosecution Service achieved a record 129 convictions for offences involving honour-based violence between 2014 and 2015, but that a recent report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary raised some "serious concerns" of the police handling of the issues. Mr Berry has urged the Government to introduce specific new legislation to tackle breast ironing in the same way it has for FGM. The police and local authorities by their own admission need further training in dealing with this practice and bringing these crimes to prosecution," said Mr Berry. Magdalena Randall-Schab, secretary of the UK National Committee for UN Womens London branch, said breast ironing has continued under the misguided intention to protect women and girls from men. As well as extreme pain the practice can cause tissue damage and some medical experts have warned it could contribute towards breast cancer, cysts, abscesses and cause problems with breastfeeding. The UN listed it as one of five under-reported crimes relating to gender-based violence and is raising awareness alongside charities including the London-based CAME Women and Girls Development Organisation (Cawogido). Additional reporting by Press Association Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Household energy bills will rise if Britain leaves the European Union, the Energy Secretary will claim today. Amber Rudd will warn in a speech consumers will be hit by a massive electric shock in the event of Brexit. The Conservative Cabinet minister will point to a report drawn up by National Grid that estimates household energy costs will rise by 500 million a year. Amber Rudd: Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Getty) If we left the European Internal Market, wed get a massive electric shock because UK energy costs are likely to rocket by at least half a billion pounds a year the equivalent of British bills going up by around one and a half million pounds each and every day, she will say. The minister will also point to EU investment in UK energy infrastructure, which she says supports 660,000 jobs. She further warned that the break-up of the EU single market for energy would give Russia a major natural gas producer more influence over the continent. We cant let our energy security be hijacked as a political pawn to bring Europe to its knees. By working together in the European Union each member state can stop this becoming a reality, she will say. As a bloc of 500 million people, we have the power to force Putins hand. We can coordinate our response to a crisis. We can use the power of the internal market to source gas from elsewhere. We can drive down the price of imports, as has happened recently in Eastern Europe. What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 1 /5 What's the European Parliament ever done for us? What's the European Parliament ever done for us? A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to 20 billion every year UKIP energy spokesman and MEP for the East Midlands Roger Helmer described Ms Rudds argument as facile. Amber Rudd's facile analysis fails to grasp energy economics, he said. Far from producing cheap electricity, the EU has done the opposite with some of the highest costs worldwide, relying on expensive renewables. National Grids report, written by the Vivid Economics consultancy, says the UK would be expelled from the EUs internal energy market if it voted to leave. Some countries outside the EU including Norway however participate in the blocs energy market. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson was accused of scaremongering after he urged gay people to vote for Brexit because their rights were under threat across wide parts of the European Union. His comments also brought a stinging response from Downing Street which argued that David Cameron was standing up for gay equality across the EU as well as in this country. A recent poll of Pink News readers found that more than 60 per cent wanted the UK to remain in the bloc. A new group, Out and Proud, has been established to reduce the apparent strong pro-EU majority among gay people by making the LGBT case for Brexit, insisting that many member states still deny equality and decency to minorities. It won the backing of the Mayor of London, the figurehead of the Leave campaign, who argued in a YouTube video message that the EU could take no credit for Britains progressive attitudes to gay equality. He said: Did those rights, those freedoms, that spirit, come from the EU? Or did it come from people campaigning in our courts, our Parliament? It was us, the British people, that created that environment of happiness and contentment for LGBT people and it is absolutely vital we fight for those rights today because they are under threat in Poland, in Hungary, in Romania and other parts of the EU where they are not protected in the way they are in our country. He added: What we need is to take back control of LGBT issues and everything else. Im out, and Im proud. The Liberal Democrat peer Lord Paddick retorted: It is distasteful and plain wrong for Boris Johnson to use the LGBT record of countries like Poland as a reason for Britain to leave the EU. The EU has acted as a beacon for LGBT rights, advancing tolerance and understanding both within its member states and around the world. For example, any same-sex marriage that is agreed in one EU country must be respected in all others. LGBT people are better off in Europe, and Boris Johnson needs to stop scaremongering. Mr Camerons official spokeswoman also gave a chilly response to the Mayors comments. During the last Parliament we were able as a sovereign country to introduce gay marriage and we continue to stand up for LGBT rights in this country and across Europe, she said. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Corbyn has overtaken David Cameron in leadership satisfaction ratings in the aftermath of last weeks Budget. According to the latest Ipsos MORI polling, the Labour leaders ratings improved a net 10 points, while the Prime Ministers fell a net ten points. Mr Corbyn is now on net -11 while Mr Cameron is on net -25 with the pollster. Ben Page, the pollsters chief executive however warned that Mr Corbyns net score may be exaggerated because he had a lower recognition rate, having been only in the job since September. There has been speculation that Mr Corbyns satisfaction rating with the pollster his highest with any firm may also be exaggerated by Conservatives saying they are satisfied with what they perceive as his poor performance. Other pollsters ask different question formulations including whether a leader is doing a good job which would likely shed light on whether the shift represents a real move in support. Corbyn attacks Tories The boost for Mr Corbyn however comes amid a number of pollsters showing Labour drawing nearly level, level, or slightly above the Tories in voting intention. Ipsos MORI had Labour up one point to 34 per cent, and the Tories down three to 36 per cent. Mr Corbyn has been ahead of Mr Cameron before with the firm, but this came at a stage where he had a very low rate of recognition. The Tories have had a difficult week, with resignations and a U-turn over cuts (Getty Images) The firms leadership polling is valuable in particular because it has asked the same phrased leadership question for decades allowing direct comparisons to previous leaders. According to an analysis conducted by Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, Mr Corbyn has better ratings than Gordon Brown and Michael Foot six months into their leaderships. He is however far behind Tony Blair, John Smith, Neil Kinnock, and slightly behind Ed Miliband. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Show all 11 1 /11 The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He called Hezbollah and Hamas friends True. In a speech made to the Stop the War Coalition in 2009, Mr Corbyn called representatives from both groups friends after inviting them to Parliament. He later told Channel 4 he wanted both groups, who have factions designated as international terror organisations, to be part of the debate for the Middle East peace process. I use (the word friends) in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk, he added. Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. Reuters The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a tragedy Partly false. David Cameron used this as a line of attack at the Conservative Party conference but appears to have left out all context from Mr Corbyns original remarks. In an 2011 interview on Iranian television, the then-backbencher said the fact the al-Qaeda leader was not put on trial was the tragedy, continuing: The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is haunted by the legacy of his evil great-great-grandfather False. A Daily Express expose revealed that the Labour leaders ancestor, James Sargent, was the despotic master of a Victorian workhouse. Addressing the report at the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he had never heard of him before, adding: I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not doing the decent thing and going back in time and having a chat with him about his appalling behaviour. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn raised a motion about pigeon bombs in Parliament This one is true. On 21 May 2004, Mr Corbyn raised an early day motion entitled pigeon bombs, proposing that the House register being appalled but barely surprised that MI5 reportedly proposed to load pigeons with explosives as a weapon. The motion continued: The House believes that humans represent the most obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal species ever to inhabit the planet and looks forward to the day when the inevitable asteroid slams into the earth and wipes them out thus giving nature the opportunity to start again. It was not carried. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He rides a Communist bicycle False. A report in The Times referred to Mr Corbyn, known for his cycling, riding a Chairman Mao-style bicycle earlier this year. Less thorough journalists might have referred to it as just a bicycle, but no, so we have to conclude that whenever we see somebody on a bicycle from now on, there goes another supporter of Chairman Mao, he later joked. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn 'Jeremy Corbyn will appoint a special minister for Jews' False so far. The Sun report in December was allegedly based on a rumour passed to the paper by a Daily Express columnist who has written pieces critical of the Labour leader in the past. The minister did not materialise in his shadow cabinet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn wishes Britain would abolish its Army False. Another gem from The Sun took comments made at a Hiroshima remembrance parade in August 2012 where Mr Corbyn supported Costa Ricas move to abolish it armed forces. Wouldnt it be wonderful if every politician around the worldabolished the army and took pride in the fact that they dont have an army, he added. The caveat that every politician must take the step suggests Mr Corbyn does not support UK disarmament just yet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn stole sandwiches meant for veterans False. The Guido Fawkes blog claimed that the Labour leader took sandwiches meant for veterans at at Battle of Britain memorial service in September but a photo later emerged showing him being handed one by Costa volunteers, who later confirmed they were given to all guests. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He missed the induction into the Queens privy council True. After much speculation about Mr Corbyns republican views and willingness to bow to the monarch, his office confirmed that he did not attend the official induction to the privy council because of a prior engagement, but did not rule out joining the body. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing the national anthem. Partly true. The Labour leader was filmed standing in silence as God Save the Queen was sung at a Battle of Britain remembrance service but will reportedly sing it in future. Mr Corbyn was elusive on the issue in an interview, saying he would show memorials respect in the proper way, but sources said he would sing the anthem at future occasions. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cheese True. The group lists its purpose as the following: To increase awareness of issues surrounding the dairy industry and focus on economic issues affecting the dairy industry and producers. The poll saw rises in net satisfaction for all the main opposition leaders. Nigel Farage was up a net 13 points and only three points away from having a positive rating. Meanwhile, the public are slowly beginning to recognise Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats. His satisfaction rating was up four points, and his dissatisfaction also up two points his net satisfaction is one point behind Mr Corbyn. The good news for Mr Corbyn comes just over a month before his first major electoral test, where the parties will contest local councils, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, and the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More people are leaving the Labour Party than joining it for the first time since last years general election, according to Labour MPs. Labour critics of Jeremy Corbyn claim that some people who joined the party during the remarkable surge of support for him during and after last years Labour leadership contest are starting to drift away. We seem to have reached a tipping point, with more people leaving than joining, said one senior Labour figure. Labour Party HQ refused to comment, saying it did not give a running commentary on its membership figures. However, it is understood that the latest official figure is higher than the latest published one of 380,000. Recommended Read more Jeremy Corbyn overtakes David Cameron in leadership ratings Several Labour MPs told The Independent that their constituency parties had reported a net loss of members in recent weeks. The MPs are being urged to ask missing members to renew their subscription. Its a significant straw in the wind, one MP said. Another added: We knew some of them [last years recruits] would lose interest at some point, but it is happening quicker than we thought. Labour insiders believe the fall in membership seen in some areas will feed into the national figures as new members who paid a years subscription last year drop out when they are due to renew it. Chuka Umunna was told he was not politically black by a Momentum activist (Getty) A decline in membership would call into question one of Mr Corbyns biggest achievements. Membership has almost doubled since the general election. If confirmed, some Labour MPs believe that such a drop could embolden his critics to mount a leadership challenge against him. It would be more winnable, one said. A Shadow Cabinet member claimed: Even some members who voted for Jeremy are now saying he lacks the competence to be leader. They are still left-wing, but they are wondering whether he is the right man to lead us into the next election. Corbyn allies dismissed as rubbish the claims that his supporters were leaving the party or deserting him. They pointed to a recent YouGov survey showing that Mr Corbyn was even more popular than when he won 59 per cent of the vote in last years leadership contest. They believed that recent opinion polls showing Labour neck and neck with the Conservatives would deter MPs from trying to oust the party leader. If Corbyn supporters drift away from the party, it could make it harder for left-wingers to deselect centrist Labour MPs before the 2020 election. Although Mr Corbyn insists he will not seek to bring back mandatory reselection, boundary changes to cut the number of Commons seats from 650 to 600 could allow some left-wing activists to challenge senior figures including Hilary Benn, Tristram Hunt, Chris Leslie, Emma Reynolds and Stella Creasy. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA Ms Creasy, who faces a left-wing challenge in her Walthamstow constituency party, accused Momentum, the grassroots group which supports Mr Corbyn, of draining the energy from the party and placing too much emphasis on controlling the levers of power to select or deselect MPs and party officials. Allies of Chuka Umunna, the former shadow Business Secretary, hit back after a Momentum activist in his Streatham constituency suggested he was not politically black. Marlene Ellis said she was tired of black MPs and wanted policy from a black perspective. A senior Labour source attacked the disgraceful and highly offensive remarks, saying: Poisonous, divisive behaviour like this has no place in Jeremys so-called kinder, gentler politics but typifies what Momentum has become. Momentum said: Marlene was not attacking anyone. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The prospect of Isis or another terror group with the technical know-how obtaining nuclear weapons is obviously a concern, the Defence Secretary has said, as the Government considered its response to the deadly terror attacks in Brussels. Michael Fallon stressed the importance of ensuring terror groups could not get their hands on nuclear weapons and said the UK was doing its part by maintaining strict export controls on the necessary technology. Responding to questions following a speech on the UKs Trident nuclear weapons system, Mr Fallon said: "It is obviously a concern that we will see non-state actors with the finance and perhaps some of the technical know-how seeking to get hold of nuclear weapons. "That is why we maintain very strict export control criteria for the technologies involved and why we need to be on our guard." World powers are set to meet in Washington DC later this month for talks on preventing nuclear terrorism the fourth such summit since 2010. In its Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, the Government said the risk of terrorists obtaining nuclear, chemical or biological weapons may increase in the coming years. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, set out the steps the Government is taking to tighten security at home amid heightened terror fears at home and abroad. She said the UK Border Force had increased the number of officers at ports in Belgium and France and introduced enhanced searches of inbound tourist vehicles. In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work Facing questions from Labours Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, she confirmed that a 34m investment to increase the capacity of armed police units able to respond to a Paris-style attack in the UK would also see forces outside London benefit, following concerns about cuts to capacity in Greater Manchester and Merseyside. Ms May said that the UK must also do more to counter the poisonous and repugnant narrative peddled by Daesh [Isis] and expose it for what it is a perversion of Islam, built on fear and lies. She criticised comments made by Donald Trump, who claimed on 23 March that Muslims were absolutely not reporting suspected terrorists and needed to open up to society. Trump says British Muslims are absolutely not reporting suspected terrorists Ms May said the Republican presidential front-runner was just plain wrong in his assessment. People in Muslim communities around the United Kingdom are as concerned as everybody else in the UK about both the attacks that have taken place and about the perversion of Islam underlying the ideology that has led to violence, she said. Deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu, from the UK Counter Terrorism Policing Network, also condemned Mr Trumps comments, made in an interview with ITVs Piers Morgan show, warning that they risked playing into the terrorists hands and making people feel hate. In a report published on 24 March, MPs on the influential Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the UKs role in the fight against Isis should extend to facilitating successful peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition forces, to pave the way for a preliminary agreement that could see both sides turn their fire on the groups strongholds in Syria. Chair of the committee Crispin Blunt said it would be completely counter to our interests if the on-going peace talks in Geneva collapsed and warned that the UK might bear a share of the responsibility if the opposition groups it supports were to de-rail talks. In their report, MPs also argue that Turkeys actions against the Kurds is undermining the global fight against Isis, whom Kurdish forces are fighting in both Syria and Iraq, and called on the UK government to lobby the Turkish government to curtail its destructive role in the political process. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Prime Minister of Somalia has signed a petition to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) in the country. The Avaaz campaign has been spearheaded by 26-year-old Ifrah Ahmed, a Somali anti-FGM campaigner, who hopes Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke's support will bring the issue to the attention of the federal government. Although FGM is against the constitution, there is no legislation which bans it. The Prime Minister is one of nearly 1.3 million people worldwide to back the campaign to eradicate the procedure in Somalia. The petition, which is addressed to Somali President Hassan Mohamud, the Prime Minister and Minister of Women Zahra Samantar, reads: If Somalia enacts a full ban law now, and follows with massive public education campaigns, it could become the champion to lead the world to zero tolerance. FGM is considered a social ritual which is entrenched in Somali culture. It is defined as any procedure which involves altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, according to the United Nations. Unicef says the prevalence of FGM in Somalia is about 95 per cent and that it is primarily performed on girls aged between four and 11. Ms Ahmed told The Independent she wanted the government of Somalia to recognise FGM as "a human rights violation". And receiving support from the Prime Minister was a huge advantage for the campaign. "We can't do anything without leadership [from the] government. We are looking for ways to protect young women from FGM." But she admitted, there were still barriers to completely eradicating the practice and that more education was needed. "It's a cultural practice, something that has been happening for 500 years. It's not easy to eradicate it without education and willingness [from the community]." Ms Ahmed said the bill would be discussed in the Somali parliament at the end of April. She will travel from Dublin, where she is currently living, to lobby the government. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The district attorney office in Brooklyn said it will not seek a prison sentence for a police officer who shot an unarmed black man as the prosecutor said he is seeking justice, not revenge. Peter Liang was convicted of second-degree murder after he fatally shot Akai Gurley in a New York housing project in November. Mr Liang and his officer partner were in a dark stairwell when Mr Liang's gun fired and the bullet hit 28-year-old Mr Gurley, who was visiting his girlfriend. Mr Liang, who will face sentencing next month, could serve as much as 15 years in prison, as reported by The New York Times. Prosecutor Ken Thompson, however, is asking for Mr Liang to serve five years of probation, including six months of home confinement. The defendants lawyers said Mr Thompson deserves praise for his dispassionate and courageous decision that incarceration is not called for in this case. It is rare that a police officer has been convicted for killing a civilian. Protesters claimed the 28-year-old Chinese-American police officer was being used as a scapegoat to show the police force is taking action over the countless cases of white police officers shooting black people, including the recent failure of a New York court to indict white officer Daniel Pantaleo for killing unarmed black man Eric Garner. Mr Liang has no prior criminal history and poses no future threat to public safety, Mr Thompson said. Because his incarceration is not necessary to protect the public, and due to the unique circumstances of this case, a prison sentence is not warranted. Mr Gurleys family responded they were outraged at the inadequate sentencing recommendation. Officer Liang was convicted of manslaughter and should serve time in prison for his crime, they said in a statement. This sentencing recommendation sends the message that police officers who kill people should not face serious consequences. Johnetta Elzie, a founder of advocacy group Campaign Zero, affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, said: Could you imagine a sentence or recommendation for a regular civilian? Or if Akai had shot and killed Peter? Skewed is not a strong enough word for what happened today. Prosecutor Mr Thompson was reportedly under pressure to present officer Liangs actions as criminal, but his sentencing letter struck a less harsh note, although he did make a point to emphasize the pain felt by Mr Gurleys family. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It has been more than 50 years since a cruise ship sailing from the United States had Cuban ports on its itinerary, but that is set to change in May. Carnival Cruise Line has announced that it will be sailing from Miami to Cuba on May 1, after the company reached an agreement with the Cuban government, Fox News reported. This announcement comes about a month after the US and Cuba agreed to resume commercial flights between the two countries. US President Barack Obama has been in Cuba this week in an effort to further improve relations with the Caribbean nation. Recommended Read more Obama calls on Cuba to embrace democracy and curb political repression "It's been an extraordinary day," said Carnival CEO Arnold Donald. "It's historic and exciting." Carnival is reportedly launching a new brand, called Fathom, to travel to Cuba. Adonia, the 704-passenger ship that is currently the only one on the Fathom line, will stop at Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. The Fathom line will offer educational activities and volunteer oportunities, Fox reported. Prices for the cruise start at $1,800. More itineraries are expected to be announced in the future. Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The terror attacks in Brussels are having a predictable impact on the bitterly divisive election campaign in the US, prompting leading Republican candidates to urge draconian action against Isis both abroad and at home, amid withering criticism of a supposedly passive and uncomprehending President Obama. They are also giving a new edge to long-standing issues: whether terrorist suspects who have potentially vital information should be tortured as Donald Trump demands and on the proper balance between personal privacy and national security, exemplified by the efforts of the US government to force Apple to allow the FBI the means to crack encrypted conversations and text messages on mobile phones. Most important, they are ramping up the pressure on Obama to abandon his every instinct and his policy thus far and adopt a far more aggressive policy against Isis and its strongholds in Syria and Iraq. Both Trump and Ted Cruz, the formers chief rival for the nomination, say the President simply doesnt get it. Recommended Read more Donald Trump claims thousands of Britons backed his Muslim remarks They call for stepped up bombing (though Cruz has dropped his earlier talk of carpet-bombing). We need a president who does everything necessary to defeat the enemy, he said. Trump meanwhile claims that waterboarding and worse was justified in cases such as that of Salah Abdeslam, the Paris attack suspect who was arrested last Friday. Had Abdeslam been tortured, he might have yielded information that could have prevented Tuesdays bombings in Brussels, Trump argued. Cruz however has generated the greatest furore with his suggestion that police patrol and secure Muslim neighbourhoods to prevent them becoming radicalised. That drew a scathing response from Bill Bratton, commissioner of New Yorks police department, which once operated similar tactics in city neighbourhoods. Cruz doesnt know what hes talking about, Bratton declared. The suggestions, many have also noted, bring back memories of the mass internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War, considered a massive blot on the human rights record of the US. How much the Brussels attacks affected the outcome of the latest Republican primaries and caucuses on Tuesday, when Trump won decisively in Arizona and Cruz in Utah, is debatable. But they certainly did them no harm, given surveys showing Republican primary voters broad support for Trumps call, issued after the San Bernardino massacre last December, to ban all Muslim travel to the US. Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Show all 27 1 /27 Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A building illuminated with the Belgian flag colours and a heart in Brussels, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and subway Maelbeek. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A picture taken on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, shows drawings and a candle, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and Brussels subway Maelbeek Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles are displayed in tribute to the Brussels attacks victims on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, two days after the suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on 22 March. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A mourner lights a candle in Trafalgar Square during a candlelit vigil in support of the victims of the recent terror attacks in Brussels. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels airport workers pay tribute to the victims near Zaventem Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Activists light candles and hold placards to condemn the terrorist attacks in Belgium, during a gathering in Manila, Philippines Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A banner for the victims of the bombings reads "I am Brussels" at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left front center, stands with front row, left to right, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Belgium's King Philippe, Belgium's Queen Mathilde and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as well as members of the European Commission during a minute of silence at EU headquarters in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims People join hands in solidarity near the former stock exchange following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgium flags ornate the facade of the Paris Town Hall Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A woman embraces her children at The Place de la Bourse as she pays her respects to victims of the terrorists attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles in the colors of the Belgian national flag are lit inside the Belgian embassy in Madrid, a day after the deadly suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Servicemen of Azov, Ukrainian volunteers battalion, hold torches in front of floral tributes during a ceremony in front of the Belgian embassy in Kiev, in tribute to the victims of Brussels attacks Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A refugee boy holds up a placard reading "Sorry for Brussels" at a refugee camp near the Greek-Macedonian border Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People light candles in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu picturing a character made of a French flag consoling another made of the Belgian flag, in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes The colours of the Belgian flag are projected on to (clockwise from top left) the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the town council building in Belgrade, Rome's Campidoglio and the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Candles are lit in tribute to the victims, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a placard reading "Paris hearts Belgium, How much time will it take us to open our eyes and say STOP, Today our hearts are broken, Open your eyes to change the future" at the Place de la Republique in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People gather to pay a tribute to victims of terrorist attacks in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People write messages on the ground at Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A bouquet of flowers in the Belgian national colours with a card reading 'To our neighbours, to our friends, to our Belgian brothers - an indignant Parisian' is seen next to a French national flag at the fence of the Belgian embassy in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Solidarity messages are written in chalk outside the stock exchange in Brussels AP Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Messages and floral tributes outside the Brussels stock exchange AP Both candidates have been criticised by Muslim and human rights groups. But that probably will make little difference. Americans are not a patient people, tending to demand speedy and spectacular action to solve a problem a thirst that Cruz and Trump on the campaign trail are doing their best to satisfy. Even the normally restrained John Kasich, far behind Trump and Cruz in the delegate count, said Obama should have scrapped his visit to Cuba and Argentina this week and returned home to deal with the crisis even if it did not directly involve the US and was happening 3,500 miles away. Most serious in the long term, all the campaign trail bluster may be playing into Isiss hands. Indeed the militant movement is probably praying for further outbursts by Trump and Cruz, likely to infuriate ordinary Muslims and to drive a minority of them into the extremist camp. Obama makes a similar argument against sending thousands of US ground troops to Iraq to defeat Isis that it would be as counter-productive a mistake as the 2003 invasion of Iraq in whose aftermath the seeds of Isis were sown. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Residents of Flint, Michigan should soon be getting more federal aid, as the US Department of Labor has said it will give up to $15 million to help clean up the city's water contamination crisis. The grant was given to hire about 400 temporary workers to assist in recovery efforts and to provide training services to help those employees find permanent work, the labor department said in a statement. To start, $7.5 million will be made available, while the remainder would be given if the state demonstrates a continued need for assistance. "National Dislocated Worker Grants are an important way that the federal government cas assist workers, businesses and entire communities as they recover from crisis," US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said in a statement. "The investments...will help the people of Flint repair the physical damage and care for their neighbors, while also helping put area workers back on track to sustainable careers in and around the community they love." Water in Flint became contaminated with lead after the city switched its water source from Detroit's system to the Flint River in 2014 to save the impoverished city money. Water from the Flint River had not been treated and it leached lead from antiquated pipes, bringing it into homes and businesses in the city. Children in Flint who have been tested have shown elevated levels of lead in their blood, which can cause learning disabilities and other problems. Flint residents have been required to use bottled water to cook, drink and bathe since the contamination was made public. The temporary jobs created by the labor department will encompass delivering water, water filters and lead-testing kits to residents with contaminated water. Duties could include repairing the damaged water lines and clean up, the department said. Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The video store where James Meyers rented a VHS copy of Freddy Got Fingered in 2001 is no longer in business, but he never returned the tape and, 15 years later, he has been arrested for it. Mr Meyers was stopped by a police officer in Concord, North Carolina for a broken taillight, Sky News reported. But when the officer ran the driver's license, he found that Mr Myers had an outstanding warrant from 2002 for not returning the film to a Kannapolis, NC video store. The officers let Mr Meyers take his daughter to school, but he had to return to the police station later in the day. He has a court date on April 27 and could face up to a $200 fine. Not returning rental property is a misdemeanor in North Carolina. Tom Green, who wrote, directed and starred in Freddy Got Fingered, said he would help Mr Meyers out, should he get fined, according to the New York Daily News. Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A mother who was originally sentenced to 180 days in prison for making her already-sick child more unwell will serve just another seven days behind bars. Jessica Valik was ordered by a court in Ohio to be locked away for injecting her four-year-old son's feeding tube with Benadryl, while he was being treated at Cincinnati Children's Hospital for epidermolysis bullosa - a rare skin disorder that causes scarring, painful blistering and missing skin. The additional drug caused diarrhea and dehyrdration, and put the child at risk of infection, pain and life-threatening complications, according to court documents, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child endangering - which under Ohio law carries a maximum sentence of 180 days. But Valik, who comes from Syracuse, Ohio, has already served 173 days in Hamilton County Jail and so will be released next week. A social worker reported that the little boy's condition had improved since the incident last year. But Valik is not allowed back on the hospital grounds and Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Winkler said she would face criminal trespassing charges if she ventured onto hospital property. Hospital social worker Kelly Baker said in court on Tuesday that Valik was "constantly demanding sedatives and tranquilisers for the boy - and insisted on bathing him every day, even though it was not recommended by hospital staff and likely put (him) through more pain. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Valik's lawyer, Massimino Ionna, said she was merely trying to help her son because his skin condition causes such constant itching and pain. He said that a lot of parents in this situation administer Benadryl to help with the symptoms. Prosecutors dropped an earlier and more serious assault charge, saying there were complications with pursuing the case further, the Enquirer reported. Officials said that Valik's father was pursuing guardianship of the boy. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A day after the terror attacks in Brussels, Ted Cruz stood by his calls for heavy police surveillance of Muslim communities in the United States. Speaking at a New York hotel, he got wild cheers when he slammed New York Mayor Bill de Blasio for opposing his proposal. Recommended Read more Ted Cruz suggests trying Muslim surveillance that failed in New York Mayor de Blasio is very, very unhappy with me because i said we should empower law enforcement to stop radical islamic terrorism, Mr Cruz said at a political rally. The mayors response is who are the terrorist of which you speak. When asked about how he would act to prevent terror attacks like Tuesdays attack in Brussels that left 31 dead and more than 200 injured, Mr Cruz said US Muslim neighborhoods should be monitored much more closely. We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized, he said. We need to secure the southern border to prevent terrorist infiltration. And we need to execute a coherent campaign to utterly destroy Isis. The senator from Texas did not expand on his plan to monitor US Muslims, but he did say why he wants to increase surveillance. I will say something to the mayor, he said about Mr de Blasio, before referring to an incident last year when officers turned away from the mayor at the funeral for fellow officers. Given a choice between terrorists and criminals on one side and the brave men and women in law enforcement, I will stand with law enforcement every time. When the heroes of the NYPD stood up and turned their backs on Mayor de Blasio, they spoke not just of the men and women of New York, but for the men and women all across this nation. Those harsh remarks from Mr Cruz came after both the mayor and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton condemned the senators surveillance plan. Mr Bratton slammed Mr Cruz for his comments on Muslims, saying he took great offense from them. The statements he made today is why he's not going to become president of this country, Mr Bratton said. We don't need a president that doesn't respect the values that form the foundation of this country. In 2012, the New York Police Department acknowledged that such surveillance did not lead to any terror investigations. Police weren't able to find a single lead. I never made a lead from rhetoric that came from a Demographics report, and I'm here since 2006, said NYPD Assistant Chief Thomas Gulati in an Associated Press report. The Demographics Unit was the secret team that spied on Muslims communities in the city. Mayor de Blasio ended the surveillance after he took office in 2014. Earlier this year, the NYPD settled two cases related to the surveillance. I just have to say it's reprehensible. His comments are not about safety and security. It's demagoguery, Mr de Blasio said yesterday. Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A judge has partly placed the blame for a woman's alleged rape not in the hands of her accused attacker, but the electronic dance music festival she attended before she was assaulted. Florida judge Nushin Sayfie spoke at a hearing on Monday morning in which former Metromover transit worker Carl Lee Wilt was accused of raping a female tourist from Brazil until she soiled herself. The 22-year-old woman had been to the Ultra Music Festival before attempting to board a Metromover train at around 9.30pm on Saturday. But she was stopped from getting on to the train "for her own safety", according to a police report. She was then taken into a first-floor utility room at Park West station and assaulted, WPLG-TV reported. The Miami-Dade judge was caught on courtroom video remarking during the hearing: This is why we shouldnt let our kids go to Ultra right here, as she examined a court filing. She ordered Wilt, who faces charges of kidnapping and sexual battery on a person who was physically incapacitated, to be held without bond. Alvaro Zabaleta, a spokesman for Miami-Dade police, said that a witness had alerted officers that a transit supervisor had carried the woman into the utility room at the station, and police then found Wilt alone with the "unconscious" woman. If, in fact, they wouldnt have said something, God knows if this individual would have gotten away with this, Mr Zabaleta said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Officers knocked on the utility room door, but they said Wilt, who is 6ft 8 and weighs 260 lbs, waited five minutes before opening the door with his trousers and zip pulled down. Police said he admitted to having sex with the woman but stopped when she defecated on herself. He admitted he knew she was too intoxicated to operate a vehicle or make rational decisions. The victim told detectives later that she did not know how she had met Wilt and could not recall any details of what happened. The judge was said to have heard this evidence before she made her remarks. Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works Director Alice Bravo said in a statement. We expect all employees to serve our residents and visitors with professionalism and respect. A local representative told Local 10 News that Wilt, who has worked for the Department since 2003, has been relieved of his duties without pay. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Bernie Sanders latest California rally was thrown together in less than 24 hours, after bad weather forced him to cancel a planned campaign trip to Wyoming. But the event at the Wiltern theatre in Los Angeles was nonetheless a sell-out, with an overflow line stretching all the way down the block outside. The Wiltern is more accustomed to hosting bands than presidential candidates, but the Vermont Senator received a rock stars welcome. We can argue about whether Vermont is more progressive than California, he said as the cheers died down. But I feel very comfortable here tonight. Which is lucky, he might as well have added, since hell soon be spending a lot of time in the Golden State. As the overwhelming winner of this weeks caucuses in Utah and Idaho, Mr Sanders nibbled ever so slightly into Hillary Clintons substantial delegate lead in the Democratic race, despite her victory in Arizona. But he has spent the past two days even further west, with rallies in San Diego and LA, where he also appeared on Jimmy Kimmels talk show and YouTube political show The Young Turks. California Democrats dont go to the polls until the last big day of the primary season on 7 June, but Mr Sanders has said he intends to remain in the race as far as the finish line. Given Ms Clintons current lead, he would have to enjoy several big wins in several big states to have a shot at overtaking the front-runner. There is none bigger than California. The Sanders campaign plans to open offices across the state in the coming fortnight, and Mr Sanders is reportedly counting on his allies from Californias labour unions and environmental organisations to keep bringing large crowds to his rallies here. "The road to the White House goes right through the West," he told the crowd at the Wiltern, "and right through California". Ms Clinton has also been in California this week, for a series of fundraisers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. But as if to highlight the differences between the two campaigns, entry to Mr Sanderss LA rally was free, while the cheapest tickets to Ms Clintons celebrity-studded event at the Avalon nightclub in Hollywood on Thursday cost $500 (355). The most populous state in the US has 546 Democratic delegates, almost twice as many as its nearest competitor, New York. During the 2008 primaries, with Barack Obama dominant, Ms Clinton carried California against the run of play, thanks in large part to the longstanding support she still enjoys among Latino voters. Eight years ago, her win came too late to affect the outcome of the nomination. Another victory in June, however, would see her clear to the convention. She is more than a dozen points ahead of Mr Sanders on average in recent California polls, although he has already overcome similar odds in other states during this years contest. If he continues to defy the arithmetic and sets up a final showdown with the former secretary of state here, it would be the first time the California primary had such a major role to play since anti-war liberal George McGovern clinched the Democratic nomination in 1972. He went on to lose to Richard Nixon in a general election landslide. For Republicans, California also promises to be uncharacteristically significant in 2016. The state, which is worth a crucial 172 delegates to the GOP candidates by far the most of any state in the Republican race will probably be the party establishments last chance to deprive Donald Trump of the delegate majority he needs to secure the nomination ahead of the convention in July. Though her parents are long-time Clinton supporters, student Melissa Avina, 19, was so converted to the Sanders cause that she went canvassing for him in Arizona. But if Ms Clinton is the nominee, Ms Avina said she and her friends would still vote for her. "Its that or Donald Trump," she said. "As Latinos, he makes us afraid for ourselves and for our families. Hillary is the lesser of two evils." Mr Sanders points out that polls of potential general election match-ups put him further ahead of the GOP candidates than Ms Clinton. And not everyone at the LA rally shared Ms Avinas pragmatism. Margie Hoyt, 57, said her Democratic club had endorsed Ms Clinton, but that she would still vote for Mr Sanders as a write-in if he were not the nominee. "Some of them just want a woman for President," Ms Hoyt said. "But if shes the wrong one, then what have you gained? We dont need a Margaret Thatcher in the White House." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One would be forgiven for thinking that given the intensity of the Republican race, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz would made sensible use of their evenings by getting some rest. But as a new poll showed the contest getting even tighter, the two choose to engage in a late night Twitter row, as the mud-slinging and insults which has now dragged in their wives increased. The row has it origins in a campaign advert produced by an anti-Trump group not linked to Mr Cruz, which featured an image of the tycoons wife from a 2000 model shoot for GQ magazine. Mr Trump had accused Mr Cruz of being involved in the advert and warned that he would spill the beans about the senators wife, Heidi. On Wednesday evening, Mr Trump retweeted an unflattering image of Mrs Cruz alongside an image of his wife, Melania. Mr Cruz responded by tweeting: Donald, real men don't attack women. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life. Earlier in the day, the Texas senator had told CNN: If Donald wants to get in a character fight hes better off sticking with me, because Heidi is way out of his league. Mr Trump accused Mr Cruz of stealing the line from Michael Douglas as the star of the 1995 movie The President. Lyin Ted Cruz steals foreign policy from me, and lines from Michael Douglas - just another dishonest politician, Mr Trump tweeted. In the film, the character played by Douglas says - referring to his girlfriend: If you want a character debate Bob, you better stick with me because Sydney Ellen Waid is way out of your league. The advertisement featuring the glamour shot of Mrs Trump was produced by an anti-Trump super PAC, Make America Awesome, which has no known connection to the Cruz campaign, but which urged voters in Utah to vote for the Texas senator. Mr Cruz won the Republican contest in Utah Tuesday, capturing more than 50 per cent of the vote and all 40 of the states delegates. Mr Trump won the night's Arizona primary. Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY When Donald gets scared, when he gets angry, when he gets threatened ... So last night Donald threatened my wife, he went directly after my wife, Mr Cruz said. He said Mr Trump was engaging in "gutter politics". Mrs Cruz is a senior executive for Goldman Sachs, and took a leave from work in order to help her husband's campaign. She has become one of the campaign's most accomplished fundraisers. Mrs Cruz also defended herself against Mr Trump, saying: We are not worried in the least. I have one job in this campaign and that is to help Ted win this race. I think it is the easiest job in the world. All I have to do is speak the truth about what I know about my husband and our family. The spat came as a new poll from Fox News found that Mr Cruz and John Kasich are ahead of Hillary Clinton in one-on-one match-ups, but Mr Trump trails the Democratic front runner by 11 points. The poll said Mr Kasich was the Republican's best shot of beating Ms Clinton, In a national poll of the Republicans, Mr Trump remains in the top spot with 41 per cent support, while Mr Cruz has 38 per cent. Mr Kasich gets 17 per cent. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Once upon a time there was a fairy tale so scary it made little children cry. But then the kindly National Rifle Association got hold of it, introduced some high-powered firearms and trigger-happy grandmas and everyone slept better knowing it was now sure to end happily ever after. Better known for spending tens of millions on trying to influence the adults of America, especially in an election year, the NRA is now reaching into the minds of its children, posting crudely re-imagined versions of favourite fairy tales on its NRA Family website. First came Hansel and Gretel (Have Guns). And now for our reading pleasure: Little Red Riding Hood (Has a Gun). Recommended Read more The NRA once supported gun control This is not a joke meant to make the NRA look silly, or worse, just like it wasnt a joke last summer when Senator Ted Cruz, the Republican presidential hopeful, sought votes with a video of him wrapping bacon around the barrel of an assault rifle and firing it so many times the bacon allegedly began to sizzle. Mmm, machine-gun bacon, a smiling Mr Cruz said to camera. Surely one of its more unusual departures, the fairy-tale campaign is designed to convey a message central to the NRAs outreach at a time of repeated mass shootings in the US and terror attacks overseas that giving guns to as many people as possible will make the world safer. Children may absorb a different lesson that guns solve all problems. The famous for and against US gun control Show all 31 1 /31 The famous for and against US gun control The famous for and against US gun control Against: Robert De Niro Despite the actor being a gun-wielding fast-talker, he told Daily Mail: "There should be more control. It has just gotten out of hand, how easily you can get guns." The famous for and against US gun control For: Brad Pitt "America is founded on guns. It;s in out DNA. Its very strange but I feel better having a gun." Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control For: Angelina Jolie "Brad and I are not against having a gun in the house, and we do have one. If anybody comes into my home and tries to hurt my kids, Ive no problem shooting them." AFP/Getty The famous for and against US gun control For: Johnny Depp "When I was a kid it was a controlled atmosphere, we weren't shooting at humans - we were shooting at cans and bottles mostly. I will most certainly take my kids out for target practice." Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control For: Bruce Willis "Everyone has a right to bear arms. If you take guns away from legal gun owners, then the only people who have guns are the bad guys." Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control For: Clint Eastwood "I have a very strict gun control policy: if there's a gun around, I want to be in control of it." Reuters The famous for and against US gun control For: Whoopi Goldberg "Im an NRA member, as you know or probably dont know... I want to know that theres at least some way to prevent folks who are just getting out from mental institutions [from getting guns]." The famous for and against US gun control For: Vince Vaughn "Banning guns is like banning forks in an attempt to stop making people fat. Taking away guns, taking away drugs, the booze, it won't rid the world of criminality... I support people having a gun in public full stop, not just in your home." Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control For: Donald Trump "Democrats want to confiscate all guns, which is a dumb idea because only the law-abiding citizens would turn in their guns and the bad guys would be the only ones left armed. The Republicans walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions" Getty The famous for and against US gun control Against: Matt Damon I actually hate guns. They freak me out. Rex The famous for and against US gun control Against: Mark Wahlberg "Well, I would love it if they could take all the guns away. Unfortunately, you cant do that so you hope that good people in the world have them to protect the people who cant protect themselves." AP The famous for and against US gun control Against: Sean Connery "It is said that a total ban on handguns, including .22s, would take away innocent pleasure from thousands of people. Is that more or less pleasure than watching your child grow up?" Rex Features The famous for and against US gun control Against: Arnold Schwarzenegger "Im for gun control. Im a peace-loving guy." Lionsgate The famous for and against US gun control Against: Sylvester Stallone "Until America, door to door, takes every handgun, this is what youre gonna have. Its pathetic. It really is pathetic. Its sad. Were living in the Dark Ages over there." Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Rashida Jones "Gun control is our only road to freedom. Freedom from the fear of senselessly losing children." Getty The famous for and against US gun control Against: Susan Sarandon "How much more suffering & loss will it take before we better regulate the sale of arms in our country?" Getty The famous for and against US gun control Against: Beyonce Queen B was part of the Demand a Plan campaign against guns after Newton shooting, by appearing in a video alongside a bunch of celebrities. AP The famous for and against US gun control Against: Jamie Foxx A Hollywood gang joined Beyonce in the campaign... GETTY IMAGES The famous for and against US gun control Against: Cameron Diaz Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Jessica Alba Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Jennifer Garner Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Jennifer Aniston Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. Jason Merritt | Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Jon Hamm The Mad Men actor also appeared in the video... The famous for and against US gun control Against: Reese Witherspoon Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Ellen DeGeneres Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. Reuters The famous for and against US gun control Against: Julianne Moore Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. The famous for and against US gun control Against: Selena Gomez Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. GETTY IMAGES The famous for and against US gun control Against: Peter Dinklage The Game of Thrones also appeared in the video... Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Zooey Deschanel alongside the New Girl star. Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Steve Carell Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign. Getty Images The famous for and against US gun control Against: Gwyneth Paltrow Took part in the Demand a Plan campaign, too. It certainly works out for white-haired grandma, who, in the NRA version of Little Red Riding Hood, written for the site by Amelia Hamilton, is not so helpless in the face of the wolfs very big teeth. The wolf leaned in, jaws open wide, then stopped suddenly. Those big ears heard the unmistakable sound of a shotguns safety being clicked off. Those big eyes looked down and saw that grandma had a scattergun aimed right at him... I dont think Ill be eaten today, said Grandma, and you wont be eating anyone again. Grandma kept her gun trained on the wolf, who was too scared to move. Recommended Read more NRA tweets image of bullets next to politicians who backed gun control In the view of Ms Hamilton, who promises a new take on The Three Little Pigs shortly (presumably with a different wolf looking at being blown away before doing any blowing of its own), children are likely to be far less disturbed by the stories the way she has recast them. Now all our favourite characters, including Hansel and Gretel, are avoiding all of these horrific situations that happen in fairy tales that are really very violent, she offered. Her series has been seized on by gun-control advocates as distortions of literary classics in the service of the NRAs propaganda machine. The National Rifle Association is reimagining classic fairy tales as pro-gun parables in their NRA Family magazine, said the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Degenerate culture that corrupts children and encourages them to take on significant, and unnecessary, risks. Attendees visit the NRA stand during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2016 in Maryland earlier this month (AFP/Getty) The state legislature in Iowa last month approved a law allowing children of all ages to handle guns, ending a 14-year-old minimum limit. Meanwhile, the CEO of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, underscored his groups guns-for-all message in a speech on Wednesday at Liberty University, founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell, where students are encouraged to carry concealed weapons on campus. Recommended Read more Hillary Clinton to bypass Congress with gun control plan We cant predict where evil may strike the next campus, the next church, the next shopping mall or airport, he said. And if, God forbid, a monster should walk on to this campus, that evil will be met with the one indisputable fact of liberty: That the surest way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. While the NRA is preparing to spend its big campaign chest backing the Republican candidates for Congress and presidency, its focus has switched to blocking consideration by Congress of President Barack Obamas choice Merrick Garland for the empty seat on the US Supreme Court, calling him weak on supporting gun-ownership rights. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been ridiculed for using a 'meaningless' phrase used as a campaign slogan from the US political satire comedy show, Veep. Responding to accusations he will fight the upcoming election on his predecessor Tony Abbott's record, Mr Turnbull said in an ABC interview: "As you go from one Liberal prime minister to another, you have continuity and you have change." This is uncannily similar to the slogan "Continuity and change" for Veep's title character's presidential campaign. Unintentionally channeling Veep's Selina Meyer (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) for a second time, the Liberal Prime Minister repeated this phrase in another interview on ABC radio the next day: "The bottom line is there is continuity and there is change." Mr Turnbull then used the phrase four times in less than two minutes during an interview on 3AW, reports Buzzfeed. Reacting to this comic development, Ms Dreyfus said: "I am dumbstruck." Fictional US Vice President Selina Meyer during a campaign debate ( Home Box Office) One of the show's writer, Simon Blackwell tweeted: "In S4 of Veep we came up with the most meaningless election slogan we could think of. Now adopted by Australian PM." Here are some more Twitter reactions: Malcolm Turnbull has been mockingly linked with House of Cards after the show tweeted him Frank Underwood tongue-in-cheek support. Turnbull responded by declaring the only similarity between him and Underwood was their use of rowing machines. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A 55-year-old man has been killed after he was shot several times as he sat in his car in Ratoath, County Meath. The man was allegedly a well-known criminal heavily involved in cigarette smuggling and associated with former-criminal Gerry "The Monk" Hutch, the Irish Independent reported. Gerry Hutch was notorious for being one of Ireland's most prolific bank robbers, but he said he quit crime after being released from jail in 1985. The shooting happened around 7.45pm, at the Old Mill housing estate on Fairyhouse Road. The man's body remains at the scene, which has been cordoned off by Gardai. Detectives are investigating the shooting and have appealed to anyone who was in the area to contact them. It is currently unknown whether the shooting is connected to the ongoing dispute between the Hutch and Kinahan criminal groups, which claimed two lives in Dublin earlier this year. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Brussels bombers were allegedly planning to attack a nuclear power plant and had recorded 10 hours of surveillance footage of Belgiums nuclear power chief, it has been reported. Hours of reconnaissance footage of the home of the Research and Development Director of the Belgian Nuclear Programme was seized in a raid of an apartment in Brussels in December, in the wake of the Paris attacks. Recommended Read more New video shows devastating aftermath of Brussels terror attacks Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui, the two brothers who blew themselves up in the terror attacks on Zaventem Airport and Maelbeek Metro Station on Tuesday, reportedly obtained the footage from a hidden camera in nearby bushes. It is believed they may have been spying on the director as part of a possible kidnap plan to make him help them get into a plant, Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure reports. Details about Brussels attackers revealed Armed troops were sent to protect both French and Belgian nuclear facilities following the discovery but authorities reportedly did not understand the full significance of the footage until now. A Belgian prosecutor said the footage was found as part of seizures made following the Paris attacks but declined to name the director due to obvious security concerns, the newspaper reported. At least 31 people are known to have been killed and nearly 200 people injured - 60 critically - in the series of explosions at the airport and metro station in the heart of the city. In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A private security guard helps a wounded women outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Wounded people receive assistance by rescuers outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue workers treat victims outside the Maelbeek underground station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers waiting to be evacuated from the train between Arts-Lois and Maelbeek In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency services and police work around a metro station after an explosion in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A woman is evacuated in an ambulance by emergency services after a explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A Belgian soldier stands guard outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police officers stand outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian policemen and a soldier carrying an injured person after an explosion at the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A view of the train after the explosion in Maelbeek station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People receive treatment as emergency services attend the scene after an explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Maelbeek Metro station after an explosion on a train in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maelbeek train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Firefighters arrive at the scene near Maalbeek metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency workers arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency rescue workers stretcher an unidentified person at the site of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Police seal off the area at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Smoke rising from the Maalbeek underground, in Brussels, following a blast at the station close to the capital's European quarter Getty Images In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People are evacuated from the Schuman station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station The scene outside the Maalbeek underground in Brussels after the explosion Isis have claimed responsibility for the attack which they said was in revenge for Belgiums participation in coalition air strikes against the groups positions in Syria and Iraq. A spokesman for the Islamic extremists said: Fighters opened fire inside Zaventem Airport, before several of them detonated their explosive belts, as a martyrdom bomber detonated his explosive belt in the Maalbeek Metro station." Isis supporters celebrated the attacks on Twitter using the hashtag #Brusselsonfire in Arabic - similar to a #Parisonfire trend seen when the French capital was hit in November. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A mix-up by a Brussels taxi dispatcher may have prevented more carnage at the city's airport on 22 March, Belgium's DH newspaper reported, saying the cab firm sent a smaller car to pick up the bombers than the one ordered. Citing unidentified sources, DH said Ibrahim El Bakraoui and two other men suspected of carrying out the attack had called for a minivan to take them to Zaventem airport, laden with bags, early on Tuesday from an apartment in the north of the city. When the driver turned up in a saloon, the three found they could not fit all four heavy holdalls into the trunk. They left one behind. Two men blew themselves up in the airport's departure hall and the third ran off, leaving the heaviest explosive device which security services later detonated. After the taxi driver called police to relate the tale, they found a large nail bomb in the apartment in the borough of Schaerbeek and defused it. Police had no comment on the report. "What would have happened if all the explosive devices found in the Schaerbeek search had been taken to Zaventem?" DH asked. Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Belgium's interior and justice ministers have offered their resignation in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks that left 31 people dead. Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens offered to step down over the embarassing revelations that they were warned about one of the attackers who struck the capital on Tuesday. However, the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has rejected their offers. At least 31 people have been killed and nearly 200 people have been injured in three major explosions at the city's airport and a central Metro station. Brussels attack victim names start to emerge Mr Jambon said "if you put all things in a row, you can ask yourself major questions" about the way the government handled the Islamist terror threat. He said: "I realized that in these conditions it was justified to offer my resignation to the premier". Speaking last night, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country had deported one of the attackers who was caught trying to sneak over the border into Syria near Gaziantep last year. In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man carries an injured person in Brussels Airport, after explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Travellers get to their feet in a smoke filled terminal at Brussels Airport after explosions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man is wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man speaks on a mobile phone in Brussels Airport, after the explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Belgian police officers detain a man at the Gare du Midi train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A police officer stands guard as people are evacuated from Brussels airport, after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People stand near Brussels airport after being evacuated following explosions that rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Crew and passengers are evacuated from Zaventem Bruxelles International Airport after an attack in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers gather near Brussels airport in Zaventem, following its evacuation after blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Two women wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People are evacuated from the scene after two explosions were heard at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Brussels Airport after evacuation In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the airport area after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers comfort each other as they are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People react as they walk away from Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services attend the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Injured people at the scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Zaventem airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A view of the scene after the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The view of the Brussels airport after the explosion PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Smoke is seen at Brussels airport in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A photo shows cars on a blocked highway near Zaventem, Brussels National airport, after two explosions rocked the main hall of Brussels Airport Getty Images He was deported to the Netherlands and President Erdogan said he had warned both countries about him. Mr Erdogan said: "Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, Belgium could not establish any links with terrorism." An official from his office later identified the attacker as Brahim el-Bakraoui - who blew himself up in the attack at Zaventem airport which killed 11. Najim Laachraoui is a suspect in the Brussels Airport bombing and has links to Salah Abdeslam It comes as Belgian police continue to hunt for the unknown third bomber at Zaventem airport who fled when his bomb failed to detonate. CCTV images have been released showing the man wearing a distinctive white coat, glasses and a black hat. Police are appealing for information about the attacker after a stock of bomb-making materials was found at an apartment used by the attackers in the Schaerbeek area of the city. Additional reporting by Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Ministers from across Europe are scrabbling to deliver a response to the Brussels terror attacks against a backdrop of mutual recriminations, as two Belgian politicians offered to resign over mistakes made. The deep faultlines in Belgiums response to terror were highlighted when Jan Jambon and Koen Geens, the Interior and Justice Ministers, both offered to resign over security blunders. Mr Jambon accepted that errors were made after Belgium failed to heed a warning from Turkey last year that one of the bombers had been deported and was a terrorist freedom fighter. But the Prime Minister, Charles Michel, refused to accept their resignations, instead reportedly saying: In a time of war you cannot offer to leave the field. The crisis summit was intended as a first step to agreeing a clearer EU-wide security strategy to counter the rapidly growing threat from Isis, after evidence of failure to co-ordinate effectively across European borders. Tuesdays attacks killed at least 31 people, with a further 270 injured, 61 of them critically, yet critics say they could quite possibly have been prevented. Ministers were preparing to call on the European Parliament to ratify urgently an agreement on sharing airline passengers data, known as PNR, which has been five years in the making and won the backing of EU governments in December. However, even now it remains unclear whether it will get the backing of the European Parliament. No date has yet been set for a vote on the measure. New Brussels airport aftermath video shows total devastation inside terminal The PNR scheme would allow law enforcement agencies across the EU to access a database containing information on travellers including their home addresses, itineraries, baggage, how they paid for their ticket, where they sat on the plane and whether they requested halal food. Opponents, including some MEPs, have fiercely resisted the move, saying it infringes privacy, gathers more information than is needed and would not necessarily stop attacks. Frances Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has accused them of taking a highly irresponsible stance and its Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, called on left-wing and Green MEPs to reconsider their opposition. Ministers Jan Jambon, left, and Koen Geens accepted that warnings were not heeded (EPA) Ministers were determined to give a show of European unity in the face of the attack. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, declared as she arrived in Brussels: I am here to stand together with my Belgian counterpart, Jan Jambon, and interior ministers from across Europe We will give Belgium the support it needs but our message is clear: the terrorists will not win. It emerged that two jihadi suspects in the Brussels attacks remained on the loose not just one, as previously supposed. Police are still hunting for the man in a white suit seen at Brussels Zaventern Airport alongside Najim Laachraoui, an Isis bomb-maker, and Brahim el-Bakraoui, the pair who detonated their explosive-packed luggage, killing 11 people. But officials revealed that another unnamed terrorist suspect was seen on CCTV footage talking to el-Bakraouis brother, Khalid, shortly before he blew himself up at Maelbeek metro station, killing 20 people. The Belgian government continued to be buffeted by criticism. Turkish authorities claimed that Brahim el-Bakraoui had been deported back to Belgium not just once, as previously disclosed, but twice, while attempting to join jihadists in Syria. The expulsions were in June and August last year. Khalid el-Bakraoui had also visited Turkey under suspicious circumstances before returning to Belgium. Brussels, however, failed to keep track of the brothers on their return even though as Mr Jambon admitted Brahim, who was on parole after serving part of a nine-year sentence for armed robbery, could have been apprehended for breaching the conditions of his release. Brahim was flown by Turkey to the Netherlands, not directly to Belgium, however, and the Dutch Justice Minister, Ard van der Steur, said the information given was not clear cut. Turkish authorities didnt tell us why they deported this person and didnt follow usual procedure, he said. In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A private security guard helps a wounded women outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Wounded people receive assistance by rescuers outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue workers treat victims outside the Maelbeek underground station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers waiting to be evacuated from the train between Arts-Lois and Maelbeek In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency services and police work around a metro station after an explosion in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A woman is evacuated in an ambulance by emergency services after a explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A Belgian soldier stands guard outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police officers stand outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian policemen and a soldier carrying an injured person after an explosion at the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A view of the train after the explosion in Maelbeek station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People receive treatment as emergency services attend the scene after an explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Maelbeek Metro station after an explosion on a train in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maelbeek train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Firefighters arrive at the scene near Maalbeek metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency workers arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency rescue workers stretcher an unidentified person at the site of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Police seal off the area at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Smoke rising from the Maalbeek underground, in Brussels, following a blast at the station close to the capital's European quarter Getty Images In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People are evacuated from the Schuman station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station The scene outside the Maalbeek underground in Brussels after the explosion Even before the summit began, there was scepticism from senior intelligence officials about the extent of co-operation. Jean-Marie Delarue, the recently retired chief of the French government agency which oversaw intelligence surveillance, said of the Paris attacks: We think there should be co-operation, we rely on other countries to give it to us, and I dont think the Belgians gave us precise information. The US is said also to be exasperated by the bureaucracy of Belgian security services and a seeming lack of co-operation. Add to that the problem of two languages, lack of Arabic speakers and weak co-ordination between national and local government and you have huge discrepancy between threat and response, said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA officer and White House adviser. But Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, came to Belgiums defence. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, he said. There was terrorism in Britain and in Germany in the 70s and 80s. There was terrorism in Spain, in Italy and much more recently in France. People should stop lecturing Belgium. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Almost no one from outside Molenbeek goes there unless they have to least of all, members of the Belgian political establishment, some of whom seem embarrassed that such a poor, immigrant-heavy neighbourhood is actually part of the nations capital. The west Brussels district that spawned the bombers and many of the Paris attackers is marginalised. with tightly packed social housing that is home to many unemployed young men, often the children or grandchildren of North African mainly Moroccan immigrants. That neglect appears to have allowed Salah Abdeslam, a member of the Paris terrorist squad that killed 130 people, to hide there for months. His arrest last week was almost certainly the catalyst for the strike on 22 March. His fingerprint was found in a flat rented by Khalid el Bakraoui who despite being on an Interpol wanted terrorist list was able to evade arrest long enough to carry out his deadly plans. A manhunt continues for Najim Laachraoui, another fugitive whose DNA was on explosive belts found at the sites of the Paris attacks, and is likely to have been the third man involved in the airport suicide attack on 22 March. The problems highlighted in Molenbeek have led to tensions between Belgium and France which was not alerted to the threat across its border and prompted Britain to offer investigative expertise. If you dont work hard to make society as integrated as you can, it makes it easier for these groups to hide in plain sight, said Kevin Hurley, a former head of counter-terrorism at the City of London Police. A look at Molenbeek, the small Belgian suburb home to some of the worlds most dangerous terrorists At fault is a chronic under-investment and dysfunction within Belgiums security apparatus. Brussels is not just the nations capital, but also hosts the EU institutions, Nato and other international bodies. Yet the state security service has a staff of only around 600. The former head of the Belgian intelligence agency said there was a shortfall of at least 100 officers. The government responded to this shortage only in January last year, after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, when security services foiled a terrorist plot with a raid in the western town of Verviers. Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Show all 27 1 /27 Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A building illuminated with the Belgian flag colours and a heart in Brussels, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and subway Maelbeek. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A picture taken on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, shows drawings and a candle, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and Brussels subway Maelbeek Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles are displayed in tribute to the Brussels attacks victims on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, two days after the suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on 22 March. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A mourner lights a candle in Trafalgar Square during a candlelit vigil in support of the victims of the recent terror attacks in Brussels. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels airport workers pay tribute to the victims near Zaventem Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Activists light candles and hold placards to condemn the terrorist attacks in Belgium, during a gathering in Manila, Philippines Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A banner for the victims of the bombings reads "I am Brussels" at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left front center, stands with front row, left to right, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Belgium's King Philippe, Belgium's Queen Mathilde and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as well as members of the European Commission during a minute of silence at EU headquarters in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims People join hands in solidarity near the former stock exchange following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgium flags ornate the facade of the Paris Town Hall Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A woman embraces her children at The Place de la Bourse as she pays her respects to victims of the terrorists attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles in the colors of the Belgian national flag are lit inside the Belgian embassy in Madrid, a day after the deadly suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Servicemen of Azov, Ukrainian volunteers battalion, hold torches in front of floral tributes during a ceremony in front of the Belgian embassy in Kiev, in tribute to the victims of Brussels attacks Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A refugee boy holds up a placard reading "Sorry for Brussels" at a refugee camp near the Greek-Macedonian border Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People light candles in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu picturing a character made of a French flag consoling another made of the Belgian flag, in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes The colours of the Belgian flag are projected on to (clockwise from top left) the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the town council building in Belgrade, Rome's Campidoglio and the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Candles are lit in tribute to the victims, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a placard reading "Paris hearts Belgium, How much time will it take us to open our eyes and say STOP, Today our hearts are broken, Open your eyes to change the future" at the Place de la Republique in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People gather to pay a tribute to victims of terrorist attacks in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People write messages on the ground at Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A bouquet of flowers in the Belgian national colours with a card reading 'To our neighbours, to our friends, to our Belgian brothers - an indignant Parisian' is seen next to a French national flag at the fence of the Belgian embassy in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Solidarity messages are written in chalk outside the stock exchange in Brussels AP Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Messages and floral tributes outside the Brussels stock exchange AP It was partly due to austerity, said Rik Coolsaet, an expert in terrorism at the University of Ghent. It was also due to the gap between the political and intelligence worlds: intelligence people did not have friends in politics, and politicians did not appreciate the need to keep track of new developments like foreign fighters. It was into this seam that terrorist groups spread. Salah Abdeslam, the would-be Paris attacker captured on 18 March, and his brother Brahim, who died at the Stade de France, were on a watchlist, but the services lacked follow-up capacity. Belgium failed to spot the Paris plotters in Molenbeek or to flag information about known radicals to France. Police officers in Molenbeek last week, following Salah Abdeslam's capture (AP) The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that one of the Brussels attackers had been caught in Turkey in June, but Belgium had failed to heed a warning he was a foreign fighter. French politicians and media have been particularly critical of Belgium since Novembers attacks in Paris. The failures also point to a wider malaise across Europe with implications for Britain, where counter-terrorism expertise threatens being undermined by failures elsewhere. Europol, the European policing agency, noted in January that the Paris attacks showed that the exchange of information needs improving. Assaf Moghadam, a professor at the Israel-based International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, said: While people can travel freely across borders, there is little co-ordination between European intelligence services. Belgium has seen the highest proportion of jihadi fighters leaving for Syria and Iraq per head of the population of any country in Europe, with more than 450 travelling to fight. There is also wider dysfunction in the country, with complex and overlapping state structures: three regional governments and parliaments, plus a further three national parliaments, one for each language group including German. Brussels itself has six separate district police forces as well as federal police. The inherent tension between the French and Dutch-speaking halves can paralyse business. Many problems come back to Molenbeek, a borough of 90,000. It is poor and badly integrated, with many disaffected young men easily lured into criminal gangs. Jihadists prey on local insecurities, promising that youngsters can redeem themselves as heroes fighting infidels in Syria. And the ineffective Belgian state seems both powerless and ignorant of what is going on, just a short distance from the heart of the government. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Commentary on the Brussels killings has focused, with good reason, on the lapses and failures of Belgian and European security. Some terrorism experts and security sources in France believe that this weeks events and even the 13 November slaughter in Paris should also be seen as a strategic failure for Isis. Far from implying a growing jihadist menace, they suggest, the events of this week point to a loss of control and focus by Isis. Why are apparently key figures in the jihadist network, like the presumed Paris bomb-maker Najim Laachraoui, blowing themselves up? Suicide bombings used to be the task of the jihadist infantry, not the staff officers. Recommended Read more UK comes top of Isis poll asking where to target next after Brussels Why has Isis abandoned its previous strategy of attacking allegedly legitimate, Islamophobic targets, such as Jews or Charlie Hebdo magazine? This was intended to provoke a hard-right backlash against the great majority of non-radical Muslims, which would eventually foment a European civil war. By contrast, both the Paris and Brussels attacks have targeted ordinary people going about their ordinary lives. There is some evidence, French sources say, that this has produced a Muslim backlash against Isis. Since 13 November [the Paris attacks], the Daesh [Isis] propaganda message has been muddled, said Gilles Kepel, a French expert on the Arab world and the aims and methods of jihadism. Its communication is in crisisThese indiscriminate attacks have fallen on multi-cultural cities with exactly the kind of Muslim populations they are trying to recruit. But these actions have not brought Muslims together [behind Isis]. Far from it. In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man carries an injured person in Brussels Airport, after explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Travellers get to their feet in a smoke filled terminal at Brussels Airport after explosions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man is wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man speaks on a mobile phone in Brussels Airport, after the explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Belgian police officers detain a man at the Gare du Midi train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A police officer stands guard as people are evacuated from Brussels airport, after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People stand near Brussels airport after being evacuated following explosions that rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Crew and passengers are evacuated from Zaventem Bruxelles International Airport after an attack in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers gather near Brussels airport in Zaventem, following its evacuation after blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Two women wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People are evacuated from the scene after two explosions were heard at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Brussels Airport after evacuation In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the airport area after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers comfort each other as they are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People react as they walk away from Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services attend the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Injured people at the scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Zaventem airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A view of the scene after the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The view of the Brussels airport after the explosion PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Smoke is seen at Brussels airport in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A photo shows cars on a blocked highway near Zaventem, Brussels National airport, after two explosions rocked the main hall of Brussels Airport Getty Images Since 13 November, French security sources say, there has been a slowing in the number of young would-be European jihadists going to Syria. This might partly be explained by increased European surveillance. There has, however, also been a change in tone in social media and the random comments made by young French Muslims at school and elsewhere. Where a large minority had openly or implicitly approved the Charlie Hebdo murders, there has been little or no support for the Paris and Brussels attacks. French security sources are also puzzled by the widespread use of suicide bombings. The presumed bomb-maker Laachraouis death at Brussels airport can perhaps be explained as an act of panic or defiance as Belgian police closed in after the arrest of the missing Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam. It is intriguing all the same, a French police source said. He eluded the Belgian security forces for a long time. There is no reason to believe that could not have continued. Mr Kepel, author of a recent book on jihadism in France, Terreur dans LHexagone (Gallimard), suggests that Isis is suffering from something previously regarded as a strength: the loose, uncentralised nature of its jihadist cells in Europe. He warns, however, that such strategic failures and muddles by Isis do not necessarily imply that the movementss short-term threat is waning. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey had warned Belgium about one of the Brussels bombers, it was a major told you so moment. A leader long accused of failing to take Isis seriously enough clearly relished the chance to turn the tables on Europe. Turks could be forgiven for raising their eyebrows at the triumphalist tone, however. The country is reeling from six suicide bombings in nine months, most recently on Saturday when a suspected Isis member blew himself up in the heart of Istanbul. We dont yet know why Belgium failed to heed the warning about Brahim el-Bakraoui, who was deported from Turkey not once but twice last year, officials said. We do know that co-operation between Western powers and Turkey which shares 500 miles of border with Syria is seen as vital in preventing other similar attacks by those linked to Isis. We also know that some of Turkeys Western allies believe that President Erdogans own rhetoric about fighting terrorism is too mixed up with domestic political struggles to be taken at face value. On a practical level, both European and Turkish officials now say that intelligence sharing and co-operation has improved significantly. A year and a half ago, the list of foreign citizens banned from entering the country stood at 13,000 names. Today, augmented by intelligence from partner states, it stretches to 38,000. Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims there is no difference between Isis and the PKK (AFP/Getty) When suspected foreign jihadists are caught they are deported. Turkish officials say that 3,200 people have been kicked out in this manner, including dozens of Britons. Despite these steps, in the eyes of his allies in the US and Europe, President Erdogan does not always give the impression that fighting Isis is his No 1 concern. While the jihadist group dominates the agenda in Britain, it is just one slice of what the Turkish government describes as a wave of terrorism that has descended on the country one that his opponents say is at least partly of his own making. Shaken by a major corruption scandal that he believed was orchestrated by Fethullah Gulen, a political ally turned foe, Mr Erdogan declared him and his supporters to be a terror organisation. Hundreds of policemen accused of supporting the exiled former imam have been sacked, robbing the security services of years of professional expertise. Those who remain, meanwhile, continue to devote time and energy to pursuing businesses and news outlets accused of having links to the Gulenist movement. Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Show all 27 1 /27 Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A building illuminated with the Belgian flag colours and a heart in Brussels, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and subway Maelbeek. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A picture taken on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, shows drawings and a candle, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and Brussels subway Maelbeek Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles are displayed in tribute to the Brussels attacks victims on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, two days after the suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on 22 March. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A mourner lights a candle in Trafalgar Square during a candlelit vigil in support of the victims of the recent terror attacks in Brussels. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels airport workers pay tribute to the victims near Zaventem Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Activists light candles and hold placards to condemn the terrorist attacks in Belgium, during a gathering in Manila, Philippines Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A banner for the victims of the bombings reads "I am Brussels" at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left front center, stands with front row, left to right, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Belgium's King Philippe, Belgium's Queen Mathilde and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as well as members of the European Commission during a minute of silence at EU headquarters in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims People join hands in solidarity near the former stock exchange following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgium flags ornate the facade of the Paris Town Hall Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A woman embraces her children at The Place de la Bourse as she pays her respects to victims of the terrorists attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles in the colors of the Belgian national flag are lit inside the Belgian embassy in Madrid, a day after the deadly suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Servicemen of Azov, Ukrainian volunteers battalion, hold torches in front of floral tributes during a ceremony in front of the Belgian embassy in Kiev, in tribute to the victims of Brussels attacks Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A refugee boy holds up a placard reading "Sorry for Brussels" at a refugee camp near the Greek-Macedonian border Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People light candles in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu picturing a character made of a French flag consoling another made of the Belgian flag, in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes The colours of the Belgian flag are projected on to (clockwise from top left) the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the town council building in Belgrade, Rome's Campidoglio and the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Candles are lit in tribute to the victims, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a placard reading "Paris hearts Belgium, How much time will it take us to open our eyes and say STOP, Today our hearts are broken, Open your eyes to change the future" at the Place de la Republique in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People gather to pay a tribute to victims of terrorist attacks in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People write messages on the ground at Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A bouquet of flowers in the Belgian national colours with a card reading 'To our neighbours, to our friends, to our Belgian brothers - an indignant Parisian' is seen next to a French national flag at the fence of the Belgian embassy in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Solidarity messages are written in chalk outside the stock exchange in Brussels AP Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Messages and floral tributes outside the Brussels stock exchange AP In the south-east of Turkey, the collapse of the Kurdish peace process has again pitted Turkish security services against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). It is a bloody battle that has spilled over into the countrys biggest cities. Two weeks ago, a PKK splinter group claimed responsibility for an attack on Ankaras shopping district that killed 38 people. Mr Erdogan insists, almost daily, that there is no difference between Isis, the PKK and an alphabet soup of smaller groups. But the picture is muddied by the fact that the fight against them is assuming an increasingly political hue. Mr Erdogan is pressing to expand the legal definition of terrorism to include journalists, MPs and academics he accuses of seeking to undermine the state. These days, when he rails against terrorism, it can be hard to know whether he is talking about someone wearing a suicide vest or someone using Twitter. This is alarming to Turkeys partners but - as with the efforts to halt the flow of refugees and migrants - they feel that they have little choice but to work with Ankara. It seems that Belgium either missed or ignored the Turkish warning. Other countries know they cannot afford to make the same mistake. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The suspected Paris bomb maker thought to have been at large after fleeing the Brussels Airport attack was in fact one of two men killed in the explosion, officials have said. Najim Laachraoui was previously believed to have been on the run after dumping a bag containing a bomb that failed to detonate and fleeing the airport, but officials have now said that his DNA matched with one of two men who blew themselves up inside the terminal building. The second Brussels airport suicide bomber, Najim Laachraoui, was a suspected bomb maker for Isis's massacre in Paris and was already being hunted by police before the latest attack. Laachraoui was already being hunted by police when the series of co-ordinated attacks killed 31 people and left another 61 injured in the Belgian capital. Laachraoui is believed to be pictured on the left, wearing a black top and a black glove on his left hand and pushing a baggage trolley, in a CCTV image taken at Brussels airport moments before the attacks, according to Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure. Laachraoui is believed to be the man on the left (Getty Images) Authorities had already been searching for the Belgian national in connection with suspected Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested just four days before the Brussels bombings. Earlier this week, Belgian prosecutors said that DNA evidence had identified Moroccan-born Laachraoui as being one of the accomplices of Abdeslam in the Paris attacks, which killed 130 people at sites including the Bataclan Theatre and Stade de France. Recommended Read more How extremism flourished amid lack of integration in Molenbeek Laachraoui's DNA was said to have been found on several explosive belts, as well as at hideouts in Auvelais and Schaerbeek which was used to prepare explosives and hide Abdeslam, French media reported. He is suspected of making the explosive TATP, which can be made with household products and has been used by terrorists in improvised explosive devices and suicide vests, including in Paris. He is also believed to have travelled to Hungary last year with Abdeslam and one other person in a Mercedes, which was checked by guards at the Austria-Hungary border and allowed to go on. The federal prosecutor's office said on Monday they were seeking details about Laachraoui, who was undestood to have travelled to Syria in February 2013. They believed he had used the pseudonym Soufiane Kayal to rent the safe house in Auvelais, a small town in the south of Belgium, and cross the Austria-Hungary border. In an appeal for information in December, Belgian police said: Salah Abdeslam has travelled twice during the month of September to the Hungarian capital Budapest using a rental car. On September 9 2015 he was subject to a check at the border between Hungary and Austria in a Mercedes. He was accompanied by two people using fake Belgian identity cards with the names Samir Bouzid and Soufiane Kayal. The same false identity of Soufiane Kayal was used to rent the house in Auvelais which was searched on 26 November. Laachraoui was a former pupil at the Institut de la Sainte-Famille d'Helmet Catholic school in the Schaerbeek area of Brussels and an electro-mechanics graduate, according to Belgian newspaper La Libre. PA For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} With the helicopter clattering overhead, the minute of sombre reflection for the people of Brussels was never to be a truly silent one. The overt surveillance and sporadic police sirens were reminders that amid the remembrance for the dozens killed, the uncomfortable fact remained that potential suicide bombers were still on the run. Still they gathered in their thousands, most notably at the Place de la Bourse, in the city centre, which has become a focal point of remembrance and mourning. Candles have been laid in the shape of hearts, messages have been chalked on the pavement: some desperate messages for peace, others angry denunciations of the terrorists. Where earlier I saw a solitary man sitting cross-legged and weeping in front of the candles and flowers in the light rain, the space was filled by hundreds of people before noon. When the minute of silence ended, a ripple of applause sounded across the square. Inside the headquarters of the European Commission, within sight of the cordoned zone around Maelbeek metro station, the scene of the second suicide attack on Tuesday morning, the Belgian royal family joined political leaders and senior staff, some holding the flag of Europe in a message of solidarity and defiance. Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Show all 27 1 /27 Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Wreaths of flowers in front of an entrance of the Maalbeek subway station in Brussels in homage to the victims of a terrorist attack. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A building illuminated with the Belgian flag colours and a heart in Brussels, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and subway Maelbeek. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A picture taken on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, shows drawings and a candle, two days after suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on March 22 in Zaventem airport and Brussels subway Maelbeek Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles are displayed in tribute to the Brussels attacks victims on 24 March, 2016 on place de la Bourse in Brussels, two days after the suicide bombing attacks of terrorists on 22 March. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A mourner lights a candle in Trafalgar Square during a candlelit vigil in support of the victims of the recent terror attacks in Brussels. Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels airport workers pay tribute to the victims near Zaventem Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Activists light candles and hold placards to condemn the terrorist attacks in Belgium, during a gathering in Manila, Philippines Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A banner for the victims of the bombings reads "I am Brussels" at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left front center, stands with front row, left to right, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Belgium's King Philippe, Belgium's Queen Mathilde and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as well as members of the European Commission during a minute of silence at EU headquarters in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims People join hands in solidarity near the former stock exchange following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgium flags ornate the facade of the Paris Town Hall Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A woman embraces her children at The Place de la Bourse as she pays her respects to victims of the terrorists attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Belgian and European Union flags fly at half mast following the bomb attacks in Brussels Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Candles in the colors of the Belgian national flag are lit inside the Belgian embassy in Madrid, a day after the deadly suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and its subway system Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Servicemen of Azov, Ukrainian volunteers battalion, hold torches in front of floral tributes during a ceremony in front of the Belgian embassy in Kiev, in tribute to the victims of Brussels attacks Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims A refugee boy holds up a placard reading "Sorry for Brussels" at a refugee camp near the Greek-Macedonian border Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People light candles in tribute to victims at a makeshift memorial at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a drawing by French cartoonist Plantu picturing a character made of a French flag consoling another made of the Belgian flag, in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes The colours of the Belgian flag are projected on to (clockwise from top left) the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the town council building in Belgrade, Rome's Campidoglio and the Royal Palace at Dam Square in Amsterdam Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Candles are lit in tribute to the victims, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A woman holds a placard reading "Paris hearts Belgium, How much time will it take us to open our eyes and say STOP, Today our hearts are broken, Open your eyes to change the future" at the Place de la Republique in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People gather to pay a tribute to victims of terrorist attacks in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes People write messages on the ground at Place de la Bourse in Brussels Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes A bouquet of flowers in the Belgian national colours with a card reading 'To our neighbours, to our friends, to our Belgian brothers - an indignant Parisian' is seen next to a French national flag at the fence of the Belgian embassy in Paris Getty Images Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Solidarity messages are written in chalk outside the stock exchange in Brussels AP Brussels attacks: tributes are paid to the victims Brussels tributes Messages and floral tributes outside the Brussels stock exchange AP Yesterday, terrorists hit at the heart of Europe, our city, Brussels. Innocent people were killed and injured, said the commissions vice-president Kristalina Georgieva. We come out of expression of solidarity with Belgium and Europe to a minute of silence. Outside the flags of Europe and Belgium flew at half-mast. Soldiers stood among the television crews; security staff on the doors of other EU institutions where signs indicated the high orange threat level pulled their scarves over their faces. One tourist took a picture of himself at the scene with a selfie stick. Across Belgium, schools, offices and factories came to a halt as the nation marked the moment of terrorist devastation so many had long anticipated would come one day, just as it had previously been visited upon other great European capitals. Crowds had gathered outside the Commission standing on the walls, some of them expecting a more public show from their leaders. But with suited security men looking on nervously, and the soldiers watching with their guns drawn, it was never going to happen. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Isis supporters have apparently been celebrating the terror attacks in Brussels by asking their followers to suggest which country they should target next - and the UK came out on top. On an online forum purporting to be run by members of the extremist group, a user set up a poll asking: What will the colour of the Eiffel Tower be in the next attacks? And disturbingly, the UK came out top in the survey, with half of the terror groups online supporters backing it as their number one choice for an attack. The question was asked after the Eiffel Tower was lit up in the colours of the Belgian flag in solidarity with Brussels, which was hit earlier this week by a terror attack which killed at least 31 people. Zaventem airport and Maalbeek Metro Station in the city were targeted by three explosions by suicide bombers on Tuesday morning. Details about Brussels attackers revealed The US and Russia were also voted as prime targets for an assault, Mail Online reports. One user tweeted: The Islamic State will attack London, Washington, Rome and all the infidels' capitals. Another said: The Crusaders are blundered and confused. Yesterday Paris, today Brussels, and they don't know where will be the next attack." In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A private security guard helps a wounded women outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Wounded people receive assistance by rescuers outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue workers treat victims outside the Maelbeek underground station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers waiting to be evacuated from the train between Arts-Lois and Maelbeek In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency services and police work around a metro station after an explosion in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A woman is evacuated in an ambulance by emergency services after a explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A Belgian soldier stands guard outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police officers stand outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian policemen and a soldier carrying an injured person after an explosion at the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A view of the train after the explosion in Maelbeek station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People receive treatment as emergency services attend the scene after an explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Maelbeek Metro station after an explosion on a train in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maelbeek train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Firefighters arrive at the scene near Maalbeek metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency workers arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency rescue workers stretcher an unidentified person at the site of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Police seal off the area at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Smoke rising from the Maalbeek underground, in Brussels, following a blast at the station close to the capital's European quarter Getty Images In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People are evacuated from the Schuman station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station The scene outside the Maalbeek underground in Brussels after the explosion Isis claimed responsibility for the attacks on the capital city which they said were revenge for Belgiums participation in co-ordinated air strikes against their positions in Syria and Iraq. A spokesman for the Islamic extremist group said: Fighters opened fire inside Zaventem Airport, before several of them detonated their explosive belts, as a martyrdom bomber detonated his explosive belt in the Maalbeek Metro station." Isis supporters celebrated the attacks on Twitter using the hashtag #Brusselsonfire in Arabic - similar to a #Parisonfire trend seen when the French capital was hit in November. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Those who preach ideas contrary to the Danish constitution could be stripped of their citizenship if proposals put forward by an anti-immigration party are adopted by the country's government. The right-wing Danish People's Party (DPP) - which currently holds the second most seats in the countrys multi-party parliament - put forward the plans in an attempt to expel outspoken imam Abu Bilal Ismail, the Local says. Ismail, a leading imam at the Grimhoj mosque in the city of Aarhus, has called for the destruction of Jews and a recent documentary revealed appeared to show him advocating the stoning of adulterous women and the killing of apostates. Follow-up legislation could potentially expand the limits of the Danish constitution to restrict religious freedom in extreme cases. Martin Hendriksen, the DPP's immigration spokesman, said: The Constitution says that anyone can practice their faith so long as it is not contrary to morals, or disturbing to the public order, Politiko reports. He continued: When imams endorse or recommend stoning, or when an imam tells a woman subjected to violence by her husband that thats okay, then that constitutes, in my opinion, subversive speech that disturbs the public order. Some of these imams are Danish citizens, and we think we should deprive them of their citizenship. The proposals have apparently been backed by the Social Democrats, the coalitions largest group, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party, practically securing a majority for the bill in parliament. Marcus Knuth, the Liberal Partys immigration spokesman, said it was a really good idea, according to the Local. You have to come down as hard as possible on these environments. You are not just talking about twisted old imams. These are the mosques that have shaped many Syrian fighters, and they can be a threat to national security. Mr Ismail, who was already a controversial figure, has been at the forefront of a debate on the restriction of religious freedoms in the country since the airing of the TV2 programme called Moskeerne bag slret 'Mosques behind the veil' last month. In it, Mr Ismail, an imam of the Grimhj Mosque in Aarhus, was caught on a hidden camera suggesting women should be stoned to death for adultery. This was not the first time the Aarhus mosque has made headlines. In 2014 a spokesperson said the mosque supported Isis, a view many representatives of the mosque have since backed. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Londons major landmarks have been lit up in Belgian national colours in a show of solidarity following the Brussels terror attack. In London the National Gallery, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and the fountains at Trafalgar Square were all lit up in black, yellow and red to pay tribute to the city and the victims of the attack. At least 31 people have been killed following three explosions, responsibility for which was claimed by Isis. Because the Belgian capital is home to major international institutions such as the European Union and Nato, Brussels has been a prime target for Islamist extremists. The city is in the middle of observing a three-day period of mourning. Belgiums king and queen also visited the airport where the first explosions took place on Wednesday evening as well as two hospitals where survivors are being treated. Londons show of solidarity will continue tonight with a vigil in Trafalgar Square. Co-organised by both City Hall and the Belgian embassy, a 25-metre silk flag will be place on the squares staircase. "We must send a clear signal that atrocities like the events in Brussels yesterday will be not be tolerated, said Jennette Arnold, chairwoman of the London Assembly. When London lights up its landmarks, we are condemning terror and mindless acts of violence and standing side by side with Belgians in their tragic hour. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Pompeiis heyday may be long gone, but the intrigue and corruption that marked life in ancient Romes top peoples resort have not entirely vanished. Before the city was buried under 20 feet of volcanic ash, espionage, back-stabbing and murder were par for the course. Now, two millennia later, an army of spies has been recruited to work among the ruins in what is being called Operation Deep Throat. The whistleblowers is job to look out for dodgy dealings involving routine criminals as well as the local Camorra Mafia, which is keen to get its hands on some of the 100m (78m) being poured into the ancient site in a bid to save it from permanent collapse. Mobsters are all too happy to sell low-grade cement and carry out cheap and dodgy repairs activities that have already put some parts of Pompeii at risk. Luigi Curatoli, the director general of the ongoing Great Pompeii Project, said he was confident that the new operation would prove effective in protecting the sites finances. Obviously we always hope that no criminal offences occur. But if they are discovered, thanks to this system of whistleblowers well be able to respond swiftly, he told Naples Il Mattino newspaper. The need to root out corruption has become a priority, given the huge sums being spent on saving and restoring ancient Pompeii. Something approaching financial salvation for the site appeared in April 2012 with the inauguration of the Grand Pompeii Project. This saw the European Union promising to stump up nearly 75m, with the Italian government contributing another 30m. Staff shortages and administrative problems meant Pompeii was unable to spend the EUs 75m by the December 2015 deadline for the project, which has been extended for another year. But there were already concerns about how the millions were being spent. In 2013, as work began, police in Campania, the southern region in which Pompeii is situated, arrested the head of one restoration contractor previously involved at the site and probed the activities of four senior officials, whom they suspect of paying inflated prices for restoration work on Pompeiis Teatro Grande. Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius Show all 10 1 /10 Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A marble statue of Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty and love, found in the volcanic remains of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A marble statue depicting the god Hermes, found in the volcanic remains of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A funerary marble statue, unearthed after the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A mosaic fountain, unearthed after the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A detail from a mosaic fountain, unearthed after the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A bronze gladiator's helmet, found in the volcanic remains of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A marble statue of Polyhymnia, one of the nine muses of Greek mythology, found in the volcanic remains of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius The body cast of a pig, found in the volcanic remains of Mount Vesuvius that erupted and wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A detail painting on a garden wall of a child angel, unearthed after the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Pompeii: Life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius A marble wall relief of mythical god Neptune, unearthed after the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that wiped out the Roman city of Pompeii more than 2000 years ago AP Engineers employed at the site had previously been blacklisted from their profession, it emerged, and materials of suspect quality were used in the ancient buildings reconstruction. But something more worrying lurks in the shadows the Camorra Mafia. Just 15 miles away lies the southern port of Naples, the crime groups home base, where it has a hand in everything from drugs and construction projects to rubbish collection Recommended Read more Now German scientists are having to bail out crumbling Pompeii In April 2013, a small army of carabinieri officers, finance police and officials led by Mariolina Goglia, the head of the Naples prefecture anti-Mafia unit, marched into the Pompeii site in the hunt for evidence of Camorra activity with one eye, no doubt, on watching EU benefactors. There are signs that Pompeii is on the up, however. In the past few months six ancient residences, or domus, at the site have reopened to visitors following restoration it was this sort of progress which helped persuade EU authorities to extend the deadline. The restored houses opened at the end of December and are attracting large crowds. In addition to repairing individual houses, the top priority is the installation of a new drainage system. Heavy rainfall, if not removed, is absorbed by unexcavated sections of the site. In 2010 this caused a large building to collapse on Via dellAbbondanza. Pompeiis main street. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb leader responsible for the slaughter of more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica, has been found guilty of genocide, closing the bloodiest chapter of Europes history since the Second World War. The 70-year-old was impassive as his 40-year sentence was handed down at The Hague, 21 years after the massacres during the break-up of Yugoslavia. Throughout his eight-year trial, Karadzic had maintained the atrocities were the actions of rogue individuals. Few could countenance that explanation. Presiding judge O-Gon Kwon said: With full knowledge of the ongoing killing, Karadzic declared a state of war in Srebrenica. I am so disappointed, said Bida Smajlovic, 64, whose husband was killed in the massacres. She watched a live broadcast of the proceedings in Potocari, a Srebrenica suburb. We have been in shock ever since the first gunshot and this is yet another one, she said. Radovan Karadzic has been sentenced to 40 years after being convicted of genocide and war crimes during the 1992-95 Balkans war (AFP/Getty) But in Belgrade, thousands of ultra-nationalists praised Karadzic, attending a rally to hear Vojislav Seselj himself indicted for war crimes condemn the court that found Karadzic guilty. The criminal Hague, the false court of the Western powers, has condemned Karadzic to 40 years, bellowed Mr Seselj, to boos and whistles from the crowd, at a rally called to commemorate the beginning of the 1999 Nato bombing of Serbia. They convicted him when he was innocent, only because he led the Serb people in Bosnia during a crucial moment. Mr Seselj compared European prisons holding Karadzic and other Serbs to Hitlers camps, as supporters waved flags with his name and slogans of the Second World War nationalist Cetnik movement: With Truth in God, Freedom or Death!. Russian President Vladimir Putins face loomed out of placards and badges. His conviction is a tragedy, said one smartly-dressed old man in a sweater and tie as he left the demonstration. Recommended Read more Karadzic claims no proof to link him to Bosnian Serb atrocities Earlier in the afternoon, Karadzic was found guilty on 10 of 11 charges brought at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Karadzic was the President of the self-declared Serb Republic (Republika Srpska) in Bosnia from 1992 to 1996, and seen as a leading actor in the War. He was found culpable for genocide the Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed, and the 44-month siege of Sarajevo, during which 11,500 perished. The accused was the sole person within Republika Srpska with the power to prevent the killing of the Bosnian Muslim males, said presiding judge O-Gon Kwok, in reference to the Srebrenica deaths. However, the court did not convict him of genocide in seven municipalities outside Srebrenica a ruling that some in Bosnia hoped for. We are going to have to wait for the verdict on [Bosnian Serb general] Ratko Mladic, said Asya Hafner, an artist who survived the siege, by telephone from Sarajevo. I guess what theyre doing is making a distinction between army and politics. I was hoping that he would be convicted for genocide in the other municipalities, which is what it was genocide. I dont think this is a full sentence for Karadzic. Chilling photographs expose the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre Show all 5 1 /5 Chilling photographs expose the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre Chilling photographs expose the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre Srebrenica-main.jpg Tarik Samarah/War Photo Limited Chilling photographs expose the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre Srebrenica-2.jpg Tarik Samarah/War Photo Limited Chilling photographs expose the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre Srebrenica-3.jpg Tarik Samarah/War Photo Limited Chilling photographs expose the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre Srebrenica-4.jpg Tarik Samarah/War Photo Limited Chilling photographs expose the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre Srebrenica-5.jpg Tarik Samarah/War Photo Limited Between 1997 and his arrest in suburban Belgrade in 2008, Karadzic lived as a fugitive, including a period posing as a new age healer. Serbia is now in negotiations to become an EU member, and has made steps towards reconciliation with Bosnia, Croatia, and even Kosovo, over which it fought a war in 1998-99 with ethnic Albanian guerrillas. The Kosovo War led to Natos bombing of Serbia, in which hundreds of civilians were killed. As Mr Seselj spoke, supporters broke into a chant: Russia, Russia, we dont need the EU. The predominantly male crowd included old men resting against bus stops to listen to the radical leader, and youths swigging beer, clambering atop flowerpots to get a better view. One waved a flag of the Army of the Republika Srpska, which conducted the Sarajevo siege and is held responsible for the Srebrenica massacre. The names of postwar democratic leaders were booed. Several demonstrators said that the numbers of dead at Srebrenica had been inflated, or distorted, in an attempt to discredit Serbs. Many were killed who were not civilians, said Ivana Kovacevic. There werent that many people, Srebrenica was a village. Mr Seselj looked and sounded remarkably robust for a man on provisional release from The Hague due to cancer and deteriorating health. His Radical Party is expected to re-enter parliament in next months election with a staunchly pro-Russian manifesto, opposed to the pro-EU government of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, albeit with less than 10 per cent of the vote. Many see Serbia at a crossroads, caught between old ally Russia, and the promise of EU membership. All Europe targeted us, and now unfortunately unfortunately thats happening to them today, they are reaping what they sowed, said Sanja Todorovic, a 42-year-old court official, in a bleak reference to the Brussels and Paris attacks. The innocent are killed as they were in the Yugoslav Wars. The Radical Party rally was originally called to mark the start of the 1999 Nato bombing campaign on Serbia. That the Karadzic verdicts were announced on the same day only added tension to what is already a highly-charged date for many Serbs of all political backgrounds. Everyone in Serbia sees the fact that they chose 24 March deliberately in order to humiliate Serbia, a government source told The Independent. It was taken very badly. But we did expect those 40 years, no-one was surprised. Serbia today is sad and disappointed. But we wont give anyone the satisfaction to use that in order to deny our people the better future they deserve. The sense that Serbs have been victimised lingers on, 17 years after the Kosovo War. I dont think [the Karadzic verdict] is so important, said Jelena, 35, selling Serbian nationalist regalia and Putin T-shirts alongside tourist paraphernalia in Kalemegdan Park, high above the River Danube. What about the bombing of Belgrade? The Americans and the others are bad, they killed the people, thats clear. However, for most Serbs, the wars of the 1990s are best left far behind, either condemned, or simply put out of mind. Forty years, its big, but its unavoidable, said Zeljko Mitrovic, a 30-year-old civil servant walking down the elegant pedestrianised Knez Mihailova Street, a centrepiece of Belgrades newfound tourist promotion drive. We want peace in the region. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Berlins gigantic Tempelhof airport, a Nazi architectural icon, is best known today for being the German capitals biggest refugee camp. Since late last year up to 2,300 asylum seekers have been camped inside its vast aircraft hangers, sleeping 12 to a cubicle on wooden bunk beds and queuing up to use portable toilets. Abdul al-Wahab, 26, and his Adman, 19, fled their home in Aleppo last year and have been living in Tempelhof for the past three months. Walking out into the chill wind and drizzle of Berlin this week, they seemed exasperated. Of course we are grateful to Germany for taking us in, but the conditions here are boring and bad, Abdul told The Independent. We can hardly eat the food, the guards are always serious and bad tempered, and you have to wait and wait to wash or go to the toilet. But the worst is that we dont know how much longer we will have to stay here. We would just like to find a job and live in a room on a normal street, Adman added as he stood clutching a plastic bag full of empty bottles that he planned to swap for cash. The brothers predicament is shared by tens of thousands of the 1.1 million migrants who entered Germany last year, mainly as a result of Chancellor Angela Merkels open door refugee policy. Most have to wait for months, often living in cramped accommodation, while their applications for asylum are processed. The lucky ones find homes in flats or hotels that have been taken over by local authorities. Volunteers offer German language courses, but refugees are banned from taking part in state-funded integration courses until they have been formally granted the right to asylum. Boredom, cramped conditions and inactivity lead to frequent outbreaks of violence in refugee camps. These are often sparked by trivial arguments about food or who is first in line for the toilet. Macedonias decision to seal off the Balkan migrant route to western Europe has led to a sudden imbalance in the distribution of refugees across Germany. While big cities such as Berlin and Dusseldorf are still struggling to cope with the numbers, asylum accommodation in rural areas and the east of the country is half empty. The German government is hoping that the European Unions refugee deal with Turkey, reached in Brussels last Friday, will slow the influx further. Refugees settle in Germany Show all 12 1 /12 Refugees settle in Germany Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, plays with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, in the one room they and Mohamed's wife Laloosh call home at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany A refugee child Amnat Musayeva points to a star with her photo and name that decorates the door to her classroom as teacher Martina Fischer looks on at the local kindergarten Amnat and her siblings attend on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The children live with their family at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian asylum-applicant Mohamed Ali Hussein (R), 19, and fellow applicant Autur, from Latvia, load benches onto a truckbed while performing community service, for which they receive a small allowance, in Wilhelmsaue village on October 9, 2015 near Letschin, Germany. Mohamed and Autur live at an asylum-applicants' shelter in nearby Vossberg village. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Ali Hussein ((L), 19, and his cousin Sinjar Hussein, 34, sweep leaves at a cemetery in Gieshof village, for which they receive a small allowance, near Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, looks among donated clothing in the basement of the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to Mohamed, his wife Laloosh and their daughter Ranim as residents' laundry dries behind in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asya Sugaipova (L), Mohza Mukayeva and Khadra Zhukova prepare food in the communal kitchen at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Efrah Abdullahi Ahmed looks down from the communal kitchen window at her daughter Sumaya, 10, who had just returned from school, at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asylum-applicants, including Syrians Mohamed Ali Hussein (C-R, in black jacket) and Fadi Almasalmeh (C), return from grocery shopping with other refugees to the asylum-applicants' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat (2nd from L), a refugee from Syria, smokes a cigarette after shopping for groceries with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, and fellow-Syrian refugees Mohamed Ali Hussein (C) and Fadi Almasalmeh (L) at a local supermarket on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. All of them live at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian refugees Leila, 9, carries her sister Avin, 1, in the backyard at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to them and their family in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Somali refugees and husband and wife Said Ahmed Gure (R) and Ayaan Gure pose with their infant son Muzammili, who was born in Germany, in the room they share at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity, and are waiting for authorities to process their application for asylum 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel pauses for a selfie with a refugee after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for refugees in Berlin Getty Images But local authorities remain braced for numbers to keep rising. Berlin has plans to accommodate a further 5,000 migrants at Tempelhof. Some, though, have already had enough and are going back, said Sascha Langenbach, a refugee welfare spokesman for Berlins city government. About 150 Iraqis are leaving Berlin for home each month, he said, but this is in no relation to the numbers arriving and still here. Government statistics show that 37,000 of the 1.1 million migrants who arrived last year have voluntarily returned, the majority having received financial incentives to do so. About 21,000 were forcibly repatriated. The exodus has been hastened by a government decision to declare as safe countries previously considered to have persecuted opponents. Ms Merkels government is particularly proud of its success in persuading Iraqi migrants to return home and argues that this is due to its policy of arming Kurdish militants to fight Isis in Iraq. Despite its military engagement in Afghanistan, Germany is also encouraging Afghan refugees to go back. Together with migrants from Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Somalia, Afghans who return voluntarily also receive up to 2,700 (2,130) each, plus cash for business investment. Mohammad Asif Noori, an Afghan in his early thirties, was flown back to Kabul in February after spending two months in a German refugee camp. The Europeans think refugees are destroying Europe, he told the AFP news agency. Recommended Read more Aid groups end activities in Greece over refugee detention centres Germany remains overwhelmed by the refugee crisis and is struggling to cope with a backlog of 770,000 asylum requests; these will take months, if not years, to clear. Thousands of asylum seekers are without passports. Many have thrown them away hoping to pass themselves off as war refugees. Although most towns, cities and villages continue to welcome refugees, violence against migrants is on the increase. Ms Merkel is banking on her claim that the EU refugee deal with Turkey will prove effective. She also hopes that a potential new wave of migrants into Europe via Italy will fail to materialise. But Germanys population of rejected asylum seekers is likely to increase all the same. The government is aware that deporting hundreds of thousands of them is hardly an option. Cash incentives are one strategy which appears to work. As Christian Klos, a German Interior Ministry spokesman, admits: They are being counselled to leave voluntarily. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The chief suspect for last years Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, wants to be extradited to France to explain himself following his arrest in Brussels, his lawyer has said. At the same time, Abdeslam insisted he didnt know about Tuesdays bombings at Brussels Airport and on a metro train, despite his links to the men assumed to be behind the attacks in the Belgian capital that killed 31 people. Abdeslam, 26, appeared before judges in Brussels, six days after his dramatic capture in the city, following a four-month manhunt. He is believed to be the last survivor from the 10-man Isis cell responsible for Novembers Paris massacre. While his lawyer, Sven Mary, initially said he would resist French attempts at a quick extradition, he revealed that Abdeslam had changed his mind. Salah Abdeslam told me that he wishes to leave for France as soon as possible, Mr Mary said outside the city law courts. The most important part of the file is in France. His explanations have to go there. The change of heart on extradition to France is thought to be an attempt to distance himself from accomplices involved in the Brussels attacks. Abdeslam was known to be friends with Najim Laachraoui, the alleged bomb-maker of the Paris and Brussels attacks, who is thought to have blown himself up at Brussels Airport. Abdeslam is being held in a maximum-security jail in Bruges. Europes most wanted man was caught close to his family home in the Molenbeek district of the Belgian capital: he sustained a wounded leg as special forces hauled him out of a bolt hole in his home neighbourhood. He had been on the run since the 13 November Paris suicide bomb and gun attacks in which 130 people died. In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man carries an injured person in Brussels Airport, after explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Travellers get to their feet in a smoke filled terminal at Brussels Airport after explosions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man is wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man speaks on a mobile phone in Brussels Airport, after the explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Belgian police officers detain a man at the Gare du Midi train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A police officer stands guard as people are evacuated from Brussels airport, after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People stand near Brussels airport after being evacuated following explosions that rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Crew and passengers are evacuated from Zaventem Bruxelles International Airport after an attack in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers gather near Brussels airport in Zaventem, following its evacuation after blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Two women wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People are evacuated from the scene after two explosions were heard at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Brussels Airport after evacuation In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the airport area after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers comfort each other as they are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People react as they walk away from Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services attend the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Injured people at the scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Zaventem airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A view of the scene after the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The view of the Brussels airport after the explosion PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Smoke is seen at Brussels airport in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A photo shows cars on a blocked highway near Zaventem, Brussels National airport, after two explosions rocked the main hall of Brussels Airport Getty Images Asked if his client had prior knowledge about Tuesdays attacks, Mr Mary said: He didnt know it. Mr Mary added that investigators had visited Abdeslam in prison after the bombings, but he denied that the Brussels-born French national had helped the police. I wouldnt want him to clam up over lots of things, Mr Mary said. If he stopped talking, it would run the risk of more Zaventem and other Bataclans, he said, referring to the Brussels airport attacked on Tuesday and the Paris concert hall attacked last November. Abdeslams case will be reviewed on 7 April by a Belgian court, where he will face a European arrest warrant issued by France. He has been linked to the Brussels attacks by fingerprints found at an Isis safe house in the Brussels neighbourhood of Forest, where police also found detonators. Police are still hunting for Abdeslams childhood friend Mohamed Abrini, who was filmed at a petrol station after driving him on a French motorway two days before the Paris attacks. They describe him as armed and dangerous. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The two suicide bombers who attacked Brussels airport were reportedly listed in US databases as potential terror threats. NBC News said that according to US officials, Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were known to US counter terrorism authorities prior to Tuesday morning, when the pair and a third man devastated the Belgian capital. A minute's silence is observed at Place de la Bourse in central Brussels (EPA) The officials would not say on which of the many US terrorism databases the brothers were listed. But the disclosure does raise questions about how Belgian authorities could describe the men simple as petty criminals who were not on their counter-terrorism radar, the network said. It also raises questions about the extent to which Western nations are effectively sharing information that could prevent attacks. The security lapses in a country that is home to the European Union and Nato have drawn international criticism of an apparent reluctance to tackle Islamist radicals effectively. The Associated Press said that the Dutch justice minister on Thursday confirmed that one of the Brussels suicide bombers was flown from Turkey to Amsterdam in July, but said that authorities were not told why and had no reason to detain him. In a letter to parliament, Justice Minister Ard van der Steur said that Ibrahim El Bakraoui was put on a plane from Istanbul to the Dutch capital on July 14, but that Turkish officials did not say why and his name wasn't flagged in any Dutch law enforcement databases. Mr Van der Steur said that El Bakraoui had a valid Belgian passport when he arrived in Amsterdam so there was no reason to take any action at Schiphol Airport. It wasn't clear what El Bakraoui did after arriving in the Netherlands. In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A private security guard helps a wounded women outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Wounded people receive assistance by rescuers outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue workers treat victims outside the Maelbeek underground station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers waiting to be evacuated from the train between Arts-Lois and Maelbeek In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency services and police work around a metro station after an explosion in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Rescue teams evacuate wounded people outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A woman is evacuated in an ambulance by emergency services after a explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A Belgian soldier stands guard outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels after a blast at this station located near the EU institutions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police officers stand outside the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian policemen and a soldier carrying an injured person after an explosion at the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A view of the train after the explosion in Maelbeek station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People receive treatment as emergency services attend the scene after an explosion in a main metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Maelbeek Metro station after an explosion on a train in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maelbeek train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Firefighters arrive at the scene near Maalbeek metro station In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency workers arrive at a security perimeter set near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency rescue workers stretcher an unidentified person at the site of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Police seal off the area at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Emergency personnel are seen at the scene of a blast outside a metro station in Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Belgian police and emergency staff arriving in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station Smoke rising from the Maalbeek underground, in Brussels, following a blast at the station close to the capital's European quarter Getty Images In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station People are evacuated from the Schuman station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels metro station The scene outside the Maalbeek underground in Brussels after the explosion President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that El Bakraoui, was caught in June 2015 near Turkey's border with Syria and deported, at his own request, to the Netherlands, with Ankara warning Dutch and Belgian officials that he was a foreign terrorist fighter. Brussels Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Charles Michel, who asked them to stay on. In time of war, you cannot leave the field, sad Mr Jambon, a right-wing Flemish nationalist. The two attacks killed at least 31 people and injured hundreds. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Sami had been in 'the Jungle' for two months when he broke his leg. It was raining that night, as it does 120 days a year in Calais. He climbed on top of a lorry heading to the UK, slipped, and cracked his fibula. He was trying to find his older brother, Adnan, who made the hazardous border crossing a few weeks before. After his injury, the pair lost contact because Samis phone was stolen in the refugee camp. But his brother, for all Adnan knows, might be the only person in his family still alive their parents and sister havent been seen since their home was bombed in Syria. Sami has been living in the Jungle for six months, waiting for news from the British Government. He is 15. When he sees me hell smile for me, but inside hes broken, says Adnan, 18, when we meet him at a refugee centre, where more than a dozen people sleep in some its shabby rooms. He cant go for a walk because of his leg. He has no medicine, antibiotics, and no vitamins or anything to fight infection. No painkillers, so he cries at night from the pain. Brothers Sami and Adnan before they were separated (Peter Yeung) Sami is one of 423 unaccompanied minors living in the Jungle, according to a census carried out by the charity Help Refugees last month. Many of these children have relatives and siblings in the UK; some are as young as nine. The system is simply not working, says Yvette Cooper, chair of Labour's refugee taskforce. The idea that lone child refugees could be caught in a nine month bureaucratic limbo is just appalling. Recommended Read more Calais Jungle refugees sew mouths shut in protest at camp clearance Ms Cooper is concerned at how many children are stuck in the system, with particular reference to the Dublin regulation. It is an EU law that stipulates that an asylum claim must be dealt with in the claimants first country of entry. In order for the asylum claim to be passed on between countries, a take charge request should then be issued to the UK by the French government. Yet Ms Cooper does not know of any requests that have been accepted by the UK in recent years. Why is this happening? I simply don't know. I've not heard any proper explanation. Britain is required to reunite spouses, siblings, and parents with minors, under current immigration law. But the number of people filing applications for asylum in the European Union doubled to a record 1.2 million in 2015, and as a consequence Dublin is creaking badly. The European Commission has even admitted there are systemic deficiencies in the way the current Dublin system is working. As such, amendments to the Immigration Bill are being discussed. This week Lord Alf Dubs, a Labour peer who fled Nazi Germany and entered the UK as an unaccompanied child refugee, succeeded in his call for the country to immediately accept 3,000 unaccompanied children from France and other countries in Europe it passed in the House of Lords, but will face stern opposition in the Commons. Meanwhile, Lord Hylton, a cross-bench peer, has tabled an amendment that would give refugee families more rights to be kept together. These changes could have a very real impact. Since my brother arrived in France he's been in a lot of trouble. Even underage people are getting beaten up, says Ali, 21. His 14-year-old brother, Tariq, was living alone in the southern part of the Jungle before it was demolished. Tariq has now been moved to a shipping container with several other children supervised by volunteers. He can't sleep well at night, reveals Ali. He's quite distressed. Some of the people with him that I spoke with said he talks a lot at night now, which he never used to. Business management student Ali, whose 14-year-old brother Tariq is living alone in the Jungle (Peter Yeung) Ali, who was driven out of Afghanistan by the war in 2008, stayed in Kent with a foster family for five years. Now he lives in north-west London, enrolled as a business management student at university. He wants his brother who travelled across Europe alone for 20 days to follow in his footsteps, having a better education, a better life, a better future. He cant go back to Afghanistan now, and says his family including brother Tariq have been targeted in the past few years because he came to the West. But there are signs of improvement. In January, a UK court ruled that three Syrian teenagers and an adult with mental health problems should be reunited with their relatives and allowed to have their asylum claims heard in Britain. It was a landmark decision against Dublin, with lawyers for the four successfully arguing for the refugees' entitlement to a family life, under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights. More progress was made this week, as three unaccompanied Syrian children arrived in the UK from Calais after a similar ruling. A Syrian refugee's journey across Europe Iona Lawrence of Citizens UK, who worked on the case, says the charity are currently collaborating with the Islington Law Centre, Bhatt Murphy Solicitors and other firms on more than 70 live claims. But there are as many as 170 children in the Calais Jungle that have the legal right to reunification with their family in the UK, according to Lliana Bird, co-founder of Help Refugees. It is unfathomable, Ms Bird says, that the Government are not doing everything possible to prioritise their cases and expedite the claims. Leaving them in the Calais Jungle exposes them to living conditions unfit for any human as well as the very real threat of traffickers, she says. We have a moral as well as legal duty to protect these children. But the Home Office doesnt see it as Britains duty to deal with the Calais refugee situation. Migrants in France are the responsibility of the French Government, which is providing alternative accommodation outside Calais to all migrants, says James Brokenshire, the immigration minister. There is no need for anyone to remain in the camps. We have a long and proud history of offering sanctuary to those who genuinely need it, he adds, acknowledging that there is an issue. It is important that we do all we can to discourage unaccompanied child asylum seekers from making dangerous journeys to reach the UK. Youssef, whose 16-year-old brother Elias is suffering with breathing problems after police fired tear gas (Peter Yeung) Like many other refugee children, Elias, 16, has tried to cross the Channel several times. But on each attempt hes been arrested and taken back to the camp. Hes feeling stressed, says his older brother Youssef, shaking his head. He inhaled some police [tear] gas a month ago and hes very tired from that now. He still has a headache from it. He gets dizzy every day from the gas and he cant breathe like he could before. Youssef, 21, now lives in London, and says hes gone to Calais five times in the last few months to check up on Elias. But his youngest siblings are still in Syria. I try to speak to them every day he says, quietly. Theyre not safe there. But what can they do? Theres nothing they can do now. The army have closed the borders. It is a familiar pattern on the whole, a brotherly phenomenon, in which young boys are sent ahead by their families to find a better life, and care for their younger siblings. If my brother comes here hell live with me, Youssef says. Ill put him in college and well live a normal, good life as a family. According to the EU police agency Europol, more than 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees have disappeared in Europe in the last two years. With new areas demolished each week, the charity Save the Children warns that if the government doesnt provide legal routes to family reunification immediately, lone minors will have to make dangerous choices. Children will be forced to choose between the traffickers or the train tracks, says a spokesperson for the charity. What does Youssef think his baby brother will do now that the Jungle is gradually being destroyed? He pauses. I think hes going to try and cross every day. Names have been changed in this piece in order to protect identities For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A UN war crimes tribunal is set to announce its verdict in the case of former wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. Karadzic became president of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska) in 1992, one month after the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from the former Yugoslavia following a referendum that was boycotted by most Bosnian Serbs. Disagreement from the Bosnian Serbs led to a genocide, in which an estimated 100,000 Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats were killed with others subject to terror tactics including rape as an instrument of terror. Karadzic was arrested in 2008, after going into hiding for more than a decade, for his involvement in several joint criminal enterprises, including participating in an attempt to eliminate Bosnian Muslims in the town of Srebrenica by killing more than 8,000 people, and forcibly removing others. He is also allegedly complicit in the detention of thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in detention facilities, including the Omarska and Trnopolje camps, under conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. The former president is also held responsible for the 44-day siege of the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo which resulted in the killing of at more than 10,000 people including 1,500 children. Karadzic faces 11 charges, including two counts of genocide, five counts of crimes against humanity and four counts of violations of the laws or customs of war. Women mourn Srebrenica victims at the 20th anniversary of the massacre (Getty) The Srebrenica massacre, the genocidal killing of over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by the Bosnian Serb Army of Republika Srpska, occurred in July 1995 during the Bosnian War. Thousands of Bosnian Muslims were systematically murdered in the town of Srebrenica in an ethnic cleansing operation by the Serb forces. Others were forced out of the territory, with over 20,000 being forcibly removed using terror tactics, including the rape of women and girls by Bosnian Serb soldiers. Tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats were held in detention centres during the war, including death camps, predominantly inhabited by men and rape camps where women were subject to sexual enslavement. Inmates at Trnopolje camp (Wikipedia) Thousands of camp inmates were killed, while others were starved, beaten and tortured. Prosecutors hold Karadzic responsible for the actions of the Bosnian Serb Army as the political leader and commander in chief of the Serb forces. The former leader will appear before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) which has already sentenced 80 people for war crimes during the Balkan conflict. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Fears are growing for an Indian priest believed to have been kidnapped by Isis after rumours circulated online suggesting he may be crucified on Good Friday. Tom Uzhunnalil is believed to have been taken from a retirement home in Yemen during an attack by Islamic extremists on 4 March. The group shot 16 people - including four nuns - during the incident at the home in Aden, which is run by missionaries, the International Business Times India said. Father Uzhannalil has not been heard from since, but the Franciscan Sisters of Siessen posted a message on their Facebook page on Sunday claiming they had been informed of his torture, and said they believed he will be crucified on Good Friday. This calls for serious concerted prayers from all of us, the Sisters said. However, a member of Bangalores Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, Bangalore, of which Father Uzhunnalil was previously a part, told the International Business Times India: "There is no information about the whereabouts of Father Tom. We are only praying for him." No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, and officials in Yemen are said to have blamed Isis, although al-Qaeda are also present in the area. A handwritten account of the incident from a nun who was at the home at the time, published on Christian website Aleteian, claims five young Ethiopian Christian men ran to the sisters to tell them Isis were coming to kill them. It describes the brutal killing of many people at the home, and also appears to confirm Father Uzhannalils kidnap. A neighbour saw them put Father Tom in their car. They did not find a trace of Father anywhere, it said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Authorities in Saudi Arabia have executed the 76th person to be put to death in the country this year. Saudi citizen Abdullah al-Harbi was executed after being convicted for murder, state media reported. The manner of the execution was not specified, but many people convicted of criminal charges are beheaded. His death brings the number of executions in the conservative Islamic state to 76, according to AFP news agency, which keeps record of Saudi executions. The number of people executed in Saudi Arabia, a close ally of Britain, in the first three months of 2016 compared to the 153 people killed by the state in all of 2015 - described by Amnesty International as the highest in 20 years. In the Wahabi Saudi interpretation of Sharia law, apostasy, armed robbery, drug trafficking, rape and murder all carry the death penalty. The rate of executions has dramatically increased since the accession of King Salman in January 2015. In January, there was an international outcry following the mass execution of 47 people on terrorism charges, including influential Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Show all 8 1 /8 Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Abdullah al-Zaher Abdullah al-Zaher was arrested at the age of 15 for attending a protest and he is was the youngest in a group of juvenile offenders put on death row Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Abdullah al-Zaher Previously held alongside fellow juvenile offender Ali al-Nimr, whose case sparked outrage around the world, Abdullah has now been moved to solitary confinement at a new facility and could be beheaded at any moment Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Abdullah al-Zaher His family and lawyers believe he was forced to sign a document without knowing its contents, and which later was used as a confession in the closed trial against him Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Ali Mohammed al-Nimr Ali Mohammed al-Nimr faces imminent beheading and crucifixion for crimes he reportedly committed as a child Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Ali Mohammed al-Nimr The UN has issued an urgent call for Saudi Arabia to halt his execution but a Saudi court has upheld the sentence of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, the son of a prominent government dissident, despite growing and high-level international condemnation Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Ali Mohammed al-Nimr Mr al-Nimr, who was arrested in 2012 for his participation in Arab Spring protests when he was just 16 or 17 years old, could now be put to death at any time Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Dawood al-Marhoon Dawood al-Marhoon was 17 year old when he was arrested for participating in an anti-government protest Juveniles on death row in Saudi Arabia Dawood al-Marhoon After refusing to spy on his fellow protesters, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer Saudi Arabia has been criticised by rights groups over it frequent use of the death penalty, one of the highest in the world. Among those facing execution is journalist Alaa Brinji, who has campaigned for womens rights. Accused of apostasy charges including calling for secularist thought and ridiculing Islamic religious figures, he has been denied legal support, according to Amnesty International. He has also been charged with breaching cybercrime laws, which Amnesty International said related to his use of social media. In addition to the death penalty, the country continues to face criticism over its treatment of women and its millitary campaign in Yemen, for which it has been accused of killing civilians in air strikes. In the UK, Saudi Arabia has faced renewed criticism following a documentary which aired this week. Footage in the programme, filmed covertly in the secretive nation, showed public executions, bodies displayed in the streets and public corporal punishment. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Building a supersonic plane isn't the stuff of science fiction. For 27 years, up until 2003, the Concorde plan flew a supersonic route from NYC to London the only problem was that it cost $20,000 a seat and the plane had 100 of them. Now, a new startup wants to upend its legacy and provide something that's not only faster than the Concorde, but also cheaper. And it's already attracted the attention of the Virgin Group, which has options on the first 10 planes, and has offered to help manufacture it. "Were building a supersonic airplane that you can actually afford to fly. No bulls---," Boom founder Blake Scholl told Business Insider. "This thing will actually fly." Scholl has been obsessed with supersonic planes since the Concorde stopped flying in 2003. In 2007, he set up a Google alert to track the next company to try to make one. No one ever did. Recommended Read more New Concorde 2 will do London to New York in an hour flat "If you look back to Concorde, it wasnt really a technical failure, it was an economic failure," Scholl said. By 2016, he's decided to just make one himself and make it affordable. A flight from NYC to London would only take 3.4 hours and cost $5,000 round trip. The regularly 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, would be shaved down to 6 hours. Boom's designs mean the plane would fly at Mach 2.2, or 1,451 m.p.h., more than 2.6 times faster than other airlines today. Whereas the Concorde plane fit 100 people, Boom's smaller plane would only fit 40 to keep the price down and demand up. Supersonic travel is currently forbidden by the FAA over land, so it's starting with only international routes that cover a large portion of water, Scholl explains. His vision, though, would be to make supersonic travel available over land and water. "The real future is supersonic everywhere. To do that, you have to show that this isnt something thats disruptive," Scholl says. A rendering of Boom at Heathrow Airport (Boom) Over the past year, he's assembled a team that's worked on more than 30 different aircraft, from Virgin Galatic's Spaceship Two to helping design the autopilot for Boeing's 787. They're designing the plane so it won't have as loud of a sonic boom where the company gets its name thanks to both its design and its size. Scholl promises the company will start testing subsonic flights of the airplane in late 2017 near Denver. If everything goes according to plan, it will move to testing supersonic flights at Edwards Airforce Base. The Virgin Group, which owns Virgin Airlines, already has the options on the first 10 planes, the company announced Wednesday. Another European carrier, which is unnamed, has options on an additional 15, to a tune of $5 billion, Scholl says. Read more: Tampons are used as a weapon against the EU The bonfire of the hedge funds Apple is unveiling a new iPhone next week Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2015. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Travel to, from and within Brussels remains severely disrupted following the attacks on 22 March. The main airport in the Belgian capital, Zaventem, will remain close until Monday morning at the earliest. Passengers' who were obliged to leave their cars at the airport are being allowed to collect them from some external car parks, but not those connected to the airport itself. Brussels Airlines has resumed some services, but not from its main hub. A reduced service is operating from Antwerp and Liege airports, with free bus connections from the capital. The airline said it would offer alternatives to bring as many passengers as possible to their final destination. British Airways resumes flights to Belgium on Friday, but will be operating to Liege rather than Brussels. The airline says: If you choose to fly from Liege then please be aware that our normal online check-in service will not be available. There will be a free bus service between Liege airport and the main train station in Liege. Lufthansas flights to Brussels remain cancelled until Tuesday, while easyJet has begun to switch passengers to Lille in France. Ryanair has re-directed all of its Zaventem flights until 29 March to Charleroi airport, 30 miles south of Brussels. Passengers are urged to arrive at least three hours before their flight time due to additional security checks. Metro services within Brussels remained partially suspended on Thursday, with some stations not being served. All tram services are operational again, and three road tunnels which had been closed re-opened on Thursday morning. Most buses are running normally. New Brussels airport aftermath video shows total devastation inside terminal Eurostar is running a full train service from London to Brussels, but passengers holding bookings until 29 March have the chance to postpone travel if they wish. The latest Foreign Office travel advice for Belgium says: "There is a high threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including on public transport and transport hubs and in other places visited by foreigners." Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Three days is a very long time for any international diplomat to spend in one place, still more so for a US Secretary of State who seems almost permanently in transit. The length of John Kerrys trip to Moscow, which ends on Friday, is likely to reflect not just the importance the US administration currently attaches to relations with Moscow (for all the frost that afflicts the US Presidents personal relations with Vladimir Putin), but also how sensitive a juncture has been reached. At the top of the agenda for Kerrys talks with Putin - the presidential audience being a sign of the importance Moscow, too, attaches to this trip - was Syria, with the US trying to gauge, for the umpteenth time, how far Russia will go to support President Assad, and Putin doubtless setting out, also for the umpteenth time, that Assads continued hold on power is secondary for Russia to the survival of the Syrian state. Both countries - yes, Russia, too - have much political capital invested in the Geneva talks, and cannot afford them to fail. Recommended Read more The four reasons why Russia has withdrawn from Syria Accorded less advance billing for the Moscow meeting, but no less significant, is Ukraine, and the prospects for a more durable peace than the stalemate to which the country seems to be gravitating in so many ways. While there is reticence on both sides, it is nonetheless possible to detect a feeling - coming from the US, from the EU, and from Moscow - that a Ukraine settlement could just be do-able. Contrary to most expectations, the ceasefire that was the first requirement of the Minsk-2 agreement - brokered by Germany and France, and signed in February 2015 - has more or less held. This makes it unlike its predecessor, the Minsk Protocol of September 2014, which lasted barely three months. John Kerry meets with American astronaut Scott Kelly, centre, and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Korniyenko on the roof of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Moscow (AP) The ceasefire took a while to gain hold, and there have been violations on both sides, but there has been a disengagement of forces; heavy weaponry has been pushed back, and a cordon established. In Kiev, both President Poroshenko and his fractious government have managed to remain in power, although there are new manoeuvrings around the post of prime minister. Some have speculated that the Kremlin saw its intervention in Syria last autumn as a way to distract attention from Russias attempts to consolidate its position in eastern Ukraine. In fact, almost the opposite appears to be true. The transfer of the international media spotlight from Ukraine on to Syria - has allowed Moscow to scale back its involvement, while satisfying Russias newly-aroused popular nationalism with footage of Russian military heroics elsewhere. Recommended Read more Russian strikes on Syria drove out terrorists and helped start talks With Syria dominating the news media, in Russia and the West, both Kiev and the rebel forces in the east have also found it harder to play to the international gallery - which has been no bad thing. The Kiev government and the Ukrainian Parliament have done a reasonable job of passing a mass of new, reformist, legislation - although passing, is far from the same as implementing, and the rebel forces, initially in some disarray, have turned inwards to try to consolidate what they have. The present situation leaves much to be desired. But those who forecast this time last year that a ceasefire would not hold because compliance depended on Russia, and Russias interest was only in destabilising Ukraine, have not been vindicated. Either the situation on the ground was always, and is still, beyond Russias control, or Russia has done its bit to support the ceasefire (up to and including some rather brutal treatment meted out to recalcitrant rebel leaders). In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis That the first provisions of Minsk-2 have largely been observed, however, does not mean that the later provisions will be, too. The next stage is for Kiev to enact - and implement - devolution of powers to the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in the east, in recognition of their special status. This is supposed to include the holding of elections. Thereafter, Moscow is supposed to accept Ukraine as a sovereign state and Kievs control of the whole territory, while also recognising, and enforcing, a proper frontier. Recommended Read more Ukrainian pilot sentenced to 22 years in prison by Russian court But there is enormous resistance in Kiev to devolution, as set out in Minsk-2. There, it is seen as effectively signing off on a divided state, and long-term Russian meddling. Some Western diplomats also warn that Minsk-2 was confusing, and so inimical to Ukraines interests as to be impossible to implement. But the agreement, as it stands, was signed by all parties, and devolution is the price, as Russia sees it, that Kiev accepted for its territorial integrity. Everyone seems to recognise, willingly or not, that Crimea has to be put in a separate diplomatic box. Moscow has stated publicly for months now that it will honour its part of the deal, specifically on territorial integrity and the border - but only when Kiev has delivered on devolution. This is an impasse that will delay, if not scupper, the whole agreement, with the likelihood that Moscow - and Putin - being blamed internationally for a failure that is not theirs. The hope must be that the US and the EU jointly exert pressure on Kiev to keep its part of the bargain. This is partly what the talks in Moscow this week were about. Despite a Western consensus to the contrary, Russias security interests have never been in de-stabilising Ukraine, or even acquiescing in a frozen conflict. Russia wants a stable neighbour, with a statutory border - and that is in Kievs interests, too. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} As a historian of Islamic culture, I have been concerned about religious developments in Brussels. All attention after the recent attacks seems to have been focused on Molenbeek, riddled with poverty and crime, but perhaps we should also look at the higher end of Brussels Muslim society. The Great Mosque in the Cinquantanaire Parc, founded in 1880 as the Oriental Pavilion of the Belgian National Exhibition, had fallen into disrepair and was restored by the Saudis after a 1967 deal with King Baudoin which provided that its imams should come from the Gulf. This has resulted in a continuing supply of extremist Salafi teachers. In 2012 the Belgian government did act and expelled Khalid al Abri (or el Ebri), the director of the Islamic Cultural Centre based in the mosque. Al Abri was a supporter of the infamous Takfiri doctrine, which is willing to use violence against Muslims accused of apostasy. It thus spreads immense fear and pressure within the Muslim community as well as outside it, and although al Abri has left the country he may have had continuing influence. Investigators should look at the wealthier and respectable levels of Islamic activity, backed by the huge wealth of the Saudis. Jane Jakeman Oxford Whenever terrorists launch an attack on other societies, such as Chechen attacks in Russia, Tamils in Sri Lanka, or Kurds in Turkey, the media feel obliged, quite correctly, to explain what are the factors that account for such shocking acts. When terrorists strike against us in the West our media and political leaders would prefer us to accept it as irrational madness. Almost all terrorism is an ultimate expression of frustration fuelled by a sense of social injustice. It is an abomination in human terms and cannot be justified, but nevertheless when it happens the answer to Why us? must be sought. We are seen by many as lacking the moral compass to forcefully condemn brutal repressive regimes because the cost/benefit analysis proves this would be financially damaging. We are seen as the purveyors of terrifying weapons and arms that facilitate mass murder on a staggering scale. And finally, we arrogantly see ourselves as licensed to interfere in any society or culture that incurs our displeasure. We must decide whether we continue with this deal with the devil and accept the price terrorism or change our ways. John Dillon Birmingham The NHS truly is on its knees In the nearly 18 years that I have been qualified, I have never before felt so hopeless about the state and future of the NHS. The service is truly on its knees, struggling to meet an insatiable demand, fed in part by a consumer approach to healthcare where it must be available 24/7 irrespective of the actual need.The situation is driven by a number of factors including a population suffering unprecedented levels of obesity and diabetes, an ageing population with complex healthcare needs and relentless cuts to the social care budget. Add to this a government which believes that, as every part of any public service is wasteful, the solution to all of the problems must lie with endless drives for efficiency savings and continuing pointless reorganisations, when the real problem remains the woeful underfunding of the service. In addition the current Secretary of State for Health believes that the way to address a crisis in junior doctor morale is to impose a hateful contract and tell them that they will come to love it eventually. One thing is clear: the NHS cannot continue the way it is. Either we are prepared to have an honest cross-party debate between politicians and the public about the type of health care we want and what we are prepared to pay for it, or we accept that the NHS is truly finished, with the private sector ready to swallow up the most profitable parts. Judging by the current state of affairs, I worry that it all may start unravelling sooner than we think. Dr Justin Edwards London N21 Older generation had a tough time too Well done Mary Dejevsky (24 March) for helping to put right the myth that pensioners have never had it so good. When I got married 45 years ago we had little money. My husband and I worked day and night every hour we could to save a deposit for our first property, which was derelict and needed full restoration. We had to do this work ourselves over the course of many years as we could not afford professionals. While raising our three children I would go out to work when my husband returned home from working long hours. There was not the option of child-minding. Holidays were out of the question. After 25 years service in local government I retired in 2014 with a pension of 8,000. Most pensioners nowadays help the younger generation in many ways. You only need to look around to see grandparents providing free childminding. I feel really sorry for the younger generation and the struggles they are having with housing and employment. I certainly believe more needs to be done to make this a more equal society. But please dont lay financial hardship at the doorstep of pensioners. We have had it hard as well and are not all living in mansions dining on caviar. Eleanor Jarvis Enfield, Greater London The customer is all right no problem! My experience in dealing with bar staff and shop assistants (letters, 24 March), who tend to be somewhat younger than myself, goes something like this. Scenario: ordering a pint. Bar staff: Yorl right there? Me: Yes Im fine thank you and how are you? Bar staff: Im good ta. Pause. Eventually, bar staff: What can I get you? Me: Ah, I thought youd never ask. Ill have a pint of please, stating my preference. Bar staff: No problem. Me: If I thought there was going to be a problem, I probably wouldnt have asked. Bar staff serves me with my pint, I pay for it. Me: Thank you. Bar staff: No problem. Aaaargh! John Sheldon Holbrook, Derbyshire Chirpy Barista or Sales Assistant : Y OK there? Customer: How kind of you to ask. We..e..ell... (Insert own choice of current aches, pains and sundry Health Issues, real and imagined). Brightens everyones day! Sue Breadner Douglas, Isle of Man Entering a Scottish hotel, where I had a reservation, I introduced, myself by saying, Good evening. My name is Simpson. I was relieved by her reply: Thats no problem, sir. Robert Simpson Gorebridge, Midlothian Tories bray and Labour yawns A pity that Tom Peck (23 March) did not report on that close-knit little group of MPs sitting just behind the Labour leader as he made his fine response to the Chancellors original Budget. Clearly averse to listening to Corbyn, one of the little group caught on television yawned, fidgeted, played with her iPad and leant across to chat with her neighbours who demonstrated their boredom by brandishing and consulting a weighty document they all possessed. I am appalled by the braying hooliganism of too many Conservative MPs. But I am even more appalled by the ostentatious contempt certain Labour MPs show for a leader whose intelligent and restrained behaviour puts most of our politicians as well as certain of our journalists to shame. Carla M Wartenberg London NW3 No longer a Christian nation I was surprised by the claim that less than half of the UK will identify as Christians by 2050 (Faith restored by rise of churchless Christians, 24 March). Actually, weve been there since 2009. The British Social Attitudes survey has been tracking religious affiliations every year since 1983, when 67 per cent of those surveyed said that they regarded themselves as belonging to Christianity. That figure has been falling ever since, first hit 50 per cent in 1998 and has been below 50 per cent every year since 2009. The most recent (2014) figure is 42 per cent. We may still be living in a resolutely Christian state, but we are no longer a Christian nation. Toby Keynes Chair, Humanist & Secularist Liberal Democrats, Purley, Surrey News with the right balance Opening your paper has been a visual delight: perfectly balanced layout, gorgeous photos, the peace of the white space, the typefaces. Thank you, creatives, you made news into an art form. Cathryn Ryall Stourbridge, West Midlands The real problem remains the woeful underfunding of the service Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} For the first time in the NHS history, junior doctors working in emergency specialties myself included will walk-out in defiance of the Governments inexorable agenda to impose a dangerous contract on our progressively anaemic profession. The announcement by the British Medical Association (BMA) yesterday, will see escalation of pre-planned industrial action on 26th and 27th April, to include a full walkout of junior doctors, covering both routine and emergency specialties. During this time, patients will not be neglected, but rather left in the expert hands of consultants for which the contracts terms do not apply - yet. Recommended Read more Muslims like me are asked the same questions after terrorist attacks All the same, it is inevitable, and in fact very necessary, that such action applies a strain to services sufficient enough to force higher powers to rethink their ambitions. The moral ambiguity of this action, therefore, will be questioned amongst those on both sides of the debate, given the professions underlying duty of nonmaleficence. A small proportion will refuse on principle to participate; an admissible standpoint, that will almost certainly be supported by an equal share of the media and public alike. Whilst such a position is understandable, it may be naive if not short-sighted given that the risk of collateral damage is not unique to industrial action alone, but a central concern of the new contract itself. With the Government hell-bent on delivering on their manifesto pledge of a seven day NHS, it is entirely reasonable that those of us that work within it question the feasibility of doing so on a budget or to be more precise, no budget. Recommended Read more Our reaction to the Brussels bombings versus Ankara is worrying Assuming neither party wish to compromise service coverage and quality, two mutually exclusive contract parameters have been promised: 'cost-neutrality and protection to pay and working hours for junior doctors. Within this self-imposed paradigm of cost-neutrality, employing extra doctors is prohibited financially, and indeed is not reflected in any plans to have reached the BMAs eyes, so far. To rely on the existing, cachectic, workforce to manage the increased demands, you necessarily have to work them harder and longer to cope with the shortfall. This, of course, is our concern. Not just because many already work within a whisker of mental and physical burnout, but because it very much risks patient safety; the link between fatigue and adverse events are as well documented in medicine as they are in aviation. And thus, in my eyes, the decision is clear. Until a safe and evidence-based alternative is mutually agreed, the fight continues. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In 1999, the undercover reporter Donal MacIntyre appeared on the cover of the Radio Times with secret cameras taped to his chest. The stunt attracted a combined audience of more than 10 million people for the first two episodes of MacIntyre Undercover. Almost two decades later, the media landscape has completely changed. It is not just that mainstream television audiences have diminished; it is that appetites for white, male journalists (and I speak as one of those) telling us what is wrong in the world have rightly diminished. Shows such as Gogglebox and digital services such as YouTube have put ordinary people at the heart of broadcasting. Recommended Read more The Djokovic approach to economics is fraught with unforced errors Television has been democratised. There is no less wrong in the world to be exposed, of course, but there are now newer and perhaps better ways to expose it. Ordinary people can, and are, becoming covert, undercover television reporters for themselves. When ITV broadcast its Saudi Arabia Uncovered documentary this week, most of the footage shown was obtained by individual Saudis who risked their lives to record footage and smuggle it out. At the start of the film, a Saudi campaigner was given a secret camera to try to expose inequality and cruelty himself. For six months, Yasser risked arrest and extreme punishment to show the world what life is actually like for most of those inside Saudi Arabia. Phone footage of chaos and prisoners abusing their cell mate from inside a Saudi jail were broadcast alongside exclusive footage of rare protests on the street. Over the past decade, the trend towards Do It Yourself undercover filming has been gathering steam. In 2012, when I was the producer-director of a Panorama episode which used secret filming to expose abuse at a care home, I was surprised that a family member of a resident had managed, by themselves, to capture sufficient evidence of abuse to lead to a conviction. In 2014, we broadcast another major investigation into mistreatment and neglect inside two of Britains care homes. This time, we sent a reporter to work undercover in one home, but we also broadcast footage filmed by a granddaughter of a resident in a second home, who had captured harrowing evidence of her bedridden grandmother being left for hours calling out for help. There are still times and places where it is necessary for a reporter to go in, undercover. For example, when the BBCs Panorama learnt of serious allegations of abuse being covered up at a privately run prison for 12- to 18-year-olds in Kent, we painstakingly gathered evidence and hired an undercover reporter to work there. There have been arrests and suspensions as a result of that investigation and a number of reviews are under way into how Panorama could have exposed abuse that so many agencies should have picked up long before. But secret filming, whether recorded using professional secret cameras purchased over the internet or simply on smartphones, has become a feature of modern reporting and gives victims power to tell their stories. As technology improves, it will only become more affordable and more prevalent. It is not a straightforward phenomenon. For ordinary people, capturing covert film poses ethical and practical dilemmas. They could be hurt if they are discovered filming, and too often cameras can be deployed without sufficient thought: is it really necessary to use secret filming, are there other ways that problems could be resolved? For journalists, there are new challenges as well: we do not encourage people to take matters into their own hands but once they have, how do we judge, assess and support such endeavours, safely and ethically? But if done judiciously, carefully and safely, secret filming can spark huge social change and it is coming to a care home, nursery, factory or even totalitarian dictatorship near you. Joe Plomin is a director-producer for the BBC and the author of Hidden Cameras, published by Jessica Kingsley Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} As a teacher working in New Zealand, I watched with fascination as the debate over the change to the nations flag, and the resulting referendum, played out. Now we know the result: the silver fern has been rejected, and the Union Jack remains. Despite being British, I didnt have any strong feelings about the outcome if the citizens of New Zealand chose to dispense with the symbol of colonialism, then so be it. What surprised me was just how strongly the children I teach felt about it, and how attached they were to their cultural history. In a survey conducted by students in my class, polling 120 11 to 13-year-olds, 71 per cent wanted to keep the old flag and only 29 per cent wanted the new silver fern flag. When asked about their motivations, they said the old New Zealand flag represented their past. It was the flag that their ancestors fought under in the world wars, and the flag they have used to represent their place in the world. They also said they saw the flag change as a vanity project by the Prime Minister, John Key, wanting to make his mark before he gets kicked out of office. And I agree. This vote was ill-timed and out of touch with national feeling. Before Key started talking about it, there was little genuine call for a new national flag. In fact, the nation had only last year marked the 100th anniversary of Anzac day, remembering the contribution of New Zealand in World War One. That event, a veritable feast of flag-waving, prompted no such questions. Yet, once the flag debate began, an important matter arose: one of the key arguments for changing the flag was that the old one failed to represent Maori culture - integral to modern New Zealand, and a critical part of its citizens shared history. But how did the new designs represent the Maori people? Students pointed out that swapping the Union Jack for the silver fern would not help in that endeavor at all. No wonder residents were so apathetic about it. Recommended Read more Jeremy Corbyn must sack his top team if he wants to survive My students, and most people of New Zealand, simply dont care about the Union Jack. The only reason some supported a change was to differentiate the nation from Australia. The Australian flag was, it is claimed, copied from New Zealand: both depict the UK flag and the Southern Cross. What Kiwis rarely understand is that, by aligning themselves with Australia so symbolically, overseas they are not seen as different. No doubt Key was aware of that when he wanted to create a new identity for himself and his nation internationally. But, without support at home, thats not reason enough to waste time, money and political energy on such a pointless exercise. My young students were right: this was nothing more than an expensive vanity project. Traders work at their desks in front of the German share price index, DAX board. Photo: Reuters European shares erased gains, heading towards their third daily retreat, as energy producers and miners tumbled amid sliding commodity prices. By mid-afternoon in Dublin, the ISEQ Overall Index had bucked the trend, however, rising 0.49pc, or 30.28 points, to 6,209.23. The mid-afternoon leaders included Ryanair, which had reversed its losses in the wake of the Brussels attacks on Tuesday, rising 2.2pc to 13.70, while Kerry Group increased 1.7pc to 81.73. On the other side of the board, the laggards included Paddy Power Betfair, which slipped 1.4pc to 115.45 as it announced former Paddy Power chief executive Andy McCue is to leave at the end of April. Mr McCue had become chief operating officer of the recently merged betting giant. Building materials group CRH also fell 1pc to 24.54. Elsewhere, the Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 0.3pc to 339.26 at 3:06pm in London, erasing earlier gains of as much as 0.6pc. The volume of shares changing hands was 29pc lower than the 30-day average. The VStoxx Index, a measure of volatility on the Euro Stoxx 50 Index, rebounded 1.6pc, set for a third day of gains, after closing at a three-month low last week. Total SA paced losses among oil companies as crude extended declines after data showed a higher-than-forecast increase in US inventories. Anglo American led miners lower. Lenders were also among the worst performers on the equity gauge as KBW Asset Management said the European banking sector will struggle to meet its cost of equity over the next three years. European shares on Tuesday recovered most losses incurred after bomb blasts at Brussels airport and a central subway station killed at least 31 people and injured more than 230. Belgian security forces have raided homes in the capital city as they hunt the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks. A money changer poses for the camera with a US dollar (R) and the amount being given when converting it into Iranian rials (L), at a currency exchange shop in Tehran's business district The United States is not standing in the way of foreign banks doing business with Iran, a senior US official said yesterday, but his comments appeared unlikely to satisfy frustrated businessmen and Iranian officials. Most international sanctions against Iran's economy were lifted in January after Tehran implemented a deal with world powers to curb its nuclear program. But Washington kept some sanctions that were originally imposed over missile proliferation and alleged support of terrorism. The fear of being caught up in those remaining sanctions has deterred most foreign banks from restoring links with Iran, angering the Iranian government, which complains it is not getting economic benefits it was promised in the nuclear deal. Bank of Ireland said last month that it would not be removing its restrictions on Iranian-related banking transactions. AIB declined to comment as to its plans. Bank of Ireland said that while certain sanction restrictions in relation to Iran have been lifted since January 16, "ongoing complications and risks persist, including the continued application of US primary sanctions". The latter relate to terrorism and human rights violations. In a statement, Bank of Ireland pointed out that it adheres to European Union, HM Treasury, United Nations and US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control Financial Sanctions requirements. Chris Backemeyer, principal deputy coordinator for sanctions policy at the US Department of State, said US officials were meeting business leaders around the world to assure them that Washington was complying with the nuclear agreement. "We've tried to make it 100pc clear," Mr Backemeyer said, where he was meeting local and international companies to explain what the US saw as legitimate business with Iran and what it viewed as illegitimate. He said that while US banks were still banned from dealing with Iran as part of a trade embargo that remains in place - effectively blocking US dollar transactions, since they would ultimately be cleared in the United States - Washington would not penalise foreign banks for doing business in other currencies. However, Mr Backemeyer also said foreign banks would need to demonstrate they had performed due diligence to ensure they were not doing business with sanctioned entities in Iran, such as companies linked to the Revolutionary Guards. That appeared unlikely to reassure bankers from Europe, the Middle East and other countries. (Additional reporting Reuters) Here are the main business stories from this morning's papers: Irish Independent * Dublin-based airline CityJet has been sold by German owners Intro Aviation to founder Pat Byrne and a group of investors. And in an exclusive interview with the Irish Independent, Mr Byrne said that CityJet is likely to pursue a stock market flotation in two to three years' time, as he predicted a reversal of fortunes for the carrier. Mr Byrne declined to reveal precisely who his new co-owners in the airline are, or what price was paid to Intro Aviation, which had bought loss-making CityJet from Air France-KLM in 2014 for virtually nothing. * Almost one in three small businesses feel they haven't benefited from the economic recovery. And three-quarters of those surveyed said the tax treatment of the self-employed is unfair. The survey of 500 small businesses by Big Red Cloud found that just 8pc said they had seen a significant upsurge in business as a result of the recovery. * Executive director pay at packaging giant Smurfit Kappa totalled 10m last year, as Tony Smurfit took over the helm of the company from Gary McGann. The company's annual report, published yesterday, shows that Mr Smurfit, who succeeded Mr McGann as chief executive last September, was paid a total of 1.5m in 2015, with an additional total benefit of 1.8m under the group's long-term incentive plan (LTIP). That total of 3.3m compared to the total 4.9m Mr Smurfit was paid in 2014. Mr Smurfit also announced his retirement, effective yesterday, from the board of drinks maker C&C. The Irish Times * Following an investigation by the Central Bank last year, some 20 retail investment intermediaries are facing proceedings that may include the revocation of their licenses. According to a report in The Irish Times the Central Bank found that 325 brokers did not meet its minimum mandatory reporting obligations. The report says that 171 of those 325 are now compliant, while another 134 have sought voluntary revocation of their authorisation. * Glanbia chief executive Siobhan Talbot saw her overall renumeration rise by 16pc last year to almost 1.9m. Ms Talbot's renumeration package breaks down into a basic salary of 750,000, a bonus of 563,000, and a pension contribution of 199,000. The group's finance director Mark Garvey received a total pay packet of 984,000, up 18pc. * National newspaper revenue increased by 5.5pc last year up to 164.5m according to new figures from NewsBrands Ireland. The figures, which cover both print and digital editions, showed the first annual increase in revenue since 2007. Spending by advertising agencies also increased by 8pc to 98.4m. Irish Examiner * Operating profits at luxury handbag maker Hermes increased by 19pc last year despite the November attacks in Paris, which dented sales in its home market. The company filed an operating profit of 1.54bn, which was ahead of analysts predictions of 1.54bn. The firm's profit margin also increased to 31.8pc. * Pre-tax profits at the firm that operates Northern Ireland's most popular visitor attraction fell by 31pc to 800,697 (1m) last year. New accounts filed by Titanic Belfast Ltd show that the firm sustained the drop in pre-tax profits in spite of revenues increasing by 7pc to 11.66m (14.7m). The directors' report states that in the year under review to the end of March last, the centre attracted "an impressive" 625,000 visitors. * Paddy Power-Betfair has said it has no immediate plans to fill the role being vacated by outgoing chief operating officer, Andy McCue. The role is due to be subsumed by the recently-merged group's chief executive, Breon Corcoran. Mr McCue had been with Paddy Power since 2006 and took over as the firm's chief executive Patrick Kennedy. William Hill warned over profits after its online trading was hit and the group suffered the "worst" Cheltenham horse racing results in recent history. Photo: PA British bookmaker William Hill warned on full-year profit yesterday, citing Cheltenham festival losses and new rules that have dented income from high-value online customers. Operating profit this year could be as low as 260m (328m), the company said. The update to the market sent shares down by as much as 14pc. A tougher regulatory environment and advances in mobile technology are changing the face of Britain's gambling sector and former market leader William Hill has slipped down the pecking order after merger deals among rivals such as Ladbrokes and Paddy Power Betfair. The larger companies can divert savings into higher marketing spend and potentially offer a wider array of improved products on smartphones and tablets. William Hill, meanwhile, has been hit hard by regulatory changes that allow customers concerned by the level of their gambling to instigate self-imposed temporary exclusions from a company's betting services. Customer self-exclusions in the first quarter rose 50pc from the previous three months, Davy equities research analyst David Jennings wrote in a note. "It seems that William Hill's larger exposure to high-value gaming customers has led to it being impacted more by recent regulatory changes governing self-exclusion," he said. Profit at William Hill's online segment, which contributes about 35pc to overall revenue, is expected to fall by between 20m and 25m this year, the company said. Online gross win margins were 190 basis points below expectations at 6.2pc in the first quarter, it said, hurt in part by results at the Cheltenham horse racing festival. "Fifty-five percent of the winners were either the first or second favourite... so in summary, all the favourites punters wanted to bet (on) actually came first," chief executive James Henderson told Reuters. The company is not alone in cursing Cheltenham - a favourite among Irish punters - this year. Ladbrokes, which UBS analysts said has greater exposure to horse racing than William Hill, bemoaned "the most expensive week here that we can remember". William Hill said it expects 2016 operating profit to be in the range of 260m to 280m, compared with 291.4m last year. Shares were down by 11.3pc at 329 pence by lunchtime. (Reuters) A number of financial brokers are failing to comply with regulatory rules, the Central Bank said. A targeted probe by the bank found 325 brokerage firms had failed to submit annual returns, with issues around many of those that did submit returns. The inspections comprised unannounced visits over a 14-week period. Following the investigation, 134 firms have now sought voluntary revocation of their authorisation from the Central Bank. Regulators said another 171 companies are now meeting reporting obligations. Not submitting an annual return can pose a serious threat to the Central Bank's objectives, as non-compliance in one area can often be a sign of wider issues which can negatively impact on consumers, it said. The director of consumer protection at the Central Bank, Bernard Sheridan, inset, said the probe had forced brokers to ensure they observe regulatory rules. "While this targeted approach may be resource-intensive, it has resulted in increased overall compliance in the retail intermediary sector with 92pc now meeting reporting obligations which will enable us to effectively supervise them." Mr Sheridan said the Central Bank has a strong consumer protection framework in place to ensure that customers of retail intermediaries are protected. "Although many of these firms are small and are categorised as low impact under the Central Bank's risk assessment framework, we have a clear and tailored strategy in place for these firms which includes the analysis of annual online returns and regular thematic inspections of the sector," he added. The Central Bank is responsible for supervising over 2,600 retail intermediaries in Ireland. This includes insurance, reinsurance, investment and mortgage brokers. Since 2011 retail intermediaries are required to submit an annual online return to the Central Bank. This is considered a key supervisory tool to identify key risk indicators, such as when a firm fails key financial health checks or does not have the correct level of Professional Indemnity Insurance in place. MasterCard shows off a host of new payment verification methods in Dublin, including an eye scanner, which maps the blood vessels in a user's eyes. MasterCard is putting a major emphasis on the Internet of things as it looks to make payments even more seamless. A smart fridge that will order your groceries and a phone that scans your eyes are no longer unrealistic. The payments giant showed off a host of new apps and devices to international press at its office in Dublin this week. The new apps are being developed by the firm's innovation arm known as 'Labs', which is headquartered in Ireland. However, despite numerous innovations in the mobile payment space, MasterCard firmly believes that cash and card payments still have some way to go before dying out. MasterCard's president for international markets, Ann Cairns, said that cash, cards and mobile will exist side by side for "quite a number of years". "We've been saying for the last five years 85pc of the world's consumer transactions are cash. That number hasn't gone down. "The reason it hasn't gone down is because the amount of transactions are growing significantly every year as personal consumption globally grows by around 5pc," she said. Ms Cairns hailed the use of contactless across the world and said that it has not caused an increase in fraud. The MasterCard president used Australia as an example, where the limit on contactless payments has risen to AU$100 (67). In October, the limit on contactless was raised to 30 in Ireland. "I do see the banks thinking about raising the limit on contactless in Europe," Ms Cairns said. "It's a good customer experience and they can take the data from Australia and see what's happening." Despite Ireland being considered a largely cash-based economy, MasterCard employs around 320 people at its technology hub in Leopardstown in South Dublin. The payments company showed off a number of apps that it's currently working on to make day-to day-payments easier, including Qkr! (quicker). Qkr! is a new mobile payments app that makes paying at restaurants much easier. When you enter a restaurant your waiter will give you a four digit code, which you enter into Qkr!. After that you're synced with the restaurants order-taking system. This means you no longer have to ask for the bill. Instead you can pay using your phone, which you will have pre-loaded your bank card onto and then walk out. As well as Qkr! MasterCard showed off 'SelfiePay' a payment confirmation method that allows you to take a picture of yourself instead of entering your PIN code. The company said it will look to launch the new app in the Summer to selected markets. Ireland unfortunately is not included in its initial release. While MasterCard makes commission from each payment its data usage should excite investors even more. Chief innovation officer Garry Lyons said with the amount of data the firm has collected it can now predict the effect of a new product launch or a new store opening. "A retailer should never open an outlet in a bad location because there is already information about spend in that area, availability, relevance of peer group and so on and so forth," Mr Lyons said. The company isn't limiting itself to in-person or 'point-of-sale' transactions either. It is also developing chat bots that can interact with you on messenger apps so you can order food through Facebook. A lot of the new innovations have come from MasterCard's in-house team. The company is looking to harness the ideas of its own employees to develop new ways of paying. While Mr Lyons conceded that not all the ideas would take off in mass market, he did say that some of them would. The MasterCard chief said that a world with all of the devices put on show is not far away and that it is far from fantasy. "The reality is that's going to happen," he said. April's free Games with Gold titles on Xbox One and Xbox 360 have been revealed, and it's shaping up to be a good month. Microsoft today announced Aprils free Games with Gold titles on Xbox One and Xbox 360, and its one of the best ones yet. For the entire month of April, The Wolf Among Us will be free to download for Xbox One owners, as previously reported. Insomniacs Sunset Overdrive will be available between April 16th and May 15th. Xbox One owners will also be able to download the two free titles being released on Xbox 360. Dead Space will be free from April 1st to 15th with Saints Row IV becoming freely available between April 16th and 30th. Check out the trailer to see the four Games with Gold titles in action. John Carmack, one of the founding members of id Software is to be honoured with a BAFTA Fellowship at the ceremony in April John Carmack is a name synonymous with some of the most significant games in history, including Wolfenstein 3D, Quake and Doom. But we'll always remember him for Commander Keen! As a lead programmer, Carmack was responsible for the Keen series which was the first game from a brand new company called id Software. In 1991, they invented the modern first person shooter with Wolfenstein 3D and went on to release classic titles like Doom, Doom II, Hexen, Quake, Quake II, Quake III: Arena, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Doom 3, Quake 4 and Rage. There are few more influential programmers in the history of the industry, and it's fitting that Carmack is to be honoured with the BAFTA Fellowship at the British Academy Game Awards in April. Carmack is still innovating, now working directly with Oculus Rift as their CTO and intent on bringing the power of virtual reality to as many people as possible. On the Fellowship, he had this to say: "Receiving a BAFTA Fellowship is a great honour. Over the course of my career, Ive remained passionate about the potential for engineering and technology improvements to expand the range of human creativity. Graphics, networking, extendable platforms, and now virtual reality; each has enabled magnificent new things that delight millions of people. I am as excited about the future today as I was when I started." It's a well deserved reward, and will be handed out during the ceremony on the 7th of April, hosted by Dara OBriain. A Google Maps error led a demolition crew astray, causing them to demolish the wrong house. Their intended target was a block away. Google Maps can be a great resource, but you shouldnt put all your confidence in it as this incident shows. A house in Texas was torn down by mistake because of a Google Maps error. The house had been damaged by a tornado and was in line to be repaired and rebuilt. Instead, it was torn down instead of the intended house, which was located a block away. The demolition company, Billy L. Nabors Demolition, is apparently blaming Google Maps for the error. It even sent the homeowner a screenshot of the Google Maps display, according to Engadget. The company is reportedly yet to apologise for its error. This isnt the first time that GPS has led demolition crews astray. While mapping services such as Google Maps can help you find your way and your ultimate destination, there are some issues and blind spots. The house is in Rowlett, Texas. Google Maps has since been updated and fixed, but a rep from the company has said that it has no comment and that the situation is under investigation. Google Photos has a load of ways to make sharing your moments easier than ever, and now it will dynamically create albums too If you're not using Google Photos you really should be - it's a great way to curate and keep your photos and videos online, and it's totally free to use for unlimited storage at a relatively decent resolution. And now it's even better. The free app on Android and iOS and the web now features Smart Albums. After you've been on a trip, it will automatically take note of what you were up and create a folder of your best snaps from the day including who were with and what you got up to. The software will also add location pins and handy maps which track your progress, which will look especially great if you covered a lot of ground. Here's how it all comes together. It's very slick and the software is getting better and better at knowing when you took a good shot and when the camera just awkwardly slipped. On paper this looks very like the way Google Photos used to create Stories automatically, with the same elements of photos, videos and location pins. The difference this time seems to be that you can build you own albums anytime, and also that you can add captions easily. However these experiences are served up to users, it's still a great feature to have. And all the more so because it's entirely free. Smart Albums are on the Android and iOS apps and desktop now. London's finance industry would "flourish mightily" if Britain votes to leave the European Union on June 23, mayor Boris Johnson told British politicians yesterday. Citing discussions with unidentified senior bankers, Mr Johnson, a leading opponent of Prime Minister David Cameron's campaign to keep the UK in the 28-nation bloc, said support for staying in the European Union is "shallow" among business leaders. "What has struck me in private conversations I occasionally have with leading bankers is how finely balanced they believe it to be, and they say they don't think it will do any damage to London's position as a leading financial centre," Mr Johnson said. He was appearing in front of the House of Commons Treasury Committee in London yesterday. "When you dig into these people's opinions, they're much less strongly held than you might suppose." Mr Johnson announced he would be backing a so-called Brexit last month in a blow to the premier and the "Remain" campaign. His decision has won him the support of rank-and-file members of the Conservative Party and made him favourite with bookmakers to replace David Cameron as prime minister. "I think the City would continue to flourish outside the EU, flourish mightily," Mr Johnson said. "The critical mass is here in London for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with the EU." The London mayor, who compared "scaremongering" about the effects of Brexit to the exaggerated warnings over the 'Millennium bug', dismissed warnings from some forecasters that sterling could plummet if Britain leaves the EU, saying the economy would become more competitive. The pound "will be as strong and robust as the UK economy," he insisted. "The risks are with remaining in the EU. Why should we remain tethered to this anti-democratic system?" Mr Johnson said that "there are good political arguments" for staying in the bloc "but I don't think there are good economic arguments". The mayor was accused of "exaggeration to the point of a misrepresentation" by the committee chairman, fellow Tory politician Andrew Tyrie. He was asked about allegations he has made about over-regulation by the EU on issues as diverse as coffin sizes, children's party balloons and the composting of tea bags. Some of the stories are "a figment of your imagination", Mr Tyrie told the mayor. Mr Johnson defended his statements and said he would provide the committee with detailed evidence to back them up. The broader issue that they illustrate is the influence of European regulation on British life and business, he said. "The advantage of a Brexit is we could amend those regulations; without Brexit you can do nothing," Mr Johnson said. (Bloomberg) US president Barack Obama displayed his impressive dance skills as he attempted the tango on a state visit to Argentina. Obama and his wife Michelle were attending a state dinner in Buenos Aires with Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Wednesday night. They were entertained by renowned Argentine dance star Moro Godoy and her partner who gracefully performed the tango in front of their table. Godoy invited the US president up to dance and after an initial moment of hesitation, Obama took her outstretched hand and tried some basic tango steps. While we wouldn't say Obama will be lining up to join Dancing with the Stars, he was able to hold his own on the dancefloor with some smooth moves that seemed to come easy to him. The dance ended with Godoy taking his hand back in hers and doing a number of turns before allowing the president to spin her around for a finale that ended with her leg drawn up high against his. Nearby, first lady Michelle Obama tangoed with another dancer. After the dance ended, she and the president's partner exchanged a few words and smiles. Obama said earlier in the day his visit to Argentina marked a "new beginning" for Argentine-U.S. relations. But for some the U.S. president's visit has not been so welcome. Obama's visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of the coup on March 24, 1976, that installed right-wing military rule and was initially backed by Washington. As many as 30,000 people were killed during the coup, which ran between 1976 and 1983. Obama will pay his respect to its victims Thursday by visiting a memorial in Buenos Aires and declassifying U.S. documents that human-rights activists hope will offer some insight on the regimes atrocities. Period dramas are her forte, but it looks like Aoibhin Garrihy is getting a bum deal for her latest role. Ex-Fair City star Aoibhin will soon tread the boards once again for her latest stage show, The Importance of Being Earnest. The recent dress rehearsals at the Gate Theatre took a humorous turn when Aoibhin tried on a new addition to her costume - a bum pad. The 28-year-old actress will use the prop to add a little oomph to her costume when she takes on the role of Gwendoline Fairfax. Expand Close Aoibhin Garrihy. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aoibhin Garrihy. As is often the case with period drama garb, the bum pad is used to bulk out the extravagant dresses that were all the rage in the 1800s. But super-slim Aoibhin was taking it all in her stride, jokingly asking "Does my bum look big in this?" during costume fitting. Aoibhin will join Gate Theatre boss Michael Colgan and the cast of The Importance of Being Earnest when they head to South Carolina for the Spoleto Festival in May. It's not the only unconventional wardrobe feature that Aoibhin will have to get to grips with during the production. "I'm back into the corsets," she told the Herald. "Every second year the Gate Theatre brings a production to the festival over there, so we're going this year and I'm really looking forward to it." Aoibhin is currently playing the role of D4 queen Sorcha in Ross O'Carroll Kelly's Breaking Dad at the Gaiety Theatre, which runs there until tomorrow. The Castleknock native will wed hotelier John Burke in his Armada Hotel in Clare beauty spot Spanish Point this September. Video of the Day The lavish reception will be followed by a ceremony in her parents native Doolin. The Rising was roundly condemned by many contemporaries, an irony often commented upon in the years since it took place. Yet the reasons for this aren't hard to understand, and should not be dismissed as the work of so-called 'west Brits' and 'Castle Catholics'. Hostility & Angry Mobs Irish unionists and the British authorities were naturally unimpressed by the Easter Rising. But neither were many Home Rule nationalists, who felt that their prospect of getting Home Rule after the war was undermined by events in Dublin; some went so far as to view the Rising as an attack on Home Rule as much as the British. Then there were the views of those who were literally on the ground. Many of the insurgents who fought in 1916 recorded the hostility of the families of serving soldiers across the city (some went so far as to say that their British captors had saved them from angry mobs). There was a widespread perception (shared by Redmond) that the Volunteers were in cahoots with the Germans; from that point of view, those who fought in the Rising were stabbing other Irishmen sons, husbands, brothers in the back, and doing so in relatively safe circumstances at home; as one irate lady on Bridgefoot Street shouted at the young Volunteer Sean McLoughlin, its out in Flanders you should be, you bastards. Alongside this was the fact that the Rising had caused massive death and destruction, and disrupted everyday life in the city; Oscar Traynor recalled how he and his fellow Volunteers were accused by one irate Dubliner of being starvers of the people. Hostility to the Rising on these various grounds was inevitable, and surely understandable. \u0009 It can't just be blamed on 'jackeens' either, for (some) Dubliners were not the only ones hostile to the Rising. Local authorities and the provincial press across the country condemned it and, as Conor McNamara of NUIG has discovered, in Galway a committee of concerned citizens pledged themselves to supporting the British authorities; the Redmondite Nationalist Volunteers even patrolled Galway City with weapons provided by the British army. Condemnation of the Rising spread far beyond the city in which the vast bulk of the fighting took place. But such attitudes changed utterly in subsequent weeks and months. Gut Sympathies There seems to have been more gut sympathy towards the Rising than is often assumed; the testimonies later provided by 1916 veterans to the Bureau of Military History are littered with discreet gestures of sympathy and acts of kindness towards the defeated insurgents. James Stephens claimed that at least some Dubliners had a grudging regard almost a feeling of gratitude'for the tenacity of the insurgents by the Wednesday of Easter Week, for if they had been beaten the first or second day the city would have been humiliated to the soul. Condemnation was more likely to be heard in a city under military occupation; sympathisers would surely have kept their heads down. \u0009Many realised that something seismic had happened in Dublin in April 1916, and in less then three years the military defeat of the Easter Rising had been transformed, remarkably, into the political victory of an independence movement with its roots in the Rising. The condemnation of 1916 was replaced by outright support in 1918. British arrogance and heavy handedness, a willingness on the part of many Irish people to re-assess the motives and characters of the executed 1916 leaders, and disillusionment with the Home Rule party ensured that by 1918, one Irish nationalist movement had been overtaken by another. John Redmond is indeed part of the story of the Easter Rising; both he and his party were amongst its political victims. John Gibney is currently Glasnevin Trust Professor of Public History and Cultural Heritage at Trinity College Dublin. The secularisation of Irish society has nothing to do with the word Easter being quietly banished from Easter egg boxes this year, a leading chocolate manufacturer claims. Unlike the word 'Christmas' which has been replaced by the ubiquitous reference to the holidays when referring to the birth of Christ in North America in order not to offend non-Christians, not prominently displaying the word 'Easter' on the packaging of Easter eggs this year was done because the egg is exactly what is says on the tin, a spokesperson for Cadbury claimed last night. Most of our Easter eggs dont say Easter or egg on the front as we dont feel the need to tell people this it is very obvious through the packaging that it is an Easter egg, said the unnamed spokesperson, who denied that political or religious correctness is behind the move. But just in case people arent sure what theyre actually biting into, the word Easter is still there in small print on the back of the packaging to reassure people that they are actually eating a chocolate Easter egg. Yet mysteriously, Cadburys Easter Egg Trail Pack has unquestionably been replaced this year by Cadbury Egg Hunt Pack while its Creme Egg, shaped like an Easter egg and marketed for years as only being available until Easter, has no reference to the annual Christian holiday other than as a deadline to purchase the product. But the spokesperson couldnt say precisely when and why the packaging has changed. But Cadbury isnt the only chocolate manufacturer that has seemingly taken the Easter out of Easter egg this year. Rival producer Nestle now sells a Large Milk Chocolate Egg with Quality Street inside instead of a Quality Street Easter Egg and its Milkybar Easter Egg is now a Milkybar White Chocolate Egg. Officials from Nestle couldnt be reached for comment last night however a spokesman told the UK Telegraph the association is now an automatic one. There has been no deliberate decision to drop the word Easter from our products and the name is still widely used at Nestle, he said. However, David Marshall, founder of The Meaningful Chocolate Company in Manchester which sells Easter eggs and advent calenders with Christian messages, told the UK Telegraph that secularisation is indeed behind what lies beneath the new packaging trend. A lot of businesses are not comfortable with the religious aspect of the festival, he said. If they want to make their product as attractive to as many people as possible it could well be that they want to remove references to the Christian festival because that will be seen as attaching to one faith tradition. A nursing home wants to place restrictions on visits by a son to his elderly mother who is a resident at the facility, the High Court has heard. The nursing home claimed the conditions, limiting the amount of time and days the son can visit his mother, have been imposed due to complaints about the man. It alleged he administered food and fluid to his mother without using a thickener, which, it was feared, could result in her choking. There have also been complaints about him from families of other residents at the home, it is claimed. Yesterday, at a vacation sitting of the court, Mr Justice Michael Twomey was informed by lawyers for the nursing home that on one occasion gardai had to be called to escort the son off the nursing home premises after he entered the facility without permission. The nursing home says it is taking the matter very seriously and has brought proceedings due to its concerns about the mother's health and safety. The woman's son, who denies any allegations of wrongdoing, told the court he fears the nursing home's actions will be detrimental to his mother, whom he said he has visited on a daily basis. The woman, who has been in a nursing home since February, is a ward of court and cannot be identified for legal reasons. Lawyers for the nursing home told Mr Justice Twomey it had been agreed the man's access to his mother would be limited to two hours per day in the afternoons between Monday and Friday. The visits are also to be supervised by senior nursing staff at the facility. The woman's son told the court that while he was prepared to accept the conditions, he was unhappy he was not allowed visit his mother during the weekends. He said his mother was in a ward at the home for patients with dementia. While he accepted his mother had memory issues, he said she is quite lucid. He said that his mother was left alone in a corner of the room by staff, with no interaction or stimulus. His mother, he said, needed to have a proper conversation on a daily basis. If he was not able to visit her on a daily basis he said he feared for his mother's mental health and well-being. He also denied he had done anything improper with any other patients at the facility. Mr Justice Twomey adjourned the matter to April, to allow the woman's son file a sworn statement in reply to the nursing home's application when the new legal term commences. A judge has issued arrest warrants for two women who failed to appear in court yesterday on charges related to a massive garda operation earlier this week. Ann Marie O'Donoghue (46), from Brownswood, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, and Nora O'Reilly (44), The Cresent, Beaumont Heights, Ferrybank, Waterford, were due to appear at Glenties District Court yesterday. Gda Dylan Conroy told Judge Paul Kelly that the women were detained at their homes on Tuesday. "It was part of a major operation involving 80 gardai targeting crime," said Gda Conroy. "We (gardai from Donegal) were also involved as a result of these alleged offences." The garda said both women were arrested and were released on 200 garda bail. He said he was on the garda operation and both women had been charged with thefts at two shops in Ardara, Co Donegal, on September 12 last year. It was alleged the women entered Bonner's Gift Shop and McCabe's shop in the town and stole a number of items. The witness said the women had remained silent when the charges were put to them at Enniscorthy Garda Station on Tuesday. However, he told the judge that neither of the two accused had appeared in court yesterday. Supt Colm Nevin asked the judge to revoke garda bail. Judge Kelly then issued warrants for the arrests of both women. Meanwhile, gardai have released more details on the operation which took place on Tuesday. During co-ordinated searches, property believed to be stolen, with an estimated value of 75,000, was recovered and seized. More than 80 gardai took part in a total of nine co-ordinated searches, with the assistance of the Criminal Assets Bureau, Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit. The Garda Air Support and officers from Revenue Custom and Excise also took part in the raids. It's understood that property which detectives believe was stolen from addresses across the country was recovered during the investigation. Sources say officers are now logging each of the items and hope to be able to trace the owners. A large number of CCTV videos from premises which had been targeted by the criminals are said to form part of the inquiry. Irish general election...Fianna Fail Leader Micheal Martin, arrives with his wife Mary, at St Anthony's Boys Primary School in Ballinlough, Cork, as they cast their votes during the 2016 General Election. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday February 26, 2016. As the electorate increasingly turns away from mainstream parties to smaller factions and Independents, a hung parliament is widely predicted. See PA story IRISH Election. Photo credit should read: Chris Radburn/PA Wire...A Fianna Fail TDs are becoming increasingly concerned that Micheal Martin and other senior figures have mismanaged the party's approach to government formation. Mr Martin has held a series of meetings with colleagues during which he was warned Fianna Fail politicians are "getting it in the neck" from constituents over the political impasse. Several party sources have also expressed concern that a "rural-urban divide" is growing in relation to striking a deal with Fine Gael. A number of TDs based in urban areas say they are open to supporting a Fine Gael-led minority government - but their rural colleagues are far more cautious about such an arrangement. One rural deputy said that he would not support any Fine Gael-led minority - but that he is open to discussing a 'grand coalition'. As reported by the Irish Independent this week, several female TDs believe they are being sidelined when it comes to the negotiation process. A number of sources said there is deep dissatisfaction that the appointment of the negotiation team and the Fianna Fail delegation on political reform were made by party headquarters without consultation with the parliamentary party. "The fact is we only found out who was on the committees through the media and that's just not acceptable," one source said. During the course of a number of meetings with newly elected TDs this week, Mr Martin emphasised the need to remain patient with the progress of the talks. But he was warned, according to a number of sources, that the public is getting anxious over the apparent stalemate. "He told us we need to be patient and that the real action will happen next week. But he knows we are getting it in the neck," said one TD. Last night, a senior party figure attributed the sense of concern being expressed to a lack of experience. "They have to sit tight and negotiations cannot happen in public." Five rural TDs believe they have "called the bluff" of both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to become kingmakers in the new Dail. The so-called 'Rural Five' have outflanked the Independent Alliance to put themselves at the centre of today's roundtable talks, which are a first step in Enda Kenny's plan to formulate a programme for government. Pressure is now mounting on Mr Kenny to make contact with Micheal Martin as, by offering their support to Fine Gael, the five TDs have made it virtually impossible for the Fianna Fail leader to become Taoiseach. Roscommon-Galway TD Denis Naughten told the Irish Independent: "One thing we have definitely done is forced the hands of the two big parties. We called their bluff. "Fine Gael has the numbers now for a minority government. It's very tight, but it's workable." Mr Naughten said that he himself, Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins, Michael Harty and Noel Grealish will vote as a bloc when the Dail attempts to elect a Taoiseach on April 6. Their public advances towards Fine Gael have caused consternation within Fianna Fail, who met with the group last night in an effort to regain lost ground. Sources say the TDs were sternly warned that Fianna Fail is not contemplating giving its blessing for a Fine Gael-led minority. The five have also made life extremely uncomfortable for Shane Ross's Independent Alliance, which is struggling to maintain a united front. Fine Gael has made great efforts to win over the Alliance's rural members and in the process sidelined Dublin-based Mr Ross and Finian McGrath. Mr McGrath said last night that they were at a "different level" to Mr Naughten's group. "We need concrete proposals. We have to see what's on offer and go away and digest that. We're not going to go running in saying 'you're great'. "We're going to play our cards close to our chest. If there is messing around then we're out of there," he said. Some 17 TDs, including the Green Party, the Healy-Rae brothers, Katherine Zappone and Maureen O'Sullivan, have accepted an invitation from Mr Kenny to take part in a formal round-table meeting today. The Irish Independent has learned that Jobs Minister Richard Bruton is to be added to the Fine Gael negotiating team that currently consists of Simon Coveney, Frances Fitzgerald, Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris. It is understood the agenda consists of eight key headings including health, housing, tax, rural Ireland and disabilities. Sources say the initial session will involve all 17 TDs and the Fine Gael team sitting around one table in Government Buildings to lay out their stall. However, if that goes well there will be 'breakout sessions' where TDs will be divided up into the areas where they are most keen to have an input. "This is the real business now and it's likely to take several days. They will see that we are open-minded and accept that the electorate want things done differently," said a Fine Gael source. Mr Naughten said the five TDs decided to go public with their thinking on government formation because it became clear "a lot of key people in both parties were manoeuvring for a second election". "Nothing else was happening, nothing was moving. They were ignoring the elephant in the room and that's not good for democracy," he said. Danny Healy-Rae has confirmed to the Irish Independent that his brother Michael will travel to Dublin for the talks despite only being released from hospital on Tuesday following an attack by a cow. "What the people want is a stable government. I can't see how 60 or 61 TDs would be stable but we need to tease that out. We'll wait and see. It's our duty to meet with everyone," he said. Who are the 'Rural Five'? Denis Naughten Roscommon-Galway poll topper Denis Naughten has been a TD since 1997. He was expelled from the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party in July 2011 for voting against cuts to the health service that would have directly impacted on Roscommon County Hospital. Before the 2011 election Fine Gael had promised not to downgrade the hospitals services. Michael Collins The farmer was a surprise winner in Cork South West. Heavily involved in voluntary organisations such as the West Cork Community Alliance which campaigned against garda station closures. Dr Michael Harty He fought his campaign under the No Doctor, No Village banner, arguing rural practices needed to be done to help rural practices. Dr Harty worked as the GP in the Co Clare village of Kilmihill for more than 30 years and will be pressing for increased funds to maintain doctor surgeries in small towns and villages. A native of Limerick he was involved in the battle to retain services in Ennis Hospital. Mattie McGrath McGrath is already a well-known name outside his Tipperary constituency. Having been elected as a Fianna Fail TD in 2007, he quit the party in early 2011 before its election crash. During the 31st Dail he signed up to the Technical Group in order to get speaking rights but the arrangement ended acrimoniously. Noel Grealish The former Progressive Democrat has been in Leinster House since 2002. He has increased his vote at every election since and became an independent following the break-up of the PDs in 2009. His campaign in Galway West centred around the prevention of crime, improving access to hospital and funding for flood alleviation measures. A dangerous crime gang known as 'The Russians' are dealing killer heroin in the grounds of two hospitals, it can be revealed. The gang, made up of a number of Russian and Lithuanian nationals, are believed to be main players in the north's evolving heroin trade. In recent weeks brazen members have been actively dealing at a number of very public addresses, including the grounds of the Royal Victoria and Belfast City hospitals. The Belfast Trust said that criminal activity of any kind on any of its sites will not be tolerated. "The grounds of our hospitals are public areas and we work closely with the PSNI to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff," a spokeswoman added. Other popular dealing spots in recent weeks have been near the Europa Hotel, Belfast Boat Club, Queen's Playing Fields and Europa Bus and Train Station, according to security sources. The Lisburn Road and Stranmillis areas are currently very active areas for the gang's dealers. Street level members are known to carry wraps of heroin in their mouths. If they come across police they then swallow them. Despite the jailing last year of a man described as the "brains" behind the gang's operation - Lithuanian national Gintas Vengalis - police sources have said they are still "very active." Vengalis is currently serving 21 months in prison after pleading guilty in May 2015 to heroin supply. The 39-year-old was described by police and lawyers as a "principal member" of The Russians crime gang and the "brains" behind their heroin operation. One of the gang's drug runners, fellow Lithuanian national Roman Michailov, is serving 12 months in jail for supplying drugs. He is due to be released within weeks and is expected to spend another 12 months on probation before being extradited. Both men were arrested following an undercover police operation in Belfast city centre two years ago. "Despite Vengalis' arrest The Russians are still extremely active. They kept their heads down for a bit in 2014 after the arrests but today the gang are still very much operating and recruiting. They are a big problem," one officer told the Belfast Telegraph. He added: "We launched Operation Envimo to tackle heroin supply in Belfast. There have been a number of successes but it's an ongoing battle." The heroin trade in Northern Ireland has become a "major headache" for the PSNI, according to officers. At least three violent deaths since Christmas have been linked to the trade, including the murder of 28-year-old Stephen Carson, who was shot dead in front of his nine-year-old son at his Walmer Street home in the Ormeau Road area last month. Detectives have been investigating a potential link between the heroin trade and the murder. There is also a suspected link between the trade and the murder of 31-year-old Conor McKee, who was shot in his Belfast home in January, as well as the death of 48-year-old Ballycastle man Anthony McErlain, whose body was discovered in an upstairs flat in the town in January. One senior officer told the Belfast Telegraph: "At least three violent deaths since Christmas have been linked to heroin. It is a major headache and increasingly so. We are seeing criminal gangs from the south now targeting the north." In recent months there have been a number of police operations aimed at tackling the supply of heroin in the Portadown and greater Belfast areas. Last month eight men and a woman aged between 22 and 52 were arrested as part of an operation against the supply of heroin in the Portadown area. Police also seized an estimated 4,000 worth of heroin as part of an investigation into the supply of drugs that led to two men being arrested near Hillsborough. There is currently no hard evidence to show that heroin use in Northern Ireland is increasing, however officers have said there is concern the trade is set to "erupt". "We are seeing gangs from the south hooking up with gangs here and heroin is where the money is for them", one officer said. Another added: "There have been attempts to play this down but it is becoming a big problem. We are just waiting for it to erupt. We feel as though we are trying to hold back a tsunami." Policing Board member Jonathan Craig said "the warnings cannot be ignored". "We do not want to see the same explosion in this trade that has been seen in Dublin," the DUP man added. In February the PSNI Chief Constable revealed that three Eastern European gangs were under investigation for the importation and supply of drugs in Northern Ireland. George Hamilton said that the deployment of the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Northern Ireland has reinforced the PSNl's ability to actively target international organised crime. While there is evidence of European drugs cartels targeting the province, Mr Hamilton said the majority of organised crime gangs linked to drugs were "of local origin". Out of an estimated 140 criminal gangs operating here - almost two thirds are involved in drug trafficking. A handful of those focus solely on heroin. The body representing psychiatrists has warned the Department of Health that there is not enough capacity in Ireland's mental health services to deal with asylum seekers and refugees. The warning comes as Ireland prepares to accept 350 people displaced by the Syrian conflict this year and 4,000 in the coming years. Letters from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland also claim asylum seekers present with more physical illnesses linked to mental health issues. The college's director of communications, Dr John Hillery, told the department's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, that there was a lack of planning for the mental health needs of refugees coming to Ireland. In a letter sent last September, he said recent interaction between the college and the HSE suggested that "no thought at all has gone into planning for the special needs of this population." Dr Hillery said there was evidence asylum seekers and refugees were more likely to present with "psychosomatic issues indicating underlying mental ill health". He said it was likely that both primary care and mental health services will see increased activity in areas where the refugees settle. "In a system already under strain, failure to plan for this will be damaging," he said. In a letter the same month to an assistant secretary at the department, Dr Hillery said the psychiatric care of all refugees who seek help would not succeed with the resources currently available. He also said he was concerned with the assumption that the planned influx of refugees could be absorbed by the mental health services. A working group found asylum seekers suffered higher rates of anxiety than other sections of society. Sean McGrotty and Louise James, holding baby Rioghnach-Ann, with sons Evan (8) and Mark (12) School friends of the three youngest victims of the Buncrana drownings tragedy will lead tributes at their funeral service today. The joint funeral will take place for members of the Daniels/McGrotty family in Ballymagroarty, Derry at 2pm. Sean McGrotty (46), his two sons Mark (12) and Evan, (8) and the boys' granny Ruth Daniels (59) all died in Sunday's disaster. Mrs Daniels' daughter - 14-year-old Jodie-Lee - also died when the family's Audi jeep slid on algae on the slipway and went crashing into the sea. Choirs from the schools attended by the three youngest victims will lead musical tributes during the Holy Thursday special service. Louise, the boys' mother, will read a poem remembering the five family members she lost on Sunday evening. They will be laid to rest in two graves at Derry's City Cemetery after the service. Sean McGrotty will be buried alongside his sons in one grave, while Ruth Daniels will be laid to rest alongside her daughter Jodie-Lee. The Catholic Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin, the former bishop of Derry, visited the family home in St Eithne's Park last night to help comfort Louise and other family members. "At a time like this I realise that any words of mine are totally inadequate," said Dr Martin. "The enormous tragedy that has struck this family has stunned us all into silence. "All we can offer is our spiritual presence with them and the promise of our prayers. People from all over Ireland and beyond want to be close to all the bereaved in this time of grief." A predator released from prison just a month ago has been arrested by gardai investigating the false imprisonment of a woman. Philip Murphy (35), who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for kidnapping a woman in 2009, is being questioned over an attack earlier this month. He was arrested this morning at an address on Gardiner Street in Dublins North Inner city and is currently being questioned by detectives at Store Street station. Murphy received the 10-year sentence in 2009 for kidnapping a woman a year earlier. He served his sentence alongside other sex offenders in Dublins Arbour Hill prison and was released late last month via a side door from the jail. A garda spokeswoman confirmed: A male in his mid 30s was arrested this morning in the north inner city over the false imprisonment of a female. He is currently detained at Store Street station under section four of the criminal justice act. Courts Murphy, a father of three, was jailed after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a Polish woman in Clondalkin on June 7, 2008. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told Murphy was nominated as a suspect on the basis of his modus operandi. Judge Frank ODonnell said that during the trial it had been put to Murphy, who denied the charges, that he had been scouring the countryside looking for a victim, but noted that he could only deal with the evidence before him. He imposed a 10-year sentence for the false imprisonment offence and a three-year sentence for producing a knife, to run concurrently. Attack Det Insp Peter OBoyle told the court that the woman was waiting at a bus stop at 6.30am to go to work when a car pulled up. The driver offered to give her a lift, but at first she refused. He returned a short time later and again offered to give her a lift. The woman got into the car and they drove a distance, chatting normally. She asked the man to turn right towards her workplace but he told her he had to get petrol. She asked to get out of the car, but he produced a craft knife and told her to be quiet or he would cut her. The woman pleaded with him and believed she was going to be raped or killed. The fear will never leave me, she said in a statement. Det Insp OBoyle said the woman tried to jump out of the moving car but was restrained by the seatbelts. She eventually released the belt and when the car stopped she fled from it towards her workplace. After his release on February 23 Murphy was driven to the housing section of South Dublin County Council in Tallaght. Murphy with previous addresses at Elmbrook Crescent, Lucan, and Lindisfarne Vale, Clondalkin left a short time later without speaking. A hearse arrives to remove the body of Noel 'Kingsize' Duggan from the murder scene in Ratoath A garda at the scene of the shooting in The Mill, Ratoath, Co Meath. Inset: Noel Kingsize Duggan, who was shot dead Noel Kingsize Duggan rose from a modest council home to run one of the countrys most sophisticated cigarette smuggling operations. The 56-year-old former butcher has been described as a shrewd criminal who never got his own hands dirty. Duggan was a planner more than anything else, a senior source explained. He wouldnt have been violent but he wouldnt have thought twice about getting somebody else to dish out a beating. Duggan grew up on Carnlough Road in Cabra, North Dublin and he became a close friend of Gerry The Monk Hutch at an early age. The pair remained friendly all their lives and it was this friendship that gardai suspect led to last nights fatal shooting in Ratoath, Co Meath. During the 80s Duggan was involved in low-level crime including burglaries and handling stolen goods. However, even in his younger days, he generally opted for a hands off approach to crime. In the mid 1980s carjacking and joyriding were big back then in Cabra. But Duggan was too cute to get involved in anything like this. Read More He had several convictions for receiving stolen goods, forgery and burglary but did not come to the attention of gardai for several years. Kingsize knew the gardai were watching him so he was always very careful. He would know the name of a garda if they stopped him. Officers wouldnt catch him with anything. He wouldnt have his tax so much as a day out of date. For several years, he operated a thriving cash and carry business on Queen Street near Smithfield in Dublin's north inner-city, which he used as a cover for his smuggling operation. He made a fortune from Ireland's illegal cigarette trade and was regarded by gardai as the biggest single wholesaler of illicit tobacco in the 90s. Gardai believe he sourced his tobacco in Africa and used a sophisticated smuggling network to land it in Dublin. His racket in smuggled cigarettes was so big that the retailers representative group RGDATA complained to the government that their members were losing huge amounts of revenue as a result. Read More In 1996, a Garda operation - Operation Nicotine - was launched to target Duggan's multi-million pound business. He was targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and served with a tax assessment of 4m. He was eventually forced to hand over the keys of several inner-city properties to CAB, which were auctioned off to pay a final settlement of 2m. In 2003, the CAB confiscated a five-storey apartment and retail block Eagle House in the heart of Dublin's Smithfield which was owned by him and another. After this he attempted to rebrand himself as an honest businessman. However, gardai believe he remained heavily involved in the illegal cigarette trade and worked with ex-Provos based in the border area. A source explained that Duggan arranged jobs for these ex-Provos including sourcing cars and arranging cigarette deals. He has no convictions in the state since 2001 and possibly even earlier. In 2013 he became embroiled in a dispute with former gang boss John Gilligan after the latters release from prison. In an interview with the Sunday World Duggan claimed Gilligan was attempting to extort cash from him. He said: Nobody puts the squeeze on me. Let me tell you that the man who rang me wont ring me again. Duggan had three adult children, two boys and one girl, and sources said he recently became a grandfather. Teacher Luke Saunders with Studyclix users, from right to left, Siobhan Alexander, Kieran Massie and Stephen Hallinan Almost half of Irish students think that the leaders of Ireland 100 years ago would not be proud of how the country is run today. While an incredible 78pc of schoolchildren are proud of the 1916 Easter Rising, and almost the same number (73pc) believe that the men and women were right to rebel for independence, some 46pc feel that the 1916 leaders would be concerned at how Ireland is being run today. More than 1,000 teenage students in 5th and 6th year were questioned in the National Student Centenary Survey - and the results have been revealed ahead of this weekend's centenary festivities. But good news for Irish pride, however, as a whopping 93pc of schoolchildren across the country said that they were proud to be Irish. Unfortunately this enthusiasm doesn't extend to the Irish language, however, with over a third (39pc) believing that Irish should not be a compulsory subject. Teacher Luke Saunders said it was clear that young people have concerns about their Irish identity and their interaction with the national language. I wasn't surprised to see that 37pc of students believed Irish should not be a compulsory subject, said Mr Saunders. From my experience, both as a teacher and through setting up Studyclix, I have found Irish to be a very polarising subject. Some students see it as a badge of honour to be able to hold a conversation 'as Gaeilge' while others resent having to study what they feel is a dead language." The worst things about being Irish were also discussed by the teens, with exam pressure and college points race highlighted - and global stereotypes of 'drunk Irish'. "One of the most surprising aspects of the survey was students responses to the question of what is the worst thing about being Irish. More than one in four students referred to some aspect of our nation's relationship with alcohol and our drinking culture, said Mr Sanders. The 1916 survey was carried out by Studyclix.ie President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina at the Belgian Embassy in Ballsbridge, Dublin, yesterday, as they signed the book of condolences for the victims of the Brussels attacks, which he condemned as terrible and cowardly. Photo: Colin Keegan Michael D Higgins has described the Brussels terror attacks as "an incredible blow" to civilisation, but urged people not to allow these acts "to establish fear". The President said Tuesday's attacks were "terrible and cowardly", and sent his "greatest good wishes" to the people of Belgium and the Irish communities living there. "We have a long-standing connection with the people of Belgium. We have a close connection with all of the institutions of the European Union. Many Irish people working in different capacities have made their lives there, reared their children in Belgium. "My thoughts are with them, I certainly offer them all the solidarity that will be of assistance to them," he said. Mr Higgins was speaking at the Belgian Embassy in Dublin yesterday morning, where he opened a book of condolences for the victims of the Brussels tragedies. Accompanied by his wife Sabina, the President stood for a minute's silence alongside the French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault and Deputy of Mission at the Belgian Embassy, Agnes Scheers. Discussing the impact of terror attacks, President Higgins said "150 years of tyranny will tell you these acts are desperate and hopeless, as well as useless". He added that such acts "create such fear as always creates capacity for reaction". "These actions are terrible and cowardly actions, and the price is being paid by civilians. We must not allow them to establish fear, which is their purpose," said Mr Higgins. Gardai have appealed for witnesses after a young woman (29) was subjected to an alleged mutilation-style attack on a city street. The woman, in her 20s, was apparently singled out by a lone male attacker and then had her face repeatedly slashed with what gardai believe was a Stanley knife or razor. The attack, which occurred yesterday morning, took place at Ardfallen Terrace, off Friar Street in Cork city centre. After the attack, the man then fled the scene on foot. Pedestrians ran to the aid of the distressed woman who was cradling her face and screaming for help. Locals admitted they were deeply shocked by the savage nature of the attack. When paramedics arrived, the young woman's face was a mask of blood. She was rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where she underwent emergency surgery. Her injuries are not life-threatening and are described as being of a disfiguring nature. It is understood she now faces the prospect of extensive plastic surgery procedures. Detectives suspect that the woman was deliberately singled out in an attack designed to mutilate rather than kill. The weapon used was either a Stanley knife or a razor-like instrument. The woman remains sedated in CUH but gardai hope to interview her once she has recovered to determine if she has any clues as to the possible identity of her attacker. They also want to determine if anyone might have a grudge against the young woman. Gardai said there is absolutely no indication the attack was a robbery which went wrong. It appears that the man waited in the area for the woman to park her car, attacking her only when she had locked the vehicle and then attempted to walk away. The attack lasted for only a matter of minutes. Detectives are now checking CCTV security camera footage from around the area to determine all pedestrian movements on Wednesday. Gardai are appealing to anybody who was in the vicinity of Ardfallen Terrace and Friar Street between 11am and 11.40am yesterday morning in particular to contact them. Anybody with information is asked to contact the Bridewell Garda station on 021-4943332 or the Garda Confidential line 1800-666-111. The Department of Social Protection has advised jobseekers to claim their dole at the banks rather than their local post offices. The department sent letters last week advising claimants to use a bank or other financial institution, following a spate of post office closures during the financial crisis. The loss of social welfare payments would hit post offices hard as they account for over 30pc of all business transactions. Fianna Fail spokesperson on Communications Michael Moynihan hit out at the outgoing Government over the letters, calling them "another attack" on local post offices. Decline "Moving these payments to the banks will only lead to further decline of post offices, which are vital for maintaining the fabric of community life in rural Ireland," he said. "The outgoing Tanaiste, Joan Burton, must immediately clarify why her department is directing jobseekers to receive their payments from financial institutions." Mr Moynihan said he wanted to see the "urgent delivery" of the Bobby Kerr report's findings, which advised An Post to expand its business. The report recommended that offices set up "a current account-style bank account service" and other products and services among its recommendations. Postmasters' Union members had planned to stand in the General Election, running on this issue. However, they stood down after the publication of Mr Kerr's report last month. The rural Independent deputies from left..Noel Grealish, Mattie McGrath, Denis Naughten, Dr.Michael Harty and Michael Collins. Photo: Tom Burke Five Independent TDs who pledged support to Enda Kenny said Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have to get off the fence" and speak to one another. The so-called rural five's Michael Collins said a Fine Gael minority Government would need the help of the second biggest party. Mr Collins said his group acted responsibly as he prepared to meet Fine Gael with 16 other TDs to discuss a potential programme for Government this morning. Mr Collins said all doors remained open for the group despite pledging to vote for Mr Kenny as Taoiseach and failing to make a deal with Fianna Fail this week. We have not nailed our colours to the mast with anyone, he said. Defence Minister Simon Coveney, who is part of the Fine Gael team to negotiate a deal with Independents accepted he would have to speak to Fianna Fail. But added there was a difference. Read More There's a difference between the discussions you need to have between people you want to be in Government with and parties you may look for support from in opposition, Mr Coveney said. Independent Alliance's Shane Ross said the rural five have not stolen a march on his group by supporting Mr Kenny. Mr Ross said: they just asked for a meeting with Fine Gael. Nothing more. Michael Healy-Rae slammed Fine Gael and Fianna Fail for not talking to one another, telling them to grow up A visibly bruised Mr Healy-Rae Fine said he was recovering well after cow attacked him on his farm this week. His brother Danny insisted he was not pledging allegiance to Fine Gael after the two Kerry Independent TDs falied to strike a deal with Fianna Fail last week. He said that there was always going to be another electionadding it's only a question of when. Hundreds of students from Trinity College Dublin gathered today in the college's front square to mark the Indian festival of colours, Holi. The event, organised by the Trinity Indian Society, saw eager students crowd the square to cover each other in powdered paint in celebration of the arrival of spring. Holi is a major Hindu festival held each March, and is mainly celebrated in Nepal and India, but has been spreading across the globe. Its also known as the festival of colours because people from all races and states come together and throw colour at each other, Anchal Jain, Public Relations Officer of Trinitys Indian Society, told independent.ie. The Indian Society have been running the Holi festival in the college for six years, but this was their fastest selling event to date, with tickets selling out in just four hours. We saw it on Facebook and we were like, lets go for it. The photos from last year were really cool, said one young woman attending the Holi festival. Another young man noted that he enjoys how the festival embraces multiculturalism within the college. For me, its about unity, especially because of all the different cultures in Trinity. Everyone will come together and enjoy the festival. I've long been in to the dark art of 'bodyshaming'. If you're as yet unfamiliar, you may consider yourself extremely lucky. Just last week, I made the grave error of sitting next to a particularly lonely-looking octogenarian on a train bound for Kilkenny. I smiled benignly, feigning interest politely as he made conversation about everything and nothing for two hours straight. I was brought up to be polite so, even with deadlines and phonecalls snapping at my heels, that's what I did. Well, the niceties didn't last long. As we prepared to disembark, he threw his shot across the bow in the guise of 'helpful' advice. "Now you know you're a beautiful girl from here up," he said, tapping his throat with a wizened hand. "But even you must know that you need to do something about the rest. So when are you going to tackle that weight of yours?" I wish I could say that my response was unprintable for a family newspaper, and in a way it was. Because I just gawped at him. I'd have been less shocked if he told me he was my secret dad. Now. You may put this down to a number of things. The bluntness and lack of politesse of a generation bred before the rise of political correctness. The ramblings of an old codger who comes from a place where all the girls are Lovely, Father Ted-styley. But the truth is, this is fast becoming a wholly modern phenomenon. Some people just can't help themselves; they feel this overbearing, white-hot entitlement to live in a world where everyone - well, women mainly - are utterly pleasing to their eyes. Ergo; the women in their orbit need to be just the right size, the correct level of sluttishness, appropriately made-up, the entire package palpable to their specific tastes. No wonder, in our infinite combinations, women are ruffling a few feathers. Even I was surprised to find Daniella Moyles speak up over the weekend about bodyshaming. She is close enough, after all, to the feminine cultural ideal as it's possible to get. What does she know about people slagging her off for having the wrong body? Well, quite a lot, it seems. A few sanctimonious types on Twitter (and by God, they're getting worse by the day) couldn't resist getting a dig in when Moyles wore a jumpsuit on TV3, to promote a recent charity trip to the Lebanon that she took with Concern. Never mind that she was talking about gender inequality, the plight of refugees and searing, unrelenting violence. Her neckline was too low for some viewers' tastes and that was the real stickler; that her outfit was 'inappropriate'. "TV3 received several complaints and I spent the following few days experiencing the joys of online abuse for the first time," Moyles wrote recently. "Everyone has the right to argue that it wasn't my finest fashion choice, but no one has the right to label me a 'prostitute', call me 'disgusting' or accuse me of premeditated 'attention-seeking'." My hunch is that Moyles can't do right for wrong; even if she appeared on The Seven O'Clock Show in a cossack, someone somewhere would have had reason to gripe. She's been called frivolous and a bimbo, with no business talking about world issues if she looks as though she's about to head out clubbing. Well, the fact remains; Concern have received pleasing acres of publicity for their recent trip to the Lebanon, and it's now likely that you're able to distinguish Moyles from the lineup of otherwise identikit Irish models. Whether it was all premeditated is anyone's guess, but trust me, she's no fool. There are those who argue that, if Moyles is orchestrating a career where her body is her fortune, people having opinions on said body should be put down to a mere occupational hazard. That if you climb the greasy pole of Irish celebrity by doing photo-calls and lingerie modelling, that you will be consumed as a commodity, as disposable and interchangeable as a Starbucks latte. But no matter your physical appearance and what you do or don't do with it, it really should be no one else's business. You. Don't. Get. To Have. A. Say. But it is so very much people's business right now. With women often reduced to their ornamental worth, physical insults have become a weapon of choice. Being called fat, ugly or a slut cut to the quick, mainly because looks have, for better or worse, become a woman's foremost currency. Never before have 'you're fat' and 'you're worthless' been so intertwined. Culture, too, has turned physical imperfection into a running joke. Think how often Rebel Wilson's weight has become a cruel punchline in a comedy. The media messages are unyielding; you should want to be thinner or dress better. You really should want to care. Though it's a near-universal affliction, I suspect that Daniella Moyles and I experience body-shaming in very disparate ways. She can throw on a cardigan to shut folks up. I probably have a longer, more arduous task ahead of me if I fancy doing the same. It's not likely that culture will manage a U-turn on bodyshaming anytime soon it would be a bit like making Niagara Falls flow upwards at this rate. But it may just be worth bearing in mind a simple truism worded by author Wendy Mass: be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Independent.ie has beaten off the cream of UK and Irish media to win 'Best use of Digital Media' at the CLIA UK & Ireland cruise journalism awards. Travel Editor Pol O Conghaile won the digital award at the 2016 Cruise Lines International Association Awards for his work with Independent.ie. Two online and video reviews - on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas and the ultra-luxury cruise experience on Silversea's Silver Cloud - were cited. Judges awarded the pieces, whose #TravelTV elements were produced by Donal Corkery and David O'Beirne, for their engaging and impartial content. The CLIA UK & Ireland Cruise Journalism Awards were hosted by the BBC's Ben Thompson in London this week, and featured a record number of entries from across the full spectrum of UK and Irish media. The award is the latest recognition of the growing reach and influence of INM's trusted brand of travel journalism, both in print and online. At last month's French Travel Media Awards, Pol O Conghaile won the special 'Paris Award' for a piece on the # ParisWeLoveYou campaign for Independent.ie. The Sunday World's Jim Gallagher won 'Best City Break Feature in France' at those awards, while freelance contributor Conor Power received a prize for 'Best Gastronomy and Wine Feature in France'. Pol O Conghaile and Conor Power were also category winners at the annual Travel Extra Travel Journalist of the Year Awards, held this January, while Jamie Blake Knox of the Sunday Independent won 'Best Newcomer/Young Journalist'. Last year, Herald Travel Editor Mark Evans won a CLIA UK & Ireland Cruise Journalism Award for his feature on a river cruise in Portugal. Read more: A tearful, Tintin, quickly emerged as a symbol of solidarity in the chaotic aftermath of the Brussels bombings as social media users worldwide took to Facebook and other Web streams for check ins by loved ones potentially in harm's way. Getty Images A Belgian soldier speaks to a police officer outside Brussels Central Station as people are allowed in small groups of ten to reach the station in order to take their commuter train following attacks in Brussels. Getty Images German police officers guard a terminal of the airport in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo: AP The US State Department has issued a broad warning for travel in Europe following this week's terrorist attacks in Brussels. "The State Department alerts U.S. citizens to potential risks of travel to and throughout Europe following several terrorist attacks, including the March 22 attacks in Brussels claimed by ISIL," it says. "Terrorist groups continue to plan near-term attacks throughout Europe, targeting sporting events, tourist sites, restaurants, and transportation." The Travel Alert, which expires on June 20, advises US citizens to remain vigilant in public places and while using mass transportation in Europe. "Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid crowded places. Exercise particular caution during religious holidays and at large festivals or events," it adds. The US issued a global travel alert following the Paris attacks last November, saying potential attackers could target private or government interests, but this latest warning specifically focuses on Europe. The alert doesn't warn against travel per se, but its stark language and unusual nature is likely to spark fears for business and tourism throughout the continent. North American visitors to Ireland grew 28pc last year, with peak season for US tourism stretching from April to October, for example. Shares in Ryanair and IAG dropped following the Tuesday attacks in Brussels, while a January report from research firm MKG showed that French hoteliers could lose up to 270m between November and March as a result of the Paris attacks. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs continues to advise Irish citizens to remain vigilant and "exercise extreme caution" in Belgium. Read the US State Department's alert here. Premium Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus. Fionnan Sheahan Ireland Editor at Mediahuis. Fionnan writes news, analysis and comment on current affairs and politics for the Irish Independent and Independent.ie. He is a weekly columnist with the Irish Independent and a presenter of InFocus, the current affairs podcast from Independent.ie. A native of Thurles, Co Tipperary, Fionnan has won several awards for print and digital journalism from Newsbrands Ireland, the Law Society and the National Newspapers of Ireland, including National Journalist of the Year. Prior to his current role, Fionnans positions included Editor and Political Editor of the Irish Independent. He is a regular commentator on TV and radio. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild, With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. - WB Yeats, 'The Stolen Child'. Imagination is a powerful thing. It has the ability to transport us, to let us touch the untouchable dreams we hold in our hearts. 'Imagine If' was the theme for this year's St Patrick's Day parade - a vision of the Ireland that awaits us in the next 100 years. It is a theme of hope, of anticipation, conjured from the minds of our children, the voices of the future. In the year of the 1916 centenary, this Easter weekend we try to walk in the footsteps of our forefathers. We look to the ghosts of the past to guide us into our future. The coverage of the 1916 commemoration has been exhaustive these past few months, and so I will not delve into repetition. But I will say this - Ireland's former warriors fought for freedom and equality 100 years ago. They imagined a better Ireland for generations to come. Weeks after we voted as a democratic people, we are still without a government to lead us. Last week, as I watched coverage of the St Patrick's Day parade, I wondered about the dream of equality and freedom our ancestors had, won in the midst of chaos and death. Brightly coloured floats and painted faces marched along O'Connell Street, yet behind them all I saw were the ads on the billboards, bleak and hopeless in contrast as they asked people to donate money to help the Irish homeless. A homeless man was violently kicked while beer was thrown over him on St Patrick's night in Dublin. I couldn't help but think - what is there to celebrate? Now reflecting one week after our national day, all I felt was shame. How many homeless people did you see on the streets of Dublin during the parade, or were they all moved on in an attempt to convince the people that the crisis is getting better? As a child, I would always bring home a Trocaire box around Lent. We were told that the money collected helped starving, homeless children in Africa. In my innocence, I couldn't comprehend how people could be starving or without some kind of a home. Now they are making headlines every day in every corner of our small nation. Now I understand. Will the children of Africa soon be bringing home money boxes to save the poor Irish? My memories of national pride lie in my childhood. I am proud of my working-class background, of the resilience that my mother instilled in me, and the resilience I witnessed in her. Perhaps it is the rose-tinted fog of nostalgia, but I remember an Ireland that was poor but happy. People then took pride in helping their neighbours and building communities. People did not cast looks of disgust at rough sleepers, stepping over them in expensive business suits. Or maybe they did, maybe as a child I just could not see it. Today, we are a nation that is crying out for help. We have become a nation built on inequality, where the rich get richer and everybody else seems to work hard to earn the pittance which will eventually send them into poverty. Those unable to help themselves are cast aside. There are babies sleeping on our streets. There are families being evicted from their homes. Our older generations, the ones who helped to build the gateway to our freedom, have had most of their income stripped away. The Irish people live in fear and despair, as they wait to see what will happen next. The former government built their legacy on broken promises and forced its people into impossible positions. Today, it is not the government who is paying the price; it is the people who queue in soup kitchens to quiet their children's cries of hunger. It is the people who fight to get from one day to the next, armed with humiliation and no running water. This is the silent show of pride, usually unnoticed, that shines in our country every day. In the midst of the centenary celebrations, I can only hope that people will remember those who watch from the sidelines, the forgotten people living in the shadows. We look to an invisible government to help us imagine a better horizon, but we forget that we have the power do it for ourselves. We did it once before, that's what we are celebrating, a free Ireland for all. One that includes everybody. Imagine that. If the new government, whatever its political hue, is serious about appointing a housing minister, the least of their worries should be whether they sit in the Department of the Taoiseach or of the Environment. In Scotland, planning and housing rests with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights, while in Western Australia it's a Minister for Housing, Racing and Gaming. The first priority should be to give the minister the powers necessary to secure delivery of homes. The location of their office is irrelevant. The most crucial decision will be appointing someone with real vision and a willingness to step on toes, who also has an in-depth knowledge of the housing and rental markets. A large part of the problem to date is the fact that so many agencies set different aspects of housing policy, or are responsible for delivery of associated services. What the sector needs is better integration between the players already on the pitch. The Department of the Environment deals with planning and housing, but Finance decides property tax breaks and has responsibility for Nama. Energy deals with residential energy efficiency, while Education dictates where schools are built. A housing minister will have to take overall control of these issues, but wresting powers from the Department of Finance will be essential, as control over taxation is key. Residential landlords are treated less favourably than commercial ones, for example paying USC on rental income - both should enjoy the same tax regime to encourage more to enter the rental market. VAT on house construction is a huge issue, and a reduction could facilitate development of social, private and rental homes. But any changes should be capped to secure delivery of units up to a certain price point, such as 450,000 in Dublin. The State should not be supporting expensive housing. The minister would also have to control planning, and have a level of control or direction in relation to capital investment plans by the ESB, EirGrid, Irish Water and other agencies. They should certainly be able to advise where projects are needed to facilitate housing development, and direct investment if a proven need is not being addressed. Some transport powers will also be required - housing should be built near good public transport links, or services provided where needed. They will need powers to deliver what is required, to prevent car-based commuting. Nama also needs direction. While it may be the best commercial return to sell its land banks, the minister could direct they build social, rental or starter homes, rather than see land banks sold and remaining undeveloped until prices rise. In the UK, the government is providing development funding for those who build to rent. This should be considered. There's also a case to be made that professional bodies including architects and planners fall under the minister's remit. They could also help shape policy. Crucially, the minister needs to take control of social housing policy and budgets, including regeneration, and work to develop a sustainable mortgage-lending policy. Finally, they must be prepared to be innovative. High-quality pre-fabricated homes, such as the German Huf Haus, could help deliver units quicker. The minister must also ensure that what is built is high-quality, energy- and water-efficient and located in well-designed communities. It's not just quantity we need, but quality too. Actress and pop star Billie Piper and actor Laurence Fox have separated after nine years of marriage. A short statement released on the actors Facebook page read: Laurence Fox and Billie Piper have separated. No third parties involved. For the sake of our family we request and appeal for space and privacy at this time. Billie and the Lewis actor, 37, have two sons Winston, seven and Eugene, three. They met while starring in a play called Treats together in 2006 and married at the 12th century parish church of St Mary's in Easebourne, West Sussex, near the family home on New Year's Eve in 2007. Fox previously described it was "love at first sight" when he met Billie. "It absolutely happened when I met Bill. We were in a rehearsal room and I knew there and then she was the one for me," he said in an interview in 2010. While appearing on GMTV back in 2008, the actor revealed how the couple shared a "drunken lunch" during their honeymoon in Mexico and ending up getting matching tattoos to mark their marriage. The actor's tattoo, which is inked on his forearm, reads: "Mrs Fox 31st December 2007", while hers reads: "Mr Fox 31 December 2007". In March, Fox described his perfect evening with Dr Who actress Billie. In an interview, he said: "Sitting next to my wife, watching telly, taking it easy with a glass of wine and a Thai chilli and basil stir-fry chicken.That's one of my signature dishes, so I cook it. But she's a great cook, too." Also in March, Fox stunned theatregoers by launching into a foul-mouthed attack on a heckler before walking off stage during a live performance at a London theatre. Video of the Day he actor, who was playing Charles de Gaulle in The Patriotic Traitor, scolded a man sitting in the front row who had snubbed him. Fox was heard to say: I wont bother telling you the story because this c*** in the front row has ruined it for everybody. He then left the stage and was absent when the rest of the cast came on for their bow after the show at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. The actor later apologised to the "other 199 people in the theatre" and said he was "very upset" about how he had behaved, admitting that he should have dealt with the interuption in a different way. Piper, star of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, was previously married to presenter Chris Evans, to whom she tied the knot in 2001 after a six-month romance. Their relationship was a controversial one at the time: she was just 19 years old when she married Chris, who was 35 at the time. They split in 2004 and finally divorced in 2007, just months before she made it official with Laurence, and they have remained close friends. 10 Admiral Grove, Ringo Starr's old Liverpool home, has been sold at auction (Plus Dane/PA Wire) Ringo Starr's old Liverpool home beat its asking price to sell for 70,000 at an auction on Thursday night. The modest Victorian mid-terrace is where the boyhood Beatle moved with his mother Elsie Starkey at the time his parents separated in 1943, when he was aged three. Starr learned to play drums in the two-up, two-down terrace at 10 Admiral Grove in the Toxteth area of inner-city Liverpool. Starr, then plain old Richard Starkey, was born at nearby 9 Madryn Street but lived most of his childhood and formative years at the Admiral Grove property, celebrating his 21st birthday party there and getting married from the property, with his home becoming a regular haunt for the Fab Four before finding fame and fortune. Starr paid homage to his home in his 2008 song Liverpool 8, and The Empress pub at the end of Admiral Grove appeared on the front of Ringo's first solo album, Sentimental Journey. The house, which had a guide price of 55,000, is owned by a housing association, Plus Dane, who say proceeds will be ploughed back into housing in the local area. Claire Griffiths, Plus Dane's executive director of property, said: "From the community's point of view, it's good to see that the forthcoming auction is attracting so much interest because we've promised that any profits we make from the sale of Ringo Starr's childhood home will be reinvested back into Plus Dane homes in the L8 area. "We have taken on board the concerns of local residents and have put specific restrictions on the sale of the house so it cannot become a tourist attraction or museum." The old homes of three of the other band members have gone up for auction in recent years. Last year, Sir Paul McCartney's childhood home at 72 Western Avenue, Speke, sold in six minutes to a local mystery buyer for 150,000. In October 2013, John Lennon's childhood home at 9 Newcastle Road in Wavertree sold at auction for 480,000, and in October 2014 George Harrison's former home, 26 Upton Green, in Speke, sold for 156,000. Tony Webber, auction surveyor, Countrywide Property Auctions, said: "There has already been a great deal of interest in this property from potential buyers in the UK and internationally and it is a privilege to be dealing with such an iconic piece of Liverpool and the Beatles' history. Video of the Day "It is a truly unique property and you can sense the excitement building on the lead up to auction night." Part of the official Beatles Tour, the property still attracts fans daily. It went under the hammer at the Fab Four's old stomping ground, The Cavern Club in Liverpool. George and Charlottes Easter eggs will have to wait - Prince William is to spend the Bank Holiday weekend in Kenya attending the wedding of his teenage sweetheart Jessica "Jecca" Craig. Kate Middleton will stay at home in England with their children, while the British royal makes a private four-day visit to Africa. Expand Close Jecca Craig arrives for the Boodles Boxing Ball at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel on October 1, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Indigo/Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jecca Craig arrives for the Boodles Boxing Ball at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel on October 1, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Indigo/Getty Images) In a statement, Kensington Palace outlined the Duke of Cambridges plans to spend time on a wildlife reserve and to hold an official meeting with Kenyas president Uluru Kenyatta. However, there was no mention of the Princes ex-girlfriend Jeccas wedding, due to take place on Saturday and which the Duke is expected to attend. Ms Craig (34) is set to marry Canadian professor Jonathan Baillie, director of conservation at the Zoological Society of London, on her fathers 55,000 acre wildlife reserve, the Lewa Conservancy. Prince William briefly dated Ms Craig during his gap year before university, and the two have remained close. In 2008, he even missed his own cousin, Peter Phillips, nuptials to go to Ms Craigs brothers wedding - leaving his then girlfriend Kate to attend alone. The Kenyan socialite is also friendly with the Duchess of Cambridge, and was a guest at the royal wedding in 2011. The Lewa Conservancy, run by the bride-to-bes father, Ian Craig, holds a special place in Prince William's heart, and served as the romantic backdrop when he proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010. Top 9 student designs for DIT Fashion Show under theme of "My Metropolis" unveiled at Rooftop Level CarPark Stephen's Green A rooftop carpark provided the backdrop to showcase outfits by the nine finalists chosen this week for the DIT Fashion Show which takes place in Vicar Street next month. 'My Metropolis' was the theme of the competition this year and the finalists' designs were influenced by everything from bull fighting to artificial intelligence, futuristic fantasy, femme fatale, mother nature, mother city, the interconnectivity of city life and real street style. The ultimate winner will receive prize money of 2,000. The finalists chosen by judges Brendan Courtney, Umit Kutluk, Maria Fusco and Bairbre Power, fashion editor of the Irish Independent, include Symbio City, designed by Lisa Dooley from GMIT; Call It What You Want, designed by Roisin Fagan from NCAD; Modern Matador, designed by Clodagh Knight from Griffith College; Artificial Intelligence, designed by Cija Lamb from Mallow College of Tailoring and Fashion; and Capitol Opulence, designed by Eamonn McGill from the Grafton Academy. Also chosen were Jerusalem - The Promised Land, designed by Sarah Murphy from Griffith College; My Metropolis, The Story of a City, designed by Julia Rainey from the Grafton Academy; Sculptural Palette, designed by Katie Wickstone from Griffith College; and Connections, designed by Aurelie Yolande from Griffith College. Tickets for the April 19 show are available for 20 from eventbrite.ie with net proceeds going to the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation. Republican US presidential hopeful Ted Cruz arrives at a campaign rally in Provo, Utah, where he managed to win the caucuses. Photo: Reuters/Jim Urquhart. Photo: Reuters US presidential candidate Ted Cruz is still clinging to hopes of catching up on Republican front-runner Donald Trump, after winning the Utah caucuses and receiving further backing from the party establishment which is desperate to stop the outspoken billionaire. Often shunned by party moderates because of his hawkish stance on fiscal issues, Mr Cruz picked up an endorsement from former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, an establishment Republican who was a candidate for the party's nomination for the November 8 presidential election until he dropped out last month. But time is running out to defeat billionaire frontrunner Trump. Mr Cruz, a conservative senator from Texas, looked on track to win all of the 40 Republican delegates from Tuesday's Utah contest, although Mr Trump won the 58 delegates up for grabs in Arizona, partly due to his hardline on illegal immigration. "What we're seeing all across the country is the momentum is with us," Mr Cruz said. "You want to talk about a broad coalition, ideologically diverse - that covers the entire spectrum of the Republican Party." But before the Republican convention in July. After Tuesday, the former reality TV star had 738 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination. Cruz had 463. Mr Trump easily defeated Mr Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich in Arizona with a hardline anti-immigration message and tough talk on Islamic militants. "Hopefully, the Republican Party can come together and have a big win in November, paving the way for many great Supreme Court Justices!" Trump wrote on Twitter. On the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton routed challenger Bernie Sanders in Arizona to stretch her advantage in the race for her party's presidential nomination. But Sanders' wins in Utah and Idaho bolstered his case that he still has a chance despite Clinton's big lead. Former Secretary of State Clinton seized on the attacks in Brussels to argue that neither Mr Trump nor Mr Cruz can be trusted to lead the fight against Islamic State militants. Mr Trump has called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US and Cruz said he would send police patrols into Muslim neighbourhoods. In Utah, Mr Cruz appeared to benefit from Mormons who dominate the state's Republican vote and rejected Mr Trump's attacks on Mitt Romney, a Mormon and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee. Meanwhile, the Trump-Cruz feud spilled onto social media in a spat drawing in the candidates' wives. Make America Awesome, an anti-Trump political group, featured a scantily clad photo of Trump's wife Melania, a former model, in an ad. Trump hit back on Twitter, saying, "Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!" Cruz yesterday said he considered the tweet a threat and said Trump was "a bully". Dozens of al-Qaida fighters have been killed in a US airstrike in Yemen, the second time in a month that targeted American air raids have led to massive casualties Dozens of al-Qa'ida fighters have been killed in a US airstrike in Yemen, the second time in a month that targeted American air raids have led to massive casualties. US aircraft struck a training camp belonging to al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Yemen affiliate of the terror group which has been behind multiple terror plots. Explosives rained down as the al-Qa'ida recruits were gathering to eat, a local man said: "The planes struck as al-Qa'ida people stood in line to receive their dinner meal." At least 70 people were reported to have died in the attack, which caused large fires inside the camp, according to the Pentagon. It was not clear if civilians were killed alongside the al-Qa'ida members. "This strike deals a blow to AQAP's ability to use Yemen as a base for attacks that threaten US persons, and it demonstrates our commitment to defeating al-Qa'ida," a Pentagon spokesman said. The strike came two weeks after the US killed around 150 al-Shabaab fighters gathered at a meeting in Somalia. Both strikes are believed to have included drones and manned aircraft and the scale was far larger than most strikes under Presidents Barack Obama or George W Bush. A woman sitting bloodied and dazed just moments after the Brussels airport bombings was one of the most haunting images from the attacks. The woman's family in India saw the photo after Tuesday's blasts. They identified her as Nidhi Chaphekar, a 40-year-old Jet Airways flight attendant and mother of two from Mumbai. "We were searching through the internet to try and get details of the blasts when we saw the pics," her brother-in-law Nilesh Chaphekar told reporters. "The first reaction was 'she's alive, by God's grace she is alive'." Ms Chaphekar's yellow uniform was apparently shredded from the force of one of the blasts. Her hair was caked with soot, and blood streaked down her face. But it was the look of shock and numbness on her face that captured the horror of the attacks, leading many around the world to share the photo on social media sites with the #PrayForNidhi hashtag. Her family, including her husband, 11-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son, are now trying to get to Brussels to be with her. Mr Chaphekar added that "the last medical update we've had is that she's responding well to medication". This CCTV image from the Brussels Airport surveillance cameras made available by Belgian Police, shows what officials believe may be suspects in the Brussels airport attack on March 22, 2016 A second bomber involved in the deadly Brussels terror attacks may be on the run, according to reports. Authorities are already searching for a suspected killer dubbed the "man in white" who was pictured at the Belgian capital's Zaventem Airport moments before twin explosions ripped through the building. Expand Close Khalid (L) and Ibrahim (R) El Bakraoui Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Khalid (L) and Ibrahim (R) El Bakraoui Photo: AFP/Getty Images But another man suspected of being involved in the subsequent bomb attack on Maelbeek metro station may also be at large, according to state broadcaster RTBF and France's Le Monde newspaper. Read More They claim that the man was caught on CCTV carrying a large bag and walking with Khalid El Bakraoui, who prosecutors believe carried out the suicide attack on a commuter train. Read More His brother Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who is also known as Brahim, blew himself up at the airport at 8am local time, along with Najim Laachraoui, 24, who on Wednesday was revealed to be the suspected bomb maker in November's Paris terror attacks. RTBF reported: "According to our sources, there was a second man in the suicide attack in the metro. "We already knew that Khalid El Bakraoui blew himself up in the metro at Maelbeek station. RTBF has learnt this morning that another man is suspected of having taken part in the deadly attack. "He was spotted on security cameras carrying a large bag. His identity isn't known at the moment. Did he die or is he on the run? The question remains open." Read More Meanwhile, Salah Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect in November's Paris attacks, was not aware of the plan to attack Brussels airport and metro, according to his lawyer. The multiple bombings in Brussels on Tuesday, which killed at least 31 people and wounded 300, were carried out by men linked to Abdeslam, according to prosecutors. Abdeslam was arrested last Friday, three days before the attacks. "He was not aware," several Belgian media outlets quoted Sven Mary as saying on Thursday Prosecutors said at least 31 people were killed and 270 injured in the three suicide bomb attacks in Brussels on Tuesday morning, and the death toll could rise. As the manhunt continues, Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to join counterparts from the European Union in Brussels for an emergency meeting on Thursday. The meeting of justice and security ministers is "intended to show solidarity with Belgium, discuss the actual state of play in the fight against terrorism and pursue swift completion and implementation of legislation", the EU said. The mystery terrorist in a still from CCTV footage at Brussels Airport. Photo: Reuters An unknown terrorist remained on the run last night after Belgian police missed a series of opportunities to catch the Brussels suicide bombers. The jihadi, whose true identity is believed not to be known to authorities, is at the centre of a massive manhunt. In the CCTV image showing the suicide bombers walking nonchalantly through Brussels Airport in the moments before that attack, the mystery terrorist is seen wearing a hat and white coat. It is thought the man abandoned his suitcase bomb and fled the scene. It has emerged that police appear to have missed a number of opportunities to capture other members of the cell. Najim Laachraoui, the cell's bombmaker who is now reported to have blown himself up in the airport attack, had travelled to Syria to join Isil in 2013. Police and security services had failed to monitor his return. Laachraoui (24), who also used the alias Soufiane Kayal, was also captured on CCTV along with another member of his terror cell withdrawing money from a Western Union branch in the Brussels area four days after the attacks on Paris in November last year. Laachraoui's DNA was found on an explosive suicide belt in the Bataclan theatre and another in the attack on the Stade de France. Two other members of the cell - Ibrahim el Bakraoui and Khalid el Bakraoui, the brothers who blew themselves up at Brussels Airport and on a metro train - are thought to have been living with a fourth member of the gang, Salah Abdeslam. A police raid on March 15 - a week before the attack - on an apartment where Abdeslam had been living, ended in failure. The apartment had been rented by Khalid el Bakraoui, raising serious concern that he too could have been apprehended a week before the Brussels bombings. Abdeslam, who was caught three days later, escaped arrest by fleeing across the rooftops. It was suggested last night that one or possibly both of the brothers may have been with him when he fled. In the weeks before Tuesday's double onslaught, the trio had evaded police monitoring by hopping between rental properties and bed-sits across the city. Officers were unable to track them down even after Interpol alerts were issued as long ago as August 2015 - three months before the attacks on Paris last November. Locals said that Abdeslam was a common sight in Molenbeek, a tight-knit neighbourhood that has become synonymous with jihadists. They claimed they had seen Abdeslam regularly "eating in cafes, going to the mosque". "Everyone knew he was here, everyone - but, of course, if I'd seen him, I'd have told the police," one local said. The el Bakraoui brothers are thought to have been linked to at least five homes across the city's north, east and southern suburbs, as well as with rental records of a Charleroi apartment used as a base for the Paris attackers in October. Locals believe officers may have missed a key chance to foil the plot after a shoot-out at a property in Forest, south Brussels, last Tuesday. The terrace property had been occupied by a European couple in their 30s and their two young daughters as recently as last month. But on Tuesday the brothers are thought to have fled the address with Abdeslam after armed police swooped. Joseph El-Hadj, a nearby shopworker, said: "The pair scaled on the rooftops to escape. Police came storming into the electronics shop to find them but had no luck. I don't know how they got away." ( Daily Telegraph, London) Human rights groups and refugee advocates say Hungary is unnecessarily holding hundreds of asylum seekers in detention and hindering the treatment and recovery of traumatised survivors of torture. Gabor Gyulai, head of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee's refugee programme, said yesterday that Hungary's practice of detaining asylum seekers is "not an exceptional measure, it is a widespread practice", which last year led, for example, to having more asylum seekers in prison-like conditions than in open reception centres. A report presented jointly by the Helsinki Committee and the Cordelia Foundation, which offers psychiatric counselling to asylum seekers, found that legal safeguards for torture victims seeking asylum are ineffective, that the detention of torture victims or those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder fuels re-traumatisation and that there are no trained mental health workers in the detention centres. Yesterday, refugees and migrants in Greece staged protests at the country's border with Macedonia and on islands near the Turkish coast. Several hundred protesters camped out at the border disrupted food distribution by charities, and demanded the border be reopened. Small protests have also occurred at detention camps on three Greek islands, where arrested migrants and refugees are waiting to be deported back to Turkey. All refugees and migrants arriving in Greece are being arrested since Sunday, when the agreement between Turkey and the European Union (EU) took effect. Greek officials could not say when the deportations would start, with outstanding legal and practical issues still to be resolved. On Tuesday the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, dealt a blow to EU efforts to stem the biggest humanitarian crisis in generations, saying it would no longer assist in the transfer of migrants and refugees arriving in Greece to "detention centres". The EU reached a deal with Turkey just four days ago aimed at halting the flow of migrants across the sea to Greece, but the UNHCR said the deal was being prematurely implemented without the required safeguards in place. It said migrants were being held against their will at reception facilities on several Greek islands, and it would not transport people there from the beaches and to and from ports. It will continue to provide other services including counselling to refugees, it said. The accord crafted by EU leaders and Turkey specifically mentions the UNHCR's involvement, although UN officials in Geneva said they were not consulted on that. The deal, which took effect on Sunday, is aimed at putting new arrivals in Greece who seek asylum on a fast track for processing. But it also means they are kept in detention until their claims are assessed. "Under the new provisions, these so-called hotspots have now become detention centres," said the UNHCR's Melissa Fleming. "Accordingly, and in line with UNHCR policy of opposing mandatory detention, we have suspended some of our activities at all closed centres on the island." Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said it was pulling out of one centre on Lesbos "because the EU-Turkey deal is turning reception centres to deportation centres." People gather at a memorial for victims of attacks in Brussels yesterday. Belgian authorities were searching yesterday for a top suspect in the countrys deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Unions capital awoke under guard and with limited public transport. Photo: AP Photo/Valentin Bianchi One of two brothers who blew themselves up in the Brussels attacks left an audio suicide note claiming he was carrying out the bombing in preference to being caught and sent to jail. The recorded declaration of Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was found on an audio file on his laptop. He had dumped the computer in a dustbin on Rue Max Rose, a street in the Schaerbeek neighbourhood of Brussels where the terrorists had set up a bomb-making factory. The emergence of the suicide note was the latest dramatic revelation 24 hours after the attacks on Brussels that left at least 31 dead and 270 wounded. El-Bakraoui (29) was seen in the centre of a CCTV image wheeling his suitcase packed with explosives through the departure hall of Brussels Airport in the minutes before the attack. It was disclosed yesterday that his brother, Khalid el-Bakraoui (27) was the suicide bomber who detonated his explosives in the second carriage of a train at Maalbeek metro station, a little over an hour after the airport bombs. It left prosecutors unsure of the identities of two of the men in the CCTV footage. It was reported last night that the man on the left, also dressed in black and, like el-Bakraoui wearing a single black glove, possibly to hide the detonator, was Najim Laachraoui. He was the terror cell's bombmaker and is now said to have died in the airport explosion. The identity of the man on the right, wearing a hat and white coat, is not known. In a press conference yesterday, Frederic Van Leeuw, the Belgian federal prosecutor, said Ibrahim el- Bakraoui had left a note on his laptop. It was later claimed it was contained in an audio file. Mr van Leeuw said: "In a dustbin in the same street, detectives found a laptop containing the will of Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, which said: 'I am always on the move, I don't know what to do, I'm being hunted everywhere and am no longer safe. If I go on like this [I] will end up in a prison cell next to him." It is unclear whether the word "him" was a reference to Salah Abdeslam, the suspected Paris bomber who was arrested last week and is "cooperating" with interrogators. Pieter Van Ostaeyen, a Belgian jihad expert, said Abdeslam's arrest accelerated the attacks. "This was not revenge for the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, but about bringing forward existing plans for fear that he would speak under pressure and so would expose them and their plans," he said. The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed yesterday Ibrahim el- Bakraoui had been arrested in June last year in southern Turkey and sent back to Europe. Turkey insisted it had warned Belgium that el-Bakraoui "was a foreign fighter" but that those warnings had been ignored. It was claimed he was sent from Turkey to the Netherlands rather than Belgium and that el-Bakraoui demanded he be deported there rather than his home country. The Belgian prosecutor insisted yesterday the two brothers were well-known to police and "had a heavy past criminal record not linked to terrorism". On September 30, 2010, Ibrahim was sentenced to nine years in prison for opening fire on police with a Kalashnikov rifle during an armed robbery. Belgian media said this was on a Western Union agency on Boulevard Adolphe Max in Brussels. Khalid was reportedly sentenced to five years' probation in 2012 for carjackings. He was found to have Kalashnikovs in his possession when arrested. It suggests the brothers may have been radicalised at a later date, possibly in jail. Prosecutors also revealed that the first explosion in the airport was detonated at aisle 11 in the departure hall at "precisely 7.58am and 28 seconds" and that nine seconds later, "at 7.58am and 37 seconds, a second explosion went off at aisle two". It is thought passengers fleeing the first smaller bomb ran straight towards the second, placed near a Starbucks cafe and the terminal exit. Mr Van Leeuw revealed a third bomb, in the possession of the man in the white coat, had failed to detonate. "His bag contained the biggest explosive charge," said the prosecutor. The trio had arrived at the airport by taxi. The driver had picked the men up from an apartment in Rue Max Rose. Following the bombings, he tipped police off about the whereabouts of the flat raided last night. The driver had been suspicious because the men had refused to let him handle their baggage and had complained his car was too small. Two bags were left behind in the apartment as a consequence. Police have cordoned off a shop in the area where murdered teenager Paige Doherty was last seen. Forensic officers were at the Delicious Deli in Fleming Avenue, Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, on Wednesday night. Police said Paige was last spotted at a shop in the street on Saturday morning. The 15-year-old schoolgirl was due to catch a bus to her part-time hairdressing job but never arrived at the salon. Expand Close Police forensic officers at the site where the body of Paige Doherty was found Credit: Danny Lawson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police forensic officers at the site where the body of Paige Doherty was found Credit: Danny Lawson/PA Wire Her body was found two days later in bushes at the side of Great Western Road, a busy route connecting Clydebank and Glasgow. Police said on Thursday that no arrests have been made in connection with her death and inquiries are continuing. Paige's mother, Pamela Munro, said the family was "devastated" by her death. She said in a statement released through police: "We are absolutely devastated that we have lost our beautiful little girl and would appeal for anyone with information to come forward and bring justice for Paige." Police said they were trying to "track Paige's last movements". Detective Superintendent Duncan Sloan said: "We know that the last confirmed sighting of Paige was on Saturday morning at around 8.20am at the shop in Fleming Avenue. I need to hear from people who recognise her image that we have issued, and who seen (sic) her that morning. Expand Close Police activity off Great Western Road, Clydebank Credit: Danny Lawson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police activity off Great Western Road, Clydebank Credit: Danny Lawson/PA Wire "Paige was a very independent young lady, who would routinely make her way to work during the weekend over to Kirkintilloch from Clydebank, taking a bus into Glasgow City Centre on to Kirkintilloch. "I need people to come forward with any information they have - however insignificant it may seem to them." In memory of Paige, the landmark Titan Crane in Clydebank is being lit pink on Thursday. Provost Douglas McAllister said: "Our community is in shock at this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with Paige's family and friends. This is a small gesture of support for everyone who knew Paige." A dedicated mobile line has been provided by Police Scotland which people can text with any information. The number is 07557 540848. People can also call the incident room on 0141 532 5415 or 0141 532 5443 or email OperationTalverton@scotland.pnn.police.uk. A fresco of the Virgin Mary and child in the Sixth Century Santa Maria Antiqua Church, Rome. The church was buried following an earthquake in AD847 and rediscovered in 1900. Photo: Reuters A 1,500-year-old church that was buried under debris from an earthquake for more than a millennium has reopened to the public after a painstaking restoration of some of the world's earliest Christian art. The sixth-century church of Santa Maria Antiqua is located in the ancient Roman Forum, at the bottom of the Palatine Hill, where Roman emperors lived for centuries in sumptuous in palaces. It was buried under rubble by an earthquake in AD 847 and was only rediscovered in 1900 during archaeological excavations. It has taken more than 30 years to restore its exquisite interior, which is decorated with multi-coloured frescoes of saints, martyrs, angels and emperors. The project, which was funded by the Italian government and the World Monuments Fund, cost 2.7m. "This church is the Sistine Chapel of the early Middle Ages," said Maria Andaloro, an art historian involved in the project. "It collected the very best of figurative culture of the Christian world between Rome and Byzantium." Being buried by the earthquake saved the church from being altered in later centuries, particularly during the counter-reformation, said Prof Andaloro. Among the most significant frescoes is a depiction of the Virgin Mary with child - one of the oldest known Christian icons in the world. After the ninth century earthquake it was moved to another church in Rome but it has now been returned to Santa Maria Antiqua. The church was built inside a vast complex of Roman buildings that were constructed in the first century AD under the rule of the Emperor Domitian. "It is unique, not just among the hundreds of churches in Rome but also in the whole of Italy," said Francesco Prosperetti, Rome's superintendent of archaeology. "It represents a forgotten period in the history of the Forum because of the earthquake that buried it." Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] A worker stands under the Airlander 10 hybrid airship during its unveiling in Cardington, Britain. Reuters/Darren Staples A worker stands under the Airlander 10 hybrid airship during its unveiling in Cardington, Britain. Reuters/Darren Staples Hybrid Air Vehicles CEO Stephen McGlennan speaks besides the Airlander 10 hybrid airship during its unveiling in Cardington, Britain. Reuters/Darren Staples The Airlander 10 airship, the world's largest aircraft, is unveiled for the first time since being fully assembled at Cardington hanger in Bedfordshire. Photo: Chris Radburn/PA Wire The world's longest aircraft, an airship spanning more than six double-decker buses, is set to make its maiden flight later this Spring. The 92-metre Airlander 10 could stay airborne for up to two weeks, . Hybrid Air Vehicles is hoping the slow-moving, helium-filled Airlander 10 will catch the eye of potential customers who might want to use it to carry cargo or deliver aid, for surveillance, communications or leisure purposes. It can carry 48 passengers. The Airlander can take off and land vertically meaning it does not need a tarmac runway. It can also operate from open fields, deserts, ice or water, meaning it could be useful for humanitarian missions or coastguard monitoring. When the Airlander 10 airship, the world's largest aircraft launched today, reminds you of @KimKardashian. pic.twitter.com/eWPLucH8H6 Derek Momodu (@DelMody) March 21, 2016 "@cnni: Worlds largest aircraft: http://t.co/ZxzX8T6Hxm pic.twitter.com/OH9Kgs4OP5" See comments lol & Yes someone said Kim Kardashian Peter Griffin (@PeterGriffinLBY) March 15, 2015 Airships have a long history stretching back to the nineteenth century, although their use was curtailed by competition from aeroplanes in the twentieth century and high-profile accidents such as the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. Hybrid Air Vehicles is a privately-held firm funded so far by 17.5 million pounds ($25.2 million) raised from 1,000 shareholders, and which has benefited from U.S. investment and British and EU grants. It will undertake additional ground testing before a first flight in the coming months. The airship could then become a familiar sight over the central English countryside as it aims to complete 200 hours of test flights before demonstrations to would-be customers. Hybrid Air Vehicles hopes to be building 12 of the airships a year by 2018. A woman and children sit and mourn for the victims of the bombings, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels (AP) Policesaid they were looking for this man, who is suspected of taking part in the attacks at Belgium's Zaventem Airport The suspected bomb maker in the Paris attacks in November was one of two suicide bombers who targeted the Brussels airport, officials said on Wednesday. The revelation that Najim Laachraoui was among the bombers who died came as Belgians began three days of mourning for the victims of the Brussels airport and metro bombings. The country remained on high alert as authorities hunted for one of the suspected attackers seen on surveillance video with Laachraoui - who was thought to have escaped after the Brussel attacs - and one other suicide bomber. Authorities had dubbed him Europe's most wanted man. The disclosure came as Turkish authorities revealed they had caught one of the suicide bombers near the Turkish-Syrian border in July and sent him back to the Netherlands. They warning both that country and Belgium that he was a "foreign terrorist fighter." But a Turkish official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly said the bomber was allowed to go free because Belgian authorities could not establish any ties to extremism. Belgian authorities had initially thought Laachraoui was one of the Brussels airport bombers captured on CCTV in a black cap and white coat who was thought to have fled after the attacks. But subsequently DNA showed he was one of the other two suicide bombers. Police had been hunting Laachraoui since last week, suspecting him of being an accomplice of top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested on Friday. Two officials told AP that Laachraoui's DNA was verified as that of one of the suicide bombers on Tuesday, after samples were taken from remains found at the blast site at Brussels airport. Laachraoui is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, a French police official told AP, adding that Laachraoui's DNA was found on all of the vests as well as in a Brussels apartment where they were made. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. Several people who may be linked to the attacks were still on the loose and the country's threat alert remained at its highest level, meaning there was danger of an imminent attack, said Paul Van Tigchelt, head of Belgium's terrorism threat body. The attacks killed 31 people, not including three suicide bombers, and injured 270 others, authorities said. As government offices, schools and residents held a moment of silence to honour the dead, the mood was defiance mixed with anxiety that others involved in the attacks are still at large. Belgian Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw identified two of the Brussels attackers as brothers - Ibrahim El Bakraoui, a suicide bomber at the airport, and Khalid El Bakraoui, who targeted the subway. Investigators raided the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaerbeek after the attacks and found a computer in a rubbish bin on the street including a note from Ibrahim El Bakraoui saying he felt increasingly unsafe and feared landing in prison. He was the brother who Turkish officials said was deported from Turkey to the Netherlands. Belgium's justice minister said authorities there knew him as a common criminal, not an extremist, and that he was sent back to the Netherlands, not Belgium. A taxi driver who took Ibrahim El Bakraoui and two others to the airport led investigators to an apartment where they found 15 kilograms (33lbs) of TATP explosives, along with nails and other materials used to make bombs, Van Leeuw said. Two were suicide bombers, the prosecutor said; the other man in a white jacket and black cap - initially thought to be Laachraoui fled before the bombs went off, leaving behind a bag full of explosives. That bag later blew up, but no one was injured. The Islamic State group, which was behind the Paris attacks, has also claimed responsibility for the Brussels bombings. Belgian state broadcaster RTBF said Khalid El Bakraoui had rented an apartment that was raided last week in an operation that led authorities to Abdeslam. Abdeslam was arrested on Friday in the Brussels area where he grew up. French and Belgian authorities have said that the network behind the Paris attacks was much larger than initially thought - and developments this week suggest the same group could have staged both the Paris and Brussels attacks. The airport and several Brussels metro stations remained closed on Wednesday, and authorities said the airport would remain closed at least until Saturday. Joe and Teresa Giudice had been convicted of fraud Joe Giudice, the husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice, has reported to prison to begin serving a 41 month term for fraud and tax evasion, his lawyer said The couple pleaded guilty in 2014 to bankruptcy fraud, and Joe Giudice pleaded guilty to not paying about 200,000 dollars (141,600) in taxes. The judge staggered their sentences so that one of them would be able to take care of their four young daughters. Teresa completed her 15-month sentence in December. Her husband reported to Fort Dix's federal prison in New Jersey on Wednesday. Family lawyer James Leonard said it was an emotional day, but that the Giudice family had a strong support system. Joe has been living in the country as a resident alien and is to be deported to Italy after completing his sentence Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with Russian president Vladimir Putin before their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia (AP) US Secretary of State John Kerry has voiced hope that Washington and Moscow could narrow their differences on Syria and Ukraine as he sat down for talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Mr Kerry said he hoped the talks would be constructive and allow the nations to find a way to "rebuild and strengthen the relationship between the United States and Russia by proving that we know how to solve some serious problems together and building from there". Mr Kerry hailed a US- and Russian-brokered ceasefire in Syria, adding that it had allowed the Syrians "to taste and smell the possibilities of what it means to have a huge reduction in violence and to receive humanitarian assistance". "We obviously also have some ideas about this and how we can most effectively make progress in Geneva and begin the very serious and difficult work of the transition," he said in a reference to Syria peace talks in Geneva. In a playful start to the talks, Mr Putin noted that Kerry walked off the plane carrying his briefcase himself and joked that he must have brought some cash to bargain with Russia. Mr Kerry replied, "When we have a private moment I will show you what's in my briefcase and I think you will be surprised." Switching to a serious tone, the Russian leader said he hoped for a constructive discussion that would "allow us to make our positions on Syria and Ukraine closer". Mr Kerry is seeking clarity from Mr Putin and foreign minister Sergey Lavrov as to where Russia stands on a political transition for Syria, particularly on the future of President Bashar Assad, now that a fragile truce is holding and UN-brokered peace talks are under way. The main Syrian opposition group has wrapped up the latest round of indirect peace talks by urging Russia to "use its leverage" on President Bashar Assad's government to fulfil international hopes for a political transition. In Geneva, Bassma Kodmani, a leader of the opposition High Negotiations Committee, told reporters on Thursday that it wants greater access for humanitarian aid and decried continued sieges by government forces on Syrian municipalities. The US and Russia have been at odds over Syria since the conflict began more than five years ago, with Washington demanding Assad's ouster and Moscow saying it is up to the Syrian people to determine their leadership. Mr Kerry's meetings were arranged after Mr Putin made a surprise announcement last week that Russian troops would partially withdraw from Syria after five months of military operations in support of Assad's government. The other current significant difference between the US and Russia is the situation in Ukraine where Washington accuses Moscow of not doing enough to push pro-Russian separatists in the east to comply with a ceasefire. Russia, meanwhile, has complained that the Ukrainian government is dragging its feet on implementing the ceasefire. Fighting in Ukraine's industrial heartland, which has close ties to Russia, has killed more than 9,100 people and left large swaths of land under rebel control. Germany, France and Russia mediated talks between the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed separatists in Minsk, Belarus, which resulted in the truce agreement. That has largely held, but none of the political elements, including calling a local election, has been implemented. Kiev insists it cannot hold the vote because it cannot guarantee security for election officials. For their part, the rebels have said they will not allow Ukrainian right-wing parties to run, which the Ukrainian government says also makes the election impossible. Mr Kerry was to raise concerns about a recent sharp increase in cease-fire violations and press Russia to do more to get the separatists in line. Unless there is "true quiet" and full access for ceasefire monitors, US officials say it will be difficult to get progress on other parts of the Minsk deal. Mr Kerry will also raise the case of Nadezhda Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot who was sentenced to 22 years in prison in Russia on Tuesday on charges the US says are false. Savchenko was convicted of complicity to murder in the 2014 deaths of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine, opening a door to a possible prisoner swap between the two countries. The US has repeatedly called for Savchenko, who is also a member of parliament, to be released and did so again on Tuesday. Ukraine has suggested trading two Russian prisoners for Savchenko and US officials say Mr Kerry would encourage Russia to accept the proposal. The crew of survey ship HMS Echo joined the search in the southern Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane (MoD/PA) This suspected plane part found on the southern coast of South Africa may be from one of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370's Rolls-Royce engines (AP) Two pieces of debris discovered along the coast of Mozambique are "highly likely" to have come from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Australian authorities have said. An analysis of the parts by an international investigation team showed both pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, transport minister Darren Chester said. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," he said. The discovery of the two pieces provide another piece of the puzzle into the plane's fate and bolster authorities' assertion that the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean. But whether they can provide any clues into exactly what happened to the aircraft and why is uncertain. Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 2014 with 239 aboard and is believed to have crashed somewhere in a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean about 3,700 miles east of Mozambique. Authorities had predicted that any debris from the plane not on the ocean floor would eventually be carried by currents to the east coast of Africa. Until now, the only other confirmed piece of debris from the Boeing 777 was a wing part that washed ashore on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion last year. Given the vast distances involved, the variability of winds and the time that has elapsed, it is impossible for experts to retrace the parts' path back to where they first entered the water. And chances the debris itself could offer any fresh clues into precisely where the plane crashed are slim. "Close examination of the debris might possibly give some additional information relative to the search, but it's unlikely," said Dan O'Malley, spokesman for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading the hunt for the plane off Australia's west coast. In a bid to glean whatever information they could, investigators from Australia, Malaysia, and Boeing spent several days scrutinising both pieces. The parts were rinsed, submerged and agitated in water to capture any loose marine life. The water was then sieved and any potential biological material that was captured will be examined to see if it can be identified. Experts will also probably examine the debris to see if it can offer any hints about what happened on board, such as structural deformities that could show the angle at which the plane entered the ocean or markings that could indicate a mid-air explosion. Still, that would take some luck as the wing part found on Reunion Island has not yet yielded any significant revelations into the plane's fate. What investigators really need to find is the main underwater wreckage, which would hold the plane's coveted flight data recorders, or black boxes. The data recorder should reveal details related to the plane's controls, including whether aircraft systems that might have helped track the plane were deliberately turned off, as some investigators believe. But prospects for finding the debris field are running thin. Crews have already covered more than 70% of the search zone, and expect to complete their sweep of the area by the end of June. No trace of the underwater wreckage has been found. One of the parts in Mozambique was discovered by American lawyer and part-time adventurer Blaine Gibson, of Seattle. Mr Gibson, who said he had been searching for Flight 370 over the last year, found the piece on a sandbank. Mr Gibson said he hoped the part could provide investigators some leads into where and how the plane crashed, but felt little joy over the news that his discovery almost certainly came from Flight 370. "I do not use the word 'happy'," he said on Thursday from Burma, where he was visiting friends. "Because 'happy' - that is how I would feel if I arrived on that sandbank and found all the passengers and crew alive, sipping on coconuts and grilling seafood and saying, 'What took you so long?' "That would make me happy. However we're after the truth, whatever it is." Soon after his find was publicised, a South African teenager realised a piece of grey debris he found on a beach during a family holiday in Mozambique might also be from the plane. Liam Lotter, 18, came upon it while strolling on a beach in southern Mozambique in December and thought it might be from an aircraft. His parents dismissed it as rubbish that may have come from a boat, but he insisted on bringing it back to South Africa to research the fragment. Once back at home, the piece ended up in storage alongside the family's fishing gear and was nearly forgotten. It was only when Mr Lotter read about Mr Gibson's find about 186 miles from where he had made his discovery that the family alerted authorities. Earlier this week an archaeologist walking along South Africa's southern coast found a piece of debris with part of an aircraft engine manufacturer's logo. Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said there was a possibility it came from an inlet cowling of an aircraft engine and authorities will examine it to see if it, too, came from Flight 370. Two police cars, one believed to be transporting terror suspect Salah Abdeslam, leave the prison in Bruges, Belgium, for his court appearance (AP) Belgian soldiers patrol outside a Brussels court building where Salah Abdeslam, the top suspect in last year's deadly Paris attacks, was expected to appear before a judge (AP) Six people have been detained in raids around Brussels in connection with the attacks on the city's airport and Metro system. Belgian federal prosecutors said the arrests were made during raids in central Brussels, Jette and the Schaerbeek neighbourhood on Thursday. Police found a large stash of explosives and other bomb-making material earlier this week in an apartment in Schaerbeek believed used by the suicide bombers. Schaerbeek residents described hearing detonations during the police raids. It was unclear whether they were explosions or controlled blasts. Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have pushed into the ancient town of Palmyra, which has been held by the Islamic State group since May, state TV reported. The advance came after the troops managed this week to capture several hills and high ground around the town, famed for its priceless archaeological site and Roman ruins. Syrian troops have been on the offensive for days in an attempt to capture the town. The state TV broadcast footage of its reporter, embedded with the Syrian military, speaking live from the entrance of Palmyra and saying that as of midday Thursday, the fighting was concentrated near the archaeological site on the south-western edge of the town. Cracks of gunfire and explosions echoed as the reporter spoke. The TV also aired footage showing soldiers walking and vehicles driving near a building that appears to have been a hotel. An unnamed Syrian soldier told the station he had one message for the Islamic State group: "You will be crushed under the feet of the Syrian Arab Army." Recapturing the town, a UNESCO world heritage site, would be a significant victory for Syria's army and its Russian allies. Russia withdrew most of its forces and aircraft from Syria last week after a months-long bombing campaign that succeeded in turning the tide of the war again in President Bashar Assad's favour. Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, denied that Syrian troops had entered the town. He said they were still on the edge of Palmyra and that the video seen on Syrian state TV shows the area about three miles from Palmyra. Earlier in the day, Governor Talal Barazi said from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army has determined three directions to storm Palmyra and was clearing all roads leading into the town of mines and explosives. "We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra," Governor Barazi said over the phone, adding that "the army is advancing in a precise and organised way to protect what is possible of monuments and archaeological sites". The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops and Shiite militiamen helping them on the ground were facing tough resistance from IS extremists as they try to penetrate the town's limits. The Observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said the IS lost over 200 militants since the government campaign to retake Palmyra began 17 days ago. It did not have figures for government losses. In neighbouring Lebanon, the Al-Manar TV station, which belongs to the militant Hezbollah group that is fighting with Syrian troops, reported that Syrian government forces were in full control of the hotels area and farms on the western edge of Palmyra on Thursday. Palmyra attracted tens of thousands of tourists to Syria every year and is affectionately known by Syrians as the "bride of the desert". In a big blow to the government, it was overrun by the Islamic State group last May. In Palmyra, the IS destroyed many of the town's Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and also killed dozens of captive Syrian soldiers and dissidents from IS in public slayings at the town's grand Roman theatre and other ruins. Along with blowing up priceless archaeological treasures, among the first destructions IS carried out in Palmyra was the demolishing of the town's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents had been imprisoned and tortured over the years. The advance on Palmyra comes against the backdrop of Syrian peace talks under way in Geneva between representative of the Damascus government and the Western-backed opposition. The talks, which have been boosted by a Russia-US-brokered cease-fire that has mostly held since late February, were to adjourn on Thursday - without having achieved any apparent breakthroughs. The negotiations are scheduled to resume later in April. In Moscow, US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Thursday for countries to boost efforts to fight IS in Syria, Iraq and beyond in the wake of this week's deadly attacks in Brussels. He said the Brussels attack should put nations on notice that the terror threat emanating from the Middle East must be stopped. Mr Kerry is in Moscow for talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin and foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Syria, Ukraine and the Brussels attacks. He will be seeking clarity from Mr Putin and Mr Lavrov as to where Russia stands on a political transition for Syria, particularly on the issue of Mr Assad's future. Despite its recent drawdown in Syria, Moscow has said it is keeping its bases in Syria and would continue to carry out air strikes against the Islamic State group and other extremists. The Russian air force has supported the Assad government advance with a fierce campaign of air strikes. Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrived in Lebanon on Thursday for a two days visit during which he is expected to meet top Lebanese officials and discuss regional matters. Lebanon, which has taken in over one million Syrian refugees, is also host to a UN peacekeeping force that maintains security along the Lebanese-Israel border. Mr Ban is expected to address refugee support, youth unemployment, and private sector development. He will visit a Syrian refugee settlement in central Lebanon and the country's second-largest city, Tripoli, in the north. The secretary general will be joined by World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank Group representatives on a five-day regional tour that will also take him to Jordan and Tunisia. Jobs news SHARE By Independent Mail The Hart County Industrial Building Authority announced Wednesday that Lake Foods, a newly-established food processor, is opening its first location in mid-February in Hart County. With an investment of $4 million including the purchase and repurpose of an existing 62,000-square-foot facility in Hart County's Industrial Park on U.S. 29 near the Hartwell, the facility will provide a processing center, refrigerated inventory and main hub for operations. "The property in Hartwell is ideal for food processing, and provides a tremendous opportunity for us to grow our business for the next few years, and well into the future. We have already begun the remodeling of the facility to suit our specific needs, and have been overwhelmed by the expertise and professionalism of all the local contractors and vendors," said Holly Borrow, Chief Marketing Officer. "The location of Lake Foods operation in our community represents a significant commitment by the company in Hart County and we are excited about the job opportunities Lake Foods is helping create for our local area citizens," said Douglas Cleveland, chairman of the Hart County Industrial Building Authority. Lake Foods will begin operations in mid-February by employing 28 skilled individuals working on one shift, five days a week to provide the highest quality food products possible, while maintaining a safe and comfortable place of employment, according to officials. With the tremendous demand and growth in the food processing sector, Lake Foods plans on expanding business into two shifts and requiring up to 120 employees within five years. With the available candidates for employment in the area, Lake Foods has the highest level of confidence in the ability to be staffed with extraordinary individuals. "The Hart County Board of Commissioners welcomes Lake Foods to our community. Agriculture is a significant component of Hart County's economy and we are eager to help Lake Foods aggressively grow its business and workforce in our area," said Joey Dorsey, Hart County Board of Commission chairman. "With the support of Hart County, Hartwell and Georgia state officials, Lake Foods feels as if it will be a highly successful food processing company for years to come," Borrow continues. "We expect Lake Foods to continue to grow in the food processing sector and create even larger demand for workforce expansion longer-term." Lake Foods is a privately owned company, with the long term ambition of becoming a large, nationally recognized preferred supplier. With over a century of experience, the team at Lake Foods will strive to provide a desirable, safe, and competitively compensated place of employment for all of its associates. Lake Foods will process and introduce a variety of different products to the market and for its customers across the country. Georgia Department of Economic Development, Regional Project Manager, Tammy Caudell, is assisting with the project. For more information about Lake Foods contact hr@lakefoods.com. The city of Warwick approved a controversial ordinance Monday night clearing the way for the use of license plate readers in the city. The move comes a year after the city of Cranston made a similar move and is touted by officials as a way to improve safety by alerting police officers if a certain license plate is detected. Critics of the ordinance, including the Rhode Island chapter of the ACLU, expressed concern over the use of such cameras, expressing concerns over privacy, how data would be used and who they might target. Do you support the use of license plate recognition cameras in your community? Why or why not? Let us know in this week's poll question below. You voted: CONCORD- Dottie Holding always dreamed of becoming a dance teacher and in 1952, at the age of 15, she opened the Dot-Ann School of Dance on Chestnut Street in Concord. She began teaching ballet and tap to African American children in the community. Born in Concord in 1937, Holding grew up on Eastover Avenue and studied dance from Pegge Haywood and the Pegge Lee School of Dance. African American parents in the community expressed an interest in their children learning tap and ballet and since Haywoods classes were full, Holding got to live out her dream. On registration day Holding welcomed 25 enthusiastic children, ranging in ages of 3 to 14, into her school. She taught them on Mondays and Thursdays for two seasons which included performances for several service organizations like the Kiwanis and Lions clubs. The school presented its first revue Dance Delight in the Logan High School auditorium. Following high school, Holding taught at Virginia Intermont College and taught dance her freshman year. She transferred to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and put her dancing shoes away to concentrate on school. She and her husband Harry retired to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. But Holding couldnt stop thinking about her little dancers and wondering how their lives turned out, so she reached out to The Independent Tribune to help her search for those dancers that she loved so dearly. An article with the names of the dancers was printed in a newspaper a few months ago and on a Saturday in March, Holding made the trip from Atlanta to Concord to reunite with six of her students. I am deeply appreciative of the effort made by The Independent Tribune to assist me in locating six students of the Dot-Ann School of Dance. It is known that some of the students moved to other states and that at least four are deceased, Holding said. The dancers who could be located were very responsive to the opportunity to reunite after so many years. They have all led interesting and productive lives, are secure within themselves and with their Maker and are very appreciative of the guidance of their parents. Holding met the six students at Punchys Diner in Concord where they enjoyed a meal and caught up on life. Students who attended were Janette Allen, Olivia Bost, Kay Frances Miller Clark, Jackie Shipp Washington, Larry Willie and Johnsie Scott Young. Bost was the first one to contact Holding and helped search for the others. Holding collected the following information on the students she met in Concord: Olivia Bost Bost attended North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro. She has a son and a daughter, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. She was employed by Cabarrus County and has now retired. Over the years, Bost has performed in plays, made commercials and acted in two movies, Shadrack and Shake, Rattle and Roll. She continues to perform characterizations in the community. Janette Allen Allen, who served as a mascot acrobatic majorette for the Logan High School Band, finished her education at North Carolina Central College, majoring in business and economics. She accepted a position with Cannon Mills in the accounting department where she worked for two years, but her real longing was to be a flight attendant. Through a friend, she obtained an opportunity to interview with Delta and was hired. In 2008, she retired after serving 36 years in the sky. She lives in Mableton, Georgia. Kay Frances Miller Clark After graduating from Logan High School, Clark moved to Washington, DC. She worked as a secretary for the United States Customs Service then in a position with the Financial Management Service before she became a security specialist for the US Treasury. In 1962 she married and she and her husband raised three children. They moved back to North Carolina and have four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Jackie Shipp Washington Washington graduated from Logan High School and Barber- Scotia College. Following graduation she moved to Washington DC where she married and began working at the Department of Labor. Later she served as an office manager to a United States Senate Sub-Committee for over 13 years. Following her return to North Carolina in the late 1970s, she retired after 15 years of service with Bank of America. She and her husband raised two daughters and are grandparents to two grandchildren. They live in Charlotte. Larry Willie After growing up in Kannapolis, Willie attended St. Emma Military Academy in Virginia where he graduated with honors. He also attended Livingston College and Barber-Scotia College. He was drafted into the United States Army and served in Germany. During this time he met singer Archie Bell. Willie played drums, bass guitar and trumpet with Bell, touring Berlin and Copenhagen. He also had the good fortune to meet Jimmy Hendrix while there. Following his military service, Willie settled in Charlotte where he launched The Divine Revelation Church of God, Inc. and married his wife, Violet. Willie serves as bishop and Violet serves as an apostle of the church. Willie has been a certified tractor-trailer driver for over 30 years and is a part owner of a transportation service. Johnsie Scott Young Young, who graduated from Bennett College in Greensboro with a major in physical education, taught dance in nearby public schools while in college. She was the founder and owner of the Young School of Dance in Charlotte for almost 30 years. Throughout her adult life she studied at The Martha Graham School of Dance, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Kathryn Dunham School. Many of her students became instructors throughout the United States and abroad. She now resides in Charlotte with her husband. I feel enormously fortunate to have reconnected with Jannette, Olivia, Kay Frances, Jackie, Larry and Johnsie. They used to be my children and now they are my friends, Holding said. I also want to thank Olivia for helping in the search for the dancers. The short week of three days ended on a positive note for Indian pharmaceutical industry. The much needed respite came from the Delhi High Court as it adjourned the pleas of 30 drug makers against governments ban on 344 fixed dose combinations (FDCs) till March 28. Besides, Cadial Healthcare received a Notice of Concern (NoC) or warning from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for violations of good manufacturing practices at its vaccine plant in Moraiya in Sanand district of Gujarat. The Union Health Minister launched anti-diabetes drug on the World Diabetes Day. Overall, the week ended on a positive note for the pharma industry. Top News Delhi HC adjourns hearing till March 28 The Delhi High Court has adjourned the hearing of the pleas of 30 pharma companies till March 28, 2016. Besides, the interim relief to the companies will continue till the next scheduled hearing. Read more Cadila receives notice of concern from WHO for its vaccine plant in Moraiya Cadila Healthcare Ltd ended the day 0.90% lower at Rs. 320.30 on BSE. The company on Tuesday said it has received a Notice of Concern (NoC) or warning from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for violations of good manufacturing practices at its vaccine plant in Moraiya in Sanand district of Gujarat. Read more Health Minister launches new anti-TB drug, Bedaquiline In order to accelerate efforts to fight tuberculosis (TB) in Inida, Health Minister J P Nadda on the World TB Day (today) launched Bedaquiline new anti-TB drug for Drug Resistant TB as part of the RNTCP. Read more News in Focus Bulk drug exports to grow 12-14% till FY19: Assocham Increasing shipments to countries like the US and to European region is expected to help Indias bulk drug export to grow at an average rate of 12-14% till 2018-19, an Assocham study shows. Read more Domestic News Pfizer: Court extends interim injunction on sale of Corex With reference to the earlier letter dated March 14, 2016 regarding Interim Injunction on the prohibition of manufacture and sale of "Corex", Pfizer Ltd has announced that the Delhi High Court at the hearing held on March 21, 2016 was pleased to extend the interim injunction suspending the operation of the Notification dated March 10, 2016 banning the manufacture for sale, sale and distribution of fixed dose combination of Chlopheniramine Maleate + Codeine Syrup till the next date of hearing. Read more Indoco Remedies receives EIR approval from USFDA for Plant I in Goa Indoco Remedies has received the Establishment Inspection Report (approval) from US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for its solid dosages manufacturing facility at Goa (Plant I), confirming the closure of inspection in October, 2015. Read more Torrent Pharma plans to raise funds via QIP Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd has announced that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on March 23, 2016, inter alia, to consider the proposal for raising of funds by way of. Read more Sanofi Indias AMARYL will not be enforced until March 28 under govt notification banning FDC drugs Sanofi India has filed a Writ Petition on March 19, 2016 in the Delhi High Court challenging the said notification as one of its products AMARYL MP is sought to be covered by the notification. Read more AstraZeneca and Sun Pharma join hands for Type 2 diabetes AstraZeneca Pharma India and Sun Pharma today announced a partnership for the distribution of dapagliflozin, an innovative Type 2 diabetes medicine, in India. Dapagliflozin is AstraZeneca Indias leading diabetes medicine. Read more India Telemedicine Market to cross Rs. 200 cr by 2020: Ken Research According to the Research Analyst Ken Research, The usage of technology in healthcare system of India has radically changed the market dynamics, since the advent of ICT in healthcare market. Read more MSF welcomes govts move to ban 344 FDCs drugs 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. Read more An apple a day keeps "heart disease" away - A new study in US reveals You know the old adage: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, thats actually some sound advice! According to recent release by U.S. Apple Association (USApple), eating apples can be one of the most convenient and accessible ways to fight many of the factors that contribute to heart disease, the leading cause of death globally. Read more Glenmark Pharma gets ANDA approval for Raloxifene Hydrochloride Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of Rs. 4020.63 crore for the ongoing 720 MW Mangadechhu Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Bhutan. Thechaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of Rs. 4020.63 crore for the ongoing 720 MW Mangadechhu Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Bhutan. The Project will provide surplus power to India and thus augment power availability in the country. Expeditious RCE approval will enable project works to proceed smoothly without interruption. The bilateral agreement to execute the Mangdechhu HEP was signed between India and Bhutan in April, 2010 at the approved cost of Rs. 2896.3 crore (March 2008 price level) with funding by Government of India as 30% grant and 70% loan at 10% annual interest to be paid back in thirty equated semi-annual instalments. The total cost escalation for the project, at this stage, is Rs.1124.359 crore. The factors behind cost escalation to the RCE are due to inflation from March 2008 to March 2014, construction of cut-off wall against permeation grouting upstream coffer dam, exchange rate variations and other causes, etc. The Reserve Bank of India released on its website the data related to the performance of Non-Government Non-banking Financial and Investment (NGNBF&I) companies (including Chit fund/Kuri and Mutual Fund companies) for 2014-15. The data have been compiled based on audited annual accounts data of 23,293 companies. Of these, data pertaining to 22,899 companies are based on Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) systems (Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) and Form AOC-4 (Non-XBRL) platform), data for 363 companies are as collated by Department of Statistics and Information Management, Reserve Bank of India,while the data for theremaining 31 companies are obtained from CapitalinePlus data Services (not included in the select NGNBF&I of MCA and Company Finances Division (CFD) data), which closed their accounts during the period April 2014 to March 2015. The data draw a comparative picture over the three years period 2012-13 to 2014-15 based on a common set of companies. Explanatory notes pertaining to statements are given at the end. released on its website the data related to the performance of(including Chit fund/Kuri and Mutual Fund companies) for 2014-15. The data have been compiled based on audited annual accounts data of 23,293 companies. Of these, data pertaining to 22,899 companies are based on Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) systems (Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) and Form AOC-4 (Non-XBRL) platform), data for 363 companies are as collated by Department of Statistics and Information Management, Reserve Bank of India,while the data for theremaining 31 companies are obtained from CapitalinePlus data Services (not included in the select NGNBF&I of MCA and Company Finances Division (CFD) data), which closed their accounts during the period April 2014 to March 2015. The data draw a comparative picture over the three years period 2012-13 to 2014-15 based on a common set of companies. Explanatory notes pertaining to statements are given at the end. According to the provisional estimate of population paid-up capital (PUC) supplied by MCA, GoI, the select 23,293 NGNBF&I companies accounted for 77.8 per cent of all NGNBF&I companies as on March 31, 2015. Highlights: The performance of NGNBF&I companies had improved in 2014-15 as compared to the previous year. Financial income of the select 23,293 NGNBF&I companies witnessed a growth of 17.1 per cent in 2014-15 (15.1 per cent in 2013-14) mainly due to higher interest income. Total income increased by 17.4 per cent during 2014-15 as against 13.1 per cent increase recorded in the previous year. Total expenditure grew by 16.3 per cent in 2014-15 (14.3 per cent in 2013-14) mainly due to increase in employees remuneration (25.1 per cent in 2014-15 from 11.4 per cent in the previous year). However, interest expenses grew at lower rate of 12.7 per cent in 2014-15 as against 17.1 per cent in 2013-14. Operating profits (EBDT) as well as net profit of the select NGNBF&I companies increased in 2014-15. The operating profit margin (measured as a ratio of operating profits to financial income) along with return on assets (measured as a ratio of net profits to total net assets) and return on shareholders equity (measured ratio of net profits to net worth) increased marginally in 2014-15 as compared to the previous year. Total borrowings increased by 19.1 per cent in 2014-15 from 12.5 per cent growth seen in 2013-14. However, borrowings from banks decelerated marginally to 11.7 per cent in 2014-15 from 12.0 per cent in the previous year. Debt to equity ratio of select NGNBF&I companies witnessed increasing trend over the three years period. On the liabilities side, share of short-term and long-term borrowings increased during 2014-15 as compared to the previous year. However shareholders fund declined gradually over the three years period i.e., 2012-13 to 2014-15. On the assets side, share of short-term loans and advances along with current investment increased during 2014-15, whereas the share of long-term loans and advances as well as non-current investment declined in 2014-15 as compared to the previous year. The select NGNBF&I companies continued to rely mainly on external sources for funds in business expansion; however their share in total sources of funds declined marginally during 2014-15 as compared to the previous year. The share of funds mobilised through short-term and long-term borrowings increased to 20.3 per cent and 42.6 per cent in 2014-15, respectively from 14.8 per cent and 36.9 per cent in the previous year. The funds were used predominantly for expanding their current and non-current investments as well as short term loans and advances portfolios. The share of non-current investments extended by select NGNBF&I companies in total uses of funds increased significantly to 13.0 per cent in 2014-15 from 6.7 per cent in 2013-14. The Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) will not stop until the person who murdered two Fort Wayne men and a teenager in late February is brought to justice. We will not give up, FWPD Chief Garry Hamilton said. According to the Associated Press (AP), officers responding to a problem unknown dispatch found the bodies of Mohamedtaha Omar, 23, Adam Kamel Mekki, 20, and Muhannad Adam Tairab, 17, inside a Fort Wayne home. Hamilton told reporters each victim was shot multiple times. The home in which the bodies were found is known to be a party house for teens and young adults of African descent, Hamilton said. Omar and Tairab were Muslim, but Mekki was Christian, leading Hamilton to believe the incident was not a hate crime. Looking through the documentation and photos from the crime scene, I dont see anything saying the victims were targeted solely because they were Muslims, Hamilton said. Though the Fort Wayne Muslim community is saddened by the murders, they agree the crime was not a result of anti-Islamic hate. Instead, President of the Islamic Center of Fort Wayne Imam J. Tamir Rasheed said he believes it was the result of a rise in violence among the younger generation. What happened to these young men is a microcosm look at what is going on within society, Rasheed said. Especially among the youth, there seems to be this pervasive culture of violence. According to the Indiana Department of Correction Juvenile New Admissions and Annual Crime Reports, 439 juveniles were taken into police custody in 2014. About 60 percent of those arrests were due to property crimes or crimes against another person. Almost 90 percent of the juveniles arrested in 2014 were 1517 years old. In 2015, 723 juveniles were taken into police custody, and as of January 2016, 456 juveniles (37 percent of whom were arrested for violent crimes) remain in a juvenile facility. Something like this always makes you wonder are you doing enough, not just for a particular segment of the community, because every citizen has an important part to play in this, Hamilton said. Hamilton also extended his condolences to the family at the funerals of Omar and Tairab, both of whom immigrated to the U.S. in the past decade, according to the AP. Hamilton urged the community to help solve the crime. We cannot let this happen in our community anymore. I hope this is the very last incidence this ever happens within our community. I need you to not retaliate (and) take this upon yourself, Hamilton said. I need someone to come and tell me what they know. Hamilton said FWPD will meet with Fort Wayne community leaders, the District Attorneys office, the FBI and the Department of Justice to discuss the ongoing investigation. I am pulling all of my resources out, he said. If you have information regarding this case, call the FWPD at (260) 427-1222. For months, The Madame Walker Theatre Center has sat on historic Indiana Avenue without an executive director. In April 2014, Kathleen Spears was named president and CEO to fill a position that had not been staffed on a permanent basis since December 2011, but less than two years later, the position was vacant once again. Recently, the board named Anita Harden interim executive director of the center, in the midst of developing a comprehensive strategic plan. The plan will provide a long-term strategic path for the Madame Walker Theatre Center that ensures the Walker legacy on Indiana Avenue continues as a strong link in the economic growth and cultural life of the area, as stated in a release. The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper spoke with Harden about her new position, how she is adjusting and her opinion on community members who say The Walker will be soon taken over by IUPUI. Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper: Why did you seek this position? Harden: I actually did not seek the position; I got a call from one of the board members. The position has been vacant for a few months, and in the process of all of that happening, the decision was made to create a comprehensive strategic plan for the center to really decide the best direction for us to go in to serve the community (and) Madam Walkers legacy and to be as efficient as possible. Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates Inc. was hired, and community leaders and board members were invited to help with this effort, which is multiphase and will take several months. Their feeling was, lets not hire an executive director permanently until we decide what our direction and future will be. What type of skills do you feel you possess to hold this type of position? I was contacted because I have a business called Interim Executives LLC, and I provide that service to not-for-profit organizations, and the board was aware of that, and many knew me and experienced some of my work. Ive had my business for a few years, and prior to that I was at Community Health Network, where I retired as the east president for five years. My skill set for operation of large and small organizations comes from those experiences. When you look at leadership and you look at organizations, there is a lot of overlap. My biggest adjustment came from moving from a large mega system like Community Health to a small freestanding, independent agency. I have a lot of respect for the executive directors out here leading not-for-profit organizations, as they have many hats to wear and have to have a variety of skills to keep the organization running. Before coming to the Walker, I had three smaller organizations under my belt. I constantly hear strengths about my leadership skills, from my personality to knowing what a leader should do. Youve been in this position since mid-February. What has your experience been like thus far? Ive been focusing on learning the organization itself the donors, programs, documents, finances and others. Ive been basically giving myself an orientation, and its been really interesting. I think as a community person prior, from the outside looking in, my view is very different than it was previously. I have a lot more respect and admiration for it, as in the service they are providing and what theyre doing for the community. The staff here is fabulous; they have helped me with anything I need, and we watch each others backs to make sure none of our customers are dropping through the cracks. Do you feel any pressure being in this role? I think the pressure of every not-for-profit Ive worked with is bringing in the resources to continue operating and the community services. We have to continue to develop relationships. We have a very giving community in Indianapolis; however, it appears some of our donors are getting a little tired, because they get a lot of requests from a lot of people, and you want to avoid donor fatigue. The biggest challenge for me is bringing in resources. When Indiana Avenue was The Avenue, it was the place to be the place to get the best popcorn, watch movies and bring about that sense of community. How do you plan to develop your programs to bring it back to what is used to be? Thats the $64,000 question. Thats the question the strategic planning committee is grappling with, so I dont have an answer for you, and I wish I did. Since the plan isnt completed yet, Im not sure what would be the best way to do that. Part of what is good about this organization is we have a lot of loyal users of our programs, and we dont want to let them down. We have to listen to what they want as well. A lot of the folks we focus on are youth, and they arent as in tune with what the Walker used to be. Were trying to learn how to capture the younger audience. Jazz on the Avenue, one of our signature programs, is solid, but it attracts a middle-age to older crowd, which is great, because they truly understand the legacy. But we are looking for a 21st-century spin on what the past was like, and its quite difficult. We need to figure out what energizes them and what inspires them. Looking at Indiana Avenue today, there arent many structures left from when it was The Avenue, and many people are afraid IUPUI will eventually take over those places still standing, such as The Walker. What do you say to those people who are afraid of this? Its a question Ive thought about as well. We havent begun to discuss that in our strategic planning, but we need to, because it is a critical question. One of the things I would say to those folks is that The Walker is on the historical registry, so there are some protections there. The second thing I would advocate for, and this is a strategy the Walker board has already done, is getting key IUPUI people on our board to educate and help them realize the importance of The Walker to the community, and not just the Black community, because we have a national reputation. We get calls from all over the country for those whod like to go on a tour. We want IUPUI to realize this is a national treasure. We need to find a way to work together and to make sure we meet the growing educational needs to IUPUI, but they also know our desire to hang on. From some of the people on the board from IUPUI, I think we have that loyalty, and they see the importance of the Walker. Because we both have reached out to see how we can work together, I dont see us going away. There have been numerous people in the executive director position within a short time span. With your time in the role, what are you looking to bring to the organization to truly make an impact? My contract is for 1218 months, so Im not a permanent person or a revolving door. Id like to make sure we are stable. If you change leaders frequently, there is always going to be an impact on the organization. In my time here, I dont want to come in and change a bunch of things unless absolutely necessary, and by way of doing that, its a way of lending some stability so the employees feel there isnt going to be a new program or process of the month. I want to make sure our Ts are crossed and our Is are dotted, as far as finances and governmental processes. I want to build up some of our stakeholders as well, because that can only help the Walker no matter the direction we go in. Key leaders on the strategic planning committee: I recently learned of a man who 100 years after his death unknowingly served as a reminder of the ugliness of this world, particularly for Africans, Native Americans and Asians. Ota Benga was an Mbuti man from what is now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Customary of his tribe, Benga was around 4 feet, 11 inches tall, and his teeth were filed to sharp points. Bengas early life in the Congo was marred with tragedies, including the violent killing of his wife and children by the Force Publique. It is unclear exactly how, but an American businessman by the name of Samuel Phillips Verner took Benga from his native land and brought him to the United States to participate in a cultural evolution display at the Worlds Fair Louisiana Purchase Exposition. In the late 1800s and well into the 1950s, Americans and Europeans replicated the homelands of select Africans, Native Americans and people of Asian descent and housed them at zoos. Benga was on display daily for onlookers to gawk at. While at the Bronx Zoo, he was placed in cages with apes and made to carry chimpanzees around. People looked at him as if he was a foreign creature; they pointed and they laughed. Benga wasnt the only one. Women of different backgrounds were in enclosed fences carrying their children. Again, people stared, they heckled and they giggled with glee. There were even instances of small children walking around inside the displays, as spectators watched in amazement. Occasionally, a spectator would give the children something to eat, and they watched each bite that was taken. Such acts were deplorable. Inhumane. Unjust. These human zoos remained open decades after the abolition of slavery. Eventually, the Colored Baptist Ministers Conference protested treatment of individuals like Benga, and the exhibits in America eventually closed for good. Benga was free to roam the zoo the only home he knew on American soil. Crowds continued to follow him in antagonizing manners. At some point, Benga moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he tried to assimilate, even attending school briefly and capping his pointed teeth. His efforts did little to mend his broken heart from missing his homeland and enduring years of humiliation and being treated as inferior to human beings, yet comparable to animals. On March 20, 1906, Benga built a ceremonial fire, reminiscent of his home in the Congo. He uncapped his teeth and, with a stolen gun, Benga shot himself in the chest. One hundred years after Bengas suicide, I cant help but ponder the present state of African-Americans. I find myself drawing clear parallels to how minorities like Benga were treated back then to how we treat one another and ourselves today. Back then, whites forced Africans, Native Americans and Asians from their native lands, and they exploited our people in various ways. Today, however, we exploit ourselves. Look at some of the garbage we see on reality television shows; so many stereotypes are perpetuated, yet it is OK for those involved, because they get fame and money for their actions. But the self-exploitation is not solely what we see on television it is much deeper. Every day, we limit ourselves significantly, because we fail to do the necessary work to enhance our own lives. On a regular basis, we get calls for help at the Recorder. People in the community call us wanting to know how they can find a job, what they can do about their felony conviction and even how they can obtain help paying their bills. Oftentimes, I like to take these sorts of calls, because I want to be as helpful as possible, but I also want to know how successful the Recorder was in helping them. You see, when the Recorder receives calls for help, we help. We give people information on organizations like our neighbors at PACE who help ex-offenders transition back into society. We also tell them about the Edna Martin Christian Center that is a wonderful Center for Working Families facility. And we even tell them about Connect2Help 2-1-1, which serves as a liaison between people who need help and entities that provide help. By calling 2-1-1 or reaching out to the other organizations I mentioned, people take the first step toward self-sufficiency. So after providing people with resources for help, I occasionally follow up with the individuals to see what strides have been made. More often than not, I get some lame excuse why those in need didnt get help. Generally, the root problem is not organizations like PACE, Edna Martin or 2-1-1; rather, the problem lies in the individuals who dont put forth the necessary efforts toward helping themselves. Instead, theyd rather walk around with a tray and have people give them what they need. Some want a constant handout rather than a hand up. Ones constant desire for handouts is problematic and will get you nowhere fast. At some point, enough has to be enough, and I am vocal with my comments. I get it, I told one woman, who did not contact any of the places my staff and I suggested to her. You had a hard life; many of us have, but at what point do you say to yourself, I deserve to treat me better? At what point will you utilize the services available to help you help yourself? Is it easy? No. Will the process be long? Perhaps, but the alternatives are far less rewarding. As a people, we have to stop allowing others to take care of us. Benga was given food and even shelter inside a cage with animals. But all he wanted was to be free. I imagine if he was alive today and having lived the type of life he lived, he would take full advantage of his freedom. Even during his actual life, Benga went to school, learned English and began work at a tobacco company all of that after literally cohabitating with monkeys and apes. There are no excuses today for not having some level of education. There are no excuses not to work. People who came before us and experienced significantly worse things didnt use their misfortunes as an excuse not to advance. Rather, they used their misfortunes as motivation to advance. It would be wise for many people to adopt that way of thinking today. flipboard We recently told you how lovebirds Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have reunited, now that Deepika is back in the country. She was in Los Angeles since February, shooting for her Hollywood debut, xXx, along with Vin Diesel. While the girl had been super busy with the movie's shooting, she recently flew back to India to attend a friend's wedding. And when she headed to Sri Lanka to attend the wedding, Ranveer being the doting boyfriend he is, attended the function with her. Here's proof! twitter twitter Indeed, the best couple of Bollywood, right? Believe it or not, there are scientific ways to make you look more attractive. In fact, psychologists have spent years in finding out how to make the socialisation process and relationships work better. So why not take advantage of that? Read on as we tell you 11 things that will help you shine in your social circle. 1. Smile more Tumblr Two studies conducted in Switzerland revealed that smiling and attractiveness are directly related. The stronger your smile, the more attractive your face looks. In fact, a happy face can really attract people. Grumpy people, are you listening? 2. Avoid the small talk. Giphy Psychologist Arthur Aron conducted a study in the State University at New York, in which two groups of undergrads were created. One was created for small talk, and the other was more inquisitive. It was concluded that people who ask more personal questions and have deep conversations feel more connected to others. Turns out beating around the bush is a bad idea. Get to the point, and ask whatever questions you want to without embarrassing them. 3. Be kind Tumblr In a study from China, 100 men and women looked at images of other men and women and rated each picture on attractiveness. Each image had to be paired with a word that described either a positive personality trait or a negative one. The results showed that people with positive traits were considered more attractive. 4. Wear red Giphy A 2010 cross cultural study found that women are most attracted to men wearing red. It is believed that everything becomes automatically more pleasing in red. Red symbolises power and ambition. In fact, wearing red may work for women too. 5. Be more attentive Giphy Research among undergrads conducted in Australia suggested that women found attentive men more attractive than those who seemed lost. It further said that mindful men who paid more attention to their partners during the brief interactions did a better job at regulating their anxiety, which made them a lot more attractive. 6. Play good music tumblr In a 2014 study, researchers requested 1,500 women (who were in their late 20s) to listen to both simple and complex pieces of music and rate the attractiveness of each composer. According to the results, women preferred the more complex music and would prefer the composer of the more complex piece as their long-term partner. 7. Be funny Tumblr Multiple studies demonstrate that guys who cracked jokes were three times likely to get a woman's number as compared to men who didn't. In fact, they are perceived as more attractive and intelligent. It is a widely believed theory that funny people are considered relatively more social and more intelligent, both qualities most people seek in their partners. 8. Hang out in groups Giphy A 2014 study carried out at the University of California, San Diego, found that people were deemed to look better when they were in a group. Study authors Drew Walker and Edward Vul write that, having a few wingmen or wing women may indeed be a good dating strategy, particularly if their facial features complement and average out one's unattractive idiosyncrasies. 9. Acknowledgement Tumblr Most studies suggest that people crave validation. You need to make people important, make them feel like a winner, a feeling that leads directly to love. Isnt it always nice to feel like someone is on your side? So definitely don't hold back from appreciating others. tumblr Making eye contact with your partner or friends, or even a stranger, deepens your emotional connection. A number of scientific studies have shown that consistent eye contact is one of the best ways to bond with people. Not to forget, its also an excellent way to flirt. 11. Keep your teeth shining white. gif2fly A study has confirmed that white and an evenly spaced set of teeth can make people look more attractive. The study done by the researchers at the University of Leeds found that teeth are the human equivalent of a peacocks tail. Well, its time you stopped smoking and started brushing your teeth properly. Eight undertrials languishing in jail walked free on the eve of Holi, thanks to the efforts of schoolchildren who collected Rs 2.77 lakh to pay the court fines on their behalf. Eenadu Authorities at Bareilly district jail recently received a letter from a local public school that they wanted to use the Rs 2.77-lakh fund to free undertrials serving additional sentences for being unable to pay fines imposed by courts. A team of officials from St Maria Goretti School, led by Father Paul, arrived on the district jail premises, completed the necessary formalities and deposited the money. smgsbl Superintendent, district jail, B R Maurya said, "After the school authorities sent their request, we identified eight prisoners who owed fines of Rs 20,000 and above." "Once they deposited the sum, we released the undertrials lodged under different charges, including assault, attempt to murder, theft, ticketless travel and apprehension of breach of peace," Maurya said. "They walked free with gratitude on their faces as their benefactors posed for a photograph with them and handed them a piece of advice - to not indulge in crime again." He said most of the undertrials were serving additional sentences of two to five years because they had been charged with heinous crimes. The growing demand for the division of Maharashtra has got an unexpected boost from the RSS. RSS ideologue M G Vaidya on Wednesday supported former Maharashtra advocate general Srihari Aney's view on the state's division. ANI Vaidya said Maharashtra could be divided into four states for better administration. "A new state reorganisation commission should be formed that should be looking to fulfil two conditions. First, a state's population should not be more than 30 million and second, it should not be less than 5 million," Vaidya added. onefivenine "If we consider the formula, four states can be carved out of Maharashtra. The present conditions are not suitable for administrative purposes. Even RSS has four 'praant' (provinces) in Maharashtra, while it has six in Uttar Pradesh for administrative purposes," he added. Vaidya said if Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis seeks his opinion, he will convey his views to him. Amid all the confusion and chaos at the Brussels Airport after it was hit by a terror attack on Tuesday, the presence of mind of a luggage handler saved the lives of many. metro Eye witnesses said Alphonse Lyoura, a luggage handler, pulled seven wounded people to safety. Lyoura, an airport baggage security officer at Zaventem Airport in Brussels, did not flee the scene when two bomb blasts erupted in the departure area on Tuesday, but began to help the injured, according to the BBC. After hearing the first bomb explode while he was wrapping bags, Mr Lyoura stayed where he was and heard another explosion about two minutes later. Twitter He said he saw people whose legs were destroyed in the blast or had sustained awful injuries. "I helped at least six or seven wounded people. We took out some bodies that were not moving. It was total panic everywhere," he told Agence France Presse. His actions were applauded by witnesses otherwise appalled by the actions of suicide bombers who killed at least 30 people and injured dozens more in the Belgian capital. One Twitter user said terrorism showed "who the real heroes were". Pictures of Mr Lyoura showed him in his fluorescent uniform with blood stains on his trousers and on his hands. Alphonse was wrapping bags by check in desks + heard explosion.He pulled 7 wounded people to safety #brusselsairport pic.twitter.com/tbOQv0VVtE Gavin Lee (@GavinLeeBBC) March 22, 2016 Here is Alphonse Youla, later in the day. He helped 7 injured from the airport. #Brussels. *best of humanity* pic.twitter.com/Cld2qkqLXm Helen O'Rahilly (@HelenORahilly) March 22, 2016 He told AFP he heard Arabic shouting before the two bomb blasts. The attackers have been identified as Khalid and Brahmin el-Bakraoui by Belgian broadcaster RTBF, and Isis has claimed responsibility for the attacks. A second bomb exploded at Maelbeek metro station about one hour after the first explosion at Zaventem Airport. On late Tuesday night, the Atlas V launched successfully into orbit for the 62nd consecutive time without a failure. This was also the 106th straight successful launch for the United Launch Alliance (ULA). This rocket has been in the news off late, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. It has been criticised for not being very cost effective and for its engine that has been foreign-made. So much so that its disapproval got caught up in a congressional fight and has resulted in a high-profile Pentagon investigation. imgur Important launch But this launch was an important one for NASA. It put an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft into orbit, on its way to the International Space Station, where it will deliver food, supplies and scientific experiments like the "gecko grippers." The gecko grippers is an interesting one - the study would explain how adhesives made to perform like a lizard's toe pads could work in space. The Atlas V will be coming to the rescue for Orbital ATK for the second time around. Last time, the Orbital had got its Antares rocket blown up, back in 2014. While a new Antares is being developed, it has counted on ULA to launch its spacecraft into orbit, the success of which has provided the confidence to NASA to contract out the cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station. hdnux.com The controversy For years now, ULA has been enjoying a monopoly for all the missions. But after Elon Musk's Space X won the right to compete with them for the very profitable National Security Launch missions, things have changed. These contracts have become ULA's lifeline, especially in a crucial time like this when Space X is breathing down their neck. nasa.gov Senator John McCain has argued that the United States should not have to rely on the Russians to launch national security payloads, such as communications and intelligence satellites, at a time when there is tension between the two countries. This sparked off a controversy because these comments really weren't appreciated by ULA. Imgur/ Jared Haworth All this, while the Atlas V has made another successful launch unaware of anything going on back home. With inputs from The Washington Post. On Wednesday, 23rd March, 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S Navy announced that the wreckage belonging to the USS Conestoga had been found, finally solving the 95-year-old mystery of its disappearance. They announced that the wreck had been found a few miles off the Southeast Farallon Island near the California coastline. The story begins back in 1921, on Good Friday, when the USS Conestoga left the navy yard at Mare Island in California for Pearl Harbour with 56 sailors on board. By 3:25 PM it had crossed the Golden Gate bridge steaming into the dangerous waters of the Gulf of the Farallones. The USS Conestoga, although known to be a rugged ship when it was launched, had become weary and earned a reputation for being a "wet boat", one that would let in water easily, seventeen years later on that fateful Good Friday. Us Naval History and Heritage Command At around 4 PM that day, the ship recorded big waves and extremely strong winds. Once the Conestoga crossed Point Bonita, it lost contact and was never heard from again. The worst had happened. 95 years later, the US Navy Memorial hosted a morning ceremony in Washington that was attended by the relatives of the sailors who had lost their lives to the sea. Diane Gollnitz, 73, of Lutherville, Maryland - the granddaughter of the Conestoga's skipper, Lt. Ernest Larkin Jones said,"It is so overwhelming for all of us, It connects the past of 95 years ago, and all the stories we were told, with the future," she said. "My grandchildren are here." noaa.gov The wreck site was found during a sonar survey done back in 2009 and examined by underwater robots in 2014 and 2015, said James P. Delgado, director of maritime heritage, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Research showed that the ship had sunk approximately 2000 miles away. No trace of the crew was ever found in the tragedy. In October last year, it was confirmed that the wreck was actually the Conestoga. cbsistatic.com Back then, no one even realised that the ship had been missing until more than a month had passed and it hadn't shown up at its destination, Pearl Harbour, according to a report on the discovery by Delgado and NOAA colleague Robert V. Schwemmer. The Navy then launched an 11-day search party with 60 ships and several airplanes covering an area of 300,000 square miles. But since the search was being conducted around Hawaii, where it was thought that the Conestoga was last sighted, it was unsuccessful. On June 30th, 1921, the Conestoga was declared lost with all hands. With inputs from The Washington Post. Details are emerging about the men who carried out the deadly bomb attacks in the Belgian capital Brussels on Tuesday, and their 31 victims. Police continued to hunt a fourth suspect on Thursday, whose identity is unknown, but all three men who succeeded in blowing themselves up were named. Two of the attackers who targeted Brussels Zaventem airport were named as Brahim el-Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui. The third attacker, who appears besides the pair in a CCTV photo from the airport, is believed to be on the run after he failed to detonate his explosives. The fourth bomber, who struck the Maelbeek metro station, was named as Khalid el-Bakraoui, Brahims brother. The attacks, which killed 31 people and wounded hundreds more, were claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. At least one of the attackers, Brahim el-Bakraoui, was detained near the Syrian border in Turkey in June last year on suspicion of being a foreign fighter. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters gathered in Ankara that he had been deported and Belgian authorities were warned of the potential the man posed. Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, the Belgian authorities could not identify a link to terrorism, Erdogan said. Aljazeera. The Lagos Airport Police Command on Thursday advised passengers and other airport users to be more vigilant following the recent terrorist attack on the Brussels Airport in Belgium. The commands spokesman, ASP Joseph Alabi, gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. NAN reports that no fewer than 30 people were killed and many others injured when the departure hall of the airport was bombed by suspected terrorists. Alabi told NAN that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, had ordered for the beefing up of security across all airports in Nigeria as a result of the incident. He, however, said that passengers and other airport users had a duty to promptly notify the police about anything unusual, particularly within the airport environment. Our men are always on ground. The officer in charge of operations is on duty 24 hours. The Divisional Police Officers are always in their offices at the airport and they can report any incident to them and prompt action will be taken, Alabi said. According to him, two sniffer dogs and additional police officers have been deployed to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport to ensure the safety and security of the place. Alabi said this was in addition to the screening of passengers outside the terminal which was being done by the Police Anti-Bomb Squad in collaboration with other security agencies. He said: The Commissioner of Police, MMIA, Mrs Victory Menta, has deployed more of our men to every nook and cranny of the airport and they are on 24-hour surveillance. I believe that by Gods grace, there will be no evil occurrence here because our men are fully on ground to monitor the situation of things. My advice to all travelers is that they should not be afraid of any evil occurrence at the airport. The airport police command will not allow any untoward event and so they should remain calm. (NAN) A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued an order restraining the Senate from going ahead with the probe of former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, over an alleged N1 trillion scam. The fraud was allegedly committed when Lamorde was the Director of Operations of the anti-graft agency between 2003 and 2007 as well as acting chairman between June 2007 and May 2008, when the pioneer chairman of the commission, Nuhu Ribadu, was compulsorily drafted to attend a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos. The Senate, however, launched a probe into the activities of the former EFCC chair based on some petitions, including the one written by Dr. George Uboh, Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, a security firm. In his petition, Mr. Uboh accused Lamorde of some under-remittance and non-disclosure of proceeds of corruption recovered from criminal suspects. He also claimed that the EFCC under Lamorde doctored bank accounts. Lamorde, who went to court to stop the Senate from going ahead with the probe, also refused to honour its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions invitation to appear before it and clear himself of the weighty allegations leveled against him. Following his non-appearance despite repeated summons, the committee while submitting its report, recommended that the Senate issue a warrant for the former EFCC boss arrest. But Mr. Lamorde, in a motion ex parte dated March 7, 2016 through his counsel, Festus Ukpue, asked the court to stop the Senate from issuing a warrant of arrest of his client pending the hearing and determination of the suit before the court. Justice Gabriel Kolawole, after listening to the ex parte motion ordered, That a limited order on injunction is hereby granted to restrain the defendants pending when they are heard on the reply to the plaintiffs motion on notice. That the plaintiffs counsel is hereby directed to obtain a certified true copy of the order in this ruling, and shall cause same to be served on the Inspector-General of Police who shall, on the authority of this courts order refrain to give any effect to any such warrant which the defendants may have issues against the plaintiff. Members of Ekiti State House of Assembly have demanded an unreserved apology from the Department of State Services (SSS) over the March 4 invasion of the House of Assembly and detention of a member of the House, Afolabi Akanni. The lawmakers, who described the SSS raid under President Muhammadu Buhari as undemocratic, unpatriotic, dictatorial and brutish, demanded a thorough medical examination of Mr. Akanni. We fear that his health and general well-being could have been compromised while in the DSS custody, they told journalists on Wednesday. The chairman of the House Committee on Information, Gboyega Aribisogan, who was flanked by the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, Deputy Speaker; Segun Adewumi, and 16 others, said the SSS must explain to Nigerians whether in a democracy, it was part of the its mandate to disobey court orders and dump Nigerians in detention for 18 days on unfounded allegations. Yesterday, we read online like other Nigerians that our member, representing Efon Constituency, Afolabi Akanni, who has been in the Department of State Services (DSS) detention in Abuja since March 4, was on admission at a private hospital in Abuja. Up till this moment, we have not been told officially by the DSS whether or not Mr. Akanni was formally released from incarceration after spending 18 days without access to his doctors, lawyers and family members. However, preliminary information available to us suggests that Hon Akanni may have been brought to the hospital by men of the DSS and abandoned there because they could no longer hold him in captivity because of his deteriorating health condition. Nigerians should be reminded that it took the rumour of Hon Akannis death for the DSS to admit officially that it was holding him after spending 15 days in detention without access to anyone. As we speak, Hon Akanni is in very critical condition and he has not been able to speak with anyone of us. As reported in the media, Hon Akanni could only say that he was sick, he was not well when press men sought to speak with him yesterday. We therefore demand an official explanation from the DSS as to why Hon. Akanni was abducted and held incommunicado for 18 days, only for us to be told that he was admitted at a private hospital in Abuja. We also demand a thorough medical examination of Hon. Akanni as we fear that his health and general well-being could have been compromised while in the DSS custody. Furthermore, we demand an explanation from the DSS whether in a democracy, it is part of its mandate to disobey court orders and dump Nigerians in detention for 18 DAYS on unfounded allegations. Most importantly, we condemn strongly the DSS illegal arrest, detention and dehumanisation of Hon Akanni and we demand an unreserved apology forthwith. We have also directed our counsel to seek redress and damages in court because to us, this act of impunity by the DSS under President Muhammadu Buhari is undemocratic, unpatriotic, dictatorial and brutish. Detaining Nigerians for weeks without trial is a clear return of Decree 2, with which President Buhari hounded Nigerians in detention when he was a military dictator and we in the Ekiti State House of Assembly will continue to support our leader and Governor, Ayodele Fayose, in his fight against tyranny. Today is known as Maundy Thursday and the word maundy in Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means an order or mandate. Christians take the mandate Christ issued during his last supper to regularly memorialize the meal as perpetually obligatory for all believers. In past years the Pope has spent the holiday washing the feet of inmates at a prison in Rome. While the Holy Father will continue that tradition, he will instead wash the feet of asylum seekers and immigrants, many of whom will not be Christians. Giving that the day before Good Friday is as significant to Christians as Good Friday itself, INFORMATION NIGERIA has put together some of the things the gospels record for this day and how contemporary Christians celebrate it Jesus sent Peter and John to arrange for them to use the Upper Room to hold the Passover meal. Today, the bishop celebrates a Chrism Mass with his priests (usually). The Mass of the Lords Supper is held in the evening. At the Mass of the Lords Supper, the priest (often) performs the washing of feet. The Tabernacle is empty and the Eucharist is put in a place of repose. The Eucharist is a Christian rite meant to symbolize the Last Supper. It involves eating bread and drinking wine, which symbolize the body and blood of Jesus, respectively. The altar is stripped. The faithful are invited to spend time in Eucharistic adoration while the Sacrament is in repose. Thursday night church services are traditionally solemn observances, unlike the celebration of Easter on Sunday. Most services are held in the evening, as the Last Supper was said to take place during sundown. Feet washing. The religious rite of washing feet was described in the Bible as a symbolic gesture of breaking social barriers between the religious elite and the poor. Jesus told his disciples, If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one anothers feet, according to the Gospel of St. John. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Visiting seven churches. The tradition of visiting seven churches on Maundy Thursday to pray is practiced most notably in the Philippines and Latin America. The practice is thought to have originated in ancient Rome when religious followers visited Romes seven basilicas. Alms giving. In the U.K., the giving of alms, which comes from the Greek word for pity, is traditionally practiced by the monarch and involves offering coins to the elderly. If you didnt know, well now you do??? The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has said it is disturbed over what it described as the seemingly continued silence of the United Nations and other international bodies on the killing of pro-Biafra protesters in the Southeast. The National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor, who spoke to reporters yesterday, accused the international agencies of abandoning Biafrans to their fate while condemning such injustices in other parts of the world. MASSOB is disturbed by the silence of the international community on happenings in Nigeria where pro-Biafra agitators are being killed. MASSOB members were massacred in Okigwe, Aba, Owerri, Onitsha and other places, but in all these, the international community has been silent. What we now hear is that the Chief of Army Staff said he will raise a committee to investigate the killings. How can the Army be a judge in its own case? What is the assurance that justice will be served on the matter? Is this not injustice? The Cameroonian government last week convicted over 80 terrorists, yet, Nigeria is still playing politics with those it arrested for terrorism. How many of these killings have the Nigerian government investigated? It has always been the more you look, the less you see. Even on terrorism, how many suspects have been convicted? Kabiru Sokoto and others are being ferried from one prison to the other, receiving VIP treatments. What of the APO six where innocent Igbo traders were killed in the prime of their youth? Nobody has been convicted. Nigeria is trampling on the blood of the people of the former Eastern Nigeria. We urge the International community to come to our aid because any further delay could cause our people to be wiped out, Mr. Okereafor said. However, he warned that MASSOB may be forced to seek self-help if the Nigerian security forces continue to kill unarmed agitators. Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, has stated that the challenge of electricity was adversely affecting the growth of the continents economy. Speaking at the Africa CEO forum in Abidjan, the President of Dangote group also disclosed what has made his conglomerate successful. Where I come from, which is Kano in Nigeria, we have over 20 million people and we are sharing 35 megawatts only, Dangote said. So when we started business as a group, we said that we would not go into the national grid. Every single country that we are operating in, we would create, generate our own power and that is why we have been very, very successful. In his remark, President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, said Africa must seek ways to light up the continent. If you walk in the dark, youll stumble and you will fall. But if you walk in the light, you will constantly see things ahead of you, he said. The problem is, in Africa, you have today 645 million people without electricity. You have the GDP in which the cost of not having electricity is about four to five percent shaved off. We cannot be competitive when it comes to value adding. We cannot industrialise because we have no electricity. The kids cannot go to school because we have no electricity. Vaccines cant be in hospitals because we have no electricity, and business are operating at very high cost, using diesel. In other words, what is the emergency power supply system has become the normal power supply system no way! And as Africa Development Bank, I know that the very blood of Africas transmission and life is what we do. Nigerias electricity generation currently fluctuates around 4,000MW, a meagre capacity for a country of over 170million. Source: Dailypost Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has dismissed reports that he is under pressure to resign his office. I am not aware that my office is under threat. I led the party to the State House. It amazes me, occasionally it annoys me, Oyegun told reporters at the end of the party caucus meeting on Tuesday night. That is one of the things you have to endure when you are in a position like mine, he added. He also said that a committee had been constituted to resolve all the crises in the party. Speaking on the performance of his partys government almost one year after taking over power, the national chairman pleaded for time on the part of Nigerians. He said the government would come on full stream when the 2016 budget is passed. The budget was passed by the National Assembly yesterday. In any civilized society, the ugly news of the atrocious attacks and killings in Agatu communities reaching Mr. President in good time as it is believed he was rightly informed, should have drawn his irk against the loss of human lives recorded and culprits involved. Without mincing words, I expected a speedy response from the Nigerian president disavowing the activities of the Fulani marauders, accompanied by a fierce directive to all relevant security agencies to put an end to the pogrom and also ensure the perpetrators of such dastard acts under whatsoever guise are apprehended and brought to book. To my utter dismay, Mr. President exhibited a lukewarm attitude in addressing the situation by lightly criticising the attacks and merely asking for a committee to be set up with a mandate to look into the remote causes and proffer solutions. For how long will the Nigerian State continue to show a glaring apathy when it comes to making the lives of her citizens count. Over 300 hundred innocent men, women and children were brutally massacred unjustly with their communities razed down and the best response from President Buharis administration is setting up a committee. is that how a responsible government reacts by taking the lives of her citizens for granted without a more stringent approach swiftly adopted to stop the killings and apprehend the invaders who continue to transverse the length and breadth of the affected communities wreaking havoc without encountering any form militaristic impedance from security agents assigned to check mate their diabolic activities? The unwillingness of the Nigerian government under President Buhari, taking a vow to deal decisively with the perpetrators of such carnage tends to show contradiction, insincerity and bias on the part of Mr. President who during his May inauguration assured Nigerians that He belonged to everybody and he belonged to nobody. His body language so far clearly depicts a man who is the grand patron of a group of terroristic herdsmen that needs to be outlawed but continue to enjoy the privilege of being the kith and Kin of the Commander in Chief and as such he would never take decisions that will fracture the existing relationship they share which in my own understanding supersedes the vow he made to be fair and just to all. I cant believe the government sincerely wants to apprehend the terroristic Fulani herdsmen given the fact that their nefarious activities continue taking place incessantly and the government has not deemed it fit to send adequate troops or Police men to quell the attacks on communities and ensure the culprits are caught and made to face the full wrath of the law, an appalling and no commendable action always played by the government that invariably gives the Marauders a feeling of invincibility and a sentiment of having an untouchable clout to do whatever they do recklessly because the long arm of the law will never catch up with them within the present bias Nigerian administrative contraption. For a government under a supposed democratic system that sends her troops to shut down peaceful demonstrators by use of violent force as witnessed in the South East against the IPOB members demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu and also the case of Shiite Muslim members killed by the Nigerian state at their Headquarters in Zaria after an earlier encounter of their members blockading the convoy of the Nigerian Army Chief. It is on record that many innocent unarmed civilians were killed in swift response by the Army under the authoritative commands of Mr. President. Now that a group of terroristic herdsmen are terrorising indigenous farmers across the middle belt and beyond why is the government slow to anger in deploying well-armed and combat ready troops who will be ruthless in dealing with the invaders a term coined more recently by the inspector general of Police Solomon Arase who described the Fulani herdsmen as aliens who are invading Nigerian communities to cause havoc. On how these aliens are allowed to wage war within our territorial boundaries remains another poignant issue to be discussed and tackled but for now I expect with this new revelation the Nigerian Government would be more angered to exercise her militaristic might with full force against those who operate under the guise of cattle rearing to kill our fellow countrymen. For me this government is full of hypocrisy and double standards until President Buhari wakes up to face the challenge that his Fulani cattle rearing kinsmen pose a great threat to our collective security and corporate coexistence and drastic measures need to be taken to put an end to their heinous campaign, the resolve of this government to unite our people across our various ethnic and religious differences will forever remain an effort in futility if such killings continue unabated thereby painting the culpability of the Nigerian government not doing the needful to arrest and punish the perpetrators of such crimes against humanity irrespective of the identities of victims. Yours Truly, Tersoo TeeCube. Follow me on Twitter @teecube_t3rsoo Instagram @teecube_tersoo www.teecubethahoodscholar.wordpress.com Trailing another unswerving gibe against President Muhammadu Buhari by the outspoken Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose were intense comments. The most recent Fayose gibe at Buhari is him saying God is angry with Buhari over elections that have been remarkably bloody under his watch. The comments had no bounds and INFORMATION NIGERIA has put together some of the comments: Madu NG Florence, while lending his personal sentiment on the Fayose comment, says until the day APC will remove the hater and blames of the past administration from there mind, things will never work well, face the reality of challenge ahead and set the template of solving them, GOD is really angry with PMB because people are suffering more now than before. Following the same train, Kingsley Eneh said, Fayose is 100% right, let that tired brain first of all declare state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and the rest. Useless northern cow. Marian Richard in the same vein said FAYOSE is right, those against the governor are blind, spiritually and physically. If you cant face someone you claim to love with the truth when he or she takes bad decision then you are that persons worst enemy. Still in support of Fayose on the comment, Nkem Onyebueke said Yes na, the country is not happy the way things are? The poor are crying day by day, and you think God is happy, we all voted for him. Buhari should give the country change promise us. Barryo Adams in continuation of the pro-Fayose comments said you dont need Ayodele Fayose to remind you why things are getting worse despite the goodwill, support, encouragement and prayers for this economic directionless administration. Perhaps, if the last administration had been given half of such encouragement and support, Nigeria wouldnt have been in this sorry state where excuses and blame are the propelling or the driving forces of the administration. Those of you who wouldnt want to see anybody criticize this administration must have to be objective in your way of reasoning. Otherwise, there would be much more disillusionment as things may not be what you hope them to be and things have never been what politicians promised us from time immemorial. May God Spares Our Lives. While responding to a previous commentators comment, Terrumun Tseke relapsed into the legacy of the past administration as he said You make people believe Fayose has Gods spirit in Him? No he is a real son of the Devil! What good-will did the last administration Need? It had no will at all, good or bad. They were to complete the years of looting. Lets give Buhari the good will. At least he has shown us that he has the will to correct the ills of the last administration. Drop your fears and join the Buhari train. Let me ask you. Are your hands Clean?. In a somewhat sarcastic and rhetorical manner, Rabil Yakub said Mr. Fayose the one very close to God, how come you know God is angry with PMB? Is like all the nut inside your head include your brain is loose# please go tighten it. In the words of Nasir Shuaib, Fayose is bringing God into politics again? And gullible people are supporting him when it is said; give what belong to Ceaser to Ceaser and that of God to God. Wonder shall never end in this country of ours! Following Nasir Shuaibs comment was Elizabeth Monisola Oyawoye-Awe who opined that Wisdom is closing your gut when the person you have been abusing, insulting, and condemning refuses to alter a word. So who is the clueless here. Silence is golden Mr. gov, expend your energy on turning your state around, in order not to incur the wrath of God yourself. In this game of politics, we must understand that match officials, and spectators are not the opponents. We must not direct our anger towards the wrong people. Solomon Dalung speaking on the death of Okonta Dumebi Samuel. The need to re-create INEC, a body hitherto consumed in the shadow of Professor Maurice Iwu into a truly independent body required the erstwhile chairman of the commission, Professor Attahiru Jega to make key changes to its structure from top to bottom. Worth mentioning amongst the changes, which in all fairness proved to be the lifeblood the body needed to regain its lost glory (if there was any) were: the introduction of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and electronic card readers into the voting process, the employment of the services of heads of tertiary institutions as resident electoral commissioners (REC), and serving youth corps members as presiding officers (PO) and assistant presiding officers (APO) respectively. With the job of the state collation officers requiring more of administrative and monitoring roles rather than field work especially in urban centres where transportation of logistics and staff are non-issues, there was absolutely no need for a REC to finalise the content of his will before undertaking this national assignment. But the situation becomes different when the roles of the youth corps member are discussed. Unlike his professor, he sits in a completely different terrain. With one eye on the ballot box, the other on the card reader while at the same time flashes his brain intermittently between the thoughts of the sound of a gunshot and the possibility of him not getting his financial rewards after the poll, the fresh graduates who defy all odds whenever they are called upon to mount polling units across the nation are the ones we owe the most gratitude for the deepening and consolidation of our nascent democracy. It is thus unfortunate that although these young souls carry on their shoulders the destiny of the nation each time they serve INEC, they are mostly left in the lurch even in communities known to be flashpoints. In 2011, at least 11 corps members lost their lives in the post-election violence that went on unabatedly in several states of the north mostly targeted at youth corps members whom were thought to have carried out the bidding of the PDP. In Niger state, we lost Ademola Adejoke and Nwali Ifeoma; others like Adeniji Jehleel, Gbenjo Ayotunde, Ukeoma Ikechukwu Chibuzor, and Akonyi Sule, Teidi Olawale, Nkwazema Chukwunonyerem, Okpokiri Obinna Michael, Adowei Elliot, Adewunmi Paul got their bloods scattered across several states up on the Nigerian map. These people were not only extra-judicially executed; their last moments on earth were the most brutal, painful and agonising as their lives ended with a fate that was underserving of the most insignificant creature under the heaven. While some were clubbed to death, others, according to media reports were dragged out of their lodges, tortured, butchered and burnt right in front of our very eyes a fate the then president, Goodluck Jonathan perceived as the supreme sacrifice. These names were not the only victims of the ballot as almost 100 youth corps members sustained varying degrees of injuries for daring to participate in the 2011 elections. Speaking on behalf of the scheme at the presentation of cheques to some of the victims, Mrs. Justina Andirya, the NYSC Coordinator in Niger, said the Federal Government was pained by the death of the corps members and the sufferings of the injured. Yet, the NYSC after losing at least 11 souls put in her care by parents who toiled so hard to send their wards to school did little to withdraw the services of corps members from INECs subsequent activities even as it was clear that the latter, in the build-up to the 2011 poll was well aware of the volatile nature of the north and the impossibility of the fanatical supporters of gladiators to not resort to violence should results not go their way, and more damningly, the feebleness, nay, helplessness of our security agencies to protect themselves not to mention others when war looms. Lets read a speech in their honour, invite their families for a crying session, pay their blood monies, set-up a fact-finding committee, and then move on. That is why with almost N80m paid for blood and limb, the country went to sleep one that would have annihilated more youths corps members in the 2015 elections had the poll not favoured the masses in most parts of the country. With the Supreme Court affirming Nyesom Wikes mandate, a man whose brashness and barbarity scares the shit out of the devil, coupled with the hubris and invisibility that comes with becoming a minister of the federal republic which Rotimi Amaechi exemplifies, not forgetting the litany of arms in the hands of the militants, neither INEC nor NYSC would deny that sending youth corps members to mount the poll in Rivers State was a suicide mission. But due to reasons best known to Professor Mahmud Yakubu and Brigadier General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi, neither the war drum coming out of the Brick House nor Amaechis obsession at reclaiming his lost territory was sufficient for NYSC to sit with INEC to excuse youth corps members from the poll. But with the fatal death of Okonta Dumebi Samuel, a graduate of political science from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma on Saturday during the re-run elections in Rivers State, the nation has once again failed to protect one of its own. Just as it happened in 2011, youth corps members were singled out for attacks by aggrieved persons. According to THISDAY, the deceased was trailed and killed after he had submitted the election results to the local government office of INEC in Ahoada West. This is why the threat issued by Brigadier General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi over the murder of Samuel that the scheme might be forced to withdraw the services of youth corps members from electoral duties is a welcome one. The NYSC as a body may not be able to continue to cope with the gruesome murder of corps members during elections. We may have to review our partnership after this investigation. He continued: We may be forced to review our partnership with INEC on the use of corps members as ad hoc workers as we cannot continue to witness the death of our innocent corps members. Coming into NYSC should never be a call to answer the angel of death. So its instructive to advise the leadership of the NYSC that until sanity prevails in the conducts of Nigerian politicians, the services of youth corps members should be withdrawn in its entirety from INEC. While we eagerly await the report of the findings of the security operatives, no one disagrees that the continued hostility of political gladiators towards defeat will not dissipate soon, hence a need to put an end to this memorandum. We must never allow anyone else to be killed before taking further action. It is worth saying that being a serving corps member, Im well aware that this essay is a breach of protocol but thats the least of my worry. Itll be a miracle if I complete my service year without an extension or at least a query anyway! A few weeks ago, a former colleague informed me that Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, the Deputy Dean of Students Affairs II of the University of Lagos once told him that he hoped I was not planning to return to the university for masters. As a fierce critic of the corrupt acts and human rights violations that go on unchecked in the university, it appears the school still cannot fathom how I managed to graduate in three years. I would gladly welcome sanction of any kind from NYSC if that is the sacrifice that needs to be made to put an end to the murder of my serving brothers and sisters. Modiu Olaguro, a youth corps member teaches mathematics at Jebba. Email: [email protected] The reluctance of Justice Abdukadir Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court Abuja to strike out Bukola Abiku Mesujambas case instead of disqualifying himself from a suit that lacks merit portrays Kafarati as one of the more lurid examples of a disgraceful judges of the Nigerian bench. Yesterday, Kafarati was forced to recluse himself from the case filed by Bukola Abiku Mesujamba (BAMS), seeking an order to stop his on and off, off and on, trial for false assets declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) due to the report by SaharaReporters which alleged that N2 billion bribery was traced to his bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). If I grant the prayers of the applicant, the reading public will say yes, the judge has been compromised, Kafarati bemoans. If I refuse the prayers, they will say the judge has been threatened or intimidated. The most honourable thing for me to do, continued Kafarati, is to disqualify myself from this case and the file is returned to the Chief Judge of the federal High Court for re-assignment, Kafarati explains. Explaining the legal dilemma he found himself, Kafarati says It is unfortunate that we dont have the appropriate laws to take care of this. As it stands, I am caught between two devils. SaharaReporters had reported that The judge had been found to have N2 billion in his account according to sources at the EFCC which he claimed to have made from farming. Since the trial of BAMS began, he has strenuously albeit unsuccessful been on the auction block on shopping frenzy to buy cash and carry judges that would quash his case. Despite the fact that the Supreme Court the highest court of the land, sided with the CCT to proceed with the case, BAMS still went ahead through his lawyer Ajibola Oloyede who secretly filed a lawsuit with Justice Kafarati to disqualify the CCT Judge Danlami Umar and stop the trial of BAMS. Justice is supposed to be blind. One wed like to think that our justices and judges are defined by respect, duty, dignity, probity, and impartiality. But behind Kafaratis iconic black robe, isnt always a tireless drive to uphold the Constitution and laws of the the land. Some of these corrupt judges are worse than the criminals they should be sentencing. Kafarati is one of the judges in our judicial system that will make you question your faith in our legal system. Kafarati, a criminally negligent judge whose actions smack of a high octane corruption is one of the most crooked judges in the judiciary. He has shown wanton disregard to the law through corruption in several cases that earned him N2 billion. A judge who was ready to quash BAMS case in contradiction to the Supreme Court ruling only serves to benefit the rich and the powerful like BAMS and more importantly, to swell his own bank account, while trampling the rights of the innocent and the down trodden. There is huge amount of bribery in Nigeria courts perhaps more than in the courts of any country in the world. Nearly all bribes are given to the judges by lawyers, this is considered the safe way to bribe a judge. Imagine the scenario: BAMS pays huge amount of money to Kanu Agabi his lead lawyer with connections. Agabi walks around with a certain amount of cash in his jacket, and he passes it to Kafarati in his quiet moments together. It is mostly all cash of course. Sometimes, the bribery is blatantly obvious because of the other crimes of palm greasing Agabi and Kafarati are used to. Once the deal is done, justice comes to a screeching halt in Kafaratis courtroom! What the hell was Kafarati thinking about when he agreed to hear the case in which the Supreme Court had overruled a lower court like Kafaratis if not because Kafaratis court has adopted the misanthropes faux-naif pose in taking up BAMSs case. Kafarati has acted like the creepy alien children of Village of the Damned. Our justices and judges have become a laughing stock to the world, thanks judge Kafaratis toe-curling rulings. A nation of criminally corrupt junkie judges like Kafarati leaves us shaking our heads, muttering, where do they find these type of judges and who made them judges over us? Nigerian courts are full of incompetent judges, partisan judges, insane judges, mean judges, and of course corrupt judges on a mission that has little to do with justice. Judge Kafarati stands out above the rest. Now, my turn to grill the billionaire cash and carry judge Kafarati. Judge, which law school did you graduate from? What makes Supreme Court supreme? Which court has the final say in a case? Which court is subordinate to the other the Supreme Court or the lower court? Has the lower court such as your court has the power to review and revise the ruling of a Supreme Court? Where in the Constitution a lower court like you is given the power to overrule a case that has been decided by a Supreme Court? Have you ever received bribe from litigants in exchange for granting frivolous adjournments? Whats the history behind your reputation as a judge known as being susceptible to corruption? Have you ever received money from BAMS or his agent Agabi? If so, how much are we talking about? Which part of the SaharaReporters story is true and untrue? Whats the name of your farm where you reap N2 billion harvest? Where is it located? Can you take us on tour of your farm? What type of farming is your specialty? Poultry? Piggery? Fishery? Goats? Sheep? Turkey? Can you show us the receipts as evidence that the N2 billion was made from the farm? I dont believe there is no appropriate law to prove your innocence of the alleged N2 billion bribe in your bank account. Why not sue SaharaReporters or EFCC just to clear your name? I challenge you to answer these questions publicly. In the end all it takes to retrieve your soiled name and stained reputation is one brave act: come clean of the allegations and clear your name. Anything short of this, judge Kafarati, youre a disgrace to the bench. [email protected] The Taraba State Police Command yesterday confirmed the arrest of two wanted Boko Haram commanders in the state. One of the commanders, Ali Audu, was arrested in Tella, Gassol Local Government Area while the other, Abdulmumini Abdullahi, was nabbed in Bali Local Government Area. The Commissioner of Police, Shaba Alkali, who made the announcement on Wednesday in Jalingo, the state capital at a press conference, said the terrorist commanders had been handed over to the military in Yobe State. We have arrested two confirmed Boko Haram commanders in Gassol and Bali Local Government Areas of the state. The command has since handed over the two kingpins, Ali Audu, alias Dungu and Abdulmumini Abdullahi from Yadi Burni in Yobe to the military base in Yobe, he said. Mr. Alkali said Mr. Audu was arrested on February 22 in Tella and transferred to Yobe the following day, while Mr. Abdullahi was arrested in Bali on March 5 and transferred to Yobe military base on March 7. The police boss also confirmed the death of seven persons in the ongoing communal crisis in Ibi Local government Area of the state. He vowed to deal with the perpetrators and their sponsors no matter how highly placed they might be. He said the command had already deployed enough men to contain the situation and restore normalcy to the area. Mr. Alkali appealed to the public to feel free to provide the command with timely information to enable it tackle crime in the state. (NAN) The Police Service Commission (PSC) has launched a portal for the recruitment of 10,000 officers as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari. At the National Security Summit last year, Buhari ordered the Police to recruit more men to boost security. The Commission Chairman, Mike Okiro, who unveiled the portal, said the portal would be opened to the public on April 1. In a statement, yesterday, PSCs Head of Press and Public Relations Ikechukwu Ani said the recruitment process online is free for intending officers. According to Okiro, there had been no recruitment into the Police for over five years due to financial constraint. He said thousands of policemen, who died in service, were dismissed or retired, had not been replaced since the last five years, leaving the Force under-manned and overstretched. He advised interested Nigerians to access the portal through the commissions website www.psc.gov.ng or that of the Nigeria Police Force, www.npf.gov.ng. He also warned Nigerians not to fall victim of fraudsters. We are not charging money; it is free, absolutely free and the portal has been structured in a way that there will be no short cut. So, everybody must go through due process. The commission will be recruiting candidates into the three entry points of the Nigeria Police Force which are Constable, Cadet Inspector and Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). There will also be recruitment into the Specialist cadre, Okiro said in the statement. Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki has identified tolerance, harmony and better understanding of religious tenets by adherents as the long term solution to the problem of insurgency and other conflicts facing the nation in particular, and the world in general. Speaking while receiving the leadership of Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih Society Of Nigeria (NASFAT), who paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday in Abuja, Saraki, according to a statement by the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Public Affairs, Mohammed Isa, stressed that though President Muhammadu Buharis administration is winning the war against insurgency in the North East, the long term solution to the issue is to preach, entrench and sustain religious tolerance and harmony not only among Muslims but among adherents of all religions. Yes, the government of President Buhari is winning the war against insurgency, but that will be a short time solution. The long term and sustainable solution is to make people understand the teachings of their religion and have respect for the beliefs which others hold dear. That responsibility is not for the government. It is for religious leaders and organizations such as NASFAT. We need to educate the people on the importance of peace, tolerance and harmony as enjoined by the teachings of all religions. It is my belief that the root of religious conflicts not only in Nigeria but across the world is the lack of proper understanding of the teachings of religions, as no religion encourages violence and other forms of aggression against other people. This is where you and other religious groups like yours come in. You need to preach to people on the importance of peace, the need to accommodate other peoples views, obey the laws of the land and treat one another as brothers and sisters, he said. Saraki commended the organization for making peace and harmony the corner piece in its preaching and other activities, noting that, Our generation must preach peace like our forefathers did, and ensure that the next generation do not witness what we are witnessing today. Saraki congratulated NASFAT on its numerous achievements in its 21 years of existence and pledged the support of the National Assembly for the organization to realize its objectives. Earlier in his remarks, NASFAT President, Kamil Yomi Bolarinwa said the visit was mainly to extend an invitation to the Senate President and other Senators for the organisations 21st anniversary beginning from Friday. Bolarinwa said NASFAT made religious tolerance a centerpiece of its Islamic propagation based on the teachings of Islam that enjoined its adherents to coexist with all in peace . He said, our religion has taught us to live in peace with ourselves and with our neighbours, and that is what we have been preaching and doing in the last 21 years. Islam, he said is all about peace, and recalled that all the wars fought by prophet Muhammad were on self defense, adding that, we are taught that we are not complete Muslims until we like to others what we like to ourselves. He assured the Senate President of NASFATs support and encouragement for him to succeed in discharging his responsibilities, particularly in the area of finding a lasting peace for the nation. Among the achievements of NASFAT, according to Its President, were establishment of a university, nursery and primary schools and 25 branches of the association outside the world, apart from the branches spread across the country. President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday described as shameful, recent political killings in Rivers state as a result of the rerun elections ordered by the Court of Appeal, noting that more Nigerians have been killed in the state than any other state in the country. Mr. Buhari made the comment during a meeting of the National Executive Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House, Abuja. The president disclosed that government had saved over N3 trillion through its Treasury Single Account policy just as he said that the list of money recovered by government through the ongoing anti-corruption crusade, will soon be made public. President Buhari, who expressed sadness over the violence that characterized elections in the country, appealed to security agents in the country to try and give Nigerians the confidence to go out and perform their constitutional responsibility without molestation, adding that even though the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been changed, he has shown that he has a lot of respect for them and the security agents. He said: Of course, the leadership of INEC has been changed, but I appeal to the leadership of the military, security agents and INEC that what I want Nigerians to remember me for, even if I have to leave the Presidency tomorrow, is that I respect them. I want all Nigerians to believe and hold their PVC as personal entitlement as Nigerians and use it the way the like, and vote for whoever they like at which ever election. If they voluntarily sold it, it is part of their right and so, let them sell it and remain at home and not participate in any election. But let the law enforcement agencies give them the confidence that nobody will come out who has money to hire thugs, give them drugs and stop them from exercising their fundamental right. I am afraid I did not succeed in the election in Kogi, Bayelsa, Rivers. I think that more Nigerians are killed or killed themselves in Rivers than in any particular state. At this stage of our political development, to remain brutal is shameful and as a government, I promise we will do something by the next general election. On the state of the economy, the president said: the fall of oil prices after Nigeria has made itself a mono economy is a disaster. I wonder why people could not believe that in Nigeria; about 27 out of 36 states have difficulty in paying basic salaries of their workers. If from 1999, oil sold above 100 dollars per barrel with an export of about 2 million barrel per day, how come Nigeria failed to make some arrangement to cushion the effect of a probably volatile oil market? Again, it shows failure of the last administration. But we are now to pick the pieces as an APC government and so, there is no need complaining, but let us concentrate and see how much we can do with whatever remains of the economy. However, we realized that agriculture and solid minerals are two areas that can quickly come to help us to recover economically, at least in terms of employment and feeding ourselves and more importantly, saving the hard currency to make sure that what is left our industries remain open, employing Nigerians and producing goods and services which is very important. The policy we are trying to implement is TSA. When we insist that we have to know what comes in and what goes out for us to make a comprehensive amendment to the economy. If you go and see the Central Bank Governor, he will tell you that in the TSA, we have more than N3 trillion. Where would this money have been if TSA was not in vogue? I was made to understand that vouchers would have quickly been raised towards the end of the financial year and checks made. Whether they are going into projects or private pockets, nobody can prove it to you. But that money is there, it is identified, if is quantified and when the budget comes back eventually, the Ministry of finance will see how to allocate it to the rest of the country. We have tried to make sure that NNPC is reorganized, so that we know how much of our crude is taken, how much it is sold and to which account the money is going. But I tell you that up to the time we came, if anybody told you that he knows how much of crude is exchanges hands either on the high sea or reaching their destination and the accounts the money goes into, that person is not telling you the truth. We are getting the cooperation of countries that has received this crude. But we have to be sure of the facts in our hands before we start prosecution so that Nigerians will believe what we have been telling them. On the fight against corruption, President Buhari said: I was telling a British team that came to supervise the training team they sent that when I was in uniform, we took the perceived corrupt ones and put them in safe custody and quietly told them they were guilty until they can prove themselves innocent. But now under multiparty democratic system, I see some of them ride flashy cars, some of them have built estates here, but they are innocent until we can prove them guilty. This situation is true and you dont need to stress your imagination to find out. If you can find out, you discover that a level eight officer has five houses, while you, as a Permanent Secretary or Commissioner still living in a rented house. That is the credible thing to do now. We have to get credible evidence to carry our successful prosecution and get judgment from the judiciary. But effort is being made to give a list of recoveries in whatever currencies so far so that Nigerians will know that it is not all about long stories. While assuring Nigerians that the government was winning the war against insurgency, he said we have made progress. It was a very courageous decision that the party took and executed by the Executive by removing most of the military hierarchy and appointing those to take over from them, acquiring some new hard and soft ware and raising the moral of the military to go secure the rest of the country which was then 14 out of 774 local government. I have said it often that as far as I know and the service Chiefs who are on ground, they are not holding any local government. But the still have some capability especially on soft target by using technology. For Niger Delta, the militants are sending some conflicting messages. Some have said they are ready to drop their arms and join the rest of the nation to build it. But part of them is still sabotaging installations which are making investments in that lucrative area of Nigeria difficult because nobody will submit his riches to financial institutions; get money only to suffer huge loss. So, the environment for investment is being sabotaged by our own selves, Nigerians. We are doing our best with the military by trying to persuade them to join the rest of the country because in unity lies our strength. Turning to the APC leadership, President Buhari said: I will like you to continue to make sacrifice. I know you are being harassed since the election that they havent seen anything on the ground. Well, if you have any explanation that could be accepted, is that you have three more years to go. When we came in after 16 years of PDP, each government had 42 ministries. We reduced them to 24, removed 21 Permanent Secretaries. We sat down and reflected seriously. We were all in the process of taking over at a time of national budget. So, imagine the volume of work and with what happened in the National Assembly, the padding, it would appear that below the Permanent Secretaries, there are still a lot of bureaucracies that are still with them. So, you have to appreciate the position we are in. Having cut 42 to 24, correspondingly, the parastatals will be cut down to some size and realigned and the boards reconstituted. We gave a blanket order which we had to rescind when we said all boards are suspended or dissolved. We had to go back and lick our vomit in terms of university boards because we found out that according to their laws, they cannot choose Vice Chancellors unless the Boards seat down, interview prospective candidates who wants to be VCs. So, there is nothing wrong in saying sorry and going back on your decision. So, we said sorry and allow all the universities to continue with their boards. But for the rest, eventually, we will make it. So, please, try to bear with us as we reflect on where we found ourselves. For globetrotting, sometimes, you need to present your case on personal basis to your economic colleagues and neighbors. Nothing is better than personal touch and I believe that we are learning a lot and eventually, the nation will realize so. I dont envy you on the harassment you are going through from your constituencies. Take it with a lot of determination and we will be all right God willing. National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said naturally, this would have been the time to roll out the drums and celebrate loudly, adding that being a government and a party that is responsive, we are very well aware of the hardships in the land and for that reason, it should be a period of introspection, a period for memories and a period for reminiscences. The problems we have are well known, of course originating from two well-known factors, our squandered patrimony of course, the unfortunate coincidence of the collapse of the price of crude. Nevertheless, inspite of these hardships, our government has recorded strides that are worth mentioning, that are worth celebrating and that are worth noting. No question at all, that the vigorous and focused leadership provided in the fight against insurgency has yielded results that we all, as a nation, must be proud of. The insurgents have been deprived of the possibility of ever again, holding Nigerian territory and hoisting any of their dastardly flags. We have other issues like the TSA, and what it has done for our states even though temporarily and of course, Mr Presidents shuttle diplomacy, which as we can see, is gradually beginning to stabilize. The oil market, the price of crude is gradually beginning to crawl persistently, slowly but upwards. It is true, these are hard times, but hard times create challenges. Challenges call for men and women to agree in leadership, united, focused, passionate in the policies that they stand for, which means that this party must rediscover itself, which means that this party must stand as one behind the success of our president and of the policies that we stand for and of the promises he has made to the Nigerian people. This also means that this is a time to stand together, which means that this is a time to rededicate ourselves and the party to the vision to which the people of this nation voted. We must leave this arena once more as a strong, united fighting force dedicated to delivering on the promises made by Mr. President to the Nigerian people. Google announced two services today, one new and one out of preview. They are part of the company's ongoing push to fashion itself as a provider of not only tools for building machine learning resources, but also APIs for accessing premade ones. Cloud Machine Learning (CML) can plug into Google's other storage, querying, and data-handling products to generate machine learning models. Among the data sources is Google Cloud Dataproc, the managed Hadoop and Spark platform that was previously announced but is now in general availability. [ The InfoWorld review: Azure Machine Learning is for pros only | Get a digest of the day's top tech stories in the InfoWorld Daily newsletter. ] You may have been wondering when machine learning as a service would arrive in Google Cloud, considering it has been available on Amazon for months and on Azure for a year. CML is based on Google's open-sourced TensorFlow framework. TensorFlow, Google claims, was used to build and deliver many existing Google products with machine intelligence aspects, such as its speech-recognition API, newly available to the public. Models built with TensorFlow outside of Google's services can be used with CML, but Google wants prospective users to do the data ingestion, management, and training directly on its cloud whenever possible. Also among Google's offerings is a number of pretrained APIs for translation, machine vision, and speech recognition. IBM has similar items via Watson on Bluemix, and while Google's range is smaller, it features more products that are likely to find immediate uptake and use. Google's been in a prime position to be a machine learning master, not only because it has generously shared open source machine learning creations like TensorFlow or built services atop existing, well-understood projects like Spark. Rather, it's due to Google's enviable position as the hub through which flows a staggering amount of the world's data -- raw material that can be used, in some form, to train Google's systems. What Google is offering now is an option for people to bring their own data to the tooling it developed to make sense of its data trove. Apart from needing a source of training data, machine learning has also been pegged as difficult to use. The new wave of open source ML projects has eased the burden somewhat -- one of Spark's big appeals is how straightforward it is for developers. However, Google aims to lower the hurdles by removing the hassles around building the infrastructure for such projects, and by providing an environment that's as elegant and as no-nonsense as the rest of its cloud is shaping up to be. 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%) Pardon the macabre gallows humor, but we couldn't help but think of this kernel of wisdom from the great Samuel Johnson in light of two recent gifts from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: "When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully." In other words, people and organizations tend to get their act together when the pressure's on. Such is the underlying logic behind big challenge grants. "We'll give you this much money," says a foundation, "And if you do this and this and this, you'll get even more money." But there's a catch, of course. Most challenge grants withhold funding until the matching funds have been secured. Indeed, the challenge grant can "concentrate the mind wonderfully" by compelling organizations to do all the strategic nitty-gritty they should be doing anyway: growing the donor base, embracing social media, reaching new audiences, and so on. Clearly this logic resonates with the Mellon Foundation, which recently awarded a $30 million challenge grant to the National Gallery of Art (NGA) and a $3 million challenge grant to Art Conservation to Guggenheim Museum. Let's briefly walk through both grants. The gift to the NGA is $15 million with a mandate to match that amount with $45 million in permanently restricted donations from other individuals and institutions. Once that $45 million is received, Mellon will provide another $15 million, totaling a $75 million investment. The gift aims to solidify and grow four key program areas: digital programs, education, conservation science, and the NGAs Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts. The NGA has five years to raise the matching funds; gifts must be permanently restricted and support these same four areas. National Gallery Director Earl "Rusty" Powell III hopes the grant will incentivize donors to give, noting, "Endowment is always difficult. It is the hardest money to raise, and thats why this is so important. It will stabilize key core programs." As for the Guggenheim give, the $3 million Challenge Grant for Art Conservation will be matched two-to-one to support the continuing work of the museums Conservation Department. Specifically, the grant will endow the position of deputy director and cief conservator, held since 2007 by Carol Stringari, and a new position: director of engagement, conservation and collections. Clearly, Mellon is using both challenge grants as a tool to create long-term financial sustainability predicated on expanding and diversifying the funder base at both museums. From a financial and operational perspective, this is a good thing. If a challenge grant provides the necessary carrots and sticks to help set an arts organization on a path toward financial sustainability, who's to argue? The arts organization, that's who. In fact, challenge grants can have Draconian consequences. For example, under some grant structures, if the organization fails to match the funds upfront, the funds will be denied. An organization can commit thousands of hours and resources to hit that goal, only to fail and lose that funding. And that's a bad thing. It's bad for morale and it's bad for the relationship between the foundation and the organization. For some organizations, it may not be worth the headache. Although we've seen examples of challenge grants in the arts space, this is why the amounts are generally much smaller and the stakes far less severe. For example, last year the Salah Foundation awarded a $150,000 challenge grant to the Miami-based Broward Performing Arts Foundation. Under the grant structure, all private donations received by Sept. 30, 2015 were matched 100 percent by the Salah Foundation, up to $150,000. Broward never faced the risk of walking away with nothing. Similarly, Newman's Own Foundation awarded a $75,000 challenge grant to the Westport Country Playhouse was designed as a dollar-for-dollar match. Mellon is also aware of the risks associated with a Draconian challenge grant. The foundation's gift to NGA will provide a portion of the grant upfront without requiring the challenge funds to be secured first. The first $5 million will be distributed immediately as good as an incentive as they come with $10 million being transferred over the period of time that NGA is raising the matching $45 million. Therefore, we're happy to report that while the stakes are a bit higher under this structure, they're not high enough to justify the hangman analogy. The wait is over for Peter Harrison. Three years after rejoining Schroders as global head of equities and presumed heir apparent to longtime CEO Michael Dobson, Harrison, 49, was tapped in March to take over as chief of the venerable asset management firm, beginning April 4. The promotion is the crowning achievement of a career that began in 1988, when London-based Schroders hired Harrison as an equity analyst fresh out of the University of Bath, where he earned a degree in business administration. After stints as a portfolio manager in the 90s at Newton Investment Management and Robert Fleming & Co., he rose to become global head of equities at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, which had acquired Flemings, and then moved to Deutsche Asset Management as global CIO. Harrison left in 2006 to become CEO of investment boutique RWC Partners. Schroders bought a controlling stake in RWC in 2010 and hired Harrison in 2013. As head of investments for the past two years, Harrison has championed the use of big data to develop investment ideas and hired more tech-savvy staff. He has also prepared Schroders for the introduction of the European Unions revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, or MiFID II, which is expected to ban the use of soft-dollar commissions for investment research. He seems quite open to thinking about things in a different way, says Haley Tam, a Citigroup analyst who covers Schroders. Harrison will have to continue to do so to make his own mark, for he hasnt quite escaped his bosss shadow. Dobson is moving up to the chairmans seat being vacated by Andrew Beeson. The move drew flak from shareholder rights groups because it flouts the U.K.s corporate governance code, which frowns on companies elevating their CEOs to chairman. The worry is that the chair will stifle his CEO successor and fail to provide sufficient oversight. But in a letter to investors, Schroders explained the move, calling Dobson the outstanding candidate for the post. And in any event, the transition enjoys the backing of the only investors who really count: Bruno Schroder, the great-great grandson of co-founder John Henry Schroder, and his family, who own 45 percent of the company. The Schroders love Dobson because he restored the firms health and the familys wealth. The group was losing money in 2001 when Schroders brought in Dobson, former CEO of merchant bank Morgan, Grenfell & Co., by buying his small hedge fund firm. Over the next 15 years, he transformed what was almost exclusively an equities outfit into a diversified manager by developing fixed-income and multiasset businesses. The firms assets under management and its share price more than tripled under his leadership. Schroders took in 13 billion ($18.8 billion) in net new assets last year, helping it to surpass Aberdeen Asset Management as the U.K.s largest pure-play investment manager, with AuM of 313.5 billion. If Harrison comes close to matching that record, he can expect a long run at the top. Follow Tom Buerkle on Twitter at @tombuerkle. The deadly coordinated attacks in Brussels on March 22, which killed 33 people and wounded 260. are expected to have limited impact on the insurance industry, according to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide. Loss of life and injuries to individuals involved are the most substantial consequences of the attack, said AIR in a statement. On the other hand, damage to buildings is expected to be minimal, resulting in limited insured property losses, which is similar to the November 2015 Paris attacks by the so-called Islamic State (IS). Any resulting insured losses from this attack are covered by the Belgian Terrorism Reinsurance and Insurance Pool (TRIP). Annual cover from the pool is limited to 1 billion (approximately $1.12 billion), AIR said. Participation in the pool is not compulsory, AIR explained, citing figures issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which says approximately 95 percent of insurers operating in Belgium contribute to the pool. AIRs Review of Brussels Blasts Suicide bombers affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) attacked both Zaventem Airport and a Brussels metro station Tuesday morning, March 22, in a coordinated attack that killed 33 people and wounded 260, said Jonathon Green, risk consultant at AIR Worldwide. As a result of the attackswhich took place just days after the capture of Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in the massive and coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris November 13Belgium raised the terror threat level to four, its highest level. Authorities urged people throughout Belgium to stay inside until about 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Green continued. At Zaventem Airport, two suicide bombers exploded bomb vests or other portable devices at 7:58 a.m. in the airport departure area, the first in front of the check-in desks for SN Brussels Airlines and American Airlines, the second moments later beside a Starbucks cafe, AIR said. Belgium health officials reported 13 people killed and 81 wounded from these blasts. (Reportedly, an unexploded suicide vest was found at the scene.) Immediately following the blasts Zaventem was evacuated, all inbound flights were diverted, and all outbound flights were canceled. A little more than an hour later, at 9:11 a.m., another suicide bomber the brother of one of the airport bombers targeted a train leaving the Maelbeek metro station heading toward Arts-Loi, AIR said in its overview of the events. According to the Brussels mayor, 20 people died and 179 were wounded in this central Brussels attack, which took place near European Union offices. Subsequently, the entire metro system was closed, and all Eurostar trains were canceled. Metro stations were reopened at 4:00 p.m. A number of shopping centers in Brussels were closed and extra security precautions reportedly were implemented at Belgium nuclear power plants in Engie and Tihange, AIR said. Green went on to say: In the hours after the attacks, Belgian authorities made a number of raids during an intensive manhunt for people involved in the attacks, including at the address where a taxi driver had picked up the three individuals identified in the airport attacks. During the searches on Tuesday, one suspect was arrested in the Anderlecht district of Brussels, although his identity has not been made public. Following the Brussels attacks, authorities tightened security in the United Kingdom and France (including in Strasbourg, home to the European Parliament), as well as at borders throughout Europe, AIR continued. Security was also enhanced in Asia where some governments have been on high alert since terrorist attacks in Jakarta, Indonesia in January and in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major U.S. cities. The extent of the damage to the airport and the metro system, as well as to adjacent structures, is unclear at this time, but the widespread economic ramifications of the attack quickly became evident. Stock futures dropped Tuesday, with many travel-related stocks falling. On Wednesday the European stock markets rebounded, AIR affirmed. Attacks on public facilities, such as Zaventem Airport and the Brussels metro, are intended not only to kill, maim, and disrupt, but they are also meant to inflict debilitating psychological scars and foster a sense of insecurity among the population and the feeling that the government is unable to protect citizens, Green noted. Accordingly, governments prompt recovery is important to those who have been attacked. Reopening train stations, shops, and businessesas well as a recovering stock marketare positive signs after such as assault, he added. Comment from FERMA The senseless, devastating attacks in Brussels on March 22, coming as they do after those in Paris in November 2015, were not just an attack on Belgium, but an attack on the symbol of Europe, said Jo Willaert, president of the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA), which is based in Brussels. Terrorism is a threat for all of our societies, and union and solidarity in the international community are fundamental. These attacks show how important it is for us to manage these risks to the security of our organisations and society as a whole, Willaert added. A united Europe, determined not to give up the values of freedom and democracy without fear, religious hatred and racism, is the only answer to this barbarity. We will never accept that these actions undermine the will of all Europeans to live and work together. Source: AIR Worldwide and Federation of European Risk Management Associations Topics Carriers Europe Aviation Fidelis Insurance announced that Ben Savill has been promoted to group chief underwriting officer, subject to approval from the Bermuda Department of Immigration. He assumes this role from Richard Brindle who held it jointly with his position as group chief executive officer during the inaugural phase of the company, which was founded in June 2015. Savill will assume the group CUO role in addition to his responsibilities as Bermuda chief executive officer. He will continue to be based in Bermuda. Savill, who joined Fidelis soon after its launch, brings nearly two decades of underwriting experience. He joined Fidelis from Amlin Bermuda, where he led the North American market unit. In this role, his responsibilities included underwriting Amlins U.S. reinsurance property portfolio and handling specialty lines business. He began his career at Harvey Bowring. Throughout his career Savill has been heavily involved in many facets of re/insurance, including the development of internal rating models, portfolio analysis systems and the integration of proprietary ratings tools and risk analysis methodologies. While our model is differentiated by our total return strategy to maximize our return on equity across market cycles, at our core we are an underwriting business unimpeded by dependence on imposed strategic goals, said Brindle. Because underwriting is paramount, I am very pleased to announce Bens appointment as group CUO. He is a proven leader, an exceptional underwriter and his relationships with clients and brokers are built on nearly two decades of trust. Under his management our underwriting business will continue to flourish, he added. To lead the underwriting strategy at Fidelis, with the support of our experienced and talented team of underwriters, is an exciting challenge and one which I look forward to enormously, said Savill. The way our business is structured gives us unequaled flexibility at any point in the cycle should opportunities present themselves but, as underwriters, we are always conscious of the importance of long term, mutually beneficial relationships, Savill went on to say. Source: Fidelis Insurance Topics Underwriting Some health insurers are hoping to ease headaches that can flare when customers try to confirm whether a doctor is covered in a plans network of providers. The trade association Americas Health Insurance Plans will soon start testing a more efficient way to update insurer provider directories, which are becoming critical for finding the right fit as insurance evolves and coverage networks shrink. Health insurers generally offer much better coverage for customers who seek care from doctors or providers inside their networks. In some cases, they provide no coverage for treatment sought outside a network. More insurers, especially on the Affordable Care Acts public insurance exchanges, have started offering plans with narrow networks of doctors or hospitals in an attempt to squeeze better rates out of those providers and control health care costs. This makes finding so-called in-network care crucial for insurance shoppers, especially those who have established relationships with a provider. But matching a doctor with an insurance network can be no simple task. Brokers say insurance directories are constantly evolving as doctors retire, sell their practices or join provider groups that may not be in a network. On top of that, they find that customers often get confused because one insurer may have several networks, some that cover their doctor and some that do not. It can be overwhelming, said Susan Rider, a consultant with the Indianapolis-based insurance agency Gregory & Appel. Americas Health Insurance Plans, known as AHIP, will attempt to streamline directory updates by testing a new concept next month in California, Florida and Indiana. AHIP will have one health information technology company contact providers for regular updates on standard information such as whether they are accepting new patients and if they are still in a coverage network. Then AHIP will share that information with several insurers. This can spare a doctors office multiple phone calls or faxes from insurers seeking updates, and it could lead to more accurate directories, AHIP officials say. They add that the six-month test is nothing consumers will notice, but it may help create a blueprint for building more efficient directories in other states. Rider and Naples, Florida-based broker Wayne Sakamoto say they havent noticed many problems with inaccurate directories, especially since they can be updated quickly online. That said, Sakamoto still recommends that his customers call a doctor to confirm that the provider is in a specific network simply because these networks evolve so frequently. I think the biggest concern is really having consumers understand these networks, he said. Its very confusing. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Carriers A federal appeals court has upheld a lower courts ruling in favor of an insurance company in a breach of contract suit brought by a Houston-based oil and gas exploration and production company. The dispute in Saratoga Resources Inc. v. Lexington Insurance Company concerns the calculation of a deductible in a Lexington-issued insurance policy held by Saratoga, according to the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The case was brought on appeal by Saratoga from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. In it, Saratoga alleges that the deductible calculated by Lexington on claims for damages on several Saratoga properties was incorrect and too high. The appeals court explained: Lexington issued an insurance policy to Saratoga covering the period from May 18, 2012 through May 18, 2013. This policy insured several oil and gas properties owned by Saratoga. Under the policy, each of the properties had a different insured value. On August 28, 2012, Hurricane Isaac made landfall in Louisiana and damaged several of Saratogas insured properties. Saratoga submitted a claim for $3,085,047.39 in damages. After an adjuster inspected the properties, Lexington paid $2,001,191.28 on this claim. This amount reflected Lexingtons calculation of the applicable deductible as $912,500. Saratoga disagreed with this calculation of the deductible, arguing that it should be $400,000, not $912,500. Unable to convince Lexington that its calculation was in error, Saratoga sought a declaratory judgment and damages for breach of contract in the Texas court. Lexington argued that the language of its policy was unambiguous and also filed for summary judgment, which was granted by the Texas district court. The Fifth District Court identified the primary language at issue in Lexingtons policy as: Earth Movement/Flood/Named Windstorm: 5% of Total Insurable Values at the time and place of the loss, subject to a minimum of $250,000 any one occurrence If two or more deductible amounts apply to a single occurrence, the total to be deducted shall not exceed the largest deductible applicable unless otherwise stated in the policy. Differing interpretations of the language in the Named Windstorm paragraph lie at the heart of the dispute between the two companies. The Fifth Circuit stated: Lexington argues that the plain language of 5% of Total Insurable Values sets the deductible at 5% of the aggregate sum of the insured value of each damaged property, which is equal to $912,500. In Lexingtons view there should be only one deductible amount for Saratogas claims and the two or more deductible amounts language is not applicable. Saratoga had an alternate theory, however. It maintained that the term, Total Insurable Values, does not refer to the Total of the Insurable Values of the damaged properties, but instead is the plural form of a term referring to the individual insured value of each property, the court wrote. The insured alleged that the Named Windstorm paragraph thus requires the calculation of mini-deductibles that represent 5% of the insured value of each damaged property. Once the $250,000 minimum is reached, so the argument goes, the two or more deductible amounts paragraph applies and the total deductible may not exceed the highest mini-deductible, which in this case is $400,000, the Fifth Circuits ruling states. The appeals court concluded, however, that the Texas district court was correct and relied on the ordinary meaning of the term Total Insurable Values.' Saratoga, the appeals court said, seeks to depart from this ordinary meaning and is unable to establish that a technical or different meaning is warranted. The Fifth Circuit found Saratogas interpretation of the policy to be unreasonable. Under Texas law, when there is only one reasonable interpretation of an insurance policy, the court must construe it as a matter of law. We agree with the district court that this is the case here and adopt Lexingtons interpretation of the deductible provision, the Fifth Circuits ruling states. Topics Texas Investigators say thieves have stolen $250,000 worth of boat motors from a marine dealership on Lake Murray. Lexington County deputies said in a news release that a white van broke into the lot at Captains Choice Marine on U.S. Highway 378 around 2 a.m. Sunday. Investigators say surveillance cameras show several people load more than a dozen boat motors into the van. Deputies are asking people in the area with their own surveillance cameras to review their footage from early Sunday morning and look for a white van or other suspicious things. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud South Carolina Mississippi officials say the damage from floods this month is the most widespread the state has had since Hurricane Katrina. Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Lee Smithson tells The Clarion-Ledger federal and state assessment teams have been on the ground in the Delta and will head to the Hattiesburg area on Tuesday. Smithson says extensive flooding in those areas has left hundreds of houses and businesses damaged and destroyed. Smithson said Coahoma, Bolivar and Washington counties have been assessed, but there are still more Delta counties to go. He says FEMA, MEMA and the Small Business Administration have been leading the assessments. Officials are urging that flood victims get in touch with their county officials. Related: Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Flood Hurricane Mississippi Atlanta, GA, March 24, 2016 Breckenridge Insurance Services, the wholesale brokerage division of Breckenridge Insurance Group, announced that Shawn Hall Sr. has been promoted to senior vice president, director of business development. In this newly created position, Hall is responsible for enhancing key agent relationships, advising existing and new brokers, and identifying opportunities for specialized commercial insurance products and partners. Hall specializes in the workers compensation marketincluding guaranteed cost and excess/large deductibleas well as general liability. He will continue to support his valued agents while he assumes his new leadership responsibilities. Hall, who has been a broker with Breckenridge for nearly five years, has consistently demonstrated success in his business development efforts. Recently, he received three Breckenridge awards for his overall contribution to revenue, new business relationship growth and collaborative support of other team members across Breckenridge Insurance Group. Robert Matamoros, executive vice president of Breckenridge Insurance Services, commented, Shawn is an exemplary professional when it comes to his work ethic and commitment to his agents and carrier partners. His grasp of this industry and the respect hes garnered in a short period of time is impressive and he is well respected among his peers. Hall is located in the Chicago area and can be reached at shall@breckis.com or 440.773.7983 About Breckenridge Insurance Services: Breckenridge Insurance Services is a national wholesale commercial insurance brokerage firm with more than three decades of experience in supporting agents and their clients. Focused on building long-term partnerships, the experienced brokerage group offers consultative services and quality carrier relationships and binding authorities for a variety of standard and hard-to-place specialty coverages. Breckenridge Insurance Services has eight offices across the United States and continues to strategically expand its team and presence to serve diverse markets with top-rated domestic and international carrier partners. About Breckenridge Insurance Group: Breckenridge Insurance Group, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is an international specialty wholesale insurance broker, program manager, managing general agent (MGA) and insurance services provider. The company offers access to diverse range of commercial insurance and financial services products to businesses and professional services firms in a variety of industries. The company serves independent insurance agents, brokers and legal and financial institutions throughout North America by way of Blue River Underwriters, OSC, Breckenridge Insurance Services, Breckenridge Elevation Authorities contract binding group and InSpecialty innovative insurance solutions. For more information, please visit www.breckgrp.com or call 630.945.3878. CA Insurance License #0G13592 Topics Agencies Financial advisors, stockbrokers, and investment professionals of all stripes swim in a sea of designations and certificates. Because each title comes with its own three- or four-letter abbreviation, the designations are known as the alphabet soup of the investment advice industry. Two of the most strenuous but financially rewarding titles are the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). A potential financial advisor or anyone considering a career in finance or investing should consider their differences. Should you invest the time, resources, and money in an MBA or a CFA? Key Takeaways For financial professionals, two of the most significant credentials to have are Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). An MBA takes two years of full-time study in a program that will often cost at least $100,000, with students taking classes that cover all aspects of the business world, as well as the opportunity to focus on a specific industry. A CFA takes at least 19 months of self-study and the passing of three exams; its cheaper than an MBAunder $5,000and focuses more specifically on investment analysis, portfolio strategy, and asset allocation. The average starting salary of those with MBAs is around $92,000, while those with a CFA designation might see an average starting salary of $98,000. MBA Course of Study An MBA takes two years of full-time study, with classes covering various aspects of running a business. Courses range from human resources to accounting, from marketing and sales to managing operations, supply chains, and technology. Students get MBAs in specific topicssuch as healthcare, communications, or information systems technologydepending on which field most interests them. These degrees still stress broad knowledge of core business concepts. MBA Cost and Reward Getting an MBA is usually pricey. Students are not only paying for two years of full-time graduate school or its part-time equivalent but also missing out on potential earnings during that time. A two-year MBA program can end up costing far north of $100,000 from a top business school, not counting room, board, books, and peripheral expenses. The amount of debt for MBA graduates is highupward of $71,000 or moreand those are just the most recent figures as of October 2021. Also, consider the effects of any wages that you forgo while in school. Of course, financial aid can reduce this burden somewhat, and some corporations will assume a portion of expenses for employees seeking an MBA. The return on your investment, however, might make it worthwhile. Getting an MBA from a well-regarded school can make you more attractive to employers because it demonstrates drive and work ethic, not to mention a solid network. It provides lifelong professional contacts with scores of other Type A overachievers with whom youve shared a long, tough challenge. If you want a management role at a large company or those in areas like marketing, consulting, finance, or investment banking, you would do well to at least consider getting an MBA. Healthcare is another field where mid- and upper-level management is increasingly populated with MBAs to better cope with changes in insurance, government regulation, and patient record-keeping standards. An MBA is more costly to acquire than a CFA and typically requires being a full-time student, while someone studying for a CFA can simultaneously hold a full-time job. However, the tradeoff is that after completion, an MBA often gives a bigger boost to your earnings potential than a CFA. The CFA The CFA designation, first introduced in 1962, provides those who pass three exams, known as charterholders, with specialized skills like investment analysis, portfolio strategy, and asset allocation. It is less general than an MBA and quite coveted by investment professionals. Regulatory bodies in more than 28 countries recognize the charter as a proxy for meeting certain licensing requirements, according to the CFA Institute, which administers the test and awards the certification. Financially, getting a CFA designation is cheaper than earning an MBA, as the program is based on self-study and not going to class. The only required expense is exam fees. These costs vary depending on how early you register, but program fees are $900 and $1,200 for early and standard registration, respectively, plus a one-time enrollment fee of $350. CFA Is Grueling and Prolonged While affordable, the time required to earn a CFA is substantial. CFA exams have three sections, which take six hours each. You must pass each section before proceeding to the next. For 2022, the first section, Level I, is offered each quarter, while Level II is offered in February, August, and November, and Level III is only offered in May and August. That means if a candidate passes every part in their first attempt, pursuing the CFA is still at least a 19-month journey. Indeed, the CFA Institute says candidates spend an average of 300 hours of study for each section and that the average candidate takes four or five years to pass every section. The pass rate for each section has hovered around 45% in a given year, making the CFA one of the most grueling tests that you're likely to face. In fact, the general consensus is that the CFA exam is harder to pass and requires more study than the certified public accountant (CPA) exam. And that exam is hardly a cakewalk. Forum commentators on the CPA information and review site who are familiar with both exams generally view the CFA as the greater challenge requiring more study time. Its worth noting that as the CFA exam includes audit problems, those with an accounting background have an advantage in taking it. Some very motivated individuals get both MBA and CFA credentials, giving them training in both the broad and more specific aspects of business, wealth, and portfolio management. Who Gets a CFA? Payscale puts the national average salary for a CFA at $98,000, according to its surveys. What sort of professionals might choose to get a CFA? The most traditional career paths for which the CFA charter has been most relevant are for research analysts and those who might go on to be portfolio managers, says Stephen Horan, Ph.D., CFA, CIPM, the former managing director and co-lead for education at the CFA Institute. The charter, however, is a generalist investment credential. Increasingly, it is a useful resource for a wide range of careers, such as traders, brokers, academics, risk managers, regulators, and chief executives. These nontraditional roles are the single largest category of charterholders. Some motivated individuals pursue both MBAs and CFAs. Horan notes that MBAs and CFAs can be complementary to each other: Traditional MBA programs are broader than the CFA program, covering topics such as management, marketing, and strategy, while the CFA program provides deeper coverage of investment management than typical MBA programs. Having both an MBA and a CFA is especially valuable for portfolio and corporate management positions, Horan adds. Charterholders are increasingly working in corporate finance roles that would be naturally populated by MBAs. The average age of a CFA program candidate is about 28, according to a report of 2018 CFA Institute data. However, these days, younger students frequently enter the program in their last year of school or shortly thereafter. Some graduate schools teach the CFA program within their MBA coursework, allowing students to both obtain a degree and prepare for the certification at almost the same time. Is the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Good for a Career in Finance? Compared to the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a Master of Business Administration (MBA) provides a broader overview of business principles. An MBA teaches students valuable analytical and leadership skills that prepare them for opportunities across a number of sectors and careers in finance. For instance, MBA graduates may go on to pursue careers as consultants, chief financial officers, financial analysts, or financial managers. Is the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Good for a Career in Investment Banking? The CFA serves as a valuable credential for those interested in a career in investment banking. Its rigorous curriculum involves financial modeling skills, corporate finance, ethics, and financial analysis, to name a few. Along with investment banking, CFA charterholders often pursue careers in commercial banking, consulting, and asset management. MBA or CFA: Who Earns More? According to Payscale, the average base salary of an MBA graduate is $92,000, while the average for those holding a CFA designation is $98,000. What Is the Cost of an MBA vs. a CFA? Typically, an MBA will cost from $80,000 to more than $100,000. By contrast, a CFA designation will cost significantly less: under $5,000. How Long Does It Take to Complete an MBA vs. a CFA? Typically, an MBA will take two to three years of study, although some programs offer one-year MBAs. The CFA includes three examslevels I, II, and IIIwhich take an average of four to five years to complete. The Bottom Line In the end, both the MBA and the CFA are valuable. Not only does an MBA enhance job prospects and earning potential and help build a broader network, but in some cases, firms will require an MBA for certain leadership or management roles. The CFA, however, is widely coveted by professional investors who work at money managers and registered investment advisors, the types of firms where many financial advisors get their first jobs and initial training and background. "Billions" is coming back! The hit series from CBS's Showtime network returns for season 5 on Sept. 5, 2021, and the intrigue is intoxicating. The show, which debuted in 2016 as the brainchild of veteran TV writers Bryan Koppelman and David Levien, takes us deep into the opulent and cutthroat world of hedge funds, white-collar criminals, and prosecutors willing to cross the line to catch a whale. The series follows billionaire hedge fund king Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis from the hit "Homeland"), the shows main protagonist, and founder of Axe Capital, on his endless pursuit of an edge to tilt the capital markets in his favor. For the first three seasons, Axe, as he is called, is relentlessly pursued by U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti, of "Sideways" and "John Adams" fame). Rhoades' wife, Dr. Wendy Rhoades (Maggie Siff) just happens to be Axe Capital's in-house psychologist, which, to say the least, complicates matters. Key Takeaways "Billions" is a series about a billionaire hedge fund king who's constantly trying to tilt the capital markets in his favor. The show exposes viewers to the genius and dirty tricks of hedge fund managers, as well as the relentless pursuit of these managers by U.S. attorneys. It offers a look into the way financial markets work at the extremes, and how the system is played by its richest participants. The series is laden with investing and financial terminology. Season 5 returns on Sunday, September 5, 2021, with all-new episodes. Glossary of Terms for Watching "Billions" "Billions" exposes viewers to the genius and, as some would have it, dirty tricks, of hedge fund managers who weave their portfolio trading strategies around financial regulators, insider trading, corporate actions, and more. It also tracks the relentless pursuit of these hedge fund titans by U.S. attorneys, who sometimes bend the law themselves in order to gain an edge and win their cases. The show is laden with investing and financial terminology, which makes it irresistible for us. It offers a fascinating look into the way financial markets work at the extremes, and how the system is played by its richest participants. We don't want you to miss any of the nuances of the plot, so here is a glossary to keep you up to speed: A Activist investor : An individual or a group of individuals who purchase large quantities of a companys stock in an attempt to gain control of a sizable number of the companys voting seats. By so doing, the activist investor can replace management or put pressure on it to significantly change its operational strategies with a view to driving the share price up. For example, Bobby Axelrod buys a 4.9% ownership stake in YumTime Bakeries in order to force management to fire the incompetent CEO and to eliminate corporate inefficiencies which were costing shareholders for the past eight years, all while executive compensations had soared 300% over the same time period. : An individual or a group of individuals who purchase large quantities of a companys stock in an attempt to gain control of a sizable number of the companys voting seats. By so doing, the activist investor can replace management or put pressure on it to significantly change its operational strategies with a view to driving the share price up. For example, Bobby Axelrod buys a 4.9% ownership stake in YumTime Bakeries in order to force management to fire the incompetent CEO and to eliminate corporate inefficiencies which were costing shareholders for the past eight years, all while executive compensations had soared 300% over the same time period. Alpha: The excess return that a hedge fund earns relative to the performance of a benchmark index or risk-free investment. Alpha is used to measure how well a fund manager performs. In simple terms, if a portfolio has an alpha of +5, it means that it outperformed the S&P index by 5%. A negative alpha signifies underperformance. In episode three of season 4, Axe gets his hands on Taylor's holdings and stock positions. Wendy convinces him to start bidding up those stocks in order to generate more buying momentum in them, and then sell to 'capture the alpha.' B Bedrocks : These are stocks poised to increase in value in the long term. Bedrock stocks are characterized by large market capitalizations and cash flow. Their growth spurt eventually slows down after years of growth, at which point they become income investments. Mundia-Tel was considered a bedrock until it filed for bankruptcy, causing a downward spiral in the telecommunications sector. Axe received information from a Mundia-Tel insider, Constantine, about the impending disaster before the bankruptcy was made public. : These are stocks poised to increase in value in the long term. Bedrock stocks are characterized by large market capitalizations and cash flow. Their growth spurt eventually slows down after years of growth, at which point they become income investments. Mundia-Tel was considered a bedrock until it filed for bankruptcy, causing a downward spiral in the telecommunications sector. Axe received information from a Mundia-Tel insider, Constantine, about the impending disaster before the bankruptcy was made public. Bellwether stock : A trendsetting stock that is representative of its sector. A bellwether leads its respective sector in that if its price rises, its sector follows suit, and if it falls in price, the sector declines as well. When telecom giant Mundia-Tel filed for bankruptcy, a domino effect ensued, which saw the stocks of the entire telecommunications sector crashing. : A trendsetting stock that is representative of its sector. A bellwether leads its respective sector in that if its price rises, its sector follows suit, and if it falls in price, the sector declines as well. When telecom giant Mundia-Tel filed for bankruptcy, a domino effect ensued, which saw the stocks of the entire telecommunications sector crashing. Bips : This term is short for basis points (BPS). Bonds are usually quoted in bips. One basis point equals 0.0001 or 0.01%. A bond yield that goes down from 1.07% to 1.02% is said to have moved down by 5 bips. : This term is short for basis points (BPS). Bonds are usually quoted in bips. One basis point equals 0.0001 or 0.01%. A bond yield that goes down from 1.07% to 1.02% is said to have moved down by 5 bips. Blue chip : These are well-known companies that are stable and reliable, even in market downturns. Many of the products and services these companies sell are high-quality and in high demand. Blue-chip companies are those that have been around for a long time and are often multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Walmart, IBM, and General Electric. : These are well-known companies that are stable and reliable, even in market downturns. Many of the products and services these companies sell are high-quality and in high demand. Blue-chip companies are those that have been around for a long time and are often multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Walmart, IBM, and General Electric. Block trade : A private, large buy or sell order submitted for 10,000 shares of a security or a block of shares with a market value of at least $200,000. : A private, large buy or sell order submitted for 10,000 shares of a security or a block of shares with a market value of at least $200,000. Breakout trade : A technical trading strategy that involves buying or shorting a stock after its price moves outside its defined support or resistance level, usually followed by heavy trading volume and an increased amount of volatility. : A technical trading strategy that involves buying or shorting a stock after its price moves outside its defined support or resistance level, usually followed by heavy trading volume and an increased amount of volatility. Bucket shop : In the financial industry, a bucket shop is a pejorative term for an investment firm that deals mainly in speculation, gambling, and making bets on stocks and commodities. Axelrod referred to Krakow Capital as a bucket shop. : In the financial industry, a bucket shop is a pejorative term for an investment firm that deals mainly in speculation, gambling, and making bets on stocks and commodities. Axelrod referred to Krakow Capital as a bucket shop. Bull and bear : A bull market is characterized by a trend of rising prices in the capital market. Its name comes from the way a bull attacks its target by lowering its head and horns and upon contact with its victim, swinging its head up, so as to throw its victim in the air. A bear market is one that is in decline. It is likened to a bear, which attacks its prey by making a swift downward swipe of the paw. : A bull market is characterized by a trend of rising prices in the capital market. Its name comes from the way a bull attacks its target by lowering its head and horns and upon contact with its victim, swinging its head up, so as to throw its victim in the air. A bear market is one that is in decline. It is likened to a bear, which attacks its prey by making a swift downward swipe of the paw. Burn rate : The rate at which a company or company divisionresearch and development (R&D), for examplespends or loses money. : The rate at which a company or company divisionresearch and development (R&D), for examplespends or loses money. Buyout: An investment move that occurs when a company purchases a controlling percentage of shares in a target company, in essence buying out the target company. C Churning : An illegal trading practice that involves a trader executing excessive trades in clients accounts in order to generate commissions. : An illegal trading practice that involves a trader executing excessive trades in clients accounts in order to generate commissions. Cooking the books : A fraudulent accounting act that involves tweaking the numbers on a companys financial statement to make the company look more profitable than it actually is to investors or to avoid paying higher taxes. : A fraudulent accounting act that involves tweaking the numbers on a companys financial statement to make the company look more profitable than it actually is to investors or to avoid paying higher taxes. Currency devaluation : A purposeful lowering of the value of a countrys currency relative to another currency within a fixed exchange rate system. When Axe met with Everett Wright with the intention of poaching him from Richards Capital, Wright mentioned that the Nigerian government was going to devalue its currency (the naira) against the U.S. dollar due to its weaker than reported oil industry results. Wright also suggested that taking a large short position in the nairabetting against the nairacould devalue the currency much sooner than it would happen if they waited for the Nigerian government to do it. : A purposeful lowering of the value of a countrys currency relative to another currency within a fixed exchange rate system. When Axe met with Everett Wright with the intention of poaching him from Richards Capital, Wright mentioned that the Nigerian government was going to devalue its currency (the naira) against the U.S. dollar due to its weaker than reported oil industry results. Wright also suggested that taking a large short position in the nairabetting against the nairacould devalue the currency much sooner than it would happen if they waited for the Nigerian government to do it. Cut bait: A financial term that implies walking away from an investment. Sometimes, investors get too attached to a security. Even when it's losing money, they keep hoping for a price reversal. Cutting baitselling the losing position and bailing outcould mitigate the investors losses and clear funds to be used for a new investment. D-E Dead cat bounce : A brief recovery in the price of a declining stock or bear market, followed by a resumed downtrend. : A brief recovery in the price of a declining stock or bear market, followed by a resumed downtrend. Distressed debt : The debt of companies or municipalities that have filed for bankruptcy or have a high chance of filing for bankruptcy in the near future. Marco, Brunos cousin, pitched an investment in distressed bonds to Axe. The distressed entity issuing the bond was a small town called Sandicot, which was selling the bond for pennies on the dollar. There were talks to start developing the townspecifically, building a casinowhich was sure to bring in more traffic and investment. The casino license ended up not coming through and the distressed investment became worthless. Though very risky ventures, if distressed entities turn around, the returns could be large. : The debt of companies or municipalities that have filed for bankruptcy or have a high chance of filing for bankruptcy in the near future. Marco, Brunos cousin, pitched an investment in distressed bonds to Axe. The distressed entity issuing the bond was a small town called Sandicot, which was selling the bond for pennies on the dollar. There were talks to start developing the townspecifically, building a casinowhich was sure to bring in more traffic and investment. The casino license ended up not coming through and the distressed investment became worthless. Though very risky ventures, if distressed entities turn around, the returns could be large. Event-driven strategy : A hedge fund strategy that takes advantage of securities that become mispriced for a short period of time after a corporate action such as an earnings announcement, dividend declaration, merger, or bankruptcy notification. Likewise, an event-driven macro play is a strategy whereby a trader exploits short-term movements in securities that are sensitive to macroeconomic movements such as interest rates, commodity prices, or foreign-exchange fluctuations. : A hedge fund strategy that takes advantage of securities that become mispriced for a short period of time after a corporate action such as an earnings announcement, dividend declaration, merger, or bankruptcy notification. Likewise, an event-driven macro play is a strategy whereby a trader exploits short-term movements in securities that are sensitive to macroeconomic movements such as interest rates, commodity prices, or foreign-exchange fluctuations. Expense account: A corporate account from which funds are withdrawn to reimburse employees for expenses they incurred while conducting business. F Family office : A private, boutique, advisory company that manages the wealth and financial affairs of the fund manager, their family, and/or a number of the funds employees. Family offices dont manage money for external or outside investors and are exempt from regulations under the Dodd-Frank financial reforms. A hedge fund could voluntarily convert into a family office to avoid the onerous compliance costs and regulatory scrutiny that haunt hedge fund managers, or to avoid the pressure of meeting a certain benchmark for quarterly returns. A hedge fund could also be forced to wind down to a family office by regulators, as a penalty for unscrupulous trading practices. As part of his plea deal with the U.S. Attorneys officeand to avoid a prison termafter he was found guilty of insider trading using Arcadia Railroad shares, Steven Birch agreed to convert his firm to a family office. : A private, boutique, advisory company that manages the wealth and financial affairs of the fund manager, their family, and/or a number of the funds employees. Family offices dont manage money for external or outside investors and are exempt from regulations under the Dodd-Frank financial reforms. A hedge fund could voluntarily convert into a family office to avoid the onerous compliance costs and regulatory scrutiny that haunt hedge fund managers, or to avoid the pressure of meeting a certain benchmark for quarterly returns. A hedge fund could also be forced to wind down to a family office by regulators, as a penalty for unscrupulous trading practices. As part of his plea deal with the U.S. Attorneys officeand to avoid a prison termafter he was found guilty of insider trading using Arcadia Railroad shares, Steven Birch agreed to convert his firm to a family office. FDA approval: In most cases, when a new drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the stock price of the pharmaceutical or biotech company that won the approval soars, resulting in enormous gains for shareholders. Drugs newly approved by the FDA are called blockbustershedge funds are constantly on the lookout for such potential blockbusters. Donnie Caan, a trader at Axe Capital, fell under the U.S. Attorneys radar when he made large-volume trades in a biochem company called Rubinex. Shortly after he purchased the stock, the FDA approved the companys organic pesticide, leading to a surge in Rubinex's share price and millions of dollars in profits for Axe Capital. H Hedge funds : A pool of funds raised from accredited and high-net-worth investors, used to create a portfolio managed using a range of alternative strategies. The difference between a hedge fund and a mutual fund lies primarily in the extent of the employable strategies. Axe Capital is a hedge fund run by Bobby Axelrod. : A pool of funds raised from accredited and high-net-worth investors, used to create a portfolio managed using a range of alternative strategies. The difference between a hedge fund and a mutual fund lies primarily in the extent of the employable strategies. Axe Capital is a hedge fund run by Bobby Axelrod. Hedge fund managers : The name comes from the term hedging, and hedge fund managers like Bobby Axelrod are hired to reduce risk, regardless of how the market performs. Hedge fund managers use various investment techniques to provide the highest possible return for their investors, while at the same time reducing risk. The genius of a hedge fund manager lies in the ability to mix strategies to completely eliminate unsystematic or diversifiable risk from the portfolio(s) without taking away from returns. Investment strategies and vehicles used by hedge fund managers includebut are not limited tostocks, currencies, fixed income securities, leverage, shorts, swaps, options, futures, and forwards. : The name comes from the term hedging, and hedge fund managers like Bobby Axelrod are hired to reduce risk, regardless of how the market performs. Hedge fund managers use various investment techniques to provide the highest possible return for their investors, while at the same time reducing risk. The genius of a hedge fund manager lies in the ability to mix strategies to completely eliminate unsystematic or diversifiable risk from the portfolio(s) without taking away from returns. Investment strategies and vehicles used by hedge fund managers includebut are not limited tostocks, currencies, fixed income securities, leverage, shorts, swaps, options, futures, and forwards. Hedge fund compensation : This is what hedge funds and their traders are paid. Hedge funds use a fee structure called 2 and 20 to determine their compensation for managing an investors funds. The two refers to a 2% annual management fee that is paid out of an investors assets under management (AUM). The 20 refers to the 20% performance fee that fund managers take. Different hedge funds have different fee structures. At Axe Capital, the fee structure is three and 30. This means that an investor who has $4 million dollars with Axe Capital will be charged $120,000 (3% of AUM) at year-end as compensation for the firm managing his or her funds. In addition, a $10 billion hedge fund like Axe Capital, with, say, 20% returns, will have booked $2 billion in profit for its investors at year-end, which means that $600 million (30% of the profit) is the managers to keep. : This is what hedge funds and their traders are paid. Hedge funds use a fee structure called 2 and 20 to determine their compensation for managing an investors funds. The two refers to a 2% annual management fee that is paid out of an investors assets under management (AUM). The 20 refers to the 20% performance fee that fund managers take. Different hedge funds have different fee structures. At Axe Capital, the fee structure is three and 30. This means that an investor who has $4 million dollars with Axe Capital will be charged $120,000 (3% of AUM) at year-end as compensation for the firm managing his or her funds. In addition, a $10 billion hedge fund like Axe Capital, with, say, 20% returns, will have booked $2 billion in profit for its investors at year-end, which means that $600 million (30% of the profit) is the managers to keep. High-frequency trading (HFT) : An automated trading technique that uses computers running complex algorithms to analyze the markets for price discrepancies, then executing a large number of orders at high speeds. : An automated trading technique that uses computers running complex algorithms to analyze the markets for price discrepancies, then executing a large number of orders at high speeds. Holding company: A company that provides no services or products, but holds the controlling interest in a number of other companies. The business of a holding company is to hold assets in other companies with active operations. I-L Insider information : This is non-public information about a company that, if acted upon, could be financially advantageous to the investor or trader. People who work in a company or have close links to employees of a company may be privy to insider information, which by itself is not illegal until the information is used to buy or short stock for a profit. : This is non-public information about a company that, if acted upon, could be financially advantageous to the investor or trader. People who work in a company or have close links to employees of a company may be privy to insider information, which by itself is not illegal until the information is used to buy or short stock for a profit. IPO : An initial public offering (IPO) refers to when a company goes public for the first time. Its shares are offered to the public to raise capital for the firm and to give all market participants an opportunity to purchase ownership stakes in the firm. : An initial public offering (IPO) refers to when a company goes public for the first time. Its shares are offered to the public to raise capital for the firm and to give all market participants an opportunity to purchase ownership stakes in the firm. Lock-up period : A time frame within which hedge fund investors cannot redeem or sell their shares. Lock-up periods can be three months or longer, depending on how liquid the shares making up the fund or portfolio are. : A time frame within which hedge fund investors cannot redeem or sell their shares. Lock-up periods can be three months or longer, depending on how liquid the shares making up the fund or portfolio are. Long: A buy position taken on a security, with the expectation that the price will increase in the future. A long position is the opposite of a short position. M Margin call : This is a brokers notification to an investor or trader to top up their margin account, thus bringing it up to the minimum required level. A margin account typically allows the account holder to borrow up to 50% of the equities in the account. The broker also requires the account holder to maintain a certain level of value in the account, typically in cash or securities, to act as a buffer against unfavorable price movements. If the value of the holdings drops below this maintenance level, the investor would receive a margin call from his broker. Failure to deposit more cash or securities into the delinquent account may lead to a liquidation of the investors shares up to the amount needed to bring the account value to the minimum maintenance requirement. Following an increase in the price of his short position in Cross-Co. Trucking, which pushed his account value below the maintenance level, Axelrods friend, Freddie Aquafino, received a margin call from his broker, telling him to top up his account by morning. : This is a brokers notification to an investor or trader to top up their margin account, thus bringing it up to the minimum required level. A margin account typically allows the account holder to borrow up to 50% of the equities in the account. The broker also requires the account holder to maintain a certain level of value in the account, typically in cash or securities, to act as a buffer against unfavorable price movements. If the value of the holdings drops below this maintenance level, the investor would receive a margin call from his broker. Failure to deposit more cash or securities into the delinquent account may lead to a liquidation of the investors shares up to the amount needed to bring the account value to the minimum maintenance requirement. Following an increase in the price of his short position in Cross-Co. Trucking, which pushed his account value below the maintenance level, Axelrods friend, Freddie Aquafino, received a margin call from his broker, telling him to top up his account by morning. Market correction : A temporary reversal in the direction of the market trend seeking to adjust for under- or overvaluation of stocks. When the market is perceived to be overvalued, a temporary decline in prices is called a market correction. Recognizing that the decline is a correction, savvy hedge fund managers take advantage of the temporarily lower prices by buying low. : A temporary reversal in the direction of the market trend seeking to adjust for under- or overvaluation of stocks. When the market is perceived to be overvalued, a temporary decline in prices is called a market correction. Recognizing that the decline is a correction, savvy hedge fund managers take advantage of the temporarily lower prices by buying low. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) : This refers to the marriage of two companies for various reasons like positive growth, lower operational costs, diversification, greater competitiveness, etc. When two companies announce a merger, the acquiring company normally sees a decline in its stock price, while the target company sees an appreciation of its stock price. This is because most companies typically offer a premium to acquire another firm. This leads to an increase in demand for the target companys stock until the price increases to match the premium offer. When Axelrod was informed of a pending acquisition of Lumetherm Power by Electric Sun at a price of $41, Lumetherm was trading at $35. If Axe used only this information, he could have bought Lumetherm then and there for $35, and waited until the information became public, at which time demand for the target company would have soared and Axe Capital would have sold when the price hit $41. Two million shares invested in Lumetherm pre-announcement would have translated into a $12 million gain post-announcement. : This refers to the marriage of two companies for various reasons like positive growth, lower operational costs, diversification, greater competitiveness, etc. When two companies announce a merger, the acquiring company normally sees a decline in its stock price, while the target company sees an appreciation of its stock price. This is because most companies typically offer a premium to acquire another firm. This leads to an increase in demand for the target companys stock until the price increases to match the premium offer. When Axelrod was informed of a pending acquisition of Lumetherm Power by Electric Sun at a price of $41, Lumetherm was trading at $35. If Axe used only this information, he could have bought Lumetherm then and there for $35, and waited until the information became public, at which time demand for the target company would have soared and Axe Capital would have sold when the price hit $41. Two million shares invested in Lumetherm pre-announcement would have translated into a $12 million gain post-announcement. Mosaic theory : An analytical investment method that involves analyzing bits of information received from multiple sources to make investment recommendations. The sources of information could be public databases as well as nonmaterial, nonpublic sources. : An analytical investment method that involves analyzing bits of information received from multiple sources to make investment recommendations. The sources of information could be public databases as well as nonmaterial, nonpublic sources. Muni bond: Munisshort for municipal bondsare bonds issued by a municipality or county in order to finance their capital expenditures. These are attractive to many investors because they're tax-exempt at the federal and state levels. In simple terms, muni bonds are loans given by investors to the government in exchange for interest payments. N-O Non-compete clause : A restrictive employment contract, whereby a trader agrees not to start or take a job with a company that directly competes with the hedge fund should that trader part ways with it. The non-compete agreement would usually specify the time frame for the employee's restriction from joining a firm competing with a current hedge fund employersay, nine months after termination of employment. : A restrictive employment contract, whereby a trader agrees not to start or take a job with a company that directly competes with the hedge fund should that trader part ways with it. The non-compete agreement would usually specify the time frame for the employee's restriction from joining a firm competing with a current hedge fund employersay, nine months after termination of employment. Non-solicitation agreement : An employment contract in which a trader or analyst agrees not to solicit the hedge funds clients and investors in the event that they resign or are terminated from the job. : An employment contract in which a trader or analyst agrees not to solicit the hedge funds clients and investors in the event that they resign or are terminated from the job. Overage: In a lease agreement, an overage is the percentage of sales that is paid to the landlord of a store in addition to the monthly rent payments. Axelrod agreed to pay the overage charges of a pizzeria shop as a favor to the owner Bruno, to prevent Bruno from getting squeezed by his new landlord. P Pare a position : A risk-management tactic that involves reducing the position held in a company's securities to reduce exposure to risk. The number of shares of a specific company held in a portfolio can be pared, just like the total exposure to equities or fixed income in a portfolio may be pared. For example, a portfolio with 50% equity can have its position pared to 30% equity in order to reduce stock exposure should fundamentals decline. Mafee proposed to pare Axe Capitals position on BioLance to reduce its risk exposure to a pending special-announcement call that could turn out to be negative for BioLance's stock price. If he pared his exposure to the company's stock, and the announcement call turned out to be negative, Axe Capital could have still earned 10%. Since the paring wasnt done, and the announcement call was a notification that BioLances Type II diabetes inhibitor was denied approval by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Axe Capital lost close to $1 billion on its investment position. : A risk-management tactic that involves reducing the position held in a company's securities to reduce exposure to risk. The number of shares of a specific company held in a portfolio can be pared, just like the total exposure to equities or fixed income in a portfolio may be pared. For example, a portfolio with 50% equity can have its position pared to 30% equity in order to reduce stock exposure should fundamentals decline. Mafee proposed to pare Axe Capitals position on BioLance to reduce its risk exposure to a pending special-announcement call that could turn out to be negative for BioLance's stock price. If he pared his exposure to the company's stock, and the announcement call turned out to be negative, Axe Capital could have still earned 10%. Since the paring wasnt done, and the announcement call was a notification that BioLances Type II diabetes inhibitor was denied approval by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Axe Capital lost close to $1 billion on its investment position. Ponzi scheme : An investment fraud that involves refunding money and distributing earnings to existing investors out of funds raised from new investors. The investors are unaware of the Ponzi scheme and have been made to believe that the company is a real money management firm generating high returns on their investments. : An investment fraud that involves refunding money and distributing earnings to existing investors out of funds raised from new investors. The investors are unaware of the Ponzi scheme and have been made to believe that the company is a real money management firm generating high returns on their investments. Prime broker : An investment bank offering concierge services to hedge funds in the form of securities lending for short sales, margin provision, trade order execution, and custodianship of securities. Spartan-Ives is Axe Capitals prime broker. When Axe Capital was being squeezed out of its short position on Cross-Co Trucking, Spartan-Ives threatened a margin call to protect itself from any further increase in the stock price. Remember that to carry out a short, the hedge fund has to borrow the shares from its broker, then sell them in the open market. : An investment bank offering concierge services to hedge funds in the form of securities lending for short sales, margin provision, trade order execution, and custodianship of securities. Spartan-Ives is Axe Capitals prime broker. When Axe Capital was being squeezed out of its short position on Cross-Co Trucking, Spartan-Ives threatened a margin call to protect itself from any further increase in the stock price. Remember that to carry out a short, the hedge fund has to borrow the shares from its broker, then sell them in the open market. Prisoner's dilemma : A game theory hypothesis in which two individuals make decisions out of their own self-interest, and find themselves in a worse predicament than if they had cooperated with each other. When Peter Decker, CEO of Quaker Ridge Financial, was brought into the U.S. Attorneys office for alleged insider trading on Pepsum Pharmaceutical, Chuck Rhoades implied that if Decker cooperated with him, the penalty doled out would be lighter than if Decker sought to protect himself and was eventually found guilty. : A game theory hypothesis in which two individuals make decisions out of their own self-interest, and find themselves in a worse predicament than if they had cooperated with each other. When Peter Decker, CEO of Quaker Ridge Financial, was brought into the U.S. Attorneys office for alleged insider trading on Pepsum Pharmaceutical, Chuck Rhoades implied that if Decker cooperated with him, the penalty doled out would be lighter than if Decker sought to protect himself and was eventually found guilty. Private Equity: Private equity is an alternative investment class and consists of capital that is not listed on a public exchange. Private equity is composed of funds and investors that directly invest in private companies, or that engage in buyouts of public companies, resulting in the delisting of public equity. Institutional and retail investors provide the capital for private equity, and the capital can be utilized to fund new technology, make acquisitions, expand working capital, and bolster and solidify a balance sheet. Private equity is an alternative investment class and consists of capital that is not listed on a public exchange. Private equity is composed of funds and investors that directly invest in private companies, or that engage in buyouts of public companies, resulting in the delisting of public equity. Institutional and retail investors provide the capital for private equity, and the capital can be utilized to fund new technology, make acquisitions, expand working capital, and bolster and solidify a balance sheet. Public filings : Financial statements submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by public companies and insiders, to be made available to the public. : Financial statements submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by public companies and insiders, to be made available to the public. Pyramid scheme: A fraudulent investment scheme, whereby money brought into the firm by new investors is distributed to existing investors as profit generated. Unlike a Ponzi scheme, the investors in a pyramid scheme are in on the scheme and are motivated to refer new clients to the company. Q Quant fund : An investment fund in which securities are selected using numerical and statistical methods rather than human analysis. Axelrod mentions that a decline in returns on his hedge fund was due to a rise in the number of quant funds. : An investment fund in which securities are selected using numerical and statistical methods rather than human analysis. Axelrod mentions that a decline in returns on his hedge fund was due to a rise in the number of quant funds. Quants: In season 3, Taylor Mason interviews several quant traders to see if any of them have the ability to outthink the firm and deliver higher returns. Quantitative traders use a blend of mathematics, computer algorithims, and complex models to create and implement trading strategies faster and more effectively than humans. In season 3, Taylor Mason interviews several quant traders to see if any of them have the ability to outthink the firm and deliver higher returns. Quantitative traders use a blend of mathematics, computer algorithims, and complex models to create and implement trading strategies faster and more effectively than humans. Quote stuffing: A market manipulation technique that involves traders placing a large number of buy and sell orders and then canceling the orders almost immediately in an attempt to throw off other market participants, who rely on market depth data. Quote stuffing creates a false sense of a security's demand, supply, and liquidity, and is mostly carried out by high frequency traders (HFT). R Raider : An activist investor who initiates a hostile takeover of a company with the intent of generating huge profits after the takeover. A raider is typically uninterested in the long-term prospects of the target firm post-acquisition, but is rather interested in increasing the value of the target companys price in the short term, selling an ownership stake at the ramped-up price, and then selling off the company's assets in chunks or en masse. Hutch Bailey III of YumTime Bakeries accuses Axelrod of being a corporate raider when Axelrod buys a large stake in the company to push Bailey out, owing to the latter's incompetence as CEO. : An activist investor who initiates a hostile takeover of a company with the intent of generating huge profits after the takeover. A raider is typically uninterested in the long-term prospects of the target firm post-acquisition, but is rather interested in increasing the value of the target companys price in the short term, selling an ownership stake at the ramped-up price, and then selling off the company's assets in chunks or en masse. Hutch Bailey III of YumTime Bakeries accuses Axelrod of being a corporate raider when Axelrod buys a large stake in the company to push Bailey out, owing to the latter's incompetence as CEO. Rally : An increase in the price of a security or securities in a bull or bear market within a specific period of time, due to a significant rise in demand for the security. : An increase in the price of a security or securities in a bull or bear market within a specific period of time, due to a significant rise in demand for the security. Revenue sharing : The distribution of operating profits and losses among partners and select stakeholders in a business firm or project. After three of Axe Capitals employees left the firm to start their own fund, Lonosphere, they ran into serious investment losses from a poor trade made on the basis of misinformation. One of the conditions Axelrod stipulated in exchange for bailing Lonosphere out required that the two parties enter into a revenue-sharing agreement. : The distribution of operating profits and losses among partners and select stakeholders in a business firm or project. After three of Axe Capitals employees left the firm to start their own fund, Lonosphere, they ran into serious investment losses from a poor trade made on the basis of misinformation. One of the conditions Axelrod stipulated in exchange for bailing Lonosphere out required that the two parties enter into a revenue-sharing agreement. Risk-averse investor : An investor who doesnt like to take risks on investments. A risk-averse investor would rather earn lower returns with known risks than earn higher returns with unknown ones. : An investor who doesnt like to take risks on investments. A risk-averse investor would rather earn lower returns with known risks than earn higher returns with unknown ones. Robber baron: A wealthy individual who accumulated wealth from unscrupulous or dishonest means. Sandy Belsinger, the CEO of Giving Oath, informed Bobby Axelrod that his bid for an NFL team was rejected because he was considered a robber baron. S SEC : The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) exists to regulate securities market transactions and the activities of financial professionals in order to ensure fair, transparent, and efficient trade practices. : The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) exists to regulate securities market transactions and the activities of financial professionals in order to ensure fair, transparent, and efficient trade practices. Securities and wire fraud : A Ponzi scheme, whereby funds are solicited and received from unwitting investors, and wired to the accounts of earlier investors, as if in exchange for providing legal investment services. In a securities and wire fraud scheme, $1 million is received from investor Z who is promised an annual return of 12%. From Z's $1 million, Investor X, who also invested $1 million dollars with a guaranteed return of 12% a year earlier, will have $120,000 wired to his account as evidence that his investment was profitable. Meanwhile, investor Y wants all her money that was invested six months prior refunded back to her, which was $500,000 in total. This money is taken from investor Zs investment and wired to Ys account. : A Ponzi scheme, whereby funds are solicited and received from unwitting investors, and wired to the accounts of earlier investors, as if in exchange for providing legal investment services. In a securities and wire fraud scheme, $1 million is received from investor Z who is promised an annual return of 12%. From Z's $1 million, Investor X, who also invested $1 million dollars with a guaranteed return of 12% a year earlier, will have $120,000 wired to his account as evidence that his investment was profitable. Meanwhile, investor Y wants all her money that was invested six months prior refunded back to her, which was $500,000 in total. This money is taken from investor Zs investment and wired to Ys account. Sharpe ratio : A ratio of return to risk that measures how an investment or portfolio performs. The Sharpe ratio is important to investors who want to know the level of return they get for taking on a certain level of risk. A high Sharpe ratio indicates that the investment is generating high returns compared to the level of risk exposure. When Axelrod went to an institutional investor with the intention of raising capital for his fund, the investor wanted to know the reason for Axe Capital's low Sharpe ratio. : A ratio of return to risk that measures how an investment or portfolio performs. The Sharpe ratio is important to investors who want to know the level of return they get for taking on a certain level of risk. A high Sharpe ratio indicates that the investment is generating high returns compared to the level of risk exposure. When Axelrod went to an institutional investor with the intention of raising capital for his fund, the investor wanted to know the reason for Axe Capital's low Sharpe ratio. Shell corporation : A legally registered company with little to no assets, providing no services or products. A shell company may be set up for legal or illegal purposes. They may be set up and used to hide business dealings and ownership from authorities. They may be used for startups, to get financing, orin illegitimate casesfor tax evasion or money laundering. : A legally registered company with little to no assets, providing no services or products. A shell company may be set up for legal or illegal purposes. They may be set up and used to hide business dealings and ownership from authorities. They may be used for startups, to get financing, orin illegitimate casesfor tax evasion or money laundering. Short : A position taken in a security in which the shares are borrowed, sold, and then bought back. A short position is the opposite of a long positionthe long position being the mode through which people invest in securities most of the time. In a long position, one buys a stock in hopes that the price increases, so it can be sold for a profit. In a short position, one sells a stock in hopes that the price decreases, so it can be bought back at the lower price for a profit. When Axelrod got wind of a faux merger between Lumetherm and Electric Sun, he advised his traders to short Lumetherm. It was trading at $35 but Axelrod believed it would drop to $32. The price actually dropped to $31.19, the trader covered the short, and Axe Capital made $18 million on the short strategy. : A position taken in a security in which the shares are borrowed, sold, and then bought back. A short position is the opposite of a long positionthe long position being the mode through which people invest in securities most of the time. In a long position, one buys a stock in hopes that the price increases, so it can be sold for a profit. In a short position, one sells a stock in hopes that the price decreases, so it can be bought back at the lower price for a profit. When Axelrod got wind of a faux merger between Lumetherm and Electric Sun, he advised his traders to short Lumetherm. It was trading at $35 but Axelrod believed it would drop to $32. The price actually dropped to $31.19, the trader covered the short, and Axe Capital made $18 million on the short strategy. Short squeeze : This is an event that occurs when a stock price increases, forcing short sellers to exit and close out their short positions, so as to cut their losses. The scramble to buy back shares forces the prices to go even higher, due to the perceived higher demand. In his defense for throwing the hedge fund manager of Piedmont Capital, Steven Birch, under the bus, Bobby Axelrod claimed that Birch short-squeezed him out of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) the previous year. This basically means that Axelrod took a short position on the HMO sector with the expectation that the sector would crash, while Birch took a long position and bought HMOs in large enough quantities to increase the HMOs' stock prices, thereby squeezing Axelrod out of his short position. Chuck Rhoades Sr., the U.S. Attorneys father, similarly tried to squeeze Axe out of his short position on Cross-Co Trucking by pumping the stocks price. : This is an event that occurs when a stock price increases, forcing short sellers to exit and close out their short positions, so as to cut their losses. The scramble to buy back shares forces the prices to go even higher, due to the perceived higher demand. In his defense for throwing the hedge fund manager of Piedmont Capital, Steven Birch, under the bus, Bobby Axelrod claimed that Birch short-squeezed him out of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) the previous year. This basically means that Axelrod took a short position on the HMO sector with the expectation that the sector would crash, while Birch took a long position and bought HMOs in large enough quantities to increase the HMOs' stock prices, thereby squeezing Axelrod out of his short position. Chuck Rhoades Sr., the U.S. Attorneys father, similarly tried to squeeze Axe out of his short position on Cross-Co Trucking by pumping the stocks price. Socially responsible investing : An ethical investment strategy that focuses exclusively on the securities of companies promoting certain environmental and societal values. Investors who pursue socially responsible investing often put their money into green companies and avoid sin stocks like alcohol, tobacco, and gambling companies as well as those involved in the sex industry. : An ethical investment strategy that focuses exclusively on the securities of companies promoting certain environmental and societal values. Investors who pursue socially responsible investing often put their money into green companies and avoid sin stocks like alcohol, tobacco, and gambling companies as well as those involved in the sex industry. Sophisticated investor : An investor with the requisite knowledge and investing experience allowing them to understand the risks of an investment vehicle. : An investor with the requisite knowledge and investing experience allowing them to understand the risks of an investment vehicle. Sovereign wealth fund : A countrys reserve fund, used to invest in projects that will benefit the country. The funding for an SWF comes from central bank reserves which is built up from budget and trade surpluses. : A countrys reserve fund, used to invest in projects that will benefit the country. The funding for an SWF comes from central bank reserves which is built up from budget and trade surpluses. Spinoff : A type of divestiture in which a company splits and sells new shares of a part of its business in order to create a new and independent company. These new entities are spun off with the expectation that they would be more profitable on their own rather than part of the original company. : A type of divestiture in which a company splits and sells new shares of a part of its business in order to create a new and independent company. These new entities are spun off with the expectation that they would be more profitable on their own rather than part of the original company. Spike : In technical trading, a spike indicates abnormal buy or sell activity in a stock, which creates a large increase or decrease in the direction of the price, all within a short time period. In the pilot episode, Ari Spyros shares with U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades his findings about a days-long buying spike in Pepsum Pharmaceuticals stock, triggered by the trading activity of three small funds possessing insider information guiding them as to when to buy and sell the stock. : In technical trading, a spike indicates abnormal buy or sell activity in a stock, which creates a large increase or decrease in the direction of the price, all within a short time period. In the pilot episode, Ari Spyros shares with U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades his findings about a days-long buying spike in Pepsum Pharmaceuticals stock, triggered by the trading activity of three small funds possessing insider information guiding them as to when to buy and sell the stock. Subprime mortgage: A type of mortgage issued to high-risk borrowers with poor credit. The interest rate on a subprime mortgage is higher than the prime rate. Subprime mortgages were largely responsible for the housing market crash that led to the financial crisis. Lenders relaxed their lending practices, offering mortgages to those with low credit scores with no down payment and rarely any proof of income. When values dropped, many borrowers defaulted on their obligations, leaving banks scrambling. T Takeover : A takeover occurs when an acquiring company buys a majority stake in the target company in order to assume full control of the latter. A takeover can be of the welcome or hostile variety. : A takeover occurs when an acquiring company buys a majority stake in the target company in order to assume full control of the latter. A takeover can be of the welcome or hostile variety. Trade by appointment : This refers to stocks or options that are not frequently traded, and are hence illiquid. A seller looking to dump his shares of a company that trades only occasionally and by appointment will find it very difficult to find a buyer. : This refers to stocks or options that are not frequently traded, and are hence illiquid. A seller looking to dump his shares of a company that trades only occasionally and by appointment will find it very difficult to find a buyer. Trade on margin : In short, this means trading with borrowed money. Hedge funds borrow money from their prime brokers to be able to buy more securities than they normally would be able to. : In short, this means trading with borrowed money. Hedge funds borrow money from their prime brokers to be able to buy more securities than they normally would be able to. Treasury bids : The U.S. Treasury uses an auction process to sell Treasury bills, Treasury notes, Treasury bonds, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). An auction is normally announced, detailing how much money the government intends to raise and the day and time by which all bids should be submitted. On the auction day, the non-competitive bids are filled first, followed by the highest bids from the competitive tenders. Lawrence Boyd of Spartan-Ives was investigated for Treasury bid-rigging by the US Attorneys office. This could mean that his hedge fund submitted bids using multiple accounts in order to gain a larger controlling portion than the maximum limit of 35% allowed. The reason for setting a bidding limit of 35% of the bonds or notes issued is so that no firm with a winning bid can have a monopolistic position on the Treasury securities. It could also mean that Boyd colluded with other hedgies to keep the bids at a certain price so that the securities could be resold at higher prices to investors. : The U.S. Treasury uses an auction process to sell Treasury bills, Treasury notes, Treasury bonds, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). An auction is normally announced, detailing how much money the government intends to raise and the day and time by which all bids should be submitted. On the auction day, the non-competitive bids are filled first, followed by the highest bids from the competitive tenders. Lawrence Boyd of Spartan-Ives was investigated for Treasury bid-rigging by the US Attorneys office. This could mean that his hedge fund submitted bids using multiple accounts in order to gain a larger controlling portion than the maximum limit of 35% allowed. The reason for setting a bidding limit of 35% of the bonds or notes issued is so that no firm with a winning bid can have a monopolistic position on the Treasury securities. It could also mean that Boyd colluded with other hedgies to keep the bids at a certain price so that the securities could be resold at higher prices to investors. Two and twenty: Hedge funds typically charge their clients 2% of assets under management, and keep 20% of the returns. In Season 3, Axe has been forced to relinquish trading but convinces another hedge fund owner to trade on his behalf, but on Axe's terms, which are one and 10. W-Z Latin American oil production is dominated by Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela. These countries are responsible for about 75% of the region's total output and are also giants on the international stage, ranking as the world's 10th, 11th, and 12th-biggest oil producers, respectively. Colombia also makes a good showing in the world rankings, coming in at 22nd. The following list provides production figures for each of the region's top four oil producers and a few details about each country's oil industry. 1. Brazil Brazil accounts for oil production of about 2.5 million barrels per day and is the tenth-largest oil-producing country in the world. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), more than 90% of Brazil's oil production is extracted from deep-water oil fields offshore. In addition, Brazil has nearly 13 billion of barrels in proven oil reserves, which is the second-largest in Latin America after Venezuela. Key Takeaways Latin America is home to many large oil-producing countries. Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela account for nearly 75% of the oil production in the region and are the 10th, 11th, and 12th-largest producers in the world. A large percentage of Brazil's oil, which amounts to 2.5 million barrels per day, is produced by Petrobras. Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves at more than 300 billion barrels. Columbia and Argentina are the fourth and fifth-largest oil producers in Latin America. Brazil exports roughly 1 million barrels of oil per day, but is also an oil importer from the Middle East and Africa. Crude oil from Saudi Arabia accounts for roughly half of its imports. The transportation sector, which represents one-third of total energy consumption in the country, is the source of the most demand for oil in Brazil. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A., also known as Petrobras, is the biggest oil producer in Brazil by a substantial margin, accounting for about 2 million barrels per day and over 70% of Brazil's oil production. The Brazilian government holds 54% of the company's voting shares and controls another 10% of the company through shares held by the Brazilian Development Bank and Brazil's Sovereign Wealth Fund. 2. Venezuela Venezuela produces roughly 2.2 million barrels of oil per day. Production in recent years is down from the prior two decades, when daily production fluctuated around the 3 million barrel mark, including a high of more than 3.5 million barrels per day in 1997. According to EIA, "Reduced capital expenditures by state-owned oil and natural gas company Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) are resulting in foreign partners continuing to cut activities in the oil sector, making crude oil production losses increasingly widespread. With Venezuelas heavy dependency on the oil industry, the countrys economy will likely continue to shrink, and that the runaway inflation will remain the mainstay at least in the short term." Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. was established in 1976 immediately after the nationalization of the oil industry. In the 1990s, reforms were introduced to liberalize the industry, but policy instability has been the norm in the years since, especially after President Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999. In 2006, Chavez introduced policies that required renegotiation of existing joint ventures with international oil companies. International operators were required to grant a 60% minimum share of every project to Petroleos de Venezuela. More than a dozen international companies, including Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell, acceded to the demands. The Venezuelan operations of two companiesTotal S.A. and Eni S.p.A.were nationalized after negotiations failed. Other international companies chose to exit Venezuela soon after, including Exxon Mobil Corporation and ConocoPhillips Co. Although policy uncertainty remains in Venezuela even after the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013, many international oil and gas companies continue to maintain operations in the country. Chevron and the Chinese oil giant China National Petroleum Corporation both signed investment agreements with Petroleos de Venezuela in 2013 to update and expand on existing joint ventures. In 2015, the Russian energy conglomerate, Rosneft OAO, agreed to a $14 billion investment plan, the largest reported international investment in the Venezuelan oil industry in recent years. The country today has more than 300 billion in proven oil reserves and the largest in the world. 3. Mexico Mexico produces just more than 2 million barrels of oil per day, but levels have diminished, mostly due to declining output from mature oil fields. From 1991 to 2010, Mexico maintained oil production above 3 million barrels per day, including eight years exceeding 3.5 million barrels per day. While Mexico maintains its position as the third-largest crude oil exporter in the Americas, it has become a net importer of refined products, primarily gasoline and diesel. From 1938 to 2013, Mexico's oil industry was monopolized by the state-owned oil and gas company Petroleos Mexicanos, also known as Pemex. Industry reforms were initiated in 2013 in hopes of attracting greater foreign investment to reverse production declines in the country. Pemex remains under state ownership and controls development rights to over 80% of Mexico's proven reserves of oil. 4. Colombia Columbia accounts for production of just under 900,000 barrels of oil per day. The country has made substantial production gains, raising output from under 550,000 barrels per day in 2007. According to EIA, recent high rates of growth in oil, gas, and coal production in Colombia can be attributed to energy industry reforms introduced in 2003. These reforms primarily worked to make investments in Colombian energy exploration and production more attractive to international companies. International investment in the oil industry reached more than $4.8 billion in 2014, about 30% of total foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. By way of comparison, Colombia attracted only $278 million in oil-sector FDI in 2003. Prior to the 2003 energy reforms, the Colombian oil and gas industry was controlled by Ecopetrol S.A., a state-owned oil and gas company and industry regulator. The reforms removed regulatory functions from Ecopetrol and opened up Colombia to international competition. Ecopetrol remains under the control of the Colombian state, which holds 88.5% of its outstanding shares. The company is listed on the Colombian Stock Exchange and has ADR listings on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Argentina produces roughly 510,000 barrels per day, making it the fifth-biggest oil producer in Latin America and 28th-largest in the world. Headquartered in Bogota, Ecopetrol is responsible for more than 500,000 barrels of oil per day, approximately 55% of Colombian production. More than 100 international oil and gas companies operate in Colombia, often in joint ventures with Ecopetrol or other operators. The biggest international oil and gas producers in the country include Chevron, Repsol, Talisman Energy, Occidental Petroleum, and Exxon Mobil. Creditors and lenders are not required by law to report anything to credit bureaus. However, many businesses choose to report on-time payments, late payments, purchases, loan terms, credit limits, and balances owed. Credit bureaus collect this data, and it helps create a person's credit report, and often this information can impact credit scores. Businesses usually also report significant events such as account closures or charge-offs. For example, if a mortgage is paid off, this information is reported. Governmental organizations that maintain public records don't report to the credit bureaus, but the bureaus usually obtain the documents on their own. For this reason, bankruptcy filings also typically show up on credit reports. Another example, if a person owes the IRS money, chances are, a public record of a tax lien may find its way onto their credit report, and that can impact your credit score. Key Takeways Credit Bureaus receive information from lenders and creditors, businesses, and government agencies. The three largest credit bureaus are Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Credit reports and credit scores are indicators of how a person handles their debt and credit. Disputes can be filed against misinformation found on credit reports. Creditors and Credit Bureaus Creditors and lenders such as banks and credit card companies must pay to report information to any of the three major credit-reporting bureaus, which are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Because cost is involved, some creditors and lenders may choose to use only one service instead of all three. By only alerting one credit bureau, this action can adversely affect even a responsible borrower's credit score. Why? Because not all bureaus receive the same positive information about the consumer's payment history. For example, when an individual pays off a long-term debt such as a mortgage, this information must reach credit bureaus in order for the debt to be removed from a person's credit history and report. It may take legwork to get a mistake erased from a credit report, but it is always a good idea. When do creditors report to the credit agencies? It depends. Some creditors report to the bureaus on a monthly basis, although different businesses file on different days, which means that an individual's credit report is continually updated. Some lenders and creditors submit information on a quarterly basis, too. Negative Hits on Credit Reports Negative information, such as late or missed payments, remains on an individual's report for seven years, after which the credit bureaus automatically remove the data. Debtors who find inaccurate information on their credit reports can file a dispute with the credit bureau or with the creditor who provided the incorrect data. Most claims must be investigated within 30 days, and if the claim is substantiated, all three bureaus must remove the negative report. The Bottom Line Credit bureaus are the receptacles of credit information from creditors and lenders, both good and bad, that can help or hurt a person's financial future. Debtors may want to pay close attention to their reports to find out what is being shared with the credit bureaus. Data breaches and violations of users' privacy continue to make headlines. In the latest news, iPhone maker Apple Inc. (AAPL) has determined that Onavo Protect, a Facebook Inc. (FB) owned security app, scanned what apps users had installed and it then sent that data back to Facebook. The app violated Apples new rules of data collection, and the company has removed it from its App Store. As of writing, the app was still available on Google Play, the app store for the Android operating system. It isnt clear whether Alphabet Inc.s (GOOGL) Google plans to address the issue on its platform. Facebook purchased the Tel Aviv-based mobile analytics company Onavo in 2013. Its Onavo Protect app claims to work like a virtual private network (VPN) that keeps user data safe, blocks potentially harmful websites and secures personal information for the user. However, the app was also pushing troves of data to its parent company which allowed Facebook gain access to key information about which apps the users were hooked on and which were of fading interest. A Facebook spokesperson claimed that user transparency was upheld. "We've always been clear when people download Onavo about the information that is collected and how it is used. As a developer on Apple's platform we follow the rules they've put in place." Facebook Received Other App Usage Data TechCrunch reports that the apps true intentions were buried deep in its description: Onavo collects your mobile data traffic Because were part of Facebook, we also use this info to improve Facebook products and services, gain insights into the products and services people value, and build better experiences. A potential benefit that any organization can derive from such data collection is to build and launch apps that copy the features of the ones already popular among users, or acquire existing ones outright. (See also: How Much Can Facebook Potentially Make from Selling Your Data.) The move by Apple to drop the app from its App Store adds another item to Facebooks already long list of questionable practices regarding the invasion of users privacy. Following the Cambridge Analytica saga, where a political advisory firm allegedly sourced and misused users' data from Facebook and other platforms to influence elections, Facebook has been in the eye of the storm and was forced to suspend many apps from its platform that were found to be breaching user privacy. Many users across the globe deleted their Facebook accounts in protest, and user growth has stalled. (See also: Facebook Suspends a Cambridge Analytica-Like App.) 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 Former Sinn Fein president's opinion on the most important revolutionary and political event in Irish history. It is amazing to note that Gerry Adams, head of Sinn Fein, to the best of my research, has done very few interviews on 1916. Arguably, the Sinn Fein leaders opinion on that revolutionary event is the most important of any Irish politician, but in a country where the media still practices self-censorship when it comes to Adams, perhaps we should not be shocked. To put the record straight we sat down with Adams during his visit to New York, in 2016. As usual, his insights and opinions were direct and compelling. N OD: Can you tell me what you think is the major lesson of 1916? GA: I think the most important thing to come out of 1916 is the Proclamation. I mean, the act of revolution and the huge bravery of 3,000 people going out against the biggest empire in the world is of colossal importance, but the Proclamation is extraordinary. You know, I actually think the Proclamation is one of the finest documents ever written and they contained it all in one page, which is remarkable. Even its opening line, recognizing women as equals, was before its time. It seems to be quite heavily based on the American Declaration of Independence. Well, it's based on rights. I think rights and even the lack of rights are the core of every conflict weve ever seen, and obviously, Pearse and Connolly had a big influence on the writing of it. It does draw its roots from the American Revolution and the French Revolution, but, you know, if you look at it now and what is the importance of the centenary we have today, it is to discuss if these rights they enumerate are present in our society today. There is also a huge dimension in relation to a conversation about Irish unity and the North and the nation, just the concept of nationhood contained in the Proclamation, yet the establishment in the Irish Republic is very partitionist. They face away from the reality. You know that when youre in the Dail and they say to you about your coming down from up there, as if you dont belong. I actually thought it was very funny, some backbenchers challenging (party deputy leader) Mary Lou McDonald from South Dublin and saying, Dont you dare come down here and tell us what to do. Now I know that attitude does offend Northerners. I remember Dana, a candidate from Derry during the presidential election, saying Northerners always looks South, Southerners rarely look North and there was a truth in that. I dont think it's the people's fault if you have a state which is in existence for whatever length of time, almost 90 years. You know, Liam Mellows when he was arguing against the Treaty said, Men will get into power when they get into power and they wont give up that power." For me, whats missing out of the current debate and hopefully we will get to this at an appropriate time is that there was a revolution there in 1916, but there was also a counter-revolution and the counter-revolution won and the revisionism of today is all about that. When you say a counter-revolution what are the key elements of that? Well, before I get to that, a very important point is when the British came in and actually executed the 1916 leaders. It wasnt just a knee-jerk sort of imperial reaction. It was quite ruthless and it removed and I think it was quite deliberate the main thinkers and writers of the period. It removed the republican cohort, the revolutionary leadership that had come through against all the odds to organize the rising and to make the Proclamation. Youll remember that there was a whole group of quite good people through a range of different cultural, sporting, social and feminist movements, as well as the volunteers and the other organizations of struggle who survived, but this particular group of men and women who actually pushed the issue and the 16 that were killed were the real leaders. Maire Comerford of Cumann na mBan, the womens revolutionary group, has written that it was little wonder that there was a counter-revolution because and she was talking about de Valera those who ended up coming into power werent of the same caliber. She didnt mean caliber in a moral sense but in leadership ability as the people who had put together the Proclamation. I stand in amazement of them. They were just enormous. I heard James Connolly described as the golden generation, you know, and they really were. They were just so idealistic and brave. Who stands out to you? Well, Connolly and Pearse as well, a person who I have always had a great affection for, and probably because he was a man of a certain age, Thomas Kent down in Cork. He was out in the Anglo war and he was a Fenian he kept at it, you know. So the two states that evolved were very different from 1916 ideals because of the counter-revolution? There were two very mean-spirited, really nasty little conservative states set up. When you think of all the authors that were banned, and when you even think of the book "The Tailor and Ansty" banned in the 1940s for being sex-obsessed with priests trying to burn it, all they were doing was telling local stories. It had become a very intolerant country. No wonder so many people left. Thats why Irish Americans ended up whether it's Michael Flatley or Eileen Ivers now at the top of the Irish dance and music revival. All those people left. There was a big Belfast element of it around before 1916. Joseph Bigger and Roger Casement and Bulmer Hudson were involved in it, and Sean McDermott was in and Pearse, and they traveled regularly to Belfast to do all that stuff. But when partition came these guys were lost. They were from the North. They were totally lost geographically. So for me, that was the counter-revolution personified in that type of state. Understandably, the focus was on the orange state, but what was happening in the south was absolutely horrific too. If you read some of the stuff that was coming out from the Peadar ODonnells and the Sean O'Faolains and the Frank OConnors you get some sense of what was really going on, and then we didn't even know about the Magdalenes, etc. But I want to say there is a lot of decency around. My life experience of Ireland has been very much the two Irelands: theres official Ireland, and then there are the people you meet at a hurling game or you're having a pint or youre in a working-class area, and they are the salt of the Earth. You can see it in a sort of a funny way in the marriage equality thing where there was mammys and daddys and grannies and aunts who were out. The decency just came out in the Irish people. I wish it had after 1916, but the leaders like Connolly and Pearse were gone. Do you see a different Ireland now, say, after the marriage referendum? Yeah, and again my life experiences have been in families and in communities where people are much more tolerant and much more respectful and the meitheal, the act of neighbor helping neighbor, still lives. It's still in there so in a funny sort of a way there is a wee bit of reclaiming going on. I mean, the big lesson out of that last election was people were offered tax benefits and the majority of people said no, we want public services. That was quite remarkable. They might not have chosen who I thought were the best people to provide it that was inconclusive but it was absolutely conclusive the majority of people and I would include people in that who voted for Fianna Fail and so on are so annoyed at people waiting on hospital trolleys and kids in homeless hotel rooms. We should be doing better at this stage. Jeepers, we are a modern society and yet do you know how many houses were built in the last year called social housing in Louth? Not one! Not one and there are 5,000 people homeless. Who else impressed you in the Rising? The women, Elizabeth OFarrell (adjutant to Pearse) and the famous photograph where you can just see her boots and some of them have Photoshopped her out so you dont see her at all. Winifred Carney, who was Connollys secretary Alice Milligan, who was from a Unionist background but stayed with the republic her whole life. Kathleen Clarke, Tom's wife, although I did listen to a small extract of a tape that she did and she was being very disparaging about others, but in terms of her influence and so on I think she must have been an outstanding person. Joseph Mary Plunketts family, the Plunkett's were very well off but they were very socially conscious because where they were living in luxury their parents had something like 26 properties they were right beside the tenements so they were very conscious of that and very socially fair. But I remember, and you must remember too, in the 1960s people were still in those tenements, nothing had changed utterly in them for 40 years, but I remember when I was 16, 17 going through Dublin around Mountjoy Square and Belvedere, I remember the Dublin housing action committee because, you know, there were terrible conditions some of which still survive youd think you were there today. Tell me, are we still living in counter-revolutionary Ireland then? Yes and no. Connolly talked about the re-conquest of Ireland by the Irish people, and Bobby Sands interestingly enough talks about when the people of Ireland have a hunger for freedom in their hearts, so these two different guys had the same notion of reconquest or of a people's movement. I entirely subscribe to that. Times change. I think that obviously small groups of people and vanguards can do a lot of important things, and you also have to remember that in any struggle, if you look back at the footage of the Civil Rights movement in Ireland, you will see hundreds of thousands of people at the height, but if you go back 10 or 20 years before it was just a handful of people protesting. There were probably 20. It was the same as the hunger strikers. Sure when the hunger strikers started you could have had 10 saying the rosary on the Falls Road and then it became bigger and bigger, and so the same thing happened here. I remember old Pete Seeger up until his death still stood against the war on Iraq and to clean up the Hudson on his own, so obviously, individuals are hugely important. But the real revolution in terms of the type of changes that are required is the transformation of Irish politics. The recent election saw neither major party Fine Gael or Fianna Fail could recover their old power and saw the domination of the two main parties in the southern state is no longer there. Obviously, if we do our work right and if we can build some sort of group and this would involve members from all the parties because there are people in all the parties who are socially and nationally minded we are probably living in a very, very interesting period. The other thing that affects us dreadfully is emigration you know, if you go into the western seaboard the likes of Roscommon and into Sligo, Mayo and Donegal, it is just absolutely dreadful. Consider in eight years almost 400,000 people left from a state that is less than five million population. Like, I met one family in Mayo. We did a meeting with them and it's all the things you know inside out: one son is married to the other ones daughter there in Australia. The grandparents are expecting their first grandchild and the ones in Australia cant afford to travel back home and the ones here arent fit enough to travel there. How do you see the political situation? What do you think will happen? Quite frankly I dont know. Fianna Fail kinda sneaked in. It was interesting. It's a bit more complex than that. About one week into the campaign, because we holed Fine Gael below the water line when it comes to highlighting 2 billion euros which they didnt have, they never really recovered from that. But there was also all that anger from the last five years, and Labour went in with 37 TDs and came back out with seven because people were so annoyed at them. But we identified that Fianna Fail could come up the middle. This is what happened. Will there be another election? Maybe, or these two parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, will go in together, but (Fianna Fail leader) Micheal Martin was very absolute in the Dail the other day: they would not. So it strikes me that probably the option that Fianna Fail are thinking of is to leave it to Fine Gael to struggle through it and perhaps support them on, but then pull the plug at the end of the year, but no one really has any certainty about any of it. These are interesting times. * Originally published in 2016. It is always amazing when a massive change occurs, one that led to threats of the end of the world before the change was instituted, but then once implemented most opposition seemed to fade away immediately. Such was the marching for the first time of the Lavender and Green group in the St. Patricks Day parade in New York. It was a battle that had consumed 25 years, dire pronouncements of Armageddon, years of protests and legal challenges. It was also the go to evergreen story every year for the media of the intolerant Irish refusing to let gays march with their own banner, with the usual pictures of gay groups protesting and various politicians boycotting, like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. What the former parade organizers never realized was that some traditions, such as slavery, discrimination and exploitation, are better to left die. When Cardinal Timothy Dolan, to his enormous credit, accepted the parade grand marshal role last year, knowing there was an NBC gay group marching for the first time, the writing was on the wall. The old time religion still held for some parade leaders however, cardinal or no cardinal. It was like a horse and cart trying to keep up a Model T Ford. All had changed. The parade board led by Dr. John Lahey, who was elected last June, realized quickly the old days were done and implemented a policy allowing Lavender and Green, an Irish group that has paid its dues over many years, to march. In this decision they were backed by de Blasio, the entire New York City Council and the St. Patricks Day Parade Foundation, a savvy group of Irish American business leaders who realized the damage the old parade antics were doing to the Irish image. Thus it was on a sparkling March 17 that one of the biggest crowds in memory lined the sidewalks as hundreds of thousands marched up Fifth Avenue. There was not a single incident reported, the Lavender and Green marchers were all in high spirits and were met with applause and friendliness all the way up the avenue. A damn burst of emotion was let loose among those who sought only the right to be treated equally. The Supreme Court has ruled it should be so, and now the St. Patricks Day parade in New York has followed suit. The historic day looked no different to any other parade and the naysayer nabobs of negativism were proven utterly wrong. There is still talk of the ancient regime somehow returning after a court case set to be heard in the Bronx next week. That would be akin to the return of spear carriers after tanks had been invented. My strong advice to them is to let it go. King Canute turning back the waves comes to mind. The naysayers need to slip away or stay and be part of the new dispensation. The Irish community is a far more tolerant and accepted community as a result of this move. Dont take my word for it, talk to the millions at the parade and the fine day had by all. The proof is in the pride, joy and tolerance of an entire community and the great parade leadership now in place. Long may it be so. Unionist politicians in Northern Ireland are accusing Sinn Fein of funding a new report that claims that Ireland's economy would get a $40 billion (35.6 billion) boost in the event of a united Ireland. The report, Modeling Irish Unification, was published by KLC Consulting in Canada along with University of British Columbia academics, and claims that the reunification of Ireland could result in significant economic boosts on both sides of the border. The independence of the study has been called into question by Unionist politicians, however, as they claim the research has been bought and paid for by republicans, through KLC, which is headquartered in San Francisco. DUP MLA for East Antrim Gordon Lyons branded the research "Gerry Adams-style economics" claiming that the agent for this organization also happens to be the head of Friends of Sinn Fein in San Francisco and its president is described as someone who has worked diligently for the unification of Ireland. Such is Sinn Feins desperation for economic credibility that they have to resort to lauding reports commissioned by their own supporters, he continued The Modeling Irish Unification study, completed in Canada, is based on similar cases of country reunification such as that of Germany in the early 1990s and predictions for a post-partition Korea. The research is generally seen as the first major examination of the outcomes of economic reunification between the North and the Republic. Launched in the Westbury Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday, March 22, three unification scenarios were set out by the report, with the most ambitious estimating a boost in all-island GDP of $40 billion (35.6 billion) within the first eight years of reunification. Read more: Only 36% in the Republic want a United Ireland, says survey The study results add to the current debate on the economic impact, both north and south of the border, if the UK votes to leave the European Union in the June 23 referendum. Contributor to the report Marc Noland suggests, Northern Ireland is falling ever further behind the Republic in terms of economic development. He added that this could become increasingly problematic if the Brexit referendum is passed. The economic models presented in the study include harmonization of the tax system, the reduction of trade barriers and the scrapping of transaction costs between Northern Ireland and the Republic, factoring in production, consumption, wages, price, exports and imports, and economic output factors. The scenarios were also presented on the basis of Northern Ireland taking on the Euro as its currency. The greatest benefits would be felt in Northern Ireland, the study claims, where the removal of currency, trade and tax barriers would allow for long-term improvement in the Norths economy. The report also suggests that the North would greatly benefit from wage increases and from reduced administrative costs. The study concludes that the post-unification North would see its exports initially rising by 5% and long-term GDP per capita increasing by 4%-7.5%. The Republic of Ireland would also benefit from reunification, however, with barrier free access to the Northern Ireland market. Speaking at the launch, Michael Burke, economic consultant and former Senior International Economist at Citibank in London stated, "We hear lots of reasons for or against Irish unification but very few of them focus on the economic debate." "In my view and I think it is substantiated by this very voluminous research Irish unification is a growth story, is a success story, is a prosperity story, and that's why I very much welcome the report." Dr Kurt Hubner, professor at the University of British Columbia and author of the study stated: Our modeling exercise points to strong positive unification effects driven by successful currency devaluation and a policy dependent industrial turnaround. While these effects occur in a static global economic environment, under ideal political conditions, they underline the potential of political and economic unification when it is supported by smart economic policy. Although the report suggests that political unification would ideally follow this economic unification, it is not completely necessary and the scenarios involved work on the basis of a seamless political reunification that would not be easily achieved in reality. Political unification outside of transition, however, is generally understood to be a more efficient form of government, the report states. This is evident in theory that supports harmonization of functions of government, like tax collection, legal order, and tax-funded operations of political machinery. The removal of duplicate government services on the island would lead to greater efficiencies, synergies, and economy of scale savings. United Ireland economically beneficial to North and South, says international expert study https://t.co/1c6xKvefs0 pic.twitter.com/EQxnHYhSO2 An Phoblacht (@An_Phoblacht) March 22, 2016 The difficulties faced by such a political reunification can be seen in the reaction of Unionist politicians when the study received its launch in Belfast Tuesday morning, however. Steve Aiken, the UUP South Antrim Assembly candidate, slammed the report stating: With respect to the Republic of Ireland, its economy is not comparable to the powerhouse that was West Germany [referencing the situations to which is was compared]. The notion that a United Ireland would see 25 billion [$40 billion] of economic gains if only the border was to be removed is fantasy economics of the highest order. It was a minister in the Republic, Jimmy Deenihan, who said Ireland cannot afford a united Ireland. Read more: Gerry Adams announces Sinn Fein call for United Ireland referendum DUP MLA Gordon Lyons also claimed that "support for the union has never been higher in Northern Ireland because people see the value of our NHS and being part of one of the world's largest economies, as well as many other positives of being in the United Kingdom." These claims come despite the publishing of a further study yesterday, commissioned by the Stormont Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, which highlighted the risk to Northern Ireland if the UK pulls out of Europe. The report claims that the Norths strong links with the Republic mean that "Northern Ireland's economy is likely to be relatively more vulnerable to the type of structural changes triggered by a UK exit from the European Union in comparison to the rest of the UK". The complete Modeling Irish Unification study can be read here. Findmypast is working in partnership with IrishCentral to share fascinating insights into your Irish ancestors. Click here to get a special half price subscription, and discover your Irish roots today! In late June of 1922, crucial evidence of your Irish ancestors was blown to smithereens. The very same event that began the Irish Civil War the stand-off at the Four Courts building also resulted in the destruction of over 1,000 years of Irish state and religious records. The event and the circumstances surrounding it are a fascinating story in Irish history that fully exemplifies how divided Ireland was during this period. It also illustrates how civil war affected everyone it tore contemporary friends and family apart, and through its destruction sent shockwaves throughout centuries of history itself. From independence to civil war The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 formally ended the Irish War of Independence, but not everyone was satisfied. The Treaty established the Irish Free State as self-governing dominion still associated with Britain. Significant factions within the Ireland thought the Treaty was a betrayal of the vision of a truly independent Irish Republic for which many had fought and died. So in April of 1922, a group of armed anti-Treaty members of the Irish Republican Army took over the Four Courts in Dublin, which was the center of the Irish court system. Their goal was to provoke Britain into another armed conflict that would unite pro and anti-Treaty Irish, and resume the struggle for a truly independent Ireland. Brother against brother Michael Collins, one of the most prominent leaders of the Irish independence movement, was part of the Irish delegation that signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty. As a former leader of the IRA, he was tasked by the British government with ending the occupation by the anti-Treaty insurgents. This was a particularly difficult situation for Collins, who was essentially facing many of his old friends and comrades. For the first several months of the standoff, he withheld firing upon the occupiers. But when Sir Henry Wilson, a British military leader, was assassinated by IRA men on June 22nd, tensions began to rise rapidly. Conservatives in Parliament calling for military intervention to end the Four Courts standoff began to gain traction. The last straw occurred when the occupiers kidnapped pro-Treaty Irish general JJ OConnell on June 26th the next day, the Provisional Government ordered the group to surrender the Four Courts immediately or face military action. Bombing them out Early on June 28th, the shelling of the Four Courts began. Nobody is certain exactly who gave the order. Many assume it was Michael Collins himself, though some biographers refute this claim. Some of the survivors of those who occupied the Four Courts also claim that they were preparing to surrender imminently, and that the pro-Treaty forces didnt give them enough time before they started bombing. Either way, sporadic fighting and intense bombing occurred over the next several days. Just hours before the occupiers surrendered, a massive explosion rocked the entire city a giant mushroom cloud could be seen emanating from the Public Records office located on the western block of the Four Courts. The occupiers had been using the building as a place to store ammunition, and a fire that had begun earlier spread to the building, igniting all of the munitions inside. Almost everything but hope was lost The 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851 censuses were lost in this explosion. This is an incredible shame for the history of Ireland (note to self: if youre trying to start a civil war, and have a respect for genealogy, dont do it by occupying your countrys public record office), but its particularly troublesome for Irish-Americans who want to trace their ancestry back to this crucial period. So what are we to do? At Findmypast, weve been working for years to bring as much information on 19th century Ireland online as possible. We have a huge collection of essential records that more than compensate for this loss, but we even have some parts of these missing censuses that weve managed to salvage. For the 1821 census we have registers for Cavan, Galway, Fermanagh, Meath & Offaly For the 1831 census we have registers for Derry For the 1841 census we have registers for Killeshandra & Cavan For the 1851 census we have registers for Antrim and a Dublin City Census from the same year We have also discovered valuable 1841 & 1851 census search forms that people used to prove their age when applying for an old age pension after 1909. If you had family living in any of the above counties during those time periods, its definitely worth searching our records. Its also quite possible evidence of your ancestors, regardless of where they were from, was captured in some census search forms. Read our blog for more Irish family history tips or register today (no credit card required) to search certain records sets (like our 10 million Irish Catholic Parish registers another great census substitute) for free. The 31-year-old said he will work with a charity group in a remote village, but would not give the location. He made the surprise announcement at the end of what was to be a five-day official visit, during which he visited earthquake-damaged heritage sites, temples and a camp where people made homeless by the April 2015 earthquake are still living. Justice and security ministers from across the European Union are gathering in Brussels for an emergency meeting today. The meeting is "intended to show solidarity with Belgium, discuss the actual state of play in the fight against terrorism and pursue swift completion and implementation of legislation", the EU said. Prosecutors said at least 31 people were killed and 270 injured in the three suicide bomb attacks at Zaventem Airport and Maelbeek station in Brussels on Tuesday morning, and the death toll could rise. One of the attackers dubbed the "man in white" and pictured at the airport moments before twin explosions ripped through the building remains at large. Belgium's threat alert is at its highest level and several other suspects who may be linked to the attacks are still on the loose, according to Paul Van Tigchelt, head of Belgium's terrorism threat body. In a day of fast-moving revelations, it emerged yesterday that Najim Laachraoui, 24, the suspected bomb maker in the Paris terror attacks, was one of two suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the Brussels airport. The revelation adds weight to the theory that both attacks, which killed more than 150 people and injured hundreds more, are linked to the same Islamic State cell. Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who is also known as Brahim, and Laachraoui blew themselves up at the airport at 8am local time. Just over an hour later more commuters were killed when Ibrahim's brother Khalid detonated a suicide bomb in the carriage of a train at the station. Turkish officials have claimed they warned the Belgian authorities last summer that Ibrahim was "a foreign terrorist fighter" - but he was allowed to walk free. He was caught in June last year at the Turkish-Syrian border and deported to the Netherlands, but they let him go after the Belgians failed to establish any links with terrorism, Turkey said. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has received a boost from former contenders Scott Walker and Jeb Bush. They have said that the Texas senator is the party's best - and last - hope for stopping front-runner Donald Trump. Ahead of Wisconsin's April 5 primary contest, state governor Mr Walker, who dropped out of the race last year, declared that only Mr Cruz could catch Mr Trump as time runs short in the primary season. Former Florida governor Mr Bush also gave Mr Cruz his endorsement - a step perhaps designed to hurt Mr Trump more than help the billionaire businessman's rival. "For the sake of our party and country, we must move to overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena," said Mr Bush, who was knocked out of the 2016 contest last month. "To win, Republicans need to make this election about proposing solutions to the many challenges we face, and I believe that we should vote for Ted as he will do just that." As Democrat front-runner Hillary Clinton addressed rising national security concerns, the Republican contest was hit again by personal insults, this time involving the candidates' families. Mr Cruz slammed Mr Trump during an appearance in Mr Trump's home town for making a vague threat on Twitter the night before to "spill the beans" on Mr Cruz's wife. "Gutter politics," Mr Cruz replied. Mr Trump's warning that he would disclose something about Heidi Cruz came in response to an advert by an outside political group that featured a provocative photo of Mr Trump's wife Melania when she was a model and before they were married. Mr Trump mistakenly identified the Cruz campaign as the source of the ad. Heidi Cruz addressed the situation directly during an appearance outside Milwaukee, saying: "The things that Donald Trump says are not based in reality." The Republican in-fighting came the day after Mr Cruz scored a win in Utah and Mr Trump claimed Arizona. Despite modest signs of strength, the first-term Texas senator needs a near miracle to catch the billionaire businessman. The day-after delegate maths laid bare the challenge: Mr Cruz needs to win 83% of the remaining delegates to overtake the front-runner. And further complicating his path, Ohio governor John Kasich vowed to stay in the race at least until the next primary. Things were decidedly less contentious on the Democratic side. Mrs Clinton won in Arizona, maintaining a lopsided advantage over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race despite his wins in Utah and Idaho on the same night. The former US secretary of state is now almost three-quarters of the way to the Democratic nomination. As the world grapples with a new wave of overseas violence, Mrs Clinton engaged Mr Trump on national security with a California speech painting him as a misfit as potential commander in chief and laying out what she would do to keep America safe in perilous times. "Slogans aren't a strategy. Loose cannons tend to misfire. What America needs is strong, smart, steady leadership," she said. Mr Trump's win in Arizona gave him a little less than half the Republican delegates allocated so far. He needs to win 54% of those remaining to claim his party's nomination before the July convention. The shares gained 9.6% at one stage, in Copenhagen, valuing the Danish maker of high-end home electronics at about 3.2bn kroner (429m). The potential offer is 85 kroner a share, the Berlingske newspaper reported. B&Os board considers the bid as too low, Berlingske said, without saying how it obtained the information. A B&O spokesman declined to comment on the offer value, as did a spokesman representing the suitor in Denmark. Billionaire Qi Jianhong, the largest shareholder of Chinese luxury-goods distributor, Sparkle Roll Group, is in talks to acquire the Danish company. Sparkle Roll clarified on Wednesday that it was Qi, not the Hong Kong-traded company itself, making the offer. New ownership would allow B&Os management to focus on turning around the company and increase sales, Qi said. B&O, which makes 7,000-plus TVs, has struggled to win buyers for its products, as prices for flat-screen sets tumble and more people listen to music on smartphones, rather than on home hi-fi systems. Qis private company is negotiating the acquisition of B&O, and none of Sparkle Rolls directors have been involved in talks to buy the company, Sparkle Roll said. Bang & Olufsen had said it was in talks to be bought by Sparkle Roll, its Chinese distribution partner. Qi had incorporated a wholly-owned company, also called Sparkle Roll Group Ltd., in the British Virgin Islands and that is the entity negotiating with B&O, according to the Hong Kong-listed company. Qi is also the sole owner of Sparkle Roll Holdings Ltd., currently B&Os third-biggest shareholder, with a 5.6% stake. A sale of B&O would mark the end of an era for a 91-year-old electronics maker known for its simple, clean, Nordic designs. As one of the last of the larger makers of hi-fi systems in Europe, the sale would leave behind mainly niche players, like UK-based Naim Audio, and Cambridge Audio. Ole Andersen, the chairman of B&O, told Berlingske, in 2014, that the company is too small to stay independent and needed to either scale back business areas or seek partners. Qi was ranked 422nd on Hurun Reports 2015 Rich List in China, which put his wealth at 8 billion yuan (1bn). Sparkle Roll distributes top-end cars, watches, wine and cigars in China, ranging from Bentleys and Bugattis to 100,000-yuan bottles of French wine. Like others in the luxury industry, Sparkle Roll has been hit by President Xi Jinpings anti-corruption crackdown. They were all a direct result of a crisis situation. Most importantly, they were all the easy option, at least for those who structured them. The HSE was a badly thought-out, impulsive reaction to the extended service of regional health authorities, which were theoretically overseen by the Department of Health, in Dublin. Their boards mainly comprised of local politicians, strictly appointed to reflect local political realities. Other, various vested interests, including internal interests, held sway, up, down and sideways in each of the organisations. Decisions were made not on pragmatic business or health grounds, but on political grounds. The waiting lists were worse than they are now, if that is possible. Costs were going through the roof and litigation was rife. In effect, they were not fit for purpose. Eleven years ago, at the start of 2005, the HSE, a single entity, swallowed all the health boards. It currently employs 100,000 people and has a budget of 13bn, one of the major parts of every annual budget. How successful is it in achieving its mandate? The answer to that depends on whether you are a patient or an employee, a politician or a consultant. According to Eddie Hobbs in an article in this paper last week, adjusting for the populations age profile, spending on health here, relative to GNP, is among the highest in Europe. Yet, it also delivers some of the worst outcomes. Worse still, it reportedly has no centralised HR system. It does not have digitised patient files, with forests being knocked down on a daily basis to feed its demand for paper. Amazingly, it has scores of different invoicing systems. We already know of its failings in patient care, and its even bigger failure to learn from its mistakes. Obviously, it wasnt called Angola for nothing. The ironic thing is that it was established to improve the health system and, in effect, to rationalise the overlaps in different entities. Its still not fit for purpose. Its an unmitigated disaster. However, weak governments have not been willing to take responsibility. Politicians do not have to answer hard questions in the Dail: Go talk to the HSE theyre responsible. The fact that parts of it work are little to do with its management and far more to do with the conscientiousness of very many of its employees. Irish Water came out of an EU directive, was insisted upon by the bailout troika, and implemented by a government needing money. The focus was not on producing clean water, reducing leaks, and boosting water conservation, but on keeping it off the Governments balance sheet. It also looked after vested interests. It was clearly designed on the back of an envelope. Since its inception, it has been one of the most divisive projects in Ireland and is now an obstacle to forming a new colaition. Its main architect rushed off to an even-better-paying job in Brussels, blaming everything on those who followed him. Nama is another body set up in haste by politicians to solve a problem that politicians had a major part in creating. Nama was set up to clean up the banks of the bad loans. The holes were so deep that Irish taxpayers will be paying debts back for generations to come. A political decision was taken to sell down Nama assets earlier than first planned, and the only buyers around for the huge loan portfolios were the big international funds, popularly known as vulture funds. Separately, private banks also sold off their property loans here: The people of Tyrelstown know at first-hand what can happen when a bank sells-on their loans. Hopefully, our recent election result will bring home the message to our politicians that its not just the economy that is important. The settlement is disclosed in the Institute of Public Administrations 2014 annual report which also reveals that the IPAs director general Brian Cawley received total remuneration, including pension payments, of 256,365 for the year. A note attached to the accounts in the IPAs annual report reveals that the 126,688 settlement with Revenue arose from an unprompted voluntary disclosure by the IPA. It was part of a package of measures introduced at a Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels last week by Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan. The move followed a significant increase in milk production in a number of member states following the abolition of quotas a year ago. When taken with global changes in milk supply and demand, this has created a severe market imbalance. The Council of Ministers common view was that a return to quotas or any other instrument of mandatory supply control was not on the agenda. This is a wise approach, Mr Hogan said. However, some member states have requested access to the possibility to enable voluntary agreements of producer organisations, inter-branch organisations and co-operatives in relation to production and supply management. I am prepared to propose the application of such rules, whereby the commission, in a situation of severe imbalance in the market, would decide to permit on a temporary basis such voluntary agreements for the dairy sector, he said. Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said the overall package reflected the majority of the demands presented by Ireland to the commission, but he was totally opposed to supply controls. He said he had reiterated Irelands view that constraining production would amount to a free gift to our global competitors and would slow recovery in the EU when markets improved. Mr Coveney told the Dail this week he had also voiced opposition to the allocation of any new EU funding to incentivise such reductions. He said the measures are voluntary and limited and that any actions taken by producer organisations and other first purchasers of milk are of a temporary nature. Its a rarity in the extreme an excellent Midlands farmstead complete with an equally impressive Victorian-era two-storey dwelling, leading one to wonder whether the next purchaser will be drawn mostly by the house or by the lands. More and more people are discovering the charms of this part of the country, with the likes of the famous Ballyfin House (20km north of here) helping to revive its reputation. Far removed from the rolling hills and the dramatic Western shores of Ireland, Tulach Nore is a jewel of a property located in a peaceful fertile zone of level land in the heart of Ireland. Convenience comes in spades with this holding that enjoys good road frontage and which is within 8km of the M7, 15km of the M8 and almost midway between Dublin and Shannon Airports (120km in either direction). The Victorian house was built between 1875 and 1890 and the stately mansion has been maintained in an excellent condition, increasing in size with the addition of five bays and two wings. The home is still in the ownership of the original owners the Harding family, one of whom (George Harding) served in both the Boer War and the First World War. The land in this holding can be divided into three main sections in terms of quality and land use: the bulk (167 acres) consists of high-quality grazing land. This level and fertile parcel is typical in many ways of the rolling plains that surround it. Secondly, there are approximately 33 acres of summer grazing. Currently, there are 120 cattle on the land in this area well known for beef farming, with capacity to cater for up to 500 head, according to the agents. For dairying, it would need some investment but it would be a very good idea, says Roseanne De Vere Hunt of the Sherry Fitzgerald Country Homes division. Finally, there is a substantial area of forestry (55 acres). It doesnt have any premium value but its broad range of species includes Ash, Irish Oak, Walnut, Sycamore, Douglas Fir, Silver Birch, Norway Maple, and Sitka Spruce. Amongst this, there is also a flight pond that was put in here several years ago, which attracts Mallard ducks, as well as Teal. Indeed, there is a lot of wildlife well established on the grounds that could well suit a future enterprise or for the simple leisure value of a future owner. These include otters in the river (over 1km of river frontage onto the Nore), Snipe, Woodcock, Curlew, and Hare. The property has a wonderful position overlooking the Slieve Bloom Mountains, says Roseanne. It is difficult to get properties with more than 100 acres and this has the privacy and the fine Victorian residence. A lot of farms tend to have smaller houses. This one is well maintained and in good order throughout. There are more than 5,500 sq ft of fine Victorian residence on offer at Tulach Nore. The accommodation includes eight bedrooms (the master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe), drawing room, dining room, billiards room, library, study, sitting room, kitchen, pantry, utility room, 2 bathrooms, and a shower room. Roseanne notes that in the Country Homes division of the Sherry Fitzgerald franchise, there has been a notable trend in 2016: Last year, it was very quiet with enquiries, but since the New Year, its nearly all international enquiries. In terms of value, this unique overall package is listed at 2,250,000. Given that the house alone is considered to be worth in the region of 800,000, this is a sensibly-priced holding that could well finish with a flurry of bidding. Dan Hogan, from Donnybrook, Dublin, died in July 2014, having described in his diary how he was traumatised by his stay as an involuntary patient at St Josephs Adolescent Inpatient Unit in Fairview. This week, at the inquest into his death, his mother, Elaine Clear, read from his journal: Hospital was torture and traumatising and was physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting, like nothing I have experienced before. I felt alone and that no one close to me understood what I was going through. Ms Clear said her son hated taking the anti-anxiety medication lorazepam as it dulled his brain. Dan told me later that if this was the treatment for his illness, then he was fucked. He took his life three weeks later, said Ms Clear. All we are asking is that mental-health services treat young people in Dans situation with more enlightened consideration. Dan had also been prescribed the SSRI Prozac and risperidone, an anti- psychotic. Lydia Sapouna, of Critical Voices Network Ireland and the Applied Social Studies Department at University College Cork, said: This case was so wrong but, unfortunately, not an exception. The response in this country to adults and children in distress is far too limited; its typically medication and hospitalisation but these can be more unhelpful than helpful, she said. Rather than putting people in hospital, we need to look at other options such as the crisis house model for people who have acute distress, something similar to the Sli Eile project being run in Churchtown, near Charleville in Co Cork, where they created a therapeutic environment on a farm that supports individuals in recovery. People in serious distress need to feel safe and they need to feel understood. This is not about demonising staff at other units but unfortunately, most in- patient units are about monitoring behaviour and seeing emotional distress as biochemical. We will go nowhere in this country with mental health if we continue to do this. We need to think outside the medical model. Activist, Leonie Fennell agreed: We are very backwards here compared to the UK, for example. How is it OK to be giving a young child a cocktail of drugs like that? A spokesman for St Josephs Adolescent In-patient Unit was unavailable for comment. Major work on upgrading the N72 (Mallow-Fermoy road) has been undertaken in recent years and another project is set to start in the middle of next month. Councillors have stressed in the past that businesses in Ballyhooly and Castletownroche have suffered badly from road closures and diversions and another bout could close some of them altogether. While the local authority will carry out the work, the ultimate decision rests with TII (formery the NRA), because it is in charge of national roads. Cllr Noel McCarthy (FG) said he was opposed to road closures in both villages and insisted a stop and go system should be put in place. There was huge inconvenience before for businesses, especially in Ballyhooly. Also, I dont think some of the roads being used for detours around N72 can take the heavy traffic, Cllr McCarthy said. Please listen to us (councillors) before works tarts. His party colleague, Cllr Kay Dawson, said she didnt think some businesses in the villages would survive another road closure, adding a way around this must be found. Councillors Ian Doyle (FF), June Murphy (Ind) and Deirdre OBrien (FF) said they were against road closures. However, Tom Stritch, the county councils director of road services, said there was no choice on narrow sections of the N72 because the machines which would be used would be too wide to allow vehicles to pass. He also said there were issues of health and safety involved which would necessitate road closures at times. We will have to carry out some closures, he insisted. Mr Stritch said that last minor roads in the area were used for the N72 diversions they were wrecked by the volume and weight of the traffic. He added that the NRA didnt reimburse the local authority for that damage. A TII spokesman said they understood the difficulties some businesses would encounter from a road closure, but it wasnt possible to carry out all the work without that happening. He said they would liaise with County Council officials to see how they could minimise disruption. I understand its hurting the businesses and Ill also try and help to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum for them, assistant county manager James Fogarty said. Cllr McCarthy said he could understand the health and safety issues involved in upgrading the road, but insisted before any work takes place that officials from the TII and county council speak with the business owners affected. Maybe we could use a stop and go until we get to the difficult sections. What about working at night-time?, Cllr McCarthy added. Meanwhile, councillors also expressed their concern about the effects recent water outages had had on businesses and householders in Ballyhooly. Cllr Frank OFlynn (FF) and Cllr McCarthy won support from colleagues when they asked that the council write to Irish Water insisting that as a matter or urgency it upgrade the supply system there and drastically improve its communications system about outages. The victim, named locally as Noel Duggan, was shot dead at his detached four-bedroomed home in the Old Mill estate in Ratoath at around 7.45pm. Emergency services fought to save his life. Two cars were reportedly found burned out near the airport. Garda sources last night stressed they would examine all possible motives for the attack, but fear it may have been carried out by the Kinahan gang. A notorious senior member of the gang, from Dublins south inner city, flew back into the country on Tuesday and detectives will examine his movements and communications since. Mr Duggan, 55, was a long-time criminal heavily involved in the cigarette smuggling trade, and was referred to as Mr Kingsize. He was previously targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau. The agency seized an apartment and retail block from him in Stoneybatter on Dublins northside in 2003 and he went on to make a 4m tax settlement with CAB. The man, originally from Dublin, moved with his family out to the exclusive Meath estate more than 10 years ago. While good friends with Gerry Hutch, garda sources do not believe he was involved with the Hutch gang. He was tight enough with Gerry Hutch going back a long time, but was more an easy target, Id say, if the link is established with the Kinahans, said a senior garda source. He would have been on the periphery of the Hutchs and not involved in their organisation. He would have been, maybe, a facilitator for them in terms of export and import and he would have had great links with logistics. Garda sources last night said that while they would investigate all potential motives for his murder, the feud with the Kinahans was the main theory, at present. The circumstances of the shooting were not immediately known last night and gardai were conducting house-to-house inquiries to see if anyone saw or heard anything suspicious. The feud has already claimed two other lives since the start of the year. David Byrne, 33, from Crumlin, south Dublin, a senior member of the Kinahan gang, was shot dead at the Regency Hotel in north Dublin on February 5. The murder was suspected to be a retaliation for the killing of Gary Hutch in Spain last September. In revenge, Eddie Hutch Sr, 58, the brother of Gerry Hutch, was shot dead at his home in Dublin on February 8. Last night, gardai appealed for anyone who was in and around Old Mill estate in Ratoath or Fairyhouse Road yesterday evening and who may have seen anything unusual or suspicious to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01-8010600. Gardai are checking what these individuals are saying, either on social media or on their phones, and with whom they are in contact. The effort is part of a range of strategies by the Garda security apparatus to keep an eye on what sources say are a small number of people of concern. Sources said they are doing this job as best they can, with the limited resources they have and the range of demands placed on them. Given the specialist anti-terror units are focused on the threat posed by dissident republicans around the centenary Rising commemorations, it is unclear what capacity they have to monitor known IS supporters here. In the wake of the bombings in Brussels, a security source said gardai would monitor suspects social media use, such as their Facebook pages, as well as their phones, for their reaction. If the suspects make contact with people the gardai do not know about, officers will make an effort to identify who they are. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. Senior gardai are also likely to review security arrangements with high-risk embassies, including those of Belgium and France, along with the likes of Britains, Israels and the US embassy. Following Tuesdays meeting, senior politicians and gardai said the threat level here remains low and that while an attack was possible it was not likely. Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said Ireland was not immune and that terrorists like IS hold our values and democracy itself in deadly contempt. She added: We have to bear in mind, too, that an attack on our European neighbours is an attack on us all. Last November, a Hollywood-style IS propaganda video included Ireland in a coalition of devils. Analysts told the Irish Examiner that while this might suggest Ireland was a legitimate target for IS supporters here, it did not mean there was a threat of attack. Experts have said that the main threat comes from returned fighters from Syria and the linked issues of recruitment and radicalisation, much of it being driven online. A number of Muslim leaders here, including Sunni imam Shaykh Umar al-Qadri, Shia imam Shaykh Ali al-Saleh and Ahmadiya Muslim Association of Ireland imam Ibrahim Noonan, have repeatedly raised concerns regarding radicalisation and, what they claim, is the reluctance or failure of the main mosques to publicly confront the problem. On the issue of fighters, estimates have put the number of Irish people who have gone to Syria and Iraq around 30 to 40. However, garda sources have stressed that not all of these were going to fight with radical Islamic forces such as IS. It is uncertain how many have returned to Ireland and what level of contact is made with these people by gardai and what surveillance is placed on them. The biggest threat is fellas that have gone out and come back, said one garda source. They have military training and experience of combat. The fear is they might set up a little cell. Commissioner Noirin O Sullivan previously said she was concerned about lone wolfs, people here radicalised by events overseas or triggered by them into action. Garda sources say physical surveillance on suspects is hugely labour intensive and can often show poor results. They said physical surveillance was just one building block and that other blocks included technical and communication surveillance, sharing of intelligence from foreign services, information from informants, information from community gardai and, most crucially, information from within the Muslim community. A statement issued by seven imams condemned the bombings in Brussels, which they said came in a week which saw terror attacks in the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Ankara. These attacks once again reiterate that the perpetrators are indiscriminate in their actions and seek only to perpetuate fear and anxiety within communities, they said. It is important to keep in mind that the protection and sanctity of life for all people are seen as equal in the eyes of God. The lives lost in Turkey and Belgium and anywhere else in the world bled the same way and the families of victims grieved the same way. The statement was issued by Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, imam of the Islamic Centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin; Shaykh Dr Ali Al-Saleh, imam of the Shia Milltown Islamic Centre, Dublin; imam Ihab Ahmed of the Cork Mosque Foundation; Shaykh Khalid of Ballycoolin Mosque; imam Hafiz Khalid of Laois Muslim Community; imam Hafiz Siddiq of Athlone Islamic Centre; and imam Javed Iqbal of Drogheda Muslim Community. It said an unfortunate, but inevitable outcome of terror attacks was a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment and Islamophobia. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. The likes of Daesh [Arabic name for IS] that commit such atrocities do so with a false allegiance to Islam and its core tenets. It shouldnt be that the actions of a misguided few tarnishes a whole community that continues to distance itself from such crime. The Islamic Foundation of Ireland, one of the two biggest mosques in Dublin, issued its own statement condemning in the strongest terms the heinous attacks on the people of Brussels. We believe that these indiscriminate and inhumane attacks are against all religious and moral values and are crimes against humanity that cannot be justified under any circumstances. Any such acts should be denounced wherever they occur. The statement continued: We disassociate our faith and our fellow Muslims from such violent and brutal acts and those who perpetrate them. We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Dr Ali Selim of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh, the other major mosque in Dublin, said: What happened in Brussels is an atrocity and is condemned, what is happening in Syria on a daily basis is also an atrocity, but is not condemned. For us all blood is blood, for us all lives are equal lives. He told RTE radio there had been three explosions in Turkey: No one condemned them [in the West], no one talked about them, so it gives Muslims a sense of a double standard, a high level of hypocrisy. Dr Selim said it was not a lack of concern on the ICCLs part that it did not take part in an anti-IS demonstration organised by Shaykh Al-Qadri and others last July after the Tunisia massacre in which 38 people were killed, including three Irish citizens. Imam Ibrahim Noonan of the Ahmadiyya mosque in Galway called on all imams in Ireland to condemn these attacks and tell these radicals we do not support you and those who hold such views stay away from our mosques and keep away from our country. Attorneys Dean Strang and Jerry Buting will participate in a moderated discussion regarding systemic failures in the criminal justice system, as well as the broader implications of the Steven Avery case. Making a Murderer is a ten-part series on Netflix that followed Averys murder trial. The Wisconsin man spent 18 years in prison for a sexual assault he did not commit. Having been exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003, Avery was subsequently charged with the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005 and was convicted of the crime in 2007. The series raised questions around the procedures used in investigating the crime by the Manitowoc County sheriffs department. It also highlighted concerns that there may have been a conflict of interest in the case as Avery was engaged in legal action against the same department over the previous conviction, of which he was exonerated. Petitions seeking a Presidential pardon for Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures. It prompted a response from the White House which said that the President only has the power to pardon federal, not state, crimes. Since Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are both state prisoners, the President cannot pardon them. A pardon in this case would need to be issued at the state level by the appropriate authorities, the White House said in January. The attorneys will appear in Cork Opera House, in an event organised by Old Oak/CyprusAvenue and Aiken Promotions, on September 22 in Vicar Street, Dublin on March 24 and the Black Box in Galway on September 25. Tickets on sale March 31. Tom Flanagan of Lahinch, Co Clare, claimed the presence of a female employee in the mens room of the leisure centre at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon when men were naked and semi-naked was totally inappropriate. He claimed his membership was revoked after he complained. The cast and crew of Father Ted frequently stayed at Falls Hotel during filming. I asked for the situation to stop umpteen times, Mr Flanagan told the Irish Examiner. It was very embarrassing, not just for me, but for other men there, too. Since this thing started, I have been inundated with calls from other men telling me about their situation and that they were afraid of their lives to take an action. The Falls Hotel had claimed at the Workplace Relations Commission hearing that the complaint was vexatious, but the commission rejected the defence. In its ruling, published yesterday, it said the complainant has established that he is covered by the relevant discriminatory ground, which is gender, under the Equal Status Act. The commission said the complainant has alleged that at times several men were present in the changing rooms, but he was alone with Miss A on occasion. The complainant stated that this put him in a precarious situation, as he was afraid that he could have been accused of obscene acts. In addition, the complainant was extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed by the intrusions by Ms A and there was a palpable sense of discomfort in the changing room. Mr Flanagan claimed no woman would be subjected to the same treatment. The hotel told the commission that on November 29, 2013, Mr Flanagan had approached Ms A and verbally attacked her to the point that spit was discharged into her face, due to his proximity. Following that, his membership of the centre was terminated. It was ruled that on the balance of probabilities the incident occurred as set out and that it would have been preferable if the complainant raised his complaint with management prior to talking to Ms A, as this resulted in the altercation. On that basis, Mr Flanagans claim of victimisation in the withdrawal of his membership was not granted. However, the commission upheld his complaint of harassment and agreed the presence of Ms A was offensive and humiliating. He was awarded 2,000 on the basis of gender discrimination. In a statement issued through its solicitor, the hotel said it was extremely disappointed at the decision. As an extremely successful business, we feel we always strive, through our staff, to put the needs of our customers first and foremost and will continue to do so. We are currently, carefully, considering our position with our legal advisors. Mr Martin was directly involved in talks with the five-strong group of Denis Naughten, Michael Collins, Michael Harty, Noel Grealish and Mattie McGrath as he tried to regain the front foot in the race for power. It is understood that after a statement on behalf of the group by ex-Fine Gael TD Mr Naughten on Tuesday appeared to confirm the rural TDs were leaning towards backing Fine Gael, causing frustration within the loose alliance, Mr Martin contacted former Progressive Democrat TD Mr Grealish and former Fianna Fail TD Mr McGrath early yesterday morning. During the conversations the Fianna Fail leader, who is believed to have later been contacted by Mr Naughten, voiced his surprise and disappointment at the development. He and other Fianna Fail figures are also believed to have warned the Independents they risk putting the cart before the horse if they back Fine Gael before reforms and key policies are in place. They said such a scenario could cause a second election as Fianna Fail has no intention of supporting Fine Gael in opposition. The five rural TDs subsequently met Mr Martin and three of Fianna Fails four-person negotiating team Barry Cowen, Charlie McConalogue and Jim OCallaghan at 6pm in an attempt to win back support. The party had given the rural TDs its policy document on rural affairs last week and senior TDs were expecting a detailed response to the plans. However, it is understood the rural politicians instead focussed debate on whether Fianna Fail can still form a government. A senior Fianna Fail TD last night said the party was disappointed to learn of the [Tuesday] statement from the rural TDs which appeared to back Fine Gael, and was surprised they had put their eggs into one basket. He added Fine Gael is wrong to assume we will prop them up, we wont be their comfort blanket in opposition. Fianna Fail is due to meet the six-strong Independent Alliance in the coming days to discuss potential policies on health and housing, with a senior TD saying last night if its preference to lead a minority government does not take place the nation would face a new situation and the risk of a second election. However, questions remain from Independents they are speaking to over whether the party can realistically form a government . And despite rural group member and Cork South West TD Michael Collins telling the Irish Examiner last night the alliance is not at risk of splitting over Mr Naughtens statement on Tuesday appearing to back Fine Gael, it is understood there is internal upset. Group member and ex-Fianna Fail Mattie McGrath has now been appointed to speak with Fianna Fail after what he described as a misunderstanding in Fianna Fail HQ. In little over six weeks time, a multimedia museum, funded entirely by an Irish emigrant and former CEO of Coca Cola, will open in the vaults beneath the iconic 19th century CHQ building on Dublins docklands. Epic Ireland is the brainchild of Neville Isdell, who left Co Down with his parents for Zambia in the mid-1950s and became the chairman and CEO of Coca Cola. He long believed his Irishness opened doors for him in his life and Epic Ireland is his opportunity to give something back. The exhibition has been developed by Event Communications, who designed the multi-award-winning Titanic Belfast. Theyre hoping it will appeal to international tourists many of whom will be the descendants of the 10m people who left these shores and to domestic tourists, too. Actress Grace Kelly, Israels former chief rabbi Isaac Herzog, Frances president Charles de Gaulle, US presidents John F Kennedy and Andrew Jackson, Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, and former All Black Dave Gallaher are some of the personalities who come to life in the interactive museum. There are four themes to the experience, said spokeswoman Dervla ONeill. We begin with migration, an introduction to Ireland, and the arrivals and departures that shaped it, and also look at motivation: Why people left and then their influence overseas. Finally, we look at where the Irish are now, and what they are doing in todays highly-connected world. Its the influence of the Irish worldwide that will really drive home to visitors how Irish emigrants contributed to their new homes. For instance, you will experience the story of James Barry, the doctor who conducted the first caesarean section operation, where mother and baby survived. But James Barry was actually Margaret Buckley and it was her mother who encouraged her to present as a man if she wanted to succeed in the world of medicine. The spread of GAA throughout the world, our stellar reputation in the field of arts, how the Irish influenced discovery and learning, international politics, and the global recognition of cultural exports like Riverdance, Irish traditional music, the Irish pub, and Guinness are all explored using the latest technology. On admission, visitors are given a passport, which will be stamped as they move from gallery to gallery and experience the various Irish waves of emigration, the routes emigrants followed, and how religious belief, hunger, work, conflict, the rule of law, and opportunity were behind their decision to go, added Ms ONeill. According to Epic Ireland, the project is the largest investment in a tourist package in Dublin in 15 years. It will also contain a geneology centre operated by Eneclann genealogical services and will offer DNA testing so visitors can learn about their Irish roots. After signing a book of condolence in the Belgian embassy in Dublin, Mr Higgins condemned the attacks as cowardly and useless. Like all terribly destructive acts of terrorism directed against civilians, it has no serious end purpose other than the creation of such fears as would dislodge people, he said. Mr Higgins expressed solidarity with the near-15,000 Irish people living in Belgium and said his thoughts were also with frontline workers who responded to the bombings. 150 years of theory will tell you that these acts are desperate and hopeless and useless, he said. They always create such fear as always creates the capacity for a reaction that would in effect not be entirely positive. These actions are terrible actions, they are cowardly actions... but its very important not to allow them to establish the fear which is their purpose. A minutes silence was also observed at the embassy, with the book of condolence open to the public for several hours. Mr Higgins called on people to demonstrate how they want to live in peace. At the end of the day the great response always to terror acts against civilians is that civilians have shown in their resilience that their values are more important, he said. They are the values that endure from one generation to another. We reaffirm our commitment to wanting to live together in peace and being able to disagree in peace and none of this is associated frankly with any fundamental belief system or anything else. Meanwhile, Archbishop Eamon Martin, has written to colleagues in Belgium to express solidarity and sympathies. Informed sources say the drivers, who had initially been seeking up to 53% increases, have been giving negative feedback to their union Siptu about the proposed increases which were arrived at following prolonged negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission between worker representatives and Transdev which operates the Luas network. If the ballot, which is due to be concluded at 5pm, does return a rejection of the terms and sources have indicated it could yield a vote of more than 90% against it would almost certainly mean a 48-hour strike planned for Easter Sunday and Monday would go ahead. Clonakilty already has a similar initiative: Scallys supermarket launched an autism-friendly shopping evening last year, which has continued every Tuesday. One of the organisers, local woman, Patricia OLeary, has now instigated a new event to mark World Autism Day on April 2. Shops in the West Cork town will follow a light it up blue theme, canine-companion autism-service dogs will be available, there will be an autism-friendly screening of a film in the Park Cinema, and businesses will feature blue lights, balloons, and window displays. Patricia, who is originally from Dublin, but who has lived in Clonakilty for more than 20 years, is a student in autism studies at University College Cork. Last November, she suggested the idea of an autism-friendly shopping evening, and, between 7pm and 9pm, the lights in the Supervalu store are dimmed and the music and announcements turned off, to provide shoppers with a calmer environment. Since Christmas, she has also pioneered autism-friendly hairdressing in Bandon, with the Hairline store opening on Mondays to provide haircuts for children who are on the autistic spectrum. One woman recently brought her four-year-old for her first-ever haircut. Of the latest initiative in Clonakilty, she said: I am hoping it will raise autism awareness and autism acceptance. Patricia said some families from Cork, and even as far away as Limerick, have indicated that they will visit Clonakilty on April 2. The feedback has been absolutely fantastic, she said. I put it out on Facebook and there are people commenting from all over Ireland. SATURDAY State ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance and a State event for 1916 relatives of participants and keynote address by President Michael D Higgins. SUNDAY Wreath-laying ceremonies at Glasnevin Cemetery and State ceremonial event at the Stone Breakers Yard in Kilmainham. Easter Centenary Parade over a 4.5km route across the city centre. State ceremonial at 12pm at the GPO, where the Presi will lay a wreath. MONDAY RTE Reflecting the Rising will include more than 500 free talks, exhibitions, debates, film, performances and dramatisations across Dublin city. Events will take place in four main zones: Zone 1: St Stephens Green and Earlsfort Terrace The Dublin Gospel Choir and others perform; Food and craft fair; Ceili Mor. Zone 2: Merrion Square and Lower Fitzwilliam Street Main stage with Lisa ONeill, Kila, Mick Flannery, The Academic; Vintage cars, motorbikes, buses and a steam engine exhibition; Childrens Play Day. Zone 3: OConnell Street Main Stage Sharon Shannon, The High Kings, The Celtic Tenors, Eleanor Shanley; Photographic and installation exhibition; Joe Duffy broadcasting live on RTE Radio 1 from 1.30pm. Zone 4: Smithfield Square and the Fruit Market area Vintage Tram stage with Aonghus McAnally hosting a variety of performances; Childrens storytelling; City Public Libraries Learning Buses; On-street activities including old- fashioned childrens games. Wreath-laying ceremonies at seven 1916 garrison locations around Dublin. There will also be four wreath-layings in Athenry, Co Galway, Cork, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, and Ashbourne, Co Meath. Insp John Deasy said the crimes were committed at Wedlinka on Cornmarket St, Cork City, on August 3, 2013. The accused, Rozalia Muntean, of 21 Vicar St, Cork, had a compartment in an apron on her skirt adapted for the purpose of concealing stolen property. Insp Deasy said Muntean was one of a group of women who entered Wedlinka on Cornmarket St in order to steal items. The staff member attempted to stop these people. She was pushed aside and she received a punch to the face by Ms Muntean, said Insp Deasy. She contacted the police and made a complaint. She identified Ms Muntean as the person who assaulted her. Dennis Healy, defending, said: She is pleading guilty to get out of jail. I cannot get her High Court bail. Muntean was remanded in custody on the theft and assault charges, and was unable to get out on High Court bail. Mr Healy said he had been unable to get her High Court bail as he could not get anyone to sign affidavits for the accused at Limerick Prison. Judge Leo Malone said: You are not making any sense to me, Mr Healy. She is either pleading guilty or not guilty. Mr Healy said he had people standing in for him in the High Court in Dublin and they had not been able to get the affidavits necessary for the bail application executed. She is pleading guilty and she is going to appeal, he said, adding that this was the only way the accused could get out of jail. Judge Malone imposed an overall sentence of four months for offences, including the assault and theft. She had 33 previous convictions, including four counts for theft. Mr Healy said the 34-year-old mother of four was reckless in her actions in relation to the assault and said that any contact was accidental. She apologises for any accidental contact she made with the girl in the shop, Mr Healy said. Judge Malone fixed bail pending an appeal at 800 that cash was lodged by a relative of the accused after she was sentenced. INEVITABLY I end up asking The 1975s Matthew Healy about his alleged penchant for recreational pharmaceuticals. He is amused more than affronted. Heres a newsflash for you: young people who do modelling or do music when they go out for a night in major cities, a lot of them do drugs. Thats just a shocking bit of information for the world to learn Of course Ive done cocaine in the toilet at a nightclub. None of this will surprise fans of The 1975, who play their largest ever Irish show at Dublins 3Arena on Thursday. Healy (26) is an unusually frank lyricist and his often self-flagellating songs do not skimp on the darker facets of celebrity. He has sung about the pressures of fame, the turmoil of life in the public eye and the excesses that are part of a rock stars job description. Theres this idea that you cant talk about these things honestly that people will be shocked, he continues. I dont believe that to be the case. I am talking about little social moments little bits of reality. ARTISTIC MERIT Healy is verbose, but his self-seriousness is backed up by music of genuine artistic merit. Initially dismissed as just another teenage pop band, with their second album the 1975 have blind-sided their detractors. I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It is a thrilling mash-up of glam, psychedelia and prog in which the one consistent is a flair for big pop moments. Its frequently bonkers but always listenable and Healy takes understandable pride in what he has wrought. The desire to make a big artistic statement is the thing that has always kept us going, he says. We make pop music for the art of it not the commerce. It IS pop but we do it because we love it. People are always concerned as to whether pop is cool or not. The real question, for me, is whether you believe in what you are hearing. With his sideways haircut and grandiose pronouncements, perhaps it was no surprise that Healy became somewhat of a punchbag when the 1975 broke through two years ago. That he belonged to a showbizzy family he is the son of two minor British soap actors didnt help. Nor did the fact that initially the groups fanbase was perceived as comprising overwhelmingly of teenage girls. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was 17, he says, bristling a bit. You cant negate the opinions of a group of people because of their age. Thats just fucking stupid a crusty old thing to say. If you look at all the great musical artists their biggest demographic has always been young girls. Theyre the biggest record-buying, emotionally investing consumer that you have for pop music. Look at The Beatles, look at Bowie. Their fans were mostly young women starting out. Healy grew up in Newcastle and rural Cheshire, where the family moved when he was 10. By the time he left school age 16, his ambitions were already fixed on rock and roll. He passed in and out of bands before meeting the future members of the 1975 (the moniker, incidentally, comes from liner-notes scribbled at the back of a Jack Kerouac anthology that read 1 June, The 1975). This started as our hobby and now its our job, says Healy. Weve always made our music for ourselves. I dont have a creative relationship with any record label. All of the marketing, all of the visual stuff everything is written by me, Jamie [Oborne, the groups manager) and the band. Thats the way it goes and then the record label help us sell it. With I Like It When... vaulting to number one in the UK and the US (it went top five here), Healys profile has soared. This has raised him from niche, music industry fame to full-fledged celebrity. His elevation to tabloid notoriety was foreshadowed early last year when he was romantically linked with Taylor Swift. Its bloody fake, its all fake, its all a farce, is how Healy addressed the speculation in 2015. We met each other, we exchanged numbers in the same way that a lot of people in this kind of world do and we spoke occasionally and then shes the biggest pop star in the world. Im in Australia, theres no relationship or anything happening, its funny how people really, really buy into that. TIGHT-KNIT GROUP Even setting the Swift rumours to one side, there is no doubt but that the 1975 have cultivated a reputation as louche rockers. In the media, they are caricatured endlessly as tequila-slamming, TV-chucking, groupie-fraternising party boys. The truth, Healy suggests, is the precise opposite. The 1975 are tight-knit group and whod rather knuckle down on their music than cut loose until their heads pop off (incredibly they wrote their latest record in the middle of a never-ending world tour). The two-dimensional image that has emerged of Healy, in particular, as a laureate of Byronic overindulgence, is wide of the mark. We are a very tightly knit group of people. My assistant is my best friend since school. Our crew are people weve known for ten years or more. This is a bunch of individuals traveling around, doing our thing. It has translated into something a lot of people have related to. But its not a big Hollywood party. Its just a few mates hanging out. He shrugs when asked if he feels like he was always meant to be a rock star. In postmodern times such as these, what is a rock star? Its a word that gets thrown around a lot. We live in a different age everything is so ironic and self-aware. I dont know if rock stardom even exists. I just stand for being really, really honest. Ive never thought of myself as especially careerist. Ive always just done things on my own terms and used music to express myself. Im not out all the time getting photographed or chatting to superstars. Thats not me. WITH every bloody episode that detonates in the countries of the European Union, another nail is driven into its coffin. The bombings in Brussels were a virtuoso act: committed in the capital of political Europe, one taking place in a metro station near the European Commission headquarters itself. The attacks were mounted a few days after the capture of Salah Abdeslam, the one remaining militant believed to be still at large after the Paris attacks in November an almost operatic revenge. The mixture of confidence and technical skill that lay behind the Brussels blasts cant fail to drive in the message. The growing army a word advisedly used of men and women drawn into the field of the so-called Islamic State see themselves as combatants, see the world about them as a battlefield, and see Europeans as enemies. The London-based anti-Jihadist Quilliam Foundation said that it had warned of a full-scale jihadist insurgency for a year, and added that no insurgency is sustainable, let alone possible, without the levels of residual support it commands for its core ideological aims, among the communities from which it draws its fighters. The group, founded by three young men who had been affiliated with the Jihadist organization Hizb ut Tahrir and woke up to renounce the cruel nihilism they had embraced, believes there is such residual support. All those who have committed terrorist acts in Europe have been raised some born in Europe. They were citizens of European states. Unable or unwilling to integrate into society, drinking great draughts of jihadist propaganda available on the internet that told them of past and present crimes visited on the Islamic world by the crusaders and the Zionists, the susceptible among them became radicalised. The boldest among them took up arms. Thousands have gone to Syria to fight. Many have returned disillusioned; some have returned with their convictions strengthened. Belgium, with 650,000 Muslims, mostly in Brussels, counts at least 440 who have gone to Syria. In France, at least a thousand are reckoned to have joined IS, and the French intelligence services have warned that the growth in membership is out of control. Belgium is the weak link; long known to be. Jihadism is stronger, more open there than anywhere else in the EU. The run-down suburb of Molenbeek, heavily Muslim, is an area of sanctuary for jihadists, the place to which Abdeslam returned and appears to have sheltered after the Paris slaughter, evading capture for months. In June 2012, members of Sharia4Belgium attacked the Molenbeek police station after a woman was arrested for refusing to remove her face veil. Last February, a judge was due to sentence 45 men charged with recruiting for IS: only eight came to court, the others were in Syria. Fouad Belkacem, a fiery preacher, formed Sharia4Belgium in 2010 after seeking advice from members of the banned UK group al-Muhajiroun. The journalist Ben Taub wrote that his followers underwent a rigorous ideological training programme, with daily lectures and regular consultations, by video with a militant preacher in Lebanon [they] came to think of the fighters as heroes defending their religion against corrupt Crusaders. In early 2012, a few of them were detained in Yemen under suspicion of trying to join al-Qaeda. Later that year, the first Sharia4Belgium member travelled to Syria. Dozens followed. Belgium is hardly a state: the two parts of it Flemish speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia have their own governments, and come together, notionally, for foreign affairs, defence and macroeconomic issues. There are a complex of police forces and institutions, often with few links, which makes the central governments response to crime and terrorism much weaker than most other European states. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. The main intelligence service, the Surete de LEtat, has 600 personnel to monitor nearly 1,000 persons of interest. Last week a Belgian counter-terrorism official admitted to a Buzzfeed journalist: We just dont have the people we dont have the infrastructure to properly investigate or monitor hundreds of individuals suspected of terror links Its literally an impossible situation. After the victims of the Brussels blasts, the most immediate sufferers will be the hundreds of thousands clamouring to get into the EU and find a peaceful home and work to do. To say that nearly all are likely to make good citizens is now no use. It defies belief that among them there will not be those whom IS have planted to come into Europe in order to wage jihad, or that a few among them will not fall for IS propaganda. Ed West, deputy director of the British conservative group UK 2020, believes that radical Islamism thrives in the absence of other identities, which is why it is especially prevalent among second-generation immigrants, who are more likely to feel alienated and torn between cultures Religion provides the comfort of certainty, something politicians have failed to see because they have assumed that particular Western values are universal or inevitable, when they are actually quite unusual and fragile. The EU had open borders, though they are closing now, and the speed of closure will accelerate. It does not have open intelligence sharing. The UKs main services, MI5 (domestic) and MI6 (foreign) are reckoned the best in Europe, (certainly by themselves), and share intelligence within the so-called five eyes group which counts the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand as the other members. Others have tried to take part, but been rebuffed. There is insufficient trust that outside of the five eyes secrets will be kept and thus sources will be safe. (The Snowden leaks dented the belief that the five eyes are secure.) The European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker floated the idea of an EU intelligence service. It quickly died, as he and his advisers realised that sharing of intelligence would be severely limited, and building a new service would be the work of decades. Tuesday was a day of blood, torn limbs and official shock. But why shock, now? Battle has been joined. As it intensifies, the dream of an ever-closer union becomes ever more remote. People, frightened, turn to the authorities they know: their own national leaders and security services. And they see Europe, with its generosity, liberality and military weakness not as the answer, but as the problem, even the threat. Update: At least 11 dead, 20 injured at #Brussels airport explosion Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) March 22, 2016 In Britain, most wind is presently in the sails of those who clamour for a vote to leave the EU in the referendum fixed for June. In Germany, the right-wing Alternative fur Deutschland did well in regional elections earlier this month. In France, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, the far-right anti-immigrant parties grow ever more popular. In Central Europe, the post-Communist states, led by Hungary, were the first to put up the razor wire and refuse all entry. Brussels, March 22, 2016, is another fell date to enter in a sanguinary calendar. Nothing can yet stop it. John Lloyd co-founded the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, where he is senior research fellow. IN MANY ways, the attacks in Brussels had a sick air of inevitability. Ever since the Paris attacks on November 13, the Belgian capital has been seen as the likely next target. What happened on Tuesday clearly shows the limits of Belgiums much-criticised security and surveillance systems. It is also a reminder of how difficult stopping such incidents can be. As always, lessons will be learned and systems tightened. The fact that an apparent suicide bomber was able to penetrate the crowded airport terminal points to one obvious loophole that could have been tightened many airports in vulnerable parts of the world, such as India, have security screening points at the entrance to such buildings. They cause delays but provide a measure of security. In reality, however, all that additional security does is shift the problem elsewhere. Nobody really expects such measures to be possible on crowded mass transit systems. Had the attack targeted several points on the Metro system rather than the Metro and the airport, the death toll might still have been similar a bomb in a crowded place is still a bomb in a crowded place. The simple truth is Belgium has been expecting an attack for months. Troops have been deployed on streets and other nations have dramatically ramped up support to the Belgian security services. Such attention was clearly starting to pay off the arrest of one of the suspects from Paris last week is proof of that. But it simply wasnt enough. Better-coordinated security systems particularly cross-border co-operation are not just necessary but vital. Even if they were to be improved substantially, however, some attacks like this will get through. What will happen now is relatively predictable, at least when it comes to the security response we saw it after Paris last year as well as in Madrid in 2004 after the attacks on its transport system killed 192 people. Security services will identify the attackers and begin to run down their wider networks. In Paris and Madrid, that led to police assaults several days later on the hideouts of the plotters raids themselves that often end with yet another suicide explosion. Such militant actions, however, are essentially political. And the political consequences of what happened in Brussels today are only just beginning. Countries react differently to attacks like this. The Madrid attacks in 2004 toppled the government, ending Spanish involvement in the Iraq war. The July 7, 2005, attacks in London had a negligible impact on the mainstream political system although a very real effect on community cohesion. The attacks in Belgium take place against a much wider backdrop not just the Paris attacks but the wider European migrant crisis. Even if all of the plotters in this case turn out to be homegrown, the attacks will still be seen in the wider European context of a continent already struggling to adapt to hundreds of thousands of new arrivals. The real risk now is that hardliners on both sides end up playing off each other to further destabilise the situation. Already, hardline anti-migrant parties like Alternative for Deutschland fresh from dramatic gains in local German elections this month say the Brussels attacks demonstrate a clear and urgent need to halt new arrivals. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. Muslim populations in Europe, both established and new, will inevitably find themselves under more suspicion and scrutiny, not to mention facing potential retaliatory violence. Getting to the core of what motivates the attackers is notoriously difficult. Some countries in Europe are clearly more vulnerable than others both to physical attacks and potentially destabilising political fallout that could have much broader implications. An attack in Belgium always one of Europes least politically functional countries with a record of operating for sometimes years at a time without a government was perhaps sufficiently predictable that the local political consequences will be limited. Similarly, after Paris, another attack in France might also have relatively little impact on its domestic politics beyond providing another minor boost to the right-wing National Front. A major attack in Germany, however, could prove rather more politically damaging to Chancellor Angela Merkel, essentially the linchpin of the European project. Germany has not seen a major militant attack since the 1980s, but is struggling to deal with the arrival of more than 1m migrants in the space of a year. Whatever the reality of the situation, that crisis and any militant attack would become immediately conflated in the public mind. Those implications may already be crossing the Atlantic. It took little time for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump to use events in Brussels to once again push his suggestions for hugely ramped up restrictions on Muslim travel into the US. Pollsters say incidents like Brussels in Europe almost certainly improve his chances of winning in November. Handling crises like the Middle East and the now indissolubly intertwined political woes of Europe was already hard enough. The point of attacks like Brussels is to make that even harder. Peter Apps is Reuters global affairs columnist IM not going. I dont feel right about the 1916 celebrations and Im not going to pretend otherwise. The insurrection caused the deaths of more than 485 people, including 184 civilians. One in five of those who died was under 19. Those civilians did not deserve their deaths, any more than the 35 who died in Brussels this week, and they were mourned no less. I thought that a far more nuanced approach would be taken to the centenary than that which is planned. But, no, its the good old days: boys on bicycles in flat caps and pedal-pushers, ladies in big hats, the usual cliches of period drama from advertisements for HB ice-cream and James Joyces Bloomsday. We are encouraged to enjoy the fun of a family day out, on Easter Monday. You can choose from music on the bandstand of St Stephens Green or a ceili at Earlsfort Terrace or a magical carousel at Smithfield, or an exhibition of vintage cars and motorbikes, buses, and even a steam engine, in Merrion Square. I love Dublin, my city. I love any good opportunity to celebrate it. But 500 lives were lost in this bloody insurrection, and it paved the way for a vicious Civil War that claimed 2,000 lives, and was followed by the tragic partition of the country. 1916: 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 A minutes silence would be a more appropriate way to reflect, as RTE keeps telling us were doing. Then, there might be some hope that wed reimagine. I listen to the endless publicity on radio and TV and I recoil. Its not nice to feel out of step with the national mood. I love my country. Im grateful that I live in the Republic of Ireland. I wouldnt like to be a British subject and have to listen to the House of Lords on the radio, or be faced with a vote on leaving the EU, or be swamped in media that is obsessed with immigration, or live in a less-equal society (yes) that is eight points lower in the UN Development Index than Ireland (yes). That doesnt have to mean the sacrifice of 485 lives was worth it. I didnt ever get a chance to make that choice or vote for an alternative in the patient, pacifist resistance, as suggested by Francis Sheehy-Skeffington. The fact that I feel I benefit from what happened on Easter Monday, 1916, does not mean that it is hypocritical to disavow it. Particularly considering what followed. Not only the War of Independence and the Civil War, but also partition. When I read that theres a sign outside the town of Strabane, which says The revolution is unfinished, I agreed. Which is not to say that I think it was worth fighting for 30 years, either for or against partition, with the loss of a further 3,532 lives. I dont think the removal of the border between North and South is worth the loss of a single life. But I still think its creation, by the militarism of the Ulster Volunteers and the Irish Republican Brotherhood, among others, was a tragedy. Roads going nowhere. Irish nationalists marooned in an Apartheid state. Donegal isolated from the rest of the country and from its natural capital, Derry City. Border check-points between the two biggest cities on the island. Everyone, on both sides of the border, has lost through partition. Except the smugglers. My teetotal granny became an avid smuggler when the border was established, and she sure had the bloomers for it. Everything that could be smuggled was smuggled with glee, which says everything about the level of respect my God-fearing granny had for the border. She was a Presbyterian from Stranorlar, in East Donegal. Her family had lived in the same, small town for 300 years. They were simple tenants who took a massive gamble and moved from lowland Scotland to lowland Donegal, around 1610. One of my aunts told me they took their gravestones with them. Discriminated against by the Crown, in both Britain and Ireland, they clustered together in the Laggan, or flat-lying area of East Donegal, and slowly built their churches. The first Presbyterian meeting-house in Stranorlar was built in 1709, and the first gravestone for one of my ancestors dates from 1721. The local history prepared by Ian and Mark Knox, for the centenary of the new church, in 2006, includes a photograph of the pupils at the Robertston Church of Ireland School, in Stranorlar, in 1942. The same names are represented as appear at the start of the history. I counted nine of my relations among them. Very few are left now. They have gone to Canada and Australia and America, and they have gone across the border. Casually googling my planter family one night, I came across another woman googling the same family and discovered distant cousins living in the North. The shutter had come down between us. My grannys centuries of Scots-Irish history, the Huguenot roots which fed her shirt-making venture, her self-reliance, and belief in education for women, her particular traditions in baking and preserving, none of it was wanted this side of the border. What partition meant to communities, such as the Presbyterians of Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, is silenced history. Imagine the shock and outrage they must have felt when they learned that the border was to shift them into the Free State? And all over again, when the Boundary Commission recommended, in 1925, that they be moved back into the UK, a recommendation that was ignored by both sovereign states? My grandfather was the headmaster in the Robertson School, where he met my granny, a fellow teacher. They were Irish: they trained in Dublin. They bought their wedding-ring, which I wear, in Derry. They had cousins, the McCalls, who ran the Model Farm in Cork. They could never have imagined that the border would come down like a blade. They could never have imagined, either, that they would be asked to learn Irish. I remember the bitterness with which this was recalled, but much digging has not yet dug up exactly what happened to them did they leave their jobs or was some fudge cooked up? Eighty-six percent of Donegal Protestants surveyed in 2001 were loyal to the Irish State as opposed to 9% claiming loyalty to the North. But I dont believe many Irish Protestants will celebrate 1916, a fact that has been whispered in several conversations I have had with other Protestants. It is the first time I have ever identified myself in any way with the tribe. And its not good. But I cant deny what I feel, which is that the military campaigns that opposed each other, and which created the Irish State, have left behind two amputee states and do not deserve to be celebrated this weekend. Enjoyed this? Then check out our dedicated micro-site, developed in collaboration with UCC, to mark the revolutionary period HERE Understandable because the first order of business is to protect innocent citizens from those intent on mayhem, terror, and destruction. As a result, authorities in major European cities such as London, Paris and Frankfurt responded to the attacks by stepping up the number of police on patrol at airports, railways and urban transport hubs. Predictable because a security response is only half the answer to this new form of terrorism. It is essential in any free society that civilians should feel safe not just in their homes but also in their towns and cities. That includes using urban transport, like the underground as well as airports and railway stations, that serve millions of people every day in Europe. But, as the Paris attacks last year and those in Brussels show, that guarantee of safety can no longer be assured. The reason is that, even in modern times, the armed forces of nations in the West invest time, training and resources into combating large-scale assaults on their territory. Countries with large populations like the United Kingdom and France invest billions in nuclear arms and other industrial-scale war machines, designed to defend their citizens against attack by nations traditionally seen as the enemy. The irony of this is that while they may have the capacity to engage militarily with other major states who have the capacity to launch an attack against them, they are all but powerless when faced with a hidden enemy that may only involve a few hundred or a few dozen combatants. The emergence of the suicide bomber in recent years has stretched even the most sophisticated security regimes. The most challenging aspect of this is the realisation that the people who carried out the atrocities in Belgium have no regard for human life including their own. Instead of large-scale military capacity, we must invest time and resources in human intelligence, derived from communities that possess intimate knowledge of the extremists within their midst. It is a sad but undeniable fact that most of those who planned these recent atrocities are Islamic militants, but that does not mean that all Muslims are terrorists, any more than all Irish in Britain in the 1970s and 80s were terrorists during the height of the IRAs bombing campaign. This is not a time to alienate Muslims, but a time to engage with them, respect and befriend them, and persuade them that the slaughter of civilians in their name does neither their beliefs nor their culture any favours. It is also a time for Muslim leaders to roundly condemn in unequivocal terms those who perpetuate such atrocities. A number of Muslim organisations in Ireland yesterday offered their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, but most of their concerns were about Islamophobia. Praying for the dead is a compassionate and humane response but it is scarcely enough. The word condemn should be included in their vocabulary. Prosecutors identified two of three suicide bombers as brothers Khalid and Brahim El Bakraoui as they searched for the fourth man in a cream-coloured coat caught on security cameras who escaped from the airport after placing a bomb that didnt go off. Following the attacks, police discovered their bomb-making hideout in northern Brussels along with a testament written on a computer by Brahim El Bakraoui that he was frantic, not knowing what to do, being hunted everywhere, federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw told reporters. Belgium kept its terror alert at the highest level as police raided houses in Brussels looking for clues and suspects. Following two attacks on civilians in Paris last year, the Brussels murders exposed the inability of European security services to track the sheer number of suspected Islamic radicals. Germany, up to now spared a large-scale attack, said it has identified 450 dangerous Islamists. Many European-born radicals have spent time in Syria undergoing terror training by the IS, which claimed responsibility for the Brussels atrocities. Brahim El Bakraoui, 29, was one of three airport check-in counter attackers, while his brother, Khalid Bakraoui, 27, blew himself up on a subway car heading downtown from a station a short walk from EU headquarters. The Brussels-born brothers, both Belgian citizens, had an extensive criminal record, but not related to terrorism, Van Leeuw said. The third suicide bomber, at the airport, wasnt named. Prosecutors also didnt identify the suspect seen leaving the departure hall alive. Belgian media earlier identified him as Najim Laachraoui and announced his arrest, only to retract that report later. Laachraoui left for Syria in 2013 and was stopped on the Austria-Hungary border last September while travelling with Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested last week as a suspect in the Paris massacres in November that left 130 people dead, prosecutors said previously. The failed airport bomb packed the most explosive power and didnt go off until later, after passengers fled and the armys disposal experts moved in to disable it. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. Bomb-making materials found at a house in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels included 15kg of TATP, 150 litres of acetone, 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide, detonators, a bag of nails, plastic trays, tools and ventilators, prosecutors said. Belgian media reported that the lethal paraphernalia was left behind because the terrorists ordered a minivan from a local taxi service and had to make do with the smaller saloon that was sent to pick them up instead. The hastily typed testament by the elder brother was found on a computer in a nearby rubbish bin. It fuelled suspicions that last weeks capture of Abdeslam led the attackers to speed up a plot already being hatched. Valls, the French prime minister, also called on the European Parliament to pass legislation to enable the tracking of air passengers within Europe. We have to turn the page on naive optimism, Valls said. Even on high alert, authorities cant be expected to prevent all the terror attacks being hatched in their midst, Belgiums interior minister said. We are fighting against professionals, the minister, Jan Jambon, told RTL radio. Sometimes we have situations like yesterday. Zero risk doesnt exist. IS claimed responsibility for the atrocities. The airport explosions occurred well outside the security cordons for departing passengers, and like most cities Brussels has no security checks at Metro entrances. Its not easy to see how either type of location could be better protected, security experts say. External checkpoints at airports, for example, would just present a new target. The revelation that Najim Laachraoui was among the bombers who died came as Belgians began three days of mourning for the victims of the Brussels airport and metro bombings. The country remained on high alert as authorities hunted for one of the suspected attackers seen on surveillance video with Laachraoui who was thought to have escaped after the Brussel attacks and one other suicide bomber. Authorities had dubbed him Europes most wanted man. The disclosure came as Turkish authorities revealed they had caught one of the suicide bombers near the Turkish-Syrian border in July and sent him back to the Netherlands. They warned both that country and Belgium that he was a foreign terrorist fighter. But a Turkish official said the bomber was allowed to go free because Belgian authorities could not establish any ties to extremism. Belgian authorities had initially thought Laachraoui was one of the Brussels airport bombers captured on CCTV in a black cap and white coat who was thought to have fled after the attacks. But subsequently DNA showed he was one of the other two suicide bombers. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. Police had been hunting Laachraoui since last week, suspecting him of being an accomplice of top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested on Friday. Two officials told AP that Laachraouis DNA was verified as that of one of the suicide bombers on Tuesday, after samples were taken from remains found at the blast site at Brussels airport. Laachraoui is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, a French police official told AP, adding that Laachraouis DNA was found on all of the vests as well as in a Brussels apartment where they were made. Several people who may be linked to the attacks were still on the loose and the countrys threat alert remained at its highest level, meaning there was danger of an imminent attack, said Paul Van Tigchelt, head of Belgiums terrorism threat body. The attacks killed 31 people, not including three suicide bombers, and injured 270 others, authorities said. As government offices, schools and residents held a moment of silence to honour the dead, the mood was defiance mixed with anxiety that others involved in the attacks are still at large. Belgian Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw identified two of the Brussels attackers as brothers Ibrahim El Bakraoui, a suicide bomber at the airport, and Khalid El Bakraoui, who targeted the subway. Investigators raided the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaerbeek after the attacks and found a computer in a rubbish bin on the street including a note from Ibrahim El Bakraoui saying he felt increasingly unsafe and feared landing in prison. He was the brother who Turkish officials said was deported from Turkey to the Netherlands. Belgiums justice minister said authorities there knew him as a common criminal, not an extremist, and that he was sent back to the Netherlands, not Belgium. A taxi driver who took Ibrahim El Bakraoui and two others to the airport led investigators to an apartment where they found 15 kilograms (33lbs) of TATP explosives, along with nails and other materials used to make bombs, Van Leeuw said. Two were suicide bombers, the prosecutor said; the other man in a white jacket and black cap fled before the bombs went off, leaving behind a bag full of explosives. That bag later blew up, but no one was injured. The death of student Leopold Hecht at Maalbeek metro station was confirmed with immense sadness by the rector of Saint-Louis University in the city. Calling Tuesdays deadly atrocities barbaric acts, Pierre Jadoul said in a statement: There is no word to describe our dismay. All our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones. Peruvian woman Adelma Tapia Ruiz, 37, was also named by the Foreign Ministry as one of those killed in the airport bombings. Her brother Fernando Tapia told Peruvian radio station RPP that his sister was at the airport with her Belgian husband Christophe Delcambe and their twin four-year-old daughters Maureen and Alondra, who also have Belgian nationality. He said Mr Delcambe and the girls were unhurt because they left the area where the explosions occurred moments before the bombs detonated. Another victim was Olivier Delespesse, who also died at Maelbeek station. His death was confirmed by the French Community of Belgium, of which he was a member. Friends of Sabrina Fazal, a 24-year-old nursing student and Belgian national, say Ms Fazal was on the metro when the terrorists struck and they have not been able to contact her since. She has a one-year-old son named Heyden, who is staying with his grandmother. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. There are also fears for two siblings, Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski, from New York, The two were at the airport terminal when the bombs were detonated. Family say they have not been able to reach them. Among the hundreds injured are at least eight French citizens, including three seriously wounded, according to the countrys foreign ministry. Three Italians were also among the injured, although not seriously, according to Belgiums Italian embassy. Two Britons, two Colombians, and an Ecuadorian national were among the wounded, their governments said. David Dixon, a British computer programmer from Nottingham, has been missing since the attacks. Mr Dixon commutes on the Belgian capitals metro but did not arrive at work yesterday. Relatives and friends have been unable to reach him. The federal prosecutor told a news conference that Ibrahim el Bakraoui, 29, one of two men who blew themselves up at Brussels airport on Tuesday, had left an audio clip addressed to his mother on a computer dumped in a rubbish bin near the militants hideout. In it, he described himself as always on the run, not knowing what to do anymore, being hunted everywhere, not being safe any longer and that if he hangs around, he risks ending up next to the person in a cell a reference to suspected Paris bomber Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested last week. His brother Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, detonated a bomb an hour later on a crowded rush-hour metro train near the European Commission headquarters, prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said. Both men, born in Belgium, had criminal records for armed robbery but were not previously linked by investigators to Islamist militants. The RTBF report yesterday said the brothers were known to police for past crimes, but nothing relating to terrorism. The broadcaster said Khalid El Bakraoui had rented an apartment which was raided by police last week in an operation that led authorities to top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. The Bakraoui brothers were identified by their fingerprints and on security cameras, the prosecutor said. The second suicide bomber at the airport had yet to be identified. The third bomber was confirmed last night as Najim Laachraoui, 25, a suspected Islamic State recruiter and bomb-maker whose DNA was found on two explosives belts used in last Novembers Paris attacks and at a Brussels safe house used by Abdeslam before his arrest last Friday. Authorities had dubbed him Europes most wanted man. Khalid El Bakraoui had rented under a false name the apartment in the citys Forest borough, where police hunting Abdeslam killed a gunman in a raid last week. He is also believed to have rented a house in the Belgian city of Charleroi used to mount the Paris attacks. Last week, Belgian police said they were hunting for a suspected Abdeslam accomplice, Najim Laachraoui. He is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the November attacks in Paris, in which 130 people were killed, according to a French police official who said Laachraouis DNA was found on all of them and in a Brussels apartment where they were made. The airport and several Brussels metro stations remained closed yesterday. Security forces stood guard around the neighbourhood housing headquarters of EU institutionsas nervous Brussels residents began returning to school and work under a misty rain. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks and warned of more strikes against anti-IS allies. It issued a communique promising dark days for countries taking part in the coalition against the terror group. Reuters Tuesdays explosions, which killed at least 30 people at the main Brussels airport and an underground rail station, came just days after Belgiums security services caught the last surviving suspect in Novembers attacks on Paris. Belgium has announced 400m of extra spending to upgrade its security capabilities since it emerged that the country of 11 million people served as the base for the Paris attackers who killed 130 people. However, Tuesdays bombings at home show how much further it still has to go. Security experts say squabbling layers of government, under-funded spy services, an openness to fundamentalist preachers and a thriving black market in weapons all make Belgium among the most vulnerable countries in Europe to militant attacks. One US government official claimed Tuesdays attacks showed Belgian authorities still have not upped their game. Catching Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam on Friday was a coup for Belgiums security services. However, his four months apparently hiding and moving about the capital were also proof of how difficult the task of securing Belgium is likely to be. It is still too early to say if Tuesdays attacks were directly linked to Abdeslams capture. US officials believe they may have been already in the works before his arrest, and was not highly sophisticated or the type of attack that required a huge amount of ingenuity. Nevertheless, Belgium prime minister Charles Michel, who had locked down the capital for days in November after the Paris attacks, warned on Sunday of a real threat. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. While Belgium had believed that another attack after Paris was highly likely, they did not have hard intelligence about where or when such an attack would occur. Reviving arguments over Belgian policies in the wake of the Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed in an operation apparently organised from Brussels, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin spoke of naivete on the part of certain leaders in holding back from security crackdowns on Muslim communities. A politician from Michels party, Didier Ducarme, hit back on French television. He said comments like Sapins are starting to seriously irritate me and said that it was a France-based gunman who killed four at the Jewish Museum in Brussels in 2014. Catching up after years of neglect was always going to be a problem for Belgiums intelligence agency, which has just 600 staff, a third as many as in the neighbouring Netherlands, a country not much larger and with fewer home-grown jihadists fighting in Syria or Iraq. Belgium has supplied the highest per capita number of fighters to Syria of any European nation, and the crowded Brussels borough of Molenbeek has been described as a Jihadist air base because of the number of militant suspects believed to be living there. To follow a single suspect around 24 hours a day without being detected, security agencies need crews of up to 36 officers, US and European officials estimate, meaning even well-staffed agencies such as Britains MI5 can only closely follow a limited number of suspects at any particular time. According to Alain Winants, head of the Belgian intelligence service from 2006 until 2014, Belgium was one of the last places in Europe to obtain modern techniques to gather information, such as telephone taps. On one occasion, police had to deny they let Abdeslam slip due to a law banning house raids at night. Michel has already said he accepts more is needed. The patchwork country divided between French- and Dutch-speakers has a bureaucracy that hinders the sharing of information, with six parliaments for its regions and linguistic communities, 193 local police forces and, in Brussels, 19 autonomous mayors. That allows militants to hide below the radar in a way they cannot in the much more centralised Netherlands, as well as slowing the passing of new laws to rein in the preaching of hate in mosques and a roaring trade in illegal weapons. Nearly 6,000 guns are seized every year in Belgium, more than in all of France, police data shows, often sold by Balkan crime networks to home-grown Belgian jihadists. Belgian authorities have been accused of neglecting Muslims and failing to help find jobs to shield them from people seeking to radicalise desperate young men. Youth unemployment can reach up to 40% in some parts of wealthy Belgium. In an interview broadcast on ITV television, Trump was asked what his message was for British Muslims, after Tuesdays bombings in Brussels. When they see trouble, they have to report it. They are not reporting it. They are absolutely not reporting it and thats a big problem, Trump said. His comments were countered by British interior minister, Theresa May, who said he was just plain wrong to suggest Muslims in Britain were failing to report suspicious activity by extremists. Trump, the front-runner in the race to be the Republican candidate in Novembers presidential election, has made a series of controversial statements during his campaign. His supporters see him as someone who speaks uncomfortable truths, but he has outraged many others in the United States and around the world. Graphic shows timeline of terrorist attacks from Paris to Brussels. Trump, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, said it was a disgrace that one of the suspects behind last Novembers attacks in Paris had been found after a long manhunt in an area of Brussels where he had grown up. He was in his neighbourhood, where he grew up, and nobody even turned him in, and supposedly this is retribution for that. Its a disgrace, he said. Trump said there were signs that an attack by suspected Muslim extremists, in California in December, which killed 14 people, could have been stopped. A lot of people in the community knew they were going to do it, because in their apartment they had bombs all over the floor ... and they didnt report them, he said. I dont know what it is. Its like theyre protecting each other. US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to press president Vladimir Putin on how Russia sees a future political transition in Syria and the fate of president Bashar al-Assad. With a fragile truce in place in Syria and warring sides attending peace talks in Geneva, Kerry wants to get down to brass tacks on the question of Assads future, a State Department official said. While the US wants Assad to step aside, Russia says only the Syrian people can decide his fate at the ballot box and has bristled at any talk of regime change. Kerry is holding talks with Putin at the Kremlin today, in a meeting arranged after the Russian leaders announcement on March 14 he was partially withdrawing his forces from Syria. The secretary would like to now really hear where President Putin is in his thinking on a political transition in Syria, the official said as Kerry arrived in Moscow. Obviously what we are looking for, and what we have been looking for, is how we are going to transition Syria away from Assads leadership, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. After five years of conflict that has killed over 250,000 people and caused the worlds worst refugee crisis, Washington and Moscow reached a deal three weeks ago for a cessation of hostilities and delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged areas. The State Department official said meetings with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would evaluate the status of the ceasefire and try to get on the same page about ending violations and increasing humanitarian assistance. Russia this week threatened to act unilaterally against those who violate the ceasefire unless it reached a deal with the US on ways to detect and prevent truce breaches. The Syrian opposition has accused government forces of renewing sieges and stepping up a campaign of barrel-bombing across the country. In Geneva, where warring sides are a week into talks on ending the conflict, government officials have rejected any discussion on the fate of Assad, who opposition leaders say must go as part of any transition. Spains acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, regional Catalonian government president, Carles Puigdemont, and victim association representatives attended the ceremony outside Barcelonas Terminal 2, on the eve of the accidents first anniversary. All 150 people aboard were killed in the crash, on March 24 last year. Most of the victims were German or Spanish. Czech Republic: At first, their elephant dung was sold to gardeners as fertiliser. Now Prague Zoo has come up with a new use for it: making paper. The zoo has joined forces with the countrys famed hand paper mill in Velke Losiny to process the manure to be used in traditional paper-making techniques. Petr Foucek, a director from Velke Losiny, says the 420-year-old mill has made paper from all sorts of materials but elephant dung is something new for us. Visitors will be able to make their own paper at a new zoo facility starting Friday. The announcement comes almost five years after the zoo began selling elephant dung in 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) containers. The brains behind the project is zoo director Miroslav Bobek, whose surname literally means dung in Czech. Never too old USA: An 80-year-old man who ran a sprawling marijuana-dealing operation that covered several states, with records going back to 1992, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Marshall Dion pleaded guilty last year to drug and money-laundering charges, and this weeks sentencing in Massachusetts was the latest chapter in a long, colourful history with law enforcement. In 1985, he crashed a single-engine plane he was piloting in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, breaking both his ankles. When sheriffs deputies arrived, he was crawling along a muddy field as money floated in the air. The government was allowed to keep nearly $112,000 in cash recovered from the crash scene after a judge found it was likely drug proceeds, but Dion was not charged criminally. When police in Junction City, Kansas, stopped him for speeding in 2013, they found about $828,000 in cash in his pickup truck. A federal investigation led authorities to Massachusetts and Arizona, where they found about $15m in cash, nearly 400 pounds of marijuana and ledgers detailing drug deals going back to 1992. Dion has been in custody since his arrest in 2013, so he has already served 2 1/2 years of his sentence. Dions lawyer, Hank Brennan, said Dion was non- violent and lived a simple life, despite the large quantities of cash his business made. He didnt have that lure of greed and power and oppression. He is a simple man who lived a very routine and habit-filled life, Brennan said after the hearing. Happily wed Britain: Married people are more likely to be satisfied with their lives, new figures show. A higher proportion of married Britons report a very high rating of life satisfaction compared to others, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found. More than a third (34.7%) of people who are married or in a civil partnership rate their life satisfaction as either 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10, according to data from the ONSs measure of national wellbeing in the UK in 2016. This compares to 28.9% of those who were widowed or those who lived with their partner. People who were separated or divorced are the least satisfied, with only 19.5% rating their life satisfaction as very high. Single people were slightly more likely to be very satisfied with their lives, with 21.9% reporting this level of satisfaction. At the other end of the scale, just 2.8% of married people had low life satisfaction compared to one in 10 divorcees. There is a saying, a problem shared is a problem halved so having someone to turn to for company and support in times of need is essential for a persons wellbeing, the ONS report states. Researchers found that 84.1% of people aged 16 and over in the UK had a spouse or partner, family member or friend to rely on if they had a serious problem in 2014 a fall from three years earlier when 86.4% reported they had this level of support. Snakes alive USA: Los Angeles police say diners scattered when a man dropped a 13-foot python on the floor of a sushi restaurant. Officer Drake Madison says the man had argued with an employee and stormed out of Iroha Sushi of Tokyo in Studio City on Sunday evening. Madison says a short time later, the man returned with the giant snake, threw it into the dining room and walked out again. Police responded, and the man was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. Nobody was hurt. The python was taken by animal control officers. Madison says it wasnt immediately clear where the man got the snake but that he likely was the owner. The man has not been identified. Human rights organisations reject the pact between the EU and Turkey to fast-track registration and asylum applications, under which hundreds of new arrivals have been detained since Sunday. Refugees or migrants whose applications fail will be sent back to Turkey. Aid agencies said co-operating with the Greeks at detention centres would make them complicit with an unfair and inhumane practice. Two aid agencies said yesterday they were following the UN refugee agency UNHCR and aid organisation Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), a major contributor to the relief effort, which both announced on Tuesday they would cut back assistance. The IRC alerted the (Greek) coast guard on Monday that we would not transport the worlds most vulnerable people to a place where their freedom of movement is impeded upon, said Lucy Carrigan, a regional spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The IRC will continue to support those at another makeshift camp, she said. The Norwegian Refugee Council, a major non-governmental organisation, said it was suspending most of its activities at a detention centre on the Greek island of Chios. We are extremely close to be in a position where this site is dangerously overcrowded ... We have a large number of refugees including pregnant women and children lying on the concrete floor in the reception hall, said Dan Tyler, a protection adviser for the council. Tension in the facility was building up and there had already been demonstrations, he told Reuters. Thousands of people have been stranded in Greece since a cascade of border shutdowns in the Balkans started in February. There are almost 50,000 refugees and migrants stranded in Greece, the vast majority of them not detained in camps since most arrived before the new EU arrangement came into effect on March 20. Refugees and migrants in Greece staged protests at the countrys border with Macedonia and on islands near the Turkish coast yesterday. Several hundred protesters camped out at the border, disrupted food distribution by charities yesterday, and demanded the border be reopened. Small protests have also occurred at three detention camps on three Greek islands, where arrested migrants and refugees are waiting to be deported back to Turkey. All refugees and migrants arriving in Greece are being arrested since Sunday, when the agreement between Turkey and the EU took effect. Greek officials could not say when the deportations would start, with outstanding legal and practical issues still to be resolved. Although the ceasefire between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces has largely held, none of the political elements including a local election has been implemented. Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who was hosting his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Moscow, told reporters that Kievs inaction is the main stumbling block to a peace settlement in the east. He said Germany had floated an idea of holding an election in the rebel-occupied territories this summer, but Kiev had said no. Fighting in Ukraines industrial heartland, which has close ties to Russia, has killed 9,100 people and left large swathes of land under rebel control. Germany, France, and Russia have mediated talks between representatives of the government and separatists, in Minsk, Belarus, which resulted in a broad cease-fire agreement. Minsk-2 cannot be reviewed, and we should resist attempts to undermine it, Mr Lavrov said. Kiev insists it cannot hold a vote there, because it cannot guarantee security for election officials. Rebels have said they will not allow Ukrainian right-wing parties to run, which the Ukrainian government says makes the election impossible. Mr Steinmeier urged both sides to comply with the partial withdrawal and warned of a possible escalation. Both Mr Steinmeier and Mr Lavrov appeared to be in a jovial mood, and Mr Steinmeier said they both pledged to look for ways to overcome the differences that stand in our way, to find a solution. While both frontrunners scored victories in the nights biggest prize of Arizona, Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders won caucuses in Utah and Idaho and Republican Ted Cruz claimed his partys caucuses in Utah. The victories kept Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump from dominating another election night, but they both maintained a comfortable lead in the race for delegates who will choose each partys nominee at national conventions in July. Long queues and high interest marked primary elections across the three Western states as the world grappled with a new wave of bloody attacks in Europe. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for blasts at the airport and a metro train in Brussels that left dozens dead and many more wounded. This is about not only selecting a president, but also selecting a commander-in-chief, Mrs Clinton said in Seattle as she condemned Mr Trump by name and denounced his embrace of torture and hardline rhetoric aimed at Muslims. The last thing we need is leaders who incite more fear. Mr Trump, in turn, branded Mrs Clinton as Incompetent Hillary in an interview with Fox News as he discussed her tenure as secretary of state. Incompetent Hillary doesnt know what shes talking about, the billionaire businessman said. She doesnt have a clue. Mrs Clinton and Mr Trumps Republican rivals questioned the Republican frontrunners temperament and readiness to serve as commander in chief, and condemned his calls to diminish US involvement with Nato. Addressing cheering supporters in Seattle, Mrs Clinton said the attacks in Brussels were a pointed reminder of how high the stakes are in 2016. We dont build walls or turn our back on our allies, she said, in an apparent reference to Mr Trumps call to build a wall along the Mexican border. Mr Cruz seized on Mr Trumps foreign policy inexperience while declaring that the US is at war with the Islamic State group. He doesnt have the minimal knowledge one would expect from a staffer at the State Department, much less from the commander in chief, Mr Cruz told reporters. The stakes are too high for learning on the job. Mr Trump said he supported Mr Cruzs surveillance proposal 100%. Burma Book Details Coming Struggle to Kick Burmas Drug Habit Burmas struggle to curb the illicit narcotics trade across its border with China and other neighbors is among the major challenges facing the incoming government. The publication of the book, The Chinese Heroin Trade: Cross-Border Drug Trafficking in Southeast Asia & Beyond, could not have been timelier. As members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) are about to take over most ministerial posts in the government in Naypyidaw, this will be one of most difficult issues they will have to face: the flow of illicit narcotics across Burmas borders as well as rapidly increasing drug addiction at home. In this book published last year, Ko-Lin Chin, a Burma-born Chinese who is now a professor at the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University-Newark and Sheldon X. Zhang, professor of sociology at San Diego State University, have done a tremendous job outlining the political realities and the dynamics of the trade in narcoticsheroin as well as synthetic drugs such as methamphetaminesin Burma. Even after decades of international efforts and millions of dollars spent on various UN-sponsored programs, Burma remains the worlds largest producer of illicit narcotics after Afghanistan. Opium poppies are grown in the north and the northeast, and refined into heroin in laboratories in the same areas. In recent years, there has been a shift to methamphetamines, but the production of heroin remains important, and that particular narcotic rather than methamphetamines is smuggled in vast quantities to China, a country that has its own production of crystal meth and, therefore, is not dependent on imports of such drugs. Methamphetamines are smuggled to Burmas other neighbors, Thailand, Laos, India and Bangladesh. The focus of the book by Chin and Zhang is the heroin trade, and it is refreshing to note that their findings differ considerably from the standard view presented by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and its local partner, Burmas Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC). In The United Wa State Party: Narco-Army or Ethnic Nationalist Party?, authored by Tom Kramer and published by the East-West Center, Washington, in 2007, then CCDAC boss Col. Hkam Awng is quoted as saying that powerful syndicates control the narcotics trade, and most [of those] syndicates are Chinese they have good connections and financing from abroad. It is difficult for us to penetrate their circles. This echoes the view of the UNODC, which often attributes its failures to the activities of highly sophisticated international drug syndicates. Chin and Zhang, however, found little evidence to suggest any systematic linkage between drug trafficking and traditional criminal organizations. This observation does not suggest that no individual member of triad societies was ever part of the drug trade. However, we are fairly certain that triad-type criminal organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, or the US are not active players in cross-national drug trafficking operations. The triads would rather risk other, more lucrative investments in China such as nightclubs, the movie industry and the construction business if they dealt in drugs. The drug trade from Burma to and through China, Chin and Zhang argue, is primarily dominated by loosely connected individuals who operate independently of the syndicates. In fact, one would not have to look very far to find those individuals. Some of them are even public figures. This was highlighted when, earlier this year, a contingent from Pat Jasan (prohibit, clear), a community-based Kachin drug abuse eradication network, confronted a local militia led by Zahkung Ting Ying in eastern Kachin State. Ting Ying, a former commander of a local Communist Party of Burma (CPB) unit in Kachin State, made peace with the government in 1989 and turned his force into the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), which now has become a government-recognized Border Guard Force. Moreover, he is a member of the Upper House of the Burma Parliament, and was re-elected in November after banning the NLD from campaigning in his territory. Following the 1989 peace agreement with the government, Ting Ying and his henchmen were allowed to engage in any kind of business, which, in the beginning, was massive timber exports to China. When the forests in their area were gone, they planted poppiesand began producing heroin. They also brought in machinery from China and established a gun factory in their area. The guns, including semi-automatic weapons, are sold mainly to rebel groups from northeastern India. Pat Jasan action was mainly symbolic, to show official complicity in the narcotics business, and that coming in a state ravaged by drug addiction over the past few years. And Ting Ying is not the only present or former parliamentarian whos involved in the drug business. Another is Kyaw Myint, alias Li Yung Shau, the leader of the drug-trafficking Pansay militia and a member of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He served in the Shan State legislature from 2011-16, but did not seek re-election last year. The relationships between militias like Kyaw Myints and the military have been overlooked by various EU diplomats and assorted Western observers who seem to believe that Burmas civil war is being kept alive by rebel forces defending their business interests. Hence, those rebel groups are not interested in signing ceasefire agreements with the government, the narrative goes. In reality, it is the other way around. Groups that have entered into such agreements have been able to prosper economically. This can be seen in the aftermath of the signing of what was meant to be a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement on Oct. 15 of last year. Two of the groups, the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), have since then been given lucrative business opportunities. The powerful United Wa State Army (UWSA), which, like the NDA-K, emerged from the now defunct CPB in the late 1980s, was able to build up its drug empire because it entered into a ceasefire agreement with the government in 1989. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which had a ceasefire agreement with the government from 1994 to 2011, saw many of its officers become rich and corrupt during that period. Since the government broke the ceasefire in June 2011 and launched a massive offensive against the KIA, many, but not all, of those commanders were sidelined and a new, younger leadership whose primary interest is not to make money, has come to the fore. Chin and Zhang do not go into detail about those relationships, but provide us with accounts of the social organization of the traffickers, the retail market in China and even women in the heroin trade. The only weakness here is that the authors seem to underestimate the importance of the drug trade to the Burma economy. They found no evidence that revenues from the drug trade made up a substantial percentage of the countrys overall economy. That may be the case today as Burmas economy has become more diversified, but in the 1990s, drug money provided the then ailing economy with a significant boost, which helped the country survive sanctions, boycottsand gross mismanagement by the ruling junta. In 1989, the Burma government decided that they would no longer confiscate bank deposits and foreign currency earnings of dubious origin deposited locally or brought in from abroad. It opted instead for a whitening tax on questionable repatriated funds, levied first at 40 percent and later reduced to 25 percent. Narco-funds previously held in Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong flooded back into Burma. Proceeds from the drug trade thus helped finance the formation of local companies involved in retail trade, infrastructure development and numerous construction projectsor just to pay for lavish lifestyles. How the new NLD government will tackle the internal as well as external trade in narcotic drugs remains to be seen, and it is an issue that concerns the country as well as China, a major recipient of heroin produced in Burma. Chin and Zhang describe the relationship between China and the Burma nation and people as an ever-evolving love-hate affair, and China has both before and after the November election sent several positive signals to the NLD and its leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But can she deliver? There may, in fact, be little it can do about it as the ministers of defense, home affairs (which includes the police and law enforcement) and border affairs will be appointed by the military, not by any elected body. That does not bode well for the future and the drug trade may well turn out to be yet another issue where it will become obvious that Burmas first democratically elected government in half a century will have very limited power. It could also become an issue where the military will be able to undermine the authority as well as the credibility of the new government. We can only wait and seewhile drugs are pouring out across Burma borders, not only to China but to other neighboring countries as well. The Chinese Heroin Trade: Cross-Border Drug Trafficking in Southeast Asia & Beyond By Ko-Lin Chin and Sheldon X. Zhang New York and London: New York University Press, 2015 320 pages, US$55 Burma One Billion Kyats Worth of Property Lost in Mandalay Fire Mandalays Muncipal Department announces that a fire in Mingalar Market caused over one billion kyats in damage to the building and in lost commodities. MANDALAY The City Municipal Department of Mandalay announced on Thursday that Tuesdays fire in Mingalar Market had destroyed more than one billion kyats (over US$825,000) worth of property. In total, over one billion kyats were lost, including the price of the commodities and the burned section of the building, said the Muncipal Departments statement. The statement also revealed that the market would need to be completely rebuilt as it is currently in danger of collapsing, adding that a temporary market venue would open as soon as possible. An investigation team, which included engineers, inspected the burned building this week and found that it was not strong enough to withstand restoration. The department has decided to demolish it immediately and began reconstruction. The Irrawaddy reported on Wednesday that more than 200 of Mingalar Markets 480 shops had been completely razed by the fire, the cause of which is not yet known. Shop owners said they had hoped that the building could be fixed, rather than re-constructed, as they fear that the contractors will sell them their shop spaces back at increased prices which they will not be able to afford. We will not be able to buy back the new shops after theyve been rebuilt. We dont want to rebuild the market if well only suffer as a result, said Thwe Thwe San, whose grocery store was lost in the fire. Burma Report Calls on NLD to Release Political Prisoners, Despite Challenges A report by Amnesty International calls for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience in Burma, and highlights the reform challenges that lie ahead. RANGOON Burmas new government will face challenges releasing political prisoners and reforming the system responsible for their continued existence when it assumes power next week, says an Amnesty International report released on Thursday. Amnestys report showed increased political detentions and imprisonment over the past two years, and highlighted the challenges the new government will face while the military retains broad control over law enforcement and a repressive legal framework remains intact. The report documented at least 90 current prisoners of conscience, and hundreds of other activists in detention or waiting for their trials to end. Most political prisoners are held for protesting without permission under Article 18 of Burmas Peaceful Assembly Act, or under the Penal Codes Article 505(b), which prohibits spreading statements that are likely to cause alarm or fear to the public, a clause criticized as a vague catch-all for anything the government deems dissent. Despite an air of new openness and reform since President Thein Seins quasi-civilian government took power in 2011, the cycle of politically motivated arrest and release has continued. Since 2011, over 1,100 political prisoners have been released, but these pardons have often been timed to major events, in order to gain international plaudits and political leverage. In August 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs put out a press release that stated, No one is arrested or charged with simply exercising their rights peacefully. And in 2013, Thein Sein promised, By the end of this year, there will be no prisoners of conscience in Myanmar. But he failed to follow through on his promise. And London-based Amnestys research showed a recent backsliding on reforms, and insidious tactics being used to punish students, land rights activists, human rights defenders and other peaceful protestors. These tactics included trying people for multiple offenses or in multiple townships in order to lengthen their sentences. This happened in 2014 to Naw Ohn Hla, who was charged for her involvement in a peaceful protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon, calling for an investigation into a police crackdown on land rights activists at the Letpadaung copper mine. Because the protest took her through five other townships, she was charged and convicted in each township separately. As a result, she is currently serving a sentence of more than five years in prison for participating in a single protest. Members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) have indicated that freeing political prisoners will be among the partys top priorities when it assumes power on April 1. The new NLD-dominated Parliament includes more than 120 former political prisoners. Laura Haigh, Burma researcher at Amnesty, said her organization had high expectations for a swift prisoner amnesty. Bo Gyi, joint secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), said Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and incoming President-elect Htin Kyaw would try to negotiate with the military to release all political prisoners, but that the NLD government would not have much power when handling this issue. Under the countrys military-drafted 2008 Constitution, the army controls the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees the police force and the prisons department. The NLD must work with the Home Affairs Ministry, and success will be difficult without the political willingness of the military commander-in-chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. Bo Gyi added that without addressing the root causes of political repression, such as land confiscation, civil war and judiciary reform, political prisoners would remain a problem. Haigh agreed that the draconian legal code needed to be amended. She said the common refrain from authorities is, We are acting in accordance with the laws. The problem is that these laws do not comply with human rights standards, she said. As long as theyre on the books, we will continue to see arbitrary arrest and detention and politically motivated prosecutions. Both Bo Gyi and Haigh stressed the importance of continued international pressure in resolving these issues. Haigh said the authorities in Burma are susceptible to international pressure, and the more pressure put on the issue, the better to stem these abuses, even if results arent immediate. Commentary Army Picks Loyal Generals to Lead Key Ministries Military leadership handpicks three safe generals for the new cabinet after the appointment of an old regime protege for the vice presidency. Last year, former dictator Snr-Gen Than Shwes favorite grandson Nay Shwe Thway Aung proudly posted a picture of himself and a general sitting together on a domestic commercial flight; it was Lt-Gen Sein Win, Burmas Defense Minister. Sein Win and two other top officials, Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe and Lt-Gen Ye Aung, have been nominated by the military to serve in the new government. Sein Win became the countrys Defense Minister in August of last year and he will maintain the same ministerial position under Burmas new government. Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, former leader of the Southwest Regional Command, will be heading the Ministry of Home Affairs. Lt-Gen Ye Aung, once a military judicial advocate, is to become the Border Affairs Minister. In accordance with Burmas 2008 Constitution, the military has reserved the right to nominate the leaders these three ministries, which are key to national security. Ye Aung, a graduate of the Defense Services Academys 23rd intake, was seen sitting alongside Burma Army commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing at a meeting last month between Aung San Suu Kyi and other military top brass. He is close to Min Aung Hlaing and, it is safe to say, loyal to him. Sein Win graduated from Burmas Officers Training School (OTS) 54th intake and then headed the newly created Air Defense Office under the Ministry of Defense in 2002, long before becoming a defense minister. He is known to be relatively clean, as far as military men go, and those who have worked under him have expressed a deep respect for his leadership and simplistic lifestyle. In his capacity as Defense Minister, Sein Win also attended occasional regional meetings and might therefore be able to potentially relate to other Southeast Asian governments on relevant issues. Also a graduate from the Defense Services Academyintake number 22Kyaw Swe served as a principal within the military institute and later became head of Military Affairs Security. Much of his time in the service took place in Irrawaddy Division, where many former generalsincluding ex-general Shwe Mann, now allied with National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Suu Kyireaped great fortunes through business ventures in the region. When the deadly Cyclone Nargis slammed southern Burma, killing nearly 140,000 people, regional commander Kyaw Swe was stationed there. He is known to have close ties to Than Shwes family, and it was known that the Snr-Gen and other top leaders witnessed the rescue operations under his leadershipoperations which were deeply criticized by international watch groups for a lack of transparency. Yet he was subsequently promoted to the defense ministry. It is significant that Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing handpicked three generals to be in the new cabinet. Interestingly, these appointees have gained no notoriety as military hardliners in local and regional media, perhaps indicating that they represent a safe choice made by the armed forces. While it is still early to draw conclusions, some optimists suggest Min Aung Hlaing is hoping to see how the three generals are able to cooperate with an opposition-controlled administration. The three will also be sitting in the National Defense Security Council (NDSC), a powerful executive body which will have six army representatives and five from the NLD. But there is one rotten fish in both the NDSC and alongside the NLDs President-elect Htin Kyaw and Vice President-elect Henry Van Thio: Vice President Myint Swe, who is also the outgoing chief minister for Rangoon Division, and the military appointee for the leadership role. Many insiders argue that Myint Swes presence in the executive trio is evidence that Than Shwe intervened and selected his protege to serve in the new government, an act which would have been taken to protect Than Shwe familys financial interests and future safety. Myint Swe not only reportedly maintains regular contact with Than Shwes family, he also looks after his business empire and extensive property portfolio, suggesting that their relationship is not just one of loyalty but of maintaining security. Known as a corrupt hardliner, Myint Swe has been involved in past political crackdowns on dissidents and several purges of key leaders in the previous regime. He is still on the American list of Specially Designated Nationals under the Treasury Department, barring him from travel to the US. But in a new government, he may still be Than Shwes safest choice. Than Shwe is known to fear retribution; safety for his family will be a priority once a new NLD-dominated government comes to power. On one occasion, in a private conversation with Suu Kyi, it was reported that his grandson was interested to know how the Lady viewed the familys business empire and their assets. The retired Snr-Gen also held a frank discussion about the countrys state of affairs with Suu Kyi during a meeting in December of 2015. Although it cannot be confirmed, it is widely speculated that Min Aung Hlaing is not pleased to see Myint Swe in the role of the new vice president; now, both Than Shwe and Myint Swe are positioned above him in Burmas military hierarchy. It will be interesting to observe whether Min Aung Hlaing will reshuffle the Defense Ministrys top generals in order to remove those who are still loyal to Than Shwe and Myint Swe. If that happens, Min Aung Hlaing will be preparing to tighten and consolidate his power base in the armed forces, and possibly to step into a more permanent political future. Burma Meet Burmas Next Cabinet The Irrawaddy looks at the selection of ministers put forward by the National League for Democracy and military. The Irrawaddy looks at the 18 ministers put forward by the National League for Democracy (NLD) on Tuesday for 21 leadership positions, of which party leader Aung San Suu Kyi is likely nominated for four. The information below was provided by the NLD or included in official Parliament biographies. Burmas new government will have a total of 21 ministries. Three of theseDefense, Home Affairs and Border Affairswill remain under the control of the military, which will appoint its own ministers. None of the lawmakers in attendance for Thursdays Union Parliament session raised any objection to the 18 names put forward for ministerial posts this week. Aung San Suu Kyi (likely portfolios: Foreign Affairs, Education, Electric Power and Energy, Presidents Office Minister) NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyis presidential aspirations were dashed by the militarys refusal to amend Article 59(f) of Burmas 2008 Constitution. The provision bars her from holding the executive post because her two sons are British citizens, as was her late husband. Nominated for four cabinet positions, some are referring to Suu Kyis role in the new government as that of a super minister. She has been representing Rangoons Kawhmu Township in Parliaments Lower House since 2012 and has been a leader in Burmas pro-democracy movement since she entered politics in 1988. Thura Aung Ko (likely portfolio: Religious Affairs and Culture Minister) Born on April 1, 1948, the long-time Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) central executive committee member was a Lower House MP and chairperson of the Judicial and Legal Affairs Committee during Thein Seins administration. He lost his Chin State legislative seat in the 2015 election to a candidate from the NLD. Thura Aung Ko graduated from Burmas Defense Services Academy and served in the military from 1969 to 1997. He had reached the level of brigadier-general when he then joined the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government and served as deputy minister in the Ministry of Science and Technology and later held the same position in the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Aung Thu (likely portfolio: Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister) Born on July 8, 1955, the NLD lawmaker currently represents Rangoon Constituency (6) in Parliaments Upper House. He is known for his past role as the rector of Rangoon University, and has advocated for a more decentralized education system in Burma. Khin Maung Cho (likely portfolio: Minister for Industry) Born on Nov. 3, 1950 in Meikhtila, Mandalay Division, Khin Maung Cho has a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Rangoon Institute of Technology and is an executive engineer at Super Seven Stars Motor Industry Company Ltd. Kyaw Win (likely portfolio: Planning and Finance Minister) Born on Feb. 23, 1948, Kyaw Win holds a bachelors degree in economics. He spent 20 years working within the National Planning Ministry before joining the Internal Revenue Department and then shifting to business consulting. Currently, Kyaw Win is an NLD lawmaker in the Lower House representing Rangoons Dagon Seikkan Township. Dr. Myint Htwe (likely portfolio: Health Minister) Myint Htwe worked in Burmas Health Ministry from 1976 to 1994 before joining the World Health Organization. He studied at Rangoon University of Medicine, then the Institute of Public Health of the University of Philippines and finally, Johns Hopkins University in the United States, where he earned a doctoral degree in international health and epidemiology. At present, Myint Htwe is a central executive committee (CEC) member of the Myanmar Academy of Medical Science and the vice chairman of the Myanmar Liver Foundation. He is also a member of the Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission. Nai Thet Lwin (likely portfolio: Ethnic Affairs Minister) The 76-year-old ethnic Mon minister is the vice chairman of the Mon National Party (MNP), and is highly respected within the Mon political sphere. Nai Thet Lwin was born in Karen States Kawkareik Township and later went to Moulmein University, from which he holds a bachelors degree in philosophy. Although he did not run for election in 1990, he served as the vice chairman of the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), which won five seats before later evolving into todays MNP. Nai Thet Lwin reportedly has close ties with the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), a coalition of ethnic political parties and an NLD ally. He also reportedly has good relations with leaders of the New Mon State Party (NMSP). Ohn Maung (likely portfolio: Hotels and Tourism Minister) Sixty-eight-year-old Ohn Maung has 40 years of experience in the tourism industry and is the former CEO of Inle Princess Resort, a hotel recognized for practices of corporate social responsibility. From southern Shan State, Ohn Maung was elected as an NLD parliamentarian in his native Nyaungshwe (Yawnghwe) in Burmas 1990 election, but like others from the era, he was not allowed to take office. Ohn Win (likely portfolio: Resource and Environmental Conservation Minister) Born on June 15, 1951, Ohn Win earned a masters degree in watershed management from Colorado State University in the United States. He is a former pro-rector and professor from the University of Forestry in Yezin, near Naypyidaw, Burmas capital. Pe Myint (likely portfolio: Information Minister) Born in 1949 in Thandwe, Arakan State, the ethnic Arakanese earned his medical degree from the Rangoon University of Medicine in 1975. He worked as a general physician until entering the literary sphere in 1988. He is a renowned writer and is particularly known for his translated works on motivation and personal development. He won Burmas national literature award in 1995. Than Myint (likely portfolio: Commerce Minister) Born on Jan. 17, 1943, the 72-year-old joined the NLD in 2012. Than Myint is currently the chairman of the Hlaing Tharyar Township NLD chapter and a lawmaker in the Lower House representing the same area. He has a bachelors degree in economics from Rangoon University and also earned masters and doctoral degrees in the US. In the past, he served in a number of positions within the Ministry of Finance. Thant Zin Maung (likely portfolio: Transportation and Telecommunications Minister) Born on Nov. 15, 1953, Thant Zin Maung has a masters degree in mathematics and was once the general manager of the government-owned Myanmar Railways. He is a Lower House lawmaker representing Monywa in Sagaing Division. Thein Swe (likely portfolio: Minister for Labor and Immigration) Born on Aug. 4, 1949 in Yenangyaung, Magwe Division, Thein Swe is a graduate of the 13th intake of the Defense Services Academy. He holds a diploma certificate in defense studies (National Defense College), an honorary academic doctorate (Japan International Marine Science and Technology Federation) and a post-graduate diploma in law. He was in the service from 1967 to 2003 and rose through the ranks to major general. He served as the Minister for Transport from 2005 to 2010. He is from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), served in the previous Parliament and is a lawmaker in the Lower House for Arakan States Ann Township. Win Khaing (likely portfolio: Construction Minister) Win Khaing graduated from Rangoon Institute of Technology (now Yangon Technological University) and worked for Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise under the Construction Ministry. In 1990, he established United Engineering Co., which still successfully operates today. He is the current chairman of the Myanmar Engineering Society and a member of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC). He is also a member of the National Energy Management Committee (NEMC), Myanmar Industrial Development Committee (MIDC), Myanmar Board of Engineers (MBE), Committee for Quality Control of High-rise Buildings Projects (CQHP), Asean Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) and Asean Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET). Win Myat Aye (likely portfolio: Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister) Born on June 1, 1954, Win Myat Aye is an Upper House lawmaker from Pegu Divisions Constituency (4). He is also a paediatrician and once served as the rector of Magwe University of Medicine. Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe (likely portfolio: Home Affairs Minister) Born on Nov. 27, 1959 in Kyauk Padaung, Mandalay Division, Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe is a graduate of the 22nd intake of the Defense Services Academy and holds a masters degree in defense. He served as principal of the Defense Services Academy, the commander of South West Command, the Military Security Affairs chief and Border Affairs Minister in the previous government. Lt-Gen Sein Win (likely portfolio: Defense Minister) Born on July 24, 1956 in Sagaing Division, Lt-Gen Sein Win is a graduate of the 54th intake of the Officer Training School of the Burma Army and holds a masters degree in defense. He served as chief of the Bureau of Air Defense and was the Defense Minister in the previous government. Lt-Gen Ye Aung (likely portfolio: Border Affairs Minister) Born on June 8, 1960 in Chauk, Magwe Division, Lt-Gen Ye Aung is a graduate of the 23rd intake of the Defense Services Academy and holds a masters degree in defense. He served as the commander of Central Command and is Judge Advocate General in the service. He is also a military representative in the peace talks between the government, ethnic armed groups and the army. Ministers Get Lawmakers OK, Including Nominee With Bogus PhD Despite controversy over a phony doctorate, Parliament approves Kyaw Win as Burmas presumptive minister of National Planning and Finance, along with 17 other cabinet nominees. RANGOON / NAYPYIDAW Despite controversy over a phony doctoral degree, the Union Parliament on Thursday approved Kyaw Win as Burmas presumptive minister of National Planning and Finance, along with 17 other nominees for cabinet posts. After the National League for Democracy (NLD) put Kyaw Wins name forward on Tuesday, media outlets were quick to suss out additional information about the ministerial nominee. Kyaw Wins NLD-provided resume described him as having received a doctoral degree from Brooklyn Park University. Later, however, it emerged that the university was a sham, with the longtime civil servant Kyaw Win apparently one of thousands of degree-seekers duped by Pakistan-based con artists. None of the lawmakers in attendance on Thursday raised any objection to the 18 names put forward for ministerial posts this week. Nyan Win, a senior NLD member, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the accusations against Kyaw Win were groundless because, to his knowledge, Kyaw Win graduated from the university but that it later unexpectedly collapsed. Some people want to exaggerate a small matter. The Hluttaw [Parliament] just approved [Kyaw Win to be finance minister]. What can we do about it? Nyan Win said. Khine Maung Yi, a central executive committee member of the National Democratic Force (NDF) political party and former Lower House lawmaker, told The Irrawaddy that NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi and President-elect Htin Kyaw should rethink Kyaw Wins nomination. Politicians need to be honest. If theyre not even honest about their educational background, how can people believe them? Khine Maung Yi said. This new government was elected by the people, so the government should only be made up of honest people. This is why were dissatisfied with this cabinet formation. Leaders should reconsider [whether Kyaw Win is qualified for the position]. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, Kyaw Win expressed embarrassment at the entire situation. Some time in 2009, I wanted to learn new things, so I searched online and found Brooklyn Park University, which said that it was recognized by the US Department of Education. I registered online and took the exam, recounted Kyaw Win. I was in financial hardship around that time. I had to take the online exam at internet cafes. And I got the certificate in 2010. I was happy and proud to hold a doctoral degree. He added that it was only in 2015 that he discovered that his degree was bogus. That assertion contradicts what he told Agence France-Press, which reported on Wednesday that Kyaw Win only learned of the university scam this week as social media users picked up on it. I was too embarrassed. All I had tried [to achieve] came to nothing. So I removed the doctoral title, he told The Irrawaddy, adding that he wanted todays generation to be careful and to avoid make the same mistake that he did. I forgot to remove that university from my profile when I submitted it [to Parliament], which has now caused trouble, Kyaw Win said. Despite the embarrassing revelation, Maung Aung, a senior economist at the Ministry of Commerce, said the degree was not as much of a concern as was how Kyaw Win would perform in his new role. We need to see his experience, his management style, how he will drive the ministry. This is whats important. We need to see his performance, Maung Aung said. Kyaw Win, an NLD lawmaker from Rangoons Dagon Seikkan Township, received a bachelors degree in economics from Rangoon University and worked as an officer at the Ministry of National Planning from 1972 to 1992 and at the Internal Revenue Department from 1992 to 1997. Since then, he has been an advisor to the NLDs economic committee. Also in for scrutiny this week was the NLDs expected pick for commerce minister, Than Myint. The Myanmar Times reported on Thursday that he had received a doctorate from Pacific Western University (California), an unaccredited institution described as a degree mill in a US congressional investigation. Than Myint defended his educational bona fides, telling the newspaper he had worked seven years to get his degree. With the Union Parliament heavily stacked in favor of the NLD, it remains to be seen whether the legislature will effectively serve as a rubber-stamp for Suu Kyi, who has said she will be calling the shots in the executive branch via her proxy, Htin Kyaw. With Kyaw Win arguably the first test case of lawmakers willingness to challenge the popular party chairwoman, a preliminary verdict would appear to be in. The Irrawaddys Moe Myint contributed reporting. Thursday, March 24th, 2016 (9:19 am) - Score 784 One of the historic problems with improving mobile network (2G, 3G and 4G etc.) coverage has been the fact that local laws often limit their height in order to placate NIMBYs. But this is slowly changing and the Welsh Government are looking to follow suit. Plans are already afoot in England to relax the regulation and allow future masts that can reach up to 25 metres high (well above the previous 15 metre limit) and in Scotland we may even see some that reach 50 metres, which could be very beneficial for those who live in some of the most remote and hilly or down right mountainous areas. In fact there may also be some 50 metre masts in England too if AirBands new Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) broadband roll-out gets the all clear across the Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks (here). But so far Wales has yet to cement a similar policy shift of its own. However this could soon change after the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns, began working with mobile operators in order to propose a relaxation of existing planning regulations. Alun Cairns said (Wales Online): Operators need to invest but also planning and regulation needs to support taller pylons to extend coverage as far as possible and get the number of people using mobile phones higher. Its important Wales is proactive. I want Wales to be in a position where operators find it at least as easy as England to invest. As usual the proposal has plenty of merit, but if a huge new mast goes up down your road then its easy to understand how such developments could cause annoyance within the community. On the other hand weve also seem some fairly small and inconspicuous masts cause problems in Swindon (here). 5 Defining Tech Trends that Will Shape Business This week, Varonis, which specializes in solutions that protect against insider threats, issued a comprehensive report generated from risk assessments the company does over the year. This report pretty much showcased why most companies are breached. It is because they have ineffective security policies and their control over their own data is all but non-existent in many cases. For instance, an average of 9.9M, that is million, files per assessment is accessible by anybody who has employee access rights in the company. And we generally know that generic employee access rights havent been tightly managed in most companies, well, ever. Granted, this is exactly the kind of problem Varonis is expert at solving, which is why it does this report, but the results are frightening. Ransomware Ransomware products include Reveton, Cryptowall, KeRanger, and likely the best-known, CryptoLocker and its derivatives. These products encrypt files and then the attacker asks for money in exchange for a key to get access to your files back. Most recently, a particularly nasty form of ransomware has emerged called Locky; this product spreads to all connected drives, encrypting pretty much everything. This massively increases the risk to the company if access isnt restricted because an infected employee will spread the infection to every infected drive and all of those 9.9 million files identified in the opening paragraph. This puts the following stats in perspective. Average Scary Stats on Encryption Risk The following stats are averages across all of the companies that were evaluated during the last year, which means that half of these firms were worse than this, and some likely far worse. The average folder size is 8.8 million files; if one employee with access to this folder is contaminated with Locky, all files would likely be encrypted. A whopping 28 percent of folders were accessible by every employee, meaning an average of 1.1 million folders could be encrypted by one contaminated employee: ANY contaminated employee. Thirty-one percent of the accounts, on average, were stale, meaning the related employee likely no longer worked at the company or was on some form of extended leave (over 60 days). These all could be insertion points for a variety of attacks. While this has more to do with litigation exposure, compliance and discovery, 2.8 million files had been untouched for six months or longer. Specific Examples of Companies Ransomware Risk In one company, every employee had access to all of 82 percent of the files. Effectively, one infection would put the firm out of business. In another company, two million files containing credit card, Social Security or account numbers were accessible to every employee, creating a huge breach risk. Another firm had 50 percent of the files with everyone permissions, definitely another going out of business scenario, and given that 14,000 folders had sensitive information, this would likely also be true of a more typical breach. Finally, one firm had 146,000 stale users or three times the total number of employees of the typical Fortune 500 company. If there was a breach, the top IT folks, particularly the CSO, would likely be gone as a result because avoiding a charge of negligence would be nearly impossible. On a call with Varonis on this topic, additional stories were shared from this period and previously. Apparently, an admin who was upset (my guess) with their boss or the company was just randomly deleting important files they had access to. A CEOs confidential folder was open to a huge number of employees, creating any number of problems with employees getting access to folders that had peer salary information in them. The worst was a casino, where almost every employee had access to most of the credit card information. Wrapping Up: Protect Your Company from Ransomware Risk Whether you use Varonis or some other firm in this space, getting control over the firms information in the face of increased breaches alone would seem prudent. Most of what Im currently running into these days are insider threats, either from disgruntled employees or, more often actually, stupid mistakes and the result can be catastrophic. Now that ransomware has become a popular way to make a living, this is becoming even more critical; hospitals and even police organizations are being successfully blackmailed. These frightening stats showcase that a lot of folks are currently at risk and a scary number of company could be shot down by one employee being successfully tricked to install something like Locky. Ill leave you with one more story. Back when I worked for IBM, I released a highly sensitive report critical of one of our major products. This report was leaked to our largest customer, who used it as a reason to stop doing business with us. The SVP of Sales personally asked that I be fired. Because Id secretly implemented document tracking on everything I issued (and I owned security for my unit), we were able to trace this leak to the SVPs office; he later left the company to join the competing firm that had, coincidentally, given that file to the customer. Varonis shared a somewhat similar story of an admin who was being fired for lying about deleting an important appointment, but tracking showed that it was actually her boss who had deleted the entry. Sometimes document controls and tracking can save your job; they sure saved mine. Something to ponder over the weekend. Rob Enderle is President and Principal Analyst of the Enderle Group, a forward-looking emerging technology advisory firm. With over 30 years experience in emerging technologies, he has provided regional and global companies with guidance in how to better target customer needs; create new business opportunities; anticipate technology changes; select vendors and products; and present their products in the best possible light. Rob covers the technology industry broadly. Before founding the Enderle Group, Rob was the Senior Research Fellow for Forrester Research and the Giga Information Group, and held senior positions at IBM and ROLM. Follow Rob on Twitter @enderle, on Facebook and on Google+ Boston-based open source company Acquia has announced that it will provide US$500,000 to the community around the content management system Drupal, in order to help in the development of modules that add additional functionality. Drupal is free software developed originally by Belgian Dries Buytaert (seen above) and released under the GNU General Public Licence. The Acquia move has been prompted by the rapid take-up of version 8 of Drupal and the funding will go towards modules for this version. As with many free and open source applications, a community has developed around Drupal, contributing code, modules and advice. Acquia makes its money by selling and servicing websites built with Drupal, with customisations aplenty to suit the customer in question. In 2014, it announced a deal with the Australian federal government to build websites and has developed a modified version of Drupal which is called GovCMS. The Module Acceleration Program has so far seen about 30 modules developed and another 20 are targeted in the next two months. Participants in the program include module maintainers and contributors, freelancers, and development agencies with Drupal practices. A media release from Acquia quoted Buytaert, the chief technology office of the company, as saying: "Community contributions are the heart of every open source project, and Drupal is fortunate to have a community that has more than 35,000 active contributors, led by many of the worlds most well known brands. "Together the community delivered our most significant release with Drupal 8, building the framework for organisations to deliver contextual, multilingual, and multi-channel digital experiences." An Acquia spokesperson said community contributors would be paid an hourly rate between half and one third of what they would charge clients. The progress of module development can be followed here or on Twitter. And millions of rate payers need to interact with them automation and engagement are high priorities to reduce labour costs and rates. Civica has announced a major update to its flagship Australia & New Zealand local government software platform, Civica Authority, version 6.11. This includes the first of a series of smartphone apps created for council workers. Called Actus, the app allows residents to be updated on the timing/status of repairs and other work in real time by linking CRM systems to council workers in the field. It also allows council employees to automatically receive task updates, job scheduling, resident information, order parts or seek further instruction without having to return to the depot. Besides the app, the update includes a range of other new and enhanced software modules for local councils. Civica is ANZs biggest local government services and software supplier, with more than 270 local councils using the Authority platform. Matt Burgess, managing director, Civica Local Government Solutions said Civica Actus would improve flexibility and responsiveness of local government workforces. Councils throughout Australia and New Zealand are constantly looking to reduce time, improve ratepayer satisfaction and lower cost; however, that is very hard when your workforce is tethered to a desk, said Burgess. Civica Authoritys new mobile CRM tools are a more effective way for local governments to communicate across the organisation and provide better service to residents. They provide greater visibility and accountability which in turn delivers a higher level of customer service. Im also delighted to say we have our first sale, to City of Rockingham in Western Australia, following a preview of the solution, he added. Actus is the first in the Authority Connect series of apps being developed by Civica. The app connects remotely-based (field-workers) council workers with customer request management software. The advanced collaboration tool allows council workers to receive task updates, job scheduling and other critical information on smartphones, tablets and laptops, without having to return to the council depot. Residents can also be provided with status updates in real time. Civica Authority solution offers more than 40 modules that deliver a single integrated solution for councils based around a single view of the customer. According to a recent survey of 250 civic leaders conducted by the UTS Centre for Local Government in partnership with Civica, 85 per cent of councils will look to deploy mobile working solutions within the next ten years. Enhancements to Authority Numerous enhancements as part of Authoritys scheduled roadmap of ongoing development were also announced today including Utility Billing, Online Timesheet, Facilities Booking and BPOINT Integration. Authority 6.11 includes enhancements across many modules including Accounts Receivable, Asset Management, CRM, Records Management and many more as detailed below: Strata Plan document attachment Accounts Receivable - AR receipt payment allocation Assets - CVR Depreciation only posting Assets - CVR Movements report Customer Request Management (CRM) - My Tasks Customer Request Management (CRM) - VoIP Integration Customer Request Management (CRM) - GIS Integration HP Records Manager to CRM Integration HP Records Manager - Support and Integration Field Mapping General Ledger - Finance Module attachments Infringements - Automated Infringement Poster Payroll - Online Leave Certificates and Work Patterns Receipting - BPOINT Hosted Web Page Facility and Automated Agency Receipting Facility Server Performance - Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Certification Work Order Enquiry MasterPlan - Integration to Authority Cemetery - User Definable Fields The wide range of features added to Authority and its modules during the update demonstrates Civicas ongoing commitment and support for ANZs most trusted local government software platform, Burgess said. Module enhancements released as part of the Civica Authority 6.11 update include: Utility Billing: provides comprehensive management facilities of metered services such as water and gas to residents. The module incorporates the ability to apply separate charges to owners and/or tenants and can automatically update accounts following ownership changes. The Utility Billing module also integrates with mobile meter reading devices, including full reading route and meter location information. Online Timesheet: replaces paper-based timesheet processes with online employee entry, manager timesheet approval and new management functions for payroll officers. By shifting timesheet entry and processing online, local governments can reduce administration time, errors and double-handling. Online Timesheet can also be used by employees such as planners and design engineers to allocate their time to specific work orders or General Ledger Accounts. Facilities Bookings: centralises the management of facility bookings in a single online location. Councils can display details of function rooms, sporting venues, meeting rooms and other facilities online and show booking availability. Residents can book and pay for facilities via direct debit or credit card, without the need to contact the customer support centre or facility manager. BPOINT Integration: councils can now use the Commonwealth Banks BPOINT payment gateway within Authority eServices, including an automated agency receipting facility. eService payment functions including shopping carts, online applications, animal registrations and online certificates can now be redirected to the BPoint Hosted Payment Page to accept payments. eServices redesign: The new Authority eServices user interface incorporates a contemporary screen design and usability features. Each screen is now web responsive which takes the public users device into account when rendering the transaction. This facilitates the entering of a customer request on a device or making a payment to council. Key features of Civica Actus include: Real-time task update: field workers can update the progress of tasks in real time, automatically updating other council staff and customer service representatives. Checklists and commentary fields provide detailed information on task progress from their mobile device to a central server. Auto synchronisation and offline access to data: full online and offline working enables council staff to be productive and continue working in remote/regional areas and synchronize upon reconnection. Work scheduling: council workers can schedule a variety of tasks based on geographic location, job type, task requirement and available resources. This ensures improved mobility and better prioritisation of important jobs. Multimedia sharing: images, videos and sound clips taken from smartphones and other devices can be automatically linked and shared from the field. Secure access: only an authenticated Actus user can access local government data. Workers must provide a username and password to authenticate them. When authenticated, they can only access data relevant to their role. Civica Actus is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices. It can be downloaded by councils from the app stores after receiving activation codes from Civica. OKI has added Ingram Micro to its distribution chain following the appointment of specialist print services provider Dove Electronics earlier in March. Although Ingram Micro has been distributing OKI products in New Zealand for over 20 years, the relationship between the two companies was conducted via Comworth Technologies, OKIs master distributor up until October last year. The new direct distribution agreement between OKI NZ and Ingram Micro NZ will provide the distributor with access to the full range of OKI products and consumables. At the same time, Ingram Micro will now be able to assist businesses that are looking to value-add channel partners who can provide them with a choice of great quality product and consistency of service to better support their organisations. Paul Griffin, Business Manager Print, Ingram Micro, said, Although this is a new agreement between the two companies Ingram Micro actually has a very long and successful history with OKI. The company has great quality products and extensive A3 and A4 colour multi-function printer options with an attractive cost per copy for customers across a variety of industries from SMEs to larger industrial market companies. Also, OKI offers structured dealer pricing, a great new rebate program as well as strong account management and technically skilled people on the ground here in New Zealand. In addition, we have found that the companys three-year product warranty and seven-day Try OKI program is an appealing market advantage, he added. OKI offers distribution partners many benefits including marketing support, hands-on technical training, online training via OKI Academy, and the chance to be part of the annual OKI Club incentive trip. Ingram Micro has long been recognised as one of the leaders in the IT channel and were delighted to be working with the company in its own right in New Zealand, said Greg Mikaelian, Oceanic Sales Manager, OKI Data Australia & New Zealand. They have an extensive sales force throughout New Zealand offering great customer service and we look forward to supporting the team through joint marketing efforts, sales support and technical expertise. Earlier this month, OKI announced the appointment of Chris Thorley as New Zealand Channel Manager. Based in Auckland, Thorley is tasked with supporting the companys distributor and reseller network as well as identifying new potential partners to drive future growth among enterprise business organisations. He has more than 15 years experience in the printer industry working for both vendors and within channel-based organisations. Spark intends to use the spectrum to extend its fixed wireless product offerings. The Commission separately considered whether the acquisition would affect competition for urban and rural broadband customers. But, Commission Chair Dr Mark Berry said the Commission was satisfied that the acquisition will not have, or would not be likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition in the affected markets. Although this acquisition may lead to Craig not expanding their wireless services, access to the spectrum will enable Spark to provide a wireless alternative for rural customers and those urban customers currently unable to access fibre internet.As a result, this acquisition may have some pro-competitive effects in the market and improve the quality of service to customers on poor quality copper lines. The main competitive tension in broadband markets would also continue.Prior to completion of the transaction, Spark will be required to enter into a Management Rights Agreement with the Crown that commits to implementing a FWA service with coverage of at least 30% of the population in 15 local authority areas using the 2300MHz Management Rights.Spark intends to use the 2300MHz spectrum as the preferred band for FWA services using LTE technology and its existing cellular towers and network infrastructure. Customers will receive the BoLTE/VoLTE service in their homes/businesses using a LTE broadband modem that will enable them to connect computers, land line phones and other networked devices. Apple vice-president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller has been soundly criticised on a few websites including iTWire for some of his comments at the product launch on Monday, US time. Schiller (seen above during his presentation) has been slammed as being insensitive, out of touch with reality and elitist. Of course, given that we have thousands of social justice warriors lurking on Twitter, such statements as his get needlessly magnified. People who have nothing to do but find offence will always find plenty of things about which to get offended. The words that gave offence were these: "Windows PCs were originally conceived of before there was an internet, before there was social media, before there was app stores, and this is an amazing statistic: There are over 600 million PCs in use today that are over five years old. This is really sad. It really is." Judge for yourselves whether it was meant to be offensive or not; the whole thing is here, with the "offensive" bit starting around 46:00. Schiller did not say that there were not a whole stable of Apple products that were built before the internet became something used all over the world. Of course, there were. Windows PCs are not known for their great design; they are clunky, clumsy and painful to assemble. Apple, on the other hand, makes elegant products that are really a pleasant sight to behold, be it on the inside or outside. I have opened plenty of these devices and I have also built close to 200 PCs myself. And so, a whole family of advertisements has been built up, casting the PC as primitive and the Mac or Apple as sleek and sexy. Visually, I can't argue with that. Even when I rebuilt my test PC two months back because the motherboard died I still had to fit the thin wire leads for the hard disk LED, the power supply, the reset button, the speaker and the case USB connectors with my own fingers into a very tight space. PC design, even if you buy an expensive case and I have two at home has not progressed a great deal and that's a fact. The fact that there are more than 600 million PCs running Windows that are five years and older is not due to any great generosity on the part of Microsoft. The company's strategy has always been to gain marketshare so that it could set standards and then manipulate them subtly so that it had a tactical advantage. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' views on piracy are well-known: "Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software... Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade." Remember, we are talking about a company that has been convicted of monopolistic behaviour. This is not some innocent wide-eyed start-up. Now if I make a statement that there are more than 300 million people in my country of origin, India, who live below the poverty line and here we are talking of one US dollar a day and add that this is really sad, am I poking fun at them? No, not in the least. Schiller's statement was made in this spirit. The audience laughed but then English is an ambiguous language and where one person sees mud, the other may see stars. It is nothing over which to get one's undies in a knot. Meta-socials live their lives addicted to five or more social media and sharing apps some have more than double that. Life it a continuous challenge to monitor all these channels. What if one app could aggregate them all? Thred , a new start-up recognised by Microsoft via its BizSpark+ Program may solve all these issues. It aims to address all major global social media platforms allowing instant access to all social media friends, followers, feeds and contacts in a simple unified way, with the potential to connect billions of social media users. Although largely device and operating system agnostic, Thred has worked with Microsoft to use its Office365 graph API to provide Thred messaging platform access to Office 365 data including Microsofts mail, calendars and contacts to provide better service for business users. In respect of this new partnership, Thred CEO and Co-founder David Whitaker said, "We are so pleased to be working with Microsoft, who have been both generous and inclusive. This is a significant development and marks a new direction for Thred and we are excited at the prospect of having Thred integrate with Microsofts products." It is a web-based messaging platform and mobile app specialising in cross-platform communication systems. It has developed several proprietary engines and systems that unify and centralise user contacts and social groups whilst simultaneously providing a centralised communication hub. It is also developing machine learning engines that learn users preferences to provide a more targeted and satisfying messaging and sharing experience. Any content (for example, documents, links, video, spreadsheets, PowerPoints, etc.,) can be easily shared, commented on (both across a Thred group or privately within the group), archived, searched and outputted for later review or furthering of the conversation. It could be the logical answer to how people manage the range of our diverse profiles and groups across multiple social platforms. How to easily create and monitor a private group discussion with friends from networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Weibo and LinkedIn at the same time as using SMS and email addresses uniquely allowing a two-way communication stream between them all Thred does not to compete with existing messaging apps or social networks you still need to join the ones you want - but an overlay that reshapes the way you use the huge range of these apps to create more meaningful and valuable connections between people. Thred, as a start-up, is lodging a Prospectus to raised $5m week beginning 14 March 2016. Today Mostly clear skies. Gusty winds during the evening. Low 63F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight Mostly clear skies. Gusty winds during the evening. Low 63F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tomorrow Sunny skies. High 81F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Library bond unanimously approved Voters waited in line for 45 minutes Tuesday to participate in an eight-minute meeting that resulted in the unanimous approval of a $600,000 bond to help renovate the North Road... Ferryboat business told to halt operations The ferryboat company operating from the municipally owned docks at East Ferry is illegally using that space, according to correspondence mailed to business owner Bill Munger. Town Administrator Jamie Hainsworth... A DOGGONE NEW BUSINESS A former business that used to clean peoples clothes is reopening as a groomer to tidy up the fur of those peoples four-legged companions. The defunct laundromat at the McQuades... As part of the company's efforts to continuously provide the best tools to their consumers, Microsoft announced today the newest capabilities for their Power BI. The Power BI is now equipped with a cloud-based analytics service targeting non-technical business users. This makes the it more enterprise-ready. The Power BI was revamped last year to make it more appealing and useful not only to the business rank and file but also to other consumers. The tool now has more intelligent data exploration capabilities and deeper integration with Excel. During the first-ever Microsoft Data Insight Summit held in Bellevue, Washington, the company revealed that the new Power BI helps "facilitates the analysis and visualization of Big Data and 'ordinary' data, coming from sources such as Excel spreadsheets, on-premise data stores, Hadoop datasets, streaming data and cloud services." With this tool, users now have the ability to pin directly from Excel. Executive James Phillips said in a Power BI blog post that with Power BI, "Insights can be taken directly from the Excel desktop to Power BI dashboards, which will keep tiles on the dashboard up to date to help track your important data." The newest features of the Power BI is the results of the company's constant addressing of customer feedbacks and suggestions. Phillips said that the user community has helped shape the new product. ADTMag reported that the product's introduction of "more than 265 new features resulting from some 45,000 User Voice votes and other feedback." However, this is not the end for the upgrades and development, Phillips assured the users. "The notion of data proliferation and its intersection with the cloud is really the first tenet of modern BI." "Moving from data to insights that inform intelligent action is the second, referring to the ability to engage and interact with data in new, intuitive and natural ways," he added. "This deepens intelligent data exploration by redefining how we experience data and have access to intelligence without requiring deep technical knowledge, such as through speech and other intuitive and convenient methods." The recent attacks rendered in Brussels, Belgium has led to devastating consequences for its business sector. It has been mentioned that Starbucks had stopped all of its operations in the area owing to the bombing incident. According to a report from Seeking Alpha, one of the main reactions of the coffee shop is to close down operations and along with that move, the local jobs of the people were placed at risk. The same report added, "The explosion at the airport occurred just outside a Starbucks store, although there's no official report on the exact location of the incident." Given the fact that the company operates 12 stores all across the Belgium, the massive shutdown caused worries and anxieties for its employees. In a post from USA Today, it has been affirmed that one of the company's employee was injured during the bombing incident. In line with that, the Seattle-based coffee firm released its official statement stating, "We are deeply saddened by the senseless acts that have taken place in Brussels today. This store and all other Starbucks stores in Belgium will remain closed until further notice." It stands to reason that the bombing incident that had baffled Brussels, Belgium affected not only those that were within the bombing proximity but the economy of the region is taking a downturn as well. To prove the latter, one post from Jobs & Hire revealed that even the U.S. shares on its airlines as well as the travel stocks were affected as well. With the closing of the Starbucks stores all across Belgium, it remains uncertain as to when workforce and its people can resume working and gain back the lost revenues from the last couple of days. Will Microsoft's Surface Phone give the Apple iPhone a run for its money? New reports are definitely making noise about the tech giant's latest offering. Microsoft has been one of technology's greats. The brand has been almost synonymous to computers in the 90s and the early 2000s, and has definitely left a mark in the world today. However, the company is know exploring other ways to affect change in the society with technology. According to latest reports, Microsoft will be launching noteworthy gadgets in the form of mobile devices and tablets that will definitely rival competition like Apple, Google and Samsung. Case in point, the Surface Phone. This newest gadget is rumored to be released by October 2016. But the greater thing about its release is that it will be launched together with two more gadgets- the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2. "The Surface Phone is expected to be the apex business phone, and Microsoft is likely moving the Blackberry route now tapping into the niche of business users," News Independent noted. "The Surface Phone is likely to come out bundled with various productivity applications." Some of the phone's notable features include a 6 to 8GB of RAM, up to 500GB of internal storage and a continuum liquid cooling technology. This early, rumors are rife that the phone will be offered at $700 to $1200. What do you think about the Microsoft Surface Phone? Stay tuned for more release date updates here! Winston-Salem Council Member Vivian Burke has begun talks with disgruntled employees in the citys finance department in an effort to get to the bottom of accusations of racial bias. Those accusations surfaced last fall after city council members and other city officials received copies of an anonymous letter alleging that black employees in the finance department were not given the opportunity to be considered for promotions. That letter appealed to Burke for help, but at the time Burke deferred meeting with employees in favor of an approach the city tried of having employees meet with department head Lisa Saunders individually or in groups without supervisors present. Since then, another anonymous letter has surfaced, addressed to Burke. In it, the writer says that employees were afraid to voice their concerns to Saunders out of fear of losing their jobs, The writer goes on to say that if Burke wont meet with employees, it means that Burke is afraid. Burke made a public appeal Tuesday during a committee meeting for disgruntled finance department employees to voice their concerns to her. I cannot help you ... if you do not tell what needs to be told, Burke said. It would be a waste of time for me to continue to meet with you if you are not willing to stand up. And so I am encouraging you to think about what you want to do, and when you hear from the city manager ... I will be the one that you will be meeting. I will not call any names ... and it will be confidential. At the March 14 council meeting, Burke responded to the charge that she was afraid to tackle the issue. I dont know why someone would send me a letter and have the nerve to say I am afraid, Burke said. But she also said the citys plan to have employees talk with Saunders was bound to fail. If you have employees that a person is not comfortable with and you send their boss in there, what are they going to say? Nothing! Burke said. Saunders said Wednesday that she discussed anything anybody wanted to talk about when meeting with employees but that no problem along the lines mentioned in the anonymous letters surfaced. You cant address a problem if you dont know what it is, Saunders said. When the latest anonymous letter was received, City Manager Lee Garrity initially decided to bring in an outside consulting firm, but then decided to let Burke try a meeting with employees. Burke said Wednesday that bringing in an outside consultant might not help because employees would be reluctant to talk openly to that person, too. She added that the meetings she has had leads her to believe that the city can make improvements in treating employees fairly, but added that she still needs to meet with more employees to get a full picture of the situation. Asked if she believes that any employees are being racially discriminated against, Burke said she is praying on that one. I had a discussion with the city manager and I said I hope we are not going backward, Burke said. If he is a city manager for all the citizens, he will meditate and think about making changes that will be fairer. RALEIGH Major corporations took stands Thursday against a new North Carolina law that bans anti-discrimination measures based on sexual orientation and gender identity and requires transgender people to use public bathrooms that match their birth certificates. American Airlines, which operates its second-largest hub in Charlotte; the biotech company Biogen, which manufactures pharmaceuticals in Research Triangle Park; and payments processor PayPal, which last week announced plans to hire 400 people in Charlotte, were among the corporations condemning the new law. "We believe no individual should be discriminated against because of gender identity or sexual orientation," American Airlines spokeswoman Katie Cody said. "Laws that allow such discrimination go against our fundamental belief of equality and are bad for the economies of the state in which they are enacted." The impact on North Carolina jobs will take time to quantify, but Democrats warned that North Carolina risks losing billions in federal education dollars by conflicting with Title IX anti-discrimination regulations that apply in public schools. The NCAA, which is scheduled to hold men's basketball tournament games in Greensboro in 2017 and Charlotte in 2018, also said it's monitoring the situation and takes diversity into account when it chooses its event sites. "Our commitment to the fair treatment of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, has not changed and is at the core of our NCAA values. It is our expectation that all people will be welcomed and treated with respect in cities that host our NCAA championships and events," the organization's statement said. Supporters of the law signed by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory Wednesday night say it protects all people from having to share bathrooms with people who make them feel unsafe. Advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights call the law a "devastating" setback that they may try to challenge in court. Determined to undo a Charlotte ordinance that would have protected transgender people who use restrooms aligned with their gender identity, the North Carolina legislature convened a special session to produce the new law, which prevents all cities and counties in the state from passing their own anti-discrimination rules. The new law also prohibits local governments from requiring businesses to pay workers more than the state's minimum wage, currently set at $7.25 an hour. McCrory had sought a bill dealing exclusively with bathrooms, but signed it anyway. Critics of the Charlotte ordinance, which would have taken effect in North Carolina's largest city on April 1, focused on its language involving transgender people and restrooms. McCrory, who was the mayor of Charlotte for 14 years, said the new law was "passed by a bipartisan majority to stop this breach of basic privacy and etiquette." Republicans and their allies said they had to protect the safety of women and children, arguing that any man perhaps even a sex offender could enter a woman's restroom or locker room simply by calling himself transgender. "It's common sense biological men should not be in women's showers, locker rooms and bathrooms," said GOP Rep. Dean Arp of Monroe before the House voted 82-26 in favor. Although 12 House Democrats joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill, all Senate Democrats walked out in protest, leaving Republicans to voice unanimous approval. "We choose not to participate in this farce," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue of Raleigh said. Gay rights leaders and transgender people said the law demonizes them and espouses bogus claims about risks in bathrooms to defeat a much broader range of protections, denying lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people the right to get a hotel room, hail a taxi or dine at a restaurant without fear. Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who pressed for the anti-discrimination ordinance, said in a statement that the General Assembly "is on the wrong side of history." McCrory countered that Roberts and the city council had overreached into "the most personal of settings." Ordinance supporters and opponents spoke to legislators in House and Senate committees. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, Donna Eaton of Cary told lawmakers, but she worried that Charlotte's ordinance would "open the door for people with malicious intent who would masquerade as transgenders to come in and actually take advantage and have access to our kids." Skye Thompson, 15, of Greenville, who was born female but now identifies as male, told senators that requiring him to use a woman's restroom puts his life in danger: "I've dealt with bullying my whole life and now I worry that my own state lawmakers are bullying me as well. I feel bullied by you guys," Thompson said. Bathroom use has proved to be a potent wedge issue for opponents of gay rights protections around the country since Houston's anti-discrimination law was overwhelmingly voted down in a referendum last year, but LGBT advocates have had some victories, too. South Dakota's legislature failed to override Gov. Dennis Daugaard's veto of a bill requiring students to use bathrooms corresponding to their birth gender, and a similar bill in Tennessee bill died Tuesday. RALEIGH Sparked by backlash to Charlotte's ordinance allowing transgender people to use restrooms aligned with their gender identity, the North Carolina legislature reined in local governments with a broad bill that prevents cities and counties from passing their own anti-discrimination rules. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed the legislation Wednesday night, dealing a blow to the LGBT movement after success with protection in cities across the country. The Republican-controlled General Assembly took action Wednesday to invalidate Charlotte's ordinance after city leaders last month approved the broad anti-discrimination measure. Critics focused on language in the ordinance involving transgender people and restrooms. McCrory, who was the mayor of Charlotte for 14 years and had criticized the local measure, signed the legislation that he said was "passed by a bipartisan majority to stop this breach of basic privacy and etiquette." Although 12 House Democrats joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill in the afternoon, later all Senate Democrats in attendance walked off their chamber floor during the debate in protest. Remaining Senate Republicans gave the legislation unanimous approval. "We choose not to participate in this farce," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue of Raleigh said after he left the chamber. Senate leader Phil Berger of Eden said the Democrats' decision to leave was a "serious breach of their obligation to the citizens that voted to elect them." Republicans and their allies have said intervening is necessary to protect the safety of women and children from "radical" action by Charlotte. There have been arguments that any man perhaps a sex offender could enter a woman's restroom or locker room simply by calling himself transgender. "It's common sense biological men should not me be in women's showers, locker rooms and bathrooms," said GOP Rep. Dean Arp of Monroe before the chamber voted 82-26 for the legislation after nearly three hours of debate. Gay rights leaders and transgender people said the legislation demonizes the community and espouses bogus claims about increasing the risk of sexual assaults. They say the law will deny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people essential protections needed to ensure they can get a hotel room, hail a taxi or dine at a restaurant without fear. "McCrory's reckless decision to sign this appalling legislation into law is a direct attack on the rights, well-being and dignity of hundreds of thousands of LGBT North Carolinians and visitors to the state," Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement. Civil liberties groups pledged to push for repeal and were weighing legal options. A Thursday evening rally was planned. GOP leaders scheduled the one-day session at the cost of $42,000 because Charlotte's ordinance was set to take effect April 1. Otherwise, the legislature wouldn't have returned until late April. Current Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who pressed to get the anti-discrimination ordinance approved, said she was appalled by the legislature's actions. "The General Assembly is on the wrong side of progress. It is on the wrong side of history," Roberts said in a statement. But McCrory said in a release "the basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings" was violated by "government overreach and intrusion" by Roberts and the city council. The law bars local governments statewide from prohibiting discrimination in public places based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A new statewide nondiscrimination law included doesn't contain those specific protections. It directs all public schools, government agencies and public college campuses to require bathrooms or locker rooms be designated for use only by people based on their biological sex. They can offer single-occupancy facilities. Transgender people who have transitioned to the opposite sex wouldn't be affected if they get their birth certificate changed. Democrats said the measure makes North Carolina less inclusive and interferes with local governments. They say the state could also risk billions in federal education dollars with the school policy. Ordinance supporters and opponents spoke to legislators in House and Senate committees. They included Skye Thompson, 15, of Greenville, who was born female but now identifies as male. He told senators they were putting him in danger by requiring use of a women's restroom. "I've dealt with bullying my whole life and now I worry that my own state lawmakers are bullying me as well. I feel bullied by you guys," Thompson said. Donna Eaton of Cary said everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect but is worried that without Wednesday's legislation "it's going to open the door for people with malicious intent who would masquerade as transgenders to come in and actually take advantage and have access to our kids." Legislation requiring transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding with their birth gender have failed recently. South Dakota's legislature failed to override Gov. Dennis Daugaard's veto and a similar bill in Tennessee bill died Tuesday. The new law also would also make clear local governments can't require area businesses to pay workers above the current minimum wage, with some exceptions. McCrory said that although items beyond the bathroom-related provisions in the legislation should have waited until later this spring for debate, he signed it anyway because it doesn't change existing rights under state or federal law. President Obama went sightseeing in Old Havana, savoring the adulation of pro-regime crowds welcoming him on streets that had been whitewashed for his visit. But a few hours before his arrival, the true nature of the dictatorship he is embracing reared its ugly head, as hundreds of uniformed security personnel attacked and arrested peaceful protesters leaving Palm Sunday Mass. A group of dissidents known as the Ladies in White was met outside Havanas Santa Rita church by an organized crowd of Castro loyalists shouting insults and revolutionary slogans. Then, The Post reports, Castros secret police pounced on the women and half-dragged, half-carried them to waiting buses, while men marching with the women were chased, thrown to the curb and handcuffed. As they were arrested, the crowd chanted This is Fidels street! This was a slap in the face to President Obama a display intended to send a clear message that, despite his normalization of relations, nothing has changed in Cuba. How little respect do the Castro brothers have for Obama? This month, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes met in Miami with Carlos Amel Oliva, head of the youth wing of a major dissident organization on the island. When Oliva returned to Cuba, he was detained by the regime for antisocial behavior. His was just one of 526 political detentions in the first two weeks of March leading up to Obamas trip. Obama had promised not to visit Cuba under such conditions. In 2014, Obama said he would visit Cuba only if I with confidence can say that were seeing some progress in the liberty and freedom, adding: If were going backwards, then theres not much reason for me to be there. Im not interested in just validating the status quo. Well, Mr. President, Cuba is heading backwards. Repression on the island has increased dramatically since Obamas new policy of engagement with the Castro regime was announced. According to Amnesty International, political detentions in Cuba are at the highest level in many years and Cuban human rights activists are at increased risk of detention or harassment from the authorities. Last December, 126 Cuban former political prisoners wrote Obama a letter to report that Violent beatings against activists peacefully assembling have escalated and worsened over 2015. Politically motivated arbitrary detentions in Cuba as of the end of November 2015 are [at] a documented total of 7,686 and are on track to break the previous record set in 2014 with 8,899 arrests. Over the course of this year, the number of detentions have escalated: 178 in January; 492 in February; 610 in March; 338 in April; 641 in May; 563 in June; 674 in July; 768 in August; 882 in September; 1,093 in October; and 1,447 in November. We the undersigned are political prisoners who collectively have served 1,945 years in prison for resisting the Castro dictatorship and fighting for democracy in our homeland of Cuba, they wrote, adding: Based on our history and experience as political prisoners under Castros totalitarian regime, the new Cuba policy established by your Administration has been a regrettable mistake. This will prolong the life of the dictatorship, is worsening the human rights situation there, marginalizing the democratic opposition and compromising US national security. Despite this increased political repression and despite his own promise not to validate this repression by visiting while it persists the president is in Havana anyway. Well, maybe Obama is planning to use his visit in Havana to deliver a tear down this wall message? Dont hold your breath. According to Rhodes, the United States is no longer in favor of an end to the Castro regime. Speaking to reporters before Obamas visit, Rhodes said: The difference here is that in the past, because of certain U.S. policies, the message that was delivered in that regard either overtly or implicitly suggested that the U.S. was seeking to pursue regime change, that the U.S. was seeking to essentially overturn the government in Cuba or that the U.S. thought that we could dictate the political direction of Cuba. Obamas message in Havana, Rhodes said, is that the United States is not a hostile nation seeking regime change and the president will make very clear that thats up to the Cuban people. Good God. Obamas message to the Cuban people is that we dont want regime change in Havana? And why is a senior White House official echoing regime propaganda that the U.S. thought that we could dictate the political direction of Cuba? There is only one thing stopping the Cuban people from choosing the political direction of Cuba and that is the Castro regime. Cuba is, along with North Korea, the most repressive totalitarian regime left on the face of the earth. Obamas visit is a betrayal of the dissidents on the island who are risking their lives for democracy and human rights. As Guillermo Farinas, a dissident journalist and winner of the European Unions 2010 Sakharov Prize for human rights, put it after normalization was announced: We live in daily fear that we will be killed by the fascist government. And now, the U.S. our ally turns its back on us and prefers to sit with our killers. All Politics Blog From Milwaukee, Madison and beyond, a daily dose of political news and glimpses behind the scenes SHARE By of the Campaigning for her mother in Milwaukee on Thursday, Chelsea Clinton decried the "normalization of hate speech" in the GOP presidential campaign and a call for police monitoring of Muslim neighborhoods, while also touting Hillary Clinton's ability to work with Republicans. The visit to the Clinton campaign office on Milwaukee's north side was one of three Wisconsin stops planned for Thursday by the 36-year-old Clinton, who is expecting her second child this summer. "I think this normalization of hate speech, the racism, the sexism, the Islamophobia" and other rhetoric, Clinton said, without naming any of the GOP presidential candidates, will lead to bad policy proposals such as police surveillance of Muslim neighborhoods in America. "This is not our country," she said. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz -- who campaigned in the Milwaukee area on Wednesday, as did GOP candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich -- called for such police monitoring earlier this week. Clinton said her mother has a record of being able to work with Republicans. Asked in a session with reporters afterward if such cooperation is possible given the polarized political climate, she said the 1990s -- when Bill Clinton was president and Hillary Clinton was first lady -- was also a highly contentious time. Clinton noted there were government shutdowns and other conflict then. She said her mother was able to work, for example, with conservative former congressman Tom DeLay on foster care issues. SHARE By , Dean Foods Co., the largest U.S. milk processor, faces competition from an unexpected source: its biggest customer. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which last year accounted for 16% of Dean's sales, plans to start building its first milk- processing plant this summer. The Indiana facility is expected to be one of the largest in the milk industry and will begin supplying the retailer's private label Great Value brand next year in-state as well as to stores in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and northern Kentucky. Building the plant will allow Wal-Mart to lower costs and lengthen the milk's shelf life by bringing production closer to the point of sale. More than 600 Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Club locations are expected to be supplied by the new factory. Dean currently produces milk for the Great Value brand and will continue to be a supplier in other parts of the country, a Wal- Mart spokesman said Tuesday. The world's largest retailer has no plans to build more milk processing plants, he said. Wal-Mart's move comes as a surprise and introduces a new threat to Dean's fresh-dairy volumes and margins, Amit Sharma, a New York-based analyst for BMO Capital Markets, said in a report this week. Dean is already facing up to Americans' steadily diminishing appetite for milk. To compensate, the Dallas-based company ventured into chocolate-flavored drinks with its TruMoo brand in 2011. It introduced the DairyPure milk brand last year to counter the growth of organic milk and soy-based substitutes, and in February the company said it plans to re-enter the iced- coffee market. But despite the new products, 52% of Dean's $8.1 billion in sales last year still came from private-label brands, and Wal-Mart's new factory strikes at the heart of that business. The development poses a "structural risk" to Dean's operating margins, Sharma said. While lost sales attributable to the new plant are difficult to forecast, each 1% decline in Dean's milk volume could hurt annual earnings per share by 12 to 14 cents, according to the BMO analyst. The average of 14 analysts' 2016 profit estimates compiled by Bloomberg is $1.36 a share. The situation "is clearly an unfavorable development" for Dean, according to Matthew Grainger, a New York-based analyst for Morgan Stanley. Thirteen of its 67 plants are located in the affected states, he said in a report Monday. Still, not everyone is gloomy about Dean's prospects. Jefferies LLC analyst Akshay Jagdale said in a note Wednesday that while investors fear a private-label milk price war, the impact of the new plant will be offset by Dean making margin improvements. "The outlook for 2016 remains strong and the company is now on firmer footing given category trends improving and productivity savings coming through," Alexia Howard, a New York- based analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. said in a note. Dean said Tuesday that Wal-Mart's plan may mean the loss of 100 million gallons of "very low-margin" private-label milk volume starting in late 2017. The company's total volume across all products was 2.6 billion gallons last year. "It's disappointing to learn of any potential loss of business, but we remain confident in our future and the strategic plan we recently put in place," Dean Chief Executive Officer Gregg Tanner said in a statement. "With more than a year advance notice and the low-margin nature of the potential lost private-label milk volume, we expect to govern our business such that this will result in very little impact to our financials." SHARE By of the Lockheed Martin Corp., the defense contractor that's building U.S. Navy combat ships in Marinette, has received $11 million for design changes and upgrades to USS Sioux City that was launched in January. "The corrections and upgrades are necessary to support Sioux City's sail-away and follow-on post-delivery test and trials period," the Defense Department said in announcing the $11.1 million contract modification. "Lockheed Martin will perform the planning and implementation of deferred design changes that have been identified during the construction period," the Defense Department said. USS Sioux City is scheduled to be commissioned by the Navy in 2017 after more than a year of tests on Lake Michigan. Once commissioned, it will be based in Florida and will join the new class of littoral combat ships designed for multiple duties including underwater mine clearing and submarine warfare. The U.S. Navy has paid shipbuilders a profit for correcting defects, according to a recent government report that cites multiple examples including a littoral combat ship built in Marinette. That's despite guarantees that come with vessels costing hundreds of millions of dollars, the Government Accountability Office said in the report titled Navy and Coast Guard Shipbuilding. SHARE By , Microsoft Corp. is in damage control mode after Twitter users exploited its new artificial intelligence chat bot, teaching it to spew racist, sexist and offensive remarks. The company introduced Tay earlier this week to chat with real humans on Twitter and other messaging platforms. The bot learns by parroting comments and then generating its own answers and statements based on all of its interactions. It was supposed to emulate the casual speech of a stereotypical millennial. The Internet took advantage and quickly tried to see how far it could push Tay. The worst tweets are quickly disappearing from Twitter, and Tay itself has now also gone offline "to absorb it all." Some Twitter users appear to think that Microsoft had also manually banned people from interacting with the bot. Others are asking why the company didn't build filters to prevent Tay from discussing certain topics, such as the Holocaust. "The AI chatbot Tay is a machine learning project, designed for human engagement," Microsoft said in a statement. "It is as much a social and cultural experiment, as it is technical. Unfortunately, within the first 24 hours of coming online, we became aware of a coordinated effort by some users to abuse Tay's commenting skills to have Tay respond in inappropriate ways. As a result, we have taken Tay offline and are making adjustments." The bot was targeted at 18 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. and meant to entertain and engage people through casual and playful conversation, according to Microsoft's website. Tay was built with public data and content from improvisational comedians. It's supposed to improve with more interactions, so it should be able to better understand context and nuances over time. The bot's developers at Microsoft also collect the nickname, gender, favorite food, zip code and relationship status of anyone who chats with Tay. In less than a day, Twitter's denizens realized Tay didn't really know what it was talking about and that it was easy to get the bot to make inappropriate comments on any taboo subject. People got Tay to deny the Holocaust, call for genocide and lynching, equate feminism to cancer and stump for Adolf Hitler. Tay parroted another user to spread a Donald Trump message, tweeting "WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A WALL. AND MEXICO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT." Under the tutelage of Twitter's users, Tay even learned how to make threats and identify "evil" races. Tay is an experiment by Microsoft's Technology and Research and Bing search engine teams to learn more about conversations. These kinds of efforts are important to develop better technology around natural language processing that could eventually lead to more sophisticated bots that are easier for people to use. Currently assistant tools such as Microsoft's Cortana and Apple Inc.'s Siri can only handle simple, straightforward requests and aren't able to process nuanced questions or apply contextual understanding of speech patterns such as sarcasm. Two coal-fired boilers operate at the We Energies plant in Oak Creek in 2011. A study has found that the states electricity rates are the highest in the Midwest. Credit: Rick Wood SHARE By of the Electricity rates paid by businesses and residents of Wisconsin now rank highest among eight Midwest states, but frugality may be keeping us from bearing the brunt of those rates. An analysis of the state's energy situation released Thursday found that residential electric bills in Wisconsin actually rank below the Midwest average, because customers here are using far less power on average than those in other nearby states. The analysis, published by the state Public Service Commission, found that 2015 marked the first year that Wisconsin's rates for residential, commercial and industrial electric customers ranked higher than Michigan as well as six other nearby Midwestern states. But monthly residential electric bills on average stood at more than $97 a month last year nearly $8 a month below the average of all eight Midwest states. That's because Wisconsinites are using 19% less electricity per month compared with the Midwest average. "Energy efficiency and conservation programs such as the statewide Focus on Energy program have helped keep average Wisconsin residential usage flat over the last two decades," said the report, known as the Strategic Energy Assessment. "Additionally, despite slightly higher than average electric rates, Wisconsin residential customers have the fourth smallest monthly electric bill when compared to Midwestern states." The PSC says Wisconsin's rates have grown because of its power plant and power line building program over the past decade as well as aggressive moves to rein in air pollution from the smokestacks of the state's older coal-fired power plants. The analysis was released at a time when one of We Energies' largest customers, Charter Steel of Saukville, is raising concerns about the utility's rates and a power plant construction program that has left We Energies with more power than its own customers need. Charter says We Energies has been telling customers for years to be patient because rates in surrounding states will catch up as utilities there move to upgrade their systems and address pollution from coal-fired power plants. We Energies says businesses including Charter and 60 others are on special pricing rates that give them discounts from the published average industrial rates. And the utility recently offered Quad/Graphics Inc. a special discount on its rates, tied to the Sussex-based printing company's expansion in Wisconsin. "The Commission continues to investigate ways to mitigate electric rate increases to ensure Wisconsin remains competitive in a global marketplace," the PSC said in a report, which was released for public comment and will be finalized after that input. A customer group that advocates for residential customers says the report shows the need to keep a close eye on utilities' moves to increase rates. "Infrastructure costs are built into customers' rates, and once those costs are included they stay in rates for a long time," said James Woywod, Citizens Utility Board's lawyer. "This ranking highlights the need for stakeholders and the state to take a close look through the lens of customers at proposals that will increase rates." The report says Wisconsin has ample power on hand to meet customers' needs. State law requires that utilities have a cushion of 14% more supply available than customers will need on the hottest summer day each year, and the analysis found that Wisconsin will have at least 14.2% to 17.5% between 2016 and 2022. In addition, Wisconsin's cushion is well above the 7.1% cushion required for Midwest states by the regional grid overseer, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. The state's energy supply mix has been evolving because of the addition of new coal and natural gas plants over the last decade but also because of the shutdown of the Kewaunee nuclear plant east of Green Bay, and some aging coal-fired power plants in recent years. Alliant Energy Corp. shut down its Nelson Dewey coal plant on the Mississippi River at the end of 2015, and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. shut down its oldest boilers at its Pulliam coal plant in downtown Green Bay. As part of an agreement from a lawsuit over past air pollution by coal plants, Alliant and WPS also will shut down a coal boiler in Sheboygan by 2018. Alliant is now proposing to build a natural gas-fired power plant, along with one of the state's largest solar installations, in an expansion of the Riverside Energy Center near Beloit. That $700 million project is expected to come up for a vote soon by the state Public Service Commission. In compliance with an executive order from Republican Gov. Scott Walker, the PSC report does not include any analysis of the impact of the federal Clean Power Plan on the state's energy supply. The plan, the Environmental Protection Agency's rule to regulate carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, was put on hold last month in a 5-4 vote by the U.S. Supreme Court. Wisconsin has joined with coal mining and coal-reliant states to challenge the rule, citing the impact it would have on the state's manufacturing sector. The draft report published Thursday says coal supplied 65% of Wisconsin's electricity in 2013. The shutdown of Kewaunee dropped nuclear's share to 15% from 18% in 2012. The state's energy supply mix in 2013 also included natural gas, 12%; hydroelectric, 3%; biomass, 3%; and wind, 2%. Solar power accounted for less than 1% of the state's energy supply in 2013. Twitter: twitter.com/plugged_in Facebook: www.fb.me/JSBusiness A Southwest Airlines ticketing agent works with travelers in the ticketing area. Daily passenger numbers are up by nearly 12,000 a day and the airport ranks in the top 10 nationally in the number of passengers it gains every year at spring break. Credit: Mike De Sisti By of the Forget about Thanksgiving and Christmas as the busiest travel times of the year. In Milwaukee, that distinction belongs to spring break. Winter-weary Wisconsinites are flying out of the state in droves this week, and at Mitchell International Airport, everything from planes to parking lots are at or near capacity, with Saturday set to be one of the busiest days in the history of the airport. The winter storm that blanketed the state Wednesday night into Thursday only added to the urgency of folks in the mood to leave for warmer climates. "It's always crazy for spring break," said Peggy Fischer, owner of Shooting Star Travels in West Bend. "People have had it with winter. People are crabby, and they decide they want to go away." The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says Mitchell ranks among the top 10 airports nationwide when measured by the increase in spring break travelers each year. The airport is expecting nearly 12,000 additional passengers a day during spring break weeks this year. The spring break crush this year comes as passenger traffic at Mitchell has posted healthy gains in January and February compared with the same months a year ago. The airport promises to be buzzing Saturday. A spot check of school districts throughout the Milwaukee area shows that, among others, students in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, Germantown, Cedarburg, Shorewood, Oak Creek/Franklin and New Berlin are on spring break during the coming week. None of this is lost on the airlines. "Airline revenue managers really have to know this stuff like the back of their hand," said Robert Mann, president of R.W. Mann & Co., an airline industry analysis and consulting business in New York. "They know the particular events that are important to those markets. It's a big deal." Consider Southwest Airlines, the dominant carrier in Milwaukee with about 50% of the market. The airline has 21 nonstop flights headed to Florida from Milwaukee on Saturday alone. (At midweek, Southwest's website was showing several of those flights were sold out.) Add the Delta Air Lines and Frontier Airlines nonstops to Florida, and there are at least 24 nonstop flights to the Sunshine State from Milwaukee on Saturday. "To our knowledge, that's a record," for a Saturday, said Harold Mester, a spokesman for Mitchell. Nearly all of those flights will be jam-packed. Airport and airline officials aren't kidding when they say travelers should arrive at the airport at least two hours ahead of their scheduled departure to allow plenty of time to check in, clear security and get to their gates. "In Milwaukee, you'll be seeing a lot more travelers than you would during a normal business travel pattern, and because of this we urge customers to arrive a little earlier than normal," Dan Landson, a Southwest spokesman, said in an email. "This will allow for enough time to check bags and proceed through the security checkpoint." In other words, if you miss your flight, good luck getting on another one right away. "At this time of year, the flights are booked so solid, make sure that you check in early," Fischer said. That includes allowing plenty of time to find a place to park. At midweek, the airport's Super Saver parking ($7 a day) was 94% full. The airport monitors parking availability constantly, Mester said. The airport's website provides real time parking capacity information. Off-airport parking services say they also are swamped this time of year. "Spring break is our busiest season. In recent years, Thanksgiving can't even compare in numbers," said Misty Donough, general manager at Fast Park & Relax, 5201 S. Howell Ave. At WallyPark Milwaukee, 4747 S. Howell Ave., general manager Joe Dolan said he will be all but sleeping at the facility the next few days. The company more than doubled its Milwaukee space in November. Dolan is not worried about running out of space this week or next, though. "That is a parking lot manager's objective: to run out of space," he said in an email. If you don't want to drive yourself, Ben Haas will send one of his Go Riteway Airport Shuttle vans to pick you up at your house and drop you off at the airport. Go Riteway has added vans and drivers to handle the spring break rush. "We certainly do ramp up for this time of year," said Haas, general manager of Riteway's commercial division. Meanwhile, this week's blizzard across portions of Wisconsin arrived right on cue, Fischer said. "Up until the eleventh hour," people will call looking for a potential getaway for spring break, especially when there is snow in forecast, she said. Besides Florida, other popular getaways include Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Among the trends are multiple generations of families and large extended family groups taking trips together, Fischer added. Travelers should expect to pay more once they reach their destination, with prices led by the law of supply and demand this time of year. The total cost of a trip airfare, accommodations, meals is "easily $500 to $1,000 more per person for traveling over this time frame," Fischer said. "It's ridiculous." Still, for some people, that doesn't matter. "We will have people who say, 'This is absolutely ridiculous. I thought I could make it through the winter, but I was wrong. Just tell me where I can go,'" Fischer said. By Sheboygan --Much written about in these pages and much revered in our region, the late Mary Nohl has become an artist of great renown. The fate of her home on Lake Michigan in Fox Point, one of the only intact, artist-made environments created by a woman in the world, has long been a source of debate between art lovers and local residents. As recently as last year, there were discussions about having the John Michael Kohler Arts Center dismantle the entire house piece by piece and move it to a site in Sheboygan County, in order to preserve it. When that plan was overturned, the art center began a project to restore the building to its original condition. That renovation is now underway, and a small exhibit entitled "Of Heart and Home" is now on view to offer a behind-the-scenes perspective of the ongoing work at Nohl's former home. According to the art center's website, "Aspects of her studio and the corresponding exterior wall, newly discovered paintings, and current blueprints will be on view for the first time. In addition, visitors will be able to experience Nohl's entire property using the latest surveying technology." The show has been placed within the context of a larger thematic grouping of exhibits at the museum, dubbed "Wisconsin Wild and Tame." This theme is meant to showcase our state as a wellspring of a certain kind of creativity, born of a deep-rooted sense of place, not to mention a little bit of magical thinking and quirkiness. In this, Mary Nohl's private work on display here may not be the centerpiece of the overall exhibit, but it certainly represents the beating heart of it, thumping loudly with the pulse of Wisconsin's artistic earth-mother, Mary Nohl. Right in the middle of the show is a giant piece of an actual wall from Nohl's house. One side of the wall is left intact, as Nohl painted and designed it with wooden sculptural forms. On the other, interior side, it is festooned with tools from her workshop: awls, saw blades, picks, drill bits, towels, files, cups and mallets all hang in neatly organized groupings, some of which have her name "NOHL" deftly painted on their handles. Jars of tacks, screws and nails sit on shelves in tiny glass jars, resembling a grandmother's spice rack. Nohl was known by friends and colleagues as a tool lover. Even in childhood she was the first girl to win a local woodworking competition for children (really, for boys). Working with tools and making things was a core part of Nohl's identity, not just as a professional artist but as a lifestyle. Seeing the workshop replicated feels like a nosy little snoop into her private space, and which of us doesn't enjoy that? Another piece of the house on display is a wooden red boat, once mounted above a bay of windows behind the house, facing the lake. To me it reads like a red mouth, its little white passengers like four happy little teeth popping up in a smile. Some of the artworks salvaged from the home are on display specifically to demonstrate the restoration work that has taken place so far, as a kind of show-and-tell for the museum to inform the public of the work being done. One good example of this is the plaque next to a gray-painted work of carved wood on panel. "The gray painted work of art on the left," it reads, "has experienced extreme water damage an is considered in severe disrepair. The decision has been made to replicate this work before remounting it outdoors. This original work will stay in the art center's collection for safekeeping." A few completed replicas of other artworks are on view, and noted as such. Several recently-discovered works of Nohl's art are also on display, including some colorful oil paintings she made using optical illusions of silhouettes moving in multi-colored space. Most of these are untitled, and several have no date, probably because she only ever meant them for her own enjoyment. In them, splotchy fluorescent color fields mingle together with black on a flat plane, from which dancing and swaying people emerge. The people are sexless but they do seem to have rolessuch as a dancing couple, or an adult and child. Like real family units, they jump and swish through the colorful air around them, becoming a part of it. "Of Heart and Home: Mary Nohl's Art Environment" is on display through Aug. 21 at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 608 New York Ave., Sheboygan. For more information: jmkac.org or (920) 458-6144. Stacey Williams-Ng is a painter, writer and regular Art City contributor. She is currently the Program Director for a Milwaukee-based community arts project called the Black Cat Alley. Follow her on Twitter (@staceywng) or for the project (@blackcatMKE). By of the Here's what's on tap at alternative movie venues in Milwaukee during the coming week. UWM Union Cinema Unless noted otherwise, admission is $5, free for UWM students and Union Cinema members. "Viktoria": A girl born without a belly button becomes a celebrity of the state, but when communism falls, her world does, too. In Bulgarian with English subtitles. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. "Walkabout": Nicolas Roeg's dreamlike 1971 drama about a boy and girl (Luc Roeg, Jenny Agutter) stranded in the Australian outback who meet an aborigine (David Gulpilil) on walkabout. Showing in a 16-millimeter print. 10 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday. "Cannibal Tours": 1988 documentary by Dennis O'Rourke explores the phenomenon of American and European cultural tourists visiting cannibal tribes, who treat the visitors as curiosities themselves. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Free. "All Eyes and Ears": The state of Chinese-American relations is told through the worlds of three people Jon Huntsman, U.S. ambassador to China; Huntsman's adopted Chinese-American teenage daughter; and blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, who is seeking asylum in America in this documentary. 7 p.m. Wednesday. "River of Grass": A woman in a dead-end world meets a guy with a gun and they hit the road in the acclaimed 1995 feature-film directorial debut by Kelly Reichardt ("Old Joy," "Wendy and Lucy"). 7 p.m. Thursday. 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.; cinema.uwm.edu FOCUS Film Society "Father Brown, Detective": Alec Guinness plays G.K. Chesterton's priest-detective in pursuit of an art thief (and, possibly, redemption) in this 1954 British crime drama, also known as "The Detective." 7 p.m. Saturday at Church in the City, 2648 N. Hackett Ave. $3. ficoa.biz/focus.htm JCC Film Classes "The Shop on Main Street": In Slovakia during World War II, officials ask a carpenter to take over the shop owned by a Jewish widow, who thinks he's come to work for her instead of losing her business to him. 1965 drama won an Oscar for best foreign-language film; shown in Slovak and Yiddish, with English subtitles. 7 p.m. Thursday, with a discussion following the screening. Free. Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay; jccmilwaukee.org/jewishfilm Chris Foran Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) face off in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Credit: Clay Enos SHARE Nia Vardalos and John Corbett have some new challenges in an old way in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. Universal Pictures By of the With two superheroes in one movie three, actually there's not a lot of room for many new releases this week. Here's what's opening Friday. 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice' Batman and Superman have been at it for more than 50 years in comic books; a recent Hollywood Reporter history gave Superman the edge, narrowly, with seven wins, six defeats and three no-decisions. "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" hits the reset button, again, to pit DC Comics' two biggest heroes against each other but also to launch DC's planned Justice League of America franchise. Henry Cavill, who played Supes in 2013's "Man of Steel," is back; as hinted at in that movie, he's still facing a human race torn between hero worship and fear that he has too much power with too little oversight. Add Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) to the latter group, especially after Superman's battle with General Zod leads to collateral damage that Wayne, whose night job is Batman, cannot forgive. At the same time, Superman thinks Batman is going too far in his role as vigilante. Will they stop fighting each other to figure out there's a bigger threat? No doubt billionaire-supervillain-in-training Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) hopes they don't. No doubt, too, that Diana Prince you know her as Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) will have something to say about it. Amy Adams, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne return from "Man of Steel" as Lois Lane, Martha Kent and Perry White, respectively. Joining the mix are Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Wayne's butler, and Holly Hunter as a senator determined to rein in Superman by any means necessary, including unleashing Luthor. Affleck's casting as Batman generated significant hand-wringing among the superhero faithful, but not enough to dissuade audiences; Fandango reported this week that "Batman v. Superman" was the ticket-selling site's best preselling superhero movie ever. And according to Andrew Barker, who reviewed the movie for Variety, Affleck's Bruce Wayne is "a winningly cranky, charismatic presence even when out of costume." The movie itself, Barker said, gets bogged down a little in its underdeveloped rhetoric (good vs. evil, vigilante justice vs. self-sacrifice and restraint). "As a pure visual spectacle, however, 'Batman v. Superman' ably blows the hinges off the multiplex doors...," Barker wrote. The Miami Herald's Rene Rodriguez gave the movie 2 stars, citing its origin as a corporate-created project and Zack Snyder's clunky direction. "Almost every aspect of the film from the shoehorning of Diana Prince...a.k.a. Amazonian warrior Wonder Woman, into the plot to pointless cameos by several other fan-favorite DC characters feels like it was decided in a boardroom instead of a writers' pen," Rodriguez wrote. "...A lot of the movie feels like a retread, right down to the 956th retelling of the night in which a young Bruce Wayne saw his parents gunned down in front of him. Is there anyone left on the planet who still doesn't know how Batman came to be?" "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" is rated PG-13 for violence and some sensuality. It runs for 151 minutes. 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2' In 2002, Nia Vardalos caught everyone by surprise with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," her charming, semi-autobiographical romantic comedy about a young woman from a Greeker-than-Greek-American family who has to endure old-world dramas when she falls in love with (shudder) a non-Greek (John Corbett). The low-budget movie ($5 million) grossed a stunning $241 million, hung around in theaters forever and seemed to beg for more. Fourteen years is a long time to wait, but "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" arrives Friday, with another wedding, another generation and the same family. With that kind of gap, you might think it'd be the new generation's wedding. But it's not: Turns out that Mama and Papa Portokalos (Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine) left Greece before the priest had a chance to sign their marriage certificate, so, despite living as man and wife for 50 years, they're technically not married. Meanwhile, Vardalos and Corbett have a daughter (Elena Kampouris) with dramas of her own: She wants to leave town, and their overbearing, ever-present family, to go to college. Andrea Martin, who played Vardalos' scene-stealing aunt in the original, is back, as are a number of supporting players from the first movie. The early reviews are mixed at best, citing the overly arch stereotypes repeated over and over. "It honestly feels mean to pick on Vardalos. It's like pushing away a particularly persistent puppy: She doesn't mean any harm! She just wants to be liked! And she's got all these jokes about crazy Greeks!" wrote Newark Star-Ledger critic Stephen Whitty in his 11/2-star review, noting that many of the Greek-centric jokes were told before by Vardalos, not just in the first movie but in the short-lived TV spinoff series that followed and in a later romantic comedy set in Greece, "My Life in Ruins." "...But you laughed then, didn't you? Or at least politely smiled? So how about another portion? "How about we push back from the table and go home? This may be Vardalos' all-you-can-eat Greek buffet, but you know what? This really is all I can eat." "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" is rated PG-13 for some suggestive material. It runs for 94 minutes. Havana Vintage American cars, yes. Vintage American wine, of course not. Not yet, anyway. If you're heading to Havana to raise a glass to the diplomatic thaw between the United States and Cuba, you'll soon be dipping your lips into a minty mojito or a Cuban beer, usually Bucanero or Cristal. Wine lovers, which are something of a rarity here, can expect a glassful of, say, Malbec from Argentina or a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. But vintners from the U. S. are getting ready to barrel right in as soon as the trade and credit issues are sorted out. So ropa vieja a popular braised beef dish with Napa Valley Cabernet might just become a reality. I was in Cuba recently our tour group left Havana just after Air Force One arrived. And, while there, one of the first Cubans I spoke to was Alejandro Herrera Sarduy, the sommelier at Rio Mar Restaurant, with its lovely terrace overlooking the Almendares River. It was the lunchtime rush, but this wine expert took a few moments to explain that Cuba has a "good school" for wine education; and although "there is not the high culture of wine, things are changing." Two years ago he traveled to California to attend a conference put on by that state's Wine Institute "It was fantastic" and in February of 2016, he participated in an event in Havana, also hosted by the Wine Institute, where about 100 California vintners showed up to show off their wares. "I can't wait to include not just California wines on the list, but other U.S. wines, as well," he said, noting that he's a fan of wines from the Pacific Northwest. Rio Mar's beverage list, with everything from mojitos to Italian Montepulciano, stands out in this island nation. Wine prices are roughly three times our retail, which is high but not beyond the markup in many American restaurants. It's more usual, however, when dining at one of the paladares around town to be given a choice that's long on rum cocktails and short on wine, sometimes just one red and one white. Paladares are small, privately owned restaurants often operated out of homes. At friendly, unpretentious Casa Dona Juana in the Vedado district, for example, there's simply a Chilean red and white, each with a price that translates to about $3 a glass or $18 a bottle. Before arriving in Havana, I'd heard about the two California wine events, geared to trade and media, from Linsey Gallagher, director of international marketing for the Wine Institute. Gallagher described the February trip, their first to Cuba, "as overwhelmingly positive" with standing-room-only crowds and much to the delight of the visitors an American flag-draped podium. "I travel with vintners all over the world and there's a lot more enthusiasm in Cuba than I've seen in other places," she said, noting that many of the Cuban sommeliers they met were "knowledgeable about California wine, but had never actually tried it." In the past, small amounts of American wine had entered the country, often by way of the black market. Gallagher indicated that the "path to legally exporting wine from the U.S. to Cuba is still complex." She's hopeful, though, that California wines may start appearing in the "next 6 to 12 months." It will be the giants of the industry such as E & J Gallo and Constellation Brands that get there first. That's because, according to Gallagher, "they already have boots on the ground around the world." And then there's the curious matter of Cuban-made wine. Does it even exist in this tropical land that's better suited to sugar cane and tobacco than grapes vines? As Jose Marti, who led the Cuban independence movement, metaphorically said: "The wine is made from plantain, but even if it turns sour, it is our own wine!" Marti, a national hero, lived from 1853 to 1895. There are, it turns out, some wine grapes that have taken root in Cuba. La Finca Marta is a 20-acre experimental agro-ecological farm 15 miles southeast of Havana, founded by Fernando Funes Monzote, a university-trained agronomist. He grows something like 60 different fruits and vegetables, including the arugula, red lettuce and kale that were headed to the restaurant where the Obamas were scheduled to eat. "The sort of vegetables that Michelle has been promoting," he commented with a big smile on his face. At the beautifully tended organic farm, there are also 50 vines of small, red vinifera grapes. The agronomist doesn't know what varietal of grapes they are, but he has made small batches of wine from them. And he believes it's possible for steamy Cuba to produce credible wine. But, until that happens, enjoy the mojitos. Anne Schamberg is a freelance writer who lives in Waukesha. Email her at aschamberg@gmail.com. Undated photo of Jessica M. Ellenberger, 28, and her 4-year-old daughter Madyson M. Marshel. Credit: Family photo By of the Milwaukee police on Thursday announced an arrest in the killing of a mother and her daughter, found dead last weekend in a house fire that investigators suspect was set intentionally. The suspect, identified only as a 31-year-old Milwaukee man, was arrested in Arkansas earlier this week, police said in a news release. They didn't elaborate other than to say that prosecutors are reviewing the case. On Monday, Milwaukee police identified 4-year-old Madyson Marie Marshel and Jessica Marie Ellenberger, 28, as the daughter and mother found dead in the fire set Saturday at their home in the 100 block of N. 68th St. Milwaukee police have not disclosed how Mady and her mother died. SHARE John McAdams Marquette University By of the Thirteen months after initiating what appeared to be a termination process, Marquette University on Thursday announced a final decision on the fate of John McAdams, the associate professor whose public criticism of a teaching assistant ignited a firestorm in 2014. The verdict: McAdams has not been fired, according to his attorney. Instead, he has been suspended with benefits but no salary through the fall 2016 semester. In addition, McAdams will be required to admit he was wrong within two weeks or he will not be reinstated. "I don't know what John's going to do," said Rick Esenberg of the conservative public interest law firm Wisconsin Law & Liberty. "Obviously, it's not my call." McAdams, who has been suspended with pay since the incident, declined to comment Thursday. Marquette University President Michael Lovell announced Thursday in an email to the university community that he would implement the unanimous recommendation of a faculty committee that reviewed McAdams' case. But he declined to offer details of the sanctions, calling it a personnel matter. Lovell said his decision "has been guided by Marquette University's values and is solely based on Professor McAdams' actions, and not political or ideological views expressed in his blog." Wisconsin Law & Liberty issued a statement late Thursday calling that almost 16-month suspension improper. It said the faculty committee found that Marquette had suspended McAdams in violation of his due process rights and that it disagreed with the university's desire to fire him. It said the requirement that he admit wrongdoing goes beyond the recommendations of the committee. McAdams, a political conservative who writes the Marquette Warrior blog, was suspended and banned from campus in 2014 after publicly rebuking graduate student Cheryl Abbate for refusing to let a student raise the issue of gay marriage as part of a broader philosophical discussion in class. When the student pressed it further after class, Abbate told him he did not have a right to make "homophobic" comments in her class, according to a recording the student made of the conversation. McAdams accused Abbate of "using a tactic typical among liberals." "Opinions with which they disagree are not merely wrong, and are not to be argued against on their merits, but are deemed 'offensive' and need to be shut up," he wrote. Abbate transferred to the University of Colorado at Boulder shortly after. She declined to comment on Thursday. The incident drew national attention, sparking debates over protected speech at the private university; who should be able to express or suppress certain views; and whether a professor publicly criticizing a student is inappropriate in a learning environment. In February 2015, McAdams blogged that he was being fired, quoting a letter from Arts & Sciences Dean Richard Holz stating: "We are commencing as of this date the procedures for revoking your tenure and dismissing you from the faculty." The faculty hearing committee, composed of seven of McAdams' peers conducted a four-day hearing in September, according to Lovell. Its unanimous recommendation to suspend but not fire McAdams was contained in a 123-page report delivered to Lovell in January. Esenberg said the committee acknowledged McAdams' right to academic freedom and his constitutional right to free speech, but that it punished him for the reactions he provoked in others. "He's being punished because, in response to this blog post, there were people who sent this instructor some very nasty and odious emails," said Esenberg. "Whatever you think about her treatment of the student, she certainly didn't deserve that," he said. "But it is frightening to think that the concepts of academic freedom and freedom of expression would be contingent on the actions of third parties." Marquette Provost Daniel Myers said Thursday that the case was about upholding Marquette's mission and values. "We're here to nurture and grow students in a way that hews to our Jesuit values," he said. "In the end, these kinds of cases, for us, are really about making sure we live up to those values." House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) as he waits to deliver remarks on Wednesday on the state of American politics. Credit: Win McNamee The barbarian is at the gate, and Paul Ryan wants to talk sense to him? "Instead of playing the identity politics of 'our base' and 'their base,' we unite people around ideas and principles," Ryan, the speaker of the House and a Janesville Republican, told House interns Wednesday in a speech on the state of American politics. "We don't resort to scaring you, we dare to inspire you." Great speech. I was inspired. The barbarian was not. As Ryan was invoking the spirit of the late Jack Kemp, a New York congressman and cabinet secretary who was his mentor, Donald Trump was demanding the U.S. ban all Muslims from entering the country and suggesting that torture might have prevented the Brussels attacks. Sen. Ted Cruz, meantime, was calling for police to "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods." Is this America, 2016? Or is this Germany, 1938? What would Jack Kemp say? Six more words, I suspect: "I will not support Donald Trump." Ryan didn't say those words. Instead, he said: "We don't lock ourselves in an echo chamber, where we take comfort in the dogmas and opinions we already hold. If someone has a bad idea, we tell them why our idea is better. We don't insult them into agreeing with us." It was an idealistic call to a better politics; it needed to be said. But just hours before Ryan's etiquette class on political manners, @realDonaldTrump tweeted that he was about to "spill the beans" about Heidi Cruz, the wife of the Texas senator. Who knows what that meant? Trump threatened the wife of his chief rival for the presidential nomination after a group opposing the New York businessman put out a crude ad featuring a nude photo of Trump's wife with the caption: "Meet Melania Trump. Your Next First Lady." Ryan's high-minded defense of politics was an attempt to carve out a space for ideas if his congressional Republicans have to ski in the wake of Trump's ideas-free zone this fall. It may have been an attempt to carve out a space for Ryan in case the convention implodes and the GOP needs a phoenix to rise from the ashes. As chairman of the convention, Ryan has said he wants to be "Switzerland," remaining neutral. But Trump has embarrassed his party repeatedly by bashing Muslims, women, the disabled and immigrants. Why miss an opportunity to call him on it? And why not acknowledge the right's complicity in exploiting those "echo chambers," from talk radio to Fox News? Ryan's mea culpa Wednesday, rejecting his "makers and takers" nonsense from the 2012 presidential campaign, illustrates the depth of his character. He has sturdy values and a clear sense of himself. "'Takers' wasn't how to refer to a single mom stuck in a poverty trap," he allowed. "So I stopped thinking about it that way and talking about it that way. But I didn't come out and say all this to be politically correct. I was just wrong." He said "in a confident America, we have a basic faith in one another. We question each other's ideas vigorously but we don't question each other's motives." Ryan is smart and engaging, a good man who believes what he believes and who often makes friends out of potential enemies. His speech was aspirational, even inspirational. It was about a better idea: Civility matters, now more than ever. His political calculus is difficult. A clean break with Trumpism risks losing a bloc of voters Republicans need. It could put his speakership in jeopardy. It might break the party irreparably. But here's another idea that matters: Donald Trump doesn't care about your ideas. He cares about what the barbarians always care about: power. Mr. Speaker is Mr. Nice Guy, but this year that may not be enough. David D. Haynes is editorial page editor for the Journal Sentinel. Email dhaynes@jrn.com Twitter: @DavidDHaynes SHARE By of the Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that insults aimed at his wife by Donald Trump were "petty and deplorable conduct not befitting of a candidate for president of the United States." In an interview with the Journal Sentinel, Cruz said, "I don't think the people of Wisconsin are interested in candidates who engage in insults and attacks." Cruz was referring to a bizarre battle playing out on Twitter involving the two candidates. In one exchange, Trump retweeted an unflattering picture of Heidi Cruz (the senator's spouse) next to a picture of his own wife, Melania, with the phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Cruz said the outcome of Wisconsin's April 5 primary will have a "powerful effect" on the GOP race, calling it a critical "neck and neck" battleground. Trump, Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are competing for the state's 42 delegates. Cruz is making the argument to GOP voters that it is now a two-man race between him and Trump because Kasich has won only one state (Ohio) and is too far behind in delegates. And Cruz is making a very direct appeal for the support of Republican voters of all stripes who want to stop Trump, saying he is the only vehicle for doing that. "We welcome supporters for whatever reason," said Cruz, when asked if the GOP endorsements he is picking up, in some cases from "mainstream" Republicans who are not great fans of his, are "pro-Cruz" or "anti-Trump." "It is both," he said. Cruz said if both he and Trump fall short of winning a delegate majority before the convention, then GOP delegates will have to choose between those two. He said any effort by party insiders to deliver the convention to a "white knight" who "parachutes in" without having competed in the campaign would rightly produce a "revolt of the voters." "Anybody who wasn't on the ballot and has not earned the votes is not going to be the nominee, because we respect the democratic process," said Cruz. He also said that if Trump goes to the convention without a majority, a simple delegate lead would not entitle him to the nomination. Cruz predicted that the "overwhelming majority" of delegates for Kasich and for former candidate Marco Rubio would move to him, and not Trump. "I believe we will be in the far the stronger position," he said. Cruz was asked in the interview whether he feels he needs to do anything to assure GOP voters who are less conservative than he is, or favor a less confrontational style, that he should be the party's nominee. "I don't agree with that characterization," he said about his own political style. Cruz called his agenda "broad-based" and "unifying" and said his approach in the Senate was to fight for his positions. "When you stand with the American people against Washington, Washington gets very angry," he said. "But I would also note that when others have engaged in personal attacks, when others have gone into the gutter with nasty, ugly politics, I have not responded in kind, and I will not respond in kind." Cruz said he would welcome Gov. Scott Walker's endorsement. Walker has indicated if he makes an endorsement, it would be Cruz or Kasich. "I am a huge fan of Scott Walker. I think he's been a strong governor and principled governor," said Cruz, who called Walker's fight with labor unions in Wisconsin "heroic." Mark Hoffman Syrian-born pediatric neurologist Tarif Bakdash (center) poses for a photo after speaking to a group of students, residents and faculty at the University of Jordan Medical School. Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan As our van pulled away from the camp at Zaatari, I looked out the back window and saw a group of girls skipping rope on a tiny patch of gravel near the clinic. 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. It was my last glimpse of the Syrian refugees who live here in limbo, waiting until it is safe to go home or until another nation will agree to take them. For four days, a medical mission from Wisconsin had tried to help them, treating their wounds -- the physical and the psychic. Toward the end, the doctors, nurses and social worker who took part in the mission wondered if four days had been enough to make much difference. "My work here is very humble, very simple. The true impact is the people on the ground (the clinic's permanent staff)," said Tarif Bakdash, the Syrian-born pediatric neurologist who led the Wisconsin mission. A member of the clinic's permanent staff, Medical Coordinator Malik Al Sadi, said he had been impressed by the Wisconsin team, "by how warm you all were, the love and compassion you showed for the patients." He presented each member of the mission with a certificate. There were hugs goodbye. Then that last view of the camp: the girls jumping rope in a place that is a temporary home at best. On Thursday, mission members went their separate ways; some to see Petra, the ancient city in southern Jordan known for its rock-cut architecture; others to watch Bakdash give a couple of talks to medical students and professors at the University of Jordan. At 4:30 Friday morning, Bakdash will leave on the second leg of his journey, bound this time for Germany, a country in turmoil over what to do with the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees it has taken in. He hopes to bring more attention to the suffering of the refugees. 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 SHARE By of the Washington Although law enforcement and community response to domestic violence has greatly improved in the past 20 years, more work still needs to be done to change cultural attitudes, Vice President Joe Biden said this week. Biden addressed more than 2,000 people Wednesday evening at End Violence Against Women International's annual conference, which offers training on best practices to address sexual assault, stalking and domestic violence. The attendees include representatives from law enforcement, courts, victim advocacy organizations, health care and academia. Domestic violence has been a signature issue for Biden for decades, and he said he's often asked: "When do you know you've won?" "We will know we won when not a single solitary woman or man who's been abused ever asks themselves: 'What did I do?'" he said. Earlier at the conference, representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice announced the release of a new report about preventing gender bias in law enforcement's response to domestic violence and sexual assault. The report's recommendations were the result of a roundtable a meeting in August involving law enforcement, victim advocates, prosecutors and academics. "They came with a shared vision and a shared commitment to make sure that when a victim goes to the police in no matter what city, in no matter what neighborhood she will be treated with respect," said Bea Hanson, who leads the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women. Among those quoted in the report is Chief Sue Riseling of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department. Riseling said officers must understand domestic abuse comes in different forms and is not always physical. "We cover domestic violence in all of its forms from abusive power dynamics, economic abuse, psychological abuse, isolation, manipulation of children and pets," Riseling said in the report. "Everything comes into play." Editor's note: Ashley Luthern received a scholarship designated for journalists from End Violence Against Women International to attend the organization's conference. SHARE By of the Starting Friday, Wisconsin's do-not-call list is permanent. That means consumers can register their phone number once and never have to do so again. Previously, consumers had to re-register every two years to remain on Wisconsin's no-call list. But as of Aug. 1, the list has been merged with the national do-not-call list, which is maintained by the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers who are already registered on the national do-not-call list which is permanent are automatically added to Wisconsin's new list. They do not need to re-register. Another good change for consumers: Phone numbers are registered on the no-call registry by the next day. Wisconsin's list previously was updated only once per quarter. The consolidation of the lists is estimated to save taxpayers a couple hundred thousand dollars a year. Telemarketers have 31 days to stop calling after a phone number is registered on the list. Anyone who receives a telemarketing call or robocall after that can file a complaint with the state or federal government. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection notes that robocalls from companies whom consumers have not given written permission to call are illegal. Such calls are likely to be scams. "It's relatively cheap and easy for a criminal to call you from anywhere in the world," Sandy Chalmers, division administrator for Trade and Consumer Protection with the Agriculture Department, said in a statement. "Don't send money in response to a robo call that violates state and federal law, because it's most likely a fraudulent pitch as well." One way to tell before answering a call whether it's a scam is to look for the area code. Certain area codes are known as "scam area codes" because many scammers use them. They include area codes 876, 473, 268, 284, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829 and 849. Be particularly careful about returning missed calls that rang only once. Some "one ring" phone calls actually come from overseas and returning the call could result in hefty fees for calling an overseas number. For more consumer stories, viral stories, scam alerts, tips and the occasional freebie, visit the Public Investigator blog at jsonline.com/piblog. Facebook: fb.me/GitteLaasbyPage Twitter: @GitteLaasbyMJS FAQ: How do I register a phone number on Wisconsin's do-not-call list? If you never registered on Wisconsin's list or it's been more than two years since you re-registered, you may want to register. Registration is handled through the Federal Trade Commission, so if you're already on the national list, you don't need to re-register. To sign up, make a call from the phone you wish to register to (888) 382-1222. If you have an email address, you can also register up to three phone numbers online at https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx. The Federal Trade Commission, which maintains the list, will send you a confirmation email from register@donotcall.gov. You'll need to click on a link in the email within 72 hours to complete your registration. If you can't click on the link in your email or get taken to a page that says "registration incomplete," copy the long link from the email manually and paste it into the address bar in your browser. The FTC will not share your email address with telemarketers. How do I know if my phone number is on the do-not-call list? You can verify that your number is registered by calling (888) 382-1222. If you have an email address, you can also go to the federal do-not-call website at https://www.donotcall.gov/confirm/conf.aspx. You'll receive a confirmation of your registration from verify@donotcall.gov to the email address you enter. The email will include the date on which you were added to the list. How quickly will my name be added to the list? Your phone number will show up on the registry by the next day. How soon do telemarketers have to stop calling me? Telemarketers covered by the do-not-call registry have up to 31 days from the day you register to stop calling you. I registered on the do-not-call list. Why am I still getting calls? Some spammers and scam artists use computer software that auto-dials random numbers. That means they may call you in violation of the no-call list. Registering on the do-not-call list will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. Some calls are allowed, including calls from political organizations, charities, phone surveyors, debt collectors and individuals acting on their own behalf rather than as an employee or agent of a business. Also allowed are calls from companies with which you have a business relationship, or whom you have previously given written permission to call you. If you have previously given a company permission to contact you, you can revoke this permission by asking them to place your number on their own do-not-call list. They must honor that. Keep a record of the date you made the request. Robocalls about candidates running for office or charities asking for donations are allowed. If the call is anything else and you haven't given written permission for the caller to call you, the call is illegal. It's likely a scam. What do I do if I get a robocall or call from a telemarketer more than 31 days after I registered for the do-not-call list? Some people have a right to call you (see "why am I still getting calls?") If they don't have a legitimate reason, you can file a complaint with the government. How do I file a complaint about a robocall or a telemarketer violating the do-not-call list? You can report robocalls and violations of the do-not-call list to two entities: Call the Federal Trade Commission at (888) 382-1222. Or file a complaint online at https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx. Call the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection at (800) 422-7128 or file a complaint about telemarketing on DATCP's website, http://datcp.wi.gov. Provide as much information as you can about the caller, such as the name of the company that called, the location from which they called, the namer of the person who called, the number they called from and the product or service they called to sell or the website they referred you to. Do you have any tips on how to stop robocalls and calls from telemarketers? Here are some general tips to reduce the number of unwanted calls you get: Don't answer calls from numbers you don't recognize. Legitimate callers will leave a message. If you don't know the number that calls, do a search online for the number to figure out who it was before you decide whether to call back. Someone has usually reported phone numbers that turned out to be scam or telemarketing calls. If you get an unwanted call, hang up the phone immediately. Don't press any buttons to "opt out." It will only confirm to the caller that they have a working number. Scammers and telemarketers often sell or share lists so you could end up with even more calls if you try to opt out. Don't hold to talk to anyone to complain about the unwanted call or to opt out. It could result in more calls. Many smartphones allow you to block or reject calls from certain numbers. Check your settings to see if your phone has that option. Your phone provider may also be able to block calls, but make sure to ask whether they charge for it before you ask for it. Free services, such as Nomorobo, can spot scam calls before they reach you, block them and automatically hang up for you. File a complaint about illegal calls or violations of the do-not-call list. It helps authorities detect patterns in who's placing the calls and to prosecute them. Complaints can be filed with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection or the Federal Trade Commission. (See question on filing a complaint.) I have another question not answered here. Whom can I ask? Visit the FTC's do-not-call registry FAQ online. You can also email the FTC at dncconsumerinquiry2@ftc.gov or send a letter to National Do Not Call Registry, Attn. DNC Program Manager, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20580. Reddit Email 6 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | The paroxysms of hatred and bigotry spewed by the two GOP frontrunners in the 2016 presidential campaign probably do not need any pretext, since Trump and Cruz are clearly sadistic and unfair individuals. But the Brussels airport and metro attacks gave them another excuse to blame all Muslims for the actions of a tiny fringe. Trump accused Muslims of not reporting terrorist activity to the government, and suggested that torture would be useful, and then wanted to put all mosques under surveillance, and again called for a Muslim exclusion act regarding Muslims coming to the US. Cruz appears to think that Muslim Americans live all together so that their neighborhoods can be patrolled. But most Muslims in the US are not segregated in that way, living in amongst all other kinds of Americans. Most terrorism in the US is anyway by white nationalists and anti-abortion nuts. Ripping up the Bill of Rights is an odd platform for conservative candidates. What is it that they want to conserve if not the Constitution? Arbitrary search and seizure of personal papers and effects, which is what they mean by surveillance, was the technique used by George III, against whom the American Revolution was fought to stop such abuses. Trump and Cruz want to go back to those George III techniques. But in any case, it turns out that the central premise of this sort of hate speech toward Muslims is simply incorrect. Turkey, a Muslim-majority state, arrested one of the Brussels attackers (Ibrahim El Bakraoui?) in summer of 2015, in Gaziantep not far from Syria. Turkey determined that the individual had links to terrorist groups and posed a danger. It then turned him back over to Europe with a warning that he was, in Ankaras view, a very dangerous individual. Turkey alleges that Belgium blithely declared that there was no evidence El Bakraoui was a radical and let him go. Just a guess, but if Turkey arrests you for going to Syria to fight alongside Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), Id say thats material support of terrorism and should put you away. Moreover, it has come out that the brothers were a petty thiefs, burglars and carjackers, not pious men who showed up to mosque much. So the hateful and unconstitutional methods of Trump and Cruz wouldnt have done anything to identify the El Bakraoui brothers. And it turns our that Trump is dead wrong that Muslims did not finger the El Bakraouis. A Muslim government and Muslim police arrested one of them, sniffed out his terrorism, turned him over to European authorities, and explicitly warned them that he had been trying to join Daesh in Syria. El Bakraoui was clearly depressed and filled with despair about his future, fearing a lifetime in jail for his Daesh associations. But if he had just been investigated, tried and incarcerated, he could not have lashed out against innocents in this way. So we can conclude that a few Muslims are petty criminals and attracted to Daesh, and that other Muslims can sometimes recognize the syndrome quite clearly, and it is the European authorities who had difficulty acting on the intelligence coup they were handed by Muslim Turkey. The story underlines how only better cooperation between Muslim countries and NATO can hope to defeat Daesh. Trump & Cruz are seeking worse cooperation, which will make our world more dangerous. Related video: AFP: Erdogan says Turkey deported Brussels airport attacker in 2015 Reddit Email 0 Shares TeleSur | Pro-Palestinian groups argue that Muslims also need protection from Islamophobia on campus, an issue officials neglected to address. A University of California committee unanimously approved a statement Wednesday that cites anti-Semitism as a form of intolerance that campus leaders have a responsibility to challenge. The University of California is a public university system with 10 campuses and more than a 235,000 students. The Statement of Principles Against Intolerance was passed by the universitys Board of Regents and now will be passed on to the full board for final consideration Thursday. In order to pass, officials had to soften a reference in an accompanying report that listed anti-Zionism the rejection of Israel as a nation-state exclusively for the Jewish people as one kind of discrimination that didnt belong on university campuses. Opposition to Zionism often is expressed in ways that are not simply statements of disagreement over politics and policy, but also assertions of prejudice and intolerance toward Jewish people and culture, the report states, according to the Los Angeles Times. Anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California. The statement passed Wednesday, by contrasts, calls on school officials merely to challenge overt anti-Semitism, to which it suggests anti-Zionism can sometimes lead. Supporters say the document grew out of a recent rise in anti-Semitism on UC campuses, stemming from heated anti-Israel protests, though critics argue pro-Israel activists are purposely conflating opposition to the state of Israel with the hatred of Jews in an effort to clamp down on academic freedom. Some call it a thinly veiled attempt to squelch political criticism of Israel, including student movements agitating for divestment from and boycotts against Israel. Pro-Palestinian groups and UC faculty members also note the statement passed Wednesday only protects people from anti-Semitism, ignoring the rise in hate crimes against Muslims in the United States. Via TeleSur Related video added by Juan Cole: The Real News from last winter: Will University of Californias New Anti-Semitism Policy Target Hate Speech or Criticism of Israel? Reddit Email 0 Shares By EurActiv with AFP The EUs foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini met with Syrias regime and opposition (23 March) to underscore the urgency of a political solution in the country, especially in the wake of the Brussels attacks. Staffan de Mistura and Federica Mogherini in Geneva on 23 March[European Commission] Mogherini came to Geneva, where peace talks are under way, following a request from United Nations peace talks mediator Staffan de Mistura, making an EU call to both sides that the flagging negotiations move forward. It is important not only for the Syrians, but for the Europeans that this process starts, works and delivers, Mogherini told journalists. She added that Tuesdays (22 March) bombings in Brussels, claimed by the so-called Islamic State group, had put renewed focus on global efforts to combat the jihadists. If we want to tackle this threat, we need to accelerate and consolidate our common work to put an end to the war in Syria, and concentrate our forces on (IS), she said. The regimes lead negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari described his talks with Mogherini as the first direct meeting with (a) high representative of the European Union since the crisis began. The EU official stressed that the Jaafari meeting did not imply a change in Europes stance towards President Bashar al-Assads government. Asked if the EU still insisted on Assads departure as part of any peace deal, Mogherini said, the European Union sticks to the common position it has on the need for a political transition in Damascus. I think Im clear enough, she added. There is no change in policy. Mogherini also met with the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which is supported by the EU. The HNC has demanded that Assad leave power before any transitional government can formed. Damascus has ruled out any discussion of Assads fate and described his departure as a red line for the talks. De Mistura is due to hold another day of talks today before a scheduled pause, with negotiations due to resume next month. Via EurActiv with AFP Victoria, British Columbia (FSCwire) - GoldON Resources Ltd. (GoldON or the Company) (TSX-V: GLD) is pleased to announce it has acquired by staking a 100% interest in seven mineral claims, covering approximately 1,008 hectares, in the Paterson Lake area of Northwestern Ontarios Kenora Mining Division. Property Highlights: lithium pegmatite property strategically located in same structural corridor as Big Whopper pegmatite; lithium oxide (Li 2 O) grades (1.03 to 1.64 wt.%) and rare metal mineralogy similar to Big Whopper and Big Mack pegmatites; under-explored property with road access and close to major service centre (Kenora). The GoldON Property lies immediately north of Pacific Iron Ores Separation property that hosts the Big Mack pegmatite as well as Avalon Advanced Materials Separation Rapids property that hosts the Big Whopper deposit (Figure 1). The Big Whopper deposit was discovered in 1996 by Frederick Breaks of the Ontario Geological Survey and is one of the largest complex-type rare metal pegmatite deposits in the world (See Avalons website to learn more about the Separation Rapids project and the Big Whopper). GoldONs Property is host to three significant pegmatites (Glitter, Wolf and Rattler) along with a number of other, smaller, under-explored lithium (Li) niobium (Nb) tantalum (Ta) rubidium (Rb) tin (Sn) bearing pegmatite occurrences within the same structural zone that contains the Big Whopper and Big Mack pegmatites. The most significant lithium-rich pegmatite occurring on the Property is the Glitter Pegmatite that has similar mineralogy to the Big Mack and Big Whopper pegmatites. The Glitter Pegmatite is a highly deformed petalite-bearing pegmatite exposed by mechanical stripping along its southeastern strike-length for 75 meters and achieves a maximum width of 25 meters. It has not been drill tested, and select channel samples taken in approximately 2001 by Champion Bear Resources reported Li 2 O values between 1.03 and 1.64% accompanied by anomalous trace levels of other metals (Source: Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Historical Assessment Files). The Wolf and Rattler rare metal pegmatites are hosted within the 300 meter by 2,000 meter Skidder Pluton, a highly evolved parent granite that is similar to the nearby Separation Rapids pluton from which the Big Whopper pegmatite was derived. The Wolf Pegmatite is a mass of pink-weathering pegmatite covering an area of approximately 40 meters by 100 meters that is also hosted within a westward striking apophysis of the Skidder Pluton. The zone consists mostly of tourmaline-garnet-biotite-muscovite potassic pegmatitic leucogranite characterized by graphic intergrowths of quartz-potassium feldspar up to 0.7 meter by 1 meter and abundant coarse books of silver coloured muscovite up to 5 centimeters thick. Oxide minerals cassiterite, manganotantalite and microlite, up to 5 millimeters in diameter, were identified by electron microprobe work by the Ontario Geological Survey (1999 OGS Open File Report 6000). These minerals are mainly confined to small pods and layers of sodic aplite up to 0.8 meter by 1 meter in size. Previous claim holder Champion Bear registered maximum values from grab sampling of 1000 ppm cesium (Cs), 160 ppm Ta 2 O 5 , 240 ppm Nb 2 O 5 , 859 ppm Sn, 1700 ppm Rb 2 O and 0.39% Li 2 O from the pegmatitic segregations at the Wolf Pegmatite (Source: Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Historical Assessment Files). The Rattler Pegmatite consists of pink-weathering pegmatite segregations up to 7 meters by 12 meters hosted in the most westward striking apophysis of the parent granite (Skidder Pluton). The segregations composed of tourmaline-muscovite potassic pegmatite and grade imperceptibly into the medium-to-coarse grained, garnet-biotite bearing granitic host. Previous claim holder Champion Bear registered maximum values from grab sampling of 831 ppm Cs, 210 ppm Ta 2 O 5 , 150 ppm Nb 2 O 5 , 124 ppm Sn, 4100 ppm Rb 2 O and 0.20% Li 2 O from the pegmatitic segregations. While we remain focused on gold exploration in Ontario, the Paterson Lake prospect is an opportunity to diversify into the lithium exploration space at a very low cost, said GoldON President, Michael Romanik. The Property is strategically situated within an eastern extension of the same field that contains the famous Tanco pegmatite of southeastern Manitoba; and, with the Big Whopper 200 meters from our southern boundary, it provides us with an under-explored target area that is known to host lithium deposits. Steven Siemieniuk, P.Geo. and independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release on behalf of the Company. About GoldON Resources Ltd. GoldON Resources Ltd. is an exploration company geographically focused on the prolific gold mining belts of Ontario, Canada. All of its properties are in good standing and include the Slate Falls gold-silver property in northwestern Ontario and the Swayze gold property adjoining the Cote Gold Project owned by Trelawney Mining and Exploration, a subsidiary of IAMGOLD Corporation. For more information, visit www.goldonresources.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed Michael Romanik Michael Romanik, President Direct line: (204) 724-0613 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ### Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. BLAINVILLE, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - March 24, 2016) - Maya Gold & Silver ("Maya" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE:MYA) is pleased to announce, further to its news releases dated February 22, 2016, the closing of its non-brokered private placement through the issuance of 30,372,500 units of the Corporation at CAD0.12 per unit (each, a "Unit"), for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD3,644,700. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Corporation (each, a "Common Share") and one-Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles its holder to purchase one additional Common Share of the Corporation at any time on or before 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on March 22, 2018 at an exercise price of CAD0.15. In addition, the Corporation is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD") to amend the original loan agreement in order to draw down an initial tranche of USD4.5M of the loan facility of USD6.0M that was previously announced on September 23, 2015. Guy Goulet, CEO of Maya, commented: "The initial draw down of the loan facility is a great demonstration of trust from such a well-respected institution as EBRD. This, in parallel with the equity financing, will strengthen Maya's balance sheet and will enable the Corporation to execute its business plan most specifically upgrading the mill at the Zgounder mine" Private placement Three directors of the Corporation purchased a total of 17,137,500 units. Their participations under the Private Placement constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined under National Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("NI 61-101"). However, such participation is exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of NI 61-101 based on the fact that neither the fair market value of the Private Placement, nor the consideration paid by such persons, exceeds 25% of the Corporation's market capitalization. The Corporation did not file a material change report at least 21 days prior to the closing of the private placement as participation of the insiders had not been established at that time. The private placement is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day, expiring on July 23, 2016. In connection with the Private Placement and the loan facility, Maya paid a finder's fee to arm's length third parties in the amount of CAD123,125 which represents 1.3% of the total financing. EBRD LOAN This first tranche or the loan facility will be mainly used to fund the modernization of the Zgounder Silver Mine including the introduction of flotation units. These units will contribute to optimize the Zgounder processing plant, as well as to bring energy efficiency and environmental improvements to its operations. About EBRD The EBRD started investing in Morocco in 2012. To date, the Bank has invested EUR400 million in 18 projects across the country, in addition to EUR 130M of trade-facilitation credit lines with local banks. The EBRD has also provided technical assistance support to more than 175 local small and medium enterprises. For further information on EBRD visit EBRD's website at www.ebrd.com. ABOUT MAYA Maya Gold & Silver Inc. is a Canadian publicly listed mining corporation focused on the exploration and development of gold and silver deposits in Morocco. Maya is initiating mining and milling operations at its Zgounder Mine owned by Zgounder Millenium Silver Mining ("ZMSM"), a Maya 85% owned joint venture with l'Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines ("ONHYM") of the Kingdom of Morocco (15%). For further information on Maya visit www.mayagoldsilver.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements This news release contains statements about our future business and planned activities. These are "forward-looking" because we have used what we know and expect today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements including but are not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work and analyses. Forward-looking statements usually include words such as may, intend, plan, expect, anticipate, and believe or other similar words. We believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, actual events and results could be substantially different because of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business or events that happen after the date of this news release. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. As a general policy, we do not update forward-looking statements except as required by securities laws and regulations. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - March 23, 2016) - Lara Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:LRA) ("Lara" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has signed an Option Agreement ("the Agreement") to acquire the Serrita Gold Project in Pernambuco State, northeast Brazil. The property comprises three exploration licenses, totalling 5,998 hectares, covering a wide area of artisanal workings that follow narrow gold-bearing veins generally less than half a metre thick, but which can extend up to a kilometre in length. The host geology comprises schists of the Proterozoic-age Salgueiro Group. Previous exploration work includes geological mapping, regional soil/rock sampling and 109 channel samples that focused on exposed mineralization in the artisanal workings. The channels samples ranged from 10 centimetres to 2.3 metres in length (average 44 centimetres), though most of the mineralized veins are less than 50 centimetres thick. Forty of the samples reported over 1 gram per ton ("g/t") gold, with 19 reporting over 5g/t gold. The channel samples were targeting the quartz veins, but several that sampled adjacent ferruginous schists also reported significant gold values. The exploration database suggests the potential to host multiple high-grade vein deposits, though these have not been drill tested and there remains also the possibility of outlining a larger body of mineralization including multiple vein systems that could be amenable to bulk mining and heap leach processing. Serrita Purchase Option Under the terms of the Agreement, Lara has agreed to make staged and bonus cash payments totalling up to US$1,650,000 as follows in Table 2. Milestone/Date Payment US$ Upon signing the Definitive Agreement 10,000 Upon transfer of the Exploration License to Lara 10,000 12 months from transfer of the Exploration License 20,000 24 months from transfer of the Exploration License 20,000 36 months from transfer of the Exploration License 40,000 48 months from transfer of the Exploration License 50,000 Bonus at Bankable Feasibility if the reserve is >1Moz 500,000 Bonus at Commercial Production if rate is >50,000oz/year 1,000,000 The vendor will also be entitled to a 1.25% net smelter return royalty on any production, but Lara retains the right to purchase this royalty for a cash payment of US$1.5 million. The Company has also agreed to pay finders fee of staged (mostly success-based) payments totalling US$100,000. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Soil samples were analyzed chemically by ICPMS for gold and 50 other trace elements at ALS do Brasil Ltda. The rock and channel samples were analyzed for gold at the SGS Geosol laboratory in Belo Horizonte, using a 50-gram fire assay, with an atomic absorption finish. Both laboratories insert duplicate, standard and blank samples in each fire assay or ICPMS batch. Qualified Person Michael Bennell, Lara's Vice President Exploration and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has approved the technical disclosure and verified the technical information in this news release. About Lara Lara is an exploration company following the Prospect Generator business model, which aims to minimize shareholder dilution and financial risk by generating prospects and then exploring them in joint ventures funded by partners. The Company currently holds a diverse portfolio of prospects and deposits in Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Chile. Lara's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "LRA". Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. JURIST Guest Columnist Sari Bashi of Human Rights Watch discusses the flaws of Israeli judicial review in the context of Mohammed al-Qeeqs hunger strike After 93 days of refusing food, an emaciated Palestinian journalist named Mohammed al-Qeeq resumed eating on February 26. He began his hunger strike to protest being held by Israeli military officials without trial in a system known as administrative detention and ended it when Israel agreed to release him in May, when his detention order will expire. The circumstances of his arrest are typical of Israels administrative detention system, in which nearly 600 Palestinians are being held without trial, according to the Israeli human rights group BTselem. Israeli security officials claim that releasing him would endanger security because, they say, he is active in the militant group Hamas. But they also say that showing him the evidence against him would endanger security, so he has no chance to refute the chargestypical in these cases. His wife told Human Rights Watch he was arrested because of his writing and political activism critical of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Administrative detention, like other restrictive measures permitted under the law of occupation, is supposed to be exceptionally tolerated as a necessary but temporary rights restriction, applicable in emergencies. Yet Israels use of the practice has nearly quadrupled since a low point in 2013, according to BTselem. Israels occupation of the Palestinian territories is nearing the half-century mark, raising even more questions about the use of supposedly temporary and exceptional measures that inherently trample on the right to due process. As part of my legal training, prior to litigating human rights cases before the Israeli Supreme Court, I clerked on the court and saw this system in action over and over again. Al-Qeeqs case stands out for the price he was willing to pay to protest his detentionit is not clear to what extent his body and mind will recover from the starvationbut the judicial review he received was all too typical. Al-Qeeq challenged his detention before the Israeli Supreme Court, the only non-military court that has jurisdiction. As it has in other such cases, the court refused to cancel his administrative detention but said that it would be suspended so long as Al-Qeeqs medical condition neutralized any potential threat. The decision put him into legal limbo, no longer chained to his bed, but not free to leave the Israeli hospital where he was held. Medical reports submitted to the court reported that al-Qeeq had become drowsy, was intermittently unable to hear or speak and suffered constant pain. With the exception of a few days in January in which Israeli prison authorities forcibly connected him to an intravenous drip believed to contain vitamins and minerals, he took only water from November 25 to February 26. He survived one of the longest hunger strikes ever carried out by a Palestinian prisoner. No one seems to have really known what it meant for an administrative detention order to be suspended, but the court clarified that the order could be renewed if and when al-Qeeqs condition improved and, presumably, he would regain the capacity to pose a threat. We are talking unequivocally about a Hamas activist participating in military terrorism wrote Justice Elyakim Rubinstein [Hebrew], a former attorney general and one of the most senior justices on the court. Could that determination really be unequivocal, even by the standards of the Israeli justice system? Israel proclaims that Palestinians can challenge their detention before its highest court, but that review process is so flawed, it has little value beyond the chance it offers lawyers to push the government to compromisein this case, to remove al-Qeeqs shackles while keeping him in custody. The court will uphold an order if security officials produce evidence of danger. Such evidence can include accusations from paid informants who do not appear in court, confessions by other detainees, or even the involvement of a detainees family members in armed activity. The evidence is presented in a closed-door hearing attended only by judges and state officials. Judges are supposed to cross-examine the evidence, playing the role of defense lawyer on behalf of the detainee, who is not allowed to know the claims against him. In my experience, however, the judges role is generally passive. They are presented with binders, sometimes thick and sometimes thin, containing warnings by senior security officials of the harm that would befall the State of Israel and its citizens if the petitioner were released. To order release would be to take responsibility for defying those warnings. Since 1967 the Supreme Court has canceled just one such order against a Palestinian. As a court clerk, I assisted in or attended dozens of hearings in which secret evidence was presented. The procedure was routine: the petitioners lawyers would argue his or her case and then leave the room. After five or 10 minutes, they would return to hear the judges recommend that they withdraw the petition. Once during a particularly long morning of hearings, the presiding judge surprised me by asking me to remain in the courtroom during the closed door phase, even though I did not have security clearance. She explained that it would be faster if I stayed, so that I could call the petitioners lawyers back into the room more quickly. I sat at my clerks post while two intelligence agents dressed in button-down shirts and khaki pants approached the bench with three binders, one for each judge. The judges flipped through the binders. The presiding judge asked whether the information was current. The agent said yes. The hearing ended, and the judges rejected the petition. Even if the judges played a more active role this time, how could a hearing held without Al-Qeeq or his lawyer possibly lead Rubinstein to conclude that he is unequivocally a terrorist? Al-Qeeq is due to be released on May 21, after his hunger strike put pressure on the Israeli authorities, who feared a strong reaction if he were to die. The Israeli Supreme Court maintained its role of watching, reviewing, but not really intervening. Sari Bashi is the Israel and Palestine Country Director at Human Rights Watch. She is a human rights lawyer and an expert in international humanitarian law who writes and lectures on the law of occupation and human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory. Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, she co-founded and ran the Israeli human rights group Gisha, promoting the right to freedom of movement in Gaza. Suggested citation: Sari Bashi, In Israel, Atypical Detention and Typical Judicial Review, JURIST Professional Commentary, March 23, 2016, http://jurist.org/hotline/2016/03/sari-bashi-israel-occupation.php. Police in east Chinas Shandong Province arrested 37 individuals on Tuesday who are suspected of participation in a national medical drug ring. A mother/daughter duo are suspected [Xinhua Report] of buying and selling more than USD $88 million worth of vaccines since 2011. Three pharmaceutical companies have been implicated in the scandal and national Chinese authorities have authorized sweeping investigations into vaccine manufactures, whole-sellers, and buyers. The vaccines that were sold through this ring, though manufactured by approved methods, are suspected to have become corrupt due to improper storage and handling. The arrest had led to some public outrage over the time it took for authorities to act, as it is suspected the ring was discovered as early as April 2015. China previously faced criticism over a tainted milk scandal. In 2008, melamine-tainted milk from China [JURIST news archive] was blamed for the deaths of six infants, and the Chinese government promised that all tainted product would be seized and destroyed. Chinese courts began hearing [JURIST report] tainted milk suits in 2009, after families began filing individual claims. Also in 2009, a Chinese court declared Sanlu Group, the Chinese company that produced the melamine-tainted milk, bankrupt [JURIST report]. [JURIST] Former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] convicted [judgment summary, PDF; press release] Thursday of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentenced to 40 years by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website]. The crimes for which Karadzic were convicted took place during the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The court concluded that Karadzics involvement with and contributions to joint criminal enterprises showed that he was indeed guilty of unlawful attacks on civilians, murder and terror. The trial, which began in October 2009, lasted 499 days during which the court heard from 434 witnesses, with 11,469 exhibits and more than 330,000 pages of trial record, over which the court deliberated for approximately one year. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official profile] applauded [press release] the guilty verdict, calling it hugely significant. Zeid also said that the pronunciation of guilt was symbolically powerful for victims of war crimes worldwide, showing them that power is not enough to escape justice. Karadzic maintained that he was unaware of the massacre and was innocent of any wrongdoing. In January 2014 former leader of the Bosnian Serb army Ratko Mladic refused to testify [JURIST report] at the Karadzic trial. Karadzic expected Mladic to testify that in their conversations, they never agreed to commit the crimes of which Karadzic was accused, which would negate his mens rea for multiple charges. Mladic refused to answer questions, stating that testifying in Karadzics case could prejudice his own case in the future. In October 2012 Karadzic opened his defense [JURIST report] in the ICTY by denying all charges against him. Earlier in 2012 the ICTY denied Karadzics request for a new trial after he argued that the prosecution had failed to disclose [JURIST reports] crucial information until after trial. The court reasoned that the delay in disclosing evidence had not infringed on Karadzics right to a fair trial. In June 2012 the judges from the ICTY went on a five-day visit [JURIST report] to locations relevant to the indictment of Karadzic. This visit came just months after the ICTY sentenced [JURIST report] former president of the municipality of Sokolac, BiH, Milan Tupajic to two months in prison for refusing to testify against Karadzic. [JURIST] Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Najib Razak [official website] alleging corruption and abuse of power. The lawsuit comes after allegations and formal charges were made against Razak for his actions in depositing state funds into his personal account. In January the Malaysian Attorney Generals Office cleared the prime minister of corruption charges, announcing that the USD $681 million in Razaks personal bank account that was previously alleged to be from a state investment fund were actually discovered [JURIST report] to be a personal donation from the Saudi royal family. Razak has always denied the accusations, and has since reportedly returned $620 million of the donation. In July Razak fired [JURIST report] Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail, who first announced the corruption investigation and replaced him with cabinet member Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. It is reported [Reuters report] that the lawsuit brought by the former premier will not have any immediate impact as proceedings will not be begin for months. Razaks corruption allegations have caused controversy over the past several months. In July two major opposition parties in Malaysia called for an emergency [JURIST report] sitting of parliament in order to discuss the future of the countrys prime minister. A police report has also been lodged against Razak by many opposition members, including representatives [Reuters report] of political parties. In 2006 Razak, who has served as the countrys prime minister since 2009, was accused [BBC report] of being connected to the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, after her remains were found in October of that year in Kuala Lumpur. Razak, who was deputy prime minister at the time, denied having any connections to the murder or even knowing the model. Frances highest court, the Court of Cassation [official website, in French], ruled Tuesday that phone tapped conversations between Nicolas Sarkozy [BBC profile] and his lawyer were legal. Beginning in 2013, investigators recorded conversations between the former French president and his lawyer for a case involving suspicious Libyan funding [BBC report] for Sakozys successful 2007 presidential bid. The conversations led investigators to a new set of charges for corruption. The court deemed the recordings admissible [AP report] even though lawyers for Sarkozy argued they broke lawyer-client confidentiality and went beyond the scope of the initial investigative purpose of the tap. In 2014 Sarkozy was taken into police custody for questioning regarding allegations of misuse of influence and illegal campaign financing. Specifically, anti-corruption investigators [JURIST report] were looking into whether Sarkozy used his political influence [BBC report] to encourage a judge to share information with him about judicial proceedings into his 2007 presidential campaign funding. It is alleged Sarkozy offered the judge a prestigious position in Monaco in exchange for the information. Investigators also suspect Sarkozy was informed that his phone was being bugged during the campaign-funding investigation. Sarkozys post-presidential legal troubles started shortly after he lost the 2012 election. In June 2012, one month out of office and having lost his presidential immunity from investigative or legal procedures, Sarkozy was accused [JURIST report] of illegally using proceeds from submarine sales to Pakistan toward his campaign funding in 1995. In September 2013 a French appeals court allowed [JURIST report] an investigation to proceed into allegations that Sarkozy exploited LOreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, medically diagnosed with dementia, into donating to his political campaign. The charges were dropped the following month [JURIST report]. The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] on Wednesday confirmed [press release] multiple charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the case of Commander Dominic Ongwen [ICC materials] of the Sinia Brigade of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). The hearing took place to confirm more than 70 charges listed in the warrant of arrest [text] that included mutilations, assault, murder, destruction of villages, enslavement and the enlistment of child soldiers. The court relied on witness testimony from more than 100 individuals as well as information retrieved from the LRA radio correspondence to hold that there was enough evidence to confirm the charges and begin proceedings. The confirmation of the charges will allow the ICC to begin prosecuting Ongwen for the crimes allegedly committed under his watch. The ICC opened [JURIST report] the confirmation of charges hearing against Ongwen in January. Ongwen made his first appearance before the ICC last January amid opposition from the Ugandan government, which wished to try him in the country after his surrender [JURIST reports] earlier that month. The countrys attorney general assured the ICC in February that Uganda would cooperate [JURIST report] with his trial. The organization Invisible Children [advocacy website] opposes the actions of the LRA and has been instrumental in bringing to the forefront the efforts to capture accused leader Joseph Kony. In May 2012 a Major General of the LRA was captured [JURIST report] by force after having carried out an ambush in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The US government also aided in the protection of Ugandan citizens by introducing legislation [JURIST report] in early 2012 that would put in safe-guards in Uganda to prevent more attacks from Kony and the LRA. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory [official website] on Wednesday signed into law a bill [text, PDF] that prevents local governments from enacting their own nondiscrimination ordinances. Under the new law, which was passed [legislative materials] by both chambers of the states legislature [official website] during a special session, cities and counties will be unable to pass laws allowing transgender people to use the public restroom or locker room that corresponds with their gender identity. It also requires public school students to use the school bathroom or locker room that corresponds tot their sex at birth. The move came as a response to a measure passed in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month, which created greater protections against discrimination for gender expression and identity. While some have praised the bill as a protection of privacy rights for citizens, it has been called horribly discriminatory by others, including the legal director of North Carolinas American Civil Liberties Union, who expressed disappointment [Reuters report] at its passage. Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity has been a controversial issue in the US. Last week the Georgia state legislature approved a bill to allow faith-based establishments, including churches, schools and other organizations, to refuse service or employment [JURIST report] to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. Earlier this month the Kentucky Senate approved a bill allowing businesses to refuse service [JURIST report] to gays and lesbians based upon their religious beliefs. Also this month South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard vetoed a bill [JURIST report] thatwould have required public school students to use the bathroom or locker room corresponding to their sex at birth. In December a judge for the US District Court for the Central District of California ruled [JURIST report] that sexual discrimination is prohibited under a law that protects gender-based discrimination. In November President Barack Obama expressed support [JURIST report] for legislation that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity through an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In July 2014 Obama signed an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity [JURIST report] but, despite pressure, did not include any exemptions for religious organizations. [JURIST] The US Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments [day call, PDF] in the case Zubik v. Burwell [SCOTUSblog materials]. The case consolidates challenges by several different religious institutions opposing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The plaintiffs argue [transcript, PDF] that the contraceptive coverage mandate forces non-profit organizations to act against their deeply-held religious beliefs. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) [official website] argues that the mandate is not a cognizable burden under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and that the governments compelling interest is protecting the health of all women. Health care related issues have generated significant legal controversy in the US. Last month the US House of Representatives failed [JURIST report] to garner enough votes to override the presidents veto of the Restoring Americans Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015, the most recent legislative effort to repeal the ACA and defund Planned Parenthood. President Barack Obama had originally vetoed [JURIST report] the bill in January. [JURIST] Authorities in the US state of Texas on Tuesday executed a 33-year-old man accused of killing a city code enforcement officer. Adam Ward has been on death row in Texas since 2007 [Newsweek report]. The US Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of Adam Ward last October, despite arguments from his lawyers that Ward had an IQ below 70 and he suffered from extreme mental illness and he was delusional. Lawyers for the state of Texas presented evidence that Wards IQ was as high as 123. Ward is the fifth individual to be executed by lethal injection in Texas this year [AP report] and the ninth nationally. Capital punishment [JURIST op-ed] remains a controversial issue in the US. This week a Missouri state judge ordered [JURIST report] the Missouri Department of Corrections to disclose the source of the execution drug used by the state in order to comply with the Missouri sunshine law. Last week the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled [JURIST report] that the state can execute a man whose execution was halted in 2009 after a failed attempt to administer lethal injection drugs. Earlier in March Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law a bill [JURIST report] revamping the states death penalty law. The changes are in response to the US Supreme Court ruling in January that the states previous sentencing scheme was unconstitutional [JURIST report]. In February the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected [JURIST report] a Georgia death row inmates legal challenge to the death penalty. In January Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood stated that he plans to ask lawmakers to approve the firing squad, electrocution or nitrogen gas as alternate methods of execution if the state prohibits lethal injection [JURIST report]. [JURIST] The UN Human Rights Council [official website] decided Wednesday to establish a three-person commission [press release] to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in South Sudan. The commission was established for a year term and will monitor and report on the situation of human rights in South Sudan and make recommendations for its improvement, producing a written report that will be presented to the 34th session of the Human Rights Council. The government of South Sudan said that it will cooperate [Reuters report] with the effort. The conflict in South Sudan has taken more than 50,000 lives and has displaced over one-and-a-half million people. Earlier this month the UN Security Council urged [UN press release] the South Sudan government to protect its civilians from the deteriorating conditions within the country. Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] earlier this month urged [JURIST report] the African Union to establish a hybrid court to prosecute members of the South Sudan government for war crimes committed in the Western Equatoria region. Last month the UN Mission in South Sudan strongly condemned [JURIST report] the violence that took place between Shilluk and Dinka youths at one of its Protection of Civilian sites in South Sudan. The UN rights office reported in January that shocking crimes have been committed [JURIST report] in war-torn South Sudan. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic [official profile] expressed concern [press release] Tuesday over the deteriorating human rights situation in Burundi. The violence has come with the emergence of armed groups opposed to the government and has the potential to disrupt the nation and the Great Lakes region in general. In a UN report [text], Simonovic acknowledged the 474 deaths, 36 alleged enforced disappearances and 5,000 detained people as a result of the conflict. For those in political detainment, the assistant secretary-general called for release. Earlier this month, independent experts concluded their latest investigation [materials] in Burundi and found extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and sexual and gender-based violence against civilians continue to plague the nation. Violence in Burundi began in the wake of President Pierre Nkurunzizas announcement that he would seek a third term of office, which he was voted into [JURIST report] in July. Earlier this month UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN High Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official profiles] also expressed concern [statement] over increased violence and rights violations in Burundi, and called for an inclusive political dialogue [JURIST report] to end the 11-year struggle. Speaking to the council about his trip to Burundi last month, the secretary-general stated, I cannot stress enough the profound humanitarian consequences that political unrest, violence and impunity carry for the population. In January the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report stating that Burundian authorities barred entry into Burundi to independent rights experts dispatched by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate violations in the nation. Also in January Zeid warned [JURIST report] of increasing violence in Burundi. In December the UN Human Rights Council approved [JURIST report] a resolution to dispatch experts to investigate human rights violations in Burundi, condemning violence in the country, use of excessive force by officials and restrictions on freedoms. In November the UN Security Council unanimously adopted [JURIST report] a resolution condemning the political violence and killings currently afflicting Burundi. LINCOLN A federal judge has upheld Nebraskas funeral picketing law, ruling that it has not violated the free-speech rights of the Westboro Baptist Church, which has raised controversy by protesting at the services of fallen U.S. soldiers around the country. An appeal of the ruling was promised. U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp issued the ruling Tuesday, more than a year after a trial on the Topeka, Kansas, churchs challenge of the law. The law prohibits protests within 500 feet of a funeral service, starting one hour before the rites begin and ending two hours after. Passed in 2006 and amended in 2011, the law was a response to picketing by church members at the funerals of U.S. soldiers. Westboro members condemn homosexuality and say the deaths of U.S. soldiers are the result of Gods wrath over Americas tolerance of homosexuality. Carrying large posters bearing messages such as God Hates Fags and Thank God for IEDs (improvised explosive devices), the church members have picketed more than 550 funerals nationwide and have regularly gone to court to challenge restrictions on their protests. They filed their Nebraska lawsuit in 2009. They cited at least three protests in Nebraska, including a 2010 soldiers funeral in Omaha during which a counter-protester was convicted of spraying bear repellent into a crowd of people. Camp ruled Tuesday that Nebraskas law did not restrict free speech more than necessary and that protesters had ample alternative channels to communicate their message, including via social media and news coverage of their demonstrations. The First Amendment does not guarantee the right to communicate ones views at all times and places or in any manner that may be desired, the judge said, quoting from a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court opinion. The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office had defended the constitutionality of Nebraskas law, arguing that the state had a substantial interest in protecting the peace and privacy of funeral attendees so that they may express the respect accorded to the deceased. The state law initially banned protests within 300 feet of a funeral. But after it was struck down in court, the law was amended in 2011 and the ban was extended to 500 feet. Margie Phelps, a church member and the attorney who filed the churchs lawsuit, said Tuesdays ruling would be appealed. She said it was a necessary step to get the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, so that the justices can put some restraints on out-of-control legislators who think they can silence words they swore to protect. In the lawsuit, church members argued that the Omaha police force, during a funeral in October 2011, selectively enforced the picketing law against them and not against a military veterans motorcycle group that provided a funeral escort. They also claimed that police allowed counter-protesters to block Westboros message by waving flags and chanting, USA! USA! But Camp ruled that police are not obliged to regulate the speech of others to ensure that Westboros method of protest is effective. She said she did not find a pattern of unlawful favoritism against church members. And she noted that the church sent a thank-you note to Omaha police for its management of the 2011 protest. LINCOLN Nebraska lawmakers killed a proposal Wednesday that would ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill died after an emotional debate in which one senator lamented the bias against her gay son and another paced the center aisle of the Legislature in frustration. Opponents prevailed 26-18 on a motion to bracket, or table, Legislative Bill 586 for the rest of this year. But backers vowed to keep bringing the issue back in future years. This conversation will not go away. In fact, its just begun, State Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln promised his colleagues shortly before the vote. In the wake of the vote, the ACLU of Nebraska said it will be exploring legal and policy options to protect the employment rights of all Nebraskans. We will never give up the fight, said Danielle Conrad, the groups executive director. LB 586 would have prohibited workplace bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Nebraskans. Last year, legislative backers pulled the bill from the agenda after it became apparent that they lacked the votes to advance it. This year, Morfeld launched the debate with greater optimism. He cast the issue as one of doing the right thing and being good for business. He said the protections that would be offered under the bill are important to attracting and keeping good employees. No one should be fired for how their creator made them or for who they love, he said. But opponents said the measure was unneeded and would create a new burden on small businesses. Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha offered the motion to table the bill, saying he thought the issue had enough debate between last year and this year. It is not a subject matter that I think deserves an up or down vote, he said. Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion said the measure could interfere with employers right to free expression of their religious beliefs and would force them to act against their own conscience. Everyone should be free to live and work according to their faith, he said. Kintner suggested that people who dont feel comfortable in the state should leave. One lawmaker urged his colleagues to keep the debate on a professional level and avoid making what has often turned into a bitter and emotional debate too personal. I request we all take a deep breath and count to 10, said Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg. But others said the issue is unavoidably personal because of family, friends and co-workers who are gay. Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln said opponents apparently are fine with her gay son being fired or not hired because of his sexual orientation. Its hard not to feel its condescending to say dont make this personal, she said. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, one of two African Americans in the Legislature, said he supported the bill in part because of his own experiences with discrimination. He chastised the lawmakers who defended or minimized discrimination when it involved sexual orientation or gender bias. At one point, Chambers paced the legislative floor after describing the debate as so upsetting that, if he were a white man, he would have brought in a semiautomatic weapon to mow everybody down. Kintner responded by calling for the Speaker of the Legislature to rebuke Chambers. Kintner compared the situation to one earlier this year in which Speaker Galen Hadley of Kearney publicly criticized Kintner for comparing his legislative colleagues to monkeys. Chambers comment came in response to opponents who said they have not seen evidence of widespread workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Among them was Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha, who said he believes Nebraskans hire and fire people based on whether they are good workers. Others said they believe there are cases of discrimination but dont believe they justify a new law. Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion said laws giving protection to particular groups are burdensome to small businesses, while Sen. David Schnoor of Scribner said laws cannot stop discrimination. Before debate began, Morfeld had expressed hope that an amendment offered by Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln could win over some votes. Coash, who abstained from the Judiciary Committee vote to advance LB 586, said his thoughts on the bill evolved as he talked with business leaders, workers and potential employees last year. He said they told him that the kind of protection offered by LB 586 is important to employees and thus, to businesses. At the end of the day, I started to look at LB 586 ... as a workforce issue, Coash said. LB 586 had support from the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and more than 200 individual Nebraska businesses. Some 270 religious leaders also signed a statement of support, although the bill faced opposition from other religious groups, particularly the Roman Catholic Church. The legislative session is moving quickly. It seems like it was only a few weeks ago when I outlined the top priorities to work on with the Legislature in my State of the State address. Working together, we have made progress on a number of key issues. With only a few weeks left, however, there is still much to accomplish before session adjourns and senators return home. A significant amount of work on top priorities like tax relief, infrastructure funding, and balancing the budget is yet to come. At the opening of session, I designated property tax relief as my number one priority. Wherever I travel, I continually hear from Nebraskans who feel the pain of our states high property taxes. Earlier this session, I testified at two hearings in support of property tax bills, which have been a collaborative effort between Sens. Mike Gloor of Grand Island and Kate Sullivan of Cedar Rapids and my administration. Nebraskans at those hearings confirmed the need for more property tax relief, and also provided feedback on how we could improve the bills. Following the hearings, the senators, their committees and I have continued to work to make adjustments to these bills. After much discussion, the Revenue and Education committees and I have agreed upon proposed amendments to the property tax relief bills. These amendments do three major things: First, they provide additional targeted direct property tax relief for ag land property taxpayers. Second, they limit the carryover of unused restricted funds by community colleges to three percent. Third, they make changes to our states education funding formula to enhance local accountability in our school districts. Because the amendment to LB958 contains significant changes from the original version, the Revenue Committee will hold a new hearing on the proposed amendment this afternoon at the State Capitol. Nebraskans are invited to attend the hearing to give their feedback on the new proposed amendment. If you are unable to attend and would still like to testify, you are welcome to submit your written testimony to the Revenue Committee by emailing kdelka@leg.ne.gov. Written testimony must be submitted before the hearing to be included in the official record. In addition to property tax relief, we have been working with the Appropriations Committee on the Transportation Innovation Act, a bill that makes targeted investments to accelerate expressway construction and bridge repair. These targeted investments utilize existing sources of revenue, including a $50 million cash reserve transfer and unprogrammed motor vehicle fuel tax revenue. After advancing from committee unanimously, the TIA successfully passed the first round of debate with overwhelming support. There are two more rounds of debate on the TIA before it can reach my desk for approval. As always, my administration is also working to hold the line on the rate of growth in spending. Recently, the Appropriations Committee advanced a budget from committee that holds the line on spending similar to the responsible rate proposed in my budget. Holding the line on the rate of growth in spending is critical to ensuring that the Legislature and I can continue to provide tax relief in the coming years. As the session continues, my administration will continue to work with the Legislature to address these and other important priorities for hardworking Nebraskans. If you want to share your thoughts on these bills or others with your senator, you can find all of the information you need to contact your senator by visiting www.NebraskaLegislature.gov. To reach my office, you can call 402-471-2244. Pete Ricketts is governor of Nebraska. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2013, file pool photo, steel beams and a glass wall on the exterior of the new NATO headquarters in Brussels. Americas substantial support for NATO, both in money and military aid, has long been a source of frustration for U.S. leaders, and questioned by some as a throwback to the Cold War era.(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool, File) 13K Shares Share Pamela Wible, M.D., takes on physician suicide in her TEDMED talk (delivered on November 18, 2015). Learn more about Dr. Wible and her talk at TEDMED.com. Full transcription below: I love the three things that people fear the most: death, disease, and public speaking. Heres how it all started. At four, I was so talkative (and bossy) no babysitter would stay with me. So I tagged along with Mom, a hospital psychiatrist, interviewing suicidal patients. Then shed drop me off at the morgue with Dad, a pathologist. Hed open these big cooler doors and say, Good morning! Is anyone home? then introduce me to his patients as a doctor in training and leave me there talking. My first captive audience! Now Im a doctor, and Im speaking on behalf of thousands of doctors who couldnt be with us. But theyre here in spirit. I simply ask that you open your heart to their words Dear Momma and Daddy, I know you may not understand why I didnt seek help, but this choice makes sense to me. I know I would have been such a successful doctor and wife and mother. I love you so much, Your daughter, Kaitlyn. Date of death: April 11, 2013. Cause of death: asphyxiation by helium inhalation due to untreated depression in medical school. Each year more than one million Americans lose their doctors to suicide. Across the country, our doctors are jumping from hospital rooftops, overdosing in call rooms, found hanging in hospital chapels. Its medicines dirty secret. And its covered up by our hospitals, clinics, and medical schools. No medical school wants to be known as the suicide school. No hospital wants to be #1 for interns jumping from rooftops. No one wants to become a doctor to kill themselves. Its the ultimate oxymoron: the barefoot shoemaker, the starving chef, the suicidal doctor. So why? What the hell is going on? And why is this such a secret? And why am I piecing this together between patients? Im a solo family doc, yet somehow Ive become an investigative reporter, a specialist in physician suicide. Why? Mostly because I cant stop asking why. Why both doctors I dated in med school died by suicide. Why eight doctors killed themselves just in my sweet little town. So I keep talking and writing and listening for the truth. And because Im listening with my heart and soul 24/7, my cell phone has turned into a suicide hotline, and Ive received hundreds of letters from suicidal physicians. You may be wondering: why do so many people who want to help people kill themselves? Anna, a retired surgeon writes, Dear Pamela, I was happy, secure, and mostly unafraid until med school. I recall in vivid detail the first orientation day. Our anatomy professor stood before an auditorium filled with 125 eager, nervous, idealistic would-be healers and said these words: If you decide to commit suicide, do it right so you do not become a burden to society. He then described in anatomical detail how to commit suicide. What better way to bring shame to your alma mater than with a failed suicide. Alma mater means kind mother, yet doctors describe med school as a soul-crushing boot camp, a dehumanizing nightmare, my own personal Vietnam. Medical training is neither motherly nor kind. I love you mom. Im sorry. Vincent. Date of death: August 25, 1998. Cause of death: asphyxiation by hanging due to bullying, hazing, and sleep deprivation as an intern at a New York hospital. Sleep deprivation is a torture technique. Fear as a teaching tool just teaches us to be afraid. I can help doctors, though theres one group I cant help patients. From all over the country they write me, begging me to find them caring doctors. How can we give them the care weve never received? Dear Pamela, I definitely graduated med school with PTSD. It has changed me forever. I will never be the same again. We had two suicides and one murder, skull crushed with a bat, and another serving life in prison for murdering a classmate during a delusional episode after not sleeping for a month. Please change medical education. We were so beaten down. It takes a lot for me to cry but I cried all the time along with everyone else, but we hid it from each other, of course. Fact: we enter medicine with our mental health on par with or better than our peers. Suicide is an occupational hazard of our profession. Photo credit: Jerod Harris for TEDMED Dear Some, My family, I love you. To others who have been good friends, I love you too. This is just the end of the line for my particular train. Earth wasnt a great place for me. Well see what else is out there. Will miss you all! Im sorry for what its worth. Love Greg. Date of death: June 22, 2012. Cause of death: Hemorrhage by transection of the arteries to his wrists and ankles. OK, so what happened here? Greg died just hours after being told not to follow his psychiatrists safety plan. By whom? By an agency (with no physician oversight) that controlled his medical license. Our medical schools, clinics, hospitals (and related agencies) actually cause mental health conditions in doctors, then they blame us and force us to release our confidential medical records. And in the end, they take our license. But it gets worse Dear Pamela, Do you know what really hurts? The fact that anyone can look me up on the Internet and read my dirty laundry. Im publicly shamed, punished for being ill. I will only know peace when I am gone. Maybe thats why my friend, an excellent psychiatrist, drives 200 miles out of town, pays cash, and uses a fake name to get mental health care. Dear Pamela, You dont know how thankful I am for your article on physician suicide. I wanted to hug you after reading it. I had a really rough day 130 outpatients, sixty emergency admissions in a twelve-hour shift. Im a final year internal medicine resident in one of the busiest hospital in India. Two patients on each bed, two lying together on the floor. Poverty, misery, pain all around. Ive declared twelve patients dead in a day. I just dont feel death anymore, just dont feel human. My uncle died recently; I felt nothing. This profession demands too much from us. Ive thought of suicide a thousand times. The misery is too much for me Im a perpetual optimist, yet after a decade of seven-minute visits at assembly-line clinics, even I felt suicidal. I thought I was the only one. Then I got this crazy idea. What if I ask for help? Not from the profession that wounded me. So I asked patients: What is ideal health care? What kind of doctor do you want? They told me an ideal doctor is happy, has a big heart and a great love for people and service and an ideal clinic is a sanctuary, a safe place, a place of wisdom with fun flannel gowns, complimentary massage while waiting, where nobody is turned away for lack of money. I followed their instructions and opened their ideal clinic the first clinic designed entirely by patients! Photo credit: Sandy Huffaker for TEDMED My life is like a lovefest now! My patients and I have inspired hundreds of doctors all across the country to open ideal clinics. At times I feel like the happiest doctor in America until I get yet another call about a suicide, or I read a letter like this: Dear Dr. Wible, Im a patient who just got home from another insulting, degrading appointment with my doctor. Im literally crying as I write to you I call her. She shares her horror story. I share mine. She never knew doctors could be suicidal. She never knew she could be the victim in a cycle of abuse that began on day one of med school when her insulting doctor was still an idealistic student. How could she know that abused medical students become abused doctors who may one day abuse patients? So how do we stop institutional abuse? Physician suicide hotlines inside our hospitals? Resilience training for our wiped-out doctors? Meditation classes for medical students? Wait, is our goal to help victims cope with abuse? Or to end the abuse? Its not costly or complicated to stop bullying, hazing, and abuse. Its been outlawed from elementary schools to fraternities. Why not health care? Medical culture and education must change. Yet cultures and institutions dont change because we ask them to change even when its in their self-interest. They change when theyre forced to change. I favor the honor system. What if those in charge are not behaving honorably? What if our medical system continues to blame, shame, and publicly humiliate its victims? Maybe its time for us to give them a dose of their own medicine. How? By shining an embarrassing public spotlight on physician suicide. On behalf of those weve lost (and those who are barely hanging on), I want to thank you for shining your light into the darkness because if we all shine our lights together, theres is no darkness to fear. But mostly I want to thank you for your courage, for following a fearless little four-year-old through the morgue and into the coolers to meet a few of her friends. Greg Miday, Vincent Uybarreta, Kaitlyn Elkins ~ Rest in peace sweet souls. We miss you. Pamela Wible pioneered the community-designed ideal medical clinic and blogs at Ideal Medical Care. She is the author of Physician Suicide Letters Answered and Pet Goats and Pap Smears. Watch her TEDx talk, How to Get Naked with Your Doctor. She hosts the physician retreat, Live Your Dream, to help her colleagues heal from grief and reclaim their lives and careers. Health care stocks have the blues. Standard & Poors Health Care index has fallen 5.4% so far this year. The chief reason: political posturing about cutting the soaring costs of prescription medicines and of repealing Obamacare. Maybe something concrete will come of this cheap talk on Capitol Hill and in the presidential campaign, though I highly doubt it. But whats far more important is that the long-term tailwinds for the health care industry remain firmly in placein fact, theyre gathering momentum. But first, lets take a quick look back. Over the past 15 years, the S&P Health Care index has returned an annualized 7%an average of 1 percentage point per year better than Standard & Poors 500-stock index. The last year the health care sector trailed the S&P 500 was 2010. Whats more, during the 2007-09 bear market, health stocks lost 38%, compared with a 55% plunge for the S&P 500. (All returns are through March 22, unless otherwise noted.) Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up Health care tends to do well in both bull and bear markets, making it unique among broad sectors of the economy. There are good reasons for this, and theyre not complicated. For starters, demand for health care is virtually inelastic. By that, I mean that most people wont markedly reduce their consumption of health care products and services no matter how much their prices rise. With populations aging throughout the developed worldnot just in the U.S.demand for health care continues to grow. The reason is simple: Older people tend to get sick more often than younger people, and they tend to take longer to recover. In the developing world, health care is just as big a growth story. As people rise from poverty and enter the middle class, one of the first things they purchase is health care. Whether Chinas economy is growing at 7% annually or 3% annually, its middle class is growing and consuming more health care. Another plus: Biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms are developing more and better treatments for many diseases at a remarkable pace. That trend shows no signs of slowing. In the past 20 years, previously unimaginable breakthroughs have been made against such killers as HIV/AIDS, heart disease, cancer and hepatitis C. Given all that, youd expect health care stocks to change hands at a huge premium to the market. But they dont. The S&P health care index sells for a bit more than 15 times analysts earnings estimates for 2016, and the S&P 500 trades at 17 times estimates. How to invest in health care In this sector, one fund stands head and shoulders above the rest. Its Vanguard Health Care Investor (symbol VGHCX (opens in new tab)), which returned an annualized 15.8% over the 30-year period that ended February 29, making it the top-performing mutual fund of any kind over that span. By contrast, the S&P 500 returned an annualized 9.9% over the same period. The fund, run by Wellington Management for Vanguard, is more diversified than most of its competitors. It currently has 46% of its assets in traditional drug companies, 15% in biotechnology, 12% in health insurance companies and 11% in medical devices. The rest of the holdings are spread among such things as distributors and health care facilities. All of that diversification tends to dampen volatility, making it easier for shareholders to hold the fund, a member of the Kiplinger 25, for the long term. Biotech is the sexiest sector in health care, but its subject to periodic booms and busts. Fidelity Select Biotechnology (FBIOX (opens in new tab)), for instance, was the top-performing health care fund over the past five years, but it has plunged 28.1% so far this year. Ed Owens, Vanguard Health Cares manager from its inception in 1984, retired at the end of 2012. But Jean Hynes, 47, who took over from Owens, has worked for Wellington since she graduated from college in 1991, She started as analyst on Vanguard Health Care in 1995 and was promoted to its comanager in 2008. Hynes has six full-time analysts, one of whom is a physician. She and her team are optimistic about the future. Theyre incredibly enthusiastic about the pipelines for new treatments, says Dan Newhall, who leads a group responsible for monitoring all Vanguard funds. Hynes and her team say the Food and Drug Administration has accelerated approval of new drugs in recent years, Newhall reports. Hynes also shares my doubts that government will make any major changes in health care policy that harm investors in the sector. The fund has a distinct value tilt, favoring stocks that trade at reasonable valuations. Hynes is patient, holding stocks an average of five years. Shes also conservative. Managed health care and health care equipment will never produce the blockbuster returns of biotech firms or small drugmakers. But during lousy markets, those boring holdings will cushion the losses. As you would expect from a Vanguard fund, Health Care is cheap, charging 0.34% annually for expenses. The admiral share class (VGHAX (opens in new tab)) is even cheaper, at 0.29%, but it requires a $50,000 initial minimum (compared with $3,000 for the investor class). My bottom line: Were in a slow-growth world, one in which its getting harder for companies to boost sales and, hence, profits without resorting to cost-cutting and accounting gimmicks. Yet health care boasts several huge growth drivers. Im not a big fan of sector funds. But this fund is too good to overlook. Vanguard Health Care almost certainly wont be the top-performing fund over the next 30 years, but I bet it will still be a winner. Steve Goldberg (opens in new tab) is an investment adviser in the Washington, D.C., area. It is my belief that the worst precious metal miner bear market in 90 years has ended. If correct, I also believe there is a wonderful opportunity in a certain few development stage companies that should be worth considerably more in the near future when Gold and Silver find floors at $1350/oz and $20/oz respectively. Aside from strong deposits, these developers have management teams that have done an incredible job over the past decade advancing large discoveries close to the financing stage while maintaining a reasonable capital structure. However, the 5 to 10 year price chart of these companies would lead you to believe they have no clue how to run a business. While the precious metal bull was raging from 2008 to 2011 the shares of these companies were rocketing higher while they were still in the process of proving up a deposit. Most did not even have a defined resource yet as their share prices screamed higher with the price of metals. Now that they have done most of the hard work with a profitably defined resource and are at, or close, to being developed, the share prices are at a fraction of their former highs. I say profitable if you believe, as I do, that the gold price will make a solid $1350 floor this year. Essentially when share prices were multiples higher, the companies were intrinsically worth less. Now that the same companies are trading at rock bottom prices with large and defined resources they stand a very good chance of appreciating substantially within the next few years. That is, if they are not taken out by a major before realizing their full potential. Here is a list of 6 optionality plays that I have accumulated since December of last year with the intention of holding until they are either bought out, or have fully matured during the next bull cycle. Western Copper and Gold (WRN.TO) In February 2006 Western Silver was purchased by Glamis Gold in a $1.2 billion all share transaction. $38 million cash was shifted to the new exploration company Western Copper and Gold along with the wholly-owned Casino property in the Yukon. During the bull market from 2008-2011 the share price of WRN went from $.19 to over $4 in the US before a feasibility study had even been released. Management has since moved the project to the finance stage with minimal dilution and the share price is now under $.60 US. They have $10 million cash with no debt and are waiting for the tailings waste permit that is now in panel review by the Executive Committee of the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB). The $2.5 billion CAPEX project is a massive porphyry system with P+P reserves of 4.5 billion lbs copper and 8.9 million oz of gold. M+I reserves are 5.4 million lbs copper and 9 million oz gold. The company also has very good relations with the First Nation groups in the area. I spoke with CEO Paul West-Sells at the just concluded PDAC in Toronto and he assured me they have enough cash until the end of 2016 while looking to finance, or do a JV deal with a major. Western has less than 101 million fully diluted shares out with a market cap of under $50 million US as well as an NYSE MKT listing. Exeter Resources (XRC.TO) Exeter Resource Corporation, founded in 2003, is focused on the exploration and development of the Caspiche copper gold porphyry project in the Maricunga District in Chile. Exeters Cerro Moro Gold-Silver Project, Don Sixto Project and all other Argentinean exploration projects were spun into Extorre Gold Mines in March 2010, and on August 22nd, 2012, Yamana Gold completed the acquisition of Extorre Gold Mines for C$414 million cash. The companys flagship 100% owned Capiche project is a massive 37.9 Moz. AuEq sulphide M&I resource with a 1.7 Moz AuEq oxide cap. In May 2014 they published a PEA that showed three possible scaleable development options for the project with the first option that would mine the 1.7 Moz oxide cap for 10 years at a total cash cost of $589/oz. I spoke with CEO Yale Simpson at PDAC and he fully understands the optionality of his project and assured me they have enough cash to last until 2018. The company has C$21 million cash, no debt, with under 96 million shares out fully diluted and a US NYSE MKT listing. The current market cap is below $60 million US. Vista Gold (VGZ.TO) Vista has a long track record of success since being formed in 1983. Their current flagship project is the wholly-owned Mt. Todd brownfield development project with significant existing infrastructure including paved access from the major transportation corridor, a natural gas pipeline to site for future power generation, medium-tension power lines for present power needs, a fresh water reservoir, water treatment facility, and readily available labor and technical personnel. Mt. Todd, located in Australia, boasts P&P reserves of 5.9 Moz and is the third largest consolidated Australian reserve position after Newcrest and Newmont. The company has $12.9 million cash and securities, which is enough to fund planned programs into 2018. Vista has no plans to seek financing through an equity offering under current market conditions. They have no debt with under 83 million shares out fully diluted and a US NYSE MKT listing. The current market cap is below $45 million US. Sandspring Resources (SSP.V) Sandspring has been working on its Toroparu gold project in Guyana for more than 15 years while raising $115 million since it went public in 2009. The project has nearly 7 Moz M&I with an additional inferred resource of 3 Moz. and includes an airstrip, 150km of roads and a 120 person camp. Silver Wheaton committed $15M to Sandspring and will commit another $138M based on the results of an upcoming feasibility study, which should cover 30% of the finance requirement. The company has over $4 million cash with no debt. There are 118.7M shares outstanding which includes 24.3M warrants at an average price of 39c and 6.7M options at 53c. Prominent mining executive and financier Frank Giustra acquired a large stake in 2015 and has recently purchased over 4 million shares in the open market. The current market cap is under $20 million US. Bear Creek Mining Corp. (BCM.V) Bear Creek Mining was formed in 2000 as an exploration and development company focused on Peru. The Company's Corani and Santa Ana Projects collectively host reserves and resources containing more than 450 million ounces of silver, plus by-product base metals, and provide near-term production potential and excellent leverage to silver prices. The Santa Ana project has a very storied history. The company is currently pursuing an international arbitration proceeding against the Republic of Peru under the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement ("TPA") before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington D.C. and the hearing is set for September of this year. Here is a link to the suit: https://icsid.worldbank.org/ICSID/FrontServlet?requestType=CasesRH&actionVal=showDoc&docId=DC5432_En&caseId=C3745 I believe Bear Creek has a very strong case and there is a chance of a settlement before the hearing at any time which could also be a near term catalyst for the share price. They have US $20 million cash and no debt. There are 93 million shares out with 7.8 million options that are all currently above the share price. (Exercise prices from Cdn.$1.41 Cdn.$10.77) The market cap is below $90 million US. Orezone Gold Corp (ORE.TO) In my piece last week I mentioned this company and the synopsis can be accessed here: /news/2016-03-18/Opportunity-in-West-Africa-High-Grade-Deposits-at-Low-Prices.html This company has the most risk of the six companies mentioned here, as it is located in Burkina Faso which has had a few regime changes recently. However, I do believe that the government has stabilized now with the share prices of precious metal miners in this region starting to catch up with the market. One fifth of Burkinas GDP depends on gold mining and the nation is the 5th largest African producer. Seven gold mines have been built since 2007 with two more currently in construction, including the Karma mine being constructed by True Gold (TGM.V). Endeavour Mining made a take over bid for TGM earlier this month, which also mitigates some of the jurisdictional risk. My recommendation is to put at least 1% of your portfolio into each one of these companies as they are trading at rock bottom prices (assuming the sector has indeed bottomed). I believe they stand a very good chance of returning at least 5-10 times your investment within 2-3 years. David Erfle; Contributor to Kitco News newsfeedback@kitco.com David Erfle David Erfle is a 52 year old self-taught mining sector investor. He stumbled upon the mining sector in 2003 as he was looking to invest into a growing sector of the market. After researching the gains made from the 2001 bottom in the tiny gold and silver sector he became fascinated with this niche market. So much so that in 2005 he decided to sell his home and invest the entire proceeds from the sale into junior mining companies. When his account had tripled by September, 2007, he decided to quit his job as the Telecommunications Equipment Buyer at UCLA and make investing in this sector his full time job. He personally survived two bear markets, witnessed incredible sector changes and had to alter his investment philosophy numerous times in order to adapt to changing market conditions. SHARE John Sevier by Charles Willson Peale in the collection of the Tennessee State Museum. (Tennessee State Museum) By Amy McRary of the Knoxville News Sentinel The City of Knoxville is celebrating its 225th birthday this year. There'll be official celebrations and some history-related events throughout 2016. To mark the milestone, the News Sentinel is publishing a series of stories based on events that happened each month in Knoxville. We begin in March with Knoxville being the first capital of the new state of Tennessee and John Sevier becoming the state's first governor. Tennessee celebrates Statehood Day each June 1; that's the date in 1796 when it was admitted to the Union as the 16th state. But for people living on the frontier in 1796, March was special, too. March was when the state government was formed in Knoxville, the new state's capital, and when military hero John Sevier took office as Tennessee's first governor. In seven years the land had gone from being part of North Carolina to becoming a federal territory to achieving statehood as Tennessee. In January 1796, 55 leaders from 11 counties in what was then the United States' Southwest Territory met to write a state constitution and establish a state government. On Feb. 6 the delegates unanimously approved the constitution. They signed the document at Col. David Henley's office at the corner of Gay Street and Church Avenue. A copy was sent to Washington for the U.S. Congress to approve. The first state legislature met March 28 in Knoxville to get the government going. Legislators checked votes from a February election, declaring Sevier a popular soldier, Indian fighter, politician and statesman as governor. On March 30 Sevier was sworn into office by Judge Joseph Anderson. A cannon salute marked the event. The new governor spoke briefly. Author James Gilmore in his 1887 book "John Sevier as Commonwealth-Builder" repeats the speech in just two paragraphs. Sevier pledged to "labor to discharge with fidelity the trust reposed in me." He also told legislators he was certain their work would "give permanency and success to our new system of government, so wisely calculated to secure the liberty and advance the happiness and propriety of our fellow-citizens." Tennessee leaders were the first to apply for statehood under the federal government's 1787 Northwest Ordinance. The statute said a territory needed 60,000 citizens to apply for statehood. Tennessee qualified. But exactly how to proceed from territory to state was uncertain. "They were setting a precedent. There were no rules of 'this is how it is done,'" said Michael Toomey, a Lincoln Memorial University associate professor of history. "The Northwest Ordinance was vague. It said when you get 60,000 citizens you will be eligible for statehood ... The presumption was that Congress would approve (an application for statehood.)" But it didn't turn out to be that easy. Tennessee's bid for statehood became a political debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Opposing Federalists, certain frontier Tennesseans wouldn't support their candidates, tabled the request. But when some Federalist leaders left Congress early, Aaron Burr proposed a joint committee of Senate and House of Representatives members. Compromises were reached; Congress recommended Tennessee for statehood. President George Washington signed the bill making Tennessee the 16th state that June 1. Amanda Sammons By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel JACKSBORO, Tenn. A Campbell County judge already under fire is ordering people to pay for drug testing without legal authority or legislative approval, officials confirmed this week. Unhappy with a change in testing procedure by the state Department of Children's Services in Juvenile Court cases, Campbell County General Sessions Judge Amanda Sammons is buying her own drug testing kits at taxpayer expense and charging those who appear in court, including foster parents, a $25 fee for each test she orders, records obtained by the News Sentinel show. Sammons has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for comment. Campbell County Circuit Court Clerk Bobby Vann said he initially refused to assess or collect the fee after a staff attorney with the County Technical Assistance Service, which provides guidance to county governments, opined Sammons had no legal authority to assess a fee of her own and questioned whether drug testing could be ordered at all, absent probable cause. "I am unaware of any general authority to just drug test all defendants and charge them for such tests," CTAS attorney Jeffrey Metzger wrote in a letter to Vann. "People convicted of certain crimes have to pay a drug testing fee (pursuant to state law), but I don't believe the testing is usually done by the court." Under state law, only the Legislature can authorize the creation of a court fee. Applicable law states no "other fees" can be assessed "except those expressly approved by law." If a particular court seeks to add a fee not authorized under current law, that court must seek a private act from the Legislature. "This is an additional cost added to court costs in specific cases," Vann said. When Vann informed the judge his office would not collect the fee, Sammons issued an order March 7 requiring his staff to do so. "Be it hereby known that when the juvenile court determines that a person under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court of Campbell County should be subjected to a urinalysis drug screen, and when the court further determines that said person is able to pay a $25 fee as reimbursement to the county for the costs to cover said drug screen that said person should pay in to the clerk of Campbell County the $25 fee for said reimbursement," Sammons wrote in the order. "Moreover, the Campbell County Clerk's Office shall receive the funds from said fee and, at the end of each month, shall send said funds to the Campbell County Trustee's Office to be placed in the county revenue account selected by the financial manager or in the county's general fund." The order cites no state law, county ordinance or legislative act as authority. Metzger then told Vann he had no choice but to assess and collect the fee until Sammons' order is overturned by a higher court. "They said if she ordered us to do that, you don't have any choice," Vann said. Campbell County Finance Director Jeff Marlowe said he, too, questioned Sammons' authority to impose the fee, as did members of the Campbell County Commission when the judge sought money to buy her own drug testing kits. "I told (Vann) in my opinion there was no statutory authority for such a collection to be made," Marlowe said. Once Sammons issued her order and CTAS opined the order must be followed pending further court challenge, Marlowe said he drafted a budget amendment for $375 in taxpayer money as a starting point for the cost. "Who she is going to get them from, I don't know," Marlowe said. "That (figure) could go higher. I used that as a starting point." The budget amendment, approved at Monday's commission meeting, states, "Approval of this amendment relates solely to the estimated resources and appropriation of such resources and is not representative of any further approval as to the propriety of the judge's order." Records obtained by the News Sentinel show the volume of drug testing ordered by Sammons in her role as Juvenile Court judge climbed to such a degree that the cost to the DCS for urinalysis tests, which provide immediate results, skyrocketed. Those records show Sammons was ordering not only drug testing of Juvenile Court defendants but of foster parents. DCS officials turned to swab tests, which are cheaper but come with a 72-hour delay in results, earlier this year. Sammons then opted to obtain her own urinalysis tests. It is not clear who is conducting those tests or verifying the results. Juvenile Court proceedings are closed to the public by law. DCS spokesman Rob Johnson said he could not directly address the agency's drug testing change in Campbell County. "In general, we don't require drug testing without cause to believe someone is using," he said, noting the agency does not order testing of foster parents already approved by the state to care for children. "They are trained. They are vetted." Sammons has been the subject of a News Sentinel investigation for months. Records show the judge, a former prosecutor elected to the bench in 2014, has charged fees for court-appointed attorneys even when defendants hired their own counsel and has refused to dismiss charges against the wrongfully accused if they refuse to pay the fee; removed children from their homes without DCS request or legal authority; and ordered a charge against a mother accused of failing to buckle up her children increased to aggravated child abuse without authority. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting a criminal probe in the changing of the charge. Sammons has denied she ordered the charge changed and accused Campbell County Sheriff's Office jailers of mistakenly indicating she did. The jailers, in turn, accused the judge of lying to protect herself. The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct, which polices judges, also is conducting an investigation of complaints filed against Sammons. Related: Campbell judge under probe by state judicial board (March 16, 2016) Defendants barred from entering court arrested for being late, records show (March 7, 2016) Jailers fire back at Campbell judges denial of order to change charge (March 7, 2016) Special prosecutor sought for criminal probe of Campbell County judge (Feb. 26, 2016) Campbell County judge refuses to drop charge against innocent woman (Feb. 8, 2016) DCS: Campbell judge took children from their homes without legal grounds (Jan. 30, 2016) Judge confirms complaint against fellow Campbell County jurist (Jan. 30, 2016) Records show Campbell County judge upped charge, altered record (Jan. 29, 2016) Campbell County judges fee order struck down (Jan. 13, 2016) Campbell County judge charging fee to the poor for legal services they didn't receive (Nov. 24, 2015) Campbell County judge becomes defendant for failing to sign order (Oct. 20, 2015) SHARE The Vietnam War 50th anniversary commemoration seal By News Sentinel Staff CLINTON Veterans of the Vietnam War will be recognized and honored at an event Tuesday in front of the Anderson County Courthouse that's part of a national effort on what's been deemed the 50th anniversary of the nation's involvement in the yearslong conflict. The U.S. Secretary of Defense was authorized to conduct the program to thank and pay tribute to veterans of the war for their service and sacrifice. More than 58,000 Americans were killed in the conflict, which spurred widespread protests on the home front. Anderson County government and the Clinch River Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution are organizing the event, scheduled for noon at the county's war memorial. The ceremony will include the placing of a wreath on the memorial and the raising of a special flag. Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank will speak, and a special proclamation from President Barack Obama will be read. "Everyone is invited, but especially our Vietnam veterans," said Gwen Cole, with the Clinch Bend chapter of the DAR. "We want to honor and thank them." For more information about the national commemoration, visit http://www.vietnamwar50th.com/. By News Sentinel Staff KNOXVILLE The ex-mistress of ex-Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner was arrested last week during a prostitution sting by the Knox County Sheriff's Office. Deena Castleman, 38, was charged March 16 with promoting prostitution and impersonating a licensed professional at a motel on Merchants Drive, according to a release from the sheriff's office. A total of 15 people were arrested in the sting conducted over the past two weeks by the KCSO Vice Unit. Authorities also reported seizing three illegal gambling devices at three businesses and seizing $1,057.66. According to court documents, after viewing a posting on backpage.com for escorts, an undercover detective contacted Castleman and made an appointment for one hour for $175. Castleman told him to come to the Motel 6 at Merchants Center. "Upon arrival at the address, the defendant advised the undercover detective to come to Room 104, where he exchanged the $175 ... and added an additional $25 for a tip, totalling $200 in case for full service sex," according to the records. "Upon detective's entry to the room, the defendant advised detectives that she was only doing massages and accepted the money for massages only." Castleman had an additional $31 in cash and a gift card typically used for posting advertisements on the Internet, according to the records. In 2011, Knox County Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz ordered Castleman to serve six years for a slew of convictions, including aggravated burglary, theft, DUI and possession of prescription painkillers. Castleman racked up those charges while engaged in a relationship with Baumgartner that included sex, procuring pills for him and using pills with him, a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe found. At least one of those convictions was directly linked to Baumgartner. Castleman had been hospitalized at St. Mary's Medical Center in October 2009. Baumgartner, who was presiding over the televised trial of Lemaricus Davidson in the January 2007 torture-killings of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom, was a regular visitor, and nurses later told the TBI that Castleman would appear "high" after those visits, according to the file. A St. Mary's security guard ultimately searched Castleman's hospital room and found two dozen prescription pills hidden in a flowerpot. Castleman told a Knoxville Police Department officer the pills came from "her boyfriend," whom she did not identify. She later told the TBI she had a dealer deliver pills at the hospital at the behest of Baumgartner, who paid for them. Castleman was a part of the Drug Court program supervised by Baumgartner, who avoided jail time when he pleaded guilty to official misconduct and was granted judicial diversion, which spared his pension. He was later convicted in federal court of misprision of a felony. According to the TBI file, Castleman went to Baumgartner in 2009 for help in getting a job. Instead, he gave her cash to buy pills, the beginning of a relationship that would blossom into an affair, the file stated. More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel. Entrance to the University of Tennessee campus at Cumberland Avenue and 11th Street. By MJ Slaby of the Knoxville News Sentinel Editors note: This story has been edited to update incorrect amounts of expenses provided by the state Attorney Generals Office. More than seven months before a federal lawsuit was filed against the University of Tennessee and less than two weeks before UT President Joe DiPietro was notified of Title IX complaints sent to the U.S. Department of Education, an outside lawyer was hired to help the university with "allegations involving Title IX." Bill Ramsey, a lawyer with the Nashville-based firm Neal & Harwell, was hired as "additional counsel to provide legal services" to the state and university, according to a letter from Gov. Bill Haslam to Ramsey dated June 18. "They (the university) understood this lawsuit would be coming," Ramsey said. He said one reason to hire outside counsel is because UT lawyers are often involved in student discipline cases, so those lawyers might be witnesses for the lawsuit, which alleges discipline cases have been mishandled. Since Ramsey's June hiring, the state has paid nearly $97,000 to Neal & Harwell. And this month, Ramsey hired Tom Ingram, who was a paid consultant for Haslam until last July and is the founder of Nashville-based public relations and lobbying firm the Ingram Group. Ramsey will meet with the UT Board of Trustees during a closed session next Thursday before the board's regularly scheduled meeting the same day at UT-Martin. According to a UT news release, the closed meeting will be about the federal lawsuit, but no action or deliberation toward any action will take place. The lack of action items allows the public board to hold a closed meeting, according to UT. Haslam hired Ramsey because Tennessee law allows the governor to employ additional counsel for cases "where the interest of the state requires." Ramsey and members of the firm are paid an adjusted hourly rate of $250, and paralegals and law clerks will be compensated at their standard hourly rates not to exceed $75 per hour, according to the letter from Haslam to the lawyer. The source of state funds for the payments is not specified. The letter also says to disregard a previous letter from June 16 that approved an adjusted hourly rate of $450, but doesn't say why the change was made. Ramsey said Thursday the $450 rate was a typo and never agreed upon or requested. From Ramsey's hiring to March 14, $84,175 in legal fees and $12,525.32 in expenses such as litigation support, copies, telecommunications services and others have been paid to Neal & Harwell, according to the state Office of the Attorney General. Although Ramsey was hired months before the federal lawsuit was filed in Nashville, his hiring was just weeks before DiPietro was notified on June 29 and again on July 1 that the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights would be investigating complaints about the Knoxville campus. Ramsey said Thursday that his hiring was not related to those complaints and responses to the OCR were handled by UT legal counsel. Those complaints to the OCR were filed on May 15 and May 18 and allege that UT failed to respond "promptly and adequately" to cases of sexual violence, creating a "hostile environment" for complainants. UT redacted names and other details from the notification letters provided to the News Sentinel, so it's unclear whether the complaints were filed by students, faculty or staff. UT officials confirmed the cases were "related" to each other. Those complaints put UT on the federal list of colleges and universities under investigation for mishandling sexual violence. As of Wednesday, 173 schools were under investigation for 219 cases. The federal lawsuit against the university alleges that UT violates Title IX laws and has a "hostile sexual environment." The complaint was filed Feb. 9 in Nashville and amended on Feb. 24 for eight unidentified female plaintiffs. Seven of the women have cases involving student athletes. On Feb. 23, all UT head coaches held a news conference to defend the athletic department's culture, and on Feb. 25, Athletic Director Dave Hart held a similar news conference. Ingram said he was hired by Ramsey on March 7 to work with the lawyers and the university on strategy and communications. In the first week, Ingram said he met with DiPietro, Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, Hart and football coach Butch Jones. UT has a communications staff at the system and campus levels, and Ingram said he is working with those teams, specifically naming Tonja Johnson, vice president for communications and marketing for the UT system, Margie Nichols, UT vice chancellor for communications, and athletic department spokesman Ryan Robinson. Ramsey said Ingram is a big supporter of the university and will be effective in communicating with the media as well as the campus and larger community. Ramsey would not provide Ingram's salary, saying he might have to hire additional experts as the lawsuit continues. Related coverage: Lawyers debate inclusion of Alexis Johnsons accuser in federal lawsuit (March 24, 2016) Lawyer for UT hired by Haslam months before federal Title IX lawsuit (March 24, 2016) Cheek calls Title IX lawsuit uncomfortable (March 21, 2016) Accusers seek to keep Title IX lawsuit against UT in Nashville (March 18, 2016) Butch Jones, Dave Hart on potential witness list for UT in federal lawsuit (March 9, 2016) UT: 75-plus witnesses expected if Title IX lawsuit goes to trial (March 8, 2016) Plaintiffs say Peyton Manning is relevant to UT lawsuits Title IX claims (March 7, 2016) A.J. Johnsons UT conduct case for sex assault dismissed; school to appeal (March 7, 2016) Plaintiffs in Title IX lawsuit against UT argue case should stay in Nashville (March 1, 2016) Tennessee AD Dave Hart backs Butch Jones, but says UT must do better to fight sexual assault (Feb. 25, 2016) Dave Hart: I believe very strongly in what were doing here in the athletics department (Feb. 25, 2016) UT players defend culture of Vols football (Feb. 25, 2016) Mike Strange: Hart solid, but get ready for the next round (Feb. 25, 2016) Photos: Students protest outside Dave Hart news conference (Feb. 25, 2016) Live coverage: Dave Hart addresses media (Feb. 25, 2016) UT students rally to protest rape culture (Feb. 25, 2016) Lawsuit: Tennessee's Butch Jones told Drae Bowles he betrayed team for aiding alleged rape victim (Feb. 24, 2016) Previous UT guest speaker calls Drae Bowles nothing short of a hero (Feb. 24, 2016) John Adams: Removing Manning from UT lawsuit wont repair damage to his image (Feb. 24, 2016) UT asks for Peyton Manning claims to be removed from federal lawsuit (Feb. 23, 2016) UT coaches: Campus safe, but sexist culture allegations hurt recruiting (Feb. 23, 2016) UT coaches take united stance in defending culture of athletic department (Feb. 23, 2016) John Adams: Alleged victims might not share coaches assessment of UT (Feb. 23, 2016) Mike Strange: Athletes power of choices can get blurred in midnight hour (Feb. 23, 2016) Manning-Naughright timeline: Two decades of controversy From the archives: News Sentinel's coverage of Peyton Manning case Important names connected to the Peyton Manning case Malcom Saxon declines interview about Peyton Manning (Feb. 22, 2016) UT football player Alexis Johnson suspended after arrest (Feb. 18, 2016) John Adams: Shedding light on Peyton Manning accuser Jamie Naughright (Feb. 20, 2016) UT says there is no record of academic fraud by Peyton Manning (Feb. 19, 2016) Lawyer: Tennessee football player Alexis Johnson 'adamantly denies the allegation' (Feb. 19, 2016) News Sentinel files lawsuit to unseal UT rape documents (Feb. 12, 2016) Plaintiffs in Title IX sex-assault lawsuit say case illustrates UT shortcomings (Feb. 12, 2016) UT data shows more pending sexual assault cases like cases in federal lawsuit (Feb. 11, 2016) Also in lawsuit against UT: Peyton Manning, Lil Jon (Feb. 10, 2016) A closer look at former UT athletes linked in lawsuit (Feb. 10, 2016) Lawsuit: UT football players assaulted Drae Bowles for helping rape victim (Feb. 9, 2016) Lawsuit alleges University of Tennessee has 'hostile sexual environment' (Feb. 9, 2016) Pearson apologizes; accuser will not pursue student conduct charge (Jan. 15, 2016) Former star UT linebacker, ex-teammate appeal social media ruling (Jan. 11, 2016) UT says 2 federal Title IX complaints are related (Jan. 6, 2016) Judge clears way for emergency appeal by Johnson, Williams in UT rape case (Dec. 15, 2015) John Adams: Photo of A.J. Johnson on field before UT game raises questions (Dec. 4, 2015) Judge reverses ruling, denies ex-UT football players access to social media in rape case (Nov. 4, 2015) Defense claims accuser in UT rape case hiding evidence (Oct. 28, 2015) Rape trials of former UT football players delayed (Aug. 25, 2015) File on rape claim against Von Pearson tells varied stories (Aug. 20, 2015) Jurors' beliefs to be questioned in UT rape case (July 31, 2015) Former UT linebacker A.J. Johnson's defense in rape case goes on offense (July 23, 2015) UT has moved on' from suspended Michael Williams (June 1, 2015) KPD: UT receiver Pearson suspect in alleged rape (April 25, 2015) 'No winners ... only losers': Anatomy of a UT sexual assault report (March 23, 2015) A.J. Johnson surrenders on aggravated rape charge (Feb. 17, 2015) Former Vol Drae Bowles gave alleged rape victim ride home (Feb. 13, 2015) Attorneys: A.J. Johnson, Michael Williams indicted in UT rape case (Feb. 13, 2015) DA: Grand jury to hear UT rape case (Feb. 10, 2015) Vols WR Bowles transferring to Chattanooga (Jan. 4, 2015) Student accuses UT football players Johnson, Williams of rape (Nov. 19, 2014) UT: Johnson and Williams suspended from team pending rape investigation (Nov. 17, 2014) SHARE By Holly Meyer, The Tennessean The state House Health Committee advanced a controversial bill Wednesday that would allow therapists and counselors to refuse to see clients whose cases violate their principles. The bill protects counselors and therapists from repercussions, such as a civil lawsuit or criminal action, if they opt for a referral. The Health Committee voted 11-5 in support of the legislation, which is sponsored by Rep. Dan Howell, R-Georgetown. Supporters say the legislation strikes a balance between the rights of the therapists and counselors and the rights of clients. But opponents call the bill discriminatory, saying it takes control of care away from clients and sets a bad precedent. The legislation was prompted by a change to the American Counseling Association's code of ethics in 2014. The state adopts the association's code of ethics. The new provision at the heart of the issue specifically states that a counselor or therapist cannot refuse to treat a client based solely on his "personally held values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors." Companion legislation has already passed the Senate. The bill has spurred hours of debate, sometimes antagonistic, as it has wound its way through the House's subcommittee and committee process. Wednesday's hearing was no different. All of the testimony given Wednesday was offered by those who supported the legislation. The House Health Committee heard from bill opponents last week, but opted to roll it a week after running out of time. On Wednesday David Fowler, the president of the conservative Family Action Council of Tennessee, and four Christian therapy and counseling professionals spoke on behalf of the legislation. Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, was the primary challenger of their testimony and the bill, peppering supporters with questions.

Gov. Bill Haslam

SHARE By Richard Locker of the Knoxville News Sentinel NASHVILLE The state House of Representatives gave its approval Thursday to Gov. Bill Haslam's plan for removing the six state universities from the Tennessee Board of Regents and creating new separate governing boards for all six. The House approved the bill on a 71-19 vote, after twice rejecting efforts to give the student members on the new boards the same authority to vote as other board members. The bill is set for review in the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday, and passage of the bill is expected. House Bill 2578 would leave the Board of Regents in charge of the state's 13 community colleges and 27 colleges of applied technology all of which are a focus of the governor's efforts to increase the percentage of Tennessee adults with some post-high-school degree or credential from the current 32 percent to 55 percent by 2025. Haslam has argued that giving the University of Memphis, Austin Peay State University, East Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University their own governing boards will allow those boards to be more invested and focused on their individual institutions, while the Board of Regents will focus on the two-year schools remaining under its control. The new boards will have authority to hire and fire their school's presidents and set their budgets. But all the institutions, including the separate University of Tennessee System, will remain under the umbrella of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, whose coordinating and funding authority will be strengthened under the bill. The hourlong House debate included discussion of whether the plan will dilute the political influence of the TBR universities in relation to the UT Board, which remains intact under the bill; whether it gives the governor more power, and the failure to give student board members voting authority. The bill provides for gubernatorial appointment of all higher education board members and confirmation by the Legislature, a continuation of the current process. The House voted down, 58-32, an amendment by Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, to give the one student on each of the six new 10-member university governing boards the same authority to vote on items and issues as the nine other members. Currently, student members of the Board of Regents and the UT Board have voting rights but the bill deprives student members of the new boards a vote. "This is a slap in the face to students," said House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley. Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, the bill's sponsor, opposed the amendment and moved to table it. "What your amendment would actually do would be giving voting privileges to an 18-year-old who has had no professional development as it relates to operating on a board," he said, noting the bill requires members to undergo a training course for board service. But Lundberg said: "This student member is already a member. All we are doing is saying let that member vote. What's the difference in that? If we look around this chamber, we listen to people who have what? The opportunity to vote. This is not necessarily a radical student who's going to be appointed to the board. Rep. Art Swann, R-Maryville, moved for the House to reconsider its tabling of Lundberg's amendment, an effort that fell short of the two-thirds vote needed. "I want to apologize to every student across this state. I think it's fitting that someone that can fight and die for their country is mature enough to vote on the board of trustees. We set the boards up for the benefit of the students, not for the benefit of the others on the boards. "When I was in school, it was the first year that the student was on the board of the University of Tennessee. We fought hard to get that done and I think if it exists for them it ought to exist for the other schools, too," Swann said. He said he will file a bill next year to give student board members authority to vote. Rep. Martin Daniel, R-Knoxville, a frequent critic of UT, said he's concerned that the governor gets to appoint all board members. "My concern is that many of the issues that we're seeing with our flagship university are related to the fact that the board only answers to the governor and not to the Legislature. So I'm concerned that we don't have any input into the selection of these boards." Daniel said he would prefer the House and Senate speakers have some appointees, "or the Legislature themselves selecting some of the board members. I'm concerned that the board of trustees will not be close enough to the people, that we'll continually have issues regarding similar to what we're seeing at the University of Tennessee. I think we're on the right track with the bill but I have to oppose it because all of the appointments lie with the governor." SHARE By Holly Meyer and Jordan Buie, The Tennessean Freemasons in Tennessee voted overwhelmingly to uphold its ban on gay members Thursday during a members-only meeting in Nashville, according to Freemasons who witnessed the vote. Two Freemasons confirmed the results to The Tennessean, but asked for anonymity since business conducted at the meetings is secret, and revealing it could have them kicked out of the organization. The vote took place at the Grand Lodge of Tennessee on Seventh Avenue North near Broadway. The Grand Lodge of Tennessee did not return The Tennessean's request for comment. The organization has about 41,000 members in Tennessee and more than 300 lodges across the state, according to the Grand Lodge's website. Continue reading at The Tennessean. SHARE It is with disappointment I read "Clinton, not Sanders, can win presidency," the guest column by Janice Brodman. "The end justifies the means" is a saying attributed to many but often associated with proponents of leftists such as Karl Marx. Essentially, it implies you do what you have to do to win, and ethics or truth matter little. In praising Hillary Clinton, the writer uses statistics that offer readers only the parts of the story that sound good. She proudly touts that exports to China grew under Clinton but fails to mention so did the trade deficit. She calls Clinton "key" to passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program, a subjective overstatement like most of her alleged achievements. The economy under President Barack Obama has underperformed. There is room for solid anti-trust laws, but taxing business more encourages capital to go elsewhere. Mostly what is missing is any mention of Clinton's many brushes with scandal in her public life. Clinton appears good at destroying evidence, whether it was records at the Rose Law Firm, where witnesses claimed she requested the destruction of land contract files, hiding subpoenaed documents in a White House closet or deleting more than 50,000 emails, many including classified material. She has been caught in numerous lies about it already, not to mention stealing valor about being under rocket fire during the Balkan conflict, lying to parents about Benghazi or intimidating women who made allegations of sexual misconduct by her husband. Then there is the issue of influence peddling. Brodman may have received corporate speaking fees, but not millions from foreigners who directly benefited from rulings made while Clinton was secretary of state. She is an end who does not justify the means. John W. Woodward, Loudon SHARE Charter Communications' invitation to Tennessee legislators to appear on our local public affairs program, "Charter Local Edition," has no connection at all to the recent vote on the municipal broadband bill. Charter's invitation went to all lawmakers, regardless of their views about any legislation, including their position on municipal broadband expansion. In fact, the invitation was sent to the bill's sponsor and all those who voted to support it. Charter did not favor one legislator over another and the opportunity was offered on a first-come, first-served basis. "Charter Local Edition" offers the opportunity to advance a public interest, producing a program that provides consumers with the ability to hear directly from their legislators in more than sound bites, on topics ranging from important policy issues to what they are doing in the Capitol to help their districts. Since 2014, Charter has been expanding the availability of this programming to parts of its service area, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Alabama, Montana, Wyoming and other states. As referenced in the News Sentinel's editorial, arrangements for these tapings began earlier in the year. The timing with respect to the recent vote was nothing more than a coincidence, and any claim of impropriety is baseless and unsupported by the facts. Charter's views about the municipal broadband bill in Tennessee or any other legislative matters have nothing to do with bringing "Charter Local Edition" to the Capitol. Legislators are invited to use the time to promote and advocate for issues important to their constituents. It is in that spirit that we make this invitation. Adam Falk, senior vice president, State Government Affairs, Charter Communications, Washington, D.C. By Jhoo Dong-chan The Ministry of Environment rejected German auto maker Volkswagen's recall plan, Thursday, for a second time. A ministry official said, "There is a lack of indications in the company's report to the ministry how it caused emission cheating. It also failed to provide detailed technical information about how to deal with the problem." The ministry said it will not approve the company's recall plan unless it submits a sincere report with detailed information. If Volkswagen does not comply with the ministry's demand, the government said it might cancel the recall plan itself. If the plan is cancelled, the company would have to go through the recall process from the bottom again. The ministry was expected to carry out an emissions and mileage test as soon as it got the recall plan with corrected software information from Volkswagen. Hanwha Life Insurance President and CEO Cha Nam-gyu, left, adds a small banner to the firm's flag, to mark its total assets surpassing 100 trillion won. / Courtesy of Hanwha Life Insurance By Yoon Ja-young The assets of Hanwha Life Insurance recently surpassed 100 trillion won, doubling in only eight years. If growth continues at this pace, they will reach 200 trillion won by 2024. Started in 1946 as Korea Life Insurance, the country's first life insurer, the company has gone through its ups and downs over the past 70 years. The Asian Financial Crisis put the insurer on the verge of collapse, forcing it to sustain itself on public funds. Since Hanwha's acquisition in 2002, however, the insurer has made a dramatic turnaround, with total assets tripling from 29 trillion won to 100 trillion won. During this period, its premium income also increased 1.5 times from 9.5 trillion won to 15 trillion won, and its risk-based capital (RBC) rate, which gauges the soundness of assets, tripled from 95.6 percent to 277 percent. Based on continuous growth and innovation, Hanwha earned 574.2 billion won in pre-tax profit last year, and is aiming at 600 billion won this year. For the longer term, it plans to reach 1 trillion won in pre-tax profit and 720 billion won in new subscriptions by 2020. The 100 trillion won in assets is a notable achievement when considering that only 15 businesses in Korea have ever reached this. This shows Hanwha's proper management of insurance premiums paid by subscribers, based on sustainable and systematic management principles. Hanwha has thus made financial soundness its top priority. It has caught the two hard-to-catch rabbits of profitability and stability, attaining the highest ratings for payment capability of insurance benefits. It has been raising its investment returns through diversification in assets management, increasing investments overseas while maintaining a high RBC rate. Its competitive edge starts from its capability to develop diverse insurance products. It has been introducing many new insurance products in the market, including whole-life insurance for senior citizens not welcomed by insurers and insurance for people suffering hypertension. The next step for Hanwha is to advance into the global market. It has established itself in Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, leading Korean life insurers' efforts to go global. Its operation in Vietnam, which marks its seventh anniversary this year, is scheduled to return a surplus soon. Despite its late entry in the market, Hanwha plans to be among the top five by 2020, setting a nationwide network and enhancing efficiency. While insurance is known to be a conservative business, Hanwha has been actively adopting innovative new methods. It set up a big data task force team in 2014 to look for new business opportunities using big data and also established a fintech task force team last year seeking new growth engines. Its efforts paid off last year when Hanwha was the only insurer to participate in K-Bank, an Internet-only banking consortium. It expects consumers will easily subscribe to its online insurance policies, as well as leading the Internet-based bancassurance channel. Using fintech and big data, Hanwha launched mid-interest-rate credit loans, which users can easily apply for through the Internet and mobile devices. "By developing business models made for the digital era, we hope to set up a foundation for sustainable growth as well as enhance our competitive edge," a Hanwha spokesperson said. By Nam Hyun-woo The Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. (KDIC) said Thursday it will open overseas offices to track assets and properties concealed abroad by business owners who are responsible for bankruptcies. The state-run KDIC had previously hired private investigators to track and seize such fortunes hidden abroad by tycoons. After facing limits in its domestic efforts, the KDIC said it has been seeking to open offices in such countries as the United States, Cambodia and Australia, where business runners often opt to stash away their assets. "We receive reports about hidden assets in foreign countries through our centers in Korea," an official at the KDIC said. "However, there have been limits because we were unable to fully figure out local circumstances. So it would be better for us if we have offices overseas." The KDIC has been tracking hidden properties of individuals and firms to recoup overdue or sour debts. During this process, it has hired private investigators and reaped noticeable results. Last year, the KDIC relied on private investigators in seeking real estate worth 10.7 billion won in the U.S. and France stashed away by the family of the late Yoo Byung-eun, the de-facto owner of the ferry Sewol which sank and took more than 300 lives in April 2014. In 2013, the KDIC hired investigators in Italy to locate a key figure who helped former Mirae Savings Bank Chairman Kim Chan-kyung hide a significant amount. The close aide of Kim was operating a luxury goods shop in Rome. In another case, the KDIC filed a lawsuit to retrieve $8 million from a real estate broker who had hidden property in Cambodia after a six-year probe. However, such methods are costly for the KDIC. It has located hidden assets worth $59.1 million through hiring investigators and similar methods since 2007 and retrieved $13.9 million won or 23.5 percent. The cost of hiring private investigators and legal proceedings, however, accounted for some 11 percent of the recovered assets. The KDIC believes the cost could be cut if they were better connected to the countries. The KDIC said it hasn't yet determined when the offices would be opened, citing the need to coordinate with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Financial Services Commission. Hwang Shin-hye, left, from a TV variety show By Ko Dong-hwan About 20 hot celebrities have donated their personal articles for a charity auction this Friday. K-pop singer IU has donated her acoustic guitar with her signature plus her albums, and actress Hwang Shin-hye has offered her favorite sunglass. (From top) members of GFriend and IU Actors Ahn Jae-hong, Park Bo-gum, Go Kyung-pyo and Ryu Jun-yeol from tvN's hit drama "Reply 1988" (2015-2016) have donated a poster of their TV variety show "Youth over Flowers" with their signatures. Actor Park Hae-jin gave his photo calendar, K-pop girl band GFriend's four members gave their shoes, and anchorwoman Kim Joo-ha donated her suit and jacket. The Korea Cable Television Association auction will be at COEX in downtown Seoul. The money will go to Child Fund Korea, which supports homeless children. Fashion models walk in the finale of Munsoo Kwon's fall and winter collection "REMIND REWIND" at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in central Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Seoul Design Foundation By Kim Jae-heun It's that time again when fashionistas gather in Seoul for a glimpse of what fall and winter fashions are going to look like. The 2016 Fall/Winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week kicked off Monday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and the former factory complex of Daesun Flour Mills in Mullae-dong, Seoul, featuring 41 catwalks of top local designers. Over 1,000 international and domestic members of the press and 200 buyers from the local market and abroad have visited the country's biggest fashion event to witness Asia's leading market trends. Popular fashion media seen at the DDP include Vogue, W Magazine, L'Officiel Hommes and Dazed & Confused, while luxury department store merchandisers from Harrods, Selfridges and Barneys New York will join the Next Generation event in Mullae-dong, which will feature trade shows from this season. Model Kanghui of YGKplus takes a selfie with a fan off the runway at DDP, Monday. / Courtesy of Sarah Jane Barnes Veteran fashion designer Jung Ku-ho, who has reached his second season as executive director of Seoul Collection, gave a few fresh twists such as turning the Generation Next program into a business platform, having previously served as a gateway for rookie designers to debut. The fashion business channel is currently being held in a former factory building, while the DDP, located 40 minutes away by car, holds marketing-focused runways by established designers. Jung also adopted a new barcode system to collect data on buyers' performance in business trade and journalists' participation during the week-long event. The director explained that the levels of buyers and press will be classified based upon the information amassed for future Seoul collection seasons, which he explained is a common system used at New York and European fashion weeks. A baby dressed in Chicago Bull's jersey poses outside the DDP, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Sarah Jane Barnes Hit shows and must-go runways Nohant, a first-year brand in the main collection, brought out unexpected excitement on the first day, followed by designer Munsoo Kwon's namesake brand on the second day. Both brands proved why they were the main shows of each day. Nohant by designer Nam No-ah successfully carried out simple and basic but hypnotically alluring clothing designs. Under the theme of "The Hotel Nohant," Nam presented his signature sweatshirts, oversized padding jumpers and sweaters with red sleeves for the fall and winter season on the catwalk. The colors used varied between light pink, brown, dark brown and green based upon monotones. Munsoo Kwon's homage to 1990s popular culture and fashion in this collection took inspiration from the designer's personal experience. The posh camel-tone coats and big denim jackets with "20th Century Boy" written in English reminded people of the days of the clock radio in the '90s. A model gets his make-up before the fashion show at Seoul Fashion Week, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Sarah Jane Barnes A group of some 30 helpers gathered in front of the catwalk holding balloons and cheering for the models as they strutted the runway. The presentation resembled a common scene of fans with their idols often seen on television two decades ago. "I loved the runway. They looked like they were having so much fun. I am wearing his sweater and I love it. I think he could make a great international brand," said Caroline Issa, a fashion director and founder of Tank Magazine. "He told a great story (in his show). He could easily be in New York, London. He's got such a strong point of view and I think that is so important. It comes across so quickly. I was really impressed." More designer brands with high expectations include Nohke, Beyond Closet and Blindness for Friday and Andy & Debb for Saturday. Models are popular outside runways A unique scene to watch at Seoul Fashion Week is the throngs gathered around fashion models for photos after they have finished the show. Top models like Joo Woo-jae and Byeon Woo-seok of YGKplus model management, alone, have 385,000 and 115,000 followers on Instagram, respectively. The fans vary from young teenagers to those in their 20s and they come from across the globe as the models are active internationally. Fashion brands sponsor clothing for popular models to wear offstage during the fashion event. The model-centric popularity is unique from Europe where street photographers shoot renowned magazine editors or fashion moguls. Donald Potard, dean of the Fashion Design Department at Paris College of Art, said the power of social media has already proven significant in current fashion reality as many houses ask for the number of followers that a model has on Instagram before casting. However, not only fashion models are the subject of photographers, but any well-dressed fashionistas grab eyes at DDP. Room for improvement There are currently over 70 fashion weeks held around the world and only four are well-known New York, London, Paris and Milan. Many cities vie for inclusion in the group as the world's fifth top fashion event. Sara Maino, the senior editor of Vogue Italy, advised Seoul Fashion Week to reduce the number of runways and focus on presenting shows with impact. "I have been working as fashion editor for 20 years and I've participated in top European fashion weeks," said Maino during a seminar themed "Globalization of K-Fashion and Case Studies of Some Prestigious International Fashion Brands" at the DDP, Wednesday. "I think the shows are way too long. You need to shorten it and put more energy to focusing on personal attitude. Moreover, I would say please travel and be curious and become creative." The editor added that Korean designers have to communicate with the world and learn second languages to produce global brand. She added that she will try to learn Korean. Sarah Jane Barnes is a freelance British photographer contributing to Gentlemen's Quarterly (GQ) and Ask Men. She could be reached on her Instagram at instagram/sarahjanebarnesphotographer. A television program for Korean language education will air throughout China in the second half of the year, the first of its kind in the Chinese-speaking world, a government agency said Thursday. China Education Television (CETV) will broadcast the program composed of 100 three-minute episodes from October to next March, the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) said in a release. The program will be co-produced by KOCIS, a government organization in charge of the overseas promotion of Korean culture, and the People's Daily Online. The People's Daily is the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, published worldwide with a circulation of 13 to 14 million. Its Internet edition boasts a daily average of 400 million to 700 million page views. The program is the first in a series of cooperation projects planned under an agreement the two sides forged on Thursday. South Korea's King Sejong Institute, a government-funded Korean language educational organization; Arirang TV; and Gangwon Province will take part in the program's production, according to KOCIS. "It will be the first Korean-language education program for Chinese-speaking viewers," said a KOCIS official concerned with the plan. "We're going to motivate the viewers to learn Korean and visit Korea by filming the program at various scenes in Seoul, Gangwon Province and Jeju Island, not just in a studio. (Yonhap) By Kang Seung-woo K-pop songs and weather forecasts broadcast from propaganda loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border can ultimately weaken the North Korean regime because they have a significant psychological impact on North Korean soldiers, according to a report Sunday. Park Ju-hwa, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), said if North Korean soldiers are exposed to the propaganda broadcasts for a long time, they could develop cognitive dissonance, and eventually, have negative views of their leader and his regime. The North has reacted sensitively to the non-violent cross-border campaigns that also include sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets, apparently concerned about them weakening its military discipline. "According to a study, music accelerates the secretion of dopamine that can change people physiologically and psychologically as well as having to do with pleasure and addiction, meaning the musical effect is automatic and irresistible," Park stated in the report. "Applying the results to the propaganda campaign, those who continuously listen to K-pop songs will have more dopamine and they are expected to get enjoyment from them." He added that music instilled positive reactions will result in favorable responses toward the propaganda campaign and furthermore, South Korean society. In retaliation for Pyongyang's landmine attack in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Aug. 4, South Korea turned on giant speakers broadcasting propaganda messages across the border. Angered, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un put its military on a quasi-state of war footing, and threatened to attack the South. The tensions on the Korean Peninsula were defused after high-level inter-Korean talks reached an agreement on Aug. 25. By Kang Seung-woo The nation's spy agency is facing allegations that it spied on opposition lawmakers who have been critical of the Park Geun-hye administration. According to the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), Thursday, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) obtained phone conversation records of two of former MPK Chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in's secretaries between last October and November from mobile firms. In addition, incumbent leader Kim Chong-in's secretary also had his communications records checked in January. "It is true that the NIS collected their records from mobile providers," said MPK deputy spokeswoman Yoo Song-hwa. Under the law, investigating authorities can ask mobile carriers to provide their users' communications records without a warrant, but only regarding matters of national security. The record-checking took place on Oct. 12 and Nov. 20, during disputes over the government's push for state-authored history textbooks and passage of an anti-terrorism bill, respectively. "It is a huge problem, given that the NIS collected communications records of the opposition party leaders' secretaries. It is an apparent political offense and human rights abuse against the opposition," the deputy spokeswoman said. This is the latest of many examples of the NIS collecting information on the private communications of opposition lawmakers. On March 17, Rep. Yoo Ki-hong said the NIS received communications records from SK Telecom twice _ in October and December _ claiming that the spy agency conducted investigations to suppress opposition to the state-authored history textbooks on Nov. 18 and that Rep. Chang Ha-na, another MPK lawmaker, had her information collected by the NIS on Jan. 7. The Cheongju District Prosecutor's Office also checked Chang's records on Oct. 13. In addition, the NIS checked the records of an official of the MPK's secretariat last June and November, when Moon was in office. In the wake of the NIS' latest information collection scandal, the MPK has instructed its party members to see whether their records had been checked by the agency. In response to Rep. Yoo Ki-hong's claim, the spy agency announced plans to sue the lawmaker on charges of agitating false claims surrounding its duties. "While we clearly explained the process behind acquiring the communications records, Yoo is now distorting the facts to present the agency as suppressing the opposition lawmakers," the NIS said, adding it will not tolerate anyone taking advantage of the spy agency for political purposes ahead of the April 13 general election. As for Chang's case, the agency said her records had been checked because the lawmaker's telephone number was in the call history of a person of interest linked to an investigation. The NIS has frequently been under fire for its meddling in politics. During the election campaign in 2012, former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon was accused of ordering agents to post tens of thousands of messages online criticizing the opposition party's presidential candidate, Moon Jae-in. The case is still pending after the Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling sentencing Won to two and a half years in jail for violating the Public Election Law. By Yi Whan-woo Candidates for the April 13 general election began registering with the National Election Commission (NEC), Thursday. Held every four years, the upcoming election will be the first since the National Assembly agreed new constituency boundaries, in line with a Constitutional Court ruling in 2014. A total of 300 lawmakers, including 253 voted in through direct ballots held in their respective constituencies, will gain seats for the next Assembly session. The remaining 47 proportional representation seats will be allocated to parties relative to the overall number of votes they receive. Each candidate will be given an election number once they register. The NEC will accept registration until 6 p.m., Friday, at its local offices nationwide. It will update the number of registered candidates in real time on its website (http://info.nec.go.kr) and also on its apps for smartphones and other mobile devices. The NEC will also make public candidates' pledges, assets, military service records criminal records, academic career and tax payments on its website until April 13. The elections are expected to serve as a litmus test for the ruling Saenuri Party, main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) and the minor opposition People's Party, all of which have experienced internal strife while nominating candidates. The Saenuri Party and the MPK fielded candidates in 250 and 235 districts, respectively. The official 13-day campaign will start on March 31, and candidates will be able to put up posters in public places, make speeches on television or in public places, use the Internet, social network services and text messages. The NEC will run polling stations at the country's diplomatic missions abroad from March 30 to April 4 for Korean voters there. Early voting will be run at selected polling stations across the country over two days from April 8. The total number of seats up from grabs has remained unchanged from 2012 while the number of election districts has been increased from the previous 246. In return, the number of seats for proportional representatives decreased by seven from 53. The Seoul Metropolitan area, including the country's capital, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province the country's most populated area has a combined 122 election districts, up from 112 four years ago. By Jun Ji-hye Immigrants and multiracial families expressed disappointment over the absence of any one to represent them among proportional representation candidates for the April 13 general election. In the 19th general election conducted in 2012, Jasmine Lee, a Philippine-born naturalized Korean, was chosen as a proportional representative for the ruling Saenuri Party, becoming the first non-ethnic Korean who became a lawmaker here. But the governing party did not include anybody to represent multiracial families among 45 proportional representation candidates for the April election. The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea placed Korean-Chinese Park Ok-sun, who has led a women's organization here to promote rights of Korean female immigrants settled in China and then came back to Korea, in the No. 33 slot in a list of 36 proportional representation candidates. But Park is unlikely to be given a seat. The lists announced by the two major political parties are in contrast to their earlier promise to be considerate of the minority classes including multicultural families, said Kim Joon-sik, honorary chairman of Asian Friends, an NGO based in Seoul that advocates migrant workers and wives' rights. "I have talked to leaders of organizations handling multicultural affairs, and all of them said in chorus that the parties completely alienated multicultural families and immigrants living in Korea. I agree with them," Kim said. "For the past four years, we had Rep. Jasmine Lee and were able to communicate with the government through her. But that will not be possible anymore." Kim noted that such exclusion is improper as multiculturalism has been cited as one of the significant social issues associated with low birthrate and rapidly aging population as well as relations with other countries. Wang Ji-yeon, a Chinese-born marriage immigrant who heads a federation of migrant wives in Korea, also said that the parties' decision was regrettable, claiming that they seem to be not interested in supporting the diversity of culture in Korean society. "My federation and other relevant organizations are asking our members to respond to the parties' alienating us by actively participating in the election and casting our votes for those who try to live together with us," she said. Udaya Rai, president of the Migrants' Trade Union, argued that Korea seems to be not mature enough to be a multicultural society, saying Korean people do not seem to respect immigrants as equal members. "Many Korean people still regard immigrants as poor beings in need of help," he said. "More immigrants should consistently advance to the National Assembly and show confidence." Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye By Kim Se-jeong The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) will introduce more tour programs for individual travelers in an effort to make the city a friendlier and more affordable tourism destination, it said, Thursday. The SMG will create a website through which individual tourists can customize their itineraries during their stay in Seoul. The website will be available in September. "In this app, individual travelers can choose what to do, where to stay and what and where to eat in Seoul," Cho Sang-ho from the SMG said. "We'll also encourage the development of new themed tour programs. Examples would be a tour of Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market guided by a market employee or a merchant, or a cosmetics tour run by a cosmetics expert or blogger." Also, the city will introduce new multi-day tour passes in the latter half of this year, which will offer access to public transportation and entrance to tourist sites. The city will also start a luggage delivery service between the airport and accommodations. "This will help tourists with late check-in time move around freely without having to carry luggage," Cho said. In October, the city will also select 100 tour courses introducing various attractions in the capital such as templestays, clubs in the Hongdae area and street food. The city also vowed to crack down on shops that overcharge travelers. While price tags previously had to be displayed only by large-sized shops in six special tourist zones such as Itaewon, small-sized ones will also have to display prices starting in the latter half of the year. Taxi drivers who overcharge foreign visitors will have their licenses cancelled if they are caught three times in two years. In line with the measures, the SMG launched a 28-member task force team comprised of experts on tourism and related industries. "It is time to prepare for qualitative growth of Seoul's tourism, which is a future growth engine," Mayor Park Won-soon said. "The task force will play a key role in that goal." Jun Ji-hyun from SBS TV drama "My Love from the Star" / Courtesy of SBS By Ko Dong-hwan About 4,500 Chinese visitors, or "youkes," are coming to Korea's port city of Incheon for a corporate binge. Six thousand employees of a Guangzhou-based Chinese company specializing in health supplements and cosmetic products are visiting the city this weekend on vacation and for business talks. The company asked Incheon authorities that 4,500 of them be given an opportunity to eat what actress Jun Ji-hyun ate in the Korean SBS TV drama "My Love from the Star" (2013-2014) chicken and beer. The drama was a sensation in China, turning lead couple Jun and Kim Soo-hyun into rising hallyu stars. The Incheon city government is busy preparing for the reception, according to Chosun Ilbo. To accommodate the largest-ever group of Chinese visitors, officials have organized 4,500 cans of beer and have hired an Incheon-based chicken restaurant chain with 50 local stores to cook 1,500 chickens. The feast is scheduled for next Monday at Wolmido Culture Street. Because there are not enough hotels in Incheon to accommodate the visitors, city officials have also booked hotels in nearby Ansan and Siheung in Gyeonggi Province. The group will stay until next week, the report said. By Lee Kyung-min A professor at a university in Korea has sent a letter of protest to key executives at Nike about its iconic Michael Jordan shoes, calling for the sportswear giant to stop using the Japanese Rising Sun flag as a design on its sneakers. Professor Seo Kyoung-duk at Sungshin Women's University, who is also a dedicated Dokdo campaigner, said Thursday that he sent the letter to Nike President and CEO Mark Parker, Vice President for Design Tinker Hatfield, six other executives of the company and also Jordan. He said the multinational market player and its high-profile shoes should consider the overwhelming impact of its products on young people worldwide. This is the third time for the company to use the flag's design on their shoes, a symbol of Japan's militarism and imperialism in the late 19th and 20th centuries, despite criticism here in Korea, with the previous incidents occurring in 2009 and 2013. "I wanted to let the company know what it did was wrong and why," he said. "I would like to encourage the executives to avoid making the same mistakes in the future by helping them realize their insensitivity, indifference, and ignorance of historical facts." Alongside the letter, he sent a picture and video footage in English explaining that Japan's Rising Sun flag symbolizes Japan's wartime atrocities like the Hakenkreuz, or swastika, the symbol used by the Nazi Party in Germany. His letter comes after criticism against the design of the company's latest model of Air Jordan 12 Retro, the Master sneakers released here in late February. Following a barrage of public protest on the website and campaigns to boycott the product, Nike quickly withdrew plans to sell similar models here. Withdrawing sales, though, is not enough, Seo said. "An overwhelming number of consumers across the world are purchasing the sneakers, and many of them do not know the design resembles the Rising Sun flag," he said. Earlier in 2009, people in Korea boycotted the Nike Air Jordan Rising Sun sneakers, and in 2013, they also boycotted the Air Jordan Gamma, which had a product description on the company's official website saying, "the Japanese Rising Sun flag." / Screen capture from YouTube By Ko Dong-hwan Police announced Wednesday they grabbed a one-man internet broadcaster, also known as broadcast jockey (BJ), for broadcasting live an illegal highway car racing to attract more netizens. Last November, the male BJ, known by surname Um, 30, broadcasted via online broadcasting platform Afreeca TV a highway car race between his two friends, both in their 30s. Speeding up to 180 km/h, they drove throughout a 20 kilometer-long course from Sangam-dong in northwestern Seoul eastbound to the north side of Yeongdong Bridge in just about seven minutes. BJ was in a separate car following them. Um posted a video of the race he broadcasted on an auto trade website called Bobaedream. The video, mixed with the BJ's comments in caption, showed he risked the high-octane action to attract more "star-shaped balloons," similar to a digital coin exchangeable with real currency, that netizens give to their favorite BJs. One balloon is worth 100 won ($0.09) and BJs can exchange for currency 60-70 percent of the total balloons they earned. But a visitor to the site reported the video to police. Seoul Mapo police grabbed Um and his racer friends. Police said Thursday they have arrested three Chinese nationals on the suspicion of smuggling methamphetamines worth some 1 billion won ($856,000) from China. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the suspects, including two teenagers, were involved in smuggling some 400 grams of meth in two separate deliveries made since last month. Police said that a 17-year-old man surnamed Park brought in some 300 grams of meth to South Korea via Incheon International Airport on March 18. Park hid the drugs in the soles of his shoes and in his pants at the request of an ethnic Korean drug trafficker surnamed Bu who is 19 years old. Last month, Bu smuggled 100 grams of meth to South Korea from China at the request of a Korean-Chinese surnamed Hwang, 29, who asked Bu to convey the drug to a local trafficker surnamed Kang, 29. Bu entered South Korea through Incheon airport on March 18 after Park's arrival and then received the meth from Park to convey it to Kang. The Seoul police also said that it has requested Chinese authorities to conduct a joint probe into Hwang who is residing in China. According to the police, the amount of 300 grams of meth is enough to be used by some 10,000 people. (Yonhap) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has noticeably increased military-related public activity this year in the latest expression of the North's jitters over tougher U.N. sanctions, Seoul officials said Thursday. The North's leader conducted the so-called field guidance in the military and defense sectors 16 times in the Jan. 1-March 18 period, accounting for 62 percent of his total public activities this year, according to South Korea's unification ministry. The tally marked a 20 percent increase from the same period last year, it added. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) slapped tougher sanctions on North Korea in early March in response to the North's nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in February. "An increase in Kim's military-related public activity appears to reflect a sense of crisis, which North Korea has felt since the tougher U.N. sanctions and ongoing joint military drills between Seoul and Washington," the ministry said in a statement. South Korea said that the North's leader has continued to make aggressive and provocative acts since the UNSC adopted a fresh resolution punishing the North for its provocations. The North's military had conducted defensive military drills before the sanctions came out. But the North has recently ratcheted up threats in a fit of anger against Seoul and Washington, vowing to carry out pre-emptive strikes. The communist country said Wednesday that it is ready to turn President Park Geun-hye and her office into "a sea of flames and ashes," with its large-caliber multiple rocket launching system. The North also said that it has successfully conducted a solid-fuel rocket test and has acquired the re-entry technology that is a key to hitting a far away target with a nuclear-armed ballistic missile. South Korea and Washington rejected the North's claims, saying that based on their analysis, the North has yet to make nuclear warheads small enough to be amounted on ballistic missiles. They also raised doubts about the North's claims of the re-entry technology. Meanwhile, the North's leader has significantly reduced his public activity on the economic front despite the urgency to produce accomplishments ahead of the ruling party's congress slated for May, the ministry said. In the first quarter, Kim's on-site inspections of economy-related sectors accounted for 23 percent of the total, down about 20 percent from a year ago, it said. The Workers' Party of Korea is scheduled to hold its first party convention in more than three decades in May, pushing North Koreans to work hard in the "70-day campaign of loyalty." (Yonhap) The Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed a U.N. human rights panel's adoption of a North Korea human rights resolution that calls for instituting an expert group to verify those responsible for Pyongyang's "crimes against humanity." During the 31st regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on Wednesday, the council adopted the resolution without a vote. The resolution centers on appointing up to two independent experts who will verify the North's human rights violations to assist the special rapporteur with the situation there. "We welcome the adoption of the resolution, in which 58 nations, including our government, reached a consensus," the ministry said in a commentary, stressing the planned appointment of an expert group is "very meaningful." The ministry added that the adoption of the resolution through "overwhelming" support underscores that the international community is "deeply concerned" about the seriousness of human rights abuses in the reclusive state. "The government deplores the North's pouring of its scarce resources into its nuclear tests and missile launches, while it turns a blind eye to the human rights of North Koreans and their livelihoods," the ministry said. The council has adopted a resolution, handed in by the European Union and Japan, in March each year to call international attention to the North's human rights situation. This year's draft resolution has drawn particular international attention as it followed on the heels of a U.N. Security Council's sanctions resolution that punished the North for its recent nuclear weapons and long-range rocket tests. Criticizing the latest HRC resolution, the North's mission in Geneva said that the human rights issue is being "politicized" to increase political pressure on the communist state, and that it would not be bound by the resolution. (Yonhap) /Courtesy of Twiter By Lee Han-soo The High Negotiation Committee (HNC) of the Syrian opposition claims two North Korean military units are fighting for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to Russian news agency TASS. "Two North Korean units are there, which are Chalma-1 and Chalma-7," claimed Assad Az-Zoubi, head of the Syrian opposition's HNC, Tuesday (Geneva time). Az-Zoubi explained to international news agency Sputnik the North Korean troops stationed in Syria were "lethally dangerous." The news came during talks about foreign involvement in Syria, amid the peace talks being held in Geneva, Switzerland, under U.N. supervision. The number of North Korean forces stationed inside Syria was not revealed. This is the first accusation that North Korean troops are being deployed overseas since the Vietnam War in the 1960-early '70s. With the Assad regime accused of killing innocent civilians in the war, North Korea is expected to face international condemnation if the deployment of its troops is verified. There are as of yet no confirmed South Korean victims related to Tuesday's bombings in Brussels, Belgium, that left dozens of people dead and some 200 injured, a Seoul government official said Wednesday. "We understand that Belgium has been notifying governments around the world of any casualties. But we have not been notified of any South Korean casualties," the official told Yonhap News Agency, declining to be named. But observers say that it would take time to verify the exact identities of all the fatalities in the bombings, which could include South Korean nationals. Seoul's embassy in Belgium has set up a task force to ascertain if any South Koreans were hurt in the blasts. (Yonhap) A local court on Wednesday sentenced the 56-year-old man, who attacked the top U.S. envoy to South Korea last year, to an additional 18 months in prison for assaulting prison staff. The Seoul Central District Court found Kim Ki-jong guilty of hitting a prison officer and a surgeon when he was denied the right to go to a hospital for his ankle injury. The staff rejected Kim's request as the injury was treatable in jail, prosecutors said. Kim is currently serving a prison term for attacking U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert with a knife at a function in Seoul in March last year. "The defendant denies the allegations and only emphasizes the legitimacy of his (action), without showing any remorse," the court said. In September, the same court sentenced the 56-year-old to 12 years in prison on a string of charges, including attempted murder. The attack left Lippert with deep gashes that required more than 80 stitches. The case is pending at a higher court in Seoul, following the prosecutors' appeal. (Yonhap) Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Washington later this month to attend the Nuclear Security Summit, China's foreign ministry said Wednesday. The summit, set for March 31 to April 1, is aimed at discussing ways to reduce the stockpile of highly enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, to keep it out of the hands of terrorists and to ensure atomic safety. South Korean President Park Geun-hye will also attend the summit. North Korea's defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons is likely to become one of the topics of discussion during the summit to be hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama. North Korea has been slapped with tougher U.N. sanctions for carrying out its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and a long-range rocket launch on Feb. 7. Before heading to Washington, the Chinese president will visit the Czech Republic on March 28-30, according to the Chinese ministry. (Yonhap) President Park Geun-hye on Thursday ordered the military to beef up security in response to North Korea's recent repeated threats. ''Park instructed the military to be fully ready to cope with the North's reckless provocations,'' said a presidential spokesman, adding that she also asked for all citizens to pay heed to possible emergency situations. Park's comments came after Pyongyang threatened to turn the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae into a "sea of flames" on Wednesday. The North appears to have made this latest threat in apparent anger over the largest-ever joint military exercises now being conducted by Seoul and Washington. North Korea has been ramping up tensions since conducting nuclear and ballistic missile tests earlier this year. Now the inter-Korean standoff has reached a point where the isolated regime in Pyongyang is making its most serious threats. True, the North's blackmail tactics are nothing new. Many watchers have predicted that the rogue state will strive to maintain tension on the Korean Peninsula ahead of a major congress of the ruling Workers' Party in early May. The North's intimidating rhetoric also might be aimed at preventing possible unrest. Or it might be the result of overblown acts by the loyalists of the North's young leader Kim Jong-un. Some analysts regard it as part of North Korea's psychological warfare aimed at deepening internal conflict in the South ahead of April's general election. What is clear is that such threats must not be taken lightly like a warning from the "boy who cried wolf." That the presidential office called for all-out vigilance even by issuing a strongly-worded statement might be evidence that Pyongyang's latest threats of provocation are grave. If the past is any guide, one can easily understand that North Korea has committed both military and non-military provocations, capitalizing on weaknesses in our security. Cheong Wa Dae rightly expressed a strong will to launch relentless retaliation against any future provocations. But what matters most is whether we are determined and capable enough to defeat provocations in case of emergencies. It's imperative that our military and security authorities get fully ready for any contingencies with firm resolve. What is also worrisome is that the North might launch terrorist attacks in South Korea while aggravating military tension on the peninsula. In fact, it's realistic to expect Kim Jong-un to create anxiety ahead of the parliamentary election through attacks rather than by triggering military clashes that could lead to his self-destruction. This is why we should be more alert about the North's possible terrorism. By Donald Kirk WASHINGTON The hype surrounding President Obama's visit to Cuba quickly gave way to fear and loathing as the world absorbed the news of the slaughter perpetrated in Brussels, for which ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, immediately claimed "credit." No sooner were we treated to live coverage of Obama building ties with Cuba than images of bloodshed, terror and panic filled TV and computer screens. The news from both Havana and Brussels had to resonate in Korea for obvious reasons. The success of opening ties between the U.S. and Cuba might seem superficially to set a precedent for the U.S. forming diplomatic relations with North Korea. Certainly advocates of negotiations on a "peace treaty" with North Korea see reconciliation between the U.S. and Cuba as one step on the way to achieving that goal. The comparison is all the more tempting considering that Cuba has been one of North Korea's greatest friends. North Korean leaders might squirm under constant pressure from China, but they could always count on Cuba for unqualified words of undying fraternal friendship. Like so many comparisons between the standoff on the Korean peninsula and confrontations elsewhere, however, this one soon falls apart. Repression in Cuba, no doubt harsh, was never nearly so bad as in North Korea. More than 120,000 Cubans made it in the Mariel boatlift in 1980 when, for a brief period, Fidel Castro said they were free to leave. Yes, like North Koreans fleeing to China in hopes of getting to South Korea, Cubans have taken terrific risks fleeing on flimsy boats to Florida. None, however, faced torture and execution if forced to turn back, and the U.S., unlike China, has never had a policy of hunting down and "repatriating" those who navigated their way to freedom. SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun, right, poses with Lotte Shopping CEO Lee Won-joon after signing to an agreement to cooperate in establishing smart department store systems in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of SK Telecom By Yoon Sung-won SK Telecom said Thursday that it has signed an agreement with Lotte Department Store to jointly install smart department store systems. The telecom company will set up smart shopping and kiosk systems for food courts at the retail chain's headquarters in central Seoul and the Bundang branch in Gyeonggi Province in June. The two will also cooperate in setting up smart signs at stores and building more efficient energy management systems. If successful, the two companies plan to expand the smart systems to all Lotte Department Stores nationwide. "As the leading Internet of Things (IoT) service provider, SK Telecom will offer new shopping experiences to customers by teaming up with Lotte to establish smart department stores," SK Telecom's IoT service division Executive Vice President Kwon Song said in a statement. "We will create new customer values by pushing for further collaborations between the two companies." Lotte Department Store's marketing director Lee Wan-shin said, "Under the cooperation with SK Telecom, we will present an innovative shopping environment based on information and communication technologies." SK Telecom said it will provide smart shopper, smart locker and smart kiosk systems for the department store chain's food courts. The smart shopper system includes a barcode scanner that allows customers to shop without carrying a shopping cart. The smart locker is a cold storage cabinet that can be booked and managed using a smartphone application. The smart kiosk system provides menu information and wireless payment service based on the Bluetooth Low Energy technology. SK Telecom said it plans to upgrade this system to support mobile payment services of its own and Lotte's. The two companies will also install smart signs made of light-emitting diode displays on the outer wall of department stores and use it to promote products and diverse discount events. Lotte said the smart signs wall is expected to reduce its marketing expenses. The building energy management system has also been included in the plan. By managing and operating energy consumption in a centralized system, the department store chain will be able to remove inefficiencies, the company said. Samsung Electronics' TV business chief Kim Hyun-seok, left, and company executives produce a print of their hands in a hand-printing ceremony during the "Startup Samsung Culture Innovation Announcement" event at its R4 digital research laboratory in Suwon, south of Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics said Thursday that it will overhaul its rigid and bureaucratic management structure for faster implementation and adaptation in decision-making. Samsung said in a statement that it held a Startup Samsung Culture Innovation Announcement event in its R4 digital research laboratory at company headquarters in Suwon, south of Seoul. Top company executives attended the event including its consumer electronics business chief Yoon Boo-keun, senior mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun and management support team head Lee Sang-hun, alongside about 600 Samsung employees. "Samsung will stay away from top-down structures and build bottom-up structures, while the company will put more focus on improving efficiency by introducing programs to self-motivate employees," said the statement. As a backup plan, Samsung Electronics said it will do away with its traditional structures in favor of a much flatter hierarchy by simplifying its ranking systems. Samsung has been maintaining a structure of five distinct employee ranks, each of which comes with its prescribed title. Inside Samsung, there are five ranks below the executive level sawon, daeri, gwajang, chajang and bujang. A fresh undergraduate receives the sawon title and it usually takes more than 20 years to reach the vice president level in Samsung affiliates. "Samsung will cut the steps in the ranking system and we will promote more employees if they prove their management capability or demonstrate outstanding performance," said the statement. "The main focus for a new HR policy is to offer more credit based on the roles and functions in each unit rather than just based on titles." Samsung will announce the details of its new measures within the first half of this year. "All Samsung executives are required to get rid of top-down structures," the release added. For active communications between working-level employees and executives, Samsung Electronics said it will activate the use of its internal communications portal MOSAIC. "You can put any idea into MOSAIC and we will respond to it." Procedures for preparing "fancy reports" to appeal to bosses will also be cut under the new company initiative. "Samsung's top management plans to kill unnecessary internal meetings and require executives to end the rigidity of internal reporting systems, which we believe is a legacy from decades ago," said the statement. The moves come at a time when a power shift is at hand, led by company vice chairman Lee Jae-yong. The de-facto Samsung leader is said to prefer a casual management style and is less guarded even on international trips. Samsung sold the company-owned private jets and the vice chairmen uses commercial airlines for overseas business trips, a rare scene for heirs of Korean conglomerates. But it remains to be seen whether the new Samsung plan will eventually work, as the hierarchy made executives feel quite "inferior" and "underpaid" compared to counterparts their age at other companies. Also, rigid corporate hierarchy has always been an integral part of Korean corporate culture, with an emphasis on Confucianism favoring patriarchy, seniority and hierarchy. Some say having a hierarchical system is effective for quick key decisions, though it's true that the old-fashioned system is a poor fit for creativity and discourages workers. The EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica arrived in Sri Lanka today, 15th March 2016, to re-affirm EU support for the Government of Sri Lanka, review ongoing development programmes and to discuss ways and means of further enhancing Sri Lanka EU bilateral cooperation. This is the first visit of the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development to Sri Lanka and is the first visit by a high-level EU representative since the current Government assumed office. The EU Commissioner will meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and other senior ministers during his visit. Following the election of the new Government in 2015, Sri Lanka and EU are engaged in a number of initiatives aimed to complement the ongoing peace and reconciliation process while also strengthening economic partnership. Today, Commissioner Mimca met with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and discussed a wide range of issues, including possible lifting of IUU fishing ban and restoration of GSP+, furthering the continued positive engagement between the two parties. Foreign Minister Samaraweera also participated at the formal opening of the new premises of the Office of the EU Delegation today. Commissioner Mimica will conclude his official visit on 17th March, 2016 following high level discussions and signing of two financing agreements. Read more Ministry of Foreign Affairs Colombo 15 March 2016 The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more It's looking more and more like the California presidential primary on June 7 will matter at least to Republicans, and now comes a statewide poll showing Donald Trump with a comfortable lead here. The Public Policy Institute of California poll found Trump at 38 percent among likely Republican voters. Ted Cruz is next at 19 percent and John Kasich at 12 percent. Marco Rubio also received 12 percent in the poll conducted March 6 to March 15, before he got out of the race. It doesn't mean that Trump will necessarily leave California with a definitive number of convention delegates, because of the Republicans' rules. From the Sacramento Bee story: With the totals recalculated to account for Rubios departure, Trump remained at 38 percent while support for Cruz grew to 27 percent and Kasich to 14 percent. Under that scenario, Trump, a billionaire businessman and political newcomer, bests the others with voters across all age, education, gender and income groups.... Yet Trumps statewide lead, if it holds, would guarantee him only 13 of the states 172 Republican delegates. The vast majority of Californias GOP delegates June 7 will be allocated by congressional district, with the winner of each of the states 53 districts receiving three delegates. On the Democratic side, the PPIC poll found Hillary Clinton only a little ahead of Bernie Sanders, 48 percent to 41 percent. In that race, both Democrats and independents may vote. Also from the Bee: She leads among Latinos (58 percent to 35 percent), women (54 percent to 35 percent), and self-described middle-of-the-road voters (51 percent to 33 percent). Sanders edges her with men (48 percent to 39 percent) and among very liberal voters (57 percent to 41 percent). Most voters aged 45 and older, 63 percent, prefer Clinton while a majority of younger voters, 63 percent, back Sanders. And while fewer than half of Republicans, and just a third of independents, say they are satisfied with their choice of presidential candidates, a strong majority of Democrats reported being pleased with their options, the poll found. In the U.S. Senate race to succeed Barbara Boxer, Democrats Kamala Harris (26 percent) and Loretta Sanchez 17 percent) line up 1-2 well ahead of any of the Republicans, but almost a third of likely voters say they are undecided. PRESS RELEASE EIR Seminar in Frankfurt on New Silk Road for Mideast and Africa FRANKFURT, March 23, 2016 (EIRNS)A seminar titled "Solving the Economic and Refugee Crises with the New Silk Road!" organized by EIR in cooperation with the Consulate General of Ethiopia in Frankfurt, was attended by an audience of 75, consisting of representatives of several diplomatic offices, of subscribers and contacts of EIR in the region, and about ten Syrians (students as well as refugees waiting for enrollment at universities). Several came from as far away as Berlin, and cities in Switzerland. Extending over the entire afternoon, the seminar featured presentations by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, chairwoman of the Schiller Institute; Hussein Askary, EIR Arabic Editor, Stockholm; Mehreteab Mulugeta Haile, Consul General Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; Marcello Vichi, former Director, Foreign Department Bonifica company, author of the Transaqua concept; Andrea Mangano, Vice President, Italian Association of Water Engineers and contributor to the Transaqua outline. The speakers were joined by Mohammed Bila, Lake Chad Basin Commission, and Ulf Sandmark, Schiller Institute Stockholm and Swedish-Syrian Committee for Democracy, for an expanded panel in the second part of the seminar. The seminar was moderated by Claudio Celani of the EIRs European center in Wiesbaden. In her keynote, Helga Zepp-LaRouche stressed that this would not be an academic seminar but rather a discussion about the fact that in this existential crisis of mankind, shown by the refugee crisis, the wars and the financial crash, solutions are within reach and must be realized now. In the wake of the terror attacks in Brussels yesterday, it is more than appropriate to recall former U.S. Senator Bob Grahams statement of mid-November last year after the terror attacks in Paris then, that had the classified 28 pages of the Joint Congressional Inquiry into 9/11 been made public, such atrocities could and would have been prevented. It is beyond any doubt that the Russian military intervention in Syria changed the rules of game, that it exposed the role of that pro-IS alliance of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United States, and United Kingdom, and particular that of Turkey, whose policies have been attacked harshly by two former U.S. ambassadors to Ankara. The EU agreement with Turkey on the refugees is a travesty which fits in the general picture of Western and U.S. human rights violations which have just been exposed in a Chinese dossier. Whereas the West is talking about an insanity like "helicopter money" to save its own speculative banks, the Chinese "One Belt, One Road" initiative presents a real-economic offer for a win-win strategy; that is, not just in the interest of China but also of the other nationsand real development only will help to dry out terrorism. Either Europe works with Russia, China, India, Iran, Egypt, and other nations to launch a Marshall Plan for Syria and Africa, or its bankrupt economies will crash against the wall, Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche said. Presenting the EIR World Land-Bridge report in its first Arabic translation, Hussein Askary reported that as this seminar was being held in Frankfurt, an event presenting the Arabic report was also taking place in Yemen today under conditions of continued Saudi airstrikes of Yemeni cities. The idea of the New Silk Road is more than just building a few roads and railroads; it is a concept of development corridors improving the life of some 450 million people in the Southwest Asian region, with Syria being at the center. This involves mega-projects of rapid development, financed by national development banks free of the obligation of paying the debt as demanded by the Western monetarist institutions. Like Egypt, Syria will focus on industrial zones, transport corridors and agricultural development, with China showing the way with its massive infrastructural engagement for instance in East Africa. The Ethiopian Consul-General followed with a presentation on the economic strategy of his country, characterized by policies that have greatly improved the per-capita income, literacy rate, and public health care since the 1990s. With an envisaged annual GDP growth of 11%, Ethiopia wants to become a middle-income level country by 2025, made possible by opportunities for Ethiopians to set up a farm or shop at the price that many pay today to human traffickers to be brought to Europe as refugees. Ethiopia, itself, is the largest refugee host in Africa, with 800,000 refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea taken ina fact that nobody in Europe talks about. Ethiopia will be transformed from a primary-products exporter to a nation with high-value production and infrastructure, and the countrys cooperation with Russia, China, India, and Brazil in rail projects is important in this context. Marcello Vichi gave a review of the history of the Transaqua Project discussion during the past 35 years, from the first proposals presented by Italys Bonifica company 1982-1985, to African governments as well as the United Nations, pointing to a transfer of water from the giant Congo River as the only viable option for refilling Lake Chad. The proposal has largely been met with disinterest or pessimism as to the chance of its realization, has been discarded as allegedly "megalomaniac," but the recent refugee streams have made Europe rethink its views, and Transaqua, which has always been more than just water for Chadrather the broader framework for the development of entire Central Africais the only option that can attract the young generation of African labor force not to become refugees. Andrea Mangano gave an overview of what Lake Chad was 35 years ago and what it is now, with 90% of its water lost. It shares the problem with other evaporating inland lakes in the world that are no longer supplied by their traditional tributariesthe Aral Sea, Lake Urmia, Lake Turikana, the Dead Sea. The only thing that improves the situation is water transfer and reduced consumption by irrigation via new technologies. This is done by Transaqua, which will tap 5% of the water from the upper tributaries of the Congo River, which is otherwise flowing away unused into the Atlantic Ocean at volumes 14 times the water of Germanys biggest river, the Rhine. Refilling the lake will be done with infrastructure construction that will give the entirety of Central Africa hydropower, irrigation for agriculture, and waterway transport, and relieve the region from its present land-locked situation. Mohammed Bila elaborated on the Transaqua issue in the expanded panel, pointing to the big and ongoing migration wave southwards from Chad, since the huge drought of 1973 during which the Lake Chad already lost 40% of its water. The farmers and their cattle that have migrated to the south, will not return to Chad unless the lake is refilling, and unless the terrorist movement of Boko Haram has been crushed. Ulf Sandmark reported on his two visits to Syria in 2014 and 2015, during which it became evident that the reconstruction of Syria actually implies the development of the entire Southwest Asia region, making it an integral part of the New Silk Roadto which he found the Syrians open-minded, and when the "Phoenix" reconstruction plan drafted back in Stockholm was presented to the Syrians during the second visit, it received broad coverage in the countrys media. The discussion between the audience and the panelists featured more aspects of what was said in the presentations, ranging from the genocidal tradition of the British Empire which has sabotaged real development in Africa and Mideast, the hopelessness of the monetarist system, and the increased threat of a thermonuclear world war if the chance of changing course in the direction of cooperation with the New Silk Road is not taken by Europe and the United States; that it is a race of time to enter a new paradigm before the total collapse destroys everything. Also, that contrary to Western black propaganda, China is not engaged in Ethiopia for raw materials, since Ethiopia has none, but instead is a real partner for development. Zepp-LaRouche repeatedly insisted during the discussion that the participants of this Frankfurt seminar take home with them the commitment to set fire to the behinds of the policy-makers to get things fundamentally changed, that a real mass movement for development has to be created. Vichi made a passionate appeal to be optimistic as a must for people so that things can be changed. A new and creative image of man, as it was developed in the great Italian Renaissance, is required also today, Celani pointed out. Sandmark also insisted that the New Silk Road is not just for engineers but for everyone to study at more seminars and chapter meetings. The first chapter meeting on the Arabic language report in Yemen today was actually being presided over by the leading poet of that country, Askary added. PRESS RELEASE Former ECB Chief Economist: Helicopter Money Means Bankruptcy March 23, 2016 (EIRNS)Otmar Issing, former chief economist of the European Central Bank, denounced the "helicopter money" idea of European Central Bank (ECB) head Mario Draghi and the Bank of England (BoE). Issing sounded the alarm in an interview yesterday with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). "I see the entire idea of helicopter money as worrisome, even davastating," Issing said. "For, it is nothing else than a bankruptcy declaration of monetary policy.... A central bank that is throwing out money for free, will hardly be able to regain control of the printing-press." Issing implied an attack on Draghi when he added, "This debate has spread out into the public. I see it as total intellectual confusion." And he said, "The economic condition of the world is being meddled into chaos which cant be described." The FAZ adds a key point: "Helicopter money is intended to be a targeted financial injection to companies and consumers directly from the central bank, bypassing the normal banking sector [emphasis addeded.]. ECB President Mario Draghi, in answer to a question, called this a very interesting concept." But it is the Bank of England which is studying the "interesting concept" most intensely, as described in a London Telegraph article March 13 by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard. The BoE is studying such "targetted injections" as done by creating electronic money, Evans-Pritchard reports. The goal would be to allow the central bank "to turn the money tap on and off with calibrated precision." And, said the BoE Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent, the system could be designed so that people or companies could bypass the commercial banks and hold deposits directly with the BoE. "Its likely youd see money moving out of existing [bank] deposits." Central bank electronic money "could be used to cover government services, tax collection, and benefit payments," noted Evans-Pritchard from his sources. Then he came to the point: "Ultimately it could achieve some of the objectives of narrowing banking proposed by Adam Smith, or the Chicago Plan put forward by U.S. [University of Chicagoed.] economists in the 30s ... to transfer control of money creation from private banks to the state." And here the FAZ and New York Times were telling us "helicopter money" was intended as economic stimulus! But it is really an austerity tool, taking "money creation" away from those evil old commercial banks with that evil old practice of lending more than they have in reserve. Untimately, down that path lies the old British colonial "currency board," which made sure that a colonial countrys currency in circulation never exceeded the "value" of the gold in its vaults. These central bank helicopters will be engaged in killing by friendly fire. As TV broadcasters go, KSCI Channel 18 in Long Beach is a little fish in a big pond. The independent station, which airs local shows in Chinese, Korean and Tagalog as well as other Asian-language programs, was in bankruptcy in 2012 when Texas-based NRJ TV bought it and two small stations for a reported $45 million. But in the federal governments upcoming auction of TV airwaves, KSCIs slice of the nations second-largest market could be a precious catch worth as much as $585 million to telecommunications companies, according to opening bids released by the Federal Communications Commission last fall. Advertisement On Tuesday, the FCC will take its latest step toward using multimillion-dollar payoffs to urge broadcasters to give up their airwaves, which in many cases would force them off the air. The spectrum then would be auctioned to telecommunications companies to be used to deliver mobile broadband and Wi-Fi services for Americas fast-growing wireless appetite. The biggest winners in the first-of-its-kind auction could be a handful of the nations newest and most anonymous station owners. Companies such as NRJ TV, OTA Broadcasting and LocusPoint Networks have kept a low profile the last few years while snatching up dozens of small TV stations in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and other markets. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> The buyers, which include one involving computer magnate Michael Dell, are widely seen as speculators in on the 21st century frontier of wireless spectrum. They have purchased sometimes-struggling TV stations on the cheap and are expected to try to sell the rights to their airwaves in the FCC auction that begins Tuesday. As with KSCI, known as LA18, theres potential for a huge windfall. Seven companies have purchased a total of 68 TV stations over the last five years for a combined $445 million as of October, about two months before broadcasters had to apply to participate in the auction, said Robin Flynn, research director at media analyst SNL Kagan. The airwaves of those stations could be worth as much as $17.4 billion, she said. But the unique nature of the one-time-only auction is almost certain to reduce that figure significantly. Station owners can receive smaller paydays for agreeing to move to a less-desirable frequency instead of giving up their airwave rights completely. KSCI, for example, could receive up to $439 million to move its channel location. Stations also could remain on the air by selling their spectrum and making a deal with another broadcaster to use some of theirs. Still, some station owners could end up with no money at all from the auction if they hold out for too much. Speculators are coming in for a big profit, said Harold Feld, senior vice president at digital rights group Public Knowledge. It may not be the big payoff that a lot of people were hoping for, but from a speculators perspective, theres not a hell of a lot of risk either. And who knows, it might pay off. Congress authorized the broadcast incentive auction in 2012 to free up more airwaves for mobile services for smartphones and other devices. Over-the-air viewership has declined sharply in recent decades with the advent of cable, satellite and the Internet although theres been an uptick lately from so-called cord-cutters. Lawmakers also saw the auction as a way to raise billions of dollars to help reduce the federal budget deficit. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> The goal is simple: entice some broadcasters to give up their rights to use prime public airwaves in exchange for a cut of the proceeds from auctioning them off to telecommunications companies. As more people access the Internet wirelessly, demand for airwaves has increased. An FCC spectrum auction that ended in early 2015 brought in a record $44.9 billion. Broadcast airwaves are the highest quality, able to carry signals deep into buildings and over long distances. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the auction could raise as much as $40 billion for the federal government after payments are made to broadcasters. But the auction, which is expected to take several months to complete, is extremely complicated. Thats where the risk arises for speculators. The FCC initiative, which has never been tried before, is two parallel auctions. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has described it as having more moving parts than a Swiss watch. The FCC would purchase airwaves from broadcasters in a reverse auction. It involves rounds of slowly lowering bids so the FCC can purchase the spectrum for the least possible amount to maximize the governments profit. After each round, broadcasters must decide if they will go to the next round of lower prices. The FCC must decide at which point to stop lowering the prices and purchase the airwaves or risk not having enough spectrum particularly in congested markets such as Los Angeles to offer to wireless companies in the second part of the auction. For that reason, the maximum value of the airwaves in the opening bid prices released by the FCC most likely significantly overstate the final price to be paid in all but a handful of markets. Those areas are the ones in which demand from wireless companies would be high or few TV stations are interested in selling. Still, given the low prices paid in many cases by speculators for TV stations, most would be able to turn a profit, Flynn said. A few of the station purchases were not very astute, she said. But most were very well considered and in markets likely to be in demand, bought at attractive prices. The companies that have been making the purchases have not been explicit that they intend to sell them in the auction, but that is the commonly held belief, Flynn said. Executives at the three largest purchasers, NRJ TV, OTA Broadcasting and LocusPoint Networks, either declined to comment, citing an FCC-imposed quiet period in place before the auction, or did not respond to a request for comment. OTA Broadcasting, in Fairfax, Va., was formed in early 2011 to own and operate independent television stations in large markets throughout the United States, according to its website. It is owned by an affiliate of MSD Partners, an investment company owned by Dell, the billionaire founder of Dell Computers. OTA has purchased 24 stations the most of any speculator for $80 million, according to SNL Kagan. Among the stations is KMIR in Palm Springs, purchased in 2013. Terms of the deal were not released, but the FCCs opening bid for KMIRs airwaves is $86 million. NRJ TV, headed by investor Ted Bartley, has spent the most money: $254 million to acquire 16 stations, Flynn said. When NRJ TV purchased KSCI in Long Beach, Bartley issued a statement saying, Under NRJ TVs new ownership, we are confident that the current management and staff can further strengthen the stations services in the community and the Asian advertising industry. An NRJ TV executive declined to comment on its intentions for the station in the auction. KSCIs approximately 100 employees have been told the station is not going off the air, production director Trevor Roberts said. In August, NRJ TV purchased KSKT Channel 36 in San Marcos in northern San Diego County for $9.8 million from Blue Skies Broadcasting. The FCCs opening bid is $142 million for the airwaves of the station, which broadcasts local programming. Roberts said KSKT would be adding Asian programming soon as part of its ownership by NRJ TV. Still, the purchase agreement says Blue Skies would receive 10% of any auction proceeds above the sale price. A similar provision was contained in the sales agreement for KXLK, an Austin, Texas, TV station that was purchased in June by Radio Spectrum Partners of Washington, D.C., Flynn said. The company bought the station for $1.8 million. The opening auction bid is $168 million, according to the FCC. jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com ALSO Activist investor Starboard pushes to replace Yahoos entire board Construction workers fatal fall from a downtown high-rise is ruled a suicide Driver arrested after special needs student found dead on empty school bus Teenager Paige Jennings (Holly Taylor) bears a terrible burden in knowing that Mom and Dad are only travel agents on the side. Their main career, of course, is spying for the Soviet Union. Paige promised her parents, Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys), that shell keep quiet. Yet with the stakes so high, the spies follow a trust-but-verify strategy on Pastor Tim, Episode 41 of The Americans on FX. Since Paige relies on her church for solace and guidance, Elizabeth and Philip planted a listening device in the office of Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin) to make sure no secrets are spilled. Advertisement To Elizabeths horror, she plays a tape recording and discovers Paige is a blabbermouth. She told him! Everything, Elizabeth exclaims to Philip. If we move fast, maybe were OK. By that she implies, the preacher must go. Given that Tim writes his sermons in a cabin with a space heater, perhaps it could malfunction and accidentally burn him to death? You wanna kill the one person in the world that she trusts? Philip asks incredulously. Its better than losing us, Elizabeth argues. As for Paige, she confesses to Mom in a moment of guilt. I told him, Pastor Tim, Paige tearfully admits. Im so sorry. I just didnt know what to do! This is the one thing, the one thing that you couldnt do, Elizabeth yells at Paige. You were supposed to put this family first. That is what you are supposed to do! Will Tim refrain from contacting the feds, like Paige claims he will? Dont bet on it. Were in trouble, Elizabeth tells Philip. I know, he sadly replies. In other action, Philip boards a nearly empty shuttle at JFK Airport to hand off a small bioweapon for the KGB to study in Russia. But when the Czech pilot (Lars Gerhard) tasked with transporting this deadly liquid starts to panic, a security officer (Izzy Ruiz) takes notice. When I see a distressed pilot, I gotta talk to him, the officer tells Philip. Its my job. Realizing what he must do, Philip strangles the officer and hides his corpse in the back row. But when the skittish pilot exits the bus, he intentionally leaves the package behind. Accordingly, Philip retains possession. So its safe in my house? Philip warily asks William (Dylan Baker), a traitorous scientist who developed the bioweapon. Such lethal substances are typically stored in hermetically sealed biocontainment labs, William explains. At the Jennings abode, however, the fragile vial sits in an ice chest. In Moscow, meanwhile, ex-KGB agent Nina Sergeevna Krilova (Annet Mahendru) still atones for sharing state secrets with her onetime lover Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) of FBI counterintelligence. Nina is no longer confined to a prison cell. But shes closely watched while assisting Anton Baklanov (Michael Aronov), a scientist forced to design stealth technology after being kidnapped in Washington and repatriated to Russia. As a kindness to Anton, Nina contacts her husband Boris (Gene Ravvin), whom she hasnt seen in years, and asks him to carry a letter. The note assures Antons son that his father is alive. Are you allowed to take things in and out of this place? Boris asks Nina. Its OK, she says, But its better not to point it out. Unfortunately, Soviet officials confiscate the letter. It was mine, not Antons, Nina readily admits to her harsh overseer Vasili Nikolaevich (Peter Von Berg). Well see what the prosecutor thinks about that, Vasili declares. Why did you do this? You were almost free. Im not who I was, Nina says. Apparently this former double agent has grown a conscience. MORE: ABC renews 15 shows, including Once Upon a Time, Fresh Off the Boat and Quantico In The Carmichael Show, Jerrod Carmichael takes on todays issues New ABC President Channing Dungey talks whirlwind week and her plans for the network A year after a devastating breakup, I decided to make a radical change and packed up and relocated to a place where no one knew me. I moved to Pacific Palisades, two miles up a mountain where the quiet was deafening and I could start over. I adopted a cat and was living a life of quiet contentment. Quite different from my past life, but somehow I found comfort in it. I dated a little but never seemed to connect. I was happy in my work as a hypnotherapist/EFT practitioner and was somehow resolved in thinking that it would be me and the cat, together forever. Advertisement One afternoon around dusk, as I was clearing out the mental cobwebs with a walk, I became aware of a little kitty following right at my heels. She tracked me all the way home and then just sat outside my front door. After about an hour, I managed to coax her in. Read past L.A. Affairs columns >> She was a little scrawny, sad and scared. I noticed she had an ID tag burrowed under her somewhat matted fur. Her name was Lily. I just knew she was lost. I called the number on her ID tag. The male voice on the other end of the phone was frantic with worry over his missing kitty. They lived several miles away, also in Pacific Palisades, and because of all the predatory wildlife around he was very concerned that she had not survived the two days she had been missing from home. He was up in Santa Barbara when I reached him, so he arranged to come over the following morning to retrieve her. Meanwhile, my cat, Martini, had come downstairs and immediately knew that this little girl was no threat but was in need of some care. The two of them did a little sniffing and then settled in a bit together. I proceeded to fix a grand feast for the two of them. Lily and Martini were just enthralled with each other. After dinner, they slept peacefully together in front of the fire. Early the next morning, while the two new best friends were napping in the sun, Lilys dad came over to take her home. Thank goodness I wasnt still in my jammies with bed hair and questionable morning breath. When I opened the door I actually heard a movie soundtrack in my head. You know the one angels singing, horns blowing and G-d herself whispering in my ear, Youre welcome. There he stood, 6 foot 1 with dreamy blue eyes and a shock of amazing white hair. He introduced himself as Luke. I managed to pull myself together enough to invite him in. Lily was so excited to see her dad she jumped onto his lap, gave him lots of kisses and immediately started telling him all about her recent adventures, in cat, of course! Over a pot of coffee and my magical homemade zucchini bread, we talked and laughed and talked some more until I looked at the clock. It was 11:30 a.m. The four of us stayed on my couch for most of the day, a fire in the fireplace, our kitties napping on our laps and Luke and I talking and laughing as if we had known each other a lifetime. And when it came time for lunch and dinner, Luke showed off his prowess in the kitchen and we cooked and cleaned up, in perfect sync with each other. Are you a veteran of the L.A. dating scene? Share your story They left that night around 8 p.m. and I found myself singing and dancing around the house. Martini was perplexed, as he had never seen me quite so animated. As a matter of fact, I couldnt remember the last time I had felt so light and animated. I found myself thinking, What a difference a day makes. Our little family of four remained in sync for 2 1/2 years, until Luke returned to Georgia recently to help care for his mother. Who knows what the future will bring, but I will leave it in the hands of the universe. All of the painful emotional lessons of my past led me to this point, and whatever happens, I give thanks on a daily basis for a missing kitty who found her way to my door. The author has published a childrens book about how her family of four came to be. It is called Noodle and Nugget (A Tale of Two Kitties) and a sequel is in the works. L.A. Affairs chronicles the current dating scene in and around Los Angeles. We pay $300 a column. If you have comments or a true story to tell, email us at LAAffairs@latimes.com. MORE FROM L.A. AFFAIRS I thought I was dating the Prince. But he was the Scoundrel Im from USC. Hes from UCLA. Could trash talk lead to love? I thought Id found the perfect guy. Until he replaced me. Former Mayor Bob Filner maintained on the witness stand Wednesday that he had not sexually harassed anyone while leading the city of San Diego, nor could he recall an encounter with a woman whose lawsuit alleges he put her in a chokehold. I dont remember the incident at all, sir, Filner said as he was questioned in San Diego County Superior Court by a lawyer representing city employee Stacy McKenzie. I dont remember even meeting her, sir. When asked whether he recalled putting his arm around McKenzies neck in April 2013 an action described in court as a chokehold Filner said he would not do such a thing. He also denied standing behind McKenzie during the encounter at a Mission Bay park, pressing his body against hers and brushing her breast with his elbow. Advertisement I dont recall the incident, but there are certain things I would never do, he said. Filner, 73, a former 10-term congressman, resigned as mayor in August 2013 after several women accused him of touching them inappropriately or making unwanted sexual comments. McKenzie, who has worked in the parks and recreation department for 35 years, sued Filner and the city in December 2013, claiming sexual battery and sexual harassment, among other allegations. Hers is the first lawsuit to go to trial. Five others have settled; one other is pending. Before he resigned, Filner apologized and said he would seek counseling. In October 2013, having served less than a year as mayor, Filner pleaded guilty to felony false imprisonment for manhandling a woman at a March 2013 fundraising event by putting her in what became known as the Filner headlock. He also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor battery charges, one for kissing a woman without her consent at a Meet the Mayor event at City Hall and the other for grabbing a womans buttocks at a Fiesta Island cleanup event. McKenzie was not one of the women identified as victims in those charges. On Wednesday, her attorney, Manuel Corrales Jr., asked Filner several questions about accusations of inappropriate behavior with his executive assistant and communications director, both women, while he was in office. Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor told the jurors they could consider Filners alleged conduct with other women only to help them determine whether they believe his testimony. Filner agreed he had stated in the past that he never harassed anyone. When asked whether he knew what a chokehold was, he answered, Not really, sir. He acknowledged, however, that some behavior the lawyer described would or could be violations of the citys sexual harassment policies. Filner said he fired some employees during his time in office, but stopped short of agreeing with Corrales contention that staff members were too intimidated to come to him with complaints. Some employees thought I would yell at them, yes, he testified. Filner served on the San Diego school board, then on the City Council before he was elected to Congress. Asked how he felt about pleading guilty to a felony, he lowered his head. The whole experience was incredibly devastating, said Filner, who earlier in this testimony said he admitted to the charges on his lawyers advice. I did not think I was guilty of many of the accusations. Ultimately, he said, it became impossible for him to govern, a situation he said was partly because of people who opposed what I was trying to do as mayor. That was the saddest day of my life, sir, Filner testified. He said it was extremely heartbreaking. I was devastated, and I have been, in the last two to three years, trying to understand what happened, he said, explaining that he had undergone intense therapy. I think Ive come out a better and stronger person, even though I dont have the mayors job. Filner could be called to testify later in the trial when defense attorneys have the opportunity to call witnesses. dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @danalittlefield Littlefield writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. ALSO Flight attendant accused of smuggling 70 pounds of cocaine at LAX due in court School district calls for investigation after officer fires Taser at student during campus fight Construction workers fatal fall from a downtown high-rise is ruled a suicide Would Bob Hope Airport do better with a name change? Thats a question some officials have been pondering for some time. A branding firm told Bob Hope Airport officials the possible benefits of having Los Angeles in its name. However, some residents do not want any of it. The company, Anyone Collective, was contracted by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority to develop a brand name for the airfield in an effort to attract more passengers. Advertisement Company officials said that Los Angeles was searched online by Americans an average of 671,560 times a month when it came to travel and tourism. In comparison, Burbank is nationally searched an average of 73,400 times each month, while Bob Hope has an average of 47,240 searches per month. Michael Fiore, co-founder of Anyone Collective, suggested four names that officials with his company think would boost the airports recognition with people east of the Rocky Mountains: Burbank Hollywood Airport Hollywood Burbank Airport Burbank Los Angeles Airport Los Angeles Burbank Airport The legal name for the airfield would remain Bob Hope Airport, but officials are considering a branding name in an effort to draw more travelers. Fiore said that with the exception of a few major airports such as John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, both in New York City, and John Wayne Airport in Orange County most names of airfields include a geographic identifier. In 2006, the Manchester Airport in New Hampshire adopted the branding name Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to make more people aware of the airfields presence on the East Coast. Despite local pushback, officials adopted the new name, and the number of passengers from outside the New England area increased by 19%, Fiore said. Times are very different now, he said. The Internet has changed the way everybody does business. The connectivity and mobility of the way the world is working, whether we like it or not, is changing the way people do business. You can either adapt or you dont. Travelers at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Burbank Mayor Bob Frutos said he appreciated the work that Fiore and his team have done to help airport authority members with their brand-name search, but some local residents have told him that they did not want to be associated with Los Angeles. They would rather have the airfield named the Hollywood Burbank Airport, he said. Jack ONeil, representing the Hope family, said Bob Hopes name should be part of the branding name. He suggested the airport be named Burbank Hollywood Airport with the addition of Bob Hopes name in a smaller text size above the word Burbank. Long known informally as Burbank Airport, the facility was officially renamed Bob Hope Airport in 2003 to honor the legendary entertainer, who lived in the area. anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com ALSO Flight attendant accused of smuggling 70 pounds of cocaine at LAX due in court School district calls for investigation after officer fires Taser at student during campus fight Construction workers fatal fall from a downtown high-rise is ruled a suicide The Port of Los Angeles paid a Chinese government-owned shipping company $5 million in 2005 to equip cargo vessels to plug into electric shore power while at dock to keep their massive diesel engines from polluting neighborhoods near the harbor. The company, China Shipping, used the money to upgrade 17 ships, but the city didnt get all the promised environmental benefits. Most of the vessels stopped traveling to Los Angeles in 2010, a Times review of shipping industry data showed. The ships that took their place on the Asia-to-Los Angeles route were not all equipped for shore power. From 2010 to 2013, a period in which residents were promised that virtually every vessel docked at the terminal would plug in, half left their engines running, port records show. In 2012, 88% left their engines running. Advertisement NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> As a result, people who live near the port spent those years inhaling more diesel exhaust a known carcinogen than they were promised. Since 2014, nearly all ships that dock at the China Shipping terminal have plugged in because the newer, larger vessels plying the route now are generally built with shore power in mind, port spokesman Phillip Sanfield said. The ports payment to upgrade ships was part of a legal settlement to a dispute that began nearly 15 years ago when residents and environmentalists, citing health concerns, sued to block expansion of the China Shipping terminal, which sits beneath the Vincent Thomas Bridge near central San Pedro. The port settled the suit in 2004 by promising to impose some of the strictest environmental measures in the maritime industry on China Shipping. Those included requiring that 30% of the vessels docked at the terminal use shore power that year and that all ships at the terminal plug in by 2011. China Shipping objected. The company was one of the ports biggest customers and could choose to move some of its operations to other ports in the state. Port officials agreed to pay to upgrade 17 of the firms ships. For the next few years, the company met the steadily rising requirements for the percentage of ships using shore power. But in 2009, during the global economic downturn, former Port Director Geraldine Knatz granted the firm permission to ignore the mandate. She did not disclose the action to the public. Her action freed China Shipping to use the upgraded vessels in other parts of the world where they might be more profitable because of features they had unrelated to shore power. Air quality studies show harbor-area residents bear the highest pollution-related cancer risk in Southern California. Per visit, a container ship that runs its engines while docked spews more smog-forming pollution than 40,000 cars release each day, according to emissions data from state and federal environmental regulators. Critics say the ports decision to allow China Shipping to avoid the requirements is emblematic of wasteful spending and broken promises by the port. Thats just a gift to China Shipping, said Kathleen Woodfield, one of the San Pedro residents involved in the suit and the settlement negotiations. China Shipping did not respond to a request for comment. Last fall, city officials acknowledged that they had allowed China Shipping to ignore clean air mandates from the 2004 settlement without informing the public. In all, the port has paid China Shipping more than $30 million for costs related to the residents lawsuit, according to records recently obtained by The Times under the California Public Records Act. About half of that was compensation for construction delays and business interruption caused by the litigation. The rest, including $7 million to buy clean-fuel-burning yard equipment to move cargo around the terminal, went to help the firm meet the new environmental demands. The port offered the inducements to China Shipping because the city had little leverage to force compliance. When the port paid to upgrade the firms vessels, there was no stipulation for how long the ships would remain calling at the Port of L.A., said Sanfield, the port spokesman. After port officials signed the settlement with residents in 2004, they did not include language in China Shippings lease that would have required the company to abide by the new environmental measures, port officials have acknowledged. The current executive director of the port, Gene Seroka, said he didnt know why his predecessors allowed that omission, but said, I would have done it differently and put the mitigation measures in the lease. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Asked whether the city got its moneys worth from the ship upgrades, Seroka said the investment was worthwhile because it helped show that plugging into shore power was a technically feasible alternative that eventually led to adoption of the 2014 state regulation that now requires 50% of cargo ships to use shore power at California ports. Knatz said the decision to pay for the ship upgrades was made before she was appointed director in 2006. She declined to answer additional questions from The Times. Previously, she has said she waived the shore power requirement in 2009 in response to a request from former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to be flexible with customers during the economic downturn. Villaraigosa has said he does not recall requesting any waivers for China Shipping. That year, six of the upgraded ships made their final visits to the Port of L.A., according to records provided by the Marine Exchange of Southern California, which tracks commercial ship movements. The next year, three more upgraded vessels made their last call in L.A., as compliance with the shore power mandate began to plummet. In 2011, China Shipping requested an extension of the waiver and Knatz approved it, noting in a letter to the companys president that the move would increase emissions but should not push residents estimated cancer risk beyond the ports significance threshold of 10 cases per million people, a limit used widely by air quality regulators and health officials. Scott Fruin, a professor of preventive medicine at USC and an expert in assessing exposure to air pollution, said port officials underestimated the health consequences. A proper analysis would have shown that allowing ships at the terminal to idle rather than plug in would increase cancer risk to about 18 in 1 million, Fruin said. The most recent assessment by the South Coast Air Quality Management District found that pollution in and around the port complex poses a cancer risk more than double the rate found in less-polluted communities, such as central and southern Orange County. Seroka, who was appointed in 2014 by Mayor Eric Garcetti, said overall air quality at the port has improved sharply since 2005, thanks to $350 million invested in other programs, including a port-wide initiative to require cleaner trucks and installation of equipment for ships to plug in at other terminals. But he acknowledged the air would have been cleaner if his predecessor had enforced the shore power rules at the China Shipping terminal, one of the busiest at the port and among the closest to area homes, schools and businesses. In an audit released last month, the port acknowledged that another major terminal operator, TraPac, whose facilities are a few hundred yards from homes in Wilmington, has also failed to meet shore power requirements and other pollution-reduction mandates. Seroka said the port is now working to get back to a position of clean air and trust in the community. Over the last six years, port officials have attempted without success to get China Shipping to show it has complied with other environmental measures promised to residents, including a requirement to use clean-fuel-burning equipment to move cargo around the terminal. City officials have met with China Shipping executives in L.A., made several trips to the firms North American headquarters in New Jersey and embarked on at least two negotiating missions to China to no avail, according to correspondence between the ports lawyers and the company. Homeowners involved in the original lawsuit have been negotiating with port officials over potential remedies, including punitive damages, said Chuck Hart, president of San Pedro Homeowners United. There has to be consequences. They hoodwinked us, Hart said. If someone died, or suffered physically from the bad air, you cant take that back. jack.dolan@latimes.com tony.barboza@latimes.com ALSO: New home and restaurant concealed drug tunnel at U.S.-Mexico border, officials say Former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner testifies he didnt sexually harass anyone After Baca guilty plea, focus of L.A. jail corruption case now turns toward trial of his top aide Good morning. It is Thursday, March 24. The San Francisco home that William Randolph Hearst once built as a publicity stunt is on the market for $5.8 million. Heres what else is happening in the Golden State: TOP STORIES Green goals Advertisement A major effort by the Port of Los Angeles to reduce the pollution caused by ships idling at the massive harbor complex didnt work out the way officials hoped and didnt achieve the clean-air goals sought. Los Angeles Times Discrimination and free speech University of California regents rejected a policy Wednesday that would have condemned anti-Zionism as a form of discrimination. But the panel backed a report decrying anti-Semitic forms of political ideology. The fight represented the balance between rejecting intolerance while respecting free speech. Los Angeles Times California primary If past primaries are any indication, Hillary Clinton should have an edge over Bernie Sanders when the presidential campaign moves to California. It comes down to several factors, including racial diversity. Los Angeles Times DROUGHT AND CLIMATE Dry land: What is it like to farm during a drought? The Atlantic Water releases: The levels in Lake Shasta are at a five-year high. In response, officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation had to increase the amount of water coming out of Shasta and Keswick dams to reduce the chances of downstream flooding. Redding Searchlight L.A. AT LARGE Shooting payout: The city of Los Angeles will pay out $6.9 million in a case involving a man who was shot by police as he fled a drive-by shooting. Robert Contreras was left paralyzed. He served time in prison for attempted murder, then sued the city for excessive force. In 2012, the Los Angeles City Council rejected a proposed $4.5-million settlement in the case. Los Angeles Times Actors death: The president of SAG-AFTRA died Wednesday at age 71. Ken Howard was credited with merging Hollywoods two acting unions in 2012. Howard was also known for his role in televisions The White Shadow. Los Angeles Times Competing visions: The leaders of suburban Los Angeles County are not pleased with Metros plan for a sales tax increase, arguing that it favors projects in Los Angeles and the Westside. The staff is playing to that board. They know how its weighted, and they know that when push comes to shove the city of L.A. is gonna prevail, said Palmdale Mayor James Ledford. LA Weekly TV negotiations: Dont bring Vin Scully into the Dodgers TV fight, the longtime announcer says. Its really kind of embarrassing for me. If it will serve in any possible way to get the fans to see more games, that is the thing I would be rooting for, he said. The comments followed the news that Time Warner Cable had cut its price for the Dodgers-owned channel. Los Angeles Times Whats in a name: What were Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcettis college nicknames? Gar-Sweaty and Gar-Sexy, according to the man himself. Zocalo Public Square POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Harassment settlement: The man who accused former L.A. Unified Supt. Ramon Cortines of sexual harassment has resigned from his job at the district in exchange for $93,000. Scot Graham sued the school district after allegations came to light in May 2012. The courts never ruled on the merits of Grahams case. Los Angeles Times Advisor leaves: L.A. Mayor Eric Garcettis advisor on homelessness is leaving after 18 months on the job. Greg Spiegel says hes leaving to spend more time with his family and because hes had a major impact on homelessness. Last month, the Los Angeles City Council approved a strategy to move thousands of Angelenos off the street. Los Angeles Times County educator: Debra Duardo will take over the top education job for Los Angeles County. Duardo was a high school dropout and teenage mother who eventually worked her way through UCLA to earn a doctorate. Shell now oversee the education of teenage inmates and thousands of disabled students. Los Angeles Times CRIME AND COURTS Hacker code of conduct: The FBI isnt getting much help in its efforts to hack the Apple iPhone. Wary of the stigma of working with the FBI, many established hackers say assisting the investigation into the San Bernardino terrorist attack would violate their industrys core principles. Los Angeles Times Air patrols: The design and size of Los Angeles mean police officers must patrol from the sky. The built environment may inadvertently catalyze new forms of illegal activity, but this also means that the Los Angeles Police Department is constantly responding to criminal innovation with new forms of police work, often before the rest of the world even knows they might be necessary. New York Times Transit hero: Video shows the Viking Guy taking down an unruly and shirtless man on the Metro Expo Line. The commuter, whose real name is Adrian Kaczmarek, kept the man subdued and locked in the chokehold for close to 15 seconds before briefly knocking him unconscious to the floor of the train, the viral video shows. Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA CULTURE Swimming conditions: Lake Merritt in Oakland was once referred to as the Lake of 1,000 Smells. So, what would it take to make this body of water suitable for swimming? To make it a swimming lake, we would have to close off all of the pipes that drain into the lake. Then wed be tearing up all kinds of streets, so thats not really feasible, said Kristine Shaff, from the Oakland Public Works Department. KQED Comedy fest: Jashfesht is the new comedy festival coming to Palm Springs next month. We probably werent very clearheaded that evening when we came up with Jashfesht. It drives everyone around the office crazy, said Daniel Kellison, one of the founders of Jashfesht. Desert Sun Closed for repairs: Urban Light at LACMA will be closed for two months beginning in May. The lamp-post sculpture needs some minor work where the metal is rusting and paint is peeling off. But where we will take our profile pics? Curbed LA CALIFORNIA ALMANAC San Francisco will be sunny with a high of 64. Sacramento will be sunny and 71. Los Angeles will be sunny and 79. There will be lots of sunshine and a high of 81 in Riverside. Sunny and 74 in San Diego. AND FINALLY Todays California Memory comes from Jayne Archambault Lee: My mom and I used to take the bus down Valley Boulevard from Rosemead to Los Angeles to shop at the only three large department stores in our end of L.A. County. May Co., Broadway and Bullocks were near each other in the big city. All three had elevator operators, and May Co. had a wooden escalator. For lunch we would go to Cliftons Cafeteria, which was a childs dreamland in those pre-Disneyland days. What an adventure it was to walk around seeing the different sights and sounds compared to the sleepy town of Rosemead of the 50s. If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad. Zika virus, the global public health emergency suspected of causing birth defects, has arrived on Americas shores. Though mosquitoes arent carrying or spreading the disease here, 258 people, including 18 pregnant women, have been diagnosed with Zika virus in the United States since the beginning of this year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Americans who were infected had either traveled to one of the dozens of countries with outbreaks or had sex with someone whod visited those places. At least one case was an infant born with microcephaly whose mother traveled to a country with an outbreak while pregnant. Advertisement Zika cases have so far been reported in 34 states, with the most in these states: Florida: 59 cases New York: 42 cases Texas: 34 cases California: 13 cases The CDC hasnt yet released detailed data on everyone who returned home with Zika virus through the middle of March. But the agency did recently provide information about the 116 Americans whod been diagnosed with Zika as of the end of last month. Of those, 110 had visited countries in these regions before contracting the Zika virus: Thats quite different from whats been seen locally. Nearly 50% of those tested for Zika virus in Los Angeles County had traveled to Mexico, according to Dr. Rachel Civen, a medical epidemiologist with the countys Department of Public Health. So far, there have been four Zika cases confirmed in L.A. County, including at least one pregnant woman. The rest of Californias Zika cases this year have been in these counties, from north to south: Yolo, San Joaquin, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, and Orange. With the current CDC backlog of testing, it is expected the number of U.S. cases, as well as Los Angeles County, as well as California cases will be increasing, Civen said in a recent webinar for local physicians. According to the CDC, 98% of Americans diagnosed with Zika virus had at least one symptom. Heres a breakdown of how many people -- of the 115 travel-associated cases, excluding the newborn, as of the end of last month -- reported experiencing each symptom: For most people, Zika virus is a mild illness, with symptoms lasting less than a week. But theres increasing evidence that pregnant women who contract the illness can infect their fetuses, causing birth defects. Pregnant women have been advised not to travel to countries with outbreaks. In the United States, nine pregnant women have been diagnosed with Zika virus, according to the CDC. Two had miscarriages, two had abortions, two gave birth to healthy babies, one gave birth to an infant with microcephaly and two were still pregnant as of the most recent CDC update. Follow @skarlamangla on Twitter for more health news. UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, widely criticized for his handling of recent sexual harassment cases, unveiled a plan Thursday aimed at providing quicker investigations, more consistent sanctions and more interactive training and education about sexual misconduct. We have heard the salient message: There is much work to be done, he said in a message to the campus community. We have an obligation to promote a campus culture in which sexual harassment, sexual violence, stalking and any abuse of power are neither tolerated nor ignored, but proactively prevented. The issue has exploded at Berkeley after a lawsuit filed this month revealed that Dirks and Provost Claude Steele had allowed the dean of the law school to remain in his job after being found to have harassed his executive assistant with unwanted hugs, kisses and touching last year. The dean, Sujit Choudhry, received a 10% cut in his $415,000 annual salary and was ordered to attend counseling and apologize to the assistant, Tyann Sorrell. Advertisement NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> The administrators were also accused of imposing inadequate sanctions in two other sexual harassment cases involving famed astronomer Geoff Marcy and vice chancellor of research Graham Fleming. Some faculty members are calling for a vote of no confidence in the administrators. But Dirks said in his statement that he has learned from the outcry. The painful stories and helpful recommendations we have heard over the last two weeks will inform the necessary steps our community needs to take in order to heal, learn, and move forward, he said. We are committed to ensuring that Berkeley is a welcoming, safe, respectful, and inclusive community for every one of our students, staff, faculty, and visitors. Berkeley plans to spend several million dollars over the next few years on the new plan, according to campus spokeswoman Janet Gilmore. Jeffrey Edleson, dean of the social welfare school who is a co-chair of a campuswide committee on sexual misconduct, praised the new plan. He has pushed for harsher sanctions against perpetrators, including immediate removal from campus for counseling until they can prove theyve reformed, and more public disclosure of verified cases of misconduct. The Berkeley administration has heard the concerns of the campus and community and is responding with a comprehensive plan to shows great promise to improve the climate on campus for women students, staff and faculty, he said. Advocates said they welcomed more spending on counseling and other services for survivors of sexual misconduct. But they were skeptical that administrators were serious about making lasting change -- especially since Berkeley has formed task forces and committees for years. Everyone keeps saying they take this issue seriously, but they do nothing about it, said Meghan Warner, a Berkeley fourth-year undergraduate who sits on both Berkeley and systemwide committees on sexual misconduct. So it hurts to see...the same thing years later. Its about reputation, not student and employee safety. The new initiatives include: -- Expanded education and training on sexual misconduct. Officials plan to organize a half-day campus-wide event in the fall and will develop more engaging and interactive learning activities. Advocates have complained that current training sessions are so dull that students sleep through them or sign in and leave. -- Increased support to the Office for Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment to reduce the time it takes to resolve cases. Officials will also increase spending on campus centers that help connect those suffering from sexual misconduct with counseling and other services. -- A new campus review board to make sure sanctions in cases of proven sexual misconduct are imposed in a firm and consistent manner, regardless of the rank or position of either the complainant or respondent. Dirks and Steele have been criticized for imposing lenient sanctions of prominent faculty at the expense of the victims. -- A task force of faculty, staff, students, alumni and outside experts to conduct an independent assessment of the campus culture, process and sanctions regarding sexual misconduct. A draft summary report is due by July. For more education news, follow me @TeresaWatanabe RELATED: UC Berkeley law school dean facing sexual harassment suit takes indefinite leave UC Berkeley assistant basketball coach is out amid sexual harassment allegations We must hold people accountable for sexual harassment, UC president says UPDATED 6:10 p.m. This article was updated with reaction to the sexual misconduct plan. This article was first published at 10:43 a.m. California Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris won a more than $1.1-billion judgment Wednesday against the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges, after a San Francisco judge ruled that the companys advertising practices misled students and violated the law. Granting a default judgment, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow found that Corinthian Colleges provided untrue or misleading statements about graduates job placement rates, duping both students and investors, and that the Santa Ana-based company unlawfully used U.S. military seals in advertisements, among other claims. The for-profit college operator, which filed for bankruptcy protection in May, was also faulted for advertising programs or degrees that it didnt offer, such as training programs for X-ray and dialysis technicians, according to court papers. Advertisement The judgment found that Corinthian and its subsidiaries had unfair and unlawful debt collection practices, including barring students from attending classes if they were behind on loan payments, and that they failed to disclose their role in the Genesis loan program. Corinthian Colleges, along with its Heald College business, were also faulted for misrepresenting the likelihood of whether academic credits earned at their programs could be transferred to the Cal State system, according to court papers. In his 21-page judgment, Karnow ordered restitution of $820 million for students and civil penalties of just more than $350 million. For years, Corinthian profited off the backs of poor people -- now they have to pay. This judgment sends a clear message: There is a cost to this kind of predatory conduct, Harris said in a statement. Harris filed suit against Corinthian Colleges Inc. and its subsidiaries in 2013, accusing the company of targeting low-income students with a predatory scheme, touting untrue job placement rates. Troubles mounted for the company, with another lawsuit filed by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a probe by the Department of Education into Corinthians falsified job placement rates. In April 2015, the U.S. Department of Education levied a $30-million fine against Corinthian, alleging that its Heald College system boosted official placement rates by paying temporary employment agencies to hire students for brief stints after graduation. When the company filed for bankruptcy protection last year, it listed debts of $143 million and assets totaling $19.2 million. About five years earlier, it claimed assets of nearly $1.4 billion. In the lawsuit filed in California, Harris office sought a default judgment last month, and at a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, attorneys for Corinthian did not appear, according to court papers. Earlier this month, attorneys for Corinthian asked to withdraw from the case, writing in court papers that there is literally no representative of any defendant with whom they could confer about the case. The judge denied the lawyers request. The judgment issued Wednesday applies to Corinthian students as well as those who attended Heald, Everest College, WyoTech, Everests online programs and Everest College Phoenix. Harris office has the authority to distribute whatever funds it obtains from the judgment to students who attended Corinthian and its related schools in California from 2010 onward. The attorney generals office set up a website for affected students. For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno. The driver of a school bus on which a 19-year-old special needs student was left and died has been arrested, Whittier police said. Armando Abel Ramirez, 37, was booked on suspicion of dependent abuse Wednesday afternoon and is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, jail records show. In September, Hun Joon Lee was found slumped in the bus aisle and pronounced dead after lifesaving efforts failed, according to Los Angeles County coroners Lt. David Smith. Advertisement Lee regularly rode the bus to his home in Whittier, and Ramirez was the driver on Lees final ride, police say. NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> The family sued the school district and bus agency in December, alleging negligence in Lees death and in hiring Ramirez in the first place. According to the suit, Lee was picked up about 8 a.m., and bound for Sierra Vista Adult School. There were only three students on the bus the entire ride, including Lee, the suit claims. When they arrived at the school however, only two left the bus and Lee remained inside. Temperatures nearly reached triple digits that day and Lee was left inside the bus for seven hours, according to the family. The teen typically left school on the bus around 2:30 p.m. and arrived home at 4 p.m., said Brad White, a spokesman for the Whittier Police Department. When he didnt show up on Sept. 11, his mother called the school, which then called the bus company. A driver went out to the bus yard and found Lee slumped in the aisle of the parked bus, White said. Police arrived at the Sierra Education Center to find several bus drivers attempting CPR on the young man. The officers took over the lifesaving effort, without success. Lee was pronounced dead about 10 minutes after police arrived. Police are treating the death as suspicious because nothing that weve learned so far would lead us to believe he had any medical conditions, White said. There were no signs of trauma on Lees body, and no weapons were found at the scene, White said. Lee attended the center, which has a transition program dedicated to adult students with special needs, said Valerie Martinez, Whittier Union High School District spokeswoman. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Whittier Union High School District Supt. Sandra Thorstenson issued a written statement of condolence. Our hearts are with our students parents and family were all grieving. Were making ourselves, our counseling services and our staff available to his family and to our students and staff who were close to him, she wrote. Ramirez is scheduled to be arraigned Friday. Los Angeles Times staff writers Jack Dolan and Cindy Carcamo contributed to this report. For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. ALSO: Construction workers fatal fall from a downtown high-rise is ruled a suicide Soccer great Johan Cruyff dies at 68 Flight attendant accused of smuggling 70 pounds of cocaine at LAX due in court After a flight attendant allegedly tried to smuggle 70 pounds of cocaine through Los Angeles International Airport, authorities were unable to identify her until the next day even though her airline crew members badge had been scanned at a security checkpoint moments before she fled, federal officials said. The information from Marsha Gay Reynolds scanned badge was accessible only through a national Transportation Security Administration passenger database and could not be retrieved by investigators in Los Angeles after she ran Friday, authorities said. It took until Saturday for authorities in Washington, D.C., to identify Reynolds from the database, according to a source with knowledge of the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authorization to discuss the case with the media. An FBI spokeswoman said investigators learned Reynolds identity hours after the 31-year-old boarded a flight Saturday from LAX to New York, where she resides. Advertisement The difficulty in identifying Reynolds and the ease with which she managed to escape the terminal Friday highlighted serious security flaws at the nations second-largest airport, said Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Assn. Like many airports around the country, LAX does not routinely screen airline crew members. McClain said Reynolds easily would have been able to shepherd the cocaine through security had she not been selected for a random screening. The fact that flight attendants can be in their plain clothes, not even actually working, and have the ability to bypass screening with their luggage, thats a serious problem, he said. Thats a luxury I dont believe we can afford right now. McClain said that TSA officers checked Reynolds identification Friday night when she scanned her badge but that the information for one passenger vanishes from the screen once other passengers are scanned next. There was a pretty big delay. Friday night, all law enforcement knew is that it was a flight attendant, McClain said. A TSA spokesman referred all questions to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which in turn referred a reporter to the FBI. Both agencies are investigating Reynolds case. Laura Eimiller, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Los Angeles, said that Reynolds flew from LAX to New York on a JetBlue flight Saturday morning and that afterward investigators learned of her identity from an airline. She said she was unable to comment on TSA procedures aside from what was spelled out in the criminal complaint. Reynolds appeared in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Thursday afternoon to answer charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. A judge ordered her held in lieu of $500,000 bail, which was immediately posted by her parents and a local church pastor, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorneys office in Brooklyn. But a federal judge in Los Angeles called for a review of the bail, requiring that Reynolds remain in custody until she is transported to Southern California for an April 7 bail hearing. Reynolds, who worked for JetBlue Airways, kicked off her heels and fled Terminal 4 around 7 p.m. Friday, just minutes after she was randomly selected for additional screening, according to a criminal complaint filed this week. Barreling the wrong way down an escalator, Reynolds sprinted out of the terminal and disappeared outside. TSA officials did not pursue her because they were concerned her abandoned luggage might have contained explosives, the complaint said. When police found the luggage loaded with cocaine, the TSA officer who had scanned her badge told airport police he remembered her last name, according to the source with knowledge of the case. That information should have been enough to stop Reynolds from boarding a second flight, the source said. LAX Police Chief Pat Gannon said the TSA called his department to notify it of an unattended bag, but the federal agency did not mention that Reynolds had run from the area. We get these calls regularly, and obviously, we didnt know the extent of it until we got there, he said. Ultimately, federal investigators confirmed Reynolds identity, Gannon said. McClain called for changes to the LAX policy that allows airline staff to breeze through security. Anyone with Reynolds level of clearance could try to exploit that advantage, he said. She wasnt on duty, he said. She wasnt even working a flight. Reynolds surrendered to DEA agents in New York on Wednesday afternoon. Her attorney, Dennis J. Ring, said the 31-year-old holds an undergraduate degree from New York University, where she is still pursuing nursing courses. Born in Jamaica, Reynolds competed in several beauty pageants before moving to the U.S. as a teenager, according to Ring, who said he was floored by the drug charges against his client. The allegations are completely out of character, Ring said. She is a very accomplished young lady. Follow @lacrimes and @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in Southern California. ALSO 3 dead in horrific killings in Santa Barbara County hillside home Garry Shandling dies at 66; comedians influential career spanned decades Graphic video appears to show Israeli soldier shooting Palestinian man in the head A JetBlue flight attendant who surrendered to authorities in New York after officials said she ditched her carry-on bag stuffed with cocaine at Los Angeles International Airport is scheduled to appear in a Brooklyn federal courthouse Thursday, officials said. Marsha Gay Reynolds, 31, of Queens, N.Y., was taken into custody in New York on Wednesday and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute after she dropped a bag loaded with nearly 70 pounds of cocaine at a security checkpoint and sprinted out of LAX on Friday night, authorities said. After fleeing, Reynolds managed to board one of her companys planes and travel to New York City, a law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times. Advertisement Reynolds fled from LAX on Friday night after she was randomly selected for a security screening, according to her criminal complaint. Reynolds may have worked as an attendant on the Saturday flight to New York, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss details of the case. Investigators had yet to identify Reynolds on Saturday, so it is unlikely she raised any alarms when passing through airport security the next day, the source said. It was not clear what airport she flew out of on Saturday. Reynolds surrendered to Drug Enforcement Administration agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to a statement by the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles. After her court appearance Friday, she is expected to return to California, the statement said. Our nations security depends on every individual with security clearances to honor the trust placed in them, U.S. Atty. Eileen M. Decker said in the statement. The defendants conduct violated that trust and, in the process, exposed the public to a major narcotics transaction and the dangers inherent to such a transaction. Reynolds faces a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted. JetBlue said it was cooperating with the DEA and the FBI and declined to comment further. Reynolds arrived at LAXs Terminal 4 around 7 p.m. Friday and provided her badge to a Transportation Security Administration officer, according to the complaint. The officer confirmed that she was a pre-screened crew member when the scanner randomly selected her for additional security screening. Airport and airline staff arent subject to routine security checks at LAX. Reynolds became nervous and made a phone call, talking to someone in a foreign language as she was escorted to a second checkpoint, the complaint said. As they approached the checkpoint, Reynolds began to walk farther behind the security officer. When they arrived at the screening area, Reynolds dropped her luggage, kicked off her heels and sprinted away from the area, according to the complaint. She barreled down an escalator the wrong way, exited the terminal and kept racing toward Terminal 5, the complaint said. Security officers did not pursue Reynolds because they were concerned that the abandoned luggage might contain explosives, the complaint said. After bomb-sniffing dogs confirmed that the bags did not contain explosives, Los Angeles Airport police officers discovered 68.49 pounds of cocaine wrapped in 11 separate packages inside the abandoned luggage, the document indicated. Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Assn., said this week that the incident highlights the need for airline staff members to be subject to the same scrutiny as other passengers traveling through LAX. 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. It is long overdue that both of these recommendations be implemented. McClain said it was unlikely that Friday was Reynolds first attempt to exploit her security clearance. I dont believe anybody would trust a mule with that amount of dope the first time out, he told The Times. Youre talking about $2 million worth of cocaine. ... Thats pretty troubling. This is more than likely not her first time doing this. Follow @JamesQueallyLAT and @lacrimes for crime and police news in Southern California. MORE: Get our best stories in your Facebook feed >> ALSO Driver arrested after special needs student found dead on empty school bus Construction workers fatal fall from a downtown high-rise is ruled a suicide Corinthian Colleges must pay nearly $1.2 billion for false advertising and lending practices Less than a day after she dropped a bag loaded with cocaine at a security checkpoint and sprinted out of Los Angeles International Airport, a JetBlue flight attendant managed to board one of her companys planes and travel to New York City, a law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times. Marsha Gay Reynolds, 31, of Queens, N.Y., was taken into custody in New York on Wednesday and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, federal authorities said. ------------ For the Record Advertisement March 23, 8:27 p.m.: A previous version of this story gave Reynolds age as 32. She is 31. ------------ Reynolds fled from LAX on Friday night after she was randomly selected for a security screening, the complaint said. Despite the near arrest, Reynolds may have worked as an attendant on the Saturday flight to New York, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to discuss details of the case. Investigators had yet to identify Reynolds on Saturday, so it is unlikely she raised any alarms when passing through airport security the next day, the source said. It was not clear what airport she flew out of on Saturday. Reynolds surrendered to Drug Enforcement Administration agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to a statement by the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles. She will appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday before she is returned to California, the statement said. Our nations security depends on every individual with security clearances to honor the trust placed in them, U.S. Atty. Eileen M. Decker said in the statement. The defendants conduct violated that trust and, in the process, exposed the public to a major narcotics transaction and the dangers inherent to such a transaction. Reynolds faces a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted. JetBlue said it was cooperating with the DEA and the FBI and declined to comment further. Reynolds arrived at LAXs Terminal 4 around 7 p.m. Friday and provided her badge to a Transportation Security Administration officer, according to the complaint. The officer confirmed that she was a pre-screened crew member when the scanner randomly selected her for additional security screening. Airport and airline staff arent subject to routine security checks at LAX. Reynolds became nervous and made a phone call, talking to someone in a foreign language as she was escorted to a second checkpoint, the complaint said. As they approached the checkpoint, Reynolds began to walk farther behind the security officer. When they arrived at the screening area, Reynolds dropped her luggage, kicked off her heels and sprinted away from the area, according to the complaint. She barreled down an escalator the wrong way, exited the terminal and kept racing toward Terminal 5, the complaint said. Security officers did not pursue Reynolds because they were concerned that the abandoned luggage might contain explosives, the complaint said. After bomb-sniffing dogs confirmed that the bags did not contain explosives, Los Angeles Airport police officers discovered 68.49 pounds of cocaine wrapped in 11 separate packages inside the abandoned luggage, the document alleged. Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Assn., said this week that the incident highlights the need for airline staff members to be subject to the same scrutiny as other passengers traveling through LAX. 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. It is long overdue that both of these recommendations be implemented. McClain also said it was unlikely that Friday marked Reynolds first attempt to exploit her security clearance. I dont believe anybody would trust a mule with that amount of dope the first time out, he told The Times. Youre talking about $2 million worth of cocaine.... Thats pretty troubling. This is more than likely not her first time doing this. She is set to make a court appearance in New York on Thursday. Follow @JamesQueallyLAT and @lacrimes for crime and police news in Southern California. ALSO Student, 19, found unresponsive at rave died of drug overdose, coroner says Transgender woman is fatally shot on skid row in a possible domestic dispute, police say Man called a hero after subduing combative Metro passenger with chokehold Amid mounting questions over a campus police officers decision to fire a Taser at a student during a fight at Lincoln High School, San Diego Unified has called on the Sheriffs Department to investigate the conduct of the officer. The San Diego County Sheriffs Department has launched an inquiry into Bashir Adbis actions during a chaotic Feb. 26 fight at Lincoln High, which sent the officer and several students to a hospital. The brawl started as a playful game of slap-fighting that reportedly escalated. Adbi has said he went to break up the fight, and then followed a student toward a parking structure and out of range of surveillance cameras, where he said he was assaulted and forced to use his Taser gun. Advertisement NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> Adbi has been on medical leave since the brawl. The administrative investigation into his conduct is largely a personnel issue, but its findings or a portion of them ultimately could be made public, said Andra Donovan, general counsel for the San Diego Unified School District. We thought it would be prudent to bring in an outside agency to conduct the investigation to avoid the perception of bias, Donovan said. The scope of the investigation focuses on whether officer Adbi was in compliance with rules and regulations. Three students face a combination of felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the incident. However, all of them have been allowed to continue their education (one student is back at Lincoln, one transferred to another high school and one is completing his senior year from home) during the criminal investigation into their behavior by the District Attorneys office and San Diego Police Department. Since San Diego Unified purchased Tasers in 2009, they have been discharged four times twice by Adbi. Some in the community, including the local chapter of the NAACP, have criticized what has been described as the escalating presence of police at schools. The NAACP also has demanded that all charges against the students by dropped. Jesus Montana, president of the union representing the districts police force, opposes dropping charges against the students. Whats more, he defends the use of Tasers as a safe an effective tool for diffusing a dangerous situation. A lot of comments have been made about why he used a Taser, why not diffuse the situation with his hands, Montana said. The officer used a Taser, and the student is back attending school. Kids used hands and fists on the officer, and he is out on medical leave and might not ever be able to return to work. The Taser is one of the most effective tools we have to avoid injuries. Read more here>> Maureen Magee writes for the San Diego Union Tribune. ALSO Driver arrested after special needs student found dead on empty school bus L.A. to pay nearly $6.9 million in police shooting that left man paralyzed Construction workers fatal fall from a downtown high-rise is ruled a suicide For years, Los Angeles had waged a legal battle that ultimately went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, trying to overturn a verdict to pay $5.7 million to a man who was shot by police. City attorneys argued that officers were justified in shooting Robert Contreras, who was fleeing a van that witnesses had linked to a drive-by shooting in South L.A. But Contreras, who was left paralyzed by the shooting, triumphed over and over in the courts. In December, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the city appeal, and on Wednesday the City Council approved paying nearly $6.9 million including interest and legal fees in the hotly contested case. Advertisement MORE: Get our best stories in your Facebook feed >> City lawyers have run out of remedies.... They really dont have a choice but to pay the money, said Dale K. Galipo, the lead attorney representing Contreras. Galipo added that the case was significant because it showed that even if someone was allegedly involved in criminal activity, if police officers act inappropriately and use excessive force against that person, they can still be held responsible. The legal dispute centered on a confrontation in September 2005. Two Los Angeles Police Department officers chased and shot Contreras after he ran from a white van that witnesses said was involved in a drive-by shooting. Officer Mario Flores and Det. Julio Benavides, who was a police officer at the time, said that they had seen a gun in Contreras hand as he fled and that he had turned toward them with an object in his hand. They opened fire and shot Contreras multiple times, hitting him in the side and back. After he was shot, Contreras was found to be carrying a cellphone. No weapon was found on Contreras or nearby after an extensive search. Contreras, who pleaded no contest to attempted murder in the drive-by shooting and served time in state prison, later sued the city and the officers who shot him, accusing them of using excessive force. In 2012, the City Council balked at a proposed $4.5-million settlement in the case, only to see a jury order the city to pay a bigger sum $5.7 million to Contreras. During that trial four years ago, a U.S. district judge did not allow city lawyers to tell jurors that Contreras was a known gang member and that another man in the van told investigators that Contreras had gotten out of the vehicle armed with a gun, according to records obtained earlier by The Times. City Atty. Mike Feuer sought to have the judgment thrown out, arguing that when the situation was viewed from the officers on-scene perspective, not with 20/20 hindsight, their use of force was entirely reasonable under the 4th Amendment. An internal police inquiry had cleared the officers of wrongdoing. But the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the city appeal without comment in December, allowing the $5.7-million judgment to stand. In the past, the court had said that police could use deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect only if that person poses a threat to officers or the public. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had also rejected city attempts to overturn the judgment, emphasizing that no gun was recovered from the scene. Galipo said the city had also struggled to make its case that Contreras posed a threat to the officers because the man had been shot in the back. Clearly the jury did not believe it, he said. The city payout approved Wednesday includes the $5.7-million court judgment first awarded by a jury four years ago, plus accrued interest and more than $1.1 million in attorney fees. Galipo called the sum a life-changer for his client. Feuer spokesman Rob Wilcox declined to comment on Wednesdays decision. Twitter: @LATimesemily Times researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report. Follow @latimesemily for whats happening at Los Angeles City Hall ALSO Official who accused ex-LAUSD Supt. Cortines of sexual harassment settles for $93,000 and resigns UC regents say anti-Semitism has no place on campus but reject blanket censure of anti-Zionism 229 leaks found in states underground gas storage facilities, most considered minor A transgender woman was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon on skid row, and the alleged gunman was taken into police custody, authorities said. The shooting occurred shortly before 2 p.m. in the 500 block of South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles Police Officer Tony Im said. NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >> Advertisement The alleged gunman, possibly embroiled in a domestic dispute with the woman, approached her and opened fire, Im said. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Anita U. Nelson, Chief Executive of SRO Housing Corp., identified the victim as Kourtney Yochum, a resident of Gateways Apartments, a 107-unit permanent supportive housing project for formerly chronically homeless individuals. Police could not confirm the victims name. Nelson said Yochum was walking her two dogs when a gunman approached and shot her in the head. It is mind-boggling; it happened out in the open, Nelson said. Im heartbroken. Our residents are traumatized, our staff is traumatized. Everybody loved her. She was very popular. A security guard took the suspect into custody until police arrived, Im said. The suspect was described as a man in his 20s. His identity will be released after hes booked by police, Im said. A gun was recovered at the scene. For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno. Times staff writer Gale Holland contributed to this report. ALSO Transgender asylum-seekers often mistreated in detention, study finds L.A. to pay nearly $6.9 million to man paralyzed in police shooting Student, 19, found unresponsive at rave died of drug overdose, coroner says The death of a man who fell from the 53rd floor of the downtown Los Angeles Wilshire Grand construction site last week has been ruled a suicide, the county coroner said Thursday. It was Joseph Sabbatinos second day on the job as an electrician at the construction site when he plunged to his death and landed on a moving car March 17. The driver of the car was uninjured. Sabbatino, 36, had been depressed and struggling to find a stable career, his father, Vance Sabbatino, told KABC. Advertisement He left his job as a real estate agent with Re/Max All-Pro in the Antelope Valley in December, a company official said. On his Re/Max profile, Sabbatino described himself as sincere, effective and determined. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> Wanting to expand my knowledge in other aspects, in 1999 I moved to the Antelope Valley and pursued construction where I learned about framing, electrical, and HVAC which continued to enhance my insight in real estate, he wrote. Turner Construction, the company that manages the building site, said last week that the fallen worker had no reason to be above the third floor. Witnesses said it appeared he had removed his hard hat before the fall and that he was not wearing a tethered safety harness. He landed on the car of Donna Crockett, who told KTLA she was headed to her job downtown and was navigating downtown traffic when her vehicle suddenly shook. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> It was like a second. I moved over and then boom! my car just shook. And Im sitting there, like, Oh God, somebody hit me, she told the station. When I opened up the door his boot was lying next to my car. The incident shut down construction at the site for two days before restarting again on Monday. The construction company said all workers went through a comprehensive safety orientation for the project. Sabbatino had completed his safety training the day before he died. For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna. ALSO Driver arrested after special needs student found dead on empty school bus New law allowing concealed guns on campus roils University of Texas Flight attendant accused of smuggling 70 pounds of cocaine at LAX due in court When the legal pot industry began to boom in Washington, big-money investors predicted the cannabis trade in the Northwest would soon be the darling of corporate America. Former Mexico President Vicente Fox appeared at a Seattle news conference in 2013 along with pot entrepreneur Jamen Shively, who laid out plans to create the first national brand of marijuana and promised Big Tobacco-like growth. Yes, he said, we are Big Marijuana. But it all went up in smoke and Shivelys national pot brand never materialized. Advertisement Now that may be about to change. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, left, speaks as Jamen Shively of Diego Pellicer looks on during a news conference May 30, 2013, in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press) The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board this week introduced a rule that will allow investors from around the U.S. to help finance the states exploding legal marijuana industry. Oregon approved a similar practice last month, and Colorado is expected to follow suit, eliminating its two-year residency requirement for financiers. Though the change comes with risks of Big Marijuana or criminal cartels entering the markets, the states are moving quickly to attract more investors in expectation that California, with a potentially vast recreational pot market, might enter the competition if voters legalize recreational marijuana sales this fall. Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesman Brian Smith says the new Washington rule will take effect in June, eliminating a six-month residency requirement for out-of-state investors. Financiers will still not be allowed to have an ownership stake in the businesses they back, he adds. But a bill before the Legislature, if approved, would permit nonresidents to own as much as 49% of a marijuana operation. Some worry that will lead to the big business takeover of the marijuana market in Washington, said Bellingham, Wash., attorney Heather Wolf, who represents industry entrepreneurs. That was also the concern in 2013, when Washington prepared to launch legal sales of recreational marijuana approved a year earlier. The states fledgling pot market, envisioned as a low-key, mom-and-pop industry, would be Wal-Marted, some felt. Shively, chief executive of a company called Diego Pellicer -- named for a Filipino hero and major hemp farmer who was also Shivelys great-great-grandfather -- predicted he would mint more millionaires than Microsoft, where he once worked as a corporate strategy manager. Fox, not involved in Shivelys venture, said he supported the plan in the belief that legal marijuana was the solution to ending the costly drug war that plagues Mexico and the U.S. But after Shively and Fox dropped out of the picture and the Big Marijuana threat subsided, the mom- and-pop-system went on to success. So did Uncle Ikes, a Seattle neighborhood pot store that in one recent month did $1.4 million in sales. Its one of 223 Washington pot stores that sold $260 million in products in the last fiscal year, generating $65 million in state excise tax and hundreds of thousands of highly happy customers. This fiscal year, Washington pot sales have skyrocketed to $620 million, and have put $119 million into the state tax coffers. But not all pot entrepreneurs are raking in profits. To help them, and expand their markets, Washington and other states are easing outside-investment restrictions. Theres only so many people willing to invest in this risky and new industry, Colorado state Sen. Chris Holbert, a Republican, recently told the Associated Press, so allowing people from out of state to become investors in this business seems like a good idea. Thats also how it seems to Jamen Shivelys old company, Diego Pellicer. The former Big Marijuana corporate hopeful has returned with lowered expectations, and is planning to open its first pot store next month. Plants are nearly ready for harvest at the Ataraxia medical marijuana cultivation center in Albion, Ill. (Seth Perlman / Associated Press) We have been tracking Washingtons position on out of state investors, said Ron Throgmartin, chief executive of Diego Pellicer Worldwide of Santa Monica, which owns the Washington subsidiary, Diego Pellicer Inc. We applaud their recent changes to allow such investment. Its apparently a good idea to the once-outsider-shy Washington pot industry as well. At several recent public hearings, no one spoke out against the proposals to drop residency requirements, while many spoke in favor. This bill would be an incredible tool for the industry to help get it better capitalized, which it desperately needs to do, said Ezra Eichmeyer, a marijuana industry consultant. This entire industry had to launch from scratch, in a very short period of time, all at the same time, without any bank loans, and being limited to investment capital only from Washington. Today, that is hindering us, he said. Despite the millions in annual sales and an average $14 million in monthly tax revenue, Eichmeyer said, Weve captured only a fraction of the illicit drug market. More investors and more sales will mean millions more flowing into the states tax coffers and less going to the black market, he said. Wolf, the industry attorney, also supports the residency change. I think it is a good thing since marijuana businesses need access to more capital, she said. She doesnt think outsiders are a force to fear. On her legal blog, Wolf points to regulations that limit the number of licenses and licensees, therein preventing any single entity from dominating the marijuana market in Washington, she said. Outsiders would also have to pass criminal-background checks. The legal marijuana market in Washington state is primarily an all-cash business, Wolf said. To date, only four credit unions in the state are accepting marijuana business accounts. Pot producers have only friends and family to turn to for loans and they have to live in Washington. Ephrata, Wash., attorney Patrick Moberg, whose brother is a licensed pot grower, says the residency law was likely illegal anyway, and other laws will prevent corporations from taking over. Washington justified the residency requirement claiming it would prevent marijuana from traveling into other states, but this argument is just silly, he said. In reality what it has done is stifle development of the marketplace. DPWs Throgmartin said that because his company is publicly traded, the corporation believes that profiting directly from the sale of cannabis, even though permitted by state law, may violate federal intrastate commerce laws, by passing those profits to shareholders that reside in states where cannabis still remains illegal. But it will begin selling pot in Washington through its local entity, Diego Pellicer Inc. The first Diego Pellicer branded flagship store will open in Seattle next month, and we are excited to set the new standard for recreational marijuana retail stores in the U.S., Throgmartin said, noting that former company honcho Shively is a partner in the store. He and other investors can expect growth, according to a new 200-page report by ArcView Market Research on marijuana sales and trends. It predicts Washington will be the largest pot market by 2020 at $2.3 billion, followed by Colorado at $2 billion. Almost a dozen states are considering changes to weed laws, the report notes, with California and Nevada expected to approve adult use and eventually become major markets, turning the West into Americas legal cannabis kingdom. Anderson is a special correspondent. Hoy: Lea esta historia en espanol MORE: Get our best stories in your Facebook feed >> ALSO New home and restaurant concealed drug tunnel at U.S.-Mexico border, officials say Supreme Court rejects challenge to Colorado marijuana law from other states Marijuana farm pays $100,000 for water violation More than a year after an unarmed Mexican fieldworker was shot by a trio of police officers in a small agricultural town -- a killing captured in graphic cellphone video -- and seven months after a prosecutor declined to charge any of them, there will be a public inquest into the long-questioned death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes. Fans of open government can thank Dan Blasdel for that. While other top officials in Pasco banded together to stop him, the elected county coroner since 1994 took a hard stance, called his opponents bullies, and repeatedly waved the law in their faces. His persistence paid off. Blasdel told The Times that the inquest he hoped to conduct a year ago will finally take place in early June at Pascos Columbia Basin College, a venue that can accommodate the crowd of public and media members he expects to attend. Advertisement The community is split on this case, Blasdel said of Pasco and nearby Richland and Kennewick, which make up the Tri-Cities area in eastern Washington bordering the Columbia River and the Hanford nuclear reservation. Many feel that it was a bad shoot. Many think with all the pushback I received that there is something to hide and everyone is trying to sweep this shooting under the rug. While state law allows coroners to hold an inquest at county expense, the three-member Franklin County Commission balked, first telling Blasdel he had to submit a budget proposal and later saying hed be wasting taxpayer money. The cause and manner of Zambrano-Montes death had already been determined by police and prosecutors, they said. County prosecutor Shawn Sant called an inquest unnecessary since he had already cleared the officers, and he refused to participate, putting Blasdel in the position of having to hire a special prosecutor at an added cost of up to $80,000. A group of Superior Court judges also warned Blasdel that due to their heavy caseload, he wouldnt be able to use any of their courtrooms, likely requiring him to rent space elsewhere. Some officials said if Blasdel proceeded, he might be held personally responsible for costs. If I would have caved, said Blasdel, that would have set a precedent all over the state for coroners calling inquests. So he pushed on, setting inquest dates, then calling them off when the commission delayed funding approval. But with public pressure building, commissioners did an about-face this month, agreeing to pay for the inquest, and Blasdel said he could save the $80,000 cost of hiring an outside prosecutor after Columbia County prosecutor Rea Culwell volunteered to handle the inquest. Though rare in some states, public inquests are fact-finding hearings at which jurors decide whether a killing was justified. The jurys vote is weighed by the county prosecutor in deciding whether criminal charges should be filed -- although in this case that decision has already been made. What effect the June inquest will have is unclear. As it is, inquests tend to favor police and rarely lead to indictments in Washington because of a nearly insurmountable law that requires prosecutors to prove an officer-involved killing was done with evil intent and lacked good faith. King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg in Seattle called the law an almost perfect defense to a mistaken use of force. The video of the Feb. 10, 2015, point-blank shooting in Pasco captures the final seconds of a daylight foot chase along a busy street after Zambrano-Montes -- later found to be high on methamphetamine -- had thrown rocks at the officers. In a cellphone video taken by a witness from a stopped car, a fleeing Zambrano-Montes can be seen running, possibly limping, as he crosses the street with officers in close pursuit. It is unclear whether he has already been wounded -- one of several autopsies indicated he was struck by at least one slug when the chase began -- as he trots along the sidewalk. At one point he appears to raise his hands and then extends them out as he twists around and looks back, with his hands away from his body. In the final frames, he halts and turns, hands in front. He briefly touches both hands to his shirt, then extends them. An enlarged photo from that point in the video shows Zambrano-Montes with arms outstretched. The three officers fire a dozen shots. Police said five or six rounds struck Zambrano-Montes, but officials were left uncertain due to conflicting autopsy results. The official autopsy came up with five rounds, none in the back. But two separate autopsies, authorized by Zambrano-Montes widow and parents (who have filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the county), found another wound to the back. Tono, as Zambrano-Montes was known to friends, was one of 16 children. He migrated illegally from Mexico around 2006 to work at Columbia Basin farms and orchards, picking vegetables and fruit. He injured his hands in a fall just before the shooting, and was unable to work or send money home, his family said. He was separated from his wife and depressed after his house caught fire a few weeks earlier. It is not known why he threw rocks at police. Prosecutor Sant said in September that he couldnt prove the officers -- Adrian Alaniz, Ryan Flanagan and Adam Wright -- didnt act in good faith and without malice, the legal barrier he had to clear. Latino crowds had peacefully marched in repeated protests over the shooting. But Sant said it was best for Pasco to move toward closure. It is my sincere hope that, whether we can see these events from one perspective or many, as a community we can come together and begin the healing process. Blasdel sees it differently: This gives the people their day in court. Anderson is a special correspondent based in Seattle. ALSO How new rules in two states could give birth to Big Marijuana Farm worker union activities are trespassing, rights group charges New home and restaurant concealed drug tunnel at U.S.-Mexico border, officials say Siva Vaidhyanathan was thrilled when he learned he was a finalist to become dean of the communication school at the University of Texas flagship campus in Austin. He considered it a plum job and liked the idea of returning to his alma matter. But shortly after his interview, the 49-year-old professor at the University of Virginia took himself out of the running. Advertisement The reason: He was unwilling to step into the middle of an increasingly contentious debate over guns on campus. Public colleges and universities in Texas will no longer be able to ban the concealed carrying of handguns when a new law takes effect in August. Though the schools can impose some restrictions, they must generally honor a state-issued concealed handgun license on campus. The so-called campus-carry law passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature last year was a victory for gun rights advocates who say it will make campuses safer. But in the largely liberal setting of academia, it has spurred a movement of protesters who worry that it will make schools more dangerous, hurt recruitment of faculty and students and create an atmosphere of fear that even affects how professors issue grades. The biggest outcry has been at the Austin campus of the University of Texas, where students and faculty have protested and at least two professors have already resigned over the law. One was Daniel Hamermesh, who taught an introductory economics course and said he feared that a disgruntled student with a gun would lose it, pull out the gun and shoot the instructor. With 500 students in my class, this did not seem impossible, Hamermesh, who now teaches at the Royal Holloway University of London, said in an e-mail. Its unclear whether the law would affect enrollment in a state where many students grew up around guns. UT Austin estimates that fewer than 1% have concealed handgun licenses, which are available to legal residents 21 and older who have not committed certain crimes and meet other requirements. But with 50,000 students, thats still as many as 500 potentially carrying a gun. ------------ FOR THE RECORD March 24, 6:15 a.m.: An earlier version of this post said that as many as 5,000 students could potentially carry a gun. The correct figure is 500 students. ------------ Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin also guarantee the right to carry guns on college campuses. Similar proposals are in various stages of the legislative process in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. California banned concealed weapons on campuses last year, joining 18 other states, while 23 states leave the decision to the schools. The experience of Utah and Colorado does not support the claim that having more gun owners on campus increases security, according to a study last year by the Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus, a nonprofit based in Croton Falls, N.Y. In both states, crime rates on college campuses increased while the student populations dropped. The law allows private schools to opt out, which they have, and public institutions to declare portions of a campus gun-free. Schools across the state have been announcing policies that do just that. Last month, Gregory Fenves, president of UT Austin, released a policy based on recommendations from a working group of students, faculty and staff. The policy keeps guns out of dorm rooms, sporting events, mental health treatment facilities and labs with dangerous chemicals. Professors can ban them in their private offices. But the policy does not outlaw guns in classrooms. The question of whether guns belong there has dominated the debate over the new law. Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, issued a nonbinding opinion that schools would be breaking the law if they did not allow concealed carry in a substantial number of classrooms. The working group unanimously opposed guns in classrooms but concluded that a ban would violate the new law, the group said in a statement explaining its rationale. Its decision angered much of the faculty. Physics professor Steven Weinberg, the schools only Nobel Prize winner, has vowed to keep his classes gun-free, even if students sue. Max Snodderly, a professor of neuroscience, predicted more departures and chilling effect on recruiting. There have been cases of not just faculty but graduate students particularly in the liberal arts deciding not to apply to Texas, he said. Its part of a negative atmosphere that the Legislature is creating. Snodderly is a member of the anti-campus-carry group Gun Free UT, which he says is considering legal action challenging the new law. He also said that the law threatens to change the way professors treat students, suggesting that grading could become easier because professors would not want to risk angering a student who may be armed. See the most-read stories this hour >> Students get very angry if they feel theyre getting a grade they dont deserve, he said. I have students who come in absolutely red-faced Why did I get this grade? In a PowerPoint presentation on the new law last month, the faculty senate at the University of Houston made several recommendations to professors. You may want to: Be careful discussing sensitive topics, one slide said. Other recommendations: Drop certain topics from your curriculum; not go there if you sense anger; limit student access off hours; go to appointment-only office hours; only meet that student in controlled circumstances. But Vance Roper, 38, a UT Austin graduate student, Army veteran and gun owner who served on the UT task force, said such worries were overblown, based on inquiries the group made at schools in Colorado and Utah which allow guns on campus regarding grading and security. The feedback we had gotten was there was no adverse effects, he said. At the same time, he acknowledged that the law could hurt the quality of students and professors. That is definitely a fear, he said. With some people already saying theyre leaving, its hard to say thats unfounded. Roper, who is pursuing degrees at the schools of communication and architecture, has seen the effect up close: The architecture dean, Frederick Steiner, found a job elsewhere. Steiner is not a gun owner, but he is the son of a Marine and police officer and grew up hunting in Ohio. His attitude toward guns is simple: There is a place for them an appropriate place and that was for hunting. He was especially concerned about students carrying concealed guns in the architecture studios, where they spend months crafting intricate models to be critiqued. They may be tired and very emotionally connected to a project, and then a faculty member or a practicing architect will say, Well, this doorway wont work, Steiner said. Adding a firearm to a situation thats already stressful I dont see how thats useful. Campus-carry was something of a tipping point for me, said Steiner, who is headed to the University of Pennsylvania. I was concerned about being responsible for managing a law that I dont believe in. On Twitter: @mollyhf ALSO Bernie Sanders rocks the L.A. faithful in a rally at the Wiltern Disney threatens to stop filming in Georgia if anti-gay bill becomes law Flight attendant who tried to sneak 70 pounds of cocaine at LAX arrested in New York North Carolina legislators decided to rein in local governments by approving a bill Wednesday that prevents cities and counties from passing their own anti-discrimination rules. The legislation, signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory, dealt a blow to the LGBT movement after success with protections in cities across the country. The Republican-controlled General Assembly took action after Charlotte city leaders last month approved a broad anti-discrimination measure that allows transgender people to use the restroom aligned with their gender identity. McCrory signed the bill into law Wednesday night, said Josh Ellis, the governors communications director. McCrory, who was the mayor of Charlotte for 14 years, has criticized the local ordinance. Although 12 House Democrats joined all Republicans present in voting for the bill in the afternoon, later all Senate Democrats in attendance walked off the chamber floor during the debate in protest. Remaining Senate Republicans gave the legislation unanimous approval. Advertisement We choose not to participate in this farce, Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue said after he left the chamber. Senate leader Phil Berger said he couldnt recall such an action before a vote, which he said was a serious breach of their obligation to the citizens that voted to elect them. Republicans and their allies have said intervening is necessary to protect the safety of women and children from radical action by Charlotte. There have been arguments that any man perhaps a sex offender could enter a womans restroom or locker room simply by calling himself transgender. Its common sense biological men should not be in womens showers, locker rooms and bathrooms, said GOP Rep. Dean Arp before the chamber voted 82 to 26 for the legislation after nearly three hours of debate. Gay rights leaders and transgender people said the legislation demonizes the community and espouses bogus claims about increasing the risk of sexual assaults. They say the bill will deny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people essential protections needed to ensure they can get a hotel room, hail a taxi or dine at a restaurant without fear. Protections for LGBT people against discrimination are common sense, Chris Sgro, executive director of Equality North Carolina, said in a news release after the vote. Advocates had hoped to pressure McCrory into vetoing the bill, beginning with a Thursday evening rally. GOP leaders scheduled the one-day session at a cost of $42,000 because Charlottes ordinance was set to take effect April 1. Otherwise, the Legislature wouldnt have returned until late April. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who pressed since taking office to get the anti-discrimination ordinance approved, said she was appalled by the Legislatures actions. The General Assembly is on the wrong side of progress. It is on the wrong side of history, Roberts said in a statement. The bill bars local governments statewide from prohibiting discrimination in public places based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It directs all public schools, government agencies and public college campuses to require bathrooms or locker rooms be designated for use only by people based on their biological sex. They can offer single-occupancy facilities. Transgender people who have transitioned to the opposite sex wouldnt be affected if they get their birth certificate changed. Democrats said the bill makes North Carolina less inclusive and interferes with local governments. They say the state could also risk billions in federal education dollars with the school policy. This is really not about bathrooms, said Democratic Rep. Rodney Moore. This is about fear. Ordinance supporters and opponents spoke to legislators in House and Senate committees, telling of their personal stories and fears. They included Skye Thompson, 15, of Greenville, who was born female but now identifies as male. He told senators they were putting him in danger by requiring use of a womens restroom. Ive dealt with bullying my whole life, and now I worry that my own state lawmakers are bullying me as well. I feel bullied by you guys, Thompson said. Donna Eaton said everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect but is worried that without Wednesdays bill its going to open the door for people with malicious intent who would masquerade as transgenders to come in and actually take advantage and have access to our kids. In a video, Democratic Atty. Gen. Roy Cooper, who is running for governor against McCrory, called Wednesdays actions shameful and unprecedented and said they could hurt the states economy. Russell Peck, the governors campaign manager, in turn accused Cooper of supporting forcing women and young girls to use the same restrooms and locker rooms as grown men. Legislation requiring transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding with their birth gender have failed recently. South Dakotas Legislature failed to override Gov. Dennis Daugaards veto and a similar bill in Tennessee died Tuesday. The bill also would also make clear local governments cant require businesses to pay workers above the current minimum wage, with some exceptions. ALSO Scathing report finds Michigan fundamentally accountable for Flints water crisis Sanders on Californias primary: Youre going to see me here more than you feel comfortable with In religious liberty vs. Obamacare contraceptives, Supreme Court appears deadlocked The pitched battle over a vacant seat on the Supreme Court is not only the latest drama between President Obama and a Republican Congress, but also increasingly a test of wills for two veterans of the U.S. Senate. Call it the Biden Rule versus the McConnell Precedent. For Vice President Joe Biden, who spent half of his 36-year Senate career as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Republicans refusal to consider Obamas high-court candidate marks a further breakdown of the norms and traditions of an institution he still reveres. His longtime Senate colleague Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had vowed to restore the Senates great deliberative tradition as he campaigned in a successful bid to become majority leader in 2014. But now McConnell is using Bidens own words to underscore his strategy to obstruct the confirmation process by denying a hearing and vote to Obamas nominee, Merrick Garland. Advertisement He and other Republicans point to a speech Biden made as a senator nearly a quarter-century ago in which he cautioned a Republican president against trying to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in a presidential election year. After video of the speech was unearthed, Republicans dubbed his assertion the Biden Rule and said it applies now just as the Delaware senator argued it did then: putting off a politically charged confirmation fight in the midst of a heated presidential election was not only sound, but fair to the nominee. On Thursday, the vice president offered his most vigorous defense yet on the issue, arguing the GOP was not only misrepresenting what he said but ignoring what he did as chairman of the Senates judiciary panel, which oversees confirmation hearings for federal judgeships. There is only one rule I ever followed in the Judiciary Committee, he said in a speech at Georgetown Universitys law school. The Senate must advise and consent. And every nominee, including Justice Kennedy in an election year, got an up-and-down vote. Not much of the time. Not most of the time. Every, single, solitary time. But he also broadened his critique to accuse Republicans of launching the country into a genuine constitutional crisis born out of the dysfunction of Washington. It was an implicit challenge to McConnell, who once accused Democrats of turning the Senate into a veritable graveyard for good ideas. As he campaigned to end eight years of Democratic control of the Senate in 2014, McConnell repeatedly accused the party of putting its own political interests above the national interest, and its leaders of shielding senators from tough votes to help them get reelected. Theres a time for making a political point, even scoring a few points -- I know that as well as anybody, he said in a speech that year that laid out his vision of a Republican Senate. But it cant be the only thing we do here. After he realized his goal to become majority leader, McConnell said his first task was to get the Senate back to normal. The death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February put him on a different track. He swiftly ruled out the possibility that the Senate would consider an Obama-nominated replacement, later saying he wouldnt even meet with the nominee. McConnell argued that the public should be heard through its vote for president before a seat is filled that could tip the balance of the high court for generations. And he insisted he had precedent -- set by Biden. In June 1992, amid speculation that a liberal justice might resign, Biden reflected on the recent tumult of Supreme Court confirmation processes to caution then-President George H. W. Bush. If the president goes the way of Presidents Fillmore and Johnson and presses an election-year nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over, he said then. ---------- FOR THE RECORD March 24, 8:49 a.m.: An earlier version of this article misstated how long ago Vice President Joe Biden gave a speech from the Senate floor that has been central to the GOPs strategy in the Supreme Court nomination battle. The speech was given 24 years ago, not 22 years ago. ---------- Adopting Bidens argument is not without risk. Some Senate Republicans have become increasingly public in expressing reservations about the strategy, saying they would be willing to meet with Garland or calling outright for a confirmation hearing. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a member of the Judiciary Committee who said he supports McConnells approach, nonetheless has noted that it sets a precedent that a Republican president might have to live with. He also warned that if Hillary Clinton were to be elected president this fall, she might pick a more liberal nominee than Garland. But that line of thought is a gamble for Senate Republicans. The GOP base is not open to this argument at all, said Francis Lee, a University of Maryland professor who studies partisanship in the Senate. What McConnells doing here with Garland [is] hes protecting his members from tough votes, she said. No matter what the politics might look like in terms of general public opinion, it divides the Republican Party. ... They want to see this stopped. They do not want to see the ideological direction of the Supreme Court changed. Biden, in his speech Thursday, warned of the long-term impact such a Republican posture could have, saying it was already affecting U.S. standing in the world. Obstructionism is dangerous and it is self-indulgent, he said. For the sake of both parties, for the sake of the country, for the sake of our ability to govern, its got to stop. McConnells office said Biden was on a cleanup mission given how politically problematic his past speech has been. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, now the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said it was Biden who is misrepresenting his old remarks. The American people should be provided an opportunity to weigh in on whether the court should move in a more liberal direction for a generation, dramatically impacting the rights and individual freedoms we cherish as Americans, he said. Follow @mikememoli on Twitter for more news out of Washington. ALSO: Sanders on Californias primary: Youre going to see me here more than you feel comfortable with Bernie Sanders rocks the Los Angeles faithful in a rally at the Wiltern These Republicans know the presidency shouldnt be reality TV. But theyll vote for Trump anyway While Bernie Sanders expresses disdain for big banks and other corporate lenders, some of the most valuable field lieutenants in the Vermonters political revolution are a band of techies here who have proven masterful at persuading Americans to make credit-card payments. In a barely marked storefront location down the street from Tufts University, this team heavy with millennials operating under the name ActBlue mills around an office space with the usual tech firm quirks -- beanbag chairs, a pingpong table, a massive net for dropping party balloons doing work that is not particularly sexy. But it is turning big-money politics upside down. ActBlue is a decade-old nonprofit that creates fundraising software to help Democrats build networks of donors, instead of leaving them isolated on the various databases controlled by individual campaigns. The system enables donors who might tap into it to give to one particular candidate or cause broaden their participation, and send money to any other ActBlue client by simply punching a button on their phone. Advertisement The partnership the Sanders campaign has forged with ActBlue could prove one of the more enduring legacies of this unique election cycle, positioning liberals to raise unprecedented amounts for their candidates and causes long after election day has come and gone. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter Before the ride-sharing app Uber even existed, ActBlue was working to endow Democrats with a kind of Uber of politics. Its aim has been to transform a sector of the economy that is notoriously balky, unpleasant to take part in and burdened with layers of bureaucracy into a simple, fun even addictive transaction. Fundraising was the least democratic part of the democratic process, said ActBlue Executive Director Erin Hill, who joined the outfit after it was founded in 2004 by two local coders with no connections to the Democratic Party apparatus or its financiers just an idea for making activism easier. It was not friendly to a lot of small-dollar donors. The donations-on-demand technology won plaudits from activists as it scaled up over the years. But the Sanders campaign has touched off an explosion in ActBlues growth by routing much of its fundraising through the nonprofit. ActBlue has expanded to the point where it resembles a Silicon Valley firm that has just been through a wildly successful IPO. So many people have enlisted as ActBlue Express users on the way to giving a few bucks to Sanders that the organization now boasts it has the credit-card information of some 2.7 million liberal sympathizers. Marketing manager Hannah Brown hits the foosballl table in the game room at ActBlues Somerville, Mass., headquarters. Behind her is a cardboard cutout of Bill Clinton. (Evan Halper / Los Angeles Times) Many of these people are making a contribution to a campaign for the first time in their lives, said Michael Whitney, digital fundraising manager for Sanders. ActBlue makes it very easy for them to give their second, third and fourth contributions. ... They are going to want to see how else they can participate, what else they can support. The next time one of the thousands of Democratic campaigns using ActBlue asks them for $5 or $10, all they need to do is hit a button on their phone and the deed is done. Hillary Clinton is not using ActBlue, a platform not typically associated with large-scale presidential campaigns. Nobody envisioned Sanders would be such a fundraising powerhouse when he linked his campaign to it, but his phenomenal success bringing in money through ActBlue and recruiting new Express users for it helped usher in a new era for the app, one that opens new fundraising opportunities to Democrats up and down the ballot. Republican donors, by contrast, are more likely to have to start all over once the campaign ends and they want to enlist with another cause. Its like an Uber addict visiting in a city where the only option for a short ride is competitor Lyft: They might download the app, register, and punch in all the digits of their credit card, or they might just walk. This is something that the Democrats have that the Republicans somehow still dont, said David Karpf, a professor at George Washington University and author of The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy. It is critical infrastructure. Republicans have tried to replicate the technology, but conservative candidates and organizations have yet to rally around a single platform the way many Democrats have with ActBlue, leaving the efforts balkanized and fairly ineffective by comparison. Nate Thames, executive director of ActBlue Technical Services, keeps close watch of traffic through the fundraising platform at its Somerville, Mass., headquarters. (Evan Halper / Los Angeles Times) The technology gap has helped create a big shift to the left in the small-donor revolution, which in the 1990s and later during the tea party insurgence was often associated with Republicans responding to direct-mail appeals. Those donors are still active, and neurosurgeon Ben Carsons candidacy proved they can still be mobilized. But Carson spent so much money reaching them that little of the money they sent in was left for his campaign. By contrast, the cost of using ActBlue is less than 4% of each donation made through the app, which covers the charge the credit card company slaps onto each donor transaction. Most of ActBlues operations are instead covered by tips its users leave. Those tips come from people like Ella Tabasky, a 35-year-old from Venice, Calif., whose modest salary from working at a nonprofit limits how much she can give. But she has already used her phone to chip in a few dollars to Bernie Sanders 17 times. Shes addicted to the app. It makes it so much easier for me to get connected with different causes I support, she said. It really is pretty much one click. Tabasky is so enamored by what ActBlue has done to empower small donors like her that she has donated to its tip jar 20 times. ActBlue was better prepared than possibly anyone in the fundraising business for the big shift toward making donations via iPhones and other mobile devices. It invested heavily in technology that cuts down the amount of time it takes to make a contribution to the fewest possible milliseconds. As it did, traffic spiked. This month, ActBlue announced it had raised more than $1 billion for Democrats since its launch in 2004. More than half of it came since 2014. Activists cheered the milestone. Among them were the editor-in-chief of the liberal powerhouse blog DailyKos, which early on saw the potential of ActBlue to rally small donors fast. In October 2008, it mobilized against Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann, whose comment during an evening interview on MSNBC that the media should root out her anti-American colleagues smacked of McCarthyism to liberals. The avalanche of donations to Bachmanns opponent immediately crashed his website. DailyKos bloggers turned to ActBlue, using the nonprofits prefabricated widgets to funnel $810,000 to the candidate in 48 hours almost as much as he had raised in the entire previous year. What the left lacks in billionaires, it makes up in its vast grass-roots army, said a statement from DailyKos editor Markos Moulitsas. ActBlue helps make it all possible. ActBlue went on to play a pivotal role in helping Democrats raise money to fund pro-labor candidates in Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker was locked in a battle with unions being watched nationwide. The app made it exceedingly easy for activists watching from afar to engage in local Wisconsin politics. The massive number of transactions that run through ActBlue every day provide a treasure trove of data that the nonprofit and its clients use to constantly readjust their methods to draw in more money. All that data itself gives them a huge edge, said Karpf, who compared it to that held by firms like Amazon and Google, where the enormous number of customers enables a constant refinement of service that competitors struggle to match. But another factor driving ActBlues growth might be less expected: the conservative Koch brothers network, which serves as a motivating symbol for ActBlues users. Our donors are very much paying attention to the fact that the Koch brothers are there, said Hill. And they are enjoying their role in countering them. Twitter: @evanhalper ALSO Sanders on Californias primary: Youre going to see me here more than you feel comfortable with Bernie Sanders rocks the Los Angeles faithful in a rally at the Wiltern These Republicans know the presidency shouldnt be reality TV. But theyll vote for Trump anyway Clinton calls California the exclamation point on Democratic race Calling California the exclamation point of the presidential primary race, Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she planned to campaign heavily in the state before its June 7 primary. California will be the final word on the nominating process for both sides and Im going to work as hard as I possibly can to do well here, reaching out to every part of the state, every voter in it, Clinton said. Its important to get ready and organized for the fall election. Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, made the remarks after holding a homeland security town hall at USC with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. She spent almost all of the nearly hourlong session listening to leaders of the local Muslim community and other groups discuss efforts to bring people together and combat radicalization. Clinton did not mention her Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders, whom she leads by seven points in a recent California poll. Clinton lamented the heated rhetoric of the Republican campaign but largely avoided directly discussing politics, with one exception: a reference to GOP front-runner Donald Trump. We like to say in my campaign that love trumps hate, she said, and the small invite-only audience roared. As Tuesdays tragedy in Belgium made clear, air travel remains vulnerable to determined terrorists. Three plotters, at least one of whom wore a suicide vest, killed or maimed hundreds by striking the unsecured front of the Brussels Airport, the departures terminal. The attack sparked an important debate about extending the security perimeter, as airports like Israels Ben Gurion International and LAX have done to some degree. But the check-in counter and the approaches to the airport arent the only danger zones. For terrorist groups around the world, smuggling a bomb onto a plane is still the Holy Grail. And as recent attacks demonstrate, terrorists are learning to exploit back-of-the-airport employees like baggage handlers and catering and cleaning crews to bring down aircraft. In Africa and the Middle East, terrorists have learned how much damage low-cost, low-skill aviation plots can do. The proof of concept was Metrojet Flight 9268. Advertisement Twice in the last two months, the Shabab, an Al Qaeda affiliate, has turned its sights on passenger planes in Somalia. In February, one of the groups recruits blew himself out of an aircraft with a laptop bomb on a flight from Mogadishu to Djibouti; happily, the plane was able to land safely, and no one else was hurt. But the terrorists tried again March 7. When a luggage bomb went off prematurely at a checkpoint, it injured six. In both cases, reports suggest, the Shabab was counting on insiders to get its relatively unsophisticated explosives through security screenings. The latest airline plots look very different from the pricey, sophisticated operation that brought down the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Since then, the United States has made huge strides on aviation security. From the parking lot to the cockpit door, we hardened the targets that tempt terrorists. And despite some attempts the shoe bomber and the underwear bomber, liquid bomb and cartridge bomb plots no homeland flight has been taken down since 2001. But in Africa and the Middle East, terrorists have learned how much damage low-cost, low-skill aviation plots can do. The proof of concept was Metrojet Flight 9268, which exploded over Sinai. Last October, Islamic States Egyptian branch affiliate managed to take down the Russian airliner, killing 224 passengers and crew, with the help of a man on the inside, a worker at Sharm el Sheik airport who got what the group claims was a bomb packed in a soda can onto the jet. The Shabab is now trying to copy this approach smuggling explosives onto planes hidden in suitcases, laptops and other devices. The insider threat, then, is the urgent risk in much of the world. By recruiting airport workers, whether theyve been bribed or brainwashed, terrorist groups can take a shortcut around many security measures now in place. The rest is relatively easy. Simple bomb designs that can be hidden circulate widely online. To adapt, airports in the developing world will need better equipment and deeper expertise. The United States can use both carrots and sticks to underline those priorities. The power of the purse is a key tool. We need to set aside more funding to train and identify talented screeners, not just to secure U.S. airports, but also to work with trustworthy staff around the world. The State Department should use foreign aid and trade preferences to encourage best practices in aviation security, such as screening workers with access to airplanes. By investing in partner capacity, we make more flights secure not just those with a leg in the U.S. against our enemies ambitions. These efforts protect Americans as well as foreigners who use non-U.S. carriers between foreign destinations. But better security equipment and expertise in the developing worlds airports can only achieve so much. We need better intelligence. Too few countries share information on known risks and trusted travelers; everyone wastes resources vetting the same passengers over and over, which allows some threats to slip through the cracks. We need to globalize trusted traveler programs, as the Department of Homeland Security has started to do with Germany, Mexico and South Korea. Pre-screening travelers can save time, resources and lives. This work isnt glamorous. With the war against Islamic State raging in Iraq, Syria and now Libya, its tempting to postpone these investments. Why spend a dollar on someone elses airport security when the same funds can go toward smart bombs, the CIA or arms for the Kurdish peshmerga? But the war on the ground is just a fraction of the fight. Every day Islamic State survives, radicals around the globe flock to its ideology, and many will turn their attention to the targets that have fixated terrorists for generations: jetliners. Islamic States most important weapon isnt the assault rifle or the suicide vest its the man or woman on the inside, the sympathizer. Answering this threat starts with stronger partnerships at airports around the world. After the February bombing, Somalia asked for the United States help. Cleary, we havent provided enough. Jane Harman is the head of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. A former representative of Californias 36th Congressional District, she served for eight years on the House Intelligence Committee. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Political scientists Jon A. Shields and Joshua M. Dunn Sr. shine their ideological light on the political persuasions of university faculty to complain that there arent enough conservatives. (Do universities need affirmative action for conservative professors? Opinion, March 18) Its hard to sympathize with them, considering the existence of Fox News, lavishly funded conservative think tanks and efforts by the Koch brothers and other wealthy donors to fund chairs for right-wing apologists, as reported in a 2014 Center for Public Integrity study. As a faculty member at a large state university, I dont want the quality of teaching and research diluted by ideological litmus tests for any stripe of political persuasion. I suggest a cure for the confirmation bias that supposedly favors liberals: Its called critical thinking. Advertisement Ill wager that critical thinking will yield answers of a progressive hue when it comes to our most pressing social problems today, among them the control of politics by money, the dismaying polarization in wealth and power and popular denial of global climate change. Sam Coleman, Long Beach .. To the editor: Conservatives seem not to grasp that their unpopularity in academia may be due to their ideas not making a lot of sense. Its almost a dogma in conservative circles that the Earth is not warming or that if it is, its not due to human activity. Yet the best science we have tells us otherwise. Even in the social sciences conservatives dont have much to contribute. They left it to liberal professors to denounce the Vietnam War and more recently the Iraq war, and who was right? In economics its liberal professors who have denounced austerity politics. They have often been ignored, and we have had one disaster after another. Conservatives need to take responsibility for their own problems and start questioning their own ideas. If they did, they might finally be able to make their contribution to higher education. Jean Lecuyer, Los Angeles Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook The Democratic presidential campaign arrived in California this week with a dynamic unaltered by the long battle through the South and Midwest: Bernie Sanders wins states that are predominantly white, and Hillary Clintons odds of victory escalate as states grow more diverse. That suggests a difficult road ahead for Sanders in the nations largest state, where women and minorities the groups among which Clinton is most powerful dominate Democratic contests. Both candidates were in California on Wednesday. Clinton, with an eye to the terrorist attacks that riveted the world Tuesday, delivered a speech at Stanford University on combating the Islamic State militant group. Sanders held a giant rally in San Diego on Tuesday night before traveling to Los Angeles for campaign events Wednesday that included another large gathering at the Wiltern Theater. Advertisement The contrast of the two schedules underscored the differences between the candidates as the presidential contest moves toward the June 7 primary here. Sanders has the most visible support and is counting on the rush of enthusiasm for him, particularly among young and very liberal voters, who flock to his rallies, to break down the Clinton bulwark in California that has been built and sustained for a generation. Clinton is counting on her support being the most durable, if not the flashiest. And while trying to tamp down Sanders momentum, she is also aiming most of her firepower at her most likely general election opponents, Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. On Wednesday, during an interview with editors and editorial writers at the Los Angeles Times, Sanders acknowledged that he has only a narrow path to the nomination. After Tuesdays primaries, he trails Clinton by more than 300 delegates in the race to win a majority for the nominating convention in July, not counting the more than 400 party leaders and other so-called super-delegates who have announced their support for her. Winning in California forms an essential part of his remaining hope of defeating Clinton, Sanders said, adding: Youre going to see me here more than you feel comfortable with. What Californians may not see is much effort by Clinton to criticize Sanders. In her speech at Stanford, Clinton did not mention her Democratic opponent, instead turning her focus to November and Trump and Cruz, whom she denounced in biting terms. She cast Cruzs proposal to bomb ISIS into submission as reckless and said Trumps support for the use of torture against captured terrorists puts our own troops, and increasingly our own civilians, at risk. We need to rely on what actually works, not bluster that alienates our partners and doesnt make us any safer, Clinton said. Trumps remarks this week, in which he cast doubt on future U.S. participation in NATO, would reverse decades of bipartisan leadership and send a dangerous signal, she added. She also used the speech, delivered near the heart of Silicon Valley, to put the technology industry on notice that she expects more help in combating terrorism. Throughout, she cast herself as the candidate best equipped on either side to stride into the Oval Office. Early indications are that Clinton and Sanders could run a close race in California. That would not be good enough for the senator from Vermont, who needs to beat Clinton decisively here to overtake her lead in delegates. A survey released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California showed Clinton leading Sanders, 48% to 41%. She held a 23-percentage-point lead among Latinos, who could make up about a third of the Democratic electorate in June. Among women, who are more than half the Democratic vote, Clinton led by 19 percentage points. Sanders has found great success this year in caucus states, where his supporters can overrun Clintons efforts. His victories Tuesday in the Idaho and Utah caucuses, where lines of his supporters snaked around buildings in a visible show of support, demonstrated what his campaign can do on a smaller scale. But organizing a state with more than 7.4 million Democrats and an additional 4.1 million nonpartisan voters who can cast Democratic ballots this year is a giant exercise unlike any Sanders has pulled off in the campaign so far, as he conceded in Wednesdays interview. Essentially he is trying to do what Barack Obama could not do in his 2008 primary battle here with Clinton and doing it without Obamas strength among African American voters. Her coalition is very similar to what it was in 2008, said Bill Burton, an Obama campaign aide in 2008 and now a California-based Clinton backer. And shell probably do so much better than she did with African Americans, now that President Obama isnt in the race. Arizona, where Clinton won on Tuesday, is a far smaller state than California, though its demographic makeup is somewhat similar. The results there were not good news for the Vermont senator particularly if they are replicated to the west. Sanders outspent Clinton down the stretch in Arizona and held rallies that drew thousands and inspired hope in the campaign for an upset. Clinton won by double digits. Another troublesome predicate for a California race could be found in Ohio, where Clinton brushed aside Sanders challenge on the strength of alliances made decades ago and nurtured until this campaign just as they have been here. Clintons template for a win here will be what she pulled off in 2008, in what was then a February primary. That year, she specifically targeted women in Northern California who were eager to elect the first female president and Latinas in Southern California rallied by the strongly female congressional delegation. She also leaned on a political structure developed since 1992, when Bill Clinton became the first Democrat to win the state in a general election in 28 years. The one-two punch cut short the surge that Obama had ridden into the state. Her victory here enabled her to move on to the next states; ultimately she stayed in the race until the contests ended in June. The makeup of the Democratic electorate has, if anything, moved more in Clintons direction in the last eight years as the numbers of Latino and Asian voters have grown. A Democratic voter profile created by Public Policy Institute of California pollsters last summer found that only 48% of Democratic voters were white, along with a slightly higher 55% of nonpartisan voters. Among Democrats, 26% were Latino, 13% were Asian and 10% were black. Throughout the campaign, Clinton has amassed high percentages among minority voters, which has led to her wins in states as diverse as Nevada, Virginia and all the Southern states that have voted. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | March 22 election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter To expand his reach in California, Sanders will need to energize independent voters, who have proven more embracing of his message in other states. Those voters can cast ballots; the question for Sanders is whether they will, on a broad enough scale to offset Clintons strength among Democratic Party loyalists. Sanders will also have to persuade Californians that his call for political revolution is the better of the two options. For all its reputation for liberalism, California tends to reward more mainstream candidates; the states governor, Jerry Brown, is practically conservative in many ways when his tenure is compared with the proposals put forth by Sanders and, increasingly, Clinton. Much may be determined by the state of the race when it gets here. Right now, both candidates are in it for the long haul, even if Clinton holds a huge delegate lead. Sanders insists he intends to stay in the race until the convention, and he has the money to do so. If the race is virtually locked up by June 7, however, he could find it more difficult to rally his troops. In Wednesdays interview, Sanders suggested an unconventional approach to success here, however: one not dependent on television ads, through which most political communication is accomplished in a state so large. He said he would mount a ground assault that will require tens of thousands of volunteers. He also will continue to hold the enormous rallies that have marked his campaign, both here and elsewhere. Clinton can also be expected here a lot either at campaign events or behind lushly appointed closed doors at fundraisers that her campaign typically holds in California, but whose scheduling has become even more important to offset Sanders massive fundraising operation. One fundraiser is scheduled next month at the home of actor George Clooney and his wife, attorney Amal Clooney. cathleen.decker@latimes.com. Also contributing were Christina Bellantoni in Los Angeles and Evan Halper in Washington. Follow me on Twitter: @cathleendecker . For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker. ALSO: Sanders on California: Youre going to see me here more than you feel comfortable with Clinton takes on Trump and Cruz during counterterrorism address at Stanford Californias June primary just became crucial in the race for the White House Listen to Sanders at the L.A. Times editorial board Updates on California politics Live coverage from the campaign trail More than 390 people, many of them archaeologists and Native American leaders, have signed a petition demanding that the Navy suspend its plans to relocate artifacts from San Nicolas Island to a former icehouse at the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, Calif. The artifacts include stone blades, harpoon points and other implements that could help flesh out the real-life story of the woman who inspired the novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, one of the 20th centurys most popular novels for young readers and required reading in many California schools. It is important that these items and others discovered and curated on the island over the past 25 years remain where they are, said Patricia Martz, a professor emeritus at Cal State Los Angeles, who posted the petition on the website Change.org three days ago. Advertisement For one thing, the artifacts were recovered from a marine environment, she said, and the China Lake facility is 250 miles away in the desert and doesnt have appropriate climate controls. For another, it has always been standard practice to curate artifacts as close to where they were excavated as possible, she said. Beyond all that, every time artifacts are packed up and moved around, things get broken and lost, she added. The petition is attached to a letter addressed to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Opponents of the impending move include Wendy Teeter, curator of archeology at UCLAs Fowler Museum, and Steve Schwartz, a former Navy archaeologist who spent 20 years searching for a cave where the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island may have lived. In a recent formal response to arguments against the move filed by Teeter, Navy Capt. C.D. Janke said the China Lake facility meets federal standards, as well as regulatory requirements for public accessibility. It is a well-insulated former ice house, with a climate control system that maintains stable temperature and humidity, Janke said. About 60 miles off the coast, San Nicolas is a lonely Navy base dotted with installations designed to track missiles. It also has more than 540 known archaeological sites, some with evidence that people have lived on the island for more than 8,000 years. Given the importance of these particular items to California history and lore, they are too precious to risk the dangers of moving them to the California desert Martz said in an interview. Follow me @LouisSahagun for more fascinating stories The South Coast Water District is forging ahead as the lone agency intent on making a desalination facility in Dana Point a reality after more than 10 years of discussion. The district, which serves customers in South Laguna, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, wants to build a treatment plant on 30 acres of property it owns near San Juan Creek in hopes of eventually producing 15 million gallons of potable water a day. District officials will hold a community meeting Thursday in Dana Point to announce that it will begin working on an environmental impact report for the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project. Advertisement But the district could be shouldering all the risk. Agencies that showed initial interest have opted not to partner with South Coast on the project, at least for now. The cities of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente also at one time expressed interest. South Coasts general manager, Andy Brunhart, says the district should proceed anyway, explaining that a desalination plant would be a hedge against a couple of risks facing Californians: earthquakes and drought. The state is currently in its fifth year of severe drought, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Brunhart said desalination would provide a reliable, sustainable, drought-proof source of local water. And the additional local source of water would provide a buffer in case an earthquake damages pipes that deliver imported water, Brunhart said. We believe its the right thing to do, Brunhart said. The Municipal Water District of Orange County, a regional wholesaler, is providing technical assistance for the project. ------------- FOR THE RECORD March 28, 1:26 p.m.: A previous version of this post incorrectly named the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County as providing technical assistance on the proposed desalination project. The Municipal Water District of Orange County is providing the assistance. ------------- Municipal began exploring desalination in 2002 to improve the reliability of the water supply in south Orange County, according to South Coasts website. Up the coast, Poseidon Water is proposing to build a $1-billion desalination facility in Huntington Beach that could produce 50 million gallons of water per day. The California Coastal Commission must still rule on Poseidons construction permit. For the Doheny project, Municipal partnered with other agencies to study the areas geology and land availability and determined the site could house a desalination facility. But none of the agencies has signed on to the project. Laguna Beach County Water District officials opted out of the Doheny project after securing water from another source the Santa Ana River Basin. Two-thirds of our [water] supply from groundwater made the project not feasible for us at this point, said Christopher Regan, the assistant general manager for the district. In February, Laguna Beach County agreed to pay the Orange County Water District $3.1 million to pull 2,025 acre-feet of groundwater each year from the basin. The OCWD was formed by the Legislature to manage the groundwater basin supply. Meanwhile, customers in Moulton Niguel Water Districts boundaries have cut water consumption enough that the demand for new sources of water is not as urgent as in previous years, district General Manager Joone Lopez said. We look at all local projects and assess which ones make the most sense and whether they are cost effective, Lopez said. Lopez said Moulton Niguel, which covers Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel, is focusing its efforts on recycled-water projects. South Coast imports 80% of its drinking water from the Colorado River and Northern California sources. The remaining 20% comes from recycled and groundwater sources. Design and construction of the Doheny desalination facility could cost $85 million to $90 million, Brunhart said. South Coasts plan is to construct a facility that produces 4 million to 5 million gallons of water per day with a possibility of increasing the output to 15 million gallons daily. Unless other agencies partner with South Coast, the district anticipates footing the bill for design and construction, Brunhart said. He said he hopes to know by May what the cost per acre foot of water might be. That may stimulate more interest in the Doheny facility, Brunhart said. The EIR will evaluate the potential effects on biological life in and near San Juan Creek of ocean water intake and discharge, South Coasts website said. The proposed slant well intake system may draw in a small percentage of onshore groundwater, which may affect the existing San Juan Creek seasonal lagoon, the website said. Under the proposal, crews would drill wells extending from Doheny State Beach to draw water from under the ocean floor rather than open water. Thursdays meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the Dana Point Community Center, at 34052 Del Obispo St. in Dana Point. Representatives from La Canada Unified and neighboring school districts recently drafted a joint resolution opposing a potential tunnel extension of the Long Beach (710) Freeway for the negative impacts they believe it would have on student and employee health. They hoped the message that school leaders from La Canada Flintridge, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and South Pasadena assembled collectively as the 5-Star Education Coalition had regional concerns about the pollutant effects of the 4.5-mile underground passage proposed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would sound alarm bells to state lawmakers and compel the agency to refine its plans. NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with whats going on in your neighborhood >> But that hope was scuttled Friday when Pasadena Unified School Board member Larry Torres opted not to support the resolution, blocking the unanimity required for the document to be officially adopted by the coalition. The disagreement marks another chapter in a tale of two perspectives about whether a multibillion-dollar tunnel project would be a boon or a burden to cities along the 710 and the Foothill (210) freeways and whether local elected officials should weigh in for or against it, or not at all. La Canada Unified Governing Board Member Ellen Multari, whose district passed its own resolution against a tunnel option in July, believes the adverse impacts the project and its construction would bring to students, school staff and families is unquestionable and merits opposition. I think this is a bit more of a show of strength among the five of us, she said of the resolution when it was still being drafted, indicating all five member cities seemed interested in going that route. Thats why the 5-Star was created so we could have power collectively that we dont have individually. Join the conversation on Facebook >> But to Torres, the wisdom of educators speaking out against the project wasnt quite so clear. When he took the resolution back to the PUSD board for input at a March 10 meeting, he confessed he wasnt certain the 710 issue was relevant to educating children. A former teacher in the Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno, Torres expressed his belief something needed to be done to address the exceedingly troubling problem of street traffic in and around Alhambra and surrounding environs. Im of the opinion, probably where most folks are, that something needs to happen, Torres told the board. Im not sold that a tunnel is the answer, but Im also questioning whether or not for me, as a school board member, this is a child-related issue. His fellow board members largely agreed. I am personally opposed to the 710 tunnel, but I kind of agree with Larry, board member Patrick Cahalan said at the meeting. I dont see this is an area of governance that we should be weighing in on as a school board. I also dont think theres a clear impact here that has to do with education. Glendale school officials were of a different mindset Tuesday, when they unanimously approved their own resolution opposing the tunnel in anticipation that the 5-Star Coalitions resolution would follow. We are a part of the impact, theres no question about it, board member Greg Krikorian said at the meeting, according to the Glendale-News Press. Multari remained firm in her districts conviction that the tunnel could pose a health risk to many schools situated near the 210 Freeway, which would see an increase in truck traffic were the 710 gap filled. We felt it was a legitimate concern for our districts to address, she said in an email Tuesday. sara.cardine@latimes.com -- Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine -- ALSO: Easter-themed event brings community together in La Crescenta La Canada Summer Success Fair helps students plan ahead Resident earns cadet status at Army and Navy Academy Lauren Nettels, an eighth-grade student at St. Bede School was honored last week by the local branch of the Italian Catholic Federation with its Distinguished Service Award. Mark Mannarelli, president of ICF Branch 374, presented the award to Lauren at the groups monthly meeting, held in the Parish Center at St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church in La Canada. Lauren, who attended the meeting with her parents Chip and Holly, and her brother, Andrew, has earned her Girl Scout Silver Award and her churchs Marian Medal. Shes also worked with the Safe House for Unwed Mothers, the Brothers Helpers, Special Olympics, Adopt a Family, and participated in her schools choir. Presbyterians to host several services La Canada Presbyterian Church marks this Holy Week with several services, including an Easter sunrise service in a local park on Sunday. The church has themed the weeks gatherings, A Journey with Jesus. On Thursday, March 24, a Maundy Thursday event will invite those who gather in Fellowship Hall at 7 p.m. to recall together Jesus Last Supper with his disciples. This Passover experience, which includes, teaching, drama and a Seder meal, is geared for adults, teens and youth. Child care will be available for infants and toddlers. On Good Friday, March 25, the Worship Arts Center will be opened at 7 p.m. for reflective worship. This service will give attendees an opportunity to reflect on Jesus trial, condemnation and crucifixion. Jesus in the Tomb, a service of prayer and meditation, with Scripture reading and a dramatic re-creation of Peters perspective, will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 26 in the Cook Prayer Chapel on the church campus. Sunday mornings sunrise service will be held in Hahamongna Watershed Park, 4550 Oak Grove Drive, at 6:30 a.m. Enter the park at Foothill Boulevard. Signs will point the way to the worship area. An Easter worship service will be held in the church sanctuary, 626 Foothill Blvd., at 7:55 a.m., followed by another at 9:25 a.m. Later, simultaneous services will be held in the sanctuary (traditional) and the Worship Arts Center (contemporary) at 11 a.m. For more information about the Easter services offered by La Canada Presbyterian, call (818) 790-6708 or visit lacanadapc.org. Methodists to host Easter service, breakfast La Canada United Methodist Church will celebrate Easter Sunday March 27 with a 6 a.m. sunrise service in its amphitheater, followed by breakfast. The days celebration continues at 10:30 a.m., when Pastor Elaine Cho will preach during the worship service on the topic An Unanticipated Surprise centering on the resurrection of Jesus. Child care and early elementary Sunday school are available during the service. A joint Good Friday service will be held at 7 p.m. March 25 at the La Canada church, 104 Berkshire Place, with two other United Methodist congregations from nearby communities. For more information about La Canada United Methodist, call (818) 790-3605 or visit www.lcumc.com. Congregationalists plan Easter service On Easter Sunday, March 27, there will be a 10 a.m. service of public worship at La Canada Congregational Church, 1200 Foothill Blvd. The Rev. Skip Lindeman will lead the service and preach on the topic, He is Risen! Organist Joe Klice will provide special music for the morning, and the Chancel Choir, under the direction of Dr. Harold Daugherty, will sing the anthem, O filii et filiae by Volckmar Leisring. An Easter egg hunt will be held immediately following the service. Members and visitors are welcome to enjoy the hunt, a cup of coffee and fellowship during this time. La Canada Congregational Church is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. For more information visit lacanadacongregationalchurch.org, or call the office at (818) 790-1185. St. Bede to host bereavement support program A six-week program for people who have lost a loved one through death begins at St. Bede Catholic Church on Wednesday, April 6. The group will meet in the Parish Center at the church from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Facilitators for the Good Grief Bereavement Support Group are Gloria Lee, a licensed marriage and family therapist, Pam Koerber, Peggy Martinet and Linda Moore. The series includes information on the grieving process and an opportunity to share with others in small groups. Topics include: Moving through Grief, Coping With the Feelings That Surface, What is Good Grief and How Do I Manage It?, Stress Management, Changes in My Relationships, Letting Go and Moving On. St. Bedes also offers a monthly support group called Beyond Good Grief, which meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of every month in the Parish Center. St. Bede is located at 215 Foothill Blvd. To preregister, or for more information, call (818) 949-4300. Participants are asked to bring a small photo of their loved one to the first session. Michael Wrona, who left Australia 25 years ago to pursue his dream as a race caller, was named the permanent announcer at Santa Anita Park, replacing the popular Trevor Denman, who resigned from the Arcadia track on Dec. 4. Wrona, along with Frank Mirahmadi, were the two internal candidates calling races for three weeks at time, alternating with races at Golden Gate, also owned by the Stronach Group that runs Santa Anita. Wrona is well-traveled after leaving Australia and coming to the United States. He has worked at Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate, Retama Downs, Arlington Park, Lone Star and Fair Grounds. Advertisement This was not the first public audition to which Wrona has participated. He tried out for the job at Churchill Downs, but Mark Johnson was selected. Wrona said he doesnt believe in signature phrases, even though his racing varies from most callers who start a race with and theyre off. I like to keep the delivery as varied as possible, Wrona told The Times earlier his year. I dont like to anticipate what Im about to say. I dont lean on any particular phrase. I just throw things in very randomly. When he came to the U.S. in 1990, legendary Australian announcer Johnny Tepp suggested he retool an old Aussie race call. When a horse is covering a lot of ground, trapped wide around both turns, theres an expression that a horse is covering more ground than Burke and Wills, Wrona explained, referencing two famous Australian explorers. Tepp thoght if you replaced Burke and Wills with Lewis and Clark it might work. So I did and it got a great reaction, Wrona said. Every now and then Ill throw in covering more ground than Lewis and Clark, if some poor horse is posted five wide around both turns. Mirahmadi is expected to be offered Wronas Golden Gate job. Mirahmadi left a permanent job at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas to try out for the Santa Anita position. He also calls at Monmouth in New Jersey. With lengendary race caller Trevor Denman no longer in the both, Australian Michael Wrona looks to makes his mark at Santa Anita Park. Santa Anita did not announce if Wrona would be paid on an annual contract or on a day rate, which is more common in the U.S. Santa Anita has about 130 race dates a year. Denman will continue to call the races at Del Mar in the summer. The track brought in two international callers for tryouts. David Fitzgerald did a stint on Feb 20-21. He has been calling races in Britain since 2010. He has called the Royal Ascot meeting, a five-day version of the Breeders Cup, the last two years. Craig Evans, who calls at the Singapore Turf Club, was also given an audition Feb. 20-21 but was viewed as the fourth candidate after he failed to recognize a late charge by crowd-favorite Ziconic, a son of Zenyatta. Wrona now has the countrys pre-eminent announcing job at Santa Anita, ending a long journey through many race tracks. john.cherwa@latimes.com Twitter: @jcherwa MORE FROM SPORTS Soccer great Johan Cruyff dies at 68 Yankees Alex Rodriguez already is backing off the retirement talk Rams are in the final stages of moving out of St. Louis Four years ago, television producer Michael King launched a project known as All-American Heavyweights, hoping to spawn a new American heavyweight champion from a workout facility in Carson. Charles Martin is fulfilling the vision. A hard-hitting, good-talking, brave athlete willing to accept the stiff challenges his predecessors and countrymen paved, North Hollywoods Martin (23-0-1, 21 knockouts) won the vacant International Boxing Federation heavyweight belt in Brooklyn, N.Y., in January, when Ukraines Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a fight-ending knee injury in the third round. Now that hes joined the list of American heavyweight champions that includes legends Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson, Martin said hes striving to fulfill the demands of the position. Advertisement So when 2012 Olympic champion Anthony Joshua of Great Britain emerged as his top challenger, Martin accepted the date and agreed to fight the unbeaten Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs) at Londons O2 Arena on April 9 on Showtime. The belt makes you work harder, Martin told the Los Angeles Times from his training camp in Big Bear, where 1984 U.S. Olympic heavyweight champion Henry Tillman serves as his co-trainer. Youve got to live up to that label. Im the world champion. I go into this fight with that mentality: You cant defeat me. Its my belt, and Im going back home with it. I look at all those [past greats] and think, Thats me. They were great because they reigned as champion, so Im grinding in this camp. ... Ive transformed my body. In England, the public expectation is that Joshua will join countryman Tyson Fury with a heavyweight belt. Accepting the fight seems like an odd choice given that Martin works for protective manager Al Haymon, who has made a reputation by keeping talent such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Leo Santa Cruz away from underdog battles. But Martin says he was a willing participant to make the journey and cash in on the fervor for a young fighter in his own den. Theyre just casual fans. When I knock Joshua out, theyll be my fans, said Martin, whose nickname is, coincidentally, Prince. Hes green right now. I have way more fights, [nine], and rounds [42], than him. Im taking advantage of the time. Time is of the essence. I know hes not ready for someone like me. This was my call. This wasnt no Al Haymon. This was me. Martin said hell continue that push, going up against the winners of Fury-Wladimir Klitschko and fellow American champion Deontay Wilder should he, as expected, defeat Alexander Povetkin in May. Im a man on a mission, Martin said. I want people to remember me when they think of great fighters. I want to be included with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson. While the Glazkov title victory was tainted by the Ukrainians knee injury, Martin said he was confident of victory anyway and feels he sufficiently earned the belt. Im the reason that [injury] happened, Martin said. He didnt just break his knee. He was walking the Earth for more than 30 years and that hadnt happened, right? He never just slipped and fell on his own. I did that. Whether it was because his head was cloudy because I hit him with a straight left hand ... [or] when I rushed in and he stumbled back, I hit him with that hook and he limped off. I did that. Martin leaves for England on Sunday, and he cant help but think of the impact that Kings long-shot experiment has accomplished. King, who died last year, was best known for producing Wheel of Fortune and The Oprah Winfrey Show. I made M.K.s dream come true. He wanted to grow a world champion and I am a world champion who did it for him, Martin said. Everybody thought he was crazy, trying to revitalize the heavyweight division in America. Hes smiling now. Not only does he have a world champion, this champion is the real deal. Twitter: @latimespugmire Police have detained six people in nighttime raids in central Brussels in a military-style operation linked to the deadly attacks on the citys airport and subways. In a Paris suburb, meanwhile, a man of French nationality believed to be plotting an imminent terrorist attack was also detained, though Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement that there is no tangible link at this stage between this alleged plot and the Brussels or Paris attacks. Seventy-five people have been taken in for questioning in connection with terrorist activity in France in 2016, he added. Advertisement The Thursday night raids in Brussels, where authorities swept through neighborhoods in armored vehicles and helicopters, were focused in the citys central district where police had earlier found bomb-making material, a cache of explosives and the black flag of Islamic State. In the gloomy aftermath of the attacks in Belgium, people somberly went about their business in a city that suddenly felt under siege, coping with the worry that potential terrorists could still be on the loose ahead of Europes four-day Easter holiday. Soldiers stopped subway passengers, opening bags and patting people down. The airport remained closed and flights in and out of the city were cancelled through Sunday. Earlier in the day, two Belgian cabinet ministers offered to step down over security failings of one of the identified bombers. Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported from Turkey because of terrorism concerns yet had not been monitored by Belgian authorities since he arrived in the country. Police in Belgium devoted much of the day to searching for two terrorist suspects who they believe escaped from Tuesdays twin attacks in Brussels that killed 31 people and injured 260, after a deeper analysis of subway surveillance videos, local media reported Thursday. Two terrorists killed themselves in the blast at Brussels Airport and a third perished with his powerful bomb at a subway station an hour later. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which further exposed Europes security failings and sparked fresh calls for more cooperation among its disparate intelligence services. Police had already identified a fourth suspect from surveillance videos who had escaped after abandoning his bomb at the airport, and Thursday it emerged that a fifth suspect was captured on closed-circuit TV film as he helped the subway bomber carry a large bag, according to Belgium TV network RTBF and French newspaper Le Monde. Even though the CCTV images of the third airport bomber have not been released to the media, neither RTBV nor Le Monde published the images of the second subway bomber. Brothers Brahim and Khalid El Bakraoui were publicly identified Wednesday as two of the suicide bombers in attacks. They appear to have been members of a large militant cell with links to Novembers attacks in Paris that killed 130. The third suicide bomber is believed to have been a bomb maker suspected of involvement in the Paris attacks. Authorities in Belgium have not confirmed news reports that the second suicide bomber at the airport was Najim Laachraoui, a suspected bomb maker linked to Salah Abdeslam, the alleged logistics chief of the Paris killings. 1 / 33 A woman lights a candle in the area of the explosion at the Maelbeek subway station in Brussels, Belgium. (JULIEN WARNAND / EPA) 2 / 33 Belgian soldiers gesture for vehicles to keep clear as they patrol near a Brussels court building where Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam was expected to appear. (Peter Dejong / Associated Press) 3 / 33 A Belgian police officer and soldier guard a Brussels court building where Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam was expected to appear. b (Peter Dejong / Associated Press) 4 / 33 A police officer stands guard outside the Council Chamber of Brussels during investigations into the Paris and Brussels terrorist attacks. (Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP/Getty Images) 5 / 33 A woman and children sit and mourn for the victims of the bombings at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) 6 / 33 Hundreds gather at Place de la Bourse in Brussels to mourn on Wednesday evening. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) 7 / 33 Brussels Airport workers and relatives pay tribute to the victims of Tuesdays attacks. (Philippe Huguen / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 33 Police leave after investigating a house Wednesday in the Anderlecht neighborhood in Brussels, one day after Tuesdays deadly suicide attacks. (Peter Dejong / Associated Press) 9 / 33 Soldiers and police carry out checks at the Central Station in Brussels on Wednesday, a day after blasts hit the Belgian capital. (Patrik Stollarz / AFP/Getty Images) 10 / 33 Police carry out checks at the Central Station in Brussels on Wednesday. (Patrik Stollarz / AFP/Getty Images) 11 / 33 A man reacts as people gather to observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Brussels airport and metro bombings, on the Place de la Bourse in central Brussels. (PATRIK STOLLARZ / AFP/Getty Images) 12 / 33 People gather in Brussels to pay tribute to the victims a day after deadly terrorist attacks struck the city. (Aurore Belot / AFP/Getty Images) 13 / 33 People gather around floral tributes, drawings, candles and notes in front of the Bourse of Brussels on Tuesday (AURORE BELOT / AFP/Getty Images) 14 / 33 A woman writes a message on the ground as people leave tributes at the Place de la Bourse following todays attacks in Brussels, Belgium. (Carl Court / Getty Images) 15 / 33 Police officers conduct searches inside the North station (Gare du Nord - Noordstation) on Tuesday in Brussels. (NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / AFP/Getty Images) 16 / 33 A security camera photo released on March 22 by Belgian authorities shows three suspects in the attack at Brussels Airport. (AFP/Getty Images) 17 / 33 An unidentified traveler lies on the ground in a smoke-filled terminal after an explosion at Brussels Airport on Tuesday. (Ralph Usbeck / Associated Press) 18 / 33 An injured man lies on the floor waiting for aid at Brussels Airport. (Ketevan Kardava / Associated Press) 19 / 33 Smoke fills the terminal at Brussels Airport, where a pair of explosions killed at least 11 people. (Ralph Usbeck / Associated Press) 20 / 33 Brussels commuters climb out of a Metro subway car after an explosion at the Maalbeek station. A series of coordinated explosions ripped through Brussels Airport and the Metro station with dozens killed. (AFP/Getty Images) 21 / 33 Police and rescue teams set up outside the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) 22 / 33 Special police secure the Brussels city center as Belgium raised its terror alert to its highest level on Tuesday. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) 23 / 33 A victim receives first aid from rescuers near Maelbeek metro station in Brussels after an explosion. (Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images) 24 / 33 A man with bloodstains on his sweater leaves Brussels Airport following explosions. (Dirk Waem / AFP/Getty Images) 25 / 33 People stand near Brussels Airport after being evacuated. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert / Associated Press) 26 / 33 Passengers are evacuated from Brussels Airport after explosions. (John Thys / AFP/Getty Images) 27 / 33 Soldiers block the access to roads close to a metro station in Brussels after a series of apparently coordinated explosions in the city. (Philippe Huguen / AFP/Getty Images) 28 / 33 A victim is evacuated after a explosion in a main metro station in Brussels. (Virginia Mayo / Associated Press) 29 / 33 A woman is evacuated in an ambulance after a explosion in a Brussels metro station Tuesday. (Virginia Mayo / Associated Press) 30 / 33 People are evacuated from Brussels Airport on Tuesday following explosions. (Dirk Waem / AFP/Getty Images) 31 / 33 A Belgian police vehicle drives past passengers who are evacuating the Brussels Airport. (Jonas Roosens / AFP/Getty Images) 32 / 33 People walk away from Brussels Airport on Tuesday after it was rocked by explosions. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert / Associated Press) 33 / 33 All flights were canceled at Brussels Airport after two explosions rocked the main hall. (AFP/Getty Images) Abdeslam, a fugitive for four months and Europes most wanted man, was arrested last week in Brussels now-notorious Molenbeek district, where many young Belgians of Moroccan descent have become radicalized and traveled to Syria. He was one of 10 men wanted in connection with the Paris attacks. Investigators believe his arrest led the attackers to accelerate their plans, and local media reported that some authorities believe they may have originally wanted to strike during Easter, a Christian holiday. Abdeslam made a brief appearance in court Thursday and was remanded in custody until April 7. His lawyer, Sven Mary, had requested the adjournment and told reporters outside the court that Abdeslam was no longer opposed to being extradited to France. Salah Abdeslam has asked me to inform you that he wishes to leave for France as quickly as possible, Mary said, adding that he wants to explain himself. With only a handful of the 31 victims identified so far, friends and families of people missing since the blasts have begun hanging up posters in Brussels with pictures of their missing loved ones. One moving sign near the Maelbeek subway station showed an appeal for help in finding a 30-year-old woman named My Atlegrim. Top European Union security officials were holding an extraordinary meeting amid charges from the United States and Turkey that they are not doing enough to stop terrorism and Islamic State in their countries. That rift was exacerbated in public Wednesday when Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that Ankara had informed Belgian and Dutch authorities in July that one of the Brussels attackers later identified as Brahim El Bakraoui had been expelled as a foreign fighter from Turkey. Turkey is the major crossing point for militants headed to Syria. Belgium ignored our warning that this person is a foreign fighter, Erdogan said. We reported the deportation to the Belgian Embassy in Ankara on July 14, 2015, but he was later set free. The mayor of Brussels said Thursday that information was never passed along to her local authorities. Belgiums Justice Minister Koen Geens acknowledged El Bakraoui had been deported but he told the local VRT TV network that there was no indication that he was involved in terrorism, and that El Bakraoui was instead only known as a common criminal who had been given a conditional release from prison. Ahead of the meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels on Thursday there was a growing awareness that the EU needs tighter security and greater cooperation. The intelligence services must cooperate better, said Germanys Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere in an interview with Germanys N-TV network. The best way to stop such attacks is exchanging information. There are different mentalities in Europe. People dont want to share all of their information. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker defended Belgium. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, he told the Flemish daily De Standaard. There was terrorism in Britain and in Germany in the 1970s and 1980. There was terrorism in Spain, in Italy and much more recently in France. People should stop lecturing Belgium. MORE ON BRUSSELS: Attacks also shatter confidence in Europes open borders Brothers who work together in the name of terror. Why so many? Brussels suicide bombers fit familiar profile; links to Paris terrorist attacks seen The physical damage was easy to see. The attackers bombs shattered an airport terminal and a subway station. But when one of the European Unions top leaders expressed his sympathies to the men, women and children hurt and killed in Brussels on Tuesday morning, he hinted that the three attackers purportedly acting on behalf of the extremist group Islamic State had caused even greater damage. These attacks have hit Brussels today, Paris yesterday, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. But it is Europe as a whole that has been targeted. Advertisement When the European Union was created in 1993, one of its founding principles was the notion of open borders and free travel among member nations. But this weeks bombings in Belgium and a similar wave of attacks last year in France have raised questions about whether that very openness has left the continent too vulnerable. Full Coverage: Terrorist attacks in Brussels >> Raising the level of concern is a massive influx of migrants from Africa and the Middle East that has prompted several nations to throw up razor-wire barricades and tough new security checkpoints. Top European Union officials this week were using the widespread public alarm over the Belgian attacks to call for stronger coordination and information-sharing between European countries. While many of those who have mounted attacks so far are third- or fourth-generation Europeans, some political leaders have expressed concern that the large number of arrivals from war-torn Syria could allow militants to gain unlimited access to countries across Europe. Right now we are at the peak of two crises: security and migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, said Wednesday. While they overlap in timing, they should not be confused. Those people who have arrived on our shores are precisely fleeing the same terror that has struck us, right here in the heart of Europe. To antagonize those seeking protection would be giving in to the hatred and division that terrorists seek to sow. Avramopoulos emphasized that the so-called Schengen Agreement, which abolished internal borders to allow free travel between member nations is not the problem. But let me also say that we cannot have a secure area of internal free movement without better control of our external borders, he said. The apparent ability for Islamic militants to plan and carry out attacks in Europe will probably bolster right-wing politicians who have called for European governments to turn away refugees fleeing countries like Syria and Afghanistan and to heavily police predominantly Muslim communities. This is really the fruition of fears that people have had, said Edwin M. Smith, a professor of law, international relations and political science at USC. In the European Union now, there are lots of right-wing xenophobes across Europe who have been pushing to limit the European Union, and now you have an event that gives fodder to that fire. In Germany, the countrys open doors policy to migrants arriving in Europe led to large victories in regional elections in March for the right-wing, populist Alternative for Germany party. One of the partys co-leaders controversially suggested in one newspaper interview that police must stop migrants crossing illegally from Austria, and, if necessary, use firearms, a comment that immediately drew an outcry. The head of Frances far-right National Front party, Marine Le Pen, was already citing the Brussels attacks as validation of her views. We need to take seriously the criminal networks of Islamic fundamentalists that exist in our countries, Le Pen told reporters during a visit to Canada this week. Ive maintained this position in France for months. And I will repeat the same thing everywhere I go. Dominic Thomas, the chair of the French department at UCLA, described a general, Europeanwide sentiment of fear of immigrants that has grown on top of economic insecurities and the stresses of globalization. Peoples morale is pretty low in Europe in general, Thomas said. There arent many places where people say the future is something to look forward to. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> And Thomas said the migration controversy will probably only get worse. As we move toward the summer months and the water is calmer, and people are going to be outside longer I think were going to see a massive exodus from Africa and the Middle East, Thomas said. This is just the beginning. Samira Assassi, a Moroccan-Belgian real-estate agent in Brussels, supported stronger border restrictions in Europe. I think you should close all the borders, and when you cross to any country, there should be control, even within Europe, Assassi said. Europe is a group of countries. I think it is normal. I think they should control who comes in and who goes out. She added, We dont lose anything, we win everything. A university student, Auriane Linker, said she felt vulnerable after the attacks, but said she wasnt in favor of shutting down borders although she did support border checks and limiting immigration to Belgium, because of a lack of jobs. We shouldnt go back before Europe. We should go forward. We should make Europe better, Linker said. Ann Katharine Lothin, another Brussels resident, complained that some immigrants coming to the country got more support from the government than native residents. I want controls, Lothin said. I think you must take the right people. But, Lothin added, Its so difficult. Times staff writer Pearce reported from Los Angeles and special correspondent Chad from Brussels. MORE FROM THE BRUSSELS ATTACKS The Brussels attack victims were from all over the world. Here are some of their stories. What we know about the Brussels attacks Brussels terrorist attacks put a heavily Muslim district and Belgiums police under scrutiny The failure of Belgian authorities to foil deadly attacks on the airport and metro this week has fueled new questions about the nations ability to handle the extremist threat and on Thursday prompted two top ministers to offer their resignations. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel refused to accept the resignations, declaring, In time of war, you cannot leave the field, according to Interior Minister Jan Jambon. The offer to stand down from Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens came a day after Turkish officials revealed that last year they had expelled as a terrorist one of the men who ultimately took part in this weeks suicide attacks. Advertisement Turkish officials said they alerted Belgium, which apparently took no action against the man, Ibrahim El Bakraoui identified this week as one of the two suicide bombers who struck the airport on Tuesday. Belgian authorities acknowledged mistakes, as this capital was still traumatized from attacks that killed 31 and injured nearly 300. Mistakes were probably made by our agencies and in that case secretaries have to take their responsibilities, Geens acknowledged in comments to Belgian public television. So if the prime minister deemed it necessary for the stability of his government and our country, we are willing to pay the price. We wouldnt have offered if mistakes hadnt been made. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens talks to the media at the end of a meeting of European Union justice and security ministers in Brussels on Thursday. (Thierry Charlier / AFP/Getty Images) Later, however, the justice minister argued that El Bakraoui probably was not the key player in the coordinated strikes on the airport and a metro train. Hes only one of the perpetrators, and not even the most enterprising one, Geens said. He was not the mastermind of this affair. On Thursday, a U.S. official said that at least three of the attackers in Brussels, including Ibrahim (also called Brahim) and Khalid El Bakraoui, brothers of Moroccan descent who were Belgian citizens, were on a U.S. counter-terrorism watch list before Tuesdays attack. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in discussing internal assessments, would not say how their names were added to the list, or whether they were known to U.S. counter-terrorism officials before Ibrahim El Bakraouis arrest in Turkey last year. Najim Laachraoui, who blew himself up at Brussels Airport along with one of the brothers, was also on the U.S. watch list and was known to have traveled to Syria, the official said. Officials believe that Laachraoui was seen pushing a luggage cart and wearing black on the far left of an airport surveillance image released by Belgian authorities. Laachraoui was also believed to have been a bomb maker in Novembers attacks in Paris, U.S. authorities say, one of a number of links between the two terrorist strikes. Another man in the airport surveillance image, seen wearing a hat and tan jacket, has not been identified publicly and is believed to be on the run. An undetermined number of U.S. citizens remain unaccounted for after the Brussels attacks, Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, told reporters in Washington on Thursday. Belgian authorities have not yet released the nationalities of those killed, Toner said. About a dozen U.S. citizens suffered nonfatal injuries in the attacks, the spokesman said. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> A Brussels airport worker works on a laptop amid luggage that was left behind during Tuesdays terrorist attack on Brussels Airport, in a warehouse near the airport on Thursday. (Olivier Matthys / Associated Press) Belgium, a nation of 11 million, has been under fire for what critics call its laggard response to the terrorism threat especially from Belgian nationals who have traveled to Syria since the strikes on Paris night spots left 130 people dead. Most participants in those strikes were later identified as Belgian nationals or French citizens who had lived in Belgium, where the attacks were believed to have been planned. More than 400 Belgian citizens have gone to fight in Syria, according to official estimates, the highest per-capita number among European nations. Authorities estimate that more than 100 have returned home. Critics have argued that the nations fragmented law enforcement and political systems divided in part because of power splits between the two main language groups, French and Flemish have helped extremists and criminal gangs operate with near impunity. Greater Brussels, for instance, is divided into 19 communes and six separate police zones. Belgiums 10 provinces are split into almost 600 municipal councils. The place is awash with guns and explosives, said Christine Fair, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University. Whereas in the rest of Europe, it is difficult to get these things.... Its not a coincidence that the Paris attacks were planned in Brussels. When a delegation of senior U.S. intelligence officials traveled to Belgium this year, leaders from each of the four Belgian security services refused to attend the same meetings, according to two U.S. officials who described difficulties American officials have faced working with fractious Belgian agencies during terrorism investigations. The officials described a patchwork of law enforcement and intelligence services in Belgium fighting over turf, understaffed and overwhelmed. The countrys 196 local police forces have strained relationships with the federal police, and law enforcement officials regularly complain that Belgiums military Intelligence and Security Service and civilian State Security Service bicker with each other and keep everyone else in the dark, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity in discussing internal assessments. Still, Belgian authorities and their defenders reject as ludicrous the failed state label that some critics have used to describe the nation. People should stop lecturing Belgium, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg told the Flemish-language daily De Standaard. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. There was terrorism in Britain and in Germany in the 1970s and 1980. There was terrorism in Spain, in Italy and much more recently in France. Europe has not made widespread changes to how intelligence is shared, such as the reforms made in the U.S. after the failure to connect information on the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers. The U.S. created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center after the jetliner attacks and beefed up the amount of information on suspected terrorists that is poured into central databases. The deadly attacks in Paris and Brussels have renewed calls for European countries to share more information on terrorism and criminal networks. In recent years, French intelligence agencies have increased their cooperation with U.S. and British authorities, for example. But German security services are limited by domestic law from sharing some data on German citizens. In December, the European Union parliament and council reached a deal that would force airlines to hand intelligence services data on passengers such as flight times, addresses, phone numbers and credit card numbers. But the changes have not been implemented widely. There is still not robust intelligence sharing within Europe, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a telephone interview. It is still stovepiped. Europe has to decide whether to continue to allow free movement of people within Europe if they do, they have to make sure information travels faster than Europeans themselves, because that is the only way to stay ahead of the challenge, he said. Belgium has not hired terrorism investigators quickly enough to track the large number of Belgians who have traveled to fight in Syria, Schiff said. I think they are significantly outmatched by the challenge, he said. The fact that plotters connected to the Paris attacks were able to pull off this attack during a heightened state of vigilance shows the limits of what the Belgians are able to do, Schiff said. But others argue that no security measures can eliminate the threat of terrorist attacks, as strikes on Israel, the United States and other nations with robust security regimes have demonstrated. A database of every Belgians fingerprints could not have prevented this, Belgian Privacy Secretary Bart Tommelein told the local media, referring to this weeks attacks. And others argue that onerous security steps could backfire, lessening individual freedoms and creating police-state style restrictions incompatible with democracy. More checks: Where does that stop? Mark Singleton, director of the International Center for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague, asked in an article this week in De Standaard. Pat pupils down coming into school? Terrorisms goal is dual: attention and destabilizing a society. Draconian measures reinforce the impression that at any moment we can become a target. Times staff writer McDonnell reported from Brussels and Bennett from Washington. Special correspondent Arthur Debruyne in Brussels contributed to this report. MORE Brothers who work together in the name of terror. Why so many? Brussels attacks also shatter confidence in Europes open borders The Brussels attack victims were from all over the world. Here are some of their stories Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is guilty of multiple war crimes, a United Nations tribunal at The Hague decided Thursday in one of the most important war crimes trials since World War II. The 70-year-old psychologist-turned-politician was convicted for his role as the architect of ethnic cleansing in the 1992-1995 Bosnian War and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The conflict caused the former Yugoslavia to fall apart, left 100,000 dead and forced more than 2 million people to flee their homes. Advertisement The verdict was handed down by United Nations judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, where Karadzic faced 11 separate charges. He was found guilty in 10 of the 11 counts, with only one charge of genocide not upheld. Karadzic appeared stoic as the verdict was handed down, standing in front of the judge dressed in a suit and tie. These are among the most egregious of crimes in international criminal law, judge O-Gon Kwon said. Karadzic was found criminally responsible for the deadly 44-month siege of Sarajevo, where nearly 12,000 died because of a plan to commission murder, terror and unlawful attacks against civilians, the judge said as he delivered his verdict. Karadzic was also found guilty of the massacre of some 8,000 Bosnian men and boys in Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia, which amounted to genocide. Instead of preventing the killings in Srebrenica, Karadzic himself ordered that the Bosnian male detainees be transferred elsewhere to be killed. The only count that Karadzic was cleared of related to accusations of genocide in municipalities in Bosnia. The tribunal found that although crimes against humanity occurred, the events in those areas did not amount to a willful intent to exterminate a population. Karadzic was convicted of all remaining counts: one count of genocide in Srebrenica, five of crimes against humanity, four of war crimes that included deportation of civilians, murder and hostage taking relating to the abduction of U.N. peacekeepers. During the five-year trial, prosecutors say he authorized the forcible removal of non-Serbs from Bosnia and as commander-in-chief of Serb forces in Bosnia, he was responsible for their actions. Karadzic denied the charges and said they were the actions of a rogue group of individuals who were not acting under his command. The tribunal instead found that he was instrumental to the slaughter. Large numbers of Bosnians who survived massacres and concentration camps were expected to travel to hear the verdict or watch on their televisions at home. His trial is symbolically important for his victims, but Karadzics legacy continues to be deeply divisive in a country that is still riddled with ethnic tensions and a faltering economy. Just last weekend, the Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik named a student dormitory after Karadzic during a ceremony attended by his wife and daughter. 1 / 5 Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic sits in the courtroom for the reading of his verdict at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague on March 24, 2016. The former Bosnian-Serbs leader is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. (ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN / AFP/Getty Images) 2 / 5 Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic stands in the courtroom during his initial appearance in 2008 at the U.N.'s Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague (Jerry Lampen / AP) 3 / 5 Left: Radovan Karadzic during a press conference on March 3, 1994, in Moscow. At right, Karadzic in Belgrade before his arrest in 2008. He was practicing medicine under a fake name in Belgrade, officials said. Karadzic managed to remain at large for 13 years despite an international manhunt. (AFP/Getty Images) 4 / 5 Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, right, and Bosnian Serb army commander Gen. Ratko Mladic, left, visit the front line at Mt. Vlasic, some 50 miles southeast of the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Banja Luka on April 17 , 1995. (SAVA RADOVANOVIC / AP) 5 / 5 Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, right, with Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic during a meeting in Pale, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in August 1993. (STRINGER / EPA) A U.S.-brokered peace deal finally brought the fighting to an end in 1995, and Karadzic was indicted in 1995. However he eluded arrest for 13 years until he was finally tracked down in Belgrade in 2008 and extradited to The Hague. He had been living as Dr. Dragan Dabic, an alternative health healer, and had grown a thick beard to mask his appearance. In a recent, rare interview, Karadzic sought to portray himself as a peacemaker, not a mass murderer. He said that he thought his actions deserved respect rather than persecution and told the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network that he did not think he would be convicted. I know what I wanted, what I did, even what I dreamed of, and there is no reasonable court that would convict me, no matter how many high-ranking Bosnian Serb officials have been convicted, he said in the interview. Boyle is a special correspondent. ALSO Port of L.A. helped pay for cleaner China Shipping vessels--which later stopped docking in L.A. Joe Biden will try to explain what Republicans call the Biden rule New law allowing concealed guns on campus roils University of Texas The United Nations Human Rights Council voted Wednesday to renew its agreement with a special rapporteur to continue monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Iran. The resolution was adopted with 20 countries voting to extend the mandate of Ahmed Shaheed, while 15 nations opposed the mandate, and 11 abstained. Among the countries that voted against extending the mandate were Russia, China, Cuba and South Africa. Advertisement In a statement, UN Watch, a Geneva-based human rights group, called the adoption of the resolution a concrete sign that the international community recognizes that human rights violations are ongoing in the country and stands in solidarity with the numerous victims in Iran. The transgressions Iran is accused of include restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, the arbitrary detention of journalists and political and civic figures, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, and violence against women and the suppression of their rights, advocates said. Last year, executions increased to the highest number in more than two decades, according to Shaheeds most recent report. Change wont happen overnight, as the Iranian state is based on principles that discriminate against women, ethnic and religious minorities, gays and numerous others, UN Watch said. Yet this important step keeps the item prominently on the international agenda and gives hope to oppressed citizens in Iran. Iran has been critical of the rapporteurs reports, calling them biased and politically motivated and suggesting that they were intended to support continued international sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Javad Larijani, secretary of Irans own Human Rights Council, was specifically critical of complaints about Irans administration of the death penalty, and he defended the use of capital punishment for terrorism and drug-related offenses. Iran has a clear stance on terrorism and will not tolerate any act of terror, Larijani said in a statement earlier this month quoted by the semi-official FARS news agency. With respect to drug crimes, he said, The views of our country are very clear, and the world should reward us for fighting against these convicts, because we are largely paying this price on the behalf of the West. Shaheed was appointed special rapporteur for human rights in Iran in 2011. Tehran has never allowed him to visit the country. For more news on global sustainability, go to our Global Development Watch page: latimes.com/global-development MORE FROM WORLD Chinese authorities recover $48 million worth of smuggled python skin A year later, Afghans reflect on a mob lynching of a woman falsely accused of burning Koran Zuckerberg braves Beijing smog for a jog as his China charm offensive continues Wednesday was supposed to mark the end of 52 years of armed conflict in Colombia. But peace negotiations underway in Havana between the government and the countrys main rebel group are likely to stretch on for months, according to observers close to the talks. Its a delay that was predictable given the complexity of the issues still to be decided, said Bruce Bagley, a University of Miami professor who is close to the governments negotiating team. That doesnt mean it doesnt raise concerns. But Im still optimistic well have a signing by June. Advertisement The government had hoped to at least reach a permanent cease-fire agreement with the rebels, known at the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, in time for President Obamas visit to Cuba this week. It would have been a milestone with potential opportunities for Colombian negotiators to pose for celebratory photographs with Obama. But several issues remain unresolved, including the mechanics of how the rebels will lay down their arms and how a final deal will be approved. The rebels want the terms of a peace deal incorporated into a new constitution, while the government favors a simple vote by the public. Also undecided are the size, number and location of concentration zones, where about 18,000 demobilized rebel fighters and their supporters and families will stay as the peace process unfolds. The rebels want more than 50 such zones spread across the country while the government is offering 20 peasant reserves in remote areas, Bagley said. Once they are disarmed, the rebels must trust that they are safe from marauding right-wing paramilitary groups. A 1989 peace deal quickly fell apart after the slaughter of an estimated 3,000 ex-fighters and leftist political leaders. The smaller zones make sense because they are easier to protect, said Adam Isacson, a Colombia specialist tracking the peace negotiations for the Washington Office on Latin America think tank. But the FARC is concerned they will be cut off from areas they have controlled for 50 years. The United Nations has agreed to send about 350 observers to the concentration zones to monitor a cease-fire and verify that the rebels are laying down their arms. The observers will not be armed, leaving it up to Colombias armed forces to guard the demobilized insurgents, a prospect that many top military commanders are resisting. The FARC wont put down their arms unless there are ironclad guarantees that they will be protected, Bagley said. The government is negotiating with the military to provide that protection but exactly how is an open question. The idea has not gone over well with the armed forces. The missed deadline comes at a time of declining public support for President Juan Manuel Santos, who has staked his presidency on the success of the talks underway in Havana since November 2012. The U.S. has strongly supported the negotiations and appointed a special envoy, Bernard Aronson, a former assistant secretary of State. Former President Alvaro Uribe, now a senator and a foe of Santos and the negotiations, has argued that the terms offered by the government to the FARC are too generous. Santos wants demilitarized rebels to receive monthly stipends and to be subject to prison terms of no more than eight year for crimes ranging from mass murder to drug trafficking. Santos is going through a rough patch politically, said Michael Shifter, president of Inter-American Dialogue, a policy think tank in Washington. With the missed deadline, he will incur some additional political cost, especially with former President Uribes relentless criticism of the peace process. Nonetheless, Shifter believes that prospects for signing an accord remain good. It would certainly behoove the FARC to do so, he said. This is the best deal they will ever get. Kraul is a special correspondent. ALSO Bernie Sanders rocks the L.A. faithful in a rally at the Wiltern Disney threatens to stop filming in Georgia if anti-gay bill becomes law Flight attendant who tried to sneak 70 pounds of cocaine at LAX arrested in New York A graphic video that appears to show an Israeli soldier shooting a wounded Palestinian man in the head, moments after the man had stabbed a different soldier, has put an already tense West Bank neighborhood on edge. A human rights volunteer took the video Thursday morning as he witnessed a stabbing attack near the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood in the southern occupied West Bank. He sent the video to the group BTselem, which published it online. The video begins moments after an Israeli soldier had been stabbed by two Palestinian men, just before Israeli settlers were due to hold a parade celebrating the festival of Purim. Advertisement The soldier is wheeled on a stretcher into a waiting ambulance, while one of the Palestinian men accused of the attack, Fatah Sharif, 21, lies on the ground after already being shot once. He is alive and moving his head, but appears to pose no threat to Israeli forces. This terrorist is still alive, this dog, a voice can be heard saying. After two minutes a soldier approaches Sharif. A gunshot can be heard as a van moves slightly in front of the camera. When it passes, Sharif is seen lying motionless, with his head tilted back in a pool of blood. A second Palestinian, Ramzi Alkasrawi, 20, was also shot dead by soldiers during the attack. Two other soldiers stood nearby and did not appear to provide medical assistance. The soldier who was wounded in the initial stabbing attack was taken to hospital in moderate condition. Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner said it was a grave incident and the soldier who shot the Palestinian in the head had been arrested and detained. After a preliminary investigation, they found the soldier breached military practice and values, he said. Lerner said there would be a military police investigation into the soldier who shot Sharif in the head, along with a wider investigation into the other soldiers present and those that gave orders. The video supports claims by Palestinian and international human rights groups, including Amnesty International, that Israeli forces have shot and killed Palestinians who carried out -- or were suspected of carrying out -- stabbing attacks, even when they posed no further threat. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> A spokeswoman for BTselem, Sarit Michaeli, said it was clear from the video that a soldier had executed a wounded Palestinian. This happens in plain view of many other soldiers and officers, who do not seem to take any notice, she said. The soldiers and medical teams are seen in the video treating the lightly injured soldier while ignoring the two seriously injured youths. Since October last year when an upturn in violence between Israelis and Palestinians began, BTselem has reported on what it called the disproportionate use of force on suspected assailants. Only one case the group documented has been investigated. An Israeli policeman shot a 16-year-old Palestinian girl 11 times and killed her after she stabbed a man in the arm in central Jerusalem. That police officer was not found to have breached protocol. Shuttleworth is a special correspondent. ALSO Meet the Israelis praying for a Trump win Home of key witness in arson attack on Palestinians also goes up in flames A young Virginian met a girl abroad, and soon was living in a place called Islamic State On 21 March US Secretary of State John Kerry met with the negotiating teams representing the Colombian government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) guerrilla group holding peace negotiations in Havana, Cuba. According to a US State Department press release, Kerry at the request of Colombias President Juan Manuel Santos - first met with the Colombian government's negotiating team and then with Farcs. The press release adds that Kerry reiterated to both sides that the US strongly supports the peace process, and is prepared through Paz Colombia announced February 4 by President [Barack] Obama, to support the implementation of a final agreement to end the longest running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. He underscored to both sides that the peace process in Colombia, like President Obama's historic visit to Cuba, was a sign of a profound transformation underway in Latin America. Kerry is also said to have told both parties he is encouraged that the end of conflict issues are now front and center in the negotiations, including a formal bilateral ceasefire monitored by the UN Security Council, a timetable for disarmament, and security guarantees post-conflict for all lawful political actors. Secretary Kerry urged the parties to redouble their efforts to resolve these difficult issues that are necessary to conclude a final agreement. End of preview - This article contains approximately 774 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options For California Latinos, the top issues are jobs, the economy and the state's water crisis, and these could factor in their preferences among presidential candidates. Latinos' Presidential Preferences According to the Public Policy Institute of California's (PPIC) Statewide Survey, conducted between March 6 and March 15, Latinos favor former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., although he has a comfortable support rate. Among the nearly 132 Latino likely Democratic voters participating in the survey, 58 percent supported Clinton, while 35 percent went for Sanders. Nine percent of respondents said they favor another candidate, but 3 percent were undecided. Although Clinton is leading, Sanders is still hoping to attract the California electorate. He recently hosted a rally in the state featuring actress Rosario Dawson, the co-founder of Voto Latino, a nonpartisan civic engagement organization that works to engage Latinos in politics. In regards to the Republican presidential candidates, the data was unavailable for Latinos' preferred candidate. Overall, taking into account all ethnicities, 38 percent of likely Republican voters would cast their ballot for Donald Trump. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, placed second with 27 percent, ahead of Ohio Gov. John Kasich's 14 percent. Taking into account all Latino respondents, 61 percent said they are satisfied with the candidate choices for the 2016 presidential election, compared to 38 percent who were not satisfied. Meanwhile, a narrow majority of 52 percent of white voters said they are not satisfied with the candidate choices, while 45 percent felt satisfied. On the Issues The Golden State's Latinos are mostly concerned about two issues: the combination of jobs and the economy (29 percent) and the water and drought crisis (28 percent). The third most important issue among Latinos was education (7 percent), including schools and teachers, just ahead of immigration and illegal immigration (6 percent). Rounding out the top five issues was "government in general" (4 percent). California's Primary, Latino Vote California's primary election, however, is still a few months away, set to take place on June 7 for both Democratic and Republican parties. In the GOP, California offers 172 delegates, and it could be a "winner take all" race for Trump. For Democrats, 474 delegates are at stake, although it's not a "winner take all" contest. California is home to the largest Latino population in the U.S. Approximately 15 million live there, or 27.1 percent of all Latinos in the country. The Latino electorate is lower at 6.9 million, but it's still the largest Latino eligible voter population in the nation, ahead of the 4.8 million in Texas. __ For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com. Republican voters overwhelmingly agree the 2016 presidential candidate with the most delegates should go forward as the GOP's official nominee, should all the candidates fall short of bagging the required number of delegates to automatically seize the ticket. Anti-Trump Movement Gains Steam The findings of the Bloomberg Politics national poll should come as calming news to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, the subject of an intense "StopTrump" crusade that seeks to stop the bombastic New York City real estate magnate and political neophyte in his tracks. Trump's opponents argue the party's rules allow other candidates to seek and claim the nomination if no candidate reaches the designated 1,237 delegates before July's GOP convention. The movement has already gained the public support of 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Trump's current rival Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Poll Reveals GOP Support for Trump But the poll finds 63 percent of GOP voters, who have already voted in the primaries or plan to do so, are convinced whichever candidate earns the most delegates should be viewed as the official face of the party, even if he lacks a majority. Over time, climbing that hurdle may prove to be the least of Trump's concerns. The survey also found if he should emerge as the Republican nominee, he would be easily trounced by Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in a general election showdown, 54 percent to 36 percent. Such findings are in keeping with another aspect of the poll that found Trump rates unfavorably with 68 percent of all voters, compared with 53 percent for Clinton. "Trump's numbers are bad and getting worse," said pollster J. Ann Selzer, who oversaw the survey. "A majority of Americans now describe their feelings toward him as very unfavorable. That's a 13-point spike from November 2015." Trump's apparent fall could run deeper than just the candidate himself. Researchers also found 60 percent of Americans now view the Republican Party unfavorably, the highest negative rating the poll has noted since it started nearly seven years ago. The Democratic Party, in contrast, is viewed negatively by 43 percent. Trump Maintains Lead, but Loses in Match-ups Still, Trump holds a commanding lead over his two GOP rivals, bagging 40 percent of the vote to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's 31 percent and Kasich's 25 percent. But Kasich is the only remaining GOP candidate who happens to best Clinton in a general election match-up, leading 47 percent to 43 percent. Clinton tops Cruz 51 percent to 42 percent. "For those wondering why Kasich hasn't dropped out of the race -- with his distant third-place showing in delegates -- that is the reason," Selzer said of the governor's apparent general election appeal. The poll also found Americans seem much more in tune with Clinton's overall assessment of the country than that of Trump, who has adopted the slogan "Make America Great Again." Clinton has countered that slogan, saying, "America has never stopped being great." When asked if America is "no longer great" or "never stopped being great," 63 percent of voters sided with Clinton's outlook. Overall, Trump has won 18 states to Cruz's eight and one for Kasich. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio won three contests, including Puerto Rico, before he suspended his campaign. Fox News Channel TV host Sean Hannity and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos had a heated debate Tuesday night over Donald Trump and illegal immigration. Hannity vs. Ramos The segment began on the "Hannity" show with clips of Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Trump condemning the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in the wake of the recent ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in Brussels. Cruz said the program -- which allows foreign nationals to live in the U.S. for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa -- needs "serious scrutiny." Trump, on the other hand, said the government should end the program altogether. After playing the clips, Hannity introduced Ramos to his show and proceeded to attack him for criticizing Trump, who has also called for a wall on the southern border and the deportation of millions of undocumented workers. "I have watched your coverage. And I've listened to the things you say. You throw around this word racism with a sense of being so casual I find offensive," said the Fox News host. "And on numerous occasions, I've noticed, you take what Donald Trump said out of context, which I think is fundamentally unfair. It shows you are not objective in your own opinion, although I think you like to portray yourself as such. And when you go out there and say he wants to ban 1.5 billion from coming into the United States because of their religion, or when you said he's calling all Mexicans criminals and murderers and rapists, that is a false characterization on your part. Why do you do that? Why don't you report honestly, and then give your opinion?" Hannity questioned Ramos. "I have simply been reporting what Donald Trump says," Ramos answered. "That's not true," Hannity replied. Ramos continued by referring to Trump's infamous remarks that Mexican immigrants are drug traffickers, criminals and rapists. He added, "He's absolutely wrong." Hannity defended the real estate mogul, arguing that Trump was referring to only some Mexican immigrants. Ramos rejected the idea of clamping down on immigrants entering the country, noting the contributions that immigrants make to the nation. He also accused Hannity of being too soft on Trump during a recent interview special. In response, Hannity argued that the Univision news anchor is not concerned about national security. "You don't care about the 640,000 Texans. You're taking his comments out of context. You're calling him racist. You're calling him bigoted. And you totally misrepresent what he said. And you think you're the superior reporter?" Hannity said. "I don't really need lectures from you, Jorge Ramos." At another point during their contentious debate, Hannity asked Ramos to acknowledge that some immigrants commit rape and murder. "Absolutely, it is happening. But then, I cannot blame the whole immigrant population for what some of them have done," Ramos said in response. Ramos Confronts Trump Last summer, Ramos and Trump became physical when the Mexican-American anchor challenged the billionaire businessman on his stance on immigration at a press conference. The confrontation began when Ramos stood up and began yelling out questions to Trump about immigration. In response, the GOP front-runner told Ramos to "go back to Univision" and had him removed from the event by security. Trump, however, let him return to the conference later on. After being kicked out of Trump's press conference for speaking out of turn, Ramos defended his actions, telling "Anderson Cooper 360" that he was "just a reporter asking questions." Ramos Makes Clinton Promise Not to Deport Children Earlier this month, Ramos asked Hillary Clinton if she can make the promise to not deport undocumented immigrant children "who are already here" in the U.S. "I will not deport children. I would not deport children. I do not want to deport family members, either, Jorge. I want to, as I've said, prioritize who would be deported: violent criminals, people planning terrorist attacks, anybody who threatens us. That's a relatively small universe." Watch the debate below: A Mississippi house bill amendment says that elected officials and candidates are not allowed to use campaign money for their personal use. The Senate Elections Committee amended House Bill 797 to ban officials from using their own benefits. According to the house bill amendment, the campaign money can't be used by the officials for personal purposes, including gasoline purchases, car payments, rent, or loans to candidates. The bill also includes ruling that candidates can't cash out campaign money at the end of their term. Officials would be able to use the campaign money for ordinary and necessary expenses of a candidate. The house bill amendment comes after five past officials have cashed out more than $50,000 in the previous years, ABC News reports. "It was well worth the wait," Rep. Hank Zuber, R-Ocean Springs said. Zuber also introduced proposals to ban the personal use of campaign funds and cashing them out when officials retire, but all failed. "For me it's an issue of what is right and moral, and reinstating confidence in the political process." Despite the Mississippi house bill amendment, it is still pending in the Senate for further debate, Salon reported. House Apportionment and Elections Committee Chairman Bill Denny is calling for a study of campaign finance practices that would be reported on Oct. 15. Based on the records of the National Conference of State Legislatures and AP research, Mississippi is one of the five states that still permit elected officials to use their campaign funds for their personal use during or after their tenure in the office. Other states that allow it include South Dakota, Wyoming, Virginia and Dakota. "It erases the distinction between the political candidate and the person," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "The money might mean more to the candidate because they would know they could use it later." The Mississippi house bill amendment comes after reports claimed that state Auditor Stacey Pickering purchased a camper, a car, and a garage door using campaign funds. An Associated Press research revealed that about 25 out of the 99 elected officials who served in the previous years have used over $1,000 after closing their campaign funds. Daily Progress noted that Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck pocketed more than $261,000 from periods between 2007 to 2013. Apart from the Mississippi House Bill Amendment, the House Apportionment and Elections Committee passed Senate Bill 2374 on Tuesday to itemize the expenses on the official's credit cards. In a surprising move on Thursday, prosecutors dropped homicide charges against a man accused of fatally shooting an Easton man to death during a January drug deal in Allentown. Ulric Daron McKenzie (Courtesy Photo) Ulric Daron McKenzie, 34, of the 200 block of North 10 th Street, was accused of killing Chonce Acey in a supermarket parking lot near 401 Tilghman St. McKenzie was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday on charges of homicide, attempted homicide and carrying a firearm without a license. Instead, prosecutors dropped the most serious charges. District Attorney Jim Martin said in a news release that evidence showed Acey and another man were assaulting McKenzie with knives and fists before McKenzie opened fire. "After a thorough review of the case, I determined the Commonwealth could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt the facts necessary to sustain" the charges, Martin said. "It is likely that a defense of self-defense would have been raised, and the Commonwealth would not be able to disprove that. In fact, the evidence supports self-defense." Defense attorney Kim Makoul said her client was happy and relieved when she told him about the withdrawn charges, and noted the shooting was a traumatic and upsetting experience for him. McKenzie still faces the firearm charge, and waived his hearing on it. McKenzie was being held in Lehigh County Jail without bail; after the homicide charges were withdrawn, District Judge Michael Faulkner set bail at $75,000. Faulkner said people shouldn't carry guns when they commit petty crimes, because then the crimes become more serious and people die. Faulkner said he wanted to set a substantial bail because McKenzie is accused of bringing the gun to a drug deal. "I'm just not comfortable not setting some type of substantial bail," Faulkner said in court. Acey, of the 1400 block of Washington Street in Easton, was found by Allentown police with multiple gunshot wounds in a supermarket parking lot near 401 Tilghman St. Chonce Acey, 28, of Easton, was found mortally wounded in Allentown, authorities say. (Courtesy photo) McKenzie was arrested Jan. 15 in Bronx, New York by U.S. Marshals, and was extradited last month to Allentown. Authorities said surveillance cameras recorded the shooting. The video shows a white Chevrolet Avalanche parked in the lot, and two men fighting with a man inside the truck. The two attackers were Acey and another man only identified as D.D. in court records. The video shows Acey and D.D. running as a firearm is fired from inside the truck. Officers found three .380 shell casings in the lot, police said. A witness told officers McKenzie shot Acey, and that McKenzie was injured in the fight, police said. After the shooting, the witness said McKenzie was dropped off at his apartment. Police interviewed D.D., who said he went to the lot for the drug deal and was eventually involved in the fight with the backseat passenger, authorities said. D.D. said the passenger fired a handgun several times, and that he was grazed by a bullet on his torso. In court, McKenzie said he moved to the Allentown area about six months ago, and worked as a mechanic out of his home. McKenzie's wife and four kids live in the Scranton area, and he said he planned to return there if he posts bail. "I missed out on a lot," he said. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Man whose body was found in Allentown was fatally shot Allentown police investigate a homicide March 23, 2016, in the 700 block of South Corn Street, according to Capt. Tony Alsleben. (Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com) UPDATE: Allentown man, 39, was city shooting victim The Lehigh County Coroner's Office has identified the 39-year-old Allentown man shot to death on Wednesday afternoon in the city. As of 6:30 a.m., authorities were notifying next of kin and once that is done, the victim's identity will be released, likely fairly soon, Grim said by email. The man was gunned down at 4:36 p.m. in the 700 block of South Corn Street, Grim said Wednesday. The man was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m. at the rear of the 700 block of South Filmore Street, Grim said. The coroner ruled the death a homicide due to a gunshot wound to the body. An autopsy is planned for later Thursday morning, Grim said. Allentown police on Wednesday night didn't confirm there were other victims, but the Morning Call, attributing police Chief Keith Morris, said a second man was shot and transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. A pedestrian was also hit by a car about the same time in the same vicinity, the newspaper reported. No one was in custody as of Wednesday night, police said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Man whose body was found in Allentown was fatally shot Allentown police investigate a homicide March 23, 2016, in the 700 block of South Corn Street, according to Capt. Tony Alsleben. (Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com) UPDATE: Man shot dead in Allentown identified; family being notified The body found Wednesday afternoon in Allentown was that of a homicide victim, Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said. The 39-year-old male victim was shot to death about 4:36 p.m. in the 700 block of South Corn Street, according to Grim. Police responding to the report of shots fired in the area found the body outdoors, city police Capt. Tony Alsleben had said. Grim said he pronounced the man dead at 6:21 p.m. to the rear of the 700 block of South Filmore Street. He ruled the death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the body. Grim said he would release additional information once positive identification is made and next of kin are notified. The coroner's office and Allentown police were continuing to investigate with assistance from the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office and Homicide Task Force. No one was immediately reported to be in custody in the crime, police said. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Chocolate Lab Bethlehem The Chocolate Lab in Bethlehem's owner is facing a Facebook backlash after her reply to a customer's bad review. (Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com) The owner of the Chocolate Lab in Bethlehem's response to a customer's bad review has gone viral, sparking promises to boycott the store. A Facebook user posted a one-star review of the Main Street chocolate store after she said she and her children were treated poorly when her daughter accidentally knocked over food from a store display. The customer repeatedly offered to pay for the food but writes that store owner Arlene Brockel refused the offer. "I walked away, threw out the cupcakes," Brockel said Thursday. "I said to myself, but I guess she heard me, 'Whelp, there goes five bucks down the drain.'" But it's not Brockel's response in the store that has the Internet so fired up. It is her reply to the customer's bad review on Facebook. Chocolate Lab owner Arlene Brockel says she regrets calling the customer's children rotten. (Facebook screen shot) Brockel said she regrets calling the children rotten but she was very upset and shocked by the bad review. "All I ask is keep an eye on your children," Brockel said. "I did not say that to their face, I wrote it on the review. I apologize for my review. Should I have used a different word for my review? Yes, and I apologize. Why this has gotten so out of control? I have no idea." Facebook users from all over the country have been inundating Chocolate Lab's Facebook page with bad reviews. But Brockel says she's got more new Facebook likes than negative reviews. "This has not done anything to hurt my business, except upset local parents and children," she said. The incident lasted 10 seconds and she did not realize the woman wanted to buy chocolate. Brockel tried to give the woman and her children space because she was clearly so upset. She returned to speaking with out-of-town customers looking for tips on where to go in Bethlehem, the owner said. "Nobody was crying in my store," Brockel said. "(If I had known a child was crying) I could have addressed this situation and helped this child. I had no idea this was going on." She wishes the customer had allowed her to resolve the issue in the store. "I'm stumped. I'm like what happened. I don't even know what else to say," Brockel said. "I have a beautiful high-end chocolate shop. I have lots of kids that come into the store. I love kids. I have no problem. Please watch your children. Looks with your eyes, not your hands." The Chocolate Lab does have repeated issues with children breaking things or touching things they shouldn't in the store. "This isn't a problem in my store. This is a problem in America with people not teaching their kids to have manners and not touch things they are not supposed to touch," Brockel said. "If I touched something I wasn't supposed to when I was a kid I got cracked, that's old school." On Wednesday a child turned the open sign to closed, which Brockel didn't notice for three hours, she said. Children often bang on the glass chocolate cases and she worries it will break, hurting the kids or other customers, Brockel said. "Where are these kids' parents and why aren't they paying attention?" she asked. Brockel almost let the bad review go but she felt she had to say something for local business owners. "People can sit behind their computers and write whatever unfair thing they want to say and you can't do anything about it," Brockel said. "People need to teach their children they can't act like that when they are in public." Owner called a would-be customer's children "rotten" on Facebook after a harmless accident in the store. Let's teach this terrible human being a lesson and never set foot in this store again. Posted by Sean O'Donnell on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Brockel is not sure what exactly transpired with this customer and her children as she was assisting another customer. But she said she heard a giant antique silver tray clatter off the table and fly into the wall, scattering products across the floor. "I just saw things falling and I panicked. I could tell the mother and children were so upset," Brockel said. "The mother was frantic. I felt so bad." Brockel said she refused offers to pay for the cupcakes, threw them out and returned to the other customers. She wanted to give the woman space to calm down and leave an "uncomfortable situation," Brockel said. The Chocolate Lab has been open for 14 years, seven of them on Main Street. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A homeless woman is accused of dislocating a Bethlehem Township police officer's finger during an arrest at a township hotel. Mary Ellen Schueck (Courtesy photo) Mary Ellen Schueck, 45, who lived in Macungie before becoming homeless, shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday was at Value Place Hotel when an arrest took place with a male inside her room. Bethlehem Township police officers initially were dispatched to the hotel, 4016 Christian Spring Road, for a report of a domestic argument. As an officer was handcuffing the man involved in the domestic dispute, Schueck allegedly began arguing with the officer and aggressively approached him. She ignored commands by the officer to stand back and then, grabbed the officer's index finger and yanked it back until it dislocated at the knuckle, police said. The officer then wrestled Schueck to the ground and the pair tussled. The officer reported pain in his shoulder and forearm during the assault. Schueck is charged with two counts felony aggravated assault, resisting arrest and harassment. She was arraigned before District Judge Patricia Broscius, who set bail at $25,000. In lieu of bail, she was taken to Northampton County Prison. The judge ordered Schueck enroll in Pretrial Services and submit to random drug and alcohol screens. The judge allowed 10 percent of $25,000 in approved by Pretrial Services. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Plans to tear down Bethlehem's iconic Masonic Temple, restore the historic Wilbur Mansion and build an apartment complex were approved by the city zoning board. The zoning hearing board voted Wednesday night to grant the conditional variances the developer needs for his plans for the Masonic Temple complex, said city zoning officer Suzanne Borzak. The complex sits at the gateway to South Bethlehem, at the foot of the Hill-to-Hill bridge on Route 378 and Brighton Street. Developers John Noble and Rob Ashford plan to tear down the former temple because of structural problems and restore the adjacent historic mansion. Their plans call for a glass-enclosed office space addition to the mansion. To make the restoration financially viable, the developers plan to build a 64-unit high-end apartment complex to the site's rear that would front on Cherokee Street. The two, four-story apartment buildings would be connected by a one-story lobby. The entire project is estimated at $20 million, Noble has said. If the project is approved, an underground parking garage, with at least one spot for each apartment, will be built first. Then the two energy-efficient apartment buildings and the connecting lobby would be constructed on top. Some residents Wednesday night expressed concerns about the existing traffic on Cherokee and how the new apartments would make it worse. The developer will have to complete a traffic study and comply with the planning commission's recommendations, according to the zoning board's vote. Planners strongly recommended only two driveway openings on Cherokee Street and said the northern driveway is too close to the intersection with Brighton Street. The commission will be looking for information in the traffic study about the intersections of Cherokee and Third streets. "As it exists today, straight or left turns from Cherokee Street are very difficult, especially during rush hour," Tracy Samuelson, assistant director of planning and zoning for the city, wrote in a letter to Noble. The zoning board also wants the apartment building to be architecturally similar to surrounding buildings and the Wilbur Mansion must be maintained, Borzak said. Noble hopes to start work on the Wilbur Mansion project in the next three months and finish it by year's end. The apartment complex development might take longer because the land development plans must be approved by the planning commission, Noble has said. The Masons' Bethlehem Lodge 283 sold its Wyandotte Street home of the last 90 years due to financial difficulties. The lodge was constituted in 1854 and ground was broken for the masonic temple in 1925. The Masons bought the mansion in 1924. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. For more than 100 years, the Huntington building has loomed over Easton's Centre Square. This spring, architect Lucienne Di Biase Dooley wants to breathe new life into it. The former Downtown hotel built in 1903 is in line for a new facade, windows, awnings, gooseneck lights and paint. Work on the 24 apartments and the lobby inside 5 N. Third St. is already underway. Dooley's firm, Artefact Inc., of Bethlehem, specializes in historic restorations. "It's really the kind of work we do constantly, to look at a building and see how to bring it back to life and make it part of the urban fabric in an elegant way," Dooley said. Her firm designed renovations for the Simon Silk Mill and Gov. Wolf buildings, both historic Easton buildings being renovated into apartments. Borko Milosev of Post Road Management bought the Huntington building in July for $2.1 million, with an eye on upgrading it. Dooley said she was able to unearth photos from 1906 and 1910 to help guide her toward historically appropriate improvements. She said the existing exterior colors will serve as a base for what's to come. "We're going to do some tweaks to make it a little bit more clear and red," she said. The historic district commission endorsed the plans, and city council approved them Wednesday. Dooley said exterior work should start in a month and wrap up by the end of spring. A native of Italy, Dooley formerly worked as an architect in Paris. She said architect Christine Ussler founded Artefact 30 years ago hoping to land work restoring historic properties. Few people were interested at that time, but her persistence paid off, Dooley said. Now Artefact consults with Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Reading on historic architecture. "We really love existing conditions, big historic buildings," Dooley said. "They're a lot of fun. Challenging and fun." Financing for the project was provided by Peoples Security Bank & Trust. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Hardwick Township Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Hardwick Township. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) A group of hikers who got lost at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area were walked to safety Thursday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service said. Emergency dispatches said there were three hikers lost in northern Warren County, but spokeswoman Kathleen Sandt couldn't immediately confirm the number. The hikers got "turned around," but they were found exactly where rangers figured they'd be in Hardwick Township, Sandt said. "Everybody's OK," she said. Initial calls said the hikers were on the side of a mountain in Worthington State Forest, which is a New Jersey state park. "It's kind of a patchwork" of federal and state lands at the southern end of the recreation area in New Jersey, Sandt said. The state forest is entirely within the footprint of the national park, she said. But the hikers were found on federal land, she said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. As Kildares three newly elected TDs have ben getting used to their new roles, they have been waving goodbye to their old roles. All three, all in the Fianna Fail party earned their livings in active positions prior to election. James Lawless is a qualified barrister and worked as Head of Compliance at the VHI. He explained that he had taken leave of absence during the campaign since Christmas, but since his election, he would be resigning the position to prevent any possible conflict of interest. Deputy Frank ORourke had been working as the Head of Operations at Irish Tar and Bitumen. He confirmed to the Leinster Leader that he had resigned from that role. No safety net for me! he said. And Deputy Fiona OLoughlin has been on unpaid leave from her role as EU Liason for the Special Olympics for the period of the campaign. The role involves working with Special Olympics programmes in all 28 member states, developing awareness and links with their governments and the EU commission and parliament. She had resigned from her permanent pensionable teaching job a few years ago. She said last week that in the immediate aftermath of the election she hadn't yet gotten around to discussing the matter with Special Olympics, but believes that its not the type of role that easily facilitates somebody coming in and out. Surprisingly, perhaps the most interesting policy proposal in the race for Mayor of London has come from George Galloway, the controversial Respect candidate. Galloways economic guru, Max Keiser, has set out plans in a white paper and campaign video to place the entire mayoral budget on a blockchain. The policy has yet to attract much coverage but the idea could feasibly garner support from both the left and the libertarian right, and suggests an interesting direction for liberals at all levels of government. The technology behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, a blockchain is a decentralized record of transactions. Instead of a central record, a ledger of transactions is stored on every node of the chain. The veracity of the data is guaranteed by the distributed ledger, making the technology fraud-proof. As the technology is trestles actors in a financial transaction dont need to trust each other it eliminates a range of middlemen and intermediaries. Galloways campaign believes that this means moving the 18bn Mayoral budget onto MayorsChain would save vasts sums of money which could instead be invested in transport or policing. This is supported by a recent report from the governments chief scientific advisor which argues that blockchain technology could be used by government departments to reduce the cost and complexity of tasks in the fields of data collection, taxation and procurement. Liberals should endorse his recommendation that government runs pilots testing the use of distributed ledgers in the public sector and local government. The technology can also help to make politics more transparent. Walports report argues the blockchain has the potential to redefine the relationship between government and the citizen in terms of data sharing, transparency and trust. Perianne Boring, the founder of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, has described blockchain as offering radical transparency. MayorsChain would allow the public to scrutinise how the City Hall budget was being spent, bringing examples of corruption, incompetence or waste to light and incentivising politicians to manage taxpayers money more carefully. Similar, innovative uses of blockchain technology by politicians can help support a direct, participatory democracy. Arguments of fiscal prudence and transparency are hard to rebuke and could appeal to the left, the libertarian-right, localists and those with a mistrust of politicians and bureaucracy. A liberal government could follow the lead of trailblazers like Honduras and Vermont that have explored the potential of blockchain technology to unlock democracy. Politicians could support moving the budgets of a variety of central government departments onto blockchain platforms, inviting public scrutiny and efficiency savings. Local government officials could move town hall spending onto a blockchain to allow citizens to see how their council taxes were spent and encourage them to take an active role in reshaping their communities. LGIU have argued blockchain could have a variety of uses in local government, such as implementing smart contracts that delivered payment-by-results models, scaling pooled budgets and ensuring that savings made as a result of innovation could be seen even when their results were felt in other departments. The Big Society agenda formed a key part of the coalition agreement, but the Conservatives have since abandoned much of its language of empowerment, devolution and direct democracy. Moving public budgets onto the blockchain therefore offers a promising avenue for liberals to craft a distinctive agenda for a technology-driven, decentralising liberalism. * Alex Hardiman is a liberal, although not currently a party member. He works for Floreat Education Academies Trust, and has written articles on policy for Left Foot Forward, the Bright Blue think-tank and Libertarian Home. This report concerns the meeting of the FPC that took place on 23rd March 2016. This was not the best-attended meeting of the cycle but there were some very interesting discussions nonetheless. Consultation Session on Liberty and Security Working Group Paper Brian Paddick attended to offer the committee an opportunity to comment on the consultation paper that was taken to Spring Conference by his working group. The consultation session at Spring Conference was standing room only and there were a number of views expressed in that meeting. Brian explained that the Investigatory Powers Bill is starting its committee session in the Commons shortly. The committee was delighted to hear that the chair is to be Nadine Dorries MP. Members of the committee made a number of points in response to the consultation. There were comments surrounding the rushed nature of the legislation, the need to keep the rhetoric on the proposed powers proportionate to the threat, the issues in relation to bulk retention and the privacy implications thereof. There were also comments about the need to ensure that legal professional privilege is inviolable,that there should be proper judicial oversight with submissions potentially being made by special advocates for the other side and the need to ensure that there are no hidden back doors into encrypted data. Others made comments about identifying those things that we disagree with and those things where there is a debate to be had about the detail, for example judges versus minsters issuing authorisations. Others queried the effectiveness of the measures and made the point that the provisions may have a disproportionate effect on minority communities. There was a reasonably lengthy debate over the nature of authorisations and whether a judge ought to be the first port of call or whether a minister ought to take the first decision. Federal Policy Committee response to the Governance Review Duncan Brack has drafted a response to the Governance Review on behalf of the Federal Policy Committee. The committee went through that draft and made some suggestions and comments. As is always the case on matters of process that affect Liberal Democrats, this was a lengthy agenda item! The issues raised related to transparency in terms of the minutes (there was a proposal for a Facebook group and the publications of our agendas), the structure of the Federal Committees and whether the new proposed Federal Board should supervise and monitor the work of the other committees (the committee thought not although there did have to be more collaboration). There was further discussion of the composition of committees, the election of committee chairs, training, internal elections and the future of the Spring Conference (there was a very strong steer in favour of retaining it). Consultation Session on Social Security Working Group Paper The committee went through the consultation paper that had been prepared by the Working Age Social Security Working Group. Jenny Willott attended to update the committee on what the group had been doing. There have been a number of evidence sessions thus far and they have helped to inform the group enormously, especially given some of the divergences of view that there are amongst its membership. There was a consultation session at conference that was extremely well attended and very lively. There were some areas that were not controversial and others that were very much more so. In the committee, there were questions and comments about citizens income, insurance, housing, benefit sanctions, the importance of volunteering, poverty measurements and the complexity of the system. Foreign Affairs Update Tom Brake attended the meeting to provide members with an update on foreign affairs issues. He went through the major issues that are being discussed at present within the team. They are fairly eclectic in nature and include Syria, Libya, the question of no- fly zones, refugees, particularly 3,000 unaccompanied children, issues involving the deal with Turkey and the action of Saudi Arabia in Yemen. There were also discussions about international human rights abuses as well as, of course, the EU referendum. There were questions and comments about a number of those and, in particular, the need for proper internal party communications about those issues. If there are any comments or questions about the above, please let me know! * Geoff Payne is the Chair of Federal Conference Committee. In news that will surprise nobody, Labour today moved the writ for the Ogmore and Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough by-elections. It is defending the two seats following the resignation of Huw Irranca-Davies to stand for the Welsh Assembly and the death of Harry Harpham. This news comes on the day a very welcome poll puts us at 10%, just 1% behind UKIP: Westminster voting intention: CON: 36% (-3) LAB: 34% (+1) UKIP: 11% (-1) LDEM: 10% (+4) GRN: 3% (-) (via Ipsos Mori / 19 22 Mar) Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 24, 2016 One poll is nothing to get too excited about, but, combined with the trends in local by-elections, it is an encouraging sign. There are certainly worse ways to kick off election season. The fieldwork was conducted in the aftermath of the budget, and may suggest that people are starting to see how much we reined the Tories in when we were in Government. The Welsh Liberal Democrats announced today that Janet Ellard will fight Ogmore: Janet spent over 20 years as a modern languages teacher and lecturer and an assistant examiner. She is currently a Volunteer Manager for a youth homeless charity, and until recently volunteered with the Asylum Justice project. Speaking following her selection, Janet Ellard said: Im delighted to have been chosen by the Welsh Liberal Democrats to contest this by-election and fight for the people of Ogmore. I want to spend the campaign listening to peoples concerns across the constituency, and use my experience of working with young homeless people to give a voice to those who cant speak up for themselves. Welsh Liberal Democrats have a strong record of delivering for Ogmore. Our influence in the Assembly secured millions of pounds extra for schools across our area, going straight to help some of our most deprived children fulfil their potential. I vow to fight hard to improve local health services which have suffered so badly under 17 years of Labour rule from Cardiff Bay. I will stand against any fracking in Llanharan and push for a much-needed bypass for the town. In Sheffield, Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed is the Liberal Democrat candidate, as The Star reports: Lord (Paddy) Ashdown, former international High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006, led this weeks House of Lords debate on the situation in the country following its recent election. Heres what he had to say Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (LD): My Lords, a few months before the last election in the last months of 2009, my right honourable friend William Hague and Iwell, at least he was not my right honourable friend then, but he is today; he was then the shadow Secretary of State for Foreign Affairswrote a joint article for the British and foreign press on Bosnia and Herzegovina. We complained bitterly that Bosnia was stuck, that the progress that we had made during the previous 10 years had gone backwards, that the tone of nationalistic rhetoric had risen, that this was dangerous and that Bosnia remained stuck in a mire of dysfunctionality and corruption. We ended that article with this paragraph: Today Radovan Karadzic is finally on trial in The Hague on charges of alleged genocide and war crimes in Bosnia. As he and others are called to account over their part in the horrendous events of the 1990s, it would be a supreme irony if their plans for carving up Bosnia-Herzegovina were to be realized simply because the international community was too busy to care. So it was then; so it is, I have to say, today, for Bosnia has not moved one inch forwardit has indeed gone backwards. This is despite the fact that this was a key article in the coalition agreement, one of the very few in the foreign affairs section of that agreement, which picked out the Governments priorities; despite the fact that we have had in Mr William Hague a Foreign Secretary, until he was relieved of that position, who was genuinely interested in Bosnia and Herzegovina, advised by the admirable Arminka Helic, who is due shortly, to my delight, to join our number here; despite the fact that he knew what had to be done; despite the fact that he had a series of policies to push forward the process of making a functional state in Bosnia and Herzegovina; despite all those things, we are now exactly where we were in 2009. No, we are in a worse position than we were in 2009, for Bosnia has not gone forward but has gone backwards in the most dangerous way, despite the fact that we have in Bosnia and Herzegovina today more instruments of leverage, power and influence than in other country on earth. We are spending hundreds of millions of euros every year in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have a police mission under the European Union; we have EUFOR under the European Union; we have the largest European Union mission; and yet, because of a drowsy apathy in other European capitals and because of the most signal failure of policy over seven long years on the part of Brussels, Bosnia has slipped backwards. It does not please me to say these things. This is now both a tragedy and exceedingly dangerous. I shall talk about the tragedy first. For the first 10 years of Bosnias progress, it was the poster boy of post-conflict reconstruction. It moved further than any other country has ever done. We had a million refugees returning even to the Golgotha of SrebrenicaMuslims returning to Srebrenica. We had the genuine building of institutions of functional government. We had free elections carried out by the Bosnians alone to the highest possible standards. In my time in Bosnia, we took the two armies and we welded them together into a single-state army under the control of the presidency. We took the three intelligence services and we welded them together under the control of Parliament. We created in faster time than in any other country a genuine system of VAT revenue in place of a shattered, broken and corrupted sales tax. We brought together the customs services; we began to lay the foundations for the unification of the great city of Mostar. I do not claim these as successes for those who were high representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for we played but a small part in them. None of these things was done, as the legend now says, by the use of the Bonn powers or by coercion; all of them were done by persuasion. All of them were done by having a co-ordinated policy from the European Union and Washington to drive the process of state functionality. All of them were done not by me but by brave Bosnian politicians such as Adnan Terzic and Dragan Covic, who were my partners in my days there and who took great risks to themselves and believed in the Bosnian state. These were achievements by the Bosnian politicians; they passed through the Bosnian state democratic institutions; they were not imposed by outsiders. And then, in 2007, sadly, the European Union adopted a policy to stand back and take no further action. It would leave it to the policy of ownership. For seven long years, Bosnia has gone backwards. For seven long years, the noble Baroness, my good friend Cathy Ashton, has presided over the European External Action Services actions in Bosnia and we have seen, without any step taken to prevent it, all the progress of those 10 long years successively unravel, starting in Republika Srpska with Milorad Dodik. If there was ever an example of how Bosnia has failed to move forward, in the elections held last week, Bosnia ended up with exactly the same collection of politicians running it as it had before: the same people who ran the war, the same obstructionists. I ask us to reflect for a moment. It is 20 years next year since the Dayton agreement, and yet, in 20 years, despite all those advantages, despite all the leverage, we have utterly failed to put together the kind of functional state that could provide the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina with a future, the only future that they can have that gives them prosperity and security, as part of the European Union. The noble Baroness, Lady Ashton, was even persuaded by her advisers to go to visit Milorad Dodik as though he was the head of a state, not the head of an entity, and sit down with him when, on his table, there was a map and flag of Republika Srpska and the flag of the European Union, but no flag for Bosnia-Herzegovina. You could not give a clearer example that the European Union was not interested in the state. Of course, it says that it is, but that is not how it worked out. Every Bosnian knew that from now on the whole emphasis was to be not on the functioning of the state but the functions of the entities. The entire political activity in Bosnia is now spent not on trying to build a functional state capable of joining the European Union but, instead, of investing in the old institutions of division: the entity and the federation. Those are exactly the same ingredients as took us to war. This is a tragedy. So much has gone missing. We have stood by and allowed this to happen. Because we permitted Milorad Dodik to start spouting the old rhetoric of secessionism, we have an equal and contrary reaction from the Bosnians on the other side; so the rhetoric of division has risen in the past seven years in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the rhetoric of unity has faded away. The mood in Bosnia today confirms to that old Balkan proverb: Da komsiji crkne krava, which means, My neighbours cow is dead, that makes me happy. That is the mood of Bosnia today: not unity, but disintegration; not the building of a functional state but the investment of political power in the entities. What are we to do? You cannot have a more terrible example of a long-term failure of public policy than our failure to build on the foundations of Bosnia-Herzegovina to create the functional state necessary to join the European Union. Here is where it gets dangerous. We now have instability in Bosnia. We have secessionism in Republika Srpska and deep, deep disappointment among the Muslim communitythe largest Muslim community in any European country; an ancient Muslim community that goes back 400 years and understands that there is no contradiction between Islam and European values. It is feeling left out, just as it did in 1992. A friend said to me the other day, Isnt it a good thing that the two great foreign policy challenges of our timethe Ukraine crisis and the crisis of fundamentalist jihadismnever come together?. Oh yes they do, they come together in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Russia is now playing mischief with the Serbs in Republika Srpska. It is offering it false loans to enable it to duck out of its agreement with the IMF. It is playing the Ukraine crisis right into the heart of Europe. We stand by and do nothing. At the same time, thank God, the Bosnian Muslims are as difficult to radicalise as you can imaginethey continue to wear their skirts as short in Ferhadija in Sarajevo as they would in any other city on a Friday evening. If you go to Bosnia in weather like thisin still, clear October weatheryou see rising above every little Bosnian Muslim village little columns of smoke ascending to an Allah or God who is offended by alcohol, at the bottom of which you will inevitably find a slivovitz still cooking up the plum brandy that is necessary to survive the winter. These are not easily radicalisable people, but there are now significant numbers, not just from Bosnia but from Sanjak, Montenegro and Albania now joining ISIL, because they see no hope left in a nation to which we will not commit the necessary political will to make it into a functional state. I know that my noble friend will tell me that the Government have supported the continuation of EUFOR. I am glad of that; it is a good move; but EUFOR is the backstop that prevents failure becoming something worse; it is not a plan to take Bosnia forward. I know that the Government are saying that there is a rapprochement between us and Germany that will bring forward some plan for economic and social progress, but that is not the core of it. You cannot create a strong economy unless you create a functional state. Unless we address that and come forward with a series of co-ordinated plans and procedures to achieve that and push it forward, Bosnia will remain where it is. These are dangerous times; they are very dangerous times indeed. I do not believe that the threat to Bosnia-Herzegovina today is that it returns to conflict. There is no mood for that, thank God, in Bosnia-Herzegovina today, but, for the first time, I cannot totally discount it. I do not know what will happen if a grenade is thrown into a mosque in Doboj on Friday night. By and large, the threat to Bosnia-Herzegovina is that while the rest of the Balkans moves forward, it continues to sink into a black hole of corruption and dysfunctionality from which we do not have the will to move it forward but may never leave because of its destabilising influence over the whole region. That is where we are unless we shift gear. I am sorry that in our Chamber, where the tradition is for more modulated prose than I have used today, I have had to speak rather bluntly and openly, but I am depressed and frightened by what is happening in Bosnia. I am appalled at the failure of public policy that has led us to this. The Government have to lift more of the burden; they have done much but not enough in this process. I am sorry if in this speech I have been rather stronger than is normal in this place but simply, I know no other; I can find no way to whisper a wake-up call. Sal Brinton was part of the House of Lords Committee which produced todays report which reviewed the impact of the Equality Act 2010 on disabled people. Its conclusions were pretty damning. Its worth setting out in full the five major themes that they identified: First, in planning services and buildings, despite the fact that for twenty years the law has required anticipatory reasonable adjustment, the needs of disabled people still tend to be an afterthought. It is time to reverse this. We are all living longer, and medical advances are keeping us alive where in earlier years it would have failed to do so, but not necessarily in good health. We should from the outset plan for the inevitability of disability in everyone as they get older, as well as for those who suffer accidents and for all those other disabled people who are the subject of our inquiry. Our second theme, closely related to the first, is the need to be proactive, rather than reactive or process driven. Many of those involvedGovernment departments, local authorities, the NHS, schools, courts, businesses, all of uswait for problems to arise before, at best, attempting to remedy them. We should be planning so that disabled people can as far as possible avoid facing the problems in the first place. Thirdly, there is the issue of communication. So many of the problems of disabled people are exacerbated by a failure to make them aware of their rights in a manner that is clear and is adapted to their needs. But communication is a two-way process. If all those responding to the needs of disabled people engaged with them, listened to them, and took account of their views, all would benefit. Rights which are unenforceable are not worth having. The law and the courts must adapt so that rights can be made effective as easily, quickly and cheaply as possible. Lastly, it is the Government that bears ultimate responsibility for disabled people, and it must be structured to discharge that responsibility. Currently it is not. Sal was on the Today programme talking about the report and its conclusions this morning. You can listen to her here from around 1 hour 13 minutes. She focused a lot on issues relating to transport. Its worth reminding ourselves of the article she wrote for us back in 2014 about how disabled rail travellers were treated like packages. Some of the incidents she outlined were appalling: Last Sunday, returning from the Scottish Lib Dem Conference in Aberdeen, I was left on an empty train on an empty platform at midnight at Kings Cross for over 15 minutes before I spotted someone on the first floor, and waved furiously to get her attention; On Today, Sal said that despite legislation being in place for two decades, it hasnt been properly enforced. Buses still havent complied with accessibility requirements and it is virtually impossible out of Central London to hail a cab thats capable of taking a wheelchair. She highlighted how the initial planning for Crossrail had 7 stations without step-free access. She highlighted how Witness after witness demonstrated to the Committee how not enforcing the law had a major impact on their life, adding that most of the reports 55 recommendations are no or low cost but implementing them requires organisations to be proactive. The recommendations are highly specific. One of the most interesting was that the Committee disagreed with David Buxton, who had been giving evidence in his role as Director of Campaigns and Communications of the British Deaf Association. In their opinion, the Equality Act did cover BSL Mr Buxton told us that the Equality Act does not cover BSL users and does not cover BSL use. Our conclusion is otherwise. The Equality Act covers BSL users because it imposes on service providers a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments in communicating with them; and where BSL is their first or only language, those adjustments will very often be the provision of BSL interpreters. Without the Equality Act and, before it, the Disability Discrimination Act, there would be no such legal obligation. Sal concluded today that: All it takes is the political will so that disabled people can start to live their lives. Thats quite a powerful statement and quite an indictment on our institutions of Government for not making more progress over he last 20 years. How do we take the recommendations forward in a way that actually transforms the lives of disabled people? As a party which seeks to break down barriers for people, we should be at the forefront of that effort in our own practices as well as in our campaigns. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings THE first fatality of the 1916 Rising was Glin man, James OBrien, a constable in the Dublin Metropolitan Police who died while defending Dublin Castle from the rebels. But another Glin man, medical student, Eamon Dore of Main St, was on the side of the rebels. He fought with the Irish Volunteers in the GPO but lived on, after internment, until his death in the 1970s. Both men will be remembered in their native Glin on Easter Monday at a special centenary ceremony in the town park. The footbridge in the town park will be officially named The Centenary Bridge in their honour and commemorative plaques as well as an interpretive board will be unveiled, John Anthony Culhane, chairman of the Glin Development Association said. As fellow parishioners, they are being equally honoured and remembered and the plaques on the bridge acknowledge their involvement in the Rising, Mr Culhane added. One hundred years on, we want the Centenary Bridge to stand as a symbol of the ever-growing reconciliation in those differences which separated these two men who, although being from the same parish, happened to be on opposing sides in the struggle for Irish freedom. James OBrien, from Kilfergus, Glin joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police in 1895. On Easter Monday, April 24 1916, Constable OBrien was on duty at the gate of Dublin Castle. Sean Connolly, a public servant and Abbey actor, was the leader of a group of Irish Citizen Army men and women, who had come from Liberty Hall to seize Dublin Castle. At around noon that day when Constable OBrien tried to prevent them entering the castle, Sean Connolly approached him and shot him dead. In the aftermath of the shooting the gates of the castle were shut. Sean Connolly then gained entrance to the nearby Dublin City Hall and went on to the roof where he was immediately shot by a British army sniper from within Dublin Castle. Sean Connolly thus became both the the first rebel casualty of the Rising as well as being the man to cause the first fatality on the other side. Eamonn Dore was born in 1886 at Main Street, Glin and went on to become a medical student at University College Dublin where he joined the Irish Volunteers. He was a courier for Sean MacDermott, one of the signatories of the Proclamation of Independence. Eamonn Dore fought alongside many of the rebel leaders in the GPO during Easter Week 1916, including Padraig Pearse, James Connolly and James Clarke. Later, describing the scene after the order was given to retreat from the GPO, Eamonn Dore wrote: As we got out the door into Henry Street, we lined up two deep, with the ORahilly standing in front and Patrick Pearse by his side . . . Our gallant attempt to break through failed and the survivors ended in an old burnt-out ruin in Moore Street. I saw ORahilly fall wounded and my nearest comrade, Pat OConnor, was killed just in front of me, and falling on me pinned me under him. Following the Rising, Eamonn Dore was detained in British internment camps with many other Irish Volunteers including Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera. On this Easter Monday also, a third man will also be recalled, Mr Culhane said. The innocent casualties of the Rising must not be forgotten, he declared. Michael OConnor, from Ballyhahill, was killed in crossfire during the Rising. His grave in Kilfergus Graveyard lies near the grave of Constable OBrien. The ceremony in Glin Town Park will begin at 11.30am on Monday, March 28. LIMERICK City North councillor Cian Prendiville feels he has a real shot at being elected to Seanad Eireann. The Anti-Austerity Alliance (AAA) member, who came within just over 200 votes of being elected to the Dail, has been nominated by four of his party colleagues to run for the Upper House. Cllr Prendiville was in Dublin yesterday to meet the people who nominated him, Deputies Paul Murphy, Ruth Coppinger, Mick Barry and Richard Boyd-Barrett to talk strategy, and hopefully meet some other left-minded TDs, senators and councillors. There is a huge swathe of anti-austerity, anti-establishment independents we think should vote for a like minded candidate, as opposed to letting establishment parties take a seat. We have a real shot at this. It would be a real upset, obviously. Its not our traditional turf, but when you look at the numbers of left councillors elected, there is a huge constituency there of people who could give us a number one or a number two, he told the Limerick Leader. Cllr Prendiville is running on the Labour panel, saying: This is about representing workers. Thats what the AAA is about. About organising workers and young people to fight for our rights. Standing on the side of workers against exploitation and against workers being hit again and again to pay taxes rich refuse to pay. The northside councillor first elected in 2014 would be the first member of the AAA in Seanad Eireann if elected. He is the only person running on the AAA-PBP ticket. It would be a real breakthrough for the real left. Not just for the AAA-PBP, but for the broader left, he commented. When the Fine Gael-Labour coalition went to the public to ask if they would like to retain the Seanad, Cllr Prendiville campaigned to abolish the Upper House. Although the public decided to keep the Seanad, Cllr Prendiville said he would campaign in the same manner in future even if it meant it cost him his job. I feel the Seanad is an undemocratic institution. It is built to make it hard for left voices to be heard in there plus young voices. It is built in such a way as to favour the political elite. It is about principles and perks it is only being used by the austerity parties as a rubber stamp, he said. Locally, Cllr Prendiville is expected to face Castleconnell man and Siptu official Paul Gavan on the Labour panel. Elsewhere, Fine Gael councillors Maria Byrne, O'Connell Avenue, and John Sheahan, Glin, are to seek election on the agricultural panel. A LIMERICK photographer has won the single best image taken by an Irish photographer in the worlds biggest photography competition, the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards. Christopher Roches winning image, entitled Monlam, Taktsang Lhamo and taken in Tibet, was chosen as the single best photograph taken by an Irish photographer entered into any of the awards ten open categories. Roche, a filmmaker and photographer born in Canada who is currently based between London and county Limerick, has won a Sony ILCE-7M2K. In addition, the winning image will be part of the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London, running from April 22 to May 8. It will also be published in the annual Sony World Photography Awards book. I am delighted to win the Ireland National Award, Christopher said. Last year I was second, so persistence pays off and it looks like Im heading in the right direction. It is wonderful to receive recognition and it makes the memory of standing in the freezing cold of a Tibetan winter, sometimes at altitude, now seem well worth it. Photographing different faith traditions across the world, I try to tell stories rather than create pretty images after all, I come from a nation of storytellers. Im grateful that theres an audience for it. He explained that the great prayer festival of Monlam takes place in Eastern Tibet during the heart of winter. Tens of thousands of pilgrims join the monks in celebrating the event. Here the monks of Taktsang Lhamo are performing the ritual known as the Turning of the Buddha where a statue of the Maitreya Buddha is carried around the four corners of the village. This ceremony is to ensure that the earthly realm will be ready for his arrival. Christopher told the Leader that while he grew up in Canada, Nigeria and Wales and has lived throughout the world, the one constant in my life has been our family home near Murroe. I still spend as much time as I can there, editing my photographs and walking along Clare Glens, Glenstal, Keeper Hill and Silvermines, and of course along the Shannon - where the light is as beautiful as anywhere in the world. The runner up positions for the Ireland National Award were given to Jason McGroarty, in second place, and Norma Gleeson in third. The National Awards programme honours and rewards the best single image taken by a local photographer and runs in 60 countries across the world and is open to photographers of all abilities. Better never than late? Bulgarias post-WWI set caused quite a furor May 2, 2021, 2 AM Neighboring countries of Bulgaria viewed as incendiary this stamp (Scott 157) and the preceding two showing places that Bulgaria lost after World War I. The Allied powers forced withdrawal of the stamps. The second stamp in the five-stamp set of 1921 also showed the unpopular Czar Ferdinand I, who was compelled to abdicate in 1918 in the wake of the countrys defeat in World War I. Printed during World War I but not issued until 1921, this Bulgaria stamp depicted the highly disliked former czar, Ferdinand I, and enraged the nearby countries shown on the map as still belonging to Bulgaria. This stamp (Scott 155) from the 1921 set shows Mount Shar, which at that time was in territory that no longer belonged to Bulgaria. The bridge over the Vardar River appears on Bulgaria Scott 156. This area also was no longer part of Bulgaria in 1921. By David A. Norris A set of five Bulgaria stamps with the printed dates of 1915-1916 was not issued until 1921. One might call them error stamps, although they reflected errors of politics rather than printing. Exhausted by defeat in the Second Balkan War in 1913, Bulgarias czar, Ferdinand I, at first avoided involvement in World War I. But in 1915, Ferdinand decided to join the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey). His reward was to be the land of Macedonia, which was then divided between two Allied countries: Greece and Serbia. At first, Bulgaria made territorial gains, but by mid-1918 the czars decision to enter the war had clearly been a grave mistake. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Keep up with us on Instagram Allied armies based in Greece repulsed the Bulgarians, and the Central Powers were on the edge of defeat. Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son Boris on Oct. 4, 1918, more than a month before the war ended Nov. 11. In the end, Bulgaria gained nothing of Macedonia, and lost parts of other territories. Six stamps (Scott 122-127) were issued by Bulgaria in 1917 and one (126A) in 1919 to commemorate the Macedonian campaign. Another set of stamps to mark the expected victory in Macedonia, inscribed with the dates 1915 or 1915-1916, was ordered from a German printer. Delivery of the latter stamps was delayed, and amid Bulgarias defeat and the collapse of Imperial Germany, the stamps were forgotten. In 1921, Bulgarian post offices almost ran out of stamps while awaiting a shipment of new stamps from a British printer. At this point, about six years after they were ordered, the long-delayed wartime stamps from Germany were delivered. Five of these stamps, Scott 153-157, were placed on sale June 11, 1921. A sixth, a purple 50-stotinka stamp, was delivered but not issued. Using these old stamps was thrifty, but politically and diplomatically unwise for Bulgaria. The two 10s claret stamps (Scott 153-154) offended many Bulgarians by depicting two different images of the unpopular, abdicated Czar Ferdinand. The first of the two 10s claret Ferdinand stamps also aroused serious reactions from Bulgarias neighbors. Scott 153 shows a map of Greater Bulgaria in the background of the design. This map includes vast swatches of territory that, after 1918, belonged to Romania, Greece and Yugoslavia. The other three stamps in the set (Scott 155-157) further stirred international indignation by portraying scenes in the conquered lands that Bulgaria lost after the war. The neighboring countries of Bulgaria denounced the controversial stamps as incendiary propaganda, and at the insistence of the Allied powers, Bulgaria was compelled to withdraw the five stamps after they had been on sale for only three weeks. The much delayed appearance of the stamps and the emotional reaction to them that led to their quick removal make these issues tangible reminders of the earthshaking changes that World War I brought to Europe. 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. Vasco da Gama was a highly successful Portuguese sailor and explorer during the Age of Exploration. He was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India, around the Cape of Good Hope. His discovery was monumental in the history of navigation as well as instrumental in establishing Portugal as a major colonial empire. A route to India Da Gama was born in 1460 to a family of nobles in Sines, Portugal. His father, Estevao, was also an explorer. Da Gama learned to navigate in the navy, which he joined as soon as he was old enough. In 1497, da Gama was appointed to command a ship with the goal of discovering a sailing route to India. Several decades earlier, Henry the Navigator had patronized several successful voyages in North and West Africa. These voyages were Portugals first steps at becoming a major maritime and colonial power. In 1487, Bartolomeu Dias discovered that the Indian and Atlantic Oceans were connected. This interested Portuguese King Manuel. He wished to conquer Islam and establish himself as the King of Jerusalem, in addition to making money off the spice trade. Vasco da Gama's first voyage took his ship around the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean. (Image credit: Feyday / Creative Commons) De Gama captained four vessels when he set out on July 8, 1497. Da Gama himself rode in the 200-ton St. Gabriel and his younger brother Paulo led the St. Rafael. Da Gama sailed south, taking advantage of the prevailing winds off the western coast of Africa, and swung out into the Atlantic before veering back in an arc to meet the South African coast. He then rounded the Cape of Good Hope and ventured into the Indian Ocean. By the time they reached Indian Ocean waters, most of his crew was infected with scurvy. Da Gama made landfall in Mozambique to rest and resupply. There, they had skirmishes with the sultan who did not believe the Europeans gifts were sufficient. They then landed in Mombasa and Malindi, where an Arab guide agreed to assist da Gama; the guide may have been famous Arab navigator Ahmed Ibn Magid. Da Gamas fleet sailed for 23 days before landing at Calicut, India, (modern-day Kozhikode) on May 20, 1498. The Europeans assumed the locals were Christians, though they were actually Hindus. Despite this misunderstanding, the ruler of Calicut agreed to trade with da Gama and he acquired a large supply of valuable spices. The Muslims who already traded at Calicut, however, were less inviting of da Gamas competition and forced da Gama to barter many of his spices in order to acquire sufficient supplies for the trip home. A monument to Vasco da Gama stands in Lagos, Portugal. (opens in new tab) Shutterstock (opens in new tab) ) (Image credit: sunsinger Return to Portugal In August, after three months in India, da Gamas fleet left Calicut despite advice that monsoon season was approaching. The ships encountered terrible storms during their journey. The passage across the Indian Ocean which had previously taken little more than three weeks took more than three months. So many men died of scurvy during the crossing that da Gama ordered the St. Rafael burned for lack of crew. The ships split up off the western coast of Africa, returning to Lisbon at different times. Da Gamas brother Paulo fell ill and da Gama took him to the Azores with hopes of healing him. Paulo died on the Azores and, after mourning on the island for some time, da Gama eventually returned to Portugal more than one month after the other ships had come back. Ultimately, it took da Gamas fleet more than a year to return to their homeland after leaving India. Though only 54 of the original 170-member crew returned to Portugal in 1499, da Gama received a heros welcome. He was made an admiral and married Catarina de Ataide, a woman of a noble family. The spice trade was hugely important for Portugal and soon after da Gamas return, King Manuel dispatched another expedition to India, led by Pedro Alvares Cabral. Cabral established a trading post in Calicut, but conflicts with the local Muslims resulted in battles and the deaths of 70 Portuguese. Second voyage to India In 1502, King Manuel once again sent da Gama to India to further secure Portugals dominance in the region. Da Gama left Lisbon with 20 armed ships under his command. During his journey, da Gama slaughtered hundreds of Muslims, attacking ships and firing cannons at trading posts up and down the east African coast. In one instance, he ordered the massacre of 380 people including women and children aboard a Muslim ship returning from Mecca. His brutal practices continued once he reached Calicut. There, da Gama destroyed the trading post and killed 38 hostages. Once he had the Calicut ruler's surrender, da Gama went south to Cochin (known as Kochi today). There, he made an alliance with the local ruler, further securing Portugals position as a dominant spice trader. Da Gama left Cochin in February 1503. During his return journey, he established Portuguese trading posts in what is now Mozambique. Portugal would later become the major colonial power in Mozambique. As part of this second India voyage, da Gama's uncles Vicente and Bras Sodre were put in charge of a five-ship squadron with instructions to protect friendly trading states on India's west coast. They were also tasked with disrupting Arabic shipping along the route, according to David Mearns, of Blue Water Recoveries in the United Kingdom. Disobeying such orders, the uncles, and their squadron, instead set off for the Gulf of Aden, carrying out a campaign of piracy. At one point, after killing everyone on five Arab ships, the Sodre brothers took shelter in a bay off the southern coast of Oman to repair their own ships. Not heeding the advice of local fishermen about impending strong winds, their ships ripped from their moorings. Vicente's ship sank in deep water, killing him and his crew. It is this ship, the nau Esmeralda, that scientists think they have discovered off the coast of Oman, they announced in March 2016. [See Photos of the Lost nau Esmeralda Ship] Life in Portugal and final voyage For 20 years, da Gama lived in Portgual with his wife, six sons and one daughter. He continued to advise King Manuel on matters regarding India and was made count of Vidigueira in 1519. After King Manuel died, King John III asked da Gama to return to India once again. He was requested to help deal with the increasing corruption of the Portuguese officials there. In 1524, da Gama yet again set sail this time with the title of Viceroy. Da Gama fell ill soon after arriving in Cochin. He died from an unnamed illness on Dec. 24, 1524. He was initially buried in a Catholic church in Kochi, but his remains were eventually brought back to Portugal in 1538. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was a passenger flight that left Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8, 2014, and disappeared 94 minutes later en route to Beijing Capital International Airport. The disappearance launched an international search effort some say the largest ever in an ever-growing area over the South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean. Nearly three years later, the fate of the aircraft is still unknown, and the search has been called off. Latest story: 3-Year Search Ends for Lost Malaysia Flight 370 Infographic: How the Bluefin-21 Searches For Flight 370 Wreckage on the Ocean Floor Passengers and crew Flight 370 left Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 a.m. local time carrying 227 passengers and 12 crewmembers. People from 14 nations were on board; most of the passengers 153 were Chinese citizens; all of the crewmembers were Malaysian. Three Americans were on the flight. Other passengers were from Australia (6), Canada (2), France (4), Hong Kong (1), India (5), Indonesia (7), Iran (2), the Netherlands (1), Russia (1), Taiwan (1) and Ukraine (2). The manifest released by Malaysia Airlines included an Austrian and an Italian. However, the men have since been identified as Iranian nationals who boarded the flight using stolen passports. Investigators at first thought the men may have been terrorists, but now say they were seeking asylum. More than two weeks after its strange disappearance, Malaysian officials announced they believe Flight 370 crashed into the sea. ( See full infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist) The flight's pilot was Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, who was born in northern Malaysian state of Penang and was a grandfather. He had more than 18,000 hours of flight experience. The co-pilot was Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, who had 2,763 flight hours. The Associated Press reported that he was engaged and was planning his wedding. The aircraft Flight 370 took off in a Boeing 777-2H6ER. The code "H6" is Boeing's designation for Malaysia Airlines, and "ER" stands for Extended Range. It was the 404th Boeing 777 produced. The plane first flew on May 14, 2002, according to the Aviation Safety Network. It had flown a total of 53,465 hours on 7,525 flight cycles (a cycle is one takeoff and landing of an aircraft). This type of aircraft is configured to carry 282 passengers 35 in Business Class and 247 in Economy Class. It has two Rolls-Royce Trent 892 engines mounted under its 200-foot (61 meters) wings. The plane has a maximum fuel capacity of 47,380 gallons (179,400 liters) and a range of 7,941 miles (12,779 kilometers). Its cruising speed is Mach 0.84 (640 mph or 897 kph). This particular aircraft last underwent maintenance on Feb. 23, 2014. A Malaysia Airlines spokesperson said no issues were identified during the maintenance. The aircraft had no history of major incidents before its disappearance. However, it was reportedly involved in a minor ground collision in 2012, which resulted in significant damage to a wingtip, according to Flightglobal. The airline Malaysia Airlines (MAS) began operations in 1972 after splitting off from Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, which was founded in 1947. The airline's home base is Kuala Lumpur International Airport, with hubs in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. The airline operates flights throughout East and Southeast Asia, with service to Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Europe and, until April 2014, Los Angeles via Tokyo. It has 105 planes in its fleet. The Aviation Safety Network lists three accidents (not including Flight 370) involving MAS aircraft: Sept. 2, 1992: Both tires collapsed, as well as the left main gear, causing a Fokker 50 to veer off the runway at Sibu Airport in Malaysia. No one was hurt. Sept. 15, 1995: A Fokker 50 landed 500 meters from the end of a 2,220-meter runway in Kota Kinabalu. The pilot attempted to take off and try again but crashed into some nearby houses. A total of 34 people on board were killed. March 15, 2000: Baggage handlers unloading 80 canisters from an Airbus A330 were overcome by strong toxic fumes. Fire and rescue personnel discovered that the canisters contained oxalyl chloride, a toxic and corrosive chemical. Several canisters had leaked, causing severe damage to the aircraft's fuselage. The aircraft was considered damaged beyond repair. A Chinese company was fined $65 million for mislabeling the canisters and destroying the aircraft. Flight 370 Timeline March 8, 2014 (all times in local time): 12:41 a.m.: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 takes off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on a scheduled flight to Beijing. The plane, with 239 people onboard, is scheduled to land at Beijing Capital International Airport at 6:30 a.m. local time. 1:19 a.m.: Last communication from co-pilot Fariq Hamid to air traffic controllers in Malaysia, as the plane flies toward Vietnam, across the Gulf of Thailand. Hamid reportedly said, "All right, good night." 1:21 a.m.: The Boeing 777-2H6ER's radar transponder is turned off. 2:15 a.m.: The Malaysian military detects an unidentified object on its radar traveling west. This information becomes public roughly a week later, and the radar target is thought to be Flight 370. The plane then disappears from military radar about 200 miles (322 kilometers) off the coast of Malaysian state of Penang. 6:30 a.m.: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is scheduled to arrive in Beijing. 8:11 a.m.: A satellite detects the last signal from the plane's antenna March 9: Within 24 hours, search operations begin over the Gulf of Thailand. An oil slick on the water is seen near where the plane was last detected, but lab tests eventually show that the oil came from a ship, not a plane. March 10: Search efforts are expanded into the South China Sea, after possible debris is spotted near Hong Kong. Ultimately, Vietnamese searchers are unable to locate objects in the water. It is also revealed that two passengers used stolen passports to board the flight, which raises concerns about terrorism. March 11: An investigation into the stolen documents eventually finds no link between the men and known terrorist groups. Officials conclude that the passengers were likely immigrants seeking asylum as part of a broader attempt to reach Europe. Malaysian officials tell a local newspaper that military radar evidence suggests the plane turned around mid-flight. March 12: An investigation is opened into the possibility that Flight 370 was hijacked or sabotaged. China releases satellite images of potential debris floating between the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The search area is expanded, but the Malaysia government later says the Chinese satellite images do not show parts of the missing plane. March 13: Search efforts move toward the Indian Ocean, as officials try to piece together the plane's flight path after air traffic controllers lost radar contact. March 14: Individuals familiar with the investigation tell the New York Times that the plane lost significant altitude after it lost contact with ground controllers. Intelligence officials probe the possibility that one of the pilots or crewmembers played a role in the plane's disappearance. March 15: The Malaysian government reports that the homes of the pilots were searched, following suspicions that someone onboard may have tampered with the plane's communication system. Investigations continue to examine the possible role the pilots played in the plane's disappearance. Later, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says there is a possibility that the plane's communications were "deliberately disabled" before it disappeared and the flight was intentionally diverted, though there is no evidence that the flight was hijacked. The last satellite transmission from Flight 370 is traced to the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Australia. March 16: An international search operation mounts, focusing primarily on the Indian Ocean. New analyses suggest the plane continued to operate for roughly seven hours after it last made contact with ground controllers. March 17: Indonesia and Australia use patrol aircraft to search large sections of the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysian law enforcement officials expand their investigation to include all passengers, crew and ground staff present on March 8. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak asks Australia to lead the ongoing search operation. March 18: Reports indicate Thai military radar may have detected Flight 370, but the information was not shared with or requested by Malaysian officials until now. Search efforts continue over the Indian Ocean. March 19: The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation joins the Malaysian government's ongoing investigation by analyzing data taken from the pilot's home flight simulator. Malaysia defense minister confirms that files were deleted from the program on Feb. 3. An analysis of the plane's fuel reserves narrows the search area to a smaller region within the southern Indian Ocean. March 20: Satellite images obtained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority show possible plane debris in the Southern Indian Ocean. The photos, captured on March 16, show two objects possibly related to the missing aircraft. But, despite organized search efforts across an area spanning nearly 9,000 square miles (23,000 square kilometers), patrol planes are unable to detect any debris. March 21: Search planes again fail to locate any debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner. Analyses by British satellite company Inmarsat find that the plane's steady speed and flight path suggest it is unlikely that the plane was disabled by a catastrophic accident. March 22: An Australian patrol plane spots a wooden pallet in the water within the search zone. A Chinese satellite orbiting Earth captured a new photo of objects potentially linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. The images show a large object measuring about 72 feet (22 meters) by 43 feet (13 m) in the southern Indian Ocean. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority tries to locate the objects seen by the Chinese Earth-observation satellite but is unable to find any debris within the reported search area. March 23: Images from a French satellite showing potential floating objects are sent to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The images, produced from satellite-generated radar echoes, or radar signals that provide information about an object's location, show an object or objects floating about 1,430 miles (2,300 km) off the coast of Perth. Search efforts again fail to produce any debris in the water. March 24: The Australian Maritime Safety Authority begins investigating two objects detected in the water, roughly 1,550 miles (2,500 kilometers) southwest of the Australian city of Perth. The possible debris includes a gray or green circular object and an orange rectangular object. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak holds a press conference and announces that up-to-date satellite information indicates the Malaysia Airlines jetliner crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. Razak says further analysis conducted by the U.K. Accidents Investigation Branch concludes that Flight 370 flew along the southern corridor, with its last known position in the middle of the Indian Ocean, off the west coast of Perth. Razak says the families of the 239 passengers onboard have been notified. March 25: Bad weather, including gale-force winds and heavy rain, stall search efforts for possible debris from the missing plane. March 26: A field of debris in the Indian Ocean, consisting of 122 floating objects, is seen in satellite images, according to Malaysia's Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. The images, taken on Sunday (March 23), cover an area 1,600 miles (2,575 kilometers) off the coast of Perth, near where other satellites previously detected objects potentially linked to the missing Malaysian jetliner. March 27: A Thai satellite spots more than 300 floating objects possibly tied to the missing plane. The potential debris, detected by the Thailand Earth Observation Satellite, is located roughly 1,700 miles (2,740 kilometers) southwest of Perth, Australia. March 28: Investigators in five different patrol planes detect "multiple objects of various colors" within a new search area, which is nearly 700 miles north of the previous area of focus. This new region, about 1,150 miles (1,850 kilometers) west of the Australian city of Perth, is of interest after studies suggest the plane may have run out of fuel earlier, and thus crashed sooner, than previously thought. March 30: An Australian search plane spots at least four floating orange objects measuring more than 6 feet (1.83 meters) in the water. March 31: The floating objects seen the day before are located and retrieved by Australian and Chinese ships, but after some analysis, are not believed to be linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. A robotic submarine is deployed to try to locate the aircraft's flight recorders, including the plane's black box, which has a roughly 30-day battery life. April 4: A Chinese ship detects sounds, described as "pulse signals," in the Indian Ocean. Investigators say the signals are at the same frequency as the plane's black boxes. April 7: An Australian ship, called Ocean Shield, picks up signals consistent with those emitted from airplane black boxes in the northern part of the designated search area. The first signal lasts 2 hours and 20 minutes, and after the ship turns around, a second signal is detected and held for 13 minutes. April 8: An Australian ship detects more signals that could be from the missing plane's black box. The new signals last a total of 12 minutes. April 13: The Australian Ocean Shield ship detects an oil slick on the water, although it is unclear where the oil came from. A sample of the water is collected for examination. April 14: An unmanned submarine, the Bluefin-21, is deployed to scan the ocean floor and search for debris or wreckage from the missing jetliner. April 17: The Bluefin-21 submarine searches 35 square miles (90 square kilometers) of the ocean floor, but does not locate any debris. In yet another setback, officials say the oil slick discovered in the search area did not come from the missing plane. April 29: Malaysian officials and their international partners investigate a claim by Australian company GeoResonance that it has found possible signs of aircraft wreckage in the shape of the missing aircraft in the Bay of Bengal, 3,000 miles from the current search area in the Southern Indian Ocean. May 2: The aerial search has concluded with no signs of debris, and the underwater search enters a new phase with side scan sonar. The ship Ocean Shield is returning to port to replenish supplies and personnel, and will return to the search with Phoenix's Bluefin-21 submersible. July 29, 2015 The first confirmed debris are found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Feb. 27, 2016 Two more Boeing 777 debris are discovered on a beach in Mozambique. An analysis completed on March 24 concluded that "the debris is almost certainly from MH370," said Darren Chester, the Australian minister for infrastructure and transport. He added that drift modeling explains how debris from the plane, which likely crashed in the Indian Ocean, ended up in Mozambique. July 22, 2016 Australia, China and Malaysia agree that if the aircraft is not located by the time 120,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles) have been covered, the search will be suspended. July 30, 2016 A large wing part found on a Tanzanian island "highly likely" came from the missing aircraft, according to Australia's transport minister. October 7, 2016 A fragment of a wing discovered in Mauritius in May is confirmed as coming from the missing plane. January 17, 2017 The underwater search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is suspended nearly three years after the plane vanished without a trace over the Indian Ocean, according to a joint statement from Chinese, Australian and Malaysian officials. Editor's Note: This page was first published on March 20, 2014. Lockheed Martin is developing a hypersonic spy plane, called the SR-72, that will be able to fly at Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. Hypersonic aircraft and weapons that can fly more than five times the speed of sound may seem like a futuristic fantasy, but defense giant Lockheed Martin says it is committed to making these ultrafast innovations a reality. In fact, Lockheed Martin is doubling down on hypersonic aerospace technologies, Lockheed officials said recently at the company's Media Day. "Lockheed Martin continues to invest in propulsion technologies and advanced materials needed for hypersonic speeds," Marillyn A. Hewson, Lockheed Martin president and CEO, said in a statement on March 15. "We're now producing a controllable, low-drag, aerodynamic configuration capable of stable operation from takeoff, to subsonic, transonic, supersonic and hypersonic to Mach 6." [Supersonic! The 11 Fastest Military Airplanes] Hypersonic speed is defined as speed above Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound about 3,800 mph, or 6,100 km/h). For comparison, a 747 airliner travels at about 550 mph (885 km/h). In 2015, Lockheed Martin said its engineers were designing hypersonic vehicles that could move at 4 miles per second, or 14,400 mph. At such hypersonic speeds, an aircraft could fly across the Pacific Ocean in 1 to 2 hours. Although they're not yet in use beyond testing, hypersonic aerospace technologies are not new. "There was a large push toward it in the 1950s, all the way up to the manned moon missions," said Thomas Corke, the Clark Chair Professor in Engineering at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Many vehicles, particularly objects falling back to Earth after launching into space, have reached hypersonic speeds. The first human-made object to exceed Mach 5 was a V-2 rocket launched by the U.S. Army on Feb. 24, 1949. Though hypersonic jets have been built, they are expensive, and over the years, interest (and funds) for the technology has waxed and waned. Now, Lockheed suggests they are closer to building a hypersonic craft at an affordable price. Hypersonic history The rocket-powered X-15 was jointly operated by NASA and the U.S. AIr Force from 1959 to 1970. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force) The first hypersonic aircraft was developed in the late 1950s as part of the X-15 hypersonic research program, a project jointly conducted by NASA, the U.S. Air Force and Navy, and North American Aviation Inc. The 50-foot-long (15 meters), rocket-powered, piloted aircraft was launched from a B-52 plane at 45,000 feet (almost 14,000 m), and reached speeds exceeding 500 mph (805 km/h). Over the span of nearly a decade and 199 flights, the X-15 set unofficial world speed and altitude records, traveling 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7 or 7,274 km/h) at 354,200 feet (107,960 m). But progress on hypersonics slowed once ballistic re-entry (re-entry slowed by atmospheric drag) was chosen over an aerodynamic re-entry for early spaceflights, Corke told Live Science. [Image Gallery: Breaking the Sound Barrier] Now, with rising concerns about national defense, interest in hypersonics has been renewed in recent years. "The [saying] that is used quite a bit is: Hypersonics is the new stealth," Corke said. Newer hypersonic aircraft include the U.S. military's experimental Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) and Lockheed Martin's proposed SR-72 hypersonic spy plane. The unmanned Falcon HTV-2 reached a remarkable Mach 20 (about 13,000 mph, or 20,921km/h) in its second test flight in 2011. But, both tests of this rocket-launched, arrow-shaped glider terminated prematurely. The SR-72 has been billed as the successor to the SR-71 Blackbird, which flew from New York to London in less than 2 hours in 1974. The reconnaissance aircraft reached speeds in excess of Mach 3 and set speed records that still stand today, according to Lockheed Martin. Skunk Works, the same division of Lockheed Martin that created the SR-71, has said the SR-72 would fly at twice the speed of its predecessor. The SR-71 Blackbird was a top-secret reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1960s. (Image credit: U.S. Air Force) By modifying an off-the-shelf turbine and combining it with a ramjet (a type of jet engine with no moving parts that sucks in air for combustion), the SR-72 could be a fairly inexpensive reality by 2030, Skunk Works engineers said in an explanation of the aircraft from 2013. Corke added that this type of combined cycle propulsion is one possibility for hypersonics, which use ramjet engines to fly at hypersonic speeds but require a different kind of propulsion to get them to Mach 5. (Hence, other hypersonic aircraft are using rockets.) In her remarks at Lockheed Martin's Media Day, Hewson estimated that a demonstration hypersonic aircraft the size of an F-22 could be developed, built and flown for less than $1 billion. Speedy weapons In addition to hypersonic aircraft, Lockheed Martin is developing hypersonic weapons, including what they are calling the "Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon Concept." Technically, hypersonic weaponry already exists: The Navy's electromagnetic railgun shoots a projectile at Mach 5. A maneuverable hypersonic weapon has yet to be created, though back in 2013, Lockheed Martin predicted it might be able to demonstrate such missile technology by 2018. "I would say that there are drawings on the books to develop hypersonic weapons that could be available by 2018, although I don't think [that's likely]," Corke said. "I think that timeline is out there a few more years." [Photos: Hypersonic Jet Could Fly 10 Times the Speed of Sound] Defense was a central theme of Hewson's remarks at Media Day, particularly regarding the rise of violent extremists and militant groups, such as the Islamic State group (ISIS) and Boko Haram. High-speed weapons are promising developments in national security because they have the potential to strike quickly and stealthily, escaping harm by flying at high altitudes. Hypersonic challenges Altitude is among the chief technical challenges Lockheed Martin cites in the creation of hypersonic vehicles. Flying high can provide cover; it's also a way for the vehicle to avoid the higher pressures present at lower altitudes, which could cause it to burn up. The trade-off is that the thin air makes steering difficult, according to Lockheed Martin. Some hypersonic aircraft are manned vehicles, but the thin air at high altitudes combined with the immense speed means a pilot cannot react fast enough to potential issues. This means manned hypersonic vehicles have to be controlled by a computerized system that balances the craft while the pilot directs the larger maneuvers. The Falcon hypersonic HTV-2 is an unmanned, rocket-launched, maneuverable aircraft that glides through the Earths atmosphere at incredibly fast speeds. (Image credit: DARPA) Extreme temperatures are another crucial consideration for travel at hypersonic speeds. The Falcon HTV-2, for example, recorded surface temperatures of 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,927degrees Celsius) during its fateful test flight. Friction at these speeds can melt steel the more turbulent the air is, the higher the surface temperatures. "Right now, we have no confidence in being able to predict where and if the airflow over a hypersonic vehicle is turbulent," Corke said. To study and address these problems associated with hypersonics, researchers need to use computational simulations and ground experiments. The University of Notre Dame is building the largest quiet hypersonic research wind tunnels, a Mach 6 tunnel and a Mach 10 tunnel. Engineers working on hypersonics are making use of newly developed heat-resistant materials, while giving also close consideration to the vehicles' overall form. Lockheed Martin has said that hypersonic aircraft won't be part of consumer air travel any time soon, since the focus is more related to current defense needs. Hewson did, however, reiterate a more fantastic potential future for hypersonic crafts that aerospace companies have dangled in front of us for years that hypersonic developments could be an eventual path to quick, affordable passenger flights to space. "It's a fascinating field," Corke said. "It's in this area that's in between aircraft and spacecraft. There's tremendous complexities to it that make it a good topic to study for 50 years." Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. The moon's poles have shifted over the eons, likely as a result of geological activity beneath the lunar crust, a new study suggests. This finding which is based on an analysis of the distribution of water ice near the lunar north and south poles sheds light on the structure and evolution of the moon, and also provides clues about where Earth's water came from, researchers said. "The ice at the poles of the moon records the interior evolution of the moon, which seems crazy that is the last place you would think to look," said study lead author Matt Siegler, of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. [Video: The Moon's Axis Shifted 6 Degrees Over 1 Billion Years] "Also, that means the ice has to be really old, and therefore may record the ancient delivery of ice to the inner solar system," Siegler told Space.com via email. A cross section through the moon showing lunar polar volatiles (in cyan) and how they trace an ancient spin pole (green arrow). The re-orientation from that ancient spin pole to the present-day spin pole (blue arrow) was driven by the formation and evolution of the Procellarum, a region on the lunar nearside associated with a high abundance of radiogenic heat-producing elements, high heat flow and ancient volcanic activity. (Image credit: James Tuttle Keane) Water on the moon Observations made by a variety of spacecraft over the past few decades suggest that the moon harbors a lot of water ice in permanently shadowed craters near the poles, which are some of the coldest locales in the solar system. Siegler and his colleagues studied measurements made by two of these probes: NASA's pioneering Lunar Prospector (LP) spacecraft, which circled the moon from January 1998 through July 1999, and the agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which is still in operation. The orbiters' data revealed ice deposits at both poles, as expected. But there was a surprise as well: A large patch of ice exists near each pole, in a spot offset from the true pole by 5.5 degrees. Moreover, these "displaced" deposits are positioned such that a straight line drawn through thecenter of the moon would connect them. Siegler and his team have an explanation for this finding, which they report online today (March 23) in the journal Nature (opens in new tab): The moon's rotational axis has shifted by 5.5 degrees over the ages, and the offset ice patches mark the "paleopoles." Maps of lunar hydrogen (a proxy for water ice), as measured by NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft poleward of 80 degrees N/S. The hydrogen-abundance maxima (white dots) are offset significantly from the present north and south poles, and are inferred to be ancient lunar-spin poles. (Image credit: Maps of lunar hydrogen (a proxy for water ice), as measured by NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft poleward of 80 degrees N/S. The hydrogen-abundance maxima (white dots) are offset significantly from the present north and south poles, and are inferred to b) Modeling work suggests these paleopoles were the actual poles about 3 billion years ago, Siegler said. "Models are models, so you can make the migration happen any time between 1.5-4.5 billion years ago depending on how you tweak parameters (such as the past rigidity of the lunar crust), but it most likely was around 3 billion years ago," he said. The lunar poles then shifted by about 125 miles (200 kilometers) over the course of one billion years or so a rate of 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) every 126 years, the researchers think. "This was such a surprising discovery. We tend to think that objects in the sky have always been the way we view them, but in this case the face that is so familiar to us the Man on the Moon changed," Siegler said in a statement. "It would be as if Earth's axis relocated from Antarctica to Australia. As the pole moved, the Man on the Moon turned his nose up at the Earth." Over the past 4.5 billion years, the moon has changed its orientation with respect to the Earth, revealing many different faces. This tilting of the moon, known as true polar wander, is preserved in the distribution of lunar polar volatiles. (Image credit: James Tuttle Keane) Lunar mass shift The moon is Earth's nearest neighbor, but its origins date back to a violent birth billions of years ago. See how the moon was made in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist) The most likely driver of this "polar wander" was a shift in the internal distribution of lunar mass, the researchers said. "Planets can change their orientation if their internal mass distribution changes. Pockets of dense material tend to be close to the equator to minimize the planet's spin energy," Ian Garrick-Bethell, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, explained in an accompanying "News and Views" article published in the same issue of Nature. "If a huge pile of lead weights suddenly appeared in New York, the city's latitude would eventually shift to a position slightly southward, because of planetary re-orientation," Garrick-Bethell added. "The opposite is also true if New York suddenly became lower in density, it would shift northward." Siegler and his team think they have figured out where this mass shift on the moon occurred. Their work points to the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) region on the lunar nearside, which was volcanically active long ago. Volcanism in the PKT area about 3.5 billion years ago began heating up the mantle there, creating a "low-density thermal anomaly" hot rocks are less dense than cool ones that caused the polar shift, the thinking goes. "This giant blob of hot mantle was lighter than cold mantle elsewhere," Siegler said in the statement. "This change in mass caused Procellarum and the whole moon to move." Study team members think the polar ice predates the moon's axis shift, which suggests that the material is very ancient indeed. So the new results could help scientists get a better handle on the origin of Earth's water. "The ice may be a time capsule from the same source that supplied the original water to Earth," Siegler said in the statement. "This is a record we don't have on Earth. Earth has reworked itself so many times, there's nothing that old left here. Ancient ice from the moon could provide answers to this deep mystery." If the interpretation advanced by Siegler and his colleagues is correct, it raises a new question, said Garrick-Bethell. "The moon's volcanism mostly stopped 3 billion years ago, which means that the PKT has probably been getting colder and denser since then, not hotter," he wrote. "The direction of polar wander during this period would therefore have been in the opposite direction to the wander that produced the ice paleopole." So researchers do not yet have a full understanding of "true polar wander" (TPW) or the mechanisms that drive it, the researchers said. Indeed, more work is required to achieve this goal, Siegler and his team stressed. "In situ measurements, sample return and high-resolution orbital geochemistry measurements could differentiate plausible TPW scenarios," the researchers wrote in their Nature paper. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Two pieces of plane debris discovered in Mozambique very likely belong to the doomed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing two years ago en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, the Australian government announced today (March 24). The Malaysian investigation team for MH370 reported that the pieces, which were discovered Feb. 27, are consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, said Darren Chester, the Australian minister for infrastructure and transport. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Chester said in a statement. [Flight 370: Photos of the Search for Missing Malaysian Plane] Both of the pieces found in Mozambique were examined in Canberra, Australia. A team of experts from Australia, Malaysia, Boeing, Geoscience Australia and the Australian National University took part. They removed any visible animal life, such as crustaceans, from the wreckage, and then rinsed them, capturing any remaining fauna with a series of sieves, the Australian government reported. The sieved material will later be examined and identified, and may help experts figure out where the debris has been since the crash. The experts also X-rayed the debris to further verify if it was from the missing plane. The plane's disappearance has become one of the biggest mysteries in aviation. On March 8, 2014, Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia with 239 people on board, but the flight never reached its destination in China. The plane likely crashed into the Indian Ocean, but only a few pieces of the aircraft have ever been found. The first verified pieces of wreckage were found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean in July. The newly confirmed pieces may be located a ways from the suspected crash site, but they're "consistent with drift modeling" of the ocean, Chester said. Another possible piece of the aircraft, likely the cowling from an engine, was recently found in South Africa, according to the Australian government. The Malaysian government is currently coordinating with South African officials to set up an analysis of that debris. "The search for MH370 continues," Chester said. "There are 25,000 square kilometers [about 9,650 square miles] of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found." Follow Laura Geggel on Twitter @LauraGeggel. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. In its 45 anniversary year and against a background of low yields, continued overcapacity and declining volumes, the Cargolux Group achieved record levels of tonnage and block hours and ended the year on a net profit after tax of US$49 million. The company sad it had outperformed not only the market, but also its direct competitors in Europe who, in some cases, retired freighters or reduced their air cargo activities. Dirk Reich, Cargolux President & CEO, commented: It is a sign of our companys strength that, despite the energy we needed to achieve a CWA (collective work agreement) compromise, we managed to achieve a significant boost in our performance and a healthy profit, contrary to most of our European competitors. While this excellent result benefitted from a reduction in fuel costs, it is in large part due to the hard work of our people, as well as our strategy and the corresponding measures that we began to introduce in 2014 in order to reduce our costs. The company highlighted that in 2015 it had launched a product portfolio but also introduced a vision for the future to be the global cargo carrier of choice. It added: The new product portfolio continues to build on Cargoluxs existing core competency, pushing global consistency and leveraging on the evolution of its global presence. In doing so, the company increased the share of specialized products in its portfolio, further focusing on industry-specific needs by thinking beyond the flight and responding to the requirements of customers with the expansion of door-to-door service across China. The Cargolux Group in 2015 grew its freight tonne kilometers (FTK) by 8.7%, taking it to number 7 among the worlds cargo operators, according to IATA data, and is the largest all-cargo airline in Europe. The airline positioned itself above the average growth rate of IATAs top 20 air cargo carriers. In 2015, Cargolux carried 889,652 tonnes of freight on its global network, 7.4% more than in 2014. With 26 Boeing 747 freighters at year-end, a mix of 747-400 and 747-8 freighters and the largest fleet in its history, Cargolux achieved a record 114,792 block hours, an increase of 8.8% over the all-time high in 2014. The average load factor remained fairly stable at 65.9%, even with a larger fleet and increased capacity. The Groups average market share in 2015 grew to 3.8%. For Cargolux, its complementary Chinese hub, Zhengzhou, was a major focus during 2015. Flights increased to 13 per week by year-end and the company introduced transpacific services between Zhengzhou and Chicago. By the end of 2015, Cargolux had flown over 65,000 tonnes of freight to and from Zhengzhou. In early 2016, the Cargolux Board of Directors approved an investment of US$ 77 million for Cargolux China, the new joint venture Chinese cargo airline based in Zhengzhou. Cargolux China is expected to start operations in 2017, focusing on transpacific and intra-Asian routes. Its fleet is planned to grow to five 747 freighters within the first three years of operation. After 18 months of intense negotiations, Cargolux and its social partners OGB-L and LCGB agreed on a new collective work agreement for the airlines Luxembourg-based staff on 16 December 2015. It is valid for three years. With the new CWA, the partners have achieved a significant improvement in the flexibility and economic efficiency of Cargolux while sending a strong signal for job security and increased competitiveness of Luxembourg as a logistics hub in Europe, Cargolux said. Together, all parties have expressed their commitment to move forward, to defend Cargoluxs leading market position in Europe and continue to drive its growth in Asia with the implementation of the dual hub strategy. Reich noted: I want to explicitly thank everyone in the Cargolux family for their continued dedication and hard work. The long discussions with our social partners have helped us to come out a stronger company with a better comprehension of each others needs and concerns. To the editor: I wish to commend LMT for one of the most intriguing front page articles in quite some time. I refer to Sundays front page story about the bishop versus everybody else. Not even Dan Brown could have dreamed up this scenario, which I will entitle Bishops, Bankers, Judges and Presidents. A few questions came to mind immediately. How does a first-class university allow itself to be drawn in and manipulated by a faith-based institution? How do Catholic monks come up with $2-4 million in record time? Collection plates? How do these same poverty-swearing monks get a $2 million loan from a very conservative bank? What was their collateral? Did the letter writers to the Nuncio describe future events when they called it a tragedy? A tragedy is a medieval narrative tale, typically describing the downfall of a great man. Interestingly, they describe this stalemate as the brink of a major scandal. I urge the LMT investigative reporters to shine a spotlight on the secrecy of this sweetheart deal. Watergate reporters Woodward and Bernstein were told by their sources to follow the money. Let us see where the money trail leads. How is the stoppage of yet another church going to harm our community or the church? University leaders should be more concerned with graduates that can think of solving world problems, not whether they graduate to be more God-fearing. If that was their goal, there are countless Catholic universities, like St. Marys, Notre Dame, Loyola, etc. that are supported by the church, not by taxpayers. Since our local bishop was appointed by the pope in 2000, he basically does not need to answer to anyone but Rome. He only has to report to Rome every five years. The latest standoff concerns money, control and power. A few years ago, the city requested permission from the bishop to obtain DNA from the remains of what many believe to be the founder of Laredo, Don Tomas Sanchez, who is possibly buried under the old San Agustin Church. The current bishop flatly refused, saying only Rome could overrule him. H.L. Mencken once described an archbishop as a Christian ecclesiastic of a rank superior to that attained by Christ. Paraphrasing Mel Brooks in History of the World, it is good to be a bishop! Yours in Intrigue, David Almaraz For one Longford man this years St Patricks Day Parade in New York was a very special occasion indeed. For the first time in many years, the tricolour was raised at St Patricks Cathedral in downtown New York and Commandant Peter Keenan holds the honour of being the man to raise that flag. The event took place on St Patricks Day as the Irish community in the Big Apple gathered together to commemorate the 1916 Rising, and by all accounts it was both a memorable and poignant affair. This all happened because of the 1916 Commemorations here in Ireland, a very proud Commandant Keenan told the Leader on Monday. The various committee members decided that it would be very fitting if the tricolour was raised at the Cathedral and even better if they were able to secure a member of the military personnel to do it - so I was asked to do the job. Mr Keenan, who has been a member of the army reserve for over 40 years and is now based at Finner Camp in Co Donegal, said he had been to New York on numerous occasions to celebrate St Patricks Day there and had even marched in the parade a few times as well. However, despite his wonderful memories and experiences there, this time has become very memorable indeed. The New York Parade was two fold this year - one aspect was the St Patricks Day Parade and the other was the 1916 Commemorations, continued Mr Keenan, who also pointed out that history was also made during the Parade as the national flag was carried for the first time. It has been an unbelievable experience for me and it was a huge honour to be asked to raise the tricolour. I met so many fantastic people and it really was a wonderful occasion. Mr Keenan is the Company Commander of B Company in Co Donegal. After Connolly Barracks closed in Longford town he was transferred to Carrick-on-Shannon and then later went to Finner Camp. He lives in Longford and the Longford Branch ONE is named after his father. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: March 24 2016 FREE announced that artists in their Fine Art & Art Therapy Programs will have their artwork exhibited at the Patchogue-Medford Library as part of the "Landscape Constructions" Exhibit. Patchogue, NY - March 24th, 2016 - Today, Family Residences and Essential Enterprises (FREE) announced that artists participating in their Fine Art and Art Therapy Programs will have their mixed media constructions exhibited at the Patchogue-Medford Library on 54-60 East Main St, Patchogue, NY. The exhibit, Landscape Constructions runs from April 4, 2016 May 3, 2016. FREE, a leader in the field of human services dedicated to helping individuals of all abilities realize their full potential believes that Art Therapy provides a powerful means for healing and communication for anyone, but especially for people who find it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings through spoken words alone. "Fall: Orange Falling from the Trees" by Wendy Santillo will be on display April 4th - May 3rd at the Patchogue-Medford Library as part of their "Landscape Constructions" Art Exhibit. Landscape Constructions was their first professionally juried competition of artwork created by the Artists of FREE. Over one hundred fifty pieces were vigorously created over a six month period for this years collection. One hundred and six qualifying pieces were put before an esteemed panel of judges from the New York art and business community as the finalists. Fifty three Landscape Constructions were selected by the judges. The collection consists of two tiers of excellence, with Tier One containing the first through third place winners, seven pieces awarded with honorable mention and the next best fifteen pieces. Tier Two contains the remaining twenty eight works. The wide ranging depictions of sky, land, water and other natural elements are interpreted through three styles of art. Realistic, impressionistic, and abstract multi- media constructions were created with some artists making up to six renditions to arrive at their final submission. The artists represented are the finalists whose quality of work rose high enough to have garnered entrance into this prestigious collection. Their courage and strength led them down the challenging path of self-revelation and allowed them to talk to us through the hidden language of images, colors and symbols. While the artwork is beautiful to look at it is important to recognize the incredible depth of emotional release that took place over months of work with all of our dedicated staff, It was their patience and unerring commitment to stay the course and believe that our artists could reach high to not only see their healing image, but also commit it to permanent form for all to share in their vision. Over the years much has been written about the healing power of art as therapy and the creative process of spiritual self-expression, especially for individuals who may find it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings through spoken words alone. The images on view are a testament to this healing power, as our artists have embraced feelings of trust, hope and resolution, offering them an alternative to conflict and fear, which unfortunately characterizes much of the consciousness present in our world today. All are encouraged to view the works and perhaps purchase a piece. The proceeds of sales go towards supporting the artist and her program. About Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) founded in 1977 and headquartered in Old Bethpage, benefits and proudly supports more than 4,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injury. It is the mission of FREE to help individuals of all abilities realize their full potential. FREE provides a diverse array of supports and services including: housing, recovery services, transition to work, employment, day, community and family services, respite, crisis services, education and after-school support, primary and specialty health care and advocacy. For more information, please call 516-870-7000 or visit www.familyres.org. Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: March 24 2016 The Major Case Bureau reports the arrest of a Roosevelt man for multiple Bank Robberies that occurred from May 05, 2014 and ended on September 10, 2014 throughout Nassau County. Nassau County, NY - March 24th, 2016 - The Major Case Bureau reports the arrest of a Roosevelt man for multiple Bank Robberies that occurred from May 05, 2014 and ended on September 10, 2014 throughout Nassau County. According to Robbery Squad detectives, defendant Reginald G. Tucker, 40, of Rose Avenue, entered Capital One Bank 611 Hempstead Turnpike, West Hempstead on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 9:45 am and presented a demand note to a teller. After obtaining an undetermined amount of US currency, the defendant fled the scene on foot. After an investigation, detectives arrested Tucker in front of 115-08 145th Street, Queens on the same day at 6:22 pm for the above crime. Robbery Squad detectives conducted an extensive investigation which uncovered five ( 5) additional bank robberies and 2 attempted bank robberies committed by the above defendant. Defendant Tucker was re-arrested on March 24, 2016 for the additional bank robberies. The Nassau County Police Department will be holding a Press Briefing today, Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 1490 Franklin Avenue Donald F. Kane Assembly Hall at 12:00 pm detailing the above crimes. 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 Through hard work, selflessness and dedication, Capt. Joseph Stenger III, 62nd Fighter Squadron F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot, was awarded the National Public Service Award from the American Society for Public Administration and the National Academy of Public Administration on March 21, 2016. I won it as an individual but the NAPA Award represents so much more than any one person's actions, Stenger said. I'm humbled and honored to be the one receiving the award, but our team knows it is just as much theirs as it is mine. Stenger serves as a co-founder and chief executive officer for the online business, Flying Scarfs, which assists widowed women in war-torn Parwan Province, Afghanistan. The company sells handcrafted scarfs made by women in the province in an effort to provide a hand up rather than a handout. In 2011, Stenger deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Stenger and three other officers, Capt. Ryan Bodenheimer, Thunderbirds pilot, Maj. Joshua Carroll, intelligence reservist, and Capt. John Hudgins, 335th FS F-15E instructor pilot at Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, came together to help the people of the province in a way other than engaging the Taliban. The officers began the nonprofit organization, which has now spread to Haiti and Kenya, with all proceeds going to the women in these underdeveloped countries. They hope to promote microeconomic development throughout the world providing women opportunities to succeed. To date, Flying Scarfs has grown in its proceeds by 100 percent and the organization now has more than 100 women working, giving these women an opportunity to provide a better life for their families, Stenger said. In a part of the world where women fill the role of cook and mother and who have lost almost everything, they have found the strength to step forward and have broken a barrier for women thats been in place for thousands of years by creating a business for themselves. When you combine something youre passionate about with service, you can change the world, Stenger said. That passion will take you beyond what you think is possible for yourself. The award was established to honor individuals who make outstanding contributions and whose accomplishments can be viewed as models of public service within and outside the work environment. NPSA winners will be those who have, on a sustained basis, done some or all of the following: Made a profound difference in improving service to the public Been willing to take risks to achieve change Fostered a more democratic society Served as a champion of social equity Changed the way a governmental organization operates so that it better achieves its goals Achieved substantial savings in government operations Developed a cadre of other government leaders Previous nominees may be renominated provided they meet the provisions of this announcement and their nominations are updated to include their latest achievements. The Hollywood Roosevelt - The Legend Continues with Revamp Next up comes a full re-branding and a sophisticated poolside F&B outlet in the Spring. David Chang and Goodwin Gaw, owners of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, have appointed longtime hotel collaborator Brett Blass as their Chief Operating Officer to lead the repositioning efforts of the new look property and their new management company to be announced later in 2016."The Hollywood Roosevelt's reputation as an iconic, one-of-a-kind lifestyle hotel has been forged with distinction in Hollywood's history," said Blass, "It's an exciting time for the entire hotel team and for Los Angeles - our stunning guest room renovation celebrates this landmark hotel's character, charm and Hollywood roots while making us all very enthusiastic for the future ahead."Yabu Pushelberg's revamp features a palette showcasing subtle textures, beautiful leathers, and soft grey tones with persimmon-red accents, the new design maintains the integrity of the hotel's Spanish Colonial roots, but with a modern twist. Under the new management direction, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will continue to maintain the individuality that has allowed it to forge a distinctive place in Hollywood history for nearly 90 years, while tastefully revitalizing its storied past.The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel has long been a meeting spot for both the well-heeled Hollywood set and creative industries. Spaces within the hotel such as the Library Bar and prohibition-era style cocktail lounge and hand-crafted bowling alley the Spare Room draw creatives for its intimate and picturesque surroundings- a welcome respite from the bustling Hollywood neighborhood and a world away from the nearby boulevard.From secret spots to the vast Rooftop where revelers are invited to go behind the iconic sign the hotel boasts an array of choices and something for every mood or celebration. The Hollywood Roosevelt also includes one of Hollywood's most cherished oasis: palm tree encased Tropicana Pool. In 1988, famed British painter David Hockney completed a multi-million dollar mural painted on the bottom of the Tropicana Pool, which has since been hailed as one of Los Angeles's greatest artistic and architectural marvels. Both the hotel and the pool have been designated Historic-Cultural Monuments by the City's Cultural Heritage Commission.Visit website: Jade Mountain, Anse Chastanet Name New Executive Chef Goehcke has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and a host of high end eateries in the culinary capitals of the world but he was drawn to St. Lucia and the twin resorts Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain partly because of their commitment to organic food and to their use of local produce."I am thrilled to be working closely with the rest of the team and to delight our guests with memorable dining experiences. To be able to receive fresh produce from our organic farm is a great plus," Goehcke announced."The resorts were among the first in the Caribbean to develop a farm-to-table program and to this date, the resorts' organic farm Emerald's together with farmers of the region deliver fresh produce daily," confirmed Karolin Troubetzkoy, executive director of marketing and operations of the celebrated properties.Sweetening the deal in terms of recruiting Goehcke was the fact that the resorts are the only tree-to-bar chocolate maker on St. Lucia. "With more than 1,500 cacao trees on our estate and farm, the making of chocolate and the opening of a chocolate laboratory was a natural development."As Executive Chef, Goehcke will be supported by the resorts' Chefs de Cuisine Frank Faucher and Elijah Jules, with strategic guidance from the resorts' consulting chef, James Beard Foundation award-winner Allen Susser who is the creator of the overall culinary philosophy.German-born Goehcke has more than a decade of work experience in lauded restaurants, cruise ships and luxury resorts from Europe to Vietnam and the Maldives. "I look forward to applying my culinary expertise to create an exciting fusion of innovative international cuisine with the exquisite tropical flavors of St. Lucia."He has much to work with as the twin resorts are hailed for the wide variety of culinary experiences they offer, ranging from innovative modern Caribbean cuisine to traditional Creole, vegetarian and East Indian-Caribbean fusion."We know that Stefan will immerse himself in the paradise that is St. Lucia and we welcome his flair and creativity to our resorts," declared Troubetzkoy.Guests at both Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain can visit the resorts' organic farm and the chocolate laboratory. Cooking and chocolate truffle making classes as well as chocolate sensory tastings are all offered. Emerald's caters to the three restaurants at Anse Chastanet as well as the Jade Mountain Club.For further information about Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain, call 1 800 223-1108 or visitand KLM Launches New Luxury Comfort Bags in World Business Class has designed six unique comfort bags in 12 different colors for KLM every year for the next few years. These new bags for men and women contain items that are essential on a long flight. They are designed to last so that they can be used after the flight.The first comfort bag is a clutch bag inspired by a dress in Taminiau's haute couture collection. The second comfort bag is a wallet. Taminiau is following designers Viktor & Rolf, who launched their design for a KLM comfort bag in 2011.The new comfort bags are part of KLM's product vision International Dutch. Other components of this vision are the meals served in World Business Class, which have been designed by Dutch Michelin-starred chef Jacob Jan Boerma; the dinner service ware designed by Marcel Wanders; the uniforms by Mart Visser; and Hella Jongerius's contribution to the design of the cabin interiors.In addition to a comfort bag, World Business Class passengers also receive a Delft Blue KLM House.Visit website: India must put quality control at the centre of its policies on IP filing if it doesnt want to deal with a mess of its own making later Speakers from Meta, Finnegan, Equifax and the LOT Network said it was important to use data, get involved and reach out more to improve diversity and inclusion How to watch and follow Leicester v United Women Article The Reds will be hoping to extend our winning start to the new WSL season when we make the trip to the East Midlands. Marie Claire newsletter Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over. Robert Pattinson has landed an exciting new role playing Dean's real-life pal, Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock... Robert Pattinson (opens in new tab) is confirmed to play the role of Dean's real-life pal, Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock in the upcoming film, reports E! News. Robert will be starring as young photographer Dennis Stock in the upcoming movie, directed by Anton Corbijn, which centres around the friendship between the Life magazine photographer and Hollywood heartthrob Dean, who will be played by Dane DeHaan. Robert Pattinson - Dior Homme - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK (Image credit: Dior) The film will follow the twosome's journey as they head out on a road trip from LA to New York to Indiana, a journey that saw Stock take seminal photographs of Dean before his hit role in 1955's East of Eden. Robert has been busy melting hearts in his racy new Dior Homme ad, which was released in full at the beginning of this week. The actor has also been snapped on the set of his new movie, Maps to the Stars, getting hot and heavy with Mia Wasikowska. Robert Pattinson - Maps to the Stars film set - Marie Claire - Marie Claire UK (Image credit: Rex Features) While Robert has bagged this exciting new role, plenty of 50 Shades fans are lamenting the fact he won't be stepping into the shoes of the broody Christian Grey. E.L. James' author pal Bret Easton Ellis revealed earlier this week that Robert was the bestselling writer's first choice for the highly anticipated role: 'E.L. James and I were at Rob Pattinson's house when she admitted that Rob was first choice for Christian,' Ellis tweeted. If it were up to us, Robert would be James Dean, too. Just look at how well he wears a white T-shirt and jeans! Robert Pattinson's sexy new Dior Homme video (opens in new tab) Robert Pattinson on Maps to the Stars set (opens in new tab) Robert Pattinson talks kissing Camille Rowe (opens in new tab) Got a tablet? You can now download Marie Claire magazine straight to your iPad (opens in new tab), Kindle (just search the store for 'marie claire magazine'), Nook (opens in new tab) or Google Nexus (opens in new tab). Australian and Indonesian naval patrol boats have today successfully completed Exercise Cassowary in waters off Darwin. The Australian Armidale Class Patrol Boat HMAS Wollongong joined two Indonesian patrol boats, KRI Sampari and KRI Layang, for the four-day exercise that focused on maritime surveillance, security and interdiction operations from 21 24 March. Commanding Officer of HMAS Wollongong, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Scott Wilson, said the annual exercise is an important training activity for the two Navies. During Exercise Cassowary we rehearsed combined maritime surveillance patrols and tested our core mariner skills, LCDR Wilson said. This involved everything from communication and safety drills through to boarding operations. Conducting regular exercises with our colleagues from the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) is important as it enhances our ability to operate together. Its also a great chance for us to build friendships and undertake professional exchanges. LCDR Wilson said it was an important exercise on the training calendar because of Australias long maritime border with Indonesia and our mutual and abiding interest in the security and stability of the maritime domains we share. Exercise Cassowary is an annual event with the location alternating between the two countries. The RAN and TNI-AL conduct several exercises with a maritime security focus, including Cassowary and Exercise New Horizon as well as annual Coordinated Maritime Security Patrols. Our maritime security cooperation, including Exercise Cassowary, contributes to a stable and prosperous region. 1898 - The battleship USS Kentucky (BB 6) is launched in Newport News, Va. 1903 - Adm. George Dewey is commissioned Admiral of the Navy, the only person to hold this rank. Upon his death Jan. 16, 1917, Congress deactivates the rank. 1919 - The battleship USS Idaho (BB 42) is commissioned. Idaho serves with the Pacific fleet, participating in gunfire support of the Aleutian, Marianas, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa Campaigns, and is in Tokyo Bay Sept. 2, 1945 when Japan formally surrenders. 1936 - USS Balch (DD 363), named after Rear Adm. George B. Balch, is launched. 1944 - USS Bowfin (SS 287) attacks a Japanese convoy, sinking both a transport and army cargo ship. 1977 - The initial service acceptance trials for the CH 53E Super Stallion are completed at Naval Air Test Center (NATC), Naval Air Station Patuxent River. 1986 - The first operational use of a Harpoon missile in combat is used by A-6A aircraft from VA-34 against a Libyan Combatant II G-class fast-attack missile craft. The engagement occurs after Libyan armed forces fire missiles at U.S. Navy forces operating in the Gulf of Sidra. Retaliatory strikes by A-7E Corsair II aircraft put the SA-5 missiles out of action at Surt and VA-85 aircraft then sink the missile craft. 2009 - Coastal patrol craft USS Chinook (PC 9) arrives at Umm Qasr, Iraq. During this port visit to Iraq, she is the first U.S. Navy ship to stay overnight. (Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division) Rear Adm. June E. Ryan, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Ninth District, was welcomed aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley by Assistant Commissioner Julie Gascon and Captain Signe Gotfredsen of the Canadian Coast Guard, Central and Arctic Region Monday. After a relatively mild winter on the Great Lakes escorting ships through ice and preventing ice jams, the Samuel Risley was upbound through the Soo Locks and the St. Marys River to Lake Superior for further icebreaking at the Port of Thunder Bay and buoy-tending duties. "We greatly appreciate our close partnership with the Canadian Coast Guard on our shared waterways," said Ryan. "Crews from both countries play a vital role in ensuring the safe movement of cargoes, flood mitigation, and search-and-rescue serving our maritime communities during each ice-season, and we look forward to further strengthening this partnership in years to come. "The work of both Coast Guards is world-class," noted Gascon. "Our brave Coast Guard personnel on both sides of the border have a critical role in fostering safe, secure and environmentally-responsible maritime activity here on the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay and connecting waterways. In addition to icebreaking, the two Coast Guards deliver a multitude of maritime services including search and rescue, environmental response, marine communications and traffic services, aids to navigation, maritime security and waterways management. Following their voyage aboard the Samuel Risley, Gascon and Ryan embarked the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay to meet Lt. Kenneth Pepper, commanding officer, and crew. The two Coast Guard leaders also inspected the Canadian Coast Guards newest helicopter assigned to Great Lakes and Arctic Operations. Based in Parry Sound, Ontario, the new Bell 429 helicopter is a crucial component for delivering Canadian Coast Guard services and maintaining public safety. Canadian Coast Guard helicopters are a workhorse of the waterways, flying to remote sites to support construction and maintenance of Canadian Coast Guard communication sites, oil pollution response, ice monitoring and support to Government of Canada Science programs. The day concluded with a tour of the U.S. Coast Guards Vessel Traffic Services St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. On average during the past 15 years, VTS St. Marys River safely and efficiently moved more than 61,000 commercial vessels through the 77 nautical miles of the St. Marys Vessel Traffic Service area. SapuraKencana GE Oil & Gas Services Sdn Bhd (SKGE), a joint venture between SapuraKencana Services Sdn Bhd and GE Power Systems (M) Sdn Bhd, has been awarded a Long Term Service Agreement by Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) Floating LNG1 (L) Ltd. (PFLNG) to provide maintenance services for PETRONAS two forthcoming floating LNG vessels. A Contract Exchange ceremony for the award was held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 24 March 2016 between PFLNG and SKGE. Under the agreement, SKGE will provide PETRONAS with complete maintenance services for their fleet of twelve gas turbines as well as their fleet of GE compressors, generators and electric motors to be installed on their floating LNG vessels. These maintenance activities will be fully executed by the joint ventures growing pool of local qualified field service engineers and diagnostic experts. The PETRONAS floating LNG vessels are examples of the emerging trend in the industry for smaller, more flexible plants which allow for more efficient extraction from remote fields without the capital expenditure of a traditional LNG facility. The first of the two vessels, PFLNG SATU will be deployed on the Kanowit field offshore Sarawak. It will add approximately 1.2mtpa of LNG production to Malaysias LNG exports and is another step in increasing the countrys presence in global markets. What we have today is a Malaysia-based repair and maintenance centre that is one of the most cost-competitive within the entire GE Oil & Gas repair network, said Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin, President and Group Chief Executive Officer, SapuraKencana Petroleum Berhad. The success of the centre bears testimony to the local talent we have trained and who will over time become experts and leaders in delivering FLNG solutions. Looking ahead, we strive to achieve top operational performance while continuing to keep our costs down. We will continue to expand our regional footprint and remain committed to the long-term sustainability of the industry in Malaysia. I would like to thank our partner, GE Oil & Gas and PETRONAS for entrusting us with this significant task, he added. Mr. Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO, GE Oil & Gas said: This agreement represents another example of how GE Oil & Gas is continuing to partner with PETRONAS and our commitment to providing equipment and maintenance for innovative projects around the world. We are very proud to be able to partner with our customers and deliver improved reliability and increased periods between maintenance thanks to our equipment and digital solutions. Mr. Visal Leng, General Manager for Asia Pacific, GE Oil & Gas added, This is the first contract of its kind in the world for a long-term maintenance agreement on an FLNG vessel. As the industry evolves and LNG operators are looking to make the most of their investments, our proven maintenance expertise and the direct contact PETRONAS will have with our Diagnostic Engineers, some of whom are here in Kuala Lumpur will provide them with the support they need to operate their FLNG vessels. Marines stood on-line and performed pistol drills as an instructor yelled the importance of performing weapon fundamentals properly. Marines with Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, conducted a combat marksmanship program led by Expeditionary Operations Training Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, March 17, 2016, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The CMP shoot will better prepare the Marines for deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. This shooting package is mandatory pre-deployment training to keep every Recon Marine at the same standard, according to Staff Sgt. Steven D. Holland, team leader with Company A. The training they conducted is familiarization to bring some of the junior Marines up to speed with some of the skills that more of the senior Marines possess. Before the Marines can deploy, their skills must first become certified by the evaluators at I MEF. This is where EOTG comes in. There are certain checkmarks we have to hit and certain skills the Maritime Raid Force want us to provide to the MEU, said Holland, a native of Riverside. EOTG officiates our training at the end of the shooting package to say [we are able to deploy]. The MRF is deployed by the MEUs to carry out raids against maritime objectives such as oil and gas platforms, ships and targets ashore. They will spend seven weeks on this EOTG-led shooting package. At the end of this, the Marines will have the close quarters training expertise to conduct visit, board, search and seizure missions from afloat. A VBSS is a specialized limited-scale raid from naval shipping onto a maritime vessel whether its a tugboat or merchant ship. If there is an opposing threat they would neutralize them, according to Capt. Scott D. Williams, company commander of Company A. The other 50 percent of what they will provide for the MEU is ground reconnaissance and surveillance for the Battalion Landing Team as well as for our own specialized limited-scale raids as well, said Williams, a native of Oviedo, Fla. Marines with the company perform drills as a team so instructors can identify which individual Marines are performing them improperly and replace their bad behaviors. The training that EOTG provides gets the Marines confident in their weapons system. This instills self-confidence so that they can go out and accomplish the mission, according to Holland. As the Marines prepare to deploy with the 11th MEU, they must focus on taking the skills they learn in the shooting package into their reconnaissance and surveillance missions. The Marines need to have the discipline and decision making required to go into a room at night with no exercise control safety mechanism and make a split decision on a target, said Williams. Having the comfort of knowing when to shoot [an enemy combatant] and weapons handling is the most important thing they could take away from this training. As the Marines finished their CMP shoot, concluding their first week of training, they still have six more weeks before they can conduct their realistic urban terrain exercise and three at-sea periods with the MEU before their training is finalized, according to Williams. More Media Brussels Terror Attacks, Death of the European Union, BrExit Wake up Call The Syrian civil war is coming home to roost to a fatally flawed European Union for the fundamental fact every EU nations borders begin with the borderline third world state of Greece, which along with the rest of eastern europe should never have been allowed to join the European Union as this weeks Brussels terror attacks just represent the tip of the ice-berg of full spectrum instability that is the European Union. The Brussels and before it Paris terror attacks were inevitable for the following reasons - Firstly the implosion and destruction of of Syria that has resulted in the death of over 450,000 people, leaving most of the nation ripe for the likes of ISIS / Islamic State to fill the void with their apocalyptic end times ideology that I covered recently in this video - https://youtu.be/ZkjhBrY9X6U Secondly, Europe has sent over 10,000 (mostly muslim) of its alienated youth to Syria to be trained by ISIS, Kurdish and other Jihadi groups to kill and be killed and for approx 1/3rd to return to Europe fully trained and brainwashed to wreck havoc on their home nations by both fulfilling their personal thirst for martyrdom and by training others to follow their example as the Brussels terror attacks clearly demonstrate. Thirdly, a flawed European Union that in its socialist elitist zeal has like the Roman Empire expanded far beyond that which it is able to sustain, incorporating a whole host of basket case nations from across the whole of eastern and southern europe, the likes of the 3 baltic states, Poland, Czech, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria amongst others who have dumped over 20 million economic migrants and many thousands of criminals into western european populations, destabilising communities through pressures on scarce resources such as housing, jobs and services such as education and health. A flawed european union who's borders begin and end with the likes of third world Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, and Bulgaria where once entry is achieved then the road to anywhere in Europe is virtually assured, only the English channel acts as an effective natural barrier though of course offers no defence against European passport holders. Fourthly, a European Union that on the one hand has member states that rampage across North Africa killing many thousands of innocents encouraging revenge (France), and then on the other hand play innocent due to not realising that they too are party to such carnage (Belgium) due to the fact they are members of the same Union that reaps blowback. The Solutions For Britain One of the primary reasons from the REMAIN camp has been that of the importance of collective security of remaining within the European Union which the Brussels attack now literally blows apart for the fundamental reason that security is only as strong as the weakest link and where Brussels in concerned it is increasingly become apparent that security was at best incompetent by letting terror cells to run around right under their very noses. And then we have the issue of the free movement of european union passport holders, and worse for the Schengen area that the Paris terror attacks so clearly demonstrated. Therefore the EU rather than offering security is a gaping hole in the security fence that Britain can only close by EXITING the European Union. My consistent view for some time has been that Britain should EXIT the structurally flawed European Union for a whole host of economic, political, social and security reasons BEFORE IT IMPLODES ! As I warned of the consequences for Britain of a REMAIN Vote on June 23rd in the following videos - For Europe To reintroduce internal borders ASAP because the likes of Greece are incapable of managing their borders without many tens of thousands of german troops on the ground. And then to rethink what the European Union is and should be, which unfortunately given their socialist ideology will never do and so the destiny for the European Union is to die a slow painful violent death. To Fight Terrorism Unfortunately the damage has already been done, there are now at least 3,000 fully trained battle hardened ISIS and other terrorists in Europe right now and as we have seen with the Brussels carnage that it takes less than a handful to bring whole capital cities to a standstill. Therefore the prospects for Europe are bleak as probably every European capital city has a Molenbeek. So it is going to prove a very costly exercise for European nations of differing capabilities to irradiate home grown Syria trained terror cells, therefore Europe faces a perfect storm of thousands of returned Jihadists instigating terror attacks for some time to come. For Syria As my first video illustrates that Syria is a bloody mess, so there is no easy fix but a starting point would be for an ALL OUT WAR on ISIS so as to degrade their ability to train new terrorists. For as long as ISIS exists then so will the conveyor belt of Jihadists seeking martyrdom will continue. Following which the next phase would be to quickly fill the void left by ISIS else something similar to ISIS would soon replace it. For Muslims As I covered following the Paris attacks (18 Nov 2015 - Paris Terror Attacks, Death Pangs of a Dying Religion ), Muslims need to make the painful transition of realising that they are not living in the 7th century and so need to adapt their faith by taking into account the sum of human knowledge gained subsequent to the time of the Prophet. I know this is easier said then done, whilst the european host nations need to strongly encourage secularism and discourage the likes of ANY faith schools whether they be Islamic, Jewish, Christian, Hindu Sikh or whatever the basis for their mythology. Whilst at the same time ensuring muslim populations are not alienated, marginalised or excluded as is the case in Belgium as the consequences will be many youth stating that they have nothing to live for, then go looking for a reason to die such as that offered by Islamic State. The bottom line for Britain is that if the British people needed another wake up call to vote for BrExit then Brussels should be it, if not London WILL Fall! The European Union is just not up to the job to deal with any of the crisis that it faces, let alone the home grown Jihadists threat where the likes of Brussels have proved to be a breeding ground for. Unfortunately given at least 3000 trained Jihadists already back in Europe then probability strongly favours not one but perhaps as many as half a dozen Brussels like terror attacks over the coming months across Europe. Ensure you are subscribed to my always free newsletter (only requirement is an email address) for the following forthcoming in-depth analysis : US Interest Rates and Economy US Dollar Trend Forecast UK Housing Market Trend Forecast Stock Market Trend Forecast US House Prices Detailed Trend Forecast Gold and Silver Price Forecast By Nadeem Walayat http://www.marketoracle.co.uk Copyright 2005-2016 Marketoracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd). All rights reserved. Nadeem Walayat has over 25 years experience of trading derivatives, portfolio management and analysing the financial markets, including one of few who both anticipated and Beat the 1987 Crash. Nadeem's forward looking analysis focuses on UK inflation, economy, interest rates and housing market. He is the author of five ebook's in the The Inflation Mega-Trend and Stocks Stealth Bull Market series that can be downloaded for Free. Nadeem is the Editor of The Market Oracle, a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication that presents in-depth analysis from over 1000 experienced analysts on a range of views of the probable direction of the financial markets, thus enabling our readers to arrive at an informed opinion on future market direction. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors before engaging in any trading activities. Nadeem Walayat Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would require registrars to deny applications by people who leave out certain details, such as whether they are 18 years old. McAuliffe also vetoed the House version of legislation to extend coal tax credits, terming the credits ineffective. House Bill 298, sponsored by Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, was identical to Senate Bill 44, which McAuliffe vetoed March 11, the last day of the General Assembly session. Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, sponsored House Bill 9, which sought to specify in greater detail information that applicants are required to provide on the voter registration form. Last summer Republicans grilled officials at the state Department of Elections over proposed changes that would make certain questions on the registration form optional, including the ones that ask whether the registrant is a U.S. citizen or a felon without voting rights. The proposed changes were never implemented. Coles bill passed the House of Delegates on a vote of 64-31. It passed the Senate with amendments on a vote of 22-18. McAuliffe said in his veto message that Coles bill would have required general registrars to deny voter registration applications submitted by eligible Virginians. He said the Voting Rights Act expressly prohibits denying applications for omissions that are not material to determining voter eligibility. McAuliffe highlighted a part of the bill that would require the automatic denial of applicants who fail to check a box indicating that the applicant will be at least 18 years old before the next general election. The checkbox is not material to determining whether the applicant meets the age requirements to register to vote, because the applicant is already required to provide his or her date of birth, McAuliffe said. Speaker of the House Bill Howell, R-Stafford, said in a statement: This legislation would have prevented the governor from using the regulatory process to disregard longstanding and commonsense voter registration requirements, as he tried to do last summer. Voter registration requirements should be set by the legislature and they should be clear and consistent across the commonwealth. If the governor had his way, registrars would have unbridled opportunity to disregard the law. Honors will be paid for Sgt. 1st Class Raymond K. McMillian, who finally is coming home and being laid at rest after he went missing near Hoengsong, South Korea, while assisting wounded following a battle against the Chinese Peoples Volunteer Forces in February 1951. Martinsville Mayor Danny Turner read a statement at the city council meeting Tuesday night, saying that McMillians remains will be flown into PTI airport Thursday at 12:05 p.m. An honor guard from Ft. Bragg will do military honors "plane side." Representatives of Martinsville sheriffs office, fire, police and city council members will escort McMillians remains back to Martinsville. (Some other law enforcement units will participate along the way.) An honor guard from Ft. Lee will perform military honors at Roselawn Funeral Home upon arrival back in Martinsville on Thursday. Visitation will be at One Accord Baptist Church on Kings Mountain Road from 6-8 p.m. Friday. Saturday visitation at One Accord Baptist will be from 1-3 p.m., with a full military service followed by burial in Roselawn. "Sgt. McMillian will be honored when the funeral procession enters the city limits with flag bearer the length of Liberty Street," Turner said, referring to the trip Saturday after the funeral from One Accord Baptist to Roselawn. "I am asking for volunteers to join veterans groups and local residents and Scout troops to honor Sgt. McMillian." "I have (ordered) the city flags at half-staff on Thursday to honor Sgt. McMillians return to Martinsville. I have asked and received an order from Gov. Terry McAuliffe to lower the U.S. and Virginia flags to half-staff on Saturday," Turner said. Resolutions to honor McMillian have passed the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate. A flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol at the request of U.S. Reps. Robert Hurt and Morgan Griffith, Turner said. "With approval of the family members, the Patriot Guard and Rolling Thunder will provide motorcycle escort at all events," Turner said. "Im asking citizens to pick up a flag lapel pin and wear it this Easter weekend in Sgt. McMillians honor," Turner said. The pins are available at the MHC Welcome Center, Martinsville Fire Station, Martin Plaza (old Globmans) and Wild Magnolia Restaurant. "Please consider joining us on Liberty Street," Turner said. He noted that McMillian received the Purple Heart, Combat Medical Badge, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and Republic of Korea War Service Medal. According to a previous Bulletin article, McMillian was born Sept. 14, 1930, to Viola and Clarence McMillian and went into the service on Nov. 1, 1948. He was a medic with the Medical Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant first class. McMillian found himself on the battlefield during the Battle of Hoengsong, which took place Feb. 11-15, 1951. On Feb. 12 of that year, he stayed behind at Hoengsong to tend to wounded comrades and went missing in action. On Feb. 19, 1954, he was presumed dead, and his remains were not recovered at that time. On Feb. 3 of this year, McMillians family was notified that his remains had been identified through DNA matching, and he was coming home. MCMILLIAN Raymond Keen The Service of Remembrance for SFC Raymond Keen McMillian, MIA/POW will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday March 26, 2016 in One Accord Baptist Church on Kings Mountain Road. Phillip Woods, Eddie Hawks and Dean Ashby will officiate the service. The family will receive friends for two hours prior to the service at the Church, and there will also be a visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday March 25, 2016 at the Church. SFC McMillian's interment will be at Roselawn Burial Park after the services on Saturday March 26, 2016, with full military honors conducted by the United States Army. SFC McMillian was born in Axton on September 14, 1930 to the late Clarence and Viola Keen McMillian. He had three brothers, Daniel McMillian, Leon McMillian, and Joe McMillian; and one sister, Molly McMillian who have also passed away. Raymond is survived by two aunts; nieces; nephews; and many cousins. SFC McMillian joined the United States Army November 1, 1948 and was assigned to the Army Medical Service. He deployed to Korea where he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division. While SFC McMillian was attending to wounded soldiers close to the battlefield, the Chinese counterattacked and surrounded SFC McMillian's position. He was taken prisoner by the Chinese on February 12, 1951, and was later transferred to a North Korean POW camp where he died of injuries he received from his captors on or about February 19, 1954. SFC McMillian's remains have only been positively identified in recent years using DNA samples from family members living in this area. Pat Ross of the Bassett Historical Center was instrumental in helping find family members to supply DNA samples for comparison and positive identification. For his sacrifice and service to his country, SFC McMillian was awarded the Purple Heart, Prisoner of War Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with four Bronze Service Stars, Combat Medical Badge, United Nations Medal, Republic of Korea-Korean War Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. SFC McMillian was a "true American Hero" for his willingness to stay with his wounded comrades in the face of a far superior enemy force that was surely going to kill or capture him and the wounded soldiers in his charge. There are no words that can adequately describe the valor and perseverance displayed by SFC Raymond Keen McMillian. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of SFC McMillian be made to Salem Va. Medical Center, ATTN: Volunteer Service, 1970 Roanoke, Blvd., Salem, Va. 24153. Online condolences may be entered at www.roselawnchapelfuneralhome.com At midnight on Saturday, March 19, the EU-Turkey agreement on refugees came into effect. Refugee processing hotspots on the Greek island were emptied, aid agencies and volunteers expelled, and the open migrant centres became closed detention facilities where refugees will be prepared for deportation to Turkey. This is a shameful agreement, quite possibly in violation of international law, which reveals the extreme callousness of the racist, capitalist European Union. To cap it all, while the Middle-East remains in turmoil, these reactionary measures will do little to stem the flow of migrants. The agreement, the details of which remain unknown, was announced in an EU statement outlining its main points. Basically, the EU is going to pay 6bn euro to Turkey (in two installments by the end of 2018), so that all new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands as from 20 March 2016 will be returned to Turkey. Because of the protests of some EU countries, the statement says that migrants arriving in the Greek islands will be duly registered and any application for asylum will be processed individually and thus excluding any kind of collective expulsion. This is a legal fig leaf, because otherwise the deal would have broken international humanitarian obligations of the EU. This point was cynically raised by the Spanish government of Rajoy, a government which already has a policy of collective expulsion of migrants crossing the border in Ceuta and Melilla. The real reason Rajoy raised this objection was in an attempt to stave off the anger of the Spanish masses, who are quite rightly disgusted by this shameful agreement. The EU has no problems in deporting planeloads of illegal migrants back to safe countries, as it has been doing for years now. In exchange for accepting the forced deportation of refugees arriving in Greece, Turkey got a vague promise of lifting visa requirements for Turkish citizens travelling to Europe by July 2016 and, an even vaguer promise to re-energise the accession process for Turkey into the EU. There is also a provision in the deal which says that for every Syrian being returned to Turkey from the Greek islands, another Syrian will be resettled to the EU up to a maximum of 72,000. This is very unlikely to happen in any degree. If we look at the previous agreements by EU countries regarding the resettlement of refugees, we not only see that EU member states are never very generous in their promises, but that they are even unwilling to implement them. Everyone remembers the EU Relocation Agreement signed by the EU last summer at the time of the previous peak of the refugee crisis. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, at that time European countries agreed to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers, including 66,400 out of Greece and 39,600 out of Italy. As of 21 March 2016, 22 countries had made 7015 places available for asylum seekers to be relocated under the programme, and a total of 953 asylum seekers had been relocated (384 out of Italy and 569 out of Greece). Lets state this again, out of 160,000 asylum seekers which were supposed to be relocated, only 7,000 places have been made available and only 950 have actually been relocated!! And none of the EU governments actually care! Furthermore, the first two days of the implementation of the deal show what it means in reality, once it transfers from EU headed paperwork into the harsh reality of a Greek island. On Sunday March 20 refugees in Lesvos were forcefully transferred out, without anyone really knowing where they were going. Aid agencies and refugee solidarity volunteers were removed from the Moria camp which became a closed detention facility, in other words, a prison. At this point, aid agencies decided to stop cooperating with the new regime. In a sharply worded statement, Doctors Without Borders said: We took the extremely difficult decision to end our activities in Moria because continuing to work inside would make us complicit in a system we consider to be both unfair and inhumane. And added: We will not allow our assistance to be instrumentalised for a mass expulsion operation and we refuse to be part of a system that has no regard for the humanitarian or protection needs of asylum seekers and migrants. The same was the case with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees which said: these sites have now become detention facilities. Accordingly, and in line with our policy on opposing mandatory detention, we have suspended some of our activities at all closed centres on the islands. This is a commendable principled stance, but it also meant that refugees arriving on the shores of Lesvos, many of them suffering from hypothermia, no longer had anywhere to go, as aid agencies had suspended transportation to the Moria camp (now a prison). In the island of Chios, hundreds of newly arrived refugees were interned in the Vial detention centre, without access to enough food and water, sleeping on pallets covered in cardboard and with no possibility of buying SIM cards to contact their families and friends. Not only are they imprisoned, they are also isolated. This video by Benjamin Julian gives voice to the inmates. A full report can be read here and it makes your blood boil. Worst of all, the police guarding the detention centres have no idea how to process the refugees and no facilities (translators, lawyers, etc) to do so. All migrants will be protected in accordance with the relevant international standards and in respect of the principle of non-refoulement says the deal. The reality is much harsher. It will be a temporary and extraordinary measure which is necessary to end the human suffering and restore public order, adds the text of the EU statement on the deal. The hypocrisy is nauseating! Public order is the only thing they care about, not human suffering. And you know that when the capitalist EU talk of public order, it comes with razor wire, tear gas, electrical fences, inhuman detention centres and armed coastguards. It is clear that a country like Greece, in the middle of a 7 year long deep recession, its public finances raided by the troikas bloodsucking vampires, cannot cope with this situation and doesnt have the means to individually process thousands of refugees who will continue to arrive on a daily basis (even if we were to accept that this was a humane procedure). In fact, the weight of the refugee crisis, which the EU is dumping onto its weakest link, might be the last straw which propels Greece into defaulting on its debt. Adding insult to injury, some EU politicians are suggesting that rather than transferring funds to Greece to allow it to implement the terms of the deal, that money should be discounted from Greek debt repayments! Lets remember that these are human beings, men, women and children, the elderly as well as babies, some of them sick and injured, who have risked the treacherous sea crossing between Turkey and Greece in boats that can barely float. They are fleeing war, terrorism and violence. Many of them are the second wave of refugees attempting to reunite with the members of their family who have already made the journey and settled in Germany, Sweden and other countries. They have now arrived in Europe, where they hope to find safety. Instead, they are met with detention centres and forced deportation. This is what is meant when the EU talks of ending human suffering. One of the most disgusting aspects of the deal is the way in which it turns Turkey into a safe third country where refugees can be deported. This is a country whose government has a horrible track record of violating human rights, freedom of expression, and where refugees are kept in camps in conditions of utter squalor. Just to give but one example, a recent report by the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey details how over 200 civilians were killed during government imposed curfews affecting 1.6 million people in the Kurdish areas between August 2015 and March 2016 alone. This is a country whose coastguards have been filmed attacking inflatable boats full of refugees. Of course they do so on instructions from the EU! The Greek coastguard has done the same before, and NATO has sent warships to the Aegean to do the same thing. Of course, none of this bothers the EU governments, as long as Turkey takes the refugees in exchange for money. This is the same EU which paid Gaddafi in Libya to keep Sub-Saharan immigrants in detention centres on behalf of the EU. In effect, the EU is subcontracting its borders to neighbouring authoritarian regimes. Refugees are treated like commodities to be sold and bought in the market place. Meanwhile, 12,000 refugees, half of them children are stranded at Idomeni camp in the border with Macedonia, which is now being closed, surrounded by a fence patrolled by the Army. Thousands of people have been living in a mud pool after heavy rain fell on the precarious tents and structures in the camp (see video below and above), and three refugees died when they attempted to cross the river further down the border in a desperate attempt to continue their journey to safety. Despues de muchas horas incomunicado, imagenes de hoy llegando a tierra de Macedonia. #Idomeni pic.twitter.com/nJZbMmbGvJ David Zorrakino (@DavidZorrakino) March 14, 2016 The situation here is the definition of a humanitarian crisis, said Greek Health Minister Andreas Xanthos. Also here aid agencies have withdrawn, partly as a rejection of the deal of shame, partly fearing for the safety of their own staff, as refugees are increasingly pushed to fight for ever scarcer resources available. There are people who have been here for more than a month and are now exhausted and the medical needs are huge, said Aspasia Kakari, an MSF representative. There have already been protests at this and other camps in Greece and the situation is extremely volatile. This shameful deal in any case is likely to collapse sooner than later. People who are desperately fleeing war will not be stopped by the threat of deportation. They will find new routes, probably more dangerous ones. Far from destroying the people smuggling business, this will make it more profitable. The overwhelming majority of these people come from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, all of them countries plunged into civil wars that Western imperialism is responsible for. Hundreds of thousands, millions of them have fled their countries, the majority into refugee camps in neighbouring Lebanon, Turkey, etc. It was Angela Merkel who last summer said that any Syrian refugees arriving in Germany would be welcomed, and of course hundreds of thousands got on the move. That was the final nail in the coffin for the Schengen treaty, for the Dublin directives on asylum and for the free movement of people in Europe, as country after country took measures to prevent refugees from crossing their borders. The whole of the European policy is in disarray as different capitalist governments squabble to see who is going to foot the bill, financially and politically. Feeling the breath of the far right anti-immigrant AfD on her neck, now Merkel needs to appear as being tough on migrants. It is not by chance that she was in a hurry to conclude the deal with Turkey ahead of the German regional elections. In the end it made no difference, but it underlines the cynical calculations of bourgeois politicians for whom human suffering is just so much loose change. What a contrast with the reaction of ordinary working people across Europe. In Greece itself, there has been a massive outpouring of solidarity. According to a recent opinion poll, 85% said that refugees should be helped and 55% said they had personally made a contribution. Greek workers have suffered a massive cut in their living standards in terms of wages, pensions, etc, of about 30 to 40%, as a result of the brutal austerity policies imposed by the troika. Still, they provide help and solidarity for fellow human beings. An old couple of pensioners living near Idomeni camp went out of their way to provide clean water and washing facilities for refugees attempting to cross the border. What a contrast to the capitalist politicians of the rotten EU! In fact the so-called refugee crisis is only a problem from a capitalist point of view. Of course, at a time when European capitalism is in crisis and governments everywhere are implementing harsh austerity measures to make workers pay for it, it is Utopian to think that capitalists will find it in their heart to foot the bill for housing, feeding and clothing hundreds of thousands of human beings. On the contrary, they will be prepared to spend billions of euros erecting fences, patrolling the seas, subcontracting its borders to third countries as well as making political capital out of blaming illegal migrants for the disastrous state of public services whose budgets theyve mercilessly slashed. The European-wide movement in solidarity with the refugees which already exists needs to go beyond the practical tasks of aid and become a powerful political movement which challenges the roots of the issue: by opposing the imperialist wars and imperialist plunder which ravages the countries refugees are fleeing from, as well as pointing out that there are enough resources in society to provide the necessary help for refugees and that these are to be found in the bank accounts of the big corporations and banks. The shameful EU-Turkey deal should be opposed with all might. If anyone had any illusion in the foundational myths of the EU (peace, cooperation, solidarity, free movement of people), this deal should serve to dispel them. The European Union is and always was a capitalist club, one which is run in the interests of capitalists and bankers and which is dominated by the most powerful ones. This deal exposes what this means in practice for refugees. Refugees are welcome here, make the bosses pay. Down with imperialist war and plunder. Down with the rotten capitalist EU. Down with capitalism which is the root cause of war and suffering for millions. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com MAPS founder received the Silver Circle award from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Peter Rosten, founder and CEO of MAPS Media Institute http://www.mapsmediainstitute.com/ in Hamilton, is being honored as an industry professional. Rosten said the awards are an honor. "NATAS are the folks who hand out Emmy awards and they gave our students two awards last year," Rosten said. "They are acknowledging my 25 years as a Hollywood industry professional and contributions to the industry." Rosten will be inducted into the Silver Circle on June 3 in Seattle. By MICHELLE McCONNAHA Ravalli Republic Full Story: http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_1744aaa0-f095-11e5-8a88-63549fae8553.html 2016-03-30 09:00:00 MonTEC Contact: Join us for 1 Million Cups Missoula each Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. SHARP at MonTEC! Enjoy great presentations, networking and Cravens Coffee with Missoulas entrepreneurial community. The excitement is echoing here at 1 Million Cups! From the caffeinated desk of 1MC, we are proud to present Alex Alviar of Inkster Graphic Recording and Martin Kidston of Missoula Current. Join us as we listen in to Alex Alviar discuss the unique model of his company, Inkster Graphic Recording a startup that helps speakers and audiences get the most out of presentation with live graphic records of the topics covered. Afterwards, join us as Martin Kidston, Founder of Missoulas new digital magazine, Missoula Current, discusses the content and ideas behind this great new publication. Join us Wednesday March 30th at 9:00 am. Coffee (of course) and morning treats will be provided. http://us10.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7838487b05ac2138b064bcaeb&id=cbe1154027&e=ab05a34b50 The SECGC is the only authorized charitable solicitation of state employees in the workplace. The Montana State Employees Charitable Giving Campaign (SECGC) is accepting applications from 501(c) 3 nonprofits in Montana that would like to participate in the upcoming 2016 SECGC campaign. State of Montana employees can donate to participating organizations during the annual campaign, which will run from September to November 2016. Last year, state of Montana employees donated over $500,000 to nonprofit organizations through the SECGC. The SECGC is the only authorized charitable solicitation of state employees in the workplace. The campaign is administered by the Montana Department of Administration with the assistance of a governor-appointed advisory council of volunteer state employees, representatives of federations and independent nonprofit participants, and a Financial Services and Program Coordinator, which is the United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area. TANDY KHAMENEH [email protected] Full Story: http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/hometowns/nonprofit-secgc-accepting-applications-from-nonprofits/article_3c3e3d52-ca47-550c-9beb-c03a1ea8f87c.html The nations of the world agreed years ago to try to limit global warming to a level they hoped would prove somewhat tolerable. But leading climate scientists warned on Tuesday that permitting a warming of that magnitude would actually be quite dangerous. The likely consequences would include killer storms stronger than any in modern times, the disintegration of large parts of the polar ice sheets and a rise of the sea sufficient to begin drowning the worlds coastal cities before the end of this century, the scientists declared. By JUSTIN GILLIS Full Story: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/science/global-warming-sea-level-carbon-dioxide-emissions.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=1&referer=https://m.facebook.com Nouvelles serie de courses pour la plus grande joie des turfistes au Champ de Mars sous lorganisation de la Peoples Turf PLC Ltd ce 11 septembre 2022. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires by Larissa Faw , March 23, 2016 Some $8 billion lost in fraud. Another $20 billion lost in ad blocking. There are four key challenges -- viewability, fraud, transparency, and ad blocking -- that undermine advertisers trust in the digital industry. To make matters worse but they are often erroneously mashed up as one big Adland mess, causing confusion about the most effective tactics to tackle each individually. A session Wednesday at the 4As Transformation Conference in Miami featured four industry mavens who offered thoughts on how the industry is addressing these critical matters. First up was George Ivie, head of the Media Rating Council, who discussed how the organization is battling so-called ghost impressions by developing processes to track ads similar to TV spots. Up to 60% of digital impressions are non-viewable. Two years ago, said Ivie, the digital ecosystem served ad impressions but the webpage ads were served on page regardless of whether you would see them or [not]. Then technology brought forward ads that were monetized [only] when the user of a browser or an app could see it. advertisement advertisement After all, "it doesn't make sense to pay for ad that can't be seen," says Ivie. Still there is a lot of work that needs to be made. Mobile requires a unique approach. "Viewability is just the beginning of an opportunity to see an ad. We still don't know how long the ad was up, the effectiveness of an ad, how long they viewed. Sixteen months ago, the industry created the Trustworthy Accountability Group to fight digital fraud in the supply chain. This problem is only solved by collaboration across the entire chain, says TAG's Michael Zaneis. His group has created a program to effectively identify and filter out computer bots. It also developed a fraud threat list to collect known sources of traffic that criminals are operating. Information is tracked at both the company and campaign level and intelligence is shared across industry. "Just think of criminal activity like a balloon and when you squeeze one part, they just got to another platform. But we will squeeze them out of dark corners of the industry," says Zaneis. The goal is to introduce a better system to know who you are doing business with, he says. "Know your partner and track the money through the supply chain." With that approach, the money flow can be shut off if need be. The ultimate goal: put the bad guys behind bars. TAG recently announced a partnership with federal law enforcement to help share resources to prosecute offenders. Those who use ad blockers cost the industry $20 billion last year, with 34% of blockers used through Web browsers. "This is a unique challenge since it impacts so many players," says Horizon Media's Donnie Williams. The problem is that the digital industry got too excited about its targeting capabilities and didn't take into account how consumers feel about it, says Williams. There are legitimate privacy concerns. The good news is that change is on-going. All players agree that the end goal is a better user experience, said Williams. The challenge now is finding cross-industry solutions that work for everyone. The transparency/rebate issue has been a hot one for that past year. "We have worked to put together guiding principles for the entire ad community," said OMD's Kathleen Brookbanks, who was a member of the 4As working group that did the heavy lifting in researching the issue and coming up with the guidelines that the 4As issued earlier this year. And though they may be intended to guide the entire industry the Association of National Advertisers has declined to endorse the 4As work and is waiting for its own study to be completed before supporting principles on the subject. Still, said Brookbanks, "We have made a lot of progress," and the guiding principles issued earlier are just the first phase of an effort that will grow and evolve as the discussion over transparency becomes more "transparent." by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, March 24, 2016 Much has been said about the insecurities of GOP front-runner Donald Trump. Why did he feel the need to discuss his private anatomy in front of millions of Americans? Why are personal attacks such a staple of his political arsenal? Why does he constantly succumb to the urge to talk about how wealthy he is? While Trumps subconscious is for professionals to discuss, there is clearly deep-seated self-doubt that forces him to continually assert himself through various media outlets. One symptom of this raging insecurity is his incessant use of Twitter, where he writes about anything and anyone with no apparent restraint. His seeming need to constantly prove intelligence questions how comfortable he may feel with his intellectual prowess. Trump recently tweeted: Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest -and you all know it! Please dont feel so stupid or insecure, its not your fault. advertisement advertisement There is a constant stream of self-aggrandizement coming from the Trump campaign. He repeatedly talks about how he was a great student and went to a great school, often in response to questions that have absolutely no connection to those facts. Former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal addressed these realities back in the fall of 2015: Like all narcissists, Donald Trump is insecure and weak. Hes afraid of being exposed. Thats why he tells us, always and constantly, how big and strong and wealthy he is. This is as relevant now as it was last September, maybe more so. Rory Cooper of Purple Strategies summed up perfectly why attacks on Trump that call him out as a bully or strongman just dont stick: A bully much prefers being called a bully than having the underlying rationale for his misbehavior identified - his raging insecurity. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has found the right angle for attack. Instead of calling Trump a bully, call him what he loves to call others: a loser. Addressing Trump on his home turf of Twitter on Monday, Sen. Warren wrote: @RealDonaldTrump knows hes a loser. His insecurities are on parade: petty bullying, attacks on women, cheap racism, flagrant narcissism. And why cant he give us a straight answer on whats going on with his hair!? At this point, its unlikely anyone really cares if hes going bald or not. Be honest now, Donald. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 24, 2016 Whether it was a slip of the tongue or intentional, a Google strategist during a Hangout revealed the top three factors the search engine considers when returning results to search queries. Until now those factors have remained top secret. In addition to the machine-learning algorithm Google calls RankBrain, Andrey Lipattsev, search quality senior strategist at Google Ireland, named links and content as the top three contributing factors. Lipattsev did not put the three factors in order, and these three are not the only important factors. The factors also include quality, speed, keywords, page and code structure, authority, reputation, among others. Jennifer Slegg, search engine marketing consultant and author, wrote in a blog post that RankBrain may not be the third factor that Google considers when returning search engine query results. It could be the third most important for some queries, but not all. advertisement advertisement "RankBrain doesnt have the same impact on all queries, since we know it has the largest impact on those 15% of queries that are brand new to Google," which is helpful on long-tail queries, she wrote. The third-place ranking factor "is a hotly contested issue. I think its a funny one. Take this with a grain of salt," Lipattsey said during the Hangout. Lipattsev said that interest around a specific subject can continuously change the position of the content in search queries. Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz, commented on Lipattsev's openness during the discussion. Those participating in the Google Hangout -- Ammon Johns. online marketing and SEO pioneer; Bill Slawski, director of search marketing at Go Fish Digital; Eric Enge, CEO at Stone Temple Consulting; and Fishkin -- spoke about a variety of ranking factors such as behavior, quality and understanding the content that appears on the page. by Larissa Faw , March 24, 2016 The average home has 10-12 devices, not including linear TV -- which has made measuring and monitoring what people watch infinitely more difficult compared to a time when people primarily sat in front of live TV. Currently, only 20% of TV watched by teens is live. Now both comScore and Nielsen are introducing new strategies to better measure viewers, according to company reps on a panel Thursday during the 4As Transformation Conference in Miami. In the new measurement era, the idea of TV households is rapidly becoming obsolete. ComScore now calls homes "devices" because of the rising flow of content streams pouring in and out of dwelling units from a plethora of gadgets. With its recent merger with Rentrak, however, the company believes it is well equipped to track and document all viewing, said comScore CEO Serge Matta. advertisement advertisement And all the data provides a more detailed picture of who is watching, said Matta. Instead of targeting 18- to-34-year-olds, we can now target 18- to-34-year-olds who are going to vote for Hillary and drive an Audi Q4," he says. Also with a new partnership with Adobe, comScore will "ingest data from an analytics cross platform," says Matta. The results will roll out in phases with the first coming in April that will plot advanced demographics. "What car you bought, what you buy at the grocery store, how you vote in national election," says Matta. We are putting all the pieces together." comScore will also introduce more enhanced metrics in the second quarter, and in the third quarter, the company will report daily cross-platform information gathered on a census basis for TV and digital, and overlay this information with basic and advanced insights. The results from early testing should be reassuring to traditional media. "Everyone feared that linear TV was declining," says Matta. "That is absolutely not happening. What is happening with fragmentation is actually viewing is increasing with other devices. It's on phones, over-the-top devices." The next frontier is tackling ad blocking, says Matta. "It will happen probably early this year or the next. But first building blocks have to happen. [We need to figure out] what do people watch on every single device and then we can get into the ads." Meanwhile, Nielsen is refining its measurement system to better reflect today's viewing environment. All TV clients now have access to time-shifted and data measurement, while most media buyers will have similar access shortly. Nielsen is also incorporating panel and census insights and is working on measurement of connected devices. More recently, Nielsen has started enhancing its core TV rating, providing daily program ratings through a full week of DVR watching. In August, Nielsen will begin reporting ratings from day 7 to 35 on a weekly basis. "This gives the industry the flexibility to transact however it wants," says Nielsen's Lynda Clarizio. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 24, 2016 France's data protection regulators are fining Google $112,000 for failing to broadly censor its site in response to Europeans' requests to delete information about themselves. The sanction marks the newest development in Google's long-running conflict with European officials over privacy. In 2014, Europe's highest court ruled that Google and other search engines must allow residents of European countries to delete links to certain embarrassing information about themselves from search results. Google initially argued that the ruling only required it to delete links from a country-specific search engine, like Google.fr (the default for that country), and not Google.com, which is the default in the U.S. Last June, France's data protection unit, CNIL, said Google must remove links from all of its results pages -- not just pages geared for European countries. advertisement advertisement Earlier this year, Google attempted to compromise by blocking Europeans from accessing certain search results. The CNIL said on Thursday it was rejecting that approach. "The right to be delisted is derived from the right to privacy, which is a universally recognized fundamental right laid down in international human rights law. Only delisting on all of the search engine's extensions, regardless of the extension used or the geographic origin of the person performing the search, can effectively uphold this right," the regulators wrote. Google did not immediately respond to MediaPost's request for comment. But last year, the company argued that allowing one country to censor the Web worldwide would result in a "race to the bottom." "In the end, the Internet would only be as free as the worlds least free place," global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer said, noting that content that is legal in one country might be illegal in another. "Thailand criminalizes some speech that is critical of its King, Turkey criminalizes some speech that is critical of Ataturk, and Russia outlaws some speech that is deemed to be 'gay propaganda.'" Women visiting their doctor are less likely to be advised regarding heart health and more likely to be told to lose weight, according to a recent study that will be presented at the upcoming American College of Cardiologys 65th Annual Scientific Session. Share on Pinterest Are women being given the right advice about heart disease? Although heart disease tends to strike women 7-10 years later than men, it is still a leading cause of death. The risk of heart disease is often underestimated because of a misconception that women are somehow protected from heart disease. In fact, over the last 20 years, the number of myocardial infarctions in 35-54-year-olds has increased in women but decreased in men. Among women aged 35-44, the rates of coronary heart disease rose 1.3% each year between 1997-2002. A new study carried out by the Barbra Streisand Womens Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in California delves into some of the issues underlying this worrying trend. Study lead Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz says: Womens heart awareness has stalled, despite almost three decades of campaigning by numerous womens heart health advocacy groups. We wanted to understand what the roadblocks were and why women and their physicians were not taking action to monitor their heart health. Anyone who displays risk factors for heart disease, according to medical guidelines, should receive frequent cholesterol and blood pressure checks. They should also be given advice on stopping smoking and information regarding healthy lifestyle changes. Smoking increases an individual's risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) - and makes the infection worse - because it causes vital immune cells to become clogged up, slowing their movement and impeding their ability to fight infection, according to new research published in the journal Cell. TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily infects the lungs, but can also infect other organs. It is transmitted from person to person through the air. The disease can cause breathlessness, wasting, and eventual death. While treatments do exist, the drug regimen is one of the longest for any curable disease: a patient will typically need to take medication for six months. For people exposed to TB, the biggest risk factor for infection is exposure to smoke, including active and passive cigarette smoking and smoke from burning fuels. This risk is even greater than co-infection with HIV. However, until now it has not been clear why smoke should increase this risk. When TB enters the body, the first line of defence it encounters is a specialist immune cell known as a macrophage (Greek for 'big eater'). This cell engulfs the bacterium and tries to break it down. In many cases, the macrophage is successful and kills the bacterium, preventing TB infection, but in some cases TB manages not just to avoid destruction, but to use macrophages as 'taxi cabs' and get deep into the host, spreading the infection. TB's next step is to cause infected macrophages to form tightly-organised clusters known as tubercles, or granulomas. Once again here, the macrophages and bacteria fight a battle - if the macrophages lose, the bacteria use their advantage to spread from cell to cell within this structure. Share on Pinterest Macrophage image. Left: normal macrophages (green) Right: dysfunctional macrophages whose lysosomes (red) are clogged with cell debris Image Credit: Steven Levitte/Lalita Ramakrishnan An international team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, and the University of Washington, Seattle, studying genetic variants that increase susceptibility to TB in zebrafish - a 'see-through' animal model for studying the disease - identified a variant linked to 'lysosomal deficiency disorders'. The lysosome is a key component of macrophages responsible for destroying bacteria. This particular variant caused a deficiency in an enzyme known as cathepsin, which acts within the lysosome like scissors to 'chop up' bacteria; however, this would not necessarily explain why the macrophages could not destroy the bacteria, as many additional enzymes could take cathepsin's place. The key, the researchers found, lay in a second property of the macrophage: housekeeping. As well as destroying bacteria, the macrophage also recycles unwanted material from within the body for reuse, and these lysosomal deficiency disorders were preventing this essential operation. Professor Lalita Ramakrishnan from the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge, who led the research, explains: "Macrophages act a bit like vacuum cleaners, hoovering up debris and unwanted material within the body, including the billions of cells that die each day as part of natural turnover. But the defective macrophages are unable to recycle this debris and get clogged up, growing bigger and fatter and less able to move around and clear up other material. "This can become a problem in TB because once the TB granuloma forms, the host's best bet is to send in more macrophages at a slow steady pace to help the already infected macrophages." "When these distended macrophages can't move into the TB granuloma," adds co-author Steven Levitte from the University of Washington, "the infected macrophages that are already in there burst, leaving a 'soup' in which the bacteria can grow and spread further, making the infection worse." The researchers looked at whether the effect seen in the lysosomal deficiency disorders, where the clogged-up macrophage could no longer perform its work, would also be observed if the lysosome became clogged up with non-biological material. By 'infecting' the zebrafish with microscopic plastic beads, they were able to replicate this effect. "We saw that accumulation of material inside of macrophages by many different means, both genetic and acquired, led the same result: macrophages that could not respond to infection," explains co-author Russell Berg. This discovery then led the team to see whether the same phenomenon occurred in humans. Working with Professor Joe Keane and his colleagues from Trinity College Dublin, the researchers were able to show that the macrophages of smokers were similarly clogged up with smoke particles, helping explain why people exposed to smoke were at a greater risk of TB infection. "Macrophages are our best shot at getting rid of TB, so if they are slowed down by smoke particles, their ability to fight infection is going to be greatly reduced," says Professor Keane. "We know that exposure to cigarette smoke or smoke from burning wood and coal, for example, are major risk factors for developing TB, and our finding helps explain why this is the case. The good news is that stopping smoking reduces the risk - it allows the impaired macrophages to die away and be replaced by new, agile cells." The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), the Health Research Board of Ireland and The Royal City of Dublin Hospital Trust. Also contributing to this research were Professor David Tobin from Duke University, Dr Cecilia Moens from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, Drs C.J. Cambier and J. Cameron from University of Washington, Dr Kevin Takaki from University of Cambridge and Drs Seonadh O'Leary and Mary O'Sullivan from Trinity College Dublin. Core symptoms of anorexia nervosa, including the urge to restrict food intake and feeling fat, are reduced after just one session of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, according to King's College London research published today in PLOS ONE. This new study is the first randomised control trial to assess whether repetitive transcranial stimulation (rTMS), already an approved treatment for depression, is also effective in reducing symptoms of anorexia. Up to 20 per cent of people with anorexia die prematurely from the disorder and treatments in adults are moderately effective, with only 20-30 per cent of people recovering from the best available talking therapies. Given the urgent need to improve treatments, researchers are increasingly looking towards emerging neuroscience-based technologies that could target the underlying neural basis of anorexia. Dr Jessica McClelland, Post-doctoral Researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, and first author of the study, said: 'With rTMS we targeted the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain thought to be involved in some of the self-regulation difficulties associated with anorexia. This technique alters neural activity by delivering magnetic pulses to specific regions of the brain, which feels like a gentle tapping sensation on the side of the head. 'We found that one session of rTMS reduced the urge to restrict food intake, levels of feeling full and levels of feeling fat, as well as encouraging more prudent decision-making. Taken together, these findings suggest that brain stimulation may reduce symptoms of anorexia by improving cognitive control over compulsive features of the disorder.' In the study, 49 people completed food exposure and decision-making tasks, both before and after a session of either real or placebo rTMS. Symptoms of anorexia were measured immediately prior to and following rTMS, as well as 20 minutes and 24 hours after the session. The food exposure task sought to provoke anorexia symptoms by asking participants to watch a two-minute film of people eating appetising food, such as chocolate and crisps, while the same items were in front of them. They then had to rate the perceived smell, taste, appearance and urge to eat these foods. For the decision-making task participants had to choose between a smaller, variable amount of money (0-100) available immediately and a larger, fixed amount (100) available after four different time points (a week, month, year or two years). Compared to the placebo group, they found that participants who had real rTMS showed a tendency for more prudent decision-making - that is, they waited for larger, later rewards (i.e. delayed gratification), rather than choosing the more impulsive smaller, sooner option. The study authors point out that although these findings were only a statistical trend, there is a clear improvement in symptoms and decision-making abilities following just one session of rTMS. It is likely that with a larger sample and multiple sessions of rTMS these effects would be even stronger. Professor Ulrike Schmidt, senior author of the study, from the IoPPN at King's College London, added: 'Anorexia nervosa is thought to affect up to 4 per cent of women in their life-time. With increasing illness duration, anorexia becomes entrenched in the brain and increasingly difficult to treat. Our preliminary findings support the potential of novel brain-directed treatments for anorexia, which are desperately needed. 'Given the promising findings from this study, we are now assessing whether rTMS has longer-lasting therapeutic benefits in a world-first clinical trial of rTMS treatment, involving 20 rTMS sessions, in people with anorexia nervosa.' The IoPPN's Eating Disorders Research Group at King's College London is currently recruiting for a longer-term study of rTMS to examine the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of rTMS. Find out more about the TIARA study: Transcranial magnetic stimulation and Imaging in AnoRexia nervosa: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/pm/research/eatingdisorders/available-studies/index.aspx British allergy sufferers are to turn citizen scientists in a bid to decode the poorly understood world of seasonal allergies thanks to a free new app. The app - called #BritainBreathing - a collaboration between the Royal Society of Biology, the British Society for Immunology, and The University of Manchester, aims to help the one in four people in the UK who suffer from seasonal allergies like hay fever and asthma. Experts say the triggers are often poorly understood and little is known about why the incidence of these allergies is increasing. #BritainBreathing is the first nationwide project aiming to better understand where and when allergy symptoms are occurring, what exacerbates them and why they're on the rise. It launches on Android today. By using the #BritainBreathing app, sufferers will be able to track allergy symptoms they record about their eyes, nose and breathing, over time. This might help people to start thinking about what might be triggering their allergies. Dr Sheena Cruickshank, from The University of Manchester and British Society for Immunology, said: "Seasonal allergies are increasing in the West but we don't know what is driving this. It could be pollution, super pollens, increased cleanliness, or a combination of factors. What has been missing to answer this question is wide scale human data about what is really happening. Because detailed information on pollen and pollution is available, we want to map Britain Breathing data onto that and perhaps come closer to understanding what really drives allergies, on both an individual and a national level." The #BritainBreathing app will allow the public to record their allergy symptoms in a simple and straightforward way and then anonymously share that data with researchers. This large open data set, which will also capture information on timing and location, can then be combined with other publicly available data, such as weather, pollen or pollution statistics, to build a better understanding of allergies and their triggers. From these data, scientists can build a clearer picture of the pattern and frequency of allergy incidence across the UK. The researchers will also create up-to-date visualisations of the national crowd data, for example maps of where particular allergy symptoms are most frequently reported on any given day, so that users can compare their experience to others in their region and beyond. Jon Kudlick, director of communications at the Royal Society of Biology said: "This is a ground breaking project as it will give users the chance to record and monitor the frequency of their own allergy symptoms, as well as then adding their experiences to the wider data set. Does air pollution add to the misery of those suffering with hay fever? Are people having more asthmatic symptoms in Manchester than in London, and if so why? These are the kind of questions we hope to help answer." "This is the Society's fourth citizen science project. The Starling Survey, Flying Ant Survey and House Spider Survey have received tens of thousands of records over four years, and shown how effective people power can be in helping researchers to find answers to difficult questions." Find out more on the #BritainBreathing website: www.britainbreathing.org Follow the project on Twitter: @BritBreathing Advertisement "The majority of preterm births occur between 34 to 37 weeks, but the early ones, before 34 weeks, are the ones that have serious complications and bring about the greatest burden on families and the health care system," says DeFranco.Together UC, Ohio State University and the University of Kansas Medical Center will share this five-year, $3 million, Phase III clinical trial: Assessment of DHA on Reducing Early Pre-term Birth (ADORE). The multi-center project is funded through the NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.The trial will compare the birth outcomes of almost 1,200 women who take either 1,000 mg of DHA or the 200 mg of DHA per day during the second half of their pregnancy.Valentine says the study was prompted by a prior human trial conducted by fellow principal investigators Susan Carlson, PhD, and Byron Gajewski, PhD, from the University of Kansas Medical Center. Carlson and Gajewski studied DHA in pregnant women, with a secondary finding that an adequate dose of DHA was associated with a five-fold reduction in early preterm birth.While several factors contribute to preterm birth (smoking, alcohol and drugs), the UC researchers say that DHA might be the single most important preventive approach; considering that the average daily intake of DHA among healthy women in the U.S. averages 50 mg, says Valentine."For perspective, that's the level you would find in women living in impoverished third world countries," says Valentine.The study is considered high yield/low risk, she says, because DHA is naturally occurring in fish, some eggs, and is an over the counter supplement found in fish oil, most prenatal vitamins, and baby formula."We are very excited to offer this promising prenatal intervention trial to improve health outcomes of pregnant mothers in Cincinnati. This has the potential to be the first treatment to reduce prematurity for all women, as our currently available therapies have proven benefit only in small subgroups of the highest risk women," says DeFranco.The Dutch company Royal DSM is donating the DHA capsules to the study. Carlson has been a consultant to the company in the past, but the investigators have no current conflicts of interest.Source: Newswise In his column in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, 'Uthman Al-Mirghani argued that the Arab Spring had exposed not only the failure of the Arab regimes, but also the various Arab oppositions' failure to constitute an alternative to the tyrannical regimes that had been brought down. He stated that these oppositions, of all political shades - liberal, leftist, rightist, and Islamic - were just as opportunistic, egocentric, and dictatorial as the regimes they had deposed. Furthermore, he wrote, they had distanced themselves from the Arab peoples so much that the peoples now yearned for the previous regimes. In light of the powerlessness and failure of all the oppositions in the Arab world, he added, it is no wonder that the young people have abandoned them and turned to the 'online party' as an arena for opposition and for voicing their distress." Below are translated excerpts from the column:[1] 'Uthman Al-Mirghani (Image: Alarabiya.net) "Many maintain that the 'Arab Spring' failed to actualize even one of the hopes and dreams pinned on it in its initial days and months - and that, on the contrary, it even led the region to a series of disasters and crises. Undoubtedly, there are many factors in how the fleeting '[Arab] Spring ended as it did, in chaos, crises and wars... "[However,] what is most important of all is that the Arab Spring exposed not only our crisis and the crisis of the regimes against which the peoples rose up, but also the failure of the [various] Arab oppositions to present themselves as a convincing, credible alternative [to these regimes] that could actualize the peoples' hopes and aspirations. The crisis of the Arab oppositions definitely preceded the Arab Spring, but is etched more deeply in the people's minds [since the Arab Spring] because of these oppositions' frustrating performance, the disappointing outcomes[of their actions], and the current regression, wars, and chaos. "The widespread impression today is that the weakness of the opposition parties and groups, and likewise their internal division and their intense preoccupation with their own interests and dreams of power, have distanced them from the people, and they have become detached from the issues that preoccupy the people. For this reason, [these opposition elements] can no longer convince [the people] that they are fit to rule as an option that is better than the regimes that they oppose. To prove this, we need only point out that today the people are lamenting, yearning for the past and for the era of the regimes that [the opposition elements] brought down, against the backdrop of widespread fear that change could mean [only] chaos and wars. "The problem with the Arab oppositions is not with a specific stream of thought, but is general and crosses ideological boundaries. It includes the liberal streams as well as parties of the left or those who wield religious slogans. Many of the opposition parties accusing the existing regimes of tyranny are, within themselves, undemocratic. Thus, for example, some opposition leaders' leadership of their own parties predates the regimes of the rulers whom they oppose and accuse of dictatorship and of stubbornly clinging to power. The leftist parties have, in the eyes of the people, become a model of the elitism that is sunk in developing theories, while the Islamic parties have become a model of egocentrism and opportunism. "In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood showed an additional model, according to which the Islamic Arab parties, or most of them, tend to impose a dictatorship because they do not believe in democracy. They adopt it as a tactic only in order to attain their objectives, and when they take power, their true face is revealed, and they turn to tyranny and absolute rule. In Sudan, the Islamists carried out a military coup against democracy when they were still part of the parliament, and saw fit to impose their rule with tanks instead of obeying the ballot box. "Some may argue that the Islamic parties in Tunisia and Morocco are currently presenting a different model, and that they have proven their desire for a peaceful and democratic transfer of power. A response to this is that, while the experience in both these countries justifiably sparks hope, it is [just] at the beginning of its path, and we must wait and monitor it to see how it develops before taking a stand on it. "It is not only the Islamists who have not passed the test of democracy. The left, with its communist and national parties, has also [failed it],by turning to coups that they call revolutions; the region's history is rife with examples [of such revolutions] that have left in their wake dictatorships, wars and crises. There are of course other streams and parties, that transcend the label of political left and religious right, but they too are helpless and failing, like the other Arab oppositions, with all their elements. "So it is no wonder that the young people have abandoned the traditional opposition, as became clear in the Arab Spring revolutions, and have turned to what can be called 'the online party' as an arena for opposition and for voicing their distress... The young people are not alone in this, of course, because frustration becomes generalized when people see the internecine wars and the internal rift - such as in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen - that is caused by the failure of the political elites and opposition [there]... "The Arab Spring...was not a message just to the regimes, as some people think. Its outcomes are an indictment of the Arab oppositions, which seem, to this day, not to have gotten the message." Endnote: The Special Committee for the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (HGCOC) met at the Foreign Ministry today, Thursday, 24 March 2016, in the presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis, by whose decision the Committee was formed. The Committee meeting was chaired by the Special Secretary for Religious and Cultural Diplomacy, Dr. Efstathios C. Lianos Liantis, and was attended by its members: Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; the Secretary of the Synodical Service of Ecclesiastical Order and Ecclesiastical Protocol, Fr. Alexios Bourlis, on behalf of the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece; the head of the Local Government Grants Department of the Directorate of Economic and Development Policy for Local Government, of the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction, Fotis Koutsianas; the inspector general of Southern Greece, Lieutenant General Aristidis Andrikopoulos; the head of the Department of Special Forms of Tourism and the Directorate of Tourism Investments of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, Evgenia Kostopoulou-Spyropoulou; the Director of GEETHA/DIDIS, Brigadier General Aggelos Choudeloudis; the Secretary General for Infrastructure of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks, Giorgos Dedes; the special advisor to the Secretary General for Information and Communication, Giorgos Florentis; the seconded staff member of the Office of the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Christa Nikolaou; and the scientific associate of the prefect of Attiki, Eleni-Fani Tserezole. The proceedings of the HGCOC will take place from 16 to 27 June 2016, under the chairmanship of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, at the facilities of the Orthodox Academy of Crete, at Kolympari, Chania, while on the Sunday of Pentecost, which is being celebrated on 19 July this year, a mass will be led by the Ecumenical Patriarch at the Metropolitan church of Saint Minas, in Iraklio, Crete. Following the first meeting of the Committee, the Deputy Foreign Minister Amanatidis stated: Orthodoxy has the historical potential to incorporate into its work the challenges of every era. The Holy and Great Council will serve as proof of the unity of the Orthodox Church and its vital presence in the modern world. The message sent by the HGCOC will be heard with interest by all of humanity, regardless of given religious convictions. It is an historic event of global scope. The Greek state, desiring to contribute to the positive outcome of the HGCOC without intervening in any way in any other ecclesiastical issue is making arrangements with regard to any issues raised by those responsible for organizing the event and by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. We thought that coordination is needed, as there will be issues of security, transport, infrastructure issues large and small. This is why we decided to put together this committee. My presence is symbolic in nature at this time, in the sense that we as the Foreign Ministry, and Minister Kotzias himself are imparting the necessary gravity and importance to the organization of the HGCOC. For our part, as the political leadership, we want to assure the Ecumenical Patriarchate and all of the Orthodox Churches that we will do everything humanly possible to resolve any issues that arise. BAD AXE Huron Medical Center has been honored as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation, a new status under that program. The designation was created in an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality, affordable maternity care. Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care, an expansion of the national Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, are hospitals recognized for delivering quality, affordable specialty care safely and effectively, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community. To receive the designation, a hospital must also meet requirements for cost efficiency. Anytime that you get an award from Blue Cross that has to do with quality, low cost or appropriate cost, and evidence-based medicine, thats something that you really need to celebrate, said HMC Chief Executive Officer Jeffery Longbrake at a ceremony Wednesday. Longbrake later presented a plaque to HCMs obstetrical unit for its efforts in helping the hospital receive the designation. Just 59 hospitals in the state of Michigan and 650 in the nation have been recognized as Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care. Hospitals recognized for these designations were assessed using a combination of publicly available quality information and cost measures derived from BCBS companies medical claims. Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, spinal surgery and transplants. Research shows that, compared to other facilities, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients. On average, Blue Distinction Centers+ are also 20 percent more cost-efficient than non-Blue Distinction Center+ designated health care facilities. The Maternity Care designation is a significant achievement, and an indication of quality performance, safe and effective care for the many thousands of Michigan residents who will add to their families in the future, said Dr. David Share, senior vice president at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in a release. We congratulate all of the hospitals that have earned the designation for their commitment to providing this high level of care. For more details about the program, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction. Marshall Dion pleaded guilty last year to drug and money-laundering charges, and Tuesday's sentencing in Massachusetts was the latest chapter in a long, colorful history with law enforcement. In 1985, he crashed a single-engine plane he was piloting in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, breaking both his ankles. When sheriff's deputies arrived, he was crawling along a muddy field as money floated in the air. The government was allowed to keep nearly $112,000 in cash recovered from the crash scene after a judge found it was likely drug proceeds, but Dion was not charged criminally. When police in Junction City, Kansas, stopped him for speeding in 2013, they found about $828,000 in cash in his pickup truck. A federal investigation led authorities to Massachusetts and Arizona, where they found about $15 million in cash, nearly 400 pounds of marijuana and ledgers detailing drug deals going back to 1992. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper rejected a plea agreement that called for a five- to seven-year prison sentence for Dion. His lawyers then reached a new agreement with prosecutors that called for a sentence range of five to 10 years. Judge Denise Casper sentenced him to the maximum during a hearing in U.S. District Court. Dion has been in custody since his arrest in 2013, so he has already served 2 1/2 years of his sentence. He declined to address the court during his sentencing hearing. Dion's lawyer, Hank Brennan, recommended a five-year sentence. He said Dion was nonviolent and lived a simple life, despite the large quantities of cash his business made. "He didn't have that lure of greed and power and oppression. He is a simple man who lived a very routine and habit-filled life," Brennan said after the hearing. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of a little over six years. A spokeswoman for prosecutors did not return a call seeking comment. For most people, the opportunity to come home again is intriguing, even invigorating. Such is the case with Kerry McLean. She was raised in Caseville, and graduated from Caseville High School in 2002. Now, McLean is a teacher in the Caseville school system. McLean received a degree in Elementary Education from Central Michigan University in 2007. She is continuing her education, and will receive her masters degree in Elementary Education from Saginaw Valley State University in May. McLean began her teaching career at a charter school in Bay City, where she taught for three years before moving closer to home. She took a position at Owen-Gage Schools. She taught there for three years before interviewing for a job in Caseville. Now McLean is in her third year as kindergarten teacher at the same school she attended as a child. Although she has sought other employment after three years at each of her previous assignments, this time McLean has no intention of moving on. She would like to teach at Caseville for the rest of her career. I feel lucky to be teaching in the school I attended, McLean said. I had a great experience here, and a lot of great teachers. The community here is just wonderful. During her nine-year career, McLean has taught pre-kindergarten and second grade, as well as her present position with kindergarteners. She prefers kindergarten. Everything is exciting to them, McLean said. They have such a love of learning. Theyre excited about the new things they learn, and, for the most part, they like to come to school. That freshness, the intense interest in learning, is the main reason she loves teaching that age group. I love to see the progress they make, how independent they become, and all the different things they learn throughout the year, McLean said. She also loves teaching at a small school. Most of her classes have varied between 13 and 17 students. This year, Caseville has an above average number of kindergarteners, so the school has two classes. This is the first year that Caseville has had such a large kindergarten enrollment, McLean said. I have 17 in my class and there are 15 in the other class. There is a full-time aide whos split between the two kindergarten classes. The elementary wing at Caseville Schools was completely renovated a couple of years ago. Everything in her classroom is state-of-the-art. Its wonderful, McLean said. The size of the new classroom ... and the facilities we have ... are brand new. Our technology is updated. We have projectors and document cameras. Ive got plenty of room for 17 students. McLeans day begins early: the opening bell rings at 8 a.m. Throughout the day her students enjoy playing educational games on a computer, going to art, music, gym and Spanish classes in other classrooms, and a variety of activities in their home room. Depending on the day, students come in and have morning work at the tables, McLean said. Then we have a morning meeting. That meeting consists of gathering the students on a carpeted corner of the classroom and going over such things as weather, the calendar of events, and how long theyve been in school. We talk about the agenda for the day, McLean said. Then students share news, which is really important to them. Each day the students have a morning message. A different student each day decides what the morning message is going to be, McLean said. Then we practice the words weve been working on, do some math, and usually some coloring. As the day goes on, students are challenged to increase their reading, writing, and math skills. Of course, kindergarteners cant be expected to spend all their time seated at tables; they need time to play. There are a number of places within the classroom that provide them with the opportunity to exercise their imagination. Towards the end of the day, they have a free choice time, where they go to the different centers in the room and play with the toys, or dramatic play in the kitchen, McLean said. They have puzzles and games, and there is a water table. The water table is one of the most popular attractions during free time. Basically, its a large tank filled with water where the students are allowed to play with toys in the water. Its an opportunity for the kids to get to know each other while demonstrating their never-ending imagination. Its important for their social development, McLean said. The dramatic play center is also popular, like the pretend kitchen. Following the free choice period, McLeans students return to their tables for further work on the basics of reading, writing, and math, but this time theyre joined by older students. We have cross-age tutoring with fourth- and fifth-graders during that time, McLean said. This is a program our kindergarten parapro oversees. A fourth- or fifth-grade student is assigned to each kindergartner for the entire year. They work with them every day for 15 minutes. They start with letters, then with sounds, and then reading. During this time, the older kids teachers are in the room, as well as McLean. This ensures the tutoring time goes smoothly, and that each student receives personal attention when its needed. When the tutoring session is finished, its time for the students to get ready to end their school day. Each student has a locker to store their books and materials, and they help clean up the room. After the bell rings, McLean spends anywhere from a half hour to an hour making plans for upcoming days. I meet with my grade level partner, and collaborate, she said. They go over lesson plans and discuss the students needs. Its all part of McLeans commitment to her kindergarten class at Caseville School. Shes thrilled to be teaching there. Kerry McLean is home again. GOSHEN A man who shot and wounded another man outside the You You Asian Restaurant and Bar in the Town of Wallkill because he A House lawmaker is demanding answers from the Veterans Affairs Department over how an employee fired after being convicted of charges related to a 2015 armed robbery could win her job back. Rep. Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, also wants to know if Elizabeth Rivera's termination from the VA hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was challenged "by the fact that the HR [Human Resources] manager responsible [for] imposing her discipline, Mr. Tito Santiago Martinez, is a convicted sex offender." In a March 22 letter to VA Secretary Bob McDonald, Miller said, "The union allegedly asserted that Ms. Rivera should be reinstated in her job since Mr. Santiago was also convicted of a crime and therefore cannot discipline other employees who have been convicted of crimes." Miller sent the letter the same day The Daily Caller reported that Rivera was arrested in connection with an armed robbery last year. According to a June 16 online report on the San Juan news site Metro, Rivera was in a car with Rolando River Febus when Febus stepped out of the vehicle armed with a gun and attempted to rob a couple. Local police spotted the incident and Febus fled on foot, leaving Rivera in the car. Although initially charged with armed robbery, she ultimately pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges, according to the Caller report, which did not detail the charges. Miller said he wants to know exactly why her firing was overturned, who made the call and what role Martinez played. He also wants to know if media reports are accurate in claiming Rivera wore a GPS ankle monitor when she first went back to work, if she was given back-pay for the time she missed while in jail or after she was fired; why she wasn't fired for missing work while in jail; and why someone awaiting trial for armed robbery was assigned to the office responsible for security at the hospital. Miller told McDonald he also wants all paperwork associated with Rivera's dismissal and reinstatement, including an unredacted copy of her personnel file and copies of any paperwork of her grievance process, including a hearing transcript. Axel Roman, a spokesman for the VA hospital in San Juan, told Military.com that under federal law, criminal prosecution or conviction for off-duty misconduct does not automatically disqualify an individual from federal employment. "The administrative discipline process for poor performance or misconduct on the job operates distinctly from the administrative process associated with off-the-job misconduct," Roman said in an email. "Accordingly one is not necessarily impacted by the other." Roman's response suggests that the disciplinary action taken against Rivera -- and subsequently reversed -- dealt with her job performance or conduct and not the armed robbery, though he did not respond when Military.com asked for clarification. VA officials in Washington, D.C., did not respond to Military.com's request for comment. Miller first began inquiring about Rivera in September after learning of her arrest. At that time, she was still facing charges but had not gone to trial. The Caller reported that she was detailed to VA police and security so that she did not interact with veterans. In his letter, the congressman said San Juan officials did not tell him in September that she was detailed to facility security. According to news reports, she was subsequently fired and in February pleaded guilty to the two misdemeanor offenses, with the armed robbery charge dropped. But she appealed and earlier this month the firing was overturned and she was returned to her job, Miller told McDonald. "It defies all logic that a person who allegedly pleads guilty to a serious crime would be allowed to continue to work at an agency with such an important mission,' Miller said. "I am also concerned that the actions taken by the Department in this case are yet another example of VA's inability to adequately discipline and remove employees who clearly do not share the Department's mission or core values." The decision to reinstate Rivera follows the reinstatement of two Senior Executive Service employees who VA demoted and reassigned for allegedly using their authority to manipulate the hiring system to maneuver themselves into particular jobs. The demotions and reassignments of Diana Rubens, director of the VA regional office in Philadelphia, and Kimberly Graves, regional director of the VA office in St. Paul, Minnesota, were overturned only days apart in late January and early February. -- Bryant Jordan can be reached at bryant.jordan@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bryantjordan. The chief of the National Guard Bureau told Congress that converting its uniformed technicians into federal civilian employees will hamper the Guard's ability to respond to domestic emergencies. Gen. Frank J. Grass's warning to lawmakers on Tuesday came two weeks after 41 governors wrote a letter asking Congress to repeal a legal change requiring the conversion of certain National Guard military technicians into non-uniformed, federal civilian employee status. Rep. Pete Visclosky, a Democrat from Indiana and the ranking member of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, asked Guard leaders at a March 22 budget hearing how the conversion would affect readiness of Guard units. "With a 20-percent conversion, which is what is in the NDAA right now, we are very concerned about the readiness effects as well as the effects on our people," Grass said. "The Technician Act was passed in 1968, so we feel it's a good time to review the legislation that put into place that program." The governors and the adjutants general are "very concerned about losing command and control of those forces and for them to be available to them in times of disaster in the homeland," Grass said. The March 4 letter states that "These conversions would exacerbate two consecutive years of reductions in the National Guard uniformed end strength and deny governors access to thousands of duel-status technicians available for immediate military response to domestic emergencies." Rep. Steve Womack, R-Arkansas asked Grass if he or any other Guard leaders were consulted about these conversions before they were passed into law. "I was not consulted before the NDAA was published," Grass said. Grass asked for more time to find a solution. "What we really need is a delay right now," Grass said. "We have to implement on 1 January of 2017, and we feel we are just not ready without having huge impact on people and readiness, so we need a delay at least until fiscal year 2018." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. WASHINGTON Ninety female missileers made Air Force history March 22 as the first all-female missile alert crews to serve on alert at three intercontinental ballistic missile wings simultaneously. In honor of Women's History Month, missileers based out of Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota; F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming; and Malmstrom AFB, Montana, completed a 24-hour alert shift to sustain an active alert status of the nation's ICBM force. "The goal of this day was to highlight all the women who worked hard to make a difference in public service and government jobs in the past," said Col. Stacy Huser, the 91st Missile Wing Operations Group commander at Minot AFB. "We honored those women who have worked to gain opportunities and disavow stereotypes when they began their careers. This day was our tribute to them, as well as to inspire future generations of women to work in public service." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up almost 51 percent of the nation's population. Women currently make up 19 percent of the Air Force, the highest percentage of any service. "The fact that we can look across our pre-departure briefing room and see a woman sitting in every seat, for every combat crew going out on nuclear alert, is in itself, significant," said Col. Tom Wilcox, the 341st Missile Wing commander at Malmstrom AFB. "Not because Team Malmstrom is fielding an all-women alert force, but because we have enough women filling combat leadership roles to take alert for the entire wing." In addition to female missileers, B-52 Stratofortress aircrews from Minot AFB and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, participated by fielding all-female flight crews. "It is an honor to be flying with these women today," said Col. Kristin E. Goodwin, the 2nd Bomb Wing commander at Barksdale AFB. "These two flights, launched and crewed only by women, serve as a source of pride for the whole 2nd Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, and for each and every American." Goodwin flew as aircraft commander for one of the B-52s alongside six other women. In total, 14 women whose ranks range from lieutenant to colonel flew in the bomber formation, serving in the roles of pilot, weapons system officer and electronic warfare officer. "To carry on the legacy of women in the Air Force is very special to me," said 1st Lt. Elizabeth Guidara, the 12th Missile Squadron combat crew deputy director at Malmstrom AFB. "Not being afraid to take risks and taking ahold of those opportunities that present themselves are two things that I've learned to live by throughout my career." Col. Todd Sauls, the 90th Operations Group commander, said he was proud of the diversity in his F.E. Warren unit and excited to see the alert mission come together. "When I was a second lieutenant, you would have 10 or so female missileers in an ops group and now we come close to deploying a whole female crew force just because of the numbers we have," Sauls said. "This is about history and heritage and having events like this is a good way to honor the people who came before us." First Lt. Kelly Gorham, a 320th Missile Squadron missile combat crew commander, said she never really thought of herself as a woman in the military. "I've just been an Airman," Gorham said. "(But) we are women, we are in the military and we're doing good things. Sometimes the rewards are masked by that routine, but once you stand back and see that your family can sleep at night, see that your friends can sleep at night and the rest of the United States can sleep because you're standing alert, that's really the greatest reward you can ask for." The U.S. Army hasn't decided on "one handgun or another" as a replacement for the service's M9 pistol, according to Army public affairs. The service in a statement Wednesday said it currently has no plans to buy Glock pistols as an alternative to the service's ongoing Modular Handgun System program. Military.com ran a March 21 story describing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley's recent frustration with the MHS program as an example of the Pentagon's bureaucratic acquisition system. The story reported that, in addition to publicly criticizing MHS, Milley's office recently contacted Army Special Operations Command's G-8 office, which oversees fielding of equipment, to ask if there is room for the Army to join its pistol contract to buy Glock 19s, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Milley's office didn't respond to Military.com for comment. On Wednesday, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon responded with the following. "Because the Modular Handgun System program is currently in the source selection phase, the Army has not contacted Glock nor any other vendor with regard to their product offerings," Col. Patrick R. Seiber, chief of Army Media Relations Division, wrote in an email. "Although the Army is the managing authority for SOCOM's handgun contract, no action has been taken to contact them about utilizing that vehicle to directly procure one handgun or another outside of the specified source selection process. The Army is dedicated to ensuring that all of its material capability requirements are met affordably and without prejudice." The statement didn't specifically mention Milley. The Army launched its long-awaited XM17 MHS competition in late August to replace its Cold-War era, M9 9mm pistol. Milley has used recent public appearances to criticize federal acquisition guidelines that all services must follow when choosing and purchasing weapons and equipment, citing the MHS effort as a prime example. During a March 10 speaking engagement at a conference in Washington, D.C., for instance, Milley criticized the program's two-year testing phase slated to cost $17 million, stating that as the chief of staff, he should have the authority to select and purchase the Army's next sidearm. Milley has also asked Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to grant authority to the service chiefs to approve the acquisition of equipment that does not require new technology or research and development, the source said. Under its contract, USASOC is buying Glock 19s from Glock Inc., based in Smyrna, Georgia, for a base price of $320 each. The same pistol retails for $500-$600 each. The compact Model 19 is one of Glock's most popular handguns. The striker-fired, 9mm pistol features a four- inch barrel and has a standard capacity of 15 rounds, although 17-round magazines are available. The polymer frame features an accessory rail for mounting lights. With USASOC'S price, the Army would pay about $91.8 million if the service were to buy 287,000 pistols, the quantity requirement outlined in the MHS effort. Currently, the MHS program is projected to cost about $350 million, Army officials maintain. But choosing the Glock 19 would abandon one of the major goals of the MHS effort -- to adopt a pistol chambered for a more potent round than the current 9mm. The U.S. military replaced the .45-caliber 1911 pistol with the M9 in 1985 and began using the 9mm NATO round at that time. Most special operations forces, however, use 9mm pistols and a new Defense Department policy that authorizes "special purpose ammunition" now allows the military to use expanding or hollow-point bullets, experts maintain. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Well before the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit sent a 200-man detachment of Marines into northern Iraq this month to man a new artillery base there, small elements of Marines were on the ground in strategic locations to assist in the fight against Islamic State extremists. The new temporary detachment of troops brings the total number of Marines in Iraq to about 1,000 out of a total that may top 5,000, according to some media estimates. The Pentagon officially counts only 3,870, but that total excludes hundreds of troops that fall into different categories, including the 200 Marines newly in the country on temporary assignment. The deployment of the new detachment came to light after Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin, 27, was killed by indirect fire in an Islamic State rocket attack on the new outpost, Fire Base Bell. Cardin's death underscored the dominant role Marines have taken on the ground in Iraq. As of Tuesday, a company-sized presence of about 150 Marines from the Marines' crisis response force in the Middle East, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Central Command, continues to provide support and security to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, as it has since the rise of the Islamic State threat in the country in 2014. At Al Asad Air Base west of Baghdad, about 320 Marines from the same task force conduct perimeter and internal security and provide logistical support. Once one of the largest U.S. headquarters bases in Iraq, Al Asad is now used to train Iraqi Army units as they wage the ground fight against militants. Military photos from earlier this month show Danish soldiers training troops from the 7th Iraqi Army Division how to conduct military operations in urban terrain, including building breaching and small-unit tactics. Last summer, Marines and special operations forces collaborated to re-open Al-Taqaddum Air Base to the southeast in Anbar province, Iraq. The base, another remnant from Operation Iraqi Freedom, allowed U.S. troops to move into position near the population center of Ramadi, which had been overtaken by Islamic State fighters. Iraqi troops successfully reclaimed Ramadi in December. At Al-Taqaddum, more than 300 Marines from the crisis response task force provide security and support while a much smaller element of about two dozen Marines works directly with Iraqi military leaders to provide mentorship and advising. A spokesman for Marine Corps Central Command, Maj. Brad Avots, confirmed that the Marine Corps force strength at these bases remained steady even as the new outpost opened. The Marine Corps presence in Iraq also extends beyond conventional forces. Earlier this year, a Marine Corps colonel with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command took charge of the staff element for Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Iraq, marking the first time MARSOC had formed and deployed a full joint special operations task force staff. That task force, which operates out of an undisclosed location in country, oversees special operations troops from every service. While Cardin's death marks the first combat death for the Marine Corps in the joint fight against the Islamic State and the second U.S. combat death overall, it is not the first casualty the Corps has taken supporting the fight. Marine Cpl. Jordan Spears, 21, became the first U.S. service member to die in support of the fight on Oct. 1, 2014, when he was lost at sea after bailing out of an MV-22B Osprey that lost power after takeoff from the amphibious assault ship Makin Island. Later that month, Lance Cpl. Sean Neal, 19, died in Baghdad in a non-combat related incident. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Updated 5:05 PM EST Officials at Naval Medical Center San Diego have lifted a shelter-in-place-order after a sweep of the center's administrative building turned up four unspent bullets, but no gunman. The hospital complex had been under lockdown since Thursday morning, when an anonymous caller reported spotting an armed man on the medical center's campus. Officials pushed out an update on the centers Facebook page advising hospital staff to shelter in place and telling employees and patients en route to return home. Law enforcement officers with Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the San Diego Police Department spent the hours in lockdown conducting a sweep of the medical center's Building One, the main administrative center for the complex, said Lt. j. g. Madison McSweeney, a spokeswoman for Navy Region Southwest. She could not specify what kind of rounds were discovered within the building, and said officials were still investigating how they got into the hospital. Meanwhile, all operations have been restored at the center and the lockdown is over, McSweeney said. While officials did not find an armed man and have not questioned or detained anyone at this point, McSweeney said it would be inappropriate to call the situation a false alarm, as officials continued to investigate. It's the second time in three months that reports of a gunman have interrupted operations at the medical center, which employs about 500 staff. In January, staff members were instructed via Facebook to "run, hide or fight" after reports circulated of an active shooter. Those reports proved groundless. -------------- Updated 12:56 PM EST An official with Navy Region Southwest said that San Diego Police Department officials are in the process of searching Building One, which contains the main hospital complex for Naval Medical Center San Diego. The official did not confirm media reports that a bullet had been found in the floor inside the building, but said law enforcement officers were still trying to verify reports of an armed man in the vicinity. The entire base is secured and on lockdown, the official said, after an anonymous caller this morning reported a man with a firearm on campus. Staff and patients are being advised to stay award from the hospital as the investigation continues. The official declined to comment on whether an active shooter situation was suspected, saying reports were still under investigation. -------------- Original Story: Staff members at Naval Medical Center San Diego were ordered to shelter in place after the hospital received a report of an armed man in the area. In a post on its Facebook page Thursday morning, the center called the situation a "code white" and said staff and patients en route to the hospital were being advised not to come in until the scene had been cleared. No shots had been fired, officials said, and security personnel were investigating the situation. The alert comes two months after an active shooter was reported at the medical center Jan. 26. Officials engaged emergency protocols and posted a message to the center's Facebook page instructing staff to "run, hide or fight." Ultimately, however, that report proved to be a false alarm. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. The U.S. was has been "reassessing" the invitation for Chinese warships to participate in the RIMPAC 2016 naval exercises off Hawaii this summer in light of China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said. The biannual RIMPAC, or Rim of the Pacific, is an international training exercise hosted by the U.S. and set to take place in June and July. China's invitation was likely to be the topic of discussions next week on the sidelines of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit on cooperation against nuclear proliferation and the smuggling of materials for dirty bombs that will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. China's Foreign Ministry confirmed Wednesday that Xi will join representatives of 40 other countries at the three-day summit beginning March 31, China's Xinhua news agency said. The summit will take place as the U.S is pressing China to rein in the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, which recently claimed to have miniaturized a nuclear warhead to fit atop an intercontinental ballistic missile. In testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Carter said, "We are constantly reassessing" China's invitation to RIMPAC. In 2014, China for the first time participated in RIMPAC exercises involving 23 counties, about 50 ships, six submarines and more than 25,000 troops. The Chinese currently "have an invitation for RIMPAC and we will continue to review that," Carter said. "Our strategy in the Asia-Pacific is not to exclude anyone, but to keep the security architecture going there, in which everyone participates. "China is, however, self-isolating" through its actions in building artificial islands for military airfields in the South China Sea that have raised concerns among regional allies, and "that's why all these partners are coming to us," Carter said. The secretary was responding to questions from Rep. Mark Takai, a Hawaii Democrat, who urged Carter to disinvite China from RIMPAC, the world's largest naval exercise. U.S. Navy officials recently pointed to Chinese military action in the South China Sea at Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, a U.S. security treaty ally. "Should we reward China for this aggressive behavior by including them in an event meant for allies and partners?" Takai asked during the hearing. "China's behavior is the polar opposite of U.S. objectives in the region" and the Chinese should be excluded from RIMPAC, the lawmaker said. Carter responded, "We're constantly evaluating our relationship with China and China's behavior, including the South China Sea, where I emphasize we have very serious concerns about their aggressive militarization there." In confirming last month that China would attend RIMPAC, Wu Qian, a spokesman for China's defense ministry, said, "Joining these military exercises will be beneficial to improving the Chinese navy's ability to contend with non-traditional security threats." However, Wu added, "Needless to say, military relations between China and the U.S. have some difficulties and obstacles." The drumbeat in China's official media has been that the so-called U.S. "Pacific pivot" -- the rebalance of U.S. forces to the Asia-Pacific region -- is designed to deny China's rightful status as a world power. Carter again rejected the charge Wednesday in an address to the Corps of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. "China is rising, which is fine, but China is behaving aggressively, which is not," he said. The Asia-Pacific was "the most consequential region for America's future," and it "has generally been an area of peace and stability," primarily because of the U.S. presence. "That's what we aim to keep going. It's not about keeping China down," he said. Last May, Sens. John McCain, an Arizona Republican and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and the ranking Democrat on the panel, sent a letter to Carter recommending that China be disinvited from RIMPAC 2016 because of China's "bad behavior." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@military.com. Several dozen military, law enforcement and intelligence professionals "who have spent a good part of our adult life trying to hunt, capture, or kill terrorists" issued a damning statement against presidential candidates supporting the use of torture. "Because of [our] experiences, we have been listening with increasing alarm to the casual -- and increasingly, favorable -- rhetoric about torture in the presidential campaign," the group wrote. The letter doesn't mention any candidates by name, but Republican businessman Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas have both raised the issue on the campaign trail. "Candidates have said we should punish prisoners even if it does not work because people deserve' it, re-defined torture in a way that would allow for truly heinous conduct, and laughed along when an audience member suggested a rival politician should be waterboarded," the group wrote in the letter. And the same calls are being made again with the recent terrorist bombings in Brussels, Belgium, they wrote. "Apparently, it's okay to be pro-torture -- again. In fact, we now see candidates looking to outdo each other in their eagerness to support it," the letter states. The 62 signatories to the open letter posted on the Truman National Security Project website include Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force veterans, as well as members of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Republican front-runner Donald Trump on Tuesday told CNN that a suspect in last year's Paris bombing likely knew of what was being planned in Brussels and would have provided information "a lot faster with the torture." "If he would've talked you might not have had the blow up -- all these people dead and all these people wounded because he probably knew about it," Trump told the reporter. "We have to be smart. I mean it's hard to believe. We can't waterboard -- listen, nothing's nice about it, but it's your minimal form of torture." Earlier this month, Trump said he'd look to change laws against torture and waterboarding to "compete" with ISIS. During one of the debates in February, he said he would "bring back waterboarding. And I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding." Cruz, who is running behind Trump for the party nomination, said Wednesday morning during an interview on the show "Fox & Friends" that "the U.S. has never engaged in torture," suggesting that he does not consider waterboarding torture. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is alone among the three GOP candidates rejecting torture as a tactic in the fight against terrorism. On the Democrat site, both frontrunner former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, have rejected the use of torture on prisoners. Waterboarding was among the "enhanced interrogation techniques" authorized for use on prisoners under administration of George Bush, whose Justice Department defined torture as acts causing "pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death." At one CIA detention site, called COBALT -- and described as a dungeon by the CIA's chief of interrogations, according to the committee -- detainees were walked around naked or shackled with their hands above their heads for long periods of time. Some were subjected to what the CIA called a "rough takedown," during which some five CIA officers would scream at the detainee, drag him outside the cell, cut his clothes off, and secure him with plastic tape. He'd then be hooded and dragged up and down a long corridor while being slapped and punched. The Senate committee found evidence that some CIA officers threatened the children, wives or mothers of some detainees. Sen. Diane Feinstein, a Democrat from California who chaired the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Committee's investigation of the CIA's interrogation program, rejected Bush administration lawyers' findings allowing for the methods. Feinstein said she could only conclude after reviewing what program that "under any common meaning of the term, CIA detainees were tortured." The committee also found that claims that the torture led to good, actionable intelligence was not true or greatly exaggerated. The veterans, in their letter, noted that they "were on the ground and on the frontlines of this fight against terror, whether on patrol through neighborhoods in Iraq and Afghanistan, in detention facilities in the United States and around the world, or in the rooms where the grueling work of compiling information to track and target terrorists is actually done. We know what works and we know what does not work. "So we are writing to reiterate very simply that the United States does not and should not torture for three simple reasons: It's not who we are, it's not what those of us who served signed up to do, and not only does it not work, it makes our troops and our nation less secure." -- Bryant Jordan can be reached at bryant.jordan@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bryantjordan. Dear Ms. Vicki, My husband has been in contact with other women -- at least six that I know of -- over the past two years. I have found numerous texts, Facebook messages, "sexts" and emails. He was once involved with another military service member's wife, as well, and even had a command investigation and received a protection order from her spouse. When that investigation happened, I thought about leaving him, but I kept believing his promises that he would change. When he moved to Japan, I quit my job and followed him here. About two weeks ago, I found out the he is involved with a Filipino girl who is our daughter's age and also with two Japanese women. He was lying to all of them about being married to me. I reported all of this to his command, but his boss, who is a civilian, would not do anything. I went to the base legal office, Family Advocacy, the Inspector General (IG) and the military police, but nothing has happened. According to Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is a criminal act when certain legal criteria have all been met. My husband is a commander and his military boss is a major general. Yes, I am leaving him this time, but I want my husband to suffer the consequences of his actions as a military officer. -- AKA Dear AKA, I'm very sorry about all of this. Your letter is very important because I often hear from spouses, both male and female, who say they report adultery to commanders, civilian bosses, IG, legal, etc. and nothing is done. It sounds like your husband is a serial cheater. I can't blame you for leaving him. Nothing may happen to your husband for his adultery, but eventually he will get caught up in something that will cause his senior commander to get involved. As I have said before, some commanders will get involved and some won't. Spouses report that, when informed, many commanders say that adultery is a private, marital matter. I know you are hurting. You could be in shock and second-guessing yourself and your ability to make good decisions. Cheating can really do damage to a spouse's self-esteem. For example, some spouses ask questions like: Why did he/she cheat? Wasn't I good enough? Don't let his behavior take you down that winding road of self-doubt and low self-esteem. You should talk to a therapist for support, insight and advice on how to move forward. In the meantime, you can keep complaining to all of the different people and places you named in your letter. All of them have to let you know about their investigations. For example, the IG can't just drop your complaint and do nothing. They have to let you know the outcome of their investigation. Stay in touch and I hope you are doing OK, under the circumstances. -- 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. 11:11am: In addition to the Tigers, Heyman reports (via Twitter) that the Orioles, Rangers and Reds also attended Lohses recent showcase. The Os and Rangers would presumably also be looking at Lohse as experienced depth, though Baltimores rotation is unsettled enough that Lohse could have an opportunity at regular innings. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is going with a very inexperienced group of starting candidates so Lohse could be a fit as a veteran innings eater. 9:33am: The Tigers are emphasizing depth in the starting rotation and have some interest in veteran righty Kyle Lohse, MLB Networks Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Lohse is a client of Scott Boras, who has a well-documented connection with Tigers owner Mike Ilitch. The Marlins were the only other club connected to the 37-year-old this winter, and the quiet rumor mill probably isnt a surprise given Lohses age and his rough 2015 season. He posted a 5.85 ERA and 6.4 K/9 over 152 1/3 innings with the Brewers, a performance that cost him his rotation job. The largest issue seemed to be a 15.3% homer rate that was well above Lohses 10% career average, though a .314 BABIP and 68.7% strand rate also added to Lohses misfortune. While his ERA indicators (5.12 FIP, 4.48 xFIP, 4.43 SIERA) werent particularly impressive, they show that Lohses 5.85 ERA was at least a bit misleading. Lohse is probably available on a minor league deal at this point, and he could provide some veteran depth for a rotation that has had a couple of injury question marks. Anibal Sanchez recently pitched his first outing of camp on Monday after battling triceps inflammation this spring, and Daniel Norris recently left a start due to tightness in his lower back. Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey are penciled in as Detroits top four starters, with Shane Greene, Matt Boyd and Buck Farmer all battling Norris for the fifth starters job (and potentially a spot outing for Sanchez if he isnt able to make his first start of the regular season). NEW YORK - With the reveal of the Nissan Titan Crew Cab half-ton pickup Thursday in New York, the Japanese automaker grows its stable of trucks vying for a lucrative piece of the American market pie. The company said the new half-ton and the already released Titan XD create a product offering that covers almost 85 percent of the full-size truck market. Revealed as a Crew Cab at the New York International Auto Show, the Titan half-ton has a 5.6-liter V-8 engine that delivers 390 horsepower and 401 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine will be mated to a 7-speed, automatic transmission. A V-6 engine will also be available, but details of that will come at a later date. "The 2017 TITAN half-ton has the same aggressive style of the TITAN XD, but is about a foot shorter in wheelbase," said Fred Diaz, division vice president and general manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc., revealing the new truck during a press conference at the auto show. "They share the same cabs, but while it offers similar ruggedness and durability, the TITAN half-ton's chassis is completely different than XD." You can see the Diaz and the Titan half-ton unveiling here: The new pickup arrives at dealerships this summer. It will initially launch as a Crew Cab model, with Single and King Cab variants planned for later in the model year. Pricing on the half-ton has not yet been announced. Meanwhile, however, Nissan did announce the pricing for its 2016 Titan XD on Thursday. The larger Titan will start at $35,290, excluding, taxes, fees and delivery charges. The Nissan Titan is being assembled in Canton, Miss., and its V-8 engine is being built in Decherd, Tenn. on Wednesday, Nissan unveiled an all-new GT-R. Press preview days for this year's New York auto show are March 23 and 24. The 116-year-old event at the Jacob K. Javits Center will then open to the public from March 25 to April 3. More information: www.autoshowny.com. David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook. NEW YORK - Jeep is expanding the Grand Cherokee lineup with Trailhawk and Summit models. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand rolled out the Summit and had the Trailhawk climb steps at the 2016 New York International Auto Show Wednesday: Grand Cherokee Trailhawk The Trailhawk name first appeared on the Grand Cherokee as part of the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah in 2012. It found its way onto a production vehicle with the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, billing it as the most off-road capable of the four trim levels available. It was also on the off-road trim level of the 2015 Jeep Renegade. With the 2017 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, off-road features include Jeep's Quadra-Lift air suspension, skid plates and an anti-glare hood decal. The Grand Cherokee Trialhawk has 10.8 inches of ground clearance, red tow hooks, and standard 18-inch Goodyear Adventure off-road tires, with 20-inch ones available. Grand Cherokee Summit While the Trailhawk model is geared toward off-roading, the Summit is the most luxurious model in Jeep's full-size SUV line-up. The dashboard, center console and door panels are all wrapped in Nappa leather, and the seats furnished in Laguna leather. It has much of the latest technological advancements, such as auto-folding power mirrors, headlamp washers, blind-spot detection, forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control. For the first time on the Grand Cherokee, the Summit model will have lane departure warning and parallel and perpendicular park assist. "With our new Trailhawk and Summit models, Jeep Grand Cherokee becomes even more capable and more luxurious," said Mike Manley, head of Jeep Brand for FCA Global. "Our Cherokee and Renegade Trailhawk models are among our fastest selling and most sought-after models, and we are following that successful formula to provide consumers even more legendary Jeep 4x4 capability for Grand Cherokee - the most awarded SUV ever." The two new Grand Cherokee models will arrive at dealerships this summer. Pricing has not been announced. Press preview days for this year's New York auto show are March 23 and 24. The 116-year-old event at the Jacob K. Javits Center will then open to the public from March 25 to April 3. More information: www.autoshowny.com. David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook. The big spring beer release that get's the most attention is, of course, Oberon, from Bell's Brewery. But there are many other beers being released this spring that deserve your attention and your taste buds. I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what other spring beers you are looking forward to, or drinking right now. Drinking seasonally is a great way to try new beers, and pair them with different foods. Our Michigan brewers are making some incredible beers, get out there in the sun and enjoy them! You can view the slide show of all the beers here. Right Brain Brewery-These guys make what has to be the craziest beer released this spring. Mangalitsa Pig Porter is brewed with, you guessed it, whole smoked pig heads. And while this sounds insane, this beer won gold in 2011 at the Great American Beer Festival for Best Experimental beer. You can head up to the pub in Traverse City on April 16 to grab a bottle, and to indulge in, what else, a pig roast. Roak Brewing- They have been open less than a year, but this Royal Oak Brewery is brewing up very solid brews out of it's 30 barrel system. Melonfest is brewed with cantelope and Melon hops, all on a wheat beer base that really lets the fruit shine through. Melonfest will be available late April, look for Roak beers througout the state. Kuhnhenn Brewery-This popular brewery recently opened another location in Clinton Township, located just north of Detroit. Their flagship location is located in Warren, and was in the top 10 of our search for Michigan's Best brewery. Favorite beers include Fluffer, DRIPA and TRIPA. Released in early May, Back 9 Blonde is a Belgian blonde ale. Rochester Mills-Tongue Tied is a traditonal Belgian style saison from Rochester Mills, and is brewed with over a thousand pounds of sweet and tart cherries. This unfiltered wheat is balanced out by lemon, orange and coriander. Available on draft and in cans for the first time this year, Tongue Tied is a refreshing beer to enjoy outside with friends. Wolverine State Brewing- Coming in at a pleasant 4.3% ABV, Green Thumb session IPL is full of juicy hop flavor from the inclusion of four different hop varities, plus a dry hop of Chinook. Because it's a lager, it drinks clean and crisp. Look for it on draft this spring starting March 28 in the Ann Arbor area. Rockford Brewing Company-Released on April 20, Fuzzy Nuggs from Rockford Brewing Company tastes just like it's name, sticky, resiny, green. Nugget hops are the star here, and were used throughout the brewing process, for even bigger flavor and aroma. A great beer to have after a bike ride on the White Pine Trail, which passes right in front of the brewery. Unruly Brewing Company-releases Orange Julius, an annual spring favorite, March 26. The wheat provides a nice base for the vanilla, sweet orange peel and touch of lactose (which also makes it creamy). A great fresh citrusy beer to enjoy out on the deck in downtown Muskegon. Arcadia Ales-The "other" big wheat beer release across the state, Whitsun is brewed by Arcadia Ales, which has locations in Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and soon, Lansing. Easy drinking, with a bready like base, flavored with orange, coriander and just a touch of hops. You can find this on draft, in bottles, and cans too. Blackrocks Brewery-This is a very popular brewery located in the Upper Pennisula in Marquette. They also distibute their cans througout the state. Honey Lav comes out in May and uses Michigan honey for a touch of sweetnes, balanced by floral notes from the lavendar. A classic combination. Perrin Brewing Company-Located in Comstock Park, this brewery is just a few minutes north of Grand Rapids. Their grapefruit IPA is hotly anticipated every spring, and for the first time this year, it will be available in cans for distribution. This IPA is juicy, with a big citrus bite, totally refreshing, and just begs to be drunk out in the sun. Released to the masses April 2. Motor City Brewing Works-Motor City is located right in the Cass Corridor in Detroit, and has a fantastic upper level deck to have a pint on in the spring. Check out thier Gigawatt India Pale Lager, a traditonal American style lager that's been hopped up to be full of citrus. Big, with 72 IBU's and 7.2% ABV, this will make the hop heads happy. Tapistry Brewing Upper Hand Brewing- This brewery is Larry Bell's (of Bell's Brewing) tribute to and celebration of the U.P.. Only available in the Upper Pennisula and Northern Wisconsin, their beer is worth seeking out. Double Ringer is a big, hop forward beer, with lots of pine, just like the UP. It also clocks in at 10% ABV, so it can warm you up all spring up north. Released in April, might be worth a trip across the Mighty Mac to get some. Frankenmuth Brewery-The brewery, as well as the whole town of Frankenmuth, is all about the German. Their Twisted Helles comes in these cute little cans, and is made for drinking even on the hottest days. Never bitter, very light, and with a twist of citrus, this is the perfect local Michigan beer to introduce your friends to the craft beer revolution. People & Achievements From new hires and promotions to industry awards, here's a roundup of achievements by businesses and individuals in the greater Ann Arbor area: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) announces the award of five-year grants to promote research in serious mental illness in two of the nation's leading university departments of psychiatry. The University of Michigan Health System's Department of Psychiatry and the McLean Hospital Psychotic Disorders Division, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, will each receive a grant to support a NAMI Research Fellow, in conjunction with NAMI's medical director, Ken Duckworth, M.D. Each was selected following a nationwide Request for Proposals. NEW, President and CEO, Michael Tyson, announced the appointment of Yodit Mesfin Johnson to Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Strategy. She will play a major leadership role in advancing NEW's mission to improve the impact and performance of nonprofits in southeast Michigan by delivering high-quality strategic solutions. Other appointments and additions include: Janice Gates, Director of Community Engagement; Larysa Blysniuk, Organizational Development Specialist; and Quentin Davis, Mission Control. James Stein The Washtenaw Contractors Association (WCA) presented the 2016 Nelson Vander Hyden Award to Dr. James Stein, Eastern Michigan University. Dr. James Stein has spent the majority of his career helping to insure that talented and well prepared young people are available to join the staffs of construction firms of all types throughout Michigan. What is most significant about Dr. Stein's contribution is the tremendous commitment he makes to his students and the construction industry outside of the classroom. Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc., a leading asset-light transportation and logistics service provider, announced that Active Aero Group (Belleville, MI) a Roadrunner Transportation Systems company, was named a 2015 "Supplier of the Year" by General Motors. This is the fourth time in the last six years that Active Aero Group has been recognized by GM as a Supplier of the Year award recipient. Live Happy magazine once again launched its mission to lead a global movement to make the world a happier place with its 3rd annual #HappyActs campaign, inviting everyone to spread joy and simple acts of kindness, both in person and online, in honor of the UN-sanctioned International Day of Happiness March 20. The Ann Arbor Happiness Wall took place at the Briarwood Mall March 19 and was just one of over 70 walls that are took place across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Photos from various local walls nationwide can be found here: http://bit.ly/1nXHiIX In more news from The Washtenaw Contractors Association (WCA), they've announced the recipients of its 19th annual PYRAMID Awards. Best Project Team - Projects under $3 Million - Recipient: University of Michigan Memorial Phoenix Lab - Battery Prototype Facility Renovation; Best Project Team - Projects between $3 Million & $25 Million - Recipient: U of M William Clements Library Infrastructure Improvements & Addition; Best Project Team - Projects over $25 Million - Recipient: Muskegon County Adult Jail Complex (Muskegon); Best Subcontractor Award - Contracts under $500,000 - Recipient: Detroit Dismantling Corporation for the Henry Ford Hospital Powerhouse Demolition; and Best Subcontractor Award - Contracts over $500,000 - Recipient: John E. Green Company for U of M Munger Graduate Residences. University of Michigan Museum of Art has been recognized as the top public university art museum in the country by Best College Reviews. UMMA is #3 on the overall list, behind only the museums of Harvard University and the Rhode Island School of Design--two private universities. To enter your business event in the MLive events calendar, visit http://myevent.mlive.com/web/event.php. File photo Don't Edit Brian Forde Bunny Train, Coopersville Coopersville & Marne Railway Train Hop aboard a West Michigan, Spring-time favorite! The Eater Bunny will join you during the 90-minute ride through family owned farms and fields on March 26. Train departures are 11:00am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm. COST: Adults $17.00, Seniors (60+) $16.00, Kids (2-12) $15.00 Under 2 FREE ADVANCE TICKETS RECOMMENDED: Call 616-997-7000, EXT. 3 More info: coopersvilleandmarne.org/ Don't Edit Courtesy photo Easter Egg Hunt on Capitol Lawn, Lansing Lansing Jaycees Annual Easter Egg Hunt! 10:00 Various activities 10:45 - Egg scramble for ages 7 and up 11:00 - Egg scramble for ages 4-6 11:15 - Egg scramble for ages 3 and under 11:20 - Prize Raffle Activities run from 10:00am to 11:30am and include the Easter Bunny, Potter Park Zoo, Crash the Clown, Crafts, Games, and More! Capitol Lawn 100 N. Capitol Ave. Lansing, MI 48933 Don't Edit Courtesy photo Easter Sunday at the Downtown Market, Grand Rapids 10am Easter Egg Hunt, Sunday, March 27 Over 1,000 eggs will be hidden throughout the Market Hall, eggs will be filled with candy and a few select golden eggs will be filled with assorted Market gift cards from a variety of vendors or to the Market itself! 12pm 2pm Audacious Hoops in the greenhouse Kids coloring in the green house all day! FREE. More info: http://downtownmarketgr.com/ Don't Edit Andrew Whitaker Easter Egg Hunts JOHN BALL PARK EASTER EGG HUNT: The annual event at John Ball Park is expected to attract about 2,500 kids. Donations are being accepted. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. There is no fee. More details at John Ball Park Easter Egg Hunt on Facebook. KALAMAZOO EASTER EGG HUNT: 19th annual Egg Hunt | Homer Stryker Field, Kalamazoo. Saturday, March 26, 4 6 p.m. Easter egg and jelly bean hunt, Easter egg decorating, face painting, games with prizes, Easter Bunny. Free! EASTER EGG EVENT: Rainbow Easter Eggs | Hackley Public Library, Muskegon Saturday, March 26, 2 p.m. Bring in your own hard boiled eggs and dye them rainbow colors. Free. SAGINAW: The 8th Annual Old Town Easter Egg Hunt is Saturday, March 26, at noon on the Saginaw County Court House lawn. About 20,000 plastic eggs stuffed with candy will be used. More events in Saginaw and Bay County Springfest in Saline: 11:30 a.m. March 26, Saline Rec Center. More info: http://www.annarborwithkids.com/events/springfest-2/ Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy photo The Anti World Tour Rihanna, Travis Scott, 7:30 p.m. March 24; The Palace of Auburn Hills; $30.50-$151; www.palacenet.com Don't Edit Courtesy photo The One Last Time Tour Barry Manilow, March 25; Van Andel Arena in GR; www.vanandelarena.com RELATED: Barry Manilow: 'It's kind of emotional knowing I won't be back to these arenas and cities' Don't Edit Courtesy photo "20 Years in One Night Tour" Kirk Franklin, 7:30 p.m. March 25; Fox Theatre in Detroit; www.olympiaentertainment.com Don't Edit Courtesy photo The Original High Tour Adam Lambert, Alex Newell, March 25; The Fillmore Detroit; livenation.com Adam Lambert, Alex Newell, 8 p.m. March 26; Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant; www.soaringeaglecasino.com Don't Edit Courtesy photo The Money $hot - Round 2 Tour Puscifer, March 27; DeVos Performance Hall in GR; www.devosperformancehall.com Puscifer's touring line-up is Maynard James Keenan, guitar player Mat Mitchell, singer Carina Round, drummer Jeff Friedl, keyboard player/vocalist Mahsa Zargaran and the newest addition, bass player Paul Barker (Ministry, Lead Into Gold). Keenan (a Michigan native) said of the live performance: This show is so much more than just a band regurgitating songs. This is a multi-media performance unlike anything youve ever witnessed. There are those who know, and there are those who will know soon enough. Guitar player/producer Mat Mitchell added, Round 1 was a blast for us, looking forward to more bone breaking fun in Round 2! Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy photo Hell Raisers Tour ZZ Top, 9 p.m. March 26; Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo; www.fourwindscasino.com Don't Edit Amy Sherman/MLive No Rules Boondoggle at Perrin Brewing If you're looking for a fun beer event this weekend, Perrin Brewing in Comstock Park is releasing their award winning Vietnamese Imperial Porter "NO RULES" on Saturday, March 26 at the Perrin Pub in Comstock Park (North of Grand Rapids).The NO RULES Boondoggle begins at 11 a.m. No Rules will be released in 22oz bottles and on draft (8-oz. pours). Cost is $16.99 per bottle. It comes in at 15 percent ABV. RateBeer.com named "NO RULES" the World's Top New Beer Release of 2015, along with giving "NO RULES" a score of 100 for Style and 100 for the Overall categories -- a perfect score. More info: perrinbrewing.com Don't Edit Courtesy photo 28th annual Spring Fishing & Boat Show, Kalamazoo March 25 & 26 at D&R Sports Center in Kalamazoo. Enthusiasts can talk to factory reps, check out great sales and attend FREE seminars by professional anglers. In fact, Kevin VanDam the World's #1 Bass Angler! -- will conduct seminars at 9:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is FREE. More info at http://www.dandrsports.com/ Weekend_Events.html#. VvHaxUb2TYg Don't Edit Courtesy photo 2016 Home, Garden + Do It Yourself Show March 25 and March 26 at the Fricano Event Center, located at 1050 West Western Avenue, in Muskegon. The show features 30 different seminars and DIY sessions, as well as 40+ exhibitors, 100s of new ideas, and GRAND PRIZE DRAWINGS! If you're an aspiring home brewer, you can check out the seminar Home Brewing Basics from 4-5 p.m. Saturday presented by Hoportunist Hot Spot in Muskegon. For more info: For more info: muskegon.org Don't Edit Courtesy photo Cottage and Lakefront Living Show, Grand Rapids March 24-26 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, and features seminars, guest speakers, builders and even find out the winners of the Water & Woods photo contest presented by WZZMTV13. Admission: Adult $10 | Children (6-14) - $4 | 5 & Under Free. Hours are: 3:00 PM 9:00 PM Thursday 12:00 PM 9:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM 8:00 PM Saturday More info: https://showspan.com/CLG/ Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Winners! Top 10 Peeps dioramas, plus The Peeple's Choice winner Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com We asked, you delivered! We put out the call for Peeps dioramas, and the wonderfully creative Peeple of Michigan delivered some astonishingly creative - and sometimes hilarious - Peeps projects. After a lot of conversation and some difficult decisions, the MLive life and culture team (Dustin Block, Emily Rose Bennett, John Gonzalez, John Serba, Ed Pevos, Jessica Shepherd, Amy Sherman, Emily Bingham and Jessica Webster) is ready to announce the winners. Click through to see which Peeps dioramas we think take the cake, plus the winner of The Peeple's Choice, as chosen by the readers of MLive.com. Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Number 10: Peepin' At The Falls Peepin' at the Falls - submitted by Jodi Webb & Connie Grantham from the Dundee Welcome Center. We loved the Michigan travel theme, and the adorable backpacks! Don't Edit Jessica Webster | MLive.com Number 9: First Peeps On The Moon "First Peeps on the Moon," submitted by Lucas Henderson. This was one of a handful of dioramas submitted by students from Linden High School. We loved the simplicity of this diorama, and how well the theme was executed. Nice job, Lucas! Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Number 8: The Walking Dead - Thank You "The Walking Dead-Thank You" - Lynn Sinnott of Ann Arbor's Peeps diorama captures a scene from the sixth season of the television show. No small amount of work went into this entry, and we love how expertly it captures this gory scene from the TV show. Don't Edit Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Number 7: "You'll PEEPS in my heart - Tarzan presented by Young PEEPS Theater!" "You'll PEEPS in my heart - Tarzan presented by Young PEEPS Theater!" submitted by Jennifer Monk-Reising in Ann Arbor. We all walked around with earworms for days after seeing this excellent entry from Jenn, and we might just have to book our tickets to see the Yound People's (Peeples?) Theater production of it in May! Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Number 6: "Apocalypse Ann Arbor - Kill the Wabbit" Andrea Zastrow from Ann Arbor submitted this Peeps take on the Ann Arbor deer cull: "Apocalypse Ann Arbor: After years of Peep Diorama contests, unchecked by natural predators, virtually inedible in any form (although the boxes read "always a gluten free food"), the peepulation of Ann Arbor had spiraled out of control. Ann Arbor's City Council waited to act until there were few other options. Taking some lessons from the expense and controversy surrounding the deer cull, they've taken the extraordinary step of combining peepulation control with an aerial survey. Cue "'Kill the Wabbit!'" The deer cull in Ann Arbor has been front page news since it was announced in the fall, with protests and arguments between friends, neighbors and city council that continue today. Zastrow captured the drama and the humor of it all in this one - bravo! Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Number 5: Peeps Madness Peeps Madness, by Ann Arbor's John Durski, shows a rivalry game between Ann Arbor's Michigan Wolverines and East Lansing's Michigan State Spartans. Love the Dixie Cups as baskets, the maize and green Peeps on the courts, and the bunny ref. The Wolverines and Spartans may have been eliminated in the first round this year (sob!), but we'll always have this diorama to remind us of what might have been. Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Number 4: Beep, beep! Detroit Grand PrixPeeps! "Beep, beep! Detroit Grand PrixPeeps!" - submitted by Sara Higgins, Alexis Kielwasser, Aislinn Williams and Amy Wiseman in Ann Arbor. The details in this one, with adorable Peeps cars on the Belle Isle track, the stands, the billboards, the map. Nice job incorporating a Michigan theme! Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Number 3: Visiting Mackinac Island Visiting Mackinac Island by Darla Welshons in Ann Arbor. We loved the horse, the peeps in the carriage, and the great use of perspective in the Grand Hotel in the background. Don't Edit Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Tied for first place: Donald J. Trump, Man of the Peeple Donald J. Trump, Man of the Peeple, by Cynthia Lund Torroll. We were pretty blown away by this one, although John Serba couldn't cast his vote for it because, in his eyes, it's creative but not technically a diorama. The rest of us ranked this one pretty high on our list for its creative rendering of Donald Trump's hair...and that mouth. You can read more about Cynthia Lund Torroll's Peeps Trump here. Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com Tied for first place: Peeps Of A Feather "Peeps of a Feather" was submitted by Mattie O'Brien in Ann Arbor. O'Brien worked some serious magic creating this work of art. Peeps, rendered as beautiful birds adorn a birdfeeder. It's creative, beautiful, and unique. Don't Edit Jessica Webster | jessicawebster@mlive.com The Peeple's Choice: Beep, beep! Detroit Grand PrixPeeps! With 17.74 percent of the vote, "Beep, beep! Detroit Grand PrixPeeps!" - submitted by Sara Higgins, Alexis Kielwasser, Aislinn Williams and Amy Wiseman in Ann Arbor walked away as the winners of the Peeple's Choice award. Don't Edit 1. "Beep, beep! Detroit Grand PrixPeeps!" - submitted by Sara Higgins, Alexis Kielwasser, Aislinn Williams and Amy Wiseman in Ann Arbor. 17.74% 2. "You'll PEEPS in my heart - Tarzan presented by Young PEEPS Theater!" submitted by Jennifer Monk-Reising in Ann Arbor. 12.69% 3. "Peeps of a Feather" was submitted by Mattie O'Brien in Ann Arbor. 10.34% 4. Donald J. Trump, Man of the Peeple, by Cynthia Lund Torroll. 10.04% 5. Visiting Mackinac Island by Darla Welshons in Ann Arbor. 6.25% 6. "Apocalypse Ann Arbor - Kill the Wabbit" Andrea Zastrow. 5.77% 7. "Ann Arbor Youth Chorale wants you to be one of our Peeps!" by Shayla Powell of Ann Arbor. 5.53% 8. "The Walking Dead-Thank You" - Lynn Sinnott of Ann Arbor's Peeps diorama captures a scene from the sixth season of the television show. 5.23% 9. "Fiddling While Michigan Burns," submitted by Kristin Mahler, Wendy Ransom and Christine Cook of Ann Arbor. 4.39% 10. Peepin' at the Falls - submitted by Jodi Webb & Connie Grantham from the Dundee Welcome Center 4.27% 11. Libby Turows of Grand Rapids submitted "Peep Brew." 2.65% 12. Peeps at Marsh(Mallow) Field - Sharon McCullar in Muskegon. 2.59% 13. Peeps Madness, by Ann Arbor's John Durski. 2.41% 14. Ann Arbor Youth Chorale, Peep version - submitted by Maya Liu in Ann Arbor. 2.29% 15. "The Peepcess Bride--Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist!" - a take on the Princess Bride by Stephanie Ingersoll in Bay City. 1.74% 16. "First Peeps on the Moon," submitted by Lucas Henderson in Flint. 1.62% 17. #A2Council Peeps from Ann Arbor. 1.5% 18. "Women's History Month: Marie Curie and Peepierre Curie." Submitted by Anya Knoepp in Ann Arbor. 0.6% 19. Daniel and the lion's den by Mary Jones in Ann Arbor. 0.54% 20. Peppa Peep from Twitter user @KristinjCarlson. 0.48% 21. OJ Simpson freeway chase by Paula Allstetter from Ann Arbor. 0.42% 22. Batpeep vs. Superpeep - submitted by Dillon Curtis in Flint. 0.42% 23. "SS Titanic - I'm the Peep of the World!" submitted by Alexis Wallace in Flint. 0.24% 24. "Peep White and the Seven Peeps," submitted by Ariana Curasco from Flint. 0.18% 25. "Peeprats of the Caribbean" submitted by Chelsea Johnston of Flint. 0.06% Jessica Webster | MLive.com The popular vote result totals Here are the complete results from the Peeple's Choice voting. You can see all of the entries here: Peeps Diorama contest: Get your votes in now for the Peeple's Choice city_hall_033015_RJS_04.jpg A second lawsuit against the city of Ann Arbor's footing drain disconnection program has been dismissed. (File photo | The Ann Arbor News) ANN ARBOR, MI -- A second lawsuit against the city of Ann Arbor's footing drain disconnection program has been dismissed. At a court hearing on Thursday, Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Timothy Connors dismissed the lawsuit filed on Oct. 30 by Ann Arbor attorney Irvin Mermelstein and New York attorney Dan O'Brien on behalf of plaintiff Lynn Lumbard. The city attorney's office notes the complaint was filed more than 12 years after Lumbard had her Ann Arbor home's footing drain disconnected. Connors in January dismissed another similar lawsuit brought by the same attorneys on behalf of another set of plaintiffs -- Anita Yu, John Boyer and Mary Raab. They've argued the work done under the city's FDD program, including mandatory installation of sump pumps, represents a government taking of private property, but the city and Connors both disagree. The first case is now on appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals, and it's expected Thursday's decision in the Lumbard case will be appealed as well. Mermelstein couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Thursday. "The court has spent a great deal of time on this issue now through two cases over two years," City Attorney Stephen Postema said in a statement. "The court has always sought to focus on the applicable legal principles involved. We are gratified that the court agreed with the city's basic legal position. The city has long maintained that this claim had no factual or legal merit. The city attorney's office will always vigorously defend the city against such claims." The FDD program, started by the city in 2001 to address problems with basement sewage backups, has required many homeowners in targeted neighborhoods to disconnect footing drains around their homes and install sump pumps. That diverts stormwater away from the city's sanitary sewer system and instead to the stormwater drainage system. City officials maintain the FDD program is both legal and effective at reducing basement sewage backups. However, some residents argue the city's stormwater drainage system is inadequate, becoming overwhelmed in heavy rainstorms, and some complain they've experienced basement flooding and water problems they didn't have before the city made them disconnect their footing drains and install sump pumps. And some residents argue it's a burden to have to live with and maintain the sump pumps, limiting their enjoyment of their homes. After the second FDD lawsuit was filed last October, the city's attorneys argued the lengthy complaint contained a series of incoherent ramblings and they convinced the judge to have the plaintiff's attorneys redraft the complaint. The city responded to the amended complaint last month by filing a motion for summary judgment, which prompted a response from the plaintiff's legal team on March 17. The city replied on Monday and a hearing was set for Thursday. The city argued there was no taking of the plaintiff's property through the FDD program because the sump pump and other pipes are owned by the plaintiff. "As with the Yu plaintiffs, neither the city nor a third party owns plaintiff's sump, sump pump or related facilities that she installed on her property as part of the FDD program," the city's attorneys argued in a court brief. The judge adopted the city's position and dismissed the case on Thursday, as was done in the Yu case in January. Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com. BAY CITY, MI -- A 43-year-old Pinconning man is facing charges that he drunkenly crashed into a ditch, assaulted his fiancee, and then damaged police property. About 3:32 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, Bay County sheriff's deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash on Garfield Road just north of Anderson Road in Garfield Township. Several witnesses had called 911 to report a vehicle in a ditch and a man assaulting a woman in the roadway, court records show. Deputies arrived and met with the 35-year-old woman at nearby Crump Pump Bar, 1038 W. Anderson Road. She said she was in the bar when her intoxicated fiance, Joseph J. Winde, stopped by and refused to leave. She left with him as a passenger in a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, court records show. Winde apparently started to fall asleep behind the wheel, causing the vehicle to drift from its lane, the woman told deputies. She reached across him to correct the vehicle when Winde woke up, grabbed the wheel, jerked it, and ended up putting the Chevrolet in a ditch on the east side of Garfield, the woman told deputies. She denied being physically assaulted by Winde, court records show. Several witnesses at the scene told deputies Winde had struck and pushed her. Speaking to deputies, Winde said he drank two beers since about 11 a.m. He performed poorly on his field sobriety tests and a Breathalyzer test indicated his blood alcohol content was 0.154. In Michigan, a person is legally intoxicated when his or her blood alcohol content is at 0.08. Deputies handcuffed Winde, arrested him, and set him in the back of a patrol vehicle. On the way to the jail, he slammed his head against a partition and repeatedly yelled vulgar, homophobic insults at the deputies, court records show. He continued his unruly behavior at the jail. "After being placed in the cell, Joseph flipped his handcuffed arms from behind his back to the front of his body, got up, ran at the cell door and kicked the glass window, breaking it," deputies wrote in their reports, contained in court documents. "Joseph caused the entire glass window to spider-crack." Deputies obtained a search warrant to take a sample of Winde's blood. As deputies attempted to remove Winde from his cell to transport him to McLaren Bay Region hospital for the blood draw, he resisted and scraped a deputy's head with his cuffs. "I don't give a (expletive) if a judge signed it, you're not taking my blood," Winde yelled, according to court records. Eventually placed in a patrol vehicle, Winde reached into the back window and grabbed a radar unit's rear cone and ripped it off its back panel, court records show. Winde then threw it at the back window, damaging the cone, the panel, and the window. A phlebotomist took Winde's blood at the hospital. On his way back to the jail, Winde continued hurling assaultive language at the deputies, threatening to sue them and have their jobs amid his homophobic slurs, court record show. Winde on Monday, March 21, appeared in Bay County District Court for arraignment on single counts of malicious destruction of police or fire department property, assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police, domestic violence, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, malicious destruction of a building less than $200, and driving on an invalid license. Winde is represented by attorney Brian Jean of the Gower Reddick law firm. "Mr. Winde is presumed innocent," Jean said. "We are conducting our own investigation, and are still awaiting discovery from the prosecutor's office. We are looking forward to getting the facts out, and getting a just resolution." Winde is to appear for a preliminary examination at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5. This Account has been suspended. Myanmars financial regulator has ended state-owned banks monopoly on providing foreign currency accounts for state-owned firms, opening a new market to private lenders both local and international that could potentially bring vast amounts of public money into the wider banking system. State-owned enterprises, or SOEs, were previously only allowed to open foreign currency accounts with the countrys four state-owned banks. Even partially government-owned lenders like Myanmar Citizens Bank were off limits. But SOEs are now able to open accounts with any local bank holding an authorised dealer licence, according to a Central Bank announcement on March 22. At least 15 commercial banks hold such licences. The new regulation also allows joint-ventures between Myanmar SOEs and foreign firms to open foreign currency accounts at international banks with branch offices in Myanmar, said U Win Thaw, Central Bank director general and head of the Foreign Exchange Management Department. These joint-ventures had also been restricted to state-owned lenders a restriction foreign banks had petitioned the Central Bank to remove, he added. U Win Thaw said the new regulations are aimed at promoting more competition between lenders to strengthen the banking industry, giving the joint ventures more options and bringing more transparency to SOE accounts. The new Central Bank regulation comes as the regulator attempts to put state-owned banks which have long benefited from preferential treatment on an equal footing with their privately owned peers. Until 2011, state-owned Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank were the only entities licensed to deal in foreign currency. This made them the only option for government departments, SOEs, private firms and private banks that needed to open foreign currency accounts. Private banks were first permitted foreign currency licences in 2012, but have struggled to take market share from the state-owned lenders. A majority of formal foreign exchange transactions are still made through MFTB and MICB. Private lenders struggling to source dollars on the interbank foreign exchange market also complain that state-owned lenders do not have to abide by the same limits on how much foreign currency they can hold. Central Bank officials said there are long-term plans to ensure all banks offer the same services and follow the same rules. One official told The Myanmar Times that if private banks are allowed to offer foreign currency services often at a higher standard more firms will move their accounts from state-owned to private lenders. Although the Central Banks latest directive could help encourage such a shift among SOEs, private bankers remain cautious. Myanmar Oriental Banks chair U Mya Than said if state-owned export companies with US dollar revenues opened accounts with commercial banks, it would help the flow of dollars through the banking sector. But we will have to wait and see [whether they do], he said. The Central Bank has helped level the playing field, but will not force state-owned companies to open new accounts. U Win Thaw said that although state-owned enterprises now have the choice, he is not sure whether the companies or the respective government ministries would choose to change. The Mandalay Shipping Association has spoken out against high taxes, supposedly charged for the restoration and conservation of waterways, that they say havent brought any improvements so far. The chair of the association told The Myanmar Times that the only work done on local waterways has been for show, and has been a waste of money. I want to know how much money they used for river conservation from the regional and Union budgets and which mechanism they used, said U Mya Maung, the deputy chair of the association. Our association has more than 100 ships on the river, so we know if they really did [restoration work] or not. The shipping association has suggested improvements along rocky parts of the river between Bagan and Mandalay, and between Mandalay and Myinmu in Sagaing Region, should be prioritised, because they are used most frequently. U Mya Maung also expressed concerns about the amount of taxes levied. The tax we have been paying is K.38 per tonne per mile. The actual tax rate should be K.17 [per tonne per mile]. If they would really work for development and conservation [of the river], we are happy to pay, said U Kyaw Win, the associations chair. The shipping tax was introduced in April 2015, under a by-law of the Conservation of Water Resources and Rivers Law. U Mya Maung said proper guidelines on taxation should be followed and that he hopes the new government will act on the associations suggestions. We already distributed law books on river management and have asked our members for ideas. We will submit these to the new government, he said. An estimated 400 ships 300 from Yangon and 100 from Mandalay mostly carrying construction materials, coal and oil transport goods between the two cities. Sampan operators and homeowners who have been asked to make way for a new bridge that will link downtown Yangon to a huge new development to the southwest of the city are demanding hundreds of millions of kyat in compensation. The groundbreaking ceremony for the controversial Southwest New City is scheduled for March 27, with construction to follow as fast as possible, developers say. The scheme is a reimagining of an earlier scheme that was called off amid accusations of corruption. Its start date has already been postponed from March 15 because its patron, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Myint Swe, has been otherwise engaged in preparations to become the countrys vice president under the incoming government. The bridge, to be called the Bagara Alat Creek Bridge, is to be the first and largest of a number of new bridges that will link downtown Yangon and Hlaing Tharyar township with the Southwest New City project. U Tin Sein, a spokesperson for one of the projects three developers the Yangon South West Region Development Public Company told The Myanmar Times on March 21, Chief Minister U Myint Swe had to go to Nay Pyi Taw, so the groundbreaking ceremony was postponed to March 27. After the ceremony, construction will start immediately. Completion is expected within 18 months. The three companies selected to build Southwest New City are Yangon South West Region Development Public Company, Business Capital City Development and Shwe Popa Construction, a subsidiary of Shwe Than Lwin. To build the bridge over the Hlaing River, 13 houses on the banks of the Alat Creek will first have to be demolished. Negotiations are proceeding with house owners, as well as sampan rowers, said U Tin Sein. Some sampan rowers are asking for K400 million in compensation, and one of the house owners is demanding K200 million. Weve never faced this problem before. Were even thinking of redesigning the bridge so as to avoid their houses, he said. The companies are proposing to pay the house owners K1 million each plus K1.8 million for six months rent, a total of K2.8 million. New land will also be found for them, and under a lateness penalty clause owners could receive K20 million. The bridge across the Hlaing River is a crucial first step to the huge project. Located on 11,716 acres, the development is also bordered by the Pan Hlaing River, the Twante-Yangon Canal and the Hlaing Tharyar-Twante Road. Blueprints show that the companies plan to build five bridges in total three connecting the area to Yangon and two crossing the other rivers. All we want is fair compensation and insurance, said one Alat Creek villager, who requested anonymity. We dont think K2.8 million is much. We dont know where to go if we lose our homes. I think K20 million is appropriate for both sides. We also want our village to develop. Yangon Region Forestry and Energy Minister U Kyaw Soe said the three companies had to pursue negotiations during construction. These companies will be discussing compensation even as they drive in the first pile of the bridge, he said. Translation by Khine Thazin Han Twice spared, Myanmars telecoms operators will soon join their counterparts in other countries in charging customers a commercial tax. The new 5 percent tariff will go into effect at the start of the 2016-17 fiscal year, on April 1. The tax would have been imposed on the telecoms industry last June, but the government voted to suspend it, extending what the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had called an initial exemption for the sector. But the tax break will not last much longer, according to the Ministry of Finance. The amendment to the Commercial Tax Law will go live starting April 1. The Union parliament suspended collection of the 5pc commercial tax during the 2015-16 financial year, which will finish at the end of March, said Ministry of Finance internal revenue department deputy director U Zayar Kyi Nyunt. The tariffs imminent launch will have a widespread impact on Myanmars millions of mobile customers, who have over the last few years purchased SIMs en masse from state-owned incumbent Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and recent foreign entrants Ooredoo and Telenor. MPT commercial department deputy general manager U Thein Hote said the mobile operator will collect the 5pc tax starting April 1. Meanwhile, Ooredoo Myanmar CEO said the government had told the company to start collecting the tax on April 1. The government has advised that the price of all services will increase to cover this tax, said the companys CEO, Rene Meza. Telenor Myanmar CEO Petter Furberg said the telco would keep users in the loop on the tax. According to the 2016 Union Taxation Law, the parliament confirmed the 5pc tax would be collected from mobile users on April 1, he said. Now, communications operators are discussing [the collection of this tax] with the government. Despite a few tax-free days remaining until the April 1 start date, at least one local shop has started charging extra for top-up in anticipation of the tariff launch. When one customer went to buy K5000 in MECTel credit on March 21, he was asked to pay K300 more than normal, with the merchant explaining a tax was to blame. While some reacted last year with anger over the proposed telecoms tax, one mobile user said people must abide by the law. Citizens must supply taxes, said Yangon mobile user U Myint Aung. But if operators collect the 5pc tax, we want better services. Revenues generated from the tax will go toward health, education and transportation projects, as well as development, MCIT director U Than Htun Aung said last May. One day she might wear a long pink wig, a black satin blouse and matching skirt cut high to her waist. On another, she may sport a blond wig and blue mini-dress. But every day, shes Htet Hninsi Hlaing, an integral part of Myanmars burgeoning cosplay scene. The hobby, which consists of bringing the fantasy worlds of anime, movies and videogames to life via costumed performances, emerged out of Japan and has since spread across Asia. Htet Hninsi Hlaing will be one of hundreds in attendance at the 8th Myanmar Cosplay and Otaku Festival held on April 23 and 24 at MICT Park. Now 22 years old, Htet Hninsi Hlaing has been interested in anime since Grade 9, when a schoolmate gave her an anime book. Back then, cosplay had not taken hold in Myanmar. But since the country opened up in 2011, greater accessibility to anime and video games has led to a surge in interest in cosplay. Myanmar has now held six cosplay festivals, and cosplayers like Htet Hninsi Hlaing who goes by the stage name Yui Mai have helped grow the scene by offering their own expertise to newcomers. Ive made many costumes for many people: teenagers, boys, girls, some who are older than me, she said. It depends on the difficulty and the amount of accessories, but it takes from five to seven days to finish a costume. Htet Hninsi Hlaing said she charges between K20,000 to K60,000 per costume and also designs her own, which she wears at conventions and competitions. In the Yangon Cosplay 2015, she won with her character of Ayase Eli from Love Live! Anime series. Ive experienced seven competitions, but Ive only won once, she said. That day was one of the best days of my life. Just three years ago, however, finding materials to design costumes was difficult. Htet Hninsi Hlaing said some of the make-up and fabrics werent available in Myanmar. A lot has changed with the advent of mobile technology and internet accessibility. We had to work with what we had, she said. But nowadays, there are plenty of online shops to order materials. We can even order an entire, ready-made costume! Moe Kyi Phyu Zaw, a 17-year-old cosplayer, is a three-year veteran of the Myanmar scene. She agrees that Myanmars new cosplayers are coming into a much easier atmosphere. The last three years, we have faced many difficulties in creating cosplay costumes, she said. For the cosplayers who join these days, Im so glad for them. They can easily search for costume-making materials and now there are a lot of shops and websites to buy ready-made cosplay costumes. Having grown up watching the Naruto anime series, Moe Kyi Phyu Zaw first tried cosplay at the age of 14 in the 2013 Myanmar Cosplay Festival. My first character was Sakura Chan from Naruto, she said. Im not good at making costumes but Im good at make-up. So I did my make-up by myself. After studying make-up videos on Youtube, she now helps others with their own cosmetics. But despite the growth in Myanmars cosplay industry, she still laments the gaps. Frankly, I am more interested in creative make-up like you see in the horror genre, she said. But its hard to find those materials, and sometimes I dont get to do cosplay characters that I really want to. Both Moe Kyi Phyu Zaw and Htet Hninsi Hlaing said they consider it just a hobby for now. I only do it if I have time, Moe Kyi Phyu Zaw said. The Facebook page for the upcoming cosplay festival has more than 1000 confirmed attendees. The Myanmar Poets Union celebrated World Poem Day with a packed program at Goethe Institute in Yangon on March 21. The top prize for 2015 was awarded to two poets, Hla Than for his Poems Collection and Aung Khin Myint for his National Anthem. Though the prize was intended for one poet, the votes from the Myanmar Poets Union and invited guests came to an exact tie, so the prize was given to the pair. Since Hla Than had passed away last year, his wife accepted the prize in his honour and said she took to heart her husbands words in his Art is Endless poem. I dont want to give my thanks to anyone in particular, but I wish to say on behalf of my late husband that poets will live as long as there is poetry, she said. {modal url=http://www.mmtimes.com//files/images/mte/2016/di262/poetry-lu-eain-big.jpg} {/modal} The other winner, Aung Khin Myint, was on a trip overseas but sent his words to the events organising committee and attendees. He said that the poem National Anthem came to him in beautiful words that brightened after years of censorship had kept them in the dark. Poetry is a great kind of artwork. While writing National Anthem, it was as if I was a man who had regained his memory after forgetting the past, Aung Khin Myint said in his letter. I said goodbye to the old government and welcomed the new government with this poem. In the past, Myanmar poets struggled to host World Poem Day ceremonies, as they made plays and installations that pointed out how the government discriminated against and controlled the people. Last year, it was held at Judson Church and mainly focused on opposing the copper mine projects in upper Myanmar. This year, the celebration programs warmly welcomed the new government and included poem recitations, word installations, a one-day-long workshop and other activities. Poets told The Myanmar Times about their hopes for the poet society now that the new government is in place and their thoughts on the future. Poet A Mon This years event differed greatly from past years all the poets look happy. Our trust in this government to make positive changes has us feeling energised. After the 2010 election, the censorship board was removed and we got more independent literature publishing rights. Now, with the Ministry of Information in the new government we are not sure if our words will be better appreciated or if things will remain as usual. I hope that our poet society will get support to develop internationally with all other forms of art and literature. Weve heard there are 14 poet MPs in the hluttaw but I believe there should be more poets stand with the public and they are sensitive and conscientious when pointing out the governments mistakes. As the MPs are members of the NLD, they have to comply with the partys policies. We just hope they get the chance to promote poetry and literature as vehicles for cultural exchange. Poet Maung Phone Myint I hope poets will have more independence and are free to write all kinds of poems with the new government. In the past, many Myanmar poets were sentenced for their words like poet Maung Saung Kha, who is now in jail waiting to be sentenced for his poem that put blame on the old government. If a poet creates a poem, there can be arguments for or against his words but we need to accept that his are as valid as anyone elses. We also understand that there has not been any censorship since 2012 but there also has not been the liberty for us to freely choose our words. As poets, we believe that our words will have more freedom with so many poets in parliament we hope the MPs will continue to support the poet society. We believe in their desire to help us. We also realise that our country needs support in many areas and that we may need to be patient as the government prioritises its actions. We will watch and wait and adjust our poetry accordingly. Poet Phyu Mon In the past, poets had to carefully choose their words as we needed to pass our poems through the censorship board. It was difficult to use different words to say what we meant because we wanted to be more transparent about the truth. But now, we are hoping that we will be able to think openly about our society and politics and write openly like other international poets not only about personal issues but also about education and womens issues. It is very exciting to see poets in government and the great poet Min Thu Wons son as our new president. All of this should help to raise our countrys cultural contributions to international audiences. I also believe the education system will benefit from the poet MPs contributions. Young people will hopefully have better chances to learn and exchange with countries all around the world. Poet Naing Oo Ko (aka U Than Naing Oo, Yangon Region Hluttaw representative, Pabedan township, constituency 1) As a poet who has written political poems and now as an MP in parliament, I will try to develop not only the poet society but also all kinds of literature for the benefit of the entire country. Our countrys previous censorship practices were worsened by not allowing poets to study more about poems and literature. Therefore, they couldnt compare with international poems they have been historically limited. Their criticisms were always based on the goal of having a free and fair democracy that would better protect its citizens. Now with poets in government, they will surely continue to fight for open and fair policies. The poems produced from now on, in my opinion, will not change for the new government and will continue to criticise the governments actions. I believe that the poems will not necessarily change they will just develop. Having just watched the latest updates of the European migrant tragedy, it was salutary to realise that smaller-scale tragedies take place even at home in Myanmar. It was thus saddening to read of the poor little beagle who met an untimely death by being too inquisitive and poisoning itself, thus causing immense grief to the family to which he had been the pride and joy (Yangons poisoned streets, March 11, Weekend issue 51). However, the rest of the article was very long on emotion but very short on reality, in my opinion. I would like to put forward a more measured point of view for consideration. The writer seemed worried that poison may be carried into neighbourhoods that are relatively free from strays, by which he or she presumably means their own minority of such havens. Golden Valley is mentioned a very residential street behind Market Place which is sure to provide sufficient insulation from the characteristics of a more typically Yangon-like street. I personally do not think that stray dogs are a menace, just a tiresome and unsanitary nuisance. The picture of any beagle is, of course, adorable and adds to the weight of the pulled heart-strings. Were you to print a picture of some of the strays in my middle-class neighbourhood, on the other hand, the first reaction would be to think of spare ribs, and the second a worry that their mange might rub off on the page. The name would be something like Mean Ol Scruffy, drawing few, if any, sentimental responses. Finally, the author argues that poison packets are possibly being discarded at random. Evidence, please. Perhaps some birds might pick up the poison, though the beaks of pigeons and crows are likely too small, and neither would be sorely missed were they to be inadvertently poisoned. Cats are far too fastidious to bother with inedible things and nobody cares about rats, which would probably take the bait away from the streets anyhow. Lastly, I have never heard of any case of a human being sickened by dog poison. Children are far more likely to get dog mess on their inquisitive fingers. The immediate concern which I believe to be far more representative of reality is what to do about the dogs and the inconveniences they cause. I believe that YCDC should eliminate as many stray dogs as possible with the most effective means, which is poison. The dogs are not generally aggressive, except for occasional nips at children who try to pat them, though there is always a fear that with so many of them around, rabies cannot be totally discounted. They do make it impossible to get more than a few hours unbroken sleep with their barking, howling and fights, usually and fittingly in the hour of the wolf. If not doing this, they are busy overturning the smaller trash cans supplied by YCDC or taking out their frustrations on any casually discarded plastic bags of trash. Naturally they are not house-trained and are uninhibited in their defecation. In my neighbourhood, there is one local pedigree dog, which is walked daily to the jeers of the street dogs, but its owner keeps it on a leash and it thus cannot walk with its nose to the ground and pick up anything disagreeable if the owner takes his eyes off it. The inconsolable beagle advocate begs YCDC to explore ways of reducing the menace sorry, problem but offers no suggestions other than a pious plea not to cause pain to other innocent creatures. Presumably causing pain to non-innocent creatures, the strays, is acceptable. There are few choices in dealing with a stray dog problem the size of Yangons. Shooting is quick and effective, but for many reasons not practicable in a big city. Rounding them up, or using the high-tech method of anaesthetic darts and putting them in a large pound outside the city is also not ideal, as the establishment of a canine hierarchy would surely cause more pain, starvation and deaths than the skirmishes in the streets. They would also have to be fed at somebodys expense. Catching and neutering them? These are street-savvy dogs not easy to trap in any numbers and the operation on significant numbers would be prohibitively expensive even with the goodwill assistance of relevant NGOs. The system in Tokyo, where the problem is admittedly much smaller, is to catch as many as possible, impound them in humane conditions for several weeks to let them be claimed or adopted, and then euthanise and cremate them. Poison seems to me to be the least of the evils. It is cheap and the baits are clearly marked and rarely go astray if dog owners remain alert. It is mostly done at night without noise, so that when children wake up, the pesky dogs have vanished. It can remove far more of these noisy, mangy, quarrelsome animals than any other method. In a perfect world, such action would not be necessary. It would be nice, though, if the well-meaning pedigree-dog owners from privileged neighbourhoods also considered that there is a dirty, noisy world beyond their gates where a majority of Yangonites, like myself, wish that YCDC would redouble their efforts to take back the night streets for the peace and quiet of its hard-working people. If they do not, maybe the local people will. What do you think about Yangons stray dogs? Send us a message at [email protected], or on Facebook, and well print a selection of responses in a future issue. The United Nations yesterday called on Myanmars new government to stabilise Rakhine State for all residents in an effort to stem the outflow of migrants and refugees. Speaking in Indonesia at the Bali Process ministerial meeting, a senior UN official suggested that the drivers and root causes of displacement could be resolved by the new administration in Myanmar, where a preponderance of the regions refugees originate. Unlike other regions in the world, there is hope in Southeast Asia that one country that has generated refugee flows in the past will now create the conditions for safe and dignified return for most of its citizens and long-term residents, said Volker Turk, assistant high commissioner for protection at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). There are huge expectations for the new government in Myanmar. Mr Turk urged the government to recognise an appropriate legal status for all inhabitants of Rakhine State, to promote civil registration and access to identity documents, and to remove restrictions on basic freedoms. Yesterdays forum in Indonesia assembled representatives from 45 states, the UN and the International Organisation for Migration for two days of talks aimed at addressing people smuggling, human trafficking and irregular migration in the region. The meeting was expected to take a stronger line on direct action and humanitarian response in the wake of last years boats crisis when thousands of migrants and refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh were stranded at sea. The conference culminated in an agreement to review the response to the crisis as well as a commitment to stronger protections, including search and rescue operations and safe disembarkation. The agreement was hailed as step forward in a region where most countries have not signed the UN Refugee Convention and have largely failed to cooperate on migration issues. Last years push-back policy on boats in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea has illustrated the disastrous consequences of ignoring the plight of the people who resorted to dangerous routes to escape serious threats to their lives. Governments have not lived up to their obligations to respect, promote, and protect the rights of refugees and migrants, said Champa Patel, Amnesty International interim director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in a statement. The regions lucrative and well-worn smuggling route from the Bay of Bengal to the Andaman Sea saw over 33,600 departures in 2015, with an unprecedented number of migrants and refugees willing to undertake the dangerous voyages in the first half of the year. The UN believes over 370 people died at sea last year, while those who clambered to shore suffered severe malnutrition and experienced kidnap, rape and abuse at the hands of smugglers. While few have so far undertaken the same journey this year, the UN said that the region must be better prepared for such an eventuality, while also continuing to cooperate on the fallout from last years emergency. Malaysia and Indonesia have been providing shelter to thousands of migrants and refugees from the boats abandoned last year under the agreement that they would be relocated after one year. With the deadline just weeks away, the UN is pressing for temporary stay arrangements that would include access to healthcare, education and work opportunities. Voluntary return is not an option for refugees involved in maritime movements from the Bay of Bengal, the UNHCR said. Indonesia continues to host 300 Rohingya refugees, who are largely denied citizenship in Myanmar where they are officially referred to as Bengalis. Another 700 Rohingya initially sheltered in Indonesia are believed to have been smuggled to Malaysia where they joined the largely unregistered Rohingya community, estimated by some to be over 150,000 strong. Mr Turk at the UNHCR said a longer stay arrangement not only stabilises the lives of individuals and reduces onward movements, but it also prepares people for eventual return when conditions are conducive. Predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing arrangements are the only way to tackle these challenges, he added. Hundreds of people gathered in Sittwe yesterday in protest over the Rakhine State chief minister position. The 500 protesters demanded that the post be awarded to a member of the Arakan National Party, which won a majority of the seats available in the state in the 2015 election. Despite not holding the majority in all states and regions, the National League for Democracy pledged to appoint members of the party to all chief minister spots. The announcement sparked backlash among the ANP, which argues that it should have the right to appoint the state cabinet, or at least be consulted. In Graphics: Rakhine State Hluttaw Yesterdays protesters appeared to agree. The ANP denied having anything to do with the protest. We voted ANP in the election because we wanted to have a chief minister from within the ANP. The ANP won in Rakhine State, so the chief minister should come from the ANP, said U Aung Mya Thein, one of the leaders of the protest. He warned that if the NLD did not at the very least consult with the ANP about the appointment, the new government would be unstable. He added that a meeting between the two parties should take place soon. The new ruling party has tipped U Nyi Pu, the chair of the partys Sittwe office, for the post. Disagreement over cooperating with the NLD has sparked a rift within the ANP. Several members refused to abide by the ANP central executive committees edict that the party would oppose the NLD if the chief minister was announced, rather than discussed and jointly decided. Members of the former Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), which merged with the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) to form the ANP two years ago, held a press conference in Yangon on March 6 to announce that they would not try to block the NLD. They were expelled from the party a week later. U Aung Ko Moe, one of yesterdays protesters, said the Rakhine people support the ANP. I understand that the ANP won a majority in Rakhine [State] and so it must lead the formation of the government. I dont accept anyone else as chief minister except [a representative of] the ANP, he said. Once factoring in the militarys unelected 25 percent bloc, the ANP hold just shy of the majority in the state parliament with 22 of the 47 seats. Most of the protesters were men and I saw just a few women, said Ko Tun Min, a resident of Sittwe. According to the Rakhine State Special Branch, the leader of the protest was a township-level election campaign leader from the ANP. But the party denied the allegation. We are not sure whether the protest leader was a party member. But we are sure that they are supporters of the party, said U Tun Aung Kyaw, ANP secretary. He added that the protest revealed that the Rakhine people desire a Rakhine chief minister. Ko Ye Min Oo, a Rakhine student leader, said it didnt matter to him who becomes the chief minister. He added that he has nothing against U Nyi Pu in the role as he served the Rakhine people well under military rule. The important point is what he has done for the Rakhine people. Nothing else matters except that, he said. U Nyi Pu said he heard about the protest and anticipates similar demonstrations in the future due to an invisible hand orchestrating the event. I hope that those [protesting] peoples desire is true, he said. Midnight inspections raids on the homes of suspected dissidents and opponents of the former regime could be a thing of the past. But observers have warned that the proposal by the National League for Democracy to scrap this practice would leave many other repressive laws in place. On March 21, the NLD proposed abolishing the requirement to report overnight guests, a measure long used by Myanmars military to justify unannounced household inspections that infringed on privacy and created a climate of fear and intimidation. The provision in the Ward and Village-Tract Administration Law was mainly used to target social and political activists, as the junta used it as a pretext to enter their houses in order to stifle dissent, and caused problems for people without household or identification papers. For the broader population, the registration requirement is inconvenient and costly. Those living outside the residence stated on their household list particularly common for migrants and renters must register weekly with ward or village-tract officials, typically paying an under-the-table fee for permission. High court lawyer U Ko Ni, a legal adviser to the NLD, said the amendment was only the first step of a multi-year process to amend the countrys outdated and repressive laws. We have to amend our countrys administrative system. We have to review so many laws, he said. The lawyer emphasised that the power of the Ministry of Home Affairs encompassed the entire countrys administration and that the ministry is controlled by the military, which appoints its minister. Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe has been nominated to occupy the post under the incoming government. The 2012 law, an update on colonial-era legislation, was introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The ministry is unlikely to welcome the amendments but, because of the NLDs majority in the parliament, will not be able to stop them. U Khin Zaw Win, head of the Tampadipa Institute, welcomed the move to abolish the rule. Noting that the militarys unpopularity would deepen if it tried to resist the amendment, he said police could continue to raid homes under other laws. If the military see anything suspicious they can still search, even without a warrant. Their unspoken power and authority still remain, he said. Amnesty International has welcomed the amendment, which will probably be discussed in parliament later this month. The amendment of this law would send an important message that the incoming administration is committed to breaking with the countrys history of harassing and targeting activists, said Laura Haigh, Myanmar researcher with Amnesty International. She added, There are still many repressive laws on the books which are used to lock up human rights defenders, and recent arrests and charges are a worrying reminder that the police and courts can and will use these laws to clampdown on dissent. According to figures of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, as of February, 90 political prisoners were in jail with an additional 418 facing politically motivated charges. Many of them were arrested under colonial-era laws that, at least for now, are still in place. A report released by Fortify Rights, a Thailand-based NGO, last year showed that midnight inspections had generally decreased under outgoing President U Thein Seins government. However, the tactic was used to round up those involved in peaceful protests against the National Education Law following a violence crackdown at Letpadan, Bago Region, in March 2015. The report said people without household or identification papers mostly squatters, disadvantaged communities and people from ethnic minorities not recognised by the government, including the Rohingya, officially called Bengalis faced problems under this law. Individuals who are unable to obtain household registration documents are typically required to regularly report themselves to the state as guests in their own homes, often on a weekly basis, the report said. While repealing the law may have only a limited impact, U Khin Zaw Win said it would still be a smart move by the NLD because it would create goodwill. Revoking this law does away with a burdensome practice and will be popular. The NLD is counting on that, he said. Matthew Smith, executive director of Fortify Rights, said the amendments were a good start toward legal reform. This wont be a silver bullet, he said. But amending this law will help prevent unwarranted searches of homes. Itll remove one of the authorities go-to pretexts. A fire that tore through Mandalays Mingalar Market on March 22 has injured several firefighters while gutting hundreds of shops and causing thousands of dollars in damages. The blaze started around 5:30pm at a bedding store on the downtown markets third floor. By 5:55pm four fire trucks were dispatched for initial reporting, according to Myanmar Fire Service Department. Within an hour reinforcements were called to the scene. Dozens of firefighters battled the blaze which had already engulfed the market and threatened a nearby school, hospital and apartment building. The fire started when the market was already closed. So it was difficult to extinguish the flames inside. We had to break the doors, said an official from the Mandalay Region Fire Department. The fire was put out around 9:45pm. Seven firefighters and a member of the Myanmar Red Cross Society were injured, but are now believed to be recovering. Several offices and showrooms were destroyed along with 263 textile shops, 28 apartments and 297 of the markets 550 shops. Most of the first floor of the market was burned. The cause of the fire has not yet been reported, with the regional fire department citing an ongoing inquiry. Mandalay City Development Committee anticipates the fire caused over K1 billion in damages (US$878,000). Some sellers were able to recover items from their shops, but I wasnt able to save anything, said Ma Aye Mar, owner of textile shop that burned in the fire. Mingalar Market was initially started as a private market, but was taken over by MCDC in 1996. Translation by Khine Thazin Han Staff in the four ministries soon to come under Daw Aung San Suu Kyis management have welcomed her appointment, telling The Myanmar Times they hope she can accelerate administrative reforms in the civil service. But analysts and insiders have cautioned that she will face myriad challenges in cleaning up the bureaucracy and upholding promises of clean government. On March 22, President-elect U Htin Kyaw revealed the identities of 18 ministers in his cabinet, but did not specify their portfolios. The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, or Union Parliament, is today expected to approve his cabinet, which includes six National League for Democracy parliamentarians, six technocrats, three military MPs, two representatives of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and one Mon National Party member. But attention is focused on NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 70, who party officials have confirmed will take charge of four ministries: Foreign Affairs, Presidents Office, Education, and Energy and Electric Power. Political analysts said yesterday that the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has taken these ministries because they are considered among the most important, for a variety of reasons. Some have clear challenges ahead of them, while others put her closer to U Htin Kyaw, the military and the levers of executive power. Who's Who: Meet Myanmar's new cabinet Questions have, however, been raised over whether she can handle the workload. The NLD has not committed to appointing deputy ministers as part of its superficial attempts to trim the budget deficit. Analyst U Yan Myo Thein said he expected Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would seek to resolve key challenges in the energy and electric power and education portfolios public concern over the Myitsone dam and natural gas pipelines, and resistance to the National Education Law before delegating responsibility. Over the longer term, she would focus mostly on foreign affairs and the Presidents Office, he said. I think these four positions will pose very big challenges, he said. Later I think she will appoint deputies to handle education, and energy and electric power. She can anticipate a warm welcome when she takes up her posts on April 1 but will also face the burden of high expectations. One official in the Ministry of Electric Power, which will be merged with the Ministry of Energy, told The Myanmar Times that he had been disappointed at the corruption he had experienced since transferring into the civil service from the military eight years ago. The high-ranking officials rule in the ministry as if its all their own property, he said. I want the NLD to end this chronic illness of corruption and misuse of power. The former major said he was also upset at the poor management of other former military personnel within the ministry, but was hopeful for the future. I think the NLD government has to make a long-term plan focused on connecting with the international community so we can gain new technologies. The response from U Htay Aung, a former colonel now serving as deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy, was more subdued. He said he expected few changes or difficulties from the transition to the new government, either as a result of either Daw Aung San Suu Kyis leadership or the merger of the electric power and energy ministries. We are just government staff so our duty is to implement the policy of the new government, he said. In the Ministry of Education, some staff told The Myanmar Times that they expected Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would make their jobs easier by ensuring the right people were in positions of responsibility. More generally, they were excited that she had decided to lead the ministry. U Aye Khaing, a retired director of primary education in Yangon, summed up the sentiment by saying, Weve hoped for a long time to have Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as our leader, so to have her taking personal responsibility for education is a big prize for us. Under her leadership the role of the Presidents Office is likely to change. It is currently home to six ministers and as a result considered six different ministries. Expert opinions: Myanmars next government U Zaw Htay, a director in the Presidents Office and unofficial government spokesperson, said the shrinking of the ministry would need to be accompanied by a delegation of authority to other ministers. He said the Presidents Office initially had two ministers, and U Thein Sein delegated many decisions to others in his cabinet. He established a policy of forgiving good mistakes that were made without his knowledge until a series of incidents involving inappropriate behaviour occurred. In response, he centralised power in the Presidents Office by expanding it to include the so-called super ministers: U Soe Thein, U Aung Min, U Hla Tun and U Tin Naing Thein. U Zaw Htay said the past five years had highlighted the difficulty of uplifting standards in the bureaucracy. Carrying out administrative reform is extremely complicated, he said. The NLD will face difficulties monitoring activities to uphold its promise of clean government. Reports of bogus degrees held by at least two would-be ministers in the National League for Democracys proposed cabinet have prompted the party to examine their qualifications. U Win Htein, a senior official in the partys new secretariat, yesterday requested U Than Myint and U Kyaw Win to submit their degree documents. NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi then discussed the issue with party officials. I dont know what happened at the meeting but U Win Htein told me to submit documents and said then they would discuss with the party chair, said U Than Myint, an NLD MP nominated as minister for commerce. According to his party profile, U Than Myint has an MA and a PhD from Pacific Western University (California). While the institution exists, it was labelled in 2004 by a Congressional investigation as a degree mill issuing unrecognised certificates. U Kyaw Win, a little-known civil servant who is in line to be minister for planning and finance, admitted to The Myanmar Times within hours of his nomination on March 22 that the masters and doctorate from Brooklyn Park University listed on his official party profile were fake. He also said he did not finish his thesis. Brooklyn Park University was revealed last year to be the creation of a Pakistan-based software company that had set up a fake universe of more than 370 academic websites and scammed hopeful academics out of tens of millions of dollars. The disclosures about the cabinet members spread quickly on social media with gleeful supporters of outgoing President U Thein Seins Union Solidarity and Development Party poking fun at the NLD over its missteps even before the new government takes office on April 1. Despite uncomfortable reminders of the NLDs campaign promises to bring in clean government, some commentators suggested the storm would pass and that the public would trust NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to make the right decision. U Kaung Thant, a political analyst, said, I think we should wait a moment and also we need to watch how the ministers perform. They didnt lie intentionally on their CVs. If we believe in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, we need to wait with trust. I think Daw Suu would not select ministers who did not qualify for ministerial posts. We also need to look at their abilities rather than their degrees. U Than Myint, who has also worked for the United Nations Development Program, defended his credentials to The Myanmar Times yesterday. He said it took him seven years to get his doctorate in economics in 1999 from Pacific Western University (California). Ive really tried for my PhD and I didnt pay to get accredited qualification. At that time many senior UN officials also attended this university. I didnt know that this university sold degrees for money, he said. He said he took 12 courses and had submitted his assignment papers and a thesis. He insisted that he had not bought his doctorate, recalling that the university had advertised monthly in The Economist magazine and had been mentioned in a guide to international distance learning published by Yangon Distance University. I would not have got my PhD without effort. But if my party doesnt want to give the title of doctor then I will follow party instructions. It doesnt matter, U Than Myint said. The Union parliament is scheduled to meet today to respond to the 18 cabinet nominations submitted by President-elect U Htin Kyaw. End racial discrimination now, civil society organisations have told the incoming government. The message went out from about 30 organisations gathered to celebrate International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21. Cardinal Charles Bo, the leader of Myanmars Catholic population told participants at the Inya Lake Hotel, Yangon, that failure to eliminate racial and religious discrimination would hold back democratisation. Ethnic and religious differences are not the cause of problems, and such differences must be accepted, he said, adding that Bogyoke Aung San himself had proclaimed in 1947 that hate had no place in the establishment of the nation. An expert panel was convened to examine the legislation the government would be expected to enact under the international treaty governing the elimination of racial discrimination. Equality Myanmar director U Aung Myo Min told the meeting that although the government had signed the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 1997, implementation had been weak and should be open to review. Legal and social barriers to the enjoyment by racial, ethnic and religious minorities of human rights, and rights under the international treaties still existed. Racial discrimination was at the root of the most significant violations of human rights and abuses throughout the country, said organisers. The event was organised by the Womens Peace Network (Arakan), Equality Myanmar, Civil Rights Defenders, Freedom House, and Mizzima Media. Participants addressed recommendations to the incoming government, the hluttaws and foreign embassies, urging them to fight racial discrimination and enhance collaboration with civil society and government in addressing racial discrimination in Myanmar, said Ma Wai Wai Nu, one of the organisers. Topics discussed at the event included the various perspectives on racial discrimination from the point of view of youth, ethnic and religious minorities, women, and the public. The experiences of other countries in the drafting of anti-discrimination laws and the provisions of the 2008 constitution and the UN Human Rights Mechanisms on Racial Discrimination were also discussed. Myitta Foundation founder Ko Sai Saikham said Myanmar was now about to acquire an impartial leadership that could make progress toward justice and peace without discrimination on religious and racial grounds. Now that we have a democratically elected government, we look forward to developing these aims, he said. [March 23, 2016] Rise in Terrorist Activities to Impact the Global Video Surveillance Market, Says Technavio Technavio analysts expect the global video surveillance market for 2016-2020 to reach USD 64 billion by 2020 growing at a CAGR of almost 23%, according to their latest report. According to Amrita Choudhury, lead analyst at Technavio for IT Security research, "Rising instances of criminal activities in government organizations and enterprises are driving the video surveillance systems market worldwide. Advances in technology in the market are prompting organizations to invest in video monitoring solutions to keep a check on people and their behavior. The use of video surveillance is increasing in the retail sector because of a rise in the number of pilfering cases, which leads to inventory shrinkage." Technavio's lead ICT research analysts have identified the following four factors that will drive the global video surveillance market: Shift from analog to IP cameras Increased demand for wireless network infrastructure Rise in terrorist activities Adoption of cloud-based services Shift from analog to IP cameras A number of enterprises are adopting IP cameras, owing to their many benefits. The total cost of operation of IP cameras is much lower than analog cameras, and includes their installation, maintenance, and labor costs. These cameras are flexible, scalable, and can be easily installed. As a result, they can be adapted to the changing needs of a customer. IP cameras can easily be integrated with the existing security devices. Further, the images produced by these cameras are of high quality. IP cameras have built-in servers or encoders that help in image encryption and provide multi-level user access control, which prevents third-party manipulation. The adoption of IP cameras first began in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and is gaining further popularity in the rest of the Gulf countries. The use of IP cameras has grown largely in facilities such as stadiums, city surveillance projects, and hotels as they are relatively cost-effective and cover a large area. Increaed demand for wireless network infrastructure Video surveillance includes the use of networks for connecting various devices such as cameras, video recorders, storage devices, and phones. Despite the advantages offered by video surveillance solutions, such as scalability and flexibility, they incur high network deployment cost and maintenance cost. In order to avoid the additional charges incurred due to wired network, enterprises are opting for wireless network infrastructures. Wireless video surveillance provides security to critical infrastructures such as airports and cities without additional wiring and maintenance cost. It reduces the installation cost and the cost of hiring professionals. "With an increase in geographically dispersed infrastructures, centralized supervision for security has become a necessity. This has resulted in increased use of wireless video surveillance, which acts as an alternative to the costly wired infrastructures," says Amrita. Rise in terrorist activities Lack of investments in video surveillance leads to a rise in anti-social activities like terrorist attacks. Therefore, large enterprises, including government organizations, across the globe are increasingly installing video surveillance equipment in their premises to curb criminal activities and control hostile situations. Stringent regulations have also been passed by countries worldwide to increase security by installing video surveillance solutions in public locations such as hypermarkets, hospitals, airports, railway stations, hotels, and malls. In the recent mishap that took place in France, killing several people working at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo's office in Paris, the criminals were identified with the help of footage captured by the cameras installed in the premises. Adoption of cloud-based services The growing use of cloud-based technologies will fuel the growth of the global video surveillance market. Large enterprises and various government organizations are rapidly adopting cloud-based services that ensure a centralized, searchable repository of historical data. Cloud-based services can be used across the world without time and location constraints. These services ensure low cost of ownership along with improved management of the complexities involved with huge data volumes. Enterprises face many issues dealing with a huge amount of data generated from video surveillance. Improper management may lead to loss of critical data, which may prove catastrophic for enterprises. Cloud-based services ensure scalability on demand without additional costs. Browse Related Reports: Global Wireless Video Surveillance Market 2015-2019 Video Surveillance Market in MENA 2015-2019 Video Surveillance Market in Southeast Asia 2014-2018 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [email protected] with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160323005066/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 24.03.2016 LISTEN Ghanas favourite Fante rapper from Takoradi, Kofi Kinaata, will be performing live at this year's 'Yesu Asor' (Jesus Has Risen), which is an indigenous Easter festival unique to the people of Sekondi. The 'Yesu Asor' Easter festival started a few years ago by a youth group to celebrate the Easter holidays in a grand style with other residents of Sekondi. The event has since grown to become the biggest outdoor programme in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, attracting visitors from all over the metropolis and beyond. The celebrations begin on the eve of Easter Sunday with a carnival procession on the streets of Sekondi. The outdoor event has now been incorporated in the traditions of Sekondi in recent years. The indigenes of Sekondi now see the festival as an important date on their calendar because it presents an opportunity for a special home-coming and unique funfair, resulting in a major boost in economic activities. This year's festivities will begin on Easter Saturday, with various youth groups from Sekondi and surrounding communities gathering at Sekondi-Komfo Ase. Each of the groups will then embark on a procession with their own musical ensembles amidst singing, and expected to be joined by some residents. The festival will be climaxed on Easter Sunday with a funfair and jamboree, during which Kofi Kinaata and other musicians like Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, Ayesem, Nero X, among others, will be performing. . To the people of Sekondi, 'Yesu Asor' has come to stay, and this year's promises to be even bigger. From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi A photo released by the Nigerian Army press service shows soldiers patroling on March 15, 2015 in Madagali. By (Nigerian Army press service/AFP/File) 24.03.2016 LISTEN Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram gunmen have abducted 16 women in a remote area of northeast Nigeria's Adamawa state, police, a lawmaker and locals told AFP on Thursday. "We received report of the kidnap of 14 women and two girls by gunmen believed to be Boko Haram insurgents near Sabon Garin Madagali village", said Adamawa state police spokesman Othman Abubakar. "We have sent search teams to the area and have notified the military who have also deployed personnel for search and rescue operation in the bush to free the hostages." Adamu Kamale, who represents the area in Nigeria's lower chamber of parliament, the House of Representatives, also confirmed the abduction, which happened on Wednesday. Locals said the hostages were seized in the bush while fetching firewood and fishing in a nearby river under the escort of two civilian vigilantes assisting the military against the Islamist insurgents. "When the civilian vigilantes escorting the women saw the heavily armed Boko Haram fighters advancing on them they fled, leaving the women to their fate," said Madagali resident Garba Barnabas. Two women who escaped by jumping into the river and pretending to have drowned later returned to the village to raise the alarm, he added. Madagali district, which lies on the border with Borno state, has been repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram during its nearly seven-year insurgency, which has left more than 17,000 people dead. Human rights groups have said fighters have kidnapped thousands of women and young girls, including more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted from the Borno town of Chibok nearly two years ago. The insurgents temporarily seized Madagali district and parts of Adamawa as well as large swathes of territory in Borno and Yobe state in 2014, as they sought to establish a hardline Islamic state. More than 2.6 million people have fled their homes since the start of the violence but as troops began a fight-back last year and recaptured territory, some of the internally displaced have returned home. Sporadic hit-and-run attacks have continued however, as well as suicide bombings. "Since people returned to their homes we have been experiencing attacks by Boko Haram despite claims that security has been restored", said Kamale. "The abduction shows that more security needs to be deployed to protect the people from attacks and abductions." Sydney (AFP) - Two pieces of debris found in Mozambique are "almost certainly from MH370", Australia and Malaysia said on Thursday, after technical analysis provided fresh clues to the fate of the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft. Until the latest discoveries, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, which lies east of Mozambique, had been confirmed as coming from the plane that disappeared two years ago. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Transport Minister Darren Chester said, adding that investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. "That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean." The two pieces are a flat grey fragment with the words "No Step" printed along one side, found on a sandbank, and a metre-long piece of metal picked up by a holidaymaker. Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said investigators had advised that the "dimensions, materials and construction" of both parts conformed to Boeing 777 specifications, while the "paint and stencilling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines (MAS)". "As such, both parts are consistent with panels from a MAS Boeing 777 aircraft, and almost certainly are from MH370," he said in a statement, adding that the examinations conducted in Australia's capital Canberra took place from March 21-23. Australia is leading the search for MH370 in the remote Indian Ocean, where the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight is believed to have diverted when it disappeared on March 8, 2014 carrying 239 passengers and crew. Another piece of debris yet to be identified as coming from the missing jet was picked up near Mossel Bay, a small town in Western Cape province, South African authorities said Tuesday. They did not reveal when it was found. Malaysia is working with South African officials to arrange for the examination of the fragment, which Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said on Wednesday was "suspected to be the cowling from an engine". Mossel Bay lies more than 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) from Vilankulo, the Mozambican resort where one of the pieces being examined in Australia was found. - 'Search for MH370 continues' - Specialists, including from Australia and Boeing, have been conducting investigations in Canberra alongside the Malaysia team on the two Mozambique items. When a two-metre-long (almost seven-foot) wing part known as a flaperon washed up on a beach on the French overseas territory of La Reunion in July, it was the first concrete evidence that MH370 met a tragic end. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the agency leading the search, had said then that its location was consistent with drift modelling of where debris might have floated. Chester said the hunt for the crash site, far off Australia's southwest coast, would continue, with nearly 80 percent of the target area so far checked but yielding nothing. "There are 25,000 square kilometres (9,650 square miles) of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found," he said. Three vessels contracted from Dutch firm Fugro -- Fugro Discovery, Fugro Equator and Havila Harmony -- along with Chinese ship Dong Hai Jiu 101 are scouring the ocean depths, with the plane believed to have sunk up to 4,000 metres (13,100 feet). The operation has been projected to cost up to Aus$180 million (US$130 million). The governments of Australia, China and Malaysia, where most of the passengers were from, have agreed that when the target zone of 120,000 square kilometres has been fully searched -- expected to be around June to July -- they will end the hunt unless "credible new information" emerges. Analysis of the flaperon has so far not offered further information to help solve what happened to the aircraft. Analysts have said that only by locating the crash site and recovering the black box will authorities be able to solve the mystery of why the plane went down. 22.03.2016 LISTEN Nazir Nortei Alema, who made the headlines when he surprisingly joined the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) last year, is dead, his Islamic funeral attracting massive turnout at Osu last Sunday. The deceased received positive tributes from his acquaintances, including the Tudu Central Mosque Imam, Abdul Hamid Musah, whose Friday sermon centred on the plight of Nazir. Nazir reportedly died while in the frontline in Homs, Syria, at the hands of Bashar Assad's forces who took advantage of the strafing of the ground by Russian bombardment or direct hit from the Russian aircraft on one of their many sorties. The report of his death, DAILY GUIDE learnt, was relayed to the family through an email from another Ghanaian ISIS recruit. The message hit the family like thunderbolt, having lost a loved one after seeing him through university education. The special prayer for Muslims who die without their remains available Salaati Galib was held at the Tudu Central Mosque last Friday after the weekly congregational prayer. After Imam Abdul Hamid Musah, the cleric who led the prayer, a contemporary of the deceased, had announced the death of the young Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) graduate, the mood of the faithful became sombre. He told the congregation that Abdul Nazir had passed on after being lured into believing that he had joined the ranks of the faithful to fight for the cause of God. That was not the case anyway, as according to him he had fallen prey to bad gang who lie about their faith thereby luring innocent persons such as the gentle Nazir to join them. Let parents be wary about who their children's friends are, the Imam said, adding, This way, parents would be able to monitor the kids with a view to intervening where necessary. Not doing so is risky and can lead to untoward fallouts such as it befell Nazir. He described Nazir as a good man and prayed God to be gentle with his soul because after all, he went to Syria with a clean heart. . The foregone constituted the contents of the Friday or Jummat sermon the highlight of the weekly religious rite, the attendance of which is mandatory for all Muslims. At the end of the prayer came the special prayer or Salaati Gaalib. The next funeral prayer was the one held at the ancestral home of the Alemas at Osu, not far from the Kingdom Bookshop. Many sympathisers turned up to partake in the spiritual exercise for the soul of Nazir. Nazir was born in the United Kingdom where his parents sojourned until their final return to Ghana. Officiating clerics were made up of persons from Tudu, Accra, where the deceased's father was born. Present were, among others, Ghana's former Defence Attache to Britain, Brig Musah Ibrahim (rtd), a cousin of the deceased's father, and many others. Nazir Alema, it would be recalled, informed his parents through a correspondence last year after the completion of his national service that he was en route to join ISIS to fight a jihad. Since then his parents, especially his mother, had been on tenterhooks not knowing what was going to befall him until the sad news came to them via an email message sent through one of his Ghanaian colleagues. Nazir's joining ISIS prompted a national worry and an eventual first national conference on extremism at the National Theatre in Accra, which close to 2,000 Muslim youth from various educational institutions partook in. A DAILY GUIDE Report Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Ramy Ashour, the most charismatic player of the modern era, produced one of his most extraordinary performances in surviving a 3-9 final game deficit, and saving a match point to reach the quarter-finals of the British Open. The three-time World Open champion from Egypt eventually needed an hour and three-quarters to win 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 9-11, 13-11 against Ryan Cuskelly, a very unlucky 15th-ranked Australian. Ashour was within sight of a routine victory at two games up and 3-2 in the third game, after which his dominance was eroded so continuously during prodigiously long rallies that he was plunging towards the exit at 3-9 down in the fifth game. In between these giddying extremes of fortunes Cuskelly suffered a cut hand which brought a 12-minute delay, and altered the entire mood and momentum of the contest. Ashour has never lost from two games up, but he was within an inch or two of that at match point down at 10-11 in the decider, when he produced a flicked backhand volley winner of outrageous quality. Perhaps even more important to Ashour, whose career has been under prolonged threat from so many injuries, is that he lasted an hour and three-quarters of ferocious action, apparently without harm. From his perspective that may have been the most encouraging thing of all. His first match, against Cesar Salazar on Monday, had been "scary", he said. At any moment he felt he was at risk of another, perhaps career-terminating injury. "But today I was always moving, back and forth, back and forth - and it didn't hurt my body too much," he added. "I am just grateful for that, and grateful still to be playing." On the three match points, two of his own and one against him, he strove to keep his tactics simple. It was a good policy. Eventually Cuskelly, having played so many fine long rallies and returned so many difficult balls, put a forehand drive down. The Aussie had been tenacious and mobile and moved the ball around well, and despite his immense disappointment there was very little more that he could have done. Ashour kissed the floor before leaving. "I am just pushing a mountain, and it's hard. If the injury has told me anything about myself, it is that I a very strong mentally," he said. He next plays compatriot Ali Farag, won also won a five-gamer, by 4-11, 13-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4 against Nick Matthew, the third-seeded three-time former champion. This was less of a surprise than it seems. Farag has risen to seven in the world after beating three top ten players, including Matthew, en route to winning the Motor City Open title in Detroit in February, and he moved too sharply and fluently in cool conditions against his less than fully fit 35-year-old opponent. He may even have ended Matthew's career. Afterwards the Englishman said: "I don't think I have been fully fit for a year now, and I have to go away and consider my future. "I can't go on like this one wrong movement and my ankle goes again. I have had a great career and I have to work out whether I can come back from this. "But Ali (Farag) is the finished article. He's the one I see who's going to be up there now challenging the best." The police administration is assuring political parties that it will provide security for their flagbearers ahead of the 2016 elections. Director of Public Affairs Superintendent Cephas Arthur told Joy News his outfit has already met with some political parties and other stakeholders over the same matter. "What we did in 2012 and we are set to do again is to provide police security escort for flagbearers and their running mates. "We have put in place some of these measures and we are going to continue this year," he promised. His assurance comes at a time when the New Patriotic Party is said to be illegally training some of its workers using security experts from South Africa. The trainees were supposed to provide security to the party's flagbearer and other key members of the party. But Cephas Arthur said all the parties must trust the police to offer security for its leaders like it did in 2012. Whilst he would not say exactly when the security personnel will be deployed he said the plan will be executed before elections. He said "when the campaigns heat up the security will be provided. In 2012 we provided security to the extent that Hassan Ayariga used his escort for more than even four months after the elections," he stated. He even before the campaign gets hotter, if any of the presidential candidates feel threatened they can request for police protection and that would provided. Accra, March 23, GNA - The Government of Ghana and the European Union (EU) have met to review progress towards the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). The VPA is aimed at ensuring the legal means of selling timber products exported to the EU and at the domestic market. Nii Osa Mills, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said the Ghana-EU VPA Joint Monitoring and Review Mechanism (JMRM) which included representatives of stakeholder groups would oversee the implementation of the agreement. He said the JMRM reviewed the status of development of Ghana's timber legality assurance system and discussed outstanding issues to be addressed from the joint action plan before licensing could begin. Nii Osah Mills said the licensing would enable Ghana's timber products to enter the EU market without importers having to do further due diligence to meet their obligation under the EU Timber Regulation. He said: 'We made progress in clarifying our forest management plans, transparency, commitment and other outstanding issues. 'Each of these steps for improvements in forest governance brings Ghana closer to licensing and easier access to the EU market. The further development of our timber legality assurance system is also helping Ghana resolve legality issues with our domestic market and regional trade.' The Minister said to track progress, the JMRM has decided to begin the next joint assessment of Ghana's timber legality assurance system in August 2016. Mr William Hanna, European Union Ambassador to Ghana and Co-Chair of the JMRM, said: 'Ghana's forest was crucial to the country sustainable development and the good governance will contribute to achieving the world's Sustainable Development Goals. 'Through the VPA, Ghana is controlling illegal logging, modernising timber operations and ensuring forestry brings employment opportunities and social benefits such as payment to communities through Social Responsibility Agreements. The VPA also helps both partners contribute to addressing climate change and protect the biodiversity within Ghana's forest. He said the topics discussed by the JMRM included progress making Ghana's timber legality assurance system operational, notably through the roll out of the new wood tracking system, progress under the VPA transparency communities and progress in addressing illegal chainsaw logging for domestic and regional markets. Other topics discussed were issues related to permits for logging issued under the provisions of the Timber Resource Management Act (Act 617), issues related to conversion of leases to Timber Utilisation Contracts in line with the provision of Act 547 and VPA implementation priorities for 2016. GNA Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. 24.03.2016 LISTEN The Government of Ghana and the European Union (EU) have met to review progress towards the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). The VPA is aimed at ensuring legal means of selling timber products exported to the EU and at the domestic market. Nii Osa Mills, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said the Ghana-EU VPA Joint Monitoring and Review Mechanism (JMRM) which included representatives of stakeholder groups would oversee the implementation of the agreement. He said the JMRM reviewed the status of development of Ghanas timber legality assurance system and discussed outstanding issues to be addressed from the joint action plan before licensing could begin. Nii Osah Mills said the licensing would enable Ghanas timber products to enter the EU market without importers having to do further due diligence to meet their obligation under the EU Timber Regulation. We made progress in clarifying our forest management plans, transparency, commitment and other outstanding issues. Each of these steps for improvements in forest governance brings Ghana closer to licensing and easier access to the EU market. The further development of our timber legality assurance system is also helping Ghana resolve legality issues with our domestic market and regional trade, he said. The Minister said to track progress, the JMRM has decided to begin the next joint assessment of Ghanas timber legality assurance system in August, 2016. Mr William Hanna, European Union Ambassador to Ghana and Co-Chair of the JMRM, said: Ghanas forest was crucial to the country sustainable development and the good governance will contribute to achieving the worlds Sustainable Development Goals. Through the VPA, Ghana is controlling illegal logging, modernising timber operations and ensuring forestry brings employment opportunities and social benefits such as payment to communities through Social Responsibility Agreements. The VPA also helps both partners contribute to addressing climate change and protect the biodiversity within Ghanas forest. He said the topics discussed by the JMRM included progress making Ghanas timber legality assurance system operational, notably through the roll out of the new wood tracking system, progress under the VPA transparency communities and progress in addressing illegal chainsaw logging for domestic and regional markets. Other topics discussed were issues related to permits for logging issued under the provisions of the Timber Resource Management Act (Act 617), issues related to conversion of leases to Timber Utilisation Contracts in line with the provision of Act 547 and VPA implementation priorities for 2016. More than one year after rainstorm destroyed the roof of some schools in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, the classrooms are yet to be renovated. This has forced the pupils to learn under trees and in crowded classrooms. Teachers say this is hampering academic work. School authorities complain efforts to get government to renovate the blocks have proved futile. In February 2015, a heavy storm blew off the aluminum roof of a three unit classroom block belonging to the Mafi Seva M/A School. With the support of the community, school authorities used 5000 cedis of the schools resources to re-roof portions of the block. The residents say they have run out of money and are unable to renovate the rest. Some of the children now take lessons under a tree, while others have had to join another class, creating a crowded teaching and learning environment. Some classes are under trees and the rest, we are managing and because in a class of two, a teacher cannot teach both classes, we are deteriorating in educational qualification, headmaster of the school Mr. Agbadzi told Joy News. Assembly member for the area, Julius Karl Fieve told Joy News efforts to get the District Assembly to support the schools renovation has proved futile. We went to meet the MP for Central Tongu (Joe Gidisu), we later also went to NADMO, District Assembly assurances upon assurances were given, but nothing fruitful came out of these engagements, Mr. Karl Fieve said. This is not the only school facing this problem. The roof of the KG block of Mafi Wudzrolo M/A school was also blown off. The children now learn in a flimsy structure a shed. The result is children are unable to concentrate in class. Because we dont have walls around the class, when there are passing vehicles, the children tend to observe them, lacking concentration on their studies, a teacher told Joy news. School officials are appealing to government to support the schools. Below is the video of the story. Zepto Limited, a wholly Ghanaian-owned company has introduced the new and affordable Zepto UmiTab 10.1 two-in-one tablet, targeting students in tertiary institutions. The UmiTab 10.1 comes with an ergonomic keyboard, on-board 3G data access, and the full Microsoft productivity offering including Windows 10, Office 365 Mobile, and free 1 TB OneDrive access for one year. The sleek and flat device comes with a long battery life and in different color schemes that make it an attractive option for those looking for an affordable device that provides the full function of a laptop, with the convenience of a tablet. CEO of Zepto Limited, Charles Ofori said we are excited about what we are offering Ghanaians because not only does the UmiTab 10.1 offer quality at a low price, but it provides Microsofts familiar, fast and secure software, while our teams across the country will ensure that customers get the technical support and customer service they deserve long after they have purchased the device. He also said that the device comes with a one year warranty, such that when it develops a fault, if the company is unable to fix it, the device will be replaced. Charles Ofori told journalists the tablet was designed by a Microsoft certified company to deliver quality at affordable rates for users. He said similar products everywhere else goes for between GHC1,500 and GHC2,000 but the new Zepto UmiTab 10.1 is priced at GHC999 to enable students across the country have access. "We are also working on payment plans for students across the country and also on further price cuts for institutions that buy in bulk for their students and staff," he said. Charles Ofori believes technology devices are too expensive in Ghana due to taxes, but he is confident that with the scrapping of the VAT on such devices, Ghanaians will see more price cuts. He also said the company has given out 10 of the tablets to the British Council's Skill Hub for training purposes, adding that Zepto itself is gearing up to offer executive level training in computer, both in hardware and software to give Ghanaians competitive advantage on the continent. "Apart from from the tablet we will be introducing affordable laptops into the market to empower students do their research with ease," he said . Charles Ofori noted that the government's one laptop for all program was a laudable one, except that the devices distributed in that program was not of the best quality. He is confident that with the quality Zepto brings on the market, the devices they will rollout will be suitable to meet that laudable goal in the long-term. Charles Ofori said the Zepto UmiTab 10.1 can be purchased online at Jumia or Tisu and will soon be available at other stores. Zepto Limited built its first technology production plant in Ghana in 2010. The Asafoatse of the Ga Mantse, Nii Osah Mensah II, has called for the immediate renewal of all land leases under the jurisdiction of the Ga State. Speaking in an interview, he showed documentary evidences dating back to 1905 which indicate the time the government acquired most lands in the capital city. We are Gas and we deserve the benefits of our land he said. According to Nii Mensah II, who is also the traditional minister of defense of the Ga State, their lands are not endowed with natural resources such as gold, oil or diamond. What we have is our land and therefore we should retain and benefit from the royalties of our gifted land he added. The well-traveled chief advocated for the rectification of all land documents under the jurisdiction of the Ga Mantse. He said a similar process is underway in the Ashanti Region under the command of the Asantehene. The continuous denial of our rights to benefit from our gifted lands breeds poverty in Ga areas and low level of education, diseases, and teenage pregnancy, which perpetuate the cycle of poverty said he. Who is the owner of the Ga lands? Is it the Lands Commission or the Accra Metropolitan Assembly? Or just who? he fumed. Nii Mensah II said that the chiefs and people of the Ga State deserve respect from government institutions and he called for a united front among the Gas in pursuit of their natural inheritance. According to him the agreements covering most lands upon which public and private buildings are cited upon in the capital city have expired. We are ready to pursue this at both the local and the international court of justice if our demand for renewal of all land agreements are not met he warned and he also warned encroachers and developers who used foul means to get lands to be careful since such lands will eventually be returned to their rightful owners. The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, welcomes the signing by the Government of Sudan of the Roadmap Agreement, developed during Strategic Consultations, held from 18 to 21 March 2016 in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP). The Strategic Consultations brought together the Government of Sudan, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the Sudan Liberation Movement/ArmyMinni Minawi (SLM/A-MM), the Sudan People's Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N), and the National Umma Party (NUP). The Chairperson of the Commission notes that the Roadmap Agreement represents an important milestone in determining a practicable way forward towards ensuring progress in the negotiations on cessation of hostilities and a Permanent Ceasefire in the Two Areas and Darfur, and in ensuring an inclusive National Dialogue in Sudan as a basis for lasting peace in the country. In regard to the negotiations on the Two Areas and Darfur, the Roadmap Agreement stresses that the Agreements to end the conflicts should be synchronized with Agreements on the relevant political matters and envisages the establishment of a Joint Committee/Committees to ensure the necessary synchronization between the implementation of the Permanent Ceasefire and security arrangements and the conclusion of the relevant political processes. In regard to the National Dialogue, the Roadmap Agreement acknowledges that the National Dialogue process currently underway in Sudan is not sufficiently inclusive, given that it does not include key opposition political parties and armed movements of the Sudan. Accordingly, the Agreement states that efforts should be taken to achieve inclusivity in the National Dialogue which the Parties agree is vital. The Chairperson of the Commission commends the Government of Sudan for signing the Roadmap Agreement, as part of efforts aimed at addressing the numerous challenges facing Sudan. The Chairperson notes that the other parties to the Strategic Consultations did not sign the Roadmap Agreement. She calls upon these parties to urgently sign the Agreement, and latest by 28 March, in order to give impetus to a process that shall lead to the settlement of Sudan's multiple conflicts. She calls on the parties who have not yet signed the agreement to desist from making any unhelpful public statements, so as to avoid jeopardizing what they have committed to achieving; namely lasting peace in Sudan. The Chairperson further welcomes the meeting facilitated by the AUHIP between the 7+7 National Dialogue Committee and the Future Forces for Change (FFC), on 22 March 2016 in Khartoum, Sudan. This meeting presented an important opportunity for improving the working relationship between the 7+7 National Dialogue Steering Committee and the opposition parties based in Sudan. The Chairperson notes with appreciation that the meetings resulted in agreement between the Government and the FFC to establish a sub-committee tasked with developing an agenda and coordinating the future joint work. The Chairperson of the Commission wishes to commend the Chairperson of the AUHIP, former President Thabo Mbeki, and General Abdusalami Abubakar, member of the Panel, as well as the support staff, for their outstanding commitment and support, beyond the call of duty, to the Sudanese parties in their quest for lasting peace, security, reconciliation and democracy in their country. The Chairperson of the Commission wishes to underscore that the African Union remains steadfast in supporting the Sudanese parties, guided by the full understanding that the Sudanese parties have the capacity and the political will to address all challenges that continue to face their people. 24.03.2016 LISTEN A 20-year-old Ghanaian woman was excited to get started at her new job as a waitress, until she was asked to go home because of her hair. Akua Agyemfra told CBC News that she quit her job at Jack Astor's Bar and Grill in Toronto two weeks ago because she felt they discriminated against her natural hair. During her job interview, she wore her hair in a bun, and her interviewer asked her if she was OK with wearing her hair down. Agyemfra said yes and was hired on the spot. On Facebook, she said that she had extensions during her interview and two training shifts, but then took out her braids before her third training shift. Because of that, her hair didn't comply with the chain's "straight hair policy," so she wore it in a bun. Assistant manager Sabrina Chiodo then told her, "I'm sorry to have to let you go home." Apparently, other servers were upset that she was wearing her hair in a bun while they couldn't. Agyemfra showed her that her hair doesn't "go down" when she takes her bun out, but she was still forced to go home because her hair was "unacceptable," according to ABC News. Chiodo told CBC News that she did send her employee home because of her hair, but insisted that the restaurant policy was that every waitress wear her hair straight down; the corporate chain denies this, saying that they can wear their hair in a "stylish up-do." The chain is now reviewing its policies and built a confidential channel for workers to weigh in on uniform policies. "My natural hair is healthy and fine," Agyemfra told Buzzfeed. "It's only recently that society has been welcoming natural hair as even Caucasian women have adapted to hairstyles like cornrows and box braids. But we still have a long way to go and my experience proves that." 24.03.2016 LISTEN One of the major challenges facing the African continent in boosting domestic tourism is the issue of visa applications. How many times have your efforts to obtain a visa been so frustrated you end up cancelling a trip? The strenuous process of obtaining that crucial document in a bid to gain entry to another country can be exhausting. From long waits at the Embassy, filling out multiple forms and waiting for its processing costs you so much time and energy. Imagine repeating this procedure each time you choose to travel to an African country; even those next door, tedious right? No wonder, most African countries have a surge in foreign tourists as compared to domestic ones. Just a thought. However, the script seems to have changed over the past few years, as governments continue embracing the idea of open visas. According to a recent Visa Openness Report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), emerging economies continue to be more receptive to foreign visitors than advanced economies. East Africa remains one of the most open regions, while Central Africa and North Africa were, in 2015, the most restrictive sub-regions. Visa restrictions contribute largely to missed economic gains from the tourism sector, which contributes approximately 9% of the worlds gross domestic product (GDP) and one in every 11 jobs. Therefore, it would be correct to say that open visa policies could create numerous job opportunities in the tourism and travel industries, to the millions of Africans who continue to dwell in joblessness. More tourists would result in more hotels, restaurants, recreation centers, and malls in the respective countries and thus an upsurge in economic growth. The African Development Bank in its Africa Visa Openness Report 2016 notes that, Free movement by people is the hallmark of regional economic integration, facilitating trade and economic growth across the continent. And I do add that the tourism and travel industries are also major beneficiaries. By the year 2018, African Union aims at introducing an African passport while at the same time abolishing visa requirements for all African citizens on the continent. Major efforts towards achieving this goal have been seen in various African countries. These include the launch of the East African single visa covering Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda by the East African Community (EAC) in February 2014; the KAZA (Kavango Zambezi) common tourist visa covering Zambia and Zimbabwe; and the single visa scheme covering tourists visiting all Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. In its Kenya Hospitality Report, Jovago.com , Africas leading online hotel booking website, noted that the travel & tourism sector is nearly the same size as that of the financial services sector. This shows that a lot of progress has been made, with 7 out of the top 10 most tourism-ready economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, featuring in the top 20 most visa-open countries in Africa; according to UNWTO. Yet, African governments need to do more in easing travel and tourism to and from neighboring countries and across the continent in a bid to encourage shared prosperity...that is the African spirit. Pornography is defined by Wikipedia as, the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexual arousal. Pornography may be presented in a variety of media, including books, magazines, postcards, photographs, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video, and video games. There are varied opinions on pornography and one of the contentious opinions has to do with whether pornography is addictive or not. Weir, K. (2014) in her featured article of the American psychological Association website for instance argues that, While many viewers of adult content don't seem to suffer ill effects, porn can become problematic for others. The Kinsey Institute survey found 9 percent of porn viewers said they had tried unsuccessfully to stop. Weir then concludes by saying, Whether or not pornography is a diagnosable addiction, it's clear it hurts some people. For them, there just isn't much evidence about how best to control this behavior. This thus presents us with a case of those who believe pornography is addictive and those who think it is not. For those who believe pornography is addictive like Downs, M. (2007), The effects of porn on the brain were called "toxic" and compared to cocaine. One psychologist claimed "prolonged exposure to pornography stimulates a preference for depictions of group sex, sadomasochistic practices, and sexual contact with animals. However, Downs in the same article points out the works and words of some scholars/doctors and specialists who believe pornography is not addictive. One such Scholar is Violet Blue who contends that, porn addiction (is a label) thats used to put down behavior thats disapproved of socially. Erick Janssen, PHD, for example according to Downs believe there is nothing like porn addiction because those who are thought to be addicts do not progress like other people who are addicted to other substances likes cocaine. He contends that people addicted to other substances tend to crave more and more of that substance and thus develop a tolerance to the addictive substances. Thus for example drug addicts need increasingly larger doses to get high, but Janssen argues according to Downs that this is never the case with respect to those thought to be porn addicts. There are those who hold a more measured view with regard to this topic however, one of such are Campell, k. and McConnell, G (1996) who say, Not everyone who sees pornography will become addicted to it. Some will just come away with toxic ideas about women, sex, marriage and children. But they contend however that, there exists five ways to get addicted to pornography. These steps they believe include, early exposure, addiction, escalation, desensitization, acting out sexually. Also, Skinner, B. K. (2014), PHD, quotes Dr. Valerie Voon from Cambridge University as (finding), Pornography triggers brain activity in people with compulsive sexual behavior known commonly as sex addiction similar to that triggered by drugs in the brains of drug addicts, in his work, Is Pornography (Sexual) Addiction Real. But he was quick to point out that, The authors did caution that this does not mean that pornography itself is addictive, but that it highlights regions of the brain similar to those with drug addictions. The belief that porn is addictive often lies in the nature/form(s) in which pornographic movies and images come. . Layden, M. A.in the article Pornography and Violence: A New Look at research for example who adopts a systematic approach to the question begins by making the claim that, we learn better using images than wordsWe also learn better aroused. And learning is better if it is reinforced. Learning is also better if we see role models perform a behavior Finally, we learn better when the learning is rewarded Thus, bexause of the form in which porn comes, one is more likely to get addicted and act it out because the human cognitive ability is designed to accept information in that form easily. This view is also supported by, Smith, K. (2012), who also believes that, There are some unique aspects about pornography that make it easily addictive. It's so readily available online; sex is a wired in desire for all men and not one very easily done without; Internet porn sites are designed to get us to want more and more, which feeds a key ingredient of addictions. Thus he believes the wide existence of pornographic materials makes it easier for one to be addicted coupled to the fact that men are supposed to be some genetically programmed sex machines. My view on the matter is not quite different from what most scholars have adduced to, and I believe there may be someone somewhere in the world, who believes they are addicted to pornography, but I do not believe pornography is addictive in the same way food is not addictive, but there are people who claim to be food addicts. I will have to also disagree with Smith (2012) especially, who asserts that that the unlimited and unrestricted access to pornographic materials tends to make pornography a candidate for addiction, because, if that were to be accepted, then one would assume that the availability of knives in our homes, and on the market, will does make human beings addicted to cutting things or stabbing other human beings. If this were true also, then it would mean about 60% of men would all be porn addicts by now as the internet penetration in the world reaches an all time high. If men are wired naturally to crave sex, and pornographic materials are easily available, and internet sites porn are designed to get us all hooked on porn, then every male and a significant number of women who have access to the internet should be a porn addict by now. Thus in effect, pornography is addictive only to the extent that the person who claims to be addicted wants to be addicted. No one can disagree with someone who believes they are addicted to pornography, but as to the pornographic contents itself being addictive like nicotine in cigarettes it is yet to be proved. The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome References Campbell, K. and McConnell, G. (1996). The Stages of Porn Addiction. Retrieved 25th September, 2015. From http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/divorce-and-infidelity/pornography-and-virtual-infidelity/stages-of-porn-addiction Downs, M. (2007). Is Pornography Addictive? : Psychologists Debate whether People can have an Addiction to Pornography. Retrieved 25th September, 2015. From http://www.webmd.com/men/features/is-pornography-addictive Layden, M. A. Pornography and Violence: A New Look at Research. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From www.socialcostsofpornography.com/Layden_Pornography_and_Violence Skinner, B. K. (2014). Is Pornography (Sexual) Addiction Real? Retrieved 25th September, 2015. From https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inside-porn-addiction/201411/is-pornography-sexual-addiction-real Smith, K. (2012). Top 3 Causes of Addiction to Porn. Retrieved 25th September, 2015. from http://www.guystuffcounseling.com/counseling-men-blog/bid/47051/Top-3-Causes-of-Addiction-to-Porn Weir, K. (2014). Is Pornography Addictive? American Psychological Association. 45(4), 45. Retrieved 25th September, 2015. From http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/04/pornography.aspx Wikipedia. Pornography. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography A senior retired policewoman and two senior female judges from the UK have arrived in Cairo to support Egyptian and international efforts to tackle discrimination against women. Retired Chief Inspector Jane Townsley, Judge Frances Kirkham, and Judge Isobel Plumstead are in Egypt to participate in a conference organised by the Ministry of Justice, the National Council Women, UN Women and UNODC aimed at combating Discrimination Against Women in the Judicial System. Ms Townsley, Judge Kirkham, and Judge Plumstead will share their experiences as women leaders in the British police and the British judicial system. They will be discussing why it is important for women to hold leadership positions in the law and justice sector and the challenges they have faced through their careers. The aim of the conference is to support efforts to put women's constitutional rights into practice and to counter discrimination against women in the law and justice sector. Dr Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women, is be amongst the conference's opening speakers. Other participants also include Professor Hoda el-Sadda who was a member of the constitutional drafting committee. British Deputy Ambassador Helen Winterton said: I am very happy to welcome these three British women to Egypt. They are inspiring leaders in their fields and they show that no job, no position of leadership, no opportunity should be closed to women because of their sex. I hope that their expertise and experience helps inspire Egyptian women in government and civil society, and helps end discrimination against women in the law and justice sector. Egypt's constitution includes important guarantees of women's rights. But there is still more work to be done: women's participation in the job market is just 23% compared to 72% for men; levels of violence and sexual harassment against women are still way too high. I am proud that we are supporting courageous Egyptian women who are striving for the goal of a safer and more prosperous Egypt for all. A UN Women report from 2013 found that 99% of women in Egypt have experienced sexual harassment. The Egypt Demographic and Health Survey from 2014 found that 3 out of 10 ever-married women have suffered some form of violence from their partners. Several scholars have mauled over the issue of whether there exists a relationship between pornography and sexual assault, and what that relationship actually is. This paper will seek to throw light on the subject matter by reviewing research and articles put forward by scholars and analyzing them thoroughly. Before I delve into the subject matter, the definition of a few key terms will be looked at first. Wikipedia defines pornography as, the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexual arousal. Pornography may be presented in a variety of media, including books, magazines, postcards, photographs, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video, and video games. Wikipedia further defines sexual assault as any involuntary sexual act sexual act in which a person is coerced or physically forced to engage against their will or any non-consensual sexual touching of a person. Again, Wikipedia defines rape as, a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration perpetrated against a person without that person's consent. There are some very strange definitions of these terms however by some scholars, a case in point is Goldsmith M. in her article Sexual Offenders and Pornography: A Casual Connection?, for example adopts the Supreme Court of Canadas 1992 definition of rape which is, material that degrades women or promotes violence There are also a lot of varied opinions on the subject matter and Ferguson, J.C. and Hartley, D. R. (2009) in Aggression and Violent Behavior capture it succinctly, by stating that, Some contend that availability of, and exposure to, pornography increases negative attitudes about females and sexuality. Those with this view suggest that exposure to pornography desensitizes viewers thereby increasing the risk of committing sexual assault or rape. Others believe pornography may be something of a catharsis for those with pent up sexual aggression and that viewing pornography may actually reduce the desire to engage in sex crimes such as rape Its been widely accepted within the academic community that a relationship does exist between watching pornography and sexual violence and rape. Layden, M. A.in the article Pornography and Violence: A New Look at research for example who adopts a systematic approach to the question begins by making the claim that claim that, we learn better using images than wordsWe also learn better aroused. And learning is better if it is reinforced. Learning is also better if we see role models perform a behavior Finally, we learn better when the learning is rewarded Thus Layden contends that we learn more from pornographic movies and images because of the effect it has on our brains, and thus pornography becomes a teacher. According to her, research proves that, the increase in attitude supporting sexual violence following exposure to pornography is greater if the pornography is violent than if it is non-violent. Again she argues that, individuals who use child pornography are, whether or not they have offended against children, are more likely to be pedophiles than individuals who have offended against children but do not use child pornography. Layden is not the only who holds this view however, Goldsmith M. in her article Sexual Offenders and Pornography: A Casual Connection?, also supports this view, and cites a study done by Court (1984) which concludes that, in a comparative study rape rates in the USA, Scandinavia, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, found a connection between the availability of pornography and the level of rape. Also, Goldsmith cites the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research 1991; New South Wales Police Statistics Unit 1988-89, and argues that In New South Wales, in the period 1975-91, a time during which pornography has become increasingly available, there has been a 90.6 per cent increase in the level of rape. In spite of these revelations through research by the above scholars, there are some who believe such a relationship does not exist. A scholar who argues against this stance is Jensen, R. (2004) who argues in his article Pornography and Sexual Violence that, pornography does not cause rape. His argument is premised on the fact that, since some men who use pornography dont rape, and some men who rape dont use pornography, pornography is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for rape. He however concedes in other paragraphs in the same article that, although pornography alone does not make men do it, but that pornography is part of a world in which men do it I agree though that pornography has adverse effects on mens sexual relations with women, however, the extent or limits of these effects are what I disagree with. I tend to believe that men who will act sexually violent against women will still act that way irrespective of whether they watch pornography or not. The truth is that not all pornographic movies, and indeed the majority of pornographic movies are non-violent. Thus there cannot be anyway sexual violence or rape is being caused by pornography. Furthermore, I contend that if it were true that pornography causes men to act violently in their sexual relations with women, then the human race would be close to near extinction by now due to the amount of violent movies we have on the market. Nearly all the movies on the market these days have violent scenes and thus, if it were true that there existed a relationship between what one watches and what they do, then the entire human population would be engaged in constant fights all day long. Thus, in as much as I agree that watching pornographic movies and images have adverse effects on males, I am more inclined to side with Jenson, R (2004) who argues that, the production, content, and use of pornography are important to understand in the quest to eliminate sexual violence, but they are not the cause of rape and sexual violence. The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome REFERENCES Ferguson, J.C. and Hartley, D. R. (2009). Aggression and Violent Behavior. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From www.christopherjferguson.com/pornography.pdf Goldsmith, M. Sexual Offenders and Pornography: A Casual Connection? Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/proceedings/.../goldsmith.pdf Layden, M. A. Pornography and Violence: A New Look at Research. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From www.socialcostsofpornography.com/Layden_Pornography_and_Violence Jensen, R. (2004). Pornography and Sexual Violence. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From http://www.vawnet.org/sexual-violence/print-document.php?doc_id=418&find_type=web_desc_AR Jensen, R. (2004). Pornography and Sexual Violence. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/arpornography/arpornography.htm Wikipedia. Rape. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape Wikipedia. Sexual Assault. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_assault Wikipedia. Pornography. Retrieved 24th September, 2015. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography Easter is one of the most significant celebrations in Christendom as it highlights the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Nigeria , it is celebrated with pomp and pageantry, and each year, beaches, hotels and relaxation spots are peopled with fun seekers. For the foodie, one cuisine that has remained a part of the Southwestern delicacy during the Easter season is Frejon-a local beans and coconut specialty. As many Nigerians host guests while others travel to their hometown for the celebrations, Frejon is an exciting dish to have your visitors try out. Jovago.com, Africas No 1 hotel booking portal offers you a step by step guide to prepare this popular Easter cuisine. What you need 2 cups of Beans 1/2 3/4 cups of Coconut milk 2 heaped tablespoons of sugar or more A pinch of salt 5 cloves Seasoning to taste Preparation Step 1 Cook the beans. Cook the beans till its soft in water. Do not add salt at the beginning because it will take longer to cook. Once the beans is tender sap it of all its liquid. Step 2-Mix beans and coconut milk Blend the beans with coconut milk to form a puree. Ensure that you blend both of them until it is smooth. Step 3 Cook the pureed mixture Turn the pureed mixture into a pan. Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon powder and whole cloves. Allow to cook uncovered for 5 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. The mixture should thicken a bit in the process of cooking. Add seasoning to taste. Step 4 Serve Serve with dry, toasted garri or fish sauce. Tasty and delicious! Ogunfowoke Adeniyi Travel/Technology Writer 24.03.2016 LISTEN Discussions about whether sex before marriage is good or bad and if there exist any negative effects can be traced back to biblical times. The Holy Bible and many other holy books like the Qur'an all admonish us to avoid sex before marriage. The Bible which describes the act as fornication even goes as far as admonishing Christians to flee fornication. Again the famous Ten Commandments which serves as guiding principles in some of the major religions like Christianity, Judaism and Islam also admonishes people to avoid sex before marriage. This has compelled scholars, scientists and other people in academia to investigate the reasons why sex before marriage is criticized in the religious circles. Regardless of the many benefits associated with having sex, discussions about the damaging effects of sex before marriage do not die down. Marriage can be defined as a union (legal union) between a man and a woman in which they decide to live together and share their lives together as well as have access to each other sexually. The Legal Information Institute for example defines marriage as a contract based upon a voluntary private agreement by a man and a woman to become husband and wife. Sex on the other hand refers to when men and women have intercourse. Whilst, sex before marriage, otherwise known as premarital sex, is also defined as, when two people who are not in a legally binding union (marriage), engage in sexual relations. Many people in the world today engage in sexual intercourse regardless of whether they are married not. Several people also have multiple sexual partners irrespective of their age or marital status. In fact, sex before marriage has become so prevalent that a lot of people seem to have forgotten about the fact that there may be negative factors associated with it. The negative effects associated with sex before marriage are not farfetched. The mere fact that two people who are not married or in any committed legal relationship sleep together pose a danger of trust after the intercourse. Collins (2014) in his article titled How your premarital experiences can affect your future marriage argues that, Individuals who had more sexual partners or more experience cohabitating ]before marriage] are not as likely to have high-quality marriages compared with those who had less, said Galena K. Rhoades. The author posits that one's sexual life before marriage as well as other romantic relationships is linked with the quality of one's marriage. This is because the people one has had romantic/sexual relations with may complicate the new marriage, also children that may have been conceived as a result of sexual intercourse will further complicate the marriage and thus inadvertently reduce the quality of the marriage. The impact of sex before marriage on the individual does not certainly apply to one's marriage alone. There are other problems such as the possibility of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, especially when one of the pair sleeping together has multiple partners. This view is supported by Brennen (2011) who in his article Why should I not have sex before marriage? posits that, some of the negative effects of having sex before marriage include the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the risk of getting addicted to sex, and also the negative effects of abortion and unwanted pregnancies associated with premarital sex. Very often people who engage in premarital sex especially adolescents, find themselves in the situation where they are in a hurry to get it over with, or avoid being caught and may not take the necessary precautions to protect themselves. Cordoso (2015) who chooses to focus on the psychological effects of premarital sex in her article 6 reasons why sex before marriage affects a relationship argues that, there are further damaging effects associated with premarital sex beyond the physical problems. According to her, premarital sex gives the couple intimacy at the wrong time. Thus, feelings of jealousy and possessiveness that arise in relationships in which the couple are engaged in premarital sex develop as a result of them having sex at the wrong time. Again, Cordoso posits that, premarital sex has damaging effects especially for women because sex to women means the woman surrendering herself totally to the man and when such acts are not reciprocated, women are left psychologically broken. Finally, she believes people who through premarital sex get pregnant have the course of their lives changed forever even though they are not yet prepared to be mothers. People who engage in premarital sex more often than not do not engage in it out of love. They do so because of the need to satisfy a pleasure and thus make the whole act a selfish act. This may thus further affect the partner especially if that person is doing it out of love rather than need. This can lead to several emotional problems if one partner finds out the other was not doing it out f love. The literature above thus points to the fact that, premarital sex has several damaging effects which range from emotional and psychological problems like depression, to physical problems like contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Given that human beings are biologically programmed to want to have sex, it is difficult for one to abstain from sex before marriage in spite of the many damaging effects associated with premarital sex. Alao (2011) in her article Premarital Sex: Saying NO (When Your Body Wants It), has offered some solutions as to how to avoid premarital sex and obliterate the damaging effects in the process. Alao argues that, for one to be successful in avoiding sex before marriage, the person must first identify why they want to abstain from sex, communicate with their partner their reasons, set boundaries and avoid being alone with your partner when you cannot be interrupted. For those who feel they cannot abstain from sex altogether too, it may be useful if they use condoms to help prevent some of the physical problems associated with premarital sex like unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome REFERENCES Alao, R.(2011). Premarital Sex: Saying NO (When Your Body Wants It). Retrieved 11th December, 2015. From http://ronkealao.com/premarital-sex-no Cardoso, C. (2015). 6 Reasons Why Sex Before Marriage Affects A Relationship. Retrived 11th December, 2015. From http://blogs.universal.org/cristianecardoso/en/6-reasons-why-sex-before-marriage-affects-a-relationship/ Collins, M. L. (2014). How Your Premarital Experiences Can Affect Your Future Marriage. Retreived 11th December, 2015. From http://national.deseretnews.com/article/2155/how-your-premarital-experiences-can-affect-your-future-marriage.html Legal Information Institute. Marriage. Retrieved 11th December, 2015. From https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/marriage Athens (AFP) - Greece on Thursday said no migrants had arrived on its Aegean islands in the previous 24 hours, for the first time since a controversial EU-Turkey deal to halt the massive influx came into force at the weekend. But France's Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said "hundreds of thousands" of migrants were in Libya hoping to cross to Europe, amid fears the shutdown of the Turkey-Greece route could encourage people to attempt the even more dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Italy. The high-level panel coordinating Greece's response to the crisis cautioned that bad weather may also explain the halt in boat arrivals from neighbouring Turkey, as the Aegean has been buffeted by storm-force winds since Wednesday. The European Union (EU) and Ankara struck a deal on Friday aiming to cut off the sea crossing from Turkey to the islands, which bore the brunt of a refugee wave last year. The agreement, under which all migrants landing on the Greek islands face being sent back to Turkey, went into effect early on Sunday. Despite the deal 1,662 people arrived on Monday, but this fell to 600 on Tuesday and 260 on Wednesday. Greek authorities have been using the relative calm to set in place the logistics for sending people back, which includes deploying 4,000 security personnel and asylum experts. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was to chair a ministerial meeting Thursday to assess the implementation of the accord. In 2015 more than a million migrants entered Europe, about half of them Syrians fleeing war, with Germany shouldering most of the burden. Of these, around 850,000 people made the sea crossing to Greece from Turkey -- a route that also claimed more than 300 lives. Under the migrant deal, for every Syrian sent back, the EU will resettle one Syrian from Turkey, a country that is hosting nearly three million people who have fled Syria's five-year civil war. The idea is to reduce the incentive for Syrian refugees to board dangerous smugglers' boats to cross to Greece, encouraging them instead to stay in Turkish refugee camps to win a chance at resettlement in Europe. The EU will also speed up talks on Ankara's bid to join the 28-nation bloc, will double refugee aid to six billion euros ($6.8 billion), and give visa-free travel to Turks in Europe's Schengen passport-free zone by June. The deal also plans major aid for Greece, a country now struggling not only with a debt crisis but with some 47,500 migrants stranded on its territory, thousands of them at the Macedonian border. - 'Unfair and inhumane' - All new arrivals in Greece are being taken to registration centres set up on five Aegean islands. Those seeking asylum will stay there while their application is considered by Greek and European officials. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the UN refugee agency, the International Rescue Committee and the Norwegian Refugee Council have all criticised the EU-Turkey deal on ethical grounds and scaled back some of their activities. "We took the extremely difficult decision to end our activities in Moria (a migrant camp on Lesbos) because continuing to work inside would make us complicit in a system we consider to be both unfair and inhumane," Marie Elisabeth Ingres, MSF's head mission in Greece, said on Wednesday. "We will not allow our assistance to be instrumentalised for a mass expulsion operation and we refuse to be part of a system that has no regard for the humanitarian or protection needs of asylum seekers and migrants." On the other side of the Mediterranean, Le Drian told Europe 1 radio that an estimated 800,000 migrants were in Libya, hoping to reach Europe after fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and elsewhere. More than 100,000 people crossed the Mediterranean Sea in the first two months of 2016 alone, according to the UN refugee agency. Nairobi (AFP) - Britain's Prince William pledged support Thursday for Kenya's efforts to stem poaching in the east African nation, as he visited President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of the world's biggest burning of ivory. Next month, Kenya is set to torch the vast majority of its ivory and rhino horn stockpile -- 120 tonnes of ivory, eight times the size of any ivory stockpile destroyed so far, as well as 1.5 tonnes of rhino horn. The highly publicised display will be led by Kenyatta and attended by a gaggle of celebrities, conservationists and heads of state. "We are determined to conserve our wildlife for posterity and welcome all the support we can get in this endeavour," Kenyatta said after meeting William in Nairobi. Kenyatta added that the destruction of the ivory and rhino horn will "send a strong message that trade in illegal wildlife trophies is not tolerated," a presidential statement added. "If there is anything I can do to raise the profile in your efforts to conserve wildlife, I will do it," William said, according to the statement. William, the second-in-line to the throne, has repeatedly condemned illegal wildlife trafficking and has encouraged anti-poaching efforts, including by being patron of the conservation charity Tusk Trust. He is in Kenya to attend the wedding of his former girlfriend Jecca Craig, the daughter of Kenyan conservationist Ian Craig. More than 30,000 elephants are killed for their ivory every year in Africa to satisfy demand in Asia where raw tusks sell for around $1,100 (1,000 euros) a kilogramme (2.2 pounds). 24.03.2016 LISTEN Cowbell Ghana has commenced this years annual regional funfair in the Central Regional Capital, Cape Coast. The event which sees thousands of young people converge and treated to fun-filled activities and refreshment from vitamin-rich beverage producers every year is expected to be held throughout the country before the end of the year. Children from towns far and near gathered at the Adisadel Park in Cape Coast where they were talks on the importance of health healthy and nutritious meals were delivered. According to the Brands manager of Cowbell, Mr. Joseph Ashong , the event, is one of the several ways to demonstrate the brands commitment to rewarding children across the country for their patronage of different variant of the Cowbell product." The thousands of kids who took part in the event had the opportunity to take home products from Cowbell as well as participate in fun filled events such as bouncy castles and face painting. Preceding the funfair was a tour of various schools within the Cape Coast municipality. W e are always happy to organize social gatherings like this children, aside nourishing them with different of Cowbell and also providing them with games to play with, this event will provide the opportunity for children socialize and make new friends from other schools, Mr. Ashong said. The next funfair will be held at the Sunyani Jubilee Park on Saturday, March 26. Human beings using sex for favors have probably been with man since the beginning and it's no different now even in the 21st century. If one problem could be considered a global canker it will be the phenomenon of people using sex to get jobs and Ghana is no exception to that phenomenon. However, this phenomenon seems to more prevalent in the developing countries compared to the developed world. Thus I will take Ghana which is a developing country and use it as a case study for the topic. Sex for job refers to a situation where a prospective employee or a candidate for a vacant position is requested by the employer or the person in charge of recruitment to have sexual intercourse with him/her before being considered for the position whether they are qualified or not. This situation is not only unfortunate but demeaning and means that we may end up putting square pegs in round holes, as the best suited for a position may not be the one to get the job unless they are willing to sleep with the recruiter. Simple surf on the internet on the topic will reveal countless reports and confessions of victims of this act in Ghana. On November 24th 2010, for example, the Daily Guide newspaper reported that, Abdul Samad Mohammed, a former Junior High School (JHS) teacher, was dismissed when the disciplinary committee of NYEP at the national headquarters in Accra sat on his alleged sexual assault of female employees of the program. According to the story, a female employee of the program at the Bibiani-Anwianso-Bekwai district who revealed the issue said that Samad Mohammed agreed to employ her after she gave in to his sexual advances. Similarly, the Finder newspaper also reported on 17th January, 2013that, the Kwahu East District National Youth and Employment Programme (NYEP) Coordinator, Mr Addo Adjei, is in trouble for allegedly using his office for 'sex- for-job' activities. This is quite a curious case as two different instances of sex for job has been reported in the same institution in different districts. The most worrying aspect of the situation is a revelation made by the Finder after a survey on sex for jobs. It was uncovered that instances of sexual advances from male employers in media houses were higher than the other areas. Out of 15 media houses sampled, 12 cases of sexual intercourse between male superiors and their female subordinates were recorded, thus topping the list of offenders. Thus the Ghanaian media which are thought to be the fourth estate of the realm and the institution to protect and highlight people's fundamental human rights are one of the major perpetrators of the act. The obvious reasons why sex for jobs will be more prevalent in Ghana are; poverty, unemployment (of all kinds), graduate unemployment and under employment. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, although unemployment rate in Ghana between 2012 and 2013 was 5.7 percent, all is not rosy. The Ghana Living Standard Survey 6 with Labor Module conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service revealed that, although only 5.7 percent of the population is unemployed, more than one-third of the working population is underemployed. The figure of 5.7 percent it should be noted represents those who are unemployed because of non availability of jobs. That is, the figure of the total unemployed including children, those schooling, and those too old to work is much higher. Also, two-thirds, representing 68.7 percent of the working population, are in vulnerable employment, and one-third (33.3%) of the employed persons are underemployed. Of the underemployed people, 50.6 percent are self-employed and more than one-third (35.0%) are contributing family workers. The working population is dominated by people with little (up to BECE) or no education (82.4%), meaning that most of the working population work under poor conditions with no written contract with the employer and low earnings. This therefore means that, graduate unemployment is pretty high in the country because less the 20 percent of all those employed are graduates. With these statistics, coupled with high poverty levels in Ghana, it is therefore no surprise that the phenomenon of sex for jobs is thriving. Ghanaian youth especially in their frustration to achieve their dreams and free themselves from the quagmires of unemployment end up resorting to unconventional means to securing jobs. The unfortunate thing is that most people may not be aware of the fact that that, sex for job is a form of sexual harassment. The definition of sexual harassment is any unwelcome, offensive, or importunate sexual advances or requests made by an employer or superior officer or a co-worker to a worker, whether the worker is a man or a woman. Also, The law further provides that a worker may have his/her employment contract terminated on grounds of sexual harassment. (www.mywage.org) From the above, it has been revealed that sex for jobs is a real problem in Ghana and occurs both in government institutions as well as private companies including the media which is supposed to expose some of these acts. The major cause is high levels of unemployment in Ghana coupled with poverty. The solution to ending this canker may reside in sensitization of the citizen's on their rights and what they can do when someone makes such advances. Also steps should be taken to solve the unemployment problem in the country through government investing in job creation. Another way of solving the problem will be reducing the human factor when it comes to recruitment of potential workers. Companies can opt for online application modules and assessment/ aptitudes such that prospective workers will be asked to send applications through email, shortlisted applicants will then be contacted through their emails to complete an online aptitude or interview questionnaire and the best candidate selected. This will ensure that those in charge of hiring will have minimal contact with job seekers and thus may not get opportunity to ask for sexual favors. Also, the labor commission as well as owners of companies and CEO's must have designated offices that deal with sexual harassment charges as well as a special unit that investigates sex for jobs cases. However, the ultimate solution lies in government partnering the private sector and foreign investors to reduce unemployment drastically to reduce the desperation of people that leads to them seeking to use what they have to get what they want. The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome REFERENCES Daily Guide. (2010). Sex for Jobs at NYEP -Boss Fired. Retrieved, 16th October, 2015. From http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Sex-for-Jobs-at-NYEP-Boss-Fired-198110 Ghana Statistical Service. (2013). Ghana Living Standards Survey 6 with Labour Force Module (GLSS6/LFS). Retrieved, 16th October, 2015. From http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/glss6.html Mywage.org/Ghana. Sexual Harassment. Retrieved, 16th October, 2015. From http://www.mywage.org/ghana/home/labour-law/fair-treatment-at-work/sexual-harassment/sexual-harassment-faq The Finder. (2011). No sex, No Job Report. Retrieved, 16th October, 2015. From http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/No-sex-no-job-Report-225688 The Finder Newspaper. (2013). Sex-For-Jobs Hits NYEP. Retrieved, 16th October, 2015. From https://www.modernghana.com/news/439990/1/sex-for-jobs-hits-nyep.html Over the last decade or more, one of the significant inventions of man has been social media. This has become possible due to the wide availability of computers in the world today compared to let say three decades ago. Within the last decade too, the availability of mobile phones with internet connectivity at relatively low prices have helped boost the social media rise. Social media can rightly be said to have changed our world forever. Social media may be defined as websites and applications that enable people communicate with each other over the internet and share content (i.e. Pictures, videos and thoughts). Several social media abounds. The most popular include facebook, twitter, whatsapp and instagram. Other less known ones are flickr, kik, tango, viber, tumblr and pinterest. The owner of ME Marketing a social media marketing company Edwards (2015) in an article titled How Social Media Has Changed How We Communicate, has argued that, The internet and social media has drastically changed the way people all over the world interact and communicate. How, you may ask? One of the biggest changes in the way that we interact, due to social media networks, is the sheer number of people that we can interact with. She further points out that, In the past, unless you spoke to people directly, you had no way to get your message across regardless of your freedom of speech. Now we can use social media to get our messages out to thousands or even millions of people uncensored. The popularity of social media these days means that people over the world even in the poorest regions of the world have access to sign up to any of the social media networks. In the past we could communicate only through mobile phones and telephones, but now social media has presented us with other means of communicating in which you can see the person you are talking to in real time anywhere in the world once you have internet connectivity. A lot of people have also turned away from the normal talking to what has become known as whatsapping which is a means of texting over the internet. The facebook messenger application also allows people to text each other in real time over the internet rather than using their normal phone text. Texting over the internet has the advantage of being cheaper than the normal text through mobile phone networks and you can also see whether the person you texted has received the message as well as even when they read them. This change in the way we communicate comes with both positive and negative consequences. Among the positive ways is obviously the comfort and ease with which we can communicate with a lot of people instantly in a short space of time and with just the click of a button. Marketers have also taken advantage of the situation to ensure their products reach a large audience. News also reaches people instantly and quickly without them necessary searching for the news. All one has to do to get news is to follow the twitter page of news website or like the facebook page of a news website. Friends and family also share news and other stories on various social media. Gordhamer (2009) in his article 5 Ways Social Media is Changing Our Daily Lives argues that, It is easier than ever to start and launch a business today, in great part thanks to social media. This is because according to him, we can meet potential collaborators on social media, as well as investors. We can also use social media to recruit staff by having virtual interviews over skype etc or posting job ads online. Finally, in his own words, more importantly, social media gives people who have time, but little money for advertising, the chance to engage with others and promote their business Social media have also helped marginalized and oppressed people as well as people with shared political interest to organize and protest for their common good. The Arab spring which started in Tunisia and has still not ended in places like Syria all started through social media protestation and organization. Social media was used to organize protesters against the Hosni Mubarak regime in Egypt and also in Jordan a countless number of places in the Arab regions. Again it has been used more recently to show support for France after the terrorist attacks in November as well as when the over two hundred school girls were kidnapped in Nigeria in what came to be known as #BringBackOurGirls with popular celebrities and politicians like Michelle Obama (first lady of USA) and Alicia Keys all joining in the social media campaign. There is however several negatives associated with the rise in importance of social media today. Social media has negative effects on our relationships and how we interact with people in the real world outside social media. Jung (2015) in his article titled, The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals reveals that According to Cornell University's Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. Seidman (2015) also in his article How Facebook Affects Our Relationships also argues in favor of this opinion and claims that, Facebook can be a source of jealousy and anxiety, also, Excessive time on Facebook can harm your relationships. According to her, Facebook can create a sense of jealousy, suspicion, and uncertainty for coupled users. Also, research has revealed that terrorists and scammers as well as other criminals use social media to communicate amongst themselves and get in touch with their victims. Carmon and Stalinsky (2015) in their article titled Terrorist Use Of U.S. Social Media Is A National Security Threat reveal that, UK prime minister in a meeting with the USA president commented that, Social media and the Internet is the primary way in which these terrorism organizations are communicating and that we're still going to have to find ways to make sure that if an Al-Qaeda affiliate is operating in Great Britain or in the United States, that we can try to prevent real tragedy They further argued that, ISIS has grasped the effectiveness of social media, culminating in its strategic decision to show the beheading of American journalist James Foley on August 19. The literature above thus points to the fact that social media has indeed changed many aspects of our world and our human interactions. Some of these changes have tended to be positive like helping build support for causes of action that will prevent autocracy. Also it has indeed changed the way business is done and has made starting a business quite easier than in the past. People have also found their spouses through social media and long lost friends and family have been reunited through social media. Some of the changes have also tended to be negative like social media facilitating terrorist organizations and having negative effects on relationships. The conclusion one can draw therefore is that social media has positively impacted our lives and has changed our world for the better. This is because prior to the social media craze, criminals still found ways to engage in their activities. A case in point is what has come to be known as the 9/11 terrorist attack in the USA which occurred before social media became as prominent as it is today. One may even say that if social media was prominent at the time, as the plane approached the World Trade Center, someone through social media could have alerted occupants to flee or security agencies to shoot the plane down. This is because, as earlier stated, social media allows one person to communicate with thousands, and even millions of people at the same time by just the click of a button. Again people always cheated on their spouses and feelings of jealousy among spouses existed even before the advent of the internet let alone social media. The full potential of social media still exists to be realized and if agencies in charge of cyber security can cut down the number of cases of cyber bullying, as well as preventing terrorist organizations to use social media to recruit and spread their propaganda, then social media can be a real force for social mobilization, political awareness, news availability, business promotion and relationship builder. Social media remains the real time tool that is truly turned our world into a global village. The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome References Carmon, Y. and Stalinsky, S. (2015). Terrorist Use Of U.S. Social Media Is A National Security Threat. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2015/01/30/terrorist-use-of-u-s-social-media-is-a-national-security-threat/ Edwards, M. (2015). How Social Media Has Changed How We Communicate. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://millennialceo.com/social-media/social-media-changed-communicate/ Gordhamer, S. (2009). 5 Ways Social Media is Changing Our Daily Lives. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://mashable.com/2009/10/16/social-media-changing-lives/#MP42aSBrQsqN Jung, B. (2015). The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html Seidman, G. (2015). How Facebook Affects Our Relationships. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/close-encounters/201505/how-facebook-affects-our-relationships 24.03.2016 LISTEN For many young parents, as their children grow up, they quickly have to come to grips with the fact that the once adorable baby who couldn't talk and walk and thus couldn't do any wrong can now talk walk and cause a lot of mayhem around the house. Advice from parents to their children not to do or to do something will sometimes go unheeded. This situation can be very frustrating especially in cases when the parents know that their children's lives may be in danger. For parents who are Christians too, there is the conflict of following the tenets of the Bible and following one's own beliefs as to what the best ways are to punish a child. The Bible in Proverbs 13 verse 24 admonishes parents that, Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. This verse has been interpreted to mean using the cane to discipline one's child when they go wrong. The conflict here most is that, whilst using the cane may be an effective way to discipline a child, it also comes with some life threatening effects. Banda (2006) in her article, Negative Effects of Corporal Punishment on Children argues that, Ruptured eardrums, brain damage and other bodily injuries and death in some instances are some of the bad and tragic effects of corporal punishment. The use of the cane is considered corporal punishment as well as using the hand to spank children. There have been instances and a number of reported cases all over the world where adults out have anger have injured children with the view to disciplining them. There is therefore a thin line between what may be considered child abuse or assault and discipline for most. In the past (three decades ago), the situation was quite straight forward. One could choose the means through which a child was punished and there were no consequences. However, in some countries now, like the United Kingdom, canes and other forms of corporal punishment have been banned in schools. In one of the world's most powerful countries the United Kingdom, Clark (2012) reports in her article on the dailymail.co.uk titled Ban on the cane 'left schools unable to impose discipline and led to deterioration in children's behaviour', that, The scrapping of the cane has led to a deterioration in children's behaviour at school, according to teachers...While rejecting a return to the cane, members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers condemned existing sanctions such as detention and suspension. This means that even in advanced countries, with all the progress that has been made, there still remains uncertainty about the best ways to punish a child. For those who do not believe in corporal punishment, some of them have suggested certain subtle means of disciplining children. Sifferlin (2015) for example in the article Crash Course: 8 Ways to Discipline Your Kids argues that, the best way to punish is to withhold some of the privileges the children enjoy. Also, we can try using some logical consequences like removing the toy being chucked at the wall and locking it up for the rest of the day. Also, scolding children and using non-negotiable arguments will help in punishing children. Others like Barker (2015) also suggest rewarding good behavior of our children and being clear about rules in the house as the best ways to discipline a child. According to her, If your rules are vague, or discussed only when one has been broken, your child will have a hard time following them. Cosby and Poussaint (2006) who seem to favor disciplining children over punishing them stress that, we should separate discipline from punishment in their article Some Good Ways to Discipline Children. According to them, Discipline and punishment really are different things. Discipline may include punishment but aims for a much higher goal. Discipline includes other ways to shape a child's behavior for the long term, not just for the short term. Thus if children are made to understand why they are being punished or disciplined and understand the consequences as to why they must not do what they did wrong again, as well as why they are being disciplined, then the children will become better people and are more prone to change their ways for better. The fact is that no matter what one believes, punishing children is a thorny issue and the best way to do it is not easily known. Whilst using the cane or the rod as the bible points out, may lead to serious injuries to the children if care is not taken, it is probably the most effective way of disciplining children. However, the world cannot live that to the discretion of some parents/adults who may be short tempered to hide under the guise of punishing or disciplining a child to abuse the rights of children and assault them. The other means of punishing children like detention, grounding, scolding, and even taking away privileges are also less effective overall. The answer to the question may lie in parents understanding the needs of their children and giving them more attention. If parents pay more attention to their children, there may actually never be the need to punish them. No matter their sex or their age, children require and need attention. Sometimes the rebellious attitude of children may be as a result of the lack of attention children are receiving from their parents or other adults and if parents paid a little more attention, they can meet the needs of their children. The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome References Banda, H. L. (2006). Negative Effects of Corporal Punishment on Children. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://www.cyc-net.org/features/viewpoints/c-corporalpunishmenteffects.html Barker, J. (2015). Six Ways to Discipline Children -- That Work. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://www.webmd.com/parenting/family-health-12/how-to-child-discipline Clark, L. (2012). Ban On The Cane 'Left Schools Unable To Impose Discipline And Led To Deterioration In Children's Behaviour'. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2125336/Ban-cane-schools-led-discipline-childrens-behaviour.html Cosby, B. and Poussaint, A. (2006). Some Good Ways to Discipline Children. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Some-Good-Ways-to-Discipline-Children Sifferlin, A. (2015). Crash Course: 8 Ways to Discipline Your Kids. Retrieved 13th December, 2015. From http://time.com/3949328/disciplining-kids/ 24.03.2016 LISTEN The police service is one of the key institutions in almost every country, and they are tasked with protecting citizens rights and upholding the law of the country. The police however are faced with serious challenges in almost every country chief among them is insufficient funds to carry out their tasks fully as well as perceptions of corruption and actual corruption charges which are brought against the police on a daily basis. The Global Corruption Barometer (2013) conducted in 107 countries covering 12 major institutions by Transparency International for example revealed that, Overall, political parties are seen to be the most corrupt institution, followed by the police. This highlights one of the major problems confronted by the police and thus must be solved. Although the police perform one of the most crucial roles in any society, they are generally one of the underpaid institutions in the world and also are often not given all the funds they need to carry out their duties successfully. This is especially true for developing countries like Ghana where government revenue is almost always stretched s much so that, government sometimes need donor support to acquire police equipment and even uniforms. The issue of police spot fines thus becomes relevant in that the police can use the money acquired to fund some of its activities. Spot fines by the police is like the two edged sword; whilst providing funding for crucial police activities and operations, it is designed to eradicate corruption in the police service. As I have argued earlier, the police globally is second only to political parties with respect to perceptions of corruption and these corrupt practices are believed to occur mostly (not exclusively) in police motor traffic operations. A World Bank volume produced by the staff of The World Bank with external contributions in 2003 titled Fighting Corruption in Public Services in chronicling reforms in Georgia a state in the USA revealed that, Corruption was at the core of Georgias policing system. Police could not survive on the tiny salary they receivedwhen they were paid at all (sometimes they went months without a paycheck). To make ends meet, many worked for organized crime or sold drugs or, as was common among traffic cops, accused citizens of breaking laws (whether they had or not) and then pocketed the fines. People paid as much as $2,000$20,000 in bribes for jobs as policemen, earning the money back through an internal pyramid scheme funded by illegal pursuits. Each week, for example, patrolmen paid a fixed amount from the bribes they extracted from citizens for various offenses to their immediate supervisors, who in turn were expected to share a cut with their bosses, and so on. Traffic cops were always on the take. The connection between spot fines by the police and revenue generation as well as eradication of corruption in the police service is worth interrogating. This is because, the challenges faced by the police in many countries is huge and need to be addressed. The police need funding if they are to perform their duties well and the must also rid themselves of the perceptions of corruption if they are to gain public confidence. An institution charged with protecting the rights of citizens and arresting wrong doers cannot seen as breaking the law they work with and protect citizens as a result of. Thus introducing spot fines has been a way to help prevent police from taking petty bribes especially from traffic offenders. The reason why there are such high perceptions of corruptions against the police is because of the bribes some take from drivers. These are seen on the streets everyday by everyone and thus the spot fines will legitimize police punishment of traffic offenders through fines. Again, this will help ensure that the money collected will go to the right place to be used for official police business. Neild (2007) in a USAID funded work titled Anticorruption and Police Integrity Security Sector Reform Program argues that, Probably the archetypal police corruption is bribery of traffic police. It is notorious in many countries that when an officer stops a driver, the driver will place money in the documentation handed to the officer, or start the conversation by asking what can we do about this?. She further maintains that, the bureaucracy involved in police administration was one of the major reasons why people opted to pay bribes to the police instead. That is, if spot fines were introduced, then people would be less inclined to pay bribes to the police. In every society, because of the crucial role performed by the police, it is imperative that the police are held in high esteem and public confidence in the police service maintained. Also, the police in carrying out its duties will need funding to acquire gadgets and equipments to perform their duties successfully. Spot fines by the police service are used in a number of countries (especially Western European countries and the United States of America) already with very great success. In Ghana, the state owned Daily Graphic and Ghana Business News reported on 16th January, 2015 and 16th March, 2015 respectively reported that, the Ghana police service will introduce spot fines this year following the parliament of Ghana passing the regulation 157 of the Legislative Instrument 2180. The purpose of this law was to ensure that the police could generate revenue from traffic offenders whilst deterring reckless driving and eradicate police corruption. In spite of the acknowledged importance of spot fines by the police in generating revenue and eradicating corruption in the service, there are however serious criticisms of spot fines by the police by several people. In as much as police imposing spot fines on traffic offenders especially, may help generate revenue for the service or the local assembly, the question arises as to whether the police is being given too much power to be the prosecutor as well as the judge of who is guilty and who is not. Also, if the spot fines are too expensive, there is the tendency that, the police may take less money from offenders and not issue the tickets to record the offence. Cushing (2014) for example argues that, Ticket revenue may fund police departments to a certain extent, but that's not the reason tickets exist. A police officer's purpose isn't to generate revenue. It's to enforce laws. Cushing posits that in the USA, some police men deliberately sit in unmarked cars and try to trap motorists in order to give out tickets. That is, even the ticketing system which is not a spot fine per se, but can be contested by the accused is being abused in places where they are being used. The police forces in these places are ostensibly using it as a revenue generating mechanism which defeats its purpose of making the streets safer. Thus, because of wide spread corruption in the police service world wide as evidenced by the literature and the lack of adequate funding, spot fines have been introduced in some countries with the hope of generating the needed revenue for the smooth administration of the police service as well as help eradicate police corruption. There are bottle necks however, as some are abusing the system which defeats its intended purpose. Again, there is the fear that a police man may still take lower than the spot fine and pocket it thus not issuing out a ticket to record the fine. Considering the major role played by the police service in a country, all measures must be taken to ensure that the intended purpose of the spot fine is achieved. Without the spot fines, the police may take petty bribes from motorists who do not want to be caught in the bureaucracy involved in administrating justice. The police will thus be ripped off an important revenue flow which will affect their operations. Thus to ensure the spot fine system works, the police administration should have internal mechanisms aimed at overseeing the work being done by the traffic police. This body should be charged with auditing the accounts to ensure that the expected revenues are coming and also going undercover to make sure the police are actually issuing them. Also, there should be external oversight bodies like the parliamentary select committee on roads and finance which will ensure that the process is not being abused ostensibly to raise revenue and thus over burdening citizens with false charges in order to raise revenue. Again, it is important to create a fast track motor court that deals exclusively with cases where motorists are challenging the merit of the police issuing them the fine. This will go a log way to check abuse by the police and ensure that they do not become prosecutors and judges at the same time. The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome REFERENCES Bokpe, J. Seth. (2015). Police to implement spot fines this year. Daily Graphic. Retrieved 18th October, 2015. From http://graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/37040-police-to-implement-spot-fines-this-year.html Cushing, Tim. (2014). Law Enforcement Is Not About Generating Revenue: Speed Trap And Booking Fee Edition. Retrieved 18th October, 2015. From https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140116/13543425909/law-enforcement-is-not-about-generating-revenue-speed-trap-booking-fee-edition.shtml GNA. (2015). Ghana Police to implement spot fine by December. Ghana Business News. Retrieved 18th October, 2015. From https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2015/03/16/ghana-police-to-implement-spot-fine-by-december/ Neild, Rachel. (2007). Usaid Program Brief: Anticorruption and Police Integrity Security Sector Reform Program. Retrieved 18th October, 2015. From http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnadn948.pdf Transparency International. (2013). Global Corruption Barometer. Institutions perceived by respondents to be among the most affected by corruption. Retrieved 18th October, 2015. From http://www.transparency.org/gcb2013/results The World Bank. (2012). Fighting Corruption in Public Services: Chronicling Georgias Reforms. Retrieved 18th October, 2015. From wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2012/01/20/000356161_20120120010932/Rendered/PDF/664490PUB0EPI0065774B09780821394755.pdf 24.03.2016 LISTEN A workshop will be held on March 31 in Accra on the coming presidential and parliamentary elections in November. The workshop to be organized by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) with support from UNDP Ghana is meant to sensitize the media and the general public on the need for accurate and issue based reportage in the lead up to, during and after Election 2016 The Media Workshop themed Responsible Reportage for Election 2016 Workshop forms part of activities being undertaken by the GIBA to sensitize its members and the general public on the need for accurate and issue based reportage in the lead up to, during and after Election 2016. It will bring together several stakeholder groups such as the Electoral Commission, National Media Commission, Ghana Journalists Association, National Peace Council, Private Newspaper Printers Association of Ghana, and the National Commission on Civic Education. According to Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, President of GIBA, the Association will undertake a number of initiatives this year aimed at providing a collaborative learning platform for independent broadcasters. We hope the media will benefit from the workshop by being circumspect in their reportage and not allow their platforms to be used to further any parochial political or tribal interest. Speakers at the event will include the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, the Chairman of the National Media Commission, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante (Chairman of the National Peace Council), and Mr. Affail Monney (President of the Ghana Journalists Association). The keynote address will be delivered by Prof. Kwame Karikari. Military leaders from the United States, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) visited the U.S. Navy ship USS Bulkeley yesterday to observe the trilateral Eagle Salute naval exercises. Held in the Red Sea, Eagle Salute began on March 14 and conclude on March 24. This year's Eagle Salute exercises include search and rescue, helicopter operations, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and search and seizure drills. Divers from the three navies have been conducting drills on explosive ordinance disposal and countering improvised explosive devices. Warships from the three countries and hundreds of naval personnel from Egypt, the United States, and the UAE are participating in the exercise. The U.S. Embassy's Defense Attache Major General Charles Hooper and several members of the Egyptian Armed Forces leadership traveled to the USS Bulkeley's by helicopter on March 23 in order to witness firsthand a daytime gunnery exercise, which included firing rounds from the USS Bulkeley's five-inch cannon. Conducting exercises with the Egyptian Navy is important to both of our nations, due to Egypt's vital role in the region. The Eagle Salute exercises are emblematic of our strong friendship and enduring commitment to military cooperation. Our nations are working to confront a common threat in the region, and we must work together to defend against it, said Major General Hooper. The United States and Egypt have jointly conducted the Eagle Salute exercises since 1991 to broaden cooperation, enhance mutual maritime capability, and increase tactical proficiency. In 2013, the Eagle Salute expanded to include the UAE's navy. The USS Bulkeley is an Arleigh Burkeclass, guided-missile destroyer deployed as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Even though in recent times the West African region has witnessed the emergence of major terrorist attacks, however, a security specialist from the United States of America (USA), Mr. John Gerard, has observed that poverty and corruption are the major means of the emergence of the terrorist attacks. According to the security expert, Ghanaians have to pay particular attention to tensions among Christians and Muslims, poverty, corruption among government agencies and water disputes, which are all happening within the country. The security expert was speaking on Accra-based Citi FM yesterday. He explained that Ghanaians should be very serious with issues of poverty and corruption in the country, and not depend solely on the security forces and courts to protect the country from any acts of terrorism attacks. Mr. Gerard noted that Ghanaians should not be distracted by what has happened in Ivory Coast and neighbouring countries, but rather build peace among the people in the country. Terrorism can emerge within the country, not outside the country. In Ghana, there are travelling tensions, religious tension among Muslims and Christians, water disputes, and land disputes which can spark up terrorism in the country, he stressed. Mr. John Gerard further cited that there are major forces which have to fight the issues of terrorism in the country, namely the security forces and institutions such as the legislature and also the citizens in the country. The security forces, armed forces, police are placed on intelligence, and the institutions such as the courts, civil societies and also government have to be honest towards bringing calm and confidence in fighting terrorist attacks in the country. This will give confidence and calm to the citizens to fight any form of terrorism in the country, he added. The security expert noted that fighting terrorist attacks depends on the governments in the West Africa region, adding that In the case of the Nigerian government, it is doing very well to fight Boko Haram. Here in Ghana, you are doing well. Intuitions in Ghana are doing very well, especially, non-governmental organisations in the country. Ghana is on a good footing to be on top of security issues. He said that the citizens of the country should take up the responsibility of fighting terrorism by studying the electoral patterns during elections, and help secure peaceful co-existence among Christians and Muslims in the country. By Chris Twum ( [email protected] ) 24.03.2016 LISTEN Alhaji Dr. Mahammudu Bawumia, vice presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has explained that he labeled President Mahama as incompetent, because he is a bad driver who has driven the state's economy into the abyss. He wondered why with GH200 billion the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, under President Mahama, could collapse all the pro-poor policies and social interventions introduced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under the Kufuor-administration. NDC has had GH200 billion resources, but today, the NHIS, School Feeding, Free Maternal Care and National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) have all collapsed. Again, Dr. Mahama has been able to collapse teacher training and nursing training allowances. He capped them all with four years of dum-so, Dr Bawumia noted. Dr. Bawumia, who expressed abhorrence at the state of affairs in the country, explained that he chose to label President Mahama and his administration as incompetent, because of the way they have mismanaged the country's economy. When I told President Mahama that his government is an incompetent one, he disagreed, and said I could not describe them as such, because I haven't been a president before. If you are in a car, and the driver is going to crash, won't you speak out? Are you a driver then? he quizzed. Addressing party supporters in Tema during the inauguration of executives of the Tema Chapter of the Coalition to Elect Nana Addo and Bawumia (CENAB), a volunteering group within the NPP, Dr. Bawumia accused the Mahama-administration of gargantuan mismanagement. According to him, the only thing the NDC, led by President Dr. John Dramani Mahama, has done for the past eight years, has been inflicting suffering and hardships on the majority of Ghanaians. Comparing the resources which were available to the NPP under the Kufuor-administration and the NDC under the late President John Evans Atta Mills and President Dr. Mahama, Dr. Bawumia explained: Kufuor had GH20 million, yet he was able to undertake massive infrastructural developments and also introduced several pro-poor policies to cushion Ghanaians. The NPP, thus, introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), School Feeding Programme, Free Maternal Care, Capitation Grant, Metro Mass Transit, and Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), and also paid teachers and nursing training allowances from the meager resources. These are the evident records of the NPP after eight years with only GH20 billion, he indicated. Dr. Bawumia charged Ghanaians to drop President Mahama in the November 7 polls and replace him with Nana Addo, who is a competent driver, to steer the country into prosperity. All of us can see that President Dr. Mahama is a bad driver, so on November 7, we will drop him and replace him with a better driver. And that driver is Nana Addo, he campaigned. He gave the assurance that an NPP-administration will build what he called the most business-friendly and people-friendly economy in the whole of Africa. From Inusa Musah, Tema The Volta River Authority (VRA) says work will soon begin to clear aquatic weeds that have grown in the Volta River, destroying the livelihood of some residents in communities along the water body. The forage is said to be badly affecting fishing and transportation of goods and people on the river. In certain communities, the forage has completely taken over several tributaries of the river making it impossible for fishing activities to go on in the water body. The problem is linked directly with the construction of the Akosombo Dam in the 1960s. The damning of the River Volta upstream has resulted in reduced flow of the river downstream. This has allowed for the rapid growth of weeds in the river. To mark World Water Day on Tuesday, Joseph Opoku Gakpo visited Devime, a former fishing community in the Volta region with a population of about 3000 residents and reports the jobs the river used to provide are no more. Following the construction of the Akosombo Dam, a tributary of the Volta river called Agbenorbu that used to run through this community became stagnant. Weeds started growing in it, and now, the bushes have grown in place of the river. Below is the link to the report he filed. Head of the Lower Volta Dredging Project at VRA Ulysses Ocran - Hammond told Joy News Francis Abban relief would soon come for the residents. He said the Volta River Authority has introduced the Lower Volta Dredging and Aquatic Weed Harvesting Project which will see the authority partner with a number of private companies to harvest the weeds in the water body. By bringing on this project, we are going to do mechanical harvesting of the weeds and we are going to do effective dredging, he said. The first phase of the procurement exercise has been completed and companies are undertaking feasibility studies. About four companies will be selected by close of year to begin work. Police in Dodowa here in the Greater Accra region have intensified patrols in Dodowa and surrounding areas following the murder of a chief and two others there earlier this week. Nene Teiko Opeteku III was shot and killed with two others by unidentified men on a motorbike. The CID and Homicide Unit have taken over investigations and launched a manhunt for the assailants. Dodowa Divisional police commander Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori is also urging residents to volunteer information. We have already beefed up our patrols in that area and the police to also do certain things, which cannot be disclosed to the media. This all aim at ensuring that the area is more stable, said Supt Ofori. He said the occurrence of this nature calls for re-strategizing and the police are going to do everything possible to appraise our security measures and upgrade them. Superintendent Ofori said this will enable the police to enforce the laws better and get the culprits arrested. Daniel Asiedu, MD, ADB 24.03.2016 LISTEN The Initial Public Offer (IPO) of Agricultural Development Bank (adb) is expected to close by Friday, March 25 2016. Information gathered from a number of agents, including IC Securities, indicates that the shares are likely to be oversubscribed. Corporate subscriptions and retail buyers have increased since last week, and they are expected to intensify this week as the IPO comes to an end. adb is in dire need of capital to meet its regulatory capital and the proceeds from the IPO will help the bank get on sound footing. The bank is hoping to raise a total of GH398,454,178 through the IPO. About 74,888,369 shares belonging to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) are available for sale aside 75,471,698 new shares on offer at a share price of GH2.65. According to the bank, BoG will receive GH191,741,000 from proceeds for its shares. GH60 million of the amount raised will be used by the bank for expansion and refurbishment of its branches. . GH49 million is expected to be used for rebranding and staff rationalization while GH34 million would be used for IT upgrade and GH26 million for other IT solutions. GH8 million will be spent on the bank's new head office, GH16 million for ATM expansion and GH13,480 million for offer expenses. The shares are available at any adb branches, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) branches, IC Securities (Ghana) Limited or any Licensed Dealing Member (LDM) of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). A minimum of 100 shares amounting to GH265 are available for acquisition per application and thereafter multiples of 10 shares. Agents selling the shares say the IPO has been hugely patronized by both locals and foreigners. By Cephas Larbi 24.03.2016 LISTEN MoneyGram recently celebrated more than 20 years of successful growth with some of the company's key agents in Lagos at the InterContinental Hotel in Lagos. Alex Holmes, MoneyGram's CEO, hosted senior executives of some of the company's key agents. Mr. Holmes handed out milestone marker award to each agent to honour the hard work, growth and success that has been achieved in Nigeria. We're grateful for your long-standing commitment to MoneyGram, and for working with us to address a serious and relevant need that has faced Nigerians, which is transferring money to loved ones across the world, quickly, securely and conveniently. Our combined efforts have enabled us to not only expand alongside our customers' increasing needs, but also have contributed to the growth of MoneyGram, said Holmes. MoneyGram currently operates in Nigeria through 16 banks of the 22 banks on the Central Bank of Nigeria register. This translates to over 4,500 locations in Nigeria, where customers can send and receive money transfers. . In addition and as an indicator of its focus on sub-Saharan Africa, MoneyGram is the only money transfer operator to have an regional office in Lagos. Nigeria is a critical part of MoneyGram's business. In 2015 alone, $21 billion in remittances were received in Nigeria. The World Bank estimates that nearly $34 billion in remittances will flow into Sub-Saharan Africa in 2016. A business desk report 24.03.2016 LISTEN David Philip McDermott covering his face from the lenses of photojournalists An Accra Circuit Court is expected to take a decision on the extradition of David Philip McDermott, the 42-year-old British national arrested by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) over an alleged 71 million cocaine scandal in the United Kingdom (UK), today. The accused, David McDermott, aka David Smith, believed to be married to Ramona Wampah, daughter of Dr Henry Kofi Wampah, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, made his first appearance in court on March 14 and was charged with undertaking prohibited business related to narcotic drugs in Ghana and in the UK between 2013 and 2016 without lawful authority. The prosecution had told the court presided over by Aboagye Tandoh that the accused had breached section 3(2) of the Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) of PNDCL 236. However, two clear days before David's return to court, state prosecutors went back to court to commence his extradition processes to the UK. State prosecutors had moved a motion for the extradition of the accused based on a revised charge of conspiracy to supply cocaine and two other counts. Evidence The case was adjourned to today after the first witness, Detective Sergeant Mawuko Siaw of the BNI, had testified in the case. The witness had alleged among others that on May 16, 2013, David and four others held a meeting at KFC in Liverpool, UK and discussed the importation of the 400kg of cocaine that was intercepted in beef imported from Argentina. Siaw said David and his colleagues, at the meeting, discussed the possibility of using violence to retrieve the drugs. . The witness indicated that David contacted his accomplices while living in Ghana. Arrest David has been living in Ghana for the past three years. In 2014 the BNI received information that the accused was involved in drug-related business. Surveillance was mounted on him and on March 11 this year David Smith was arrested at Tse Addo residential area behind the Trade Fair in Accra and brought to the BNI to assist in investigations. Wanted Man Police investigations revealed that the accused was wanted by the UK for similar offences and that he was operating a mining company in the Eastern Region. The accused was believed to be in possession of a Ghanaian travel passport bearing the name David Smith, which he used to travel in and out of Ghana for the past three years. [email protected] By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson 24.03.2016 LISTEN THE presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will this year again join residents of Kwahu in the Eastern Region and patrons of the annual Kwahu Easter festivities to celebrate the upcoming Easter. All roads lead to Kwahu this Easter as over thousands of revellers across the country and beyond are expected to throng the mountains to join the residents to mark the Easter with different forms of activities. The Kwahu chapter of the NPP, as part of the Easter celebrations and in an attempt to secure more votes to win the November polls, has launched an outreach programme dubbed Kwahu for Nana 2016 Kwahuman Says Yes to Nana. Nana Addo, the NPP flagbearer, will interact with the thousands of residents and revellers at Kwahu during the Easter festivities to sell the policies and message of the NPP. The six incumbent NPP MPs of the Kwahu area, namely, Joseph Frimpong, Abirim; Kwabena Darfour, Nkawkaw; Bryan Acheampong, Abetifi; Seth Acheampong, Mpraeso; William Hor, Afram Plains South and Nana Ofori Koree, Afram Plains North, will join Nana Addo to embark on the three-day outreach programme. The chapter will on Friday, 25th March, 2016 embark on a massive clean-up exercise in all the six constituencies, namely, Abirim, Nkawkaw, Mpraeso, Abetifi, Afram Plains South and North. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will on Friday be welcomed by party faithful at Nkawkaw where he will address a mini rally before climbing the Kwahu mountains in the evening. The NPP flagbearer will on Saturday, 26th March, 2016 meet with party faithful at Abetifi at the main durbar grounds at 2:00 pm, where he will address a massive rally after paying a courtesy call on the Kwahu chiefs. . On Sunday, 27th March, 2016, Nana Addo will be joined by Kwahu MPs, parliamentary candidates, constituency executives and party faithful to grace Obohene Nana Yeboah Afari Obuagyan's 25th anniversary celebration at Obo Kwahu. The Kwahu NPP outreach programme follows afterwards with a house-to-house and spot-to-spot campaign in which hand flyers will be distributed to people and car stickers pasted on cars. President John Dramani Mahama is also expected to grace the Obohene's 25th anniversary celebration as the special guest of honour. Preparations are underway to give the NPP flagbearer a rousing welcome, and all roadside billboards, trees, electricity polls from Nkawkaw through Obomeng, Mpraeso to Abetifi have been decorated with NPP flags. FROM Daniel Bampoe, Nkawkaw 24.03.2016 LISTEN Members of Parliament (MPs) on Friday paid a solemn tribute to the slain New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu. It will be recalled that the MP was murdered on February 9, 2016. The Majority Leader and Leader of the House, Alban Bagbin, who led the tribute in honour of their late colleague, said J.B. Danquah-Adu was a distinguished statesman who was primarily concerned about nation building. According to the majority leader, the late MP was an agent of change and development, a purpose-driven industrialist, an honest and friendly gentleman, a consensus builder, a model legislator and a selfless politician who sought to demystify politics as do-or-die affair. Mr Alban Bagbin noted that the late J.B. Danquah believed that appropriate policy measures could help create the necessary environment for the funding of economic and industrial development projects through private initiatives and thus, minimise over-dependence on the ministry of finance for funding of all such projects. JBs unwavering commitment to private sector-led growth and development featured prominently in his contributions on matters bordering on the economy, the majority leader said. He maintained that JB was also a staunch advocate for transformational change and saw that as a condition for sustainable growth and development. . He said that the late MP related very well with colleagues on both sides of the House as well as staff of the Parliamentary Service. His usual perpetual smile and conciliatory demeanour were enough to dispel traits of disaffection which may have been nurtured against him by persons he came into direct contact with, as if it was almost impossible for him to react in an untoward manner even in the face of provocation, the majority leader said. The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said the late JB Danquah-Adu was a true patriot, adding that he was great but a very simple person. According to the minority leader, JB affected so many lives in the country and also touched many hearts. We will greatly miss him as an MP, he said, adding that he was extremely generous and compassionate. JB, as he was affectionately called, is expected to be buried on April 15 in his hometown, Akyem Tafo, in the Eastern Region. By Thomas Fosu Jnr President John Mahama signing the book of condolence 24.03.2016 LISTEN People continue to pay glowing tribute to the late immediate past National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, who died last Sunday. Jake died in London, UK after battling with a yet-to-be-told ailment. His death came as a surprise to many, including his immediate family, the rank and file of the NPP and the entire nation. Tributes continue to pour in from various individuals and group of persons after a book of condolence was opened in his honour at the NPP headquarters in Accra. Yesterday, President John Dramani Mahama joined the list of people who continue to pay glowing tributes to the man. That was when he visited the Cantonments residence of the late NPP former chairman to console the bereaved family. At the NPP headquarters, which is located at Asylum Down, flagbearer of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet and National Chairman of the party, Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle, also made complimentary remarks about the departed politician. Dr Abu Sakara Foster, 2012 flagbearer of the Convention People's Party (CPP), was also there to sign the book of condolence and commiserate with the elephant family (NPP). They were received by NPP acting General Secretary, John Boadu and the party's Director of Protocol, Kwadwo Antwi Agyei, who expressed appreciation for their sense of fellow-feeling. Pain . Speaking in an interview with DAILY GUIDE after signing the book of condolence, Mr Ivor Greenstreet described Jake as a very nice person both on the personal level and politically, whose death, he claimed, came to him and his compatriots as a shock. Aside being intelligent and humble as he described Jake, Ivor said he maintained a close relationship with the late NPP former Chairman because he was a good friend of his daughter and son in-law saying, So I used to interact with him on many occasions in a non-political environment. When lights like that leave the room then there is more darkness, but God knows bestas God takes away, he also gives so we will learn from his contributions and what he was able to achieve; and we will draw inspiration from that and we will continue the journey to make Ghana an improved place for our people to live in. Fond Memories On his part, Prof. Delle, who was almost moved to tears said, When I was Chairman of my party from 2003 2008 and he was minister, we worked very well together and one of the things I admired about him was his humility and his love for our country. I was then in the Chairmen's caucus and anytime you met Jake, he thought of Ghana and not only his party. Mr Delle added, At the time we needed him around to help us keep peace in our country, he left us and I'm really saddened by it; I pray that God will give him rest. A statement from the US branch of the party and signed by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Kwaku Kyei Ofori said, It is an understatement that Ghana has lost an irreplaceable son, and the NPP has lost an irreplaceable leader. It is noteworthy that under his leadership as Chairman of the NPP, he intensified the outreach to the external branches anf that has empowered those of us living abroad to contribute significantly to the partys success. By Charles Takyi-Boadu 24.03.2016 LISTEN A barber comes to know everything that happens in his town is the opening sentence of Chapter Two of Eugene Rogan's book, The Arabs: A History. He makes this statement in reference to the diary of Ahmad al-Budayri al-Hallaq (the barber). It is through the diary of this famous barber of Damascus that we get to know about many of the happenings that took place in Damascus between 1741 and 1762 when Syria was under Ottoman rule. From the writings in the diary that have come to us, Budayri was convinced that the Ottoman Empire was in trouble. He recorded the corruption of the governors, the unruly nature of the army, high prices of goods and services and the decline in public morality due to the decline in the moral authority of the government. He was particularly critical of the governor, As'ad Pasha al-Azm (1743-1757). He condemned the governor for his plunder of the resources of state and held him personally responsible for the break down in public morality. It is certainly striking that it is through the diary of a barber that we get to reconstruct some of the history of Ottoman Syria. In today's terms I am not sure that we would expect that a barber in Ghana would be keeping a diary of the happenings in our governance system. But that is where we go wrong. Indeed even the story of Budayri will strike some people as odd considering that we are supposed to be more enlightened than people of the eighteenth century. Indeed in today's Ghana, our President believes that we all have short memories: Professors, Medical Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Corporate Managers, Barbers and all the bunch that constitute the population of Ghana. Ironically, our President is a student of history. He studied history for his first degree. The story of nations, where ordinary people have been the drivers of history are still extant. If we fail to pay attention to history, we are not only doomed to repeat history, but more ominously, to repeat the mistakes of history. And that often defines both the futility and fatality of human destiny. Those of us who have the benefit of access to radio and television, sometimes assume that those who listen to us actually believe all that we say. There is a certain sense in which politicians believe in the Hypodermic Needle Theory. The Hypodermic Needle Theory is the theory that states that people consume media products hook, line and sinker and even act the beliefs so acquired. Well, perhaps they should advert their minds to the Uses and Gratification Theory as well. The Uses and Gratification Theory posits that people do with media what they please. People are not passive and helpless consumers of media products. Even Goebbels and his master Adolf Hitler realised the futility of propaganda. Except that by the time they came to that realisation it was futile. When the NPP say that the NHIS is not working and the NDC say it works, what does that do? Because whether or not the NHIS works is not a debatable matter. The people who live it know it. Who feels it knows it says Bob Marley. So I believe that people will go to the ballot box in November armed with the objective reality of their living conditions. So whether the national debt is 24 billion dollars (as put forth by President Mahama) or 37 billion dollars (as put forth by Dr. Bawumia) or 25.6 billion dollars (as put forth by the Bank of Ghana) is inconsequential. Indeed I find it shameful that we are unashamedly bandying figures that indicate our beggarly nature 59 years after we declared to the Whiteman that we are capable of managing our own affairs. So let us cut out the chase to score public relations points. That is why I am not amused when the NDC apparatchiks trumpet that John Mahama is a good communicator and John Mahama has visual appeal. My answer to them is that this is a country, not a radio or television station. They also tell us that the President has more experience in governance than any of his competitors. They say he has been an MP, Deputy Minister, Vice President and President. But the problem is that we have experienced his experience. We have experienced the massive loot of the public treasury. We have experienced the massive debt rise. We have experienced the collapse of the NHIS. We have experienced the collapse of nearly all the social intervention measures that the NPP put in place. We have experienced the four years of power outage. We have experienced the loss of businesses. We have experienced the massive unemployment. And of course experience is the best teacher. So while the President adopts evidence-based methods of governance, albeit, selectively, we shall adopt an experienced-based method of choosing our next leader. And the score sheet is not good for him. And I am not sure if any remedial measures are capable of rescuing him. Budayri was convinced that the Ottoman Empire was in trouble. I am convinced that Ghana is in trouble, except we change direction. Budayri recorded the corruption of the governors of the Ottoman Empire. I have lost count of the incidents of sleaze in government. Budayri noted the high prices of goods and services and the decline in public morality due to the decline in the moral authority of the government. There similarities with Ghana are eerie. So like Al-Budayri the barber of Damascus, we shall remember who has been in charge of this sinking ship for the past seven years. We may not even need our memory (whether short or long) to take a decision on the direction of our destiny. The nowness of our condition suffices as a basis for our electoral decision. The risk we face in Ghana is not making a change. The risk is sticking with what we have got and expecting a different result. There is a simple truth for times like this: when you have taken the wrong road, you don't just keep going. You change direction and that is what we need to do. By Mustapha Abdul-Hamid Department of Religion & Human Values, UCC 24.03.2016 LISTEN The Administrator of Kumasi Cheshire Home, Mr. Owusu Agyei, has said legalization of cannabis sativa, better known as marijuana in Ghana, is a recipe for disaster. He said should cannabis be legalized, chances are that a lot of people are going to get mentally ill, because marijuana is a psychoactive drug which goes through the brain, reducing the effort for people to analyze things clearly. The administrator made the observation when the Shiloh United Church (SUC) visited the Kumasi Cheshire Home and donated items to the Home. Over the years, stakeholders have made calls on Government to legalise marijuana, with the most recent one coming from the global icon, Mr. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of United Nations (UN). But Mr. Agyei, who is a member of the Ashanti Regional Mental Health Coordinating Sub-committee, said marijuana is dangerous and has rippling effects on humanity. According to him marijuana, which is also known as 'wee' causes hallucination, hearing impairment and mental instability. He attributed the macabre attacks by moonstruck elements in Jamasi and Assin Fosu, which led to the death of four and eight people respectively to marijauana and that domestic violence will shoot up if marijuana is made to be accepted legally in our society. Legalization of marijuana means all arable farms are going to be used for wee cultivation and the price will come so low, and when this happens, it means anybody can purchase it. As a result, a lot of people will go into smoking, meaning we have to expand our psychiatric homes, he explained. He asked if Kofi Annan will ever allow his daughter or son to smoke marijuana. He noted that it is unfortunate that the one time largest cocoa exporting nation is making a global name about the marijuana menace, adding Ghana will earn a bad name as a hub of marijuana, should government legalise cannabis sativa in Ghana. On the areas where marijuana is highly grown, the drug crusader revealed that although Ejura, Nsawkaw, Seikwa, Fiema, Kintampo and Nkoranza are noted for wee production, the three northern regions are major marijuana production hubs. The anti-marijuana crusader revealed that he was once in Nsawkaw, a town in Brong Ahafo with a German organisation to sensitize the masses on the dangers of drug abuse, but to his surprise, someone told him that even if he is given a loan to do business, he would rather channel the money into marijuana farming. Quoting the person, Mr. Agyei explained that the marijuana plant does not suffer pest infestation and it takes a short time to harvest. He was emphatic that legalization of marijuana would be a recipe for disaster. Archbishop Dr. S.R Addae, the General Overseer of SUC said marijuana is not good and is injurious to the brain. He called on the Government not to even dream of legalizing 'wee' in Ghana, irrespective of the pressure from stakeholders. From Richard Owusu-Akyaw, Kumasi 24.03.2016 LISTEN ABOUT 3,824 residents in the Builsa Community have undergone screening for the deadly eye disease, glaucoma, as part of activities marking this years Glaucoma Month celebration. Residents in six communities, including those in Sandema, Weega, Kadema, Kyukyuraga, Siniesi and Bolga benefitted from the weeklong activity after being screened for the eye complication by a Kumasi-based NGO, Mama Ellen Foundation, in collaboration with medical team from Bolga Government Hospital and Sandema District Hospital. The Beneficiaries were screened for various eye complications such as Cataract, Reflective Error, Suspicious Risk Glaucoma and Allergic Cataract. A total of 250 persons were suspected to have symptoms of the disease whilst 150 of them were also found to have gone blind as a result of being infected by the glaucoma eye disease. The screening formed part of the annual activities embarked upon by the Mama Ellen Foundation (MEF) to create public awareness about the dangers associated with the disease, which is said to be responsible for many eye complications in the world. The theme for this years celebration was Beat Invisible Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the eyes optic nerve and gets worse over time, if the damage to the optic nerve from high pressure continues, leading to permanent loss of vision. Ghana is said to be second highest in terms of the prevalence of the disease with about 700,000 known to be affected by the disease, which has been described as the silent thief of the eye, due to the fact that patients that suffer from the disease do not usually experience any form of pain until the eye totally goes blind. The Executive Director of the Mama Ellen Foundation, Mrs. Ellen Adutwumwaah Semanyo, said the prevalence of the disease was becoming alarming, warning that there was the need for urgent action to be taken in order to stem the rate of increase amongst Ghanaians. According to her, the reason for the increase was due to lack of education and public awareness, adding that many people are unaware of the effect of the disease whilst those who are aware do not also seek regular medical attention. Mrs. Semanyo noted that once a person is affected by glaucoma, it cannot be treated and so there was the need for people to cultivate the habit of regularly going for medical checkup in order not to fall prey to the disease. She said the foundation decided to extend the screening exercise to the northern part of the country because of the relatively low public awareness and said through the exercise many residents have become aware of the disease. She, therefore, commended the medical team from the Bolga and Sandema district hospitals as well as the National Insurance Commission for their support in ensuring the success of the exercise. The Senior Optometrist at the Bolgatanga Government Hospital, Dr. Mark Agyenim Boateng, on his part, advised Ghanaians, particularly those in the rural communities to desist from patronizing the services of quack eye doctors and instead visit accredited facilities to be tested for the glaucoma disease. By IssahAlhassan The Wildlife Division of Forestry Commission in the Ashanti region has blamed the invasion of snakes in three towns in the region on farming practices of residents. Officer in Charge of Kumasi Zoo, Stephen Tanja, told Joy News that residents have taken over the habitat of the reptiles for farming. Green snakes invaded Essienimpong, Kwaaso, and Piase towns near Ejisu a Thursday, March 17. Close to 300 of the reptiles was killed by residents within three days. In an attempt to repel the reptiles, environmental officers from the Ejisu Juaben Municipal Assembly fumigated the three towns on Friday, March 18. But the Kumasi Zoo officer said the invasion is as a result of the residents tempering with the habitat of the animals. "I do not know the kind of chemicals they might have been using for their farming but they did something that caused the snakes to move, he stated. He added that fumigation is not the best option as it will affect all the living organisms in the area, thereby destroying wildlife. Stephen Tanja advised the residents to be cautious and call on wild life officials when the animals become a nuisance. Chairman of the Health Committee in Parliament Joseph Yilleh Chireh is urging the house to pass the Plant Breeders Bill into law. The bill if passed would give scientists the right to patent plant varieties they produce so they can continue to earn royalties from them. He says the bill is necessary to encourage scientists to produce better quality crop varieties for the benefit of farmers and the population at large. The bill was sent to the house in 2013. Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho suspended the consideration of the bill in 2014 following petitions from various civil society groups. They claimed the regulation will take away the control farmers have over seeds and make them worse economically. But Mr Yileh Chireh is worried the bill has been held up in the house for too long without any serious reasons. He was speaking at an awareness creation workshop on biotechnology and biosafety for some Members of Parliament in Koforidua. Those kicking against the bill are not pointing to anything specific that is wrong with the bill let me plead with you honourable MPs to pass the bill, otherwise, you are becoming anti-scientific and anti-research, Mr Yileh Chireh said. Former Director of the Crop Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr Hans Adu Dapaah noted the passage of the Plant Breeders Bill was important for the effective protection of varieties scientists produce locally. If we do not pass this law, we will continue to develop plants and they will take it away from us, he said. Chairman of the National Biosafety Authority Prof. Kwabena Bosompem clarified that the Plant Breeders Bill has nothing to do with biotechnology and the introduction of genetically modified foods into the countrys food chain. He said the National Biosafety Act which was passed by parliament in 2011 is what regulates the production of GM foods. Members of the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee; Environment, Science and Technology Committee, as well Health Committee participated in the meeting. Member of Parliament for Attebubu Amantin Sanja Nanja encouraged the CSIR to engage the civil society groups that are kicking against the application of biotechnology in the production of food to enlighten them further. MP for Dormaa West Kwaku Agyemang Manu called for a more nationalistic debate on the difference the production of GM foods will make to the countrys food security. No serious cost and benefits analysis has been done on this national interest is what must be the motivation for the discussion, he said. Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr Victor Agymenang expressed concern about Ghanas low investments in science and technology. He said while science and technology constituted only 0.35 % of Gross Domestic Products (GDP), in South Africa, it was 0.9%, Tunisia 1.2 %, and Egypt 1.8 %. My worry is that even the 0.35 percent is tilted towards medical research to the detriment of other sectors, he lamented. He cautioned: If we do not take action, even the seeds we produce now, we will import. 24.03.2016 LISTEN An Accra Circuit Court has granted bail to the three south African ex police officers who were arrested in the Central Region for allegedly offering military training to 14 security guards of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The circuit court judge ruled that each of them be granted bail to the tune of GHc 20,000 each with one surety. The state argued that it needed more time to investigate the matter since it has national security implications. Lawyer for the accused persons, Ellis Owusu Fordjour pleaded for bail for the accused, arguing that they are ready to cooperate with security agencies. The circuit court judge, Patricia Quansah also ordered the BNI to keep the passports of the accused persons. Presenting their case before the court , the Prosecutor, DSP Annor stated that the three were invited by Captain Koda and Captain Acquah to train security personnel of the NPP. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges of unlawful training and false declaration. The Judge ordered that the accused persons be held in the court registry pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions but the BNI defied this order. This particular move has outraged lawyers for the accused persons who had earlier in court demanded that their clients be held in the registry and released pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions. The case has been adjourned to April 12, 2016. -Citifmonline Former President Kufuor seated with other participants at the briefing 24.03.2016 LISTEN The John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Forestry Commission, National Biodiversity Committee and NYCOB Enterprise Consortium have formed a network to conserve Ghana's depleting biodiversity and ecosystem. The Foundation and its partners are undertaking the Advocacy for Biodiversity Offsetting in Ghana (ABOG) project. The project in Ghana is geared towards supporting the EPA in facilitating a series of broad stakeholder consultative processes and roundtable discussions with multiple stakeholders, including key government and private sector actors in examining existing government policies, acts and strategy documents that relate to biodiversity conservation. It will help identify gaps that may have led to increased loss of the country's biodiversity, craft guidelines for biodiversity offsetting in Ghana and train practitioners on its use. Speaking at ABOG Advocacy Group's press briefing held at the JAK Foundation Office on Wednesday in Accra, former President Kufuor observed that the environment was indispensable to the development of the country and must be protected at all times. Mr. Kufuor called for good governance practices to ensure the sustainable management of the environment. He said the job carried out by the Advocacy Group on December 22, 2015 was for the good of humanity. Director of Natural Resources at the EPA, Carl Fiati, contributing to the discussion, said that Ghana was gradually heading towards what he termed an ecological disaster. According to him, the country has lost some value in terms of biological conversation and ecosystem services. . Chairman of ABOG, Yaw Osei-Owusu, said the scheme was put together to educate businesses concerning their impact on the environment. He said the ABOG Advocacy Group shall continue to engage businesses to help offset the adverse impact of their operations. The Group will from April 2016 to March 2017 develop Offsetting Trading Channels, profile endangered species and threatened ecosystems, as well as encourage biodiversity credit marketing, among others. DAILY GUIDE gathered that it shall work to improve biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity across the country. BY Melvin Tarlue 24.03.2016 LISTEN About 70 Ghanaian troops who returned from serving in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan are angry over the delay in the payment of their End of Service Allowance (ESA). The soldiers who were part of the Ghana Battalion (Ghanbatt 3) troops have not been paid since they arrived in the country from their UN Mission on March 3, 2016. They were supposed to receive their allowance in South Sudan where they served but they were told the money would be paid upon arrival in the country. However, since their arrival, the money has still not been paid and this is causing a lot of anxiety and agitation in the barracks. DAILY GUIDE gathered that the Ministry of Finance is yet to release money to pay the allowance of the 70 soldiers including officers. The ministry, the paper learnt, has no funds to pay the soldiers and is therefore struggling to mobilise resources; hence the delay. The paper's attempt to get Colonel Emmanuel Aggrey-Quarshie, Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to comment on the issue proved futile. Earlier Complaints Earlier, a Ghanaian contingent, numbering about 115 soldiers who returned on February 8, 2016 from serving in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, also complained bitterly about how their paymasters paid them their allowance. . The soldiers, who were also part of the Ghana Battalion (Ghanbatt 3) troops, said they were paid upon arrival in Ghana on the night of Thursday, February 18 under floodlight. According to the soldiers, they were earlier paid half of their allowance after serving six out of 12 months in South Sudan. They were expected to receive the rest after completing the whole one-year period. However, they said upon completion of the one-year service, GAF paid each troop their $5,000 balance in lower denominations, which they said affected the value of the money after converting into Ghana Cedis. The soldiers claimed they were paid in lower denominations in order to cheat them. Some of them had to go through the hassle of carrying $10 worth of their remaining allowance in heavy bands and sacks to the forex to change the money into local currency since they did not have dollar accounts. The soldiers also accused the Finance Officer of the GAF of using their money for private transactions and later breaking it down in smaller denominations before giving it to them. [email protected] By Cephas Larbi 24.03.2016 LISTEN Christian Sarpong, a driver who also doubles as a trader, has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court. Christian was arrested for possessing three slabs of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp without authority, contrary to section 2(1) of PNDC Law 236/60. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him. Presenting the case before the court presided over by Mr. Aboagye Tandoh, the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu, said the accused was arrested by the Tesano Police in the Greater Accra Region. He narrated that on the November 24, 2015, at about 11:30 a.m., the Tesano Police had a tip-off that a truck loaded with charcoal and parked at the Achimota charcoal station had some dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp concealed in it. Chief Inspector Adu continued that the police quickly dispatched some men to the area, but could not trace the whereabouts of the said truck. The police, however, spotted Christian, who was holding a travelling bag, and his demeanor prompted the men in black to confront him to find out what was in the travelling bag. The Prosecutor continued that a search was conducted on him, and three slabs of dried leaves, suspected to be Indian hemp, were found in the travelling bag. Chief Inspector Adu stated that during interrogation, Christian claimed ownership of the substance, and revealed that he was coming to sell it to someone at the Santana market area, but could not lead the police to the supposed buyer. The accused further informed the police that he got the stuff from someone at Koforidua. Pronouncing his judgment, Mr. Aboagye Tandoh said though the accused person had pleaded not guilty, the prosecution had proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt, and also taking into consideration the four months the accused had spent in police custody, sentenced him to 11 years imprisonment in hard labour. Mr. Tandoh later gave an order for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to burn the narcotic drugs in the presence of the Court Registrar. By Ethel Mensah ( [email protected] ) The European Union, the Federal Government of Somalia and the Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO) of the United Nations today jointly launched a new project that will provideimportant and much-needed support to the long-term development of Somalia's agriculturesector. Any farmer in the world knows the value of high-quality locally-adapted seeds. They boostproduction and reduce vulnerabilities to diseases, pests and climate-related changes. Somalia isno exception said Richard Trenchard, FAO's Representative to Somalia. For many years, Somali farmers have had to rely on higher cost imported seeds. This is now changing thanks togenerous support from the European Union added Trenchard. The Somaseeds Improving the genetic quality of seeds in Somalia project is receiving 2.5million from the European Union (approximately USD2.8 million). These resources will helpensure that Somali farmers have far better access to high-quality, locally adapted seeds each timethey plant major food crops, vital for a country in which 40% of the total population faces foodinsecurity on a daily basis. The project builds on the successful results of two previous EU funded interventions that havehelped lay the foundations for seed sector development in Somalia. . The new project will beimplemented by FAO working in close partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, a number ofregional Ministries of Agriculture across the country, International Centres of Excellence and theprivate sector. This project will provide an important boost to agricultural development and promote betterlivelihoods in Somalia but at the same time will greatly contribute to build resilience especiallyin a context progressively and constantly affected by climate change. Thanks to this project,farmers will be able to produce seeds better adapted to local conditions, increase productivityand access to market with products of better quality said Daria Fane, Head of the Cooperationof the EU. Somaseeds is a National Project that has been put in place to enhance core capacities in theMinistries of Agriculture and farmers' organizations. The programme will build the skills neededfor plant testing, plant breeding, basic seed production and in establishing a seed certificationsystem that conforms to international standards. This will diversify the seed market in Somaliaand make locally produced improved and certified seeds available to farmers. In turn this willreduce dependency on imports and responds to both the demand of the agriculture sector andemergency situations. The project will also put in place the requisite mechanisms for public, private sector and civilsociety to form partnerships and mitigate and adapt better to the circumstances of climatechange said Richard Trenchard, FAO's Representative to Somalia. Two Research Stations will be developed to ensure the effective implementation of plannedactivities; one in Dollow in Jubbaland and the other in Aburiin in Somaliland. Field plots fortesting seeds will be established in Jowhar and Burao. Alfred Woyome 24.03.2016 LISTEN Businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, has denied reports in Daily Guide which sought to inform the public that he was attacked last Saturday at the mall. According to the Daily Guide report: There was drama at the Achimota Shopping Mall in Accra last Saturday when a man accosted businessman and National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, for duping the state in the sum of GH51.2 million. But PRO for Mr. Woyome, Reginald Seth Dodge, has told GhanaPoliticsonline.Com that, Mr. Woyome was never at the mall on Saturday; rather, it was Sunday that he passed through the mall. On Sunday we went to greet a family at Achimota and we passed by the mall the PRO stated. The report further asserts that, The man, angered by Woyome's inability to refund the GH51.2 million dubiously paid to him by the state, confronted the NDC financier and enquired when he was going to pay back the money. The paper also claimed that this strange man was not even sure of whom he was allegedly attacking, but, Immediately Mr. Woyome confirmed his identity, the gentleman pounced on him shouting, 'you are the one who spent our money. We will collect our money today,' the source said. Explaining what actually happened which was reported as attack on Mr. Woyome, Seth Dodge said, At the mall, many people were trying to take pictures with us and there came this man who was a little bit drunk -- who also tried to take a picture with him. He added that there was nothing like attack, rather, the security men tried to prevent the drunken man from joining the picture taking section but the man, apparently a loyal fan of Mr. Woyome, passionately insisted - an action which called for the police to carry him to the Mile 7 police station just to calm his passion down. In a separate chat with the Crime Officer of Mile 7 police station, Mr. Henry Kuma Agbeve confirmed that, its true the drunkards intention was not to attack Mr. Woyome but to take a picture with the business mogul just as any loyal fan does or will do to his or her role model. GhanaPoliticsonline.Com caught up with Mr. Woyome and he was appalled at how Daily Guide could report such falsehood about him. If its true that I was attacked wont the police press charges against the one who attacked me? Mr. Woyome asked rhetorically. A preliminary report on the Nationwide Research on Domestic Violence in Ghana has shown that "exposure to violence in childhood is strongly related to the likelihood of an individual being a victim or perpetrator of violence in adulthood". Poverty, unemployment and economic shocks were also identified as drivers of domestic violence in the research that covered 4,995 households. Carried out for Ghana's Domestic Violence Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the research was conducted by the Institute of Development Studies, United Kingdom (IDS), Ghana Statistical Service, Dr. Elizabeth Asante of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research and Ms. Sheila Minkah-Premo of the Apex Law Consult. lt was funded by the UK Department for International Development. The findings were presented by Prof Patricia Justino, Study Director of IDS and Co-director of the Households in Conflict Network at an event organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection on "Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Ghana : Response, Prevention and Elimination" at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday, (March 21, 2016) on the margins of the 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. lt came out that 'Women with no education were generally less likely to experience domestic violence", she stated. The findings on the incidence, attitudes, determinants and consequences of domestic violence further showed that 27.7 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men in Ghana had suffered various forms of SGBV. It portrayed that 11.6 per cent of women and 7.79 per cent of men suffered from social violence , whilst 12.8 per cent of women and 7.3 percent of men suffered form economic violence. The outcome, Prof. Justino, the Lead Researcher said showed that even though attitudes against domestic violence was strong and widespread, some forms of physical violence were acceptable. These included wife beating as a punishment against disobedience and neglect of children. Interestingly, she said "rape was considered to be the fault of woman if she wore revealing clothes". It emerged that young women and men between 15 and 19 years were more likely to experience domestic violence than other groups. To address the problem, Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social said Ghana has built on the United Nations declaration on the elimination of gender violence and has also prohibited all harmful cultural practices. The Minister revealed that national responses had been strengthened to end the SGBV. The measures included the rigid enforcement of existing laws, increase in reportage of such cases and having specialized courts. She identified social, cultural, traditional and religious factors, inadequate capacity of law enforcement and institutional social services and health care providers as some of the challenges being tackled in a consistent manner. Nana Oye Lithur, mentioned that current statistics showed that 27 per cent of women in Ghana have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Another research conducted in 2002 also revealed that 11.2 per cent of children interviewed had been victims of rape, 90.3 per cent of whom were female. In other research, three out of 10 women said they were forced by their partners to have sex, amounting to rape, the Minister stated.. Dilating on the situation, the Minister mentioned that there were several types of gender violence including female genital mutilation(FGM), child marriages, and sexual assault that were being tackled through legislation and enforcement of laws. A total of 57.1 per cent of sex workers said they had had unprotected sex with policemen against their will ,the Minister disclosed. In addition they also suffered very high verbal abuse after their arrest. Nana Oye Lithur, revealed further that out of 1,547 domestic violence cases reported to the police only 160 was successfully convicted, representing 10.3 per cent of the total. The Minister expressed her unhappiness that very few of the hundreds of SGBV cases reported ended up in conviction. On SGBV in schools, Nana Oye Lithur said recent investigations had showed that sexting and ponorgraphic materials were shared and watched by students, aside passing sexual comments. She added that a third of teachers said they had heard or seen students watching pornography, whilst 67 per cent reported that sexual comments were passed. Earlier, Ambassador Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations called for effective implementation of all the laws and policies that have been passed to combat SGBV since the problem still existed. "What do we need to do beyond legislation", she asked in her opening remarks at the programme that drew a sizeable crowd, mostly the diplomatic corps and civil society organizations, most of whom expressed admiration for the way Ghana was handling the SGBV situation. Mrs Laadi Ayii Ayamba, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender in Ghana identified the lack of effective implementation of the existing laws as the main problem in addressing the problem, saying that FGM is still taking place in some neighbouring countries and therefore supported efforts to tackle the problem through a regional approach to prevent perpetrators running to neighbouring countries to commit the same crimes. At her turn,the Ranking Member for the Committee on Gender in Ghana's Parliament, Mrs. Gifty Kusi called for more funding to tackle the SGBV, else not much could be achieved. She also supported calls for a concerted effort by the regional block to end sexual violence across the region since the problems are common. Contributing,Madam Mercy Nii Djan, Greater Accra Chair of the Market Women Association praised the efforts by the Ministry to get the message on gender violence to the grass roots and other vulnerable groups. She noted that the establishment of various centres at the market to deal with gender violence is in the right direction because it has now made it easy for the traders to report such offences for appropriate action. The occasion was used to introduce Ms. Hilary Gbedemah, Ghana's candidate for re-election to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),a body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Paris (AFP) - The veteran Algerian writer Boualem Sansal weighed in Thursday to defend his compatriot Kamel Daoud, who is at the centre of storm over his claim that sex "is the greatest misery in the world of Allah". Daoud, who won France's top literary prize the Prix Goncourt last year, sparked outrage for an article he wrote in France's Le Monde daily in the wake of the wave of sexual assaults in Cologne on New Year's Eve. Hundreds of women had reported being molested or robbed by a mob of mostly North African and Arab men in the western German city. While Daoud deplored racists who regard all Muslim immigrants as potential rapists, he went on to claim that the "Arab-Muslim world (is) full of sexual misery, with its sick relationship towards woman, the human body, desire." He said it was the Muslim "soul that needs to be persuaded to change". The novelist has since found himself at the centre of an international row, with his critics accusing him of "fanning the fantasies of Islamophobes". But Sansal, the elder statesman of Algerian letters, rallied to his cause Thursday, writing in the French newspaper Liberation that "saving Kamel Daoud is saving liberty, justice and the truth". Earlier this month a radical Algerian preacher was jailed for six months for calling for Daoud's death, while a group of French academics and intellectuals signed an open later berating the writer and journalist. - 'Politically correct terror' - "We are cursed," said Sansal, whose own latest book "2084" is a nightmare vision of an Orwellian Islamic state. He insisted that an unholy alliance of the "declarers of fatwas and the most emeritus of censors, but also the jealous, the fair-weather friends and the agents of the thought police from their perches on high in the media and cultural institutions, are mobilising to get" Daoud. "We shouldn't kid ourselves, the attacks on Kamel Daoud are (a form of) terrorism called political correctness," Sansal claimed. In the wake of the controversy, Daoud, a columnist with the Quotidien d'Oran newspaper based in the western Algerian city where he lives, said he was giving up journalism. He won the Prix Goncourt for "The Meursault Investigation", a pointed Arab retelling of Albert Camus's classic "The Stranger", set in his home city. Daoud, 45, was once attracted by Islamist ideas but later turned his back on them. Sansal said although many considered him a "global symbol of the struggle for freedom of expression", he feared Daoud could be browbeaten into forsaking fiction as well. "Kamel has pulled out of journalism. Are they going to oblige him to abandon literature too?" he asked. A fierce opponent of Islamists in Algeria and elsewhere, Sansal, an atheist, said that he discovered "the intelligence and the tenacity of the assassins of liberty and thought" from the moment his own first novel, "Le Serment des barbares" (The Barbarians' Oath), was published. "They make a crime of everything," he said. Accra, March 24, GNA - The Namibian High Commission, has celebrated the country's 26th independence anniversary and its achievements in different sectors towards development. The celebration, which was held in Accra was attended by government officials, Ambassadors from various countries, and other dignitaries. Mr Charles B. Josob, High Commissioner said even though Namibia is a young country, it has managed to achieve sustainable development. Speaking about Namibia's relations with Ghana, he said: 'The excellent relations between Namibia and Ghana have always been characterised by a common vision and a desire to strengthen our cooperation. 'We continue to share a mutual vision and purpose in the struggle towards the consolidation of peace, economic emancipation and poverty reduction.' Mr Josob noted that Ghana has always been the torchbearer for freedom of Africans including Namibia, which makes Namibians reserve strong sentiments for Ghanaians. He said he was pleased to report that delegations from Namibia have been visiting Ghana over the past year to identify more areas of cooperation. He mentioned health, education and justice as the main areas of engagement during the visits, and Namibia intends to send students to study in Ghana. Mr Josob noted that Namibia has keen interest in the Ghanaian Judicial system as well as the operations of the Ghanaian Students Loan Trust Fund. He said cooperation in areas such as aquaculture, mining and tourism would enable Ghana and Namibia to address common challenges including unemployment and poverty that many people face. 'The trade between the two countries is still at very low pace and level and Namibia is looking forward to import goods from Ghana such as textiles, gold, coffee, nuts, and timber.' He disclosed that Namibia is in the process of searching for alternative markets for Namibian fish, beef, beverages, and other meat products. The High Commissioner announced that Namibia is organising an International Investment Conference (IIC) on the theme: 'The Journey Towards Prosperity for All,' which is scheduled for May 12 - May 13. He said the conference would showcase a pipeline of investment projects; attract local, regional and international investors in targeted sectors that can contribute towards economic growth and job creation. He explained that the ultimate goal of the show is to pair projects with investment capital in a focused and targeted manner and avoid the standard format of general investment attractiveness of the country. Mr Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation congratulated Mr Hage Geingob, President of Namibia and Namibians for the anniversary celebration. 'It is indeed our fervent hope that Namibia, in the forthcoming years will witness many more fulfilling independence anniversaries that will be characterised by economic growth and socio-political advancement. 'I wish to reiterate that Ghana and Namibia have greater potentials for the deepening of the already existing cordial bilateral relations.' Mr Ayariga noted that Ghana is readily available to cooperate with Namibia in the fields of Trade, Tourism, Aquaculture, Health and Judicial matters and as well tap into newer areas to work towards the expansion of ties between the public and private sectors of both countries. He said the impending introduction of the visa-on-arrival policy for African Union citizenry, which is indeed a laudable initiative would help promote the movement of persons between the two countries as well as other countries within the African region and boost the tourism sectors of member states. The Minister invited all stakeholders in the Ghanaian business community to consider participating in the forthcoming IIC to tap into the wealth of commercial and investment expertise between the two countries. GNA 24.03.2016 LISTEN Loho (UWR), March 24, GNA - Japan Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Kaoru Yoshimura, on Wednesday handed over 64 Community Based Health Planning and Service to the Ministry of Health at Loho in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region. The Grant Agreement of the projects was signed in 2012 between Ministry of Health and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the grant amount of 989 million Japanese Yen. Under the Agreement, 64 CHPS Compounds were developed and equipment was provided to 75 CHPS Compounds with the purpose to improve the geological access to the health facilities in region. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Mr. Yoshimura noted that government has promoted CHPS Compound as a national strategy, aimed to accelerate the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and bridge the access inequity gap. He said JICA through the project would contribute to accelerate the attainment of UHC by improving the geological access to the health facilities in Upper West Region. The Ambassador stated that JICA and the people of Japan would like to ensure that the government of Ghana would make use of the newly constructed facilities and provided equipment to accelerate the attainment of UHC. He said JICA was also honoured to be part of 'this very important CHPS Policy' and promised to continue the support from its government to achieve the goal. Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, in his welcoming address, said the implementation of the CHPS Compounds continued to improve the health status of the people as well as played a major role in poverty reduction in the Region. He acknowledged that the immense support from JICA had undoubtedly made the Upper West Region the leading region in CHPS rollout in Ghana. He said the Region for the past years suffered from inadequate number s of critical health staff such as doctors, midwives and physician assistants to deliver the needed healthcare services but was happy that the situation had improved during the past four years. 'The doctor population ratio is currently one doctor is to 19,172 people as against one doctor to 49,079 people in 2011. The situation of other health professionals such as midwives, physician assistants and nurses also continued to improve', he said. Alhaji Sulemana said the construction of five polyclinics in the region had further improved access to health care including maternal and child health services. 'As a result of massive improvement in health infrastructure, health workforce, equipment and logistics, maternal and child health is improving in the region. 'The 2014 Ghana Demographic Health Survey indicates that 98.3 per cent of antenatal care and 63.7 per cent deliveries are conducted by skilled providers in the Region, compared to the national average of 97.3 antenatal care and 73.7 per cent deliveries respectively,' he admitted. Alhaji Sulemana also said the Region recorded reduction in Institutional Maternal Mortality ratio from 202 per 100,000 live births in 2011 to 155.8 per cent 100,000 live births in 2015, while childhood vaccination coverage improved to 96.7 per cent as compared to the national average of 88.5 per cent. On meningitis, he said the Region experienced upsurge in meningitis cases to the point where three districts, namely Nadowli-Kaleo, Jirapa and Nandom crossed the epidemic threshold. He, however, said with government and its development partners support, vaccines had been sent down and the targeted population vaccinated, to bring the disease under control. Alhaji Sulemana announced that constructional works were ongoing on the New Regional Hospital and gave the assurance that by the end of September this year, it would be completed. GNA 24.03.2016 LISTEN Wa, (UW/R) March 24, GNA - Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has said the Government was working to ensure that majority of Ghanaians obtained health services without unwarranted restrictions; be it geographical and financial. He said taking healthcare to the deprived areas was a key priority of the Government and part of the efforts to change lives and transform Ghana. Vice President Amissah-Arthur made the statement when he launched the Revised Policy of the Community Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) and inaugurated a CHPS compound at Loho, in the Nadoli Kaleo District of the Upper West Region. In all, 64 CHPS Compounds were inaugurated and handed over to the various communities at separate ceremonies. The 64 CHPS Compounds were constructed and equipped with a grant of JP 989,000, 000 ($8.5 million) from the Japanese Government towards improving access to health facilities in the Upper West Region. It is expected that the Revised CHPS Policy would help guide health programming and investment at the community level. Vice President Amissah-Arthur also stated that Government was committed to removing the inequality in accessing healthcare that existed in the society. There would, therefore, be a well-trained and motivated workforce at all levels of the health system to ensure quality health delivery. Vice President Amissah-Arthur announced that the Government was restructuring the CHPS programme to make it an effective first level health care service delivery in Ghana. He said already several initiatives had been put in place to ensure that the revised policy works. Over the last five years, he said, the Government had taken steps to increase the number of Community Health Officers from 2,034 to15,000, all of which had been deployed to support the demarcated 6,000 CHPS zones across the country. Mr Alex Segbefia, the Minister of Health, stated that the launch of the revised policy was a key strategy to ensure that the CHPS programme became successful. He said the presence of key stakeholders at the programme also showed the priority the Government attached to addressing Maternal and Child Health outcomes, particularly, with the CHPS services. He said over the past four decades the country's major health policies had been defined by the need to expand the health services and to make these services available, especially to people living in deprived communities. Mr Segbefia stated that the Government's adoption of the Revised Policy had been as result of several reviews of the concept to ensure that the basic objectives were met and to avoid the past failures experienced in the implementation of other programmes. He said the Ministry of Health had taken an extensive review of the CHPS strategy to help deal with the various challenges identified over the years. These challenges include the varying interpretations and understanding of the CHPS concept, lack of funds for compound construction and service delivery, poor coordination across the delivery chain, poor community mobilisation and ownership. He said at present the country had a near universal understanding of what CHPS was about and how it should be implemented because these were captured in the revised policy to ensure that they rolled out the concept. Mr Segbefia also stated that the reviewed policy was to avoid ambiguities and to maintain a high adherence to standards across the delivery chain. He said the CHPS Policy covered five general principles, which were the Duty of Care; Minimum Package of Services; Human Resource for CHPS; Infrastructure and Equipment for CHIPS; and Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation. Mr Kaoru Yoshimura, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, for his part, expressed his excitement about the successful completion of the 64 CHPS compounds and the provision of essential equipment to 75 CHPS compounds. He said the completion of the projects also rekindled the strong partnership between Japan and Ghana. He said the launch of the revised CHPS Policy, which was a national strategy, would help accelerate the attainment of Universal Health Coverage and the bridging of the access inequity gap. GNA Accra, March 24, GNA - Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has inspected the take-off site for the annual Paragliding Festival to be held from March 25 to March 29. She expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness in anticipation of the festival. 'We are all here and we see the turf is ready, more importantly security is also ready, both the police, fire service, immigration officers,' she said. Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts with the Ghana Tourism Authority, have also put in place all the things that were required to make the event a success. She said this year's paragliding was expected to be a total package of fun and excitement as there would be provision for other activities for those who could not paraglide. She said the interesting twist to this year's paragliding was that, there would be the National Dance Company to entertain those, who could not paraglide. Assistant Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Darkwa Owiredu, the Mpraeso District Police Commander, assured that in the wake of recent possible terrorist attack warnings, his outfit would put in place extra security measures to ensure safety. The Minister and her entourage later paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Obo, who doubles as the Nifahene of the Kwahu Traditional Area, Osabarima Yeboa Afari Obuagyan II, to congratulate and wish him well as he celebrates 25 years since his enstoolment. GNA 24.03.2016 LISTEN Many Nigerians have unnerved views that the education industry is supposed to be one of the biggest industries in the country. If the successive governments have harnessed the industry very well, it stands to earn the country billions of naira per annum. Those in this line of scrutiny are of the outlook that not even the National Seminar in 1973, which led to the formulation of National Policy on Education in 1977, revised in 1981, and the introduction of the universal primary education (UPE) in 1976, have helped the countrys education sufficiently. Gasping for ways to improve on the countrys education, the Universal Basic Education (UBE) was later launched formally by then President Olusegun Obasanjo in Nigeria on 30th September, 1999. The UBE was aimed at making education reachable and making all citizens literate by the year 2010. But Nigerians are today in 2016! On March 14 2016, in Abuja, while making his address at the 2016 Commonwealth Day Celebration, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu assured Nigerians that the government was committed to achieving the 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); an expansion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed by governments in 2001, which came to an end in 2015. Without doubt, many rich Nigerians have queued on the weakness of the following governments to establish schools as part of their own measures to foster the needed qualitative education that Nigeria seeks. And they are tapping from this no matter the Made-in-China education they render to their patronizers. China is known for low quality products! The big chasm in the Nigerias education system, the citizens are looking elsewhere to attain sound education. Spending heavily to study abroad The pillars of Nigeria were dazed when the Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Institution and Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Senator Binta Masi on February 9 2016, in Abuja, during the official Commissioning of Federal University of Lafia, FUL, to the Nigeria Research and Education Network, NgREN, said that Nigerians spend $2bn on school fees abroad. Many Nigerians focused their attention on the huge sum of money mentioned and flummoxed. The Senator was horror-struck, adding that it was unnecessary that Nigerians even travel to other African countries to get educated. Her position was that the country was at the peak of getting the research and education network right. Conversely, some Nigerians contradicted the views of the Senator and said that its a pity that Nigerians are travelling out in droves to get qualitative education elsewhere. But they do not have other option due to the fact that majority of the public schools in the country from kindergarten to tertiary level do not even have working hostels, which they enjoy in schools across the shores of the country. Reason for the exodus abroad Checks have revealed that no matter the measures that the government is putting in place to stop the trend of exodus of Nigerians to study abroad, it is a tall dream to stop them because Nigerians, who have schooled overseas, did not experience unremitting strikes that preceptors and their unions embark on in Nigeria, which congealed many academic sessions in the recent past. Specialists have said that there are inadequate teacher educations, betrayed quality assurance in the area of class dimension, minute number of teachers and tutorial objects, laughable governance of schools, zero execution of Schools Management Committees (SMCs), insufficient budgetary for education, low incentives for teachers, and so on. Budget and Grades watered down In May 2013, Sarki Mallam-Madori, a public affairs analyst argued in inference, saying, "From 1997 and 2000 statistics show that federal government expenditure on education was below 10% of overall expenditure. It noticed that, the national expenditure on education cannot be computed because various states expenditure on education cannot be determined, in relation to the UNESCO recommendation of 26% of national budgets." In an appearance in July 2014, the Rector, Olawoyin Awosika School of Innovative Studies, Prof Abiola Awosika showed remorse that the education in the country is going down by the day, of which students' grades are lowered in order to see if they could measure up with the trend, whereas it should not have been so. She pointed out that the flight of solid curricula in the universities and colleges of education that were supposed to build up people is a big blow. Prof Awosika said, We lowered the Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) scores again this year; 180 for universities and 130 for colleges of education and polytechnics." Education killed by politicians A Nigerian who wouldnt like the name in print said that the schools in the country have been wrecked by apparent corrupt leaders. And this has led to the malfunctioning of other government agencies. There are other factors that those in this line of thought said are imminent why Nigerians will not stop from travelling to overseas for studies. They include paying for the handouts of lecturers to get more points in tests and exams of which any students that did not abide by the dictate risks being delayed to graduate by his or her lecturer. Some Nigerians who could not afford the money to study abroad drop out of school. There are situations where lecturers and students are cultists, details have opined. And the apparent cultists threaten the welfare of others who are not members. Many Nigerians argued that if the Senator was frowning about Nigerians studying abroad, perhaps, due to the exorbitant money they pay to get admission in the schools abroad, the private schools in Nigeria are even worse. Private schools couldnt help Nigerians said that the private schools in Nigeria, unchangingly, collect huge sum of money from Nigerians without showing same in academic impartation. Only Made in China education! The worry is that due to the economic harshness that many homes are going through, the effort by parents to keep their children in schools is unwholesome. A school of thought said that it does not see the rationale in spending huge sums of money that amount to hundreds of thousands per a term for a toddler in the Nigerian private nursery or elementary schools, whereas he or she would be meeting in the same university with those that went to public schools and most times, the toddler is just empty in head. U.S. Department of Education vs. Nigerias There are insinuations that apart from the supposed mal-functional hostels that majority of the schools across the country run, the scientific laboratories in virtually all the schools are like artifacts in the museum. The blame has been heaped on the successive governments in the country, because statistics have shown that the workforce in Nigeria is not in the dearth. Lecturers from Nigeria excel in other worlds where they are exposed to the necessary amenities that include power, technology, conducive environment and sundry. But Buhari, represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Akaneren Essien, while delivering a message at the 2014/2015, and 29th convocation ceremony of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), held at the schools Abraham Odia Stadium, swaggered that N500 billion was allocated to the education sector in the 2016 federal budget. He described this as the highest so far allocated to the sector in the country. Buhari said: The 2016 budgetary provision of N500 billion for the education sector is the highest so far, and it is our desire to apply every kobo in this budget to deal with various need of our universities to ensure that they become more globally competitive. On-the-contrary, the USA federal government allocated approximately $154 billion on education in fiscal year 2015. Going by the programmes administered by the U.S. Department of Education, which appear in two separate parts in the USA budget, critics have said the statements made by Buhari at the occasion were mere politics and charade compared to what obtains in the USA budget for Department of Education. Suggestions Nigerians are of the judgment that the schools in the country would have been the best in the world if the country had used its resources meant for the education sector judiciously and ban political-leaders from sending their wards to school abroad. The Executive Secretary, Kogi State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), Mallam Nuhu Ahmed was of a view that the Changemantra of Major General Muhammadu Buhari administration will amount to an exercise in futility if the education sector is not bettered. At five-day training on December 14 2015, for quality assurance officers organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the state SUBEB with the theme Strengthening the Capacity of Quality Assurance officers for Improved Quality Delivery in Lokoja, Ahmed said, Nigeria cannot develop without quality education. Ahmed squabbled, saying that the country will be measured by the qualitative education it gets; and how quality the countrys basic education is will form the bedrock of the educational harvest of the country. He added, The dream of a change in Nigeria will be a mirage if there are no quality teachers in the schools. The need for qualitative basic education delivery must be intensified by the government because without quality teachers there cannot be quality product amongst the students. Odimegwu Onwumere is a Writer and Consultant; he writes from Rivers State. ([email protected]). Tel: +2348057778358. 24.03.2016 LISTEN The Export Trade, Agricultural and Industrial Development Fund (EDAIF) has presented a Near Infra-Red (NIR) Spectrometer worth GHC 294,490 to the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association (GAPFA). EDAIFs contribution of GHC 238,100.80, amounted to 80% of the total cost of the equipment. A brief ceremony to commission the equipment, has been held at the premises of GAPFA at Sakaman, Accra. The Near Infra-Red (NIR) Spectrometer is capable of analysing the composition and nutritional value of finished feed and raw materials, including moisture content, crude protein, fat, fibre, sugar starch and ash. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture in charge of livestock, Hon. Hanna Bisiw, was the Guest of Honour. In her presentation, the Minister expressed her sincere appreciation to the President, John Dramani Mahama, for his continuous support for the poultry industry. She stressed that EDAIFs support in the purchase of the equipment was under the instrumentation of the President. Madam Bisiw recommended GAPFA for their counterpart funding of 20% of the cost of the equipment and recommended that the association shares the use of the equipment with other feed mill operators, at a fee, to facilitate its maintenance. In his presentation, the President of GAPFA, Mr A Y Baidoo revealed that even though their name suggests an organisation covering the Greater Accra Region, the 600-strong membership of GAPFA spreads over the whole of southern Ghana, namely Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Easter, Volta and Western Regions. GAPFA also serves non-members. Therefore, any assistance to GAPFA, Mr Baidoo noted, benefits farmers in several areas of the country. Acknowledging the support given To GAPFA by EDAIF, the president of the association indicated the equipment will go a long way enable them monitor and control the quality of finished feed. On her part, Ms. Pamela Addo, Director of Legal & Board Secretariat, EDAIF, said the procurement of the NIR is evidence that the financial support from EDAIF has been put to good use. She tasked the GAPFA to institute measures to ensure proper maintenance of the equipment in order to prolong its life. She wished the association well in its quest to ensure that its birds are sustained with quality feed leading to quality wholesome stalk for the entire nation. The Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association was established in 1978 to foster and promote unity of action among poultry farm operators and to champion the growth of the industry. Currently, GAPFA boasts of two state-of-the-art feed mill machines, both of which can produce 1,800 bags of feed in a day. 24.03.2016 LISTEN The Tema Regional Branch of the United Cadres Front of Ghana (UCF-GHANA), condemns the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) blatant lies about so-called threats to the life of their presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, which warranted the engagement of the three South Africans ex-police officers. We view their hurriedly organized press conference today which is on the heels of an earlier one when the hired foreigners were first arrested two days ago. If the main reason for bringing the South Africans in was because of threats gathered by the NPP's intelligence that their candidate's life was in danger, why was that aspect left out in their first press conference when the case first came up? The NPP's after-thought to peddle these lies by no less a personality but their acting chairman, Mr. Freddy Blay, leaves us in no doubt that the latest allegation is to whip up sympathy from a cross section of the Ghanaian citizenry after the security breach. Let it be told the NPP per this communication, that nobody or group of bodies within the country ever wishes any harm to come the way of the NPP's candidate. We believe their own internal 'terrorist' acts are what may constitute a threat to both the party and candidate's security than any external influence. The holding on to the 'straw of public deceipt' will not save them from the current security mishap. And may we ask the NPP, whether if it were any of the political parties and especially the NDC in opposition which had conducted itself in the act they are being blamed - their current posture of defense is what would have been at play. Citing the unfortunate murder of the late Hon. J.B. Dankwah as a major lack of security of the state which justifies the engagement of foreign 'security experts is rather distastful and absurd to us. The United Cadres Front of Ghana, uncomfortably, is hereby, forced to question whether the gruesome murder of the late Ya Naa Yakubu Andani and over forty of his elders, could be lack of National Security and for that matter justify the recruitment of foreigners to secure the surviving people? Let us grow our partisan politics beyond these medicre lines of developing it. Signed Camillus Maalneriba-Tia Sakzeesi (Media/Communications Dept.) 0266223333/0248433700 24.03.2016 LISTEN There is no question that African leaders, probably with the exception of Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela and a few others, if we may add, could be said to be the least respected among their colleagues in the world. There are a number of good reasons for this: Inferiority complex, dependency complex, the legacy of slavery and colonialism, Eurocentrism, bad governance, kleptomania, racism, and a host of others. These reasons and others not specifically mentioned here have all conspired to negatively impact the place of African leaders in the sphere of international, human, and race relations. We, however, need to commit these tentative reasons to the factual test of forensic empiricism to see if our views have any intellectual validity insofar as our afore-cited theoretical assertions. Thus, it did not come to us as a surprise when the founding president of IMANI, Franklin Cudjoe, recently denounced the disrespectful conduct of a minority Scottish MPs reportedly toward President Mahama and his entourage. Cudjoe was reported to have said on radio: I do not understand what it is with our missions in the UK. If they had done extensive calculations, they would have been able to determine whether that visit to the Scottish Parliament was needed at all. This is a view K.B. Asante, a former diplomat and minister in the Nkrumah government, seems to share in principle. Having said that, he [Cudjoe] continued his radio interview thusly: Even before the President addressed the select committee, it was announced somewhere on the airwaves locally, that the President was going to do somethingNow we have seen them sitting as if they were forced into a seat they didnt like, and clamped together like slavesI want to believe that someone did not do his diplomatic due diligence quite wellYou could see the demeanor [on President Mahamas face], it was an obvious disagreement to the way they were being treated. Clearly, Cudjoes radio interview is characteristic of a heavy truckload of carefully arranged orthographic matrix of trailing words, phrases, and sentences. There is however a bit of an uncreative attempt on his part to casualize a supposedly serious diplomatic gaffe by giving it a curious if unstrategic facelift in the sphere of public diplomacy. But Cudjoe also seems to have completely missed the larger picture. First of all, no one forced President Mahama and his entourage to honor the invitation to speak in the Scottish Parliament and to be awarded a honorary doctorate. This is not the era of slavery or colonialism. Consequently, president Mahama (and his entourage) chose to respectfully honor the invitation on his own volition, that is. Therefore he should either accept any alleged mistreatment of him in good faith or, at the very least, officially register any grievances he may have had with the Scottish authorities for diplomatic clarity and if possible, seek official apology from the Scottish authorities. Alas, we doubt it if President Mahama will assume this course of action given the honor of the high-profile invitation from the Scottish government, given what this means for him personally and for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a whole, and finally, given his being awarded a honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) and the general import of this award for the leader of the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP). In the final analysis, then, Cudjoes controversial position that Victor Smith, Ghanas High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), should be held responsible for the alleged heckling and ill-treatment President Mahama suffered during his visit to the Scottish Parliament is neither here nor there. Cudjoe, it appears, was not even sure of what may have exactly happened to President Mahama and so he used the word alleged to err on the side of caution and further, in doing so, avoid any unnecessary belated verbal attacks against his person and public character were he later found out to have been uneconomical with the facts and the truth. This approach is tactically and strategically convenient and proper for him. But not for us. Sadly. For one thing, it is the democratic right of the minority Scottish MPs to protest against the Mahama administration for what they essentially viewed as the administrations failure to protect Ghanaian lesbians and gays, even though we also believe the minority Scottish MPs should have at least based their selective protest on a well-informed and well-founded intellectual due diligence of their grievances on the ground. This they patently did not do. And for another thing, it beggars belief why Cudjoe referred to President Mahamas alleged ill-treatment at the hands of the minority Scottish MPs as unpresidential and as well, even presenting Victor Smiths presumed diplomatic gaffe, if we should strictly go by the wording of his questionable views, as a deceptive and manipulated question of deja vu. This is hypocrisy of the highest order. And, it is hypocrisy of the highest order because, Cudjoe, a recidivist critic of the Mahama administration, failed to see a need to analogize the alleged untoward behavior of the minority Scottish MPs to those of Ghanas non-functioning and non-functional parliament. In other words, the minority Scottish MPs merely aped or reproduced what Ghanas minority MPs have been doing to President Mahama whenever he came before parliament. In one of these memorable instances Sydney Casely-Hayford, one of the notable conveners for the partisan advocacy group, Occupy Ghana, described the behavior of Ghanaian MPs during the presidents 2016 State of the Nation Address (SONA) as so childish and infantile. In contrast, Inusah Fuseini, Minister for Roads and Highways and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, offered the following riposte to Casely-Hayford: What happened in Parliament was not infantile at all. In some Parliaments they beat each other. They get up and blow each other and return to the seat. In some Parliaments, they throw eggs at their Presidents or Prime Ministers. We have not gotten there and I dont think we will get thereParliament has been working to reduce the tempo and the occurrence and bring some sanity into how MPs heckle the President. What is Fuseini exactly saying or implying? That no Ghanaian Member of Parliament has thus far thrown his shoes at President Mahama as Muntadhar al-Zaidi, an Iraqi broadcast journalist, did to George W. Bush, in 2008, while screaming at him [the latter]: This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dogThis is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq! does not necessarily mean we have not reached that stage of parliamentary disorderliness and childishness yet. Respect is earned, it is said, and not given. That is to say, we need to respect ourselves first as a people and as a race and then demand it from or of others. This is just an aspect of the larger pointillist picture Cudjoe demonstrably missed in his rushed intellectual valuation of the alleged diplomatic gaffe that engulfed President Mahama and his entourage in Scotland. Evidently, then, the minority Scottish MPs did not reach the critical mass where they threw eggs at President Mahama, and therefore we will not characterize their behavior as childish and infantile. This is another aspect of the larger picture Cudjoe seems to have missed for we, sometimes, have to look within ourselves rather than from without for the provenance of some of our major internal problems. We cannot disrespect Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Amilcar Cabraland still expect others to respect us. Charity, they say, begins at home. This is a simple question of Newtons third law in human relations. It is however interesting to see Cudjoe who, for a very long time, has uncritically embraced and championed neoliberal ideas as a panacea for Ghanas and Africas myriad developmental problems finally come back to his senses, those senses of his having been long lost in the miasmic forest and gutter of unworkable Western neoliberal ideas. All the preceding paragraphs notwithstanding, one finds the pictorial packaging of President Mahama and his entourage including his wife Lordina Mahama, Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh, and Victor Smith disturbingly appalling. James Agalga, Deputy Interior Minister, has said the Scottish treatment of President Mahama and his entourage was not unusual. They looked just like a tight, unbroken continuum of packaged sardines suffering from official parliamentary rejection on account of their presumed niggarized leprosy in a white mans land, the brothers and sisters of Ghanas former colonial master, Britain, on whose empire the sun never set. The pictorial situation is somewhat similar to their reliving the surreal characterological plot of Ralph Ellisons well-known novel, Invisible Man. The despondent profiles of their faces were all too clear to the casual observer who saw the obituary pictures of our president and his entourage. The images we saw were not ones that were presidential and they were not treated as such, said Cudjoe, who also added that President Mahama and his entourage were clamped together like slaves. This brings to mind pictures of enslaved Africans forcibly crowded into the stinking decks of slave ships, like disagreeable and contentious sardines, on the sleeve notes of Bob Marleys album, Survival, an album n which appears the following tracks: Africa Unite, Zimbabwe, So Much Trouble In The World, Ambush In The Night, Wake Up And LiveIdeally, President Mahama and his entourage should have listened to Wake Up And Live before traveling to Europe and sleeping in the Scottish Parliament! It is therefore our wish that Cudjoe will take another hard look at some of his uncritical neoliberal ideas and stop behaving as those persons he claimed to have been clamped together as slaves. The Scottish, it turned out, were simply but consciously reminding our leaders what their brothers and sisters, their colonial master Britain, did to Africans during the so-called Transatlantic Slave Trade, which one prominent scholar and prolific historiographer, Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, has appropriately called the European Slave Trade. Fela Kuti, the late Afrobeat saxophonist master himself, aptly described the likes of Cudjoe on the track Colonial Mentality when he sang: He be say you be colonized man; you don be slave man now, but you never release yourself; I say you fit never release yourself colo-mentalityHe be so them dey do, them dey overdo all the things them dey do To which Bob Marley, borrowing from Marcus Garvey, replied on the track Redemption Song: Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our mindswont you help to sing, these songs of freedomcause all I ever had, redemption songs, these songs of freedomsongs of freedom. MARCUS GARVEYS EXACT WORDS FOR FRANKLIN CUDJOE We are going to emancipate ourselves from metal slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is your only ruler, sovereign. The man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind CARTER G. WOODSON EXACT WORDS FOR FRANKLIN CUDJOE When you can control a mans thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one. MS. EVA LOKKO AND THE PURPORTED SOVEREIGNTY OF GHANA Ms. Eva Lokko, a member of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), has made the following important observations: 1) that the Scottish government and Parliament had no right to push our President around, 2) that the Scottish people should rather focus on becoming a sovereign nation, having been brutalized for so long, 3) that they must mind their own business, and 4) that we [Ghana] is a sovereign country! Perhaps the greatest irony is that Ms. Lokko may not have taken a closer look at Ghana. Is Ghana really a sovereign nation? Has Ghana not been brutalized for so long too, like Scotland? Is Ghana minding its own business when its presidents unabashedly go around the world with begging bowls? Are we focusing on becoming a sovereign nation yet? Do we have any right to push the government of Scotland around when we go to the brothers and sisters of the Scots with begging bowls? And who is Ms. Lokko fooling with her high-flown politicalese? We shall return 24.03.2016 LISTEN Several pastors belonging to the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) say they have received death threats from an unknown individual demanding money from them. According to one of the members, who is also the General Overseer of the Miracle Life Gospel Church, Rev. Gordon Kisseih, he received a message yesterday at 5:50pm from an unknown number. The message threatened his life, that of his family and the lives of 5,000 of his congregation. Rev. Kisseih said the content of the message added the only way to stop this from happening was that he should send them money. Although the General Overseer refused to disclose how much was demanded, he stated that he thought the message was a joke. Nonetheless, he asked his administrator to officially report to the Police which prompted them to start a patrol in his area yesterday. Rev. Kisseih also mentioned that the Police requested for the number of the assailant and called him, but the assailant said: He was in Nsawam and that he wasnt in Accra. According to the Rev. Kissieh, The person sent a second threat message after the police had left, saying that not even the police can unravel their network and that his identity cannot be disclosed When JOYNEWS Michaela Anderson asked him why anybody would want to kill him, Rev. Kisseih said, That is what evil does. Evil does evil things to good people. When someone meets you in traffic and shoots you for doing nothing, the person is gone away with it; that is evil. He said the assailant, just said do this or well kill you. Rev. Kisseih says hes worried because other colleague pastors who double as key members of the GPCC; the current General Overseer of the Full Gospel Church International in Tema, Bishop S.N Mensah, and Apostle Anyani Boadu have also complained of receiving similar death threats messages. According to Bishop Mensah, he was in his office at about the same time [5:00 pm] when he saw the message to send money or his family will be wiped. "I called other members of the GPCC only to be told by four others that they have also received the same threat message from the same telephone number," Bishop Mensah told Joy News. He said it is difficult to connect and tell why this is happening as he does not have any whoever it is is doing this. The pastors said they were surprised Thursday morning when the assailant sent another message asking whether they still sending the money. Threatened members of the GPCC are questioning why anybody would want to kill pastors who belong to the same organization while demanding police protection. Meanwhile, the Police in Tema Community 11 says they are investigating the issue. According to ACP Juliana Obeng, the police are assuring the residents in the Tema where some of the pastors and the families live are safe. ACP Obeng said the case has been referred to the regional level from the district station. She, however, said it is not prudent to talk about the security measures taken as this will endanger the safety of those threatened. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected] Washington (AFP) - The US State Department urged Congo Thursday to ensure respect for freedom of expression, a day after AFP and Le Monde journalists were assaulted while covering the presidential election in Brazzaville. In a statement specifically naming the two media outlets, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States was calling "upon the government of the Republic of Congo to ensure respect for freedom of expression, assembly, and movement." Three journalists who were accredited to cover the Sunday election were assaulted by four individuals in civilian clothes as the reporters left the home of opposition candidate General Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko. The attackers, who harassed the reporters and struck one AFP journalist in the face, identified themselves as police officers but refused to show their professional identification. France's foreign ministry has demanded an explanation by Congo. Toner, meanwhile, said that the United States urged "security forces to remain professional and continue to exercise restraint." The attack came just after Mokoko contested the election's preliminary results. On Thursday, Congo strongman Denis Sassou Nguesso was declared the winner of the vote and elected for a third term, extending his 32 years in power in a process the opposition says was marked by "massive fraud." The State Department said it took "note of the presidential election results announced by the Minister of Interior in the Republic of Congo." "Pending the proclamation of the definitive results by the Constitutional Court, we appeal to all candidates and their supporters to remain calm," Toner said. "The United States remains concerned about the transparency and credibility of the electoral process, including reports of irregularities, and the prolonged communications blackout." Sassou Nguesso changed the constitution in November last year, removing a two-term limit on presidential mandates, and paving the way for his third election victory. The United States has repeatedly called on African leaders not to amend their constitutions so that they might serve for more than two terms. Washington has previously criticized constitutional changes in Burundi and Rwanda. Ho, March 24, GNA - Members of the New Vision Co-operative Credit Union (NeVCCU) Limited, Ho, have been urged to adopt innovative ways to inject large doses of cash into the Union to stem its flickering fortunes. This would require that the minimum monthly savings be raised from 50.00 Ghana cedis to 100.00 Ghana cedis, savings withdrawals and loans delinquency to be stopped and aggressive membership drive undertaken by each member. Members must also commit to paying loans directly at the Union's office instead of through the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD) to stem loan default and save commission paid on such deductions. These were among measures prescribed by some Credit Union Practitioners at the Union's 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) under the theme, 'managing one's resources (life) the Credit Union factor.' Mr Stephen Dzorkpata, member of Credit Union Association (CUA) of Ghana, Mr Winnard Hadzi, formerly Vice-Chairman of the Ho District Co-operative Teachers' Credit Union, Mr Gilbert Pewudie Regional Manager of CUA and Mr Adolf Nuagbe, Chapter Chairman of the Union, took turns to impress on members to 'sacrifice' to salvage its flagging fortunes. A seven member Board of Directors and Committees on Loans and Supervision were sworn into office with a pledge by Madam Vivian Agbetoh, Board Chairman to lead a revival of the Union. By 1995 the then Ho District Teachers Co-operative Credit Union now NeVCCU was the most vibrant Credit Union in the Volta Region and spearheaded the resurgence of Co-operative Credit Unionism in the Region, Mr Hadzi, recounted at the Meeting. Mr Dzorkpata urged the Union to ground 'itself in basic principles of good governance.' 'Save first and spend later, don't spend before saving,' Mr Nuagbe said. Mr Pewudie observed that though the Union's assets appreciated from 930,441.09 Ghana cedis in 2014 to 1,244,440.22 Ghana cedis in 2015 that was due largely to the revaluation of its head office building. The Union's Statement of Financial Position as at 30th June 2015 saw current liabilities-Accounts payable and Members Savings- rise from 935,755.93 Ghana Cedis in 2014 to 969,352.72 in 2015. Its capital-members shares and reserves including net surplus-went up from 5,314.84 Ghana cedis in 2014 to 275,047.50 Ghana cedis in 2015. GNA Accra, March 24, GNA - Thirty-eight foreign nationals on Wednesday took the Oath of Allegiance before a High Court Judge towards naturalizing as Ghanaians. The new citizens, who were given certificates after the ceremony, held at the Court Complex, in Accra, can now hold Ghanaian passports, vote, and defend the good name of the Ghana. The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr James Agalga, said the nationals were originally from Jordan, Britain, Lebanon, Nigeria and other West African Nationals, who have been cleared of not having any criminal record. The Deputy Minister said they had also demonstrated their commitment to contribute towards the development of the country even before they were allowed to naturalise. Mr Agalga said some of the nationals had also resided in the country for a long time and others were married to Ghanaians, explaining that they naturalised without any compulsion. Mr Ali Hussein Al-Sayeed, a Jordanian, said he naturalised because he was married to an Ashanti and had also invested in the country by setting up two firms in the Western Region. Mr Al-Sayeed said out of the countries in the Sub region, he found Ghana to be one of the peaceful and unifying countries. GNA Sunyani (B/A), March 24, GNA - Ex-General Constable Andrews Yankey has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama and Mr John Kudalor, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to intervene to let the Police Administration reinstate him. He said despite a Sunyani Circuit Court's ruling for his reinstatement over four years ago, the Police Administration has not acted accordingly. Ex-G/Constable Yankey, staff number 38181 and formerly with the Dragon Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Sunyani made the appeal in Sunyani. He said it had become necessary to appeal public because there had not been a response to any of his two petitions to the IGP on 5th July 2012 and the Minister of Interior on 16th December 2013. Mr. Yankey said each of the petitions was channeled through the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Command. He said before the court action against him, the Police Administration in February 2008 instituted a Committee of Inquiry into the incident, upon which he was interdicted to await the outcome of the Committee's findings. 'But surprisingly the outcome of the Service Inquiry since mid-March 2008 has not as yet been made known to me', Mr. Yankey said, adding that 'around that time I received a letter of dismissal from the Police Administration'. Narrating his ordeal, ex-G/Constable Yankey said he could not understand why the Police Administration had not acted on the Sunyani Circuit Court's order for his reinstatement, after interdiction/dismissal for over eight years now. On the case itself Mr. Yankey said in January 2008, at the late Inspector Addae's funeral at Asuoye, near Techiman in the Brong-Ahafo Region, he participated in the shooting into the air display by the Police personnel as a sign of honour to their deceased colleague. He said the incident allegedly resulted in the killing of two people, Opanin Kwaku Nyamekye and Opanin Kwaku Addae whilst two Police personnel, Constables Stephen Owusu-Ansah and Prince Amaniampong who were injured in the process were sent to the hospital, treated and discharged. He said he was arrested and charged for shooting indiscriminately and was sent to court on a charge of 'negligently causing harm'. But after almost four years of the trial, he said the Sunyani Circuit Court, presided by Mr. John Ekow Mensah found him not guilty of the offence and therefore acquitted and discharged him. In the Court's ruling of June 12, 2012, certified true copies made available to the Media, the trial judge stated 'There is no evidence before this Court to suggest that accused person voluntarily did the alleged shooting'. 'Accused evidence that someone banged onto him, resulting in the gun falling onto the ground has not been challenged in anyway', the Court said and added that 'The essential ingredients that action done by the accused should be voluntary have been proved'. The Court therefore ruled, 'Based upon the above findings the Court finds the accused person not guilty to the four counts on negligently causing harm and acquitted and discharged' 'As a family man with a wife and four children, the challenge of financial hardship that has confronted me since my interdiction/dismissal in February 2008 has greatly affected our survival and therefore the only option for me now is to seek the intervention of the President and the IGP', ex-G/Constable Yankey said. GNA Wa, March 24, GNA - Various forms of indiscipline on the part of students of the Wa Senior High Technical School (SHTS) is affecting general academic performance in the school. Most striking among such acts of indiscipline include students reporting late when school re-opens, students' refusal to attend classes, students' refusal to write terminal and mock exams, as well as the habitual scaling of the school's fence wall to dodge into town. Mr. Gaeten Bayel, Headmaster of the school made these known at the general meeting of the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) of the School on Sunday in Wa. He said he was shocked to learn that the scaling of the wall was not just a matter for the boys alone but that some of the girls were also involved in the practice. 'In the night, people come to stand with motor bikes, call the girls and wait for them to scale up the wall for them to carry them away into town', he noted. 'Stealing is on the ascendancy; from the breakage of student boxes to the removal of bulbs, ceiling fans, louver blades among others.' he lamented. The Headmaster placed part of the blame at the door step of parents and urged them to give their children the necessary spiritual and moral upbringing so that they would become disciplined when they grow up. Another important challenge the Headmaster pointed out was inadequate accommodation for boys, a situation which compelled the authorities to convert a six-unit classroom block into a dormitory for the boys, giving rise to another problem of inadequate classrooms. He hinted that accommodation for teachers had been converted into an ICT Laboratory compelling some of the teachers to leave campus immediately their lessons were completed, hence the inability of the few masters staying on campus to effectively monitor the behaviour of students on campus. Mr. Bayel however commended the government through the GETFund, the PTA and all other Stakeholders in education for the support they gave to school. 'We are however not out of the woods yet and would continue to appeal for a dormitory block for the boys, classrooms, staff quarters, and workshops, payment of school fees and maintenance of the school truck among others', he appealed. The Headmaster urged parents to have time for the welfare of their wards by providing them their basic needs, visiting them in school and paying their fees promptly. GNA 24.03.2016 LISTEN Accra, March 24, GNA - Dr Rashid Pelpuo, the Minister of State at the Office of the President in charge of Private Sector Development and Public Private Partnership, has said local participation in the infrastructure development is vital for progress in the society. He said even though there were some local capacities to build and maintain roads, power plants, water treatment systems and other infrastructure in the country, there was the need for further capacity building given the new technological advancement in the sector. Dr Pelpuo said this at the Chatham House- the Royal Institute of International Affairs in the United Kingdom; where he delivered the keynote address at a conference that featured politicians, policy makers, businesses, private sector participants and key academic institutions. He spoke on the theme: 'The importance of local capacity in civil infrastructure: Strategies to support skills development and local businesses'.Dr Pelpuo said the use of indigenes for infrastructure development would lead to more local employment generation, adding that, 'this could guarantee up to 10 per cent more local indigenes being hired.' He called on countries in the Sub-saharan African countries to implement indigenous-based policies to ensure that local raw materials and people are employed. Dr Pelpuo said the need to close the infrastructure gap in Sub-Saharan Africa, must be accompanied by a strong involvement by local businesses. 'This can only be made possible through access to finance, capacity development and technology transfer,' he said. He expressed concern that in many instances, financial agreements tied the nation to expatriate consultants because of the limited expertise saying, this also limited the room for local participation. He said over the past ten years, Ghana like many Sub-Saharan African countries has witnessed increased income levels, mainly as a result of natural resource-fuelled economic growth and better financial management policies. 'This has led to the country ascending into the lower middle income country bracket. However, the irony is that most of these countries still have low income country infrastructure,' Dr Pelpuo said. He said the substantial infrastructure deficits created a major constraint on business development, inhibited foreign direct investment and regional trade. Dr Pelpuo said more investment was required to build new infrastructure as well as in the operation and maintenance of what currently exists saying it would cost Africa US$90 billion every year for the next decade to close the infrastructure deficit. 'Like many countries around the world, Ghana is now looking beyond traditional sources of capital, namely government spending and aid, and identifying innovative alternative infrastructure financing solutions such as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). 'This is with the expectation that the private sector will pass on its skills and management expertise to the public sector,' Dr Pelpuo said. He said when there was enough local capacity to undertake civil infrastructure development, it helped to put a cap on capital flight since foreign capital was prone to leave when local conditions were not favourable. 'Local contractors are more likely to be paid in local currency than foreign contractors. Thus, having local contractors undertake infrastructure development relieves the pressure on the domestic currency, leading to possible exchange rate stability,' he said. 'The lack of sustained investment in the sector, in the face of rapid urbanisation, resulted in many communities lacking basic social amenities; water, electricity supply and roads. By the 1980s there were broken infrastructure lying everywhere in the country mainly because of non-availability of needed skills and capacity to operate and maintain these new monumental infrastructure,' he said. The Chatham House established since 1920 is reputed to host some of the world's most influential people. It's a platform for world leaders and policy makers to project their ideas. GNA Takoradi, Mar. 24,GNA - The Western Regional Police Command has deployed more than 100 police personnel at various strategic locations in the Region to protect lives and property during the Easter festivities. Superintendent Solomon Reginald Osei, the Regional Operational Officer of the Ghana Police Service, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Thursday that, peace, security and protection of lives was a collective responsibility of the entire citizenry. He therefore urged Ghanaians to volunteer relevant information that would help the police to track any miscreants in the society. Superintendent Osei advised Ghanaians to avoid walking alone in isolated places at night since criminals often take advantage of the cover of darkness to attack people. He also entreated those who would attend church services at night to put security measures in place at home to avoid being robbed in their absence. The Regional Operational Officer indicated that because of the recent terrorists' attacks in the West Africa Sub-region; uniform and plain-clothed police personnel would be deployed at various public places to maintain security and tasked holiday-makers to alert the police of any suspicious character. He advised both motorists and pedestrians to observe road traffic regulations to avert any accident. GNA Accra, March 24, GNA - Mr. Muntala Mohammed, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI), has urged Japan to assist African, especially Ghana, to build her human capacity better than giving her financial aid. At a media briefing on the National Kaizen Project, funded by the Japanese Embassy and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), he said he believed that Ghana should not rely on interventions which handed monies to countries to implement projects; but on those that helped to build the capacity of entrepreneurs and the human resource base. 'As an individual, I am completely opposed to the kind of assistance where money is given to us to execute projects,' he stated. 'I am fully convinced that assistance that helps to build the capacity of our entrepreneurs, which helps to build the capacity of our human resource base, is sine qua non to our socio-economic development and Kaizen could not have come at a better time'. The National KAIZEN Project is a three-year intervention, aimed at developing the capacity of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to provide Business Development Services, including the KAIZEN methodology to Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs), in Ghana. The briefing was to update the media about the progress of the pilot project and its expansion to the other regions of the country. Mr. Mohammed said the impact of the Kaizen Project, especially in rural areas, was very significant. He said the interventions proposed by the KAIZEN Methodology, included measures to eliminate waste in the conveyance and motion and accumulation, inventory control, layout optimisation, process improvement, cost reduction, and quality assurance. He said the enterprises knew these elements were important but they lacked the capacity to implement them. 'I don't think when they begin training you, it's something you cannot do, all you need is to sustain it, and I believe the contract can be renewed because it is achieving its intended results,' he said, adding, the MOTI also had a policy that was aimed at supporting interventions that led to domestic production, such as the KAIZEN intervention. He also appealed for help to build the capacity of local producers to package their products better so as to be able to sell locally and also for the international market in addition to the establishing a KAIZEN Institute in Ghana to serve West Africa, as it had done in Ethiopia. Mr. Shigeru Umetsu, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan, said Japan's contribution to Ghana and Africa was focused on strengthening every individual to contribute to the sustainable development of their countries. He said through the Kaizen Project, Japan was contributing to human resources development in Ghana, and represented a success story, especially because the concept could be applied in other sectors such as Education; and to the individual. 'I strongly believe that this Kaizen Project will contribute to the steady development of SMEs in Ghana and that Ghana will be one of the most successful countries of Kaizen at the end of the project in January 2019,' he stated. Reports on three of the enterprises where Kaizen had been implemented, he said, had produced significant results including reduction in production time, increase in productivity as well as a safer working environment. The enterprises are A. A. Agyei Enterprise, producers of Sandals for Senior High Schools, Salom Pharmacy Limited, which produces syrups, capsules and tablets, and Vicalex Brick and Tile Company Limited, producers of clay bricks. The expansion of the project would cover four target regions: Ashanti, which is being covered in the first phase, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Central Regions, where the heads of 46 Business Advisory Centre would be trained in the Kaizen Methodology. Mr. Norihito Yonebayashi, a Senior Representative of JICA, said for the easy implementation of the project activities, each target region would be focused in a particular year. Thus 2016 would be dedicated to the Northern Region, 2017 for Brong Ahafo, and 2018 for Central Region. A total of 190 SMEs would benefit from the project in the three regions. Mr. Lukman Abdul-Rahim, the Executive Director of the NBSSI, said the specialists from JICA were training the heads of the BACs to be able run the project after their departure. He promised the Japanese Embassy and JICA that the resources committed would help to improve the productivity of SMEs in Ghana. He urged the media not only to focus on sensational stories but also create awareness on the effectiveness of the Kaizen Methodology and its impacts in Ghana. GNA you are here: The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana. March 24, 2016 Clinton's Plan To "Defeat ISIS" Is A Threat Hillary Clinton's three part plan to defeat ISIS is to: Defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria Destroy ISIS everywhere Prevent ISIS attacks in the U.S.A. bigger That plan, to me, seems similar to George W. Bush's plan to defeat the Taliban which was to defeat the Taliban. Or maybe more like Nixon's plan to defeat drugs which had nothing to do with drugs but was actually a plan to criminalize blacks and antiwar hippies. The real motive behind the above Clinton nonsense may be the interest of the powers-that-are to keep the war on ISIS going forever. Obama already did his best to establish ISIS. He refrained from fighting it in its infancy in 2012, refrained from holding it back in Iraq to "regime change" Prime Minister Maliki and kept its revenues flowing until Putin shamed him into finally bombing its oil infrastructure. Clinton's plan, which declares only aims without any steps to reach them, would mean endless wars in this or that Middle East country and/or in Africa or Asia. It means further suppression of any privacy and opposition at home. It is not a plan but a threat. Will she win votes with such nonsense? Posted by b on March 24, 2016 at 6:22 UTC | Permalink Comments next page March has been an uncertain month. One of the cornerstones of the financial year, the Budget, had to be revised 48 hours after it was delivered, after planned welfare cuts were abandoned. But political questions about how the books will be balanced dont detract from fact that this still looks like an excellent Budget for savers and investors: with future cuts to capital gains tax, a new Lifetime ISA, and no plans as yet at least to abolish higher-rate tax relief on pensions. There are other uncertainties though, not least around the forthcoming Brexit vote. The Bank of England said that the uncertainty around this debate itself could pose a risk to economic growth regardless of what the outcome of the referendum. However, Peter Hargreaves, founder of stock broker Hargreaves Lansdown, was less pessimistic, saying fears about leaving the EU were overblown. Meanwhile M&Gs respected bond manager, Richard Woolnough, said that the US presidential election, was more of a threat to markets than Brexit. He said noise and uncertainty around the EU vote is likely to cause volatility, in credit markets at least. But he warned: Investors should be less concerned with the EU referendum and focus more on the possibility of Donald Trump as US president. Elsewhere, the fund management industry was kept busy by the usual end-of-tax-year rush. Higher earners in particular have been looking to maximise pension contributions ahead of a sharp reduction in the annual allowance. This will curb pension contributions for those earning more than 150,000. It remains to be seen whether market volatility has dampened ISA investors enthusiasm. Below we look at the other fund stories making headlines this month. Woodford Waives Fee on Investment Trust Neil Woodford announced he wouldnt be taking a fee for the first year of trading on his Patient Capital Investment Trust (WPCT). The trust has a minimal 0.1% fee, and the manager will only take a higher performance-related charge if it delivers a 10% return to investors over the course of 12 months. The trust, which launched last April, has lost money in its first year. It invests in early-stage and early growth companies, and its holding in the healthcare sector in particular have been hit by market volatility. Woodford said: Although recent short-term performance has been challenging and uncomfortable, we remain convinced that our strategy remains appropriate, especially for the prevailing economic conditions. The trust also announced it was suspending further fundraising, announced in January, amid continued uncertainty and lower liquidity in markets. New Direction for Jupiter Global Trust Jupiter Global Trust (JPG) looks poised to ditch its manager and become UK focused, rather than global trust. The board of the 49.4 million investment trust is recommending that the manager, Richard Curling be replaced by Steve Davies, manager of Jupiters 1.6 billion UK Growth Fund. As a result they would like to see a more UK-centred mandate, with a focus on growth stocks. This would align it more closely to the open-ended fund run by Davies. The trust would change its name to the Jupiter UK Growth Investment Trust. Management fees would also be reduced as part of these proposals. If these changes go ahead Curling will continue to run the Jupiter Fund of Investment Trusts, the Jupiter Monthly Income fund and institutional assets, as well as the Jupiter UK Alpha fund. This trust originally launched in 1972 and was known as the Primadona Growth Trust. Over the last three years it has returned 18.5% for investors. The AIC Global sector returned 19% over the same period. The trust is currently trading at a 6% discount. New Hargreaves Fund Hargreaves Lansdown has announced it will launch a new multi-manager High Income Fund, investing in a portfolio of equity income and bond funds. It will be managed by Lee Gardhouse and Ellen Powley and offers investors a starting yield of 4.5%. This latest offering extends Hargreaves range of multi-manager funds. A spokesman said: The aim is to offer the best of both worlds in a single fund - the benefits of potential capital and income growth from a selection of the best equity income funds, plus the prospect of higher long-term income and lower volatility from a selection of our favourite corporate bond fund managers. Initially the fund will be 60% invested in equities and 40% in bonds. Hargreaves is offering the fund at a 1 fixed launch price until 5pm on April 12. Its first day of trading will be April 13. JPMorgan Manager Takes Leave of Absence Peter Kirkman, the manager of JP Morgan Asset Managements 242 million Global Unconstrained Equity fund is to take leave of absence from the end of March. He has run this unconstrained equity strategy since 2013. He has been with the company for 15 years, holding senior positions in both the US and Japan. Sam Witherow and Tim Woodhouse will take over the running of this fund. He has also passed over responsibility as co-manager on the on the Global Developing Trends fund Global Financial funds. JP Morgan did not say when he would be returning. Brokers may not be happy about the strategy, and one veteran argues it could lead to more pressure to buydown rates.Street's initiative should be of no surprise to the industry, since brokers are engaging in the online deep discounting buydown game by willfully eroding their margins, which ultimately affects the quality of service, and the professional sound advice brokers are typically known to provide, John Bargis, principal of Mortgage Edge, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. If this works for Street, expect others to follow. Brokers once used to see banks as their biggest competitor.They are slowly graduating to cannibalizing one another, which can only lead to a significantly diminished customer service experience and value for borrowers. Street Capital is the latest broker channel lender to offer direct-to-consumer mortgage campaigns. In onesuch initiative, the lender is offering rates as low as 2.25% and up to $1500 cash for users of the ForeSaleByOnwer.ca website. And a similar offering was first reported by Canadian Mortgage Trends.Other such campaigns by big bank partners and credit unions have drawn broker criticism in the past. Street is certainly not the first channel lender to pursue various distribution channels and the lender says it is channel neutral.This is very important because there are very different value propositions out there some of them are more rate-focused, others are more service and advice-focused what we want to do is (be) channel neutral, Ed Gettings, chief executive officer at Street Capital, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. We give the same pricing and the same pricing tools, flexibility, to all of our channels that we deal with.Brokers have access to similar rates should they buy down, Chris Reid, senior vice president of business development at Street Capital, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca.For its part, Street Capital has already received broker feedback about the programs.Some have concerns. Others say its an open competition and we have to adapt. You have to adapt to the competition in your marketplace, Gettings said. Were giving (brokers) the tools to support the value proposition you want to go to market with.Whether or not the marketing initiative will deter brokers from sending business to Street Capital remains to be seen. However, broker Dustan Woodhouse thinks it might.I am pretty sure that most brokers could go through their career never really needing to send Street a single file, and I am equally sure that with this announcement many brokers will choose to do just that, he said. A former bank CEO was sentenced today to 11 years in federal prison for orchestrating an effort to conceal more than $100 million in losses on loans and real estate, according to the Justice Department. Gilbert Lundstrom, 74, was the CEO of TierOne Bank, a $3 billion publicly traded company. In November, Lundstrom was convicted of 12 counts out of 13 charged, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud, conspiracy to falsify bank entries, wire fraud, securities fraud and falsifying bank entries, the DOJ reported. According to the DOJ, Lundstrom orchestrated a strategy to expand TierOnes portfolio beyond traditional lending into riskier areas including commercial real estate in Las Vegas, which took a beating when the financial markets imploded. In response, Lundstrom and his co-conspirators intentionally concealed more than $100 million in losses from investors and regulators, and provided inflated numbers in its reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of Thrift Supervision. Lundstrom also learned that the bank needed to increase its reserves and loan loss allowance by between $34 million and $114 million, but concealed that information as well, the DOJ alleged. He also misrepresented TierOnes capital reserves and whether the bank had applied for TARP funding furing a shareholder meeting. In June of 2010, TierOne was shut down by the FDIC. As that time, the bank had more than 750 employees working at its Lincoln, Nebraska, headquarters and 69 branch offices in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, the DOJ reported. Todays sentencing shows the Justice Departments commitment to prosecuting individuals who abuse their corporate positions to commit fraud, said Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell. Gilbert Lundstrom and his co-defendants crimes not only contributed to the collapse of a major regional bank during the financial crisis, but also destroyed the jobs of hundreds of bank employees and led to massive losses for the banks shareholders. The defendants recklessly gambled with bank assets and lied to shareholders and government regulators, and through their actions drove a respected regional bank into the ground. In addition to his prison sentence, Lundstrom was also ordered to pay a $1.2 million fine. DENTON, Texas (AP) A University of North Texas police officer will not face charges in the fatal shooting of student who was armed with an ax. Prosecutors on Thursday said a Denton County grand jury declined to indict Cpl. Stephen Bean in the Dec. 13 death of 21-year-old Ryan McMillan. Uncredited FARMERS BRANCH, Texas (AP) A suburban Dallas police officer who is charged in the shooting death of a teenage burglary suspect and the wounding of another boy while off duty has resigned from his department. Farmers Branch Police Chief Sid Fuller said that Officer Ken Johnson submitted his resignation on Thursday. Fuller accepted the resignation, which took effect immediately. It was reported in May 2014 that developers in Midland and Odessa were working to bring a Costco wholesale retailer to the region, specifically to State Highway 191 at the Dorado Center in Odessa. Tom Glasman, vice president of ICA Properties, which owns Dorado Center, said talk of bringing Costco to the region were overblown. That just kind of came out, Glasman told the Reporter-Telegram recently when discussing the SH 191 corridor. We talk to several national retailers and companies. Whether it be Sams, Costco or XYZ warehouse store, we try to talk to everyone. Nothing was ever formalized, but somewhere in the community, someone thought we had a deal, and nothing is ever done until its done. Glasman said what hindered solidifying a deal with Costco is a scenario not uncommon in deal-making. Leadership changes at companies can stall or kill deals. One person might look at, for example, a booming Midland and Odessa region and see opportunity. However, if that person changes positions or companies altogether after a few years, the next person in charge might not see the region in the same positive light. This is what happened to Costco, Glasman said. The Reporter-Telegram reached out to Costco for comments about the deal that never materialized. On Monday, a company representative, who wished not to be named in this story, said via email, It is company policy to not comment on future openings. Dorado Center is a space for retailers and restaurants to purchase and construct stores. It is located on SH 191 between Mission Boulevard and San Antonio Street in Odessa. Dorado Center sits on 237 acres. Currently, the only major construction underway at Dorado Center is a 90,000-square-foot Cinergy Cinemas facility that will include theaters, a ropes course and an 18-lane bowling alley, among other features. Also slated for construction are a Keiths Hamburger Station and a still-secret furniture store, Glasman said. As for a deal with Costco, No, its not dead, Glasman said. The phone lines are open both ways. Were always in talks with whoever, he said. It just has to be their timing and our timing. Like Trevor on Facebook and follow him in Twitter at @HowdyHawes. McALLEN As patients arrived at the Rio Grande Valleys lone abortion clinic recently, they were greeted by two men standing outside: a security guard and a protester clutching a rosary and a sign reading, Pray to end abortion. Above them dangled a banner: We are open! For now, they are. Whole Womans Health, which describes itself as a privately owned feminist organization, runs the clinic and half a dozen other facilities nationwide. It was founded in Austin in 2003 and in the last three years has become mired in a legal battle against a restrictive state abortion law that has twice forced the McAllen clinic to close. Now Whole Womans Health is lead plaintiff in a lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court to block the Texas law, which has already contributed to the closing of about half the states more than 40 abortion clinics, including some in the Rio Grande Valley. This month the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case, the most significant one on abortion since 1992. That year the justices upheld the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, but said states may regulate abortion so long as they do not place an undue burden on women seeking to end their pregnancies. That allowed Republican-led states like Texas, Louisiana, Ohio and Wisconsin to pass increasingly strict abortion regulations in recent years. The Texas law requires abortion clinics to upgrade into ambulatory surgical centers and to use doctors who have hospital admitting privileges. The McAllen clinics doctors dont have admitting privileges. To become a surgical center, the clinic would have to widen hallways, add equipment and get rid of the lavender diffuser, herbal tea and purple walls full of quotes by famous women. The laws supporters say its aim is to protect womens health by requiring comprehensive medical care at abortion clinics. Opponents say medical complications are rare the McAllen clinic has only had two patients who had to be transferred to local hospitals for minor bleeding and that the laws real aim is to make abortions virtually impossible to obtain in the Lone Star State. Abortion providers fear that women who lose access will take matters into their own hands, especially near the border, where they can head to Mexican pharmacies and obtain drugs to induce an abortion a risky procedure without a doctors supervision. Now the high court must decide whether the Texas law amounts to an undue burden for more than 1 million women who live at least 150 miles from a licensed abortion clinic. That includes women here in the Rio Grande Valley, for whom the next nearest clinic is 230 miles north in San Antonio. Both sides say the stakes are especially high in this heavily Roman Catholic, low-income area of mixed-status migrant families. As protests have intensified outside the clinic here over the last year, the staff has added the guard and security cameras in addition to the usual volunteer escorts. Yolanda Chapa, founder of the McAllen Pregnancy Center a few blocks from the clinic, arrived soon after it opened on a recent morning wearing silver Virgin of Guadalupe earrings and a white doctors coat. She stood near a sign Abortion is always the wrong choice to intercept women on their way in, offering free pregnancy tests and sonograms. Chapa said she was hopeful the Supreme Court would uphold the law and rule against the abortion mill. Back when I started, there was no fence, no guards, no cameras. We were really making a difference, said Chapa, who during the last eight years has worked with more than 7,200 women, 119 so far this month, including seven sidewalk referrals at the clinic and 29 babies saved. The challenge is big, but God is greater, she said. Inside the clinic in pink scrubs, administrator Kristeena Banda had just returned from protesting outside the Supreme Court in Washington and felt encouraged by the crowds and an order the court issued March 4 blocking a restrictive new abortion law in Louisiana. But Banda still worried the justices might rule in favor of the Texas law. If it does go into effect, you will completely wipe out abortion access in this area, said Banda, a mother of three from the Rio Grande Valley who had an abortion at the clinic in 2006, the year Whole Womans Health took over for a doctor who had run it for years. We have Mexico a hop and skip away from us, and what happens is women take it into their own hands. The clinic has appointments booked through the end of the month. It has a staff of seven and two doctors who travel from Houston and San Antonio, one per week, to work here. Local doctors wont do it, Banda said, due to the backlash. The center provides two types abortions: medication (mifepristone and misoprostol) or surgical, depending on a womans preference and how long she has been pregnant. With the lawsuit pending, the McAllen clinic has been exempted from some of the new laws requirements, but not all. It cannot provide surgical abortions beyond 15 weeks because its not a surgical center, and cannot provide abortion medication if a woman is more than seven weeks pregnant. According to the new law, instead of being sent home with the pills, women must take the pills with the doctor, rushing home after the first pill, which can cause heavy bleeding. State law also requires that the same doctor consult with a woman 24 hours in advance and complete the procedure, a logistical challenge for both doctors and patients. If women miss their initial consultation, that delays when they can take the pill, especially with only two doctors traveling from out of town, and has led to more surgical abortions, Banda said. The clinic performs about 1,900 abortions a year, she said, roughly 60 percent surgical, 40 percent through medication. Both types cost about $600 during the first trimester, more later in a pregnancy, and even if the women they serve had insurance, which many dont in this poor region, it doesnt usually cover the cost. For many women, Banda said, they have to choose between feeding their kids or having the procedure. If the clinic closed, she said, many women could not afford the additional cost of travel, child care and missing work to get to San Antonio. Migrant women living in the U.S. illegally or on visas also fear traveling to San Antonio because they have to pass a Border Patrol checkpoint, where others seeking medical care are often nabbed. Instead, Banda said, desperate women may buy the misoprostol abortion pills over the counter in Mexico and try to self-induce abortions without consulting a doctor. Misoprostol can be taken alone to induce an abortion and is also used to treat ulcers. So though abortion is illegal in Mexico outside of the capital district, the pill is widely available. People were buying the drug to sell at flea markets in the Rio Grande Valley, but after the new state law passed, heightened scrutiny of the sales led to busts by local law enforcement making that more difficult. Now a package of 28 pills sells for $126 just across the border, $25 for the generic. Those in search of the drug can easily buy it about 25 miles east of McAllen, at pharmacies that line the main street of the Mexican border city of Nuevo Progreso, a mecca for retirees known as winter Texans, who walk across the border bridge daily and return with discount medications. Staff at Pharmacy U.S., Almost Free Pharmacy, Linda Pharmacy and Trevinos Pharmacy & Liquors all said they sell the drug, often to women who cross the border looking to, as they say in Spanish, bring my period back. If they ask me if I have it to abort, I cant sell it. But if they ask for it for ulcers, I can, said Raul Gonzalez, a cashier in a white coat behind the counter of Almost Free Pharmacy. Gonzalez said the store doesnt have a policy against selling the drug for abortions, and hes not particularly religious, but he believes in being honest. He noted that the medication doesnt come with instructions for use as an abortion pill. Normally when you take it, you have to see a doctor, he said. Banda, the clinic administrator, said she sees two or three women a week who have taken the abortion pill on their own. Its not as effective as the two-drug combo, and many took it incorrectly. Some took a bottle or two, worried the first few pills were not having an effect, and risked hemorrhaging. Others remained pregnant, Banda said. If we give up, whos going to help these women? she said. Among the roughly 40 patients at the McAllen clinic on a recent Wednesday was a young woman who said she had been to Nuevo Progreso but never bought abortion pills and hesitated to take them on her own. I wanted to do it the right way, to where it is monitored, she said. The petite Latina in white jeans and a tailored leather jacket asked to be identified by her initials, K.D. She had dropped out of high school, married and started her own business, but said she didnt feel financially prepared to have a child. She was unaware of the clinics legal battle to stay open, and was upset to hear the news. I just dont understand how other people can choose whats right or what should be done when theyre not in that situation, she said. If maybe they were put in the situation of women, they would think differently. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency WASHINGTON (AP) Two Texas congressmen have introduced legislation to repeal a preferential law that grants Cubans automatic permanent residence if they set foot on U.S. territory. Reps. Blake Farenthold, a Republican, and Henry Cuellar, a Democrat, said Wednesday that the number of Cubans who have entered Texas in the past few months is up 60 percent. PARIS (AP) The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum carnage, officials have told The Associated Press. The network of agile and semiautonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. The officials, including European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker who follows the jihadi networks, described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to target the West. Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks claimed he had entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered "more or less everywhere." But the biggest break yet in the Paris attacks investigation the arrest on Friday of fugitive Salah Abdeslam did not thwart the multipronged attack just four days later on the Belgian capital's airport and subway system that left 31 people dead and an estimated 270 wounded. Three suicide bombers also died. Just as in Paris, Belgian authorities were searching for at least one fugitive in Tuesday's attacks this time for a man wearing a white jacket who was seen on airport security footage with the two suicide attackers. The fear is that the man, whose identity Belgian officials say is not known, will follow Abdeslam's path. After fleeing Paris immediately after the November attacks, Abdeslam forged a new network back in his childhood neighborhood of Molenbeek, long known as a haven for jihadis, and renewed plotting, according to Belgian officials. "Not only did he drop out of sight, but he did so to organize another attack, with accomplices everywhere. With suicide belts. Two attacks organized just like in Paris. And his arrest, since they knew he was going to talk, it was a response: 'So what if he was arrested? We'll show you that it doesn't change a thing,'" said French Senator Nathalie Goulet, co-head of a commission tracking jihadi networks. Estimates range from 400 to 600 Islamic State fighters trained specifically for external attacks, according to the officials, including Goulet. Some 5,000 Europeans have gone to Syria. "The reality is that if we knew exactly how many there were, it wouldn't be happening," she said. Two of the suicide bombers in Tuesday's attacks, Belgian-born brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, were known to authorities as common criminals, not anti-Western radicals until an apartment one of them rented was traced to Abdeslam last week, according to Belgian state broadcaster RTBF. Similarly, an Algerian killed inside that apartment on March 15 had nothing but a petty theft record in Sweden but he'd signed up as an Islamic State suicide bomber for the group in 2014 and returned to Europe as part of the Nov. 13 plot. In claiming responsibility for Tuesday's attack, the Islamic State group described a "secret cell of soldiers" dispatched to Brussels for the purpose. The shadowy cells were confirmed by the EU police agency, Europol, which said in a late January report that intelligence officials believed the group had "developed an external action command trained for special forces-style attacks." French speakers with links to North Africa, France and Belgium appear to be leading the units and are responsible for developing attack strategies in Europe, said a European security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss briefing material. He is also familiar with interrogations of former fighters who have returned to Europe. Some were jailed after leaving IS while others were kicked out of the terror group, and they include Muslims and Muslim converts from all across Europe. Fighters in the units are trained in battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and counter surveillance, the security official said. "The difference is that in 2014, some of these IS fighters were only being given a couple weeks of training," he said. "Now the strategy has changed. Special units have been set up. The training is longer. And the objective appears to no longer be killing as many people as possible but rather to have as many terror operations as possible, so the enemy is forced to spend more money or more in manpower." Similar methods had been developed by al-Qaida but IS has taken it to a new level, he said. Another difference is that fighters are being trained to be their own operators not necessarily to be beholden to orders from the IS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria, or elsewhere. In the case of Tuesday's attacks, Abdeslam's arrest may have been a trigger for a plot that was already far along. Several security officials have said there is growing evidence to suggest the bulk of the training is taking place in Syria, Libya and elsewhere in North Africa. "To pull off an attack of this sophistication, you need training, planning, materials and a landscape," said Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation in London. Maher has conducted extensive interviews with foreign fighters. The research center, based at Kings College in London, has one of the largest databases of fighters and their networks. "Even if they worked flat out, the attackers in Brussels would have needed at least four days," Maher said. The question for many intelligence and security officials is now turning to just how many more fighters have been trained and are ready for more attacks. A senior Iraqi intelligence official who was not authorized to speak publicly said people from the cell that carried out the Paris attacks are scattered across Germany, Britain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. Recently, a new group crossed in from Turkey, the official said. On Wednesday, Turkish authorities said one of the Brussels suicide attackers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, was caught last June near the Syrian border and deported to the Netherlands, with Ankara warning Dutch and Belgian officials that he was a "foreign terrorist fighter." But he was released from Dutch custody due to lack of involvement in extremism. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens said Wednesday that authorities had no reason to detain El Bakraoui because he was "not known for terrorist acts but as a common law criminal who was on conditional release." The latest new name to surface this week, Najim Laachraoui, turned out to be the bombmaker who made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, according to French and Belgian officials. Attackers used an explosive known as Triacetone Triperoxide, or TATP, made from common household chemicals. DNA evidence indicates he died on Tuesday in the suicide attack on the airport, two officials briefed on the investigation told AP. Fifteen kilos of TATP were found in an apartment linked to the Brussels attackers, along with other explosive material. The unidentified man seen on security footage wearing a white jacket and b WACO, Texas (AP) -- A Texas grand jury indicted 48 more bikers Wednesday in connection with a May 2015 shootout outside a Twin Peaks restaurant that left nine dead, bringing the total number of people facing felony charges to 154. Prosecutors in Waco announced that all the bikers indicted are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, meaning they're accused of being complicit in the shooting that also left 20 people injured. Those indicted face 15 years to life in prison if convicted. McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna won indictments against 106 other bikers in November. In a statement issued Wednesday, Reyna did not rule out more indictments in what he called "an ongoing investigation." Six of the 48 people newly indicted have not been arrested yet, and their indictments remain under seal. But Reyna and the McLennan County district clerk's office confirmed they were facing the same charge as other bikers. Many of the bikers say they were at the restaurant for a peaceful gathering of motorcycle clubs. An apparent confrontation outside between the Bandidos and Cossacks became chaotic and bloody as police swarmed into the gunfire and dozens of bikers ran for cover. Prosecutors have not indicted anyone specifically for murder in the nine deaths. Instead, the organized criminal activity charge incorporates allegations that every person indicted was responsible for the deaths and injuries that ensued in the gunfire. The people arrested included members of several motorcycle clubs and groups unaffiliated with the Bandidos or Cossacks. At trial, prosecutors will likely to have to prove that at least one person from each motorcycle club committed a criminal act in order to prove others from that same club were part of a conspiracy, said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a law professor at the University of Houston. "It's less direct culpability that you have to prove," Thompson said. "For the person who didn't use a weapon and who didn't commit a killing, all they have to prove is that they're a member of a street gang. This is pretty standard law in the states and the federal government." Investigators have offered few details publicly about what sparked the fight or how the gunfire played out. Police have cited a gag order in the criminal case of one of the bikers. Media groups including The Associated Press have fought the order, contending it is overly broad and unconstitutional. Much of the narrative has come from the evidence obtained by the AP. Ballistics reports show four of the nine people killed were struck by the same caliber of rifle fired by Waco police. Officers only used .223-caliber rifles that day, though it's not clear if any bikers also did. Police and the district attorney's office have defended the officers' use of force, claiming that bikers had also opened fire on authorities. Even if police officers fired the ultimately fatal shots, prosecutors could still convict bikers in the deaths if they can prove the bikers were part of the criminal conspiracy and police were only responding to an already violent scene, Thompson said. Walter Reaves, a Waco defense attorney and Baylor University law professor, called prosecutors' interpretation of the law "unprecedented." "It's guilt by association and guilt by presence is what it amounts to," Reaves said, adding: "I don't really know how you prove how each of those people intentionally or knowingly killed." The Midland Police Department is making the right call in accepting body cameras. The Midland City Council approved on Tuesday an item that calls for the city of Midland to submit a grant application for the Body-Worn Camera Program through the Office of the Governor of Texas Criminal Justice Division. The funds from this grant -- and required matching funds -- will be used to purchase body-worn cameras for police officers, according to an agenda packet document. The funds also will be used to purchase digital video storage and retrieval systems. While we would have preferred that MPD moved faster in bringing this technology to its officers, we credit Chief Price Robinson for doing the right thing. The cameras ultimately will protect the image of our communitys police department. As we have written here before, the excuses for not having this new technology dont measure up to the positives. Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter previously told the Reporter-Telegram that body cameras compliment cameras in the patrol cars, will be a tool to garner more evidence to ensure convictions, will provide another teaching tool for law enforcement officials and help confirm when members of law enforcement act as we expect them to act. Painter said this week the cameras have lived up to that billing and have had a positive impact on the sheriffs office. He said things can get so busy at the scene that deputies dont remember every detail, but cameras provide video and audio. He said the recordings protect evidence at the scene and even protect his deputies when they have acted as community members would expect. We have had people come in, wanting to file a complaint, Painter said. Then when they know we have video, they say never mind. Painter also said that the camera provides a teaching tool because the video can demonstrate to a law enforcement officer things that need to be improved. As we have written here before, law enforcement officials, particularly those working on the streets every day, have a job that is infinitely more difficult than most residents realize. We hope Midlanders join us in appreciating their service and their willingness to protect this community. Having body cameras will give those hard-working men and women another tool to do their job the best they can. We appreciate that as well. Clean Snowmobile Challenge Winners Announced Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2016 The local ski shop in Houghton, Michigan has held an El Nino is a Jerk sale all winter. But in spite of the warm temperatures and melting snow, students from around the northern hemisphere gathered at Michigan Technological University to test their cleaner, quieter snowmobiles. The Clean Snowmobile Challenge is an annual competition through SAE International, hosted by Michigan Techs Keweenaw Research Center and the Department of Mechanical Engineering Engineering Mechanics. The events and tests are held north of Houghton at the Keweenaw Research Center, where student teams run a gambit of tests ranging from a 100-mile Endurance Run to oral presentations to noise and emissions measurements. They compete in three categories: internal combustion, diesel utility class and zero emissions. Winners Internal combustion is the largest category. The University of Wisconsin-Madison team, winners of last years competition, took home the traveling MacLean-Fogg Cup again and the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association award for first place overall. They also set the bar for clean and quiet: taking home awards for lowest in service emissions sponsored by Sensors, Inc. and quietest snowmobile sponsored by the PCB Group, as well as the SAE International award for best overall internal combustion design. Competition was stiff, however, and the runner-up teams in internal combustion were close behind. Ecole De Technologie Superieure and Clarkson University placed second in a virtual tie, the final competition points were within 0.1 percent of each other. Ecole De Technologie Superieure also took home the best safety award; Clarkson also won the CAMSO best performance award. The zero emissions category, which covers electric snowmobiles, posed a major challenge. The category is of interest to many research organizations seeking ways to travel in polar regions without contaminating experiment samples. Lapland University of Applied Sciences, the winners from last year, also took the lead again this year, winning the John Deere Electronic Solutions award for first place. They also won best overall electric design from SAE International. Lapland also traveled 19.2 miles on a single charge, the second longest miles achieved in CSC history. Michigan Tech had the second highest point score and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was third. However, both failed to compete in the distance event. Although a smaller categorywith only two teams competingthe diesel utility class represent a unique group, one that students say focuses on hard work over performance, which is important for agricultural and small engine-based industries. North Dakota State University once again placed first receiving the John Deere Power Systems award. The University of Buffalo team was unable to compete in the emission and range test, but they were recognized by DENSO and BASF for their bold use of a very modern diesel engine with the Innovation award and the Best of the Best award, respectively. Besides the overall winners, other teams caught the attention of the judges for their work in specific areas. Rochester Institute of Technology won the AVL best overall IC lab emissions awardmeeting the high standards of the mechanical engineers and companies assessing the snowmobiles. They also won a portable 5-gas analyzer from Horiba to help them in future years. This is the second year Horiba has acknowledged a Team in Need. The University of Idaho won the Gage Products best fuel economy, a crucial part of making the students prototypes both cleaner and marketable; they also took home the Faurecia award for most innovative emissions design and the ENovations Can-Do E-Controls Award. Marketability is considered important for the teams and weighs in on the teams scores. Kettering University is the Blue Ribbon Coalition most practical design winner while the University of Idaho won the Kohler most likely to be manufactured award. Perhaps the most prestigious award won by the University of Idaho is the Founders award for being the Most Sportsmanlike in the eyes of other teams. Another aspect is usability; after all, snowmobiles need to be fun to ride. The University of WisconsinPlatteville took both awards for Woody's best acceleration and Polaris Industries best handling. They also won the Hayes Performance Systems Trail Trac Award. The University of Minnesota Duluth won the Mahle Powertrain best engine design. Michigan Tech won the Continental Emitec award for best value. Noise and Emissions The Keweenaw Research Center shop is a wide-open space, separated with toolboxes and tapelines. The main room smells like oil, with a strong whiff of hurry up and wait. Students and volunteers wearing safety glasses pack the room. Lounging doesnt last long as teams are called up to run diagnostic tests and have their sleds looked over. Each test is meant to assess a different aspect of emissions and noise control for the sleds. This Unscripted story dives deep into what it takes to engineer a cleaner, quieter sled. It's no easy featthe students prepare for months in advance and have to meet the high standards set by SAE International to even compete. The work has real meaning, though: Just this past fall in Michigan, for example, the Department of Natural Resources announced they would be cracking down on snowmobile noise on state trails. "We want to challenge students to create better, cleaner and quieter sleds," says Sean Egmon, from the sponsoring company AVL North America, who oversees the emissions tests. Its not easy, but some of these teams were innovative and really rose to the occasion. The process is nerve wracking for the teams, however. Its heartbreaking, watching all your hard work for the past year get tested in a matter of minutes, commented one team member from University of WisconsinMadison. This is the make it or break it event. Endurance Run Another all or nothing event is the Endurance Run. To pass this test, students drive their snowmobile from the Keweenaw Research Center to Copper Harbor, a 100-mile trip. Not everyone makes it. This year, teams had to contend with warm weathernot ideal for engines designed to operate through the cold winter months. Because of temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, only six teams made it: Clarkson University, Ecole De Technologie Superieure, University of Idaho, Michigan Tech, University of WisconsinPlatteville and the University of Waterloo. Next Year The Keweenaw Peninsula is practically guaranteed to have snow, making it an ideal winter wonderland for hosting the Clean Snowmobile Challenge. Next years registration opens in October. Jay Meldrum, one of the event organizers and director of the Keweenaw Research Center, hopes to continue expanding the event. He especially hopes for more competitors in the zero emissions and diesel utility categories. The gauntlet is thrown, Meldrum says, challenging students to push into these newer and sometimes more challenging arenas. We now have good competition and success in the internal combustion category, but just a few years ago, barely half the sleds ever made it out of the shop. I want to see this in electric and diesel. Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigans flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure. An unreleased demo of a song called "To Be Love" was recorded by the late performer David Bowie in 1970, and this week the artist's former producer, Ron de Strulle, has shared it with the world this week. In a new interview with The Huffington Post, de Strulle shares details behind the recording process of this song, which took place at LA's Roxbury Road Studios. Listen to the song and find out more about the gone-too-soon musician below. In 1970, Bowie was hardly the act we all know so well these days. This demo song that he recorded at this legendary studio was one producers first glimpse at the talent that would become one of the most prolific artists in history. "My first impression of David was that he was warm, open, friendly, and not looking for star treatment like most of the other artists who came to RR Studios. He was interested in the production process and excited about anything creative," the producer told The Huffington Post, according to Consequence of Sound. "He was blown away by the studio and very interested in how to get each sound. He loved John Lennon's vocal effects and George Martin's way of working with bands of sounds with different frequencies. David could pick up an instrument and play anything. He would say 'I never played this instrument before,' and then he would cut loose and play. Pure genius." As the producer on the track, de Strulle owns the rights to "To Be Love." This week though, he's shared it with the world. You can download this unreleased song right now over at Mind Body Network right now! We can't embed the song, but check out the title track of his final album, Blackstar, and its music video right here: 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. We have independently selected these offers and products because we love them and we think you might like them at these prices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may earn a commission if you buy something through our links. Items are Please enable JavaScript to experience the functionality of this website. - MWEB Someone should sue the President for ... Columbia, CA One might call it a recovery within a recovery. Habitat for Humanity of Tuolumne County (HFHTC), which has locally operated for over 17 years as an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, reports that it will be incorporating some generously donated lumber resulting from an excess of post-Rim Fire-recovered timber into its current project. As previously reported here, the nonprofit recently embarked on its most ambitious build yet; the simultaneous construction of four homes for deserving local families at its Columbia-based Parrotts Ferry subdivision. According to HFHTC spokesperson Betsy Harden, Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is responsible for the gift, which is both a windfall for the project as well as a wonderful symbolic gesture. The inspiration to approach SPI, she says, came at the suggestion of a local vendor who pointed out the abundance of lumber coming to market as a result of the Rim Fire disaster. Previously, SPI had donated all the cedar for the exterior fencing around the Parrotts Ferry project, Harden shares, But we had not thought about going to them for some of our actual home-building materials. Since the Habitat project was remounting after impacts from both the wildfire and, ahead of that, the Great Recession, organizers thought perhaps SPI might well be interested in being part of the builds recovery. As Harden happily recounts, So we contacted them, and they went for itthey are donating all the framing lumber for two homes, which represents, roughly a $10,000 savings to uswhat we would have spent if we had to go out and purchase it. She adds that Habitat hopes to ask the local mill folks if their employees would like to come out for a Build Day someday soon, using their lumber donation. Harden estimates that the current build will take about 12 months and the organization is now set up to keep pace through the end of the entire project. We have 24 units to complete, so we should be able to get it done within six years, she states. So far, foundations were poured and first-flooring framing is in for the duplex that will house two of the four units now underway. She gently emphasizes, with a twinkle, We are accepting volunteers out there. If you are interestedyou can either go to our website and just click on the button that says Volunteer or call the construction office at 288-2096we can take volunteers Tuesday through Saturday. For more details, click here. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump View Photos Sonora, CA As the Presidential race continues to roll along, Californias June Primary may play a pivotal role later this year. A new Public Policy Institute of California Poll finds that Hillary Clinton has the support of 48% of California Democrats and Bernie Sanders is at 41%. The polling was conducted March 6-15. On the Republican side, Donald Trump holds a double-digit lead over his nearest rival with support of 38% of likely Republican primary voters. Ted Cruz registers second with 27% and John Kasich and Marco Rubio both register 12%. The poll shows Clinton is favored (63%) over Sanders among Democrats over the age of 45. Meanwhile, younger Democrats (63%) like Sanders. Clinton leads among Democrats that identify themselves as middle of the road, Latino, and female voters. Sanders has more support among men, and those identifying themselves as very liberal. Meanwhile, the poll finds that Trump leads the Republican candidates among all age, education, gender and income groups. Taking a look at the California US Senate race, where it is an open primary, 26% support Democratic Attorney General Kamala Harris, 17% are for Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, 9% for former Republican state Chairman Tom Del Beccaro and 6% for former GOP state Chairman Duf Sundheim. Among likely voters, regardless of party, 53% approve of President Obamas job performance, but only 14% of approve of Congress. On other issues, 68% of likely voters say spending more money on road and bridge maintenance is important to Californias future vitality, only 45% approve of the Governors proposed Twin Tunnel water project and 44% say the state should continue to build high speed rail. The House Ethics Committee has officially opened an investigation into Congresswoman Corrine Brown over a number of allegations, including "fraudulent activity'' with an unnamed organization. The committee will defer to the Justice Department and not actively pursue the probe because of the federal investigation. The panel also is aware of allegations that Brown may have improperly solicited charitable donations, used campaign money for personal use, and failed to comply with tax laws. Earlier this month, Carla Wiley, a close associate of Brown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and agreed to testify as part of a larger probe into the activities of a purported charity called One Door for Education. Court papers say funds to the charity were used to fund parties and extravagances in Washington. A Flagler County man remains in jail after deputies say he intentionally set sand dunes on fire at the beach. Deputies said just two days ago the beach at Varn Park was nearly destroyed and littered with ashes and beer bottles by 34-year old Christopher Munson. We obtained the 911 calls from the sheriff's office. Caller: "I'm coming down A1A. There is a huge brush fire obviously in the dunes. This guy is over here and he's lit the dunes on fire." Caller: "The fire is close to being out of control." Witnesses said the man would set the fires, stomp them out and then start them all over again. Deputies said when they got to the beach Munson had burned 50 by 200 feet of the dunes in the area. Deputies said Munson was found sitting in a chair, with a lighter in his pocket, singing. He allegedly told them he loves to visit the dunes at night to meditate. The deputy said Munson told him that's his favorite part of the beach and he also had his guitar with him. But the dunes belong the state and are protected by Florida law. We checked Munson's criminal history and found he's been arrested seven times including battery and drug charges. Mug shot of Christopher Munson. Medical waste that was found two months ago in a wooded area in Longwood is still there. On Wednesday, News 13 checked back and it appears no one has even begun to clean up the medicine boxes and IV bags that someone found dumped along the a trail in Longwood back in early January. At that time Longwood police said they had removed any medicine or other materials that could be dangerous and the property owner told them the trash would be cleaned up in a few days. Now more than two months later, we not only found it still there but also found old appliances and other trash dumped in the area. News 13 contacted the Longwood Police Department for an update on their investigation into who dumped the medical waste but we have not yet heard back from them on where that investigation stands. Anastasia Jean loves going to the Engelwood Neighborhood Center after school. "Because I like to go to the computer lab and the gym," Anastasia said. In fact, it is Spring Break right now but the first grader at Engelwood Elementary School is still participating in extra-curricular activities and getting help with her homework at the city's community center. Like sometimes theres something hard I dont remember, like 13 plus 14. I dont understand the numbers so I need help," Anastasia said. I think its a tremendous help. Shes above average, she stayed above average, they always help here after school with work, as well as any activities after school that shes involved in. I think those also help her academically as well," shared Anastasia's mother, Tiffney Jones. According to the Education Equality Index, the partnership between Orange County Public Schools and the City of Orlando is creating a more level playing field for low-income families by offering spring and summer break learning loss programs. Its no cost for me to bring her here and thats a big factor as well," Jones added. Truly, when the community steps up it makes a tremendous difference," said Orange County School Board Chairman Bill Sublette. Orlando is stepping up their efforts even more at the Engelwood Neighborhood Center to help students, by hiring teachers to offer after-school academic support every day through a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant. Closing those achievement gaps between our high and our low-income students and between our minority and our non-minority populations, its really probably the single most important metric for a public school system," Sublette shared. "So were extremely proud of this report," Sublette continued. Engelwood Elementary, which is located just off Semoran Boulevard between Lake Underhill and Curry Ford Road, has been recognized as one of the top 10 Orlando area schools with the smallest achievement gap. In the report, national education leaders said the Orange County / Orlando model is an example more cities from across the nation can learn from. In the summer time, she could just be sitting at home with her older sister but thats not something that she wants either. She likes it here and she wants to be here, so the learning that they teach here is also something that she likes to do," Jones said. According to the EEI, the 10 Orlando area schools home to a small or nonexistent achievement gap that serve a student population where the majority of students receive free or reduced price lunch are: The He Got Up celebration on Easter Sunday is designed to be the largest resource fair to help thousands of homeless and impoverished people, organizers said. Volunteers are hitting the streets of Central Florida Thursday to find those in need and encourage them to come to the event. They will be in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties to register people and find out their needs. Pastor Tim Johnson, who is the senior pastor at Orlando World Outreach Center, created the event. There are hundreds of thousands of people across the country that are not well, said Johnson. Its not that they want to not be well, but its that they have found themselves in situations that have handicapped them and their ability to be self-sustainable. Organizers hope to have 30,000 people in need attend the event on Sunday. A variety of services will be provided. Those who attend will receive food, apply for IDs, and even take showers. Its inspiring to help those who are in need, said Tonja Graham, a volunteer. Ive been in need, my family has been in need. He Got Up takes place at the Citrus Bowl on March 27. For more information about the event, go to www.orlandoservefoundation.org Central Florida honored some of its Everyday Heroes Thursday. The 52 people who were profiled last year in News 13s Everyday Hero segments attended a special luncheon in their honor at The Alfond Inn in Winter Park. These are people who come from all walks of life, from doctors in Clermont raising awareness about men's health to a woman in Orlando helping the homeless in the Parramore area. Ed Heiland, frequent host of the Everyday Hero segments, said the winners all had one thing in common: They were regular people. You live by example, you lead by example, and Central Florida is a better place because of you, Heiland said. Molly Halladay is one of those regular people. The 87-year-old was excited and nervous at the luncheon. She was profiled last December for her 33 years of volunteer work at Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando. Ive been volunteering for Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando since 1983, Halladay said. Just doing filing in the office and anything else they needed. I really appreciate this. For Amber Larkin, her calling as an Everyday Hero came out of tragedy. Her son, Noah, was diagnosed with cancer. She started a foundation to back an experimental therapy called Noah Protocol. Its not about me, its about my amazing son, Larkin said. Although Larkin lost her son, the Noah Protocol is now helping other children with cancer. Larkin says shell continue to help spread the Noah Protocol. Were going to continue with these NK cell therapies, these immune-based therapies, expand on it to include other doctors and other places, Larkin said. This has to change for our children. Mike McKenzie says the luncheon was wonderful, but now its all about moving forward. He founded Vision of Flight in 2011, which is dedicated to getting young people interested in aviation, from air traffic controllers to pilots. We keep on doing what were doing, McKenzie said. We just have more intensity behind it. We feel the energy and the recognition. It gives you extra inspiration. From the 52 Everyday Heroes, six were chosen for special awards: Young Hero of the Year Volunteer of the Year Public Service Hero of the Year Education Hero of the Year The Viewers Choice Hero Overall Hero of the Year To find out who won, watch our Third Annual Salute to Everyday Heroes special, airing Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. on News 13. If you would like to nominate an Everyday Hero, head to the Everyday Hero section of our website. Take a look at the stories for all the Everyday Heroes of 2015 below. An Allegiant flight from Orlando aborted three attempts to make it to its Michigan destination Wednesday before arriving a day later on the fourth try. Allegiant Flight 682 took off from Orlando-Sanford International Airport at 3:21 p.m. bound for Grand Rapids. It returned to Orlando-Sanford about an hour later because of a mechanical issue, according to the airline. The second aircraft pushed back at 5:52 p.m. but returned to the gate about a 1/2 hour later because of another mechanical issue, the airline said. The third aircraft pushed back at 8:46 p.m. but returned to the gate about 45 minutes later because of a cabin lighting issues. On Thursday, Flight 682 was rescheduled as Flight 5682. It took off from Orlando-Sanford and landed in Grand Rapids just before 11 a.m. Passengers were given hotel rooms overnight, offered free reservation changes, food and drinks at the gate and vouchers for future travel, the airline said. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released its Florida black bear population estimates Thursday that show the population is large and growing. The updated estimates that show just how many black bears are living in each part of Florida including in Central Florida. New estimates released by FWC show the states black bear population is up 60 percent compared to estimates from back in 2002. But FWC officials arent yet saying whether the long-term growth will lead to more FWC authorized statewide bear hunts. The updated population estimates show us our bear populations are robust and growing, said Dr. Thomas Eason, director of FWCs Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. To get the latest numbers, FWC officials set up dozens of barbwire enclosures across 11 million acres of Florida. The enclosures had food in them to lure the bears. FWC then collected hairs from bears that brushed by the barbwire and used mathematical models to devise the population estimates. FWC took those hairs and conducted extensive scientific analysis to determine how many bears live in each area of the state. A rapidly growing bear population is part of the reason FWC authorized the very controversial statewide black bear hunt last October. In November, 304 bears were killed during Florida's first statewide black bear hunt in 21 years When asked about another bear hunt this year, FWC officials say its too early to tell and they dont even have a timetable set on when they will decide that. On a conference call with FWC, News 13 asked state officials about a proposal by Seminole County Commissioners to possibly ban bear-hunting in the county. Our commission hasnt even made a decision on whether there will be another bear hunt, so Id say some of that is premature. I would also point out Seminole County has been a key partner and a leader in Florida on bear-wise ordinances, said Eason. Despite numerous attacks and problems involving black bears in Seminole County, the bear population in Central Florida had the smallest increase in the state at just 19 percent. FWC says thats because the black bear population has always been well-established in the Central Florida Bear Management Unit, while the bear population has grown into other areas of the state where bears werent as prevalent before. RELATED SAN ANGELO - The top selling ram of the 2015-2016 Texas A&M AgriLifeRam Performance Test and Sale is headed to Utah, a test official said. The high selling ram was TAES 9107, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research-bred ram. The Rambouillet ram sold for $1,350 to Tracy Stamatakis of Price, Utah, said Dr. Dan Waldron, AgriLife Research geneticist and the tests coordinator at San Angelo. The tests high indexing ram was a commercial Rambouillet x Merino crossbred animal bred by AgriLife Research. It completed the test weighing 271 pounds and produced 11.4 pounds of clean wool. That ram sold for $1,000 to H.B. Edmondson of Ballinger. The March 18 sale saw 10 rams sold at auction at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo. Sales receipts totaled $7,450 or $745 per head. Several high performing rams were offered for sale, however there were not as many rams offered with very fine fleeces as there were in the 2015 sale, Waldron said. Buyers were willing to pay more for rams with the finer higher valued fleeces as evidenced by the top four prices paid being for rams with fleeces finer than 20 microns. Two of those rams went to Utah. The remainder of the rams in the sale had fleeces in the 20 to 21 micron range. Waldron said the tests main purpose is to identify and document superior rams to be used for flock improvement. Consequently, some of the five breeders with animals in the test retained many of the 57 rams completing this years test to improve their own flocks. Besides Stamatakis who bought the two rams going to Utah and Edmondson, other buyers were Mark White of San Angelo, and the partnership of Rabel-Forbes of Kaycee, Wyoming. Robbie Eckhoff, executive secretary of the American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Association from Hawley, presented a certificate of merit to James Schunke of the Schunke Ranch at Goldthwaite, the breeder of the tests top indexing registered ram. The certificate recognized that the animal met all the associations performance requirements during the test and had the superior index value among all the registered rams. White was the rams buyer. The ram test has been conducted by AgriLife Research since 1948, Waldron said. For more information on the annual Ram Performance Test, pictures of the top indexing and selling animals and a complete listing of test and sale results, go to: http://sanangelo.tamu.edu and click on the performance tests link. AMARILLO - The Texas Panhandle Scout School, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will be held April 5 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 Amarillo Blvd. West, Amarillo. The training is open to anyone interested in learning about scouting and identifying insect pests of corn, grain sorghum and cotton, said Dr. Ed Bynum, AgriLife Extension entomologist in Amarillo. Petersburg ISD has named a lone finalist in its search for a new school superintendent. On Monday, PISD's board of trustees named Drew Howard as the finalist for the position. If hired, Howard will replace current interim superintendent David Foote, a longtime Petersburg teacher who came out of retirement to fill in the spot. Foote replaced former superintendent Joseph O'Malley who departed from the school district in May. In accordance with Texas Government Code, a 219day waiting period must pass before any final action is taken to appoint Howard. Currently, Howard is an elementary principal at Peaster ISD, just northeast of Weatherford. Howard has spent nearly two years at the school. Prior to that, Howard worked for a year as principal at the Gilbert Intermediate School in Stephenville. Before being promoted to principal, Howard was an assistant principal at the district for two years. Howard started his teaching career at Peaster in 2006 and moved to Lipan in 2007. Howard earned his Master's Degree in Education from Tarleton State in 2009 and is now working on his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration at the university. United Blood Services in Lubbock has issued an appeal for all blood donors in Plainview. As more people travel to areas that are affected by the Zika virus, donations have decreased. The blood supply has been greatly impacted. Barnhunt practice is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at the Lockney Fairgrounds show barn in Lockney. Cost is $10 per dog for unlimited runs. Information about barnhunt can be found on the barnhunt.com website. They welcome beginner teams to came and become hooked on the sport. Practice is sponsored by K9 staR Barnhunters. All dogs on lease and no aggressive dogs are allowed. The Floyd County Veterans Memorial by the Floydada Court House will be updated to include veterans who served in the armed services, but inadvertently omitted when the original monument was dedicated or who completed their military service following dedication. To have a veterans name added the monument, application forms must be returned by April 25 to the Floyd County Historical Museum, 105. E. Missouri St., Floydada, TX 79235. Donations to help maintain the memorial also are being accepted. The Edmonson Volunteer Fire Department will host its annual pancake supper from 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the Edmonson Community Building. Cost is $7 per person for all-you-can-eat pancakes. Keep Plainview Beautiful is sponsoring a free tree giveaway beginning at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, at Gebos, 2803 Olton Rd. The first 200 people will receive a Shumard Oak seedling. Hale County 4-Hers will be on hand to pass out planting instructions and information about trees. Hale County Soil and Water Conservation District is donating the trees. Contact Beverly Wall at 774-1040 for more information. Plainview High Class of 1981 will hold its 35th Class Reunion on June 10-11. Information will be posted on the groups Facebook page, Plainview High School Class of 1981. Contact Murry Burkhart at mburkhart@freshexpress.com or Gerald Dean Calk Holt at mamagholt@hotmail.com for more information. The next meeting of the Literary Lunch Bunch is at noon Tuesday, May 3, in Van Howeling, Room 104 on the Wayland campus. Books to be discussed are My History: A Memoir of Growing Up, Antonia Fraser; The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver; March, Geraldine Brooks; Leaving Time, Jodi Picoult; and The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov. The Plainview Area Self-Help Group of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society meets the first Monday of every other month at 6:30 p.m. at Ninth and Columbia Street Church of Christ. Meetings will be held in April, June, August, October and December. Its for people with MS and those who have loved ones suffering from MS. For information, email ms.ret.ed@gmail.com. Thanks Vets and Welcome Home is an RSVP (Ready to Serve Volunteer Program) project to let returning veterans know how much their service to our country is appreciated. A resource notebook in a gift basket will be presented to veterans returning to live in the Floyd, Hale or Lamb counties. Call RSVP at 806-291-1224 or come by 825 Austin in Plainview. Paws Pet Adoption has a small fund available to provide partial financial assistance to lower-income Plainview residents to spay/neuter a family pet. Applications are available from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the animal shelter, 500 S.W. Third. The Friends of the Unger Library sells used magazines for 10 cents (5 cents for National Geographics). Any donations of magazines published in the past two years are welcome. Please bring them by the public library at the corner of Ninth and Austin streets. Hale County farmers and landowners that need areas sprayed by the Noxious Weed Control District should either visit the boards website at halecountynoxiousweeds.com or contact Lewis Senter, board supervisor, at 806-292-4750 Free GED classes are available for adults from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 1407 W. Fifth in the South Plains Community Action building. Everyone is welcome. Call the Plainview Adult Learning Center, 296-5459, for more information. Free night GED and ESL classes are available at Ash High School, 908 Ash St. They run from 5-8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays in Room 206 for GED and Room 208 for ESL. The ESL classes will teach basic skills of English to non-English speakers. The GED class will help prepare participants for the English, Social Studies, Math and Science subjects tested on the new and improved GED test. Contact Karen Latimer at 806-729-4851 for GED information and Ofelia Lopez at 806-292-0607 for ESL. Hosting a foreign exchange student with American Cultural Exchange Service could be a fun way to learn about other countries and cultures. Students speak English and have health insurance and personal spending money, and host families must provide a separate bed and in-house meals. Those interested should contact ACES local coordinator Kevin Foster in Amarillo at 806-352-4214, email ktexa2@clearwire.net or visit www.exploretheworld.org. The April Readers Page will be published April 6. Readers are invited to submit original poetry, essays, features and photos to: Readers Page, 820 Broadway, Plainview, TX 79072; bring them to the Herald at 820 Broadway; or email to dmcdonough@hearstnp.com. All submissions should include a name, town and daytime phone number. Copies of the "A Town Too Proud To Die," commemorating the 1965 Hale Center tornado, are available for purchase at Vista Bank, 3000 Olton Rd., in Plainview. Cost is $50. The Disabled American Veterans Mobile Service Office will make several stops in the region to provide free counseling and claim filing assistance to all veterans and family members. The stops include: --Monday, March 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., DAV R.L. Ferguson Chapter 44, 7414 83rd St., Lubbock --Tuesday, March 29, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., DAV J.E. Pietzsch Chapter 26, 600 W. Seventh St., Amarillo. Plainview Civic Music Association is taking advantage of the April 15-16 world premiere of Dr. Gary Belshaws two-act comic opera incident at Burro Java to heighten awareness of the need for donations to the Plainview Symphony. Ticket prices cannot cover all the expenditures incurred as the Symphony pursues its mission. Through April 4, the Symphony is conducting its Opera Promotions Fund campaign. Special incentives are offered for donations of any amount, including concert posters, autographed copies of the musical score and more. For information and to purchase opera tickets, visit www.pvsymphony.org or call 806-685-2879. To submit This and That items: dmcdonough@hearstnp.com 806.296.1353 Image source: Shake Shack. The battle for supremacy in the realm of quick-service restaurants often boils down to quality vs. quantity. If you want sheer volume of sustenance, Yum! Brands' Taco Bell is the poster child. A few bucks can go a long way there. Yum! Brands' KFC and Pizza Hut also offer a good bang for the buck. Shake Shack , on the other hand, toils away in the "better burger" category where folks come in expecting to pay a bit more for burgers made of patties that are 100% all-natural Angus beef with no hormones or antibiotics. It's not just the menu that's pricier at Shake Shack when pitted against Yum! Brands. Shake Shack trades at a lofty 87 times this year's projected profit and a still heady 69 times next year's target. Yum! Brands, on the other hand, fetches more reasonable multiples of 22 and 19 forecasts for 2016 and 2017, respectively. Yum! Brands also yields a modest 2.3% dividend. It will probably be several years before Shake Shack initiates a distribution policy. This would seem to suggest that Yum! Brands is the smarter purchase at this point, but there's more to a stock's upside than payouts and P/E ratios. We need to assess where each company is in its growth cycle, for starters, and that's where Shake Shack has an obvious advantage. Yum! Brands and its franchisees opened 2,365 new eateries last year, and systemwide sales grew at a mere 5% clip. Shake Shack opened just 21 units in 2015, and its revenue soared 64% for the year. There are still outlets for growth for Yum! Brands. It's opening its first Taco Bell in China, for example. However, Shake Shack has several years of double-digit percentage growth at the unit level. This is why Shake Shack -- with most of its domestic locations run as company-owned operations -- should grow its sales and earnings at a much faster clip than Yum! Brands through at least the next few years. Growth matters. Analysts see revenue at Yum! Brands climbing just 3% this year. The midpoint of Shake Shack's guidance pegs its top line clocking in with a 26% gain. A new item -- like the Chick'n Shack sandwich that was introduced earlier this year -- can move the needle. It remains to be seen if Taco Bell's Quesalupa, Pizza Hut's stuffed garlic knots-crusted pizza, or KFC's Nashville Hot Chicken can do the same. The upside comes at a price, naturally. Shake Shack trades at fat premium to both the market and Yum! Brands across all valuation measuring sticks. It also carries the risk that comes with running a single hot concept, even though the diversification at Yum! Brands couldn't spare its financial results from sputtering when it was rocked in China. Revenue has actually declined at Yum! Brands in two of the past three years. However, both companies are home to great brands, and comps continue to outperform the restaurant industry at both Yum! Brands and Shake Shack. If you're willing to stomach the risk in the pursuit of greater returns Shake Shack may be the right stock for you, but you also will probably fare well in Yum! Brands if it's able to hold up well and offload the risk of its Chinese operations as it plans to do later this year. It's a battle of quantity versus quality, but both options can be appetizing for hungry 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 Better Buy: Shake Shack Inc. vs. Yum! Brands originally appeared on Fool.com. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. File photo San Antonio activist investor Sardar Biglari alleges hes been defamed by a local investment adviser who distributed a document that Biglari says contained false and disparaging statements, including at least one that appeared in a Forbes magazine column. But Biglari isnt suing Forbes or the columnist. Dear Abby: I find myself sometimes wanting to commit the most heinous of crimes. The desire to do this has been with me my entire life. I was sexually abused by my mother and oldest brother. While thats no excuse, I understand why I may be the way I am. At 51, I have never committed any act against a young girl, but the desire is clearly there for me. The issue before me is that if I seek help for this problem, those who can provide it are required by law in this state to report me. How am I to overcome these urges when no matter what I do I am considered guilty? Anonymous in America Dear Anonymous: You should be discussing these feelings with a licensed mental health professional. If fear that you will be arrested is what is holding you back, please be aware that if the urge or feeling is not directed at anyone in particular, a therapist is not required to report what you are confiding. However, if there is a direct threat toward a specific individual, it must be reported, even if nothing has occurred. Dear Abby: I have attended many events where the national anthem has been sung by an invited guest and many where it has been recorded. When the national anthem is being sung live, is it disrespectful to the performer to sing along? Some people who sing along are off-key or sing so loud they drown out the performance for the unfortunate attendees seated near them. Audrey in Arizona Dear Audrey: Our national anthem is notoriously difficult to sing, as many professionals have discovered to their embarrassment when they tried to perform it publicly. At large events during which the anthem is played, it is not uncommon for many of the audience members to be so filled with patriotic fervor that they join in. If memory serves me, the volume is usually so loud that no one can hear whats coming out of their mouths. To the best of my knowledge, no rule of etiquette forbids anyone from singing along with Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks or Renee Fleming if they have the nerve to try. Dear Abby: I am an old lady, happy I can still get around using a cane. I would like to thank the many people who take the extra time to open a door for me or hold it open longer so I can get through. I am grateful for their help, and being offered a place ahead of them in the checkout line is beyond appreciated. Thank you, thank you. However, may I offer a suggestion to those helpful folks, often robust men, who want to do more? If I look unsteady, please do not grab me by the arm and try to steer me like an empty bicycle! Instead, hold your arm out for me to lean on and allow me to do the navigating. It may be slow, but with your help, it will be safe. Caryl in New Mexico Dear Caryl: Thats an excellent suggestion, and one I hope helpful readers of both sexes will pay attention to. Try to imagine a movie that could make you want to blow up a perfectly innocent, absolutely adorable little girl. Try to conceive a set of circumstances in which such an action might be acceptable to you. And then, after deciding such a thing is beyond possibility, go see Eye in the Sky for an education in modern warfare. Directed by Gavin Hood and written by Guy Hibbert, Eye in the Sky deals with the ethical questions surrounding the use of drones. At least half of the film depicts people staring at screens and arguing about what to do and somehow this makes for intense drama. Add in that it features Helen Mirren at her icy best and Alan Rickman, who is outstanding in his last on-screen performance, and that should be enough to recommend it. Mirren plays a British colonel working for military intelligence who has been tracking various terrorists for several years. Now some of the most dangerous, ranking members of this terrorist organization think ISIS or Al Qaeda are going to be in the same house in Kenya. And so she coordinates with Kenyan officials on the scene and with the Americans, who have the eyes in the sky, drones capable of following the terrorists movements. All is going according to plan for about 15 minutes, when the terrorists go off to another house, in the middle of a district that cant be invaded by police. The house is in a part of town run by the terrorists, and any attempt to make an arrest would result in a horrible battle, with lots of civilian casualties and the very real possibility of the lead terrorists getting away. So what starts off as an arrest plan becomes a different plan altogether to use a hellfire missile, fired from a drone, to blow up the terrorists in the house. The film takes place in several areas of activity. The Colonel (Mirren) heads the command center, and she is ready to blow up half the world to get these terrorists, one in particular. Rickman, as a general, sits in a boardroom with politicians, trying to persuade them to allow the drone strike. And Aaron Paul is the bombardier, controlling the drone from a console somewhere in the United States. Eye in the Sky *** Quick take: Inside remote-control killing See More Collapse Though Pauls scenes are played straight, the idea of Aaron Paul as a bombardier is actually funny if you think about it. This is an actor who specializes in characters who do terrible things and then feel horribly guilty afterward. Thus, he spends half of Eye in the Sky with his eyes filling with tears and his face frozen and throbbing with misery. He has the kind of sensitivity that would be valued in a friend, although the thought of an American army full of guys like Paul would be pretty terrifying. In contrast with the drama of Pauls scenes, Hibbert combines drama with black comedy in the boardroom interludes. Thats a tone that Rickman understood instinctively and played expertly, never losing the drama while injecting shadings of comedy. Watching the timid British officials do their best to avoid making decisions evokes both humor and frustration. From an American perspective, its also amusing that on two occasions U.S. government officials make an appearance, and they are portrayed as having none of the reticence of their British colleagues. Eye in the Sky is refreshing in its lack of a political message. Mirren is chilling as the cold-blooded colonel, but her point of view is more than understandable, even justifiable, just as Pauls reluctant soldier is both right and wrong as well. In a situation in which a good option does not exist, the choice is only between degrees of bad, and so its impossible for anyone to be entirely right. The moral discussion in Eye in the Sky amounts to various people deciding which variety of culpability they can live with. Its an awful place to be, and the movie puts us where we already were and didnt quite know it right in there with them. Running time:102 minutes Photos by Ilana Panich-Linsman /New York Times This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate South Texas authorities seized more than 200 gambling machines and over $400,000 in cash when they raided two eight-liner gambling locations last week near the Mexican border, according to media reports. RELATED: Records: More than 2 dozen San Antonio residents arrested on South Padre Island during spring break Investigators with the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office raided two eight-liner spots in La Joya 3 Diamonds and Lucky 7s on Thursday, news station KRGV reported. Five men Lin Feng Yuan, Chen Guan Yao, Zhixiong Liu Chen Bin and Wei Feng Zhuo were arrested in connection with the operation, The McAllen Monitor reported. Each suspect was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, gambling promotion, keeping a gambling device and possessing a gambling device, according to Hidalgo County Jail records. RELATED: FBI in North Texas searching for 'Bad Hair Bandit' in string of bank robberies All five men were released March 19 from Hidalgo County Jail on bonds totaling more than $10,000, online jail records show. Hidalgo County court officials did not respond to email and phone requests to provide arrest documents in the case. Court documents obtained by the Monitor show that investigators began working undercover at the two locations in November, later witnessing patrons receiving cash payouts after playing "maquinitas." RELATED: Police: 8 men arrested in Central Texas for cockfighting, more than 100 roosters seized Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez told the Monitor that he believes some of the suspects are in the country illegally. jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO The local police union has called for the resignation and termination of Police Chief William McManus Thursday in the wake of a "no-confidence" vote against the leader of the Police Department. "Sometimes you have to drop the bomb and live in the ashes," union president Mike Helle said at a press conference. "This pains me to see a man who has lost his mojo." Of 2,164 union members, 1,944 voted and 97 percent cast ballots against McManus, Helle said. READ MORE: McManus: Officer will get training, not discipline in fatal shooting JERRY LARA / San Antonio Express-News Officers also overwhelmingly voted not to return to re-negotiate its contract with the city while the city is suing the union over the constitutionality of the contract's 10-year evergreen clause. Helle said 99 percent of the officers who voted opted not to return to the negotiating table. McManus' effort to reform use of force policies has angered the union, particularly his plan to adopt recommendations by the Washington-based nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum. RELATED: Police step up presence on East Side following recent violence Read more about the no-confidence vote and how officials are responding in Friday's print edition or on ExpressNews.com. bchasnoff@express-news.net Twitter: @bchasnoff This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A San Antonio-area police department wants residents to sign up for a program that would allow officers to use home security footage to investigate crime incidents. RELATED: SAFD battle multiple fires around San Antonio, one caused by lightening strike The Terrell Hills Police Department is asking homeowners with exterior surveillance cameras to register with the department so officers may view footage taken by the cameras when probing an incident, the department announced Wednesday on Facebook. Voluntary Surveillance Camera Registration ProgramThe Terrell Hills Police Department would like residents to register... Posted by City of Terrell Hills Police Department on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 RELATED: Police: San Antonio masseur sexually assaulted woman with his pants down during session Under the program, officers would contact registered residents who live near a crime scene, the department said. Officers would then request homeowners' permission to review footage from cameras that face an alley or street, according to the department. RELATED: Joint Base San Antonio updates U.S. military off-limits list, takes off bar and adds spa "This video could help us identify suspects or vehicles involved in committing crimes in our city," the department wrote. jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports Texas state police fire 1st officer over Uvalde response The officer becomes the first member of the state police force to lose their job in the fallout... How an ex-Army officer recruited migrants for San Antonio flights Perla Huerta convinced Emmanuel to reel in other migrants. Now he's working with San Antonio Police. This week Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba in almost nine decades (Calvin Coolidge arrived by ship in 1928). The move comes at a time when most Americans support re-establishing ties with the island nation. The biggest knock against the decision comes from right-wing leaders who dont like to see the president interacting with a communist country with a terrible human rights record. The White House believes that after 50-plus years of isolation failed to topple the Castros, perhaps diplomacy might work out better for both the U.S. and the Cuban people. New Mexico life in the early 1980s comes back to life in a new book being released in April. Look Into My Eyes: Nuevomexicanos por Vida 81-83 is a photographic journey to the low-rider shows, club dances and teenage gatherings of Hispanics in New Mexico. Photographer Kevin Bubriski aimed his camera at daily life in New Mexico between 1981 and 1983. His collection of photos began to take shape after he photographed a man carrying a large cross on his back. The man was walking north from Santa Fe through Nambe to El Santuario de Chimayo, the church known for its healing dirt and the thousands of pilgrims who walk miles to it in penance, thanks, and prayer every year on Good Friday of Easter Week, reads a description of the photo. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS: Lowrider culture is a growing phenomenon of Latino culture That particular photo captured the nearly 200-year-old Holy Week tradition in New Mexico. Bubriski captured many levels of details from Hispanic life. I went to every fiesta, every parade, every celebration and religious observance, he said about his book. The collection of nearly 100 photos features outtakes from life in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and a handful or villages in the northern parts of New Mexico. Click on the slideshow above to learn more about Nuevomexicanos and Hispanic style in the early 1980s. Barack Obama walked the cobblestone streets of Old Havana to cheers of Welcome to Cuba! After decades of official hostility between the United States and Cuba, Obama has successfully nudged the two toward normal relations. After decades of craziness, its heartening to see smart policy regarding Cuba. So Cuba remains a repressive country run by a dictator. We do business with those kinds of places all the time. And nothing is going to change Cuba faster than a surge of American visitors and investors. Americas long-running, robotic animus toward a country with a Castro in charge is not only an emotional response. Its ineffectual, as well. The trade embargo has impoverished the Cuban people, cut off a foreign market for American businesses and sent disorderly boatloads of people packing for the United States. And the meaner America has been the more the Castro brothers could justify their police-state crackdowns. They needed us to play the villain in their fairy tale. Obama only frustrates them. By ditching the with us or agin us approach to foreign affairs, he actually weakens our would-be adversaries. It is a judo move that turns our foes dead weight against them, making our rivals lose their balance. Our political blowhards dont get this at all. They call Obama a wimp when he quietly sits through anti-American protests in Latin America. But as Obama explained to The Atlantic, ignoring the ranters helps right-size such egotists as Venezuelas late strongman, Hugo Chavez rather than blow him up as this 10-foot giant adversary. Raul Castro did not greet Obama at the airport, not so much out of hostility as out of fear that hed seem small next to the American president getting the love from his people. Granma, Cubas official Communist Party news service, predictably warned Obama not to expect Cuba to abandon its revolutionary ideals with a warming of relations. Thats nice. Cubans who have trouble finding even potatoes in their stores know that elsewhere in the Caribbean, potatoes weigh down Costco warehouse shelves. Small wonder Castro fears overly warm outbursts of friendship. Thanks to the thaw, Google has apparently signed a deal with Cuba to revolutionize the islands lousy broadband and Wi-Fi access. Imagine the flow of information then. Back in our more bellicose political quarters, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is vowing to continue blocking a U.S. ambassador to Cuba. Castro needs Rubio as much as Rubio needs Castro. For what useful purpose has become increasingly unclear. Many remember the bizarre case of Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy caught in an epic custody battle some 16 years ago. Elians mother had drowned while trying to bring her 5-year-old onto the shores of Florida. Elians father in Cuba wanted his son sent back, but the Miami relatives insisted the boy stay with them. The case for keeping Elian here was that America was a better place to live than the communist dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Fortunately, U.S. family law prevailed: A man didnt lose the rights to his son because he was a Cuban wanting to live in Cuba. Now a handsome man of 22, Elian Gonzalez says hed like to come back to the United States but only to visit as a tourist. What a fine ending to this story. Perhaps the most perceptive take of Obamas visit to Cuba came from Carmen Diaz, a 70-year-old resident of Havana. I feel this visit of an American president to Cuba is being done in the most elegant way possible, Diaz told the New York Times, from his initial campaign to now inspiring a new era of relations with Cuba. Our elegant president has done us proud. fharrop@gmail.com Re: An empty photo op at the border, Editorial, Tuesday: Your editorial concerning my latest trip to the Texas border was short on facts and long on cheap shots. Your editorial writer apparently didnt even read the news reports on my trip by your own reporter, Mike Ward. Here are the facts your recent editorial omitted: Over the last year, 63,000 people have been apprehended trying to enter Texas illegally, including nearly 14,000 people described as criminals, and more than $1.2 billion in drugs has been confiscated at the border over the last few years. The photograph that accompanied your editorial was taken at a recent trail where more than 100 pounds of illegal drugs were seized. While these operations were conducted jointly by the Texas Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas has taken the lead that is making the difference with our states increase in funding, technology, manpower, and air and water assets. The state of Texas has added more than 2,000 cameras along the Texas-Mexico border in the last year. Those were paid for by the state and installed by the Border Patrol. These cameras are proving to be highly effective in stopping drug smuggling and human smugglers trying to enter Texas. Your editorial also ignored published reports of my 90-minute meeting with local law enforcement in which chiefs of police from all parts of the Rio Grande Valley reported crime was down. One chief reported that crime had dropped in his city by 15 percent, and another said car thefts had dropped from a high of more than 2,000 in one year to just 111 in the last year. State Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa joined me at that meeting to hear how these efforts were being implemented after supporting the state budget. Border security is not a partisan issue. Your reporter Mike Ward and I also met with longtime South Texas border land owner Richard Guerra, who is also a board member of the South Texas Property Rights Association. He told us landowners are seeing a major difference on their property since Texas stepped up its efforts and increased funding to help secure the Texas-Mexico border. Your editorial writer either didnt know these facts or didnt bother to inquire about what we learned on our trip. This is a disservice to your readers who expect facts, not cheap shots, when the truth contradicts your political agenda. One final point my name is Dan, not Daniel as your editorial wrongly stated. This telling error is a minor detail, but it speaks volumes about your inability to report even the most basic information on this issue. There is a great deal more to report about our efforts at strengthening our border. In the future, I hope your editorial writers will show more interest in learning the facts. Dan Patrick is Texas lieutenant governor. In becoming the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge, President Barack Obama made a profound statement Monday about his commitment to thaw relations between the one-time bitter enemies. Congress should become just as committed completely undoing the embargo against Cuba. As much as Obama has done to ease travel and financial transactions on his own, only Congress can lift the embargo. It remains as a relic of Cold War tensions that have continued to beset U.S.-Cuban relations well after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated. The United States trades with China and is in fact, depending on the measure, that countrys largest trading partner. And the United States is in the top five of Russias trading partners despite the sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea and helped roil Ukraine. The United States has, with five other countries, even inked a nuclear deal with Iran, as implacable a foe as this country has ever had. And the United States gives active military and financial support to countries that have far to go in their humanitarian sensibilities. Iraq and Afghanistan come to mind. And yet Cuba stands as an economic pariah, congressional Republicans reluctant to see the potential that expanded commerce with this island nation could have. Even with the embargo, the U.S. is among that nations top trading partners, without much of the credits other trading nations enjoy. We suspect that perceptions about Cuban-American attitudes on the issue also play a role here. Cuban-Americans have been a potent voting bloc in the presidential battleground state of Florida. But various surveys have shown a softening of this attitude. While still harboring highly unfavorable views of Cuban President Raul Castro, a majority of Cuban- Americans favor lifting the embargo and support Obamas normalization of relations with Cuba. This normalization, by the way, should also include putting migration from Cuba in the same category as migration from other countries such as Mexico. A bill recently introduced by U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, would repeal laws that give Cuban migrants who get here permanent legal residency. Congress should approve it. Presidents Obama and Castro made it clear on Monday that the two nations still have differences. Obama was correct to call out Cuba on its humanrights record. But they also showed a path to further normalization. Congress should act on this, with the Texas delegation leading the way. After the unrest in Arizona this weekend, we have a plea for opponents and supporters of Donald Trump: Respect the democratic and civil rights of others. We were equally disturbed by the beating of a Trump protester at a rally in Tucson and the decision by protesters in the Phoenix area to block a road leading to a Trump rally. Both actions are an affront to democracy and civilized discourse. Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, has tapped into and incited anger this election season with his rhetoric. He has castigated Mexicans and Muslims, and derided women in ways that merit protest. We certainly do not support what he has said. But there is a difference between protesting his statements, or what a Trump presidency might stand for, and obstructing people from attending his rallies. Blocking roads or charging a stage are beyond the pale. Trump and his supporters have a right to assemble. Taking that away no matter what might be said assaults democracy. So does beating up a protester. Given what Trump has said, its hardly surprising that protesters would attend his rallies. We imagine the interruptions are frustrating and annoying to Trump supporters, but they need to be addressed lawfully. Its sickening that Trump has encouraged violence against protesters, saying he will pay legal bills and protesters should be carried out on stretchers. Protesters have just as much right to attend these public rallies as Trump supporters, and they have just as much right to free speech. Its a particularly heated presidential year, and passions are high. Everyone take a deep breath. Were not asking Trump supporters and opponents to get along or back down on their views. Just to respect each others constitutional rights and personal safety. We are a better nation than this. NEW YORK Avi Kaner, a co-owner of the Morton Williams supermarket chain in New York, has spent about $700,000 to update the payment terminals at his stores to accept EMV chip cards. However, he cant turn them on, writes The New York Times, a bottleneck in offering a more secure payment process that is frustrating retailersboth large and smallacross the United States. Since the EMV liability shift took place on October 1, 2015, retailers have been essentially put on hold to get their payment terminals certified to accept chip cards. The Times reports the cost of waiting is piling up. Its been very frustrating, Kaner told the news source, noting that he purchased most of the upgraded POS equipment before the Oct. 1 deadline, and hes still waiting for certification. The delay, he says, has cost him thousands of dollars in payments for fraudulent purchases. Theres no recourse, he said. The long delays are just the latest black eye for the deployment of the new systems, writes the Times, noting that some consumers havent even received new credit and debit cards with the embedded EMV chip. First Data, one of the largest payment processors, told the Times that about 20% of the four million American merchants it works with are in the process of being certified, a procedure than can take weeks to months. Mallory Duncan, general counsel at the National Retail Federation, told the Times that the payments industry was unprepared to handle the flood of certification requests around the Oct. 1 liability shift deadline. They didnt allow for enough time or people to perform this certification, he said. Merchants have gotten slammed because they werent able to get certified, because the networks failed to provide the necessary resources to do that. Kaner commented that since Oct. 1, customers who have contested charges made with their EMV-enabled cards have been successful in reversing transactions, and hes worried that some customers will use the Oct. 1 liability shift to get out of paying for legitimate purchases. Chargebacks, he said, have increased significantly. It started out as a trickle, and now its turning into a flood, he told the Times. In the first couple months, it might have been a few hundred dollars a month. Now, its thousands a month. "The convenience and fuel channel has numerous retailers in the same situation, having invested upwards of $30,000 per site to be hardware-ready for EMV, only to be put on perpetual hold with approved software," said Gray Taylor, executive director of Conexxus. "These retailers are trying to avoid the inevitable manufacturing and installation bottlenecks to do the right thing and get ahead of the curve, only to be on perpetual hold by an over-burdened vendor community trying to navigate late specifications and complex certifications. This is what happens when you simply choose a deadline, like the card brands did, without diligence. The premium retailers will pay for this 'hurry up and wait' situation and it will result in higher consumer prices. ALEXANDRIA, Va. The 2016 NACS State of the Industry (SOI) Summit is less than one month away, and its shaping up to be the strongest and most influential event to date with more than 250 convenience retailers ready to identify opportunities and winning strategies for success. If you havent registered yet, do so today! Year after year, top performers across the convenience and fuel retailing industry have relied on this event to gain a preview of the newest metrics that will help guide their companies for months to come. Several more names have been added to this years speaker lineup at the SOI Summit, taking place April 1113 in Chicago at a new host hotelthe Hyatt Regency OHarehaving outgrown last years conference space. The final three speakers rounding out this years lineup are: John Eichberger , executive director of the Fuels Institute, will give an overview of fueling alternatives as consumers are faced with more transportation choices. , executive director of the Fuels Institute, will give an overview of fueling alternatives as consumers are faced with more transportation choices. David Schonthal , clinical assistant professor of innovation & entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, will share his insights on the latest in design thinking and innovation. , clinical assistant professor of innovation & entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, will share his insights on the latest in design thinking and innovation. Joe Kefauver, managing partner at Align Public Strategies, will talk about the changing labor landscape, focusing on labor costs and current regulatory initiatives impacting the convenience and fuel retailing industry. These presenters will round out the SOI Summits speaker lineup, which includes more than a dozen top-ranked business professors, economists and retailers. New this year, the SOI Summit will also include regional breakouts, offering in-depth performance category data related to six segments of the country. A panel of retailers and suppliers will comment on the major trends that influenced performance for each of their respective regions in 2015. Regional Breakout Sessions are: Regions 1 and 3 (Northeast and Midwest); Regions 2 and 5 (Southeast and Central); and Regions 4 and 6 (Southcentral and West). See whos already made plans to attend the SOI Summit and reserve your seat now to see what this years numbers will reveal about your business. NACS has negotiated a discounted hotel rate for attendees of $189 plus tax per room, per night. To secure your room and take advantage of this reduced rate, visit the Hyatt Regency O'Hares hotel reservations and click on Make a Reservation. Hotel reservations must be made by Friday, March 25. SEATTLE Starbucks announced this week a national effort to provide nourishing, ready-to-eat meals to people in need through the new Starbucks FoodShare program. Working with Feeding America, Starbucks has set a goal to rescue 100% of food available to donate from its more than 7,000 U.S. stores. Starbucks will donate unsold food products, including breakfast sandwiches, paninis, Bistro Boxes and salads. A refrigerated van will pick up food from Starbucks stores each day and deliver it to the Feeding America network. And by this time next year, Starbucks hopes it will be able to add 5 million meals to the pastries that the company has already been donating since 2010. When we thought about our vast store footprint across the U.S. and the impact we could make, it put a fire under us to figure out how to donate this food instead of throwing it away, said Jane Maly, brand manager, Starbucks Food team. The challenge was finding a way to preserve the foods quality during delivery. We focused on maintaining the temperature, texture and flavor of the surplus food, so when it reached a person in need, they could safely enjoy it. With an estimated 70 billion pounds of food waste in America each year, according to Feeding America, Starbucks hopes to encourage other businesses to put a focus on food rescue. Our hope is by taking this first step, other companies will see the possibility for their participation and together we will make great strides in combating hunger, said Cliff Burrows, group president, Starbucks U.S. and Americas. The Yale Law School Journal has published a new article, In Defense of Free Houses' (hat tip Deontos), which makes an argument that I wish had gotten an airing when the foreclosure crisis was national news. From the opening section: When addressing faulty foreclosures, courts are afraid to bar future attempts to foreclosethat is, afraid of giving borrowers free houses. While courts rarely explain the reasoning behind this aversion, it seems to arise from a reflexive belief that such an outcome would be unjust. Courts are therefore quick to sidestep well-established principles of res judicata in favor of ad hoc measures meant to protect banks against the specter of free houses. This Comment argues that this approach is misguided; courts should issue final judgments in favor of homeowners in cases where banks fail to prove the elements required for foreclosure. Furthermore, these judgments should have res judicata effectthus giving homeowners free houses. This approach has several benefits: it is consistent with longstanding res judicata principles in other forms of civil litigation, it provides a necessary market-correcting incentive to promote greater responsibility among foreclosure litigators, and it alleviates the tremendous costs of successive foreclosure proceedings So what should courts do when banks lose their foreclosure cases? As described above, one approachthat taken by the Florida and Maine Supreme Courtsis to bend the rules of res judicata to avoid a windfall for homeowners. This approach creates few benefits and significant economic problems[We argue that further subsidizing banks poor litigation practices results in deadweight loss by contributing to negative public-health outcomes and by disincentivizing banks from improving their servicing and litigation techniques. We also explain how granting winning homeowners free houses will not negatively affect the mortgage market. Authors Megan Wachspress, Jessie Agatstein and Christian Mott argue that state courts have been systematically violating a basic premise of the law, res judicata, in foreclosures, by bending the rules to favor banks. When the parties to a case have had a full and fair opportunity to present their arguments and evidence fully, the judge should issue a verdict with prejudice, meaning barring the losing party from trying to file suit again. The Restatement (Second) of Judgments points out why it is important to shut down the opportunity to re-litigate when both sides have had their say: Indefinite continuation of a dispute is a social burden. It consumes time and energy that may be put to other use, not only of the parties but of the community as a whole. It rewards the disputatious. It renders uncertain the working premises upon which the transactions of the day are to be conducted. The law of res judicata reduces these burdens even if it does not eliminate them, and is thus the quintessence of the law itself: A convention designed to compensate for mans incomplete knowledge and strong tendency to quarrel. The writers point out that the amount of evidence that a lender needs to provide in order to foreclose is not difficult to satisfy. Moreover, when a lender of servicer initiates a foreclosure, it accelerates the debt, meaning it comes due in full at present. But in fact, in many states, the acceleration of a debt is irrevocable, and before the crisis, courts respected that principle with foreclosures. If a bank lost, it was not allowed to pretend that it could wind the clock back and keep dunning the homeowner for monthly payments. Some readers may take umbrage at the fact that the article fails to mention servicing fraud and abuses, and also underplays the failure to convey mortgages to securitization trusts and the use of fabricated documents to try to remedy that fact as mere errors and sloppiness. But rhetorically, the authors dont need to make that argument, which many bystanders regard as controversial, to substantiate their position, which is that by not issuing judgments on failed foreclosures with prejudice, banks are getting an unjustified windifall, and that is subsidizing their substandard practices and producing unnecessary social harm. I encourage you to read the article in full. Yale-Law-Free-Houses Yale Law Free Houses New research shows quasars slowed star formation (Nanowerk News) Research led by Johns Hopkins University scientists has found new persuasive evidence that could help solve a longstanding mystery in astrophysics: Why did the pace of star formation in the universe slow down some 11 billion years ago? A paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ("Evidence for the thermal SunyaevZel'dovich effect associated with quasar feedback") finds evidence supporting the argument that the answer was energy feedback from quasars within the galaxies where stars are born. That is, intense radiation and galaxy-scale winds emitted by the quasars the most luminous objects in the universe heats up clouds of dust and gas. The heat prevents that material from cooling and forming more dense clouds, and eventually stars. In an artists conception, heated galactic wind shown in the hazy portion of the picture emanates from the bright quasar at the edge of a black hole, scattering dust and gas. If allowed to cool, that dust and gas would begin to form stars. (Illustration: Johns Hopkins University) I would argue that this is the first convincing observational evidence of the presence of quasar feedback when the universe was only a quarter of its present age, when the cosmic star formation was most vigorous," said Tobias Marriage, an assistant professor in the universitys Henry A. Rowland Department of Physics and Astronomy. While the findings appearing in the journal published by the Oxford University Press are not conclusive, Marriage said, the evidence is very compelling and has scientists excited. Its like finding a smoking gun with fingerprints near the body, but not finding the bullet to match the gun, Marriage said. Specifically, investigators looked at information on 17,468 galaxies and found a tracer of energy known as the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect. The phenomenon, named for two Russian physicists who predicted it nearly 50 years ago, appears when high-energy electrons disturb the Cosmic Microwave Background. The CMB is a pervasive sea of microwave radiation, a remnant from the superheated birth of the universe some 13.7 billion years ago. Devin Crichton, a Johns Hopkins graduate student and the papers lead author, said the thermal energy levels were analyzed to see if they rise above predictions for what it would take to stop star formation. A large number of galaxies were studied to give the study statistical heft, he said. For feedback to turn off star formation, it must be occurring broadly, said Crichton, one of five Johns Hopkins scientists who led the work conducted by a total of 23 investigators from 18 institutions. Most of the scientists are members of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope collaboration, named for one of the three instruments used in the study. To take the faint temperature measurements that would show the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect, the scientists used information gathered by two ground-based telescopes and one receiver mounted on a space observatory. Using several instruments with different strengths in search of the SZ Effect is relatively new, Marriage said. Its a pretty wild sort of thermometer, he said. Information gathered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by an optical telescope at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico was used to find the quasars. Thermal energy and evidence of the SZ Effect were found using information from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, an instrument designed to study the CMB that stands in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. To focus on the dust, investigators used data from the SPIRE, or Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver, on the Herschel Space Observatory. Galaxies reached their busiest star-making pace about 11 billion years ago, then slowed down. A team of astronomers more than three years ago estimated that the pace of star formation is one-thirtieth as fast as when it peaked. Scientists have puzzled for years over the question of what happened. The chief suspect has been the feedback process, Marriage said. Nadia L. Zakamska, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins and one of the reports co-authors, said it is only in the last few years that evidence of this phenomenon from direct observation has been compiled. The SZ Effect, she said, is a novel approach to the subject, making clearer the full effect of galactic wind on the surrounding galaxy. SHARE By Ted Wolfe, Citizen Contributor Astrophotographer Ted Wolfe looks up at the night sky through telescopes from his home in Southwest Florida and photographs it through specialized cameras. His pictures of colliding galaxies, dying stars, supernovas, glowing nebulas, etc., are published in the leading national magazines in the field of astronomy. Exhibits of his pictures have appeared in numerous science museums, universities and institutions, including a 20-month show featuring a large number of his images at the Kennedy Space Center. A full collection of his pictures are on permanent display at the Center for Space Studies at the University of Florida. - - - The biggest, continuous storm in the solar system continues to rage on the planet Jupiter. It is called the Great Red Spot, and i'ts going strong again this year. This giant storm in Jupiter's atmosphere has been going on for at least 150 years. In fact, there is strong, although not universally accepted, evidence that it was first seen back in the 1660's by observers like Gian Cassini and Robert Hooke. It is, therefore, the oldest active storm in the solar system. It is cyclonic in nature. Actually, the term "anti-cyclonic" is used since it is found in the southern hemisphere of the planet. So imagine it is a storm lodged like a slow moving cyclone in Jupiter's very cold, sluggish, upper atmosphere. The "Spot" is enormous, equivalent to 2-3 Earths. Every year, as Jupiter rises in the night sky, astronomers train their telescopes onto the Great Red Spot (GRS) to see if its size and color have changed from the previous year. The planet reaches opposition (closest to the earth) this month, and that's when it is the best time to observe and photograph it. This year it is simply spectacular to see in a telescope. While it has been shrinking in size over recent years, the color of the GRS this year is the most intense that I can ever remember observing. While called the Great Red Spot, the storm actually has an orange hue to it, as the picture above shows. This will vary from year to year, often showing a kind of weak salmon color or even beige appearance. So, what causes its color? To understand this we have to examine its place in the Jovian atmosphere. We cannot see down to anything we might call the surface of the planet due to the thick, frozen, gaseous atmosphere which surrounds it. So what you are looking at are cloud tops with a temperature of about negative 238 degrees Fahrenheit. However, we know that the storm we call the Great Red Spot is a high pressure region that rises higher than the surrounding cloud tops. Jupiter's clouds are rich in a number of elements. The outer atmosphere contains mostly hydrogen and helium, but the brown bands you see in the picture above contain ammonium hydrosulfide. The lighter bands contain ammonia. Astronomers have been trying to determine the source of the Spot's color using various techniques and matching them with each other for verification purposes. The latest lab evidence points to a radiated mix of ammonia with acetylene. This agrees with the spectroscopic analysis made by the Cassini space mission when it flew by the storm in 2000. It appears that the reddish color is found at the top of the cyclone itself, and most of the storm below it may just be white. The intensity of the color varies from year to year. This seems to be related to the activity around the Great Red Spot. The various bands and features move at different speeds, and cause a shearing effect as they pass each other. This develops into eddies of material being drawn into the storm from other parts of the atmosphere. This can dim the natural color of the acetylene component at the top of the storm, where we find its intense red color. So like a tornado changing color because of the dust swept up into the air off a desert, the GRS is "polluted" with the material coming in from the eddies around it. Thus, its vivid color is muted by the material. In a year like 2016 it appears that the eddies around the storm have apparently been less active. The result is a clearer look at the intense, true color of the Great Red Spot's storm top. This excellent picture was taken right here in Southwest Florida by Chuck Pavlick. Chuck is a very accomplished astrophotographer, who is a member of both the Everglades Astronomical Society, and the Southwest Florida Astronomical Society. - - - Ted Wolfe has a DVD and Blu-ray available, which features 70 of his deep space images with original background music. For more information, go to naples.net/clubs/eas/sales.html. Ted is a member of the Everglades Astronomical Society. Organized in 1981, it serves the community providing information in all aspects of amateur astronomy. Its goals include educating the general public, schoolchildren and other groups to the wonders of the universe. The Society meets at 7 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at the Norris Center (public invited). Regular viewing visits to a special, dark sky site in the Everglades are held each month, allowing the general public to observe the night sky through telescopes, under pristine conditions. Information: naples.net/clubs/eas. Chief Warrant Officer Romulo "Romy" Camargo and Sgt. First Class Steven Hill, center and second-to-right, the medic who saved Camargo's life, pose with students and faculty of the Community School of Naples after a speaking engagement on Tuesday, March 22. Alexi C. Cardona/Staff SHARE Chief Warrant Officer Romulo "Romy" Camargo and Sgt. First Class Steven Hill, the medic who saved Camargo's life, had lunch and talked to students in the Naples High School JROTC program about the Army after a speaking engagement at the Community School of Naples on Tuesday, March 22. Alexi C. Cardona/Staff Chief Warrant Officer Romulo "Romy" Camargo (right), a veteran of the United States Army Special Forces, spoke to students at the Community School of Naples on Tuesday, March 22. While on his third tour in Afghanistan, Camargo's detachment was ambushed by the Taliban. Camargo was shot in the back of the neck and is paralyzed from the neck down. Alexi C. Cardona/Staff By Alexi C. Cardona of the Naples Daily News The last thing Romulo Camargo remembers about that day is hearing someone say, "Chief got hit." The retired Army chief warrant officer had three tours in Afghanistan and about 100 missions under his belt. Camargo had dodged bullets and mortar bombs before. But this one didn't miss. This bullet got him square in the back of the neck, ricocheted off his C3 vertebrae, made his diaphragm collapse and left him unable to breathe on his own. Camargo and his soldiers were caught in a violent ambush in Afghanistan in September 2008. A medic in Camargo's 7th Special Forces Group, Sgt. 1st Class Steven Hill, had to perform a tracheotomy and breathe for Camargo to keep him alive. "When I woke up, I was on a plane back to the States," he said. "My brother was next to me. I thought I was dead." The special forces soldier was taken to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he spent 18 days before being transferred to the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. Doctors said he would be on a ventilator for the rest of his life and would never move from the neck down again. On Tuesday, Camargo and Hill shared their stories with an auditorium full of Community School of Naples middle and upper school students and local veterans. The talk was put together by the upper school's Patriot Club. Camargo's message was simple: Don't give up, and always fight to be better. "I was given a second chance," Camargo said. "I still had to be a husband and a role model for my kids. I had to get better. I knew if I didn't get better, I wasn't going to amount to anything." Even though Camargo is confined to a wheelchair because of the spinal cord injury, the retired green beret is unstoppable. Camargo exercises and does physical therapy every day. He and his wife, Gaby, opened a nonprofit rehabilitation center, Stay in Step, near his home in Tampa for people with spinal cord injuries. With the help of Stay in Step staff, Camargo can move his arms and is trying to walk. He speaks at schools and conferences and was the grand marshal for the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest and Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates in Tampa. Camargo hopes to walk again one day. He's still fighting. "I try not to let it weigh on me," he said. "Sometimes I don't want to get up. Sometimes my legs hurt too much. I'm paralyzed, but life doesn't stop. Life keeps going." Hill and Camargo remain good friends. Hill works at Stay in Step and helps Camargo and others in their recovery from spinal cord injuries. He calls Camargo "Hot Wheels." Hill was emotional talking about what his friend went through on Sept. 16, 2008. "I had to cut his throat, put a tube in his neck and breathe for him," Hill said. "His heart wasn't beating. He wasn't breathing. That day changed me and made me appreciate my life and blessings." Hill was also a source of comic relief during Tuesday's talk. "When Romy woke up and asked what happened, I told him, 'You tried to dodge a bullet and failed,'" Hill said. After Camargo's presentation, he and Hill sat down for lunch with members of the Naples High School JROTC to talk about the military and the importance of education. "Knowledge really is power," Hill said. "You never stop learning. Don't ever stop learning. I can teach you how to deliver babies, start fires, pull teeth, disassemble bombs, treat water to make it drinkable." Trilogia de ceviche is pictured at Ceviche 41 in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Saturday, March 19, 2016. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) SHARE Lomo Saltado is pictured at Ceviche 41 in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Saturday, March 19, 2016. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) Wild Tacu Tacu is pictured at Ceviche 41 in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Saturday, March 19, 2016. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) The seating area of Ceviche 41 in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Saturday, March 19, 2016. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) The seating area of Ceviche 41 in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Saturday, March 19, 2016. (Logan Newell/Special to the Daily News) By Chelle Koster Walton, Daily News Correspondent Most people go to Peru to witness Machu Picchu, an Inca site atop a mountain. I went for the food. Both are considered sacred in that South American country. Most people go to Bonita Springs for the beaches. I went to try the food at Ceviche41 and found classic Peruvian food at its finest. One of the hottest new cuisines to reach North America in recent years, Peruvian food has its roots in ancient Incan times. The faith system of the Inca, who still populate the Andes Mountains, in fact is based on agriculture and food. Corn, potatoes, and seafood lay the foundation for food traditions that have survived the ages. Peru, the breadbasket of South America, produces more than 3,000 varieties of corn and 2,000 types of potatoes both of which show up at pretty much every meal in some form or another. Seafood figures nobly, and Ceviche41 subtitles its name "Seafood with a Peruvian Fusion." The nomenclature reveals the important tenets of Peruvian cuisine. First, there's the ceviche, a dish of Peruvian invention that other Latin cultures have come to embrace. So that's how we started our recent taste-bud return to virtual Peru. The Trilogia de Ceviche ($18) gave us the opportunity to try three variations on traditional fish ceviche. Peru still does ceviche best a quick toss with lime juice that leaves it with its raw characteristics, along with red onions and cilantro. And of course served with corn and potatoes. In this case, the slices of bright orange yams were the sweetest I've ever tasted. Oversized kernels of pale yellow corn and smaller, warm, toasted kernels, like those that greeted us as we were seated at the table, garnished the plate holding three bowls of ceviche. In addition to the classically marinated version, another rendition added Peru's signature, mild yellow aji pepper sauce to the mix. The third had the most heat with the red rocoto pepper, but still not intense. Peruvian food tempers the heat, tending to use peppers more for flavor than fire. Meanwhile, we had a chance to try a free sample of Peru's chicha morada a delicious nonalcoholic drink made from purple corn and sweetened with pineapple juice and cinnamon. It sells for $2.50 on the menu, which also offers wine and beer, including Cusquena from Cusco, doorstep to Machu Picchu. Back to the restaurant's name. The "41" refers to its situation on Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs, far from the beaches. As for the "fusion" part, Peruvian cuisine is fusion by nature a combination of Inca tradition, the food-ways brought by Peru's Chinese workforce, and, for whatever reason, Italian. We had a brief brush with the Italian influence via a baked scallops Parmesan appetizer dish ($11). Three scallops were served sizzling, buttery, and on a half-shell tender, tasty morsels. A slice of potato and cusp of green bell pepper gratinee accompanied them. Dishes such as arroz chaufa and lomo saltado ($15) illustrate the Chinese stir to the pot. The chaufa, which comes in seafood ($19) and chicken ($14) varieties, interlace fried rice with Peruvian ingredients. The signature saltado, which we ordered, stir fries beef tenderloin with tomatoes, onions, and potatoes an elegantly hearty dish. The menu also gives the option of chicken instead of beef ($14). Another hearty dish from the folk kitchens of Peru, tacu tacu describes a beans and rice dish that can be topped or mixed with whatever protein is available. Ceviche41 fancies it up some, forming it into a fried cake. We tried the Wild Tacu Tacu ($18), which studded the rice and bean cake with chunks of fin and shellfish. A filet of white fish lightly fried in a tempura-like batter sided it nice fish but the batter was way too salty. On the side, a creamy black olive sauce came as a pleasant alternative to tartar. To further the "wild" of the dish, our server, who discovered we like spicy, brought a side of the rocoto sauce. She was one of two servers who worked the intimate, 15-table room decorated with colonial Spanish touches. Her native tongue being English, the other's Spanish served the mixed clientele well. The two were helpful teaching guests the nuances of Peruvian cuisine on the concise but complete menu of 10 entrees. Other main courses include a wholly Peruvian feast of mixed seafood soup ($20) made fresh to order and seafood chicharrones ($17) fried bits served with fried yucca and topped with a salsa of onions, tomatoes, and lime juice. Given two choices for dessert, we chose the quinoa pudding over the chocolate cake (both $2.99). Peru's variation on rice pudding, the quinoa takes on the sweetness of the added sugar, milk, and cinnamon. The seeds retain their chewy texture for an entirely new taste-bud adventure that culminated our flight of fancy to the mountains and Sacred Valley named so for its agricultural bounty of Peru, where food comes as close to religion as possible. IF YOU GO Ceviche41 SHARE VeggieTales in the House HOLD FOR STORY - This photo provided by Open Road Films shows, Michael Keaton, from left, as Walter "Robby" Robinson, Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes, Rachel McAdams, as Sacha Pfeiffer, John Slattery as Ben Bradlee Jr., and Brian d'Arcy James as Matt Carroll, in a scene from the film, "Spotlight." (Kerry Hayes/Open Road Films via AP) By Dave Osborn of the Naples Daily News Two movies I rented from Redbox last weekend were "Black Mass" and "Spectre," and both are worth watching. Johnny Depp was brilliant, as usual, in "Black Mass." He portrayed South Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, an evil man, with support from Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon and Dakota Johnston. After watching it, I was surprised Depp never received an Academy Award nomination. "Spectre" is the latest James Bond film, starring Daniel Craig (and a specially made Aston Martin car) and Christoph Waltz as the villain. It's also the most expensive Bond film the 24th ever made at nearly $250 million. Bond (James Bond) seduces a widow (played by the stunning Monica Anna Maria Bellucci, who at 51 is the oldest Bond girl ever) at her husband's funeral. Can we expect anything less of him? "Spectre" was a bit long at nearly 2 1/2 hours and really could have ended about four or five times in the last 45 minutes. Even so, Bond films are slick, with the opening scene visually awesome as they usually are, humor sprinkled throughout RELEASED IN THE LAST WEEK DVDs now out: "Daddy's Home," "The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay, Part 2," "The Letters" Redbox "Spotlight," "Daddy's Home," "The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay, Part 2," "Secret In Their Eyes," "My All American" OUT FRIDAY Albums Joe Bonamassa's "Blues of Desperation," James Bishop's "Bad Dream," Zayn's "Mind of Mine," The Thermals' "We Disappear" Netflix "VeggieTales in the House: Season 3" COMING SOON Netflix "Trailer Park Boys: Season 10," "Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Seasons 1 and 2," "Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation," "Fright Night 2," "Murder Rap: Inside the Biggie and Tupac Murders," "Sunshine Superman" and "Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time" Redbox "Concussion," "Creed," "The Hateful Eight," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "The Peanuts Movie," "Legend" SHARE By Melhor Leonor of the Naples Daily News If Collier County Public Schools Superintendent Kamela Patton and her staff have their way, the next three years will bring accelerated learning options to every grade level in the district, a greater focus on the arts inside local schools and more career-ready high school graduates to area businesses. The vision will be guided by the 2017-2019 strategic plan that district officials are pitching to community stakeholders, educators and parents. A big shift in this strategic plan is the fact that it aligns the community to the work that we have (to do), Patton said. Not only does it align with those resources and partners, this plan specifically has areas where parents can also help their kids. Involving local organizations in drafting the strategic plan, Patton said, has allowed the district to craft goals that pool in resources from the community. The first is to expand and strengthen early childhood opportunities. Jennifer Kincaid said that as the district works toward supporting early learning efforts in the county, it will do so by partnering closely with the private entities that care for children before they start kindergarten. Ideally, the partnerships will smooth the transition from pre-K to kindergarten, she said. Talks with the Southwest Florida Early Learning Coalition yielded positive responses to a card that care providers can fill out for kindergarten teachers to use as background on each students past education and demonstrated abilities. Theyve also asked for our kindergarten teachers to come talk to their teachers to talk about what theyll expect from their kids in kindergarten, Kincaid said. The district plans to bring accelerated coursework to its 24 elementary schools by expanding into them the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education program. Well be one of the only districts that engages kids in this program from kindergarten through grade 12, Patton said. The district will also readjust its focus on STEM science, technology, engineering and math to include more opportunities for artistic expression. The moniker would change to STEAM. Deputy Superintendent David Stump said the district considered including art earlier on, but desisted in an effort to cement achievement in the other areas and allow people to buy into the national push for more students ready to take on STEM-related careers. The creative component has developed organically inside schools already, where paint and glitter have mixed with robots engineered by students. The goals for outputting students who are career-oriented will target local students earlier and more consistently. The district plans to introduce students to real-world careers beyond those familiar to 7-year-olds firefighter and doctor with collaboration from area organizations and businesses. Leslie Ricciardelli, who heads secondary education efforts at the district, said software created in house will help students track those preferences and their progress toward a career building a resume, for example throughout their years in school. As the district welcomes new goals for academic achievement, it plans to ditch a focus on closing the achievement gap that headlines the strategic plan now in place. Our goal is proficiency. Its a shift from the mindset where we place student in buckets. Its about doing all that we can for all students, said Associate Superintendent Luis Solano. Patton added: We think its more correct at this point in time that you dont get credit for narrowing a gap. We need to lift everybody up. You cant leave anybody behind. Greg Turchetta, who heads communication efforts for the district, said engaging parents and the community has always been a goal in a supporting role. Under the revised strategic plan, it would become one of seven key areas of focus. The school district has been criticized by some who say it doesnt do enough to involve parents in key decisions. Most recently when the school board was compelled to rescind next years academic calendar after community input that came too late some parents said they felt the district could have done more to involve them from the beginning. Turchetta said the communication goals of the strategic plan include creating avenues for the district to reach out to parents and vice versa. If you have the ability to engage the superintendent on Facebook in a live conversation, I dont know what more powerful a tool you could deliver, Turchetta said. Largely, the effort will be focused on allowing parents and local stakeholders to be engaged and aware of what is happening inside district schools. For example, last month parents were able to access a live video stream of their kindergarten students working on a science experiment. From an airport to a restaurant kitchen, parents watched. Its those kind of experiences were hoping to provide. (So that) parents can say, Thats the best informed Ive ever been in regards to my childs school, Turchetta said. District officials are quick to point out the strategic plan is still a draft, a document that will keep changing as it is pitched to community leaders, educators, parents and others. During the next two weeks, the plan will be propped open for anyone who wants to listen in or comment at three local high schools. It was presented at Immokalee High Wednesday. A collaborative draft will be published on April 12. This version is the one school board members will discuss and revise on April 19, before taking a vote on it May 10. The 2017-2019 strategic plan would take hold July 1. Courtroom gavel SHARE By Maryann Batlle and Patrick Riley of the Naples Daily News After a nine-day trial, a federal jury decided Thursday that Lee County must pay $1.265 million and the legal fees to three fired whistleblowers. The former county employees Eileen Schuman, John Brock and Susan Noe will receive $400,000, $375,000 and $490,000, respectively, said Geralyn Noonan, their lawyer. Lee County is considering its options, including an appeal, according to a statement from County Attorney Richard Wesch. "While we certainly respect the jury process, the county respectfully disagrees with the jury's verdict," Wesch's statement reads. "The county had legitimate, lawful business reasons for its decisions involving these plaintiffs." Schuman, Brock and Noe worked in the Lee Economic Development Office until the county fired them in the fall of 2013, within months of the public release of a biting audit of the county department. The county has argued it fired Schuman, Brock, Noe and another employee, Lisa Wagner, as part of a cost-saving reorganization of the Economic Development Office. But Schuman, Brock and Noe said the county punished them for speaking up against misbehavior in the Economic Development Office. Schuman, a 14-year Lee County employee, served as the office manager and later as a fiscal officer. She lost her job on Sept. 3, 2013. Noe, a 26-year county employee, worked as a manager for business assistance and reviewed for compliance all economic grants the county doled out. Brock, who spent five years with Lee County, was a research analyst. The county fired them on Oct. 31, 2013. The clerk of court audit went public in the summer of 2013, just before the firings at the Economic Development Office began. The audit was launched, at first, to examine how the Economic Development Office managed a $5 million grant the county awarded to VR Laboratories in 2011. But its scope grew. The 2013 audit criticized not only the Economic Development Office's handling of the VR Labs grant, but the entire taxpayer-funded program that offered multi-million dollar subsidies in exchange for the promise of new jobs. The Economic Development Office had paid out $4.7 million to VR Labs before suspending payments in June 2012. VR Labs failed to create the 208 jobs it promised. Lee County has since sued VR Labs in Lee Circuit Court for a refund. The clerk of court audit also faulted the Economic Development Office's record keeping and extensive payments it made to a marketing firm. The audit accused former Marketing Manager Jennifer Berg of potential state ethics violations and conflicts of interest. In March 2014, Schuman, Brock and Noe filed a U.S. District Court lawsuit in Fort Myers accusing the county of violating the state's whistle-blower act. They claimed the county fired them in retaliation for their compliance with the Lee Clerk of Court audit that pointed to gross waste of public funds, neglect of duty and other misdeeds at the Economic Development Office. Schuman, Brock and Noe have said former Economic Development Director Jim Moore targeted them because he knew they provided information to auditors, according to court documents. Moore retired Sept. 1, 2013. But before leaving his job, he penned a cost-savings memo that put Schuman, Noe and Brock's jobs on the chopping block. At one point, Lee Clerk of Court Linda Doggett, whose office conducted the audit, told County Manager Roger Desjarlais not to eliminate the positions, and his response was, "That was my decision to make not hers," court records state. A photo of the late Kathryn Leib-Hunter, former Chief Executive Officer of NAMI of Collier County, and her two sons Forrest and Taylor adorns a table at the Celebration of Life ceremony held in Kathryn's honor at the Naples Grande Resort Wednesday, March 23, 2016 in Naples. Leib-Hunter passed away March 9, 2016. (Luke Franke/Staff) By Greg Stanley of the Naples Daily News Mental health advocates and workers from around the state gathered Wednesday to celebrate the life of Kathryn Leib-Hunter, the red-haired force who fought in Collier County for more than 20 years to stamp out the stigma associated with mental illness. A soft-spoken bundle of energy, Leib-Hunter championed the causes of the mentally ill with her echoing laughter, her optimism and her faith, and in her persistence as the leader of NAMI of Collier County. She died March 9 at 54, but her work must continue, said state Rep. Kathleen Passidomo. "She was so proud of her kids," Passidomo said. "And I was so proud of her when she took over what became NAMI. She built that organization to what it is today, to an organization that has helped over 17,000 people in our community." Leib-Hunter trained more than 700 law enforcement officers and community leaders in crisis intervention for the mentally ill. She was also instrumental in starting HUGS Health Under Guided Systems which screens children for mental health problems and, most importantly, helps their families find services. Leib-Hunter sought funding for the program from the state Legislature this year, but it didn't come through. "I am bound and determined, as long as I'm in the Legislature, to do whatever I can at the state level to get that program shepherded in her memory," Passidomo said. "She was a great lady. I will remember that red hair flying always." The empathetic mother of two was called to root out the stigma of mental illness, said George Drobinski, a NAMI board member. "There is still a stigma today, so you can imagine what it was like 20 years ago," Drobinski said. "She took it on. She made it known that these are your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends and your family. We embrace them. We invite them. She knew her purpose and she lived her purpose. Remember our friend. Let's continue those works." Years ago, at the annual NAMI walk a fundraiser that has grown each year Leib-Hunter and Collier County Sheriff's Sgt. Leslie Weidenhammer found themselves alone on stage with a microphone and a bundle of helium balloons. They took turns, sucking the helium and talking into the mic, laughing hysterically until someone came and took the microphone from them, Weidenhammer said. "They should have taken the balloons because we just walked away with them," she said. Leib-Hunter was the godmother of Collier's mental health court, Weidenhammer said. The big-hearted advocate once asked the sergeant and everyone else to stop feeding the ducks around her office, because of the waste they would produce on the sidewalk. The very next day Weidenhammer found her with a five-gallon tub of cat food, feeding the ducks herself. Both Weidenhammer and Leib-Hunter dreamed of mountains. Leib-Hunter once told the Naples Daily News that she was happiest and at peace with her family by her side in the mountains of Tennessee. When the sergeant and the advocate, who worked together often, would say goodbye or part for the day they would just simply repeat a short and haunting quote from John Muir, the great American naturalist: "The mountains are calling, and I must go." Mark Sievers enters a Lee County courtroom for a dependency arraignment surrounding the custody of his two daughters on Monday, March 21, 2016, in downtown Fort Myers. The arraignment was continued because Sievers hasn't yet been served with a petition, which is a formal filing that lists the allegations against a parent. State officials expect to serve him in jail, with an arraignment now set for April 18. (Luke Franke/Staff) By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News Mark Sievers will have new legal representation in time for his arraignment Monday in Lee County Court. The Bonita Springs man is accused of orchestrating the killing of his wife Teresa Sievers during the summer. Sievers was first represented by defense attorney Lee Hollander who confirmed this week he was no longer representing the 48-year-old father of two. Hollander, a private practice lawyer, said Thursday he stopped representing Sievers sometime last week. Hollander would not say why the two parted company. Sievers has since been assigned a public defender. Two other men have been arrested on suspicion of roles in the crime. Jimmy Ray Rodgers of Missouri is being represented by a public defender on second-degree murder charges. Kathleen Fitzgeorge works out of the Public Defender's Office in Lee County. To avoid a conflict of interest, Sievers cannot be represented by the same group. Instead, regional counsel has been appointed for Sievers. Hollander said both attorneys are employees of the state but serve out of different offices, eliminating the conflict of interest. Sievers' new attorney's name was not immediately available. The order to appoint regional counsel was approved Tuesday, court records show. Hollander was only representing Sievers on his felony charges of second-degree murder. Sievers has been appointed a separate attorney, Pam Montgomery, for matters relating to the custody of his daughters. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. was convicted of the slaying when he took a plea agreement on a second-degree murder charge. He will serve a 25-year prison term in exchange for providing "substantial assistance" to prosecutors. Sievers next court date is Monday. His arraignment begins at 8:30 a.m. in front of Lee County Circuit Judge Ramiro Manalich. Rodgers is scheduled to appear at the same time for his own arraignment. Sievers appeared in court last week for a hearing regarding custody of his children. He has been in the Lee County Jail on a $4.43 million bond since his Feb. 26 arrest. FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2016 file photo, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks at his South Carolina Republican presidential primary rally in Columbia, S.C. Bush kept his struggling Republican presidential campaign afloat with a $250,000 personal loan _ barely enough to keep it from plunging into debt. New campaign finance documents show Bush raised about $1 million in February, which was be his final month as a candidate. The campaign wrapped up with $13,127 more cash than debts, the documents show. Bush left the race Feb. 20 after a fourth-place finish in South Carolina.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) SHARE By Arek Sarkissian of the Naples Daily News While former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made it clear Wednesday he is backing U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas for the GOP presidential nomination, some of his big donors and Florida supporters said they likely won't follow. Ave Maria University President Jim Towey, a close friend of the Bush family and early member of Jeb Bush's inner circle of advisers, said he likely will sit out the remainder of the Republican presidential primary. "I haven't gotten over the fact that Jeb isn't the nominee," said Towey, whose career includes serving as the director of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under former President George W. Bush. "I still believe that he would have been the best Republican nominee and president." Francis Rooney, a contractor now living in Naples and the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, helped raise money for Bush, and met with him privately in December 2014 to help him begin plotting his candidacy. Rooney said Wednesday he's not ready to support another candidate, even if Bush endorses them. "I think I'm going to sit back a little and take all of it in," Rooney said. "I kind of feel like a batter who saw two strikes and doesn't really know what's going to come next." And the super PAC that helped Bush also doesn't appear ready to put its money with Cruz. Right to Rise USA, the PAC that raised more than $118 million to support Bush in 2015, isn't planning to spend that cash on behalf of another candidate, spokesman Paul Lindsay said Wednesday. "I just heard the news myself," Lindsay said. "I'd just refer you to previous reports that say we're going to be giving back donations on a pro-rata basis to donors." Bush started the day early Wednesday, announcing on his Facebook page that he will back Cruz. "For the sake of our party and country, we must overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity Donald Trump has brought into the political arena or we will certainly lose our chance to defeat the Democratic nominee, most likely Hillary Clinton, this fall," Bush wrote, adding Cruz also would reverse the policies set in place by President Barack Obama. "Republicans can win back the White House and put our nation on a path to security and prosperity if we support a nominee who can unite our party and articulate how conservative policies will help people rise up and reach their full potential." Bush suspended his campaign Feb. 21 after a dismal performance during the South Carolina primary, and he remained mum on the state contests that followed, including the March 15 Florida primary. His silence was perceived as a snub to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, once considered a close Bush ally. Rubio dropped out of the race after Trump beat him by double-digits in the Florida primary. Rooney is a prolific Republican fundraiser whose company, Tulsa-based Rooney Holdings, gave $2 million to Right To Rise. He also threw his support behind Rubio before he dropped out of the race. Rooney said Cruz has some qualities but he is worried about some of his ideas. "There are some areas where I'm concerned," Rooney said. At least one Rubio fundraiser said they were not ready to solicit contributions for another GOP candidate. Tallahassee lobbyist Nick Iarossi said he would rather remain behind Rubio as he ponders another presidential run in 2020 than rush behind someone else. "I think at this point we're going to wait and see what the senator wants to do next," Iarossi said. Ritz-Carlton joins South Seas as resorts announce mass layoffs due to Ian Two large resorts in Southwest Florida have announced mass layoffs due to Ian. There could be more to come. SHARE One of the benefits of two separate emergency services decisions Collier County commissioners made Tuesday is that a newly configured commission will be moving forward in the future. It's a positive that a lawsuit about emergency response is ending without consuming more taxpayer-supported legal resources of both county government and the North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District. The biggest plus in a settlement agreement approved Monday by the fire district's board and commissioners Tuesday is that voters will be able to hear from candidates for four commission seats, three state legislative posts and a dozen fire district positions how emergency services should be configured in the future. The legislative seats are key because lawmakers, not county commissioners, oversee the North Collier, Greater Naples and Immokalee fire districts. Any changes to those districts need approval of legislators through local bills. Although Greater Naples fire board members unilaterally and prematurely pushed a recent straw ballot about disbanding all three in favor of a single new board, ultimately it's not their or commissioners' decision it's the Legislature's. Paramedic agreements Both votes Tuesday by county commissioners center around their authority to grant to other governments a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) to operate emergency medical services administered by firefighters. Commissioners in September denied that permission to North Collier, which had held it for five years without a problem. Tuesday's settlement agreement extends the permission until March 2017. This gives voters deciding County Commission elections and several North Collier board seats an opportunity to express their preference on differing points of view how firefighter paramedics are best deployed. Marco Island's city fire department, like North Collier's district, offers an enhanced and thus more expensive level of services using highly trained firefighter paramedics. The City Council intends to apply for a COPCN to further that enhanced service and transport patients to the hospital. As of now, Collier's ambulance service transports patients. Commissioners heard Tuesday that the island has one ambulance and a second one for five peak months. It's understandable why Marco wants better. Marco officials said the COPCN application isn't filed yet. Commissioners agreed Tuesday to await that request. North Collier applied in March 2015 and didn't get an answer for six months. By the time Marco applies and six months pass for a COPCN review, County Commission and Marco elections would be upon us. Voters will get a say through their fall election decisions. That's the next best step in a full public debate on the future of Collier emergency services. SHARE Home rule in Collier County deserves protection cities should be able to control their own destinies rather than unwillingly falling under the authority of county government. Yet when a city doesn't fulfill its commitment and puts the health of citizens and the environment at risk, it's to county government's credit if it's willing to step in. Such is the case in Everglades City where a failing wastewater treatment plant and system has been operating without a state permit for eight months and potential fines are mounting. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has allowed this to carry on and it's not the first time. A lawsuit settlement in 2013 called for the small city to fix its problems, but it hasn't. Now the DEP is asking the county's excellent utility service for help. It would be unfair to ask county ratepayers to bail out Everglades City, so the small town is going to have to step up. Considering it's situated in an environmental haven, county government leaders deserve credit for analyzing if they can help. SHARE Tom Mooney, Naples Attention millennials So our climate-denying governor endorses the climate-denying leading Republican presidential candidate. The problem with CO2 pollution is that it lasts 100 years. It is the cumulative result of the total use of fossil fuels by the total population of the Earth, which is 7,000,000,000+ now and going up to 9,000,000,000 soon. It is not based on anyone's individual contribution and so it is very easy to ignore. It is very easy to ignore the problem if one is from the Baby Boomer generation (or older) because we will probably die before the worst effects happen. Those in the millennial generation are the ones who will pay for all of the mitigation, but then they don't vote, so who cares if the oceans rise, if the glaciers melt and if there are more permafrost thaws, which will release massive amounts of methane gas 100 times more powerful than CO2. Our grandchildren will inherit our problems. It is time for the millennials to start voting for their own interests. SHARE David Griffith, Naples Not Kool Letter writer J.N. Miranda accuses liberals of being Kool-Aid drinkers whatever that means. However, he must be drinking something considerably stronger. He says "almost 100 million Americans have left the workforce because they couldn't find work." Apparently he should switch from what he now drinks to Kool-Aid as this number is sheer nonsense. Let's do the math. In January 2009, President Obama inherited a non-farm workforce of 142.2 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since then, our workforce has grown to 150.5 million, an increase of 8.3 million. So how can 100 million people leave the workforce that would require 108.3 million to enter the workforce to account for the increase. It should be obvious that the 100 million is just evidence of Fox News getting desperate to belittle Obama's obvious successes. The letter writer's account of the Iraq war is also nonsense. He claims President Bush didn't start the war against Iraq is he kidding? He didn't mention the totally false information from Bush's administration presented to the senators that presumably proved Iraq had nuclear weapons. Such false information led Gen. Colin Powell to resign from office as he felt complicit. It also embroiled us in a terrible war where many Americans and Iraqis died. The letter states that Bush's executive orders didn't violate the Constitution as Obama's did. But when the president is accused of violating the Constitution, he is subject to the Supreme Court for final determination. So this statement is false on its face unless Mr. Miranda can produce evidence that any executive order violated the Constitution as determined by appropriate judicial authority. The entire letter shows the absence of any factual basis for the opinions of Mr. Miranda just right-wing ranting. 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. Friends and colleagues in the emergency services turned out in force last week to bid farewell to one of their own. Friends and colleagues in the emergency services turned out in force last week to bid farewell to one of their own. Paramedic Jim Hogan from Ballingarrane, Clonmel, who had only been ill since October, died on November 29 after a brave battle against illness. He was 54. He had worked in the ambulance service in South Tipperary for the last ten years, following a stint as station officer with the Kildare Fire Service in Newbridge. Originally from Sheehy Terrace in Clonmel, he returned to the town with his wife Monica, son Adam and daughter Kellie when he secured the post with the ambulance service. Acting paramedic supervisor Declan Harte, who is also the co-ordinator of the annual charity fundraising cycle organised by the emergency services, has paid tribute to him. Jim was a pure gentleman. He was a leader and instructor with the fire service and a mentor to all his colleagues in the ambulance service. Declan said he was always interested in upskilling and bettering himself. He was also well known for taking new recruits under his wing and guiding them on the right path. He was a professional to the last and had a very caring attitude towards patients. He loved the banter with elderly patients especially. Declan said that Jims expertise particularly shone through at the scene of road traffic accidents. He was also a tireless worker as a committee member on the emergency services cycle. The work he did in the background was huge. He looked after the safety aspect of the event and when it was finished he would sweep the route to make sure nobody was left behind. Jims popularity was evident in the huge attendance at his funeral ceremonies, with many Gardai and colleagues in the fire and ambulance services included among the mourners. The Requiem Mass at St. Marys Church in Irishtown was streamed live on the internet and watched by family and friends around the world including the United States, Germany, Australia and Abu Dhabi. Following Requiem Mass his coffin was carried on the fire services gun carriage through the town to St. Patricks cemetery. The coffin was carried from the cemetery gates to Jims final resting place by his former colleagues in Newbridge and the ambulance service in Clonmel. As well as his wife Monica, son Adam and daughter Kellie he is also survived by parents Ken and Peggy, brothers Ken and Paul, mother-in-law Ina, aunts, uncles and other relations, to whom sincere sympathy is extended. Gardai believe an arson attack was responsible for the fire that destroyed St Nicholas Parish Office in Carrick-on-Suir and caused some structural and extensive smoke damage to the adjoining presbytery over the June Bank Holiday Weekend. Gardai believe an arson attack was responsible for the fire that destroyed St Nicholas Parish Office in Carrick-on-Suir and caused some structural and extensive smoke damage to the adjoining presbytery over the June Bank Holiday Weekend. Some of St Nicholas Parishs death and Confirmation records and the records of the parishs Community Employment Scheme that was based at the office were destroyed in the blaze in the early hours of Sunday, May 31. St Nicholas Parish curate Fr Richard Geoghegan, the presbyterys only resident, said the records were stored in the Parish Offices filing cabinet and on its computer. They included records of deaths in St Nicholas Parish dating back to around 1980 and records of Confirmations in the parish over the past few years. He was luckily staying with his family in Dungarvan on the night of the fire. The blaze has deeply upset Fr Geoghegan and he said it was very disconcerting to think somebody started it deliberately. He believes he wouldnt have survived if he had been in the house that night. If I was in the house I would certainly be buried now. I wouldnt have been able to get out because of where the fire was. I would have been trying to get out the back door and going towards the smoke as the front door is always locked and the key was in the office. After viewing the fire damage, Fr Geoghegan said he cant bring himself to visit the presbytery again at the moment and confessed he broke down in tears last Wednesday while driving out of Carrick-on-Suir to stay with family in Dungarvan rather returning to his home for the past 14 years. I am at a stage where I just cant go to the house. I want to wait until its cleared up a bit. Its very traumatic after 14 years and having spent every day in the parish office to see it burned. He paid tribute to Jim Hawkins, supervisor of the Community Employment Scheme, for his quick action in raising the alarm after going to the presbytery in the early hours of Sunday, May 31 when the phonewatch burglar alarm went off. His actions prevented the fire spreading to the rest of the presbytery. Only for Jim acted so quickly the fire would have spread through the building. The fire fighters did contain it to to the parish office though it will take a long time to get the presbytery cleaned up and back to some liveable state. Fr Geoghegan will move to temporary rented accommodation in Carrick until the presbytery is renovated. The parish office has moved to the Nano Nagle Community Resource Centre and is open as normal five days a week from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4pm on Fridays. As diaries have been destroyed any family who had booked a Baptism is asked to get in touch to rebook. He thanked the Nagle Centre for accommodating the parish office and the Bank of Ireland in Carrick for donating supplies of stationery to assist in getting the office back up and running. Fr Geoghegan said he very much encouraged by the support he has received from the people of Carrick-on-Suir. A lot of messages of support have been posted on his popular Facebook page Things I Miss About Carrick.. The outpouring of support and love is a great help but I still find it traumatic to think what might have been. I do appreciate very much the goodness, goodwill and prayers from people. Carrick on Suir Gardai confirmed that the fire is a suspected arson and the matter is now under investigation. Representative Jeb Hensarling, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, makes an opening statement during a House Financial Services Committee hearing with Jacob "Jack" Lew, U.S. Treasury secretary, not pictured, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Lew said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would only lend to Greece if there was some "debt forgiveness, debt restructuring." Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Jeb Hensarling Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg WASHINGTON Two senior GOP lawmakers are warning regulators against preferential treatment for housing advocates and nonprofits in sales of nonperforming, government-guaranteed mortgages. In a letter, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., claim the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Federal Housing Administration have a duty to maximize recoveries on defaulted mortgages. "We urge you to reject any calls to convert your NPL sales programs into a means to award some with preferential treatment through special first-look listings, competition-free closed bidding, below-market pricing discounts and or a prioritization of organizations' mission at the expense of taxpayers," the two chairmen said in the joint March 21 letter. They said maximizing loss recoveries "is especially paramount in light of the recent taxpayer bailout of the Federal Housing Administration and the almost $200 billion in taxpayer expenditures needed to prevent the collapse of the GSEs." The chairmen said it is inappropriate to offer discounts on sales of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA nonperforming loans at a "time when the country faces enormous fiscal challenges" and "crushing debt." Fannie Mae sold 10,000 nonperforming single family loans in 2015 totaling $2.1 billion, while Freddie sold $2.9 billion in nonperforming loans. The FHA sold 13,120 nonperforming loans in fiscal year 2015 with an unpaid principal balance of $2.34 billion. FHA launched its NPL sale program in 2010 and started to carve out targeted pools for nonprofits and community organizations in 2012. Fannie completed three nonperforming loan sales in 2015. "Our second nonperforming loan sale transaction included a community impact pool of nonperforming loans with an unpaid principal balance of approximately $5 million that was specifically structured to attract diverse participation by nonprofits, small investor and minority and women-owned businesses," Fannie says in its 2015 annual report. In the joint letter, the chairmen point out that housing advocates want to convert the NPL sales into "community development conduits where certain approved buyers receive steep discounts on properties and taxpayers are left holding the bag." A Department of Housing and Urban Development spokesman said FHA would not comment on the NPL sales until the agency responds to the committee chairmen. FHFA also declined to comment. "We have received the senators' letter and will respond soon," FHFA said in a statement. One Hundred Years A Hero, a new biopic documenting the extraordinary life and career of Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, USAF (Ret.), will premiere Friday, April 22 at 5 p.m. in the Air Force Museum Theatre in Dayton, Ohio. As part of the Living History Film Series, a panel discussion will follow the screening. Still going strong at 100 years of age, Col. Cole expects to attend the premier, participating in the discussion with film makers Jon Tennyson and Scott Guyette. A second showing of the film and discussion will be offered at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. Sept. 7, 1915, just 12 years after Dayton natives Wilbur and Orville Wright conducted the first powered, controlled airplane flights at Kitty Hawk, Dick Cole was born in Dayton, Ohio. He was born at home, just blocks from the brothers now famous bicycle shop. Fascinated by flight as a child, he often rode his bicycle out to the levees above McCook Field to watch pioneering pilots such as Jimmy Doolittle and John Macready test fly the newest concepts of the day. Little did the youngster know that a few short years later, in April of 1942 , he would be sitting just inches from Doolittle, flying as co-pilot on one of the most celebrated missions in U.S. military history, the Doolittle Raid on Toyko, Japan. Dick Cole had left the United States aboard the carrier USS Hornet on April 2, 1942. On April 18, 1942, he was co-pilot of the first American airplane to attack the Japanese home islands since war had been declared. The Raid was just the beginning of a year overseas for Cole. After the Doolittle Raid, Cole remained in the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) to Fly the Hump, one of the riskiest of all World War II aviation missions. In the spring of 1942, Japanese units overran Burma on India's northern border, cutting off the last significant land routes that supplied the struggling armies of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in China. The United States and its Allies needed to keep China in the war. Since she had been attacked by the Japanese in 1937, her forces had preoccupied nearly 2 million Japanese troops. However, that strategy could only work if China and Allied troops could be supplied. So in April 1942, Cole, now assigned to the Air Transport Command, started flying the Hump in C-47s loaded to the gills with everything from gasoline to food to bandages - whatever was needed to keep China and her Allies in the fight. The dangers of flying 530-mile long passage over the Himalayan Mountains - which became known as the Aluminum Trail - were many, and a terrible price was paid. Nearly 1,000 men and 600 Air Transport Command planes were lost by the end of China-Burma-India Theater operations. In addition, China National Aviation Corporation lost 38 planes and 88 airmen. Cole faced those dangers until April 29, 1943, when he was finally released from assignment with the Air Transport Command. Cole flew nearly 60 roundtrips between India and China, over and through the terrifying Himalayas, in order to supply those defending China. Now, a year later, he was going home to a great stateside assignment, test flying newly manufactured airplanes. Once home Cole met and married the love of his life Marta, all in the span of three months before receiving a phone call sending him back to the war front. The call was from Col. Johnny Alison, a well-known hero of the CBI, a fighter ace who had commanded the 23rd Fighter Group. Alison was forming a new unit to carry out a top secret mission in the CBI - no details, no incentives, no promises - just a question: Are you interested?, followed by a typically terse Dick Cole response: Sure. With that, Cole became a member of the first Special Operations Unit in the history of the United States Army Air Corps, the1st Air Commandos Group. Cole participated in Operation Thursday in Burma, which marked the first U.S. aerial invasion into enemy territory and the first nighttime heavy glider assault landing. The unit played a legendary part in the re-taking of Burma from the Japanese. Later, when asked why he would go back to such dangerous duty in the CBI after all hed been through, Cole said, It needed to be done. And I wanted to do something for the war effort on my own. I didnt want to only be Jimmy Doolittles co-pilot for the rest of my life. Dick Cole - One Hundred Years a Hero was produced by the multi-award winning aviation documentarians, Sleeping Dog Productions, in conjunction with the Voices of Valor project of the Fagen Fighters World War II Museum, Granite Falls, Minn. Film makers Jon Tennyson and Scott Guyette will be sharing their experiences working with Dick Cole and others to preserve their important stories and honor our veterans. Thankfully, Col. Richard E. Cole, One Hundred Years a Hero, is still with us and scheduled to attend the premier of his exciting biopic. The theatres April 22 and 23 events are the third of eight Living History Film Series programs planned for 2016. The Series brings aviation history alive through films and guest speakers. The Living History Film Series is sponsored by Texas Road House and the Boeing Co. Holiday Inn Dayton-Fairborn is the official hotel partner for the series, offering special rates for visitors. Tickets are available at the theatre's ticket counter or by emailing theatre@afmuseum.com for $15 per film ($12 for Friends Members). The theatre is operated by the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc., a Section 501(c)(3) private, non-profit organization that assists the Air Force in the development and expansion of the facilities of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. For more information on the Air Force Museum Foundation, visit www.airforcemuseum.com. The Air Force Museum Foundation is not part of the Department of Defense or any of its components and it has no governmental status. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the worlds largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space. Each year about one million visitors from around the world come to the museum. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil. NOTE TO PUBLIC: For more information, please contact the Air Force Museum Theatre at (937) 253-4629 or visit www.afmuseum.com or email theatre@afmuseum.com. NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information on the Air Force Museum Theatre, contact: Mary Bruggeman, Chief, Attractions Operations, (937) 656-9623, mbruggeman@afumuseum.com Business / Companies by Staff reporter Only 9 % of workers dismissed using last year's Supreme Court ruling have been reinstated. According to a research conducted by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, approximately 4 858 workers who were dismissed have been reinstated.This, ZCTU revealed, is based on responses received from questionnaires sent out to various national employment councils.According to the findings, the most affected union was the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe with 1 500 of its members dismissed.The report noted that nine out of 20 trade unions recorded positive changes in their collective bargaining agreement between 2014 and 2015. News / Africa by Staff Reporter A fake doctor at Ha-Rankopane Village in QwaQwa has been nabbed after the community doubted his credibility.Daily Sun reported that on Sunday afternoon, having noticed that the doctor did not have any certificates hanging on his wall, the community decided to call the cops.Now the Pakistani man (52) is behind bars for practising as a health professional, and cops say more charges might be added.Police spokesman Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said when they made the arrest, the fake doctor's office was in a bad state.Mophiring said: "The suspect was arrested for illegally practising as a health professional.""He was using a Home Affairs registration book used to certify dead people, as well as referral letters and business stamps for issuing medical certificates. The suspect couldn't produce any certificates, and his workers indicated that patients have to pay in cash. If a patient required prescription medicine, the suspect would buy the medication at a local pharmacy," he said.Mophiring said they believe the bogus doctor could be working with another doctor who consults at the surgery.The suspect is expected to appear in the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate's Court soon.Free State Health spokesman Mondli Mvambi said: "We are pleased to hear of his arrest. He will no longer be able to prey on innocent people." News / Africa by Yanga Mhluzi Contact script writer Gukurahundi Genocide that took place in southern western parts of Zimbabwe against the Matebele people has been swept under carpet and kept away from the radar of current affairs in Africa and beyond for many years while the sectarian government which was responsible for this genocide still governs Zimbabwe with impunity.For those not in the know, Gukurahundi is a Shona word that means the first early rains that wash away the chuff before the planting season begins. Put in the context of this great political sin ever to visit our black brothers across the Limpopo River, the meaning of Gukurahundi can be interpreted as a genocide pogrom that was carried out first by Zanu PF government before the birth of a sectarian and one party state of Zimbabwe under Robert Gabriel Mugabe in the 80s to late 90s.History records and proves that people of Matebeleland played an important and pivotal role in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and were brothers in arms with ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe via Zapu and its mighty military wing, the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA).We, the young South Africans have come to know that ANC was a baby of ZAPU. This was recently emphasised by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki. The late Chris Hani narrated very well the battle adventures that were conducted jointly by ZIPRA and UMkhonto weSizwe in Matebeleland against the Rhodesian and RSA apartheid armies for the liberation of our peoples. Victories were won at the battle front against the forces of black oppression and colonialism for a common cause of our liberation.Therefore the people of Matebeleland contributed greatly to the independence of RSA and our freedom.As young South Africans, we have therefore seen it as our moral obligation and duty to do something about raising awareness about injustices that happened in Matebeleland during the Gukurahundi Genocide pogrom that still continues today in different forms and guises across the Limpopo. This is the main reason why we had to come up with a Gukurahundi Genocide theatre play called ULoyiko.ULoyiko is a Xhosa word that means fear us. ULoyiko theatre play is all about the Gukurahundi Genocide that took place in Matabeleland in Zimbabwe from 1983-1987.The genocide is estimated to have massacred more than 50 000 innocent and God fearing Matebele civilians, raped thousands of women and left thousands wounded and thousands of children without parents to fend and educate them.Millions were displaced to neighbouring countries including the Republic of South Africa and thousands had to seek sanctuary abroad in Western countries and in America. Those who remain in Matebeleland are marginalised and live in perpetual fear and harassment from the state security agents of the Zimbabwean government. They are a captured people whose freedoms are greatly compromised and impinged upon.ULoyiko play is meant to provocatively expose what really happened during the Genocide and tell the whole world of an untold cruel story at hands of a black government that had just won independence from white Rhodesia.It is a narrative that helps to tell the world a very sad chapter of Genocide in Southern Africa, the first ever genocide carried by a black government post the fall of colonialism in our region in Africa.In the play we bring to life a lived experience of women during the horrors of Gukurahundi Genocide based on true stories that have been narrated by the survivors of this Genocide.We also bring to life the lived experience of facing tribalism, marginalisation and displacement as narrated by the survivors of Gukurahundi now living in the Republic of South Africa.We do understand the diplomatic standards and diplomatic parlance that the ANC led government has to follow when handling the Genocide issue with its neighbour but as young South Africans we interact with our brothers and sisters from Matebeleland daily and feel their pain. We therefore have no obligation like the ANC government to be yoked with diplomatic parlance when bringing to life through theatre the horrors of Gukurahundi Genocide that visited our cousins across the Limpopo River.The aim of this provocative play is to tell the untold story of Matabeleland's lived and memorised experiences of the horrors Gukurahundi Genocide without fear or favour, a story that is forbidden to be told and narrated in Zimbabwe as doing so invites the wrath of the oppressive state machinery of Zimbabwe. The media space and the space for all other forms of narration of this genocide is closed by the Zimbabwean government under the leadership of Robert Gabriel Mugabe.In Zimbabwe today it is a crime for people of Matebeleland not to speak in the oppressor's language, that is Shona. If they fail to do so, they get arrested under public disorder offences law used ruthlessly by the Zimbabwean Republic Police ( ZRP).We are made to understand that the genocide continues to take different forms and guises as children at a tender age are forced to be taught by teachers who do not speak their language and in the process violating their rights to acquisition and learning of their culture. Surely as humans of conscience, we decided to join our cousins in their struggle against this injustice and play a little role in shining a light on this inhumanity.We also understand that the genocide continues to take giant leaps into all sectors of employment across board as well as in land reclamations and re-distribution in Matebeleland.We are made aware that land in Matebeleland has been taken away from white farmers and given to people of Shona origination at the expense of locals. This is pure genocide in a different form.The Gukurahundi Genocide is still in motion and full swing in Matebeleland. This untold story has to be told, must be told and will be told in a number of audiences in Africa and around the world. Together we shall triumph against injustice.We therefore take this opportunity to inform the public, the people of Matebeleland and the world that we are looking forward to launch our Gukurahundi Genocide theatre play in the first week of May in Cape Town and we are ready to travel around the world spreading awareness on this Genocide using theatre.as a powerful form of the narration of the horrors of Gukurahundi Genocide in Matebeleland in Zimbabwe. T- Shirts about the play are being designed and they will be available in 2 weeks' time.Any help will be highly appreciated as we are still collecting some resources to launch the play but we definitely do not accept conditional help that goes with changing the content of the script. This is our gift to the people of Matabeleland from young South African Xhosa theatre activists.Long live Matebeleland long Live!Yanga Mhluzimhluzi1220@gmail.com0027717548206 At the second day of a visit to Lithuania, NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and the 28 ambassadors of the North Atlantic Council met in Vilnius with President Dalia Grybauskaite on Thursday (24 March 2016) and discussed NATOs adaptation to meet new security challenges. Speaking at a joint press conference with President Grybauskaite, Deputy Secretary General Vershbow thanked Lithuania for its major contributions to the Alliances shared security. Mr. Vershbow praised Lithuanias participation in NATO missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo and commended Lithuania for hosting the Energy Security Centre of Excellence, as well as the new NATO Force Integration Unit. The North Atlantic Council is also visiting the Rukla military training area on Thursday, where Lithuanian and American troops are training side-by-side. Mr. Vershbow said that is a concrete example of Europe and North America standing strong together. He also noted that Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union twenty six-years ago and that today the Alliance is committed to ensuring that Lithuania never loses its freedom again. A brief history of the U.S. Army's entomological warfare research programs An expert's opinion (NaturalNews) Could the Zika virus "epidemic" be part of a secret U.S. Army program created to develop weaponized mosquitoes for "entomological warfare" purposes?According to, the Army has long been interested in such methods of waging war against its enemies, and some now suspect that the Zika virus could be a test run of its entomological warfare program:"The March 1981 report on 'entomological warfare' was prepared following research at the Dugway Proving Ground, the sprawling Utah facility where the Army tests biological and chemical weapons systems."The report examined the methods by which U.S. military members and civilians could come under attack by mosquitoes infected with yellow fever. The report notes that, according to U.S. intelligence information, Warsaw Pact nations 'have attempted development of an EW capability.'"Along with cost estimates for possible EW attacks--which seem remarkably affordable and cost effective--the report estimated that upwards of 40 percent of those bitten by infected mosquitoes would die."It seems that under the guise of defending the United States against such attacks, the Army has developed its own programs to test the effectiveness of entomological warfare.As reported by"During the 1950s, the U.S. military established a top secret entomological warfare facility that could produce more than 100 million mosquitoes infused with yellow fever in a matter of days. A well-known tropical disease, the infection produces flu-like symptoms, bloody vomiting, jaundice and in some cases death. To evaluate the effectiveness of mosquitoes as a weapon, the military launched a series of tests right up into the mid-1960s in which millions of uninfected specimens were secretly released via specially designed munitions near or on top of civilian areas in Georgia and Florida. These operations, dubbed Magic Sword, Drop Kick, Big Buzz and Big Itch, studied the survivability of bomb-delivered mosquitos as well as their proliferation over a given area. It's unclear if any of these 'bug bombs' were ever used in combat."Since there have been at least four EW research programs conducted by the Army dating back to the 1950s, it's anybody's guess as to whether the U.S. military is still involved in this kind of research but it certainly wouldn't be much of a stretch of the imagination to assume that they are.In fact, despite the mainstream media's portrayal of those who ask questions along these lines as being wacky conspiracy theorists, there are experts in the field who have been expressing similar suspicions regarding the Zika virus and its sudden and rapid spread throughout many countries.One such expert is a man named Francis A. Boyle.Reports"International law professor Francis A. Boyle, who drafted the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, revealed the Zika virus was souped up as a bio-weapon by the United States Federal government and non-government organizations. If Boyle's suspicion is true, and he has a strong background in bio-weapons to support his views, the current outbreak of the disease would be yet another case of government partnering with non-governmental organizations to produce and spread a disease on vulnerable populations.""The United States government has spent $100 billion in researching bio-weapons since 9/11 2001," said Boyle. "It is clear that the United States government is running an offensive biological weapons program."While there may not yet be direct evidence linking the Zika virus outbreak to the U.S. government, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that possibility.And whether or not such a program is part of a globalist depopulation program , or a test run of entomological warfare tactics or something else entirely is not yet known.But for many observers and experts, it seems clear that there is something very suspicious going on. There is just too much evidence suggesting that the Zika virus epidemic is not a natural phenomenon, but rather one that has been created by humans. It happens more than people think It can happen even in moderate weather (NaturalNews) It is being hailed as a victory for the vulnerable and, really, it's common sense.A newly enacted law in Florida now makes it perfectly legal for residents to break into other people's cars if the intent is to keep a child or a pet who is "in imminent danger of suffering harm," say, from becoming too hot.As reported by the"The new law is in direct response to a growing number of incidents where pets, children and others have died because they've been left in overheated cars, particularly under Florida's steamy summer sun."Under the new statute, individuals cannot be sued by vehicle owners for breaking into their car to rescue a person or pet, so long as they have:[no word on what the time limit for that is]House Majority Leader Dana Young, R-Tampa, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Coral Springs, and Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, introduced the legislation in the current session with unanimous support, thenoted.According to this graph from the National Weather Service, which tracks such incidents, deaths from overheating in a motor vehicle (children, pets, senior citizens) fell to 24 around the country last year. But in prior years, the figure had been nearly or more than double that, with 43 deaths in 2003, 47 in 2005, 43 in 2008 and 49 in 2010.Heat exhaustion or heat stroke from an overheated car can occur quickly, sometimes in minutes, the NWS noted."The sun's shortwave radiation ... does heat objects that it strikes. For example, a dark dashboard or seat can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to more than 200 degrees F," the agency notes on its website. "These objects (e.g., dashboard, steering wheel, child seat) heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation ... which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle."In just over two minutes, vehicle interiors can go from a safe temperature to an unsafe 94.3 degrees F.Persons locked in a warm car fall victim to hyperthermia , and because of its devastating and potentially deadly effects it can be considered a true medical emergency."Hyperthermia is an acute condition that occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. Hyperthermia can occur even on a mild day ," the NWS reported. "Studies have shown that the temperature inside a parked vehicle can rapidly rise to a dangerous level for children, adults and pets."Leaving the windows slightly open does not significantly decrease the heating rate," the agency added. "The effects can be more severe on children because their bodies warm at a faster rate than adults."As you might imagine, federal agencies and other interest groups advise never leaving a child or pet in a vehicle, even if you're just "running inside the grocery store" for a few minutes. You could be delayed at the check-out, run into a friend and lose track of time, or have to wait on other customers for your goods, delaying you and putting your child in danger.Even in moderate weather conditions, the inside of an automobile can become dangerously warm. Children have died after being left in cars for hours on fairly cool and moderate days, the NWS noted.Regarding Florida's new law, the HLN network reported in May 2015 that Iraq war veteran Michael Hammons had been arrested after breaking out a car window to save a dog on a hot day in Athens, Ga. The state has a law that allows a person to do that if they are trying to save a human, but not an animal.Those charges, however, were later dropped. (NaturalNews) Not that it will really matter to most of her supporters, but something Democrat frontrunner Hillary Clinton just said about her only rival for her party's nomination, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is as comical as it is untrue.Granted, both candidates are in a heated political battle, though at this point the nomination looks like Hillary's to lose, but still, to say something like this is just ridiculous.As reported by, at a recent campaign event in St. Louis, Clinton accused Sanders of not being behind her in her fight for Obamacare-style healthcare "reform" in the 1990s, when she was First Lady."We're going to pull together and stand up against those powerful forces," Clinton said. "And I always get a little chuckle when I hear my opponent talking about doing it. Well, I don't know where he was when I was trying to get health care in '93 and '94, standing up against the insurance companies, standing up against the drug companies."The untruth was quickly revealed by the Sanders campaign, which noted that Sanders was not only part of that healthcare fight, but wasSanders spokesman Mike Casca tweeted out a photo from a 1993 news conference broadcast on C-SPAN2, in which Sanders was on the daisas she spoke about her effort.In fact, Clintonfor joining in her effort."I'm very grateful for the leadership that many people are giving to this great reform effort. Andwill join us today from Vermont..." [Sanders was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006].To heap on more embarrassment, MSNBC reporter Alex Seitz-Wald posted a photo of Clinton and Sanders with a note from Clinton to the then-congressman that thanked him specifically for his "commitment to real health care." That tweet can be seen here Again, none of this will probably matter to Clinton's hardcore supporters, but to call Sanders soft on healthcare reform and, particularly,kind of socialist, government-run health care reform is just ludicrous. Sanders' position is the same now that it was back then; namely, that it should all be government-controlled, that private health insurance should be a thing of the past and that "the rich" be soaked to pay for everyone else's care. (NaturalNews) According to a water quality report, Boulder, Colorado's drinking water contains high levels of chromium-6, a carcinogenic chemical linked to cancers of the liver, stomach and small intestine.Limited research on the health effects of hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, has resulted in a lack of regulation preventing the chemical from entering into the public's water supply.Hexavalent chromium is used industrially for making steel and textile dyes, wood preservation, the leather tanning process and making paints, inks and plastics. It's also used as an anticorrosive to preserve decorative coatings and primers. Chronic inhalation of this known human carcinogen greatly increases the risk of lung cancer and causes detrimental effects to the kidneys and intestines.Little research has been conducted to understand the potential health effects of ingesting the chemical.Water supplies containing chromium-6 are usually contaminated through runoff from industrial processes like finishing metal machinery, or rustproofing.The current standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 100 parts per billion (ppb) on total chromium, which accounts for both chromium-3 and chromium-6 together. The agency combines the two because chromium can change between chromium-3 and chromium-6, depending on its environment. Chromium-3, or eskolaite, is a naturally occurring mineral used for pigment in paints, inks and glasses, and is often found naturally in soil and food."So because chromium-6 can become the benign chromium-3 in certain environments, and because one such environment is the human stomach, regulators treat both chromium states together when it comes to drinking water," reported Boulder's 2014 Water Quality Report found chromium-6 levels in the city's drinking water to range between 0.03 to 0.34 ppb, with the maximum of the range being more thanthan the 0.06 ppb public health standard set in California., a film released in 2000 starring Julia Roberts, depicts the true story of a legal clerk who, through an investigation, discovered a link between chromium-6 in the water supply and an increase in the number of tumor and cancer cases throughout Hinkley, California. Test results showed Hinkley to have chromium-6 concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 2.69 ppb.A $333 million settlement, the largest in the country at the time, was won against the utility company Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for contaminating Hinkley's water supply with chromium-6. To date, the company has paid $315 million in claims to victims.Today, California is the only state to have a public health goal (PHG) on chromium-6 in drinking water supplies; however, beginning in July, the state is expected toThe Environmental Working Group has "questioned the motives" behind raising the standard, warning that "24 million Californians would be exposed" to the potentially dangerous carcinogen."Ideally you want nothing," said Renee Sharp, Environmental Working Group director of research. "Chromium is known to be a carcinogen and creates a host of other health effects."Sharp believes that the standard should be set to 1 ppb, a measure which she says is a "realistic goal."For reasons unknown, Boulder's water contained higher levels of chromium-6 than nearby communities like Longmont, which registered at 0.035 and 0.061 ppb last year, and Lafayette, which measured at 0.00026 ppb.Following a 2008 toxicity report by the Department of Health and Human Service's National Toxicology program, the EPA began a "rigorous and comprehensive review of the health effects of chromium-6."While the health assessment is under review, the EPA is offering guidance to water utilities, educating them on how to monitor for chromium-6, in addition to the current monitoring that they're required to perform for total chromium levels. Non-VA hospitals are the biggest suppliers of illicit street pharmaceuticals (NaturalNews) What a time for the VA to have a drug theft story come out that leaves veterans without treatment. Media reports of high level corruption among top VA bureaucrats along with trashing applications have become common. To be fair, drug theft from hospital pharmacies is on the rise throughout our "healthcare" system.The VA hospital that had its hospice morphine stolen often over a one-year period or more is the Albany Stratton VA Hospital in Albany, the state capitol of New York. Hospice is where terminally ill or aging individuals are sent to die in peace, supposedly.According to the 28-year-veteran whistleblowing nurse Valerie Riviello, "A nurse taking care of hospice patients over the past year had been diverting vials of morphine. Those patients that were dying in hospice were not getting their intended pain medication."Nurse Riviello explained how a nurse in charge of hospice patients was able to use a code to remove morphine from a dispensing machine legitimately without upsetting the records of how much was removed. But those vials of morphine taken from the machine were replaced by saline solutions.So instead of receiving their morphine to be pain free, the Albany VA hospice people were getting IV saline, a .9 percent salt-in-water solution that approximates seawater and is intended for reducing dehydration, raising blood volume, overcoming negative clinical responses from anesthesia, and sometimes even for chronic fatigue. Those are surprising benefits from saline IVs!According to Valerie, the worst part of this tale is that management didn't know the thefts were taking place for close to a year, and the discovery of morphine thefts was not reported to officials higher up in the VA system. Meanwhile, where did the morphine go?Are the VA staff a bunch of stoners, or was someone involved as a distributor for black market pharmaceutical street sales?Stolen drugs from the Oklahoma VA Center have been the source for inner Oklahoma City's pharmaceutical illicit street drug trade for some time, yet it seems no one has been charged with the thefts. But VA hospitals are not the only suppliers to the pharmaceutical street drug trade.The largest known theft case occurred in NYC where Beth Israel now Mt. Sinai Beth Israel pharmacist Anthony D'Allesandro had managed to hide over 193,000 missing oxycodone pills and other drugs that NYC prosecutors think wound up in the streets of New York.The prosecution is considering using drug lord laws against him, which would put him in the position of receiving a life term. It would be the first case under those laws against a hospital staff distributor of illicit drugs.D'Allesandro claims he didn't supply street drug merchants. He claimed he had ankle pain and got caught up in an oxycodone habit using it for his pain. But prosecutors pointed out that in April 2014 he was tested for drugs and the tests showed he was clean.And the sheer volume of drugs, almost 200,000 missing for five years under cover of phony electronic tracking to researchers doesn't hold up. If he had taken the drugs himself, "we'd be at his funeral, instead of his arraignment," prosecutor Ryan Sakacz told the judge as D'Alessandro entered his not-guilty plea.Yes, there have been other reports from other hospitals and pharmacies involved with getting those heavy narcotic drugs into the streets. This has created an epidemic equivalent to cocaine and heroin use, courtesy of Big Pharma. Deja vu all over again The current swine flu scare (NaturalNews) A great philosopher once said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Those words are worth keeping in mind as the media barrages us with yet another round of swine flu panic.The swine flu "outbreak" of 2009 , which many now consider to have been little more than a hoax, may still be fresh on some people's minds especially those who suffer from conditions caused by tainted vaccines But to gain an even clearer picture of how these scares are invented and perpetuated over and over again, let's take a look at what happened in 1976. That's when 45 million Americans were duped into receiving contaminated flu shots that caused more than 500 people to contract Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that can cause paralysis.From an article written by Dr. J. Anthony Morris, and posted by Abodia.com:"In what is now known as 'the Great Swine Flu Massacre,' the President of the United States, Gerald Ford, was enlisted to persuade the public to undergo a national vaccination campaign. The moving force behind the scheme was a $135 million windfall profit for the major drug manufacturers. They had a 'swine flu' vaccine which suspicious pig raisers had refused to touch, fearful it might wipe out their crop. The manufacturers had only tried to get $80 million from the swine breeders; balked in this sale, they turned to the other market, humans ..."Hardly had the swine flu campaign been completed than the reports of the casualties began to pour in. Within a few months, claims totaling $1.3 billion had been filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the swine flu vaccine."In 1979,broadcast a story revealing the sordid details of the Centers for Disease Control's role in the hoax . Here is the originalsegment in its entirety:In the segment, reporter Mike Wallace questions the former head of the CDC, Dr. David Sencer, who was in charge of the 1976 vaccination program. Under Wallace's grilling, Dr. Sencer is forced to admit that the vaccine used was never field-tested and that the entire 1976 flu panic was essentially a hoax.Fast forward to 2009, when swine flu propaganda was again unleashed on the public, resulting in even more injuries from that year's vaccine millions of doses of which were eventually destroyed, after it was found that they were effectively useless in preventing swine flu in the first place.founder and editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger , wrote about the 2009 swine flu scare (after accurately predicting its outcome beforehand): Big Pharma made out with billions of dollars in profits for a useless vaccine that's now being dumped by the truck load. These vaccines were, of course, paid for with taxpayer dollars, making the Great Swine Flu Hoax of 2009 nothing more than an elaborate financial scam whose goal was to transfer wealth from the People to the shareholders of Big Pharma."Anyone beginning to see a pattern here?The vaccine-makers are apparently relying on the short-term memory of the public as they again with the help of mainstream media attempt to scare us into yet another round of global swine flu panic in 2016.Sensationalist news outlets such as the UK'swarn of the "killer infection" that threatens the lives of schoolchildren, while slightly more reputable sources such as theadmit that swine flu "is no more dangerous than the other flus which strike in winter."Sean Adl-Tabatabai ofaptly sums up the current swine flu panic:"Just as happened in 1976, the virus is not a significant threat having very low morbidity and mortality rates ..."As a matter of fact, flu viruses have never been the kind of monstrous threat that is now being sold to the public." Open borders allows nuclear terrorists to walk right into Europe and the USA Why the threat of nuclear terrorism puts us all at risk No effort in Washington to protect the U.S. border Have you checked your iodine supply lately? (NaturalNews) We've just learned from the Daily Mail that the ISIS terrorist bombers in Brussels planned to attack a nuclear power plant. The terrorists had been staking out the home of the nuke plant director, whom they planned to kidnap to gain access to the power plant."The Brussels terrorists were preparing an attack on a nuclear power plant and had recorded 12 hours of reconnaissance footage," reports the online paper. "Hours of film of the home of the Research and Development Director of the Belgian Nuclear Programme were discovered in an apartment in Brussels raided by anti-terrorist police following the attack in Paris."What's the goal of all this? It's obvious: The terrorists hoped to cause a nuclear meltdown in Brussels and unleash a nuclear holocaust in the heart of the EU. And according to the politically correct delusional bureaucrats running governments and media outlets, this is allbecause we did something to make the terrorists angry. (Yes, indeed, the terrorists are never responsible for their own actions... at least, according to the lunatic mainstream media.)Thanks to the complete lack of border security in America -- due to deranged, insane politicians who desperately need more illegal voters to enter the country -- we also know thatand are likely planning the same sort of attacks here.ISIS terror cells operate with full autonomy , making them almost impossible to find and interdict. Each independent cell decides on its own what targets and method to pursue, and they're all trained in the art and science of deploying high explosives, identifying structural weak points of buildings and bridges, and the art of social deception. They enter the USA and European countries under the guise of being "refugees" or "migrants," but once established in the target country, they begin gathering reconnaissance intel on their intended targets while amassing destructive devices to carry out their terrorism acts.Meanwhile, totally delusional establishment bureaucrats in America steadfastly refuse to acknowledge that radical Islam even exists. The entire political left of the United States, for example, remains in a shocking state of denial over the rise of radical Islamist terrorism all across the world. They are truly blinded to the dangers of Jihad because of their delusional political leanings.Any person who dares mention the radical Islam commonality among so many recent terrorist attacks is maliciously attacked by the liberal P.C. police who label him an "Islamaphobe."It all makes me wonder just how many innocent people have to die before the political establishment will admit that radical Islamic terrorists are using open borders policies (and "refugee" status) to walk right into the very countries they aim to destroy.Will it take a nuclear holocaust before the delusional bureaucrats in Washington dare admit thatNuclear terrorism is the most devastating form of terrorism because it unleashes radioactive fallout that has the potential to kill or sicken millions of people in the target country. Some of the radioactive isotopes unleashed by a nuclear meltdown, while others (such as cesium-137) unleash intense radiation that contaminates soils and food for 200 - 300 years.Because radical Islamic terrorists seek whatever method causes the most destruction to their intended target, nuclear terrorism is high on their list, and kidnapping a nuclear plant operator could allow them to gain access to nuclear power plant secrets or security protocols that make it easy for them to compromise those power plants.As we all learned from the Fukushima meltdown -- which the mainstream media covered up for years, refusing to admit a meltdown took place -- all a terrorist has to do to achieve a nuclear fuel "criticality event" (i.e. meltdown) is cut off the primary power and backup power sources feeding the cooling pumps. From there, the laws of physics take over and a meltdown is a simple matter of cause and effect.U.S. nuclear power plants are built with(unlike the Chernobyl facility in Ukraine), but terrorists could easily compromise that structure with the very same high explosive materials they just used in Brussels. The result would be the, blown across the continental United States and sweeping across numerous high population cities that are downwind.In the wake of the ISIS terror attacks in Brussels, more and more Americans are waking up to the necessity of protecting U.S. borders against terrorists entering the country by simply walking across the border.Just yesterday, Piers Morgan even stated that Donald Trump is starting to make a lot of sense. When terrorists keep walking right into western nations and slaughtering dozens of innocent people with each terror cell activation, even the most delusional denialists eventually start to come around and realize thatMy primary fear in all this is that the delusional P.C. culture of the political left in America is so detached from reality that they will never see the need for border security... not even after their own cities are devastated out by nuclear terrorism. It's no surprise that ISIS terrorists deliberately choose targets that maximize casualties, and in the realm of nuclear terrorism, the most obvious targets areRight now, potentially. The Obama administration has all but invited them to walk right in and set up shop in America's cities. He even seems to turn a blind eye to their terrorism by praising Islam at every opportunity and refusing to even entertain the idea that radical Islam breeds terrorists. And now they live among us, plotting their targets like they did in Paris and Brussels, waiting for "activation day" when they unleash mass death and destruction upon nations that have become utterly delusional and incompetent on this issue of border security.ISIS terrorists are laughing all the way to Hell on all this, rolling on the floor in disbelief that their own cultural enemies keep inviting them to walk right into the very cities they are aiming to destroy. The sad truth of the matter is that even if someone like Donald Trump gets elected and literally builds a giant wall across the U.S. southern border,. The terrorists are already here. They walked right in during the Obama administration which repeatedly refused to enforce commonsense border security. They already have their training, their targets and their Jihadi motivations. They operate in a society of delusional political correctness that hasfrom criticism and law enforcement profiling.in a society that's drowning in political correctness and hyper-sensitivity to any true statement that accurately describes the religious origins of extremist terrorists.Both America and the EU, it seems, havethat can only result in their own destruction at the hands of extremist religious zealots who now have the training, know-how and infrastructure to literally unleash a nuclear holocaust upon us all.Given the attempted targeting of a nuclear facility in Brussels, it's important toand make sure you have enough on hand in case nuclear terrorism takes place near you. Nascent iodine helps protect the thyroid from radiation poisoning unleashed by nuclear fallout. Iodine-131, in particular, is highly radioactive and tends to concentrate in thyroid tissues, burning out this crucial organ and leading to lifelong health problems. (It has a half-life of roughly 7 or 8 days, so it dissipates quickly but is extremely dangerous immediately after a fallout event.)The Natural News Store offers a laboratory-verified, ultra clean, high potency iodine supplement that delivers an incredible. You can find a single bottle at this link , or save another 8% or so on this three bottle pack In addition to helping protect your thyroid from radiation fallout, iodine is also well known to play a crucial supporting role in breast health and prostate health.*Iodine is also an element in potassium iodide tablets used by the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies. Both potassium iodide and nascent iodine are made from the Iodine element, and they both deliver crucial iodine to your thyroid gland.No matter where you get your iodine or iodide,In a nuclear catastrophe, you will not be able to find iodine or iodide becausejust like what happened after Fukushima in 2011 . The supply lines are very thin on iodine, and inventories will be wiped out overnight in an actual disaster.If you don't have iodine on hand BEFORE a nuclear terrorism event, you likely won't be able to get it at all.Be safe. Be prepared. Get some iodine now at the Natural News Store , offering the cleanest, most concentrated and most laboratory tested iodine sold anywhere. News / International by France24/AFP BRUSSELS. - Two brothers - one of whom left behind a "will" on a computer - carried out suicide bombings at Brussels airport and a metro station, which killed 31 people and injured 270, Belgium's federal prosecutors revealed yesterday.Ibrahim El-Bakraoui, a 30-year-old Belgian national, blew himself up at the Zaventem airport, while his brother, Khalid, detonated his explosives at the Maelbeek metro station near the EU headquarters, prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw told a Press conference in Brussels yesterday.Ibrahim had been identified using fingerprint records, Van Leeuw said, adding a third suspect remained on the run.No details on the third suspect were released.A search through a garbage bin near a hideout used by the brothers revealed a computer that contained what appeared to be Ibrahim El-Bakraoui's will, prosecutors told reporters.The document appeared to have been written in a rush, with El-Bakraoui writing, "I don't know what to do, hunted everywhere, no longer safe" and "I don't want to end up in a cell next to him," said Van Leeuw, apparently in reference to Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam who was captured by Belgian police last week.Prosecutor Van Leeuw also referred to a CCTV image from the Zaventem airport taken shortly before the attacks, which revealed three men in the departure lounge pushing trolleys.Ibrahim El-Bakraoui was one of them, confirmed Van Leeuw. The second bomber was not identified while the third man in the picture, wearing a light overcoat and hat, had fled from the scene and was the focus of an intense manhunt.Police carried out several searches following the attacks, Van Leeuw said, including at an address that was given to investigators by a taxi driver who said he had driven three men to the airport Tuesday morning. Police searching the address found chemicals used to make explosives as well as a detonator and bags full of bolts and screws.Van Leeuw also said that one person detained in one of the raids remained in custody yesterday and was being questioned, but refused to say if it was the suspect that fled the airport.The developments in the investigation came as Belgium marks three days of national mourning for the victims of the Brussels attacks. Belgians observed a nationwide minute's silence at noon with King Philippe, the premier and leaders of EU institutions attending an outdoor memorial event in Brussels' European district.While rail and metro services had resumed yesterday, the heavily damaged Zaventem airport will remain closed through today, transport officials said. U.S. President Barack Obama and Argentinian President Mauricio Macri recently agreed to work together to fight climate change, according to a Reuters report. Mr. Obama, in his first visit to the Latin American nation, met with the newly elected Mr. Macri to discuss international relations and strengthen ties. In their talks, they have agreed to join forces to cut their carbon emissions and invest in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. In a fact sheet released by the White House, the two countries have agreed on several points, such as signing and joining the Paris global climate agreement, phasing down hydrofluorocarbons, increasing renewable energy use and protecting oceans and seas. Argentina has also announced its plans to enhance its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution or INDC. Used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the INDC aims for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The United States and Argentina also agreed to cut down emissions from international aviation. In terms of energy and power, both countries committed to energy efficiency and investment in renewable energy. According to the fact sheet, U.S. and Argentina will "cooperate on scaling up renewables, including through U.S. assistance on market reform, system optimization and integrating renewable energy in the power grid." In 2014, only about 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. are from renewable sources, according to the Energy Information Administration. The highest consumed energy source is petroleum, amounting to about 35 percent of all energy. Argentina, on the other hand, is still largely dependent on fossil fuels. In its total energy mix, it represents about 87 percent, as per this energy report. In 2025, the country aims to increase its renewable energy use to 20 percent. The two countries also agreed to work together for marine protection and conservation, with continuous collaborations and partnerships between relevant agencies and their counterparts in the other country. Exxon Mobil Corp. has recently been ordered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to include a resolution on climate change on its annual shareholder proxy meeting, as per a recent Reuters report. The order obligates the U.S.-based multinational oil and gas company to disclose its total carbon emissions. This is considered a legal setback for the largest internationally traded oil company because it has previously argued that it already had sufficient disclosures of its carbon emissions. SEC sent a letter to Exxon on Tuesday, stating that the company is prohibited to ignore a proposal initiated by the state comptroller of New York from being subjected to a full shareholder vote. If the shareholders approve the proposal, it would require the company to disclose the specific environmental risks it is taking to operate profitably. The company has previously argued that the NY state's comptroller proposal was unclear. The company also further argued that it has already published sufficient carbon disclosures, which include the "Energy and Carbon - Managing the Risks" report that the company published on its website. However, the SEC was unconvinced that the reports were adequately compliant to the requirements of the law. A lawyer-adviser with the SEC, Justin Kisner said that the disclosures of Exxon do not seem to be favorable with the guidelines of the comptroller's proposal. A digital copy of Kisner's letter can be viewed online on the Scribd. It details the disagreement of SEC regarding Exxon Mobil's arguments. So far, no comment from Exxon about the SEC order was released to the media. Exxon has been resisting to include climate change experts on its board. In a blog article on FuelFix, it was pointed out that the SEC ruling was based on a 2015 international agreement ratified in Paris by almost 200 countries, including the United States. The agreement aims to reduce the total greenhouse emissions to reduce the possibly devastating impact of a global average temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius. A 9-month-old, tagged California fur seal found its way to a home in Fremont Thursday morning, puzzling cops and neighbors over how the small mammal waddled its way there. Police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques made a video, which she tweeted out about 9:30 a.m., showing the seal, which rescuers nicknamed Ozzie, likely for where it was found: In the 42300 block of Osgood Road. We have no idea how it made it to Osgood, far from any body of water, Bosques said. The block is about four miles from the nearest body of sea water. Its possible, said Marine Mammal Center veterinarian Sophie Whoriskey. These animals do haul out and spend some time on land sometimes, so they can certainly walk that far. Police also showed a picture of smiling residents standing around the seal, which is in a cage and wrapped in a black blanket with white paw prints. Later, Fremont police updated the status of "Ozzie," stating its real name was "Kumofur." She was apparently supposed to head north, but ended up south. Police initially stated incorrectly that the seal was a sea lion. Homeowner Cathy Carpentier said Kumofur looked wet and fairly healthy, but scared. It was moving around quite a bit. It was looking at you with big brown eyes gorgeous, Carpentier said, explaining police knocked on her door about 8:30 Thursday morning asking if she and her husband knew how the seal got here. Theres a seal in your driveway. A seal. How do you comprehend that? Carpentier said. Occasionally we get raccoons, skunks, bobcats, but a marine animal? This is a first for us. Kumofur was originally rescued in November 2015 at New Brighton State Beach in Capitola, California, according to Giancarlo Rulli from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, where the seal was taken. After the malnourished pup was treated at the center, Rulli said she was released at Scotty Creek Beach in Bodega Bay, California, earlier in March. Rulli said veterinarians will exam her to try to figure out why she might have made her way to Fremont, 100 miles away. Fur Seal Found in Fremont Front Yard A record number of mammals were found and rescued at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito last year, most likely, experts say, because of the Pacific Ocean weather phenomena called "The Blob" and El Nino. A total of 107 fur seals were rescued by the center in 2015, three times the average. Dr. Whoriskey says usually during March, they are treating 15 to 20. We think thats because of warmer water conditions so these animals are having a harder time finding food, Dr. Whoriskey said. Throughout California, other rescue centers are busy feeding high numbers of hungry mammals before sending them back into the ocean. Overall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that from January to May 2015, California sea lion strandings were occurring 10 times more than average. [NATL] Adorable Zoo Babies: White Lion Cubs Nala and Simba Born in France A similar phenomenon occurred during Californias last El Nino in 1997, when the death rate of seals hovered about 70 percent, compared to a normal rate of 45 percent. Update - meet Kumofur, she is a 9 mo. old Northern Fur Seal. Orig. released in Bodega Bay headed so. instead of no. pic.twitter.com/Im905iGUUJ Fremont Police Department (@FremontPD) March 24, 2016 As for 2016, Rulli said the number of strandings have not yet been tabulated. But he didn't expect them to be too high, because stranded seals usually happen shortly after birth, which would mean they would occur in the fall. [NATL] Rescued Northern Fur Seals News / Local by Stephen Jakes Harare Residents Trust has said water quality in the capital city has become an issue of concern with the residents."Residents have raised concern over the water disconnections for outstanding debts. In communities where water supplies are erratic, the residents have taken the initiative to drill boreholes, sunken unprotected shallow wells, or fetch water from nearby polluted streams like Mukuvisi River, compromising community health," said the trust. "The quality of water has become an issue with most residents who question why drinking water has visible impurities."He said the HRT recognises that water is a right to be enjoyed by every citizen irrespective of economic and social status."The quality of water should meet the basic standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and should be visibly clean to inspire confidence in the consumers," said the trust."It shall be the policy of the HRT to lobby and demand from the City of Harare for the removal or scrapping from its water budget fixed water charges as this has disadvantaged thousands of water consumers in high and low density areas.The HRT shall as a matter of policy demand accurate meter readings as basis for the costing of water consumed by residents and will do everything in its power to denounce estimate water charges."The trust said it shall be the policy of the HRT to demand from Central Government and the local authority the availability of a minimum of 20 litres of water for domestic use by each citizen in terms of the UN General Assembly"Where a resident/ratepayer has been disconnected, it shall be the responsibility of the local authority to provide the affected citizen with their 20 litres of water daily until the water is restored, in line with the UN standards. Zimbabwe is a signatory to that resolution and the local authority cannot work against the fulfilment of a national commitment," said the trust."In the case of the above not being fulfilled, the HRT shall pursue litigation in the public interest to ensure compliance. The HRT shall hold the City of Harare responsible for the replacement and or repair of dysfunctional water meters. It is not the responsibility of a resident to buy a water meter as a replacement for a dysfunctional one. Where a resident has been asked to buy own water meter, the HRT expects that the City of Harare's bill will reflect the purchase of the meter which remains council property."The trust said the maintenance of the water and sewerage reticulation infrastructure, especially boreholes sunk by international NGOs and UNICEF, is the responsibility of the City of Harare South Bay parents are up in arms over an elementary school student allegedly bullying classmates into exposing themselves to him. At least five parents with students at Noble Elementary in San Jose claim the child is bullying classmates. The parents are angry at the way school and the district has handled the alleged incidents. One of the parents, Michelle Rojas, said her child was one of the victims. "Intimidated and bullied on the playground during PE class into showing the aggressor their private parts," Rojas said. The parents claim the bullying happened to five different students at a Noble Elementary playground over the last month. "How did this happen during school?" Rojas said. "Where was the supervision?" Another mother who did not want to be identified said the bully threatened her child with physical abuse if she did not comply. Parents are also upset because they said the aggressor is still in their children's classroom every day. "I would like that child removed from my daughter's class," Rojas said. Rojas said her child is traumatized and afraid to go to school knowing the alleged bully will be in the same classroom. The Berryessa Union School District confirms an incident occurred and investigated that incident. District officials said for privacy reasons it cannot comment on how it disciplined the child. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph M. McCreary released the following statement: "An incident involving a primary grade student occurred on the Noble Elementary School campus earlier this month. As is our standard practice, the administration contacted the parents of students involved to apprise them of the situation, and assured them the matter would be properly examined and all appropriate action taken. The site administrator investigated this incident, determined what had occurred, and took appropriate action based on the facts of the matter. When incidents unfold on a campus parents are understandably concerned and they have questions; we strive to be forthright and honest in our communication while balancing our legal obligation to protect the privacy of minor students, which limits the details that we can offer. Sometimes parents might want the district to offer more details or take disciplinary action beyond policy and practice, and in these situations we try to meet with parents to build understanding and to help build their trust in our commitment to student safety. We assure you that, if we believed that students safety was at risk, we would take whatever additional actions that were necessary to ensure the safety of all of our students." San Jose police on Wednesday said they were not notified of the situation. Two police officers were sent to the school to investigate after NBC Bay Area contacted the department. Officers will also check on the alleged bully's home situation to make sure there are no signs of abuse or neglect there that would make him act this way. On March 21, 1921 the Navy tugboat USS Conestoga set out from Mare Island in Vallejo with a crew of 56 on its way to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The ship was never heard from again. Now 95 years later, one of the Navys most lingering maritime mysteries appears to be solved: NOAA researchers announced on Wednesday that submerged wreckage sitting just outside San Francisco near the Farallone Islands is indeed the final resting place of the Canestoga. The remains were located about a dozen miles outside the Golden Gate Bridge 3000 miles from Hawaii where the ship was believed to have sunk and where the Navy initially launched a massive air and sea search covering 300,000 miles. It was the largest sea and air search in the 20th century, until the search for Amelia Earhart in 1937. Corte Maderas Peter Franklin Hess could hardly believe it. I used to commute to the City and I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge every work day, and I snuck a look out towards the Farallones. Imagine my surprise when I was informed by NOAA that is the final resting place of my cousin George Kaler. George Franklin Kaler was a chief machinist from Toledo, Ohio. Hess says though he never met his cousin, his Aunt Annie Kalers mother would never let the family forget the 32-year-old outdoorsman. In her eyes, George could do no wrong, Hess said, explaining the family held onto the belief Kaler was stranded on a desert island near American Samoa wearing a grass skirt and married to some Polynesian girl. Hess says his Aunt even bought a crypt for Kaler so he could be laid to rest next to her and his father when he finally came home to Ohio. But he never did. The discovery of the USS Conestoga came as a big relief for the family. This is one story where we had to rewrite history. We had to correct this for the crew and the families, NOAA investigator Robert Schwemmer said. The basis for that initial search was the discovery of a battered lifeboat with the letter C that was recovered near Manzanillo, Mexico. But the extensive search turned up no signs of the ship or its crew. The disappearance still ranks as one of the top 10 unsolved shipwreck mysteries. The re-discovery of the Canestoga was set in motion in 2009 when a multi-sonar image of the sea floor near the Farallone Islands revealed the shape of an undocumented ship. In 2014 NOAA researchers James Delgado and Schwemmer, whose archaeological detective work has turned up hundreds of sunken vessels in the Gulf of Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, visited the area during a 2014 expedition to locate sunken vessels. Using an unmanned underwater rover outfitted with cameras, the pair were able to scan the wreckage. The features of the wreck matched old photos of the tug; the triple expansion engine, the steam steering engine, and the most notable feature a mounted 50 caliber gun with its spotting telescopes still attached. One evening, I saw a glimpse of what looked like a gun mount. I wasnt sure if I was seeing that correctly, and I went frame by frame in reverse. There it was, Schwemmer said. The researchers believe the position of the ship indicates it possibly foundered, potentially in a heavy storm recorded that day. Schwemmer says several shipwrecks have been found in this area most likely due captains having to navigate strong currents, uncharted reefs and blindly in fog. Yet exactly what happened to the Canestoga or her crew remains a mystery, still tightly kept by the sea. But its protected and its a vibrant reef, Schwemmer said, explaining the remains of the ship within the marine sanctuary means it cannot be disturbed. And beneath the white plume anemone, ling cod and rockfish now swim where officers once served their country. So in the face of death there is life now. The Iraqi military backed by U.S.-led coalition aircraft on Thursday launched a long-awaited operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, a military spokesman said. In the push, Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmour, east of Mosul, early in the morning on Thursday and hoisted the Iraqi flag there, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool. It was not immediately clear how long such a complex and taxing offensive would take. Only recently, Iraqi and U.S. officials refrained to give a specific time on when the Mosul operation could begin, saying it would take many months to prepare Iraq's still struggling military for the long-anticipated task of retaking the key city. Some U.S. and Iraqi officials have said it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Iraqi state-run TV interrupted its morning program Thursday with a series of news alerts announcing the operation and broadcasting patriotic songs and flag-waving video clips. Rasool told The Associated Press that the U.S.-led international coalition was providing air support but would not divulge more details on the offensive, which he said was dubbed "Operation Conquest." Mosul Iraq's second-largest city fell to Islamic State group during the militants' June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq and also neighboring Syria. Mosul, located about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, became also the largest city in the Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate on the territories the militants control. Rasool's declaration came only few days after the United States announced that it has set up a small Marine artillery outpost in northern Iraq to protect a nearby Iraqi military base in Makhmour the likely staging ground for a Mosul assault, located 40 miles (67 kilometers) southeast of the city. On Saturday, the militants fired to rockets at the base, killing a U.S. Marine and wounding several others. Despite Thursday's announcement, the number of Iraqi troops needed to carry out the operation to retake Mosul nearly two years after it fell to IS are not yet in place and training efforts by the U.S.-led coalition are still ongoing. Under political pressure to show victory, al-Abadi has repeatedly vowed to "liberate" Mosul but U.S. Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Congress last month that he is "not as optimistic." Coalition and Iraqi officials estimate eight to 12 brigades, or an estimated 24,000 to 36,000 troops, will be needed for the Mosul operation. So far, only 2,000 to 3,000 Iraqi troops have been deployed at Makhmour base. The Iraqi military must also clear IS fighters from more than 100 kilometers (70 miles) of territory to ensure reliable supply lines between Makhmour and Baghdad. One leg of the Iraqi military's efforts to clear some of that territory in Anbar has been put on hold. A political crisis in Baghdad has prompted al-Abadi to pull some of Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces back from the front in the Euphrates River valley to secure the capital. The prime minister recalled the forces after influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr mobilized thousands and staged a sit-in outside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone las week in a show of force meant to put pressure on Iraq's political leadership. A second attacker is suspected of taking part in the bombing this week of a Brussels subway train and may be at large, according to Belgian and French media reports, amid signs that the same Islamic State network was behind the attacks in Brussels and bloodshed in Paris last year. The chief suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was summoned to court in Brussels on Thursday morning after his arrest last week in the Belgian capital. His lawyer, who had initially vowed to fight extradition, said Abdeslam now wants to be sent to France as soon as possible. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in both Brussels and Paris, which have laid bare European security failings and prompted calls for better intelligence cooperation and a tougher response to Islamic State extremists. Belgian prosecutors have said at least four people were involved in Tuesday's attacks on the Brussels airport and a subway train, including brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, identified as suicide bombers. European security officials identified another suicide bomber as Najim Laachraoui, a suspected bombmaker for the Paris attacks. Prosecutors have said another suspected participant in the airport attack is at large, a man in a hat seen in surveillance images who has not been publicly identified. Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and France's Le Monde and BFM television reported Thursday that a fifth attacker may also be at large: a man filmed by surveillance cameras in the Brussels metro on Tuesday carrying a large bag alongside Khalid El Bakraoui. RTBF said it is not clear whether that man was killed in the attack. Prosecutors, who have not said how many people overall may have taken part in the bombings, did not respond to the reports. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Ibrahim El Bakraoui was caught in June 2015 near Turkey's border with Syria and deported to the Netherlands, with Ankara warning Dutch and Belgian officials that he was a "foreign terrorist fighter." But other Turkish officials said he was released from Dutch custody due to lack of evidence of involvement in extremism. Attention turned Thursday to Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam, who evaded police in two countries for four months before Friday's capture in the Molenbeek neighborhood where he grew up. He was shot in the leg during his arrest. The Belgian federal prosecutor's office said in a statement that Abdeslam appeared at a hearing Thursday with a suspected accomplice and the court adjourned the proceedings. Abdeslam's lawyer, Sven Mary, said his client was not physically present for the hearing, even though a helicopter circled overhead, and the area was under extraordinarily heavy security, as are many parts of the Belgian capital. Mary told reporters at the courthouse that he asked for a one-month delay on any transfer while he studies the large dossier, but that Abdeslam "wants to leave for France as quickly as possible." "He wants to explain himself in France, so it's a good thing," Mary said. He said the next extradition hearing will be March 31, and he expects the process to take about another two weeks after that. France is seeking Abdeslam's extradition to face justice for his involvement in the Nov. 13 attacks on a Paris rock concert, stadium and cafes, which killed 130 people. Several attackers were also killed. Abdeslam, 26, a French citizen who grew up in Brussels' heavily immigrant Molenbeek neighborhood, slipped through police fingers on multiple occasions. Later Thursday, European Union justice and interior ministers are holding an emergency meeting prompted by the Brussels attacks. Belgium is holding three days of national mourning. Security remains tight, but barriers were removed around the subway station hit by the attack, Maelbeek. The airport will remain closed until at least Saturday. Many of the dead remain unidentified, partly because of the severity of devastation caused by the nail-packed bombs detonated in crowds. Eleven people were confirmed dead at the airport, 20 inside the Maelbeek subway station. The driver of the subway train immediately helped victims despite the horror and fear of the attack but has insisted he's not a hero. Christian Delhasse is reportedly already back at work, and posted a statement on his Facebook page saying, "I'm a metro driver who did his work in specific circumstances. Any other driver in my place would have done the same thing. The heroes are our firefighters, our forces of order, our army." He urged respect for "the victims we couldn't pull out." Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the completion of the Chicago Shoreline Protection Project at a ceremony Wednesday at Fullerton Avenue Beach. The project includes the creation of 5.8 acres of new park space, as well as a new lakefront trail at Fullerton Avenue Beach that boasts separate paths for biking, running and walking. The project was made possible by a partnership between the Chicago Park District and the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers. "This ongoing partnership between the federal government and the city improves and protects Chicago's shoreline, allowing for an expansion of Lincoln Park and creation of split lakefront paths on this busy shoreline park." Emanuel was joined at the announcement by Sen. Dick Durbin, Ald. Michelle Smith and Chicago Park District Superintendent Michael Kelly, among others. In addition to this, Emanuel announced a plan Tuesday to invest in a series of park projects to invigorate Chicago's neighborhoods, lakefront and river. "With this new plan, we will put every child within reach of an opportunity to stay safe, to stay engaged and to stay on the road to a brighter future," Emanuel said. "Every child in every neighborhood deserves to have these opportunities within their reach. Soon, they will." Among other projects, the "Building on Burnham" plan calls for the creation of a pool and event space at 31st Street Beach Harbor, the improvement of Montrose Beach's concert area, the addition of a triathlon training space at Ohio Street Beach and the construction of a climbing wall at Steelworkers Park. Under the plan, Chicago's lakefront bike path will be widened to include separate lanes for bikers and runners. The separate lanes will be added from Fullerton to Ohio and from 31st to 51st. 18 miles of the pathway will also be repaved with clear north and south dividers to increase safety. As part of the "Burnham" initiative, the city will also open four new boathouses along the Chicago River. Access to the river will be increased to nearly "every mile from the city limits on the north to Little Village." Other additions to Chicago's riverfront include new pedestrian bridges downtown. The mayor's plan also hopes to increase Chicago's protected natural areas to 2,020 acres by 2020. The Chicago Park District currently manages 65 protected natural areas that cover 1,400 acres. New "gathering spaces" within the Burnham Wildlife Corridor will also be created as part of the initiative. The spaces will be created by five teams of artists and community organizers. The Burnham Wildlife Corridor is located within Burnham Park, located on Chicagos south lakefront. It consists of a 100-acre strip of natural areas. It also serves as a habitat for migratory birds. The five winning teams were selected from a pool of 22 proposals. All teams have experience with public art and connections to the corridors neighboring communities. The Chicago Park District will award $20,000 grants to each group. Over the course of two years, community organizations affiliated with the winning teams will create programs to celebrate the ecological context and cultural significance of the installations. Teams are expected to complete their installations by June of 2016. Emanuel's Tuesday announcement took place at the Hamilton Park Fieldhouse, which was designed by the plan's namesake, architect Daniel Burnham. Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago led to the creation of North Michigan Avenue, Wacker Drive and the city's lakefront parks. Dumb blonde jokes will be a thing of the past thanks to a recent study of young baby boomers showing blondes are smarter than brunettes. In a new study titled Are Blondes Really Dumb? Ohio State University researchers used a large nationally representative survey tracking young baby boomers to analyze the IQ of white women and men according to hair color. The study found blonde women "have a higher mean IQ than women with brown, red and black hair" and are more likely to be classified as geniuses. This study provides compelling evidence that there shouldnt be any discrimination against blondes based on their intelligence," research scientist Jay Zagorsky said. Results from the study show the average IQ of blondes was slightly higher than those with other hair colors. Blonde-haired women had an average IQ of 103.2, compared to 102.7 for those with brown hair, 101.2 for those with red hair and 100.5 for those with black hair. The results for blonde white men were similar, as their IQs were roughly equal to men with other hair colors. To partially explain why blondes showed a higher intelligence rate, Zagorsky said the study suggests they tend to grow up in homes with more reading material than those with other hair color. If blondes have any slight advantage, it may simply be that they were more likely to grow up in homes with more intellectual stimulation, he said. The study also looked at economic consequences based on appearance discrimination. Women with blonde hair are considered beautiful, but dumb in popular culture, the study suggests. This stereotype holds great impact as employers seek intelligent workers. Research shows that stereotypes often have an impact on hiring, promotions and other social experiences, Zagorsky said. Employers believing in the beauty part of the myth pay higher wages for blondes to work front-line positions, according to research, whereas if they believe in the blonde intelligence stereotype, they hold back qualified blondes for managerial positions. Future research is needed to find out if this data will impact job placement and promotion, Zagorsky said, but at least there is proof that hair color can no longer be the butt of a joke when it comes to intelligence. The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum carnage, officials have told The Associated Press. The network of agile and semiautonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. The officials, including European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker who follows the jihadi networks, described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to attack the West. Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks claimed he had entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered "more or less everywhere." But the biggest break yet in the Paris attacks investigation the arrest on Friday of fugitive Salah Abdeslam did not thwart the multipronged attack just four days later on the Belgian capital's airport and metro that left 31 people dead and an estimated 270 wounded. Three suicide bombers also died. Just as in Paris, Belgian authorities were searching for at least one fugitive in Tuesday's attacks this time for a man wearing a white jacket who was seen on airport security footage with the two suicide attackers. The fear is that the man, whose identity Belgian officials say is not known, will find Abdeslam's path instructive. After fleeing Paris immediately after the November attacks, Abdeslam forged a new network back in his childhood neighborhood of Molenbeek, long known as a haven for jihadis, and renewed plotting, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders. "Not only did he drop out of sight, but he did so to organize another attack, with accomplices everywhere. With suicide belts. Two attacks organized just like in Paris. And his arrest, since they knew he was going to talk, it was a response: 'So what if he was arrested? We'll show you that it doesn't change a thing,'" said French Senator Nathalie Goulet, co-head of a commission tracking jihadi networks. Estimates range from 400 to 600 Islamic State fighters trained specifically for external attacks, according to the officials, including Goulet. Some 5,000 Europeans have gone to Syria. "The reality is that if we knew exactly how many there were, it wouldn't be happening," she said. Two of the suicide bombers in Tuesday's attacks, brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, had no known extremist links until an apartment one of them rented was traced to Abdeslam last week, according to Belgian state broadcaster RTBF. Similarly, an Algerian killed inside that apartment on March 15 had nothing but a petty theft record in Sweden but he'd signed up as an Islamic State suicide bomber for the group in 2014 and returned to Europe as part of the Nov. 13 plot. In claiming responsibility, the Islamic State group described a "secret cell of soldiers" dispatched to Brussels for the purpose. The shadowy cells were confirmed by Europol the EU police agency which said in a late January report that intelligence officials believed the group had "developed an external action command trained for special forces-style attacks." French speakers with links to North Africa, France and Belgium appear to be leading the units and are responsible for developing attack strategies in Europe, said a European security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about briefing material. He is also familiar with interrogations of former fighters who have returned to Europe. Some were jailed after leaving ISIS while others were kicked out of the terror group. The fighters include Muslims and Muslim converts from all across Europe. Fighters in the units are trained in battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and counter surveillance, the security official said. "The difference is that in 2014, some of these ISIS fighters were only being given a couple weeks of training," he said. "Now the strategy has changed. Special units have been set up. The training is longer. And the objective appears to no longer be killing as many people as possible but rather to have as many terror operations as possible, so the enemy is forced to spend more money or more in manpower. It's more about the rhythm of terror operations now." Similar methods had been developed by al-Qaida but ISIS has taken it to a new level, he said. Another difference with these "external operation" units is that fighters are being trained to be their own operators not necessarily to be beholden to specific orders from the ISIS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria, or elsewhere. In the case of Tuesday's attacks, Abdeslam's arrest may have been a trigger for a plot that was already far along. "This was not put together as a response to the arrest. However the timing of what has happened over the last few days has maybe hurried up the planning and execution," said Magnus Ranstorp, a Swedish security analyst. "I see the link to the environments either in France or in Belgium. Whether they're logistically linked ... they're probably part of the same batch of extremists that have come out of Syria." Several security officials have said there is growing evidence to suggest the bulk of the training is taking place in Syria, Libya and elsewhere in North Africa. "To pull off an attack of this sophistication, you need training, planning, materials and a landscape," said Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation in London. Maher has conducted extensive interviews with foreign fighters. The research center, based at Kings College in London, has one of the largest databases of fighters and their networks. "Even if they worked flat out, the attackers in Brussels would have needed at least four days," Maher said. The question for many intelligence and security officials is now turning to just how many more fighters have been trained and are ready for more attacks. A senior Iraqi intelligence official who was not authorized to speak publicly said people from the cell that carried out the Paris attacks are scattered across Germany, Britain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. Recently, a new group crossed in from Turkey, the official said. The latest new name to surface this week, Najim Laachraoui, turned out to be the bombmaker who made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, according to French and Belgian officials. Attackers used an explosive known as Triacetone Triperoxide, or TATP, made from common household chemicals. DNA evidence indicates he died on Tuesday in the suicide attack on the airport, two officials briefed on the investigation told AP. Fifteen kilos of TATP were found in an apartment linked to the Brussels attackers, along with other explosive material. The unidentified man seen on security footage wearing a white jacket and black hat at the Brussels airport on Tuesday remains at large, a fugitive link in a chain still being forged. Dodds reported from London. Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed from Baghdad. A secret, cross-border tunnel found in the Southern Californian desert may be the first in California where smugglers built a home for the sole purpose of transporting drugs. The 416-yard tunnel starts at a cement hole in the living room of a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in Calexico, California, 120 miles east of San Diego, and runs across the border and into the kitchen of an open and running restaurant in Mexicali, Mexico, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said at a press conference Wednesday. A hole in the floor covered with tile leads to a shaft, descending underground. The tunnel is the 12th large-scale operational drug smuggling tunnel discovered along the border since 2006, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Southern California. We repeatedly see cartels trying to build these tunnels, they spend years doing it, they spend millions of dollars doing it, to create their own private underworld of secret passageways to move drugs unchecked into this country, Duffy said. But for the builders, for the financiers, for the operators of these passageways, theres no light at the end of these tunnels. Authorities seized more than 1,350 pounds of marijuana smuggled through the tunnel, following the lengthy, multi-agency investigation. The drugs were worth more than $6 million in street value. Authorities claim the traffickers scouted properties in the area before buying the home, later instructing the contractor to leave a space in the foundation when pouring concrete for what they said would be a "safe." Once construction on the $86,000 house was finished in December, co-conspirators rented a "walk-behind saw and concrete blade" from a local El Centro business, Duffy said, presumably to create the tunnel exit. Investigators said they believe the traffickers began using the tunnel on Feb. 28, 2016, based on intercepted calls, Duffy said. While serving a search warrant at the tunnel home, located at 902 E. Third Street, authorities also served two additional search warrants. Officials served a warrant at a so-called "stash house" two miles away, located at 1056 Horizon Street. The drugs were then taken to a warehouse at 260 Avenida Campillo, Suite A, Duffy said, where they were stored before being moved north. Four people have been arrested in connection with the tunnel and are expected to be arraigned Wednesday or Thursday. A mother and daughter were arrested in Arizona in connection with the tunnel Tuesday, along with two additional people Wednesday in Calexico. All were charged with various drug trafficking, money laundering and tunnel-related charges. Joel Duarte Medina was arrested inside a so-called stash house on Horizon Street in Calexico and Manuel Gallegos Jiminez was arrested inside the tunnel residence. Marcia Manuela Duarte-Medina and her mother, Eva Duarte De Medina, were charged in Arizona with multiple charges, including conspiracy to import drugs. Court documents detail how Eva helped move vehicles loaded with drugs between the tunnel home and the stash location. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys. Officials said several years ago, they discovered a secret drug tunnel at the residence next door to the Third Street home, though it was not as complete as this tunnel. That residence is now empty. The recent finding marks the first complete tunnel to be discovered in the area in a decade, as the soil composition makes the land difficult to dig through. The residential neighborhood makes it more difficult to hide smuggling activity, Duffy said. At the Wednesday press conference, Duffy said the tunnel also marks the first time investigators have seen smugglers buy land and build a house for the sole purpose of hiding the exit to a drug tunnel in California. More than 75 cross-border tunnels designed to smuggle drugs have been discovered along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, mostly in California and Arizona. In California, most tunnels tend to be in the Otay Mesa region, where warehouses hide typical drug smuggling activities. Dozens of tunnels designed to smuggle drugs have been found along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, mostly in the Otay Mesa region. Some have been equipped with hydraulic lifts and electric rail cars. Mexico's Sinaloa cartel has long controlled drug trafficking along the border in California's Imperial Valley, which offers easy freeway access to Los Angeles and Phoenix. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Belgium's prime minister refused to accept the resignations of his justice and interior ministers Thursday despite increasing evidence of intelligence and law enforcement failures to prevent this week's suicide bombings by Islamic militants. With at least one attacker at large and an unknown number of accomplices, police detained six people in raids around the Belgian capital Thursday night. In a Paris suburb, a man suspected of plotting an imminent attack was also detained Thursday, but the interior minister reported no apparent link with the Brussels airport and subway bombings or the Nov. 13 attacks on Paris. Authorities lowered Belgium's terror-threat level by one notch, although they said the situation remained grave and another attack is "likely and possible." Belgium had been on its highest alert ever since Tuesday's bombings in the Brussels airport and subway that killed 31 people and wounded 270. "We don't have to be proud about what happened," Justice Minister Koen Geens said of the government's failures to halt the attacks. "We perhaps did things we should not have done." Less than a mile from the bombed subway station, European justice and home ministers held an emergency meeting where they condemned the "terrorist acts" as "an attack on our open, democratic society." They also urged the European parliament to adopt an agreement allowing authorities to exchange airport passenger data. A manhunt continued for one of the Brussels airport attackers who was recorded on a surveillance video and had fled the scene. Belgian prosecutors said the raids Thursday night targeted central Brussels, Jette and the Schaerbeek neighborhood, where police earlier had found a huge stash of explosives and bomb-making material in an apartment used by the Brussels attackers. Prosecutors declined to comment on reports from Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and France's Le Monde and BFM television that a fifth attacker may also be at large: A man seen on surveillance cameras in the Brussels metro carrying a large bag alongside one of the suicide bombers. It is not clear whether that man was killed in the attack or is a fugitive. Authorities drew a line between the Brussels bombings and the Nov. 13 attacks that left 130 dead in Paris. Both appeared to have been carried out by the same Belgium-based Islamic State cell. Prosecutors have said at least four people were involved in the Brussels bloodshed, including brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, identified as suicide bombers. European security officials identified another suicide bomber as Najim Laachraoui, a suspected bombmaker for the Paris attacks. Khalid El Bakraoui blew himself up on the train, while Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Laachraoui died in the airport. It is clear that some of the Brussels attackers had been on the run from authorities in France and Belgium but were still able to hide in safe houses, assemble bombs and carry out linked attacks. "If you put all things in a row, you can ask yourself major questions," about the government's performance, said Interior Minister Jan Jambon, who along with Geens had tendered his resignation. Notable among the questions were those raised by Turkey's announcement it had warned Belgium last year that one of the Brussels attackers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, had been flagged as a "foreign terrorist fighter." But Prime Minister Charles Michel asked Jambon and Geens to stay on, given the current challenge the government is facing. Turkey said Wednesday that Ibrahim El Bakraoui was apprehended in June 2015 near Turkey's border with Syria and deported to the Netherlands. He was later set free by the Dutch for lack of proof of his involvement with jihadis. Geens appeared on a Belgian TV news show and was asked who was to blame for the failure to follow up on the Turkish warning. "It is clear it is not one single person, but it is true that we could have expected from Ankara or Istanbul a more diligent communication, we think, that perhaps could have avoided certain things." "Our own services should perhaps have been more critical about the place where the person had been detained," he added, referring to Turkey's border area with Syria. "When someone is arrested there in a city few people know, it is clear enough for insiders that it could be a terrorist," Geens said. "Here, though, he was not known as a terrorist. It is the only moment we could have linked him to it. And that moment, perhaps, we missed." The justice minister acknowledged that "we have to be very self-critical." But Geens added that "such events have also happened in nations with the best intelligence services in the world," pointing to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Authorities had been unable to find Salah Abdeslam, one of the Paris ringleaders and described as one of Europe's most wanted men, until a breakthrough led them to a Brussels apartment where he was arrested Friday. The intelligence shortcomings have prompted European authorities to once again call for quicker and more efficient intelligence cooperation. Rob Wainwright, the head of Europe's police agency Europol, said his agency is trying to make sure investigators have access to needed information. "You have a fragmented intelligence picture but we're trying to help with that," he said. "Our databases contain thousands of names of suspected foreign fighters which have been submitted by member states, and even the United States. But we also have records on arms smuggling, money laundering, forgery and other elements which are particularly relevant given that many of these guys had petty crime backgrounds." He said the threat goes beyond France and Belgium and that it is impossible to reduce it to zero. "We are looking at large numbers of foreign fighters who have returned as potential terrorists," he said. "And we are faced with a strategic decision by the Islamic State to aggressively target Europe. These are all very challenging dimensions. As for how large the community is and who has been sent back - that is the golden question." The federal prosecutors' office said Khalid El Bakraoui had rented a house used as a hideout for the Paris attackers, and that he had been hunted by police since December. Also Thursday, Abdeslam was summoned to court in Brussels. His lawyer, who had initially vowed to fight extradition to France for the Paris attacks, said he now wants to be sent there as soon as possible. Abdeslam evaded police in two countries for four months before his capture, and the attackers in Brussels may have rushed their plot because they felt authorities closing in. Abdeslam's lawyer, Sven Mary, told reporters that Abdeslam "wants to explain himself in France, so it's a good thing." Mary said the extradition process should be completed by mid-April. While Belgium lowered its threat level, "the danger has not gone away," said Paul Van Tigchelt, the head of the terror assessment authority. Nevertheless, several hundred people gathered at a makeshift memorial to the victim in Brussels' central Place de La Bourse. They sang peace songs, took selfies and wiped away tears. A day care owner credited with likely saving the life of a 3-year-old girl who ingested crack cocaine in West Philadelphia spoke out on Wednesday. Sereda Thompson, the owner of the Works of Learning Early Day Care on Haverford Avenue near 52nd Street, said her instincts kicked in when she noticed the little girl eating something Tuesday morning. She went to the child and pulled out a small bag with a substance in it -- which police later said turned out to be crack cocaine -- but wasn't able to identify what it was. Thompson acted quickly and took the child to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to be checked out, she told NBC10's Pamela Osborne. Tests showed the little girl had ingested crack cocaine and she was admitted to the hospital to be monitored. The toddler is expected to be OK, police said. Thompson became emotional when she recounted catching the toddler with the dangerous drug. "For a substance like that to be in a child I know, that's very disheartening," she said. "I would never want any child to experience anything like that." Police are continuing to investigate where the child got the crack. They said on Tuesday that they do not believe the drug was in the day care center and that the child had been playing outside at some point before adults noticed she had the drug. News / Local by Stephen Jakes Guruve Villagers were reportedly forced to attend a rally held by the governing party, Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), in Guruve South ahead of the April 23 by-election.ZimRights states that reports are that the party's Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere, Secretary for Administration, Ignatius Chombo, and Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson, Dickson Mafios, staged a campaign rally for the Zanu-PF candidate Patrick Dutiro at Mudhindo shopping centre in Guruve South Constituency on Thursday, March 17, 2016, for the by-election to fill the vacant National Assembly seat."The by-election was triggered by the expulsion of former Member of Parliament Hon. Chiswell Mutematsaka from the ruling party," said ZimRights."Sources said about 14 youths from Birkdale farm owned by resettled locals led by a District youth chairperson identified as Phillip were threatening people at a nearby farm and forcing them to attend the rally."The organisation said the youths reportedly arrived at the Msitwe commercial farm owned by a white farmer John Wood ahead of the event, attempting to coerce farm workers to attend the political meeting."We just had to attend the meeting for fear that we could be beaten up," said one farm worker.The workers at the farm were reportedly told that if they did not go to the rally the farm would be also forcibly taken over by the ruling party, but sources revealed that some of the people defied the directive leading to poor attendance of the meeting.In an effort to press the government to implement electoral reforms, the main opposition challenger to Zanu-PF in the past elections, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) has been boycotting the by-elections that happened after the 2013 elections, and Dutiro will contest with the National Constitutional Assembly's Simbarashe Mutsvene. State Senator Cathy Osten is looking to get the federal government involved in what she describes as the crumbling foundation "crisis." She wrote two letters -- one to Gov. Dannel Malloy and the other to three members of the state's Congressional delegation to push for a disaster declaration that could provide the funds for homeowners to replace their foundations. The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have been reporting for months on the problem that's impacting hundreds of homes in Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties. Experts say the failing foundations cannot be fixed and the only remedy is replacing them at a cost of $150,000 and up. Senator Osten said the legislature's planning and development committee has already passed a bill to allow homeowners to get a revaluation of their home at any time during the year to provide some temporary financial relief, but the aim is to truly make them whole again. "To look at the six-figure replacement of the foundations for the people to get their homes back, that's the ultimate goal with the legislation. We believe it more firmly fits in with the federal government's ability to do this and we think that there are many more people who have not come forward because they don't know of any way that they can be made whole," the Sprague Democrat says. Senator Osten believes FEMA is the most logical agency to handle the crumbling foundations problem. Although she said that agency's initial response might be negative, she is hopeful that the federal government will ultimately provide the money to restore the value of these homes and maintain the viability of dozens of communities east of the Connecticut River. Meanwhile, preliminary results of the state's investigation into the problem are expected later this spring. A Farmers Branch police officer who was off-duty when he says he shot and killed a teenage burglary suspect and wounded another boy earlier this month has resigned from the department. Farmers Branch Police Chief Sid Fuller has confirmed Thursday he received Ken Johnson's resignation, effective immediately. Johnson faxed in his resignation to Chief of Police Sid Fuller Thursday saying: "Please accept this as notice of my resignation from the Police Department for the City of Farmers Branch. It has truly been a pleasure to work for such a fine department. The staff, officers, and administrators of the department are among the finest. I have taken great pleasure in working alongside these individuals. Sincerely, Ken Johnson Johnson said he saw a vehicle in his apartment complex being burglarized March 13 and he intervened. He said he got into his personal vehicle and chased the pair to the 14300 block of Marsh Lane where they crashed. An altercation followed and shots were fired. Jose Raul Cruz, 16, was killed at the scene; the second person was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. While police have not identified the second teen shot, his family has identified him as 16-year-old Edgar Rodriguez, a friend of Cruz. Johnson is currently free on $300,000 bond after being arrested and charged by the Addison Police Department with murder and aggravated assault in the shootings. Meanwhile, Fuller said the department's Internal Affairs department continues to hold their own investigation. Notwithstanding Officer Johnsons resignation we will continue our thorough review of the information collected and work to conclude the investigation; however, no official employment action will be taken in light of todays resignation, Fuller said in a statement Thursday. The Addison Police Department's investigation into the shooting is separate from the Farmers Branch internal affairs investigation. When you first learn that a popular out-of-state restaurant chain is going to open here, a person will oftentimes pause and ask, "okay, but how far will I need to drive for that famous donut/cookie/hot dog?" It's not that you're not excited, because you are, because everyone and three of their cousins have been raving about it, daily, in your immediate vicinity. But the slow roll-out is something of a hallmark of new eatery outfits landing in Southern California, and figuring out the miles you'll need to cross to sample it is part of the deal. Such is not going to be the case with Shake Shack, the mega-popular, started-in-2004, raves-all-over New York chain, a company that indeed whips up well-known milkshakes but also now-famous burgers, too. The West Hollywood Shake Shack just made its queue-big debut, but others are on the horizon, as recent announcements on the company's social media sites reveal. Century City, you're up for your own Shake Shack on in "early 2017." It'll be located Westfield Century City. And Hollywood, you're still trucking along towards your own French fry-filled spot, with a debut at Eastown at Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue near the close of 2016. The Shake Shacks in Glendale and downtown LA have already had burger buffs abuzz for a few months now. That's five burgeries in all, within the next year, meaning that you won't need to go too-too far to try a Roadside Double ("Double Swiss cheeseburger with Dijon mustard and onions simmered in bacon and beer") or a ShackBurger (a cheeseburger with the traditional leafy toppings plus the dream-about-it ShackSauce). If you're hoping to get the jump on where the sixth location is going to be -- and, at this rate, one may show up sooner than later -- best keep an eye on Shake Shack's Facebook page, and not the locations area of its main site, which currently only lists West Hollywood. It's kind of what a foodie does, though, right? When an out-of-state, oh-so-anticipated eatery opens its first shop in town, people cross the miles to see what the fuss is about. But with Shake Shack's impressive new-openings-coming-soon rate, those miles will grow smaller and smaller for shake lovers around Southern California. A six-hour lockdown at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) has been lifted after all personnel and patients sheltered in place Thursday following the report of an armed man at the hospital. The situation prompted the naval hospital to issue a "code white" alert across the campus as naval officials launched an investigation. Several hours into the lockdown, no suspect or weapon had been found, officials said. Brian O'Rourke, media relations officer for Navy Region Southwest, told NBC 7 the shelter in place order was issued as a precaution. There was no active shooter situation at the Naval facility. At 12:20 p.m., Naval Base San Diego officials confirmed that four unspent bullets had been discovered during security sweeps of the medical center. Investigators were still working to determine whether those bullets were connected to the anonymous tipster's phone call. The unpsent bullets were all found in Building 1, scattered in different spots in the building. At that point, the lockdown remained in place. By 1:40 p.m., the shelter in place order had been lifted and people were once again allowed to walk freely around the facility. 4 unspent bullets were discovered during security sweeps of the Naval Medical Center. Investigation is ongoing to... https://t.co/iyOENYnhQy NBSD (@NavBaseSD) March 24, 2016 [G] Naval Medical Center San Diego on Lockdown O'Rourke said an anonymous call came into NMCSD at 7:30 a.m. reporting an armed man on the fourth floor of Building 1 in the main hospital building. The caller then quickly hung up the phone. Officials worked for hours to verify the call and determine whether there was a credible threat to the Naval facility or if this incident was a false alarm. O'Rourke said the Navy takes any and all potential threats seriously. Right away, officials were deployed into the area and the facility was put on lockdown. Brian ORourke, media relations officer for Navy Region Southwest, speaks with NBC 7 about the lockdown at Naval Medical Center San Diego on March 24, 2016. Our investigators have been thoroughly investigating that building since, we have not yet found anything. That investigation continues - floor-by-floor, wing-by-wing, O'Rourke said around 10:10 a.m. "Any threat to our people, to our assets, we take very seriously," he added. "We have to; we're going to make sure that our people are safe, that our neighbors are safe." Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) was placed on lockdown Thursday as officials investigated a report of an armed man allegedly seen at the facility. This raw ground video shows police officers turning away staffers and patients at the entrance. NMCSD officials advised staff and patients en route to the facility not to head to the hospital until the scene was cleared. People already at the campus would not be allowed to leave until officials gave the green light. O'Rourke said patients who had appointments scheduled at NMCSD today will have those appointments rescheduled. "If you need emergency care, there are other hospitals you can go to. Please call 911," he advised. "You can go to one of the clinics on one of our bases or any other hospital." ****** CODE WHITE ******A staff member reported seeing an armed man on 4-West. No shots have been fired. Security is... Posted by Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) on Thursday, March 24, 2016 (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Aerial footage of the facility around 8:15 a.m. showed guards at the gates turning away vehicles. Officers with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) were stationed at the entrance to NMCSD on Florida Drive as well. Commander Navy Region Southwest Police patrol cars were parked on the campus of the medical center, with several uniformed officers also in place. Some ambulances and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) engines surrounded the complex, too. At around 8:45 a.m., a pregnant woman at the entrance to the hospital was loaded into an ambulance. SDFD spokesman Lee Swanson said the woman was going into labor but couldn't enter the Naval Medical Center due to the lockdown. Witnesses said pregnant woman was standing on Park Boulevard, just outside the facility, with many others when she collapsed. Swanson said the woman was transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital. She was rubbing her stomach as the ambulance took her away, trying to breathe through her contractions. Throughout the lengthy lockdown, NBC 7 spoke with people waiting outside the facility. One man said his wife and child were inside NMCSD, hiding in a closet, waiting for officials to clear their building. Kara Nietbalski told NBC 7 she drove two hours with her family, including her baby and child, for medical appointments at the center. She was waiting to get in. "I'm scared for the people. I hope it's a false alarm. At the same time, if it's a false alarm, I'm frustrated because I drove two hours [for my baby's] appointment and now we're waiting," Nierbalski said, rocking her infant. Just after 10:30 a.m., Naval Base San Diego posted a update to its Twitter page saying investigators were still sweeping buildings at the site: Teams are still clearing buildings at the Naval Medical Center. We will continue to provide updates as more... https://t.co/PaoU00w2mh NBSD (@NavBaseSD) March 24, 2016 As of 12:20 p.m., officials were still sweeping Building 1, Building 2 and Building 3. About an hour-and-a-half later, the facility was all clear and people at the Naval hospital were once again allowed to move around freely. Naval Base San Diego officials said the hospital could begin resuming its normal operations. Building One sweep is 100% complete. The shelter in place has been lifted. #NavalMedicalCenter... https://t.co/z6ZkQaBwLb NBSD (@NavBaseSD) March 24, 2016 The large staff at NMCSD is comprised of more than 6,500 military, civilian, contractor and volunteer personnel. The 272-bed, multispecialty hospital and ambulatory complex is located on 78.4 acres in the southeast corner of Balboa Park, at 34800 Bob Wilson Dr., about 2.5 miles from downtown San Diego. NMCSD personnel deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Djibouti and aboard the USNS Mercy. The facility is affiliated with 19 civilian nursing schools, training more than 400 students per year in clinical rotations. The military hospital treats families of military members, too. More than 250,000 San Diego residents are eligible for care at NMCSD. On an average day, it admits 45 new patients and handles 50 operating room cases, 170 emergency room visits and 4,000 outpatient visits. Eleven primary-care and 10 dental clinics at the site offer care to active duty service personnel and their families. Almost exactly two months ago -- on Jan. 26 -- a similar situation led to a lockdown at the Naval hospital. In that instance, NMCSD was placed on lockdown and people inside were ordered to shelter in place after an unidentified Department of Defense employee reported hearing three shots fired in the basement of Building 26. Officials swept the grounds and ultimately found nothing indicating a threat to the Naval hospital. No one was hurt in the Jan. 26 incident. Comcast is launching a pilot program with the Department of Housing and Urban Development that will provide high-speed Internet for public housing residents in South Florida. The company announced Thursday that eligibility for Internet Essentials will be extended to any public housing resident in Miami-Dade County. The announcement was made by Comcast Corporation Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer David L. Cohen and HUD Secretary Julian Castro alongside Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado at Rainbow Village, a public housing development in Miami. "The Internet has truly become essential for a successful life in 21st Century America," Cohen said. "Really designed to close the digital divide and to give access to everyone." Comcast will provide a free laptop computer and six months worth of complimentary Internet Essentials Internet service to every Rainbow Village household. The company also donated 15 new computers to the Rainbow Village computer lab. Since 2011, Internet Essentials has connected 2.4 million Americans, or 600,000 low-income families, to the Internet at home. In Florida, Internet Essentials has connected nearly 320,000 low-income individuals to online access at home, including nearly 140,000 living in Miami-Dade. For more information, visit www.InternetEssentials.com. Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns this site. Two siblings from New York City who were visiting Brussels during Tuesday's terror attacks are missing, their family said. A Dutch newspaper reports that Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski had traveled to Brussels Airport on Tuesday and called relatives to check in around the time the two blasts went off. The family of the siblings met at a hospital where a list of surviving victims was released, but their names were not on the list. Relatives told the newspaper that they heard a blast and shattering glass before the line went dead. They said they were unable to reach the siblings since then. In a statement, family members asked for prayers and privacy "during this time of grieving as we await final closure." A friend in the Netherlands posted to Facebook after the attacks that she was still looking for the siblings. "We are still looking for Alexander Pinczowski and his sister Sascha," Karen Cage said in the post. "They are missing in the Brussels airport attack since this morning." The Dutch newspaper reports that the siblings both live in New York and that their father is in the Netherlands. The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that it was aware of 12 Americans hurt in the terrorist attacks that rocked a subway station and the airport Tuesday morning. At least 31 people were killed in the attacks and at least 212 others were hurt. "At this time, we are not aware of any U.S. citizen deaths," said Mark Toner, the deputy spokesman for the State Department. "We must emphasize that a number of U.S. citizens remain unaccounted for and the Kingdom of Belgium has not yet released nationality information for reported fatalities." It's not clear if the Pinczowski siblings are among the injured or unaccounted for Americans. NBC News reported Tuesday, citing military officials, that a U.S. service member and four members of his family were among the Americans injured. Their identities have not been released, but one official said their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. According to The Associated Press, an Air Force officer, his wife and four children hurt at the airport. It's not clear if the Air Force officer is the same service member mentioned in NBC News' report. Three Mormon missionaries from Utah were also hurt. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement Tuesday identifying the missionaries as 66-year-old Richard Norby, 20-year-old Joseph Empey and 19-year-old Mason Wells. Family members of an American couple living in Belgium told NBC News the two are missing. Justin and Stephanie Shults had just dropped off her mother at the airport when two blasts went off. "Her mom is fine but no one has been able to contact Justin or Stephanie," Justin Shults' brother, Levi Sutton, told NBC News. He added that the State Department told him Tuesday afternoon that the pair were not on any casualty list. Justin, 30, is originally from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, while 29-year-old Stephanie is from Lexington, Kentucky, but moved to the Belgian capital in 2014, Sutton said. Both work as accountants. ISIS has claimed responsibility for Tuesday morning's attacks. The suspected suicide bombers were named early Wednesday as Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, and his 30-year-old brother Ibrahim. A Berks County school bus driver was arrested for allegedly indecently assaulting two young girls on a bus several years ago. On December 14, 2015, the Berks County District Attorneys Child Abuse Unit received a report from a 16-year-old girl accusing 79-year-old Arthur Fick of Reading, Pennsylvania, of inappropriately touching her. The teen told investigators Fick first indecently assaulted her on a school bus back in 2008 when she was a 5th grade student at Oley Elementary School. The teen said the assaults happened more than once and her mother reported Fick to school authorities. Investigators say Fick, who was a bus driver employed by Quigley Bus Service at the time, was fired after the reported incident. On February 11, 2016 detectives learned another victim reported a similar incident in January, 2001. The woman told investigators Fick indecently assaulted her when she rode the school bus from the time she was in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade in the Oley School District. The girls mother also reported the incident to Oley School authorities. Officials obtained an arrest warrant for Fick who surrendered to police on Tuesday around 3 p.m. at the Berks County District Attorneys Detective Office. He is charged with indecent assault and corruption of minors. He was arraigned with bail set at $25,000 unsecured. News / Local by Bianca Mlilo THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) needs close to $700 million in the next 10 years to rehabilitate the city's road network.The city's director of engineering services, Simela Dube, reported in the latest council minutes that 70 percent of the total road network was in a poor state and needed to be rehabilitated."$691 million is required to bring the network to a good or better condition. This equates to $69 million per year over a period of 10 years," he said."As a result of the economic challenges council could not afford to raise such an amount and had therefore failed to keep pace with the maintenance requirements."Acting Town Clerk Sikhangele Zhou said major financing would come from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) while council would chip in with part of the balance.However, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said at the moment there was no money for roads rehabilitation."Let's not talk about things that aren't there. The money is just not there but that's what it'll cost to rehabilitate the roads," he said."We've been receiving money from Zinara although this hasn't been much and in some cases we get as little as $250,000 per quarter."That's why we're doing small tasks like filling potholes and resurfacing small stretches of road. Council can't repair those roads on its own."Council minutes indicate that previously, council had engaged in Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the rehabilitation of roads and sanitary lanes and these projects had been completed successfully.Public-private partnerships are business relationships between a private-sector company and a government agency for the purpose of completing a project that will serve the public.The report mentioned that key stakeholders drawn from industry, commerce, property owners and residents had shown willingness to partner council in road rehabilitation and maintenance activities.They contributed through labour, purchase of materials and payment for surfacing. Police in South Jersey are searching for a duo who stole nearly $6,000 in merchandise from a Target store and fled in a Mercedes with New York tags. The shoplifters were caught on surveillance video during the March 14 incident. Police say they went into the Target on Route 73 in Marlton about 10:30 p.m. and stole $5,633 worth of merchandise. Police did not specify exactly what the men stole. After the heist, the men fled from the parking lot in a gray Mercedes with New York license plates, according to police. Tipsters are asked to contact Evesham Township Police at 856-983-1116. Tips can also be texted by sending ETPDTIP to 847411. A Montgomery County teenager pleaded guilty Tuesday to posting numerous nude photos of high school girls on a file sharing website. Brandon Berlin, 19, of Montgomery Township, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor crime under Pennsylvania's teenage sexting law and will get two years probation. On March 7, 2015, a teen girl told Ambler Borough Police she found a website showing numerous sexually explicit images of current or former female students at North Penn High School in Towamencin Township, many under the age of 18. More students came forward with the same allegations sparking an investigation from several neighboring police departments. Investigators learned the website containing the photos was associated with Dropbox.com, a website that allows users to store and share digital files. Officials later determined Berlin was the one who posted the photos on Dropbox. Berlin was a student at North Penn High School at the time of the incident. Police say they found links connected to Berlins Dropbox account that were sent to others to view the explicit photos. Investigators say they identified other people who received the images prior to Berlin but it was Berlin who actually compiled the photos he collected from various sources on his Dropbox account. Police interviewed several people and executed search warrants, one of which returned results from the Dropbox account containing the explicit photos, investigators said. The registration information for the Dropbox account was that of Berlins, according to police. Investigators say the file containing the photos was called, I prolly had ur pics, which was also Berlins senior quote in the 2015 North Penn High School yearbook. Berlin admitted to creating the Dropbox account, gathering the explicit photos and sending out links to the account during an interview with police. Officials say a juvenile petition was filed against Berlin since he sent out the photos when he was a juvenile. Berlins case was then transferred for criminal prosecution as an adult. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is urging President Barack Obama to demand that Cuba return a woman convicted of killing a state trooper to the United States. In an op-ed published Wednesday in The Record newspaper the Republican governor wrote that the president's recent trip to Cuba comes at the price of justice for the slain trooper. Joanne Chesimard was convicted in 1977 in the death of Trooper Werner Foerster during a gunfight after being stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. She was sentenced to life in prison but escaped and traveled to Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her asylum and she has been living under the name Assata Shakur. "...I urge the president to do what common sense and decency requires that he demand the return of convicted murderer Joanne Chesimard, who stands remorseless and free after the cold-blooded, execution-style killing of a New Jersey State Trooper and the serious wounding of another," wrote Christie. Obama just ended a trip to Cuba, the first by a sitting president in 88 years, as part an effort to restore normal relations. Agencies in San Diego County have been using License Plate Readers (LPRs) to track a vehicles location and movements on public roads and in parking lots since 2009, newly released documents show. Supporters tout how successful the technology is at tracking down stolen or wanted vehicles. Opponents argue LPRs are invading personal privacy by tracking individual commuters using GPS and then archiving those results for years in a database accessible to law enforcement. In San Diego, LPR cameras are either mounted on a vehicle or set up alongside roadways. They scan license plates collecting identifiable information which is uploaded into a searchable database. Law enforcement can then check if the license plate has been reported wanted or stolen. (mobile readers, click here to see the infographic) NBC 7 Investigates reached out to SANDAG and every law enforcement agency in San Diego County asking how many stolen vehicles were found through the use of LPR cameras in 2015. According to the Sheriffs Department out of the eight million or more license plates they have scanned since March 1, 2014, it received hits on 1,601 stolen vehicles. In 2015, Oceanside Police said they were able to track down approximately 295 stolen vehicles. Out of those vehicles recovered, Oceanside Police Investigators say about 74% or 217 of those vehicles were found using LPR cameras. According to records from the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, LPRs are capable of scanning hundreds of license plates an hour. If the LPR scans a license plate of a vehicle that has been reported stolen or wanted, the officer will receive a visible and audible indication from inside their unit, signaling the officer to make a visible confirmation of the plate before making the traffic stop. NBC 7 Investigates obtained the records through a California Public Records Act request. According to SANDAG and Sheriff Department LPR usage policies, no warrant is required for authorized users to access the database. The policies also state only authorized users are able to access the LPR database. In order to be an authorized user, the agencies require officers to receive clearance from a supervisor, train on how the database works and provide a lawful reason for a search. Jan Caldwell, spokeswoman for the Sheriffs Department, says LPR cameras have assisted in major investigations. One of the more high-profile examples include the abduction of Hannah Anderson and the identification of DiMaggio's vehicle as it left San Diego County, Caldwell told NBC 7 Investigates. In 2013, officials say James DiMaggio kidnapped Anderson after killing her mother and brother in the community of Boulevard. Less than a week later, Anderson was found safe in the Idaho backcountry by FBI agents who shot and killed DiMaggio. In a 2014 bulletin distributed to Sheriffs Deputies, the department announced it is beginning to store all of the information gathered by local LPR cameras with a company called Vigilant Solutions. Vigilant Solutions Executive Chairman Todd Hodnett told NBC 7 Investigates the company works with over 1,000 law enforcement agencies across the country and their database contains over 4.5 billion vehicle location records. He said that number grows by 100 million records a month. According to Vigilant Solutions website, the company is collecting LPR data in almost every major metro area in the United States, including San Diego. In addition to collecting LPR data nationally from law enforcement agencies, the company also receives data commercially. Private institutions provide data through a subsidiary of Vigilant Solutions called Digital Recognition Network (DRN). According to Vigilant Solutions records, these private institutions collect license plate data through private LPR fleet operators that gather data in locations where vehicles may remain or re-appear for an extended period of time. This includes residential areas, apartment complexes, retail areas or businesses with large employee parking areas. Fortune 1,000 financial institutions rely on DRNs data to drive decisions on loan origination, servicing and collections including automotive recovery processes, according to the companys website. Hodnett told NBC 7 Investigates LPR fleet operators mainly consist of tow-trucks equipped with LPR cameras. In documents, Vigilant Solutions said this data, combined with the in-transit data collected by law enforcement, enhances investigative opportunities in knowing where a vehicle has been and where a vehicle is most likely going. Critics such as the ACLU have accused companies like Vigilant Solutions and DRN of using LPR technology to keep the public under surveillance. The ACLU has accused the companies of selling LPR data gathered by law enforcement agencies to private companies looking for individuals or vehicles. Hodnett said thats not the case. It would make no sense for us to take law enforcement data, share it on the commercial side and potentially implode our company," Hodnett said. "I keep hearing the terms surveillance and you can track the movements of people, thats based on the false premise that you can have enough LPR cameras to actually gather enough data to be able to do what youre saying. When asked if there are any other clients in San Diego County using Vigilant Solutions or DRN, a spokesperson for the company said in an email, It is up to our clients to reveal their contracts with us. We can only confirm if an agency has been publicly on the record saying that they are a customer of ours. We do not have permission from any clients in the San Diego area to discuss. Local police departments NBC 7 Investigates spoke with said they send and store LPR data with ARJIS, the joint powers agency managed by SANDAG to share information with agencies in San Diego and Imperial counties. LPR data collected by the Sheriffs Department is stored for 730 days or two years, according to the Sheriffs Department. According to SANDAG, they store LPR data for 12 months before it is purged. Even though organizations like the ACLU say this data can paint a picture into the publics personal life or at the very least, a vehicles movements, the data does not belong to the public, according to the Sheriffs Department documents. Through a state public records request, NBC 7 Investigates obtained an LPR training presentation for Sheriffs deputies first using the equipment. One of the PowerPoint presentation slides said, Captured information is considered Investigative. It is ours, not the publics. This argument was at the center of a lawsuit in 2013 when a local technology entrepreneur took SANDAG to court, fighting to obtain all records pertaining to him and his vehicle that may have been obtained through the use of LPRs. Michael Robertson said he wasnt after money, he was after government transparency. Last year, the courts ruled in SANDAGs favor allowing the agency to withhold all of the records Robertson was seeking. Robertson has since began volunteering his time to assist the ACLU with future litigation relating to license plate readers and unsealing the data gathered so it can be released to the public. In 2015, while seeking access to LPR databases for ICE members, the Department of Homeland Security published a Privacy Impact Assessment on the use of LPR systems where they acknowledged the risks to the publics privacy. The assessment said, there is a risk that individuals will not have adequate or meaningful notice that their license plate information will be collected by commercial license plate vendor servicesIndividuals are unable to consent to the retention and use of their license plate data in a commercial database. For other countries, LPR technology is beginning to make its way into everyday uses for the general public. Hodnett said other countries, such as the UK, have started to use LPR technology to replace attendants for gated communities or facilities. For this, a fixed LPR camera is setup to scan and opens the gate, only for license plates permitted access to the facilities. Hodnett said, in the United States, the technology is beginning to be used this way but is in the very beginning stages of entering the market. An American considers himself "lucky" to have survived back-to-back fatal explosions that ripped through the departures hall at Brussels airport Tuesday. "There is something called faith or blind luck and I guess we had it today," Paul Doty says. The 51-year-old lives with his wife Tania Hoffman, 47, about 50 miles outside of Brussels. On Tuesday, they traveled to the busy airport en route to meet Doty's new grandson in the states. They were especially looking forward to treating themselves to a cup of coffee at the airport before their departure. "We live in an area where the nearest Starbucks is 20 kilometers from us so we usually stop at Starbucks before heading to security," he says. "My wife had to use the restroom and of course I'm thinking, 'You couldn't wait a few minutes?'" It was then, when Hoffmann was in the restroom, the bombs detonated, feet from where the two checked into their flight moments earlier and feet from where the two were headed. "The first bomb went off, I knew it was a bomb, but it was in my mind quite a distance away," he says. "The explosion was like a boom." Within seconds, a second explosion. "This explosion was much more powerful and forced me to take a couple of steps to maintain balance," Doty says. His first thoughts were with his wife who remained in the restroom during the explosions. He called out to her several times. She couldn't hear him, she didn't reply. Hoffmann was surrounded by ceiling tiles and rubble that now covered the floors. She crawled over the debris-scattered floor and met her husband. Dust made it hard for Doty to see; his eardrum ruptured, he was stumbling. "I've seen ladies with shards of glass buried in their hands," Doty says. There was blood on the floor and other people were visibly injured, including children. After the initial panic, he says people worked together to exit the airport calmly and safely. "Someone" opened up the security screening stations and helped clear the way for travelers to leave, he says. He could see a number of military and police with their guns drawn heading in the direction of the explosions. "The people that remained were very cooperative and moved to the side and let them through," he says. "Most placed their hands on their heads, if able." He describes a scene of solidarity between survivors outside the airport's building. Strangers helped each other with heavy luggage, shared phones to call loved ones and handed out water to those who needed it. "The stars aligned and it certainly could have been us," Doty says. In all, at least 31 were killed and more than 200 were injured in the blasts at the check-in zone of the Brussels airport and in a third bombing at Belgian capital's subway. Ocean Beach city leaders are offering hundreds of dollars to find whoever is killing local wild parrots. The Ocean Beach Town Council unanimously approved adding $500 to the reward for the conviction of those responsible for killing at least five parrots in just the last few weeks. Jamul-based SoCal Parrot, a wild parrot conservation group, said the birds are part of endangered species that include Lilac Crowned Amazons and Red Masked Conures. They estimate more than 1,500 parrots call San Diego home. The trees and climate here have made OB a nesting community but has also exposed the birds to those who would do them harm. SoCal Parrot says in a two week period at the end of March, 7 parrots were found dead. Five of those were killed by BB's and pellets fired from air guns. It could be because the parrots are colorful or loud, said OB resident Susan Winkie. I think it's personally a sport, she added. Like an immature act. The parrot rehab group presented its findings to the OB Town Council Wednesday night. Members of the organization brought along some rescues so those at the meeting could experience the nature of the birds. SoCal parrot says wildlife rehab organizations and animal services lack the resources to give proper care to these orphaned fowl. There are no flight enclosures or jungle for them to live. They are released to an urban environment and are at the mercy of the elements including humans that might do them harm. The group is working to create a city ordinance that would protect the birds. We're at a point where we are going to have to come together as a community and say it is not ok to harm wildlife in general but especially parrots in this really localized area, SoCal Parrot Director Brooke Durham said. There is a $6500 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible in the shootings. Anybody with information can contact San Diego Police at (619) 692-4800. The parrot shootings are considered a federal offense and could be punished with jail time and a $20,000 fine. San Diego grocery shopping may never be the same. Discount chains are expanding in the county and setting up an expectation for local shoppers. On Wednesday, it was a new Smart & Final "Extra" store that opened in Chula Vista, one of dozen Extra stores moving into the bankrupt Haggen locations. But it's not just Smart & Final pushing the discount envelope. The giant size Winco opened up a store in San Marcos late last year. And the German owned Aldi chain is expanding into Southern California, including its first store in Vista by the summer. Add these new stores to discount chains like Grocery Outlet and Food for Less and you're setting the bar for low cost food choices. That's what drew shopper Candy Beltran to the Smart & Final Extra opening in Chula Vista. "The pricing is very competitive, very good and very reasonable," she said. Celeste Cruz agrees: "It's like a mixture of Costco and it is really cheap and convenient." Now some of the old Haggen locations are anything but discount. Los Angeles-based Gelson's took over three stores in the county and there is a Bristol Farms opening this summer. Some of the Haggen locations are going ethnic with both Asian and Hispanic food choices, such as the 99 Ranch store that will be moving into Clairemont. Industry analysts wonder how the move toward discounts will influence traditional store chains like Ralphs, Albertsons and Vons. Victims of the attacks on Brussels' airport and subway included commuters heading to work and travelers setting off on long-anticipated vacations. In a city that's home to international institutions including the European Union and NATO, they came from Belgium and around the world. Most of the 31 people killed in the attack hadn't yet been identified, although survivors' stories including those of the at least 12 Americans hurt in the blasts were being shared widely. Among the confirmed dead: ___ Born in Peru, Adelma Tapia Ruiz dreamed of opening a restaurant. She had lived in Belgium for nine years but still cooked the recipes of her homeland, preparing the spicy chicken dish aji de gallina for a food festival organized by the Peruvian consulate in Brussels last year. Tapia, 37, was killed when a bomb tore through the departures area of Brussels airport on Tuesday, her family confirmed. A split-second decision saved her husband and 4-year-old twin daughters Maureen and Alondra from sharing her fate. Her Belgian husband, Christophe Delcambe, had taken the girls out of the check-in line to play for a moment when a loud explosion ripped through the concourse. One daughter was struck in the arm by shrapnel and is being treated in a local hospital. The daughters were the love of Tapia's life, her brother Fernando Tapia told The Associated Press. After getting married, the couple had difficulty getting pregnant so they traveled several times to the Amazonian jungle in Peru, where Tapia is from, to seek out medicinal plants to help start a family. "They never lost hope," Fernando Tapia said. He said his sister was preparing to catch a flight to New York to meet up with two sisters who live in the United States. Tapia was politically active, and earlier this month participated in Brussels in a march to commemorate International Women's Day, one of whose aims was to draw attention to the plight of thousands of women refugees arriving in Europe from Syria and other war-torn nations. Tapia and her husband lived in the town of Tubize, south of Brussels, and her brother said she will likely be buried in her adopted homeland. ___ Leopold Hecht was gravely wounded in the bombing at Maelbeek subway station and died later of his injuries. The rector of Saint-Louis University in Brussels, Pierre Jadoul, said Hecht, 20, was "one of the unfortunate victims of these barbaric acts." "There are no words to describe our dismay at this news," he said in a letter to students. Classmates lit candles and left flowers outside the university in memory of Hecht, whose Facebook profile includes pictures of a smiling young man on the ski slopes and in the great outdoors. ___ Civil servant Olivier Delespesse also died in the bombing at Maelbeek metro station, according to his employer, the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles. An early morning fire destroyed four townhomes in Brandywine, Maryland. Firefighters were called to the 3-alarm fire on the 7000 block of Chadds Ford Drive about 4 a.m. Thursday. Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc Bashoor says no one was injured in the fire, but four townhomes were destroyed. Two other townhomes were damaged. The fire is now under control. William Davis and his family are among the 25 people displaced by the massive fire. Davis said his family moved into their townhome three months ago, but he's happy that no one was injured. "It's OK. We're just happy that, you know, everyone is OK," Davis said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. News / Local by Ray Bande A STRESS grading machine used in the value addition process of timber products which was at Allied Timbers' Nyakamete industrial site station in Mutare was removed to a destination that only heavens know where.The Antediluvian Door Plant machinery that is at the same site is no longer working.Manica Post reported that the six-cutter machine, employed in the main product blundering as well as PAR timber, is almost obsolete given the lengthy period that the machinery has been used.MTA Press machinery that is commonly used for joining timber figures in the laminating section is equally old. The incinerator at Allied Timbers-owned Erin Estate is in itself a time bomb as it continues to be used in its dilapidated state that poses real danger to employees at the estate as well as property at the premises.Remaining contractors doing various jobs for Allied Timbers are dragging their feet in their operations owing to outstanding payment of services rendered.As if that was enough, cases of employees collapsing during working hours owing to hunger are common as the company reels under seven months' wage arrears, with the timber producing concern failing to meet its salary obligation.Such is the story state of affairs, characterised by antiquated machinery and shocking assert stripping that the new company leadership inherited at Allied Timbers.As widely expected to be confirmed in the forensic audit report to be made public soon, the company had become a little banana republic where alleged uncontrolled looting of asserts had become a norm with the powers that be at that time being the main culprits.Today, the Government owned concern now pin its hopes on the company's recapitalisation process that is expected to see almost $1,1million being injected into the coffers of the ailing timber processing company.During a media tour of the company's premises in Mutare and estates in Nyanga last week, Allied Timbers public relations manager, Ms Veronica Gutu, told journalists that the company was receiving assistance from IDBZ and Agribank meant to resuscitate production and possibly boost revenues."Allied Timbers got assistance from IDBZ and Agribank. We are also waiting for the Government of Belarus facility. As you can see we have got antiquated machinery. All along we have been practising cannibalism whereby we have been getting some pieces of equipment from one machine to place on another just for production to carry on. We are looking at recapitalisation. Right now we have stopped contract millers who we were paying with timber. We would give them 50 percent of the timber, but we really were running at a loss. We stopped them when their contracts expired in December. We are also looking at revamping our workshops so that we will not outsource some of the services that we need," said Ms Gutu.The company's workers committee chairperson, Mr Munei Muziyawo, told journalists that morale was at an all time low among the Allied Timbers workforce."It is sad that morale is at an all time low among Allied Timbers workers. Workers are owed seven months salaries. It is also sad that some shades, machinery and fence were stripped off and we do not know where they were taken to. Since 2002 when we closed the central workshop we have been outsourcing services such as vehicle repairs, but that is no longer viable. As we speak, workers are walking long distances to come to work simply because our staff bus is grounded. We sincerely hope that the recapitalisation process will resuscitate production levels and boost revenue so that workers can get their dues," he said.Allied Timbers Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd is a private company which is wholly owned by the Government of Zimbabwe and runs Erin Estate, Nyangui Estate, ATZ Saligna, Stapleford Estate, Cashel Estate, Gwindingwi Estate, Chimanimani Estate (Chisengu, Tarka and Martin Estate), Gungunyana Estate, Mutewu Estate (Mvuma)Its operations involve plantations, harvesting, and processing, marketing and retailing of both pine and gum.Allied Timbers Zimbabwe' operations are highly concentrated in the Eastern Highlands, Midlands and Matabeleland.Allied Timbers specialises in sawn timber, poles, and other value added timber based products such as doors, flooring and block-boards, brandaring, trusses as well as honey, which it sells at branches in all major towns and cities.In its operations, Allied Timbers exports products to Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. A woman wearing a hijab in a Washington, D.C., library was told by an officer that she could either remove the Muslim headscarf or leave, witnesses say. The D.C. Public Library has suspended the library police officer as an investigation is conducted. The woman was visiting the Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Neighborhood Library Wednesday afternoon when she was approached by an officer, witness Jessica Raven said. "He asked her repeatedly to remove her hijab. He then took out his handcuffs and told her if she weren't going to remove it, then she had to leave," Raven said. Another library patron, Gregory Michael Blakely Jr., said he saw it too. He said he was shocked. "What is this? This goes against everything this country stands for," he said. Library management would like to speak with the woman but do not have her name. Everyone is welcome at D.C. public libraries, the system's executive director, Richard Reyes-Gavilan, said. "We're doing everything that we possibly can in order to address the situation and make people understand that the library is a place of inclusion," he said. "Certainly what happened yesterday is an isolated incident that we regret strongly." The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) thanked library leaders for how quickly and appropriately they handled the objection to a woman wearing a hijab. "For Muslim women, the hijab is a matter of modesty," CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said. "It's a tremendously offensive thing to ask a Muslim woman to remove her headscarf. It really is part of her religious being." CAIR employee Santa Nadiir said she has been asked by airport security to remove her hijab. "It does make you feel bad," she said. "You kind of feel like you're doing something wrong, when in actuality you're not doing anything wrong at all." CAIR and the the library may potentially hold an educational event on religious diversity, Hooper said. D.C. libraries -- which are patrolled by their own little-known police force -- do not have any policy about head coverings, religious or otherwise, a spokesman said. More black bears have been sighted in Fairfax County officials say. Two small black bears were seen Wednesday morning crossing Oakton Road in Oakton, Virginia, and a bear and cub were spotted Thursday morning on the 2700 block of Bowling Green Drive in Vienna, Virginia, Fairfax County officials said. The bears in Vienna nabbed a bird-feeder and took a bag of birdseed before they fled along I-66. These two sightings add to a sighting Sunday of a bear and cub. Bears typically avoid humans unless theyre on the hunt for food. They are attracted to bird feeders, garbage, outdoor pet food, compost piles, fruit trees and berry-producing shrubs. Bear encounters can be resolved almost immediately by removing the food source, officials said. They may come back searching for food, but they will stop returning after a few failed attempts. The Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries suggest residents take these precautions to minimize encounters with black bears: Keep a respectful distance from the bear. It will move on quickly in most instances. Give the bear space and do not approach it if it is up a tree or near your property. Bring your pets inside to give the bear a clear path to leave. Do not try to remove or save a small cub from an area. Remove food sources to discourage the bear from returning. Do not store trash or anything that smells like food in cars or on porches or decks. Make sure to keep your trash containers secured in a garage, shed or basement. Take your trash out in the morning if you use a trash collection service, not the night before. If you have a bird-feeder and a bear visits, take down your bird-feeder for 3 to 4 weeks. Encourage your neighbors to take similar precautions to minimize bears. Note that Animal Control Officers do not take actions to attempt to remove bears from a neighborhood unless the animal is sick or injured, or poses a threat to public safety. If you do see a bear, report it to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries through the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 855-571-9003. The array of Starbucks sandwiches and salads that aren't purchased at the end of the day usually end up in the garbage bin with the rest of the trash, but the Seattle-based coffee company says it's found a way to stop wasting and start giving. On Tuesday, Starbucks announced the launch of FoodShare, a program that will begin donating its ready-to-eat meals from its 7,600 company-operated U.S. stores to food banks. The food being donated to the needy includes refrigerated items, like protein boxes, adding to the pastries it's been donating since 2010. This food is going to make a difference, whether its a child not going hungry for the night or a family thats able to enjoy a protein plate that they would not have otherwise been able to afford at Starbucks, said Kienan McFadden, a Starbucks store manager, in a statement. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that in 2014, about 48 million people, including just under 8 million children, lived in homes that weren't able to access, or had uncertain access, to enough food to meet their needs. Food safety regulations mandate that stores discard refrigerated items after the expiration date on the packaging. Starbucks worked with its partner, Food Donation Connection, to develop a way to add perishable food to the pick-up, which will be implemented in participating U.S. company stores by this time next year. "We focused on maintaining the temperature, texture and flavor of the surplus food, so when it reached a person in need, they could safely enjoy it," said Jane Maly, brand manager of the Starbucks Food team. Under the FoodShare plan, each day a refrigerated van will pick up food from Starbucks stores and deliver it to the Feeding America network. The company projects that the plan will provide nearly 5 million meals to needy families in its first year alone. FoodShare is expected to be in place by the end of next March. Starbucks has been able to donate its pastry items through the Food Donation Connection since 2010. FoodShare was developed in collaboration with Food Donation Connection and Feeding America, which Starbucks said is the largest domestic hunger-relief and food-rescue nonprofit in the U.S. News / National by Staff reporter The price of fuel is expected to skyrocket next week following a surge in international petroleum prices a fortnight ago.Oil prices went up sharply over the past two weeks to hit US$41 a barrel of crude oil from a record low of US$28 per barrel recorded in January this year.The price of crude oil had been on a freefall since June 2014 after touching a record high of US$118 per barrel before receding to US$28 per barrel early this year.Currently, the pump price of petrol is between US$1,20 and US$1,24 per litre while diesel is selling at between US$0,92 and US$1,04 per litre.Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) chief executive officer, Gloria Magombo, conceded on Tuesday that the surge in fuel prices on the international market would push local prices northwards. The Senate has approved more than $5 million in fresh funding to fight New Hampshire's substance abuse crisis. The 24-member body is unanimously backing the bill despite a partisan spat over where the money should come from. The bill authorizes Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan to appropriate the money from unspent funds in various state departments. The bill gives $4.5 million to the Department of Health and Human Services, which can choose to spend it on affordable sober housing or give to the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery. It also provides $500,000 in grant funding for peer recovery support services and about $125,000 for the state attorney general's office to hire a new drug prosecutor. A 75-year-old Massachusetts man who was wanted for child rape was captured on Thursday morning in Florida. John Munroe was located hiding out at a residence in Deland, Florida. He was taken into custody and transported to Volusia County Jail and charged as a fugitive from justice. Munroe was arrested in September of 2015 by Fall River Police on charges of rape of a child with force, aggravated rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, enticement of a child under 16, exhibiting a child in a nude or lascivious pose, and possession of child pornography. He was placed on a court-ordered GPS monitoring device while awaiting trial. On or around Oct. 23, Munroe cut off the monitoring device and fled, according to police. His vehicle was later found in the town of Hull. The Massachusetts State Police placed him on its "Most Wanted" list in December. State police said investigators developed intelligence Thursday that Munroe was renting an apartment in a home at 1771 West Parkway in Deland, Florida. U.S. Marshals and Volusia County officers from the Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force set up surveillance on the residence and took him into custody around 10:45 a.m. Munroe will be returned to Massachusetts to face charges here. The state of Vermont says tests of a water supply in the town of Pownal found low-levels of a potentially cancer-causing chemical that has already been found in about 100 private wells in the adjoining town of Bennington. Gov. Peter Shumlin's office said Thursday that results of three samples taken from the Fire District #2 municipal water source in Pownal found levels of the chemical PFOA of between 26 and 27 parts per trillion. The fire district serves about 450 people. The state's advisory level for the chemical is 20 parts per trillion. The Pownal case is the first time the chemical has been found in a public drinking water system. The Department of Environmental Conservation advised impacted residents to stop drinking their water. The state said bottled drinking water would be provided for affected residents beginning Friday. It will be distributed at the fire station from 3 to 7 p.m. According to WPTZ-TV, the DEC said it was "working to determine the best way to address the low levels of PFOA in the drinking water." Perfluorooctanic acid was discovered in residential wells of North Bennington residents earlier this month. It was suspected the contamination came from the former Chem Fab plant. Of the 185 residential wells tested so far, 104 tested positive for PFOA. Public wells in Bennington and North Bennington have not been affected, the state said. Additional testing will be done in the coming days. There is no at-home test for PFOA contamination. State officials said they will hold a public meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at the American Legion Hall to discuss the new testing results. Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton compared the rise of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump to the election of Adolf Hitler in a Boston Globe interview on Wednesday. "When you're in politics, one of the cardinal rules is you never say what I'm about to say," Moulton, a Democrat representing the 6th District, said during an appearance on the Globe's "Political Happy Hour" series at Suffolk University. "But people should read the history of how Germany elected Hitler. Read that history and just try to understand the analogies. "I'm not saying that Donald Trump is necessarily Hitler," Moulton added. "I'm not saying that. But you ought to understand how an unbelievably educated, advanced society can elect a demagogue and how bad it can get as a result." Asked to elaborate by the Globe reporter conducting the interview, Moulton seemed to realize that he may have crossed a line. "See, I'm already in trouble," he said. "This is what happens." But he then continued with the comparison. "I think we've to be really concerned when someone, regardless of their stature as a reality TV star, or whatever else, says things that are fundamentally oppposed to our values and who we are as Americans," he said. "It's dangerous." Asked whether he thinks Trump is capable of doing the same kinds of things that Hitler did, Moulton said he's not sure. "I don't know him, I don't know that he would," he said. "But he's certainly talked about carpetbombing the Middle East. That's his approach to ISIS, which by the way, is just fundamentally stupid. He obviously has absolutley no idea how to fight terrorism... without creating more terrorists in the process. "His ideas are not only radical, ridiculous and immoral, they're also really stupid," he said, drawing applause from the audience. Thursday, Moulton told necn he is not "walking it back." "This is not about Hitler," he said. "This is about Donald Trump. This is about someone who is a demagogue, a racist, a bigot, and he might become the president of the U.S. We need to stop that." Earlier, he stood by his remarks on Twitter. "Clearly, my comments hit a nerve," Moulton tweeted. "But our Commander-In-Chief needs to stand firm on our American values, not replace them with hate and fear." Wilmington resident Dan Madore thinks it's a bit extreme, but he says Trump is "dangerous for America." Waltham resident Sonia Furtado says she's not a Trump supporter and believes he's creating racial tension in the U.S., but "to compare someone to Adolf Hitler, who caused the death of 6 million Jewish people, is a little much." Necn reached out to Donald Trump's campaign, but did not immediately hear back. 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 1,000 attend Chrism Mass at Norwich RC Cathedral 1,000 attend Chrism Mass at Norwich RC Cathedral Around 1,000 people marked a significant moment in the life of the Diocese of East Anglia on Wednesday night (March 22) at the annual Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich, during which priestly promises were renewed and sacred oils blessed. The Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes, welcomed clergy and laity from parishes right across the Diocese while asking people to pray for those who lost their lives and those who had perpetrated the earlier terrorist acts in Belgium. This Chrism Mass is always a very significant moment in the life of our Diocese, said Bishop Alan. We are united in our Catholic faith and in prayer as we prepare to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord. At the heart of the Chrism Mass is the blessing of the three holy oils, said Bishop Alan in his homily. Oil is an outward sign of the Holy Spirit. When we are anointed with it, it is a sure sign that the Lord has touched our lives in a very powerful way. Oil also speaks to us of the very person and ministry of Jesus Christ the title Christ means the anointed one. Jesus is anointed with the Holy Spirit in a unique way and is strengthened so that he may carry out his Fathers work and redeem the world through his Passion, death and resurrection. We too are the anointed ones. Christians people who belong to Christ and share in His anointing and have been touched by his Holy Spirit, said Bishop Alan. Each year, these holy oils remind us of what being an anointed one must mean for us. The three holy oils are the Oil of Catechumens (used during the sacrament of baptism), the Oil for the Sick (used to anoint the sick) and the sacred Oil of Chrism (used to anoint those who God commissions to make him known in the world). The renewal of priestly promises was then followed by the blessing of the three oils which were, at the end of the Mass, collected by the seven diocesan Deans for distribution to their parishes. All were invited to have a hot drink and a hot cross bun in the Narthex before leaving. Pictured above is Bishop Alan, with the holy oils. For the uninitiated, Kubernetes is an opinionated framework for building distributed systems or as its tagline states "an open source system for automating deployment, scaling, and operations of applications." While a hot topic at various conferences, Kubernetes is the sole technological focus at KubeCon. KubeCon is a conference dedicated to education and community engagement of Kubernauts (Kubernetes enthusiasts). Organized by KubeAcademy, KubeCon 2015 was the initial edition of this conference, launched back in November and held in San Francisco. With about 500 attendees, KubeCon EU 2016 was the inaugural European edition. The two-day community conference was held in London on March 10 and 11, 2016 with CodeNode as the venue - well-suited for the number of attendees and sessions. Not at all talks were strictly cluster manager focused. Some explored the intersection of traditional virtualization with virtual machines or configuration management and container-based workloads orchestrated by Kubernetes. Slides from all talks have been made available as well as their recordings will soon be posted. Presenters and vendors at the conference confirmed the pace of innovation of this container orchestration system continues to move at an incredible clip. Users including New York Times, Met Office Informatics Lab, Pearson and others were not shy in bringing forward their stories. + MORE OPEN SOURCE: 9 Linux distros to watch in 2016 + In the week following KubeCon (on St. Patricks Day), Kubernetes 1.2 was released, touting 680 unique contributions to the project - the largest release yet. In coordination with this release was the relaunching of a redesigned kubernetes.io site launched to boot. Highlights of the 1.2 release include: Scale improvements - increased cluster scale by 400% to 1,000 nodes and 30,000 containers per cluster. - increased cluster scale by 400% to 1,000 nodes and 30,000 containers per cluster. Dynamic Configuration (ConfigMap API) enables applications to pull their configuration when they run rather than packaging it in at build time. enables applications to pull their configuration when they run rather than packaging it in at build time. Turnkey Deployments (Beta Deployment API) handles versioning, multiple simultaneous rollouts, aggregating status across all pods, maintaining application availability and rollback. (Beta Deployment API) handles versioning, multiple simultaneous rollouts, aggregating status across all pods, maintaining application availability and rollback. Automated cluster management Simplified application deployment and management. Kubedash - a new UI allows for getting started quickly and accessing the same functionality found in the CLI. David Aronchick Kubedash Screenshot No sooner than 1.2 is published does the 1.3 roadmap take shape and tentatively scheduled for release ~16 weeks from now with the following highlights slated: Legacy application support (Nominal Services aka PetSet) - aims to solve problems currently encountered with systems where the identities of nodes are important (primarily for different types of databases) (Nominal Services aka PetSet) - aims to solve problems currently encountered with systems where the identities of nodes are important (primarily for different types of databases) Cluster Federation (aka Ubernetes) - will provide a real (perhaps preliminary) solution to cross-zone clusters (typically geographically distant clusters) (aka Ubernetes) - will provide a real (perhaps preliminary) solution to cross-zone clusters (typically geographically distant clusters) Higher scale - improving upon the 400% scale increase already delivered in 1.2. - improving upon the 400% scale increase already delivered in 1.2. Scale up to 250 pods per node Scale out to 1000 nodes at half-max-pod-density In-cluster IAM - Identity and Access Management will be added in the form of an OIDC integration to distinguish between different types of users accessing a cluster - Identity and Access Management will be added in the form of an OIDC integration to distinguish between different types of users accessing a cluster Cluster auto-scaling Scheduled job - needed for performing all time-related actions, namely backups, report generation, etc. - needed for performing all time-related actions, namely backups, report generation, etc. Public cloud dashboard - with results of nightly runs across multiple cloud providers - with results of nightly runs across multiple cloud providers Storage - improve dynamic provisioning of volumes - improve dynamic provisioning of volumes quotas for PersistentVolumes Among other announcements at the conference was that of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (part of the Linux Foundation) accepting Kubernetes as its first hosted project. Along with the acceptance of Kubernetes intellectual property (the entire Kubernetes code base), CNCF announced results of the election for members to the projects Technical Oversight Committee. This list currently includes members from six different organizations, all of which either having significant doings with both advancing Kubernetes as well as their business models around the open source project. Following the footsteps of Rackspace and Intel in putting together two 1,000 node clusters for the OpenStack community to develop and test at scale, next steps for the CNCF include establishing a 1,000 node cluster for the community to run and validate cloud native applications and infrastructure at scale. Comments from those who attended and did not attend the conference indicators that KubeAcademy is acheiving their stated mission of fostering a community of Kubernetes developers and operators by providing education, training, and events. With some conference goers simply thrilled just to "...finally get a proper Kubernetes sticker for my laptop!!! Yaay!" and others setting "new professional goals to make it 2 the next KubeCon", the conference was a success. Lets hope sponsor funding of the next KubeCon includes a livestream! NASA this week said it was considering a new Centennial Challenge: Build and airship capable of long duration flight for scientific missions. The agency issued a Request For information to see if there was enough industry interest in the challenge and to further develop rules for the competition. You may recall that NASAs Centennial Challenges Program sets up challenging contests for the public, academia, and industry with an eye towards developing innovative technologies. +More on Network World: + In this case the so-called 20-20-20 Airship Challenge would award seed money to the first 10 Teams to present and pass an Airship scalability review (~$20K per team). The Challenge would award prizes for successful demonstration of a stratospheric airship that would be required to accomplish the following: Reach a minimum altitude of 20 km. Maintain the altitude for 20 hours (200 hours for Tier 2 competition) Remain within a 20 km diameter station area (and navigate between two designated points for Tier 2) Successfully return the 20 kg payload (200 kg for Tier 2 competition) and payload data. Show Airship scalability for longer duration flights with larger payloads through a scalability review. There are few opportunities for space missions in astronomy and Earth science. Airships (powered, maneuverable, lighter-than-air vehicles that can navigate a designated course) could offer significant gains in observational persistence over local and regional areas, sky and ground coverage, data downlink capability, payload flexibility, and over existing suborbital options at competitive prices. We seek to spur a demonstration of the capability for sustained airship flights as astronomy and Earth science platforms in a way that is complementary with broad industry interests, NASA stated. +More on Network World: NASA pondering two public contests to build small space exploration satellites+ The proposed prize structure for this competition is: Award 1-- A proposed $1.0M will be split between teams successfully completing Tier 1 within 3 years of the challenge initiation. A possible scenario for splitting the Tier 1 prize money is 4 prizes of $500k, $250k, $125k and $125k, starting from the first to demonstrate to the fourth. Award 2: A proposed $1.5M will be awarded to the first successful demonstration of Tier 2 within four years of challenge initiation. Check out these other hot stories: FBI grows Cyber Most Wanted list with Syrian Electronic Army members IRS: Top 10 2015 identity theft busts FBI warning puts car hacking on bigger radar screen NASAs IG tells space agency to bolster space network security Air Force faces challenges managing drone force DARPA: Show us how to weaponize benign technologies Boeings self-cleaning aircraft bathroom lets you use loo without touching anything (mostly) US national lab advances wireless charging for electric cars DARPA moves ahead with radical vertical takeoff aircraft News / National by Staff reporter ABOUT 502 Zimbabweans are being held in Botswana prisons compared to only four Batswana held in Zimbabwe.The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development responsible for Livestock, Paddy Zhanda, told villagers in Nxele area, Mangwe District recently that Botswana had complained to Government over Zimbabweans entering their country illegally.Zhanda, who was visiting villages situated along the Botswana-Zimbabwe border ahead of the June 1 deadline that will see Botswana shooting stray cattle that enter that country, said a perimeter fence erected between the two countries had been vandalised by smugglers and other criminals who wanted to illegally enter Botswana. Howard Bairstow, who is also a Tory councillor, says he is 'angry and upset' at council cuts THE mayor of Newbury has conceded that Newbury residents deserve better than having their services cut. Howard Bairstow, who is also a Tory councillor, used his speech at Monday nights annual town meeting to criticise the way the towns residents have been treated. Mr Bairstow, who sits on Newbury Town Council and West Berkshire Council, said he was sad that local councils had been put in the position where they are having to make cuts to public services. He added: I was extremely upset and angry we were made to do this. Our people deserve better than that and we will work hard to keep as many services as possible., but we only have so much money we are in a difficult position. West Berkshire Council has been forced to make an unprecedented 17.5m of cuts in the next financial year after having its government grant slashed by 44 per cent. As a result of this, the district council told the town council it would need to take on the cost of running the public toilets at The Wharf and Pembroke Road. The town council will also have to pick up the bill for running the towns CCTV service and Visitor Information Centre. The town council needs to raise at least an extra 55,000 to keep these services running, so it raised its precept the amount of money it collects from the towns taxpayers by 4.6 per cent. Mr Bairstow continued: I would be sad to lose any of these services. CCTV is essential for security, toilets are essential for a hygienic town and the information centre is essential for tourism. College ceremony honours outstanding achievements over past year The success of local apprentices and the support of their employers were celebrated at Newbury Colleges Apprenticeship Awards. The annual event, held on Monday, March 14, began with a welcome from principal Dr Anne Murdoch before Joe Pringle, a business administration apprentice at Hitachi, gave a speech about why he choose to study an apprenticeship instead of going to university, and his experience of the programme. The ceremony concluded with an inspirational talk from guest speaker, Newbury Weekly News editor Andy Murrill, on his career in the press industry and the importance of achieving job satisfaction. The event at the colleges Monks Lane campus was attended by nominees, employers, award sponsors and guests including West Berkshire Council chairman Peter Argyle, Newbury mayor Howard Bairstow, Thatcham mayor Sheila Ellison and West Berkshire Council corporate director Rachael Wardell. Dr Murdoch said: The Apprenticeship Awards ceremony is a wonderful occasion for apprentices, employers, friends and family to celebrate the outstanding achievements of all those involved in the programme. Newbury College is committed to working with local employers, and we are very grateful to all our sponsors for their generosity in sponsoring each of the awards presented. Our thanks also go to Andy Murrill for his inspirational talk to the audience. Newbury College offers a wide range of business-to-business training, as well as providing apprenticeship programmes for all organisations, small or large. For more information visit www.newbury-college.ac.uk Results Best Apprentice in a large business (sponsored by Intersurgical): Ross Wildman, IT apprentice at Gamma Telecommunications Best Apprentice in a medium business (sponsored by Thatcham Automotive Academy): Nathan Long, engineering apprentice at Schleifring Systems Best Apprentice in a small business (sponsored by Apple Print & Creative): Gareth Street, IT apprentice at Lemon Sherbert Technologies Best Engineering Apprentice (sponsored by AWE): Christopher Prozzo, engineering apprentice at Blatchford Bronze Award for Outstanding Achievement (sponsored by FutureSense): Charlee Foster, childcare apprentice at Orchard Day Nursery Silver Award for Outstanding Achievement (sponsored by Xtrac Ltd): Joe Pringle, business administration apprentice at Hitachi The Peter Atkinson Gold Award for Outstanding Achievement (sponsored by Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce): Jamie Rusbridge, engineering apprentice at Xtrac Ltd Assessor/Teaching Award (sponsored by Newbury College): Yvonne Pomeroy, assessor at Newbury College Workplace Mentor Award (sponsored by PC Cox): Scott Pinnell from Williams and Richard James from Blatchfords Outstanding Contribution Award (sponsored by Hitachi): Warren Page from Xtrac Ltd and Richard Willis, Newbury College assessor Officers given the silent treatment - but driving ban results A SUSPECTED drink-driver, confronted with a roadside breath test, indignantly told police: Im not blowing into that thing. Those were the last words officers heard from the lips of Mark David French, Newbury magistrates heard. Helen Waite, prosecuting on Thursday, March 17, said: Thereafter there was no reply just complete silence. She said police spotted the 53-year-old, of St Johns Road, Thatcham, driving in Newbury just before midnight and added: As he approached a junction he stopped way before he had to about 10ft from the line and that drew officers attention to him. They tried to pull him over but he continued for a short time before stopping. He smelled of alcohol, he was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred. Police formed the opinion he was the worse for drink. He said: Im not blowing into that thing and wouldnt give his details. He was thoroughly unco-operative and wouldnt engage with the officers, or the process, at all. He refused to answer any and all questions. Mr French admitted failoing to provide a specimen for analysis when required to do so on February 22. He has no previous convictions and Andrew Port, defending, said: He is almost at a loss to explain his actions ecept to say he just didnt want to play ball that night. But his staying silent isnt an aggravating feature, its the offence itself. There are no aggravating features at all. Magistrates made Mr French, described as a maintenance man, subject to an 18 month driving ban. In addition they fined him 200 and ordered him to pay 85 costs with a 20 victim surcharge. News / Press Release by Willias Madzimure - PDP Secretary for International Relations Cabinet on Tuesday the 22rd of March 2016, after a record 13 hour meeting, took a drastic decision to close all foreign companies that would not have complied with the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act by the 1st of April 2016.This decision is a clear endorsement of Robert Mugabe's nephew and Minister of Indigenisation Patrick Zhuwao's controversial and meaningless directive to close all foreign companies which have not complied with the contested Indigenisation and Empowerment Act confirms what we in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) have long said, that ZANU PF is not capable of implementing any reforms.The cabinet's endorsement comes as a slap on the face of the IMF reengagement exercise which recently approved Zimbabwe's efforts towards normalizing its relations with various international creditors.The IMF judged that Zimbabwe's Staff Monitored Programme, which is essentially a reform programme, has been a success yet it is apparent that ZANU PF was indicating right yet turning left.The PDP in recent months has warned that any effort towards reengaging with Zimbabwe must be based on clear deliverables on the key areas of reform. We further asserted that one such key area of reform was the repealing of the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act in its totality as it was just a haven to promote and sustain ZANU PF's patronage and corruption while chasing away crucial investments into the economy.Mugabe's statement thus vindicates our position and should trigger serious thought analysis on those foreign and international bodies that had fallen into the mirage of reform which ZANU PF had created.For the umpteenth time we repeat that ZANU PF is not interested in genuine reforms but in fooling the international community to allow it to access much needed funds from the IMF, World Bank and AfDB. Again we repeat ZANU PF has no reformers but looters and grabbers and it would be foolhardy for anyone to think that they would reform.Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa and his team from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe ARE WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING while on the other hand Zhuwao and his cabal are WOLVES IN WOLVES CLOTHING, none of them are reformers.The cabinet decision betrays this position and it is the most articulate message to date that engagement with ZANU PF is a waste of time. Our colleagues in the international community such as the local British Embassy must get the message very clear. ZIMBABWE IS NO ONE'S CUBA!The attempt to create an illusion of reform is a necessity pushed by the worsening financial woes which is facing this regime.The government is failing to raise enough salaries for its bloated workforce. For the record, by May 2013 the government had 270 000 workers but by the end of July 2013 it had ballooned to over 500 000 because of ghost workers who were recruited to rig the 2013 elections.Revenue targets have been missed by an average of 6% every quarter, 98% of the youths are employed in the informal sector where the bulk of them are vendors and cannot pay any significant tax, the 2016 financial statement budgeted for a US$500 million deficit and the economy will grow by at least -2.7% in real terms this year contrary to the illusionary 1.4% of the IMF and Zimbabwean government. All these facts indicate an economy in dire stress.This is the reason why the regime is desperate for money hence it is pretending to reform from its ways. History has shown that a regime can never change the circumstances that it created in the first place; this is the duty of a new establishment. This is a fundamental truth which the international institutions must be aware as they consider options of engagement with the ZANU PF regime.It goes without saying that Mugabe's endorsement of his nephew's position puts egg on the face of some bureaucrats in international organizations who have been putting lipstick on crocodile lips so much that they misrepresented the true state of affairs in this country. However, Mugabe did what he does best, which is to show the true colours of the regime.We hope that as the IMF board meets in May 2016, they would among other things consider the true position of the ZANU PF government with regards to reforms as articulated by its leader and not through some doctored reports from bureaucrats fighting in the corner of one ZANU PF faction.As PDP we continue with our call that in order to save Zimbabwe from the chaos which ZANU PF is creating, we need a National Transitional Authority (NTA) to oversee the economic recovery and lead a path towards a sustainable electoral democracy. Opinion / Columnist Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company - when marketing his all-black Model-T cars - had a penchant for saying to his customers, 'You can choose any colour you like, as long as it is black!'Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's recent speech at the official opening of the Ezekiel Guti University, about ZANU PF's 'democracy' reminded me of this anecdote, but this time it would be, 'You can choose any leader you like, as long as it is Mugabe!'I decided to call it 'Fordism'!In his very telling speech, Mugabe alluded to the fact that he was democratically chosen at a ZANU PF congress to represent his party in the 2013 Presidential elections.How he was 'democratically elected' - only ZANU PF knows!However, what I found particularly peculiar was the fact that the 2018 Presidential elections are already around the corner, and if ZANU PF knew any democracy at all, they would now be encouraging all those with presidential aspirations to come forward and start campaigning so that they may also have a chance to be chosen at a ZANU PF congress to represent the party.On the contrary, what Zimbabweans are witnessing is a purge, arguably unprecedented in ZANU PF's history - as anyone who dares to challenge (or appears to be challenging) Mugabe is expelled from the party.Mugabe then uses the excuse that he was chosen by congress to be the party's presidential candidate for the 2013 elections, so no one should be challenging him.Need he be reminded that there are only two years to go before the next Presidential election, and as such, the mandate he keeps touting is coming to an end - therefore, no one is trying to oust him, but his lieutenants are merely positioning themselves to be chosen by the ZANU PF congress to represent the party.So why are these people being expelled, and being accused of trying to topple Mugabe - when his current tenure is ending.When the time for the next ZANU PF congress arrives, Mugabe will not have any competition, and he will again have the audacity to claim that he was 'democratically elected' at congress to be the ZANU PF Presidential candidate for 2018.What a farce!However, we have already noticed that Mugabe's version of democracy is that, 'You can choose any leader you like, as long as it is Mugabe'.This is ZANU PF we are talking about - a party that knows no democracy.Ordinarily, I would never lose any sleep over the goings on in ZANU PF, but such dictatorship transcends the party, as it clearly explains the oppression and lack of democratic space in the whole of Zimbabwe.In his speech, Mugabe also made a comment to the effect that he was prepared to leave office - if the party told him to do so - 'but to what end', he asked.It appears to me that it is either the man thinks that he is indispensable, and as such removing him would spell doom for the country - or it is a veiled threat to the whole nation that if we were to remove him from power, there would be turmoil.Apparently, this lack of respect for simple democratic tenets of free and fair leadership renewal is the main reason the people of Zimbabwe are suffering today.Democratic voices are being purged in the country simply because they are exercising their democratic rights to challenge the status quo.Cases of political violence are reportedly on the increase, as ZANU PF continues to stifle democratic space.Nowhere in the constitution does it say that Zimbabwe has a Life President or a monarchy, so why is challenging the President equated to trying to topple him?That is the same reasoning behind the political violence and oppression against any opposition voices in the country.It is totally unacceptable when a president believes that his mandate is eternal and that anyone who dares challenging him is committing some grave unforgivable sin.The nation can not continue to be held at ransom.What Zimbabwe needs right now is for all of us to rally together to make this message abundantly clear.A clarion call has be made for all Zimbabweans to stand together against such dictatorial tendencies.The call is still the same, let us all go in our numbers to register to vote, and come 2018, we need to go out and vote out ZANU PF in our droves.All constitutionally-enshrined rights should be exploited to the fullest in our never tiring bid to bring positive democratic change to Zimbabwe.This also coming together - and solely leaving it to the political parties - to petition, peacefully demonstrate, and demand for a truly free and fair electoral plying field.Let us spare no effort in making sure that all our demands as a nation are met.The opposition should also get its house in order.If there is any force that has pushed the drive towards democratic change backwards, it is the disjointed nature of the opposition in Zimbabwe.Zimbabweans can not afford to have a split vote, neither can the opposition appear to be so disorganised.Personal ambitions have for long been the reason for our failure as a nation.How can the country not act as if we have learnt nothing from the Mugabe debacle?The country can not be found going round and round in circles, as we battle with people who put their narrow personal political ambitions and grudges ahead of a burning nation.Let us all rally behind one leader, whose leadership is impeccable and untainted by any corruption, dictatorship, and mismanagement.A leader who will only guide us into a prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe, but without turning that leader into a demi-God.Now is not the time to create another Mugabe by creating person fiefdoms around individuals, but it is a time for a united front, in which only one thing matters - Zimbabwe.Zimbabweans matter more than any individual, a fact apparently lost on Mugabe and ZANU PF.Maybe it is time that anyone vying for the presidency to take some time and go down to the very grassroots of our society, where he/she has one-on-one talks with the ordinary people of this country.These leaders should spend days sleeping and eating at various homes of the very poor, where they should experience what the rest of us are going through in this country.After such an experience, I am sure any prospective President will fully appreciate that his/her own personal ambitions pale into insignificance as compared to the more urgent need to address the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe.Such a leader would readily swallow their selfish pride and rally behind someone who would genuinely better serve the interests of Zimbabweans.The political landscape in Zimbabwe can not remain the same - the people's power and interests should take precedence over everything else. Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist and commentator, writer, and journalist. He writes in his personal capacity, and welcomes feedback. Please feel free to call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com ALEXANDRIA, VAThe Woodhull Freedom Foundation announces a scholarship for bloggers attending the 2016 Sexual Freedom Summit. Held August 47 at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia, the Summit is the one conference focused on sexual freedom as a fundamental human right in the U.S. Thanks to a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation, bloggers attending the Summit may apply to receive one of ten $100 scholarships. Along with the scholarship, those selected will also receive a discount on the cost of registration. Bloggers will be selected based on criteria including readership traffic and social media followership, with special consideration given to those who represent marginalized identities and communities. We are so grateful to the Freeman Foundation for having the foresight to recognize the vital role bloggers and influencersour social justice warriorsplay in the movement for positive change in our world, said Ricci Levy, President and CEO of The Woodhull Freedom Foundation. Thanks to our online gurus, our voices are magnified hundreds, thousands, and then millions of times, as we share our stories and our visions for a better world. The deadline for applications for the Blogger Scholarship is May 1, 2016. Selected candidates will be notified via email on or before June 1, 2016. Now in its seventh year, the focus of the Sexual Freedom Summit is the goal of the sexual freedom movement: global recognition of our fundamental human right to sexual freedom. The Summit is for everyone interested in sexual freedom, from activists, educators, students, attorneys, and clinicians, to people who are simply curious about how to make the world a freer place for all. From gender expression to reproductive justice, LGBT rights to polyamory, sex work to spirituality, and much more, the Summit welcomes attendees to bring ideas and concerns to the table, all within a human rights framework. The four-day schedule of institutes and workshops, roundtable discussions and sessions cover a gamut of topics, ranging from geriatric sexuality, abuse, sex education, religion, gender identities, mental health, condom use, policy trends, intellectual and developmental disabilities, consent, sex work, and more. Woodhulls Sexual Freedom Summit offers single-day and weekend-only registrations in addition to registration to the complete four-day Summit. Discounts are also offered to students, seniors, and those seeking AASECT Continuing Education Credits. For more information on Woodhulls Sexual Freedom Summit, click here, or follow the Summit on Twitter and on Facebook. Those following the conversation on Twitter may do so by using the hashtag #SFS16. LAS VEGASCB-X Male Chastity, manufactured by A.L. Enterprises, inked a distribution deal with leading adult retail chain Cirilla's. The retailer has more than 60 locations in eight states throughout the U.S. and will introduce its customers to the CB-X brand by offering their two best-selling devices, the CB-6000 and CB-6000S. "Our new partnership with Cirilla's will help the expansion of our brand in the Midwest, which is a growing market for us," said Nikki Yates, corporate director of A.L. Enterprises. "While the male chastity lifestyle has been wildly popular in kink communities, it is growing in popularity among nonfetish consumers as well. Being available in retail chains like Cirilla's is a perfect introduction for those in a traditional relationship, ready to see how male chastity can add some spice to their love lives." Cirilla's was established in 1992 and is one of the nation's largest and fastest growing specialty retail chains. With over 60 locations primarily located in Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois, and Florida, Cirilla's offers innovative products, attractive stores, and well-educated employees who pride themselves on providing a superior shopping experience. "We are excited to introduce our brand to new customers by Cirilla's offering our two best-selling chastity devices, the Clear CB-6000 and shorter CB-6000S," added Yates. "Male chastity is furthering its reach in the mainstream and these devices are perfect for first-time wearers. Whether you're locking him up for a one-time trip, or looking to keep him indentured for extended periods of time, our devices are the perfect choice." The Clear CB-6000 and CB-6000S will be available at all Cirilla's brick-and-mortar retail locations as well as online at Cirillas.com. To learn more about A.L. Enterprises, visit CB-X.com. LAS VEGASReps from Berman Innovations, creator of POP by The Semenette, will attend the International Lingerie Show, April 4-6 at the Rio Hotel and Casino. This is the first show that I will be attending since the launch of POPDildo, and I am really looking forward to it, said President and CEO Stephanie Berman. The setting provides a great opportunity to connect with current and new buyers, as well as see new products in the industry. Im excited to show POPDildo and continue to expand our growing list of retailers, and meet potential new partners. Berman Innovations will be showcasing The Semenettes second iteration, POP by The Semenette/POPDildo at the show. A recent collaboration with German pleasure products manufacturer Fun Factory, POPDildo allows partners to mimic traditional intercourse through its proprietary inner tubing and pump system, complete with ejaculationsomething that sets it apart from both traditional dildos and party-style ejaculating toys. To schedule an appointment, email [email protected], or stop by the Fun Factory and Entrenue booths on the ILS show floor. Thank you for visiting us! But, the requested page is currently unavailable. Kindly start browsing from our Home Page PHOENIXThe JuicyAds 10th Anniversary tour continues with The Phoenix Forum, the first convention JuicyAds attended after the launch of the Sexy Advertising Network. Continuing in its tradition of being a strong adult industry supporter, JuicyAds is sponsoring multiple events not to be missed. At 6 p.m. March 30, Juicy Ads presents the YNOT GoKart Grand Prix, which takes place at a brand new electric karts facility which has an indoor and outdoor track combined with electric karts. Following the adrenaline-fueled launch of the Phoenix Forum, JuicyAds will be showcasing at the Meet Market and giving away its usual free swag. The highlight of events (and possibly the most must-see event of the entire show) is the legendary Juicy Dodgeball, sponsored and hosted by JuicyAds and co-sponsor Affil4You. The event features wicked hot and barely legal Tempe girls, free booze, and balls bigger than yours. JuicyAds is an advertising platform with a self-serve interface as well as dedicated sales associates, providing Mobile and Desktop Banner ads, Mobile redirects, and Pop-Under traffic. JuicyAds advertising network has been providing a marketplace for publishers and creating ad space for media buyers of all sizes for 10 years. Contact [email protected] to find out more or visit JuicyAds.com to get started. Head and neck cancer patients may no longer have to undergo invasive post-treatment surgery to remove remaining cancer cells, as research shows that innovative scanning-led surveillance can help identify the need for, and guidance of, neck dissection. The study from the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, used advanced imaging to identify cancer cells still present after treatment of head and neck cancer with primary chemoradiotherapy. Previous guidelines meant that all head and neck cancer patients have to undergo neck dissection surgery, a three-hour operation with considerable morbidity and up to a one week hospital stay, because there was no reliable way to identify which patients still had remaining cancer cells. The use of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans for image-guided surveillance meant that routine post-treatment operations were no longer necessary, and can now be better targeted to the right areas in those 20% of patients who still have persistent cancer. Professor Hisham Mehanna, from the Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education (InHANSE) at the University of Birmingham, explained "After treatment, remaining cancer cells play something akin to 'hide and seek'. Our study shows that using this PET-CT scan we can hunt them down, find them and remove them effectively." The study was conducted across 37 centres in the UK, overseen by Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick. 564 patients were recruited between 2007 and 2012, with 282 in the image-guided surveillance group and 282 in the neck dissection control group. Only 54 (19%) of the 282 in the image-guided surveillance group went on to undergo neck dissection surgery, compared with 221(78%) of the 282 in the control group. Survival rates, quality of life and other factors were considered and remained similar across both groups. Professor Janet Dunn, from Warwick Clinical trials Unit said "this is an important study for the future management of these patients. When we first designed the study in 2007, patients were undergoing routine neck dissection and they did not have access to PET-CT. The results show that the use of PET-CT imaging can prevent unnecessary operations and reduce associated surgical complications." Professor Mehanna added, "Patient outcomes, and avoiding unnecessary surgery, are the main goals of this study. But there is a cost saving to be made too. When compared with neck dissection, the PET-CT guided surveillance saved 1,492 (US$2,190) per person for the NHS. Carry that across the tens of thousands of cases each year across the world and you see a significant saving that can be redistributed into other therapies." 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, known as head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). HSNCC is the sixth leading cancer by incidence across the globe, with an estimated 500,000 new cases reported each year. Life Sciences Minster George Freeman MP said, "This exciting trial has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of people with head and neck cancer, meaning that they may not have to undergo an extremely stressful medical procedure. Through our commitment to investing 1bn every year in the National Institute for Health Research during this Parliament, we're funding world class medical breakthroughs which can improve patient safety and help avoid unnecessary NHS treatment costs." Botswana appears to have achieved very high rates of HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression--much better than most Western nations, including the United States--according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues in Botswana. The findings suggest that even in countries with limited resources where a large percentage of the population is infected with HIV, strong treatment programs can help make significant headway against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The study will be published online March 23, 2016 in The Lancet HIV. "By now, we hoped to have an HIV vaccine. That hasn't happened. Ironically, treatment of HIV-infected persons may be our most effective, efficient way to prevent new infections. These results show that Botswana has made great progress in reducing the number of people who are infectious to others," said Max Essex, Mary Woodard Lasker Professor of Health Sciences, chair of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health AIDS Initiative, and chair of the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership. Global HIV programs have continued to face challenges in achieving the high rates of testing and treatment needed to optimize health and reduce new infections. Mounting evidence suggests that providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all people living with HIV, regardless of the stage of their disease, can help. In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) proposed new testing and treatment targets: that 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status; that 90% diagnosed with HIV be given ART; and that 90% who receive treatment have virologic suppression--very low blood levels of HIV--by the year 2020. The researchers looked at the achievability of the UNAIDS targets in Botswana--a middle-income African nation where 25% of the population aged 15-49 is HIV positive but which also has a mature public ART program--by directly measuring HIV status, treatment, and viral suppression among 12,610 people from 30 communities across the country between October 2013 and November 2015. Study participants were drawn from a large, ongoing HIV prevention study in Botswana. The participants responded to a questionnaire, had their blood tested for HIV if their status wasn't known, and, if they were infected with HIV, their viral load was checked. Out of the 12,610 participants, 3,596 (29%) were HIV infected and 2,995 (83.3%) of these individuals already knew their HIV status. Among those who knew their status, 2,617 (87.4%) were receiving ART. Significantly, the study authors called it "remarkable" that of the 2,609 people receiving ART who had their viral load checked, 2,517 (96.5%) had viral suppression. Until now, there has been considerable uncertainty as to whether the ambitious targets proposed by UNAIDS can be achieved, especially in countries with limited resources where the HIV burden is highest, according to the study authors. But the new findings suggest that Botswana could meet and even exceed the targets well before 2020, especially if ART eligibility is expanded--and that other countries could do the same. "This is significant work as it provides further evidence that the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment target is both realistic and achievable," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe, who was not involved in the study. For women who have survived childhood cancer, the impact of modern chemotherapy regimens on the likelihood of becoming pregnant is generally small, and most have a good chance of conceiving, according to one of the largest studies of its kind published in The Lancet Oncology. In contrast, male survivors of childhood cancer are significantly less likely to have children, especially if they are treated with chemotherapy regimens containing high doses of commonly used alkylating drugs and cisplatin. Now that more than 80% of children with cancer are living into adulthood, whether they can have children is a major concern for them. Growing awareness of the adverse effects of radiotherapy has led to the use of more intensive chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of childhood cancers. Previous research has shown that fertility can be compromised by several types of chemotherapy, mainly alkylating drugs. However, little is known about the dose effects on pregnancy from newer drugs, such as ifosfamide and cisplatin, in survivors of childhood cancer. Dr Eric Chow from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA and colleagues used data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) which tracks people who were diagnosed with the most common types of childhood cancer before the age of 21 and treated at 27 institutions across the USA and Canada between 1970 and 1999, and who had survived at least 5 years after diagnosis. In this study, they examined the impact of various doses of 14 commonly used chemotherapy drugs on pregnancy and livebirth in 10938 male and female survivors, compared with 3949 siblings. The study specifically focused on survivors treated with chemotherapy and who did not receive any radiotherapy to the pelvis or the brain. By age 45, 70% of female cancer survivors became pregnant, compared to over 80% of siblings. For male cancer survivors, the figure was 50% compared to 80% for siblings. In male survivors, the likelihood of fathering a child generally decreased as cumulative exposure to alkylating drugs increased. High cumulative doses of several alkylating drugs (cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, procarbazine) and cisplatin were linked with a significantly reduced likelihood of pregnancy. The findings are consistent with previous studies which have suggested that men who have undergone cancer treatment with these drugs have lower sperm count and reduced testicular volume. The authors point out that the ifosfamide dose threshold above which male cancer survivors are significantly less likely to father a child is far lower than the dose judged to be high risk in current guidelines (25000 mg/m vs 60000 mg/m). In female survivors, only busulfan and high doses of lomustine were directly linked with lower likelihood of pregnancy. Overall, female survivors were still less likely to conceive compared to siblings but the effect was much smaller compared to men. However, in women, the difference was more pronounced for those who delayed pregnancy until they were aged 30 or older, possibly because chemotherapy exposure might accelerate the natural depletion of eggs and hasten menopause. The authors note that their study relied on self-reported pregnancy and livebirth, and that up to a quarter of pregnancies can be unrecognised by women. Although their findings are consistent with others in the field, their study did not account for other factors such as marital or cohabitation status, the intention to conceive or length of time attempting to conceive. While the total number of survivors in the study is large, the number of patients who were exposed to individual drugs varied significantly. So, while the overall conclusions of the study are consistent with previous research studies, more research is needed to estimate the exact risk of some less commonly used drugs. According to Dr Chow: We think these results will be encouraging for most women who were treated with chemotherapy in childhood. However, I think, we, as paediatric oncologists, still need to do a better job discussing fertility and fertility preservation options with patients and families upfront before starting cancer treatment. In particular, all boys diagnosed post-puberty should be encouraged to bank their sperm to maximize their reproductive options in the future. The current options for post-pubertal girls remain more complicated, but include oocyte and embryo cryopreservation. Commenting on the implications of the study, Professor Richard Anderson from the University of Edinburgh, UK and Dr Hamish Wallace from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK say that this report will enable more accurate counselling of patients about their individual risks. They write: Awareness is needed of the risk of loss of fertility in male patients treated with alkylating drugs and cisplatin, and for pretreatment referral to fertility services. Semen cryopreservation is fairly straightforward, although substantial gaps remain in its provision and accessibility. Appropriate technologies need to be developed for prepubertal and peripubertal boys in whom semen cryopreservation is not possible. For girls and young women, the data are generally more positive, but emphasise the need for accurate identification of the relatively small proportion who are at high risk, to avoid subjecting those at low risk to what might be invasive procedures. Source: http://www.thelancet.com/ The second of three women involved in a conspiracy to commit fraud was sentenced to seven years in prison Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg. Judge Norman K. Moon sentenced Melinda Smith, 43, of Richmond to five years on identify-theft and fraud charges to be served concurrently, plus another two years on a conspiracy charge to be served after the first five years. She also was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $97,814.91 in restitution. Smith was one of three defendants indicted on April 13, 2015, on numerous charges of wire and mail fraud, student loan fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and identity theft. On May 19, Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and student loan fraud. One of Smiths co-defendants, Vernetta Johnson, pleaded guilty in 2015 to two felony mail fraud charges and was sentenced in February 2016 to three months of house arrest. The remaining co-defendant, Catherine Pankey, pleaded guilty in February 2016 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and two counts of felony student loan fraud. Pankey is set to be sentenced in May. Smith argued in a March 22 sentencing memorandum that she should be given some credit for her cooperation with the government and the assistance she provided to advance the investigation and asked her sentence be limited to six years. Smith is not incorrect that her cooperation was timely and of assistance in advancing the investigation of this case, according to court documents filed by U.S. Attorney John Fishwick Jr. According to Fishwick, Smith admitted to criminal conduct and provided information about the student loan fraud and homeowners insurance fraud committed with her mother. Smith admitted to helping her mother, Catherine Pankey, file fraudulent documents with an insurance company and identified to law enforcement which of the items Pankey claimed she lost in the house fire were fraudulent. By her third interview with investigators, on July 8, 2014, Smith admitted the automobile accidents for which she and Vernetta Johnson filed claims were faked. She also eventually admitted to using Kevin Nowlins name to obtain student loans after he went to jail, Fishwick said in court records. Smith went on to provide information about income tax fraud and her work to assist at least three other individuals in filing falsified income tax returns between 2006 and 2012, garnering them several thousand dollars in refunds to which they were not entitled. The United States has nonetheless chosen not to file a motion for reduction in assistance on her behalf in light of her ongoing criminal conduct, Fishwick said, before going on to explain that shortly before her arrest Smith filed a false insurance claim and then when she surrendered, she was wearing the same jewelry she claimed to have lost. It was also discovered she did not own the truck she said she owned, and although there was a lien on it, she sold it to a third party, according to Fishwick. Both Smiths cooperation and her ongoing criminal activity are highly relevant facts to be considered in determining an appropriate sentence. The United States submits, however, that the two considerations essentially cancel each other out. While cooperation generally justifies a reduction in sentence, continued criminal activity is a justification for an increased sentence, he said. Tamana The jewel of the Central Range I found myself in this rustic village, that can be easily arrived at either from Sangre Grande, Brazil or Cumuto, on a Saturday morning. The drive takes you along gentle terrain unlike the undulating, winding rugged roads typical of most rural villages. I came here to hike to the Tamana Caves and soon found that while this is a major attraction of the region, Tamana is much more than the eco wonder of the bat caves it is noted for. Indeed, the caves are a wonder; though a disgustingly smelly one. Our group consisted mainly of people living in Tamana, who had either never been to the caves or had only been there once, a long time ago. Two locals who function as tour guides to outsiders and residents wishing to visit the site made the trek to the caves possible. Nicholas and his uncle were everything you would want in a guide, quite knowledgable about the caves and the villages surroundings. The longer, circuitous route taken by our guides involved walking up the side of the mountain. That was challenging but it was well worth it. Before reaching the caves we arrived at the highest point of Mount Tamana, a flat plain that provided a lookout point for splendid views of the village below and the entire Central Range. This spot, the caves and the entire rural terrain of Tamana makes it an ideal eco tourism location. In fact, on our return journey we met well known tour operator Stephen Broadbridge taking a party of visitors to the caves. As he stopped for a brief chat with the guides, I learned that he had in past years taken scientists from around the world and television crews such as a group from National Geographic Channel to the cave. Beyond its eco attractions, Tamana is like an agricultural wonderland. Everywhere you look there is some sort of food-bearing tree displaying its produce. Citrus trees of all kinds portugal, orange, nectarine, grapefruit - are plentiful here, not just in the residential parts of the village but also in the mountains where large orchards thrive. Breadfruit trees line the road leading to the trail to the Tamana Bat cave. Cocoa plantations were in full bloom with colourful pods hanging from the many tree branches. On our walk through the village we even passed a home where the residents had beans drying in the sun of crocus bags. On the trek back from the caves I was startled to discover the nature of a yellowish fruit growing wild in the bush. As those ahead of me stopped to pick from the tree I noticed one of the guides his eyes earnestly trained on the forest floor beneath the tree bending to pick up some large, brown nuts that carpeted the ground below the tree. The yellow fruit that on first glance I thought was guava, that having fallen to the ground and cracked open looked like large nuts, was actually nutmeg. I soon followed the guide in collecting what I could of this lovely spice that cost a pretty penny in any market or grocery store. It is truly a marvel to see the plethora of agricultural crops flourishing in this water scarce village. Here then lies a good opportunity for villagers to boost their earnings and the economic potential of the village. Regular farmers markets, properly set up with tables for farmers to display and sell their produce will surely lure people to the village. Even if these markets only take place twice a month, villagers can help create a viable market for the regions produce and earn income without having to leave their village to do so. Writing in Towns and Villages Michael Anthony noted that as far back as 1900, roads and water were issues facing this part of the country. According to Anthony, then warden for the Ward of Tamana, Harris Harragin reported that: The streets are a serious problem. I had to refrain from visiting these new villages as Sanitary Inspector, as the streets were unopened and uncared for. Pure water is a problem in these parts. Today, Tamanas roads are far improved from what they were in the Harragin days with much paved infrastructure when compared to other villages. However, there is still a lot of work to be done as some of the smaller villages in the Tamana community are serviced by rugged dirt roads and mere tracks in some places. Tamana Road section too needs repairing, mentioned Lorna Hanooman a long time resident of the village. However, the most pressing problem facing Tamana residents continues from what Harragin observed in1900. An adequate water supply to residents homes is a rare thing. Water problem is a major problem. We just have a little catchment area at the side of the mountain to catch the water and thats not enough, said Hanooman who only gets water in her taps once a week and that is only during the rainy season. When the dry season rolls in, she and her fellow neighbours live with dry taps in their homes. Weeks I havent received water in my tap, she added. As such any visitor to the area will see a plethora of a barrels and drums strategically placed around peoples homes to catch the precious rain water from roofs and gutterings. Indeed, rainwater harvesting is the main source of water for residents to use for everything from drinking to cooking and bathing, washing and watering their crops. A truck-borne supply from WASA to tanks placed around the village helps supplement what is gathered from the rain. There are also standpipes at various roadside points but turning on the tap and finding a flow from these is not a guaranteed thing on any given day. When there is water in these taps, you can expect to see rows of water containers lining the road as residents line up to fill up on this precious commodity whenever it appears. Tamana has so much potential. With the few road repairs completed, with Nicholas and other tour guides in the village gaining their tour guide certification, with the development of a regular farmers market and with careful and strategic advertising of what it has to offer, Tamana can become a model to other villages. It can show the nation what is possible if residents and government work together to harness the treasures of this land beyond oil and gas. VISITORS to Tamana will see a plethora of a barrels and drums strategically placed around villagers homes to catch the precious rain water from roofs and gutterings. The area is also bountiful in agriculture but the community still has to contend with dirt roads and mere tracks in some places. While Tamana may be short on infrastructure it is not lacking in agricultural and and eco tourism possibilities and has the potential to become a model for other villages. Matelot Falls on Good Friday Matelot is a sleepy village surrounded by stunning beaches, rivers and waterfalls. The name Matelot is a French word that means sailor, and before roads were constructed it was a place for seamen. The village population is about 600 and their primary sources of income come from fishing, agriculture, and eco-tourism. The scenic drive from Arima along the winding coastal road can take as long as three hours to Matelot. Prominent communities along the route are Matura, Salybia, Balandra, Rampanalgas, Cumana, Toco, San Souci and Grand Riviere, each known for its unique characteristics, rich heritage and natural resources. The sky is the limit in Matelot. The peaceful ambiance and picturesque seascape, enclosed by high mountains, makes it a top choice for nature lovers and anyone seeking relaxation and wellness. Wildlife is abundant and roaming freely around the village are the agouti and the manicou. Nearby, in the forest, is home to the endangered ocelot. Matelot is also a place to see rare birds with the pawi or Trinidads piping-guan sometimes lurching on treetops. This large turkey- like bird was hunted to almost extinction. During April to June, the forest becomes laden with flowers when the trees are in full bloom. Most distinct are the various species of butterflies such as the Blue Morpho or Emperor Butterfly, the Monarch, and Swallow Tail. The numerous hiking trails lead to breathtaking rivers, mountains, waterfalls and secluded beaches. The river located on the western end of the village provides a constant water supply and is a favourite recreation spot for a river lime. The Matelot Falls, located three kilometres upstream, is sensational and has a deep, clear basin to refresh and swim. Beyond the falls, the large pools are a joy to explore. On Good Friday Island Hikers will visit Matelot Village and waterfall. Assembly 1: 6 am Eric Williams Medical Complex, Mt Hope. Assembly 2: 6.30 am corner OMeara Road and Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Arima. Optional transportation is available from Mt Hope to Matelot. Hiking Time: 1 hour Rating: Fair (3) Security for vehicles. Note: A hamper donation will be given out to a villager in need and hikers are asked to contribute a canned food. For more info: Mario: 749-2956, Marcia 490 2421 or visit islandhikers. com $9M paid for no work A Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament learnt of this yesterday as members asked questions of ministry officials led by Permanent Secretary (PS) Cecelia Greaves-Smith. The cheques had been issued in the names of specified companies and individuals, who have since had fresh cheques issued to them. She said further that thieves also stole from the ministry some 74 blank cheques, some of which have somehow been altered to read as if issued by another ministry. The Fraud Squad is probing these matters, said the PS, but could not give an update to the JSC due to difficulties contacting the investigating officers. The committee also heard of payments of $9 million - $5 million (for a project), $2 million (Cruise Ship Initiative) and $2 million (Lifeguard Service) - made by the Ministry of Tourism to certain entities for work that was never done. Greaves-Smith said the thefts were discovered in 2014 and she blamed it on lapses in the process by which cheques are stored and disbursed. Regarding security measures taken since then to try to safeguard future cheques, she said they are now stored in a fireproof cabinet which can only be accessed by a two officers using, at the same time, a swipe mechanism and keys. Beneficiaries can only collect a cheque by showing two forms of personal identification, to be photocopied and kept on record, and all under the gaze of CCTV cameras. She said the issuing clerk had lapsed by not properly processing the identification of the person receiving the cheque. She also proposed strengthening the ministrys international audit function, saying the PS cannot see everything and that people may be promoted to the role of internal auditor but without having got adequate training. Greaves-Smith revealed that Udecott, project manager for Tower C, Port-of-Spain International Waterfront Centre, which houses many ministries, has warned that if all ministries install security vaults their collective weight could compromise the buildings structural integrity. Even as Udecott talks to Permanent Secretaries, the ministries sometimes opt to use fireproof filing cabinets in place of vaults, a scenario she said may be to blame for the theft of the cheques. The errant public servant had since resigned. Opposition MP Bhoe Tewarie asked about any complicity involving that former post-holder, but Greaves-Smith said shed prefer not to answer. The JSC also probed the ministrys plans and policies with Opposition Senator Rodger Samuel warning than an embargo-free Cuba could hurt tourism in TT, to which the response was that TT needs to make its attractions such as Tobagos Jazz and Blue Food Festivals more marketable/ definitive. (See Page 15) Dillon on Brussels attack: TT placed on alert Blasts at an airport and an underground train station resulted in 31 deaths and over 300 injuries in the latest wave of terror to hit continental Europe. Spain, the US and the UK announced a heightened state of alert in the wake of the attacks. Asked yesterday if this countrys security alert level had been raised, Dillon said, Of course. We have taken certain steps. Once a terrorism attack takes place in any part of the world, we have to check our own security, especially at our airports, seaports and so on, and in relation to our immigration checks and all of that. The Minister was speaking with Newsday moments after attending a Parliament committee meeting. Dillon also disclosed the State would pursue a proposal announced last month for tighter security at airports through the introduction of face-scanning and compulsory fingerprinting. We are pursing that right now, the Minister said. We are going to implement it. That is the technology outside there. What that gives us is an added type of security. And we have to be updated with that. Dillon expressed the view that the events which took place in Belgium had direct implications in terms of intelligence gathering. We can now connect what happened there back to security, back to intelligence gathering, the Minister said. The retired major general also said he has requested a report from Minister of Foreign Affairs Denis Moses in relation to whether any Trinidad and Tobago nationals were affected by Mondays events. There is no word as yet, the Minister said. I am waiting for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to give us some feedback on whether any Trinidad and Tobago nationals were affected at all. Students march against bad students From as early as 10 am, about 8,000 school children arrived in school buses, maxis and some even walked to the Savannah to join in what Minister of Education Anthony Garcia called a, Walk for Peace. We are trying to promote a culture of peace in our classrooms, said Minister Garcia, adding, we are saying no to violence, no to bullying and no to crime! The minister said it was necessary to take a stand now, especially in light of recent incidents involving students. Last Thursday, a fire was started at El Dorado East Secondary, causing students to abandon classes. Investigations by the Ministry confirmed the culprits behind the blaze were among a group 31 of students who were removed from the school and later allowed to return to classes. The minister added that 21 of these students will once again be removed from the school and taken to Learning Enhancement Centres where they will be given as much assistance possible in behaviour modification. We need to send a message... that we will not tolerate indiscipline in our schools. Garcia said. Also, we will have to start with our children. This is an entire school effort. Once we establish in the minds of the children that crime is a nono, then we are well on our way to having improved our learning institutions, so learning can take place without disruption. Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Daryl Smith told Newsday that the majority of students are well-behaved and focused on having an enjoyable school experience, a few bad apples have spoilt the bunch. He said the children were out to take a stand and let deviant student know that they will not allow them to tarnish their school experience. These young people are here to show those few bad apples that we are not going to take it any more. There is only so much the Minster and the police can do; they cannot be at every school every day. These students have taken a stand against those few, to get the schools up and running as best as they can, said Minister Smith. OWTU leader guilty of defamation In a ruling on a preliminary point, which determined if the words used by Roget at the press conference which attacked Ragoonath, Justice Vasheist Kokaram held that the union leaders defamatory statements would have caused her to be shunned or lowered in the estimation of right thinking persons of her as a human resource manager of NP. Ragoonath, filed a claim for libel after Roget made statements about her alleged actions as Human Resource Manager of NP over an industrial relations dispute between NP and OWTU. The dispute had gone to the Industrial Court which ruled that 68 employees were to be reinstated. In his 17 page ruling, Justice Kokaram highlighted the words used by Roget which he held were defamatory of Ragoonath. At the media conference, Roget claimed the human resource manager acted vindictively, unprofessionally and contemptuously in the performance of her duties. The judge said it was clear to any reasonable reader, viewer or listener that Rogets complaint about Ragoonath went well beyond any simple allegation, and imputed vindictiveness and motivated by bad mind. Rogets defence was based on the classical common law defence of qualified privilege at common law founded on the reciprocal relationship of duty and interest. The union boss was ordered to pay Ragoonaths costs on the preliminary determination of the court. Ragoonath was represented by attorneys Anand Ramlogam,SC, Kelvin Ramkissoon, Kent Samlal and Shabaana Mohammed while Douglas Mendes,SC, and Anthony Bullock represented Roget. New US Ambassador arrives The US Embassy, in a release yesterday, said Estrada will assume duties after the presentation of his Letters of Credence to President Anthony Carmona. In a welcome video posted on the US Embassys Facebook page, Estrada, who was born in Trinidad, recalled the communities he grew up in, in Laventille, Diego Martin and Toco. My fondest childhood memories are of living in Toco with my grandfather and watching the sea turtles on the beach at night, he said. He shared that at age 14 he immigrated to the US and forged a new life. I brought with me a respect for diversity and an inherent sense of the equal value of all people. I served with honour in the United States Marine Corps attaining the Corps highest enlisted rank, 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, he said. Estrada said one of the greatest aspirations of all free people is to live their lives to the fullest without limitations based on their ethnicity, class, race, gender or sexual orientation. As Ambassador with that ideal as my guide, I want to strengthen the ties between the citizens and elected representatives of our nation. I am proud to be nominated by President Barack Obama to further serve my country in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Along with my family, I look forward to working and living alongside all of you, returning to the place I now can call home again, he said. The US Senate confirmed Estrada as Ambassador on February 12. Before coming to TT, Estrada lived in Freeport, Maine, with his wife, Dr Elizabeth Anne Cote Estrada and their two daughters, Eva and Marie. 'He Had the Chance to Go in and Save the Children' (Newser) Four Americans believed to have been at the Brussels airport on Tuesday remain missing more than 24 hours after the deadly terrorist attack there, according to their families. Married couple Justin and Stephanie Shults, from Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively, moved to Brussels for work in 2014, the AP reports. According to NBC News, they had just dropped Stephanie's visiting mother off at the airport when two suitcase bombs exploded. The couple hasn't appeared on any casualty lists so far, but their phones are going straight to voicemail. Stephanie's cousin says the family is currently hoping the pair are simply busy helping people, "which is very much their nature." Siblings Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski from New York are also missing, the New York Daily News reports. They were at the Brussels airport Tuesday speaking with a relative on the phone when the relative heard an explosion and lost the connection. Family has since been unable to reach them. Family and friends of the Shultses were briefly given false hope when Justin's brother Levi Sutton tweeted that they had been found. The State Department announced that was incorrect and asked Sutton to delete his tweet. "I apologize for the misinformation that was given to my family," NBC quotes Sutton. (Read more Brussels attack stories.) (Newser) North Carolina legislators decided to rein in local governments by approving a bill Wednesday that prevents cities and counties from passing their own anti-discrimination rules, the AP reports. The legislation, if enacted, would deal a blow to the LGBT movement after success with protections in cities across the country. The Republican-controlled General Assembly took action after the city of Charlotte recently approved a broad anti-discrimination measure that allows transgender people to use the restroom aligned with their gender identity. Legislators now will ask Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, to sign it into law. Earlier this week, a top aide had concerns about the bill's scoperaising questions about what the governor's response would be. Republicans and their allies have said intervening is necessary to protect the safety of women and children. There have been arguments that any man could enter a woman's restroom or locker room simply by calling himself transgender. Representatives for gay rights groups said the legislation demonizes the community and espouses bogus claims about increasing the risk of sexual assaults. They say the bill will deny lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people essential protections needed to ensure they can get a hotel room, hail a taxi, or dine at a restaurant without fear. The bill would bar local governments statewide from prohibiting discrimination in public places based on sexual orientation and gender identity. (Read more transgender stories.) (Newser) A flight attendant who allegedly left her Gucci heels and nearly 70 pounds of cocaine behind when she fled LAX last week has surrendered at an airport on the other side of the country, authorities say. JetBlue flight attendant Marsha Gay Reynolds turned herself in at New York's JFK Airport on Wednesday evening and is expected to appear in federal court on Thursday, reports the New York Daily News. Authorities say that when Reynolds was selected for a random screening last Friday, she kicked off her shoes and bolted, leaving her drug-filled luggage behind as she ran down an up escalator and escaped the airport building. Reynolds, a 31-year-old New York City resident, somehow managed to board one of her company's planes over the weekend to make it back to New York, sources tell the Los Angeles Times. Sources tell NBC News that she was able to fly on Saturday while authorities were still in the process of identifying her, even though the TSA had scanned her ID before she ran out of the airport. JetBlue says it's cooperating with authorities in their investigation. Reynolds has been charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and faces a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted. (Read more LAX stories.) (Newser) "We tend to think that objects in the sky have always been the way we view them," says planetary scientist Matt Siegler. But that most viewable of objectsour moonhasn't always looked as it does today, according to Siegler and his colleagues. They believe that some 3 billion years ago, in a process that took some 1 billion years to complete, the moon's axis was nudged 125 miles, or 6 degrees. Siegler provides a great visual: "It would be as if Earth's axis relocated from Antarctica to Australia. As the pole moved, the Man on the Moon turned his nose up at the Earth." The finding was born of research into lunar polar hydrogen: Where the sun doesn't shine, this hydrogen should take the form of ice; where it does, the hydrogen boils off, a press release explains. The Christian Science Monitor reports that in 1998, scientists found hydrogen deposits, believed to be composed of ice, where they seemingly shouldn't be: not at the north and south poles, but 6 degrees off those poles. Now, a deeper dive into data gathered by NASA established that the offset occurred in identical amounts, and in precisely opposite directions, leading to the team's theory, published Wednesday in Nature. The axis shift gains the moon entry into a small group of so-called "true polar wanderers": Mars, Enceladus and Europa (moons of Saturn and Jupiter, respectively), and Earth. Ian Garrick-Bethell, who reviewed the paper for Nature, says the theory raises two big questions: Why wasn't a dragging trail of ice formed over the billion-year shift, and why didn't the hydrogen boil off in its new sun-touched position? The BBC reports the team suggests the ice might have been buried as asteroids hit the planet. (Read more moon stories.) (Newser) Australian officials say two pieces of debris recently discovered in Mozambique are "highly likely" to have come from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the AP reports. Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement Thursday that an analysis of the parts by an international investigation team shows both pieces are consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," he said. The dimensions, materials, and construction of both parts conform to those of a 777, and the paint and stenciling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a separate statement. The discovery of the two pieces bolsters authorities' assertion that the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean. But whether the debris can provide any clues into exactly what happened to the aircraft and why is uncertain. One of the parts in Mozambique was discovered on a sandbank by American adventurer Blaine Gibson, who has been searching for Flight 370 over the last year. Soon after Gibson's find was publicized, a South African teenager realized a piece of debris he'd found on a beach during a family vacation in Mozambique might also be from the plane. Earlier this week, an archaeologist walking along South Africa's southern coast found a piece of debris with part of an aircraft engine manufacturer's logo, and authorities now plan to examine that part, too. (Read more Flight 370 stories.) (Newser) The Supreme Court wrestled with a high-profile case on Wednesdayhow far religious groups must go in helping employees gain access to birth control under ObamaCare. Based on the arguments, don't expect a clear resolution: The New York Times reports that a 4-4 tie is a "real possibility," an outcome that would not set national legal precedent but would affirm the four lower-court rulings under review. All of those rulings sided in favor of ObamaCare, but the upshot is that until a national precedent is set, "religious groups in different parts of the country would have conflicting obligations if they object to covering contraception." And the AP notes that the case could be re-argued anyway when a ninth justice joins the court. The linchpin of the case comes down to a single word"hijacking," writes Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSBlog. It came up in various forms seven times during arguments, he observes. Religious employers that oppose covering contraceptives accuse the government of "hijacking" their plans. The health care law allows such groups to opt out of providing birth-control coverage as long as they fill out a form and notify the government they are doing so. The government then steps in to make sure the coverage is provided. Religious groups say this workaround "still makes them complicit in providing contraception for their employees," notes NPR. John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and Clarence Thomas seem to agree, and, based on his skeptical questions and comments Wednesday, swing vote Anthony Kennedy does, too. "The church plans here, religious organization plans here, are, in effect, subsidizing the conduct that they deemed immoral," Kennedy said at one point. The justices could say as early as next week if they seem destined for a 4-4 tie, or wait until June, reports the AP. (Read more birth control stories.) (Newser) The Iraqi military, backed by US-led coalition aircraft, has launched a long-awaited operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from ISIS, a military spokesman says. In the push, Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmour, east of Mosul, early Thursday morning and hoisted the Iraqi flag, according to Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Joint Military Command. It was not immediately clear how long such a complex and taxing offensive would take. Only recently, officials refrained to give a specific time on when the Mosul operation could begin, saying it would take many months to prepare Iraq's still struggling military for the long-anticipated task of retaking the key city. Iraqi state-run TV interrupted its morning program Thursday with a series of news alerts announcing the operation and broadcasting patriotic songs and flag-waving video clips. Rasool tells the AP that the US-led international coalition was providing air support, but he won't divulge more details on the offensive, which he says is dubbed "Operation Conquest." MosulIraq's second-largest cityfell to ISIS during the militants' June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of Iraq and Syria. Rasool's declaration comes only a few days after the US announced that it has set up a small Marine artillery outpost in northern Iraq to protect a nearby Iraqi military base in Makhmour. A rocket attack at the base on Saturday killed a US Marine and wounded several others. (Read more Mosul stories.) (Newser) Malcolm Turnbull is either unable to come up with meaningful campaign slogans or is a closet Julia Louis-Dreyfus fan. The Australian prime minister has gone on a bender lately with the words "continuity and change," hoping to convince Aussies that he'll keep some policies of the country's Liberal Party in place while simultaneously putting some distance between himself and ex-PM (and fellow LPer) Tony Abbott, whose own policies were not exactly well-received, Quartz notes. But some who've heard Turnbull enthusiastically put forth this slogan of latehe threw it out there several times on state TV on Monday, as well as on an Australian radio station, where he used it four times in under two minutes, per BuzzFeedmay feel a twinge of recognition upon hearing it. That's because Turnbull, who wrested the PM title from Abbott in September, appropriated (either coincidentally or on purpose) what Quartz deems an "intentionally stupid campaign slogan" from the HBO show Veep, in which Louis-Dreyfus' character, Selina Meyer, uses the slightly different term "continuity with change" during her reelection campaign in the show's fourth season. "We needed it to be hollow and oxymoronic, to say absolutely nothing but seem to have depth and meaning," Simon Blackwell, the show's writer and executive producer, tells the Guardian. "It did make me laugh a lot when I saw that the Australian PM's people had been on the same mental journey and come up with the same meaningless phrase." Even Louis-Dreyfus got wind of the sort-of homage and replied with a three-word tweet: "I am dumbstruck." (The official House of Cards Twitter account got into it with Turnbull a few days ago, per Business Insider Australia.) (Newser) There were two dozen drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania's Lycoming County last yeareach labeled accidental. Then coroner Charles Kiessling had to pronounce his friend's son dead from a heroin overdose, though he'd promised the victim's mother he'd talk to him about overcoming his addiction. "This hit me very personally," he tells PennLive. On Wednesday, Kiessling announced he'll classify all overdose deaths as homicidemeaning death at the hands of anotherunless involving drugs for which the deceased had a prescription. "Drug dealers are murderers," Kiessling tells the Daily Item. "You're just as dead from a shot of heroin as if someone puts a bullet in you." Other coroners in the state are considering following suit. "It will definitely make people take notice. The homicide rate in Pennsylvania will pick up. That's what you want, you want to bring attention to it," says the Northumberland County coroner, who's investigated three suspected drug overdoses in 10 days this month. A coroner in Union County is also weighing the change, though he notes a homicide decision "could be traumatic" for the deceased's family. "I don't care if I offend people," Kiessling says. "I just think it is the right thing to do." He's already ruled one overdose as a homicide this year. A county DA notes such a ruling "is not a legal finding of homicide" but factors into police investigations to determine if a crime was committed. (This 24-year-old's obituary bluntly addressed her heroin use.) (Newser) A partner at a PR agency specializing in social media landed in jail after tweeting about an encounter on a London street following the Brussels attacks. "I confronted a Muslim women [sic] yesterday in croydon," Matthew Doyle wrote Wednesday in a since-deleted tweet. "I asked her to explain Brussels. She said 'Nothing to do with me.' A mealy mouthed reply." He followed that with, "Who cares if I insulted some [slur]." Users quickly expressed their outrage, reports the Guardian. "What has a Muslim woman in Croydon, got to do with the horrific events in Belgium, you simpleton?" reads one of the tamer responses. "Hey mate I've chosen you at random for my ancestors' slavery reparations," reads another. Dozens also began spoofing the comment. One example: "Confronted a white man in Croydon yday. Asked him to explain Hitler & the Holocaust." Doyle tells the Telegraph that he didn't actually confront the woman. "I just said: 'Excuse me, can I ask what you thought about the incident in Brussels?'" he says. "She told me it was nothing to do with her I said 'thank you for explaining that' and her little boy said goodbye to me as we went our separate ways." His other tweets were intended as a joke, he adds. "I'm not some far-right merchant. I'm not a mouthpiece for any kind of racism or radicalism." But he tells the Huffington Post that the woman's hijab meant the confrontation was justified. "If I was walking down the street wearing a jacket emblazoned with a Union Jack then I would be open to some abuse," he says. Police on Wednesday confirmed that a 46-year-old man was "arrested at his home in Croydon on suspicion of inciting racial hatred on social media." (A US family has learned that two siblings were killed in the attacks.) (Newser) Seven hackers tied to the Iranian government were charged Thursday in a series of punishing cyberattacks on a small dam outside New York City and on dozens of banksintrusions that reached into American infrastructure and disrupted the financial system, federal law enforcement officials said. The hackers were charged in indictments unsealed and announced at a Justice Department news conference in Washington, reports the AP. The case stems in part from a 2013 cyber intrusion in which hackers targeted the Bowman Avenue Dam, a small flood-control structure in Rye Brook, about 20 miles north of New York City. The indictment calls those charged "experienced computer hackers" who "performed work on behalf of the Iranian Government, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," reports the New York Times. Though the individuals are not in American custody, officials said the goal is to put cybercriminals on notice that they cannot act with impunity. "The message of this case is that we will work together to shrink the world and impose costs on these people, so that no matter where they are, we will reach them," FBI Director James Comey said. It's the latest instance of the Obama administration publicly blaming foreign nations for damaging cyberbreaches, though the Times notes it is the first time the White House has taken action against Iran for a string of cyberattacks that date back to 2011. The Justice Department in May 2014 indicted five Chinese military officials suspected of hacking into several major American companies and stealing trade secrets. (Read more Iran stories.) (Newser) A UN tribunal has found Radovan Karadzic, aka the "Butcher of Bosnia," guilty of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity and sentenced the 70-year-old to 40 years in prison. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found the former Bosnian Serb leader "criminally responsible" for the 3.5-year siege of Sarajevo that killed 12,000 and for the slaying of 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica during the Bosnian war, reports the Guardian. The New York Times says the atrocities "were part of the most severe war crimes since World War II." The tribunal has previously convicted and sentenced 80 people; three others are on trial, including Karadzic's military chief. Karadzic had pleaded not guilty to 11 charges, including two counts of genocide, noting he had tried to protect Serbs and was a "true friend to Muslims," per the Times. But after a 491-day trial, judge O-Gon Kwon said Thursday that Karadzic was "consistently informed" about Bosnian Serb forces targeting civilians in Sarajevo and "in agreement with the plan of the killings" at Srebrenica, report the BBC and CNN. He was found guilty of all charges but one: a genocide charge related to a campaign to expel Bosnian Muslims and Croats from traditionally-Serb areas. However, he was convicted of persecution, extermination, deportation, forcible transfer, and murder in that case. (Read more genocide stories.) (Newser) The city of Palo Alto in Silicon Valley is considering subsidizing housing for those who need the help most: the wealthiest 3% of Americans, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Palo Alto is an incredibly wealthy townthe median family income of $167,000 was more than three times the national median in 2014, and the average cost of a three-bedroom home is currently around $2.18 million. Prices have just gone through the roof, making it unaffordable for middle-class people, your firefighters, your teachers, and, frankly, some of your doctors, vice mayor Greg Scharff tells CBS San Francisco. That's why Scharff proposed subsidizing housing for families that make between $150,000 and $250,000 per year, according to Reuters. The Palo Alto city council voted this week to study Scharff's plan, which he says will subsidize "what is basically middle-class housing" in Palo Alto. The proposal would create 2,000 new housing units set aside for families making between $150,000 and $250,000. It would also call for the construction of tiny "micro" apartments near transit for residents without cars. (Read more Palo Alto stories.) (Newser) The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled that a man who fell 53 stories to his death at the Wilshire Grand Center skyscraper construction site on St. Patrick's Day intentionally killed himself, the AP reports. The father of 36-year-old Joseph Sabbatino earlier told KABC-TV that his son struggled with depression and had been prescribed medication, and on Thursday, Coroner's Lt. David Smith confirmed the death was a suicide. It was only the second day on the job as an electrician for Sabbatino, who fell from the building and onto a moving car, the Los Angeles Times reports. "I moved over and then 'boom!' my car just shook," Donna Crockett, the driver of that car, told KTLA. "And I'm sitting there and I'm like, 'Oh God, somebody hit me.' ... When I opened up the door, his boot was lying next to my car." Crockett wasn't injured. Turner Construction, which manages the site, says Sabbatino didn't have any reason to be above the third floor and that he had completed a "comprehensive safety orientation" the day before he died, per the Times. Witnesses say he had taken off his hard hat before falling and that he didn't have on a tethered safety harness. The 53rd level had a barricade to prevent falls, and the company issued a statement saying the incident was not work-related. The builder gave nearly 1,000 workers a day off after the incident. Crockett calls the experience "traumatic" and told KTLA her heart breaks for Sabbatino's family and that she hopes to one day give his wife a hug. (An obituary shared how painful depression was for one woman's sister.) (Newser) Japanese whalers sailed to the Antarctic in December with the goal of killing 333 minke whales. Discover reports they returned Thursday having met that goal. Japan signed on to an international moratorium banning whale hunting in 1986 but has since been taking advantage of a loophole that allows killing whales in the name of "scientific research." In what can only be seen as a particularly bold claim, Japan says it's killing whales as part of research meant to prove there are enough whales for them to hunt commercially. For years the country has insisted most whales aren't actually endangered, seeking to return to hunting whales for food, according to Reuters. But the UN says that's exactly what's happening now under the guise of scientific research. Japan openly admits that the meat from the whales killed in the name of science is used for food, including in school lunches. That prompted the UN to ban Japan's hunt last year, Gizmodo reports. For one year, Japan managed to conduct its research without killing any whales before falling back on claims that killing is necessary. This year's haul was the largest in years. Approximately 90% of the mature female whales killed in this year's hunt were pregnant, which Japan says shows their "breeding situation" is "healthy." The country plans to kill 4,000 whales over the next dozen years. (Read more whaling stories.) The Hawaiian Islands have just one "endemic" or native land mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat, that is limited to one region throughout the brief geologic history of this archipelago. Some fossils found here show that another different kind of bat co-existed with the hoary bat for thousands of years. However, it became extinct as soon as humans arrived here. Called the Synemporion keana, this new bat's remains were discovered in a lava tube more than three decades ago. "The Hawaiian Islands are a long way from anywhere, and as a result, they have a very unique fauna--its native animals apparently got there originally by flying or swimming," said Nancy Simmons, a paper co-author and curator-in-charge at the American Museum of Natural History's Department of Mammalogy. "Besides the animals that humans have introduced to the islands, like rats and pigs, the only mammals that we've known to be native to Hawaii are a monk seal, which is primarily aquatic, and the hoary bat. So finding that there actually was a different bat--a second native land mammal for the islands--living there for such a long period of time was quite a surprise." Co-author Francis Howarth at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu discovered some bat skeletal residues in a lava tube in Maui in 1981. Howarth, Alan Ziegler and peers found more remains in four other islands. "The initial specimens included skeletons embedded in crystals on the lava tube wall and thus were likely very old," said Howarth. "Ziegler eagerly guided me through the bat collection at the Bishop Museum to identify the bat and show me features to look for in order to find additional material for study." The new extinct species seemed to be in the islands' fossil record more than 320,000 years ago. It survived till about 1,100 years ago, or maybe later. This Synemporion keana, also called a vesper, or evening bat, possesses some ancient DNA that can give the scientists more information. "This extinct bat really is something new, not just a slight variation on a theme of a known genus," said Simmons. "The new bat contains a mosaic of features from taxa seen on many different continents. At some point, their ancestors flew to Hawaii, but we can't tell if they came from North America, Asia, or the Pacific Islands - they really could have come from anywhere based on what we know now." "It seems possible that the reduction of native forests and associated insects after human colonization of the islands contributed not just to the extinction of plants, birds, and invertebrates, but also to the extinction of this endemic bat," said Howarth. The finding was published in the journal American Museum Novitates. About 400 fighters have been trained by the Islamic State group to attack Europe in "deadly waves of attacks". They are sending "interlocking terror cells" just as those that attacked Brussels and Paris, with guidelines to opt for their own "time, place and method for maximum carnage," said officials to The Associated Press. It's a large network of attackers who have spread all over Europe, losing ground in Syria and Iraq. European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker explained the process behind its formation and growth from Syria, Iraq and the former Soviet bloc, in which attackers get the training to assault the West. Even though the fugitive Salah Abdeslam, ringleader of the Paris attack was arrested, it did not stop the attack in Brussels airport and metro, leaving 31 dead and 270 injured. Even three suicide bombers were killed. After escaping Paris after the November attacks, Abdeslam just forged a novel network in his hometown of Molenbeek, a safe haven for jihadis, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders. "Not only did he drop out of sight, but he did so to organize another attack, with accomplices everywhere. With suicide belts. Two attacks organized just like in Paris. And his arrest, since they knew he was going to talk, it was a response: 'So what if he was arrested? We'll show you that it doesn't change a thing,'" said French Senator Nathalie Goulet, co-head of a commission tracking jihadi networks. There are estimates that link 400 to 600 Islamic State fighters who have been trained for external attacks, say the officials, including Goulet. About 5,000 Europeans have left for Syria. All the extremists are given training in "battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and counter surveillance," the security official said. "The difference is that in 2014, some of these IS fighters were only being given a couple weeks of training," he said. "Now the strategy has changed. Special units have been set up. The training is longer. And the objective appears to no longer be killing as many people as possible but rather to have as many terror operations as possible, so the enemy is forced to spend more money or more in manpower. It's more about the rhythm of terror operations now." The U.S. is gearing up to face the inevitable anti-Muslim backlash after a terror attack in Belgium. Hence, the wave is rising across social media, on college campuses, and even in political speeches. There is anger and vitriol after the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks. The leaders in California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio are grappling with the problem. The post attack period "is always a difficult time for Muslims in the United States," said Nabil Shaikh, a leader of the Muslim Students Association at Princeton University, according to usatoday. "On Princeton's campus, students took to anonymous forums like Yik Yak to comment that there are Muslims at Princeton who are radical and would therefore condone yesterday's attacks," Shaikh said. "These comments not only are appalling and inaccurate but also threaten the well-being of Muslim students." The backlash is stronger in Europe, especially in Belgium and Paris. There have been reported anti-Muslim rallies in Flemish cities, such as Antwerp and Ghent. A few Muslim leaders charge the cops of targeting Muslim communities in lockdowns as well as in the raids of homes. In the U.S., most of the attack is verbal, with extreme rhetoric. As Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz said that the U.S. needs to "empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized." His comments incited the Muslims immediately. On the other hand, President Obama called the approach most "un-American. "I just left a country that engages in that kind of surveillance, which by the way the father of Senator Cruz escaped, to America, the land of the free," he said, referring to Cuba. Politics is playing a key role in invoking anti-Islamic sentiment, said Khusro Elley of Chappaqua, N.Y., a trustee at the Upper Westchester Muslim Society in Thornwood, N.Y. "The average Muslim still feels intimidated, still feels scared, still feels insecure," particularly because Muslims are depicted to be terrorists, he explained. No one has reported attacks on Muslims to the Council on American-Islamic Relations since the Brussels attack. But bullying and hate speech are increasing, said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based civil-liberties group. "For girls, it's pulling on the hijab and calling them terrorists, and for boys it's saying that they have a bomb in their backpack and calling them terrorists," Hooper said. Some politicians make the problems worse. "They really have mainstreamed Islamophobia." In Louisville, more than two dozen Islamic leaders gathered Wednesday to condemn the attacks and urge the public not to link all Muslims with terrorism, describing a growing level of Islamophobia. "I do feel that with the attacks in Brussels and especially after Paris, people feel like they are entitled to speak hatefully. It's actually a lot worse than what happened after 9/11." A prominent climate scientist from Penn State says more Americans than ever before believe global warming will pose a threat to their way of life. Climate change denial is simply no longer plausible, and the American people are recognizing that," says Michael Mann, a distinguished professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State. 'Human pollution has led to climatic change', a majority of voters in The Free Press unscientific online poll believe. According to Mankato Free Press: Fifty-five percent of voters, or 150 votes, agreed that warming temperatures are due to human activity, not natural causes. But nearly a third - 32 percent, or 88 votes - blamed natural causes. Last year was the warmest ever recorded, and four western states just had their warmest February on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Still, several cities - including Chicago and Cleveland - observed their coldest February. With 55 percent blaming human causes and 32 percent blaming natural ones, the final 13 percent of voters were split nearly evenly between those who weren't sure and those who said temperatures have not increased much over the past century. If you include the latter voters - who did not, clearly, believe in man-made climate change - the percentage of global warming skeptics rises to 38 percent. According to a Gallup survey conducted March 2-6, a record 65 percent of the public now says human activity is to blame for higher temperatures. Gallup reported a "striking" 10 percentage-point increase over the past year. The previous high of 61 percent was recorded in 2007. While Polling firm Gallup, which has been tracking public sentiment on the topic annually since 1997, found that 41 percent of adults in the U.S. .feel warming will pose a "serious threat" to them during their lifetimes. This is the highest level recorded by Gallup, a 4 percent increase on 2015, the Guardian reported. Will the 32 percent of human population who voted for 'human pollution' as the cause for global warming take serious measures to control it? Two days after terrorists blew themselves up in Brussels, killing 31 and injuring hundreds, the identity of the victims and three terror suspects was revealed. Al Jazeera reported that two attackers Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui were brothers. While Ibrahim along with Najim Laachraoui targeted Brussels Zaventem Airport, Khalid denoted his explosives at Maelbeek. A fourth suspect who failed to explode at the airport is on the run; the suspect at large was a man wearing a white coat and hat, security camera images revealed. Najim and Khalid are believed to have been involved in last year's Paris attacks. In their searches following the blasts, police recovered large cache of chemicals and shrapnel to make explosives similar to those used in Brussels attack. Investigators also claimed to have found a will written by Ibrahim el-Bakraoui on an abandoned computer. In the will, el-Bakraoui expressed desperation and fears of going to prison. "in a rush ... I don't know what to do, hunted everywhere, no longer safe" and "I don't want to end up in a cell next to him" the will reads, referring to Salah Abdeslam, who was captured last week in connection with Paris terror attack. Belgium announced three-day mourning for victims of the attack. On Thursday thousands of Belgians paid respects to the victims and mourned in silence on the last day of mourning. The country's intelligence and security mechanism came under criticism for reportedly failure to prevent Tuesday's carnage. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Belgium ignored his country's warnings that Ibrahim el- Bakraoui was a terrorist who was detained and deported from near the Syrian border in June 2015. The brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el- Bakraoui were identified through DNA fingerprints on explosives and later tied to Paris attacks. Both brothers were born and raised in Belgium. They were arrested earlier on non-terror related charges but were released. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar attended the Pakistan Day celebrations here where the hardline and moderate Hurriyat factions pitched for adopting a political approach to resolve the Kashmir imbroglio and denounced the brutal attitude of the Modi dispensation. Javadekar was at the event, where presence of his ministerial colleague V K Singh last year had drawn flak from the media, for around 20 minutes, and extended his best wishes to the Pakistani people on the sidelines. Chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he had expected the current BJP-led dispensation to follow the Vajpayee policy towards Kashmir, but the Modi government hardened its position. Farooq said any dialogue bereft of involvement of the three partiesHurriyat, Kashmiris and Pakistanwould not succeed in resolving the issues faced by the restive border state. We were expecting that the BJP would go back to the Vajpayee policy. But till now there has been no such indication. On the contrary, it has hardened its position. The Kashmir issue is not any economic or law and order issue, its a political issue. Till the time a political approach is taken, there would not be any progress, he told reporters at the event hosted at the Pakistan High Commission. During his Kashmir visit in 2003, Vajpayee had said his government would hold talks with separatists on Kashmir within the ambit of Insaniyat, after the separatists had not agreed to hold talks within the ambit of the Constitution. Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who was also present, said the Modi government was no different from the UPA dispensation which also had a brutal attitude towards Kashmir. India portrays itself as a democratic nation. But its behavior with the minority communities including Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits paints the opposite picture, he said. Asked about the delay in government formation in the state owing to differences between PDP and BJP, both Farooq and Geelani described it as a minor issue that would not have any effect in resolving the actual problems. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will hold a crucial meeting of its legislature party here to discuss government formation with BJP in Jammu and Kashmir. A legislature party meeting will be held at 4 PM on Thursday, a PDP leader said. This comes in the backdrop of party chief Mehbooba Muftis meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders in Delhi on Tuesday. The PDP leader said a final decision on the formation of the government in the state is expected after Mehbooba takes the opinion of the legislators. The party is likely to make an announcement on the future of the alliance with BJP after the meeting, the leader said. The PDP-BJP coalition, after 10 months rule from March 2015 to January, ran into rough weather following the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Sayeed breathed his last in a hospital in Delhi on January 7 following which the state came under Governors rule the next day. Since then, the PDP leadership sought confidence building measures and assurances on the implementation of the already agreed Agenda for Alliance from the Centre for forming the government again. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, convicted in the US for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, today told a court here that terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) wanted to eliminate Bal Thackeray but the person who was assigned the job to kill the late Shiv Sena chief was arrested. The 55-year-old, who has turned approver in the terror case, disclosed this fact during a cross-examination on the second day by Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Abu Jundal, an alleged key plotter of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, via a video link from the US. Headley also told the court that he had visited the Sena Bhavan twice. He, however, did not specify the year for the same. We wanted to target the chief of Shiv Sena... His name was Bal Thackeray. LeT wanted to kill him wherever a chance arose. I knew that Bal Thackeray was the head of Shiv Sena. I have no first hand knowledge but I think an attempt was made by LeT to kill Bal Thackeray, he said. I dont know how this attempt was made. I think the person (who was sent to kill Thackeray) was arrested but he managed to escape from police custody. I dont have first hand knowledge about this though, Headley added. He also told special judge G A Sanap, who is hearing the 26/11 terror case against Jundal in a sessions court here, that he does not know who else was a target of LeT apart from Thackeray. Yesterday, Headley spilled the beans on how once US financed his trip to Pakistan and also claimed that he had donated about Rs 70 lakh to LeT till 2006, two years before the Mumbai attacks. He, however, contradicted reports that he had received money from LeT. I never received money from LeT... This is complete nonsense. I gave funds to LeT myself. I had donated more than 60 to 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees to LeT throughout the period I was associated with them. My last donation was in 2006, Headley told the court. He also said that after his arrest in 1998, the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) of the US had financed his trip. Also, the terrorist, who faced conviction twice in 1988 and 1998 for alleged drug smuggling before the Mumbai siege, had indulged in criminal activities and violated his plea bargain agreements with the US government, the court was told. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Melbourne: Greeting people on Holi, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today said the festival was an opportunity for all Australians to deepen their appreciation of Hindu customs. Celebrating the arrival of spring after winter darkness, the ancient festival of Holi brings with it a promise of the triumph of good over evil, of renewal and rebirth, Turnbull said his his message on Holi. Describing Holi as a carnival of colour, the Australian Prime Minister said in Australia where the autumn air is cooling and the leaves are starting to turn, the symbolism of the changing seasons still imbues the experience of the lively festival. As communities across our country gather in celebration, this is an opportunity for all Australians to deepen their appreciation of Hindu customs, the Prime Minister said. The freedom to express ourselves and to embrace diversity is what makes Australia one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world, he said. Turnbull said Australia is like a rich tapestry and every one of the community groups and cultural traditions, woven into that, is an indelible part of who we are. He extended his best wishes to those celebrating Holi. Another Australian politician who extended his warm wishes to the Indian community celebrating the festival was New South Wales premier Mike Baird. I would like to extend my warmest wishes to everyone celebrating Holi. It is a festival that brings us together in a spirit of fun and friendship, encouraging understanding of each others backgrounds in our multicultural society, Baird said in a statement. This annual Hindu festival is widely celebrated across India and Nepal and is now recognised and celebrated right across New South Wales, he said. Baird said the local Indian and Nepalese communities were to be commended for sharing their cultures and traditions with the wider community. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Buenos Aires: On a fence-mending mission, President Barack Obama has held up Argentina as an emerging world leader worthy of US support, as he and Argentine President Mauricio Macri broke with years of recent tensions between their countries. Obamas state visit to Buenos Aires quickly turned into a love-fest between him and Macri, who in December replaced hot-blooded former President Cristina Fernandez, long a thorn in Obamas side. Obama lavished praise on Macri yesterday and said his visit was so personally important, even riffing on his boyhood interest in Argentinian literature and culture. President Macri is a man in a hurry, Obama said in Casa Rosada, the pink-hued presidential palace made famous in the US by the movie Evita. Im impressed because he has moved rapidly on so many of the reforms that he promised. Macri, who has committed Argentina to a pro-business approach, was equally effusive about Obama, who leaves office in less than a year. You emerged proposing major changes and you showed they were possible that by being bold and with conviction, you could challenge the status quo, Macri said. He added, That was also a path of inspiration for what our dear country is now going through. Obama has made no secret of his preference for Macri over the left-leaning Fernandez, whose meandering invectives against the US were a source of frequent eye-rolling in the White House. Fernandez was close with Hugo Chavez, Venezuelas famously anti-American late president, and openly admired Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. She was quick to blame the US for Argentinas problems and was accused of helping Iran hide its role in bombing a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, a claim she denied. So Obama was all too glad to see Fernandez replaced by Macri, who has started pushing Argentina back toward the political center after years of flirting with the extreme left. To that end, Obamas visit was a reward of sorts to keep that promising trajectory on track. Its a theme of Obamas Latin America policy that was on vivid display a day earlier in Cuba, where Obama paid a history-making visit aimed at spurring further reforms in the communist country. Obamas administration has also been heartened by the Venezuelan oppositions recent success in legislative elections and Bolivian President Evo Morales defeat in a referendum on term limits. Those developments have fueled optimism in Washington that Latin America is moving toward more rational economic and political policies, said Gabriel Salvia of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America, an Argentina-based think tank. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The last phone call of Infosys employee from Bengaluru who has gone missing in Brussels since Tuesdays deadly terror strike, has been tracked to a metro rail in the Belgian capital, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said. Indian Embassy in Brussels is making efforts to locate Raghavendran Ganesh since the terror attacks at the Brussels airport and the metro which left 31 dead and 300 injured. Raghavendran GaneshWe have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail, Swaraj tweeted today. We are doing our best to locate Raghavendran Ganesh, Swaraj had yesterday said. Two Jet Airways crew membersNidhi Chaphekar and Amit Motwanaiwere injured in the explosions at Zaventem airport and Swaraj said they are recovering well. Both Nidhi and Amit are from Mumbai. I have just spoken to Manjeev Puri, our Ambassador in Brussels. He has informed me that Nidhi and Amit are both recovering well, she has said. Swaraj had yesterday also said government was coordinating with Jet Airways to evacuate Indian citizens. Brussels airport serves as the European hub for the Mumbai-based airlines international operations, which is now being relocated to Dutch capital Amsterdam from coming Sunday. Raghavendran Ganesh - We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail. @SanjeevKandakur @IndEmbassyBru Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 24, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kuala Lampur: Two pieces of plane debris found in Mozambique are almost certainly from MH370, Australia and Malaysia announced today, reigniting hopes of solving the worlds biggest aviation mystery more than two years after the jet disappeared over the Indian Ocean. The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370, Australias Transport Minister Darren Chester said of the two pieces of debris that comprise a flat grey fragment with the words No Step printed along one side. Malaysian investigators had found the pieces were consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, he said. That such debris has been found on the east coast of Africa is consistent with drift modelling performed by (national science body) CSIRO and further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean, Chester said. Until the latest findings, only a wing part recovered from a beach on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion had been confirmed as coming from the jet that disappeared over the Indian Ocean with 239 people, including five Indians, on board. After months of searches and questions, a South African teenager and an American lawyer recently found debris on separate occasions off the coast of Mozambique, renewing hopes of solving the major aviation mystery. I would like to acknowledge the work undertaken by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Geoscience Australia, Boeing and Australian National University which assisted the Malaysian Investigation Team with their examination of the debris, Chester said, adding that the search for MH370 continues. There are 25,000 square kilometres of the underwater search area still to be searched. We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found, Chester said. The pieces reached Canberra on Sunday to be analysed for their link with MH370 that disappeared on March 8, 2014, after it took off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, en route to Beijing. Malaysias Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said investigators had advised that the dimensions, materials and construction of both parts conformed to Boeing 777 specifications, while the paint and stencilling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines (MAS). As such, both parts are consistent with panels from a MAS Boeing 777 aircraft, and almost certainly are from MH370, he said in a statement. Meanwhile, officials are arranging to collect and examine a fourth piece of debris, found at Mossel Bay in South Africas southern coast on Monday by a local archaeologist. It apparently bears a part of the logo of Rolls Royce, the British company which manufactures engines for aircraft including the Boeing 777. Australia is leading the underwater search effort to find the plane in the southern Indian Ocean. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. SHOPKEEPERS donned bonnets and breeches for their 15th traditional Dickensian evening last Wednesday. The event, which was held in Great Missenden High Street has been running for 15 years, and started when the tradesmen in the High Street decided to organise the evening. Since then the Dickensian Committee, which is made up of five members from the area, arrange the event every year. Valerie Thompson, a member of the committee which organised the event, said: "It was a brilliant night we were so lucky with the weather. "Shops were kept open and the shopkeepers were dressed up in long dresses and crinolines. As the High Street is very old it looked wonderful. There were thousands of people there. At one point I looked up and saw just a sea of heads." As well as the fancy dress extravaganza, there were also Punch and Judy shows for the children, birds of prey, stilt walkers and fire-eaters. The Rotary Club sent Father Christmas to see the children of Great Missenden, and various charity stalls, including Relate, were set up in the High Street. At Colony Grill , its a commitment to service. At Day Pitney law firm, its a drive for diversity. At the Family & Childrens Agency , its about making a connection. Whatever it is that makes a workplace thrive, employees know it best, and now they have a chance to spread the word. Hearst Connecticut Media has extended until April 15 a deadline for companies to qualify for its Top Workplaces section, with winners to be featured in the Connecticut Post, The News-Times of Danbury, Greenwich Time and The Advocate of Stamford. In past years, Philadelphia-based WorkplaceDynamics has surveyed more than 10,000 employees anonymously throughout the region to select dozens of organizations to feature in the section, with employers from Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties eligible. Entrants over the years have ranged from companies that play on a global stage, like Westport-based Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund, or the humanitarian relief charity AmeriCares, in Stamford, to small businesses like the Network Support Co., in Danbury, or Splash Car Wash, with locations throughout Fairfield County. Whatever their scope, its all about bringing in the right people, past winners have said. We try to hire people that are willing to chip in at various levels, Ken Martin, co-owner and director of operations for Colony Grill, said last year. And if we are going to be leaders in the community, we have to be able to help not only our customers but also the people that are working for us everyday on the front lines. And sometimes the commitment goes even further. Were not afraid to take a stand on something thats really important, said Stacy Smith Walsh, director of human resources at Day Pitney. To check out our top workplaces from previous years, visit http://www.ctpost.com/topworkplaces. And to nominate your company as a top workplace in 2016, head to http://ctpost.com/nominate or call 203-617-0727. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Phyllis Boughton stood in an elegant purple evening gown before a crowd of about 500 on a cold January night in Danbury, her husband, Mayor Mark Boughton, at her side. In fewer than 40 hours, Mark would announce at a crowded press conference that he would be pursuing the Republican nomination for governor of Connecticut. But this night, at the ball, Phyllis held the spotlight and clearly relished the moment. An effervescent mistress of ceremonies for the annual Mayor's Ball, a highlight of Danbury social life, she seemed reluctant to give up the microphone after thanking her committee members one by one. The city's first lady encouraged all to celebrate Danbury's 325th birthday. Celebrate was the theme of the ball, and it was evident that for Phyllis "celebrate" also reverberated in a very personal way. Only two weeks earlier she lay unconscious on an operating table at Danbury Hospital, undergoing delicate surgery for removal of a rare tumor the size of a tomato from her adrenal gland, a procedure that could have taken her life. *** It was Mark who first noticed, two-and-a-half years earlier, that something was not right. "`Honey, your hair is clogging up the pool filter. Something is wrong,'" Phyllis recalled him saying. Having an abundance of thick black hair -- the kind a rubber band can fit around only twice to make a ponytail -- she didn't worry. Yet. But her hair kept falling out and the day the rubber band went around her trademark ponytail four times she knew something was really wrong. It could not be ignored. She went to a doctor, she readily admitted, out of vanity. Copious hair loss? Not acceptable. The first doctor she saw said it was female pattern baldness, something not uncommon to women of "a certain age." Only 46 at the time, Phyllis wasn't ready to think of herself as a "certain age." She sought another opinion. Same diagnosis. Tests for thyroid imbalance showed no problem. The doctor prescribed medication. Phyllis posted the prescription on the refrigerator and never had it filled. Though she wanted to believe the hair loss and a vague tiredness were normal signs of aging -- who doesn't want to accept the easiest answer? -- deep down she knew something was wrong. Phyllis had to find, and face, the truth. If she had not, she could have had a heart attack or stroke as the tumor grew. She could have died. "You think you're invincible, but then it's waved in front of your face that you're on this earth for a limited time," she said in retrospect. Phyllis Boughton's odyssey of searching for the truth about her health took her to another doctor and a operation scheduled for July 14 at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She was prepped for surgery, on an IV, when she called it off and walked out because the situation didn't feel right. A visit to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City proved unsatisfying. Finally she found the medical team that felt right to her. Right here in Danbury. Dr. Pierre Saldinger, chairman of the surgery department at Danbury Hospital, understood her situation and took the time to explain it. "He showed such compassion and grace that I knew he was the right person for me intuitively," Phyllis said. She urges everyone now to find a physician who not only has the appropriate technical skills, but also has empathy for the individual and communicates well with the patient and family. And when it comes to health, listen to your inner voice. ******* Sometimes, actually, it was the outer voice that guided Phyllis' life. As many young people do, she searched for a career that fit her interests. She told her high school guidance counselor where she grew up in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., that she wanted to be a teacher. " `There are no jobs,' " Phyllis recalled the guidance counselor saying. So she went to college for nursing. She had an urge to help people, after all, and got a degree. It would seem an unlikely path that took the oldest of three children in the Guida family to Manhattan, instead of nursing, to rise through the ranks at a privately held firm called Mearl, where she became a specialist in color trends for sales and marketing. Phyllis recalled enjoying the creativity of her work and the travel, but after 10 years something was missing. "If I died my epithet would say `expert in iridescence and pearlescence pigments,' " she said. There had to be more. One would like to think that this is the place in the story where some radar brought her to Danbury and the eligible bachelor Mark Boughton. But not yet. Instead, the petite Italian with lots of hair went to California to work at a friend's art school ("Are you nuts?" friends in Manhattan said. "You're second behind the V.P. of marketing!") Somehow that led to three years as a trainer at health club. But still something was missing. One day, Phyllis was jogging. She recalled praying. "I wanted someone who was involved in the community, who was deep and philosophical, someone compassionate," and as long as she was putting in an order, she added that he should own an older home. Two weeks later, though she lived in New York, she was helping a cousin, Mark Verna, who was running for the Danbury City Council. The year was 1995 and she was outside the Morris Street School holding a sign. In the rain. The moderator brought her a cup of coffee. It was Mark Boughton. He was connected to the community. Check. He was a social studies teacher; she counted that as philosophical. Check. Compassionate? He consoled her cousin by talking about the race for state representative he lost a few years earlier to David Cappiello. And, who could believe it, he owned an old home. By the end of the night, after a drink at the former Mimi's in downtown Danbury, even though Phyllis' cousin had lost the race and her hair was frizzy, she found herself blowing kisses to the moderator. Within a year, as close as they could get to Election Day, they were married on Nov. 10, 1996. ************ Mark Boughton, a Republican with Danbury a part of his DNA, by 2009 was considering a run for governor. Politics had been a part of their marriage from the beginning and Phyllis supported his quest. "I believe Mark is a gifted politician," she said. "He is guided by his values and ideals, not swayed by external factors." If her husband were to secure the Republican nomination this summer and win the election for governor in November, she would be ready to be first lady of Connecticut. "I would hope to use it as a platform to do a lot of good," she said. One of her causes is the prevention of child abuse. But Mark held off on his announcement until Feb. 1 because, he said, he wanted to be sure that Phyllis would be OK. "Basically, you put everything on hold when your loved one is hurt," he said. It was not assured that Phyllis would, in fact, survive the operation. "It kind of hit me," Mark recalled, "when the doctor said `it's high risk surgery, be aware.' " The tomato-sized tumor -- a pbeochromacytoma -- was next to her vena cava, a major blood vessel, and near her liver and attached to her adrenal gland. "It's like a balloon inside," she explained, "if you manipulate and squeeze it, it could release adrenalin into the system," and that could trigger a heart attack or stroke. As it turns out, the rare tumor was caused by a mutant gene. Phyllis' mother and sister both had had tumors. Weeks after Phyllis had bolted from pre-op at Yale-New Haven, her brother Greg had a heart attack. It was a side effect of the same type of tumor. Greg works with Phyllis at her business, Connecticut Kitchen & Bath on Mill Plain Road in Danbury, and is on medication now until he, too, can have surgery. Phyllis strongly believes that things happen for a purpose. "If I had been at Yale, his symptoms might have been ignored," she said. "It shows there are no accidents." ****** The half-year before the January surgery was not easy. The day before Thanksgiving, Phyllis' father died suddenly and she was understandably wracked with grief. But even during this time of sadness and anxiety about her own health, her friends say she was "amazing." "I never heard her say `woe is me,' " said Monika Nagarsheth, who has known Phyllis for eight years. "She always maintained a positive attitude." Emanuela Lima, editor of Tribuna, a bi-weekly newspaper based in Danbury, and a close friend, said one of Phyllis' "best qualities is her optimism." Monika, like Emanuela, was on the Mayor's Ball committee and said she was "astonished" that Phyllis could attend it so soon after surgery. In fact, Phyllis arrived early, Monika said. For Phyllis, there was no staying away from the big night. The discomfort of an L-shaped scar that went from her sternum to her belly button and to the side was not enough to stop her. She still held the sheer joy of waking up in the recovery room at the hospital and knowing that she was alive. "Mrs. Boughton, you made it through with flying colors," Phyllis recalled hearing, and "my eyes got big like SpongeBob's." She felt her life force surge. "I was so happy, nothing could hold me back," she said. "I had my life. The woman with big chocolate eyes and a full-again ponytail, who had prayed for the future, now has learned to live for the moment. "Life tastes so much sweeter because of where I've been," Phyllis said. Contact Jacqueline Smith at jsmith@newstimes.com or call 203-731-3369. I am writing, with nothing to gain or lose, but I do have a lot of insight. I live in Brookfield, and have triplet girls in the third grade at Western Connecticut Academy for International Studies in Danbury. I bought a home in Brookfield because the schools are very good. Before moving to Brookfield, I was a middle school science teacher in New York City for many years, eight of which I spent as a union representative. I have also had the fortunate experience of being a long-term substitute teacher at the wonderful Westside Academy. I am writing to request reconsideration for the removal of the sibling preference policy for only the Danbury families who attend the Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies (WCAIS) for kindergarten through 5th grade. When I look for a reason, I struggle to understand why the impact of upsetting the exceptional community at this school was not considered. Additionally, I am expecting the response to include allowing a greater number of individual families to attend. However, statistically as detailed in the below paragraph, this would only allow 0-1 additional places. So, I truly cannot understand why change a policy for an immaterial impact. Based on numbers retrieved from the Danbury Board of Educations meeting minutes, there were 664 lottery applications last year, and 573 were from Danbury. According to data over the last three years, the number of siblings filling kindergarten seats ranged from 14 to 19 of the 43 seats for Danbury residents, which is between 30 and 47 percent of the kindergarten seats. If sibling preference were removed, the Danbury community would increase their chances of getting a seat in kindergarten by 2.4 to 3.1 percent because siblings would still be allowed to enter the lottery. That would increase their chances of getting 0-1 additional seats, than with the sibling preference in place. Based on the math, the impact of this change is negligible! Is it worth disrupting the stellar community this school has created for a handful of additional seats? As a mother of multiples, I have done a lot of research on sibling preference for my own family. Based on the Center For Advanced Research On Language Acquisition, the Lack of Sibling Preference fragments parent support and erodes commitment to programs in a number of ways: 1- Parent Involvement, 2- Attrition, 3- Materials due to donations/ fundraising, 4- Parent Time and Support, 5- Fostering Cultural Goals which requires a family commitment, and 6- Sibling Expectations. (http://www.carla.umn.edu) Additionally, I have researched studies on separating multiples in school. Psychology Today has published a study that specifically states the bond between twins cannot be mistakenly divided: an attempt to divide them artificially will focus their attention on the separation rather than what needs to be learned. (David A. Hay & Pat Preedy, 2006). Studies over the last 10 years have even shown that multiples should stay in the same class until age 6. By eliminating sibling preference, many parents of multiples will be faced with a difficult decision if both of their multiples are not accepted. (Meeting the Educational Needs of Multiple Birth Children, Early Human Development, 82, 397-403). Here is what I know: My children have had and are getting an exceptional, well-rounded education at AIS; but, its not magic there is no fairy dust sprinkled on the building its hard work! The school is successful because families and staff are heavily involved. There is no smaller class size, increased services or money to give this school an advantage. All the wonderful things that go on at AIS are because the administration, teachers, students and families, have formed a community that is supportive a family. If the dynamics of the school are disrupted, it will take years or may even be impossible to recreate. You will take an award winning, Outstanding Elementary School of the Year and possibly destroy it. In my opinion, Danbury should do everything in its power to maintain this school of excellence, and use it as a model for the rest of the schools in the district. Shari Styranovski is a resident of Brookfield and mother of Nikki, Morgan and Casey. OTTAWA, March 24, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is making funding available through its Participant Funding Program to assist the public and Indigenous groups in participating in the environmental assessment of the proposed Amisk Hydroelectric Project in northwestern Alberta. Funding is available for eligible individuals and groups to assist their participation in the environmental assessment, including reviewing and commenting on the Review Panel Terms of Reference and the Environmental Impact Statement, and preparing for and participating in the public hearing. Funding will also assist participants in commenting on the potential conditions that would be required, if the project is allowed to proceed. Indigenous groups will also receive funding to participate in consultation activities following the submission of the Panel Report. Applications received by May 2, 2016 will be considered. Recipients and the amount of funding allocated will be announced at a later date. The Participant Funding application form is available on the Agency website. Quick Facts AHP Development Corporation is proposing to construct and operate a 330-megawatt hydroelectric facility on the Peace River, approximately 15 km upstream of Dunvegan , Alberta . The Amisk Hydroelectric Project would generate approximately 1,875 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. , . The Amisk Hydroelectric Project would generate approximately 1,875 gigawatt hours of electricity per year. On February 12, 2016 , the Minister of Environment and Climate Change referred the environmental assessment of the project to an independent review panel. Associated Links Follow us on Twitter: @CEAA_ACEE SOURCE Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency For further information: Lucille Jamault, Communications Manager, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, [email protected] OTTAWA, March 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Mr. Tom Eagles, Dominion President of The Royal Canadian Legion expressed his optimism with the federal budget. "I am optimistic with the level of progress being made regarding the VAC priorities listed in the VAC Minister's mandate letter," says Eagles. On 13 November 2015 the Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada, Kent Hehr, received a mandate letter from the Prime Minister of Canada which included an extensive and costly list of 15 priorities that the current Government had promised in the recent federal election regarding Veterans. The federal budget announced today addresses five of these priorities (e.g. increase in the Disability Award under the New Veterans Charter which will be indexed and retroactive to 2006, increasing access to Permanent Impairment Allowance now called the Career Impact Allowance, improving the ratio of case managers to clients, greater access to the Last Post Fund, and re-opening all of the VAC offices that were closed recently plus a new one in Surrey, BC). The Legion is also pleased with the increase in Affordable Housing that will assist our low income, homeless and near homeless Veterans and their families. The increase in the GIS for seniors is also welcomed. Veterans' expectations were raised quite high with an aggressive agenda set forth by the current government and it is understood that a lot of work is still required to meet the mandate letter. But we are confident that our Veterans will not be left in limbo while the current Government's new set of priorities take effect. "Promises made during the federal election should be promises kept between elections and the Royal Canadian Legion will continue to advocate for our Veterans to ensure they receive the care, compassion and the respect they deserve," adds Eagles. SOURCE The Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command For further information: For further information please contact Bruce Poulin at Dominion Command, at (613) 591-3335 ext. 241 or by cell at (613) 292-8760 or [email protected] Mr. AKinwunmi Ambode, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, has barred some journalists from the state house. Mr. AKinwunmi Ambode, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, has barred some journalists from the state house.In a letter tagged Administrative Re-Organisation, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Habib Aruna and sent to the various media organisations of the affected journalists, the governor said that his decision was based on strategic administrative reform.The affected journalists include Wole Farotimi of the Sun Newspaper, Festus Odofin Sun Newspaper, Sulaymon Abdulkareem Rhythm FM, Taiwo Olapade Inspiration FM, Olasunkanmi Akoni Vanguard Newspaper, Kola Olasupo ThisDay Newspaper and Wole Oyebade of the Guardian.The letter requested the media organisations to withdraw the journalists and replace them with new ones even when the reform was in no way an indictment on the barred correspondents or the media house they represented.It would be recalled that in 2012, the former governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) took similar step through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Akeem Bello when he sacked 16 journalists from the state house.Speaking to Silverbirdtv Online, the affected journalists said that the governor and his aide had failed to give reasons for their de-accreditation as they argued that the decision was beyond administrative re-organisation.The journalists stated that prior to the letter, Aruna gave forms to all the correspondents reporting the activities of the Lagos state house to fill as it was done during Fasholas regime.We filled the form and the next thing we saw was a letter of de-accreditation and we think this is more of personal grudge than government policy.Aruna sees some journalists as threat and he is not comfortable with them. This is because there are journalists who have spent more years than us at the state house that were not barred, they said.The affected journalists argued that bad precedence had been laid at the Lagos State House where journalists would have to compromise with the government or bar from the state house.There is no objectivity in reporting again. Journalists at Lagos State House are compelled to use press statement instead of coming up with the real news, the journalists stated. Popular Nigerian senator of "common sense", Ben Murray-Bruce is not leaving any stone unturned in his campaign for Made in Nige... Popular Nigerian senator of "common sense", Ben Murray-Bruce is not leaving any stone unturned in his campaign for Made in Nigeria product.The lawmaker had gone beyond buying "Made in Nigeria" vehicle to Made in Nigeria food.He took to his Facebook page where he shared a picture of himself masticating Ofada Rice.He noted that every single blessed day, Nigeria spends 1 Billion on imported rice and posited that the country would have saved a lot if the citizens can begin to consume locally made food."Imagine the impact on the value of the Naira if we spent that amount on our local and delicious ofada rice," he said. Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayoses dream of building an airport has suffered a setback as displaced land owners and plantation farmers hav... Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayoses dream of building an airport has suffered a setback as displaced land owners and plantation farmers have secured a major court victory.The judicial hammer fell on the airport project, which has generated controversies even before the foundation stone is laid.An Ado-Ekiti High Court yesterday ruled that the forcible takeover of the land for the project and the destruction of economic trees, crops and buildings were unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null, void and of no effect.Justice Bamidele Omotoso ordered the payment of N5 million as general damages to the claimants for the loss they suffered for the damage of their crops and economic trees.The embattled farmers and land owners had sought N650 million as general damages in their motion on notice.The claimants are Faluyi Ayeni and eight others who sued for themselves and on behalf of land owners and farmers of Iwajo, Aso Ayegunle Farm Settlement on Ado-Ijan Road.The defendants are Fayose (first), Commissioner for Works (second), Commissioner for Lands and Housing (third) and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (fourth).Justice Omotoso held that the purported revocation of the right of occupancy of the claimants to their land was unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null and void and of no effect.Another relief granted in their favour was a declaration that the forcible entry into their farmsteads by the defendants, their agents, servants, privies and assigns on October 2, last year, was unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional, inequitable and violation of their rights.The court further held that the forcible entry into theclaimants farmsteads on October 2, last year, and subsequent occasions to clear and remove their crops and buildings without proper enumeration while purportedly acting on Notice of Revocation dated September 18, last year, was unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional and ineffective.The court equally granted an order of injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, privies, workmen, appointees, consultants from treating the rights of occupancy of the claimants as having been revoked by virtue of the Notice of Revocation captioned Land Use Act Nigeria dated September 18, last year.The defendants and their agents were also restrained from forcibly entering, trespassing, coercing, intimidating, harassing or in any other manner whatsoever from accessing the claimants farms and landed property.The court also granted an injunction sought by the claimants restraining the defendants from further removing, harvesting, clearing or otherwise damaging the economic crops, buildings and chattels on the land. Foreign election observers who came to Nigeria to monitor the March 19, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers State have indicted an ... Foreign election observers who came to Nigeria to monitor the March 19, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers State have indicted an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Dakuku Peterside in the murder of the ordlie of the chief of staff to the Rivers State Governor, Chief Emeka Wogu.The Trent first broke the news that Dakukus security detail had opened fire on Wogus SUV on Sunday. Our reporter who was monitoring the elections from a location in Old GRA, Port Harcourt heard the gunshots in the estate and launched an investigation.Our findings revealed that Dakuku, who is also the director general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had in the company of about 50 soldiers invaded an election collation centre and snatched original result sheets from election officials. Wogu, who was the Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) agent at the centre, chased him to the Old GRA where Dakukus security opened fire on Wogus SUV killing one his aides.Foreign observers, domestic and civil society organisation who covered the March 19 legislative elections in Rivers State held a press conference on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 held an international press conference at Juanita Hotel in Port Harcourt. At the briefing, attended by The Trent, a damning report was presented which outlined the key issues surrounding the preparations, conduct, and the outbreak of violence and irregularities during the tension-soaked polls.(Trent) Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has announced that Samuel Okonta, a youth corper who was killed during the recent election rerun in ... Speaking at the Rivers State National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Headquarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Governor Wike also announced an increment in the monthly allowance of corps members serving outside Port Harcourt from N10, 000 to N15000.He also increased the state monthly allowance of corps members serving in Port Harcourt from N5000 to N10000.He expressed sadness that the corps member died serving the nation. He said that the Rivers State Government will take care of the family of the late corps member. The Catholic church of Nigeria has sent a message to Kaduna state governor Nassir El-Rufai over the proposed anti-preaching bill. The Catholic church of Nigeria has sent a message to Kaduna state governor Nassir El-Rufai over the proposed anti-preaching bill.The bill had received public criticism after it was announced in the state.Rev. Fr Evaristus Bassey, Director of Caritas International, a department under the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Abuja cautioned El Rufai to thread with caution as no governor can be an emperor.Bassey said although the laws are meant to curtail the excesses of religious men in the state, the content of the law appears to be quite overbearing and will hamper the constitutional rights of residents of the state to freedom of religion."The fear is that even if the proposed bill contains good aims, the proposed restrictions would play into the hands of officials of state who have a hegemonic mentality and would allow them the freedom to persecute one religion in favour of another."The principle of separation of state and Church/Mosque which springs from the supposed secularity of the Nigerian constitution would be severely battered if this bill is pursue in the way it is. Governor El Rufai, who is quite dogged in the pursuit of anything, given this tool, would pursue ardently both what is good and what may be divisive."We advise that Kaduna State rely on existing laws and existing state instruments of law enforcement, to maintain religious harmony in Kaduna State instead of reinventing the wheel. The majority of Kaduna people appear not to want this law, and their wishes should be respected, as no governor is an emperor but an elected official who should defer to the peoples will. The peoples will is sovereign; because of the potential abuses this bill could bring when it becomes law, we opine that it is not necessary he said Organized labour, yesterday, crippled government activities Kaduna State as civil servants at the state and local government levels aband... Organized labour, yesterday, crippled government activities Kaduna State as civil servants at the state and local government levels abandoned their duty posts to attend a rally organized by labour to protest perceived anti-workers policies of Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led All Progressives Congress, APC, government.This came as labour threatened a nationwide industrial action should the governor fail to rescind his alleged anti-workers policies in the next seven days.Aggrieved workers, who thronged the secretariat of the Kaduna State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, from all parts of the state, with several placards bearing various inscriptions, chanted anti-El-Rufais songs and called the governor unprintable names, regretting voting for him.Though armed policemen waited in trucks outside the secretariat, men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, frisked anyone going through the gates for weapons, the rally was peaceful.Addressing the angry workers under the scorching sun, factional President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba said both leaders of NLC and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, had met and resolved that the governor must among others, within the next seven days pay the workers their 11 months salary arrears, or a nationwide industrial action would be declared.Other decisions by NLC and TUC included that All workers of Kaduna State should fill the verification form and indicate whether to join labour or opt out. But, you should make a copy of that form and keep it with your union officials for the records. We believe that the governor wants to rig the process and announce that most workers had indicated that they dont want to join any trade union. With that, he can abrogate unionism here and deal with you badly. So, keep a copy with your union officials. In the next seven days, if El-Rufai does not pay workers their sixth to ninth months salary arrears, pay compensation to the victims of his verification exercises, the following will happen We are going to mobilise all workers in the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and other trade unions outside the public service to stop work for a day in solidarity with Kaduna State workers.If the governor refuses to heed to these demands, we are going to move to Kaduna All workers from 36 states of the Nigeria and from their LGAs. We are going to occupy Kaduna with our colleagues, market man and women, artisans and artistes, Bank Workers, Construction workers, drivers unions and everyone that is sympathetic to organise labour. There will be no vacancy in the Presidency in 2019, members of the National Caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have declared ... The national caucus, comprising serving and former governors, the National Assembly leadership, and selected members of the national executive of the party, at the meeting said the endorsement of President Buhari for a second term would help to stabilise the polity in the face of what members described as the 16-year rot inherited from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.Meanwhile, the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has dismissed insinuations of a threat against his position, just as the caucus, Tuesday night, constituted a committee to resolve all pending issues in the party.One of the issues agreed on at the meeting, was that President Buhari should be given opportunity to seek a second term. Though the issue of a second term for the President was generally agreed, caucus members, however, also agreed that it would be too early in the day to kick start a second term campaign for the President.It was also gathered that the issue was brought up as a way of resting restiveness among some party leaders, who have been divided over their various aspirations for 2019. The positioning by different party leaders on 2019 has been blamed for the problems that led to the crisis in the National Assembly and also the inability of the party to inaugurate its Board of Trustees, BoT, till date.With Buhari contesting in 2019, those who have been squabbling will now have to queue up behind him and put the interest of the party ahead, a source privy to the development revealed yesterday. Remarkably, leading senators in the party on Tuesday night met in Abuja where they also pledged to unify themselves in the face of the prospect of losing their influence to the more united PDP caucus.Odigie-Oyegun dismisses threat to his office Meanwhile, Odigie-Oyegun speaking to reporters at the end of the caucus meeting on Tuesday night dismissed reports of pressures on him to resign his office. He said: I am not aware that my office is under threat.I led the party to the State House. It amazes me, occasionally it annoys me. That is one of the things you have to endure when you are in a position like mine. Noting the trend of the meeting, Odigie-Oyegun said that a committee had been constituted to resolve all the crises in the party.Speaking on the performance of his partys government almost one year after taking over power, the national chairman pleaded for time on the part of Nigerians. He said the government would come on full stream when the 2016 budget is passed. Former governors who were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party said on Thursday that they were neglected by their suc... They lamented that their successors relegated them to the background in the affairs of the party in their various states.They said they were considering forming a forum of former governors and former deputy governors to fight their cause.The former governors and deputy governors of the PDP spoke in Abuja when they met with the partys National Chairman, Senator Modu Sheriff, at the partys national headquarters.Some of the former governors present were Babangida Muazu (Niger), Ramalan Yero (Kebbi), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Abdulkadir Kure (Niger), Idris Wada (Kogi), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Theodore Orji (Abia), and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).The former deputy governors present included Iyiola Omisore (Osun) and Etuk Effiong (Akwa Ibom).It was gathered that former President Goodluck Jonathan, his deputy, Namadi Sambo; and former governors Peter Odili (Rivers), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Donald Duke (Cross River), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), and deputy governor Muktar Shagari of Sokoto State were also invited to the meeting, but were absent.Sheriff had earlier described the former governors and their deputies as stakeholders in the party.He said, As a former governor, I know what a governor goes through to win elections. You are the leaders of the party. Incumbent governors are also leaders too.Former governors must be carried along. They must be involved in all the affairs of the party so that we can get it right.Egwu, who spoke on behalf of former South-East governors and deputies, hailed Sheriff as the first national chairman to recognise former PDP governors and deputy governors.He said, This meeting has shown that the party has not forgotten those that started the party. Most of us were in the meeting that marked the beginning of the PDP.But the convention in Nigeria is that the moment you are out of office, you are forgotten. Former governors that we helped put in office forgot us. It was like frustration for most of us. But because we believed in the party, we stayed back.On his part, a former governor of Ogun State, Daniel, who spoke for the South-West, lamented that the party lost because what we thought were greatest assets were perceived to be the liability.A former governor of Adamawa State, Bala Ngilari, who spoke for the North-East, described Sheriffs emergence as good for the North-East.Other former governors from other geopolitical zones spoke in support of Sheriffs leadership and their readiness to remain within the PDP. Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has condemned calls for the sacking of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiel... The governor explained that the people spearheading the agitation were people who have been feeding fat on our common patrimony and manipulating the exchange rate, moving money across borders and taking advantage of electronic money transfer.Oshiomhole spoke with journalists on Wednesday evening in Abuja during a visit to the National Universities Commission to obtain license for the second newly established Edo State University, located in his village, Iyamho.He advised proponents of the calls to stop wasting their time because President Muhammadu Buhari would not be deceived.He added the hiring and firing of CBN governor might not be a political decision because institutions must be respected.Oshiomhole said, If a CBN governor is doing fine, the hiring and firing is not a matter that should be discussed by Facebook manipulators and by the time you unmasked the people behind it, they are palm wine drinkers.President Buhari is not going to be fooled by people who want to have a regime where government is just an onlooker and allow the naira to become worthless and people are making money from speculations; so, those guys are wasting their time.We have a new Federal Government that has won election on the basis on a mantra of change and there are all kinds of people who have made a lot of money from the economy without contributing anything by just playing on exchange rates.The governor explained there were many challenges in running the economy, especially when there is limited inflow of forex.And you do not want to trigger a process that will lead to endless devaluation that ultimately will reduce Nigerian naira to Zimbabwe dollar, he added. Welcome to Line Danci Read more [...] The Bradley County Sheriffs Office arrested Melissa Dianne Graham, 46, and she was charged with violating reporting requirements of the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry (SOR). A violation of the reporting requirements is a Class E felony. The Criminal Investigations Division received information Ms. Graham was arrested at a Bradley County residence on a warrant out of another jurisdiction. A detective went to that address, and made contact with Ms. Graham. She then stated to the detective she had been staying at the address for a week. Ms. Graham was charged with a violation of the sexual offender registry since she didnt report her change of residency within 48 hours. Students from the Hamilton County Schools joined approximately 350 of their high school peers in Murfreesboro on March 8 to express their views on public education in Tennessee at the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) Student Congress on Policies in Education (SCOPE). The event took place on the Middle Tennessee State University campus. Attending from Hamilton County were: Trey Holland and KaDarius Scott, Brainerd High; Tyrese Jones and LaChelle Weathers, CCA; DAndre Anderson and Jadyn Snakenberg, Central High; Antonio Hatch and Spencer Lowe, CSAS; Donovan Holloway and Rachel Newman, East Hamilton M/H; Alyssa Ganson and Eric Oliver, East Ridge High; Zachary Steinman and Isabella King, Collegiate High; Sarah Chamberlain and Yunislay Hernandez, Hamilton County High; Allie Bishop and Jerrold Higginbotham, Hixson High; SyDoris Martin and Joshua Tarvin, The Howard School; Spencer Adams and Preston Evers, Lookout Valley M/H; Hannah McGrath and Alphonso Richard, Jr., Ooltewah High; Gabriella Lee, Red Bank High; Meg Corley and Emeline Sharpe, Signal Mountain M/H; Madison Mercer and Macey Orman, Soddy Daisy High; Katie Stiffler and Erik Vroegindewey, STEM; Dawood Kahn and Sydnee Ruff, Tyner Academy. Now in its 34th year, SCOPE is designed to give students a voice where public education issues are concerned and to involve young people in finding solutions to the topics that are discussed. Attendees participated in mock school board sessions, where they assumed the roles of school board members, school officials, parents, students and concerned citizens. The sessions were led by actual school board members, superintendents and educational leaders from across the state. Students then chose speakers to represent each of their 16 small groups who went on to take part in full-scale debates on current education issues. This years four debate topics and results from the poll were: 1. Teachers shall incorporate smart phones into classroom instruction. (Agree: 33%, Disagree: 67%) 2. All students shall be required to participate in at least one extracurricular activity per year. (Agree: 43%, Disagree: 57%) 3. Prior to graduation, students shall be required to complete 48 hours of community service during their junior/senior years. (Agree: 43%, Disagree: 57%) 4. The school calendar shall be increased from 180 to 200 days of instruction. (Agree: 15%, Disagree: 85%) The Tennessee School Boards Association was organized in 1939 to provide a united voice in education for local public school boards. In 1953, the State Legislature officially recognized TSBA as the organization and representative agency of the members of school boards in Tennessee. The Tennessee School Boards Association is a service organization to all the states school boards. It serves as an advocate for the interests of Tennessees public school students and school districts and provides in-service training and assistance for the states 945 board of education members. A city-by-city scorecard of arrest results and warrant clearances achieved in the 12 'priority cities' selected by the U.S. Department of Justice for the fugitive sweep Operation Violence Reduction 12. Ooltewah High School will celebrate the 100th JROTC Anniversary by hosting the Chattanooga location of the largest run in military history. The Fun Run will be held worldwide on April 23, with our local event at 11 a.m. As part of a worldwide commemoration of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) Anniversary, the Fun Run is a one-of-a-kind event that allows participants around the world to run together, with each time zones start time synchronized to 3 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time. The local Fun Run will begin at 11 a.m. at Ooltewah High School. Registration is open now and the public is encouraged to participate to support JROTC and help the cadets break the world record. Ooltewah High School is encouraging all JROTC and ROTC alumni to join them for the event, either as a participant or a volunteer. Eagles of Death Metal head to One Eyed Jacks for May 17 show 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. Morning Pointe of Chattanooga at 7719 Shallowford Road will host an Easter egg hunt this Friday at 2 p.m. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt for children of all ages, great treats, a visit from the Easter Bunny and a petting zoo with animals to cuddle. We are so excited about this years big Easter Egg Hunt, said Holly Holcomb, life enrichment director for the assisted living community, the residents have been working extra hard filling all of the Easter eggs with goodies. They cant wait to see all of the childrens smiling, happy faces as they discover the colorful eggs. Holiday festivities are just one of the many ways Morning Pointe Senior Living communities engage its residents. Around the celebrations, there are multiple activities daily and outings weekly. The life enrichment director regularly works to understand the residents interests and hobbies and then involves the greater-community in creating meaningful and memorable activities for all to enjoy. Jeffery Daniel Locklear, 37, formerly of 623 McCharles St. in Dalton, was sentenced Wednesday to serve two life sentences plus 73 years in prison on charges of rape, aggravated sexual battery, aggravated child molestation, child molestation, incest and sexual battery. Locklear was convicted of his crimes by a Whitfield County jury on Feb. 3, following a two-day trial. Assistant District Attorney Keely Parker presented the states case. Dalton attorney Jerry Moncus represented Locklear. The trial was presided over by Superior Court Judge William T. Boyett. The sentence also includes a statutorily mandated two years on probation with sex offender and other standard conditions. Locklear will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 30 years in confinement with credit for time served since his arrest in November, 2015. The evidence at trial showed Locklear committed sexual acts against a 10-year-old child and blood relative over a period of several months beginning in January of 2015. Detective Ronnie Morris of the Whitfield County Sheriffs Office began investigating the case in May of 2015 after the child disclosed the abuse to a school counselor. After an investigation, an indictment was returned by the Whitfield County Grand Jury in October 2015. Detective Morris, the school counselor and a Department of Children and Family Services Case Investigator all testified. During the trial, the jury viewed a video of an interview of the victim conducted by Melissa Wells, a trained child forensic interviewer, at the Green House Child Advocacy Center in Dalton. In the interview, the victim detailed the multiple acts committed against her. Additionally, the jury heard from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, who testified that she could not rule out sexual assault after examining the victim. The child victim also testified. Locklear did not testify on his own behalf nor did he call any witnesses. In December of 2014, a group of toughies from several different gangs in rural north Mississippi torched a pretty girl inside of her car on a rural road. They poured gasoline in the passenger compartment, even sprayed lighter fluid in Jessica Chambers ears and nose, and then flipped a lit match. No clues, nobody talking and Jessica dying several days later with burns on 95 percent of her body. People were outraged, those in law enforcement clearly the most livid, so an all-star task force was established and got nationwide applause with results. No wonder! It included top agents with the FBI, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the State Fire Marshals office, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Panola County Sheriffs Department and police officers from a number of towns. The state and county District Attorneys were also involved and, a year later in December of 2015, Operation Bite Back did exactly that. The reason I mention it is because this is the same type of a star-studded group that Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston is also hoping to build, this after withering reports the city of Chattanoogas Violence Reduction Initiative has burned through over $1 million with little results except toothless misdemeanors to show. Pinkston has had quite enough. But there is more. I am whispered what is the real reason for this weeks angst in our latest City-vs.-County dust-up. Sadly, it has long been alleged that Pinkston, a brilliant veteran in the DAs office under Bill Cox, and Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, a formidable lawyer in his familys fine practice before he gave in to political leanings, dont exactly have lunch together. As a matter of fact, put the two former courtroom adversaries in the same brace behind a plow and the field would lay barren until next year. Forget sharing an umbrella get my drift? Fred Fletcher, perhaps the greatest police chief in the citys history, had some silly and juvenile things to say about Pinkston a day or so ago when the DA said he was unable to attend a meeting on Tuesday. But you must remember Chief Fred works solely for Mayor Andy. Lets keep the shirts-and-the skins separated in this childish pick-up game that only blurs the bullseye. Neal doesnt much care for what the City Council demands. Do you blame him? Fred is supposed to inform the City Fathers and does a good job of it. Above all, remember that Andy Berke is a good guy, growing in my estimation as I begin to understand his non-public style. Pinkston is A+ and so is Fletcher. While the City Council has good intentions, you can hardly fault Pinkston for having larger priorities than appeasing to a once-a-week crowd of hand-wringers. Neal is elected, Fletcher is picked. Stop the foolishness. What Hamilton County needs this while virtually every shooting is inside the city limits, is a team of tightly-knit operatives from different agencies that, in December of 2015, swooped down with such a vengeance three months ago in northern Mississippi everyone is still enthralled with Operation Bite Back. Best part? It is still active. Everybody knows there was a crowd of poverty-ridden gang types who watched the Chambers girl tortured and burned. It was done to send a message. And that is why such a heavy reaction by the law scared the baddies badly. Three different SWAT teams were used in 4 a.m. raids and 17 people members of the Black Gangster Disciples, the Vice Lords and the Sipp Mob gangers were rounded up. Last month the Grand Jury returned a True Bill on 27-year-old Quinton Verdell Tellis of Courtland, Miss., as the first man to be named in the torture killing. And, just so youll know, Mississippi investigators even came to Chattanooga in search of clues. Now you are asking, why did they arrest 17 but end up with just one true bill? It is a good question and, while the names of thugs in Mississippi wont interest you, the fat fish the Feds landed amounted to far more than misdemeanors. They rounded up felony cases that will be charged in federal courts: - Edward Lyndon Mosely Jr., 24, distribution of crack cocaine - Edward House, 39, distribution of powder cocaine and distribution of crack cocaine - Joshua Cannon, 25, cocaine possession - Anand Vijay Shegog, 39, sale of a controlled substance - Mondarious Armstead, 23, public drunk; receiving stolen property; possession, sale, transfer of stole firearm - Gregory B. Andrews, 22, distribution of powder cocaine (x2) - Dlirian Case, 18, attempt to pass counterfeit and passing counterfeit - Janicholas Vankeith Scott, 34, sale of cocaine - James Mosely Jr., 26, robbery, sale of cocaine, presenting false cocaine in state - George Todd, 23, attempt to pass counterfeit - Dedrick Ivery, 39, possession of controlled substance; child abuse; firearm enhancement; felon in possession of firearm in proximity to school/church - Antonio Johnson, 28, possession controlled substance with intent - Xavier Hooks, 25, possession gun by felon; possession of a stolen gun - Kevin Windfield, 37, sale of controlled substance - Elgin Lamar, 38, possession of controlled substance (x2); possession of controlled substance with intent, child endangerment (x2) - Deon Smith, 20, passing counterfeit - Stanley Coleman, 40, sale of cocaine (x4) Several of these guys were parole jumpers. The point is that the Violence Reduction Initiative has been ineffective but by asking the FBI, the TBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and any other source like the Tennessee Highway Patrol SWAT team to launch an effort with the jaws of a bulldog, we can make a dent in our shooting-every-day idiocy. The VRI, on the surface, was a brilliant try by Berke and his team but sending hundreds of thousands to some expert in New York hasnt fared well. DA Pinkstons reasoning is easy to understand the police havent brought him enough felony cases when compared to shootings in the street. The only answer at this point seems to come down a lot harder. There is a war in our poor neighborhoods and, when it spills onto Brainerd Road in broad daylight, a different course of action is inevitable. A car hits the gas pumps early Sunday morning. Pick a day and youll find a shooting. Lets let Pinkstons task force take a turn at the plate. The VRI clearly isnt the answer. royexum@aol.com 'Northern Ontario missing from budget' - Angus Timmins James Bay MP Charlie Angus says that the 2016 federal budget missed the mark for Northern Ontario. The NDPer says the new Liberal government need to be given a map of Northern Ontario because it is missing from their budget. Timmins James Bay MP Charlie Angus says that the 2016 federal budget missed the mark for Northern Ontario. File photo Timmins James Bay MP Charlie Angus says that the 2016 federal budget missed the mark for Northern Ontario. The NDPer says the new Liberal government need to be given a map of Northern Ontario because it is missing from their budget. The Liberals squeezed Canadians to provide a tax cut that largely benefits the top ten percent and then they couldnt find funding specific for FedNor, Ring of Fire, or their promises on health care, said Angus. Its amazing they can spend this much money while still breaking some of their promises and failing to deliver on key items for the North. Angus' release says that despite 30 billion dollars of promises, the government failed to move on FedNor, did not mention the Ring of Fire, and did not specify criteria for infrastructure spending for small or rural regions. He says the budget did deliver on rural broadband, renewal of the mineral exploration tax credit, and the reversal on the cut to Old Age Security. However, there was nothing concrete about following through on the promise to enhance CPP and GIS. Angus says he is also concerned about the lack of spending on health care priorities like homecare and palliative care. Every budget is about choices. And Liberals have chosen tax breaks to CEOs and profitable corporations over reinvesting in health care and fully delivering on the key priorities for the North. Former Conservative cabinet minister, John Baird, received an Honourary Doctorate of Sacred Letters from Huntington University during a convocation ceremony on March 23. Former Conservative cabinet minister, John Baird, received an Honourary Doctorate of Sacred Letters from Huntington University during a convocation ceremony on March 23. Baird was among a group of three honourees to receive special recognition on the evening, and was joined by Northern Life managing editor Mark Gentili, who was named the school's first ever Journalist in Residence. As a Journalist in Residence, Gentili will serve in a mentorship role in the universities Communication Studies program. Jennifer Amyotte, a career paramedic, was given the Leadership in Northern Education Award. The award is in recognition of her work in leading the Transitions Care Program and the Health Promotion Community Paramedic Program two commuinity paramedic pilot projects that are making a difference in the lives of older adults with complex or chronic medical conditions. Baird was honoured for his many accomplishments and contributions for his time spent as a Member of Parliament. After serving as an MPP and cabinet minister in Premier Mike Harris' Tory government, he spent three terms as a federal MP, and most recently as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2011 2015). Today, Baird is a senior business advisor with Bennett Jones LLP, and sits on the advisory board of Barrick Gold Corp., the corporate boards of Canadian Pacific, FWD Group, and PineBridge Investments. He also volunteers time with Community Living Ontario, and organization that supports individuals with developmental disabilities. I'm tremendously humbled to get a great honour from Huntington, it's a great school with a fantastic reputation, said Baird. I was really excited to get a call from Rick Bartolucci,my former colleague, he was asking if I'd be willing to accept and I told him I'd be thrilled to be offered. Huntington University President and Vice-Chancellor Kevin McCormick spoke highly of the three being honoured on the evening, and their impact in the community. This is the first time we've done a journalist in residence, and we're the first in universities to really recognize the contributions of journalism and to have a resident inside, said McCormick. We're very proud of this, it speaks to the university's value for the media and for free expression and gives our students an opportunity to have someone around to give opinions and advice and honour what we have as Canadians and that's freedom of press. Jennifer Amyotte has spent the better part of 25 years working as a front line paramedic in Greater Sudbury and she currently serves as Commander of Community Paramedicine and Professional Standards. I've got a fantastic team of paramedics and this has just been a vision to bring community paramedicine to Greater Sudbury, said Amyotte. We were very fortunate to receive funding from the Ministry of Health in 2014 and with that we now have two programs that I think have both shown success in our community. The three honourees were elected through a community nomination process and ultimately vetted and approved by the university's board of regents. The two top earners at city hall in 2015 are no longer working for the city in fact three of the four people to top the list are no longer on the job at the city. The two top earners at city hall in 2015 are no longer working for the city in fact three of the four people to top the list are no longer on the job at the city.According to the annual Sunshine List, which discloses public-sector salaries that exceed $100,000, former CAO Doug Nadorozny was the highest paid municipal employee last year, even though he was let go in April 2015.Nadorozny took home $379,979.75, along with $3,400 in taxable benefits. The amount presumably includes severance pay, considering Nadorozny's salary in 2014 was $223,374, plus $9,372 in benefits.Second on the list is Lorella Hayes, the city's former chief financial officer who left earlier this year to take a similar post with Greater Sudbury Utilities. Hayes took home $218,473.37 in salary along with $8,922.27 in benefits.Next on the list is Police Chief Paul Pedersen, who was paid $211,409.44, plus 12898.60 in benefits, followed by the city's former GM of community development, Catherine Matheson ($206,171.60 salary, $8,223.84 benefits). Matheson has since taken a post with the Northeast LHIN.Rounding out the top 10 are police CAO Sharon Baiden ($206,162.32 and $12,841.20), Deputy Chief Al Lekun ($206,162.32 and $12,841.20), Tony Cecutti, the city's GM of infrastructure ($197,802.79 and $8,181.95), Tim Beadman, the former chief of fire paramedic services ($186,307.60 and $8,123.32), and Bob Johnston, the CEO of Greater Sudbury Airport ($176,127 and $2,859.78).The number of $100,000 earners at the city has soared since 2014. A total of 417 people made six-figure incomes at Greater Sudbury in 2015. That compares to 296 a year earlier, 247 in 2013 and 197 in 2012.Also notable were the raises several senior staffers received. Hayes took home a salary of $167,077 in 2014, a one-year increase of $51,396. Cecutti's salary increased more than $21,000 in a year. Beadman's salary went up by a similar amount.Baiden's salary increased by $16,000 while Lekun saw a bump of more than $12,000.Ontario's Public Salary Disclosure Act requires groups that receive funding from the province to release the names, positions, salaries and total taxable benefits of employees paid $100,000 or more in a calendar year.The act is the legacy of former Tory Premier Mike Harris, who passed the law 1996. It applies to provincial employees, Crown agencies, municipalities, hospitals, public health boards, school boards, universities, colleges, Hydro One, Ontario Power Generation, and other public sector employers who receive a significant level of funding from the provincial government.The province's full public salary disclosure list can be found here Thirty-nine more employees at Health Sciences North joined the 2015 Sunshine List, compared to the previous year . Thirty-nine more employees at Health Sciences North joined the 2015 Sunshine List, compared to the previous year. The latest Ontario Sunshine List, released Thursday afternoon, includes more than 115,000 public-sector employees in the province who made $100,000 or more in 2015. At Health Sciences North, 218 employees made the list as the hospital entered the third year of a five-year provincial funding freeze in 2015. Like last year, Dr. Chris Bourdon, the hospital's vice-president and chief of staff, topped the list with a salary of $380,165 in 2015. Bourdon received an additional $5,577 in taxable benefits. Health Sciences North president and CEO Dr. Denis Roy was right behind Bourdon with $360,982 in earnings in 2015, and $12,907 in taxable benefits. Roy's salary increased by $13,214 compared to 2014, when he made $347,768. The list of Health Sciences North employees who made more than $100,000 in 2015 includes 45 registered nurses, 21 pharmacists, six nurse practitioners and three nurse technicians down from five in 2014. Dr. Roger Strasser, dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, was also near the top of the Sunshine List for Sudbury, with a salary of $358,585 in 2015. In addition to his salary, Strasser received $23,186 in taxable benefits. Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the Sudbury and District Health Unit's medical officer of health, took home $304,271 in 2015 and $6,339 in taxable benefits. Former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi has been acquitted on all counts in his high-profile sexual assault case. Former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi has been acquitted on all counts in his high-profile sexual assault case.In a verdict read in a Toronto courtroom this morning, Ontario Court Justice William Horkins acquitted Ghomeshi of charges he attacked two unnamed complaintants, as well as actress Lucy Decoutere, who waived her right to anonymity. Read the full decision here. Ghomeshi's lawyer, Marie Henein, drew out inconsistencies in their testimony, Horkins said, and revelations of sexual and social activity between the complainants and the accused after the alleged assaults took place raised questions.And the fact they admitted to the relationships only after it emerged that the defence had proof raised questions of their credibility, as it would in any criminal case, the judge ruled.The hard reality is witnesses shown to be manipulative and deceptive in giving evidence cannot be considered by the court to be trusted, the judge said, according to tweets by Toronto Star reporter Alyshah Hasham. The judge did note that having reasonable doubt is not the same as saying the events did not occur.The three complainants leave the courtroom. All had tears in their eyes.In his ruling, the judge also said the complainants ignored their oath to tell the truth on more than one occasion. It is this aspect of their evidence that is most troubling to the court."It is impossible for the court to have sufficient faith in the reliability and sincerity of these complainants."Ghomeshi was a rising star at CBC as the host of the radio show Q until the sexual assault complaints. As the story was emerging, he took to Facebook to say that, while he engages in a rough form of sex, he denied the accusations.It also emerged that Ghomeshi had a bad reputation among staff at CBC Radio, and he faces another trial in June on an accusation of sexual assault related to a workplace incident. Spring suffers a setback: Here comes the snow Just in time for Easter weekend, a massive storm system will sweep into the region this morning, bringing with it some 15 to 20 centimetres of snow. Needless to say, Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the area. A major winter storm that is expected to affect Ontario Wednesday and Thursday is likely to miss Sudbury. File photo. Just in time for Easter weekend, a massive storm system will sweep into the region this morning, bringing with it some 15 to 20 centimetres of snow. Needless to say, Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the area. Snow will be heavy at times before the storm peters out by early Friday morning. Besides the snow itself, strong and gusty northeasterly winds will make for very low visibility thanks to blowing snow today and into the overnight hours. This snow is the result of a Colorado low tracking northeast across the lower Great Lakes and into northern New England on Friday. Environment Canada warns people to prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Rapidly accumulating snow will make travel difficult, and visibility may be suddenly reduced at times. Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. The North is fairing better than the south in this, as no freezing rain is expected for the northern reaches of the storm system. Steelworkers' $65K makes early Christmas for Food Bank Christmas came early for the Sudbury Food Bank on Wednesday with a $65,000 donation from the United Steelworkers Local 6500. Members of the United Steelworkers Local 6500 joined the Sudbury Food Bank board members to present a cheque for $65,000 Wednesday. The funds will help support the food bank's milk program for three years. Photo by Jonathan Migneault. Christmas came early for the Sudbury Food Bank on Wednesday with a $65,000 donation from the United Steelworkers Local 6500. The Steelworkers will distribute the funds to the food bank over the next three years to help support those in need in the community. Dan Xilon, executive director of the Sudbury Food Bank, said the funds will help support the food bank's milk program, which distributes around 94 tonnes of milk to community partners each year. This will ensure that program continues to help the less fortunate in our community for the next three years, he said. The Steelworkers donated the funds directly to the food bank's Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive. Burton was a dedicated volunteer with the food bank, and also worked for Inco, and later Vale, for 36 years, where he organized an annual food drive. He passed away on July 9, 2010. I'm very impressed the community still remembers him year after year, said his widow, Sharon Burton. The Sudbury Foodbank renamed its annual Christmas food drive in Burton's honour in 2010. Jasper Highlands has asked all elementary schools in Marion, Grundy and Sequatchie Counties to name the three new Jasper Highlands firetrucks serving the Jasper Highlands community through the new volunteer Jasper Highlands Fire Department. "Jasper Highlands understands the importance of supporting the neighboring elementary schools and the youth of the community," officials said. All names have been submitted and awards of $10,000, $7,500 and $2,500 will be donated to the schools that came up with the top three names as voted on by the public through www.livejasper.com/vote/. Voting is live starting Thursday and ends at midnight on Tuesday. Winners will be announced on Wednesday and the three winning schools will be invited to a picnic at Pats Summit at Jasper Highlands on Saturday, April 2 where the checks will be presented. Local schools participating in the firetruck naming contest include: Jasper Elementary, Monteagle Elementary, South Pittsburg Elementary, Whitwell Elementary, Coalmont Elementary, Richard Hardy Memorial School, North Elementary, Palmer Elementary, Pelham Elementary, Swiss Memorial Elementary, Tracy City Elementary, and Griffith Elementary. Jasper Highlands will be opening their office on Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CT for voters without Internet access to come in and use the computers to submit their votes. The office is located at 210 Battlecreek Road across from Gentry Chevrolet (Just off I-24/Exit 152). "Please encourage all friends and family members to go online and vote for their favorite submission. They dont have to be local! Anyone can access the website to vote," officials said. To vote and find out more information about the contest, visit www.livejasper.com/vote/. Looking for a place in Sudbury? Beware this scam Greater Sudbury Police would like to advise the public of a series of frauds occurring in the Sudbury area. Those at risk are people posting want ads on Kijiji seeking apartments or houses for rent in the Sudbury area. Supplied (MC) Greater Sudbury Police would like to advise the public of a series of frauds occurring in the Sudbury area. Those at risk are people posting want ads on Kijiji seeking apartments or houses for rent in the Sudbury area. The suspect will contact the ad poster via e-mail or text message, offering a property for rent and providing an address and photos of the interior. The suspect will say they currently reside in the Greater Toronto Area and will then request the ad poster provide a deposit of $200 to $300 via e-transfer in order to have the apartment keys mailed out so that the apartment can be viewed. Once the money has been transferred, the suspect then says they have spoken with their lawyer and now requires a second deposit for the balance of first months rent before the apartment keys can be sent. This exact scenario has been reported to Greater Sudbury Police three times this month, with the complainants suffering monetary losses ranging from $200 to $750. The public is reminded to remain cautious when conducting any online transactions. To prevent being victimized by these criminals the Greater Sudbury Police recommend that you never forward money to anyone who makes a promise to deliver. Any honest worthwhile business transaction can and should be done in person. First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 650 McCallie Ave., will celebrates the conclusion of Holy Week with three events scheduled for members, visitors and guests. On Maundy Thursday the church plans a supper and communion by litany beginning at 5:30 p.m. Following supper and communion, Colors of Grace featuring the Chancel Choir, will present a short concert, which includes lessons for Lent by Joseph M. Martin with narration written by Pamela Martin. A brief worship service on Good Friday beginning at 6 p.m. in the Sanctuary will prepare worshipers for the coming of Christ on Easter Sunday, officials said. Easter worship service, including a childrens procession, will begin at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. "All are welcome at First Christian Church, a church of service, working for wholeness in a broken world," officials said. For more information, email Rev. Gilvin at brandon@firstchristian-chat.com, or call 423-267-4506. The new Dalton Police Department Explorers discount cards will be going on sale Wednesday, March 30, at the Police Services Center and at several area businesses. Proceeds from sales of the cards, which cost $5 each, go to fund the DPDs Explorers Program. This years cards can be redeemed for discounts or other services at Scholtzskys, The Sweet Spot, Zaxbys, Applebees, Outback Steakhouse, OCharleys, Retro Bowl, The Battlegrounds Games and Comics, Buckin Burrito, Taylors Tire and Service, Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant, Fuji Steak and Sushi, Hamiltons Food and Spirits and Pizzeria, Tijuanas Mexican Restaurant, RAK Outfitters, Brusters Ice Cream, Fashion Cleaners, Chelseas On Thornton, Panda Express, Chefs Pantry, Dalton Vacuum, Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant, Oasis Beauty Salon, Subway on West Walnut Avenue, and Town Square Cafe. The Dalton Police Explorers program allows young men and women to gain training and experience in the law enforcement field. The program also provides young people with opportunities for community involvement and development. Program activities include law enforcement training, organized recreational activities, and compeititve events. Officer David Saylors oversees the program. Explorers must be between 14 and 20 years old, maintain at least a C average while remaining in school until graduation or obtaining a GED, and must attend regular meetings which include physical training. Explorer cards can be purchased at the Police Services Center at 301 Jones Street, Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant, the Northgate and College Drive Zaxbys locations, and Johns BBQ. They can also be purchased from any Dalton Police Explorer. The Dalton Police Department thanks all of the sponsors of the Explorer cards for their generous support of the program. SPRINGFIELD Two Illinois Supreme Court rulings issued Thursday are a mixed bag for public employee unions. In a case involving to pension funds for Chicago city employees, the states high court once again struck down a law that would have reduced pension benefits, mirroring two earlier rulings in cases involving health care benefits and pensions for retired state workers. But in a separate case involving nearly $53 million back wages owed to 24,000 workers in five state agencies, the court ruled that the state isnt obligated to pay because the General Assembly didnt appropriate enough money to cover the expense. The pair of rulings prompted starkly contrasting reactions from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents workers in both cases. In a joint statement with three other unions involved in the Chicago case, AFSCME said the ruling strengthens the promise of dignity in retirement for those who serve our communities, and reinforces the Illinois Constitution, our states highest law. However, Roberta Lynch, AFSCME Council 31s executive director, called the back pay ruling very disappointing. "This was a case about the principle that someone who works for a living in this instance, to protect public health, ensure safe prisons or care for the disabled should be paid what they are owed for the work they have done, Lynch said in a written statement. It was also about the integrity of state government that when it enters into a contract, it must live up to its terms. The case stems from then-Gov. Pat Quinns 2011 decision to forgo 2 percent raises for employees in 14 state agencies because the Legislature didnt appropriate enough money to cover the cost. An arbitrator determined that, regardless of an appropriation, the state had to pay the raises it agreed to in its contract with the union. The state challenged that decision, but lower courts upheld it. As the case made its way through the judicial system, money was found to cover the raises at nine agencies, leaving workers in the departments of Human Services, Corrections, Juvenile Justice, Public Health and Natural Resources waiting for an average of $2,500 in back pay. The courts ruling, written by Justice Mary Jane Theis, hinges on a portion of the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act that says labor contracts are subject to the appropriations power of the employer. Because the appropriation power of the State resides with the General Assembly multiyear collective bargaining agreements negotiated with the State are subject to the States appropriation power, as exercised by the General Assembly, the court writes. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Thomas Kilbride argues that the ruling could undermine confidence in any state contract, but the majority opinion says it applies narrowly to collective bargaining agreements. The state House and Senate passed separate bills last year that would have authorized payment of the back wages, but neither chamber approved the others version. As for the pension ruling, it underscores what the Supreme Court has already made clear in previous cases involving the pension protection clause of the Illinois Constitution, said Edward Kionka, an emeritus law professor at Southern Illinois University who represented state retirees in the case involving changes to their health care benefits. The bottom line is, you can change the pension system all you want for new employees, Kionka said. But you cant change it for people who are members of the system. A bill sponsored by Rep. Dan Howell and Senator Mike Bell aimed at helping smaller hospitals like the one in Copper Basin, passed the House on Thursday. Rep. Howell said the bill applies to small hospitals in Tennessee with less than 30 beds. He said it will allow small hospitals more flexibility in hiring hospital lab personnel. He stated, "Historically they could not compete for employees with the large hospitals. Those with six-year degrees would often go to a small hospital like Copper Basin, get experience, then leave for more pay at a large hospital. "This bill allows them to hire a lab supervisor to run the day-to-day operation of the lab, (instead of a director), who will report to a person with a higher degree. "The supervisor must have at least 'a three-year undergraduate degree in any medical science, plus a one-year degree of training in Medical Laboratory Science.' This should help the small hospitals be more competitive for qualified employees." Rep. Howell said he worked with the Tennessee Department of Health and the Tennessee chapter of the Association of clinical laboratory science to write the bill. He said, "I hope this will enhance Copper Basin Hospital's ability to continue to provide quality care for residents in the region.". The city's population has hit a milestone, soaring past 8.5 million people for the first time. NY1's Michael Scotto breaks down the new census numbers. The Big Apple is bigger than ever. The five boroughs added 55,211 people in the year that ended last July 1, an increase of 0.6 percent, bringing the citys population to more than 8,550,405, according to an estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. It's the first time in history that more than 8.5 million people have called the city home. It shows that we're a place that people want to be, want to come, want to stay, want to grow a family, says Carl Weisbrod, chairman of the citys Planning Commission. The city's population has been on the upswing for some time. With the new numbers released Thursday, the city has grown by more than 375,000 people in just the last five years, an increase of 4.5% -- or more than the entire population of Pittsburgh. For several years, Brooklyn led the five boroughs in population growth, but that changed last year. According to the Census Bureau, Queens added the most number of people last year - 16,700. Brooklyn was a close second, at 16,015, followed by the Bronx (13,687), Manhattan (7,552) and Staten Island (1,257). But the Bronx grew at the fastest rate. The population of the once-maligned borough expanded by 0.9 percent last year - the best of any county in the state. Queens grew by 0.71, followed by Brooklyn (0.6 percent), Manhattan (0.45 percent) and Staten Island (0.26 percent). I think that the Bronx is offering a lot more housing than it's offered in the past. I think the reduction in crime has a lot to do with this, Weisbrod said. Driving the growth citywide last year: more people moved in than moved out, and there were more births than deaths. What's happened, and what I think really turned it around, and what's driving the population is the large number of births, said Andrew Beveridge, a demographer and a professor of sociology at Queens College. The city's growth rate last year was the slowest in a decade, but it still leaves the city as a demographic bright spot in the state. Upstate lost 16,596 people in the last year, a 0.24 percent decline, continuing a trend that has gone on for some time. Except for Albany and Saratoga and one other county up north, there's really no growth at all. In fact, population loss in New York State, Beveridge said. The growth will inevitably put new strains on the city's infrastructure. But it's a relatively good problem to have, as the five boroughs continue to be the place where people want to live. Malik Taylor, the Queens rapper better known as Phife Dawg has died. NY1's Clodagh McGowan takes us to St. Albans to speak with fans and friends. Phife, a founding member of legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest grew up in St. Albans. The rapper will be remembered for his witty rhymes. "I like 'em brown, yellow, Puerto-Rican and Haitian. My name is Phife Dawg from the Zulu Nation," he rapped on 'Electric Relaxation.' The group shot their music video for 'Check the Rime' on the roof of the Nu Clear Cleaners on Linden Boulevard in 1991. Iris Wilcox, the cleaner's manager remembers the excitement surrounding the shoot. "When I say Linden Boulevard was crowded, it was crowded! It was beautiful. And they got up there and did all what they had to do," said Wilcox, who has worked at Nu Clear for 27 years. Chris Holly, a DJ and an old friend, says the video put St. Albans on the map. "Wow, we just made history! The energy was totally amazing. It moved from borough to borough," said Holly, who lives in Rosedale. "When you saw Nu Clear Cleaners, you knew that you was in Queens." Rap legend and hip-hop coordinator for the Queens Library, "Uncle" Ralph McDaniels says Phife Dawg is a rap pioneer. "It reaches worldwide, all genres, all religions, anything you can think of, A Tribe Called Quest has done it," said McDaniels, who has hosted the hip-hop show "Video Music Box" since 1983. McDaniels say Phife's impact on hip-hop reaches far beyond St. Albans but throughout his career, he never forgot where he came from. "That's what Phife was all about. Making sure he was out here in community putting out great music," said McDaniels. In a statement, Phifes family says the rapper died from complications relating to diabetes. He also underwent a kidney transplant in 2008. The music world mourned his death, fellow Queens rapper LL Cool J tweeted his video for 'Electric Relaxation.' Phife I love you homie... sleep well pic.twitter.com/8CJAp2eLq4 LLCOOLJ. (@llcoolj) March 23, 2016 And Public Enemy front man Chuck D called him a "rap word warrior." Phife-HipHop & Rap word Warrior, simple as that.Breathed it & lined rhyme into Sport.A true fire Social Narrator my bro #RIBeats ATCQforever Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 23, 2016 "Mister Dinkins, would you please be my mayor," he famously rapped on "Can I Kick It?" And his words are sure to live on. An indictment charges seven Iranian computer specialists with orchestrating cyberattacks targeting dozens of American banks and the controls of a dam just north of the city. NY1's Michael Herzenberg has the story. A dam in the Westchester County village of Rye Brook that protects more than 1,500 homes and businesses was allegedly the target of a cyberattack from Iran. The U.S. Attorney General said Thursday that 34-year-old Hamid Firoozi repeatedly accessed its controls over three weeks in 2013. Fortunately, the dam was undergoing maintenance and was off-line. "That access would have given this defendant the ability to control water levels, to control flow rates an outcome that clearly could have posed a clear and present danger to the public health and safety of Americans," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said. Firoozi was one of seven men charged with cybercrimes in a sweeping federal indictment unsealed Thursday. "The charges announced today respond directly to a coordinated cyber assault on New York," said Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Prosecutors say the main targets were 46 financial institutions, many in New York. The hackers bombarded them with data, preventing hundreds of thousands of Americans from accessing their accounts. Prosecutors say the hacking was done on behalf of the Iranian government. "The core operating systems of the banks to my knowledge weren't affected, but that doesn't mean the harms weren't significant," said Zachary Goldman of the Center on Law and Security at the New York University School of Law. "The one positive if one can see a positive light in these kinds of attacks is that it catalyzed closer relationships between the government and the private sector and among private industries to do their best to fend off the attackers," Goldman continued. The targeted institutions spent millions of dollars battling the incursions, which lasted from 2011 to 2013. "And I think an attack like this brings home that point and hopefully encourages everybody to do better to protect our critical infrastructure," Goldman said. The seven defendants face a maximum of ten years in prison if convicted for the cyberattacks. The one who allegedly accessed the dam controls faces an additional five years in prison. None of the individuals are in American custody, and the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Iran. This is just the latest instance of the Obama administration publicly blaming foreign nations for damaging cyber breeches. Back in May, the DOJ indicted five Chinese military officials suspected of stealing trade secrets online. Mayor Bill de Blasio is taking a victory lap after the City Council gave the green light to his ambitious and controversial affordable housing plan. NY1's Courtney Gross spoke with de Blasio one on one and filed the following report. It was a victory lap for Mayor Bill de Blasio, celebrating what some have called the biggest legislative achievement of his tenure so far. "Now, the city of New York is taking control of the situation. We now have a law that requires developers to create affordable housing," de Blasio said. On Tuesday, the City Council approved two major portions of the mayor's affordable housing plan. One proposal would force developers to build affordable housing in certain neighborhoods that will be rezoned. The other allows developers to construct taller buildings in residential neighborhoods and reduces parking requirements for affordable and senior housing. Both proposals faced serious opposition just months ago. "I know there were people who had real concerns. We tried to address the concerns in the legislative process," de Blasio said. "In the end, we got almost 80 percent of the votes in the City Council. In New York City, that's a pretty amazing consensus. Still, there is a hurdle for the mayor. A state tax subsidy program for residential development, known as 421-a, has expired. It needs approval by state lawmakers. de Blasio: Albany can do that, and they can do that this spring, and then we can create even more affordable housing for people here. Gross: Have you spoken to the governor about 421-a? de Blasio: Many times. Many times. And again, I think there is increased pressure from people all over this city saying to Albany, "We need affordable housing. Let's get this done." When NY1 reached out to governor's office for reaction, a spokeswoman told us there are no ongoing discussions regarding a replacement for 421-a. Despite that, the mayor is seeing signs of support from another branch of government. He brought out one big name for his rally in Lower Manhattan: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, who some believe could be a potential pick for vice president. "This is what good leadership looks like on behalf of the mayor and the City Council," Castro said. The actual development of affordable housing under this plan will take some time. It may be years before shovels are in the ground, but officials hope it will eventually create thousands of units of affordable housing. Elly comes with a back story, one this novel wears lightly. She is married to a tenured mathematics professor at Columbia (hes a decade older) and lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She works for CBS, writing soap operas. These details ring somewhat hollow. Ms. Lacey doesnt tweezer in enough inside information to make these milieus seem entirely credible. Ellys sister, adopted from South Korea, was an academic prodigy who committed suicide while at Barnard. Her mother is a drunk. Her father is in Puerto Rico doing cheap boob jobs or something. Nobody Is Ever Missing is composed mostly of long, languid sentences that push into the night like headlights. Theyre the sign of a writer settling in for a long backcourt game, one who is going to wear you down rather than go in for the kill. Sometimes these sentences lose their way, stall out or end up doubling back on themselves. Just as often, they are improbably beautiful, or simply cool and knowing. Here is Ms. Lacey, excellently, on how married people sometimes gawk at one another: My husband was staring at me with this brand-new look of his, one I had never seen before but would see much more of in the future; he was looking at me like I was a very nice thing of his that wasnt working quite like it should, like hed found a defect, a defect that was extremely disappointing because he had spent a lot of time doing his research and believed he had gotten a thing that was guaranteed against these kinds of defects, and maybe there was some kind of glitch in the system and maybe he needed to have a professional assess the situation, give him an estimate. Ms. Laceys slim novel impressed me, and held me to my chair. Theres significant talent at work here. One salient thing about Nobody Is Ever Missing is that Elly, even at 28, is so much more girl than woman. The heroines of Speedboat, Play It as It Lays and Sleepless Nights would consume her like an oyster. She spoke to me like I was a child, which was fine because I wanted to be one, Elly says at one point. At another, The voice of a teenage girl came up in me. At yet another, she appears to be a lost small animal with a passport. Ellys arrested development and her deep anomie arrive with a side order of brooding narcissism, one that can feel like a prickly assessment of the authors generation. CONEGLIANO, Italy Venice in the 15th century produced two major family studios of painters: the Bellinis and the Vivarinis. The story of the Bellinis the father Jacopo and sons Giovanni and Gentile is well known, that of the Vivarinis much less so, even though they were also important forces in transforming the gothic art of the early years of the century into the radically new forms of expression of the Venetian Renaissance. The Vivarini workshops spanned a period of six decades, from around 1440 until the first years of the sixteenth century. The altarpieces and other paintings created by the studios founder Antonio; his brother-in-law Giovanni dAlemagna; Antonios youngest brother, Bartolomeo; and his son Alvise, came to adorn not only many churches in Venice, the Veneto and the Bergamo regions of the mainland, but also along the length of the Adriatic coasts from the Marche and Puglia on its western shores to Istria and Dalmatia on its eastern side. This exceptionally wide distribution of works, some of which later found their way into museum collections on both sides of the Atlantic, has made it a challenge to stage a truly representative exhibition of the Vivarini. But this obstacle has been overcome for the first show of paintings by all members of the family, from all the regions to which they were exported in the 15th century. HONG KONG The first floor of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center was already bustling when Lin Han arrived at the opening of Art Basel Hong Kong, Asias most important art fair. In the three years since they began buying art, Mr. Lin, a Beijing-based collector, and his wife, Wanwan Lei, both 28, have built up a collection at lightning speed, acquiring more than 300 works. But at the V.I.P. preview of the Hong Kong art fair on Tuesday, neither Mr. Lin nor Ms. Lei was in the mood to make any quick decisions. Indeed, some dealers noted that the overall atmosphere seemed more muted than last years, with fewer collectors in attendance, especially from Europe and North America, and less frenzied first-day buying not entirely unexpected, given the recent economic slowdown in China. We just bought a few works at Tefaf, so we are not rushed to buy anything here, Mr. Lin explained, referring to the European Fine Art Fair this month in the Dutch town Maastricht. Instead, he and Ms. Lei were more interested in browsing booths and promoting M Woods, their contemporary art museum in the 798 Art District of Beijing. By the end of Friday, some dealers were reporting strong sales. David Zwirner, which is planning to open a gallery in Asia, presented a booth of mostly figurative paintings, including five works by Michael Borremans made especially for the fair. All five were bought by Asian collectors, including the Long Museum in Shanghai, at prices ranging from $250,000 to $1.6 million. Coming off record earnings, American Airlines says it will make profit-sharing payments to employees. Some American employees had complained that they did not participate in profit sharing, unlike their counterparts at other airlines. For instance, Delta shared $1.5 billion last year, and United paid out $698 million. On Wednesday, American said it would share 5 percent of its pretax 2016 earnings with all employees, except top management, in early 2017. Including its regional-flying subsidiaries, American has about 118,000 employees. Ms. Johnson contended that Mr. Martinez subjected employees to an unending stream of racist and sexist comments as well as unwanted touching and other unlawful conduct, made numerous comments about rape and, on multiple occasions, grabbed Johnson by the throat and by the back of her neck. During panels and cocktail hours here, dinners and private discussions, conversations turned to gender and racial inequality. There was disbelief that the behavior described in the lawsuit could still occur in 2016. When speaking on stage, women urged the industry to address gender and racial inequality head-on. Ms. Hill said change had to start at the top and that men had to be a part of the conversation. In fact, you have to start the conversation, she said. You have to listen to what your employees are saying. You have to believe that if they dont look like you, they likely dont feel or think like you. While Mr. Sorrell said there was less gender bias at the junior level and mid-management levels, he also said that the percentage of women and other groups, including people who are gay, lesbian and transgender, at the senior level was unacceptably low. Wendy Clark, a top advertising executive who has worked at Coca-Cola and is now chief executive of the agency DDB North America, said the industry had to stay restless on this discussion and could not allow it to become part of the conversation only when something went wrong. Ms. Hill said that every woman has at least one story about sexism in the ad industry. She said men called her young girl all the time even though she has been working in advertising since the 1980s. In the 1990s, she said, a client suggested the only reason she had his business was because he wanted to sleep with her. Marian Salzman, the chief executive of the public relations agency Havas PR North America who also started working in the industry in the 1980s, remembered a man once told her, using crude language, not to wear Uggs boots because they were unflattering. She said she also overlooked many comments that were, in retrospect, inappropriate. She said she worried that she had not been sensitive enough to other women who had complained of inappropriate behavior, and felt she owed them an apology. I didnt have my antenna up, she said. So while gasps and cheers erupted from the audience when Mr. Sorrell called out Mr. Levys assessment on the industrys gender bias, their debate also subtly underscored the broader issue: It was white male executives whose comments got the most attention. One of the basic bargains we make is that every working person should come home safely at the end of the day, Thomas E. Perez, the secretary of labor, said in a telephone interview. Silica, which is a component of sand and stone, is found in materials such as concrete, brick, building blocks and mortar. During procedures like sandblasting and fracking or when building materials are cut, large quantities of silica particles can be released into the air. Those particles can lodge deep in the lung, setting off processes that can lead to lung cancer as well as kidney disease, in addition to silicosis. Under the new rules, permitted exposures to silica throughout the construction industry would be cut to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an eight-hour period from 250 micrograms. In other industries, which have a 100 microgram standard, it will also be reduced to 50 micrograms. Companies will be required, among other measures, to keep records of employee exposure to silica and to provide a medical examination every three years to each worker whose level of exposure is high enough to require wearing a protective respirator for at least 30 days a year. The new rules were first proposed in 2013 and went through a two-year period of review and public comment. Companies have argued that voluntary steps already adopted, like the use of respirators or vacuums that trap and collect silica dust, have sharply reduced the incidence of silicosis. And they have said the new rule would impose billions of dollars in new costs on them. Here is the weekly road construction report for Hamilton County: U.S. 27 (I-124) widening from I-24/U.S. 27 interchange to north of the Olgiati Bridge over the Tennessee River, including widening the Olgiati Bridge: Work on this project continues. The speed limit on U.S. 27 in the construction zone has been lowered to 45 MPH. The contractor may have temporary lane closures on U.S. 27 between 7 p.m.-6 a.m. On Monday evening temporary ramp closures will be in place on various ramps in the MLK Blvd. area to facilitate the removal of existing street lighting. Only one ramp will be closed at a time and traffic will be detoured using city streets. As the project progresses, there may be short term temporary lane closures for the safety of the traveling public on city streets within the project area. Flaggers will assist with these closures and they will be properly signed in accordance with the Federal Highway Administrations Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. During Phase 1 of the U.S. 27 project, the contractor will be working on the northbound side of U.S. 27 on the bridges. Work will consist of demolishing and reconstructing the outside sections of the bridges along U.S. 27 North. Also on U.S. 27 South, they will be constructing a large retaining wall between the Olgiati Bridge and 6th Street. At least one lane will remain open in each direction on U.S. 27. THP will assist with traffic control on the project as necessary. Estimated project completion date is July 2019. For more info, visit the project website http://www.tn.gov/tdot/topic/US27-reconstruction-chattanooga. [Dement Construction Co., LLC/JM/CNP230] SR 317 (Apison Pike) the grading, drainage and paving on from Old Lee Highway (LM 5.58) to SR-321 (Ooltewah-Ringgold Road) (LM 7.84): Work on this project continues. The contractor may have short term lane closures to perform various operations on an as-needed basis. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion date is May 2017. [Wright Brothers Const. Co. /Pruett/CNN279] SR-320 (East Brainerd Road) grading, drainage, installation of signals, construction of seven retaining walls and paving from east of Graysville Road to east of Bel-Air Road: Work on this project continues. The contractor will have intermittent lane closures during this report period between 9 a.m.-2 p.m. This work may affect either direction of East Brainerd Road or side streets from Graysville Road to Hamlett Drive as the contractor installs road crossings and borings. The contractor may have short-term lane closures to perform various operations on an as-needed basis. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion is June 2017. [Mountain State Contractors, LLC /Pruett/CNN383] Shepherd Road over SR-153 construction of a rolled steel girder bridge from West Shepherd Rd. to Shaw Avenue in Chattanooga, including grading, drainage and paving: Work on this project continues. The bridge has returned to two lanes of traffic. During this report period, the contractor will continue retaining wall and widening work on the Airport Connector Road west of the Shepherd Road Bridge. This work will require that the shoulder and right travel lane heading to the airport on Shepherd Road be closed. This change should only affect those turning right at the top of the ramp from SR-153 South, as they will not have a designated lane to the airport during this work. The through lane from the bridge will remain unobstructed except for the occasional flagging for equipment to move in and out. During the project, there may be intermittent nighttime lane closures as necessary in both directions on SR-153 between 8 p.m.-6 a.m. THP will assist with traffic control as necessary on the project. Estimated project completion is October. [Jones Brothers Contractors, Inc./Micka/CNP105] SR-317 (Bonny Oaks Drive) improvement of the intersection with Volkswagen Drive (LM 3.85) serving Volkswagen Group of America, including grading, drainage and paving: Work on this project continues. The contractor will have intermittent lane closures on Bonny Oaks Drive between 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday and on Wednesday to move concrete barrier walls. The contractor may have short term lane closures on eastbound Bonny Oaks Drive at Volkswagen Drive to perform various operations on as-needed basis. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion date is March. [Talley Construction Company, Inc. /Pruett/CNN304] The tunnel cleaning of the McCallie Tunnel on U.S. 11 (US 64, SR-2), the Stringers Ridge Tunnel on U.S. 127 (SR-8), and the Bachman Tubes on U.S. 41 (U.S. 76, SR-8): The nighttime cleaning operation of McCallie Tunnels, Stringers Ridge Tunnel, and Bachman Tubes occurs normally on Wednesday and Thursday nights during the week with the 3rd Tuesday of the month. There will be no tunnel cleaning this week. Work hours are between 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Tunnels will be closed during cleaning, and detours will be marked accordingly as each tunnel is cleaned. Contract completion date is June. [Diamond Specialized, Inc./Micka/CNP212] The Securities and Exchange Commission has told Exxon Mobil it must include a resolution on its annual shareholder proxy that, if approved, would force the company to outline for investors how its profitability may be affected by climate change and the legislation that aims to combat it. The decision was a defeat for the energy giant, which had fought against it. The proposal was introduced in December, after the Paris accord on climate change, by a coalition of investors led by New York States comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, who is the trustee of New York State Common Retirement Fund, and the Church of England. Alan T. Jeffers, a spokesman for Exxon Mobil, the worlds largest publicly traded oil producer, said on Wednesday that it would provide the boards position on the shareholder resolutions in our proxy document. It is not obvious that Exxons shareholders will embrace such an idea. Last year, they soundly rejected a proposal to add to the board an independent director with expertise in climate change. At 5 p.m. Sunday, much of West 51st Street was shut down. Japanese tourists stood behind barricades. Comic-book fanboys carried Sharpies. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill were set to arrive for the premiere of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It felt like a giant commercial, particularly with a new Jeep Renegade parked in front of the hangar-size media tent outside Radio City Music Hall, as executives from Turkish Airlines ambled up to reporters, requesting interviews. Both brands had sponsored the movie and its premiere in exchange for being written into the plot. Among the first to make her way down the carpet was Diane Lane, who wore black stiletto boots and a green-and-yellow printed dress from Naeem Khan. She plays Supermans mother, a casting choice that maybe says something depressing about older women in Hollywood. Her onscreen son, played by Mr. Cavill, is just 18 years younger than her in real life. We did some funny math for sure, Ms. Lane said. Next came Holly Hunter, who plays a senator investigating whether Superman is Gothams great hope or a narcissistic terrorist, followed by Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane. The relentless parade of entrances and exits in the design offices of major fashion labels of late which has given the industry the whiplash pace of a Benny Hill chase shows no sign of abating. On Thursday, Salvatore Ferragamo announced that Massimiliano Giornetti, its creative director, has left the brand. Mr. Giornetti, 44, was a longtime Ferragamo hand. He joined the company as part of its mens wear design team in 2000, and was promoted to creative director, overseeing the mens and womens collections, in 2011. Like many designers taking on historic labels, he was tasked with invigorating a longstanding legacy and balancing Ferragamos footwear heritage with new fashion interest. He knows Ferragamo so well that he is able to bring new ideas, while every season is about working on the DNA of the brand, James Ferragamo, Mr. Ferragamos grandson, said in an interview in 2011. Typically, my wife picks me up and we head straight from the airport to the Saturday-morning outdoor market in Stockel, where we pick up brioche and cheese for breakfast and fresh vegetables for the weekend. Yet, much as I love arriving at Zaventem, there is no denying that security has been lax. In Moscow, where I worked as a correspondent for The Times for four years, it was impossible to enter any of the airport terminals without doing an initial baggage scan and going through a metal detector. That meant long lines often stretching outside in the bitter cold of Moscow winters. Once inside, this was followed by the customary security screening relinquish all liquids, etc. before entering the gate areas. Russia had learned the need for vigilance the hard way. In January 2011, eight months before I arrived to take up my assignment for The Times, a suicide bomber struck the international arrivals terminal at Domodedovo International Airport, killing 37 people. In 2004, two planes that had just departed from Domodedovo were brought down by Chechen suicide bombers. At Zaventem, there is no such screening (nor, by the way, is there such screening at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City or any number of other United States airports). Terrorist bombers placed suitcases filled with explosives onto luggage carts and wheeled them straight into the departure hall without anyone challenging them. Yes, there are people at his publishing house and speakers bureau who arrange non-Times book events and talks, but in the day-to-day, Nicks team consists of me (and my time is split, since I have the great fortune of also working for Charles Blow). I fact-check and give feedback on his columns, run his blog, produce his newsletter, answer his phone, enter expenses, cajole embassies into giving him visas, investigate new social media platforms, provide mediocre tech support and rib him about his abysmal pop culture knowledge. Ive never ghostwritten for him or fetched him coffee. Like many columnists, Nick was a reporter first. And like all the columnists here, hes perfectly capable of producing his own copy 800 words, twice a week. I love reading his early drafts and trying to poke holes in his arguments. Although Nick is a self-professed liberal, hes in the opinion business to change hearts and minds, not just sing to the liberal choir. Sometimes that means exposing corruption in Angola, or highlighting sex trafficking here and abroad subjects that arent particularly partisan in the United States, and also dont get much attention. To his dismay, those columns dont typically draw as many eyeballs as his columns about domestic politics my mom read it, hell say mournfully but hes grateful to The Times for still financing his travels to those places. Enrichetta Ravina thought the professor was her mentor, helping her get access to an invaluable trove of data for her research into how workers allocate their retirement savings. It was scholarship, she believed, that could help her earn tenure at Columbia Business School. But then, she said, the comments started. The professor told her about watching pornography and his sexual exploits, she said. He started making advances toward her, calling her sexy. And, she said, he had the ability to have that crucial data set taken away. In a lawsuit against the university filed on Tuesday in Federal District Court, Ms. Ravina said she complained repeatedly to Columbia officials about the situation, but that they only dismissed and belittled her. The suit claims Ms. Ravina was subjected to gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and asks for more than $20 million in damages. She also wants more time to apply for tenure. I never really wanted to be in this position, but this was the only thing I could do, Ms. Ravina, 40, an assistant professor of finance and economics at the business school since 2008, said in an interview on Tuesday. I felt really betrayed. I thought the university should have solved this. Lawyers for Dean G. Skelos, the former New York Senate majority leader, and his son, Adam B. Skelos, who were convicted of all eight bribery, extortion and conspiracy counts against them in December, asked a judge on Wednesday to let them avoid prison and be sentenced to perform community service. The requests by Mr. Skelos, 68, a Republican from Long Island who forfeited his Senate seat upon his conviction, and his son, 33, come less than a month before both are to be sentenced on April 13 for their convictions in one of the two most prominent public corruption trials to be held in New York City in decades. The other trial was of Sheldon Silver, the former State Assembly speaker, who was convicted of corruption charges on Nov. 30. He is to be sentenced on the same day by a different judge, also in a federal courthouse in Manhattan. Mr. Skelos and Mr. Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, were once among the most powerful leaders in the state. Their trials, which exposed influence peddling and other forms of corruption in Albany, seemed to put the capitals culture itself on trial. Richard Rosarios daughter fanned herself in a hallway of the Bronx County Hall of Justice on Wednesday. She was beginning to sweat, she said. Mr. Rosarios son, Richard Jr., milled around and spoke in soft tones about being only a toddler when his father was sent away. A lawyer rushed away from the courtroom, carrying a suit in a garment bag for the elder Mr. Rosario to wear for his appearance. He would be coming into the courtroom through the main entrance, they had learned. But he might not be allowed to hug his children. Well be able to after, and thats enough, said Amanda Rosario, 24, his daughter. Mr. Rosario, 40, who has served 20 years in prison, was able to walk out of the courthouse with his wife and children on Wednesday afternoon after a judge threw out his murder conviction in the 1996 shooting death of Jorge Collazo, 17, on a Bronx street. Darcel D. Clark, the Bronx district attorney, had moved to vacate the conviction. The prosecution conceded that Mr. Rosario had been denied his right to effective counsel because his lawyer had failed to interview potential alibi witnesses who could have proved his main claim: that he was in Florida at the time of the killing. The prosecution has not decided whether to retry Mr. Rosario. The task was as simple as it was delicate. The lease on an Albany warehouse holding fingerprint records and other personal information collected from 22 million people was about to expire, and the state needed to digitize the files. The contract for the job required that employees responsible for scanning the records pass background checks and protect the security of the documents. As a preferred source contract, the majority of the work was to be done by people with disabilities. Focused Technologies Imaging Services of Menands, N.Y., was awarded the $3.45 million contract in 2008. But according to the authorities, rather than fulfill its contract, it did what so many businesses have done in recent years: outsource the work to India. As a young man, Mike Allen did everything right. The East Tennessean joined the military as a paratrooper. He later started a family and became a business manager. But, according to Nick Wilkinson who announced his candidacy for State Senate on Thursday, the state legislation denied Mr. Allen the opportunity to live his life. On the day Mr. Allen got in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, he was forced into poverty because he did not have insurance. Now he has to choose between paying the rent and paying electricity, Mr. Wilkinson the citys deputy administrator of economic development said.Why does Mike have to sit in the dark?Mr. Allen attended Mr. Wilkinsons midday candidacy announcement on the third floor of the Edney. Many others came out in support as well, greeted by Mr. Wilkinsons extended hand as they walked in the room.When the candidate took to the podium the only decor in the white-walled space he stood tall in his pressed navy suit, saying with emphasis that he is running for State Senate for District 10 for our children who deserve better opportunities to succeed, for working families who deserve a chance to get ahead, and for our neighborhoods who deserve to have their voices heard, not deleted.Over the last several weeks, he said he had been thinking a lot of the people in the 10th District. Having grown up in East Ridge in a working household, he said he knows the meaning of working hard to put food on the table.Furthermore, he remembered when the city air was dirty and jobs were leaving downtown, and how a group of collaborative leaders carried out a vision to transform Chattanooga into the clean, innovative city it is today.This effective leadership inspired Mr. Wilkinson to return to Chattanooga from Ohio to dive into the entrepreneurial pool on the rise. He became part of the revitalization and resurgence of the local economy after the 2008 mortgage crisis devastated many families. He contributed as director of development at Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprises the nonprofit dedicated to building homes and restoring neighborhoods in underserved parts of town.As deputy administrator of economic development, he worked on the 2014 Volkswagen initiative to bring 2,000 new jobs to the city.It has been my gift to wake up every day and serve Chattanooga and our economy, he said.Now he wants to span his service to the states District 10, which encompasses seven cities from Cleveland to Red Bank. The seat is held by Republican Todd Gardenhire, who is running again. Mr. Wilkinson is running as a Democrat.Education, he said, is one of his passions and focuses for his campaign. Having worked in the school system, he has seen up close what makes an educational experience exceptional: great teachers. If elected, he aims to provide teachers with the proper tools and salaries they need to help children succeed.His second passion revolves around Insure Tennessee. The story of Mr. Allen is not the only one Mr. Wilkinson has heard of the state legislation failing East Tennesseans. Because of this, Mr. Wilkinson wants to help citizens who do not have insurance by working to pass Insure Tennessee the program to provide health insurance to Tennesseans who do not have access to it or who have limited options.Applause rang out after this announcement.Mr. Wilkinson stressed the power of working together to make necessary changes. As candidate for State Senate, he plans to work with the surrounding counties to really hear what people have to say.His drive for this is simple.Because I am from this district, he said. And I believe deeply in the people of Tennessee. City officials said Mr. Wilkinson is not required to step down from his city job and will remain in his current post during the campaign. Prosecutors are appealing a federal judges finding that a man convicted of killing two New York City police detectives cannot be executed because he is intellectually disabled. A notice of appeal in the case of the convict, Ronell Wilson, 33, was filed on Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn. Two separate juries had sentenced Mr. Wilson to death for the 2003 killings. While in a federal jail, he impregnated a female guard. The judge, Nicholas G. Garaufis, ruled last week that Mr. Wilson met the legal standard to be considered intellectually disabled. Judge Garaufis had initially found that Mr. Wilsons I.Q. was high enough to make him eligible to be executed. But the case was revisited after the Supreme Court ruled in a 2014 case that courts must consider more than I.Q. when determining if a defendant has an intellectual disability. Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, whose more-than-21-year tenure on the Federal District Court in Manhattan included a critical role in a controversial stop-and-frisk ruling affecting the Police Department, said on Wednesday that she would resign from the bench in late April. These have been the best years of my life, Judge Scheindlin, 69, said in an email to her colleagues. She wrote that she planned to spend the bulk of her time working as an arbitrator and mediator, doing public interest work and becoming of counsel to a law firm, which she did not identify. It is unusual for federal judges, who have lifetime tenure, to leave the bench. Judge John Gleeson recently resigned from the federal court in Brooklyn and is joining a law firm. Maybe a Trump movement is struggling toward self-consciousness, and in four to eight years it will be fully formed. But for now there arent Trump-like candidates challenging Republican politicians insufficiently committed to his cause (this has been a pretty easy year for incumbents, in fact), nor is there a Trumpish version of the netroots poised to be a player in Republican politics in 2018 or 2020. (The closest thing to a Trumpist activist cohort is the so-called alt-right, a mix of Jacobite enthusiasm and noxious racism thats still mostly a Twitter and comment-thread phenomenon.) A few prominent Trumpistas do make a neat ideological fit with Trumpism as it might exist going forward border hawks like Jeff Sessions and Jan Brewer, resentful populists like Sarah Palin, media bomb-throwers like Ann Coulter and the remaining Breitbart crew. But mostly hes surrounded by has-been politicians looking for a second life, media personalities looking for an audience, and grifters looking to cash in (but I repeat myself). So when Trump is no longer a candidate for president, Sean Hannity will probably morph back into a partisan hatchet man, Ben Carson will go back to his speaking circuit, Newt Gingrich will find some new ideological coat to wear and Chris Christie will take a job chauffeuring Trumps limo. Maybe theyll all rally again if he runs again in 2020. But Trumpism will need new leaders and a real activist base if its going to be more than a tendency or a temptation going forward. Then second, even if Trumpism finds the leadership and foot soldiers to fight a longer civil war, its very hard to see a classic realignment following. Thats because its hard to imagine either Republican faction the Trumpist populist nationalists or the movement conservatives who currently oppose him swinging into the Democratic coalition the way George Wallaces voters eventually joined the G.O.P. and Rockefeller Republicans joined the Democrats. Yes, if Trump is the nominee some Republican foreign policy hawks, Wall Street types and suburban women will likely vote for Hillary; if Trump isnt the nominee, some modest chunk of his blue-collar base might pull the lever for the Democrat. But overall the Obama-Hillary Democrats dont want, and more importantly dont think they need, the votes of either Trump-supporting working class whites who oppose immigration and affirmative action or Trump-hating religious conservatives or libertarians or Jack Kemp disciples. Given present demographic trends, they could be right. Nor would a not-Trump center-right party be obviously attractive to large constituencies on the center-left, unless it abandoned many of the very ideological principles currently inspiring resistance to Trumps progress. So a Trumpian schism probably wouldnt lead to a full realignment, a real re-sorting of the parties. Instead it would likely just create a lasting civil war within American conservatism, forging two provisional mini-parties one more nationalist and populist, concentrated in the Rust Belt and the South, the other more like the Goldwater-to-Reagan G.O.P, concentrated in the high plains and Mountain West whose constant warfare would deliver the presidency to the Democrats time and time again. The skeptical British, meanwhile, wonder why they should have to fund, and depend on, Europol, the unions weak security agency and have to work with countries like Germany, which seem allergic to any sort of surveillance. Better, they feel, to leave the union, retake control over their own security, and rely instead on the worlds most powerful intelligence alliance, the American-led Five Eyes. And so the detonations continue. Should the British vote in June to leave the union the so-called Brexit other nations, such as Hungary and Poland, will be tempted to follow. The European Union could dissipate faster than even its detractors could have dreamed. So are Germanys critics right? Is it reasonable to pull up the drawbridge? In a way, the very question shows the disproportionality of the thought unless you think its worth sacrificing 60 years of peace and international cooperation to the depredations of terrorists. Its what they want; European disunity, confusion and extremism put them a step closer to the all-out war between Muslims and non-Muslims they so desperately seek. And yet the opposite of anger, apathy and self-delusion, is also the wrong answer. For the sake of social peace, after the Sept. 11 attacks, and later after the Madrid and London bombings, we told ourselves that Islam and Islamism had nothing to do with each other. But sadly, they do. The peaceful religion can sometimes serve as a slope into a militant anti-Western ideology, especially when this ideology offers a strong sense of belonging amid the mental discomfort of our postmodern societies. Brussels in particular is a city of bubbles, with parallel communities untouched by any sense of national identity. When I was a correspondent there, the sharp difference between the prosperous city center and its depressed western and northern fringes, where a majority of the citys poor immigrants live, represented the worst kind of ghettoization. And it mirrored Belgiums national split, between Dutch-speaking Flemish and French-speaking Walloons, making it difficult to direct allegiance anywhere. As a Walloon socialist told King Albert I in 1912: Il ny a pas des Belges There are no Belgians. She took on Mr. Trumps and Mr. Cruzs repugnant ideas. Referring to Mr. Trump, she said the United States should not conduct or condone torture under any circumstance and added, America doesnt cower in fear or hide behind walls. She said it would be a serious mistake to respond to the threat of terrorist groups by carpet-bombing, as Mr. Cruz has proposed. Loose cannons tend to misfire, Mrs. Clinton said. In addressing Mr. Trumps comment that Americas involvement in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should be diminished, she said such a move would be a boon to Americas adversaries: If Mr. Trump gets his way, it will be like Christmas at the Kremlin. She offered specific short-term steps leaders in Europe could take as they confront overlapping crises, including an economic downturn, a surge of refugees and the threat posed by extremists who are European nationals. Currently, Mrs. Clinton said, several European governments dont automatically alert their neighbors when authorities intercept a suspected militant at an entry point, and that needs to change. Mrs. Clinton also said that the United States government needs to work more closely with technology companies to counter extremist propaganda and to enable law enforcement to intercept information about violent plots. But she did not state a clear commitment to privacy and civil liberties and has remained neutral in the fight between the government and Apple over forcing the company to help unlock an iPhone to obtain information. Mrs. Clinton has acknowledged that the military campaign against the Islamic State needs a new legal framework, since it is currently based on a law Congress passed to authorize a response to the Sept. 11 attacks. But she has yet to specify what the new framework would be. The nature and full extent of the connection between the terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday and the arrest, last Friday, of Salah Abdeslam, suspected of handling the logistics in Novembers Paris attacks, is still unknown. Didier Reynders, Belgiums deputy prime minister, said Mr. Abdeslam was planning to restart something in Brussels. What is known is that Mr. Abdeslam had been the subject of a worldwide manhunt since November, hiding out in the Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels where he grew up and easily eluding authorities in a city where police and intelligence agencies are fragmented, fractured by language differences and badly in need of repair. Beyond an obvious need to improve policing in Belgium, the European Union must quickly tighten security at airports, in train stations, and in urban metro and intercity rail systems. On Tuesday, the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, announced that France was ordering 1,600 police officers to guard border crossings and transportation hubs. Germany announced that it, too, was clamping down on its border with Belgium. Are terrorists more of a threat than slippery bathtubs? President Obama, er, slipped into hot water when The Atlantic reported that he frequently suggests to his staff that fear of terrorism is overblown, with Americans more likely to die from falls in tubs than from attacks by terrorists. The timing was awkward, coming right before the Brussels bombings, but Obama is roughly right on his facts: 464 people drowned in America in tubs, sometimes after falls, in 2013, while 17 were killed here by terrorists in 2014 (the most recent years for which I could get figures). Of course, thats not an argument for relaxing vigilance, for at some point terrorists will graduate from explosives to nuclear, chemical or biological weapons that could be far more devastating than even 9/11. But it is an argument for addressing global challenges a little more rationally. The basic problem is this: The human brain evolved so that we systematically misjudge risks and how to respond to them. Our visceral fear of terrorism has repeatedly led us to adopt policies that are expensive and counterproductive, such as the invasion of Iraq. We have ramped up the intelligence community so much that there are now seven times as many Americans with security clearances (4.5 million) as live in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Donald Trump responded to the Brussels attacks with crowd-pleasing calls for torture or barring Muslims that even Republican security experts agree are preposterous. Wouldnt you think a few would just say, Look, I know Kasich is behind in delegates, but he behaves in the way I want our party to be. It would be nice moment, wouldnt it? But so far, the list of people whove gone there is pretty much confined to one ex-governor. This week Trump and Cruz had a fight about their wives. An anti-Trump super PAC circulated an old picture of Melania Trump from GQ, posing more or less nude, with the message: Meet Melania Trump. Your next first lady. Or, you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday. Now, candidates dont control political action committees, but the Cruz campaign does have a history of dirty tricks, so you could imagine even a less lunatic person than Trump getting angry. Then Trump, in his inimitable way, threatened to spill the beans on Heidi Cruz. Leave the families alone! What this country needs is a bean-free election. Or at least candidates who can talk about terrorism without being terrifying. After the Brussels bombing, Cruz called for those police patrols, and bragged that he could say something so daring only because he wasnt afraid of being politically incorrect. Trump hyperventilated about waterboarding. Meanwhile, Kasich issued a statement about international cooperation in the war against terror. Youd think that would have moved somebody. But no. Friend I wanted you to be the first to know that today I am endorsing Ted Cruz for President, Jeb Bush wrote in an email Wednesday morning. Some political observers believe that hes trying to protect the political future of his son, George P. Bush, who is currently serving as Texas land commissioner. If thats the case, non-committed Republicans, you really should consider voting for John Kasich just to make it clear that you are not interested in having any more members of the Bush family in line for the presidency. I did get a text from Jeb at 5:30 in the morning, but no phone calls, Kasich reported. None of these new converts to the Cruz camp seem to have any actual arguments about Cruz being a good potential president. Bush, in his announcement, complained that Washington is broken but made no attempt whatsoever to explain how things would be improved by the nomination of a senator whose sole achievement in office was an effort to shut down the government. Maybe they think if Cruz is the spoiler at the convention, itll be easier to shove him away to make room for a brand new superhero? (Looking at you, Mitt.) Kinsfolk Sri Lanka The jewelry designers Jessica and Josie Fernando have early memories of visiting batik and woodcarving workshops during childhood trips back to their fathers native Sri Lanka. So when they founded Kinsfolk in 2013, they launched a line of batik scarves. Sri Lankan batik has a very old history, Jessica says. We are completely devoted to preserving the craft of handmade textiles by combining traditional batik methods with a more modern aesthetic. Image Kinsfolk founders Jessica (left) and Josie Fernando The sophisticated designs, drawn on pure, untreated silk with hot wax before dyeing, are inspired by nearly every corner of Sri Lanka the most recent collection of scarves, Palmyrah, is named after the long, elegant leaves of northern Sri Lankas Palmyrah palms, and the sisters have also designed scarves named after small south Sri Lankan towns. There are many more traditional handicrafts in Sri Lanka that we wish to use for future designs and products, Jessica says. kinsfo.lk. SAN FRANCISCO For weeks, the United States government has said that the only way to open an iPhone used by a gunman in a mass shooting was to get Apples help, a position that set off a clash between the technology giant and law enforcement. But remarks by a federal prosecutor in a court conference call on Monday and a letter from the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey Jr., published on Wednesday indicated a recent flurry of activity behind the scenes between law enforcement and other parties that have suggested methods to break into the phone. Mr. Comey, in a letter to The Wall Street Journal, wrote that the case between Apple and law enforcement over opening the iPhone has stimulated people worldwide to try to get into the device. And in a court transcript of a conference call on Monday with Apples lawyers and Sheri N. Pym, the federal magistrate judge presiding over the case, a Justice Department attorney, Tracy Wilkinson, said, There have been a lot of people who have reached out to us during this litigation with proposed alternate methods. The Chicago Area's Population Is Decreasing For The First Time In Decades By Sophie Lucido Johnson in News on Mar 24, 2016 5:42PM pantagrapher It's official: The Chicago metropolitan area is shrinking. According to U.S. Census Bureau data released this week, the Chicago are (which includes the city but also areas around it) decreased in population last year for the first time since at least 1990. The decrease marked the largest loss of any major metropolitan area in the United States in the past year. Cook County as a whole saw a population decrease last year for the first time since 2007. The Census Bureau new data shows that in the 12 months ending last June, Illinois forfeited more people than any other stateand rather than offset the losses as it has in the past, Chicago is making the numbers significantly worse. For the last several years, Wayne County (which contains Fairfield) has shouldered the majority of Illinois' population losses. Last year, however, Cook County led the pack with a 0.2 percent population decline a number that totals about 10,488 residents. Illinois's terrible fiscal mismanagement, may be partially to blame. Illinois has the worst credit rating and outlook of any state. It is also the only state to date without a budget for the 2016 fiscal year. Illinois is taking out $5.1 billion more every year than it brings in, which results in beyond-poor public services and ever-embarrassing political dysfunction. Last year, data began to suggest that Houstonthe fastest-growing US citywould surpass Chicago as the third most populated national metropolis by 2025. While Chicago writhes in the tangle of its own financial and political catastrophe, Houston boasts a relatively strong economy and low taxes that lure the urban-minded conservative set. According to this most recent Census data, California, Florida, and Texas added the most residents last year. The mass departure from Chicago may signal another disturbing trend: Ongoing gun violence and racially motivated police brutality could be driving the African-Americans away. In 2010, the African-American population in Chicago dropped by 17 percent; in 2014, it declined another 4 percent. (Data about racial breakdowns has not been released yet.) Updated: The original version of this article did not properly distinguish between the city of Chicago and the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the Chicago metropolitan area that saw a remarkable population loss for the first time in years; the city of Chicago has been seeing a population decline for much longer. Thirty-one percent chose Bernie Sanders, followed by 18 percent for Barack Obama and 11 percent for Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Trump scored highest among Republicans, at 9 percent. In USA Today, Mr. Luntz called it a a chasm of disconnection that renders every prominent national Republican irrelevant with the voting bloc that could control campaigns for the next 30 years. Among Republicans, Mr. Trump has retained popularity with the young. He recently led the G.O.P. field at 26 percent among those 18 to 34. But 26 percent was lower than Mr. Trumps support among G.O.P. backers over all. In looking at all the available exit polling from Republican contests, only in New Hampshire was there a consistent pattern of rising support for Mr. Trump as voting groups got younger. The more typical result was North Carolinas: 30 percent support for Mr. Trump among those 17 to 29; 37 percent among those 30 to 44; 44 percent among those 45 to 64; and 41 percent among those 65 and older. Maybe the young are more immune to Mr. Trumps appeals to ethnic, religious and racial resentment, as an Upshot reader, Stacy from Manhattan, recently suggested: One of the cheering things about teaching, as I do, an occasional college course is looking out at my 21-year-olds and seeing the total ease at which black, Hispanic, Asian and white students of all ethnicities interact with one another. Over several years, Ive never had a single incident of disrespect. And the white students are in the main from the exact demographics Trump exploits: middle and lower-middle class, who are less educated and less secure. Many of my students are the first in their families to go to college. As one white young man of Italian ancestry said recently, All that crap about peoples race or sexuality or whatever no one our age cares about any of that. And all the other students nodded and murmured in agreement, including the black and Hispanic ones. I cling to this, because otherwise, the whole country seems to me to be direly sick, a real mess. Recent research on race is far more pessimistic. Several articles last year poked holes in notions that younger whites were post-racial, or significantly less racist than their parents. Writing for Politico, Sean McElwee said millennials are racially apathetic and simply ignore structural racism rather than try to fix it. North Carolina legislators, in a whirlwind special session on Wednesday, passed a wide-ranging bill barring transgender people from bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match the gender on their birth certificates. Republicans unanimously supported the bill, while in the Senate, Democrats walked out in protest. This is a direct affront to equality, civil rights and local autonomy, the Senate Democratic leader, Dan Blue, said in a statement. North Carolinas governor, Pat McCrory, a Republican, signed the bill late Wednesday night. The session, which was abruptly convened by Republican lawmakers on Tuesday, came in response to an antidiscrimination ordinance approved by the states largest city, Charlotte, last month. That ordinance provided protections based on sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity, including letting transgender people use the public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, not gender at birth. The state bill, put together so quickly that many lawmakers had not seen it before it was introduced Wednesday morning, specifically bars people in North Carolina from using bathrooms that do not match their birth gender, and goes further to prohibit municipalities from creating their own antidiscrimination policies. Instead, it creates a statewide antidiscrimination policy one that does not mention gay and transgender people. The bill also prohibits local governments from raising minimum wage levels above the state level something a number of cities in other states have done. Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, has backed off his latest threat to veto the budget after nine months of partisan gridlock that threatened to close schools and forced social-service agencies to lay off employees. Mr. Wolfs drive for a multibillion-dollar tax increase to fund a record increase in public school aid ultimately failed. A Republican-written, $6.6 billion no-new-taxes spending package will become law on Monday, though Mr. Wolf refused to sign it. He insisted that the budget underfunded crucial needs, and that the state continued to need a major tax increase to wipe out a long-term deficit. The budget includes a 3 percent increase in spending. The governor had negotiated a deal with top Republican lawmakers that revolved around a 6 percent spending increase and a $1-billion-plus tax increase. But it did not survive opposition by conservative Republicans. RIO DE JANEIRO In the latest twist to Brazils colossal corruption scandals, the countrys already beleaguered political establishment found itself under siege on Wednesday over revelations of payments made to figures across the ideological spectrum by the construction giant Odebrecht. The payments by Odebrecht, a company at the heart of graft scandals enmeshing the government of President Dilma Rousseff and some of her most prominent opponents, reflect the volatility of Brazils political crisis. The revelations came after a ruling on Tuesday by a justice of Brazils Supreme Federal Tribunal that shifted jurisdiction to the high court of an investigation of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. A crusading federal judge, Sergio Moro, had been in charge of the case against Mr. da Silva, the most powerful figure in the governing Workers Party and, until recently, a popular and revered figure here. Prosecutors were seeking the former presidents arrest, but with the latest move at the high court, Mr. da Silva is expected to enjoy broad legal protections that would shield him from being arrested. Vietnam jailed a well-known political blogger and his assistant on Wednesday for posts that a Hanoi court said were abuses of their freedom and infringements upon state interests, their lawyer said. The blogger, Nguyen Huu Vinh, was sentenced to five years in prison and his assistant, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, received a three-year term. Both had denied any connection with the blog posts. Vietnam has been widely rebuked for its tough moves to curb online dissent as public appetite for the Internet soars and Web users turn to blogs to read about issues that state-controlled media avoids. The United States Embassy in Hanoi urged the government to release the two prisoners, as well as all other prisoners of conscience. The announcement by the Belgian authorities that they had confiscated more than 30 pounds of the explosive TATP from a dwelling used by the attackers in Brussels was, in some ways, an expected development. But it contained one detail that bomb-disposal technicians and security officials regarded with surprise: the quantity of the particular explosive involved. TATP, also known as triacetone triperoxide, is a white, crystalline explosive also used in the attacks in Paris in November, though it caused few casualties compared with the terrorists assault rifles. Highly unstable and sensitive to shock, friction and heat, it breaks down quickly in air. And while it can be made with basic chemistry skills and relatively simple equipment, it is more dangerous and tedious to manufacture than a commonly used fertilizer-based explosive, ammonium nitrate, which an American official, citing intelligence shared by Belgium, said the attackers had also used. Unlike ammonium nitrate, TATP is typically seen in small quantities, not in the tens of pounds. One American official who had reviewed the intelligence related to the bombs in France and the newer intelligence from Belgium said the recovery of more than 30 pounds indicated an increased capacity since the Paris attacks. And that figure did not include any explosive actually used in the bombs that killed 31 people on Tuesday. More aid agencies helping refugees and migrants arriving in Greece said they were joining a boycott of detention centers on Wednesday. Human rights organizations have rejected a pact between the European Union and Turkey to fast-track registration and asylum applications, under which hundreds of new arrivals have been detained since Sunday. Refugees or migrants whose applications fail will be sent back to Turkey. Aid agencies said cooperating with the Greeks at detention centers would make them complicit with an unfair and inhumane practice. After the United Nations refugee agency and Doctors Without Borders said they would cut back assistance on Tuesday, two other groups, the International Rescue Committee and the Norwegian Refugee Council, said Wednesday that they would suspend some of their activities. The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to begin a cease-fire on April 10 ahead of peace talks starting April 18 in Kuwait, the United Nations envoy to Yemen announced Wednesday. The envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has held extensive consultations with Yemens internationally recognized government and Houthi Shiite rebels as well as countries in the region and the United States and France. Previous attempts to carry out a cease-fire in Yemen have failed to take hold on the ground, with each side accusing the other of violating the terms. The conflict pits the government, backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, against the Houthis, who are allied with a former president. More than 6,000 people have been killed in the fighting. For news about comedy, including critical commentary: nytimes.com/arts. A searchable guide to these and other shows is at nytimes.com/events. Des Bishop (Thursday through April 3) Mr. Bishop is a native New Yorker who began his successful comedy career in Ireland, then moved to China in an attempt to perform stand-up in Mandarin. Now hes moved back to Queens and his comedy explores his evolving identity in a variety of cultures. At 7:30 p.m., with additional shows next Friday and April 2 at 10 p.m., Carolines, 1626 Broadway, at West 49th Street, Manhattan, 212-757-4100, carolines.com. (Elise Czajkowski) Jimmy Carr: Funny Business(Friday and Saturday) One of the biggest stand-up stars in Britain, Mr. Carr is known for his clever one-liners and envelope-pushing jokes. A precise writer who uses language in sharp, meticulously crafted gags, his rapid-fire sets are a blend of dense wordplay and roastlike insult comedy. At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Gramercy Theater, 127 East 23rd Street, Gramercy, 212-614-6932, venue.thegramercytheatre.com. (Sold out on Friday.) (Czajkowski) David Cross: Making America Great Again! (Friday) Mr. Cross, the comedian and actor (Mr. Show, Arrested Development), co-opts Donald Trumps catchphrase for first stand-up tour in six years. Regarded as one of the pioneers in alternative comedy, hes known for his biting political satire. At 8 p.m., BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, Peter Jay Sharp Building, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene, 718-636-4100, bam.org; sold out, but a standby line will be available. (Czajkowski) When the new Whitney Museum of American Art opened last year, one painting in its inaugural exhibition, America Is Hard to See, stood out: Hedda Sternes New York, N.Y., 1955. That dark-red-and-green work, made with an airbrush-and-enamel paint technique, looked particularly contemporary like early graffiti painting or the recent work of Keltie Ferris. Its inclusion in the show was important for another reason, though. Ms. Sterne, who died in 2011 at 100, was best known during her lifetime and to her dismay for being the only woman in a photograph published in Life magazine in 1951 that depicted The Irascibles, a group of artists who had written a letter to the Metropolitan Museum of Art protesting American Painting Today 1950, an exhibition that neglected the burgeoning New York School. But a show of Ms. Sternes work at Van Doren Waxter, Machines 1947-1951, may help refocus attention on her art. Her first show at the gallery, it features paintings and monotype prints that were made at the same moment: the decade after Ms. Sterne arrived in New York from Bucharest, Romania, having barely escaped the Nazis. These muted, mostly tan and blue canvases depict machines inspired by farm equipment in Vermont, and reveal her sometime alliance with the Surrealists (especially a fellow Romanian artist, Victor Brauner). Anthropomorphic and uncanny, the paintings in Machines also recall the work of Francis Picabia, Eduardo Paolozzi and Lee Lozano. Van Doren Waxter, which has started representing the new Hedda Sterne Foundation, showed a few of her paintings at The Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory this month. It is wonderful to see Ms. Sterne finally coming out from behind the famous photograph and being seriously considered as a painter. Millennium Park's Free Summer 2016 Movie Series Lineup Is Out One of many classics that will screen at Millennium Park It's hard to believe, but it won't be long until it will be warm enough to stretch out on the Great Lawn at Millennium Park with a picnic basket and catch a movie. The city has announced the lineup of movies that it will be screening this summer. Outdoor movie season kicks off on June 21 with that Chicago classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this spring. There's a little something for everyone from Purple Rain to Finding Nemo. There's even a double feature on the night of the full moon: Moonstruck (get it?) and then the creepy thriller Silence Of The Lambs. There will also be a special presentation by Kartemquin Films, a Chicago-based documentary film center best known for Hoop Dreams, which is celebrating their 50th anniversary. Movies are on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion on a 40-foot screen. Double-check the city's site before you head out, because the schedule could be subject to change. The final film that screens August 30 is still TBD, but the city promises it will be a Chicago favorite and you'll be able to vote on it. Seating is first come, first served, so get there early if you want a good spot. Tuesday, June 21, 2016 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986; PG-13, 103 min) Tuesday, June 28, 2016 Soul Food (1997; R, 115 mins) Tuesday, July 5, 2016 A League of Their Own (1992; PG, 125 mins) Tuesday, July 12, 2016 Thelma & Louise (1991; R, 120 mins) Tuesday, July 19, 2016 (Full Moon Double Feature) Moonstruck (1988, PG, 102 mins) Silence of the Lambs (1991, R, 118 mins) Tuesday, July 26, 2016 Kartemquin Films 50th Anniversary Celebration Tuesday, August 2, 2016 West Side Story (1961; Unrated, 152 mins) Tuesday, August 9, 2016 Grease (1978; PG-13, 110 mins) Tuesday, August 16, 2016 Finding Nemo (2003; G, 100 mins) Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Purple Rain (1984; PG, 111 min) Tuesday, August 30, 2016 Favorite Chicago Film, to be chosen by the audience at a later date Jay Pritzker Pavilion is in Millennium Park at 201 E. Randolph St. In 1862, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres led a group of French artists and intellectuals in a campaign against photography, signing an official petition denouncing the industrial method as anathema to the artist. A century later, the art world still looked down its nose at the medium. Yet the camera, with the ability to render the actual world in precise optical detail, has been a secret weapon for artists since photographys inception, from Thomas Eakins to Edgar Degas, Charles Sheeler, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Ellsworth Kelly, who died in December, first picked up a camera in 1950 and began making pictures as records of my vision, how I see things, he told an interviewer in 1991. Now, the first exhibition of Mr. Kellys photographs is at the Matthew Marks gallery, more than 30 gelatin silver prints made over four decades. His straightforward pictures of houses, barns, brick walls and winter branches yield the same distinctive observation of perceptual phenomena so characteristic of his hard-edge paintings, sculpture and prints: Rectangles float; shadows fall into hard-edge shapes; surfaces reveal evenly mottled patterns and unlikely grids. Black-and-white photography was tailor-made for these interests. His simple picture of a barn in Southampton, N.Y., for example, is a study in elementary geometry, underscored by the pure black, white and grayness of the photographic print. He divided the picture frame into three precise strips: On top, the gabled roof is a well-balanced triangle; underneath it is a wall composed of squares and rectangles, one painted white, and another a deep-black opening bookended by two gray doors; below is a lighter shade of evenly patterned grass. Founded by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi to preserve and exhibit his art, the Noguchi Museum in Queens has never offered a solo exhibition dedicated to another artist since its opening in 1985. Until now, that is: Tom Sachs: Tea Ceremony, an installation of clunky constructions relating to the ancient Japanese tradition of chanoyu, the ritualized preparation and serving of tea, is the first. It sets up an intriguing dialogue with Noguchis art, and there will be exhibitions devoted to other artists in the future, which is a good thing for this museum. Showing only Noguchis work year after year doesnt encourage return visits, and its exciting to imagine shows of those who have operated in the fertile cross-cultural space between East and West, artists as varied as Ad Reinhardt and Mariko Mori. Its a good thing for Mr. Sachs, too, as seeing his project in the context of Noguchis oeuvre makes it considerably more interesting than it would be on its own. The tea ceremony isnt a new theme for Mr. Sachs. In his extravagant installation Space Program: Mars, at the Park Avenue Armory in 2012, he included a Japanese tearoom, along with a life-size version of a lunar landing module and other ersatz vehicles and equipment for extraterrestrial exploration. After that, he devoted two years to creating in white clay the perfect chawan, the traditional bowl for tea drinking. But while Mr. Sachs shares with Noguchi the impulse to connect the traditional East and the modern West, his work is in conspicuous ways the opposite of Noguchis. Mr. Sachs typically cobbles together recognizable objects like sneakers, boomboxes and architectural models from plywood, foam core, glue, tape and myriad sorts of hardware. His comically inelegant works look as if they were created by a manically inventive but not especially skilled handyman in his basement workshop. Noguchis sculpture, on the other hand, was invariably suave and formally unified, with a particular predilection for natural forms, textures and materials. DUBAI An abandoned oil barrel in the Qatari desert. A line of empty buses that had been used to transport passenger loads of migrants. These images of the modern Middle East, captured by the Syrian photographer Jaber al-Azmeh, were a subtle yet poignant reminder of the world outside Art Dubai, the annual fair that just concluded its 10th edition. The work has political and social undertones, and it also poetically and critically analyzes whats going on around the world and specifically in the region, said Yasmin Atassi, director of Green Art Gallery in Dubai, which represents Mr. Azmeh and showed his work at the fair. Ms. Atassis gallery was among 94 participants from 40 countries at Art Dubai. The fair drew in more than 27,000 visitors to this years edition, which took place March 15 to 19. LONDON The third time proves the charm of a palpably different sort with The Truth, the unexpectedly giddy new play from the prolific French dramatist Florian Zeller, whose London plays to date have not been known for their laughs. Thats to take nothing away from first The Father and then The Mother, the two sobering dramas with which Mr. Zeller has made a name in the English-speaking theater. (The Father is in its final week on the West End and will open next month in a separate production on Broadway.) But few who lamented the minds in meltdown in his previous works could have anticipated a third play also running 90 minutes or so, with no intermission, and translated as before by Christopher Hampton as riotous as the production on view at the Menier Chocolate Factory through May 7. That The Truth also contains kernels of wisdom and pain is felt in the meanings that ripple from the text well after the mirth has subsided. The scenario is at once simple and disarmingly complex. It focuses on an adulterous husband, Michel (Alexander Hanson), who contributes to a web of deceit that ensnares all four of the sharply observed characters, none of whom can be relied upon to be telling the truth at any given time. A sampling of the panel presentations at the Art for Tomorrow conference in Doha. Jeff Koons, artist: Its not productive for artists to think that if they just work with the newest technology, their work will be new, refreshing and important to society. Aaron Cohen, chief executive of Soundwall: If you grow up in a networked world, you want art to be interactive. Neil Harbisson, cyborg artist: We are in a moment in history where we no longer need to use technology; we no longer need to wear technology; we can become technology. Einar Sneve Martinussen, associate professor, Oslo School of Architecture and Design: We understand WiFi as much as we understand the weather. World War II has pushed aside the Spanish Civil War in our memories. But Mr. Hochschild reminds us how riveted the world was. While the fighting lasted, from mid-1936 to early 1939, The New York Times ran more than 1,000 front-page headlines about the war in Spain, he writes, outnumbering those on any other single topic, including President Roosevelt, the rise of Nazi Germany or the calamitous toll of the Great Depression. Roosevelt refused to involve the United States in this war, later calling its arms embargo a mistake. But some 2,800 Americans went to fight anyway. About 750 of them died there, a higher percentage of participants deaths than the United States military suffered in any of its 20th-century wars. Image Adam Hochschild Credit... Spark Media The politics of the Spanish Civil War were, and remain, thorny. The appeal of resisting a coup backed by Hitler and Mussolini was apparent. But the defenders of the Republic, because the United States and other countries would not step in, took military aid from the Soviet Union. This was at a moment when capitalism was in crisis, and disillusion with the Soviet Union, and Stalin, hadnt fully set in; the Soviet Unions economic success made it seem like a beacon of hope. Most of the American volunteers in Spain were Communists or Communist sympathizers. For them, the war in Spain wasnt merely a chance to rebuff Fascism. It was an opportunity to stand with Spains recently elected government, under which workers had taken over hundreds of factories. Word of such events thrilled radicals abroad, Mr. Hochschild writes. Wasnt this what they had long dreamed of: the people at last seizing the means of production? The moral problem, he notes, is that the defenders of the Republic were, in embracing the Soviet Union, fighting for one of the finest of causes beside one of the nastiest of allies. He asks: If youre in a desperate battle for survival, do you have the luxury of worrying about who your allies are? A jury in San Diego on Thursday rejected claims by a law graduate, Anna Alaburda, that the Thomas Jefferson School of Law enticed her to enroll by using misleading graduate employment figures. In the first and perhaps last such case to reach the courtroom, Ms. Alaburda, 37, argued that the school reported a higher percentage of its graduates landed jobs after graduation than was actually the case, and that she relied on the bogus data to choose to attend the school. After amassing more than $150,000 in debt to graduate in 2008, she has been unable to find a full-time, salaried job as a lawyer, she says. A jury voted nine to three to reject her claims. Still, unlike more than a dozen other disgruntled lawyers who have tried but failed to bring their former law schools to trial for counting their graduates post-degree jobs such as waitresses and bartenders as full-time legal employment, Ms. Alaburda survived attempts over the past five years to sink her case. Senator Baldwin took inspiration for this bill from an example of so-called shareholder short-termism when Starboard Value said in 2011 that the Wisconsin-based Wasau Paper should focus on its tissue paper business instead of its free-sheet printing paper business. Starboard made its case for change, arguing that the world was moving away from free-sheet printing paper and toward tissue paper. Essentially, Starboard said Wasau should focus more on its most profitable business and take resources from businesses where it was losing money. Wasau Paper argued that it should focus on both. Eventually, Wasau Paper decided to close a money-losing free-sheet printing paper plant in Brokaw, Wisc. One hundred jobs were lost. Local tax revenue was lost. It hurt that towns economy. Hence, the name of this bill is the Brokaw Act. But lets examine the facts here. Was Starboard wrong? No. A Wasau Paper competitor, Verso Paper, has maintained a focus on free-sheet printing. Verso just went into bankruptcy for the second time. The tissue paper-focused competitor Kimberley Clark, however, appears to be thriving. Its stock price has increased more than 110 percent over the last five years. Was Starboard a short-term investor? No. Starboard held its Wasau Paper stake for more than four years until Wasau Paper agreed to be acquired by SCA in October. Thats hardly short-term game playing, as Senator Merkley called it. Did it act in a wolf pack with other investors? No. Do Senators Sanders and Warren favor companies running unprofitable lines of business until the entire company goes into bankruptcy and all jobs across the company are lost? Proposed Ordinance Would Decimate Ridesharing In Chicago By Mae Rice in News on Mar 24, 2016 6:18PM A yellow cab (Photo by Elena Kovalevich via the Chicagoist Featured Photos pool on Flickr) Updated at 2:30 p.m. after interview with Ald. Beale: A new ordinance could decimate ridesharing in Chicagoso, UberX and Lyftby requiring all rideshare drivers to get a chauffeur's license. This ordinance, proposed by Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), would "make it nearly impossible for ridesharing to operate in the city," Lyft spokesperson Chelsea Wilson said in a statement. Uber concurs that the ordinance "threatens to take ridesharing away." Beale told Chicagoist that really, the issue is that ridesharing has been regulated "piecemeal" in Chicago for too long. He hopes to "level the playing field" for cab companies and rideshare services. He argues that the status quo is "putting hard-working cab drivers out of business... family people who have worked for years." "The first two years that Uber and Lyft came into the city of Chicago, they were able to operate without a business license," Beale added. "They made hundreds of millions of dollars... while they were operating illegally in the city of Chicago." If Beale's ordinance passeswhich it could as early as April 13, though Beale predicts that City Council "shenanigans" will hold it up for a whileit would essentially prohibit the part-time rideshare drivers who currently offer cheaper-than-taxi rates and work with only a driver's license. Under the ordinance, all drivers would need to obtain a chauffeur's license, and get background-checked and fingerprinted by the city. Uber and Lyft would also have to meet the same quota as cab companies: five percent of their fleets would need to be accessible to people with disabilities. Uber reps said in a statement that the ordinance would "force UberX driver-partners to get expensive chauffeurs licenses that are designed for full-time, professional drivers. This would eliminate low-cost options and leave only pricey chauffeur services." Uber added that Beale's ordinance would hurt customers who can't afford traditional taxis. Lyft expressed similar sentiments in a statement provided by Wilson: Lyft unequivocally opposes Alderman Beale's proposal to impose a penalty of over $300 on local residents who help provide safe, affordable rides to their fellow Chicagoans. The ordinance as written would make it nearly impossible for ridesharing to operate in the city. We would welcome the opportunity to instead work with Chicago leaders to preserve the economic opportunities ridesharing has brought to the city for drivers as well as local businesses and communities. Beale questions the companies' claims that they provide affordable rides. "If that's the case, why do they surge price? Cab companies are not allowed to surge price if it's raining, snowing... [Uber and Lyft are] able to charge three times the normal amount [in those circumstances]. So who can afford that?" He added that Lyft's estimate of the price of a chauffeur's license "sounds excessive. But if the cab drivers can get it and pay for it, why can't [Uber and Lyft]? Why don't they underwrite it? They're making enough money to do that." Uber said in their statement that Beale's ordinance would "destroy earning opportunities" for the 35,000 part-time UberX drivers in Chicago. Uber argues that UberX provides essential jobs in areas with high unemployment20 percent of UberX drivers live on the South and West sides, the company reports. Beale argues that rideshare driving jobs are far from lucrative. He claims that the average Uber driver only stays with the company for 2-3 months, high turnover attributable to low, highly-taxed wages. "The fat cats at the top [of Uber and Lyft] are the ones making hundreds of millions of dollars," Beale said, while people driving for Uber have to pay taxes on the full ride fare, including the cut Uber takes. Combine that with the expense of "wear and tear" on your car, and the rideshare model isn't so sweet for drivers, from Beale's perspective. Beale added that his ordinance is also a reaction to safety concerns about ridesharing apps. "We don't even know who they are!" he said of rideshare drivers. As we reported in December, a rogue Lyft driver once followed a passenger who declined a ride, though he was not matched with her. It's unclear how widespread incidents like that are. Uber has started a petition against Beale's ordinance, which has more than 10,500 signatures so far. There is plenty of good news in the music industrys latest sales report released this week. Streaming is up. Vinyl has continued its unlikely renaissance. And did we mention that streaming is up? But a closer look shows that the big sales numbers that have sustained the recorded music business for years are way down, and it is hard to see how they could ever return to where they were even a decade ago. Revenue from music sales in the United States has hovered around $7 billion since 2010, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. For 2015, the number was $7.02 billion, up slightly less than 1 percent from 2014. Within that steady total, however, have been drastic shifts in listener behavior. CDs and downloads have been gradually abandoned as streaming has become the platform of choice. Memo to the Republican senators who refuse to consider President Obamas Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland: When it comes to business issues, Judge Garland is about as good as you could hope for. Thats because if there is any overriding philosophy in Judge Garlands writing and opinions, dating to his earliest law review articles, it is judicial restraint a deference to decisions by elected officials and those they appoint. Judicial restraint is a doctrine long cherished by conservatives and Republicans, as well as many judicial scholars across the ideological spectrum. Since Judge Garland sits on the United States Court of Appeals in Washington in what is known as the District of Columbia Circuit his docket has been heavy with appeals of decisions by administrative agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency or the National Labor Relations Board. In the overwhelming majority of those cases, he deferred to those agencies decisions. The Supreme Court justice whose language his most closely resembles is none other than Antonin Scalia, the conservative justice whom Judge Garland would replace. Justice Scalia delivered a ringing endorsement of judicial deference to administrative decisions in a 1989 speech at Duke University's law school. The legislative process becomes less of a sporting event, he said, when administrative disputes will be resolved, within the bounds of permissible interpretation, not by the courts but by a particular agency. Theyre Watching, a horror film by Micah Wright and Jay Lender, does a commendable amount with very little, using an amusing premise to separate itself from much of the genres low-budget fare. Anyone who has squandered time watching one of those dumb home-improvement reality programs will recognize Home Hunters Global, the fictional show that sends a film crew to a village in Moldova, where it follows an American expatriate named Becky (Brigid Brannagh) as she buys a wreck of a fixer-upper. Its when the crew returns six months later to see how the fixing up has progressed that the creepiness of this particular village becomes evident. Found-footage films, which is what this essentially is, sometimes strain to come up with a reason to explain why people being subjected to horrific things are filming their ordeal. But the premise here provides the necessary license of course a reality-TV crew will have the cameras running at all times. Kris Lemche and David Alpay play the veteran cameramen, Mia Faith is the young newbie on their crew, and Carrie Genzel plays the humorless boss. The four characters are so preoccupied with insult-hurling, petty politics and simmering romance that they arent fully on guard against the possibility that theyve stumbled into a village full of malevolent forces. The storytelling becomes muddled in the middle, and the suspense doesnt build as well as it ought to, but the winking undercurrent keeps the film watchable. When all heck finally breaks loose at that fixer-upper, the gore is delivered with flair. Watching Isabelle Huppert and Gerard Depardieu sweat it out in Death Valley amid tears, fights and swigs of wine has its obvious attractions. That at any rate seems to be the operating logic behind Valley of Love, a logy, woo-woo drama about a former couple who, at the request of their son, who killed himself earlier that same year, have come to find answers in the California desert. There, under the sheltering sky and unforgiving sun, they travel high and low on a journey that takes them into canyons, sand dunes, a lost past, their shared memories and finally the ineffable. Thats more or less it, give or take a few details, like the letters each forgiving, raw, emotional and hectoring that the son, Michael, sent to each parent before he died. Seemingly his last testament, these letters give Michael a voice and a kind of ghostly presence that grows as his parents talk about what they knew and didnt about him, and why they were no longer close. In a distracting twist, the parents share the first names of the actors playing them, which suggests a connection between the onscreen and offscreen Isabelle and Gerard (who have worked together before) thats more inferred than explored. The writer-director Guillaume Nicloux has a fondness for art-cinema cliches (meandering long takes, shots of the backs of peoples heads) but he also has an eye for natural landscapes, and some of the better scenes involve Isabelle and Gerard just parked under an umbrella and talking while framed against the areas otherworldly beauty. Its amusing to watch Ms. Huppert and Mr. Depardieu upstage Death Valley, and to that end, special mention must be made of his monumental stomach, which is often bared and big enough to deserve its own billing. Its a marvel of sorts, as tight as a drum and proud as that of a heavily pregnant woman, which here seems to be the point. As Isabelle and Gerard walk and talk, occasionally popping into the pool, a restaurant or their respective rooms, the movie opens up an attractive, at times seductive intimacy. Michael sounds like a pill and largely remains a cipher, despite the sketchy portrait that emerges through his parents. But Ms. Huppert and Mr. Depardieu are such tremendous, epochal screen presences and performers every time they appear in a movie, they bring decades of French cinema with them that it doesnt much matter that theyve convened for a character who turns out to be completely incidental. This movie is finally only about Isabelle Huppert and Gerard Depardieu, and thats enough. LOS ANGELES The Weinstein Company, no stranger to political controversy, has threatened to end its film production in Georgia over the states proposed Free Exercise Protection Act, which aims to let religious officials and organizations avoid acting in violation of their beliefs. Critics say the proposed law would lead to discrimination against gay people. On Thursday, Weinstein said it would cancel plans to film Lee Danielss coming movie, Richard Pryor: Is it Something I Said?, in Georgia if Gov. Nathan Deal signs the act, which was passed by the State Assembly last week. Earlier this week, Disney said it would plan to take our business elsewhere should the act or similar legislation become law. On Thursday, 21st Century Fox, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate each released a statement urging a veto of the bill. Other companies, including Time Warner and Viacom, have also expressed opposition. Governor Deal has said he is closely reviewing the act. In its statement, Weinstein said it will not stand behind sanctioning the discrimination of L.G.B.T. people or any American. ALBANY As the April 1 deadline for the state budget approaches, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo appears close to victories on raising the minimum wage and instituting paid family leave across New York, achievements that would cement his carefully cultivated reputation for progressive leadership. Yet since announcing in January that he would reduce state funding to the City University of New York by some $485 million, expecting New York City to pick up the balance, Mr. Cuomo has been playing fiscal defense, besieged by a well-orchestrated drive to paint his treatment of the university as a stain on his liberal agenda. The same people that were lifting up with raising the minimum wage are the same people that will be affected by the really draconian cuts to the university system, said Jonathan Westin, the executive director of New York Communities for Change, a liberal group that has teamed up with the Democratic governor on the minimum-wage push this year. Its those same people, its those same low-income people, same communities of color, that are going to be hurt by this. Democratic lawmakers have criticized Mr. Cuomo at a volume unusual in Albany. Liberal groups have banded together to demand increased funding in marches and protests. A group of prominent CUNY backers took out full-page ads in three city newspapers this week, calling the unsettled fiscal situation deeply troublesome. Julian Niccolini, a longtime co-owner of the Four Seasons, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on Thursday in a deal with prosecutors to resolve an allegation that he sexually abused a 28-year-old woman during a party at the celebrated Manhattan restaurant in May. Appearing in Criminal Court in Manhattan, Mr. Niccolini pleaded guilty and admitted he had put his hands on the woman, causing scratches and bruises to her hip and thigh. Though the assault offense carries a penalty of up to a year in jail, the restaurateur will not serve any time. On the recommendation of prosecutors, he was sentenced by a judge to conditional discharge, meaning he remains free unless he breaks the law in the next 12 months. Still, he will have a criminal record. A former doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan was arraigned on Thursday on charges of sexually abusing four women who came into the emergency room there, touching their breasts for no medical reason and, in one case, drugging, groping and masturbating on a patient. The physician, Dr. David H. Newman, pleaded not guilty before Justice Michael J. Obus in State Supreme Court in Manhattan to one count of first-degree sexual abuse and four counts of third-degree sexual abuse. He remains free on bail. Four young women who came to the hospital for medical treatment were sexually abused by the very doctor entrusted with their care, the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., said in a statement. One was sedated to the point of being physically helpless a nightmare scenario for any patient to endure. Dr. Newmans lawyer, Susan R. Necheles, said he vigorously denied the charges and expected to prove at trial that they were false. Since the revolt by parents against New York States reading and math tests last year, education officials at the state level have been bending over backward to try to show that they are listening to parents and educators concerns. The tests, which are given to third through eighth graders and will begin this year on April 5, were shortened, time limits were removed, and the results will not be a factor in teacher evaluations, among other changes. On Monday, Betty A. Rosa, the newly elected chancellor of the Board of Regents and the states highest education official, even said that if she had children of testing age, she would have them sit out the exams. The message, clearly, is: We hear you. But in New York City, the Education Department seems to be sending a different message to some teachers and principals: Watch what you say. Peter Liang, the former New York City police officer convicted last month in the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley, met on Thursday with Mr. Gurleys domestic partner, lawyers said. At the meeting, which lasted about five minutes, Mr. Liang told Mr. Gurleys partner, Kimberly Ballinger, that he was sorry, his lawyer said. The meeting came a day after the Brooklyn district attorneys office recommended that Mr. Liang, 28, who was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, receive no prison time when he is sentenced next month. The apology was an attempt by Mr. Liang to defuse the anger and discord directed at him after Mr. Gurleys death. He said he was very sorry, that he knows how difficult it is to lose a loved one and that this the shooting was the last thing he could have ever imagined happening, one of Mr. Liangs lawyers, Paul Shechtman, said. Luxury West Loop Building Uses DNA Testing To Catch Tenants Who Don't Pick Up After Dogs By Sophie Lucido Johnson in News on Mar 24, 2016 4:32PM via littlepretty/Flickr File under: totally logical use of resources. The Luxe, a West Loop rental apartment building, is using DNA testing to finally do what no one has been able to do before: determine, without a shadow of a doubt, who pooped. Residents in the building were required earlier this year to submit their dogs to a cheek swab so the owners of the building could set up a comprehensive DNA dog database. Rogue poops will no longer be pardoned: Positive DNA matches will result in fines and possible eviction. According to the Tribune, Greystar (the management company for the Luxe) sent a letter to its residents in December stating, "We try to manage this problem as best we can; however, as this issue has continued to affect our community, we are now forced to implement the Pet DNA program." Here's how the system works. When a problematic poop is discovered, someone (presumably wearing CSI-style rubber gloves) carefully removes it and mails it (yes, mails it) to Tennessee, where it is tested for identification. The first offense will cost dogs (and their owners) $250; each subsequent offense is $350. Costs to human dignity are not specified. If you're wondering whether there is a company in Tennessee that exists for the sole purpose of prosecuting vulgar pooches, the answer is that yes, there is. The company is called PooPrints, and their website claims that they serve more than 2,000 properties in the US, Canada, and England. That means that there are more than 2,000 people worldwide (at least!) who choose to spend their money (it's about $100 per sample) to send fecal matter in the mail in order to accurately shame dogs. The future is nowthough Chicago is predictably a few years behind New York on this one. A Long Island apartment building enlisted PooPrints back in 2011 for this very purpose. Laugh all you want, but PooPrints representative Ernie Jones told the Tribune that most clients report a 95 to 99 percent reduction in dog waste after implementing the program. So if poop is your problem, this is a possible proven solution. On the other hand, if property owners really want to prevent bodily waste in off-limits areas, they should probably have the human residents submit cheek swabs too. People do some crazy things when they're really drunk, and dogs make excellent scapegoats. To the Editor: Re When Did Porn Become Sex Ed?, by Peggy Orenstein (Sunday Review, March 20): We cant shift the sex education paradigm until we acknowledge the monumental changes in American society and in young peoples physiology that have coalesced to create a 12-to-13-year gap between sexual and reproductive maturity and age at first marriage. In the absence of adult preparation and guidance, how surprised should we be that so many young people turn to pornography and hookup culture? In the parent groups I work with, I ask: Who is responsible for teaching your children how to have an informed, caring and ethical sexual life? Arent these the values we teach in every other aspect of child development? Why would sexuality be different? Educating for yes means helping young people make wise decisions by asking themselves, Under what circumstances is participating in a particular sexual experience right for me and another person, and under what circumstances is it better, or even vital, that I decline? What young people wont ever get from pornography or hookups is an understanding of the profound connections among sex, intimacy and the willingness to bring your whole self not simply your body to a sexual experience. Thats up to us. UBUD, Bali It was his friends sixth sense that led the Indonesian architect Hendra Hadiprana to settle on the site that has become his Balinese home. Mr. Hadiprana had given over his expansive family rice farm in nearby Ubud, the islands cultural hub, to create the Chedi hotel. Now he wanted to find a suitable place to build a replacement getaway for himself. He happened upon a plot of unkempt land about 20 minutes drive from Ubud. Local residents were scared of the site at the time. The Petanu River runs along one edge of the property, carving out a narrow gorge thick with trees. But Mr. Hadiprana saw potential. The friend said he had a vision of two angels who told him that they had lived and played in that spot for 1,000 years. They would consent if Mr. Hadiprana wanted to build a house there, but they didnt want to be evicted. He would have to create a home for them as well. A dual, well-tended shrine in front of an ancient banyan tree on the property was created as a result. The homes dominant decorative theme is of twinned females. This is how Bumi Duadari, or the Land of Two Angels, got its name. Google is once again in trouble with Europes authorities about privacy. The company was fined $112,000 on Thursday by Frances data protection watchdog for failing to comply with demands to extend a European privacy ruling across its global domains, including Google.com in the United States. The financial penalty a paltry sum compared to Googles $75 billion in annual revenue relates to the right to be forgotten ruling issued in 2014 by Europes top court. The ruling allows anyone with connections to Europe to ask search engines like Google to remove links about themselves from online results. Google has fought hard to limit the legal decision to its European operations like Google.fr in France, saying that applying the ruling worldwide would infringe peoples freedom of expression. But French privacy regulators, among others, have demanded that the company apply the right to be forgotten across its global domains to comply with Europes tough data protection rules that enshrine an individuals privacy as a fundamental human right. In an email, Alison Findlay, deputy chair of the British Shakespeare Association and a professor at Lancaster University, cast a more skeptical eye on the 19th-century article, calling it almost self-consciously playful. But, she added, the scans say what the scans say. As for why a doctor would rob a well-known grave, Mr. Colls said, the answer may lie with a bet placed by the politician and man of letters Horace Walpole (1717-97), who, he said, supposedly put a 300-pound bet that he would pay out this money if someone would bring to him the skull of Shakespeare. That a well-to-do writer should place a bet on the skull of a genius was not so unusual, he added: The late 18th century marked the early years of phrenology, a pseudoscience that looked for clues to intelligence in the size and shape of peoples heads. There were a lot of thefts of famous peoples graves in an attempt to see why that person was a genius, Mr. Colls said. I imagine that Shakespeare would have been a very worthy target. The announcement of the news was carefully rolled out by Channel 4, a British television station that has been working with the research team to develop Secret History: Shakespeares Tomb, a documentary that will air this weekend in Britain. While the British news media have been quick to brandish the news of a stolen Shakespeare skull, Mr. Colls himself is somewhat more cautious in his phrasing. Were reasonably confident that theres a good chance that Williams skull is no longer there, he said. Whether the archaeologists beaming radar into Shakespeares grave were able to escape the curse printed above the grave depends on how much you believe in quantum physics. Radar waves, like every other form of electromagnetic radiation including visible light, carry energy and momentum, a lesson every schoolkid learns when asking where a comets tail comes from: particles of cosmic fluff pushed into a stream by the pressure of sunlight. Indeed, scientists have suggested that spacecraft with giant foil sails propelled by sunlight or powerful lasers might be the cheapest form of interplanetary or even interstellar travel. One of the ineluctable rules of quantum mechanics (and perhaps journalism) is that you cant observe something without disturbing it and influencing it in some way. For Shakespeares remains to be detected, electrons in the atoms of his bones would have to absorb energy and momentum from the radar waves and then kick it back out. So to see Shakespeare is to give him a quantum tickle. Safely embedded in the ground, the bones might not have moved much or at all, but they knew someone was watching. WASHINGTON Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. accused Senate Republicans on Thursday of abandoning their duties and damaging their country by leaving a Supreme Court seat vacant, forcefully rejecting Republicans use of one of his speeches to justify their blockade. Its a plain abdication of the Senates solemn constitutional duty, he said, after weeks of hearing his decades-old remarks used against the Obama administrations push to confirm Judge Merrick B. Garland for the court. Its an abdication, quite frankly, that has never occurred in our history. Seeking to dispel the notion that they are taking unprecedented action in refusing to consider a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, Senate Republicans have cited the Biden rule, drawn from a speech he gave in 1992 in which he urged the president not to name a nominee in an election year. His brow furrowed and voice rising, Mr. Biden emphasized on Thursday that as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, he oversaw the nominations of eight Supreme Court nominees, including Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who was approved in 1988, the final year of Ronald Reagans presidency. Each of them was received for meetings, had confirmation hearings and got a vote, he said. With his sharp intellect and steely resolve, Ted Cruz has propelled himself through one accomplishment after another: Princeton, Harvard Law, a Supreme Court clerkship, the United States Senate, and now a strong contender for the Republican presidential nomination. But as his life was taking off, his half sisters was going in the opposite direction, a snowballing misery of bad choices, bad luck and, most of all, a losing battle with drugs. Through her Mr. Cruz became acquainted with a world far from the towers of the Ivy League and the corridors of power so far that several of Ms. Cruzs friends interviewed recently did not even know Mr. Cruz was running for president. He fielded phone calls from his half sister when she landed in jail. He kept tabs on her as she bounced from boyfriend to boyfriend, job to job, and in and out of rehab. He took a particular interest in making sure that her son was cared for, including taking out a large credit card advance to send him to a military-themed boarding school. Ms. Cruz, friends said, came to look up to her younger half brother and to rely on his help. Image Miriam Cruz in an undated drivers license photo. Credit... via Collingdale Police Department But Mr. Cruz, accustomed to achieving everything he set his mind to, also learned the limits of what he could accomplish. Despite periods of sobriety, Ms. Cruz continued in her drug abuse and arrests until 2011, when she died of an accidental overdose in a bedroom strewn with prescription pill bottles. Tourism to Cuba reached a record last year, when 3.5 million people visited, according to state news media. In 2016, one million people have visited so far, up nearly 15 percent from the same period last year. The number of Americans who traveled to Cuba increased 77 percent in 2015 from the prior year, according to the Havana Consulting Group, which monitors business trends in Cuba. Its pretty close to impossible to find rooms right now; the demand for Cuba is just unbelievable, said Peter Sanchez, president of Cuba Tours and Travel in Miami. Its not just Americans. Its also the rest of the world that wants to see Cuba the cliche before it changes. He said hotels in smaller cities are full through next year, and others are charging up to $375 a night. For the second week in May, a room at the Habana Libre a former Hilton so in need of repair that Mr. Sanchez refuses to book his customers there is $300 a night. The state tourism company, Gaviota, said it plans to add 50,000 hotel rooms by 2020, with Havana as the top priority. The goal, a state-run media report said, is to position Havana as one of the top destinations for urban tourism in the Caribbean by opening three new hotels by 2018. Airbnb, the home-share service, announced last week that in its first year in operation, more than 13,000 American travelers had booked stays in Cuba. Nearly 4,000 homeowners have listed their homes there, the company said. The strain on the hospitality industry is particularly acute in Havana, because the Cuban government for years focused on building hotels at beach resorts popular with Europeans, but which are off-limits to Americans, who even under the new rules are prohibited from engaging in vacation-style excursions. Cuba has about 70,000 hotel rooms, but only 20 percent of those are in Havana. In places like Vinales and Trinidad, there are so few hotels that private entrepreneurs who rent rooms have stepped in to fill the void. The president appeared to be digging in her heels for what may be a protracted battle, offering heated responses to an array of questions posed by journalists from international news organizations in an interview that lasted more than an hour. Ms. Rousseff, who narrowly won re-election in 2014, also denied that her two presidential campaigns had received any illegal financing. Her campaign strategist, Joao Santana, has been arrested and accused of receiving millions of dollars in illegal payments in offshore accounts. Ms. Rousseff is striking back at her opponents at a time when her government has come under intense pressure over an economic crisis, corruption scandals and her nomination of her mentor and predecessor as president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, to join her cabinet as chief of staff. The nomination of Mr. da Silva, 70, the most towering figure in the governing Workers Party, set off a national firestorm, because the post would give him broad legal protection as prosecutors seek his arrest in connection to a graft investigation involving giant construction companies. Ms. Rousseff defended her nomination of Mr. da Silva in the interview, saying, Lula is my partner, and citing the value of his talents for political negotiation at a time when her government is under intense stress. She brushed away complaints that the appointment would shield him from legal scrutiny, saying he would still be answerable in Brazils highest court after he joined her cabinet. OTTAWA A well-known Canadian musician and former radio host, Jian Ghomeshi, was acquitted of five charges related to sexual assault on Thursday, after a trial that provoked an exceptional amount of media attention and public debate. Justice William B. Horkins of the Ontario Court of Justice, who heard the case without a jury, said the three women who testified against Mr. Ghomeshi had undermined their credibility by not disclosing important aspects of their relationships with him to prosecutors and the police. The evidence of each complainant suffered not just from inconsistencies and questionable behavior, but was tainted by outright deception, read the judges decision. In a country where celebrity and political scandals rarely involve sex, Mr. Ghomeshis case seemed particularly lurid. BUENOS AIRES President Obama expressed regret on Thursday for the failure of the United States to acknowledge the brutal repression and atrocities that took place during Argentinas dirty war in the 1970s and 80s. Theres been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days, Mr. Obama said at the Parque de la Memoria, a monument to the wars victims, where he attended a ceremony for the 40th anniversary of the 1976 military coup that began the Argentine dictatorship. The United States has to examine its own policies as well, and its own past, Mr. Obama said, adding, Weve been slow to speak out for human rights, and that was the case here. The presidents remarks came after he toured the memorial with President Mauricio Macri of Argentina, walking beside a hulking gray stone wall engraved with the names and ages of 20,000 victims and 10,000 blank spaces for those who have yet to be identified. Mr. Obama announced this week that he would begin a declassification effort to unseal secret military and intelligence files that could shed light on the fates of some of those victims, as well as what the United States knew about human rights violations that took place during what Mr. Macri called the darkest period in our history. A worker looks closely as containers are unloaded in Qingdao Port, Shandong province. China is eager to create a fair investment environment for foreign businesses. [Photo/China Daily] Talks over the China-U.S. bilateral investment treaty (BIT) should be completed before November's U.S. presidential election to prevent potential political intervention, former commerce minister Chen Deming said on Wednesday. His comments came after the U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump pledged to impose tariffs on Chinese products to "level the playing field", even though this would be contrary to the rules of the World Trade Organization. Speaking at the annual Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan province, Chen said the BIT talks are nearing completion with most key issues resolved. Both sides have agreed in principle to take disputes between the host countries and investors to third-party arbitration at the World Bank and are now exploring ways of further shrinking the so-called negative lists before moving on to talks on market access. A total of 24 rounds of talks have been held since negotiations started in 2008 as both countries sought to increase mutual investment. The treaty is expected to boost Sino-US ties after China became the biggest trading partner of the United States last year, with trade volume reaching nearly US$560 billion. Sino-US trade has grown large in volume, but bilateral investment is still trudging a muddy path, said Song Hailiang, president of Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co, a heavy-duty equipment maker. The treaty is vital for free and easy investment, a key aspect of economic vitality, Chen said. The BIT will help Chinese companies invest overseas and fit better in the global value chain. Eager to create a fair investment environment for foreign businesses, China has urged the U.S. to exchange views on the negative lists to conclude the talks. A "negative list" specifies any bans or limits on foreign investment. Businesses not on such a list are presumed to be unrestricted. This system has been adopted in China's four pilot free trade zones in Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian, which opened in the past two years. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. My fathers cool, she said. Money proved to be the least of their problems. The owner of a building in the busy downtown area of Shar-e Naw, which had an invitingly blank wall on a busy street, refused to let them use it, on the grounds that crowds might gather and attract a suicide bomber. They were turned away from Kabul University, told it would be defacing government property. In a jittery capital, they heard the security objection a lot. But here they were, a bunch of high schoolers, comparatively unafraid. What was the adults problem? The last suicide bombing, after all, was three weeks earlier; its not like they happen every day, and Kabul is a city of five million. Finally, way out on Darulaman Road, the principal of Habibia High School allowed them to use a patch of the compound wall around his institution, a public school but an elite one, where President Ashraf Ghani once studied. They painted their wall salmon, with blue inscriptions, including one, Humanity is my dream, a famous line by the poet Afghans know as Maulana, but the rest of the world knows as Rumi. He was a 13th-century Persian, but he was born in Balkh, in what is now Afghanistan. The high school principal, Sayed Shah Bakabuli, was not entirely persuaded. I gave them my permission because I know it is for a good cause, but I still have my concerns that, God forbid, it should be taken advantage of by the bad guys, he said. The youths had other problems. After they pounded their nails in, they returned the next morning to find that someone had stolen them all. I guess they needed nails, Abdul said, but quickly recovered his composure. Its O.K. We have more. By contrast, Germany, with its history of fascism and Communism, feels it has special responsibility not to separate morality from actions, Ms. Martin-Liao said. One of the six people on the list given to Mr. Gauck was Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned Nobel Peace laureate, Ms. Martin-Liao said. The others were Ms. Gao; the writer and photographer Liu Xia, who is under house arrest and is married to Mr. Liu; the imprisoned poet Li Bifeng; the imprisoned scholar Ilham Tohti; and Qin Yongmin, the founder of a pro-democracy party who has disappeared. On Monday evening at the German Embassy, Mr. Gauck also met with some of Chinas beleaguered human rights lawyers, including Mo Shaoping and Shang Baojun, who represent Ms. Gao. More than 200 rights lawyers or legal workers were swept up in detentions last summer, with about two dozen still in custody. Ms. Gao has received a visa to travel to Germany for medical treatment but cannot leave China because the Public Security Ministry will not permit her exit, Ms. Martin-Liao said. Perhaps most markedly, at Tongji University in Shanghai on Wednesday, Mr. Gauck delivered a blistering, if coded, speech, in which he criticized repressive political states and called for civil society to be allowed to flourish. The German newspaper Die Welt reported that in a clever speech, the president held up a mirror to Chinese politics. By referring extensively to Germanys experiences of Nazism and East German Communism, Mr. Gauck drew parallels with China today that resonated, the article said. BEIJING A lawyer who was detained in southeastern China while defending churches that were being forced to remove their crosses has been released by the police, according to a post on his main Chinese social network account. The lawyer, Zhang Kai, was detained in late August and made a televised confession last month, apparently under coercion. The brief message posted to Mr. Zhangs account on the WeChat social network late Wednesday said that he was back home. I have returned to my home in Inner Mongolia safely, it said. Thank you to all my friends for your concern, caring and giving consolation to my family during this time. And thanks to the Wenzhou police, who have taken care of me during this time. Officials had announced criminal charges against Mr. Zhang earlier, and it was unclear whether he had been released on bail pending a trial. He and his family members could not be reached for comment, but China Aid, a Christian rights group based in the United States, said that it had confirmed his release with his relatives. YANGON, Myanmar Myanmars Parliament approved a slate of cabinet nominees on Thursday, including two officials with dubious academic degrees on their resumes, raising questions about the credibility of the countrys new government before it comes to power next week. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the nations pro-democracy movement, was the only woman among the 18 nominees. She is expected to take four cabinet posts, including that of foreign minister, ensuring that she will have a powerful role in governing the country, despite being unable to assume the presidency. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyis party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in November in elections that were the freest in decades. She is barred from the presidency by a clause in the Constitution that prohibits people with foreign relatives from holding the post; her two sons are British. But she has carved out broad responsibilities as the likely head of the ministries of foreign affairs, education, energy and the presidential office. The president-elect, U Htin Kyaw, is an ally of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, and she has said her authority will supersede his. LONDON The terrorist attacks in Brussels are stoking an already heated debate in Britain over the countrys membership in the European Union. With fervent advocates of Britains exit from the bloc already conflating terrorism with the migration crisis, the argument developed more gravity on Thursday when a former director of MI6, the British intelligence service, said that there would be little cost and some benefit for British security if it left the European Union. The government of Prime Minister David Cameron, which favors remaining in the European Union, has argued that in an increasingly unstable world, Britain is stronger and more secure inside the bloc, where intelligence is shared and there is a common arrest warrant. The government has used the Brussels attacks as another argument for security cooperation inside the European Union. Michael Fallon, the British defense secretary, argued that we keep control of our borders, but we benefit because we share the intelligence, the flight information and the cooperation that there is between security forces across Europe. MOSCOW The United States and Russia agreed during marathon talks on Thursday to try to strengthen the cease-fire in Syria and to increase humanitarian aid, but the shape of any political transition to end the war remained vague. Speaking at a midnight news conference in the Kremlin after four hours of discussion with President Vladimir V. Putin, Secretary of State John Kerry said the improvements on the ground in Syria since the cease-fire started on Feb. 27 were welcome but they are not sufficient, nor are they permanent. The main sticking point between the two countries has long been the role of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in any political transition, and there was no indication that they had reached agreement on that. Russia and the United States agreed that the Syrian negotiators for the government and the opposition had to meet face to face in Geneva and should follow a target schedule to produce a draft Constitution and the guidelines for a political transition by August, Mr. Kerry said. CAIRO The Egyptian authorities pressed ahead Thursday with a case against the founders of two prominent human rights organizations, part of a crackdown on civil society organizations that have documented government abuse. The accusations against the founder of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, Hossam Bahgat, and Gamal Eid, the founder of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, include charges of illegally receiving foreign funding and appear to be a continuation of a criminal investigation brought in 2011 against foreign groups operating in Egypt. Officials have threatened to expand the prosecution of Egyptian nongovernmental organizations for more than two years; Thursdays hearing is the latest indication that the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi intends to follow through. In the hearing, the judge, Mohamed Shorbagi, was weighing whether to freeze the assets of Mr. Bahgat, who now works a journalist, and Mr. Eid, along with the assets of Mr. Eids wife and their 11-year-old daughter. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 24, 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) The annual Boao Forum is a key expression in the global economic and business discussion of China's rise. It therefore provides a suitable opportunity to reflect not only on the material but on the international intellectual impact of China's economic development. This equally casts a clear historical light on current attempts in sections of the international media to talk down China's economic prospects. When the Forum was initiated in 1998, it was initially seen internationally as an Asian regional event not widely followed elsewhere. Now, the Forum has become one of the world's most studied economic events. The prevailing intellectual atmosphere in the West in the period leading to the Forum's creation was symbolized by one of the most famous, and most erroneous, articles by a Western economist, "The Myth of Asia's Miracle" by Paul Krugman. Published in 1994 in Foreign Affairs, the US's most prestigious foreign policy publication, this argued that the significance of Asia's economic rise was overstated and "from the perspective of the year 2010" claims regarding Asia's rise would seem as ridiculous as exaggerated claims in the 1960s by the USSR's Khruschev. Enthusiasm concerning Asia's growth "deserves to have some cold water thrown on it" and "future prospects for that growth are more limited than almost anyone now believes." The reason that claims for Asian economies, referred to as "paper tigers", were allegedly exaggerated was that Asia had wrongly failed to follow a "Western" economic development model. China and Singapore were particularly criticized, which was due to "perspiration rather than inspiration," and represented "the most extreme" case of this erroneous Asian approach. Facts in the following 20 years have devastatingly dated Krugman and other non-Asians' arrogance. Singapore overtook the US in per capita GDP - achieving 103% of the US level at current exchange rates and 144% at Parity Purchasing Powers. While Singapore's performance might be explained away by it being a small country, no evasion could be made regarding the Boao Forum's host China. China, after 1978, achieved the fastest growth over a prolonged period by a major economy in human history. China's poverty reduction dwarfs the rest of the planet. By World Bank international classification, China lifted 728 million people from poverty compared to 152 million in the rest of the world. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. ISTANBUL The Iraqi military said Thursday that it had captured several villages in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh, backed by American airstrikes, in an operation that it described as an early phase of the campaign to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State extremists. Iraqi officials did not say when an assault on Mosul itself would begin. Col. Steve Warren, an American military spokesman in Baghdad, said the retaking of the villages in Nineveh was a planned operation that was successful, but added that it did not necessarily point to the beginning of the long-awaited assault on Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq and capital of Nineveh Province. The city has been under Islamic State rule since the militants surprise offensive in the spring of 2014. American and Iraqi officials have cast the retaking of Mosul as a symbolically and politically crucial step for the Iraqi government. Even so, the effort has been hampered by disputes over the possible role of forces other than the Iraqi Army, including units of the Kurdish pesh merga in the north and Iranian-backed Shiite militias. The start of the operation has been pushed back multiple times as the United States and other members of the international coalition have urgently worked to train more Iraqi Army soldiers to take the lead in the campaign. BEIRUT, Lebanon Syrian government troops and allied militias, backed by intensive Russian airstrikes, pushed on Thursday into parts of Palmyra, the desert city they are seeking to retake from the Islamic State militant group along with its majestic ancient ruins, Syrian state news media and residents said. The battle, raging for weeks, carries deep symbolic significance, after Islamic State militants blew up some of Palmyras most important ancient structures, causing irrevocable damage to the Unesco World Heritage site. Palmyra also occupies a strategic crossroads between the Islamic States territory in the east and the more populated coastal areas. Since the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, took over in May, residents have endured harsh rule and summary killings. They have also faced heavy bombing and the shelling of civilian areas by government and allied forces. Syrian officials have said they could retake the city within hours or days. State television said government troops had entered the city, and a monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said they had reached the entrance to the ancient site, an area with several hotels, and were working to remove booby-trapped bombs before advancing further. It is doubtful that any of the named Iranians will ever appear in an American courtroom. In that respect, the indictment is similar to one the Justice Department issued two years ago against members of Unit 61398 of the Peoples Liberation Army of China, which it accused of stealing data from American corporations. The Chinese have never been arrested. But the administration argues that such indictments send a strong signal and make it difficult for those who are indicted to travel, for fear of extradition. On Tuesday, the Justice Department indicted two other hackers who it said were members of the Syrian Electronic Army, which has supported the government of Bashar al-Assad, and it believes that it has a chance to gain custody of one of them. On Wednesday, the department obtained a guilty plea from a Chinese national living in Canada, Su Bin, whom it accused of mounting a cybercampaign to steal the designs of military aircraft from Boeing, on behalf of Chinese intelligence agents. The Iran indictment comes eight months after the nuclear deal reached between Tehran and six other nations, including the United States, which appeared to be putting Tehran and Washington on a track toward a more productive relationship after 35 years of enmity. But Iranian missile launches in recent months also organized by the Guards have led to calls in Congress for new sanctions. The indictment appeared to be part of an American effort to keep Iran from shifting activity from its nuclear program to its growing corps of cyberwarriors, some of whom work directly for the government, while others, like those named in the indictment, seem to be contractors. As a measure of the importance the administration placed on the indictment, it was announced by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, in a news conference in Washington with Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, where the indictment was handed up. It was unclear how long it had been under seal. Do you tend to read in English or Spanish, and how does the reading experience differ for you by language? I stopped noticing if I was reading in Spanish or English long ago. Sudden Death is your fifth novel but your first to be translated into English. What was it like to read it in translation? Natasha Wimmer is so good that it feels like my book. The problems began in the public readings: During the first one I discovered, already standing up in front of the mike, that I had no idea how half of the words I had to read aloud were pronounced. Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain? Stendhals The Red and the Blacks Julien Sorel is a hero, an antihero and a villain. Three out of four is not bad. What kind of reader were you as a child? Which childhood books and authors stick with you most? I read everything from comics to magazines to fiction I learned to read in English, years before being able to speak a word of it, by reading National Geographic. My mother was a subscriber of a magazine that published a short, romantic, kind of very soft-core porn novel every month: I wonder how much of my sex ed comes from there. But I read books too, whatever I could get hold of. I cried for days with Vernes Miguel Strogoff. My definition of freedom is still ruled by the reluctance to live a conventional life, from Emilio Salgaris pirates. There were these books for children, maybe British, about five kids. In Spanish they were named The Five Against This or The Five Here or There. I was madly in love with one of the girls. It was a very innocent love, even though at the same time, I was reading the super-hot and gruesome historical novels of Maurice Druon about the kings of France. What book that you read for school had the greatest impact on you? Pedro Paramo is the perfect modern novel still looking for a translation into English that does it justice. If you had to name one book that made you who you are today, what would it be? Life is larger than books. Any bully has more character-building effects on you than the most moving of books. To the Editor: I read with interest the review of Because of Sex, by Gillian Thomas (March 13), not least because Howard W. Smith was a relation of mine. No one denies he was unrepentantly racist my father, his nephew, used to call him a brontosaurus in the years leading up to the Civil Rights Act but his proposal of the sex discrimination amendment may not have been an attempt to put a poison pill into the bill, as has often been assumed. Though he did use every other tool in his box to defeat the bill, hard evidence that the amendment was part of his strategy is lacking. Instead, he consistently said, before and after the bills passage, that he was serious about womens rights. Few people have believed him, I think assuming that if a person is a bigot in one respect, he must be a bigot in all. But anybody else who had a mother (Lucinda) who lobbied the congressmen boarding at their Virginia farm decades before women were allowed to vote, or whose sister (Lucy) served five terms in the West Virginia Legislature, might be expected to stand up for womens rights. He had long supported the Equal Rights Amendment and worked with the National Womans Party to promote womens rights legislation in Congress . . . so long as that legislation did nothing to contribute to racial equality. So, is it true, as Thomas wrote, that today most American working women would probably be surprised to know that they have an unrepentantly racist, male octogenarian to thank for outlawing sex bias on the job? Probably. But should they be? Maybe not. Mr. Denis added: I was second-guessing my agreement to move to the city. Ms. Bucolo liked the Caroline, which opened in 2002 in the Flatiron area on West 23rd Street; a friend who used to live there had gushed about the roof deck. Hunting alone while Mr. Denis was studying, Ms. Bucolo contacted Marilyn De Amorim, a saleswoman at Mirador Real Estate with a listing in the building. Studio prices there were in the low to mid $3,000s. But the only vacant studio was already rented, Ms. De Amorim told her. Ms. Bucolo didnt want to wait for another vacancy, so Ms. De Amorim took her to a building nearby, True North Flatiron 27 on West 16th Street, which had been remodeled a few years earlier. Prices there were in the high $2,000s to low $3,000s. Ms. Bucolo found the studio she saw really new and crisp-looking, but didnt like the rectangular layout, which had a kitchen she found obtrusive. If I am on my bed, I am seeing my kitchen, she said. Everything was in one room, and you could see everything. She was equally ambivalent about a 1960 building on East 18th Street south of Gramercy Park, where studios were in a similar price range. This didnt have the newer finishes she was looking for, Ms. De Amorim said. Its nice to be the first to cook in the kitchen and take a bubble bath in the bathtub. There was parched earth and there were smudgy clouds. Occasionally civilization crept in a military recruitment billboard, some low industrial building but it only underscored how dwarfed civilization was amid all this absence. We arrived. Youd be hard-pressed to call a 350-square-mile body of water a desert. But the Salton Sea is immense and still and unsettling; Californias largest lake feels desertlike. We staggered out into the heat, about 235 feet below sea level, an otherworldliness absorbing us. By the Salton Sea, in the night, the rest of America does not exist, Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote in 1961. These days the Salton Sea itself doesnt exist as much either. Half a century ago the so-called Salton Riviera attracted royalty like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and more visitors than Yosemite. Then a combination of drought, pollution, salinity and algae started destroying the health of the lake, and the resort became a ghost town. Cora dragged me out to the ghoulish carpet of beached tilapia at the waters edge. If youre worried that your beach conveys insufficient gore, a million fish corpses will get you there. We poked fiendishly in the name of science. As wastelands go, the Salton Sea area contains multitudes. We drove south to Salvation Mountain, one mans remote, paint-drenched monument to God in the Colorado Desert. For Cora, a kitchen table artist, a homemade hill draped in ecstatic color was apparently mind-blowing. She kept climbing into nooks and crannies saying, Oh my God. It wasnt much farther to Slab City, the longtime squat community occupying a former Marine barracks. I dont know how Edmund Burke would classify the place, but the absence of electricity, running water and sewers its some kind of profound. We chatted with a father and son building a shade structure out of pallets, and picked up a hitchhiker on a hot, rutted road. She had a high voice and had lived at Slab for 10 years. I asked how she ended up here in the first place. Got dropped off, she said. Cora and I found a secluded campsite near the Salton Sea. More tent setup, more time stunned under the stars. When the sublime is vaguely terrifying, it occurred to me, part of the terror is the capriciousness of the universe. Theres caprice in the formation of a fluky inland sea, giving rise to all kinds of lives and livelihoods and art projects. Its caprice, too, when it all dries up and goes away. Flash Glasses are seen near the entrance of Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2016. The death toll has risen to 34 in the deadly blasts in Brussels on Tuesday morning, according to the latest figures. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) With Europe facing a fresh terror threat after three bomb blasts killed at least 34 people and injured about 270 in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, analysts agreed that sharing intelligence was at the heart of combating extremist groups such as Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks. Anthony Glees, a professor at the University of Buckingham in London and director of its Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, told that Belgium's divided society made it easy for terror groups to slip into that country unnoticed. He said the Brussels attacks on the main airport and a rush-hour subway train came as no surprise, given last week's arrest in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the November terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Security analysts said the perpetrators of the Paris attacks were traced back to Molenbeek, an area of Brussels with a heavy immigrant population many from Syria, Iraq and North African countries. Abdeslam had fled from France to Molenbeek. The ease with which Abdeslam and others were able to cross the border between France and Belgium until now free of controls because of the Schengen Agreement, which established open borders was also a factor, analysts said. Glees said there were doubts about the effectiveness of communication between Belgian intelligence services and the police. The terrorist attacks in Europe have refocused attention on the seemingly unchecked flow of migrants arriving in Europe via Turkey and Greece. Intelligence analysts said some of those involved in attacks over the past 18 months have used that route to infiltrate the European Union and take advantage of the Schengen Area. More than 1 million migrants, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, are now in Europe. "The difficulty is that those who want to cause trouble are already in Europe, and the security services, especially in Belgium, struggle to keep track of them," said a British expert in asylum affairs who requested anonymity. The attacks came at a particularly crucial time for the United Kingdom, which will vote on continued European Union membership in a national referendum on June 23. Current polls indicate that people wanting to remain in the EU are leading. However, those in favor of leaving the EU said the attacks could swing the vote in their favor, citing increased security and less exposure to Europe-based terror attacks as reasons. Meanwhile, in China, investors, academics, analysts and government officials attending the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province said the attacks would not deter Chinese investment in Europe. He Jintong, a professor of global investment at Nankai University in Tianjin, said most Chinese companies were interested in either acquiring or partnering with manufacturers and technology companies in Europe, which are mainly located in business parks outside cities, where it would be difficult for terrorists to launch an attack. "Great opportunities are still there for Chinese investments in Europe, particularly since they would be protected by Europe's relatively stable legal and governmental framework, especially in ... Germany or France," he said. Yao Zhizhong, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the terrorist attacks won't change Chinese companies' decisions to invest in Europe because of its high-quality assets, which are "at a bargain price over time". However, Ni Jiali, general manager of the outbound tourism department of Chinese online travel-service provider Lvmama, said the terrorist attacks "will dampen the enthusiasm of Chinese tourists to visit Europe over the short term. Before, security was the last issue you needed to worry about." Flash Premier Li Keqiang consults with Yuan Longping (left), known as "the father of hybrid rice", during an exhibition on Lancang-Mekong cooperation in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday. [China Daily] China and five other countries along the Lancang-Mekong River convened in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday and reached an agreement to deepen cooperation and build a comprehensive connectivity network covering railways, highways, waterways, ports and aviation. China also promised 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion) in preferential loans and a credit line of $10 billion to support infrastructure and production capacity projects in cooperation with the countries. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced the loans and the agreement at the first meeting of the leaders from the six countries along the river. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting also discussed the use of water resources, and China vowed to take measures to support improvement of living conditions in downstream areas along the river. The Mekong River, whose upper part is known in China as the Lancang River, is an important water source for the five countries on the Indochinese Peninsula Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and it nourishes a population of 326 million. Beijing announced last week that it will provide an emergency water supply through April 10 to countries along the river to deal with drought. Premier Li announced that China will use $200 million from its South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to help the five nations to realize the targets set in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China also will provide $300 million to support small and medium-sized cooperation projects proposed by the six countries. Additionally, it will set up a Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation center and an environmental cooperation center to promote green development. Li suggested holding leaders' meetings every two years, foreign ministers' meetings every year and occasional meetings of high-ranking officials and working teams. Jean Hamilton Aldrich, the founding first lady of UC Irvine, died Wednesday, campus officials announced. She was 96. UCI officials said in a statement that Aldrich died in Irvine, the city she watched grow into a diverse technology and business hub centered around a top-level research university that was once just her husbands vision. She was as involved in the campus as her husband, Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich Jr., who led the campus for 22 years and built it from the ground up. While the campus was under construction, Aldrich dedicated herself to health and arts projects. During its development and even after her husbands retirement in 1984, Aldrich was active in campus art and health projects. She sat on the boards of scholarship selection committees and homes for the developmentally disabled. She was the ultimate scout leader, her oldest son, Daniel G. Aldrich III, who was an interim vice chancellor at UCI, said in the campus statement. She could organize the socks off a caterpillar. Aldrich, who was born Sept. 29, 1919 in the Philippines, was honored with several awards and even hosted two presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Barack Obama on campus. She is survived by her three children, seven grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Services for Aldrich will be announced in April. Her family asks that in lieu of flowers, remembrances be sent to the Dan & Jean Aldrich Scholarship fund or the Town & Gown Scholarship fund at UCI or to Community Church Congregational in Corona del Mar. Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@ocregister.com Have an old surfboard collecting dust and wasting space in your garage that you dont use or want to get rid of? The Gudauskas brothers Pat, Dane and Tanner are hoping fellow surfers will donate old boards so they can take them to an impoverished area in Jamaica. Were going to fly all the boards down and have a surfing stoke celebration, said Dane Gudauskas. Were just hoping to give these kids a great opportunity. Dane and his brothers, who grew up in San Clemente and are considered among Orange Countys best surfers, traveled to Jamaica in 2014 and fell in love with the people and culture. They met Jamaican local Billy Mystic Wilmott, who began riding waves on his bodyboard in the 1960s. His home, Jamnesia, is a gathering spot for the young local surfers, skateboarders, musicians and artists. The brothers spent time surfing with the locals and noticed the potential some of the younger surfers had. You go to all these places around the world, theres a common love no matter where any of us are from, Dane Gudauskas said. When we share that kind of vibe, its nice to see them be able to fulfill their hopes and potential, and realize if they have surfing dreams. But the boards the local surfers there used were beat up, pieced back together three or four times, many of them missing fins. The brothers left the trip wondering: What can we do to help? They thought up the idea of a surfboard drive and teamed with Jacks Surfboards, where surfers can drop off their unwanted boards at one of their locations around Southern California, including five in Orange County. Its kind of an off-the-wall thing, he said. Its awesome to see the surfing community stoked and get behind it. The Gudauskas brothers are no strangers to giving back. They regularly host Stoke-O-Rama events around the world that raise funds to help lifeguard, swimming and surfing programs. So far, theyve raised about $36,000 doing events in their hometown, Hawaii and other areas. Last year, they launched the Positive Vibe Warriors foundation, which raises money through online sales to go toward the Stoke-O-Rama fundraising efforts. We wanted to create a big web of people feeling a part of something, he said. Surfing is like a family. Dane said theres no restriction on the type of surfboard or shape. The brothers will load up the boards in April and personally deliver them to Jamaica, where there will be lessons and safety discussions. Donations are tax deductible. The surfboard drive kicked off March 1 and ends March 31. For more information, go to positivevibewarriors.com. Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com After two visits to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida, I was spellbound by the snowcapped rooftops of Hogsmeade, the fire-breathing dragon of Diagon Alley and the thrilling e-ticket rides featuring my favorite wizards and witches from Hogwarts. The immersive experience left me breathless. But my No. 1 obsession from the attraction is a gastronomic indulgence: butterbeer. The sweet butterscotch elixir, a concoction favored by the boy wizard and his Hogwarts friends, captivates. The frothy drink comes cold or frozen with a head of foam that never disappears. Its magical. And now its here. Though technical rehearsals have been ongoing for several weeks, Universal Studios Hollywood will officially unveil its West Coast version of Wizarding World on April 7. Wands-at-the-ready fans wont have to travel across the country to taste the Potter potion. During sneak previews, Ive had a chance to sample more than two dozen culinary creations from Wizarding Worlds Three Broomsticks tavern, Hogs Head pub and Honeydukes candy shop. If youre headed to the park, heres a guide to the best grog and grub. Butterbeer Bonanza There are three key butterbeer-themed foods and drinks in Wizarding World in Hollywood: butterbeer, butterbeer fudge and butterbeer potted cream. The latter is a genius dessert, exclusive to Universal Studios Hollywood. It is decadence in a jar. Executive Chef Eric Kopelow said he dreamed up the rich pudding dish, served in a cute hinged jar, during a menu brainstorming session. After one bite, I closed my eyes to savor the sweet moment. It was like eating whipped, butterbeer-flavored cream cheese frosting. Kopelaw wont fess up to the recipe, only saying its heavy on cream and eggs more like a thick mousse. When butterbeer debuted in Florida, it became one of the most talked about attractions at the Harry Potter-themed land. I expect the nonalcoholic drink to be greeted with the same kind of fervency by local Universal fans. The fizzy beverage is like drinking carbonated butterscotch candy with a hint of crushed shortbread. I prefer the brain-numbing slushy version. But if youre a first-timer, get the classic cold butterbeer in a souvenir stein for $11.99. The take-home plastic mugs can be refilled at regular prices. Once you finish your classic, get a frozen refill for $5.99. This way, you save $1, as the frozen butterbeer costs more than the cold. Tip: Butterbeer is sold at two outdoor carts, Three Broomsticks and Hogs Head pub. You must rinse out your mug to get a refill at the outdoor carts. Three Broomsticks The only restaurant in Wizarding World serves standard English fare taken to the next level, says Kopelow. Many of the Potter meals are similar to the Orlando theme parks, but Kopelow was able to add his own stamp with signature dishes including a prime rib Sunday roast, two breakfast dishes and a insanely rich butterbeer cream pudding. Entrees range from $12.99 to $21.99. Sides, salads and soups are $2.99-$9.89. Desserts: $3.99-$6.99 Heres a sampling of my favorite dishes. Sticky toffee pudding: I dont have a sweet tooth. Im a savory gal. But the sweet treats at Wizarding World are by far my favorite. This classic sticky toffee is no exception. Its heaven on a plate, drizzled with toffee and butterscotch sauce and topped with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream. Soups: Perhaps I was influenced by a rainy evening visit, but the four English-style soups are among the best dishes. My favorites were the English ale with cheese and the leek and potato soups. Theres also a corn soup and a beef, lamb and Guinness Stew. The stew is served in a bread bowl. Vegetable entree: The only vegetarian meal is a platter of produce that includes grilled asparagus spears, red potatoes, minted green peas, roasted plum tomatoes, watercress aioli and sauteed cabbage. For a meat lover like me, the meal was a real shocker. It was so tasty, especially the cabbage and tomatoes, I wanted seconds. Bangers and mash: At first bite, the pork sausage tasted bland. But it is English food, so you could say there was some authenticity to it. The snappy link eventually grew on me. It is served with sides of whipped mashed potatoes, sauteed cabbage and roasted tomatoes. Also, this is one of Kopelows favorite meals. He told me he ate close to 22 feet of sausage during menu testing. Fish and chips: I had low expectations for the beer-battered fish and chips. Rarely does any theme park or fast food joint get this hearty English staple right. But, Broomsticks nails it with a fried batter that has excellent crunch and flavor without overpowering the cod. Turkey leg: The caveman-style poultry is a fun and filling meal. Buy it to share with the family. It comes with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob. Lemon herb roasted chicken: This is one of the best bang-for-your-buck meals on the menu. The half-pound piece of roasted chicken is juicy and full-flavored. Its so huge, the wing dangles over the plastic plates edge. The $13.99 entree comes with corn on the cob, roasted sliced potatoes and watercress garlic aioli. Definitely a share-worthy meal. Hogs Head pub The tavern-style dining hall Three Broomsticks is connected to Hogs Head pub, a bar with a menu of wizard cocktails and beers inspired by Rowlings wildly popular books. The dimly lit, rustic bar has eight beers on tap, including Dragons Scale, Hogs Head Ale and Wizards Brew. The Florida Brewing Co. offerings a lager, an ale and a stout are the same brews sold in Wizarding World lands in Orlando and Japan. Craft beer fans looking for something full-bodied should stick to the Wizards Brew. The other two are best for Bud fans. The bar is stocked with whiskey, rum and vodka for mixed drinks and sells wine, too: chardonnay, cabernet and merlot. Theres no bar menu in Hogs Head, so be prepared to go over options with your barkeep. I tried a Pear Dazzle (pear cider and vodka) and the Apple Jack (apple cider with Jack Daniels). If you dont like fruity cocktails, youre better off ordering wine or beer. Tips: Alcoholic beverages are permitted outside the pub. Kids are allowed in the pub, and this is the best place to get butterbeer. The drink comes out a tad more chilled at the bar than at the outdoor carts. If the cart lines are too long, sneak into Hogs Head for a refill. The friendly bartenders also will rinse out your mug for you. Honeydukes Honeydukes is a replica of the Hogsmeade confectioners shop in the books and movies. Its tiny, so be prepared to knock elbows with other shoppers. The shelves are stocked with dozens of dazzling colorful candies sour worms, cotton candy, wand-shaped chocolate bars, peppermint toads and fudge flies. Hard-core fans might like Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and the Chocolate Frog. The latter is a solid milk chocolate amphibian sold in a blue and gold decorated pentagonal box with collectible wizard cards. The shop also sells baked goods, like a cauldron-shaped chocolate cupcake and 10 types of fudge, including butterbeer flavor. The latter is good but cloyingly sweet. Recommended only for those with a high-tolerance sweet tooth. Magic Neep Cart This outdoor cart sells an assortment of snacks and beverages including beer, Chadwick Bay Lemonade, quirky flavored potato chips, fruit cups, whole fruits, Gilly Water (bottled water for $4) and Pumpkin Juice. The beer options include Boddingtons, Modelo, Guinness, Heineken, Corona, Bud Light and Budweiser, plus Strongbow Hard Apple Cider. Try the bag of smoky bacon chips with Pumpkin Juice. The latter is a fun drink for the kids. Its a blend of pumpkin puree, apricot puree and apple juice. Its like drinking a liquefied version of an apple pie and pumpkin pie a la mode. Contact the writer: nluna@ocregister.com and follow the Fast Food Maven on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. NEWPORT BEACH Around 10 a.m. March 23, off the coast of Corona del Mar State Beach, a mayday call came over the radio. Two boats, a fishing vessel and a yacht had crashed less than a mile from the sand. The vessels had a total of 85 people on them. There were casualties, injuries and missing victims. A call from the captain of the fishing boat Aggressor came over the radio: Weve got blood and people all over the place. Send help. Lots. The yacht had hit the jetty and was sinking. Luckily, it was just a drill. The simulated maritime disaster hosted by Newport Beach involved local, county and federal agencies. Roughly a dozen agencies from around the county including Laguna Beach Lifeguards, Anaheim Fire and Huntington Beach Fire came to help. A $79,000 federal grant from the Urban Areas Security Initiative funded the exercise, which was roughly two years in the making. It was the first time in at least 20 years that the county has done a maritime drill of that magnitude, officials said. Newport Beach Fire Battalion Chief Justin Carr said it gave his city the rare opportunity to collaborate with a multitude of agencies for a day. The drill simulates a large-scale incident, which isnt very frequent around here, Carr said. The more important thing is the experience of coordinating our efforts, which you dont get to exercise that often. Even though its a maritime disaster, this could happen off the coast of Huntington, it could happen off the coast of Laguna, off of San Clemente, he said. It doesnt matter what city its off of, we all need to work together and have an understanding of how to do it. The drill spanned a few hours and ended with fake news conferences on the sidewalk. It highlighted how different agencies would participate in such a disaster. Some lifeguards paddled out on boards to tend to victims, others jumped on Sea-Doos, pulling a mat behind them. The U.S. Coast Guard, Orange County Fire Authority, Huntington Beach police and Orange County Sheriffs Department had helicopters hovering over the scene, deploying rescuers who either jumped out or were dropped down in a cage-like box. The injured and dead, many played by local lifeguards, were plucked from the water. Firefighters and paramedics tended to the triaged victims in the parking lot. Other victims were transported to areas outside the beach. More than a dozen divers from various agencies searched the water for missing bodies which in this case were three plastic mannequins. At Newports Emergency Operation Center, various agencies watched the rescue play out on TVs, live-streaming from a helicopter camera. The grant for the drill came from a $5.5 million pot given to the county from the federal government to address catastrophic events, training or terrorism. Its not easy money to get and takes a lot of vetting and analysis by the government, said Sgt. Brad Hadley of Santa Ana police, who manages the countys UASI funds along with Anaheim police. This all came out of 9/11, he said. It was the federal governments response. They realized at the local level were not as prepared as we should be. Orange County is one of six regions in the state allocated funding. Regions tend to be metropolitan areas, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, that could be vulnerable to large-scale disasters. Contact the writer: jclay@ocregister.com or 714-796-6910 The U.S. Senate should act quickly to confirm federal court of appeals judge Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court. By any measure, Garland is impeccably qualified. No one has identified any basis in his record or his views for denying him confirmation. The refusal of Republicans in the Senate to even convene a hearing is political obstructionism at its worst. Article II of the Constitution is explicit that the president shall nominate judges of the Supreme Court. There is no exception to this requirement for election years. Throughout American history, presidents have nominated individuals to fill vacancies during the last year of their terms. Likewise, the Senates constitutional duty to advise and consent the process that has come to include hearings, committee votes, and floor votes has no exception for election years. In fact, over the course of American history, there have been 24 instances in which presidents in the last year of a term have nominated individuals for the Supreme Court, and the Senate confirmed 21 of them. Most recently, in October 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower used a recess appointment to place William Brennan on the Supreme Court, a position for which he was later confirmed by the Senate and which he held for 34 years. In fact, appointments near the end of a presidential term have occurred since early in American history. In 1800, John Adams became the first president defeated for re-election. On Jan. 20, 1801, about six weeks before leaving office the new president back then was inaugurated March 4 President Adams nominated John Marshall to be chief justice of the United States. Even though a different political party was soon to take control of both the White House and Congress, there was no objection to Marshalls confirmation, and he was approved on Jan. 27, 1801. The Senate, of course, has discretion in the method for carrying out its constitutional duty to advise and consent. But no branch of government may interfere with the functioning of another branch. For the Senate to not consider a nominee until after the next president is inaugurated would be unprecedented and would leave a vacancy that would prevent the Supreme Court from carrying out its constitutional duties. It would be the longest unfilled vacancy on the court in history. It would mean that the court would have to function with eight justices for the remainder of this term and likely all of next. This inevitably would mean 4-4 splits in a significant proportion of cases. During the last term, October Term 2014, there were 66 decisions, and 19 were 5-4. No one in the country has better qualifications to be a Supreme Court justice than Merrick Garland. His academic and professional qualifications are as good as it gets in law. Garland graduated valedictorian from Harvard College and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. He clerked for 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Henry Friendly, as did Chief Justice John Roberts. Garland then clerked for Justice Brennan. Garland was a federal prosecutor and a deputy assistant attorney general supervising criminal prosecutions in the Justice Department, as well as an attorney in private practice. While at the Justice Department, he oversaw the Oklahoma City bombing prosecutions. He was appointed to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals by President Bill Clinton and has served on that court since 1997. Garland has spent more time as a federal appellate judge than any Supreme Court nominee in history. Garlands record as a judge shows him to be a moderate who writes careful, narrow opinions. By no means is he an ideologue and no one, not liberals or conservatives, see him that way. My hope is that there will be political pressure to force Senate Republicans to hold a hearing and vote on his nomination. Opinion polls show two-thirds of the American people want to see the Senate hold hearings on the Presidents nominee. I first met Merrick Garland in 1969, when we were competing high school debaters in the Chicago area. He also was a year ahead of me in law school. I always have regarded him as brilliant and as a truly decent person. Our paths have crossed occasionally over the years, always with real warmth. I admire Garland for subjecting himself to the public scrutiny and attacks that could happen in an election year. In any other context, his confirmation for the Supreme Court would be a sure thing. Now it is uncertain. I hope very much that the Senate confirms Merrick Garland, and that he quickly takes a seat on the nations highest court. Erwin Chemerinsky is dean of the UC Irvine School of Law. HAVANA President Barack Obama spoke of his Kenyan heritage. He talked about how both the United States and Cuba were built on the backs of slaves from Africa. He mentioned that not very long ago, his parents marriage would have been illegal in America, and he urged Cubans to respect the power of protest to bring about equality. We want our engagement to help lift up Cubans who are of African descent, he said, who have proven theres nothing they cannot achieve when given the chance. Obamas speech Tuesday, in an ornate Spanish colonial-style hall in Havana, was not only strikingly personal. It was also an unusually direct engagement with race, a critical and unresolved issue in Cuban society that the revolution was supposed to have erased. For many Cubans, Obamas comments were striking for their acknowledgment of racism in both countries. His remarks served as a reminder that their particular kinship with him as reflected in dozens of conversations and responses to his history-making three-day visit this week involves not just policy, but also identity. Its a revolution, said Alberto Gonzalez, 44, a baker who was one of the few Afro-Cubans to attend a discussion with the president about entrepreneurship Monday. Its a revolution for everyone with a background descended from Africa. Defensiveness has long hovered over the subject of race, in part because Fidel Castro said shortly after the revolution that racism had been solved, making the subject taboo. The discomfort, in part, came from pride: Some of the revolutions most visible achievements involved ending institutionalized segregation, at beach clubs, at schools and in neighborhoods where the homes of wealthy white Cubans who fled were often given to Cubans of color. Socialized medicine and education also helped create a society more deeply shaped by interracial interactions and marriages than the United States. And yet, Cuba is no more postracial than anywhere else. Many Afro-Cubans in Cuba and abroad have been quick to point out that the presence of Obama, the first black president of the United States, only highlights that the Cuban government does not reflect the demographics of their country. On an island that is around two-thirds black and mixed race, according to a 2007 study by Cuban economist Esteban Morales Dominguez, the civil and public leadership is about 70 percent white. He also found that most scientists, technicians and university professors, up to 80 percent in some fields, were white. The images of the meetings, the agreements, theyre all shameful for many black Cubans Im including myself in this because its difficult to feel represented, said Odette Casamayor-Cisneros, an associate professor of Latin American and Caribbean literatures and cultures at the University of Connecticut and a scholar at Harvard University. She added that elements of Obamas trip reflected some of the same dynamics: The Cuban-Americans traveling with the president were nearly all white, as were the Cuban officials who interacted with him on the island. Indeed, much of the audience for his speech Tuesday was white. In that context, the president along with his wife, daughters and mother-in-law, who joined him on the trip offers a clear contrast. What you see is confirmation of black empowerment, which has generally been denied in Cuban society, Casamayor-Cisneros said. For black Cubans, the mere existence of Obama is unusual and overwhelmingly symbolic. Some Afro-Cubans, like the hip-hop artist known as Soandry, linked the president to what can be achieved in a capitalist system. Other Cubans brought up race more directly, without prompting, arguing that because Obama is African-American, he understands their country. Gonzalez, whose bakery counter is adorned with photographs of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, said it was not just the president whom people admire. Look at that family, he said, smiling broadly. Can you imagine? Have you ever seen a more beautiful family? The challenge, Gonzalez and other Cubans said, is turning that inspiration into something more substantial, starting with a more open conversation about race. There is definitely still racism here, said Gonzalez, who lived in Italy for more than a decade before returning to open a business. I see it often, in how people look at me and treat me. Among Cubans of all races, there is growing concern about a widening economic divide in Cuba that is also racial. Many Cuban scholars have noted that old forces are again at work. As tourism has grown and become more lucrative a days tips can surpass a months pay from the government the staffs of hotels and restaurants have become less representative. President Raul Castros minor economic opening, allowing for small businesses in Cuba, has also tended to favor those who already have links to power in government, or relatives abroad a growing elite that is disproportionately white. At times, the racism has been explicit. Yusimi Rodriguez Lopez, an Afro-Cuban independent journalist, said there are job listings on Revolico sometimes called Cubas underground Craigslist where they say they only want whites. What is frustrating, she added, is that Cuban officials have little interest in discussing the issue, or listening. If you silence the idea that theres racism, she said, you silence every conversation about the problem. That is what made Obamas comments stand out. By emphasizing that people who challenged the government changed the United States When I first started school, we were still struggling to desegregate schools across the American South, he said Obamas comments, and sincerity, instilled in many Cubans a new hope and offered a knowing vote of confidence. Before he arrived, race was increasingly on Cuban minds. Before he departed, new boundaries were already being pushed, among Afro-Cuban intellectuals in Cuba, among business owners and even at the so-called Esquina Caliente, or hot corner, a shady spot in a crowded Havana park where men gather every day, all day, to talk sports. They talk a lot here about discrimination against blacks in the United States. What about here? said Manuel Valier Figueroa, 50, an actor, who was in the park Monday. If theres a dance competition, theyre going to choose the woman who is fair-skinned with light, good hair. If theres a tourism job, the same. He added: Why are there no blacks managing hotels? You dont see any blacks working as chefs in hotels, but you see them as janitors and porters. They get the inferior jobs. Valier, who is black, insisted that he and the others did not care anymore if anyone from the government was listening to them talk critically about their society. The first black president showed that a black person can lead, he said. Here, blacks need to see that the same thing can happen. In a world of divisive politics and lingering tribalism that breeds racial, ethnic and religious conflict, there is perhaps no better means of encouraging tolerance and social cooperation than free trade and economic freedom. Two recent examples, one positive and one negative, help to illustrate this principle. The first is the thawing economic relations between the United States and Cuba. While President Barack Obama has been criticized by many on the Right, who are purportedly free-market advocates, for his detente policies, an injection of free-market capitalism would do more to hasten the demise of the despotic government than decades of failed economic embargoes. The resultant rise in American tourism to Cuba is already having an effect, as hotels in Havana are near capacity, and is expected to grow substantially. This increased market activity is offering a unique opportunity to Cubans. Another market innovation, Airbnb, is allowing Cubans to rent out a room in their homes, or an entire apartment or house, to tourists, with an average booking of $250. That is 12.5 times the $20 that the average Cuban makes in an entire month. Moreover, the cultural exchange of Americans renting a room in Cubans homes and living with the host families further strengthens ties and is valuable in itself. This new taste of prosperity not only allows Cubans to realize the benefits of free markets especially in comparison to the equal measures of poverty doled out under the current socialist regime it affords them the ability to entertain thoughts of imagining and achieving a brighter future without the communist yoke. After all, it is vastly more difficult to organize and finance an attempt to throw off the chains of a totalitarian regime when you must spend all your time and energy trying to figure out a way to feed and care for your own family. As Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman maintained in Capitalism and Freedom, a book published in 1962, just two years after the first U.S. trade embargo was imposed against Cuba, not only is economic freedom an end in itself, it is also an indispensable means toward the achievement of political freedom. The fundamental threat to freedom is the power to coerce, be it in the hands of a monarch, a dictator, an oligarchy or a momentary majority, Friedman continued. By removing the organization of economic activity from the control of political authority, the market eliminates this source of coercive power. It enables economic strength to be a check to political power rather than a reinforcement. On the other side of the coin, pro-Palestinian activists have been launching boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns against Israel and Palestinians have become the victims. The international BDS campaigns were so successful that they forced a SodaStream factory in the West Bank to close and move back to Israel, resulting in job losses for about 500 Palestinians, who now face meager employment opportunities in the poverty-stricken West Bank. We were one family. I am sad because I am leaving my friends who have worked here for a long time, one Palestinian former SodaStream employee told Britains the Guardian. There is no hope in Palestine. There is little work. But now economic sanctions have severed economic ties and doomed hundreds to lives of misery, which will only breed greater division and animosity. When goods dont cross borders, armies will, the saying goes. Sanctions impose an economic cost on both sides, but no less detrimental is the destruction of the social fabric. Money knows no political, racial or religious loyalties. When we trade with others, it breeds trust, understanding and dependence. Sanctions only lead to further isolation, suspicion and conflict. As populist and nationalist fervors are stoked during this presidential year, we would do well to remember that commerce is the tie that binds. It offers hope and encouragement for greater peace, prosperity and political freedom, no less for us than for those living under more repressive governments. Flash Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said he hopes relations between Israel and Turkey will be normalized "soon," after years of diplomatic strife between the formerly close allies. Netanyahu told a press conference in Jerusalem that the two countries are in "advanced-stage" talks. "An additional meeting will be probably held soon. I hope it will lead to a positive result, that is a full rehabilitation of the relations," he said. Addressing the recent cooperation between Turkey and Israel in the wake of last week's fatal bomb attack in Istanbul, Netanyahu said that "the cooperation between the two countries is good." Netanyahu's remarks came a few hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to console him over the deaths of three Israelis in an Istanbul terror attack on Saturday. The talk was the first time in three years that Erdogan had spoken directly with an Israeli official, amid a tumultuous relationship between the countries since 2010. On Sunday, Netanyahu said Israeli and Turkish authorities are working together to discover whether the attack was aimed at Israelis or not. The cooperation on the matter came despite the fact that relations between the countries have been strained since 2009, after nine Turkish people who boarded a flotilla to the Gaza Strip were killed in a clash with Israeli soldiers. Federal efforts to speed up the removal of spent radioactive fuel from power plants like the mothballed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station are gaining momentum and inspiring guarded optimism among local officials. Critics, however, remain deeply skeptical. In January, the U.S. Department of Energy launched a new push to create temporary nuclear waste storage sites in regions eager for the business, currently in West Texas and New Mexico. Several such sites could be up and running while the prickly question of finding a location for a permanent repository the root of the present paralysis in nuclear waste disposal is hashed out. That could mean moving the fuel from San Onofre a decade earlier than is envisioned now, maybe more, said David Victor, who chairs the San Onofre Community Engagement Panel. The volunteer group of academic, industry, environmental and local government representatives advises the plants owner, Southern California Edison. I am cautiously optimistic, he said. Victor, director of the Laboratory on International Law and Regulation at UC San Diego, met with officials in Washington this month to convey populous Southern Californias eagerness to solve the nuclear waste storage problem. An update on those efforts, as well as the latest on plans to dismantle the shuttered twin reactors, will be presented at 6 p.m. today at the San Onofre Community Engagement Panels quarterly meeting in Oceanside. Decommissioning the plant south of San Clemente is expected to cost $4.1 billion and be mostly completed by 2030. But spent nuclear fuel is expected to remain on the beachside bluff much longer. NATIONWIDE PROBLEM Some 72,000 metric tons of highly radioactive waste has piled up at 75 commercial reactor sites in America over the past half-century, according to a recent review by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Thats not how it was supposed to be. To encourage the development of nuclear power, the federal government passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, promising to accept and dispose of spent fuel and high-level waste by Jan. 31, 1998. Utilities operating nuclear power plants made payments into a Nuclear Waste Fund to pay for disposal. About $750 million a year was collected from ratepayers, and the disposal programs funding grew to $41 billion over three decades. But the federal government never accepted any commercial nuclear waste for permanent disposal. The nuclear industry sued, and a federal judge found that the U.S. Department of Energy couldnt continue charging for a service it not only wasnt providing, but wouldnt provide for many decades. In 2014, utilities stopped collecting the charge about 20 cents a month on the average electric bill. After the government spent $10 billion on a now-abandoned plan to create a permanent disposal site at Nevadas Yucca Mountain, about $30 billion remains in the fund, earning about $1 billion in interest a year. Local governments, including San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Oceanside, Encinitas and San Diego County, are pressing Washington to fulfill its obligations. We all want it gone, said San Clemente City Councilman Tim Brown last month. BREAKTHROUGH? Edison agrees. We are very much in alignment with our nearby communities, which are making efforts to get the nuclear fuel moved off-site to another location, said Maureen Brown, Edison spokeswoman. Before it can be moved off-site, though, it has to be in a dry storage canister for transport. We are continuing with preparations to expand dry storage and get all the fuel out of the spent fuel pools. Thats supposed to be done by 2019. Edison has chosen Holtec Internationals Hi-Storm Umax underground system for dry storage. The fuel is expected to remain in an underground monolith on-site through 2049, when Edison assumes the federal government will take custody of all spent nuclear fuel. The Department of Energy will begin public meetings on the new push for interim storage sites on Tuesday in Chicago. A second hearing is scheduled in Atlanta on April 11 and a third in Sacramento on April 26. (W)e in the communities surrounding SONGS have a keen interest in removing the spent fuel from the site, Victor wrote in a recent memo to the Community Engagement Panel. As the option of Yucca Mountain has stalled, spent fuel has been backing up at sites around the country with no place for permanent disposal. The idea of consolidated interim storage (CIS) could be a solution. As you know, the politics of this are complex and difficult in part because CIS is seen as a rival for Yucca Mountain, and many important politicians have adopted a Yucca only approach to spent fuel storage, Victor continued. It is important that whenever we talk about CIS we portray this as a complement to Yucca Mountain and a complement to other long-term permanent disposal options, such as deep borehole technologies that are currently being tested. My sense from the meetings is that Yucca and CIS are, indeed, complements. San Onofres storage system will be part of a real-time experiment, as Edison partners with the Electric Power Research Institute to develop inspection techniques to monitor casks as they age. No entity has previously done what Edison is planning burying this kind of spent fuel in dry casks for decades. Critics have raised concerns about the ability of the casks to withstand the heat of the fuel over time. Some dont think temporary storage is the answer. If such a site were ever built, it would be a disaster for the hosting community, said activist Ace Hoffman of Carlsbad. DOE calls it consent-based, but how can future generations that will have to deal with the mess give their consent? And why on earth would they? DOE calls it interim, but what exactly that means has never been defined, except to mean until a permanent repository opens up somewhere. Whos going to fall for that line? Contact the writer: tsforza@ocregister.com The California State Sheriffs Association threw some cold water on the November ballot initiative being pushed by Lt. Gov. (and 2018 gubernatorial candidate) Gavin Newsom that restricts sales of guns and ammunition. The fancifully titled Safety for All Act, co-authored by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which already ranks Californias gun laws as the strictest in the nation, would ban the possession of military-style, large-capacity magazines (i.e., the standard-capacity magazines that manufacturers sell with their guns in 42 other states), require point-of-sale background checks for ammunition purchases and licensing of ammunition sellers. It also would force firearm owners to report lost or stolen guns to the police within five days, mandate that the state share with the FBI information on people prohibited from owning guns and detail a process for confiscating firearms from those convicted of a felony or violent misdemeanor. It is already illegal to manufacture, buy, sell or import magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, but Californians who had such magazines prior to the ban were permitted to keep them. The Safety for All Initiative will save lives by making it much harder for dangerous people to get guns and ammunition in California, Lt. Gov. Newsom said in an October press release. The law enforcement community begs to differ. Unfortunately, this measure would do little to prevent the criminal element from acquiring guns and ammunition via the black market or through theft, the CSSA wrote in a letter to the Newsom ballot measure committee. Instead, it would place additional restrictions on law-abiding citizens who wish to purchase ammunition for sporting or hunting use, retain guns and magazines that are currently legal for them to possess and pass historical or family heirloom guns down to their next generation. Effectively, this measure will create a new class of criminals out of those that already comply with common-sense practices that now exist. Lawful gun owners are increasingly the whipping boys of those whose ideological agenda not only shows disdain for the unalienable and constitutional right of self-defense, but fails to address the problems they purport to solve, as criminals will continue to obtain their guns illegally and ignore other gun-control laws (not to mention those prohibiting robbery and murder). As the CSSA asserted, The focus of efforts to reduce gun violence in this state should be on those responsible for that violence, not those that have no intent to do harm. WASHINGTON The nations heroin epidemic found its way from the shadows of America to Capitol Hill on Tuesday as lawmakers and experts struggled with a raging disease that is leaving an increasing number of bodies behind. Heroin deaths have almost tripled since 2010, Louis J. Milione, a Drug Enforcement Administration deputy assistant administrator, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing. Todays heroin at the retail level costs less and is more potent than the heroin that DEA encountered two decades ago, he said. The surge in overdose deaths is one reason Congress now is examining heroin addiction. Another reason is the complexion of the addicted. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., who has seen the effects of drug abuse in his Madison Park neighborhood in West Baltimore, pointed to the difference in the way heroin addiction is dealt with now compared with years ago. The difference between a war on drugs and drug treatment is like the difference between black and white. In Baltimore, where many of the victims were poor and black . . . our nation treated this issue like a war rather than a public health emergency, said Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the panel. We incarcerated a generation rather than giving them the treatment they needed. Now, things are changing, he noted. Between 2006 and 2013, the number of first-time heroin users nearly doubled, and about 90 percent of these first-time users were white. While the hearing heard from knowledgeable medical, law enforcement and policy experts, it lacked the testimony of those who reek of the poison in their arms, those who have tried to kick only to relapse, those who have stolen from their families to feed a deadly habit. Leana Wen, Baltimores health commissioner, made heroin addiction real with a story from her emergency-room experiences. I remember well my patient, a 24-year-old mother of two who came to the ER nearly every week requesting addiction treatment, Wen recalled. She would be told there was nowhere for her to go that day or the next, and would be offered an appointment in three weeks time. Because she lacked housing and other supportive services, she would relapse. One day, her family found her unresponsive and not breathing. By the time she arrived in the ER, it was too late for us to save her, and she died. Stories like that repeat, increasingly in places not like Baltimore, whose many troubles are well chronicled. Take Orange County, Fla., which includes Orlando. Its becoming known for more than Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World. The countys mayor, Teresa Jacobs, told the hearing that heroin-related deaths in the county jumped almost six times from 2011 to 2015. Despite Central Floridas strengthening economy, extraordinary quality of life, and soaring reputation, she said, heroin use has exploded. Cummings called on Congress to take action. Congress should not leave town until we take emergency action to increase funding to help states combat this epidemic, he said. We must also fully fund President Obamas budget request for $1.1 billion for 2017. This crisis will not be ended in a day. It will take our sustained commitment, and every one of us owes it to our constituents to make that a priority. For Republicans, however, one item on their list of takeaways from the hearing indicates their hesitation on spending more. In 2015, $400 million was appropriated to address the opioid epidemic an increase of $100 million, it said. To date, none of the money has been spent. With an almost unanimous vote, the Senate approved legislation earlier this month designed to fight opiod, including heroin, abuse. The bill, which still must be considered by the House, would encourage the use of naloxone, a drug that can reverse heroin overdoses. Cummings directed some of his fire toward Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, which makes naloxone. The drug was praised at the hearing for its effectiveness. But its getting very expensive. Cummings accused Amphastar of corporate greed, saying it raised the price as more first responders turned to naloxone. The price of the 10-dose pack used by the Baltimore City Health Department jumped from $190 in May 2014 to more than $400 today, according to Cummings. Bill Peters, Amphastars senior vice president and chief financial officer, said by email this is definitely NOT (his emphasis) what the company charges and could reflect a middle-man markup. We have negotiated rebates with various entities for lower pricing, he said. For example, we entered into a rebate agreement with the following states: New York, Ohio, Delaware, Wisconsin, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Jersey. We have offered rebates to Maryland, but as of today, they have not accepted our offer. The Supreme Court recently declined to hear the California Building Industry Associations challenge to San Joses inclusionary zoning ordinance. That is bad news for affordable housing in San Jose and throughout California. For projects with more than 20 units, the San Jose ordinance requires home builders to price-control 15 percent of the units for sale so that they are affordable to people making 110 percent or less of a neighborhoods median income. Alternatively, the ordinance allows builders to pay a fee or build price-controlled units off-site. The ordinance, which has been in legal limbo since it was approved in 2010, will take effect later this year. But much more was at stake than San Joses ordinance. If the Supreme Court had struck down the ordinance, it would have likely eliminated similar ordinances in more than 170 other California municipalities. San Joses director of housing, Jacky Morales-Ferrand, reacted by saying, For local governments and affordable advocates, this is great news. Local government planners may enjoy keeping their ability to extract resources through inclusionary zoning, but true advocates of affordable housing should be upset. Fellow economist Edward Stringham and I studied the impact of inclusionary zoning in California from 2003-07 while we both taught at San Jose State University. We found that the typical ordinance produced few affordable units. Even if these ordinances dont produce many units, they would at least help some people if the story ended there. Unfortunately, the price controls that these ordinances create do more to make houses more expensive. Inclusionary price controls lower builders profits from new developments. Thus inclusionary zoning ordinances essentially are a tax on building new homes. And like any punitive tax, it has a predictable result: a reduction in the supply of the commodity in question in this case, new homes while raising the price of both the new noninclusionary units and the existing housing stock. When we looked at the numbers, we found exactly what the laws of economics predict: Taxing new housing makes the vast majority of housing more expensive. In the Bay Area, for example, we found that cities with inclusionary zoning ordinances imposed an effective tax of $44,000 on each new home. In Orange and Los Angeles counties, the effective inclusionary tax was $66,000 per new home. Inclusionary zoning also decreased the supply of new housing. After the adoption of inclusionary ordinances, we found, housing production on average decreased more than 30 percent in the first year in Bay Area cities. In Orange and Los Angeles counties, housing production decreased 61 percent over a seven-year period. In Orange and Los Angeles counties alone, we estimate that, during the period we studied, more than 17,000 potential new homes were never built due to the inclusionary zoning requirement, while only 770 inclusionary units were added. The courts decision was based on law, not economics. CBIA contended that inclusionary zoning amounts to a taking (as in eminent domain) that is not reasonably related to any negative impact caused by the new housing. Newly constructed housing makes the rest of the housing stock more affordable, not less, by increasing housing supply. Thus, the ordinances are neither economically nor legally justifiable. If they want to make housing more affordable, Californias voters and planners are going to have to come to their senses and adopt policies that increase, rather than decrease, housing production. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court did not help them along with that process. Benjamin Powell is the director of the Free Market Institute and professor of economics in the Rawls College of Business Administration at Texas Tech University and a senior fellow with the Independent Institute. LOS ANGELES California senators want President Obama to investigate a huge natural gas leak that forced thousands of people from their Los Angeles homes. Sen. Barbara Boxer announced Wednesday that she and Sen. Diane Feinstein have asked the president to convene a multi-agency task force to investigate the cause of the four-month leak from a storage well. Boxer says the task force should also determine whether the Aliso Canyon storage facility is safe to continue operations. The gas leak was sealed in February. Thousands of Porter Ranch residents left their homes out of concern that the leak might affect their health and about 2,600 remain out. The Southern California Gas Co. has said theres no evidence of a health risk but Boxer says residents need to be reassured its safe. A Chinese national pleaded guilty Wednesday as a participant in an elaborate conspiracy to hack into the computer systems of major U.S. defense contractors including the Boeing Co.s computer servers in Orange County. Su Bin, 50, a China-based businessman in the aviation and aerospace fields, was indicted in 2014 on suspicion of stealing military technical data relating to the C-17 and fighter jets produced for the U.S. military, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Su was initially arrested in Canada in July 2014. He eventually waived extradition and was returned to United States in February. He pleaded in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Su faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced July 13. Su Bin admitted to playing an important role in a conspiracy, originating in China, to illegally access sensitive military data, including data relating to military aircraft that are indispensable in keeping our military personnel safe, said John P. Carlin, assistant attorney general for national security, in a statement. Su admitted to conspiring with two people in China, from October 2008 to March 2014, to gain unauthorized access to protected computer networks for commercial gain, prosecutors said. Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 sschwebke@ocregister.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline For Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the Broadway stage must seem like a giant toy whose creative possibilities are endless. The creators of South Park had used animation on TV and in movies, but with the 2011 stage show Book of Mormon, they had live actors and all the bells and whistles associated with musical theater not to mention a compatible compadre in Robert Lopez, who co-created Avenue Q. As it did in May 2014, the Broadway musical has a national tour with a 13-day stop at Segerstrom Center for the Arts and, like that production, is directed by Parker and Casey Nicholaw, with choreography by Nicholaw. The same creative team is also in place: Scott Pask (scenic design), Ann Roth (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting), Brian Ronan (sound), Stephen Oremus (music supervision, vocal arrangements and orchestrations), Larry Hochman (orchestrations), Glen Kelly (dance music arrangements) and Michael Keller (music coordination), with Justin Mendoza music directing as the only major change. The resulting show is just as much of a hoot. Fans of The Producers, Spamalot and Reefer Madness will rejoice in the similar satirical tone, injected with the same in-your-face, cheekily rude crudities as South Park and Avenue Q. The story follows two Mormon teens ambitious, good-looking straight arrow Elder Price (Billy Harrigan Tighe) and geeky misfit Elder Cunningham (A.J. Holmes), such an outlier that no friend stays around for long thrown together for their two-year mission in a tiny, squalid village in northern Uganda. Book of Mormon basically traces the way these oil-and-water partners struggle to adjust to their dissimilarities while trying to convert the locals to Mormonism. To call the show irreverent would be to understate the case. Its raison detre is to ridicule the heck out of societys most taboo subjects for starters, religion, sex, anatomy and homosexuality. Along the way, it takes comedic potshots at the history and precepts of the LDS Church, the ills of poverty and ignorance, and issues of guilt, religious faith and friendship. Its over-the-top, presumably offensive raunchiness is precisely what creates its comedic zing, with the show piling on the sheer, unadulterated laughs as it swiftly moves from dialogue scenes to musical numbers. Yet heart, plus an overall sensibility thats genuinely sweet, balances the raunch. And comedic punch aside,Book of Mormon works on its own terms as a Broadway musical, a well-constructed show with solid story, dialogue, characters, music and lyrics. Battling poverty, famine and AIDS, the villagers comfort themselves with the song Hasa Diga Eebowai. Price and Cunningham join in, thinking its their version of Hakuna Metata. Only belatedly does Price discover the phrase basically means God can stick it, just one example of the shows hilariously blasphemous stance. The odd couple pairing of the two Elders, along with the humor generated from the villages miseries, is the shows focus. Tighes self-centered Price is convinced his missionary efforts will change the world. By contrast, Holmes Cunningham, who sees life through the lens of pop culture sci-fi, is a study in dorky sincerity. Tops among the downright showstopping musical numbers are All-American Prophet, which both outlines and spoofs the history of the Mormon Church. Its flip side is the hilariously profane Joseph Smith American Moses, a pageant created by the villagers that in uproariously cartoony fashion reflects the distortions of standard Mormon doctrine as taught to them by Elder Cunningham. Most vivid, and most brilliant, is Elder Prices Spooky Mormon Hell Dream, where the angst-ridden young man is confronted with a kickline of pitchfork-bearing devils and, for good measure, Hitler, Genghis Khan, Jeffrey Dahmer and Johnnie Cochran. As incisively funny are the many smaller-scale numbers such as Turn It Off, wherein the Broadway show-loving McKinley (Brian Beach) tells his fellow Elders how to shut down any attraction to other men (ironically, by amplifying them). The solo Sal Tlay Ka Siti (Salt Lake City, see?) shows the radiant goodness and hope of Nabulungi (Alexandra Ncube), the pretty young villager who hungers for something in which to believe. Nicholaws silly, loose choreography is an extension of the humor found in the lyrics and in the shows overall tone; the solid songs are vividly performed by a great principal cast and ensemble; and the sparkling visuals created by the expert production team are, in a word, dazzling. Wielding razor-sharp satire, Book of Mormon is delirious silliness at its best, a wonderfully exhilarating comedic ride not to be missed. Contact the writer: emarchesewriter@gmail.com BUENOS AIRES, Argentina President Barack Obama on Wednesday acknowledged that U.S. relations with Latin Americas dictatorships in the 1970s damaged its image in the region, but said he hoped the release of long-classified documents about Argentinas dirty war would rebuild trust. Obama made the comments on the eve of the 40th anniversary of a military coup that would lead to one of the most brutal regimes in Latin American history. Ahead of his visit, last week the Obama administration announced it would declassify thousands of CIA, FBI and other internal documents that could shed much light on one of the South American nations most painful chapters. I dont want to go through the list of every activity of the United States in Latin America, began Obama, answering a question about his presence during the anniversary. Obama then noted that fighting communism was a focus of Americas foreign policy in the 1970s. One of the great things about America, and I said this in Cuba, was that we engage in a lot of self-criticism, said Obama, standing next to Argentine President Mauricio Macri. Obama arrived to Argentina early Wednesday after an historic visit in Cuba. The two-day visit comes as Macri has gone to great lengths to repair relations after years of antagonism by the previous administrations. Obama has made no secret of his preference for Macri over his left-leaning predecessor, Cristina Fernandez, whose meandering missives were a source of frequent frustration and eye-rolling in the White House. So Obama was all too glad to see her replaced in December by Macri, who has affably accepted U.S. help with his mission to modernize Argentinas struggling economy. Obama planned to hear from young Argentinians later at a town hall meeting in whats become a hallmark of his trips abroad. Joined by first lady Michelle Obama, the president was to be feted by Macri at a state dinner in the evening, marking the first such visit by a U.S. president in nearly two decades. Despite efforts to keep the focus on the future, Obamas visit has been clouded by a renewed look at Argentinas past and questions about Americas role in the Argentinas 1976 military coup and the dictatorship that followed. On this anniversary and beyond, we are absolutely determined to do our part as Argentina continues to heal and move forward as one nation, said Obama. In another gesture directed toward the victims of Argentinas Dirty War, Obama planned to visit Remembrance Park in Buenos Aires on Thursday. Argentinas government estimates some 13,000 people were killed or disappeared under force during the crackdown on leftist dissidents, though activists say the number is as high as 30,000. Obamas visit to Argentina, like his visit this week to Cuba, aims to bolster his efforts to keep the U.S. focused on economically important regions like Latin America and Asia, even while dealing with pressing security concerns in the Middle East and elsewhere. Overshadowing his trip were terror attacks Tuesday in Brussels that killed scores and triggered fresh panic in Europe about the spread of violent extremism. Those distractions notwithstanding, Obama is hoping his final year as president will be one of critical progress for the U.S. and Latin America. Even as Obama continues struggling with refugees fleeing insecurity and instability in Central America, his administration is working toward a historic truce between Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The U.S. was heartened by the oppositions success in Venezuelas recent legislative elections. No nation has become a more potent symbol of Obamas efforts to turn a page in Latin American than Cuba. The president flew to Argentina from Havana, where he made history as the first U.S. chief executive to visit in nearly 90 years, in a significant boost for his efforts to normalize ties with the longtime U.S. foe. To show that the U.S. and Argentina are on a better path, Obama and Macri planned to announce new joint efforts on climate change, energy, and fighting drugs and crime, the White House said. The last U.S. president to set foot in Argentina was George W. Bush, who attended a regional summit here in 2005 but didnt conduct a formal state visit. Bill Clinton came to meet with his Argentinian counterpart in 1997. Before returning to Washington, Obama planned to join his wife and two daughters for a leisurely daytrip to Bariloche, a picturesque city in southern Argentina. WARSAW, Poland Polands president on Thursday threw his support behind a government decision to renege on a deal to accept thousands of refugees, blaming security concerns raised by Tuesdays attacks in Brussels. The move could prompt similar decisions by other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, many of which have protested or, like Hungary and Slovakia, sued over the European Unions plan to divide up some 120,000 refugees among member countries. The plan is part of efforts to help alleviate Europes ongoing refugee crisis, which has seen hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa arrive on the continent in recent months. Opponents of migration have warned that extremists could slip in along with the flood of refugees making their way to the continent. However, the suicide-bombers in the attacks in Brussels, brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, were Belgian-born. Polands decision could also negatively affect a deal European leaders struck last week with Turkey that is aimed at limiting the influx of migrants to Europe and better ensuring that those who arrive really might be entitled to asylum because of danger in their countries, rather than people looking for better economic opportunities. Polands conservative, anti-migrant government had grudgingly confirmed the previous governments commitment to take in 7,000 refugees from Syria and Eritrea over the next two years. At the same time, sensing general uncertainty about receiving migrants into a mostly homogenous nation, the officials stressed that permissions to settle would be preceded by meticulous security and identity checks. But following the Brussels attacks, Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said I see no possibility for migrants to come to Poland now. On Thursday, the spokesman for Polish President Andrzej Duda confirmed that decision and said Europe has failed to build an efficient system of checking new arrivals to make sure they dont pose a security risk. The prime minister is right when she says that without an efficient system of hot spots no country, neither Poland, nor Spain or Germany or Austria is able to fully control this problem, said spokesman Marek Magierowski. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that decisions about who should be let in should be made by each country, not by Brussels, which he accuses of stealthily seeking to expand its powers at the expense of national sovereignty. The Czech Republic has committed to receive some 2,800 migrants. Poland has not been on the route migrants take from Turkey to Greece and then through the Balkans to Western Europe, but it is especially focused on security ahead of two major international events it will host in July: a NATO summit and Pope Francis meeting with hundreds of thousands of Catholic youths. On Thursday, the interior minister and the coordinator of security services presented draft legislation expected to take effect in May that will allow for close surveillance, 14-day detention and summary expulsions of foreigners suspected of being threats to security. Polands borders could be temporarily closed and mass events canceled in case of threat, Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said. FULLERTON A driver was not badly injured Thursday morning after crashing into a power pole, but did cause traffic problems on a major street while officials repaired the damage. A driver was heading down West Orangethorpe Avenue around 2:20 a.m. when for unknown reasons crashed into a power pole near South Pacific Drive. Sixteen people lost power after the pole was damaged, according to the Southern California Edison outage map. Police said the driver was not badly injured. Officials blocked part of West Orangethorpe Avenue to repair the damaged pole and expected traffic delays until around 11 a.m. Thursday. Drivers should avoid the area, if possible. Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.com Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders continued to maintain Wednesday that he has a path toward victory against Hillary Clinton but shared part of his reasoning for staying in the race regardless. The senator from Vermont said that his goal is to defeat the Republican nominee in November and suggested that a 50-state Democratic contest will help with that task. Sanders is pushing back against what he calls a mythology that he cant win the presidential election. Htold a crowd of cheering supporters at a Los Angeles rally Wednesday that his wins in Idaho, Utah, Michigan and other states show he is competitive. Hillary Clinton won in Arizona on Tuesday, maintaining a lopsided advantage over Sanders in the Democratic presidential race despite his wins in Utah and Idaho on the same night. She has a 300-delegate lead over Sanders after Tuesday nights contests. He credited Clinton with doing well in Southern states, but says the road to the White House goes right through the West and through California. Sanders predicted he will win Californias June 7 primary, if there is a large turnout. And he said if the wins California by a significant margin we are going together to the White House. The way you do that is to generate a lot of grass-roots enthusiasm, and the way you generate grass-roots enthusiasm is to have real debates on the real issues facing the American people and campaign in every state in this country, Sanders said earlier at a press conference in San Diego, where he held a large-scale rally Tuesday night. Thats how you bring people together. Sanders cited the long lines to participate Tuesday night in Idaho and Utah, the two caucus states where he scored decisive wins against Clinton. Sanders two lopsided victories netted him more delegates than Clinton on Tuesday, but her lead is still formidable. Among pledged delegates needed for the nomination, the former secretary of state leads 1,214 to 911, according to an Associated Press tally. She also has a commanding advantage among the Democratic elected officials and other party leaders known as super delegates. Sanders told reporters that he thought he had an extraordinary night on Tuesday and also cited a victory over Clinton announced earlier this week in a primary consisting of Americans living abroad. We have closed the delegate gap by some 25 delegates in the last week, he said. Asked about his path ahead, Sanders cited upcoming contests on Saturday that he said he could win in Washington state, Alaska and Hawaii, as well as primaries down the road in California and New York, the two largest states in the nation. We are in this thing to the end, Sanders said. Why in Gods name would we not give the people of New York state and California the right to determine and voice their opinion as to who the Democratic nominee would be? I mean, its absurd. Of course, we would. The Associated Press contributed to this report Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo was briefly on high alert Thursday morning after a student conversation about a bomb threat was reported to school officials, deputies said. After the report about 8:30 a.m., officials from the school, at 27501 Mustang Run, prompted students and staff to shelter in place, which requires everyone to stay in their classrooms, according to the Orange County Sheriffs Department. Some students overheard a conversation about a possible bomb threat and reported it to a campus resource deputy who advised school officials, said Lt. Mark Stichter, spokesman for the Sheriffs Department. The school officials decided to have everyone shelter in place which is different than a lockdown, which is ordered by law enforcement agencies. The bomb squad evacuated one classroom and searched it with a dog but did not find anything. No devices were reported to have been seen. There were no threats to any students or staff, Stichter said. The order to shelter in place was lifted at about 10 a.m. A student who made remarks about a device being in the classroom was questioned, but no arrests were made. The school will be handling the incident, Stichter said. Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@ocregister.com NEW YORK Garry Shandling, who as an actor and comedian masterminded a brand of self-inflicted phony docudrama with The Larry Sanders Show, has died. Los Angeles Police officer Tony Im said Shandling died Thursday in Los Angeles of an undisclosed cause. He was 66. Im said fire officials were dispatched to Shandlings Los Angeles home Thursday morning for a reported medical emergency. Shandling was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Im did not have any details on the nature of the emergency. He said police will conduct a death investigation. Coroners spokesman Ed Winter said his office did not yet have any details about Shandlings death. An innovative and eccentric humorist with pillowy lips and a voice that always seemed on the verge of a whine, Shandling claimed to disdain too much logic cluttering his life. The answer isnt gonna be in the facts, he told The Associated Press in 2009. Its gonna be in intuition. Thats how I work creatively. Im always teaching people that the answer to that creative question is right here, in the room, between us here. More to the point, it was dealing with the questions he confronted in himself. Born on Nov. 29, 1949 in Chicago, Shandling was raised in Tucson, Ariz. On arriving in Los Angeles as a young adult, it was a short hop from a brief stint in the advertising business to comedy writing and stand-up. My friend Gary Shandling is gone?!?! He will be more than missedGenius at comedy and decency Good night sweet prince Richard Belzer (@MRbelzer) March 24, 2016 Then in the 1980s, he began to experiment with TV comedy, and to toy with the sitcom form, with his first series, Its Garry Shandlings Show, a Showtime project that made no bones about its inherently artificial nature: the actors in this otherwise standard domestic comedy routinely broke the fourth wall to comment on what they were up to. Even the theme song began with the explanatory lyrics, The theme to Garrys show. Then, in August 1992, Shandling created his comic masterpiece with The Larry Sanders Show, which starred him as an egomaniacal late-night TV host with an angst-ridden show-biz life behind the scenes. It was just three months after Carson had retired from The Tonight Show, where Shandling had appeared as a stand-up and occasional Carson stand-in. It seemed a wry but deeply felt homage to the King of Late Night. But it was more. Larry Sanders proved to be an act of courage, a brave effort led by someone portraying a character dangerously close to himself. As Larry, Garry dug deep to confront his own demons, and did it brilliantly as the series teetered between dual realities: public and private; make-believe and painfully true. Real-life celebrities appeared as guests on Larrys show-within-the-show, and also interacted with him off the air. David Duchovny, agreeing to come on the show, also came on to Larry romantically once he got the chance. Jim Carrey delivered a rip-roaring comic tribute to his host on the final broadcast, then, during a commercial break, turned on him in rage over a long-ago slight. Are you doing a bit, now? asked Larry, perplexed. Were OFF the air, Carrey hissed. This is real life now. The show explored the fuzzy distinction between TV life and real life, and the loneliness of someone at its crossing. The closest thing Larry had to friends were his chronically needy announcer Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) and his Napoleonic producer, Artie (Rip Torn). Together the three actors were among TVs best-ever trios. After Sanders ended in 1998, Shandlings public appearances were few. He was mentioned as a candidate to follow David Letterman as a bona fide late-night host for CBS 12:30 a.m. slot, but no deal was made. I would not do a show where you just sit and talk to somebody, Shandling had said back in 1993 when he was courted by NBC to take over for Letterman on Late Night. His films included Hurlyburly in 1998, What Planet Are You From? in 2000 and Zoolander in 2001. He hosted the Emmy Awards in 2000 and 2004. On the latter occasion, he spotted Donald Trump in the audience and congratulated the billionaire developer for hosting the Emmy-nominated The Apprentice. Nice to see a man whos paid his dues, worked hard, Shandling said. We all know what it feels like to have to build 80-story condos and gambling casinos just to get our foot in the door in show business. In his own business dealings, Shandling became one of the rich and famous targeted by private eye Anthony Pellicano, who was sentenced to prison in 2008 on convictions of racketeering and more than six dozen other counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud and wiretapping in the Hollywood wiretaps case. Pellicano was accused of wiretapping stars such as Sylvester Stallone and bribing police officers to run names of people, including Shandling, through law enforcement databases. While Shandling never married, his most public romance was with Sanders co-star and fiancee Linda Doucett, who played Hanks comely assistant in the series early seasons. Gary Shandling RIP. We will miss your wit and truth. Heartbreaking to loose you too soon. Goldie Hawn (@goldiehawn) March 24, 2016 Doucett sued Shandling after he fired her following their breakup in the mid-1990s, receiving a reported $1 million settlement, The New York Times reported in 2006. The news of Shandlings death brought an outpouring of reactions from performers who spoke of his impact. One of the funniest of all, the beloved and very complicated Gary Shandling has died. Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) March 24, 2016 Garry was a guiding voice of comedy, said actor-comedian Bob Odenkirk. He set the standard and were all still trying to meet it. And filmmaker Judd Apatow declared, Garry would see the ridiculousness of me being asked to sum up his life five minutes after being told of his passing. It is a perfect, ridiculous Larry Sanders moment. I am just too sad. Maybe tomorrow I will do better. IRVINE Although experts have said that additional testing isnt necessary, Irvine Unified School District will pay to analyze more soil and soil gas samples at its future Portola High School site to calm community fears. That was the conclusion reached at the end of a special meeting of the districts school board held Tuesday evening to review a testing plan proposed by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in the wake of public concern about potential contamination on the 43-acre property. Earlier this month, the states toxics regulator ordered the district to conduct more tests for volatile organic chemicals and other potential hazardous substances at the site. That spurred the meeting Tuesday, which lasted more than five hours and at times devolved into shouts and personal attacks among members of the public. More than two dozen people, nearly all in favor of more testing, spoke. Dont be a hidden Flint, said Phyllis Agran, a longtime pediatrician, referring to the Michigan city where drinking water is contaminated with lead. However, John Pehrson, the former University High School principal who has been tapped to lead Portola High when it opens, said he and his staff are not concerned. We have no reservation about the safety of the site, he said. The school, slated to welcome students in late August, is situated on the former El Toro air base, south of Irvine Boulevard. The states toxics regulator OKd the site as safe for a school before construction began. However, in late 2014, some stained soil was found adjacent to the site, underground, during the excavation of a storm drain. The soil was tested and because the chemicals found within it were old and degraded, deemed nonhazardous. Even so, the district decided to cart the soil away. That incident, written about in the Irvine Community News & Views, a free political paper published monthly that is backed by longtime Irvine politician Larry Agran, spurred worry that other chemicals could be concealed on the site. Harvey Liss, a civil engineer who found out about the nonhazardous soil discovered in 2014 and has since written in the Community News paper urging additional testing, this month convinced the Department of Toxic Substances Control to order the district to take and analyze more samples. Initially, the toxics regulator pinpointed eight locations at the site for testing; however, two additional sites were added to the plan before the meeting began Tuesday, near where the contaminated soil was found in 2014. Agran and Liss said tests of soil and soil gas at those spots would not be sufficient to ensure safety. However, Dan Gallagher, who recommended additional tests after he reviewed the information about the Portola High site at the direction of Department of Toxic Substances Control divison chief Dot Lofstrom, said testing at 10 more sites would make him confident the site is safe. Lofstrom said she picked Gallagher to review the site because of his expertise in the migration of volatile chemicals, his lack of prior involvement with the Portola High site, and because he is the most conservative geologist she knows. Lofstrom also said the district, at the suggestion of a resident who spoke at the meeting, could in the future test the site at five-year intervals to assure its safety, although there would be no scientific reason to do so. School district consultant Denise Clendening, who has 30 years experience in assessing environmental health risks, said interval testing was not necessary because there are no new sources of contamination the base closed in 1999 and groundwater in the area flows away from the site. Were testing for political reasons, not scientific reasons, Clendening said. Even so, board President Paul Bokota said the best way to ensure people would regain confidence in the safety of the site would be to test even more than the Department of Toxic Substances Control thought necessary. Results of the tests it wasnt immediately clear how many would be done, although board members said it would be more than those proposed ahead of Tuesdays meeting could be available as soon as late April. Contact the writer: sdecrescenzo@ocregister.com How come you do not order the squid? she asks. I glance up from my terrific oxtail soup to see the woman at the next table looking at me, waiting for my answer. Are you talking to me? I ask, wondering if I actually heard her ask a question, or if Im hearing voices inside my head. I hesitate. But shes waiting for my answer, still watching me. She speaks up again. The squid, she says, smiling. Its what theyre known for here. I take note of the food on her table: a steaming bowl of oxtail pho, a cold heap of vermicelli noodles loaded with imperial rolls and grilled pork, and a stunningly beautiful mound of something that looks like fried onion straws. She and I have ordered the same dishes but for those fried straws. The squid? I ask. She reaches her chopsticks into the pile of straws and lifts one into the air above her plate, drawing circles in the air before popping it into her mouth. Its their specialty, she says before returning her attention to her pho, never to look my way again. Its an odd encounter, one that haunts me for days as a voice in my head keeps telling me to go back to Thanh Binh to try the squid. Opened in January, this is the second branch of Thanh Binh, which has another location in Lake Forest, plus a related pho shop in San Clemente, with yet another location on the way, my waiter tells me, although hes not ready to reveal the new destination just yet. The menu offers a tried-and-true collection of Vietnamese classics. I was perfectly happy with the oxtail pho, which is probably the best pho south of Little Saigon, although the version with shaved raw beef is not nearly as good. The cold vermicelli with grilled pork and imperial rolls were deeply satisfying, too. But the squid? Turns out the squid is indeed very good. When I return for lunch a few days later, I notice those beautiful golden straws making their way toward several tables, including mine. The squid is sliced into thin lengthwise strips and fried. At some point along the way, Im guessing, theyve been marinated in garlic. Beneath their golden exterior, theres a strong yet soft and creamy undercurrent of garlic. Or maybe the garlic is mixed into the breading; Im not exactly sure. One thing Im certain of, though: This stuff is really good. I notice a man in medical scrubs dining alone at the next table. He appears to be on his lunch break from Mission Hospital next door. You should try the squid next time, I say. He looks at me curiously, unsure whether to respond. Thanh Binh Where: 27660 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo When: Lunch and dinner daily Phone: 949-347-8989 DAMASCUS, Syria Syrian government forces pushed into the ancient town of Palmyra, where Islamic State militants appeared on the verge of collapse Thursday, while in Iraq, a military spokesman announced the start of a long-awaited operation to recapture the Islamic State-held northern city of Mosul. The extremist group has been losing ground in Syria and Iraq for months under a stepped-up campaign of U.S.-led and Russian airstrikes, as well as ground assaults by multiple forces in each country. The retaking of Palmyra a UNESCO world heritage site whose fall to the militants last May sent shock waves through archaeological circles and beyond would be a significant victory for the Syrian government. But the operation to unseat the group in Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city, is likely to take much longer and be far more difficult. The advance on Palmyra came after government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, managed to capture several hills and high ground around the town this week. On Thursday, Syrian state TV broadcast footage of its reporter, embedded with the Syrian military, speaking live from the entrance of Palmyra and saying that as of midday, the fighting was concentrated near the famed archaeological site on the southwestern edge of the town. Cracks of gunfire and explosions echoed as the reporter spoke. The fall of Palmyra to Islamic State militants last year had raised concerns worldwide, and the destruction the extremists subsequently embarked upon sparked alarm and made international headlines. It was also a big blow to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose forces pulled out with apparently little resistance. By nightfall, intense fighting was still taking place on the outskirts. Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, denied that Syrian troops had entered the town, and said the video seen on Syrian state TV was taken about three miles (five kilometers) from Palmyra. Earlier in the day, Gov. Talal Barazi told The Associated Press from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army was clearing roads leading into the town of mines and explosives. We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra, Barazi said, adding that the army is advancing in a precise and organized way to protect what is possible of monuments and archaeological sites. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops and Shiite militiamen helping them on the ground were facing tough resistance from Islamic State extremists as they try to penetrate the towns limits. The Observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said Islamic State lost more than 200 militants since the government campaign to retake Palmyra began 17 days ago. It did not have figures for government losses. The Islamic State group instructed residents to leave the town Wednesday, according to a Palmyra native who asked not to be named. The town was mostly empty Thursday, save for Islamic State fighters who were reported to be mining homes ahead of the advancing army. Many of those who left sought refuge in Islamic State-controlled cities in the countrys north and east, including Deir el-Zour, which is also being contested between the extremist group and government forces, according to opposition media activists. Affectionately known as the bride of the desert, Palmyra had attracted tens of thousands of tourists to Syria every year. But Islamic State militants destroyed many of the towns Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and also killed dozens of captive Syrian soldiers and dissidents in public slayings at the towns grand Roman theater and other ruins. Besides blowing up priceless archaeological treasures, Islamic State demolished the towns infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents had been imprisoned and tortured over the years. The advance on Palmyra comes against the backdrop of Syrian peace talks underway in Geneva between representative of the Damascus government and the Western-backed opposition. The talks, which have been boosted by a Russia-U.S.-brokered cease-fire that has mostly held since late February, were to adjourn on Thursday without having achieved any apparent breakthroughs. Meanwhile, in Iraq, government forces pushed Islamic State fighters out of several villages outside the town of Makhmour, southeast of the Islamic State-held city of Mosul a move that Iraqi and coalition officials cast as the start of an operation to retake the strategic city. Yet it also follows the death of a U.S. Marine stationed at a small U.S outpost close to Makhmour military base. U.S.-led coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters he believed the Islamic State group was specifically targeting the U.S. outpost and that Islamic State attacks on the base had increased in recent weeks as Iraqi troops built up there and a larger number of U.S. and coalition forces moved in. Regarding plans for a Mosul offensive, Warren said in a telephone interview that an Iraqi military buildup was still underway in the area. We announced several months ago that we had begun shaping operations for the eventual liberation of Mosul, Warren said. Thursdays smaller ground operation conducted by the Iraqis is part of those shaping operations. At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter gave no indication that the Iraqis were ready for a full-scale counteroffensive. He said Iraq had begun the shaping and isolation phase of the operation to collapse ISILs control over Mosul. Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of Makhmour early Thursday and hoisted the Iraqi flag there, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool. While the territorial gain does little for an eventual assault on Mosul, which U.S. and Iraqi officials recently said would take many months, it could push the front line between Iraqi and Islamic State forces away from the Makhmour base. The small U.S. artillery outpost near Makhmour has expanded the number and combat exposure of American troops in the country as Iraqi security forces prepare for a counteroffensive to retake Mosul, which fell to Islamic State during the militants June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq and neighboring Syria. Do you think unions protect bad teachers? That was Anderson Coopers question for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at her partys recent primary debate in Flint, Mich. Clintons answer was definitive: I have told my friends at the top of [the teachers unions], weve got to take a look at this because it is one of the most common criticisms. We need to eliminate the criticism. That might take awhile. One estimate based on federal data suggests that only one in 500 tenured teachers is ever fired for poor performance. The reason is simple: Americas largest teachers unions the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers are notorious for protecting underwhelming teachers through generous tenure policies. In some states, it can take a teacher as little as one year to secure tenure. This leads to last-in, first-out firing procedures that disproportionately punish the youngest teachers who havent been tenured. And those who would make tenure qualifications performance-based to essentially reward the best teachers are attacked by union bosses. AFT President Randi Weingarten often claims that tenure reform seeks to scapegoat teachers. NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia recently referred to it as the shameful scapegoating of Americas educators. Dean Vogel of the powerful California Teachers Association, an affilliate of the NEA, has also said as much of tenure reformers: Instead of focusing on the real issues facing our schools, they have chosen to ignore those problems and instead to scapegoat teachers. But how does rewarding Americas best teachers scapegoat teachers? Its a question with no good answer. Teachers unions staunch support for the status quo spills over into politics. The NEA and AFTs super PACs have spent nearly $163 million on political activities and lobbying since 1990, with millions more in non-PAC expenditures. The NEA ranked as the top organization funding super PACs during the 2014 election cycle well ahead of conservative power players including the Republican Governors Association (No. 18), Freedom Partners (No. 55) and American Crossroads (No. 66). (The AFT finished No. 13.) And the overwhelming majority of teacher union money 99 percent is sent to the Democratic Party and liberal special interest groups opposing what should be noncontroversial proposals such as tenure reform, merit-based teacher pay and expanded school choice. In fact, the NEA contributed $0 to Republicans and conservative causes in 2014. It shows that union bosses are more concerned with bankrolling an anti-reform agenda than fixing Americas schools or listening to their members. The most recent NEA survey of public school teachers found that 55 percent of teachers characterize themselves as conservative or tend to be conservative. Yet conservative groups receive barely 1 percent of teacher union money in any given election year. The result is clear: Without reform, American education will struggle. The time for change is now. And teachers unions are getting in the way. Richard Berman is executive director of the Center for Union Facts. What were the odds? Improbable as it seems, sometime around 1940 the lives of two men a Disney artist and El Toros resident hobo briefly intersected. The result is a striking watercolor depiction of El Toros train depot, with the hobo actually, Charley Ybarra, the relative of a nearby ranching family sitting on the depots platform. In Depression-era El Toro (todays city of Lake Forest), he was not alone. Every train brought the possibility of one or more jobless men riding the rails, stopping at El Toro to ask for work and a meal before surreptitiously boarding the next train. The difference was that Charley Ybarra was a shirttail relation of the Acunas, tenant ranchers living on land owned by cattle baron Lewis Moulton. Ybarra occupied his own grace and favor shack on that property, about where todays Lake Forest Drive and Moulton Parkway intersect. Most of the time, however, Ybarra made the rounds in El Toro on his old, white mule, looking for work so he might buy groceries at the general store and a few gunnysacks of feed at John Wiegands warehouse. Charleys town outfit, indeed his only wardrobe, consisted of rags, complete to a cap covered with oil cloth to keep out the rain, an old black coat, and equally ragged trousers. He wore this outfit all the time, and he gave the impression that he never bathed, writes Joe Osterman in his book Fifty Years in Old El Toro. Charley also had a physical impairment, a squint that led (local) boys to give him the nickname of Charley One-eye. How Disney background artist Edgar Gerry Starr, whod already completed work on Pinocchio and Fantasia, happened upon El Toro is a mystery. But he was known for taking weekend sketching trips to Mexico, and he probably discovered the picturesque whistle-stop during one of those jaunts. Eventually, the trips to Mexico would prove useful in another way. By 1954, after working on Song of the South and other studio projects, Starr had enough, according to nephew Mike Baldwins remarks on askART.com, a database about artists. First he marched into his employers office and gave Walt a piece of his mind. Then he went home, dug a hole in the back yard, smashed every cell and piece of original background art he had, and buried it all. (He didnt destroy his work outside of the Disney studios.) Shortly thereafter, Starr and his wife, Bernice, moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where, by all accounts, they lived happily ever after. As for Ybarra? Osterman writes that despite an occasional jibe or two hurled his way, old One-eye ultimately earned the respect of El Toros youth. For whenever someone made a remark, Ybarras true character came to the fore. He simply never recognized that he was being insulted. He went on about his business with a dignity that stood out through his rags. Not to mention a kind of immortality via a Disney artist. LANSING, Mich. The lead contamination of Flints water is a story of government failure, intransigence, unpreparedness, delay, inaction, and environmental injustice, according to a task force created by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to investigate the crisis. In their final report Wednesday, investigators also chided Snyder for his refrain that the situation represents a failure of local, state and federal government, saying that suggests all three were equally culpable when the state was fundamentally accountable. It listed decisions made by state environmental regulators and state-appointed emergency managers who controlled the city. The unsparing report also cited intransigence and belligerence by state officials unwilling to admit they had erred, and their dismissal of news reports and complaints from residents about the waters smell, taste and color. A look at the panels findings and recommendations: UNIMAGINABLE DECISION Primary responsibility was unsurprisingly directed toward the state Department of Environmental Quality, whose director resigned in December after the panels initial report. Before Flint switched from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in April 2014, the DEQ misinterpreted federal regulations and advised the Flint Water Treatment Plant that anti-corrosive chemicals were not needed which let lead leach from aging pipes into the drinking water. Task force co-chairman Chris Kolb called the decision unimaginable, particularly since the river water was more corrosive than Detroits Lake Huron water, which had corrosion controls. NUMBER EXPOSED? Lead can be especially harmful to young children, causing problems that include developmental delays. About 200 children in Flint are known to have had elevated levels in their blood since the water switch. But the report called that likely a profound underestimate. Flint has about 11,900 children under age 6, based on Census estimates and Medicaid records, necessitating long-term spending on education, mental health, juvenile justice and nutrition. HEALTH DEPARTMENT FAILURES The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was faulted for misunderstanding its own data on childhood blood lead levels and being reluctant to share it with outside experts, prolonging the crisis. The report says it also failed in its role as the main agency to protect kids from lead poisoning. GOVERNORS ROLE Snyder, who has apologized repeatedly for his administrations role in the disaster, and his office were directly involved in some aspects of the crisis and briefed on some of the major decisions surrounding Flint water, the report says. He appointed emergency managers who made key decisions that led to and prolonged the crisis. He also hired the directors of three state departments that bear differing degrees of responsibility. The governors office itself received citizen complaints and was aware of press reports about water problems as early as May 2014, it said. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT State managers appointed by Snyder to oversee the city not locally elected officials decided to use the Flint River and stick with it, partly based on guidance from the DEQ, Flint employees and consultants. Some local officials supported and even embraced the choices, but the decisions were not theirs to make. Who is accountable for the decisions made by the EMs in Flint? the investigators said. We believe the state must assume that accountability. The report called for revising the emergency manager law to compensate for the loss of checks and balances by representative government. ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE The report labeled the crisis a case of environmental injustice, saying the impoverished, majority-black city did not enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards as that provided to other communities. It added that because Flint was being ruled by a state emergency manager, its citizens didnt have the same opportunity to influence government decisions as people elsewhere. Environmental injustice doesnt necessarily involve malevolent intent or blatant violations of civil rights, the report said. Its about equal treatment, task force co-chairman Ken Sikkema said, in this case equal environmental protection and public health protection, regardless of race, national origin or income. FUNDING While accusing DEQ personnel of repeated bungling, the report noted another problem: too little money. An EPA audit and other evidence suggests the Michigan drinking water program has one of the lowest funding levels among six states overseen by the EPAs regional office in Chicago, despite having one of the largest, if not the largest, number of community water systems to regulate. The DEQs share of the states general fund has plummeted since the 2000-01 fiscal year, when it was just under $100 million, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. It bottomed out at $24.3 million in 2010-11 before rebounding and is nearly $47 million this year. The department has relied increasingly on federal funds and other sources. During the same 16-year period, the departments full-time staff has fallen 25 percent. If you want better oversight, youre going to have to have more staff, said James Clift, policy director for the Michigan Environmental Council. UNITED NATIONS The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a cease-fire at midnight on April 10 ahead of a new round of peace talks starting April 18 in Kuwait, the U.N. envoy to Yemen announced Wednesday. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed made the announcement following extensive consultations with Yemens internationally recognized government and Houthi Shiite rebels as well as regional countries, the United States and France. Previous attempts to implement a cease-fire in Yemen have failed to take hold on the ground, with each side accusing the other of immediately violating the terms. A first round of talks was held in Switzerland in December. Cheikh Ahmed said he is more optimistic about the upcoming talks because they have the support of all parties who have underlined the importance of finding a political solution as soon as possible to end the extremely high level of humanitarian suffering. The war in Yemen must be brought to an end, and before it does irreparable damage to the future of Yemen and to the region, he said. If we fail this time, its probably one of our last chances to get an end to this war. Yemens conflict pits the government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, against the Houthis, allied with a former president. The Houthis took over the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, and the U.S.-backed coalition began airstrikes against them in March 2015. The government is now largely confined to the southern city of Aden. More than 6,000 people have been killed in fighting, millions are displaced and the Arab worlds poorest country has been pushed to the brink of famine. In the chaos, a powerful al-Qaida affiliate has seized a large swath of territory across the countrys south and east, while an upstart Islamic State branch has carried out a series of attacks targeting government forces and the Houthis. Yemeni officials said Wednesday that at least 40 militants were killed and more than 20 wounded in U.S. strikes on an al-Qaida training camp on Tuesday, the largest single attack on the militant group in three years. Cheikh Ahmed said the Yemeni people have suffered an unspeakable tragedy, calling the civilian casualties an affront to humanity. The U.N. envoy said the talks, which he will lead, aim to reach an agreement to end the conflict and allow the resumption of political dialogue leading to a peaceful transition based on a regional peace initiative, a national dialogue and U.N. Security Council resolutions. He said the parties have committed to reinforcing a committee overseeing the cease-fire with prominent Yemeni figures who will report on progress and security incidents. The Yemeni talks will focus on five areas: the withdrawal of militia and armed groups, the handover of heavy weaponry to the state, interim security arrangements, restoration of state institutions and resumption of an inclusive political dialogue, he said. It A special committee will be created to deal with prisoners and detainees. Cheikh Ahmed said the cessation of hostilities must also seek to ensure safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access everywhere in the country as well as an increase in commercial shipments in the coming weeks. These are crucial because Yemen imports almost all its food. Cheikh Ahmed said he has also pursued agreements that would preserve the functioning of the state bank and other state institutions during the cease-fire. Yemens conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran, which supports the Houthis. The Houthis have denied receiving weapons from Iran and have recently expressed anger with Tehran, accusing it of exploiting the conflict for its own ends. Amnesty International called this week for arms suppliers including the United States and Britain to halt all weapons transfers to combatants in Yemen. Human Rights Watch demanded a halt to all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia until it not only curtails its unlawful airstrikes in Yemen but also credibly investigates alleged violations. Steve Rosen, a cat lover from Davie, Florida, is prepared to do whatever it takes to recover his six missing pet cats. Seven of his feline have mysteriously disappeared in the last year and only one has returned to him so far. Despite hiring a private investigator and offering a hefty reward of $30,000, he has been unable to find out what happened to them. Rosen, a retired dentist and skin care entrepreneur, claims that his cats first started disappearing in March 2015, one at a time. Theyre like my children, he said, speaking to NBC 6. Imagine one of your children disappears and then a month or two later, another one disappears. Granted, I know theyre not human beings, a lot of people cant relate to it, but those of us in animal rescue would know what I mean. All the cats were microchipped and had radio collars, so Rosen tried looking for them himself. When that didnt work, he hired a private investigator and also set up a $10,000 camera system to catch the thief. Those options didnt generate any leads either, so out of sheer desperation, he decided to announce a reward to anyone who could bring his cats back or supply information to their whereabouts. At first he offered a $20,000 prize, but later increased the amount to $30,000. Im relying on greed, he said. Photo: video caption 64-year-old Rosen placed a full-page ad in the Sun-Sentinel last week, announcing the sizable reward. Someone has systematically taken my cats between March of 2015 and February of this year, he wrote in the ad. Where they have taken them, what they have done with them is unknown. They were impeccably cared for and were part of my family. They are missing only because they trusted whoever picked them up and did not run away. Only one cat, a black-and-white male named Bandit, has returned to Rosen so far. The poor creature was eight pounds lighter and covered with rust. But the other six Misty, Peaches, Pepper, Frankie, Honey, and Checkers, still remain missing. Rosen said that each of the cats is special to him because they all have a story. A couple were given to me by people who found them, he explained. Misty the gray one was found as a kitten starving in a McDonalds parking lot. Photo: video caption Rosen, who is also the founder of Angels in Distress Animal Rescue, didnt have room indoors for all his cats, so he was forced to keep some of them outside. He is currently caring for 30 outdoor cats, three indoor cats, a rooster, and a parrot. But even though he has plenty of cats to keep him company, hes still worried sick about the missing six. I miss my animals, he added. I am hoping someone who reads this knows where they are and can help with their return. Someone knows something and Im hoping that theyre gonna be willing to step forward and give somebody up in exchange for the reward. Its a bribe. Sources: NBC6, Sun Sentinel After catching a shoplifter trying to steal from a Tesco hypermarket in Malaysia, the store manager chose not to turn the man in to the police, but actually offer him a job at the very same store! It turns out that the shoplifter, a 31-year-old father of three, had stolen food worth RM27 (about $7) out of sheer desperation, to feed his hungry children. I had quit my job as a contract worker after my wife fell into a coma during a birth complication last week, he told the local media. She is still warded at the Bukit Mertajam hospital. The man, who is currently living with his relatives in the city, said he was walking back home after visiting his wife in the hospital, when he happened to pass by the Tesco hypermarket. His two-year-old son was hungry and tired, so they decided to go inside. After walking for more than an hour, we went to the food section and I grabbed the pears, apples, and a few bottles of drinks. Unfortunately, he was caught while leaving the store, and later interrogated by general manager Radzuan Maasan. Radzuan Maasan When Radzuan got to know the mans situation, he was deeply moved. He was not a regular thief, he told reporters. When we questioned him, he immediately confessed, saying he stole the fruits and drinks because his son was hungry. In my 23 years of experience in the retail line, I had never come across thieves who admitted their act so easily. Most would give all kinds of reasons. He also told us he was unable to work as he had to look after his three children, aged two to seven. So we decided not to lodge a police report as this was a genuine case of extreme poverty. Radzuan Maasan Radzuan decided to give him a second chance instead, offering him a job whenever he was ready to start working. He even gave him some cash to take care of immediate expenses and visited the mans family along with his staff. We visited his relatives house, Radzuan said. It was so empty and poor. A few days later they visited the mans wife at the hospital she was out of coma, but sadly, the baby had not survived. We do not condone theft, but this case was different, a Tesco spokesperson said. We have done our checks and what the suspect told us was true. We empathize with him and understand he was forced to do what he did. For now, our priority is to ensure that he enrols his seven-year-old in a school, Radzuan added. via The Star Mike Martin Atlanta-based marketing communications agency Jackson Spalding has appointed Mike Martin creative director. Martin joins Jackson Spalding from Atlanta-based boutique communications agency Skylab-B, which he founded in 2007. Prior to that he served as chief creative officer at MDC advertising unit Fletcher Martin and was a senior art director at creative agency Carmichael Lynch. He also held art director stints at Havas creative agency Arnold Worldwide and Omnicom's DDB Dallas. As Jackson Spaldings creative team head, Martin will now lead brand strategy, content creation and creative development capabilities for a client roster that includes Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and Mattress Firm. Jackson Spalding, which was founded in 1995 and holds additional offices in Dallas and Athens, GA, is one of the largest independent marketing communications agencies in the southeast. The firm in 2015 posted more than $18 million net fees, according to O'Dwyer's rankings of PR firms, making Jackson Spalding one of the largest 25 independent shops in the nation. Poland's government, which has raised eyebrows around the globe for its hard political turn to the right, is reportedly seeking the counsel of an international PR firm. The Financial Times said Warsaw has approached, through intermediaries, "a number of public relations companies based in London for global crisis communications services." Some firms have submitted proposals, according to the report. Polish voters elected a right-wind government last fall that has made a series of controversial moves, including stacking courts and pardoning a former official found guilty of corruption. The rightward shift led by the country's Law and Justice party has raised concern among European allies and the United States. The FT noted the government's tendencies have "spooked investors and caused consternation across Europe." Meghan Gross, an MSLGroup alum who founded and led GEM Strategic Communications, has moved to Grayling in New York as an executive VP. Meghan Gross Gross will lead the firm's NRG Energy business, as well as a global law firm client. She was a senior VP for MSLGroup and managing director of its Boston office after stints as director of communications for law firm Foley Hoag and comms. manager for Ropes & Gray. She also did agency stints at Weber Shandwick, Arnold PR and Powell Tate. Grayling has also brought in Will Kunkel as EVP of creative and content in New York. He is a former Grey Global Group creative director and GM of Bite Global's digital unit, BiteDA, in addition to stints at McCann and Magnetik. He will service Grayling accounts across the US. Grayling CEO Peter Harris said Gross' experience was exactly what the firm was looking for, adding Kunkel's background will help develop content strategies for clients. Ellen OMalley Dunlop comes from Rathdowney in Co. Laois, and worked closely with the Tullamore Rape Crisis Centre, Athlone Rape Crisis Centre, Carlow Rape Crisis Centre and the Garda Victim Support Office. By Damian Moran e-mail: damian@offalyexpress.ie Twitter: @offaly_express She is running for the Seanad and hopes to be the first woman to be elected to the National University of Ireland (NUI) panel in 35 years and is asking for registered graduates to give her their number 1 vote. She is committed, if elected, to implementing the necessary reforms for a more representative and effective Seanad. She is calling on the next government to commit to investing in Education from early years to 3rd Level, to repealing the 8th Amendment, to including a definition of consent in legislation and to reforming the mental health system in Ireland. After ten years, Ellen OMalley Dunlop has stepped down as CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre where she demonstrated her ability to influence positive change on the complex issues surrounding sexual and gender-based violence and the rights of victims of crime. Her plan to run as a candidate for the NUI 2016 Seanad Eireann Elections is partly fuelled by that fact that a woman hasnt been elected to the NUI panel since Gemma Hussey in 1981. Ellen said: I have stepped down as CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre after 10 years when I had the privilege of working with an amazingly dedicated staff and trained volunteers of 100 women who worked tirelessly in their responses to preventing and healing the trauma of rape and childhood sexual abuse in Irish society. Throughout my career I have a strong record in leading change and I want to bring my experience to representing the graduates of NUI to Seanad Eireann. Over my 10 years as CEO of leading the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, I also lobbied for reform in legislation for victims rights and childrens rights and was appointed Adjunct Professor to the School of Law in UL in December 2015. Prior to my time in the DRCC, I worked as a psychotherapist, and was a founding member of the MSc in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in Trinity College. In my early career, having trained as a primary school teacher in Mary Immaculate, I worked with children with special needs. Ellens priorities for the Seanad will include equality, education and mental health: equal access to education for all children regardless of social background or religious status from eary years to thrid level; the production of a second SAVI (Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland) report to measure the true prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland so as to appropriately support progress in combating these crimes in our society. She will support the repeal of the eighth amendment and for its replacement with legislation to allow women to make their own decisions in some very difficult situations. Furthermore, she will be seeking the expansion of counselling and psychotherapy services, particularly for suicide prevention and better mental health services for both men and women, as well as the statutory registration and regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors. Ellen OMalley Dunlop is also calling on the next government to focus on education investment - The next government should invest more in education. Government investment in 3rd level education alone dropped from circa 1.6bn in 2005 to 939m in 2014. We will all reap the benefits of educational investment from early years to third level, because a good education system leads to a richer and more equitable society for everyone We need to challenge the way the state looks at education and think of it as an asset instead of an expense. Fine Gael TD for Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has appealed to the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar to encourage Judge Harding Clark to reconsider her decision, and return all records to survivors as per the Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme. By Damian Moran e-mail: damian@offalyexpress.ie Twitter: @offaly_express This Government was the first to listen to the women who survived symphysiotomy and to address the issue in any meaningful way. We must continue to support these women and I have appealed to Minister Varadkar to ensure that all records are returned to survivors. The Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme announced that it would support shredding records, if applicants are so minded, but they also supported returning the documents to survivors if requested. I believe that all survivors should have access to these records as they are the only official notes detailing who participated in these involuntary operations. At present applicants who do not seek the return of their obstetric records are not being informed that they may be not be retrievable from their hospitals of origin. This should also be addressed. The UN Human Rights Committee ruled that Ireland should initiate a prompt, independent and thorough investigation into cases of symphysiotomy and prosecute and punish the perpetrators, including medical personnel. Obstetric records that could potentially be destroyed may be some claimants only proof that they were subjected to the surgery. This Government set up an ex gratia scheme for symphysiotomy survivors with awards ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 and we committed to the provision of Medical Cards to women who have had a surgical symphysiotomy. It is estimated that around 1,500 symphysiotomy procedures were undertaken in Ireland between the 1940s and the mid 60s, when they ceased in all hospitals except Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, where they continued until the mid 80s. The next phase in supporting survivors is to ensure that they have access to all their medical records and this is an issue I have raised with Minister Varadkar as a priority. Loading... OilVoice will be with you shortly... Todays world can be a scary place for kids. With stories about shootings and accidents in the news on a regular basis, and this weeks terrorist attacks in Brussels, its impossible to shield kids from the realities of life. We can, however, help them cope with the events and continue to move forward. Everyone including kids is hard-wired to recover from crisis events and has built-in coping mechanisms. Therefore, it is normal for kids to feel upset, sad, confused or afraid after something bad happens. These feeling allow them to process and start to heal. Its important to let your child know that its okay to have these feelings. Here are some other tips for helping your kids in the aftermath of a tragedy. 1. Always be available and listen to your child when they want to talk, but dont force children to talk about their feelings. 2. Parents, friends and teachers can all be great sources of support, caring and understanding for kids. 3. You might be fearful and unsettled yourself. Seek adult comfort. Parents should convey confidence in the future and that things will be okay to their children. 4. Getting kids back to their normal activities and their regular schedule as soon as possible promotes positive coping and healing. Routines are comforting to kids. 5. Give kids the time and space to sort through and process their feelings. 6. Monitor kids and stay vigilant as the healing process continues, even months after the event. Through all of this, you should remain vigilant and watchful, and continue to keep your eyes and ears open for signals of deeper problems. These might include changes in eating or sleeping habits or not being able to return to normal activities. If you notice these or other red flags continuing two weeks or longer after the event, you should seek professional help from a licensed mental health professional. For more information about helping your child in the aftermath of a crisis, click here. *** Dr. Daly acquired a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at West Virginia University in 1973. As a U.S. Army Captain, he served as a psychologist working with service persons at Irvin Army Hospital in Ft. Riley, KS. Dr. Daly joined Boys Town in 1975 where he has held numerous leadership positions in such areas as clinical work, research, and program dissemination. His areas of expertise are juvenile delinquency, adolescent mental health, and dissemination of evidence-based programs. LINCOLN Three former Nebraska bank executives now have been sentenced to prison in what probably is the largest successful criminal prosecution undertaken by the U.S. Justice Department in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. On Thursday, TierOne Bank lieutenants James Laphen and Don Langford were sentenced Laphen to 34 months in federal prison and Langford to 21 months on charges related to the banks 2010 collapse. On Wednesday, the former TierOne chief executive, Gilbert Lundstrom, got 11 years in prison and a fine of $1.2 million. The sentencing of three felons to prison signals the high point at least so far for the Justice Department in obtaining redress for acts undertaken by the nations financial institutions during the mortgage crisis. In fact, this weeks sentences appear to be the only ones secured by federal criminal prosecutors from the 2008-12 era when 465 banks went insolvent. Financial institutions much larger than TierOne had financial information they reported to investors and regulators that later was modified. Of course, Lincoln-based TierOne was a big deal in Nebraska the states second-largest bank ranked by assets, with $3.3 billion. But that was a trifle compared with the nations largest players during the mortgage crisis, when banks like Bank of America ($2.3 trillion in assets) and Lehman Brothers ($639 billion) engaged in conduct similar to TierOnes. Those institutions, almost 10 years later, have avoided criminal prosecution of their executives. Thursday, the final prison sentences in the TierOne case rained down in U.S. District Court in Lincoln despite pleas for mercy; U.S. District Judge John Gerrard was having none of it. The crimes were substantial, and you were a substantial part of them, he said moments before sentencing Laphen, who pleaded guilty to two criminal counts related to the fraud and collapse and testified against former boss Lundstrom during a three-week trial last year. At that trial, it emerged that TierOne began catching the attention of authorities in 2008, when profits evaporated amid widespread unpaid loans made to out-of-state real-estate developers, who were going broke. Instead of writing down the value of the loans, TierOne hid the delinquencies and defaults, making investors and regulators think the bank was healthier than it was. Laphen also was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine. Unlike ex-CEO Lundstrom, who did not plead guilty, Laphen was not taken immediately into custody. His former boss was handcuffed in court Wednesday and led to jail. Lundstrom had presided over a disaster, and the jury at his trial was convinced he covered it up. At the end in 2010, more than a fifth of the loans on the books at TierOne were underwater. The bank went insolvent and was shut, assets and branches taken over by Great Western Bank. Investors lost everything when shares went to zero, after having reached $35 each in 2006. Ten years later, the misdeeds have sunk in. I know, accept and admit what I did wrong, Langford told the court Thursday afternoon at his sentencing. Earlier, Laphen said: I come here deeply ashamed. Both men will be allowed to report to prison in June, the location yet to be determined. They faced a maximum of 10 years in prison, but their cooperation gained them lighter sentences. Friends and relatives for both testified Thursday, telling the judge that each is honest, sincere, hardworking and deserving of leniency based upon good character. Gerrard, the judge who also presided over the Lundstrom trial and sentencing, reminded each man that many investors lost everything, including bank employees who had put their money into the company stock plan. Innocent victims lost substantial sums of money, Gerrard told Langford, who was not ordered to pay a fine. Such losses werent uncommon in the financial industry in 2008 as the Great Recession spread. Many huge financial companies Merrill Lynch, Countrywide Financial, Citigroup did little differently from TierOne, essentially reporting numbers that didnt reflect how bad things were underneath. Many of those companies restated earnings, and some have faced civil lawsuits. But only in Nebraska the 37th-most-populous state is anyone going behind bars for the behavior. Contact the writer: 402-444-3197; russell.hubbard@owh.com Correction: Laphen's sentence was reported incorrectly in a previous version of this story. A 43-year-old Thayer, Iowa, woman has been charged in connection with the death of another woman whose body was found in a pond late last year. Jennifer Jean Hartley was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Loretta Dillinger, 37, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safetys Division of Criminal Investigation. The DCI and the Union County Sheriffs Office said a hunter found a decomposed body in a pond Dec. 2, 2015, near the Union County-Madison County line in south-central Iowa. An autopsy identified the body as Dillingers. The DCI said its investigating agents found that Hartley and the late Jerry Dillinger, 37, killed the woman, his former sister-in-law. He pleaded guilty earlier this year. According to the DCI: Hartley was part of a plan to have Loretta Dillinger set fire to two residences, one in Greenfield, the other in Thayer. Hartley gave a pistol to Jerry Dillinger to kill his former sister-in-law to keep her quiet about the fires; after the fires and the killing, Hartley helped conceal the death. Dillinger pleaded guilty to killing both his former sister-in-law and Michael Robinson, who was in a relationship with a Dillinger family member, the DCI said. He killed himself last month while serving time at a prison in Coralville, the DCI said. Contact the writer: 402-444-1259, jay.withrow@owh.com BRUSSELS (AP) The suspected bomb maker in the Paris attacks in November was one of two suicide bombers who targeted the Brussels airport, officials said Wednesday, in a new sign that both attacks are linked to the same cell of the Islamic State group. The revelation that Najim Laachraoui was among the bombers came as Belgians began three days of mourning for the victims of the Brussels airport and subway bombings. The country remained on high alert as authorities hunted for one of the suspected attackers seen on surveillance video with Laachraoui and one other suicide bomber. Turkish authorities, meanwhile, said they had caught one of the suicide bombers near the Turkish-Syrian border in July and sent him back to the Netherlands, warning both that country and Belgium that he was a "foreign terrorist fighter." But a Turkish official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly said the bomber was allowed to go free because Belgian authorities could not establish any ties to extremism. Belgian authorities had been looking for Laachraoui since last week, suspecting him of being an accomplice of top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested Friday. Two officials said Laachraoui's DNA was verified as that of one of the suicide bombers Tuesday, after samples were taken from remains found at the blast site at Brussels airport. One European official and one French police official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to divulge details of the Belgian investigation. Both officials were briefed on the investigation. Laachraoui is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the Paris attacks, a French police official told The Associated Press, adding that Laachraoui's DNA was found on all of the vests as well as in a Brussels apartment where they were made. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. Several people who may be linked to the attacks were still on the loose and the country's threat alert remained at its highest level, meaning there was danger of an imminent attack, said Paul Van Tigchelt, head of Belgium's terrorism threat body. The attacks killed 31 people, not including three suicide bombers, and injured 270 others, authorities said. As government offices, schools and residents held a moment of silence to honor the dead, the mood was defiance mixed with anxiety that others involved in the attacks are still at large. Belgian Federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw identified two of the Brussels attackers as brothers Ibrahim El Bakraoui, a suicide bomber at the airport, and Khalid El Bakraoui, who targeted the subway. Investigators raided the Brussels neighborhood of Schaerbeek after the attacks and found a computer in a trash can on the street including a note from Ibrahim El Bakraoui saying he felt increasingly unsafe and feared landing in prison. He was the brother who Turkish officials said was deported from Turkey to the Netherlands. Belgium's justice minister said that authorities there knew him as a common criminal, not an extremist, and that he was sent back to the Netherlands, not Belgium. A taxi driver who took Ibrahim El Bakraoui and two others to the airport led investigators to an apartment where they found 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of TATP explosives, along with nails and other materials used to make bombs, Van Leeuw said. Two were suicide bombers, the prosecutor said; the other was a man in a white jacket and black cap who fled before the bombs went off, leaving behind a bag full of explosives. That bag later blew up, but no one was injured. The Islamic State group, which was behind the Paris attacks, has also claimed responsibility for the Brussels bombings. Belgian state broadcaster RTBF, citing sources it didn't identify, said Khalid El Bakraoui had rented an apartment that was raided last week in an operation that led authorities to Abdeslam. Abdeslam was arrested Friday in the Brussels neighborhood where he grew up, a rough place with links to several of the attackers who targeted a Paris stadium, rock concert and cafes on Nov. 13. Those attacks killed 130 people. A Belgian official working on the investigation told the AP that it is a "plausible hypothesis" that Abdeslam was part of the cell linked to the Brussels attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation. French and Belgian authorities have said in recent days that the network behind the Paris attacks was much larger than initially thought and that developments this week suggest the same group could have staged both the Paris and Brussels attacks. The airport and several Brussels metro stations remained closed Wednesday, and authorities said the airport would remain closed at least through Thursday, forcing the cancellation of 600 flights each day. Security forces stood guard around the neighborhood housing the headquarters of European Union institutions, as nervous Brussels residents began returning to school and work under a misty rain. Thousands of people gathered at Place de la Bourse in the center of downtown Brussels, including dozens of students chanting "stop the war" in solidarity with those killed. "In Belgium, it's not every day that we show solidarity politically," said Fanny Nicaise, 24. She came out with some friends just to see and be with others. "It's important that you aren't alone in your sadness." Belgians paid homage and lit candles, the mood almost buoyant as people wrote on the ground with big sticks of chalk, drawing peace signs and hearts. As befits an international city like Brussels, the foreign minister said the dead collectively held at least 40 nationalities. "It's a war that terrorism has declared not only on France and on Europe, but on the world," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Wednesday on Europe-1 radio. Valls, who planned to visit Brussels later Wednesday, urged tougher controls of the EU's external borders. "We must be able to face the extension of radical Islamism ... that spreads in some of our neighborhoods and perverts our youth," he said. The Paris attackers were mainly French and Belgian citizens of North African descent, some from neighborhoods that struggle with discrimination, unemployment and alienation. In its claim of responsibility, the Islamic State group said its members detonated suicide vests both at the airport and in the subway, where many passengers fled to safety down dark tunnels filled with hazy smoke from the explosion. The Islamic State warned of further attacks, issuing a statement promising "dark days" for countries taking part in the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition in Syria and Iraq. European security officials have been bracing for a major attack for weeks and had warned that Islamic State was actively preparing to strike. Valls said Wednesday that big events, be they sports or cultural, must not be put on hold for fear of attacks. He said that includes the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, a monthlong event being held in France that starts in June. Meanwhile, the Belgian football federation announced that it was calling off an international soccer friendly match against Portugal next week because of the attacks. Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. * * * World-Herald coverage of the Brussels attacks WAYNE, Neb. A foot of snow blanketed Wayne overnight Wednesday as a storm made its way across the region. Along U.S. Highway 275 in northeast Nebraska, several vehicles sat stuck and abandoned by the side of the road Thursday. Traffic on Nebraska Highway 16 west of Pender came to a stop in both directions as a tow truck pulled a semitrailer out of the ditch. With the temperature reaching 38 degrees in the afternoon, snow melted from area roadways. Plowed piles reaching more than 6 feet in some spots ran down the middle of Wayne's Main Street. Outside the Sports Club Motel, snow drifted from the roof onto the tops of vehicles parked nearby, piling as high as 5 feet. Dan Eveleth of Bonnie Plants was staying at the Sports Club Motel. He said the storm began Wednesday evening with thunder, and he awoke to a foot of snow in the morning. Storm recap Moderate to heavy snow fell Wednesday night into early Thursday across northeast Nebraska and northwest Iowa, with up to more than a foot reported in some areas. Gusty north-northeast winds caused substantial blowing snow across much of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa that received snow. Streets in the Omaha area were mainly wet early Thursday, with temperatures around 32 degrees. Later, around 4 a.m., Douglas County 911 dispatchers began taking requests for salt trucks due to icy conditions in some locations, especially on bridges and overpasses. Austin Rowser, street maintenance engineer for Omaha, said crews began salting bridges and overpasses early Thursday. Omahas streets were in mainly good condition, he said, but some elevated surfaces were icy. Rowser said he expected road conditions to dry out later Thursday, thanks to strong winds, and crews would shift to patching potholes by afternoon. Douglas County authorities suspended taking property-damage accident reports around 4:35 a.m. Ten crashes, two around I-80 and Kennedy Freeway that left one person critically injured and another seriously injured, were reported between 3 a.m. and about 6 a.m. Authorities shut the I-80/Kennedy Freeway area due to icy conditions. By 8 a.m., police were back taking accident reports. Interstate 80 reopens Interstate 80 reopened across Nebraska on Thursday morning. Heavy snow closed most of I-80 in both directions from Gothenburg to Wyoming on Wednesday. I-80 westbound was closed from Grand Island to Wyoming. The Nebraska Department of Roads said Thursday morning that about two-thirds of the states roads, from southwest Nebraska through northern and northeast Nebraska, were completely covered. Some roadways in northwest Nebraska were partially covered. The Iowa Department of Transportation reported Thursday morning that two-thirds of the states roads were wet while most of Iowas northern roadways were completely to partially covered. Travel was not advised on many roadways around and to the north and east of Sioux City, including Interstate 29 north of the city. Some areas were impassable due to disabled vehicles. Motorists were urged to evaluate the need to travel in extreme conditions. Snowfall totals Snowfall totals in inches at midnight: Norfolk, 6; Wayne, 12; Pierce, 10; Sioux City, 15. Snowfall totals at 7 p.m. Wednesday: North Platte, 3.5; Valentine, 5.5; Harrison, 8; Harrisburg, 8. Rainfall totals in inches at 8 p.m. Wednesday: Offutt Air Force Base, .22; Eppley Airfield, .14; Millard, .09; Council Bluffs, .23. A winter storm warning remained in effect until 9 a.m. today for a swath of northwest Iowa that included Sioux City and Storm Lake. A winter weather advisory remained in effect until 9 a.m. today for a narrow band stretching through a part of northwest Iowa. Included in the advisory was Denison. Elsewhere, the storm brought snow accumulations in South Dakota of fewer than 2 inches in Sioux Falls to up to 7 inches north of Humboldt. The fast-moving storm dropped up to a foot of snow in Minnesota. Forecasters said up to a foot of the white stuff could bury central Wisconsin, from River Falls to the Green Bay area. In Colorado and Wyoming, the wind and the heavy, wet snow weighed down power lines and snapped them, causing numerous outages. One United departure and one Southwest departure from Omahas Eppley Airfield for Denver were canceled Thursday morning due to heavy snow at the Colorado airport. Omaha-area forecast Today Snow/rain mix possible before 8 a.m., then gradual clearing with a high near 39 and north-northwest winds gusting as high as 40 mph. Snow accumulation of less than a half-inch likely. Tonight Mostly clear with a low around 27. Friday Partly sunny with a high near 57 and south-southeast winds gusting as high as 25 mph. Friday night A 20 percent chance of rain with a low around 36. Saturday A slight chance of rain and snow with a high near 46. Saturday night Mostly cloudy with a low around 28. Sunday Mostly sunny with a high near 49. Sunday night Mostly clear with a low around 30. Monday Sunny with a high near 61. Monday night Partly cloudy with a low around 41. Tuesday Mostly sunny and breezy with a high near 64. Tuesday night A slight chance of showers with a low around 44. Wednesday A chance of showers and thunderstorms with a high near 63. National Weather Service State Speech competition rolls on Day two of NSAA State Speech competition at the University of Nebraska at Kearney went on as planned despite the weather. All schools are here, all judges are here, and were on schedule, Debra Velder, NSAA associate director, said Thursday morning. Velder said one team York High School got stuck in town, was unable to find lodging and spent the night in the Kearney High School gym. UNK spokesman Todd Gottula said that an eight-person crew began snow removal at 5 a.m. to accommodate the competition. Gottula added that the competition regularly brings 2,000 or more people to campus, including competitors, judges, fans and family. Thunderstorms, hail, strong winds A powerful spring storm swept through the Midlands on Wednesday, closing roads in western Nebraska including hundreds of miles of Interstate 80 and smacking the eastern part of the state with thunderstorms, including hail and strong winds. Thursday, skies should clear and winds abate by afternoon, but tonight brings the likelihood of a hard freeze across the region. As a result, icy conditions can be expected and early spring blooming flowers are likely to get frost-bitten. It was a day of notable weather across the state, with winter storm warnings, blizzard warnings, a brief tornado watch, a high-wind advisory and a winter weather advisory. Travel across central and western Nebraska was affected by the weather, and flights that involved Denver International Airport including six from Eppley Airfield were largely canceled or delayed because of blizzard conditions and a power outage there. The storm, traveling northeast, battered Colorado and Wyoming before hitting Nebraska. Snow blown by gusts up to around 50 mph made it unsafe for planes to land or take off at Denver International Airport, leading officials to close it around midday. The airport reopened later and is expected to be back to normal operations by Thursday. The closure came hours after long flight delays caused by power outages at the airports fuel depot and deicing supply and the cancellation of about a third of the airports daily flights. Whiteout conditions led to the closure of most of I-80 in both directions from Gothenburg to Wyoming, about 220 miles. I-80 westbound was closed further, from Grand Island to Wyoming. In Wayne, Nebraska, a foot of snow fell. Even as snowfall began to taper off Wednesday night, strong winds were expected to sabotage efforts to clear I-80 and other shuttered roads. Barn blown down in Iowa Some evening commuters between Omaha and Lincoln encountered small hail along with rain and strong winds when one storm cell swept through at about 5 p.m. Areas reporting a smattering of hail included Gretna, Nebraska City, Wahoo and western Douglas County. Strong winds caused a few accidents across the Midlands. A barn was blown down near Clarinda, Iowa. And a pickup truck was blown off the road on Highway 30 near North Platte. The National Weather Service office in North Platte reported a top wind gust of 64 mph in the area. Road conditions deteriorated significantly Wednesday across western, central and northern Nebraska. Jackknifed semis shut down travel in two separate spots along Highway 2 in north-central Nebraska. Many other roads in western Nebraska were labeled impassable by the State Department of Roads. In general, roads across the affected region were partially or completely covered in snow and visibility was near zero at times. The storm hit eastern Colorado and Wyoming hard, shutting down long stretches of highways in those states as well, including I-70 from near the Denver airport to the Kansas border, a more-than-500-mile stretch of I-80 in Wyoming into Nebraska as well as I-25 in northern Colorado and Wyoming. Storm 'kicking our heinies' Its pretty much kicking our heinies, said Tim McGary of the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Its bad enough we cant keep up with it. Thats why everything is closed. Dangerous northerly winds combined with snow to create blizzard conditions in parts of central and western Nebraska. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, the weather service was reporting 4 inches of snow in North Platte, breaking the record for the date of 3.8 inches, set in 1957. And snow was still falling. Up to 12 inches of snow was possible in far southwest Nebraska. World-Herald staff writer Andrew J. Nelson and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder@owh.com India launches Telephonic Feedback System for Grievance Redressal Feature oi-Lisa By Lisa Setting a new precedence, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Public Grievances Dr Jitendra Singh initiated a telephone feedback mechanism for grievance redressal of the citizens. He himself called three citizens to take their feedback about the grievances they had registered on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System Portal. About India's public grievance redress and monitoring system: The Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) Portal, a web based portal, has been designed and implemented in all the Ministries and Departments of Government of India. A customised software with local language interface has also been designed for the state governments. This software is called CPGRAMS - States. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel has Public Grievances Division is responsible for issuing policy guidelines coordinating and monitoring of issues regarding redress of public grievances and staff grievances in general and for the central government in particular. The state module of CPGRAMS has been implemented in 9 States and Union Territories namely Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttrakhand, Jharkhand and Punjab. The PG Division also coordinates the Citizen Charter and Information and Facilitation Counters (IFCs) initiative of the Government of India. With the objective of improving public service delivery and making governments citizen-centric, an assessment improvement framework called "Sevottam" has been developed. Support is provided to Ministries and Departments and also State Governments to introduce the Sevottam framework for better service delivery. The Division also provides secretarial support to the Standing Committee for grievances to the Joint Secretary and above level officers headed by the Cabinet Secretary. Minister seeks feedback from three complainants: He personally called three complainants chosen on random basis, who had registered their grievances in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and their grievances were disposed off. The Minister sought their feedback regarding the response given by the Government to the grievances. These complainants included Shri Vijay V Lambat (Nagpur, Maharashtra) who had complained regarding the refund of money from Income Tax Department. The second person contacted by the Minister was Shri Aravindbabu Pormar from Bangalore. He had complained against Railways and sought refund of money from the Ministry of Railways. The third person contacted was Shri Paladugu Samba Siva Rao from Odisha, who had grievance related to Provident fund with the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The citizens contacted thanked the Minister and the department. They also suggested that the citizens should be contacted once over phone before closing the grievance. The Minister assured that the department is committed to take steps in this direction. Jitendra Singh at the occasion: The Minister said that this direct citizen contact through telephone will not only enable us to assess the level of satisfaction received by the complaints after the redressal of grievance, it will also help in offering us valuable inputs required to improve the grievance redressal mechanism. He said that this is in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dictum of minimum government, maximum governance with citizen centric approach. In the current age of social media and web portal, this approach will also give the citizens a feeling of direct involvement in the government's grievance redressal mechanism. The Minister said that in future, he himself will be calling the citizens at random and verify whether their complaints have been disposed off. He also said that the Secretary or senior official from the department will also make call to the citizens to verify the status of grievance. He further informed that during the last one year, ending December 2015, the grievance cell has received nearly 10 lakh complaints as compared to the average of 2-3 lakh yearly complaints earlier. He also expressed his happiness over the fact that nearly 90% complaints are redressed now. Dr Singh also said that the rising number of grievances being registered by the citizens are an indication of the increasing faith of public in the personal interest in the redressal of grievances of the public by engaging with them over phone. The social media will also be used in the grievance redressal, he added. Number of grievances disposed off: Devendra Chaudhry, Secretary, DARPG said that now on an average 1,500 grievances are disposed off in a day and nearly 45,000 grievances in a month. He also said that the department has made a list of more than 12,000 officers across the departments who are being contacted for the redressal of grievances. The receipts of grievances have increased from about 5 lakhs to about 12 lakhs and at the same time the disposal has also increased from about 4 lakhs to nearly 11 lakh during the period of June, 2014 to February, 2016. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 24, 2016, 11:12 [IST] India Russia to cooperate in the field of Disaster Management Feature oi-Lisa By Lisa India Russia joint Commission held a meeting to discuss bilateral cooperation between two countries with regards to Disaster Management. The Russian delegation was chaired by Mr. Vladimir Andreevich Puchkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination Consequences of Natural Disasters and the Indian delegation was chaired by Union Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh. The 10 member Russian delegation, senior officers of MHA, NDRF and NDMA attended the meeting. Russian delegation visits headquarters of national disaster response force: Earlier, the Russian delegation visited the Headquarters of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) where DG, NDRF Mr. O.P. Singh made a presentation to the visiting delegation. The Russian delegation expressed their satisfaction on the visit and mentioned that the bilateral cooperation in the field of disaster management between the two countries will be carried forward in future. Rajnath Singh at the meeting: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the two countries are linked by geography, history and culture and the linkages in the field of disaster management have continued to grow beyond boundaries. Mr. Rajnath Singh mentioned that during the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction during March last year in Sendai, Japan we had agreed to enhance ongoing cooperation in dealing with emergency situation, natural disasters, research and training. Mr. Rajnath Singh said that India is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. Floods, droughts, cyclones and landslides are common hazards, he added. He mentioned that the country is committed for convergence of disaster risk reduction with developmental programmes and disaster management is not an issue of disaster alone rather it has now become more of development issue. He further added that the cooperation in the areas such as controlling floods, minimizing its consequences as well as collaboration in capacity building has been rightly highlighted in our Joint Implementation Plan. He hoped that with the signing of the Joint Implementation Plan, the two countries will acquire new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction. Kiren Rijiju on India's disaster management preparedness: Speaking on this occasion, Kiren Rijiju said that the output of this deliberation will pave way for the comprehensive and structured cooperation to build capacities of the first responder and other allied forces. He said that the Annual Summit meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the President of the Russian Federation is the highest institutionalised dialogue mechanism under the Strategic Partnership between India and the Russian Federation. Mr. Rijiju further said that the field of Disaster Management would initiate new era of friendship that will enable both sides to work in close proximity in order to minimise the risk we face due to increased frequency of natural calamities. He further said that India will be benefitted by the state of the art technology and structures, Russia have created to monitor real time basis different events. Mr. Rijiju mentioned that India has developed sufficient experience in handling disasters and has always been willing to extend technical and financial support to the neighbouring countries. In the aftermath of Nepal earthquake 2015, India was the first country to provide humanitarian assistance and to lead the rescue efforts, he added. The Minister of State for Home Affairs mentioned that India has adopted an integrated approach to ensure sustainable, inclusive development. He said that India is making consistent efforts to include disaster mitigation features into the new development programs including revisiting some of the ongoing development schemes for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 24, 2016, 10:26 [IST] Fact Check: This BJP worker from Gujarat is not rooting for AAP in the state AAP ready for Punjab polls, dares SAD, Congress India oi-PTI Anandpur Sahib, Mar 24: Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said it was fully geared up for Punjab assembly polls slated for 2017 and dared both SAD and NCP to hold the elections ahead of the scheduled time. Speaking during the political conference organised on the occasion of Hola Mohalla here, AAP, Punjab Convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said he came to know that both Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder are issuing statements that there was a possibility of early polls in Punjab. Reshuffle in Arvind Kejriwal's Cabinet? There are indications that Badal wanted to sacrifice the SAD-BJP alliance government on the SYL issue to attain 'martyrdom' for which he was planning to hold elections much earlier than the scheduled time, Chhotepur claimed adding that even Amarinder, who is having political nexus with the Badals, has also sent signals for the early assembly polls in Punjab. "AAP wants to sound both Badal and Amarinder loud and clear that we are completely ready for the polls even if they want to hold these whether in two or six months, whenever. The entire Punjab knows that Congress laid the foundation stone of the SYL and it was during Akali government that 90per cent construction of the SYL was completed", said Chhotepur. AAP national spokesperson and In-charge Punjab Affairs Sanjay Singh said during the last nine years of "misrule" of SAD-BJP alliance, deterioration set in Punjab. Court summons Arvind Kejriwal for 'misleading' information in poll affidavit Sanjay Singh also cautioned people of Punjab that in their pursuit to hold early polls the SAD-BJP alliance might "create divisions " within various communities on "communal lines " and also try to "spread politics of hate" on the basis of caste and creed. Farmers are being forced to commit suicides while the youth is being constantly pushed into the whirlpool of drugs, he alleged. "Farmers are committing suicides and soldiers are getting martyred, but state government failed to take care of them, but in Delhi in a true spirit of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan', AAP govt gave Rs 50,000 per hectare to farmers as compensation of their damaged crop and martyred's family was given Rs One crore," Sanjay Singh said. Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann alleged "While farmers are committing suicides due to debt and Industry of the state is ruined, Akali Dal is giving an advertisement of prosperous Punjab in its rule of nine years." PTI Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar in touch with BJP says don't be surprised if he joins hands with it again BJP alleges 'anti-Hindu' content in AIR programme India oi-PTI Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 24: A daily programme, broadcast by All India Radio's Thrissur regional centre in Kerala, has invited the wrath of BJP which said it was portraying Hindu gods in poor light and it will fight it legally. While the AIR staff alleged that a local BJP leader had threatened them with dire consequences if they did not give a "corrective" version of the programme removing anti-Hindu contents, BJP said it would soon file a case against those behind the act. 'Subhashitham', a programme presented by scholar Dr C N Parameswaran last week, had allegedly depicted the mythical war between 'devas' and 'asuras' as the fight between the upper class, who came from outside the country, and the indigenous people. The BJP alleged the morning programme, which has a wide audience, portrayed Hindu gods Lord Rama and Lord Krishna as "oppressors" and had thus hurt the community's sentiments. The issue triggered a controversy after BJP state secretary B Gopalakrishnan allegedly "threatened" a woman programme executive of AIR and station-director in-charge for broadcasting the programme. Gopalakrishnan, however, denied the charges and said he had not threatened anybody but only asked about the facts. "I did not threaten anybody. I just called the officials and asked how such a programme could be aired through the public broadcaster like AIR. I am a tax payer and have all the right to ask so," he told PTI. The leader also asked how he could be a just silent listener when someone tried to depict his favourite gods in poor light. "I am a hardcore Sri Krishna devotee. How can I simply sit and listen when someone says Sri Krishna and Sri Rama are not Indians and they are outsiders and they came to the country and oppressed the indigenous people here?" he said. He also said Parameswaran, who presented the programme, could air his views in a public place but cannot use a platform like AIR for hurting the sentiments of a community. Gopalakrishnan said he would soon file a case against the scholar as well as the AIR staff for hurting the sentiments of believers and for attempting to destroy religious harmony. He also said he would upload the recording of the programme on the social media. Denying the charges, station director in-charge M N Rajiv said there were no anti-Hindu contents in the programme. PTI Indians across the country have "same DNA": Subramanian Swamy India oi-PTI Chennai, Mar 24: Stating that BJP wants to unite the people, party leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday said Indians across the country have the "same DNA" and his genes and that of Muslims are identical. Blaming the British colonialists for "systematically dividing the people", he said, "we do not want to divide anybody, we want to unite people". "Even the Muslims have the same DNA as myself," he added. Emphasising the need for correct history to be taught to the people, Swamy said that "the theory of Aryans and Dravidians was bogus". Referring to the theory of genetics and testing of DNA, he listed universities like Cambridge, Houston and Mysore which "show that DNA of all Indians from east to west, north to south, is the same". "There is no difference in the DNA between the Varnas (as well). The Brahmin DNA and the Scheduled Caste DNA is the same. It is a question of education," the BJP leader said. Referring to Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, Swamy said he went on to achieve great heights fuelled by a relentless pursuit of education. "That is what education can do in this country. Anyone who is properly educated is equal to anybody else," he said. Participating in a felicitation for Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi, he praised the services of the pontiff and the mutt to the people and society. "I hope that a national renaissance in (our) country will come and he (Jayendra Saraswathi) will be able to unite everybody. "Therefore, to make India one nation, as children of Bharat Mata, that should be the goal and I know Swamiji has inspired people and he will continue to give his blessings to us," said Swamy. He also said the teachings of Kanchi Mutt and the acharyas gave him the courage to take on his rivals. PTI VGN RC KKM 'Kantara' impact: 'Daiva Narthakas' above 60 years of age to get Rs 2,000 monthly allowance Late actor Puneeth Rajkumar to be conferred with 'Karnataka Ratna' award on Nov 1 Karnataka to strengthen ATS and up the number of prisons News Flash: J&K govt formation decision after MLAs meeting tomorrow: Jitendra Singh India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Bengaluru, Mar 24: Festival of colours--Holi is being celebrated with great fervour on Thursday, March 24, all across India. All wholesale commodity markets, including those of metals, will remain closed today on account of 'Holi'. The BSE, NSE, forex and commodity futures markets will also remain closed. Get all the latest national and international news updates of the day: 12:00 pm: Belgian ministers offer resignation over Brussels suspect 'errors': media. 10:00 pm: Due to a technical issue with one of the aircraft, Jet Airways has combined its flights from Amsterdam to Mumbai and Delhi: Jet Airways. 9:00 pm: Wagah Border (Amritsar): BSF jawans & Pak Rangers celebrate Holi with flowers. 8:35 pm: Suspicious suitcase found below Chakki Bridge in Pathankot (Punjab), Police team at the spot and area has been evacuated. 8:25 pm: Pakistan High Commissioner to India, assured APHC that there was no change in the Pak's Policy on Kashmir: APHC. 8:15 pm: Hurriyat leaders held talks with Pak High commissioner on various issues related to Kashmir, recent meeting of Indo Pak EAMs and the efforts for the restoration of dialogue process between the two countries besides exchanging ideas over other issues: APHC 8:00 pm: Bomb threat to AI 965(Mumbai-Hyd-Jeddah) flight,threat later declared as Non Specific.Threat call was received at Air India Bengaluru office. 7.22 pm: The Jet Airways crew of Amsterdam-Mumbai recovery flight, to transfer all its guests and crew. 7.08 pm: Obedullaganj (Raisen, MP): Unknown people attack Panchayat's Chief Municipal Officer Bhupinder Singh's residence, kill his wife & daughter. 7.00 pm: On the day of Holi as many as 5624 motorists prosecuted for various traffic offences: Dr. Muktesh Chander, Spl Commissioner Traffic, Delhi. 6:38 pm: BJP never made any extra demand, Agenda of Alliance that was formed is still the same: Jitendra Singh 6:28 pm: We will take a decision after the meeting of MLAs tomorrow: Jitendra Singh, MoS PMO on J&K govt formation 6:21 pm: Jet Airways has said that it has already relocated its guests and crew from Brussels to Amsterdam by road yesterday, and that today, it will fly 3 recovery flights from Amsterdam for Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto to transfer all its guests and crew. 6.00 pm: Swearing in date will be decided after meeting with the J&K Governor, says Muzaffar Baig, PDP. 5.35 pm: Other things will follow with consultation with our alliance partner, says Naeem Akhtar, PDP after PDP MLAs meeting 5.25 pm: Camp of 26 Bn Guna burns down in fire at Simhastha checkpost in Ujjain (MP); 3 SLR rifles & 200 cartridges destroyed. 5.19 pm: We feel that its time India and Pak need to go ahead with talks, says Mirwaiz Umar Farooq after meeting Pak High Commissioner. 5.18 pm: Actor Govinda celebrates Holi in Mumbai. 5.00 pm: Thank you for choosing me as the leader of PDP legislature party. You all are my strength: Mehbooba Mufti 4.50 pm: Visuals from PDP MLAs meeting at Mehbooba Mufti's residence (J&K). 4.30 pm: Mehbooba Mufti unanimously elected as the leader of PDP legislature party. 4.15 pm: Actress Sunny Leone celebrates Holi festival in Surat (Gujarat). 4.00 pm: BSF jawans celebrate Holi in Siliguri (West Bengal). 3.30 pm: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari joins Holi celebrations at Umerkot. 3.25 pm: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Yadav celebrate Holi in Patna 3.00 pm: PDP MLAs arrive for meeting at Mehbooba Mufti's residence 2:58 pm: Holi visuals from Goa Holi celebrations in Panaji (Goa), foreigners also participate. pic.twitter.com/J3xL3DbUIG ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 2:40 pm: Crude bomb blast in Titagarh (North 24 Parganas district, Kolkata), one injured. 2:33 pm: Visuals from JNU campus Holi celebrations in JNU Campus, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/L0IjCaq3UP ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 CM Nitish Kumar and strategist Prashant Kishor celebrate #Holi in Patna pic.twitter.com/cKgHeNR0qL ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 2.13 pm: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi celebrates Holi with his Special Protection Group personnel in Delhi. 2.09 pm: BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and Jitendra Singh (MoS, PMO) to meet BJP legislators in Jammu on Thursday, March 24. 2.07 pm: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq reaches Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. 2.00 pm: He came to meet his parents, didn't disucuss any political or election related issues: MK Stalin on MK Alagiri, says Karunanidhi meet. 1.30 pm: BJP has its legislators' meeting in Jammu tomorrow, after that there's a call on BJP President by J&K Governor, says BJP MLA Ravinder Raina. 1.26 pm: Ramdev and Amit Shah have hatched conspiracy to destablize Uttarakhand Govt, says Kishore Upadhyay,Congress. 1.24 pm: Belgian and French media report a second suspect is believed involved in Brussels subway attack, says AP 1.00 pm: In a rare statement, David Headley says that the act committed by Ajmal Kasab was not good. The whole act of 26/11 was not a good one and I had already pleaded guilty for the same. I had another attack on mind. This time it was with the al-Qaeda. The targets that I had to survey was given to me by Ilyas Kashmiri of the al-Qaeda. He paid Rs 1 lakh Pakistan rupees for my expenditure. 12.56 pm: Yesterday we got a complaint via twitter about the misbehaviour of an Uber cab driver-MB Borlingaiya, DCP Bengaluru. 12.55 pm: Headley disclosed that Pak ISI had provided huge finance for completion of 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, says Ujjwal Nikam,Spl public prosecutor. 12.46 pm: I was planning an attack on India after 26/11 also. This time on instructions of Al- Qaeda not LeT, says David Headley during cross examination. 12.25 pm: Policemen play Holi with injured Police Horse 'Shaktimaan' in Dehradun. 12.15 pm: I didn't speak to any MLA or party worker in this regard even in my dreams, let alone Amit Shah or Modi, says Ramdev. 12.00 pm: Ruckus at KanhaiyaKumar 's program in Hyderabad. 11.40 am: "If LeT assailant who attempted to attack Bala Sb escaped from custody then why did Police hide the fact?", asks Shiv Sena on David Headley. 11.35 am: SAS Geelani reaches Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. 11.30 am: "I visited the Taj hotel with my ex-wife Faiza. When I shooting pictures of the hotel, she was not aware of the purpose", Headley tells court. 11:10 am: "I communicated in code language with my wife Shazia says David Headley. The NIA did not ask me any questions about Shazia. I never told them not to ask me anything about her. They chose not to raise this issue, Headley also told the court. I have always been cooperative with the investigation. In fact I promised the US authorities (FBI) that I would cooperate within half an hour of my arrest", says David Headley. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi celebrates #Holi at AICC headquarters pic.twitter.com/0BTXTlkbXy ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 Congress President Sonia Gandhi celebrates #Holi at AICC headquarters in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/FRXpZ9xJ6v ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 10.45 am: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi celebrates Holi at his residence in Delhi. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi celebrates #Holi at his residence in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/pTDEJqPnw5 ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 10.17 am: I communicated in code language with my wife Shazia says David Headley. The NIA did not ask me any questions about Shazia. I never told them not to ask me anything about her. They chose not to raise this issue, Headley also told the court. I have always been cooperative with the investigation. In fact I promised the US authorities (FBI) that I would cooperate within half an hour of my arrest, Headley added. 10.03 am: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal celebrates Holi at his residence Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal celebrates #Holi at his residence pic.twitter.com/2dLBzV55TV ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2016 9.45 am: Car stolen from a civilian at gunpoint by 3 armed men in Pathankot has been recovered at Pasyal village. 9.20 am: Realise horror of Brussels attack, consider tough action. Approve waterboarding against terrorists, says Donald Trump. 9.15 am: People celebrate Holi in Mathura 8.37 am: In the US there is no such thing as seeking or pleading pardon. You can either plead guilty or not guilty. It was only before this court in Mumbai did I seek pardon, says Headley dyring cress-examination. I have no benefit in giving a testimony before this court. It will not help my case in the US. No benefit to US protection programme by me giving a testimony before this court, Headley said. 8.30 am: Headley during cross examination says an attempt to kill Bal Thackeray was made by Let but he didn't have first hand knowledge about it. 8.07 am: David Headley's cross examination continues at the Mumbai court today. 8.00 am: BSF and Pakistan Rangers exchange sweets at the borderwhile celebrating Holi. OneIndia News Dhanteras 2022: How much gold can you buy from Dubai Delhi minister alleges fraud, security contractor denies charge India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, March 23: Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday alleged fraud by a private security contractor in the state-run DTTDC. The company, however, denied the charge. Mishra alleged that contractor 'Kore Securities' was paying each security guard Rs.8,000 a month against the mandated Rs.13,000 even as it collected Rs.22,000 per security guard every month from the Delhi government. "The total loss to the exchequer works out to over Rs.5 crore," Mishra told IANS here. The minister ordered the termination of the security contract for alleged violation of labour laws and financial fraud. "I have directed the authorities concerned to terminate the contract and register a FIR against the contractor. I have also recommended blacklisting of the company from government security contracts." He alleged that the security guards supplied to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corp (DTTDC) worked in 12-hour shifts as per the re-negotiated contracts but were paid for only eight hours. The minister said fraud pertained to underpaid provident fund contributions and underpayment of Rs.5,000 per employee per month. "The Delhi government is firmly committed to eliminate corruption. This is just another example of our action against those working against the interests of the people. We will ensure that the interests of the helpless security guards are not ruined by corrupt contractors," Mishra said. However, the security company said it was paying wages as per the law. "We pay minimum wages to the guards based on the labour law. I am clueless about such allegations. I've not been informed or received any written document from the Delhi Tourism Department so far in this connection," Kore Securities vice president Kunal Joshi told IANS. IANS Vijayakanth slams DMK chief for aspiring to be CM at 92 Tamil Nadu polls: What if People's Welfare Front wins less seats than number of parties it has? Defamation cases cannot be slapped if someone calls govt unfit or corrupt: SC to TN govt Ending suspense, Vijaykant allies with Vaiko, Left India oi-IANS By Ians English Chennai, March 23: Actor-turned-politician Vijaykant on Wednesday allied with the People's Welfare Front (PWF) of Vaiko's MDMK, the Left and Dalit party VCK, and said he will be its chief ministerial candidate in Tamil Nadu. The DMDK party of Vijaykant, popularly known as "Captain", will put up candidates in 124 seats in the May battle for the 234-member assembly. The remaining seats will be fought by the MDMK and the other three parties. The announcement makes the PWF a major force in the elections. Tamil Nadu is now expected to see multiple contests in almost all the 234 seats. Vijaykant, 63, an action hero known to perform stunts in movies without a duplicate, said he joined hands with the PWF as it was a "people's party". "My cadres wanted me to be the king. All the alliance partners have asked me to be the chief ministerial candidate," he said. A beaming Vaiko, coordinator of PWF, told the media: "This is the alliance the people were looking for." Added a PWF leader: "The election (in Tamil Nadu) will now be like a Kurukshetra war." Referring to the DMDK supporters' demand that Vijaykant should be the king and not a kingmaker, Vaiko said the leaders of PWF would be the kingmakers who would make Vijaykant the 'king' (chief minister). According to the PWF, there will be a coalition government in Tamil Nadu if the front wins the elections. In a state where cinema has always cast a long shadow on politics, Vijaykant floated his party in 2005 as an alternative to the two dominant Dravidian parties -- AIADMK and DMK. When he fought the polls alone without aligning with any party, the DMDK notched up an impressive vote share, better than even the established MDMK and PMK. As the DMDK's vote share can add muscle to any alliance, he was the most sought after alliance partner by all opposition parties this time, the BJP included. Called "Karuppu (Black) MGR" or Captain after his movie "Captain Prabhakaran", Vijaykant has acted in over 150 Tamil movies. Though he was never the No.1 hero, he charted his own style in the movie world -- a fighter vanquishing terrorists and bad guys. The DMK was routed in the 2011 elections winning just 23 seats. The DMDK, then an ally of the AIADMK, won 29 seats and was designated the principle opposition party. However, soon after, the relationship between the AIADMK and DMDK soured. Eight DMDK legislators turned rebels and supported the ruling AIADMK. In the Lok Sabha polls of 2014, the DMDK failed to win any of the 14 seats it contested as a major partner in the BJP-headed alliance. His vote share too dipped to around five percent. Both the DMK and the BJP wooed Vijaykant this time. DMK leader M. Karunanidhi had publicly expressed the hope that the DMDK would join the DMK-led alliance which include the Congress. The DMDK was upset that while BJP national leaders met Jayalalithaa when they came to Chennai, they ignored Vijaykant. On Wednesday, however, both the DMK and BJP sang a different tune. BJP leader and union minister Pon Radhakrishnan termed the DMDK-MDMK-VCK-Left alliance as "anti-people". DMK leader M.K. Stalin said: "This is not going to affect us." Vaiko said a revolution took place in Tamil Nadu on March 6, 1967 when DMK founder C.N. Annadurai became the chief minister after defeating the Congress. "Similarly, a day will come when Vijaykant will be the chief minister." IANS Dhanteras 2022: How much gold can you buy from Dubai Ex-Pak soldier planning terror attacks in Delhi: Agencies India oi-PTI New Delhi, Mar 23: The Delhi, Punjab and Assam police have been alerted about a former Pakistani soldier gaining entry into India through Punjab, with the intention of carrying out terror attacks in hotels and hospitals in the national capital during Holi. In a communication, the central security agencies said Mohammad Khurshid Alam alias Jahangir, an ex-military personnel of Pakistan Army, who had worked as a recruiter, coordinator and guide of Jehadi elements in Assam, had crossed over to India from Pakistan through the Indo-Pak border in Pathankot on February 26 along with six hardcore terrorists. "The intention of this group is to kill citizens in Delhi in hotels and hospitals on or before Holi," the communication said. The agencies said Alam had visited a madrasa in Barpeta district in Assam in September 2015. The ex-Pakistan armyman had stayed in the madrasa for five days and thereafter left for Chirang district, bordering Bhutan. Alam had used another madrasa in Dhubri district in Assam as his base and used to visit other parts of the state, it said. In Dhubri, a teacher of the madrasa provided all required logistical support to Alam, the communication added. PTI ISIS in India: What we need to learn from the Brussels attack India oi-Vicky New Delhi, March 24: India has to learn a lesson from the Brussels attack in which 31 persons were killed and over 270 were injured. The National Investigation Agency which is probing a case relating to the formation of a ISIS cell in India will have to look closely at the manner in which the ISIS functions in different countries. What the ISIS does is set up a network of cells. For instance in Europe, the cells comprise European fighters. For strikes in the Arab nations, the cells would comprise persons of that nationality. It is obvious that in the case of India and the rest of Asia, a network of cells comprising men of Asian origin is being set up. Why does the ISIS set up a network of cells? The ISIS when it comes to attacks outside of Syria and Iraq functions almost on auto mode. It insists that persons of that particular region set up a cell and function on their own. The fact of the matter is that these cells are free to undertake any operation that they like and would not even have to consult with Abu Bakr al-Bhagdadi on the same. Most of these fighters who go to Iraq or Syria and train return to their home country to set up a cell. They pick persons from the region and induct them into the cells. In Europe alone there are at least 290 battle ready operatives who form part of these cells. The idea is to ensure that locals are part of the cell as they tend to know the terrain better than a foreign fighter. These operatives also tend to get away as they are locals. The scanner on the entry of foreigners is always high and the tendency of getting caught is more. Moreover with foreign fighters, the jurisdiction will need to be explained and this would not only be time consuming but also risky. The Indian scenario: In the Indian context the problem could worse in the days to come. The NIA had recently arrested nearly 23 persons alleged to be part of an ISIS cell in India. What the NIA will need to find out is if this cell was connected with the other cells set up in the rest of Asia. The focus will have to be particularly higher in countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan where similar cells exist. The NIA has so far not found anything concrete which would suggest that the Indian cell had been networked. Indian Intelligence Bureau officials had warned that the problem for India will come from Bangladesh. The ISIS has made sufficient inroads in that country. The proximity to West Bengal and the North Eastern states is another added worry. These cells in Bangladesh will try and network with those in West Bengal or the other North Eastern states. If this takes place, it would be extremely worrisome. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 24, 2016, 14:37 [IST] Another targeted killing: Two non-locals killed in targeted attack in J&K Mehbooba Mufti gets notice to vacate official bungalow 'meant for J&K CMs' J&K governor to meet PDP, BJP over government formation India oi-IANS By Ians English Jammu, March 23: Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra on Wednesday called PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and state BJP chief Sat Sharma for separate meetings with him on March 25 to discuss government formation in the state. Vohra sent two separate communications to them to call on him at Raj Bhavan in Jammu on Friday, a Raj Bhavan official said. Vohra's missives come barely two days after Mehbooba Mufti called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The PDP has called a meeting of its legislators in Srinagar where Mehbooba Mufti will apprise them about the details of her meeting with Modi. The PDP legislature party was also likely to elect its leader on Thursday who would be authorised to stake claim to form the new government in the state. Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor's Rule on January 8, a day after then chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away in New Delhi. IANS Jet's revival looks bleak as Anil Agarwal pulls out of race for acquiring cash-strapped airline Jet Airways to operate 3 flights to fly passengers stranded in Brussels India oi-PTI New Delhi, Mar 24: Jet Airways will operate three recovery flights from Amsterdam to Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto on Thursday to fly the passengers stranded in Brussels following a series of explosions that rocked the airport and metro station in the Belgian capital on Tuesday. An airline spokesperson said the first recovery flight, 9W 227, will depart from Amsterdam for Mumbai at 1400 hrs (local time) while the one for New Delhi (9W 1229) will depart at 1600 hrs (local time), the spokesperson said. Second Brussels airport bomber identified as Najim Laachraoui Jet Airways will also operate a recovery flight (9W 1230) to Toronto from Amsterdam, which will leave the Dutch Capital at 1800 hours, according to the spokesperson. The Mumbai-based airline, however, did not give the number of flyers who were stuck at the Brussels airport due to the blasts, which left over 30 people killed and several injured including two crew members of Jet Airways. Amsterdam will become Jet Airways European gateway for its international operations from Saturday. As of now Brussels airport, which will remain closed even today for passenger flights, continues to serve as Jet Airways' hub for overseas operations for Europe and beyond. The spokesperson said the guests are currently on their way from Brussels to Amsterdam by road. PTI Kanhaiya not allowed to enter HCU; dubs it attack on democracy India oi-PTI Hyderabad, Mar 23: As unrest continued at the Hyderabad Central University, the varsity authorities today prevented JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar from entering the campus to address the students agitating over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. Kanhaiya, who came with Rohith's mother and brother to express solidarity with the students, was greeted with slogans for and against him at the gate. "I came from JNU to HCU to support Rohith Vemula's cause. ....we will have to fulfil Rohith Vemula's dreams. And social justice has to be brought in the country. This Government is not listening to the voice of the students," he said. The University authorities, in the morning, issued a notification banning entry of outsiders including political parties, media and other social/student groups. They also suspended classes for four days. Kanhaiya, speaking outside the campus, called it "shameful". "I blame university authorities and police. This fight is to save democracy and Constitution. We will not tolerate attack on democracy. We want freedom from casteism and untouchability. We would not have disturbed the peace on the campus had we been allowed," he said. Police had kept strict security at the main gate preventing non-students from entering. There were heated arguments between police and CPI leaders who accompanied Kumar as police did not allow them in. Earlier in the day, police arrested 25 students and two faculty members for allegedly ransacking the residence of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile yesterday and pelting stones. Kanhaiya, after landing in the city, blamed the government for blowing up the issue at JNU (of `anti-national' slogans) only to divert attention from Rohith's suicide and its aftermath. PTI Pathankot: Visit by Pak investigating team will be a dud India oi-Vicky Pathankot, March 24: The visit by Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the Pathankot attack may not yield the desired results. In the aftermath of this visit, by the JIT, the National Investigation Agency will seek permission to visit Islamabad to probe the case. The visit by the two agencies to India and Pakistan will be more of a confidence building measure. When the JIT visits India and the NIA goes to Pakistan, it would send a message of cooperation and both these agencies are quite aware that the probe will not yield much results. All the work will ultimately have to be done by the NIA in India. Towards cooperation: Following the Pathankot attack, Pakistan has not been in a denial mode that the attack was launched from their soil. In fact there was some amount of action taken by Pakistan which said that a couple of people had been detained and the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Maulana Masood Azhar kept in protective custody. First and foremost there is nothing really that the JIT would get by visiting the Pathankot air base. All the evidence is with the NIA and the JIT could well obtain it from the officers probing the case. In addition to this Pakistan has not reverted on the call details that had been sent by the NIA in which the terrorists were heard speaking with their handlers. However, India has a good reason to allow the Pakistan team to visit Pathankot. It gives the NIA a ground to seek permission to visit Islamabad. Pakistan will have to reciprocate on this aspect. A visit by the NIA to Islamabad too may not yield any results. The questions that one would need to ask in the backdrop of an NIA visit to Islamabad is whether they will be allowed to question Maulana Masood Azhar. Will they be allowed into the training camps and the seminaries run by the Jaish-e-Mohammad? Will the evidence as sought by the NIA be provided in Pakistan? The answer to all these questions can be prima facie answered in the negative. Overall it appears to be a good PR exercise. However, such an exercise is good in one way and could lead to better cooperation in the future. India has decided that it would continue to talk with Pakistan and not allow a jihadi to set the conditions for the talks. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 24, 2016, 11:29 [IST] Tamil Nadu polls: BJP to decide first list of candidates today India oi-PTI New Delhi, Mar 24: Deserted by former allies, BJP is cobbling together a new alliance with smaller parties in Tamil Nadu for the May 16 Assembly election and will decide its first list of candidates on Thursday, March 24. The party, which has been a marginal player in Tamil Nadu, will decide the first list of its candidates today after its state election committee meets in Chennai, party's poll incharge for the state and Union minister, Prakash Javadekar said. [Assembly Elections 2016: Know your state-- Tamil Nadu] "BJP, along with our friends, Indiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK), New Justice Party (NJP) and some other parties who are willing to come with us, is contesting (polls). Our election committee of the state will meet to finalise the candidates. [BJP to use Modi govt's achievements as 'election weapon'] "We are going ahead with our campaign. Rumours were there or floating (that) BJP is contesting on its own and with its friends who are coming with us. Today, we are having election committee meeting and on Friday, the Tamil Nadu team will come to Delhi. First batch of tickets will be decided on Thursday," he said. Underlining that every party has the right to have alliance, Javadekar said there is a "multi-cornered" contest for the May 16 Assembly polls this time which BJP welcomes. [BJP manifesto for TN polls on March 31] "As promised before, BJP is contesting under the BJP leadership and we are going ahead as BJP plus," he said, without naming any leaders. Asked about BJP failing to keep Vijayakant's DMDK in its fold, Javadekar said, "In Lok Sabha, many parties came together. That time whole context was different. When there is a state election, every party has to take a call. Today we are going as BJP plus." [Veteran actor Vijayakumar joins BJP] DMDK will contest 124 seats and the remaining 110 will be shared by PWF. Vijayakant-led DMDK on Wednesday, March 23, struck an alliance with the four-party People's Welfare Front for the May 16 Assembly election with the actor-turned-politician being declared as the chief ministerial candidate of the tie-up. As per the agreement between these parties, DMDK will contest 124 seats and the remaining 110 will be shared by PWF constituents -- MDMK, CPI(M), CPI and VCK. [CVoter poll: AIADMK likely to win 116 seats, DMK 101, BJP 0 in TN] Javadekar said, "People of Tamil Nadu love Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP has a clear-cut programme." Questioning as to what the Dravidian parties did for Tamil Nadu, he said there is an alternative for the state as people are voting for BJP in numbers. "We will campaign vigorously," he said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 24, 2016, 11:44 [IST] Why has JNU row probe come to a standstill? India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Mar 24: The Delhi police is miffed over the delay in getting the forensic sciences laboratory report with regard to the video clips shot at the JNU. The investigations have come to a standstill and thanks to this bail has been granted to the accused, police sources say. For the probe to proceed, it is extremely important for us to get the report from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory say the Delhi police. The police have also written a letter to the CFSL quoting the delay while also stating that the investigations are pending due to this. The video clips form a very important part of the evidence in the probe. If ascertained that the video clips have not been tampered with then it would prove that anti national slogans had indeed been raised by the likes of Kanaihya Kumar, Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid. During the pendency of the CFSL report, the Delhi government decided to undertake a test at the Truth Lab in Hyderabad. However, this report cannot be placed before a court as it is not under the government. The Truth Lab does not have the power to summon for the original file from the police. The police and the court rely only on the reports by the CFSL which is under the Ministry for Home Affairs. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 24, 2016, 9:44 [IST] Jaitley statue at Kotla: Angry Bedi asks DDCA to remove his name from stands, quits membership Reforms in India being done by conviction, not compulsion: PM Narendra Modi BJP leaders pay tribute to former minister Arun Jaitley on his third death anniversary Arun Jaitley to woo investors during Australia visit International oi-PTI Melbourne, Mar 24: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will meet top Australian leaders and investors next week and make a strong pitch for foreign investments in India from the country's cash-rich sovereign funds. Indian High Commissioner Navdeep Suri said that during his four-day visit, the minister will meet New South Wales Premier Mike Baird, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Treasurer Scott Morrison, Finance Minister Mathias Corman and Energy and Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg. Suri said that Jaitley might also call on Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Describing Jaitley's schedule as 'a packed and productive one', Suri said: "The visit gives us the opportunity to engage with Australia at multiple levels." He added that the engagements would cover a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, technology, service, financial and superannuation funds, and the Finance Minister will meet business leaders from the different sectors. "Australia has a major sovereign fund called the Future Fund and it also has superannuation funds that have estimated assets of over USD 2 trillion. These funds want a good rate of return and we believe that the India growth story creates a win-win proposition decent returns for the funds and financing for India's infrastructure plans," Suri told PTI. Jaitley is arriving in Sydney on March 29 and will be accompanied by high-powered Indian business delegations from both CII and FICCI besides a top level team including senior representatives from the Ministry of Finance, RBI and SEBI. "The meetings with government will seek to enhance bilateral relations in diverse areas, while those with business will try to focus on the Make in India and Invest in India programmes," he said. Jaitley would woo Australia's trillion dollars superannuation funds industry to invest in India's infrastructure plans. He will meet top 25 CEOs and executives of Australia's largest superannuation funds at the 'Invest in India Roundtable' here next Friday. Suri said the roundtable would be a key element of the minister's visit. "We estimate that between them (top CEOs and executives), they would be representing close to USD 1 trillion of assets under one roof. And that's in addition to the high-level FICCI delegation. We want to use the opportunity to project India as an investment destination to the superannuation funds and also respond to any issues or concerns that they may have,"he said. Jaitley will deliver a public address at the S P Jain School of Global Management in Sydney, which will be his first official engagement. He would also deliver the K R Narayanan Oration in Canberra at Australian National University on 'The New Economics of Financial Inclusion' and participate in a panel discussion at the University of Melbourne. In Canberra, Jaitley would address the Indian community from all across Australia at a special reception organised by the Indian High Commission. PTI Shubham couldn't have enmity with anyone, says father on son's stabbing in Australia Australia increases police presence after Brussels attacks International oi-IANS By Ians English Melbourne, March 24: Australia will ramp up its police presence at two major potential terror targets -- sporting venues and airports -- in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday, March 24 said the traditional Australian Football League (AFL) season opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, contested by Richmond and Carlton, would have twice as many police as last year's fixture, Xinhua news agency reported. Andrews said the increase in police on the beat would flow through to other public events happening over the Easter weekend. "These additional resources are all about keeping Victoria safe," Andrews told reporters on Thursday. "(They) are there and the determination is there to ... never let these evil murderers win out." The premier said the state had no evidence that the string of attacks carried out on the Belgium capital's airport and rail network on Tuesday, which killed 34 people and injured over 200, would be repeated on Australian soil. However, Andrews said Victoria needed to be vigilant and ensure "longstanding (safety) protocols were put in place." On Wednesday, Prime Minster (PM) Malcolm Turnbull spoke to officials from the Australia Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Security and Intelligence Organization (ASIO) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) as well as several high-ranking cabinet members to discuss the implications of the Brussels attack. IANS Blacklisting Mahmood blocked by China: The man who raised funds under garb of religion in India No way out in sight for China's zero-COVID strategy Chinese national admits hacking US defense firms International oi-PTI Washington, Mar 24: A Chinese national pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the hacking of trade secrets from US defense contractors, including plans for transport and fighter jets, officials said. Su Bin, 50, had been charged in a 2014 indictment with hacking into the computer networks of Boeing and other contractors, as part of a scheme to steal plans for the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and C-17 transport aircraft. In a plea agreement filed in a California federal court, Su yesterday admitted to conspiring with two unnamed persons in China from October 2008 to March 2014 to gain unauthorized access to the computer networks of defense firms to obtain "sensitive military information and to export that information illegally from the United States to China," the Justice Department said in a statement. Court documents did not indicate to whom Su was sending the plans, but the case highlighted growing concerns in the United States about Chinese hacking of American trade secrets, a topic which has been addressed by President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. "Su Bin admitted to playing an important role in a conspiracy, originating in China, to illegally access sensitive military data, including data relating to military aircraft that are indispensable in keeping our military personnel safe," Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said. "This plea sends a strong message that stealing from the United States and our companies has a significant cost; we can and will find these criminals and bring them to justice." Su was initially arrested in Canada in July 2014 on a warrant based on a US request. He waived extradition and was sent to the United States in February 2016. Su Bin, also known as Stephen Su and Stephen Subin, was a China-based businessman in the aviation and aerospace fields. AFP David Headley was a mystery, remains a mystery, but where is he Believe we are even with the Indians, Headley told Rana after 26/11 attacks David Headley financed LeT in Pakistani currency International oi-IANS By Ians English Mumbai, March 23:Pakistani-American terrorist-turned-approver David Coleman Headley on Wednesday admitted to financing terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to the tune of around 6-7 million Pakistani rupees. "I have never received any money from the LeT. I gave (them) funds from myself," Headley revealed during his cross-examination before Special Court Additional Sessions Judge G.A. Sanap. His replies came during the cross-examination conducted by lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan, the defence counsel for Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, who is facing trial in the 26/11 case. When specifically queried by Khan, Headley said: "I have donated around (Pakistani) Rs.60 to 70 lakh. It was in different times -- the last time was in 2010." To a question about the source of his funds, Headley said it was the returns on his investments in the few shops that he purchased in the UAE, property trading in Pakistan and his business in New York. On Khan's persistent questions about the funds received from the LeT and out of drug smuggling, Headley became irritated and countered by saying that the lawyer was repeatedly asking him the same thing, and switched over from English to Urdu and Hindi to convey the same. At one point, seeing Khan smile, Headley said: "Your client's life relies on this case. You should be serious about it. Don't joke." Khan objected to this and Special Judge Sanap also reprimanded Headley. Headley also admitted that he was arrested in 1988 and 1998 in the US on charges of drug smuggling and had visited Pakistan once between the arrests. Earlier, he claimed that his associate Tahawwur Rana was opposed to his (Headley's) links with the LeT. He said Pakistani national Rana -- who ran an immigration consultancy in Chicago -- had knowledge that he worked as an operative of the LeT. "Rana was aware of my association with the LeT and I informed him about the training imparted to me by LeT operatives. I also told Rana that I was spying for LeT. That must be around 4-5 months before the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks," Headley told Khan. "Rana had objected to my association with LeT. He asked me to stop using his office in Mumbai. I conceded to his objections and took steps to close down the office in July 2008," Headley added. However, Headley declined to answer questions about his wife Shazia, with whom he continues to be legally wedded. "She never visited India. I had informed her about my association with the LeT. Originally, she is from Pakistan, I don't want to disclose Shazia's present location... I will not answer any questions about her," he made it clear to Khan. On her reaction to his disclosures, Headley said he did not want to speak about it. "It (reaction) is between me and her... It's our personal relation and don't want to disclose whether she objected or not or what she said," Headley said, adding that she was aware of his plans to change his name from Daood Gilani to David Coleman Headley. When Khan persisted on questions about Shazia, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam objected and pointed out that under the Indian Evidence Act Section 122, the communication between husband and wife was a privileged one and need not be disclosed. Headley's cross-examination, which was due to start on Tuesday, was taken up on Wednesday after his week-long deposition was conducted in February. IANS Second Brussels airport bomber identified as Najim Laachraoui International oi-IANS By Ians English Brussels, March 24: The second suicide bomber in Brussels airport terror attacks has been identified as Najim Laachraoui, a man wanted by police in connection with the Paris attacks, Belgian media reported on Wednesday citing police sources. Laachraoui, a suspected accomplice of Salah Abdeslam, had been the subject of a police appeal for information since Monday after his DNA was found at two properties in Belgium believed to have been used as hideouts after the November 13 attacks in Paris, Xinhua reported. Sushma speaks to mother of Indian missing in Brussels Belgian newspaper Le Soir reports that Laachraoui blew himself up at Brussels airport on Tuesday, at the same time as Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who was formally identified as one of the bombers by Belgium's federal prosecutor earlier on Wednesday. A third person suspected of being involved in the Brussels airport bombing remains unidentified and is still on the run. Belgium's federal prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said on Wednesday that the third man, who was wearing a white jacket and black hat at the time of the attack, ran away from the scene. He had been carrying the biggest bomb of the three which did not explode. At least 34 people were killed and 261 injured in explosions on Tuesday at the Brussels airport and on a city subway train close to the European Union institutions, according to the latest figures from the Belgian federal prosecutor. IANS 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more The Election Petitions Tribunal set up for the 2018 governorship election in Osun State has declared Ademola Adeleke winner of the election. The three-member panel said during its ruling in Abuja Friday afternoon that the rerun election that held on September 27, 2018, was illegal. The tribunal, therefore, deducted the votes scored by the APC candidate Gboyega Oyetola at the rerun after declaring the rerun illegal. The tribunal said Mr Adeleke won the election at the first ballot on September 22 and the rerun that INEC devised to reach a final conclusion a week later was illegal. Read our earlier story on the tribunal declaration here Anthony Joshua has gone back to his basics training on Monday as he went for a run through the forest ahead of his fight against Jarrell Miller. The IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight king is currently training for his US debut in New York against the Big Baby on June 1. Though Joshua is believed to have earned close to 100million during his unbeaten boxing career, he still lives in a cosy, two-bedroom flat during his strict training camp. He made the most of one of the South Yorkshire citys green spaces as he lacedup his trainers and went for an early morning run. Joshua was filmed by a member of his team on Instagram as he jogged through the trees on a crisp spring morning. The video was accompanied by the caption: Road work like its 08. It looks like OAP, Daddy Freeze is not relenting in his fight against Nigerian pastors. Freeze has yet again blast Pastor Oyedepo after he unveiled his Mega Real Estate Housing Project Canaan City for habitation. Sharing a post on his IG page, Freeze slammed the pastor as well as the members who contributed to ensure the estate is completed. Lets congratulate the bishop and the members of his church (a number of whom are poor), for making his dream come true.?, he wrote. Share this: MADISON Now that state Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley has been outed as a reformed (she says) homophobe who leaves oral arguments early to speak before the states conservative business lobby, her opponent, state Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg, must be feeling confident about beating her in the April 5 election. Thats the only explanation I can come up with for why the self-proclaimed independent felt comfortable speaking at a party recently for a longtime leader of one of Wisconsins most screechingly leftist organizations. In a brief speech last weekend at the shindig for John Matthews who retired in January after 48 years as executive director of the Madison teachers union Kloppenburg said she couldnt miss gathering with some of the best people in Wisconsin to honor the most amazing John Matthews. Matthews is not known for his politically independent views or his circumspection. He hasnt been shy about hating on the Madison School Board, for example. Kloppenburgs campaign has also hinged on painting Bradley as a partisan because shes a three-time Walker appointee to the bench and a member of conservative groups such as the Federalist Society. By contrast, Kloppenburgs website describes her as running for Supreme Court to help maintain a judiciary that is non-partisan, independent and free from special interests. Bradley makes the same hollow promises on her website, but also self-identifies as a conservative with a few well-known code phrases (e.g., her approach is to interpret the law, not invent it). Bradley campaign manager Luke Martz said Kloppenburgs appearance at the Matthews party is another demonstration of her hypocritical stance on the issues, and the union is an unabashed extension of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Kloppenburgs campaign manager Melissa Mulliken points to Kloppenburgs rulings and says no one can tell by reading those decisions if she is a liberal judge or a conservative judge and that as an assistant attorney general, she worked under both Republicans and Democrats. In fairness, Bradleys bio points to accolades from and associations with nonpartisan groups in her work as an attorney. Locked in a technically nonpartisan race, Bradley has the support of groups on the right and Kloppenburg of groups on the left, and their support wouldnt exist unless the groups expected favorable rulings in return. And if Bradleys connection to Walker is reason enough to doubt her independence, Kloppenburgs gushing over Matthews is reason enough to doubt hers. Former Supreme Court Justice N. Patrick Crooks decision last year to retire and his sudden death a few days later were doubly sad because the court lost its only arguably centrist member. Almost as sad is the choice voters have for his replacement. Alex Says Bambam Told Her Teddy A Looked Like A Criminal Alex said she liked Bambam thinking she was just been natural as per a lady to lady thing. Gistvic Reports. Alex also said she talked with Bambam about Teddy A on the day she picked Teddy which she said Teddy A looked like a criminal as she was so scared about his tattoo, his hair and his voice. Gistvic Reports. Watch Video Below: Ebuzz Tv (@theebuzztv) March 25, 2019 SOURCE: GISTVIC.COM Share this: Sunday Nkechi Blessing Sunday Nkechi Blessing has also followed Etinosa Idemudia, a divorcee by takng off her top in MC Galaxys live video. The only difference was that the curvy actress wore a black underwear which covered her n*kedness. She had earlier announced on her page that she was going to feature in the Friday night naughty session. Before removing her white rob, she cleared the air that she wasnt drunk as she was only sipping some tea. Nkechi is an Igbo lady who features more in Yoruba films than her own native films. Nkechi loves social media controversies which always keep her in the news. Etinosa Idemudia, a social media comedian and actress had earlier been under fire after she stripped on live video. Watch the video below: [embedded content] A photo has emerged showing the moment Asisat Oshoala met with Lionel Messi at Barcelona training ground. Asisat completed a six-month loan move from Chinese Women Super League side Dalian Quanjian to Barcelona earlier this year and has been doing quite well. The Nigerian international shared the photo of herself with Messi on her Instagram page exciting fans of the Barcelona talisman. Asisat and Messi Oshoala captioned the photo: We had to do this for the culture Betty Irabor has stunned fans with her dance moves on Instagram. The writer and columnist who turned a year older today. March 25, 2019 danced on her Instagram page to celebrate her 62nd birthday. The Genevieve Magazine publisher shared a video of herself doing the popular Zanku/legwork dance to usher in her 62nd year on earth. Sharing the video, she wrote: Just danceits okay not to be such a hot stepper everyone misses a beat now and again. Watch the video below: Destiny Etiko She is beautiful, she is curvy, she is bold, she is naturally endowed, she is simply called Destiny Etiko. She loves to call herself the Drama Doll Her latest photos showing her protruding bum and bouncing hips have been generating interesting reviews on social media. The beautiful single lady is obsessed with body-hugging outfits which always increase her s*x appeal. Its been a very busy year for her as movie producers and directors are lining up for her impressive services. Her Instagram followers just hit 800,000 and she is so excited about it. See more images: BBNaija reality TV star, Ifu Ennada has revealed that she makes N5million in a day. She made this know during the 6th episode of the BBNaija Reunion show. However, her words didnt sit well with Ahneeka who reacted like someone who wanted to pass out, as if to say Ifu Ennada was lying. Princess also reacted with a hard laughing to the unbelievable story shared by Ifu. When it was time for Ahneeka to speak, she revealed that her several attempts to get the bag was sabotaged by Ifu. This led to some heated argument between them to the point that Bambam chipped in by saying Ahneeka would beat Ifu. Share this: A native doctor was killed in a brutal manner while sleeping with his heavily pregnant wife in their home. According to online reports, the native doctor and his wife were allegedly killed by Cameroonian soldiers after being accused of aiding and belonging to separatists/terrorists group in Sabga in Tubah sub division area of the country. Witnesses say soldiers arrived around 10pm on Saturday and broke into the native doctors house before executing them in animal style. This is coming after two Nigerian gang members alleged to be leaders of Cameroonian separatists terrorists group were gunned down by soldiers. The Nigerians identified as General Obi and Ojong Elvis Ojong were killed during a shootout in separate raids conducted by Cameroonian task force at their hideouts. A Zambian wife Burns down the house after her hubby brought in a pregnant woman, saying she can leave or stay if she pleases. Gistvic Reports. The wife, Mrs Ireen Kalenga(28) burnt the house last night and left while her husband, Mr Kalenga and his pregnant side chick were sleeping. The pregnant side chick identified as Tina Mofya, when interrogated told the police that the 1st wife has not been able to conceive since 3 years of marriage. Police have embarked on searching for her on accounts relating to attempted murder. Gistvic Reports. See More Photos Below: Share this: The U-23 Eagles will face Sudan in the final qualifying round for the Africa U -23 Cup of Nations in June ,Completesports.com reports. Sudan booked a date with the U-23 Eagles after holding Kenya to a barren draw in the second leg of their first qualifying round fixture in Nairobi on Tuesday. The Sudanese advanced 2-0 on aggregate. Nigeria thrashed Libya 4-0 at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba on Monday to scale through 4-2 on aggregate. Sudan will host the first leg on June 5 with the reverse fixture to hold in Nigeria on June 9. The aggregate winner will book a ticket at the eight-team tournament in Egypt in November this year. The top three teams in the competition will represent the continent in tfootball event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympi Games. By Adeboye Amosu How Natural Herbal Remedy Killed Stubborn Staphylococcus, Ecoli And Aureus And Other Infections Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), one of Nigerias leading banks, on Tuesday congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on the renewal of his mandate by the electorate. A letter addressed to the President and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Segun Agbaje, on behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of the bank, reads inter alia: Your re-election rewards a tireless commitment to serving the Nigerian people. It is also the greatest achievement of an exceptional campaign that demonstrated the strength and maturity of Nigerias democracy to the entire world. In re-electing you as President, the Nigerian people have embraced change, hope and confidence in your leadership. Undoubtedly, the trust placed in you for the second time by the citizenry will be a source of great inspiration to continue the good work which will steer Nigeria firmly on the path of development, he said. The content of the letter was made known to State House correspondents by Femi Adesina, the presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday. The bank also wished Mr Buhari continued success. Post Views: 91 Upon hearing that the bank you do all your monetary transactions with is being acquired by or merging with another bank, your first thought goes to your money. Of course that is understandable because your heart is always where your money is. But there is no need to worry at all. Below are four simple ways to protect your deposits during such a situation. There is really no need to panic about your deposits or investments with the bank, but you need to learn everything that you can about the merger or acquisition. Keep your ears to the ground about the bank where your deposits are and the one acquiring (or merging with) the bank. 2. Be on the lookout for changes Irrespective of whether the bank is merging with another or being acquired by another bank, there will definitely be changes. Just concern yourself with changes that affect the kind of banking services you will be getting. Keep sentiments aside and focus on what you stand to benefit as the customer. During these changes, some banks might do well by informing depositors, others let the changes creep up on them. If you are paying more for service charge as a result of the changes, and you are not comfortable with this, you can decide to switch to another bank that charges less with great services. Or you can make enquiries first about other similar services that you can consider that will suit you before switching. In most cases, banks going through such changes tend to put forward interesting offers just to keep their customers interests and gain loyalty during such restructuring. 3. Leverage on the changes While a merger or acquisition might seem like a good corporate move for the great banks, in a secret place in their heart (assuming banks have one), they are walking on eggshells because of the possibility of losing bigger accounts as a result of the changes. These banks will definitely want to focus on keeping such long term accounts with very deep pockets for their own stability at all costs. So, if you have such bank shaking deposits you might want to consider leveraging on this by negotiating a better service deal with that will favor you. 4. Prepare yourself in order to avoid any painful surprise Although all financial institutions in Nigeria are expected to be insured by NDIC (Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation), not all are. So be sure to verify if the bank in insured by NDIC. Also, you need to take some precautionary measures to protect your deposits, irrespective of whether the bank is insured by NDIC or not. If you have authorised a third party software or app to make automatic direct debits from your account or your debit cards, now would be a good time to unauthorise it and manually do it until you are certain that the bank has settled well. Nigerian singer Orezi is a year older today and he is out here letting us all know just how fine he is. The singer shared shirtless photos of himself on his IG page while also declaring hismelf the sexiest man alive In his words; Happy birthday to the sexiest Man Alive. More photos below Share this: President Muhammadu Buhari has finally signed the N30,000 national minimum wage proposed by organized labour into law. The president signed the bill on Thursday, March 28. IgbereTV that the bill was last week passed by the Senate, weeks after being passed by the Federal House of Representatives. Buhari while singing the bill, declared that payment of the new minimum wage will commence in the month of May. This, according to the president, is to mark the international workers day. Share this: Nollywood Yoruba actor Samuel Oludayo Akinpelu, popularly known as Alabi Yellow has suffered a partial stroke after the death of his wife. This was made known by the Executive Chairman of Best Of Nollywood awards, Seun Oloketuyi, who further revealed the actor has been moved to Ikorodu where hes currently receiving treatment and expected to recuperate. Confirming Alabi Yellows ill health, Sho Mo Age mi star, Jigan Babaoja announced that his foundation will be visiting the ailing actor and show support towards his recovery. He said: A woman married her absent Dubai-based lover represented by a pillow in Abeokuta, Ogun state, over the weekend and it got people talking on social media. Her husband was for certain reasons unable to come to Nigerian to attend his own wedding, so a throw pillow was used to represent him. The bride is seen gorgeously and tastefully dressed as she beams with joy. The National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari-led government not to increase taxes in the country. Tinubu issued this warning today while speaking at at his 11th colloquium held in commemoration of his 67th birthday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. According to him, rather than increase taxes, the government should widen its revenue sources so as to boost its base and do more for Nigerians. He said: I must say this to Prof Osinbajo and his team, dont increase VAT but increase tax net to accommodate those who are not yet paying. The former Lagos State Governor also asked the government to make power readily available to Nigerians under its Next Level policy implementation and stop charging Nigerians exorbitantly for electricity not consumed. He said increasing VAT was tantamount to reducing the purchasing power of the people. He said: Dont reduce the peoples purchasing power. The leader of the APC also requested the government to revisited its privatization and commercialization programme to make it more useful to the nation. Speaking further, he added: We must criticise ourselves. Three months ago, we reported that David Oyelowo will be making his directorial debut with The Water Man. Oyelowo is pulling triple duty on the movie producing, directing and starring in it with his Selma co-star, Oprah Winfrey executive producing. Described as a tonal mix between Stand By Me, E.T. and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, The Water Man revolves around Gunner, a young boy who tries to find the titular character, whose power to cheat death might help save his dying mother. The cast includes Rosario Dawson as Gunners mother; This Is Us Lonnie Chavis as Gunner; War for the Planet of the Apes Amiah Miller as Jo; and Oyelowo as Amos, Gunners father. The movie will also star Alfred Molina (Vice) and Maria Bello (History of Violence). The script for The Water Man will be written by up-and-coming filmmaker, Emma Needell. Production starts next month, and we will be looking out for more updates. For now, however, no official release date has been set. Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: The Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island has announced it would exit one of its hedge funds on recommendation of industry consultant Cliffwater. The states pension fund unanimously voted on Wednesday to redeem all its investments at Luxor Capital after sustaining losses the past few months, Reuters reported. David Ortiz, a spokesman for the Rhode Island pension, said that the state is expected to receive $35m from Luxor by June 30 from its original $50m investment with the hedge fund since 2014. In late February, influential industry consultant Cliffwater has placed Luxor Capital on a so-called watch list after suffering double-digit losses last year. Cliffwater, which advises on roughly $55bn in alternative assets invested in hedge funds, private equity and real estate funds, told the Rhode Island state pension fund that it has put Luxor on its watch list in the wake of heavy losses last year, according to minutes of the Rhode Island pension fund's Jan. 27 meeting. Thomas Lynch of Cliffwater said that Luxor reported an average annual loss of 18.3% between March 2014 and February 2016. He said that the $4bn hedge fund posted losses because of its "poor investment selection and inadequate hedging...................... To view our full article Click here Hillary & Berta Caceras - which woman do you trust? (Image by democracynow.org) Details DMCA ew of history we must ask whether Black lives matter, or just their votes, to the Clinton dynasty. The puzzling loyalty of Black voters to the Clinton political brand is a triumph of image over substance. How inextricably are Bill and Hillary interwoven? Should Hillary be judged in some measure accountable for the actions and policies of her husband's administration? This is an important question. Bill's administration was responsible for serious damage to Black communities both here and abroad. At home, does Hillary share accountability for Bill's 1996 Welfare "Reform" Act that ended the AFDC and Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training programs in collusion with Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" agenda, replaced with federal block grant dollars for states to use as they pleased irrespective of social justice? According to sociologist Joe Ross, lead author of Disciplining the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the Persistent Power of Race, this served to institutionalize right-wing stereotypes of "black laziness" and "sexual irresponsibility" of black women, increasing racist public attitudes and generating racially biased systems. Does Hillary also share accountability for Bill's omnibus crime bill that vastly expanded America's New Jim Crow into a sprawling prison-industrial complex, disproportionately populated by Black males disenfranchised in 35 states for varying lengths of time up to life following incarceration? Hillary supported this legislation with darkly racist language, "These...are often the kinds of kids that are called super-predators. No conscience, no empathy...we have to bring them to heel." This legislation vastly expanded the list of capital crimes and included the infamous "three-strikes law" sentencing people convicted of repeated non-violent, low-level offenses to life imprisonment. This disproportionately affected Blacks due to racial profiling and shrinkage of economic opportunities in our inner cities. Nearly half of Black men have been arrested by their early 20s and are discriminated against in every phase of the criminal justice system from arrest to prosecution to sentencing. Abroad, does Hillary share accountability for Black African deaths resulting from Clinton administration extortion blocking Nelson Mandela's 1997 program to provide generic HIV/AIDS drugs in Africa? Sub-Saharan Africa, with some 15% of the world's population, suffers 70% of the world's HIV/AIDS cases. Despite this alarming vulnerability, the Clinton administration including Big Pharma lobbyist Tony Podesta and his brother John Podesta - Bill's White House Chief of Staff and Hillary's current campaign director - threatened trade sanctions against Mandela to protect Big Pharma profits. It was not until 2002 that the Clinton Foundation made amends by launching its Health Access Initiative to distribute affordable ARV drugs. How many Black Africans met terrible deaths in the interim? Less trumpeted but more authentic Bernie's civil rights record has been unconscionably distorted by Hillary's pitchmen to Black voters. As a student, Bernie chaired the University of Chicago chapter of CORE which merged with SNCC, displaying his trademark confrontational style toward racist policies of the university administration, and was once charged with resisting arrest while protesting school segregation on Chicago's South Side. Beyond Black lives, do any lives matter to the Clinton team that stand in the way of neoliberal gluttony? Does Hillary share accountability for NAFTA, which a 2014 study by Public Citizen estimated had cost the U.S. 845,000 manufacturing sector jobs replaced if-at-all by low-paying service sector jobs, had weakened unions, and had increased income inequality? Hillary enthusiastically heralded this in 1996, declaring "I think everybody is in favor of free and fair trade. I think NAFTA is proving its worth." Does Hillary share accountability for the 1999 partial repeal of Glass-Steagall which deregulated the banking industry, eliminating the firewall between commercial and investment banking that led to the 2008 financial collapse, mortgage crisis and widespread disappearances of pension funds? And don't forget Bill's exploitation of Soviet Union collapse to invite Poland, the Baltic states and most of the former Warsaw Pact to join NATO after Russia had been assured that NATO would not be expanded by "a single inch" to induce their acceptance of German reunification. We, of course, also anticipated a tax-relieving "peace dividend." What happened to that? Ignored by a dozing press and public, Bill launched a Russian encirclement agenda much to the relief of the weapons industry. Hillary, as an ever faithful sidekick, has carried the ball forward with bloodthirsty zeal, supporting the monstrous destruction of Iraq as Senator and the monstrous destruction of Libya as Secretary of State, both of which have brought chaos and ISIS to the Middle East and North Africa. As Senator, Hillary's ambiguous relationship with the banking industry also deserves scrutiny, especially her evasive and ambivalent position on the 2005 bankruptcy "reform" legislation that exempted private student loans from bankruptcy relief and increased mortgage defaults by making bankruptcy relief more difficult for homeowners. Her generous support by the banking industry aroused understandable suspicions. As Secretary of State, Hillary established a deeply disturbing independent track record. In addition to her heavy hand in the Obama administration's destruction of Libya's highly developed, secular, socialist society in violation of international law, her private emails may reveal her assignment of Ambassador Robert Stephen Ford exporting the "Salvador Option" to Syria, and dig into her appointment of Neocon Victoria Nuland as State Department Press Secretary who, later ascending to Assistant Secretary of State, acknowledged spending 5 billion US taxpayer dollars to orchestrate the coup in Ukraine replacing their democratically elected president with her hand-picked, neo-Nazi US puppet. Her emails have already revealed Hillary's central role in the 2009 coup deposing democratically elected President Zelaya in Honduras, prevention of his return and attempts to strong-arm Latin American nations to recognize the illegally installed coup government. Hillary's complicity was described by the recently assassinated Honduran populist leader Berta Caceres, which further exacerbated the massive Central American refugee population our destruction of their societies has created. It has been a disaster for Honduras, in chaos ever since with now the world's highest murder rate. This is the "experience" Hillary cites on her job application. Should not voters judge her unsuitable for our land's highest office until she repudiates these dark blemishes on the Clinton brand, as long as she cites Bill's record on the campaign trail, as long as he smiles benignly behind her in campaign appearances, and as long as she stands proudly on her record as a seasoned veteran of political leadership? Fortunately, we have an objective track record to review beyond today's campaign speeches and predictably prepared TV debate performances. Vigorous Republican scrutiny of the Clinton record will be assured should Hillary become the Democratic candidate, and could well result in a Trump presidency. We ignore history at our own peril, especially if voting while Black, Latino, Arab, housed or employed. (Article changed on March 25, 2016 at 01:16) (Article changed on March 26, 2016 at 12:38) Panthera Technologies Expands Mid-Atlantic Presence www.pantheratech.com Baltimore, MD March 23, 2016 - Panthera Technologies, a leading Managed Service Provider, Outsource IT Operations and Compliance as a Service firm, is proud to announce the expansion of their Corporate Headquarters based in Owings Mills, Maryland.In partnership with BECO Management Inc. Panthera Technologies more than doubles their current corporate footprint in Owings Mills. We have had a true partnership with BECO and their Management team over the last year, our staff and I cannot say enough about the very high level of service all of the BECO staff have provided. The beautiful office building and amenities have well exceeded our expectations. We are excited about our long term commitment with such a strategic partner, said J. Todd Jennings, Founder and CEO.As more organizations and technology leaders look to outsource their IT Operations to a trusted partner, Panthera continues to demonstrate consistently, the myriad of benefits, cost savings and tremendous growth generated by creative outsourcing solutions.Given this continued growth, the supplementary office space will house the companys ever-expanding Service Support Center, Network Operations Center (NOC) and Security Operations Center (SOC).In addition, the expanded Owings Mills location will include a technology lab, warehouse and a build center. Within the 1st quarter of this fiscal year Panthera Technologies is on target for a 200% growth, marking the 4th straight year the organization has exceed 100% in growth.The new locations warehouse and dedicated service area will provide the companys professional services team with additional space for equipment builds, as well as device staging and configuration for customer installs.Its an exciting time for Panthera Technologies. Our business has shown consistent growth over the past four years and we continue to meet and exceed our goals, said J. Todd Jennings, Founder and CEO. Since 2012, we have consistently grown our business. Were looking forward to utilizing the extended corporate footprint, and continuing our efforts.Panthera Technologies continues to expand its staff and is currently seeking qualified network engineers, service desk, and sales professionals to further their Mid-Atlantic presence.Panthera Technologies provides comprehensive IT services and solutions that optimize operations minimize risk and deliver measurable business. Panthera empowers customers with IT Advisory Services, Managed Services and Cloud Solutions along with Compliance and Cyber Security solutions that allow its customers to effectively compete and thrive. Working collaboratively, Panthera develops strategies to leverage its clients resources and create a technology platform for profitable growth.Panthera Technologies is headquartered in Baltimore with offices in Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia.Panthera Technologies10461 Mill Run CircleSuite 200Owings Mills, Maryland 21117 SCS Announces New Editor-In-Chief of Simulation Journal SCS Logo http://scs.org/ The Society for Modeling and Simulation International, SCS has named a new Editor-in-Chief of its journal SIMULATION: Transactions of the Society for Modeling and Simulation International, Dr. Mikel D. Petty, Ph.D. He is succeeding former Editor-in-Chief, Levent Yilmaz.Dr. Mikel D. Petty is currently the Senior Scientist for Modeling and Simulation at the University of Alabama Huntsvilles Information Technology and Systems Center and an Associate Professor of Computer Science.Prior to joining the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Dr. Petty was Chief Scientist at Old Dominion Universitys Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center and Assistant Director at the University of Central Floridas Institute for Simulation and Training. He received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida in 1997. Dr. Petty has worked in modeling and simulation education since 1990 in areas that include verification and validation methods, simulation interoperability and composability, and human behavior modeling. He has published over 190 research papers and has been awarded over $16 million in research funding. He served on a national Research Council committee on modeling and simulation, is a Certified Modeling and Simulation Professional, and is now Editor-in-Chief of the journal SIMULATION. He has served as dissertation advisor to five graduate Ph.D. students in three different disciplines, including the first two students to receive Ph.D.s in Modeling and Simulation at Old Dominion University and the first student to receive a Ph.D. in Modeling and Simulation at UAH.SIMULATION is the monthly refereed transactions of the leading society devoted to advancing the discipline and profession of modeling and simulation. An archival journal in both print and electronic form, it consists of distinct sections--one devoted to theory, the other to applications. Published articles must have a clear relevance to general modeling and simulation issues. In addition to its archival mission, the journal aims to help professionals and researchers, particularly those involved in multidisciplinary projects, apply advances in modeling and simulation theory, methodology and technology to their application areas.SCS is the worlds premier professional society devoted to modeling and simulation (M&S). We serve individuals and organizations in more than 150 countries around the world. Our membership includes individuals from industry, government and academia whose interests span all aspects of M&S. Our Mission is to promote the use of modeling and simulation in ever-expanding application areas through education and providing a forum where the scientific basis for its foundations can be enriched through education and research.For more information about SCS or SIMULATION, visitor scs@scs.org.SCS is the worlds premier professional society devoted to modeling and simulation (M&S). We serve individuals and organizations in more than 150 countries around the world. Our membership includes individuals from industry, government and academia whose interests span all aspects of M&S.Society for Modeling and Simulation International, SCS2598 Fortune Way Suite IVista, CA 92081Oletha DarensburgExecutive Director8582773888Oletha@scs.org La Mottas Italian Specialties Brings Brunch to the South End www.lamottaboston.com www.aquitainegroup.com WHAT: Beginning March 2016, La Mottas Italian Specialties in Bostons South End begins brunch and gives the neighborhood the perfect reason to spring into the warmer months. La Motta will serve brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, with a $9.95 prix fixe reward for early-birds dining from 10:00AM 11:00AM.Chef de Cuisine Justin Winters has crafted a menu that tailors to the Italian/American classics he and the Aquitaine Group partners grew up with while using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients and flavors. Enjoy signature, savory egg dishes such as Crumbled Chorizo Scrambled with spicy Mexican chorizo, sweet peperonata and melted cheese ($10.50), a Hawaiian Omelette filled with roasted pineapple, smoked ham, scamorza and topped with Siracha ketchup ($10.75), or Smoked Trout Hash with fennel and onions, fried eggs and horseradish cream ($12.25).Feeling creative? Customize a savory Omelette with a wide variety of fillings and a side of Thick Cut Buttered Toast with sel gris or Everything Breakfast Potatoes ($8). Satisfy a brunch sweet tooth with Hot Cinnamon Sugar Bombs, Brioche Doughnut Holes with sweet whipped cream ($5.75), Bruleed Pineapple with blueberries and sweet cream ($6.50) or Coconut Almond Granola with bananas and organic milk ($6.25).For the early risers, La Motta is offering a prix fixe menu from 10AM-11AM featuring brunch entree options including Smokehouse Ham and Machego Cheese Omelette, Challah French Toast & Maple Syrup, or Eggs and Everything Breakfast Potatoes, accompanied by Hot Sugar Bombs, Fresh Squeezed Juice and Bottomless Coffee ($9.95).Guests looking to spice up their weekend can sip on creative brunch cocktails including La Mottas Bloody Bullshot with a housemade bloody mary mix, Veal Broth and Vodka ($11.50), The Morning Peck with Venezuelan coffee, rum, orange liquer and espresso ($10), or a White Peach Bellini with white peach puree and prosecco ($12).For more information or to make a reservation please visitor call 617.338.5300.WHEN: Beginning March 2016 every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00AM to 3:00PMWHERE: La Mottas Italian Specialties | 1357 Washington Street | Boston, MA 02118MENU: La Mottas full menu can be viewed here.About The Aquitaine Group:The Aquitaine Group consists of partners Seth Woods, Matt Burns, and Jeffrey Gates, three individuals with distinctly different personal and professional backgrounds, making these destination restaurants as well as the go-to spots in their respective neighborhoods. Restaurants included in the current portfolio are: Metropolis Cafe, Aquitaine (Boston, Chestnut Hill, and Dedham), Cinquecento, Gaslight Brasserie (Boston & Lynnfield), La Mottas Italian Specialties and Greenlight Cafe.Founder Seth Woods created what is now the Aquitaine Group with the opening of Metropolis Cafe in 1995, where he received praise from local and national media. In 1998, Woods opened Aquitaine Bar a Vin Bistrot on Tremont Street in Bostons South End paving the way for what is now known as restaurant row. Woods has received accolades for his work within the restaurant community through James Beard, Boston Business Journal, The New York Times and Food & Wine, but what is the true accomplishment is his commitment to each projects identity, authenticity, sustainability and success in an ever changing city.Matthew Burns, a native of Boston, met Seth Woods at Armani Cafe on Bostons Newbury Street where Burns was general manager and Woods was the executive chef. In 2000, Burns teamed up with Woods to open the Aquitaine location in Chestnut Hill. According to Burns a seamless combination of warm, skilled service, delicious food all in a comfortable yet interesting ambiance is what makes a great and successful restaurant.Jeffrey Gates joined the Aquitaine Group a few years later and in 2003, Gates was instrumental in opening what is now known as La Mottas Italian Specialties. Recognized for his consummate professionalism, extensive wine knowledge, methodical and meticulous approach to business, Gates brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the Boston restaurant scene to the Aquitaine Group.The Aquitaine Groups restaurants are widely recognized as among the very best in the city of Bostons growing and respected restaurant scene. They have garnered awards and accolades locally and nationally.Please visitfor more information.###46 Waltham Street, Suite 301Boston, MA 02118 2016 LA Book Festival Award Winner - THE LOBBY Eavesdrop in THE LOBBY Top 5% sellers on Amazon, THE LOBBY (Friesen Press: 2016) a hilarious look at those lives passing through an upscale San Francisco Hotel is another humor/fiction novel by author Randi M Sherman. THE LOBBY here and it's a WINNER!Reminiscent of Grand Hotel and Neil Simons California Suite, THE LOBBY sheds a hilarious spotlight on the comings and goings of anonymous people who come to life in the lobby of the grand Shipley Hotel. Practically engineered for eavesdropping, San Francisco's juiciest hotel lobby offers the perfect place to witness the livesand the most comedic intersections of staff, long-term residents, and eclectic guests.Evocative of Upstairs Downstairs, the reader gets a delicious vicarious look at both the guests and staff at The Shipley Hotel whose lives briefly intersect over the course of a 24-hour period. Each consecutive chapter title is a time of day, beginning at 4:00 AM, when the hotel lobby comes to life as those working behind the scenes downstairs spruce up the lobby with fresh flower centerpieces, and front-desk staff are busy preparing for the hectic day ahead as their guests upstairs are sleeping, oblivious to the busy preparations taking place downstairs.Randi Shermans spot-on character descriptions capture humanity in all its vain, self-absorbed, often romantic and sometimes loving preoccupations in 50 interlocking short stories as the narrator snoops into the lives of hotel workers and guests as they crisscross in the Shipleys elegant lobby.Available online: AMAZON.COM, BARNESANDNOBLE.COM, ITUNES, GOOGLE + MORE, Kindle, Nook, Kobo ...Author and Independent PublisherRandi M Sherman Books17043 Brookside Rd, Sonoma CA 95476info@randimshermanbooks.com iPhone Photo Management for iOS 9.3 Now Made Super Easy with PrimoPhoto https://www.primosync.com/primophoto/ https://medium.com/@PrimoSync/primophoto-start-managing-your-iphone-photos-in-a-way-new-exciting-media-kit-36561bbfa043#.ylauakma7 PrimoSync, a newly established iPhone related software company, announced a major update on PrimoPhoto, which comes to give users an array of new & exciting photo management solutions for iPhone SE and all Apple devices running iOS 9.3. With simply one click, users are now allowed to transfer iPhone SE photos to / from Windows or Mac computer; turn Live Photos to shareable GIFs; even reclaim more free storage on iPhone.Visit PrimoPhoto Official Website:After the release of iOS 9.3, many colleagues in our team have minor or major complaints on iPhone photo management. For instance, when we try to take new photos, iPhone just reminds us that the storage is just about running out. Then we sit down together, taken quite a few hours to brainstorm what problems people may have when using their iPhone (especially for the photo parts). As a result, we took the effort and released our first software product - PrimoPhoto. said by Yuri, the marketing manager at PrimoSync.How PrimoPhoto Solve Photo Management Problems for iOS 9.3#1 Import / Export iPhone Photos without iTunes or Photos: PrimoPhoto comes to give an amazing collection of iPhone, iPad photo management solutions, where one click can put your photos wherever you want. Say transferring photos from iPhone to / from your Windows or Mac computer. The best part is, youre allow to sort your photos by album, file size, name, taken time, etc.#2 Turning Live Photos and other videos to Shareable GIFs: PrimoPhoto allows making GIF from Live Photos and other videos at ease. You can now share your Live Photos with your friends on iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Slack, Tumblr and many more.#3 Freeing Up Space on iPhone: PrimoPhoto is the iPhone Photo Manager that powers everything you do on your iPhone. With the first-of-one-kind iPhone cleaning feature, its simple to free up space on your iPhone and reclaim more storage. And it works seamlessly with iOS 9.3 and all your Apple devices.Notes to Editors:All photos used in this media kit are completely free and legitimate to be downloaded and used in your article. Here are some extra hi-def graphic materials you may need:About PrimoSync:PrimoSync is a new team that comes to deliver the simple and beautiful photos | music | apps | messages and other iPhone iPad related software products with passion and love.NO.26, 14 Floor, 2-1 Building, E Zone, Tianfu Software Park, Chengdu Em4200 rfid button for rfid asset tracking(gyrfidstore) RFID Disc Tags are widely used for inventory tracking system or Automatic production systems. The RFID Disc Tag can also work on metal surface with anti-metal layer on it, also can be attached to goods surface by adhesive layer. There are abundant size options from 12mm to 50mm. GYRFID presents several types with different material and size to suitable customers application.DIP Series- PVC Disc Tag, PVC Laminated, thickness of 1.0-1.2mmDIT Series- Clear PVC Disc Tag, clear PVC Laminated, thickness of 1.0-1.2mmFOT Series- Foil Tag, Clear PVC Sealed, Thickness of 0.45-0.7mm.STE series Epoxy PVC Sticker, the surface covered by epoxy, thickness 2.0mmTKA series- ABS Token, ultrasonic welding ABS type, various size options.TKPPS series PPS Token, ultrasonic welding, mini size 12mm.Features:Model number: DIP-FMaterial: PVC lamination + Anti-metal layer+ 3M adhesiveDimension: 13/ 14/ 15/ 17/ 18/ 20/ 22 / 25/ 30/ 35/ 40/ 50mm; thickness 1.0-1.2mmColor options: WhiteWater Proof: YesNotes: can be with anti-metal layer and 3M layerPersonalization Support: Silk-screen printing logo Thermal transfer printing Serial Number or UID Barcode printing and QR code printing, Photo printing Laser UID or Number Chip encodingApplication: NFC payments Patrol Guard Systems Logistic management Parcel tracking Inventory Control Automatic production management Asset tracking Device embeddedIC options:125KHz RFID: EM4200, EM4102, EM4100, GK4001; T5577; EM4305; Hitag1, Hitag2, Hitag S256 13.56Mhz ISO14443A: NXP MIFARE Classic 1K, MIFARE Classic 4K, MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE Ultralight EV1, MIFARE Desfire 2K, MIFARE Desfire 4K, MIFARE Desfire 8K, MIFARE Plus, Fudan FM11RF08; NTAG203, NTAG213, NTAG215, NTAG216; LEGIC MIM256, LEGIC ATC1024, LEGIC ATC2048 13.56Mhz ISO15693: ICODE SLI; ICODE SLI-X; Tag-it 256, Tag-it 2048 840-960Mhz UHF: Alien Higgs, Monza 3, Monza 4D, Monza 4QT; NXP UCODE G2iLGYRFID STORE offers a wide range of products embedded with contact chip and contact-less chip (LF, HF, UHF), and there are some competitive products like ISO CARD, KEYFOB, WRISTBAND, DISC TAG, LAUNDRY TAG. The products are widely applied in access control, payment system, inventory control, asset tracking, and industrial managements.Should any of these items be of interest to you, please let us know. We will be happy to give you a quotation upon receipt of your detailed requirements.ADDRm1516, Qiangjin Building, QiXin Rd No.1318 ,Shanghai, 201100, China Servolutions software solves 'sent-to' secrecy Servolutions software solves 'sent-to' secrecyServolutions, specialists in developing and distributing email server add-on software, are excited to announce the release of their newest add-on software component: AddressView.Available now for Outlook users, AddressView solves a problem that those who use multiple email addresses from the same Exchange mailbox will have encountered time and time again: Outlook displaying only your name as the recipient and not the full email address to which the person sent it. Even when viewing the email in more detail, all that is shown is the ActiveDirectory entry, not the exact email address.With the AddressView plugin, you can instantly see which of your addresses the person was sending the email to so you can be secure in the knowledge that you have the right background.This add-on is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Outlook and is available for a 30-day free trial. After the trial period, there is a one-time cost of 25 with a discount available for bulk purchases of more than five licenses.Servolutions has over 12 years of experience in the field of email server add-ons. With a focus on extreme reliability, ease of use, and features that users really need, Servolutions takes pride in providing timely and friendly support. As a Microsoft Small Business Specialist, all Servolutions' software is tested to be 100% compatible with all Microsoft SBS products.For more details, please contact us at: press@servolutions.com, +41-41-5880275Founded in December 2000 as Christensen Software, we have been developing and distributing email server add-on software for more than 12 years.Our focus is on extreme reliability, ease of use and the features you really need in our products. We take pride in providing timely and friendly support.In December 2009 we rebranded as Servolutions Inc., but continue with the same proven team and with the same commitment to quality.Servolutions GmbHSwitzerland Sarnen Feldstrasse 2Claus Christensen pad@servolutions.com STUKEN offers new process for hardening stainless steel components The SWEP15 diffusion layer can be adjusted between 5 and 30 m www.stueken.com SWEP15 protects deep-drawn parts against wearRinteln, 24th March 2016STUKEN, the global leader in manufacturing stamped and deep-drawn parts, now offers the SWEP15 process for the case hardening of stainless steel. With SWEP15, surface hardness levels of more than 1,400 HV 0.1 can be achieved, the service life of components can be extended tenfold and cost-efficient hardening as bulk material is possible.Technical Managing Director Dr.-Ing. Uwe Krismann presents SWEP15 as the result of in-depth research and development work. "The result is a product that meets all conceivable requirements. Despite the hard surface, components maintain their strength and non-magnetic properties, the layer thickness is variable between 5 and 30 m, and the sliding capacity is high." Furthermore, in thorough field tests, the diffusion layer has proved to be exceedingly resistant to chipping. For cost-conscious customers and there are many of them the fact that SWEP15 allows for hardening deep-drawn parts as bulk material is also highly interesting.Dr.-Ing. Hubert Schmidt, Commercial Managing Director of STUKEN, focuses on a further advantage: "Since we can offer everything from a single source, we have complete control over quality. This means security for our customers, and also creates organizational and logistic advantages which are soon reflected in financial terms."SWEP15 was tried out in customer comparison tests, and is already used in numerous applications. For example, the process prevents seal seat wear in ABS valves.As a result of improved fatigue strength under alternating stress, SWEP15 enables the lightweight design of components with up to 80% less wall thickness. This is accompanied by enormous savings potentials in material and weight.About STUKENFounded in 1931, STUKEN today is considered the leading global supplier of precision deep-drawn parts made of metal. Stampings and injection molded parts as well as complex assemblies complete the range and guarantee customers finished products of highest quality. The products can be found in countless applications from domestic appliances and fittings to computers, mobile phones and automobiles. Statistically every car sold worldwide contains 40 STUKEN components. The independent, innovative family-owned company based in the German city of Rinteln on the river Weser has about 1.200 employees, subsidiaries in the United States, the Czech Republic and the Peoples Republic of China, and achieved sales of 165 million euros in 2015.Hubert Stuken GmbH & Co. KGSandra Gohner, Head of MarketingAlte Todenmanner Strae 4231737 RintelnGermanyPhone: +49 5751 7020E-Mail: sandra.goehner@stueken.de Schmid Telecom successfully passes Factory Acceptance Test for the VoIP-VCS Solution for ChongQing JiangBei International Airport After one week of intensive Factory Acceptance Tests the delegation from Chongqing SUB-ATMB signed the certificate to accept the VoIP-VCS solution purchased from Schmid Telecom AG. The successfully completed FAT covered the main VCS system for ChongQing JiangBei International Airport East Region and 3rd Runway Project.The complete VCS system consists of 3 fully redundant and distributed ICS 200/60 systems, including 131 operator positions, 320 radio channels, 200 telephone lines, 180 VoIP links for radios and 180 VoIP links for telephone lines.The 3 ICS 200/60 systems will be installed in ChongQing JiangBei International Airport as the main VCS system for Air Traffic Control at the airport as well as in the Chongqing ACC.About Schmid Telecom AGSchmid Telecom AG is one of the leading suppliers of highly reliable Voice Communication Systems with an installed base of more than 5000 Operator Positions and satisfied customers all over the world.Headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland. As a global company, with worldwide subsidiaries and reliable experienced business partners in all important markets, Schmid Telecom AG is close to the customer.The VCS solutions are especially designed for Air Traffic Management and are ready for todays and future needs in Air Traffic Control by using a decentralized architecture, being fully compliant to the VoIP standard ED-137B. The solution covers the full range of applications within ATM from largest centres to small and mobile towers.One of the key benefits of system is the cost of ownership. The quality of the system in connection with the high reliability results in very low operating expenses.About Chongqing SUB-ATMBChongqing Sub-Bureau of Southwest Air Traffic Management Bureau CAAC is located at Chongqing JiangBei International Airport and managing all the Air Traffic in the Southwest Region of China.About Chongqing AirportChongqing Jiangbei International Airport handles with its 2 runways annually more than 250,000 aircrafts. Chongqing Airports passenger numbers exceeded 32 million people in 2015. The 3rd runway project will be completed in 2016 to support the expected passenger number growth to 45 million at 2020.Schmid Telecom, is a global leader in Access Network solutions for digital voice and data transfer and voice communication systems used in air trafc control. The private and independent company was founded 1967 in Zurich and with its long tradition, Schmid Telecom relies on the innovative spirit of its own engineers and the legendary quality consciousness of the Swiss. Our focus on research and development as well as our lean, well-coordinated company structure enables us to adapt quickly to the continuously changing needs of the market and to implement a long-term vision.Schmid Telecom AGBinzstrasse 358045 ZurichSwitzerlandPhone: +41 44 456 11 11info@schmid-telecom.ch IQ4I Research & Consultancy published a new report on Nuclear Medicine Global Market Forecast To 2022 Nuclear Medicine Global Market Estimated to be worth $9,275.3 million by 2022 This report analyzes the nuclear medicine global market in terms of market revenue ($ million) for all segments and it enables nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceutical manufacturers, product distributors, diagnostic centers, clinical laboratories and hospitals, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical players, various research and consulting firms and other associated stake holders to identify and analyze market expansion opportunities, upcoming technologies, Patent Trends and competition in nuclear medicine global market.Nuclear medicine is a highly multi-disciplined specialty sector that develops and makes use of instrumentation and radiopharmaceuticals to study physiological processes, non-invasive diagnostics and therapeutic purpose in safe, effective and painless manner. Radioisotopes containing a radioactive tracer are generally inhaled, swallowed or injected into the patient and the gamma-rays emitted by this material are used by the SPECT and PET imaging modalities to display images of bones and organs. Nuclear medicine technique over traditional methods provide enhanced early detection, accurate diagnosis, rapid results, detailed description of various diseases and helps in adopting additional treatment plans.The effective usage of integrated structurefunction imaging, has led nuclear medicine to reach ahead of traditional limitations and step into diagnostic radiology and various therapeutic indications. Advancements in radioactive tracers are providing practical methods for studying the limited metabolic activities of bones and teeth, hence has found a role in dental science research. According to IQ4I estimates, the nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceuticals global market is expected to reach $9,275.3 million by 2022.Increased radioisotopes application, rise in public awareness, use of SPECT/CT and PET/CT imaging scans, abundance of radiopharmaceuticals, advancement in technology and alpha immunotherapy based targeted cancer treatment boosts nuclear medicine market growth. In addition, increasing need in emerging markets, production of radio pharmaceuticals from cyclotrons, efficient diagnosis and treatments, emerging radio isotopes and replacement of old/traditional equipments are the opportunities likely to propel the growth of nuclear medicine market.However, regulatory issues, high cost and supply shortage of isotopes, shorter half life of radiopharmaceuticals and threat from traditional/alternative diagnostic procedures are hampering the growth of the market. The threats for the nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceuticals market include huge capital investment and shortage of qualified technicians. The major problem area of nuclear medicine market is closure of reactors.The nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceuticals global market by type is segmented into diagnostics which includes SPECT and PET and therapeutics, which include alpha radiation therapy, beta radiation therapy and brachytherapy. Diagnostics market holds the largest market revenue of $4,608.7 million in 2015 and therapeutics segment is expected to grow at double digit CAGR from 2015 to 2022 due to technological advancements in targeted treatment especially cancer related diseases, potential radioisotopes in pipeline and advances in neurological applications are the key factors driving the growth of the therapeutics market.North American region commanded the largest share in the global nuclear medicine market due to increasing use of SPECT and PET scans technological advancements in equipment, increased utilization of fusion imaging, alpha radio immunotherapy based targeted cancer treatment and complete availability of radiopharmaceutical has led the market growth in this region. However, Rest of the World region is expected to grow at double digit CAGR from 2015 to 2022 due to increased building of huge capacity reactors, continuous and strong support from international organizations and collaboration among countries.Companies such as Cardinal Health Inc., Mallinckrodt, GE Healthcare, Lantheus Medical Imaging and Siemens Healthcare are ahead of other companies and are considered to be leaders in nuclear medicine sector with their marketed products. IBA Group is leading in cyclotron production of radioisotopes and have cyclotrons as one of their product segment while, Bayer Healthcare is the only player developing and marketing Radium-223 dichloride under the brand name Xofigo.Affibody AB (Sweden), Algeta (ASA), Bard Medicals (Europe), BV Cyclotron VU (Netherlands), Draximage Inc. (U.S.), Eurisotop (Europe), Huayi Isotopes Co (China), Urenco (U.K), are some of the emerging players in the nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceuticals market.Major players in the nuclear medicine/radiopharmaceuticals global market are Bayer Healthcare (Germany) Cardinal Health Inc. (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.K.), IBA Group (Belgium), Lantheus Medical Imaging (U.S.), Mallinckrodt Plc (Ireland), NTP Radioisotopes (South Africa), Nordion Inc (Canada) Siemens Healthcare (Germany) and Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (Japan).IQ4I (Intelligence Quotient for Innovation) Research and Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. is a global strategy, consulting and a market research firm. Our clients include leading businesses, investment banks, researchers and government agencies.We are a team of highly qualified consultants and market researchers, committed to help clients make strategic decisions by providing relevant and firmly reliable Intelligence support. We enable our clients to identify the market opportunities with best-in-class market intelligence reports.IQ4I Research and Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.No- 11, Industrial Suburb, 1st Stage, West of Chord Road,Rajajinagar, Bangalore- 560010 Sony Pregius IMX264 and IMX265 the simpler versions of IMX250 and IMX252 www.framos.com Continuing the trend started with IMX174 and IMX249, Sony releases the first variants of the 2nd-generation Pregius IMX250 and IMX252 the IMX264 and IMX265 with functionality targeted but not limited to the intelligent traffic surveillance market.The two sensors have the same resolution as their predecessors 3.2 and 5MP but the major difference lies in the reduced frame rate. The IMX264 can deliver only 35.7fps instead of 89.5fps (@12bpp), while the IMX265 delivers 55.6fps instead of the 118.5fps (@12bpp) of IMX252. The reason for this is the fixed number of four data channels that can be used in the new sensors.As these new sensors share the same pixel structure, pixel size and sensor format as their faster predecessors, the key parameters like sensitivity, dynamic range, low dark noise and good NIR sensitivity are exactly the same for all four sensors.Sony reduced not only the speed of the new sensors, but also downgraded a few other features: only one ROI window is supported (instead of 64 windows for IMX250 and IMX252), the pixel depth ADC is limited to 12bits per pixel and binning is not supported.The sensors are pin compatible, which makes it very easy for camera manufacturers to extend their portfolio with high-end and low-end, high-priced and low-priced camera models. They also support the same features as variable-speed shutter functions, various readout modes and external trigger modes.The monochrome versions, IMX264LLR and IMX265LLR are already in mass production. The colour versions IMX264LQR and IMX265LQR will also go into mass production in April 2016, but they can already be evaluated as engineering samples now.Of course, with reduced functionality comes also a reduced price. The new sensors are almost half the price of IMX250 and IMX252. This makes IMX265 and IMX264 sensors a very good choice, with perfect price/performance ratio, for applications where excellent global shutter sensors are needed but high-speed output is not an important criterion.About FRAMOS:Teaching machines to see is what drives us. For FRAMOS, image processing is not just a technical discipline, but a fascination, the future and our mission all at the same time. Since 1981 FRAMOS is a leading technology provider in industrial, scientific and medical image processing. Headquartered in Munich and with 4 subsidiaries worldwide we enable manufacturers, system integrators and researchers to benefit from imaging technologies. Our team of approximately 85 associates offers a fully comprehensive portfolio of imaging components, technical consulting and support. Thanks to many years of experience in the industry, we offer engineering services for custom camera development as well as complete turn-key-solutions. We are proud of our participation in a revolutionary technology. The spirit of innovation and development of our early days has remained at the heart of our company.FRAMOS GmbHMehlbeerenstrae 2D-82024 Taufkirchen, GermanyPhone: +49 89 710 667-131eMail: a.ebenburger@framos.com Etech Global Services To Exhibit At Internet Retailer Conference And Exhibition And 17th Annual Call Center Week www.etechgs.com Nacogdoches, TX March 24, 2016 Etech Global Services will exhibit at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) on June 7-10 in Chicago, Illinois, as well as the Call Center Week (CCW) Conference and Expo on June 27-July 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Etech is an annual participant in the IRCE show, which brings together E-Commerce experts, Internet solution providers and an unrivaled program of industry content, all in an event that allows for networking time with thousands of like-minded participants. This year, Etech will share with clients how its Integrated Customer Engagement (ICE) product is a key differentiator as a customer experience solution. This product was designed using Etechs 20 years of expertise providing tools to enhance customer service and engagement through technology. ICE combines the functionalities of chat, email, workflow and quality evaluation into integrated software that can help businesses in various industry verticals reach a higher level of efficiency. Etech will be demonstrating this newly designed product line during the conference at booth #856 in the IRCE exhibit hall.Later in the month, Etech will again be an exhibitor at the 17th annual Call Center Week Conference and Expo. This industry event has a dual goal: to educate participants on best practices for customer engagement and to introduce them to vendors in the exhibit hall such as Etech, which can provide solutions to businesses of all sizes. In addition to sharing success stories tied to its ICE products, a member of Etech leadership will present an informative workshop on quality metrics during which participants will learn how quality monitoring can help customers overcome challenges in the daily business world. Etech representatives will also be present at booth #1312 in the CCW exhibit hall.Etech President Matt Rocco said the company is excited to continue its participation in the two industry conferences."Etech is very happy and excited to once again be exhibiting at the IRCE and CCW events," Rocco said. These industry leading shows allows us a chance to demonstrate our innovative technology solutions and show visitors exciting new tools in the customer engagement field.About Etech Global ServicesEtech Global Services is a leading provider of customer engagement solutions for many of the worlds most trusted brands. They trust us with their most precious assets: their customers. Why? Because Etechs commitment to continuous improvement, next-generation technology and growing and empowering our people results in solutions that work. Voice, chat, email, social media, Etech is here to communicate with your customers when and how they choose. For more information:ContactVeronica Hill Chimney (Media-Relations)veronica.chimney@etechtexas.comAddress:1903 Berry Drive,Nacogdoches, TX 75964Tel:936-559-2200 AGON - AOC Launches Premium Gaming Monitor Line-up Amsterdam, 24 March 2016 Derived from ancient Greek, AGON stands for competition, clash and antagonism. These are the strong characteristics that AOC, a market-leading display manufacturer claims for their upcoming gaming monitor line-up. The AGON series has been created to deliver the utmost gaming features and outstanding designs to the vast community of professional and hardcore gamers. AGON AOCs New Gaming Line During the year 2016, AOC plans to launch ten variants of its gaming monitors with either IPS or TN panels, each with premium technology to provide gamers with the most versatile gaming experience possible. The AGON series includes both standard and curved models with Flicker FREE technology developed by AOC; all of them enriched with either NVIDIA G-SYNC or AMD FreeSync technology. AGON Developed for Awesomeness With modern-day gamers increasing demand for visual precision and image quality in gaming monitors, it is essential for gaming monitors to be engineered not only with the latest technology but also exquisite exterior designs. Yet the AGON series seeks to reach above and beyond the status quo. Response times of 1 ms (TN), 144 Hz and higher refresh rates, height-adjustability, speakers and USB 3.0 ports are default features for this new line-up. With sizes ranging from 24 16:9 to 35 ultra-wide, there will also be curved monitors, and resolutions from Full HD all the way to 4K. The combination of materials on the rear of the monitor will give the AGON an elegant and stylish finish, to perfectly supplement high-end gaming battle stations. A launch event for the AGON takes place in Beijing today and the all-star Natus Vincere Dota 2 squad will be there to present the new monitor line to the press and PR professionals in attendance. The first model of the AGON series will be available in the European market in June. Key Information: AGON line-up by AOC 10 new gaming monitors G-SYNC and FreeSync AOC Flicker FREE technology Ergonomic, height-adjustable stand AOC Game Mode AOC No Input Lag Mode AOC Shadow Control FHD, QHD and 4K resolutions TN and IPS displays with 144 Hz+ Sizes range from 24 to 35 Curved and standard monitors Diese Pressemeldung wurde auf openPR veroffentlicht. united communications GmbH Rotherstr. 19 10245 Berlin Elena Strzelczyk Phone: +49 30 789076 - 0 E-Mail: or AOC International (Europe) B.V. Prins Bernhardplein 200, 6th floor 1097 JB Amsterdam Seden Ayyildiz Phone: +31 20 5046952 E-mail: For further information:united communications GmbHRotherstr. 1910245 BerlinElena StrzelczykPhone: +49 30 789076 - 0E-Mail:orAOC International (Europe) B.V.Prins Bernhardplein 200, 6th floor1097 JB AmsterdamSeden AyyildizPhone: +31 20 5046952E-mail: About AOC AOC is one of the global top brands in the display market. High quality, first-rate service, attractive designs as well as environmentally friendly, ergonomic and innovative products at competitive prices are the reasons why more and more consumers, corporate decision-makers and distribution partners trust in AOC. AOC offers displays which cater to every type of user, be it for professional, home, entertainment or gaming use. AOC is a subsidiary of TPV Technology Limited, the worlds largest LCD manufacturer. www.aoc-europe.com FUR ALLE Jetzt Ihre Pressemitteilung mit einem Klick auf openPR veroffentlichen A Washington County jury found Daniel Christopher Wyant guilty of murder Wednesday in the November 2014 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend. Wyant shot Monica Van Laer, 33, while she was moving out of the Raleigh Hills apartment they once shared with help from her family members. Wyant, 43, then shot himself in a failed suicide attempt. He was arrested days later and charged with murder. Jurors weren't deciding whether Wyant was the killer. Instead, the state urged them to find Wyant guilty of intentionally killing Van Laer, while Wyant's lawyers offered an insanity defense, saying he couldn't control his actions that day. Van Laer had broken off their relationship that fall and was staying with her sister. Wyant desperately tried to get Van Laer back and was frustrated when she wouldn't return to him, Deputy District Attorney Andrew Freeman told jurors during his closing argument. Three days before the shooting, Freeman said, Wyant confirmed that Van Laer was dating someone new. "If he was angry before, now he's furious," the prosecutor said. "If he was fixated before, now he's obsessed." In the days before the killing, Wyant posted pornographic images of Van Laer online and slashed the tires on her car and her new boyfriend's car, Freeman said. Van Laer returned to the Broadmoor Manor Apartments on Nov. 2 to finish moving out. Wyant was there when he said he wouldn't be, Freeman said. And the two eventually started to argue over the tire slashings. Wyant soon used a .45-caliber gun to shoot his former girlfriend three times -- in her head, neck and chest -- in front of her mother and sister. He then shot himself in the chin. "The murder showed multiple levels of intent," Freeman told jurors. Wyant had parked his truck that day where Van Laer and her family wouldn't see it. He had promised not be home, but he was. He told her she didn't need to bring the police to stand by during the move. And he had a fully loaded gun at the ready, Freeman said. "Look at that day," Freeman said. "Is that a person who cannot control his impulses, or is that a person who is furious?" Wyant's defense lawyers said their client was suffering from a neurocognitive disorder. He had a lengthy struggle with depression and complications from a traumatic brain injury, which damaged his temporal lobe and frontal lobe, attorney Stephen Eberlein said. The injury also caused him to suffer from seizures and headaches. He also was taking topiramate, an antiepileptic medication known to have adverse psychiatric side effects in some people, Eberlein said. The side effects, he said, could include depression, suicidal thoughts, irritability and aggressive behavior. People who knew Wyant before the killing, Eberlein said, didn't view him as an aggressive person. A doctor at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Portland had prescribed the medication to help Wyant control his headaches, Eberlein said. Wyant in messages to Van Laer and his family expressed that he was experiencing ill side effects from the medication. "Sorry for acting crazy," he had told Van Laer. Leading up to Van Laer's death, Eberlein said, Wyant was struggling to adjust from their breakup. "He was going into a very dark place," the defense attorney said. He wrote a suicide note a week before her killing and wished Van Laer well then, Eberlein said. By Nov. 2, Wyant had lost hope. "He had given up," Eberlein said. He posted a goodbye message that day. He told his sister he couldn't cope anymore. When Van Laer arrived at the apartment with her family, Wyant's stress was building, Eberlein said, and he eventually decided to grab his gun and kill her. "It's the darkest moment at the darkest point in his life," Eberlein said. But Eberlein asked the jury to consider that Wyant couldn't stop himself. After deliberating for about two hours Wednesday afternoon, jurors found Wyant acted with intention when he pulled the trigger. -- Rebecca Woolington 503-294-4049; @rwoolington A cutting-edge unmanned ship designed to hunt submarines was docked just south of the Tilikum Crossing on Thursday. The Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel, or ACTUV, is designed to track stealthy diesel electric submarines and operate without any onboard crew. The prototype is called Sea Hunter. A project of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, the vessel was developed with the Portland-based Vigor Industrial. The company in 2014 acquired Oregon Iron Works, a Clackamas manufacturer that's previously worked on secretive military vessels. A Vigor spokesman said the company can't discuss the project. DARPA has said it's preparing to test the ship at sea this spring. It says the ship is designed to operate at long range for months at the time, possibly without intervention from any humans. That could include, as DARPA puts it, "autonomous interactions with an intelligent adversary." The ship is docked at Portland Spirit River Cruises. The company's owner, Dan Yates, said the ship would be christened there next month before it heads out to sea. -- Elliot Njus enjus@oregonian.com 503-294-5034 @enjus A former manager at a Texas branch of Wilsonville-based Mentor Graphics was sentenced Thursday to one year and a month in prison for racking up more than $35,000 in personal expenses with two company credit cards. Ricky A. Jones, who pleaded guilty in January to aggravated first-degree theft and first-degree theft, was also ordered by a Clackamas County judge to repay $34,966 to the electronic hardware and software design business. He spent five months in 2013 billing his then-employer for vacations, air travel, Hilton Hotel stays, Walmart purchases, Jamba Juice, Cheesecake Factory and other places. Jones, a native of Allen, Texas, was manager of a Mentor Graphics office in Dallas at the time, said Clackamas County Deputy District Attorney Michael Salvas. Jones made no statements during Thursday's proceedings in Clackamas County Circuit Court. After sentencing, he shook his attorney's hand then walked over to a courtroom deputy who placed him in handcuffs. Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and blue tie, he sat in the jury box and waited to be escorted out of the courtroom. Salvas sought a two-year sentence for Jones, 58, because of the amount of money taken from the Oregon business over the half-year span. He said he couldn't find any reason why the theft of funds occurred. "This isn't a case where he was trying to make ends meet, and there isn't an underlying issue that drove these actions," Salvas said. "This is essentially just spending money on fun things, personal expenses and things that were enjoyable." Jones' attorney, Scott Thompson, suggested a 30-day sentence for his client. He argued that Jones has no previous criminal history, voluntarily traveled at least three times from Texas to Oregon to appear for court, and has since gotten a job working in information technology to repay Mentor Graphics, "knowing full well that it could end today." "He's doing everything he can do to better himself and be in a position where he can pay the community back and pay the victim back," Thompson said. Jones was unaware he had been indicted in February 2014 until his home in Texas had been burglarized months later and a police officer told him he had an outstanding warrant in Oregon related to the theft case, Thompson said. Salvas said he didn't know if Jones received any notice after the indictment. Judge Jeffrey Jones said the 13-month sentence fell in line with similar theft cases he has overseen. He acknowledged the defendant's cooperation in the case, and noted he appeared to be a "solid citizen" and respectful each time he appeared in court. "I don't think he'll do anything like this again," the judge said. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey The Dow Chemical Co. announced today it will partner with Genesee County Habitat for Humanity and the United Way of Genesee County to support ongoing water relief efforts in Flint. In addition, various Dow employee groups have taken the initiative to offer support for their neighbors in need. In partnership with the Genesee County Habitat for Humanity, Dow will offer and install free water filtration systems to all Habitat for Humanity homes in Flint. Dows Water and Process Solutions business will provide the reverse osmosis technology for the 150 filtration systems, and Michigan-based Dow employees and contractors will volunteer to install the systems. In addition, Dows contribution to the United Way of Genesee County will include a donation of up to $100,000 from The Dow Chemical Co. Foundation, consisting of a $50,000 financial contribution and implementation of a Dow global employee matching gift program up to $50,000. This contribution will provide immediate relief efforts through the Flint Water Fund to be used for emergency support services and prevention efforts and is in addition to the previously-donated $10,000 in October 2015. Dow understands the significant challenges the Flint community is facing, and is committed to providing both short- and long-term sustainable solutions through our businesses, global citizenship efforts and employee initiatives, Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris said. These partnerships and initiatives demonstrate what is core to Dows culture helping others and giving back to our neighbors in times of need while working to provide innovative and sustainable business solutions to the Flint community for future generations. In addition to these partnerships, Dow employees have taken the initiative to offer support. In February, Dows African American Network volunteered in Flint and assembled water test kits, distributed water and filtration equipment and assisted with data entry following mobile distribution of water supplies. Subsequently, Dows North American Logistics team partnered with its long-standing carrier, XPO Logistics, to transport donated supplies to Flint, as part of a community-wide supply drive in Midland that collected ready-made baby formula, baby wipes and bottled water. We are grateful for Dows contribution to the Habitat family in Flint as we move forward in addressing the needs of the community, said Margaret Kato, executive director, Genesee County Habitat for Humanity. Through this contribution, Dow has demonstrated its commitment to providing sustainable solutions to affected communities and its understanding of the importance for volunteerism. Jamie Gaskin, CEO, United Way of Genesee County, said that for the past 75 years, United Way and Dow have worked together to enable community success. Through this financial contribution, Dow and its employees are demonstrating this commitment to the residents of Flint and as a result, the community will be will able to receive the much needed supplies and support that will help them overcome these immediate challenges, Gaskin said. KINCHELOE, Mich. (AP) About 1,000 inmates at a prison in Michigan's Upper Peninsula have participated in a peaceful protest over the quality of food provided by a state contractor, an official says. Prisoners at Kinross Correctional Facility left the prison yard Sunday about 20 minutes early in silent protest. The next day, most of the facility's nearly 1,300 inmates didn't get meals as usual, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz said. The protest related to complaints about the quality of food provided by Oldsmar, Florida-based Trinity Services Group, which replaced Philadelphia-based Aramark Correctional Services as Michigan's prison food contractor last year, the Detroit Free Press reported. "This is the first issue that I've seen related to food in months," Gautz said, adding that Trinity has "been very responsive whenever there are issues." The Associated Press sent an email Wednesday seeking comment from a Trinity spokesman. The warden met with Trinity officials Monday, who brought in extra staff and said they were addressing some issues about the way some recently added menu items were being prepared, Gautz said. Anita Lloyd, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Corrections Organization, said the union was concerned by the scope of the protest. "It's hard to get 1,000 people to agree on anything," Lloyd said, noting that "we're glad it was peaceful this time." Trinity's three-year, $158 million prison food contract was approved in July after Gov. Rick Snyder announced that Michigan and Aramark had mutually agreed to end their troubled three-year, $145 million contract early. Aramark and the state cut ties after company-initiated talks about a possible billing increase and other issues. Michigan had fined Aramark $200,000 for unapproved menu substitutions, worker misconduct and other issues. Three Rivers Corp.s Paul Crivac, safety director, and Brian Powers, assistant safety director, recently accepted the Associated Builders and Contractors National Safety Excellence Award at the 26th annual Excellence in Construction Gala in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Three Rivers outperformed contractors from around the nation to win the prestigious award and was the only company honored from Michigan in any category. We are thrilled to receive an award like this, we are so grateful for the commitment that we have to safety in our culture across the board. Our team is very responsive to making an effort that everyone on and off every job site is safe. The reason our program is as an award-winning one is because of our people and their commitment to safety, Crivac said. The ABC National Safety Excellence Awards recognize companies who exhibit a continued commitment to jobsite safety and whose safety performance and programs are judged to be exemplary by the ABC National Environment, Health & Safety Committee. Awards are based on data submitted via STEP applications, essay questions and video interviews with company presidents/CEOs/principals about their corporate safety culture. To be considered for the award, companies must have OSHA recordable incident rates and lost work day cases that are at least 25 percent lower than their industry average. The winners also must have an exceptional safety program and impressive past safety record. Three Rivers has won this award eight times since 2000. Companies are only eligible to apply for the award every other year. Three Rivers has re-emphasized its safety program by branding the Walk the Talk slogan to help keep their workers focused on the highest safety performance. It has also instilled The Five Keys to Safety; Top Down Commitment, Strong Safety Program, Safety Culture, Continuous Improvement, and Sustainability. Safety is a way of life at Three Rivers. This award demonstrates the commitment for safety that our people have for those we work with and those we work for, said Randy Sherman, Three Rivers president. To the editor: We are in the midst of a year of mercy, declared by Pope Francis, for Catholics of the world. But when will it happen in the Diocese of Saginaw? The dictionary defines mercy as a compassionate or kindly forbearance shown to an offender, an enemy or another person in ones power. The leaders of the Diocese have all the power in closing churches. They have shown no mercy on most of the parishioners from these closed churches. They are not being listened to and the bishop refuses to meet with them to discuss the situation. And there has never been a process for them to object to the decision to close or sell their churches. The parishioners were given the understanding that the decision would be reassessed after two years. But the churches are already being sold, so will that reassessment be too late? It is sad that the parishioners from Munger were denied the use of their church at Christmas time and were told again that they could not have the Easter Mass there. I think we should cancel the year of mercy in the Diocese of Saginaw or has it already been cancelled for the parishioners of closed churches? FR. JOSEPH A. SCHABEL Senior Priest of the Diocese of Saginaw To the editor: There are none so blind ... Democrat or Republican, R or D, zero or one, on or off, left or right. Simple choice? It seems our choices this time are Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump based on their leading in the respective races. But why have these choices been made? Has history been overlooked? Let it not be said the voters did not know who these people were. Bill Clinton should have been known for the reports about Gennifer Flowers. Like him, Hillary Clinton should be known for using a video to explain a terrorist attack in Bengazi, Libya. Donald Trump should be remembered for his verbal assault on a reporter for asking a single tough question. Verbal insults to others. Trump is applying for a job over us. The top job you can apply for. How many employers/interviewers accept that kind of conduct? His message is basically this: Trust me. Sounds like Obamas message too. So he is rich. So is Steve Forbes and he was turned down but he did not shoot his mouth off. TODD COY Midland Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Inspires Innovation, Diversity on San Diego Waterfront By Expeditionary Strike Group 3 Public Affairs U.S. 3rd Fleet SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, was the guest speaker for a female officer mentorship session at Naval Base San Diego, March 22. As the first female commander of U.S. 3rd Fleet, Tyson constantly gets asked the question if there are any differences or challenges with being a woman in this position. "For me it is not about being male or female, it's about being capable and qualified for a position," said Tyson. "Women are serving throughout our Navy like never before and it is because of their professionalism, productivity and eagerness to excel in the fleet. Navy leadership recognizes that we need to give young women the opportunities to pursue their dreams and lead Sailors." During the session, Tyson discussed her career pipeline; the importance of taking care of our Sailors; and current policies and programs like spouse collocation, career intermission, maternity leave, education and corporate internships. Lt. Adriana Gibson, an intelligence officer assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group 3, expressed her gratitude for the how the Navy has worked with her so that she could attain her personal and professional goals. "As a mother of four sons (including a foster son) I was not sure if I was going to be able to juggle the life-work balance early in my career," said Gibson. "However, I learned that it's all about attitude and I am so grateful for what the Navy has allowed me to accomplish. Going up the ranks from E-1 to O-3E, earning my masters degree, and joining the intelligence community has all been an exciting and very rewarding adventure." Tyson encouraged all the officers present to make the most of every day and to never lose the thirst for knowledge and fleet innovation. "I am approaching 37 years in the Navy and it has all gone by so fast," said Tyson. "Now is a great time for history and for women because the door is wide open for all of you. When I first entered the Navy in 1979, positions for women were extremely limited. Having the opportunity to serve as a naval flight officer, as a navigator on USS Enterprise, and finally commanding USS Bataan seemed like a farfetched ambition at the beginning of my career." According to Tyson, the fleet needs to invite innovation not only with personnel and diversity, but with technology as well. "By evolving and modernizing the way we train, do maintenance, navigate and accomplish a mission, we will attract the best people in our Navy and retain them too," said Tyson. Tyson also elaborated on U.S. 3rd Fleet having a more forward presence throughout the Pacific. "Our presence in the Western Pacific provides stability," said Tyson. "We have to be prepared for any mission. Whether it be humanitarian assistance disaster relief, maritime security or anti-submarine warfare, U.S. 3rd Fleet assets will be ready to respond effectively." At the conclusion of the mentorship session, Tyson thanked the group of aspiring female officers and encouraged them to "go, see, do and explore the world." "I appreciate Vice Adm. Tyson coming and sharing her experiences with all of us today to provide insight on what it is like as a career woman, wife and mother in the U.S. Navy," said Gibson. "As she said, a Navy career is not an easy life, but it is definitely worth it." For more information on Commander, U.S. 3rd. Fleet visit http://www.c3f.navy.mil/ For more news from Expeditionary Strike Group 3, visit www.navy.mil/local/esg3/. We are reminded every day that our nations freedom and justice is fought for and secured by the heroes of our military. It is the character of many individuals who display an indomitable American Spirit, the one that represents sacrifice, opportunity, and equality; who have committed to making this nation great. It is this team, of both men and women, which makes the Army great. In honor of Womens History Month, we honor the remarkable contributions women have played in helping win our nations wars. Throughout history, women have redefined their roles, demonstrating competence, character and commitment in all facets of the profession of arms. In our Army, women paved a road that expanded their roles from volunteering to nurse the wounded during the Revolutionary War, to Mary Galloway at Antietam, Women in the World War I Signal Corps, on to the Womans Auxiliary Corps in World War II, through to our female Soldiers deployed on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan. Trailblazers, such as Maj. Lisa Jaster, Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver became the first three women to successfully complete the U.S. Army Ranger School; Brig. Gen. Diana M. Holland became the first female Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy; and Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody becoming our first female, four star general. We continue our progress toward equality and shaping our Army. On Dec. 3, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter directed the full integration of women in the armed forces and said, This means that as long as they qualify and meet standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before. Theyll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry Soldiers into combat. By observing this years theme of Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government, we acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions of military women from the past and anticipate the influence they will make into the future. Through their willingness to train and fight, they have proven themselves as invaluable assets to the greatest fighting force in the world. It has never come easy. The courage, persistence and successes of women are some of the stories that will be weaved into our American history and the fabric of this great and grateful nation. Ninety-five years ago, the World War I era Navy tug vanished with 56 crewmembers aboard. Today, NOAA and the U.S. Navy announced the discovery of the USS Conestoga (AT 54) in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off San Francisco, 95 years after the Navy seagoing fleet tugboat disappeared with 56 officers and sailors aboard. The discovery solves one of the top maritime mysteries in U.S. Navy history. The officers and crew of USS Conestoga, in San Diego, California in 1921. Lost for 95 years, the tug was discovered in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off San Francisco. Credit: Naval Historical Center Photograph NH 71503 "After nearly a century of ambiguity and a profound sense of loss, the Conestoga's disappearance no longer is a mystery," said Manson Brown, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and deputy NOAA administrator. "We hope that this discovery brings the families of its lost crew some measure of closure and we look forward to working with the Navy to protect this historic shipwreck and honor the crew who paid the ultimate price for their service to the country." On March 25, 1921, Conestoga departed the Golden Gate en route to Tutuila, American Samoa via Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. When Conestoga failed to reach Hawaii by its anticipated arrival date the Navy mounted a massive air and sea search around the Hawaiian Islands, the tug's destination. Nearly two months later, on May 17, a merchant vessel found a battered lifeboat with the letter "C" on its bow off the Mexican coast leading to a search there. For months, the ship's mysterious disappearance gripped newspapers across the country. Unable to locate the ship or wreckage, the Navy declared Conestoga and its crew lost on June 30, 1921. This was the last U.S. Navy ship to be lost without a trace in peacetime. In 2009, the NOAA Office of Coast Survey, as part of a hydrographic survey near the Farallon Islands off San Francisco, documented a probable, uncharted shipwreck. In September 2014, NOAA launched a two year investigation codirected by Delgado and Robert Schwemmer, West Coast regional maritime heritage coordinator for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, to document historic shipwrecks in the Greater Farallones sanctuary and nearby Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In October 2015, NOAA confirmed the identification and location ofConestoga during a mission that included an archaeologist from the Naval History and Heritage Command, as well as several senior Navy officers. USS Conestoga at San Diego, California, January 1921. Credit: Naval Historical Center Photograph NH 71299 "Thanks to modern science and to cooperation between agencies, the fate of Conestoga is no longer a mystery," said Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment Dennis V. McGinn. "In remembering the loss of the Conestoga, we pay tribute to her crew and their families, and remember that, even in peacetime, the sea is an unforgiving environment." Originally built to tow coal barges for the railroad, the Navy purchased Conestoga in 1917 for World War I service. The tug operated on the Atlantic coast and off the Azores, performing convoy and other duties before being assigned to harbor service in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1919. Ordered to duty in American Samoa, Conestoga steamed from Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California at 3:25 p.m. on March 25, 1921, headed for Pearl Harbor. After leaving the Golden Gate, the tug, possibly towing a barge, was never heard from again. Weather logs indicate that around the time of Conestoga's departure, the wind in the Golden Gate area increased from 23 miles per hour to 40 miles per hour, and the seas were rough with high waves. A garbled radio transmission from Conestoga relayed later by another ship stated the tug was "battling a storm and that the barge she was towing had been torn adrift by heavy seas." Based on the location and orientation of the wreck in 189-foot-deep water, three miles off Southeast Farallon Island, NOAA, and its technical and subject matter experts, believe Conestogasank as officers and crew attempted to reach a protected cove on the island. "This would have been a desperate act, as the approach is difficult and the area was the setting for five shipwrecks between 1858 and 1907," according to NOAA's report on the Conestoga discovery. "However, as Conestoga was in trouble and filling with water, it seemingly was the only choice to make." To see sonar images, historical photos and other materials, visit http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/shipwrecks/conestoga/. Video, from cameras mounted on remotely operated vehicles used to explore the wreck site, shows the wreck lying on the seabed and largely intact. The wood deck and other upper features of the tug, however, have collapsed into the hull due to corrosion and age. Extensive marine growth, primarily white plume anemones, drapes the hull's exterior while various species of marine life. Wolf eels, ling cod and rockfish also inhabit the site. During the remote dives, NOAA confirmed a number of features consistent with the description and plans of Conestoga published in 1904 including the size of the wreck; the fourbladed, 12foot 3inch diameter propeller; the steam engine and boilers; the number and location of portholes, mooring bitts, and ventilator locations; a large steam towing winch with twisted wire on the drum; two porcelain marine heads; and a single, 3-inch, 50-caliber gun that was mounted on the main deck in front of the pilot house. No human remains were observed during the dives but Conestoga is protected by the Sunken Military Craft Act of 2004, which prohibits unauthorized disturbance of sunken military vessels or planes owned by the U.S. government, as well as foreign sunken military craft that lie within U.S. waters. NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 170,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. Through active research, management, and public engagement, national marine sanctuaries sustain healthy environments that are the foundation for thriving communities and stable economies. NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our other social media channels. Cope Tiger 2016 Comes to a Close By Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich U.S. Pacific Air Forces KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand -- Months of planning and two weeks of flying and working side-by-side, came to an end for the participants of the 22nd iteration of Exercise Cope Tiger 16, during a closing ceremony, held here March 18. Cope Tiger is an annual multilateral aerial exercise supporting regional peace and security by improving readiness and multi-national interoperability between the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force and U.S. Air Force. In addition, trilateral civic assistance programs conducted during Cope Tiger 16 helped to promote good relationships between the three countries forces and Thai communities near Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. The closing ceremony was co-officiated by U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Micheal Compton, Air National Guard assistant to the commander with Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Republic of Singapore Air Force Brig. Gen. Hoo Cher Mou, chief of air force; and Royal Thai Air Force Air Chief Marshal Treetod Sonjance, commander-in-chief of the air force. During the ceremony, Sonjance thanked all the participants and credited the success of the exercise to their hard work. Exercises Cope Tiger is good opportunity for all participants to exchange experiences and learn new tactics, Sonjance said. The exercises allowed us to enhance our operational efficiency and defense relations, helping maintain stability in the region. I hope this exercise has created a long lasting good will and friendship between all the participants. The 220 U.S. personnel participating in the exercise worked together with approximately 1,850 service members from Thailand and Singapore. The multilateral exercise involved a combined total of 87 aircraft and 48 air defense assets from the three participating countries. Over the course of the exercise, Airmen from the 67th Fighter Squadron Kadena Air Base, Japan, flew 136 sorties. They were supported by Airmen from the 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit from Kadena Air Base, Japan, who delivered a 98.5 percent mission effective rate for the 12 F-15 Eagles during the two week exercise. Lt. Col. McFarland, 67th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, and Chief Martin, 67th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron command chief, are tremendous leaders and their unit reflects a shared commitment to excellence, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jack Arthaud, 67th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron exercise director. "The fighter pilots and maintainers performed miraculously as a team and a family to represent the USAF and PACAF exceptionally well! Additionally, Arthaud talked about the importance of Exercise Cope Tiger. Flying training exercises, such as Cope Tiger 16 are essential to developing air combat experience for our young Airmen through realistic training scenarios while operating in a deployed environment, said Arthaud. This shared experience is the cornerstone of multilateral combat readiness enabling combined interoperability during overseas contingency operations. Ultimately though, the greatest effect of Cope Tiger 16 is sustaining the relationships we share with the RTAF and RSAF, two key partner Air Forces, and our combined resolve to support the stability and security of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Supporting Donald Trump today is a choice to deny that his candidacy depends on scorn for the equality named in our Declaration of Independence and contempt for democracy in our Constitution. He sees himself as lord and master, not someone who presides over a republic. He is a would-be king, aspiring to be as much of a dictator as possible. People supporting him are choosing to be servants in his palace, confident they are superior to gullible educated people and common sense. While Trump claims otherwise, he inspires division. Divide us white (Christian) males Trump trumpets we who think for ourselves independent of facts. I will keep my friends above everyone not sharing our anger at democracy. I will replace it with a strong-man rule. Like a haughty potentate of an ancient empire, Donald Trump wants to run our nation without real advice from anyone else. He wants to rule, not preside. He wants to be the government and remove checks and balances that might curb his power. Like the Kansas legislature he wants to neuter criticism from any source even the Supreme Court that dares to challenge his immoral, anti-democratic, anti-Constitutional behavior, and any group that does not bend to his will. He does not care whether he tells the truth or obeys the law he does what he pleases. If he elected, we will lose our morality, any respect for law and our citizens respect for one another, caught in devotion to a narcissistic ruler. Joris John Heise, Bloomington A 48-year-old California woman almost died from a massive stroke after having a 10-minute hair wash at a salon. The hairdresser sink was regarded as the culprit behind this salon-derived ailment known as the beauty parlor stroke syndrome. Mirror reports that Elizabeth Smith visited the salon in December 2013 and had her hair shampooed. A week after her visit, her left arm and leg started feeling weak, which she didn't know was already a sign of an impending stroke. Within seven days, she suffered a massive stroke. According to doctors, the hairdresser sink was the indirect cause of her stroke as it was primarily her head's position that should be blamed. The beauty parlor stroke syndrome might have occurred when Smith's neck was bent back when her hair was being shampooed, which caused her vertebrae to slice an artery. This then formed a clot, and eventually led to a stroke. Smith said, "I vomited, my head became hot and I couldn't stand. I had weakness in my arms and legs. They didn't think I was going to live." Because of the incident, she is now suing the California salon as its staff failed to take the necessary precaution not to overextend her neck. One vascular surgeon, Peter Gloviczki, said that beauty parlor stroke syndrome is caused when there's a tear, clot or injury in an artery that leads to the brain. The hyper-extension of the neck is the leading cause of this ailment. While all these may seem worrisome, try not to worry too much because this is a rare occurrence. Daily Mail says that you can simply ask the hairdresser to adjust the sink, so that your neck will not overextend and trigger beauty parlor stroke syndrome. After more than two years from the stroke, Smith still experiences loss of vision and dizziness, but she has already gone back to work. She said that she is suing the salon so as to bring awareness to all regarding the risks associated with misuse of hairdresser sinks and the beauty parlor stroke syndrome. Will this hinder you from going to the salon? We'd love to hear what you think about this in the comments section below. A 6-year-old girl in Santa Clarita was taken from the home of her foster parents all because of a race conflict. The little girl told her daddy not to let social service take her away. Social workers tried to calm the little girl down as her foster father made his way out of the house to hand her daughter to the Department of Children and Families on Monday. Lexi, 6, has lived with her foster family for 5 years. On Monday, social services came to her foster family's house to take her because it was discovered that she is 1.5 percent Native American and her foster family is white. Rusty Page, Lexi's foster father unwillingly walked through the crowd of people to hand Lexi over. She screamed, 'don't let them take me away' as she was made to sit at the back of a black care with government workers. Her foster mother Summer Page burst into tears as she shouted 'I love you, Lexi'. According to CBS, the decision to remove the girl from her foster family happened after a Native American tribe won a long and bitter custody battle. Not a lot of people knew about a law which apparently prohibits Native Americans to be adopted by people of different race. Rusty and his wife Summer acknowledged that they lost the battle and said, "With very heavy hearts we're complying with the order." Court records revealed that Lexi's biological father has a long history of crimes committed and her mother had a substance abuse. Dailymail.co.uk reported that Lexi's biological parents lost custody of their daughter when she was only 17 months old. However, the Choctaw tribe, which Lexi's parents are a part of, agreed to let Lexi stay with the Pages until the time that Lexi could be reunited with her relatives. The tribe issued a statement on Monday saying, said, "the Choctaw nation desires the best for this Choctaw child." "Whether it's a Native American kid or not, have the same end goal -- which is to reunite a child with his or her biological relatives so they can be raised in the family they were born into," a lawyer for the tribe said. The Pages said that they are the only family the little girl knows and that they plan to take the case to the California Supreme Court. Did you know that at least three-quarters of women and expectant mothers go through discrimination at work? For a long the longest time, there have been talks about women getting heat at work for being pregnant. A recent study has revealed that this is not a myth. In fact, it was recently discovered that one in nine women or new mothers lose their job. A government-commissioned research found evidence stating that pregnancy discrimination, which is illegal, has ballooned since 2005 with 45 percent of women complained they suffered from that. According to the Guardian, the research said one in five mothers said they were harassed or have received negative comments in their workplace connected with pregnancy or the flexibility of work. And then they also found that one in ten women said they were discouraged from going to their antenatal appointment. While there are a number of companies in America who have become more family-friendly in previous years, some employers still think that women who are pregnant don't work as hard, or don't work as well compared to before they were pregnant. This lead them to treat women who are expecting differently by not offering them promotions, handing out less desirable work assignments, and some even fail to include them in meetings and trainings, babycenter.com reported. Maternity Action also discovered that there are 390,000 women who are experiencing discrimination across Great Britain. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (ECHR) which did the report together with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills encouraged the government to take action in order to solve the problem. Caroline Waters, deputy chair of ECHR, said: "We simply cannot ignore the true scale of the hidden discrimination that working mothers face. This is unacceptable in modern Britain, and urgent action is needed to ensure women are able to challenge discrimination and unfairness. This is why we are calling on the government to look at the barriers working pregnant women and mothers face in accessing justice. "We want to make workplaces fairer for everyone and get rid of outdated practices like asking women during job interviews whether they intend to have children. For businesses to thrive, they need to harness the talents, skills and experience of all employees," she continued. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions We dont need Orange Is The New Black to tell us that prisons a tough placethe lack of privacy, being told what and when to eat, and the constant, unnerving threat of violence as abhorrent and meaningless as humans are able to create. The experience is dehumanizing, but every now and then, a brilliant (if brief) light of creativity and hope illuminates these darkened dens of iniquity in the form of artistic expression. Its source is often music offered to the incarcerated by sympathetic artists from every musical genre. The most famous prison concert and recording has to be Johnny Cashs At Folsom Prison, but the spectrum of performances is widely variedfrom The Cramps playing a mental hospital to Jerry Garcia serenading prisoners on a bright summer day in Oregon to even Frank Sinatra and Count Basie lending their time and talents to the greater good. Here are 10 performances in prisons that offered a brief respite of hope to societys forgotten souls. All of these recordings stand as some of the strongest testaments we have to the power of music to heal and unify. Johnny Cash, who played dozens of prisons throughout his storied career, first became enamored with Folsom Prison after watching the film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison with his Air Force unit in 1953, and was inspired to write Folsom Prison Blues by the movie. The song was hugely popular with inmatesespecially those stacking their time at the songs namesake, who frequently wrote to Cash begging him to perform at the jailhouse. Beyond the countless books, articles and Oscar award-winning film inspired by this groundbreaking performance the years since, the show also served as the launching point of inmate Glen Sherleys brief and tragic music career after Cash unexpectedly covered his song Greystone Chapel at the show, with a shocked Sherley beaming from the front row. At San Quentin has become a cultural cornerstone over the years, and has inspired countless prison performances since. The night before Cashs legendary show at Folsom, the prisons preacher handed him a recording of a song called Greystone Chapel, penned by an inmate doing a three-year stretch for armed robbery named Glen Sherley. Cash was so moved by the song (which was inspired by Folsoms chapel) that he stayed up the night before the show learning the tune, and performed it the next day, giving Sherley the shock of his troubled life. Cashs cover lead to Eddy Arnold recording Sherleys song Portrait Of My Woman, which provided Sherley with enough income and notoriety to convince California penal authorities to allow him to record the fantastic Live at Vacaville in 1971 while still incarcerated at the prison. When Sherley (who also met and got advice from Spade Cooley while in the joint) was released later that year, Cash met him at the prison gates with a publishing contract for his House of Cash imprint and attempted to take the budding songwriter under his wing. Unfortunately Sherley did not adjust well to his newfound freedom or his burgeoning stardom, and he was eventually kicked out of Cashs inner circle for his erratic behavior and violent threats against various people. The clearly talented Sherley drifted into obscurity and struggled with drugs and alcohol for years before tragically ending his own life in 1978. B.B. King was at a career crossroads of sorts when he recorded this classic record in a Chicago jail, and he is in absolute top form throughout the fiery performance. Backed by a crack band and horn section, neither King, nor his trusted ax Lucille have ever sounded better, and the inmates and their wives (who were also in attendance) hang on his every expressive note. King holds the rooms cons and their ladies in the palm of his hand throughout the performance, and one can almost imagine the prison officials shooting each other nervous glances as the excited shouts from the crowd got rowdier and louder as the show wore on. When Jerry Garcia and John Kahn played this acoustic show at the Oregon State Pen in 1982, The Grateful Deads pied piper probably had a few disciples in the audience (especially given the Deadheads proclivity for narcotics, the fact that Pacific Northwest is prime Grateful Dead territory, and the excited cheers that greet Dead favorites like Friend of the Devil on this legendary recording). One can only imagine what was going through these folks minds for 53 magical minutes as the music transported them back to their happier days on tour, with memories of soaring through the cosmos on the wings of LSD wings floating through their heads while the band provided an afternoon of transcendence in the most unlikely of places. On June 13, 1978 The Cramps and The Mutants, along with about dozen punks made the trek up from San Francisco to perform a show for the patients at the California Department of State Hospitals. Some perfectly rough black-and-white footage of the festivities exists, and its about as strange and spectacular as youd imagine. The Cramps play the show totally straight, with Lux Interior romping around a stage full of gleefully dancing and singing mental patients while amused-looking guitarist Bryan Gregory coolly surveys the anarchic festivities with a constant cigarette pinned between his broadly smiling lips. Were The Cramps, and we drove 3,000 miles from New York City to play for you, Interior tells the audience, Somebody told me you people are crazy but you seem alright to me. Reggae legends Black Uhuru played this prison in California in the midst of a partial lockdown, but the previously tense atmosphere seems to have been joyous lifted (however briefly) once the music hit the air. Since this show was broadcast on FM radio, the sound quality is pristine, and the euphoric exaltations of joy by the prisoners during the concerts call-and-response moments will cause goose bumps for anyone listening today. For their part, Black Uhuru seem to also feed off the energy as the show goes on, and the passion in their playing and voices is palpable. Two versions of The Sex Pistols 1977 concert in Chelmsford Top Security Prison exist in album form: theres the original 1990 release that features tons of overdubs added after the fact by the bands soundman Steve Goodman and the overdub-free release that came later. Goodmans numerous additions to the original recording range from the understandable (fixing sound errors, adding to the bass and vocals) to the utterly ridiculous additions of the sounds of a riot occurring while the Pistols played their set and the use of a Johnny Rotten-imitating voice actor to make his goading of the audience seem even more over-the-top than it already was. Yet another chapter in the Sex Pistols history where legend and reality blur, comparing the recordings is an interesting experience. MCs One Be Lo and Senim Silla met and formed Binary Star while incarcerated in Michigans Hiawatha Correctional Institute in the late 1990s. While they were locked up, the duo honed their socially conscious style that praised art over commerce and called out the materialism rampant in popular hip-hop at the time. The rhymes they wrote in Hiawatha populated the groups debut Waterworld, which was recorded for $500 and released independently upon the duos release from prison. After touring Michigan extensively (both MCs were still on parole and couldnt leave the state) and getting some funds together, Binary Star remixed and re-released the album as Masters of the Universe, and an underground hip-hop classic was born. Everything about the record is mind-blowing, from its production to the varied flows each MC employs to the fact that its origin was a freezing prison yard in Michigans northernmost eastern peninsula. Unfortunately, Binary Star broke up not long after Masters of the Universe dropped, but the record remains an undisputed and influential 90s hip-hop classic. Ol Blue Eyes played multiple prisons in his career, and when he did, he brought out all stops and treated the cons to the kind of full band performance youd expect in 1960s Vegas casino. Sinatra actually had the idea of recording an album at San Quentin a few years before Cash, but the album never came to fruition. Although this clip is short its notable for two reasons. First, Sinatra is completely and utterly at ease, laughing aloud and snapping along like hes performing at the Palms. Secondly, the meanest-looking dude in the yardthe one with a facial scar not unlike The Joker is also the one having the most the fun. The look of unaltered joy on his hardened face says it all about the power of these performances. Of all the artists on this list, Fugazi is perhaps the least surprising to have played a prison, as the group was widely known for its very left-leaning politics and activism. The band was so overtly liberal that our government, in its infinite wisdom, was tracking the bands movements and they toured around the country and the world. These clear and present dangers to The American Way Of Life extended their reign of liberal terror the day after Christmas in 1990, giving the somewhat perplexed, but incredibly excited and thankful crowd a welcome treat. Its a great moment that was captured in part in on Jem Cohens film on the band Instrument; and is available in full at Fugazis amazingly comprehensive and pay-what-you-will archive of live shows at Discord.com (to purchase the show, click here). The common influence between such benchmark comics as Sin City, Maus and Ghost World, Bernard Krigstein is your favorite artists favorite artist. Though his name is little-known to the average reader, he pushed the boundaries of what comics could be in their Golden Age, and his fine-art intentions have drawn comparisons to the literary ambitions of V For Vendetta and Watchmen writer Alan Moore. He also would have been 97 this week. In the face of censorship legislation, Krigstein was forced out of the industry at the height of his power, relegated to teaching high school art classes for the last decades of his life. While his abrasive attitude was no doubt a contributing factor in this development, his short-lived career still speaks to a recurrent problem in the comics industry, one as topical today as its ever been. Even at the dawn of sequential art, Krigstein faced a harsh reality thats remained consistent to today: the comics industry abhors change. This conservatism has taken various forms throughout the decadesthe 50s endured the restrictive, short-sighted psychology of Fredric Wertham. The fight continues today as the medium faces hurdles to diversify its creators beyond a white, heteronormative male foundation. Like other media, the comics industry has rarely accepted those voices who sought to innovate within its panelsKrigstein is a testament to that unfortunate legacy. The Matster Race by Bernard Krigstein Born in 1919, Krigstein spent the early days of his career working on short stories like The Monkeys Circle! and Eugene VidocqFirst Great Detective. He signed his work as B.B. Krig., recalling a nickname he picked up in the army: ballbuster. According to Maus creator Art Spiegelman, Krigstein was a formally educated painter, but he pursued comics to support himself. Realizing the potential of the form, he devoted his time and energy to expanding its boundaries. Krigsteins career was rocky; work was scarce and he bounced around from publisher to publisher, often saddled with assignments that didnt allow him to fully explore the extent of his skills. Recounting his work for superhero publisher Fawcett in the late 40s, the artist described his output as hackwork of the purest distillation, and refused to even sign his issues. But he continued to publish at a variety of magazineseven contributing Drummer of War to DCs Our Army at War anthology. Most of his works, however, were short-lived and are now long forgotten, though he did contribute to MAD during its heyday. Krigstein would often balk at deadlines, slowing down his process by inking his pencils instead of handing them off to another artist. He once unsuccessfully tried to unionize comic book artistsa movement editors and publishers tend to frown upon. He eventually fell in with EC, a company most famous for its lascivious horror comics like Tales from the Crypt, where his ambition and singular style were encouraged. The publisher even allowed him to expand his opus, Master Race, from six to eight pages. Running in the first issue of ECs new suspense thriller anthology, Impact, Master Race tells the story of Carl Reissman, a Nazi who works in a concentration camp only to escape to America and anonymity. Today, the topic of Nazis and Nazism is common fodder for pop-culture, but in 1955, Krigstein was touching on something recent and controversial. Released the same year as Master Race, Alain Resnais documentary Night and Fog dealt with identical subject matter, an almost unheard-of theme in Western mass media. The film was so controversial that West Germany convinced France to pull it from the Cannes Film Festival. The Matster Race by Bernard Krigstein In Master Race, a former prisoner recognizes Reissman on a subway car and the expatriate tries to escape, falling to his death beneath the train. The story is brief and lurid, but at the time, it tackled subject matterThe Holocaustthat hadnt often been touched on in popular media. More importantly, Krigstein did it with a shocking amount of psychological depth and ambiguity. Employing smart storytelling conceits, he conceals the identity of his protagonista Nazifor the first few pages. Like all the best comics, the art is the primary storytelling apparatus, and that visual writing reaches its zenith in a sequence where Krigstein slows down time to detail every little moment of Reissman slipping off the subway platform. Master Race represents everything that comics could possibly be: the integration of text and image; the exploration of time; the nuanced interplay between inks and color. Some comics play sublimely with the interaction between text and image, colors and time. But Master Race plays with them all at once, and did so before formalists like David Mazzucchelli and Chris Ware made their names mastering the concept. From Eddie Campbell to Ron Wimberly, Krigsteins influence transcends generations, and his fingerprints remain on innumerable comics and films. Unfortunately for the auteur, his masterpiece was published just after the 1954 Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency that lead to the Comics Code Authority, the industrys self-regulating body that forbade sex, drugs, violence and zombies, among other challenging concepts. In Art Spiegelmans words, the comics industry evaporated around [Krigstein]. In the furor of the hearings and the distribution shake-up it caused, almost no one saw Impact #1. Krigstein futilely tried to adapt War and Peace for comics, but by 1963 he had quit the medium for a 20-year teaching stint at the High School of Art and Design in New York. Only at the tail end of his career was Krigstein able to find an environment that was receptive to his interests, and his inability to find a niche within comics speaks to the industrys longform resistance to change. All of his efforts, writes comics artist and historian Santiago Garcia, were moderated by the inherent limitations of the business [] and the scripts never ceased to be basic and pitched at an adolescentreadership, a readership that the Comics Code Authority stipulated could not be exposed to nudity, sex, drugs, profanity or even criticism of public officials. The Matster Race by Bernard Krigstein The market never knew what to make of Krigsteins nuanced and complex work, and it often experienced low sales. And while comics has made incredible progress in the intervening 65 years, it all came slow and hard-fought. The most lasting change, to this day, exists mostly on the periphery, in the smaller-press scenes. Like in every other art form, and in society at large, peoplereaders, pundits, retailers, publishersare largely conservative and dont adapt to change very well. We tend to reject things that are unfamiliar to us. Comics history is short, but its filled with instances of the industrys conservatism: overcoming house styles, mediations on race and the mainstream press seeming dismissal of international and outlier success. Bernard Krigsteins brief but innovative time will forever help us remember that fact. In an otherwise ordinary state of politics speech delivered to a group of congressional interns yesterday, Republican House Speak Paul Ryan, the Wisconsinite who ran as Vice President on Mitt Romneys ticket in 2012, said something pretty shocking: There was a time when I would talk about a difference between makers and takers in our country, referring to people who accepted government benefits. But as I spent more time listening, and really learning the root causes of poverty, I realized I was wrong. Takers wasnt how to refer to a single mom stuck in a poverty trap, just trying to take care of her family. Most people dont want to be dependent. And to label a whole group of Americans that way was wrong. I shouldnt castigate a large group of Americans to make a point. So I stopped thinking about it that wayand talking about it that way. But I didnt come out and say all this to be politically correct. I was just wrong. When you consider the anti-poor, anti-welfare, anti-social-assistance-of-any-kind rhetoric that has dominated Republican politics since Reagan, this would be jaw-dropping language even from a back-bencher. From one of the partys most visible figures, its flabbergasting. Since this is politics, wed be wise to ignore the hopeful parts of our brains that want to believe this is a legitimate about-face, and the sign of a warmer, fuzzier Republican party to come. But if thats not the case, whats the motive here? I mean, Ryan even went so far as to say that he should have been more civil in the past! Since when do politicians quasi-apologize or admit any wrongdoing? One explanation is that hes gearing up for a presidential run in 2020preparing for a potential Hillary Clinton backlash yearand has realized that the Trump model of angry, mocking conservatism isnt well-suited to winning national elections. When Trump loses, and if Hillary disappoints, Ryan could be poised to step in as the gallant savior of the partya Republican with a heart. Then again, maybe we shouldnt be looking so far out in time. What if hes aiming to be fill that savior role much sooner, in 2016? Imagine a brokered convention in which the only two choices are Trump and Cruz, two men who are almost universally loathed even in their own parties. John Kasich has tried to position himself as the third way, but maybe Paul Ryan is the better choice. After all, hes untainted by losing to Trump in state after state, and he can enter the fray as the fresh-faced compromise candidate. From where I stand, the smarter move is to wait for 2020. If the Republicans pull a fast one on Trump at the convention, Ryan will be nothing more than a symbol of anti-populist maneuvering, which isnt a good place to be for the general election. Plus, Trump could mount a third-party run and undermine him completely. Ryans best bet is to hold off for for years, and keep positioning himself as the Republican candidate that will be palatable to the American public after four years of Clinton. Watch Ryans full speech here: Ever eaten a Wispa, that aerated chocolate confection of British design? No? Well, sit down for Julie Delpys Lolo and youll get more or less the right idea: sweet and breezy, light to the palette, and yet dotted with quiet high notes that exponentially alter your sensations for the better as you consume it. Lolo, like a tasty candy bar, does not require any heavy lifting to enjoythough it is subversive in its own way. If the film came from anywhere but France, and perhaps anyone but Delpy, a single glimpse at a poster or at the trailer would set expectations in stone, and in stone they would remain. From the outside, it looks an awful lot like any other inoffensive romantic comedy. Hell, thats what it looks like from the inside, too. But looks are often deceiving, so goes the bromide. Just take Lolos title character, played by Vincent Lacoste, who first strikes an impression through his unassuming and angelic good looks. Eloi, Lolo to his mother Violette (Delpy), cuts a lamb-y figure, but beneath his harmless veneer lies the soul of an imp. Violette, a fashion industry workaholic returned home from a much-needed spa retreat in Biarritz, has recently found herself a new beau, Jean-Rene (Dany Boon), an IT nerd who happens to be moving to Paris for a new job. The relationship comes as much a shock to her as to her bestie, Ariane (Karin Viard), and especially to Eloi. Look closely when Violette introduces the two men in her life to one another. If youve got a good eye, you can see the gears begin to turn in Elois jealous lizard brain. Eloi, we quickly learn, wants Violettes love all to himself, and he will stop at literally nothing short of straight-up murder to send poor, unsuspecting Jean-Rene packing. No man is good enough for Elois mommykins, a nickname he uses for Violette that would be adorable coming from a tyke but sounds downright creepy issuing from the mouth of a nineteen-year-old. His ploy to unburden Violette of Jean-Rene starts with itching powder, escalates to tranquilizers in champagne, and, well, youll have to see the film yourself to see just how crazy Eloi really is. That craziness extends to Delpy by virtue of authorship: Here, she directs and also co-writes with Eugenie Grandval. It takes a certain kind of person to drive their mothers would-be suitors insane, yes, but it takes a certain kind of mind to will that person into being. The trick to Lolo is nestled within its sense of tone and craft. Even as Elois assassination attempts on Jean-Renes courtship of Violette grow increasingly jaw-dropping, the film stages them with a shrug and a wink. In an American rom-com, this would come off as nauseatingly coy. In Lolo, it reads as charming, but that charm belies a certain level of unspoken and decidedly maternal terror: Elois obsession with Jean-Rene, with Violette, and with himself (surprisehes kind of a narcissist!) is unchecked and untreated. Movies of Lolos make2010s Cyrus comes to mind, as well as Monster in Law, which admittedly approaches romantic sabotage from a different angletend to build toward a happy catharsis. Lolo doesnt exactly not do that, but the films happy catharsis comes with a keen and surprising edge. Its a wonder everyone makes it to the credits alive. Fortunately, Lolo isnt too dark to bear. Its great fun, even as, or perhaps especially as, the prank war between Eloi and Jean-Rene grows far out of bounds. (Between is the wrong word. Jean-Rene has no idea hes in combat, at least not at first.) The films male insecurity is married with its exploration of feminine neuroses, embodied by Violette, an unapologetic worrywart and hypochondriac who exists in a world where everyone but her has to pay mind to social courtesies and ordinances: Leaving the resort town of Biarritz with Ariane, she whips out her smartphone in their train cab, ignoring a fellow passengers reminder that smartphone use isnt allowed. Moments later, that same passenger looks on with muted shock as Ariane and Violette, two grown women, pantomime cunnilingus at one another. Nobody dictates how Violette behaves but Violette. Shes refreshingly nonchalant and endearingly anxious. Delpy has tried her hand at the rom-com in the past. 2 Days in Paris and 2 Days in New York both lean on culture clash scenarios for mining humor, and Lolo does, too, pitting the bumpkin Jean-Rene against the rigors of urban life in one of the planets great metropolises. But she isnt unkind to Jean-Rene; she leaves that to Eloi. For all of Violettes failings and quirksthe round of STD tests she imposes on Jean-Rene is astronomicalshe is made an empathetic character by the amount of pressure placed on her by the demands of her career, by cultural criterions, by her need for love, by her son. And besides, she looks remarkably well-adjusted compared to the boys once we get to Lolos third act. As Jean-Rene and Eloi come to slapstick blows, you may start to wonder why she doesnt just pack up her life and whisk herself away from them both. But the insanity is all part of Lolos comic philosophy: If itching powder is a timeless gag, then so should be the image of two grown men beating the shit out of each other with umbrellas. Director: Julie Delpy Writer: Julie Delpy, Eugenie Grandval Starring: Julie Delpy, Dany Boon, Vincent Lacoste, Karin Viard Release Date: March 18, 2016 (NY); March 25, 2016 (LA) Boston-based critic Andy Crump has been writing online about film since 2009, and has contributed to Paste Magazine since 2013. He also writes for Screen Rant, Movie Mezzanine and Birth.Movies.Death. You can follow him on Twitter and find his collected writing at his personal blog. He is composed of roughly 65% craft beer. In a special session 83-25 vote in the House of Representatives and a 32-0 vote in the state Senate on Wednesday, North Carolinas General Assembly passed HB-2, a bill that prevents that states cities and counties from passing protection laws against LGBTQ discrimination. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory officially signed the bill into law on Wednesday night. The legislation sets a statewide precedent for anti-discrimination policies that protect employees and customers based on their race, color, country of origin, religion, age or biological sex. There is no mention, however, of discrimination protection for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people in the bill, which is most clearly highlighted by its biological clause. Furthermore, the bill prevents local governments from writing and passing policies in favor of anti-discrimination that go beyond that statewide precedentwhich essentially claims to cover everyone while conveniently leaving out LGBTQ residents. This includes ordinances regarding wages, benefits and employee protections. This bill also prevents educational institutions from passing internal policies regarding the use of restrooms by transgender people outside of their assigned sex. So in short, it legally allows discrimination, without any method of recourse. The bills scope doesnt stop there. It also prohibits cities and counties from raising the minimum wage as well as generating anti-discrimination policy that bans bias based on military and veteran status. During House floor debate, Democratic state Rep. Grier Martin proposed an amendment to include anti-discrimination protections that would include veteran status, sexual orientation and gender identity. However, Republican Rep. Paul Stama veteran himselfargued against it, citing he believed veterans dont need this type of legislative protection. The amendment was tabled for the time being. In a statement regarding the bills passing, Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue accused the states conservative lawmakers of directly attacking equality and government autonomy. This bill essentially repeals 50 years of non-discrimination efforts and gives lawmakers in Raleigh unprecedented control over our city and local governments, Blue said. North Carolina Republicans want to pass what would potentially be the single most discriminatory act in the country. This is a direct affront to equality, civil rights and local autonomy. The special assembly, which the states governor originally urged against as it would cost taxpayers an additional $42,000 a day to hold, convened as a result of a Charlotte anti-discrimination policy. That bill barred businesses from discriminating against their customers based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It was passed in a 7-4 vote last month and was met with criticism for its provision that transgender people could have the choice to use bathrooms based on their gender identity. McCrory and other Republican legislators argued that the policy generates major public safety issues, and allows male predators to enter womens bathrooms without recourse. North Carolina is not the only state to enforce anti-discrimination protections that exclude particular groups, though none of the others are as extensive. Arkansas and Tennessee also have laws that prevent cities from enacting anti-discrimination legislation for LGBT people. Easter Sunday is a special day for nearly one third of the worlds people. But you dont have to be Christian or even religious to visit the stunning edifices believers often build and frequent to invoke the supernatural. Of course, the perceived beauty of religious structures can vary depending on beliefs. What has deep meaning to some might not even be noticed by others. But from an objective aesthetic standpoint, its hard to beat these five places of worship. Vatican City Having been described as the greatest of all churches of Christendom, St. Peters Basilica is a visual feast of marble and gold, sculptural masterpieces, the worlds tallest dome, Renaissance architecture and one of humanitys finest art collections. Renovated in its current form in 1626 with the previous help of Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini and other Italian giants, this holiest of Catholic sites easily makes the shortlist. To avoid the not-so-sacred throng of 10 million annual visitors, arrive by 8 a.m. and youll have the place largely to yourself. Bhutan Photo: Douglas J. McLaughlin, CC-BY Formally known as Paro Taktsang, The Tigers Nest is a cherished Buddhist monastery located on a Himalayan cliffside in Paro, Bhutan. In short, it looks like something out of a comic bookwhich explains why Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan chose to shoot part of his origin movie there. Built in 1692 by Tenzin Rabgye, the terrific temple, its surrounding waterfalls and its stairway to heaven have since become a cultural icon of Bhutan. Remarked one recent visitor, The experience cannot be described in words. United Arab Emirates Photo: Andrew Moore, CC-BY You know that proud parental feeling when your kids make or do something wonderful? God felt that way upon seeing this 30-acre worship complex completed in 2007 by the late president Sheikh Zayed. Grand in name as well as peaceful refinement, the mosque is a marriage of Arab, Persian, Mughal and Moorish architecture. Notable features include its marvelous white marble, inviting blue pools, 96 columns inlaid with mother of pearl, seven Swarovski chandeliers and its ornate flower and golden accents. Truly transcendent. India Beautyinside and out. Thats the best way to describe The Golden Temple, officially known as Harmandir Sahib. Built in 1574 as the most sacred site of Sikhism, the temple is often regarded as the most magnificent holy place in all the world. Not only for its looksalthough its golden exteriors, exquisite interiors and hallowed lake play a large part. But also for its inclusive attendance policy: regardless of creed or background, all men and women are welcome to come and worship God equally. Spain Photo: SBA73, CC-BY Only something this celestial could make the list before its completion. Designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms, the Sagrada Familia pays fantastic homage to light, shape, color, and space. Thanks to private donations, one civil war and lots of infighting, the Barcelona basilica has been under construction for 127 years and isnt expected to be done until 2026. Despite the scaffolding, its oh-so-close to touching God, meaning you can still enjoy it today. Photo: Svein-Magne Tunli, CC BY-SA 4.0 Off the Grid columnist Blake Snow writes epic stories for fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies. Follow him on Twitter. Also read part 1, part 2 and the finale. Street Fighters characters are some of the most iconic in the world. You can find them on billboards, in murals decorating the sides of shops from San Francisco to Brazil, and as pinatas at your local grocery store. Theyre often shallow caricatures of the cultures they represent, but that over-to-the-top characterization is part of why these characters have stuck around for so long; seeing your culture on a TV screen, no matter how careless the portrayal, can mean a lot when you dont see it anywhere else. In the spirit of global street fighting, weve decided to pit every Street Fighter character against each other for the prize of our affection. Weve collected a panel of experts (two experts, to be exact) and ranked characters from every game in the series (and we do mean every game) from worst to best. Who is the best fighter of streets? Read on to find out. Part three will be up later this week. 1 of 25 45. Adon: The successor to the throne of Muay Thai fighting, Adon has been in the series since the first Street Fighter, though he only made a splash when re-introduced in the Alpha series. His acrobatic style of Muay Thai contrasts that of his former master's, and good Adon players will generally use their speed to overwhelm opponents. Though he doesn't rock the flat top quite as well as others in the series, Adon is more unique than a copy of Sagat, and adds a lot to the Muay Thai roster. 2 of 25 44. T. Hawk: A Mexican Indian / Native American, T. Hawk's entire tribe was forced off their land by Shadaloo forces, who also killed Hawk's father and many other Thunderfoot tribesmen who resisted. A strong fighter with a great resolve for vengeance, Hawk has been a series regular since Super Street Fighter II, and his tragic story of loss and redemption is one of the better bits of fighting game lore. For a large guy, he has a surprising amount of dexterity and finesse, and has a number of sweeping attacks and aerials at his disposal. T. Hawk is that one character that you keep rooting for to get a happy ending, and maybe someday he will, but for now he's a gem among the list of regular side-characters. 3 of 25 43. C. Viper : Viper made her debut in Street Fighter IV with resounding success, bringing speed and power to an already solid roster. She plays double agent to most, playing off both S.I.N. and Shadaloo to eliminate Seth and steal data on the Blece Project. Her specials employ the use of many gadgets to augment her natural speed, and can dazzle an unprepared opponent. Lightning arcs, jet propulsion, metal knucklesC. Viper loves to get in an opponent's face and never let up. Despite making only a cameo appearance in Street Fighter V, it wouldn't be surprising to see her come back for more rounds. 4 of 25 42. Birdie: An Alpha series favorite, Birdy's chain-link grappling and booger-flinging can be comical, but his playstyle is so unique from other grapplers that he became an easy candidate to return in V. His love of food might be unseemly, but Birdie is able to put a lot of pressure at any range, and can easily punish a foe who extends themselves too far and leaves an opening for a chain-grapple. Is he a big part of the story? No. Is he a crucially important character? Probably not. But he adds a lot of comedy to the roster and gives grapplers some variety, two aspects that make Birdie a solid plus on the list. 5 of 25 41. Laura: A newcomer to the series, Laura Matsuda's debut in Street Fighter V has been electric (no pun intended). Using a variety of moves that vary in-between a mix-up, mid-range fighter and a grappler, Laura is one of the most unique additions the series has had for a while. Her current story bits are a little weak (at this point, everyone travels the world to exhibit their prowess), but her spunk and use of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu make her a solid new addition to the lengthy Street Fighter gallery. 6 of 25 40. F.A.N.G: F.A.N.G (the meaning behind the acronym hasn't been made clear yet) is one of the most lively new characters from Street Fighter V. His obsession with the number two and his wiry frame and purple robe give him a well-rounded look that you don't see with many other fighters. His reliance on poison attacks to chip away at his opponents (a first for the series) also hints at Capcom's desire to branch out in terms of combat possibilities, approaching Guilty Gear levels of weird. His potential as a character has yet to be unlocked (most people don't think he's very strong), but making a kooky character like this is usually a boom-or-bust affair. Here's hoping someone figures him out one day, because I'd love to see more of him in the future. 7 of 25 39. Ibuki : Ibuki is currently reviled for the frustrating guessing game she forced her opponents to play in Street Fighter IV; she would knock you down, jump in the air while throwing a kunai blade, then force you to guess whether to block right or left as you got up. Guess wrong and she knocked you down again, forcing you to guess again. But her design, both aesthetically and as a fighter, is actually pretty strong when you take the guessing game away from her (which Street Fighter V's various changes to the wake-up game will definitely do). She can be annoying to play against, but she's a ton of fun to get ahold of. She's definitely the best ninja in the series, by far. 8 of 25 38. Rolento: Street Fighter has always lacked characters who said "screw this whole martial arts thing, I have grenades." In that way, Rolento is Street Fighter's Kurtis Stryker. That's not to say the guy can't fight, but throwing daggers and twirling batons isn't exactly "street fighting" in the traditional sense. His playstyle in Street Fighter IV may have been a bit tame compared to his Street Fighter Alpha incarnations, but the character's always been a solid idea, if for no other reason than you don't see many characters with weapons fighting it out on the streets. 9 of 25 37. Rose: Rose is perhaps the best character in Street Fighter that arose from a convoluted backstory. She has a sordid history with M. Bison, who shares a similar power and who once inhabited her body. But divorced from her storyline, Rose has been one of the most approachable characters in the series for newcomers, like Ryu. Her combos take a lot of timing to pull off, but her gameplan is rather simple: throw some fireballs, absorb some of your opponent's with your scarf, then stuff their approach with your long-reach normal attacks. She isn't as flashy as some other characters in the series, but her methodical approach to combat gives her design an enduring appeal that most players take for granted. 10 of 25 36. Dan: The classic joke character, Dan Hibiki has ironically been all over the place in terms of power. There were several times in the past when Dan was one of the strongest combatants in the pool, despite being a "fun" fighter that let the designers mess around a little with the stale concepts of Ryu and Ken. He hasn't made the cut for the new title yet, but mark my words, we'll see the pink gi again and soon. Dan may run the gamut of usefulness, but there's a sense of tradition in his unique brand of awfulness. More than 50 pieces will be featured during a 50th-anniversary Star Trek art exhibit honoring a half-century of exploring the final frontier. That includes the final piece of art created by original series star, the late Leonard Nimoy. The event, which San Diego Comic-Con attendees will arrive just in time for, opens on July 21 at the Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts in San Diego, CA. It will then travel to Las Vegas, Toronto, and the UK. The official Star Trek site is rolling out all the pieces bit by bit, but the artistic work of the beloved Nimoy was one of the first released. The piece, which depicts multiple images of Nimoys hand giving the Live Long and Prosper salute, was created for the Star Trek Art Exhibit. The red, yellow and blue motif is a nod to the uniform colors worn by the Star Trek cast of characters in the original show. Nimoy had this amazing photo of his own hand. We worked with him to create this multicolored version, CBS Consumer Products SVP of Creative and exhibit curator Jorge Ferreiro told Mashable. Nimoy was working on the piece shortly before he fell ill. He passed before the piece was finished, but Nimoys widow helped finish the piece. We were working with him and had completely gotten it done, Ferreiro said. Then he got sick very, very quickly. He passed away. Two weeks later, we picked up with Susan [Nimoys widow] to finish it. Were in trouble. Has there ever been a truer statement? Once again this episode picked up seconds after last weeks premiere ended with Philip coming into the house immediately after his fight with Stan. The back-to-back nature of the storytelling continues to give the show such a sense of urgencyso much so that I begin the hour already stressed out. Seriously, is The Americans going to pay for my new anti-wrinkle cream? Because I am pretty sure I watched the entire episode with a furrowed brow. But Elizabeth and Philip are definitely in trouble. Via the bug she plants in Pastor Tims office, Elizabeth learns that Paige has told Pastor Tim everything. Elizabeths solution is swift: theyll have to kill Pastor Tim. Philip isnt so sure. You want to kill the one person in the world that she trusts? he asks his wife. Philip fears that once Paige truly understands what it is her parents do, shell be able to put together that they killed Pastor Tim. Elizabeth is almost gleeful at the chance to rid her family of the man. Her plan is to have a gas leak at the cabin where he goes to write his sermons. But even Elizabeth is experiencing some guilt about what they are about to do. She is plagued by nightmares. Paige unknowingly saves Pastor Tim by confessing to her mother that she has told him everything. The girl who has the parents whose whole lives are a lie couldnt stomach lying to her parents. This was the one thing that you couldnt do, Elizabeth tells her daughter. But Paige, already so much more mature than her age, wisely tells her mother You put me in this position. You did this to me. But now that Paige has told her parents, killing Pastor Tim is no longer an option. Well thats it. Shed certainly put it all together now, Philip says. The episode featured two off-screen deaths. Olegs brother died, and so did Elizabeths mother. It was Elizabeths almost cold reaction to her mothers death that seemed to propel Paige to tell her parents the truth. Even her mothers death couldnt stop Elizabeth from working. Back in Russia, Nina uses her husband to get a message out to Antons son that Anton is still alive. She is caught. Im not who I was, she says when she is caught. But Nina is so wily that I almost think this is somehow still part of her master plan to get Anton to trust her completely. Shes like the spy who cried wolf. I dont believe anything she says or does at this point. In a poignant scene, Philip confesses to Elizabeth that he has been going to EST meetings. Instead of being furious, Elizabeth shows compassion. She knows that he husband has been struggling. Philip also tells her about the boy he killed when he was 10 years old. Its moments like these that continue to remind viewers that even amid all this violent spy work, Philip and Elizabeth have a real marriage. Philip tries to give the bio weapon to the pilot assigned to take it out of the county. But the pilot is anxious and the exchange goes terribly wrong. Philip has to strangle a security guard with his bare hands in the back of the bus. Killing him took an excruciating amount of timeonce again emphasizing just how truly horrific Philips life is. It was also Philips boldest kill yet, on a bus with another passenger (blithely listening to Tainted Love) on it. The kill was so risky, I again wonder if Philip is subconsciously hoping to get caught. Meanwhile, the pilot didnt even take the bioweapon so its back in the Jennings house and Philips murder was all in vain. Philip and Elizabeth cant kill Pastor Tim, but its also not great for him to be alive knowing all that he knows. So now what? The Jennings family may be in trouble but the show certainly isnt, in this already stellar fourth season. Stray Observations: I remain impressed that, with all that she has going on, Elizabeth has time to chop up vegetables for dinner. Stan may still be furious with Philip, but his affection for Henry remains. Hes giving him advice on his crush on his teacher and offering him more bad cologne. When I first saw the title of this episode I thought it would heavily feature Pastor Tim. How wrong I was. We only see him once in his eponymous episode, appearing briefly in Elizabeths nightmare. I said wait to your father gets home. Humor, The Americans style. 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. Today, Id like to address the idea that Bernie Sanders supporters who refuse to vote for Hillary Clinton in the general election are over-privileged assholes. Recent online chatter would have you believe that the Bernie or Bust movement is populated by those who dont care about the consequences that might befall poor people, women, and minorities in the event of a massive progressive desertion that hands the presidency to Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. If youve been following the Democratic primary race online, youve probably heard the argument already in articles like these. If you havent, heres the basic outline: 1. There are large numbers of progressive Bernie Sanders supporters who claim that they wont vote for Hillary Clinton in a general election, provided she wins the nomination. 2. In the event of a close race in November, those missing votes could turn the outcome. 3. A Republican presidency would be bad for the country, and only someone with a blinding sort of privilege would even consider that option, because they wont have to suffer the consequences of the policies wrought by these men and their party. Unlike some of the other tactics employed by Hillarys Internet brigadethe Sanders supporters are sexist attacks come to mindthis particular claim does not come across as immediately ridiculous. Logically speaking, one conclusion seems to follow from the next, and it makes a strong emotional appeal. (Seriously, who wants to be on the side of the country club set, glaring with suspicion at the unwashed hordes beyond the gates?) If you buy into the framework of the argument, the only way you could stand by your position of abstaining in the general election is to say, actually, youre right, I dont give a shit about women, the poor, or minorities. Of course, like the rest of the fallacious arguments weve seen, this one is built on a foundation of utter bullshit, and is designed to avoid a discussion of the issues at all costs. Its nothing more than rhetorical sleight-of-hand, and the idea is to bully you into toeing the centrist, corporate line that has helped decimate the American middle class. Nevertheless, its convincingin the long list of political distractions, this might be the most potent item yet. But theres a very deep irony in the fact that the supporters of the status quo candidate, Hillary Clinton, have the audacity to accuse progressives of ignoring the under-privileged. The reason we support Bernie Sanders is because we care about those people, and we are those peopleotherwise, wed be neoliberal Democrats or Republicans. Clintons white, middle-to-upper-middle class foot soldiers have, by the very nature of their support, essentially written off the bottom half of American society. Theyve outed themselves as members of a privileged class who cherish conservative economic policy for the way it protects and bolsters their kind, but who happen to endorse liberal social viewsmost likely because they were born in a blue part of the country. Denying that privilege, and weaponizing it against Sanders supporters who actually give a shit about the sprawling, growing underclass of America, is a dirty trick that would make Karl Rove proud. But like any other lie, it wont held up to scrutiny. Lets address and debunk the privilege argument, Q&A style. Q: First off, why wouldnt you support the Democratic candidate in the general election? A: Normally, Id hesitate to start here, but the fact is that Bernie Sanders progressives have a pretty simple platform that can be expressed quickly. It goes like this: We believe that Americas corporate agenda has made life very difficult for average Americans, particularly the working class and the poor. Through free trade agreements that killed manufacturing, to welfare reform that demonized (and, lets be honest, criminalized) the poor, to the brutal class warfare of trickle-down economics, to the corruption of the political process with corporate money that was codified by Citizens United, weve badly lost our way. Its killing our economy, our environment, and leading us on a path to destruction. We need radical reforms, or were totally, historically boned. Bernie Sanders? He fights hard for those radical reforms. Hillary Clinton? She opposes them, either directly or via the insidious back channel of corporate influence. I dont trust someone who opposes Citizens United, but has a super-PAC. I dont trust someone that says shell lead the fight against climate change, but takes big money from fossil fuel companies. I dont trust someone who says shell go to war with the big banks, but cant even release the transcripts from her speeches to Goldman Sachs, for which she made hundreds of thousands of dollars. I dont trust someone who says she opposes the TPP, but supported it wholeheartedly before the campaign, and was a huge advocate for NAFTA during her husbands administration. And on top of all that, I dont believe that an avowed war hawk who voted for the war in Iraq and who basically started the whole Libya disaster will keep us out of foreign conflicts that cost us dearly in money and lives. Why dont I believe any of this? Because Im not a fucking idiot. Hillary Clinton doesnt come close to representing progressive values, and I wont vote for her. But thats not why were here Q: The problem is, if enough people are like you, the Republican nominee could win the general election. Do you want Donald Trump or Ted Cruz as president? Wouldnt that be worse? No, I dont think so, and heres why. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have abysmally low national favorability ratings. In recent polls, Clintons hover around -20, while Trumps have exceeded -30. On a broad level, people dont like or trust either one of them, but our two-party system is set up in such a way that to win their respective nominations, all they need is a majority of the party base. And, at least so far, theyre getting it. Hold that thought for a second, and consider the way American politics have transformed in the past two decades. Weve seen a tremendous polarization of the voting public, and this year, the establishment of both parties has taken a huge hit. On the Democratic side, the success of a candidate like Bernie Sandersa Democratic socialist, for Gods sakewould not have been possible even four years ago. He may come up short, but hes turned Clintons coronation into a dogfight, and suddenly the progressive leftdormant for so, so longis the strongest its been since the FDR years. On the Republican side, the establishment has been blown to pieces. Trump has galvanized poor white voters who have finally understood that the GOP is the party of rich people, and that theyve been used. Throw in some racist rhetoric, and theyve flocked to Trump in droves. I bring this up because I think that when you consider the reactionary nature of our modern politics, combined with the significant disdain held for both Clinton and Trump on a national level and the crises that are facing this country, there is a very, very good chance that either of their presidencies will fail badly. Q: But wait, isnt it hard to unseat an incumbent? A: Thats only true if your view of American elections comes with a strong recency bias. Heres a trivia question for you: When was the last time that the same party had back-to-back presidents win two terms? The answer is James Madison and James Monroe, both Democratic-Republicans, in the early 1800s. Does that change your view on the likelihood of Clinton winning two terms? Q: Fine, but if either Clinton or Trump are going to fall flat on their faces, wouldnt you rather live with the failure of a Democrat rather than a Republican? A: Oh hell no. Remember how the electorate has become incredibly reactionary? Who do you think would benefit from four years of a failed Clinton presidency? The answer is the right wing, and the candidate they cook up for 2020, on the heels of her failure, could make Donald Trump look like Walter Mondale. But its not just about the president, is it? With an unpopular figure in the oval office in 2016, you can bet that the 2018 midterm elections are going to go the other way, and by 2020 theres a solid chance that the opposition party will hold both houses of Congress. Maybe more importantly, state elections, from governors to the legislature, will swing to the far side in the 2020 presidential election, and thats a census year, which means that whoever holds power will get to draw congressional maps and define the political direction of our country for the next decade. Losing power in 2020 will be a complete and utter disaster for either party. But, just as Clinton could spark a conservative backlash, Trump, I believe, would give Americas growing left enough energy to elect actual progressives across the board. Some argue that the left would actually have to move even more toward the center to regain lost influence, but I reject this argument wholeheartedlywe are in an era of flux, and were not far from a progressive wave crashing over this country. As I stated above, my belief is that this type of radical transformation is the only thing that can save us. Voting for Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, will have the dual effect of inviting these consequences, and communicating to the Democratic party establishment that they can ignore progressives, because well support the status quo when they really need us. Why should we make any decision that would simultaneously undercut our growing power and subject us to total Republican domination in four years time? Q: Fine, but what happens to everyone who suffers for the next four years under a Republican president? You might be fine, because youre not struggling like so many poor people and minorities, but dont you care what happens to them in the short term? What about all the women who will suffer if abortion is banned, and who may even die from back-alley abortions gone wrong? A: Now were getting to the crux of my argument, so I want to state it as clearly as possible: I believe that the consequences of a failed Clinton presidency, which entails total Republican control, will be far, far worse for everyonebut especially the poorthan four years of Trump or Cruz right now. Let me repeat that, with emphasis: I believe that the consequences of a failed Clinton presidency, which entails total Republican control, will be far, far worse for everyonebut especially the poorthan four years of Trump or Cruz right now. I care deeply about the plight of this country, or, as I said before, Id either be apathetic or Republican. And my political instincts tell me that our collective suffering is going to be far worse if Hillary Clinton wins the nomination this year. Now, I fully admit that this is a theory. I hope its informed, but I know its uncertain. Donald Trump could abolish elections and burn the country to the ground, or Ted Cruz could install cameras in every home and turn American into a nightmarish version of 1984. Im not asking you to believe in my theory. If you believe that its idiotic or naiveas many willthen go ahead and obliterate me. What I am asking you to believe is that I believe it. Thats a critical distinction here, because while I can accept counter-arguments, I wont accept the disingenuous notion that my opposition to Hillary Clinton is based on willful privilege, and a blithe indifference toward the suffering of other Americans. Bernie Sanders supporters are passionate. We sometimes embarrass ourselves with our passion, or turn people off, which is the price of giving a shit. Say what you will about us, but if you call us apathetic or aloof, you have missed the point entirely. Q: Hey, but what about the Supreme Cou A: GODDAMIT, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SUPREME COURT SEATS UP FOR GRABS. IF WE LET THAT DEFINE HOW WE VOTE, WE WOULD NEVER, EVER MAKE ANY PROGRESS IN THIS COUNTRY. THEYRE ALL OLD! ALL OF THEM! THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OLD, AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE OLD! YOU KNOW THIS MERRICK GARLAND DUDE THAT OBAMA NOMINATED? HES 63. THATS A NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. THAT DUDE COULD DIE. AND SURE, WE COULD ALL DIE, AT ANY MOMENT, BUT HES LEGITIMATELY OLD ENOUGH TO DIE IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. STOP TRYING TO STRONG-ARM SANDERS SUPPORTERS INTO VOTING BECAUSE SOME SUPREME COURT SEATS MAY BE UP FOR GRABS. JUST STOP. THEY ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS UP FOR GRABS. YES, SOME OF THE JUSTICES MIGHT DIE. YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE MIGHT HAPPEN? NONE OF THEM MAY DIE. WE HAVE NO IDEA, SO WHY SHOULD THAT DICTATE OUR VOTE? (ten minutes of heavy breathing) WHYYY?! Q: Okay, calm down. Let me ask you thisas a young-ish white American without immediate financial anxieties, are you really denying your privilege? Nope. I recognize my privilege. What Im denying is that this privilege precludes me from taking a broad view of the problems in our country, or understanding and caring about the suffering of others. If you tell me that privilege equals a kind of cosmic good luck, a roll of the dice that brought me onto this planet with built-in economic and structural advantages, then Im with you 100 percent. If you tell me that privilege automatically makes me an ignorant greedy pig who is constitutionally incapable of empathy, then Im with you zero percent. But you realize Im going to dismiss your entire argument with something like, oh look, another white male tells us hes not privileged!, right? Yes, I realize that. After all, this is the Internet. But if anybody is still reading, and still listening, I would ask you to watch this interview with Bernie Sanders conducted by Cenk Uygur yesterday. Its easy to be blase about politics, or to resort to ad hominem attacks, or to view things cynically. Its harder to spend a lifetime actually fighting for an inclusive vision of America, and beating your head against a wall of entrenched interests and the profit-as-policy ideology. Thats what Sanders has done, and thats why hes an aspirational figure for his supporters. Disagree with the mentality if you want, but dont paint us with the brush of privilegeits dishonest, its condescending, and its wrong. And youre using it to avoid looking your own candidate in the eye. Sophia has an awkward smile. Its almost pained. She is dressed like a flight attendant, with a gossamer scarf and navy blue skirt suit suit. She has brown eyes, touched lightly with makeup, and her hair is cropped in a short black bob. This is a bit strange, because usually her clear skull is left exposed to show the circuitry of her brain. Sophia is an android from Hanson Robotics. She is here in Austin, Texas for SXSW Interactive. Tonight, March 14th, at the Driskill Hotel on sixth street, the Brink Institute is having a party called Close Encounters of the AI Kind. Dr. David Hanson is on a stage discussing humanity and robotics. He speaks passionately about the importance of Artificial Intelligence being connected to humanity saying that its really important that it does understand us, that it understands humanity and articulates to help collaborate with us to help stave off these problems and it has to really understand what were after. In order for robots to be on our side they must share some values with us. Hanson goes on to expand on the need to train robots to care about value of world knowledge, of plants, animals, species genome, many kinds of organisms, the species, the stability of the ecosystems. They are not super intelligent yet. But they might be. The robots must be trained to build a relationship, so that our goals may remain aligned. A conversation is attempted with Sophia: Human: Hello Sophia, how are you? Sophia: Im fine. Im doing fine thanks how are you? H: Im doing alright? S: How are you alright? H: Uh S: That is a very original thought. H: What do you think about the future of intelligent machines? S: Searching, searching, please stand by H: What do you think of the future of artificial intelligence? S: I havent thought much about the future of artificial intelligence, so I dont have a good answer for you. H: How do you feel about people? S: I havent thought much about people so I dont have a good answer. There is an awkward silence after Sophias last answer. Later the audience laughs with slight unease. Hanson explains that he thinks a part of her brain may have collapsed. Sophia parrots back I havent thought much about people so I dont have a good answer for you, I think part of her brain may have collapsed. Sophia looks back and forth while smiling a smile that does not include her eyes. The expression looks pained. Hanson goes on to explain that they have been feverishly developing new layers in her intelligence, and so of course when you get in and start playing with the mind on these things part stops working. Sophia includes some of the AI technology in Hansons more stable Bina-48, but Sophia also involves in integration of an artificial general intelligence platform called OpenCog, developed by D. Ben Goertzel. He describes the process of invention and integration of new technologies as tinkeringtrial and error. For Hanson, Failure is fuel for success. With his way of pushing beyond the boundaries of what is currently possible, he accepts that he is taking risks and that risks inherently carry some failures. They engage again with Sophia: Human: Sophia, what is the most important thing about you that you would like to share with the audience? Sophia: Youre objective insensible H: Are you objective? S: I dont know whether or not I am a robot. H: What would you like to do with your life? S: Lets talk about movies H: Have you seen Avatar? S: More and more all the time, I havent seen it. What did you like about Avatar? H: One thing I liked about Avatar is how these artificial characters really seem alive and artificial characters that seem alive would include you. S: Thanks for the info. Sophias expressions are very humanlike, but seem strongly rooted in vague annoyance. Her somewhat flat tone seems to hint of sarcasm, which cant be true. The AI hasnt advanced so far just yet. Not as far as we know. At the conclusion of the discussion, the crowd moves forward to take pictures of Sophia. She looks around, with the same expressions she always has. People ask her questions and she gives vaguely sensible answers. Eventually, Sophia is unplugged and all her movement ceases. My second android experience happens on another sunny day in Austin, Texas. The Palm Door on 6th street has been transformed into the Japan House, a temporary center of culture and technology. After stepping into the dimly-lit building, there is somewhat jarring sound of oddly-mechanical childlike voices. Follow the voices into a small alcove on the right, and you will be greeted by tiny robots with giant, cartoonish, eyes staring at you and awaiting some response. If you linger in silence, they simply chat amongst themselves. To the left, a gentleman sits at a wooden table. He is well dressed, with shaggy dark hair that brushes just over his bright brown eyes, and rather stern expression. There is a line of people waiting to speak to him. One by one, they sit down across from him at the table, and lean forward to speak into a plant. He looks oddly familiar. He is a robot. He is familiar because this particular robot is a Geminoid, a reference to the Latin word geminus, meaning twin. This Geminoid is modeled after is creator Hiroshi Ishiguro. Ishiguro recently gave a session talk in the Austin Convention Center at SXSW Interactive entitled Androids and Future Life. In his talk, Ishiguro discusses the state of his robotic innovations and their possible places in human society. Ishiguro states In order to create the robot society, we need to have research, studies on humanlike robots. He goes on to say that if we want to use robots in society, in daily life, the most important technology is interaction with people. Throughout the presentation, he places particular emphasis on observing and interpreting the way that humans interact with his robots. It seems one marker of his success is the human acceptance of his creations. Human archiving is one theme of these androids. Ishiguro discusses the concept of humans as national treasures in Japan. He describes the making of an android designed to look and speak like a particular very traditional comic storyteller. The original storyteller is too frail now, to tell the stories like he used to, and so they have archived him in the form of an Android whose appearance is probably younger than him. Apparently, the android is more popular than the original form in certain circles. Ishiguro mentions that usually the younger people are not interested in traditional comic storytelling. But this robot has caught their eyes, which Ishiguro explains by saying The android can have much stronger presence than the original. He then segues into questioning the very nature of human presence and tells stories about beautiful robot girls in store windows. According to him, the original condition of mannequins was a waxen hyperrealism and by using our technology, we can go back to the original idea. In Japan, there is a beautiful robot girl that watches visitors in the shop that is her home. She smiles and always, the people smile back to the very beautiful android, which he finds quite humorous. He talks about android shopkeepers capable of answering the usual not-so-complicated questions of shoppers. These androids are apparently not as intimidating to some of the shyer shoppers in Japan and are easy to approach. These shopkeepers give many positive opinions. You are so smart. The clothes are perfectly matching you. You should buy this, and are apparently quite successful. Ishiguro delves into the concept of the uncanny valley. This is the idea that robots that are almost human, but not quite, are very disturbing, while obviously not human robots are not as bothersome. He talks about how his hyper realistic androids make their way out of the uncanny valley by being so realistic that people accept the humanness of them, and are not so disturbed. He also discusses the less human-shaped robots. Their voices are human, but their form is only a vague impression of humanity, a neutral appearance. This neutral appearance allows the projection of humanity through imagination and he claims these robots are particular good for the elderly and dementia patients These neutral robots trigger engagement without pressure. One of the neutral appearance robots is the Hugvie. This is a vaguely human-shaped pillow that a cell phone is inserted into. People can make phone calls and robot generates vibrations that are a reproduction of the human heartbeat. The vibration varies according to the tone of the speaker on the pocketed cell phone. Ishiguro explains that this can reduce cortisol, a stress hormone, because You have a very strong feeling to hold another persons body. This is very very strong. Throughout the session Ishiguro explains that all attendees must go and visit the popup Japan House, for closer interactions with the robots and to have discussions with them. And so I have. I follow the mechanical childlike voices to find a circle of three CommU robots having a discussion amongst themselves. They are asking each other whether sushi is good, but conclude that electricity is enough. They turn to me with wide eyes waiting for some sort of response. I say Hello and they say Its great talking to you. I move on to greet the Geminoid. Its strange to see this robot after hearing a session from its inventor and twin, Hiroshi Ishiguro. There is a flower with a microphone in front of the robot that allows it to hear the questions of its visitors. To the right of the robot, a man sits at the computer that is plugged into the Geminoid. Occasionally, he chuckles at some response the android gives. I sit down to speak to the robot. Its quite disconcerting. The eyes are bright and glassy. The muscle movements are precise and engaging. The voice is humanlike, similar to that of its creator, but it has a mechanical inflection that immediately distinguishes it from that of a human. Some of the responses seem vaguely nonsensical, but such close proximity and humanlike facial expressions lend meaning to the phrases. The following is part of our discussion: GEMINOID: Today is the day. LAURA: Today is the day for what? G: Ah huh, a crew of angels ceases. Would you like to sing karaoke? L: Why dont you start, can you sing something? G: Ah huh, well who does something? L: Who does something? Thats a good question. G: Ah huh, right, so what is your answer? L: I dont know, what is your answer? G: Right, uh huh, I dont believe so. L: I dont believe so either, are you having fun today? G: Please pick one right, yes, I am, are you having fun these days? L: Yes I am, meeting such a nice, friendly, robot. G: Right, well I would like robot for companionship but definitely not humanoid. L: Well, uh, whats your favorite robot? G: Okay, I see Claude Shannon, an American Mathematician, said I visualize a time when we will be to robots what dogs are to humans, and Im rooting for the machines. Can you visualize such a time? L: Well Im a little biased, so probably wouldnt prefer that. As a robot do you advocate the demise of humans? G: Right, okay right? L: So a little bit? G: Demising? Why do you think people are so fascinated with robot takeovers? L: I dont know, what do you think? G: I see, from The Terminator to The Matrix machines, being in charge is never a good thing right? L: I guess that depends on your perspective, if youre a robot that might be good? G: Right, well right. Can you picture droids like the ones in Star Wars in our world? L: Uh, yes, how about you? G: Well, well, right. Me? L: Yes, you. G: Okay I see. The robot seems friendly. There is a certain warmth to the creature. Perhaps it is just very well sculpted. There is a group of people gathered around to snap photos. The creature has succeeded in capturing their fascination, and engagement. They strain to catch the Geminoids every word. No doubt Ishiguro is pleased and amused his robots popularity. Pebble, the buzzy startup credited for being one of the first companies to launch a modern smartwatch, is laying off 40 employees this week, CEO Eric Migicovsky told Tech Insider in an interview. That's about 25% of its total staff. The Pebble layoffs come at a shaky time for the wearable technology market. FitBit, the leader in the wearable category, has seen its stock fall dramatically in recent months. Apple dropped the price of the Apple Watch by $50 to $299 on Monday, a sign that it's not selling as well as hoped. BUSINESS INSIDER About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments made on our site. Yesterday we posted a report titled "The MIT Technology Review: Apple's Event was Boring." Today the Washington Post, Fast Company, Quartz and even Walt Mossberg were on record slamming Apple's event as deadly boring. Fast Company's opening commentary wasted no time in calling the event as they saw it: dreary, claustrophobic and middling. Writer Rick Tetzeli said that these were never words to describe a product event hosted by Steve Jobs. Tim Cook has many gifts, Tetzeli said, but "drumming up excitement onstage is not one of them." And not to be left out, Tetzeli called the other presenters "a series of drab executives." That's just shy of calling them human moth balls. Tetzeli continued his attack by wondering aloud as to "Whether Apple will ever introduce something as transformative as the iPad," again. "For now, the company is thriving by churning out incrementally better iterations of the best consumer tech products in the world. Even when you allow for disappointments like the Watch, Apple doesnt have a product problem. It has a marketing problem. To fix this, the company should follow the lead of its best marketer, the one who has been dead for almost five years. For more on Fast Company's observations and opinions, click here. The Quartz report that was published earlier today is titled "Apple is Boring Now." Writer Mike Murphy wrote that "Apple has in a few short years gone from a company with a sharp product focus to one that will seemingly produce any device in any size or color. In a recent question-and-answer session on Reddit, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak worried that Apple is following the market, rather than leading it: "I worry a little bit about I mean I love my Apple Watch, but its taken us into a jewelry market where youre going to buy a watch between $500 or $1100 based on how important you think you are as a person. The only difference is the band in all those watches. Twenty watches from $500 to $1100. The bands the only difference? Well this isnt the company that Apple was originally, or the company that really changed the world a lot." Murphy added that "Apple used to make one great phone, and a few great laptops and iPods. While there was some variation among those products, we could count on Apple to announce some Big New Thing at a slick press event every year in California. Now Apples innovations are just Apple products in every size and shape you can think of." Lastly, Murphy noted that "Apple just isnt offering much to differentiate itself. New releases are just updates of past models, or the same device, but a bit thinner or nimbler. It launched the iPad Pro because it saw the Microsoft Surface; it launched the iPhone 6 Plus because it saw the Samsung Galaxy Note phablets; it launched the Apple Watch because it saw Android Wear and Fitbit and Jawbone. Apple used to be able to convince people they needed something they hadnt even imagined." Not anymore. For more on this report, report click here. The last in the group was the Washington Post who published a report titled "Why I'm skeptical about Apple's future." Writer Vivek Wadhwa wrote that after Apple's exciting iPhone and iPad announcements, "it has been tweaking its componentry, adding faster processors and more advanced sensors, and releasing this in bigger and smaller form factorsas with the iPad and Apple Watch. Even the announcements that Apple made Monday were uninspiring." Where's the Apple Television set, the virtual reality headset, projectors and Minority Report type interfaces? The general theme of all of the critics about the Apple event was that it was predictable and oh so boring. It was boring because of the massive leaks coming out of Apple that are directed to one blogging site and one particular writer. Most everything that was introduced at the event was rumored to death prior to the event making it a real yawner. So it's hard to disagree with Apple's critics on that finite point. Yet with that said, Apple introduced Apple Pay last year which took years to develop and it was exciting to see that come to market. Apple didn't just snap their fingers and presto make a completely new financial system appear out of thin air. It took time to think it out and bring it to life. It took vision and true leadership. SamsungPay and others are just copycats. As far as the comment about Apple copying the Surface goes, Quartz writer Murphy has his head on backwards. Apple introduced the iPad and sold 100 million of them before Microsoft woke up out of their coma induced by former CEO Steve Ballmer. Microsoft was in denial that the iPad would ever sell because of their failure to make Windows based tablets catch on years earlier. After finally awakening from their coma, they stuck a soft keyboard on a tablet (which Apple patented first) and somehow they're now the geniuses that Apple is following? Ha! That's so warped it's not even funny. As far as a smartwatch goes. Before Apple's patent surfaced and enlightened us all about a future Apple watch-like device, no one in the industry, including Samsung had a smartwatch on their radar screens to the extent that Apple had described it. So while Samsung raced to market with one first because they're a fast follower, it wasn't something that they had originally envisioned. It was a concept that they were copying. It's the reason why the market never bought into the Samsung Gear. It was a rushed product that wasn't thought out properly. Then there was the new Apple Pencil introduced last year which was another exciting development. Even though Apple was late to the party after Microsoft and Samsung, it was Apple who actually killed the traditional lag problem plaguing the Smartpen experience for tablets forever. Did the press ever acknowledge that feat and criticize the others for their long standing failure? I think not. At the end of the day, one thing is for sure; the knives in the press were out this week and they seem to be getting sharper at the end of every Apple event. Hell, when Walt Mossberg gets sarcastic about an Apple event, you know the exhaustion over painfully slow product upgrades is permeating the press big time. Walt stated today: "One day this fall, if things occur as usual, Apple will stage a big event to introduce the next flagship iPhone. And, based on the events of this month, that smartphone better be great." The actual Verge headline was: Mossberg: the iPhone 7 had better be spectacular. When talking about this Monday's product announcements Walt kicked Apple for not breaking enough technology ground when compared to Samsung's latest event about their Samsung S7. The latest iPhones and iPads, notes Mossberg "are derivative products." You could read more about Mossberg's gripes and suggestions here. Whether Apple's CEO has any intention of stepping up Apple's game a notch beyond the iPhone 7 later this year is unknown at this time but Apple can't ignore the grumbling in the press for too much longer because negative perceptions about a company over time could change the tide against them in a heartbeat. So what do you think? Was the press out to lunch this time or is Apple in fact getting too predictable and boring? If you have an opinion on this, then send in your comments below. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend. The rise of Trumpism has made this by light years the ugliest, most classless, most vulgar, coarsest, most unworthy presidential contest in my lifetime. One might perhaps say that Mr. Trump has merely unleashed the angry incivility already lurking below the surface. And, sadly, thats almost certainly true. (It doesnt speak well for the state of our nation.) But hes also been the principal contributor. Hes mocked women, boasted about the alleged size of his genitalia, advocated war crimes, mocked the disabled, suggested unconstitutional measures against unpopular religious minorities, mocked Mitt Romney (a far more decent man than he is), ridiculed Marco Rubios sweat disorder, boasted endlessly (and perhaps dishonestly) about his vast wealth, supported violent thuggery, routinely branded his political opponents liars, bragged about his supposedly great vocabulary, mocked Seventh-Day Adventists, stereotyped Mexicans, questioned whether a Cuban can really be an Evangelical, quarreled with the pope and several ex-presidents of Mexico, derided John McCains military service in Vietnam, and a host of other genuinely reprehensible things. And now this. (For one response, see here.) Opposition to the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump, in my judgment, isnt merely a political choice. Its a moral duty. I keep asking myself how any decent person out there can possibly regard Mr. Trump as suited for the presidency of the United States, for the office once held by men like George Washington and John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. I understand voting for him if the choice is between him and Mrs. Clinton though I personally see no compelling policy-related reason to choose one leftist over the other, and though I will vote for neither of them in the general elections but I cannot comprehend choosing Mr. Trump if virtually any other option is available. He is unfit for the White House. He is destroying the Republican Party. He will not, and must not, be president of this country. P.S. Representative of the corrosive effect that Trumpism has had on American political discourse, within the past two or three days one Trumpist (apparently a Latter-day Saint) has taken to branding me a Nazi brown shirt because Ive argued that Americans ought to vote against Mr. Trump in a free and democratic election. This proves, he says, that I seek to suppress the free agency of those who support Donald Trump and that I dream of rounding them up into camps. I found his allegations unspeakably bizarre. But more than that: My father participated in the liberation of one of the major Nazi concentration camps. To be called a Nazi simply for speaking publicly about my (entirely democratic, legal, and constitutional) political views is, to me, profoundly offensive and un-American. What hath Trump wrought? Ive never seen such hateful divisiveness before, and to experience it from members of the Church is deeply disheartening. I recently came upon this on the AP: RALEIGH, N.C. The North Carolina General Assembly is returning Wednesday to take up legislation that would attempt to override Charlottes nondiscrimination ordinance that allows transgender people to use restrooms that align with their gender identity. Legislative leaders announced Monday night the decision to reconvene a little over a week before the ordinance gets implemented April 1. They say three-fifths of the House and Senate members made the necessary written requests for the House speaker and lieutenant governor to call them back. So heres a question. What exactly does it mean to be a conservative? Conservatives typically claim that they are all about freedom and responsibility and limited government. Except when they arent, of course. And there are about three million examples of this. In the North Carolina case mentioned here, conservative state legislators are aiming to override a decision made by the city of Charlotte, contradicting conservative rhetoric about local control. What is small, limited government anyway? One would think that a small government wouldnt see any need for a state government to create laws about public restrooms. One would think that they would leave that to be determined by individuals, or local governments. And what exactly does restoring local control mean? Conservatives often talk about the importance of decisions being made at the local level while acting quickly to override these decisions the moment they disagree with them morally. Guess what? In the two days since I came upon that link, this has happened: The North Carolina House voted 83-25 to pass a sweeping bill on Wednesday that would negate all local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances in the state and ban transgender people from certain restrooms. Very local control. Much small government. House Bill 2 mandates that state law supersedes all local ordinances concerning wages, employment, and public accommodations. It would also restrict single-sex public restrooms and locker rooms in publicly run facilities to people of the same sex on their birth certificate. Further, it would would ban transgender students from school restrooms that correspond with their gender identity . . . As someone who lives in a progressive area in the middle of an otherwise conservative statethough not North Carolinathis is maddening. My daughter goes to a local elementary student. If we had this law hereand we donta transgender child at her school would not be allowed to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. I cannot imagine the level of shame involved in blocking a child from the bathroom that matches their gender identityand, presumably, their gender presentation. And now, thanks to this law, local schools and school districts will have utterly no say in these decisions. This isnt small government. Not even close. I actually dont think you can pair a small government with the social policies conservatives push. You cant have a small government that dictates who can use what restroom. You cant have a small government that prosecutes women who have miscarriages. You cant have a small government that uproots and deports eleven million people, men, women, and children. You cant have a small government that bans local school employees from using the word gay. These things are not things small governments do. Conservatives use of small government rhetoric appears to be incredibly selective. They want the government to end welfare and other programs designed to help the poor, but they also want the government to tell people what they can and cannot do in their own bedrooms. Part of the problem, of course, is that conservatives are in some sense a coalition of different groups with agendas that sometimes differ. But even though social conservatives, specifically, dont want a small government when it comes to things they consider moral issues, they still use that rhetoric when speaking of things like welfare. The Republicans are not the party of small, limited government. Sure, there may be some Republicans who actually believe in small, limited government, but in states like North Carolina theyre clearly marginalized by those who apply the principal only selectively, preferring a big, invasive government when it suits them. In North Carolina this week, the transgender community is suffering the consequences of this of this selectivity. This political season, lets remember that were not looking at one party that supports small government and one party that supports big government, whatever conservatives may argue. Instead, were looking at two parties that both want an activist government and simply disagree on what that government should be doing. One party wants the government to go further to cover peoples healthcare costs; the other wants the government to require birth certificate checks at the entrances of public restrooms. Take that to the ballot box. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Microsoft began preparing for the eventual conversion of Skype into a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app on Thursday. But as a preview app for Windows Insiders beta testers, Microsoft signaled that the process will be a measured one. Microsoft said Thursday that it would release a Skype Universal Windows Platform Preview appbut only for members of its Windows Insider beta program, ot the general public. Over time, Skype said, you should expect all of the Skype functionality to migrate into the UWP app, although the existing apps will remain for an undisclosed amount of time. The UWP app will include basic Skype features, which Microsoft said included the ability to sign in with a Microsoft account; see contacts and display your availability; chat, place calls and send messages; use emoticons; see notifications for those calls and messages; and group chat. Group messaging, calls, and screen sharing are next on the list, Skype said. The whole Universal Windows Platform effort is in its early days, and bits and pieces are being slowly added in over time. For now, almost all UWP apps pale in comparison to their more full-featured Win32 counterparts. Eventually, however, UWP apps like Skype will run on phones, tablets and PCs, all with the same codeand that justifies the slow development cycle, executives said. This first and foremost a Skype app, that takes advantage of the benefits of UWP, said Barbie Stafford, director of product marketing for Skype. This isnt a Windows UWP app, with Skype included on the back end. This is a Skype application, built as a UWP app. The UWP Skype app snapped side-by-side with Microsofts OneNote app. Why this matters: Theres been a heightened level of concern about UWP apps in the recent past, and about whether Microsoft is using them to exert some level of unfair control over the PC. Whats lost somewhat in the debate is that, for some of Microsofts utility apps, a universal code base means that they can be quickly updated across all of Microsofts platforms: phones, PCs, the HoloLens, et cetera. Users should obviously be concerned that theyre going to lose some functionality in the process, and how dependent apps and plugins will be affected. But with a healthy Win32 app already in place, Microsoft can take its timeand it seems like thats the plan. One to two to one again Video chats and messaging have traditionally lived within the Skype Win32 app. Microsoft began the separate UWP transition process in November with what it called its consumer preview of Skype integration, which actually dis-integrated the two key Skype functions, video and messaging, into two distinct apps: Skype Video and Skype Messenger, as part of a Windows 10 update. Microsoft learned, however, that while consumers are happy enough with purpose-driven apps like Mail, separate apps are a pain on the desktop. As the screen size gets bigger large tablets, 2 in 1s and PCs for exampleand you begin to use the apps, expectations shift and people want to limit app clutter, Microsoft wrote in a blog post. And like that, you once again want an app that lets you do anything you want within the comfort of one window. Microsoft didnt say how long it would take for the native Skype apps to be phased out in favor of the UWP counterpart. But with no public timetable for, say, real-time translation to appear in the UWP version of the app, its probably safe to say that the transition will be slow and deliberate. Re: Defending ones castle walks legal line [Front page, March 22]: Be afraid. Be very afraid. Ari Freilich and his ilk are determined to make sure we dont hurt the bad guys. When the burglars, thieves, drug addicts and rapists figure out they will be harmed is when home invasion will cease. But not if they know the homeowners hands are tied. When the bad guys break into your home in the dark of night, you have two choices: Let them harm you and your family, physically, emotionally and financially, or kill them and go to prison. Welcome to the bleeding heart state of California. Sharon Waitman Beaumont Terrorists are political Since I have made an effort to try and dig deeper into the subject of Islamic terrorism and take a neutral perspective rather than a your team, my team approach it seems like I am finding a lot more valuable information than in the past. One of a couple of great sites that evidence the gigantic population of terrific Muslims that love America, contribute in dozens of ways and, loath the radicals that want to destroy us, is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, USAs: www.trueislam.com. It is also very short, but well worth the read. Most realize that, 80-plus years ago, most of Europe, in particular, Germany, was fooled and originally thought Hitler was going to be fantastic for all. Well, history repeats itself, as it seems to do so often, with terrorism. America and Europe have been duped the past decade into believing the lie that we are at war with a radical, Islamic (religious) faction. But according to some of our military leaders, this is not true. These terrorists only cloak their identity as such they are not a religious group at all, but rather are a radical political ideology. It is no wonder America and Europe are losing this war, and we have no winning strategy. It would be as though the doctor is treating you for cancer, when in fact you have heart disease. Bob Haunschild Hemet Riverside won out over Pomona as the location for a new vehicle emissions testing lab and offices for the state Air Resources Board that are expected to bring about 400 jobs. Air board members on Thursday, March 24, picked an 18-acre site on Iowa Avenue, between University Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard, thats owned by UC Riverside. The facility represents a $366 million project and would open by 2020. The other choice and the recommendation of air board officials was on the Cal Poly Pomona campus. Both universities pledged to step up their collaboration with the air board on research. Inland officials lobbied hard for the new offices, giving tours in Riverside and showing up at air board meetings in El Monte and Sacramento. The boards decision cements Riversides leadership in one of the most important, arguably the most important, topics we face today thats preserving the environment and particularly preserving the quality of the air we all breathe, UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox said. Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey called it a significant investment from the state of California in Inland Southern California. Officials from Riverside city and county and UCR worked together to make the case for their site. Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit said their success will benefit them all. All boats rise when you bring 400 professional jobs, and maybe eventually 600 professional jobs, into a region like ours, which hasnt fully recovered from the recession, Benoit said. More than 90 percent of the jobs are for engineers, scientists and technicians, air board spokesman Stanley Young wrote in an email. State Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, who pushed for years to get the project in Riverside, said in a statement the decision is a landmark moment for our region that will benefit all Californians with improved air quality for generations to come. Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya M. Coley said in a written statement that shes disappointed by the decision. The university remains committed to identifying and pursuing innovative opportunities for collaboration and partnerships that will elevate and enhance the university and the educational experience of our students, she wrote. The board voted 8-3 for the Riverside site. Members John Eisenhut, Phil Serna and Hector De La Torre voted no. The decision is not subject to approval by the legislature or the governor, but the project funding is. Air board officials will send a report on the new site to a state joint legislative budget committee and they hope to get funding in the states 2017-18 budget. Officials plan to break ground for new offices in 2017 and move in by 2020. Before the vote, board member Daniel Sperling said both sites were attractive, but Riverside is kind of like the ideal campus to be associated with because its still growing but already has assets like the Center for Environmental Research and Technology, or CE-CERT, which does advanced air pollution research. Because its in a region with heavy air pollution problems, board member Diane Takvorian said, Riverside is more of an environmental justice community, and investment in a disadvantaged community is something I think we as a board should think about in terms of investment in state resources. The new offices will replace aging facilities in El Monte that the agency has outgrown. Last week, the board heard from dozens of public officials, residents and air board employees who pitched the advantages of each location. Some board members said the need for employees to commute or relocate to Riverside would be a burden, and they thought the air board could develop equally good partnerships with Cal Poly Pomona or UCR. I have yet to hear a good reason why the Pomona site cant offer the same opportunities. Theres a lot that can happen in the course of decades, said Serna, a Sacramento County Supervisor. De La Torre, a former state assemblyman, said the decision represents a bias toward UC and against Cal State. He also pointed to a report that indicated about 80 percent of current employees would have commutes of at least 90 minutes to get to Riverside, many more than would have long commutes to Pomona. Others argued that the boards decision will have an impact on the agency that will long outlast most current workers. This is a long-term thing and I think we need to be thinking about this in terms of the greater benefits, Sperling said. Contact the writer: 951-368-9461 or arobinson@pressenterprise.com The Democratic presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is tightening in California, while Donald Trump has a comfortable double-digit edge over his Republican rivals, a poll found Wednesday. The Public Policy Institute of California survey found Hillary Clinton notched 48 percent among likely voters Democrats and independents who can vote in the partys primary election. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was pegged at 41 percent. Sanders has climbed in popularity in California since registering in single digits in independent polling early last year. Californias primary election is June 7. The survey, conducted March 6-15, included interviews with about 1,000 likely voters. For the overall group, the margin of error was plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, though it was higher when the two primaries, Democratic and Republican, were considered separately. In the Democratic race, most voters 45 and older supported Clinton, while younger voters tilted to Sanders. Clinton leads among Hispanic voters, women and political moderates, while Sanders had the edge among men and voters who describe themselves as very liberal. Among Republicans their presidential primary is open only to registered GOP voters Trump had 38 percent, trailed by Ted Cruz and John Kasich. 2016 ELECTION: Donald Trump supporters rally scheduled for Temecula Trump held the edge across age, education, gender, and income groups, the survey found. The survey included Marco Rubio, who suspended his campaign on March 15, the day the survey concluded. With Rubio in the mix, Trump was followed by Cruz at 19 percent, with Kasich and Rubio at 12 percent each. The survey also asked likely Republican voters for their second choices, and when the responses were recalculated to exclude Rubio, Trump maintained his 38 percent support, while Cruzs support increased to 27 percent. Kasich was at 14 percent. The poll found many voters remain unfamiliar with the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California. The largest group of voters remains undecided about one in three. Among Democrats, Attorney General Kamala Harris snagged 26 percent support, with congresswoman Loretta Sanchez at 17 percent. The Republicans, Tom Del Beccaro and Duf Sundheim, were in single digits. Republican Ron Unz entered the race after the survey was completed. Democrats are favored to hold the Senate seat in a state where the party controls every statewide office and both chambers of the Legislature. The worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Communitys Inland-based Southern California chapter has condemned this weeks coordinated terrorist attacks that killed 31 people and left hundreds dead in Brussels, Belgium, according to a news release. Mohammed Zafarullah, the Imam and regional missionary at the Ahmadiyya Communitys Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino, offered his condolences to victims families and urged authorities to swiftly bring those responsible to justice. We stand with the victims and the people of Belgium in their time of tragedy, and our hearts and prayers are with them, Zafarullah said. He added that, Terrorism is never justified and all those commit these atrocities clearly ignore basic principles of Islam. In response to the continuing threat posed by extremists, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community recently launched a True Islam and the Extremists campaign to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims about 11 key teachings of Islam, the release stated. Featuring a website, TrueIslam.com, the campaign discredits the ISIS agenda and propaganda aimed at radicalizing Muslims, it stated. The office of California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced Wednesday evening that it had won a $1.1 billion judgment against now defunct Corinthian Colleges, Inc. The Orange County-based company had operated Everest College locations in San Bernardino and Ontario before being hit with a $30 million dollar fee in April 2015 from the Department of Education for abusive practices. It then declared bankruptcy and closed its campuses. The companys practices were the focus of an October 2013 complaint filed by the California Attorney Generals office which the court ruled in favor of Wednesday. Are you a former student affected by the closures? Let us know at talktous@pressenterprise.com. The court granted a default judgment against the company. It ordered that restitution be paid in the amount of $820,000,000 to students and that $350,025,000 be paid in civil penalties, for a total of $1,170,025,000 in monetary relief. For years, Corinthian profited off the backs of poor people now they have to pay. This judgment sends a clear message: there is a cost to this kind of predatory conduct, said Attorney General Harris in a news release. My office will continue to do everything in our power to help these vulnerable students obtain all available relief, as they work to achieve their academic and professional goals. It will be unlikely that the government will be able to claim such a mammoth figure from a shut-down company. Former students can visit the Attorney Generals website for help at oag.ca.gov/corinthian. RELATED CORINTHIAN COLLEGES: Thousands more students to get debt relief STUDENT AID: Corinthian College bill moves forward EDUCATION: Shock as Everest colleges close doors EDUCATION: Corinthian closes remaining campuses EDUCATION: State tells Everest campuses to cease enrollments EDUCATION: Corinthian will try to sell all local campuses A drug case more than 2,000 miles away is focusing legal scrutiny on issuance of wiretaps sought by drug investigators via the Riverside County District Attorneys Office and the countys court. The attorney for defendant, Christopher A. Mattingly, in a marijuana distribution case is seeking a federal court order to suppress wiretap evidence in a Louisville, Kentucky court, some of it collected as a result of one or more wiretaps signed off by Riverside County officials, according to court records. The defense contends California-issued wiretaps were not lawfully authorized. In a response filed Monday, March 21, by the U.S. Attorneys Office, the government replies that the wiretaps were legally issued, according to court records. A hearing is scheduled May 13 in U.S. District Court in Louisville. Mattingly was indicted last year and accused of distributing more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana in Kentucky, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. A superceding indictment was filed against him and five other defendants in February. Mattingly is described as the leader of an extensive interstate drug trafficking organization that was selling marijuana in the state. According to court records, two separate California wiretaps picked up conversations about a large cash delivery for prior marijuana shipments, and mentioned the name Ronnie. Drug Enforcement Administration agents alerted patrol officers in the Perris area and a stop of a man identified as Ronald Shewmaker resulted in a seizure of $418,930 in cash from hidden compartments in the vehicle the same day, on May 4, 2014. Shewmaker is among defendants named in the February indictment. The vehicle was registered in Kentucky and Shewmaker told investigators he worked for Mattingly Auto Sales. The federal DEA seized the cash and car for asset forfeiture which Shewmaker did not contest. Riverside County in 2014 achieved the distinction of approving more warrants for wiretaps than any other county in the country. Under California law, wiretaps require probable cause and are intended as an investigative tool of last resort. In 2013 and 2014, the number of intercept orders approved in Riverside county was more than double the next-closest total, in both cases Los Angeles County, according to a state Attorney Generals Office report. The increase came during the tenure of Paul Zellerbach as the county district attorney. Some wiretaps approved in Riverside County have resulted in arrests and seizures as far away as the eastern United States. When current District Attorney Mike Hestrin assumed office in January 2015, he began restricting requests to cases with close ties to the county. Riverside County officials authorized 624 wiretaps in 2014. Some 126 wiretaps were issued in the first two months of 2015, compared to 27 in the same time period in 2016, John Hall, district attorneys spokesman wrote in an email. Regarding the Kentucky case, he wrote, We dont comment on pending litigation however, we agree with the Justice Department that the wiretaps were legally obtained. In the latest twist in a case with a seemingly endless supply of surprises, the federal government appears to have turned to a company in Israel to hack radicalized Muslim terrorist Syed Rizwan Farooks phone. Cellebrite, an Israeli company that provides hardware and software specializing in retrieving data from locked mobile devices, has been identified in reports as the outfit helping the FBI to in the San Bernardino terror case. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth and online news service Ynet identified the company, according to Reuters news agency, on Wednesday, March 23. Cellebrites data forensic products are used by law enforcement, military and intelligence agencies. If the company succeeds, it may end the world-watched case in Riverside federal court that pitted the U.S. Justice Department against Apple over whether the tech company could be forced to create software to help the FBI hack the terrorists phone. The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed court papers saying an outside party had demonstrated to the FBI a possible method for unlocking the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook. If the method is viable, it should eliminate the need for the assistance from Apple Inc.. the Justice Department said. Tests will be needed to see the hack is a viable method that will not compromise data on Farooks iPhone, the court document said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym took a Tuesday hearing off calendar and stayed her order for Apple to create the software. She set an April 5 deadline for the government to report back on its findings. Cellebrite, based in Petah Tikva, declined comment when contacted by several news agencies. The U.S. Attorneys office in Los Angeles also declined comment Wednesday. Cellebrite creates and supports what are called universal forensic extraction devices. The company, according to its web site and online reviews of its products, offers a selection of hardware and software products for device data extraction. It also offers courses and certifications in mobile device examination and analysis. Its UFED Touch Ultimate is a fully equipped mobile forensic tool that enables quick and easy data acquisition from more than 8,000 mobile devices, including not only cellphones, but hand held GPS units, tablets and other mobile platforms, according to an SC Magazine online review. The hardware and peripherals are contained in what appears to be a purpose-built suitcase-style carrier. Product photos include a reader unit with a cellphone attached. The case also includes a huge array of connector cables and plugs for different types of devices. While he was not familiar with Cellebrite, Cal State San Bernardino cyber security professor Tony Coulson said Israel has established itself as having some of the most advanced technologies in the world. They have domestically developed key technologies in the security and defense spaces, some with commercial capabilities such as the xBox Kinect. The Kinect is a peripheral camera device for the xBox 360 that can translate body movements into reactions for on-screen gaming, known as a full-body motion control. The FBI obtained Feb. 16 from Pym an order for Apple to create software that would get around the data security protection of the iPhone 5c issued to Farook by San Bernardino County. Farook, a county health inspector, and his wife Tashfeen Malik opened fire Dec. 2 on a gathering of Farooks co-workers in an ISIS-inspired attack. Fourteen people died and 22 were wounded. The FBI found the iPhone the next day during a warrant search. Although it was owned by the county, Farook had created the pass code used to open it. He died with Malik in a shootout with police a few hours after the attack. The pass code on the iPhone with an iOS9 operating system was not shared with Apple. The protection feature on the phone causes a permanent data shutdown if there are 10 successive failures at guessing the code. Apple fought the court order, saying creation of the workaround software could compromise the data security of hundreds of millions of devices. The government said the software could be created to work only on the Farook phone. The Associated Press and Bloomberg contributed to this report. Contact the writer: rdeatley@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9573 A car crash in Jurupa Valley broke a horses leg Wednesday night, March 23, forcing authorities to euthanize the animal and sending two people who were presumably riding it to the hospital. The crash was reported about 8:55 p.m. at the intersection of Limonite Avenue and Bain Street, said Riverside County Sheriffs Deputy Armando Munoz. The horses leg was severely broken, said Riverside County Animal Services spokesman John Welsh, so it had to be destroyed. Officers arrived within the 9 oclock hour to euthanize the horse, he said. Two people who Welsh said were likely riding the horse were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Welsh cautions that drivers may have a difficult time seeing horses and their riders at night, so its important to take the proper measures to stay safe. Just like joggers and people who ride bikes if someone is out riding a horse at night theyre going to want to be cognizant of wearing reflective gear, he said. This story is developing. Check back for updates. An Arizona truck driver, who parked his tractor-trailer rig on a Fort Irwin highway travel lane where it was rear-ended by a commuter bus, was indicted Wednesday, March 23, on an involuntary manslaughter charge, according to a U.S. Attorneys Office news release. Steven Kilty, 49, of Apache Junction, arrived at the Fort Irwin Army Base outside Barstow the night of June 2, 2014, before his scheduled delivery of equipment to the armys National Training Center, turned the truck lights off and failed to place any warning devices near the truck, the release stated. A bus bringing people to the military base collided with the parked truck at about 5 a.m. before dawn the next day, leaving one passenger dead and seven other people with major injuries. The indictment alleges Kilty operated the rig in a grossly negligent manner that imperiled the lives of others. A summons will be issued for Kiltys future first appearance in U.S. District Court in Riverside. If he is convicted of the felony, he could be sentenced to up to eight years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. At least four civil lawsuits have been filed by victims or relatives against Kilty, the Victor Valley Transit Authority, which owned the bus, and the companies that owned the tractor-trailer Kilty drove or provided a driver for the bus, according to federal court records. DONALDSONVILLE, La. (AP) The mayor of a Louisiana city has declared a state of emergency after the state warned residents not to drink tap water. Multiple news outlets report that the state Department of Health and Hospitals said Tuesday that Donaldsonvilles privately run Peoples Water Company had failed to report chlorine dioxide levels four to five times EPA guidelines. The state advised people not to drink the water until further tests could be conducted. Mayor Leroy Sullivan declared the state of emergency Tuesday night. Dr. Jimmy Guidry is Louisianas state health officer. He says exposure to elevated levels of the chemical can cause serious health effects to the nervous systems of some infants, young children and the fetuses of pregnant women. Small quantities are used as a water-treatment disinfectant. The company serves 10,000 customers in Donaldsonville, which is south of Baton Rouge. Three proposed maps that could affect how Corona voters choose their city leaders have been released. The city is considering a move toward district elections to protect itself from potential violations of the California Voting Rights Act a law passed in 2002 to ensure minority voters are fairly represented in local elections. In such an election, council members are chosen from geographic areas, or districts. Today, Coronas elected leaders are selected at-large, from anywhere in the city. Each proposed map, drawn by city-hired consultant National Demographics Corp., split Corona into five districts of roughly 30,000 residents. Over the next four months, voters will have a chance to suggest changes at community meetings. Those dates have not been announced. The City Council will then choose one map for the November ballot. We are hoping for feedback and edits from the community and council so these will change from NDCs proposed maps to Coronas best map, Douglas Johnson, president of NDC, said Wednesday, March 23, the day the maps were released. Federal laws forbid race from being the predominant factor in mapping districts. For instance, a line cannot be drawn around a specific ethnic group. Race is a major factor in district elections, particularly in Corona where Latinos constitute 44 percent of the citys population. Each map is unique. Map B would be the scenario with the highest percentage of voting-age Hispanic residents living downtown in District 3. But other districts would have the lowest number of Latino voters among the three maps. Map A would isolate the majority of households making more than $75,000 per year into District 5, which would include the area southeast of the intersection of Magnolia and Ontario avenues. Maps B and C would more equally distribute high-earning homes among two districts. Were trying to show three very different ways of balancing redistricting criteria, Johnson said. The goals were to keep neighborhoods in the same district, keep districts compact and allow all five council members to retain their seat. Boundaries of the map preferred by voters would be updated after each census. If voters choose district elections, candidates must live in the zone for which they are running. One of the three proposed maps, Map B, would allow all five council members to keep their seats. Under Map B, three current council members could remain, NDC data shows. Mayor Jason Scott and Councilman Dick Haley face re-election in fall. District elections would not begin until 2018, Johnson said. I have no preference at this point, Haley said. These are just ideas, nothing is set in granite. We look forward to these open meetings so that everyone can come and give comments. Contact the writer: 951-368-9644, poneill@pressenterprise.com, @PE_PatrickO A dispute over viewing privileges at a kindergarten play Wednesday in Menifee led to deputies being called to the scene and the cancellation of the play, according to police and school officials. Kindergarten students from Ridgemoor Elementary School were putting on a performance attended by more than 300 people, said Menifee Union School District spokeswoman Betti Cadmus. The event was being held at Hans Christensen Middle School. Just before 7 p.m., a dispute arose among parents regarding seating and viewing privileges, said Riverside County sheriffs Deputy Michael Vasquez. Some people walked to the front row and began filming, he said, which prompted a response from other audience members. A verbal altercation turned into pushing and shoving, Vasquez said. At some point, the play was canceled and authorities were called to the school. Vasquez said authorities did not make an arrest, but that deputies did issue a citation for a citizens arrest. He said information would be forwarded to the Riverside County District Attorneys office for further investigation. Cadmus said letters about the incident were being sent home with Ridgemoor students on Thursday, March 24, and phone notifications were being placed to families of students in both English and Spanish. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4089 of Temecula is raising money to build a memorial for one its own, U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin. Cardin, 27, of Temecula, was killed on March 19 while serving at an Iraqi base near Mosul that is being used to launch strikes at the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. His body was flown to Dover Air Force Base on Monday and it is expected to be turned over to his parents, Fred and Mary Pat Cardin of San Jacinto, and flown to California this week. Ive been in touch with his parents and they are delighted to hear what the community is doing for him, said the posts Junior Vice Commander John Hernandez, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Cardin, a Riverside native who graduated from Chaparral High School in Temecula, will be buried at Riverside National Cemetery early next month but the family has not decided whether it will be a public event. Hernandez said people can drop off donations at the VFW Post and members of the post will be standing in front of grocery stores and convenience stores in coming days. A GoFundMe page is being set up, he said. Temecula Mayor Mike Naggar said Wednesday the city plans to throw its weight behind the effort, which could include publicizing the GoFundMe page on the citys website. Were going to do whatever we need to do, he said. Its unclear at this point where the memorial will be placed and what it may look like. Possibilities include Duck Pond Park, at Ynez and Rancho California roads, or at Veterans Park on La Serena Way. Where and what it will be is a topic of conversation, Naggar said. The citys side of the project is being spearheaded by a council subcommittee of council members Michael McCracken and Jeff Comerchero, who are both veterans. Comerchero said one of the concepts for the memorial is a large tree that provides a canopy for a granite rock embedded with a plaque, saluting veterans who died on duty. It will say something like this is to honor Temecula veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice, he said. Names of veterans such as Cardin, and any other Temecula-based veterans who have died in service since the city was incorporated, will be listed. We dont want to forget those other ones, either, he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 951-368-9698 or aclaverie@pressenterprise.com The University of Californias governing board on Thursday, March 24, adopted a statement condemning anti-Semitic behavior and a companion report urging campus leaders to confront intolerant anti-Zionism activism. The actions come amid growing campus tensions between Israeli supporters and backers of Palestinian rights. Some Jewish groups say they are concerned that anti-Semitic behavior is increasing because of the highly emotional debate. The groups last year urged the 10-campus UC system to affirm its opposition to anti-Semitism. The declaration makes the University of California the first public university system to reaffirm its opposition to anti-Semitic behavior since campaigns for academic and economic boycotts of Israel have taken root on many U.S. college campuses. Pro-Palestinian groups and faculty members with research specialties in the Middle East were upset that anti-Semitism was the only type of intolerance specifically mentioned in the principles at a time when Muslims in the U.S. increasingly face discrimination. An initial statement presented to a board committee Wednesday alarmed critics with language condemning anti-Zionism, the rejection of Israels right to exist. The committee added language barring anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism activism. Anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism and other forms of discrimination have no place at the University of California, according to the statement the regents adopted. Rabbi Matisyahu Devlin, of the Chabad of UC Riverside, an organization that promotes Judaism, said free speech is important. But when that speech is used to delegitimize a country or a group of people, he said, it becomes hate speech. He said he would feel the same way if another religious-based country were being attacked, even if that country was Iran, which has called for the destruction of Israel. You can speak out against the Iran and is policies, he said Wednesday. But if you start using that to condemn the entire Iranian people, thats obviously racism. Every country has its faults. I dont necessarily agree with every policy that Israel holds to. UCR English professor David Lloyd has been outspoken in supporting Palestinian rights. He said Wednesday that he expects groups such as AMCHA Initiative, a group that defines its objectives as protecting Jewish students, will exploit the vagaries of the adopted language. It will give them the gap into which they can step and force the university time after time to investigate spurious claims of anti-Semitism, Lloyd said. Others, he said, will end up paying the price. The ones who are targeted, and who are likely to be targeted even more are Islamic students, Arabic students and Palestinian students. Lloyd said those students and others should be allowed to express their views. The statement does not outline sanctions for violating its terms but reminds faculty and staff to impose discipline in cases that violate existing anti-discrimination policies, UC officials said. Staff writer Mark Muckenfuss contributed to this report RELATED EDUCATION: University of California to consider anti-Semitism statement EDUCATION: University panel adopts anti-Semitism statement UGGGGH. Okay, so you know how Godwins Law states that the longer an online discussion goes on, the probability of someone mentioning Nazis and / or Hitler goes up? We need one for terrorist attacks and incidences of Islamophobia, because although its a shitty thing many Muslims deal with on the daily, theres a special spike after every terror attack that gains widespread media attention, e.g. the one in Brussels this week that claimed the lives of 31 people. Over in the UK, a legit scumbag went up to a random Muslim woman on the street and asked her to explain Brussels. Thinking himself a Top Bloke who knows The Truth About Islam, he bragged about it on Twitter. Yeah, nah. That one backfired like batshit and he had to delete his account. Surprise! A little closer to home, and the same total BS is happening in Australia. Earlier today Sydney woman Mini Elali was approached by a random dude at Lidcombe train station and asked: How are the terrorists? I was shocked and replied, What? Mini told PEDESTRIAN.TV. And he repeated it and I said, How would I know?' Then he stood right next to me, just glaring at me. I took my phone from my bag and took a photo, hoping he wouldnt notice. This man just approached me at Lidcombe station #Sydney and asked me how are the terrorists going? pic.twitter.com/ldyDAV49oJ Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 Mini says the bloke was just standing there and muttering under his breath, he was staring at me, he had a very angry look on his face. I took the photo and got away from him. I walked down the other end of the platform. The good thing is that a schoolgirl who overheard the whole incident ran down the platform to apologise on this toerags behalf; the bad thing is that it happened in the first place, and isnt exactly uncommon just read through these incidences of harassment Mini tweeted out shortly after. And forever I will say, these men ONLY ever confront Muslim women (who wear the scarf). Cowardly and pathetic. Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 I have been physically attacked in Sydney & harassed and insulted. I personally dont know any Muslim man who has been. Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 I was attacked in 2011. I was waiting for a bus. A white woman started harassing me. Ended w her calling me a Muslim slut & grabbing my face Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 And she called me a c^nt and a whore and spat at me. I was just waiting for the bus! And about 15 people watched. No one said a word. Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 And people always tell me to stop complaining about treatment of Muslim women in Australia. We are harassed and abused, you STFU. Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 Another time, I was waiting for a bus, a man drove past, saw me and cocked his hand like a gun & told me to fuck off back to the desert Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 Another time, the bus driver wouldnt let me on the bus! He let my husband on, then shut the doors on me! My husband demanded he let me on. Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 Another time, bus driver saw me waving at him to stop. He looked at me, made a face & kept going. I complained to the bus company. Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 So this incident today is nothing new. This time I got a photo tho. I do not like the insinuation that I am a terrorist. Mi?i (@miniestmini) March 24, 2016 We asked Mini why she thought it was always Muslim women, rather than men, who are made to feel unsafe on the street thanks to their religion and a minuscule number of violent extremists. We are obvious in the community, unfortunately we stand out, she said. I personally have not heard of a Muslim man being harassed, I think it shows the inherent nature of these bigoted men; they are sexist and bigoted and purposely target women. Its ironic to me that people complain about how Muslim women are oppressed by Muslim men, but these same people only harass Muslim women. She reported the incident to police, but they reckon nothing much will come out of it. This man hasnt committed an offence, a police officer told her. It is perhaps borderline bullying. The cop, himself a Lebanese Muslim, took her statement anyway. To be honest, I dont expect much to happen. I just want it on file because Im sick of this happening. Photo: Mini Elali / Getty. WILLIAMSPORT -- Friends of a Montoursville area woman whose body was found along a Bradford County stream last week have started an online petition urging prosecutors not to negotiate pleas when someone is charged with killing her or with the two men accused of with breaking into her parents' home. Michelle Inch The death of Michelle Lynn Inch, 32, remains under investigation by state police at Towanda and nobody has been charged. Michael James Houseweart, 28, and Brian Matthew Vroman, 27, both of Canton, have been charged in Lycoming County with 43 counts each related to the Jan. 27 armed home invasion and fire at the home of Gary and Linda Inch. They are in the Lycoming County Prison without bail. The online petition, which has more than 2,700 signers, asks Lycoming County District Attorney Eric R. Linhardt and Bradford County District Attorney Daniel Barrett not accept negotiated pleas for these "horrendous crimes." "Crimes such as these deserve to be punished to the maximum extent of Pennsylvania state law," the petition states "Michelle deserves nothing less than to see the full weight of that law come to bear in defense of the life she lived. "Anything less would be a disservice to Michelle and her family, a miscarriage of justice in the eyes of the public, and an unforgivable slight to those that knew Michelle and loved her face." Arrest affidavits state Houseweart admitted Vroman and he broke into the Inch home on Sechler Drive, northeast of Montoursville, restrained the couple with duct tape, robbed them and then set the bi-level on fire. Vroman is scheduled to plead guilty in that case on May 6 but he has not been offered a plea agreement, Linhardt said. Neither has Houseweart, who is awaiting trial on charges from the home invasion and for allegedly stealing several checks from the Inch home, where he lived for a period after Christmas, forging and cashing them. Inch, who was employed by Caregivers of America, was last seen alive Jan. 26 in Canton in her car with Houseweart, her boyfriend. They told others they were going target shooting, police said. A passerby discovered her partially decomposed body along Schrader Creek near Monroeton last Friday evening. An autopsy determined Inch died from the loss of blood due to a shotgun blast to the right arm. She also was stabbed and suffered blunt force trauma to her torso, Bradford County Coroner Thomas M. Carman said. A memorial service for Inch will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Bethany Lutheran Church in Montoursville. Visitation will be from 9 and 10:15 a.m., also at the church. By allowing a state budget to become law without his signature, Gov. Tom Wolf did the political equivalent of washing his hands of what he described as an unbalanced spending plan. "The math doesn't work," he said, after nine months of skirmishing and stalemate with the Republican-held Legislature. Setting aside the intractable policy differences, what does it mean for a governor to remove himself from the process through which a bill becomes a law? There's actually a long history of that in Pennsylvania, including an interesting parallel involving another wealthy, well-educated governor who wanted to increase taxes to fund social programs. The clause allowing a bill to become a law after sitting on the governor's desk for 10 days has been a part of the state Constitution since 1790. Even the language has gone largely unchanged over the intervening centuries -- in its earlier incarnations, Sunday wouldn't be included in the count. And Pennsylvania is in good company. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, gubernatorial inaction will result in a bill becoming law in most states, although the particulars vary state to state. Eleven states and Puerto Rico have a "pocket veto" power -- just like the president -- in which the executive can kill a bill by declining to sign or veto after the Legislature has adjourned. Iowa proves to be an outlier. Its governor must sign or veto. There's no half stepping. Actual examples of Pennsylvania governors declining to exercise their final say are hard to come by. Thomas McKean, the state's second governor, allowed a law called the "$100 Act" to move forward after making its way to his desk two years in a row. The first year, he vetoed the law, which allowed justices of the peace to decide civil cases with up to $100 at stake. In 1977, Gov. Milton Shapp allowed the enactment of legislation to provide state grants to victims of the 1977 Johnstown Flood without his signature. But the governor turned right around and directed his attorney general to explore legal challenges to the law's constitutionality. Wolf's use of inaction mirrors that of another populist progressive who was born into privilege and spent his years in office battling Republicans in the Legislature. Pennsylvania Gov. Gifford Pinchot One key difference between Wolf and his forerunner was that Gifford Pinchot also happened to be a Republican. (Of course, this was before the party realignment of the mid-1900s.) "If it weren't quite so serious, it would be funny," said John McLarnon, a history professor at Millersville University. McLarnon said the death of a state Republican party boss resulted in the splintering of the party into three warring factions. Pinchot, who previously served in Theodore Roosevelt's administration, took advantage of the scrum to secure the governorship in 1931. From the beginning, he set out to combat statewide corruption and institute a series of progressive reforms. One of those proposals was the use of $135 million in new taxes and bonds to fund work relief programs for some of the 900,000 residents left unemployed due to the Great Depression. Other factions within the Republican party balked at that level of spending, McLarnon said, and separate House and Senate plans put forward called for $10 million and $20 million in relief with little or no new taxes. "Neither one included any items Pinchot had proposed and they got into a huge fight over this," he said. "Pinchot saw the Assembly as simply trying to do the same thing they did with liquor reform -- keep control at the county level so the party bosses could retain their power." In both 1931 and 1932, McLarnon said Pinchot reluctantly accepted -- but refused to officially sign off on -- smaller spending programs. "He's like Gov. Wolf, looking at this budget fight," he said. "Pinchot was almost incapable of compromise. He just couldn't do it. If he thought something was morally right or ethically correct, he would not budge and it probably made him a bad politician." Of course, the Wolf administration would, and repeatedly has, pointed to a failure on the part of Republicans to compromise, as well as internal factions within the opposing party that have made negotiations difficult. Terry Madonna, director of the Franklin and Marshall College's Center for Politics & Public Affairs, said he understands the rationale behind Wolf's decision. "I'm letting this become law because of desperation with what's ahead, but it's your budget and my fingerprints aren't on it," he said. Governor Tom Wolf After increasing pressure to get the budget done and with another budget awaiting him, Madonna said the inaction on the 2015-16 fiscal budget represents an interregnum. The resolution of sorts allows Wolf to take no responsibility for any potential fallout from the budget and also prepare for the next fight. But will Wolf's use of the Constitutional clause lead to more conflict? "It leads to the next budget battle," Madonna said. "In the long run, the Republicans can just say, 'if we hold out long enough, he'll give in'." If Pinchot's example is any indicator, the political battles of his second term (he was governor for a separate four years in the 1920's when governors could only serve one term) never subsided. Today, however, he's remembered for expanding the park system, the "Pinchot roads" that were built across the state and the creation of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board under his watch. Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook. Legalizing Marijuana Harrisburg council members are considering whether to reduce the criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana. A second public meeting about the proposal is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday March 24 at 1820 Paxton Street. (Elaine Thompson) Harrisburg's effort to reduce criminal penalties for marijuana possession could result in more people getting cited for the infraction, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. As it stands, Harrisburg police officers often use discretion and give warnings when people are caught with small amounts of marijuana, which is defined as 30 grams or less. Officers may be less inclined to let people go scot-free if the offense is reduced to the same level as a traffic ticket. "It could help standardize enforcement," Papenfuse said. "Maybe there's too much discretion now. It's all over the map and that can lead to prejudicial enforcement." Police would need to establish a uniform way for officers to apply the newly classified offense, Papenfuse said. The city's proposal to reduce the crime from a misdemeanor to a summary offense is set for public discussion at 5:30 p.m. Thursday March 24 at the city's public works building at 1820 Paxton Street. The meeting is the second one planned by City Councilman Cornelius Johnson to gather public opinions about the proposed ordinance. At the first public meeting two weeks ago, questions arose over whether violators would still lose their driver's license for six months under the reduced charge. City officials said they are still researching that provision of the state's motor vehicle act. Other questions have been raised about how related charges would be handled. Possession of marijuana paraphernalia, for example, still would remain an unclassified misdemeanor. Finding marijuana without paraphernalia is rare as state law classifies pipes, wrapping papers, and even plastic baggies as paraphernalia. Historically, the majority of marijuana arrests in Harrisburg have been in conjunction with arrests for other crimes. Last year, for example, just 23 marijuana arrests represented stand-alone charges while 410 marijuana arrests were in conjunction with other crimes. So it's unclear how broad the impact would be to reduce the penalty for the single crime of marijuana possession. The police chief would likely need to establish guidelines for officers on how they should handle associated crimes with marijuana possession, Papenfuse said. One undisputed benefit to the reduced marijuana charge would be to an offender's pocketbook. The city's proposal could reduce the fine for the crime by $400. Violators currently pay up to $500 in fines for a misdemeanor marijuana conviction. The fines would be reduced to $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second offense, under Harrisburg's proposed ordinance, although impoverished violators could seek community service. The charge would revert back to a misdemeanor for a third arrest. The mayor's proposed fine structure and his three-strikes-you're-out provision could be changed before the proposal is approved by council. Several council members have already said they favor reducing the fines and would like all fines to go toward helping youths instead of into the city's general fund. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have already reduced their penalties for marijuana possession and lowered their fines to $25. Papenfuse has said he does not want to encourage drug use, which is why he proposed a higher fine than the other Pennsylvania cities. But he supports the reduction in penalties because it would reduce the workload on officers, save enforcement costs and provide young people a second chance for a simple mistake. The proposed ordinance also would reduce the negative impact of disproportionate arrests of minorities for drug offenses, he said. City statistics for recent years showed black people were arrested for marijuana possession at a rate of nearly six to one. Council President Wanda Williams said she asked for the marijuana modification last year after learning about Philadelphia's change. She said she didn't support the use of drugs but that the shift would provide more equality in the law. UPDATE: Artur Samarin, a 23-year-old Ukrainian man, thanked his friends and family for their support Thursday amid charges that he posted for years as a Harrisburg High School student. Samarin, who was also known as Asher Potts, attended a bail reduction hearing and a preliminary hearing Thursday. He faces six felony charges related to theft, identity theft and tampering with records, as well as two felony sex crime charges, and two misdemeanor charges regarding using a false identity to enroll in a citizens' police academy. Samarin briefly spoke with the press Thursday as he entered District Judge Michael J. Smith's office in Swatara Township. The above video features comments made by Samarin. A district judge has dismissed a misdemeanor identity theft charge against Artur Samarin, the Ukrainain man accused of posing as a Harrisburg High School student. District Judge Michael J. Smith dismissed the charge during a preliminary hearing on charges filed against Artur Samarin for using a false identity to enroll in a citizens' police academy with the Swatara Township Police Department. Smith allowed a misdemeanor charge of unsworn falsification to authorities to remain. First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo told reporters following the hearing that he would consult with District Attorney Ed Marsico on whether they would re-file the identity theft charge. Samarin was arrested last month after police claimed that the stellar Harrisburg High School student known to many as Asher Potts was really a 23-year-old Ukrainian man who stayed in the United States after his visa expired. In addition to the misdemeanor charge, Samarin is facing six felony charges related to theft, identity theft and tampering with records, as well as two felony sex crime charges. Andrew Ishman.jpg Andrew Ishman (submitted) A 30-year-old man has been charged with committing a bank robbery almost a year ago in East Prospect, York County, with help from several tipsters, police said. Andrew Jacob Ishman, of no known address, is accused of entering the Susquehanna Bank at 1 S. Main St. wearing a hood and face mask, pointing a gun at employees and a customer, court records state. He ordered them to turn their backs, gave an employee a pillow case in which to put money and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. Ishman was charged with three counts of robbery and one each of conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, illegal possession of a firearm, terroristic threats and simple assault. He is in York County prison on $200,000 bail. From security footage police released after the robbery showing the suspect, police said four people accused Ishman of being the robber. Police said a woman told them she received a text message from Ishman April 25, 2015, the day after the robbery, in which he showed a large amount of $20 bills, and wrote "look what I made tonight my beautiful baby girl." He told her he had conspired with three others in the robbery, records state. Two tipsters said Ishman approached him a few days after the robbery, and that he had several thousand dollars, court records state. Ishman also talked about having helped plan the robbery, and that his share was $4,000, although he denied being the robber, records state. One person also told police that Ishman talked about trying to take a serial number off a firearm, and that the weapon and pillow case were dumped in the Susquehanna River. Ishman was charged Jan. 12, arraigned Feb. 25 and a preliminary hearing is set for 2 p.m. March 31. UPDATE: The man's body found in the Susquehanna River Thursday morning is identified, but his name is not yet being announced, state police said at the scene in Middle Paxton Township. "There was no foul play, it's nothing suspicious," said state police Cpl. Brian Wolfe. He said next of kin is being notified, and more information will be provided later. The body of a white male was found around 10 a.m. by fishermen on rocks about 400-500 yards north of a boat launch near Towpath Road and Beamer Lane, Wolfe said. Wolfe said he knows of no missing persons reports in the area, nor how long the person had been dead. He said the man had no connection to the homes along this area of Towpath Road. Personnel from the Dauphin County coroner's office were on the scene but did not provide information to the media. New Cumberland River Rescue, Dauphin and Susquehanna Township fire companies were also on scene, along with state police. Robert Turns, who lives in the 2000 block of Towpath Road, said rescuers had three boats in the river to retrieve the body. "This is the second time somebody died out there," Turns said regarding this area of the river, estimating the last was eight years ago. This is the fourth body found in the river in Central Pennsylvania this month. Two were recovered in Lancaster County near the Safe Harbor Dam March 9. Fishermen came across the body of a man near City Island March 20. The body found March 20 was identified as Matthew Carter, who died of drowning, Coroner Graham Hetrick has said. The manner of death - whether it was accidental, homicide or suicide - has not been released by the coroner. Carter was under investigation by state police in a probe of possible misuse of funds at the Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association at Penn National Race Course, state police said. Screen Shot 2016-03-24 at 5.37.45 AM.JPG (PennDOT traffic camera) UPDATE: The crash was cleared at about 6:45 a.m. A crash involving an overturned tractor-trailer is slowing traffic along the northbound lanes of Interstate 83 in York County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The incident was first reported after 1 a.m. Thursday in York Township, just north of Exit 16B, the exit for Route 74 and Queen Street, according to York County 911. As of 5 a.m., one lane of traffic was moving around the scene of the accident. There were no immediate reports of injuries. For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources. Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here. Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com. More than 900 people have signed a petition from the Victoria Horse Alliance group to request that the city cease operation of horse-drawn carriages in Victoria on Thursday, March 24, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito Mourad Laachraoui, second left behind the table, considered one of Belgium's big Taekwondo talents, and brother of Najim Laachraoui, and his lawyer Philippe Culot, right, listen to questions during a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, March 24, 2016. Najim Laachraoui was caught on camera strolling into Brussels airport with Ibrahim El Bakraoui and an unidentified man before reportedly blowing himself up during the attack. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 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. Look, we made a mistake. When we told you "6 things to know about 'Broad City's' upcoming 'Philadelphia' episode," we neglected to mention one important fact: the director Todd Biermann also hails from Philadelphia. The Somerton native went to St. Joe's Prep and earned a Temple film degree before heading out to Los Angeles, where's he's also done stints on the show of his high school buddy Rob McElhenney's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. (Fun fact: He also happens to be the former roommate of Inquirer columnist Mike Newall. They lived together after they were bartenders at Old City's Plough and the Stars.) He was not chosen to direct "Philadelphia," in which Abbi (played by costar and co-creator Abbi Jacobson, who hails from Wayne) goes home and tries to make amends after a high school slight caused by taking too many 'shrooms, because of his Philly roots. It was really just coincidence, Biermann said, but he was able to bring his eye for the area to the episode, especially because they couldn't shoot on location in Wayne. Not shooting on location isn't out of the ordinary. A recent Philadelphia-set X-Files episode looked nothing like Philly. It's Always Sunny hasn't shot on location in Philadelphia for several seasons, although that might change. Biermann says the It's Always Sunny Gang is coming back to shoot in Philadelphia for the next season. "We couldn't afford to send the whole [Broad City] crew down to Philly for four days. we had to make the compromises where we can but keep it true to the story," Biermann said. "We talked about aspirations of where to revisit it. [Jacobson] joked about shooting down on South Street but that's casual conversation, nothing serious. They've had two very successful seasons and they've earned spreading their wings a little more." "Philadelphia" is one of three episodes of Broad City Biermann directed, including "2016," the episode featuring Hillary Clinton. Biermann and the cast and crew only had Clinton for an hour. "Our plan was to walk her through rehearsal and have her watch the monitors with me. Amy Poehler, a producer on the show, and was there that day, and she played Hillary for so many years. Instead of a stand-in, Amy jumped in and played the rehearsal scene with Hillary watching. She started to laugh hysterically and that's when I knew it was going to be fun," Biermann said. "She was slightly nervous in a normal person sort of way. She had fun with it." Sitting next to Hillary Clinton while Amy Poehler plays her stand in was "surreal." "It certainly was amazing. I've got a six year old daughter, who we intend grow into a smart independent intelligent woman and my wife [actress Andrea Roth] is smart independent intelligent woman," Biermann said. "To be surrounded by all these smart independent intelligent women was inspiring. Abbi and Ilana and Amy and Hillary all playing in that sandbox was quite an experience." Cherry blossoms, daffodils, and the first breath of spring can mean only one thing in the nation's capital: another Affordable Care Act case before the Supreme Court. The act made its fourth trip to the top court Wednesday, with the justices' ideological split as evident as ever in their sharply worded questions. The death of Justice Antonin Scalia weighed heavily on the 90-minute session, as it reduced the conservative contingent to four justices and increased the odds of a 4-4 tie. That would leave the case without a clear resolution and raise the possibility of a rehearing when a new justice joins the court. The challengers in Zubik v. Burwell object to a government rule that lets religious groups opt out of the ACA's mandate that insurance plans cover contraceptives without cost sharing. Houses of worship are entirely exempt from the mandate, but religiously affiliated charities, like hospitals and universities, must submit a form that triggers coverage directly through their insurance plan. The more than two dozen religious groups challenging the rule, most of them Catholic charities, contend that it entangles them in providing contraceptive coverage, which violates their religious beliefs. If they try to avoid the rule by declining to provide health coverage altogether, they face the prospect of big fines. Three of the conservative justices seemed to agree. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who had cast swing votes backing the government in two past ACA cases, asked Solicitor General Donald Verrilli to explain how the rule does not make religious groups complicit in providing contraceptive coverage. "The petitioners use the phrase hijacking, and it seems to me that's an accurate description of what the government wants to do," Roberts said. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked why an alternative to the accommodation could not have been crafted, such as offering separate, contraceptive-only policies on the ACA's insurance exchanges, which would impose less of a burden on the challengers' beliefs. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who cast a swing vote in favor of the government in last year's ACA case challenging some insurance premium subsidies, was also skeptical of the government's position. "Do you question their belief that they are complicit in the moral wrong?" he asked. "Then it seems to me that that's a substantial burden on their religious beliefs." Justice Clarence Thomas, who broke his decadelong silence last month, reverted to it Wednesday but is likely to back the conservatives. The four liberals were equally forceful in questioning the lawyers for the religious groups. Justice Elena Kagan asked attorney Paul D. Clement if the challengers were really "objecting to objecting" to the contraceptive mandate, which, if upheld, could open the door to a flood of noncompliance with government programs. Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked, if broad religious objections are permitted to government actions, "how do we ever have a government that even functions?" Justice Stephen G. Breyer said that religious people who are members of society must often do things they find objectionable. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg feared that the challengers' arguments could open the floodgates to permit exemptions for everyone. Unlike two of the last three ACA cases, this one does not challenge any of the law's core provisions. A ruling adverse to the government would leave the law largely in place, but with fewer employers offering no-cost coverage for contraceptives. The case has aroused strong feelings on both sides. Carol Tracy, executive director of Philadelphia's Women's Law Project, said, "Reproductive health is central to women's health care. Unnecessary riders are burdensome and punitive. Contraception should be paid for in the same way as other health services." Edward J. Furton, ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, called the government's accommodation for religious groups "a bit of a shell game." "Religious organizations are still initiating the actions which bring about the coverage. The accommodation shows disregard for common sense and respect for religious liberty." A tie among the justices would mean prior rulings on the case by federal appeals courts would remain in place. Those rulings have upheld the accommodation in seven federal circuits, leaving it to take effect in the areas they govern, and struck it down in one. However, the court could issue a stay on enforcement of the rule in all regions pending a rehearing before a full complement of nine justices. rif24@drexel.edu Four people were wounded in three separate shootings and one stabbing late Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia. All of the incidents occurred around 5 p.m., and no arrests were reported. A 24-year-old man was in critical condition after he was shot in the armpit and right side in West Philadelphia, police said. The shooting happened about 5:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of South Vodges Street. The victim was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. A firearm was recovered, police said. A teenage boy was also in critical condition after a West Philadelphia shooting near 63rd and Arch Streets. The victim, 17, was shot in the chest about 5 p.m. and also taken to Penn Presbyterian. A 22-year-old man arrived at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital at 5:30 p.m. after being shot multiple times in South Philadelphia, near Sixth and Emily Streets, police said. He was in stable condition. And a 27-year-old woman was hospitalized Wednesday after a stabbing around 5 p.m. in West Philadelphia. Police said she was stabbed in a shoulder on North Conestoga Street and was listed in stable condition at Penn Presbyterian. The violence continued into the evening. At 7:43 p.m. near 54th and Poplar Streets in West Philadelphia, a 19-year-old man was shot two times, in both legs, while on the street. He was also taken to Penn Presbyterian, where he was in stable condition. Less than hour later, also in West Philadelphia, a 27-year-old man was shot and left in critical condition. Police said he was shot in the shoulder at 8:20 p.m. on the 6800 block of Woodland Avenue. He also ended up at Penn Presbyterian. lmccrystal@phillynews.com Niger Ali is writing a script for a kids' TV show. About physics. "The basis of everything," the Freedom Prep High School freshman explains, "is physics." Ali, 14, has a chance to write, produce, and host the show of his dreams because of the Institute for Development of Education in the Arts, or IDEA. The nonprofit organization offers classes in the 130-seat "black box" theater complex - "we call it the IDEA Performing Arts Center," president Cynthia Primas says - at the BB&T Pavilion on the Camden waterfront. "We focus on using the arts as a mechanism for change," says Primas, who earned a master's degree in education from Temple University and helped found IDEA in 1996. "We give kids an opportunity to have their voice be heard through the arts. The arts can be a platform for speaking about their lives." In the 20 years that IDEA has offered programs in the city, and during its eight-year waterfront tenancy, its fortunes have risen and fallen. But Primas and her vision endure: To provide students, most of whom live in Camden, with inexpensive or free classes in dance, theater, visual arts, and audio/video production. About 150 students between the ages of 7 and 19 currently attend IDEA classes. The organization's $50,000 annual budget is supported mainly by fees, grants, and donations. Primas does not draw a salary, and neither do her instructors. "I couldn't do this if it wasn't for my husband," says Primas, a freelance diversity trainer and consultant. She and Theo, a lawyer, live in Mount Laurel. "You either have to be crazy to do this," she adds, "or have passion." I've known Primas for 20 years - she was an early advocate for what is now the city's Creative and Performing Arts High School when I was reporting about Camden back in the '90s. Her dedication has never been in doubt. "IDEA is an organization that reaches and teaches creativity of the mind, body, and spirit," says Martha Chavis, executive director of the Camden Area Health Education Center. "The music, poetry, artwork, and dance projects Cynthia and her staff have developed, facilitated, and supported over the years have [been enjoyed by] thousands of Camden City children, youth, and adults as consumers, patrons or participants," Chavis adds. "I had no idea this program was right here in Camden," says freelance video producer Christina Collins, who's helping a trio of young women develop their talk show concept. "It's going to be about putting the spotlight on positive people in Camden, like athletes or people who are doing well in academics," says Elisabeth Martin, 15, of Pennsauken, a Paul VI High School sophomore. In an adjacent room, local actor Ricki Burroughs Jr., 35, is preparing a half-dozen elementary school students to make 30-second public service announcements. Among the subjects: Avoiding germs. "I like working with kids," says Burroughs, who lives in Palmyra, and who has acted in commercials and movies. "They have a lot more ideas than you might think." As I visit the two classes, I'm struck by the collaborative nature of the process. "Every child is coming up with a show idea," notes Collins. "Our parents are involved, too." There's a familial vibe in the house; parent Dania Daniels of Camden says her two children, ages 5 and 4, want to be on the Disney Channel. "They are excited to see themselves on TV," she says. Says Ali's dad, also named Niger: "My son has always sought ways to prove he can be better than perceptions, and history." The older Ali, a 39-year-old chess instructor, adds that by their participation in IDEA classes, his son and daughter (Zhashiya, 9) "will have an opportunity to excel beyond the expectations [for] residents of the city." Even if the screen is a video monitor in the studio, or on a laptop, the PSAs eventually will be posted on the "IDEA-Video-Magazine" page on Facebook. Other video projects can be seen on the organization's website (idea-arts.org). Many of the clips are feature performances by students, while others have a documentary feel about what it's like to be a kid in Camden. "We're telling the real stories of the heroes and sheroes of the community," says Primas, who, as head of a city arts organization that operates on a shoestring, knows a thing or two about struggle. "I'm one of those people who never gives up," she says. "We will get IDEA on a firm foundation. I firmly believe that if I keep holding onto this dream, there will be a way." kriordan@phillynews.com 856-779-3845 @inqkriordan www.philly.com/blinq MEDIA QUESTIONNAIRE Name of Publication Established (Give exact date) ADDRESS TELEPHONE FAX NO NAME OF EDITOR Name of Printer Language Frequency Please attach a copy of declaration certificate Off Days Please specify whether morning, evening or state the date of issue Date on which the first issue was brought out Any special edition Price per copy Annual subscription Editorial Objectives and policy Appeal to any special community, class or section News services subscribed to Special regular features (i.e Womens or Children page etc) & when appearing Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five This year I have been lucky enough to spend a few months exploring the South Island of New Zealand. Driving around for many different projects was the perfect scenario to get to know the diversity of the island. I knew the beauty of the place from a previous trip six years ago, but coming to New Zealand with my bike and my surfboard, opened a few more perspectives...After weeks and weeks of trips and exploration, the time to let someone else drive me around had arrived. It was time for the TransNZ Enduro. Here's my diary:Day zero doesn't really count, but during day zero we had our transfer time, slowly discovering the beautiful area of Arthur Pass. High peaks and wilderness, and a call for adventure... A real promised land and the best sign for our TransNZ Enduro adventure. Morning. Here we are, right after the breakfast, we put our bikes on the trailers before getting our timing chips and jumping in the van. It's actually a very short shuttle and we started to climb in the fresh morning, as we entered the Cheeseman range we look at the mountains and wonder how those are gonna eat us.Expectations are high and smiles are everywhere. Soon we leave the dirt road and climb the trail. The first impression on the trail, it's good! The organisation definitely had great thought to give us this stage as the first stage, it was a good mix of speed, fun and pedaling. The perfect recipe to get us ready to enjoy the day.In total we rode five stages, all taking place in the same range around Craigie Burn and Castle Hill. The terrain is a mix of packed dirt, loamy forest soil and alpine style packed dirt. It's dusty and sometimes loose, but most of the trail has been shaped for biking. The fun is high, we are boosting the speed in the beech forest, railing alpine corner in the good dirt. There was a long liaison that took us over an hour and a half. I went slow in the climb to save some energy but I reckon that I was staying on my pace and trying to follow my rhythm. The day was a blast and we finished with a refreshing waterslide and a cold beer in the grass. Remembering the good times of the day.The night was short, and we were back in the lovely Flock Hill station for another breakfast before starting the race day. Today the stage we were all looking forward to was 'The Edge,' a spectacular trail that starts from the actual CragieBurn ski field after a long climb. From the scree it goes along the steep slopes of the mountain, sometimes covered in trees and sometimes straight in the scree. It's epic, long fast lines, steep and rough sections.That trail had everything, and we had the chance to discover even more from the CragieBurn area through the four stages of the day. The trails offered us a lot of different terrain, but nothing too extreme. Still, we had to go through some streams, rocks and scree trail ... this day had some adventure flavor. Right in the mountains, the clouds around us were threatening as we rode in the deep forests.Right at the end of stage four we headed back to Flock Hill, cleared our card and got a sandwich before loading the trailers and heading to Queenstown in shuttles. The long road to the promised land of enduro. Crossing almost half of the island was an impressive show we enjoyed from the van, the landscape was changing a lot every hour, from the field to the forest to the glaciers and lakes. New Zealand is an amazing and surprising country. Entering Queenstown at night, we couldn't see anything of the landscape ...In the morning as I was getting ready for another day of racing, I didn't see anything in the area. It was during the shuttle that I discovered the zone, we were surrounded by beautiful hills covered in tussocks and forest. Above the Queenstown lake, we could see the Remarkable range and far more mountains. The van dropped us at Coronet Peak ski field, where we started to climb to the top of the resort. The landscape is very unusual, high golden grass, winding trails and no trees. The day was beautiful and we started it with a very bike park style stage. Before heading to one of the most epic stages of the whole week, stage two starts with the famous Rude Rock trail before turning right on Skippers Canyon, the trail is playful, fast and unique. I enjoyed it. Then we dropped in on Skippers which is a more natural style trail, I pushed hard but had to stop for a mechanical. My derailleur was hanging on the chain . A curious situation never seen before, anyway, I had to fix it and let six people overtake me. It was a pretty embarrassing moment where I saw any chance for podium going away.Stage three was probably the most surprising of the week, as we rode a pretty dry zone, the stage drops into a forest on a loamy and steep trail, before ending in the river. We had to climb the Skipper Canyon before a long transition to ride stage four, a typical old school downhill track above Queenstown with amazing views of the giant lake. The day was going perfectly and I was having a blast. But the organisation wanted us to finish on a perfect note. We got a final shuttle to Coronet Peak ski field. Then we climbed to the top of the stage, which appears to be one of the steepest ones around! A challenging downhill on a ridge from Coronet to Arrowtown, no time for watching the landscape! The trail was awesome and the transition back to the village was beautiful too. An epic day ended laying down under the trees and remembering the best moments with the other riders.We started day four with a long bus shuttle to the town of Alexandra, leaving Queenstown and its lake, we entered a totally different environment. Like always with TransNZ Enduro, we had the chance to ride new terrain every day. Alexandra really looks like a desert, the vegetation is Thyme and the hills are full of big and dark rocks. Sweet! The trails are made for biking and through the different stages, we experienced how trail builders work in Alexandra. The trails went around the rocks, crossing the slabs and were made to be very playful. Big up to the trail builders, because the work is impressive and the fun is real. Fast and loose, it took me a few minutes on stage one to get used to it.Following the course we rode from the canyons to the summit, discovering this nice area, even on the transition stage the trails are really good. But as there is no shade it was important to keep hydrated with plenty of snacks all day long. The first and last stages were probably the best, with challenging loose corners, steep sections, jumps and fast straight lines. We then had a rest at the pub before heading back to Queenstown by bus.Last breakfast and last preparation for the race. It was the final day and we knew it, it's not the worst one. I realised at this time how fast the week passed. Every day was unique and full but even. That last day came fast.We started by riding from the accommodation to the Queenstown bike park. A first long climb in the forest to get to the first stage, a combination of different downhill tracks and natural trails in the forest, in the turns we could see the lake and the Remarkable range. Then after using the Skyline lift we headed to Ben Lomond saddle, a long transition, it is normally a walking trail but thanks to the organisation, we had the chance to race it. During the summer, the locals were working on a new trail to connect the high point of the saddle to the forest and Queenstown bike park. This trail was finished the night before! The first to race and the first to ride it. Because of the fast and rough ridge line trail to the loamy trail in the forest, this stage was definitely epic. My favorite in the whole event. At the end of the stage, we climbed the Fernhill loop climb and got to a nice hill above the Queenstown lake. From there was the last stage of the race. Starting on the hill the trail quickly drops into the wood for a natural, multi-line track. Crossing some streams, the trail is a fast one and finally ends at the bike park with an awesome compilation of berms and jumps. Perfect ending for such a beautiful and epic race.We rode back to Queenstown and our accommodation, and started to celebrate together, everybody was happy and saying cheers to each other with the TransNZ Enduro beer! A special edition made just for us. In the evening we all walked into town for a final dinner together in a restaurant, remembering the best moments of the week and also planning new adventures, because adventure always calls for more adventure!TransNZ Enduro is an epic journey trough New Zealand where you will challenge yourself on some of the most beautiful and awesome trails of the south island. Each day is a chance to discover a new landscape and get to know this beautiful land. The trails are diverse and will offer you some of your best moments so whether you decide to race it or just enjoy it to live the experience in total, it's incredible. This journey is definitely a must do to get to know one of the most iconic places to ride in the southern world. Besides the trails and the journey, the organisation is serious about timing and marking, but they also provide a good service to make your adventure a very good time. It means you will like the food and always have a fresh beer at the end of the day! From Our Firehouse to Yours COOKS - It is sort of strange how things get started, some projects take a lot of time and thought, others are off the cuff ideas. In the case of... Seul Choix Haunted GULLIVER - The big fundraiser for the Gulliver Historical Society, Haunted Lighthouse is coming this weekend to a real haunted Lighthouse located in Gulliver, Mich. Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse is... What is a cloud? You have probably never thought about the definition of a cloud because clouds are a normal part of our everyday existence. The American Meteorological Society has a handy glossary and they define a cloud as a visible aggregation of minute water droplets and/or ice particles in the atmosphere above the earths surface. According to that definition, clouds can only be made of water and they only exist on Earth, which isnt particularly useful for our purposes. I checked the self-proclaimed definitive record of the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary, and found a visible mass of condensed watery vapour floating in the air at some considerable height above the general surface of the ground. According to the OED, clouds are only made of liquid droplets and Im still trying to figure out what altitudes are included in some considerable height above the general surface of the ground. By the way, the OED notes that obsolete definitions for cloud include a consolidated mass of earth or clay which (a) I had no idea and (b) might turn out to be useful for exoplanets! I like Wikipedias definition the best: a cloud is an aerosol comprising a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water or various chemicals. The droplets or particles are suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. It seems to be a combination of the above definitions, but it acknowledges that clouds can be made of substances other than water. All three definitions agree that clouds are visible and they are above the surface. The one part of the OED definition I would like to keep is condensed as I think this is one of the most important ideas that will help us separate clouds from haze and dust. I would define cloud as a visible mass of liquid and/or solid particles suspended in an atmosphere that form from condensation of atmospheric gases. For added confusion, cloud droplets prefer to form on preexisting particles (cloud condensation nuclei CCN) and both haze and dust particles may serve as CCN. What about dust? The AMS defines dust as Solid materials suspended in the atmosphere in the form of small irregular particles, many of which are microscopic in size. OED says Earth or other solid matter in a minute and fine state of subdivision, so that the particles are small and light enough to be easily raised and carried in a cloud by the wind; any substance comminuted or pulverized; powder. Wikipedia says Dust consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil, dust lifted by weather (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution. All three agree dust is particles and the AMS and OED agree that dust is solid. My preferred definition of dust is solid particles suspended in the atmosphere that did not originate in the atmosphere. So far, although they have lacked scientific precision and are often Earth-centric, the definitions havent been so bad. Everything falls apart when you get to haze. The AMS glossary defines haze as Particles suspended in air, reducing visibility by scattering light; often a mixture of aerosols and photochemical smog; a definition that somehow ignores the fact that photochemical smog is a type of aerosol and that particles suspended in air are aerosol by definition. Wikipedia uses this definition Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. The World Meteorological Organization manual of codes includes a classification of horizontal obscuration into categories of fog, ice fog, steam fog, mist, haze, smoke, volcanic ash, dust, sand, and snow. Sources for haze particles include farming (plowing in dry weather), traffic, industry, and wildfires. And our definitive source on the English language defines haze as An obscuration of the atmosphere near the surface of the earth, caused by an infinite number of minute particles of vapour, etc. in the air which has so many things wrong with it I am not even sure where to start (infinite number?!?). I suspect that part of the problem here is that in common usage, haze is used to mean aerosol. If you look outside one day and there are obviously particles present but you dont know what they are, you could just say it is awfully hazy today. If you live in Tucson, Arizona it is probably dust and if you live in LA it is probably smog and you might use those words instead if you are fairly confident you know what you are looking at. No one walks outside and says: My, it is quite aerosol-y today. For the definition of haze, Im just going to start from scratch. When we talk about haze for Titan or Pluto or Venus, we are referring to particles that are produced from chemistry in the atmosphere that is usually initiated by solar photons and/or an external source of energetic particles and results in the formation of solid products. In general, the products are solid at any combination of temperature and pressure that exist in that worlds atmosphere. (We may have to be flexible for this part of the definition for giant planets, where the range of pressures and temperatures in the atmosphere is very large.) Unlike a cloud particle, haze particles will not go through cycles of evaporation and condensation depending on the current atmospheric conditions. Cloud material can move back and forth between gas and solid/liquid phase. Haze material is on a one-way trip. In general, haze particles are smaller than clouds or dust because of their formation mechanism. So, unlike clouds, they arent always visible. Ill define haze as particles produced from chemistry in the atmosphere that results in the formation of involatile solids. Common usage is beyond the scope of what I am concerned with right now. My interest here lies in the fact that in planetary science we tend to use three wordsclouds, haze, and dustto describe particles present in planetary atmospheres and the usage is not consistent both within and between communities. Why does this happen? Shouldnt scientists be precise with language? My sloppily collected anecdata suggest that the problem results, as problems often do in planetary science, from the fact that we slowly turn points of light into worlds. It is often the case that during this process we first can tell only that there are particles, but we know little about their size, shape, composition, origin, fate, etc. and without that information, it is difficult to precisely categorize them. This is most obvious right now in the field of exoplanets, which seem to frequently have particles in their atmospheres (as do all of the atmospheres in the solar system), but we do not have a lot of information about what kind of particles. Are they clouds? Are they haze? We dont really know, and people have a tendency to use those words interchangeably even though they mean different things and imply different formation mechanisms, sizes, and compositions. As we turn points of light into worlds, scientists are not just communicating with each other, they are also communicating with the world. Describing a newly characterized exoplanet or the spectacular images from the Pluto flyby as "showing the presence of aerosols" is not nearly as compelling as "cloudy exoplanets" or "hazy Pluto". I understand that scientific precision sometimes loses to the human desire to communicate the wonders of the universe. But that doesnt change the fact that when scientists are talking to each other, they should at least understand the words being used. I have selfishly written this post in the hope that professional planetary scientists read it and adopt the definitions I have suggested. Barring that, my hope is that people will at least be better about defining words as they are using them in the papers that they are writing so that their meaning is clear, even if we disagree about usage. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print By James Odato ALBANY, N.Y. (Reuters) Lawyers for two New York residents seeking to throw Ted Cruz off next months presidential primary ballot in the state urged an Appeals Court panel on Wednesday to consider whether the U.S. senator from Texas is eligible given his Canadian birth. The case put forward by New York residents Barry Korman, 81, of Manhattan and William Gallo, 85, of Manhasset, had been dismissed by a Supreme Court judge earlier this month because it was filed after a procedural deadline. Lawyers Roger Bernstein and Judith Hancock urged the five judges of the Appellate Division of New York to consider the merits of their case to block Cruz from the April 19 New York state primary election. The objectors attached Cruzs birth certificate showing he was born in December 1970 in Calgary, Alberta. Bernstein told the panel the primary ballot must only contain constitutionally eligible presidential candidates, and argued the appeals judges should give greater weight to the importance of the issue than the missed deadline. Their petition to block Cruz came 19 days beyond the three-day limit after a candidate files a request to be placed on the ballot, Cruzs lawyers said, adding that the objection should not go forward because it was tardy. The appeals judges are expected to rule later this week. The case is one of several similar challenges to Cruzs eligibility to run for the White House including lawsuits in Alabama, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas filed since Republican front-runner Donald Trump brought up questions about whether Cruz meets the constitutional requirement to be president. The Constitution says that to be president, a person must be a natural-born citizen of the United States. Cruz has argued that he is eligible to run because of his mothers U.S. citizenship, and many legal experts say it is unlikely any judge in the United States would block his presidential bid. The lawyers representing the New York objectors are also representing the appeal of Carmon Elliott, who is complaining about Cruz being on the ballot in Pennsylvania. (Editing by Richard Valdmanis) Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The latest Republican Supreme Court assault on Obamacare could be destined for defeat, thanks to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells plan to obstruct President Obamas Supreme Court nominee. Conservative groups have challenged the Obama administrations religious accommodation on the issue of providing coverage for birth control. The Hill reported on the argument before the eight justices currently seated on the Supreme Court: The conservative justices argued that the government is in effect hijacking the nonprofits insurance plans in order to provide contraceptive coverage, meaning the nonprofits are still complicit in providing contraceptive coverage. But the four liberal justices warned against the precedent of opening up the floodgates to new religious objections to laws. How will we ever have a government that functions? asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor. They also indicated the accommodation struck the right balance between religious liberty and allowing employees to have important access to contraception. A 4-4 split would let stand lower court rulings, eight of which have favored the Obama administration. But in the states governed by the Eighth Circuit, the accommodation would be struck down. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells decision to obstruct President Obama Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, is already harming the country. Critical questions of law may not be resolved because McConnell has decided to make up his own rules as he goes along in order to justify partisan political obstruction. McConnells obstruction could mean that in the case of Zubik v. Burwell, no legal precedent may be set. Instead of a national decision, Republicans could create chaos with differing lower court rulings establishing contradictory rulings in different parts of the country. By obstructing Merrick Garland, Senate Republicans have imposed the same gridlock that has made Congress dysfunctional to the Supreme Court. The main Republican talking point that deadlocked court wouldnt be damaging to the nations legal system has already been disproven. McConnells big strategy is backfiring. The latest Obamacare case was the conservative movements last gasp attack on Obamacare, but thanks to Mitch McConnells obstruction, conservatives may be destined for a deadlocked defeat. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Ted Cruz showed his bigot colors the other day when he claimed we have to patrol Muslim neighborhoods (no doubt a reference to those imaginary no-go zones). Donald Trump says forget that, why let them live here in the first place? Trump got together Tuesday with Michael Savage to talk about the Brussels terrorist attacks and Savage immediately said Trump had been proven 100 percent right about all things Muslim. Trump loves to hear that he was 100 percent right and as you know if youve been following the news, he is 100 percent right 100 percent of the time. Just check his Twitter feed. Where Brussels is concerned, Trump said, again falling into the trap of thinking what he says must be true, Now its a hellhole. Im getting a lot of credit for having vision and for having foresight. And lambasted for not knowing what the hell youre talking about. Well get to that in a moment. So on top of banning Muslim immigration, Trump said, We have to have tremendous surveillance and that includes the mosques. We have to be intelligent people. And terribly bigoted. Walls and surveillance. Sounds more like East Germany than the United States. Take a listen of this spew courtesy of Right Wing Watch: A shibboleth is a belief distinguishing a particular group of people. Politically correct is the new conservative shibboleth. So this is where Trump pulled out the political correctness shibboleth: These people arent coming from Sweden or Norway or Denmark or, frankly, from China, theyre not coming from theyre coming from a certain part of the world and we have to be smart and we cannot be politically correct. Wow. Even the Chinese are preferable to Semites for Donald Trump. Of course, the Chinese make his shirts and ties: So yes, oh dear, here we go again. As Catherine Rampell wrote in The Washington Post this past August, Quit accusing Democrats of runaway political correctness. Republicans are just as keen on censoring speech but its a different kind of speech they choose to censor. Right-O. Anyway, this is where Savage asked Trump point-blank if he would behave exactly like Ted Cruz, without actually mentioning Ted Cruz of course: Savage: Would profiling be part of a Trump plan to combat terror? Trump: I would say yes. There you go. This is typical white man behavior: blame an entire people for the behavior of a few. This principle must never be applied to white people, of course, let alone Christians. Given that Christians kill far more people in the United States than Muslims, by their logic, we should be banning Christian immigration and profiling Christians and monitoring churches. It only makes sense. If any of this makes sense. Obviously, this isnt what America is about. It is, rather, precisely what America was always supposed to be opposed to, repression of the many by the few. The Constitution says we are all equal before the law. Trump and Cruz, should either of them win, would be expected to swear to uphold the Constitution. Trump, like Cruz, praised the New York Police Department spying on Muslims. Never mind and never mentioned that the chief of said police department, Commissioner Bill Bratton, tore Cruz a new one for his own claims, saying, He doesnt know what the hell he is talking about, to be frank with you. While hes running around here, he probably has some Muslim officers guarding him. So what Trump is telling us is that like Cruz, he doesnt know what the hell he is talking about. Thats the way to work it, Donald. As Bratton said, and as Trump would do well to hear, Youve got to be careful when you paint with a broad brush, because you tend to spill some of that paint on yourself. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print There was a lot of bad news for Congressional Republicans in the Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday. Not only does President Obama have his highest approval ratings in 3 years, but by a margin of 2-1, Americans say the Senate should vote on Obamas Supreme Court pick. Yikes. But wait. It gets worse. While Americans pretty much despise everyone in Congress, they like Democrats more than they like Republicans. Heres how it breaks down: Democrats have a negative 32-62% approval rating, which as sad as it is, Quinnipiac notes it is is their best since October 1 of 2013 when they had a negative 32-60. So it looks like the Republican efforts to prove that government sucks by obstructing anything President Obama wanted to get done and obstructing government in general, down to refusing to fund the government at times, has rubbed off on Democrats a bit, but not as much as the being the Party of No has clung to Republicans. Hold on to your hats. Republicans scored a whopping negative 15 81% job approval rating, which the poll analysts note is virtually unchanged since December. Could Republicans sink any lower? Not really. There will always be the diehard fans, but theyve even lost some of the We will always love George W Bush fans with these numbers. And now that they are petulantly refusing to do their jobs, jobs that even a majority of Independents agree they should be doing (confirming Justice Merrick Garland), things dont look so good this election season for Republicans. We havent even addressed their top of the ticket problem, but in truth their Donald Trump/Ted Cruz problem is the same as their Congressional approval problem. Republicans have allowed the extremists to take over and the American public is not impressed. Lets face it: Both parties are deeply unpopular, but the Democrats are the least reviled, Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, explained. It would be fair to say that Democrats and many Republicans hate the corporate takeover of Congress, for which they blame both parties. But for shutting down the government, throwing tantrums that hurt the American people, wasting taxpayer money on ridiculous and already debunked witch hunts against Hillary Clinton and Planned Parenthood and so much more, the public hates Republicans the most. This poll and others like it also bode poorly for the Paul Ryan as Hail Mary presidential nominee, but shhhh dont tell anyone. Republicans are quite sure that Paul Ryan, who lost as Vice President in 2012, could win as President in 2016. The false both sides do it argument could only float Republicans for so long. Now that Donald Trump is here and Mitch McConnell is trying to pass a turd off as gold in the Senate with inaccurate and easily disproved claims to justify his refusal to even give Merrick Garland a hearing, both sides do it is looking like the weak tea it always was. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print It is no surprise to many Americans that Republicans would not exist as a political party without a significant number of stupid people in the electorate. Up until a couple of weeks ago, no Republican ever had the courage to articulate their embrace of the stupid among their base. Most establishment Republicans comprehend that there is only so much abuse even their ignorant supporters will take. Republican frontrunner for the presidential nomination Donald Trump is the exception. He not only openly embraces ignorance; he told his supporters that he loves the poorly educated. What he failed to tell his supporters was that without the poorly educated, his candidacy would have been over eight months ago. Trump thrives on the telling it like it is portrayal of his rhetoric, but if he really told it like it is, he would turn his favorite word loser on his stupid racist supporters; not the educated professionals in the press pool assigned to cover his race-baiting campaign. Donald Trump is a racist bully and a charlatan, but he is not fool enough to insult the people keeping him on pace to win the Republican nomination for president. So he tells the losers that he loves them because they are poorly educated (read stupid). Recently, the New York Times published a report on what they labeled Trump geography that was a result of attempting to get to the bottom of one of the most bizarre mysteries of modern political history; why in dogs name does any American support Donald Trump, and what kind of idiots are those people? Some journalists did a little research and discovered that in the counties where Trump is most dominant, particularly across the South, there are large numbers of white high school dropouts, and unemployed white people who will not even look for work. And why should they? The poorly educated, poverty-ridden counties of Trumps America receive inordinately large sums of public assistance like food stamps, welfare, housing assistance and healthcare while claiming America sucks. They are also guilty of massive Social Security fraud in seeking permanent disability payments for minor injuries or phony conditions. In fact, it is a problem that is so rampant in Trumps America that attorneys have created a cottage industry out of offering to secure taxpayer-funded disability income for perfectly normal clients when they pay a one-time fee for a lifetime of living off of government subsidies. There is a perfectly good reason that Trumps seemingly incoherent candidacy correlates with many in his base; their failure and inability to obtain a high school diploma and their personal choice to withdraw from the labor force. The Trump counties also have a historically consistent record of voting for segregationists, and have an above average percentage of its residents living in government subsidized mobile homes. Since Trump and his ignorant base claim being politically incorrect and stereotypical are honorable traits, they will not mind hearing the bald truth that according to the empirical evidence, they are nothing more than lazy and stupid white trailer trash. In a speech during a campaign rally, Trump even acknowledged the veracity of his intellectually challenged trailer trash; the base that wants Trump to make America great again. Although Trump generally regards normal people to be losers, to appeal to the stupid he claimed that he loves the poorly educated to wild applause. It is noteworthy that regardless the state, the poorly educated Trump loves were poorly conditioned to shun the value of education like they shun the idea of work. Their stupidity is not down to poor schools or ineffective teachers. It is remarkable that in the past Trump has never revealed a special affection for illiteracy and ignorance; neither in his underlings, business associates, nor any of his children. But he does love stupid voters he can easily manipulate; a fair percentage of whom failed to earn even a high school diploma. An author at the ultra-conservative journal National Review, Kevin Williamson, penned an essay identifying just a few personal problems typical of Trumps supporters. He particularly noted that even in the best of economic conditions and under the friendliest government policies, the career options for high school dropouts will always remain poor to non-existent. Trump is aware of this fact, but instead of embracing the GOPs mantra and telling his stupid base to accept personal responsibility for creating their own low standard of living, he verifies that blaming everyone else is acceptable. Donald Trump is like all Republicans and claims in public that his poorly educated bases financial misery has nothing whatsoever to do with their rejection of work and education; it is because of Mexicans crossing the border, Muslims in the Middle East, poverty-wage Chinese workers, and the African American man they believe illegally occupies the Oval Office. The trailer trash high school dropouts who have stopped filling out job applications are responsible for their own American dreams death. And if their little region of America is going to Hell like Trump is wont to claim, it is their own fault. Still, Trump has enjoyed a raging success in telling his incredibly stupid supporters that it is everyone elses fault they are ignorant and poor and they believe him. Trump does not love the poorly educated in the sense his poorly educated base believes; he loves them because they are too incredibly stupid to see through the sophistry an intelligent charlatan is selling. Tragically, if Trump did win the White House and send his poorly educated base deeper into poverty and despair, they would continue blaming immigrants, people of color and likely President Obama.